A nice if unexceptional record. I’d never heard of this group before, but this further confirms my theory that this list is mostly made by white British critics in their forties and fifties picking their favorite stuff rather than trying to get a list of the most important albums of the modern era. Bony was my favorite tack, it had great production and a nice little melody, as was when love breaks down. Maybe I should have known about this group and missing something?

I get that this is a big group in 2000s “rock” but it’s not for me. Too many songs sound the same and it lacks soul.

A stark and brutal portrait of Queensbridge in the early 1990s. Nas absolutely raps his ass off like he knows this could be his ticket out. He tells stories at such a rapid clip that it was hard for me to keep up at times and that he wrote this at 20 years old is simply astounding. The eerie beats enhance the mood of this album and parallel the lyrics well (the sample of "human nature" at the end of this album was fun to hear so close to Thriller though the context was completely different). I'm fairly confident there is no Kendrick Lamar without this album, as I lots that likely influenced Kendrick here.

Meh. Not really for me. I think I might have appreciated the more political songs if I was a bigger lyrics person but nothing melodically gripped me here.

God awful. I actually find it offensive that this is taking up a spot on this list while most hip hop artists do not have a single album on here and others only have 1. Horrendous.

I thought it’s was really good. No obvious hits, but really interesting only having heard rumors. It’s clearly the same band but it almost sounds like a group of outtakes because it’s so different and unstructured.

I would have given this a 3 bc I hate skits and not every song was good but it moves up to a 4 because of lauryn hill’s rapping alone. She’s so great especially on “Ready or Not”. None of the others are bad but she clearly outshines the other two.

She’s obviously a great singer but this was just kind of boring. It was nice to have in the background when I worked and impressive that it was all presumably done in one take.

This was pretty interesting but nothing gripped me. It was a cool fusion of styles and well executed but I don’t feel like I ever need to hear this again

Some of the rock and roll here was great but man the singers voice was sometimes insufferable. Here Comes Your Man outshines the rest of the album by far for me.

This album is a great argument for why you should go out on the top of your game. Every song on here is good. The Boxer, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, and Cecilia are enough to give any album at least a 3.5 but it was all great. Beautiful arrangements, interesting Melodies and lyrics which create a story you want to follow. So good, just wish it had been remastered.

Meh. There was a lot going on with this album but I did not connect to it. This was probably hard to make, but except for the piano solo in uncertain smile I did not enjoy this album. I don’t think I’d ever want to hear this again

I wish I could have listened to this more closely before reviewing. I liked what I heard. There was funk, rock and world music all rolled into a fun package. Psycho Killer is of course a classic song that would raise the score of any album. Great bass parts all around. I don’t think it was perfect but I’m gonna give this a 4.

I liked this album more each time I heard it. These melodies are just so goddamn catchy and the production was really fantastic. I know its one of the more recent albums but everything soudned so crisp and clean which was nice on my ears. The songwriting was very good too. It felt sincere and was very accessible. "Blank Space" and "Shake it Off" were clever self-referential tracks where Taylor Swift acknowledges and mocks what others say about her. "Style" had some funky guitar parts and built its groove in a way that I really liked. I do think the album starts to wilt towards the end and a different tracklist might have fixed this.

This was right up my wheelhouse. I was wondering how long track 1 could be when I looked and realized I was deep into track 3. I mean that as a compliment. The whole first side of this album was a fantastic and interesting jam. Like the pig-pen era Grateful Dead with a harder and tighter edge. Great guitar parts. I never heard to this and will come back to this for sure.

A very mature sounding album that was absolutely no fun to listen too. It was all so serious and morose but without any levity or even percussion to break it up. I think if I was more of a lyrics person I’d appreciate this a lot more but it felt like a slog to get through honestly. It could also because the budget broke my brain and im exhausted.

Great album by a great band. If I’m being honest I’d give this a 4.5 because it does drag a bit at times but the highs are too high to give this a 4. Up on Cripple Creek is one of my faves by them with a fantastic groove. Look out Cleveland, the night they drove old Dixie down and King harvest are also highlights. What an excellent group of musicians.

This was a slog. I did not like this 1 bit. I’m sure the lyrics are good if you pay close attention but the music sucked. At least with Dylan you get some nice acoustic guitar sounds for the most part. I’m truly baffled at how this could be a comeback album. Who heard this and thought “wow this is what I missed!”? I’ll pass.

This was some nice and gentle stuff to start my morning to. I feel like I can’t give it a fair review without understanding the lyrics, so I will give it a 4 for benefit of the doubt and for creating a nice atmosphere and vibe.

This was fine, and had some nice guitar parts but was not really my taste. I don’t love low fi sounding music in general as I love to hear all of the instruments and I feel like we lost that with the way it was mixed. Since this is shoegaze music that was certainly intentional.

Very good but in serious need a a remaster. The parts were too far panned in 1 direction or the other so listening in AirPods was a pain. But James brown is an undeniable talent with a great voice and I think this show would have been incredible to watch in person. If we had half stars it would get a 3.5.

This album is on here more for its importance than how good each track is I think. While it was likely pretty amazing to hear when it first came out, I don't think most of this album aged very well. BUT you do get some key components of hip hop still relevant today. A mix of party and political songs (The Message is obviously fantastic), sampling, and even some electronic music elements (Scorpion). Parts of it felt more like an R&B album than a hip-hop album but I think it was just too early in hip-hop's history to expect anything different.

A pleasant but not particularly memorable album. It was a pretty effective hybrid of old-school country and modern pop sounds, and she has a beautiful voice but I was not really "wowed" at any point. The Dave Matthews duet and Bruce background vocals were nice surprises. It would probably be good to get a female perspective on this album and its lyrics.

When I tell people I usually don't like indie rock this is what i'm talking about. The music jumped around to various sounds without ever really establishing a groove and some of the falsetto vocals became really unbearable at points. I think this is somewhat technically impressive and was probably a difficult album to make, but it is not an enjoyable album to listen to. I don't feel like there was much soul in here.

Just a phenomenal album from start to finish. It's a real tragedy that this was all that was released in his lifetime because this was something special. "Lover, you should have come over" is fantastic, full of raw passion and emotion which soars and takes you on a journey, and of course "hallelujah" is probably a top 10 cover of all time. This fusion of rock, blues, pop, and folk really works for me and his vocals feel authentic. Like he means every word he sings.

Meh. Not really for me. I think I might have appreciated the more political songs if I was a bigger lyrics person but nothing melodically gripped me here.

Really great. Each track was like it’s own western film and I found it really impressive how a world was created within each song, filled with vivid characters and settings. I know the Grateful Dead covered El Paso from this, but they must have been inspired by this world building too. Cool Water, El Paso, and Billy the Kid did this exceptionally well. I’d probably give this a 4.5 if I could since I can’t say it’s something I’d truly want to listen to frequently and sounds dated but it’s country music at its best for sure.

The definition of fine. I did not hate it but would be happy to never hear this again. I really did not like the singer’s voice which was hard to get past. It was a little too much like the whiny 90s ska of a tony hawk video game soundtrack for my taste. I don’t think the horns really added much thoug I usually love horns. I did think Used sounded like Bruce so that’s a plus.

The beginning of this album really wowed me but I felt like it started to drag towards the middle. It feels like a worse version of Astral Weeks which still makes for a pretty good album. I hear David Crosby and his son in is voice and it was interesting to get this one so close to that one. I do like the ambition of the jamming and longer songs so I have to give this one a 4.

The sunshine yesterday felt inappropriate for this album. Moody and full of mystique, I felt like I needed to be alone at a bar or fireplace at with a martini or scotch in hand. I do think it ran a few tracks too long.

This was meh for me. Some very good guitar soloing (you can see why RHCP added Dave Navarro for a bit) but the singing was insufferable. The worst parts of punk siniging for me. Also these songs did not have very good Melodie’s for the most part. I won’t listen again.

This was a LOT of sound for a Monday morning. Sure shot was a great opener, and Sabotage is the best rap/punk fusion I can think of aside from Rage Against the Machine. The rest of the album however was not great for me. It felt cluttered and annoying. Though I get that the Beastie Boy’s were showing that they could actually play instruments too, which is fine, I don’t think the fusion of styles worked on the rest of the album as well as it did on Sabotage.

I cannot tell you why this was here. I did not enjoy it. Maybe the lyrics were amazing so for benefit of the doubt it gets a 2

I’ve heard this before and remember it being well produced if filled with homophobia and sexism (rightly) not acceptable today. Snoop Dogg truly brings it to his world debut and the G Funk sound is fun, just wish it was less vulgar.

This was much more psychadelic than I expected which was fun. These guys were clearly influenced by the Doors and Hendrix though some of these songs (like "dirt" a clear highlight for me with its slow build and heavy groove) sounded like they could have been on Sticky fingers or Exile leading me to wonder if the stooges influenced these sixties band. It messed with my sense of rock history which was cool. The last song however did sound like it was written by Yoko Ono and lasted far too long.

Great from start to finish. Funky and fun. Love Little Red Corvette and Lady Cab Driver especially. No notes here. Would give a 4.5 if possible.

Great album. Hard to listen to the title track objectively because I’ve heard it so many times. Victim of love is currently my favorite Eagles song.

God awful. I actually find it offensive that this is taking up a spot on this list while most hip hop artists do not have a single album on here and others only have 1. Horrendous.

This album was very well put together. The themes are positive and important and the samples are fun and well crafted. I can see this album being a big influence on Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and yes early Kanye. Having said all of that, aside from “dawn of the dreads”, which was my favorite track, it was missing that X factor that would make me want to listen to it again .

I did not care for this. Idk what else to add, it wasn't for me and I don't want to hear it again

A beautiful example of southern rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd has an incredibly focused musical identity as a band and I really like their no-frills approach to rock and roll. The songs are authentic, the band is strong, and the music just feels good. (Note these guys were actually progressives and the the band's image got distorted by those who survived the infamous plane crash). Finally, FREEEEEBIRRRRDDDD!!!! As much as it has become a joke to yell at encores, this song and the guitar solos at the end are just phenomenal with each measure elevating the guitar parts further into the stratosphere.

I was impressed with this album when it first came out and still think it is very good. We get a strong sense of who Kacey Musgraves is from this record and I thought it blended country with contermporary pop very well. The Melodies in lonely weekend, velvet Elvis, and High Horse were all super catchy.

A nice if unexceptional record. I’d never heard of this group before, but this further confirms my theory that this list is mostly made by white British critics in their forties and fifties picking their favorite stuff rather than trying to get a list of the most important albums of the modern era. Bony was my favorite tack, it had great production and a nice little melody, as was when love breaks down. Maybe I should have known about this group and missing something?

Ill be honest and say I did not finish this one but I do not expect that I missed much. It was fine electronic music but it’s not for me. While I don’t need vocals I do like a melody and that was missing here.

These songs are catchy, fun and some of them really rock! While "Our lips are sealed' is a gentle introduction, "How Much More", "Tonite" and "Can't Stop the World" all kick ass. I cant help but feel like Green Day must have been partially inspired by this melodic punk-rock and don't see how Dookie could happen without this album. It defintiely sounds like a product of the 80's and is not exceptionally deep, but I thought it was an enjoyable listen overall.

One of the Best albums of the 2010s and a big album for me. I remember being super excited about this initially. Two young white guys making blues music in 2010? Incredible (maybe would have found this less so if I had more context of what else was out there). It sounds modern and classic at the same time. Next Girl and She's Long Gone are both searing, These Days and Everlasting Light are beautifully wilting, and Never Gonna Give You Up is a fantastic cover. Tighten Up is actually one of my least favorite songs on the record but I wonder if it was just because it was so overplayed. This is the Black Keys' best album and will almost certainly remain so as time passes. I'm upset it's not on the RS list so glad to see it here.

This album was not made by the Queen I know. While elements of their distinctive (and too Broadway for me) sound are in here this sounded a lot more like Led Zeppelin to me. I mean that as a compliment. This rocked really hard and it was cool how all of the songs flowed into each other. I did not know any of these songs before so this was an interesting listening experience for that reason. Would probably give it a 3.5 if I could.

Classic British blues that was probably more exciting at the time than it is now. Clapton’s soloing is excellent years before he would peak artistically with cream, Derek and the Dominoes and Blind Faith. The rest of it is good but not great.

This is fine but I dont really have enough reference points to evaluate it in any fair way.

Some nice acoustic songs here but I was not wowed by anything I heard. I’m guessing this was pretty influential on lots of indie folk artists which so why it’s here.

Pretty good but not in my top few Steely Dan albums. I thought this one was a bit too scattered by be great although it definitely had nice moments and great playing.

This was fine. Nothing here was painful to listen to, but I never need to hear any of it ever again.

Nothing exceptional about this. Boring and at its best sounds like a derivative of Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson

This was probably a big influence on the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other similar groups but I did not love it. No great melodies on here.

Does not sound like “the beach boys” but that’s what makes it great. A really unique collection of songs which shows off all of their individual talents and strengths as a groups.

Extremely well executed. Cash is charming, funny and sincere in this performance and I wish I could have seen him live. The stories in these songs are great and while sometimes the arrangements were a bit too sparse for my taste, I have to say they were well crafted. I’d probably give this a 4.5 if I could but I can’t.

This was a cool album with lots if interesting sounds. It contained one of the most interesting covers I’ve ever heard (Iron Man) and plenty of other catchy songs.

Probably a good version of what it is supposed to be achieving. Not for me.

Ambitious and impressive, but not at all fun. Listening to this was work and that cuts against its score for me.

I liked hearing how an American genre of music was translated to another continent and sung in a different language. Though I did not understand the lyrics, the music underneath was unquestionably the blues.

Willie Nelson is great. This is a beautiful and simple album which shows how powerful stripped down country music can be without the flash. I’ve always loved willie Nelson’s guitar playing (Can I Sleep in Your Arms was a highlight for me) and wish there was a bit more of it on this album.

Because they opened for RHCP this was technically the first band I saw in an arena. We did not like it. This was fine but not really for me. I think this band has some great musicians but only a few of the songs had real grooves so it reminded me of prog rock in that way.

Picking up where NWA left off with Straight Outta Compton but reminding everyone that he did it first. Ice T did a good job here showing people what gangsta rap is and has some fun beats too. Unfortunately I think this album is about 30 mins too long. Remove the skits and some of the worse songs and this would have been a better album. Would have gotten a 3.5 if possible.

This album was about 55 love songs too long. A 69 love song album is an amibitious concept, which I can respect, but unfortunatley the execution was far from perfect. This is a pretty uneven mix of songs and sounds from jazz to rock to experiemental/avant-garde. It is cool that one group can cover so much ground sonically, but as an "album" it is pretty exhausting. Luckilly none of the songs were very long, but it was hard on my brain for the vibe to keep switching every 90 to 120 seconds.

The more I listened to this the more I liked it. I thought the production was excellent and that George Michael is a strong singer with a powerful presence. I also felt like I was learning about him as I listened. Great pop.

Ambitious and impressive but hard for me to emotionally connect with. He’s obviously a talented musician.

If you cut this down to it’s 45 best minutes this would be 5. Great rapping, good hooks, and lush instrumentation. Unfortunately there was also a decent amount of filler sounds, interludes, and spoken word that I did not enjoy. Talib Kweli was a nice surprise on both of the tracks he featured on. Again it says a lot about this list that none of the most important rap albums from 2011 are on here (take care, watch the throne) but this middle aged safe group is.

A unique sounding album with some fantastic guitar playing. My favorite songs were “My Old School” ( both of my friends who went to hard transferred out) and “The Boston Rag” which really wowed me in its arrangement.

Randy Newman wrote some very creative songs but not the most fun to listen to. "Sail away" was eerie when I realized what it was actually about. If I was a bigger lyrics person maybe this could be a 5 but the music itself is just not fully there for me.

While there are not hits on it this album helps to show us why Elvis was called the King of Rock and Roll. His singing is effortless across all of the styles we find on this album. He can do blues, rock, soul, country and jazz (if fever counts as jazz). The final track was my favorite.

This was very good. Seems like it came out in response to the killing of George Floyd in the summer of 2020 and the themes clearly reflect that. I had never heard of this album or this group before, but I will be checking out their other music for sure.

I generally find David Bowie’s music to be underwhelming compared to all of the hype it gets and I think this album is a good example of it. Nothing on here was bad but nothing was exceptional to me. Maybe you “had to be there”? Something is just missing in it for me.

Very well executed country music. Nice little stories in many of these songs and masterful guitar accompaniment. The playing was never too much or too little.

Easiest 5 so far. The fact that the Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan show playing “all my loving” 1 year earlier is astounding. This is the album where they fully matured as songwriters and while it’s not my favorite Beatles album it is still better than most releases by any other artist. I think “in my life” is a top 10 song of all time and find it shocking that it’s not the final track. Norwegian Wood, Drive My Car, Nowhere Man, If I Needed Someone, Michelle, Girl, I’m Looking Through You are all fantastic tunes as well. The vocal harmonies on this album are stunning and the melodies are just some of the best ever written. Wish there was a documentary of them making THIS album.

This was decent. Sounds like these guys were influenced by Jeff Buckley and Arcade Fire and in turn might have influenced Tame Impala but I didn’t really hear anything in here that would make me want to listen to this album again. “While You Wait for the Others” was the clear standout track for me.

I could not finish this. It was not an album but a sound collage so it should not be on this list. I’m sure it was difficult to make but these are not songs.

This was a very good album. I did not know a single song beforehand but had everything I like about Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Some songs with nice harmonies, some songs with searing guitar parts ("The Treasure" in particular) and a very "end of the 60's" feel over all. Almost like a final gasp of the decade although it was 1972. I will definitely listen to these songs again. Would have gotten a 4.5 if possible but a little too long. Also "Johnny's Garden" sounds like "Midnight Rider".

I will never listen to this again. Having said that, it was better than I expected. The guitar playing was good if a little too busy for my taste and when the melodic singer was in focus I enjoyed the music more. When the other guy was singing…. Not for me.

An EP of the best songs on here would have gotten a 5 from me but there’s just too much filler. The title track is the clear standout for me but Express Yourself and Pray for Spanish Eyes were also great. The duet with Prince was a fun surprise too. Since Madonna is only an ok singer for me the instrumentation was major in whether I liked a song or not and there were more I found “meh” than great. Would give a 3.5 if possible.

A glimpse of a master at work. This is the blues. Not at its most flashy but at its realest. Would have been great to be here. Not the most interesting thing I’ve ever heard so I’ll give it a 4.

I did not listen to this closely enough to give it a fair review but what I heard was interesting enough

Gets a 4 for superstition alone. The rest of the songs were not strong enough to pull this up to a 5 for me. We’ll be hearing more from Stevie Wonder.

A very good if not “classic” Beyoncé album in the sense that Lemonade is. For me this was one of the first albums we heard that was purely fun and no actual work to listen to which sometimes in life you just need. Rocket, Flawless, Partition are all great. Not the best performance by Jay z, drake, or Frank Ocean but their guest spots are all enjoyable. She really is a great singer.

This was very impressive and at its most impressive when I listened closely. These are fantastic musicians who take you on a journey with these songs. I don’t think this was the most accessible music in the world (although Kanye did famously sample the first track in Power) but like some jazz I don’t think it is supposed to be.. I would give this a 4.5 if I was able to

This has to be one of the greatest debut albums of all time. What an entrance this band makes (too bad they could not really follow it up). Welcome to the Jungle is a powerful statement of who these guys are and might be the second best introductory track ever, after Good Times Bad Times. Here, Guns N Roses takes hard rock and makes it palatable through great melodies, exquisite guitar playing, and soaring vocals. Paradise City, Sweet Child O' Mine would both be some of the best songs by most other bands. I have not hear this album in a while but I was very impressed.

Not at all for me. I obviously did not understand the lyrics but I don't think that really made a difference here.

Otis Redding has one of my favorite voices of all time. There is so much strength and passion in his singing and it shows on this album. The covers of "Change Gonna Come" and "Satisfaction" are both unbelievable and his version of Respect would probably be better remembered if Aretha did not take it from him forever. No bad song on here.

I can't believe we heard two albums by her before hearing one by the Rolling Stones, the Who, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Marvin Gaye, the Clash, or Bob Dylan. This is fine, but I have no clue what the makers of this list are getting out of PJ Harvey's music to put this on here to the exclusion of so much great hip-hop and R&b.

This was nice and cute. The album definitely has a vibe to it, and the horn arrangements help to add a lot of texture to these songs. Was this the most exciting music I've ever heard? No. But this defintely feels like a real cohesive album with a vision. A stronger vocal would have made this a better album for me.

Meh. Probably carefully crafted but missing that X-factor that really lapels me love an album. Maybe it’s because I’m used to hearing rapping over beats.

This is a great album. You get a sense of who she is from the lyrics, there are some great grooves and production and I remember being wowed by this when it first came out. A true album sonically and conceptually. I didn't give it a higher score because I actually think it's too long. No song is bad, but by the end the songs start to sound similar to me as most of the songs have similar tempos/melody lines etc. So while it's not a super long album, I think it could cut a track or two.

The album marking Bruce's 21st century comeback. The Rising has many beautiful moments whether they are soaring with joy (Mary's Place) or devastatingly sad (You're Missing/ My City of Ruin). It captures a moment in time both lyrically and sonically. This is a very good album that will not get a 5 because the other albums of his on here are still a tier above. I also think that there are a few clunker tracks on here that could have been cut given the album's length in order to get a perfect score. However, I'm sure it was thrilling when this came out, as it marked a return for one of America's greatest rock and roll bands during a moment when they were sorely needed.

Meh. Nothing on here was terrible until we got to the song in Icelandic with the death metal vocals, but I did not love it. Sounds like the Go Gos a bit. I won’t be listening to this again.

A very good album with some of my favorite Police songs (Synchronicity II and Murder by Numbers). This album shows how much further musically they could have gone had they not broken up shortly afterwards which is a shame. But it is also possible they left at the top of their game. A couple of terrible songs like “Mother” kept this from being a 5.

This was a pretty fun listen. The lyrics were interesting and the drums were great. Not sure if ever listen again but there was a lot more happening musically than a lot of punk rock from this time.

This is a decent rapper who I'd never heard of, but like many 90's hip-hop albums it has not aged well and I would not listen to it again. I did like the line about meeting at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn stop. This is my subway stop so I could really relate to that line alone.

This was a cool project. I definitely does not deserve a spot on this list over other albums as it is more of a novelty than a true album, but some of the tracks were pretty epic with the addition of a full orchestra

I don’t have anything original to say about this album, but it’s an easy 5. All songs but one are fantastic and the other one (songbird) is still very good. It has a totally unique sound.

I've never listened to Femi Kuti before, but I do like his father and the apple did not fall far from the tree. There were some funky tunes here and it was nice to have on as I worked. Was I as astounded as when I heard Fela's Expensive Shit? No but this was still very good music with some nice political themes.

While this album is probably a good version of whatever it is supposed to be, it’s just not for me. I had it on in the background while I worked and forgot it was on most of the time. This is not a good thing.

Some very well mad music that I did not like. This stuff is clearly intricately crafted and sounds like science fiction but I did not really feel anything listening to it. The guitars in Route 66 sounds the same as in Doom And Gloom by The Rolling Stones, so maybe the Stones borrowed from this? It was a pretty unique cover.

I had no issue with this album, but like a lot of late 80's/early 90's albums I don't think it aged well sonically. I wouldn't listen to this again, but I can see how teens at the time found it to be a fun album.

Like others we heard this week, it’s not bad but VERY 80s. I think the last 2 tracks were the strongest and stronger than the 2 hit songs which I already knew. There are some very Rich sonic textures here including a beautiful sax solo in “The Working Hour”. I’d give a 3.5 if possible.

Easy 5. Every song is an absolute banger and this plays like a greatest hits. Quincy and MJ really cooked up some fire on this one. Each song is distinct but the album feels cohesive. My favorites are PYT, Baby Be Mine, and Human Nature.

Anita Baker does have a very good voice that takes from jazz and gospel and brings it into what was then contemporary R&B (especially well showcased on "Watch Your Step), but the whole album sounds incredibly dated. Unfortunately a lot of 80s albums just have not aged well and though this is not her fault, it's very noticeable throughout. On the positive side I do respect the 8 track length and the cohesive vibe created here. No track is out of place or a waste of time, but I don't think I'd listen to this again

No real issue with this, but I didn't see what was so special or groundbreaking about it either. Sounds a bit like the Byrds in the punk era to me with some Beatles and Ramones influences involved as well.

A stark and brutal portrait of Queensbridge in the early 1990s. Nas absolutely raps his ass off like he knows this could be his ticket out. He tells stories at such a rapid clip that it was hard for me to keep up at times and that he wrote this at 20 years old is simply astounding. The eerie beats enhance the mood of this album and parallel the lyrics well (the sample of "human nature" at the end of this album was fun to hear so close to Thriller though the context was completely different). I'm fairly confident there is no Kendrick Lamar without this album, as I lots that likely influenced Kendrick here.

Meh. I must be missing something about this guy because I don’t see what is outstanding here. It’s certainly way better than his punk band’s album but that’s not really saying much. The second disc is better than the first. He also sounds like Eddie Vedder to me.

An album on this list more for its importance than how it sounds today. While it was revolutionary at the time of its release, today it sounds quaint and like a relic of another time. We do get tastes of all of the genres that influenced Elvis and together create rock and roll (blues, country, rockabilly, gospel etc.) along with some covers of early rock and roll songs, so In that sense it is an excellent historical document. I found it interesting that there is only one of Elvis’ many hits on this album. Aside from Blue Suede Shoes there are no hits! At least none that are still hits in 2022.

I liked this album but not enough to listen again. It sounded a lot like David Bowie and got better with each listen, but I don’t really see what’s special about it. Another British 90s album which could have been cut in favor of a far more relevant Black artist.

I never heard this before and really enjoyed this album. It felt like a more modern version of Exile on Main Street, in that you can hear alternative rock, country, folk, and bluesy numbers all back to back (plus “Monday” sounds like it could have actually been on Exile). This album was a great blend of different types of American music and kept me engaged. Plus Hotel Arizona sounds like our song Cracked at the end. I will be checking out more Wilco music.

An easy 5 stars. This album is simply stunning. Here Kendrick takes the seeds planted by Nas on Illmatic and grows them into an epic story of a night out with friends gone very wrong. From the moment we hear the beat drop on "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe" we know we are in for something special, and the rest of the album does not disappoint. The lyricism is excellent, the beats underneath are dynamic, and the features are top tier (Jay rock's verse on "Money Trees" sums up the themes of most hip hop songs in 1 minute and is prefect). Additionally, these songs work well on their own, but combine into an epic rap opera with a rich narrative and well written characters (Kendrick rapping fro mthe perspective of3 different characters in "Sing about me" is always impressive. This is one of the best albums of all time.

This was pretty good but the two songs I already knew were much better than the rest. It could honestly be a familiarity bias so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. I did not realize for years that he was singing about the history of rock and roll in the title track but once I learned this and reread the lyrics I was pretty blown away.

Nice music to wake up to. Don’t have many reference points here but these are obviously skilled musicians.

Not the wiliest thing I’ve ever heard but I didn’t like it. I’m just not really sure who this stuff is for and would need a fan to explain it to me.

I’d never actually heard this in full before and it was very impressive. I enjoyed it more the second time I listened once I better understood the story which was devastating. I do think it’s funny that a lot of the songs were basically disco or musical theater but were probably beloved by those who “hated” those genres. Another Brick Part 1 was my favorite . Would give a 4.5 if possible.

I’d never actually heard this in full before and it was very impressive. I enjoyed it more the second time I listened once I better understood the story which was devastating. I do think it’s funny that a lot of the songs were basically disco or musical theater but were probably beloved by those who “hated” those genres. Another Brick Part 1 was my favorite . Would give a 4.5 if possible.

This was a cute little album, but not one I think is essential to listen to. The other Belle and Sebastian album we heard was better. Again this choice shows the biases of the list makers.

On this album we get concise storytelling and a diverse group of sounds and influences. None of it sounds out of place however. The panpipes in "Duncan" should be a lot more jarring next to the folk strumming on "Everything Falls Apart" or the jazz basslines of "Run That Body Down" but it doesn't! The world music sound he utilize on Graceland is forsehadowed here. Also the two big hits are fantastic, I've heard them both many times before but I enjoy them each time I hear them. The sparseness of many of the arrangements is striking and there were a lot of unsettling moments of quiet, but for someone who just left one of the most successful musical duos of all time maybe that was the point.

A pretty good album at the crossroads of hard rock and psychedelia. I liked it a lot but don't think anything here is better than what Led Zeppelin or black Sabbath does. Highway Star is a lot of fun, and of course the album has the most learned riff in rock history (besides seven nation army) so that's gotta count for something.

Meh. Not very exciting or interesting to me. not offensive either. Would give a 2.5.

Another "fine" album from an 80s group that tells me more about the list makers than popular music. No reason why this should be on here over any Drake, Rihanna or OutKast album

a better version of what we heard yesterday, but not really my personal taste. I'd give it a 3.5 if possible but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I hear elements of the Revolver-era Beatles, Oasis, Stones, and Tom Petty in this. Nothing groundbreaking in here, but this is a solid rock and roll album. G-love was my favorite track on here. Essential? No. But at least it’s good.

I read on Wikipedia that the intention here was to preserve the feeling of his live Vegas show and I think they was done well. Louis Prima has a unique voice and is quite charming. Also, Jump, Jive, an’ Wail, gives us the bridge between big band era jazz and early rock and roll and shows us the similarities between them.

I'm not sure what to make of this exactly. It's very different from the jazz album we heard yesterday and even more different from anything else we heard as a part of this project. I had this on while I worked and it was a good companion as it did not distract me too much. However, I don't think I would be able to just sit and listen to this for its full 70 minute run time.

Excellent. This is the first album we heard since Thriller (and one of the only in this whole process) that was pure fun to listen to. While I have respect for lots of grandiose music, there is also a time and a place for music that is just a lot of fun. There are several bangers on here (the songs with Timbaland, Ludacris, and T.I. in particular) and the fusion of upbeat R&B with hip-hop was really great. Cee-Lo was singing and rapping a decade before Drake made it mainstream and is a legitimately good singer (Sorry Aubrey). I never heard this before but will be listening again.

Just an unbelievable album and one of the best "vibe" albums of all time. Van Morrison and his band take you on a musical journey which at times feels both timeless and otherworldly. While clearly influential on Bruce's The wild, the Innocent I can't think of anything else that sounds like it. The fusion of folk, jazz, soul, rock, and pop is simply remarkable and his voice is not bad either. Easy 5.

While this album grew on me the more I listened to it, it was a snoozer overall. This might just be a preference, but I do not love synth-based music. I feel like this lacked any real groove, soul or melody. Some of the songs were long enough to create the impression of a groove or jam, but I'm not sure this was truly achieved. "I Want to Wake Up" and "Rent" were exceptions to that for me, as both did a pretty gtood job creating an atmosphere, but the rest didn't do much for me. The singing was unimpressive too. I'm not sure what the setting for this music is. Is it to dance to? Is it to listen to alone? Very 80's new-wave but not for me.

Nope. Shouldn't be here.

I can see why someone who loves both irish music and punk would like this, but it's really not for me. I'd give a 2.5 if possible but I'll be generous.

I have never heard this in full before and thought this was fine, verging on good. My favorite tracks were Mandolin Wind and Maggie May. Honestly I don't think I like Rod Stewart's voice very much. I'd much rather hear Mick Jagger.

Very solid hard rock/grunge. This sounds like a Blueprint for foo fighters but with more sonic texture. Chris Cornell has a pretty astounding voice. While this album was not really my personal preference, if was definitely well made if a few tracks too long. Black Hole sun was the only one I knew before and it seems pretty obvious why when I listen to the album in full.

Cheap Thrills shows us why, even with a tragically short career, Janis Joplin will always be in the conversation for best singer in rock history. She exudes raw power with her screams but also has some tender moments here too. The band is pretty great too, while this is not the most complex stuff, the band is dynamic and supports Joplin well throughout the album. "Piece of My Heart" is a rock classic that is still great every time I hear it and "Summertime" was a cool reinterpretation of a standard. The one thing I could have lived without was the fake crowd noise inserted here.

This was much better than I expected it to be. A lot of this album sounded like a more modern version of U2 and I thought the production was very strong. Like U2 though I felt like some of it was a little too "over the top" and forced sounding especially towards the end of the album.

Bongo Rock might be the funniest album title we've gotten so far. This was a fun listen, but not something that I would need to go back and hear again. I think there is much better funk out there.

I did not really know what to make of this. It has some beautiful moments but was overall just a bit too dreary for me. I liked the country-influenced tracks at the end most of all. Not sure why this is here, I'd put different albums from 2021.

I cannot believe it, but I'm going to give this David Bowie album a 5. Despite the roasting this album gets in the beginning of Parliament's Mothership Connection David Bowie, with the help of a Beatle, put together a great rock/funk fusion on this album. These songs are catchy, and very well produced. I already knew ("Young Americans" is a great opener and "Fame" is a lot of fun") and liked the hits but had never heard "Fascination" before and thought it was a great track. As an aside I think its pretty interesting that John Lennon personally appeared on two covers of his own songs (Across the Universe here and Elton John's "Lucy in the Sky"). I'd listen to this again.

I view Def Leppard as the band closest to the border of “good” vs “bad” classic rock, but on the bad side (I think Van Halen is closest to this border on the good side). Some of these songs are fun to listen to, but a lot of it is too over the top for me and I’d rather just hear AC/DC. They do bring some welcome melody to this type of music, but it all feels so dated and corny.

Sometimes there is more to a one hit wonder then you think. This was good and reminded me a lot of Oasis in that it took 1960s sounds and modernized them for the 1990s (though less pop and more Pavement than Oasis). I enjoyed it.

What an efficient 26 minutes. The entire blueprint for 60s rock and roll is here in one great collection. Buddy Holly was not the first rock and roller but he was one of the best (actually writing many of his own songs) and it’s tragic that we will never how how he would have grown as an artist over the course of his life. I do however find it astounding that Not Fade Away was track 2 instead of the final song here. What a missed opportunity.

Fine. Not much to say about this except I assume it was big in England?

Listening to this is hearing a master of their art form at work. Personal issues aside, Jerry Lee Lewis is excellent on this record. Great Balls of Fire and Long Tall Sally are two of my favorite early rock and roll songs and these versions are great. There’s a reason he’s called the killer as some of this stuff goes harder than anything Metallica ever recorded.

I had never heard this in full before and while. I think it was very good, I think it falls just short of the 5 star tier. It was fun, but it was really just an updated Exile on Main Street or Sticky Fingers. It's kind of funny to hear American music refracted back through the Rolling Stones but it really sounds like they were a huge influence on this albums. I was really wowed by "Sister Luck" and think they'd put on a good concert.

I think if I had more time with this album it would get to a 5. I like his other two albums but had never heard this one until today and must have missed it when it came out. It was fun to hear something so modern but it also had a pretty classic bluesy and soulful sound.

Not bad, but not great either. This is another British album taking up space on this list with so few r&b, rap, or country albums

A great album and one I’d say is one of a kind except I think it works well as the sister companion to D’angelo’s Voodoo. There are a diverse array of sounds on here but the project feels cohesive overall in the way it mixes jazz, soul, hip hop and rock. Really special.

Positives: This had the best guitar solos I think I've ever heard on a R&B album. I mean wow, That Lady and Summer Breeze blew me away. (It was hard to hear That Lady and not think of Kendrick's "i" if I'm being honest). The Doobie Brothers Cover was also great (For more great covers check out their album Givin it Back. The vocals were great but for me it was more awesome for me to hear an R&B/Funk band do the extended jamming we hear on this album. I wish that was the whole album Negatives: Some of the slower songs were pretty boring and unremarkable to me. After the lift off of "That Lady", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" was a huge leftdown. Overall: The highs on this album were very high for me but the lows were pretty low. There are songs I'm bookmarking and songs I never need to hear again in my life.

This was a LOT for a Monday morning and it was not an album. Having said that it was solid garage rock. I will only give it a two out of five since it is not a proper album but it wasn’t bad.

This was nice and gentle, but nothing really wowed me. It was cool to hear the psychadelic/folk fusion. Donavan went to India with the Beatles and taught them fingerpicked and His influence on the White Album is clear. The hits were the true highlights and while not every song Is my taste this album definitely deserves a spot here.

If Mamas Gun was the companion to Voodoo this is the precursor. Jazz influenced R&B which feels both classic and modern at the same time. The title perfectly describes what we hear, as the songs flow seamlessly into each other. My only criticism is that some of the songs are a little too similar to each other but overall this is a great album.

I get that this is a big group in 2000s “rock” but it’s not for me. Too many songs sound the same and it lacks soul.

Unremarkable singer-songwriter album. I'm sure if I was a bigger lyrics person I'd appreciate it more but I can't really tell why it would be on a list like this, Track 9 was a little to explicit and direct. Like we get it, conservative christians are full of shit but you don't need to actually say all of the slurs.

One of the best albums of the 2010s. Channel Orange was one of the first major albums to openly discuss same-sex relationships sounded fantastic at the same time. Thinkin Bout You is beautiful, Super Rich Kids is good commentary, and Pyramids is an absolute epic. Plus this may be the only time we hear John Mayer on this list and he provides two excellent guitar solos (White and Pyramids). Frank Ocean delivered a classic on his debut and it's a shame that his music was never really this focused again.

Evocative of a specific time and place in American history, this album features great musicians collaborating with each other but for me is not more than music to have in the background. That likely has nothing to do with them and everything to do with me, who did not grow up listening to this kind of music. You can't deny the talent.

Never heard this before but was really impressed. There was a beautiful and sweeping fusion of rock, country, and folk. The guitars on "Strength of Strings" was really phenomenal. It really says a lot about the Byrds that Gene Clark the 3rd best-known member. Reminded me of the Stephen Stills album we heard.

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. On paper I should have loved a psychedelic New Orleans album from the late 60s but it was just a little too scattered for me. I think maybe because there weren’t many strong Melodies to hook me in?

Really well produced. Loved the Norah Jones feature and "dancing machine" sample. It's always interesting to hear albums by a rapper/producer because they have a strong musical sense and that was clear here. I'd give this a 4.5 if it were possible. Pretty funny that this is here but not Tha Carter III, 808s and heartbreak or Paper Trail

This just sounded like a David Bowie album with crisper production . I don't think there was anything particularly unique about this album though it had some nice guitar parts, harmonies and dancey sections. I did not come away from this understanding how this could be someone's favorite band or album. The Beatles ("End of a Century" sounds like it could have been on Sgt. Pepper), the Kinks, Bowie ("Jubilee" sounds a LOT like "Suffragette City") The Clash, Elvis Costello ("Tracy Jacks" sounds like "Pump it Up") and Oasis already exist. I already thought that Oasis was the much better Beatles-inspired band from this time and if this is the best album Blur has to offer then my opinion has been reaffirmed. Again, not bad by any means but not "Great". I did not hate it but could happily live the rest of my life never hearing this again, which I feel is a telling statement about how good this was. Would give a 3.5 if possible.

Sounds a lot like the Killers meeting the Talking Heads. The single is the clear highlight here. What happened to this band? Also the Dark of Matine sounds like Hava Nagila

Sounds like the clash, Black flag, and Lou reed all fused into one. Not my personal preference but clearly a good album with amusing lyrics and emotional highs and lows. I’ll probably never listen again but I could see why someone else would.

I did not like this. Some songs were fine, but some of them almost feel like musical theater -versions of irish folk songs (I found "Poor little Beggar Girl" particularly unbearable). Honestly I hated Linda Thompson's voice and all the songs I liked best were sung by Richard. I always have heard that he is an amazing guitarist, but you would not know it from this album. The live tracks at the end of the Spotify version do showcase that a bit, but those versions are not actually on the album so they don't count and can't raise the score. Some of it is pretty beautiful but not enough for me to give this album a good rating or want to listen to it even again.

Probably my 3rd or 4th favorite Stones album but a 5 nonetheless. A love letter to their influences, Exile gives us great blues, country, spill, and old fashioned rock and roll songs but it’s still the Stones and these guys are not messing around. My personal favorites are Shine A Light, Tumbling Dice, All down the Line and Sweet Virginia.

Sounds like a latter day Eric Clapton and like a classic rock album made in the 90s. It was pretty solid but I can’t say it was exceptional or why it would be on this list.

This is my least favorite of the country albums we’ve heard so far. Waylon Jennings has some music but this collection sounds pretty unremarkable to me.

I found the beginning of this so insufferable that I did not listen to the full album. If anyone gives this a 5 I’ll give it a full shot.

This was good but I don’t think this list needs both this and live at Folsom prison. I’d swap it out with one of Johnny cash’s American Recordings albums. It’s cool that Carl Perkins is on here too.

Not my favorite RHCP album (probably stadium Arcadium) but an easy 5. This contains banger after banger and honestly sounds like it could have come out any year between its release in 2000 and today. I just listened ti an interview with John Frusciante who said that on this album he tried to create more space in his guitar playing and you can hear that in the dominance of Flea’s bass throughout.

I liked this much more than I expected to. While this type of synth pop is not my sonic preference, it was very well executed. "The Sun Always Shines" sounds like it influenced U2's "Beautiful Day", and a listen to The Weeknd's "Dawn FM" shows how influential A-ha's sound still is. They are more than their 1 hit. I'd give this 3.5 if I could, but I'm feeling generous today.

The definition of a classic rock live album. Gratuitous as hell. Flashy guitar solos ajd long (too long for me) drum solos. I think I preferred the studio versions of these songs though I do enjoy a long jam. I think maybe being at this show would have improved the listening experience a lot for me. Pretty wild they we heard two deep purple albums before anything by The Who, Led Zeppelin or bob dylan

Very 60s but a little too schmaltzy for me. I can see this as music used in a Quinten Tarantino soundtrack. I did enjoy the first track which was just a retelling of the plot of the seventh seal which I watched in my high school film class.

Perfect for what it is. Is it the "best" music we've heard? Of Course not. But its AC/DC. It kicks ass. Highway to Hell is one of my favorite pure rock tracks (and riffs) of all time and it doesn't get much better.

Fine 80s pop-rock. Not bad but not exceptional. Maybe if I grew up listening to this I’d like to more.

Wow. How did this come out in 1997 am still sound like the future in 2022? The production and rapping were both great and it clearly influenced everyone from OutKast to Drake who pushed hip hop to be more ambitious as a genre. And this was a debut album?! Extremely bold but it works! I never heard this before and will need to relisten to fully grasp it all.

My least favorite of the early rock and roll records we’ve heard so far. It was fine, but nothing spectacular about it.

I apologize in advance but I could not get to a 5 on this. I'm sure it is one of thew most "important" albums of all time for the way it changed the direction of rock (and pop) music, but it just did not sound very great. "Like A Rolling Stone" is obviously one of the most important songs of all time, and "Desolation Row" is impressive but I didn't think the other songs reached that tier. Bob Dylan certainly has several 5 star albums, this just isn't one for me. To get a five an album needs to make me feel something and this one just..doesn't. Too many rambling lyrics that are frankly inaccessible to me.

This was pretty good but like most double albums there were some songs I’d cut. My favorite was “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man”. I’m surprised it was remastered to recently as the whole album sounded a bit tinny to me.

Fine but not particularly memorable. I can see how this influenced a lot of indie rock that came afterwards.

This was not for me. It sounded too much like musical theater. The guitar solos were actually great but they did not seem to fit the rest of the album. The singing was bad, and sounded only slightly better than Yoko. I will almost certainly never listen to this ever again.

Given that this album came out in 1988 I have to assume that this album had a large influence on Nirvana and other 90s bands. It also sounded like it might have been an influence on the rock-side of the White Stripes. With the exception of "Where is my mind" which I already knew, I can't say that I really like what I heard here. Both of the singers are bad and the sound is just a bit too low-fi for me to really enjoy.

An album where the first song (and single) is worlds better than anything else that comes later. This was a fun dance/disco album and I can see why Daft Punk remade this sound on "Get Lucky". The production was really great, with great grooves to keep you dancing, but the slow songs did feel jarring given how the album begins. "Good Times" is fun, and while long did not feel obnoxious to me. I can tell why that song is still played on dance floors everywhere. Overall thought I was not moved by this album and did not find it exceptional. I'd give this a 3.5 if possible.

I actually never heard most of this album before as far as I can remember. I thought it was a pretty solid pop-rock album overall. The hits are all good songs even if Mr. Brightside is completely overplayed today. Some of it is definitely over the top and I think Sam’s Town is a better album (not sure if that’s on here or not) but I liked it. Would do a 3.5 if possible.

The songs on here seem to be bluesy or trippy but not both making it an inconsistent listen as compared to the debut album. It was good but not great (like that debut album). I’d give it a 3.5 is possible.

I assume his first two albums are on here and those will get 5s. This one is not quite there for me but maybe it’s just because I never heard any of these songs before. My favorite was “You Tripped At Every Step”.

What an exceptional opening to an album. Wow. I wish the whole thing was as good as the first few tracks (funeral for a friend through the title track) but it started to wane for me. Saturdays alright brought me back though and This should still get a 5.

Rolling Stone lists this as the best country album of all time. I haven’t listened to enough country albums in full to know if I agree but I can certainly understand why it’s listed so high. There were a lot of well written songs here which told concise personal stories (especially the title track). I can also see why Dolly Parton is considered the Queen. I’m sure this was a very influential albums to lots of later country artists, and singer songwriters.

Wow this was like a greatest hits. Just banger after power pop banger. I thought this was extremely well executed and a lot of fun to listen to. While some of it sounds a bit dated the album is cohesive and just has too many hits to argue with.

Having only one day with this album was tough. It’s soo long. There are definitely a few good songs on here but I think lots of it could have been cut or this could have been two or three different albums. The vocals sounded really low in the mix which I found interesting. Almost like he was trying to hide. I feel bad only giving it a 3 without feeling like I gave it a full chance but I also don’t really feel any desire to hear any of it again asides from 1979.

Not my favorite musically, but still a five. This is a really impressive first album with Pearl Jam debuting themselves to the public fully formed and at the top of their game. There is some really great guitar playing on here and Eddie Vedder's personality is pretty magnetic. Another album that could function as a greatest hits.

Wow, this was a cool album. I'm not sure how often I'd listen to this again but it was extremely well executed. It's always satisfying when someone can still make great art later in their career and Bowie certainly deserves a place on the list of those who can do that. The fact that he made this knowing he was dying gives the whole thing an eerie feeling. My favorite track was Lazurus, but I loved the ambition on display throughout the album.

Pretty cool that this is essentially a collaboration album between Iggy Pop and David Bowie. You can definitely hear Bowie's influence all over this, as Iggy Pop's punk rawness has been softened slightly to fit some more melodic tunes. I won't be listening to this again most likely but it was well made with lots of different sounding songs yet having a cohesive feel throughout.

Just not very good. I can see the appeal of this to a British person in 1966 but in 2022 you can access real American blues very easily. This is missing lots of the soul and pain found in the actual blues music. Jeff Beck of course has some nice guitar parts (especially on “Jeff’s Boogie”) but it’s just not enough to save this album.

I was really impressed by this album. Ghostface is a great rapper still interested in showing off his skills 15 years into his career on FishScale. The soul-based production was great too. I could always do without the skits on a rap album and would have made it shorter but I will listen to this again for sure. Fun fact: He did a concert at Vassar when I was there and went on earlier than scheduled bc he was already there and wanted to leave lol.

This one only took one listen to get. Fun versions of Christmas songs that sound like anything else Phil Spector produced during this period. This turning of classics into "modern" sounding songs might have been more fun when this came out if it wasn't the day JFK was assassinated.

Just excellent all around. Pink Floyd here took what the Beatles did on Abbey Road and pushed it to the next level. There are multiple singers and songwriters but it all feels cohesive, the instrumentation is perfectly executed (loved the sax on us and them and they keys and guitar on any coloring you like), and the whole thing feels epic without going over the top. This was one of my fist close listens to this album alll the way through and it’s an easy 5.

A full album of drums/space? No thank you

A good album, but it's missing what's special about the Doors until the final track. When the keyboard/organ comes in in "Riders on the Storm" we get what we came for. It's fine with me that they also wanted to do other things musically, but that track is the clear standout for me.

This album, full of heavy hitters, has to be one of Dylan's best. "Don't Think Twice It's Alright", "Masters of War", "Blowin in the Wind" are some of the greatest songs of all time and all three are on here. The lyrics are fantastic and the sound uniquely his own. I do think the second half begins to lag a bit, but the first half is so strong that this remains an easy 5.

Excellent from start to finish. My favorites are The Beat, (I don’t want to) Go to Chelsea, and Little Triggers. It still sounds modern while retaining the same base in 50s and 60s rock found in the debut album, which if on here will be getting a 5 from me too.

Proficient yet pretty inaccessible to me. These guys are obviously great musicians but I didnt really feel anything listening to this. Close to the Edge is better.

This was fine. I have no real complaints, but why was it on here? I feel like Jeff Buckley does a much better version of the same thing but maybe I’m missing context?

Never heard this album before and it was fantastic and maybe the first post-punk album we’ve listened to that I really loved. The vocalist seems to bridge the tone and eras of Mick Jagger and Stephen Malkmus and the guitarist is absolutely on fire. I do remember Jay’s Marquee Moon story so this of course made me think of that, but wow what an epic song.

Boring and morose. I prefer his/their work with Taylor Swift.

Fine but definitely not exceptional and another waste of a slot on a list like this. It sounds like Coldplay but it’s not Coldplay. Again, with so many rap, r&b, and country albums missing this shouldn’t be here.

Fine disco. The hits were great and the rest were fine. I’m not angry that I heard this but I don’t think I’d ever put it on again.

A well put together album, though some of it was a little too out there for me. However, this must have been very Influential to many artists who came afterwards in synth pop, indie rock and maybe even electronic dance music?

Not sure how to give this a fair score

Enough of this kind of music. Worst pixies album we have heard so far and I think we heard 3.

A nice collection of 60s pop songs. It was an easy listen with California Dreaming being the clear standout track (though I liked straight shooter too). I’d give this a 3.5 if possible.

This may be the pettiest album I've ever heard. The whole concept is hillarious and the music is good! Maybe a little long.

A really well made neo-soul/rap fusion. You can tell that this was made in the same sessions as Dangelo’s Voodoo just from listening to it. The horns on “cold blooded” were awesome and “Funky for you” was a highlight for me. Jarring to hear Common, of all rappers, use an anti gay slur given what he is today. Not quite a 5 but very good.

This was bad. Maybe if you were there you’d be charmed by his presence. Just a total slog all the way through for me.

A good showcase of her talents, I think her self-titled second album is better.

An interesting and very British concept album. While I enjoyed it the more I listened to it (especially “Victoria”, “Mr Churchill Says” and “Australia”) a lot of it felt like a Sgt. Pepper knock off. Why listen to a Beatles album with weaker Melodie’s when you can hear the real thing?

I thought this was better than the other album of theirs that we heard, but it’s not something I’d put on again. It sounded like the drumming was done live in the studio which sounded very cool with the electronic music on top of it.

This is a nice collection of songs and introduction to this band. I think their only 5 star album might be viva la vida or a rush of cold blood to the head, but not sure if either are on here.

Very strange and very 60s. At times it sounded Like a psychedelic Howlin Wolf but also sounds like early Dead on the blues songs.

The first song sounds like the Doors. Lots of sexism in the lyrics. Maybe they are doing some commentary? But if not it’s concerning. This was fine and I could have been fine never having heard it.

I did not love this as much as I expected to if I'm being honest. I really like Jack White but this album feels pretty scattered. I really liked all three of the songs listed on my fav tracks (guitar on "Ball and a Biscuit" is scortching!) but I didn't love most of the others. While Jack White brings grerat energy to the table and gave a us a riff for the ages to open this album, there was no one to balance him out like Brendan Benson does with The Raconteurs (my favorite project of Jack White's). I really hated Meg's singing and felt like some of the songs on this album could have been cut to give it punky and "in your face" brevity. At the same time, it's hard to think of a rock song more influential than Seven Nation Army since 2003 and I have to give credit for that. I also am now curious to go back and listen to more White Stripes so my interest was certainly piqued.

I thought this was really strong top to bottom. He had great presence and the band did a great job keeping the songs interesting musically. Better than the other Tim Buckley album we heard, which I also liked.

This album was a fun change of pace and I had never heard the whole thing before today. It was a nice fusion of hip-hop and R&B, and "case of the Fake People" confirms my suspicion that it influenced Drake, one of the most important artists of the 2010s. The hits (Creep and Waterfalls) are really great, but there is filler (like the Busta Rhymes interlude) that I would have cut. I was thrilled by the surprise Andre 3000 feature on the last track. Hopefully some Outkast is on this list.

This album was an ambitious concept that was well executed. To take the scraps of someone else's unfinished work and to turn it into something that sounds simultaneously modern and classic is not an easy thing to do. The one critique might be that a lot of this just sounds like a Wilco album, but I liked the other Wilco album a lot. Maybe if I knew more Woody Guthrie songs I'd feel more qualified to judge the execution but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt in my score. Would do a 4.5 if possible.

A imaginary soundtrack is a n interesting concept. The Miles Davis track was my favorite. The others…not so much.

If you like rock and blues influenced guitar playing, I have the album for you. Here two of the GOATs united for one glorious celebration of the instruments and the songs are not bad either. Favorites: bell bottom Blues, keep on growing, why does love got to be so sad, and of course Layla. Clapton’s second best work (after Blind Faith).

This was one of the most unique albums we've heard so far. It featured a variety of sounds, genres, and languages yet nothing sounded out of place. Parts reminded me of the Roots, Santana, the Black Eyed Peas among others but the album still had a cohesive feel. I wish some of the melodies were stronger.

These guys are very good rappers. The production was solid as well and only 6 or so of the 17 tracks were explicit which in rap it’s pretty unique. I’m not sure how often I’d really listen to this again but it was well crafted.

Not really for me, but you can’t deny the richness and quality of her voice. Though she died young her voice has a very aged/experienced texture.

Another double album that could he a five with some trimming. Really two solo albums that diverge in sound, style, and approach, we get some great songs surrounded by some crap. The intro to Roses still hits, Bowtie is a lot of fun, Jay Z’s too short verse on flip flop rock is great, and Andre 3000 shows why he’s considered a creative genius throughout, though I wish he rapped more. It’s kind of sad to hear Big Boi repeat over and over again that there’s no issue with him and Andre knowing that they would only make one more album together after this. This is the most recent rap album to win album of the year at the Grammys. Probably bc there not much rapping on it.

Meh not really for me. This was fine, and sounds like a less poppy Nirvana which makes sense given they they shared a label. I thought the first half was stronger than the second half.

I’m certainly not the audience for this so it is hard to fairly assess it. It doesn’t feel particularly progressive given what Miles Davis was doing at the same time, but my jazz knowledge is pretty limited. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.

This was so much that it was difficult to process. On the positive side, the beats were great and it is clear why Eminem is considered one of the best rappers ever. "Stan" is an incredible song, and throughout the album Eminem rightly points out a lot of society's hypocrisy in caring more about song lyrics than violent imagery in movies or actions of their President. BUT, these are not just any explicit lyrics, they are REALLY explicit, disturbing and sometimes just go too far. There's a way to do satire subtly or make points without constantly resorting to shock value. Of course all of the lines about gay people, people with mental disabilities aged horribly, but I still think it must have been offensive for the year 2000 too.

When people say they “miss the old Kanye” THIS is what they are talking about, even if this album is technically Common’s. The soulful production sounds great rather than dated and the social commentary and songs like “Love Is” give us the opposite experience from the Marshall Mathers LP. Hip hop can be a beautiful genre as this album, and later work by Chance the rapper (clearly inspired by this and samples it) shows. Would give 4.5 if I could but what the hell.

We’ve all heard 60s rock incorporating elements of Indian music, but I’ve never heard the reverse until now. This was interesting, but at its best on the songs that were not rock covers. I’m glad I heard this, but would not listen again.

There were too many sounds on this album. I think it’s cool that Fishbone could play so many styles of music well but I don’t think this flowed well as an album at all. Maybe more listens would lead this to grow on me, as the songs on their own are decent but it felt like a slog to get through for a 40 min album with the punk parts being my least favorite.

I like what this album likely did for music more than the album itself. Pre-grunge seems like an accurate description. Maybe this would have been fun to see live? But I likely would be too scared to be smacked around. There is definitely sincerity here though.

Magnificent. One large flowing and vibrant piece of music over 4 Parts. Really excellent stuff. Feels superhuman and like it may have influence psychedelic rock given its year of release?

When I started listening to this album today I thought I’d wind up giving it a 5 but then after the first half it got…boring. This was maybe one of the most front loaded albums I’ve ever heard. The production on the first half is exceptional, and exciting to listen to over 40 years later but the second half was sappy, corny and forgettable, which is a crazy thing to say about Michael Jackson.

Probably my easiest 5 thus far. One of my top ten albums of all time and one can’t even imagine hearing for the first time in 1966. Two years after “She Loves You” the Beatles were doing THIS? Astounding. More melodic and revolutionary than Sgt. Pepper and more adventurous than Rubber Soul, Revolver shows the Beatles at the peak of their creative collaboration. Each songwriter is bringing absolute heaters to the table here. I tried to list my favorite songs on here but could not decide. I wish we could have had cameras in the studio for the making of this masterpiece.

Lots of people seem to be calling this vibes music. I think that’s fair. It’s kind of background music even when lyrics are happening. Well produced but not memorable.

Probably too ambitious for its own good. Unless so little thought was put into this that it became a sound collage. I can't tell which scenario is more likely. I like the section with "And We Bid You Goodnight" because the Grateful Dead do this song too and it was nice to latch on to something familiar while listening to this album. Would not listen again.

An absolute classic. As much as I’ve heard it, the end of “Stairway to Heaven” is simply exceptional and one of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded. Here we have white Brits playing the blues, but bringing something truly original to it and taking the genres of both blues and rock further. The rest of the tracks are pretty great too.

I feel like this must have influenced the Clash and the Police greatly, but it isn't exceptional on its own. The fusion of rock and reggae into ska can very easily verge into corny territory, this one does not do so but there are times where it got close. This really should get a 3.5 if possible as I’m totally stuck between scores.

Fine as background music and as a dreamscape. Could I ever listen to this focused on it? Probably not.

A fine album that has no place being on this list. What is essential about this? Why should this be on here and not Drake, lil Wayne, future, most Grateful Dead albums, etc. the pedal steel was nice when used. And good band name.

An ambitious and creative record, but one that I’d think is inaccessible to most people. You can definitely hear the Bowie and early rock and roll influences on this group (Remake/remodel is a good example)

I think a great album creates its own world and I do feel like that was done by the cure here. There is a consistent and cohesive sound throughout, but one that felt more like background music to me. Maybe if I was more of a lyrics person I would have paid greater attention to what was being said here. It was fine to have on while I worked but at no point did I compelled to stop working and just listen, which all of the 5 star rated albums made me do if I was working while it played.

They don’t call Little Richard the architect of rock and roll for nothing. Just a fantastic performance on this album and one I wish I could have seen live in his prime. His voice is so powerful and the energy is high throughout. Is it truly an exceptional album? Not in 2023, but when this first came out I bet it rocked people's world. 4.5 if I could.

I found this to be a pretty unexceptional live album and see no reason why this needed to be included here. The songs I knew didn’t sound very different from that studio versions. I will say that the night before I was up working until 2 am and this was absolutely not wha to was looking to hear the day after, so I’ll give this a 3 instead if a two for that reason.

This sounds like what would result if you googled “70s beach boys album”. Those albums had fewer harmonies anyway. Really beautiful and interesting record. I think if o had more time with it it could get to a 5, but it doesn’t have the same magic of The Beach Boys at their peak in my limited listening today.

Awesome punk rock album from a band I had never heard of until today. The album sounded like one long song, but not in a bad way. It was totally cohesive and the energy felt sincere. Great guitar solo in “No Time To Be 21”. You don’t often see those in punk albums.

It was fun to hear such a modern sounding record even if I don't think it really belongs on a list like this. A unique blend of dance and rock music. "Dragon Queen" had a great outro.

Very Beatle-esque and very good. I also hear bands like Oasis and Fountains of Wayne in here, though those are Beatles influenced too. Stupidity Tries sounds so much like John Lennon wow. I wish his voice was a little stronger but it does have the sincerity that I always appreciate. Favorite songs: Junk Bond Trader, Everything Reminds Me of Her, Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud

Another ambitious and interesting David Bowie album I’ve never heard before. Even if I wouldn’t listen to this again, I’m starting to understand why so many people lose their shit over this man and his music. It’s not like anything else I’ve ever heard.

One of the most legendary live albums of all time, and for good reason. Highlights for me were Dumb, Polly, and of course the legendary vocal performance on Where Did You Sleep Last Night. Honestly the end of that song gave me a chill while listening and knowing what would happen to Kurt Cobain so soon after. It’s tragic that we’ll never get to hear where Nirvana were going to go next sonicly, as their ambition is on full display here. Also, give that “About a Girl” has become a classic rock staple it’s funny to hear him introduce it as a song we wouldn’t know.

I don’t think this was bad per se but it was just really not what I was looking to hear today. I also don’t like that only some songs had Melodie’s and there were a lot of scratchy sounds that grated on my ears. First and last tracks sounded the same to me, I think that must have been intentional? If so helps bring the album full circle. I did like the funky bass line on DVNO a lot.

Excellent. I only knew the title track before listening to this, but all of it was great. His voice is like silk and the arrangements under him do a wonderful job supporting his voice. The Bee Gees cover was well done too. This music just feels good.

Extremely ambitious. It felt like Led Zeppelin on steroids. Is the first track one song or several? If one then it might be the longest “song” we’ve heard this far. The melodies were not as strong as I would have liked but my god was the musicianship strong. The guitar solo in “something from nothing” was fantastic. 4.5 seems most appropriate.

I couldn’t finish this. How is this a must hear before I die?

A very good album, but not a 5 for me. I imagine this would have been really exciting to listen to when it first came out, but some of the songs sound a little silly today. At its best though we hear 3 of the best rock musicians of all time sounding way bigger together.

This is the most aggressive music about smoking weed I’ve ever heard in my life. There were some good tracks in here, and lots of good rapping but it was just too long.

Here’s why I was going to give it a 4: I’m hoping that there is a more soul/r&b Ray Charles album on here, because while that would likely get a 5 from me, this doesn’t quite get there. There are some excellent moments, but it’s a little too schmaltzy for me. The more raw and wild Ray Charles is probably in my top 5 singers of all time (the scream on Someday almost gets there) He’s certainly able to make many of these songs his own which should count for something, I just wish he made them better than they were before. Here’s why I decided it deserved a 5: I will end by saying that I totally understand why this is on here, and think it’s one of the most important albums we’ve heard so far. In something I’m calling a “reverse Elvis”, Ray Charles shows how similar country, jazz, rock, and r&b could be and thus serves as a powerful symbol of the melting pot of American music (the cover of Your Cheating Heart, with the jazzy and bluesy piano solo proves my point). This music could only be made in a country like this.

A gorgeous album by one of America's best songwriters. Bubbe may have told her she wasn't very good when they worked on songs together in high school, but boy was she wrong. All the songs here are great and this is in the top 50 albums of all time for me. I think Carole King's version of "will you still love me tomorrow" is the better version.

A great example of country music in the 1950s. The harmonies were beautiful and the instrumentation sounded great but I’d be lying if I said I did not get bored while listening to stone do this. I was fascinating to hear such a different interpretation of “In The Pines” so close to the now iconic Nirvana version. I liked Kurt’s better.

Simply excellent. Almost every song on here is a classic in its own right and while the Beatles influence is clear, the sound is Oasis’ own. One of the best albums made by brothers ever.

This was decent and has a great title but I don’t see why this album should be here without so many other hip hop or r&b albums present. I thought the second half of the album was stronger. “Quicksand” sounded like “My Girl” by the Temptations to me. The piano playing throughout was really great and brought a lot to the longer spacier jams. This would probably be a fun live band.

The Queen has arrived. What a voice, and what an excellent group of songs. I don’t have much original to say here, but I will never forget her performance if you make me feel like a natural woman to honor Carole king at the kennedy center honors. It was spectacular and it’s such a shame that the song’s outro is faded out here.

Less "pop" than Bob Marley's reggae, and more vibe oriented and explicitly political in its lyrics (though Bob Marley was obviously extremely political as well). Some of these songs give us history lessons in the lyrics which is interesting but there are very few lyrics I found memorable. This was not an album I'd ever heard before.

Of course I have to give this a 5! This album shows the Dead at their wildest and while it's no Europe '72 it does have a few Glorious moments. The St. Stephen-Eleven-Lovelight suite is exceptional and made me jealous of anyone who got to see this lineup of the band in their prime. An entire album side of just "Dark Star"? Wow. I would totally understand if anyone takes off an entire star for "Feedback". This is probably a 4.5 because of that but what the heck.

Gorgeous. I love Willie Nelson's voice, and distinct style of guitar playing. Is every song thrilling? No but it feels good and shows us the range of his talents. I would absolutely listen tot is again.

I’ll give this a 5 for what it represents more than what it is. The story is insane and I would not listen to many tracks on their own but as a whole this is an impressive work. How Pete Townsend thought of this I will never understand, but it is a true rock opera with a full story that you can more or less follow if you follow close attention. The drums sounded fantastic on here and I loved “underture”. The Pinball Wizard intro will also always be fantastic.

The MF King of Rock and Roll shows why he earned his title here. A great group of rock, soul, and country influenced tracks with a band that’s on absolute fire. It would have been awesome to see Elvis live in 1969 before everything went downhill. “Power of My Love” was epic and “Suspicious Minds” is a great song too.

The blend of blues rock and 80s pop sounds makes this an interesting but corny listen. The guitar playing was very good but many of these riffs sound the same as the album progresses. I also wish Billy Gibbons’ voice was a tad better. “TV Dinners” might be the funniest song we’ve heard so far in this project? “I Need You Tonight” was my favorite.

Not for me. I don’t see how this is essential listening. I liked the chiller and more spacious parts the most.

Interesting half-way point between psychadelic rock and punk rock. Cool wah guitar effects much more similar to Hendrix than I expected. Not my favorite music in the world but this was certainly a cool record and it's crazy that it came out before the Beatles even broke up. Did not like the 10 min long song. A record ahead of its time for sure. Fave Tracks: 1969, Real Cool Time

Probably in my personal top 10 albums of all time so I’m torn between keeping this super short or writing 9 paragraphs. Just excellent and sincere songwriting, singing, and musicianship all around. This is an extremely serious rock and roll record without any of the pretension that alienated me from prog rock. “Prove It All Night” is one of my favorite songs ever but honestly every single song on here is good and is a great illustration on why keeping albums shorter is a good idea. Some of my favorite moments are the opening wail of “something in the night”, the band kicking in on the title track, the pre-chorus in “The Promised Land” and the bridge of “Badlands”. Easy 5.

This is a very good album, but short of a 5 for me even though I’m glad I heard it (the bad luck of being after Darkness may have played a role here). As good as the hits are, there were just a few too many tracks that I’d call filler. Also I’m sorry but the way she sings certain words was very hard for me to get past. Pretty funny that Flea plays bass on “You oughta know”.

This album has no business being on this list. Having said that it was fine. I wish the quality of his voice matched the quality of the music underneath it. The final track “Faith/Void” was my favorite.

This was pretty good, though I'd hardly call it essential listening. It kept my interest throughout and the production was very strong. The blend of styles here is pretty unique and I'm guessing that's why it was on this list. Was this album bigger in the UK? I have no memory of it being big here in 2012.

She is a good singer, but I have absolutely no context for this album so it's hard for me to give it a fair review. The background singers are called the "Belafonte singers", so maybe this was intentionally given to us today. I'd rather hear an album by Harry Belafonte instead and am hoping he iso n this list somewhere.

This is some of the whitest music I’ve ever heard in my life. I guess some might call this “ambitious” but I think it’s just a bit over the top and not very compelling.

I knew this album as the first major "pay what you want" album but had never actuall heard the music before. It is sonically impressive and though it was released in 2007 still sounds futuristic. A really interesting blend of technology and human elements that made me feel like this is the kind of stuff the Beatles might be doing if they were making music in the 21st century. The basslines were fantastic and the guitar parts had really nice texture. As I typed that previous sentence I realize what a massive compliment I just gave Radiohead and that I must give this album a high score. However, I do wish the melodies were stronger, some of these songs felt too atmospheric and not enough like "songs" which would not have happened on a Beatles record. I do think melodies are really imporatant ot what I look for so that was the disappointmnet for me. A great album that felt a bit too much like work to listen through. Would do a 4.5 if possible.

This honestly sounds a bit like the Radiohead album from yesterday in a way, though certainly much less innovative. Never heard of this group before and have many better suggestions for a 2018 album. Here are a few: Championships by Meek Mill, Scorpion by Drake, Invasion of Provacy by Cardi B, Astroworld by Travis Scott, Black Panther Soundtrack, Thank u next by Ariana Grande

A solid rock and roll album. The production was very strong and the guitars sounded great. I can’t pretend this was very musically interesting, but I imagine it was very important for many women to see this group in action so I won’t discount that.

What an excellent group of musicians and strong group of songs, including a few I’ve never heard before. Two absolute bangers: Message In a Bottle, Walking on the Moon. The only “bad” song is “On Any Other Day” with the poorly aged line about his son being gay. Observation: The beginning of “Bring on the Night” sounds like “edge of seventeen”.

This album felt like the Beach Boys' "Hard Day's Night". What I mean by that is that it's not their absolute best work but it forshadows the greatness that would come only a year or two later on "Pet Sounds". All of the ingredients used later are present and you can hear the band beginning to experiment with different instrumentation. Since it's the Beach Boys I knew the harmonies would be great but damn were they gorgeous ("Please Let Me Wonder" and "She Knows Me Too Well" being the best examples here). I also thought that here, Brian Wilson took Phil Spector's wall of sound concept and improved upon it largely due to the vocal harmonies. This is most obvious on "So Young". There are a couple of songs I could do without, and the album definitely feels more like a collection of singles, but it does give you a good sense of who the Beach Boys are and why they are great. Would do a 3.5 if possible.

I don’t think I listened closely enough to give this a fair score, but it wasn’t bad. I can see this being a big influence on Belle and Sebastian and other similar artists.

This was fine. Nothing remarkable, but it was nice to have on while I worked. The jazz guitar solos were very good.

This is the first Bowie album we’ve heard that did not raise my appreciation for him in any way. I’m sure I’ll get hate for this but It just doesn’t speak to me lyrically or sonically in any way. I’d rather just hear the Beatles or the Kinks, as this album feels like worse version of their songs. “Queen Bitch” was a highlight for me.

This album shows us where the Beatles come from (musically speaking). The covers on here are some of their best, ranging from Broadway to Motown (my faves are You Really Got A Hold On Me and Money) and the originals show the promise of what they would do only 2 years later on Rubber Soul. My fave originals here are All my loving (what an incredible melody) and I Wanna Be Your Man, which still rocks in 2023. A 4 feels appropriate as a tier separator between this album and other Beatles albums on this list.

While the opening track (not including the introduction) might be one of the greatest introductions to a new artist of all time, the album as a whole is rough to listen to. I know he was being controversial and disgusting on purpose, but it is stil A LOT to listen to for an hour, even if the worst part of me finds some of it funny. I cannot imagine hearing this for the first time in 1999 having no idea who this guy is or what he wants with my children. Production-wise the Dr. Dre beats sound fantastic. I also have to wonder if Eminem/Hillary is the only instance of a rapper endorsing someone for President who they threatened to kill/assault on an earlier album? Would do a 3.5 if possible.

Man I hated listening to this. Who is this for?

This must have been influential on Jack Antonoff’s synth heavy production style making it therefore influential on Taylor Swift, Lorde, and others. The actual album was fine though no track truly stood out to me.

Pretty awesome debut album and one that I could not imagine hearing in 1970 when there was the term heavy metal did not exist yet. The guitar on "Warning" is fantastic and the whole album sounds like Led Zeppelin's evil half-twin ("The Wizard" in particular). It’s bluesy, mighty, and powerful rock and roll. It also contains the rare instance of a song name also being the name of the album AND the band. Would do a 4.5 if possible.

This is the kind of rock I really don't like. It would definitely be a great example of what harcore music is though and I bet a lot of Vassar punks loved this shit. I do like the intensity of the guitar and feel like it could be fun live if i want worried about getting punched in the face. For better or worse, this album is extremely consistent, has a clear vibe, and achieves its goal. So it gets points for that.

The music on here was pretty boring although there were some amusing stories within them here and there. The Beatles already made better versions of this music.

Fine for what it was, not my personal taste but not upset I heard it.

A good record but not one I’d really need to hear again. Stand was a highlight for me, maybe because I already knew it.

Exactly what I expected to hear when I pressed play. Not a bad thing just an observation. These guys have a clear sound and vision for what rock and roll should sound like and it works most of the album. The first and last tracks were the highlights for me.

Never heard of this band and for good reason. As someone who enjoys melodies, what a slog to get through. Maybe they were influential on others, but the authors including this while excluding so many black artists and women from this list reflects really poorly on them.

Funny band name. Horrible album. Just awful and grating on my ears. Were they making fun of sexual assault? Double gross if so.

One of the best albums of all time. What a great group of songs! My favorites are Simple Twist of Fate, and You’re a Big Girl Now, but really every song on here is good. What a relief after the last 2 days, though I do wish we got this on a day where I could truly soak it in.

This has to be one of the greatest debut albums of all time. I can’t even imagine being a guitar player and hearing this for the first time in 1967. Wow he really busted the door right open from track one. My favorites are all of the hits.

Am I normally in the mood to listen to this? No. But that should not stop this from getting 5 stars. An iconic statement from top to bottom. Definitely deserves to be here.

Never heard this one before but the Beatles influence was clear as day. However he still brought a lot of himself here. It gets a 4 but I wonder if with more familiarity I’d give it a higher score.

A much better sound collage than the Incredible String Band. I never need to hear this again but it was an interesting album to listen to.

This used to be a very good band. The scientist is an excellent song and many other on here were of a quality Coldplay had not reached in almost 10 years. I forget that sometimes.

Better than the other arcade fire album we heard recently but still not my taste. There was a bit broader of a sound palate here, and some songs that sounded clearly influenced by Bruce, but it’s still missing something that would make me want to come back and listen again.

Excited to finally hear Bob Marley thought i how more of his albums are in this list. Some of the songs are very political while others are sweet love songs, which reflects his unique career well. It’s just outside of a 5 for me because I know he has others which deserve that score. Is this version of Stir it Up different from what’s on Legend? Sounds like it.

A wonderfully executed collaboration between three icons. Their voices work well together and the arrangements are great (especially for a country album from the late 80s). The lead guitar on “To Know Him Is To Love Him” is gorgeously tasteful.

This was awesome. I only knew the first track but I was hooked throughout the album. This acoustic punk sounds like music “anyone could make” but I mean that in the best possible way. The 50s influence was fun to hear as well.

Boring and unnecessary both as an album and a part of this list

I have not listened to Kanye since he became a nazi but man this was great to hear. What an excellent album musically. “We Don’t Care” is a powerful mission statement and has to be one of the best track 1s on a debut album ever. The skits I would be happy to never hear again (especially the one making fun of people who get degrees) but the songs were all on point. Phenomenal production, biting commentary on race and lots of humor throughout. There is a of course a strain of intellectualism here which makes his support for trump less surprising in retrospect. I MISS THE OLD KANYE.

This album doesn't have any of the group's best songs but the build at the end of "Found a Job" and inventive cover of "Take Me to the River" shows that the Talking Heads are serious musicians, and not just "quirky" art students. The influence of disco on rock and roll can be heard in a lot of the guitar playing here. David Byrne's singing is not always my favorite, but it is certainly distinct. The back half of this album is stronger than the front half in my opinion.

While this was not for me at all, I think it executed its mission. If I was a goth vampire in the 80s, how could this not be my soundtrack? I will never listen to this again but I can see why someone else would like it.

I think this is on here more for its historical importance than its actual quality or relistenability. It had great moments but it sounded like Simon and Garkfunkel with fuzzy psychedelic guitars.

Inessential Oasis knockoffs. Again I ask, where is Drake, lil Wayne, or music by any woman?

Well I asked for “any woman” and the generator went above that request. Janis Joplin is an exceptional presence throughout this album. While it’s the big hit, “Me And Bobby McGee” stuck out for me sonically during my listen as it did not sound like the rest of the tracks given how gently she sang the beginning, and it makes me wonder what could have been later in her career should there have been one. Her voice did become a bit grating throughout the album, and without the hit cover she might have sounded more like a one trick pony, so I was stuck between a 4 and a 5.

I had never heard this before and liked this a lot more than I expected to. The opening track was my favorite.

This one was a lot of fun and features a totally distinct production style from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (distinct from others, not anything else they made bc it all sounds like this from what I’ve heard). A classic 80s, over the top pop album is both the best and worst ways. This album clearly took a lot of work to make and it shows in the number of tracks stacked on top of each other here. I can also hear the influence on Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, and maybe even Prince? I do however think it suffers from including some of the same surface level political commentary that her brother utilized on some of his later albums. I think it’s great that Janet Jackson had something to say and was willing to use her platform to do so, but there’s a way to do political commentary that’s not so simple and (in my opinion) clumsy. My favorite tracks were “Miss You Much” , "Lonely", and “Alright".

I just did not connect with this at all. It feels like a cop-out but I really don’t have much to say. I guess I’m wondering who it influenced to deserve a spot on the list?

Not particularly exciting but that is probably the point? Good musicianship but nothing that would make me listen to this again.

A perfect example of psychedelic rock and the genres it draws from. There is rock, folk, blues and combinations of all three, and while the album had songs in diff genres nothing sounded out of place. This album helped give me a real sense of the Summer of Love in San Francisco and I think I would have really enjoyed seeing this band live in its prime. I Loved the guitar solos and drum parts and thought that Jorma Kaukonen's guitar playing was kind of like mine. It's not perfect but it's able to communicate what it wants to and gets the job done. I also love bands with multiple singers so it was fun to hear different lead vocalists and crafted a communal vibe very fitting with the summer of love. Favorite tracks "Somebody to Love, Embryonic Journey, White Rabbit".

This was well done by just not my personal preference. It certainly deserves a place on the list. Kirk hammet is a beast.

Leaving the disrespect of a British album on July 4 aside, this album absolutely rocked. It likely benefited from my low expectations and frustration at getting a second consecutive metal album, but I really enjoyed this album. The shredding was fantastic and over the top without becoming corny and the Melodies of these songs were great too, and some were almost poppy. It sounds like there were multiple lead players which was fun too. My favorite tracks were “Running Free” and “Phantom of the opera”.

Another debut album with an iconic and powerful mission statement as track 1. This is nowhere near as good as their next record, but it is still rock solid and gives a good hint of where they'd go. The Beatles influence on the melodies are clear here too.

Hearing this right after Oasis does not do this band any favors but it was not bad! It was a little mopier than I’d like, and some uptempo songs would have been a welcome change, but I thought this had some relatively funky moments with rock solid drumming. I liked the first track and the secret song at the end the most. I would hardly call this essential listening though.

This album shows how great ambitious pop be! The arrangements were really interesting (The horns arrangement on "Sober". Wow!) and the album as a whole sounds pretty unique. Having said that, I do think that some of the songs start to sound a little similar towards the end. I also don’t think "Green Light" should’ve been the first track, as it was not one of the more musically interesting ones and does a disservice to the rest of the album by being the opening track. Ultimately this was still great all-around and Lorde clearly built on what she did on her first album here and you can definitely hear the growth between those albums. Would do a 4.5 if possible. Favorite tracks: Sober, Homemade Dynamite, Hard Feelings/Loveless, Sober II (Melodrama)

A good hint of what this band would do, but not exceptional on its own.

Pretty good, but sounds a LOT like David Bowie to me, so I’m not sure how much this band was really doing something unique. But the arrangements were strong and I enjoyed listening so I’ll give it a 4.

Excellent musicianship is on display throughout this album, but at no point did I feel like I needed to stop what I was doing and just listen. Bill Evans is very good at setting a mood and staying there, and that these were each done in one take is impressive.

Diamond Life was unlike anything else we’ve listened to (with the exception of Anita Baker and the first track sounding like Steely Dan). This grew on me with each listen and I ultimately need to give it a 5. The Production was fantastic. The vocal layering, the resonant bass, and tight drumming all worked well together and was a great break from British rock of the 90s. This must have been influential on neo soul artists like D’angelo, Beyonce and others who make complex soul music.

A great album by one of the most exciting bands of all time. What a wonderful fusion of rock and funk and political and party music. I can’t believe this many hits are on one album and the long jam track was not bad either! Easy 5 for me.

Very cool album. A cool mix of psychadelia with electronic and even hip-hop influenced sounds. This must have been a MASSIVE influence on Tame Impala, and even artists like Kid Cudi. I could not follow the lyrics closely enough to tell if there was a story going on throughout.

This sucked. I get that it was supposed to be a parody of the hippies and music from this era but it was more like a bad sound collage. I also just didn’t think it was that funny.

Pretty good, but still not exceptional to me. Speaking in Tongues will get the 5 from me assuming its on here. Having said this, the Talking Heads are clearly a unique band.

Maybe todays weather biased me, but I’m giving this a five. This was awesome. It was so evocative of a particular place in both space and time (at least for someone who was never in NYC in the 50s) and feels perfectly executed. The horns were wonderful and the piano sounded great throughout. Would be fun to go out dancing to this.

DEPRESSING!!!! The strings added nice flourishes but this was pretty tough for me to get through if I'm being honest. I'll give him a 3 for benefit of the doubt.

This was great. Funky, exploratory and fun. This list has been a massive influence on a ton of artists.

This was solid but I was not blown away. I thought the lyrics were very good with nice specificity, but I wish the melodies were a bit stronger.

This was sooooo boring. It was fine atmospheric music to have in the background but I can never see myself ever listening to this again. I'm sorry I don't have more to say. Maybe if I understood the lyrics I would, so they will get a 2 not a 1.

This was a pretty cool fusion of dance music and rock and roll. While this was far from the most exciting album I've ever heard (I could not really maintain my focus on it while listening) it had some very cool moments. The audacity of naming a song "Come Together" aside, that one had great dynamics and background vocals, and "Damaged" was a musical twist, sounding like it came off of a seventies Stones album, in the context of this album. I was not moved by this in any way, but it was interesting. I'm not sure how much of an "album" this is. The songs are pretty varied in their sound but at no point did I feel that the variety was too jarring. This felt more like an expertly curated sound collage.

This album was fine, but that's about it. It was nice jangly background music for me to work to, but I know REM has much better work that this. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really feel anything at all. I'm guessing this was pretty influential on lots of indie rock I find boring too. "Talk About the Passion" was a favorite for me.

Elvis Costello is my Mom's favorite so I grew up listening to this album, but I really think it's one of the best debut albums of all time. Every song on here is at least good if not great and their brevity always leaves me wanting more to see where they would go if they were longer. I really cannot believe this was first album as it is just so flawlessly executed His lyrics are punchy and interesting, with his vocal inflections adding further texture to these. Somehow he has created entire worlds in these 3 minute songs. Musically, the songs sound like he is both paying homage to his 50s and 60s rock influences where adding his own sound and flavor. You can hear this in the vocal harmonies of "No Dancing" and the lead guitar parts on "Miracle Man" and "I'm Not Angry". (Side Note: I have wanted to cover "Watching the Detectives" for a while) Each song sounds like its own self-contained world but the entire album feels extremely cohesive. Also, the drums sound fantastic on this album!

Very cool. I can’t say I was Locked into this the whole time though.

While I have very little experience with music like this, the album grew on my as it continued. I really liked the guitar here, especially on the final track.

Mopey but not bad. This album reminded me a lot of the nick drake album we last heard and is different from other Beck I’ve heard.

Great concept and would have been cool if he finished the series. BUT, this was a little too long for me and I do think a few songs could have been cut.

The sample of “Up on Cripple Creek” on “Beyond Comprehension” was astounding. Just totally unexpected and great. “Love Sick” was a great listen too. No matter how you slice it, there just aren’t a ton of love songs in rap, especially by male artists. It was probably a bigger deal to include that song on the album than I can understand.

Just absolute banger after banger. It’s rare that a band can come back with a new singer and be just as good if not better than before. “Back in Black” has to be one of the greatest rock and roll riffs of all time. Easy 5.

This sucked. Smaltzy and boring. Could not finish it.

Is it the greatest album of all time? Probably note but it is just as good as everyone says. There is a wonderful variety of sounds here and the Beatles excel at all of them. Just like revolver I can’t imagine hearing this when it first came out and wish there were cameras in the studio for the making of this one. Paul McCartney is an absolute genius, Ringo’s drumming is perfect and John and George’s contributions aren’t bad either. Probably should get a 5 for “A Day In The Life Alone” but there’s just so much more great stuff here too.

Three 5s in a row! Bob Marley is one of a kind, producing some of the most accessible reggae out there but without sacrificing any authenticity as far as I can tell. The first half were songs unfamiliar to me, but the back half was just absolutely stacked with bangers. Tune Your Lights Down Low and Waiting In Vain are highlights for me.

Thundercat is an exceptional musician but not an exceptional songwriter. Some of the tracks did start to sound repetitive and could have been cut in my opinion, but it was an overall enjoyable listen. The guest selection was a lot of fun and the groove in “Them Changes” still slaps.

Thundercat is an exceptional musician but not an exceptional songwriter. Some of the tracks did start to sound repetitive and could have been cut in my opinion, but it was an overall enjoyable listen. The guest selection was a lot of fun and the groove in “Them Changes” still slaps.

As shocking now as it was then. But it’s great. In retrospect maybe the first sign he was absolutely losing his mind. Highlights: Blood On The Leaves, New Slaves, Bound 2

One of the greatest albums of all time for me. Just full of absolute bangers. “Helplessly Hoping” is one of my favorite songs ever. The harmonies and guitar playing are simply gorgeous. “Wooden Ships” is epic, and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is the greatest song about Aidan’s aunt ever written. CSN together is greater than sun of its parts, which all great bands should be. Easy 5.

I’ve never heard this album in full before, but there were lots of previews of what The Rolling Stones would be doing a few years later, so it feels like the album of a band in transition. “Doncha Bother Me”’s beginning sounds like “It’s only Rock and Roll”. “Going Home” feels like a preview of “Midnight Rambler”. The songs themselves were pretty good, but this band has 4 or 5 other 5 star albums and this is not one of them.

Not bad, but nothing super special to my ears. This was fine to have on while I worked but nothing forced my attention to the music.

Short but not very sweet. Probably good music to jump around too and cool like but not my personal preference. Apple Music says this band's discography is 47 minutes long which is a wildly low number.

While I can not say there was a ton of musical variety, on this album I can say that most of it kicked ass. Like AC/DC, Motorhead gives you a serving of straight up rock and roll complete with thrashing riffs and iconic guitar solos. I do have to take off some points for the sexism in the lyrics, were a bit much for me once I started paying attention to the lyrics (and obviosuly for "jailbait" cuz..gross). These guitar parts were undeniably fire though and I feel like their show would have been a lot of fun to see. Nothing very complex here, but sometimes simple is ok in rock and roll!

I can hear the roots of Indie Rock in this album. “What Goes On” and “Beginning to See the Light” were my favorites.

Not for me at all. Maybe if I was a lyrics person. The music underneath was well produced but the vocals were just awful.

This album shows why Paul Simon is one of the greatest songwriters of the modern era. Even on a lesser known mown album, there are wonderful songs with rich stories and cool sounds. The demos at the end show how good these songs are with just him but the arrangements took them to another place. The guitar on here was awesome (coming in hot w/ Allegries and the “think too much” part was super funky). Clunkers like “when numbers get serious” keep this from being a 5 for me.

This was just fine. Not very interesting musically and very British. It shouldn't be on the list but i'm not surprised at this point.

Surprisingly good to work out to, though I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy this album in any other context. Years of listening to “Drums/Space” against my will prepared me for this moment I think. The guitar on “Rhapsodia” was nice.

If I wanted to listen to Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones I’d do that. To me Aerosmith is a poor man’s imitation of these acts, and aside from “Sweet Emotion” (an absolute banger) nothing on here blew me away. Round and Round” was another highlight and had some great lead guitar by Joe Perry.

This is everything I wish the Aerosmith album was. It was unique, interesting, melodic, and rocked hard. Eddie Van Halen’s playing is simply phenomenal and the songs Stratton perfectly between pop and hard rock for me. Running with the Devil is a fantastic opening track and Eruption is 1 of 1. The exceptional Kinks cover doesn’t hurt either.

One of the first times since we started doing this that I had the album on repeat all day. Phenomenal. I’m obviously in more of an emotional state to connect with these lyrics than anyone in the group as far as I know, but I think they are objectively very good. Combined with the music here (taking from folk, country, and rock) Ryan Adams is almost like a more contemporary Bob Dylan here. It’s a massive shame that he was also a creep and/or emotionally abusive partner. My favorites are “Come Pick Me Up” and “Call Me on Your Way Back Home. Both are devastatingly beautiful.

If imagine is on here it will get a 5. I think this album was probably a bigger statement piece at the time than it is today. It is still painful to hear him say he doesn’t believe in Beatles, but I imagine that was earth shattering in 1970. Mother, and Working Class hero are excellent songs, but not everything on here is that level. You can feel Paul’s absence. I get that these songs were more about primal feelings but I don’t think the execution was perfect. Would get a 4.5 if possible.

Aimee Mann is definitely a good songwriter but nothing here blew me away. I think I wanted to like it more that I truly did. It sounded like Tom Petty was singing backup in “fifty years after the fair” but it was a Roger McGuinn. Close enough. 3.5 if possible.

ROCK OPERA was all I could think of while listening to this. There is not one album-long narrative like most rock operas but this has to be the most theatrical rock album we've heard so far. Each of the 7 songs was carefully constructed and well executed. It sounds like he took Born to Run and added even more over the top ridiculousness but it worked (Having Max and Roy play on the album gives it the E Street band sound too). The title track is just so epic and was exciting each time I relistened to it for this project. Other standouts for me are "two out of three aint bad" and of course "paradise by the dashboard light" which is still funny today. Was not expecting to give a 5 but this deserves it.

I though this was fine but not exceptional, but I'm obviously not really the audience for this album. She definitely had charisma, so maybe I'd like it better live.

I wasn't minding this until the growling began in track 2. It was just so unpleasant and unsettling to listen to. Like cookie monster was messing around on the mic.

Fine new wave. Nothing really memorable here.

Not my personal preference but well executed. Seems to straddle the border of punk and alternative rock. The guitar tone was rough but in a very good way. Would do a 3.5 if possible.

Like many of the Bowie albums we've heard, I thought this was really good, but was missing that wow factor for me that so many others see in him. It was definitely well put together. The piano solo in the title track is awesome and way jazzier than what you hear on most rock albums. BUT "Time" did verge on musical theater but not in the funny Meat Loaf way.

I like getting this after Bowie because I feel similarly about a Tribe Called Quest. People absolutely love them and while I think this was well made music it just did not personally excite me that much. The best part for me is Busta’s verse on “Scenario”. Good rappers, jazzy beats but not thrilling for me.

Starts out way better than I expected but does start to drag towards the end. She’s just not a strong enough singer for the ballads, but the uptempo songs are a lot of fun. Should get a 3.5 but what the hell.

The Best of the 8000 PJ Harvey albums we’ve heard so far. This one can be on the list, the others can leave to make room for hip hop and r and b