He may not be the greatest singer, but Randy Newman is a brilliant songwriter and I think his voice works incredibly well with his writing style. At this point in his career, he's probably thought of mostly as a movie score/song composer. His ascerbic wit is on full display on this album. I think it's great even though my 2 favorite songs of his (Mama Told Me Not to Come and I Love LA) aren't on this record.

Yet another band that I've never heard of. Not sure their music ever crossed the Atlantic. I thought this was fine but nothing special. Too many like this are on the list.

I forgot how many big songs are on this album. Fantastic opening trio. More accessible for non-Deadheads than any other record probably until the final one.

There's no denying the importance of this album as a major transition point for modern rock music. Most of the songs on here are stellar. I think there may be different versions of the album. Not sure if the last song -- Endless, Nameless -- is on all of them. That is a really bad song and leaves a bad taste for me. Really torn between 4 and 5, but the way it ends drops this down for me.

In my opinion his best album of the 21st Century. I acknowledge that not every single song is great but there are some classics starting with The Rising. Should have won the Grammy for Album of the Year but Norah Jones robbed him!

Not for me. I liked the covers much more than anything else on the album.

While I appreciate the quality and range of the vocal performance, to me this is background music. It doesn't make me feel "involved" or like I'm an active participant.

Not sure what to make of this record. I do like a lot of it, but what is it? Rap, reggae, jazz, hip hop, electronics? All of the above? I really liked Tracy Thorn’s vocals but she’s only on a couple of tracks. Most unusual version of a Doors song I’ve ever heard to close the record. While I like it, I think it’s music to play in the “quiet room” at a party, not the main event. Doesn’t make me want to see them live.

I hear a direct line from this record to Cage the Elephant. Snappy post-punk rock. Melodic but rough at the same time with some slashing guitars.

How can you not like an album that starts off with a song that has become part of the American Standards songbook and also includes one of the greatest "story songs" -- The Boxer? Great orchestration throughout. Keep the Customer Satisfied is an underappreciated song. I wish you could award 1/2 stars. I'd like to rate this 4.5 but since I can't, it gets 5 stars from me.

This is an average new wave style album that leaves no lasting impression on me. Not sure why this would be considered a "must listen to" record. Fine but nothing special.

Instantly recognizable quirky sound of David Byrne. I like this album, but there are other Talking Heads records that I like better. I do love Psycho Killer. I think that's one of their best songs. This was clearly a very different sound that really stood out back in 1977. May have been categorized as Punk at the time, but much more sophisticated and complex than that label!

Really good pop music. Interesting to hear this in its original form as I only know the Ryan Adams cover of this entire album. Now I have to listen to that so I can hear what he was hearing. Her more recent albums are much more mature sounding, but this is fun stuff.

Wow, hard to believe that they made an entire album out of two classic, short songs. I liked this a lot, although some of the more trippy parts of of the jams were a bit much. That said, great guitars and mostly great jams. You can clearly see why they played so many shows on the same bill as the Dead. I will listen to this again and probably download.

I've always thought this band was somewhat overrated. I do like some of the songs a lot though; especially Nightswimming and Drive. I find Michael Stipe's voice to be a bit whiny. I do remember seeing them in the gym at college when their first record had just come out. I don't have any specific memories of the show, but I'm sure I enjoyed it. This another record where the half-star option would be helpful. I would give this 3.5 if I could, but since I can't, it gets a 4 from me as I think it deserves the benefit of the doubt.

A great album start to finish. Finally a true 5 for me.

Never been a Leonard Cohen fan and this album didn't change that. Although some of these songs were more upbeat than I expected, I just don't care for his vocal style. I really don't get what people see in him. Still, not the worst record I've ever heard.

A very pleasant album but it's background music. I feel like it should be playing in a nice cocktail lounge. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again. The 1/2 star option would be helpful here too. I'd like to give it 2.5 but because I don't dislike it, I'll round up instead of down.

I'm surprised that I've never heard of this album, or the band for that matter. I hear a lot of different influences in this music. First, there is definitely some '60s psychedelic rock, followed by a hint of Pink Floyd. There is also an element of the "wall of sound" production style and even a bit of Oasis. Underneath all of this is some pretty good Rock & Roll. I will probably listen to this again and maybe try one of their other records as well

I don't always love James Brown, but this is him at his absolute best. I would imagine this is only a portion of the entire show, but he packs a ton into 32 minutes on this record.

For just The Message, I’m tempted to give this album a 5, but the rest of it is just fine. It is an interesting mix of R&B and early rap/hip hop, but that one song is brilliant.

I like the blend of Americana, California folk rock and country on this album. Some really nice guitar work by Buddy Miller. Did not know that Bruce and Patti contributed vocals on one of the tracks and Dave Matthews on another. If I could give 3.5 stars I would, since I can’t I’ll round up.

Didn't like this very much. Too much electronics and not enough "real music". Vocals sound like high pitched whines. Certainly wouldn't be on my list of albums that you must hear.

I think this album is just ok. Most of it is too slow and depressing for me. Clearly he was a pretty unhappy guy. The high point is his cover of Hallelujah. I think that ranks up among the greatest covers ever.

I liked this more than I expected I would. Don't love her voice, especially when she sings in a high whiny voice, but several of these songs have very good "protest" lyrics.

This is a little hokey, but I liked it anyway. Reminds me of songs during the credits of old B/W western movies. It's very well recorded for the time (or maybe it's been completely remastered). Another half-star problem for me. Would like to give it 3.5.

Very surprised that I haven’t heard of this band. It’s a little harsh but I like it. Post-punk in the vein of Rancid who I love. I’m a broken record about this (no pun intended) but really missing the half star option as I’d give this a 3.5. Rounding up this time

His voice makes me think of Jim Morrison; just a little less gruff. I really like the acoustic guitar (I assume it's acoustic) work throughout this entire record, but especially on Buzzin' Fly and Gypsy Woman.

Fine as quiet background music. Nothing here grabs me and makes me pay attention. I don’t think it’s bad, just not my kind of music.

They remind me of a harsher version of the RHCP. A lot of really good bass lines and it's easy to see why Dave Narvarro could easily step in and play with them. He's an excellent guitarist. Don't love Perry Farrell's voice, but overall I liked this album. Previously I had only heard a few of the songs.

I really don't like the fuzz over all of the vocals. I like the instrumentals on this album better than the songs with lyrics. A lot of this could have been original punk with cleaner language. Not my cup of tea.

Definitely not for me

It’s hard to get past the vulgar and misogynistic lyrics but the rapping and beats are really very good. I actually kind of liked this record

I've never been an Iggy Pop fan, but his raw energy on this album is undeniable. I'm sure this record sounded completely radical when it came out in 1970. Without a doubt, this had to have been a favorite of the early punk bands, but I think the Stooges must have liked early heavy metal/hard rock. That seems to come through, especially in some of the guitar solos. Overall, I liked this one.

This album starts out on fire but I think there’s a bit of filler in the latter part. Still it’s a great combo of funk, soul, pop and good old rock and roll.

A near-perfect (if not outright perfect) album from start to finish. Just one great song after another. Sonically outstanding. It's Henley/Frye's masterpiece that sounds as great today as it did when I first heard it! Truly one of my top albums of all time.

Too horrible to make it through. Wish I could give it a 0.

I liked this because it was socially positive and not vulgar or misogynistic. The only song I knew from the record was Tennessee, which I already liked. I liked how they blended in Sly Stone!

I just don't get her. I think she's one of those artists that critics love (for some unknown reason), but most people just scratch their head. I didn't hate this, but I definitely won't be adding it to my collection!

A foundation of the wave of southern rock to come in this decade. Didn’t realize there were so many hits on their first album.

I liked this. A nice blend of country-ish, singer-songwriter and pop styles. I'll download and listen again.

Honestly not sure what criteria qualifies this album or band for this list. To me this is a far less good version of The Style Council or Spandaux Ballet. Nothing interesting. Not bad, just bland.

Are there any actual musicians here? This is just a bunch of repetitive sounds with some melody trying to peek through. I could have it on (very softly) as background music, but I wouldn't go out of my to listen to this style of music ever. It's soulless.

Just a really fun pop album with great songs and catchy lyrics!

Excellent all the way through. Bluesy and soulful rock and roll with a very distinctive sound

Very good early Queen. Leans heavily on progressive rock influences, but also has a good dose of rock & roll. Interestingly I associate the cover art with the soon to come Bohemian Rhapsody. I don't think this album is nearly as good as Night at the Opera.

Eric Clapton playing the blues at his best. Searing guitar work on both the covers and original songs. Didn't know that John McVie played bass in this band. I'd like to give it a 4.5 as I'm trying to save the 5's for things I absolutely love, but since that's not an option, this is strong enough for me to round up!

Nice rhythms but without being able to understand the words much of this sounds the same to me.

I liked this one, especially the (I assume) finger picking guitar style. Soft and contemplative lyrics. Sounds contemporary despite being 50 years old.

Love this early Steely Dan record. A little less jazzy than later albums but a lot of great songs.

Not bad

Very good live versions of many great songs. I wonder if he would be allowed to perform in a prison today?

Not familiar with this band other than one song on this album. Never would have recognized the cover of Iron Man, but I thought it was really interesting. I think this is pretty good pop/rock and would isten again.

I know there are guitars under here somewhere, but this is essentially noise. The distortion completely overwhelms any music or vocals. Not sure what the point is or why this deserves a record contract.

Not really familiar with early Roxy Music work. You can definitely hear the influence that Brian Eno would have on later Talking Heads albums. My favorite song on this record is Grey Lagoons. Great band jam in that one.

Overall a pretty interesting record mixing mainstream blues sounds with “world music”. Too bad I couldn’t understand the lyrics. Would like to know what they’re singing about

Never been a Willie Nelson fan. Thi is fine but wouldn’t Hopi of my way to listen

Wow, this is intense. His anger comes through in so many ways -- obviously in the lyrics but also is the pacing, phrasing and the guitar riffs. Hard to say I liked it because of the violent and misogynistic images, but there's an important message embedded here. I think Body Count is the best song on the album. Great early mix of rap and metal.

This was fine but I lost interest after about a dozen songs. I liked the ones with the female lead vocals much better than the males ones. His voice reminds me of The National, who I don’t like at all.

I liked this a lot. I thought it was really good pre-punk rock. I especially enjoyed the Sonny and Cher cover. Not sure why they didn’t become bigger.

This is an album I wouldn’t have listened to much less liked when it first came out. Much too poppy. Years later I feel very differently. There are a lot of really good sounds here. Sounds very fresh. The songs really hold up. Sounds like Harry Styles could have released this yesterday.

Not really my cup of tea. Mixes too many genres. The one song that I really did like is "The Seed 2.0".

I love this album. Really strong opening track -- Bodhisttva. For years I thought they were saying Old Disciple! My Old School is a classic as is Show Biz Kids. Still this isn't my favorite Steely Dan album, The Royal Scam is. I was shocked when I checked the index that that one didn't even make the list. It should!

He may not be the greatest singer, but Randy Newman is a brilliant songwriter and I think his voice works incredibly well with his writing style. At this point in his career, he's probably thought of mostly as a movie score/song composer. His ascerbic wit is on full display on this album. I think it's great even though my 2 favorite songs of his (Mama Told Me Not to Come and I Love LA) aren't on this record.

This is a really good early rock & roll record. Definitely feel the blues influence. Great use of horns and good examples of piano as the main rock instrument in several songs. I don't know if this has been remastered, but it sounds great; super-clean with great stereo separation.

Interesting. I can't say I really liked it that much, but the lyrics are pretty powerful.

This is fine. Never been a huge Bowie fan but I appreciate his creativity across music and culture.

I can’t help thinking of HeeHaw when I listen to this. I do think it’s a good example of how C&W music is different than more traditional country music. I think it’s fine but I am not adding it to my collection.

A big step in the transformation from quick hit pop songs to more serious and musically sophisticated songwriting. Apparently the first album released in the US that did not have the band name on the cover (not just Beatles albums).

Meh. I don’t get the appeal. A bunch of ethereal sounds without a soul.

I don't care for this. Not sure what it is. World Music, Electronica? Not for me

Love this. Had only heard one or two songs before. If you told me it was CSNY I would have believed it. Great mix of styles that blend really well.

Very harsh sounding speed metal with occasional breaks for actual singing. I don't hate it but I wouldn't listen to it again. The lyrics are very dark and I just don't get the whole costume thing.

Starts very strong with 2 really good songs. If you told me the third one was by Prince I would believe it. The rest is good pop music. She could have been a great rock singer but I guess this is where the money was.

This is a good blues album but nothing spectacular about it.

I've never been a big Joni Mitchell fan, but I appreciate her songwriting talent. There are some really good songs on this record; especially Court and Spark, Raised on Robbery and Help Me. The rest are fine. She's just not my cup of tea.

Very good album with a couple of classic songs. I think it shows his range as a songwriter but I think overall he has better albums. I’d like the half star option to give it 3.5.

This is ok but I honestly don't see why she is such a big deal.

Definitely a foundation piece for the progressive rock genre that grew out in the '70s. This has a much "jazzier" feel than than the major bands that followed including ELP, Yes, Genesis (Peter Gabriel version) and even Rush. Those bands were all much more "classical" in the musical bent. I like this album (mostly because of Greg Lake's vocals) but it does get a bit too "spacey" at times. Regardless, given the influence it had, it definitely belongs on this list.

This is the reincarnation of Aerosmith, only better. Loud, rowdy, raunchy and purely American rock and roll.

This was interesting Ok to have on in the background but I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen again.

A great voice doing great covers!

I have to admit that liked this more than I expected to. I usually think of her as a bad Patti Smith but this was better than that. I might listen again

I like the vocals on this. The sound is smooth but overall I don’t find it especially interesting.

I don’t get the appeal of DJ “albums”. Maybe it’s generational.

In my opinion his best album of the 21st Century. I acknowledge that not every single song is great but there are some classics starting with The Rising. Should have won the Grammy for Album of the Year but Norah Jones robbed him!

Better than Bjork on her own. Some of this reminds me of the B52’s but I don’t like the male vocals very much.

Hard to believe that the Police made only 5 studio albums, and this last one is almost forty years old. This is an excellent record with a few oddities thrown in. Sting's vocals are turned into excellent harmonies with the overdubbing. Also clearly demonstrates what a great drummer Stewart Copeland was for this band's style. Too bad they hated each other. Would give this a 4.5 if I could.

Pretty good post punk/new wave album. Nothing stands out but I did like most of it.

Too much noise. Not worth finishing.

While this isn't my preferred style of music, I did like some of this, especially the Brooklyn references. He has good points to make but like so much of this style, it's very hard to get past the misogony.

The orchestra adds a lot to this music. Much more interesting sounding than the Metallica I'm familiar with. I guess it's a full concert recording, but if it was half as long, that would have been enough for me.

An easy 5. So many great songs on this album. It’s the definition of 70s classic rock radio.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Good rhythms and worldbeat sounds.

Couldn't even make it through the first song.

This is boring at best and depressing overall. It has no heart or soul. If I'm listening to the radio and Depeche Mode comes on I change the station. The only thing on this album that I liked was the cover of Route 66 and that apparently is only on the reissue, not the original version.

Madonna with teeth and a message. Lots of female positivity to address the misogynistic, male lyrics in so many rap and hiphop songs of the time. It's not a great album but it was fun to listen to. Reminded me that I have one of slightly later albums (that leans more to rock) that I haven't heard in years. Will listen to that one again.

This is better than most of the other synth heavy '80s bands but still just meh

This album is the pop music champion. Almost every song was a hit. It also inspired music videos to become bigger and more over the top. Most of these songs have aged very well. I'd like to give this one a 4.5 but I have to round up as it launched Jackson into a completely other stratosphere.

Smooth sounding R&B. She has a strong voice and delivers these songs really well. Just a bit too "Adult Contemporary" for me, so giving this a 3. Need that half star option as it would have gotten 3.5.

Never heard of this band or album. I like it! Really good post-punk power pop. Upbeat throughout. Good guitar parts and clever lyrics. Will listen again.

I understand he grew up in a bad situation but overall these lyrics are just too violent for me. I did like the beats that were used underneath the rapping though

I'm not usually a big Nick Cave fan (except for the song "Red Right Hand"!) but I thought this was a pretty good album. I did like the first part better as they were "rockier" songs but the quieter stuff was ok too.

A very good, but not great album. It shows Elvis Presley's range as a singer. I think the best thing about this record is it's album cover, which the Clash later updated to be one of the most iconic covers of all time.

This is a good but not great album. Nothing about it really stands out to me. Personally, I've never heard of this band but I don't feel like I missed out on anything. I can't imagine it would be on this list if the list was created by Americans.

Hadn't heard this album before. I loved Uncle Tupelo and wish Tweedy and Ferrar hadn't gone their separate ways. I always like Son Volt, but sometimes I find Wilco to be too esoteric and experimental. This album has a little of that, but most of the record is just really good songs. I especially like the flat out rockers -- Monday & Outtasite. I also like Tweedy doing his best Rod Stewart impression on Dreamer in my Dreams. The Uncle Tupelo alt-country feel is still very apparent on this record, which is probably why I liked it so much. I'm downloading this one!

I understand that this is a "concept" record, but i honestly had a hard time following the story he's telling. I guess I have to read the lyrics thoroughly a couple of times. What is clear is that he grew up in a violent environment with no easy way out. Although the song "Black Boy Fly" is a bonus track (and I guess not on the original release), I think he's showing his admiration to an NBA player, not because of his basketball prowess, but because he was able to escape to a better life. I did like the telephone call skits; especially the first one with his parents leaving a long voicemail about bringing the car home.

American Pie is a five, but the rest of the songs are just not at that level. I enjoyed the record overall though.

Overall I'm not really a big Jazz fan, but this was a very enjoyable album. I had heard a couple of the songs before (Take Five, Blue Rondo) but I certainly couldn't have named them or who the artist was. I would listen to this in the background, or perhaps play it at a cocktail party.

I don’t get the appeal of electronica although this is better than most of what I’ve heard. Not interested in hearing this album or band again.

A classic. Not my favorite Pink Floyd album (Wish You Were Here), but still a great record. Comfortably Numb is brilliant and the overall story is well told. It's totally reflective of how big an asshole Roger Waters actually is, musicianship aside. Looking at the credits, there are some interesting cameos -- especially Toni Tenille singing backup vocals and Lee Ritenour playing acoustic guitar. Certainly not their genres.

A much better than average post-punk, new wave, synth/club/techno album. The range of songs is mostly upbeat, rather than introspective and dark. Some pop elements make this more accessible to a wider range of listeners. I'd give it 3.5 if possible.

Smooth but vanilla pop music that leans toward folk. I liked “You’re just a baby” best — it verges on rock.

Impressive solo debut. “Mother and Child Reunion” and “Me and Julio” are classics. The rest are all very good. Confirms that he was ready for the next step in his career.

Is it the greatest guitar riff of all time? Either "Smoke on the Water" or "Jumpin' Jack Flash", but I digress. This is a great hard rock album. The drumming on the opening track (Highway Star) is so powerful that it sets the tone for the entire album. The fact that "Smoke on the Water" is recounting a true story is very cool. Ritchie Blackmore's guitar playing is excellent throughout -- I think he gets overlooked compared to some of his contemporaries. I would give this a 4.5 if I could.

It’s was fine. No time for a real review today.

Never heard of this band. This is fine. Reminds me of a "not as good" Style Council or Everything but the Girl record. I'd rather hear those -- they're much better.

I just don't like the Smiths (or Morrissey) at all. Too annoyingly whiny for me. I didn't hate this, but I definitely will not listen again.

This band owes a debt of gratitude to Oasis, not to mention the Beatles. The songs are very upbeat and fun British power pop with layers of sound.

This almost strikes me as a novelty record more about comedy than music. The songs are upbeat and fun. Prima’s raspy vocals are perfect for this. Jazz is such a broad term but this is probably as mainstream and accessible it can be.

Obviously he's a great pianist. I enjoyed hearing this, but not my preferred genre. Good for background music at a cocktail party.

I liked this one more than most of hip hip albums I’ve heard. Some really good funk bass and guitar here.

At first I was going to give this a 4, but after a second listen, I think it deserves a 5. Morrison covers a variety of ground from folk rock to Soul/R&B to almost Jazz and it all flows together seamlessly. There are a couple of really great songs like Astral Weeks and Cypress Avenue and everything else is really good. Too bad he's turned into a curmudgeon.

Another album that is no more than fine. Don't see what qualifies it for any special recognition

I probably made it through half of the record. I do not like (or understand the appeal) of EDM. Just pounding for the sake of pounding. No heart or soul here.

This is a fun mixture of punk music delivered with traditional Irish sounds. I’m sure Springsteen was very familiar with it when he recorded the Seeger Sessions Live From Dublin. Unfortunately for me, after listening, much of this sounds the same to me.

Rod Stewart (and the Faces -- sort of) at their best. The mix of covers and originals work beautifully together with Stewart's rasp to pull it all together. Just so many great songs on this record. For me, this is the Apex of his work.

Chris Cornell is criminally underrated. To me Soundgarden is every bit as good as nirvana.

Screaming guitars Angela growling vocals. I loved this

I know people absolutely love Bowie but he doesn’t resonate with me at all. I like Young Americans but I think the rest of this album is just ok

Maybe better than most hair metal of the era but this is still “plastic” rock and roll.

In general I like the Verve but I think this album is just ok. Nothing here approaches Bittersweet Symphony.

Boy, they sure crammed a lot of greatness into 27 minutes. This album is a blueprint for early rock and roll!

This is ok britpop. Trying to be Oasis without that level of talent. I also hear a little Elton John influence thrown in. Don't know why it deserves to be on this list. Nothing special about it

22 minutes of nuclear energy packed into 8 simple songs. This would have been something to see!

I love this album. I remember thinking when it first came out that it had a distinct Rolling Stones feel. I still hear that influence but I think it stands on its own as a great American rock and roll record, plus it has aged very, very well.

I’m not sure what I think about this one. Trying to cram in a lot of styles. Not bad but doesn’t win me over either

There is nothing wrong with this record but there is also nothing that makes it worthy of being on this list.

Good funk and soul with a feminist twist. I especially liked the first track — Penitentiary Philosophy.

Great funky soul sound with interesting covers

Fun post-punk power pop. Not familiar with this band, but this reminds me of Green Dat in a way. I would listen again.

I know this is “psychedelic” but most of the lyrics are just too silly. I do thin Jimmy Page guitar work on Season of the Witch (definitely the standout song on the album) is excellent

Smooth and soulful with really good musicianship. I especially like the bass lines throughout the album. I could see this as an album Marvin Gaye might have made.

Listening to this makes me think of what Nirvana might have sounded like if they let rap/hip-hop influence their style. Overall, I think the lyrics are pretty powerful even if I don't love the delivery.

Boring indie music

I liked most of this. NeoSoul/R&B/Jazz sounding. Not sure if I’m right but it sounded like some of the vocals used auto tune, which I hate

I’m not a jazz lover but I liked this more than I thought I would. Wasn’t as “freeform” as I expected.

Never listened to any of Gene Clark's solo music. When I think of the Byrds, I've always automatically thought of Roger McGuinn's jangly 12-string. What a pleasant surprise! This is a terrific record that really captures the Laurel Canyon sound. Not really a surprise when you look at the list of people playing on this. I'd like the 1/2 star option so I could rate this one 4.5.

The epitome of the sound of New Orleans. Swampy and mysterious and a little creepy too.

Wow, this is really, really good. I love how the tracks flow together seamlessly. Rhythms are great and I can actually understand what he's saying.

This is fine but give me Oasis any day!

This is pretty good indie/arty rock that stood out (briefly) when it came out. Not sure why it makes the list though.

The Replacements, although critically acclaimed, never got the mass appreciation that they deserved in my opinion. This is a great album that moves between post-punk and power pop. Paul Westerberg was (and still is) a brilliant songwriter. His lyrics are insightful, witty, sarcastic and satirical. Read the lyrics to Androgynous -- he wrote this almost 40 years ago! Pretty incredible. Yes, some of the songs are a bit silly, but so what? It's great rock and roll. This band didn't last nearly long enough.

I usually like Richard Thompson both solo and with Linda. I think this is a very good album. The title track is great (although not quite as good as Wall of Death from the much later Shoot Out the Lights album). As always, his guitar playing is very impressive.

My favorite RS album. It covers the full range of their music -- raunchy, rockin', rough, rude, bluesy and soulful. A few great covers tossed in with Mick/Keith classics. Maybe a filler or two, but who cares. The rest of it is so good it makes up for it. An essential album to own! Easy 5.

Not really sure what category this falls in, but to me it's innocuous backrgound music at most.

Likeable songs that have a tinge of Traffic and Eric Clapton sounds in them. Paul Weller has had so many incarnations, but really not familar with this one,

Ok country music

I hate Rufus Wainwright

One of my favorite RHCP albums. This is what introduced me to the deeper catalogue.

Rowdy rock and roll for teenage boys. Songs are simple but fun and Highway to Hell is an all time classic

Good pop rock songs with a “jangling” sound. Not familiar with this band, although I did know (and like) one of these songs. Will listen again.

Not a huge rap fan but I understand why this album makes the list. Good to here the female POV that she brings.

The harmonies are superb by otherwise I think this is just ok

Maybe not his best but brilliant nonetheless. Most artists would kill to write just one song as good as most of these.

A very eclectic mix of styles but they don’t all seem to fit together. Adore is a great song but for me most of the rest are just ok.

I think this is a good but not great album. Not sure why it/he is considered to be so influential. Definitely liked the update, "rockier" tracks more. My favorite is Cupid's Trick.

Couldn’t get past the second song. Hated what I heard.

I really wanted to like this. Unfortunately I didn't. Just way to harsh sounding for me.

Some good songs, but not really my style. Nile Rogers is a great bass player though.

Never been a Killers fan. I don't really like the vocal effects that are used on this album. A few good songs, but overall, just ok.

50+ years later, this still sounds different and original. Not the best Doors album but still a classic.

Once again, not really sure why this makes the list. Most of it is ok, but some is just noise. Dense and pretty heavy. Is it post-punk, grunge or something else? I think she's just not my cup of tea.

A very strong effort from Elvis Costello. I prefer rocking Elvis to balladeer Elvis and this record has a bunch of those. My favorites are Just About Glad, All the Rage, Rocking Horse Road, but this is excellent all the way through. I’d give this a 4.5 if possible but I’ll round up because it’s one of my favorite Elvis albums

Easy 5. Elton John's masterpiece album. One of the best Side 1's of a vinyl album and remains strong throughout. I love this one.

Not on Apple Music. Can't listen.

This is a good country record and over time I’ve come to appreciate Dolly Parton. That said, not sure why it makes the list.

I really liked this when it first came out but it’s lost its appeal. Without doubt the sound was unique at the time.

This is a tough one for me to rate. The styles on this record really span the entire spectrum from softer, sweet ballads to thunderous heavy metal. This is also an album, where I knew a surprising number of songs without having any idea of the titles. I'd give this a 3.5 if possible but rounding up to 4 for Bullet with Butterfly Wings (a song I've heard a million times but no clue what the title actually was.)

Hard not to give this a 5. Debut album from one of the three foundational bands of Grunge/early 90's rock that saved us from Hair Metal (Nirvana and Soundgarden being the other two). Classic songs like "Jeremy", "alive", "Release" and "Even Flow" from this record cement it as being worthy of the list.

I'll preface this by saying that I'm not a big David Bowie fan. This is fine but I'm not interested in hearing it again. A lot of it feels reminiscent of Peter Gabriel to me.

Sounds too much like David Bowie. Not a surprise given he co-wrote a bunch of the songs and plays in the band. Fine but not special.

This ok. Not really into the psychadelic vibe. If I want to hear British Invasion Blues, I'll choose The Rolling Stones over this.

I didn't hate it, but not really for me. Too dark and violent.

A better version of Christmas music including great performances by Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector

Brilliant concept album. Sonically great. It’s true — it syncs perfectly with the Wizard of Oz if you start it when the MGM lion roars.

This is Talking Heads to the "nth" degree except without the witty lyrics. A little too experimental for me.

Morrison’s voice sounds great. Multiple well known classics and one song that I think is really under appreciated—The WASP. Would if a 4.5 if possible but I’ll round up for this one

Any album that opens with possibly the greatest protest song ever written deserves a 5.

No sophomore slump here. Enough classics to almost make this one a greatest hits records. One of his very best albums.

Very solid progressive rock album. Musicianship is excellent. As with a lot of this genre lyrics aren’t always great but still a couple of classics here

Familiar with the name but not the music. I thought this was pretty good. As usual, I prefer the more rocking songs to the quieter ones but this record has a good amount of both styles.

Apple calls this post-punk, but it's smack in the middle of the intelligent punk/art timeline as the band shared the stage at CBGB's with Talking Heads, Blondie, Patti Smith and The Ramones among others. They should have had much more commercial success. See No Evil is an awesome leadoff track!

Sorry, I just don't like this band. Never have. I find the vocals boring. He just drones on and on. I know critics love them, but I wouldn't put this album on the list.

Coldplay wannabes. Doesn't really belong on this list

Never listed to this and only know We Are Family from weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, etc. Not my preferred genre, but really strong vocals and a good grove.

Better than the other Pixiues albums live heard. More melodic with less screaming. Probably won’t listen again but not terrible.

Some great songs on here that really hold up, especially California Dreaming and Monday Monday. A smooth transition of folk into folk rock.

The story behind this album is pretty interesting. The bitterness comes through in a bunch of the songs. There is some really good soul/R&B with great instrumentation. There is some filler here too. Not unusal on a double album.

Way too misogynistic for my tastes.

You can smell the stale beer and wafting cigarette smoke listening to this album. It transports you to an old jazz club at 3am. I understand why people might not like this, but it’s the perfect material for Tom Waits’ gravelly voice.

Really good breakthrough album. Clever and sometimes acerbic lyrics with great melodies.

Very good album from the most underappreciated British Invasion band. I like the concept -- the story is pretty easy to follow. It does have a lot of Beatles influence, but I think that's a sign of the time it was made more than the Kinks' trying to copy what was so successful for their contemporaries.

Another head-scratcher as far as I'm concerned. I hear some Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon influence, but overall this is just background music. Fine as a subtle movie soundtrack, but that's it. Won't listen again.

This is a good, extremely well produced debut album. Sounded different than other “rock” records of the time. It ushered in a lot of more musically introspective bands. Kind of surprising how this launched Coldplay as a stadium headliner.

This sounds like a bunch of bad songs that the Talking Heads rejected

Some good psychedelic blues mixed with some strange stuff. Not bad but I don’t think I’ll listen again.

Has a bit more humor than other punk albums of the time. Some of it verges on pop almost. I don't think it's quite as misogynistic as some of the reviews I read.

I was late in discovering the White Stripes, but this record broke through. One of the greatest riffs to open an album. Stellar guitar and great Melodies. Love this.

Hadn't heard this before. Not what I would have expected. Much more bluesy and harder rocking songs. Would like to give this 3.5 but I think it serves to be rounded up.

I liked this way better than the Pixies albums on the list. Sounds more like a conventional rock album.

Liked this more than I expected. I thought it was going to be filled with commercial pop but it was actually very good R&B.

This is a great concept. An unexpected pairing of artists that works incredibly well. The addition of Natalie Merchant's vocals makes it even better. Have loved this since it came out!

Another head scratcher. Why is this on this list. No very good or interesting to me.

I hadn’t listened to this all the way through for a long time. Was thinking I’d probably give it a 4. After listening again today, that would have been absolutely wrong. Definitely a 5. My favorite is the cover of Little Wing. Hard to imagine that this was panned when it came out.

Not familiar with the band at all (although one of their songs from 2010 is in my itunes library -- probably from some compilation sampler I got). Have to say that I really liked the mix of funk, latin and rapping. Maybe they are more well known outside of the US, but they deserve some visibility here too.

Not familiar with this group. Generally not my preferred genre, but I thought this was really good!

This album is fine. Nice renditions of standards but shouldn’t Billie Holiday have a blues/jazz album on the list instead?

Not familiar with this band. The album seems very schizophrenic to me ranging from power pop ballads to growling vocals reminiscent of death metal and hardcore punk. It’s fine but it doesn’t hang together as an album for me.

I'm not a huge Jazz person, but I do like Big Band music. In this case, the focus on brass instrumentation is pretty cool.

Wow, this is brutal. Clearly he’s talented but some is just too hard to listen to.

A little less violent and dangerous sounding than some other the others of the genre on this list.

When I saw this I wasn’t going to listen at first. Then I saw Jumpin Jack Flash was the opening track so I was curious. I actually thought it was pretty good. A couple of interesting covers and the rest was ok too.

Interesting mix of funk, soul, rock, ska. Reminded me of both Living Color and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’d heard about the band but hadn’t heard their music. Pretty good. Would like to give it 3.5.

I feel like this is a bridge from ‘80s hair metal to grunge. Opened the door for Nirvana and Soundgarden to change the direction of rock music.

I'm not a jazz person so a little hard to comment on this for me. I liked that it was not completely freeform and of course the horns are great, but overall this is background music to me.

This album starts out very strong, but doesn't sustain that level all the way through. The second "side" isn't nearly as good and overall the ballads are eh. Would give it a 3.5 if possible, but rounding down given his personal failings.

Easy 5. Amazing how many great songs got packed in 35 minutes!

Liked this much more than I expected to. Rhythms and beats are strong and the vocals and rapping work very well.

Psychedelic folk music just doesn’t work for me. It’s not bad but I don’t want these genres combined.

Another one that I haven’t listened to straight through for a very long time. As great as I remember it. Powerhouse opening with Black Dog and Rock and Roll. Of course the side 1 closer is one of the greatest hard rock songs ever. Even the quieter songs stand out as being right. After hearing almost a quarter of the list from the book , about time!

This was the first Ska music I had ever heard during my freshman year at college. Kind of like reggae but still different. I like the album but I think I like the clothes more. After a while it begins to sound repetitive to me.

Ok but doesn’t merit being on this list

As a rule I like alt-country. This is good but feels somewhat maudlin. Give me Son Volt or Whiskeytown instead.

I liked the first few songs a lot. Reminded me of a combination of David Bowie and The New York Dolls. After that it was just ok.

I don’t really like the early’80s synth pop very much and this is the epitome of the genre

Outstanding early rock and roll by one of the pioneers!

There are some great versions of now classic songs on this. You can hear the angst in Cobain’s voice. The closing track (where did you…) is my favorite performance. I’d give this a 4.5 if I could.

Why is this on this list. Did not need to hear this

Hadn’t heard this album or most of the songs. Really liked it. His vocals are great!

A very ambitious album stretching across progressive rock and hard rock. Most of the lyrics are a little nonsensical but no denying the quality of the musicianship.

This sucks. Just noise. Gave up after 3 songs. Does not belong on this list. I would give it a 0 if I could.

The first 2 songs are great, but it's a little uneven after that. That said, I'm sure this was groundbreaking when it first came out

I think there is a lot of filler on and would give it a 3 as is. I think if it were trimmed down to a single album it’s at a 4 and perhaps a 5.

This is one of the greatest singer-songwriter albums ever made. Personally, I don't think there is a bad song on this one. By now, it has influenced 2 more generations of talent.

Not sure why it makes the list. Early Americana that’s ok

This is an absolutely great album. I wish that they could have gotten along. Oasis, heavily influenced by the Beatles, made outstanding music and could have gotten even better if they stuck around longer.

This was good but not particularly special. I guess it had some influence on early country-rock, like the Eagles, Jackson Browne, etc.

A clear 5. Classics throughout delivered perfectly

A good reggae album. I guess it's important for the political message.

This is the best and worst of the Grateful Dead. A lot of discordant sounds like people playing difftsongs at the same time. The feedback track was completely unnecessary. That said both St Stephen and Love Light we’re fantastic!

I liked this more than I expected to. In general, I find Willie Nelson to be a bit too "twangy" for me. These songs, given their nature, avoid that. This is probably one of the earlier versions of contemporary artists covering standards, so it deserves credit for that too.

A brilliant concept album in which you can actually follow the story. It features some of Pete Townsend’s best writing and a few staples of classic rock. I don’t think it’s the Who’s best album but it definitely deserves a 5.

This is more country/adult contemporary Elvis than rock and roll Elvis. That said his voice sounds great and the backing band is top notch. There are a couple of excellent guitar parts. My favorite one is in Power of my Love. While this is a very good album, I can't say it's great.

I did not have access to MTV when this came out so I missed it when this band exploded. These songs are catchy blues based rock but I don’t love any of them. I do think that do show off the band’s strength as a “power trio” in the mold of Cream and others.

I don't think this band/album broke through in the US. Not quite punk or hard rock, but a combination of both. Reminds me a bit of Nine Inch Nails.

This is the most prepunk punk album I think I’ve heard. I generally don’t like Iggy Pop but I have admit that this is the version of him. Would like the 1/2 star option but I’ll round up.

I remember the anticipation leading up to the release of this album and then listening to it over and over and over. One of Bruce's best efforts. Some of the songs are a little more downbeat, but the lyrics are great and the band is at it's best. Badlands, Prove It and Promised Land get all the glory, but Candy's Room, Darkness and Adam Raised a Cain are outstanding tracks. I especially love the guitar on Adam Raised a Cain. I think this counts as the band's first "grown up" record. All in all this is a fantastic record and easily deserves a 5!

I am familiar with all the hits but have never heard the entire album or really even listened closely to the lyrics. I was surprised how good this album is. She and her songwriting partner are sharp, edgy, sarcastic and witty. I feel like Liz Phair could have written some of these. It also rocks musically. All told, I liked this a lot more than I expected to.

Not sure why this album is on this list. I found it very boring.

An interesting mix of styles. This album reminds me of prog rock, Beach Boys harmonies, guitar led rock and electonica. I usually really don’t like that last genre but it didn’t bother me in this blend.

This is ok. Some of the South African some are very interesting, but the English tracks seem like they're out of place.

I’ll start with the positive. This is a a very well arranged, orchestrated and produced album. Unfortunately it feels like Win Butler wants to be David Byrne but he does have the funk and soul to make it work.

I own one Radiohead album and this is it. Despite being critically acclaimed, a lot of their music is esoteric and not easy to get. This is very different. Far more accessible and easy to enjoy.

I expected to dislike this album a lot, but I was surprised that I did like some of it, especially Static Resistance. If they just played the songs without all of the electronica elements, I might have really enjoyed it.

I always thought Hole existed off of Kurt Cobain’s success but this is actually a very good album that shows they (and Courtney Love) actually are talented. Liked this one a lot.

Love this album. No sophomore slump here. Kickass opening track that sucks you in as you sing along. Bring on the Night, Bed’s too Big, It’s alright for you are also standouts. Great blend of reggae vibes and excellent rock and roll.

Fine album but I don’t know if it’s one of their best. Help Me Rhonda is definitely worthy though.

Fine smooth jazz/R&B, but nothing special.

Not a big Bowie fan but I appreciate the impact and influence that he had on so many artists. For me, this is fine but not really special.

Great early effort. Much simpler musically than albums to come in a few years that is heavily reliant on covers. Fun to listen to and sing along with.

Not my genre but hard to deny his talent. Can’t tell if it’s an act or genuine anger being expressed. Regardless, it’s a compelling album.

I understand why they call this genre so industrial. Sounds like you’re in a factory and not wearing ear protection. Too much noise and not enough melody for me.

Another album that’s fine, but don’t know why it should be on this list. Reminds me a little bit of Blondie with more synthesizers

Overall the album is ok. I think some of the lyrics are pretty silly, but that is countered by some truly outstanding guitar playing. The final song/suite really demonstrates that great aspect of the record

Harsh but surprisingly not horrible. Couldn’t just sit down to listen to this but it does display the intensity of hardcore

The Kinks always seem to get lost between the rise of the Beatles and Rolling Stones. A very good band that never really got the credit (in America) that they deserved. This is a really good album, but not a stand-out. As always, clever, sometimes biting lyrics delivered in British Invasion style.

I like this as background music.

This album relies on the mandolin than any other rock record that I can think of. A good record but I’m not a big REM fan so I’m not at all blown away by it.

Amazing how many great songs this band produced in such a short period of time. A couple of those standouts (Proud Mary, Born on the Bayou) are included here. Too bad they didn't last longer.

Some of this is actually not bad, but most of it is just droning noise. The bad far outweighs the good.

Yuck. Why is this noise on the list???

This is really an excellent album. I was initially going to give it a 4 but reconsidered as my favorite Dylan song (Tangled up in Blue) is on it. Other obvious standouts are Simple Twist of Fate, Idiot Wind and Shelter form the Storm. Actually, probably should have been a 5 all along!

Although I've never been a huge Jimi Hendrix fan, it's hard to not give this a 5. This is the prototype for psychedelic hard rock AND power trios. Can't deny the guitar prowess. A couple of songs feel like filler, but the great ones are outstanding.

Rude, angry, powerful and fun. A breakthrough album that is up there, (close to but not as good as) with the first album by the Clash. Quite a statement about England in the mid-late '70s.

While I knew a bunch of these songs, I'd never listened to this album. Thought it was great. He clearly spent a lot of time listening to the Beatles and I think Billy Joel probably listened to this over and over. Even though there are a couple of hits here, I'm really surprised that he never really broke through in a big way.

I would expect to hear this as background music in a bar. Wouldn't go out of my way to listen but it's not terrible.

A very good album with a couple of standout tracks. My favorite is the Scientist — great piano parts. Somewhat downbeat but still worth having in your collection.

Not bad. A very big, orchestrated sound that feels original. Definitely has an “artsy” vibe.

Very good album. I only knew one song but really liked most of what I didn't know. Everyone in the world has Legend, but this is a great intro to the Wailers and not just Bob Marley.

Great Americana. Voices blend beautifully and song selection is very good. Three individual icons who know how to work well together!

Original and just plain fun. It’s really held up well over time. It’s acoustic punk power pop!

Not that interesting. From what I read, he was apparently influential on a number of artists who came later, but I'm not exactly sure why. This isn't a bad album, but I don't know what about it made someone include it on this list.

I expected more of a rap album and was surprised that this had a lot more R&B feel. Liked it more than I thought I would. Too bad he lost his mind.

A very good but not great album. Possibly the weakest in their outstanding discography. No doubt other bands wish they could have made this but it doesn’t come close to their best work.

I hate Depeche Mode and by the transitive property, this too. Glum synthesizer music with no soul (and perhaps no actual musicians either). Never need to hear this again.

This is good but not special. Other than 8 Mile High, no outstanding tracks. There are other, better Byrds albums on the list.

I will acknowledge that this is Oasis light and probably shouldn’t be on the list. However, it’s fun, power pop music that I really like.

Powerful vocals backed by great band. There is real blues inside her. Hard to believe she’s been gone for more than 50 years.

Dark and somewhat depressing. I like the New Order version of this band better.

Excellent album with huge hits and catchy tunes. I think if they cut it by about 15 minutes it would be even better. Filler keeps it from being a 5.

Perhaps if your a fan of the niche sub-genre of electronic salsa/mambo music, this album means something to you. To me, it's ok background music. Would choose to listen again, but it isn't a bad record. Just not my taste.

I like horns in general, so I enjoyed this album. That said, I don't really know anything about Jazz so it's hard for me to judge whether this is great or just average.

Outside of the two all-time great songs (Somebody to Love and White Rabbit) this is a very good but not great record.

Dark and dense. The drums and guitars are excellent but like most metal the lyrics aren’t as good. I like this but listening straight through made me want it to be shorter.

This is less metal than it is just good hard rock. Much closer to Foghat or G&R than Black Sabbath or Metallica. I also hear some punk influences. Don’t be misled by their name (even though the logo is a little creepy)

More great power pop rock and roll from this band. Yes, there are some lifts directly from the Beatles. So what? Noel Gallagher is a sharp, witty and sometimes acerbic songwriter. My favorite songs on this are Rock and Roll Star, Supersonic and Live Forever. They deserve to be the kings of Britpop!

I really liked this when it first came out. Driftwood and Why does it Always Rain on Me seemed to be on the radio all the time. However, I don't think Travis ever really broke through commercially. Unfortunate because the songs here are really good. Strong melodies with good vocals in a smooth rock package.

Much more pop/dance music than I expected. No bad but not my cup of tea.

Very good album with some hard rocking songs and excellent guitar work. Not their best album in my opinion but a strong effort nonetheless.

A good example of early 70s rock. Fun but not serious. David Bowie's fingerprints are all over this but Ian Hunter's writing is witty and sarcastic. This band is a bit under the radar but I think this album is worth listening to. Probably deserves an extra 1/2 star.

This was nice background music for a cocktail party. I don't know anything about jazz so I can't really say if it's truly great or just ok.

This album touches so many genres from smooth jazz, adult contemporary, soul, afro/caribbean all the way through to latin pop. It sounds beautiful. Not only her voice, but the instrumentation and production too. I feel like this is an album where everyone can find at least one thing (if not more) to like about it. Slinky, sexy, stylish and smooth. Plus a really good cover as the final song.

Innovative “funk and roll” with a message. Great songs and a band full of excellent musicians. The horns really stand out along with the bass playing. A classic album that still sounds great!

I've always found the Flaming Lips to be a bit too artsy for my taste. This does nothing to change that opinion.

This makes it very clear why Frank Zappa never had mainstream success. There is talent in there somewhere but it’s buried by too much nonsense.

Innovative and exciting shift for Talking Heads. David Bryne has always made challenging music, often outside of mainstream conventions. Maybe this is how this album started out. Marking a bit of a transition from earlier "punk" (a term I apply loosely to TH mostly because of where they grew up performing) to a world music sound. The record's incorporation of African rhythms into pop/rock music is transformative. While every track may not be great, those that are make this an worthy entrant on this list. Falls a little short of a 5 for me. Would give it 4.5 if I could.

I like this album as background in a nightclub. In fact, it makes me feel like I'm seeing Ricky Ricardo play at the Tropicana Club in 1957. The musicians are great. I especially like the horns. Once again, I don't feel as though I know enough about this genre to determine where this should rank.

Another depressed singer-songwriter singing sad songs.

Good mix of funk, rock and Jazz. I imagine that this is one of the earliest fusion albums that influenced bands like Weather Report and Return to Forever, Spyro Gryra and even Steely Dan. Not my preferred genre but definitely the type of Jazz I like best.

A nice singer-songwriter debut but not certain it is a must listen.

Had a hard time getting past not having a clue what they were singing about. Non-English lyrics are fine as long as the music is engrossing. For me, this isn't. In fact, I think it's kind of boring.

I liked this more than I expected to. I preferred the songs that lean more toward power pop rock vs. club music. Favorites were Movin' on Up, Damaged and loaded. A couple of more tracks like those would have pushed up the score. Would like to give it a 3.5.

A fairly good debut by a band that I think is highly overrated. Other than Radio Free Europe nothing really stands out to me.

One of the all time Top 10 Debut Albums. Every song is great. Enough said!

Not a jazz fan. Don't know if this is great or just average. Someone else can decide, but won't be listening again.

This is good and an important contribution to Grunge, but I don't think it's at the same level as albums by Nirvana, Soundgarden or Pearl Jam. Likely why they didn't have the same level of commercial success as the others. My favorite track was the instrumental, Fuzzgun '91. Great rock and roll for any genre but definitely encapsulates the Grunge vibe.

Interesting but ultimately it all starts to sound the same to me.

Never heard this album except for one song. Not what I'm used to hearing from Beck, but he is a musical chameleon. I like it but would prefer more upbeat acoustic songs.

The one song I recognized (Chicago) was very good. This rest of the album is fine but didn’t make a huge impact on me.

Not familiar with this group and not a rap fan so can't give a fair evaluation. I will say that this is music I would have absolutely hated when it originally came out. Now I can hear some of why it broke through but still not for me.

Testosterone filled teenage boy rock and roll. Maybe it’s not great art but it’s definitely fun.

This sounds like an album of show tunes. Not for me.

Brilliantly imaginative with one or two weak(er) spots but still a 5 given the overall quality. Day in the Life is one of my top 5 Beatles songs for sure.

This might as well be a greatest hits collection! Maybe the first mainstream reggae album? Musically interesting and just outside the norm, but accessible enough for everyone to enjoy it. It's a 4.5, bit in this case, I'll round up.

I think this is fine but not special. I did like the variety of guest artists -- it's a long way from Jim Messina to Kendrick Lamar!

Never heard this album or any of the songs on it. Read a couple of reviews basically saying it is incredible sad music. I didn't get that at all. I don't think this is up to Neil Young's best work either as a solo artist or with CSNY or Crazy Horse but it still pretty good.

Definitely not my taste. Too misogynistic and violent.

Another spectacular debut. Stephen Stills' songwriting is top notch. I like everything about this album other than Guinnevere. Can't stand that song, but that doesn't keep it from a 5.

A good earlier Stones album, but not at the level of what was to come. Still a step forward toward that with all original songs for the first time. very good, but not one of their essentials

Nothing much to say about this. Have never heard of this artist and after listening, don't really feel like I'm missing anything. Not bad, just nothing particularly special to me.

Pretty raucous music. Not a big fan of hardcore punk, but this wasn't bad. Helps that the "album" is so short. 21 minutes of this is definitely enough for me.

Much better album than I expected, although not as good as the Iron Maiden record we heard a few weeks ago. Didn't realize they were a trio. Lyrics aren't anything special, but the sound is pretty powerful for 3 guys. This definitely verges on Punk, while still being Metal.

Much more main stream sound from the Velvet Underground for this album. Lyrics aren't as dark and songs have almost a pop feel. Lou Reed is clearly the star.

Can't stand Leonard Cohen.

Outside of The Late Great Johnny Ace, nothing on this album stands out to me. It’s certainly fine, but not at the level of Paul Simon’s best songwriting.

Ok Britpop. Not sure why all the critical acclaim. Give me Oasis over this any day of the week!

I wasn't impressed by either the percussion or vocals on this album. Nowhere near as good as the Tito Puente record we already heard.

Pretty good hard rock borrowing more from Les Zeppelin than I previously noticed. The songs on this album are better than almost all of their later hits.

Probably their best album. EVH is just a fantastic guitarist as demonstrated by Eruption. Good hard rock with surprisingly strong harmony vocals.

Ryan Adams is a brilliant lyricist. He may be a petulant jerk, but his music is great. While this isn't quite as good as Gold or some of his other later albums, it is still excellent. I would give it a 4.5 to leave room for Gold, but I'll round up.

Quite a few really great songs here but some weaker ones thrown in. Give Peace a Chance, Cold Turkey followed by Instant Karma is a fantastic closing trio.

Really good pop/folk/singer songwriter stuff. Her lyrics are very clever and the backing band is tight. Maybe cutting a song or two would make it even better as I did start to lose interest by the end. Still very solid. Adding it to my collection.

Full of bombast and bluster but still an amazing record; one of my favorites of the later '70s. Jim Steinman takes full advantage of the orchestration and Todd Rundgren's production skill to get a gigantic, theatrical sound. Having great players like Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg and Edgar Winter makes this an all-star band recording. The album definitely captures a moment in time for me even if it hasn't necessarily aged as well as some of its contemporaries -- I still love it!

Never got the appeal of this band. Maybe the early Goth-rock/post punk sound grabbed people, but not me. No need to listen again. Would give it 2.5 if possible, but I don't dislike it that much, so rounding up.

Like most people, I only knew the portion of this that was used for the Exorcist. Overall I liked the album. Extremely well produced. Should probably listen with headphones next time. Not sure how to categorize it — prog rock? Very impressed by the musicianship.

An unnecessary addition to the list. This is weak new wave music with little to make it stand out. Sadly, the only time I went to see Saturday Night Live, he was the musical guest.

One of those bands whose critical acclaim exceeds my enjoyment of their work. I like the more mainstream sounding stuff much better than the "experimental, edgy" songs that critics seem to always love. Some good fuzzy guitars though and sharp lyrics.

Said this before. Never been a big Bowie fan. I think I appreciate his cultural influence more than his music. This album is fine. I think Mick Ronson's guitar parts are very good. Not sure why he included a bad cover of the Rolling Stones here.

Not my preferred genre but I like it better than much of the Rap on the list. At least it's not completely homophobic, misogynistic violent.

Vapid dance pop. Yes, some of the tunes are catchy but the lyrics are shallow at best. This is teenybopper stuff more concerned with what the video will look like than the actual music.

First of all, there a just too many PJ Harvey albums on this list. That said, I think this is the best of what we've heard. Since it's her debut, as far as I'm concerned she didn't get better with time. The record definitely has some Nirvana/grunge feel to it that helps.

A long, boring and repetitive record. Maybe ok in a dance club, but horrible to actually listen to. Had to stop -- it was giving me a headache

A good album but not nearly as good as their best. Rocks pretty hard while including some of the “theatrical “ elements that would emerge later.

A very good compilation of classic blues, but didn't he record all of these before?

Another good but unnecessary album for this list. I do like most of it as the blend of britpop and dance beats are mixed well. Some of it reminds me of The Style Council a little.

I tried really hard to get through this album but I just couldn't make it. Sounded like a machine gun set to auto-fire and gave me a headache.

Not bad, just not my cup of tea. Traditional Irish folk music with a punk twist. I'd much rather hear Black 47.

Without a doubt, one of the greatest albums ever made! Definitely in my top 10 and maybe even top 5. A true masterpiece. People used to call the Clash "the only band that really matters". This album proves why. They actually have something to say. Is it punk? Yes, but with great lyrics and melodies. Really it's just great rock and roll. I'm really glad I got to see them live! 5+++++

I liked this a lot more than I expected to. Not really an Iggy Pop fan, but this is much more a Stooges band album. Some great guitar work on songs that really do rock pretty hard.

This is just a bad ‘80s synth record with the possible exception of Tainted Love. Sounds artificial and soulless.

I'm not really sure why people often refer to this as the "first punk album". Maybe because they player at CBGB's so frequently? It is a different sound than other albums of the time like the Eagles and other Laurel Canyon sounding records. There is very good Rock and Roll guitar and some top notch lyrics and vocal performances. I guess it's a good transition piece as genre's evolved.

I enjoyed this album, especially the duet with Bonnie Raitt. The last three "solo" songs are quintessential "bluesman with a guitar". I wish they had included Boom Boom Boom. Maybe that would have pushed it to a 5 for me.

Ok but I like Lou Reed much better on his own.

This album is really a mixed bag. Some of it sounds like prog rock -- the Peter Gabriel led version of Genesis. Other parts sound like him trying to make more mainstream, blues based rock music. Better music is still a few years away.

Unlike the Anthrax album I did make it all the way through this one. Don’t know why though. Awful.

This album introduced me to Lucinda Williams. Not a bad song on here and some are truly great. She's a fantastic storyteller and brilliant, emotional, songwriter. This album is the definition of "americana" style rock. Definitely straddles genres and blends them together seamlessly. Didn't realize that the album was produced by a combination of Roy Bittan and Steve Earle, which is another thing to love about it.

I expected this to sound much more like their later hit album that put them on the commercial map. This rocked harder and with more of a southern edge to it (although some of it did remind me a bit of the Strokes). Liked it enough to download.

This album covers/incorporates multiple genres ranging from Peter Gabriel-like prog rock to funk infused dance music. Maybe they never have had widespread commercial success because people don't know how to categorize them? Overall, enjoyable and very well produced.

Another album that makes me question why it's on the list. It's not bad but other than the very weird Neil Young cover, I don't find it to be particularly interesting or emotional. It does have a "dreamy" feel but it didn't win me over.

Never heard of this band but I really liked the blend of post-punk and semi-metal rock and roll. The various guitar solos were the highlight for me.

Wow, this was surprisingly good considering I have no idea what the words mean. Great grooves that combine rock, funk and latin sounds. Sounds very contemporary despite being almost 50 years old. Foreign language rock music is pretty unusual to hear in the US, but this proves it can be really, really good.

This is a step above most movie soundtracks. Curtis Mayfield's voice is smooth as silk and these songs tell a story about the seedy part of life. Really good album.

Too long; didn't care. Doesn't need to be on this list. Don't know why it is.

This sucks. Should only be heard in a club. Nothing about it makes me want to listen to it. Gave up half way through.

Not bad. Sounds like a less good version of Cold Play. I don't dislike it, but no reason to be on this list.

Not for me. Way too much violence, misogyny and anger. Can’t deny the underlying message but I don’t identify with it. There are some clever rhymes. Ironic that he’s now a mainstream actor.

Ok hard rock album with a Glam touch. Closer to the NY Dolls than Led Zeppelin. A little bit of KISS in here too. I like it, but does it need to be on the list?

I hate Rufus Wainwright. Wish I could give it a 0.

This album has a weird, ethereal vibe. Harmonies are excellent although I think the echo chamber effect is a bit overdone. The songs themselves are good but nothing really blew me away. Would give it 3.5 if I could.

Good to hear a rap album free of the violence and misogyny that typically dominate the lyrics. Not my preferred genre, but I found the lyrics clever and I enjoyed the guest artist contributions.

The antithesis of the Queen Latifah album we just heard. Misogynistic, violent and overly aggressive. Yes, there are good beats and the actual rapping itself is very good too, but that doesn't outweigh the content for me. Not something I will listen to again.

Much better hardcore punk album than most. While I wouldn't say it's melodic, it does have a few good sonic moments as opposed to being noise for the sake of making noise.

Very good power pop. This reminds me of Matthew Sweet and maybe even the Gin Blossoms. A lot of jangly guitar parts. I like it!

I don't get the appeal of Frank Zappa. I never have and this doesn't change my opinion. Is it strange just for the sake of being strange? There is some good musicianship here but definitely no enough to get me to listen to this (or any other FZ record) again. I would give it a 1.5 if possible. Since I don't actually hate it, I'll round up.

This is fine, post-punk, indie garage rock. I'm a little surprised by all of the critical acclaim this band gets. Maybe I need to listen a few more times to say I really like it? Very interesting to have a power trio without a bass guitar, so that's a plus for me.

A really good early country. Rock album. A little less jangly sounding than most Byrds music. Clearly a progenitor of bands like Poco, New Riders and the Eagles among many others. I especially like the lead off Dylan cover.

I'm a little surprised that this band never became more well-known. Never heard this album, but I think it's very good and deserves another listen. The last track, Revelation, despite being over the top is my favorite on here.

This is a good but not great album. Honestly surprised at the number of instrumentals given Sir Paul's songwriting ability. One all-time classic and the rest are fine, but nowhere near that level. I was impressed that he played all of the instruments himself. I would give it a 3.5, but that rounds it up for me.

This is a good transition from Velvet Underground Lou Reed to solo artist Lou Reed. Maybe that's where the title came from? He did go on to re-record some songs originally written for VU, but I feel like this is a step away from that band. Having David Bowie and Mick Ronson produce (plus having Ronson provide lead guitars) gives this a different feel that is definitely (for lack of a better term) Bowie-esque and even a bit more commercial sounding.

Only vaguely familiar with this band. I enjoyed the album for it's catchy pop hooks.Sounds like they listened to a lot of Beatles growing up -- most obviously heard in "As We Go Up". Loved that that manged to squeeze 28 songs into a 41 minute record!

Another band I haven't heard of. They sound like a mash up of Green Day meets Oasis. Since I like both of those bands, I enjoyed this. Good power pop punk. Melodic and noisy at the same time. I'd listen again.

A very good, but not great soul record. He definitely has a powerful voice, but nothing here really blew me away. Would like to give it 3.5 but it gets the benefit of the doubt.

I expected a much more avant garde sound and I was happy that this album was pretty mainstream. Nothing really special about it but at least it is more accessible than much of his work.

I know they aren't a Seattle band, but this album definitely had some of the grungy feel of the time. Rocks hard with biting lyrics. Kind of surprising this band never really broke into the big time.

I don’t like Leonard Cohen at all but at least I made it all the way through this one. That’s about all that can say.

Good bluesy rock and roll. You can see why Ron Wood fit into the Rolling Stones so seamlessly. Rod Stewart does a really good job here as well.

Another band that never really broke through commercially in the US. Enjoyed the blend of melodic, psychodelic, beat heavy, dancy rock. I'm sure Oasis listened to this band a lot.

Very Talking Headsy sound, but with too much electronica for my taste.

This is generally considered one of the greatest albums of all time. I do think it deserves a 5 for the production quality alone. Several of the songs are truly great -- "Wouldn't it be Nice" and "Sloop John B" are my favorites. All that said, I wouldn't count this among my personal top 20 or even 100 albums. Yes, Brian Wilson's genius clearly comes through though.

This album came out around the same time as Green Day's breakthrough with Dookie and Rancid's Out Come the Wolves. Similar in genre, but not as good as either of those. After the two "hits" on this record -- Come Out and Play and Self Esteem -- I don't recall much additional success. The lyrics for Come Out and Play, which I just read for the first time, are actually pretty good. I didn't realize this is a song about gang violence. Self Esteem reminds me of Weezer, but with a harder edge. Overall a good but not great record.

Monotonous and annoying. Gave me a headache.

Too long; didn't care.

Very good soul/funk album. Not very familiar with his music -- think I only had heard one of these songs. A little surprised that he remains under the radar.

I'm not much of an ABBA fan but I can't deny they wrote some of the catchiest pop songs ever made, including several on this record. While the songs themselves are a little "sugary", the vocals and production quality on this album are great. Somehow, I think Dancing Queen will live on forever.

A great debut album that came out of nowhere. Completely different sounding than the punk/new wave music so popular at the time. Mark Knopfler is a great lyricist and superbly smooth guitarist and he makes this an album that succeeds on many levels. The opening track "Down by the Waterline" is seriously underappreciated. "Sultan's of Swing" was the breakout hit, but I think this is the best song on the album. Great start to their success.

Looking back I don’t know how Trans Europe Express was a radio hit when this came out. The album is monotonous.

Not familiar with this band. Some songs had a bit of a Joe Strummer sound and some were a bit countryish. Overall I liked the album. Favorite track was Lost Highway. I would listen to this again.

This is David Bowie by another name.

A classic in every sense. Great songs with something important to say.

I’m not a big fan of acoustic soft rock but this is a very good album. Wild World, Where Do the Children Play and Father and Son are classics. Sad Lisa sounds like Peter Gabriel era Genesis to me. Miles From Nowhere reminded me of Burn Down the Mission or Take me to the Pilot from Elton John.

This reminds me of Tito Peunte. Very AfroCaribbean sounding with great horns. I like the instrumental sections best. My favorite song was Zombie. I think this would be really good as background music for a party.

Better than I expected. Had no idea that the name of the second song (which I knew) was Song #2. Still think Oasis is the much better band of these 2!

I really like this album. He’s able to blend multiple genres really well. I don’t even mind the electronic parts.

Wow, what a great find. Never heard of him before. Love the blend of soulful, R&B acoustic guitar and spacey music. Downloading this one

Liked this a lot. Don't think I've ever heard a piano intro on a punk album before - I think it was Just Want to be Happy. Good guitars and even melodies. Have to love a band with a drummer named Rat Scabies and a guitarist named Captain Sensible!

BRUUUUCCE!!!!!!

Never been a big Joni Mitchell fan but this is a very good record. The lyrics and acoustic guitar playing stand out but I do find some of the vocals grating, so it loses a star.

This actually makes the Sex Pistols sound good. Johnny Rotten’s voice is just annoying.

Good guitar driven, very British rock and roll. Successors to Oasis with a harder edge.

Moody, downbeat, eerie sounding. A bit too morose for my taste.

I clearly hear both Talking Heads and David Bowie in this. Must have been mutually reinforcing given the influence Eno had on both of those artists. The record itself is fine. Nothing jumps out as really special.

One of the best (if not the best) Genesis albums. Yes, it's long but there are some great songs here including The Lamb... and Carpet Crawlers. This version of Genesis is about as far from what they would later become as any band I can think of (maybe the BeeGees?).

Absolutely horrible. Don't understand how this got put on this list. Made it halfway through before giving up. Wish there was a zero stars option.

One of the last gasps of the hard rock sound that began in the late '60s before punk arrived and changed things. Never been a big Aerosmith fan but this is a very good album. Maybe Joe Perry is a better guitarist than I've given him credit for?

Not very good, but not my genre

Innocuous club music with one killer earworm.

Another album I didn’t need to hear. Never heard of this person and odds are I never will again.

One of the first great, live rock albums and one of the best live albums of all time. The progenitor of Southern Rock as a genre. I'm sure this album inspired everybody from Lynyrd Skynyd, The Outlaws, Molly Hatchett up through Chris Stapleton, The Drive-by-Truckers and of course Gov't Mule. The sound isn't great given the production capabilities of the time, but the power of the performance has no trouble breaking through. While they continued without him for most of the band's long existence, it makes me wonder what else Duane Allman could have contributed.

Only knew the title track before listening, but I think this is a really good album. Not just hard rock. I love the way they incorporated the music from West Side Story!

Smooth sounding, dancey, club music without the harsh pounding beat. The vocals are almost soothing, with enough “pop-sound” to make it broadly appealing.

Wow, what a macabre album theme. This is ok, but as with most of Nick Cave's work, I just don't get his appeal. I did like the cover of Stagger Lee; probably the best song in this collection. Not likely to listen again.

Not one of my favorite Who albums. I find it to be very gimmicky. I suppose it was innovative at the time, but I'd rather have more music and less attempts to be clever with interstitial pieces. Also, I really think there is only one outstanding song here -- I Can See For Miles.

Not a fan of Radiohead outside of In Rainbows. This album is too “experimental” sounding and like most of their stuff, just isn’t accessible for most listeners (including me). I know they are critical darlings but I just don’t get why.

Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough for this. I know that this is supposed to be one of the greatest jazz albums ever made, but it's not for me. It's too freeform and experimental. While the musicians are great, it sounds like everyone is just doing their own thing.

Maybe the grandfather record of Americana or Country Rock music. The Weight is one of the greatest songs ever written and the cover of I Shall be Released is right up there as one of the greatest covers ever. Those alone make this a 5 for me. Chest Fever and This Wheel's on Fire don't hurt either.

Not sure why this isn't streaming somewhere. I thought this was a good but not great album. I like the muscianship better than the vocal performances. I don't think this stands up as well as Sly and the Family Stone.

I think Paul Simon has probably written better individual songs but nothing hangs together completely as well as this album. Sonically interesting given the Afro influence and well crafted pop songs make this a great album.

Her voice is spectacular. Certainly one of the best female singers in decades. These songs are good but not great though. Doesn’t live up to “21” for me.

This is the the type of jazz that I like. Big band music that's just fun to listen to. Love the horns. Probably a 4.5 but I'll round up

Not very familiar with this band. Didn't realize I knew a couple of these songs -- wouldn't have been able to say who sang them. Reminds me of a mix of RHCP and Alice in Chains. I did think most of it was pretty good. Somewhere between a 3-4, but I'll round up.

I'm the wrong person to ask about this. As rap albums go, not doubt this is very good, or maybe better. Just not my musical taste.

Not a big Van Halen fan beyond Eddie's guitar mastery. This is the epitomy of 80's hair metal. The only song on here that I really like is Panama -- which for years I thought they were saying "Panic and Run". I despise Jump and Hot for Teacher; the other 2 big hits here. I don't think it's a terrible album but I wouldn't choose to listen too it. Would give it a 2.5 if possible, but I hate Jump so much, downgrading to a 2.

Know the name; never heard the music. Pretty good mid/late 60's psychadelic rock. Not earthshattering as nothing about it really stands out to me. Probably won't listen again but I didn't dislike it.

Sounds like this band tried to make an album that was 1/4 English Beat and 3/4 Style Council. Unfortunately not as good as either. Not a bad record but I hear no reason for including it on the list.

There's no denying the importance of this album as a major transition point for modern rock music. Most of the songs on here are stellar. I think there may be different versions of the album. Not sure if the last song -- Endless, Nameless -- is on all of them. That is a really bad song and leaves a bad taste for me. Really torn between 4 and 5, but the way it ends drops this down for me.

Don't think I've ever said this, but this album is too short! What a set of songs delivered by a truly incredible vocalist. This is a 5++.

I liked the positive female empowerment message of this album. The music itself was just ok.

Never heard any of his music before (other than Harry Nillson's cover of Everybody's Talking -- which I had no idea wasn't his own song). This grew on me. Initially it felt a little too much like Leonard Cohen, but I got past that. I like the mix of electric and acoustic instruments and the smoothness of his voice. A nice surprise.

Yet another band that I've never heard of. Not sure their music ever crossed the Atlantic. I thought this was fine but nothing special. Too many like this are on the list.

Another questionable entry to this list. Not a bad album but nothing special about it either. O.K. britpop but that’s about it.

I only know Country Joe from Woodstock so didn’t know what to expect. I really liked the blend of psychedelic rock with country/americana sounds. If I didn’t know what I was listening to I would have thought the instrumental was by the Doors with Ray Maranzak playing organ. Also, modern enough that Porpoise Mouth could have just been released by the Decemberists.

I generally hate Morrissey but this was better than I expected. Not as bleak and maudlin as usual. Very good guitar work helps a lot.

This is a really good mix of alt-country and punk sounds. Very electric. I liked the instrumentals a lot.

Not sure we needed one album from this band on the list but definitely don’t need two. It’s not bad, just not special enough.

Nice Brazilian Jazz but not an essential album by any means

I know this is supposed to be a "rock opera", but I didn't really follow the story. That said, it was very well produced, but it sound like they were trying to make a Beatles album, with the Kinks thrown in for a slighted harder edge. I did like it though.

I always assumed that this was either a ska or reggae band. I think I would have liked it better had it been either of those.

I like this kind of hard edge power pop. Didn't know that Bob Mould had a band between Husker Du and being solo. I'll listen to this one again.

I’m sure it was hard for Courtney Love to feel dismissed as a musician because she was Kurt Cobain’s wife, but I think this album shows she earned her own recognition. I don’t love everything on here but I do like a lot of it. It rocks hard.

Nice but unnecessary. The “military march” song seemed very out of place.

A really, really good early EJ album that includes 3 phenomenal songs -- Tiny Dancer, Levon and Madman Across the Water. The rest is good but just not up to that standard, which keeps this at a 4 for me.

An ok new wave album. Sounds muddy to me. Not sure why it's on the list. Not essential as far as I'm concerned.

Quite possibly the loudest concert I ever attended as Rush at the Palladium in NYC in 1978. Sitting in the balcony, you could feel the entire structure shake. This is a good demonstration of the band's unique blend of hard rock and progressive rock. While I don't love either Tom Sawyer or Limelight, they were certainly a mainstream breakthrough that got Rush major radio play. Even if you don't like their music that much, can't deny the quality of the musicianship here. Probably a 3.5, but I'll round up.

New wave, blue eyed soul that sounds a lot like George Michael. Not bad but no reason to include this one on the list.

Any album that opens with one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time is an automatic 5.

Surprised to find this “country/folk” on the list. Reminds me of Emmylou Harris.

Interesting mix of covers with a unique take. Most of them work pretty well. All maintain Johnny Cash's unique sound and talk/sing style. I'm sure some of these introduced him to an entirely new audience.

I don’t get all of the hype around this band. This is a fine album and I thought some of the guitar parts were really, really good but that’s about it. Maybe they’ve had a lot of influence on bands who came a little later? Not good enough to make me want to hear it again.

A great solo effort from Neil Young. Didn't know this is the first record he made that involved Nils Lofgren. Several all-time classics here including After the Gold Rush, Only Love Can Bring You Down and, of course, Southern Man. This album really captures the softer side of his work perfectly, with only Southern Man being the outlier. Probably a 4.5, but I'll round up here.

Never heard of these guys before, but I liked this more than I expected too. Good job of mixing rock and rap. Surprised to see that Pharell Williams wrote these songs.

Following up albums like Off the Wall and Thriller is an impossible task. Maybe I just don’t know these songs as well but I just don’t think this record reaches the same heights.

Wow, a really strong album all the way through. Was only familiar with the hits Shadowboxer and Criminal but I was surprised at how good the entire record was. Even more impressed that she was only 18 when she made it.

Don't really know how to describe this but it was an interesting mix of jazzy sounds with traditional Indian music blended in. Have never heard of this artist and not likely I will listen again, but better than hearing another lame britpop record.

Another surprisingly good album from the band. I don't think it's quite as good as the "Iron Maiden" album but definitely better than expected. I guess I never gave them a chance because I always thought they were just loud thrash metal. Plus any album that uses the open of "The Prisoner" ("I am not a number, I am a free man") deserves some love. There is also an excellent documentary about this band that is worth watching. My opinion stands corrected!

This is the epitome of early ‘80s synth new wave music. It was fun at the time but just hasn’t aged well. It feels a bit old and soulless now. Belongs in a time capsule, not on the list

What a breakthrough album. Something for everyone to love on here. In addition to great songs, Adele's vocal power takes this up a notch further. One of the greatest voices to emerge this century.

Another 90's british band I've never heard of. I did kind of like it though. Definitely felt some Oasis and Beatles coming through. Probably a 3.5 but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

An important album in the evolution of folk rock. The jangly guitars are a signature sound. While I do love the Dylan covers, it does make the album feel a bit dependent on outside help to me. Definitely belongs on the list, unlike so many others we've heard.

Much more somber than I expected. Would have liked more upbeat "power pop", but it's fine.

A real departure from the pop that made her the cultural icon she’s become. Much more mature, grown up music. Not quite as good as Folklore for me, but credit her for making this shift.

A real departure from the pop that made her the cultural icon she’s become. Much more mature, grown up music. Not quite as good as Folklore for me, but credit her for making this shift.

Really well produced album that capitalizes on the great harmonies, jangly guitars and strong, poppy lyrics. Quintessential Bryds music

Power trio post punk pop. Sounds very dense but still melodic. It’s a high 3 for me.

Excellent encapsulation of what counts as true blues songs. Sounds like this is either a compilation of performances or a concert being played out of sequence. Not negative enough to take away from the performance though.

Surprised that I liked this as much as I did. I like the samples they use and the rock undertones to the beats and raps. I may download and listen again.

I'm sure that this is a deeply personal, heartfelt album for Nick Cave given the death of his son, but it is just too morose for me.

Immature and juvenile -- absolutely. Fun -- absolutely. Hard to believe 3 white Jewish boys could make such an impact. Most of the self-referential lyrics are pretty ridiculous but they did somehow come up with an all time great party anthem. That raises this up to a 4 from me.

Didn't give this a fair listen, but what I heard was ok

A softer style of punk. The songs are catchy but they don’t have the lyrics intensity or message of contemporaries like the Clash. That said I did like this one.

Smooth sounding soul music with a good groove. Now I know what Mayer Hawthorne was listening to. Well produced, and I’m especially impressed since I found out he played all the instruments himself.

I liked the lighter, more poppy songs much better than the dense shoe gaze sounds. Maybe they could have been more commercially successful with a more consistent style?

As everyone knows, rap/hip hop is not my favorite genre, but I did like this more than I expected too. I think the song featuring Eminem was my favorite.

Very good live album that made this band in the US. nobody knew who they were before this record came out. Most of the songs are just ok but Surrender became an instant classic.

Couldn't listen. Not available on Apple in the US

There’s not a lot of middle ground with U2. People seem to either love them or hate them. It’s hard to see how anyone could not like this album. One great song after another with minimal bombast. Excellent all the way through.

Much better than I expected. I really liked the more upbeat "rockers". She had me up until the last song, which was terrible.

This is the definition of funk. While I personally prefer Sly and the Famous Stone, this is a fun record with great grooves. I really enjoyed all of the self referential lyrics.

This is fine but outside of "you haven't done nothing" none of these songs really grab me. He definitely has better albums. Interesting to find out that the Jackson 5 did some of the background vocals.

Nothing about this appealed to me, although I think we’ve heard worse.

I imagine if the Arctic Monkeys recorded an album in the 60s it would have sounded like this. Some Beatles influences along with surf guitar and garage sounds. Don’t love the echo on all the vocals but I do like the use of strings and horns.

I really can't stand C'mon Irene so I expected to hate this. Fortunately that's not on this album. Honestly, I don't really care for it, but the instrumental was the best song on the album. The horns are a nice touch. Still, no interest in hearing this again.

Great representation of what Reggae is/should be. Only one really big hit, but this is strong all the way through.

I like the songs but it sounds a little too "broadway" for me.

Paul Weller is a musical shapeshifter. Not sure if this particular Jam album is punk, post punk or something else but it’s really good. Melodic but sometimes angry too. A very high 4.

Never heard of this group. Not sure what they are (or wanted to be). Not good enough to be taken seriously by rap fans or rockers. Seems like a poor attempt to be the Beastie Boys.

I don’t know what it is but Leonard Cohen just makes me cringe. This record didn’t change that.

I like this more than other Miles Davis albums that I’ve heard. This one is less experimental and freeform. Much more accessible to me.

I don't like the true disco songs that much but I liked the instrumental that had a very jazzy feel. Nile Rodgers is clearly a very good guitarist.

Seriously? This sucks. Deserves 0 stars.

A very British rap album. Not particularly good but at least not full of violence and misogyny in every track.

This album was a huge breakout. The videos for Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf literally made MTV. The songs are poppy, upbeat and just plain fun. They have aged surprisingly well.

I've never listened to any of Gene Clark's solo albums before. I loved this one. Already downloaded to listen again. Just really good songwriting with great melodies.

Lost interest after 4 songs. Not terrible, just didn’t care.

Interesting concept -- some of it is pretty good but most is just "eh", Never knew the name of "that" song was Clint Eastwood

Bare bones punk. Reminds me of the Violent Femmes, just not as good.

RHCP with a harder edge and political message. A lot of anger and rebellion expressed in these songs. Can't imagine trying to sing these every night at a show. Tom Morello's style is so unique.

A very good but not great album. Opens with an all time classic but nothing else is quite that strong. The album sets the tone for future pop/punk indie rock.

I'm not a big jazz fan but I do like some of the fusion style music. This is a great example of that. Much more accessible although I'm sure some jazz diehards wouldn't even consider it to be true jazz. The live song felt a little out of place but the rest makes good background music.

I think Ray of Light is a really good song. The rest of the album is fine but a little too much electronica for me.

Enjoyed this one. Don't know much about them although I've heard the "nature's Way" before. Good psychodelic, slightly heavy rock. Not sure why they aren't better known.

Interesting but not something I would choose to sit down and listen to. I wonder what caused George Harrison to become such a huge fan of this. I assume it is very difficult to play — maybe it was a challenge to his own musical talent?

Another band I haven't heard of. Some very angry songs in a post-punk style. It was fine but I don't need to hear it again.

I don't understand all of the critical acclaim they get. I think they are an overrated band with a handful of good songs, but nothing more. This album just reinforces my feelings. It's perfectly adequate.

It took a while for this album to grow on me because it was so different from what I knew and loved about Bruce. Ultimately though, this is a great album, stripped down to the bare minimum. Really underlines his ability to tell a great story. In addition to being great acoustic songs, some of these are fantastic as full band epics, especially Atlantic City and Open All Night.

So much better than what they became. Poppy, Jazzy, Rocky in a single package. It’s too bad they didn’t stay on this course.

This is Duran Duran wannabe + Cure wannabe but not as good as either. (And I don't like the Cure!)

Too monotonous -- boring

Why? Never heard of this. Background music and nothing more.

Starts out very strong with 2 big hits but I thought the rest was a bit uneven. More jazzy than funky.

Loud and grating but also pretty fun. Great example of what punk was meant to be.

I love the orchestration on this album -- Bittersweet Symphony is a classic of the '90s. Overall I think this holds up very well. Has much more depth than most Brit-pop could produce.

This album gets a 5 based on Papa was a Rolling Stone alone.

Fine metal but not as good as the Iron Maiden albums on the list.

Dark and moody but somehow still upbeat.

Went into this one thinking it would get a 4, but it's better than I remembered. Beyond the big ones, my favorite song here is Boogie with Stu. Just great piano. Have to round up to 5.

This is fine and I'm sure very important in Latin America, but doesn't do anything special for me.

No thank you

A little too schmaltzy for me but not bad. Lion in Winter was by far the best song here.

Not even gonna bother

I generally can't stand Morrissey and the Smiths, but I have to admit that this album is ok -- much better than I expected. Not as morose and depressing as most of their music. Still not my choice but not a bad listen.

only knew this band's name (but not how to pronounce it) so I didn't expect much. Assumed it would be more of the EDM that I can't stand. Very pleasantly surprised. Dancy but very funky. Liked it enough to download!

Never heard of this group. Really sit to learn that they’re American and even more so that they met at SUNY Buffalo. Not surprised that they haven’t ever broken through here. I did like the Hudson Line song. The rest, not so much.

A good but not great U2 album. Very strong opener, probably the best song on the record, but a bit uneven after that. Would like to give 3.5.

I love this album—it reintroduced Steve Winwood and showed the breadth of his talent. Admittedly not every song is great but enough of them are for me. My favorite is probably Spanish Dancer.

not worth the effort

I know he's a genius and that this is a brilliant piece of work, with outstanding arrangements and production. Even so, it just doesn't grab me. It probably deserves a 5 but I just cant get there.

This is a good country album but there’s nothing all that special about it in my opinion. Best thing I can say is it’s only 29 min long.

A really good album, but the weakest of the first four released by the band. I love Gallows Pole and Tangerine and I like Since I've Been Loving you a lot. I can go either way on the Immigrant Song. From any other band this would probably be a 5 but the rest of their early work is so good, I just can't put this one in that same category.

Another band I've never heard of. Surprised to learn that they are from NYC. Clear to me why they never made it in the US. Most of this album is maudlin and depressing. The lead singer does have a very good voice but the overall feel is just so dour. That said, there was one song that I thought was great -- by far the best on the album -- "Fistful of Love". I never need to hear the rest of this again.

Tried but I couldn't make it through this album. Way to monotonous and annoying

Didn’t like this when it came out and don’t like it any better now. Too much whining.

Better than the Cure but that’s not really high praise. On par with Joy Division/New Order but I like those better.

Another band I've never heard of. Surprised to read that they're from Arizona. This reminded me of Nick Cave a little. Not quite as dour. If the songs were more upbeat I think I would have liked it better.

Another band I've never heard of, but I actually liked this one. I'd describe it as (Coldplay + Oasis + The Verve + Horns) x Radiohead's weirdness. Very heavily (but well) produced sound with lots of layers. The horns add a great element. One the downside, this is at least 15 minutes too long. Eliminating these parts would get this to a 4 for me.

I like this album a lot, ut I think they should have included Live Rust rather than this one. Close but not quite a 5.

Ok Britpop but doesn't not essential and doesn't need to be on the list.

This is the epitome of '60s psychadelic rock. Pete Townsend must have been listening to this. A couple of the songs sound like they would fit perfectly into Tommy, especially (but not only) Live and Let Live.

A really, really good album. Mr. Soul, Bluebird and Rock and Roll Woman are all great. The rest is very good but not quite at that level for me. Would really like the half star so this could get 4.5.

Fine but boring

Green Onions is one of the classics of early '60s rock. The cover of Twist and Shout is excellent! The band is amazing. The album is simple, but perfectly executed.

Very good singer-songwriter music with a bit of an edge. Stolen Car is an excellent opening song.

Better than I expected. Leans much more to Ska than harsh punk. Probably won't listen again but if a song came on randomly, that would be fine with me.

I like the electric side of this where Dylan is backed by the Band (ok the Hawks) better than the acoustic side, not that that side is bad. Mixing them gets me to a 3.5, but given it's importance in his transition to electric folk/rock, I'll round up

Nothing about this album stands out to me. No need to hear it again.

Listening to one or two songs is ok, but a whole album of this is just too much for me. Ultimately, it began to sound like one harsh power chord playing over and over.

I have never been a Frank Zappa fan, nor have I known one. What I've heard, I don't like very much. This is completely different. 90% instrumentals with fantastic guitar. Also, a name I haven't see in years, Jean-Luc Ponty on violin. Will definitely listen again.

Wow, what a great surprise! Have never heard of this band and I don't know why. This is just good rock and roll that leans slightly to power pop but with great instrumental breaks. Lots of really good guitar parts blending together. Can't tell if the vocals are harmonies or overdubs but it doesn't really matter because they work well. Downloading this one!

I read that this is supposed to be a "supergroup", but the only member I know is Paul Simonon of the Clash. Nothing particularly super about this album to me. Can't even remember anything specific.

A really strong album overall. A few great songs on here -- "Are you straight or are you blind", "I hope you're happy now". The rest are also very good. I love the original band and Nick Lowe is Elvis' best producer. Would give this 4.5 if possible.

Very spacey and jazzy. Ok but not my taste.

A variety of styles that blend together well. Good post-punk, alternative album. Pretty upbeat.

Not too familiar with this artist so wasn't expecting much. It was a great surprise. Some really good indie rock and roll along with a few slower songs. Guitar parts are excellent. a few songs reminded me a bit of Nick Cave (not his morbid, morose stuff). Already downloaded so I can listen again.

Very good album with some outstanding guitar. A cultural blend that works well.

Pretty good British folk rock. Some songs reminded me of O Brother Where Art Thou. Richard Thompson's guitar playing is great.

This is ok but really doesn't need to be on this list. A couple of catchy songs but not not unique.

Not much of a Kate Bush fan. This doesn't change my opinion. Not bad, just not for me.

Club music that I don't hate. Knew a couple of these that are radio staples but the sound gets monotonous after a while.

Good hard rock. Some excellent guitar parts. Some of the album does sound a little harsh and muddy but still a good listen.

Good pop music with an R&B slant. Not my preferred genre but not bad.

Very hard not to like this. So many really good songs from the early era of rock music.

Really good blend of hard rock and funk, with a bit of rap thrown in. Great guitar work and the bass line drives everything forward. Only complaint is I think they probably could have cut 15 minutes to make the total even stronger.

An early pop classic. His voice was certainly great at this point. Hard to not like this.

I forgot how many big songs are on this album. Fantastic opening trio. More accessible for non-Deadheads than any other record probably until the final one.

Too long and a little too twangy for me.

Expected to hate this. Didn't, but it wasn't too painful. I just don't like EDM. Not made for listening in my opinion.

Too much thrash. The gutteral sounding vocals don't make it any more appealing. There are some great guitar parts hidden behind those things. I think the best song is the instrumental -- Orion. This is a high 2, maybe 2.75, but I'll round up since others think think is one of the greatest albums of the last 50 years.

Don't need to hear any more electronic music, although this wasn't as bad as the last one. Sounds like background music for a cocktail lounge.

Very good hard rock album that includes 3 big hits. Great guitar. Unique because the band is black.

I Zimba and Life During Wartime are both outstanding songs that definitely were a unique sound when this came out. The rest is very good but not at that level.

Liked this a lot. Melodic hard rock. Reminds me of Chris Cornell.

Definitely better than most of the electronic music that we've heard from this list. I was surprised at how many songs I knew or at least had heard. Just way too long.

Yet another completely unneeded inclusion on this list. Innocuous, but purely background music. The best thing about this record is that it's short.

Todd Rundgren reminds of of Trent Reznor. Completely different musical styles but primarily one man production machines; iconoclasts that just want to do what they want to do. There are a few very good songs here that demonstrate Rundgren's skill as a songwriter. There's also a bunch of stuff that's just a bit too esoteric for me. This isn't good enough to be a 3 or also not bad enough for a 2, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

This rocks pretty hard. Clearly influenced by AC/DC. I liked it a lot.

Not sure what to make of this. It reminds me a lot of more recent albums by Nick Lowe. More of a balladeer than anything else. I don't dislike it, but there's no reason to listen again.

Never been a James Taylor fan but I can deny that this is a great album. Begrudgingly I have to give it a 5.

My favorite Dire Straits album. 4 great songs in a row to open and strong follow ups.

This is a very good debut album. Standard singer-songwriter material with a little edge.

Don't know very much about jazz, so I'm not a good judge of this album. I thought it was good background music.

Spare sounding alt-country. Margot Timmins has a fantastic voice that is the centerpiece of the album.

The sound of dogs being beaten. Deserves 0 stars.

Pretty good late punk/new wave sound. Less synthesizer driven than later albums.

A bluesy, folk melange withg a touch of hip hop on top.

A good non-Bob Marley reggae album. He's very good, but will always be in Marley's shadow for me.

The godfather of indie rock. Some really good guitar mixed with strange, experimental rock. Hard to really get into this for me.

Paul Weller is a musical chameleon. Style Council shows his smooth and melodic side. You're the Best Thing and My Ever Changing Mood are both great songs. The rest of the album is good, but doesn't get to that level of excellence. Should get a 3.5.

Wow, so much emotion packed into this short, powerful record. Would have been great to see what else she could have done.

Bad British synth pop. No reason to be on this list.

Please, no more of this stuff

Enjoyable traditional country music with an emphasis on the pedal steel sound.

Basically a Faces album. A couple of really good songs here — Gasoline Alley and Country Comfort. Unfortunately the sound mix is pretty bad.

Just a brilliant album all the way through. Not a bad song here. Unfortunately he has never made anything up to this level since.

Tom Waits is different. Always idiosyncratic. This was is a little too strange for my taste.

Nice background music, but don't know why it is on this list.

Very enjoyable listen. Channeling '60s psychadelia with some Beatles influence too.

Really good album with a couple of great songs. Paul Simon's acoustic guitar parts sound great. Really like the political statement in the final song.

I think this type of folk is very UK-centric. Similar to Fairport Convention. It's fine but don't need to listen again.

Great punk-pop all the way through

Wow, this really surprised me. Rocking funk! Great guitar!

Better than I expected. Good melodies and a few real rockers.

Not for me. Didn't care enough to finish.

So misogynistic. Just can’t get past it. Hard to believe he has become America’s sweetheart.

A complete modernization of traditional British folk music. Great musicianship. Every Mother's Son is a very underappreciated rock classic in my opinion, but all songs are great.

Another band I've never heard of. Album is fine but nothing stands out to me.

29 minutes of this was painful. Couldn’t have listened to another second.

Can't believe we had 2 Thrash albums in a row. I didn't like this very much -- way too harsh -- but it was still better than Slayer.

Didn’t realize how many hits are on this album. It is a great record but I think 10-20 minutes could be cut without damaging the whole album

Some really good songs on this. Sort of garage band pop. Still holds up really well.

Following in the steps of Led Zeppelin, this is more (very) hard rock than metal to me. Some classics like Paranoid, Iron Man and others make this a strong record.

This sounds like a Nazi march soundtrack. The only thing I liked about was the drumming.

I was expecting an hour of pounding club music but was pleasantly surprised by how broad a spectrum this record covers. When "War" came I thought that was a cover that kind of fit, but then when I Born to Run (a pretty good version), I was pretty shocked. Probably won't listen again but really not bad at all.

Never heard of them. Sounds a lot more like punk than blues to me.

A lot of this is just ok but the versions of My Generation and Magic Bus that end the album are outstanding.

Yet another band I’ve never heard of and a questionable addition to the list. Not bad, just nothing special.

Kinda of liked this. Don’t think I’ve heard a sax in punk music before (not ska). It works well.

A classic progressive rock album that draws on jazz, classical and jams. Just short of a 5 for me.

Truly outstanding album. Perhaps the single greatest backup vocal in rock history by Merry Clayton on Gimme Shelter. Of course You Can't Always... and Midnight Rambler are standouts but there isn't a wasted note on this record.

I've always liked Joan Armatrading but I pretty much have only heard what has been played on the radio and the one album I do have (Track Record). Two of those songs come from this album, which I didn't know. Both Down to Zero and Love and Affection are great and everything else is really good or better. She's a great singer-songwriter, but the backing band on this are terrific. This is a close call -- would have gone 4.5 but I'm rounding her up!

I distinctly remember hearing Reelin' in the Years on top 40 radio when it first came out. That was my intro to Steely Dan, but I didn't really become a big fan until college when a friend got me hooked. One of my all-time favorite bands. While The Royal Scam remains my favorite of their albums, this is a great one too.

Sometimes I find Wilco a bit too esoteric or experimental. Not this album! Forgot how many really good songs are on this one. Jesus… feels very “Uncle Tupelo” to me (I will they’d stayed together) and I love Heavy Metal Drummer. This and the very first Wilco album are my favorites from them.

Unnecessary

Great songs contributed by all four. Too bad they couldn’t stay together (consistently) over a longer period. I think Carry On is very under appreciated. Helpless is another highlight for me, but the whole thing is great.

There is no more chameleon-like artist in rock music than Beck. He is willing to blend multiple styles without regard to genre, and make it work. I hadn't heard this album all the way through before, aslthough I did know a bunch of the songs. I really like it. Will definitely listen again.

Never heard of this band. Not sure they made it across the Atlantic. Too bad because this is a good power pop album that has a touch of punk in it. Really good guitar parts. In one song, the organ part reminded me of Kitty's Back a little bit.

I don't get Tom Waits. Some of this is interesting but I don't need to hear it again.

Given my overall dislike of this band, I expected to hate this record. Wasn’t as bad as anticipated but still never need to hear it again

Proto-Power Pop.

Original alternative rock like the Replacements and Husker Du. Some of it rocks pretty hard.

Not bad. A few pretty good songs but overall not special. Liked the one about driving with the kids.

This was ok but I probably didn’t listen carefully enough for a real review. Could have done without the interstitials though.

This is the essence of punk. Basic musical skill but a lot of things to say. Angry, political and sarcastic. A brilliant debut from “the only band that matters “.

I think Van Morrison is a jerk, but can’t deny this is a great album. Caravan and Into the Mystic are my favorites on this but everything is strong

Meh. Unnecessary

Reminds me of Gordon Lightfoot and Bruce Cockburn. Too theatrical for me.

Nice background music for a cocktail party.

I like Paul Weller in all his forms. This may be the most sophisticated sounding punk record ever. Sweet sounding but pretty pissed off.

Good alternative/indie rock. Some screaming guitar work.

Not my genre but I thought this was very good. Liked the beats and appreciated it wasn’t as misogynistic as most.

Just too strange for me. Reminds me of what I dislike about Frank Zappa. Not a surprise since he produced this mish mosh mess. Had to stop at song #21.

My favorite Pink Floyd album. Scathing commentary on the record business. The best lyric on the album -- "By the way, which one's Pink?"

This album was my introduction to Ryan Adams. He has gone on to become one of my favorites. Great songwriting, backed by an excellent band. The first 3 songs are all highlights for me: New York, New York, Firecracker and Answering Bell but I love the whole thing!

Interesting album. Never heard of it or the artist but I thought it was pretty good. Initially reminded me of Billy Bragg, but the more I listened, the less it did. Not sure how to categorize this. Folky, country, singer-songwriter? Would listen again. High 3

Some classics on hear. David Johansson is great but the guitars are even better. Definitely a precursor to the punk sound that followed. I bet Joe Strummer and Mick Jones listened to this a lot.

Never been a big Joni Mitchell fan. This album is good but I don’t love it. Coyote is a great opener but nothing else stands out to me.

Very good latin jazz to play at a cocktail party

Great vocal performance and excellent songs. Southside Johnny clearly loved this.

Pretty goods rhymes but way too offensive for me.

A true staple of classic rock radio. Aqualung is a great (but creepy) song as is Cross-eyed Mary. I also really like Hymn 43, but for me the standout is Locomotive Breath. Definitely my favorite Jethro Tull song. The rest is good and the flute makes it pretty interesting.

Enjoyable Latin Jazz. Lots of spirit and energy

Definitely the best of the Bowie albums on this list. Some great rock and roll. Guitar parts are excellent.

Not the same upbeat funk as Stand!, the album from a few years before. This feels like some of that energy had disipated.

Enjoyable music for a cocktail lounge. Interesting to hear Sinatra refer to to the Latin style as "an exciting new sound". At he time, maybe it was but now it sounds like standard Latin Jazz to me.

Another band I've never heard and after listening, don't need to hear again. This is somewhat below average alternative rock. No wonder they didn't break through.

Fun album full of hits that helped pave the wave from punk to more poppy and melodic new wave.

I like but don't love this album. The title track, Jet and Let Me Roll It are all great. The rest ranges from good to very good. I think Wings Over America, the live album, is the one that belongs on this list. Would give it 3.5, but since it’s Paul I’ll round up.

The definition of hair metal. Some of the songs aren’t bad, but they are pretty lightweight. It like eating empty calories.

Better than most of the synth pop that came out during this era. Reminds me a little of Style Council.

I don't care for this band but the album was better than I expected. At least it was more guitar rather than synth driven. Still, I can't get past Smith's whiny voice.

This has some good songs but it’s not a rocker. I would have preferred that.

Fun rock and soul from the late '60s. They also verged on some psychedelic sounds while being very mainstream. Hard not to like this.

This is the soundtrack to every party I went to in college. Sounds different than almost anything I can think of. The songs are fun and definitely this band did not take itself too seriously.

Sorry, but I just couldn't listen to this entire album. Made it through 3 songs and then gave up. She's just not for me.

Very good debut from what was to become a great band. Didn't realize that Dave Grohl did this entirely by himself, writing everything and playing all instruments. That makes it even more impressive. Generally follow the FFs formula of songs that start softly before taking off and rocking hard. Big Me is the standout. You can tell he loved the Beatles and other 60s music.

Ok pop music but pretty lightweight. He's a good entertainer but I don't need to hear him sing.

I wish that I liked this album better than I actually do. Most of the songs are very harsh and really encompass Cobain's inner turmoil. Very hard to follow Nevermind. Clear standouts are Heart Shaped Box and All Apologies.

Very boring. Sparse sounding. Monotone vocal singing sad songs.

Original, lo-fi indie rock. Most of it is good but there are a couple of songs with great guitar parts. My favorite song here is Sugar Kane.

This is a great album with so many of his best songs. Still I think it would be even better if about 20-25 minutes were cut. Keeps it at a high 4 for me

Not sure why this deserves a place on this list. I thought the first song was a joke. Nothing about it stands out other than the singer's accent. Not terrible but no need to hear again.

Less morose than most of his music that I’ve heard. While generally not my taste, these songs are well written and better than expected.

Some interesting experimental sounds mixed with more traditional synth-pop. Not bad but no need to listen other than as background music.

Great early album from Elvis Costello. Seem like a lot of these songs were politically motivated -- Definitely Oliver's Army and Green Shirt (and maybe Goon Squad too). Melodic but still a bit angry. Plus it closes with the definitive version of Nick Lowe's greatest song!

Nice background music but I'm don't know enough about Jazz to assess this.

I know this band's name but not their music. I thought this was pretty good. I hear a blend of Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana and the Beatles. I also hear Jet, also Aussies. I imagine the Hives had some influence on them.

Expected to hate this. After the first song, I didn't think I would make it through the whole record, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. His voice is like sandpaper, but it's basically a hard rock/metal album. Some of it could easily be Metallica or Nine Inch Nails. Not for me, but we've certainly heard much worse.

At one point in my life ELP was my favorite band. This, however is not one of my favorite albums of theirs. Unfortunately the sound quality is pretty bad, the vocals get lost, and the music just doesn't sound very good. Not sure why this album made the list but Brain Salad Surgery didn't. It does demonstrate Keith Emerson's keyboard skill and his classical training.

I think I knew 3 of the songs but I'd never listened to the entire album. It was better than I expected. Not quite prog rock, but also not the lightweight music I was expecting. It reminded me of Peter Gabriel era Genesis. Some of the theatrical feel was there. I especially liked the title track.

Not familiar with this band -- not sure if they made it across the ocean. Enjoyable post-punk new wave. Reminds me a lot of the English Beat. although less Ska/Reggae influenced.

This honestly left no impression on me. Couldn't even remember that ai listened to it.

Calexico is so hard to categorize. This album blends good indie rock with Mexican/latin sounds.

Pretty harsh sounding partially due to the recording quality and partly due to band’s dense, early proto punk sound. Aggressive and opinionated. Guitars are great but the muddy mix makes it hard to tell.

Never been a rap fan but hard to deny the influence that this early album in the genre had. The rhymes are clever, and some are pretty funny. There is still a small element of rock here too. Plus this contains none of the violence and misogyny that would come to dominate rap for many years after.

Great example of early country rock. Excellent songs and a fantastic vocal partner (Emmylou Harris). Not as successful as the Eagles, but clearly this album helped pave the way for an entire genre.

The album cover is deceiving -- she looks pretty happy. The songs aren't though. Soulful, jazzy R&B delivered by a great voice.

Excellent album. Soulful and a bit gospelly, with a hint of country. Her vocal performances are great

Better than average synth pop, but nothing that is groundbreaking. Doesn't need to be on this list.

I imagine that if Patsy Cline and Nancy Sinatra had a baby, it would sound like this. Her voices pairs very well with these songs.

Too much noise. The lyrics are pretty silly and while the guitar playing is excellent, it's really just playing fast for the sake of plying fast. An hour of this is way to much to take.

Never heard of this band. Perfectly fine alternative pop album but no real reason to have it on this list.

Jack White has a very distinctive sound captured here. This is a very good effort for his first solo album but not as good as White Stripe, The Raconteurs or some of his later solo work. Still worth having in your collection.

Another band I’ve never heard of. Liked this though. Incorporating horns added an R&B feeling to the punk sound. Some of the songs reminded me of the Strokes.

How ironic that Dre is a billionaire and Ice plays a cop on tv. Despite the violence, profanity and misogyny I can see this as a protest album. Different tone but the same approach some ‘60s records. Can’t say I liked it but it definitely belongs on the list.

Pretty amazing that they were able to make a career of basically playing the same song over and over by just writing new lyrics. No doubt radical when it came out but seems pretty tame now. Gets a 5 for being as hugely influential album.

One of the best albums of the New Wave era. Blends blue-eyed soul with dance beats. Never really paid attention to the background vocals but the female singer is great. This band probably deserves more recognition. The album tails off a little by the end but still a very strong effort.

I really don't get all of the critical love for this band. This album is fine and I have no objection to putting it on this list, but Apple including it in the 100 Greatest Albums of all time is a bridge too far. Just too esoteric for me.

Haven't heard this before. Starts off with a classic, super-catchy track that everyone knows and continues with great songs throughout. Sometimes it seems hard to tell where CSN(Y) ends and the solo records begin. This is a little bit like that to me.

During their very brief life as a band, CCR produced great albums including this one. Growling, swampy rock and roll. This album has classic originals and one of the best cover versions of a song ever (Heard it Through the Grapevine). An easy 5!

This album demonstrates the wide genres that Queen covered. Some of it is very caberet-like and theatrical, while the rest of it swings to guitar driven hard (almost) hard rock. Bohemian Rhapsody is completely bizarre, yet hugely commercial and no doubt of the most innovative rock tracks ever. Brian May's guitar playing is great throughout the album asnd Freddie Mercury's ability to bounce from genre to genre is very Impressive. Somewhere between a 4 and 5 for me.

I would never have guessed this was Pink Floyd. Very psychedelic. Feels and sounds very "swinging '60s" to me. I prefer what they evolved into.

Very good Latin jazz. I thought the first half was stronger than the latter part. Still this is more background than active listening for me.

These are bland pop songs. Yes, she has a lovely voice but thios is way to "Lite FM" for me.

Psychedelic, funky soul/R&B. A unique sound combination that rocks and has great harmonies. Not their most famous songs, but well worth listening to. A very high 4 for me.

I like, not love Jimi Hendrix, but this album does have some great songs on it plus it includes the best cover of all time. Still not quite a 5 for me. Need the half star option today.

This is a good early punk album, but not nearly on the level of the Clash. Worth a listen to see what a slightly poppier, less political approach was. Once again would like the half star to give it 3.5.