I understand this album is incredibly complex, creative, and original. I also find listening to this type of polytonal, polyrhythmic music to be a chore. Because certain arrangements are possible does not mean they'll sound good. I'll let music scholars sing the praises of this album; it sounded horrible to me.

Bizarrely anachronistic.

What a college a capella group would sound like if they started a band.

The lyrics are so painfully simplistic the album sounds like a children's music album. The singing and musical arrangements are similarly underwhelming. The songs are just...there. I wouldn't call this a bad album, but it seemed overall uninspired and boring. I fail to see what makes this album something one should listen to before they die - it's mid at best.

I don't even understand the B52s. It seems like parody music, but it's not(?).

Predominantly instrumental with heavy use of synths and piano. Minimalist at times, soundscape (thunderstorm, waves), and pre-punk elements. An unusual and pleasant listening experience. Good background music.

Every song sounded different, but none were highly memorable. Appreciated the instrumentals - good guitar leads, fun basslines, and a nice mix of supporting instruments (violin, saxophone, harmonica, synths, piano). Vocal performance did nothing for me.

TIL "the teenage wasteland song" is called Baba O'Riley. "My Wife" was hilariously good. "Bargain," "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Won't Be Fooled Again" are iconic. I know half this album just from movie soundtracks. They remind me of a more radio-friendly Rush. Great album, front to back.

Despite nothing being objectively bad about this album, nothing was noteworthy either. I repeatedly zoned out while listening, forgetting that I even had music on.

While I can appreciate Radiohead's unique sound, largely due to Thom Yorke's creative genius, their music does very little for me. I find Thom's falsetto singing to be very whiny, and this album to be flat and depressing.

Enjoyed the full choruses, African, and funk elements. Fun album.

I never listened to much Madonna before but had vague memories of her being considered risque and controversial. I was surprised how much of the lyrical content was positive, empowering, and wholesome. Not nearly as bad of a listen as I was expecting. "Like a Prayer" and "Cherish" were standouts for me. I doubt I'd ever call myself a fan, but her status as the Queen of Pop is obviously warranted.

Mariah's a talented singer and the production of the album sounds great. I'm not a fan of R&B though and prefer her earlier, more straight pop oriented songs to this album. All of that said, 13 year old me absolutely owned this CD back in the day.

Silence never sounded so sweet as it did when the final track of this album ended.

I didn't find anything remarkable about this album. Just a middle-of-the-road, alternative rock album. The cover of Mrs. Robinson was the best track, and it wasn't close.

Gibbons and Hill have some of the best playing and tone in blues-based rock music. This album builds nicely from their prior records while incorporating synths and more electronic sounds for the 80s. Generally fun, simple lyrical themes. Good times all around.

TIL "Candle in the Wind" was originally about Marilyn Monroe. I knew Elton John was fantastic, but I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

Discovered this album a few years ago based on an internet stranger's recommendation. It's admittedly the only Funkadelic album I've ever heard, so I have little context. The Hendrix-style solos, hypnotic beats, drug-fueled lyrics, and rythmic mantra-like verses all together give you this fun musical trip. Highly recommend listening to this with headphones or in front of a 2.0 setup (the left-right panning adds a another layer to the listening experience).

The album was ok but it never clicked with me. I enjoyed some of more experimental guitar work but overall sounded like it was missing something.

A great alternative, post grunge album of the 90s. Garbage has a knack for mixing together happy-sounding music, catchy hooks, and dark lyrics. I really enjoy Shirley Manson's voice, and the slightly dark/creepy vibe of the music. This album is also full of late 90s-nostalgia for me, having grown up listening to it.

Wasn't familiar with this group or album before. I enjoyed some of the beats and can appreciate the smooth, almost whisper like vocal delivery. Regardless it's not my type of music.

Probably the most surprising listening experience for me so far. Being unfamiliar with the genre, I have a narrow, specific sound in my head when I think "jazz," and this album is nothing like it. This seems to have elements of both jazz and classical, and it is simply beautiful to hear.

This was an effortful listen. I didn't particularly enjoy any of it - the vocals or the dreamy electronic music. "Caravan Girl" was better but the whole thing fell flat for me.

I appreciate the musical ability, vocals, and production but found the album difficult to enjoy.

This was a tough album to rate, as Speakerboxxx and The Love Below are basically two separate albums. I loved Speakerboxxx and will likely listen to it again. I thought The Love Below was super inconsistent track to track and difficult to get into.

Another middling indie rock album for me. There were a few good songs on here that stood out from the rest but nothing I'll likely ever go back to again.

Rain Dogs makes me nostalgic for a time and place that feel long ago and far away and that in reality only exist in Tom Waits' mind. Tom is a masterful lyricist, resulting in songs that paint pictures with their words. Tom's raspy voice, whimsical arrangements, and eclectic instrumentation all make this an unmistakable Tom Waits album and unlike anything else. If you can get past how freakin' weird it is, you'll be rewarded with a 54 minute vacation from reality well worth taking. "Singapore," "Hang Down Your Head," "Time," "Rain Dogs," and "Downtown Train" are the standouts for me.

I somehow missed this album and band entirely despite its apparent success when released. I enjoyed some of the guitar leads but not much else. The entire thing felt sort of anemic to me and like so many other alternative rock albums from the 90s/2000s.

The album was fine...just fine. At various points I found myself hoping the band would break out into a classic rock song, but more often than not, they'd shift to a more pop, blues, or country inspired direction. I'm amazed this band is British, as they sound very American in their influences.

I prefer Nirvana's more polished, produced-for-radio songs to their harsher material. Even on this album, songs like "Heart-Shaped Box," "Dumb," and "All Apologies" are preferable to me than songs like "Milk It" and "Tourette's." This album showcases the energy, angst, range, and creativity of the band - possibly Kurt most of call - but isn't the album of theirs I gravitate toward. That said, it's still a very solid album.

I hadn't ever listened to the New York Dolls despite knowing they influenced a lot of artists I did listen to. This is a fun record and more musical than I would have expected - a nice mix of rock & roll and brash, punkish rock. Pretty amazing how good this is given the questionable aspirations of most members in the group and their age at the time. I also have to assume New York Dolls had a massive influence on many 80s hair-metal bands that adopted similar crossdressing stage personas (Motley Crue, Poison, etc). "Personality Crisis," "Frankenstein," and "Trash" were my favorites.

Cream has always been pretty underwhelming to me, despite Clapton's guitar work.

As is with most rock albums, I can appreciate the guitar work more than anything else. The production is a bit too noisy for my taste, and the vocals are whiny to my ear (as is the case with much alternative-indie rock). I appreciated the heavier and more melodic moments, but they were too far and few between. The second listening was better than my first, but I still don't see myself returning to this album.

Mixed feelings on this album. There's a beautiful simplicity to Willie's renditions of these songs. I also found myself hearing - and more often than not - wishing I was listening to the original versions of these songs compared to the covers on this album. I appreciate Willie's efforts to connect with his older audience and introduce his younger audience to classic songs, but I felt most of these songs fell short of their originals.

I understand this album is incredibly complex, creative, and original. I also find listening to this type of polytonal, polyrhythmic music to be a chore. Because certain arrangements are possible does not mean they'll sound good. I'll let music scholars sing the praises of this album; it sounded horrible to me.

There are loads of little things I love about this album - the percussive sound of the pick on the guitar strings; the swell of strings halfway through Sad Lisa; the timeless lyrics throughout the album; Yusef's (often harmonized) singing. Such a good album.

I was hoping for something more interesting when I first read the description of this album. Despite its Irish and Scottish influences, much of this album sounded like generic, forgettable radio rock to me. The portions that weren't as generic were better but still not great. The lyrics and music were fine and nothing I need to hear again.

I'm still amazed Dave Grohl wrote and performed this entire album (guitar, bass, drums, vocals) by himself and released it under the name Foo Fighters unbeknownst to anyone at the time after Kurt Cobain died by suicide. The album is a solid mix of grunge, punk, and rock with a handful of notable singles that still get radio play today. I don't gravitate toward the FF often, but I'm always happy to hear a FF song.

The production quality is fantastic, and this album has some of the best three-part harmonies in popular music. Every song is solid, front to back.

Ehhh - it's Bon Jovi. There are some catchy arena rock songs on this album. They all sound so similar to me in their arrangement, and the lyrics are one cliche after another. .

This one surprised me, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The sitar and moog work really well together, and the fusion of eastern and western rock music was great. Melodic and familiar at times and almost trance like at others.

I've never listened to Kendrick Lamar despite numerous recommendations over the years. Glad I finally did. I enjoyed the almost concept-album structure of this. Some real earworms here that I'll have to return to. Standouts tracks for me were "m.A.A.d city," "the art of peer pressure," and "backseat freestyle."

I enjoy CCR generally, but this isn't my favorite album of theirs. "Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary" are classic tracks. I can sort of take or leave the rest of them.

I enjoyed some musical elements here and there, but overall this album just isn't for me. I get the impression this album - among many others in the genre - are simply trying to be weird for the sake of being weird. I assume fans would object to this, but the song titles, the artwork, the musical arrangements are just...strange. To each their own.

Great basslines, emotional vocal deliveries, the straightedge ethos, and an energetic mix of punk and metal that became known as "hardcore punk." Classic album that holds up after 40 years and has gone to influence many bands to come. I enjoy later music in the genre more but it's hard to overlook the importance of this album in the history of hardcore.

I had never listened to Elvis Costello before. This album wasn't what I was expecting - in a good way - but also wasn't highly memorable either.

Some catchy songs on this one. Not really my favorite but it grew on me during a second listen. I enjoyed the dark tone and lyrics. Reminded me of The Cure.

I'm finding it hard to rate this one since I'm not too familiar with Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, and this album is a live cover of a classical piece. Keith Emerson is a beast on the keyboards, and the overall musicianship of the trio is fantastic. The 70s prog rock sound dominated by synths isn't my favorite, but I see the appeal. I need to hear more, but my initial impression is "very weird but has potential."

Not many albums have the breadth of influence as Raw Power did on later rock, punk, and metal. Despite the poor production quality, the album absolutely rips. James Williamson's guitar work and Iggy Pop's vocals strike the right balance of raw energy and catchy hooks. Fun facts - Kurt Cobain listed this as his favorite album of all time, and Henry Rollins has Search & Destroy tattooed across his shoulders.

Financial problems, infidelity, revenge, alcoholism, God, guns, southern pride, going to jail, and feeling down and out. Ahh, the seemingly eternal themes of country music. To me, this was awful.

I'm not very familiar with the Beach Boys outside of Pet Sounds, but this seems like a strange album for them. Some darker lyrical themes contrasting their generally upbeat melodies and vocal harmonies. Their style of music isn't my favorite but their harmonies are hard to beat. Standouts for me: "Don't Go Near the Water," "Student Demonstration Time," and of course, "Feel Flows."

Aretha's a fantastic singer, but I'm not a big fan of her music.

Spanning multiple metal genres, this album is heavily percussive and sample-filled, giving it a creepy, industrial sound. Joey Jordison's blast beats and Corey Taylor's vocal delivery give the album its chaotic, almost frenetic feel. The lyrics are sometimes morbid, often desperate, and generally misanthropic. This album is both incredibly heavy and melodic at the same time, and I struggle to sit still while listening to it. Although it's not my favorite Slipknot album, it's an obvious 5 from me and still gets regular play around here.

I enjoyed this more than expected, especially the spacey, ethereal elements, some of the groove-y guitar work, and the more experimental instrumentals. Not a fan of Matt Bellamy's vocals, which unfortunately kill it for me and would likely keep me from going back to this.

I enjoy Tom Waits more when I consider his albums less of "music" and more as musical stories/poems. The imagery, the instrumentation, the narration are superb. I can close my eyes listening to a Tom Waits album and feel as if I'm swept away to somewhere else.

This was a delightfully refreshing, honest, and hopeful album. 3.5.

I'm glad this album exists for the people that need to hear its message of hope and resilience. The tracks I enjoyed the most - "Wildfires," "Bow," and "Monsters."

Have never been a huge Black Crowes fan, but I've always enjoyed this album.

This was far more blues based than I anticipated.

I wouldn't complain about this as background music, but I also wouldn't seek it out again. I enjoyed Mike's use of samples and synths though.

I don't think I've ever listened to a full Bruce Springsteen album before. This felt entirely too long.

This album has that cheap, 90s-electronic drip that reminds me of PS1 racing games. "One Love" brought me right back to the soundtrack for the movie Hackers. This was a nice blast from the past and decent enough background music while I work. "Voodoo People" and "One Love" stand out for me.

I don't even understand the B52s. It seems like parody music, but it's not(?).

2.5.

This one surprised me. Some catchy songs, good production, and enjoyable covers.

I don't listen to this album often due to its length, but its near perfection every time I do. Billy Corgan seems like a nightmare to work with, but he's a wonderful lyricist and captures the angst, hopelessness, and emotionality of youth well here.

I'm not sure what I expected from the Velvet Underground, but this wasn't it. The decision to have all band members sing - including those who objectively cannot sing - was a curious one.

2

I enjoyed the vocal harmonies and some guitar melodies on this album the most. Their more experimental, avant-garde stuff is lost on me, and I still struggle to hear the genius in this music so many people love.

Ambitious, eclectic, and thoroughly enjoyable. Standout tracks for me: "Dance or Die," "Come Alive," "Make the Bus," "Wondaland," and "57821."

Parts of this album were enjoyable, but it was a bit flat for me overall. I could have done without the 8+ minute spoken word intro to an 18 minute track. 2.5

This was a head scratcher.

Some of the best rock ballads written. Operatic and completely over the top. Love it.

Amazed to learn this is commonly regarded as the first concept album.

Equal parts dark/violent and hilarious. Probably not Nick Cave's most acclaimed album, but it's my favorite of what I've heard over the years.

Enjoyed the cultural commentary and progressive fusion of genres. And loved a few tracks like "The Blacker the Berry," "Complexion," and "i". Still feel it fell short of "Good Kid, M.A.D.D. City" for catchy hooks.

Far too long.

Love the ethereal elements, the swelling harmonies, and other worldly sound. Never been a huge fan of Nick Cave's lyrics though, this album included. 3.

The lyrics for "Run for your life" are surprisingly creepy. Perhaps not surprising Lennon wrote the lyrics.

I appreciate the Gorillaz for creating a sound all their own, but I struggle with the heavy use of loops and the sometimes annoyingly high pitched vocals.

Beautifully composed, performed, and produced. I can't find a bad thing to say about this album. Sure it's depressing. It's an introspective album on death near the end of life. Of course it is.

I read someone describe the Beastie Boys as "comically juvenile," and I can't say it any better. The album is catchy and fun. It does very little for me but I understand why it's held in such high regard by so many.

I cannot get past Thom Yorke's vocals.

Pleasantly surprised by this one.

Fun album.

I've never been a huge fan of the surf-rock, psychobilly sound that The Cramps are known for and have always preferred the horror punk of The Misfits. What I do enjoy is the kitschy, whimsical feel that their horror-laced lyrics evoke, much like classic monster movies. You know the ones - Frankenstein, Dracula, The Werewolf - the ones that aren't actually scary. The Cramps are creepy, silly, and satirical. If you can't appreciate the camp in horror, you probably won't enjoy The Cramps either. If you can, it's good fun. 3.5.

First time hearing this album. It's a great album made by an unfortunate human being. Won't be listening again.

I enjoy ELO but can we just get rid of double albums entirely?

This was a better listen than The White Album and Rubber Soul, and I enjoyed some of the more experimental parts.

Rounding up my 2.5 on this one.

This entire album sounded like the quiet intro to a Deftones song, but the band never kicked in.

Cool project.

Never thoughts I'd hear 70s punk with horns and harmonica. They should have leaned more into that. Fun album.

I always forget how much I enjoy REM. High 3.

Emotionally evocative lyrics, killer vibrato on the vocals, beautiful minimalist arrangements. Really not my type of music, but good stuff. High 3.

So many iconic songs on this album. This level of musicianship on a debut album makes it one of best in all of rock. Fun album with a lot of variety.

Beautiful voice but found the album boring overall. I could imagine this playing in the hotel lobby or restaurant of a resort. It's pleasantly inoffensive but nothing I'd ever seek out.

Toss these guys into the same bucket as the one holding The Sisters of Mercy and Bauhaus. I'm all about the darkness and lyrics but would enjoy this way more with a heavier, distorted sound.

2.5

2.5

2.5.

Such an underrated band and huge influence on the NWOBHM. 4+.

Enjoyed some of the songs well enough and struggled with others. This felt very uneven to me. 2.5.

I enjoy some of Sufjan Stevens' music. His 2015 album Carrie and Lowell is devastating in all the right ways. This album was a little too experimental, too all over the place, and way too long. 3.

It's a solid album but not their best material. You can certainly hear the beginnings of what their sound will evolve into.

Incredibly boring, but maybe I'm missing something.

Enjoyed this more than I expected.

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should." I wish Bjork had learned this before making music. This was awful.

Sounded like a bar band to me. A band good enough to attract a local following through familiarity but nothing remarkable.

Bob Dylan has never been a favorite of mine, but I much prefer his singing on this album than on earlier ones. Not bad.

4.5

I found this to be extremely repetitive and annoying.

Not bad but elevator music all the same.

Bizarrely anachronistic.

Nick Cave is usually a weird but pretty good time.

Great singer-songwriter, but I can't seem to enjoy her music.

More disappointing than anticipated.

Some of the duo's biggest hits and not a bad song on the album. 4.5.

2.

It would have been nice if either vocalist knew how to sing.

L

Interminable ramblings.

3

I enjoyed the layered instrumentation and atmospheric elements of this album, but Thom Yorke's nasal vocal delivery and falsetto are terrible. This is depressing music.

"Don't Die Just Yet" was the only interesting track on this album. I found the rest underwhelming and boring.

I'm not a fan of the droning guitar work, which seems uninspired and uninteresting. The album isn't terrible, but it's entirely forgettable like so much generic rock of the 90s.

While I prefer Black Sunday over the S/T, this album is full of bangers.

I've always felt this album sounds overproduced and too clean, and I hate the sound on the snare drum. Regardless the songs are catchy, and this and Hysteria will always be fun listens.

I wanted to enjoy this album. Some elements of nearly every song were enjoyable, but most tracks ended up in a weird, unpleasant place for me that had me questioning how soon this album would end. I'm not sure what vibe the band was hoping to capture, but the album artwork exemplifies my feelings well. Pseudo-sexy, beautiful but overdone, with a face that suggests a mixture of ambivalence and slight disgust.

First few tracks were great. Would have loved if the second half of the album didn't mellow out so much.

Silence is more compelling and far less annoying.

Warm, fat, fuzzy guitar sounds with blues-based guitar and organ leads.

I'm not sure I'll ever understand the appeal of experimental art-rock or post-punk. Too noisy and dissonant and lacks rhythm too much of the time.

Great commentary on the reality of inner city life for marginalized communities. Pretty dated sound, though. I respect the album for what it is but can't see myself returning to it.

Straight trash with the problematic lyrical themes you'd expect from a 1950s country-bluegrass album.

I enjoy their sound, but all AC/DC songs basically sound like the same song.

Devo is the weird, annoying kid in the back of their class that is weird and annoying because that's the only way they know how to attract attention.

Definitely more enjoyable than anticipated.

Twenty-eight minutes of complaining about shitty partners.

Fuckin' Slayyyyyyeeeeerrrrr. One of the best thrash metal albums of all time.

I feel underwhelmed by this album. Nothing about it was bad, but it was definitely a lot more boring than anticipated.

Surprisingly enjoyable. Much more so than more modern electronic music I've heard.

Dollar store Beatles music. Ugh.

I gave this album a 2 since it was creepy, and I enjoyed that, but the music itself is terrible.

The lyrics are so painfully simplistic the album sounds like a children's music album. The singing and musical arrangements are similarly underwhelming. The songs are just...there. I wouldn't call this a bad album, but it seemed overall uninspired and boring. I fail to see what makes this album something one should listen to before they die - it's mid at best.

Great production, enjoyable atmosphere, somewhat boring/flat compositions overall.

Fine but completely forgettable.

So much falsetto.

Yep, I still bang my head to this one.

Incessant conga drums, off key yelling, metallic banging, repetitive call and response, and the random whistles. None of this was remotely enjoyable.

Weird and enjoyable.

I appreciate people pushing boundaries in art, but this was a rough listen and not for me. I did enjoy the screams though - they were jarring and visceral.

While the thrash purists may disagree, I always felt Sepultura shined the brightest with more tribal instrumentation. Chaos A.D. and Roots will always beat out their earliest stuff for me, but the Cavalera brothers seemingly could do no wrong in the 80s and 90s. Arise is a nice transition spot in the discography that still mostly holds onto a thrash sound but begins to introduce lower BPMs and a more groove oriented rhythm, which becomes much more apparent in the subsequent albums. If I were just rating metal albums, I might give this album a 4. Compared to the rest of this album list, Arise is a 5...no question.

Love the hardcore ethos and lyrical themes. The music never did much for me though.

This felt dangerously close to elevator music at times but was fine overall.

By all accounts, Brian Warner as a person - 0. Antichrist Superstar as an album - 5.

This was a slog for me. Blues just aren't my thing.

Insipid, uninspired, radio-friendly drivel. Giving this a '2' because the production is good; the music is trash.

Mediocrity masquerading as art. Plus children singing about Jesus. Ugh.

Too boring to hold my interest but annoying enough to still notice it playing. Par for the course for most indie rock for me.

Like a better version of AC/DC.

Would have preferred more Oasis and less Radiohead in their sound.

Fine but somewhat underwhelming.

Electronic-avant-garde-jazz fusion? The answer to a question I never would have asked.

This was an exercise in patience - rambling, sometimes atonal, and often without melody. This was tiring and entirely unenjoyable.

I'm surprised I still appreciate this album as much as I do 27 years after first hearing it. Fans of earlier Sepultura often shit on this album for it's nu-metal sound, but it still ranks as top tier in their discography for me. If you let go of the expectation that this should be thrash, it's a wonderfully unique, heavy, groove-laden metal album. Nothing before or since quite sounds like this with its heavy tribal influences, and the lyrical themes were far ahead of their time. Sure, the album is a bit bloated at 72 minutes, but that often comes with trudging into new territory and not knowing what or where to cut. I'd rather have this album be too long than too short. Rooooooooots, bloooooody rooooooooots is an easy 5/5 compared to the albums on this list.

This album dragged, nothing was remarkable, and I assume I will have forgotten this album by mid-afternoon today. I was going to mention this is the first time I've ever listened to Arcade Fire, but my history proves otherwise and tells me I listened to another album of theirs on this list months ago...which only supports my current impression that this music is entirely forgettable and uninteresting. It sometimes seems to me the intent of indie rock artists is to purposely make boring music.

More mediocre Brit pop-rock very few people outside of the UK have ever heard of. So very tired of this trend on this list.

This would be significantly better if Nico could actually sing in key.

Pretty split on this album. Disliked the lyrics and vocals on title track but enjoyed the second half of the album just fine. I would have preferred an entirely instrumental album compared to what we have here.

Reluctantly giving this album a '2' for it's important social critiques. I imagine this is a powerful and important album for some but does nothing for me musically.

Generically inoffensive.

What a college a capella group would sound like if they started a band.

Pretentious, eccentric bullshit. No thank you.

Some of the cringiest lyrics I've ever heard. This guy sounds painfully insecure and misogynistic by today's standards. Some things from the past should simply be left in the past.