818
Albums Rated
3.04
Average Rating
75%
Complete
271 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Rock-and-roll
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Curator
Rater Style ?
74
5-Star Albums
68
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junkyard | 5 | 2.16 | +2.84 |
| Opus Dei | 5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
| Suicide | 5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
| Scott 2 | 5 | 2.64 | +2.36 |
| The Grand Tour | 5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
| Scott 4 | 5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
| Night Life | 5 | 2.81 | +2.19 |
| Gentlemen | 5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
| Blood And Chocolate | 5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
| Psychocandy | 5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wish You Were Here | 1 | 4.3 | -3.3 |
| The Wall | 1 | 4.14 | -3.14 |
| Rage Against The Machine | 1 | 4 | -3 |
| Appetite For Destruction | 1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
| Brothers In Arms | 1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
| Jagged Little Pill | 1 | 3.72 | -2.72 |
| Boston | 1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
| The Number Of The Beast | 1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
| Aqualung | 1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
| The Dark Side Of The Moon | 2 | 4.43 | -2.43 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 6 | 4.5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 4.75 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 3 | 4.67 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.67 |
| Elvis Presley | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Clash | 2 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Scott Walker | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5 | 4.2 |
| Neil Young | 4 | 4.25 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 3 | 1 |
| Grateful Dead | 2 | 1 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 3 | 1.67 |
| Iron Maiden | 2 | 1.5 |
| Missy Elliott | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pet Shop Boys | 2 | 1.5 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 2 |
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 2.2 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 2 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 2.25 |
| Björk | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Velvet Underground | 5, 1 |
| Dire Straits | 1, 4 |
| The Doors | 4, 2, 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 1, 1, 2, 4 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5, 3, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (74)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Grateful Dead
1/5
i don’t give a shit, life’s too short to try the Grateful Dead again
18 likes
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
sometimes it seems like the guy who wrote this book just picks something inoffensive from the past decade so as not to be accused of being out of touch with the times
8 likes
4-Star Albums (209)
1-Star Albums (68)
All Ratings
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Love the singles
Def Leppard
2/5
not good
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
maybe 5 stars but i’m loathe to give out 5 stars
Fela Kuti
4/5
i dig it
Air
3/5
i think i get it. but it didn't really move me
Little Simz
3/5
probably better than I can tell, but it's not made for me
Elton John
3/5
some great tunes but something about it just rubs me the wrong way
Cheap Trick
4/5
Jethro Tull
1/5
awful, really bad, plus...a fucking flute!
Suede
3/5
i like that they're taking chances, i just can't handle too much of that histrionic vocal style
Alice Cooper
2/5
not the worst but i have no idea why this is considered a classic
The Black Crowes
2/5
It's as if the Stones did a third disc of Exile On Main Street, like the Clash did with Sandinista. The one with all the songs you don't want to listen to on it.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Almost a 5, but there’s a bit of filler on Side 2. Still an astonishing debut
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Hypnotic
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
good
The Beach Boys
3/5
Solid and weird
Roni Size
3/5
probably fine but it didn't move me
Sebadoh
2/5
a couple of good tunes but not a good album
Dr. Dre
2/5
so many swears
The Human League
3/5
a lot better than i expected
Joni Mitchell
2/5
dug it more than i expected but that smooth jazzy sound is really not for me
Pulp
3/5
a couple of good singles and a lot of filler, ambitious but I don't really respond to that ironic tone
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
chef's kiss
Black Flag
4/5
Willie Nelson
3/5
i can see why this is a classic and i almost hate to admit it but i just don't dig country that much
The Avalanches
2/5
i did not like this
Ice Cube
4/5
so many swears but i dug it plus it's nice to see he's a family man
Saint Etienne
2/5
not for me
3/5
pretty good, i dig it
Traffic
2/5
didn't grab me but i wasn't really paying attention, also i'm generally opposed to rock flute
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
could be contemporary new age music, this is not a good thing
OutKast
2/5
i think this record is probably better than i think it is but it just doesn't do it for me, too jokey and not enough heart
N.W.A.
3/5
so many swears but hard to resist
Billie Holiday
4/5
lushly heartbreaking
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
okay i guess
3/5
i don't want to like it but it's not that bad
Parliament
4/5
hard to argue with this
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
all killer
Circle Jerks
3/5
kind of a classic but the tunes just aren't that great
Beach House
3/5
some good tracks but i don't think i'll be digging this out too often
Pretenders
5/5
probably 4.25 but fuck it, chrissie deserves the extra star for being so cool
Supergrass
4/5
pretty fuckin' catchy but it's really for kids
Iggy Pop
3/5
the stooges > iggy solo
Michael Jackson
4/5
hard to argue with this
Fatboy Slim
2/5
some catchy riffs but it's basically one vulgar joke over an over
The Charlatans
3/5
decent but lacking memorable tunes
Guns N' Roses
1/5
so gross and vulgar, aping the worst of their influences
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
ugh that early 00s sound
Magazine
3/5
i want to love it because of the singularity and ambition but they fuck it up with a lack of great tunes and too much irony
The Style Council
2/5
nice try
The Smiths
4/5
some 5 star tracks but some filler as well
Beth Orton
3/5
it seemed okay
Grateful Dead
1/5
strong aversion
GZA
2/5
i wanted to like this but it just didn't do it for me, it might be the skits, the failure might be mine
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
some 5 star tracks but a few 3 star tracks
Jurassic 5
4/5
i dig it!
The Clash
5/5
consistently astonishing
Metallica
3/5
never thought much of hetfield's vocals or lyrics, but some pretty good riffs
John Martyn
3/5
it's nice but will i ever be crazy for it? i don't think so
Small Faces
3/5
cool psych but i can't hack that second side with the narration
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I want to give it a sentimental 4 but really there's so much filler
Stephen Stills
4/5
hippies smell like boogers but i have to admit i enjoyed this far more than i expected to
The Undertones
3/5
Super likable but I’m not 17
Gillian Welch
4/5
i'm very glad to learn about this
Al Green
3/5
i know this is great but most of it just doesn't move me, the lack is mine
The Who
3/5
some first-rate tracks but much is forgettable and the central idea is silly
Duran Duran
2/5
catchy singles but much cringe
Stan Getz
4/5
will get better with age
10cc
2/5
a couple of okay tracks but i don't dig this kind of quirky prog
Goldfrapp
2/5
sounds legit but it's not really for me
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
might deserve 5 stars just for the title track but there's a bit of filler here
3/5
dug some of it but it sounds like the source material is queen and i'm just not into queen or queen-like stuff
3/5
dig their dedication but it just ain’t my sound
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
starbucks music
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
curtis is a king
Germs
4/5
violent genius but oh, so sad
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
seemed okay but i didn’t listen very closely
John Coltrane
5/5
who are we to judge john coltrane
Doves
3/5
it's good but Lost Souls is much stronger
Mercury Rev
3/5
seems okay, i dig the strings and the dreaminess, the vocals get old for me
Paul Simon
2/5
a few great tracks - the late great johnny ace is a standout - but lots of filler and it's not helped by the early-80s production
Cypress Hill
4/5
i can't ever play it around my kids but it's cool
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
i would like to dislike CSN because they’re dirty hippies but i just can’t
Radiohead
2/5
it should be good but i just can’t countenance radiohead, except for the bends, the bends was cool
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
catchy but samey and a little smug
Moby
3/5
didn’t age well, there’s no life inside it
Jacques Brel
3/5
it’s cool but it doesn’t touch my heart
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
it’s curtis mayfield, back the fuck up
The Temptations
3/5
i dig it
AC/DC
2/5
i never liked ac/dc and i still don’t
Liz Phair
4/5
i thought i wasn’t going to like this anymore but even though it’s completely satanic she’s a real talent
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
even when it doesn’t quite work, and sometimes it doesn’t quite work, the ambition and depth of spirit are astonishing
not bad for what it is but i’ll play sticky fingers 100 times before i’ll put this on
CHIC
4/5
so slick and tight
Simple Minds
2/5
devoid of hooks or melody
David Bowie
3/5
i would love to give this 4 but i just can’t give it more than 3 because i don’t like it that much
Deerhunter
4/5
Pink Floyd
1/5
post syd pink floyd is trash, i’ve never understood what emotion they were trying to get across, maybe none?
Suicide
5/5
Ghost Rider is quite possible the greatest rock and roll song of all time, the rest of the album is close behind
Marty Robbins
3/5
it’s cool and has some poetry but it’s too mannered to really move me
Linkin Park
2/5
irremediably tainted
Genesis
2/5
nah
Wilco
4/5
there’s something repellent about tweedy but the dude writes a good tune
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
the title track is a stunner but despite his reputation for sincerity the boss seems forced and fakey on this one
Frank Black
3/5
better than i expected, he has a deep talent for melody and texture, his downfall is that he is over clever
Massive Attack
3/5
i prefer mezzanine
Portishead
4/5
so concentrated but also a total bummer
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
a perfect alloy of lyrical inventiveness and pop skills
The The
4/5
marred only by some filler and 80s production
Cornershop
3/5
pleasantly inconsequential
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
haunting but not in a good way
Nick Drake
4/5
so fragile
The Cure
4/5
so dry but so suggestive
Eagles
4/5
what can you say it’s hotel fucking california
Iron Maiden
2/5
not heavy, not catchy, not interesting
Gary Numan
2/5
cars is great but the album gets monotonous quick
B.B. King
3/5
a bit vegas and those chicago blues leads just aren’t my thing but it’s a good punchy band
Van Morrison
5/5
haunting and lyrical
Bob Dylan
5/5
flawless even in its flaws
Peter Gabriel
3/5
some lovely melodies but some lamentable excursions as well
Kelela
3/5
it sounds like something that’s good but just not for me
Travis
2/5
it’s like radiohead but not the irritating bleep blurp radiohead but also not the good radiohead it’s like the maudlin radiohead that turned into coldplay
David Bowie
4/5
bowie was one of the few to make consistently interesting rock music that pushed the edges musically and lyrically without being a massive bore
Genesis
2/5
prog is shit
Isaac Hayes
3/5
a few killer tracks but a lot of muzakey funk-jazz filler - then again it’s a film score
Gang Starr
3/5
i dug it
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
it’s so lovely, there are so
many hooks and it’s played so well, such great production - sad that this generation and people like these were responsible for the degradation and collapse of our civilization
Radiohead
5/5
a masterpiece - they were so terrified by what they achieved they’ve spent the rest of their careers running away from it
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
even if it doesn’t always work i respect the ambition
Public Enemy
4/5
I thought PE didn't do anything good after Nation of Millions...man was I wrong
The Byrds
4/5
that one jingle-jangle thing they do is so fucking good it almost makes up for the ho-hum stuff but not quite
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
i really hate this kind of thing
Depeche Mode
2/5
this feels fake and superficial which is sad because i think they’re trying to be deep and sincere
Gorillaz
2/5
i didn’t listen very hard but this seemed shallow and smug
The Saints
4/5
classic muscular punk rock and roll
James Brown
4/5
would be 5 but the production just doesn’t do justice to the music i know it’s live but still
Steely Dan
2/5
slickly nihilistic
Keith Jarrett
3/5
i’m not really in a position to
judge this
Deep Purple
3/5
it's cool but it's not that cool and it's pretty stupid, too, and not always in a good way
The Doors
4/5
it's so stupid but you can't fuck with it
Billy Joel
2/5
didn't sit right with me
Orbital
3/5
probably groundbreaking or something. it it didn’t really move me
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
transmissions from a lost world
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
too smooth, i need more passion
Sister Sledge
4/5
those singles are fucking outstanding
Amy Winehouse
3/5
i dug it but it's a bit of a pastiche just with more swears
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
i don't know it's pretty iconic but in all honesty most of the tunes don't really grab me, it's probably the best example of what it is
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
it's self-reflexive, derivative, and juvenile, but it's honest and it's got some hooks
Carpenters
3/5
the singles are bittersweet perfection, almost too much, but it’s not all the same quality
Ryan Adams
4/5
was this anything new, even at the time? nope
is it a fairly accomplished and catchy version of something i already like? yep
The Roots
4/5
i dug it, so much going on here it’s almost schizo
Violent Femmes
5/5
all killer and completely their own thing
The Jam
4/5
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
layla’s pretty great but the rest of it makes me think of “blues” night at the pub
The Black Keys
3/5
it’s actually pretty dense and textured but it’s hook-weak
The Offspring
2/5
i love punk and i love california but i don’t love this
Various Artists
4/5
i mean you're not going to put it on very often but sometimes it will be the only choice
Jeff Beck
2/5
more “blues” night at the pub
Love
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
not the kind of bowie i really dig but bowie’s gold even when he’s not
Janis Joplin
2/5
i generally don’t dig this kind of shaggy blues pastiche
ABBA
3/5
probably the best of whatever it is
4/5
brand new
Bee Gees
3/5
i want to like it more than i actually do
Van Halen
4/5
hated it when it came out now i love it that’s what happens
Joan Baez
3/5
she’s got a nice voice but that old time folky stuff just doesn’t move me that much
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
nice but i’m probably not going to slap it on too often
Miles Davis
5/5
i wouldn’t presume to opine about this
Kraftwerk
4/5
i like the idea more than the experience but it’s still pretty great
The Icarus Line
4/5
i wish i’d heard this when it was released because it would’ve really rung my bell
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
some good tracks but this is not anyone's favourite album
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
this sounds like other things that i already like but i like those other things more than this
Iron Maiden
1/5
this kind of "metal" sucks there's nothing heavy about it and the lyrics are stupid and not in a good way
Ian Dury
2/5
points for charm and authenticity but how often is this going to be the exact right thing to play?
The Clash
5/5
i actually dig the US version better but what are you gonna do, not give this 5 stars?
Sonic Youth
2/5
egregiously overrated
Os Mutantes
4/5
super cool & ahead of its time
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
very good
The Rolling Stones
3/5
i used to love the rolling stones so much now i don’t know a lot of this seems pretty weak
Muddy Waters
3/5
muddy’s never really done it for me but you can’t really fault him i don’t think
Radiohead
3/5
it’s okay but radiohead are best when they make tight crafted pop songs not depressive electro jams
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
1/5
i’m not ever going to listen to this i don’t care if it’s the greatest album ever made
Led Zeppelin
4/5
not the best zeppelin but second tier zeppelin is far beyond the capacity of most mortals
The Pretty Things
4/5
solid, gritty, and inventive
Blur
3/5
the first two tracks are great but nothing thereafter is quite so engaging
Beatles
4/5
close but not perfect
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
i mean i still have a fondness for unbridled creativity but in retrospect so much of the "avant-garde" is just one ugly thing after another
Leonard Cohen
5/5
sacred music
Otis Redding
5/5
nothing should be changed or added to this perfect recording
Elvis Presley
5/5
damn!
The Boo Radleys
3/5
they seem like nice people but this doesn’t light my fire
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
so smooth but not so many stand out tracks
Grizzly Bear
2/5
if this is the kind of thing you like it’s probably a really good example of it, but it’s not really the kind of thing i like
MGMT
3/5
a bit proggy and a bit hipstery but some good tracks
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
by all rights creedence should be a 5 star band and this a 5 star album but something bugs me about them, i just can’t place it
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Gang Of Four
5/5
masterpiece
The Byrds
3/5
at their best they’re pure fire but sometimes - too often - they come off half-baked
The Doors
2/5
seems like they didn’t have anything written and then just f#@ked around on some very simple ideas until it was long enough to release
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
there’s something so intoxicating about the music of the 60s, the way the boomers really thought they were the vanguard of a revolution that was building a new world of freedom and delight
the fact that they were actually destroying their own civilization just makes it more poignant
Louis Prima
4/5
what a blast, sheer joy
Ice Cube
4/5
so vile and profane, i know that’s why people like it, that’s why i would’ve liked it when i was 20, but it’s just gross, the beats & production are incredible though and he’s clearly a giant talent it’s just a sad commentary on just about everything
Depeche Mode
2/5
they can do atmosphere but they’re weak on tunes and the tone is just too faux-grave for me
The xx
2/5
it's a nice idea but you can't spin a whole album out of it
Goldfrapp
3/5
this seems really creative and unique and i imagine if i was 25 and getting high with a girl i was hoping to make out with it would be the perfect choice but that doesn’t come up so much anymore
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
one of a the highest achievements of human creativity
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
paul mccartney’s pretty great when he wanted to be but there are some tracks on here i’m just never going to play
Missy Elliott
1/5
i’m not really the right audience for this
Elvis Costello
4/5
the more i listen the more i dig elvis c, he’s consistently inventive and creative but he doesn’t lose the thread of hook and melody
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
the production is so good and i dig the chamber pop arrangements but there’s no getting around the fact the guy is a degenerate creep and this is the apogee of the degenerate 60s before the piper had to be paid
Arcade Fire
3/5
there’s something great about this record but there’s something i don’t like about it, i do t really get it, it seems fake even though i believe the band is sincere
The Streets
4/5
creative and honestly moving
Thin Lizzy
3/5
it’s pretty cool but there’s only so much i can take
Leonard Cohen
3/5
i love and admire leonard cohen but the only thing i really like on this album is the title track
Orbital
4/5
pretty cool but also pretty backgroundy, i bet it’s pretty fkn wkd when you’re really high in a giant club or something
Dire Straits
1/5
i really dislike the sound of this record and i dislike mark knopfler’s voice but money for nothing is pretty good so 1 🌟
Oasis
4/5
5 ⭐️ for effortless cool and a plenitude of hooks, minus 1 ⭐️ for everything sounding kind of the same
Public Enemy
5/5
so huge, so powerful - it would be 5 ⭐️ except two or three tracks are filler - still this is a quibble - fuck it i’m giving it 5 ⭐️ anyway
Leonard Cohen
4/5
not obviously his best but it reveals its depth with repeated listening
De La Soul
4/5
mostly silly but nice
Johnny Cash
5/5
even the weaker tracks are transformed by the Old Man’s depth of spirit and experience
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
i dug it well enough but it didn’t really move me
Ravi Shankar
4/5
i love what i know of the music of india but i’m also a complete ignoramus about it, maybe this should be 5 ⭐️ i don’t want to pander though
Metallica
2/5
i just can’t get into metallica, it’s supposed to be heavy but it’s not, some of the riffs are kind of cool but it’s just not enough plus the lyrics are not good
Minutemen
3/5
i’d like to give them points for trying but it just bugs me how they can’t help but fuck with a song to make it “original”
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
not into it
Bob Dylan
5/5
what is there to say? consistently unique and astonishing, a carelessly masterful poet
Fugees
3/5
it’s probably okay, i don’t know, it didn’t really grab me
The Specials
5/5
perfect in every way, somehow funky and spooky at the same time, bursting with hooks and energy
Aerosmith
4/5
pretty wicked riffs and sweet shag carpet production but the decadent druggy vibe gets dull after a while
Kate Bush
5/5
deeply inventive and moving
Emmylou Harris
3/5
i love everything about classic country except listening to it
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
not my thing
Alice In Chains
4/5
it’s juvenile and there’s more than a whiff of hair metal but cantrell constructs the heaviest riffs, it’s not even close, and staley was a truly gifted vocalist with an incredible range
New Order
2/5
i like new order when they still had a line to joy division, all this euro disco shit just seems lame
Radiohead
3/5
you can almost hear them struggling to return to the pop greatness of which they’re capable but the miserablist bleep bloop shit drags the whole thing down
Marilyn Manson
1/5
mm seems like a pussy, none of this is “scary” or challenging, i dig industrial guitars so some of that is cool but otherwise it’s for clowns
John Prine
2/5
it’s probably better than i think but i don’t dig his voice and the production gives me the heebies
Portishead
4/5
this might be 5 ⭐️ i don’t know, i avoided it for many years because i thought it was pretentious and overwrought but i see now i was wrong it’s pretentious in the good way
Christine and the Queens
1/5
i’m not interested in this musically, spiritually, or ideologically
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Ministry
2/5
a few good tracks but overall a very weak effort
Ice T
3/5
i dig the beats and the production and but the gangsta shit is just too juvenile i can’t get into it anymore
Basement Jaxx
3/5
better than i expected but not really my bag
Primal Scream
3/5
good but not that good, makes me miss the early 90s though, in retro what a time to be alive
Laura Nyro
3/5
clearly accomplished but not for me
Lambchop
3/5
more to be admired than adored
Megadeth
1/5
i didn’t listen to this because i’m confident it’s going to be shit
Madonna
2/5
with the resources at her disposal she had to score a couple of cool tracks, but it just strikes me like gangsta rap: the expression of goals and desires that are fundamentally shallow and corrosive
Sex Pistols
5/5
nothing will ever again be so exciting
TV On The Radio
3/5
pretty good, they should probably strip it down a bit more, lose some of the filigree
The Flaming Lips
3/5
ambitious which is good aggressively weird which is bad but beautifully produced which is good but self indulgent which is bad
Hawkwind
2/5
can’t get into it
Elis Regina
4/5
The Who
4/5
so great, should’ve lost the commercials though
Meat Puppets
3/5
pleasingly weird but so noodly
Aphex Twin
3/5
i keep returning to this album thinking there’s got to be more in it but maybe it’s just mildly diverting background music
Frank Sinatra
3/5
pretty sweet arrangements but not an improvement over jobim on his own
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
it might need a closer listen, maybe the lyrics are great? but it just seems like very soft jazz rock which is not appealing to me
Paul Weller
3/5
he’s clearly a talented songwriter fit for the mainstream - but is that really the highest goal?
Grateful Dead
1/5
i don’t give a shit, life’s too short to try the Grateful Dead again
The Kinks
4/5
catchy, creative, and offbeat, but occasionally a little hamfisted
Morrissey
3/5
Nina Simone
3/5
great arrangements and she’s a mighty talent but it’s all such a histrionic drag
Napalm Death
1/5
i know they mean well but this kind of thing was shit then and it’s shit now
White Denim
3/5
this seems pretty creative but i’m not all that moved by tasty riffage of this sort
Aimee Mann
3/5
very tasteful, which is not entirely desirable
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
life’s too short and fragile to listen to death metal or gangsta rap
Hole
4/5
wow so much better than i remembered
David Gray
3/5
it was fine, so tasteful though
Bobby Womack
4/5
powerful singer and good songs, suffers only slightly from some egregious early 80s flourishes
Roxy Music
4/5
oh geez, should it be 5?
The Fall
2/5
i admire everything about the Fall except that they are so aggressively unpleasant to listen to
Norah Jones
2/5
probably great if you like this kind of thing but i don’t like this kind of thing
Prince
4/5
could be 5 but i get tired of the porn
The Beach Boys
4/5
the beach boys are pretty great but on the other hand should anyone really be spending this much time and effort on pop music? it’s never going to be bach no matter how much you tinker with it
R.E.M.
2/5
so cringe now, the apogee of earnest “alternative” and the cheerful, smug harbinger of so much darkness to come
Slint
2/5
not a single hook on the record and i know they didn’t want any but i do, sorry
The Stranglers
4/5
not their best but very far from their worst
Eels
4/5
engaging middlebrow bummer pop, maybe a bit too clever for his own good
Cocteau Twins
5/5
otherworldly, the sound of angels come to earth
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
it’s not their fault this style of music became the definition of cringe but it did and so no matter how accomplished this can get no more than 3 stars
Buzzcocks
4/5
buzzcocks were a singles band, the albums have their thin bits
Dusty Springfield
4/5
very nice if uneven, unsurprisingly, given the rule book of mainstream 60s pop, and what a voice
JAY Z
2/5
i just don’t care about guys going on like this anymore
Jimmy Smith
3/5
cool
Sheryl Crow
3/5
i will never play this again but it’s better than i expected and it makes me yearn for the world of the 1990s, the world we threw away
The Doors
5/5
it’s tough because it’s so good and yet it’s also the portal through which so much evil entered the culture, still i don’t think you can blame the doors for all of that
The Stooges
3/5
the dumbest parts of the stooges turned up to 11
Hole
3/5
love knows a hook, gotta give her that, not a lot of air or space in here though, so radio
Ryan Adams
4/5
it’s just that indie singer-songwriter thing but he’s so good at it
Rush
2/5
prog is so bad
Arrested Development
3/5
it’s cool, i dig the laid back positive vibe and it’s nice to hear people talking about loving God
Bill Callahan
4/5
nice and deep and he can craft an allusive phrase
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
this kind of jazz just isn’t for me, i don’t know what emotions it’s supposed to evoke, but it’s technically impressive and probably just the shit for some people
Janelle Monáe
3/5
i wasn’t expecting much because of the title but this was a lot better than i expected
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
it’s only one trick but it’s a good one, their own tunes are thin but they did write Misguided Angel which is pretty fkn solid
The Mars Volta
3/5
old prog is shit but new prog can be pretty cool
U2
4/5
still almost a post-punk band at this point but you can see how they could become the saviours of the world
Judas Priest
1/5
life’s too fucking short for 80s metal sorry
The Soft Boys
3/5
it has its moments but quirkiness is almost always a fatal flaw
Sade
2/5
i guess it’s probably very well produced or something but this is really not for me
Supertramp
2/5
there’s something bittersweet about this sound but there’s also something shitty about it
Mekons
2/5
it seems like a joke, it’s not punk and it’s not country and there are no tunes
Pulp
4/5
this is a solid 3.5 rounded up to a 4, the main failing is that it thinks it is cleverer than it is
Muddy Waters
5/5
so fucking heavy and that dude was 65 years old
Harry Nilsson
3/5
a few great tracks and a bunch of okay tracks
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
most country sounds fake even when it’s played by actual country musicians
Baaba Maal
3/5
Steely Dan
2/5
there’s something gross about them
Dr. Octagon
3/5
pretty cool, spooky and weird, i could never stand those interludes though
Elbow
4/5
some nice epic flourishes but it’s so gay, morrisey is the avatar of bittersweet romanticism, straight guys should leave it alone, they sound obese
Lorde
3/5
i can’t really rate this, it sounds quite accomplished for what it is but it is just not made for me
The Prodigy
3/5
some pretty good beats & riffs, they don’t have to try too hard i’m a bit of a sucker for this kind of thing
The Pharcyde
3/5
it was fine but i’ll never reach for it again
Bon Jovi
4/5
i was quite prepared to dismiss this but it’s got solid heart and hooks and i’m man enough to admit i was wrong
Nick Drake
5/5
i didn’t know i loved this album till today
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
not for mean
Sonic Youth
3/5
notwithstanding the fact sy are the most egregiously overrated band in an overrated genre, this album is less shitty than most of theirs
Steely Dan
3/5
this steely dan is okay
Radiohead
4/5
it’s mostly whiny tom yorke that lets the air out of this band
The Go-Go's
4/5
pretty great especially if you’re a 13 year old in 1982
Skepta
2/5
par for the course, coarse and overwrought
Aretha Franklin
5/5
it’s flawless
Brian Eno
3/5
it’s a singular vision but i don’t feel any heart in it
Lou Reed
3/5
perfect day is a masterpiece and vicious is cool but there’s a lot of dreck and the degenerate vibe is just gross
The Stooges
5/5
to be perfectly honest this album drags a bit but i don’t care it still gets 5 stars
OutKast
2/5
not impressive
Japan
4/5
it drags a bit but it creates its own world convincingly and bridges the gap between roxy & bauhaus
King Crimson
3/5
i guess it’s okay, my tolerance for prog is close to zero
The White Stripes
4/5
manages to wring some more juice out of garage rock with exceptional hooks and good lyrics
Ride
2/5
i love the idea of shoegaze but then you get to it and there are no tunes, no tunes at all
Ash
3/5
if you were 14 and you’d never heard the buzzcocks you’d probably love this as much as i loved the buzzcocks but i don’t know if you’d still want to listen to this when you were 50 the way i still like to listen to the buzzcocks every now and then
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
i like tosh better than marley but either way it’s pretty hard to fuck with this record
Michael Jackson
3/5
there’s some real shit on here and even the best songs are fucked up by bad choices but it’s still a pretty impressive late Empire artifact
John Grant
4/5
finely produced, maybe a little airless, so so sad
Fishbone
2/5
no
Pixies
5/5
should get 10 stars
Digital Underground
2/5
kind of stupid
Pavement
4/5
so slack it almost falls off the edge of the table but the high points are high
Metallica
4/5
i almost skipped this because i never thought metallica were half as heavy as they were supposed to be but this record kicks ass and i'm not afraid to say i was wrong
3/5
i want to like it more but really it's just a couple of cool riffs and some really cringe politics
Killing Joke
5/5
massive, unique, as fresh as the day it was born
Incredible Bongo Band
5/5
wow! didn't see this one coming, flawless for what it is, maybe it's an embarrassment of riches bit but wtf, it's bongos
50 Cent
2/5
whatever
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
better than i remembered, lovely late 70s sound
Van Halen
2/5
i thought this would seem better now but i was wrong it’s still not good
Fred Neil
3/5
okay
Spacemen 3
2/5
noodly and not compelling
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
all killer, kind of hard to believe how accomplished this record is
Alanis Morissette
1/5
no no no, i’m not trying to be a dick it’s just no good
Steely Dan
2/5
not for I
The Police
4/5
sting seems like a goof but you can’t deny these tunes, there’s something airless about it but i like that
The Cars
3/5
i really only dug a few tracks but i dug those a lot, they’re still a singles band for me but the singles are really choice
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
there is a hell and taking this as a blueprint for life will lead you right there
Arcade Fire
2/5
it seems like the same thing over and over again and i’m not that crazy about that particular thing
Frank Sinatra
4/5
pretty great, but on a casual listen it’s all style, i don’t feel the heart, perhaps there isn’t any?
Fiona Apple
3/5
i don't know...it seemed pretty good but maybe not meant for me...she seems serious and the record sounds good, God bless her, i hope she's okay
Ray Charles
4/5
a little slick
Neil Young
4/5
i know i should dig neil young more than i do but i don’t
The Police
3/5
the singles are pretty great but at least half the album sucks
Kanye West
3/5
this seems like a smart guy talking about stupid shit
Eric Clapton
2/5
many, many wednesday night “blues” jams seem to have been spawned by this unfortunate piece of work
Pink Floyd
1/5
it’s not even terrible, it’s not that interesting
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
super slick and catchy but i couldn’t sense any heart
The Louvin Brothers
4/5
this kind of country is hard to take seriously which is funny because i think it might be the most serious american music of all
Deep Purple
3/5
the fountainhead of butt rock
Stevie Wonder
4/5
sometimes art from the past just seems more naive than today’s, i mean mostly the lyrics, maybe it was just a better world
Ray Charles
3/5
the material seems beneath him and some of those background vocals are really cringe
Living Colour
3/5
highly accomplished poppy hard rock; the cymbals are recorded really well
Green Day
3/5
catchy but no great shit
David Ackles
2/5
it’s like a full album of the scott walker songs i always skip
Big Star
3/5
it’s intriguing how they disassemble the works but also why don’t you just play the fucking song right every now and then?
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
probably a bit better than it needs to be
Duke Ellington
4/5
smokin’
Suzanne Vega
2/5
this is not for me and the production is atrocious
Barry Adamson
4/5
pretty great, but maybe you need to be watching the movie for this to really shine
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
young fills me with a kind of pleasant somnolent dread
Mike Ladd
3/5
i don’t know, seems kind of interesting but it just didn’t grab me that mich
Janet Jackson
3/5
almost skipped it but i have to admit it’s not that bad
Beastie Boys
3/5
it’s fucking retarded of course but what are you gonna do? it’s not like they were trying to make something different
Led Zeppelin
3/5
they’re like pagan gods come to earth but worshipping such gods has never ended well
Peter Gabriel
2/5
the singles are okay but the production is gross and the whole thing is tepidly over- earnest
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
they’ve got that one idea, the whoa-whoa guitar thing, but they can’t write a tune or carry one
The Band
3/5
the weight is so much better than everything else it might as well come from a different band
The Divine Comedy
3/5
this seems clever maybe a bit too clever, i bet i would like it more if i didn’t already know the kinks, scott walker, and the monochrome set
Rod Stewart
3/5
half cool half boring, what a distinctive voice
The Adverts
4/5
pretty great, a unique strain of classic british first wave punk, i can see why it didn’t catch on as much as the clash & pistols but they probably should be mentioned in the same breath
The Modern Lovers
4/5
so singular
ZZ Top
3/5
it’s a cool idea and it’s interesting to hear they were consciously influenced by depeche mode and omd it just seems like they should have been able to crank out more than 2 or 3 memorable tunes from it
Jungle Brothers
2/5
i don’t know it’s okay i guess
The Stooges
5/5
you must realize that this is coming to you straight from hell
The Beach Boys
5/5
very close to as much as we can expect from pop music
Kid Rock
1/5
some of the arrangements & riffs are actually pretty cool but like his gangsta peers it’s completely degraded and dull
The Damned
5/5
a timeless classic and a huge leap forward out of the creative ferment of punk
Tom Waits
4/5
great throughout, the strings get me every time, gets a star for “you know there ain’t no devil there’s just God when he’s drunk”
Deep Purple
2/5
gets an extra star for Jesus on vocals otherwise ugh bloated and boring
Dion
3/5
seems pretty good, probably needs a deeper dive than i’ve given it
Blue Cheer
2/5
one trick
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
i guess it’s culturally significant and jack looks super-cool in the cover photo but there’s no way i’m ever putting this on just to hear it
The Verve
4/5
would be a solid 5 but Bittersweet Symphony rules so hard it can’t help but make the rest slightly pale
Rod Stewart
3/5
rod stewart was ruined for me through his ubiquity on pop radio, but the man has charm and soul
Dead Kennedys
3/5
5 stars for the wicked band & tunes, -2 stars for biafra’s cringe politics & “zany” delivery
The Velvet Underground
5/5
as you get older you realize your idols were degenerate and broken, but you also realize all of us are broken so they still have a place in your heart
Laibach
5/5
hilariously moving, perfectly constructed, heavier than heaven
Mudhoney
3/5
likeable but nothing special, any number of 60s garage bands were just as good
The Divine Comedy
3/5
i like what he’s trying but again i’d probably reach for any scott walker record before i’d reach for this
Scott Walker
5/5
you could point out that it’s a little on the nose here and there, but why would you? a richly textured masterpiece that speaks to and from the heart
Black Sabbath
2/5
boring and nihilistic, which i think is what people like about it, supernaut has a super-cool riff though
Hot Chip
4/5
pretty infectious, ngl
The War On Drugs
3/5
inoffensive
Santana
3/5
it’s that kind of 60s-70s thing that just seems like it was invented for the movies or something
Madonna
2/5
why would i ever listen to this?
Brian Eno
4/5
perfect for what it is and yet somewhat boring nonetheless
Todd Rundgren
3/5
some of these are great and some of these are boring but the great ones are really great
Deee-Lite
1/5
nope
UB40
3/5
Scott Walker
5/5
a melancholy masterpiece, even at the time it was a towering achievement of a passing era
Fats Domino
4/5
who am into criticize fats domino? but if i’m honest, although it’s flawless in construction and execution, like a lot of pop music of the era it seems a little fake
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
sorry i’m sure it’s fine i just can’t take accordion & vibes seriously
Prefab Sprout
4/5
wow, so glad to be introduced to this one, great tunes and words, deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as smiths, bunnymen, et al
Heaven 17
1/5
stupid politics, fake funk, and the shit side of 80s production
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
spiritual war is real, you must choose a side
Donald Fagen
2/5
smug and greasy just like steely dan
Neil Young
4/5
neil’s all about the vibe, sometimes his boomer worldview spoils it for me
4/5
bowie was such a blazing star and this record is the perfect distillation of an era; sadly that era was bloated and degenerate - we’re still suffering through the aftershocks
Neil Young
5/5
i guess i love neil young, it’s kind of an abusive relationship, though
Minor Threat
4/5
weirdly, i appear to like minor threat more now than i did when they released this record
Barry Adamson
3/5
cool and creative but i need more heat
Faust
2/5
self-conscious weirdness just doesn’t do it for me
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
everything in me is screaming to rate this higher but the fact is the JAMC are kind of a bore
The Birthday Party
5/5
it’s a problem: in terms of raw energy and pure creativity the birthday party were one of the greatest bands of all time; they were also full-time denizens of Hell; so do you want to pay a visit to Hell? well, punk, do ya?
Soft Cell
1/5
i don’t want to be cruel but i’m so sick of this degenerate shit
The White Stripes
3/5
you have to admire jack white’s passion but he’s such a perfectionist he squeezed all the life out of this record
The Young Rascals
2/5
pleasant enough but that’s not enough to turn my crank baby
Amy Winehouse
2/5
she’s got a cool voice but the record seems kind of fake, it’s a shame what happened to her, i hope she’s at peace
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
it’s a pastiche but at least it’s a positive pastiche and he’s singing about loving the Lord instead of grovelling to satan
Lou Reed
5/5
beautiful and devastating; they were right to take her children away, though, at least until she cleaned up
Stevie Wonder
4/5
pretty perfect except every now and then it slides too close to jazz fusion for me to take
Pantera
2/5
i like the idea of metal but in reality it almost always sucks
Black Sabbath
2/5
there’s a cool vibe and a few unbeatable riffs but a lot of it’s boring and you know what? concerning Lucifer: fuck around ➡️ find out
Nirvana
3/5
it’s sad and awkward to watch this poor troubled man try so hard to be something he is not
Songhoy Blues
4/5
i love this stuff but it does get a little monotonous in heavy doses
The Rolling Stones
5/5
an astonishing alignment of talent, culture, and commerce, it’s just too bad it’s completely possessed by the demonic energy of the 60s
Björk
3/5
just not for me but it’s nice that she’s trying
Arcade Fire
2/5
it’s fine it’s just a bit too theater kid for me
Bee Gees
3/5
+1 for being ambitious chamber pop, -1 for being a “concept” album
Tom Tom Club
2/5
pretty charming but also pretty boring
Finley Quaye
4/5
i never heard of this till now which is illuminating because it’s pretty great
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
rich, almost too rich
Kings of Leon
3/5
it’s pretty good but i only gave imperial bedrooms a 4 so it gets a 3 because it’s not as good as imperial bedrooms (which really could’ve been a 5 since i gave f@$&in’ finley QUAYE a 4, i don’t know why, i was feeling generous that day)
The Incredible String Band
2/5
yeah no
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
sadly, the greatness of this music seems to be inaccessible to me
Koffi Olomide
4/5
love the hypnotic interwoven intricacy of melody & rhythm
The Cure
5/5
a perfectly realized artifact that spawned a million sad imitations
2/5
like a slightly weird guess who
Talking Heads
4/5
some real bangers here but side 2 is a bit of a drag
The Who
4/5
a solid effort and the singles are bangers but except for quadrophenia the who were just never a 5 star band
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
the orchestration’s pretty cool
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
2/5
wicked cover
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
i would probably be more into this if i listened to it more closely but who’s got the time?
Pixies
4/5
yeah yeah it’s great but there’s something dead about it, they’re holding back, they’re too clever
Pentangle
3/5
i can tell this is special but folk, like country, very rarely moves me deeply, it usually sounds like a LARP
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
sometimes it seems like the guy who wrote this book just picks something inoffensive from the past decade so as not to be accused of being out of touch with the times
Frank Zappa
1/5
ugh, prog
Charles Mingus
4/5
jazz is a challenge for me but this is powerful
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
pretty flawless for what it is but what it isn’t is ambitious, still a solid 4 star banger
The Undertones
4/5
pretty great, maybe 4.5 but not 5
Richard Hawley
4/5
hard to believe he wrote some of these songs, they seem like eternal standards
The Kinks
4/5
half killer half filler but there’s something lovable about the kinks no matter what they do
Jane's Addiction
3/5
pretty massive riffs but i hate the degenerate attitude so much
The Youngbloods
2/5
this doesn’t offend me but i don’t think i’ll ever listen to it again
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
the singles are so good but there’s a lot i’m skipping on here plus just don’t ever do a “concept” album
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
man this record is so dense and spooky it would be a solid 5 but sometimes it feels like a bad trip
Traffic
2/5
not for me
The United States Of America
2/5
one of the cool things about 60s music was the unbridled excitement and innovation, one of the sad things about that is how silly and boring it can be
Machito
3/5
yeah okay fine
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
top-flight hooky math rock
Nirvana
4/5
the melodies and arrangements are everything, cobain almost kills it with his miserable nihilism, God bless him
The Rolling Stones
5/5
the devil doesn’t have the best songs, but these might be the best he can do, so look but don’t touch
The Coral
2/5
i didn’t like this record and i’m surprised it seems to be rather well-regarded
Sonic Youth
2/5
ugh, where to start? sonic youth are so deeply fake, there’s nothing real happening here
3/5
it’s hard to dislike early 70s funk rock
Wire
4/5
the original waves of punk/post-punk were so rich and diverse
The Cult
4/5
this was a very bold move at the time, pre-grunge nobody was mixing punk & classic rock, it’s obviously a bit cringe in places but duffy is a rock god and astbury means every stupid word he says
Milton Nascimento
3/5
this seems cool, but it doesn’t really light my fire
Sepultura
4/5
solid and refreshingly unsatanic
Bob Dylan
4/5
the seeds of greatness are here but he’s too self-conscious and clever, he has yet to suffer for real
SZA
1/5
not for me
Big Black
1/5
1 idea, and not a very good one
Queen
3/5
i managed to get this far without a relationship to queen and although this was better than i expected i believe i will
continue to keep
queen at arm’s length, no hard feelings
Marvin Gaye
4/5
i’d love to give it 5 stars but sometimes it veers into self-parody
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
thought i would hate this but to be fair it’s pretty great being what it is
Slayer
3/5
they seem like nice young men but with rare exceptions metal just sounds lame to me, it’s never actually heavy or scary
Mylo
2/5
i bet this is really groundbreaking
David Bowie
2/5
this album really shows how little one had to try to achieve “significance” in rock music, depressingly degenerate
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
they really invented their own sound i just can’t abide that loser vibe
The Auteurs
4/5
really good, hooky & literate
i don’t even need to listen to this whole record again to know it’s a 3
Joni Mitchell
3/5
i can see why people like this and if i gave it enough time i’d probably like it more but the smooth jazz vibe sets my teeth on edge and joni’s voice has always bugged me so no
Bauhaus
4/5
sui generis
Super Furry Animals
4/5
solid, hooky, i couldn’t understand the lyrics but i bet they’re very clever
D'Angelo
2/5
wow, that’s a lot of slow jams
George Michael
1/5
ugh no
Dagmar Krause
2/5
this wasn’t on spotify but the description i read of ms. krause’s work makes me certain i would’ve given this 2 stars at best
Talk Talk
4/5
really exquisite, so much so it’s almost frozen
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
it’s surprising how flaccid some of this stuff is
Nanci Griffith
2/5
this didn’t grab me but it didn’t piss me off or anything
The KLF
2/5
one joke
R.E.M.
4/5
listening to early REM is almost too painful, their fall was so precipitous and so absolute
Foo Fighters
3/5
hard to hate but hard to love
Scissor Sisters
1/5
nah
Ms. Dynamite
1/5
not for me
DJ Shadow
4/5
a very fine example of what this is
Jane Weaver
4/5
sometimes i hear stuff on this list that’s new to me and it just seems like garbage but sometimes i hear stuff that’s new to me that’s really cool
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
i don’t want to have to listen to this so i’ll just give it a 3
Neil Young
4/5
i have a great affection for NY even though or perhaps because he often seems like a complete tool
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
yeah this is cool and i know it’s significant but it’s still a 3
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
it’s kinda wild how many songs i know from this album without ever owning it or playing it myself
Silver Jews
3/5
this is probably fine but it also seems clever but not catchy enough to account for the cleverness
Ramones
5/5
we were a real culture once
Quicksilver Messenger Service
1/5
my heart sank when i saw this record and my fears were justified, a very sorry collection of smelly 60s noodling
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
nah, i'm not playing this shit and it’s mostly just the title
Isaac Hayes
5/5
five fuckin stars
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
the production on this album is kind of mental
Iggy Pop
4/5
good but not as good as people want to think
The Flaming Lips
3/5
i dig the wide eyed punk rock hippie vibe i just don’t dig the songs that much
Fairport Convention
4/5
very rich and deep
Little Richard
3/5
ah geez it’s kind of just one tune, isn’t it?
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
CCR is a 5 star band with no 5 star albums
The Specials
3/5
give them points for trying
Funkadelic
2/5
i was looking forward to this but it just didn’t do it for me
The Smiths
4/5
the highs are so high but there are enough mids here to knock off a star
Big Star
3/5
it takes a certain kind of man to drink the big star kool aid and it seems, after many tries, that i am not that kind
Stereolab
4/5
so distinctive and many bangers but sometimes boring, too
David Bowie
4/5
such a leap forward from trash glam
Dire Straits
4/5
gorgeous super dry late-70s late-night production like you’re smoking cigarettes in the booth with just the light from the desk lamp on
Randy Newman
4/5
has the unique power of offending everyone while at the same time making everyone feel like he’s on their side
XTC
2/5
proggy new wave for incels
Brian Wilson
2/5
i hold mr wilson in very high esteem but this record is fkn annoying
The La's
2/5
wow that one song is so
much better than everything else on this record
T. Rex
5/5
ridiculous and deeply moving, macho and completely fey, all at the same time
The Cramps
3/5
super cool but that’s it right? garbageman is the only essential track
Queen Latifah
2/5
i’m fond of this pre-gangsta era of hip hop but i’m not that fond of this record
Fatboy Slim
3/5
i want to like it more than i do but there’s something embarrassing about it
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
i would have expected this to be better than it is, all texture no tunes
Goldie
2/5
i’m sorry i don’t really know what’s supposed to be good about this
Sugar
4/5
okay, i liked this a lot more than i remembered, dude has a near peerless command of melody
John Lennon
2/5
it’s nice that he’s trying so much stuff but his smug lyrics and politics are top-level cringe
Björk
2/5
i can see someone really loving this, maybe a chick
Korn
1/5
ugh so shitty
The Verve
3/5
i love what they’re trying to do i just don’t love the songs that much
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
what for?
R.E.M.
4/5
the transition from one the greatest alternative bands of the 80s to one the most insufferable mainstream bands of the 90s, still
more the former than the latter but you can see where they’re going to go wrong
Can
2/5
ugh, hippies
Beck
4/5
a lush bittersweet mournful vibe
Tears For Fears
3/5
the singles are far and away better than the rest of the album but the singles are really good
Cocteau Twins
3/5
cocteau twins made some of the most heavenly music ever created with electric instruments and voice - and then they made this slightly shimmery restaurant music
Fiona Apple
3/5
i can see someone liking this a lot but it’s not for me, we’re ships passing in the night, Godspeed ms apple!
Tim Buckley
2/5
yeah i have no doubt the boomer hipsters dug the shit out of this at the time
Elvis Presley
4/5
it’s Elvis so it’s golden but they really tried to crush him with the material and the arrangements and it was going to get worse before it got better
Happy Mondays
3/5
yeah not great but hard to hate
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
more to be admired than enjoyed
Solomon Burke
3/5
such an incredible talent but the material - like so much in the 50s & early 60s, in all pop genres - is so constrained, almost ritualized, and safe
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
kind of like barbershop, really
a-ha
2/5
take on me is great the rest is not very good
Hookworms
2/5
is this anyone’s favorite album?
The Everly Brothers
3/5
their exquisite harmonies can make the most mediocre material a pleasure
Pink Floyd
2/5
ugh
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
the singles are spectacular but there’s a lot of undercooked filler to be sure
Faith No More
2/5
kind of like vanilla ice sitting in with primus
4/5
so good but the material is a bit of a straight jacket
Stevie Wonder
3/5
wildly creative and superstition is a banger but it’s just too corny
Queen
2/5
i’m not sure what’s supposed to be good about this
Leonard Cohen
2/5
just barely on the wrong side of “is this genius or is this crap?”
Frank Ocean
3/5
worth a deeper listen
The Monkees
2/5
nobody would be happier than i to find a monkees record to be an underrated gem but this just isn’t
2Pac
2/5
the whole concept of gangsta rap is so vulgar and retarded that it completely spoils whatever legitimate talent might have been involved
Radiohead
4/5
a great record almost completely dragged down by narcissistic miserablism
Sepultura
3/5
too many parts
Supergrass
4/5
pretty skillful shit
The Young Gods
4/5
whenever i listen to this band they’re my new favorite band
Jeff Buckley
3/5
he seems like a nice man but maybe a bit much
Eagles
4/5
like minor gods, mighty but not transcendent
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
like smoking a joint under an oak tree in the sun
Stereo MC's
3/5
nothing earthshaking but it’s a nice vibe
David Crosby
2/5
can you imagine what it must’ve been like to be an adult when these ridiculous children started to run the world?
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
A for effort but i’m probably never going to play this again
Super Furry Animals
3/5
super clever and i bet they would be my favorite band if i wasn’t me
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
i kind of believe these guys are smart and good at what they do i just don’t give a shit about what they do and figure we’d be just fine without it, ymmv
The Crusaders
4/5
my scientologist brother the drummer would have described this as “tasty”
Missy Elliott
2/5
nope
Sam Cooke
3/5
maybe it’s heresy but i like the studio sam cooke better
Pere Ubu
2/5
i remember what it was like, you’d get a cool riff and then you’d fuck it up for no particular reason except to make it artier
2/5
it’s not on spotify and i can’t be f#@ked to look for it anywhere else, knowing xtc is probably give it a 3 but i’m taking off a star for making me hunt for it
Adele
3/5
extremely competent
Haircut 100
1/5
i kind of dig their sweaters
Giant Sand
3/5
seems like a likable guy
The Triffids
2/5
a little too tasteful for my taste
Coldplay
3/5
criticizing coldplay for being tame, derivative, and middle-of-the-road would be like criticizing starbucks for selling lattes
Tom Waits
4/5
somehow beautiful, funny, scary, and sad at the same time
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
mclaren had a beautiful anarchic creative spirit but he was also kind of silly
Tito Puente
3/5
not for me but at least a three
Neneh Cherry
2/5
probably a good example of what it is but what it is is not for me
The Byrds
2/5
ugh it’s so fake
The Stone Roses
4/5
ghostly and crystalline
Fleet Foxes
4/5
pretty beautiful
Elliott Smith
3/5
clearly inspired but a bit up his own ass
The Monks
2/5
oh geez this is a fine little curiosity but i’m not going to sit through it again
Beastie Boys
3/5
bursting with annoying 20 year old kid creativity
Lana Del Rey
3/5
i dig lana’s vibe but it’s also kind of boring sometimes
Ute Lemper
2/5
i dreaded this when i saw it but a couple of tunes turned out to be okay
Beatles
4/5
there’s something so silly about popular music, even when it’s so well-crafted
Joanna Newsom
1/5
i have a feeling it would’ve been a 2 or a 3 but maybe it would’ve been a 4 or a 5 but i’m giving it a 1 because it’s not on spotify and it’s not because i think so highly of spotify because i don’t
Slade
4/5
i really wanted to give these guys 5 stars out of the gate but the fact is the poor bastards couldn’t be expected to write a whole album, they get 4 stars for the singles and the cover
Yes
1/5
ugh, prog
Ghostface Killah
2/5
it’s hard for me to look past how gross and stupid so much of this sounds
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
nope
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
top level bruce is unsurpassed but let’s be honest, sometimes he just kind of warbles along
Mariah Carey
1/5
sorry
The Lemonheads
4/5
what a vibe
Slipknot
1/5
nope
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
bummer, i was hoping this would be an overlooked gem
Soul II Soul
2/5
ugh, maybe i’m just sick of this list
Primal Scream
2/5
fuzzy and smelly and not that good
Willie Nelson
4/5
each track is perfect but a whole album at once is a bit much still who am i to quibble with genius
Soft Machine
1/5
feeling more and more like almost all music produced since 1965 is just crap
Girls Against Boys
3/5
these guys had one really good idea but that idea was a straitjacket that stopped them from writing more good songs than boring ones
CHIC
4/5
not my scene at all but it’s still genius
John Lee Hooker
2/5
there are so many great hooker recordings out there why in the name of God would anyone choose this overproduced overwrought dreck?
The xx
2/5
kind of a cool vibe but i don’t dig the 21st century r&b vocal style it just ain’t my bag
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
hypnotic
Kate Bush
3/5
hard to hate kate but this seems like an inferior retread of hounds of love
MC Solaar
3/5
it’s french so naturally it’s kind of ridiculous but i like that it’s not just a lot of sociopathic chest thumping like most american hip hop
Tom Waits
3/5
it’s pretty good but i don’t think it’s as good as people think it is
The Replacements
3/5
it’s fine but it’s just an appetizer to Tim & Pleased To Meet Me
Kanye West
2/5
i don’t care why this is supposed to be so good
David Bowie
3/5
awesome vibe but the only track i ever want to hear on this is heroes
Gene Clark
3/5
i bet this is better than i think but i’m blazing through an album a day and i’m afraid i’m missing out on some of the subtler ones, the price of our accelerated age!
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
pretty great, bummer about all the drugs though
Motörhead
4/5
poor lemmy
Common
2/5
i dislike all the coarse language
Screaming Trees
4/5
God gets mentioned more than I remembered, so sad about dear Mark
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
they did what they set out to do which is be edgy and annoying but Maps is a goddam gorgeous song and redeems the rest of it
Dr. John
3/5
love that echoey sixties production and it’s a real vibe but except for gilded splinters it’s a bit of a snooze
Happy Mondays
1/5
not even as good as that happy mondays record that isn’t very good
Van Morrison
3/5
i love the idea of van morrison but…
Femi Kuti
3/5
Dolly Parton
2/5
they have beautiful voices that sound nice together but the material is meh and the production is airless
Paul McCartney
2/5
airless and dull
Herbie Hancock
3/5
not the kind of thing i’m going to slap on for fun but it’s skillful and accomplished
Leftfield
3/5
it’s got a couple of bangers
1/5
ugh, prog
Dennis Wilson
3/5
it’s good. he sounds sensitive. the arrangements are tasty. i probably won’t play it much
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
i guess it’s okay. the dude sounds a lot like the dude from the strokes. i guess if i’d heard this before i heard the strokes i’d say the guy from the strokes sounds like the guy from franz ferdinand
Taylor Swift
3/5
this kind of music is just not for me but i think she must be a great songwriter because i really like the ryan adams version and miss swift wrote all the songs
Mj Cole
2/5
no no no no no not for me
Rage Against The Machine
1/5
i just fkn hate rage against the machine, the music is dumb jock rock and the lyrics are so fkn stupid, champagne socialists, whatever man
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
he seems like a nice man but i don’t hear a single
Kraftwerk
3/5
i feel fond of kraftwerk and i don’t know why because i don’t actually like the music and they’re harbingers of the transhuman apocalypse, but there we are
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
the slacker thing still bugs me but there’s no denying these guys created a whole world that was unique to them
John Martyn
2/5
listening to this record made me wonder if i should keep doing this
Robert Wyatt
2/5
it’s odd because i feel nostalgic for this lost world but it’s also so shitty
Pere Ubu
2/5
when i was a teenager i admired everything weird, off kilter, noisy, or absurd, now that i’m older i find most of it facile and annoying
Prince
4/5
so many different sounds and ideas, driven by such incredible musicianship, with so much passion and exuberance - i take off a star for some of the gross smut though, i don’t give a shit
Boards of Canada
3/5
i love the idea of this record i just don’t love listening to this record
The Pogues
5/5
i’ll admit i can only take so much of this at once, but that’s not a judgement on the achievement
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
tragic in every way
Merle Haggard
4/5
like the blues classic country always sounds a bit fake to me, but it’s just because they’re working in a very strong tradition
The Strokes
3/5
it’s got hooks and charm but it’s so sick and degenerate it’s kind of a drag
Snoop Dogg
2/5
cool beats & music but so crass and stupid, i know that’s why people like it but not me
The Waterboys
3/5
a double album of this stuff is a bit much
Baaba Maal
3/5
i normally love this kind of stuff but maybe i need to listen to this more, it didn’t immediately grab me
Patti Smith
2/5
dear Patti, Jesus did die for your sins, and for everyone’s
The Byrds
2/5
the byrds had those dylan covers - not sure they even play on those - and they have eight miles high - other than that…there’s an awful lot of the worst kind of pretentious 60s naïveté
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
creative and passionate but it’s all so on the edge it’s like an emotional jackhammer
Scritti Politti
1/5
i just hate the shit out of this record and i always have
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
5/5
okay the problem with buddy holly like so many of the giants is that they’re playing in such a tight tradition it can’t help but sound kind of gay here and there but, regardless, this is Buddy Fuckin’ Holly
4/5
would be ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ if they had stuck with the production from the first record but i think they got scared
Britney Spears
1/5
i’m not going to listen to listen to this and i’m still going to give it one star
Garbage
2/5
i thought this might turn out to be a guilty pleasure but it’s just greasy and neurotic
Death In Vegas
4/5
degenerate, borderline satanic, but catchy
Boston
1/5
there’s something really gross about this record and i can see why cobain was embarrassed by his association with it
The Beau Brummels
2/5
great production, no tunes to speak of
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
about 59 songs too many
The Fall
4/5
i have to get over my antipathy to fans of the fall because the band’s actually pretty great
Prince
4/5
all the pervy shit kind of grosses me out but that’s kind of a stupid thing to hold against prince
Mike Oldfield
1/5
is anyone going to listen to this? who would listen to this whole record?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
inspired but so obviously the production of a nihilistic heroin addict it’s hard to take now
The Rolling Stones
3/5
there must have been something wrong with the old world that something so undistinguished could have brought it all down
Common
3/5
stands out for being a thousand times less gross than most of the hip hop on this list
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
dude’s got a great voice and i dig the horns &tc, it’s a very specific proto 70s vibe
Peter Frampton
2/5
i never got why this album was so huge and listening to it again has not illuminated the question
Black Sabbath
4/5
so strange and creepy and naive
Blur
3/5
blur had some tunes and it’s nice to see someone taking a swing but it’s funny anyone took their grandiosity seriously
PJ Harvey
5/5
harrowing and inspired, she sacrificed herself on the altar of the sexual revolution
Caetano Veloso
4/5
very nice, he gets an extra star for the Hail Mary
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
a couple of catchy tracks, maybe it’s groundbreaking in a way that’s invisible to me?
The Smiths
3/5
love the smiths but this isn’t great, they sound tired
David Bowie
5/5
this album is the definition of a vibe
Peter Tosh
3/5
mildly diverting but nothing earthshaking
Queen
2/5
i guess you had to be there
Le Tigre
2/5
imagine being the dude in this band
Ray Price
5/5
a really great example of itself
Nas
3/5
it seems better than a lot of post-80s hip-hop because it’s not so obviously psychopathic but there’s still so much fucking swearing
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
an album like this really makes it obvious how this dude just made up a list of almost random “significant” records cobbled from other sources and peppered with contemporary critical favourites in order to seem “relevant”. all well and good but makes the whole enterprise a bit of a slog
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
great tunes but that vocal style is a bit much for the long haul (see also dead kennedys)
Guided By Voices
4/5
frustrating but peerless
Buck Owens
3/5
probably better than i think it is at the moment but i’m not in the mood
Iron Butterfly
2/5
i can’t bring myself to sit through this
5/5
one of handful of rock and rollers with a credible claim to being remembered in 100 years
Bob Dylan
4/5
five stars for anyone else
Led Zeppelin
4/5
i can’t tell if it’s a 3 or a 5 so i’m giving it a 4
The Libertines
3/5
i don’t know, it’s probably a 3
4/5
i mean it’s probably a 5 but i only gave blonde on blonde a 4, so…
Chicago
2/5
2 stars for the horns
David Holmes
3/5
i’ve got a soft spot for these 90s big beat guys but this is less memorable than most
Elvis Presley
5/5
whatever man it’s elvis
Eminem
1/5
going through this list has finally convinced me that hip hop is shit, i wasn’t sure before, it’s kind of nice to know
Carole King
4/5
compared to some of the other shit that passes for art on this list i’m inclined to give it a 5 but on the other hand it’s still not really my kind of thing so i’m only giving it a 4
The White Stripes
5/5
i was gonna give this 4 because, you know, 5 is a lot, but this is a really great record and a very fine example of itself
1/5
not listening to this because i’ve been grossed out by the fucking stupid title since it came out
Björk
2/5
if you’ve ever met this kind of chick before you know they’re insufferable
Kings of Leon
3/5
like the hillbilly strokes
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
so many swears
The Residents
1/5
i don’t have anything against weirdos but why would i listen to this shit?
X-Ray Spex
3/5
solid first wave punk, the sax is the good kind of sax, which is hard to pull off
Jack White
3/5
it’s weird because the thing i like about it - that it isn’t “about” anything - also
makes it kind of hollow
John Lennon
2/5
i’ve really come to hate the sixties and the trajectory of lennon perfectly describes why
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
it seems fine, not really my bag
Christina Aguilera
1/5
ugh no sorry
Madonna
3/5
better than i expected but i’m not sure how much of that is due to madonna
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
i thought i’d hate it more than i do but still i’m never going to play it again
Throwing Muses
4/5
it’s not on spotify and honestly i can’t be fkd tracking it down but i remember digging it and the one track i could find just now was good
Brian Eno
4/5
not as good as roxy but still better than you’d expect
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
he has a way with melody and the orchestration is nice
Sonic Youth
3/5
sonic youth are almost unbearable but this record is as close to bearable as they get
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
i’m not going to nitpick this is a stone masterpiece
The Temptations
3/5
beautiful production & orchestration
The Jesus And Mary Chain
5/5
even the boring songs are perfect
William Orbit
3/5
fine i guess
Bert Jansch
2/5
i can see this being a huge treat for folk guitarists but i found it to be a big snooze
Dusty Springfield
4/5
some of the material is kind of boring but her voice & the production is just exquisite, what a vibe
Röyksopp
3/5
i don’t know, is this special? it doesn’t seem that special to me
Nick Drake
5/5
so sad and beautiful
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
yeah sorry they laid on the twee a bit thick
Pink Floyd
4/5
so wildly creative but the craziness is kind of scary it’s like being high in the middle of the day and wondering if everybody knows
Tangerine Dream
2/5
ugh why did people do this??
4/5
such a specific vibe and such a great sound but sometimes pj seems to rush her lyrics out
The Darkness
2/5
i didn’t like the original shit this shit is based on, it’s mostly the dude’s voice though
Johnny Cash
5/5
5 fuckin’ stars
Björk
2/5
not everything creative is bearable
Morrissey
4/5
morrissey is a 5 in my esteem but each individual morrissey record is a 3 or at most a 4
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
ugh, prog
ABBA
2/5
i’m not opposed to the idea of abba but i’m surprised this particular abba record is on this list because it doesn’t have any of the good abba songs on it
Air
3/5
it’s a nice vibe but in the Age of Spotify am i going to listen to it enough to make it a favourite? probably not
Beastie Boys
3/5
definitely a young man’s record, so many swears, probably 20 minutes too long
The Prodigy
2/5
unimpressive
Public Enemy
3/5
hard to live up to a nation of millions but miles ahead of most other people
Madness
4/5
only 3 of them are on spotify but that’s fine, probably best in small doses
Ozomatli
3/5
it’s either shit or it’s okay i’m undecided
Underworld
4/5
pretty good for this kind of thing weirdly it still sounds like it was made by people
Green Day
3/5
it’s kind of like nirvana it doesn’t matter how catchy the songs are if it’s really popular it’s not punk rock
Cee Lo Green
1/5
i don’t care i’m not listening to any more of this shit
System Of A Down
1/5
a lot of popular music is just nihilistic claptrap
3/5
i’m giving this 3 stars because i have a soft spot for art college freaks, but i’m probably never going to listen to this again because it’s boring
CHVRCHES
3/5
some uplifting tracks, not really meant for me
Eurythmics
3/5
i’m not going to listen to this, i don’t give a shit, it’s probably fine. going through this list has made me realize there are barely 100 albums i need to listen to before i die, let alone 1000
James Taylor
3/5
beautifully recorded, fire and rain is a pretty sweet track you’ve got to admit
Beatles
3/5
the great songs are great but it’s half filler, i don’t care what Mojo says
The Afghan Whigs
5/5
exceptional in every way, the most obviously underrated band of the 90s
TLC
1/5
nope
Hüsker Dü
3/5
this album was the definitive evidence that it pop hooks alone didn’t make Husker Du great, they needed the fury too
Tortoise
2/5
i don’t know, doesn’t seem like much
Everything But The Girl
1/5
God bless them but everything about this is so terrible
Yes
1/5
ugh, prog
Robert Wyatt
1/5
i’m not going to listen to it because of the name, plus the other robert wyatt was an unconscionable yawn
The Who
3/5
the who had some great riffs and a unique sound but a lot of filler especially some of those rock “opera” tracks, ugh
George Jones
5/5
it’s probably a 5 fuck it, it’s a 5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
i knew a girl who recited the “lyrics” of Religion as her (successful) audition to theater school; my sole contact with her now is to occasionally check her Facebook posts to see what cringey hyper-woke position she is taking today; this has taught me much about my friend, about PiL, about theater school, and about God; “Public Image” is a fucking banger, though
Soundgarden
5/5
really the only problem with this album is it’s too long, but should it lose a star because it’s an embarrassment of riches? not in this man’s army!
The Band
3/5
it’s a tough call because the band were completely fake but they were trying to be completely authentic and somehow every once in a while they succeeded
The Yardbirds
2/5
it’s not surprising when young men devote themselves to self-satisfied hedonism, the surprising part is when mature men let them
T. Rex
3/5
the slider is a triumph this is just amusing
The Cure
3/5
there’s something instructive about the way the cure became famous just at the point when they became less interesting
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
very nice but honestly if it weren’t for the title track would we give a crap?
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
hasn’t aged well, dumb in a dumb way
Steve Winwood
2/5
A lot of really gross sounds
PJ Harvey
3/5
i feel sorry for polly
AC/DC
3/5
if you hate this you probably hate rock and roll but i’m no longer sure i don’t hate rock and roll at least a little bit
Neu!
4/5
most hippies are so horrible but these hippies are all right
Devendra Banhart
3/5
i can’t be bothered. it’s probably fine
Joe Ely
3/5
it’s fine
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
it’s so creative and they’re full of that wild young talent but there’s something sickly decadent at the heart of it, it feels like you took something you wish you hadn’t but it’s too late now
Crowded House
1/5
i don’t care
Simply Red
1/5
no
Roxy Music
5/5
some things just come from God, we don’t know why
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
she had a pretty voice and she could open her heart but really it’s just that one song, right?
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
peak costello, his songwriting would get even more intricate and allusive but here it’s the perfect marriage of new wave hooks & wordplay
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
this is probably awesome. i really dug that massive attack remix of whatever it was from about 30 years ago. but it’s not on here
The Velvet Underground
1/5
i used to love this album so much, what the hell was wrong with me? just a sordid celebration of the degraded and grotesque, everything ugly and filthy all the time
Marianne Faithfull
1/5
God bless her but i’m so tired of the complaints of sad junkies who chose the left-hand path
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
i can see exactly why this album came to be considered an “overlooked classic” and it’s not unconnected from why i don’t like it, plus, god, that guy’s voice
Emmylou Harris
3/5
it’s lovely but very much of its time
5/5
to so perfectly stand on the razor’s edge with God on one side and complete bathos on the other is a feat only true heroes can attain
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
5/5
i don’t know if i like the band but the guests and the material rate five fuckin’ stars
Sonic Youth
1/5
the most obviously overrated band in a genre with no shortage of overrated bands
Kanye West
1/5
he did as much as anyone could do it’s not his fault this entire musical genre is the most vile trash
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
sorry, can’t stand his voice
The Sugarcubes
1/5
ugh so twee, and that fucking trumpet
Talking Heads
5/5
the peak of something that’s gone
N.E.R.D
2/5
it’s fine but i was fine not knowing about it, too
The Rolling Stones
5/5
the rolling stones were magnificent specimens of something very gross and vile
Thelonious Monk
5/5
i never listen to jazz but this is serious so 5 fuckin’ stars it is
Sabu
1/5
i don’t know, bongo rock got five stars and this gets one, everything doesn’t have to make sense
The Gun Club
5/5
not enough stars for this one, God bless you Jeffery Lee