1069
Albums Rated
3.57
Average Rating
98%
Complete
20 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
271
5-Star Albums
51
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tank Battles
Dagmar Krause
|
5 | 2.13 | +2.87 |
|
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
|
5 | 2.23 | +2.77 |
|
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
|
5 | 2.28 | +2.72 |
|
Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
|
5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
|
Suicide
Suicide
|
5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
|
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
|
5 | 2.55 | +2.45 |
|
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
|
5 | 2.58 | +2.42 |
|
Chelsea Girl
Nico
|
5 | 2.63 | +2.37 |
|
Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
|
5 | 2.66 | +2.34 |
|
Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
|
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Eagles
Eagles
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Risque
CHIC
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
Teen Dream
Beach House
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
The Real Thing
Faith No More
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
|
1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
|
461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4.86 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 5 |
| Brian Eno | 5 | 4.8 |
| Tom Waits | 5 | 4.8 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 4.8 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.57 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 4.44 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 4.5 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.75 |
| The Kinks | 4 | 4.75 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 5 |
| The Velvet Underground | 3 | 5 |
| Roxy Music | 3 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.5 |
| Neil Young | 4 | 4.5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 4 | 4.5 |
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 4.5 |
| Queen | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 4.67 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 4.67 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 4.67 |
| Can | 2 | 5 |
| Mudhoney | 2 | 5 |
| Spiritualized | 2 | 5 |
| Wilco | 2 | 5 |
| Grateful Dead | 2 | 5 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
| Big Star | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| The Jesus And Mary Chain | 2 | 5 |
| Curtis Mayfield | 2 | 5 |
| Muddy Waters | 2 | 5 |
| M.I.A. | 2 | 5 |
| The Clash | 2 | 5 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 5 |
| Lou Reed | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.17 |
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 4.2 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.25 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.33 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
| Elvis Presley | 3 | 4.33 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.33 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.33 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 3 | 4.33 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Steely Dan | 4 | 1.5 |
| Happy Mondays | 2 | 1 |
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer | 2 | 1 |
| Kings of Leon | 3 | 1.67 |
| The xx | 2 | 1.5 |
| Slipknot | 2 | 1.5 |
| Everything But The Girl | 2 | 1.5 |
| CHIC | 2 | 1.5 |
| Doves | 2 | 1.5 |
| Eagles | 2 | 1.5 |
| The The | 2 | 1.5 |
| Morrissey | 4 | 2 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| U2 | 2, 4, 1 |
| Kanye West | 2, 5, 4 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4, 3, 2, 5, 5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4, 2, 3, 1 |
5-Star Albums (271)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Basement Jaxx · 6 likes
1/5
England, why do you keep hurting me?
Dexys Midnight Runners · 4 likes
2/5
I am a little baffled as to why this band has 3 albums on the list. I found this album to be a little tiresome.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band · 4 likes
5/5
Man oh man, this is a wild album and I really liked it. It’s a hallucinatory journey through Americana.
The Psychedelic Furs · 4 likes
5/5
I’ve become kind of allergic to the phrase “New Wave” as this project has gone on, given the number of English synth bands from the 80’s I’ve endured. I’d heard of this band, but never listened. All of this made for a very pleasant surprise. This album is super interesting and has all kinds of weird, rough edges and an artsy sensibility. It reminded me of Roxy Music a little.
The Libertines · 4 likes
3/5
Not bad. Entertaining lyrics and a fun, ramshackle style.
1-Star Albums (51)
All Ratings
Black Sabbath
4/5
Frank Zappa
5/5
Queen
4/5
Q-Tip
4/5
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Daft Punk
3/5
Travis
1/5
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Pavement
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
The Waterboys
3/5
Air
5/5
Sepultura
3/5
Raekwon
4/5
The Smiths
2/5
The Cure
4/5
The White Stripes
4/5
John Martyn
3/5
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
Talvin Singh
4/5
Deee-Lite
3/5
Common
3/5
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
Mercury Rev
5/5
Patti Smith
5/5
Bad Company
3/5
Sepultura
2/5
SAULT
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Little Simz
4/5
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Motörhead
3/5
Aerosmith
2/5
John Coltrane
5/5
Radiohead
5/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Nirvana
5/5
3/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
Pink Floyd
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
U2
2/5
Willie Nelson
3/5
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Hookworms
2/5
Peter Frampton
2/5
Missy Elliott
4/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Eminem
3/5
Morrissey
3/5
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Fela Kuti
5/5
Can
5/5
Yes
2/5
Frank Ocean
4/5
Mudhoney
5/5
Dr. Dre
4/5
Primal Scream
3/5
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Kate Bush
4/5
Otis Redding
5/5
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Brian Eno
5/5
Living Colour
3/5
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
The Doors
4/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Milton Nascimento
4/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
Pixies
5/5
Blur
4/5
Genesis
2/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Gary Numan
4/5
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Stereolab
5/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Tito Puente
4/5
Arrested Development
3/5
Dire Straits
2/5
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Gene Clark
4/5
Soft Cell
2/5
Santana
3/5
Kraftwerk
5/5
The Velvet Underground
5/5
The Sonics
4/5
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Public Enemy
3/5
Buzzcocks
4/5
Carpenters
3/5
Shack
1/5
2/5
Talk Talk
2/5
Sex Pistols
4/5
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
James Brown
4/5
XTC
2/5
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
The Killers
2/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Steely Dan
2/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
2/5
The Who
3/5
Cream
3/5
Suede
3/5
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Funkadelic
4/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Simple Minds
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Talking Heads
5/5
Brian Eno
4/5
3/5
Songhoy Blues
5/5
Supertramp
4/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
The Replacements
5/5
Don McLean
2/5
Beck
4/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
The Jam
2/5
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Public Enemy
3/5
B.B. King
4/5
Parliament
5/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
The Stooges
5/5
Tears For Fears
2/5
Radiohead
4/5
The Cramps
4/5
Elbow
2/5
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Os Mutantes
5/5
The Youngbloods
2/5
Judas Priest
3/5
Carole King
3/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
Various Artists
4/5
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Spiritualized
5/5
Solange
4/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
Fleet Foxes
2/5
T. Rex
4/5
Radiohead
5/5
Ray Charles
4/5
The Pretty Things
3/5
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
MGMT
2/5
Tom Waits
5/5
The Temptations
3/5
JAY Z
4/5
The Fall
2/5
LL Cool J
4/5
Wild Beasts
1/5
The Kinks
5/5
Dead Kennedys
5/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
Radiohead
4/5
Ute Lemper
3/5
Throwing Muses
3/5
Al Green
5/5
The Pogues
4/5
Lightning Bolt
4/5
Moby
3/5
James Taylor
2/5
Big Black
4/5
Funkadelic
5/5
Elastica
4/5
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
5/5
The Prodigy
2/5
AC/DC
3/5
Red Snapper
3/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Pulp
3/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Saint Etienne
2/5
Metallica
4/5
Wilco
5/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Grateful Dead
5/5
Liz Phair
4/5
Harry Nilsson
5/5
The xx
2/5
The Saints
3/5
Jurassic 5
3/5
Syd Barrett
3/5
Rush
3/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
AC/DC
3/5
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Portishead
4/5
Tom Waits
4/5
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
Guided By Voices
5/5
Nas
5/5
Marilyn Manson
3/5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Jeff Beck
2/5
Steely Dan
2/5
Mudhoney
5/5
The Charlatans
1/5
You fucking kidding me with this?
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Some classic tracks, for sure, but a bit of an uneven album.
Paul Weller
2/5
Not much to recommend here. It’s got kind of a soft rock, pseudo blues thing going on that really just kind of annoyed me.
Slipknot
2/5
At times, this was just kind of generic speed metal and I would think it was fine, but definitely not for me. Then, it would veer into nu metal melodrama and I could not stand it. Another baffling inclusion on the list.
The Beach Boys
4/5
What a quirky little album. There are a couple of throwaway songs on here, but overall, I found this album to be charming and when it really hit for me on songs like Long Promised Road, Disney Girls, and Til I Die, I loved it. Definitely holds up to anything else from this era.
Willie Nelson
5/5
I don’t know what I could write here that has not already been written. This album is perfect and it’s beautiful. The mood it sets is so evocative that this album feels much longer than it’s runtime, but in a good way. You are transported when you listen to it.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Ghostface at the top of his game and some all time classic tracks.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I am not sure there is enough variety in musical styles to justify the bloat of this album. There is some amazing stuff on here, with songs like Sweet Black Angel, Loving Cup, and Ventilator Blues standing out to me. I’ve never been as high on Shine a Light or Soul Survivor. It’s a good album. I can’t say any of the songs are bad, but this album just seems like a lot of variations of the same thing and that might be the idea, but it doesn’t resonate with me as much as other Stones albums.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Didn’t expect to like this, but what can I say? When something kicks ass, it kicks ass.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Pleasure to listen to. Cool and breezy. Makes me feel like it’s the 60s. I just had 3 gibsons and a wedge salad and am ready to take my Seconal before bed.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Sheer perfection.
Pearl Jam
3/5
I get the landmark status of this album, but the vocals are just not for me.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Just a lovely collection of songs with a really interesting lyrical tension from song to song. It’s really a fascinating album. There are very light and beautiful melodies juxtaposed against some pretty dark and even bitter lyrics. It’s as good as Dylan gets.
Bobby Womack
2/5
I am not very familiar with Bobby Womack and do not know if this album is a great example of his body or work. I suspect it is not, but either way, I did not care for this. It’s a very slick 80s production that just does not appeal to me. Other than Womack’s voice, which is indisputably great, nothing here engaged me.
The Cure
4/5
Destiny's Child
3/5
Catchy tunes. Great harmonies. Not exactly my thing, but I get why this was so popular.
k.d. lang
3/5
KD Lang has an incredible voice, but this album was just a bit too adult contemporary for me. I found it to be somewhat lifeless.
Hot Chip
1/5
Fuck right off with this.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
1/5
I have never heard of this, although I kind I remember that Scooby Snacks song being sort of a hit. Regardless, this sucks. I am not going to bother looking anything up, but I assume these guys all met at a frat party. Juvenile lyrics, boring instrumentals, this is just a completely disposable bit of music.
Thin Lizzy
5/5
This album rules. Might be the best way to introduce someone to this band.
The Avalanches
2/5
Some solid grooves and interesting samples. Pleasant enough, but not super engaging.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the softer numbers, but overall, I still feel like Rod Stewart is pretty bland and whitewashed blues.
Dolly Parton
5/5
Just 28 minutes and every song is a classic.
Cheap Trick
5/5
This is exactly what you want from a live album. It’s crackling with energy
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
4/5
I really enjoyed this album. At times, it can be harrowing, but it can also be beautiful and funny.
Ian Dury
3/5
The Go-Go's
4/5
Rahul Dev Burman
4/5
I had a lot of fun listening to this. There is a great, pulpy feel to it
The Stooges
4/5
This isn’t quite as strong a set of songs as the previous two Stooges albums, but still, this is a visceral and rocking album.
Throbbing Gristle
3/5
I found this to be a challenging listen, but I also found it to be rewarding and very interesting.
Björk
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I think Creedence is underrated, in a way, because they have several hits that are fairly played out. Their run of great albums was remarkable and this album is fantastic all the way through. It has that typical swampy, garage rock-ish vibe and a great collection of songs.
Johnny Cash
5/5
This is one of those albums that is pretty hard to listen to objectively, die to its ubiquity and large footprint. It might be Cash’s most famous album and it also might be his best. One of those instances where the live versions of the songs are the definitive versions.
The Zombies
4/5
Just a gem of an album. Not all of the baroque, psychedelic pop of this era has ages well, but this is such a strong collection of songs. Just lovely.
MC Solaar
3/5
Well, I couldn’t understand any of it, but there is some impressive rapping here, nonetheless. Overall, I found this to be quite enjoyable.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Not bad. There is no doubt that this album is extremely well produced, has elaborate arrangements, and has very layered sound. This music is just a bit melodramatic for my taste.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
An excellent album. Higher and Everyday People are probably the best known songs, but this album rocks from start to finish. Loved the jam in Sex Machine.
Michael Jackson
4/5
This is a lot of fun and it’s certainly not hard to imagine why this was such a massive hit at the time. Personally, the ballads are not for me, but the rest of it was terrific.
5/5
This is incredible. Taking the historic status of the performance out of it, these are just phenomenal renditions of legendary songs. The electric set has a fierce energy to it, and which is aided by the what is perhaps the most overqualified backup group in history.
The Police
3/5
Police have always been kind of a meh band for me and this is their most meh album.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
This was pretty chill, but I did not find it particular engaging. It’s just not for me.
Adele
2/5
There is no denying Adele’s voice, but this is not really my style of music. I find it a little overwrought.
Massive Attack
3/5
Snoop Dogg
5/5
Mj Cole
2/5
This just isn’t for me.
Primal Scream
3/5
Big Star
5/5
Madonna
3/5
Baaba Maal
4/5
This album was entrancing and wonderful. What studio production and electronic additions there are, such as on Daane Lenol, are sparing and don’t get in the way of the songs themselves. Really cool syncopation between the guitars, throughout.
Queen
5/5
Just so, so good. This kind of hits all the marks for Queen. It’s got fantastic all out rockers like the opening track and Sweet Lady, English music ball homages, and Bohemian Rhapsody, of course.
Soundgarden
3/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
This completely rocks, although it’s unfortunate that Apple Music does not have the full version and I had to listen on YouTube with ads. I can’t hold that against the music, though. With great versions or his own hits, as well as some choice covers, this album has Jerry Lee Lewis as manic and wild as he will ever sound. In a lot of ways, Lewis was bringing a punk like swagger and attitude long before punk music came around.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Enjoyable, but a bit smooth for my taste. Obviously, Shining Star is a classic.
Radiohead
3/5
This has never been my favorite. I find the album to be a bit schizophrenic. There are some great songs, for sure. There, There and Where I End are standouts. Overall, though, this still seems like a bit of a letdown after Kid A and Amnesiac. Can’t really fault any band for a letdown after albums like that, though.
The Blue Nile
1/5
I mean, c’mon. What are we doing here? I really hope this band only has one album on the list.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
Exceptional hard pop-punk. This is a great collection of songs and it just rocks.
Radiohead
4/5
This is lovely and was a return to form after Hail to the Thief, but I still question giving one band 6 spots on this list. Regardless, this is an excellent album, if not quite as consequential as the band’s earlier work.
Beastie Boys
5/5
An all time classic that only improves with age. It’s like a high concept party album.
Maxwell
3/5
I really liked this at first, but the slower stuff wasn’t for me.
3/5
There is some cool stuff here, but I can’t see myself wanting to revisit this album. It’s a little proggy for my taste.
Fats Domino
4/5
Classic. Tons of fun to revisit.
Kate Bush
4/5
Madonna
3/5
The big hits from this album, the title track, Express Yourself, Cherish are all pretty great. However, I think there is some filler that is not super engaging for me. Still, I think as surprised at how well this album holds up.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
This was pretty enjoyable. Very laid back, but engaging.
Blur
3/5
I wonder if I would look more favorably on this album if I hadn’t already listened to so many lesser Brit Pop bands that came up on this list. I can certainly appreciate the humor on this album and the creativity, but it’s kind of meandering.
Brian Eno
5/5
I can’t be objective about this album. It’s one of my all time favorites. I love the dreamlike feel of it and I find new things in it every time I listen.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
This was great. It’s a great mix of varied covers and obviously, Harris’ voice is incredible. I loved these versions of Coat of Many Colors and For No One.
R.E.M.
4/5
I really enjoyed this more than I expected. It’s a dark, introspective album.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Parts of this I really liked. Other parts really sounded like 2000s emo to me. Maybe that means this band was ahead of its time. Regardless, I think this is an album I respected more than I liked.
Eminem
3/5
This was fine.
The Crusaders
2/5
I did not care for the very much. Way too much of a disco feel. Way too smooth. I can’t foresee ever wanting to revisit this album. I’ll credit them with being good musicians, though.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Excellent album. Helpless and Country Girl are standouts for me, but really, every song on here is a classic.
Beatles
4/5
Another one that’s pretty hard to listen to objectively. It’s the Beatles. I’ve been listening to this for my whole life. It’s not my favorite Beatles, but it’s great.
Pixies
3/5
I think this is a bit of a step down from their previous two albums, but it’s still a lot of fun and has some great songs. The opening trio of songs really kick things off with a bang. All in all, this is a really good album.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Joni Mitchell is an incredible songwriter and lyricist. There is a lot going on with this album. I wasn’t as into some of the jazzier arrangements, though.
Kanye West
2/5
I didn’t care for this at all. Super abrasive. I do wonder what I would have thought if I had heard this album prior to everything that’s happened with Kanye over the last several years, because in a vacuum, I think the content of this album would still make me think Kanye was an aggrieved megalomaniac. It m giving this an extra star only because I was impressed by some of the arrangements.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Another classic. This is just a great band and I love how their albums have no fluff.
Oasis
3/5
This was a lot of fun, but I don’t think it’s aged particularly well. This band’s lyrics are pretty silly and it’s just not that interesting to me anymore. Of course, my opinion is probably tinted by getting too many Britpop bands from this list, already.
Neil Young
4/5
I love this album. It’s got a lot of different moods on it and there is a warmth and humor to it.
Queen Latifah
3/5
It can be a bit of a struggle for me to rate stuff like this, because to me, it sounds pretty dated. There are some really good beats on this, for sure. I really liked the more reggae tinged numbers.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
5/5
This album just rules. Obviously, Christine’s Song is a banger, but the ballads rule too and I have always loved this cover of Dark End of the Street.
Garbage
2/5
In some ways, this held up better than I expected, but I think the songs get weaker as the album goes on. I think if they’d winnowed down their songs and made a 35 minute album, this might have hit me harder.
Meat Loaf
3/5
So cheesy and so fun. The title track really is where it’s at for me, but the ballads are good.
ABBA
3/5
There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to admit to himself that Abba is good. I’m not familiar with this album and it doesn’t have any of the bangers that I’m familiar with, but it’s a sweet album.
Miles Davis
5/5
Ethereal, evocative, atmospheric, and perfect.
Alice Cooper
3/5
This is cool for sure. I was into the whole cabaret, show tune kind of feel to it. Definitely did not expect West Side Story music to make an appearance.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
This was really terrific. I’d always heard that this was a cool band, but I was impressed by the scope of this album. The opening track and title track were standouts, but I really liked the psychedelic freak out on No Sympathy and also loved A Touch Sensitive.
50 Cent
2/5
This doesn’t really do anything for me, but it’s fine.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I love this album. It takes the kind of Phil Spector on acid sound of Soft Bulletin, but strips it down and gives it a metallic, futuristic sheen.
John Grant
3/5
I wasn’t sure about this album at first, but it grew on me as I listened to it. The lyrics are clever and often funny. Overall, this is a very interesting and honest album.
Scritti Politti
2/5
This was alright, but I am just not that into this kind of synth pop.
R.E.M.
4/5
This album is terrific. Loved the opening track.
CHIC
2/5
Enjoyable, but it is disco, which has to involve at least a one star demerit.
Iron Maiden
3/5
This is the second 80s metal album that I liked a lot more than I expected to. I really like the dual lead guitar that these guys do.
TV On The Radio
3/5
There are some hits and misses on this album.
Morrissey
2/5
I don’t know, but I just don’t get Morrisey.
Nick Drake
4/5
I had never listened to a whole Nick Drake album. There was more humor than I expected, but also the pathos and sadness that I expected. Really good.
Neil Young
5/5
What a fantastic, bitter, angry album. This one’s got it all.
Joan Baez
4/5
It’s not hard to imagine why this album was a big deal. Baez’s voice is unique and these are great interpretations.
The Smiths
2/5
There will be stretches where I enjoy this albums, but then Morrisey ruins it. I enjoyed the instrumental section of Death of a Disco Dancer, but then the next track was melodramatic rubbish. I’ve been trying to have an open mind and hear what so many other people hear, but I just don’t get Morrisey.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought this was a fake band in some square’s interpretation of what acid rock sounds like, like the band playing in the background of a hippie freak out episode of Dragnet or something. Actually, I know there is an episode of Dragnet like that and I’m going to check it out in case that music is better than this. Giving this an extra star for the drum solo.
Iggy Pop
4/5
I guess there are folks who don’t consider this a true Iggy Pop album because Bowie is all over it, but whatever. This album rules from start to finish. Love Nightclubbing and Dum Dum Boys in particular.
The Boo Radleys
4/5
My first genuine surprise in a while. I loved this album. It’s noisy and beautiful and lyrical. At any given time, it can give you great power pop hooks and loud, shoegazey instrumentals. Great stuff. I will listen to more from this band.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Not all of this album really engages me. Blue Rondo A La Turk and Take 5 are classics, obviously, and the former is very interesting, but much of the album is a little lounge-y to me.
David Bowie
3/5
I remember when this came out and being impressed by it even before realizing that it was a farewell. There are a ton of interesting ideas on this album. Ultimately, it will never rank amongst my favorite Bowie records, but I’m glad it exists. I think I’ll be listening to it more than I have been.
Love
4/5
This is a really cool album. It has a bit of a flower power sheen, but the lyrics are a bit stranger and even darker than you would expect. I couldn’t tell if I liked it at first, but after a couple of listens, I think this album is just full of ideas, excellent guitar playing, and deserves its status as a classic.
Justice
3/5
This is kind of cool. They mix dance music with more experimental sounds.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
I loved the first track on this album, but then the rest of it didn’t vibe for me as much. Just kind of smooth 70s folk rock to me.
Peter Tosh
3/5
A classic, for sure.
Elton John
3/5
I was pretty impressed by this, which I know is a silly thing to say about such a well known album. A lot of the songs deal with some pretty dark subject matter, but always with wit and humor.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
The Birthday Party
4/5
There is a lot to take in here. This music is kind of confrontational, but it’s always interesting. One thing I noticed was that Nick Cave’s later Grinderman albums seem to harken back to this frenetic and aggressive style.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
One of my favorite Zeppelin albums for sure. I like the folkier songs.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Pretty good. Definitely leans much more into straight soul than her earlier work and her backup band is very tight. However, I can’t help but feel like this is just a little bland.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Not bad. Passable funk. Perfectly enjoyable.
Suede
1/5
Overwrought and overly ambitious. I don’t think the band’s lyrics can back these arrangements up. This felt like listening to a soap opera. There were a couple of songs that were alright, though. Overall, there was nothing on this album that seemed significant to me and I’ve already largely forgotten it.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I went into this expecting some degree of bloat, it being a long double album. I guess it would be silly to say I was surprised at a Stevie Wonder Album being great, but I kind of was. There were a couple of tracks that didn’t hit me quite as hard and of course, some degree of cheesiness is just part of the Stevie Wonder experience, but overall, this is album is amazing.
Aerosmith
2/5
I just don’t like this band. It’s generic blues rock at best. It’s a mediocre bar band. The only reason this is not a one star album to me is because Sweet Emption is a good song and even that, I am not sure if I really like it, or just have good associations with its use in Dazed and Confused.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Not bad. This seems like kind of an interesting not quite metal, not quite grunge kind of style. Very ridiculous lyrics.
Manic Street Preachers
1/5
I had one album of theirs and thought it was alright. This was not. I found nothing about this to be compelling or noteworthy. This is another baffling inclusion.
Miles Davis
5/5
Sometimes, a classic is a classic for a reason.
Randy Newman
3/5
I really respect his ability to tell a story with each song.
Billy Joel
4/5
I liked this way more than I expected to. I’ve heard his big hits, but never sat down and listened to an album.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
This was really enjoyable. I love Sinatra’s take on the more well known numbers and the songs that were original for this session were really cool. Just a laid back pleasure.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Wow. I will admit that I didn’t know what to expect from an album at the end of a man’s life. This album is upfront and almost confrontational about it. It’s not bitter, though, just honest about regret and loss and love. This album is remarkable.
Björk
3/5
This was pretty cool. I did find the novelty of it mostly being voices to wear a bit thin by the end, but overall; this is a varied set of songs and is an incredibly creative album.
Gotan Project
4/5
La Del Ruso is the track that made this album click for me. I was enjoying the album, but nothing about it was a specially compelling to me as more than background music until the last 2 tracks and they are cool enough to elevate this album. In general, this is a cool mix of electronica Latin/South American grooves.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
In a lot of ways, this might be the quintessential Stones album. It’s lean, stripped down, and full of menace and snarl. Great album.
The Specials
3/5
Definitely a good time. I don’t really have much to say about this album.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Not bad. Cry Me a River is a banger. I think what I bump against on this album is that while I find the production interesting and creative, I don’t find Timberlake himself to be that compelling as a singer. Technically, he’s good, but I don’t hear a lot of originality. That makes it hard for me to listen to this and think it’s anything other than fine.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
I didn’t find every song on this album to be super engaging, but there is a lot of great stuff here. Lasidan and Keito are two standouts for me.
Nina Simone
5/5
Truly astounding. I actually think the songs songs being pulled from previous seasons is a strength of this album. The breadth and diversity of styles you hear in 40 minutes is incredible. Just greatness from start to finish.
Sugar
3/5
Loved this. Bob Mould just has such a knack for hard, great pop hooks.
Dusty Springfield
5/5
Elvis Presley
5/5
I think I was able to apply fresh ears to this one and I really got it. This album is crackling with energy and youth and it made total sense to me why Elvis became what he became. I know this seems like a pretty basic take, but I wouldn’t say that I was ever really an Elvis guy.
Beck
4/5
There are some fantastic songs on here, with Broken Drum probably being my favorite.
Ryan Adams
3/5
I thought this was pretty good, but I didn’t love it. It was a little poppy for my taste and honestly, I thought some lyrics were a little overly clever.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
5/5
It’s pretty easy to hear the influence of Buddy Holly in almost any rock or pop song. These songs hold up and have great hooks. The recordings are also interesting and more complex than you would expect. A bona fide classic.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
This album is amazing. Yeah, hot take, I know. This album is also horribly sad, partly because the issues that Marvin Gaye addresses on this album are the same now as they were then. This album is beautiful and it’s both a miracle and a tragedy that it was then and will always be the definitive statement on race and the environment in America. Such a bummer, such a great album.
Dolly Parton
3/5
This one was a little tough to rate for me. I went in with great anticipation. However, I don’t particularly like this style of neo Americana. The chemistry in this album is so strong, though, that I was on over, anyway. Each singer gets a chance to take center stage, but at all times, the harmonies are incredible.
The Who
4/5
Pretty great, but I think the songs get a little thinner in the last third of the album.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
I like Count Basie, but I don’t find these to be his most interesting or exciting compositions. Still very enjoyable, though.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
If you had told me that someone was making a bongo forward album of funkified rock covers, I would have said, “That’s a brilliant idea and there is no way for that to fail,” and I would have been right.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
This was a little smoother than I expected, but there is some cool stuff.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
This was pretty rad. Far out even.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Incredible album from start to finish. A true classic.
Heaven 17
4/5
Way better than I expected. Some pretty satirical lyrics and a harder edge than a lot of their peers that I’ve gotten on this list. In general, a very cool album.
Supergrass
3/5
This album starts out really strong, but I think there are a couple of lackluster songs towards the end that harm this album’s rating. Overall, though, these guys have a slightly glammy, irreverent sensibility that sets them apart and they have great hooks for sure. This is a really enjoyable album.
Jethro Tull
2/5
There are some things I can appreciate in this album. When they bring in some the more English folk styles, it can be pretty cool. However, I still find it to be a little much for me. Little too proggy.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I feel like giving this less than 5 stars would just be disingenuous. This album includes some of the Stones‘ most played out songs and I’m pretty sure I heard You Can’t Always Get What You Want in a BK commercial or something, but strip all of that away and these songs still hold up. This album is a classic.
2Pac
4/5
This was terrific and holds up really well. 2Pacs lyrics are incredibly self aware and the production of this album is great.
Robbie Williams
2/5
And here I thought Robbie Williams just made music for FIFA game menu screens. There is a fun energy to some songs here and some funny lyrics. Many of the lyrics are trite, though, and the ballads completely lost me. I found this fairly juvenile and inconsequential.
Yes
2/5
No
The Monkees
5/5
This absolutely ruled. I knew The Monkees were underrated, but this still took me by surprise. I loved every second of this album, even the sillier moments.
Prince
5/5
This album is just incredible from start to finish. When it comes to party songs, even ones that maybe got a little played out, you can’t do any better than the title track or Let’s Pretend We’re Married, but the down tempo numbers, especially International Lover, also hit.
Lorde
2/5
Lorde is an impressive songwriter, but this style of pop is not really for me.
William Orbit
3/5
I enjoyed this quite a bit. It starts out with a couple of tracks that have a bit of a dub feel and goes to some unexpected places after that.
Louis Prima
5/5
I had a blast listening to this. I really like how Louis Prima melds big band with more New Orleans flavored jazz. Just a great time.
Stephen Stills
3/5
There are a few terrific songs on this album, Love The One You’re With being my favorite, and Stills’ guitar playing is always interesting, but this album still didn’t do a whole lot for me.
Fiona Apple
4/5
The Police
3/5
I’m lukewarm on this band. I liked a few songs on this album, but could take or leave the rest.
Doves
2/5
This was enjoyable enough, but I doubt I will revisit it. A couple of the songs had a cool sort of loungey vibe. It’s definitely chill.
Supergrass
4/5
I enjoy their sense of humor and energy.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
If the mood is right, which it is on this rainy workday, this album hits pretty well. Love the production of it. It’s certainly not subtle, but I would not expect that from this band.
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
This was excellent. Atmospheric, kind of distant sounding. Like you were listening to it from the next room, but in a cool way. The originals and the covers blend into each other.
Ali Farka Touré
5/5
This ruled. I had another of his albums earlier and did not like it nearly as much. This album was haunting and hypnotic.
Dire Straits
3/5
This kind of reinforced what I thought about Brothers in Arms, which is that Dire Straits is more of a greatest hits type band to me. Each album has a couple of classics that I love, but I find the rest of the album to be perfectly enjoyable, but not particularly engaging to me. Sultans of Swing rules and I also quite liked the opening track and Southbound Again. The rest I can take or leave.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Even having some familiarly with Leonard Cohen, listening to this album absolutely floored me. Every song is a world unto itself. The imagery is vivid and tragic and beautiful. There just isn’t a songwriter like Leonard Cohen.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
These guys transcend the general distaste I have for a lot of British rock from this era that this list has exposed me to. I like the kind of gothic, epic scale of some of the songs. Cool band for sure.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Beatles
5/5
Maybe the hardest band to listen to objectively, with fresh ears. I love this album. I think the band was still evolving right up to the end.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
5/5
I love this. This album occupies a pretty unique space in modern folk with a distinct sound that’s neither old nor modern. I put Oldham up there with Tom Waits in his ability to write songs that sound like covers of traditional songs.
Bon Jovi
2/5
The hits are fun and familiar, but the rest of the album doesn’t do much for me.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
This is pretty good. I was pretty turned off by a lot of the dance oriented indie rock of this era, but this album transcends that for me. It still has plenty of the band’s original quirkiness and interesting hooks.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This album rules. I’ll be honest that Sabotage has gotten pretty played out for me. It’s been kind of ubiquitous in movies or NBA team intros for a while. However, that might be the weakest song on the album and that’s saying a lot. This album just rips from start to finish.
Sigur Rós
4/5
It’s been several years since I have revisited this album. I was a freshman in college when I discovered it, although it had come out 2 years before. I thought it was revolutionary then. All these years later, I still find it moving and beautiful at times, meandering and repetitive at other times. I think all of these things are true. I do think this album was revolutionary at the time, but maybe I don’t love it anymore. It makes it hard to grade objectively. There is a lot here to like and there still isn’t anything quite like it.
Fairport Convention
4/5
This was terrific. I preferred the English folk sound on songs like Genesis Hall and Sailor’s life to the American folk, but enjoyed the whole album.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
This album rules. I can hear this band’s influence all over the place. It has a cool feel throughout. I will definitely continue to explore this band’s music.
Gillian Welch
4/5
I had an expectation for how this would sound that was completely wrong. This album was somber and interesting throughout and the songwriting is excellent, especially the title track. Really good.
David Bowie
5/5
This album is an absolute masterpiece and I hear something new every time. The entire second side still blows me away and is just beautiful.
Kid Rock
1/5
This album might hold the record for how many times I checked to see how much time was left and boy was I bummed each time. What utter, irredeemable garbage. Wish I could give it 0 stars.
The Fall
3/5
I liked this quite a bit more than the last Fall album I had. Spoilt Victorian Child and I Am Damo Suzuki are great songs. Definitely a good album.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Every song on here is a classic. Great album.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
This was pretty enjoyable, but it was a bit much for me.
Leftfield
3/5
I liked this more than I expected to. I really don’t have a lot more to say than that. I had it in the background while I was working from home and it was engaging enough without distracting me.
Beatles
5/5
Such an interesting album in The Beatles’ career. It goes without saying that the songs are uniformly excellent, but what’s interesting about this album is that it kind of fills that space between their earlier career and the more mature studio experimentation to come. But none of that matters as much as how perfectly crafted and engaging these songs are.
Ozomatli
2/5
There is the skeleton of something cool in this album, an intestine mix of styles with eastern and western rhythms. However, the majority of this album is wrapped up in such a glossy and poppy package that there was very little for me to really enjoy outside of a few tracks. If there were a few more songs like Déjame en Paz or Ya Viene el Sol, for example, then I think I would have rather liked this album.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
This album is just so all over the place, but it is full of ideas. Can’t deny that. Can’t say that I really enjoy it, though. However, there are two obvious tracks with stand out, Solsbury Hill and Here Comes the Flood. That’s enough to keep this from being a 1 star album to me, but otherwise, I really didn’t enjoy this even if I get it.
Circle Jerks
4/5
This was great. Pretty pure distillation of this era of punk.
Aimee Mann
2/5
This was not what I expected. I think Mann’s lyrics are clever and the overall presentation of this album is chaotic and fun. Nothing really blew me away, though.
Stan Getz
5/5
Great vibes. Just a lovely, sleepy, breezy hang.
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
I had never heard of this and it really impressed me a lot. The songs are challenging and full of energy. The guitar playing is really creative and different. Very cool album.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Pretty challenging and diverse set of songs. I certainly liked it more than I expected, but I can’t see this being something I revisit often. At its best, there are some really cool grooves.
Cypress Hill
4/5
I had a blast with this. Just a lot of fun and great beats.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
This was not bad, but I think there are some pretty throwaway songs.
Norah Jones
3/5
I remember how ever present this album was when it came out. Listening to it now, it just sounds very safe and vanilla to me. Norah Jones has a great voice and maybe I just can’t hear this without remembering how it was in every coffee shop and seemed like it was played anytime I went to anyone’s parents’ house.
The Young Rascals
3/5
This was good. These guys kind of bridge the gap between garage and the more elaborate psychedelic pop. Some songs hit more than others for me and nothing really blew me away.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I like The Boss quite a bit, but I didn’t care for this album at all. I think there are some rather throwaway songs, like Countin’ On A Miracle and Mary’s Place. I also think that in a strange way, the production quality makes it sound more dated than the older records. That combined with a fairly neo-liberal message that also sounds incredibly dated make this album a tough go for me.
Slayer
4/5
This isn’t really my kind of music, but this album won me over. It is absolutely relentless.
The Stooges
5/5
This is a perfect album and it rocks harder than almost anything else from that era. There is just nothing else like this.
David Bowie
5/5
I used to think of this album as a kind of slighter version of its predecessor, but that’s wrong and more and more, I find myself preferring this album. It has a frenetic and sort of disjointed feel that work in its favor. The songs are pretty uniformly excellent and it’s just a blast. Great stuff.
Eagles
2/5
I’m on board with the title track being a classic and it’s kind of epic. Otherwise, the ballads on this album really don’t do anything for me I’d say I only really liked a few songs. Life in the Fast Lane was fun. Overall, I don’t really dig soft rock, I guess.
Minor Threat
5/5
I can only imagine how this landed back in the day. This album is absolutely thrilling and timeless. It just fucking rules.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
It’s really impressive that a band can take so much time off and come back with something like this. I don’t think that this album is as consistent all the way through as their previous album, but Loveleless is a seminal album, so I don’t expect a repeat of that.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
A really impressive debut album. One thing I appreciate about this is that I like a lot of late 60s folk, this album is very far from being overproduced or having too much additional instrumentation. Orchestration on this album is very spare. Sounds fade in and out and only ever accentuate Cohen’s voice and simple guitar playing. Stark and beautiful, this album just impresses me more with time.
Billy Bragg
4/5
This was really cool and I look forward to checking out more of his work.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
The Cure
4/5
Easily my favorite of The Cure records that I’ve received so far. This one is a bit more spare sounding and has a sweet vibe throughout. Very good.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Still resonant and brilliant and frankly kind of mind blowing.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
5/5
This just rules. I have always thought that this band’s music is deceptively simple. Lots of simple, 50s style rock and roll, but through a unique lens. On this listen, I stated to think of what Suicide did and I think there are a lot of similarities, even if the sound is not a one to one connection. Anyway, great album.
John Prine
5/5
John Prine has a rare gift for being able to tackle very weighty and political subjects, but remains heartfelt, unsentimental, but warm and funny. That’s a rare thing I think that’s what sets him apart from many of his peers. This is a special album.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
This is so good. Curtis Mayfield basically invented his own sound once he went solo and this record is maybe his strongest effort. The subject matter is a perfect marriage with Mayfield’s lush orchestrations, which were already cinematic on his earlier solo records.
Miles Davis
5/5
Simply incredible.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Anthrax
3/5
My initial take on this was that if there was no singing, this would rule. There is a lot of singing, though, and it’s ridiculous. Still a fun album, though, and the dual leads on guitar are great. There is a lot to like here and a fair amount of absurdity should be expected from this era.
Elton John
2/5
This was pretty hit or miss for me. Tiny Dancer is great and I really enjoyed the title track and Holiday Inn. Other songs weren’t as engaging for me and Indian Sunset is one of the more unintentionally racist, but well intentioned works that I have encountered in recent memory.
5/5
I will admit that this album got a little played out for me and I think I still prefer Aladdin Sane. Still, I listened to this with as fresh ears as I could and it’s pretty undeniable. The songs drip with creativity and ample greasy glam vibes. There isn’t a letdown to be had on the album and if the worst criticism that I can level is that I’ve heard it all too much, well, I certainly can’t fault the album for that. I guess this is the most backhanded 5 star review of that I’ve given thus far.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Just great collection of songs. Cecilia rules.
Sonic Youth
4/5
This kind of hits all the marks you want a Sonic Youth album to hit. It continues the band’s transition to more approachable songs, but it’s still a challenging and noisy album. I always preferred it to Goo and this listen reinforced my opinion.
The Stranglers
4/5
This album is a blast. There is a bit of a rowdy, kind of vaudeville vibe to these guys.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Enjoyed this one a lot.
Eurythmics
3/5
Kind of hit or miss, but there are some really cool tracks on here.
The xx
1/5
On Hold actually made me laugh out loud and is a good example of why I can’t stand this band. Juvenile, melodramatic lyrics mixed with over produced techno nonsense mixed with cutesy Indy pop bullshit. I tried to get into this band when they first came around and couldn’t. This album is even worse than I expected.
The Shamen
1/5
Hahaha. But no, seriously, what’s my album for today?
Miriam Makeba
5/5
Wow. Albums like this are what make me glad to be participating in this list. This felt like a real discovery for me. I loved this album. It’s so full of heart and is just beautiful. Also, One More Dance is hilarious.
The Byrds
4/5
I can hear this album’s influence all over the place. I think it’s really a testament to Gene Clark’s songwriting that his songs can stand right up next to Dylan covers. Definitely a pleasure listening to this.
David Bowie
5/5
This is just so, so good. This is kind of the Bowie album that has it all. You’re starting to get some of the more atmospheric, experimental stuff that’s coming with Berlin Trilogy, but it’s also funky and has that plastic soul sound. It’s a masterpiece from start to finish.
ABBA
3/5
I gave up a while ago. Abba is pretty good.
Pink Floyd
5/5
When this album hits, it hits really hard and even with the psychedelic music that came after, which this album either inspired or predicted, all of that pales in comparison. The juxtaposition of Barrett’s fairytale lyrics with dark and often chaotic jams still sounds really vibrant and creative to my ears now.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
This is great from start to finish. Full of humor and incredible beats.
Flamin' Groovies
5/5
This albums is a ton of fun. It’s super rowdy and just rocks in a pure, unselfconscious way. Total blast.
Hole
4/5
This took me right back to middle school, but I won’t hold that against the album. This music is a lot more nuanced than I remember, even as it roars and snarls. I think this album is a true classic.
New York Dolls
5/5
Perfection. This is somewhere between punk, glam, and metal and kills it however you choose to categorize it.
Orbital
3/5
Electronic music is really not my thing, but I enjoyed this well enough, for the most part. Kein Trink Wasser was a particular standout. Kind of a krautrocky, Steve Reich vibe.
SZA
3/5
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
This is the stuff that keeps me into this project. I have never heard of him, but the title alone was enough to make me assume I’d like this album and I sure did. Great energy, amazing groove.
Caetano Veloso
5/5
Totally killer. This album is all over the place in the best kind of way.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
This was the first Nick Cave album that I ever listened to and I think it’s a great place to start. It’s not as hard edged as his earlier stuff, but still has great intensity and really varied moods. There She Goes, My Beautiful Works and Supernaturally are two all time favorite songs of mine. There are only a few songwriters who can create their own worlds in each song and Nick Cave is up there with the best storytellers in rock. Incredible album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
This album is fantastic. It’s dark and moody with all of Nick Cave’s masterful storytelling that you’d expect. At times, it’s stunning.
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
This doesn’t do a whole lot for me outside of California Dreamin. The harmonies are lovely, of course, but I find the songs to be pretty trite and cover of Spanish Harlem is pretty whitewashed.
The War On Drugs
2/5
Easy enough to listen to, but I found it pretty dull and derivative.
Elis Regina
4/5
I used the playlist posted by someone in the reviews to listen to this. I really enjoyed this album. It’s a creative mix of genres and there is a ton of personality in Regina’s voice.
Machito
4/5
Maybe just a little cheesy sounding at times, but these are terrific, tight arrangements. Its big band meets Cuban and that definitely works well here.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Really cool. I would say that instrumentally, this album is great. Vocally, though, there is this undercurrent I’d really sophomoric humor that wears out its welcome a but. I can look past that though, in favor of some really loud, cool psychedelic blues.
Black Flag
5/5
I didn’t know I had such an affinity for 80s hardcore, but based on how my ratings are looking on this project, it looks like I do. This has all of the jagged edges and noisy interludes that you could ever want. Great stuff.
TLC
4/5
The only thing keeping this from being a 5 star album to me is a little letdown on a couple of songs post Waterfalls. The album finishes strong, though. Overall, this is a fantastic album with excellent songs and incredible production.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Pretty much quintessential Delta Blues that rips from start to finish. It’s easy to hear why this was so resonant at the time.
The Pogues
4/5
Always fun to listen to these guys.
Linkin Park
1/5
How can music be this loud and this whiny at the same time? I really tried to be as objective as I could and judge this music on its own merits, but I couldn’t find any. The singing is annoying as hell, the instrumentation is very dull and does not seem original in any way. The lyrics are asinine. Just dreck from start to finish. I could understand this resonating with a tween, but it just bothers me.
The Vines
3/5
Gene Clark
5/5
I love this album. It’s kind of Laurel Canyon meets prog. Gene Clark is a really good songwriter and an interesting singer. There are all kinds of moods on this album.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I have a deep ambivalence for Janis Joplin. On the one hand, she was a force of nature. Her stage presence was primeval and electric. Her voice is emotive and raw and it is fully a rock that paved the way for many others. On the other hand, she really doesn’t have a good voice. I don’t mean she’s a bad singer, as traditional vocal skill has nothing to do with a good voice or good rock and roll. I mean that when I hear Joplin, I really don’t enjoy her voice very much. So, I chalk this up as “I get why she was huge, but it’s not actually very good.” But rating this is hard because this album is very influential and Joplin is singular. The energy is undeniable, but is it any good? If I could give 2.5 stars, I would, as that is the way to rate something I am this torn about.
Beck
5/5
A melancholy and ethereal masterpiece.
Frank Black
4/5
Great album. Your typical Frank Black humor and pop hooks. Very little filler for such a long album.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
I love Neil Young, but not some of his later stuff. This one had escaped my attention and it’s fantastic. The band is clearly rejuvenated and trying to rock just as hard as their younger peers.
Sinead O'Connor
5/5
I remember how big a hit Nothing Compares 2 U was and I remember watching the legendary SNL appearance when it aired, but other than that, I only knew Sinéad O’Connor’s reputation as a fearless artist. So, this albums was almost completely new to me and I’m really impressed. The music is spare and haunting. There is nothing to mask the lyrics, which are sometimes brutal and always direct. You can tell that this is an uncompromising artist, but the music is sometimes beautiful and always direct.
Marianne Faithfull
5/5
This album is the embodiment of “zero fucks to give” and I absolutely loved it. Acerbic, clever lyrics and just excellent songs in general.
Goldie
1/5
I’m going to have to take this music genre’s fans’ word for it that this album was groundbreaking at the time. It really doesn’t do anything for me. I’ll admit that my ignorance of this genre means I have no context for what is so innovative about this album, but I just found it to be dull and loooooong. There are some really cool drumbeats and I guess that’s part of the point, but this sounds dated to me.
Scott Walker
4/5
This is a total blast to listen to. Lots of funny, sometimes bawdy stories and the kind of lush orchestrations that you hear in a lot of pop from this era, but rarely this clever.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I liked this more than I expected. I found the songwriting to be more compelling than my previous exposure to these guys had led me to believe was possible. Overall, rather enjoyable.
3/5
This was pretty different than I expected. In general, I preferred the more percussion forward tracks to tracks like Felicidade, which sounds more like just generic trip hop to me. Overall, this was alright, but not terribly interesting to me.
The Gun Club
4/5
This album is a classic. A fun melding of rockabilly and punk. Very unique and just great all the way through.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Paul Simon
3/5
I was already very familiar with this album and knew that to try and judge it objectively, I would have to set what I know about the production aside. I’m doing so, my first thought was that production wise, this album has not aged super well to me. It sounds very of its era, which means overproduced and shiny. Musically, there are a few terrific songs and a couple of throwaways. I’m not going to weigh in on where fusion ends and where appropriation begins, but once you start delving into the source material that inspires Paul Simon, it makes some of this seem less novel or interesting. Still, there is enough inspired songwriting to lift this album. It’s not bad by any means.
Genesis
2/5
I liked some of the songs, but it was all just too much.
Miles Davis
5/5
Just spectacular. Moon Dreams is absolutely beautiful and in general, this album is an amazing example of melding bepop with more complex compositions and arrangements. It’s a precursor to the explosion of jazz styles that were to come and it’s still thrilling to listen to today.
Grateful Dead
5/5
I’ve loved this album since I was a teenager, so objectivity is impossible. What I will say is that I could see the singing on this to be a deal breaker for new listeners. It’s rough. If you can get past it, though, I think this album does everything you want a live album to do. It’s high energy and acts as a time capsule. It’s considered a classic deservedly.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Fever is an amazing song, but I think this album is kind of spotty.
The Associates
2/5
There were a couple of cool instrumental interludes on this. Overall, though, this was very much not for me. The singing reminded me of a cheap David Bowie knockoff.
T. Rex
4/5
Prince
4/5
There is total brilliance all over this album, but to me, it can just be a little over the top at times. When it’s good, it’s Prince at his absolute best, but sometimes, in a strange way, it can sound more dated than earlier Prince albums. I think this is a clear “Your mileage may vary” situation. If someone thinks this is the best Prince album, I get it and can’t really argue, but it’s not my favorite. Still, when I try to be objective, I can’t really knock anything on this album and it definitely warrants the esteem it holds.
4/5
This album is great and is head and shoulders above this band’s peers from this era, based on what I’ve heard on this list so far.
Barry Adamson
4/5
This really added an air of suspense and intrigue to the spreadsheets I stated at for work yesterday.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Really interesting. Really cool. I had no idea what to expect from this and was pleasantly surprised when this turned out to be a rowdy, avant-garde take on punk. I will listen to more from this band.
Kings of Leon
2/5
There were parts of this that I liked. Sometimes, instrumentally, it was kind of a cool mix of Southern rock and 2000s NY rock scene sound. But I find the vocals almost unbearable and noticed myself disengaging from much of the album. I see why this band got big, but I didn’t love this.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Tons of fun. There is a great, sleazy vibe to this mixed with a campy cabaret vibe.
Nirvana
5/5
Robert Wyatt
4/5
At first, I thought this album was a little too proggy for my taste. As it went along, though, I got won over. The album is so strange and quirky that I haven’t very engaged with it. At times, it’s a bit of a challenging listen, but I found it to be rewarding.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Very enjoyable, but not super engaging to my taste. It’s nothing against the musicianship. It’s just not all that interesting to me.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
This was a surprise to me. I’ve always been pretty meh on LCD Soundsystem, but I really liked this. It’s a little darker than previous albums. The lyrics are pretty biting self reflective. Good stuff and super fun at the same time.
Faith No More
1/5
Is it wrong to judge a band by the terrible music it influenced? No, it’s not. This shit sucks.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
This was enjoyable. I liked Los Rancheros in particular. These guys have a kind of show tune punk thing going on.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
Interesting irreverence to this album and a fun kind of ramshackle sound.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Not really my favorite style of music, but the lyrical content is pretty interesting and the music was fun. I can’t see myself revisiting this, but I enjoyed it well enough.
Violent Femmes
5/5
Take this, mix it with The Feelies and you’ve got yourself some Weezer, who is shockingly not included in the 1001 albums, by the way. Anyway, not sure why that’s the first thing that occurred to me on this listen, but I think this band had an outsized impact. This album is great. I hear early punk, Everly Brothers, all kinds of stuff in really simple acoustic arrangements.
Bob Dylan
4/5
A real return to form and the production of this album really adds to the thematic elements that the album title alludes to. Dylan sounds like he’s communicating from a different time. However, a lot of the lyrics are very direct. Definitely a worthwhile and interesting album by an artist at something of a career crossroads.
Slade
5/5
Nothing but bangers all the way through. What a blast.
Ice Cube
4/5
The White Stripes
3/5
An interesting departure from previous albums. This has an endearing, ramshackle sound that lends itself to the style of music. Kind of like a loose gathering late at night. A very enjoyable album once you stop expecting it to be your typical White Stripes album.
The Human League
2/5
Not too bad. Not great.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I can kind of take or leave Tim Buckley. This is probably his best album for me and I liked it fairly well. Kind of a meandering affair, but it’s a cool vibe.
White Denim
2/5
These guys are great musicians, but this is just too proggy for me. It’s like Allman Brothers made by engineers. Still, not going to give this my 1 star kiss of death, as I can tell that this band is very good, just not for me.
Tricky
2/5
Pretty cool, chill vibe. Lyrics lean into shock value a little bit. Overall, not bad.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
I enjoyed this quite a bit. It was quite beautiful at times and the spare arrangements really allow you sink into the mood the album sets.
Blue Cheer
4/5
Pretty sweet. Kind of the ideal power trio sound and way more fun to listen to then, say, Cream.
Van Morrison
4/5
Classic album that for the most part, lives up to it.
The Band
5/5
There still aren’t really any bands that made new music that sounds like timeless Americana as well as The Band. This album was revolutionary in some ways and 100% still holds up.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
I think this album is a masterpiece. The orchestral sound belies simple and melancholy lyrics. Sometimes, the lyrics border on the inane, but I think that’s kind of why it’s brilliant. The album applies an epic scale to the trivialities of everyday life and its basic questions. There is nothing quite like this album.
Television
5/5
The first time I heard this, I thought, “Wow! A punk jamband.” That’s reductive, though. This band is really not like any other band and this album rules.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
A classic, but like many albums of any genre from this era, bloated and overly long.
The Who
4/5
A great document of the energy this band had in its prime. Sounds like a lot of fun to be there.
Dr. John
5/5
What a debut. This album is all greasy, swampy vibes and I love it.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Funkier than I expected.
Orange Juice
2/5
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
10cc
4/5
Wow. There are so many reasons why I should have thought this was too smooth, too proggy, and should have disliked this album, but I didn’t. The songs are super clever and play with their own structure. The lyrics are actually funny, which bands can often hit the mark on. Overall, a really fun album.
Bert Jansch
4/5
Gram Parsons
5/5
Britney Spears
2/5
Outside of the opening two tracks, there is not a lot to recommend here. The production sounds decidedly of its time and the ballads really drag for me.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Total classic. The music might be smooth, but the lyrics are biting and give the album a real edge.
GZA
5/5
Chicago
3/5
This album is at its best when it’s doing bluesy freak outs. Pretty enjoyable.
Ice Cube
4/5
Great album. A bit less of the misogynistic content of earlier albums, which can be a little tough to handle in a more modern context, and more socially conscious. Very energetic and exciting production and samples. Really good album.
Dwight Yoakam
4/5
There is something about the way the drums are mixed on this album that is just a little too crisp and sounds very late 80s to me. That counteracts and very strong set of songs a bit and slightly undercuts this album’s reputation as an arbiter of alternative country. Still, that’s a bit of a nitpick. I really enjoyed this album and can see how it helped spawn a lot of stuff that I also like.
Deep Purple
3/5
I’ll say it. Smoke on the Water sucks. However, the opening and closing track on this album rock pretty hard. I don’t hate this band as much as I thought I did.
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
Incubus
1/5
There is very little here for me to like. It’s just softer Nu Metal and the record scratching is laughable. As the album went on, my opinion of it just got worse and worse.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I really don’t ever need to hear Money again, but it definitely works in the context of the album.
Thelonious Monk
5/5
Masterful, complex, and a joy to listen to.
5/5
God I love this album.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Kind of interesting. This has a lot of Scott Walker vibes.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Not bad. Little over the top for me and his voice kind of annoyed me.
Animal Collective
5/5
A wonderfully strange album that is more refined than previous albums by this band. I love the earlier stuff, but this album is just a lovely vibe. Good stuff.
Germs
4/5
Punk at its most confrontational and rawness. Not always easy to listen to, but thrilling.
Foo Fighters
4/5
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
I was surprised at how well they pull this album off, considering the ridiculous ambition behind it. The album is cohesive and it flows through moods in an interesting way. Very impressive and I was skeptical.
Roni Size
3/5
Drums and bass all sounds the same to me and this struck me as no better or worse than the rest.
The KLF
2/5
I really didn’t care for this, but am giving it an extra star because I realize I am not being objective and apparently, this is a really important benchmark for electronic music.
Neil Young
4/5
Not my favorite, but a classic for sure.
4/5
PJ Harvey
5/5
What a bold and forceful debut. I loved this.
UB40
4/5
This was some very solid and enjoyable reggae.
4/5
Pretty rad. The production on this is fantastic and there are a lot of really cool grooves.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I thought it was a little funny to go from the world crisis issues raised on What’s Going On to complainant about paying attorney fees on this album. This is a very dark and bitter album, but it’s still full of soul and regret and it is still quite lovely. An interesting record, for sure.
Fishbone
2/5
I found this quite ridiculous, but pretty fun at times.
George Michael
3/5
Faust
5/5
De La Soul
4/5
Very irreverent and lots of good beats. This is definitely an enjoyable listen and I can hear fingerprints from this album all over the place.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
These guys are definitely a cut above most of their peers in this style of music. There was a lot of creative ideas on this album and a darker tone than some of their other work.
3/5
This album is pretty interesting. I could see pegging this band as pretentious, but I found this album to be pretty irreverent and that makes it much more approachable.
Deep Purple
3/5
I am all over the place with this band. There are stretches of this album that I really liked. At times, the album absolutely kicks ass. But then there will be some organ work that really kind of undercuts the heaviness in a way that I always have and still do bump up against.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
This had its moments. It’s kind of like a more lushly arranged, less serious Elliott Smith. I definitely liked some songs more than others.
The The
2/5
This just seemed like perfectly average new wave. It bounced off of me, but it was also perfectly fine.
Khaled
2/5
I had to listen to this on YouTube, which always starts me off on the wrong foot. There were a few cool songs on this album, but that Imagine cover was brutal.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Surprisingly, I found the title track on this to be the weakest. The rest of the album was very lovely. Very chill vibe with slightly free jazz like flavor.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
The only thing keeping this from 5 stars for me is the bloat at the end. Otherwise, this is kind of the quintessential Zeppelin album.
The Soft Boys
5/5
I loved this. It’s a really fun synthesis of new wave and psychedelia. I can definitely see why this band had an outsized impact.
Hawkwind
3/5
I had fun with this, but it got a little tedious. I didn’t hear a lot of variations in the songwriting and the whole performance kind of just ran together for me. Not bad, though.
Metallica
4/5
Yeah, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I’d always thought of this as the softer, kind of lame Metallica album, but it still goes hard when it needs to.
Van Morrison
4/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
This was ok. It had pretty clever lyrics, although they really kind of seemed like they were written by someone in college who is flexing with his liberal arts knowledge. Don’t know if that’s the case. If I want this kind of 80s jangly pop, though, I’d rather listen to REM.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
CHVRCHES
2/5
This is very much not my kind of music, but a couple of sounds kind of won me over. I thought Science/Visions was a standout. I doubt I will think about this album again after today, but for what it is, I think it is a good example of this kind of music.
Little Richard
4/5
Having not listened to Little Richard in a long time, what struck me this time is how much of this album is basically amped up boogie boogie woogie. That’s not a knock. So much rock is just a louder iteration on what came before. This album has a ton of energy and still resonates.
The Doors
4/5
I’ve often been less than charitable in my opinions on Jim Morrison, but I have this as fresh ears as I could and I have to give credit where it’s due. I still don’t think Morrison is a great poet, but I also don’t think that’s the point. The attitude and intent is the point and when it comes to that, this band pushed rock forward and Morrison created a new kind of front man. Still, End of the Night and Take It As It Comes are weak songs and drag the album down a bit.
Eric Clapton
1/5
I’m proud of the fact that I kind of hated Clapton even before COVID or really knowing anything about him beyond his music. I have always found him to be technically proficient, but dull. It’s blues for yacht clubs. This album leans more into soft rock territory than blues, but it is boring and I Shot The Sheriff is whitewashed dreck. There is nothing here for me.
The Libertines
3/5
Not bad. Entertaining lyrics and a fun, ramshackle style.
The Modern Lovers
5/5
Somehow anticipating New Wave before punk even happened.
King Crimson
2/5
There were some cool, intense spots, but they never lasted long enough.
Small Faces
2/5
Pretty meh to me. I enjoyed the whimsy and there are some cool ideas, but basically, it just made me want to listen to The Kinks.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
There is just nothing like this and I don’t know what I could say that hasn’t already been said.
M.I.A.
5/5
This is great. Love the beats and there is a lot of wit. It’s just a very engaging listen.
Morrissey
2/5
As usual, Morrissey just does nothing for me. There is no denying that he is a clever lyricist. He is absolutely distinct and sounds like no one else. He just annoys me.
The Lemonheads
3/5
This was OK. It kind of sounded like Teenage Fanclub to me, but not quite as interesting.
Mariah Carey
2/5
This is a tough one. Mariah Carey has a great voice, but this type of 90s R&B is just really not for me. I guess I can’t knock her for that, though.
Finley Quaye
3/5
This has its moments. Red Rolled and Seen stood out to me. His voice annoyed me a little, though. Overall, I thought this was solid dub, but nothing remarkable.
Weather Report
3/5
Tim Buckley
2/5
I was not a huge fan of this. I find it to be a little overly dramatic and overly busy.
The Monks
4/5
A pretty wild, freewheeling album. This album has a very outsider feel to it. It’s crazy what these guys came up with and how it seems to have nothing to do with the rock or their era.
Billy Bragg
5/5
Pretty much the best case scenario for creating a new Americana style of music while still being yourself.
George Harrison
4/5
This is a fantastic set of songs. However, I can’t give it 5 stars because I don’t get the 3rd LP. I will say that I love the rest of the album enough that I had some goodwill towards Eric Clapton once the jams start, but it just doesn’t fit.
The Byrds
3/5
A little spotty, but there are some gems on here.
The Young Gods
4/5
Skepta
4/5
Prefab Sprout
1/5
This could not be less appealing to me. I found it to be really, hilariously sappy smooth. I don’t get this album’s significance at all.
Kanye West
5/5
I think this is a true masterpiece, which can be hard to say now that Kanye is what Kanye is.
Meat Puppets
5/5
Fuck yeah. I was so happy to see this on the list. This is a great mashup of a lot of stuff that I love. Just an acid fueled backyard singalong vibe.
Haircut 100
1/5
During the first track, I thought this would be alright, but then the soprano sax kicked in and the album annoyed me more and more as it went on until I couldn’t wait for it it to be over. Just more new wave white boy funk garbage. Get this the hell out of my ears.
Aphex Twin
4/5
Wire
5/5
Totally unique and awesome.
Astor Piazzolla
5/5
This was fantastic. I thought that at the very least, I’d be exposed to some tango and it would be cool, but this was much more complex than that. These are intricate compositions that cover a wide breadth of styles.
Elvis Costello
4/5
A classic. I don’t love Elvis Costello’s later stuff, but this holds. It’s a unique, angsty kind of punk that was very unique at the time.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
When the band stretches out and rocks, this album is sweet. I didn’t enjoy the ballads as much, although I really enjoyed Embryonic Journey.
Einstürzende Neubauten
4/5
Wow. This was a challenging listen and I think that’s by design. This is abrasive, confrontational, and ugly. I really enjoyed it.
Napalm Death
4/5
A full on assault and I mean that in the best way. This is like adrenochrome for ears. Can’t say this is something I am always in the mood for, but it’s great for what it is.
Dagmar Krause
5/5
I had to listen to this on YouTube and it was the English version. I came to appreciate that, though, because these songs are incredibly biting, funny, and satirical. I felt swept away to Weimar Germany by Dagmar’s voice.
Michael Jackson
5/5
What’s there to say? A game changer and a classic.
Beth Orton
3/5
This was a little uneven to me, but it had its moments. At time, it’s pretty straightforward pop-folk and at other times it will have more electronic or trio hop stylings.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
There is just something about late 80s production qualities on blues and country that I really feel ages them. This is entirely too slick and the reggae influenced song seems laughable to me now.
FKA twigs
4/5
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
A modern masterpiece and a perfect album.
Laibach
3/5
Truly ridiculous, but I think knowingly. I had a blast listening to this and laughed out loud multiple times. Now, is it GOOD? Tough to say.
Gorillaz
5/5
Just a really weird and cool mix of styles.
Jack White
3/5
It’s tough for me to say that Jack White really needs his solo album on a list that already includes multiple White Stripes albums. Still, this is a diverse and interesting set of styles. It’s quite enjoyable.
Madness
3/5
Good time for sure. There is some interesting stuff and Our House is an 80s standard.
Motörhead
5/5
Everything you need a live album to do. The band sounds incredibly tight and the energy is through the roof.
Talking Heads
5/5
To me, this is the quintessential Talking Heads album. The band is completely locked in and while the interlocking parts are complex, the band grooves really hard. I love this album.
John Lennon
4/5
I like this album a bit less than Plastic Ono Band, but this still contains some raw lyrics and excellent songs. Ironically, the title track is probably the weakest link.
The Fall
4/5
Steely Dan
1/5
I still find these guys incredibly tiresome, the more I hear them. There is a bit more prog rock styling on this album, which doesn’t help its case for me. The rockabilly styling on the opening track was an immediate turn off.
Happy Mondays
1/5
Do you ever fantasize about being able to go back in time to experience the high points of musical history? Maybe it’s the 1920’ with jazz and speakeasies, or NYC in the 70s and CBGB. What about Swinging London in the 60s? All of that would be incredible to witness. Anyway, this album sucks ass and I am glad 90s rave culture passed me by. Good riddance.
Ramones
5/5
The best. It’s just rock and roll and nothing else.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
This was pretty good. Very clever and political lyrics, good beats, although none that particularly stood out.
John Martyn
3/5
This album grew on me and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.
R.E.M.
3/5
The Who
3/5
Certainly a classic album and I think the best form of eye operatic style The Who had adopted.
Brian Wilson
5/5
It’s kind of a miracle that this album was finished and it’s a pretty remarkable call back to Wilson’s younger years. Amazing.
New Order
3/5
Not too bad at all. Kind of like a moodier Pet Shop Boys, although I know these guys predate them by a fair bit. This still isn’t really my kind of music, but this was very listenable.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Really fun and a great representation of this era.
Missy Elliott
5/5
A unique and fantastic hip hop album.
Soul II Soul
2/5
This seems like an influential R&B/dance record. Easy enough to listen to, but far from my favorite type of music.
Kraftwerk
5/5
Michael Jackson
3/5
There are some incredible highs on this album, with the opening two tracks and Smooth Criminal being the obvious standouts, although do I think that about the latter because of the video? Maybe that is baked into the MJ experience, though. However, the ballads don’t do much for me and I think this is not on the level of Thriller.
2/5
Not bad, but the last couple of songs bored me. Enjoyable enough Zombies-ish pop.
Alice Cooper
5/5
So sweet. I think this is kind of the quintessential Alice Cooper album with all of the vaudeville and horror imagery that it entails.
The Icarus Line
3/5
This band was clearly very into Spacemen 3 and you can hear it on Big Sleep. Still, this is pretty mediocre.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
The perfect live album and a great encapsulation of the breadth of Neil Young’s styles.
U2
4/5
Crazy to think about how confrontational and hard U2 could get compared to what they are now. This is a great album with only a couple of down tracks for me. Sunday Bloody Sunday is an incredible opener and New Years Day is a classic.
The Undertones
3/5
Roxy Music
5/5
Pure sleazy, art rock party music.
a-ha
2/5
I thought it was very courteous of them to put the hit song as track 1. Other one hit wonders should take note. This is almost a 1 star album, but I am giving them a star because Take on Me is fine and because I think courtesy should be rewarded.
Def Leppard
2/5
This is pretty damn cheesy and poppy. The didn’t fund this particularly interesting nor did it rock as hard as I hoped it would.
R.E.M.
4/5
This seems like a slightly lighter affair than previous albums, but there were several songs I liked a lot, especially in the back half. These guys are pretty much alway enjoyable for me and they always deliver solid to excellent songwriting.
The Prodigy
3/5
Definitely of its era and definitely some hard rage music. I had a pretty good time with this, but was pretty worn out on it by the end.
Kings of Leon
2/5
I get why this really hit when it did, with the indie rock backlash against 90s pop happening. I also appreciate the more Southern bent of this band and I certainly like this album more than their later stuff. I still don’t like it that much, though, and I think the lead singer’s voice is my main issue with this band.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Kind of an interesting bridge album between the garage blues and the post Brian Jones era. He’s still all over this album, but it’s clear that there is a sea change occurring.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Ananda Shankar
4/5
The two covers on this album sound very silly to me and set my expectations for this album very low. But then eye album got better and better. Metamorphosis was thrilling and Sagar was incredible. If not for those dumb covers, this would have been an easy 5 stars.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Simply incredible. There is still some of the simpler, less significant Beach Boys sound here, but the arrangements are complex and gorgeous. There is a real Wall of Sound vibe and much more lyrical sophistication. I listened to this twice in a row.
Barry Adamson
4/5
This was great, but I think a couple of the more trip hoppy numbers kind of made it drag a little. Otherwise, it was challenging, disturbing, and moody.
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
I had never heard of her. I thought this was excellent. Her songs are extremely forthright and honest.
Megadeth
3/5
1/5
Truly awful and even worse, boring. 75 minutes of a talentless, loudmouthed crybaby whining about how misunderstood he is, backed up by the same guitar riffs over and over again. I will say that with America’s political landscape in 2024, this album is prescient. This is music for aggrieved, infantilized, white men. It’s trash music with no redeeming value.
Ice T
4/5
The United States Of America
4/5
The Psychedelic Furs
5/5
I’ve become kind of allergic to the phrase “New Wave” as this project has gone on, given the number of English synth bands from the 80’s I’ve endured. I’d heard of this band, but never listened. All of this made for a very pleasant surprise. This album is super interesting and has all kinds of weird, rough edges and an artsy sensibility. It reminded me of Roxy Music a little.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Sinatra is one of those artists where it almost doesn’t matter what you think of them individually. These are all classics of the American songbook and these are definitive and timeless versions of them. It kind of transcends pop music to just being part of the fabric of history and culture. I don’t mean that in an aggrandizing way. It’s more that Frank Sinatra and especially this version of him is just there.
Fela Kuti
4/5
I love Fela Kuti and this album is great. However, I do think the addition of Ginger Baker in the second half bogs the rhythm down just a little and makes everything sound a tad busier.
Bad Brains
3/5
I liked this alright. Little cheesy.
Cat Stevens
5/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
5/5
Classic standards that sound fresh and vibrant.
The Doors
5/5
Portishead
4/5
Discomfiting and challenging, this is easily the most interesting Portishead album that I’ve heard.
Tina Turner
4/5
A little slick, as one would expect from this era. However, Turner’s voice is still powerful and her passion carries through. It’s also an interesting choice of covers. Good album for sure.
Pink Floyd
4/5
This is probably the only rock opera or rock concept album that I think really sticks to its guns the whole way through. That cuts both ways, as the second LP is a bit more challenging and disjointed, but by design. This album remains challenging and deliberately off putting at times.
The Pharcyde
4/5
This ruled. Really funny lyrics and great beats.
Sam Cooke
5/5
Fantastic energy and I love how present the crowd is in the mix.
Bauhaus
5/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
This is a really interesting album in that it’s significantly more approachable than earlier Sonic Youth, but it’s still a long ways off from the more direct songwriting to come. I love this band and I think this album deserves a little more attention.
The Clash
5/5
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
This is not too bad, but not mind blowing in any way. I guess I might lean towards wanting more old fashioned production for this style of music, as I found some of the production styles to give this a little bit of an easy listening vibe.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Much of this album was a great, big pile of meh to me and the sampling of old recordings was downright cheesy. However, the last third of the album had some good songs. I enjoyed Welcome and The Right Man a good deal. So, I think this album ended up being right down the middle for me. I’ll never love this kind of pop, but there is some cool stuff here.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
This is a fantastic album. Beautiful and dreamy, but maybe a little more approachable than Loveless if that’s what you’re looking for.
The Black Crowes
2/5
I can see how this would be refreshing in 1990, but it still just sounds like generic blues rock to me. It’s between The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith and it doesn’t really work for me.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Nothing about this made me mad, but I found it wholly unremarkable and pretty cheesy. Like I said in my review of their other album on this list, they just sound like a Scott Walker knockoff.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
You know, this might just be my favorite Zeppelin. It’s so much simpler and more stripped down.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Neil Young
5/5
This is one of my favorite albums of all time and this listen only reinforced what I love about it so much. The songs are simple and direct. While the subject matter is often insular, there is a worldliness and a weariness all throughout this album that makes it a classic to me.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Smooth and funky.
The Clash
5/5
What an auspicious debut. I was really struck by how self assured the band sounds already.
Bill Evans Trio
5/5
An incredible showcase of Scott LeFaro above all else. An essential live recording.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
Tangerine Dream
4/5
This is rad. Pretty dark and very atmospheric.
Cee Lo Green
4/5
Neneh Cherry
3/5
This album is super confident for a solo debut. I thought it was a pretty cool mix of styles that holds up pretty well compared to a lot of stuff from this era.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
5/5
Just posted phenomenal. These songs are moody and interesting. Of course, it’s all anchored by an all time rhythm section.
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
This had a pretty cool, lo-fi vibe and it was interesting hearing a perspective in hip hop that I’m not familiar with.
Rod Stewart
4/5
I kind of loved this album. It’s all the good stuff Rod Stewart brings to the table with little of the bad stuff. This has a really ramshackle vibe that makes the ballads especially powerful. Good stuff.
Pretenders
4/5
A fantastic debut album, but a couple of the slower numbers were not quite the ticket for me.
The Beta Band
4/5
This is a poppier version of the Beta Band and I like it a lot. Each track seems to made up of little vignettes that create a song when they are combined, which makes them quirky and fun.
The National
2/5
I’m not sure if there is another band that has received as many attempts by me to appreciate them as this band. There is just something about them, this album being no exception, that does nothing for me and in a way that I find very irritating. It’s hard to describe. Everything about them is completely competent, but I find the constant melodrama to be very off putting. Do I hate this? I don’t know. I’m definitely don’t like it, though.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
This album is a great time, but the non Bjork singing is ridiculous. This is kind of line a slightly dancier Siouxie and the Banshees.
Fugazi
5/5
This is as good as it gets. This album remains challenging and complex and thrilling. A modern classic.
Deep Purple
3/5
I still think Deep Purple is a deeply silly band. They can rock hard at times, but this is a little over the top and can get a bit wanky. It’s fine, it’s just really not for me.
Stereo MC's
2/5
Meh. This really is not my thing.
Donovan
3/5
I had to listen to this in a couple of sessions, because I started it when I was commuting home on the train and kept dozing off. That’s not really a knock on the album, but it does have a kind of sleepy, fairy tale quality.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
I don’t think there is anything particularly original about this album, but it’s very listenable, vaguely psyche-y power pop.
Sade
3/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
5/5
Man oh man, this is a wild album and I really liked it. It’s a hallucinatory journey through Americana.
Paul Simon
3/5
Paul Simon is always very listenable, but I’m not always in the same page with him as far as his whimsy.
Donald Fagen
1/5
Cool. Something I hate more than Steely Dan.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Not my type of thing at all, but the production is definitely really good.
The White Stripes
4/5
Fever Ray
5/5
I prejudged this poorly when I saw “Swedish electronic” in the description and I was wrong to do so. This was dark and weird and very cool.
Ash
3/5
This was not bad at all. Just really solid Brit pop with some punk to it.
Afrika Bambaataa
5/5
Inventive, raw, and exciting. I think these tracks have aged very nicely.
Brian Eno
5/5
If you listen to this backwards, it fucking rocks.
Beach House
1/5
This does nothing for me and if anything, I find it pretty annoying. For some reason, pretty much every dream pop band from this era evokes an unpleasant and visceral reaction from me.
Basement Jaxx
1/5
England, why do you keep hurting me?
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
There was was some cool stuff about n here. Maybe a little dated at times.
Julian Cope
4/5
Bill Callahan
4/5
This album is very gentle at times, but it seems be wrestling with some complex feelings. I really appreciated the humor and wit while also being interesting and emotional.
Underworld
3/5
Not bad at all. I found this a lot more tolerable that most techno in this list.
The Specials
4/5
This was a great time. There are a lot of styles on this album beyond straight ska and that gives it a rollicking, varied sound that makes it stay very fresh.
David Bowie
5/5
Girls Against Boys
5/5
This is kind of hardcore evolved into something a bit more melodic, but still plenty hard.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Korn
1/5
Green Day
3/5
I found this to be pretty much just ok across the board. It’s perfectly acceptable, entertaining arena rock.
4/5
Duran Duran
4/5
Great album. So much better than other 80s synth pop. These guys are just a little weirder and cooler than their peers.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Just an absolutely genius album. What is there to say about it at this point? It’s ugly and beautiful at the same time. Amateurish and intricate all at once.
Hole
2/5
This album is pretty mediocre. It has a couple of good songs, but it’s too poppy for me and some of the songs are pretty throwaway.
David Crosby
5/5
This is a really idiosyncratic and lovely album. It’s a perfect fall record.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
I’m not the biggest Petty fan, but there is no doubt that he has a gift for good hooks in his songs. This album seems like he’s not quite fully formed, so some songs seem like throwaways to me, but American Girl is an all timer.
Stan Getz
4/5
A breezy delight.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
This is pretty solid jangle rock. I don’t thing I’ll be revisiting it.
Coldcut
2/5
Ugh, this really is not my bag, but there were a couple of good tracks, I guess. Otherwise, I was just waiting for this to end. Just sounded like a lot of dance music from that era.
Elvis Presley
5/5
Classic Elvis and a real peak for him.
Björk
3/5
Megadeth
4/5
I definitely see why this is considered a classic. This album rules and there is no filler.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Perfectly OK jangle pop that went in one ear and out the other. This was pretty forgettable.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
A psychedelic freak out by someone who hated drugs. Go figure.
Kate Bush
5/5
Great album. All the quirkiness and splendor one expects from Kate Bush.
KISS
3/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
I find something new in this album every time I listen to it in glorious mono.
Mylo
3/5
Not bad at all. This seemed somewhat irreverent and it definitely had my head bobbing. Solid, fun DJing.
Duke Ellington
5/5
Sheer perfection.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
5/5
Well, this was a lovely and atmospheric album that I didn’t expect.
Van Halen
3/5
A good time for sure. 80s in a nutshell.
Brian Eno
5/5
This album is incredible. I find it to be transporting at times and it’s just so inventive.
Boston
3/5
Quintessential 70s hard, proggy rock with all of the good and bad things that come with that.
Talking Heads
4/5
This is a fantastic debut of one of my favorite bands, but I agree with some critics that the production is a little too clean and sanitized. The songs are great, though.
Mike Ladd
4/5
This was really. It’s clearly drawing from all kinds of influences and there is a ton of experimentation.
Django Django
3/5
Very Beta Band-y, but enjoyable for sure.
Paul Simon
2/5
I think a lot of Simon’s worst tendencies come out on this album, both production wise and lyrically, so I found this a little irritating.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Some very nice, jangly early Britpop.
k.d. lang
2/5
She has an incredible voice, but there is just something about the way this album feels that seems hokey to me. It kind of reminds me of something you would see during a PBS pledge drive. Incredibly accomplished musicians making music that somehow lacks real soul to it.
George Michael
3/5
Wilco
5/5
A modern masterpiece and in so many ways, probably still the quintessential Wilco album.
5/5
A phenomenal, landmark album that still kicks ass.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
5/5
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Man, this is a lot. There are cool moments on here and obviously, the track used for The Exorcist is legendary. This is still pretty off the wall, though.
ZZ Top
5/5
Love this album and always have a blast when I listen to it. About as good as hard blues rock gets as far as I’m concerned.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
The B-52's
5/5
Absolutely love this album. It’s kitschy and punky and tons of fun.
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
I guess this is the album that inspired millions of white college freshmen to rap over their acoustic guitars at open mikes. I can’t ever forgive that.
Dion
4/5
Wow. I did not expect this album to sound like this at all. It’s plaintive and melancholy and just lovely. I was a little put off by that one song where he brags about not doing drugs like other people, but that’s me.
Suicide
5/5
Pavement
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
An interesting evolution, but much of this album was not for me.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
This was very enjoyable, but a bit poppier than I expected from this band. I loved the last track. Pretty much every song had layers of shimmering guitar and the vocals are dreamlike, but in a somewhat more conventional package.
Jane Weaver
4/5
This was kind of cool. I think the krautrock influences are so strong as to make it sound pretty derivative, but it was still perfectly enjoyable.
Paul McCartney
3/5
Pretty much all of the good and the bad is right here for McCartney. At times, this album is entirely too twee and sentimental. But it’s also wildly creative virtuosic. There are a lot of half baked ideas, but a half baked idea for McCartney at this time is still inventive. The man could just sneeze out a great hook without thinking about it. Still, this barely registers as an album for me.
Cornershop
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected based on the description. It didn’t take itself too seriously. It was a fun mix of rock and electronic.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
Aerosmith
2/5
The more I revisit this band, the more I think they are a glorified bar band. The parts of this album that I enjoyed were instrumentals like the end of Rats in the Cellar. I find Steven Tyler to be an insufferable vocalist and I find most of these songs to be pretty inconsequential.
Pixies
5/5
A perfect album that is kind of all over the place, but in the best way. Wave of Mutilation is a masterpiece.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I liked a few of the tracks, but I thought this album was a little bloated. When Elvis Costello goes full crooner, it’s just a bit much for me, but I have to give him credit for the craftsmanship of his songs.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Everything you expect from this band. A little twee, but lovely and clever. It’s been cold and rainy where I live and this vibe just fits, somehow. Love this album.
Coldplay
2/5
This is a sleepy little album that frankly, I find to be pretty dull. It’s hard not to think of music like this as just something you would hear at Starbucks all the time, which also kind of ruined that Norah Jones album. I hate Starbucks.
Van Morrison
4/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
I am a little baffled as to why this band has 3 albums on the list. I found this album to be a little tiresome.
Fred Neil
4/5
This album was terrific. Neil has a really sonorous voice and the backing instrumental arrangements are tasteful and creative. Great songs and a really good album.
Screaming Trees
5/5
Other than seeing Mark Lanegan open for Nick Cave once, I had nothing more than a passing familiarity with this band. I thought this album was great. Trippy and energetic songs either real pathos in the lyrics. I’ll listen to more from this band for sure.
Arcade Fire
3/5
This is a slight step down from Neon Bible to me. The song writing is still quite strong, but there is a little bit of sameness to the tracks that makes this album drag more than the band’s previous works. I still thought it was a worthwhile listen, but I can’t imagine myself revisiting this album.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
This is the first time I have listened to an entire album of her and it wasn’t bad. The production style is very 90s sounding, meaning a bit too warm and a bit to clean, but the songs are winners.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
I think this album is stunning. As a follow up to Are You Experienced, this album is both more experimental, but features more immediacy in the songwriting. The result is an album that sounds very contemporary and very beautiful.
Traffic
2/5
Manu Chao
5/5
Billie Holiday
3/5
In general, I really enjoy Billie Holiday, but there is a quality to her earlier recordings that just hits me a lot harder than this album. This seems just a little stripped of emotion and seems more generic. You’ve Changed is the only song that seemed like it had a bit of that spark to me. Her voice is still lovely, though and this was perfectly fine. I can only compare it to other things she has done, which guess were before LPs were really a thing.
Magazine
4/5
Kind of a quintessential post punk record and a great one at that. I find this to be rewarding with each listen.
Madonna
2/5
Green Day
4/5
As good an example of pop-punk as you are likely to find. This still holds up pretty well.
Steve Earle
3/5
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Lou Reed
5/5
Having not been around then, I can’t fully grasp all of the context that would lead to people calling Lou Reed a sellout for this album. History has been kinder and I think this album is just excellent, intelligent pop. Perfect Day and Satellite of Love are as good as it gets. I’ve loved this album from the first time I heard it.
The Byrds
5/5
Was excited to get this and I loved revisiting it.
Nirvana
5/5
Coldplay
3/5
I liked this a lot more than their first album. This album is more dynamic and energetic. In general, I just found it more interesting and thus, I enjoyed it a fair bit. Politik hit for me, especially.
The Who
4/5
As far as concept albums go, I found this to be tighter, more cohesive, and more satisfying overall than The Who’s Tommy. There are a couple of great songs on here and in general, this is just a fun album.
Killing Joke
5/5
This album is great. It sounds fresh and modern. Lots of angular guitars and attitude.
John Lennon
5/5
Taylor Swift
2/5
I’m going to be diplomatic and just chalk this up as being most decidedly not for me. I’m not really in a position to opine on whether or not this is markedly better than other music of this ilk because I am pretty ignorant of modern pop and I am definitely not the target audience. My gut reaction was that these songs seemed very engineered to become anthems for teenagers and that’s fine. That’s what pop music is, music engineered to appeal to target audiences. When you compound that with Swift’s ubiquity, though, and the modern celebrity landscape in general, the sense I get is that I’m listening to a product far more than I am listening to a musician.
Minutemen
5/5
Just the best. Fuck yeah.
Giant Sand
3/5
This was pretty cool. It is a pretty low key affair with some interesting lyrical content and kind of a lounge-y, countryish vibe.
Waylon Jennings
5/5
It doesn’t get any better than this album. This is an outlaw masterpiece.
Kings of Leon
1/5
I think expanding their scope to arena rock levels did this band no favors and just laid bare their limitations. This album did nothing for me and just sounded like some U2 indie rock mashup.
Lou Reed
5/5
Serious stuff, but also beautiful. This is a challenging and rewarding record.
Charles Mingus
5/5
This album is awe inspiring and is thrilling to listen to. Mingus is a great composer and I felt like each movement really told a story. Wish the list had more stuff like this.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Tom Waits
5/5
There just isn’t anyone like Tom Waits. He occupies a space in and out of time throughout all of America’s history.
The songs on this album are both subversive nostalgic.
Roxy Music
5/5
I simply love this band. They are tons and tons of fun while also having really interesting stuff happening with the production. I think this album is owned by the sax player, especially.
Spiritualized
5/5
Ravi Shankar
5/5
Deerhunter
4/5
I think this is a slight step down from Microcastle, but it’s still a very cool album. It plays up a bit of the psychedelic take on 50s style ballads, like in Basement Scene, and has the evocative layers of shimmering guitar that we expect from this band.
4/5
I will admit that the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter was the extent of my exposure to Loretta Lynn until now, although that is a good movie. Regardless, this album is terrific. Devil Gets His Due and Living in Two Worlds are highlights.
Le Tigre
4/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Eagles
1/5
Soft as a down pillow and smooth as all get out, this is not for me.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
I’ve always thought of NIN as a group that I respect more than enjoy, but on this listen, over the second half of the album, I had a kind of a ha moment and really got it. It’s bleak and abrasive at times, then beautiful and contemplative.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Pretty good. Femi seems to be continuing the legacy of his father’s music, but I can’t say there is anything really novel or new here.
Blondie
3/5
Very fun dance punk. Not my favorite by any means, Blondie is always enjoyable.
Traffic
2/5
Not much here for me. Kind of proggy and sort of sleepy to me.
Prince
4/5
Joanna Newsom
3/5
This is a very dense album with a lot to take in lyrically. I found it quite enjoyable and it kind of had a baroque, kind of old bard feel.
Culture Club
2/5
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
This definitely warrants classic status. It’s poppy where it needs to be, angular and dissonant throughout. The emotions are raw on this album and Corin Tucker has a unique and effective voice.
The Hives
3/5
Very solid garage rock. This was an enjoyable listen
X-Ray Spex
5/5
This was really catchy and really energetic punk that is pretty distinct from its peers at the time. Good stuff.
Pantera
3/5
Beatles
5/5
The Verve
2/5
Reprise was definitely the best part of this album. I don’t find this band’s lyrics or singing particularly compelling, but I enjoy the instrumental sections quite a bit.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
At first, this struck me as being pretty much the same as a lot of 80s synth pop. As it went along, though, I found some more interesting layers to it, particularly the sections with no singing. All in all, this was pretty cool.
The Jam
3/5
Some creative songwriting on here for sure.
David Bowie
5/5
The Slits
4/5
Ministry
3/5
Pretty sweet mix of stuff here. Kind of speed metal, kind if industrial, kind of hardcore.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
I’ve always said, somewhat in jest, that Jeff Lynne is kind of like Paul McCartney if McCartney had no taste. Every song on this album is pretty good and there are bangers like Summer and Lightning and Sweet is the Night. It’s hard to fault ELO with being a bit extra when that’s just baked in and is what they are going for. What it comes down to is music that I certainly enjoy when I hear it, but is rarely what I’m in the mood for. If I’m trying to assess this album on its own merits, though, I can’t say there is any way to argue that they don’t achieve exactly what they set out to do.
fIREHOSE
5/5
Joe Ely
3/5
This was very solid, hard country. This album has a pretty specifically Texas sound that sets it apart.
John Cale
5/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Jungle Brothers
3/5
This is pretty cool mix of different hip hop styles.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Method Man
5/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
Like most drums and bass that I’ve been exposed to, this was fine. It was pretty boring and was perfectly acceptable background music.
Venom
2/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
TV On The Radio
3/5
Richard Hawley
4/5
This is a very pleasant listen. It’s kind of a new take Orbison and late 50s teen ballads.
David Ackles
4/5
Dramatic and theatrical, this was not at all what I expected. I found his songs to be earnest and evocative. Great stuff.
Gang Of Four
5/5
Pentangle
3/5
Goldfrapp
4/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
This started out OK, but this is way too long and the songs are much less interesting in the last third of the album.
The Beta Band
4/5
Skunk Anansie
1/5
I came into this album with pretty low expectations and it still underachieved. Right off the bat, it just seemed like a tamer version of screamcore and I don’t even like that genre. Then there are ballads. I expect to have forgotten this band’s name by tomorrow.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Klaxons
2/5
This wasn’t too bad. I’m close to 900 albums into my list and at this point, I bristle quite a bit when I see “English” and “Dance” next to each other in a description. So, I can say I was please when this turned out to be more dance-y and rock than electronic rock, which is what I expected.
Massive Attack
4/5
Buck Owens
4/5
Common
3/5
The Kinks
5/5
OutKast
4/5
Neu!
5/5
David Holmes
3/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
Jeru The Damaja
5/5
This struck me as excellent rap from a classic and formative era of hip hop. Good stuff.
The Strokes
4/5
A pretty good template for much of the indie rock that followed and better than a lot of it.
D'Angelo
5/5
Digital Underground
2/5
American Music Club
2/5
Pretty torn on this album. There were two songs I liked a lot, Now You’re Defeated and Jenny, but the rest of the album didn’t do much for me.
Talking Heads
5/5
The Cult
2/5
Steely Dan
1/5
I will never understand the great esteem people have for this band. It’s not good jazz and it’s not good rock and roll. It’s polished well past the point of any humanity. The more I hear, the less I like.
Thundercat
3/5
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Anita Baker
2/5
I am just not very into this kind or smooth, synthy 80s R&B.
Laura Nyro
3/5
This has a theatrical bent that I didn’t exactly love, but there were moments for sure. The songs are definitely vibrant and really tell a story.
The Only Ones
5/5
Dennis Wilson
5/5
This is a phenomenal album. It reminded me of Dion a bit. Pretty much the entire second side of the album consists of ballads. This album is deeply reflective and it’s a shame Wilson didn’t make another one.
The The
1/5
Didn’t really care for this much. Just more British New Wave to me. It was a drag.
Erykah Badu
4/5
This is a sensational album. Even though the production is restrained and the songs are often very personal, there is an epic and sweeping feel to the album.
Calexico
4/5
Tom Waits
5/5
God this is good. It’s half a nightmare dreamscape and half those tear jerking Waits ballads that sound as though they are coming to you through history.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Robert Wyatt
4/5
The Thrills
2/5
This was not terribly exciting for me. Kind of just blank, somewhat alt-country, somewhat retro pop. I didn’t hate it, but didn’t like it much, either.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Not bad at all. Kind of glammy, kind of George Michaels -y.
Fugees
4/5
The Cardigans
3/5
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Beatles
5/5
Queens Of The Stone Age
4/5
This debut is just brimming with ideas and it rocks. I guess if I have to give an honest critique, I think the album would be even better with a little bit of editing. At times, things can sound a little same-y and sound more like ideas than fully fledged songs. Really, though, I’m comparing this album to the next few that come after it and so that might not be fair context.
Sebadoh
4/5
The Dictators
4/5
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Merle Haggard
5/5
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I think this album is at its best when the band stretches out and moves away from straight blues. Elizabeth Reed is the highlight. The band’s chemistry is remarkable, for sure, and it’s a shame that the dual lead guitar pairing would be cut short.
New Order
3/5
Not bad at all. I am generally pretty resistant to this 80s, dance-y, synthy stuff, but there is enough dark goth vibe to this to keep it interesting.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Really fun, rowdy psych pop.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
The Yardbirds
3/5
Pretty good! They really did something when they dumped Clapton.
The Verve
2/5
I like older Verve OK, but this just seemed over indulgent and pretty cheesy. Not for me.
Queen
5/5
Probably my favorite Queen album.
Slint
5/5
This album is revolutionary and it really holds up.
Simply Red
1/5
Woof. This was a tough one. It just seemed like a very 80s, synth pop R&B. Not a lot to recommend it.
Scott Walker
4/5
Can
5/5
This album is incredible and reinforces my belief that Can is one of the greatest bands of all time.
Adele
2/5
Adele has a great voice, but I find these songs to be somewhat derivative. Not really for me.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Mott The Hoople
5/5
Exactly what I expected, which was excellent, hooky, darkly funny songs.
The Triffids
1/5
Yikes.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
I found this music entrancing. Just lovely.
Lambchop
4/5
Not sure how this was never on my radar. These are really moody, languid songs. It’s like listening to a set of short stories.
N.W.A.
3/5
A bona fide classic. I think it holds up pretty well and the songs are fairly diverse.
The Undertones
4/5
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Fatboy Slim
2/5
This was fun for a bit, but I was kind of ready to rip my hair out after an hour of it. I can completely understand being at a rave, but this doesn’t really work at home for me. Not that I like raves, either. Once again, another electronica album that’s not for me.
The Roots
4/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Moby Grape
3/5
Sonic Youth
5/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
David Gray
1/5
So boring, so lifeless, so just bleh.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Happy Mondays
1/5
Good title.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
The Damned
5/5
Holger Czukay
5/5
Turbonegro
5/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Van Halen
4/5
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Everything But The Girl
1/5
Music for waiting rooms, but with slightly more interesting lyrical content.
The Style Council
1/5
I’ll give these guys credit. They aren’t just terrible jazz musicians. They are also terrible rappers. This is amongst the worst albums I’ve encountered on this list and that’s saying something, as I’m like 950 albums in. I will never listen to this band again and might take proactive measures to ensure that I am never in a position to encounter the slightest risk of encountering this band again.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Butthole Surfers
5/5
Sister Sledge
3/5
CHIC
1/5
The Auteurs
2/5
Björk
5/5
PJ Harvey
5/5
A haunting and stunning album.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Fairport Convention
3/5
Solomon Burke
4/5
Doves
1/5
The Kinks
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
I really hope this is it for Elvis Costello on this list. I just can’t listen to this voice anymore.
Mekons
2/5
Randy Newman
5/5
Randy Newman is another of of those songwriters who occupies a space all his own. The humor of his lyrics doesn’t make them any less biting or even, at times, vicious. Every song on this album is a classic.
Morrissey
1/5
808 State
1/5
Beyoncé
3/5
N.E.R.D
2/5
The Louvin Brothers
5/5
System Of A Down
3/5
Soft Machine
4/5
Steve Winwood
1/5
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Taylor Swift
3/5
Rush
4/5
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Roxy Music
5/5
The Bees
4/5
This was really a pleasant surprise. They have a sort of lounge-y, retro pop vibe. It’s perfect for relaxing mornings with a book and coffee.
Jacques Brel
4/5
LTJ Bukem
1/5
Didn’t listen, as this is a compilation, not an album and I refuse to acknowledge it. If I was adding an album to the list, would I be able to just add some mixtape I made in high school and say, “Sorry, but this is not available to stream?”
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Alice In Chains
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
Burning Spear
5/5
5/5
David Bowie
4/5
King Crimson
2/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
The Mars Volta
3/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
5/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
Big Star
5/5
DJ Shadow
4/5
Joy Division
5/5
Ray Price
4/5
The Darkness
3/5
Lucinda Williams
3/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Alanis Morissette
2/5
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
5/5
Japan
1/5
The La's
3/5
The Temptations
4/5
Ray Charles
5/5
Bee Gees
3/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Depeche Mode
2/5
Spacemen 3
5/5
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Pulp
2/5
Goldfrapp
2/5
The Streets
2/5
The Smiths
3/5
Kanye West
4/5
Joy Division
4/5
Tom Tom Club
4/5
Kraftwerk
5/5
The Band
4/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Tracy Chapman
2/5
Isaac Hayes
4/5
The Adverts
5/5
4/5
Crowded House
2/5
Marty Robbins
5/5
Orbital
1/5
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Nick Drake
4/5
Tori Amos
4/5
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Nico
5/5
The Black Keys
3/5
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Richard Thompson
4/5
Fiona Apple
5/5
Slipknot
1/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
The Coral
3/5
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Muddy Waters
5/5
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Love
4/5
Boards of Canada
4/5
Tom Waits
5/5
Death In Vegas
2/5
John Lee Hooker
3/5
George Jones
5/5
The Residents
4/5
Todd Rundgren
5/5
Beatles
4/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
Tortoise
4/5
Gang Starr
4/5
Stephen Stills
3/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
5/5
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Serge Gainsbourg
5/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Devendra Banhart
4/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Metallica
2/5
Ride
3/5
The Offspring
3/5
Metallica
4/5
Pere Ubu
4/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
M.I.A.
5/5