Awful

Overplayed but still a classic

Not for me at all, dull even by r and b standards.

Don't know where the review for this one went but remember saying (the song) bat out of hell was brilliant and the rest of the album couldn't keep up.

Awful

Really good

Ya ya ya

Taylor has some tunes but not of them are on this album

Overplayed but still a classic

Morrissey's a prick but this album was pretty good

Made the monday commute 100% smoother

Has its moments, the guys flow strays into will smithy territory a bit

Definitely worth a listen, sure it's very influential, can't see myself going back to it.

Title track is class, rest of the album doesn't get close to it

Nice background music, can't remember anything that really stood out

Mint, really enjoyed it.

The critics who put this list together must really like blur! Familiar blur chord progressions, quite liked advert but no other standout songs.

Pretty fun

Class

Quite liked the title track, otherwise it was terrible.

Some good songs on this, knocking a mark for putting a 10 minute rubbish song on a 30 minute album

Very Beatlesy, quite liked it to start but it dragged after the first half

The singles are really good, they sound pretty dreary on their album tracks, might improve with more listens

Fun, sounded like green day sometimes and classic rock other times, enjoyed it but dont think I'll go back to it

My Amazon music had moved on to shuffling other count Basie music long before I checked if the album had finished, it was really good

It was okay, some iconic tracks but bit formulaic

Great voice, loved the live feel, last few studio songs weren't as good

Didn't enjoy it at all, a slog to finish

Music was nice, lots of Beatlesy major/minor switching, wasn't too keen on the guy's voice though.

Please no more country tinged pop. Slightly more interesting than Aimee Mann but still very very bland

Felt way ahead of its time for 1979, eccentric music and lyrics but in a modern sounding way, really good

Like Radiohead but never listened to Kid A, started well but the sparse quiet electronic thing isn't interesting enough to carry a whole album, pretty disappointing

With 20+ tracks in half an hour was expecting something a bit more exciting. Maybe this album is very influential but wasn't that impressed

Conflicted about this one, there were some good riffs and the grunge pop mix works sometimes, but every now and then seemed a bit silly. Might listen again

Expected riffs, got jangly guitars but it was still great

Some iconic tracks but didn't enjoy the album stuff as much as I thought I would

Meh, fine but dull

Very 80s movies soundtrack to begin with but each song seemed to change genre, really interesting and fun

Nothing interesting here

Deceptacon is class, there were some other decent bits and pieces in the rest of the album but it largely never reaches the same heights

It was alright, not a huge fan of elvis-era "rock n roll" but it was fairly enjoyable

Enjoyed it a lot more than I expected when I heard the first track, each one was decent but seemed to be missing an extra riff or part that would make it stand out. Really good as far as house music goes!

Really grating, every song outstayed it's welcome, definitely captures what's it's like to listen to heart FM. Massive respect to wham for making this sort of music remotely palatable. Another one where I made sure to check the original tracklisting so I could skip the 'bonus tracks' on the remaster.

Never listened to Rufus Wainwright before, great singer and songs were engaging the whole way through. Sometimes sounded like a 'singer-songwriter' version of Thom Yorke. Not sure if it's a style I'd go back to again and again but would like to hear other albums.

Not for me, whole album was stuck in one gear, very repetitive. Graeme described it as 'boring Kate Bush' and I can't beat that

Pure 00s indie nostalgia. Never actually listened to the album but half the album was singles so felt very familiar. Enjoyed it, started slow and a lot of the tracks are understated but by the end of most of them I was on board.

There are songs on this I liked but again think I struggle when an entire album is based on a stripped back sound, gets repetitive. The breathy vocals get on my nerves too

Light my fire aside, first experience of the Doors, so much better than that song suggested. Trippy blues, big fan.

Interesting story, rhythms were mostly straight up blues rock but the beat was often more interesting and the vocals kept it fresh. Well worth a listen.

More Doors! Preferred LA Women but this was still good. Enjoyed the weirder tracks the most.

Trying too hard to sound like the Beatles (I previously thought sunny afternoon was the Beatles!). The 'baroque pop' elements are bizzare. Best songs were the more straightforward ones, enjoyed little miss queen of darkness.

Class album, weird and interesting all the way through. Lacks any obvious singles apart from regular John but that probably makes it better.

Didn't like it all initially but grew on me as the album progressed. Used to be and Better times were the picks for me, seemed to have the most going on. Very pitchforky in that they are another band that get huge praise from them and sound just okay to me.

Was ready to pan it but as it continued the songs kept getting better, lots I didn't know were s+g. Surprisingly decent.

Nice enough but nothing surprising or particularly impressive, better blues rock out there I think. Still enjoyed it.

Was expecting an album as crazy as rock lobster but most the other songs started interesting and became increasingly repetitive, glad to have heard it but wouldn't go back.

Never listened to a Metallica album, some really good songs but they all had about three too many choruses in them and by the end of a few I was bored. Would definitely listen again mind.

Not for me, very repetitive

First pulp album I've listened to, always dismissed them a bit but this was really interesting, the hour run time went by quickly. Would like to hear this again and more pulp in general.

Hallelujah aside this is my first experience of Leonard Cohen, guessing it's a strange point to enter his catalogue! Powerful stuff to hear him grapple with his life and faith shortly before his death and he's got the gravelliest voice I've heard. Really good.

Sound a bit like aerosmith sometimes but without the fun 80s hair metal bits, and that band that do all right now (called 'free' apparently). Hard to handle is a decent song, don't really need the rest of the album. Seems like they are just repackaging the sound of older country blues rock bands.

Wasn't sure about it to begin with but it grew on me towards the end, sounded like Battles with more synths and less drums.

My Brazilian colleague says this guy is the most famous musician in Brazil, mad that we don't hear of him at all (or maybe I'm not cultured enough). It was a nice change, light and breezy, but it didn't spark a desire to keep listening.

Not for me at all, dull even by r and b standards.

Clearly groundbreaking and influential but lots of odd kitschy songs (when I'm 64 is like an 80s sitcom theme), surprised this gets so much praise from a music standpoint. Was alright

Starts an ends like an intense 80s film soundtrack loses its way in the middle a bit. Steel Claw the best montage song of the lot, though it's basically a rip off of one section of bat out of hell. Beatles cover was particularly painful. In summary, nah.

Some great songs, short enough that it stays interesting, will definitely come back to this.

She has a really good voice, quite enjoyed though it's not really my thing. This version of windmills of your mind would have made a good bond theme.

This album was all over the place in a good way, really inventive for the time, shame they didn't have more success.

The daddiest dad rock of them all. Just don't get pink Floyd, they sound like dire straits but with less interesting guitar parts and the bass is too high. My parents didn't listen to them so don't have any nostalgia for them. Like a concept album though, so probably have pink Floyd to partly thank for that (though mostly The Who). Never listened to dark side of the moon so maybe it will all click when that comes up.

Her voice is brilliant which makes it even worse that she makes the same bland song over and over again. Sounds like it's been professionally honed to be inoffensive as possible in order to maximise profit. Hope this is the last Adele on here.

Great pallette cleanser after Adele, this is anything but bland. Loads of different influences and styles but still feels cohesive. A couple of songs don't really go anywhere but overall it's quality.

A very different album to the Stooges material, all made sense after reading the blurb that's it's basically a Bowie album. Quite enjoyed it in parts but didn't blow me away, prefer the Stooges.

That was unlike anything I've heard before, it just kept getting weirder as it went along. Don't think Slovenian avant garde industrial music is my thing but it was well worth listening to.

Most of the album was very straightforward, I enjoyed murder mystery though it should be half as long and after hours sounded like hop along which I liked. Wiki suggests their older albums are weirder which I think I'd prefer.

Classic rock, was an enjoyable half an hour, would be great on guitar hero. Not really sure I ever need to hear it again but nice enough.

This is barely an album, more a sample collection.

More rawk, this time very ACDCish. Was alright. My dad liked Def Leppard but didn't recognise any of this, think my mam got control of the music most of the time. They put out an album this year which is impressive longevity.

I thought all of new order sounded like world in motion (and a lot of it did) but there was also a fair chunk that sounded like Smiths/stone roses. Can't say I cared too much for it but wasn't offensive.

Really enjoyed this, thought loads of times I should listen to Billy Bragg but never actually bothered, this was pretty much what I expected and I liked it. Interesting story behind the album too.

Better than face to face, victoria was good and it was largely enjoyable. Leans on the Beatles a bit too much still and the harpsichord still sounds ridiculous.

Well that was odd, there were some elements I liked but it was a bit all over the place, seems an odd choice for this list.

That was brilliant. Took me a little while to get on board with the singing but the slightly mathy riffs/timing is right up my street. Poughkeepsie, there was the sun and insect eyes stood out on first listen.

Very very dull, would listen to several songs without realising the track had changed. Accidentally listened to the start of the second album it's paired with on Amazon, exactly the same. That's enough Shuggie Otis for a lifetime I think.

Haven't heard this particular album before, most of the versions of the songs on here were decent ones but won't be coming back next Christmas to get this specific album. So overall fine.

The best singer in this genre, her voice is amazing, but it's not the sort of music I listen to casually so not a 5.

It's alright, love shiver but it's otherwise pretty much one gear the whole way through. Think it was fairly unique at the time, guess it's not their fault they were followed by a dozen other bands doing the same thing.

Supergrass are the standout band I hadn't heard before starting this. Much more inventive and strange than I'd assumed, deserve more praise (though by all accounts they get quite a bit). This was a bit more polished than Coco so lost a bit of charm but still full of great songs.

Only song I really knew by the stranglers previously was golden brown, and this album shows they were heavily into drugs way before that. Sounded like the Jam in parts but much more fun, would like to hear more.

Not for me, basically a funk rock jam session.

Wow, Yes are mint. Exactly what I've always wanted from prog work, so many ideas, roundabout sounds like Mars Volta, We Have Heaven sounds like Battles, think it's one of those bands that influenced loads of stuff I like without me knowing. And Amazon suggests it's nowhere near their most popular album, got loads of Yes to listen to!

Varied between dull and hilariously bad (Hobo's meditation was a particularly ridiculous take from Dolly P and her two clones). Dont like country in general and though I can appreciate some of Dolly's songs are well written these were all rubbish.

Another band that sound a decade ahead of their time, the 'wall of sound' approach if this record must have influenced about 90% of my favourite bands. It was really good in its own right mind, though the production was a little raw even for me!

Very fun, some rock club staples on here, walk in particular is a classic. Prefer Pantera to similar bands and would definitely listen to again in the right mood.

Meh, wasn't impressed, found Nina a bit droney and the songs were a bit all over the place. Apparently this album is comprised of off cuts from other sessions and it sounds it.

Given Kendrick Lamar a good few chances and still don't understand the status he's given. Clearly a talented rapper, lots of impressive lines here and there, but the constant posturing gets tiring and those parts tend to be the weakest lyrics. Good kid and mAAd city were the standouts in terms of production and flow.

Aggressively beige, with lyrics that aren't as clever as the guy singing them things they are. Not offensive but wouldn't go back, it's a debut though so maybe I'll prefer later stuff

It's a bob Marley album, nice enough in the background on the right occasion but struggle to form a strong opinion.

Bowie is always unique and interesting, and when the songs work they are great, but when they don't they sound ridiculous. But it's kind of cool that he puts out some complete nonsense and doesn't care. I'll never be a super fan but this album was an enjoyable listen, the guitar led stuff better than the piano ones.

Ridiculous and fun, they sound like American chavs at this point and it's class. Prefer later beasties, think the music and lyrics get better, but still some brilliant tracks on this.

Kind of passed over me in the background, every so often I'd catch something interesting and enjoy it, this happened half a dozen times and then it was over. Might be a Monday morning thing but don't think it needs more than a 3

Had to listen on shuffle on a SoundCloud stream as it's not on Amazon, think I covered most of it. Really disappointing, quite like Dre so didn't expect it to be 100% themed on drugs and dicks, a complete regression from NWA which had better beats and where the bravado made much more sense as a pushback against the police. Here it's just offensive, won't listen again.

Lost count of the times I thought "that bit sounds like [a band I love]", unbelievably influential. Les Savy Fav in particular are a couple of steps away from being a Pixies cover band. Great album on its own merits though and definitely has a sound of its own. Only knew the hits before this, will listen to more Pixies.

Still had the gravelliest voice of them all back in the day, enjoyed avalanche and some others but preferred you want it darker.

I thought this middle era Beatles stuff might turn out to be my favourite, was hoping for a good blend of rocky earlier stuff and experimental later stuff. Turned out it was just quite bland stuff.

Sounds like they are trying to write James bond soundtracks, quite like the title track but it's a bit samey after that.

Definitely the most dramatic Beatles era, the costumes push boundaries even further than Sgt. Peppers. Content wise it's at odds with their usual message of peace and love, maybe John and Paul were having a bad day, I imagine their masks were chafing. ...Don't mind slipknot in small doses, wait and bleed is a banger but shortly after it I developed 'Slipknot fatigue', it's a bit full on for an extended listen.

That was really good, just the right blend of electronic loops and indie. Heard a lot of other bands in there and this was better than most of them.

Heard Tommy lauded as the first rock opera and assumed this was based on a solid album underneath. What was that? Equal parts boring and disturbing, seems like they'd decided on the mad story first and then arranged some music around it as an afterthought. Pinball Wizard is alright but I don't need to hear anything else from this again.

It was okay, the short runtime meant it passed by quickly, nothing stood out, nothing offended, would be a 2.5 if it was available.

An interesting listen, about as 'live' as an album gets considering it includes all the support acts. Not a particular Johnny Cash fan and not sure id go back to this but glad it came up.

Thought it started better than expected, the more upbeat disco tracks were pretty interesting. Got worse as it went on.

The perfect accompaniment to my strike day commute involving a bus, tram and tube. Started off quite nice before becoming increasingly monotonous and when I started to wonder when it would end there was still half an hour to go. Made me want listen to Sublime who I think do this sort of ska a lot better, though that's probably fighting talk in Birmingham or Coventry or wherever these guys are from.

Sultans of swing is brilliant, but their general sound is bland so when they aren't stuffing their songs full of ideas it's quite dull. Mark knopfler can't really sing either so they have to keep everything in a very narrow vocal range. Inoffensive.

This went by really quickly and didn't leave much of an impression, I think lots of the sounds reminded me of BBC educational programmes/look around you? Not much like kraftwerk so I'd clearly not understood krautrock before. Yeah it was alright.

It's quick and fun, there's some good tracks, the singing is a bit grating so I couldn't have managed much more.

Really impressive and criminally underrated judging by the wiki, hear lots of 90s/00s singer songwriters taking cues from this. Apparently the most straightforward of his three albums so looking forward to the next two.

I think Phil Collins might be the blandest musician of them all and while Genesis clearly had more ideas than his solo work, there's a tangible dullness that permeates everything he touches. There were a few parts where I couldn't tell if I was judging them harshly from Phil Collins bias or if he just has a unique quality to make otherwise interesting music beige. Either way, never listening to this again, ta Phil.

Hilariously bad in loads of places but it's got some riffs and it's hard not to feel nostalgic, they can have a 3 and count themselves lucky the cheeky scamps

Found this to be really hit and miss. The songs are so story focused that when they contained loads of details or back and forth conversation it sounded really forced, to the point of being cringey sometimes (stagger lee, o malley). On the other side, song of joy and curse of Millhaven were brilliant, think when it's just one character speaking the story flows more naturally and the music is given more focus. First time listening to Nick Cave, great voice, think I'll prefer other stuff.

Really good, knew the singles but thought the rest of the album stood up too. Mad how heavy a synth band can sound, a lot of these songs reminded me of nine inch nails. Hopefully another album or two in the list.

Was ready to pan it after the first couple of songs but then guinnivere was really trippy and interesting and the following songs were largely decent. This sort of folk isn't a style I listen to a lot but this was probably my favourite example.

Contains a lot of the things I love about 90s rock. Reminded me of placebo, pixies and can't ignore comparisons to early Biffy, with exactly the right level of polish on the production. Will definitely listen again. ...is my review for Jack's recommendation of 100 Broken Windows by Idlewild. Idlewild the album by Everything but the Girl is Heart FM anti-music, offensively devoid of ideas or even differences between songs. No.

If this makes the list I guess we're getting half a dozen Queen albums! Was an interesting listen, they sound like a typical rock band for the first few songs and then it gets increasingly fantasy themed and familiarly over the top. I like queen but they are overplayed and I don't feel like I need to revisit their back catalogue, though it seems like we'll have to.

Can barely remember how this sounded now, it was a bit 80s I think? And there was a constant drum loop in a lot of the songs? Can't have been remarkable but I remember it has about an hour runtime so can't have been too offensive. Guess I'll give it a two.

Great, the outtakes album for Kid A, the album that sounds like a bunch of outtakes. There is about half a really good album across both and there were some songs on this I enjoyed (pyramid song is a belter) but haway Radiohead, you can't just pad it into a double album with a bunch of offcuts. I feel like I'm really close to being a big Radiohead fan but this sort of thing puts me off.

Was pretty sure I'd like this but it was so much better than I expected. Clearly very influential on all the pop punk I like (particularly green day) but it was interesting, witty and weird in its own right. One of the best so far.

There were a few decent tunes on this but it largely passed me by, not my favourite funk album and it's not a genre I particularly like.

Another real hit and miss album, when Gorillzaz are good they are great but there's a lot of filler in here. Still enjoyed it overall, more like a 3.5.

Yeah it's mint, not sure I've listened to this all the way through before, was much more varied than I expected. Flew by, definitely listening again.

Unexpectedly enjoyed a lot of this, I like bjorks voice and it reminded me of bon iver and some minus the bear in parts. Unfortunately there's a lot of pointless madness going on that detracts from many of the songs and there could be a bit more variety.

Must be peak offspring this, never listened to smash before but it has the best singles on and the rest of the album kept up. Always liked offspring but would have put them below blink/green day/sum 41 in my teenage pop punk heydey, and now tbf. Saw them at Leeds one year, they had marshmallow cannons for some reason, knacked when those hit you, not sure what they were thinking there.

Very Blur-y, a bit over the top and weird in places but it was nice enough.

Best Metallica album I'd say, lot of tunes on there. Recognised a lot of album tracks as well, probably from various rock clubs over the years. Even so, have no interest in listening again really.

Perfect dinner party music, went by quickly and smoothly. Not sure id listen again of my own accord but would enjoy it if it happened to come on.

Had to listen through YouTube as the version on Amazon music was two drum solos that I guessed wouldn't have made the 1001 album cut. Glad I did, it was great! Loved the African jazz sound, drumming was great, more Fela Kuti please.

Enjoyed this a lot, more than most Smiths to be honest. As has been covered, difficult to marry this with the fact that Morrissey's such a prick.

Sounds like a film score from the 60/70s, short enough that it was only starting to get irritating. Has that overly sanitised sound that makes it a bit creepy (particularly the singing child), the sort of thing that would be played on a radio that turns itself on in a horror film. Bit pointless but nice enough for a bit of variety I suppose.

Find the Jam a bit underwhelming and this album didn't change my opinion, definitely influential on a lot of indie I like but nothing grabbed me here. This album seemed to stray from their typical sound a bit more but not sure it was any better for it. Having said all that, they are generally fine.

They must have released most of this album as singles cos I recognised about three quarters of it. On its own merits I think it's okay, she does have a great voice and her sound is pretty unique especially for the time. Completely sick of hearing her though and that's got to be at least partly due everything being a bit samey.

Imagine is a brilliant song, up there with the best of the Beatles. The rest of the album, like other Beatles stuff, varies between great and awful. Thought the second half of the album was far better than the first, particularly enjoyed how and Yoko. More evidence that supports the theory John and Paul are time travellers that nicked the best songs from loads of other bands and filled the rest of the albums with their own rubbish.

This was more interesting than I expected, their sound is varies, sometimes like Beatles/kinks, sometimes beach boys, sometimes stooges. Not sure they do any of it better than those bands but I enjoyed it.

Well that was odd. There were a few bits and pieces that I thought a good tune might develop but it never did. Does this guy normally produce for rappers, seems likely from the cameos? I think if you looped a few snippets from this you'd get some good beats. Though there's loads of it that's a bit too r and b or just weird. Absolutely love the album cover though.

Ute has a voice for stage musicals and most of these songs seem to have been written with this in mind. Largely reminded of me Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff which I can't stand so it was tough going. She has a good voice, quite like purple avenue which was mostly acoustic but the album is a 1 for me.

I've heard snippets of the National before and they never grabbed me but I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Reminded me a lot of Elbow who also take a bit of getting into. Afraid of everyone and bloodbuzz Ohio were highlights. Wouldn't mind hearing another album or two from them on the list.

Generic late 80s/early 90s dross, sounded vaguely like a mish mash of loads of other bands. Sounded tinny af as well, like it was designed to be played out of a car radio. I know I say it about every band I don't like but all their songs genuinely sounded the same!

What an album, obviously a classic from the first listen. Not quite sure how I didn't get into this at the time, it combines all the best bits of noughties indie and older electronica but does it better. I knew most of the singles but the whole thing is consistently quality.

While I understand songs can have different 'movements' or whatever, Mike has clearly just stuck a bunch of different bits together and called it a day. Obviously know the exorcist theme at the beginning and nothing else, which I don't think is enough to call it an essential album, don't imagine other film soundtracks are coming up in the list. There were some parts I enjoyed in isolation but there's nothing that made me want to repeat.

Lots of this was mathy post rock that is exactly my sort of thing, and there were parts where I thought 'this is a nailed on 5/5'. Overall there were a few too many sparse, expansive sections that dragged a bit. Bet this was unbelievably influential though!

Cool psychedelic rock punctuated by a couple of dull Beatlesy songs, though I can only really remember the baby down the plughole song now! Went by git quick which is always a good sign. Went to a brewery called strange brew by chance the same day this came up, beers were also a 4/5 I'd say, would recommend both.

Kinda surprised how well regarded yeah yeah yeah are, headlining festivals and making these lists, not like CSS or the klaxons are going to show up are they? ...though to be fair YYY are better than both of those. First time listening to the album and there were a few non-singles that were of equivalent level to the big songs, and a few that weren't. Overall really good.

Always quite enjoyed jay-z, think his beats and flow were more interesting than other popular rap of the time (and the collision course linkin park crossover definitely helped make him accessible to me as a teenager). The album was as expected, think he still holds up. Wish he would mix up the themes a bit mind, got the message that he thinks he's class after the first couple of tracks.

Very eclectic, over the course of the album I thought parts sounded like blur, madness, the Beatles, jazz and other stuff I've already forgotten. Really interesting for one listen but not sure it would grow on me.

Listened to most of this in one or two song pieces across a couple of weeks which probably isnt the best approach but the sound is pretty consistent the whole way through. Reminds me a bit of psychedelic smashing pumpkins stuff but felt like most songs were missing something that would make them work. Lead singer reminded me of the guy from Ash which I appreciated. Solid 3.

Basically the same song 10 times. At least three of them sounded like you shook me all night long, even though it isn't on this album. Highway to hell is a banger mind but another band that should condense their back catalogue into an EP.

I quite like the chaotic ska side to madness (house of fun, one step beyond) but this album was a bit dour, reminded me of chas and Dave in parts which isn't a good sign. I know our house was a big song but seems like an odd album choice to include.

Never heard of the saints before, I think some sort of subconscious expectation that it would sound like all saints made it particularly surprising they were a punk band. Reminded me of a more punky Stooges with a brass section that really made it stand out. First half of the album was better but still great overall.

Meh, never really seen the appeal of the rolling stones, they don't have any of the anthems that the Beatles have in my opinion and this album is all very samey. Never listened to them growing up and won't start now unless one of their other albums on this list changes my mind.

The male 'singer' was awful, a lot of the songs didn't go anywhere, but there something about it I enjoyed. I think the drums were great and there was a nice rhythm to a lot of the tracks. Not a brilliant album by any means but decent for one listen.

Yeah it's basically more of Dr Dre's album, straps chronic bitches, terrible skits and the same lines over and over again. Terrible.

Same as the last Adele album on this list, she has a great voice and uses it to make various versions of the same song. There are some limited differences in the music but it's ridiculous how every song to a tee is a vague love song about nothing in particular. Surely she must sometimes consider writing about a slightly different topic? Who cares, will never intentionally listen to her anyway.

With a name like grievous angel I thought this might be a Scandinavian doom metal concept album but it's a largely schmaltzy country thing. There was something about it that was slightly more interesting than similar albums but I couldn't tell you what.

That was a crazy mix of punk, heavy metal and reggae, short enough to not get stale. Very 80s film soundtrack-y and reminded me of the very limited faith no more I've heard. Recording vocals over the phone while charged with marijuana distribution is about as punk/reggae as it gets so they definitely lived the ethos.

Always found black keys to be middle of the road and this album is no exception. It's nice background blues, never particularly annoying but nothing that stands out. The 1 hour run time didn't drag for me which probably means it's slightly better than average.

This was exactly what I want from old school hip hop and I get the feeling it's what the other gangster rap on this list is trying to emulate (and missing). It hits really hard and the flows are impressive. Recognised loads of lines that have been used by other artists (particularly RTJ as Graeme said). Enjoyed the Kung Fu samples but the excessive skits/talking lose a mark for me.

Vaguely pleasant but nothing really grabbed me, another pitchfork-y band that are okay but I can't understand the appeal. Runtime a bit too long as well. Okay for one listen.

Really fun and way ahead of its time it would seem. Most of it sounded exactly like what I think of as punk, unlike the new York dolls say which was kind of half way between punk and hair metal. Would definitely listen again.

Weird experimental 80s sitcom theme jazz plus a live rumba in the middle. Not sure why this is in the list, wish it wasn't. I think it was slightly better than awful as it was interesting in some places, a 1.5 really.

Seems my review of this went missing, I basically said it was more interesting and psychedelic than Sgt pepper and I quite enjoyed it but on the whole it's not a genre for me.

Enjoyed a few parts of this but overall was a shade too classic prog for me. 'A' the band, who I loved as a wee nipper, were big Rush fans but I never bothered to seek Rush out. Not many similarities between the two. Guess we'll see if the next album is any better!

Preferred this Rush album, bit tighter, rockier and more pyschedelic. 2112 the best song of the lot, will definitely listen to it again.

I think this is a better album than good kid but it's not a huge difference. Kendrick is a good rapper when he turns it on but most of this is strange beats and repetitive spoken words. Can't even see the appeal of alright really, thought there were better songs on this. Think this confirms I'm just not a fan

Unbelievably influential, so many angular indie bands owe so much to gang of four. Loads of my favourite bands take cues from them and the Futureheads lean on them heavily so Sunluns finest have a lot to thank them for! The album itself was great, stands up well against all of its 00s indie offspring. Only listened to bits and pieces before this but will delve deeper.

Very nostalgic, not a particular dance music fan but it was played on the radio a lot in my youth and I think the samba-y drums and actual use of riffs/hooks made it stand out to me at the time (along with chemical brothers, daft punk etc). The first half of the album stood up to the singles, though some of the songs dragged and I largely prefer the radio edits of the singles. Got a bit more ambient and started to grate towards the end. A 3.5ish I'd say but 3 seems most appropriate.

Recognised most of this, think it's heavily used by generic live jazz bands, which makes sense cos it's really good. Pretty much the pinnacle of background restaurant music which is a bit of a back handed compliment. I would never specifically put this on to listen to it but it's great for what it is.

Most of the beats sound like default settings on a casio keyboard and the lyrics are largely corny but the flow is decent and they are lovely lads who don't do drugs and respect women, so that's got to be worth a star or two. Plus tricky is class and walk this way is probably good but I've heard it too many times on kerrang in my youth to be sure anymore.

Korn really aren't for me, took me four tries to get through the 1 hour+ runtime. Freak on a leash is okay but a whole album of the weird whimpering vocals and angry teenager lyrics wore thin quickly. Some of the riffs are okay too I guess but not when presented in this way. Not a 'nu metal' fan!

Comfortably the worst album so far. Offensive, cringey lyrics, terrible music, terrible autotune. Kid Rock grew up well off in Detroit making the ghetto cowboy thing even more ridiculous than it already is. Can't imagine how this isn't bottom of the whole list.

As good as classic rock gets, full of riffs and leaves you wanting more. No hint of prog so no random noises or filler tracks to hide behind. Smoke on the water is a classic but I thought nearly all the other tracks were a similar level. Mint.

Enjoyed it more than I expected to, the acoustic tracks in particular were great and the guy has a pretty good voice. In general I find Doves a bit bland and I've glossed over them in the past but they on this showing they probably deserve more of a chance. Will listen again.

Unexpectedly great, started pleasant enough but got better as it went on, with Coconut the highlight. Not my sort of music really so must be a great example of it. Without you is a bit much but its probably not wor Nilsson's fault it's been overplayed by others.

Thought I had an album to catch up on but it turned out I'd listened to most of this yesterday and forgot. It's Beatlesy, kinksy, a bit doorsy sometimes, didn't really stand out at any point. A weird baroque harpsichord song in the middle as well, the worst signature of this era of pop rock. Not for me.

Generally okay in the background, enjoyed the rockier side of funk theme and the guy has a good voice for it. Didn't outstay it's welcome either. Can't see myself returning though so can't go higher than a 3.

Very middle of the range, nothing to really get excited or angry about. Got a feeling it's on heavy rotation in Hard Rock cafes. I like hotel California so it was annoying not to find it here. Peak meh, more of a 2 than a 3.

Quintessential blues, great voice. Would be great live I think and I enjoy it as background music, listen too closely and it's very repetitive. Can't help but find the album title and cover hilarious, what is meant to be 'hard again' exactly?

Like Nilsson I'd never heard of her but this album was full of classics. Not particularly my thing but good for one listen.

Enjoyed this more than expected as I thought it would be very tough to get through but it passed by pretty comfortably. That said it was pretty bland and I wouldn't listen again.

A bit like the cure debut we had ages ago, this must have been an impressively different album when it was released but in terms of REM's career it's a bit meh, and it's bit of a meh career anyway. Nice enough, 2 would be harsh but its all very REM-y with no standouts

Reviewed the whole thing on a long train as a personal record to confirm Beatles are a singles band. Come together - Arguably the best Beatles song, really cool, ahead of its time. Something/Oh darling- forgettable slow songs. Maxwell's silver hammer - has the 'when I'm 64' vibe if it was about a violent serial killer. Disturbing in a 'Tommy' sort of way. Octopus's garden - Novelty village hall-y inoffensive song with bouncy bass. Drug fuelled I guess. I want you - Enjoyable blues rock, a bit Hendrixy, liked the singing/lead guitar doing the same notes, would have been too long at half the runtime. Here comes the sun - A belter, positive, laid back but interestingly arranged. Love it. Because - Queenish harmonies, quite nice. You never give me your money - Bland and slow to start, with a novelty harpsichord bit woven in. Weird mish mash, doesn't really work in my opinion. Sun king - Passed me by so I'll never know. Mean Mr mustard - offensively loud, overdriven bass, pointless. Polythene Pam - Also a throwaway song entirely built around three chords. She came in through the bathroom - didn't realise the previous song had ended until a minute in, slightly better but unmemorable. Golden slumbers - Piano driven with some strings, a bit let it be, liked it. Carry that weight - Ran straight on from golden slumbers, basically the beefed up second chorus, still good but diminishing returns. The End - Blues rock and piano, again reminded me of queen. Her majesty - 25 seconds of acoustic guitar, fine I guess. Overall, not totally impressed but probably the best Beatles album we've had so far.

On brand Bowie, weird rock. Good length, as interest started to wane it ended. I would never actively listen to Bowie but I'm always happy when his albums come up here. 3.5.

Great album, somehow I have about 3/4 of this in my library but enjoyed the whole thing. Get free in particular is timeless, amazing riff, sounds huge, always puts me in a good mood. Love this sort of garage rock and even though as the Vines' careers shows it does get a bit samey, one album's worth is spot on.

Was dreading this as I thought Orbital were strictly chilled, ambient electronic music. It was a lot more upbeat than I expected I quite enjoyed it as a background album but it's too long and unfocused to warrant repeated listens.

Like Leonard Cohen's last album, very heavy to listen to someone who knows they are about to die. Musically I thought it was pretty strong, Bowie treads the line between wanky and interesting pretty well. Would preferred it a bit more rocky and a bit less jazzy but would listen again.

Amy Winehouse owes a lot to Dusty Springfield it seems, can't say this is a genre that I particularly enjoy but this is as good if not better than back to black. Has that old school less than 3 mins a song thing going on which keeps it ticking along. Sounds more authentic than the modern versions which are pointedly trying to sound retro. Overall, decent.

Decided against listening to the 5 hours 4 mins super deluxe version and stuck to the actual album. Don't get much more 80s than tears for fears. Everybody wants to rule world is such a good song and I really enjoyed broken as well but these were the only two with a real indie sound. Otherwise it was a bit too 80s, shades of boy George/Duran Duran, but by and large delivered in a more acceptable fashion. Not great but not awful.