Journey in Progress
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301
Albums Rated
2.71
Avg Rating
10
5-Star Albums
28%
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788 albums remaining
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2.2
Per Week
939
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Reviews
294
Written
98%
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vs Global
-0.51
Avg Diff
2.71
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2000s
Favorite Decade
Indie
Favorite Genre
UK
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Harsh
Rater Style
34
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treasure | 5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
| B-52's | 5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
| Blue Lines | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| The Stone Roses | 5 | 3.63 | +1.37 |
| Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | 5 | 3.73 | +1.27 |
| Hot Fuss | 5 | 3.74 | +1.26 |
| Automatic For The People | 5 | 3.82 | +1.18 |
| Disintegration | 5 | 3.85 | +1.15 |
| Heroes to Zeros | 4 | 2.9 | +1.1 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Of Puppets | 1 | 3.73 | -2.73 |
| The Score | 1 | 3.68 | -2.68 |
| ...And Justice For All | 1 | 3.43 | -2.43 |
| Hot Buttered Soul | 1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
| Ready To Die | 1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
| You've Come a Long Way Baby | 1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
| The Downward Spiral | 1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
| Bitches Brew | 1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
| The Real Thing | 1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
| Under Construction | 1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
5-Star Albums (10)
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Popular Reviews
Fatboy Slim
1/5
I owned this. I was so excited to see it on the list. But it’s awful, isn’t it? How did I ever endure it as a kid?
4 likes
Simply Red
1/5
I’m British so I know Simply Red. I may have even bought their Stars album as a youngster. But this is just awful. Nobody should have to listen to this, unless they are already dead.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (44)
1-Star Albums (34)
All Ratings
Paul Simon
4/5
I guess this is the emergence of Americana! Revolutionary for its time.
Coldplay
2/5
Chris Martin is a great songwriter but I just find listening to Coldplay SO dreary. My issues are:
- His lyric ideas are good but some of the lines are trite. I just wish he was a better poet
- His voice is tolerable but not that interesting
- Song arrangements are so predictable. No interesting sound scapes.
I suspect if he had more talented musicians around him, he would have created astonishing music. As it is, this music is fine so long as you don't listen too closely.
Nirvana
2/5
If you didn’t know it was Nirvana, would you really love this? I mean, I like the overall vibe and soundscape but nothing sticks out as melodically interesting.
The Smiths
4/5
Love new wave but this isn’t my favourite Smiths album. I know. Controversial. There are obvious highlights but it isn’t of absolutely consistent quality.
The Clash
4/5
I’m surprised how much I loved listening to it. Very invigorating and still sounds great decades on.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I'm surprised to see this album in the 1001. Sure, The Beach Boys are great, but this isn't a particularly interesting or innovative album. Very pleasant to listen to, but not one I would pick. Perhaps because I'm not American I don't appreciate the significance of it?
The Cardigans
4/5
Yeah, it’s good. Obviously one massive smash hit. But I really liked the vibe of the whole album. I’d forgotten how funky it was with those cool bass lines.
The Young Gods
1/5
Really disliked this. Put me in a bad mood for hours afterwards.
The The
2/5
I wanted to like this a lot. My husband loves this album. But I just couldn't. At times it felt prog rock-like. Other times almost like musical theatre. Maybe at the time, it was more distinctive and ground-breaking. Sorry The The.
Primal Scream
2/5
Very famous first song. Incredibly important album at the time but not so compelling to listen to now.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Yeah. Nice. Not amazing but stand the test of time pretty well. Not sure I’ll return to it but a perfectly nice listen.
Dion
1/5
Easy listening that is easy to listen to, but I won’t again.
Tears For Fears
4/5
This is really good. Very nearly a 5 star. Want to listen to some more.
Muddy Waters
2/5
It’s of a time. Not really the kind of thing I would choose to listen to but perfectly pleasant.
The Who
3/5
I do really like The Who - memories of childhood because my Dad loved them. However, I don't love this album. I can see why it was so critically acclaimed at the time. It's a work of art. But that isn't enough for me to want to keep listening to it today.
Cat Stevens
4/5
4 star but a very very good ones. Lovely songs, a couple of which are obviously outstanding.
Tangerine Dream
1/5
Probably cutting edge in 70s but nothing there now.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Nice folksy stuff. Nothing special.
The 13th Floor Elevators
1/5
Nope. Really enjoyed nothing about this.
Slipknot
1/5
One song is a good song. The rest is just shouting. I'm too old for this.
Meat Loaf
4/5
These are REALLY good songs. OK, prog rock isn't really my scene. It doesn't warm my heart. But nobody can deny that they are songs.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Still so fun to listen to. What tunes! It’s not quite 5 star for me.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Had no idea SFA made this more Radiohead-esque experimental stuff. Listened a few times. Good but didn’t love.
Metallica
1/5
Really did not enjoy this at all. I like the more tuneful Metallica but there’s a lot of one chord screaming here.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Yep. Still dislike listening to Elvis Costello.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
1/5
More like avant- garde classical. Dislike.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Trad country not be bag but I liked this!!!!
Supertramp
2/5
Didn’t get into it.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Ok but won’t listen again. Just a bit non-descript…
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
Nope. Still don’t like it.
Motörhead
2/5
I like the song everyone else likes.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Punk folk. Brilliant. Even better if they made a punk rock version.
Pearl Jam
2/5
Loud music with long guitar solos. Sigh.
Baaba Maal
2/5
My dad would have loved this.
Muddy Waters
2/5
It’s fine. Wouldn’t listen again.
The Young Rascals
3/5
It's good doo-wop. I wouldn't chose to listen to doo-wop but you have to acknowledge this is a good version of it.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
I like this but it isn’t amazing.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Nice but I don’t like guitar led blues.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Or the greatest dolly.
Eagles
4/5
Good album. Enjoyed it!
Mike Ladd
3/5
Yes. Interesting for sure. Would listen again but equally would be ok not to.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Fine
Faith No More
1/5
Didn’t finish it
Aerosmith
2/5
Couldn’t be bothered to finish it.
Moby
3/5
In the end I had to go for 3. Whilst some of the songs are very nostalgic, I don't really find it that interesting overall and certainly wouldn't want to listen to it again.
The Temptations
4/5
Some absolute classic songs here.
Blur
3/5
I find this hard to listen to now. It’s such a strange novelty record. Two great songs - badhead and to the end. Not interested in the rest.
The Killers
5/5
This is a properly great album to listen to. Sure, it wasn’t in innovative when released. Just Brit inspired indie rock and roll. But I like this kind of music and it’s a great example of the genre.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Yeah really good. Like this music.
Randy Newman
2/5
1 star for enjoyment. Extra 1 star for their talent. Not my scene at all.
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
One amazing tune, some other nice things. Wouldn’t revisit.
Drive Like Jehu
1/5
Absolute shit. Unlistenable
PJ Harvey
3/5
This is not a good PJ album
Jungle Brothers
2/5
It was ok but I didn’t enjoy it.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
Mediocre
3/5
I like Dylan. Not sure why this one chosen but I enjoyed it.
David Bowie
3/5
I love Bowie but his albums are a bit patchy.
David Gray
3/5
Felt torn about rating this one because I do think David Gray has written a good set of songs here, and that isn't easy to pull off. But it is just so dreary to listen to. He should have sold the songs and have them turned into great pop hits by a songwriting team.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Very good
Prefab Sprout
4/5
My husbands thinks it is 5 star. I don’t.
Elvis Presley
3/5
A lot of very well know Elvis numbers on this one.
Simple Minds
2/5
I like Simple Minds and understand the significance of this album. Just don’t think it is great.
Suzanne Vega
4/5
Beautiful album
Stevie Wonder
3/5
It’s good.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Very well known stuff
Missy Elliott
1/5
Hated it first time round. Still do now.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Didn’t know this. Interesting mix of rock and roll and bluegrass etc.
Kanye West
2/5
I like Kanye but I don’t find his albums very consistent. This is quite interesting given what happens to him later!
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Pleasant but dull
Joy Division
3/5
It’s good. Important. Not blown away.
Talk Talk
3/5
Nice. Not outstanding but I’d like to listen again.
Scott Walker
3/5
I know lots of people who think this is amazing but I just don't get it.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Amazing. Still as good as the first time I listened to it. This is rock music.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Def Leppard
2/5
I know it’s good but it isn’t my scene.
The Who
3/5
I know this quite well. Like it. Don’t love it.
The Damned
2/5
Cool music. I didn't enjoy it that much. I probably would have loved it at the time!
Jamiroquai
2/5
Knew this well at the time and liked it. However, I don't enjoy listening to it now. Such is life.
Sebadoh
2/5
Interesting to hear. Liked some bits and pieces. But patchy.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Perhaps the worst album I’ve ever listened to all the way through.
fIREHOSE
3/5
It’s good. I enjoyed it.
Nina Simone
3/5
I like Nina Simone. Not crazy about this album.
OutKast
2/5
It’s actually ok but really not my scene at all.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This album brings back so many memories of my Dad. I know it backwards. The first 4 songs are masterpieces. Cohen is an amazing poet. Just didn't quite make the 5-star for me though.
Ministry
1/5
Didn’t like.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
Hate
The Black Keys
3/5
Pleasantly surprised. Enjoyable to listen to. Not blown away by it.
4/5
Hate an amazing first 4 songs. It is a great album. A very nearly 5 star for me.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Liked this far less than I remember!
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Not my favourite album by them.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Nice. Just nice.
The xx
2/5
Amazing sound but album is just dull.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Not one of his best…
David Bowie
2/5
Not that interesting to me.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
It's great. Is it perfect songwriting? For me, not quite...
Alanis Morissette
3/5
I know every word of this album. But listening back as a 40-something I’m surprised by how much I dislike it. It over-emotes which makes it tough to listen to.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Good. Long! Wish they’d made it standard length with the best there.
Beatles
4/5
A lot of well-known songs, including one of the most beautiful songs in the world: In My Life.
It’s interesting to listen knowing what was ahead of them. The songwriting has taken a big departure from the early doo-wop pop numbers but many of the arrangements are still rough and ready guitar band with close-harmony. Overall there isn’t a consistent sound and the quality of the songs is variable. For that reason, it isn’t an album I listen back to.
Happy Mondays
4/5
It's hard for me to give an impartial view of this, given how important it was to people of my generation at the time. But yes, it's still great to listen to.
Spacemen 3
2/5
Didn’t enjoy much
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
You can see glimmers of their greatness here. Interesting music but not emotionally gripping.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Great funk but I don’t like funk.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Love Nick Cave but this is only good.
George Michael
2/5
Great voice but only really like 2 songs.
The Undertones
2/5
It’s dull
Robbie Williams
3/5
There is much that is strange about this album. I don’t like the start. Then you get Angels, which is objectively speaking an excellent song. Then a load of forgettable stuff. Then Let me Entertain you, which should have been the opener. Then some sweet stuff at the end. At times it is 2-star but for two smash hits I’ll nudge it up to 3.
Michael Kiwanuka
2/5
I’m not a massive fan of his music in general. The best tunes are brilliant but the albums drift into easy listening. This isn’t his best album.
Django Django
3/5
Understand why this was acclaimed at time. Interesting sounds and nice to listen to. However, no compelling songs at the heart of the soundscape.
Isaac Hayes
1/5
My husband felt it was cruel to give this 1-star on the basis that it is tedious rather than painful to listen to. But this should be 1001 albums you should listen to before you die, not 1001 albums it is worth tolerating. A strange mix of soul, ruined by a sprinkling of big band. It takes a great song as its first track and makes it terrible. How is that even possible?
Nick Drake
4/5
It’s Nick Drake so you have to say it’s great. It’s the law. 2 amazing songs, everything very nice.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Remember this well. Don’t really enjoy listening to it but appreciate how important it was to the UK black music scene at the time.
Slayer
1/5
Just no.
Elbow
4/5
Such an interesting album, with moments of brilliance. Very nearly a 5 star for me. Perhaps I’m being cruel only giving it 4.
The Cure
2/5
Tolerable. No great tunes.
John Lennon
3/5
One of the best songs ever written - Jealous Guy - and then a load of dross. Sorry John.
Soundgarden
3/5
Although not really my music I can appreciate why it is on the list.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Bobby Womack
3/5
Nice
The Byrds
2/5
Iron Maiden
2/5
Don’t like heavy metal.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Missed this first time around. Can appreciate it is good for the genre.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Not his best but such a talent!
Elis Regina
2/5
Not my scene.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
It’s a strange album because he’s written songs in multiple different genres. Kind of makes no sense.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
I love the sound but it just gets very repetitive.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Yawn
3/5
I can see it would have been amazing for it’s time but wouldn’t listen again.
Bad Company
3/5
Actually pretty good!
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
I like this.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Very boring, given their talent!
The United States Of America
2/5
I could get to the end but I really didn't enjoy it at all!
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I liked this so much at the time but now I don’t really rate it. Start is amazing.
The Roots
2/5
Disliked a lot but managed to get to the end.
Fred Neil
4/5
A few amazing songs on here. Definitely worth exploring a few times more.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Not a good one. Few covers and one good song
Hot Chip
3/5
I like hot chip a lot but this isn’t a great album.
Common
2/5
Very repetitive but not unpleasant to listen to.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
It was good.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Fabulous - really sounds fantastic in 2023.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Ok
Cheap Trick
3/5
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Not really my scene but some excellent y songs on it.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I do like Bob Dylan but wouldn’t really want to listen to this album so much.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
It’s a good album but I just don’t enjoy Costello.
Fishbone
3/5
Nice rock funk stuff
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Isaac Hayes
2/5
Incredibly boring
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
A lovely bit of jazz- not my genre but I did appreciate it.
Boston
2/5
Hated this, apart from more than a feeling.
Billy Joel
4/5
Such a great album. Can’t be a 5-star for me because I don’t love the genre but I appreciate the quality of the songwriting here.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I know this so well. Such an important album and yet I can’t quite bring myself to give it more than 4 stars. I do like it but wouldn’t want to hear it too often.
The Only Ones
3/5
Felt very mediocre to me. Didn’t get on with it so well other than the song everyone knows.
B.B. King
3/5
Can’t get excited about this stuff.
Paul Weller
4/5
Lovely album. Remember it well.
Neil Young
3/5
Neil Young is quite a talent but nothing here that grabbed me and made me want to listen again.
Gary Numan
3/5
Important at the time but fundamentally only one song I enjoy listening to.
Pretenders
3/5
Good
Fugees
1/5
Awful. Dreadful. I loathe this album for everything it did to destroy the Britpop dream of the mid-nineties.
The Black Crowes
3/5
It’s classic rock and roll. I like but don’t love.
The Who
3/5
Good not super great to listen to.
Ryan Adams
3/5
As a Brit, I’d never heard this before. I thought it was pretty good. For a while I even thought maybe 4 stars. But in the end I settled on 3.
Prince
5/5
I can't believe this came out in 1984. This is Prince at his best. An utterly timeless album.
Brian Eno
3/5
I liked this a lot. This surprised me. I’d certainly listen again.
The Pogues
3/5
Didn't enjoy this as much as I expected to. I guess I only like Pogues music when it is live.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Fine at the start. Got worse.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Suicide
2/5
Björk
2/5
Proper art pop. Glad I listened but I won’t again.
k.d. lang
3/5
Not my scene. A few nice songs.
Funkadelic
2/5
Good funk. I don’t like funk.
The Monkees
2/5
I feel it hasn’t aged well. Didn’t get anything out of listening.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
A thing.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Ok
Joanna Newsom
2/5
Didn't think much of this
Metallica
3/5
Torn. Two amazing songs that I love, but I don't like the genre so much so would never choose to listen to the rest.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Mad. Mixtures of prog folk and psych.
Metallica
1/5
Nope. I just can’t deal with Metallica beyond the big hits.
Fever Ray
4/5
Never heard of it. This is good stuff. Maybe not groundbreaking but...
Cocteau Twins
4/5
This has been a hard choice. I love the Cocteau Twins so much a named a child after one of their songs. And yet... is this really a 5-star album? It's lovely dreampop. I listen to it all the time to relax, but I listen to it because I don't really need to listen to it. It just isn't that complex and interesting. And for me, I'd much prefer some proper lyrics. So, I've reluctantly given it a 4-star.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
I love his sound so much. It’s really interesting to listen to. Just doesn’t quite have the tunes!
Meat Puppets
3/5
I really like the first part of this. And then I really hate it. I'd listen to the start again though.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Did not really enjoy this.
The Gun Club
2/5
Terribly repetitive in the style of the songs. Not unpleasant but nothing worth hanging onto.
Marty Robbins
2/5
Not particularly enjoyable.
Black Flag
1/5
Thought the first song was fun punk metal but utterly hated the rest.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I've dithered between a 3 and 4. It's good songwriting but very conventional pop that I don't really listen to so much. So in the end I think it is only a 3 for me. Nice to listen to but I won't seek it out again.
Heaven 17
3/5
Interesting to hear such an early synth pop. A precursor to the better song writing of the Pet Shop Boys.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Yeah fun
4/5
Yeah. It's a great album. The best from him. But for me, Bowie is just a little too proggy. I just wouldn't choose to listen to this kind of stuff.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
So good that I named a child after one of the songs.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Very beautiful album with many famous songs. The others I didn’t know weren’t really my scene but no doubt it is a classic.
Billy Bragg
2/5
I like Billy Bragg but really don’t like this album. It’s not really in the English folk tradition. Sounds very Americana at times.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
I have to give this 5 stars. It’s brilliant. As a woman, I find the lyrics pretty difficult to tolerate but I appreciate they were teenage boys when they were written.
Johnny Cash
3/5
I like Johnny Cash. This is ok.
The Beta Band
4/5
I loved this. A great discovery. Am baffled that I hadn’t heard it before. Now going through the back catalogue.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Hmm… I get why people are crazy about Arcade Fire. But their lyrics…
Herbie Hancock
2/5
For me it’s a no. I find jazz boring. I even played in a jazz band for a few years to try to learn to appreciate the genre. Didn’t work.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Interesting instrumentally. If you listen closely there is so much to find in this music. But ultimately I found it a little boring and in need of some nicer melodies. It’s possible I would love it more if I listened a few more times.
Prince
3/5
Some amazing songs at the start before descending into nothingness. Typical Prince!
Sister Sledge
3/5
On the one hand, seminal pieces of music. On the other hand, I never want to hear them unless I’m very drunk on a dancefloor.
Solomon Burke
3/5
I love the first song, otherwise it’s all the same.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
God this was a painful listen.
Fatboy Slim
1/5
I owned this. I was so excited to see it on the list. But it’s awful, isn’t it? How did I ever endure it as a kid?
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
It’s brilliant but also deeply offensive and misogynistic in lyrics. So I just can’t listen to it.
2Pac
3/5
I remember this. It’s nice but I wouldn’t choose to listen again.
Simply Red
1/5
I’m British so I know Simply Red. I may have even bought their Stars album as a youngster. But this is just awful. Nobody should have to listen to this, unless they are already dead.
Nick Drake
4/5
I love Nick Drake. He’s an amazing songwriter. But this album isn’t quite 5-star for me. I actually don’t love all the arrangements - too much saccharine strings going on.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Do like Cohen. This isn’t a great one.
Pulp
3/5
One or two great songs but overall isn’t interesting.
Miles Davis
1/5
Yeah, no. I just don’t get it. I don’t care if that makes me a philistine.
Skepta
1/5
No. A one song wonder.
Blur
3/5
Two hit songs at the start. The rest perfectly pleasant but not special.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I like Joni but for me this is too jazzy Joni wailing above noise. I prefer the clean songs with beautiful melodies.
The Stooges
3/5
Important in its time. I didn’t mind it but wouldn’t be inclined to listen again.
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
I remember liking this at the time, but the material makes it almost impossible to listen to now.
U2
2/5
Not a huge U2 fan and this isn’t their best. Also. Politics.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I do really like Leonard Cohen but I don’t love this album.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I liked this a lot at the time and still love the best Beastie Boys songs but no longer enjoy a whole album of them.
Leftfield
2/5
I had this CD. God it’s boring. How did we love this stuff?
Sigur Rós
3/5
Dull
Massive Attack
5/5
Best album in the world. Ever.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
You have to be into lyrics to like Nick Cave. I’m into lyrics and I love Nick cave but I do think this album is patchy, as many of his are.
T. Rex
4/5
Very interesting. Hadn’t appreciated how 1950s inspired so many of the songs are. Good songwriting for sure but not really my scene at all.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
It just sounds like mediocre mid-career Beatles stuff.
R.E.M.
5/5
Whilst I don’t listen to this album anymore, and it certainly isn’t perfect, I feel it has to be a 5 star. The quality of the songwriting is absolutely superb and there is very little filler. I don’t love all the production choices and his voice is a bit grating but…
The Doors
2/5
Very mundane. Not impressed.
The Lemonheads
2/5
I’m sure I would have liked this if I’d been of the right age to enjoy, but I don’t understand why it would make a must listen list. It’s quite pleasant but unremarkable.
The Pogues
3/5
Mixed feelings. Know it well because my mother had it. Some nice tunes but also very annoying to have to listen to a whole album of it, whilst not in a rough pub or club.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Why is this on the list? It doesn’t even have any of her good songs on it.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Some amazing bangers, then it drifts into mediocre dream pop that kind of wrecks the vibe. I actually like dream pop but I can’t imagine an occasion that would suit both the front and back end of this album.
Incubus
1/5
I appreciate somebody likes this but I don’t.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Just no.
David Ackles
2/5
I don’t like this songbook kind of stuff at all.
Beck
3/5
I think Beck writes music, not songs. Great talent but just doesn’t do it for me.
Beth Orton
4/5
4 is probably too generous because there is a lot of filler in this. But I do enjoy listening to it. Some pretty cool lyrical lines here and there.
Underworld
1/5
Now that I don’t do drugs, I don’t need to listen to this music.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
Brit here so there is nothing nostalgic about this. It’s just country music, and too much of it.
The Beta Band
3/5
My husband tell me I should get excited by this band, but I just can't seem to. It's a nice soundscape but it is amazing songwriting? Nope.
The Police
3/5
Beyond the obvious songs, I don’t particularly enjoy this. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood.
Stan Getz
2/5
I don’t enjoy this kind of jazz.
Röyksopp
4/5
Surprisingly pleasant to listen to. Definitely dinner party music.
AC/DC
4/5
I will never listen to this again but it’s impossible to deny that this is a good album.
The Cure
5/5
I love this album. I know it should be 5 stars but I’m giving it 5-stars anyway.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I’m not a big reggae fan. And this certainly isn’t the best from them. Pleasant enough to hear.
Björk
3/5
I LOVED this at the time, but on reflection it isn’t an amazing piece of work
The White Stripes
3/5
I enjoy listening to every White Stripes album because they always do such interesting things in a stripped back way. But I do think this is a weaker album.
Anita Baker
1/5
Just awful. Couldn’t get through the tracks without wanting to vomit.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
This kind of electronic instrumental is pleasant enough but nothing really grabbed me. I guess Wilmot made me smile when it came on.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Very mediocre
Mariah Carey
1/5
Nope. I’m sorry. I couldn’t get to the end. Nobody should have this inflicted on them.
The B-52's
5/5
The soundtrack of my life. My father had Rock Lobster at his funeral. A good way to leave this earth.
Norah Jones
2/5
I had this album. I don’t understand how I listened to it so much. It is dreadfully tedious.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
I feel torn on this album. On the one hand it deserves to be on the list - it’s interesting. But ultimately the songs just aren’t that great.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Yeah. It’s ok. Better than I thought it would be.
5/5
An emotional 5 star. This was a favourite for a long time.
Fiona Apple
4/5
An album of contrasts. Some of the most important songs written in that era in the first part of the album, followed by less good stuff in the back end.
Mercury Rev
4/5
This is an astonishing album. I didn't know it, except for Goddess on a Hiway which everyone knows. I'm giving it 4-stars but I suspect with a few listens it would be nudged up to a 5-star album. It is just so interesting and emotional.
Def Leppard
2/5
It’s fine but I just didn’t engage with it at all when listening to it.
Joe Ely
2/5
I’m not into country and had never heard of this. It was pleasant but forgettable.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I reluctantly have to give this 3-star. There are a few great tunes and there’s no doubt he can write tunes but I just don’t enjoy listening to this kind of rock.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
2 stars for not being completely unlistenable to. But there is nothing here worth revisiting. Ever.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
I just find this kind of music so boring. Who listens to it? Old people smoking weed I guess.
Sepultura
1/5
I’m afraid I am unable to finish this type of heavy/thrash metal.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Very nice instrumental music. Could listen to it a lot, but only 3 stars because nothing really grabbed me about it.
Santana
3/5
Expected to find this very tedious and was surprised that it was quite an enjoyable listen.
Dire Straits
3/5
Yeah has echoes of the good stuff to come from this band but doesn’t quite have the songs.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
I love that song this women did about smashing windows that was on an earlier album but this album is f***ing awful. Hated every minute of it.
Drive-By Truckers
1/5
Nope. I’m English and can’t see the appeal or artistry in this kind of thing.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
Quite enjoyable but didn’t really get hooked in at any stage. Might listen again sometime.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
It’s just blues but pretty pleasant blues
10cc
3/5
I’m glad 10cc exist. They do some mad and interesting stuff. I like to listen closely. But is it great? No.
Roni Size
1/5
I hate this album for how it won the Mercury prize over OK Computer. It is astonishingly terrible. What possessed the judges?
The Saints
3/5
I liked it. Not loads. But I might listen again sometime. Nothing completely grabbed me, though I did like the sound of the band.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Well that was incredibly boring. Just twiddling about on the guitar and singing utterly forgettable songs.
Ray Charles
3/5
I see why people love it, but for me I don't love this style of big band music.
Ozomatli
2/5
Couldn't find all of it online. Seemed OK.
George Harrison
3/5
This isn't an album. It's a vast collection of random songs that Harrison had lying about on the cutting room floor, including some good ones. Shame - he could have made a masterpiece, but this isn't a good listen.
Ice Cube
4/5
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. I admit it is very much of an era that I like for nostalgic reasons, but it still feels very relevant and compelling.
Dr. John
3/5
Probably quite important, and I might get more out of it if I listen closely. But I don't find it that interesting.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
I owned this. Listened to it a lot but would be happy to not hear it again now.
Queen Latifah
2/5
Yeah no. Didn’t like listening to this at all.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
This is quite a find. I love it. It’s almost a 5 star. Maybe I’ll review it down the road.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Yes, I appreciate this should be on the list. Do I love it? No.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I was lucky enough to see Run DMC in the 90s. It was chaotic. But this album isn't amazing. Except for one song, obviously.
The Associates
3/5
I enjoyed it but nothing grabbed me as particularly interesting.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This is a hard album to rate. I don't love guitar noodling but this is something special, when it is at its best. However, it's just too long and unfocused - he had 40 minutes of a masterpiece that deserves 5 stars. As it is, I'm going to give it 4 stars but it is a low 4 stars... I wouldn't routinely want to listen to this album as a whole.
Faust
2/5
I appreciate things like this being in the list but didn't find much that was interesting to me in it.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I like folk music and should like stuff like this. Listened through a couple of times and found it very boring. Not unpleasant but don't need to hear it again.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
I was there. Had this album. Took the necessary small pills needed to enjoy the music. Now I'm old and clean I find it hard to enjoy such repetitive music. But there's nostalgia there and I appreciate they were good at what they did.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Nice enough, but didn't really grab me. A pleasant listen though.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Not my kind of music but I could appreciate it was fun to listen to.
Wilco
2/5
Thankfully this dross didn’t make it across the pond to England.
David Bowie
3/5
I love Bowie but this isn’t one his greats unfortunately. I do find it interesting but not compelling.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I appreciate Elvis Costello is a talented man. I do. But I still don't like him.
Wilco
4/5
Well, this was quite a find. As a Brit, I didn't know Wilco and found the other albums in this list incredibly tedious. But this is interesting in terms of instrumentation. And the tune Jesus etc is quite a thing. I listened to it a few times and found new things to hear each time. Not a 5-star for me in terms of songwriting, but deserving of the list for sure.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
It’s a fun album. Not my thing but…
Kate Bush
3/5
I could give this anywhere between 1 and 5 stars. I’m not a huge avant garde pop fan but I recognise how important it is to have this music pushing the genre to interesting places. Ultimately for me, she doesn’t quite tip her experimentation into a compelling hit in this album.
Ride
2/5
I think I only like shoegaze when it doesn’t wreck the songs through distortion. This was kind of irritating to hear.
CHIC
3/5
It Nile Rodgers. Great musicians. Never loved his songs.
Tito Puente
2/5
Not for me thanks
2/5
Few well known songs and nothing else I liked.