Whenever a big album like that comes up, I'm thinking - it can't be that good, right? And then I play it and realize that it is even better than I remembered. It's one of those where you can't overstate their influence. I mean you can hear all types of indie rock tracing their roots back to this thing. And it was made almost 60 years ago? You'd expect it to lose at least some appeal due to age, right? But no, it's as enjoyable as ever. This is one of those albums that this list was created for.

I haven’t heard this one before. Definitely my top electronic album found on this list so far. Really enjoyable. I see other people’s reviews complaining that it’s repetitive. Well, isn’t that the point? At the same time the duo manages to put some ear catching noises that grab your attention throughout each track. One more thing - now I feel like I understand Yeezus better, some of the sounds are exactly the same. Favourite tracks: Rock n Roll, Rollin and Scratchin. I’m giving it a 4.5, rounded down to 4 because yeah it is a bit too long but it may grow on me up to 5.

I didn’t expect it but the album has everything I enjoy and will easily become one of my all time favourites. Grungy 90s vocals, folky tunes, Americana and just a right amount of politics make this a perfect combination of 90s alternative. I love it! Also I feel like there’s not a single filler on it - each song has something that draws me further into them. Hard to pick a favourite track!

I love putting this on walking around my neighbourhood built in the 50s and imagining I’m back in time. Simple yet beautiful. The melody on the last song is heartbreaking too.

Hard for me to rate a hip-hop album as I don't know much about it - I'll definitely need to give it more time once I go through more rap albums. For now, I really enjoyed the minimialist jazzy beats and double bass. It made other instrumentals stand out more and allowed for more focus on the lyrics. I loved the first song - Excursions, both intrumentally and lyrically, I think it's one of the best openings to any album I've heard so far. Overall, 3.5/5 for me personally, +0.5 for the cult status this album has due to its apparent significance to the genre.

I didn't like it in the beginning except for the few major hits (Praise You, Right Here Right Now) - I found the repetitivenes and the breaking down of all those beats too long and annoying. But then I played it on my headphones while working out and I found that I actually enjoyed it a lot more than expected. Still, it's not something I'd play on a daily basis and the loooong ending to Rockefeller Skank is just too much for me. 3.5/5 rounded down to 3.

I really loved this one. I’ll still need to dive into it more, especially to go through the lyrics. My favourite tracks: Alone again or; Andmoreagain; Maybe the people… (especially loved the solos on this one)

I was surprised to like it so much - it's definitely not something I'd have picked up if it wasn't for this list. But I really liked it, especially the more downtempo parts in the beginning and ending. Tracks such as Valley of the Dolls, Sunworshipper, Zenophile, Need You Tonite, Emotion 98.6 gave me a nice dancey vibe with a bit of nostalgia which suits this early autumn weather just perfectly. At times sounded a lot like Royskopp, which is perfectly fine with me. Drop the Pressure is pure fun. 4.0/5, will definitely be going back to this one

I don’t really know much about the genre, and the dance culture around it kinda irritates me. But an album like this one on its own is great. I enjoyed putting it on in the background while working or cooking. Definitely favourite track is Plastico and then Maria Lionza. 3.5/5 down to 3 simply because it’s not really my thing

I love everything about this album. It makes me want to move to some remote place in the mountains and just chill with a guitar on a porch. Favourite tracks except for the obvious first track and California Stars are One by one and Eisler on the go. 5/5

I’m sorry I don’t get this. Maybe I really am boring and the funk doesn’t get to me. I can appreciate the technical side and it’s very good. But overall I don’t really feel like listening to this

This is the 8th album since I've started and it's the first one that I know and love. I may not be very objective as it's been one of my favorites for a long time and brings back a lot of memories. It's a perfect mix of garage rock and dance and lyrics tell simple stories of a life as a teenager/early adult that bring out a lot of nostalgia for me. Favorite tracks: I bet you look good on the dancefloor, When the sun goes down, A certain romance. 5/5

Album No.9 - Not really my thing, I tried giving it a go and I really enjoyed the first two tracks which are actually pretty good. As for the rest of it, I'm not enjoying it too much and cannot imagine going back regularly to this, more like a curiosity of an era. 3/10

Album No.10 - I didn't have time to go through it in detail as I'd like to - I'd do that over the weekend. So far, I like the ambience created by the vocals and soft instrumentals in the back. Will definitely have to go back to check the lyrics out. Not quite my type of an album, but a nice one to put on in the background - and my wife enjoys it a lot, which is important too. 3.5/5 - for now down to 3.0 but maybe 4.0 after a while?

Album No.11 - it's also the second album that I got from the Big Beat genre following Fatboy Slim (which was a bit of a let down for me). I liked this one much more - it seems more consistent than FS while at the sine team being much less poppy and hit driven. There’s also less boring moments consisting of deconstructing of beats which annoyed me a lot when listening to FS. Also one more observation: it flows by really fast, I’m always a bit surprised that it’s already over. 4/5

I really enjoyed listening to this one - great rythm changes, amazing drumming following the bass riffs and then the layers of guitars - songs are just filled with great riffs. Also, a lot of great small gems, such as the acoustic guitar passage in Holy Wars. The vocals were not the best but sometimes reminded me of Mike Patton on Easy so that wasn't such a bad thing after all. Didn't really care much for the lyrics but the music was amazing. 4.5/5 down to 4.

I was expecting something more similar to Stone Roses so at first I wasn’t too impressed with this. But then, after 4 or 5 listens it grew on me. It’s definitely a more chaotic and nonsensical side of the genre - especially lyrics are a mess. But this kind of chaos is addictive. I enjoyed the jangly guitars in the background building the atmosphere throughout the entire record. The bass lines were also distinctively groovy at times. My favourite tracks are Moving In With, Mad Cyril, Performance, Bring a Friend and Lazyitis (ticket to ride + a great guitar outro to the entire album). Overall, I think I enjoyed more the vibe the entire album gives off rather then particular songs. You can feel this very particular era of madchester on this album. But I’d still choose Stone Roses over this anytime. 3.5/5 down to 3 for the lack of any particular song that really grabbed my attention

This is a great album but it required a couple of replays from me to fully appreciate it. Definitely not something to just put in the background. The listing is a mess and varies in each issue, which results in sudden change of moods and styles. I was listening to Spotify version with a few bonus tracks. I can definitely see how this band and the album (which I have never listened to prior) was so influential to (mainly) American alternative bands. There's a wide spectrum of genres that can be spotted on the album, from powerpop (O, Dana), baroque pop (For You), glam rock (You Can't Have Me) and more folky tunes (Big Black Car). My favorites are the ballads which go from extremely sad and depressing (Holocaust, Big Black Car) to sweet love songs (Blue Moon, For You). I also enjoyed a lot the bonus track - Till The End of The Day which sounds like the Beatles meets powerpop. I also love the fragile voice of the singer, at times on the verge of completely breaking down. The only thing I did not care for was the Holocaust analogy, I think its a bit over the top and unneccessary, sounded a bit juvenile. Overall, the album is not only relevant thanks to its later influences, but also is a great piece of music on its own.

Simple and energetic pop punk from 1980. Very cool! I have only one issue with such albums - there's like 50 songs on it and they all sound very much alike. Hard to really pick something out of it as a result. Still, the album is very consistent throughout its entire duration (pretty short) and is packed with cool hooks. The instrumentals, production, lyrics - all of that is simple and just stands out of the way of pure fun coming from listening to this record. Plus, this is a great album to listen to while driving! Favorites: There Goes Norman, See That Girl (with a bit of a 60s parapapa in the background), Under The Boardwalk, Wednesday Week (totally sounds like a Beatles song) 4/5

One of my favourites. The best of the early Beatles era. Short album but just packed with bangers. 5/5

I love it! short and beautiful - except for the obvious, I especially enjoyed the guitar playing throughout the album, with interesting chord progressions. Will definitely play this one more often. 4.5/5

It's really good and I think it's actually the best from all the electronic albums I've heard while doing this challenge (including Chemical Borthers, Fatboy Slim, Milo) - it's the most complex one while at the same time not annoying and very much enjoyable. My only issue with this is that it's a bit too long, especially for such a repetitive kind of music. I'll be definitely going back to this one. 4/5

no, no, no this is just too corny, bland and unoriginal. I was 8 when this came out so can't really remember that it was so hyped. imagine my shock when reading about all the awards and critical appraisal. it annoys me that it seems like they try really hard to appeal to the listener. i would have given it a 2 but i still enjoy "beautiful day" and the production throughout the album, which is just crystal clear. i don't really wish to relisten to this but will probably force myself though to check if i missed anything. ps new york new york new york oh fuck off. i dont really understand how did it make it on the list? maybe to represent the bland 2000 rock era? if so, than it does its job very well 2.5/5 up to 3/5

this is one of my favorite albums ever since high school! i love every single track on it, but Alive is probably one of the top 10 songs of the 90s alone. the whole album, musically, is just such a perfect mix of grunge with more classic hard rock. and lyrics are great too - incredible storytelling on Jeremy and just pure emotion on Once and Black. i called out the biggest hits here but seriously there's not a single song i dont enjoy and i always come back to stuff like Ocean, Garden or Release Me. the only problem i have with this is that its such a great debut that they never really managed to top it or even come close to it. luckily, in the end Vedder went on to to find himself in more folky things such as the soundtrack to Into the wild. 5/5

A beautiful autumn album. Perfect to chill to on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It’s very consistent throughout. Also, one of a few examples of albums where the second half sounds much better than the first. Favourite tracks: Tears of Rage, The Weight, Lonesome Suzie, This Wheel’s on Fire. 4/5

I'm a big fan of Brazilian music - especially from that era - I love bossa nova. So I guess I was expecting something similar. This is much different though. It still has this amazing warmth mixed with melancholy to it that is so typical for Brazilian albumst that I've heard. However, I got lost on some tracks - maybe it's because it's a long album with many songs and I feel like I'm missing out on a lot due to not understanding the language. Trem de doido is a magnificent track - mixing the fuzz guitars with the calm and warm vocals is just perfect. Other songs I remember: tudo que voce podia ser and Um girassol da cor de seu cabelo (with that outro!) 4/5 trem de doido

expected to hate this based on what i've read and my overall ignorance in the hip hop genre - but so far i actually enjoy this a bit. probably helps that im not native english speaker and can ignore the bullshit lyrics and just focus on the flow and beats which are both really good. its still too long and the porn bits are just too much sometimes. My favorite track is Halfsharkalligatorhalfman - the idea of a 208 year old uncle as the final boss is hilarious. Also, there's another album about a horny gynecologist - Doc Gyneco made in France in the same year - who was first here? Don't really care but I think the French one is much better. 3/5

It’s just so pretty and fun. Elvis’ voice is deep and beautiful, the production is crystal clear. Most of the songs are rather simple tunes that make you want to drop everything and dance. Then by the end of the album it goes a bit more bluesy which is a bit of a surprise but a nice one. My favourite track is The Girl of My Best Friend - his voice on this makes me swoon and I’m a 30yo straight guy. I also love the Fever cover especially the sparse drumming.

It's certainly an enjoyable album but did not really captivate me in any way. Also does not seem too original, the sound reminds me of a typical rock band from the 70s. I guess I never really cared for glam rock. I also did not have the time to go through the lyrics, so maybe I'll still grow fonder of this album? No More Mr Nice Guy is a banger though! 3/5

I knew Nick Drake's Pink Moon before and loved it, so naturally I had high hopes for this one and it kind of.. disappointed? I tried giving it multiple chances but it just didn't captivate me in any way. I still enjoy Nick's delivery and the jazzy parts on this release are great, however there is not a single track that I'm thinking about after the album is over. It's just a nice record to put on in the back for me but that's it. Maybe I'll grow fonder of it with time, but there's just one day for each album at this point so for now it's 3/5 from me.

I have never heard Gary Numan before and I really liked it. I can definitely see how innovative and influential it must have been at the time. Nowadays it’s still enjoyable and sometimes surprising. In particular I was impressed how they used layers of synths as guitar riffs. Cars is the obvious hit here but I think M.E. is my favourite. I’ll be definitely coming back to this. 4/5

I love it, one of my favorites! Probably the best of the early punk era. And 'Mannequin' is one of my top songs ever. 5/5

I didn’t expect it but the album has everything I enjoy and will easily become one of my all time favourites. Grungy 90s vocals, folky tunes, Americana and just a right amount of politics make this a perfect combination of 90s alternative. I love it! Also I feel like there’s not a single filler on it - each song has something that draws me further into them. Hard to pick a favourite track!

I don’t know much about rap but this has been great. It’s my second album by the group (after Low End Theory) and its definitely less artsy and influential but at the same time feels much more authentic and fun. I particularly enjoyed the tracks with snarky and funny verses (the parts with nonsense in French are just perfect). Definitely one of my favourite rap albums of all time, which is not that impressive my lack of knowledge in the field, but still! 4.5/5

First 3 tracks - 5/5, the rest of it going between 3-4/5. a total of 3.5/5 brought up to 4 because of the initial trio I love how the first three tracks flow into each other seemlessly. Genesis is a great opener to the album setting the tone of the entire record, then followed by Let there be light constatly repeating the same melody over broken beats and amazing bass lines to ultimately flow into D.A.N.C.E. - just a perfect dance track (the bass on this!). This trio of tracks is just perfect. However, I feel like this was all there was to the album and the rest of is ok but does not go back near anywhere to the quality of the three openers. oh and I don't mind the Party and kind of like it - on the other hand, i thought DVNO was much more annoying

Just a beautifully done easy listening album full of tunes that could have easily been picked up for any Bond movie. The biggest strength of the album is the incredible voice of Dusty - it is maybe not the strongest of female voices but it’s timbre is so sexy it won’t leave anyone indifferent. My favourite except for the obvious Son of a preacher man was The Windmills of your mind - Dusty vocals meeting bossa nova - perfection.

It's a good roots reggae album. I liked the title track and the rest of it kind of flew by me in the background. Not really my type of music but it's nice enough. 3/5

I love CCR and this is their best although it does not contain my favourite tracks. It's a great statement of a particular place and time that sounds even exotic for someone from a completely different part of the world. Favorite tracks: Looking Out My Back Door, Who'll Stop The Rain, I Heard it through the grapevine and Long As I Can see the Light. I have to admit though, the rock and roll / bluesy parts did seem unoriginal and a bit boring to me. Hence, 4/5

I love Chris Cornell and consider him one of the very top rock vocalists ever. As for Soundgarden, it has always been my least favourite of grunge's big 4. They played a much different sound than the rest of the scene and you'll hardly find any poppy tunes here as on Nirvana or even Pearl Jam's releases. However, this is not to say it's bad - on the contrary. The music on this album is energetic hard rock with depressing suicidal lyrics, which create great contrasts and break my heart considering how it all ended. They also played much more with progressive side of rock, adding multiple tempo changes and unusual time signatures. In that respect, it's much closer to Stone Temple Pilots than the rest of the Seattle scene. Listening to the album I get a feeling that this is also the most mature music that came out of that era. Other than Black Hole Sun (which is easily among the best tracks of the 90s), my favourites: Head Down, Mailman and Fell On Black Days which has one of the best lyrical description of depression I've heard in music. 4.5/5

This is one of my favourite albums of all time. The guitar tone on this especially Mayonaise is just pure heaven. Love it. I don’t think there’s any bad track on it. Pure 90s perfection. 5/5

This is the breakthrough Stones record. It contains some of my favourite songs of theirs, such as Out of Time, Mothers Little Helper, Under My Thumb, Lady Jane and my favourite on the album - I Am Waiting (love the scene from Rushmore!). However I don’t really care too much for the rest of the bluesy country tracks and never did. Also I absolutely hate the fact that there are two different versions and only the US one has one of the best songs of all time, Paint It Black. 4/5 for all the great tunes but not consistent enough for 5/5 for me

This is so weird and at times very silly. And it doesn't help that I'm not that much into hip-hop. I have to admit that it grew a lot on me because at first I wanted to completely disregard it (especially after the unnecessary gore parts of 4 Better Or 4 Worse). There are two tracks that I really enjoyed - in big part due to exceptional instrumentals: On the DL, Passin' me By - and I'll definitely be coming back to those. Ya Mama gave me a chuckle too. All in all I guess this must have been interesting back in the day but for someone completely outside of the genre it's just a weird record with annoying lyrics and at times great instrumentals. 2.5/5

I don’t get this. Hard to fall in love with such an experimental album overnight I guess. The parts giving off Bowie vibes I enjoyed (on some faraway beach, dead finks are both very pretty) but there were some parts that made me want to pull my hair out (blank Frank, driving me backwards). I don’t really have too much time to dive into this right now. 3/5 rated up due to some parts I enjoyed and the apparent significance based on what I’ve read so far

Enjoyed this one but I guess expected a bit more. Feels like they had plenty of great ideas but didn’t really finish working on them or as if these are merely leftovers from other projects. Still, The Passion of Lovers is a great track. And I guess I expected more of the same, but didn’t really get it in the end. Overall I really enjoyed the cold winter vibes and I got to listen to it on the first day of snowfall which was just perfect coincidence and helped me immerse more into the atmosphere of the album. One thought I had while listening: it could use much more synths In the back. The additional material on the Spotify version is simply bad and completely superfluous. 3.5/5

I try and I try to get into the Rolling Stones and I can't. This album has an undisputed musical quality and its impact on rock n roll cannot be questioned. It's also overflowing with masculine energy, yet it sometimes goes too far and the energy is a bit tiring after a while. Their usage of country and blues maybe was important for the popular music at the time, but right now - for someone picking up this album for the first time - it just gets boring and annoying (Dear Doctor is garbage). What I liked about it: Sympathy for the Devil is a really great tune and it stands out so much when compared to the rest of the album. Also, I like the slide guitars on some tracks which is apparently one of the last contribution of Brian Jones. Salt of the Earth is a nice closer too. Other than that, many easily forgettable songs, which is also one of my major problems with the band - incredible bangers scattered throught multiple albums among generic blues rock songs. 3/5 - due to its apparent significance and track 1

Street Life is a banger. The rest of the album is a nice thing to put in the background but nothing too interesting. 3/5

It’s nice enough but I’m not too impressed with this kind of folk albums. I think I’ve had too much recently. Plus the guy sounds incredibly pretentious. 3/5 cause I liked the melody in the first track

it's pretty enough but just a bit inoffensive and unattractive? there's nothing here that kept my attention for longer. what stood out? instrumentals, especially the punchy bass on Everydays, acoustic guitar solo on Bluebird. I liked Expecting to Fly (pretty vocals), Sad Memory (beautiful electric guitar hidden in the background). I feel like there's lack of any strong hit here and as a result there's no anchor to keep me listening to the rest of it. Pretty cover art . I don't know, it just feels incoherent. 3/5

it's a homemade d-d-d-dynamite! I think I must really be out of touch with modern music because this one completely blew me away. Absolutely loving it and it's totally outside of my comfort zone. I think there's not a single weak track (although some of the more poppy tunes are a bit too much for me, see Supercut or Perfect places). The lyrics are youthful but mature, and Lorde's voice is just beautiful. The entire album stands out from all the old classic folky albums I've been tortured with recently. Plus the artwork is so pretty it makes me want to purchase a vinyl copy. Favourites: Green Light, Homemade Dynamite, Liability, Writer in the Dark (that Kate Bush chorus!) and that short ending to Hard Feeling/Loveless. Straight to my favourite albums.

Little wing is a supreme guitar song. Nothing can ever top it for me. It’s just pure bliss. And I love that it’s so short too. I mean SRV elaborates on the subject and it’s great I like it. But Jimi just goes straight to the point and it cuts short before the melody flies away. Perfection. How can I rate an album with Little wing on it anything lower than 5/5? And there’s more to it too: Bold as Love, Spanish Castle Magic, Castles Made of Sand, Wait Until Tomorrow, One Rainy Wish - they’re all beautiful songs. And how about the tone of Jimis guitar on this entire album? then you have the rest of the band which is so easy to overlook but they’re there and they are doing great work to showcase Jimi’s magic. Last but not least - I think with Hendrix it’s so easy to focus solely on the guitar but please take a closer look at the lyrics: Castles Made of sand, Bold as Love and of course Little Wing - Jimi is very underrated as a writer. 5/5 perfect guitar album with the greatest electric guitar tune in rock and roll history.

I still have a bit of an issue with glam - it all sounds pretty much the same to me. However this one is a bit different and I guess that’s because they were among the pioneers and I can appreciate the value it must have added back in the day. You can definitely hear how bands like The Clash or Pixies were influenced by this album. Still, this sounds exactly as I was expecting - like a bridge between The Rolling Stones and punk, which is a great thing to get a better understanding of music history. But it still does not have much replay value to me at this point. I really enjoyed the guitar playing on this especially considering that they’re not put in the forefront. Don’t care too much about the vocals which sound too Jaggery for my taste. Cover art is super cool! makes me want to get a vinyl copy even if I don't care as much about the music. Favourite tracks: Personality Crisis, Frankenstein. 3/5

Exactly why I’m doing this challenge. I would have never heard of it otherwise and I enjoy it so much! Great collection of songs with simple yet beautiful melodies, interesting acoustic guitar arrangements, nice and warm voice (but not too pretty luckily!). There’s plenty of songs I marked as favourites so I’ll just pick one in particular - Pissing in the wind! I’m rating this as 4/5. Not a 5 because I feel like it’s a bit too long and has too many filler, which makes this album go all over the place sometimes. But still very much enjoyable piece of music.

Simply a great blues rock album by a great band of gifted musicians. A teenage me would have absolutely loved this. My favourite tracks are Greensleeves, Rock My Plimsoul and Beck’a Bolero. Great guitar playing - I would actually enjoy if it was made more prominent on the album since Beck has such an original sound and it seems a bit overshadowed by Stewart’s singing. The version on Spotify contains also a bunch of b-sides out of which I’ve been drinking is a great addition to the album and should have been included in the original release. Also Love is blue makes me think of Mad Men. That’s a rare thing for me to actually enjoy the bonus tracks to deluxe editions. 4/5

I don't think I can explain how much I love this album. It's probably among my top 5 albums ever. I've been listening to it since I was 17 and it just never gets old. Such an eclectic mix of styles with punk flavour on top! There are no weak tracks and I can’t name all of my favourite ones, so here’s my absolute top, other than the obvious hits: Card Cheat, Koka Kola, Brand New Cadillac and I’m Not Down. This last track got me out of so many depressing situations. Love love love this album

It's a beautiful album with incredible singing from Ray Charles. There's nothing much to say - I put it on in the back while walking through the city with Christmas illuminations and it was definitely working its magic. It just sounds too generic to me but this is probably due to its old age and being completely outside of my usual area of expertise. Still, a beautiful album with easy listening songs.

Suprisingly, I am really enjoying this. It's at time a bit too sweet but still a very solid album. From what I've read, this is the last album of ABBA recorded during the time when not only the group was falling apart but also the marriages of the members. This is reflected in the lyrics, most notably in One of Us. I like the theatrical I Let the Music Speak, which also foreshadows the next projects of the men from the group, who went into musicals. I also feel like Weyes Blood must have listened a lot to this album when making Titanic Rising because I hear a lot of similarities here and I love it. One of Us and Head Over Heels are great pop songs with incredibly catchy hooks - still ABBA's magic showing through. Also, One of Us makes me thing of The Sign by Ace of Base (notabene also a Swedish group) - pay attention to this little backing voice part in the chorus that sounds exactly like "life is demanding without understanding". Bass line on For the Price of One makes me think of this obscure Polish song from the 90s about animal rights (Buzu Squat - Nasze Przebudzenie). Again, sometimes too sweet, especially Slipping Through My Fingers (though the lyrics are really touching, reminiscent of She's Leaving Home by The Beatles). The cover art is beautiful and reflects perfectly the contents of the album. 4/5 - will be definitely coming back to this one.

I'm not into hip hop so never really listened to Kanye and always kind of wondered what's the big deal with this guy. Never really got a chance to listen to his albums. Then recently all kinds of disgusting things he said I assumed I'll just skip him entirely. And now I get this on my challenge. At first I was going to skip and give it a 1 star like some people here (always enjoy reading those reviews). But then I though that I listen to and enjoy many artists that were horrible people and did some questionable things. I mean, talk about the entire classic rock genre, guys like Jimmy Page or putin sympathizer Roger Waters. So I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did. It's probably the best hip hop album I've heard so far. I don't know much about influences in this genre so I rely on other people's opinions in this regard, but man, the music on this just flows. And it's so accessible to non hiphop heads, I can definitely see myself using it as a gateway into the genre. The lyrics are impressive and I'll be damned but I can't find traces of anything he will have said in 2022. I'm gonna tell myself that this young Kanye from 2004 was a different person and continue to enjoy this. Now let's try some more of his works.

I have never seen or even heard of the movie. It’s a nice soundtrack album, funky jazz with really nice rhythmic section. But that’s all there is to me. It lacks context of the movie. And therefore I’m really puzzled if this should even be on that list?

I love Aretha! This is such a great album to put on in the background but then her vocal delivery grabs your attention and makes you listen to the lyrics.

Overall I love how positive and energetic this whole thing is especially when you consider Iggy's previous album, The Idiot. It’s like a completely different thing and there was just a couple of months between both records. The two iconic tracks - The Passenger and Lust for Life - are all time classics. The rest of the album is top tier as well. I really liked the riff on Some Weird Sin, the Bowie-like melodies on Tonight. Success was great if not a bit too long and too repetitive (would have been great if it was cut earlier), Turn Blue is a great and atmospheric track. Neighbourhood Treat is ok. The last son fall in love with me is too much glam and less interesting. Sixteen is similar and they’re both the weakest tracks for me on the album. I really enjoy the instrumentals throughout the album: strong drums, nice guitar riffs and atmospheric keyboards from time to time. The lyrics are cool. Iggys delivery is great. Cover art makes me smile. He looks like such a nice guy here. It’s a 4 from me but I can easily see myself growing into loving it much more over time so a potential 5 in the future or if I had heard it earlier in my life it would have been a 5.

really not my thing. only one song got my attention - Conte de fees, which had cool guitars and all. other than that, did not really find this interesting.

I was very excited at first because the first track is soo good. The Wall Street Shuffle has a fantastic guitar riff (and what a tone!), cool and timeless lyrics as well as great melodies with interesting instrumentals. However, the rest of the album is a huge disappointment. It seems like they threw at this all of their ideas hoping something will stick. And maybe it would if they followed through on some of those. But no, if anything interesting appears on this album it is immediately followed by some other - most often silly - idea. Luckily it doesn't drag too long as it's only 37 minutes and in the end there are some better tracks but the middle part of it is at times unlistenable, with special regards to the Worst Band in the World. Few highlights of the album except for the first track: Hotel, Baron Samedi. Overall its been a big disappointment.

I had no expectations as it's completely out of my usual genre and absolutely loved it! From the new jack swing snare to heavy guitars on Black Cat, the production and instrumentals are just a perfect representation of the era. The tracklist consists primarily of solid dance tunes with sociopolitical message, which sometimes may sound naive but it seems like the author was completely aware of that and had all the best intentions. There are some weaker points, sure, especially towards the end which is unnecessarily packed with ballads, but its still a very good album overall. I will be definitely coming back to this and I'll try some other albums from Janet. 4/5

already knew this one before and I like it a lot. It's a great thing to put on in the background. Favourite tracks: Xtal, Tha, Ptolemy. I really don't like Green Calx, which is the only one track that actually bothers me on this otherwise perfect ambient album. 4/5

Smooth and beautiful. Incredible vocal performance. Not much to be said here. I think I sort of have a problem with those oldies as I love putting them on as a background but can't get too invested into their actual content. Maybe it's because they've become such a standard at this point it's hard to be bothered to find something new and exciting?

It's one of those formative teenage albums for me. I first heard it in 2004 when I was 12 and I've loved it ever since. This thing not only made me dig deep into the blues and garage rock, it pushed me to pick up an electric guitar! It still rocks and I don't think there's any weak track on the whole thing. Still, all the heavy guitar playing aside, I think my favourite is In the cold cold night. I just have so many memories come up when I hear it! Love this album, one of my all time favourites.

I have trouble rating albums this dated. I can definitely appreciate how interesting this must have sounded back in the day, McCartney and Lennon were known to be the British copy cats of The Everly Brothers in the early days. But I still can't really identify with this music. It sounds more like a curosity, a testament of an era rather than something to enjoy on daily basis. When I think of that I start to worry like what if my favourite music will sound like that to my kids? Or was there a point at which they managed to make music that is timeless and will remain enjoyable for the generations to come? If so, this kind of oldie makes really appreciate the geniuses of Paul McCartney or Brian Wilson. I'm giving it a neutral 3/5

I don't think I get the appeal. There are a couple of songs I enjoyed (Ocean of Noise, The Well and the Lighthouse, My Body is a Cage) but overall it seems pretty bland to me. Moreover, when I look through the tracklist it seems that the album starts really slowly and the songs at the front are not nearly as good as the second half of the album, which probably impacts my overall sentiment. I enjoy the instrumentals, especially considering that the band is full of multinstrumentalists. Especially like the organs on the last track. I didn't get trhough the lyrics too much - they're a bit too complex and poetic for me as a non-native speaker to dig through over one day. I don't know why but I get a feeling that these guys are a bit pretentious though? Not sure if this is right, just a feeling. Still, it is a good album but does not match the hype for me. 3.5/5

It's a great album that I have a lot of nostalgia for. Kinda makes me wish I grew up 50 years ago in some random town in the middle of nowhere in US. Still, I thought it was a little bit better back when I first heard it. 4/5

It's a great representation of 90s music with extra quality added by Mariah's exceptional vocal performances. Three tracks stood out for me: My All, Outside - both with just perfect, dramatic vocal delivery and the first track - Honey, which stands out lyrically from all the sweetness elsewhere on the track - due to its not so subtle double meaning. These double meanings are a bit surprising - if not shocking - for this particular type of an album, which then also makes the entire album more interesting and daring. Still, the sweetness and cornyness drags on a bit too much and there's a bit too much filler. Luckily, the most beutiful vocals are kept for the ending which makes you want to keep on listening to the album to hear that Outside. 3-3.5/5

I'm still not entirely sold on funk, but this album seems special. The groove on the Papa Was a Rolling Stone just takes me away to some other place long before the song even properly starts. And yet, to all of the complaints about the supposedly weaker B-side, I have to admit that I actually find it more enjoyable to the first half. That is due mostly to my immediate love for Mother Nature - a song with beautiful timeless lyrics. It could easily be a 5 star album, but I'm still not that captivated by the rest of the songs - they are beautiful but maybe just not that interesting after all this time? 4/5

It's a great album that only makes you wonder what could have been. Haunting vocals, great guitar playing, good lyrics. The only major problem I have with it is "Last goodbye" which is a horrible song, incredibly corny and in a bad way. It kinda seems like throughout the entire album he was balancing well between making catchy romantic ballads and at the same time making them interesting musically or lyrically, but on last goodbye this balance is broken and its just a mess, ed sheeran style. It could have been a 5 but very skippable last goodbye makes it a four.

It's a great album dealing with what it was like to be an American working class man living in the 70s. The music is typical rock and roll with a bit of 70s corniness that still seems to add into the whole vibe of the album (I mean the sax solo, guitar solo and then back again to sax? that's just crazy and yet somehow it works here). Some of the lyrics are great and relatable - Adam Raised a Cain is a great thing to listen to all the men today trying to be better dads then their own. And some of the lyrics are just too specific for the time and space when the album was made - all the talking about cars means nothing to me but please note that I'm not American and I was born much later. Overall, good, nice vibes but nothing outstanding to me.

It's good but damn is it too long.. The passage of In My Time of Dying, Houses of the Holy, Trampled Under Foot and Kashmir is some of the best rock ever. The groove is just amazing, makes my head bop like crazy, the rythmic section on this album is something else. But then... it just drags on, repeating itself over and over again. Too bad, because it largely diminishes the awe generated from these four songs (as well as some other gems here and there). 4/5

I love putting this on walking around my neighbourhood built in the 50s and imagining I’m back in time. Simple yet beautiful. The melody on the last song is heartbreaking too.

I think I’ve finally found my least favourite genre. It must be this 70s American macho arena rock. I’m a bit surprised because a teenage me would have probably loved that. Not anymore I guess. Why exactly is this so popular? It sounds so lazy and uninspired. All of the songs sound the same and not only in the context of this album but overall, throughout the entire genre which must consist of thousands of similar bands. What made Aerosmith stand out? It could not have been Tyler’s vocals now could it? Ugh no. I’ve barely made it to the end, which came to my surprise super early. That’s one of the major highlights of this album - it’s only 34mins long! I also somewhat liked the melodies on Nobody’s fault and Home tonight. Sorry Aerosmith fans but I don’t wanna miss a thing is much better than anything on this album!

This is going straight to my favourites. So much raw emotion of a man at the end of his life reflecting on what he's been through and what remains ahead. It made me tear up multiple times, especially at Hurt, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Danny Boy (those church organs!) and the last song. Think of it, ending the last album issued during Cash prolific life with "we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when.." is just so beautiful and sad, but at the same time hopeful, it makes me cry. 5/5 rarely do I get so emotional from listening to an album.

I've hear of Elliott Smith before and maybe even listened to this album, but I don't remember much of it. This time, I put in some effort and really enjoyed it. Pros: short and to the point; beautiful and ear catching melodies; just a perfect production for this sort of album - you can almost feel like you're listening to the dude live in some small obscure venue or in a bedroom; poetic yet easy to understand lyrics.; cohesive as an album. Cons? Only one issue - the lyrics are so depressingly bleak and focus so particularly on alcohol abuse, it's hard to relate sometimes. Say Yes is just a perfect song though. 4.5/5

That was great! The biggest hit of this album - A Design for Life is a total banger with a fantastic message hidden underneath those catchy hooks - the ironic reflection on the way the society looks down on the working class, great stuff. Everything Must Go is another great track. However, I feel like it's a bit too long and repetitive in the middle so then I lose interest a bit and did not have time to dive into the rest of the lyrics over just one day. For now, it's a 4+

This is my first 1/5 during this challenge. I hate everything about this album and can't find any redeeming qualities. The worst part is hearing things practically stolen from great alt metal bands like Faith No More and then made substantially worse. Why would you listen to that then? Why did it got so popular and put on that list? This is garbage

Whenever a big album like that comes up, I'm thinking - it can't be that good, right? And then I play it and realize that it is even better than I remembered. It's one of those where you can't overstate their influence. I mean you can hear all types of indie rock tracing their roots back to this thing. And it was made almost 60 years ago? You'd expect it to lose at least some appeal due to age, right? But no, it's as enjoyable as ever. This is one of those albums that this list was created for.

Firstly, he drumming - Stewart Copeland is an absolute genius! I love what he's doing on the hi-hat, especially on Message In a Bottle, which is also the best song on the album. The rest of it is good too, the highlights include Walking on the Moon, Bring On the Night (oh how I love this subtle guitar riff in the background) and The Bed's Too Big Without You. The rest of it is a bit of hit and miss, which I've found to be the usual within the new wave genre. Regarding the accusations of cultural appropriation - I don't know, I read somewhere that Sting grew up in a neighbourhood with immigrants from the Carribean and that made him fall in love with the music and this is sort of a tribute. I want to believe that. Also, the reggae inspired instrumentation is fantastic. It only gets a bit weird when Sting tries to do the accent too hard. The lyrics are smart and amusing (as is the title of the album). I like it a lot, just a few filler tracks but overall 4/5

I used to listen to this album a lot when I was at university. Contrary to what I've read, it's actually probably my favorite from Pixies. The songs are just pure vibes and the lyrics don't seem to matter. And yet they manage to paint some nice visuals (The Happening!). I'm tempted to give it a 5 but I think that I shouldn't and that it's just nostalgia talking through me influencing my opinion on this album. Ok, let's go down a bit, 4.5

I don't care about it at all. The most basic of rock and roll. The talking box was a nice addition, but overall - I have no idea why it made it on the list. apparently it was extremely popular? I keep on realizing that I really don't like the 70s music.

Again, I can't seem to rate these old albums. I understand that they're important, I can appreciate the craft put into this by the artist and yet.. it doesn't really speak to me. I'll put it in the background and won't care about it other than getting a bit of a Christmassy vibe (mind you it is August). I feel pressured into giving it a better rating and I'm getting anxious thinking - what if my kids or grandkids have the same kind of opinions on my favorite albums? Scary

It seems to have a cult following. As someone from a completely different part of the world - I have never heard of them. It's giving me skate punk vibes with a bit of ambition to be something more than that. And it kind of irritates me because it somehow gets pretentious and insincere? I don't know. Repeater is a great tune though. up to 3

I haven’t heard this one before. Definitely my top electronic album found on this list so far. Really enjoyable. I see other people’s reviews complaining that it’s repetitive. Well, isn’t that the point? At the same time the duo manages to put some ear catching noises that grab your attention throughout each track. One more thing - now I feel like I understand Yeezus better, some of the sounds are exactly the same. Favourite tracks: Rock n Roll, Rollin and Scratchin. I’m giving it a 4.5, rounded down to 4 because yeah it is a bit too long but it may grow on me up to 5.

Never heard of her before and didn’t know what to expect. I absolutely loved the cover art - love the stare, the hair, the clips. However, as for the music, I have rather mixed feelings. I enjoyed the beats and the smoothness of it all. I think it lacked a bit of stronger hooks sometimes because I’ve listened to this like three times today and I hardly remember any melodies. The lyrics are ok, but sometimes seem a bit too naive I guess? In particular the Cranes song I felt like these metaphors were a bit like something this one artsy friend from high school might have written. I much preferred the lyrics of the interludes which is a bit ironic. Also, I think that it’s one of the rare occasions where the album is backloaded. Don’t touch my hair and FUBU are my favourites! I don’t know how to rate it, the vibes were great but there’s this feeling of something missing. Let’s try 3.5 down to 3 for now with a definite potential to grow on me with more listens.

It’s my first Elvis Costello album. From what I gather it’s not really that representative of his catalogue. What I’m hearing is a kind of typical wordy pop rock with grungy guitars here and there, strong 90s vibes. I can definitely hear a lot of references to Bowie, Dylan or the Beatles. Sounds a lot like Pulp too, but this influence goes rather the other way, right? Overall it’s ok. Not bad but also does not really stand out. The songs flow nicely one to another and I really enjoy his singing (although my wife says he sounds like Ryan Gosling). Apparently the lyrics are supposed to be fantastic. I can’t tell. English is my second language and I can’t force myself to go through the entire album and analyse all the hidden meanings in one day. I really liked Rocking Horse Road sound - reminds me of Like a Rolling Stone. Overall, 3/5. Maybe it could grow on me with time up to a 4.

I have heard of these guys but never actually listened to anything they made. And from what I gather, the album is not really representative of their style. Still, I am really enjoying this and will definitely look for other records from Husker Du. I really love the vibes. I read somewhere that Krist Novoselic said about Nirvana sound that Husker Du has already been doing it, way before them. And it really makes sense - there's so much punky energy and guitar layers underneath but on top we have excellent ear catching melodies. Some of the songs have great surprising instrumental additions that spice things up (especially on guitar and drums). I didn't have too much time to check the lyrics but the ones I briefly looked through added on to the overall vibes of the album. And yeah, it is a bit too long, otherwise it may have been close to perfection - at least to my taste. 4/5

Finally an album I know and love. This is na absolute classic and I don’t think I can describe the way it makes me feel. It’s just this overwhelming warmth and comfort it gives yet there’s so much melancholy in these melodies. My favorites - except for the obvious hits - are O Grande Amor (that sax tone!) and Para Machucar Meu Coracao. Also the cover art is perfect goes with the vibes of the album. If you’re completely new to this album - treat it as an entry point to the incredible wealth of Brazilian music. Go check out some of the albums by Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Jorge Ben Jor, Nara Leao… it’s really worth it. Oh and this album makes a great soundtrack to a romantic evening with your significant other.

I should like this but for some reason I don’t. I can appreciate the energy, rock n roll and the amazing piano playing. But overall I’m not feeling anything. And I really hate the vocals. Plus then I read all about this guy and like it even less. 2/5

I really love trip hop and Portishead's live album from Roseland NYC has been among my all time favorites since I discovered it in high school. This album has two songs that stand out significantly to me: the first track, Safe From Harm starts with a bass line which is just nasty. Absolutely loving it. And then the second outstanding track is the obvious hit - Unfinished Sympathy with that memorable video. These two tracks are so great that I feel like the rest of the album kind of melts into the background unnoticed. It's still great - you can both put it in the background and not pay too much attention to it - or the opposite - focus on each track and find something new and exciting every time. Still, I feel like it is a bit uneven, especially compared to their follow-up album - Mezzanine. 4/5

The best thing about doing this challenge for me so far (album #103) is how it helped open my ears to hip hop. Me, a white nerd from Eastern Europe. I have never even heard of these guys and yet I'm loving it so much. They're mixing this seemingly typical 80s hip hop with so much styles, like house, jazz, funk and whatnot. And the lyrics give off nothing but positivity. When I listened to it for the first time I caught myself smiling the whole way through. I love how they're touching on subjects that are very typical for hip hop but in a way that seems much more respectful (Black Woman is just beautiful). One last thought - I think Kendrick must have given it a spin or two while working on To Pimp a Butterfly - there's so many references here (I mean the blacker the berry, the cocoon and the butterfly etc are all mentioned directly here). It's 4.5/4

Such a beautiful voice. It’s a perfect album to put on in the background at home on a weekend. I’ll be definitely going back to it. It does seem a bit monotonous though. My favourite song is Goodbye Baby!

This is a pretty basic pop album that pretends to be something edgy. Overall, the hooks are catchy, the instrumentals are ok, the vocal delivery is impressive... I was asking myself what is it that I don't like about this music? And I think that it sounds insincere, overproduced, written track by track using a template. All of the songs blend together, they seem like they are all sketches/variations of the same song that actually worked out really well - In the End (it still bangs after all these years). It was a great gateway album into music for a lot of angsty teenagers back in the early 2000s. But it doesn't really work outside of that context. It's a 2, but I'm going to bump it to 3 due to all the nostalgia.

A classic. Goes really well with the heatwave that hit my city recently. Makes me want to make myself a Cuba libre and just chill. I really enjoy the Latino rhythms and drumming, especially some of the offbeat playing. Really makes my body move. Beautiful. Could grow to be a 5, for now just a 4 because I need to see the lyrics

That was unexpectedly good. I was expecting dumb hard rock from late 80s and that’s exactly what I got only it somehow sounded really good. I wonder what made the difference and I think that it was this characteristic vocal tone. I read that they were doing more gothic stuff before making this record so that makes sense. It made the album stand out among all of the bands that sounded almost exactly the same. A nice dose of refreshing fun. Only the Born to be wild cover is reaaaally bad. 3.5/5

I don’t get Prince. I was quite surprised to see all those positive reviews. It seems I’m just not hearing what everybody else is. Sure, there are some good moments but none of those is really outstanding. And the rest.. this album is just super bloated and you can’t convince me otherwise. It’s boring and repetitive, with goofy humour on top. I was just waiting all the time for it to end but nooo, it’s 80minutes long. It does get a bit better at the very end, but it does not really feel gratifying. is everyone just saying it’s so amazing because they’re supposed to? Im really curious. 2/5

A classic with an influence that cannot be overstated. The beats throughout the record are incredible and are easily the main feature of the album. Although the lyrics are repetitive, sometimes dumb, sometimes really offensive, they contribute to create the vibe that the album gives off. It is cool to be a gangsta. This definitely contributed to the huge success of the genre which overshadowed all other varieties of hip hop for quite some time, for better or worse. My favourite tracks: Let Me Ride, Nuthin but a G Thang, Deeez Nuuuuts, Lil Ghetto Boy. The last one is my favoriteof the album, this flute feels so out of the context and yet it fits right in with the beat, adds lots of depth into the record. All these tracks come in the first side of the album, then it gets a bit worse. The skits were dumb but kinda funny, although after first two listens I now skip them immediately. Last thought: I enjoyed Dre’s rapping and I think the best tracks on the album include him as a rapper.

I'm over 100 albums in and I've discovered a lot of great music during this challenge for which I'm grateful. So when I got a Led Zeppelin album I was excited to get something I know quite well and love since I've been a teenager. So you can imagine my shock when after my first listen I found myself not actually liking this album that much. I think it might be related to my overall dislike for all the things rock and roll (I absolutely hated Aerosmith or Jerry Lee Lewis recently). Maybe it's the overexposure to that genre? I mean I've recently discovered so much fascinating genres that this sounds just very basic and uninteresting. There are other factors that get on my nerves here, such as the theft of black music without bothering to credit the authors, the sexual innuendos that go really bad with all the allegations regarding Page (the orgasm part on Whole Lotta Love is just.. tiring). It's still a banger, I love the riffs and the solos, and the rhythm section rocks (ironically, I think Plant is the weakest link here, his screaming gets tiring after a while). I found some new things I didn't pay attention to before (What is and what should never be) and Ramble On is my new favorite. And you have to appreciate the overall influence this thing made on rock music. Oh, one last thing - Moby Dick fucking sucks. And say it as a drummer. It just feels like showing off completely out of the context of the rest of the music, which is already bad. But then the solo just sucks you know? Like, is that really the best you can do? 3.5/5, rounded up to 4 due to all the influence.

Good dnoygsupzcwj 90s pop album. Nothing too revolutionary or outstanding, but of course that’s not the point here. It’s good enough to put on in the background although some tracks are just weird. Angels is amazing though, a perfect pop ballad. There’s plenty of references to britpop, some tracks just plain sound like smoothened out Oasis. There’s also a Beatles reference, when Robbie tries singing like Lennon on Old Before I Die. There are some nice instrumental additions here and there, occasional piano passage or the horns in the back of the chorus on Ego Agogo. Not sure if it should be on the list, maybe as a perfect embodiment of a specific time and place in music? It would be a 2.5 but Angels is really good, so let’s go with a 3. Oh and the cover art is pretty.

This is the apex of blues rock. It simply doesn’t get better than that. Yeah it’s long but my god the vibes it gives off. The guitar tone on Voodoo Chile, the organs, the drums, the bass. It builds beautiful musical landscapes with melodies (yay 1983) and then just goes crazy with the improvisation showcasing a total mastery of all instruments. Such a waste!

I have listened to this many times before and I think that this impacts negatively my final rating. I feel like I enjoyed it much more the first time. Now, after repeated listens, it kind of blurred with the background and does not attract so much of my attention anymore. It doesn't help that after listening to the album X times, I still struggle to tell each of these songs apart. Don't get me wrong, this is a great album that I greatly enjoy but it's no longer as effective as it used to be and I've found that the truly great albums continue growing on you the more you listen to them, not the other way around.

All-time classic and a ground breaking album on the day of the release and yet I thought I would enjoy it more this time. I remember listening to it when I was in high-school and thinking it's one of the best things ever. And now I'm not sure if this was my actual opinion or rather something I was supposed to be thinking? I'm forever grateful to this website for 1) exposing me to an incredible variety of music and 2) forcing me to try and formulate my personal thoughts on each album every day. This process made me much more aware of my own preferences and now I'm able to express them and explain when I'm enjoying something and when I'm not. Here, in regards to this particular giant of an album (in terms of its stature), I can at the same time appreciate its influence and say that I'm not really enjoying the content that much. And when you remove all the reputation that comes with it, you're left with an album that goes in so many different directions it does not reach any of them fully. Thus, it leaves you with a feeling that there's just too much filler, which seems like a crazy statement for an album of 39 minutes. Still, in the end comes A Day in the Life, which really does manage to explain where the album's reputation came from, even in 2023. Final verdict: 5 for the reputation and significance in music history, 3 for my personal enjoyment = 4/5.