950
Albums Rated
2.97
Average Rating
87%
Complete
139 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
125
5-Star Albums
139
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
|
5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
|
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
|
Snivilisation
Orbital
|
5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
|
Next
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
|
5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
|
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
|
One World
John Martyn
|
5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
|
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
|
1 | 4.06 | -3.06 |
|
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
|
1 | 3.7 | -2.7 |
|
The Score
Fugees
|
1 | 3.69 | -2.69 |
|
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
|
1 | 3.66 | -2.66 |
|
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
|
1 | 3.65 | -2.65 |
|
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
|
1 | 3.65 | -2.65 |
|
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
|
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
Illmatic
Nas
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.75 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.75 |
| Deep Purple | 3 | 5 |
| The Cure | 3 | 5 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| Brian Eno | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.67 |
| Yes | 3 | 4.67 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Pogues | 2 | 5 |
| The The | 2 | 5 |
| Dire Straits | 2 | 5 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 2 | 5 |
| Muddy Waters | 2 | 5 |
| Alice Cooper | 2 | 5 |
| The Police | 2 | 5 |
| John Martyn | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4.2 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.25 |
| Metallica | 4 | 4.25 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 4.33 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Davis | 4 | 1 |
| Morrissey | 3 | 1 |
| Sonic Youth | 4 | 1.5 |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 1.33 |
| The Smiths | 2 | 1 |
| Willie Nelson | 2 | 1 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 2 | 1 |
| Pavement | 2 | 1 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 1.8 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 1.67 |
| The Fall | 2 | 1.5 |
| Dinosaur Jr. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| Tim Buckley | 2 | 1.5 |
| Stan Getz | 2 | 1.5 |
| OutKast | 2 | 1.5 |
| Common | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Flaming Lips | 2 | 1.5 |
| Dolly Parton | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1.5 |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 2 | 1.5 |
| Ice Cube | 2 | 1.5 |
| Van Morrison | 3 | 2 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 2 |
| The Byrds | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Fleetwood Mac | 2, 5 |
| Neil Young | 2, 4, 5, 5 |
| The Who | 2, 5, 3, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (125)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Girls Against Boys
1/5
Wikepedia gives the genre as "Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock, Noise Rock" - of these "Noise Rock" seems to be the most appropriate for this truly depressing album. The album's only claim to fame that I can see seems to be that one of the tracks, "Bulletproof Cupid", was used in the "Need for Speed: The Run" video game soundtrack. Not sure how this got into the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list?
17 likes
Happy Mondays
2/5
Unhappy Mondays is a more appropriate name for this group, and Bummed is how I feel after listening to them drone on and on. Apparently a lot drugs were used during the recording of this album, and under the influence of drugs is probably the best way to listen to this album.
9 likes
The Streets
1/5
Take the worst parts of Rap and Opera and you get Rap Opera. To quote the lyrics - "this is a crock of shit". I can't believe that not only did people actually buy this dire album, but that it's also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
4 likes
Minutemen
1/5
This feels like one of those albums that people rave about because some one has declared that it's trendy. I've heard worse albums, but my general feeling is that listening to this truly depressing album has wasted an hour of my life.
4 likes
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
Who? The album is meh, a mixture of confusing depressing folk rock country music recorded following the musician's release from a psychiatric hospital - it's obvious that he wasn't in a good place, mentally speaking and some tracks sound like he was heavily medicated. Why this is in the 1001 albums you must hear before you die is anyone's guess.
2 likes
1-Star Albums (139)
All Ratings
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Some timeless classics
TV On The Radio
3/5
meh!
Wire
2/5
Never heard of Wire before and I'm not surprised - mediocre punk, lacks the raw energy and excitement of other punk bands.
Radiohead
3/5
Experimental, definitely not mainstream. Could be improved with a joint or two.
The Who
2/5
It has some good songs, but I always thought that it was a bit pretenious and self-indulgent - my opinion hasn't changed.
The Smiths
1/5
Didn't like The Smiths in the 80s and I still don't like them. The title of their 1984 single "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" sums up how I feel after listening to this album. Pretensious self-righteous twaddle. Anyone whinks that The Smiths were great should listen to "Frankly, Mr Shankly" - surely, they're taking the piss.
Incubus
3/5
I was expecting pure metal, but the album is actually quite melodic in places. Nothing that grabs me.
Prince
4/5
A classic, featuring the eponymous 1999, the brilliant Little Red Corvette, and the hypnotic Automatic.
The La's
3/5
Pleasant, with a couple of stand out tunes. Would make good background music for when I'm working.
Kanye West
3/5
Straddles the border between genius and insanity, veers between radical and self-indulgent.
Cream
5/5
A classic Cream album with two of their most famous tracks "Sunshone Of Your Love" and "Tales of Brave Ulysses", but also with the totally weird "Mother's Lament".
The Cardigans
2/5
Are they called The Cardigans because they're a bit wooly? Defintely the strangest and most uninspired version of Iron Man that I've ever heard.
The Who
5/5
One of my all time favourite albums including the stupendous tracks Baba O'Reilly, Won't Get Fooled Again, and Behind Blue Eyes. I was never much of a fan of the Who, but these three tracks are outstanding.
Alice In Chains
4/5
I've not listened to Alice In Chains before and they'r enot bad. A cross between the heavy metals riffs of metal kings Black Sabbath and the harmonies of Wishbone Ash. I like them and might even get the album.
Daft Punk
1/5
Too repetitve. I like electronic music and I'm a big fan of Tqangerine Dream, but this is electronic baby food for the ears.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
I can see the attraction but it's not for me - I wouldn't turn it off though.
Black Flag
1/5
I can see whey this album was largely ignored by critics and the public at the time of its release - the big mystery is how it got on this list.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Surely there are better Elvis Costello albums? Apart from "Watching The Detectives" - which wasn't on the original album - I don't think that I've heard any of these tracks before. Average.
The Pogues
5/5
Great stuff - full of energy and life. Irish Folk-Punk at its finest. Loved it.
The Fall
2/5
Definitely not a timeless classic - it sounds like a cross between The Damned and The Stranglers, and very much late 1970s / early 1980s.
Sufjan Stevens
1/5
boring soft jazz-rock-folk - baby food for the ears.
3/5
Saw Devo live at Knebworth in 1978 - definitely a Marmite band. Who can forget the quirky (I Can't Get Me No) Satisfaction, the controversial Mongoloid ,and the definitive Devo track Jocko Homo?
Lauryn Hill
2/5
I wouldn't listen again through choice, but I would listen if there was no other option. Some songs are quite pleasant but not really my type of music.
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
Sounds good until the singing starts - sounds like th singer is in pain. Spotifiy played Warsaw by Joy Division song after playing this album and in comparison it seemed like a happy song.
Neil Young
2/5
Not a fan of this particular Neil Young album, especially folloing on from "After The Goldrush" and "Harvest" - both of which I prefer.. Yes, some of the songs show real emotion, but to my ears, the vocals on some of the tracks sound off.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Always liked Depeche Mode, but I wasn't familiar with any of the songs on this album. Not bad, but not great.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
2/5
Not really a jazz fan, but this album has the classic "Blue Rondo à la Turk" and the unforgettable "Take Five"; the rest of the album - meh!
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
Liked the opening blues track. Some of the other tracks sound like they're very much of the 60s but not too bad. Some tracks remind me why I never really got into Captain Beefheart.
The Stooges
3/5
Interesting album. First couple of tracks are reminiscent of the Rolling Stones, but then you get the haunting We Will Rock, and then it morphs into a proto-punk, some years before "proper" punk arrived on the scene.
Shack
3/5
Pleasant, but not exciting. Wouldn't switch it off, but wouldn't play it by choice, and I would not be upset if I never heard it again. I'm not surprised that I'd never heard of this band before today.
Shuggie Otis
2/5
Wikipedia describes this as Psychedelic / Progressive Soul / Funk - I'd describe it as inoffensive soulful funky lift music and nothing to write home about.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
A couple of great tracks, but I prefer the earlier Talking Book and Innervisions albums. There are a couple of standout tracks including Isn't She Lovely, As, and Pastime Paradise which was later covered by Coolio as Gangsta's Paradise.
Bob Dylan
2/5
A couple of good tracks, but most are just a whining Jewish-American intellectual.
Ozomatli
4/5
Started off like 70's funk, but it's a interesting mix of ragga, reggae, dub, latin, and ska. I liked it.
The Undertones
3/5
It's beginning to sound a bit dated now, but it's fared a lot better than most of the punk albums from that era.
Peter Frampton
3/5
Haven't listened to this in years. This type of soft-rock is beginning to sound a bit dated now, but still a few stand-out classics such as "Show Me The Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do".
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
Classic big-band music. Personally, I've never seen the point of it, but I beleive it was very big in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Is it me, or does all hip-hop sound the same? The game seems to be to try to spot the sample.
Killing Joke
4/5
It's hard to believe that this is now more than 40 years old, so I guess that's why it doesn't sound as fresh and exciting as it did back then. Abit dated, but still good.
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
Apart from a few tracks such as "Sara" and the quirky "Tusk", I thought that this was a pretty lacklustre album, certainly not as good as "Rumours".
Mercury Rev
2/5
Quirky, harmless, not exciting; not sure how NME gave this an "album of the year" award
1/5
I never understood the attraction of C&W, but I was surprised by the snetiments expressed by the lyrics of the title track. Otherwise, not an album for me.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Beginning to sound a bit dated now, but it's still a classic. An historic album.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
Country and Western of the worst type - lot's of twanging guitars. Hate It
Jacques Brel
1/5
It's French. Need I say more?
The Byrds
3/5
You can tell it's from the 60s. Lot's of harmonies, but some experiemtal stuff as well.
The Temptations
4/5
Classic songs from The Temptations
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Quirky - hard to assign to a particular genre; some tracks are like C&W performed by Lou Reed. Some tracks feel a bit pretentious.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Part of the soundtrack of life in the late 90s, early 00s. Includes the ubiquitous "Praise You", plus the classic "Right Here Right Now".
Spiritualized
2/5
How is this spce-rock? Hawkwind are spce-rock! This is quite pleasant, a bit spaced-out maybe, but that's it.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Vocals are very reminiscent of David Bowie, overall sound is quite pleasant - not rock, but not pop either.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Interesting, like a funky version of Santana.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Not the album cover that I remember! Classic Hendrix at his best - Crosstown Traffic, Voodoo Chile, Gypsy Eyes, All Along The Watchtower, and Voodoo Child (Slight Return).
The Youngbloods
1/5
Rock? Folk- rockmaybe, although given that they're American, country-rock is probably more appropriate. And they try to be funny on some tracks, but fail miserabvly. I can understand why I've never heard of this band before.
Traffic
5/5
Not sure why this particular Traffic album was chosen - hopefully some of the others will make an appearance later on. Very 1960's but hints of what's to come.
Grizzly Bear
1/5
Didn't like it. Rock should be exciting - this is boring.
Grateful Dead
4/5
I was never a deadhead for some reason, Not quite what I was expecting from a band that was once one of the loudest in the world. Reminded me of Man but more "mellow" if you know what I mean. Would I buy it - probably not, but I would definitely listen again.
Television
3/5
Based on the first track, I was anticpating yet another uninspiring punk album, but it was better than that. Nothing really grabbed my attention though.
Massive Attack
4/5
I liked it. Similar to Faithless and The xx.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Some Dylan classics - "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Mr. Tambourine Man", and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". I also quite liked "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" which I'd nevert heard before.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Undecided. Quirky, moody. Previously, I was only familair with the Johnny Cash cover of "Hurt".
The Yardbirds
2/5
Some of the tracks sound so dated, but then they are almost 60 years old! Apart from "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" I've never heard any one these songs before.
Slipknot
3/5
It's Slipknot - do I need say anything else?
Tom Tom Club
3/5
I was already very familiar with the opening track "Wordy Rappinghood", but the other tracks were new to me. More of the same: strange, quirky, avant garde - mixed feelings.
Madonna
2/5
Apart from the brilliant and controversial title track, the rest of the album is uninspiring.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Intesring mix of styles, mainly singer-songwriter, but opening with an arabic sounding song, and including some in an opeartic style. Not really my style of music, but pleasant background mudic.
1/5
Starts off as punk-rock, but then morphs into some sort of country-rock. Not impressed.
Pink Floyd
4/5
The tracks "Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive" are portents of greatness to come. Other tracks, including "Flaming" and "Bike", are typical of the psychedelic music of that era.
Johnny Cash
4/5
I'm not a C&W fan, but that voice is just amazing. I wasn't familiar with most of these songs, but I liked them; I never knew that Johnny Cash did a cover of "Green, Green Grass of Home". The album captures the atmosphere of the concert succinctly.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
This album is older than me! Historic slice of American folk-blues.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Four stand-out tracks: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "Thriller", "Bbeat It", and "Billie Jean", but then you have the naff "The Girl Is Mine" - even so, a stupendous album.
Nick Drake
3/5
Quite pleasant, but nothing special. I'd never heard of Nick Drake before - it seems that he only made three records before his premature death.
Manu Chao
3/5
Interesting mix of musical styles and languages. I preferthe reggae tracks.
Fugazi
3/5
Quite good, but not outstanding - would make a good support group, but I wouldn't pay to see them.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I had to occasionally remind myself that this was Bruce Springsteen and not Bob Dylan, but I prefer this "Americana" style to his rock.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
I'm not usually a jazz fan, but this is quite funky in places, mellow in others - very enjoyable.
Pulp
3/5
Apart from "Common People" the album is pretty average.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Angry rap metal. Brilliant, especially "Killing In The Name Of"
The The
5/5
Another classic album from "The The".
Dire Straits
5/5
What can I say? The title track is perfection.
The Doors
5/5
What can I say? This was their debut album and yet it contained such amazing and groundbreaking songs, such as "Break On Through", "light My Fire", and "the End", not too mention ""The Crystal Ship", and "Alabama Song".
Talking Heads
3/5
Not my favourite Talking Heads album - the only highlight is the classic "Psycho Killer".
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
The production might be great, but I prefer the energy of their earlier albums.
The Doors
4/5
More classic music from The Doors: the rocking "Roadhouse Blues", plus the moody "Waiting for the Sun" and "The Spy".
Little Richard
4/5
Although I was never a big rock 'n' roll fan, this is part of my musical history. Without the likes of Little Richard (and others) we would never have had the music we have today. Revolutionary!
The Monkees
3/5
This album doesn't contain any of their big hits (as far as I'm aware); some tracks sound like The Beatles, while others are a bit country and western in style, with a couple of very experimental tracks thrown in. Interesting.
The Waterboys
3/5
A mix of Irish/Scottish folk and rock, but neither one nor the other. Not bad, but not great either. I keep expecting each song to turn into their big hit "The Whole of the Moon"
Laibach
3/5
Very strange album. Slovenian death metal with Queen covers and songs in German.
Arrested Development
1/5
I've never "got" Hip-Hop. Boring!
DJ Shadow
3/5
I wouldn;t have classified this as hip-hop. Interesting mix of styles and samples.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Many have covered "Without You", but perdonally I don't think that anyone has bettered the Nilsson version. Anumber of very commercial songs, e.g. "Gotta Get Up", and "Jump Into The Fire", plus the rather annoying "Coconut".
ZZ Top
4/5
Classic ZZ Top, contains the signature "La Grange".
Hawkwind
5/5
The ultimate Hawkwind album and one of the best live albums ever.
Joy Division
4/5
Dark, sombre, and moody - classic Joy Division. Love it!
The Velvet Underground
3/5
The album that inspired countless musicians. Some tracks are a little bit too experimental for my taste, but there's a couple od stand-out tracks like "Venus In Furs".
Taylor Swift
3/5
I thought that Taylor Swift was C&W, but I had to check that the opening track "Welcome Yo New York" wasn't Lady Gaga; the entire album was pop music and could have been by any female artist, Not bad, but nothing blew me away either.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Loved the bluesy "The Fun Lovin' Criminal".Interesting corss between hip-hop, blues, funk, rap, and rock.
Scott Walker
2/5
Dated. Some of the tracks sounded like they were from the soundtrack of a Western movie.
Supergrass
3/5
I didn't realise that punk was still a thing in 1995, although "Mansize Rooster" sounds like it could have been inspiration for the Kaiser Chiefs. I quite like the classic "Alright" but didn't realise it was by Supergrass - if pushed I would have said Blur or Squeeze. Pretty average on the whole.
King Crimson
2/5
Probably groundbreaking at the time, but not for me, although I quite liked "Easy Money".
Waylon Jennings
1/5
Not a fan of C&W, and not a fan of this albu,m.
Circle Jerks
1/5
To me a lot of American punk bands seemed to be fake and just trying to attract attention with their "look at me I'm a bad boy" antics designed to shock - this band is no exception and it hasn't aged well.
Elliott Smith
1/5
Who? Pleasantly boring.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
She blew me away when she appeared on Live Aid and I bought this album on the Monday. It's still relevant and still a great album.
Chicago
2/5
Never understood the attraction.. Includes the iconic "I'm A Man", but little else of interest.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
1970's soul/r&b/funk. Pleasant enough but not earth shattering - no "Move On Up", or "Superfly".
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Groundbreaking album: the eponymous track "Exodus" is brilliant, as is "Jamming", "Waiting In Vain", and the "One Love / People Get Ready" medley.
Eagles
4/5
It's hard to beleive that this album is over 50 years old - it's still a great album. The opening track "Take It Easy" is timeless.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I was never a big Bruce Springsteen fan and could never see what all the fuss was about. That said, this album contains the classic Springsteen tracks "Born in the U.S.A.", "I'm on Fire", and "Dancing in the Dark".
Nick Drake
4/5
Very likeable English folk music. I was familiar with the title track "Pink Moon", but not the other songs. Quite liked it.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Not bad, but top 1000? I don't think so, as it's nothing special.
Depeche Mode
3/5
It's from the 80's - lots of synthesizers and drum machines. It's OK.
R.E.M.
5/5
Great album, includes two of my favourite R.E.M. tracks "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and "The One I Love".
Erykah Badu
1/5
Not really my type of music - it does nothing for me.
N.W.A.
1/5
Being white, middle-class, and British, I guess that I'm not really part of the target audience which is fine with me because all sound the same to me.
5/5
A masterpiece.
Wu-Tang Clan
1/5
I just don't get Hip-Hop, but some people obviously do and that's fine - each to their own. Just not for me.
The Roots
1/5
Soft Hip-Hop? Boring.
Sonic Youth
1/5
A cheerful version of Joy Division, but boring. Just a wall of noise.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Not a big Johnny Cash fan, but what more needs to be said about his magnifcant version of "Hurt"? It's such a powerful song anyway, but with his voice, the tempo, and the backing track - it achieves new heights; this song always sends shivers down my spine.
An album mainly of covers, his singing on some tracks is not good, but a fitting obituary to the man in black.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
The queen of Soul/R&B - what a voice! Not necessarily the best selection of her songs, but it includes the incomparable "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", and her version of the gospel classic "People Get Ready" (later also covered by Bob Marley).
Garbage
3/5
Average, nothing special.
John Prine
2/5
Who? Amercian country-folk singer. Nothing to get excited about.
The Black Keys
3/5
I quite liked it. Reminiscent of both White Stripes and Cream.
Doves
2/5
Meh! It's OK, but nothing really grabs my attention.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
Boring crooning.
Ray Charles
1/5
Various C&W and folk music standards from the 50's and 60's reworked by Ray Charles in various styles including R&B, pop, and jazz. Not for me.
Van Morrison
2/5
Apart from the odd Van Morrison track, I've never been a fan of his rock/jazz/blues/soul blend.
R.E.M.
3/5
Apart from "Orange Crush", I wasn't familiar with anything on this album, but I quite like the album.
The Black Crowes
3/5
Reminds me of Bad Company, with touches of Rod Stewart and the Faces, with a bit of Led Zeppelin blues thrown in for good measure. I liked it.
Fiona Apple
1/5
Does nothing for me.
The Style Council
1/5
Paul Weller was in The Jam before he was in The Style Council - you couldn't get two totally different groups. The Style Council are a strange mix of jazz, soul, and funk. Not for me.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Interesting - what Black Sabbth would sound like if they did the blues? Also reminds me a little bit of Stray.
Supergrass
2/5
I don't see what all the fuss is about?
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Unable to listen to the album on Spotify as it's only available with a premium subscription, but I assume it's up to Neil Young's usual high standards.
5/5
Although I can't stand Oasis as a band, especially the Gallagher brothers, there's no denying that their music is brilliant.
Stereolab
1/5
Experimental or pretentious? Curious mix of art-rock/pop/funk/jazz. Not really a fan.
The Verve
5/5
Three tracks stand head and shoulders above the rest: "Lucky Man", the hypnotic "Bitter Sweet Symphony", and the heart wrenching "The Drugs Don't Work".
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Supposedly one of the classic 4, but this album in nway is as good as "Talking Book" or "Innervisions".
Motörhead
4/5
It's Motörhead with Lemmy! The title track "Ace of Spades" defined a genre, but the other tracks sound pretty sameish to me.
Pixies
3/5
Space-Rock? I don't think so. Not bad, but not great.
2/5
Is it metal, punk, or rap or some combination of all three? They can't seem to make up their mind and neither can I - some tracks are boring, and some are meh, but nothing really grabs me.
The United States Of America
1/5
Never heard of this band and I can see why. Continues to receive critical acclaim - from who? Based on the number of plays on Spotify, the only people that listen to this album are redirected from here. Hippy experimental music music reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, but not as good.
The War On Drugs
3/5
I don't see the influences from Bruce Springsteen or Neil Young and Crazy Horse - more like a mellow Bob Dylan. But I quite like the album.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I was never really big on the Rolling Stones. There's "Tumbling Dice" of course, but apart from this, "Shake Your Hips", and "Ventilator Blues", this album doesn't seem to have a lot going for it. In my opinion, it definitely isn't one of their best.
Donald Fagen
1/5
Steely Dan light. I was never a big Steely Dan fan, although I liked some of their stuff. This album does nothing for me apart from make me drowsy.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I remember when this album came out and how revolutionary it was. Some of the tracks are beginning to sound a bit dated now, but "Too High" and "Higher Ground" are still relevant. The stand out track, of course, is "Living for the City" which even by today's standards is stupendous in its scope, and unfortunately, is more relevant than ever.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Unable to listen to album without upgrading to Spotify Premium! Album contains the classic "Cinnamon Girl", "Down By The River", and "Cowgirl In The Sand" (all of which I have on the "Decades" album). Classic Neil Young.
Fishbone
2/5
A strange mix of rock and ska-funk. I just don't understand how this is rated as one of the top 1001 albums?
Earth, Wind & Fire
1/5
Typical mid-70s soul-funk. You had to be there I guess.
The Byrds
2/5
Interesting. 60's folk-rock-pop with a bit of psychedelia and some country thrown in for good measure.
Neil Young
4/5
I'm a fan of Neil Young, but the guy has made some many albums over the years, it's hard to keep track. I'd never heard this album before, although the opening track "Walk On" seemed familiar. I liked it.
Willie Nelson
1/5
Boring. I was expecting C&W and didn't even get that.
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
Country music that's older than me! Some of the songs show their roots in Irish folk music, but mostly this is the type of country music that I can't stand - twanging guitars, whiney vocals, and depressing lyrics.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Obviously very talented singer-songwriter, just not really my type of music.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
Pretentious twaddle.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
I wasn't a big fan of this album when it first came out, and I'm still not a fan.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Contains the singles "Accidents Will Happen" and "Oliver's Army", but the rest of the album isn't bad either.
U2
5/5
A great album, one of U2's best. For me the stand-out tracks are "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day", but I also like "Drowning Man" and "40".
CHIC
3/5
What can be said about the classic "Good Times" - a staple of any party in the late 70s / early 80s, and still played today. But apart from "My Feet Keep Dancing", the rest of the album is meh.
Tim Buckley
1/5
More 1960s folk-psychedelic-rock - it all sounds so dated now.
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
I find gangsta rap confusing. I understand where they're coming from, but to me there doesn't seem to be any real anger - a bit like American punk - it just seems to be designed to shock rather than start an uprising.
New York Dolls
1/5
There's no doubting their influence on punk, but I wasn't a big fan in the 70s, and I'm still not really a fan. My favourite track is "Jet Boy" and I remember them performing this on the Old Grey Whistle Test.
Rush
2/5
Not sure. Reminds me of Yes, Caravan, Camel, and various other British prog-rock bands. Not bad, but nothing really excited me.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Interesting album, reminded me of OMD and Joy Division, but some tracks were more dance than electronica. Really liked "emotional haircut", and quite liked "black screen".
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Although I was never a big Rolling Stones fan, what I can I say about this album? The opening track "Brown Sugar" is an all-time classic. I also quite like "Wild Horses". I also like the blues tracks, such as "Can't You Hear Me Knocking", "You Gotta Move", and "I Got The Blues".
50 Cent
1/5
Hip-Hop meets Gansta Rap. Not for me.
The Kinks
3/5
Apart from the timeless "Waterloo Sunset" I was unfamiliar with the rest of this album, even though "Death of a Clown" was also released as a single in 1967. Quite pleasant, but except for the aforementioned "Waterloo Sunset", I wasn't really that enamoured with the album.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
That voice! Blues-Rock. I really liked the album - I especially liked the laid back "Graveyard Train" and "Keep On Chooglin'". The album also features their hit "Proud Mary".
Roxy Music
4/5
A classic album. It was so different to everything else at the time that it took me some time before I liked it. The original UK version of the album didn't include their hit single "Virginia Plain" but the US version did, as did later UK versions.
The Associates
1/5
I've never heard of this band before and I didn't remember hearing anything from the album before but "Party Fears Two" seems vaguely familiar. Didn't like it, and thought it was a bit boring. Going by the number of Spotify plays, not many other people like this album either.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Another great blues rock album from CCR. Includes their hits "Green River" and the timeless classic "Bad Moon Rising".
Frank Zappa
2/5
I was and I am still not a Frank Zappa fan, especially the jazz-fusion style of this predominantly instrumental album, as exemplified by the track "Peaches en Regalia" which is familiar from various compilation albums. The only non-instrumental is "Willie the Pimp" and features vocals by Captain Beefheart. Some tracks, especially "The Gumbo Variations", reminded me of the album "Between Nothingness & Eternity" by the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Wikipedia says that the group's music is alternative country/country rock/folk blues and it's none of these and all of these at the same time - it's quite unique. Recorded in a church around a single microphone with no edits, mixing, or overdubs, the sound has a very natural sound, and the vocals from Margo Timmins are ethereal. I liked the album, especially "Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)". Music to chill to.
Deep Purple
5/5
What can I say, one of the best live albums ever. Still one of my favouritetes.
Linkin Park
3/5
Interesting album. It's not quite depressing, and not very angry, but you can feel the lead singer's pain.
Stan Getz
1/5
This album popularised Bossa Nova in 1964 - it's now 2023 and it's not popularising Bossa Nova in our house. Boring.
George Harrison
4/5
A much underated album in my opinion - it contains such classics as "My Sweet Lord", "Wah-Wah", "Isn't It A Pity", and "Beware of Darkness", plus "if Not For You" ( A cover of a Bob Dylan song) and the title track "All Thnigs Must Pass". So many great songs, and his death was such a tragic loss to music.
Fairport Convention
5/5
A superb album - an album that everyone should own. The standout tracks for me are "Matty Groves" and "Tam Lin", plus the hauntingly beautiful "Crazy Man Michael". Sandy Denny's vocals are sublime and her untimely death was a tragedy.
Girls Against Boys
1/5
Wikepedia gives the genre as "Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock, Noise Rock" - of these "Noise Rock" seems to be the most appropriate for this truly depressing album. The album's only claim to fame that I can see seems to be that one of the tracks, "Bulletproof Cupid", was used in the "Need for Speed: The Run" video game soundtrack. Not sure how this got into the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list?
Kings of Leon
4/5
Liked it, especially their hit "Sex on Fire".
Astor Piazzolla
1/5
Tango had a threesome with Jazz and Classical giving birth to Nuevo Tango. Boring.
Solomon Burke
3/5
I'd never heard of Solomn Burke before today. Pure 1960's Soul/R&B - I liked most of the album.
MC Solaar
1/5
French Jazz-Rap - I think that says it all. Two of my least favourite music genres combined and performed in French!
The Cure
5/5
A great album which includes one of my all time favourite tracks by The Cure - the brilliantly bleak but hypnotic "A Forest" - you can just imagine being chased through a forest on a moonlit night. The album also includes crowd favourite "Play For Today".
Jeff Beck
4/5
Interesting debut "solo" album from a guitar legend which features Rod Stewart on vocals on several tracks. The highlight of the album is "I Ain't Superstitious", a Willie Dixon cover, but it's not the only cover on the album - other's include "You Shook Me", "Ol' Man River", and "Greensleeves". The album also includes "Beck's Bolero" which is actually credited to Jimmy Page.
Blur
3/5
Apart from the massive "Song 2" - woo-hoo! - and the hit single "Beetlebum", I wasn't overly impressed with this album and found some of the tracks a bit of a dirge.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I'm unable to listen to this album without upgrading to Spotify Premium. I have the tracks \"Carey\", \"Cailfornia\", and \"River\" on a greatest hits album, and of these three I really like \"Carey\".
Portishead
2/5
Wikipedia gives the music genre as experimental rock / electronica / psychedelic rock; I would call it depressing pretentious rock suitable for use as the soundtrack of a bleak sci-fi movie set in some dystopian future. Although I quite liked "We Carry On" which reminded me a bit of Joy Division.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Apart from the legendary track "Suzanne", this is an album for fans of Leonard Cohen. I never understood why he was so popular because he sounded so depressing - it must have been a 1960's thing.
Radiohead
3/5
Moody, slightly depressing - were the 1990's really that bad? For me, "No Surprises" is the highlight with its haunting melody.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Funky soul from the masters - pure 1970's nostalgia. Noted for it's title track and their number one single "Family Affair".
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Another album from LCD Soundsystem in the top 1001 albums? Not sure why? It just seems to be more dance-electronic-punk-rock, but nothing special, although I quite liked "North American Scum".
Beastie Boys
2/5
I've never got rap - to me all the tracks sound the same. Apart from their hit "Fight For Your Right", I don't see much to commend in this album. Some of the tracks sound like they could be Weird Al Yankovic parodies.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
This was their debut album? Amazing! The highlight for me is "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)", but I also liked "Jigsaw Feeling" and their cover of the Lennon-McCartney song"Helter Skelter".
The Young Gods
2/5
The Young Gods are a Swiss band who sing in French. Wikipedia gives the genre as Industrial Rock, Dark Cabaret, Symphonic Metal, some might call it pretentious. I quite liked "Rue des Tempêtes" but could quite happily live without the rest of the album.
Moby
4/5
I like it. It's a strange mix of ambient, soul, blues, and funk, but good. Music to chill to.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Another CCR album - more rock / blues, and even some rock 'n' roll. I especially liked "Run Through the Jungle", and the classic "Up Around the Bend"; I also like their cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
Who? The album is meh, a mixture of confusing depressing folk rock country music recorded following the musician's release from a psychiatric hospital - it's obvious that he wasn't in a good place, mentally speaking and some tracks sound like he was heavily medicated. Why this is in the 1001 albums you must hear before you die is anyone's guess.
A welcome return to their sound from the mid-1980s, but a largely forgettable album. For me the highlight is "New York", but I also liked "Grace".
Bob Dylan
3/5
Contains the classic "Like a Rolling Stone" and "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry".
The Electric Prunes
1/5
Pure 1960s psychedelic rock - it hadn't aged well.
Venom
2/5
Metal. Nothing grabbed me.
Fleet Foxes
1/5
Boring.
Metallica
4/5
Pure Metallica. The title track is worth the price of the album by itself.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Pure Pet Shop Boys, but nothing really stood out for me.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Contains the beautiful "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?", plus "Si Tu Dois Partir" (a French version of Bob Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now"), and "A Sailor's Life". Sandy Denny's voice was angelic.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Not bad. I guess the album would be more relevant to me if I was female.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Most of this album is just noise and it gave me a headache. Wikipedia says that this "album furthered the band's move away from the no wave genre towards more traditional song structures, while maintaining an aggressively experimental approach" - what a load of pretentious bollocks. If this is their move to more tradional song structures then I hate to think how dreadful their earlier albums must have been.
William Orbit
4/5
I liked it - music to chill to. My faourite was the first track, "Water from a Vine Leaf", which reminded me of Enigma.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Not bad. Quirky, especially the vocals. It's different, but I don't really see what all the fuss was about.
Apart from the massive "Stay with Me", I wasn't a big fan back in the day, even though a lot of my friends raved about this album. I'm still not a really big fan.
Saint Etienne
1/5
Apparently their biggest hit was their cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" - I think it's dreadful. As for the rest of this alternative dance / trip hop album, "Carnt Sleep" wasn't bad, but I wasn't impressed by "Nothing Can Stop Us" which apparently was a hit single in 1991.
Ride
1/5
WTF! Wikipedia gives the music genre as Shoegaze / Neo-Psychedelia / Noise Pop, and then defines Shoegaze as a subgenre of Indie and Alternative Rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of Obscured Vocals, Guitar Distortion and Effects, Feedback, and Overwhelming Volume - what a load of pretentious bullsh*t! It's just a wall of noise.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
If you were a teenager or older in the 1970s you probably have a copy of this album. A classic album with so many great tracks. The epic title track was such a powerful song of love and hope, and still is, even today. Then there's "The Boxer", another great song, plus "Cecilia" and "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)"; all of these songs were part of the soundtrack for anyone living through the 1970s.
Beck
3/5
Quite pleasant. Dreamy folk-rock-pop.
Big Star
1/5
Never heard of this band before, and Wikipedia says that this album wasn't a commercial success when it was released in 1978 (some 4 years after it was recorded) - I can't say I'm surprised. Depressing. Doesn't even make it to mediocre.
Steely Dan
3/5
I wasn't a fan of this sort of jazz-rock-funk then, and I'm still not a fan today. The album is not unpleasant, but it just doesn't grab my attention.
UB40
5/5
I always thought of UB40 as more ska than reggae, butthis is a hardcore reggae dub album - loved it.
Kate Bush
4/5
Another great album from Kate Bush, not one that I've heard before.
Gang Of Four
2/5
Sounds a bit dated now.
Beatles
4/5
So many great songs, especially "Eleanor Rigby".
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Apart from their massive hit "Walk This Way" with Aerosmith, I'm not a fan of hip-hop or rap-rock or whatever this is. First time I've ever heard the full-length version of "Walk This Way" and I loved it.
Supertramp
5/5
I remember seeing them perform "Dreamer" on The Old Grey Whistle Test and I bought the album the next day. Still one of my favourite albums of all time.
5/5
One of their better albums. Production wise this album is excellent. The first three tracks on the album "Where the Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", and "With or Without You" were all massive hits.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
Very strange album. The track "Sweat Loaf" parodies the riff from Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf", while "Kuntz" samples a Thai country music song.
Coldplay
4/5
Not their best, but "Yellow".
AC/DC
4/5
Great album, especially the title track "Back in Black", and "You Shook Me All Night Long".
Sam Cooke
3/5
Sound quality is not to the standard one would expect from a live album these days, but it captures the essence of his performance. Some great songs - most of them classics.
Willie Nelson
1/5
I've never been a fan of country music, but I was familiar with the opening song "Time of the Preacher" from the BBC series "Edge of Darkness".
Dire Straits
5/5
Great debut album with some absolutely stupendous tracks, including the classic "Sultans of Swing", plus "Down to the Waterline", "Water of Love", "In the Gallery", and "Wild West End".
Van Morrison
2/5
I've heard the title track, "Moondance", before but never realised that it was by Van Morrison, but I've never really been a fan of this style of jazz rock.
The The
5/5
A great album with so many great songs. My favourite song from the album is "Heartland" and I remember watching the video for this on MTV in the 1980s, but I also really like the title track "Infected".
Jamiroquai
1/5
Not a fan of Jazz, especially Jazz Funk. This album didn't do anything for me - elevator music.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
It's like being transported back to the 1970s! I wasn't too keen on his style of jazz fusion, psychedelia and progressive rock back then, and I'm still not a fan.
Duran Duran
5/5
The title track "Rio" was my introduction to Duran Duran and I immediately liked it. But you also have two of their massive hits "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Save a Prayer" on the same album - great album.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Opens with the highly experimental "EXP", but also contains the massive "Little Wing", and one of my favourites, the heavy "If Six Was Nine". Other highlights include "Castles Made of Sand" and "Bold As Love".
Isaac Hayes
2/5
I bought the single "Theme from Shaft" and it's still an amazing track, but for the rest of the album that Spotify allowed me to listen to - meh!
JAY Z
2/5
Not a fan of Rap, but I quite liked the controversial "Takeover" mainly due to it's sampling of "Five to One" by The Doors and the use of David Bowie's "Fame".
Stephen Stills
3/5
This album contains the classic "Love the One You're With" and features an impressive line-up of guest musicians. The rest of this Folk Rock album is OK, but apart from "Go Back Home", (which features Eric Clapton on electric guitar in superb form), it's nothing special.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
This is not the sort of Soul music that I remember, this is Progressive Soul, Psychedelic Soul, possibly even Soul Jazz. There's no doubt in my mind that Isaac Hayes was a genius, but I'm not sure if this album is for me.
John Lennon
5/5
What can I say about this beautiful album. Some of John Lennon's finest work with so many great tracks: "Imagine", "Crippled Inside", and "Jealous Guy" are the stand-out tracks, but let's not forget "I Don't Want to Be a Soldier", "Gimme Some Truth", "Oh My Love", and "How Do You Sleep?".
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Loved it. Will add this to my wishlist.
Miles Davis
1/5
This is the type of Jazz that I just don't get - to me it's chaotic and lacks form, which are probably the same reasons why some people rave about it. Not for me.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Meh! Boring, mediocre at best. Please explain how this is in the top 1001 albums of all time?
Pink Floyd
5/5
A classic album, perhaps even more relevant today than when it was released.
Merle Haggard
1/5
I can't stand country music.
The xx
3/5
Quite pleasant in a dreamy sort of way, but doesn't excite me.
Rod Stewart
4/5
I wasn't a big Rod Stewart fan back in the day, but this album has the classic "Maggie May" which was the soundtrack to the summer of 1971, plus "(Find a) Reason to Believe" which was actually the A-side of "Maggie May".
Steely Dan
2/5
Was never a big fan of Steely Dan's jazz rock style, but I quite liked "Rikki Don't Lose That Number".
Jefferson Airplane
5/5
Apart from the classic tracks "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", this album also contains the stunningly beautiful "Today".
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Apparently and according to Wikipedia, the genre for this album is Grime, but to me it could be Hip-Hop or Rap. Not too bad.
De La Soul
1/5
I just don't get Hip-Hop. The only track that I recognised was the annoying "The Magic Number".
a-ha
3/5
Apart from the singles "Take On Me", "Hunting High and Low", and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", it's not bad, but nothing to write home about.
Otis Redding
3/5
An album of mostly covers of other artist's songs. It's OK, but not great.
Kelela
2/5
R&B with an electronic twist. It's different, but the tracks began to sound a bit samey.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
A great album from the first lady of soul music. Features the classic track "Respect" written by Otis Redding.
Can
4/5
Interesting album. Very 1970's, but advanced for it's time.
The Undertones
3/5
It's beginning to sound a bit dated now. Contains their hit "My Perfect Cousin".
Pixies
3/5
Interesting album. Wikipedia classifies it as alternative / punk rock - it has the energy of punk but quite a few years after punk rock peaked. The vocals - some of which are in Spanish - vary in style, sometimes depressing, sometimes angry, often distorted. My favourite track is "Vamos" because of it's driving beat.
Neil Young
5/5
A superb album, full of great tracks: "Harvest", "Heart of Gold", "Old Man", and my favourite "The Needle and the Damage Done".
k.d. lang
2/5
It's pleasant enough, but boring.
Megadeth
3/5
Meh!
King Crimson
3/5
I'm not a big fan of this style of progressive art rock, but it paved the way for others.
Eminem
1/5
I just don't get it - I'm sure that for some people it expressed how they felt, but not for me. There's no much in the way of music to speak of, and the lyrics - if you can call them that - are depressing.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Interesting album. The first track "Walt Whitman's Niece" sounded like they were drunk, and the second track "California Stars" seemed to have the same tune as the first track? After that, the album settles down into a very pleasant folk rock / bluegrass album; I particularly liked "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key". For me, Billy Bragg's vocals on "She Came Along to Me" sound awful.
John Coltrane
1/5
Jazz - I just don't get it!
Prince
4/5
Pure Prince. For me, the best track is the title track "Sign o' the Times".
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
A mix of funk rock and rock rap - neither of which I particularly like. I quite liked the soft rock tracks "Breaking the Girl" and "I Could Have Lied", but otherwise I'm not a fan - and this is supposed to be their best album?
Simply Red
4/5
The majority of the album is so-so, a pleasant mix of pop-rock-soul-funk-jazz, very much an album from the 1980s. But then you have their hit "Money’s Too Tight (to Mention)" and the massive "Holding Back the Years" with Mick Hucknall's superb vocals.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Soft-rock-funk. Meh! Don't see what all the fuss is about.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Boring American country-rock.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
5/5
Can white men play the blues? They most definitely can. Loved this album even though I'd never heard any of the tracks before.
Elton John
4/5
The album that gave us "Candle in the Wind", "Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting". A classic album.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Musically it's OK - I suspect that it's the band's association with gay culture and the band's name that account for this album's inclusion. I wasn't impressed with their cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb".
Aerosmith
3/5
I just don't see what all the fuss is about - medicore at best.
Meat Puppets
1/5
Very strange mix of musical styles from a band I'd never heard of before today; Wikipedia gives their music genre as Cowpunk, Psychedelic Rock, Bluegrass, Folk, and Americana - they seem to be as confused as I am! Dreadful album.
Beatles
3/5
They were yet to fully develop their songwriting, but there's a glimmer of the greatness to come, for example "All My Loving". Hell this was 1963, and this was only their second album. I also really liked "All I've Got to Do" and "I Wanna Be Your Man", plus their covers of "Till There Was You", "You Really Got a Hold on Me", and "Money (That's What I Want)".
Norah Jones
2/5
A fabulous voice, it's just a shame that it's not really my type of music - pleasant but insipid jazz blues pop.
Beatles
5/5
A classic album (and film) with so many great tracks: the title track "A Hard Day's Night", "I Should Have Known Better", "If I Fell", the beautiful "And I Love Her", the ebullient "Can't Buy Me Love", plus "Things We Said Today". Part of my soundtrack for the early 1960s.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
A bit depressing. Quite liked "Hiding All Away" and "O Children".
Little Simz
2/5
Another Hip-Hop album, albeit from an English rapper (of Nigerian descent). Not as "in-your-face" as some other Hip-Hop albums, but I still just don't get it.
The Beach Boys
4/5
A great album. Opens with "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and continues with such great songs such as "Sloop John B" and "God Only Knows".
Yes
5/5
What an album, my favourite Yes album after "Close To The Edge". Opens with "Roundabout" and closes with "Heart of the Sunrise", with "Long Distance Runaround" and "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" inbetween.
Radiohead
4/5
I don't know what to make of Radiohead - they capture the atmosphere of the UK in the 1990s and can sometimes sound depressing, but the overall sound and feel of the album is one that I like.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
What a strange album - very 1970s (and so very dated). An album of covers of popular songs from the era heavily featuring bongo drums, conga drums, rock drums, and brass - includes their version of "Apache", "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", and "Wipeout". Weird.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
I'n not a big fan of this style of jazz-rock-blues, but you can hear echoes of ELP and other 70s prog-rock bands. Contains their hits "Spinning Wheel" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" (a cover of a Brenda Holloway song). I liked their "Variations on a Theme" (an adaptation from Erik Satie's "Trois Gymnopédies") before the first version went into a weird big-band jazz style. I also quite liked their cover of Traffic's "Smiling Phases". The track "Blues – Part II" interpolates "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Spoonful".
The Clash
3/5
The title track, "London Calling", defined a generation, but the rest of the album - which is a strange mix of various musical styles - doesn't live up to the promises made by the title track.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Opens with the classic "Blowin' in the Wind", and also includes "Girl from the North Country", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right".
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
Some of the songs on this album reminded me of other bands, but who influenced who is hard to say. Not the groundbreaking album that I was expecting, but not too bad either.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Spotify only lists two albums by Dagmar Krause, and this album isn't one of them. Wikipedia lists the genre as cabaret, jazz, avant-garde, so I doubt if I would I have liked this album anyway.
5/5
Surely one of the most influential albums of all time? I don't think that there's a single track on this album that isn't good.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Who knew Richard Hawley was a crooner? Not what I expected from someone who was such a important part of BritPop. It's pleasant enough, reminiscent of the 50's and early 60's, but it's all fairly innocuous and slightly boring. My favourite track was "The Ocean".
Guns N' Roses
4/5
What can I say about this album? The opening track "Welcome to the Jungle" sets the scene for a great album, and the massive "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine" confirm the greatness. It's just a shame that Axl Rose is such an egotistical twat.
OutKast
1/5
What genre is this? Wikipedia says that the genre is Southern Hip Hop / Funk / Pop / Jazz-Funk / Avant-Soul / Progressive Rap which suggests to me that they don't know either! The album is boring and confusing - I just don't get it.
The Jam
3/5
A lot more polished than some of their earlier albums. Contains the hits "Start!" and "That's Entertainment".
Deerhunter
1/5
Wikipedia gives the music genre as Psychedelic Pop / Dream Pop / Indie Pop / Noise Pop - change pop to pap and you'd be close. Prentious boring noise!
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Contains some of their biggest hits from the 1960s including "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'".
The White Stripes
5/5
Interesting album, varying styles, but all drum heavy (which isn't a bad thing). Liked the album, and particularly liked "Instinct Blues".
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Allegedly one of the greatest albums of the 1990's, but not, in my opinion, stand-out great, although I quite liked the album. Alt-Rock / Grunge, very reminiscent of Nirvana, perhaps not surprising given that they shared the same producer. I quite liked "Cherub Rock", "Soma", and "Silverfuck".
Bobby Womack
2/5
Spotify wouldn't let me listen to the first three tracks without paying to upgrade. Mostly harmless, pleasant Soul / R&B, a flashback to the 1970s when this style of music was massive. The track "Just My Imagination" was a tad annoying because it sounded very similar to "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" by The Temptations , which may or may not have been the intention.
The White Stripes
4/5
Overall I preferred their next album, "Get Behind Me Satan", but this album contains the absolutely massive "Seven Nation Army". I also really liked "Ball and Biscuit" and "Hypnotize".
Madness
4/5
Not as jolly as some of their other albums, but "Our House" makes up for this.
Lou Reed
4/5
Not to everyone's taste I know, but a groundbreaking album. The iconic "Walk on the Wild Side", plus the original version of "Perfect Day"; also worth a mention are "Vicious" and "Satellite of Love".
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Sounds a bit dated now, but it captures some of the energy of the Punk era in the late 1970s. Quite liked "Identity" and especially like the title track "Germ Free Adolescents". On tracks like "I Live Off You", you can begin to hear the start of the Ska resurgence that followed.
Metallica
4/5
I wasn't too sure what to expect from an album described as thrash / progressive metal, but I liked it - it's very musical in places. I really liked the almost an instrumental "To Live Is to Die".
David Gray
3/5
Meh! I don't see what all the fuss is about? His cover of Soft Cell's "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" feels too slow.
Deep Purple
5/5
In some respects my favourite Deep Purple studio album due to the outrageous opening track "Speed King", not to mention "Child in Time".
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Like it, especially their hit "Take Me Out".
ABBA
4/5
Different from earlier Abba albums, but quite pleasant - I liked it. For me, the stand-out track was their hit "One Of Us".
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Apparently the defining album for the "shoegaze" genre? Pretentious, depressing, and boring, but I've heard worse.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Started a change in direction for Stevie Wonder, highlighted by the superb "Superstition"; also contains the hit "You Are the Sunshine of My Life".
AC/DC
4/5
The title track "Highway to Hell" is a great classic hard rock track; the rest of the album is also good, but not great, although I really liked "Beating Around the Bush".
Jimmy Smith
4/5
The keyboards that open the first track "Back at the Chicken Shack" could be by any prog-rock or blues band from the late 1960s or early 1970s, but it soon evolves into a jazzy r&b style. Other tracks are more jazz than r&b. I liked it.
Van Halen
4/5
Hard rock from the late 1970s; the opening track "Runnin' with the Devil" sets the mood perfectly. The guitar playing on "Eruption" is pure guitar hero stuff. Really liked their cover of "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks.
Various Artists
3/5
It wouldn't be Christmas without Phil Spector's 'wall of sound'. A bit kitschy, but who cares! Contains some of the classic Christmas sounds, including "Frosty the Snowman" and "Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by The Crystals, plus "Winter Wonderland" by Darlene Love.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
I've always been an ELO fan and this album is one of their best. From the opening "Turn to Stone", to "Sweet Talkin' Woman", and the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" which comprises the second half of the album and includes the song which always puts a smile on my face "Mr. Blue Sky" plus "Wild West Hero", this is a brilliant album.
Don McLean
4/5
Part of the soundtrack for the 1970s. Contains the massive hit "American Pie", and the not so massive hit "Vincent".
Common
2/5
Yet more Hip Hop - not sure why there shoud be so many in this list! Wikipedia gives the genre as Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Hip Hop Soul, Progressive Rap, Chipmunk Soul - what the hell is Chipmunk Soul? This album's main claim to fame seems to be that it was mainly produced by Kanye West.
The Human League
5/5
Part of the soundtrack for the eraly 1980s. So many great tracks on this album: "Open Your Heart", "Love Action (I Believe in Love)", and the Xmas 1981 number 1 "Don't You Want Me".
Frank Sinatra
2/5
I can understand why this style of singing - crooning - was big in the 50s, but there's no emotion and it's boring. Of course I'm familiar with the songs because this sort of music was always in the background when I was a child, until it was displaced by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, et al.
Adele
3/5
Not really my type of music, but I really liked the massive "Hello"; I also liked quite liked "River Lea" and not just because of my connection to the river as a child.
Sade
3/5
Smooth soul and it doesn't get any smoother than this, especially "Smooth Operator" and "Your Love Is King".
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Nothing special. Parts of "Quiet Heart" are very reminiscent of U2.
Bad Brains
2/5
Not sure about this album. Is it metal, is it punk, is it rock, or some weird confusing mix of all three - Wikipedia says Alternative Metal/Hardcore Punk/Funk Rock/Funk Metal. I don't see why so many people should have considered this such an important album.
Beach House
3/5
Dream Pop aka Shoegaze. Meh!
The Slits
2/5
Very strange album. Wikipedia gives the genre as post-punk/dub-reggae/art pop, and yeah! I'm OK with the post-punk/dub-reggae aspects, but so keen on the art pop side of things.
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
A mix of Downtempo (Ambient) plus Drum and Bass, with South Asian overtones. I liked it.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Brings back memories of the early 80s when anyone thought that they could be in a band, although musically this is quite good, it's just the vocals that let it down - a bit Jonathan Richman meets Jilted John.
The Boo Radleys
1/5
I just don't get Shoegaze, and I don't remember the early 1990s being that depressing.
Herbie Hancock
1/5
Not a fan of this style of Jazz-Funk/Jazz-Fusion.
Green Day
4/5
I'd never heard of Green Day prior to the release of "American Idiot" as a single and it was massive. The rest of the album is quite good, especially "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", but it comes nowhere near the title track.
Michael Jackson
3/5
The album - the first to be produced by Quincy Jones - that, for me, marked a change in direction for Michael Jackson, and a sign of greater things to come, typified by the opening track "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", and the title track "Off the Wall".
Missy Elliott
1/5
Yet more Hip-Hop? The only thing that really differentiates this from all the other Hip-Hop albums is that this is "sung" by a woman.
Björk
3/5
Quirky, with a mesmirising voice. My favourite track is "Violently Happy", but I also like "Venus as a Boy", "Big Time Sensuality", and "Play Dead".
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Classic Bob Marley & The Wailers, including the great "Stir It Up", and also "Kinky Reggae".
Morrissey
1/5
I hate Morrissey (and The Smiths).
Peter Gabriel
5/5
So many great tracks on this album - the catchy "Sledgehammer" with its amazing video, "Red Rain", "Mercy Street", and the inspiring duet with Kate Bush on "Don't Give Up".
The Charlatans
4/5
Quite liked it, but nothing really grabbed me.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Interesting. Wikipedia gives the genre as Garage Rock Revival / Art Punk / Dance-Punk, and it's too polished and too late to be regarded as true Punk. Vocals reminded me of Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders.
Morrissey
1/5
I hate Morrissey - he's a pretentious twat.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
Any album that contains one of my favourite tracks of all time,"Spellbound", has to score a 5, but the rest of the album is quite good as well.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
5/5
Great album. Highlights are "Breakdown" and "American Girl".
David Crosby
4/5
Spotify wouldn't let me listen to "Music Is Love" or "What Are Their Names", presumably because Neil Young was one of the co-writers. Classic early 1970s folk-rock.
The Doors
5/5
A great album with some fantastic tracks including "Love Her Madly", "L.A. Woman", "The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)", the bluesy "Been Down So Long" and "Cars Hiss by My Window", plus the atmospheric "Riders on the Storm".
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Classic early 1960s R&B. Worth it for the title track "Green Onions" alone, but the rest of the tracks on the album - which are mainly covers - feel a bit dated now.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
I'd forgotten how great this album was. There's the obvious legendary guitar hero "Free Bird", but the rest of the album is good as well, "Tuesday's Gone" and "Gimme Three Steps" to name but two.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Classic Elvis. The highlight is the soulful "In the Ghetto", but the rest of the album is meh!
Nina Simone
3/5
A mixture of Blues, Folk, R&B, and Jazz. Wasn't so keen on the Jazz tracks, but I quite liked the other tracks. The song "Four Women" was controversial at the time because of its anti-racism lyrics. 3/5
MGMT
3/5
I can't make up my mind about this album. It's sound is both unique and derivative at the same time - just when I think it's quirky and different, it reminds me of other bands but I just can't say who. The vocals are certainly marmite - you either love them or hate them.
Gram Parsons
2/5
Country music - lots of twanging guitars. Some nice harmonies though.
Laura Nyro
1/5
Wikipedia gives the genre as Blue-Eyed Soul / Folk Jazz and I would agree. Laura Nyro has a great voice but the album is boring.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
Hip-Hop or the start of Rap? Or both? Either way, I wasn't keen.
The Cure
5/5
One of my favourite albums by The Cure. So many great tracks, including "Pictures of You", "Lovesong", "Lullaby" (what a great video), "Fascination Street", and my favourite "Prayers for Rain" (which must be played as loud as possible). I would give this album 6 stars if it were possible.
Brian Eno
5/5
I remember buying this album because I was a Roxy Music fan, but this album was unlike anything else that I'd ever heard. Eno was "out there". A great album. A bit controversial back in the day because of the cover.
Brian Eno
5/5
Another great Brian Eno album - my favourite of all his ambient work.. Perfect for background music while working, but also great for listening to when you want to relax.
Kanye West
1/5
Yet more hip-hop / rap. I just don't get it! Using the n-word doesn't make it edgy or cool. The sound processing was interesting at first but then became annoying - what's with the squeaky voices anyway? Boring.
Jean-Michel Jarre
5/5
Haven't listened to this for years and it doesn't sound dated. Not as "hardcore" as the likes of Tangerine Dream, but this album made electronic music more mainstream - even my dad liked this album.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Unimpressed. Apart from the opening track "Do You Wanna Dance?" (which is a cover) and "Help Me, Ronda", I don't think that this album has a lot going for it.
Turbonegro
4/5
Initially I wasn't sure what this album was in the top 1001 albums, especially as I'd never heard of the band before today and assumed that they were only included because they're Norwegian. But the album is solid rock and is actually quite good.
The Band
3/5
Apart from "The Weight", I have always failed to understand the attraction of The Band and was almost completely underwhelmed by this album. Their version of "This Wheel's on Fire" is truly awful.
Ash
3/5
Some tracks reminded me of Nirvana, and "I'd Give You Anything" has what sounds like a classic Black Sabbath riff. Musical styles are all over the place, but not bad for a debut album.
George Michael
2/5
You can't have lived through the 1980s without hearing the title track "Faith" at least once. Apart from the title track, the rest of the album is nothing special as far as I'm concerned.
The Allman Brothers Band
5/5
Never heard this album before and I loved it - perfect music to chill to. Laid back blues rock.
Pretenders
3/5
The post-punk music is OK, but I've never liked Chrissie Hynde's voice. My favourite track is "Space Invader"; of the rest, "Kid" and "Private Life" aren't too bad, but I've always found their hit "Brass in Pocket" really annoying.
Minutemen
1/5
This feels like one of those albums that people rave about because some one has declared that it's trendy. I've heard worse albums, but my general feeling is that listening to this truly depressing album has wasted an hour of my life.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Nothing special - sounds very similar to other albums from Elvis Costello and the Attractions. Pretty boring.
Eminem
3/5
I'm conflicted by this album. Generally, I'm not a fan of hip-hop, but I quite like this album - partly due to the musical style and production, and partly due to its storytelling nature; however, it's hard to reconcile this against the violent, homophobic, misogynistic, and sometimes racist lyrics - supposedly, some of the songs are satirical, but it's hard to tell which ones.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
I was expecting the album to be depressing, but it wasn't too bad. My favourite tracks were "4st 7lb" and "Mausoleum", although I quite liked the very dark "The Intense Humming of Evil".
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Rock and roll from the early 1970s.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I wasn't really into soul in the 1970's and I'm not about to start now.
Brian Wilson
3/5
This album shows just how much Brian Wilson was responsible for the sound of the Beach Boys. A strange album - partly it feels like a concept album and partly it feels like a musical stage show celebrating the Beach Boys.
The Crusaders
2/5
Jazz R&B Disco - I'm not a fan of Jazz or the late 1970's/early 1980's disco scene. Apart from an overly long version of their hit "Street Life", I found this album boring elevator music.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Just how many hip-hop albums are there in this list - too many in my opinion. Repetitive and boring.
Muddy Waters
5/5
A great live album from one of the Blues legends.
Talking Heads
4/5
Overall, I liked it, and I thought that the best track was "Life During Wartime".
Sugar
4/5
Never heard of this band before. I quite liked the album, but nothing really stood out. I'm not a big fan of the muddy wall-of-sound on some of the tracks although I know that this was popular in the 1990's.
Air
3/5
Airy chill-out music with French style.
Björk
3/5
More quirky weirdness from Björk - an album consisting only of human vocals with no instruments whatsoever. However, it's still her usual haunting meolodies and vocals.
1/5
Unable to listen to this on Spotify, but found the full album on YouTube., although I shouldn't have bothered. Wikipedia gives the genre as Avant-Garde Jazz / Free Jazz / Punk Jazz / Thrashcore which raises so many red flags. The album title, "Spy vs Spy: The Music of Ornette Coleman", is pushing the term "music" way beyond my defintion of music - I think that "vaguely musical noise" would probably be a better term. I'm 7+ minutes in, and the 5th track has just started, (I think), but it just sounds like one continuous track, and it's giving me a headache.
Tom Waits
2/5
Quirky to say the least, interesting, but not really my cup of tea.
Miles Davis
1/5
I don't like Jazz, cool or hot.
David Bowie
3/5
I remember when this album came out and I was a bit disappointed at the change in direction from his previous albums. Apart from the singles "Drive-In Saturday" and "The Jean Genie", the rest of the album, especially the discordant title track didn't really impress me.
Coldplay
5/5
One of my favourite Coldplay albums, contains hit singles "In My Place", "God Put a Smile upon Your Face", "The Scientist", and "Clocks".
OutKast
2/5
Yet another hip-hop album!
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Dream pop - quite appropriate as listening to this made me want to sleep. Not unpleasant, but didn't grab my attention.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Quite pleasant folk-rock, but nothing really grabbed me.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
I liked it a lot and not just because of the unmistakable vocals from Björk - the music, (Post-Punk according to Wikipedia), was quirky, but not enough to put me off. My favourite track was "Delicious Demon".
Boston
3/5
Who doesn't like the opening "More Than a Feeling", a classic stadium rock track from the mid 1970s. But apart from this, it's a pretty mediocre album.
Neu!
5/5
I'd heard of this band before, but I'd not listened to any of their albums. Wikipedia gives the genre as "Kosmische Musik", a term used before "KrautRock". As a fan of Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, I liked this album, although it's closer to the latter than the former. Side 1 is more ambient than side 2 which has more of a rock feel to it and reminded me of Hawkwind.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
I quite liked this album, but would have liked it more if it weren't so depressing. My favourite track was "Fountain and Fairfax".
Black Sabbath
5/5
What an opening track: the eponymous track "Black Sabbath" on the album of the same name, sets the scene perfectly, created a new musical genre, and changed music forever. It's a shame I can only give this 5 stars.
Gil Scott-Heron
1/5
Spotify was unable to find the album, but I did find one of the tracks on the album: "Your Daddy Loves You". Jazz-soul-funk. Not for me.
David Bowie
4/5
My favourite album of the Berlin trilogy. Best track is the title track "Heroes", but I also like "V-2 Schneider".
The White Stripes
4/5
Another great album from the White Stripes, full of the raw energy that we've come to expect from Jack and Meg. The opening track, "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is unmistakenly pure White Stripes blues-rock. When I heard "Expecting", I thought I was listening to Black Sabbath.
R.E.M.
5/5
Contains one of my favourite R.E.M. tracks, the superb "Everybody Hurts". Other tracks that I like include "Drive", "Man on the Moon", and "Nightswimming".
Beastie Boys
1/5
Why are there so many hip-hop albums in this list? Once you've heard one hip-hop album, you've heard them all - apart from the jazz samples on some of the tracks, "Sure Shot" and "Root Down" for example, this album sounds the same as any other hip-hop album.
Pentangle
4/5
A classic.
ABBA
4/5
What more can I say about an album that contains "Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", and "Money, Money, Money"; plus the title instrumental track "Arrival" itself. A great album.
Aphex Twin
4/5
More techno then ambient, but I liked it.
Marty Robbins
2/5
Country and western with the emphasis on western. An album that's almost as old as me. Some of the tracks, such as "Cool Water" are vaguely familiar from my childhood when cowboy movies were all the rage.
TLC
3/5
Wikipedia says the genre is R&B / Hip Hop Soul, which feels about right - a better description might be a female version of Prince, but not quite as funky/
Grateful Dead
2/5
I'm confused. I always thought that the Dead were a rock band - one of the loudest bands around at the time - but this is at best folk rock, similar to what CSNY were doing. Quite pleasant, but nothing to write home about. My favourite tracks were "Attics of My Life" and "Truckin'".
Judas Priest
4/5
The opening track "Rapid Fire" reminds me so much of Motörhead. the album also contains one of their most famous tracks "Breaking the Law".
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
A Marmite album: obviously a very talented singer-songwriter, but this is such a depressing album - Leonard Cohen for the 1990's, so it has to be a no from me. I had to check that Spotify hadn't started playing Lou Reed when "There Is a Kingdom" started because I thought that I was listening to "Perfect Day".
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
I'd not heard this particular album before for some reason, but it's another classic Bob Marley albu, starting with "Lively Up Yourself", and followed by the original verison of "No Woman, No Cry". I will be adding this album to my wishlist.
Steely Dan
3/5
I wasn't a fan of Steely Dan's brand of jazz-rock back in the 1970s, and apart from the odd track here and there - none of which are on this album - I'm still not a fan; I remember that this was the cause of many an argument with some of my friends back in the day. I quite liked "Your Gold Teeth" which had more of a prog-rock feel to it.
Van Halen
3/5
Not bad, but apart from "Jump", not great either.
The Byrds
3/5
Apart from the classic title song "Mr. Tambourine Man", the rest of this folk-rock album is beginning to sound a bit dated now.
D'Angelo
1/5
Neo-soul/R&B/soul/funk/jazz = pretentious crap.
Femi Kuti
3/5
More Afrobeat than Jazz, but a blend of both - but I liked it.
Guided By Voices
1/5
Wikipedia specifies the genre as Indie Rock / Lo-Fi / Power Pop? The longest track is less than 3 minutes long, with the average track length being around one-and-half minutes. I'm sure that there's some talent in there somewhere, but it's not too obvious from this album, as the whole album sounds very amateurish, but I guess that's the "Lo-Fi" aspect. The album in parts is truly depressing, especially "As We Go Up, We Go Down" and "The Ugly Vision". I was going to give this album 2 stars, but the longer I listened, the worse it got.
Koffi Olomide
4/5
For fans of world music - if you liked the South African music on Paul Simon's "Graceland", then you will like this album. No idea what he was singing about because the lyrics are in French and Congolese, but I really liked this album.
Roxy Music
5/5
Not sure why I bought this album instead of Roxy Music's first album back in the day, but I'm so glad that I did. From the opening "Do the Strand", to "In Every Dream Home a Heartache", "The Bogus Man", and the closing title track "For Your Pleasure", this still remains one of my all time favourite albums.
Mekons
1/5
Remove the energy from punk and combine it with the "woe is me" lyrics from country, throw in a violin, and you get this truly depressing unmucial awful album. I could feel my will to live slipping away as I listened to it. This album only gets one star because I can't give it zero.
Metallica
4/5
Although I was only previously aquainted with just a few Metallica songs, I liked this album. Metallica's thrash metal works with a symphony orchestra, and works well. I especially liked "Master of Puppets", "Nothing Else Matters", "For Whom the Bell Tolls", and of course "Enter Sandman".
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Nothing special. The album is notable for two tracks "Kicks" (which was rejected by the Animals) and "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" which was a top-20 hit for the Monkees in the USA.
Tina Turner
3/5
The album is OK, but nothing special. Contains her hits "What's Love Got to Do with It" and "Private Dancer", plus passable covers of Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain", Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", and David Bowie's "1984".
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Reminiscent of their contemporaries Traffic and Jefferson Airplane, but nothing really grabbed my attention, but that could be due to a lack of familiarity with this group.
The Flaming Lips
1/5
The opening track "Race for the Prize" grates my nerves - the twanging guitar, synth, or whatever it is sound like it's out of tune, as do the vocals on the second track "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton". A difficult listen - perhaps a bit too "out there" for my liking.
Dolly Parton
1/5
As much as I admire Dolly Parton as a person, I just don't like country music.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Alternative rock? A mixture of different musical styles which might suggest a number of line-up changes during the recording of the album, but apparently not. Not bad, but not great either.
Eurythmics
5/5
Part of the soundtrack for the 1980s. Contains some great tracks, the title track "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" obviously, but also "Love Is a Stranger", "Somebody Told Me", "This City Never Sleeps", and my favourite "Jennifer".
Parliament
2/5
Mid-1970s funk - sounds so dated now, with track names such as "Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication"!
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Acoustic folk-rock. Not sure why an album that sold so few copies is in this list - it's OK, but why choose this album over, for example, a Cat Stevens album? His voice reminds me of early Tyrannosaurus Rex, but not sure if that's what makes Devendra Banhart a psychedelic folk musician as there's nothing particularly psychedelic about this album.
Stan Getz
2/5
I usually don't like jazz, but this is bossa nova, samba-jazz and it's not too bad. The opening track "Desafinado" is a song that I've heard before, as is "Samba de Uma Nota Só" - probably in an elevator or hotel bar somewhere. After a while, all the tracks begin to sound the same to me.
Elton John
4/5
Classic Elton John.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
It's OK.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Classic stuff.
Crowded House
3/5
Nothing special.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
I'm a fan of classical Indian music, but not Indian film music. This is a strange mix of Indian film music and western 1970's music, with several songs sung in English. It all sounds a bit dated now.
R.E.M.
4/5
Apart from "Radio Free Europe", "Talk About the Passion" and "Perfect Circle", I wasn't very familiar with the tracks on R.E.M.'s debut album, but I really liked it.
Primal Scream
2/5
Indie rock meets acid house. Not impressed.
TV On The Radio
1/5
I guess it's all down to personal taste but I just don't understand how this album makes this list. Wikipedia gives the genre as Avant-Pop / Dark Wave / Experimental / Post-Punk and I think that says it all - specifying the genre as "avant-anything" or "experimental" tends to indicate to me an album that will only be liked by people who think that they're trendy.
Bob Dylan
4/5
A more mellow, reflective Bob Dylan. The track "Can't Wait" reminded of John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?", while the guitar playing on the final track "Highlands" sounded like a slowed-down version of a song by Seasick Steve. I quite liked the album.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Two of the best ever Rollong Stones tracks are on this album: "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man".
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Apparently not one of her best albums; she was better known for her version of "The Girl from Ipanema" which isn't on this album, so it makes me wonder why this album was chosen and whether we can expect to see another Astrud Gilberto album in this list. The album is pleasant, but sounds so dated now, reminds me of watching some 1960's foreign-language movie on BBC 2.
Skunk Anansie
4/5
Liked the album. The lead singer has an incredible voice.
Throbbing Gristle
3/5
Throbbing Gristle were one of the pioneers of industrial music, and this album is interesting, from harsh experimental music, to tracks that reminded me of Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno.
The Shamen
3/5
I quite liked this album. I think I preferred their dance tracks to their more psychedelic tracks.
Portishead
3/5
The opening track "Mysterons" reminds me of Björk's "Hunter" (although the Björk song was 3 years later). Haunting, but slightly depressing, with the last track, "Glory Box", verging on almost being joyful.
Roxy Music
3/5
Not my favourite Roxy Music album.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
I think that the title of the opening track, "Grand Ole Opry Song", says it all - this is an American country/country-folk/bluegrass album from 1972 with lots of banjos and fiddles, but it's not what we'd now think of as a C&W album, which is its saving grace.
Charles Mingus
1/5
It's jazz and to make things worse it's avant-garde jazz, which means it sounds like a collection of random noises played by "musicians" who were in different locations at different times.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
After the grating opening track "The New Stone Age", the album settles down into the OMD style that most are used to; includes their hits "Souvenir", "Joan of Arc", and "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)".
Black Sabbath
5/5
What can I say about the definitive Black Sabbath album? Apart from the title track "Paranoid", we also have "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Electric Funeral", and "Fairies Wear Boots".
Alice Cooper
5/5
Probably my favourite Alice Cooper album, so many great tracks, "Hello Hooray", "Elected", "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "I Love the Dead", the title track "Billion Dollar Babies", dental nighmare, "Unfinished Sweet", and my favourite "Sick Things".
Mike Oldfield
5/5
Revolutionary when it was released, and still relevant today.
Adam & The Ants
4/5
I've always liked "ant music". The drumming is reminiscent of John Kongos and Burundi Black from the early 1970s, but it was a different sound for the early 1980s. In addition to their hits "Antmusic" and "Kings of the Wild Frontier", there's also "Ants Invasion".
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
A classic folk-rock album from the "summer of love" era, contains their singles "Mr. Soul", "Bluebird", "Expecting to Fly", and "Rock & Roll Woman", plus "Broken Arrow".
The Go-Go's
3/5
Mediocre.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Who? A US country artist that didn't make it across the pond. Quite pleasant for country music, but ultimately boring.
Steve Earle
3/5
Is it rock or is it country, it's country-rock. For Bruce Springsteen fans who lean more towards country than rock.
Talk Talk
4/5
I was a fan of their first album, "The Party's Over", but wasn't overly keen on their move to a more jazz oriented sound, but this album isn't as bad as their subsequent album "Spirit of Eden".
Syd Barrett
3/5
Obviously reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, think "Arnold Layne" and "Bike", a piece of hsitory, but slightly depressing, with little hint of the subsequent greatness that Pink Floyd would achieve.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Don't really see what all the fuss is about. She sounds a bit like Björk, but nat as quirky.
John Cale
2/5
Early 1970's Art-Pop doesn't do it for me and neither does this album.
Jethro Tull
5/5
One of the all time classic albums, ever! A mix of folk-rock, progressive rock, and hard-rock. I still listen to this album.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
Boring - it would be better if it was more ambient and less repetitive. The tracks listed by the Wikipedia link are different from those on Spotify which doesn't include the classic track "Demon's Theme"; this review is based onthe Spotify album.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Apart from "Bell Bottom Blues" and the massive "Layla", I'd not heard any of the tracks from this double album before. Not the best blues-rock I've ever heard, but pretty close. I liked their version of the blues standards "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", "Key to the Highway", and "Have You Ever Loved a Woman", but wasn't so keen on their cover of the Jimi Hendrix song "Little Wing".
Pulp
4/5
Liked it.
Fred Neil
2/5
Apart from one track, this album is pretty much variations of "Everybody's Talkin'" which was a big hit for Nilsson after it was featured in the film "Midnight Cowboy" (and whioch I prefer). The standout track for me was the Indian inspired "Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga" which was almost obligatory for any album from the mid 1960s.
Beck
3/5
A strange inconsistent album with a variety of musical styles. I had high hopes with the opening track "E-Pro" which was a solid alt-rock track, but then it descended into the realms of hip-hop with the second track "Qué Onda Guero". After this the album settles down into blend of pop-rock.
The Damned
4/5
I liked it. Imagine the energy of raw punk from a couple of years earlier (1977), with the sophistication of The Stranglers, plus the speed of Motörhead, with some heavy metal and a bit of Dire Straits thrown in for good measure, and you're getting close to the feel of this album.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Not another bloody hip-hop album? Repetitve, boring and if it wasn't for Spotify occasionally interrupting with adverts, I would assumed that the album consistly of two or three very long tracks. Highlights for me were the dub-style hip-hop tracks "INS Greencard A-19 191 500" and "Socio-Genetic Experiment".
Billie Holiday
2/5
Late 1950s jazz with an orchestra. Even though her voice was not at its best by the time she recorded this, her penultimate, album, there's no doubting that she had an amazing voice. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of this style of music and find it boring.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Very much a 1980s synth-led pop-rock album; contains the massive "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and one of my favourites "Time After Time", but the rest of the album is meh.
Aerosmith
3/5
American stadium glam-rock. Nothing special.
Brian Eno
3/5
Apparently his last non-ambient album. Reminded me of his earlier album, "Here Come the Warm Jets".
Gotan Project
2/5
French electronica / tango / nu jazz! Why this album is in this list is anyone's guess because I'm not sure what to make of this album. The album is pleasant enough, but ultimately boring and doesn't really go anywhere. However, pour yourself a Pastis 51, light a Gauloises, and chill.
Leftfield
5/5
I didn't really consider myself a fan of house music, but if this is progressive house, I'm a fan. I loved the album and I've just bought it.
The Police
5/5
So many great tracks on this album, including the massive hit "Message in a Bottle", the title track "Reggatta de Blanc", plus "Bring On the Night", and my personal favourites "Walking on the Moon" and "The Bed's Too Big Without You".
The Verve
4/5
Spotify said that it couldn't play "A New Decade" or "Life's an Ocean" for some reason? Several tracks sound very much like Oasis songs from the same period, which isn't surprising as they used the same producer, Owen Morris, but other tracks hint more at what was to be the style of their next album "Urban Hymns".
Steely Dan
3/5
Back in day, when I was into hard rock, one of my friends raved about Steely Dan, but I never saw the attraction. Having said that, I quite liked the two singles "Do It Again" and "Reelin' In the Years".
Madonna
2/5
Appareently, the title track was released as a single, but I don't remember hearing it or anything else from this forgettable album. Interesting, but insipid, cover of Don McLean's "American Pie".
John Lee Hooker
5/5
John Lee Hooker and Carlos Santana on the title track is a match made in heaven and it will heal your ills. A great album, with a fantastic array of guests.
SAULT
3/5
Meh!
Ray Price
2/5
Wikipedia says this is country / hony-tonk, but the title track "Night Life", (written by Willie Nelson), is more blues than country. The rest of the album is most definitely country (which I can't stand unfortunately).
Rush
2/5
I'm a fan of prog-rock, but I'm not a fan of this album and can't see what all the fuss is about.
Britney Spears
2/5
Ultimately, this is a manufactured pop album that could have been made by almost any female singer. Would it have been such a massive hit without that video for "...Baby One More Time" - I don't know. There's no real coherence to this album as it veers between dance and teenage love songs.
Hole
3/5
Alternative rock / grunge / punk rock. Not bad, but nothing special, notable only for Courtney Love and its connection to the late Kurt Cobain.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Contains their haunting single "The Cutter". Interesting album.
2/5
Noise rock / experimental rock / dance-punk - the genre and the album's title says it all I think. I've heard worse, but not often.
Eric Clapton
4/5
Blues rock. Contains Eric Clapton's versions of "Motherless Children" (traditional), "Willie and the Hand Jive" (Johnny Otis), "I Shot the Sheriff" (Bob Marley), "I Can't Hold Out" (Willie Dixon), and others, plus some new songs such as "Give Me Strength" and "Let It Grow".
Dead Kennedys
2/5
Some punk hasn't aged well, and most of this album falls into this category apart from their single "Holiday in Cambodia" which I quite liked, and the quirky cover of the Elvis song "Viva Las Vegas".
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Northern soul with a northern brass band sound. After a while, all the tracks begin sound the same. Contains their massive hit "Geno" which I was never really a fan of.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
A classic 60's style R&B/Soul album, with the odd reggae track "Just Friends". The lady sure can sing, but ultimately, it all depends on whether or not you're a fan of this style of music.
Miles Davis
1/5
Oh joy! More Jazz. I've never got the point of this style of Jazz.
Boards of Canada
4/5
According to Wikipedia "the album received critical acclaim upon its release, and has since been acknowledged as a landmark work in electronic music" - I own this album and it's good, but I don't understand how this album, released in 1998, is regarded as a "landmark work in electronic music"? Have people not heard of Faust, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, and others, that have being making electronic music since the 1970s?
Spacemen 3
3/5
Any band purporting to psychedelic rock / space rock is going to be compared with Hawkwind and Pink Floyd. This album tends more towards early Pink Floyd than Hawkwind, think "A Saucerful of Secrets", although "Revolution" is almost identical to "You Shouldn't Do That" from Hawkwind's 1971 album "In Search of Space".
Fela Kuti
4/5
Afrobeat album, (recorded live in the studio), famous for featuring Ginger Baker on two of the four tracks (tracks 3 and 4). Reissue and Spotify have a bonus track featuring a 16-minute drum duet between Ginger Baker and Africa '70's drummer Tony Allen recorded at the 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival. I liked it.
10cc
4/5
Not as good as their subsequent album "The Original Soundtrack", but still a classic. Revolutionary at the time, but beginning to sound a bit dated now. Contains their hit "The Wall Street Shuffle".
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I have always found Leonard Cohen depressing and this album is no exception.
Nas
1/5
Another rap album- what gives?
Justice
1/5
Boring.
Bad Company
5/5
Haven't listened to this album for years. From the opening track "Can't Get Enough", through the title track "Bad Company", to the closing track "Seagull", this is a classic 1970s rock album.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Another classic rock album from the 1970s - what a great decade it was.
The Adverts
3/5
One of the better punk bands from the late 1970s. The Spotify album / 2002 reissue includes their hit single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" which I remember buying. Beginning to sound a bit dated now.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Mixed feelings about this album. You have some great tracks like "Bad", "Man in the Mirror", "Dirty Diana", and the massive "Smooth Criminal", but the rest of the album I can live without.
Funkadelic
4/5
Interesting album. The instrumental title track, "Maggot Brain", is wow! And the rest of the album is like a cross btween The Temptations and Jimi Hendrix.
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
Interesting. Strangely hypnotic! Punk music with hand tools.
Prince
4/5
Loved the movie and love the album. Includes "Let's Go Crazy", "Darling Nikki", and of course, the outstanding title track "Purple Rain".
The Jesus And Mary Chain
1/5
Apparently, according to Wikipedia, thise music has been described as "bubblegum pop drowned in feedback", (or noise-pop), and helped establish the style of distortion-laden fogginess that would eventually become the foundation for shoegaze. More depressing than Joy Division, (who I like), with none of the charm or energy.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Although a fan of the "Canterbury scene", I've never really been a fan of Robert Wyatt's music or his voice.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Quirky, but energetic.
Genesis
5/5
One of my favourite Genesis albums, and one of my favourite albums ever. For me, the best tracks are "Firth of Fifth", and "The Cinema Show" / "Aisle of Plenty".
Happy Mondays
2/5
Unhappy Mondays is a more appropriate name for this group, and Bummed is how I feel after listening to them drone on and on. Apparently a lot drugs were used during the recording of this album, and under the influence of drugs is probably the best way to listen to this album.
The Temptations
5/5
Classic 1970s funk from the Temptations; the album includes one of my favourite tracks ever: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".
Carole King
5/5
So many standards on this album, most of which were hits for other artists: "I Feel the Earth Move", "It's Too Late", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", and the massive "You've Got a Friend" (which I'd always assumed had been written by James Taylor).
Talvin Singh
4/5
Classical Indian music meets Electronica / Drum and Bass - music to chill to. I liked it.
Kings of Leon
3/5
It's OK, not sure if I like Caleb Followill's voice or not. I quite liked "Wasted Time" because it reminded me very much of Tom Petty, and I also liked the laid-back "Dusty".
The Residents
1/5
Generally speaking I don't like any musical style that includes "avant garde" or "experimental" in its description, and this "experimental rock" album is no exception.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Until their fourth album, this was the Led Zeppelin album. Side one of the album opens with the stunning "Whole Lotta Love" which was used as the title music for "Top of the Pops", a staple TV music programme if you grew up in the UK in 1970s, while side two opens with "Heartbreaker" another classic rock track. Classic 1970s rock from the masters.
Paul Simon
4/5
Pretty much what you'd expect from one half of folk-rock megastars Simon & Garfunkel. Stand out songs are the firts two singles from the album: the reggae song "Mother and Child Reunion", and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard".
Morrissey
1/5
I never liked the Smiths because I found them depressing, and felt that Morrissey was pretentious twat. Musically this album is OK, but Morrissey's whining vocals, which seem to be for a different album, ruin it for me, heaven knows how miserable I felt while listening to this album.
John Martyn
5/5
Folk-rock, almost jazz at times - a masterpiece. The title track is moody and brilliant, "I'd Rather Be the Devil" (a version of the Skip James song "Devil Got My Woman") is funky and definitely "out there", while his signature song "May You Never" was later covered by Eric Clapton.
Bon Jovi
4/5
I always thought that Bon Jovi were another overrated American stadium glam-rock band more interested in their appearance than their music. That said, this album is not too bad and it contains some of their biggest hits including "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive".
James Taylor
5/5
Another classic singer-songwriter folk-rock album from the early 1970s - it seems amazing today just how big this type of music was back in the day. IOn addition to the title track, this album also contains the single "Country Road", the massive "Fire and Rain", the bluesy "Steamroller", and an interesting version of "Oh, Susannah".
PJ Harvey
3/5
I'm not sure about this album, it's a bit depressing, but emotional and haunting at the same time.
Deee-Lite
1/5
If I was in a nightclub or at an event this album would be a good choice, but outside of that type of environment this album just doesn't do it for me - I don't think that house music travels very well.
Mike Ladd
1/5
Who? Why are there so many hip-hop albums in the list? Hip-Hop meets dystopia - depressing.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
The most apt genre given by Wikipedia for this very dark, slightly depressing album is Goth Folk.
Hookworms
4/5
A mix of neo-psychedelia (whatever that is), space rock, noise rock, and drone rock - think OMS meets Joy Division meets Kraftwerk meets Snow Patrol. I quite liked it, especially "Opener".
John Grant
3/5
A beautifully produced album of melancholic, almost depressing music, which ultimately, just doesn't do it for me.
Tom Waits
2/5
I loved the title track "Heartattack and Vine" plus "'Til the Money Runs Out"- his voice matches the bluesy ballad style of these tracks. But on tracks like "Saving All My Love for You", it's almost like he's a parody of himself.
Destiny's Child
3/5
Dominated by Beyonce, but that's not a criticism. Contains such classics as "Survivor" and "Bootylicious", but apart from "Gospel Medley", the other tracks they all to blend into each other.
Elliott Smith
3/5
It's OK, but nothing special.
The National
3/5
Interesting album - sort of upbeat Leonard Cohen playes slowed-down Joy Divisin.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Mixed feelings: I like the music, but it all begins to sound the same after a while.
Black Sabbath
5/5
The first Black Sabbath album I ever bought and one of their best.
The Teardrop Explodes
5/5
A great album from the post-punk era.
Traffic
4/5
Not my favourite Traffic album, more folk-rock that prog-rock in my opinion, but nethertheless a good album.
The Smiths
1/5
I loathe Morrissey.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Interesting album.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Late 1980s, Soul/R&B/Dance Music - not for me.
Janet Jackson
2/5
Not really my type of music - after a while all the tracks sounded the same.
The Hives
2/5
Swedish garage-rock-punk revival band - some tracks reminded me of the Stranglers. Nothing special.
Kraftwerk
5/5
Revolutionary when this album came out, and I still listen to it.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Combine Talking Heads with Devo, and you begin to come close to Pere Ubu, but without the talent. Quirky and annoying - I just don't like the lead singer's voice.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I never understood what all the fuss was about this band back in the day, and I still don't. Mediocre at best.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Not your usual country music album, but I'm still not a fan.
Iron Maiden
3/5
It's OK
Minor Threat
2/5
Hardcore punk - but wasn't punk already dead by 1983? More like thrash metal than the punk that I remember.
Soundgarden
5/5
The obvious comparison is with Nirvana, but I detected hints of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath in some of the songs. Liked it.
Ali Farka Touré
5/5
The very distinctive style of Ali Farka Touré - magical stuff. I especually liked "Gomni", plus the bluesy "Amandrai" and "Ai Du".
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Liked it.
Simple Minds
5/5
One of my favourite Simple Minds albums - my favourite track is the last one: "King is White and in the Crowd".
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Wasn't so keen on the pop songs, but quite liked the R&B and Jazz-Blues songs.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
The start of Joni's move from folk-rock to folk-jazz; quite pleasant, but for me nothing stands out.
Jeru The Damaja
1/5
Why are there so many hip-hop albums in this list? To me, this sounds no different from any of the other hip-hop albums in the list and is just as unremarkable. Going by the number of plays, Spotify users don't rate it very heighly either.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
5/5
A classic. I remember them doing "The Faith Healer" on TOGWT and I was hooked. For em another stand-out track from the album is the title track "Next".
Sepultura
4/5
Groove/Nu/Death Metal with the flavour of Brazil, especially on tracks such as "Ratamahatta". Have you seen a doctor about your throat?
Mudhoney
2/5
Depressing.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
As someone who likes "Bohemian Like You" from their mext album, I dound this album a bit of a let down.
Rod Stewart
2/5
I was not a fan back in the 70s, and I'm still not.
Paul McCartney
2/5
Lennon-McCartney were epic, but apart from the follow-up album "Ram" and the odd song now and then, I never rated McCartney as a solo artist, and this album is no exception.
Tori Amos
4/5
The album cover was a bit controversial at the time due to the phallic mushrooms it depicted. The obvious comparison is with Kate Bush, but Tori Amos comes across as less pop and more serious. I'm still a fan of the album.
2/5
Who? Not sure who decided that this was pro-punk rather than rock, and pretty medocre rock at that? Sound quality is not great.
Dion
2/5
Meh. This seems to be one of the albums that you're supposed like because it's trendy. Perhaps it would have better if Phil Spector left it on the shelf?
Tortoise
3/5
Who? Apparently it's Post-Rock/Jazz-Fusion which immediately puts me off, but I gave it a chance. First track, "Djed", is just under 21 minutes long, but reminded me of early Kraftwerk. The second track, "Glass Museum", reminded me of Gentle Giant. Overall, I quite liked it, but I wouldn't buy it.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Haunting. Critically acclaimed, but the UK album buying public didn't seem to agree with the critics.
The Kinks
4/5
The first and last tracks, "Party Line" and "I'll Remember", sounded so much like the Beatles that I had to check. Contains the classic "Sunny Afternoon". Some of the other tracks were quite progressive for the time.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Boring.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Nothing special, almost boring.
Afrika Bambaataa
1/5
Old School Hip-Hop or New School Hip-Hop - it's still Hip-Hop and I just don't see the point.
Marilyn Manson
4/5
I quite liked this album.
Bauhaus
4/5
This album didn't quite live up to the high expectations that I had based on their brilliant debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", but it grows on you.
PJ Harvey
4/5
The songs are dark and moody, and the sound is raw. This is someone that you don't want to get into an argument with. But I liked it.
Billy Joel
3/5
Billy Joel is like Marmite - you either like him or you don't. And I'm not a fan, but I understand his popularity. This album contains a number of his biggest hits, including "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "Just the Way You Are", and "She's Always a Woman".
The Pretty Things
2/5
A psychedelic rock opera. It all sounds a bit dated now.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
I'm not usually a fan of albums by supergroups because I don't think they work - too many egos. THis album just doesn't rock my boat.
Miles Davis
1/5
Jazz-Fusion / Jazz-Rock album with just two tracks - need I say more? I'm not a Jazz fan, and especially not a fan of Jazz-Fusion, so isn't for me.
Big Star
3/5
Who? Apparently this album is now widely-regarded as a seminal work in pop rock and power pop, but I don't know how much of influence it was at the time if virtually no one had ever heard of it until it subsequent re-releases. It's OK.
A Tribe Called Quest
1/5
An album that not only features one of my least favourite music genres - Hip-Hop - but also combines another two music genres that I dislike into a new one - Jazz-Rap. It may be clever lyrically, but musically it's not for me.
Sebadoh
1/5
Depressing Indie-Rock, the opening track "Soul and Fire" sets the mood for the rest of the album unfortunately. There's nothing fantastic about the track "Fantastic Disaster", but it is a disaster.
Megadeth
4/5
A Thrash Metal classic - I liked it a lot. Great cover of Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious".
Sigur Rós
4/5
Hauntingly beautiful. I can't imagine goint to see this band live, but I liked the album.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
5/5
A live album, the first track, "Who Do You Love Suite", which would have occupied the whole of the first side of the original vinyl album, is a 25-minute cover of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" in classic 1960's Psychedelic Rock / Acid Rock style. A great album.
The Vines
4/5
The comparison with Nirvana are obvious, but The Vines are a tad more accessible and the tracks are much shorter. The track "Sunshinin" reminded me a bit of The Teardrop Explodes. An album of contrasts - the harmonious melodic "Homesick" is followed by the heavy metal grunge "Get Free".
Fela Kuti
4/5
I'm not a fan of Jazz, but I like Afrobeat. Not sure if the politics of this album is partly responsible for its inclusion in this list, but I'm not complaining. Liked it.
Calexico
3/5
I'm sure this band has their fans, but this album feels like an album that you're meant to like if you're cool. Wikipedia gives the genre as Indie Rock / Americana / Tex-Mex / Alternative Country which gives you some idea of the strange mixture of musical styles, especially as I'd also throw in Folk and Jazz as well.
Caetano Veloso
1/5
I'm sure that this was very trendy back in the late 1960's, but now more than 50 years later, it sounds very dated.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Unable to listen on Spotify without paying, but much to my regret I was able to find the full album on YouTube. I am always wary of music that's classified as Experimental Rock, Avant-Garde, or Art Rock - and this album is all three. So bad, I was not able to face listening to the entire album.
Solange
2/5
Not impressed. Boring.
Haircut 100
2/5
I wasn't a fan of this style of New-Wave Jazz-Funk-Pop back in the day and I'm still not.
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
Beautiful album, a blend of Indian and Western music. Hard to believe that this was made in 1967 because it still sounds fresh. Music to chill to, almost Ambient before Ambient was even a thing.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Not for me.
Taylor Swift
4/5
I was expecting this album to be Country & Western, but it's Folk-Pop-Rock and I quite liked it.
The Prodigy
3/5
I wasn't a big fan of the Techno/Rave scene because, like this album, it all begins to sound very repetitive after a while, but I quite liked the odd track here and there.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
The first two tracks "Band on the Run" and "Jet" were huge hits and rightly so, but the rest of the album is meh!
Mariah Carey
2/5
With this album, Mariah Carey, cointinued her move away from Pop into R&B / Hip-Hop. Well produced, but perhaps overproduced? Uninspiring.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Not surprised that both Jimmy Page and Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin like this album because some of tracks sound like Led Zeppelin, for example the opening track "Mojo Pin". The album also reminds me of the album "Little Queen" by Heart. Not a bad album, but not great either - I personally think that this album is overhyped.
The Blue Nile
3/5
I'm not sure about this album: the music is quite pleasant in an ethereal haunting sort of way, but the singer's vocals are a bit depressing, sometimes sounding a bit like Peter Gabriel having a bad day.
5/5
A classic Muse album. It wouldn't be a proper Muse gig unless they played some of the monster tracks on this album: "Starlight", "Supermassive Black Hole", and the huge "Knights of Cydonia". I'm a massive Muse fan and this is one of their best.
Raekwon
2/5
Hip-Hop / Gangsta Rap - not too bad, sounds like a film soundtrack, but at the end of the day, it's still Hip-Hop / Rap.
M.I.A.
4/5
I wasn't sure what the expect because Wikipedia gives the genre as World / Hip Hop / Dancehall / Dance. The music is quirky and quite unlike anything else I've ever heard, with highly political lyrics, but I quite liked the album.
The Who
3/5
Similar in musical style to other Pop/Rock/R&B albums of the era; contains covers of a Bo Diddley song and two James Brown songs, plus the song that defined a generation and was to become the sound of The Whom, namely "My Generation".
The Clash
3/5
Punk albums sound so dated now, but The Clash were always one of the more accomplished punk bands. I particularly liked their cover of "Police & Thieves", which is a good indicator for the direction that lead guitarist Mick Jones would take when he formed Big Audio Dynamite after being sacked.
Joan Baez
4/5
I was familiar with Joan Baez from her cover of the Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" in 1971, but this her debut album, is more of a traditional folk album. A beautiful album even if - as is often the case with folk songs - the subject matter is dark.
Scott Walker
2/5
Apparently controversial at the time due to its risqué content, particularly on the opening track "Jackie" which was banned by the BBC in the UK. Sounds a bit dated now.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
A controversial band at the time due to their sexuality and some would say sexually explicit lyrics. A controversial album due to its use of session musicians to replace the band's own performance. But it is a well produced album and I like it.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
Soft Rock. Not bad, but not great. Her passion doesn't come across.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Mixed feelings about this album because I'm not a fan of Joni Mitchell's move to Jazz, but it's quite a pleasant album, and her voice is a as wonderful as ever. I quite liked "Help Me".
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Who? American Riot Grrrl (Underground Feminist Punk Rock) band from the 1990s. Unlike a lot of punk bands, this group can play. I guess it was cutting-edge in its day.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Classic 1970s Folk-Country-Blue-Rock. Perhaps a tad dated if you didn't grow up in the 1970s.
Barry Adamson
3/5
A concept album, a soundtrack album to a non-existent crime film (set in Moss Side, Manchester, UK). I thought that it would be pretentious, but it wasn't, it was actually quite good, reminiscent in places of Brian Eno's "Music For Films" and Pink Floyd's "More".
Green Day
4/5
Accomplished Pop-Punk-Rock album. I liked it.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
Interesting album. You can hear the influence of executive producer Brian Eno. Reminded me in places of Caravan and Camel. I liked it.
Paul Weller
4/5
I had to check that I was listening to the right album because I expected Paul Weller to not be so mellow. It took me a while to figure out what this album reminded me of, and it was Traffic from the 1960s/1970s.
The Streets
1/5
Take the worst parts of Rap and Opera and you get Rap Opera. To quote the lyrics - "this is a crock of shit". I can't believe that not only did people actually buy this dire album, but that it's also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Maxwell
3/5
Who? 1990's R&B/Soul from an American R&B singer-songwriter that I've never heard of. Quite pleasant, almost disappears into the background, nothing special.
Donovan
4/5
I've always liked Donovan and this album is no exception, especially the title track.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
A classic live album blending ELP's Prog-Rock with Mussorgsky's piano suite "Pictures at an Exhibition", with the added bonus of a live version of "Nut Rocker" - a take on the march from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" ballet (and originally a hit in 1962 for B. Bumble and the Stingers).
GZA
3/5
Yet another Hip-Hop album. At first I quite liked it, but after the first few tracks I started to get bored.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
An elecronic Bossa Nova album that sounds like a throwback to the 1960s. It's very pleasant to listen to, but I'm not sure why it's in this list because to me it's nothing special - perhaps because the producer died after trying to rescue this album from a fire?
Joanna Newsom
2/5
This album is not on Spotify but I found the full album on YouTube. An interesting mixture of musical styles - Wikipedia gives the genre as Progressive Folk / Indie Folk / Baroque Pop / Avant-Pop / Indie Rock! Not bad, but I don't like her quirky vocal style and find it annoying.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Not sure what to make of this album: Wikipedia gives the genre as Acid Jazz / Alternative Hip Hop / Trip Hop which doesn't help, but it reminded me a bit of Faithless. The title track was a big hit which I vaguely remember but it's a bit repetitive after a while.
Blur
3/5
It's hard to believe that this album is 30 years old. In addition to the title track "Parklife", the album also includes their hits "Girls & Boys", "End of a Century", and "To the End".
Missy Elliott
3/5
At first I thought that this would be just another boring Hip-Hop album, but it's more R&B and Funk than Hip-Hop, and I quite liked it.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Brazilian Psychedelic Pop Folk from the early 1970s. Considered to be the best Brazilian album of all time, but I don't think it's anything special. Quite pleasant, harmlessly fades into the background.
Lou Reed
2/5
An acquired taste. A bit depressing. For me, not as good as Transformer.
Gillian Welch
2/5
Alternative Country: I preferred the "Alternative" tracks to those that were more "Country".
Gene Clark
3/5
I'm with the Americans on this - see Wikipedia). Pleasant but uninspiring Folk-Rock from the early 1970s. His cover of the Ben E. King standard "Stand by Me" is particularly insipid.
Julian Cope
4/5
I was familiar with Julian Cope because I liked The Teardrop Explodes, but the musical style of this album is varied and completely different. Overall I really liked the album, and preferred the instrumentals on disc two, "Ravebury Stones" for example.
Slayer
4/5
Thrash Metal. The opening track "Angel of Death" sets the scene for the rest of the album. I don't usually like Thash Metal, but this album isn't bad.
Travis
3/5
I was familiar with their big hit "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?", but apart from that I hadn't really listened to Travis. Sort of cross between Coldplay, Radiohead, and The Beatles. Not very cheerful, but not actually depressing, which seems to be normal for the the late 1990s.
Beatles
4/5
Not my favourite album by The Beatles, but what an album! For me, the stand-out tracks are "Come Together", "Something", and "Here Comes the Sun", but let's not forget that this album includes "Octopus's Garden".
Neil Young
5/5
Not as good as "Harvest", but still a great album from one of the masters of Folk Rock.
The KLF
3/5
I wasn't really part of the whole Electronica / Acid House / Rave scene, but this album isn't bad.
5/5
Psychedelic Soul Jazz from 1972, although some of the tracks, "The Cisco Kid" for example, have a Reggae feel to them. The album still sounds great.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
The harmonies on this classic Folk Rock album from 1969 are awesome. Some great tracks including "Marrakesh Express", "Wooden Ships", and the 7 minute "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes". The only downside is their version of "Everybody's Talkin'", (a 2006 bonus track), which is nowhere near as good as the version by Harry Nilsson and which featured in the film Midnight Cowboy.
Marvin Gaye
1/5
The musical equivalent of going to the pub expecting to have a good time with friends and instead you end up listening to one of your mates go on about his messy divorce all night.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Typical of the Pop / R&B / Soul albums being made by white female singers in the late 1960s - it may have been historically relevant at the time, but I'm not sure if it deserves inclusion in this list. Largely unforgettable, apart from the hit "Son of a Preacher Man".
Def Leppard
3/5
Wikipedia says that this album is Glam Metal / Arena Rock / Hard Rock / Pop Rock, and I would agree with all of that except Hard Rock, which this album most definitely isn't. This album is an example of why I don't really like most Arena Rock. It's hard to know if this album is serious or a parody. The track "Rocket" could have been done by Adam & The Ants.
David Bowie
4/5
From Bowie's "Thin White Duke" era. Contains the hits "Golden Years" and "TVC 15". Not one of my favourite Bowie albums, but not his worst.
David Bowie
3/5
I wasn't a big fan of this Soul / R&B / Funk period in David Bowie's musical evolution, and have mixed feelings about the title track. However, the final track, "Fame", (written in collaboration with John Lennon), is one of my favourite Bowie tracks. Even with the collaboration of John Lennon, I'm not overly impressed with the cover of "Across the Universe", but that's possibly because I'm so familiar with the original version by The Beatles.
Eels
2/5
Who? Depressing Alternative Rock.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Apart from two of the three singles taken from this album, "Perfect Skin" and "Rattlesnakes", I'm not really a fan. The music is pleasant enough, reminiscent of R.E.M., but nothing really stands out; however, I can't decide whether or not I like his voice.
The Cramps
1/5
A dreadful album. Punk meets Rockabilly and creates PsychoBilly. Apparently, in 2020, Rolling Stone praised the band for its "psychobilly sound that went way beyond the kitschiest moments of the Ramones or Blondie and into a whole new realm of garage-trash novelty" - what a load of pretentious crap, just like this album.
Slipknot
3/5
There are mainly two types of track on this album - those where the singer sounds like he could do with some throat lozenges and those where he doesn't. After a while the tracks begin to sound the same.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Not my favourite Led Zeppelin album, especially when compared with II and IV, but does contain some standout tracks; the Blues Rock "Since I've Been Loving You" and the Folk Rock "Gallows Pole".
Lorde
3/5
Lorde's voice is unusual and it sounds like she has a cold, but it's not unpleasant and I quite liked the album.
Orbital
5/5
Techno-Ambient music to chill to.
The Stooges
4/5
Based on my previous experience, and Wikipedia describing it as Proto-Punk / Hard Rock / Experimental Rock / Avant-Punk / Punk Jazz / Garage Rock, I wasn't looking forward to listening to this album, but the album was actually not bad, more Rock than anything else. And for an album released in 1970, it doesn't sound dated.
Radiohead
3/5
I've always had mixed feelings about Radiohead and this album doesn't help. Some of the tracks sound like the soundtrack to some pyschological horror movie and/or mental breakdown. Not as commercial as some of their other albums.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
I've not really listened to House music before - it's OK. Would I buy the album? probably not, but I wouldn't switch it off if I heard it.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I've never been a big fan of Bruce Springsteen. I appreciate that he's supposed to be great live, but for me his albums all sound the same.
Robbie Williams
3/5
The album contains five singles: "Old Before I Die", "Lazy Days", and "South of the Border" are not bad, but "Angels" and "Let Me Entertain You" were massive; the rest of the album is OK.
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
Good ol' Country music, complete with pedal steel guitar and fiddle. Can't stand this type of twanging Country music.
Klaxons
3/5
Reminded me in part of Franz Ferdinand, but edgier. Not bad.
Lambchop
1/5
I'm confused. Wikipedia says this is the fifth studio album by American rock band Lambchop, but says the music genre as Alternative Country / Chamber Pop / Countrypolitan / Soul - so not a rock band then! Boring, depressing, and so laid back it's in a coma.
Iggy Pop
3/5
The David Bowie influence is obvious. Contains the hit "The Passenger", plus the title track "Lust for Life" which I'd heard before but didn't know was by Iggy Pop.
Elvis Costello
2/5
All the songs sound the same to me.
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
Psychedelic Rock / Soul. I liked it.
Foo Fighters
4/5
The comparison with Nirvana is obvious. Liked it a lot.
The Byrds
1/5
Marked a move from their previous Psychedelic Rock albums to Country Rock, but more Country than Rock. I'm not a fan.
ZZ Top
4/5
Part of the soundtrack to the early 1980s, contains four hit singles: "Gimme All Your Lovin'", ,"Sharp Dressed Man", "TV Dinners", and "Legs". I still prefer the old, perhaps less commercial, ZZ Top style, but what's not to like.
David Bowie
3/5
The first of Bowie's albums to become known as the Berlin Trilogy. Not one of my favourite Bowie albums, but it does contain the single "Sound and Vision".
KISS
3/5
Wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. My favourite track was "God of Thunder", and I thought that "Great Expectations" was terrible.
The Only Ones
2/5
Apart from their hit single "Another Girl, Another Planet", I wasn't really familiar with this band. Musically the album is all over the place: Power Pop, New Wave, and Punk Rock. The depressing whining nasal vocals, particularly on "The Beast", make me want to shake the lead singer and tell him that life's not that bad.
Django Django
4/5
I must admit that Wikipedia describing this as an Art Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Electronic Rock, Experimental Pop album put me off, but the opening instrumental track, "Introduction", helped change my mind. Some tracks reminded me of early Pink Floyd, for example, "Waveforms".
Tears For Fears
3/5
Apart from the hit singles "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", the rest of the album is meh!
Cat Stevens
5/5
Beautiful album. Contains the hits "Wild World" and "Father and Son".
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
I quite liked the album. In addition to her highly emotional version of "Nothing Compares 2 U", I also liked "I Am Stretched on Your Grave" based on a 17th-century Irish poem, and "The Emperor's New Clothes".
Can
4/5
I liked the music, but not the vocals - I found them grating and annoying. My favourite track was the 18 minute "Halleluhwah". I think the vocals on "Peking O" are by Pingu.
Elis Regina
2/5
Originally released in 1980, 2 years before her death, as "Elis". Not sure why it's in this list as it's nothing special. For fans of Bossa Nova and Brazilian music.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Very ethereal with haunting dreamy vocals - nice to listen to, but it doesn't do anything for me.
Sepultura
4/5
I'm not usually a fan of Thrash/Death Metal, but I liked this album.
Queen Latifah
2/5
Apparently this album was deemed to be culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant and was, as a consequence, selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. To me, it's just another mainly boring Hip-Hop album.
Culture Club
3/5
Part of the soundtrrack to the mid-80s. I was never a big fan of Culture Club, but the opening track "Karma Chameleon" was a massive hit and was everywhere, so it kind of grew on you. I liked the last track "Victims", but the rest of the album is meh.
Soft Cell
5/5
Love this album, it's sound is so upbeat, even if some of the lyrics aren't. Dare I say that their cover of the Gloria Jones's song "Tainted Love" was better than the original. Also contains their hit singles "Bedsitter" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye".
Sabu
2/5
A Cuban Rumba album. Not sure why this album is in this list as it deson't seem to be significant or historically important in any way - at least not according to its Wikipedia entry. Overall, not bad, if you like this sort of thing.
The Who
4/5
A great live album, although it sounds a little bit dated now, but given that the album is now over 50 years old, that's perhaps to be expected. Six tracks, including three covers; the etended versions of "My Generation" and "Magic Bus" are the standout tracks.
Queen
4/5
Apart from the hit single "Seven Seas of Rhye", a largely forgetable album, but portents of what was to come.
Screaming Trees
3/5
Who? Meh! The album is OK, but nothing special, and nothing that doesn't seem to have been done better by other bands.
Faith No More
2/5
Boring. Supposed to be metal, but sounds more like plastic. Devoid of any passion.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The debut album from the Rolling Stones: an album mainly of R&B covers, such as the opening track "Route 66". Sounds very dated now, with the occasional signs of what was to come.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Three giants of Country music, but ultimately a Country music album abd I'm not a fan of Country music. However, a beautiful cover of "To Know Him Is to Love Him", and I quite liked some of the songs that weren't Country, such as the Gospel song "Farther Along".
Slade
3/5
Brings back memories of my school days. An unusual mix of Hard and Glam Rock - they could be Hard Rock, especially live, but most people remember them for their Glam Rock singles, two of which, "Gudbuy T'Jane" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", are on this album. The album also contains their cover of the Janis Joplin song "Move Over", a live favourite.
Wild Beasts
2/5
Another depressing Indie Rock / Art Rock / Dream Pop album, made worse by the annoying grating vocals, especially on "All the King's Men" - a shame because the music isn't bad.
3/5
Meh! It's OK, but not as good as their next album, Parklife.
The Specials
4/5
How can anyone not like Ska, the music is so happy! But I guess it's not for everyone.
The Avalanches
2/5
Wikipedia says the album genre is Dance / Sampledelia / Disco / Plunderphonics / Art Pop, or to put it more simply: Prenttenious Trendy Boring Crap. Probably sounds much better in a club with hundreds of sweaty people when you've had some heavy medication, but not when you're sitting at home.
Anita Baker
2/5
Initially, I thought who? But I vaguely recognised the opening track "Sweet Love" from somewhere. A quote on the Wikipedia page says "an acquired but enduring taste", which sums it up pretty well I think. Not bad, but not great, and not really my style of music.
Alice Cooper
5/5
I remember buying this album off the back of the title track "School's Out" which defined the summer of 1972 in the UK for me - our teachers hated it! I think this album showed me that music could be theatrical, not just rock, for example "Gutter Cat vs. the Jets". Loved the album back then, and I still play it occasionally.
4/5
I quite liked the album, a blend of rock and love songs (albeit for New York City).
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Contains their mega-hit "Come On Eileen", plus their cover of Van Morrison's "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)", but apart from these, the songs all beign to sound the same to me.
Mj Cole
2/5
UK Garage / House music that's quite mellow for later on in the evening, but I don't see what's so special about this album and became bored with it very quickly.
Hot Chip
2/5
Boring insipid Synth-Pop Dance music.
Throwing Muses
3/5
Female led American Post-Punk Alternative Rock. Quirky vocals which reminded me of Chrissie Hynde. The album is OK, but it didn't inspire me.
Faust
3/5
I remember buying the predecessor to this album, "The Faust Tapes" which was a bit too experimental for my taste at the time, but this album, while still experimental, is much better. My favourite track is the hypnotic opening track, "Krautrock", which is just under 12 minutes long.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
An African Blues album by Malian musician Ali Farka Touré and his final album, recorded while he was suffering from cancer. Mainly for fans of World Music, but I liked it.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
I'm not really a fan of this style of Pop / R&B, because after a while it all sounds the same to me, but I liked the single "Fighter" which was more Rock than Pop; I also liked the singles "Beautiful" and "Dirrty".
Gary Numan
4/5
I prefer the previous album, "Replicas", when it was still Tubeway Army, but this album is good and contains the massive hit "Cars".
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Wikipedia gives the genre as Post-Punk / Experimental Rock / Dub / Avant-Garde/ Dance which contains three genres that I'm always wary of. The music is OK, but the vocals are just a dirge; the opening track "Albatross" just drags on. Another pretentious "trendy" album that I think was only moderately successful because of band member John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten).
Talking Heads
5/5
There's no band quite like Talking Heads with their mix of Funky New Wave Art Rock. Caontain one of my favourite Talking Heads tracks, "Once in a Lifetime".
Metallica
5/5
What do I need to say about the album that opens with perhaps the best Metallica song ever, "Enter Sandman"! I also really liked "Don't Tread on Me" and "Of Wolf and Man".
The Modern Lovers
1/5
Wikipedia says this album is Proto-Punk / Garage Rock / Art Rock - it's doesn't really haven't the energy of Punk or Garage. I remember hearing the opening track (and single) "Roadrunner" being played on the radio and thinking that it was amateurish - it still sound slike that today, almost 50 years later. The rest of the tracks aren't any better. And Jonathan Richman sounds so miserable which is how I feel after listening to this.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
A very pleasant beautiful album. Based in its genre - Folk / Country Folk / Americana - I didn't think that I would like it, but I did.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Senegalese music sung in Pulaar. Nothing special.
Big Black
2/5
Another horrible American Noise Rock / Post-Hardcore / Industrial Rock album from the mid-1980s.
The Replacements
3/5
More American Post-Punk / Indie Rock / Alternative Rock / College Rock from the mid-1980s. It's OK, but nothing special.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
A pleasant album of Cuban music.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
I don't see what all the fuss is about. Quite pleasant, but slightly boring and I can't imagine going to see them live.
Giant Sand
1/5
Supposedly Alternative Rock / Folk Rock? A boring depressing album that is neither folk nor rock. One reviewer praised this album's "raw but tender empathy in songs full of unexpected departures" - what a load of pretentious crap.
Tim Buckley
2/5
An interesting relic of the early 1970s: a mediocre Funk / R&B album, which didn't sell that well when it was released, so I'm not sure why it's in this list. I've never quite understood the cult that seems to have arisen around Tim Buckley, and this album is no exception, although I did quite like the track "Get on Top".
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Beautiful haunting music, with depressing vocals.
Pink Floyd
5/5
One of my favourite Pink Floyd albums. The entire album is brilliant, and I remember listening to the album in its entirety on the radio the night before it went on sale and I was completely blown away.
Funkadelic
2/5
Spotify wouldn't let me listen to the entire album without paying, but the two tracks that I was allowed to listen, (including the title track), sound so dated now.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Not sure what to make of this Glam Punk / Rock / Metal album from 1983 - inspiration for, or inspired by Spinal Tap? A Finnish version of The Sweet perhaps? Musically accomplished, but nothing really stands out.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Not bad, but this album didn't really grab my attention.
Red Snapper
3/5
Apparently, Red Snapper, are a Nu Jazz / Acid Jazz / Trip Hop band, which put me off slightly, but I quite liked the album which is good for chilling.
The Who
2/5
It's all sounds a bit dated now, and sounds like something that would have been done by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The spoof adverts and the jingles get in the way of the actual music, with the only decent track being "I Can See for Miles".
Japan
4/5
Opens with the title track "Quiet Life" - a hit single and New Wave / Art Pop classic. The influence of Roxy Music producer John Punter is most obvious on "Despair". I wasn't a big fan of Japan at the time beacuse I thought that David Sylvian was a pretentious twat, (and he still is as far as I'm concerned), but the music grows on you.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I've always found Leonard Cohen's voice depressing and not a very good advert for growing up in Canada. This album is probably musically very good, but I just can't get past that depressing voice. Probably the best track on the album, because it is the least depressing, is "Famous Blue Raincoat".
Kate Bush
5/5
I was a fan before the resurgence due to the use of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" in the Netflix series "Stranger Things". In addition tothe aformentioned "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)", this album is notable for the title track "Hounds of Love", and one of my favourite Kate Bush songs "Cloudbusting".
The Monks
2/5
An obscure 1966 album from an obscure German-based American garage rock band. Spotify would only play 2 tracks unless I upgraded to a paid subscription. Probably best forgotten.
Bill Callahan
2/5
Apparently this album is Alternative Country, but it's not like any Country music that I've ever heard - I guess that's why it's Alternative. The music is quite pleasant and upbeat, but Bill Callahan's vocals are depressing - a friend of Leonard Cohen perhaps?
The Kinks
4/5
Some of this album sounds a little bit dated now, but it was revolutionary in its day, and English Rock at its finest. My favourite tracks are the title track "The Village Green Preservation Society", and "Last of the Steam-Powered Trains".
James Brown
4/5
Interesting album, not sure if it fully captures the intensity of a James Brown concert, but that might be due to the quality of the recording.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Post-Punk. Truly awful pretentious crap, especially "Religion I", although "Annalisa" and the eponymous "Public Image" aren't too bad.
Björk
4/5
Björk divides opinions and this album is no exception, but personally I like most of what she does, including this album. This album is more ethereal sounding and less pop than some of her earlier albums.
Cheap Trick
3/5
Never saw what all the fuss was about back in the day, and I still don't. Massive in Japan. Best track on the album is "Need Your Love", and the second best is their cover of the Fats Domino classic "Ain't That a Shame". A live album which is marred slightly by the incessant screaming of the fans.
Nirvana
5/5
An infamous album cover photograph, but great music. Opening track "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has often been covered and even parodied, but nothing quite beats the original.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
What a voice. Songs are mainly in various African languages and include "Mbube" which is better known as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". Some beautiful songs including "Nomeva" and her versions of "Where Does It Lead?" and "House of the Rising Sun".
Tito Puente
3/5
A must for Mambo fans.
Public Enemy
1/5
Just as I thought we may have seen the last of the Hip-Hop albums, we another one which is largely indistinguishable from all the other Hip-Hop albums in this list.
The Sonics
1/5
Who? Sounds so dated now. Unremarkable, includes some terrible covers, for example, "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Walking the Dog".
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
I find her voice is annoying and it puts me off what would otherwise be a very beautiful album; the best tracks are those where there's a guest vocalist, and my favourite track is "Fistful of Love".
The Everly Brothers
3/5
I'm not fussed either way by this album, apart from their massive hit "Cathy's Clown" - which is great - the rest of the album is meh!
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Classic rock from the late 1970s when it seems that everyone was making live albums. Not having gone to see Thin Lizzy, I don't know how well, (or how badly), this album captures their live performance, but it's a good live album.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Not sure if the LA Times calling it "the most important pop album of the last 40 years" in 2014 was justified, but it is a good album. The two best tracks on the album are the title track (which is reminiscent of 1974's "Autobahn"), and "Showroom Dummies".
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I don't understand the obsession some people have with Nick Cave. Another depressing Nick Cave album; the first track is "Song of Joy" which is anything but joyful. The track "Lovely Creature" is almost happy. The track "Where the Wild Roses Grow" features Kylie Minogue and was a big hit apparently, but it's just as depressing as the rest of the album.
Elbow
3/5
I've always felt that Elbow were over-hyped and this album doesn't do much to dispel that feeling. My favourite track on the album is the single "Grounds for Divorce".
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
An album by the reknown Senegalese singer and percussionist Youssou N'Dour - for fans of world music.
fIREHOSE
2/5
Who? The fact that the band stylized their name as "fIREHOSE" rang alarm bells for me, as did the stylized name of the album "fROMOHIO". The longest track is 3m 16s, and the album sounds like a collection of unfinished demo tracks. Musically, they're all over the place, and nothing really stands out or grabs my attention.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
I had to check that I was listening to the right album and not some 1980s Synth-Pop album, but then he started singing. Horrible up-beat 1980s Synth-Pop music with Leonard Cohen's depressing vocals - the worst of both worlds.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
Is it R&B or is it Hip-Hop or some sort of weird hybrid. For me it just doesn't work. The most annoying feature of the album are the spoken interludes between some of the tracks.
Napalm Death
3/5
I quite liked this Grindcore album, although I would be hard pushed to say what the diffrence between Grindcore and Thash Metal is. I wonder if the lead singer has seen a doctor about his sore throat?
White Denim
3/5
Strange and confusing album - Wikipedia lists five rock genres, of which Psychedelic Rock is probably the closest. Not bad, but not great.
Animal Collective
2/5
Pleasant, but boring Psychedelic-Pop album from an obscure American experimental pop group.
Dr. Octagon
1/5
Yet another obscure Hip-Hop/Rap album - this one is more pretentious than most.
Tom Waits
2/5
Tom Waits is like Marmite - you either love him or hate him, and I fall in the latter camp. As intended, the album conjures up the image of a smoky late night Jazz club, which is why I'm not really a fan.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Probably shocking in its day, but less so now. Loved "Sister Ray" which musically is so typical of the long improvisations that were being done around that time. Let down slighly by the sound quality.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Over the top Rock opera at it's finest - a classic album that all of my friends had a copy of back in the late 1970s.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
How much of this album is original and how much is plagiarism is an interesting question, because it's a strange mix of World Music (mainly African, but also some Latin American) and Hip-Hop (mainly in the form of faux radio broadcasts), with the odd Hoedown thrown in for good measure. On the whole I prefer the World Music parts of this album. I'm not sure if this album would have received as much attention if it wasn't made by Malcolm McLaren.
Suede
3/5
Nothing to write home about.
The Zombies
3/5
Sounds so dated now, but what can you say about the band that gave us Argent and Colin Blunstone. Features their hit single "Time of the Season".
Lightning Bolt
2/5
Supposedly their most accessible Noise Rock album, but I'm not sure if I'd class it as more Noise than Rock. Not an album to relax to or to have on in the background.
The Darkness
3/5
Meh! The Sweet do stadium rock. It's Ok, but not great.
The Strokes
3/5
Didn't like the whining vocals, especially on the opening title track "Is This It". I liked "Alone, Together" which was reminiscent of The Teardrop Explodes, and "Last Nite" which reminded me of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
Al Green
3/5
The title track "Let's Stay Together" was part of your soundtrack if you were a teenager during the 1970s. I wasn't a soul fan at the time, but who didn't have a slow dance to this? A soul classic and it still sounds as good as it ever did.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Recorded live at San Quentin prison for UK TV, this album features some of the Man In Black's best known songs, including "I Walk the Line", "San Quentin", "A Boy Named Sue", and "Folsom Prison Blues".
Kate Bush
4/5
Not my favourite Kate Bush album, but hopefully this isn't the only Kate Bush album in this list. Five of the ten tracks on this album were released as singles, including "Sat in Your Lap", and the brilliant title track "The Dreaming".
Happy Mondays
2/5
Happy Mondays? More like Miserable Wet Thursday Afternoons in Manchester. I've never understood why this band was so popular because to me they sound like just another group of whining Mancs. Their covers of the two John Kongos hit singles from the 70s are passable, but only just.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Boring Techno.
Elastica
3/5
Post-Punk Brit-Pop from a mainly female group. Vocal style on some songs reminded me of Fuzzbox. Most of the tracks are less than 3 minutes in length. Nothing special.
Tricky
3/5
Don't quite know what to make of this Electronic British Hip-Hop album because it isn't really Hip-Hop. Music to chill to.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Depressing album, makes The Cure sound like a happy fun band.
Korn
3/5
Nu Metal is what you get when you mix Rap with Heavy Metal. It's OK, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.
Finley Quaye
4/5
An interesting mix of Reggae and Soul, witha bit of Trip Hop. I particularly liked the Reggae tracks.
FKA twigs
3/5
Who? Haunting Electronic Avant-Pop - think of a more spacey version of Björk. I didn't think I would like the album, but, although I wouldn't buy it, it's not bad.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Boring pretentious twaddle.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Contains the bouncy single "Solsbury Hill", and one of my favourite Peter Gabriel tracks "Here Comes the Flood".
Baaba Maal
5/5
The opening track "Lam Tooro" reminded me of English Electric Folk, while the title track, "Djam Leelii", is pure Blues. Even though I didn't understand a single word, I loved this album.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Although it doesn't contain any of their mega-hits, there are so many classic Rolling Stones tracks on this album, including "Mother's Little Helper", "Lady Jane", "Under My Thumb", and "Out of Time".
Pink Floyd
5/5
What can I say about this album that hasn't already been said? A classic album if ever there was one. It's still as fresh and relevant today as it's ever been.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Quirky, but quite likeable Art Pop / Art Rock / Jazz Pop album. A lot of the tracks, for example, "Shameika" reminded me somewhat of The White Stripes,
Yes
4/5
An album regarded, by me at least, as the first of the "proper" yes albums, with strong portents of what was to follow.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
There's no doubting the quality of her voice, the problem is that it's just not my style of music - I'm just not a fan of this type of Soul / R&B / Jazz music.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
Classic Blues Rock / Acid Rock featuring the truly amazing voice of Janis Joplin. Although not a live album, (apart from "Ball and Chain"), the album captures all of the energy of a live concert. The best tracks on the album are the three cover songs: "Summertime", "Piece of My Heart", and "Ball and Chain", but the rest of the album is almost as good.
Roni Size
2/5
A boring Drum & Bass album from a band I've never heard of and which sounds very similar to every other Drum & Bass album I've ever heard.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Psychedelic Folk from the late 1960s. I suspect that drugs were involved taken during the production of this album - and you probably need to be under the influence of something when you listen to this album. More Psychedelic Dirge than Folk.
The Offspring
3/5
Post-Punk Melodic-Hardcore reminiscent of Nirvana, especially "Self Esteem". Musically quite good, but the lead vocalist's whining vocals annoy me slightly.
Ramones
2/5
"Hey! Ho! Let's Go"- the opening (and closing) lyrics to the first track "Blitzkrieg Bop" make this perhaps the most recognisable Punk Rock track ever. However, the rest of the album, like most Punk Rock of that era, is less memorable and I feel hasn't aged well. Contains an interesting cover of the Chris Montez song "Let's Dance".
3/5
Part of the New Wave of Synth-Pop. Contains some of ABC's biggest hits such as "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love", and "All of My Heart". I always thought that ABC were a bit too commercial for my liking, and I still think today, but that said, the album isn't too bad.
Living Colour
3/5
Hard Rock with an occaisonal touch of Funk - nothing special. Would this album be in this list if the band weren't all black? I'm not so sure.
XTC
3/5
The album is good in places, but not great, and boring in some places.
Joy Division
5/5
Dark, sombre, and moody New Wave music - I love it. My favourite tracks are the opening track, "Disorder", "New Dawn Fades", and "She's Lost Control".
Emmylou Harris
2/5
I'm not a fan of Country music, but this album is quite pleasant to listen to.
3/5
I wasn't aware of this album before. A concept soundtrack album for a 1969 TV play. It's not bad, but nothing outstanding.
Common
1/5
What a surprise - another Hip-Hop / Rap album. I don't carte what type of Rap it is - Progressive or Regressive - it's still crap.
The Killers
4/5
Solid Indie-Rock album that sounded a bit like The Teardrop Explodes having a party with The Automatic. I liked it.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Possibly one of the greatest Blues Rock debut albums of all time, with a little bit of Folk thrown in for good measure. So mnay great tracks on this album particularly "Dazed and Confused".
The B-52's
5/5
A fun bouncy New-Wave Dancr-Rock album, although it doesn't include their mega-hit "Love Shack", it does contain the almost as good "Rock Lobster"; it also has an interesting cover of the Petula Clark hit "Downtown".
M.I.A.
4/5
Hip-Hop meets Dance meets World Music - finally a Hip-Hop / Dance album I like. My favourite track on the album is "Paper Planes".
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
This album was massive in the late 70's and everyone had a copy - part of the soundtrack to my time at university. Although I still prefer the original Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green), this is a great album, featuring "Dreams", "Don't Stop", "Go Your Own Way", "The Chain", and "Gold Dust Woman".
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Turn of the century Synth-Pop / Europop / Post-Disco / Electronica - insipid, nothing to write home about.
Dr. Dre
1/5
Yet another Hip-Hop / Rap album - why so many in this list? It just doesn't appeal to me.
Van Morrison
2/5
I've never really been a big fan of Van Morrison and his blend of Folk, Blues, and Jazz - and this album is no exception. I just don't see what all the fuss is about.
Ghostface Killah
2/5
Not the worst Hip-Hop album I've ever heard, but I just don't get it.
Beck
2/5
Musically all over the place - Alternative Rock / Alternative Hip-Hop / Experimental Rock / Folk Rock / Neo-Ppsychedelia! The old saying "Jack of all trades - master of none" applies to this pretentious and boring album.
The Libertines
1/5
I still don't understand how this band ever became successful - the vocals are truly awful at times. I didn't like The Libertines back then, and I still don't like them.
Drive Like Jehu
1/5
Post-Hardcore Post-Punk Emo Noise-Rock - this album gave me a headache. Some tracks, "Do You Compute" and "Sinews" for example, start off well, but then the "vocals" (shouting) start and the tracks go into a decline.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Synth-Pop / ElectroPop / Dance-Pop. Quite catchy, but it doesn't really do much for me - it doesn't really grab my attention.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
Clearly, Todd Rundgren is a talented guitarist, but this album is an example of why some musicians should not experiment with psychedelic drugs - "Dogfight Giggle" for example. The only track on the album that I was familar with was the opening track, "International Feel", and in places that is on a par with a trip to the dentist - it jars on the nerves.
Bert Jansch
4/5
Would there have been a British Folk revival in the 1960's and 1970's without Bert Jansch - I doubt it. This debut album shows what a talented guitarist and singer-songwriter he was.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
5/5
Not my favourite ELP album - I prefer Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery - but still a great album. My favourite track is "The Only Way (Hymn)".
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Part of the Post-Punk New-Wave movement with a bit of Neo-Psychedelia for good measure. Reminded me of The Teardrop Explodes, so not really surprised by bonus track "Read It in Books" which is a cover of "Books" by The Teardrop Explodes.
Primal Scream
4/5
Interesting album - a mix of Electronic Rock, Dub, Neo-Psychedelia, and Krautrock. The opening track, "Burning Wheel", reminded me of early Pink Floyd, while "Star" reminded me of Stomu Yamashta's Go, and "If They Move, Kill 'Em" reminded me of Can. Their version of "Moterhead" sounds like a cross between Hawkwind and the Rolling Stones. I liked the album.
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
What an aptly titled album because melancholy is how this album made me feel. The album switches between Alternative/Art-Rock, Grunge, and Heavy-Metal - I just wish they could make up their mind. Ultimately, I found the album boring.
Patti Smith
2/5
Art-Punk: this is what do you get if you cross Poetry, Leonard Cohen, Art-Rock, and embryonic Punk-Rock. Eenergetic but depressing. I wasn't a fan when this album came out and people were raving about it, and I still don't really like it.
Abdullah Ibrahim
1/5
For Jazz fans only - which I'm not.
Thundercat
1/5
Influences include Funk, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Pop, Ppsychedelia, Punk-Rock, R&B, Soft- Rock, and Soul - so it's no surprise that this album is musically all over the place. Many tracks are under 2 minutes, with the longest track being 4 minutes - more a collection of insipid vignettes, than an album of songs. After a while, all the tracks just sounded the same to me. I just couldn't get into this album.
Spiritualized
2/5
Space-Rock? I was expecting them to sound like Hawkwind, but they're more experimental, and have a with a Horn section! Meh!
3/5
I'm not sure what to make of this album which Wikepedia says is Pop / Symphonic Pop / Orchestral Pop / Alternative Pop - it's a far cry from their earlier New Wave offerings such as "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime", but at the same time it seems like a natural progression. Apparently ranked number 47 the "Top 50 Eccentric Albums" by Mojo in 2003. Reminiscent of the Beatles (e.g. "Easter Theatre") and Genesis (e.g."Knights in Shining Karma"). My favourite track on the album is "Greenman".
American Music Club
2/5
Indie Rock / Americana / Slowcore. I wasn't sure what Slowcore was, but it's also known as Sadcore which I think says it all. Is it Rock or is it Country - I'm not sure. Think of a slower, more sombre, sadder version of the Eagles - quite pleasant, but a bit boring and slightly depressing. Unable to play on Spotify without an upgrade, but found the full album on YouTube.
Wilco
2/5
American Art-Rock / Indie-Rock which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in places this album is morose, pretentious, and dissonant, but it's not all bad, with a mesmerising quality to it.
The Mars Volta
3/5
A Prog-Rock/Art-Rock concept album about a man who enters a week-long coma after overdosing on a mixture of morphine and rat poison - not exactly a happy concept. But I quite liked the album,
Frank Black
3/5
Meh! It's OK, but nothing special.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Classic album from the Pet Shop Boys, includes "Being Boring", "So Hard", and my favourite track on the album "Jealously".
Ice Cube
1/5
Another misogynistic Hip-Hop/Rap album?
3/5
Despite it's name this is a recording of the legendary Manchester Free Trade Hall concert where a heckler called out "Judas" from the audience at the start of the electric set. The acoustic set includes "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "Just Like a Woman", and "Mr. Tambourine Man", while the electric set ends with "Like a Rolling Stone". It sounds a tad dated, so unless you're a fan, I probably wouldn't bother.
Thelonious Monk
1/5
This is the sort of Jazz that I cannot stand. It's just seems to be random notes as far as I'm concerned.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Album started off slowly, but it grew on me.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
Don't be confused by the band's name, this is not what I would call a "proper" Blues album - Wikipedia gives the genre as Punk Blues / Alternative Rock and I would say that Punk Blues is probably the most apt description, although angry noise might be another.
The Icarus Line
1/5
More Noise Rock than Garage Rock - an angry and depressing album. Was this really one of the best albums of 2004 - I hope not.
The Zutons
3/5
Quite good Indie pop, but nothing really grabbed my attention.
Janis Joplin
5/5
What a voice! Contains some of my favourite Janis Joplin tracks such as "Move Over" and "Mercedes Benz", plus her hits "Cry Baby" and "Me and Bobby McGee".
Randy Newman
3/5
Easy listening Country Rock from one the masters of the genre. I'm familiar with Randy Neman via various Pixar movies, but hadn't heard any of these songs before. The album is OK, and while I wouldn't personally buy the album, I would keep it if I received it as a gift.
Jack White
5/5
It's hard to avoid comparing this album with his White Stripes albums - the style is sighly different, especially the drumming, but it's just as good, if not better.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Another band that I never understood why everyone raved about them - they just don't do it for me. They're reminiscent of Kevin Ayers and their vocal style is just as depressing.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
It's Dexys Midnight Runners, but not as we remember them - what happening to the energy? A truly boring album that doesn't merit its place in this list.
Germs
2/5
The only and only album from this American Punk Rock band. Uninspiring - possibly why they only made one album (although that probably has more to do with one of the band members committing suicide). Best track on the album is "Lexicon Devil", but that isn't saying much.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Often compared to both Prince and Madonna, this album is a mixture of Hip Hop / New Jack Swing / R&B. Meh!
Air
3/5
French Chill-out Electropop film score, which, for me, doesn't quite work as a music album, although quite pleasant to listen to as background music, I can't imagine going to see them perform this live.
U2
3/5
I still class myself as a U2 fan, but I think they lost their way after "The Joshua Tree", and while this album isn't as bad as "Rattle and Hum" and marks a return to their roots, it's not their best work.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Country Rock from someone I've never heard of but apparently it was quite a hit on both sides of the pond. I quite liked the album and my favourite tracks on the album are the opening track "Slow Burn" and "Space Cowboy".
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Very dark and moody - loved it.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
A Salsa album, but the opening track, "Plástico", starts off like a Disco album from the late 1970s. I'm not really a Salsa fan, but my favourite track on the album was "María Lionza".
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
What a boring depressing album.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Punk with an Art Rock feel - think early Roxy Music doing Punk. At times they sounded a bit like Talking Heads. I'm still not sure what to make of this album: the Punk spurts are too polished and fairly boring, while the Art Rock veers from being interesting to grating on my nerves.
The Thrills
2/5
Don't expect any thrills on this boring album from Irish Indie Rock band. Some of the songs are bouncy and should be happy, while some sound like The Monkees doing Country music, - overall feel to the album is slightly depressing.
Fats Domino
3/5
Opens with the classic "Blueberry Hill". Unfortunately, Spotify refused to play the entire album unless I upgraded to the padi version.
Love
3/5
One for the hippies: 1960's Folk Rock / Psychedelia reminiscent of The Moody Blues, and even early stuff by The Who on tracks like "The Daily Planet". I was familiar with their hit "Alone Again Or" but I wouldn't have been able to name the band.
Eagles
4/5
Mixed feelings about this album. I quite like the album, with my favourite track being "Life in the Fast Lane", although I prefer their earlier album "One of These Nights". It's the title track, "Hotel California", that I have issues with: I still think it's a great track, but for me, it suffers from being overplayed, particularly during a family holiday to Thailand in 2010 when every bar, taxi, and hotel was playing this song, and not just the original version - everyone Tom, Dick, and Harry seemed to be doing a cover version.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
An album by Beach Boys co-founder. This is a Pop / Rock album, not a Surf album, although occasioinally there are hints of the Beach Boys, and sometimes it gets a bit Funky. It's OK, but not great.
Kanye West
3/5
Not your typical Hip-Hop album, but then Kanye West isn't your typical Hip-Hop artist. Wikipedia also gives the genre as Progressive Rap, which for an an album that samples Mike Oldfield's "In High Places" and King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man", as well as using the tune from Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" is probably a fair description. Highly experimental in places. Apart from the misogynistic lyrics in places, (e.g. "Blame Game"), I quite liked the album.
Sonic Youth
2/5
American Alternative/ Noise Rock. I liked the opening track "Dirty Boots", but the rest of the album is meh.
Nirvana
4/5
A lot more abrasive than their previous album "Nevermind", but tracks uch as "Heart-Shaped Box" and "Rape Me" hark back to their previous album.
Muddy Waters
5/5
My one and only regret in life was that I had tickets to see Muddy Waters on my birthday at Alexandra Palace but there was a fire, the concert was cancelled, and he died not longer after, so I never got to see him live. This album opens with possibly one of the best Chicago Blues tracks ever written: "Mannish Boy". I love Chicago Blues and I love this album.
Jane Weaver
4/5
With the genre given as Neo-Psychedelia / Ambient Pop / Space Rock / Synthpop, I thought that this album was going to be pretentious crap, but it's actually quite good and I liked it.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Another classic album from Peter Gabriel - this one features the anti-war single "Games Without Frontiers" with all of the lyrical puns you would expect from Gabriel, plust the immensely powerful anti-apartheid "Biko". The other tracks on the album are good as well.
Death In Vegas
2/5
Another slightly depressing Electronic / Neo-Psychedelia / Shoegaze album. The opening track, "Dirge", wasn't too bad, but perhaps thiis might be because it had no depressing vocals (unlike some of the other tracks). The track "Flying" reminded me of The Cure and early Pink Floyd. I also quite liked "Aisha" because it was almost, but not quite, happy.
The Cure
5/5
I love The Cure and this album is no exception. Goth Rock at its best. From the opening "One Hundred Years" to the closing title track "Pornography" this is The Cure at their best. Also contains their single and one of my favourite tracks by The Cure: "The Hanging Garden". 5/5
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
Another Hip-Hop album, supposedly one of the greatest albums of the 1990s? Music-wise it's a lot better than most Hip-Hop albums, with some interesting samples, but ultimately it's still boring.
Pantera
3/5
A competent Heavy Metal album where the lead vocalist sound like he really needs to get some medication for his sore throat. My favourite track on the album was "Walk". I also liked the track "This Love" which sounded more like Nirvana at times.
Small Faces
2/5
I'm not sure why this album is in this list, because apart from their hit single, "Lazy Sunday", this album doesn't seem to have much to commend it. The whole of side two of the original vinyl album was taken up with a fairy tale concept entitled "Happiness Stan" comprising a suite of six songs interlinked with narration provided by comic Stanley Unwin, but it's nothing special in my view.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Yet another Hip-Hop / Rap album. Wikipedia says the genre is Experimental Hip-Hop / Progressive Rap / Conscious Hip-Hop / Jazz Rap / G-Funk / Neo Soul which seems to be a long way of saying pretentious C-Rap.
Deep Purple
5/5
This going to be regarded as heresy, but my stand-out tracks on this album are "Highway Star", "Lazy", and "Space Truckin'". I didn't include "Smoke on the Water" because while it's a great song, (hell, I even learnt to play it on the guitar when I was a lot younger), over the years I've gone off it, possibly because it's been overplayed; I often wondered what track would have replaced it on the album if there hadn't have been a fire.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Opens with their brilliant version of the traditional English folk song "Scarborough Fair", and the English influence continues with the pensive "Homeward Bound" (allegedly written while waiting for a train at Widnes station). Other highlights on the album include happy "The 59th Street Bridge Song" (aka "Feelin' Groovy"), and the beautiful "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her". The album closes with the moving "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night". Part of your soundtrack if you grew up in the 60's and 70s.
Pearl Jam
5/5
I was expecting a Grunge album, but this is classic Rock that reminded me a bit of Lynyrd Skynyrd in places. Loved it.
New Order
3/5
I went off New Order a bit when they transitioned to Dance-Rock so this is not one of my favourite New Order albums. For me, I prefer tracks like "Sunrise" which hark back to the "old" New Order.
Carpenters
3/5
Kitsch Pop at its finest. Contains their hits "We've Only Just Begun" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You"; also contains an insipid version of Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe" (which was covered so much better by Rod Stewart), a cover of the Beatles song "Help!", and several Burt Bacharach songs.
Pavement
1/5
Indie Rock / Alternative Rock / Folk Rock / Psychedelic Rock albym from an American band that wasn't successful in their home country, and having listenrd to it I trying to fathom why it was a top 20 hit in the UK. The music isn't bad, but the vocals are dire, painful to listen to, and I'm being polite.
Anthrax
3/5
The first minute or so of the opening track "Among the Living" wouldn't be out of place on any Black Sabbath album, but then it descends into Thrash Metal with it's driving rhythm. For me, (a lifelong Black Sabbath fan), one Thrash Metal song sounds like another.
Duke Ellington
3/5
For fans of Big Band Jazz. Includes his version of "Tea for Two" and his signature tune "Take the 'A' Train".
Heaven 17
4/5
New-Wave Synth-Pop at its funkiest. I always preferred the title track "Penthouse and Pavement" to the more popular (and more funkier) "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang".
Sister Sledge
3/5
A mixture of Soul, Disco, and R&B, which edge more towards Disco. I'm not really a fan of Disco tracks, even if heavily influenced by the legendary Nile Rodgers. Contains their hits "He's the Greatest Dancer", "Lost in Music", and, of course, "We Are Family".
Brian Eno
5/5
First of all, this is not a Brian Eno solo album, it's a collaboration with David Byrne (from Talking Heads). The album consists of a number of samples, including radio phone-ins, a sermon, and an exorcism; add to this the eclectic styles of both Brian Eno and David Byrne and you get this haunting intriguing album.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
For me, this album always reminds me of my time at university in the late 1970s, especially "Love and Affection" which was always good for a slow dance at the end of the evening and its memories still sends a shiver down my spine. The sort of Singer-Songwriter album that they don't seem to makes so much these days. A great voice and a great album.
808 State
2/5
Acid-House / Dance / Techno / ElectroPop album that seems to be ElectroPop more than anything else. Quite boring.
Jurassic 5
2/5
Another Hip-Hop album! I liked the opening track, "This Is", because it was Dub Reggae rather than Hip-Hop, but then it just became another fairly boring Hip-Hop album.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
I'm not sure wahht to make of this quirky, slightly prententious, Art Pop album that reminds me of Robert Fripp. Is it bad - no, but should it be in this list - probably not.
Cornershop
3/5
Who? A mix of Brit-Pop, Electronica, Raga-Rock, and Avant-Pop that seems to be heavily influenced by large amounts of "wacky baccy". Supposedly, the track "Brimful of Asha" was a big international hit, but I must have missed it? My favourite track was the Raga-Rock track "We're in Yr Corner" and the album contains an interesting version of the Beatles song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", however, the rest of the album I could quite happily live without.
George Michael
3/5
I was going to say that I wasn't sure why this album was in this list as it's nothing special, but while this is true for most of the tracks, the R&B track "They Won't Go When I Go" (which was written by Stevie Wonder and Yvonne Wright) was very good. I've not heard this album before but most of the tracks seem to remind me of songs by other artists.
The Bees
2/5
Indie Rock album with some Reggae and Psychedelia thrown in for good measure. Not bad, but not great either, and I can't imagine going to see them live. Apparently the tracks "A Minha Menina" was used for several adverts but I don't remember it.
Motörhead
4/5
You need to turn the volume up to at least 12 to fully appreciate this album. Opens with the manic "Ace of Spades", and includes "Overkill", plus the eponymous "Motörhead".
Paul Simon
5/5
Somewhat controversial at the time for apparently breaking the cultural boycott of apartheid-era South Africa, but also partly resposnsible for introducing black South African street music to the West. A variety of styles, from Zydeco, to Folk-Rock (title track "Graceland"), to Worldbeat ("Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "Homeless" both with Ladysmith Black Mambazo), this is a great album. And let's not forget the massive hit "You Can Call Me Al".
Janelle Monáe
4/5
An R&B/Soul Sci-Fi concept album. The description sounds pretentious, but the album is quite good with a good solid musical base. My favourtite track was "Tightrope" (featuring Big Boi).
4/5
Electronic Latin music with a bit of Acid Jazz - an album mainly to chill to. It's quite pleasant but not really my cup of tea. My favourite track was "Antropófagos (Cannibals)".
Terence Trent D'Arby
4/5
I was familiar with the beautiful "Sign Your Name", but not with the rest of this Funk Rock / Soul album and I liked it.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Still not sure what to make of this band - I liked some tracks, while others were meh, but overall the album was OK.
Cypress Hill
1/5
Why are there so many Hip-Hop albums in this list? As far as I can tell there's nothing to distinguish this from virtually every other Hip-Hop album.
Mudhoney
3/5
American Grunge. Meh! My favourite track was "Broken Hands".
John Martyn
5/5
How do you describe John Martyn? Basically, at the end of the day he's a singer-songwriter, but he's so much more and has a sound style of his own - part folk, part blues, part jazz, and absolutley brilliant. I wasn't familiaer with this album, but I liked it, a lot.
Randy Newman
3/5
I like the Randy Newman songs that Pixar used for some of their movies, but unfortunately none of those feature on this album. I remember Alan price doing "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear", but I never knew that it was written by Randy Newman. The album is OK, but not great.
Pavement
1/5
Another Indie Rock / Lo-Fi / Noise Pop from an American band that I've never heard of, and based on the number of plays listed by Spotify, not many other people have heard of them either. Truly depressing album. For me, the best tracks on the album were "Conduit for Sale!" and "Two States", (the latter reminded me of Blur), but that's not really saying much.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
And the award for the most creative use of the phrase "Kissing the Tortoise" in a song goes to "Seven Seas". Quirky, but likeable.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Who? Never heard of this band and that's my loss. I quite liked the album, especially side 2, which begins with "Three Days", and which has more of a Prog-Rock feel than side 1. The lead singer's vocal style reminded me of Jon Aderson from Yes, especially on the track "Of Course".
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Meh! I don't see what's so good about this album that warrants its inclusion in this list. It's not bad, but it's not great either, and it's a bit boring at times. Overall, I preferred the tracks with lyrics written by Tracey Thorn over those by Ben Watt, "Wrong" and "Single", for example.
Lupe Fiasco
1/5
Hip-Hop, but not just any Hip-Hop, this is Conscious Hip-Hop! However, conscious or unconscious, it's still Hip-Hop and I'm not a fan.
2Pac
1/5
As far as I'm concerned, this is yet another pointless Rap / Gangsta-Funk album.
Frank Ocean
1/5
Wikipedia says "Noted by writers as musically unconventional, Channel Orange draws on electro-funk, pop-soul, jazz-funk, and psychedelic styles, as well as nonmusical sounds such as film dialogue and ambient noise that function as interludes". Or to put it more simply this album is boring and pretentious crap.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
From the acoustic opening track "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)", to the closing Punk Rock track "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)", this is great album. Also includes "Thrasher", "Pocahontas", "Powderfinger", and "Welfare Mothers".
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Wasn't really a fan back in the day, and I'm still not. The music on "The Murder Mystery" reminded me of The Doors.
Coldcut
2/5
The album isn't on Spotify, but several of the tracks are. A House album. I wasn't really a fan at the time, and it still doesn't do anything for me. Features "People Hold On" and "My Telephone" with Lisa Stansfield, plus "Doctorin' the House" with Yazz.
Ian Dury
5/5
A great album with superb Punk Rock meets Pub Rock music and brilliant lyrics. An essential album if you grew up in the 60s and 70s. Opens with the slightly risque "Wake Up and Make Love with Me", and also features "Billericay Dickie", "Clevor Trever", "Blockheads", and "Plaistow Patricia".
Liz Phair
1/5
Who? Wikipedia says the music genre is Indie Rock / Lo-Fi, and of the two I say that lo-Fi is the most apt. Her singing is so miserable, (and so are the songs), that she should hook up with Morrissey.
Peter Tosh
4/5
A great Reggae album from a master and one of the founders of the Wailers (of Bob Marley and the Wailers fame).
Method Man
1/5
East Coast Hip-Hop. I don't care what coast it's from, I just don't see the point of yet another Hip-Hop album in this list.
5/5
Still one of the best albums ever made. I bought the album off the back of the single "Starman", but was blown away by the rest of the album, from the opening "Five Years", through "Moonage Daydream", "Starman", "Ziggy Stardust", "Suffragette City", and the closing "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide", this is a great album. "Time takes a cigarette, puts it in your mouth..." - I mean they don't write lyrics like that anymore.
Sparks
3/5
Opens with their mega hit "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" which had such an unusual sound at the time (and still has to a certain degree). This is followed by another single, "Amateur Hour", which wasn't as big in the UK. For me, the rest of the album is OK.
The Fall
1/5
I can't work out if this album is taking the piss or it really is this bad - it's not one of those albums that is so bad, it's great. I totally agree with Kenny Everett's assessment of "I'm Going to Spain" being one of the worst songs ever - I wish that they'd gone to Spain and never made this album. And how they can say that the riff in "The League of Bald-Headed Men" isn't a rip-off of Led Zeppelin is beyond me.
The Police
5/5
So many great tracks: "Synchronicity I", "Walking in Your Footsteps", "Synchronicity II", the massive "Every Breath You Take", my favourite "King of Pain", and the haunting "Wrapped Around Your Finger". The only track that I've never really liked is "Mother".
New Order
3/5
More Alternative Dance-Rock from New Order. Not sure why there appears to be the sound of sheep at the end of the first track, "Fine Time". Also contains hit "Round & Round". Nothing special unless you're an avid fan of New Order. Am I the only person that thinks that "Mr. Disco" sounds more like the Pet Shop Boys than New Order?
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Classic Acid-Rock / Psychedelic-Rock from the late 1960s, famous for its outstanding 17-minute title track.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
This not a bad album, but it's not great either. Not sure what's so special about this album that warrants its inclusion in this list.
The Specials
4/5
A mixture of covers and original Ska / 2-Tone / Reggae tracks. The covers include "A Message to You Rudy" and "Monkey Man", while the original tracks include the bouncy "Too Much Too Young".
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I was a fan of some of Joni's earlier work, and I bought this album for the track "The Jungle Line" which sampled Burundi drumming (previously featured on the 1971 single "Burundi Black" by "Burundi Steiphenson Black"). I wasn't a fan of her Jazz-Rock style, preferring her earlier Folk music. Album opens with "In France They Kiss on Main Street".
Kid Rock
2/5
Rap Metal - one of the few types of Rap that I can tolerate. I quite liked the opening track "Bawitdaba", but after a while the other tracks all began to sound the same, part from the ballad "Only God Knows Why".
Doves
3/5
Not sure what to make of this album. It's very ethereal and laid-back, and it's quite pleasant to listen to, but it doesn't rellay grab my attention and it's a bit boring. My favourite track was "The Cedar Room".
Keith Jarrett
2/5
A very pleasant double album of live Jazz Piano from the talented Keith Jarrett. It's just not my cup of tea, but I wouldn't switch it off.
Weather Report
2/5
A real blast from the past. Jazz Fusion. I found the album a bit boring, although I quite liked the hit single "Birdland" which I remember from the late 70s.
Fugees
1/5
It doesn't matter how many Hip-Hop albums are in this list, I still think that Hip-Hop is crap, and this largely boring album, which contains their interpretations of "Killing Me Softly" and "No Woman, No Cry", is no exception.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
This folky Acid-Rock / Psychedelic Rock album from 1967 sounds a bit dated now but it's not too bad. My favourite tracks were the Acid-Blues "Death Sound", the Oriental sounding "Porpoise Mouth", and the epic "Section 43".
Louis Prima
4/5
A Swing / Jump-Blues album that's even older than me. It opens with a medley of "Just a Gigolo" and "I Ain't Got Nobody", and also includes the instrumentals "Body and Soul" and "Night Train"; I loved the last track "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You". I liked the album.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Who? It's Rap, Jim, but not as we know it - instead of the usual music that you would associate with Rap, this Rap overlays uses a laid-back Blues with a Jazz vibe. Quirky vocal style which I find slightly annoying. A bit boring after a while.
Khaled
4/5
Algerian Folk-Music with a modern feel, including an interesting cover of John Lennon's "Imagine". I liked it a lot.
Paul Simon
3/5
It's OK, but not as good as the subsequent Graceland.
Digital Underground
1/5
Yet another Hip-Hop album, just for a change. And like just about every other Hip-Hop album in this list, I'm not a fan.
The Saints
2/5
Punk music with a horn section! I was at university when Punk took off so Punk music was hard to avoid but I don't remember this band, but that could be because they were from Australia. It sounds a bit dated now, and it's a bit boring, but not too bad.
Goldie
4/5
Music to chill to. I liked it.
Ice Cube
2/5
Guess what folks, yet another bloody Rap / Hip-Hop album! Not too bad though.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Apart from the odd track, I was never really a fan of Bruce Springsteen and this album doesn't change my opinion.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
Never been a fan of crooners, with their style of Pop Jazz vocals, and could never understand why Frank Sinatra was as popular as he obviously was. This rather boring album doesn't change that.
The Triffids
3/5
I liked the album, but wouldn't necesarily buy it. The vocals reminded me of someone else, but I can't remember who.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Not their best album as far I'm concerned, but it contains their iconic tracks "The Robots" and "The Model".
The Band
3/5
The Band's second album features the original version of the classic Country-Rock song "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (which was a much bigger hit for Joan Baez than it was for The Band); it also features "Up on Cripple Creek".
Suicide
4/5
Reminded me of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, but Sputnik were almost a decade later. I quite liked their mix of Synth-Punk and Electronic Rock, although "Frankie Teardrop" was almost too experimental.
Underworld
5/5
I really liked this Ambient Techno album. Loved "Banstyle/Sappy's Curry".
Billy Bragg
3/5
Billy Bragg is a very talented singer-songwriter with a quirky Folk-Punk (or is that Punk-Folk) style. I can get past his politics which I don't always agree with, but I find that his whining vocals just grate on my nerves.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I wasn't familiar with any of these Elvis tracks. A mixture of Rock-and-Roll, R&B, and Blues. A bit dated, but I quite liked it, especialy his cover of "Fever", and the Blues track "Reconsider Baby".
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Who? Wikipedia says the music genre is Trip-Hop / JazzStep / BreakBeat / Chill-Out / Electronica / DownTempo which seems to cover a lot of bases. Chill-Out music for an elevator. On the whole, I quite liked listening to the album, but it's a bit boring so I wouldn't buy it.
Blondie
4/5
More New Wave / Pop Rock than Punk Rock. There were seven singles from this album, including "Hanging on the Telephone", "One Way or Another", "Picture This", "Sunday Girl", and "Heart of Glass" - what an album!
Q-Tip
1/5
Why is there yet another Hip-Hop album in this list? I don't care if it's Progressive Hip-Hop or Regresive Hip-Hop, it's still pointless, boring crap. The universal acclaim from music critics doesn't seem to be reflected in the low sales and the low number of listens on Spotify, so I think the critics (and this list compiler) have got it wrong.
The Pogues
5/5
Celtic Pubk Folk-Rock from the masters. Contains their massive hit with Kirsty MacColl, "Fairytale of New York".
Machito
2/5
Afro-Cuban Jazz from 1957. I'm not a Jazz fan so not really a fan of this album.
System Of A Down
2/5
Armenian-American Metal music. My children were big fans of this band, but while I like Metal and generally liked the music on this album, I found the vocals grated on my nerves too much, especially on "Suggestions", and they put me off. My favourite track on the album is "Soil".
Wilco
2/5
Not an album of happy songs. On on the whole, I preferred the Alt-Rock tracks to the Country-Rock. My favourite track was "Kingpin". A couple of the tracks echoed other music, for example "Monday" had echoes of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel", while "Someone Else's Song" most definitely used "Norwegian Wood" by the Beatles.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I've never been a fan of Leonard Cohen and this album doesn't really change my mind. The album is laid back and melancholic, but dark in places - I get the impression that he knew he was dying. I liked the the title track.
Bee Gees
2/5
Who knew that the Bee Gees did a concept album? Like the fictional ship that this album is about, this album appears to have sunk without trace; presumably this album was in response to the Moody Blues, their rivals at the time. Boring, with nothing of note, so perhaps it would be better if this album just disappeared below the waves again.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
World Music. I liked it a lot, but I can imagine that not veryone would agree.
Massive Attack
4/5
Music to relax and chill out to. My favourite tracks were "Spying Glass" and "Heat Miser". I liked it.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
A beautiful album. I prefer the songs written by Graham Nash, "Teach Your Children" and "Our House", and especially those written by Neil Young, "Helpless" and "Country Girl". The album also features their cover of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" (although I still think that the cover by British band Matthews Southern Comfort is the best version).
N.E.R.D
3/5
Rap meets Art Rock / Progressive Pop; Mojo music magazine said "This is an enthusiastic hymn to the terminally uncool, an un-ironic celebration of nerd-culture". One of the members of N.E.R.D. is Pharrell Williams which I guess is why this album sounds like it could be the soundtrack to one of the Despicable Me movies. It's OK but not great, and it became boring after a while.
Bill Evans Trio
1/5
The style of Jazz that I just don't see the point of. Elevator music.
The Coral
4/5
Very strange quirky album with a variety of musical styles and mixes. For example, "Shadows Fall" wouldn't be out of place in a Spaghetti Western but it has Reggae influences, while "Simon Diamond" is a Sea Shanty crossed with Psychedelic Rock. The track "Goodbye" has a late 1960s feel to it and was definitely influenced in part by early Pink Floyd. I liked the album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I've never understood why Nick Cave is rated so highly. Although the music is OK, even good at times, I find his quirky vocal style depressing, and that puts me off.
The Birthday Party
1/5
Depressing album of bleak dreadful noise! Supposedly Australian Post-Punk Blues but the only Blues was those that the album induced in me. The best track on the album was "Several Sins" which only nodded in the general direction of Blues; this was also the track that made me realise that probably the only reason this album is in the list is because the band features the overrated Nick Cave.
Mylo
1/5
No, I've never heard of them either. Supposed to be House / ElectroPop, but more Pop than House. Boring ElectroPap.
Scritti Politti
2/5
Fairly boring 1980s Synth-Pop.
The Stranglers
5/5
1970s Punk Rock with keyboards. The album opens with "Sometimes", and includes the punk "London Lady", the sultry "Princess of the Streets", the hits "Hanging Around", "Peaches", and "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)", and closes with the "Down in the Sewer". A great album then, and still a great album now.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I vaguely remember the single "Tangled Up in Blue", but otherwise as far as I'm concerned, it's a largely forgettable album.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
An album of Qawwali, (which is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in South Asia), by one of its masters. Very relaxing.
Pixies
3/5
Meh! The album is OK, but it just doesn't do it for me.
The Cult
3/5
Interesting album, because while Ian Astbury's distinctive vocals tell you that you're listening to The Cult, the musical style is a throwback to the 1970s and you can definitely hear starins of Led Zeppelin. Nothing really grabbed my attention though. As for their cover of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" being the worst ever according to one critic, I disagree - musically it's good but it's let down by the insipid vocals which are devoid of any feeling.
T. Rex
2/5
Not as good as their previous album "Electric Warrior" in my opinion, and although it contains two of their hit singles, "Metal Guru" and "Telegram Sam", there's not much else write home about.
The Soft Boys
2/5
Psychedelic Post-Punk New-Wave Pop with echoes of the 1960s, for example "Positive Vibrations" (which I think is the best track on the album). I've heard better, but I've heard far worse.
Dr. John
3/5
New Orleans R&B meets 1960's Psychedelia with a Voodoo vibe. Music to get stoned to. I quite liked this laid-back album.