Well, this was a strange one. A bit folky. A bit rocky. A bit jazzy. A bit country. A bit too averagey. Nothing stood out for me, and there was nothing to get my teeth into. It flowed over me like water over a rock. And left me just as cold.

I have no objection to personal songs or emotional connections, but this is self-indulgent, overblown and interminable. ‘When did I stop loving you?’ Round about song three. Two many low points, and not much to praise except the Motown production. And Marvin Gaye does have a good voice. Really not one of his best.

My first reaction on seeing today’s pick was ‘oh God, no’. This is not my type of music, but I was willing to give it another go. I am sure they are talented musicians and have made a lot of money making a lot of people happy. However, this was just an affront to my ears. Screechy guitars and raspy voices. Just Horrible. To quote a later album - Run to the hills.

For the nostalgia it evokes For the classic Pop songs For Boy George’s silken voice For the breezy, uplifting tunes For the mournful, heartbreaking lyrics For the drama and emotion and Helen Terry‘s soulful tones For the impassioned sax and harmonica For the hours dancing round my kitchen For the ability to put this on repeat and it still packs a punch For all this and more I thank you.

I really wanted this album to be all killer, no filler. It was in the folks’ record collection, but all I could really remember was heroes and beauty and the beast. This album suffers from the syndrome of having one absolutely blindingly, magical tune, a couple of decent songs and then a whole load of instrumental filler. Heroes holds a lot of good memories for me and it’s frankly iconic in DB’s canon. I think most people, whether they like Bowie or not, have absorbed this tune via osmosis. It’s amazing and will forever remind me of working on a play called Dolphins can swim written by my mate. It also reminds me of my cousin who was such a DB devotee her handle was A Lass Insane and flew from Australia to see him perform at Glastonbury. Great memories but, boy, the rest of the album is duff. I have the vinyl but I doubt I’ll ever listen to side 2 again.

i used to play the Melon Collie…. Album a lot in the 90s. I didn’t have this particular album, but I remember loving some of the songs – Today, Soma, and Disarm has a haunting quality that still touches me after all these years. It’s suitably disarming. But the rest of it is a bit samey and I don’t feel it like I used to. Am I too old or ‘clean’ for grunge now? It definitely feels ‘of an era’ that I remember and am fond of but don’t feel the need to revisit.

Rod pre-Power Ballads, thank god. These are solid songs with great melodies. I’ve never been a fan of his voice but these are pretty good and I can just about endure that gravel.

Just fantastic! I bought this album when it came out and although I don’t listen to it very often now I still absolutely love it. It ranges from the political ‘ Birmingham Six’ to the almost Shakespearean, epic treatise on mortality - ‘Worms’, the words of which I still recite at people. ‘Fairytale of New York’ is still the best Christmas song ever. The lyrics and arrangements and beautiful musicianship make this an absolute classic. Rousing!

Bill Bailey – comedian, muso and winner of the 2020 Strictly Come Dancing trophy loves Metallica. He actually did a Tango to some Metallica song - Enter Sandman. Bill Bailey is a lovely lovely man and very knowledgeable about music so because of him I listened to this as impartially as I could, even though I hate metal. So either it was a day that hell had frozen over or I was a victim of the invasion of the body snatchers but I Didn’t Hate This. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t particularly like it and I don’t think I’d ever listen to it again voluntarily. But it wasn’t the worst album I’ve listened to for this project. I actually think I might have given it a bigger score if Enter Sandman was on this album. But I could discern music rather than just NOISE. I think I must have gone through a portal into the multiverse.

Getting over my initial disappointment that I’ve mixed up Röyksopp with Sigur Rós and I’d been really looking forward to a dose of Hoppípolla. I realise that this album must’ve had an awful lot of AirPlay because I knew almost every track and I’ve never consciously sought out Röyksopp. It’s a loungey loafy kind of vibe. Nice to have on in the background.

It’s very difficult to separate the music from the history. We all do it though. Who consciously refuses to use the font Gill Sans because Eric Gill abused his children? Very few of us. I consciously don’t listen to MJ, but before the scandal I’m kind of proud that I was never a fan. I’m not proud of the fact that I do find some of his songs quite fun. They’re inane and cloying, but it is very funny to keep punctuating song lines with ‘woo hoo’ and ‘Shamu’ and ‘whee-hee’. MJ could’ve been singing about himself with ‘Smooth Criminal’ and we all know “he’s bad, he’s bad, he is very very bad”. But he gets a score for his impact on the 1980s music scene.

I was 13 when Kilimanjaro came out. My friend bought the album when it was re-released with “Reward” on the album and the mountain on the cover. I loved all the songs and found that I remembered most of the lyrics as it was playing. Julian Cope was always a bit of an oddity, and even though he was a teenage idol here in Britain, I found him a bit of a pompous ass. I think that’s because he was drug addled at the time. Doesn’t detract from those fantastically clever songs. It would be a solid 3.5 but I’m rounding it up because it was very important to a swathe of British teenagers.

I am a fan of the earlier Radiohead albums. By the time this one came out, I had lost interest. I had never listened to this album in its entirety and it IS notable. But not enjoyable. I feel like I’m wading through treacle. There were a couple of really decent songs: 2+2 = 5, There, There. Admirable work, guys. You are great at experimentation but you lost me on the ride.

A couple of the songs sounded vaguely like music. Ones that sounded like they had a tube were ‘Ny Way’ ‘Rolling’ and ‘Hold On’. They did a really lovely cover once of ’Behind Blue Eyes’. I wanted them to go back to that style. This was just fucked up. I guess at least they’re not beige!

Every song is a short blast of fizzing energy. I’m sad that I hadn’t actually heard of them before, because obviously they spawned so many offshoots. They are dynamic and fun and never outstay their welcome. Love Three Girl Rhumba.

Fabulous! Histrionics galore, production values through the roof. I still sing along with every emotional nuance. On a hot summer night, will you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? Absolutely!!!!

I like this well enough, but I prefer ‘Ingenue ’. She has a great voice, but this just sounds like middle of the road country to me. Nothing special.

The Clash were so integral to my formative years and this album means so much. I still have the original vinyl stashed away. This may be a double album, but it never feels over long - there’s not a duff track on it. The songs are tight and powerful and this definitely deserves a place on this list. There’s a reason why The Clash is so revered and on the top of so many people’s lists. They weren’t just a bunch of guys messing about. They were phenomenal, musicians drawing from a plethora of styles and making it work. Just fantastic!

When I was at college, lots of people had posters of Miles Davis. That was a way to show you were ‘cool’. I didn’t! I just couldn’t get on with those jazz tunes. Jazz is an all encompassing term for so many things. I don’t hate all jazz, but I have never been able to get on with this kind Miles Davis and all those musicians are very talented but this is not my cup of tea. I made myself listen to this three different times on three different days at different times of the day to see if I would feel any different. I think I’ve given it a good go but I’m still not feeling it.

I have no objection to personal songs or emotional connections, but this is self-indulgent, overblown and interminable. ‘When did I stop loving you?’ Round about song three. Two many low points, and not much to praise except the Motown production. And Marvin Gaye does have a good voice. Really not one of his best.

Stupendous! I spent my college years with a housemate whose every item of clothing was a tribute to Morrissey, every record was connected to Morrissey, and said housemate even had Mozza’s quiff. Luckily, I was a fan too, although not so mega. I have a special place in my heart for Viva Hate but Mozza’s style is distinctive and emotionally wrought and never lets you down. Those lyrics are sheer poetry. I am now A central part Of your mind's landscape Whether you care Or do not Yeah, I've made up your mind Yup - indeed - my mind is made up.

Synth Pop comes of age! I loved Depeche Mode at the beginning, and I think they just got better with maturity. This album may have slightly gone on too long. However, the classic songs are just so good they win out every time. I’m still singing Personal Jesus a day later. Johnny Cash’s version is also bloody amazing.

I’ve never had an issue with music that is in a different language. Music bypasses the logical part of the brain and talks to your heart. No one questions whether they “understand “modern Art, the only important thing is whether that art piece talks to you or touches you? This is the kind of music that goes beyond language. Does it make you wanna wiggle? Can you feel the beat making you want to dance? Can you hear emotion in their voices? Without even researching any of the background to this album it sounds like a love song to Latin America. It’s a salsa masterpiece. It’s not my favourite genre of music, but I appreciate it for the superb compositions and musicianship and the obvious feeling behind it.

For some reason when it went to the YouTube version of this album, it only listed 10 tracks on the album. Once the 10 tracks had played, I was amazed and thrilled by how short it was, and how full of bangers. Then there was a blip and it continued to play. So there was more. And more. In fact, 55 minutes more. After the 10 tracks, I was willing to give it a 4.5 I was so excited. But the more sprawling, meandering and bloated it became my score dropped. I love what they were trying to do on this album and the fact that it cannot be categorised is a bonus, but the middle lost me. It rallied at the end and won me back but I’m squarely in the middle.

Just feels lacking in variety, if not energy. Bonus - it’s only 46 minutes but it is really repetitive. I was already looking at the time five minutes in.

I can take RHCP in small doses. I was quite ready for the album to end a third of the way through. Up to then I was quite invigorated and then I just got an attack of the tediums. Happy to listen to the singles if they appear on the radio. But a whole album is too much. I like the Road Trippin’ song.

When you say something is “interesting”, it’s usually damning with faint praise. However, this really is “interesting”. It’s a soundscape and an experience and a meander through space and time. I respect the experimentation and the vulnerability of this record. I wouldn’t necessarily choose to play it, but I definitely admire what he’s chosen to do and it was not a difficult experience. Kudos to the guy.

I definitely prefer later Lenny Kravitz. This felt a little bit inane to me. I think the stuff he did later with Craig Ross was a bit more dynamic. A couple of the tracks stood out - Be and Cab Driver but the rest just blended in. I do have fond and amusing memories when I think of him, though, as I watched my very first episode of Baywatch in Craig Ross’s house. I think that gets a star on its own.

I knew The Seed and I’ve heard of The Roots but never felt particularly desperate to seek out any more. They’re easy enough to listen to, but not enough to keep me hooked. I don’t know if it’s a weird subliminal message, but all I want to do now is go and listen to Finley Quaye.

First song is a blinder! Rest don’t quite live up to that. But he’s a consummate vocalist and these are great songs. I still think I’d rather listen to a Best of album.

The day, the characters in Coronation Street mentioned Oasis and buying the album was a milestone where he knew they’d made it! The classics are thumping tunes but one album at a time is enough. I wouldn’t want to listen to a lot at a time, but there are some great hooks and what they lack in humour they make up for in style. The fact that I knew most of the words and could sing along to most of it is testament to their longevity/omnipresence. I’m okay with a Manchester nasal drawl.

Really not one of my favourite DB albums. It’s got a couple of his absolute best songs on it. I love that he was always reinventing himself and this sounds like his foray into jazz/funk/soul. It’s not a success though. Between the two iconic tracks, it just wasn’t standout for me. Controversially, I liked the ‘across the universe’ cover. It could be a 3.5 but it doesn’t deserve a 4. The beginning and end tracks are off the scale and deserve five all the way but I’m not sure I ever need to listen to the album all the way through again.

This is where k.d. lang found their voice and their style. A very accomplished album with beautiful tracks and emotional depth. This has definitely earned its place on this list. It was an album. I loved back in 1992 and I still love it today. I think it ends with exactly the right track because it just leaves you wanting to play it more and more.

I actually really like his voice, although I think it was much better used on another album – a little touch of Nilsson in the night. My folks had that album and I always liked his vulnerable timbre and that little warble. If that had been the album of choice, I would’ve been a little kinder but I just found this a bit of a bore. It would have been a 2.5, slap bang in the middle, but I’m all Nilssoned out.

I don’t love every song on this album, but I remember when it first came out and being very excited by how new and different it sounded. Accidents Will happen, Oliver’s Army and What’s so funny, ‘bout peace, Love and understanding are absolute classics. No matter that the latter is a cover. It also doesn’t matter that the others don’t stand out to me as much. I would rate Blood and Chocolate and Spike above this album but it’s great listening and I still remember so many of the words. He’s also from my neck of the woods, so I feel more of a connection.

I really like the energy of this and the eclectic styles. Not sure I’d go back to them in a hurry, but I definitely like the ska and the funky elements. Change was a nice end to the album.

This is very emotive and evocative and I feel like I am on a meandering journey with her. I do however feel like I’ve ended up nowhere and the meandering was fairly aimless. I love her voice and the songs are beautiful, but what I feel at the end of the album is hollow. There are other Joni songs and albums. I’d rather journey on.

I definitely prefer this album to “modern life is rubbish”. And I’m a Blur girl rather than an Oasis fan. There is quite a bit of filler on this album, but some absolutely classic tunes. Phil Daniels gets a five just for being Phil on Parklife. I would rate this a 3.5 ordinarily, but not given that choice….

Morrissey and Marr! Magic! Not one dud moment! Can I give this eleventeen out of five? I’m just going to go and stick a daffodil in my back pocket.

Great poet, great songs. I appreciate the sheer talent on this record. For me, this is a 3.5 - it is good, but I’m not sure I’d want to listen to it on repeat or again in a hurry. It’s a classic but I’m not thrilled and I don’t hear enough variation, but I do love a harmonica. Shall I be kind?

Foo Fighters are solid, dependable and you know just what you’re going to get. I admire what’s been done here and I like FF in general is long as there isn’t too much exposure. I think if I went to a gig I would just end up being bored. I can’t listen to a whole album without just thinking it’s a bit samey. Solid, dependable samey… and totally listenable, but better in small doses. This is no detraction from Dave Grohl being the nicest man in rock.

This Definitely brings to mind film score music or a 1980s Dennis Potter series. I’m a sucker for a song with a story, and I loved these short, little vignettes. Might even have had a tear in my eye at times. This would be a solid 3.5 but because of Marty’s voice and cool delivery, I’ll be generous.

Very dreamy, cool and floaty. My cat lay next to the speaker for the whole album and looked very chilled. He definitely gives a thumbs up for the vibe. I remember when this came out, and I loved Come Together. That and Broken Heart were definitely worth listening to again. Friday afternoon chill!

I listen to this album a lot when it came out. I think I liked it better then. There’s a lot of noodling going on and at times it does wear on and on. I think I actually went to see them in concert at the time but not a lot of that is memorable. I like ’em enough but I don’t really feel I want to put the album on again for awhile.

Well, this is fun. A concept album full of silliness and great tunes as well. It benefits from a lack of earnestness, which peppers their later work. Doesn’t outstay its welcome.

It’s like a watery dreamscape. Very much a product of the previous decade. Slightly psychedelic, slightly ashram, slightly floaty. Easy background music.

So many of these songs have entered the cultural psyche. Toe-tapping and shoulder bopping. They are classic songs, but I can only do small doses of reggae and Bob Marley. This was a great dose, but I don’t really need to hear it again for a while. It definitely would be a 3.5 given the option.

Very much of a time and place. I like ‘Made it right’ but not feeling much of anything about it other than he can sing. Maybe if I was back there and back then I’d feel differently but time has moved on. Like Scott I’d rather listen to Starsailor…

Great musicianship, good tunes. And who doesn’t sing along to ‘Hi Ho Silver lining?’ You can’t handle the Truth. Actually I can.

There are some Fleetwood Mac songs that I think are fabulous and I am more than happy when I hear them. I would not say the same about their repertoire - most of it doesn’t have any effect on me at all although I appreciate how talented they all are. Here I prefer when Stevie Nicks sings - she is their powerhouse. Although Tusk (the song) I find incredibly stirring. Those drums and the brass band and the increasing urgency. Glorious! That song alone gets a 5 but overall I wasn’t that excited.

Beautiful songs. Gorgeous harmonies. It’s not perfect. For that, you’d have to have a Best of S&G album. It’s very much a period piece but elegantly, constructed, and enough hits to keep you going. Some albums revel in their bloatedness. This one is to be applauded for its brevity. Short and oh so sweet.

Some great songs, but way too long. If I could’ve just listened to half those songs, the really good ones, I would’ve been happy. But it turns out that the Key of life needs a bloody hefty liposuction.

Sometime around Kid A, Radiohead and I ‘went on a break’. I was an early devotee, buying Pablo Honey when most people were just deciphering Creep. But I loved them from the start. This being their second album, I was still enamoured. These are great songs, beautifully written and crafted. And if you revisit the videos, they were so clever. Like an old friend who was challenging but had a good heart, it’s nice to bump into them every now and then but still slightly draining.

I think Doves are better known in Britain. I knew most of these songs and the singles were certainly played to death for a couple of years. I think it’s pretty wistful and easy to listen to and the fact that you can hear rain in a couple of the songs makes me laugh - because they are from Manchester. It always rains in Manchester. I love thé vibe on this and if I hear any of the singles on the radio or a playlist I’m singing along.

This has a very relaxed café del mar kind of vibe. Perfect in pool bars or in the background at dinner parties whilst you’re passing the potatoes. To qualify I don’t do dinner parties so I don’t have this around as a go-to. Neither Teardrop nor Unfinished Sympathy are on this album. Therefore it’s never going to be the best Massive Attack album for me. It would be a solid 3.5.

At first, I was pleasantly surprised and liked it more than I thought. I didn’t expect it to be so funky and fun music. Then I looked down and realised I was playing a totally different album. Thanks YouTube. When I eventually went back to the correct album it was as I feared. Not enjoyable at all. I’m sure it had fantastic and far-reaching impact at the time but I cannot deal with it now. The Bottle was an interesting song.

Nick Cave is cool! Mostly I really like his music, but sometimes I vacillate and think he’s a completely pompous ass full of pretentious twaddle. Those episodes are few and far between. I also think he’s definitely mellowed as he’s matured and I like a lot of his later music even more. I also love his soundtrack music. If you ever get a chance to listen to his music for the play ‘Metamorphosis’, then you will probably be moved by its haunting beauty. There are other Nick Cave albums I love more than this but it’s pretty solid.

Never heard of these before, but they’re very interesting. Couldn’t quite decide where I stand with them. At times I thought it was really good and other times they just began to grate. But I do think they’re worth another listen.

There’s 37 minutes of my life I won’t get back. I get that they can play instruments but Lemmy’s voice just makes me want to reach for the paracetamol.

I love this album so much. It takes me back to a time where I worked in a small office and we played new albums and burned each other’s copies. A guy called Jon broadened our music tastes and we played Hot Fuss a lot. I can still sing along to almost every song…

This riot grrrls faux punk is great in two situations. A weekend night with a half dozen girls getting ready to go out, climbing over each other to claim a patch of mirror. This is playing in the background to put them in the mood for a night of dancing. Some songs however sounded just like the music in party scenes in British movies of the late 60s/early 70s where all the furnishings were brown and orange and men wore brown corduroy. I admire the energy. But it was all lack of style and too smart Aleck-y for my liking.

I tried my hardest to evaluate this properly. The beats and sampling I can get behind very easily. If I close my eyes and tune out the vocals it’s pretty okay. But listening to song after song after song with that same tedious muttering is enervating.

I have to listen to this album in short bursts. It is a truly accomplished body of work. However, after a few tracks, I feel physically heavier. Weighed down by worthiness possibly? There are three songs towards the end. I could do without but the rest are great songs. I could do with this being a 3.5 but since I can’t do that and I’m feeling quite oppressed having listened to Thom Yorke’s vocal tendrils infiltrate my cells it’s a…

This album is a fantastic cure for insomnia as I can’t listen to it without falling asleep. It could be that unchanging, steady beat or those horrible lyrics just send me off. At best the songs are silly - at worst they are misogynistic. As a substitute for Nytol 5/5. Their place in musical history is just about middling.

This reminded me of Dame Cleo Lane, who was famous for her boop-de-boop-boops, vocal range and scatting. All very well and clever but when you have to hear an hour of it is dull, monotonous and seems interminable. There were moments of wit and levity. An interesting first album, but I can’t say I enjoyed it.

An absolutely solid album. I love almost every song on here and did so when it came out but when people say Everybody Hurts is overplayed then I have to agree. I have to skip it because it has ridiculously strange connotations for me. Hospital DJs insist on playing it thinking it’s appropriate/poignant to play to people lying in the hospital beds I disagree it makes me hate hospital DJs and that song. The rest is blinding.

I’ve heard “of“ the Afghan Whigs, but I can’t recall hearing any song. The tracks feel familiar but not familiar enough. This is the kind of music that if I’d heard it when I was 18 I probably would’ve loved it. Now I feel completely ambivalent. I really liked the instrumental Closing Prayer track. I’m also stupidly intrigued by their name as it detracts from their style. All I see in my mind’s eye is a load of 19th century British politicians - not really the image for a heartfelt break-up album.

Bloody brilliant. A whopping album that still feels fresh. Am I emotionally stunted because some of these songs still resonate? Fantastic from start to finish and Good Feeling is a haunting poignancy-fest. The xylophone playing on Gone Daddy Gone is still the most fabulous use of the xylophone since the late Patrick Moore. Good Feeling - please do not go!

Very twee and a bit cloying. Yes, the harmonies are great and The Beach Boys are a classic group. They have infiltrated our entire culture. But I can only take them in small doses. This was more than enough for today and perhaps a whole year.

Absolutely solid. There is clever, songwriting and good melodies. They are a distinctive band. However, this did not make me want to revisit their back catalogue. The album definitely still stands up and is perfectly listenable. You don’t have to listen to this at home though, because somewhere you go this week there will always be an REM track playing.

Dreamy and wistful, this is a little bit Joni and a little bit Tori but is definitely a lot of poignancy. Here LDR shows off her vocal range as well as her lyrical storytelling . The songs are narratives that draw you in and sound deceptively pretty. The beginning falsetto put me slightly off balance, but once the folksy singer-songwriter vibe set in, I was happy to go along with the ride. A strong 3.5.

I don’t mind my poetry with a pulse or narration with a backing track but I like it in smaller doses. This is a one-note record which may have a very worthy aim but does itself no favours by being tedious. There was nothing to latch onto - it felt like one long diatribe with a beat.

Talent - abundance thereof Interest - lack thereof Just not my thing I played I listened I failed

Good, but not great. The kids are all right and My generation are fab but the others are dispensable. It sits squarely in the ‘OK’ vein but for the classics that still resonate nearly 60 years later.

JBJ - being married to his childhood Sweetheart for 30+ years is nice! JBJ - as a philanthropist is great JBJ as a singer is grating BJ as a band is mindnumbing I don’t even have the energy to mock them. But they have written some successful ear worms and I don’t hate them.

If I spent any time wondering why this was on the list, I would go down a rabbit hole and may never emerge again. I thought the Interludes were interesting, but the music might as well have been the soundtrack to a lifetime channel movie. Bland and meaningless. So, someone thought this was important enough to put on a list of albums that must be listened to before you die. I’ve done that now. Next!

Loved the cover of this one. It could have been a poster for a Beckett play. Wish the songs could’ve been as interesting and existential as a Beckett play. Weirdly I thought the first song sounded like they were trying to be Pink Floyd and then the rest turned out to be fairly innocuous. Ironically, my favourite song was “whole lot of BS.”

This is the kind of music my family call “ooh ooh baby” music. It’s never done anything for me. Only song I liked was ’Just my imagination’, but I prefer the original Temptations version. It’s not ugly, horrible or offensive music. It is, however, interminably uninteresting.

Pretty lovely - I didn’t even mind the covers. I actually loved the guitars on ‘Grapevine’. This is a solid record and their tunes have lasted. I’d say a decent 3.5.

As long as you’re not in it for the lyrics…. I do love a lot of these tracks, they’re great to dance to. Yes they’re repetitive but Ravel’s Bolero repeats the same melody 14 times but is still a great piece of music. Listening to the whole album straight off can be a little mind-numbing but there are enough hooks to entice you back in. Could do without the Fucking in Heaven altogether.

A landmark of musical history. This is a great example of where the music and lyrics are so well done but unless you are aware of the story it probably seems very disjointed and meaningless. Maybe just downright creepy. I do love the music and some of the tracks absolutely stand up today but it’s not something I want to listen to on its own. I’d rather watch the film, so it’s all in context.

I was wondering how this was a seminal, groundbreaking band. But then I realised I was listening to bands like this: King Kurt and The Cramps a couple of years after this came out. I can also hear that they want to be The Velvet Underground and a little bit Patti Smith. I would’ve loved this in the 80s, and I still have a fondness for this type of music. But it does feel repetitive after awhile. Great in small doses.

I will confess, I was one of those people who really liked early Jesus and Mary chain. I fell out with them when my friends went to a gig that lasted 15 minutes and the band had their backs turned to them. I thought that was just insulting and didn’t really listen to them for a lot of years afterwards. When I hear them now, I still actually enjoy the music. They are a second rate Velvet Underground, a faux Television but just because a handbag is a knock off. It doesn’t mean that you don’t necessarily like it. There are some good catchy songs behind all the noise. It’s taken me a long time but I think I’ve forgiven them.

I chose to listen to this as an antidote to some awful heavy metal that had hurt my ears. My folks used to have the album in the 70s and Vincent was my auntie’s favourite song. It really evoked the Age of Aquarius with women floating about in long white dresses, adorned with Daisy crowns. It’s very much a period piece. I couldn’t listen to it again for a while as it feels like I have a piece of fudge now stuck to the roof of my mouth. Cloying and sickly. But I did enjoy The Grave and Babylon as ways to wallow in an era now lost to us all.

I’ve put this on hoping it would incentivise me and I want to inject a little impetus. What it did was make me hunker down and not wanna move. The lyrics still have pertinence, but I found this very repetitive. I hankered for other public enemy songs. Bring the noize – no thank you.

All I can see when I hear this music is a load of moustachioed men, bobbing their heads and grinning earnestly at each other. Birdland used to be the background music to every incidental sports medley on British television. Rumba mama doesn’t even sound like it belongs on this album, but was the best of a bad bunch. This has reinforced my view of how much I hate jazz fusion. It only brings one word to mind – SMUG!!!

I had never heard of this band before and was really happy to hear something new. For the first 9 songs (barring Sorry ain’t enough) I thought I’d found a new favourite to stick on repeat. But this is an album of two halves. The second half just sounded like dull, ‘ooh ooh baby’ music - uninspirational R&B which I could frankly do without. But 8/20 songs that grabbed me by the throat is quite good odds. I would definitely listen to those again.

Hurt, as done by Johnny Cash, makes me wanna cry. The arrangement and voice know how to evoke emotion. It is beautiful. The original also makes me wanna cry. But for the reason that it just does not have that same impact. The only song that I can say I liked on here was A warm place. There was no singing on it which perhaps says it all. I still love the song Hurt but as sometimes happens, the cover surpasses the original and makes you never want to revisit the progenitors. There were some nice background tunes but they lost me when Trent Reznor started singing. But for the fact that Hurt exists at all I give it a 2.

They can all play their instruments and there are some classic songs in there, but they’re way too long and way too many solos. I do like smoke on the water, but not enough to seek it out again in a hurry. Decidedly average.

I remember listening to this when it first came out and I thought it was the most overblown histrionic hyperbolic music. Ask me now and no question that there are some absolute classics on this album but there are also some filler tracks which don’t feel as complete or dramatic. I do love most of this album now. It has grown in stature for me over the years and no doubt it’s an absolute blinder. However there are a couple of tracks I could absolutely gloss over and I don’t need to hear them again. But that doesn’t detract from Prince’s extraordinary talent.

ENO is the aficionado of ambient music and has produced some great albums. This one, however, does not make me want to do anything: sing or dance, laugh or cry or ever listen to it again. It is the soundtrack to inertia. Like an innocuous film score, this is perfect background music, especially if you’re doing homework, writing code or changing your cat’s litter tray. I really don’t need more elevator Muzak in my life. I want music to incite emotion or make me want to do anything other than catch flies with my open mouth.

Almost everything has already been said about this album. It’s a classic melding of musical influences. You can hear the jazz, the hillbilly, the folk, the glam-rock but it feels cohesive not a muddled hotch-potch. It is seminal and inclusive and the poetic lyrics are an aural joy. It also never dates. How topical is ‘Five Years’ now? I’m not giving it 5 stars though because I would, on further listening, always skip a couple of tracks to get to the meatier ones, scoop the filling out of the pie crust if you like. There also other Bowie albums that for me are just a bit better. But a great way to start your day! Or just inject a bit of dynamic to a Wet Wednesday.

No-one can deny this is the sound of the 60s. At first I felt that I was being assaulted by ‘pleasant’. I longed for ‘Turn. Turn Turn’ my favourite Byrds song which is both familiar and great and reduces me to tears every time I hear it. Then the classic three minute summer of love pop songs, although they continued, began to be speckled with melancholy and ruefulness. Yes there is the familiar sound of trippy psychedelia, but the songs with messages and story and underlying protest are the ones that stay with me and give the album its gravitas. Although I’m going off to play Turn Turn Turn now…

So I could just say: I don’t mind. I listened to this a few hours ago, and I remember almost nothing. It made such little impact on me that I just don’t care and I don’t mind. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. I was just indifferent. I know the big James Brown hits which I’m happy to sing along to and dance to. But I’m just as happy to live without them. I’m also very happy to live without this album. Mercifully it was short. It’s probably worth a 2.5 - but that ain’t an option so this is probably meaner than I intended.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I expected it to be full of whiny guitars and shouty vocals. The anthem on every child’s lips as they run out of the school gates every summer still has resonance and potency. What I was surprised by was that the rest of the album was full of whimsy and humour and musicality. I actually laughed out loud at Street Fight and marvelled that I could hear skiffle and jazz influences. A much more pleasant and fun experience than I imagined.

My first reaction on seeing today’s pick was ‘oh God, no’. This is not my type of music, but I was willing to give it another go. I am sure they are talented musicians and have made a lot of money making a lot of people happy. However, this was just an affront to my ears. Screechy guitars and raspy voices. Just Horrible. To quote a later album - Run to the hills.

This music evokes a certain time and place: Friday night in a remote field, Saturday night on a beach in the Balearics, Sunday morning in an abandoned warehouse in Kings Cross. You get the picture. I was never the bucket hat and glow sticks kind of person, but I can dance to a beat. It also reminded me of the best clubbing scene from a TV show. Check out Ep 6 of Spaced if you want a hearty laugh. The songs that stood out for me were Life is Sweet. Loving the Tim Burgess vocals. Also a very fun video. And who can mistake those haunting Beth Orton vocals on Alive Alone? I wouldn’t necessarily revisit this album but it was pleasantly evocative.

This album begins with an absolutely beautiful tune. Even if you did not know who this song was by, it will have infiltrated your subconscious over the years somehow and will resonate with everyone at some point. My initial reaction was that the rest of the album could not live up to this standard. What it became was a hazy, psychedelic trip through melancholia. It was poignant, morbid, miserable poetry set to music. An early Smiths if you like. It also struck me that they sounded incredibly English. I was surprised that they were an American band because it sounded like a depressed, self-deprecating version of the Summer of Love. This is not a criticism. I’m English - I live in the grey shadows of sorrow and like my music peppered with pain. I wish I could give this a 3.5 but I’m far too mournful :)

What Elastica does well is brevity. There are some absolutely banging tunes on this album. But just when you’ve got your teeth into one it ends abruptly. I found myself yearning for at least one more chorus. I don’t know if it’s irony or commentary when Connection finishes after two and a bit minutes. Is it a treatise on the brief life we have or the need to make instant connections? I’m not convinced they’re that deep. But that song has now become iconic and features in at least one advertising campaign every year. So that ‘connection’ has endured, although the lifespan of the band was short. They made two albums and Justine remarked that it was one album too long. Paraphrasing obviously! But you can’t deny the energy and bounce of this album. It’s Joyous Britpop for Tigger - Winnie the Pooh’s springy friend - but it does make me crave a song with a couple more minutes to bop along.

Simple! Stripped back! And very bittersweet. Just a narrative with consummate musicianship. There are no flashy twiddles or over-production to hide behind. Raw instruments and a distinctive voice. Here Nelson tells a story in a direct, intimate and beautiful way. This is country done pure.

I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice I do not like his voice by choice. I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice. To me it is discordant noise. I do not like it here or there. I do not like it anywhere I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice I do not like his voice by choice. I do not like any Sabbath song They make my head just feel all wrong I do not like any Sabbath tune I would rather be on the moon. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like any Sabbath song They make my head just feel all wrong. I will not listen in the rain. Listening causes too much pain. Not in the dark! Not in a tree! Not in a car! You let me be! I will not listen in our house. I will not listen to them in Laos. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not think they’re misunderstood. I just don’t think they’re any good. Apologies to Dr Seuss!

An interesting foray into a folk singer I had never heard of. I did not know his reach and influence and back catalogue was so immense. I could hear how it influenced people like Donovan and the Thompsons and Neil Young. Sad to say though I’d still rather listen to them. Jansch is a very accomplished musician and storyteller. The quality of this record is undeniable to say he recorded it in his bedroom on one mic. In 1965, that was a feat in itself. Until now, Bert and this record have completely passed me by. I’m glad to have added to my musical education - I knew of no song about taking heroin before The Velvet Underground so Needle of Death was a plaintive revelation. On the whole this was very easy to listen to and an album I was glad to be introduced to.

I was pretty sure I knew every song on this album – well, there are only five. I hadn’t ever listened to it start to finish though. I knew it was a concept album - partly un homage to Syd Barrett and was fully on board with it. I hadn’t ever realised ‘Shine on you crazy Diamond’ had 900 parts to it but I was fully committed and very into it until the last ‘song’ or the last 712 parts of Crazy Diamond. That’s when my interest began to wane, and even though I appreciate what a clever and well-crafted album it is, my concentration dipped. I could’ve done with track number five being a completely different song. I do think it was very poignant and clever without being smug. A solid experience and much as I might have tuned out towards the end I do appreciate PF a lot but in smaller doses.

Smooth, mellow, I appreciated the beats. And thought it was quite hypnotic. I did find his voice very monotonous, and after a while a bit tiresome. I did really like Official and We fight/We love, but he would’ve benefited from more collaborators singing. I did find myself bouncing along to some of the funkier beats which is an endorsement of sorts. But I’m not sure he could ever top ‘Can I kick it?’ Others might disagree and reply though: “Yes he can!”

This sounds So English! It’s a comment on postwar Britain, the class system, the yearning for a different life. A portrayal of working-class aspiration or lack thereof. Couldn’t help comparing the Pogues singing ‘South Australia’ about convicts being transported and the idyllic ‘Australia’ here which is a symbol of attainment. A punishment becomes an ideal. The songs are well-crafted and witty. Ray Davies’ voice is very distinctive and adds to the eccentricity of this concept album. This album and its peculiar slant fills my heart with a strange mixture of pride and relish.

I do love the piano. I do love a talented and accomplished musician. Given that, why do I just not care about this album? It sounded like a soundscape or film score of a documentary on mountains. I actually kept forgetting I was supposed to be listening and walking off to do something else. It made so little impression on me. I’m sure he is a brilliant talent. What did make me laugh was at the very end I listened to the applause since it was a live concert. Even that live audience sounded very nonplussed with their lacklustre response. To describe it as a smattering of applause would be more than kind. Perhaps they too had - metaphorically - wandered off.

For the nostalgia it evokes For the classic Pop songs For Boy George’s silken voice For the breezy, uplifting tunes For the mournful, heartbreaking lyrics For the drama and emotion and Helen Terry‘s soulful tones For the impassioned sax and harmonica For the hours dancing round my kitchen For the ability to put this on repeat and it still packs a punch For all this and more I thank you.

The words Collective improvisation and Free jazz fill me with horror and frustration simultaneously. I once had a friend who was in an improvisational jazz band. They used to play every week in a room above a pub. Out of loyalty, I used to go and support said friend. After the first week, I realised that if I did not have something to occupy my hands and brain I would go mad. So I gathered all my clothes that needed mending or buttons that needed sewing and I used to sit in the crowd repairing clothing. Otherwise I would’ve found being there unbearable. I feel like we’ve had overkill on the jazz lately but that’s because it doesn’t speak to me. Every time I think that I can be swayed to like the music and maybe get into a tune, it turns into a syncopated discordant mess. I understand that Mingus is a revered genius, and I may be an unsophisticated heathen but I just want to scream and bang my head against a wall. Another jazz-loving friend used to tell me that jazz opens the soul and encourages you to share your deepest, emotional experiences with others. I find alcohol does that just as well.

Well, this was a strange one. A bit folky. A bit rocky. A bit jazzy. A bit country. A bit too averagey. Nothing stood out for me, and there was nothing to get my teeth into. It flowed over me like water over a rock. And left me just as cold.

I was never particularly into Disco in its heyday. Subsequently, the floor-fillers have permeated into my bloodstream and I appreciate them for what they are. I understand how songs like ’Good Times’ are ubiquitous at birthdays and weddings because they are infectious and get people up dancing. That’s why they’re also six or eight minutes long to keep those people dancing to a beat and not have to change the record as often. Nile Rogers is an institution. He has improved with age and is revered almost everywhere. However it doesn’t make this album less boring. The first and last tracks do have a funky beat and are fun and encourage you to boogie. But the others just seemed to go on and on. Solid - but I stand by my ambivalence to most ‘Disco’ albums. It would be 2.5 but I’ll give it a 3 for the longevity of Good Times.

Those drums still have the power to stir my heart. They strike a very primal connection. The hits take me back to my pre-teen days when my best friend had the album on vinyl and named her dog Ant. We both thought Stuart (Adam Ant) was very pretty and different and bucked the trend. So I still get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I listen to these fun, uptempo tracks and can sing along to all the hits. I’d probably be just as happy listening to a ‘Best of’ Album so I could sing along to all of them. But it’s hard not to feel slightly removed from those days when Adam and his Ants felt fresh. And ant-marched to the beat of a Burundi drum. The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

Late night Warm bath Beer on the porch This is music for the mellow moments To wring out the rage This is the poignant twang of yearning To wrestle you into the moment Listen and lounge! Listen and lounge!

Over and over, I keep asking myself the question - why did I think that I loved The Pixies so much. I had their albums years ago, but I probably haven’t listened to one start to finish for a long, long time. I would have sworn blind that I really liked them. However, nothing really stood out for me here. There were a couple of decent enough tracks but nothing that I could say I loved. I recognised ‘Velouria’ and ‘All over the world’ from way back but I’m left feeling very nonplussed. Perhaps they slotted into a particular time of my life. But that time is not now.

Acknowledging the elephant in the room. Spector’s personal life was dubious to say the least. Abhorrent! Grotesque! All that and more. Putting aside the private man and the fact that the message at the end is infused with creepy overtones, he was undoubtedly a genius producer and these are superb songs. If you can’t appreciate a fabulous Christmas tune on Christmas Eve Eve, then you might as well go and clank chains with Jacob Marley.

What a beautiful confluence of style and talent. I love Billy Bragg so my heart leant more into the songs he sang but it’s such a well-rounded album. This passed me by the time but I’m delighted that this BB and Wilco collaboration unearthed some gorgeous songs with those doleful, gut-wrenching Guthrie lyrics.

I’ve never really got the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’m fine if they are playing somewhere, on the radio or in the background. But for me the sum of their parts adds up to less than the whole. I wouldn’t go out of my way to play them and I never particularly believed the hype. I find them tedious and self-serving so this a no-no!

Black Hole Sun is a classic (and an ear worm) and once I’ve heard it, I cannot stop hearing it in my head for the rest of the day. Soundgarden as a whole is a right time, right place kind of band for me. Yesterday was neither. I did try – morning, afternoon and evening. I appreciate that Chris Cornell was a towering talent and Soundgarden was the definitive voice of grunge for a generation. But once Black Hole Sun had played everything else paled by comparison. It is a great song though!

Much as I like Peter Gabriel’s voice, this is all a bit too worthy and pompous. I kept wishing the Prog Rock had progressed already. I recognised ‘I know what I like’ which I don’t mind but the rest was all a bit too self-important.

Heart-achingly bittersweet! This album is just fabulously atmospheric evoking images of smoky clubs late at night, displaced lonely people with an undercurrent of relentless yearning. It could be the soundtrack to a film noir set on Christmas Eve. His haunting voice makes me want to cry and sing simultaneously. It’s a solid 4.5 - it’s not quite perfect but I think this is very much a marmite record. If it doesn’t make you want to weep or lull you into his shattered world, it probably makes you want to throw something at a wall.

I almost didn’t need to play this album. It’s part of the musical wallpaper of my childhood. Ever-present! I’m pretty sure I have my fathers vinyl copy tucked away in a cupboard. I will often quote ‘After Hours’ as my favourite song ever. Depends on the day. But I do remember even as a little girl discussing the meaning of it with my father. I quite often sing it just off-the-cuff trying to mimic Moe Tucker tones. The album is a catalyst of memories for me and the songs are ingrained in my soul. It may be the Velvets without John Cale but still essentially Them. It’s poetic and introspective and melodic and pervaded by a feeling of painful loss. Glorious!

Boppy Bouncy Upbeat Lovefool is a great tune and seemingly timeless - the rest of the album coasts along pleasantly. I really liked the Iron Man cover too. I wouldn’t say it’s a classic album. I’m really not sure why it’s on this list, but The Cardigans are cute enough to keep you warm on a grim and grisly Tuesday.

I’ve loved The The since forever. Not one dud song! I cannot actually sit still when this plays, because the music inhabits my whole body. I just want to sing and move to every tune. Matt Johnson manages to mix high octane danceable songs with searing political comment and the frailty of the human condition. Sadly, and maddeningly, the themes of despair still resonate nearly 40 years later. The brass arrangements add excitement and drama. Neneh Cherry’s voice on Slow Train to Dawn is just beautiful. Magnificent! I saw them on tour back when Johnny Marr was the guitarist. Great days! I just want go back and put it all on repeat now!

A truly seminal band. I always liked their singles but never pursued any further. They definitely made hip-hop accessible to everyone and that hip-hop/rock fusion hooks in a much larger audience. For me they are a solid 3.5 but for the amazing legacy and the fact that their songs still stand up, I’m raising that.

This started off for me as the musical equivalent of beige. Innocuous. It added nothing to the musical spectrum and nothing to my pallette or experience. There is the ubiquitous “there she goes” which I hope Lee Mavers made a ton of money off. I don’t know if it’s the history of this record that gives it its gravitas. The story of a tortured genius for whom nothing was perfect. After the first five songs it did begin to grow on me. That Guitar on Doledrum was extremely atmospheric and redolent of the banjos in Deliverance. And then Freedom song really caught my attention and suckered me in. The songs are so short that if you’re not particularly enamoured of one, don’t worry, the next starts in two minutes. I know this album is important because it’s a precursor to Britpop and a one-off album that was the beginning of a whole new wave. But the influences are there for everyone to hear, and it would also deny the existence of bands like the Stone Roses or the Charlatans who were also foundations for the British 90s sound. Better than I thought it was going to be, but if Lee Mavers ain’t completely happy with it, then I might have to follow his lead.

Not really feeling it. I thought I liked the Faces, but maybe today is not the day. Rod Stewart’s voice is really grating on me. I liked the tracks sung by Ronnie, but nothing really felt exciting to me, or unique or compelling. On the paint palette, a magnolia band.

I cannot tell you how happy it made me to see this was the choice today. Again, it’s been kicking around the house since its release 40-odd years ago. Her voice is amazing and every song is painfully raw and emotional. The Ballad of Lucy Jordan - I used it as a learning tool when I was young - that I would never be in a position to feel stifled and helpless and ‘unable to ride through Paris’. Then I grew up. But it still has an amazing visceral power with the ability to reduce me to tears, every time. (Side note - Michelle Shocked’s Anchorage has the same theme and same effect on me. Playing these two songs back to back is a killer.) Back to MF - this is one of those albums that makes you feel exposed. Every song is incredible, for me there are no weak points. And the cover of Working Class Hero, I would wager, is better than the original. She adds another layer of pathos. I feel like I’ve had the stuffing knocked out of me and need time to recover. But I guess that’s indicative of music that can bypass reason and inhabit your soul. Outstanding!

The sun does rise in the East. And it sets in the west. This music was unexceptional So not really the best. Jeru who? I hate when songs refer to women as Da Bichez. The cause was pretty much lost there.

I really like the mashing and meshing of styles. I was more into thé music and instrumentals behind the vocals. The vocals all kind of merged into one for me and I had no idea what was being conveyed and didn’t really have the impetus to find out. Sabotage was a great song. Also liked Sabrosa, The Document and Eugene’s Lament. Love the cover.

Nobody could ever mistake Joy Division for another band. They have a very unique, distinctive sound. There is a pulsating, hypnotic quality to the music so it almost feels like you’re being pulled into a whirlpool. This album is infused with a poetic pain and musical melancholy, a harbinger of imminent demise. It is full of smokey sweaty clubs, and grey English streets. I can hear each instrument so distinctly from the other, and yet it combines in a kind of witches’ cauldron to produce melodic magic. Ian Curtis’s lyrics drip with suffering and the repetition just enhances that anguish. Weirdly enough, I just found this quote from Bernard Sumner: “While we were working on Closer, Ian said to me that doing this album felt very strange, because he felt that all his words were writing themselves. He also said that he had this terrible claustrophobic feeling that he was in a whirlpool and being pulled down, drowning." So obviously I am really tuning in to what Ian Curtis was feeling. Never mind the fact that this came out when I was almost a teenager and the nostalgia is overwhelming. This is a perfect storm of emotion, memory, poetry and damn fine tunes. Sen-bloody-sational.

Apart from the title of the album, which is a little bit self-aggrandising I really like this. I loved the big band arrangements and the production. I suppose Ray Charles’s voice got a little lost under the production, but the songs were all really easy to swing along to. It helps that they are all very well-known songs, not only for that time but they have endured and permeated the collective consciousness. I preferred the first half of the album, what was originally the first side. The ballads lost me a little bit. But it was a very pleasant ride.

I do really like Talking Heads, don’t I? This was my mantra as I was listening to this album. I usually love them and remember being blown away by Psycho Killer back in 1977. Plus I could name a lot of songs that if you played them for me I would relish. The guitars and drums on this were fantastic, but I kept finding David Byrne’s voice really tiresome. I would’ve been happy with a ‘Best of’ album, but I didn’t like the whole package. Which is a shame because: I do really like Talking Heads, don’t I?

Fun and Dancey! I knew their earlier stuff, but this album had passed me by. I found a lot of it quite derivative, but that did not detract from how easy it was to jiggle along to. It surprised me how much I found this a rollicking fun ride. It actually made me want to go back to the earlier albums again. Definitely an easy and enjoyable listen! Not quite a 4 but 3 doesn’t quite do it justice. Pretend it’s a 3.5.

Hasn’t everything been said about Bob Dylan? What disappointed me about this is, if you’re going to have an iconic bootleg album, then why are you editing out the audience reaction? Surely the whole point is to hear how his change of direction affected the audience on that moment. I would rather have heard the original bootleg with all the heckling rather than a remastered, sanitised bootleg. Wasn’t the point to capture that moment in time? Bob Dylan has emotional resonance because my father had a picture of Bob Dylan on his piano as a young man which was the definition of rebellion in his household. My mother remembers it vividly. I’ve never been a fan of his vocals, but he is a superb poet. I love all the melodies. There are two camps I think for harmonica playing – love it or hate it. I am in the former camp and I actually wish I could play. So I am with him all the way for the first half. And I stay with him for the electric part too. My favourite on here is ‘The Ballad of the Thin Man’ - outstanding. But just imagine if he could actually sing?

This takes me back to the days when I used to go out dancing every weekend. There was a part of the evening where the B-52’s, along with King Kurt and The Cramps were always played in succession. The dancefloor was so packed you had to dance with your shoulders, and maybe a bit of elbow. These are floor fillers for a certain audience. I love the energy and whimsy. I’d happily get on the dancefloor now if Rock Lobster or Planet Claire were on the turntable. I don’t really need to hear a whole album but I loved that it flashed by very quickly without straining my patience. Always a bonus.

I like Blur well enough. This isn’t my favourite. I much prefer Parklife. This is a bit meh for my liking. For Tomorrow is the only takeaway from this album from me. And I do love a picture of a steam train. Which is about all I have to say on the matter. Pretend this is a 2.5.

Neil Young! Man, that guy could sing “Happy Talk “and his voice would cut me to the quick. I love everything about this, the voice, the guitars, the harmonica, the songwriting. Beautiful! My, My, Hey,Hey! Yeah Yeah!!

Nina Simone is a stupendous singer. There are some amazingly beautiful songs on here. A masterclass in musical minimalism. However, it’s not something I want to listen to with any regularity. Life is already hard enough and as much as I don’t mind ordinarily being sucked into a vortex of misery, this is not my bubbling tar pit of choice.

In 1994, I was in a very heightened phase of album-buying. I would hear one song and if I loved it I would go out to buy the album. This was the case with ‘Live Through This’. I heard ‘Doll Parts’ and immediately fell in love with it. I am very well aware that Courtney Love does not have a huge range. I also know that usually I hate shouty singing. But for whatever reason this touched a part of me and I am happily shouting along with most of it. There are a couple of songs in the middle that don’t quite make the grade. But most of it is clever and fervent and passionate, and I can still sing along to almost everything. I also once stayed in the same hotel where Courtney Love and Steve Coogan had their fling so every time I hear her sing it makes me chortle. Back of the net!!!

The production and harmonies and instrumentals are splendid. Not quite the transformative experience that many people have when listening to this album but it’s perfectly lovely background music.

This is the musical equivalent of Kelly Hoppen design. It’s all magnolia with a hint of buttermilk. It’s innocuous and easy to listen to. I must confess I’d never listened to a Taylor Swift album in its entirety until now. I quite like the singles, but I think I got bored of every song being an exposé of a past boyfriend. I like the fact that these are little vignettes and poetic stories that are not always about her. But every one seems to blend into the last. A couple stood out: Marjorie and Tis the Damn Season, also Tolerate It. These are clever ditties but I’m not sure how soon I’ll ever want to return to them. I know her songwriting is celebrated, but I just tolerate it.

Side one: who do I NOT love? Side two: Moaner Overall: Unhappy trails This is what I would describe as ‘noodling’ but not sure if that’s the correct application of the word. I mean - it’s inoffensive but just so boring! Not horrible but tedious listening to all those flipping guitar solos!

This is Tosh! But not tosh, which is a British word for nonsense. So this isn’t nonsense but it’s not highly interesting either. Bless him for the prescient sentiments but society is still not quite there….I liked the beats and the melodies well enough but this is mostly background vibe.

Maybe if I was in a club on the beach in Ibiza. But I’m not! Maybe if I was on hold to IT services. But I’m not! Maybe if I was in an elevator in a shopping mall. But I’m not! This does not have the chops to destroy rock ‘n’ roll. I’m not even sure it could fight its way out of a paper bag.

I like Frank singing. How about you? I like Nelson Riddle arrangements. How about you? I like short sweet songs that keep you coming for more. A classic album that keeps you smiling, of that I’m sure. How about you? How about you?

Unfortunately, this was not the morning for Def Leppard. I already had a headache and knew this would make it worse. I tried my best, I took the tablets, put the volume down to one and tried to listen to the melodies and guitar rather than listen to that horrible voice. But frankly, the end couldn’t come soon enough. And the headache hasn’t shifted.

Wow! Another band that I wasn’t aware of. I do love a punk band with a driving guitar. I also love that these are a bunch of black guys pushing the punk boundaries. It’s not just three chords and shouting – it’s a fusion of styles with great tunes and fantastic energy. I couldn’t always understand the words but loving the feel of it. ‘Sacred Love’ and ‘Return to Heaven’ were standouts for me.

I do love a bit of The Verve and Richard Ashcroft. This isn’t my favourite Verve album, I prefer Urban Hymns but this was very welcome. Not sure if I could spin it twice on the trot because it tends to stay on a morose note and the songs all merge after a while. But not only does it have Northern Soul, it definitely has the soul of the North. it’s full of brooding and loss and loneliness. When you’re lying alone in bed, listening to Richard Ashcroft wailing ‘I’m gonna die alone in bed’ the prospect of ending up as food for your cats becomes almost palpable. Frankly, if this was a perfume, the base note would be self-flagellation and the top note would be incessant rain.

I really needed some “kind” music today. And I got it. Nothing that was too discordant or going to tax my brain or make me feel overwrought. This is music that allows you to just drift along on the tunes, like flotsam. I knew every one of these songs without ever having played a Travis album. I’ve never felt the need to buy one or put it on a playlist, but every time I hear one of their tracks, it feels reassuring. Even when there’s a maudlin undercurrent as in ‘Why does it always rain on me?’ That’s just what happens in Britain - rain. They famously played that song at Glasto in driving rain. Cemented their reputation and legacy. Just lovely!

Intro is such a great start. I’d forgotten how much I loved the XX. I listened to this record and put it straight on repeat. Then I put on their second album and put that on repeat. I just read another review that said this was for lonely, middle-class girls in the late 2000s. That made me laugh a lot. Call me lonely and middle class if you like (although I think that’s a little judgey). But this is simultaneously simple and awkward and touching and emotionally layered. If there’s one thing this project is proving to me (as if I didn’t know) is just give me a dollop of quintessentially English melancholia and I’m with you all the way. It must be because I am just another lonely middle class girl. 🤣

This was almost like magical realism – floating on a storm cloud. It was ethereal and unusual and gloomy and uplifting at the same time. The first two tracks were just brilliant. The rest of the album didn’t quite live up to those and the singing and melodies didn’t particularly change that much. But I liked the whole ambience so didn’t mind that there wasn’t too much deviation. Interesting note, I found out that David Jolicoeur from De La Soul died and started playing ‘Me Myself and I’ at the same time as ‘Spunky’. In a wacky alternative universe, they make a really good mashup. Danger Mouse, you’re welcome!!!

Sorry Dave – much as I love you, this just felt long! I can see that this has been shoehorned into a genre called Art Rock.. And it does feel very artsy-fartsy. I presume it was picked today for the song entitled ‘Valentines Day’ but there was nothing lovey-dovey about this record. It seemed lachrymose and rueful. Not necessarily a hard, listen, but the songs did seem to go on and on. I know this must’ve been a lot of hard work for him coming back after being ill and a nine year hiatus but it didn’t grab me. Poor love - as I was singing along to ‘Where are we now?’ the answer was a mine of pathos.

So Very Kate! Experimental, groundbreaking, unapologetic. Not always successful, but never uninteresting. Not my favourite Kate Bush album, but she is nevertheless a tour de force.

Such a great album and a stonking start! This was very much my era and area. When he talks about the 18 bus going to Euston in his love song to his father, I lived on that bus route in 1977 and I live on it now. These character studies are full of wit and sardonic humour but also a love letter to a place and time. Ian Dury himself was such an affable character and much as he hasn’t got the greatest voice, there is something energetic and fun and endearing about these songs. For those who haven’t already, watch ‘Sex and Drugs and Rock n Roll’ with Andy Serkis (not doing stop motion) but portraying Ian Dury.

Love the Bruegel cover but the music did absolutely nothing for me. Wasn’t completely horrible though.

I liked really early U2 - the Boy era, when they were a bit more raw and hard. They still know how to write a catchy tune though. Happy to sing along to Mysterious Ways and my favourite on this album, – ‘Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses’. Apparently they’ve never been able to play that song live because they can’t recapture that emotion. I guess that’s why I like it then.

I’ve heard of Elliott Smith though never explored any of the music. I’m sure I know some of the tunes from Good Will Hunting.. Not exactly galvanising music. Pleasant enough to have in the background. It reminds me of candy floss, though – very sweet and then disappears to nothing. One hour later and I remember nothing… but it strikes me that this may be the kind of music that grows on you if you hear it a lot.

Hey you, what’s that sound? Complete bollocks is what that sound is. I can hear nothing original on this album, it’s just generic dance music. Fine if you’re in a club. It kind of got better as it went along but I’m fairly nonplussed and ending on ‘We’re all damaged people’ was a downer. Wouldn’t want to dance to that in a club! But it reminded me a bit of Adamski - I think I’d rather listen to ’Killer’ tbh. And that came a good decade before this. Why do I need to hear this before I die?

Beautiful! Every song a classic! I never grow tired of these songs.

I have this album and it was always my preferred Verve album. I love all these songs and videos for the singles too. I don’t care that people hear Richard Ashcroft as a whiny northerner. I love his voice and it works as an instrument on its own.

Ginormous in talent, if not in stature. I was fully on board for the first half hour and then my interest dropped like a stone. The singles are great, the musical treatises bored me senseless. Sorry, Prince. I’m obviously having a bad day. Something definitely did not compute. But for 1999 alone you’re a star.

I feel like we have been listening to a lot of repeats of artists lately. I know many bands and musicians have a huge body of work which can evolve and diversify through time. But sometimes I need more time and distance between listens. I don’t want to write a repeat critique and say exactly what I said about Talking Heads last time although I feel exactly the same. When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed Say something once, why say it again? I love the singles, I would have been very happy with a best of album. But I just found this wearisome, and was only energised when it got to psycho killer. Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh!

Another band I wasn’t familiar with. Glad to have been introduced to them. Great name Great year Wasn’t completely bowled over by the tunes, but some of them felt really familiar. Maybe because they are so redolent of the era. The album is so short though - you can’t find anything tiresome when it is over in the blink of an eye. I think Lazy Me was my favourite.

Fun Fast Fabulous Couldn’t stop bouncing to this. That little punk kid is still in there. It takes me back to the time when the magazine Smash Hits was still extant. I am standing at the bus stop after school reading the mag and memorising the lyrics to Holiday in Cambodia which were printed in there. I don’t think the album had even come out at that time, but I knew I loved the Dead Kennedys just from that song. And it still doesn’t disappoint. All the songs have a fierce energy and a blistering political stance - so full of social comment but laced with humour. I love that bite and edginess. But also tuneful with it. Who knew satire could be so catchy? I am all over this. Love love love!

Would listen to this over Exodus. Enjoyed the vibe but small doses work better for me. Still great songs and felt a bit more raw and emotional than later mixes. I definitely preferred this version of No Woman, No Cry.

This is the Rolling Stones at their prime. Before they became parodies of themselves. Before they became drug-addled, age-ravaged puppets on spitting image. This may be their most downbeat album, but it works for me. Sister Morphine and Wild. Horses are still beautiful pieces of music.

The first time I ever heard a Bruce song was on the radio in 1980 - later than this album came out. The song I heard was The River which just resonated somewhere in my gut. In the days when you could tape off the radio, I had just won a tape deck in a raffle and The River was one of the first tracks on my mix. I know it’s not on this album but because of that Bruce always has a bit of a special place in my nostalgic heart. The songs on this album have seeped into my subconscious in the subsequent years, and I still feel very warm when I listen to them. I love the melancholy and vibe and underlying desperation sprinkled with love and hope and of course the voice.

Well, this was revelatory to me. I thought I’d heard of the band. I thought I knew a couple of tracks. And I think I recognised that a couple of songs have been used for adverts. But on the whole, this was completely new to me. Sometimes when this list has offered me up something that I have very little or no previous knowledge of, it has turned out to be stupefyingly mediocre or something that I never want to listen to again. However, this to me felt like a timeless classic. If you’d asked me to pinpoint an era, I would never have gone with 2010. It feels earlier. Or somehow out of time. But my instinct has been to have the album on hand to play, whenever I could today. I think I’m on my third listen and it’s just getting better. I absolutely love Sinister Kid and Howlin for You and Too Afraid to Love You and Tighten Up. This has been a great new find. I’m just trying to wonder what happened in 2010 for me to miss this?

Nothing about this album, made me care about Aerosmith any more than I already did, which was not a lot. Just reminded me that I really liked the version of Walk This Way by Run DMC.

Listening to this reminded me of the movie ‘Love and Mercy’ which shows Brian Wilson struggling with his mental issues. Apparently those struggles started with Pet Sounds but seem audibly obvious here. But it’s actually the confluence of styles and people that contribute to this auditory mess. Each song felt like it was 15 minutes long, but that was probably because I was just desperate for it to end. Not even the prescient ecological messages could save this. And the cover just seems to epitomise how downtrodden and beaten this record is. A day in the life of a tree was ill-judged at best. I would’ve forgiven it if it was a song on Sesame Street, maybe a duet between Big Bird and Elmo but here it was just irritating. Akin to going to a hair salon two weeks after lockdown and the hairdresser asking if you’ve been anywhere nice on holiday. Harrumph I say!

Niche but beloved on their home shores, Depeche Mode have always been uncompromising and distinctive. This album title was meant to be a joke because they never had any intention to change their synthpop broody style to please anyone. And yet ironically this dark and moody album, which deals with far from ‘vanilla’ subjects brought them international renown. In its original 10 track form, it is a welcome cocoon - throbbing, hypnotic and unwilling to release you. A Stockholm syndrome inducing album if you like. The extra tracks on the rereleases seem to fill up space and add nothing to it for me. But as an OG, I am a willing slave to this mesmerising, pulsating cave of dark delights.

I feel like I had to be there, i.e. in 1969, to really feel this record. The fact that he is so experimental is admirable. The way he uses his voice is interesting. However, the way I feel about it is: Not happy Not sad And definitely not bothered!

Was this really a collection of different songs? Supposedly the two sides had very different band members and feel. It sounded to me like one long audition for Monsters, Inc. After Multinational Corporations the Instinct of Survival kicked in and I went in for The Kill. I felt like Scum - Caught in a dream with Polluted Minds. I Sacrificed myself to the Siege of Power, relinquishing Control. Born on your knees you and I and we are all Human Garbage. You Suffer, I suffer, we all suffer this travesty of noise. If you find the music in this auditory assault then I salute you. Each to their own!

Which person, who spent any school year in the late 70s/ early 80s didn’t have their own version of Another Brick in the Wall? Hey [own teacher’s name here] leave us kids alone. And who doesn’t have it stuck in their head now for days to come? I love the album I love the film I owned the vinyl, the CD and I saw the movie in my local cinema as a teenager and was blown away. Thank the algorithm for this, I needed something iconic after the hellmouth of Napalm Death.

The boys play good The man sings great The songs are fine (if overlong and samey) But this ain’t no Harvest

When I was young, I was convinced this epitomised American MOR. So I was pretty gobsmacked when I found out they were English. I still think they sound like American MOR. I also feel like some of the songs would have fit right into an episode of Glee. Even though, turns out, not one Supertramp song turned up in the show. A couple of songs are iconic. And really easy to listen to. I knew the singles but some songs drag a bit. Although I love that harmonica intro. Decent album - Bloody Well Right!

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Staggering talent - but not my cup of tea. Just not silent enough!

More fun than I thought, although their spelling is atrocious (tee hee). Probably won’t listen to it again, but it was easy enough on the ears. They are more than just ‘that’ Christmas song and ‘Mama, we’re all crazee now’ is a classic. I think what I’ve always liked about Slade, whenever I’ve seen them on television playing or in an interview, is just they always seemed to be having a good time. I know that’s not the whole story - they’ve had problems like most bands but during their heyday their glee was manifest.

Previously I’ve only been familiar with the greatest hits. Today I was so slammed with doing other stuff. I listened to this in five minute bursts. And did not appreciate it. I guess I just wasn’t feeling it. But I realised I had to give it another shot and give it the listen it deserved. So, cat on chest, I sat with no distractions and I’m not sure I felt any different. I looked up the lyrics and I found them quite nuanced and in some cases profound. The silence of the ‘riot’ song was ver clever. I also like a funky beat. So why the two together didn’t move me in any way, I cannot quite say. I know that I hate the yodelling song. And runnin’ away reminded me too much of Brotherhood of Man. (Look up BoM song Angelo - frothy nonsense). It strikes me this may be the kind of album that if I listen to it 10 more times I might feel more kindly towards it. But I don’t have that time. Today it sits squarely in the middle with added brownie points for Family Affair.

I’ve seen these guys described as grandiose and overblown. That is obviously my vibe because I am loving this. I’d heard all the singles before and really enjoyed them. But how I really discovered them was a couple of years after this album was released, when I heard Peter Gabriel‘s cover of ‘my body is a cage’, which I thought was hauntingly beautiful. I put it on repeat for days. Then I sought out the original, finding out that it was Arcade Fire and from this album. I still think their version is fabulous, but PG takes the biscuit in grandiose. Those violins cut me to my core. And any song that can make me simultaneously sing, cry and dance at 6:30 in the morning is a masterpiece. Both versions have this ability. As for the remainder of the album, there is a dark undercurrent of literary allusion and narrative storytelling that is quite compelling. It’s complemented by the timbre of Win Butler’s voice which conveys real passion and infuses every song with the emotional quality of dystopian poetry. Coupled with those hypnotic melodies its place on this list is well-deserved. All I want now: Set my spirit free Set my body free Etc etc

Mellifluous, smooth voice. Nice groove. Admirable political slant. Not digging the ‘Jesus’ track but a decent album overall. Great ending on ‘Love to the People’. We should all subscribe to that: Little bit of brotherhood Guarantee it can be good for the soul

I came to the John Martyn party late. It was the turn of the millennium - my life changed and my friends changed. One new friend used to spend a lot of late nights with me drinking wine and listening to John Martyn, with a bit of Cassandra Wilson thrown in. Not my usual style, but I came to love this genre-defying lyrical genius. Each song is infused with love and compassion and profound emotion. That voice just sucks you in. On the day JM died I happened to be listening to a radio show where the DJ was a massive fan. He turned over the show, the whole three hours into a dedication to his work. He didn’t really play the songs (maybe one or two per hour). What he did was to let people ring in and share their experiences of what JM meant to them. It was a masterclass in radio. There was a lot of emotion, a lot of tears but joy as well. The synchronicity worked for me, as if I hadn’t had those late nights with wine and Solid Air it would have meant nothing. Every song resonates for me and marks a turning point in my life. Fan-bloody-tastic!

I’m pretty sure I had this album. And yet I remember relatively little about it. I am letting it roll over me - fine but not fabulous. Sugar Kane was the highlight.

Poetic lyrics - check. Emotional vocals – check. Great melodies - check. Excellent harmonica – check. All elements that I really appreciate and thanks to Jen being the first person to really turn me onto him. I had heard some of his songs in the early 2000s . But then I have vague memories of being in Selfridge’s and buying his next album, Gold on her recommendation and really loved his style. There are so many lovely songs on here. Today, Bartering Lines really touched me. Whenever I have tried to get my English compatriots to listen and appreciate him, they always think I mean Bryan Adams and run a mile. They haven’t quite made the differentiation yet. And there are still scars from Everything I Do… To think that one small letter - B - stands between them discovering a whole new beautiful world of music. There’s still hope, though.

A bit nuts, but lots of fun. It does feel quite dated, but I am always excited to see what tv series or film Mark Mothersbaugh is writing for now. The talent and production qualities are up there. Blissfully short but I miss Whip It.

I do love Unfinished Sympathy, and there were some good pulsating rhythms in there. But was fairly apathetic about the rest. Was not entranced by this as much as I thought it would be.

It’s weird, isn’t it, when prior knowledge informs your opinion. For lack of time and inclination, I knew nothing about Ryan Adams’ despicable behaviour or abuse allegations the other day. I based my score purely on listening to the songs. I don’t think my score would have been as positive had I known those things about him. People like Michael Jackson and today’s ‘interesting’ choice, pose more of a challenge. I know too much about them to judge them impartially. My mother is a huge rock ‘n’ roll fan and happily sings along to Jerry Lee Lewis without prejudice, or to be honest, thought. I, however, listen to these tracks and much as I appreciate they were groundbreaking and energetic and great tunes, my head rules my gut and thinks he was just a perverted nutter. I do love the song, Money, (That’s What I Want)’ but I think The Flying Lizards do it so much better.

More John Martyn! Bonus! Effortlessly cool. Not as great as Solid Air though. How I miss those late nights with wine and friends.

Not as gruelling, heavy or raucous as I imagined. I think I’ve avoided this lot because their name suggests a more dissonant and uncomfortable experience than it actually was. The differing styles surprised me and Battlestar Scralatchica made me laugh out loud. Good on them for mixing it up. Not really inclined to play them again but they didn’t do my head in.

I was convinced that the Good Friday offering was going to have something to do with bunnies, chicks, eggs, or Jesus. I racked my brains, placing bets against myself on which album it would be. How wrong was I? The only connection being that there is a white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. This is not my type of music, but what I did marvel at was that I could hear each instrument distinctly and how they wove together effortlessly. I especially loved the drums. I can understand why this album is so revered. But I wouldn’t choose to listen to it again voluntarily.

Highly enjoyable. I understand why they made such an impact.

Just great. Apart from the songs, he has a brilliant rapport with the audience and some witty repartee to boot. Loved every moment of this. Classic songs! They didn’t have to beep out the swear words (which was slightly grating) but it was fun filling the words in for myself.

I love an orchestra - they make this almost bearable. I admire thé effort that went into these arrangements, although they teased me with an Ennio Morricone opening which made me think it was going to be better than it was. I quite like some of the melodies, in parts. I do not like the vocals at all. But I absolutely hate 2 1/2 hours of S&M in all senses. They may have thought the play on words was funny, but it just accentuated the torture for me. I’ll just repeat in a shouty way - Two and a half HOURS!!! It really will only be Once in my lifetime - I can’t go through that again.

There have been some albums on this list where I never want to hear them again. Some of them I’m not sure I ever wanted to listen to in the first place. There are some albums where I’m intrigued enough to think - I must go back to that later and have another listen . And then there are the albums that are so interwoven with my history and psyche that I know them well and just put them straight on repeat. This is one of those albums. We used to have it on every day in an office I worked in all those years ago. It was a firm favourite and we all sang along. I still love Franz Ferdinand and I’m still singing along. I’m sure they can be accused of being a bit too samey but that type of samey is fine by me.

Too early for The Jungle Book, I know. But wouldn’t this album have been amazing if it had King Louie’s ‘wanna walk like you’ on here? This was just lively, uplifting, joyous fun. Loved it. Not necessarily the wildest, but the funnest? For sure!

A couple of good songs here. Superstition is funky and driving and dynamic but a lot of the album is anodyne, cloying and a bit too saccharine. If this was really a talking book it would be by Jojo Moyes.

Great storyteller and such a strong first album. The Queen and the Soldier reduces me to tears every time! I never bought any Vega albums, so she was never on my playlist. Nevertheless, whenever I do hear her songs I am always carried along and impressed. .

Ignore the cover which is very dated and these songs are timeless. Massively, gloriously adolescent and rough at times but they ‘were’ young and basically having a laugh. I could recognise the John Cale production values - I hope he had fun doing it. I certainly had fun listening to it.

I was walking past a small, intimate, local concert venue a few days back, trying to remember who I was supposed to see in said venue many years back but had to miss the gig due to various broken limbs. Could I remember? Not on your Nelly. And then this album popped up this morning and I am pretty sure it was Mercury Rev I missed that time. I love the ethereal quality of this album. Donahue’s voice has very sweet childlike qualities. The overall impact is not brilliant but it has a very space agey quality. I could have been in an episode of Star Trek. Goddess of the Hiway is gorgeous. Not sure how I’d feel if I actually got to see them all those years ago. They’re falling very much in the middle for me now although I do love all the experimentation. But whereas The Stooges made me feel bouncy and upbeat yesterday, this lot just make feel wistful and dreamy. The irony of this album being about ‘walking away’ and me simultaneously not being able to walk into the venue has not escaped me.

Overblown, histrionic guff! A couple of the songs are catchy enough but I’ve never particularly liked Steven Tyler’s voice and these songs don’t really grab me. Not my cup of tea.

I spent a lot of time in the early 90s out with a friend, attending different Pulp gigs around London, even before they became mega. She had a massive crush on Russell, the violin player. I loved Jarvis Cocker’s style and swagger. The songs are witty and clever and great social commentary, which still resonates today. Some of these songs were part of the Set List even before the album was released so they already felt familiar. Pulp were to the young British disaffected chattering class what Bruce Springsteen was to NJ blue collar workers. Their voice - their call to arms! It oozes brilliance! I still have the old Pulp CDs knocking around and they hold up. And Bar Italia is still a permanent fixture in Soho. This album is pre-Jarvis’s fantastic ‘mooning Michael Jackson at the Brits’ moment but I knew he was cool way before then. Most definitely in a different class!

For all their fame and influence, I have never listened to a Grateful Dead album. The most impact they’ve had on me is eating Cherry Garcia ice cream. That whole, psychedelic jazz, rock, improvisational, instrumentals, extended solos stuff interspersed with feedback, is not my thing. Although I do appreciate the talent and the seminal works, I can’t say I feel I’ve missed anything. But I have now listened to one of their albums, thanks to this project. I still prefer the ice cream.

Well, that cover is intense, isn’t it? Sums up their political stance pretty well! I do remember the Gang of Four vaguely but not too much. And where did they go? Apparently still touring with different iterations but they fell off my radar early. And I don’t know why because they tick a lot of personal likes boxes. I think the more I listen to this the better I will like it.

This came out in a tumultuous year and it still has the power to shake. The songs are all thematic and full of drama. Love the horns. The songs do feel very ‘of their time’ but transportative rather than old hat. Lost youth Lost love Lost hope Who knew that 40 years later I would still feel that ache?

Some classic songs and early enough that his voice is completely fried. Loved the first side but my interest waned on the second. But most of it still resonates today,

This project is great when it throws up surprising and contemporary albums that I’ve never heard of. For that experience, I am eager and grateful. However, on seeing this pop up, my first reactions were: Jane Weaver – who? Modern Kosmology (with a K) – why? Is it really that original and different enough to be on this list? I’m afraid I was underwhelmed.

What an eclectic mix of sounds and styles. Somehow it all gels together into a fantastic melange. A psychedelic, heady mix of politics and drugs so redolent of 1967, and its summer of Love. I was also reminded of the Doors and a bit of Jefferson Airplane. The homage to Grace Slick was quite appropriate, since Joe’s, at times, androgynous voice actually sounded like Grace Slick. I would feel quite happy to come back and explore more of this. It’s more of a 3.5 for me….

Of course, I know of Jane’s Addiction, but had pretty much signed them off as ‘not my thing’. This was definitely an exercise in traversing peaks and troughs. The first three songs were a bit of an endurance test and I didn’t find much to latch onto. “Obvious “and “been caught stealing “were much better and I actively like the latter. It’s got a good hook. Then the back half just turned into a winding, meandering dry riverbed of songs, going on for miles but with no current or flow to carry me along. The themes were interesting and meaty and tragic but I didn’t feel those long, long solos did them any justice. Also, don’t rip off Ian Dury if you’re going to be so bad as to be insulting. One point each for the good songs.

Solid! Kerosene was eminently listenable. A very accessible punk sound. I liked the energy but it didn’t particularly make a lasting impact.

Very dated man cheese for teenage boys. Not the stream of the 1980s I want to remember. No thanks!

What can I say - it’s Aretha!

Much as I love Thin Lizzy and knew a lot of the songs I could’ve done without a very long live album. if it indeed can be called live. Too long, too many guitar solos, wore my patience a bit thin. Their singles are absolute belters though. But I prefer smaller doses.

I admire the premise behind this, the tenet of sexual empowerment for women and a level playing field for all. I also respect the subversion of “ooh, ooh baby “ music. But it still remains that I find “ooh, ooh baby “ music eminently dull. It’s sad and ironic that this just bored me and I’m not sure it will have a lasting legacy. I quite liked the little stories acting as punctuation. It kinda annoys me though that people believe that feelings and these female experiences have only been invented in the past 25 years. There are hundreds of years of history of struggle and fighting for empowerment and some women just did it lot better! Sorry Jazmine - I am not feeling you.

Love the armadillo. The rest is just noise!

I’m not sure whether I’ve had an undetected lobotomy recently, or I’m in an episode of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but whilst I could not stand the first Black Sabbath album, this one has had a weird effect on me. I still don’t particularly like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice, but it did not sound as hateful to me on this album as the first. This album actually sounded like music, with hooks and melodies and all. I think I’m in shock. This is actually a good listen.

I remember when this album came out and everybody around me loved it, bought it, played it to death, went to all the gigs. I can understand why people love these songs; they are dynamic and driving and in some ways just good tunes. I can remember at the time though, being put off by the fact that they were arrogant tosspots. It stopped me from really ever getting into them. So, much as I think they are a talented bunch who turned a musical tide, I am always loath to fully engage.

I never really liked Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles music. It’s insipid. Frankly, the frog chorus was genius compared to this.

Rational side of me says: her voice is great, fantastic range, interesting arrangements, good musical diversity. Emotional side of me remembers too many nights in Ronnie Scott’s listening to this type of music and being totally underwhelmed! If anyone remembers jazz club guy from The Fast Show - that’s all I can think of right now. He would be mesmerised by Elis. I feel like she’s a glass of lukewarm cola in a hot country after a ten hour flight.

This album definitely deserves its place on this list. A realm of music, almost lost but resurrected. The film of the same name showing the old musicians is a cool watch as well. It definitely has its own place, it’s not everyday music but holiday music or Sunday afternoon in a hotel ballroom kind of music. It flows over me like a brisa. Not a type of music I would choose to play but right time, right place it casts a spell and you can get pulled into the warm current and caressed by the breeze. It’s more like a 3.5 but if the sun was shining it would maybe be a 4.

Imagine there was no John Lennon It’s tricky if you try No Beatles or Bed-ins or Imagine No tears on the day he died Imagine all the people Living without Peace!

If it weren’t for Breaking Glass and Sound and Vision, this could very well have just been the backing track to a movie. You can hear the Brian Eno ambient influence. At the top of Tottenham Court Road, they have built a white square with images projected on the wall and ambient music playing in the background. It’s a bit like a futuristic waiting room. People sit in there watching the images and meet their friends. The music played there sounds like it could have come straight off this album. A perfectly pretentious soundscape for looking at scenery. It’s really a 2.5 but…

I’m not sure that this should be the Richard Hawley album we review. Let me tell you why. It’s 2003! I’m listening to a radio show where every week they play a new album in its entirety – I suppose so that people can listen and decide whether they’ll go out and buy it. In the days when people still bought albums. They played Richard Hawley’s Lowedges and the impact was so forceful and instantaneous, I immediately went out to buy it. It’s haunting and wistful and just darned beautiful and I can still listen to it and hardly find a dud moment. He is a master of the noir lullaby. When Coles Corner came up this morning, i hadn’t listened to either album in a long while so I decided to listen to Lowedges first. If CC is supposed to be a better album, then I wanted to hear the progression and find out where the improvements lay. CC is still a beautiful album. Richard Hawley at times sounds like Roy Orbison or Glenn Campbell. A crooner for our times. But Lowedges was RH going out on his own, flying solo from all the bands that he’d played with previously and finding his own style. It was a revelation. Easily a 4.5. And you can hear why he went on to score music and TV. He manages to sound old-fashioned and ahead of his time simultaneously. CC the album did not have that same impact on me; it’s floaty and gentle and full of love, but not as haunting. He’s more mature, but does that make the music better? There are some standout songs but they all seem to merge after a while. For me, this is a 3.5. But for the fact that I listened to two RH albums in one day and felt blissfully mellow afterwards I commend him.

I am sure that they are masters of their arts, but I found this unbearable. To the extent that I was mentally exercising the art of seppuku.

Some great classics on here. Lovely mellow tunes and fab voice.. Pleasant listening after yesterday’s headf***! Great just to have on in the background.

Wasn’t really enamoured of the rapping or the lyrics. But I did enjoy the beats and the melodies and the samples that underpinned everything. And I preferred the songs with collaborators who actually sang. I found Common’s droning a little lacklustre.

This is a great album and some very fine tunes on here. It is however a very hard listen for me. The first day that I heard it, 17 November 1989, someone put on the album when I was back in college and it was a day of some very bittersweet memories. So I still find it hard to listen to it the whole way through. I have to break it down into smaller chunks, and listen to the better known songs that I can sing along to. Otherwise it just becomes a mass of melancholia and ruefulness. And even though Ian Brown may not have great range, those melodies pull you in and I was absolutely a fan of that Madchester movement.

I used to love Japan back in the day. David Sylvian was very pretty to look at and the songs seemed so different. Listening now is a different experience. That cover of All Tomorrow’s Parties is an absolute travesty and should not exist. A Quiet Life is still a good song and the album is decent. What seemed so different and exciting then has slightly lost its lustre though.

Not over! Not under! Just middlingly whelmed! Now where’s my 2.5 option?

Typical 1960s nutty psychedelic madness. I honestly thought that Eric Idle was the narrator on side 2. Monty Python meets The Kinks. Lazy Sunday is still a brilliant song and stands the test of time. Side two was a crazy concept, but fun if you could ride that silly wave. Admirable but I don’t feel I need to listen to it again..

I remember my folks having a different King Crimson album – Larks tongues in aspic. I never heard them play it. So I was intrigued when I heard this album what direction they may have taken. I definitely enjoyed select parts of this album. Some of it was a bit too noodley-woodley and a bit too jazzy. But I quite liked the trippy dippy elements. In places they sounded like Pink Floyd and the lyrics were very prescient. I liked it enough to then play Lark’s… which is way too prog rock for me. I now know why my parents never played it. But this was intriguing and compelling in places. It lost me halfway through moonchild and all I wanted to do was roll my eyes and sigh, but pulled it back right at the end. And unfortunately I don’t think in 50 years we’ve gone that far: Knowledge is a deadly friend If no one sets the rules The fate of all mankind I see Is in the hands of fools

It’s Carer’s week in the UK. So Take Care is apt. It’s also near enough the best of the bunch, apart from Lover of Mine. It’s easy, pleasant music, very much like a cut-price Flaming Lips but not as good. Mmm - significantly unmemorable. A classic 2.5.

I listened to this first thing in the morning and was singularly unimpressed. However, whilst I was waiting for the sun to come up and the only noise I could hear was the cat talking to the wind I thought I would give it another spin. The first four songs are definitely for late night sessions. They drip with smoke and insouciance. But then it just degenerated into discordant self-indulgent claptrap. I do love the cover though.

Another apposite selection. Astrud Gilberto dies and the next day we get this. Bossa nova is a type of jazz I can tolerate. Girl from Ipanema is a great tune. The songs do all tend to blend into each other but it’s very pleasant background music. I will always remember being on a cruise round Norway where the band played Girl from Ipanema seemingly every day on the observation deck. Seemed a bit out of place at the time but it was a very chilled vibe!

This music is interesting, but never engaging. It was everywhere when I was a kid, but it never particularly interested me then. There is something very sterile about it that precludes any emotional entanglement. I do like Mr Blue Sky though. Especially on a sunny day.

I feel like I say the same thing over and over when it comes to Bob Dylan. He is a brilliant lyricist. The songs are classics but they do go on a bit. Never a fan of his voice and I do think that sometimes the covers of his songs are better than his. Case in point - The Byrds version of Tambourine Man! I did prefer the first half - so the electric part - the acoustic part wore a little thin. But there’s no denying he is a damn fine poet.

The past couple of days have been an exercise in defining perception and memory. My memories of Sigur Ros are Hopipolla (fantastic song but later than this) and going into a club in Park City in 2003 (with some of you folks, you know who you are) and them playing on stage. A couple of events this weekend have made me question perception and memories and have me doubt myself to the nth degree. So when this popped up I was ready to disbelieve those memories and think that band in Utah was a different band, maybe similar or a tribute. In fact, was I even there? But thanks to the good old InterWeb I looked up a gig list and it WAS Sigur Ros. I can trust that memory at least. I can’t say they were the most scintillating live band but they did contribute to a more carefree time infused with great memories. Today has been frustrating and stressful but this Dream Pop managed to keep me calm and relaxed and put me in a perfect mood to deal with daily shite! For that I am very grateful. Dream Pop does sound like illegal candy though. It’s probably a 3.5 but a much needed vibe so let’s go…

Dissonant, meandering, mumbling, fuzzy, unintelligible. It’s “A” type of music but not “My” type of music.

I really wanted this album to be all killer, no filler. It was in the folks’ record collection, but all I could really remember was heroes and beauty and the beast. This album suffers from the syndrome of having one absolutely blindingly, magical tune, a couple of decent songs and then a whole load of instrumental filler. Heroes holds a lot of good memories for me and it’s frankly iconic in DB’s canon. I think most people, whether they like Bowie or not, have absorbed this tune via osmosis. It’s amazing and will forever remind me of working on a play called Dolphins can swim written by my mate. It also reminds me of my cousin who was such a DB devotee her handle was A Lass Insane and flew from Australia to see him perform at Glastonbury. Great memories but, boy, the rest of the album is duff. I have the vinyl but I doubt I’ll ever listen to side 2 again.

Like an elderly aunt who smells slightly of stale wee and has bristly whiskers, I have avoided listening to Led Zeppelin in large doses. I tolerate small quantities. Although I know some of their tunes are amazing. Anyone who grew up watching Top of the Pops will have Whole Lotta Love forever ingrained in their musical psyche. I really wasn’t sure if I’d tolerate a whole album. But I surprised myself and found myself actively engaged. There seem to be a whole lotta instrumental solos but that was okay; the vocals are my least favourite elements of this. I appreciated the melodies even if some seemed overly earnest and just a whole lotta overkill. Happy to revisit this elderly aunt with a peg on my nose and some tweezers.

Still culturally and politically relevant. Has no-one taken any notice for the past 35 years? I love that it’s angry and in-yer-face but I guess a bit too long and not varied enough for me. But there are some iconic tunes in this. Fight the Power!

Perfect late-night chill out vibe. Day is Done is poetic and beautiful. The whole album puts me in mind of parties back in the day when at 3am there’d only be a handful of people awake, one boy in the corner with a guitar and this or something of this ilk on the turntable. As I’ve called it before it’s 1960s navel-gazing but sweet nevertheless

If you were to tell me this was a band devised by AI to sound like 1967, I would wholeheartedly believe you. They’re a little bit of this, a little bit of that. They’re a little bit the velvets, a little bit monkees, a little bit Procol Harum, a little bit moody blues. What they aren’t is coherent or cohesive and it sounds like they haven’t found their own voice yet. So it’s difficult to muster any excitement or enthusiasm for something so passionless, disparate and lacking in direction. From the sounds of it, I don’t think they were happy with most of the album either. Started off with some interesting concepts, executed with startling unoriginality.

Well, they had to start somewhere. So they started… there.

I could have done without it being a double album. Too long. Interesting evaluation of the dichotomy within ‘The South’. If it had been half as long I would have been more engaged but even though I enjoyed the country rock more than I expected as well as the socio-political delvings I had way more than a bellyful by the end. Less is more, chaps!

I cannot deny that the guy can write a song and absolutely knows his audience. I would say every tune is a crowd pleaser. There’s not one filler/dud track on here. I can definitely listen to this, without any adverse feelings, can sing along happily and understand the poignancy. Can’t fault it really.

The quintessential David Bowie. This is possibly my favourite album of his. The one from the Bamford family vaults, the original vinyl still languishing on a shelf and very much loved. I was four when my parents bought this so it became part of my musical upbringing. I sat reading the lyrics whilst they spun the vinyl and sang Kooks to me. Which they did for years afterwards. I still have a card somewhere from my father saying, thank you for “taking a chance on a couple of Kooks “. The song still makes me cry. But even more than that, each song is so well crafted and feels like it belongs here. It contributes to the whole. There is not one song that I don’t love.

Sounds very dated now and very samey. I admire her for smashing down a few boundaries and a glass ceiling or two. Good melding of samples, hip hop, house and jazz. But it did all just blur into one repetitive jam for me. It would be a 2.5 but more power to her elbow for breaking a few conventions and blazing a trail for female rappers.

I prefer their earlier work when they were a bit more raw and punky. This is when they became definitively ardent U2. Not quite self-satisfied U2, but they know their audience. They know how to write a good tune, but I don’t necessarily care after track three.

The word classic gets bandied about a lot. And this is absolutely classic and seminal and influential and all those words. It also has personal resonance in that it was used in a play I did. But much as they are great tunes - Hey Joe is a belter (although I’m not sure if I prefer the Patti Smith version) - there is something that doesn’t quite emotionally connect with me. I appreciate the virtuoso performance and the talent and sometimes wonder if that talent would have prevailed if he’d lived longer but I am not that bothered if I don’t hear it again for a long while.

Gene Pitney and the Shadows time travel to 21st century Sheffield. Stonking.

I’m sorry about Bon Scott but Brian Johnson would not have been my choice as a replacement singer. I find his voice unbearable. I already had a headache from being stuck on a tube with a mass of screaming children and then I had to listen to this screech. I can only say No so many times! Mind you I’m not sure I liked Scott’s voice much either. The music underneath is pretty good but this isn’t an instrumental album. It’s full of sexist lyrics and macho attitudes and I am not okay with that. What a start to the week!

Great tracks - enjoyed the psychedelia and the Music Hall tribute Mother’s Lament made me chortle. Couple of absolute classics - Sunshine of your love and Strange Brew. Not one I would want to put on repeat but I appreciate the range and diversity of talent.

I can definitively testify that this is perfect music to listen to when you’re poorly. The music is soothing and gentle on the ear. Although here, it can be repetitive and is very much a second player to the lyrics – it’s also quite soporific, but sometimes you need that in music. It doesn’t always have to be challenging or uplifting. Different vibes for different moods. The lyrics are the star here. They are poems with a score. Frank’s tricksy phrasing is ever-present. But I don’t think it’s always necessary. For instance, “I get along without you very well” is a beautiful song but I don’t think Frank’s version is the best. Listen to the Lew Stone band version which is a little more simplistic, a traditional 1940s band version, but somehow it makes the lyrics even more bittersweet. I will say that I was so glad for this album today because anything more upbeat or raucous would have tipped me over the edge. This is perfect recovery music, so thank you for that, Frank. In my mind, this is 3.5, clever poetry but not so interesting melodically. Production values are great though.

Not Hardcore but angst-ridden and a teensy bit self-indulgent, self-flagellating, woe is me and my career! Don’t get me wrong! I love Pulp - but I loved the raw, humorous, observational energy of their earlier records more. This has entered the realms of derivative and bemoaning of life. I wonder if this was because at the height of their fame, and pursued by paparazzi, it was all too much for JC. I still think he’s a great songwriter, but I would say this was hitting a downward trend.

I tried so hard and got so far But in the end, it doesn't even matter I always surprise myself how much I like Linkin Park. I do love In the End - it’s one of those songs I can listen to on repeat. Great sound and energy.

Another one from the annals of the Bamford family. This played on our record player from the time I was nine. I still love hearing the crackles of a proper LP. It’s clever, poetic, strikingly original for its time. Lines like - I fell right into the arms of Venus de Milo - are poignant but also humorous - highlighting the absurdity of adolescent love. But it’s not just lyrically astute, those guitars suck you in. These are talented musicians whose legacy is incontrovertible. The songs draw you in, they have good hooks. I love this not only for the nostalgic blast but because they can write damn good songs. It’s not quite a 5 today for me though.

Don’t get me wrong this is pleasant. I’m not sure it’s groundbreaking. But it’s fine twiddling along in the background. In fact I think I’ve heard friends practise their instruments and sound just like this. I also don’t think it’s music for airports. Song one – music for reflexology treatment room Song two – music for theological museum Song three - music for gritty BBC drama series Song four - music for planetarium entrance hall. And to be honest, if it was used as Hold music I might be less irate every time I have to ring IT services!

Gosh - so, being British we did not have How Soon is Now on our version. It was only on Overseas versions. Which is a terrible oversight. Such a brilliant song and elevates the content so for now I might have to be an honorary American… whatever you think of the Morrissey/Marr Macédoine they were so new and refreshing and different from the rest of the Top of the Pops contenders of those times. They created great and enduring music.

I love The Specials and was really upset when Terry Hall died so young last year. They played mostly ska but also experimental and brave, I loved Hall’s laconic style, world-weary, worn and bitter but with that angry political bite. This isn’t their best album but it has some great tunes on it. I was so glad to see them live for their 30th year reunion tour back in 2009. They had the audience up and dancing and totally captivated the whole time. For that memory alone I doff my cap.

For some reason I thought Muddy Waters was from a much earlier era - not just the 60s and 70s but I thought he’d started off way before that and had no idea he was still issuing blues albums when the rest of the world had gone Punk and New Wave. These are great songs but it does tend to feel like an extended theme - not too much differentiation. Mannish Boy is a classic though. It should be a 3.5 really!

Give Up the Funk - seminal Chooooooon! Fun, upbeat - perfect for a Monday morning where the News is tinged with doom.

Suede may not think they’re Britpop but they certainly burst onto the scene when all the other Britpoppers were swaggering along. They kind of got pigeon holed into that swathe of swaggerers. For some reason, and certain people still do it, the band name has to be pronounced with about four syllables in a very nasal Estuary English accent. It needs to be heard really. But I guess you spell it Swaaaaa-aaaa-de! And that still persists nearly 30 years later. I went to see this lot in La Scala at Kings Cross in 2002 and even then it seemed like a comeback tour after all the fallings out. What they retained was that raw emotion, the pain and torture in every syllable. Maybe that’s why you have to say their name in such a tortured way. Suede is not a word, it’s an emotional pain-inducing device. But I love that overwrought, slightly pretentious, literary approach. I’m with them all the way.

Am I missing something here? Tom Tom Club! They were fine in 1981, but completely forgotten about by 1982. Why is this on the list? 1981 – Boomtown Rats 1981 - Bananarama 1981 – Ultravox None of these are on the list even though they had clout and wield influence decades later. And yet Tom Tom Club whose music is candy floss on the tongue (instantly evaporated) and who seem to be lauded only because they’re an offshoot of Talking Heads have earned a place? Wordy Rappinghood and Genius of Love, good songs and great in Clubs but I’m still fairly incredulous. Or maybe angry!

Never heard of this guy before but I immediately took to him. Very spare songs, morose and melancholy. I even started listening to it a second time. Might not be the most original material but very relatable - hit the right note with me.

I feel like these songs are the equivalent of the nursery rhymes of the modern musical revolutionary experience. Everybody knows them and learns them when they are young. The songs have become woven into the fabric of our society. They are part of our foundations. It means they’re important but you don’t necessarily have to love them. You just have to doff your hat to them and acknowledge their influence. It’s difficult to look at these young men who looked way older than their years, and remember that this was once fresh and exciting. Now it’s music that our forebears loved and old souls dance to.

I think this may be my favourite Bob Marley & The Wailers album yet. Moody and political and doesn’t sound samey! Whereas usually I can only tolerate reggae in bite-sized doses I listened to this straight off and enjoyed the vibe.

I’ve never met a Leonard Cohen song I didn’t like. I love this album. It’s been one of my go-tos for years. I saw him sing at the Royal Albert Hall and even though he was pushing 80, he sang for three hours and still had charisma in spades. Timeless!

Fantastic dance tracks, scathing political commentary. Who knew satire could work in a song. Neil Tennant’s dry delivery just makes it - this proves two men and a synth can accomplish so much. I embraced them from when I first heard West End Girls in 1984. Apparently that was a hit in France and Belgium, which makes sense now because I was dancing to it in a Parisian nightclub in 1985. Me and my friend were the only ones who knew every word because we were the only British people there. The French kids did know the chorus though. But I digress! The beats, the delivery - every tune has impact. I think most people know It’s a Sin from the recent TV series, even people who weren’t there in the 80s. So that’s been given a much-appreciated revival. I’m not gonna deny that it sounds very 80s, but I don’t find that a derogatory comment. This album encapsulate the British political and emotional climate of the time and I can listen to those tunes even now and get carried away!

I know it’s an algorithmic random generator, but I think they missed a trick by not tweaking the algorithm to play Sinéad O’Connor today (for those who had not already heard it). Instead we get this dreary, dull miasma of love songs. More D words for Derek and his dominoes - I felt detached, disconnected and a bit deflated. One point for artistry. One point for Layla - it’s an undeniable classic. Half a point for the Frandsen de Schomberg cover. Nil points for the Terrible version of Little Wing. The rest is Dreck!

This is a complete mish-mash. It’s incohesive and much as some of the songs are great the album doesn’t hold together. George is the star of the show here. I did really like I Want You as well. I couldn’t remember when I last heard that so it was good to hear. Not as iconic as folklore would have me believe.

4 Yeahs for the 3 Yeahs!

Reason Season Lifetime That old adage about friends translates to albums just as well. Music we listened to half a lifetime ago can simultaneously feel like an old friend, but whose influence and thrall have since worn thin. In spite of Billy Corgan’s propensity for being a nut job, I did listen to some of the songs with a wistful nostalgic sigh. 1979 and Tonight, Tonight and Bullet with Butterfly Wings all took me back and I glossed over the fact that he just can’t sing. This album was also so long it outstayed its welcome by a long shot. The best thing was on YouTube someone had made a video of some very cute rescue dogs along to Muzzle. So if you were wondering where the fruity dog with endless tristesse was, your melon collie was there. :)

Ho hum! Most of this just didn’t land with me. Apart from this version of I shot the sheriff and Let it grow I just wasn’t that enthralled. I do find Eric just a bit tedious and politically detestable.

Bonkers! This basically completed my quorum of bonkers for today: - Star Trek: strange new worlds – the musical episode (cuckoo bomb bonkers) - a BBC drama called Wolf (proper bonkers) - the Ween album (hella bonkers) - Os mutantes (wtf bonkers) Reminded me of a Spanish film I saw back in about 1993, called Accion Mutante. There was only one other person (a stranger to me) in the cinema, and when the film finished, we basically walked out into the light, blinking and speechless. It took a minute, but eventually, we grunted at each other, commenting how it was completely nuts. I wish I could ask that guy what he thinks now. I felt the same after this album, blinking in the light and speechless. It’s not an oppressed reaction but this just made me feel off-balance. And that cover looks like it could be a still from a Hammer Horror movie. But this is definitely a positive from this project - being introduced to music I had no clue about previously. Even if it is banana crackers!

Solid with a late night vibe. Enjoyed the soundscape but never quite blew me away. Began to feel a bit samey and soporific but it would be great to have in the background surrounded by friends, food and beer.

Unbearable!

This is all a matter of context. If I was on a Mediterranean beach, or in a club or even out running, this would be a very different beast. I am doing none of those things. Listening to 75 minutes of this sitting in your bed or sitting at your desk is not optimal. It seems to go on and on and on. There are select songs that I do like on their own. ‘All around the world’ is great, but surrounded by repetitive and dull. Ask me again when I’m on the beach in Ayia Napa - ie never!

I wish Paper Planes was on this album. It’s my favourite M.I.A. song. Notwithstanding that, this had me bouncing in my seat and I love her global, kleptomaniac approach to mixing styles with a political stance to boot. I haven’t felt so physically inclined to dance along for a while - so - bonus!! Going to listen to Bad Girls now. This has actually made me happy.

I hate it when people use the word interesting, because it’s usually a euphemism for something horrible. But I did find this “interesting “. A weird blend of folk, jazz, psychedelia and some weird vibe that sounded like the soundtrack to a 1970s cop show. Also, it was mercifully short. I think anyone who remembers or whose family remembers the late 60s, early 70s, will have had some encounter with Traffic and Stevie Winwood. Cannot deny the man’s got a great voice. Definitely not a beige album but still verging on innocuous. You never know what you’re going to get with normal traffic, but it was a pretty easy ride through this Traffic.

There are some real classics on here. Although the album is relatively short, paradoxically each song feels too long. Instead of adopting the “less is more“ approach, each song outstays its welcome. They are pretty easy to listen to, and great background music, but Free Bird might have had more impact if it had flown off five minutes earlier.

A couple of great tunes - Paul Weller is a fantastic songwriter. English Rose is a very clever modern version in the style of an old folk song. A nakedly, emotional song. Some of this, however, did flag for me and even though English Rose and David Watts and Down in the Tube Station… are absolutely brilliant my interest wained on the others. They were very much a band of the moment, but some songs still stand up.

If there was a dedicated algorithm, quantifying music that I love, I doubt Finley Quaye would make an appearance. However, I absolutely love him. My favourite song of his, Dice, is not on here, but I can’t play any Finley Quaye without bookending it with that song. The timbre of his voice, the beats, the melodies – I’m sold. Unfortunately, he’s in the news at the moment for domestic disturbances and aggravating his ex-partner. Such a shame when that just tarnishes a beautiful body of work.

My dad bought this album for me on tape when I was 16 years old. Perfect confluence of time and place. I love every song on this album, and even though I haven’t listened to it in many years, I could still sing along to near enough every line. So many classics on one album, even though Side 2 isn’t quite as punchy. And Cyndi Lauper is a brilliantly eccentric, kooky character who still has presence. She can mix it up from upbeat and fun to melancholy ballads all with an 80s synthy vibe. I’d never thought about it before but I certainly used to dress in big net skirts and bovva boots - very Cyndi! Guess what us girls wanna do?

When I tell people I don’t like heavy metal their retort is always - “have you listened to any?” In the past, I did listen to it but never enjoyed it and I would almost always say it’s the vocals that I found very difficult. They are usually rasping and raucous and grating and unpleasant to my ears. I was watching a TV programme called the Dog House the other day. There was an adorable heavy metal drummer on there who adopted a husky and his argument was the same. He said people who claimed not to like heavy metal, never listen to any. I promise I have, but my reactions are pretty much the same every time. I don’t like listening to it. The guitars and drums are fine and I appreciate the talent. But I don’t enjoy it, in toto. This Van Halen album veers towards the pop so is less undesirable than other albums. Also, I’ve never really got on with the patriarchal, sexist vibe. Not as bad as some.

The screaminess and screechiness of most of these songs was matched only by the screaminess and screechiness of my reaction. The best I can say is that there were glimpses of music, which weren’t totally horrendous.

Beetlebum and Song 2 are fantastic songs but the rest (forgive me) blurs into a rolling soundscape with not very many highlights. I kind of liked I’m just a killer for your love even though it’s lyrically nonsensical. This album starts off with a bang and ends on a whimper.

I’d never heard of this lot before and while it’s obvious that they were one of the progenitors of early Hard Rock then why have they not been quoted or played more. Possibly because they’re just not that interesting- I did like their cover of Summertime Blues and the album was mercifully short.

I’ve had to give this a few attempts to get into it. Much as I really like grunge, my head is not in this today, nor was it yesterday. The album title makes me laugh, and this is seminal material with good energy. But I think I like later grunge with a bit more refinement.

Exasperating, nauseating, pointless. This is not music to me.

On paper, Arcade Fire ticks all my boxes. I love that raw emotion and the lyrical content and the music is just the right side of heartbroken. I don’t really know why they haven’t made more ingress in my knowledge base. They are used a lot in TV shows to counterpoint action or as commentary for a montage. Every time I hear them, I remember how much I like them and go on a rabbit hole search listening to certain songs. But just as quickly I forget about them. I can’t say why, whether it’s been a matter of timing or just time. I do love those violins and Wake Up gets me every time. Children, don't grow up Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up Ain’t that the truth!

This almost has too much emotional history for me to sift through. My mother had that hairstyle (from the cover) in 1973/4. My cousin was obsessed with album, even up till recently. When my folks bought the vinyl, I spent a lot of time sitting on the floor, poring over the lyrics on the gatefold and singing along to every song over and over again. I had no idea what they meant. Being a child and all. I was quite tentative going back to this - like seeing a childhood friend after decades and wondering if you have anything in common any more. I was almost too wound up in overthinking to listen properly. And then I let go, listened again and remembered. Some of the songs are a bit off the wall and nonsensical but they still pack a punch. What I did miss is all the crackles from the vinyl so maybe I need to drag it out.

Just great! I can feel the sunshine vibes and the confluence of instruments and synth make a happy, upbeat dance-rock album. The re-release of the album featured World in Motion - best football anthem ever (sorry, Three Lions). That on its own is a belter.

I was never a huge George Michael fan. I really like the singles and listening to him in small doses is fun. And I appreciated that this was great pop music. Apparently my view has not changed over the decades. The first couple of songs on here., I was gung-ho and excited and then my interest waned - possibly when smooth gave way to sleaze - but sort of picked up again towards the end. It’s probably a solid 3.5. I will give him his due, he knew how to compose a pop song: the melody, the hook, the structure, the production – it’s all there. Some days it’s great, somedays I’m happy to leave it alone.

I love how short it is, and it has a very definitive voice. It’s earnest and firmly grounded in that grey, murky Englishness but doesn’t embrace the archness it could. I do love thé punny title and the cover. This is another one that would benefit from a .5 ability. They have a distinctive sound but once you’ve heard one Jammy album, you’ve pretty much heard them all so I’m not sure how many anyone needs to listen to in order to form an opinion or if all of them are truly vital listens before you peg it. That’s not to say it’s not great - it is. That’s Entertainment is a beautifully nuanced, artful song and the others follow the band’s normal M.O. So many insightful treatises on a difficult era. I could go through all the songs and say how good they are and so obviously products of The Jam. But unless you’re on their frequency then they may not be your choice of preserve. Being very much present during their heyday they stamped their style over me and anyone who tuned into their social commentary and truly English sensibilities.

I do like Ray Charles. I do like Country & Western. I do feel, however, like he’s hammered all the C&W out of these tunes though which I’m not sure about. Bye Bye Love is supposed to be sad and infused with feeling. Not upbeat big band bebop. That pretty much set the tone and I felt discomfited about it for the rest of the album. These are songs that everybody knows so well but I don’t feel particularly passionate about. I’m all for pushing the boundaries of genre and I admire the C & W getting a soul makeover but I really couldn’t get into this.

A fitting swan song. If you love Leonard Cohen, this doesn’t disappoint. A little cracklier, a little deeper, a little moodier. My adoration is unadulterated.

I never owned a Michael Jackson album and was never enamoured with his music as a whole, although some of the songs were definitely great Pop songs. I was really quite scared that I was somehow going to love this and be wracked with conflict. Nowadays, every Michael Jackson song is accompanied by a little voice screaming in the back of my head. He is a controversial character. So I’ve tried to set that aside and just listen to the music. Some of it is good pop music. I also have great memories of Channel 4 premiering the Thriller video when I was 15 years old and watching what is basically a short Halloween film. It was infused with fun and a great beat. It is a classic song. I have difficulties with Billie Jean – as long as I don’t listen to the words it’s a good dance track, same with Beat It. And I positively hate the Paul McCartney collaboration. I’m not sure it’s a conflict I can ever resolve, so I would be happy to come firmly down the middle with a 2.5. Although half a point comes off for the fact that he is unrecognisable after this point. #MJsowhite

The Charlatans meets The Stone Roses! Not bad music at all - I am a fan of shoe gazing Brit bands but this just doesn’t add anything original. Made about as much impact as a vapour trail.

I remember a lot of fuss being made about Hot Chip - they were flavour of the month for a while . I remember them being very quirky and fun. I also like all the layering in the songs. I don’t know why I haven’t listened to them since, but I will try to remember that they are cool.

Lovely harmonies Easy on the ears Classic “chooons”! Very Smashie and Nicey (for those who know the comedic reference).

Compared to some of the DB albums we’ve listened to so far on this list, I feel like this album is one of the most consistent. Instead of being peppered with hits along with experimental Tosh, this one is solid and altogether lovely. Wild is the wind is now an earworm and I cannot stop singing it.

Not sure I am the greatest fan of live albums. The music sounds tinny and distant. But it gave Sam Cooke a chance to be far more gritty and raw and less sweet.

I always seem to say the same thing about Arcade Fire. When I’m listening to them, I love them. And then time and memory turn them into vapour. I wish I had more time to really listen. I had this on in the background yesterday but I was so busy it just filtered through as something that was great to listen to but I couldn’t really concentrate. Until Month of May came on and that had me energised. One day, I’ll have enough time to appreciate them even more. Or maybe not…

Wish I had more time to comment let’s just say she’s great.

In 1978, in my school Gym/Dance class they used to play Kraftwerk for us to compose dances to. I didn’t realise how progressive this was at the time. But the rigid structure absolutely lends itself to anybody trying to choreograph movement. Even uncoordinated, 11-year-olds. The Model still holds up as evidenced by its use as background music on countless TV show montages. Distinctive and original and in some ways timeless.

Apparently you need to give a child a new food stuff between 12 and 30 times for them to accept it. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to Metallica but I still can’t accept it. I’ll tell you when I get to 31 because obviously then I’m gonna love them. Just not now.

I Want You is a sinister, psychotic masterpiece. But why anyone would choose that as a first dance at a wedding is completely beyond me. Do these people not listen to the words or the tone? Unfortunately none of the other songs on this album are a patch on it. It carries them all. Much as I love Elvis Costello‘s voice and a lot of his oeuvre, the rest of this album doesn’t particularly do it for me.

I appreciate the skill and the construction of this album. I like the sampling, the backing tracks, backing singers. I just don’t really appreciate that themes and rapping.

So because it’s mine and somebody else’s birthday (hi Jen!) I was considering what would I really want to come up today? And what would Jen want to come up today? But in the true tradition of ‘you don’t always get what you want, but sometimes you might just find, you get what you need’ LCD is what turned up. As I was dancing around my kitchen, cleaning cloth in one hand and bottle of Prosecco in the other, I realised that this was exactly what I needed. The singles from this album were well-chosen. Upbeat, fun and very infective - I’m happy!!

I can pretty much never say this woman’s name without an expletive in the middle. She is the Lighthouse Family on beta blockers. Boring Bland Beige Bleagh! I will not be coming away with you, I will be hotfooting it away from you quicksmart!

Given that I have never owned a Coldplay album and yet knew most, if not all, of these songs, it just goes to show how ubiquitous the band is. As with a lot of things, I can take them in small doses. Like a piece of caramel, one is just about fine, but 11 just make me feel sick. I find them a little too earnest and the songs all meld together into one anodyne mush! They are never surprising or witty or fun. But they’ve honed a particular sound which is cloying but mostly unobjectionable. Unless you have to listen to whole album…