211
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2.84
Average Rating
19%
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878 albums remaining
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11
5-Star Albums
13
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Broadcast | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Eternally Yours | 5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
| Live At The Star Club, Hamburg | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| Black Holes and Revelations | 5 | 3.59 | +1.41 |
| Trafalgar | 4 | 2.63 | +1.37 |
| Wild Is The Wind | 5 | 3.63 | +1.37 |
| Deja Vu | 5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| Dookie | 5 | 3.8 | +1.2 |
| Is This It | 5 | 3.82 | +1.18 |
| Destroyer | 4 | 2.86 | +1.14 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Outta Compton | 1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
| Raising Hell | 1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
| Bongo Rock | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got | 1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
| Run-D.M.C. | 1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
| Autobahn | 1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
| Dig Me Out | 1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
| More Specials | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| Southern Rock Opera | 1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
| Cut | 1 | 2.71 | -1.71 |
5-Star Albums (11)
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Popular Reviews
Ian Dury
1/5
That was actually terrible. I’m convinced this man was a Make a Wish kid who wanted to put an album out before he died and nobody had the heart to tell him how bad it was. Every time I thought it would get better, it got exponentially worse. Truly appalling.
30 likes
Julian Cope
2/5
“By 1984, Cope's love of hallucinogens -- as well as a toy car collection that occupied nearly an entire year of his life -- was at an all-time high.” I rest my case, your honor.
22 likes
The Saints
5/5
I opened this album the other day and said my good lord Jesus why did they give us another unknown shitty punk album. And then I pressed play. And they hit me with TRUMPETS?! I’m a sucker for trumpets first off. And then I kept listening and realized, wait a second, now I remember why I like punk. Because real punk is actually fucking good. And for the first time they gave us a real punk album, with great guitar riffs and drum beats that go insanely hard. Plus, it went beyond the classic 4 instrument setup, which was magical. This album made me want to run through a wall in the best way, a few of these songs will be put on the playlist, and I actually went back to an album for the first time. This is exactly why I joined this group - I wanted to find albums that I had never heard that speak to me on a deeper level, and this one brought out my inner emo kid. My first 5 star review, and well deserved at that.
11 likes
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
This was the precursor to an era of music that needs to be forgotten to time - 2010 R&B pop. You know who I'm talking about. Usher's Raymond v Raymond album. Taio Cruz with his The Rokstarr Hits Collection. Even Bruno Mars and his Doo-Wops & Hooligans album. All music that has millions upon millions of plays, but is so trashy the garbage man won't even pick it up from the side of the road. This album walked so they could run. But hey at least he made Battle Scars, that song slaps.
8 likes
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Not the worst thing in the world but not anything I would ever come back to. Just plain boring, but not on the same level of a 1 star. Those albums hold a special place in hell.
7 likes
1-Star Albums (13)
All Ratings
R.E.M.
2/5
Just not that good. REM is also not my music. Had potential but really didn’t do much for me.
4/5
Very nostalgic, borderline 5 but some songs were very boring. Wonderwall isn’t even the best song in the album so it’s a shame people only know them for that.
John Martyn
2/5
Over the hill slapped. Man in the Station was a vibe. Too bad the rest was garbage.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Pretty boring, I’d play it for background music. The first song sounded familiar, but then again most sounded the same so I’m not sure which one I know from the yesteryears.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Stylistically this is exactly the type of music I enjoy. However, this album is not their best in my opinion and therefore does not deserve a top rating. Even though Mardy Bum is probably my favorite song by the Arctic Monkeys, the album is probably a 3/4, so I’ll say 4 stars for the sake of it.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Another one that I felt like I should enjoy, but simply did not. 0 songs stood out to me, but nothing was really bad. I’d never come back to it. Normally a 3 but it lost a star for disappointing me.
Incredible Bongo Band
1/5
Ok this is a 1 and I’ll tell you why. First of all, most of these are covers, which means the album itself is not very original or influential in that regard. Second, this was mainly background music. It barely made me tap my foot at its best moments. Third, and most importantly, the bongos were completely unnecessary and they actually made the songs worse at some points. Therefore, this has to be a 1 because the premise of the album was to upgrade the songs with bongos, while it actually downgraded them. It’s not your average 1 star album, but a 2 felt way too generous.
Chicago
3/5
Honestly not even their best album. Still decent though. 5/10 if I could.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Songs hit then I listened to his album Love & Hate which is much better. Still funky fresh and respect the grind. 7/10. Give me a half star goddamnit
Ian Dury
1/5
That was actually terrible. I’m convinced this man was a Make a Wish kid who wanted to put an album out before he died and nobody had the heart to tell him how bad it was. Every time I thought it would get better, it got exponentially worse. Truly appalling.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Funky. Fresh. My man really threw some rap in there for us. Overall solid album. Was missing that it factor though. Could have been better. 4 stars.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Hard again? I barely even got a half chub. In terms of level of arousal, I will quote the most common phrase said by women leaving my bedroom. “That was very disappointing”. In terms of musical stylings, it had some razzle dazzle, so I’ll be generous as I often am in bed. 3 stars.
Gang Starr
3/5
Hard again? I barely even got a half chub. In terms of level of arousal, I will quote the most common phrase said by women leaving my bedroom. “That was very disappointing”. In terms of musical stylings, it had some razzle dazzle, so I’ll be generous as I often am in bed. 3 stars.
David Gray
3/5
Seems racist that a white man would make an album called white ladder. Seems like a corollary to corporate America and the fact that for women and minorities in the workplace there is a glass ceiling that prevents individuals from reaching their true potential while others have a proverbial white ladder to the top. As a white man going into corporate America, I not very offended by the title. Not to mention the song Babylon brought back happy memories from my childhood that I forgot existed. However, the overall album lacked a certain shebang. 2 stars for overall album, bonus star for the nostalgia.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
A truly legendary album. It was a bit awkward when someone walked past my room and Fuck Me (Interlude) was playing. I got weird looks. I also had a raging boner which made the interaction even more awkward. For that, 4 stars.
Run-D.M.C.
1/5
It’s giving high school dropouts turned SoundCloud rappers who only use GarageBand because they think they don’t have to splurge on real recording equipment. I wanted to skip every song by the 30 second mark. On par with Ian Dury.
The Who
3/5
Actually very surprised by the sound. It really showed the time period with a lot of 60s influence. With that said, a perfectly mid album, yet closer to a 6.5 out of 10 if we’re being specific. I think in later albums they decided they couldn’t be the Beatles so they switched up their sound a bit.
Various Artists
2/5
I actually hate Christmas music. Call me a cynic, but it’s boring and all the music is just repeated year after year. Nobody can write a modern day Christmas song without making it sexual (I’m looking at you Justin Bieber). This is well deserved as my first 2 star. The songs are good and I can’t hate on the Ronettes, but goddamnit, I’m sick of it.
4/5
Let me tell you a story. My grandma, born in 1950, grew up with the Beatles in her life. In 1964, the Beatles began their North American tour: 32 venues in 31 days. Every girl aged 10-18 in the country was begging to get tickets, willing to sell a kidney just to get a sniff of the Beatles. Finally, the day came where tickets went on sale, and my dear grandmother’s cousin got tickets! What joy! As luck would have it, my grandmother’s cousin and her friend were quite young, still a preteen, and they needed a responsible older girl to go with them. A 14 year old they trusted. Wait…that’s my grandmother!!! Any normal teenage girl would have been beaming, thrilled to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Beatles live at the Boston Garden. My grandmother, however, was not a normal teenage girl. She HATED the Beatles with a passion. She thought their music was boring and that girls were too into them. She has in fact stated many times that she only listens to “real rock”. In fact, to quote her on her concert experience, my grandmother despised going, saying “You couldn’t actually hear anything they were singing because the crowd of girls was just shrieking the whole time”. She puts it up there as one of the worst concerts she has ever been to, and to this day refuses to listen to the Beatles. For that reason, along with other inconsistencies I found within the album, I cannot give this a 5 as many others have. This one’s for you Grammy!
The Only Ones
3/5
I’m incredibly confused right now. I actually have no complaints about this album or any songs. Instrumentals are good, it fits the punk genre well, and I actually think the lead singer’s voice connects well with my earballs. Yet, much like a book without pictures, I began to lose interest after 15 minutes and my mind drifted off. There was nothing that made this bad, but also it was nothing special at all. Just a bunch of old guys who groomed a teenager and made him the lead singer of their midlife crisis dad band. 2.75 so we’ll say a 3 but that feels a tad generous
The Saints
5/5
I opened this album the other day and said my good lord Jesus why did they give us another unknown shitty punk album. And then I pressed play. And they hit me with TRUMPETS?! I’m a sucker for trumpets first off. And then I kept listening and realized, wait a second, now I remember why I like punk. Because real punk is actually fucking good. And for the first time they gave us a real punk album, with great guitar riffs and drum beats that go insanely hard. Plus, it went beyond the classic 4 instrument setup, which was magical. This album made me want to run through a wall in the best way, a few of these songs will be put on the playlist, and I actually went back to an album for the first time. This is exactly why I joined this group - I wanted to find albums that I had never heard that speak to me on a deeper level, and this one brought out my inner emo kid. My first 5 star review, and well deserved at that.
Tortoise
2/5
Not my thing. There were good moments, then sometimes they got ruined. Nothing I’d come back to.
Wilco
4/5
Yeehaw! Alternative country is a vibe, I actually kinda liked it. Red-Eyed and Blue was a very good song in my opinion. Overall, I’d say the content of this album puts it at about a 3, but with the Surprise Factor™️, it’s a 3.75, so we round to a 4. I’d probably revisit a handful of these songs, maybe one or two end up on the playlist.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Not my type of music, but better than I expected. My head was bobbing but that’s about as far as I’d go. High 2 low 3, probably wouldn’t go back to it. I’m too white for the message in the lyrics to speak to me.
Bee Gees
4/5
Not the Bee Gees that I expected to hear, and I’m thankful for that. You kind of forget that the group had a short ballad era and these songs really are haunting in the best way. I love ballads but I see why other people may hate them. Dearest is kind of a cheesy song but I loved it, I’d add it to a playlist or just listen solo if I’m in a somber mood. If this album wasn’t so rushed being made I think it could be a 5 star album in my eyes, but 4 stars for sure right now.
Sleater-Kinney
1/5
This album made me a misogynist. I audibly laughed at some songs. There is such a thing as too much vibrato.
King Crimson
2/5
I knew the album cover and had heard this was an epic album, so I was excited. Turned out it wasn’t much more than background music for me which only rarely caught my attention. Nothing really special here to me, prog rock has gotten better over time. Perfectly mid 2.5/5 but I give it a 2 because I was slightly disappointed.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
This album won so many awards and I can see why. First of all, Ms. Hill’s voice is spectacular, giving major hints of Amy Winehouse (or vice versa because Lauryn came first). Second, the story was well told and I didn't hate the little outros in the songs mimicking a classroom conversation. However, some of the beats (shoutout woofmeow) were placed a but weirdly and did not mesh with the lyrics to me. I still think this is a comfortable 4. I’d also like to add that I think I’ve been too generous to prior rap/r&b albums and would like to knock them all down a star on the record here. Rap is not my thing and I’ve been placating some of my haters who tell me I disrespect a lot of rap. At the end of the day, it’s not really my thing, and my ratings should reflect that. Therefore, this is a 4, but every other album with a similar genre should be knocked down 1 star. Oh also props to the cover on the second to last song. Frankie Valli did it better but this put an interesting spin on it.
Deep Purple
4/5
I appreciated this even though it was long as hell. The solos were magnificent, specifically the guitar solos. Also the vocals were immensely impressive, very few people can hit those notes. With that said, it was a bit drawn out in my opinion. Could’ve kept it to 60 or 90 minutes. 3.5 stars, I’ll say a 4 to be generous.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Not the worst thing in the world but not anything I would ever come back to. Just plain boring, but not on the same level of a 1 star. Those albums hold a special place in hell.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
I don't want to work
I want to bang on the drum all day
I don't want to play
I just want to bang on the drum all day
Ever since I was a tiny boy
I don't want no candy
I don't need no toy
I took a stick and an old coffee can
I bang on that thing 'til I got blisters on my hand because
I don't want to work
I want to bang on the drum all day (yes I do)
I don't want to play
I just want to bang on the drum all day (that's right)
Now if that song was on this album, I’d give it more consideration. Instead, at its best it’s a 3, at its worst it’s a 1. Plus I hate creepy wizard bands. People that listened to this played Dungeons and Dragons in their basement. 2 stars.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
I have two conflicting thoughts here. On the one hand, I did not want to finish this album and was sick of it very fast. On the other hand, there was some interesting stuff towards the tail end of the album. I went from laughing thinking of someone who clogged the toilet at their friends house and not knowing what to do about it in the first song, to bobbing my head along with some of them by the end of it all. Because I didn’t expect to like it, it gets extra points. This is a 2, but it could have been a 3 under different circumstances.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Very spooky. Much more in line with my taste in music than a lot of the recent stuff. It’s easy to forget how well Ozzy does as frontman until you really listen to him sing the lyrics. No songs really stood out as total winners to me, but I enjoyed the album nonetheless. Everything was just well done and cohesive. A lower 4, but still a 4.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
The original funk, man. I want to talk about the song Sex Machine for a minute. I’m convinced this man took out a stopwatch as soon as he got naked with a woman, timed how long it took him to finish, and then decided to make a song of that exact time length. I’ll be honest, the beginning was slow and this was a 3 maybe a 2 at first, but the middle and end were very good. Everyday People really brought it over the top, and You Can Make It If You Try was fantastic too. Overall I’m solidly at a 7/10, so I’ll be very kind and say 4.
Deep Purple
3/5
A bit confused why this album was chosen to be on here. There’s really nothing in particular that made this album too special. Maybe the guy making this list just really liked the song Child in Time? Beats me. It’s a decent album overall, but just feels unnecessary to listen to before I die. It’s a low 3 because I like the genre, but the Live in Japan album was much better. Also I’d like to say for reference there are 3 Deep Purple albums on this list, which is equal to the number of Queen albums on here and 1 more than the number of AC/DC albums and Fleetwood Mac albums. Even if you know nothing about music, you’d think that’s strange. I know 0 people who would name a Deep Purple album or song in their top 20, maybe even top 50. I’m not mad, just disappointed.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Simultaneously better than I thought and worse than I thought. I am averse to female vocalists which would always hurt this album here. Smack in the middle at 3 stars.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Here’s the thing. I don’t like Neil Young’s voice. It gets annoying quickly. The songs themselves are not too shabby, Powderfinger in particular was quite good, but his voice detracts from the songs. With the ideal singer this would be a 4, but with Mr. Young it’s a 2.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Ya know I had to listen to this a few times because I never really could tell what to give it. A two? A three? A four maybe? I tend to like this genre, but for some reason this album was not speaking to me. Most of the songs did not stand out to me, but I enjoyed the album nonetheless. I can’t really explain this rating. The album was good not great, and didn’t tickle the senses as much as I would have hoped.
Steely Dan
4/5
I feel like this album isn’t getting enough credit from the rest of y’all. Their first album release and they got three top hits from it? That’s damn impressive. Not to mention, it was one of the fringe era bands, still experimenting with the rock sound and making it their own. I think they did a fantastic job with this album and it deserves a ton of praise. Not the best of the best, but I did like it more than I ever remembered.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Sure this exceeded my expectations, but my expectations were already at the floor, so it doesn’t say too much. It was boring, but it wasn’t bad at all. She went for the high notes a few too many times, yet there was more depth than that. A fringe three if I’m being real here, but I’m not coming back to any of these songs for any reason because I’m not a huge fan of the genre.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Ah yes the good ole 60’s, back when women were treated as objects. In all seriousness though I do enjoy this era a ton, but their voices had a bit too much twang for me. Twang probably isn’t the right word but you get what I mean. It was just pleasant, and I was in a good mood listening to all the songs. Bonus points for being such a short album, gave me ample time to relisten. Not quite good enough to be considered as a four sadly.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Welcome to Club 5 Star! This album is an absolute gem, and I can never get enough of it. As a man I will always proudly sing (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman whenever I’m feeling good. Then we’ve also got Chain of Fools, Ain’t No Way, People Get Ready, AND (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone. Mmmm. Delicious. The whole album is just so well done, you can feel Aretha’s presence through the album, and you quite literally cannot skip this album if you want to know how modern music evolved. Truly magnificent through and through.
Santana
3/5
Oh I know Santana! Remember when he did a song with Rob Thomas (of Matchbox Twenty)? Or when he did a song with Chad Kroeger (of Nickelback)? Or when he did a song with Dave Matthews (of Dave Matthews Band)? Or when he did a song with Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith)? Or when he did a song with Eric Clapton (of The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, etc.)? Or when he did a song with CeeLo Green (of Gnarls Barkley)? Or when he did a song with Gloria Estefan (of the Miami Sound Machine)? Or when he did a song with Shakira ({formerly} of Gerard Piqué)?
Yeah, those songs were all better than any on this album except for Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen.
The Specials
2/5
UK ska? I’m pretty sure those two terms are mutually exclusive. Does this album count as cultural appropriation? Not to mention, I’m quite certain that the song Monkey Man has racial undertones.
Anywho, this album is just plain strange. There are some redeeming factors, such as A Message to You Rudy, but then to follow that up with Do the Dog is frankly appalling. The lyrics are good and I appreciate the history behind the album, but the music surrounding it is cut and paste at its best. Do better, UK ska. Do better.
The Pogues
2/5
This is my new anthem for when I’m downing pints at my local Irish pub. Too bad I live in America. And I don’t drink.
The Byrds
2/5
Remember that Family Guy episode where Peter and Lois got stoned out of their minds and started a band? That’s exactly what this album felt like. The drugs are palpable here. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a video for reference: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1_-_JIhtMqU
Fred Neil
4/5
I’ve come home late from work tonight. It’s around 9pm, a single street lamp with a yellowish glow shines out the window, and I’m sipping on a cup of tea. The record player is switched on and I piece through the vinyls, looking for something that fits the mood. All of a sudden I come across this album, unlistened to for the past 6 months, sandwiched between some of the other castoffs. It’s a nice night, and the songs soothe me after a long day. However, as we near the end of the album, that feeling of loneliness starts to creep in. Who is there to hold me tonight? Is my life progressing the way I dreamed it would? How have things changed since I last listened to this album? Loneliness turns into sadness. I dispose of the tea bag, place the mug by the sink, and shuffle off to bed. As the shades are closed and the bedside lamp is switched off, I stare into the black of night. I can’t help but sense around me this sensation: pure emptiness. That, that is what I feel inside.
Van Morrison
3/5
This is one of those albums where I actually knew a ton of the songs but have no idea when or where I heard them. Oh to be a small child with a malleable mind and an ear for the oldies. This was clearly a well done album, especially the first five songs, but unfortunately it didn’t hit like I hoped it would. I’d listen again, but not anytime soon. I was going to give this another go around to determine whether this was a 3 or a 4, but then Sam Cooke came on right after and I instantly made my decision.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Mmmm this was good. Rock with You is also my favorite Michael song so extra points here. And before you all bring it up, no, Michael Jackson was NOT a pedo, he just happened to like spending time with young children and having sleepovers with them. I’d ask all of you to take a good long look in the mirror and truly answer this question: don’t we all?
Weather Report
2/5
Started out fresh and fruity. Like a banana about to be perfectly ripe. A yellowish green that promises enjoyment to those who wait patiently. We wait for a few songs, yet the banana does not seem to ripen to that golden yellow. We wait longer, hoping, praying for that succulent sunshine. Waiting, wishing, dreaming. We then see a brown spot form amongst the green. And another. And another. Before long the whole banana is a mix of brown, green and yellow. What bitter disappointment for us to witness such promise turn into dismay. Where does an album, I mean banana, with such promise belong? The same place as all other rotted bananas. The garbage.
Sinead O'Connor
1/5
We had a talent show for my elementary school back when I was in 4th grade. Anyone between the third and fifth grades were allowed to participate. One girl in the fifth grade - a pudgy broad with thick glasses and ratty hair - decided that she wanted to be the singer songwriter type. This was before the rise of the shy singer songwriter girls of the early to mid 2010s. Where she got the inspiration to sing is beyond me. Maybe Taylor Swift? Regardless, she went up on stage with her guitar in front of the entire school to sing an original song that she wrote. We were all waiting in anticipation to hear this shy girl spring out of her shell and become reborn as the resident pop star. The song she chose to perform was called “Butterfly”. And it was AWFUL. Let me say that again. AWFUL. Truly horrendous. The lyrics escape me, but it went something like “I will spread my wings and fly high, I am a butterfly”. And good lord she could not sing. Or play guitar for that matter. It was overall just a trainwreck. Everyone in the audience was at their best snickering, and at their worst howling laughing. Even the teachers couldn’t contain themselves. It was that bad. We all mocked her song relentlessly for the next 3 weeks. I think she transferred schools after that year.
But yeah this album reminded me vividly of that moment, just with better instrumentals and an Irish accent. I haven’t thought about that in years. Thank you for putting a smile on my face Sinead! Too bad your only good song was a cover of Prince’s. Now that’s an artist that can actually sing.
The Undertones
3/5
Oooh this is that punchy, short punk that gets me going. Spectacular instrumentally, but the songs were poorly constructed. Almost felt like they were stuck in the sock hop era for a band from the 70s. Not to mention all the repetition in the songs even though they were all less than 3 minutes. I liked it, but I could’ve liked it more.
Neil Young
3/5
Alright let’s cut to the chase. The music deserves a 5. Neil Young’s voice deserves a 1. We settle at a 3. Happy?
The B-52's
2/5
I can’t with all these shitty albums anymore. It’s painful. Here’s another Family Guy video I guess. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZxdOeXUiJ0
Iggy Pop
3/5
Sure, he’s a creepy looking bag of skin. Sure, he wrote a song about boning a 13 year old girl (which was taken off of Spotify). Sure, this entire album was primarily Bowie music that Mr. Pop sang over. But hey, it ain’t that bad. Could have been a 4 if I was in a better mood. He’s the kind of weird I’d want to see live.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I’m going to be nice because I’ve been a bit mean lately regarding past albums. I actually took the time to focus on the lyrics instead of the vocals, which are notably shitty. Not Ian Dury level, but bad. Like I might audition for American Idol now because this album gave me hope. Anywho, Dylan’s songs are usually real thinkers and I’ll stick to that for this album. They’re a bit excessive at times, but there’s a story in there which is always nice. Normally this is a 3, but today I want to say it’s a 4 because it’s a different Dylan than I expected and it shows versatility beyond just pure folk. Do I feel good about the rating? No. But I gotta round up at some point.
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
Imagine living in the 60s and showing up to Club Hamburg and seeing this man jam out on the piano and and sing his heart out. Not to mention he has such a commanding voice that the band is a mere suggestion behind him. This was exceptional. I feel transported. I have a new appreciation for him as an artist and for all of his songs. For gosh sakes I even want to dance! And I hate dancing! It’s a shame that nowadays at concerts you’re expected to pack into an open field like sardines, jump up and down until you inevitably crush someone’s lungs with your dirty Air Force Ones, and yell nonsensical words set to a shitty electronic beat. Don’t know why but Travis Scott’s Astroworld performance comes to mind. Specifically the Houston, Texas one.
Getting back to this album: it is cohesive. It flows perfectly. There’s a true performance aspect to it. Overall, it was just fun. A fantastic 22 minutes, made even more impressive when considering it was done live. Ya know what I’m gonna send it, I loved everything about this album. 5 stars!
David Bowie
2/5
When the only defining aspect of an album is its cover art, can we really consider it one of the best ever? Look I’m not a huge Bowie guy to begin with, but this album just doesn’t really belong on here. It was still good, don’t get me wrong, but nothing stood out. He’s pretty clever with the naming and the title track was silly with the slamming on the piano, but I don’t need to come back to any of these songs, nor did I need to listen to this album. Sorry, but not really.
Frank Zappa
3/5
I think this album can be best explained with a lateral example in the art world. When we think of famous painters, Pablo Picasso comes to mind first for many of us. Picasso was renowned for his Cubist paintings, founding the style which had never been a concept before him. Picasso started his career in his teenage years doing realistic portraiture, and he was quite good. He clearly had a gift for art. As he aged, he continued to paint portraits, but they gradually became what many of us would deem “sloppier”. The brush strokes became longer, the colors were blended less, and the paintings were overall less realistic. More years passed, and her began to play with distinct color schemes, tending to show feelings of somberness with blue hues throughout many of his famous works. The focus was less on the figures he was painting, and more on the emotion he was conveying though the portrait. As he aged into his elder and twilight years, he had fully moved away from realism. Cubism was born, and they are what Picasso is known for most today. If you look at a famous Picasso painting, you may be tempted to say “I can do that”. And maybe you could replicate something like that. But you would never have come up with it on your own. It took years to master his craft, and once he mastered it he was able to experiment further. Once he mastered those experimental phases, the last thing there was to do was to pioneer a new movement.
Frank Zappa is Pablo Picasso. His music is quite silly, it sounds like a mess at times, and many people would be tempted to say about some of the songs “I can do that”. But you can’t. Because Frank Zappa has mastered his craft, and having done so he embarked on an experimental phase. Unfortunately, that is where this album stops for me - the experimental phase. The movement came afterwards. God bless and rock on.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Did you ever have that debate with your friends about whether it’s better to be deaf or blind? Some of these songs make me think it’s better to be deaf, others make me want to be blind. Yes I had to do a blind joke, it’s Stevie Wonder.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Can we give some more respect to Pearl Jam please. If Kurt Cobain didn’t blow his brains out, Pearl Jam might have stayed bigger than Nirvana. This is their debut album, some of their best and most iconic songs came from this album, and we can’t even understand 95% of the words. Seriously, tell me more than 10 different words in Even Flow. You can’t. But the song still slaps, and so do all the others. Eddie Vedder has that voice that can sing the phone book. It booms over the echoing instruments in the background, and the instruments are also fantastic I should add. I could say more about this album, but I don’t feel the need to. It’s Seattle grunge, and I like Seattle grunge. The album, however, never brings me back. I actually space out my listens by a few months at a time because it’s a lot sometimes. Another fringe 5 that I can’t give a 5 because I know it’s not one of my all time favorites and I knew what to expect coming into it.
Nirvana
5/5
I was 13 years old when I experienced this album for the first time in full. A gawky, pale boy, I needed to find my way. Having started at a new school that year, not only was I struggling to make friends (ie. I had close to zero), but all of my former friends were suddenly just that - former friends. My parents were more worried about my grades than my feelings, my sister was living in her own world, and nothing seemed to be going right. It was a dark time. Honestly, I didn’t just feel alone. I was alone. It was at that point in my life where I discovered Nevermind, and boy did it change my world. Every song would run the range of emotions: sadness, anger, even some happiness via sarcastic humor. It’s cliché to say that you feel like an artist “gets” you, but Kurt Cobain really did get it. He got me, he got you, he got all of us. At a time when I needed to be heard, I listened. And it made all the difference.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
I’ve never heard this album before but the sound is so intriguing to me. The first thing I heard was some 70s psychedelic rock, similar to Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. Then I started to get some 80s hair metal, a genre I grew up on, for better or for worse (mainly better). But then you get a taste of grunge, which surprised me most of all given the time frame of this album. Overall it was a solid album, one that I’d come back to occasionally, but because it surprised me so much I have to bump the rating up.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
This band and album was quite literally fueled by heroin. Their lead singer was a junkie sex addict who desperately wanted to be a rapper. Their bassist was a junkie midget who jumped around on stage like a maniac. Their guitarist (for this album) was a junkie just out of rehab who quit as soon as the band broke it big so he could do more heroin. Their drummer was a junkie (cocaine this time) who joined the band only because they already had a record deal in place. Oh and not to mention the crazy amounts of sexual misconduct that they all got wrapped up in. Yet, individually all of them are so talented (minus whenever Kledis raps). Seriously, all of them would have made it big regardless, but they just happened to make it big together. Their music incorporates so many interesting elements and you can easily isolate each instrument’s sound. You get some funk, some punk, a dash of R&B, hints of classic rock, and more! Considering that they were just a group of buds from high school who went through hell together and through it all made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that’s hella impressive. This is the best album they made, but as with many famous albums, we forget how bad some of the lesser songs are. It doesn’t warrant 5 stars unfortunately, but it’s close.
Public Enemy
2/5
Is anyone else uncomfortable with how racially charged these songs are?
Extra star because Black Lives Matter ✊🏿
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
I hate all those freaking people that say “I love all genres of music…except country haha!” Your attempt to be quirky makes you even more basic. It also shows you don’t know anything about music. It’s ok not to love all genres, but you need to appreciate them all for what they stand for. Dwight Yoakam stands for the two basics of country: yee and haw. Speaking of basic, this album has almost no distinguishing features. It’s so bland that it feels like someone is jamming an unseasoned, overcooked chicken breast into my ears. There’s no good reason for this album of his to be on this list, and it’s proof that whoever made this list knows very little about country. It’s not bad and does not warrant a one, but I could quite literally hear this crap at any bar in Nashville.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Remember when they aired Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC back in 2018? Yeah I don’t either, I don’t think anyone watched it. But it had John Legend, Sara Bareilles and Alice Cooper in the cast, which is really strange. It honestly feels like a fever dream, much like this album. It’s clever and deserves extra points for that, but if this was an actual soundtrack to a movie, I likely would not watch that movie. Much like how I did not watch Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. At least NBC assembled a star cast to feed their viewers.
Hole
3/5
I wanted to be blown away by this album. I expected a hurricane. A typhoon. A cyclone. Yet all I got was some thunderstorms and strong gusts. I think a branch or two might’ve fallen too. But the power didn’t go out. So yeah, this album could’ve been better clearly. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt because we had some great grunge albums the past week and clearly they can’t match Nirvana or Pearl Jam.
The Stooges
3/5
The background noise of a crying kid next to me at the airport really tied together this album for me. Because Iggy Pop makes kids cry. Because he touches them. I still stand by the fact that this is good music and I would like to see him in concert. Maybe in the future, once we’re both in hell.
Eminem
3/5
I’m not a hip hop fan and frankly this was way too violent. Not sure how Marshall wasn’t committed to a mental institution after this one. Yet surprisingly, it kept me engaged, the songs were well formulated, and it was fun to listen to. Maybe lost some juice towards the end, but sheesh he’s got some bars. Quite possibly the only instance of a white man being a credible rapper. I am notorious for over ranking my true feelings on hip hop, so here ya go.
N.W.A.
1/5
I’ll be honest, rap groups are absolutely hilarious to me. N.W.A. is literally just an edgier version of *NSYNC. I find it corny and it’s hard to believe that this was one of the defining albums in hip hop history. I’m resisting the inner urges to give this a 1. Never mind, the inner urges won.
Dr. Dre
2/5
Yeah I can't get into any of this stuff.This genre does nothing for my soul except make me want to commit violence in the streets. Heck I might go out and buy a glock for funzies after getting this, Straight Outta Compton, and The Marshall Mathers LP back to back to back.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Let’s start with the fact that Fast Cars was, is, and always will be transcendental. If I’m being purely subjective on the whole album, it’s clear that the reason Tracy is on here is because of her lyrics. They are moving and they themselves are worthy of a 4 or 5. But instrumentally, this is nothing more than trashy acoustic calypso worthy of a 1 or 2. I’ll settle in the middle at a 3.
Metallica
3/5
My expectations for this coming into it were higher than Snoop Dog on 4/20. A legendary album, legendary songs, selling millions of copies? Has to be mind blowing, right? Unfortunately, as the album continued on, my appreciation for it got lower than Shawty when Flo Rida sings. It felt like there was too much dead space in the songs in between guitar riffs and singing/growling. It just never really tickled my tummy in the way I hoped. It was still very good, but I don't know, this feels a bit sad.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
I thought my speaker was broken. They’d be whispering to the point where I understand none of it, then I turn the volume up slightly and they’re screaming at me 3 seconds later. I felt slightly violated, like that time with Father John. I actually thought I would like this album at first but it disappointed me much more than words can describe. Industrial rock is not a genre, it’s just screaming over leaky pipes. I can go to any low income housing complex to hear that.
Shack
3/5
At the time of this little ditty, I was inching near a high rating. I then quickly realized that we had been getting so much garbage music in the recent days that this was just not horrible. Modernized sea shanties are a cool vibe, but not much beyond that. Can't say I'll be jamming out to Streets of Kenny on my way to work, but maybe if I was in the right mood I would revisit this.
Drive-By Truckers
1/5
*BREAKING NEWS*
*Recently unreleased conversations between the selectors of all 1001 albums are now being shared with the public*
Selector 1 [Mark]: "Hey Joe, I have an idea."
Selector 2 [Joe]: "Alright Mark let me hear it."
Mark: "Ok so you know my cousin Dave, the one with the Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band?"
Joe: "Of course I know Dave. He's still in that band? I figured he would have given it up by now to focus on a real career."
Mark: "Yup he's still in it. And he's releasing an album soon. He keeps trying to get me and the rest of the family buy it and recommend to friends but it's so bad I just can't."
Joe: "I think I see where you're going with this... you want to put this album on our list?"
Mark: "I'm just saying it would be really funny if we did and it would get him off my back. Two birds with one stone kind of deal."
Joe: "Haha ok I like it, but we already have 1000 albums picked, which one do you want to bump off the list?"
Mark: "That's where it gets really good, we should just make it 1001 albums! Nobody will know and it will make the list seem a bit quirkier by having the extra one."
Joe: "Mark. You are a genius! And the best part is that nobody would know!"
Mark: "Exactly, nobody would know!"
*Joe and Mark were sorely mistaken. We all knew this was proper shit*
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
This was the precursor to an era of music that needs to be forgotten to time - 2010 R&B pop. You know who I'm talking about. Usher's Raymond v Raymond album. Taio Cruz with his The Rokstarr Hits Collection. Even Bruno Mars and his Doo-Wops & Hooligans album. All music that has millions upon millions of plays, but is so trashy the garbage man won't even pick it up from the side of the road. This album walked so they could run. But hey at least he made Battle Scars, that song slaps.
Nick Drake
3/5
It sufficed as background music and was very pleasant when I listened closely, but it never grabbed my attention. I felt like I was shopping for slacks at Macy's on a random Thursday in August. Not an ideal day, but the sales are great and lord knows I need new chinos.
KISS
4/5
Let's get one thing straight. No it's not a fantastically made conceptual album. It won't wow you with its instrumentation. It's not very inventive in general. But I'll be gosh darned if I don't give the only Kiss album on this list of 1001 albums the respect it deserves. Part of the draw to this album was the show that the band put on with the music. They were crazy characters who were good at making music and their hits are legendary. The group puts Detroit Rock City and Beth on the same album, come on, they are so different and both insanely good. They are versatile and I feel like they are a bit disrespected because of their personas. I'm fighting to give Kiss the respect they deserve on the Global reviews - I urge you all to join me.
The Stone Roses
3/5
This is one of those that kills me inside. The genre is great, the instrumentals are great, it is all set up for success, then the lead singer mumbles like he's trying to chew on cotton. Sing clearly so we can understand you please. This would be a fringe 5 otherwise. I'm not mad, just disappointed.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I actually knew a guy nicknamed Sticky Fingers in high school. None of you want to hear his backstory but I'm telling you regardless. Are you ready? No? Well here we go!
So Sticky Fingers, Sticky for short, was three years older than me, like most of my friends at the time. I was not acquainted with any of them when they were early high school students, but by the time I was a freshman and they were seniors we became friends. Occasionally I had heard the rest of the group refer to him as Sticky behind his back, but I was never one to but in and ask for the backstory. Two years later, while they were all in college, everyone was just drunk enough to tell me the whole story. So here it is...
As sophomores in high school, the group threw a party one Saturday. The group was primarily guys, a few of their girlfriends too, but in general it was a real sausage fest. They all got very very hammered that night, as was usual for their soirees. I should also mention that they were notorious for their gay tendencies. I'm talking sneaky nuts (urban dictionary if you don't know), ass slaps, drunk smooches on the cheek. You name it, they probably did it. But back to the story.
On this night, someone had a grand idea of doing a circle jerk onto a piece of white bread. So they did it. They all gathered around, whipped their cocks out, and started masturbating onto a piece of Wonder Bread. Why the Indian man hosting the party had Wonder Bread at his house is beyond me, but he did. Eventually, everyone finished except for one - Sticky. Sticky felt ashamed, and frankly he needed to finish for his own wellbeing, so he stumbled into a room.
In that room, blacked out on a bed, was one of the guys in the group. He had been knocked out for over an hour now and had no concept that the circle jerk had happened. Well, Sticky, in his drunken state, pulled his dick back out and started tugging at it again. Now that he was in private, he could really focus on the task in hand. All of a sudden, he felt it cumming. With nowhere to put the incoming ejaculate, he chose the only logical spot: the sleeping man's hand.
The next morning, the sleeping man woke up from his alcohol induced coma and found that his hand had something weird on it. Asking the rest of the group, they were all confused too. As they walked back through the events of the night, they finally deduced this story. Sticky later admitted to one person that he did do it, and that person told the rest of the group.
And that is the story of Sticky Fingers. I hope you all enjoyed.
Parliament
2/5
Cheesier than a Wisconsinite's head at Lambeau Field.
Doves
5/5
I am speechless. Unsure what to say here. Literally could not miss. I have never heard of this band or any of their songs until now, but it was worth the wait. Some call it brit-pop, others call it indie rock, I call it perfection. The first listen through made me think 4 instantly, but for days afterwards I was singing the songs in my head. I had been saying that I regret not giving Oasis a 5, but this album felt exponentially better. Albums like these are the reason I joined this group. I just feel pure bliss.
M.I.A.
2/5
It's like if Lorde and Akon had a love child and that love child turned out to be tone deaf. The best part of this album was when my AirPods wouldn't connect for a whole minute and I thought the first song started with a moment of silence. Paper Planes and Jimmy saved this from oblivion.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
Another band I never knew existed until this album popped up on my screen, but I'm happy they do exist. There's some real crap in here, I'll be real with you. But if you ignore the 12 minutes of Blues, Pt. 2 then it's a very solid album. You've Made Me So Very Happy is one of my new favorite songs, the vocals are actually a very interesting gravelly sound that fits with the jazzy orchestra sound behind. The surprise factor always helps with the rating in these cases, and I'm eager to come back to the album at a later time.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Ok let's be straight up, every album of Led Zeppelin's on this list is a 4 or 5. It's a shame they only lasted 12 years. Personally I'm not a self proclaimed fan of theirs, but their music is still amazing. Every member of the band is spectacularly skilled and it shows on this album. They grab your attention from the first note and never let go of it, even with 5+ minute long songs. However, this album to me is missing the sort of pizzazz I'm looking for in a 5 star. Very very close though. I'm pretty sure my 5 star ratings will go to II and IV, but stay tuned for any surprises.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I think I'm getting Stockholm syndrome at this point. Cinnamon Girl was really good?? Neil Young's voice didn't make me want to pull a double Van Gogh???? If I ever give a Neil Young album a 4 please admit me to a psych ward.
Miles Davis
2/5
Jazz is one of those genres where you don't really know what good or bad forms of it sound like, so you usually just give a generic rating of 2 or 3 stars and say "It was nice as background music". But this time I really took the time to listen, to analyze, to research. I studied this album more than I've ever studied for an exam in my life. I listened to other jazz fusion for reference. I sat for 38 minutes, closed my eyes and truly absorbed the music. After all this effort, all of the valuable time spent, I have come to one conclusion.
It was nice as background music.
4/5
BOWIE IS THE MOST OVERRATED ARTIST EVER!!! Now that I have your attention, let me explain. People suck on his nuts because he’s that perfect amount of weird where they aren’t freaked out by him but he’s not normal enough to be considered too basic. At the time his music was revolutionary, but now? It gets lost in the shuffle to me. He wrote a pretty good rock opera album here and rested on his laurels after that in my opinion. He became just another pop-star. And for all the Green Day haters in this group, I’d like to say that when Green Day wrote a rock opera, they actually got it produced. Bowie couldn’t do that even though he wanted to. Green Day literally got American Idiot on Broadway. There are levels here people. This album is definitely Bowie’s best, and it’s very well done. He has real artistry in here. But this ain’t a 5. I’ll never understand why everyone was so obsessed with space back when this was made. It was all aliens and asteroids and that hoopla. So I will end by saying this album is great, but not one of the best things I’ve ever heard like everyone tries to say.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
The first time I heard Amy Winehouse was when I was playing Rock Band 3 on the Wii. I was the drummer of course, my sister was on the guitar, my cousin was on the keyboard, and my aunt was singing. All of a sudden as my aunt was scrolling through the list of songs to choose, she found Rehab, one of her absolute favorites. Inevitably, she butchered it (she was a few drinks in - it was vacation) and I did not revisit Amy Winehouse for over half a decade. It was many years later when I heard Valerie, off of Mark Ronson's 2007 album. No clue how I found it, but I did. I was instantly transported and needed to learn more about this siren of a singer - Amy Winehouse. The first thing I found was this album, and from that point on I was hooked. You truly feel every word of every song. There's heartbreak, pain and sorrow altogether in a way that never lets go of your attention. She was a magnificent singer and this album truly was her swansong.
Every time I listen to this album it never fails to amaze me. She's one of the few singers in history who can sing any genre they choose and succeed. She just happened to take influences from jazz and reggae, and nobody can complain there. Closest thing I've heard to her in terms of matching her vocal prowess and versatility was actually this one girl on American Idol a few years back. Her name was Casey Bishop and she took more of a punk rocker spin but she 100% matched the ability to make you feel every word of a song. She's a dud now unfortunately (like most singers from that show) but I recommend you check out some of the YouTube videos of her performances on the show.
Kate Bush
3/5
This album was like that drunken night out. You know the one I’m talking about. It starts off so strong, you’re pregaming with all the girlies and getting sloshed off tequila shots and seltzers. You head out to the club and dance to some fantastic EDM hits for a bit. A creepy guy finds his way over to you and tries to dance with you for a while (represented in the album by Mother Stands for Comfort). The night starts to get back on track, your friends are all starting to find cute men that seem cute through the flashing lights and blurred vision. You yourself find a cute boy who asks to dance. You’re moving your hips in all the ways you should but the alcohol is really starting to kick in now. Everything’s alright though, the night goes on, it’s just not quite at the same level as the start of the night. Slowly your friends start to disappear into Ubers with their newfound men. You can choose to either go home alone, again, or make the same questionable choices that they are - go home with a stranger. You decide to say fuck it, let’s have a night to remember. This could be the Jig of [your] Life. You get back to his apartment. It gets hot and steamy, he throws you down on the bed. Oh my, it’s happening! And just as it’s all about to go down… oh, oh no. Whiskey dick. *sigh* You grab your shoes and slink home in The Morning Fog just as your mystery man passes out facedown on the bed. Another night of hope ending in disappointment.
Green Day
5/5
Can I give two Green Day albums a 5 in good conscience? Because American Idiot is one of my all time favorite albums ever. Yes, yes I can. Green Day was my favorite band as a child and it’s a wonder why my parents were surprised I had anger issues. I was quite literally headbanging to Basket Case before I understood the concepts of addition and subtraction. I think one thing that I respect listening through this in full again is that with all this rage, there’s only one explicit song on the album, which is actually so impressive. Also Bastille did a very good cover of Basket Case with a more orchestral sound if anyone’s interested in that.
The Killers
4/5
I will now recount a real conversation between myself and my father. For context, we were at a tailgate, he was 5 or 6 beers deep, and was actively scrolling through his iPod Shuffle:
Dad: "Where's my good playlist? I thought it was Bill's Volume 9 but I can't find it. Maybe it's Bill's Volume 12"
Me: "You should probably rename your playlists. How do you know it's the good playlist anyways?"
Dad: "It has Mr. Brightside on it."
In case you were wondering, the date of this conversation was September 2022.
Elbow
2/5
Did you know Dave Matthews Band has a British spinoff? Apparently the Brits call them Elbow. Different names but equally lackluster.
Randy Newman
2/5
This album did not have a friend in me. In fact it barely made my acquaintance. My relationship with this album can be best described as one of those half nods you give to other dudes on the street when you awkwardly make eye contact. Uncomfortable, but not the most uncomfortable thing in the world.
Gillian Welch
2/5
I feel like this was something that suburban white moms would have listened to. Completely forgettable. I can't remember if I even finished it because the songs all sounded the same to me. I saw a cool bird while I was outside listening to this though.
Solomon Burke
3/5
It’s so unfortunate here that Solomon Burke couldn’t have a stronger backing here because his voice is like Mama’s homemade Pecan Pie on a cold November evening. This is the kind of soul singing that warms your heart and makes your toes tingle. But then you get the backing vocals that sound like my mother yelling at me to take out the trash, backing music that can be found at any local coffee shop, and song composition that could have been done by my tone-deaf friend. And of course, you’ll always struggle when you front load an album with the best songs.
MGMT
3/5
These songs are crucial for when I need to powerwalk past tourists on my evening stroll. They are the sole reason I felt the urge to body a man taking pictures of a squirrel.
fIREHOSE
2/5
By far the most forgettable album on this list. How do you rate nothingness? Easy - give it a 2. At least it didn’t invoke a violent reaction in my eardrums like when a body rejects the organ transplant. Or when Ian Dury gets played over the speakers.
New York Dolls
2/5
If this is “Your favorite band’s favorite band’s favorite band”, then can it really be considered one of the greatest ever? Like how doctors have learned to not bleed people to get the sickness out, hair metal has evolved.
Arcade Fire
3/5
There's some really great things in here that make me want to like them, but I saw them perform live on SNL a few years back and that really killed it for me. The sounds are blended well and there is lots of thought put in, but I think they're missing some raw singing prowess in many places.
R.E.M.
2/5
I was listening to this while cleaning my apartment and folding laundry. Nothing stuck out, but then one song came on that really struck my fancy. I threw the laundry down to check what the title was, all giddy and excited to have found a gem. And then I pick up the phone only to find that this album had ended without me realizing and The Cure’s Jumping Someone Else’s Train came on as one of Spotify’s recommended songs.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
This is what I expected all British music sounds like. Bland and uninspiring, much like their brekkies. I mean come on guys - beans, mushrooms and whole tomatoes?? Those have absolutely no business being eaten in combination with each other, let alone at 8am.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Currently on Zillow and getting engaged to the girl I met at work who plays the banjo. We’re looking for 20 acre ranches in Oklahoma. In need of a Realtor asap.
The Strokes
5/5
Alright I waited 1.5 years to rate this because every time I listen to it I keep going back and forth between a 4 and a 5. Some would say that shows how divisive this album is. I think it shows the lack of decision-making ability I have. What am I doing with my life?
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
If you sold this to me as a Greatest Hits album, I’d buy it. But to describe this as possibly the greatest album of all time is blasphemous. The infighting and hatred amongst band members is palpable and the album has no cohesion because of that. Songs were written separately and were quickly recorded together right before they all stabbed each other. Are the songs great? Of course, I’m not an idiot. But in terms of putting together an album that follows a theme and a style and invokes any specific message, this is a fringe 4 that deserves a 3 simply due to being overhyped. Lindsay and Stevie are amazing artists and would have succeeded in any band. Instead they made their own lives hell for the sake of global fame. Also I’ve never heard a man call this his favorite album ever, but I know dozens of women who will say this is their favorite. Is that a coincidence or is there something to that statement? The world may never know.
Billy Joel
4/5
I personally coined a term for this album years ago that I believe still holds true. I call this Grilling Music. Why Grilling Music? Picture yourself as a 46 year old father of two standing outside on a summer day, hosting a barbecue in your suburban oasis. Your kids and their friends are swimming in the pool playing Marco Polo. The cousins are all catching up with each other. Your friends from the neighborhood are gossiping about the latest news in town. “Did you hear that Martha and Jeff got a divorce?? I hear he met a younger woman and just moved out one day.” You’re manning the grill and diligently flipping those burgers, making sure they’re a perfect medium inside, except for one that you’re leaving on for 12 minutes until it’s a perfect hockey puck. Grandpa Joe refuses to eat it any other way. Maybe crazy uncle Dave comes up to you to chat your ear off about his gout and how his dogs keep running away from him in the park. I wonder why. And even through all of this commotion there’s one overarching sound in the background. The Stranger. The last person to invite to the cookout that ties it all together. And while you grill, you know that in the midst of all the craziness and mundanity that is this day, your good buddy The Stranger will keep you company throughout the afternoon.
Tom Waits
3/5
This is what my girlfriend will sound like in 20 years once the drunk cigs finally catch up to her.
The Cure
2/5
This is from The Cure’s depression era. That’s their worst era.
Motörhead
2/5
This album was kinda like eating donuts. The first song was pretty good, I kinda wanted another. The second one was enough. The third was a bit much, I’m feeling a bit full now. Then we get a fourth, a fifth, a sixth…by the 12th I was about ready to roll over and die. One at a time would have been much more enjoyable probably
Tim Buckley
3/5
The music was a bit disjointed and run-on for most of the album but as a cohesive unit it wasn't a bad listen. His vocals impressed me so that really saved the album - plus he's dreamy so he gets a bump for pretty privilege.
The Stooges
2/5
The 10 minute Gregorian chant they threw in there really ruined it for me.
Common
2/5
Wow. As an African-American youth residing in the inner city of Chicago, this album has inspired me to do great things. Wait a second, I’m not an African-American youth residing in the inner city of Chicago!
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
As far as live albums go, this one sucks. 90% of the album is filler music and none of this accurately represents their songs. Color me disappointed.
Beatles
4/5
I'd like to provide some really quality insight as to why this album is good and why it is crafted well. I really would. But I can't because the album is not particularly well crafted. It's a mashup of a bunch of songs with strong individual identities. But those individual identities are very, very strong. I mean when we really consider it, you can argue that 9 of these songs could be lead singles on albums for other artists. Will I dock it a star for lack of cohesiveness? Yes, but I fully see why this is considered the greatest Beatles album of all time by many people.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
While I am in love with Massachusetts and often drive past the Stop 'n' Shop with my radio on, that doesn't mean I connect with these songs in any way.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Here we go, yo. This is the scenario:
Pretty good, but not my vibe.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Same aura as being whacked in the head with a wiffle ball bat repeatedly
Sonic Youth
2/5
This one took me a while to get around to. I'm talking almost 2 years here. I kept starting it, getting distracted, then forgetting about it and having to restart it. Therefore, I've heard Dirty Boots about 7 times now. Frankly, it still hasn't grown on me. I was hopeful that the tail end of the album would get better - it didn't. I can get behind the music, it's great alt rock music. But good lord, every time they open their mouths I want to scream. It's like someone put a soundtrack over a crappy liberal arts college spoken word poetry slam. I think this would be a 3 if there were no vocals at all, which is sad because the vocals make this teeter on a 1. I'm feeling generous today though.
Blondie
4/5
Alright Debbie Harry, you got me on this one. Vocals hard carry this album, especially considering the very simplistic instrumentals, but it still makes for a fantastic album. There's so many different genres at play here, which makes it the best kind of pop album. I'll be generous here because I was surprised that the entire album was well done, not just the massive hits that are Heart of Glass and One Way or Another. Thanks for saving this album from mediocre men Debbie!
Black Sabbath
4/5
I think I'm officially a Black Sabbath fan? Somehow they always seemed too edgy for me, but Ozzy really does sound like a priest from the underworld with how he belts with complete control. And the musicianship on this album is striking. Each instrument is on direct display at some point during the album, which is great because it shows the full skillset of the band not just the singer. I can't say it's a 5 because it didn't have that jaw on the floor effect, but it's a very high 4. I just realized, that was a lot of words when I could have just said Vol. = Rating. Oh well.
Kanye West
4/5
I hate Kanye. He’s an awful, awful person. I cannot say enough bad things about who he is. Not to mention, my freshman roommate was obsessed with Kanye. And I hated that kid too. One time he held a Kanye album drop party in our room at midnight without telling me, then him and a few others got so blacked out that one passed out on the toilet mid shit and the others were puking their guts out in every trash bag we had. And guess what - the album didn’t even drop that night!!! But goddamnit, so many of these songs just hit. That is the only way I can describe it. Every single song makes me believe that I can one day like rap. Ironically the only thing that could make this a 5 is if Kanye wasn’t rapping.
Oasis
2/5
I definitely (maybe) did not like this.
Blur
3/5
Get rid of the last 15 minutes from the album and I think it's a solid 3. I'll still give it the benefit of the doubt because of the very strong start and some gems scattered in between, but a disappointment overall. Came in with high expectations and left feeling underwhelmed.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Different, refreshing, soothing. All the haters who say this wasn't "revolutionary", who cares! This music is actually decent and listenable, unlike a good chunk of these "revolutionary" albums. Some of these songs will go on the playlist, so I'm glad I was introduced to this. Summary: I like.
Cornershop
2/5
Shoutout British Imperialism! After centuries of ruling and exploiting what is now India, the only addition it made to modern society was this hybrid Indian-Britpop album. And it sucks!
The Pogues
2/5
You probably deserved a 1 considering I needed to suffer through 2 of your albums on this generator. Both albums were pretty awful. But somehow, not at that level of awful. Not coming back ever, that's for sure.
Soundgarden
4/5
This is a core grunge album and should be rated as such for a grunge fan like me, but if I had to apply levels to this, I'd comfortably say Nirvana>Pearl Jam>Soundgarden. But then again, I'd rate this closer to Pearl Jam than to Hole, so I'll go with a slightly begrudging 4.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
I've listened to this album 4 times now and every time I completely forget what this album sounded like. The only descriptor I can provide is Bowie-adjacent, and I'm not a huge Bowie fan.
Julian Cope
2/5
“By 1984, Cope's love of hallucinogens -- as well as a toy car collection that occupied nearly an entire year of his life -- was at an all-time high.” I rest my case, your honor.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
This is the music that 15 year old suburban white girls slit their wrists to while they cry in the bathtub.
The Kinks
2/5
I prefer the poppy Kinks. It’s great that they wanted to create a concept album, but I don’t like concept albums and based on the critical reception this album received, neither does anyone else.
Ramones
3/5
I'd like to thank this album for bringing punk into the mainstream and setting the foundation. It's perfect in so many ways, yet I can't get past the fact that almost every song has the exact same BPM (170-180). However, they did line up the slower songs well - 135 on 4th and 11th songs, 160 on 2nd and 13th - to make things cohesive. Which again, makes it perfect in a way. I don't know how to describe it, but there's something lacking. Maybe it's some lyrical diversity? That's not what punk is about though. I'm confused now. All I can say is that I was not underwhelmed or overwhelmed, just whelmed.
Gene Clark
2/5
Just some good ole fashioned, boring-ass country.
Mike Ladd
2/5
Having also gone to school in Western Massachusetts, you can tell he's a Hampshire College graduate.
Talking Heads
4/5
I have a good buddy named Max who confuses the hell out of me sometimes. Some days I'll read a text he sent me and think to myself, "What in the name of Jesus Christ was going on in his head when he sent this?" It's never anything bad, just strange commentary. Up until this day I lived in eternal confusion. But now, I've finally figured it out - his brain is operated by a record player that only plays Talking Heads 77. Let me explain. It always starts with a very basic statement of what happened that day, is repeated to the point where you sense there's added significance to this basic statement, and then becomes oddly introspective and profound. Take the song The Book I Read, for example. "I'm writing 'bout the book I read; I have to sing about the book I read; I'm embarrassed to admit it hit the soft spot in my heart; When I found out you wrote the book I read." Now imagine that said to you unironically, without any musical backing. Max, you are an enigma, but that's what I love most about you. Keep being you.
The Black Keys
3/5
I don't think I'm millennial enough or divorced enough to truly appreciate this music. You really need a convertible and some cool sunglasses to play this music unironically. I take public transportation and sunglasses fit my face weirdly (think Stevie Wonder style). Maybe someday I'll be able to give these brothers a 5.
The Go-Go's
4/5
I’ll tone back my male chauvinism for today and rate purely on styling. These women can rock - slower but still full of energy, the voices surprisingly didn’t grate on my nerves by the end, and there’s probably 4 songs that reach 4-5 star quality on their own. Wouldn’t splurge for a 5 here but there was a lot more to this album than just the hits.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I took this way too seriously the first time I listened. It's actually really funny and ironic and I feel like that's the point of his music. Probably wouldn't play it in the club but it helped me whip through 100 pages of my book, so that says something right?
The Vines
3/5
I was told I would absolutely love this, but I didn't. Some songs were great and I'll be coming back to them, but the rest were so forgettable. Plus the marathon songs they placed in there killed the vibe at times. They tried too hard to be like Nirvana and ended up as a sugar-free version.
Elton John
3/5
Hmmm, way less punchy than I remember. Maybe because the only time I listen to this album it involves hilariously bad but fun karaoke in the car. Tiny Dancer, Levon, and the titular song are all fantastic, Holiday Inn was decent, but the rest of the songs are just... there. Not a bad effort Elton, but I need a bit more consistency next time.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Beautiful harmonies, good storytelling, overall enjoyable and I can see why basically everyone owned this on vinyl. Probably could've been a 5 if I was high.
Miles Davis
2/5
Never have I listened to jazz and thought "You know what would make this way better? Adding in some beep boop electric instrument sounds."
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
The first half started giving me those visceral 1 star reactions ngl. But then, a switch flipped and it inched closer to a 3 on the more instrumental tracks on the back half. Can’t say I want to come back again but I won’t smack a bish if a song is played in the car or sum.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Oh my god, this is the soundtrack for *insert literally any 80's/90's movie here*!!!!
Kid Rock
2/5
He truly is giving a voice to all of those horribly offensive rednecks on Facebook who dream of consolidating power amongst the whites. Don’t believe me?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kyFnLqJx-uU
Dire Straits
4/5
For a band called Dire Straits they sure say the word “Faggot” a lot.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Jimi you're a good singer buddy, sing a little bit more. The 14 minute songs were brutal, but his 4 minute ones at the tail end were redeeming.
Scritti Politti
1/5
Hahahahaha!! Hahaha! Haha. Ha. ha... yeah, nah. Nahhh. No. NO. NOOOOO!
3/5
Honestly, this is much better than I expected. It kind of reminds me of a worse Red Hot Chili Peppers with a touch of Metallica? Ya know what, I vibe with this, it's goofy enough where you can laugh and bob your head at the same time because the music is still decent. Big props to the drummer too, very stylistically impressed by him. I will say, I still played this at a *very* low volume at work, just in case.
Pink Floyd
2/5
I’m convinced you need to have smoked weed at least once to enjoy psych rock.
Run-D.M.C.
1/5
I'm going to do my best impression of a Run-D.M.C song as a review:
They choose to YELL, in uni-SON, every TIME, THEY END A SENTANCE, now tell me why (WHY), fans say and think (THINK), THAT THIS IS GOOD MUSIC (MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC)
In all seriousness, this is much better than the other Run-D.M.C. album on this list, but it still gives me a freaking headache. I wanted to give a 2 but I literally can't out of respect for my ears.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
I think I was supposed to like this album but it kinda bothered me. He spent the entire album singing one octave too high and it created a sort of disconnect. I felt like I was waiting for his balls to drop the whole time. The lyrics were quality but there was so much that came out before this and even around this time from the same genre that was done better in terms of vocals and musicianship.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
There was some good stuff on here, but it was way too similar to Arctic Monkeys and not enough variation from that. I like Arctic Monkeys, but this felt a bit lazy to keep most things the same but add in more harmonies and some orchestral music. Yeah yeah it's a stylistic homage to 60's blah blah whatever. It was good, but I wouldn't say it belongs on this list. Wait it's been removed, that makes a lot of sense.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Pretty sure they remastered this album only to get rid of the slur in the most popular song. Also lost my respect because they missed the opportunity to rhyme “class” with “ass” in Chemistry Class (Rhymed “class” with “mind” instead. Weak.). But I still kinda liked it.
Tim Buckley
2/5
It's great to be sex positive, but make sure you don't test positive. Wrap it before you tap it kids. Oh, and this album is creepy.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Conspiracy theory: There can only be one Elvis in the world. July 22, 1977 - Elvis Costello releases his first album, receiving instant critical acclaim.
August 16, 1977 - Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, dies in the fetal position on the bathroom floor.
There are many possibilities here. Did Costello poison Presley? Did Presley pill pop for years because he knew his successor would come? Maybe Presley sold his soul to the devil in exchange for a set number of years of success. Or maybe the carbon monoxide detectors in my apartment are beeping for a reason. The world may never know.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
We got the CSN album a few days before this and I thought it was fantastic, but it was missing that wow factor of a 5. Given I am not a Neil Young fan, I expected to like this album about the same or less. And yes, I had a general idea of the songs in both albums coming into this. But something with Young's extra dimension here just transports me to a different time. Literal close my eyes and imagine frolicking in the sunflowers type transportation. Don't get me wrong, Helpless is still by far my least favorite song on the album solely because of Neil Young's voice. But the rest is beautiful, magical, something I would listen to on repeat and melt my day away. The classic folk harmonies get me every time, what can I say. Thanks for coming together to make literally one album before disbanding guys.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
I like the blues but this album feels a bit lazy. Bring popular people of the time onto an album to make the bluesy man relevant again in pop culture. I'm sure his other stuff is way better, since this is kinda his swan song. Some groovy, but a lot of meh.
Elton John
4/5
This album has some magical songs written by a magical little fairy man that defined an era. He was sparkly and proud and could make damn good music. Unfortunately, he left too much fat on this album steak to make it perfect... a vein of mediocrity right down the middle separating some spectacular songs from some more great songs. The luster was gone because of this fatty chunk in the center but overall, still a wonderful meal. It's lunchtime I'm hungry.
TLC
3/5
It's a smooth and almost elegant album, but drags on a bit after the hot start in the first half. TLC is more than just Waterfalls though, which is my real takeaway from this. Good work, but I won't be itching to come back to it anytime soon.
Prince
3/5
Stylistically impressive album with a few of the greatest hits included, but I felt underwhelmed considering all the praise constantly thrown at this album. The overabundance of electronic sounds grated on me after a while and took away from the impressive full band. Prince is clearly talented, but the 80s was so palpable here I lost my appetite a bit. I'd say other than the hits, Darling Nikki surprised me and was a very good song albeit extremely lewd. Maybe on future listens this album would jump up a star.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
So here's the thing: I like it. And I actually understand the influential nature of it, which is rare for this genre with me. It transcends musical eras and inspires creativity in the truest form. Still, maybe I'm not musically cultured enough to relate with that. I don't think I'm begging to come back to it from a listener's perspective, but from a student of music perspective I will definitely be returning. After enough studying this may become a 5 star for me but based purely on the first listen at this moment, I have to go with my heart.
Rush
2/5
Someone once told me Rush was a creepy wizard band and I have never forgotten that. They are a combination of supernerd, theater kid, and band kid wrapped up into one. I've never been the coolest ice cube in the freezer but even for me this is a bit much. However, I will give credit that this album has some iconic songs that are essential 80s music knowledge. We all know which 2 I'm talking about. And there's some interesting musical styling going on. Personally though I think the best Rush song is Fly By Night. I'm on a tangent now but long story short, I don't need to listen to Rush again anytime soon, please and thank you.
De La Soul
2/5
I would have needed to be approximately 3 rips high for this music to speak de ma soul. It was a cool concept and some songs were good (Magic Number, Eye Know, Me Myself and I), but most fell flat and felt repetitive.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Covers anger me, so instant points lost. This list is so contradictory sometimes, promoting artists solely because they are singer-songwriters (often not noteworthy) and then giving us albums of just straight covers because they are somehow equally significant? Ok I'll be real, I will come back to the album at some point due to the calming sound, and they were solid covers, but I can't give him too much credit for redoing a bunch of songs everyone already knew.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
The strong songs are strong, the rest are meh. Don’t need to rush back anytime soon.
The xx
2/5
Yawn. This one did not stand the test of time.
The Youngbloods
4/5
Frankly I thought this was great. Top half was better than the bottom half other than the closing song, but I’d come back to this easily. Bonus points because I’d never heard of them other than their 1 hit song not on this album. Could be too generous, but this made me happy in the moment.
Brian Eno
2/5
This wasn't bad, but why did I need to hear this before I died? His best work is not his solo work... this seems like a forceful way of presenting a musical savant to casual listeners who might not otherwise know him. Will use as study music in the future, so bonus points for that!
Kraftwerk
1/5
Quite literally the worst thing to listen to while in the office. For the entire 42 minutes I was terrified one of the PMs sitting next to me could hear “Wir fahr'n, fahr'n, fahr'n, auf der Autobahn” on repeat through my headset. Still not convinced they couldn’t. None of them have looked at me the same since that day.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Holy Jesus that was 2 hours of jazz. This album was surprisingly playful with the introductions of songs and performers - the live version made the songs much more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been. Overall, a good selection of jazz by some of the greats, but nothing that wowed enough to share with others.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
This was beautiful actually. A modern version of Ms. Lauryn Hill's Miseducation, there was real vision here. A solid storyline that felt almost like a R&B take on a rock opera, I was genuinely impressed by this album. Not quite top tier but this will be revisited and shared with others.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Nothing's Shocking was a far better album in my opinion - this one felt too screamy with a more forced concept. Could have been bumped up because the back half of the album was better, but my disappointment weighed on me from the beginning. Three Days stood out to me though, so I will at least be revisiting some portion of the album.
Air
4/5
At first I thought this was nothing more than upscale elevator music, something they would play at the Ritz Carlton. Maybe the music they play when you’re on hold with American Express while they search up fraudulent charge claims on your platinum card. But then it evolved into something special. Maybe it just fit my mood for the day perfectly, but I felt a wave of calmness wash over me while listening. The type of calm where you’re floating in the clouds on a plane, looking down at all the tiny people and buildings below you. One where you realize how insignificant you are, but feel bigger than everything in that same instance. You close your eyes and feel content with your life, thankful for everything you’ve been through and all that you’ve accomplished.
The Clash
4/5
Every time someone would call The Clash punk I would cringe - they don't feel like a punk band, at least not the ones that I had always known. They were a little too soft and the sound was frankly anything but punk. However, after listening to this album multiple times to be rid of my preconceived notions, I finally understand the punk monicker. It's the lyrics that are punk - a pointed attack on the state of the world and the policies that have created the mess. The musical stylings to go along with the lyrics actually tie it all together as well, given the late 70s timeframe where so many different genres were reaching the mainstream. Not to mention, it's a "we the people" commentary, and the genres highlight the differences of the people while unifying with the lyrics. While I now appreciate the album and would rate it highly, I still can't say it's one of my favorites to listen to. Maybe in time this will become a forever favorite for me, but as of today it's not there.
Duran Duran
4/5
A surprisingly solid album all the way through - haven't really revisited Duran Duran since my youth and obviously remembered the hits (Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, Save a Prayer), but the rest of the songs complimented the hits well and made for a cohesive album. It was just the right length to avoid overstaying its welcome too, so I'll give these guys some extra credit beyond just the well-done musical stylings.
CHVRCHES
2/5
I don't have much to say here... doesn't really belong on the list and is relatively derivative 80s synth pop that some Scots brought back into the mainstream. Unsure why it got added other than for some global diversity during the list update.
Roxy Music
3/5
Not Roxy Music's best stuff but nonetheless engaging with some interesting soundscapes. The quirkiness is much appreciated - it makes the band feel even smarter in their decision-making and musical layering because they don't seem to take things as seriously and by-the-book as they could. Never would have found this album otherwise, but glad I did.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
The classic SNL skit “Gotta Have More Cowbell” was actually inspired by this album, but instead of the cowbell, it’s the harmonica.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Better than the Ramones. There's more variety in there, more energy that's felt through the headphones, and most of all it's actually exciting, which to me is what punk is all about. These kids will insult you and your beliefs, but you don't mind because there's so much conviction mixed with indifference. They may have been put together by a manager to form a super group, which could be a red flag, but at least it worked well for 1 album's worth!
Steely Dan
3/5
This was very much your run of the mill Steely Dan album. Short and sweet, somewhere between grocery store music and porch swing music. There is no wow factor, just Steely Dan.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Ryan Adams is quite clearly a talented songwriter and puts some good depth into his musical stylings here. However, I think it's unfortunate that he can't seem to find a genre identity. He oscillates between country and rock (along with other genres like blues and some funk), never quite merging the sound in an effective manner and therefore leaving us with a relatively long but disjointed album. I genuinely feel bad that I had no idea "When The Stars Go Blue" was his song, only knowing the numerous covers prior to listening to Gold. Overall, I feel like I would revisit individual songs on this album, but never the full album in one sitting again. I'm also feeling relatively generous today, so I'll bump him up a star considering I will likely listen to other albums of his and think they are worse - I need some way to piece through these after it's all said and done.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Ok but why on earth did I know 4 of these songs already?? Like well enough to sing along for the most part. Literally never heard of the Tom Tom Club until today. I think I’ve been brainwashed. Bonus points for bringing back memories I didn’t know I had I guess.
Nas
3/5
Lyrically impressive and surprisingly real, I connected with this more than expected. However, my expectations were on the floor, so it wasn't hard to do. The beats were disappointingly repetitive and therefore made the album feel so much longer than 40 minutes. Overall, I'm glad I got the chance to experience this, even though rap is not my genre.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Obviously, some spectacular storytelling is going on here. I respect him and I understand why this album in particular was studied in a scholarly aspect as to what life is like for all of those who grew up in Kendrick's situation. Honestly, it's giving a bit of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Unfortunately, unlike most people my age, I was not immersed in this album growing up (save for the few sound bytes and songs that were put in the sports video games) and it holds no specific place in my heart. Therefore, from a purely listener standpoint, I'm pretty neutral about the album and don't want to overinflate the rating due to cultural impact. Sorry, but these ratings show what I like to listen to, not what everyone else likes.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
This is the type of music that plays when you’re having a sleep paralysis dream and you’re demon is the Little Lad doing his Little Lad dance at varying speeds to these songs while he says nothing. He only stares at you with those cold black eyes and that haunting smile. But it’s a good nightmare because it makes you laugh hesitantly when you wake up and wonder if it was a bad idea to eat 4 twinkies before bed.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OyvhMHDi6Mo
The Pharcyde
2/5
Well this is certainly early 90s hip-hop. A healthy mix of flow with a cup of profanity and a splash of suggestive behavior. Didn’t do enough to distinguish itself from the rest of the era for me.
Youssou N'Dour
2/5
Often felt disjointed and wouldn’t allow me to get properly into it. One of those that feels like it was thrown in to beef up that “World” category.
AC/DC
4/5
Bangers on bangers on bangers. This is the first album every white pre teen boy listens to that makes them fall in love with classic rock. Only thing holding it back from a 5 is that all the songs one after the other get repetitive, which I guess I didn’t notice as a 10 year old.
Goldfrapp
2/5
I’m no expert but I’m pretty sure this is Lana Del Ray if she sang an octave higher and did spins in a long skirt in a Midwest prairie.
The Specials
1/5
More Specials? No. No more Specials.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
Bland and uninspiring organ jazz with some sax mixed in. Title track is good, but I can't get behind the rest - the organ sound is a bit too jarring to even consider it solid background music.
Nirvana
3/5
I love Nirvana and they have some certified bangers on here, but those specific bangers (we all know the 3 songs) carry the album on their shoulders. The rest is still good, but as an album I’m not collectively impressed. Knowing the level that they can perform at, I have to rate this accordingly.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
*turns music up because I can't hear the lyrics*
*turns music down because the guitar is way too loud*
*repeats for 38 minutes*
TV On The Radio
3/5
This felt like one of those 1 hour karaoke bar private sessions where you and your friends get together and sing as many songs as you can and you’re laughing the whole time. Sometimes you guys absolutely smash a song, then the next one is a little suspect. Overall a great night out with the boys.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Wow this album had everything!
Beating a woman to death: ✔️
Praising our Lord Jesus: ✔️
References to a love for multiple southern states: ✔️
According to Fox News, that’s Bingo!
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Honestly could've been a 3 under different circumstances. Like if Fodderstompf ceased to exist. The vocals were a little too muddled on most songs for me to get into it, but the musicianship was there. Contrary to popular belief, it does take talent to create a cacophony of sounds that mesh together for minutes at a time. Would I come back? Nah, but it was aight.
5/5
Yeah, I knew Muse before this and their hits. Uprising was one of my favorite songs for a little bit in my youth. But this album actually blows me away. The fact that I've never heard this one fully through is maddening, because it simply does not miss once. Take a Bow is now one of my favorite intro songs ever. Soldier's Poem is art at its finest. Supermassive Blackhole is obviously fantastic. City of Delusion, Invincible, Starlight, all absolutely amazing. I could go on and on, but I'll stop and just say this album freaking rocks and it's become one of my favorites of all time. Praise Jesus for album number 365 coming into my life.
The Slits
1/5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g0YE61PLQ
Daft Punk
2/5
This album stopped being fun about 30 minutes in and then just kept on going. What a waste of my time, similar to most of the homework I’ve done in my life.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
This one surprised me for sure. One of my mom's favorites, I was a bit skeptical about needing a whole album from Sheryl Crow on here but color me impressed. It's not one of those that blew me out of the water but it's another one of those reasons why I joined the generator in the first place. And now I have something to talk with my mom about so added plus!
Nina Simone
5/5
This is one of the most spectacular albums to unexpectedly grace my ears.
George Jones
2/5
Other than the title track which has a wonderful emotional element, I won't be coming back to this album. When you're impatiently waiting for the end of a 28-minute album that speaks volumes.
John Grant
4/5
A mix of serious, goofy, haunting, and simple, I was pleasantly surprised. The no-no words were in context of a buildup in the song, so I don't take major offense to them. Another great reason to have joined the generator.
David Holmes
1/5
This isn't a quintessential 1 star that makes me want to peel my ears off. I just... don't get it? It's a spy movie? Set in inner-city New York? I respect movie scores a ton, but where's the movie? I can't will myself to listen to this again, and it's lazy to bait it as EDM, or really anything other than garbage.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
A rushed album and it shows. Not sure why this is on the list if even the band was underwhelmed by it.
Eagles
3/5
The Eagles are one of those bands that I feel have been pushed on me for so many years, but for some reason I never quite connect with. This album is actually very good, both as a concept album and with its individual songs - the first 4 alone are true classics. But this will never go on my mecca of albums. There is nothing that jumps out at me anymore, which would make sense considering I've heard all these songs so many times. I'll never understand the pure hatred of certain songs either. They were popular at a time for a reason. Maybe Hotel California is to some what Mr. Brightside is to others? Who knows.
The Prodigy
4/5
Bro, how have I never heard these before. Lots of present EDM can be a bit too beep-boopy and lack some relevance beyond listeners who like robotic sounds, but these are so different. The album has proper timing and is clearly built for a club atmosphere (as EDM should be), but also mixes surprisingly well and transitions between aggressive and light? I mean everything in here worked. Sure, the songs may be long, but everything in this era was excessive for EDM. You got a new fan, The Prodigy.
Elliott Smith
3/5
It needed a little more Punch and a little less Judy. I do see the vision though, one of the few artists where I can actually hear and appreciate his mix of influences, a bit of a softer Elvis Costello with some Dylan in there. Overall intrigued by the guy, looking forward to his next album.