292
Albums Rated
3.23
Average Rating
27%
Complete
797 albums remaining
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Rating Timeline
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Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Singer-songwriter
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
37
5-Star Albums
24
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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Ratings by genre
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Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeezus | 5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
| Scream, Dracula, Scream | 5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
| Want Two | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Talking With the Taxman About Poetry | 5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
| Scum | 4 | 2.07 | +1.93 |
| Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo | 5 | 3.09 | +1.91 |
| Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) | 5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
| John Prine | 5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
| The Age Of The Understatement | 5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
| 1989 | 5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Doors | 1 | 3.95 | -2.95 |
| Low | 1 | 3.55 | -2.55 |
| Blackstar | 1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
| Tusk | 1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
| Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers | 1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
| Aftermath | 1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
| Eliminator | 1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
| The Slim Shady LP | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| Ace of Spades | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| Entertainment | 1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 4.8 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 5 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 4.67 |
| Radiohead | 3 | 4.67 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| David Bowie | 4 | 1.75 |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 1.67 |
| The Doors | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (37)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Eminem
1/5
If you’ve ever wanted to be trapped in a room with a 13-year-old who’s surprisingly good at rapping while he lists off everything he can think of that will make his parents mad if he says it, this album is for you
104 likes
The Rolling Stones
1/5
If Mick Jagger has million number of haters i am one of them . if Mick Jagger has ten haters i am one of them. if Mick Jagger have only one hater and that is me . if Mick Jagger has no haters, that means i am no more on the earth . if world for the Mick Jagger, i am against the world. i hate #MickJagger till my last breath.. .. Die Hard hater of Mick Jagger . Hit Like If you Think Mick Jagger Worst singer & Dumb In the world
51 likes
Kings of Leon
1/5
I’m not sure where Leon is but they need to violently overthrow the monarchy
42 likes
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Musically this wavers between quirky fun and repetitively dull. There are a few songs on here I’d probably like a lot if not for the singer, but unfortunately this album just goes to prove that I do NOT like it when a Man sings Like That
14 likes
Judas Priest
4/5
I went into this with low expectations and was shocked by how much fun I had listening. Bombastic, old-school heavy metal that finds a sweet spot of campy and corny without being annoying or insincere.
12 likes
1-Star Albums (24)
All Ratings
Funkadelic
4/5
A fun and energetic album, gets a bit repetitive at times but it’s got great vibes
David Bowie
3/5
David Bowie was a master of making one or two accessible songs per album to be smash hit singles and then being fully on his weirdo Goblin Mode Shit for the rest of the album. I respect it immensely but I didn’t particularly vibe with it on this one.
Justice
4/5
Just some solid, fun electronica
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Most of this album is absolutely terrible, but Gimme Shelter and You Can’t Always Get What You Want each get a star because they’re bops.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I’m not big on the style of singing that was popular with rock bands of this era, but the music on this album is undeniably excellent. Really enjoyed my listen!
The Who
2/5
Perfectly competent but kind of boring, doesn’t do much to change my opinion that live albums are rarely a good idea
Tom Waits
4/5
I feel like this is an album that I would love in the right setting. Seeing this done live in a smoky dive bar with a cheap beer in my hand would be a five-star experience. Listening in my earbuds while I did house work felt more three-star, but I want to give it four for that potential.
Gang Of Four
1/5
This band wrote one song, came up with 12 names for it, and spent 40 minutes playing it over and over. Not my style lmao.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Johnny Cash has an amazing voice and these covers are gorgeous.
System Of A Down
4/5
Absolutely batshit in the best way, I wish more musicians were this unabashedly weird.
MC Solaar
5/5
The vibes are absolutely immaculate. Lo-fi chill beats to study to in its highest form.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Fun, but not particularly unique or outstanding
George Harrison
4/5
Surprisingly good, I feel like George deserves a better reputation as a solo Beatle. Really not sure why he felt like he needed to keep the 20-minute instrumental jam session at the end of this already slightly overlong album though.
The Who
4/5
An absolute classic for a reason, much better than the live album
The Smiths
3/5
Not a huge fan of Morrissey’s voice, but I really liked the music and lyrics! Torn between three and four stars, decided it would be a four star album for me with a different singer lmao.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
1/5
I want to give Tom Petty a swirly
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
This was fine but I got bored of it quickly. I think I was expecting something more funky and weird with a name like that!
Heaven 17
4/5
This album was fun and weird and I had a good time with it!
Frank Zappa
4/5
Fun, weird, funky shit
David Gray
4/5
Loved the vibes on this.
Nas
5/5
Absolutely incredible 90s rap
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I love the variety of styles Stevie explores here, and he does a great job with them all. Superstition is still far and away the highlight, though.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Right at the intersection of corny and earnest that I find kinda charming. I wouldn’t play this album again on purpose but if a song from it came on the local public radio station at 9:30 PM I wouldn’t change the channel.
Beatles
5/5
This album makes me understand why people were so nuts about the Beatles
Nick Drake
5/5
This album is beautifully melancholy, I loved it
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Good instrumentation, boring lyrics, absolutely terrible singing lmao
The Avalanches
3/5
This was fine, but the genre isn’t for me
George Michael
4/5
Just some really solid 90s pop, enjoyed it a lot!
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
The vibes on this album are absolutely bonkers. I was torn the whole time between whether I loved or hated it, settled in the middle. Excellent musicianship, deeply corny lyrics, mostly very fun but maybe better in short bursts.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
So much fun, more pop bands need brass sections
Taylor Swift
5/5
I almost went with 4 stars because of Shake It Off and Bad Blood, but this is still just an undeniable pop masterpiece.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
I respect the artistic choices but this style of music is not for me, all the distortion and arrhythmic elements made me feel super overstimulated and I couldn’t get into it
Primal Scream
3/5
Totally competent and listenable, some cool stuff but nothing that made me go “oh damn, okay Primal Scream!”
4/5
Definitely front loaded with the best songs, but this is a solid pop album that deserves its reputation as a classic
Gorillaz
2/5
This was fine, but only Clint Eastwood really hints at the heights Gorillaz would grow into. Most of these tracks are super forgettable.
Röyksopp
3/5
This was a really cool and weird album! I almost went with four stars just for the fun change of pace it provided, but I don’t think I’d add most of these tracks to me regular rotation.
Talking Heads
2/5
I simply didn’t care for this. I feel like my tolerance for Experimental Stuff is at the exact level where I can get down with the most accessible radio singles, but the rest of the album just loses me. Once In A Lifetime DOES slap though, two stars for that bad boy.
Sade
4/5
Some really lovely classic R&B, would have liked a little more variety in style and tempo but I really enjoyed this listen
a-ha
3/5
It’s a shame that nothing else on this album hits the highs of Take On Me, but it’s a solid collection of 80s synth pop!
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
Gorgeous classic jazz, the fact that it’s live really adds to the charm
The Beau Brummels
4/5
This was a really fun folk-rock album from a group I’d never heard of. Love finding new music that fits my style!
Santana
3/5
This was a weird one for me! Individually, I think I’d enjoy most of these songs pretty well as a change of pace. End to end as an album, though, it got repetitive quickly and I was ready to be done halfway through. Torn between two and three stars, went with three because I can respect the talent and artistry.
David Bowie
1/5
Heartbroken to report that I just don’t like listening to Bowie’s music. I almost didn’t finish this album at several points. Just not my cup of tea, RIP though dude. You seemed cool.
The Lemonheads
4/5
A solid, fun album. Not all the tracks are standouts but the highlights are REAL high for me.
4/5
The kind of classic rock I can get down with, weird enough to be fun and interesting without totally losing me.
Roxy Music
4/5
Really weird and cool rock, feels much more modern than it is
Nick Drake
5/5
Nick Drake was an incredible talent and I’m so sad we lost him before his time. Another brilliant album.
Fleetwood Mac
1/5
I thought this album was a bit too long and unfocused, but the overall sound was really nice as background music. I was going to give it a 3 or 4, but Elliott accidentally hit 5 when he meant to give it a 2 so I’m balancing it out lmao.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This album is so dumb and so fun, absolutely great Dudes Rock vibes
Bob Dylan
4/5
Mostly just some perfectly fine bluesy folk, but there are a few standout gems. Not Dark Yet, Cold Irons Bound, and Make You Feel My Love is such a killer three-song stretch.
Tom Waits
2/5
I wish I could get into Tom’s voice but I just can’t. I like his music and songwriting, but the man sounds like a wet muppet being wrung out into a microphone. The slower, more crooning songs are pretty cool though.
Public Enemy
5/5
I can see why this album was so influential, top-notch 90s rap with unapologetic and important political messaging.
Ozomatli
4/5
This was a cool surprise, really fun Latin fusion rap rock.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
This album was so boring. Nothing’s Shocking? More like Nothing’s Interesting am I right folks
Bad Company
2/5
This is what you would get if you typed “generic 70s rock” into an AI generator
The Darkness
3/5
This one was weird and fun. Not something I’ll be coming back to often, but I was at least excited to see what each track would be as I listened.
Kanye West
4/5
It made me so sad to listen to this and know how Kanye turned out. This album rules.
The Hives
3/5
I would’ve enjoyed this more a few songs at a time, it got repetitive but it was fun
George Michael
2/5
Faith is a killer song, but so many of the rest of these tracks just blend into one another
Rush
3/5
Weird in a fun way, I might listen again
Faust
1/5
I hated this. It felt like the album was actively trying to get me to stop listening to it.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Struggled with how to rate this one. Pacific Ocean Blue on its own is pretty great, but it REALLY didn’t need to be a double album. If you took just the best tracks here you’d have a five-star album but this is two two-to-three star albums
The Undertones
1/5
This was so annoying I didn’t finish it lmao
Dolly Parton
5/5
Dolly is a national treasure. This is the kind of country music I could listen to all day.
Eminem
1/5
If you’ve ever wanted to be trapped in a room with a 13-year-old who’s surprisingly good at rapping while he lists off everything he can think of that will make his parents mad if he says it, this album is for you
The Verve
3/5
I really liked the style and instrumentation here, but almost every song went on for at least a minute too long. I wish they’d tightened it up.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
I loved the music and lyrics but the singer has the most obnoxious voice!!
Iggy Pop
3/5
This is basically how I imagined David Bowie would sound before I listened to any David Bowie. It’s fine.
The Cure
3/5
This was good, but not great. I got pretty bored of the style after a while.
John Prine
5/5
This is my ideal form of folk/country music. Sweet without being sappy, simple without being condescending, with a biting wit and the catchiest choruses you could ask for. I’m gonna listen to this all the time.
Raekwon
4/5
Raekwon is a ridiculously talented rapper (and so is the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan obviously). I wish he was working with more interesting lyrics and used fewer homophobic slurs but overall this album is pretty great.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
This was kinda fun in a 70s dudes rock kind of way. Harmless and forgettable for better and for worse.
Brian Eno
4/5
Really fun and weird, not what I expected when I saw Brian Eno’s name but I really enjoyed it
The La's
4/5
I really enjoyed this! I listened on Friday and it’s Monday now so I don’t have much more to say but I remember it was fun to listen to while I put a last coat of paint on the spare room
The Pharcyde
2/5
This was kind of fun at points but mostly just annoying
Minor Threat
3/5
I liked this and have a lot of respect for its legacy in punk, but it was a little too much atonal yelling for me to take in all at once lmao
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Wonderfully smooth, chill jazz. Incredible music for when you want to relax.
Air
4/5
I liked this moody, atmospheric soundtrack. Very of its time in a way I clicked with.
The Cure
4/5
A very vibey album with very good vibes.
Sex Pistols
3/5
I liked the lyrics and instrumentals a lot, I couldn’t quite get on board with Johnny Rotten’s voice but it did grow on me a bit by the end
Frank Sinatra
4/5
This was nice! Frank is a legend for a reason, though his stuff does get a little samey. I’ll just go for a Greatest Hits compilation over any given album.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This was fucking great the 10+ minute jam tracks got a little worn out for me, but overall I had a great time
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Some fun funk tunes, but the album as a whole is a bit messy and unfocused. Definitely went “okay okay I get it” and hit skip on a few of these tracks.
Wilco
5/5
This was laser-targeted to appeal to me haha. A few moments where it veers into wannabe-Radiohead territory but it really holds its own as a lovely art rock album
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
A fun classic rock album, though most of the songs dragged on a bit past the point I was ready for them to be over
Jane's Addiction
2/5
This was okay, but I think I just find Jane’s Addiction boring
Kings of Leon
1/5
I’m not sure where Leon is but they need to violently overthrow the monarchy
N.W.A.
3/5
This album is a lot of fun to listen to and F**k Tha Police is a fucking banger, but it doesn’t pack the same punch that Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet did.
Yes
4/5
This was so much fun to listen to!
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
I had so much fun with this album, there was a lot of variety in style and genre and it all sounded solid!
The Last Shadow Puppets
5/5
This album rules, it put me in mind of early Panic! at the Disco with some cool touches that give it its own flair. I’m a sucker for music that includes brass and strings in fun or unexpected ways.
Deee-Lite
3/5
This was a fun listen! It’s corny as hell but it wants to be, I don’t know that I’d listen again but I had a nice time turning my brain off and grooving
Nick Drake
5/5
Nick Drake is always a five-star. A master of his craft lost too soon.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
There’s no question why Bob Marley is the reigning king and patron saint of reggae. The genre isn’t always what I’m in the mood for but there’s no denying this is the work of a master at his craft.
The Beach Boys
4/5
The instrumentation on this album is lush and gorgeous, definitely a tier above the kind of pop The Beach Boys started out with.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
I really enjoyed the experience of listening to this album and just letting it wash over me. The lyrics are nothing special but the beats are excellent and the vibes are a blast.
Queens of the Stone Age
2/5
I liked the opening track a lot, but as the album goes on it just gets more and more one-note and flat
Dusty Springfield
4/5
This definitely could have been a shorter album, but it’s got a lot of tracks that nail the kind of short and sweet 60s pop that I’m a sucker for.
GZA
3/5
This was fun but not remarkable for me compared to some of the other rap from this era we’ve had so far
Richard Thompson
4/5
Light, sweet pop folk. I love music like this.
Napalm Death
4/5
I have no idea how to rate this album. Listening to it was a terrible experience but I respect the bizarre choices made here on an artistic level so much. The lyrics here are stellar, but you literally cannot understand them through the growling. I was looking at the lyrics in real time as the song played and 80% of the time I couldn’t confirm that he was saying the same words I was looking at. Half the tracks on the album are less than a minute long and essentially sound like a British Cookie Monster reciting an anti-capitalist haiku as fast as he possibly can. This album sucks and it also rules, I think I understand people who like art that is hostile to the consumer now.
The Young Gods
3/5
Oh No! The Ringmaster at Le Carnivàle Horriblè Has Condemned My Soul To Hell for My Many Crimes!
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
This album was fine but I just cannot listen to A Man Who Sounds Like That
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
This was okay! The definition of a three star album, perfectly competent and pleasant jazz, there was nothing that stood out about it positively or negatively to me.
The Rolling Stones
1/5
If Mick Jagger has million number of haters i am one of them . if Mick Jagger has ten haters i am one of them. if Mick Jagger have only one hater and that is me . if Mick Jagger has no haters, that means i am no more on the earth . if world for the Mick Jagger, i am against the world. i hate #MickJagger till my last breath.. .. Die Hard hater of Mick Jagger . Hit Like If you Think Mick Jagger Worst singer & Dumb In the world
Jeff Beck
3/5
This felt like an album that was clearly Important and Influential, but it didn’t really stand out to me as I listened. All love and respect to Jeff but it’s a three for me, had a decent time but probably wouldn’t choose it again.
OutKast
2/5
This album was way too long and incoherent, Hey Ya! rules but that’s the only track I’d go back to
The Cars
4/5
My local corny-but-delightful Classic Rock station simply would not exist without The Cars and for that they have my everlasting love and respect. Half the songs on this album are songs I get White Guy Stoked to hear whenever they come on at Five Guys or Meijer or wherever and the other half were fun new-to-me tunes that I was glad I heard.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
I’m a sucker for 90s rap and this album had some really fun beats and instrumentation on it. Knocking off a full star for Infamous Date Rape though, what the hell was that trash.
4/5
A solid collection of late-90s singer-songwriter tunes
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Musically this wavers between quirky fun and repetitively dull. There are a few songs on here I’d probably like a lot if not for the singer, but unfortunately this album just goes to prove that I do NOT like it when a Man sings Like That
Brian Eno
2/5
This was strange in a way that didn’t really connect with me. I respect the artistry but I don’t think I’d choose to listen to it again.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
A really weird album in a way I found fun and endearing. You can tell Harry is just making the kind of music that makes him happy and that’s contagious.
R.E.M.
4/5
An excellent debut from a band that deserves the hype it gets.
The Band
2/5
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
I listened to this while cleaning the house and it was fantastic background music that also held my attention
3/5
A really fun listen with solid lyrics. Exactly what you’d expect from the title: plenty of well-deserved cynicism about life under colonial capitalism presented SO Britishly that it gets a little grating at times.
Elvis Presley
4/5
I can see why people went ballistic for this in the 50s, they didn’t even have Carly Rae Jepsen yet so by that metric this is real good shit.
Public Enemy
3/5
This was a fun listen but it didn’t leave a big impression on me!
The Flaming Lips
3/5
This was good on a technical level but not really my style, a bit too twee for me as a concept album
Randy Newman
3/5
I might just be a sucker for a singer-songwriter with a distinctive and slightly off voice, but god damn this album really did it for me. I need to listen to more Randy Newman and I’d kill for a Mountain Goats cover of Last Night I Had A Dream.
Big Star
3/5
This was fine! It felt like a generic album by a band that heard that Beatles and said “I can do that” and they kind of could but not really
Peter Gabriel
3/5
The bigger, bolder tracks like Sledgehammer and Big Time had me dancing in my seat, but most of the quieter songs on this album put me right back to sleep. I generally like Peter Gabriel but this album needed a better killer to filler ratio.
Elvis Costello
3/5
The lyrics are really good but the music is boring as hell and I just don’t like Mr. Costello’s voice.
Billy Bragg
4/5
Really fun, folksy music. Right up my alley.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Frank has an all-time incredible voice, but so many of the songs on this album are similar in style and pacing that I got pretty bored. Cut the track list in half and just keep the eight strongest Crooner Tunes and this would be an easy 4 stars for me, but the way it dragged on really lowered my score.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Fun, Iconic, fucking rad
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
This is such a fun album, light and catchy with a decent amount of depth too.
Radiohead
5/5
An absolute classic, incredible start to finish.
CHVRCHES
4/5
Lush, gorgeous electronic pop. I really like CHVRCHES’ sound, and the singer’s voice suits it perfectly.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
This was nice! It mostly served as background music for me but it filled that role very well.
Tears For Fears
5/5
This album is incredible, an absolute classic. It’s no wonder Tears for Fears has become synonymous with 80s music.
Elton John
4/5
Lush, fun piano pop. Elton John rules.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Three people in a band called Cocteau Twins? And none of them are named Cocteau?? What other lies are they telling us
Michael Jackson
3/5
This is a pretty fun collection of dance music, the singles at the beginning are the best and it’s all pretty samey from there.
Garbage
4/5
I liked the sound of this a lot! Extremely fun post-grunge rock.
Sam Cooke
4/5
This was so much fun, there’s something so fascinating and charming to me about live recordings of music from the 60s and before, great energy.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
The big hits that everyone knows off this album kick ass, but I didn’t really get anything more out of the rest of the album. It’s good but not as great as I was expecting from its reputation
Love
2/5
This was some goofy shit. Sounded like Pretty. Odd. era Panic! (complimentary) mixed with Laszlo and Nadja’s music from What We Do In the Shadows (derogatory). I feel like they should’ve just let this man sing about wizards from olden times, there’s no way he wasn’t yearning to sing about wizards from olden times.
The War On Drugs
4/5
A lush, lovely album that reminds me of late-career Jars of Clay mixed with Bruce Springsteen. The songs linger a little longer than I’d prefer at times, but I can’t really fault an album called Lost in the Dream for indulging in sprawling instrumentals. This album feels like it’s exactly what it wants to be and I like that about it.
Aimee Mann
3/5
This sure was a 90s singer-songwriter album!
R.E.M.
5/5
A masterpiece, Nightswimming alone would make this one of my favorite R.E.M. albums but it’s hits front to back.
Fela Kuti
4/5
This was a really cool jazz album, the experience of listening to explicitly political music from another generation and culture was enriching and fascinating.
Django Django
2/5
This was okay, but the vocals sounded pretty much the same on every track. I’d say there were one or two songs I actually liked and the rest just slid right by me.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I feel like I would have loved this in college, but it was a little bit too twee for me right now. The platonic ideal of mid-00s indie movie soundtrack music.
New Order
3/5
This was one of those albums that feels like it was probably groundbreaking at the time and only sounds generic now because of how many bands aped its sound, but coming to it decades later it just sounded like good-but-basic 80s music to me.
Green Day
5/5
Iconic pop-punk. I love a good concept album and the big, sweeping centerpiece tracks on here really anchor all the shorter, punchier hits that you know and love.
Pixies
4/5
Big time Talented People Doing Absolute Weirdo Shit music. There were moments when this album lost me, but for the most part I was very on board.
Rocket From The Crypt
5/5
This album is fuckin’ FUN. Solid punk rock with some ska flavor sprinkled in to keep it interesting, I’d never heard of this band before and I’m glad I have now.
Morrissey
3/5
This was fine! I don’t like Morrissey much so I expected to hate this album, but it was perfectly okay. Didn’t love it, wouldn’t listen again, but it was perfectly serviceable.
Moby Grape
3/5
This was kind of a weird one! Some tracks are such perfectly bland 60s rock I was sure I’d be giving this a 1 or 2, but then songs like Hoochie and Trucking Man surprised me with how much fun they were.
Elbow
3/5
This was okay! About half of it sounds like Sleepier Coldplay and half is some weirdly compelling Theater Kid shit. I REALLY liked the single, Grounds for Divorce, but the rest was hit and miss.
Ray Charles
3/5
Perfectly competent jazz, though I found it a little boring
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I only listened to the first of this dual album, one of those cases where an artist is going for something VERY specific and absolutely nailing it but it doesn’t do much for me.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
This feels like music that was meant to be listened to while high, but if I got stoned and listened to this it would give me a massive panic attack so I’m not really sure who this is for.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Perfect example of an album that I’m sure is technically perfectly good but just isn’t my taste. I found the music mostly boring and the singer mostly annoying.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Neil Young has a very particular voice that doesn’t always work for me, but I liked these songs a lot and would absolutely listen again!
David Bowie
1/5
One of my greatest personal embarrassments is that I don’t understand the appeal of David Bowie’s music. It annoys the shit out of me. Please don’t ever tell the High Council of the Gays, they will strip me of my bisexuality and condemn me to hell.
The KLF
1/5
I didn’t like this! Wish these folks the best of luck with their 300-year pyramid construction project though
Rufus Wainwright
5/5
Absolutely beautiful, lush and chill pop. A few of the slower songs were a bit too similar and long for my taste, but overall this was a gorgeous album. I’d give it 9/10 but since it’s a 5 point scale I’m going with full marks.
Doves
2/5
This was incredibly boring
Radiohead
5/5
Kid A is more completely my shit than OK Computer, but this is still undeniably a masterpiece. Radiohead in their prime.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Some really beautiful soul music, Stevie is a legend for a reason
The Mars Volta
2/5
This was just kind of boring for me!
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I’m a sucker for Simon and Garfunkel, and this album has some really great songs on it. America has always been one of their best in my eyes, and Old Friends, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and the Bookends Theme are fantastic too.
Blur
3/5
When this album started I was ready to give a one-star “moooom, 1001 Albums is making us listen to mediocre Britpop again” review but dammit if Parklife didn’t grow on me. I didn’t love the vocals most of the time but the music was fun and varied and the album as a whole flows nicely.
Steely Dan
3/5
This felt like easy listening music, but it was well-done because it was easy to listen to. Very chill, if a bit uninteresting.
Janet Jackson
3/5
This album was okay, but WAY too long. Got tired of it long before the end.
Bert Jansch
4/5
This was created in a lab to appeal to me, I love stripped-down acoustic folk. It does run a little long and get a little monotonous, but overall this is exactly the kind of music I want in the background when I’m chilling out.
Judas Priest
4/5
I went into this with low expectations and was shocked by how much fun I had listening. Bombastic, old-school heavy metal that finds a sweet spot of campy and corny without being annoying or insincere.
The Doors
2/5
Been Down So Long is a great song and Riders on the Storm is a classic, but the rest of this album is an annoying mess
The Rolling Stones
2/5
This wasn’t the worst Stones album we’ve had. The instrumentation was actually pretty great on a lot of songs, but the lyrics and singing still sucked lmao.
Iron Maiden
3/5
This was fine! A bunch of dudes rocking out and yelling about how badass it is to be from hell where the devil roams. Decently fun, very silly.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
These guys are clearly talented blues musicians, but any album where the majority of tracks are longer than five minutes is gonna lose me sooner rather than later. I’m not a jam band guy, give me the studio cuts.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
I liked Dark But Just A Game a lot and there were a few other decent tracks, but the unrelenting slow sleepiness of this album was way too much for me.
The Smiths
4/5
I’m usually not much for Morrissey but this was a pretty solid album! The back half especially was strong, I’d listen again
Bob Dylan
5/5
Bob Dylan’s voice is an acquired taste and baby I have ACQUIRED it. This album rules.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Some solid, classic blues. Gets a little repetitive for my taste at times, but it’s clearly the work of a talented man.
Yes
3/5
Yes are undeniably talented artists with a cool sound, but this album was a little more rambling and unfocused than I really enjoy.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
There are some beautiful songs in this collection, but as an album it’s so slow that I found myself getting restless very early on.
Eagles
4/5
An excellent album, bookended by two surprisingly incisive tracks. Definitely coming back to this.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Another masterpiece from Dylan. Quickly becoming a favorite artist for me, he’s incredible.
Brian Wilson
3/5
This alternated between Fun Weirdo Shit and Annoying Weirdo Shit but I’ve gotta respect a weirdo going fucking nuts so I’m not gonna ding it too hard for being annoying lmao
Neu!
2/5
Perfectly okay instrumental music, I got bored with it pretty quickly after the first two tracks.
Billy Bragg
5/5
This is so completely my shit it’s unreal, a new favorite. I thought I was going to dock a point for Billy’s voice at first, but by the end it had grown on me a ton. He isn’t a great singer but he has that raw, earnest quality that I love in folk music especially. I can hear his influence on one of my other favorites, Frank Turner, so clearly.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
One of those odd circumstances where I know objectively the singer has a great voice but I don’t really care for it. Won’t knock off too many points for personal taste but I wasn’t a big fan of the lyrics either, so this felt very middle of the road for me.
Van Halen
2/5
Mediocre synths and guitars under mediocre dudes singing about how horny they are. Not my jam.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
A stunning album start to finish. Beautiful lyricism, Joni Mitchell is a master of metaphor and it makes her love songs so rich. Definitely going to listen to more of her work.
Janis Joplin
4/5
This album was really fun, it went by so quickly I was surprised when it was over and wished there were a couple more songs. Janis Joplin has a great style.
3/5
This was perfectly fine, but I really don’t see why it would make a list of albums you MUST hear. Didn’t feel like anything special.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
I’m not much of a 10 Minute Songs guy so this wasn’t super to my taste, but T Isaac clearly has a lot of talent and if you like this style of soul you’ll probably love this
The Cure
5/5
A lush, beautiful album that immerses you in quiet grief. Really nicely done.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
Apologies to John Lee but this was boring for me
Radiohead
4/5
This album is REALLY good, but when you’ve heard what five-star Radiohead sounds like it’s hard not to compare everything else they do to their gold standard. It’s no Kid A, but it’s still a damn good collection of songs. Just doesn’t have that extra touch of sonic and thematic cohesion to take it all the way.
Def Leppard
2/5
The music is fun albeit dated and corny now, but the instant this man started singing I wanted to give him a swirlie and tell him to shut up. Why did we let guys do this voice in the 80s? Smh my head.
4/5
I liked this more than I thought I would. Super nicely produced, incredibly listenable. Would definitely pick it up again!
Coldplay
3/5
Nice, chill piano-driven pop. I like this album, but I think the Viva La Vida - Mylo Xyloto era was so much stronger and even X&Y has more standout tracks. Most of this album blended together into a pleasant but not particularly memorable listening experience for me.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
I know this was groundbreaking in its day but I truly could not believe how corny and goofy this album sounds. If I heard this and nobody told me it was Run-D.M.C. I would assume it was a spoof of 90s rap.
Slipknot
4/5
I enjoyed this much more than I was expecting to! There’s definitely much better metal out there, this is pretty basic, but it’s well done and surprisingly accessible for people who don’t listen to metal.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Fun, upbeat music! Great for reading and doing chores to.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I would have gone NUTS for this in college, and I’m still kind of a sucker for this big, orchestral style of pop rock. The lyrics are painfully simple and on-the-nose at times but I really enjoyed the sound of this album.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I don’t love Bruce’s voice, but this is a solid collection of songs. I can see why this album is such a classic!
David Bowie
2/5
This was completely fine, but in a way that felt bland and just kind of washed over me. Found myself skipping through it, sadly realizing through this project that I’m not a Bowie guy.
Kanye West
5/5
An astonishing masterwork of its genre, absolutely stunning. There’s some unfortunate misogyny in a few of the songs but musically and lyrically the level of talent on display here is incredible.
The Who
2/5
I liked that The Who went full theatre kid rock opera mode on this album, but they chose to tackle a lot of pretty heavy stuff thematically that they maybe weren’t super well-equipped to handle with any level of tact. This is an ambitious experiment and I respect that about it but I didn’t particularly like it (aside from Pinball Wizard which is obviously a banger).
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Nothing about this stuck with me. Perfectly passable music in a genre I just don’t care about. Deducting a star for the singing, it’s a crime that we just let every dude in a rock band do that weird voice in the 70s and 80s.
Talking Heads
2/5
Whenever we get a Talking Heads album I think of the adoring way Zach from Gilmore Girls says “David Byrne is a freak”. All respect to the freaks out there making weirdo art but this just didn’t do anything for me. Not particularly fun or interesting to listen to, just odd.
Bill Callahan
2/5
I thought I was going to love this album for the first couple of tracks, the stripped-down simplicity and strange plainness of Bill’s voice really appealed to me, but the further along I got the more it felt like pretty good poems set awkwardly to music by someone who’s more a lyricist than a musician. I would’ve enjoyed this as a poetry zine, but as an album it got boring fast.
5/5
Bob is a goddamn legend. I don’t understand why people were so mad at him for using electric guitars and a full band when this concert clearly shows that he was still capable of and interested in making great acoustic folk music as well. The band-accompanied stuff doesn’t feel quite as iconically Dylan, sure, but it’s still a joy to listen to and it brings a raucous energy that one guy with a guitar can’t replicate.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
More corny British bullshit. I simply do not care to listen to a man mumble his way through jazzy nursery rhymes in a twee falsetto.
The Offspring
4/5
This album is a fucking blast. Playful, high-energy punk. If you’re down for wading through some white boy angst to get to the good stuff there’s a lot of good stuff here.
Björk
4/5
This is the kind of weirdo experimental music I really enjoy. Feels like a curious artist trying to make something unique and unusual for the sake of exploration rather than someone pretentious trying to see how annoying they can get away with being and still call it music.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
A perfect 3-star experience. Liked most of these songs but didn’t love any of them, glad to be introduced to a new artist but she won’t likely become a favorite. Working Class Hero was dope.
The Doors
1/5
Man I simply do not get The Doors. Just listen to Craigslist by Weird Al and you’ll get to experience their sound but also have fun.
Joanna Newsom
1/5
If you look up “twee” on Wikipedia it should redirect you to this album. Falls firmly on the “this is not for me” side of the Weirdo Music Spectrum
Pulp
4/5
This list is overloaded with Britpop, but if I got to cut 80% of the genre I’d let this album stay. Had a lot of fun listening, the songs never get too bland or samey.
Eels
3/5
This sure is Music! Nothing about it struck me as particularly good or bad, the platonic ideal of a 3-star album. If we could do half-stars I’d bump it to 3.5 for having a song on the Shrek soundtrack, but alas.
The Vines
4/5
Fun, high-energy rock that plays with a variety of sounds and does them all well. Really enjoyed this!
Nirvana
5/5
A legendary talent at the height of his skill, what else can you say?
The Who
2/5
The Who is quickly becoming one of the artists on this list that I’ve discovered I just Don’t Get. No idea what their appeal is, they’re not bad enough at playing their music to warrant a 1 but I don’t like their music enough to go higher than a 2.
Common
4/5
Torn between a 3 and a 4, this feels like a solid 3.5 to me. Definitely good, not quite great, totally competent and enjoyable rap.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Lush, emotional, entertaining autobiography of an artist at the top of his game.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
Rich, beautiful choral music. Makes amazing background music, but it’s worth sitting and intentionally listening to as well.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Falls off in the second half, but the first half is SO strong. Some of the best music of the 80s in my eyes, driving and engaging.
Portishead
4/5
Really cool music for when you want to set a specific Background Vibe. Not something I’d sit and listen to for its own sake but absolutely something I’d put on for studying, working, or hanging out.
Adele
3/5
A good album, but not great. Most of the standout tracks for me were the radio singles I already knew. Adele has a great voice but by the end of the album I was getting a little tired of the signature style she plays in.
Metallica
3/5
One of those bands/albums that I know was formative and fundamental to its genre when it came out but feels dated and silly now with decades of better music that it inspired to compare it to. Won’t be too harsh because it’s perfectly fine but it didn’t really impress me.
Faith No More
3/5
Very weird album, couldn’t really get a handle on whether I thought it was good or bad or whether I liked it or not! I think I liked that they made such unflinchingly specific and strange choices but I didn’t love most of those choices myself? Glad I experienced it, wouldn’t go back to it.
Morrissey
1/5
Steven Patrick “I know writers who use subtext and they’re all cowards” Morrissey continues to be one of the most boring dudes in English Music to me. If you don’t have anything interesting or even remotely subtle to say you’d better at least have a good voice or good music behind it.
Miles Davis
4/5
This seems like good jazz! I’ll admit I don’t have a great ear for the genre, but I know Miles is a legend and I enjoyed it a lot.
Steely Dan
3/5
Perfectly fine Chill Dad Rock. I’d rather be listening to CCR or the Doobie Brothers if I’ve gotta be in Dad Rock mode but I didn’t hate it.
Pink Floyd
3/5
This felt like if Tommy by The Who was somewhat better but still not great. Concept albums are a high risk high reward thing for me, if the concept and the songwriting grabs me I’m ALL in but if not it just feels goofy and this felt goofy at a lot of points. Some good songs, but as a whole project it’s a bit overlong and self-important.
Miles Davis
3/5
I wanted to love this but it just didn’t grab me. I wasn’t really in the headspace to enjoy something this drowsy and aimless. I enjoyed the other Miles Davis we got a lot better, I think I prefer my jazz at a higher energy level.
Sepultura
2/5
Found this really boring. Technically well-made so I won’t give it one star, but I’m just not interested in this kind of corny, edgy My Soul Is Dark And Twisted stuff.
Red Snapper
2/5
I just don’t care for this kind of loop-heavy squishy electronica. The beats were solid and a couple songs set a cool mood but mostly I listened to each track for a minute or two and then skipped it when the repetition grated on me.
Rush
2/5
So sorry to Rush but this is one of the silliest concept albums I’ve ever heard. Absolute goofball shit, endearingly dorky but that’s not enough to carry the album for me.
Various Artists
4/5
This was nice! Several of these are my go-to versions of their respective songs already, I like the sound of 60s Xmas music especially.
Prince
4/5
Prince puts the fun in funk, baby. Not every song is a banger and sometimes he veers into the corny side of horny, but this is a blast to listen to.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Really fun folk rock! I’m a sucker for this style of 60s music.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Sprawling, epic monster of an album that comes damn close to justifying its massive runtime. I was never exactly sure what to expect from the next track and I was rarely disappointed, it was a lot of fun to just put this on and enjoy the ride.
Van Morrison
3/5
Was torn between a three and four on this one. Really enjoyed most of the instrumentals, wasn’t the biggest fan of Mr. Morrison’s voice but it was mostly okay. And It Stoned Me, Moondance, and Crazy Love was such a strong opening run that I think the rest of the album suffers by comparison, wish more of the songs had been that good.
Ice Cube
2/5
Feel like I need to add the qualifier that I’m not the target audience for this music but man, I found this boring. Some interesting sociopolitical nods in the inserts, but the songs themselves don’t have anything like that to back it up or flesh it out.
ZZ Top
1/5
Little-known fact: they’re called ZZ Top because they put you the fuck to sleep!!!
I was going to give them a pity star out of respect for Sharp Dressed Man, but then I heard TV Dinners and I had to take it away again.
Tortoise
1/5
I simply was not built to enjoy instrumental prog rock. Get this out of here.
Cee Lo Green
1/5
This man’s voice is my personal hell. I do not want to hear him. Why would he choose a career in making sounds with his mouth??
Elliott Smith
3/5
I liked this, but it didn’t leave a huge impression on me! Very pleasant and listenable, but not something that stuck with me as Special
Michael Jackson
5/5
Stone cold classic, absolutely undeniable
Le Tigre
4/5
Fun as hell 90s indie, this feels like the sound Edgar Wright was trying to pay homage with his take on Sex Bob-Omb in Scott Pilgrim and I love that
Kanye West
5/5
It makes me so sad to listen to this knowing what was coming in just a few years for Kanye. This album is a brilliant autobiography of the horror and wonder of becoming famous in America as a Black man, you’d never imagine the man who wrote this would be deep in the pocket of conservative white America less than five years later. I guess this album combined with that downfall gives a pretty complete picture of what money and fame will do to you over time.
B.B. King
5/5
Delicious old-school blues, loved the energy of the crowd in the live recording.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Torn between a three and a four here, I enjoyed the sound but it got a little repetitive after a while.
Beck
4/5
This album is a VIBE. Really fun to listen to all the way through, didn’t blow my mind in any particular way but I enjoyed the feeling it evoked a lot.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I think this is a very good album, one of Taylor’s recent best, but it seems like kind of an odd pick for an All-Time Essentials list. It’s still so new and it isn’t particularly groundbreaking, in general or for Taylor. She absolutely belongs on this list, but I don’t know that this album does. 3.5 but I’m rounding down for that.
SAULT
4/5
Really cool, unique project. It went on a little long for my taste, but I’d love to see more albums like this on the list as opposed to albums you “must listen to before you die” but everybody probably already has anyway.
Beatles
3/5
I think this suffers from the weight of over-hype. It’s fine but it’s way longer than it needs to be. You can’t tell me these boys really thought they had 30 unskippable bangers that everyone needed to hear. Cut it to a nice clean dozen and I could see it being four stars.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Solid modern soul project, got a little repetitive and long for my taste but it’s a cool album!
Air
2/5
Really didn’t care for this. Nothing about it stood out to me as special or interesting.
3/5
This was really fun, but nothing about it felt outstanding or remarkable. Almost gave it a four, if there had been a few more standout bops I think I would have
Scritti Politti
1/5
Fucking dreadful. This album was so boring I genuinely can’t figure out how it got on this list.
Herbie Hancock
2/5
I think I just have to admit that I don’t really get most jazz. I have no idea what’s compelling about this. It seems like it’s well done?? But I’m not sure how you can tell?
De La Soul
3/5
I had fun listening to this! I kind of wish they had leaned a little further into the silly, corny side of their sound. This feels a little like some deeply dorky guys who want you to think their cool but are ready to hastily play it off as ironic if you don’t.
Kate Bush
4/5
Slick, creative, and really fun to listen to. Running Up That Hill is still definitely the standout track, but the rest of the album deserves some love as well.
3/5
This wasn’t super to my tastes, but I’ve gotta respect it for being weird, creative and interesting. Also shout out to the Internet Archive for allowing me to listen, they’re doing good work.
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
Annoying! Shut up! Shut up for one hundred years!
Motörhead
1/5
One of the most annoying voices in 80s rock, music so generic it hurts. What is this doing on a list of albums you MUST hear before you die? Just because Ace of Spades was a big radio hit the whole album is Essential Listening? Come on, man.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
One or two songs at a time, this is endearingly corny. Taken all in a row, as the man himself says, oh boy 😬
Deep Purple
2/5
I don’t care how iconic the Smoke on the Water riff is, it’s the first thing every kid learns to pluck on a guitar for a reason, and that reason is because you don’t need any talent or imagination to play it.
The Beta Band
4/5
Weird and quirky in a way that’s more often charming and enjoyable than off-putting and annoying. Always happy to find an album on this list that feels like a unique experience.
Pantera
3/5
Decent, classic, shit-kicking metal. Couldn’t get through the whole thing in one sitting bc it got long and monotonous, but it’s not bad.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
All due respect to what I gather are some influential artists, but this mostly felt like a guy making a valiant but mostly unsuccessful effort to do a Bob Dylan impression
Willie Nelson
5/5
Absolutely killer cover album, Willie does all these songs justice and then some.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Really good poetry, simple but lovely music, had a tough time with Cohen’s completely tuneless grumble but the man is a legend and he was like 80 when he recorded this so I’ve gotta cut him some slack.
Lou Reed
4/5
I liked this a lot more than the Velvet Underground, weird in a fun way that kept me engaged all the way through.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
This isn’t bad in any obvious objective way, I just don’t really care for the Atonally Hollering Over Music school of vocals and that makes it harder for me to enjoy the pretty good music going on behind the vocals.
Ian Dury
1/5
You absolutely cannot convince me that a goofy looking British guy chanting awkwardly about how horny he is over the dorkiest plinky plonky music you’ve ever heard is Required Listening. Insane choice for this list.
Pixies
4/5
A fun listen! Lots of variety while maintaining a consistent tone, enjoyable all the way through.
Beatles
3/5
This is fine, I guess, but it really makes me wonder why people hold the Beatles up as some kind of Greatest Ever Band. This is in no way Greatest Ever type shit.
The Verve
2/5
Got bored halfway through Bittersweet Symphony and never recovered
Jamiroquai
3/5
Not my usual pick of genre but fun and funky!
The Cardigans
4/5
A fun, odd collection of songs. Stylish and unique.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Jimi is a legend and I can see why. Some songs get a little long and rambly for me, but that’s just the genre. Not everything is made for people with ADHD haha.
Queen
4/5
Absolutely delightful 80s rock.
Stan Getz
4/5
Great driving music. Sounds start to sound very similar, but the vibe is undeniable.
Pixies
3/5
I enjoyed some of these tracks, but overall the sound was a little too inconsistent for me to really lock into the album and enjoy it.
Joan Baez
4/5
A really lovely collection of folk tunes. A bit long for how similar the songs are, but full of gems.
Jurassic 5
5/5
Kickass funk/hip-hop album, loved the vibes on this
Beatles
3/5
Further confirmation that I just Do Not Get the Beatles. There are some awesome songs on here, loved Here Comes the Sun and Carry That Weight (and yes, I think Octopus’s Garden is super fun), but the rest of the album felt super uneven and didn’t live up to the legendary status this album holds in the cultural discussion.
Ice T
3/5
This is fun, but it feels so corny and dated looking back from 2024. Ice T has talent for sure but this album just isn’t that interesting.
Bob Dylan
5/5
It’s Bob fuckin’ Dylan, what else is there to say
Suede
2/5
I have had enough Britpop for the rest of my entire life, I am begging for another genre
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
As they say in my Duolingo lessons, me encanta la música cubana.
Violent Femmes
2/5
Blister In the Sun is a bop and then it gets progressively annoying from there I fear