650
Albums Rated
3.42
Average Rating
60%
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439 albums remaining
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1950s
Favorite Decade
Blues
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US
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
87
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenza | 5 | 2.58 | +2.42 |
| Vincebus Eruptum | 5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
| I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail | 5 | 2.81 | +2.19 |
| Grievous Angel | 5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
| Post Orgasmic Chill | 5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
| Microshift | 5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
| Underwater Moonlight | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Scum | 4 | 2.07 | +1.93 |
| Close To You | 5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
| Hunting High And Low | 5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kid A | 1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
| Moon Safari | 1 | 3.58 | -2.58 |
| Illinois | 1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
| Amnesiac | 1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
| Wish You Were Here | 2 | 4.3 | -2.3 |
| The Seldom Seen Kid | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| Heartbreaker | 1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
| Signing Off | 1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
| Eli And The Thirteenth Confession | 1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
| Fly Or Die | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 5 |
| Beatles | 3 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 4.5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Doors | 2 | 5 |
| Run-D.M.C. | 2 | 5 |
| Dolly Parton | 2 | 5 |
| The White Stripes | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5 | 4.2 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.25 |
| David Bowie | 6 | 4 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air | 2 | 1.5 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 2.2 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Albums | Variance |
|---|---|---|
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 1.25 |
5-Star Albums (87)
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Popular Reviews
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Is this good jazz? Is this bad jazz? All I feel qualified to say is that this is definitely jazz.
29 likes
Oasis
3/5
The 90s - GenX's last opportunity to importantly whine at us. Considering how enormous the egos on the Gallagher numbers are, this comes off as boring.
6 likes
Skunk Anansie
5/5
Completely unexpected from the name and album photo. A trip back to the 90s when things were LOUD and busy. And what an incredible vocalist.
4 likes
Radiohead
1/5
The reviews for this album are so polarized - you either seem to think this album is profound & nuanced brilliance, or noise vomit. I tend to think the latter.
2 likes
1-Star Albums (13)
All Ratings
Janis Joplin
5/5
What a start to my new project. Is there a better voice in rock? Love how frequently piano makes an appearance.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Surprisingly precise and regular in its rhythms. Feels like mellowed-down poppy punk - not just the jacket that seems related to the Ramones. Tom Petty is great, if not yet height of his powers.
Pink Floyd
2/5
Before listening to this album I thought that Pink Floyd wasn’t my thing. I thought their music was bloated and sounded like a 14 year old trying to be deep with their first attempts with effects at their disposal. Turns out I was right. This entire thing feels insanely self-indulgent. From the screechy synth to the constant use of the second person voice in the lyrics it all makes me cringe and roll my eyes. Pieces are great - Roger Waters’ bass line and David Gilmour’s guitar on Have A Cigar are pretty fun until they get buried, and Wish You Were Here benefits from being stripped down but starts to get drowned by the end as well. Basically - it’s not for me.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
This album reminded me of my Grandpa who died 15 years ago. On its own merits I'd probably give it 3 stars but my Grandpa was the coolest person I know so 5 stars for making me think about him.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
5/5
The Offspring
4/5
Makes me feel like an angry 90s teenager again. Fun, with some bangers, but gets a bit repetitive. Still boggles my mind that the screaming lead singer now has a PhD in molecular biology. Some people have layers I guess.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Took a few songs to get going but then was fun. Wikipedia article calls them the "British Jefferson Airplane" and it does sound very Grace Slick, but the parts that sounded more like Allman Brothers were my favourite.
Coldplay
2/5
Blech. Not for me. It seems like Chris Martin is responding to late-90s brainless aggression with pablum. But it just ends up pouring terrible music on top of bad.
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
An example of low expectations being blown out of the water. What a bop.
Radiohead
3/5
Why did we all have so much angst in the 90s? I’m not super fond of this - all pretentious sadness. Also not fond of when bands mix the vocals in under the instrumentals to make you lean in. But at least it’s better than Coldplay.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Man this album was absolutely everywhere for awhile, but it just didn’t penetrate my lily-white suburban neighbourhood. Our loss. Glad for this chance to catch up.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
This album is so great that it can name one of its tracks “Splanky” and make it sound cool.
The Kinks
3/5
Sounds mostly like the most dated aspects of the Beatles music. Every so often some of the harder elements of their future bleed through, but mostly it just feels quaint. Not a hard listen, just a bit dry.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I waffled a lot between 3 stars and 4. There’s a lot to like about this album. Each song has a piece that makes me think I’d really like the music Stuart Murdoch listens to. But then in so many songs they add something like a harmonica or a triangle or a weird vocal harmony that distracts from the rest. Better than I expected, it got better further into the album, nearly but not quite a 4.
Yes
3/5
I don’t get prog. It’s irritating how they cram four songs together and try to say it’s one track. And I bet they’re doing inventive things with rhythms and chord progressions, but it makes it a real slog to listen to. Having said all that - still better than Pink Floyd.
Beth Orton
4/5
Great voice. No expectations, very pleasant listening. I don't know anything about her EDM roots but this made me curious for more.
The Hives
5/5
Man I wish I had better musical taste when this album came out. I could have saved a lot of money on bad CDs. This is great from top to bottom. I really missed the post-punk boat.
Elton John
5/5
I used to think the title was some kind of marketing ploy aimed at Elton John himself. Now I think maybe it refers to longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, whose lyrics are completely bananas. Is there a luckier man to ever exist, who responded to the same newspaper ad the same time as the only person alive with enough talent and charisma to turn his words into magic? Anyway, Elton John is incredible despite whatever nonsense Taupin makes him sing about.
Bon Jovi
4/5
I expected to hate this but turns out it's pretty perfect pop music - fun to listen to but immediately forgettable. Feels like McDonald's for your ears.
Dire Straits
4/5
I guess all recordings are a type of time capsule, but this one feels especially so. Seems like a good example of both the good and the bad of what rock thought sounded cool in the early 80s. I wanted to give this five stars but there was just a little too much cringe. Mark Knopfler sure plays a soothing guitar though.
Rush
5/5
Maybe I don’t hate prog after all! Or maybe CanCon rules have made this music part of my life for years. Whatever it is, between the incredible Neal Peart drumming and Geddy Lee’s bizarre voice and fantastic bass playing this works for me from beginning to end.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
3.5 if possible. Enjoyable, really can see how they've filtered early 50s rock through 70s and 80s hard fuzz. Probably won't feel the need to revisit.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
A lot closer to timeless than I expected it to be - a lot of it sounds current. Sweet Thang is a 7* out of 5, and the rest of the album is very good.
a-ha
5/5
Track 1 is a perfect pop song. The rest of the album has tracks that have questionable beginnings but by the end you’re nodding along and getting it. Well done.
Tricky
4/5
A lot of layers here. Hard to describe. Impressive even if I don't really understand it. Worth a listen. I can see why it got such high ratings upon its release.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
More musical than I expected. I get how important it is in concept, but loses points for being so long.
Sonic Youth
2/5
The cool kids I went to school when listened to Sonic Youth. Now I just feel bad for them. Yuck.
The United States Of America
3/5
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Is it cultural appropriation if the guy who invented the style is singing with the white man who's just visiting? Either way, this album slides down as smooth as silk. Never been to Brazil but this feels like an all-inclusive resort - a tourist's version of what Brazilian bossa nova is like.
The Clash
4/5
Enjoyed more than anticipated. Punk is fun!
Donald Fagen
3/5
Part of the Wikipedia article describes this as among the best-recorded albums of all time. This seems like such a backhanded compliment - like saying your ugly house is made of great materials, or that your new partner has a "fantastic personality." It all feels slightly like what Patrick Bateman would play after Huey Lewis & the News. Nothing to complain about but not much for me to sink my teeth into.
Willie Nelson
5/5
This might have been the best album yet from this project. I will be revisiting this many times in the future, which I can't say for most of this. Pretty close to perfect.
Joy Division
3/5
Seems like the parent of the Sonic Youth album I rated a few days ago but slightly easier to take.
Syd Barrett
2/5
“Pink Floyd guitarist auditions to be part of the more irritating songs in the Beatles catalogue.”
The Style Council
4/5
Piano AND trumpet, with sax in an appropriate supporting role? Yes please. What a pleasant surprise. Never heard of this band but this album is them throwing every genre at the wall to see what sticks, with not 100% success but enough to have fun with.
Cheap Trick
4/5
Such a cool surprise that the only song I knew from this album was not even close to the best one.
The Saints
4/5
Again, punk is fun. Especially with a brass section.
Carpenters
5/5
I did not know how much I’d enjoy this. Karen Carpenter is incredible and I never knew that or anything about the tragedy that was her early death.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Love Dave Grohl as a great guy but never been a big Foo Fighters fan. Still an interesting album. Not hard to see the Nirvana influence on this music-as-therapy recording. Everyone should read his book, he’s also an enjoyable storyteller.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
She seems talented and some interesting stuff musically but her voice is not for me.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
The third early to mid nineties album I’ve gotten in a row is probably my favourite of the lot. Yes, this might be because all the cool music sounded like this when I was 12. Kinda sounds like if Phil Spector did a grunge album. But it seems like if Spector and Corgan made an album, not everyone would make it out alive.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
I mean it’s easy enough to tell that this album is packed with a truly insane amount of talent and innovation. It’s just more difficult for this ignorant brain to grasp it all. Easy and enjoyable even if it didn’t grip me.
Van Halen
5/5
Perfection
FKA twigs
4/5
This is a vibe. This is what music is supposed to sound like in our flying cars or on the holodeck.
Killing Joke
3/5
I’m worried that I’m only 5% through this list and I feel so strongly that I would have been ok dying without ever hearing this album. It’s fine, but I think there probably are better options.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Boston
5/5
After reading about how this album was basically made by Tom Sholz in his basement, and basically passed off to executives as a professional job, I'm far less embarrassed to say this is exactly up my street. I should have been born 20 years earlier so I could have experienced the 70s.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Not a shock to learn that Bowie produced their album before this one. Sounds like Ziggy Stardust Goes To the Farm. But I did enjoy it more than I predicted.
Nina Simone
4/5
She blew me away in the Summer of Soul doc, and while losing the visuals does take away some of her charisma there's still a ton of power in that voice.
Ride
3/5
This did not work for me. Apparently this is a seminal work in the Shoegaze genre. No thanks.
Tom Waits
3/5
Great voice, weird music. A bit too weird for that fourth star.
The Undertones
4/5
More punk that I enjoyed. I missed my calling. The "Under the Boardwalk" cover very nearly pushed it to 5 star territory.
The Black Keys
4/5
The first album that I've listened to in entirety before this project! I still like it, but not as much as I remember.
The Sabres Of Paradise
4/5
Surprisingly enjoyable. Did not expect to like it but slid down smooth as silk. I appreciate wordless music that allows me to get some work done while listening to it. Creates a soundscape and just lets you sit in it for the whole album.
Took an embarrassingly long time to figure out why this sounded so much like Rod Stewart at times. Of course he sounds better when backed by one of the Rolling Stones.
The Stooges
4/5
As this project shows me that I have an appreciation for punk, it's interesting to listen to one of the OGs. It really wasn't what I expected - it sounds a lot more like the Doors or Hendrix than I would have anticipated. Makes sense for the time. But has less of a crushing impact than their live shows must have had with Iggy up there bleeding on people.
Metallica
4/5
Do all of the songs sound alike? Maybe, but when that sound is "greatness" who cares?
Skunk Anansie
5/5
Completely unexpected from the name and album photo. A trip back to the 90s when things were LOUD and busy. And what an incredible vocalist.
Tom Waits
2/5
Two Tom Waits albums in about a week is a lot. As cool as it is that he recorded it in the basement of the studio, it seems deliberately challenging to whoever is trying to listen to it, and I wasn't feeling it.
Hole
3/5
Courtney is cool but this album is less fun than I'd like it to be
Kate Bush
3/5
This really wasn't my favourite, but it was weirdly cool, and I'm glad she made it.
Billy Joel
3/5
The piano is pretty, but so few of these songs hook me in. It's hard to avoid comparing one piano-based rocker to another, but somehow Elton John takes way cheesier material and makes it awesome, where Billy Joel's lyrics are way better yet his songs lack the same wow-factor. Talent all over the place but barely ever amounts to more than sounding like elevator muzak.
The Stooges
4/5
First thing - shockingly different from The Stooges album of 4 years previous. This is better.
Elbow
1/5
HATE
Eminem
3/5
Real trip down memory lane, but now that my kid is the age I was when it came out it really made me cringe a bit to listen to together. He really does have a way with words and I still respect his flow, but sometimes even biting satire can go a little far.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
This is a banger. Very enjoyable. Just misses 5 stars because it needed a little more variety. But it does what it does very well.
The Who
2/5
So self-indulgent. Feels like it took the entire weekend to listen to. Rock peaked in the 70s but its decline started right when the rockers thought they were this important.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I comment on vocalists a lot, but this has to be close to the top of the pile. So good he got Berry Gordy to change his formula at Motown. Reading the background of the album makes it seem like this is yet another album as therapy for a complicated sexual history - funny how sincerity and introspection can make something great.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I mean it's a perfect sounding album, but you have to take away a star for the lyrics on "Brown Sugar." Even the band is embarrassed enough to no longer play it live. It's unfortunate because musically it's a joy, but it's foolish to ignore what is being celebrated in the lyrics. Best to consign that one to the past.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Not sure why this album felt disjointed to me. I guess it's hard to avoid comparing albums against each other when you get the same artist back to back, but it never felt like the whole package of Sticky Fingers. C'mon, that's a great joke - look at the album cover.
The Doors
5/5
I love the Doors
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
6 albums in a row from between 1968-1974. Help me. This one was quite fun and maybe the most 70s one yet, in concept - a band based around the bongos? But whooo boy an album from the last 50 years would be nice.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I know nothing about rap, but this feels different. In a good way.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
It's fine. That's about all I can say.
Lou Reed
3/5
I hate to rate everything 3*, because there were good songs on this album, but overall it was a bit too weird for me to rate it higher.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Not really much to add. Deserving in its place as one of the greatest of all time.
N.E.R.D
1/5
One of the worst albums I’ve ever heard
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
This album really makes me think I'd never want to get stuck in a conversation with Paul Simon. These are lyrics from a man who thinks he is extremely important. Some of these songs are way too over the top folk-y, some of them are pretty good. Was familiar with most of them but pleasantly surprised by the one where they pretend to be Dylan.
Klaxons
3/5
Another Mercury Prize winner that is kinda dull.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
Yes please.
Nirvana
5/5
No real mystery here, this album came out when I was about 8 years old and basically every album I've ever experienced was shaped by it.
Living Colour
2/5
Christine and the Queens
2/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Duran Duran
3/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
Considering it still is the best-selling album of all time it is surprisingly sappy. And I expected there'd be another catchy tune beyond the ones I've already heard a billion times - there is not.
Van Morrison
4/5
Feels like a bunch of vignettes of pretty pastoral landscapes. Beautiful layers, kind of drifting here & there. As much as I may be a fan, sometimes his voice is jarring.
Kanye West
4/5
I did not want to like this, because of what Kanye has become. But man, he really had some talent. This was great.
Massive Attack
2/5
Mylo
4/5
I expected to hate this and enjoyed being proven wrong
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Sounds mostly like generic late 60s music but gets a bump up because the most famous song on here, a 17 minute monstrosity, is shockingly fun
New Order
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Starts slow and gets better
Dwight Yoakam
4/5
Nice to get some country on here. Dwight Yoakam has such a unique voice. I liked learning about his history a little, and how he does everything on his own terms.
Black Sabbath
5/5
This rocks.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Might be the horniest album yet?
Santana
4/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Ok this was really great but still suffered from the same issue that plagues nearly every rap album - SO VERY LONG.
Kanye West
5/5
Somehow even better than the last Kanye album. Such a shame being a genius made him bonkers.
Van Halen
4/5
Pretty great but not as great as their first album
Saint Etienne
3/5
Meh
Germs
3/5
I do not have the ear or experience to tell good punk from bad. This seems fine.
Taylor Swift
4/5
Mostly slides directly out of my brain like pleasant generic pop music, except for "Shake It off" which is probably the best pop song of the last decade
Bob Dylan
4/5
This is hardly a brave stance, but the good songs are good, while the bad ones have such an awkward self-seriousness that they're really hard to take. I wish that I could feel the straightlaced uptight context of the 50s and 60s that made folk feel daring and new. But so much of it now is cringey.
Jacques Brel
3/5
This is the Frenchest thing I've ever heard in my life and I'm fluently bilingual
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I very much liked the first half, the second half was fine, overall a pleasant experience
Simply Red
2/5
BAD
Joe Ely
3/5
I wanted to like this more, and I did enjoy it, but it ended up coming off just a touch dull.
David Bowie
4/5
I wish once I could do one thing as 1/10th as cool as anything Bowie ever did
Stereo MC's
2/5
Not working for me
3/5
Perfectly forgettable
Aerosmith
4/5
Kanye West
3/5
Even more going on here than earlier albums. Maybe a bit too much.
4/5
Honky-tonk punk! What’s not to like?
Snoop Dogg
4/5
I'm arriving to the party 30 years late, but pretty great. Loses some points for heavy misogyny, even if I can see how it is reflective of a culture dealing with being socioeconomically trapped - still tough to listen to. But sometimes art is hard.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Hard to listen to this album without thinking of the cartoon character Ozzy became later in life, but this is still pretty great.
Justice
5/5
Low expectations OBLITERATED
Pixies
5/5
I've heard bits & pieces before but never the entirety. It still sounds fresh to me, and I don't know if that speaks to the music or the fact that my musical tastes crystallized in the 90s when everyone was copying this album.
Björk
2/5
The best track is the one without vocals. Enough said.
Solange
3/5
Beautifully done but not for me
Holger Czukay
2/5
Another mystery to me how this made the list
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Pleasantly enjoyable, but I'd be lying if I said I could tell the difference between good and bad jazz. Just short of upgrading to 4*.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Took me a bit to get the concept but it grew on me throughout the album.
Scott Walker
3/5
This is weird. Plus it sounds so much like the Jacques Brel album (who was the writer of a couple of these songs; Walker would like this comparison) that this list played me earlier, that I'm going to have to rate it simlarly
Radiohead
3/5
My 14 yr old said "This sounds like more-depressing Nirvana" and it'll be tough for me to sum up Radiohead better than that.
Meat Puppets
4/5
A touch long, but pretty good. Not hard to see how much they influenced Nirvana.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Some good, some bad, a bit weird, not necessarily in a bad way.
Norah Jones
4/5
Love it when every single other track on an album is better than the one you've heard before
Big Star
3/5
This album has moments that make you say to yourself “This music is incredible and sounds very ahead of it’s time.” None of these moments include vocals, which detract from each song.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Second half rocks harder than the first, but pretty great
Rush
4/5
Gary Numan
4/5
Marcus Parks was right - Gary Numan has layers! This was very surprisingly great. Plus what an awesome jacket he's wearing on the cover.
Spiritualized
3/5
Kinda flowed through me without really sticking. Pleasant and varied.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Arctic Monkeys meets Tom Jones. Took me an embarassingly long time to clue in why they made me think of Arctic Monkeys.
Neil Young
4/5
Solomon Burke
5/5
Amazing. Sounds like Otis Redding with the intensity turned down 15%.
M.I.A.
4/5
This is fun. Great percussion. One massively popular track, but it's great to learn that this isn't a case where every other track on the album is trash. Some are weak, but overall there's enough good to warrant a full listen.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I feel bad rating this so low, but I was disappointed. Elvis changed a lot but even compared to the contemporaries he was ripping off, it just doesn't sound exciting.
Milton Nascimento
2/5
Dr. Dre
3/5
Some classics, but suffers from same problem as most rap albums - SO LONG.
Muddy Waters
5/5
This might be the greatest album I've ever listened to. Mannish Boy, with more modern equipment and a senior citizen's growl, is mind-blowing.
OutKast
4/5
Another rap album that's very long. Some fun production. Overall feels like rap made by an orchestra.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Exceedingly generic 1995 sounding noise. This came out in 1993 so does that make it ahead of its time? Made zero impression.
System Of A Down
4/5
Tears For Fears
4/5
Man the 80s sounded huge
The Blue Nile
3/5
This was fine. Not really for me. I’ve already started to forget what was on here.
Paul Weller
3/5
Morrissey
3/5
This man seems insufferable. The music was ok.
Pretenders
4/5
The Verve
3/5
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Veeeery sleepy music.
3/5
I mean I guess I should have known punk jazz was a thing. Music like this feels like it's to be experienced, and not enjoyed. Two drummers in a band is always intense, and on this album just the beginning of chaos.
David Crosby
3/5
Album sounds exactly like what you'd expect from cover art
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
Man this was refreshing. I was on a run of pretty boring music in this project. This was great.
Talking Heads
5/5
David Byrne might be weird as heck, but you can never say he's boring. This album takes some unexpected turns but it's a fun ride.
Kelela
3/5
Beautiful voice but not my type of music and none of these songs made any kind of impression.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
This was fine. Seems like one of those influential building blocks that is really tough to see in retrospect was such a big deal, because everything that built off of it was so much more interesting.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Never listened to this end to end. OK maybe I am starting to get what the big deal is.
The Fall
3/5
No punk song should ever be 5 minutes. This album nearly has 4 that long, which makes it tougher to swallow.
David Gray
4/5
I owned this album as an awkward teen and this trip down memory lane was enjoyable as the music holds up better than most of the CDs I owned
Johnny Cash
5/5
I loved this so much
Faith No More
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
A little weird in a very 80s way
Beastie Boys
5/5
Talk Talk
2/5
Todd Rundgren
4/5
What a weird album. But it succeeds becuase it doesn't stay in one place long enough to get tiresome. He tries soemething new every minute or two and manages to keep the concepts fresh and the audience engaged.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Successfully makes it half a step higher from "This is OK" to "This is good," Still 3 stars.
Otis Redding
5/5
LOVE LOVE LOVE
Small Faces
3/5
Barely 3. The lowest possible 3. 60s concept albums were all at least mildly insufferable. At least some interesting things happened on it.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
Peter Gabriel
3/5
On certain days this could rate a 4. Not quite, today. It was definitely better than I expected. Turns out the most famous song on here is one of the more annoying ones.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
A few more of these and I'll be a full-on Springsteen head
Radiohead
3/5
Each track has something cool happening musically that is made worse by Thom Yorke screeching over it. His voice actively detracts from everything. It fit well with their early material but as the band branched out in different directions his voice couldn't keep up.
SAULT
3/5
Television
4/5
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Arrested Development
3/5
Fun, but early 90s rap feels inherently silly, and trying to communicate serious themes with a silly instrument feels a bit incongruent. Fantastic "Everyday People" cover though.
Queen
4/5
The Who
3/5
Maybe felt revolutionary at the time, but 60 years on seems pretty standard 60s fare
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I love Leonard Cohen, but man his music improved when he discovered his basso profundo. This had some fun layers but overall is not my favourite.
R.E.M.
4/5
The Doors
5/5
Even the 12 minute song!
4/5
Torn between 4 and 5 stars. I mean, there's not a ton of variety here. But when every pitch is an unhittable fastball who cares?
Steely Dan
2/5
What is the point of being this good at your instrument if the music you make is this boring?
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I dunno, just feels kinda dated, especially after numetal co-opted the concept of white dudes rapping with a band. And why is it sooooo long.....
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
I had high expectations. They were surpassed.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Stuff like this is the reason I started this 1001 project. The electricity in the room is palpable in this album. Imagine seeing this live.
Cream
4/5
Bogs down in the middle a little but the beginning and end of the album are fire
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Is this good jazz? Is this bad jazz? All I feel qualified to say is that this is definitely jazz.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Not great. And becomes uncomfortable when you find out you're listening to a psychotic break. Like watching footage of a car crash.
Sufjan Stevens
1/5
I hated everything about this album
The The
3/5
Made zero impression, but completely unoffensive
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Starting to think that albums get onto this list by being the perfect example of what music sounded like when they were released. This is definitely among the most "1998" albums of all time. That's not high praise.
John Prine
5/5
Easy top 5 of this project so far. This album rocks.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Not a big fan. Sounds like all the non-Brian Wilson Beach Boys are trying to make Brian Wilson music and I prefer the real deal, even if at this time Brian wasn't really capable of making anything.
Iggy Pop
5/5
Has aged like fine wine.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Sounds big, like musical theatre. Most memorable lyric: “If you were a horse, I’d clean the crap out of your stable.”
The Smiths
2/5
I really don't like Morrissey
Raekwon
3/5
It's fine. Too long, but that's hardly unique when it comes to hiphop albums.
The Cure
4/5
Music probably would be better knowing more about context, but without that it's merely fine.
Al Green
5/5
The Vines
3/5
A touch better than good. Really liked "Factory" - sounds like they're trying to be the Beatles.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Absolutely fantastic
Silver Jews
4/5
Odd. Pleasant, enjoyable. No idea how it made this list - seems like something many many artists would be capable of making.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
I wanted to love this but it came up a bit short. Still very good.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Interesting to hear Baby Stones start to discover themselves. As much as I enjoy Mother's Little Helper, the American version with Paint It Black as Track 1 is a much stronger start.
The Crusaders
3/5
Jazz so smooth that it left little to no impression
Throwing Muses
4/5
A great weird voice. A little bit of everything on this album that's really held together by the unique singer.
Prince
5/5
Sounds incredibly 80s and incredibly timeless at the same time. Never listened to it in its entirety before. A classic for a reason.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Some of those vocal runs set my teeth on edge. And the jangly rhythms sometimes grate on my nerves. But despite all that, the music is still incredible.
Louis Prima
4/5
Paul McCartney
3/5
How many drum solos is too many drum solos?
Alternative title: "Paul McCartney Isn't Sure What to Do With Himself Now"
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Title sums it up
Stevie Wonder
3/5
"Superstition" is an all-time great track, but it feels only tangentially related to the rest of the album, which has way too many slow moments.
Ray Charles
5/5
This was so good that, despite being pretty sure only Volume 1 was intended to be on this project, I listened to both.
Khaled
5/5
This was a ton of fun.
The Young Gods
3/5
A track or two of this is interesting. A full album is a lot.
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
Black Sabbath
5/5
They really came out of the chute firing
Jack White
5/5
Love it when an album I already know shows up. Jack White is the exact right mix of real weird and insanely talented.
Ozomatli
3/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
5/5
Starting to feel self-conscious about handing out so many 5* ratings but this is way too precisely built for me. Eric Clapton is such a wizard, it's a shame that he has become yet another artist that you need to separate from his art. Very interesting to read about how influential the sound of this album was - it sounds so perfectly like what modern electric blues should, and turns out that's because everyone copied it. Marshall even named its amp the Bluesbreaker because of it!
PJ Harvey
4/5
Better than the other PJ Harvey album. Definitely the same broth base that produced Nirvana.
Johnny Cash
5/5
I mean, what am I gonna do, not rate this 5 stars? Johnny Cash is incredible, and this album has to be near the top of the coolest things he ever did.
Yes
3/5
Bass lines were the best parts of this album
Michael Jackson
4/5
Such a huge difference between this albums highs and lows.
Massive Attack
2/5
I do not like this at all. And that Doors cover was not good.
The Clash
4/5
Before this I was only familiar with the title track and Train In Vain. This was so much better than I expected. Perfect example of what I was hoping for in this project. Did go on a touch too long, but fun throughout.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I find Win Butler's voice grating but this album was saved from a 2* rating by the song "Suburban War." Also they should feature more of Regine Chassanne.
Miles Davis
4/5
Could listen for hours, but constantly feel like I'm missing something.
Parliament
4/5
This literally had my toes tapping as I drove. And I don't even dance.
Spiritualized
2/5
Two albums by this band? Woof.
Crowded House
3/5
A bit too Morrissey-adjacent to be something I can get very excited about
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I’d prefer listening to the worst Led Zeppelin song over nearly any other music.
The Cars
4/5
Boomers may have destroyed the entire planet, but they really did have great music.
Air
2/5
This feels like a recipe for marinade - kinda weird on its own without meat. A film score needs the film so that all these sounds and moods have context. On its own it ends up flat.
The Prodigy
3/5
This did nothing to help my ADHD.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
The fact that this album is 20 years old is HUGELY depressing. That makes ME obscenely old...
Pink Floyd
3/5
As much as I hate Pink Floyd, this was less painful than expected. Third star given for being under 45 minutes.
Carole King
4/5
I'm starting to learn that I'm a sucker for 70s female pop singers. Unexpected but fun. This one's very good, but I constantly compared her to Karen Carpenter in my head and she doesn't quite get that high.
The Fall
3/5
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Generic sounding 60s music
Traffic
4/5
Side A was incredible, but Side B slowed down significantly.
Nirvana
4/5
Kurt Cobain's voice & crunchy quiet-loud guitars feel like the audio equivalent of putting on a comfy thrift-shop knit sweater with worn-in holes for your thumbs.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Kraftwerk
4/5
John Lennon
2/5
The Beatles really were a balancing act. Any of their subsequent albums really are off-kilter.
Eagles
4/5
Eagles are a pretty vanilla band. I wanted to hate this, but Joe Walsh's guitar licks won me over.
Supergrass
4/5
Talking Heads
4/5
So good
Machito
4/5
The Waterboys
2/5
Wikipedia has explained to me why mid-album I was getting such strong Van Morrisson vibes. Overall, this rock album with traditional influences feels like it is neither rock nor traditional - tries to do too much and doesn't succeed at any for me.
Green Day
4/5
Surprised to find a Green Day album on here, but Green Day was the mindless background music to like 30% of my youth so it was nice.
Pink Floyd
3/5
I don't like Pink Floyd. I hate rock operas. And yet I am shocked at how much I enjoyed this, despite dragging in the back half - I can't fault every rap album on this list for length without acknowledging it here. Maybe every difficult concept album should get a detailed Wikipedia plot summary.
Ian Dury
3/5
Weird, mostly in a vaguely annoying way
Primal Scream
2/5
No thanks
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Album 2 is better than album 1, however by the time I got there I was thoroughly sick of this. Aguilera has an impressive powerful voice, but she makes every song sound the same.
Van Morrison
5/5
B.B. King
5/5
How much more would I enjoy it if this project were about a book called "1001 Old Electric Blues Albums to Listen To Before You Drown Yourself In Bourbon"?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
It's certainly a vibe. Just not my vibe.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
If Jack Skellington made a second album...
Too many albums by this guy on this list. Sure, let's listen to one by this theatrical rock star to see what's up. But two means something else more interesting gets bumped off the list.
2Pac
3/5
I feel like I'm gonna lose all my "teenager in the 90s" cred by saying this is fine. Better than a lot of rap, more variety in the lyrics, but... it's fine.
David Bowie
3/5
Bowie meets Jazz. A pleasant compilation of sounds, but feels a few layers deeper than my comprehension.
David Bowie
4/5
Day 2 of back-to-back Bowie. I prefer 70s Bowie.
Public Enemy
4/5
Chuck D makes me wanna join a revolution.
Shack
4/5
One of the more normal, easy to listen to albums I've had in this entire project.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Enjoyable enough. Pretty sleepy though.
Steely Dan
3/5
Great musicians that make music that feels like less than the sum of their parts
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Air
1/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Buzzcocks
3/5
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Radiohead
1/5
The reviews for this album are so polarized - you either seem to think this album is profound & nuanced brilliance, or noise vomit. I tend to think the latter.
Stan Getz
2/5
So smooth and plinky-plonky that it becomes annoying
Queen Latifah
3/5
Very good 80s rap that again loses a point for length
5/5
Stone cold classic. I've been listening to it for several decades and it rewards you for familiarity. Makes me wonder about some of these albums that I didn't like the first run through. Probably not going to pursue that thought too far.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Johnny Cash playing in a prison is really a great genre
The Smiths
3/5
Standard disclaimer that I can't stand Morrissey - however, he and the rest seem to be taking themselves less seriously on this album. The result makes it better than the rest of the Smiths/Morrissey output that I've been subject to on this list so far.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Thought I would hate this but it's pretty great. It's real weird but he basically pulls it off for every track.
David Ackles
3/5
k.d. lang
2/5
Oof. The only thing saving this from being 1* was her great performance of “Hallelujah” at the closing ceremony of the 2010 Olympics. It bought her a lot of slack in my mind.
GZA
3/5
Moody and atmospheric. Suited the day I spent driving around Montreal in the rain. Still long though.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Bob Dylan always feels like a Bit Much to me. Especially this album, straddling his first two eras, and he tries to squeeze in both. It's fine, but it's a lot.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Wish I loved this more, but comes up a bit short.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I haven't been a 15 year old boy for several decades but this sure made me feel like one.
The Allman Brothers Band
5/5
Surprisingly disinterested reviews. This was one of the top three albums I've heard on this list.
Radiohead
1/5
Someone in their review compared Radiohead's critical lauding to the Emperor's New Clothes and I think that sums up my feelings perfectly. Doesn't work for me. Also this is my fifth Radiohead album. Please make it stop.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
The most 70s album of all time
Talvin Singh
3/5
Once you get past the first looooong track it improves. Wikipedia lists the genre as Electronic & Classical Indian - the Electronic part is tougher to take.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Sounds like a bunch of theatre kids
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
I often complain albums are boring. This one is extremely mellow yet remains enjoyable. Play this when it's sunny with a cold cocktail in hand.
Iron Maiden
5/5
The first few songs were ok, and then by about track 4 it absolutely lets loose. What an album.
Eagles
2/5
I love 70s rock, but man the Eagles are boring.
Kate Bush
4/5
My second Kate Bush album, which somehow wins me over by being even weirder than the last one I listened to.
Nick Drake
3/5
Napalm Death
4/5
I don't think I'm just being contrarian when I say that I actually really enjoyed this. Imagine most bands max out at a 10 - Napalm Death seems to start all of their songs at 10 and then amp it up from there. Pure adrenalien for your ears.
Queen
3/5
Seems like a baby version of Queen. Not yet at full power.
Cat Stevens
5/5
Don McLean
4/5
The Streets
3/5
Weird lo-fi brit rap sounds like a fifth grade project but grows on you after awhile
David Bowie
4/5
4/5
Back when I used to pretend I was a runner that one summer, Knights of Cydonia was a great song to make you feel ready to run through a wall.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
It's a real rare double album that makes it seem worth it. This doesn't quite make the cut.
Screaming Trees
3/5
I'm probably never going to think of this album again.
Dolly Parton
5/5
Gene Clark
2/5
T. Rex
3/5
Disappointing
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Maybe I don't hate this band as much as I thought. This was a good one, they sound like they're having more fun than some of their later stuff.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Probably at least a 3.5. Interesting time capsule - almost hair metal meets grunge. A real transition time in music.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
It's like more fun Steely Dan - but not quite enough to earn 4 stars
Oasis
3/5
The 90s - GenX's last opportunity to importantly whine at us. Considering how enormous the egos on the Gallagher numbers are, this comes off as boring.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Lightning Bolt
4/5
Queen
4/5
4/5
Paul Simon
3/5
The White Stripes
5/5
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
Sabu
4/5
Fugees
5/5
This is the best hip hop album I've heard on here
Elliott Smith
3/5
More depressing Simon & Garfunkel
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Groovy
Megadeth
4/5
Where do I submit the claims for all of the office supplies I destroyed while listening to this album?
Neu!
2/5
Eminem
4/5
The Killers
5/5
Gorillaz
3/5
Kings of Leon
2/5
True story - this album is so forgettable that I had to check my listening history to realize that I did in fact listen to it a couple of weeks ago and just had forgotten to rate it.
Blur
4/5
Funkadelic
3/5
Fleet Foxes
3/5
American Mumford. The lowest possible 3 star. This era of music was really pretentious.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
JAY Z
4/5
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Extremely unremarkable early 2000s music.
Funkadelic
3/5
ABBA
3/5
Pretty fun. But - I can’t dock Eminem a star for making me uncomfortable with “Stan,” and then ignore a song called “When I Kissed the Teacher”. This was common enough to be a pop song trope?! What was wrong with everyone?!
John Coltrane
3/5
Like fine wine - in that I really don't understand it.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Interesting bridge between punk and whatever form post-punk would take. But they also lost that punk brevity - very long-winded.
Ash
2/5
Not doing it for me at all
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Another album that would be more interesting without vocalizations being annoying over top of it.
Beatles
5/5
Basically where all music after this point comes from
The Monkees
3/5
Some highs, some lows, but seems like such a Beatles clone with more shortcomings
Sam Cooke
4/5
Banger
Joy Division
3/5
I like their story, but man the music is such a downer
The Band
5/5
I could enjoy listening to this once a week for the rest of my life
ZZ Top
5/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
Destiny's Child
4/5
I thought I’d hate this. I did not.
Moby
3/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
PJ Harvey
3/5
This is at least my third PJ Harvey album. I don't really get it - not the worst but far from the best. Fairly middle of the road.
Metallica
3/5
Feels very 90s in concept - metal and classical are so different, isn't it crazy to mash them together?! Kinda fun for a few tracks. Then it just keeps going and going...
Public Enemy
4/5
The Who
4/5
VERY IMPORTANT - make sure you listen to the original album with only 6 tracks. It eliminates all the more annoying "electric folk" tracks that the Who can drag themselves down with. All the bonus track versions lose a lot of focus. Learn from my mistakes!
Dolly Parton
5/5
This album was incredible. What a power trio. But in an album of equals, Dolly seems a little more equal than the rest. Every time her voice kicks in it makes the song better.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Barry Adamson
3/5
Feels like a soundtrack to about four different movies. I liked it more than many of the other side projects of people more famous for being in bigger name bands.
ZZ Top
4/5
Not as good as earlier ZZ Top
Hugh Masekela
3/5
I find it so hard to rate jazz. So much skill, but so little comprehension (on my part).
The Icarus Line
4/5
Richard Hawley
2/5
This was entirely uninteresting
The Human League
3/5
Another one where most famous song is best song by far
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Probably could benefit from repeated listening, but hard not to compare it to Rumours.
4/5
Tough to beat the 1-2-3 punch off the top.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Mashing 5 stars as hard as I possibly can. May sneak into my top 5 in this project so far. Absolutely amazing.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Bobby Womack
4/5
Maybe after a string of dud albums this would be a 5 but this project has been kind to me recently, so sorry Bobby, you get a downgrade
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Talking Heads
4/5
John Lennon
4/5
Better than I expected. After the first track for some reason it feels more like John Lennon copying people than John Lennon writing songs. Hard to explain.
Iggy Pop
4/5
They may have been two of the coolest people on the planet at the time but can you imagine how annoying it would be to watch Iggy Pop and David Bowie detox together in Europe?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
As grim as the album title would lead you to believe. I don't think I get Nick Cave very well.
The Smiths
2/5
So, so sick of Morrissey and the Smiths
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Some fun times but really starts to drag towards the end
Jeff Buckley
2/5
Music for people who love being sad
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
This is a weird one. The guy who was responsible for the punk aesthetic makes a “rap” album that sounds like Graceland.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Better than expected. And a good story, what with the recent appreciation for her
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Good album but they don’t quite sound like Creedence yet. Sounds like a covers album even if only one track is.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Big band is somehow easier jazz to get. Jazz for beginners? Anyway I liked it.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Less weird Kate Bush. Pleasant and surprisingly enjoyable.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Depeche Mode
4/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Such
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
To me one of the more stark examples of how difficult it is to rate or appreciate music without having any context of what other things sound like. It's fine.
N.W.A.
4/5
Sister Sledge
3/5
Pleasant. Nearly but not quite 4.
5/5
Call me basic - the best Bowie album period.
Paul Simon
3/5
To paraphrase Ian Malcolm, Paul Simon was so caught up in seeing if he COULD culturally appropriate African music, that he didn't stop to think if he SHOULD. Some catchy tunes but an overall feeling of being annoying.
Cee Lo Green
4/5
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Wild theatre-kid energy
Blue Cheer
5/5
I do love a power trio.
3/5
Big and layered, great production, just not my kind of music
Anthrax
4/5
I should have been a metalhead. Guess it's never too late...
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Little Simz
3/5
Real British, innit?
Venom
3/5
Weirdly boring for a metal album
Q-Tip
4/5
A very enjoyable mellow vibe
Mj Cole
2/5
Not for me
Orange Juice
3/5
This was not interesting.
The Pharcyde
4/5
The Stone Roses
3/5
I've now listened to this twice and can't remember a thing about this album. Slides through me like corn.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Stevie Wonder is so hard for me to rate. Every album has at least one or two top-tier all-time faves (like Higher Ground). But to get to them you have to nap through some real challenges. Incredible magical talent that often uses those talents in boring ways.
The Specials
3/5
Let's call this one "eclectic." All over the place, ok highs and very bad lows.
XTC
2/5
Seems to be designed with as few redeeming qualities as possible
Boards of Canada
2/5
Ick
The Youngbloods
2/5
The Avalanches
4/5
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. The groove throughout the album creates a nice pocket to just sit and coast in. Energizing and mellow at the same time. Some fun disco & psychadelic notes thrown in as well. Well done.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Fiona Apple
3/5
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Not quite 4*. Close. But also mostly boring.
The xx
3/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
More of a jam than an album. Electric blues in no hurry to get anywhere.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
What a breath of fresh air after having 6 albums in 2 weeks that were released between 1965-1969
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Very lush and campy. Fun for a while but then starts to all sound the same.
Frank Ocean
2/5
Not my favourite
Prince
4/5
Aphex Twin
3/5
It's like jazz. How am I supposed to rate this? Is it good or bad? Probably.
Barry Adamson
2/5
A weird experiment. Not a fully successful one.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
A big shrug
Tom Waits
4/5
Tom Waits & jazz - two things I don't usually get combine for an enjoyable album. Makes me think he'd be better live.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
One of the better rap albums I've gotten on this list
Haircut 100
3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
As weird as you'd expect
Common
3/5
Slid through me without any kind of impression
OutKast
5/5
Shockingly good. Weird formatting choices aside, each very different album is worth your time. It won’t be hard to guess which album is by the guy who only does flute material these days.
Gotan Project
4/5
Ballroom electronica. Kinda fun.
Happy Mondays
3/5
The Monks
4/5
Thank you "No Dogs In Space" for introducing me to this album before it got pulled off of Apple Music, and for giving it context. Listening to 8 hours of podcast for each of these albums seems a little unpractical but it does help understand them.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Super mellow rap. Washes over nice and easy.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
This album will never cross my brain again
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Not for me. Too much going on in a very 90s way.
UB40
1/5
Some people can differentiate between music that is good and music that they like. I cannot. I hated this album, therefore it is bad.
Ray Price
4/5
Gene Clark
4/5
Dizzee Rascal
4/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Don’t think I’m on the correct drugs to appreciate this
Finley Quaye
2/5
Turbonegro
4/5
The Isley Brothers
3/5
High 3 star - nearly 4.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
An improvement on their first album. Post-punk is weird.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Man, music production changed a lot between the mid-50's to the late 60's.
Bad Company
2/5
It's like if someone gave AI the prompt "Make a 70s rock album."
AC/DC
5/5
Probably easiest 5 star on this entire list.
Gillian Welch
4/5
OK I don't usually take the time for multiple listens in this project, but by coincidence I did for this one, and the second time through was far superior to the first. I get it now, this lady is cool.
George Michael
2/5
Pretty much exactly as expected. Maybe too much so.
Heaven 17
4/5
One of the best type of entries on this list - a surprise banger.
Slint
2/5
If 1992 were an album. Why did music sound so grim in the early 90s?
Pulp
3/5
Strong vibes of one of the many albums that are a solo project from someone more famous as a member of a band. Not my favourite, but not actively bad.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
4/5
Great, but repetitive
The Damned
4/5
Punk that knows how to have fun with itself
808 State
4/5
Completely meaningless enjoyable noise to me, but bonus points for naming a track "Donkey Doctor"
Merle Haggard
4/5
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
Never the biggest fan of the band but this album works by being more than sum of its parts.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
So very bad.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Ryan Adams
1/5
I listened to this album on a road trip and it was supremely irritating how you'd turn up the quiet parts to hear if anything interesting was happening only to be blasted into oblivion a few seconds later. I'm no producer but feels like the mix was weird. Also all of the songs were insanely boring, and apparently the artist is an abusive jerk. Overall: BAD.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Joanna Newsom
1/5
I tried so hard. More than most of these albums. It just feels like there are zero entry points to get into this for anyone except a very niche audience. I mean she married her biggest fan, so there's clearly an audience for this. It just doesn't include me.
Mike Ladd
2/5
More slam poetry than rap.
The Who
4/5
Slows in the middle, but what a bang at beginning & end
Minutemen
2/5
The B-52's
2/5
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I kinda get that he seems to be going more for a vibe than a song, but even then, even if it’s some kind of technical achievement, why? So dull and droning.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
Wilco
4/5
D'Angelo
2/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
The second Amy Winehouse album this project has bestowed upon me. Let's say returns are diminishing.
The Verve
2/5
Guys I'm starting to think that, on the whole, Britpop kinda sucked
John Cale
4/5
Talking Heads
4/5
4.5 after one listen. Will probably go up with repetition.
Giant Sand
2/5
Peter Tosh
4/5
Guns N' Roses
4/5
The highs are real high, but there’s a fair amount of padding here. Plus anything they can do AC/DC already did better.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
The first song or two felt like this was going to be Nick Cave sings sea shanties, which I'm disappointed to say was not the case.
Buck Owens
5/5
All killer no filler
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Did not meet expectations
Brian Eno
4/5
I didn’t understand a thing that happened but it was a pleasant ride
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Not one single interesting thing happens in this album
Dire Straits
4/5
More variety than I expected
Maxwell
2/5
Aggressively dull.
Eurythmics
3/5
Elis Regina
3/5
This is what I think Brazil sounds like all the time.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
As a middle aged man it's hard to get too excited about an album full of songs about wanting a girlfriend. It was fine.
Ministry
3/5
It's exciting to mix things up with a metal album, but sometimes they get a bit dull, don't they?
Eric Clapton
4/5
Clapton’s a dumb old git but he really did have it back in the day
Bee Gees
2/5
One baffling vocal choice after another. And so maudlin. A real slog to get through.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
This feels so foundational to basically all music after it.
Neil Young
4/5
More weird than I expected, but can’t argue with the best songs on it
Ravi Shankar
4/5
I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this, and I really liked him explaining what was going on in the music
Soul II Soul
2/5
Red Snapper
2/5
Not for me
Love
4/5
This was a weird one. So much going on, it feels like a parody of every type of music going on in the 60s. But, each style was done really well. Reminded me of the Monks and Can. It feels important even if I'm not sure why.
The Auteurs
3/5
Not remotely memorable
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
Electric
Steely Dan
2/5
I did my taxes while listening to this album. It was an appropriate level of exciting for that chore.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
The many 5 star reviews made me double check that I listened to the right album. Really? Most aptly-titled album on this list.
Portishead
2/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
Is this Frank Turner’s dad?
CHIC
3/5
X-Ray Spex
4/5
2/5
Tough listen
Big Star
4/5
I'm mostly overjoyed to learn where that one song from the Empire Records soundtrack actually originated.
Incubus
3/5
I didn't even like this music at the time. Hasn't improved with age.
Gram Parsons
5/5
I feel like I am 100% the intended audience for this album. Emmylou Harris is the best part and most definitely what takes it from 4 to 5 stars.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
About 9 tracks too long for comfort
Sebadoh
3/5
Off-brand Nirvana
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
This stinks
Hawkwind
4/5
Not the worst album to be stuck in traffic on a rainy Saturday in Toronto. But just like traffic, it does last forever.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
The more Grace Slick, the better
Supertramp
3/5
This is such nerd music - almost as bad as Steely Dan.
Orbital
3/5
Garbage
2/5
The Soft Boys
5/5
This was extremely enjoyable
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
The Mars Volta
4/5
Paul Simon
4/5
Catchy songs with weird narrative lyrics - the Paul Simon Experience
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Much more of these out-of-left-field seeming albums please, less 90s navel-gazing
Joan Baez
3/5
I watched the Bob Dylan movie last week, good timing. Interesting, but them folkies really did think they were saving the world, didn't they?
Mudhoney
3/5
I like the sound, but as an album I wasn't very entertained
James Brown
5/5
I love an artist who swings this hard to also be an entertainer
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I love Leonard Cohen. But his discography really does improve after he hit Second Puberty.
Slade
4/5
Much better than I expected this to be
Neil Young
4/5
Some of these songs are among the most beautiful on this entire list. But some of them set your teeth on edge, and that's what loses a star.
Korn
3/5
Not a lot of range here...
I lived through when this was possible. I thought my parents objected to the transgressive aspects I imagined. Maybe they objected because it's actually kinda boring.
MC Solaar
4/5
Drags a bit in the middle, but fun at the beginning and end
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Sounds like U2 having more fun
The Pogues
5/5
Such a great blend of modern and traditional
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Oh, the greatest album of all time also made this list? Shocker...
Morrissey
2/5
Oh good, another Smiths/Morrissey project. I like this one no more than I liked any of the others.
Gang Of Four
3/5
Faust
3/5
Weather Report
4/5
Erykah Badu
3/5
Most fun when it's most jazzy
Pixies
4/5
So clearly the granddaddy of so much that comes after it
Aerosmith
4/5
I didn't want to like this, but the sound is so big and energetic and fun. -1 for allegedly too much fun.
Laibach
4/5
Not one but two proto-Rammstein covers of the same song? OK!
Digital Underground
2/5
Not one of the stronger 80s rap albums on here
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Meh. Repetitive.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Animal Collective
3/5
Who is this for? Baffling.
Nick Drake
2/5
Madonna
2/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Jeff Beck
5/5
Guitar on this album is so great that it overcomes the Rod Stewart-esque vocals
Hookworms
5/5
This is why I'm here - unexpected gems. Such a great combo of mellow tunes with a driving beat. An espresso martini for your ears.
KISS
2/5
Parents were terrified of this?
Steely Dan
2/5
Like an obscure Guinness record - if THIS is what you do with all your talent, who cares?
Pentangle
2/5
They're clearly talented but the overall effect was to make me feel like I was losing my mind
Fever Ray
2/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
I'm unlikely to think of this album again ever
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Ok it's way too long and some parts slow down but it's elevated by some real surprise bangers.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Sonic Youth is survived, not enjoyed
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
Beautiful but... lacking that one track that I could really sink my teeth into
The Beach Boys
4/5
Loses some points for familiarity - there are like 3 all-time songs on here that I’ve loved since childhood, and the more experimental stuff just cannot live up to them
Tangerine Dream
1/5
Why?
The Police
4/5
Cornershop
4/5
Really liked this. Such a mellow groove.
Thundercat
3/5
Pleasant and forgettable. My hopes were higher because the cover reminded me of Maggot Brain. This is not that.
Madonna
2/5
Pavement
3/5
Good ol 90s crunch
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Travis
3/5
Rod Stewart
3/5
I once accused the Jeff Beck Group of sounding like Rod Stewart and after falling down this Wikipedia rabbit hole I now understand why. This album is fine. Better than I expected because I'm not fond of Maggie Mae.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Didn't like this as much as other Dylan. For most artists would probably be a 5.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Colour me ignorant but I wasn't expecting that voice
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
I always thought these guys were a punchline from Woodstock but I enjoyed this quite a bit. Surprised me with how much it reminded me of the Doors.
Black Flag
3/5
This makes me feel old to say but - this band's lyrics are supposed to be part of what sets them apart. I just wish I could understand a thing they said.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Less good Zeppelin > 97% of other music
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
The Dictators
4/5
I liked this. I like how clear it makes the through-line from surf rock to punk.
Pantera
4/5
4 stars on music. Bonus stars for Dimebag Darrell's insane guitar all removed due to singer being a loser.
Stan Getz
2/5
Feels like the onset of cultural appropriation
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
This was something new. Glad to listen to it, not for me.
Beatles
5/5
CHVRCHES
4/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
The older he gets, I understand what he’s doing even less. A couple real bangers here though.
50 Cent
4/5
My son’s favourite album, but sorry it was way too long and too many duds.
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
Better than I thought
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Haunting, beautiful, a little repetitive. I'm not sure why every song reminds me of Christmas carols.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Among the best that Gen X had to offer.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
Yuck. This Talking Heads side project really emphasizes the genius of David Byrne. Without him, things get grim.
Roxy Music
3/5
Lou Reed
4/5
In the middle of listening to this album, I listened to several songs from the original cast recording of Les Miserables, and it somehow unlocked how deeply theatrical this whole album is. I'm still not really sure what's happening with a lot of it, but it was much more appealing when imagining him strutting around like a peacock during a performance.
Brian Wilson
4/5
So weird, but good. Not unlike a Beach Boys album with added circus music.
The White Stripes
5/5
I am of the exact right age to rate this 5 stars out of pure nostalgia, and to be crushed to realize this album is 25ish years old
Mariah Carey
2/5
I’m real glad vocal runs seem less fashionable these days
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
A lot of layers to cover in this review.
1. The subject matter is pretty brutal. No thanks.
2. ASMR. So many mouth noises, as the mic sounds like it's directly on the singer's tongue. No thanks.
3. Background music is pretty great. The closest thing to a redeeming feature.
Overall - more bad than good.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Very fun. I thought this guy was supposed to be evil.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Starts out jaunty and fun but it does carry on for quite a long time.
Meat Loaf
3/5
The highs are high, the lows much less so
Herbie Hancock
5/5
What an album. Love having zero expectations and being blown away in this project.
Magazine
2/5
This did absolutely nothing for me
Van Morrison
3/5
Like most double albums - too long.
Tina Turner
4/5
Slayer
4/5
Duelling angry guitars at 300 mph. What’s not to like?
The Adverts
3/5
Good, but very forgettable
King Crimson
3/5
Daft Punk
4/5
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Primal Scream
2/5
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
The Roots
4/5
Lorde
3/5
Very very repetitive.
Pixies
4/5
Laura Nyro
1/5
Feels like someone once told Ms Nyro that mid-song tempo changes were interesting, and she clung to that comment for dear life. This was not good.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Not shocking to read that Divine Comedy is part of this. Also reminds me of that Dagmar Krause album I was forced to listen to. These songs aren't sung so much as performed.
Jimmy Smith
5/5
Oh thank goodness, a perfect hard bop album. What a palate cleanser after a couple of bad albums.
Spacemen 3
2/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
Love how big they always sound
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Starts fun but can't sustain it for an entire album
Nick Drake
2/5
I don't feel like it's truly necessary to listen to Nick Drake's entire catalogue before you die. This medieval minstrel Nick Drake album is probably the worst of the lot.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
2002 - when the producer was king. 20 years on this feels very overcooked.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Sepultura
3/5
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Woof. I adore Leonard Cohen but this early stuff is a SLOG. It is interesting to see pieces of what he becomes later.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
So insanely long and drawn out. The Beautiful People was as childishly fun as I remember... and then the album goes on monotonously for another hour. Plus he's a bad person.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
This was great. I knew a lot of these songs well, and uncovered some surprises in the ones that were new to me.
Culture Club
2/5
I get that Boy George and early androgyny was ahead of its time but this album is a bit of a yawn.
White Denim
3/5
Passed directly through me leaving little impression
Wild Beasts
3/5
Still only 3, but at least the voice was weird enough to be interesting. This one I might actually remember.
k.d. lang
3/5
I'm stunned there are multiple k.d. lang albums on this list, and this was far better than the last one. Almost put me to sleep on a sleepy work afternoon. Do not listen while operating heavy machinery.
William Orbit
3/5
Sure? File this under "Completely forgettable 3 stars"
Soft Cell
3/5
Feels like it was trying to be transgressive, but has lost a lot of its punch in the last 40 years.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Odd and I didn't particularly like it, but I could at least see the point of it being on this list, unlike so many other albums.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Pretty good
Traffic
4/5