1048
Albums Rated
3.65
Average Rating
96%
Complete
41 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
249
5-Star Albums
32
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
|
5 | 2.22 | +2.78 |
|
The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
|
5 | 2.48 | +2.52 |
|
Bright Flight
Silver Jews
|
5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
|
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
|
Atomizer
Big Black
|
5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
|
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
|
5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
|
Yeezus
Kanye West
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
S&M
Metallica
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
|
Hysteria
Def Leppard
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
|
1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
|
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
|
1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
|
The Man Who
Travis
|
1 | 3.02 | -2.02 |
|
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
|
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
|
Connected
Stereo MC's
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 6 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 8 | 4.75 |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 5 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 4.8 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.57 |
| Brian Eno | 5 | 4.6 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.75 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.75 |
| Neil Young | 4 | 4.75 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.75 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.75 |
| The Velvet Underground | 3 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 5 |
| Pixies | 3 | 5 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4.29 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 4.33 |
| The Who | 5 | 4.4 |
| Björk | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Kinks | 4 | 4.5 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 4.67 |
| Yes | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Cure | 3 | 4.67 |
| Queen | 3 | 4.67 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.67 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.67 |
| Curtis Mayfield | 2 | 5 |
| Sly & The Family Stone | 2 | 5 |
| Iron Maiden | 2 | 5 |
| Wilco | 2 | 5 |
| Elton John | 2 | 5 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
| Pavement | 2 | 5 |
| King Crimson | 2 | 5 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4.2 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 4.25 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.25 |
| Sonic Youth | 4 | 4.25 |
| Van Morrison | 3 | 4.33 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
| Blur | 3 | 4.33 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.33 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.33 |
| Public Enemy | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kings of Leon | 3 | 1.33 |
| Madonna | 2 | 1.5 |
| Everything But The Girl | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Gene Clark | 1, 4 |
| Todd Rundgren | 1, 4 |
| Paul Simon | 2, 5, 4 |
| Metallica | 4, 1, 3, 4 |
5-Star Albums (249)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Daft Punk
5/5
No other album can match the hype I got when generating this one. You see, Daft Punk is me and my friend’s favorite artist. Not my specific favorite, but ours as a group (or duo, since it’s just one friend). ‘Revolution 909’, ‘Da Funk’, ‘Around The World’, ‘Burnin’’ and ‘Indo Silver Club’ are all straight bangers and no one can tell me otherwise. ‘Rollin’ And Scratchin’’ and ‘Rock’n Roll’ just go off the rails. ‘High Fidelity’ would look absolutely hilarious with a lyrics sheet (that’s not really something to specifically praise the album for but still). My one gripe with its inclusion is that it was picked over Discovery. I mean, personally, I think they should have three: this, Discovery, and Random Access Memories. However, if you’re only going to pick one, I would go with the second of the three. Homework is amazing, but it sounds like an artist still in the formative stages; for example, ‘Around The World’ is the only song where the vocals feel fully formed. Anyway this album slaps bye
7 likes
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. I’ve never really liked much country released after the 50’s to 60’s and maybe 70’s, but this is great. The mellow vocals and soft, smooth instrumentation just set such a mood. Actually, the vocals are the best part of it; country vocals are one of my main dislikes of the genre (modern country, not old country), but these don’t feel like that at all. I’ll end the review by saying how good the backstory is: there’s just something inherently funny with claiming you’re a family band to get into a place. (Thinking about it, that makes it sound like it’s common).
4 likes
Goldie
4/5
Why does everyone hate this album so much? It’s a good drum and bass experience. I know it’s not the most accessible of genres, but 2.57? Really? Anyway this is good. Not really ‘timeless’, but good. Reminds me of Aphex Twin in some parts, specifically Drukqs. Good electronic album. I guess I kind of like this type of music too much, though.
4 likes
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It’s alright R&B and blues styled music, but I have no idea why they chose this over one of their later albums. It’s got none of their famous songs, nor does it work well as an album. Purely meh.
3 likes
1-Star Albums (32)
All Ratings
AC/DC
4/5
Not super amazing, but a great hard rock record and a good place to start (my first album on the generator). The title track is iconic, ‘Shoot To Thrill’ is fun, and ‘Hells Bells’ is probably my favorite AC/DC song due to its darker theming. (Not like it’s super serious or anything, but I like the imposing bells and riff at the start.) I also really like the guitar tone in ‘Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution’ for some reason.
The Temptations
5/5
This is such a great R&B/funk album and it really shows how great The Temptations are compared to their lackluster representation in the Rolling Stone Top 500 albums. (An anthology album? Really?) The obvious centerpiece is the 12-minute ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’, which is just such an amazing song, but there are other highlights as well. ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ is a beautifully sung Roberta Flack cover, ‘I Ain’t Got Nothin’’ is well-produced, and ‘Run Charlie Run’ is surprisingly poignant social commentary.
Radiohead
5/5
I can’t believe it. My favorite album of all time, and it’s the third to come up. ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ is a perfect opener. It sets the mood perfectly. I could not imagine it being anywhere else on the album. Then is the title track, the first thing I associate with the word ‘soundscape’. The instruments feel like they’re bouncing around softly as Thom Yorke’s heavily-edited voice sings about something ‘standing in the shadows in the end of my bed’. It’s simultaneously soothing and sinister. ‘The National Anthem’ is both a jam and absolutely apocalyptic. ‘How To Disappear Completely’ is just… beautiful. The ending is amazing. The strings, which have been playing the whole time out of key, start going haywire, and it seems the sad but peaceful aura has been broken, but then - the strings play in key, and it’s 45 seconds of ethereal beauty. ‘Treefingers’ is a pretty ambient piece to string the previous song to the hard-rocking ‘Optimistic’, which is the song most reminiscent of OK Computer. It combines elements from both albums to make another great song. ‘In Limbo’ is the one I have the least to say about, but it’s still good. What follows is one of my favorite 3-song runs of all time. ‘Idioteque’ is an amazing apocalyptic dance song, much like ‘The National Anthem’ (not the dance part, but the apocalyptic part). ‘Morning Bell’ is a song I don’t know how to describe, but it’s a word for good I haven’t used yet. I don’t know why I’m making this review so long. Anyway, closer ‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’ is one of the most ethereal, tearjerking songs I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. It feels like the end of an era, a final goodbye to an old friend. After that, the hidden track is an almost happy ending, how even after all that, the future is bright. Life will get better. Or that’s just me over analyzing. Probably.
Van Morrison
5/5
Great album. I switched to headphones about halfway through and it really makes the listening experience better (at least with high quality ones). My favorite song is ‘The Way Young Lovers Do’; I really like the horns on that one. Acoustic instrumentation is high quality all around as well.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
This is just an all-around classic funk album, although ‘That Lady’ hangs over the entire album as being substantially better. Astounding guitar work on that one with a great outro - one of my favorite songs of the genre. However, the rest of the album is still great, with another favorite of mine being closer ‘The Highways Of My Life’.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I’ve been getting a lot of 70’s funk/soul in my first few albums, and this is no different. ‘Superstition’ is a great song, to the point from what I’ve seen, most negative reviews of this album still point out this song as being good. I also love ‘Maybe Your Baby’ - it has a uniquely heavy sound for a funk song. A lot of the rest of the record is really smooth, although it’s a bit sappy at times. I didn’t like ‘You’ve Got It Bad Girl’ for it sounding kind of controlling though, like telling someone they DO love you and THEY’RE in the wrong.
Shuggie Otis
5/5
This album is ultra-smooth. I especially love ‘Strawberry Letter 23’, and, while a very unique thought, ‘Rainy Day’ would maybe be a good basis for a mellow electronic song.
U2
3/5
I mean, it’s alright. It doesn’t suck, but I never liked U2 all that much and, while this is an enjoyable listen, it’s not super great. Also, did they just have too many album cover ideas and cram them onto one instead of picking one?
Björk
5/5
This is an incredibly unique album. I wasn’t expecting the EDM influence, but it’s an integral part of some of the best songs here, especially ‘There Is More To Life Than This’. Also, ‘Big Time Sensuality’ sounds like a Mario Kart course theme in the best way possible. My favorite song is split between the beautiful ‘Like Someone In Love’ with that beautiful harp and rain sounds or the abrasive ‘Play Dead’. Björk has a highly distinctive voice that complements the music well, too. Amazing album, and, of the two Björk albums I have heard, I actually think this is better than ‘Post’.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This is just disturbing. I like it. ‘O’Malley‘s Bar’ in particular is extremely screwed up - him gruesomely depicting how he killed everybody in a bar, especially the one whose head he split in two with an ashtray. ‘Song Of Joy’ is also creepy, specifically the, again, gruesomely detailed depiction of her death. ‘The Curse Of Millhaven’ is my favorite song here; Cave acts perfectly in character, almost singing with glee about his killing spree (I didn’t mean to rhyme). The duets with PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue respectively are great, too.
Willie Nelson
5/5
This is a quintessential country album. Willie Nelson is one of my favorite singers for his distinctive voice and the songs are worthy of it. I especially love the title track for its storytelling, which is really interesting. A lot of the tracks are short and there are a lot of instrumental songs, too, giving it a nice, quick feel.
50 Cent
3/5
I didn’t enjoy this album much when I first listened to it. Since then, my opinion has improved from below average to… just average. It’s a fine rap album, but it doesn’t even come close to being the best.
Cheap Trick
3/5
This is the definition of okay. I understand giving my other two 3s so far 4s, but I feel like 3 is the sensible option here. It’s okay, but did we really need a live album by Cheap Trick over other, better records left off?
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
It’s a good early 70’s rock album. I wouldn’t say it’s that great, but for the higher quality than the other 3’s I’ve given, I’ll barely give it a 4.
Fats Domino
4/5
Fats Domino was one of the great ‘50s artists and this shows it. Classic older music that really encapsulates the sound of the era in a very enjoyable form.
Fairport Convention
4/5
My first folk album. It really sounds unique to me - it has an Irish sound, I think. (I don’t really know enough about this album to make assumptions). ‘A Sailor’s Life’ doesn’t need to be 11 minutes long, though
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
This is an absolutely perfect album full of amazing social commentary. I’ve had a lot of ‘70s R&B and funk, but I was still so excited for this one because of its reputation as one of the all-time greats. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. If you told me this wasn’t a soundtrack, I’d believe you - the songs go so perfectly. Some of my favorite songs are the instrumentals - both ‘Junkie Chase’ and ‘Think’ add a bit of variety to the album. Of course ‘Freddie’s Dead’ is the best song; a great cautionary tale.
M.I.A.
4/5
This album is weird. That’s obvious from the opener ‘Bamboo Banga’, which is just… what. One of my favorites is ‘Mango Pickle Down River’, which has a feature of who I assume are kids, because it’s a song called ‘Mango Pickle Down River’ with a group of kids as a rap feature. ‘Paper Planes’ is clearly the best song, though; it’s so catchy while having a poignant topic.
Orange Juice
4/5
This album was good. It has the type of ‘80s sound I like (not the synthy type, although this album has good synths). I liked it.
Pearl Jam
2/5
Eddie Vedder sucks at singing and it drags the whole album down. There, I said it. I always hated his moan in the singles on the radio, but I hate his screaming even more. This would be maybe a 3 or 4 without him, but he takes it down to a 2. Just know that just because I hate Pearl Jam doesn’t mean I hate grunge as a whole.
Ray Charles
4/5
I like it. Great mix of country and pop music, although it could have been a little shorter.
Living Colour
3/5
Interesting metal album. ‘Cult of Personality’ is great, but the rest of the album fails to live up to that. It’s still a good album, but not enough to warrant a 4.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
I’m a sucker for this type of music. I love the harmonies, they’re so impeccable. ‘Heard Them Stirring’ is actually one of the best songs on the record in my opinion - I love the way the guitar sounds throughout, and it takes center stage on this instrumental. ‘Blue Ridge Mountains’ is amazing, too. It’s all just modern folk at its finest.
The Prodigy
5/5
Jamming. I like how exciting the electronic music is on this album, even if some of the songs are too long.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Led Zeppelin are one of the all-time greats, and I’m sure they’ll have a 5-star album down the line, but this is too long. I feel like this would have been a great 10 song or so album, but there was too much here. ‘Kashmir’ is an all-time great, however.
Queen Latifah
3/5
It’s a decent rap album. Not as good as things to come, but I enjoyed it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
My first artist with two albums generated! This one is decidedly different than Murder Ballads; a lot more sincere love, and not, you know, bloodshed. The songs here are good and flow well, but I don’t enjoy it quite as much.
Boards of Canada
5/5
These electronic albums have consistently been some of the best so far, and this is no exception. I usually listen to my albums before school starts. This fits that for a mellow electronic mood; it could be ambient music if you didn’t want to pay attention to it. Overall, an amazing album.
Grateful Dead
4/5
The Grateful Dead are an overrated band, as many reviews on this agree, but this is still a good album. The mix of country, bluegrass, and rock makes this a pleasing listen.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Another great funk album. The title track and ‘Everyday People’ are the two best songs on the album: two immortal statements in music form. ‘Sex Machine’ has great guitar, although it’s too long.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
‘Voices of Old People’ sucks, but otherwise the first side is great, telling a life story. Seriously, though, ‘Old Friends’ is good enough for that to not be on the album. The second side is amazing, though; ‘Mrs. Robinson’, ‘A Hazy Shade of Winter’, and ‘At the Zoo’ are all classics.
4/5
The first album I’ve completely never heard of. It’s very unique, mixing electronic with world music to create a distinctive blend that sounds nothing like anything I’ve heard before.
The Mars Volta
5/5
The album cover sucks, but the rest is great. It tells a story, but it’s vague and I ended up just enjoying the extremely pretentious lyrics. It’s very high octane. Also, I was surprised at ‘Cicatriz Esp’ being 12 minutes, but it was stupid of me to assume that there wouldn’t be a 12 minute song on a prog album.
Lorde
5/5
This is the type of pop music I like - very emotional. It flows really well - especially the climactic ‘Writer In The Dark’ into ‘Supercut’. It feels very genuine.
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
It had a good message. All the ‘Tales’ tell of things that you can really learn from. ‘Lost One’ is the best, since it has a clear message and good music.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
This album was really pretty. Thoughtful lyrics and a nice acoustic sound (a bit jazzy on some songs) make this a great and rewarding listen.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
He has six albums on here (for some reason), so I had to get one eventually. Blood And Chocolate is fine. I don’t think it deserves its place here at all, but it was fairly enjoyable. It has a few long songs, but ‘Tokyo Storm Warning’ and ‘I Want You’ are the two best anyway. It definitely shouldn’t be here, but I wouldn’t object to listen again.
The Avalanches
5/5
This continues the streak of really good electronic albums. The excessive sampling (over 900 in total, I believe) gives a unique and unified sound. Standouts aren’t really prevalent because of how good it is in general.
Soul II Soul
3/5
It’s nothing special, but it’s decent. The opener is the best one due to the great singer, but while the vocals are good, some of these songs lack substance.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
I’ve heard the main four VU albums now, and I think that this might be my favorite. There’s not a bad song; from pretty songs like ‘Candy Says’ and ‘After Hours’ to the sadness of ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ to ‘The Murder Mystery’, my favorite of their experiments.
The War On Drugs
4/5
It’s probably one of my least favorite indie albums to come up, but it’s still pretty good. Nice lyrics and production.
Solange
5/5
Great modern R&B album; I honestly prefer this to Beyoncé’s work. It has an impactful message told through amazing songs, ‘Cranes in the Sky’ being a real highlight.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
This sounds like the band was high on LSD and stayed up all night reading Lord of the Rings and The Bible. First, the instruments other than the guitar sound extremely sloppy. Also, the lyrics are absolute crap; I’d highlight one, but there are so many. The singer sounds bored, too.
Frank Ocean
4/5
Really good modern R&B/rap. My favorite songs are the ones with great lyrics, like ‘Super Rich Kids’ and ‘Crack Rock’.
Johnny Cash
5/5
As an aspiring musician, this is how I want to go out. This album has so much finality to it, from the heartbreaking (‘Hurt’, ‘I Hung My Head’) to the bittersweet (‘Give My Love to Rose’, ‘First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, ‘In My Life’), and it all culminates in ‘We’ll Meet Again’, which, while a cover, is a fitting send-off for one of the greatest country artists to ever do it.
Billy Bragg
4/5
Weird setup, with Billy Bragg and Wilco collaborating to do unreleased Woody Guthrie songs. It’s pretty good, as Bragg and Wilco give life to the songs in a nice way.
Parliament
5/5
This album is just 38 minutes of pure funk. Especially the bass. It just grooves so hard
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Good album. ‘Scarborough Fair’ is nice, ‘The 59th Street Bridge Song’ is a good Bob Dylan parody, and ‘Silent Night’ is haunting. Not as good as Bookends, but still good.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
First of all, that name is WEIRD. Secondly, this album is decent, if a little forgettable.
Joy Division
5/5
I didn’t pay much attention to this album the first time I listened to it, so I’m glad I gave it a second chance here. This is a depressing album; sometimes I don’t like Ian Curtis’ vocals, but they seem very genuine. All the instruments are good, with lyrics to match. It’s sad what happened to the singer, and it wouldn’t have hit as hard was this not released posthumously.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Remember when I said on the Physical Graffiti review Led Zeppelin would probably have a 5 star album somewhere? Probably not, but it came sooner than expected. It’s not a moving listening experience of self-discovery, but what it is is really good music. These 8 songs are so great throughout. I have it on vinyl, and the mid-album climax ‘Stairway to Heaven’ works the best when closing a side.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It’s alright R&B and blues styled music, but I have no idea why they chose this over one of their later albums. It’s got none of their famous songs, nor does it work well as an album. Purely meh.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
It’s pretty good indie. I don’t have much to say, but I like the dreaminess of it.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Pretty good 70’s rock. The only Bruce Springsteen album I’ve ever completely loved is Nebraska, but this is good. ‘Adam Raised a Cain’ can be a bit grating, though.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Pretty good 80’s music. Not super essential, but enjoyable.
The Boo Radleys
4/5
I enjoyed the eclectic variety of songs on this album, with the softer songs being my favorite. Maybe not one of the best, but certainly unique.
The Icarus Line
2/5
It’s noisy. I don’t really know how to feel; I don’t hate it, but there’s really no reason it should be here. ‘Meatmaker’ randomly reminds me of Suicide, though.
The White Stripes
5/5
The highest quality 00’s rock. A nice dose of minimalism is here due to the lack of bass, and bluesier elements add to the music.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Love the music on this album. It’s almost a precursor to Britpop. A shame that they never made much more music, but this is still great.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Oh, come on, I’m trying to be less merciful with my ratings, and then THIS album comes up, and it’s the best since Kid A (my all-time favorite). The audacity to release a double album plus EP as your eighteenth and have there be no filler. It’s hard to choose a highlight, but the one-two punch of ‘As’ and ‘Another Star’ is amazing. An hour and 45 minutes well spent.
Suede
4/5
It’s good. My favorite song is ‘The Next Life’ - it’s such a good closer.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Nice funk. He only sings on 3 songs, but the instrumentals are great and they were composed by him, so it’s not like an album where the featured artist is only on a few songs. Also, to the person asking for ‘Saturday Night Fever’ (even though the comment was like 1.5 years ago) - I think it counts as a compilation in the creator’s eyes.
Common
4/5
Pretty good rap. Mostly nothing super great, but ‘A Song For Assata’ is such a great song. Overall, maybe not the best, but enjoyable.
5/5
Not the best Britpop band by a long shot (both Blur and Pulp blow them out of the water), but this is a great album full of enjoyable songs. ‘Wonderwall’ is the worst song on the album, though.
Massive Attack
5/5
One of the greatest trip-hop albums. ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ is simply stunning, and, while the rest of the album isn’t quite as good, it still sets a mood with smooth songs that are a joy to hear.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Similar to the Rolling Stones’ debut in that it’s a debut from a famous artist that doesn’t really feel essential. Songs like ‘Breakdown’ and ‘American Girl’ are great, but this spot on the list would be better filled by Damn the Torpedoes or Wildflowers.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Pretty good goth. Moody and atmospheric.
Metallica
4/5
Good metal, but it overstays its welcome. If you’re looking for an all time great, I’d recommend something like Sabbath, not this.
Justice
5/5
I knew I was in for something good when I saw that Daft Punk (my favorite electronic artist) offered Justice to open for them. I generally don’t like the vocal songs - ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ is an obvious exception - and ‘The Party’ and ‘DVNO’ are the low points, although the music is still good. Otherwise, good instrumentals all around.
The Doors
5/5
A real classic. ‘Break on Through (To the Other Side)’ is an amazing opener, ‘Light my Fire’ is simply a classic, and ‘The Crystal Ship’ is a slow, somber song, but the real highlight is ‘The End’. 11 minutes of insanity from the intro to the weird next part (what is the ‘blue bus’ supposed to be) to the Oedipal freak out. No way I couldn’t give it 5 stars.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Fine. I know it’s about a relationship and stuff, but it doesn’t really grab me and I don’t remember much about it.
Guided By Voices
5/5
I love eclectic albums like these; a ton of short songs in a normal amount of time. These songs are great and offer a variety of material thrown at you quickly.
Ice Cube
5/5
I’ve had hip-hop albums before, but this is the first one from a really classic artist. Ice Cube is one of the best rappers (outside of the sexism, which also seems to decrease from his other album I’ve listened to [but haven’t gotten] AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted) and this has superb lyricism. ‘It Was a Good Day’ is undoubtably a classic - it’s upbeat, but it still notes the troubles throughout the rest of the album (two of the good things that happen to him are getting passed by a policeman without any trouble and nobody he knows dying) - it feels earned, rather than just a happy song for the sake of being a happy song. Great through and through.
Supertramp
3/5
The kind of prog that I don’t really like. It’s okay, but I don’t see why this would be included over some more unique prog (prog metal maybe?).
Pixies
5/5
This album is absolutely insane but also amazing. Songs with a more normal structure like ‘Gigantic’ and ‘Where is My Mind?’ ground the album and give you some breaks from the ones that are super crazy like ‘Something Against You’, ‘Broken Face’, and ‘Oh My Golly!’. It adds up to a frenetic and extremely unique album.
Doves
4/5
I really like the production on this album; everything comes across so cleanly. With songs that are practically a better Coldplay, this is a great listen.
Koffi Olomide
1/5
It’s my second album in a different language, but unlike the Suba one, it doesn’t feel interesting to someone who doesn’t speak the language. I love stuff like The Incredible Beat of Soweto - a compilation of real-feeling African music. However, this just feels tepid and too produced; it doesn’t get to the rawness that makes this type of music good, and it lacks the warmth. Probably a 2, but I’ll rate it a 1 because he sucks as a person.
Iron Maiden
5/5
This is an album that really earns the face-melting moniker. The instrumentation is always stellar. Don’t think that the lyrics aren’t as good, though, because they’re also great. A classic overall.
XTC
2/5
Kind of forgettable, but fine. ‘Dear God’ is a great song, though. Close to a 3, but I’d say more of a 2.
Taylor Swift
4/5
It’s pretty good. I prefer 2020s Taylor Swift to 2010s Taylor Swift, and the reason is the vastly better songwriting on songs like ‘champagne problems’. Not every song is great, but a good listen.
The National
4/5
I enjoy this specific type of indie (don’t know how to describe it, but I can tell when it’s the type), so this was a good listen. I really like the guitar on ‘Runaway’ specifically. Not amazing, but enjoyable.
Hole
4/5
Ah yes, the Kurt Cobain killer band. This is pretty good with an interesting sound, though the lyricism often isn’t as good as it seems to think it is.
The Who
4/5
Pretty good live album; it’s fun, though definitely not one of the greats. I listened to the original 6-song version because I’ve already heard the 1 hour 17 minute length one, and it’s probably better. ‘My Generation’ is WAY too long, but otherwise a good album.
The Jam
5/5
I love this mix of mod and post-punk; every song is great. It has one of their most popular songs in ‘That’s Entertainment’, which has been misunderstood in the million puns of the title made in media. Amazing album.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
One of the most influential rap albums ever, with great songs like the commentary of ‘It’s Like That’ and the awesome guitar of ‘Rock Box’. While the rapping isn’t the best (this came 3 years before Paid in Full came and revolutionized the game) this is overall a great album.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Alright music. While I don’t have a distaste for this one like I do for So (hasn’t come up, but it’ll probably be a 2), I don’t particularly enjoy this. ‘Solsbury Hill’ is a great song, and I enjoy the more rocking tracks, but it doesn’t really interest me overall.
The Replacements
5/5
An 80s classic. Moments of greatness are balanced out by less intelligent ones: case in point being that ‘Androgynous’ and ‘Gary’s Got a Boner’ are both songs on this album. They also do a good Kiss cover, which is surprising because I hate Kiss.
The Stooges
5/5
The Stooges are one of the first punk bands (proto-punk, technically) but their first album (listened to, not gotten) wasn’t the best, mostly due to ‘We Will Fall’, a song so atrociously slow that it reaches 10 minutes without any structural or musical changes. Granted, I know that was sort of a middle finger to the record label who wanted the album to be longer, but it still sucks. On the other hand, this album is a quality listen from front to back. The first few songs are loud and brash, with some dirtiness. The last 3 songs are the best, though. ‘1970’ is a frenetic burst with a great chorus. The title track stands out in the crowd in that it throws horns in the mix, adding a touch of uniqueness that makes it great. Closer ‘L.A. Blues’ ends the album with the insanity at the end of the song (I think there were horns on this song, too, but I don’t remember). An amazing album.
Brian Eno
5/5
One of my favorites so far. The avant-garde rock of the first few songs is great, with ‘Backwater’ and ‘King’s Lead Hat’, which sound similar to The Beatles and Talking Heads, respectively. I love the more ambient stuff, specifically - well, everything, but ‘Julie With’ is my favorite. This album brilliantly shows Eno’s genius and I’m excited for the 4 other albums from him.
Yes
5/5
A classic prog album, straight from the first few seconds of the iconic ‘Roundabout’. That and closer ‘Heart of the Sunrise’, with its great bassline, are the two best songs here. Not much to say except i enjoyed it a lot.
KISS
1/5
Well, seems like we have another 1 on our hands. At first, it seems like it might be an alright album, with the decent (and more self-aware) ‘Detroit Rock City’. Then it takes a nose dive - not good for an album that wasn’t particularly great anyway. The next two songs are just throwaway, but then we reach ‘Great Expectations’, which is literally about how you great the singer is and you how much you want him to notice you. You’ve apparently got ‘great expectations’, so he does, but here’s a question: what the HELL does that even mean? His head was probably so far up his own ass that it was cutting off his air flow or something. Then comes ‘Flaming Youth’, literally just the comedy stereotype of ‘punk kid is so much cooler than older people; they just don’t get it’, but it’s played completely seriously. That’s literally it. After that comes ‘Sweet Pain’ - on first listen, I only noticed the chorus, but then I realized it’s about involuntary S&M and how the girl will eventually love him for it. Holy shit. Let’s just move on to ‘Shout It Out Loud’, which is… the same thing as ‘Flaming Youth’ as a Wikihow article. One of the lines actually advises you to tell people saying that your parties are too loud that they’re ‘too old to understand’. I guess being a douche who doesn’t care about other people’s lives and not thinking about anyone but yourself fades away after 30 or so, unfortunately. ‘Beth’ is actually about framing the bros before hoes mentality sadly to your girlfriend, promising that he’ll be there in a few hours when she says he’s never home. It ends with him saying they’re playing all night. Lying, much? ‘Do You Love Me’ is fine. It doesn’t suck, but it’s not earning this shitload any points. The album closer is ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Party’. It’s just fanfare, but I guess that’s better than another song. Thank god this is short.
Kraftwerk
5/5
I just realized how lucky I’ve been with electronic albums in my first 100. We’ve had MHTRTC, SILY, Blue Lines (granted, arguably not electronic), Cross, and now this. Kraftwerk were pioneers of electronic, and this is a great work - all the songs are just so enjoyable. ‘The Model’ has great lyrics along with these enjoyable melodies, which makes it possibly the best song here. Albums like these make Kraftwerk in my top 2 electronic groups on this list who are robots. (Just try to guess the second one).
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Pretty good, but a weird choice over the work he did in his prime. The features are pretty good and add flavor to the songs (except for the last 3, which don’t have any). Overall, it’s fine, but not something I’d listen to again.
Traffic
3/5
Alright prog album, if a little forgettable. Doesn’t really compare to something like Fragile (which I got recently), though.
Ghostface Killah
5/5
The Wu-Tang Clan is one of my favorite rap groups, and Ghostface is one of its most talented rappers; his flow is impeccable, and his lyrics are often great to match. While this isn’t as good as, say, Supreme Clientele, it all comes through on this album. Just take ‘The Champ’, which is such an enjoyable song just because of how he raps. Definitely viable for inclusion, though it’s reasonable that they cut it in other editions.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
The songwriting on this album is just amazing, with nice acoustic instruments to go along with it. His voice was a lot less gravelly then, too, which makes the vocals better to listen to. Definitely a great album, even if just for the lyrics alone.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
This was a really nice listen and a great chamber pop album. The soft vocals and the instrumentals complement each other well. It just hits that Autumn feeling (it’s Summer, but I feel like this is a Fall album) so well.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
Nice new wave/synth pop stuff. Reminds me of Depeche Mode. Also, what a weird way to spell ‘maneuver’.
Crowded House
2/5
Eh. It’s fine. It’s not at all unique, though, and I see no reason for inclusion. Perfectly serviceable, but you don’t really have to listen to it ever.
The La's
4/5
Better than I expected. ‘There She Goes’ is obviously great, but I also enjoyed ‘Looking Glass’, a weird 8-minute song at the end of the album. The rest is just great rock, and sometimes, that’s all you need.
Dire Straits
3/5
I mildly enjoyed it. ‘Sultans of Swing’ and ‘Six Blade Knife’ are great songs, and the rest is good, too, but not something I’d willingly turn on again. Wouldn’t turn it off, though.
Ali Farka Touré
5/5
This one completely dodges the complaints leveled at my other African album (the Koffi Olomide one). It not only feels real, but it’s interesting and enjoyable. 4 stars, but one added just because I felt nice today (it’s because of my new dog).
Caetano Veloso
4/5
When I saw the genres were samba and psychedelic rock, I knew I was in for something interesting. This did not disappoint, with its unique blend of the general sound of that era mixed with Latin. Highly enjoyable (and, on a side note, my second album in a different language in a row).
Green Day
5/5
Great pop-punk album. Not very ‘artistic’, per se, but very enjoyable nonetheless. There’s an entire run in the middle of the album that’s mostly made up of hits; who doesn’t know ‘Longview’, ‘Basket Case’, or ‘When I Come Around’? Just a great album.
System Of A Down
4/5
Great metal album. The singing on this is insane and the instrumentals are frenetic, which makes for a burst of energy put onto record. Enjoyed it and I’m thinking of listening to Toxicity now that I’ve heard this one.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Fine. There’s no reason for this to be here, but it’s tolerable. I’m glad I didn’t have to listen to ‘Side Four’, though, and nobody has to hear his nine-minute opus. Overall, extremely OK.
The Police
4/5
I liked it. ‘Message in a Bottle’ is predictably the best one, but I also really enjoyed ‘Bring on the Night’. Not as good as their one I’ve heard before this generator, Synchronicity, but still great.
Talking Heads
5/5
I always love some Talking Heads. From the interesting rhythmic guitar playing to the unique vocals, this is a great album. I also love the Brian Eno production, which probably at least in part due to the fact that it’s Brian Eno. Amazing, and it only foreshadows the absolute masterpiece Remain in Light.
The Roots
5/5
I really enjoyed this album. The production and rapping are both stellar. (That’s really all I have to say.)
Wilco
5/5
This is a great album. While some call it uneven, it grabbed me throughout and was overall much more enjoyable than Mermaid Avenue. I enjoyed the more Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (an album I likely won’t be getting for a while) esque songs on here than the more country ones, generally. Overall great, though long.
Scissor Sisters
4/5
Good, kind of dancey. I think I’m legally obligated to give this at most a 4 since I’m not gay, though.
Beck
5/5
I love this album. The music is stellar, with the catchy ‘Devils Haircut’ and the weird ‘Where It’s At’ being my favorites. The production is great and the samples add to the music. Simply amazing.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
A fine, generic garage rock album. Really not very notable in the slightest, though ‘I’m Not Your Stepping Stone’ is at least pretty good. ‘Melody For An Unknown Girl’ pisses me off. ‘There are no words’ vuvtx GB be am CB I’llc C c I’mcycyf T- but you’re talking RIGHT NOW! (the gibberish was anger sounds i guess) I don’t care about it, but I’d listen to over, I don’t know, dying? Okay that’s a bit far. also this was the last day of school nice
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
Jerry Lee Lewis has always been one of my least favorite of the famous 50’s artists, but this is an exception. This performance just oozes with frenetic energy, and it keeps it up for almost the whole set. That said, it doesn’t change my opinion of him as a whole, and his normal music is pretty boring.
The Kinks
5/5
Three 60’s albums in a row. That’s cool, I guess. I love the Kinks for how much they indulge in their… Britishness? Britainism? Britishity? Wait. Anyway, their baroque pop is just really enjoyable. Apparently this is a concept album about stories or something like that. I just think it has good songwriting . I don’t know how to end this, so I’ll just close out with the fun fact that my band at School of Rock (a music learning place, I play guitar) played Picture Book once. I wasn’t on it.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Another excellent album from Joni Mitchell, although I find the experience bogged down by ads (I do respect her stance on Joe Rogan, but why would Spotify keep someone who says misinformation about COVID over two of the greatest artists of the 70’s, the other being Neil Young). Her lyrics are amazing, as always. One song that really grabbed me instrumentally is the proto-electronic ‘The Jungle Line’ - it just stands out from a lot of other things coming out in the mid-70’s. This challenge is helping me realize Joni Mitchell’s greatness, both from this album and C&S, so 5.
Coldplay
4/5
I like early 00’s Coldplay more than I should. (Not their other stuff, just that specifically). Really good songs on here, kind of like Radiohead but as mainstream pop. ‘Don’t Panic’ in particular is really good to me; kind of odd since a lot of other people don’t mention it. I also like ‘Shiver’, though I don’t like the other, bigger hit from this album, ‘Yellow’. Something that bugged me was the chorus of ‘Spies’; you can’t touch them… because… they’re spies? What? Anyway, while my enjoyment of it teeters on a 5, I think it just deserves a 4.
Sigur Rós
5/5
I was so excited when this showed up after rating my last album; I’ve seen a lot of reviews that sounded like an album I would love. I was correct, with this being a beautiful album about life. (I translated the lyrics this time; I’ll probably do that for every album in a different language now). All of the songs, with the exception of the first and last, reach at least 6 minutes in length, but they never feel that long. They just pull you into the whole experience. I massively enjoyed this album, and I’m thinking of listening to () soon.
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. I’ve never really liked much country released after the 50’s to 60’s and maybe 70’s, but this is great. The mellow vocals and soft, smooth instrumentation just set such a mood. Actually, the vocals are the best part of it; country vocals are one of my main dislikes of the genre (modern country, not old country), but these don’t feel like that at all. I’ll end the review by saying how good the backstory is: there’s just something inherently funny with claiming you’re a family band to get into a place. (Thinking about it, that makes it sound like it’s common).
Rod Stewart
3/5
Ehhhhh. Rod Stewart’s fine. Just in general. Wish he didn’t have two albums on the list, but this one’s fine. I don’t mind that it’s on here. The music is decent. The vocals are decent. I really just feel indifferent to this one.
Motörhead
3/5
It’s fine. Motörhead really aren’t an album band, but it’s energetic, at least, and I didn’t hate it. Really not remarkable, but alright.
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
Outside of the two big hits, this is really just unremarkable 60’s folk music. The songs aren’t really that memorable except for ‘The In Crowd’. ‘The In Crowd’ sucks. Not very good, but at least better than The Incredible String Band.
Stan Getz
4/5
It took me 123 generations, but I finally got a jazz album. This doesn’t come close to being one of the best on this list, but it sets a nice mood nonetheless. Like a beach scene in a movie or something. I wouldn’t revisit this while listening intently, but I’d put it on on a beach vacation or a similar escapade.
Violent Femmes
4/5
This record is pretty good. I especially like the deranged vocal delivery (though I don’t find it as deranged as others do) and the clear imperfections in the music - it sounds kind of sloppy in a good way. The acoustic guitar also sounds cool on a lot of these songs, such as ‘Blister in the Sun’, probably this album’s most popular song. I don’t know how to end this review. Help.
Blur
4/5
Good album, but outside of the first two songs, I feel like this isn’t their best material. ‘Beetlebum’ and ‘Song 2’ are great, though. The other twelve songs are still good, but they don’t reach those heights. I’d say that although those gripes are there, it’s an enjoyable Britpop album, and it deserves a 4.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
It was good, but there was a 2-star review here that I agree with outside of opinion, in that the album kind of fools you with the title, cover, and first few songs, since it’s a much slower album than you’re led to believe. Heads Will Roll is a banger, though, and the slower songs are still good. In conclusion, RIP egg.
Oasis
4/5
Another good album from Oasis. Just more great songs, though not as good as (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. ‘Live Forever’ is probably my favorite song of theirs, though. Fun fact: this makes Oasis the first artist with multiple albums I’ve got all albums from. (Doesn’t really make much sense as a sentence).
The Auteurs
2/5
Fine, generic alt-rock - why this over something more unique? The music is fine, but it doesn’t stack up to Oasis, Blur and the like. Actually, I’m struggling to find words for this because it’s so unmemorable. In conclusion, New Wave? More like OLD WAVE! *canned laughter and applause* *sitcom theme plays*
The Cure
5/5
This one is so good. The atmosphere is fantastic - the spaciness lets the gloomy mood shine. The melodies are amazing and instantly memorable - just listen to that bass on ‘Lovesong’. Lastly, I love the lyrics - ‘A woman now standing where once there was only a girl’ particularly hits me hard, even though I’m a guy who hasn’t been in a relationship before. It is a good album. The end.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I loved the musical eclecticism on this one. From the electric bop ‘Come Alive (War of the Roses)’ to great R&B songs like ‘Faster’ and ‘Say You’ll Go’ to ‘BeBopByeYa’, which sounds straight out of an old-timey movie. One of the best discoveries I’ve made so far.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
A good alt-rock record. The songs on this are the good kind of sloppy, but I can’t help but feel I won’t remember this as well as other records of the same genre on the list. Actually, ‘Don’t’ is the most memorable song here because of how out of left field it is. I don’t know how to end this review, so I’ll just say that ‘Feel the Pain’ is the only song from them I knew beforehand and it’s way better than the songs on this.
OutKast
4/5
If I was going to get one of the longest albums on the site, might as well have been on a day where I didn’t have to do anything. Anyway, this is bloated, but there’s some great material on here. First of all, ‘Hey Ya!’ is just a banger. Also it’s deep because relationships and stuff. ‘Roses’ is also good. Also Big Boi’s side is a good rap album. The surprise favorite for me was ‘My Favorite Things’. Combining a Coltrane song with those cool drums (kind of reminds me of Aphex Twin, though definitely not as crazy) was inspired. This was a good album, but why this over Aquemini or ATLiens?
Steely Dan
4/5
I prefer Steely Dan’s more jazzy stuff, such as Aja, but this one’s good, too. ‘Do It Again’ is an absolute classic, and the other two hits, ‘Dirty Work’ and ‘Reelin’ in the Years’ are great, too. Some of the album is less memorable, though, and i don’t know why, but I really hate the song name ‘Brooklyn Owes the Charmer Under Me’. What? Anyway, good. Also the cover is really weird.
Kid Rock
1/5
oh no
oh god no
*sigh* Next time I get one of the lowest rated albums, can I please get a weird one? Give me Trout Mask Replica, or Duck Stab, or Locust Abortion Technician (last one got bumped off the list by newly added albums, but the point still stands). This is the low point of this whole experience thus far. He thinks he’s rebellious, but this album is so generic. Apparently he toured with Ice Cube, a rapper I actually like (see my rating/review for The Predator), in 1990. I’m disappointed in Ice Cube, honestly. The title track is just atrocious. The rapping about how popular he’s going to be is just so self-centered and stuck up, and the actual kid rapping is just sad. It was pulled off way better a full 116 albums ago with ‘Mango Pickle Down River’ on Kala. On ‘Welcome 2 The Party’, the ‘boom boom boom’ part is SO annoying. Okay, I think I’ve said enough. Anyway, I’m actually only halfway through. I’ll check back in to tell you if I still agree with my points here.
intermission
no one feels this
oh my god this song is 5 minutes long and all that happens is he acts sad with autotune over generic country chords
i dont care anymore either buddy
end of intermission
ok i still hate it. the last songs is about a woman who keeps pregnanting or something. then a remix about how he is god or something. i think spotify sensed my pain because on the radio after they played the bring the noise metal version. i actually like that song. anyway i think im turning into a southern redneck (living in texas doesnt help) so im going to heal my ears with some miles davis. see ya.
David Bowie
5/5
I guess giving me one of the highest-rated albums after one of the lowest-rated albums (Kid Rock, no less) was the generator’s way of apologizing to me. Also, interestingly, this is the first time I’ve had an album from an artist with a least 7 (in Bowie’s case, 9) and I feel like it’s about time. Anyway, Hunky Dory is a great album, with the great melodies and show-tuney atmosphere making it unique, especially in masterpieces like ‘Changes’ and ‘Life on Mars?’. What more can I say? It’s a ubiquitous classic, and a breath of fresh air after Kid Rock (I’m still mad about that album).
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I wasn’t expecting to give this a 5, but I forgot how rock solid this one one. With the exception of ‘Ooby Dooby’, none of the tracks don’t pull their weight, with songs like ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain’, ‘Lookin’ Out My Back Door’, and the 7-minute jam ‘Ramble Tamble’ (though most people would point to the other long song on this album, ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’) being some of my favorites. CCR deserve a spot on the list, and, though I know they have two more albums to go, this is a great choice.
Animal Collective
4/5
This is some interesting experimental pop. The best part is the hypnotic loops; they’re really great stuff and they grab your attention. The lyrics and singing are not nearly as good, though. They’re enjoyable, but don’t work well enough to make this a masterpiece. Anyway, 4. Also, since Panda Bear featured on Doin’ It Right, this album is Daft Punk Approved TM.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
This is a seminal riot grrrl album and one of the best. Almost every song on here is energetic and ferocious, and the ones that aren’t are great as well. Just an all-around classic for a fan of punk and arguably the best of its subgenre.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
This album just oozes sexiness from every pore; this type of jam-funk is just so tasty. The songs are all extended grooves, but all 4 pull their weight and are a treat to listen to. Just such an essential R&B album.
Brian Eno
5/5
The experimentalism of this one was groundbreaking, and the music is great. Both the ambient songs and songs with vocals stand out, and they combine for a unique listening experience. I loved it, and it’s probably even better than Before And After Science, my other record from him.
Sebadoh
4/5
This is similar to a lot of the indie rock we’ve had on the list, but it’s good nonetheless. ‘Soul and Fire’ is an especially good song. I liked it, but it’s kind of weird it made the list.
The B-52's
5/5
This album is weird and I love it for that. In the realm of new wave, the weirdness fits in perfectly, and the 60’s elements give this a unique sound. ‘Rock Lobster’ is just nearly 7 minutes of surf-rock craziness with an undeniably iconic and cool guitar riff - what more could you ask for? Cindy Wilson’s manic vocals on ‘Dance This Mess Around’ are just so good. This album’s vibrant energy is unmatched, not just on the two best songs on the album (as I just talked about) but through the whole thing. It’s just peak oddball music from front to back.
Motörhead
3/5
Although this album probably does deserve to be on the list, from the generator offering me both their albums (in a short time, too, since I only got their live one 3 weeks ago), I get the feeling they’re more of a singles band, or at least songs band, since everything on here is still good on its own (well, musically; lyrically, ‘Jailbait’ is just… no). It kind of drags, even if there’s nothing bad (again, excepting the one song), and Lemmy is an iconic singer, but his vocal style can get kind of repetitive. Of course, the title track is a metal classic, and the energy is great, so it’s more my opinion. I’d say keep it in, even if I’m not the biggest fan.
Duke Ellington
5/5
My first real jazz album (I had Jazz Samba before this, but bossa nova is really kind of its own thing), and it’s from Sir Duke himself. I was contemplating just listening to the original, but I had a long plane ride today and decided ‘screw it I’ll just listen to the whole thing’. Probably a good idea, since because of stormy weather it left all the way at ‘Tulip or Turnip’. Anyway, how do I describe this album? I’ll just say this: it’s very warm and nice, sounds like something good to drink coffee to or whatever. That sounds like a 3 or a 4, but I actually really loved this album. ‘Diminuendo in Blue’ especially, for that legendary sax solo that made Paul Gonsalves literally faint. A must hear for any jazz fan.
The Byrds
4/5
And so begins my descent into Byrds hell. Do you know how many albums are either theirs or feature someone from them? 12. At least, because I didn’t even check, but I know there’s 5 albums from them, 2 Gene Clark solo albums, 2 CSN/CSNY albums, 1 David Crosby solo album, 1 Gram Parsons solo album, and one Flying Burrito Brothers album. Why? They do not matter THAT much. Anyway Mr. Tambourine Man is pretty good. It’s good, jangly folk rock, and the title track is a classic. Good album, but it’s kind of hard to look past the looming shadow of the other Byrds albums.
Norah Jones
1/5
Come Away With Me is - wait what? Okay so apparently Norah Jones is Ravi Shankar’s daughter. How was I not aware of this? Probably because I’ve never took the time to listen to her music before. Whatever that’s kind of weird. Anyway, Come Away With Me is bland, uninteresting, and generic. Seriously, there’s not a single song I can even point out as anything. It’s just generic, unremarkable vocal jazz. You know what? I was going to give it a 2, but I talked myself into a 1 for just how boring it is. None of these songs are painful to listen to, to but it’s just a time-waster as an album.
Brian Eno
5/5
Weirdly enough, I got this album exactly one week after Another Green World, but given my enjoyment of that album (and Before And After Science), getting a third from him so quickly is a welcome surprise. Besides, this is a far different album from those two, leaning in completely on ambient music; in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the only ambient album on the entire list (I know Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is on here, but that’s really more of an IDM album with ambient influences. Anyway, as ambient music, this is really just meditative, calming music, and I love that. The first song of the four in particular is nice, with the piano playing being something that brings it all together. Honestly, what more can I say? Anyone interested in ambient music should listen to this album.
The The
5/5
Really good new wave music. The stretch from ‘This Is The Day’ to ‘The Twilight’ in particular is masterful. I don’t have much to say, really; just an amazing discovery from one of my favorite genres. Very excited for Infected.
Sister Sledge
4/5
I didn’t know this album was on the list. Huh. Anyway, it’s good disco music. Title track is a classic. Not much to say, but it was good.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
I’m split on this album. I like the industrial sound in a lot of places, but a lot of the lyrics are just kind of whiney. That said, ‘Hurt’ is a genuinely great song, and it’s still enjoyable enough, so I’ll give it a 3.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
Oh, yeah. The Duke Ellington one was great, but this is just hot fire all the way through, with some slower-paced numbers to ground it. Songs like ‘The Kid From Red Bank’, ‘Double-O’, and ‘Whirly-Bird’. The explosion on the cover was ballsy for the time, but it fits so well. Just amazing.
The Go-Go's
3/5
It’s good pop-rock, but it doesn’t benefit from the album format. The Go-Go’s are just a singles band that don’t have that much song variety (although ‘Lust To Love’ is fairly different from the other stuff on here) and it shows. But to be honest, this album is still enjoyable, and ‘Our Lips Are Sealed’ and ‘We Got The Beat’ are two iconic 80’s singles. Just nice as an album, and worth a listen.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Fun Latin music. I don’t know why, but I have trouble remembering specific songs from other languages, but this was great nonetheless. I think I enjoyed the songs with the piano the most, like another reviewer I saw. Just good music. Listen to it.
The Cramps
3/5
This album grew on me while I was listening, from a below average album to a pretty good one. It’s nothing special, but it’s good. I like the energy, the style, it’s just enjoyable. Not essential (why I decided to give it a 3), but listen to it if you’re a punk fan.
Gene Clark
1/5
The first real part of the Nine Circles of Byrds (why nine? Gram Parsons is kind of his own thing that was on a Byrds album, and Mr. Tambourine Man, which I got 10 days ago, is a good album to ease me in). This album - why? No, just why? Why do we need an ex-Byrd shamelessly copping Dylan while having an ounce of the talent in this book? Not all good folk is Dylan rip-offs. This book knows that - they have five Leonard Cohen albums. And unlike the Byrds, Cohen actually DESERVES those albums. Instead of adding more different sounding folk albums, they add two of a Byrd ripping off Bob Dylan. Oh yeah, he has two. Why does this guy get two, especially when he was in a band that has five? But let’s look at the album itself. Every single song is forgettable, except ‘Tears of Rage’ - a Dylan-penned song. Of course. I’d just be repeating myself if I talked any longer. Just skip this one. (Side note: why am I always so much more interesting when hating on an album than praising it?)
Arcade Fire
5/5
Arcade Fire is a classic indie band, so I was excited to get one of their albums (already heard Funeral before, so being one I hadn’t was also good). Fun fact: The Suburbs was released the day I was born. But anyway, Neon Bible is a great album, with the songs on it being amazing. I don’t have much to say, but I really enjoyed it.
Neil Young
5/5
I don’t know why, but I tend to enjoy Neil Young a lot more than his country rock contemporaries - probably just because he makes better music, but I digress. Anyway, Harvest is a classic albums with such great songs as ‘Heart of Gold’, ‘Old Man’, and ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’, and that’s just scratching the surface. All the songs are primarily acoustic, with the exceptions of ‘Alabama’ and ‘Words’, unifying the album. The real great thing about the album is simply how good the songs are, though. Seriously, all of them are great. Just give it a listen. (God, this review was basic.)
David Bowie
5/5
My second album from him, and first I hadn’t listened to before. Who can argue with Bowie? This is great. It’s kind of similar to Ziggy Stardust, but A) some of the songs are really unique, such as the R&B-esque ‘Drive-In Saturday’ and ‘Time’, which sounds as if it was from an old musical but got a glam-rock makeover, and B) who wouldn’t want more of that?. Besides, a lot of it straight up rocks; see ‘Watch That Man’, ‘Cracked Actor’, and ‘The Jean Genie’. Even the Rolling Stones cover pulls its weight. I don’t want to gush about this album any more. Just give it a listen.
Syd Barrett
4/5
Odd that I got Syd Barrett’s solo album before any by Pink Floyd, but unlike those albums, I haven’t heard this one before. It really captures his degrading mind and insanity at this point - really sad. The music is great anyway, somehow. I really liked the songs ‘Terrapin’ and ‘Here I Go’, especially the latter’s sort of twist in the middle. Great album from a legend who sadly lost his mind at a young age.
David Bowie
5/5
Well that was quick. Only two days ago I had Aladdin Sane. It’s a Bowie album, so it’s bound to be good. The title track is amazing and iconic, of course. I also loved the trio of ambient tracks near the end of the album. What more can I say? Just another one of his masterpieces.
Jack White
3/5
Alright modern blues rock. Doesn’t really have a unified sound like the White Stripes, though, and kind of forgettable. I like ‘Sixteen Saltines’, though.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
It’s fun, but also long and kind of samey for that length. It’s cool how it kind of acts as a celebration of this kind of traditional music, though, and the songs themselves are often nice tasty bluegrass. I also dislike some of the songs, though, like the one about the jewel or whatever. Interesting, but you don’t necessarily need to hear the whole thing.
Queen
5/5
It’s A Night At The Opera. It speaks for itself.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
As someone who’s given 5’s to most jazz albums I’ve come across, I obviously have to bestow that rating onto this. It just sounds so natural, despite how it experiments with time signatures when most jazz songs were in 4/4, but it sounds just as good as the other albums of its time. Also, for all the people saying they kind of feel bad for not listening to a black artist, the bassist for the quartet was black and Brubeck refused to play without him. So that makes not one bad thing about this album (other than nitpicks).
The Libertines
4/5
I mean, sure. It’s generic indie, but I like most indie anyway. Enjoyable - you know, even though I liked it, it’s not really noteworthy.
Lucinda Williams
5/5
I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did, considering I wasn’t very positive about it when I first heard it. But, outside of one glaring exception (‘Joy’ is incredibly stupid), the songs are all great. It keeps an incredible consistency in being good, and the songs are enjoyable with good lyrics. Really, I don’t completely know why I’m rating it so high, but I really enjoy it.
Daft Punk
5/5
No other album can match the hype I got when generating this one. You see, Daft Punk is me and my friend’s favorite artist. Not my specific favorite, but ours as a group (or duo, since it’s just one friend). ‘Revolution 909’, ‘Da Funk’, ‘Around The World’, ‘Burnin’’ and ‘Indo Silver Club’ are all straight bangers and no one can tell me otherwise. ‘Rollin’ And Scratchin’’ and ‘Rock’n Roll’ just go off the rails. ‘High Fidelity’ would look absolutely hilarious with a lyrics sheet (that’s not really something to specifically praise the album for but still). My one gripe with its inclusion is that it was picked over Discovery. I mean, personally, I think they should have three: this, Discovery, and Random Access Memories. However, if you’re only going to pick one, I would go with the second of the three. Homework is amazing, but it sounds like an artist still in the formative stages; for example, ‘Around The World’ is the only song where the vocals feel fully formed. Anyway this album slaps bye
Goldie
4/5
Why does everyone hate this album so much? It’s a good drum and bass experience. I know it’s not the most accessible of genres, but 2.57? Really? Anyway this is good. Not really ‘timeless’, but good. Reminds me of Aphex Twin in some parts, specifically Drukqs. Good electronic album. I guess I kind of like this type of music too much, though.
The Go-Betweens
4/5
Nice new wave album. Kind of like The Smiths. Not very unique, but I might listen to it again. Of course, however, this is one of those albums that isn’t really notable enough for a lengthy, detailed review.
Roxy Music
4/5
Good art-rock, but not as good as another album from this book, For Your Pleasure, which I’ve listened to before. The songs are still great, with me enjoying the first two and last one specifically. It’s not as good as that album, but listen to it if you liked their other music. (I’ll probably articulate my thoughts on the band better once that or maybe their self-titled come around).
Willie Nelson
4/5
These standards albums are fun, especially this one. It’s nowhere near as good as Red Headed Stranger, but Willie putting his spin on some pop classics is just nice to hear. My favorites are the first four songs and ‘Sunny Side Of The Street’; they’re all enjoyable, though. Not an all-time classic, but a nice listen, with the two albums in this book showing two sides of his music, which is great.
Bad Company
2/5
Eh. It’s standard 70’s dad rock, so fine. None of the songs are bad, but they don’t really feel unique in any way, and this doesn’t do a great job at what it seems like it’s trying to be. I do have an interesting anecdote about the band, though. When I was in the car ride - somewhere, I forgot - one day, my dad played ‘Shooting Star’. I asked him to turn it off (I don’t really know why, I don’t hate that song or anything). He proceeded to play it THE WHOLE TIME. It got on my nerves so much. Anyway Bad Company is an ok album I guess.
AC/DC
4/5
Is it weird that I prefer Highway to Hell to Back in Black? The songs on it just tend to be faster paced than those on the next album. Anyway, AC/DC have always been a great band, but not amazing. Both their records in the book deserve to be here, but they’re not super amazing or anything. Title track is a classic. Songs are great. Give it a listen if you like this kind of classic rock.
Boston
3/5
Not amazing, but I like the songs on it. In fact, it does keep a consistent quality, and I can even see why one would rate this 5 stars. I especially like ‘Peace of Mind’. It’s just a good song. In my books, give it a listen; it’s fun.
The Kinks
5/5
Another baroque pop masterwork. I like how the two things people call it are just Something Else, which kind of makes it sound self-touting, all futuristic like, and the full title, which makes it sound ordinary, plain, just another release. But just another release by The Kinks still clearly makes a great album. Firstly, something I noticed was that as the album went on is that the first side feels less polished than the second. Of course, it doesn’t change the quality of the album; so many great songs; ‘David Watts’, ‘Death of a Clown’, ‘Two Sisters’, I’m really just listing the whole album here, aren’t I? The extremely obvious highlight is ‘Waterloo Sunset’; what a beautiful masterwork of a song. I also particularly like ‘Lazy Old Sun’ and its unique chord changes. What more can I say. The gods of baroque pop make a great baroque pop album.
Happy Mondays
4/5
Surprisingly good. I didn’t have high expectations after the opening track, which isn’t the worst thing in the world, but a definite mess. It only got better from there, though, culminating in the great songs ‘Do It Better’ and ‘Lazyitis’. At those high points especially, it’s got such a layered sound and production. A nice, dense album overall.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Something funny: I didn’t realize the pun in the band name until I told my dad the album today and he asked about the pronunciation (I was saying Hiphoprisy, as in ph pronounced as f). Anyway, this album is extremely bleak. It makes some good points, and the best songs kind of tend to be the ones I can get on with more; for example, I prefer ‘Language of Violence’ to ‘Television The Drug Of The Nation’. The beats are nice; kind of similar to Public Enemy, but they have more exotic elements, which is good. In conclusion, a good rap album I wouldn’t have listened to otherwise.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
I’m kind of a sucker for most electronic music on this list, aren’t I? I mean, I’ve mostly gotten more popular artists, really, except for Goldie and Boards of Canada, with even the latter being critically acclaimed, just not super accessible. Anyway, a lot of great songs on this album, some of my favorites being ‘Right Here, Right Now’, ‘Praise You’, and especially ‘The Rockafeller Skank’. Again, I just love this genre, but I like these songs a lot, and it’s a good example of great electronic music.
Gang Starr
4/5
The rap albums on this list have been pretty consistently good (aside from my hated Kid Rock), and this is more of the same. While I enjoyed it, it was admittedly not very distinguished from other rap at the time, at least listening with modern ears. The songs were, of course, still good, however, the highlight being ‘Just To Get A Rep’, which highlights the pointlessness of gang violence. I don’t know how to end this review. Nice beats I guess.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
This album is weird. It felt kind of generic at first, but then it randomly got death metal at the end of ‘Receptacle for the Respectable’. Then ‘[A] Touch Sensitive’ was a nice beat. Then ‘Shoot Doris Day’ started off like a song you would sing for a holiday or something, though it got more normal. Then ‘Miniature’ was a spacey 40 second instrumental. Then ‘No Sympathy’ was like a Nick Cave song that randomly turned into an Aphex Twin song in the last two minutes. Then ‘Juxtaposed With U’ was like a reggae song with randomly robotic vocals. Then it got more normal. Well, it’s oddly middle-loaded, with the beginning and endings being a 3 and that part being a 5, so we’ll average it out. Side note, can I get something more interesting than a sixth four star in a row today? Thanks if yes.
Elton John
5/5
What can I say about Elton John? He’s one of the most seasoned and consistent hit makers of all time, and the sheer pop sensibility in his songs is impeccable. This is apparent on Madman Across The Water, though the two hits (and the two songs I knew) being the first two songs on the album. ‘Tiny Dancer’ is a good opener, but it would be nice to put ‘Levon’ in the middle of the album rather than straight after another ballad. Of course, the album isn’t bad after that (just look at my rating), but after the title track and ‘Indian Sunset’, which are arguably on the same level of quality, it’s kind of less interesting. Still, though, this is a great album. Although most Elton John albums I could see taking its place (considering I kind of see it as giving him an album that’s not Goodbye Yellow Brick Road), it’s a good listen.
Deep Purple
5/5
happy birthday to me
It’s my birthday. Fun. Anyways, Machine Head is a great early metal album, especially on the faster songs. ’Maybe I’m a Leo’ and ‘Never Before’ are my least favorite songs as a result of this. Also, ‘Smoke On The Water’ gets all the attention, but ‘Highway Star’ is the real best song. I will die on this hill. Anyway, hope I get a good birthday album.
Deep Purple
3/5
Well, my birthday album. It’s insane that I got two albums in a row by a group with only 3 albums in the book on my birthday. Anyway, this is nowhere near as good as Machine Head. Firstly, the production is kind of shoddy. Not like it sounds atrocious or anything, but this could do with a remaster. Second, the songs aren’t as memorable. Aside from ‘Child In Time’, I probably wouldn’t be able to name a song from this album if you played it for me. Finally, it’s simply not as fun to listen to. I had a good time with Machine Head, but a part of me felt like I was just waiting for the album to end. A lesser effort than its successor on this list (chronologically speaking).
Steely Dan
4/5
I didn’t like the first song very much, but it got pretty good after that. Early Steely Dan is kind of hard for me to love, though (note early, as Aja is an unabashed classic in my eyes). I do like the more jazzy influences on this, as they give it more of a unique feel, whereas Can’t Buy A Thrill was more so built around its best songs (Do It Again, Dirty Work, and Reelin’ In The Years). Overall, a good release from the Dan. Ew, I sound like a dad. Anyway, hope I get the pretzel album next so it can be all chronological.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
50’s vocal jazz is a nice genre, and this record is fairy charming. Sarah Vaughan is a pretty good vocalist, and her personality comes through on this album (just listen to ‘How High The Moon). Granted, it does feel a little silly and unprofessional, but it humanizes the singer. Also, one of the instrumentalists was born in 1925 and is still alive. Cool.
Neil Young
5/5
This Neil Young album is arguably better than Harvest, with every song being great. My favorite song is ‘Southern Man’; it’s got a great melody and lyrics, and it’s way better then ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, which it inspired. The rest of the album is no slouch, though. This is one of the Neil Young albums I have less to say about, so bye.
Finley Quaye
1/5
What words can be used to describe this album? Boring. Derivative. Uninteresting. Why is this guy in the book instead of actual reggae. That part of the genre is super underrepresented, but apparently this is straight-up one of the best reggae albums. No. Just no. Also, he has ancestry from Ghana, apparently, but come on, he’s just another white guy. This is nowhere near as bad as what I’m about to mention, but it kind of reminds me of a joke in one South Park episode where a guy finds out he has 3% black DNA and says… that word… to a coworker. Not that similar, I just think it’s funny and wanted to mention it. Anyway, screw this guy. Also back to school (pain).
The Beach Boys
5/5
This is another obvious 5. To be honest, I’m surprised it only has a 3.9. Orchestrated to perfection, mature lyrics, amazing melodies, you’ve heard it all before. You don’t need my opinion on this.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
1/5
Nah. I do not like blues jamming in the slightest. At least this had sections, and it didn’t actively bother me, but it’s just jamming, and not unique. Having an entire side be a 25-minute version of a two chord song was a fun idea that never should have gotten past that phase. Not very good at not at all memorable, the only reason I’m not extremely mad about getting two one stars so close is because in between I had Pet Sounds.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
For some reason, this feels like an album that people would say should be on the list but it isn’t. I don’t know why, it’s got that quality of being super popular on RYM and similar stuff, but overlooked on best albums lists by big labels and publications. Anyway, it’s a great album. I mean, I like indie pop. This is one of the biggest indie pop albums. It’s good.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
This album is weird, but not really in a good way. This guy is like Nick Drake if he didn’t want to sing nicely. Seriously, these vocal stylings are weird, and I don’t like them. The rest of it’s generic. 2, because I don’t really hate it.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Amazing, sublime album. I really love the acoustic guitar on this album, and his voice is really nice. Some of my favorites are ‘Speed Trials’, ‘Ballad Of Big Nothing’, and ‘Say Yes’, which I somehow recognized on the first listen (on the Rolling Stone 500, which appears to be a far inferior list, though unlike this it has the Neutral Milk Hotel album, so that’s a plus) despite having no real knowledge of Smith’s catalogue. Great album. Side note: for some reason he has one more album on the list and it’s Figure 8, even though I feel like most people would pick his self-titled or XO over that.
MGMT
4/5
I really like this style of pop/rock. The only one I recognized was ‘Kids’, though I’ve definitely heard ‘Time To Pretend’ before this. I am really lost for words. Uhhhhhhjjhhh…. it’s good?
Madness
4/5
I don’t feel like writing a long review right now but basically this record was really good and it surprised me. Also, I knew ‘Our House’ when I wasn’t expecting to recognize anything. Noice.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
I’m not the biggest fan of this style of rock, but this is undoubtedly a classic album. Come on, it has ‘Thunder Road’, the title track, AND ‘Jungleland’ all on it. I think that’s all that really needs to be said.
Ministry
4/5
Liked how this was a metal album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it isn’t an absolute joke, either. ‘Jesus Built My Hotrod’ is fun. Ok I’m drawing a blank on what to say again.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I definitely don’t dislike it, but Elvis is a singles artist first and foremost, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of only including his 1956 self-titled album. For some reason they didn’t include ‘Suspicious Minds’ on this? I know it’s not a whole singles not on albums thing because they DO have the inferior ‘In The Ghetto’ on this. The rest is ok. I mean, I guess I don’t really mind this check-in in the late 60’s on Elvis. Whatever.
The Adverts
2/5
Generic punk. I mean, I’m really feeling the common-ness of it all by now. Whatever. 2, because I’m bored of this.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This is my first listen to this album, and it’s as good as any by Led Zeppelin. When I was little, I thought ‘Immigrant Song’ was like the coolest song ever, and it’s not like I don’t see why I would think that now. My favorite song on this album ended up being the blues dirge ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’; I don’t know why, but I just really enjoyed it. Anyway, I’m praying that I get their second album next, so I can get them in descending order.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Album number 200! Want Two is pretty good. My favorite songs were ‘The One You Love’, ‘Peach Trees’, and ‘The Art Teacher'. They’re just good, I guess. One of the top reviews says that he sounds like Thom Yorke at moments, which he does, but it bothers me because he hits the high notes in a similar way but just doesn’t have the same voice. For some reason I knew of him before this project? Like, I had no idea who he was, but I knew there was a musician named Rufus Wainwright. I thought he was from the 60’s-70’s, honestly. Anyway good album.
Billie Holiday
4/5
I wonder why I enjoy these 50’s albums so much. Maybe because there’s only 20 or so, the quality control is just better. Anyway, Lady In Satin is a good sendoff for one of the greatest singers in her era. The songs aren’t the most interesting, but the vocals and arrangements really stand out. While I did say the songs weren’t the most interesting, they really fit the way she was living at the time and the emotion she brings is palpable. Great album from a great singer.
Miles Davis
5/5
What’s with me getting absolute classics every Monday since school started back up? Kind Of Blue is sort of the popular decision for greatest jazz album of all time. What can I say? This is influential, original, technical, enjoyable, all the positive words. Just listen to it if you somehow haven’t by now.
Johnny Cash
5/5
I wouldn’t give a 5 to just any Johnny Cash album, but this book picked them really well. This is a classic live album; one where the songs have more energy and the artist’s full personality is on display. Seriously, just the sheer charm of his talking and monologuing is just so entertaining. Doing an album at a prison as a country artist is just a great idea, too, and it’s made even better by being the prison from one of his greatest songs, garnering lots of applause and enthusiasm from the inmates. Wow, I was surprised at how much I had to say about this one. Anyways, in conclusion, just one of the greatest live records ever to be put on wax.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
I know this is all political and stuff, but for some reason it doesn’t hit me the way it feels like it should. I don’t know whether it’s the instrumentation or the lyrics that I’m not a fan of. For the record, I like ‘Fast Car’ and ‘Behind The Wall’. This record is just whatever to me. I don’t mind its inclusion, though.
Björk
5/5
This album is so atmospheric that it genuinely felt like it was a colder season, not summer. Then I went outside and instantly caught on fire. I screamed for help and some people luckily came to my aid with a fire blanket. However, the damage was done. As I laid in the hospital, writhing in pain, a doctor came and gave me some anesthetic before telling me they were going to have to remove the melted cotton from my skin. I blacked out soon after. When I came to, I was in a lot of pain, and they told me it would take three weeks to recover. So I hate you, Vespertine. But it’s a pretty good album that I’d have given a 5 if it hadn’t nearly killed me, so I guess I’ll give it that.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Good, personal alt-rock. I knew five of the songs before I listened to it for the first time (‘You Oughta Know’, ‘Hand In My Pocket’, ‘Head Over Feet’, ‘You Learn’, and ‘Ironic’), which I’d say is a pretty good track record. I don’t know, it’s good. I’d say it doesn’t deserve too much praise, though (how did it get the funny number spot on the Rolling Stone Top 500).
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
I had a really fun time listening to this. It’s no masterpiece, but these songs just slap. I don’t know what to say; it’s just enjoyable and fun. Aphex Twin sampled ‘Apache’ in ‘Heliosphan’ and I’m a big Aphex Twin fan, so that’s cool. 4, since it’s not amazing, but I have a good chance of listening to this again.
Paul Simon
2/5
Why is the songwriting on this so stupid? Seriously, ‘Allergies’? ‘When Numbers Get Serious’? ‘Cars Are Cars’???????? The worst part is that not all of these lyrics are bad, which clearly means he could have done better on this album. Instead we have this. And the music? The music’s fine. But. Why would you not pick an album with good songwriting and the same caliber of music instead of this. Why would you choose this in general? The man is sitting comfortably with three albums with Garfunkel and two on his own already, so why do we have this? On its own merits, this is a 3, but since it’s Paul Simon we’re talking about, I’m giving it a 2.
Radiohead
5/5
The classic album every Monday streak continues. Another one where it’s just ‘what do I have to say’. One this I do have to say is that ‘Electioneering’ is a full-on banger and I am coming to your house if you say it’s the low point on this album. Other than that, it’s OK Computer. Just read one of the other billion positive reviews.
Otis Redding
4/5
Classic soul. Not much else to say, but since I’ve stopped getting so many R&B or funk artists, it’s nice to get another from the genre. I really like all the songs on this album, though it’s not really made as a cohesive work for the most part, which is why it gets a 4 as opposed to a 5. Not much else to say, really.
Ramones
5/5
This is one of the most influential punk albums out there, and it’s a fun listen, too. It wouldn’t necessarily be a 5 instead of a 4 if not for when it came out, but it’s one of those albums you just have to respect. The songs are still great, too, and at less than 30 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. A fun and extremely important record.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Another from Elvis Costello. It’s pretty good, I guess. I can’t really talk at length about this one. I like ‘Watching The Detectives’, even if it’s not on the original release. Just for the record, I prefer this to Blood And Chocolate. I’ll probably get that treated to a 2. Bye.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Good. Gothy. I like ‘Monitor’ and ‘Night Shift’. That’s it.
The Associates
2/5
*insert generic but not wrong complaint about how there are way too many 80’s British albums here instead of music people actually care about here*
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
It feels weird to have Bruce Springsteen in my favorite artists list, but I happened to get the two albums of his I’m giving 5’s as my second and third from him. Nebraska is a chilling, atmospheric album much different from Springsteen’s musical fare. The stories here are dark, highlighted by how minimalist the arrangements are. Although the morals have a tendency to be not quite right, the storytelling is on point. Overall, one of his best.
Tears For Fears
3/5
I can see why people like this, but personally, it just doesn’t hit me. I guess I’m not a big fan of this sound. The songs are good, but they also have a tendency to be too slow and long, outside of ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The Word’, obviously, plus a few others. Not bad, just not my jam.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
This is lame. Generic rap that no one cares about. Why is it on the list? I don’t know. There are probably at least 100 rap albums that I would have been happier with inclusion. If you’re going to include a generic one, at least let it be a generic one people like. Just boring.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Good synthpop. I really like ‘It’s A Sin’. I don’t have anything to say.
The Pogues
4/5
Really fun album. I thought it would be be like punk and Irish folk mix, but it’s more like pure Irish music with the punk spirit. It just kind of makes me want to go to the pub and get drunk. Except I’m not 21. And I don’t like the taste of any alcohol I’ve tasted. I guess I’ll just drink some of that soda in a glass bottle and get a caffeine rush.
Soundgarden
5/5
It seems weird to say this since I gave Ten a two, but Superunknown is a great album. Honestly, Chris Cornell is like Eddie Vedder if he was a good singer, way less whiney while still having the same low voice. The worst song here, ‘Half’, is two minutes, and even then it’s not really bad. Otherwise, this album is incredibly consistent, especially since most of its songs reach at least 5 minutes. The singles are just inarguable, and a lot of the other songs are amazing, too, such as ‘Let Me Drown’, ‘Head Down’, and ‘Like Suicide’. Just go listen to it; it’s one of the great grunge records and one of the best double albums in rock.
Nirvana
5/5
People probably should have been more concerned about Kurt Cobain after this album. After the first two songs, hearing ‘Heart Shaped Box’ is a relief, and that song is super bitter. That’s kind of how this album functions: super loud songs followed by poppier, but definitely not Nevermind-esque songs. It’s great. I’d list songs, but I like all of them (and it’s uninteresting to read). Bye.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
“You know how we just made one of the most influential, groundbreaking, and important albums ever?’
‘Yeah?’
‘What if we followed it up with one of the sexiest things man has ever created?’
Fela Kuti
4/5
Good afrobeat. However, I’ve heard some of Kuti’s studio material as well (though not his other album on this list, Zombie) and it’s just better. Still a good album, but I wouldn’t mind substituting it for, say, Expensive Shit.
CHIC
4/5
This album is really good; ‘Freak Out’, ‘I Want Your Love’, ‘Sometimes You Win’, it’s all great. Except for one song. ‘At Last I Am Free’ is long, repetitive, and overly dramatic and not very fun - on a disco album. I cannot stress enough that this would be a filler song anyway, since the chorus is annoying to begin with with (especially the last line). But otherwise, I enjoy it, so 4.
The Saints
3/5
Good punk music. I like the saxophone. This is one without much to say.
Ozomatli
2/5
Meh. Despite the fact that this is so genre-bending, it ultimately feels like something unremarkable and not unique. I like some of the rapping, though.
Beastie Boys
5/5
A seminal sampling album with fun lyrics. For some reason, I always thought ‘Shake Your Rump’ was the single, but not only is it not, but it’s not even one of the non-singles with a Wikipedia page. Anyway, this is just a great album that flows well. Why am I constantly getting records that I don’t really have anything to say about?
Small Faces
2/5
I don’t know. Kind of boring, generic psychedelic music. Meh.
Doves
4/5
Nice. Dreamy. More unique than The Last Broadcast. The End.
Metallica
1/5
Metallica, but James Hetfield’s singing is worse, there’s a random orchestra that doesn’t really do anything yet still manages to make the songs have less bite, and for some unknown reason, the line ‘how I’m killing you’ in Master Of Puppets is changed to ‘how I’m fucking you’. The song is about drugs - you should know that considering you wrote it. -1 star for length, too, as the album Master Of Puppets itself was a little on the long side, but I liked that album, and I don’t like this one.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Good dance music. I didn’t really think it would be any different, since I liked the one I heard already, but whatever (I prefer that one, just so you know). Something interesting about this one is that I think it was mistakenly thought to be one of the albums here that wasn’t on the list when it really was, since I’m only the fifth or so review since 2021. Cool.
The Young Rascals
2/5
that was definitely an album of generic 60’s rock.
3/5
Good 70’s rock. Nothing special, though.
Radiohead
5/5
As a fan of Radiohead, I am biased, but this is one of the best alt-rock albums out there. ‘Planet Telex’, the title track, ‘High And Dry’, Fake Plastic Trees’, ‘Just, ‘My Iron Lung’, ‘Street Spirit’. All recognizable songs from this album. That’s over half the tracklisting. Can you really argue with that? (yeah, but I guess I’m making a point)
3/5
why are you singing mr tambourine man like that its so ANNOYING
on to the actual review
Okay, I’m writing this first part after hearing the acoustic part. Firstly, I’m surprised this is our first encounter with a Dylan record. He has seven, so it’s weird that I’m only having one from him when I’m so close to the midpoint of this project (since there’s 1,089, unless they release a new version before I’m finished with the project, that would be around album 273). Actually, it’s even weirder that I’ve had no Beatles or Beatles-affiliated albums. Seriously, there are 12. That’s as many as the Byrds! (His smile fades as he realizes the ramifications of this horrifying, tragic realization). Ok so the second thing is that we will ignore that fact forever now. The actual second thing is why not just listen to an acoustic studio album from Dylan? Seriously, this disc has no reason for you to play it for want of a live album. A studio album is A) more focused and B) doesn’t have this annoying version of ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ on it. I don’t know why I dislike it so much, but his vocal delivery is annoying and it goes on for 4 extra minutes where nothing happens. The outro is really so long that when ‘Tell Me, Momma’ actually started it was like a jumpscare. Future me here: I actually quite like the second disc. It brings a lot of energy to the songs on it, especially to songs that I’m not the biggest fan of in their studio counterparts, most notably ‘Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat’, which I hadn’t really enjoyed both times I’ve listened to Blonde On Blonde (one time for a failed attempt at listening to every album in the top 50 albums in the RS500 and the other for a successful one of the whole list), but this version is way more enjoyable just for the energy added in. The one gripe I have is that ‘Ballad Of A Thin Man’ is kind of poorly mixed, especially since it’s probably my favorite Dylan song, but even then it’s not that bad. I debated whether to give this a 3 or a 4, but I’ll go 3 just to be mean.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Good mix of African music and the sound of the era. There are some songs in English on the back half, so I was surprised when I realized I was actually understanding the lyrics on one song. It’s also odd, but kind of hilarious that the male singer is just having a full-on giggling fit on ‘One More Dance’ as in the song he’s telling his girlfriend that her husband she’s cheating on is dying (he straight up LOSES IT when he dies). Anyway good album.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Honestly, I’ve never really enjoyed this album like I should, but I’ll give it full marks out of obligation. It’s still good classic rock, and I just never really listened to it whenever I would want to. Good album, just one I don’t enjoy so much.
Elton John
5/5
Simply one of the best double albums ever made. Just the first four songs should tell you that. I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan of Elton John, but there’s something about his music and Bernie Taupin’s lyrics that really makes it special. It’s going to feel weird having him in that favorite artists page, though.
Morrissey
3/5
Pretty good, but minus one star because Morrissey is stupid or something.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Justin Timberlake has a few good songs, but this is pretty generic. ‘Cry Me A River’ is alright, though.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Not as good as Superfly, but it’s still super funky, still great social commentary, and, most of all, still Curtis. What more can you want?
Funkadelic
5/5
Although technically my first Funkadelic album, I’ve had Mothership Connection, their album under Parliament on the list, and the differences between the two really show. While Mothership Connection was straight FUNK (one of the funkiest things I have ever heard), Maggot Brain is more experimental. For example, the guitar opus of the title track, the uniquely acoustic funk on ‘Can You Get To That’ ,the epic ‘Wars Of Armageddon’, etc. One of the most unique albums of its genre, and one of the finest, too.
5/5
Finally, my prayers for one of the insanely weird and inaccessible albums from the low rated list have been answered! This is jazz on acid. Not acid jazz, jazz on acid. It does bother me that Coleman himself is not included, and I would cut this album to make room for one of his, but I would cut other albums first. It’s just insane and brimming with energy, too, especially the drums and sax. I can tell why people dislike this one, but I love it.
Air
3/5
Pretty good ambient electronica. I don’t know, nothing to say.
Ride
4/5
Good shoegaze. More generic than Loveless, the other shoegaze album I’ve heard, but songs like ‘Vapor Trail’ are still great.
Bad Brains
5/5
Really great punk music. It’s amazing how they can seamlessly switch from different parts of the song so fast. The reggae elements feel more minor and woven in, too, which is nice. Don’t have any other thoughts, but I like this.
Hot Chip
4/5
Nice electronica. The end.
Jurassic 5
3/5
An alright rap album.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
dog on the cover
Black Sabbath
5/5
The OG metal album. Even the cover was way creepier than other stuff at the time; it just conveys some kind of menace to me. The title track just portrays fear so aggressively, almost. It seems almost like a larger-than life fear, like something horrible, scarier than you can imagine. The instrumental gives us only a taste of this. The other songs are good, too; ‘N.I.B’ sounds like something off the next album, Paranoid, without having the disadvantage of every song next to it being in the same key. (Why did they do that? We’ll get to that album when we get to it, I guess.) Anyway, uhhhhhhhh the end I guess (I just said I guess twice in quick succession).
Eminem
3/5
Ok, I haven’t actually started the review but I just saw on Wikipedia that on the censored version, ‘Just Don’t Give A Fuck’ and ‘Still Don’t Give A Fuck’ are changed to ‘Just Don’t Give’ and ‘Still Don’t Give’ and I just find that really funny. Also I just remembered the line “Go-go gadget dick” and while the song it’s on isn’t great, I find that absurdly hilarious.
Anyway, this is a fun album with some problematic lyrics. More specifically, I like the deranged-ness of it all when it doesn’t feel misogynistic, homophobic, etc. I like the other stuff, though, so 3.
R.E.M.
4/5
I’d write a review for this, but I could never top, never say anything not represented in the top review. That is simply one of the greatest pieces of literature of our generation. Such an in-depth, inspiring, beautiful review. So, I’ll just repeat it:
‘Green’
PJ Harvey
4/5
war is bad 2011 edition
but pretty good
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Sure, enjoyable EDM. Kind of forgettable, though. Actually, so forgettable that after calling someone, I completely forgot I was still listening to it and only realized as I was getting on to the school bus. Whatever. I thought I recognized the vocalist on ‘Setting Sun’, so I looked, and yeah, it’s Noel Gallagher. Not Liam, but Noel. Fun. ending sentence
Talking Heads
5/5
Talking Heads album! It’s also my brother’s birthday but this far outweighs that. Even though this isn’t even my first. Whatever Talking Heads are my band right now. I hadn’t heard this one before (outside of the obvious ‘Psycho Killer’, plus ‘Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town’) but this is great; poppier, but still retaining elements of their best work. Some of my favorite songs other than the ones I had already heard are ‘No Compassion’, ‘The Book I Read’, and ‘First Week/Last Week….Carefree’. Though not the best of their albums, still amazing.
R.E.M.
5/5
I don’t know why, but I got a lot more out of this than Green. I mean, for that one I wrote a joke review because I didn’t know what to say and I’ve done a ton of reviews where I just said that. Review was lame, anyway. Whatever, I like Murmur. It’s just nice and jangly, and all the songs are great. I guess I don’t really have anything more to-DAMMIT
Wire
5/5
The originator of that whole ‘ton of songs in short album’ thing, and it does it well. Only 3 songs even reach the 3-minute mark, and those songs are some of the best on the album. The shorter songs are great, too, and they don’t overstay their welcome. I remember thinking ‘Three Girl Rhumba’ was the second song on the album and lasting 29 seconds, but it’s the third, and a minute and a half. The second song is - well, not that song, I guess. Anyway good album.
Funkadelic
4/5
Pretty funky. Not as unmissable and amazing as Maggot Brain or Mothership Connection, though, so 4.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Good album. Not so much as Violator.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Better than I expected for 50’s rock. I know how influential he was, and it’s a shame that he died so young. Rivers Cuomo kind of did look like Buddy Holly, though, didn’t he?
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This is my favorite Rolling Stones album, and ‘Gimme Shelter’ is my favorite Rolling Stones song; it just has so much apocalyptic energy and Merry Clayton’s vocals are absolutely insane. The rest of the album is no slouch, either; the title track is fun, ‘Midnight Rambler’ jams, and, while I’m not as much of a fan as most, ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ is a great closer. In conclusion, a great album.
Beck
4/5
Sad. Nice. Good album.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
A lot like Want Two. Not as eclectic, though, and thereby not as good. The end I guess.
John Lennon
5/5
A great album. Instead of continuing to try and chase the highs of The Beatles, this album is highly personal, with one of the main themes being letting that phase of his life go. The last line of the last song (outside of the glorified outro) is ‘the dream is over’. Other parts of the album discuss other parts of his life. All in all, a highly personal album and a great listen.
Nas
5/5
Classic of the genre. It seamlessly mixes braggadocio with more conscious themes, doing both amazingly. Nas is such a great rapper; just listen to his flow on ‘It Ain’t Hard To Tell’. One of the best parts of this album is its brevity. Where most hip-hop albums of the 90’s overstay their welcome, this is a concise 10 tracks in 40 minutes. In conclusion, just one of the best rap albums in creation.
Country Joe & The Fish
1/5
Stupid generic music. With such great songs as your silvyourer silvstreakyourer or some crap in ‘Grace’, ‘what if there was a comic book about Lyndon B Johnson being stupid?’ in ‘Super Bird’, and more songs which I didn’t care to pay attention. Hippy dippy bullshit.
Tom Waits
3/5
The music isn’t quite as on point as his other work, while his lyrics are descriptive and creative as always. More specifically, the music feels more like bar blues than the Tom Waits I’ve heard (this is my first album from him). He’s an excellent songwriter, though; ‘Don’t you know there ain’t no devil, there’s just God when he’s drunk’ specifically just really hits hard. Great lyrics, ok music.
Louis Prima
4/5
Nice. Jazzy. 50’s. Other descriptive words.
Johnny Cash
5/5
At Folsom Prison again. So 5 stars.
Madonna
2/5
why do people like madonna
Fiona Apple
4/5
Pretty good. Can’t think of anything to say. Words.
Eminem
4/5
Like the Slim Shady LP, but with better music, lyrics, and with actual serious songs. Seriously, I can’t imagine the sheer whiplash a new listener would get from ‘Kim’. It does have ‘Ken Kaniff’, though, so I don’t think I can’t give it 5 stars in good faith.
3/5
60’s country. Fine. End.
Orbital
4/5
Nice electronica. Songs are pretty good, but too long.
Anita Baker
2/5
mediocrerandb
i dont know
The Band
3/5
Don’t know why but The Band just never hit me like Bob Dylan himself. Nice Americana folk though.
The Strokes
5/5
Obvious indie classic. Too lazy to expand upon that thought.
The Crusaders
2/5
watered down jazz
Pixies
5/5
This is the only Pixies album I hadn’t heard beforehand, and it’s Pixies, so it’s good. I like the surf-rock influences especially. Good.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I’ve now heard all three of his solo albums on the list (haven’t gotten So, but I’ve heard it). Surprisingly, I think this is my favorite. The songs on So felt prolonged and slow, with that 80’s production I’m not a fan of, and Car didn’t grab my attention. With this album, though, I enjoyed the songs on it, including ‘No Self Control’, ‘And Through The Wire’, and ‘Games Without Frontiers’. I also like the weirdness through the whole album. Just good.
Le Tigre
3/5
Nice mix of punk and electronica.
Eric Clapton
1/5
Help me. After listening to the album, I suddenly had some horrific reaction and began my transformation into white trash… no, worse, an Eric Clapton fan! Just leave before I infect you too; please just ggbdhkgcghn-RACISM MISOGYNY WHITE BLUES
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Good early 70’s pop. Like the hits and ‘Jump Into The Fire’. Other songs are also good. Nice album.
Prince
5/5
pruple
Pere Ubu
5/5
why do i have the best time with the weird albums
Van Morrison
4/5
goodalbumnotmuchtosaygenericcrap
Stevie Wonder
5/5
NOOOO STOP GIVING ME GOOD ALBUMS ITS GOIND TO MESS UP MY AVERAGE RATING
Masterpiece.
k.d. lang
2/5
nice country throwback
not too good though
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Good rock. The end.
Beatles
3/5
ah yes, the worst beatles album.
Ash
4/5
Alt-rock that was better than what I expected. Cool.
Fred Neil
1/5
Mediocre folk music. It would be a 2, but 1 for the cover of him dramatically holding a child that clearly does not want to be there.
David Bowie
5/5
David Bowie = 5 Stars
This is fact.
Black Sabbath
5/5
It’s classic Black Sabbath. I’m not going to be psychotic and give it less than a 5.
Michael Jackson
5/5
yeah this is 5 stars what did you expect
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Pretty good, nice 70’s rock. Cool Thanksgiving album.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
its fine i guess
Black Sabbath
5/5
obviously
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Not as good as his other stuff, but still good.
The White Stripes
4/5
Pretty good blues rock. Not as good as Elephant. Album 300.
The Gun Club
3/5
Pretty good 80’s rock. Singing is weird. That’s it.
Queen
5/5
Queen are basically 70’s rock gods.
The Sonics
3/5
Classic punk. Kind of messy.
Charles Mingus
5/5
Charles Bingus
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Alright EDM. Weird cover though.
Mj Cole
1/5
I tend to like electronica, but this is just boring and has nothing of value.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Nice classic blues. Doesn’t feel fake, like one Eric who claps. (ok i dont think he does that but the point still stands)
T. Rex
5/5
One of the coolest albums out there. There’s something so chill and lo-go about it that I love. ‘Get It On’ is the clear standout, but they’re all great.
JAY Z
4/5
nice raps
(I don’t know what to say)
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Surprisingly better than Actually. Chill. Liked it.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Nice, classic country.
Slade
4/5
Pretty good glam rock. Way better than hair metal, even if it bears a passing resemblance.
Public Enemy
5/5
bars
Judas Priest
4/5
Nice, classic metal. These albums have had not much to talk about for me.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Good. I liked the title track, ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’, and ‘I Love The Dead’ the most. Alice Cooper has a good brand of shock rock, though not really actually that shocking.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
You know, I said this would probably be a 2 in my review of his first album, but it’s better than I remembered. I always like ‘Sledgehammer’ and ‘Big Time’ and thought all the other songs were too slow, but those actually turned out to be great, too. An album my stance has actually positively changed on.
Radiohead
5/5
This is actually one of my favorite Radiohead albums. The top 5 on this album is just so great, although weird in some parts: ‘Pyramid Song’, ‘I Might Be Wrong’, ‘Knives Out’, ‘Like Spinning Plates’, and ‘Life In A Glasshouse’. What can I say? This album also just hits so different from the rest of them. I don’t know why, but it just feels like it’s in its own world. Anyway, great album bye
Duran Duran
5/5
I wasn’t expecting to give this 5 stars, but there’s really nothing wrong with this. Just classic 80s pop rock.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Pretty good. Beach Boys are good. I don’t know why I’m drawing a blank but whatever.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Sure, it’s as long and convoluted as other, worse rock operas, but this one’s just so much fun. There are actually amazing songs on their own, like ‘Hey You’ or ‘Comfortably Numb’, plus ones that are just a lot of fun or have great music (part 2 of ‘Another Brick In The Wall’, ‘Young Lust’, ‘Run Like Hell’). One time I listened to this on a plane on my way to New York (I was on the generator at that time, actually; that was the day I had Another Green World). I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before and it was an early flight, so I kind of drifted in and out of sleep while listening to it. It was surreal, especially when the end of ‘Bring The Boys Back Home’ started, I fully woke up, and that opening to ‘Comfortably Numb’ just HIT. Same thing happened when I saw Harry Potter on Broadway a few days later, but that show sucked, so whatever.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Good jazz, as always. Minus one star for that extremely annoying track listing on Spotify.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
ok i guess
Bob Dylan
5/5
Bob Dylan is good songwriter so 5
Tori Amos
3/5
It’s fine. Some nice creativity on display. Probably won’t give it another listen, though.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
This has an amazing backstory that earns this a place in the book on its own, but I really enjoyed the piano in some places, too. Easy 5.
The Blue Nile
2/5
boring
OutKast
5/5
Amazing rap album. Big Boi brings the traditional great rap on this album, while Andre 3000 adds uniqueness. ‘Mrs. Jackson’, ‘B.O.B.’, I could go on. Easy 5.
Various Artists
4/5
crimas
The Smiths
4/5
It was fine until he went full Vegan Teacher mode on us.
3/5
Muse is eh.
Manu Chao
3/5
Nice, catchy world music. A pleasant listen overall.
Beatles
5/5
I mean, yeah.
Tom Waits
4/5
Tom Waits is good. These songs are very interesting, with ‘Goin’ Out West’ having particularly cool music. He also has good, descriptive lyrics that feed into the mood of the songs. Great album.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
Pretty unremarkable. I didn’t hate it, I guess, but I really got nothing out of it.
Pretenders
5/5
Classic album. ‘Brass In Pocket’ is great, and I can’t think of a bad song on this. Unexpected, but 5.
Happy Mondays
4/5
youre twisting my melon man
Talking Heads
5/5
This album slaps. It’s catchy, complex, full of paranoid energy, all the good things. ‘Born Under Punches’ has great rhythm and the chorus just HITS, especially when it comes in during the outro. ‘Crosseyed And Painless’ is sharp and David Byrne has a great performance. ‘The Great Curve’ just stays in motion for the whole 6 and a half minute runtime. ‘Once In A Lifetime’ is a classic. This praise goes on practically throughout the album. Easy 5.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
I don’t know what to say about this one. On one hand, there’s some good stuff I heard throughout, but then again, some parts would be better without the effects, and some are sort of pointless. 3 for neutrality.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Good album. ‘Take Me Out’ is a classic of the early 2000’s, and the rest is nice indie rock.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
had all of their albums now
wish it was more like behavior, but still good
Beck
4/5
Pretty good, like everything I’ve had from Beck. ‘E-Pro’ especially is a good song. The end.
B.B. King
4/5
Nice classic blues. Okay that’s it.
Thundercat
4/5
Great, unique R&B album. ‘Them Changes’ is a really good song I’ve had in my recommendations from time to time, and the rest of the album is of a similar quality. It will probably be a touch dated later down the line, but otherwise, I liked it a lot.
Beatles
5/5
So influential, and songs like ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, and ‘Taxman’ are all excellent. Ok that’s all I have Beatles are hard to talk about.
The Jam
4/5
Pretty good. Not as good as Sound Affects.
The Smiths
5/5
Excellent album. As an album from the Smiths, it’s predictably somewhat whiny, but it has such great songs as ‘I Know It’s Over’, ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’, and especially ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’, which is just purely beautiful. But why did they have to end it with ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’?
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Pretty good glam rock, but not really anything notable about it. Alright.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Pretty alright I guess. Nice to see Bjork before her solo work.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Neil Young is almost always great. I don’t like it as much as his other classics, but it’s still worth listening to.
The Slits
4/5
Classic punk album. ‘Typical Girls’ is really good. I keep getting albums I have nothing interesting to say about.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
1/5
just feels fake
Okay, I was going to give this a 2, but why? What am I giving it credit for? There’s nothing I enjoyed here, so why not give it a 1?
David Holmes
1/5
Woah, two one stars in a row. This is so boring I forgot about once in the morning when I turned it off and forgot it was on and once when I had to finish it in the afternoon and forgot I had it until I went on Spotify to do something else. Also, as other reviews have said, it’s really bad how the guy is Irish but there’s a ton of New Yorkers talking about his street cred. Also, the guy screaming about not being able to release his energy before a song that you wouldn’t be able to release energy to even if you were dancing because of how slow it was was just kind of pitiful.
Paul Simon
5/5
Really good. One of the few times using music from another culture doesn’t feel fake, probably because he doesn’t try to act like it’s his culture. Plus, the songs are really good. 5 stars, and a massive step up compared to Hearts And Bones.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Pretty good, but not really anything that stood out to me. Liked the dog, though.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
Vastly prefer this to Treasure. I love how shoegazey and dreamy it is. It’s just a vibe.
John Coltrane
5/5
Yes the love is very supreme now please get out of my house
The xx
3/5
Pretty good. Not really memorable, though I did enjoy the closing track. Also, it bothers me how it’s technically not a self-titled album due to the lack of a ‘The’.
Big Star
4/5
I like a lot of the stuff on this album, but at the same time, it’s very uneven. My two favorite songs are the insanely sarcastic ‘Thank You Friends’ and the dark ‘Holocaust’. Having ‘Downs’ as the closer instead of one of the more downtempo songs was confusing, though, and there are other flaws (I’m pretty sure the order varies on a lot of versions, but I listened on Spotify). Still good enough for a 4.
TLC
4/5
I don’t know why I would enjoy this album at all, but I do. ‘Waterfalls’ is a great song, and I did not know Andre 3000 was on the last track (this early in his career?). Anyway pretty good.
Radiohead
5/5
I don’t know why I’m getting the most albums from one of my favorite bands, but I like it. This album is really underrated. I love songs like the great ‘There, There’, the cynical ‘A Wolf At The Door’, and the haunting ‘Sail To The Moon’. It doesn’t stop there, and I don’t think there’s any filler on this. This is overall my fourth favorite Radiohead album, actually, behind OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows, so all in all, very good.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
meh
The Bees
2/5
Unique, but maybe most bands don’t want to do low quality loungey stuff with no real effect on the listener.
Elvis Presley
4/5
I don’t feel like many people would want to listen to this just because, but the influence is important. Four stars, though, because five stars is warranted for someone like Little Richard, someone who absolutely kills the mic. Elvis is a good singer, but I can’t like his music as much, since it doesn’t feel as genuine.
Madonna
1/5
No, it’s not.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Meh electronica
Van Morrison
4/5
Pretty good live album, but also pretty long.
Nick Drake
4/5
I like Nick Drake, his songs are chill. This isn’t as good as Pink Moon, and might not be as good as Five Leaves Left, but I still enjoy it a good amount. Also, a few days ago I hit being on here for a whole year (February 1st).
Digital Underground
3/5
rickety raps
The Prodigy
3/5
Cool electronic music, but too long, which wasn’t something I felt about Fat Of The Land, for some reason. These songs just overstay their welcome.
Moby
4/5
Pretty nice mix of blues and electronic in the first half or so, but it loses it towards the end of the album. Nothing on this is bad, so still a 4, but its cohesion starts to fade as it goes on.
Heaven 17
2/5
Eh
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Not nearly as good as Back To Black, though there are a few good songs on here. Way longer than that one, too
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Pretty good, but too long and too many Lynyrd Skynyrd references. Seriously there’s a reference to Lynyrd Skynyrd on every single song basically. Just reference something else from the South, like other country music or eating a ton of meat (more American, but whatever) or (offensive thing the South did as a joke that ends up not panning out the way I expected).
Dire Straits
4/5
Pretty good. That’s pretty much all I have to say.
Van Halen
5/5
You know, I wasn’t expecting to give this a 5, but it’s really good at what it does. The guitar, the vocals, the rhythm, everything. So I guess this is a 5.
Kings of Leon
1/5
Generic sounds, annoying singing, forgettable melodies, the works. Not very good.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Slow songs are somewhat catchy with meh vocals, and funkier ones are very annoying. Did not like the inferior ‘Around The World’ on this list, ‘Get On Top’, or any of the funky songs that played after I stopped paying attention. Yeah, I don’t know why this band is so popular.
ABBA
4/5
Pretty good pop; everyone knows ‘Dancing Queen’, and that’s the best song. The end.
The Pretty Things
4/5
Pretty good, and way less pretentious than most 60’s and 70’s rock operas. There are some songs on here that aren’t that good (‘Loneliest Person’ is definitely very sympathy-inducing and sad), but the good songs make up for most of it.
4/5
Really good punk album. I got a pretty good amount of enjoyment out of this, and it’s really good at what it does.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
this slaps
Suzanne Vega
3/5
No real feelings on this one, it was fine ig
Miles Davis
4/5
You know, this is still a good album, but to be honest, it doesn’t quite reach 5 stars for me. It doesn’t have the same ubiquity or enjoyment of Kind Of Blue, or my personal favorite, In A Silent Way, for that matter (I’ll be getting that later). Still, it’s a weird album that I enjoyed listening to for this.
Aerosmith
3/5
yeah, this is 70’s rock all right
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Less ambient than I thought, but still really good. One of them, I think around 3-5, goes into this cool chiptuney thing around halfway through (like 7 years before chiptune was commonly used in video games). Anyway, good.
Kings of Leon
1/5
I hate this singer so much. He’s just an annoying singer. Like Only By The Night, but without the hits so there’s not even a ‘famous’ factor at play. And there’s one more! Why?
Kraftwerk
4/5
Pretty good, but not as enjoyable as their later work. Basically everything I have to say.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
what do some of these songs mean
but very good
Supergrass
4/5
Surprisingly good. I thought this was going to be generic UK trash, and maybe it is, but I got more out of it than expected. 4, since I don’t remember it that well, but I enjoyed it a good amount.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
More like Venus Luxure No. 2 Baby
Get it cause it sucks
Sex Pistols
4/5
This is enjoyable, but at the same time, this is one of those bands most well-known for the story; come on, I think Sid Vicious doesn’t even play on this, he was so bad at bass. Even then, it’s still a good, low 4-star record.
Iron Butterfly
1/5
Everyone listens to this for the title track, but I really want to talk about the first side. What is there to talk about? NOTHING. There is not one thing I remember about the first side other than it was forgettable and that there was generic psychedelic and a slow song, I think. I don’t even remember the names of any of these songs. They’re just meant to pad space before the title track, which is what everybody bought this for. It’s like including a movie that’s mostly boring with one really good scene in the 1001 Movies list. And unlike there, they can just put it on the 1001 Songs! I really hate this album’s inclusion.
Only 15% of ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ is actually enjoyable, anyway.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
This man’s singing reminds me of James Corden (not a good thing)
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
classic
Prince
5/5
nothing to say but good
Merle Haggard
3/5
60’s country. Yeah, just that. Not like it’s bad, but it doesn’t really differentiate itself from the rest.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Like Murder Ballads with less personality and theme.
Michael Jackson
5/5
hee hee
Jacques Brel
4/5
Probably good songwriting, but France so I don’t know. Still good though.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
Middle of the road rap, not really getting anywhere with its theme.
X-Ray Spex
5/5
I don’t like classic punk as much as others (it has a tendency to blend in with other stuff), but this is good. Like really, really good. The lyrics, the melodies, the singing, all great. Not anything more to say, just very enjoyable.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Cee-Lo Green… Is Not As Good As He Would Have You Believe
Todd Rundgren
1/5
boring
like it felt like time was moving slower and i was trapped listening to this
just desperately wanting to do something else
but I signed up for this
Pavement
5/5
Really good, especially in songs like ‘Summer Babe’ and ‘Here’. I like this type of indie a lot, and it’s done well here, even if some songs aren’t as good.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Average blues, with ‘Piece Of My Heart’ standing out, just with an excellent singer that bumps this up a star.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Good, but somewhat whiney 90’s rock. Yeah, that’s all I feel like saying about it.
The Vines
4/5
Good rock. That’s it that’s all you get
Beth Orton
2/5
whatever
Wilco
5/5
This is one of my favorite albums. First of all, Jeff Tweedy’s voice fits perfectly with the calm, but emotional tone of the album. These songs are so memorable, and I love the soft, but steadily-paced songs such as ‘War On War’ and ‘Heavy Metal Drummer’, which also has a really good transition into it in ‘Ashes Of American Flags’ (not the whole song, but the ending). ‘I Am Trying To Break Your Heart’ has a great vocal performance and is an excellent opener. ‘Jesus, Etc.’ has an instrumental that hits such a mood and some of the best lyrics on the album. I don’t like how ‘Reservations’ has all that whatever at the end, but the song itself is a perfect choice to close out the album. So yeah, very clearly a 5 to me.
Scritti Politti
1/5
I generally don’t hate 80’s British pop, but this is just lifeless. Seriously, this is just all the stock instruments and effects of the era without any soul.
Travis
1/5
Great Value Radiohead
Donald Fagen
2/5
Basically just watered down Steely Dan. Which makes sense since it’s just one member, but whatever. Why is this here?
Sugar
3/5
Typical 90’s rock; decent, but not amazing.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Overall, good music in that old pop style. I have no idea what ‘Makin’ Whoopee’ is, though, and I don’t think I want to.
Aimee Mann
2/5
What do you know, the title perfectly encapsulates my feelings on the album!
Elastica
4/5
Pretty nice, standard rock.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
I don’t know what to say about this one. ‘Sagar’ is really long and boring. That’s it.
Pantera
3/5
One of the few albums I forgot was on the list. It’s classic 90’s metal, but not really super amazing. It also sort of blends together, save a few songs. Still a fine listen, though.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
Standard 90s rock for moms, outside of a few (not good) weird ones like ‘Solidify’, which I guess is trying to be a funk song, and a really annoying one called ‘The Na Na Song’ or something like that (yeah that’s what it’s called I looked it up). Anyway, the rest is bog standard, including ‘All I Wanna Do’, which was better when Weird Al sang it for that polka.
T. Rex
4/5
this slided mell
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
This singer is annoying and the music isn’t that good, either. How ‘Baby’s Got Sauce’ was called the song of the year for 1994, a year with great output from much better bands, is beyond me, considering that I don’t remember a second of it. I don’t remember most of it, because it wasn’t notable enough for me to pay attention to it during my morning activities. I do remember the last song, though. It, like the rest of this album, is bad. This is one of my less bitter 1 star reviews, but it’s not like I have a higher opinion of it.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Pretty good, and kind of funny that he paid off his divorce (I think) with an album being just super bitter about his wife. Long, but I still like it.
Beyoncé
3/5
For the praise it’s gotten, this album didn’t really seem all that special to me. Beyoncé can really sing, and this actually has songs I remember, unlike a lot of other albums, but the production is basic and the lyrics aren’t always as deep as described by critics. Overall, I still like it, but it’s not outstanding.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I don’t really want to say anything about this but it is gpod
5/5
Not only is the music standardly great from the Kinks, but also the lyrics raise some great criticisms of things like war, poverty, and the economy. Basically, an easy 5.
Blue Cheer
4/5
One of the better albums of this era that I’ve gotten, both due to its influence and its length. It’s a precursor to metal, and it’s pretty fun. Most importantly, though, it’s just not boring. I would hate this if it were a double album, but 30 minutes is just fine.
Robbie Williams
2/5
He sounds like the Pet Shop Boys singer if he went into generic rock instead of cool synthpop
Foo Fighters
4/5
You know, I always listened to this band when I was little - really little, before I was in kindergarten. I went to one of their shows in 2021, too. They were really the band that got me into music. And I think that might be largely due to just how fun it is. It’s not the most unique, but it’s fast and memorable. That being said, this isn’t as good as some of their other work, so it’s a 4.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Pretty good alt rock. Not as good as Rid Of Me, which I heard on the RS500 when I did that, or the 2011 one that I can’t quite remember the name of - Let England Shake, I think? (yeah I got it right good job me) Anyway, 3 stars seems appropriate.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Really good. Nothing more to say, but I did realize that her (and Neil Young’s) music is back on Spotify, so I don’t have to listen to YouTube ads in between.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
i sure do love mediocre 60’s music
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Pretty good mix of indie and country, with some weird lyrics at times (slant rhyming ‘cold’ with ‘nose’ in the first song basically felt like a non-sequitur). The end.
FKA twigs
3/5
Generally pretty okay, with nice production but not super unique melodies. One song I think was called ‘Two Weeks’ I remember from an annoying ad, though, so there’s that.
Liz Phair
3/5
There’s some pretty good indie rock on this album, and there’s some not so good stuff. One of the songs I remember most is ‘Flower’, which isn’t good because I really really don’t like it. Anyway 3
Frank Black
5/5
This is really great. Reminds me a lot of the Pixies (because he was the singer), but a bit different. On consecutive songs ‘Superabound’ and ‘Big Red’, his vocals remind me of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits, respectively, but with far different music and more of a Pixies sound. Something about this album that I like in music is it switching between songs quickly. There are still some that get to shine, but it has a nice energy to it. The end
Cypress Hill
3/5
Pretty good rap. That’s it I’m sorry
Frank Zappa
5/5
This is really good. The songs are intricate, unpredictable at times, and memorable. It is carried by the first side, and ‘The Gumbo Variations’ runs a bit long, but it’s still very good.
The Cure
4/5
Some really good stuff on here, especially ‘A Forest’. Not quite as good as Disintegration, but I got more out of it than a lot of other albums lately, considering that I’ve kind of gotten a bit bored with it (on weekends, at least; I’m fine listening to it when I’m getting ready).
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
I didn’t necessarily hate it, but I wanted it to end by the fourth to last song, so that is not good. Obviously. Bye bye
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Music to be played in the background of a low-tier Caribbean resort, because it fits the vibe and no one really listens to it anyway. Except for the parade one. That was a real mood killer.
The Who
5/5
This is just a great album from one of the best 60’s/70’s rock bands. The commercial theme really ties it together, and these songs are great for their time, such as ‘I Can See For Miles’, one of the catchiest and heaviest songs from this year, or ‘Rael’, a precursor to their general pretentiousness later on. All in all, very good.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Foxbase Br
New York Dolls
4/5
(I accidentally clicked vote in the middle of writing the last review so now it makes no sense)
This is good early punk. It does feel more like fast rock than later stuff, but that’s what I think of it. I like it, but I don’t really have something interesting to say about it.
The Coral
3/5
The thing about this album is that some songs are better than a lot of others on this list and some absolutely suck. For example, I enjoyed the second song, but the last song was just annoying. At least I didn’t have to listen to the hidden track that’s not on Spotify (I wouldn’t have anyway).
Neil Young
4/5
This is a good album, and I like how he mentions the people he’s mourning by name instead of just ‘he’ or a fake name - it grounds it in realism more and makes it feel more genuine when you know exactly who the subjects of the song are. That being said, a lot of the songs here just aren’t as good as some on his other albums; I prefer this to Ragged Glory and, to an extent, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, but I otherwise don’t get as much out of it as others of his.
Björk
4/5
Good, but really long for having only 9 songs. It hits a vibe, but I would have liked to see this being around 10 minutes shorter.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
I like some of their more popular songs (two of which are on here), but as an album, it’s not the best. At worst, the songs are just okay, but it’s not really cohesive, so I’ll give it a 3.
The Young Gods
2/5
these guys aren’t even from france
Scott Walker
2/5
I didn’t hate it, so not a 1, but I really didn’t get anything out of this album. It’s like a crooner so except he swears so most people who do listen to that type of music wouldn’t really listen to this. That’s really it. It’s just kind of nothing for me, even though the lyrics are alright.
Mike Ladd
3/5
Pretty good rap. It’s not really anything special, but it was fine to listen to in the morning. That’s it again I’m not being good at writing reviews lately
Pavement
5/5
Pretty good. I like the singles especially, and it has a good vibe while being more accessible than its predecessor.
George Harrison
4/5
Some really good stuff on here; I would’ve loved to see more from him on a lot of actual Beatles stuff. However, it’s just so LONG. This would have been great as a single or even double album, but at 2 hours long it just started to feel like a slog. That being said, the first few songs on this album are really good, and more good ones pop up throughout.
Yes
4/5
Fairy enjoyable, but the songs are, for the most part, really long, but they’re not as engaging as those on Fragile. It’s a good album, but I wouldn’t mind if it was cut for some other prog album from a new band.
Suede
4/5
Weird cover. Anyways this is a bit better than their debut, with a few good songs on it.
Elis Regina
4/5
Not in English.
1/5
Seriously, though, this was an enjoyable album. There are nice melodies, and every song is at least good.
The Black Keys
3/5
This album is fine. There’s not really much notable about it, it’s just fine. I knew The Black Keys were fuzz rock, but I don’t really like the blues direction on this one.
Terence Trent D'Arby
5/5
I really wasn’t expecting give this 5 stars, but it’s honestly just really enjoyable pop music, even if the claim of being the best album since Sgt. Pepper’s. Just a nice treat from the generator - kind of like Rio, except I would have never listened to this otherwise.
N.W.A.
4/5
Good and influential rap and beats that aged very poorly in some parts (see ‘I Ain’t Tha 1’). End of review
Stereolab
5/5
To be completely honest, this is like the Terence Trent D’Arby album in that it’s just really enjoyable. I always thought Stereolab was an electronic band that people said was good but was really just fine, but this album is actually really unique rock. I especially liked songs like ‘Cybele’s Reverie’, ‘The Noise Of Carpet’, and the title track. This just felt refreshing compared to generic stuff I’ve been getting lately.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
There isn’t a bad song on this, but it almost completely just blends together, largely lacking differentiation between the sad slow songs, with the exception of the bridge in the second to last song, which comes too late to really spice things up anyways. 3 because it’s all enjoyable, but it just doesn’t work as an album.
Morrissey
4/5
This is a good album but why does he have 4
Portishead
4/5
Weird, but I for some reason don’t like it as much as other weird stuff on this project. I like the dark feeling on this album, though.
Fugazi
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot. That’s it but I liked it
The Cars
5/5
Almost every song on this album hits like a single. That should tell you enough.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Honestly, this is just a good classic soul album. It doesn't hold any significance to me, but it was a nice listen while making myself breakfast, and that’s what I wanted today.
The Darkness
3/5
Probably doesn’t deserve to be here, but it was a fun enough listen for 40 minutes.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
It seems a bit wrong to listen to his dying album only having listened to one of his others (his first one, too), but it’s an interesting contrast between the two. This gets overshadowed by Blackstar in terms of 2016 death albums, but it’s still a great look into one of the greatest songwriters’ outlook in his last days.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
The worst music on any of his albums I’ve gotten so far, but consistently good lyrics all around. ‘Jazz Police’ is the biggest exception to that, but it’s musically engaging enough to not be a slog. Songs like ‘First We Take Manhattan’, ‘Everybody Knows’, and the title track are really good in the departments of both lyrics and their general vibes. This is the end of the review. I didn’t have a good way of doing it.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This might have been better as a shorter album, but I still like it. Obviously, it peaks in the last two songs, but the rest is pretty good. However, it does run long. Some songs are also forgettable.
Eagles
3/5
This is fine, but I can see why the top 7 reviews are all saying or referencing the quote from The Big Lebowski. It’s really not remarkable, but they somehow became one of the biggest bands of the 70’s. ‘Take It Easy’ is the best songs here, end of review.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Honestly, just If You’re Feeling Sinister but a bit worse.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
fine ig
Anthrax
4/5
I’ve learned that I generally like higher pitched metal vocalists than lower ones from this project (like this or Iron Maiden). This is just a fun album to listen to - who doesn’t like a good metal album?
The Only Ones
4/5
Pretty good. I have nothing to say today.
Meat Loaf
5/5
This is just such an entertaining album. It’s just so theatric that it never ceases to be great. Im done
Air
4/5
Pretty good, especially for a soundtrack. It hits a vibe that I generally like. End of having to say things.
Joanna Newsom
4/5
It doesn’t connect with me on a personal level (though it might someday), but it held my attention and I enjoyed it, even when the shortest song was still nearly 8 minutes long. I also got used to her voice after a few lines, so I don’t have a problem with that.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
The title song was important in rap, but it’s only one out of seven songs on this album. For the rest, I was honestly more interested in the instrumentals than the actual rapping. A fine album, but one that’s probably in here because of its influence instead of its quality.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Pretty enjoyable folk. I’m mostly surprised at the generally positive reaction in the top reviews given the general opinions of people on old British music.
The Triffids
2/5
This hits like the music playing on the radio in an older relative’s car.
D'Angelo
3/5
Some nice music, but not really anything warranting listening to the full album. I’ll give it a 3, though, because it doesn’t deserve the same rating as Calenture, which I rated yesterday.
Nitin Sawhney
1/5
who listens to this
Like sure, some of the jazzier stuff is fine, but tell me anyone’s favorite song is ‘Nadia’ or ‘Serpents’. None of this is artistically bankrupt or anything, but it seems like the artist put no effort into actually making this something people want to listen to. This made me feel nothing, and unlike other albums I could say that to, I really see no appeal to this. Probably the 1 star album I have the least hatred of, but who is this for?
The Verve
2/5
very british
The Police
5/5
One of those ‘nothing wrong with it’ albums - all the songs on here are good except ‘Mother’, and that song’s weird enough to not be a waste of time. End.
The Who
4/5
Pretty enjoyable, but at the same time, the plot is convoluted, doesn’t really come to a satisfying conclusion, and kind of jumps from point to point. It’s like he does a thing, his parents are concerned about this aspect of his life, it introduces a random family member that’s basically just evil and then leaves for the remainder of the story, he’s really good at pinball (very random but hey it makes for the best song on the album), he regains his senses, then he becomes a leader who immediately gets rejected. It just feels lacking in the progression department. Still very influential, though.
Meat Puppets
4/5
pretty good
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
doesn’t deserve as much praise as it gets
it’s fine though
White Denim
4/5
This seemed like an album that people mostly wouldn’t like on this site, like a lot of albums that were added later on, but everyone likes it. I agree with this opinion - it’s just some good rock. By the way, this band is from my home state, Texas, and it got me thinking how people just tend to sum it up to cowboys and stuff (not the worst stereotype about the state, but whatever). I was at a local Italian place the other day, and this guy with a guitar and a cowboy hat showed up, said this was his second show in Texas, and started playing the karaoke versions of songs on an iPad, singing, and barely playing the guitar. It wasn’t very good. But yeah I like this album.
Hugh Masekela
5/5
Nice jazz to listen to in the morning, no real flaws.
Pixies
5/5
I really like this album but I honestly don’t want to review it today so this is the review now
Everything But The Girl
1/5
This is the music they play in hotel lobbies. I was going to give this a 2, as I was eating breakfast and not really having to give this my full attention, but then I was done and had to actually listen to the last 3 songs and oh, no. They felt longer than the 9 songs I didn’t actively listen to as much, they are that boring. And I listened enough to know that they’re the same exact type of music, that they’re basically the same songs, the same boring songs, and this 1 star rating is for all the people who had to actively listen to this for an excruciating 45 minutes. And also since it got me specifically so bored but still.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Not bad, but did we really need pre-Pet Sounds Beach Boys on the list?
David Gray
2/5
It’s not like it’s bad, but why?
The Stooges
4/5
Good proto-punk, worse than Fun House, ‘We Will Fall’ sucks, end.
The Fall
3/5
not actually live, 0/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
What do you want me to say?
2/5
Weird, but not really entertainingly weird. Just kind of nothing experimental music.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
This album honks, tonks, etc. That’s a fun way of saying I don’t know how to talk about this album but it’s pretty good.
Little Simz
4/5
Pretty good, but I don’t feel like writing a review right now. Again.
Raekwon
3/5
There’s nothing wrong with it and I like the mafia (I think) aspect, but this never stood out to me like other Wu-Tang projects for some reason.
John Grant
5/5
I just enjoyed this album a lot. It was cool how the title track at the end had parts that were way more intense than the rest of the album, and it the ninth song was an interesting juxtaposition of music and lyrics. But I’m just giving it five stars because of the enjoyment factor.
1/5
Why?
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Crazy how much better this is than Something/Anything, but it combines better songs with not being 7 years long.
Chicago
3/5
Sure. Enjoyable enough outside of the guitar feedback one, and even that wasn’t as bad as I expected.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Probably the best one from him. I mean, if there weren’t five others from him, I think this album would have better reviews.
Janis Joplin
5/5
Janis Joplin’s singing is just really, really good. Like really good.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Pretty good. I don’t want to review at the moment so this is all you get.
Kate Bush
3/5
it’s fine
Bobby Womack
4/5
Pretty good soul. I really like ‘Stand Up’. I am lazy and never want to write a review so sorry ig
The Monkees
4/5
Pretty enjoyable actually. The end.
Klaxons
4/5
Better than I expected. The first song was my favorite, and the last song felt like it should have been in the middle of the album.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
I don’t know how to feel about this one. The music wasn’t that memorable, but it worked, and the guy never leaving the mic alone was weird, but I didn’t hate it. It’s also a concept album, which is ALSO weird but it’s not like the main concept is supported by the artist. I liked how it was under 30 minutes, though. I’ve been getting a lot of short albums lately. Time to suddenly get hit by 69 Love Songs or The Gershwin Songbook.
Napalm Death
2/5
Kind of just hit me as a worse version of thrash metal, though I know that this is influential.
The Charlatans
3/5
This is the definition of an eh British album that probably shouldn’t be here but I don’t mind it.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
On par with most other jazz from this list, so it’s good enough for at least 4 stars, although it wouldn’t be my first choice when listening to jazz.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Good rap I don’t want to talk about.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
It’s fine. I’m pretty sure most of the songs are in the completely wrong order, but whatever. I doubt it would affect my rating.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Weirdly enough, I wasn’t really a fan of the first two songs, but then it just got better and stayed better from ‘Funtime’ onward. It’s kind of like a David Bowie album, just a bit different, which makes sense considering the fact that he produced this, not to mention the fact that he’s basically as important as Pop in the backstory and production of this album. Anyway, pretty good. I think Lust For Life is generally considered better than this one, so that could be 5 stars, but I’ll have to see.
Metallica
3/5
It’s enjoyable enough. It’s kind of worse as an album than if you were to listen to any of the songs alone, though, since most of the songs are in the same key and the instrumentation generally shifts between one type of heavy and the occasional soft. Still fine, though.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
There’s some good stuff on here, but I also feel like a lot of it is just John Lydon trying to feel cool/different by making weird songs and lyrics.
ZZ Top
3/5
Pretty good at being music you think of when thinking of Texan music.
The Verve
2/5
Oh, thank goodness this generic British album is here! I don’t know what I would do if it wasn’t!
Leonard Cohen
4/5
A bit worse than his first when talking about early Leonard Cohen, but still good. ‘The Butcher’ kind of sucks, though.
Sade
4/5
Enjoyable listen - nice and smooth. I don’t really have anything else to say on this.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I mean, it’s good, but it doesn’t really need to be here in comparison to his other stuff. I’m fine with its inclusion, and I don’t mind representing modern Dylan (not to mention this probably deserves inclusion more than his live album), but it didn’t hit me in the way some of his others do. I guess I just prefer the acoustic stuff that really lets you sink into the lyrics, and this just doesn’t feel like that. It’s also just that older Bob Dylan’s singing isn’t that good, especially from an artist whose vocals were already often criticized. Finally, ‘Highlands’ is fine, but for being a 16 minute closer, it really doesn’t hit like other long closers from him, such as ‘Desolation Row’.
The Doors
4/5
I generally prefer the sound on their first album to the blues on this one, but it’s still good, with some great songs, especially the two long ones, those being the title track and ‘Riders On The Storm’. That being said, there is a lot of forgettable material on the album and it is somewhat derivative, but I like it nonetheless.
Sonic Youth
5/5
It’s crazy how Sonic Youth has five albums on this list and I’m getting my first one over 500 days in, nearly halfway through. The thing about this is that I’m not the biggest fan of this - I still like it, but I don’t necessarily love it - but its influence cannot be overstated. Since it’s still a good album on top of that, I feel like it still deserves 5 stars.
James Brown
5/5
Just really good. The band is playing almost perfectly and the energy is great. Yeah that’s it basically
Bert Jansch
4/5
Pretty good, saw a review that said this was similar to Nick Drake, and I have to agree. Just the acoustic guitar and some vocals, for the most part.
John Martyn
2/5
The definition of an okay, unremarkable album.
2Pac
4/5
Just classic rap. Not as amazing as other albums from this time period, but still good.
Rod Stewart
2/5
why does rod stewart have two albums on this list
The Damned
4/5
Very good punk.
Barry Adamson
4/5
Honestly, I know why people don’t like this, but I actually found it pretty unique and enjoyable. This is an album that you need to listen to when doing something, though, because it’s just kind of weird to sit down to listen to something like this.
The Undertones
4/5
Enjoyable, with good instrumentation, singing, and lyrics. The definition of ‘pretty good’.
Primal Scream
2/5
eh
GZA
4/5
Yeah, everyone knows this is good.
Minor Threat
5/5
Very good, very influential. I’m sorry I just don’t want to write these things sometimes.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Definitely unique. I like the uniqueness of it, but it’s still not the best. Between a 3 and a 4, but I’m giving it a 3 because of the whole sampling problem on this. (It’s mentioned in some of the other reviews).
Leonard Cohen
5/5
This album really hit, especially in songs like ‘Avalanche’, ‘Dress Rehearsal Rag’, and ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’. ‘Dress Rehearsal Rag’ especially is just so dark and hateful. Honestly, probably my favorite of his albums here. It’s also weird that I got all of them in the first half of this project.
David Bowie
5/5
I don’t know what to say about this one but 5 stars. It’s a hard listen for a lot of people just because of what it is, but many people have better things to say on it than I ever could.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Good. I don’t want to take time reviewing today though so this is all you get.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
yeah pretty good
honestly not as good as a lot of his other stuff though
Elbow
2/5
alright album
Sam Cooke
5/5
The energy, performance, and vibes are all on point, with this also being an excellent way to represent an influential artist with big singles without adding an album that doesn’t really belong just because of some songs on it.
The Undertones
3/5
Pretty good, but Hypnotised is better and also on this list, so I think just that one would be better.
Goldfrapp
2/5
the whole time it just felt like waiting for it to end
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Honestly, every song on this album is at least good, so I feel like I can give it this, even if it’s not necessarily a favorite.
5/5
Good stuff
Spiritualized
3/5
It’s okay
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Pretty good. She has a unique voice (even if it makes everyone think it’s a man singing, which is understandable) and the songs are interesting. 3 stars, but more in the way of ‘pretty good, but doesn’t warrant 4’ than ‘this album is just okay’.
Arcade Fire
5/5
man its just really good
Brian Eno
4/5
Not bad, and I gave it an extra star for being influential, but who has this as their favorite Brian Eno album on the list?
John Prine
4/5
Lyrics are very good. Music is eh though
Santana
4/5
It’s just nice to have an album that’s most well known for its guitar that doesn’t suck (the album, not the guitar). Seriously, how hard is it to have an album mostly based around good guitar that’s not self-indulgent crap?
Love
3/5
It’s fine.
The Zombies
4/5
is good
The Mothers Of Invention
5/5
How was this even legal to release in 1966? It’s absolutely bonkers to look at the albums this predates. I mean, this would be insane in 1976, let alone 10 years earlier. It’s pretty good too so that’s nice
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
The songs are pretty good, but it feels like the effect that runs throughout the whole album was added after they were created to give it more ‘flavor’. It honestly makes the songs worse, anyway; I’d rather hear versions of these songs where you can focus on the vocals and melodies. btw this is better than darklands but i rated that a 4 for some reason
The White Stripes
4/5
Pretty good. That being said, Elephant is easily their best on the list.
Django Django
4/5
Pretty good. I never have anything interesting to say about these albums, but it was, in fact, good.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Not really the biggest fan of country, but this was good and I don’t mind its inclusion.
Megadeth
4/5
The definition of ‘pretty good metal I didn’t love but enjoyed listening to’.
Turbonegro
3/5
I mean, it’s no one’s favorite album, but it’s fun.
The Hives
2/5
If you were going to break your own rules and include a compilation, the least you could have done is make it a good one.
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
Pretty good classic rap. Not one of the all-time greats, but a nice listen nonetheless.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
is fine
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
The hits are good. The other songs are slightly less good. It’s a 4.
Adele
3/5
semaluhtounuyulohowwah
Destiny's Child
3/5
Getting a real hot streak of decent albums lately. Like it’s all 3s give me something I can get enthusiastic about. This is alright though, enjoyable enough.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
This is good.
Slipknot
3/5
The thing is that this is both a good album and a bad one. This album can be really prolonged and not have the best lyrics, but it’s still enjoyable, and I liked the most melodic parts the most (Snuff, Dead Memories, the chorus of Psychosocial). There’s both a 2 star album and a 4 star album in this, so I think a 3 is warranted.
The Doors
3/5
I like some songs on here, but I’d be fine having only one Doors album (their debut), and even with 3, why no Strange Days? Like I’m not mad about it or anything, but that would make way more sense to include than this album. It’s still fine though.
The Waterboys
2/5
Very Irish. Why do I like the Pogues but not this?
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
It’s fine, but I didn’t love it. It doesn’t have the consistent quality of Born To Run or just the general vibes of Nebraska, but it’s still a fine album.
Giant Sand
3/5
Chore of an album hahahahahahhahaha
It was fine.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Yeah it’s good. Songs are fun, and beats are cool.
Pulp
4/5
Pretty good, especially for British music on the list, but a few songs just made me kind of uncomfortable (the song Underwear comes to mind). That being said, I still like it, and Common People is really good.
Missy Elliott
3/5
It’s fine
Fever Ray
4/5
Vocals are kind of weird, but I didn’t dislike them, and the music is really cool.
Nirvana
5/5
Yeah, I have a generic opinion on this album.
Dr. Dre
3/5
The thing about this album is that while it is very influential, it also doesn’t hold up as well as some of the other albums made around this time. I never disliked it (outside of the doctor’s office skit, which has no discernible reason for existing and just made me uncomfortable), but I feel like 3 stars is good for an important album that isn’t as good as others.
The Offspring
4/5
It’s definitely not a masterpiece, but it’s just really fun.
3/5
U2 just makes me feel nothing. Like, it’s fine, but I just don’t care.
Can
4/5
Kind of not what I’m into, but still very good.
Roxy Music
4/5
Enjoyable. I don’t have any deep thoughts on this album or anything, it’s just enjoyable.
Thelonious Monk
5/5
Yeah, most 50’s jazz on here is really good.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Pretty good. I really need to get more locked in when listening to these albums.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Not as good as Sound of Silver, but still good. I think call the police (none of the songs here have capitalization, I’m not just being lazy) was my favorite song on here.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
This is exactly what it looks like it is.
Underworld
3/5
I mean, it’s not bad, but it’s still standard British electronica.
Morrissey
3/5
The thing is that all of his albums here are fine, but there are way too many.
The Soft Boys
5/5
I enjoyed this one a lot. It’s just really good I don’t know what to say about it
Beastie Boys
5/5
It’s fun, catchy, unique, all the good stuff, basically.
Iggy Pop
4/5
It’s pretty good. I don’t think it’s worth five stars, but I like it.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Why is this on the list?
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
is good
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
please give me an album i have opinions on
Dolly Parton
3/5
It’s pretty good.
Talk Talk
3/5
I felt nothing about this album. Please just give me one I can talk about. Also I think this is album 600 cool
Beatles
4/5
This album is way better than I remember. I thought it was just okay, like a lot of their other early albums, but it’s actually very catchy and good.
Nirvana
5/5
It’s one of the highest rated albums on the site, everyone knows it’s good.
Dagmar Krause
3/5
It’s totally fine, but it’s way less interesting than a lot of other weird albums with low ratings. Also it’s not on Spotify which is really annoying.
a-ha
3/5
It was enjoyable. ‘Take On Me’ is iconic. Yeah that’s it
Garbage
5/5
I wish I could say ‘this title is accurate lol’ and get on with my day but this is actually really good
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
shame he never made a second album called moar
Donovan
2/5
Honestly, I have like no feelings on this album.
Arcade Fire
5/5
yeah arcade fire is just really good
Randy Newman
4/5
I feel bad for Randy Newman. He did songs with important topics and great lyrics and now everyone knows him as the Toy Story guy.
Patti Smith
4/5
I know it’s influential and stuff, but I don’t really enjoy it as much as others. I’ll still give it an extra star, though, because of its influence and uniqueness.
William Orbit
2/5
Just very boring.
Mylo
3/5
Probably doesn’t deserve to be here, but it’s good for what it is.
Pulp
5/5
I really liked this, other than the fact that roughly the last seventh of the album is just the last chord of the last song held out for 10 minutes. That was stupid but I still really liked this
Cornershop
2/5
It’s just not very interesting. I didn’t dislike this, but I probably won’t ever listen to it again.
The Smiths
4/5
My least favorite Smiths album here, but it’s still fine.
Gary Numan
5/5
This is just an enjoyable and unique album. I like all the songs on it, and it has a feel that’s different from the others I’ve gotten on this list.
Bee Gees
2/5
It doesn’t bother me, but this has no real reason to be here.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Every song on this just hits right.
The Stranglers
4/5
I enjoyed this one. I don’t actually want to do a review right now. Again.
Massive Attack
4/5
Mezzanine should be here instead, but this album is fine.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
I don’t particularly like this, but I appreciate the weird 80sness of it.
The Who
5/5
I feel like this is one of those classic albums that everyone knows is a classic album. The Who are iconic, and I think this is their generally agreed-upon best album (though I have seen some differing opinions).
The Byrds
3/5
I’m fine with this, but I didn’t really get anything out of it.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I keep getting 70’s classics, and I have no problem with that. This is just a collection of great songs, and I’m fine with that.
Death In Vegas
3/5
I didn’t get the most enjoyment out of this, but it’s way more original than most of the other 90’s albums I’d never heard of before this list, so that’s nice.
Steve Winwood
2/5
Not actively trash, but why is this here
Barry Adamson
3/5
Like his other album on the list, I like this fine. However, it’s really not a good idea to put two albums by the same artist that fill such a specific niche on the list, especially since it could easily be argued that neither of them deserve to be there.
Tina Turner
3/5
I like the melodies and singing, but it’s just so 80’s sounding, and that cover of Help is more like the lyrics of the original song over a completely different melody.
Muddy Waters
4/5
WHAT again!?
This is pretty good though
Kanye West
5/5
Kanye’s not a good person, but he’s a really good artist. And I’d consider this his worst album on the list.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
This is an okay album, but nothing special.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
This album is fine. The songs are all of decent quality but not that notable, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. I don’t have any strong feelings on it, but I guess I’m okay with it being here.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Aretha Franklin is just a great singer. It’s not perfect, but it’s good that she has a couple of albums here (and that her full albums are still good enough to deserve inclusion).
Primal Scream
3/5
I’m not really a big fan of this, but it’s good at what it is.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
I’m fine with this. It’s enjoyable country and not much more (in my eyes), but that’s okay.
Fela Kuti
4/5
A great mix of political criticism and good music.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Good. It’s interesting that the second to last song is more of an 8-minute speech than a song, and I didn’t like that this wasn’t on streaming (not that I docked it any points for that), especially considering that a majority of Gil Scott-Heron’s work was.
Stephen Stills
2/5
The definition of mid. There is absolutely nothing special about this album. The instrumentals are technically good, but don’t make me feel anything, and the singing isn’t good, but it’s not bad enough to warrant talking about. Plus, this is a double album. And no, the second half doesn’t really differentiate itself from the first at all.
Miles Davis
5/5
“If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis” - my mom every time I mention Miles Davis
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Pretty fun but also pretty weird. I still enjoy this a good amount, though.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Country is weird for me since I never love nor hate any of it here. It’s all just fine.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
Better than his solo album but not that much better. I don’t think Clapton being on the list at all is necessary, and if he needs to be, Disraeli Gears should be the one chosen, since it’s at least a decent album. But yeah this is just a nothing album to me
New Order
4/5
I enjoyed this. It’s just high-quality new wave. Yeah I don’t have any ideas for this review honestly
4/5
This is nice and groovy. I have nothing more to say again.
The xx
2/5
I just don’t like the vibes this is giving off. It has those kind of fake-feeling modern vocals, which is a turn-off for me in most cases, and the instrumentals aren’t really notable. Also, since they had another album on the list, it seems pointless to take it out and replace it with a worse one (I think that’s what happened).
Circle Jerks
3/5
This is fine, and it’s probably the shortest album on the list, which is nice. Goofy name though
Ice Cube
4/5
It’s good, but the hate against women at times has not aged well at all, so I have to retract a star for that.
The Style Council
3/5
I liked a lot of the stuff on this, but then there was some stupid 80’s stuff. What was it doing there? It doesn’t fit the rest of the album at all, and it just served to make me remove a star. That being said, the softer stuff is nice.
Red Snapper
2/5
There’s nothing bad on this album, but it’s really forgettable.
Dinosaur Jr.
5/5
This is actually very good. I saw them live a few months ago (being one of the openers for Weezer) and it was my least favorite of the three bands that were there, but it was still pretty good, and the stacked amps were unique (they only played the first song from this album, by the way). That being said, I much prefer their studio stuff. This has the same energy without being too loud to get more melodies, and I overall prefer the vibes this album gives me. And yeah, I have Bug as a 3, but I had a bad headache that day so I was probably misjudging it.
Hookworms
2/5
gotta respect robert dimery for actively seeking this out and adding it in instead of better 2018 albums that people have actually heard of
Bon Jovi
3/5
This album surprised me. I thought I was going to hate it, or at least dislike it, but if I were to describe it in one word, it would be ‘decent’. It’s enjoyable, but nothing really great. You can make an argument for it deserving to be here, but it’s not a must-have. All the songs are fine, but nothing rises above that. I understand why someone would give this 1 star, and I also understand why someone would give it 5. Overall, this is just an alright album.
ZZ Top
3/5
This is a fun album, but not much more than that. I’m fine with it, but it’s not an album that I really like.
Genesis
4/5
This is pretty good, but it wasn’t that striking to me.
Slipknot
2/5
This one was just such a nothing album to me. I enjoyed some of ‘Wait And Bleed’ and remember absolutely nothing else. I kind of liked their other album, but this one was just too Slipknot for me to at all care about.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
I know they were a famous jam band, but I don’t want to sit through over an hour of it. I did the math, and the average song length on the album is around 11 minutes. That’s not always bad, but here, it’s just boring.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
This is just a nice album. It was fun to listen to, but not a masterpiece, so it’s a 4.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I’ve listened to Loveless before and really liked it, but this just didn’t hit me. I don’t know what it is about the album, but it just feels lesser.
John Martyn
3/5
It’s fine, but I don’t know why he has two albums on this list. I had never heard of him before this project.
George Michael
4/5
A good album that’s mostly made up of hits. Kind of in the same boat as Thriller, but not quite as good.
Mercury Rev
5/5
I liked this way more than I expected. All the songs are good, and it’s pretty different from other albums on the list.
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
This is an enjoyable album, which gets it 4 stars, but it doesn’t rise much above the other 80’s new wave albums from the UK.
Carole King
5/5
I don’t know what to say but this is just really really good
Dion
3/5
Why? There’s nothing wrong with this album, but what did it do to warrant inclusion? This is the definition of just okay.
American Music Club
3/5
I thought it was going to be some new wave album and it wasn’t, so that’s cool. Still, it’s good, but not something I’m dying to relisten to anytime soon.
Sepultura
4/5
Like if Slipknot was way better and also had Brazilian influence. This is a really good and unique listen.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
yeah i have no idea what the point of this being here is
R.E.M.
4/5
No particular thoughts on this one but REM is pretty good
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
One of the most influential albums, and it still holds up.
Tricky
3/5
It’s fine. Nothing really stood out to me, but it’s fine.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Why is this so popular? I can’t really remember a lot of songs on here besides the hits, and it’s so unnecessarily long. The musicians are good, but I do not like Anthony Kiedis as a vocalist. I prefer Californication, just because a lot of stuff on that is slower, and they tend to do that better than their usual style.
N.E.R.D
3/5
This is a fun album, but it’s not perfect. I am tired and am too lazy to write an actual review.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This is just really good. I’m too lazy to elaborate but it’s really good.
Bee Gees
2/5
why do the bee gees have two albums and neither are the ones with songs people like
Suicide
1/5
I understand this is ahead of its time, but I am genuinely concerned for anyone who actually listens to this in their free time.
Fiona Apple
4/5
I like this. It has good lyrics. I’ve actually now listened to every Fiona Apple album now - the RS500 has 3 and this one has 2, she has 5 albums, and there is no overlap between the two lists.
Erykah Badu
3/5
I don’t particularly like this style of music, but this is fine.
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
This is good and unique. I really hope I have something interesting to say about the next one.
Neu!
4/5
This is an interesting album that I once again do not want to talk about at length. I feel the need to write a review for everything, but sometimes I don’t want to.
The Fall
2/5
what is this doing here
The Monks
3/5
The instrumentation here is still pretty good and ahead of its time, but at the same time, I really don’t like the vocals. I honestly would have preferred this as an instrumental album, considering how much the vocals just take you out of the experience. I get why they’re like this, but I really don’t like them. Anyway, I feel like three stars is good for this one.
Public Enemy
4/5
Not as good as their two other albums on the list, but I still like this. Also, the metal version of Bring The Noise goes hard.
Aerosmith
2/5
It’s just an Aerosmith album. Like, nothing here stands out to me, but there’s nothing that wrong with it. That being said, I’ll give this a 2. I can see why Aerosmith would get one album here, but three is too much (and this would definitely not be the one album anyway).
The Human League
3/5
It’s fine, but I’m just not that into it.
Richard Hawley
3/5
It’s alright, and definitely different than what I expected. I don’t have much to say on this though.
Beach House
4/5
I like this. All the songs on it are good. Also, it feels weird hearing the original sample from Money Trees by Kendrick Lamar, considering the fact that I’m so familiar with that song. In conclusion, this is again pretty good.
Moby Grape
3/5
Like, it’s okay, but I do not at all care about this album.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
I really like A Tribe Called Quest, and this is a good album. There’s nothing really wrong with it, but I don’t feel like it’s good enough for a 5 (Low End Theory is, though).
The Clash
5/5
yeah this is really good
The Birthday Party
1/5
who listens to this
Ian Dury
2/5
I hate this guy’s voice, and the music’s not that good, anyway. And I mean his voice really really sucks.
Ute Lemper
2/5
It’s not good, but I don’t understand the sheer vitriolic reaction to this one. A lower average rating than Suicide? It’s bland, but it’s not that bad.
ABBA
4/5
Not necessarily my thing, but still enjoyable.
Sparks
4/5
Before I listen to this I just want to say that it’s very silly that I got the album with Thank God It’s Not Christmas on literal Christmas Day.
This is a fun album, but I don’t love it. I feel like this is a 4 from those traits. That’s the end.
Fishbone
4/5
I enjoy this. I’ve been getting a lot of albums that I enjoy but don’t necessarily love lately. But yeah I don’t have much to say on this clearly
Bill Callahan
4/5
Not my favorite, but enjoyable, with good lyrics.
Mudhoney
4/5
Good rock music that I enjoy, but don’t love. Also on Spotify the deluxe is stupid - for those who don’t want to listen to the whole thing, the original album is tracks 4-9.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I completely understand why one would love this album even though I feel like it’s just fine. It’s 4 stars I have nothing else to say
Nina Simone
5/5
An amazing voice singing some great songs. My favorites would probably be Four Women and the title track. To my ears, it’s a 4, but I know this deserves a 5.
Rush
4/5
It’s pretty good. I don’t have much else to say. It’s cool how I got my 700th album on New Year’s Eve though.
Stan Getz
4/5
There’s not really anything I love on this album, but the whole thing just has good vibes.
James Taylor
3/5
There’s nothing bad about it, but I am never revisiting this thing. There isn’t anything I really find special here.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
While it’s not necessarily my type of music, this is still good for what it is, and it’s way different from most other stuff on the list.
Slayer
4/5
Not a masterpiece, but a fun listen. None of the songs are very distinct from one another, but it flows really well, and I like that it’s just a solid 30 minutes of fast metal. If it were longer, I wouldn’t like it as much, but I think it works really well as a short album.
David Crosby
2/5
How did this completely unremarkable album that I would have never heard of if not for this list make it in?
Dr. John
4/5
This is just an interesting and unique one. It’s fun to listen to, and that’s enough.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
I didn’t like this a ton at first, but later songs were way better. I think this is just a good hip-hop record. That being said, I really don’t like how the outro is 12 minutes of him shouting people out. That’s a seventh of the album.
Pere Ubu
3/5
It’s weird considering the fact that my 5-star review for their other album is by far my most popular, but I didn’t like this one as much. I guess I’m just not as into this music right now, considering that it didn’t feel that different and it came out the same year.
Gram Parsons
4/5
Country isn’t my thing, but this is a good country album, so I feel it deserves a 4. I also enjoy the cover of Love Hurts.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
yay more eric clapton
Honestly, Eric Clapton is good at guitar, but he’s not anything special. Disraeli Gears being included is fine, since there’s some actual good songs on that album, but I don’t understand listmakers’ obsession with him in general.
Can
3/5
I enjoy a lot of this album, but at the same time, I don’t like Aumgn, and Peking O is worse. Both are still more interesting than a lot of other stuff on this list though.
Holger Czukay
4/5
This is pretty good. I feel like I prefer the first disc of Tago Mago (which I got yesterday) to this, but there’s a good amount of not great stuff on that album, so this has it beat.
King Crimson
5/5
Yeah I really like this one
Blur
4/5
I like this album, but not as much as I remember liking it from the Rolling Stone list. That’s it I’m tired and don’t want to write a review
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
I’d be lying if I called this outright bad, but I just don’t care about it.
Nick Drake
5/5
This is really good. I don’t have anything to say though
UB40
2/5
This just does nothing for me. I kind of get the appeal, though. I can’t see how someone would give this a 5, but I can totally see how it’s a 4. Also this really didn’t need to be this long
Coldplay
4/5
Yeah it’s probably not that good but I enjoy it anyway.
Steve Earle
2/5
This is the most generic country rock album I’ve ever heard
Tortoise
4/5
This is pretty good, and it also seems influential. No more review I’m tired
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
I don’t like his voice, but it’s alright overall.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
This list has a habit of passing up an artist’s best work for the debut - it happened with Tom Petty, System Of A Down, Foo Fighters, and this. None of the debuts are bad albums, but the artists should have had different picks if they were only getting one. But anyway this is still pretty good. It feels different from their other albums in a way, probably because they were just getting started.
Sonic Youth
4/5
It’s pretty good. I have absolutely nothing else to say about it.
Magazine
4/5
is good
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
It’s alright
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I like it, and it’s an important album. I’m sorry I’m too lazy to write something better
Portishead
5/5
This is the best trip-hop album. I have no further thoughts.
Burning Spear
4/5
Yeah this is good reggae
Kate Bush
2/5
Kate Bush is good and I like Hounds Of Love but this isn’t it.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
‘Still got that freak in me’ - Christina Aguilera, 2006
She’s good at singing and none of these songs are bad, but they don’t really stick out from each other. That would make this a 3, but it is also inexplicably nearly 1 and a half hours long.
The Black Crowes
3/5
It’s good for what it is. If I was at a restaurant or something and a song from this played, I’d be fine with it.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
I don’t really know why but I get a good amount of enjoyment out of this. I don’t really have anything else to say.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
It’s hard to make bad music in this style, but still, why is this here? It’s a three because it’s good at what it does, but what makes this album notable enough to be in this list?
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Honestly, I never understood what sets this album apart from others. It’s all fine, but none of it really stands out in particular to me. How did this rank as Rolling Stone’s 10th greatest album ever?
Os Mutantes
5/5
It’s really weird, but in a good way. It’s both enjoyable and completely different from the rest of the list, so you know what? I’ll give it 5 stars.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Definitely better than their other album on the list - this is way darker and also more interesting.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Yeah it’s fine but not really notable
Steely Dan
4/5
Not as good as Aja, but my second favorite album of theirs that I’ve listened to.
Minutemen
4/5
I like albums with a lot of short songs like this. Idk what to say
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
I appreciate this being different than most other albums on this list, but why does he have two?
The Killers
3/5
There are some good songs on this, but I honestly only thought this was decent. The hits are good, but not as good as I had previously thought, and I didn’t get much out of the second half.
The Who
4/5
I always kind of forget that The Who were a British Invasion band (I think) at first. This is good, but at the same time, it’s not amazing or anything. I ran out of things to say
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Good for what it is, but I just don’t like country.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Honestly Iron Maiden is just a really fun band, gonna have to listen to more of their stuff.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This band is fine, but I don’t care for any of their music. This is the best one, for the record.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Yeah it’s alright just not my thing
Aerosmith
3/5
Aerosmith are such an okay band, I have no idea why they’re so well-known. Whenever I hear one of their songs, I’m not really invested in it, but I’m not going to ask for someone to turn it off, either.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Yeah this is just a lame album
The thing is that all of Rod Stewart’s stuff is just really okay, but none of it is great.
Cream
3/5
This is my favorite album with Eric Clapton. I don’t really know why but it’s better than all the others. I’m too tired to write this
Tom Waits
4/5
Yeah it’s pretty good but I once again cannot think of something to say
Killing Joke
3/5
It’s pretty unique, but I still think it’s just alright.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
This is just such a classic rap album. While I don’t enjoy it as much as a lot of others, I still think it deserves 5 stars.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
5/5
This is way more interesting than a lot of other stuff on here, and I enjoyed it a lot, too.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
It’s fine, and pretty unique compared to similar albums, but I still don’t love it.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This album has gotten so much critical praise over the years, but honestly, all I can say is that it’s just really, really good.
Tom Waits
4/5
It’s really similar to Rain Dogs, and that was a four (I think), so this also is.
Julian Cope
3/5
This is alright, but not super notable
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
The thing about this album is that I really didn’t care for Abattoir Blues, but I liked The Lyre of Orpheus. I guess it averages out to a 3. Bye
Al Green
4/5
i listened to this in the shower and it was pretty good for that so 4
Blondie
4/5
A pretty nice album. I don’t love it, but every song is good. That’s all I have see you next time
10cc
3/5
It’s fine. More unique than a lot of the other stuff, I guess.
Q-Tip
4/5
Q-Tip is a great rapper but this isn’t his best work. Low End Theory is a 5. Bye
Morrissey
3/5
another morrissey album yay
first song is really annoying
SZA
3/5
I remembered this album being better than it actually is. I thought it was really good, but I now realize that it’s just alright. Firstly, I kind of don’t like the way she sings throughout the album, which is weird, because she is a talented singer (she sounds way better on the Kendrick songs I’ve heard her on, including All The Stars, which only came out a year after this album). I also just don’t remember most of these songs the best. It’s still fine, though.
Elvis Costello
2/5
this album is just so irrelevant, the most streamed song only has two million streams and some of these songs get like twenty a day
it’s mid too
Kings of Leon
2/5
i hate kings of leon
That being said, this is actually a bit better than the other two. Also I didn’t realize they made Supersoaker until Spotify played it after the album and that song is way better than any on their three albums here.
Soft Cell
2/5
Yeah I just didn’t care for it. The last song was actually pretty good though, which was surprising since I expected Tainted Love to be the only notable song.
Big Black
5/5
My enjoyment rating for this would probably be 4 stars, but I have to give it an extra star just for how experimental it is while still being great, unlike albums like Suicide or Junkyard.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
This is the type of bad experimental I was talking about in the Atomizer review. I know it’s an important post-punk album, but there are other important post-punk albums with the distinction of actually being good - it’s like John Lyon is allergic to actually singing here. In his rant against religion, he mentions that God spelled backwards is dog. He really acts like he’s better than all the people in religions when he saying things like that. Shut up. (Also Metal Box is fine so I don’t see the reason this needed to be included in the first place)
David Ackles
3/5
It’s alright
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Pretty good hard rock. Not much to say on this one.
Faith No More
3/5
Pretty good and also really important for the formation of the nu metal, which isn’t the best genre, but was really big and also overhated. Alright I have nothing more to say
Van Halen
3/5
literally 1984
The Byrds
3/5
The thing about this album is that it’s completely fine, but I don’t see why it needs to be here. Calling it bad would be a lie, but it doesn’t really have any reason to be here when Mr. Tambourine Man, which is both more important and just plain better, is here.
David Bowie
3/5
There are better Bowie albums. There are better soul albums. This is unnecessary
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Yeah just a classic basically
Probably a 4 from my listening but I feel obligated to give it a 5
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
One of the best showcase albums. I’m tired
Don McLean
3/5
The first song is the only reason this is included but it’s a fine album
The Streets
1/5
I did enjoy this some just for how laughable it was, but this may take the cake for the least musical album on the list, in terms of that it felt made by some random British guy. Not a random musician, just some guy.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
A very influential album that hasn’t aged the worst, either. Ok you get it this is a very popular album
Buck Owens
4/5
Yeah I don’t usually care for country but this one was better for some reason
Roni Size
3/5
It’s alright drum and bass. Also I know how long it is but Spotify has it as an hour and I am NOT listening to this for two and a half
Arrested Development
3/5
Pretty good upbeat rap. Bye bye
Spiritualized
3/5
Yeah it’s pretty alright. I feel like I should like this more but I don’t so
Brian Wilson
4/5
I’m going to be honest, this probably deserves a 5, but this never it me the way Pet Sounds did. Idk why bye
Khaled
3/5
It’s alright, and I like that it’s different from the others on the list. I still don’t get that much out of it, though, and it’s only on YouTube, which doesn’t lower my rating but still.
Orbital
3/5
tolerable beep boop music
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
almost had a heart attack when seeing the length but i only need to listen to the second half
Anyways this is completely fine but I’ve also never in my life had the compulsion to listen to word music outside of challenges like this so
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
this band really so unremarkable to me i gaslighted myself into thinking i had already gotten this
This is fine but I just do not care.
Billy Bragg
3/5
It’s pretty alright
Adele
3/5
Adele’s a really good singer but her music is just fine
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Not much to say, Kendrick is goated
Marilyn Manson
3/5
Yeah it’s listenable and I liked some songs. Overhated (he is a weirdo though)
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Obviously
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
It’s good for what it is but if you actually listen to this unironically I’m kind of concerned for you
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Peak reggae
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Not as good as catch a fire but still good
George Michael
3/5
It’s alright. Pretentious ahh title though
Buzzcocks
3/5
Extremely okay, easy 3
Sonic Youth
4/5
Yeah it’s good
Nothing new to say I’m sorry
Peter Frampton
3/5
Yeah it’s fine
Super Furry Animals
3/5
The definition of okay
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
It’s definitely one of the most unique albums on the list, and I respect that, but at the same time it’s 3 hours (although it’s less boring than you would think)
Also I kind of want to get the Gershwin Songbook tomorrow just because I think getting both 3 hour albums in a row would be really funny
Randy Newman
3/5
no guys you don’t get it he said the n word hard r seven times for artistic purposes
Korn
3/5
Yeah you guys are just haters. It’s not a good album but it’s still a pretty fun album and the two biggest songs are good. I also think All In The Family NEEDS to be included solely because of when they randomly just start saying gay stuff at the end. Like dude that’s funny come on
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
It’s alright but we really only needed loveless
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Yeah clearly
Also I’m getting all their albums in reverse order so that’s cool
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Still alright but obviously here for just the last song
Pentangle
2/5
What is this both mid and unpopular folk album doing here
fIREHOSE
3/5
fine
I want to have something good to say about the next one
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Most generic trip hop album ever
Taylor Swift
3/5
Yeah I heard someone say Taylor Swift sounds like unseasoned chicken once and I have to agree. Like how does she have such a massive following?
Richard Thompson
4/5
Good folk music, that’s all
Culture Club
2/5
Only here because of one song and the song isn’t even that good anyway
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
This is actually pretty unique and good, nice discovery
Method Man
4/5
Good rap, but not the best Wu-Tang Clan solo album.
Eels
3/5
The album cover is definitely one of those things
Album is fine though
The Byrds
3/5
More Byrds, hooray
The Temptations
4/5
I prefer their other album on the list, but this is still good
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
Fun album, pretty unique too
The Kinks
3/5
It’s fine but the other three albums of theirs on the list clear it in every way, why is this here
Faust
4/5
I have no idea why I mess with this but I do
Soft Machine
3/5
The inferior third on the list
De La Soul
5/5
Straight positive vibes and good beats, I really enjoy this album
Prefab Sprout
3/5
It’s ok but not my type of music
The Lemonheads
3/5
Rest in peace ray i guess
R.E.M.
4/5
Good album, not their best
how do all but one of these songs have Wikipedia pages
Talking Heads
5/5
peak
Stereo MC's
1/5
Generic and boring
Honestly, I’d rather relisten to my last one star than this, so I guess I’ll give it one star too
Pretty trash anyway
Hawkwind
4/5
This album is good but it’s just so long
That being said if I was a stoner this would go hard
Rush
4/5
Fun prog album
Hüsker Dü
4/5
I enjoyed it
The Clash
4/5
Solid punk, London Calling better, end of review
Joe Ely
3/5
Average country album
Coldcut
2/5
Generic house
Kate Bush
4/5
Not as good as I remembered but still good
Beatles
5/5
Objectively probably not 5, but I just really like listening to it
CHIC
4/5
bangers
The Specials
4/5
Surprisingly good for some reason
Carpenters
4/5
Just a nice album
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Ok album, don’t see why it needed inclusion
Britney Spears
2/5
There are some ok songs but this isn’t good as an album
John Cale
4/5
Enjoyable
LTJ Bukem
2/5
Yeah as the albums go on I see point behind the electronica hate more and more
4/5
Quality new wave, I don’t want to write a review rn
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Nice chill album
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Solid rap album
Beatles
5/5
Yeah it’s the beatles I have to (though I did rate With The Beatles a 3 so)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
One of my preferred Nick Cave albums on the list, along with Murder Ballads and The Lyre of Orpheus (just that part, Abattoir Blues is kind of mid)
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
It’s good those are all my thoughts
Bauhaus
4/5
Solid new wave album, I enjoyed it
The Cure
5/5
Very good at the vibe it creates
Björk
4/5
Around the quality of a 3 but I’ll give it an extra star cause I enjoyed it. That being said this is most likely her worst on the list
Queen
4/5
Pretty good rock album, not their best though
Tom Waits
3/5
Enjoyable enough, I liked the second to last song
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
It’s ok, pretty unique though
Eagles
3/5
First song is good but overall pretty mid
Skepta
3/5
Solid rap album, not my thing personally though
Jeff Beck
3/5
Ok, pretty much my whole thoughts on this
Robert Wyatt
4/5
Good album, not sure why the average is so low
The Thrills
2/5
Really generic
Also I used YouTube for this because Spotify was down and for some reason everyone in the comments was glazing this band like crazy
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Just a good 90’s rock album. Yeah it’s 2 hours long but at this point I listen to so much music it’s like a regular album length to me
Billy Joel
4/5
Some songs are just ok but overall a really good pop album
Nico
3/5
Yeah it’s ok
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Great songs and he was a super talented singer
Jane Weaver
3/5
Might be the most random inclusion on the list but it’s fine
Lou Reed
4/5
Overall good album, kinda weird that this is rated higher than every velvet underground album though
The Pogues
4/5
As good as their other album on the list
Ray Price
3/5
Ok country album
Grateful Dead
3/5
Expected to hate this but it was ok
Ray Charles
4/5
Pretty good for what it is just good older music
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
The better songs just kind of feel like lesser Rumours and I just don’t like some of Lindsey Buckingham’s songs
TV On The Radio
2/5
I like indie but this just wasn’t it
Marty Robbins
4/5
Classic country album
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Probably my favorite reggae album
5/5
Bit overrated but overall still great and highly influential
Incubus
3/5
Not very artistically good but still catchy
Big Star
4/5
Good pop album but seemed to drag for me (no idea why, the longest song is like 4 minutes and it’s less than 40 overall)
Ice T
4/5
Enjoyable rap album. Actually liked the skits on this one, prolly cause they weren’t randomly freaky and weird or trying too hard to be funny
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Epitome of the 80s, it’s alright though
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Absolute classic
Deerhunter
3/5
I feel like I should like this more but it just doesn’t do much for me
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Nice kind of ambient stuff
Ryan Adams
3/5
Generic ahh album it’s ok though
Gang Of Four
4/5
Solid post punk I wish I had more to say
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Idk why I mess with this but I do (I’m way too pretentious)
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Solid but not anything special
The KLF
2/5
One of the YouTube comments called this “timeless” like this is one of the most dated things I’ve ever heard
Brian Eno
4/5
Good album that’s it
Alice Cooper
3/5
Good, title track is worse than I remember though
Gorillaz
4/5
Demon Days and Plastic Beach clear this but still a solid album
Sepultura
4/5
Good metal album
Bob Dylan
4/5
Not his best but still good
Supergrass
3/5
Ok rock album
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Didn’t really mind 3 hours of this, it was nice background music
The Cardigans
4/5
Enjoyable pop rock
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Alright but there is so much better prog
Peter Tosh
3/5
I might just not like reggae but nothing about this stood out to me
The Modern Lovers
3/5
People call this album really influential but it doesn’t do it for me
4/5
Never been the biggest fan of her music but this is good
Also Radiohead guy is on it which makes me like it more
Joni Mitchell
5/5
4 for enjoyment but I think it deserves a 5, also it has the best instrumentation of her albums
Milton Nascimento
4/5
I enjoy this
Eurythmics
3/5
Title track is good but just ok as an album
Michael Jackson
3/5
Ok but kind of got bored during the weaker parts, nowhere near as good as his others on the list
The Beta Band
2/5
The whole time I was listening to it I was waiting for it to end
Green Day
4/5
Not the best album but an enjoyable listen
Common
4/5
God rap stuff
The Band
3/5
Never really been a fan of The Band but this album is ok
The Dictators
3/5
Ok early punk album I have no other thoughs
Ravi Shankar
3/5
I respect him ig but sitar is not my thing
Cat Stevens
4/5
Enjoyable ig
I thought I had already gotten this
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
why is this here
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Different than most albums but not reallly my thing
I like the first song though
The Residents
3/5
I like weird stuff but this just didn’t hit for me
3/5
I guess I like xtc more than I used to but this is still just ok
M.I.A.
3/5
It’s ok, that’s all I have to say
Metallica
4/5
Just a good metal album
I probably should have gave master of puppets a 5 by the way but it’s too late now
King Crimson
5/5
king crimson goated fr
Kanye West
5/5
Great rap album, I wish Kanye didn’t go insane
Tim Buckley
3/5
His son made better music (shocking controversial opinion I know)
Depeche Mode
4/5
Never liked this as much as everyone else, like Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth though
Laibach
3/5
It’s ok, not really that bad idk about the average rating
Sonic Youth
4/5
I feel like I should like sonic youth more than I should
The Zutons
2/5
Why could this possibly be here
Talvin Singh
2/5
I guess it’s more unique than most of the other electronic albums on here but that doesn’t make it good
CHVRCHES
4/5
Way better than I expected tbh
Simply Red
2/5
Just kinda boring tbh
The Specials
4/5
Fun ska album, idk why they needed the other one this is better
Mudhoney
4/5
It was pretty cool ig
Drive Like Jehu
5/5
finally some real music
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Enjoyable album, I don’t want to write anymore
Haircut 100
2/5
There is nothing unique about this
Aphex Twin
5/5
YESSIRRRR
Stephen Stills
2/5
I really just don’t care
TV On The Radio
2/5
I don’t like this band
Genesis
4/5
I have no idea what’s going on but it’s pretty cool ig
SAULT
3/5
It was ok but if you’re making a 20 song album about this topic I’d have thought you’d have more to say
The Rolling Stones
4/5
They have better albums but it’s still pretty good
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Yank crime better
Bob Dylan
5/5
I enjoy Robert Dylan
Throwing Muses
3/5
It was ok ig
Gene Clark
4/5
Idk why I hated his other album so much a few years ago I his is pretty good
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
It’s ok but I don’t see why this was a necessary inclusion when he already has 4
808 State
4/5
Better than most of the house on this list at least
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
It was ok ig
Tim Buckley
4/5
I like this better than his other albums here
David Bowie
5/5
I quite like David Bowie personally
I suck at writing these things
Nick Drake
4/5
I enjoy this man’s music
Simple Minds
3/5
thought simple plan and simple minds were the same band until today
Slint
5/5
LETS GO
it’s so peak
Public Enemy
4/5
Is good
Lambchop
3/5
It’s okay
Janet Jackson
4/5
Why does this have a 2.99 average it’s not inaccessible or bad
The Beta Band
2/5
I do not enjoy the beta band
5/5
Good
The only reason I write these reviews is because my stupid 12 year old ahh did and I want to keep it consistent
Neil Young
5/5
🙂👍
Sabu
2/5
Respect the uniqueness but this wasn’t it tbh
John Lennon
4/5
Pretty good ig, title track is overrated or underrated depending where you look
Tito Puente
3/5
Fun album, guy was on the Simpsons once that was cool ig
Maxwell
4/5
Extremely smooth
MC Solaar
3/5
Why is there a French rap album on this list
The Rolling Stones
4/5
It’s good, some less good songs though ig (stray cat blues or whatever has wild lyrics)
Japan
4/5
Is pretty good ig
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
It was enjoyed I suppose
Miles Davis
5/5
I thought I already had this one but I like Miles Davis
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Is good, I have no idea how the average is so high though
4/5
Better than I expected
Jane's Addiction
3/5
It’s fine ig
Kraftwerk
4/5
It’s good, especially for 70’s electronic
George Jones
4/5
It pleased my ears
The Youngbloods
3/5
It’s ok, who cares
Hole
3/5
It’s ok, not sure why this needs to be here considering their other album though
Megadeth
5/5
Banger
Germs
3/5
Idk just expected a little more
Wild Beasts
2/5
I do not care
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
It’s pretty cool
Elvis Presley
3/5
It’s ok, feel like the other two made for enough Elvis albums though
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
worst guitarist ever
Love
5/5
Wait this is heat
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Better than the other one I got ig
Dead Kennedys
5/5
Fire
Kanye West
5/5
Every time I give Kanye 5 stars I have to be like “I know Kanye is bad but still” but anyway this is peak
Röyksopp
4/5
Enjoyable
Deee-Lite
3/5
Alright but not what I needed today
Grizzly Bear
4/5
This one was pretty cool
Screaming Trees
3/5
Alright album, didn’t mind listening to it
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
I don’t think I get it guys
Alice In Chains
5/5
Hell yeah
Mariah Carey
2/5
Shook ones pt ii jumpscare
Jethro Tull
4/5
Pretty good, I’ve heard the title track multiple times but this is the first time I’ve actually gotten past the first part
Emmylou Harris
3/5
It’s alright, I have no idea why it’s here though
Stevie Wonder
5/5
he was really cooking with this one
U2
4/5
Yeah it’s good ig
Steely Dan
5/5
Their best
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Remembered this being good but the title track goes way crazier than I thought oh my god
Leftfield
4/5
Pretty good and a lot of house music on this list sucks so I like that
The Velvet Underground
5/5
real trap bangers
Venom
4/5
real ones know this isn’t black metal
The Byrds
4/5
It’s pretty good I guess
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
It was just kind of boring honestly
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
5/5
Better than I expected, usually at this point my 5s are just really obvious albums
Gotan Project
3/5
I mean it’s alright
The Cult
3/5
It was kind of fun but it also kind of sucks too
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I can always enjoy some of this band
Paul Simon
4/5
Graceland is better but this is good
Guns N' Roses
3/5
Tbh feel like I’ve kind of lost my taste for this one
Pink Floyd
4/5
Not as good as their others but still very solid
Def Leppard
3/5
I just don’t like this genre honestly
Butthole Surfers
4/5
What a chill enjoyable album
Femi Kuti
3/5
Alright but not as good as his dad
Def Leppard
1/5
Probably more like a 2 but it annoyed the hell out of me so like
Kelela
3/5
It was ok, not my type of music though
The Pharcyde
4/5
Very fun album
The The
3/5
It was alright I guess, I remember really liking their other one here so idk
k.d. lang
3/5
It was alright, didn’t love it or hate it
Joan Baez
4/5
I enjoyed it, don’t know what else to say
Prince
4/5
Good but he also has better but still good though
5/5
obviously dude
Spacemen 3
2/5
For a psychedelic album this is incredibly boring
Baaba Maal
2/5
In terms of random African guys with multiple albums on the list Ali Farka Toure clears
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Same quality as most of his other ones, big shocker
Mekons
4/5
Fun album
Calexico
4/5
Wait this is actually good
Black Flag
4/5
Yeah it’s good ok
The Fall
4/5
Their best on here
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
It was pretty good I suppose
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Nothing I would listen to purposefully but it was alright
Jamiroquai
4/5
Fun album, some songs were kinda long though
Little Richard
4/5
It’s good ig
Silver Jews
5/5
The natural bridge is better but this is still heat
Machito
3/5
It was fun enough
New Order
4/5
This album’s pretty good, I like new order
DJ Shadow
5/5
hell yeah
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Yeah it’s good
Gillian Welch
5/5
what is this heavenly sound gracing my ears
The Stooges
5/5
Fire
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
It’s pretty good I think
This guy has too many albums here but this isn’t really one of the excessive ones
Christina Aguilera
2/5
🙁
The Divine Comedy
4/5
I don’t really know why it’s rated so low, it’s pretty good
Shack
3/5
It’s alright ig
LL Cool J
3/5
Definitely not my type of music but it’s fine
Some of the songs suck though
Deep Purple
4/5
Thought it was just gonna be one of those live albums where the songs are really long for no good reason and some of it was unnecessary but it was good overall
Bob Dylan
5/5
Good, I like
Radiohead
5/5
It’s just too good man
Paul McCartney
3/5
He’s done better obviously but it’s fine
Elliott Smith
5/5
Elliott smith my beloved