Can’t believe I’ve never heard this before. This is the best of old school rap - mcs just trading high quality bars. Rivals anything tribe has put out

Despite the excellent venue name, this is not my thing at all. Great voice but the music doesn’t make me feel anything. I enjoyed the ad lobbing at the end.

No reason for this to be on the list when Blue Lines is also on it. I guess it’s fine.

An absolute classic. Debased is one of my favorite album openers of all time. The sheer energy sets the tone for the rest of the album. The iconic bass line in Here Comes Your Man also deserves mention.

An excellent album but has a few too many bland songs for a 5. The singles are phenomenal. Bridge over troubled water is one of the most beautiful songs of all time (although I kind of prefer Cash’s cover). I do think it should have been the last song instead of the first because the rest of the album can’t live up to it.

My life got easier when I admitted that I straight up like new wave. This was fun. This is the Day was my fave.

This is a 3.5 for me. I’ll round up because of their influence and a lot of it is quite good, but I’ve never been able to get into talking heads. Byrne’s voice kind of drives me crazy

The more I hear pop albums the more I’m reminded of the quote from the meeseeks in Rick and morty - “We’re not supposed to live this long! It feels weird!” I think it’s inherently difficult to write an exceptional pop album. The genre is more suited to the EP. The singles on this were great but I thought it was about to end like 4 times.

Was not in the mood for this. You could’ve told me it was Grateful Dead and I would’ve believed it. Not sure why it needs to be in the list.

I think I preferred Green to this, but there’s still a lot to like here. Excellent lyrics and the melodies are engaging.

Waiting room music

One of those groups I’d heard of but never listened to. I was liking this but it it is too long and a little repetitive. Still, clearly an influential band. I can especially see the line from them to a group like the feelies.

I remember my brother listening to Sebadoh after he got into dinosaur jr in high school. I liked a few of their songs but not much else and that kind of holds true here. I’m not a fan of noise for noise’s sake, so a lot of this album didn’t really do it for me. ‘Soul and Fire’ and ‘Homemade’ were the only real highlights

I like jazz but don’t know much about it, so it’s hard for me to tell what’s “good”. I liked listening to this but could’ve done without the extended introduction.

The lyrics and skits on this album have aged like milk, but you can’t deny the raw talent and production quality here. I have to admit I was even bopping my head to the wildly homophobic ‘Marshall Mathers’. ‘Kill You’, ‘Stan’, and ‘The Real Slim Shady’ are standouts

Never listened to Common before but I really dug this. No particular songs stood out but the album as a whole solid mid 2000s rap. Bouncy but had heft. The vintage Kanye is an added bonus.

Pretty neat but instrumentals can only do so much for me. Light my Fire and Raghupati were fun. I’ll keep this album in mind if I do any psychedelics.

Very little to like about this for me. Somehow both repetitive and disjointed.

I’m sure that Nirvana is on this list, so I don’t know why I would also need to listen to this before I die. As an album though it’s decent. Mudride, If I Think were good.

Very nice to listen to. I’m sure I’d give it a 5 if I knew more about jazz.

It’s strange to listen to this album alone in an apartment. From the sound of it, it set the tone for the 80s and I’m sure it’s had a huge influence on pop. On its own though it didn’t quite hit the pleasure center in my brain that great pop should. Maybe I’d enjoy it more on the dance floor.

I’ll admit I’m cynical when it comes to the beatles, but cynicism only goes so far. This album slaps. Starts off strong with tax man, which is almost proto-punk. Eleanor rigby is eerie and beautiful. Yellow submarine, an objectively ridiculous song, somehow isn’t out of place. For no one is also a highlight. Just a great piece of work.

I appreciate what these guys set out to do, and the originality and influence of this album. Overall though, the execution is slightly off and felt one-note. I found myself checking to see when it would end. Five Man Army was decent.

Another “influence” album. Overall too british for me. I guess I could see myself listening to it again on a walk in the woods or something. A very cellular song was my fave.

Classic rock. Would probably give it a 4 if I didn’t hate Robert Plant’s voice.

If you like ska, you have to like this album. As someone lukewarm to it at best, I found the middle of this album to be a little hard to get through. A Message to You Rudy is of course the best song by far and a bop. Doesn’t Make it All Right and the unfortunately titled Little Bitch were also decent. Would listen to again if I was feeling like a rude boy.

Very close to giving this a 5, but just a bit top heavy and didn’t quite stick the landing. This is one of those bands I’ve heard of a bunch but never actually listened to. Great album overall. You can see the influence on bands like the magnetic fields. A Different Point of View was my fave.

I’m a big silver jews fan, but I have to admit I was surprised (though not upset) to see this on the list. I think I’d only listened to it once before. It’s probably their 3rd or 4th best album, so does that mean the others will be here as well? This is no American Water, but it’s a great album. Berman was one of the greatest lyricists of all time and his low voice complements the sleepy country vibe perfectly. This album gets better as it goes. I Remember Me, Tennessee, Friday Night Fever, and Death of an Heir of Sorrows are fantastic.

I had to start listening to this album again after finishing it yesterday because I couldn’t decide if I liked it. I got about halfway. It’s certainly not bad and it’s got a cohesive vibe and is interesting. Kind of at a 3.5 but gonna round down because it just doesn’t have the it factor

God, this was a bummer. I’m glad I listened to it because I’d never heard true goth music before, and it’s fascinating to hear how different the cure was (how did this same band put out just like heaven two albums later?), but it’s not for me. The unchanging drum beat made it difficult to distinguish between songs, which I’m sure was intentional but ultimately resulted in a wall of gloom with no real payoff. I’ll stick with joy division for my mopey tunes.

These are all the same song!

As far as live albums go this is pretty good. It’s fun but Motörhead gets repetitive to me

Even though they’re different, this reminded me of the Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter. Both are pretty and create their own little world, but the music itself didn’t move me. Spotify only had the 2 CD deluxe version so I’m not sure how much of this was on the original release so that may cloud my score. Holy Man was by far my favorite and I also really liked the instrumental outro in Time.

A solid, energetic Brit punk album. I don’t think of heard of these guys before and glad to have listened to it.

I guess this is indie dance pop? Whatever it is it’s well executed here. I feel like I’ve heard Heads Will Roll dozens of times and never knew it was the yeah yeah yeahs. Skeletons, Hysterics, and Little Shadow were my faves. Excellent album cover.

I’ve never gotten into Elliot Smith, but I’ve also never really tried to (maybe because liking Elliot Smith would be too painfully on brand). His talent as a songwriter is undeniable, and you can hear his influence on artists like Alex G. There aren’t any bad songs on this album but it was still underwhelming. The first 2 tracks were my favorite and after that it was fine to listen to but nothing great. I expect to feel more emotions listening to such an emotional album.

I liked this a lot more this time around than I did when I first heard it a while back. More of a vibe than an album, but in a good way. Refreshing. Sounds and Vision was great.

Liked this a lot. It must have been sad hearing this right after he died. There’s a decent number of covers but I don’t mind that, especially in a live album.

I feel like this album was mostly just included for the title track, which is fair - it’s a great song. The rest of it didn’t really move the needle for me.

I thought this would be a drag but pretty interesting. It’s not something I’d likely seek out again but I can see why people like it. Would give it a 3.5 but rounding down for Geddy Lee’s voice.

My main issue with this is I don’t know if it’s good for what it is. That said, I liked this more than I thought I would. Parts were unpleasant, but overall it felt like there was structure which I appreciated. I’m glad I heard it but unlikely I’ll listen to it again. On Fire was my favorite.

Was hoping to like this more. Overall it was fine but a lot of the songs just felt like they were missing something.

Glad to get some old school in the mix. I loved the beats throughout and some of the Latin influence, but the rapping was pretty lackluster even by 90s standards.

Was liking this but it really fell off halfway through. Really a 2.5 but I’ll round up to keep my 3 streak alive.

Just so boring. I can’t do 75 minutes of slow, repetitive love songs without something to break it up. Those strings are going to haunt me in my sleep. I’d be happy to listen to any of these songs on their own but I never want to hear this album again.

Solid.

A year or two ago I would’ve given this a 2, but I’ve come to really appreciate country/Americana so this worked for me. Also a pretty interesting album title for the 50s.

It’s impossible to separate this from the cultural baggage of wonderwall but I tried. This isn’t bad at all but feels a little self important to me somehow. A little long.

The first track had me really excited but then it kind of fell into that generic 60s sound. Worth a listen but nothing I’m dying to hear again.

I don’t find this kind of music particularly interesting, but I’ll give it a 4 on the strength of Frankin’s voice, which is astonishing. Aint no way was my favorite

First reggae since I’ve come aboard and it’s refreshing. This is great, but I like the sound of most reggae so it’s kind of like jazz for me where I have a hard time telling the good from the bad.

I don’t think it’s out of line to give this a 3. I respect the musicianship and there’s a lot to like in this (dark star and the eleven were highlights), but jamming loses a lot of its charm when it’s recorded, and the dead lose a lot of their charm when you’re sober. Is an 8 minute song if feedback really necessary? I’m sure this would wonderful to see live but as an album listening experience it left a lot to be desired.

A solid offering from willie. It’s hard to get to excited since it’s all covers, but nice to listen to.

Let’s get this out of the way: rock operas are dumb. The story is usually so thin and vague that it becomes meaningless, and they seem to be an excuse for artists to write ranging songs with no melody. This is my second time listening to Tommy and I still just don’t get it. If you take each song on its face, none are very good and many are asinine. Why is pinball mentioned in like 3 songs? Does Tommy play pinball? Do I care? I understand why this is on the list but it’s just not for me.

I’m torn between a 3 and a 4 here. Long Black Limousine is by far the best track imo, but is a cover. Kentucky rain was also good. The rest are solid. I’ll go with a 4 because I recently saw the bio pic.

Fun and ridiculous, if a bit repetitive. I can’t take ZZ Top seriously. They sound like a parody of themselves.

This was good. First two tracks are standouts but I was also fascinated by how dark We Will Fall was. Will listen again.

Excellent album. Probably more of a 4.5 for me but I’ll round up in honor of all the Bruce heads in this group.

This is similar to what’s the story morning glory in that it’s cultural reputation precedes it. On its own though, there’s a lot to like here. I enjoyed the bouncy vibe of the opening track and the brutal honesty of You Oughta Know. I feel like there’s something Dylanesque about a lot of the songs. Head Over Feet was my favorite.

I’ve listened to some Smog before but I don’t think I’ve heard Callahan’s self titled stuff. This is pretty pared down, almost trance-like at times. Reminded me of Willie Nelson a bit. You could argue it gets a bit dull but I think the song writing is strong and ultimately it’s a really nice album to listen to.

This felt long and I was surprised that it was only 50 minutes. That said I didn’t dislike it. Might have to give it another listen.

Really cool vocal work. Unlikely I’ll listen to it again but glad I heard it.

A great album I’ve never paid much attention to. Hard to believe it came out in ‘04. Wake Up famously made the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are look good and the first track is a classic. My faves were Crown of Love and Rebellion.

It’s Radiohead so I feel like there’s very little I can add to the conversation. As an album it’s cohesive and eerie. It’s missing the oomph to make it a 5 for me but great nonetheless. All I Need, Reckoner, Videotape are the faves. All I need

Interesting listening to this the day after In Rainbows. I’m no Radiohead super fan but compared to yesterday this album feels completely outmatched. Other than that though there’s nothing really wrong with it. I liked The Soft Season.

I don’t really believe in “guilty pleasure” music, but if I have any this is it. The second Hole album I’ve heard and the second one I’ve really enjoyed. No one’s doing anything particularly innovative here and it is painfully 90s, but I’m a sucker for raw lyrics.

Message in a Bottle gets this to a 4. Rest of the album is good enough.

I don’t see why this needs to be on the list when we know Pet Sounds will be making an appearance. Do You Wanna Dance and Help Me Rhonda are classics and rightfully so, but the other songs seem stuck in the 50s, even though this came out in 65. Songs about how your sister’s boyfriend better be nice to her and how you’re too young to get married (??) feel like they belong on a kidz bop album

This album’s brevity is it’s strong point. I don’t necessarily mean that as an insult - I think it encapsulates the essence of hardcore punk. It wouldn’t make sense for this to be 40 minutes. Music wise this was fine, though I’d rather be listening to some early replacements.

There’s just something about Nick Drake’s voice that drives me crazy. I don’t think this album is bad but I didn’t really get anything out of it.

I did not really enjoy listening to this. I appreciate the ambition, but music is hard enough without trying to cover all these genres. Feeling 2.5 but I’ll round up Buffalo Gals.

Good background music

The highs are so high but the b sides just don’t cut it to get it to a 5. Great listen overall though. Excellent production. I’m sure others will have more to say as I’m relatively unfamiliar with Bowie

Another album where the b sides take away from it. Hard to grade this since half the songs are covers and I feel like out of the originals and covers, it was 50/50 in terms of what I enjoyed. Would this be on the list if the artist had a different name? Hard to say. Ultimately though a worthwhile and mostly enjoyable listen.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the audacity it requires to write a song about telling your child that you murdered their mother. It’s insane. This album is high energy, crass, violent, infectious, and could not be made today. Like the MM LP, from a rapping and production standpoint it’s impeccable. He just seems to be having so much fun and is so self aware that I don’t see how you can’t like it. My favorite is I’m Shady, where he breaks down some of the braggadocio from earlier in the album. I don’t think this beats out MM LP (which I regret not giving a 5), so this gets a 4.

I don’t know who the audience is for this but it sure ain’t me. Hurt is of course a classic but doesn’t make up for the aimless cacophony of the first hour.

I think it’s saying something that I’ve heard most of these songs out in the wild before. Maybe a bit repetitive but overall a strong album of quality pop

Better than I expected. A lot of the guitar was impressive. Definitely not my thing but certainly understand its presence on the list.

The list is in a mood this week. Can you imagine seeing these guys live? I have a soft spot for punk but this is a bit too angry for me. TV Party is an iconic song but this falls just short of a 4.

This was good. Even though it’s long it kept up the pace and didn’t really have any lulls. Had that nice 60s sound. I do wish the production was more consistent - the mix of mono and stereo tracks was a bit jarring. Party Line, Queen of Darkness, Sunny Afternoon, and Mr Reporter were the faves.

Foreign music can be tough for me since I’m very much a lyric guy, but I was really digging this. Unfortunately it was way too long and really dragged at the end.

Really good. This is the best REM record I’ve heard but I feel like it’s not as talked about as Murmur or Automatic.

That voice will always do it for me. CCR stayed in their comfort zone for this one but that’s good enough.

This was cool. Never heard of this group but a few of these songs sounded familiar. A more intense Spiritualized. Side note: I really wish artists/Spotify would publish original track listings for all albums. Lord Can You Hear Me was my fave.

Ignoring the terrible name, I don’t like music that seems to come from a place of pure derision, which this does. Sounds like a bunch of smart asses trying to be edgy. I’d much rather listen to Minutemen.

Maybe not my favorite Dylan album but excellent. Idiot Wind, You’re Gonna Make Me Lonely, and Rosemary are my favorites - just classic Dylan spitting bars.