Oh, boy, what a chore this was to get through. One depressing song after another. Off-key vocals don't help either. I was angry I had to endure this.

My second Radiohead album after Kid A (1/5). Boy, do I hate Radiohead. I'd rather listen to 57 minutes of complete silence. Or maybe just the music without the whiny ass singer. One of the songs is called "We Suck Young Blood." They should have just shortened it to "We Suck" and then given that title to all the songs and the album too. I know I'm in the minority in hating this band, but that's my opinion.

Never heard of this album or artist before. I'll be blunt. I hated every track. The creepy, breathy, wimpy vocals were the worst part. The rest of the music had nothing exciting or memorable. One song that said Lincoln is known as the great emancipator sounded like something a kid would write for extra credit in his high school history class. I'd be embarrassed to listen to this in front of anyone. Did not listen to the bonus CD tracks. I can guess what they sound like.

Some good stuff (We've Only Just Begun, Close to You), some bad stuff (Crescent Noon). Didn't really like the covers of Help or Baby It's You. The last song (Another Song) was pretty cool/experimental, which bumps it up to a 3/5.

I hope you like folk ballads sung in a high-pitch warbly voice, because that's pretty much all you are getting here. There are only two songs that sound even slightly different than the rest. Wildwood Flower has a sort of bluegrass feel to it, and El Preso Numero Nueve is sung in Spanish. I didn't enjoy this at all and can't give it more than one star.

Apple Music didn't have this. Listened on YouTube. If it weren't for horrible (and horribly long) poop song titled Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad, I'd give this a higher rating, because I enjoyed the other tracks. They were nice and funky, with an original sound, but for some reason, they decided to make that one 11 minutes long and taint the entire thing. I wouldn't mind listening to this again and skip the poop.

Pretty good for country. Happy & Sad best song.

OK for what it was, just not really my type of music. Favorite song - Criminal

A bunch of slow, short, sparsely produced acoustic songs. No "On the Road Again" sounding songs here. It's just very much not my thing. I'll still give it a 2 though.

Some good stuff (We've Only Just Begun, Close to You), some bad stuff (Crescent Noon). Didn't really like the covers of Help or Baby It's You. The last song (Another Song) was pretty cool/experimental, which bumps it up to a 3/5.

Very good Blues album; I just don't enjoy straight Blues that much. I find it gets repetitive over a full album. Favorite song: Tiger in Your Tank.

Great early rock & roll. Probably a 4.5/5. Favorite song: Oh Boy!

Decent sounding early 80's new wave stuff. Liked some of the bass lines. Didn't love or hate any songs in particular. Favorite track probably Poison Arrow.

5/5 album without a doubt. It has everything. A duet with Paul McCartney, an Eddie Van Halen guitar solo, and a spoken word rap by Vincent Price! The only song I really didn't care for was Lady in My Life. Favorite song (and music video): Billie Jean

I've never heard of this album, nor of Ian Dury before listening. It's weird, and a hard one to rate. I'm not a fan of the monotone, heavily English accented "singing" voice he uses on some of the songs, for example, Clever Trevor. It reminds me of the Squeeze song, Cool for Cats. On the other hand, you've got three (I think) songs where he changes it up and sounds like the Sex Pistols. (I looked it up, and this album came out a month before the Sex Pistols album.) It's not something I'd listen to often, but I'll give it a 3/5 at least for originality. Favorite song: Sweet Gene Vincent (or maybe Blockheads?)

Fantastic album, could almost be a greatest hits. Favorite track: Travelin' Band

I have never heard anything by Joy Division, though I've heard of them. There were a couple of good tracks, but the rest was just kind of depressing to listen to, not really to my taste, mostly because of the vocals. Favorite track: Interzone

Did not know anything about X going in, so I wasn't expecting a female voice to come out, nor was I expecting to enjoy the album this much. Now I'm a fan.

I hadn't heard of this album or Massive Attack before this, so going in fresh. Unfortunately, this is the first 1/5 I've had to give here. The whole thing is just very dull to my ears, an electronic beat with some English blokes occasionally attempting to rap on top of. I listened to every second of it, but couldn't wait for it to be over a couple of tracks in.

Am I crazy or is this album kind of good? I didn't care for the random weirdness near the end (I was afraid the whole album would be this sort of stuff). The album was a bit too long in general, but I did enjoy a lot of it.

I was excited to hear this one, but I was a bit disappointed. Only a couple of songs I really liked (Immigrant Song and Out On the Tiles). Too much acoustic stuff and not enough drums for my taste.

So bad. Annoying singing, annoying rapping, childish lyrics about Mortal Kombat, Dragon Ball, and Captain Planet. I did like Them Changes with the 70's funk vibe and one other track that had no vocals, but not much else good here. How did Michael McDonald get roped into this?

I hope you like folk ballads sung in a high-pitch warbly voice, because that's pretty much all you are getting here. There are only two songs that sound even slightly different than the rest. Wildwood Flower has a sort of bluegrass feel to it, and El Preso Numero Nueve is sung in Spanish. I didn't enjoy this at all and can't give it more than one star.

I'll be honest. I'm not someone who can tell the difference between good jazz. At least not yet. I had listened to a Miles Davis album a couple of years ago, and this album was kind of like that album. Not terrible to listen to, but not great to listen to either. I usually like my music to eventually settle into a groove, and this doesn't do that. So, average rating I guess.

I first listened to this album back in 1988 when I was 14 years old. My step-brother had a copy. I already liked rap like the Fat Boys, Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince. But N.W.A. was different, with content I knew my parents wouldn't want me listening to, but I listened anyway. Now, almost 35 years later, listening to it is much different. The lyrics are pretty juvenile and silly. In one breath, dropping F-bombs all over the place, then the next rapping "I kick so much butt" and "I don't give a hoot." Complaining about being harassed by cops after bragging about being criminals and shooting people. OK. Despite that, I have to admit it's still kind of fun to listen to. The beats are nice, the rapping is pretty good for the most part. Eazy-E's stood out the most, maybe because he had the most unique voice out of the group. The tracks I like the best are the ones where they trade off verses like in the title track.

Mostly dull, forgettable slow rock. I listened to this on a Friday and am reviewing it on a Monday, and can't recall much about it except I noted which track I liked the most, "N.Y." I remember liking the drums in it.

Falls a bit shy of a 5-star album for me. You'd think being only 29 minutes long, there wouldn't be room for a useless interview at the end. I found the songs I didn't already know (pretty much all of side two) to be somewhat boring, but the rest is great. I've never heard this version of Help Me, Ronda before. It's a bit rougher than the single version, but I dig it.

Not bad, not terrible, just average I'd say. Makes me wonder if there are actually 1,001 albums I really need to hear before I die. The use of croaking frogs in one of the songs was interesting. Not a big fan of the fake sounding drums and hand claps. Best track: Love Vigilantes

Didn't know a lot about Stephen Stills going in, just that he was in CS&N, who I only know a few songs from. I was pleasantly surprised. Great mix of a lot of genres (rock, country, blues, funk, etc.), nice harmonies and lyrics. I'm going to have to give this a 5/5 and listen to it again.

Not bad at all, not quite a 5/5. Drumming is great. I dig On Sir Francis Drake.

Scottish folk music. I just didn't enjoy this at all. Bored the whole way through. Did not listen to the Collectors Edition tracks. 1/5

Again, I don't know a lot about jazz, but this one I liked a lot. The drums and piano especially. Favorite track: Maseru

Overall, a great album. I love the passion in his singing. I thought the last track, Jungleland was a bit overwrought. I'm a bit tired of hearing Born to Run at this point, so my favorite track is probably Backstreets.

What a voice, and the man has a ton of energy throughout the live show. Great songs too, missing Another Saturday Night though. The only negative here for me is he changes the cadence of some of the songs from the studio versions, so it's hard to get in a groove to. When this album was over, I turned on Sam Cooke's greatest hits to hear the originals.

Critics loooooove this band. I had heard it once before and didn't get the hype at all. After listening a second time now, I think I'm coming around. But only a little. I think the Weight is a great song, and a couple of others are good, like Chest Fever and Caledonia, but then there are bad ones like Lonesome Suzie to bring it back down. The singer's voice can get really annoying when he sings high like that. So, over all an average rating for this one.

The beats and lyrical flow is good, but the lyrics are so abhorrent, I would never listen to this again.

I was already familiar with three of the songs here (title track, Jet, and Let Me Roll It). Those are good. The rest is...OK, pleasant McCartney stuff. Best track: Jet

OK ska music, gets a bit repetitive. "Concrete Jungle" was the highlight for me - it rocks.

When I was 14, I bought this album when it came out, on the strength of "Cult of Personality", which I loved. It didn't turn out to be one of my favorites, so I didn't listen to it a lot. Listening to it now, only 2-3 of the songs even sounded familiar. But I liked it a lot. The singer has a really good voice, it's got some great guitar riffs and solos. I might go and check out their second album at some point. Favorite track: Middle Man

Fantastic album! Much better than I expected. Before this, I only knew 4-5 of their songs. Almost every song is great. I especially loved the drum work. "Some Mother's Son" brought the album down a bit with the gruesome subject matter, but the rest more than made up for it. 5/5 Hard to choose a favorite, maybe "Shangri-La"?

Good basic blues rock. If it was some other band, the album wouldn't be on this list, but I suppose it has historical significance since it is the first Stones album. My favorite track is probably I'm a King Bee (I'm just a fan of this song in general).

Second time hearing this album. It's nice music. The singer has a soulful voice (when he is singing, which is rare). For me, there is just too much repetition, noodling around, and some songs are just drawn out way too long. Or maybe I just don't like blues very much. Average 3/5 for me. Favorite track: Hot-lanta

1st listen. This could have been called "I'm Sad, But Listen to What I Can Do With My Voice." It gets boring. "Send My Love" and "Sweetest Devotion" save it from being a 1.

First listen. The music is pretty good. Shame the vocals are somewhat off-putting with the droning, echoey, wailing. Album ends on a real downer with the title track. Average rating 3/5. Favorite track: What She Said. That one rocks.

First listen. I knew the songs Wishing Well and Sign Your Name. Not bad at all, really (except that As Yet Untitled song, what a bore). The two singles are pretty good and I really liked the upbeat James Brown inspired "Dance Little Sister." But nothing really made me want to explore his music further either.

Some great stuff here like Homeward Bound, Bright Green Pleasure Machine, Simple Desultory Philippic (whatever that means!) and then a couple of lame pretentious songs. 4/5

Pretty good. Jazzy, with an African beat. Songs can get repetitive given how long they are, and they all followed the same formula, instrumental for 7 minutes or so, some singing/chanting for 3 minutes, then instrumental again the rest of the way. So, not something I would probably seek out, but fine to listen to for this list.

David Bowie has a unique singing voice, but I find it very dull to listen to. Sometimes his music is enjoyable despite this and sometimes not. This is what we have here, a bit below average album for me. Best track: The Stars (Are Out Tonight)

I don't understand French. Would this be more enjoyable if I did? I thought the guy singing/talking sounded really creepy most of the time, but the drummer knew what he was doing. I was really enjoying "En Melody" until the girl (Melody, I'm guessing) starting shrieking and laughing like the Nanny.

Wasn't familiar with Mott the Hoople beyond "All the Young Dudes" and "All the Way from Memphis." Pretty good rock album, nothing bad, nothing I *really* loved either, just solid.

Never in a thousand years would I think I would give this album a 5/5, but I liked it that much. Even listened through a second time. Every song is good.

Good old southern blues rock - no complaints here. I was familiar with four of the songs already, but there were some other great new-to-me songs like "Move Me On Down the Line" and "Precious and Grace." "Hot, Blue, and Righteous" sounded like it could have been from The Band.

Good thing this is only 15 minutes long or it would become extremely repetitive. I'm sure some people will still think it is. I like it though. It's high-energy, fun chord progressions, good drumming. Just need to be in the right mood for hardcore punk.

I like Rumours a lot, but Tusk is a big, dull dud. And to make matters worse, it's a double album. Why is it on this list? Some of the songs sounded like they might be going somewhere, but never did, and then some songs like "The Ledge" could have been good but the production was terrible. How could they release it sounding like that?

Good stuff. Mr. Isley has a beautifully smooth voice, the instrumentation is on point, covers are excellent. Nothing bad here.

Songs are repetitive, sound alike, the singer mumbles and slurs his words, silly lyrics, but I love it.

I feel I'm being generous giving this a 3/5 considering I really dislike Bowie's vocals. They just annoys me. I can take a song here and there, but a whole album is too much. The non-vocal parts of the album are good though. My favorite track is the Rolling Stones cover, "Let's Spend the Night Together."

Pretentious tripe that I will never understand the hype for. Dull, annoying, repetitive, and forgettable all at the same time. 1/5

Oh, boy, what a chore this was to get through. One depressing song after another. Off-key vocals don't help either. I was angry I had to endure this.

Nice, slow-tempo, funky stuff to chill to in the background.

If if wasn't for the bullcrap 10:18 long boring dirge called "We Will Fall," I'd probably give this a decent 3/5 rating, but it's on there, so I have to lower it by a full point. The rest is just OK, I didn't love or hate anything.

I had never heard of this band or album before. It's not bad, though the vocals are a little mellow and laid back for my taste. There were some decent tracks like Metal Baby. The last track "Is This Music?" was interesting, it had a different sound than the rest of the album. I kinda wish it had lyrics though. The album artwork is atrocious, which should go without saying.

I owned their previous album when I was a teen. Never heard this except for "By the Time I Get to Arizona" and "Bring tha Noize." I would have liked this more back then I think, but it's not bad. Chuck D is a good rapper. Flava Flav is good when he's the hype man or comic relief, but kinda sucks as a rapper, which thankfully he doesn't do a lot of here, just two tracks I think. Public Enemy was always good about spreading around the criticism, not only against the power they were fighting, but also rapping against people in their own community bringing them down (drug users/dealers, thieves and other criminals). Favorite track is probably "Bring tha Noize" since I'm a fan of that era of Anthrax, even though Scott Ian is not the best rapper.

On first listen, I thought it sounded like music from an action scene in the Matrix or a "doing science" montage in CSI (TV show). Turns out they did have a song on the Matrix soundtrack. It's not bad music at all, I'd just rather hear it in a movie rather than sitting down and listening to a full album of it. Favorite track: Breathe

I like a lot of what's here, but the limp, wimpy vocals bring it down. Favorite track: I Don't Love Anyone

I'm not a Pink Floyd fan. I just don't get it. I've also never done drugs. (This may be relevant.) These songs have the most random lyrics, I just have to roll my eyes at most of it. Watching buttercups and riding you-nee-corns? It's definitely not the worst album on this list. I did like Lucifer Sam, which is the most straight forward rock song on the album.

Great album! I was familiar with "Can't Get Enough," "Ready for Love," and the title track, but a couple of the others sounded slightly familiar as well. "Rock Steady" was a standout - reminded me of a 70's Whitesnake song. Good old rock 'n' roll!

I'm already not a fan of this genre, whatever it's called. Throw in the terrible and sometimes crass lyrics, the creepy whispering and attempts at "sexy" singing, and I'm out. I probably would have rated this higher if it had no lyrics at all. The music is sometimes OK, but gets repetitive. Black Steel was probably the best track, but again, the lyrics ruined it for me.

I'll give it a low 5. I'm not really a fan of "The End," but the rest is great.

I only knew of their song "Reptilia" going in. Some decent stuff here. The main issue for me is the vocal distortion used on every song. It just gets old after a while and becomes abrasive. Made me want to turn on some Marvin Gaye afterwards.

Amazing album, and I'm not even a big fan of Kashmir. The drum sounds (and actual drumming) are incredible here. I usually don't like long songs, but In My Time of Dying is 11 minutes long and is the best track on the album.

This album was nice, easy listening. She has a soulful, sincere voice. The sound doesn't deviate a whole lot throughout except for that one song with only vocals. Overall, it's not my taste, but also wasn't bad so I'll give it an average rating.

I've only heard the Monkees radio hits before (and maybe some songs from the TV show I watched as a kid) and love them all. I don't recall ever hearing any of the songs off this album before. I liked it for the most part, nothing amazing though. The first song, You Told Me sounds like very much like a Beatles song cut from Rubber Soul. Still, I wonder why this was the Monkees album chosen for the list.

Love catchy pop rock! Wish there was more of it on this list. I already knew Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, and Heart of Glass. The new standouts to me were Sunday Girl, which sounds like a throwback to the 60s, and I'm Gonna Love You Too, which is just silly fun.

The music here is OK, good actually. Some of it actually rocks pretty hard - Geek U.S.A. being a good example of this. However, I don't like the vocals very much - they are "creepy" sounding, for lack of a better word. I always had fun drumming to Cherub Rock on the game Rock Band.

Not familiar with anything on this album, but I liked it more than I thought I would. The vocals can get irritating. I liked parts of the 20 minute song, not the entire thing though. Passage to Bangkok is good, and Something for Nothing has been stuck in my head.

How could you not be entertained by lyrics like these? Now, you see this one-eyed midget shouting the word "Now" And you say, "For what reason?" and he says, "How" And you say, "What does this mean?" and he screams back, "You're a cow! Give me some milk or else go home" I can totally understand people hating this album and writing it off as nonsense garbage with horrible, nasally vocals, but I can't help but enjoy it.

The songs are decent for a disco album, good even. Some of them felt long though and didn't change much. Everyone knows "Le Freak," but "I Want Your Love" and "At Last I Am Free" were also good ones.

I had never heard of The Sabres of Paradise before. Apple Music has this listed as Alternative, so I didn't expect to hear what I heard. I just don't know what I'm supposed to feel while listening to it. I'm not much into soundscapes, which is how I'd describe this. Many of the songs are long and repeat the same beat throughout and don't change much, and the novelty of hearing some unique sounds wears off quickly, but a couple of them weren't bad. "Duke of Earlsfield" was probably the best of the bunch.

Why? Why would this album need to be on the list? I had listened to the Velvet Underground and Nico album a few years ago, and I remember liking it *despite* Nico's vocals. Now I have to listen to a album with *only* her vocals? Anything that the music has going for it, which isn't that much, is ruined by the flat, lifeless, emotionless vocals with a speech impediment (yes, I know it's just a German accent, but still). It reminded me a bit of the vocals from The Shaggs. Oh, and that song with all the annoying feedback, horrible. The Beatles she is not, but you can tell they influenced some of what is here, like the song that sounds like an Eleanor Rigby ripoff. I will say one good things about the album - the lyrics weren't too bad.

I was told if I don't like this album, then I just don't like jazz. Well, it was nice, relaxing music for my drive home. I just wasn't blown away by it. I prefer more upbeat jazz like the Hugh Masekela I had earlier in the list.

I wasn't expecting much going in, but I was impressed. Good rapping, good beats, not as explicit lyrically as I was assuming it would be. I might listen to this again some time.

This was a bit better than I expected. I heard one or two EC albums in the past and thought they were so-so. This one had some decent stuff. On first listen, "Accidents Will Happen" and "Goon Squad" were standouts. I really liked the basslines. However, this is not an album to throw on at a party, with some questionable lyrics if taken out of context. "white n*gger," "darkies," "final solution," and "Two Little Hitlers."

Another rap album (sigh). Oh, but this one has harmonica. The vocals on this one seem to be pretty low effort for the most part, and there were a couple of really awful tracks ("We Have All the Time in the World" and "Methadonia." Yuck. The first song "Fun Lovin' Criminal" was OK, but the highlight of the album was the killer guitar solo on "I Can't Get With That." All in all, it wasn't terrible, but I never want to hear "La di da di, free John Gotti" ever again.

I think I had heard of Kraftwerk before, but I didn't know they were German electronic music. I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it, and...I was right. At its best, it sounded like an early 80's cheesy sci-fi soundtrack, and at its worst, a boring soundscape to listen to to help me fall asleep. Maybe they were innovative for their time, but I'm listening to this in 2023 and it doesn't hold up at all. I hope this is their only album on the list.

Listened to this on Friday afternoon, reviewing on a Monday morning. I've mostly forgotten about it except I remember enjoying the female lead vocal songs more than the others. Didn't love or hate it, so just giving it an average 3/5.

Finally a metal album! I'm not a big fan of Changes, and FX is a nothing track, but everything else rocks. After first listen, I think Supernaut is my favorite track.

Better than I expected. The first and last tracks were annoying and repetitive, but some of the stuff in between was pretty good and varied.

Ugh, this was awful, and disappointing considering I liked the only Sonic Youth song I previously knew (Kool Thing). Off-key vocals, out of tune instruments, a lot of just droning, trying to be artsy(?) It was just a bore. The one decent song, "Bubblegum" doesn't save it from a 1/5. I'm afraid there will be more of this band on the list.

French alt circus rock? The instrumentation here isn't bad, but having the singer belch his vocals really brings down the entire album. I'm going to be generous with a 2/5 here.

This sounded to me like a really boring Dire Straits album. Nothing really to hate (except the Haunting Idle, ugh), just kind of dull.

I listened to a different Roxy Music album a couple of years ago and didn't think much of it. This one I actually liked, even though the last couple of tracks were downers. The first track, Re-make/Re-model was my favorite.

First listen. I prefer thrash Metallica to this. Beyond bored with the five singles I've heard ad nauseum the past 30 years. Still, I can't deny this is a good album. "Through the Never" was great - I'll be adding it to a playlist for sure.

I have listened to a couple of Neil Young albums in the past (and I'm guessing there will be more in this challenge,) and I didn't care for them. I liked this one OK, at least when he wasn't using the worst singing voice I've ever heard. Seriously, what is up with his singing on Mellow My Mind? That was god-awful. I guess for some people, that's part of his charm, but Neil's singing sounds best when covered up...I mean harmonizing with someone else. Anyway, the music is pretty good, with a couple of clunkers in there. I think my favorite track was Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown.

Everything I hate about modern music. Ethereal background noise, breathy vocals, other random electronic noises, filthy lyrics ("Two Weeks"), and it never gets into a groove. Ugh, how many more British electronic albums am I going to have to endure for this challenge?

I have heard of Blue Cheer before. I had always read they were "proto" heavy metal. And yeah, that's exactly what this is, similar to Deep Purple. And I love it. It's raw and low production, but that's cool with me. There's quite a bit of jammin' too. I love it.

Not a huge Nirvana fan. This album had some good and some bad stuff, so 3/5.

Not the kind of music I would normally listen to, and I didn't understand any of the lyrics, but it was fun, upbeat, and I enjoyed it.

I'm not the target audience for this kind of music, but I found it very entertaining nonetheless.

I don't think I knew any songs by The Jam going in. It reminds me most of the Clash and Elvis Costello. Not amazing, but a solid album with catchy songs, none of them bad, really. Favorite track: David Watts

Unrelatable, boring hip hop that I'm wondering why it's on this list. The songs all have a sample that repeats on loop throughout. The beats are fine I guess, but the rappers are mediocre and the braindead banter in between songs is laughable, nomsayin? Lots of N-words and some gay slurs too.

I had never heard of Magazine before. I thought it was above average, has a unique sound, though there were hints of other bands sprinkled throughout, like Queen and Bowie. "Shot By Both Sides" was my favorite track. I wish Apple Music labeled the album as the extended version, as I prefer to listen to just the original for these ratings, and that version had four bonus tracks.

How to rate this? It's a very long and drawn out affair. Some of the songs feel like they go on and on and are never going to end. The monologues are silly and pretentious at the same time. But when it rocks, it rocks. As far as live double albums go, I'd rather listen to KISS Alive! (I hope that one is on the list.)

Another Neil Young album. Still don't like his vocals. The rest is decent. It has "Southern Man," so that's something.

It was fine background music. Did nothing else for me. When the album started over, I didn't realize, so it didn't make a huge impression.

Pretty unique theme. I got bored of the tracks without a female singer on them. Didn't really like the sometimes crass lyrics.

Pretty average punk in my opinion. I'm not a fan of the singer's whiny, nasally vocals. There were a couple of good tracks though, I just wish they had a less annoying singer. Favorite track: Basket Case.

Sounded to me like Neil Diamond doing boring showtunes. Maybe I'm way off, but this wasn't for me at all.

Another hip-hop album that is not relatable at all for me. Some of the samples are nice. Don't like listening to all the N-words, sorry.

Another solid Bob Dylan album. "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Idiot Wind" are great tracks.

Having "Sunshine of Your Love" on it almost makes it a 5/5 album by itself. Luckily, most of the other songs are pretty good too. Good that they put the novelty song at the very end so it doesn't throw off the tone of the album.

Better than average hip-hop/rap. No glorifying gang violence, drugs, sexism, etc. Flavor Flav is kind of annoying with his yeahhhh boyyyy and cold medina (whatever than means).

I appreciate the list expanded outside of the US and UK, but not like this. Outside of the off-putting belchy vocals, the first half or so of the album was acceptable as something a little different. The track "Trans-National" was not bad. It sounded sort of like a spy movie soundtrack. But the remainder of the album was just atrocious, a boring repetitive slog. I really hated it. Disliked the album cover art as well. Edit: Just looked at the wikipedia page and it seems the last four tracks (probably the four worst on the album) were bonus CD tracks. With those excluded, that might put my rating closer to 1.5, but I'm leaving it 1/5.

First time hearing an entire Kanye West song, let alone full album, and another hip-hop album ruined by crass and sexist lyrics. There were some interesting things going on musically, but also a lot of annoying bits, mostly with the vocals, like the awful auto-tune. Chris Rock deserved to be slapped for his contribution in the song "Blame Game." I'll bet it wasn't fun trying to edit the clean version of that one. Best track: "Power". I'm guessing there will be more Kanye on this list. Sigh.

Background music. A bit boring, honestly. Doesn't belong on the list in my opinion. Nothing really bad here, though. The title, Club Classics Vol. One is a strange choice. It sounds like a various artist compilation. By the way, where is the version of "Back to Life" everyone knows from the radio? Best track: Fairplay

It’s the kind of music you kind of forget is playing. I’ll put this in when I’m laying on the beach on vacation, which is unfortunately never. And no, I don’t remember the days of slavery. Please stop asking!

Irish folk punk, is that what this is? It was decent, better than the previous Irish one that came up, The Waterboys. I probably won't listen to it again, though.

Out of the 112 albums I've rated so far, this is by far the one I'm most familiar with. It was the perfect album 12-13 year old me could relate to. An immature, silly, rap mixed with hard rock was right up my alley at the time. Now, some of the lyrics probably haven't aged well for some people. "The girlies I like are under age" and "Girls, to do the dishes and clean up my room" come to mind. With that, all the White Castle references (I think I counted four), and all the other silliness in this thing, I still love it. My favorite rap is when the members of the group trade off verses, and the Beastie Boys do that on every track. The only song I even slightly dislike it "Slow and Low," and even that one isn't bad. Best track: Paul Revere

Looking at the album cover, I was worried this was going to be death metal or something. Thankfully it was just OK 80s pop. Not a lot to say about it. Nothing really stood out as great or bad. This list loves its UK artists.

I've listened to this album a few times before. It's a near perfect heavy metal album. No bad songs. My tiny complaint is that they use the lyric "some crazy dream" twice (in title track and Hallowed By Thy Name). Wouldn't mind seeing more Maiden in this list. Favorite track: Probably still Run to the Hills.

I only knew Song 2 from this band, but I've heard they were the 90's Beatles. So I had my hopes up a little too much. Only the first track sounded Beatle-like to me, and the sort of throwaway Song 2 was the best track. The rest was either kind of boring or heavily distorted. All in all, it was average.

It's nice to hear a good singer once in a while in this list. The two slow songs I didn't care much for, especially "For Crying Out Loud." It just went on too long. But the rest was great. Five out of seven ain't bad. Favorite track: Paradise By the Dashboard Light.

For some reason, I thought this was going to be metal. After listening, I kinda wish it was. Whatever it was, I didn't like it. I listened to the whole album in my car and honestly could not understand a single word of the vocals. They were so...limp, lifeless, and quiet. No thank you. The instrumentation was OK I suppose. What is special here?

Better than the other My Bloody Valentine album (which coincidentally came up just yesterday!) I could actually understand some of the lyrics on this one, and the music seemed to be a bit punchier. Still not a big fan though.

Liked it OK, didn't love it. It actually made me want to listen to the Cars. The best song is probably the title track, though it's a bit to long. The last track, Torn Curtain went a bit long too. I liked the stripped down production, but the album as a whole didn't do a lot for me.

I have not consciously listened to the Black Keys before, but I feel like I've heard them. Maybe in TV commercials? I was pleasantly surprised. The drum sounds are amazing. The singing is good, just wished there was a bit more variety. I'll listen to this one again.

Lots of classic hits on this one. Doesn't get boring despite being 76 minutes.

First five songs were just average, then we get the two hits (End of the World and The One I Love), which are great. Then the rest was pretty good with the exception of the last song, which was kind of a dud. A low 4/5.

My second Kanye album, and I'm rating it the same as the first. Seems like the guy has always been a dumbass, just a musically talented dumbass. Lyrics are just embarrassing. "The drug game bulimic, it's hard to get weight So nigga's money is homo, it's hard to get straight" "Ooh girl your breath is harsh! Cover your mouth up like you got SARS" Glorifying drug dealing, discouraging kids from going to college, and many, many other things I just can't relate to in this. The album closes with a super long story about how he got a record contract with a beat underneath. I'm sure this won't be the last Kanye West album I'll be forced to endure, unfortunately.

I listened to the tracks of the original release, not the bonus tracks. I'd like to give this a 3, but I can't say I enjoyed a complete song, just elements of many of them. For example, I liked the drums on the last track (Grey/Afro), but it was too long and I didn't like the vocals. Any song where he used his old man voice just sounded weird.

Album #126 and finally a Beatles album! I love the Beatles, but in my opinion this is one that didn't really need to be on the list. All My Loving is the only important song. There are six covers of other artists' songs. However, the album cover itself is pretty iconic. If I was comparing it to other Beatles albums, it would rate lower, but overall it's still a 5/5 for me. I've heard it many times before. Like most Beatles albums, all four members get a chance to sing lead. In fact, my favorite track may be Ringo's only song, I Wanna Be Your Man. I don't dislike any song here, but "It Won't Be Long" and "Not a Second Time" are not favorites. The covers are all good, even when Paul sings "I never sar them winging."

I like the hits on this (Even Flow, Alive, Jeremy) and the rest are OK. I just get really bored hearing Eddie Vedder's voice by the end.

Not really familiar with the White Stripes, but I liked this a lot. Good variety. Loved the drums and piano.

Another good Kinks album. Not quite as good as Arthur. Party Line, Dandy, Sunny Afternoon are favorites.

Some pretty songs, some dull songs. Better than the previous Willie album I rated.

I only knew OutKast from that mashup of Hey Ya and a Charlie Brown Christmas video, but I liked that song and had high hopes for this. Nope, just another n-word, m-f laden, moronic skit having, sexually explicit rap album. Giving this a 2/5 like most of the others because of the decent beats and music. And no, I don't want to know about some gangsta sh*t, so please stop asking.

I like some Steely Dan. This sounded like some of their smooth, easy listening stuff, which I don't care as much for. Upon first listen, the only song that stood out much was Ruby, and that's only because it's a cover of a song I know well. It's fine for what it is, but I must be missing something considering it's on this list.

First time listening to any Kate Bush. I appreciate the uniqueness here, but it's a bit too weird for me to actually enjoy. She might be more of an acquired taste.

I only knew of one song of theirs, Maps, which I like. This album was a tad pop and overproduced for my taste. The vocals have kind of a generic Gwen Stefani type voice. I liked the song "Dull Life."

I was just thinking this list needed more straight up pop music, and here we go. I knew the hits, and some are better than others. I liked Faith and Monkey. Father Figure was OK. Didn't care for I Want Your Sex or One More Try (never knew the title of that one - it could have been called Teacher for all I knew. The non-hits were somewhat forgettable. In general, when George Michael uses his breathy vocals, it kind of creeps me out. I'd rather listen to Wham, actually.

Didn't care for the creepy songs. The rest were not bad. Favorite track: Miles.

From this album, I had only heard "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," which happens to be my favorite Steely Dan song. As for the rest of the album, I think I liked "With A Gun" best. "Barrytown" reminded me a lot of the Beatles' "Tell Me What You See." All in all, pretty good album.

Third Neil Young album for this challenge. The other two I rated a 3/5. This one was quite a drudge to get through. Even the couple of relatively upbeat numbers felt weighed down. There were a couple of weirdly overproduced tracks, "A Man Needs a Maid" and can't remember the other one, that felt out of place. I'll take "Heart of Gold" and "Old Man" and you can keep the rest.

Seeing how this is a live Grateful Dead album, I expected quite a bit of jam band shenanigans. I didn't expect the album to begin with a 22 minute noodling around session (Dark Star), and end with 8 minutes of just noise (Feedback). But what's in between is really good, so just take tracks 2, 3, 4, and 5, make it a single length live album and you are good to go.

First time hearing Slipknot other than "Before I Forget" on Guitar Hero III. I was never much into angry, expletive screaming music like this. Much less so now that I’m almost 49. On the very rare occasion the singer tried singing clean, it didn't sound bad. As it is, it's just difficult to relate to this kind of music. Favorite song: "No Life" maybe?

I know nothing of the Verve. <Starts album> OK, I know one song. I like the strings on that song. It goes downhill after that. The songs are just...so...dull. And too long. And the album itself is 30 minutes too long. The singer sounds like he's putting in the least amount of effort possible. Oh, and the hidden song at the end after several minutes of dead air sucks too. Was that a dying cat I heard?

Rod Stewart has a distinctive and kind of a comforting voice to listen to. This album is nothing fancy, but a solid listen. The only negative I had was the song where he was singing harmony with another guy. It just sounded off.

It's OK for a country album. The outro of Boxcars rocks.

My second Radiohead album after Kid A (1/5). Boy, do I hate Radiohead. I'd rather listen to 57 minutes of complete silence. Or maybe just the music without the whiny ass singer. One of the songs is called "We Suck Young Blood." They should have just shortened it to "We Suck" and then given that title to all the songs and the album too. I know I'm in the minority in hating this band, but that's my opinion.

Waffled between a 3 and 4 for this. I did listen twice, but the hippie sounding songs like Wild Mountain Thyme bring it down a bit for me, and the others aren't quite up to the level of Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn! A couple of songs sounded a little too similar to those though. I liked Mr. Spaceman.

Harvest 2/5 After the Gold Rush 3/5 Tonight's the Night 3/5 --------------------------------- This one is better than all the above for my taste. I liked the hard rock sound more, and Neil's voice wasn't as annoying. I didn't love it though. The songs were too long, and there were ten of them, making the album itself too long. It's almost as if he didn't realize non-fans would be listening to it 30 years later but still wanting to get through it as quickly as possible. Also didn't care for the hippie-dippie final track, Mother Earth. Favorites: F!#in' Up and Farmer John.

A very average album. His biggest hits aren't on this album. Some of the lyrics are kind of lame. There's a Jesus song. Kravitz is obviously doing his best to be Prince here. I thought I even heard a little Elvis Costello in one of the songs too.

Only knew Hallelujah before this. OK, so this guy could sing. Based on his screaming on Grace, he could have fronted a metal band. Then he turns around and sounds like Chris Isaak, then Joan Baez on Corpus Christi Carol (did NOT like this song, btw), then Lou Gramm on the last song, Forget Her (not sure if this one is officially part of the album as far as this list is concerned, but I liked it).

Not bad I guess, just sounded a bit dated. I just don't think the list needed more British hip-hop. By the end, the accent really started annoying me.

This man will get emotional over anything and everything, but it translates into some pretty good music. One complaint, he changes around the lyrics a bit too much. So much "loving," the bees envy me? Favorite track: Respect.

I tip my hat to the Who here. Great stuff. Baba O'Riley, Bargain, Going Mobile, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again all classics. The others aren't bad either. Drums and bass guitar are highlights for me. 5/5 even though they stole a couple of songs from that CSI show.

The sitar, over the course of an entire album, can get very irritating to listen to. I really only enjoyed a part of one song. I think it was Metamorphosis when the drums kicked in. The covers (Jumpin' Jack Flash and Light My Fire) sounded kind of cheesy. This album seems like more of a curiosity than anything.

I only knew of Killing Moon from Rock Band 3. Was curious about their music, but not enough to go seek it out. The album is just OK. Nothing was very memorable. I did like the clean sound, but sometimes there was just too little going on. I think I prefer the Cure, who are similar but the songs are catchier.

Great, high energy punk rock. I knew three of the songs already. Only negative I can think of is the vocals are done in the same way throughout. I'm sure that will lead some reviewers to say all the songs sound the same.

Better than I expected. Very funky stuff. Not sure how many times I'd want to sit through the entire story of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" many more times, but on the first listen, it was pretty gripping. The Hyperbolic song was probably my favorite track.

I had heard Breakout and American Girl previously. Pretty solid album especially for a debut, no bad songs. I listened twice in a row.

Ugh, more electronic music. I gave it a chance, but no. Mostly repetitive, and whiny vocals.

I like Once in a Lifetime. The rest was kind of meh to me. Comes off as pretentious at times. I was going to give this a 3/5, but the last two tracks, especially the Overload, were dull and brought it down to 2/5.

Was listenable, the singer had a decent voice, but beyond that it didn’t do a lot for me.

I knew Main Offender and Die! All Right already. I thought listening to those abrasive vocals would be a problem over the course of an entire album. Fortunately, the album is only 28 minutes. (I actually listened to it twice, back to back.) The songs are short and fun for the most part. Not my new favourite band, but I liked it quite a bit.

One of the most schizophrenic albums I’ve ever heard. Starts out normal, then all of a sudden gets weird, and then very weird, and then back to normal again, followed by more weirdness. I kind of liked it!

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - 5/5 ------------------------------------- Besides the two hits (Tiny Dancer and Levon), I was kind of disappointed how mediocre the other tracks were.

Not my style of music, really. Sounds a lot like Hank Williams. Production is bad, even for 1958. But it was OK. I'll be generous and give it a 3/5.

Like a less fun, more creepy Bob Dylan.

Aladdin Sane - 3/5 The Next Day - 3/5 ---------------------- Third Bowie album for this list. This one is more funk/pop/disco sounding, and I think I liked it better than the other two, but still not something I'd normally choose to listen to.

Some smooth R&B soul to use for mood music for certain activities. But for just listening to on my way home from work, it doesn't do a whole lot for me. However the lyric about his father needing love hits hard considering he was shot and killed by his father a few years later.

Only knew a couple of Adam Ant songs previously. Just listened to the original 12 song release, and it was better than expected. Pretty original sounding stuff, good variety of songs. Nothing super amazing here, but just barely squeaks in at 4/5. I'd listen again.

Never heard of this band before. For punk, this was just a bit on the boring side. Also for punk, what are they doing with 5 and 6+ minute songs? I liked some of it though - Preaching the Blues may have been my favorite.

I've heard of Gorillaz, but didn't know any of their songs. It was OK. Maybe back then it was revolutionary? Some of the songs can be quite repetitive and sound synthetic.

A perfectly fine Latin music album.

First the Cure album for me. I was kind of looking forward to it, but sadly it was a dreadful letdown. Just echo-heavy, depressing sounding muck. Why am I even giving it a 2/5?

Armed Forces 3/5 ******************* Either Elvis Costello is growing on me or it's just this album in particular that I like more than his other stuff I've heard. I liked the 1950's vibe; it's just fun in general. I liked the drums. No real complaints on this one.

In Utero - 3/5 **************** Pretty decent stuff here. It would have been nice to throw in one or two more upbeat songs into the mix. It's nice to have the banter in between songs. I felt that Cobain hit the off key, voice cracking gimmick a little too hard. Favorite track: Come As You Are

First time listening to Arctic Monkeys. The music was pretty decent. Not a fan of the vocals though. The combination of the English accent, the speak-sing, and distortion annoyed me at times.

Couldn't find this on Apple Music. There is one there with the same title and artwork, but the artist and track names are different. I found what I think is the original version on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1zzVqrCEeU) and that's what I listened to. As an American, I have no connection to this type of music, so I can't really appreciate it as much as many others can. For what it is, it's fine, peaceful, exotic sounding background music. No annoying buzzing sitar of an earlier one from this list (Ananda Shankar).

Nice voice and an overall pleasant listening experience. Favorite track: Help Me.

I liked a couple of the songs, particularly Rise Above and TV Party. If I listened to this when I was younger and angrier, the album would have probably resonated more.

I thought I knew one Kings of Leon song, but I guess not. So, first time hearing this band, and I liked the music well enough. I had a hard time enjoying the vocals though. Sounded like the singer was trying way too hard to be unique, but ended up sounding like an annoying Bon Scott/Chris Robinson hybrid. Nothing stood out to me as great, but Trani was clearly the worst track.

I was looking forward to listening to who I heard is one of the greatest rapper of all time. I only knew the radio edit of "My Name Is" when it first came out. And I thought it was kind of different and funny. Hearing the entire album now, it's much less so. A lot of the lyrics are big time YIKES! I can't relate to this much at all. Glorifying drug use, violence (especially against women), STDs, robbery, and so on, just doesn't do it for me at my age. And I'm glad I didn't grow up listening to this kind of stuff. How messed up would I be now? Holding my nose and giving it a 2/5 just for some clever lyrics and unique rapping style. Otherwise, it's rather abhorrent. So is the album cover.

I knew exactly one Screaming Trees song before this, "I Nearly Lost You," which I liked well enough. This album was not amazing, but pretty darn good. I might listen again.

One of the best albums ever, let alone debut albums. Amazing guitar work obviously, and the drumming is insane. The vocals could be seen as the weakest part, but he sings so effortlessly and cool, it's not weak at all. Fire is probably my favorite track. Manic Depression if you want a deeper cut.

Never heard of Throwing Muses before. This wasn't on Apple Music, so I had to listen on YouTube on my laptop speakers. I don't know if that affected the review one way or the other. When I started it up, I thought hmmm, this might be decent. Then she started singing. No, I don't like this very much. Then she started doing that weird quivering with her voice, and I really did not like that. Some of the lyrics sounded pretty questionable too, not that I understood the meaning of any of it. Overall, it wasn't a very pleasant listening experience. I'd much rather listen to pop girl groups like the Bangles, the Go-Gos, Bananarama, or even 'Til Tuesday.

Take Me Out was the only song I knew of theirs, and it's great. The rest of the album is OK.

I had never heard of this band or album going in. Nothing really notable or terrible about the music. Sounded as if they wanted to sound like the Beatles, but only the John Lennon led songs. I got tired of hearing that voice by the end.

I knew only of Constant Craving before listening. It wasn't bad, just not my type of music. I liked Miss Chatelaine.

I had never heard of this album or artist. It's nice, easy to listen to jazz. It kind of reminded me of Henry Mancini, and sounded similar to Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs. I'll have to look into why this was included on the list. Even though I enjoyed it, it didn't seem to be groundbreaking or all that special.

As far as thrash metal goes, I always preferred Anthrax over Metallica, but it’s hard to deny this as a masterpiece. I’m sure I heard all of these songs when I was a teenager, but only the first two track were familiar. Favorite track: Battery (or as I like to sing it, Batt-er-rang).

Previously listened to: Autobahn (1/5) I don't remember much about the previous album of theirs, but I think I liked this one better. It must have sounded pretty futuristic for 1978, but listening today, it sounds very dated. Again, some of it sounds like a cheesy sci-fi movie soundtrack. One track, I think Metropolis reminded me of the intro of an early 1980s pro wrestling TV show. Songs are repetitive though. Repeating "We are the robots" 30+ times? Yeah, we get it.

Knew nothing about N.E.R.D going in. By the album cover, I assumed it was going to be rap. Apple Music even has Hip-Hop/Rap as the genre. It didn't sound like it to me. Funk rock maybe? Either way, I wasn't really feeling it. Cringe lyrics didn't help. I thought the drums sounded good on a couple of the tracks. Best track: Maybe (maybe?)

I liked one track, Da Funk. In general, the songs are super repetitive (Around the World) and sometimes super annoying (Rock’n Roll). Too long too. Won’t be revisiting. Afraid there may be Daft Punk more on this list.

Different, not what I was expecting. Does that mean I liked it? No, not really. I thought it was pretty boring overall. Favorite track: I'd Like That

Good old authentic country music. I don't love the genre, but this is 100x better than today's popular country. Favorite track: We're Gonna Let the Good Times Roll.

This was not bad. Sounds like someone Tracy Chapman may have been influenced by. Good variety here - listed as Pop on Apple Music, but there's blues, funk, folk, country. Favorite track: Water with the Wine, but also liked Tall In the Saddle.

I didn't know anything about Cee-Lo-Green going in except I heard he has a popular song called F*** You, so going in I was expecting to hate this. I didn't. It was too fun and catchy to hate, at least the first half. He has a weird voice that I was tired of hearing by the end. Some of the guest vocals I didn't like. Album was too long. Didn't like hearing the N-word over and over in some songs.

After listening to this, I immediately started it again. The three long tracks (Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, and Heart of the Sunrise) are all pretty epic. I'm not usually big on instrumentals, and there are three here. I didn't dislike them, but thankfully they are shorter tracks. I wouldn't mind seeing more Yes on this list.

I'm not big into Brazilian music, so it was pretty forgettable. I did kind of like the last track (Eles) with the Indian instruments. I felt the singer needed to back away from the microphone a bit. You could hear his mouth opening and his breathing too much.

Previously listened to: Cosmo's Factory (5/5) ************************ This album is what I'd call comfort music. It's familiar, relaxing, goes down easy. Not as good as Cosmo's Factory. There are no extended jam sessions as they have an other albums. Every track is under five minutes. Still, I could put this on any time and enjoy it. Best track: Bad Moon Rising

Perhaps this kind of album requires multiple listens before one can properly rate it. As it is, it's a bit too challenging to enjoy, and I probably won't come back to it. But I assume that other, more popular KC album will come up eventually, so I'll give the band another chance then.

I listened to this once, years ago. I remember liking it more. It's energetic, it's noisy, it's got dumb lyrics about anarchy.

Have I heard of this band before? None of these songs sounded familiar. It was pretty average to me on first listen. Best track: Probably Sun Hits the Sky.

I listened to this once years ago and remember liking it a lot. I still do. They do better country music than most country artists. And then there's Sympathy for the Devil which is an iconic song.

Wasn't this a really big deal when it came out? I remember seeing this album cover everywhere. It's really boring! I didn't like anything about it. N-word this and N-word that, gnomesayin, guns, drugs, the usual, but the rapping itself was just blah. Once again, an album not meant for me.

I heard Ladies First back in the day, but not familiar with anything else of hers. It wasn't bad. Yeah, the rapping delivery sounds outdated, and the lyrics were a bit corny, but that's just how rap was back then, so I can't fault it too much for that. There was a lot of saying her name, spelling her name, spelling other words, complaining about other rappers copying her, etc. Pretty fun stuff until it fizzled a bit in the end. I can see why she stood out among female rappers of the time.

Never heard of this album or artist before. I'll be blunt. I hated every track. The creepy, breathy, wimpy vocals were the worst part. The rest of the music had nothing exciting or memorable. One song that said Lincoln is known as the great emancipator sounded like something a kid would write for extra credit in his high school history class. I'd be embarrassed to listen to this in front of anyone. Did not listen to the bonus CD tracks. I can guess what they sound like.

Pretty good pop album. Didn’t dislike anything. Had some nice hooks. Favorite track: All the Way.

I always thought Foo Fighters a generic rock band, like Nickelback. I still kind of think that. I had higher hopes after the first track which I liked, but nothing else was as good. Average rock album.

I'm almost 50 years old. I don't like to be annoyed when listening to music - I like to enjoy it. Therefore, this isn't an album for me, with all the beeps, boops, buzzing, music cutting in and out, and drilling(!?) This is music that should only be played in a TV show/movie while a group of edgy computer hackers are taking out some evil corporation. However, I did enjoy D.A.N.C.E a bit, but it was an anomaly. Also, dumb album cover and doesn't match the music contained within.

Never heard of Holger Czukay before this. The first track, Cool in the Pool, was pure cringe. Second track, Oh Lord, Give Us More Money (at least the first part), must have inspired Ross Geller to write Interplanetary Courtship Ritual, with the random cat meow, dog bark, explosion, etc. sound effects thrown in. Maybe that was revolutionary back in 1979? Persian Love was the only decent track for me. Hollywood Symphony was just a long, dull track that never goes anywhere, with more random sound effects and movie dialog(?)

I had heard this once before. Great album. Best: Too High, Living for the City, Higher Ground, Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing.

At first I thought hmm, this is kind of nice, but I quickly got tired of it. The rap song Pilgrim was pretty bad. The Conference is something I'd never want to hear again. The rest is somewhat forgettable.

Very grungey with not a lot of variety. I did like Them Bones (which is a bit too short) and Rooster (which is a bit long), and Would? but overall the album was on the depressing side, especially knowing what happened to the singer later in life.

I previously only knew one song by the Zutons, Valerie, which I love. In this album, even though no song really stood out, I thought it was great all the way through.

First time hearing Sepultura. I'm generally not a fan of growling vocals, so that is going to bring my rating down automatically. Otherwise, this album has its moments. The lead guitar riff in the first track, Arise, was great. As were some of the solos. I didn't understand many of the lyrics, but I'm pretty sure they would be depressing if I looked them up so I won't.

Previously listened to for this list: With the Beatles (5/5) ************************************ I have listened to Rubber Soul many, many times, so I don't need to hear it again to rate it. (I still did, though.) It's one of the Beatles' best albums. I enjoy every song on it, even Ringo's country song, What Goes On. Yes, even John's lyrically disturbing Run For Your Life. George stepped up his game here from his relatively weak songs on Help! with Think for Yourself and If I Needed Someone. The Word and Wait may be filler-ish tracks, but there are way too many amazing songs (Norweigian Wood, Nowhere Man, Michelle, In My Life, I'm Looking Through You) to not give a 5/5.

Previously listened to for this list: Innervisions (4/5) ************************************ Just listened to Innvervisions last week. Songs in the Key of Life is a very low 4/5. Rated highly for some amazing songs, Sir Duke, Isn't She Lovely, Pastime Paradise, I Wish. Some other songs, and the album as a whole, especially sides 3 and 4, go on way too long. A couple are pretty cringeworthy and I'd definitely skip them if I listened to this again.

I knew a couple of songs from Todd Rundgren going in, Hello It's Me and the Bang on the Drum song. I didn't expect how quirky and weird this album would be, at least the first half of it. I wasn't sure if I was liking the music or the production, but I started getting into it and rather enjoyed it by the end. So much I started it over from the beginning. Whenever that happens, I give the album at least a 4/5.

Not just annoying, it's aggressively annoying! There is nothing musical about this to my ears. My poor ears. Why would anyone think this needs to be listened to before they die? Note: It wasn't on Apple Music, so I had to listen on YouTube, which isn't ideal.

Previously rated: Meat Is Murder (3/5) *********************** I listened to this yesterday and don't remember a lot about it beside the lyrics to Unhappy Birthday. I laughed and then was disturbed at them. The song titles are all interesting at least. Best track: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This Before.

Perfectly fine background music. Listened to this a few days before Halloween, so I enjoyed the sort of spooky sounding stuff.

Good dance album, positive, fun, and upbeat. Groove Is In The Heart is the standout.

First Oasis album for me. It was a much harder rock album than I was expecting (other than the last track). I liked it a lot. Take one star off for the wahhhhhh vocals. Favorite track: Rock and Roll Star

Not really my style of music, and I don't know much Spanish or French, but there was a good variety and it wasn't boring. What was with that video game sound effect that was in several songs? Sounded like Galaga.

Starts really well with Motherless Children, then I started losing interest until I Shot the Sheriff, then it falls off again until the last couple of tracks which were good, Steady Rollin' Man and Mainline Florida. I'll give it a low 4/5. I'd definitely listen again and maybe those other tracks would grow on me more. A very specific thing to mention, I really liked the thud of the bass drum on this album.

Previously rated: Nico - Chelsea Girl (1/5) ************************** I had heard this album once before. I remember kind of liking it, but not enjoying the Nico songs. I can get into the low production, garage rock sound on tracks like "I'm Waiting for the Man," "Run Run Run," and "Heroin," though the latter song does too long as does the final track "European Son," which is just noise for the last several minutes and leaves a bad taste. This may be an iconic album, but it's not a brilliant one. Nico sucks. Low 3/5 rating.

Previously rated: The Beach Boys Today! (4/5) ******************************* I listened to this once before and didn't think it deserved it's "best albums of all time" status, and I still think that though I enjoyed it more this time. I forgot Sloop John B was on this album. That song is amazing, well-crafted, I love it. Bumps the whole thing over the hump from 3 to 4.

Ah, the Don’t You Forget About Me Guys! We Americans didn’t know they existed before 1985. Strange title for an album. The songs were nothing special. Overall pretty average. Best track: Promised You a Miracle.

There's a part with crazy saxophone, a part that sounds like Peanuts music, a part with some nice drumming. The rest just washed over me. It's fine jazz, a genre I don't really "get" like some people do. Favorite track: I like drums, so Pt. 3: Pursuance.

I've never heard of the Avalanches before this. The first track (and the fact Apple Music lists this as just "Pop") tricked me into thinking this was a Jackson 5-esque thing. The second track was just a continuation of the first one and it became obvious is wasn't. Some of the tracks were super repetitive, some seemed to just have random sounds thrown in as a quantity over quality thing. However, I will say this is the type of album that belongs on this list. Even though I didn't enjoy everything, there were certainly sections where I was getting into it, and overall, it's a very unique sounding album. Favorite track: Two Hearts in 3/4 Time. Also Frontier Psychiatrist.

Previously rated: MTV Unplugged In New York (3/5) In Utero (3/5) ************************************* A very good album with some classic songs. It probably deserves a 5/5, but I'm honestly I'm tired of hearing many of them. Best track: Come As You Are

African music is way out of my wheelhouse, but I started getting into this a bit as it went on, especially when it had more western sounds incorporated into it. Not bad, glad I heard it, but not something I'll likely choose to listen to again.

They're trolling, right? Only 1,001 albums and we have time for this crap? I listened to the whole thing in disbelief and ended up several IQ points dumber. The lyrics are idiotic; N-words abound. The dude had a fight over voice chat in a game of Call of Duty, and he decides it would be a good idea to throw it on the album. I was disgusted with the whole album *except* the last 30 seconds. That was actually good, and not so coincidentally had no vocals.

I've heard Black Hole Sun and Spoonman many times playing the game Rock Band. I don't remember if I liked them right away or they just grew on me, but I like them. The rest was new to me. Starts strong with Let Me Down, then just OK stuff that got a bit samey grunge after a while the tuned down guitar sound. The song Half was different and kind of cool. A low 4/5.

There are various sounds and sometimes a pleasant sounding woman sings in a foreign language (I will guess Portuguese), sometimes in reverse. Also, a guy with a deep voice talks in one of the songs. I wish it would have ended a bit sooner.

I knew only one song of his coming in, that being “Copperhead Road.” This album was more of a generic country sound than I was expecting. Kind of mediocre considering it’s on this list. Nothing really bad here though. Compared to country music today, it’s amazing.

Black Dog, Rock and Roll, Going to California, and of course Stairway to Heaven are all staples on the local classic rock station. Those are all great. I also liked Misty Mountain Hop (Kiss' Ugh! All Night borrows the riff from it) and When the Levee Breaks (Beatie Boys' Rhymin' and Stealin' borrows the drums from it). The only one I didn't really care for was the Battle of Evermore.

Very disappointed in this one. I thought it was going to be a "smarter" rap album, but the lyrics are pretty crap and amateur. I think he rapped about poo-poo in his pocket and another song had poo-poo in his hand. Screaming about soda flavors (COCA-COLAAAAAAA, SPRIIIIIIIIITE). It was all a slightly edgier Young MC or Fresh Prince. Some of the music is good, but is any of the good stuff original? I heard Schoolhouse Rock, Steely Dan, Otis Redding, Ben E. King, Funkadelic, and those are just the ones I recognized.

I had heard this album once before. I like the first and last tracks (Care of Cell 44 and Time of the Season). The stuff in between, though, it's a tad too psychedelic hippie-dippie for me. A Rose for Emily is OK; it's trying to be a new Eleanor Rigby. The whole album is obviously inspired by Sgt. Pepper (for better or worse). Butchers Tale straight up sounds like the guy is doing a John Lennon impression. I think I prefer their earlier stuff like Tell Her No and She's Not There.

I had never heard of Ash before this. I'm pleasantly surprised. I didn't know non-grunge heavy rock, complete with guitar solos, was still being made in the mid-90s. At least it didn't sound like grunge to me. I definitely heard a stolen riff from Black Sabbath's N.I.B. in the song I'd Give You Anything. Hope I'm not the only one who noticed it. Still enjoyed it. Favorite track: Probably Kung Fu - it's so catchy. Less fond of the lighter stuff on this album, but still 4/5 - might listen again.

Previously rated: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (2/5) **************************************** I will reiterate that I've never been stoned in my life, and that I don't get Pink Floyd. This is a well thought out, well put together, cohesive album. Money is a good song that I've heard a hundred times. The rest is fine, if not a little boring. I just don't get much enjoyment out of it. I'm glad everyone else in the world loves it.

I like this album a lot. Favorite tracks: Breaking the Law, Living after Midnight.

I was 12 years old in 1986. I never heard of Afrika Bambaataa, but I probably would have liked this. Now, it sounds pretty dated. Still, it's fun and energetic stuff. Favorite track: Renegades of Funk

Previously rated: Thriller (5/5) ****************** I think I heard this album once in its entirety when it was new. Of course, many of the songs here were singles, so it left about four songs I was unfamiliar with, although listening to the song "Bad," I realized I was much, much more familiar with Weird Al's "Fat" and didn't remember these lyrics. It may be an iconic song, but man the lyrics are pretty cringeworthy if you take them for Jackson singing about himself. (Apparently he wrote it about a kid in a newspaper story he read.) He was going for an overall edgier approach with the album. At the time, it didn't fool anyone. We all knew he was a skinny little twerp who talked like a meek little girl and hung around with children. Anyway, back to the music. It's fantastic, what can I say? Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal, all huge songs! The weakest song is probably Liberian Girl, and even that's not terrible. Stevie Wonder is featured in one song, which surprised me. The album ends on a very solid three track, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, and Leave Me Alone (forgot how much I liked this one). I let the album play a second time. Not quite Thriller or Off the Wall, but it's close. Still 5/5.

Going in, I was only familiar with Go With the Flow and 3's & 7's, neither of which are on this album, so this was all new to me. Maybe this band is one you have to listen to more than once to really enjoy it. The songs were interesting, sometimes experimental, but nothing really grabbed me on first listen. I wish the singer put a little more effort in, or maybe lazy, laid back vocals is what he's going for? On the plus side, it wasn't boring, had cool guitar and drum parts. Just average or slightly above to me.

Nice album. I think I had heard it once before. Seems to be a little front heavy with So Far Away, Money for Nothing, and Walk of Life. Back half was a bit slow, but not bad. A little Springsteen, a little Bob Dylan, and a little...something else I can't remember now. The production is a bit dated for sure.

Some really good songs here. Let’s Go Crazy, Take Me With U, I Would Die 4 U, When Doves Cry. I always thought Purple Rain (single version) was kind of a boring song. This version is even more so at 8+ minutes long. I suppose it’s an appropriate album ended though. Didn’t like the fake sounding drums.

Previously rated: Aladdin Sane (3/5) The Next Day (3/5) Young Americans (3/5) ************************* Not the biggest Bowie fan as you can see, but this one has some good rockin' tunes. Suffragette City and Ziggy Stardust being my favorites.

Previously rated: A Wizard, A True Star (4/5) ***************************** Like the previous album, it's an eclectic collection with good variety. He's got a great singing voice. This album even has a couple of hit songs. Didn't feel too long for a double album either. My appreciation for his music is growing. Some of it sounds a bit 70s AM easy listening, but I liked that too. Liked the humor too - I caught some of the recording problems he mentioned in Intro :)

Listened on YouTube. Good old late '60s psychedelic rock.

Previously rated: Purple Rain (4/5) ******************* I did not know this was a double album. The first three songs here (1999, Little Red Corvette, and Delirious) are great, and I have a lot of nostalgia for them as they were popular when I first started listening to music. Then we get to the sexually explicit Let's Pretend We're Married, and this is where I started to be put off. If it was just that track, I could overlook it, but the horniness and sex noises are sprinkled throughout the rest of the album. I was glad when it was over. I wanted to take a shower, but then I just let the first three tracks play again, and they are what brings the album up to a 3/5.

If someone played this and said it was Taylor Swift, I would have believed it. Granted I know very little of her music, but I think it’s similar type of synth pop right? Anyway it’s not my genre, but it wasn’t bad. I preferred the female lead songs to the couple with the dude.

Whatever genre mix this is (ethereal + ?), I don't like it. That last track can go straight into the trash. It's also all pretty forgettable. I think there was one decent sounding song, but looking over the track listing, I can't for the life of me know which one it would have been.

Previously rated: The Number Of The Beast (5/5) ********************************** First time listening to a pre-Bruce Dickenson Iron Maiden album, and I liked it a lot more than I thought it would. This singer's voice isn't as unique, but it's not bad. A couple of songs gave me Deep Purple vibes. I liked everything here, no duds. I will listen to this again. It rocks!

Ugh, such a low energy affair, especially after yesterday’s Iron Maiden album. This is what I expect an Art Garfunkel solo album sounds like, with a few random F-bombs thrown for a cheap bit of excitement. No thank you. I’m putting Maiden back on.

Previously rated: Remain In Light (2/5) ************************ Much better than the previous Talking Heads album. This one had more energy, the songs were catchier. I liked the lyrics better too. Enjoyed hearing the different instruments, steel drum, xylophone, etc.

My first 2Pac album. Another gansta' rap album that I cannot relate to. This one is probably better than most though. Still, most of it is the standard drug dealin', n****as dyin', weed smokin' stuff. He plays lip service to kids aspiring to be a doctor or lawyer instead of a criminal in one track, but then turns around and glamorizes the thug life the rest of the time. Dear Mama was a decent heartfelt track. The very '90s singing parts were sometimes laughably cheesy.

I was looking forward to hearing my first Taylor Swift album to see what the hype is all about. I can see why young women/girls would love it. It's not really for me, but there is some catchy stuff here. I'm less impressed by the instrumentation. It was nice to hear the saxophone on one song and I could make out some acoustic guitar, but it's mostly dominated by loud I assume computer generated sounds. For a modern pop album, it's a bit above average.

Because this list isn't the 1,001 deepest, most thought provoking albums, I'm comfortable giving this one a 5/5. It's pure silly pop/rock with a little punk vibe as well. It's got catchy riffs, and the ladies' voices compliment each other well. The male singer has a very distinct voice too. It also has one of the great songs of all time, Rock Lobster, without which this would be 4/5. Cool album cover too. Fire this up when you're down in the dumps.

It took a couple of tracks in to get into this, and I'm not a big fan of the vocals, but it's pretty good. Devil's Island, Black Friday, I Ain't Superstitious, Peace Sells are all good songs. Didn't care much for the last track My Last Words. All in all, it rocks, though it made me want to listen to some Anthrax.

Previously rated: Armed Forces (3/5) My Aim Is True (4/5) ************************ There is nothing really terrible here. It's all just so dull and boring, especially compared to the last Elvis Costello album I got. His vocals just don't do it for me. Now that I've gotten three from the lesser Elvis out of the way, are there any Elvis *Presley* albums here?

Previously rated: Freak Out! (3/5) ********************** Groovy, jazzy, rockin', nice guitar and drums, just a bit of weirdness, barely any vocals. I liked this a lot!

A totally fine and adequate album. Can hear the Beatles influence. Did they have to go so heavy on the effects, especially on the vocals though?

Previously rated: Murder Ballads (3/5) ************************* There has been some bullshit on this list, but this album takes the cake. Hated every single minute of this dull, boring, silly pseudo-deep lyrics, garbage. I shouted many expletives at Mr. Cave while listening to this.

Finally I get to hear what the other songs sound like on this album besides the big three (Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Head Over Heels). On first listen, they were kind of forgettable. I think Mothers Talk and Broken were the best. The last track, Listen was kind of dull. I really liked the extra /Broken part of Head Over Heels which isn't present in the single. A low 4/5 over all.

Sounds like they really wanted to make an epic sounding album, and I guess they were somewhat successful. It just didn’t wow me personally. The vocals in particular were kind of annoying. The music was fine. Best song probably We Are the Pigs.

It started out sounding kind of Christmassy with the bells, appropriate as I'm listening in mid-December. I don't remember a lot about the rest except it was mostly instrumental except when he announced a new instrument coming in and the weird phlegmy talking(?). It was fine. I don’t know what he was on about on that last track.

Previously rated: Court and Spark (3/5) ************************ I thought the first two tracks were great. The first one reminded me of Schoolhouse Rock for some reason. Again, great voice. Got a bit boring near the end.

Previously rated: Armed Forces (3/5) My Aim Is True (4/5) Imperial Bedroom (2/5) **************************** Good, catchy, lots of variety here. May be as good or better than My Aim is True. Every time I hear Pump It Up, I can't help but hear that Wild Wild West song. How did EC not sue over that?

Not quite as weird as I thought it might be. Not as bad as I expected. Still not something I would want to hear again. Is she the one who started the breathy and over enunciatiated vocal style? I don’t like it.

Is this what they call shoegaze? That vocal style just annoys me. Just sing! Some of the instrumentation is good. Lyrics are whatever. Overall, mediocre. Don't care if I hear it again or not.

I have heard of Depeche Mode of course, but nothing on this album sounded familiar at all, and I couldn't even think of a song of theirs I knew. In 1987 I turned 13 and was mainly listening to hard rock/glam metal over pop, so I would have probably dismissed this anyway. When I listen to it now, I like what I hear. It reminds me of Duran Duran, who I enjoy. There is a good amount of variety which I wasn't expecting. The sometimes monotone vocals didn't really bother me either. One dull song, I think. Good album, I'd listen again.

I had no idea this album was held in any kind of high regard. I thought everyone considered them a band with one good song, so I was surprised to see it here, good surprised, though I hadn't heard it before, but I'm a sucker for psychedelic rock. The first couple of tracks were kind of hippie almost bubblegum pop/rock sounding. One of them had half of a Doors organ riff. The only song I didn't care for was "My Mirage." Too serious sounding. The rest was pretty cool, groovy stuff. And of course the iconic 17 minute title track with the memorable guitar riff and super long drum solo. Favorite track: "Are You Happy"

Some interesting lyrics, some cringe lyrics. Music is OK.

The music here has a very timeless sound about it. I didn't look at the date it was released before I started listening and had no idea what year or even decade it was released in. Good, fun stuff here. The audience talk back is amusing too.

Not a rap fan, but good beats, lyrics ok. Average score.

Easy listening Disco music. Not much more to say. Everyone knows the one song.

Dull and dreary and did not like the vocals. Harmonica in one song was cool. Too bad the rest of the music wasn’t better.

Some classic Christmas songs here. Glad to have it pop up on Christmas. (I’m sure it was not an accident.)

I hate this band for how mediocre their music is, how commercial it sounds, like it was designed for TV shows and commercials when an emotional moment needs some punctuation. The only song to catch my ear in a good way was Green Eyes. I hope there is no more Coldplay on this list.

Ah, a big album from my youth! I wasn't sure any "hair bands" would make this list as critics usually sneer at it. I had this on cassette back in the day and thought this would be a slam dunk 5/5. Well, almost, but not quite. It's got some great, catchy tunes for sure. At least half of these were put out as singles. Maybe I've just heard them way too many times over the years for them to make much of an impact anymore. One of the singles they don't play much anymore is Never Say Goodbye, so I was glad to hear that one again. Now that Bon Jovi is out of the way, bring on Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, and especially Motley Crue.

Previously rated: Ingenue (3/5) ******************** Some very pretty songs here. Sort of Patsy Cline like. I liked the medley at the end.

I wouldn't say I'm a U2 fan, but I like some of their songs. This album had some good ones, Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Eve particularly.

Pretty sounding Latin music.

Ice T wants you to know he's a hardcore n***a who ain't no sellout b*tch even though he played a cop on a TV show, thinks fighting a war in the middle east is bullshit, but his brand of violence is cool. And he is really proud of his violent lyrics. Too bad because the beats were pretty good here.

One of the best guitarists, drummers and vocalists of all time make an almost perfect hard rock album.

Previously rated: Document (4/5) ************************ Man on the Moon is the highlight for sure, and it's the only song I *really* like. The others are fine, they might get better with repeat listenings.

I never really got the Guitar God label put on Eric Clapton until hearing this album. Definitely better than the Cream and solo album I previously rated. This one will stay in rotation.

With a name like Penguin Cafe Orchestra and song titles like Hugebaby, I thought this would be some weird avant garde stuff. It wasn't. It was just boring. Unfortunately, there was really nothing here for me to enjoy.

This really did nothing but provide some chill background music on my drive home from work. What’s special about this?

In 1988, I was listening to Guns 'n' Roses, Poison, Def Leppard, Kiss, and Motley Crue. I didn't know this existed until many years later. First time hearing a full album from them. Listened twice. Good stuff, reminded me of the band X in some tracks. There's a topless woman on the cover.

Previously rated: Loveless (2/5) Isn't Anything (3/5) ********************** Bleh. This one sounded like the first one heard. Wispy, indecipherable lyrics over repetitive ambient noise. This is 2013?! Did we really need three albums from them? Wait, I'm less than 30% through this list. There could be many more! Best: in another way. Worst: nothing is

I won't say it's garbage, but it's very unremarkable besides having a female singer (maybe it's on the list for more female representation?). I only knew I'm Only Happy When It Rains. I never loved that song, nor did I love any of the other songs. It's a low 3/5 for me.

There is some interesting stuff here, not just the one hit. Did not care for the real minimalist stuff like the first and last tracks. Otherwise I kind of liked it. I always wondered why the flippant "2 U" in Nothing Compares 2 U. Seems to lessen the impact of a serious and emotional song. High 3/5, and RIP Ms. O'Connor.

Previously rated: Born to Run (4/5) *********************** Did Bruce's grandma take the cover photo when he came to visit for Thanksgiving? Anyway, the music itself is alright, if not a bit formulaic and mellow for my taste. Not as good as Born to Run.

I only recently learned that this band existed (thanks to a random track play from Apple Music). I think it was I Had Too Much To Dream. I liked it enough to listen to the entire album, so this is the second play-through for me. I like it quite a bit. It's got a lot more variety than you'd expect. It's not all Doors-sounding psychedelic rock. There's Indian, East Asian, even ragtime in here. Just didn't care much for the more hippie sounding stuff like The King is in the Counting House.

I knew of one song by the band, She Bangs the Drum. This album sounds a bit Oasis-like to me, just a bit more bland. Gets good near the end. I Am the Resurrection is the best track I think. Most songs (except Elizabeth My Dear) could have been shorter, and made the album 45 minutes or so, and would have been a better listen.

Listened to the 11 song English version. Crappy, depressing sounding modern pop. Only enjoyed the nostalgia from hearing some of the throwback 80s sounds. The Stranger was the best song; it has a riff that sounds like Peter Gabriel's Shock the Monkey. Creepy album cover. Stay far away from anyone who looks at you like this.

Yeah, it's pretty cool alright. It's jazz though, so I kept forgetting it was on.

Previously rated: A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2/5) ************************************** I should have written this review right after I listened to the album until waiting until the next day. Most of the anger erupting from me while listening is gone. I wanted to punch the guy in the throat whenever he went into his falsetto (which happened to be in every g-damn song!) This has to be one of the lamest, no balls whatsoever, rock album I've ever heard. I don't remember how many times I said "SHUT THE F*** UP" out loud in my car. Please let this be the last Coldplay album, I'm begging.

The first song, Lost Ones, was annoying, and the album ran out of steam at the end; didn't like the cover of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. The rest was pretty decent stuff especially considering I'm not an R&B/hip-hop guy, though the incessant "yo, yo, yo" did get on my nerves. I also thought the interspersing of the kids talking about what they think love is was pretty cool and interesting.

Weird inclusion on this list. Oh, it's from the UK? Well, that explains it. Ms. Dynamite has an annoyingly nasal voice and a foul mouth, but she did manage to pull together one really good song, which is Krazy Krush.

Apple Music did not have this, so I listened on YouTube. Pure chaos. Not much else to say besides it belongs on this list. I haven't heard anything quite like this before. Two saxophones, two drummers, and one bass?

Good, fun stuff. The instrumental, Sex Machine went a little long.

There were a couple of interesting songs, the Seventh Seal and Get Behind Me, but overall it was a pretty boring affair.

I’ve heard his name mentioned many times but I couldn’t tell you anything he has specifically been involved with before listening to this. The first half certainly had some interesting sounds and lyrics. Not the greatest voice though. Second half is slow and a bit on the boring side. I think I’d listen to it again, at least the first half.

This album is good, fun time. He certainly knew how to connect with his audience. I wish they edited out the encore of San Quinton and added another song or had a longer version of Folsom Prison Blues. Also, more June Carter! Favorite track: A Boy Named Sue.

I love Laura Nyro's greatest hits album. I've listened to it many times. This is the first time listening to one of her studio albums. I was going to give this a 4/5 as I don't like the slow, stripped down songs as much, and her voice can get a bit shrill on the high notes. But I listened to it again this morning, and I think I was just being too critical. There are plenty enough great songs here to push this up to a 5/5. Did she lift "she got the way to move me" on Emmie from Neil Diamond's Cherry, Cherry? Favorites: Lu, Sweet Blindness, Stoned Soul Picnic, Eli's Comin'.

Previously rated: Who's Next (5/5) ******************** There were three versions of this on Apple Music (Bonus Tracks, 40th Anniversary, and Deluxe Editions), none of which resembled the order or run time of the original listed on Wikipedia. They were all at least twice as long. I made a playlist with just the original songs and it was still 5 minutes longer than it should be. Close enough. It simply rocks. Daltrey's voice sounds great. Drums and bass are thumpin'. Guitar wailing. 5/5

The name sounded familiar, but I didn't know this was the singer from 'Til Tuesday until after hearing the album. It didn't sound similar at all to me. This was pretty standard fare 90s pop. She has a nice voice and the songs were all pretty radio-friendly stuff. It was decent.

I don't like this wimpy type of folk rock, and I don't like this weirdo asking where the children play. 2/5 because Wild World and Miles From Nowhere are OK.

I liked a lot of the instrumentation. I didn't like the rap parts, nor the nasally guy's vocals. Best track: (Who Discovered) America? Worst: Who's to Blame.

Previously rated: Birth of the Cool (3/5) Kind of Blue (3/5) ************************ Some great energetic and entertaining stuff here like Pharaoh's Dance and Spanish Key, but also a lot of just meandering around like the last few minutes of the title track and the entirety of Feio. So it averages out to, well average 3/5.

Showtunes aren't generally my thing, but you can't deny this woman's beautiful voice, and the arrangements are great for the most part. But you gotta also really love Gershwin tunes to love listening to three plus hours of this. I don't get why the instrumental stuff was here. "My Cousin in Milwaukee" was one of the tracks that stood out to me. I liked the wordplay.

Sounds like someone just learned some curse words and wants everyone to know. I've never knowingly listened to Limp Bizkit before. I was 25 when this album came out, but somehow I knew I was too old for it. I'm 49 now listening to it, and I'm wayyyyy too old for this shit. Crap, juvenile lyrics, crap vocals, crap guitar, crap album title and art. Nothing on this album wasn't crap. The only people giving this more than 1 star better have some nostalgic tie to this from when they were an edgy teenager trying to rebel against society. I could not fathom someone hearing this for the first time today and think it's good. No f***ing way. I actually sat through this whole thing, by the way, even the extremely obnoxious several minute long laughing at the end. This is bottom of the barrel stuff here.

Once in a while the UK bias of this list pays off. I doubt this album would be here otherwise. Like most Americans my age, we first heard Slade on their song Run Runaway. It was only years later I found out two of Quiet Riots biggest hits were both Slade songs, so I had to look into them. I've only listened to their greatest hits and live albums, but I can say I'm a fan. This is my first time listening to a studio album. It's just good, fun, stripped down rock & roll at its finest. You can tell the band is having fun playing. I had fun listening to all 10 songs. Gudbuy T'Jane and Mama Weer All Crazee Now were the ones I knew best, so they were my favorites.

I liked the more upbeat rock songs like Cajun Woman and Million Dollar Bash over the more Joan Baez-like stuff. A mixed bag here.

I don't get the reverence for Bob Marley, but the music here is nice enough to chill out to.

The woman's voice ruins all the pretty music. It probably deserves a 1/5 based on how much I enjoyed it, but the last 1/5 I gave was Limp Biskit, and the passion and sincerity of this should not be anywhere near that stank.

Previously rated: Kid A (1/5) Hail to the Thief (1/5) ************************** This initially sounded like it was going to be better than the other two I heard previously. And overall, I think it is slightly better, but only slightly. The whiny vocals are still here. The pretentious, atmospheric background music. I don't dig this band at all.

Previously rated: Pornography (2/5) ********************* I called the Pornography album "echo-heavy, depressing sounding muck." This one wasn't quite that bad, but still nothing very good either. There's nothing that sounds like their hits. I immediately played Boys Don't Cry after listening to this and wondered why nothing on the album was anywhere near this good.

Did this guy record an album every week of his life? There is so much of his stuff out there and he died at age 48! Anyway, the music was not bad to listen to, just not a genre I'd put on casually. There is so much worse music on this list.

More boring than I was expecting. A little too folky, and Richard doesn't sing nearly as well as Linda. Very forgettable.

Part TV show theme songs, part Kenny G, part Steely Dan, and some other random stuff. I really don't know what to give this. A 3/5 I guess?

I only knew Bang a Gone (Get It On) from this band, and honestly I never liked it that much. I was hoping their other stuff was better and more glam rock like Sweet or Slade, but this album was just too...mellow, and just kind of mediocre overall. Finally, on the very last track of the album (Rip Off) they wake up and start glamming it up. Why wasn't more of the album like this?

Terrible graphic design on this album cover. The music was OK. A bit cheesy and dated sounding in parts. The boo-say boo-sah phrase was used a lot throughout. What does it mean?

A serious pop album. Not terrible I suppose, but not much fun apart from Freedom and maybe one other.

Previously rated: The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (4/5) *************************************************** I guess I'm a Jack White fan now. I listened to this twice. Great organ/piano playing, drums, a variety of genres. The only thing holding it back for me, and just a bit, is the vocals, especially the distortion. But when he has backup singers singing too, it sounds good. I loved the final track, Take Me With You When You Go. Also enjoyed I'm Shakin' and Hip Poor Boy, but the whole album is pretty solid, maybe a 5/5 if I listen some more.

I listened to this one three times in a row. Wow, what an album! Total balls to the wall hard rock. You might even say heavy metal. Speed King is an amazing opener with a kick-ass guitar riff. Child in Time, EPIC! Really, every track here is great. Ian Gillian had the best scream in rock. The inventive guitar solos with heavy whammy bar, the keyboard solos, cool basslines, killer drum fills, this has it all. Ends with the galloping awesomeness and cacophony of Hard Lovin' Man. A perfect album as far as I'm concerned. Though I'm sure some idiot is going to say "Meh, dad rock 1/5".

Previously rated: Led Zeppelin IV (5/5) Physical Graffiti (5/5) Led Zeppelin III (3/5) ************************** Starts off hot with Good Times Bad Times, then starts to slow down. A little too slow for my taste. Dazed and Confused and Communication Breakdown are the other highlights here. I will take another listen when I get a chance.

In 1964, many people were listening to the Beatles, but then there were some listening to this guy. I have no idea what he is saying, but he sure is passionate about it.

Previously rated: In Rainbows (1/5) Hail To the Thief (1/5) Kid A (1/5) ************************* Since this album was five years before any Radiohead album I've listened to previously, I had hope it would be better than the others. And it is! Does that mean I like it? No. It has a few moments where it starts to rock. The singer does ruin it most of the time. But this album actually has melody, something I usually prefer to hear in music. And for that, I'll give it an extra star.

For an album with no hits songs, it's quite good. I didn't know someone besides Freddie sang lead. Whoever it was sounded good, kind of like Roger Daltrey. Might go up to a 5/5 after I listen to it again.

It's a dance album. It's more for dancing to than sitting down and listening to, so it's automatically going to get dinged for that. And it has the same annoying repetitiveness that other similar albums have. The lady singing in some tracks has a nice voice though.

Lovely voice, some big hits. I didn't really care for her covers of Will You Love Me Tomorrow? or A Natural Woman. Best track: So Far Away

I had never heard of fIREHOSE before. With 11 of the 14 tracks flagged as [E] as Apple Music, I was expecting some obscenity filled anger or sex-rock, but it wasn't really either. Unless it was mislabeled, most of the curse words must have flown over my head. This was just some quirky, but not really weird, less catchy...Goo Goo Dolls-like rock? I don't know. Some of it was OK, some of it was a bit dull. Average rating 3/5.

Haha, I was wondering if a Kiss album would show up here. I figured if one did it would either be Alive! or this one. Let me say right off the bat, I'm a big Kiss fan, but this has never been one of my favorite albums of theirs. Let's give it a fresh listen. - Detroit Rock City - Terrific, iconic song. The opening with the guy getting ready to go to a Kiss concert is cool too. - King of the Night Time World - The car crash at the end of DRC goes right into this, and it's another really good one. - God of Thunder - The perfect song for Gene Simmons' demon persona. It's dark, dirty, it rocks. The kid voices are creepy too. Perfect album so far! - Great Expectations - The perfect album has completely gone off the rails here. One of the cringiest songs I've ever heard. The lyrics are super creepy. It's over-produced. The chorus sucks. Everything sucks about this. This one is skipped every time I hear it. - Flaming Youth - Kinda rocks, but it's pretty cheesy. "Flaming Youth will set the world on fire!" OK, Paul. - Sweet Pain - A typical Gene song. I like it except for the female backup singers. They make it sound super dated. - Shout it Out Loud - An attempt to recreate the magic of Rock and Roll All Nite. Not as good, but it's fine. - Beth - A big hit, but I've never loved it. Too over-produced with the orchestral sound. Hard Luck Woman off their next album is a much better Peter Criss sung ballad imo. - Do You Love Me - Decent album closer. I like the thumpin' drums. - Rock 'N' Roll Party - There's one more? Oh, this. It used to be tacked on to the end with no track title. It has a sort of reprise of Great Expectations in it, so it sucks. Overall, this is my least favorite of the seven Kiss studio albums of the 1970's. The others I'd all give 5/5 to. My favorite it actually the next album Rock and Roll Over. Destroyer has problems. The production makes some of the tracks sound cheesy and/or dated. Five of these songs are on Alive II and they sound better live. I'll still give this 4/5, though I'll still always skip Great Expectations and usually Beth when I re-listen.

Previously rated: The Dreaming (2/5) *********************** Sorry, Kate. I still can't get into your music. I think this one was more straight-forward then The Dreaming, but I still couldn't connect to it in any way. I started zoning out after a while. I barely remember anything about it after listening to it yesterday.

First time hearing Beck outside Loser. Well, I don't really like his laid back, disinterested singing style. Drum beats were OK. I didn't hate anything. The keyboard in this sounded exactly like the keyboard used in the music for Napoleon Dynamite. Compare Hotfix with Uncle Rico's theme.

Creepy David Bowie want-to-be.

Culture Club was very popular when I started getting into music, so I have nostalgia for some of these songs. Karma Chameleon, It's a Miracle, Church of the Poison Mind, and Miss Me Blind were all hits I believe. The rest of the album is solid. I only listened to the original 10 tracks, but I'll probably hit the rest later.

Previously rated: Master of Puppets (5/5) Metallica (4/5) **************************** This seems strange to have on the list. If we needed to hear symphonic metal before we die, why not have an actual symphonic metal band? Oh well, anyway, the symphony gimmick gets old surprisingly fast. There was one track later in the album (I think it was Wherever I May Roam) that I thought sounded cool with the symphony. The vocals were very inconsistent throughout. Some were OK, some goofy sounding off-key moments, some voice cracking, some lyric slurring, and even sounding like a lounge singer (in One). Quite laughably bad in some parts. In fact, he actually is laugh singing at one point. It's a good thing the underlying music is solid (even though I'm not familiar with many of the originals) or this would have gotten a lower rating.

I thought I only knew one song of hers going in, Genie in a Bottle. Turns out I know at least two others (Fighter and Beautiful), just thought they were Kelly Clarkson or somebody else. Well, this album started off poorly with a GIRL POWER song featuring an annoying Lil' Kim rap. Big pass. After that, there is actually some decent pop stuff here. The girl can sing for sure, though sometimes her vocal acrobatics are a bit much, but that's what was popular (is it still?). The album goes on too long with too many "inspirational" songs. Cut it off after 15 tracks and we're good.

This is weird stuff. Well, the album cover and title, some of the song titles, the Tiny Tim-like vocals are weird. The rest of the music is fairly straightforward. It reminds me of Supertramp. Favorite track: Hasta Mañana, Monsieur.

Drugs, guns, death threats, boasting, N words and MF’ers galore. Not much different than the other gangsta rap albums I've already heard here. It wasn't made for me.

I bought this album back when it was new. I must have listened to it a lot back then as it was very familiar and I hadn’t listened to it in at least 25 years. Despite some questionable lyrics and some tracks that are too noisy with a lot going, it’s still pretty good.

Previously rated: Youth And Young Manhood (3/5) ************************************ Again, the music was OK, but those affected, torchered sounding vocals. It gets tiring. Best track: Sex on Fire

Previously rated: 1984 (5/5) ********************** A near perfect hard rock album. Half the songs still get radio play on my local classic rock station, and it has my all time favorite Van Halen song, Ice Cream Man!

Previously rated: The Bends (2/5) In Rainbows (1/5) Hail To the Thief (1/5) Kid A (1/5) ************************* This has to be trolling, right? Either by the band selling this crap as music, or by this list including it as a joke. Monotonous droning over some repetitive beat. That's all this is. How many more albums do we have to listen to from this awful, awful band?

There's a good 1-2-3 punch with Without You, Coconut, and Let the Good Times Roll, but besides that, it's kind of middle of the road or worse. Ends on an overwrought note with I'll Never Leave You.

Previously rated: Rubber Soul (5/5) With the Beatles (5/5) ********************************* I like using this fake band thing to frame this pseudo-concept album, even if it only ties into 3/13 tracks. There are two songs here I don't really care for. She's Leaving Home is too overproduced and boring sounding. And Within You Without You is just too...weird and un-Beatle like. I do like the version on the LOVE album that mixes it with Tomorrow Never Knows. If Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were held back for this album instead of released as a single, and replaced those two tracks, I think this would unquestionably be the best Beatles album of all time, and maybe best album period. I'm partial to Lovely Rita and Good Morning, Good Morning, and of course a Day in the Life. Oh, and Lucy in the Sky. Oh, and When I'm 64 and the reprise. Let's give this a 4.75.

This album had a couple of moments, but did not leave much of a lasting impression. I didn't really like his singing style, which sounded like a forced Van Morrison affectation.

Previously rated: Automatic for the People (3/5) Document (4/5) ************************************ Stand is a great song, Orange Crush and Inside Out pretty good. The rest range from dull to average.

So repetitive. When a song starts, you think oh this one might be good, but it never changes. So repetitive. Same beat, same chords. So repetitive. I don't care about their revolution. So repetitive. This album barely even has a Wikipedia article. So repetitive.

Previously rated: Unknown Pleasures (2/5) ****************************** Despite the vocals being what they are, there was some decent stuff going on musically. But again, those vocals are so depressing. Can’t give it any more than a 3/5. Best track: Twenty four hours.

Previously rated: Amnesiac (1/5) The Bends (2/5) In Rainbows (1/5) Hail To the Thief (1/5) Kid A (1/5) ************************* Are we done with Radiohead yet? A third of the way through the list, and six albums already. This one is right up there with The Bends as not as terrible as the others, but still not good. But it actually has a few good moments, particularly in Paranoid Android and Electioneering. Sadly, those moments don't last long enough or are ruined by the singer incessant whining. I have to say STFU out loud multiple times during every Radiohead album I listen to. I did kind of enjoy the computer theme though.

Guess I just don’t like Indian techno very much. Best track: Sutrix

OK, it's alright once you get used to the low, mush-mouth vocal style the singer sometimes employs. Too bad "Come On Eileen" isn't on here. Does "One of Those Things" straight-up rip off "Werewolves of London" or is it an homage or ironic sound-alike?

You know the album is going to be a little different when the first song ends with "Hot dog bun, my sister's a nun." The whole thing is a mixed bag though. This guy is a more Country sounding Bob Dylan with the clever lyrics in some songs like Illegal Smile, Pretty Good, and Your Flag Decal, but then there's some basic boring Country stuff too.

Previously rated: S&M (3/5) Master of Puppets (5/5) Metallica (4/5) **************************** My brother owned this album back when it was new, so I was familiar with it, though I haven't heard it in 30 years. I liked it then. Let's see what I think now. It holds up extremely well, and for not hearing it in a long time, I remembered most of the tracks, except for the last three. This is some bad-ass metal and a good reminder why Metallica was considered the best thrash band in the world. Top notch guitar solos, and I love, love the drumming. Lars Ulrich gets a lot of crap nowadays, but damn he nails it here. Blackened is an amazing opening track and probably my favorite on the album. Other favorites: Everything except maybe To Live Is To Die, which is fine, just not as memorable as the others. Ends with a banger too - Dyer's Eve may be the heaviest track on the album.

This guy thinks he’s descended from Egyptian royalty and his words transcend space and time, but this is just another ‘90s rap album, probably here to have some east coast representation. Not much new, misogyny and racism, despite him specifically denying both. There are some good beats here though.

There is some good stuff here, notably "The Sound of the Crowd" and "Don't You Want Me." Somehow I didn't get tired of the vocals. I might give this a second listen some time.

Yawn, yet another '90s explicit lyrics rap album. I couldn't understand a lot of the lyrics, but the words I did understand made it clear it's not anything I'd be interested in anyway. Had some movie dialogue interspersed. For what reason? No idea. Barely 2/5.

After the first couple of tracks, I was ready to write this off as another generic R&B/rap album, then it started doing some interesting things and turned into quite an ambitious and impressive sounding album. It goes into some unexpected territory. Mushrooms & Roses sounds like an homage to Crimson & Clover. 57821 sounds sort of Simon and Garfunkel-ish. Lounge singing. It's got it all. I didn't like everything she tried here, but A for effort. Favorite tracks: Tightrope (except the Big Boi part), Oh, Maker, and one other I can't remember the title of.

First time hearing any Husker Du. Maybe a 20-track double album wasn't the best place to start. Not that it was bad, just got tiring by the end. To me, it sounded a bit like Social Distortion or a punk R.E.M. The worst thing here was the '80s production, especially the drum sounds. The actual drumming was good. Best track: Standing in the Rain. Liked the bass in that one.

A very mellow, laid back funk album. Some long songs, a nice listen though, just not that memorable. Best track: Maybe the title track?

Growing up hearing CSNY, I dismissed them as lame, hippie music. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate them more, but not all of it. I like Almost Cut My Hair, Woodstock, and Our House. Some of the other stuff is still kind of lame.

A weird mashup of styles. Indian, hip-hop, Beck? Didn’t like everything, but wasn’t bad at all. Best track: Good to Be On the Road Back Again

Previously rated: Fragile (5/5) ********************* Not quite as epic as Fragile, but there is some great stuff here. Love the bass and drums. Starship Trooper is the one track that dragged a bit too long. Standout tracks: Yours Is No Disgrace and I've Seen All Good People.

Never heard of John Martyn before this. The first song, Dealer, was OK laid-back 70's funk, though it sounded like he was trying to sing with strep throat. The rest of the album was super boring and forgettable, especially that last track, what was that supposed to be? I'm looking forward to reading the 5/5 ratings to see how someone could possibly be enthusiastic about this big, dull dud.

This album has a lot to say about race - a lot of dumb things, and boring things. The music is secondary to the message, which I don't care about. They specifically say this shit isn't for me, and I agree. I'm not supposed to like it, and I don't.

Perhaps a car isn't the best venue to listen to a dance music album like this, but I don't think I would like it much better in a night club. The first track samples "Blue on Blue," a song I never liked. Other tracks sounded like what AI can produce in 2024. The final track was a bore.

Weird title for an album. Great voice, really good songs. Not much more to say.

Previously rated: Brothers In Arms (4/5) ************************** It's got Sultans of Swing and uh...Six Blade Knife. The rest wasn't bad, just not memorable.

Sgt Pepper inspired psychedelic rock, leaning a bit too heavy into the psychedelia for my taste. I liked the hard rock stuff like Old Man Going the best. Above average but not quite a 4 upon first listen.

Previously rated: Queen II (4/5) ******************** I liked this a bit better than Queen II. Almost everything is great. Killer Queen is one of their best songs. Stone Cold Crazy rocks hard. I'll definitely listen to this one again.

Previously rated: The Suburbs (3/5) ********************* Not terrible music, but it's just so generic and forgettable. What do they have against guitar solos or drum fills? All I remember from listening to it yesterday was a whistling tea kettle and a song with strings. I didn't remember anything from the other album either. Arcade Fire makes music that is just there. It doesn't really do anything, and it doesn't do anything for me. Normally I'd give an album like this a 3 like I did The Suburbs, but that generic-ness just annoys me into dropping it a star.

I like to go into these albums fresh and not look up any information about the artist or music beforehand, so I knew absolutely zero about Big Star and #1 Record. And after listening, I am extremely baffled as to why this exceedingly average sounding early '70s rock album needs to be listened to before I die. Are there member(s) of this band that go on to create a much more famous band later on? Did this album inspire the Eagles to start making music? No clue, but after clicking the Vote button, I'm going to Wikipedia to do some research on this. Best track: "Feel" maybe? It had horns in it, which made it sound a bit different. "When My Baby's Beside Me" sounded like pure bubblegum Partridge Family stuff.

An album full of slow, tender pop ballads is not my thing. If it were, k.d. lang is better at it. She has a nice voice though. The guy was fine too I guess. The music was just dull to me though.

Previously rated: Siamese Dream (3/5) ************************ This album was long, obviously, but pretty good. If I were a few years younger, I'm sure I would have big nostalgia for it. I do remember teenagers I worked with singing that they were a rat in a cage. One or two of the songs reminded me of Coheed and Cambria.

This is the reason why, in the ‘80a, any heavy sounding music was labeled as Satan worshipping. I just wanted to listen to Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Kiss, and Poison. Anyway, yeah this sounds silly and amateurish, but weirdly entertaining at the same time. This is far from the worst thing on the list. I would actually listen to it again.

Previously rated: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (4/5) Aladdin Sane (3/5) The Next Day (3/5) Young Americans (3/5) ************************************************************************* Golden Years and some other songs. Average David Bowie stuff.

Previously rated: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (4/5) ************************************************* I liked this one a bit more than the previous album. Better album title too. It has my favorite Aretha song, Chain of Fools as well as a new favorite, Niki Hokey (nice bassline on this one).

Previously rated: The Dark Side of the Moon (3/5) The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (2/5) **************************************** Can't say this is bad. I just like my rock music with a bit more energy and excitement. Just a preference.

A bit slow for my taste, but the guy has a charm and an unmistakable voice that's easy to listen to.

Dance music not my thing. Some of this is ok, but much of it is annoying and repetitive. How many times in a row do we need to hear “Give the po’ man” or “Michael Jackson?” Sheesh. Won’t listen again.

Previously rated: Face to Face (4/5) Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (5/5) ************************************************************** Another great Kinks album. I love their sound (especially the drums), the lyrics, and a bit of weirdness. One song reminded me of the Banana Splits theme song, which I love.

Listened to the eight original tracks. Sounded like standard ‘70s Neil Diamond type pop. I’d rather hear Dion’s older stuff like Runaround Sue.

A bit better than the typical folk music I've gotten on this list, but just a bit. A low 3/5. I liked the female led tracks better, but still a lot of this is corny, hippie-dippie stuff. The sitar was utilized well I thought. Favorite tracks: Once I Had a Sweetheart and Sally Go Round the Roses.

The track Let's Stay Together is great. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart stood out just because I recognized it being a Bee Gee's song. Oh, and seven other smooth soul songs that kind of sound similar to each other. The album is OK for certain situations.

I was expecting this one to eventually come up, and was looking forward to it. The most incredible debut album of all time in my opinion. How did they go a perfect 8 for 8? Every song got radio play and most still do to this day. The vocal harmonies, the guitar harmonies, the drum fills, the organ in Smokin', everything comes together into a fully cohesive album that is basically perfect. They had a couple of hits after this, but would never be able to come close to what they achieved here. 5/5

Previously rated: Odelay (3/5) ********************** My brother, who is a Beck fan, was mocking me the other day for giving the Deee-Lite album a 4/5. I would listen to a fun album like that any day of the week over the dreary dreck of Sea Change. Maybe "dreck" is a bit too strong, but this album was dull, and I didn't really like any of the tracks.

Previously rated: Who's Next (5/5) Live at Leeds (5/5) ******************** I'm not big on the whole rock opera concept here. There are a couple of good rock tracks - Pinball Wizard, Christmas, and Tommy Can You Hear Me? has been stuck in my head. But some of the other stuff is not to my taste. Some of the singing sounds off-key to me too.

What a great album for this list! It perfectly shows how terrible modern pop music is. Give me Billy Ocean any day over this horrible sounding crap. Is it auto-tune or does he really just sound this bad? There was one half decent track, Sweet Life.

As a child of the '80s, I had heard of this band before, but I didn't know of their music as I didn't hear them on the radio or see them on MTV, so I didn't know what they would sound like. Besides the gated reverb drum sound, which I don't like, this is not bad. I might listen to this one again. Favorite track: April Skies

It's fun. There's a lot of call and response. I like the drums.

Previously rated: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (4/5) ********************************************* When I was younger, I though S&G were lame and boring with a couple of exceptions, so it feels weird to enjoy this so much now. There's a good mix of slow and up-tempo and different styles. Their voices and unique and mesh well together. I like it a bit more than the previous album. Favorite track: I've always liked "Cecilia."

When I was a kid, Rockit was my favorite music video. I can't even hear the song without seeing it. And that is all I knew of Herbie Hancock for a long time until I found out he was a very well respected jazz musician. This is the first time hearing one of his albums, which came out the year before I was born. For someone who doesn't love jazz, it's decent jazz. There were some annoying things like the (I think) slide whistle in Watermelon Man and the repetitive beat in Vein Melter. I liked the craziness of Sly. Overall, 3/5.

Previously rated: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (5/5) Rubber Soul (5/5) With the Beatles (5/5) ************************************************ My favorite of the early Beatles albums. It contains some of my all-time favorites: I Should Have Known Better If I Fell Tell Me Why I'll Be Back I like the less than polished production here, like when the vocal harmonies come in at different times. It gives the songs an authentic feel and charm. I don't want a perfect sounding album. The only track I might consider filler here is Any Time At All, but not enough to skip it when I listen. I recommend watching "A Hard Day's Night," the film as well.

Short, fun, but not super memorable songs. It reminded me of television theme songs of the 1960s.

I knew part one of the title track, liked it. Part 2 rocks. The loud percussion throughout is good.

Jethro Tull has a unique sound that may not be for everyone, with the flute, piano, and sometimes rough vocals, but I can get into it. When he's not growling, the singer has sort of a George Harrison sounding voice, or maybe it's a different guy singing, I don't know. The album seems to be telling a story about a creepy pervert named Aqualung? I didn't really follow it, but I liked enough of the tracks to give it a 4/5. Best tracks: Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary, Hymn 43, Wind-Up.

Could there be music more annoying than this? Oh wait, I forgot about Limp Bizkit. Still, this is pretty bad. How many tracks did she have to say this is a Missy Elliott exclusive? And did she say she wants to put her booty in my spaghetti? No thank you very much. Best track: Ain’t it Funny I guess? Got a little nostalgia hit with the Run DMC and Beastie Boys samples. But is this really R&R Hall of Fame caliber music. Yuck!

I was expecting to hear Rod Stewart's voice, but I guess he wasn't in this band. This sounded sort of like the Guess Who and the Kinks. I don't know if any one track stood out, well except for the 19 minute one of course, but that was really several tunes with narration in between, but I kinda liked the whole thing (I could take or leave the narration parts). Good, fun drumming too. I'll definitely give it another listen in the future.

This is a perfect example of an album that should be on this list, but not a "best albums of all time" list. It was groundbreaking in its genre, innovative, and influential, but listening to it today, it's...not great. It starts off with a pretty weak track, Hard Times. It seems like any of the next few would have been a better choice, especially Rock Box. Maybe they didn't want to immediately turn off people who didn't want to hear rock in their rap? Too many songs here utilize that hand clap sound effect, which makes the album sound even more dated than it would already be. The rhymes are just OK, the flow doesn't change very much so it gets old. Still, the album has some fun stuff like Rock Box, Jam-Master Jay. I like the incorporation of rock and the record scratching. I don't know if "Raising Hell" is on this list, but it's a much better Run DMC album. However, I do agree their debut deserves to be here and should be heard to hear how it all started.

If you listened to this as a teenager when it came out, you probably thought you were the edgiest kid on the block. I was 19 or 20, so I was over that phase, so I never listened to NIN. This album is noisy, abrasive, annoying, but also boring and repetitive. I hate the drum machine and the whole industrial sound. I didn't like any of it - not for me.

Didn't know who Paul Weller was. The dude has a nice, soulful voice - it sounds familiar. The music is good, just nothing outstanding. A high 3/5. Edit: I found out afterwards, Paul Weller was in the band The Jam. I don't remember much about the album I heard (300 albums ago), "All Mod Cons," but I rated it a 4/5.

Country isn't my favorite genre, but this isn't bad. Emmylou Harris adds a lot to it. I don't know if his weak voice could carry it by himself. I wouldn't mind hearing it again.

Interesting mix of styles and genres. I didn’t dig the slower numbers much. This is one of the rare occasions I prefer the instrumentals, especially the jazz track, Crumble. Also Attack El Robot! Attack!

Not on Apple Music, so I had to listen on YouTube, not ideal. Upon first listen, it's alright - nothing is as good as the one song everyone knows, Our House. I could listen to it again...or not.

Previously rated: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2/5) The College Dropout (2/5) ********************************************** This album isn’t just annoying, it’s aggressively and abrasively annoying. Made by a moron that believes he’s a genius. Listened to and enjoyed by people of similar intelligence. Song isn’t perfect yet? Hey Kanye, have you considered adding some more filthy lyrics, auto-tune, or loud buzzing noises? Oh, you have? BRILLIANT! Absolutely nothing worth listening to a second time.

Country is not my favorite genre, but this older stuff has its charm. Here, Merle sounds very similar to Buck Owens on the Tiger By the Tail album I rated a while back. To me, it seems pretty standard for its time, but I'm sure it's more of a standout for country music fans. Favorite track: Someone Told My Story (but many of the songs sounded similar)

Rating the original 1965 release. Starts off kinda average. Once it gets into the fourth track or so, it starts getting good. The standouts are obviously My Generation and The Kids Are Alright. Ends with an instrumental track The Ox which was pretty cool.

Previously rated: Freak Out! (3/5) ********************* I'm glad I listened to this. It had its share of interesting moments - it got some chuckles out of me. Example: "There will come a time when you won't even be ashamed if you are fat." How prophetic! Some funny song titles too. And some words I didn't expect to hear from a 1968 album, including "kick the shit out of me" and "flower power sucks." The music, kind of all over the place. The last track was just random sounds, not very musical, and it was the longest track. Do I ever want or need to listen to it again? Probably not.

Previously rated: The Velvet Underground & Nico (3/5) ******************************************* Not quite as good as the previous one, but it's OK. Some pretty songs, some boring ones.

I like metal, but not like this. Not. Like. This.

A very eclectic album by an artist I've never heard of. Apple Music says this is hip-hop, and while a couple of tracks have hip-hop elements, I certainly wouldn't put it in that genre. Maybe "World music?" Interesting enough stuff here to warrant at least one listen. And the in between stuff with the DJ was fine I guess. Favorite track: Buffalo Gals

The first two tracks are excellent, especially Moondance. The rest of the album is pretty good too. Nice use of flute, saxophone, harmonica, etc. His voice is unmistakable.

It takes some effort to make punk rock dull and boring. This album manages it. Is it the guitar tuning or tone, the singer's accent? I normally enjoy punk, and 1970s rock in general, but something big was off here. None of the tracks made any kind of impression. Blah.

You know, I wasn't looking forward to listening to this at all. Well, maybe a little, just to see what the famous JAY Z sounded like. I will say, I liked this better than the other bragging, crime glorifying, n-word saying rap albums I've heard on this list. I guess he's just better at putting together backing music for his mf-laden songs. It also prompted me to look up the original version of Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City. After hearing JAY Z's, I was pretty sure there must have been one earlier than the Whitesnake version I was familiar with. Look up Bobby "Blue" Bland's original - it's great. Still, he calls himself JAY-hova and wants everyone to know he's runnin' this rap shit. Sure thing 👌

Fine background music. I got a bit tired of it by Last Tango in Paris.

Easy 5/5. I haven't gotten into the track "Thank You" yet, but everything else is gold. Whole Lotta Love and Ramble On have been played to death on classic rock stations, but there's plenty of other great stuff. Favorite track: Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid - I can't separate the two. Also, I think John Bonham is the best rock drummer. His groove just top notch.

Brazilian mix of the Mamas and the Papas, Beatles, Kinks. Psychadelic, late 60s sounds, backmasking, false endings, etc. I kind of liked it. Low 4/5. I will listen again.

I still have three more songs to hear, but I doubt my opinion will change. I suppose we have to have something to represent the shitty state of modern music, and this is a good one to do that. Awful auto-tuned vocals, crass lyrics, and...I don't want to waste any more time on this. I will listen to the final three tracks tomorrow and edit the review if anything changes my mind. Edit: Nothing changed my mind. Got a second song where she mentions shaving her legs though. Give me Janet Jackson's "Control" album any day over this.

OK, but kind of generic rock. Kind of like the Hives to me. I only knew "Get Free" before hearing this album. Favorite track: Probably Factory. I liked the Ska feel.

Going in, I've only heard one song by Hole, Celebrity Skin. It wasn't bad. The first couple of songs on this album were pretty promising. The rest was just kind of there, it devolved into some angry potty mouth stuff for the last few tracks. Overall, just average. Best track: Violet

I was expecting some dour, depressing music here, and it starts out with a surf rock song. Yeah, this album is more upbeat rock than I thought it would be. It does settle down into slower stuff and even a country sounding song. I got a bit tired of hearing his voice by the end, but all in all it was OK.

Ace of Spades (the song) is a great, rockin' tune. Good thing too, since they repeat it several more times on this album with slight variations and different titles. The whole album rocks - it's hard to deny that. A couple of things hold it back from a 5/5, the singer's extremely limited vocal range and some of the creepy lyrics (see Jailbait). I'll probably listen again. Best track: Ace of Spades

Previously rated: Fifth Dimension (3/5) ************************ Listened to the original 11 tracks. More hippie rock with a little country and experimental prog(?) stuff. Nothing very catchy or memorable.

Early 90s gangsta rap - violent, angry, hypocritical lyrics. His misogyny is all forgiven since he gives Yo-Yo a rebuttal track. Ice Cube's rapping is not all that good. Chuck D brings some energy on one track. It's not enough.

Previously rated: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (5/5) Rubber Soul (5/5) With the Beatles (5/5) A Hard Day's Night (5/5) ************************************************** Every Beatles album is probably going to get 5/5 from me, but they aren't all perfect. This one is a good example. Several songs took a few listens before they grew on me (Dear Prudence, I Will, Mother Nature's Son, Sexy Sadie). Some I loved right away (Back in the U.S.S.R., Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Birthday, Everybody's Got Something to Hide, Helter Skelter). But there a few I will never like (Piggies, Long, Long, Long, Revolution 9 (ugh), Good Night). I would usually stop the album after Cry Baby Cry, but if I made my own song order, I'd put Helter Skelter at the end. It seems like the perfect exclamation point. By the way, I love Ringo's drumming here. He undeservedly gets guff for being the least talented Beatle, but it's all good on this album. I even like the goofy, fun Don't Pass Me By that he sings. (I already mentioned I didn't like Good Night though.) I don't know how many more Beatles albums there are on this list -- Abbey Road and Revolver will for sure be here, and I like those albums better than the White Album, but I still love it. Low 5/5.

Previously rated: At Newport 1960 (3/5) *************************** Damn, does this start off hot and put you in the proper mood! All that hootin' and hollerin' in Manish Boy really does add something. In fact, all the chattering between songs shows that they had a good time making this album. It's straight up Blues and doesn't stray from that one bit, you would never know it was made in the late 70s. I'll put it on again when I'm in the mood. Funny thing, in the song Crosseyed Cat, I thought he sang "licked his balls." I looked it up later and found out it was "licked his paws." Works either way, really.

I had never heard The Damned before, but this was damned good! It has some great basslines and rockin' Ace Frehley-like guitar solos. I listened with earbuds, but I'd like to hear it again on proper speakers.

I have never heard of this band before. It's atmospheric. The singer is kind of monotone. A bit too depressing. Good sounding drums on some of the tracks. I don't think I'd listen to it again. Maybe a low 3/5.

Previously rated: License to Ill (5/5) ************************ First time hearing this one, so I don't have the same nostalgia. It has its moments - Root Down and Sabotage being my favorites. I wish the vocals didn't have that heavy distortion throughout the album though. I'd like to understand some of the lyrics. And why so many instrumentals? Honestly, I did really enjoy a couple of them.

Listened to the original 9 track release. Pretty boring Bob Dylan-inspired stuff. Not very interesting at all to me. Best track: 1975

I was looking forward to hearing this one since many bands I enjoy were influenced by this band, KISS, Motley Crue, Guns 'n' Roses, etc. It was more punk and shouty than I was expecting. I did enjoy some of it. Favorite tracks were the first and last (Personality Crisis and Jet Boy). Overall, it was a bit disappointing considering my high hopes. I might revisit it later.

Previously rated: At San Quinton (4/5) ************************** I knew Hurt was a cover, and if I looked beyond that at the track list beforehand, I would have known these were all covers. I liked the first few tracks pretty well, though the somberness started to wear on me. Didn't really care for the Beatles or Eagles covers. Some of it even comes off as cheesy to me. Somehow I recognized Nick Cave's voice on I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. I didn't even know who he was before I started this list! Though he was the only one I noticed, not even Don Henley.

I only knew this band from the song Fire Woman. This is a surprisingly great rocking album. There are guitar solos and everything! I think Peace Dog may have been my favorite track on first listen, though I wasn't paying much attention to the song titles. I'm definitely going to put this on again. It's right up my alley. Even the cover of Born to be Wild was pretty good, and it's hard to cover an iconic song like that and do it well.

Two iconic songs that still play constantly on classic rock radio (Hotel California and Life in the Fast Lane), two more that still get occasional play (New Kid in Town and Victim of Love), and then some other stuff that didn't do much for me. I think I heard Joe Walsh of some of that other stuff. Hotel California is probably the best song here. It's just that I've heard it a thousand times, so I'll go with New Kid in Town as my favorite track. I'll listen to this album again and see if the lesser known tracks grab me.

I have heard of this band, but I didn't know they were Country. It was OK. I liked the harmonies and some of the lyrics. It was short.

The positives here, which are mainly guitar riffs and solos are far brought down by the awful screaming vocals and angry, edgy, tough guy lyrics. I like metal, but not this kind. I somehow knew This Love, but I don't know where from. I guess the last track was my favorite because it had some clean vocals on it.

Take away "nigga," "muthafucka," and "muthafuckin" from this album and what's left? About 2/3 of an album glorifying drugs, violence, and putting "izz" in the middle of words. Funny how mainstream these guys are even after all the horribleness here. The beats are good though.

The album cover makes me uncomfortable. If my mom knew what the lyrics to Relax were saying, she'd never let me watch that music video, and I wouldn't blame her - they are disgusting. The album as a whole is generally annoying. They were a one-hit wonder in America, so I never heard anything but Relax. The other singles were noth0ing to write home about. The covers don't seem to fit with the rest of the album, but I kinda liked Born to Run. The album is too long too. Frankie say "no more" and frankly I have to agree with Frankie.

Previously rated: Roxy Music (4/5) ************************ There were bits of some songs that I liked, but not a whole one. I was put off by the weird quivering vocal style. Some tracks seemed to really drag on. I'll have to re-listen to the other album to see what the difference was. I didn't really enjoy this one. Favorite track: Editions of You.

This is very much comfort food for my ears. Like probably many, was surprised to find out she was a white English woman given her soulful voice. Son of a Preacher Man is still my favorite, but I Don't Want to Hear it Anymore is also a standout. And The Windmills of Your Mind was a nice kind of psychadelic tune.

Not very interesting or exciting folk rock by a guy I never heard of. I wondered why it was here. Then he started singing about sweet cocaine. I'm guessing this is the reason. Not good enough a reason for me to ever listen to it again.

Previously rated: Your Arsenal (3/5) ********************* This is more what I expected from Morrissey. Nothing memorable except some of the lyrics, but I his voice is a turn-off.

First time hearing Tom Waits. I remember my brother talking about how he had a Cookie Monster voice, so I wasn't looking forward to this. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the album. Nice jazz, fun lyrics, good atmosphere, and his vocals reminded me of George Thorogood more than Cookie Monster.

A great pop album, and one that I have a lot of nostalgia for. It might sound pretty weird to someone who's never heard her before, but it's distinctive - I like that. Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Time After Time are iconic. She Bop was my favorite as a kid, but All Through the Night is my favorite now. I just learned today that it's a cover, so I went and listened to the original. It was OK, but Cyndi's version is better. Overall, it's a very '80s sounding album, and that's fine with me.

I really love the song American Pie. I really do. And the track Everybody Loves Me, Baby was fun and sounded Bob Dylan inspired. The rest, though, is wimpy '70s folk I couldn't get into. So I can't give this more than an average rating overall.

Dumb lyrics, n-words, gay slurs, boring music, and way too long.

Rectal rebuilding, doo-doo pisolts, gerbils for rectums, ass cracks, burn your anus, to damage any rectum, play anally through the trunk, rat poop, doo-doo in your outer ear, burn up in your anal region, bombs in his rectal factor, green shit on your earlobes, biomedical test your rectum, sewing up buttcracks, juicy brown booty, dog doo-doo, doo-doo on flame pits, cold booty from the buttcrack, stop their anals up with pickles, spots on the hiney crack, make your rectum hurt, bees flying around your rectum, open rectums to dissect. These are all phrases rapped on this album. Do you think this guy has a fixation? This is a different sounding rap album, at least lyrically. It even sounds like it might be smart, but if you look at the lyrics, they don't make sense at all. Otherwise, it's got the juvenile filthy lyrics you might expect, even some really creepy, gross stuff. At least it doesn't try to also be socially conscious.

For some reason, Apple Music had a 22-minute version of this album that I listened to before I realized it wasn't the full album, which I listened to on YouTube. It's a fun, high-energy rock and roll show with all the songs you'd expect. Most of these songs weren't written by him, but he performs them well, and he really likes to insert his name into them whenever possible.

Punk vocalists don’t need to be good singers, but I prefer when they don’t go out of their way to sound as repulsive as possible. It brings down what is otherwise good rockin’ stuff. The last track was the one that sounded different and interesting but why did it need to be 10 minutes long?

Previously rated: Odelay (3/5) Sea Change (2/5) ********************** There is some decent stuff here (E-Pro, Que Onda Guero, Girl, Scarecrow) and some boring stuff (Earthquake Weather, and the last few tracks). He still has that monotone quality to his voice, so I'll probably never get excited to hear this or another Beck album, but it's alright.

I never feel older than when I listen to modern pop music. I just don't get it. Lorde's lazy whisper-talk-singing style annoys the ever-loving bejeezus out of me. WHY CAN'T YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR 'R's???! What is "Widah in da dawk?" Why does everything have to be overly dramatic? (Yeah, I know what the title of the album is.) I'm also not a big fan of profanity in pop songs. Again, I'm probably showing my age here. One of my personal rules is if I yell "Shut up!" multiple times while listening to an album, it's getting a 1/5. I call it the Radiohead rule. It applies here. So, is there anything good here? The album artwork is nice. Favorite track: Supercut?

Previously rated: Armed Forces (3/5) My Aim Is True (4/5) Imperial Bedroom (2/5) This Year's Model (4/5) **************************** Not even halfway done with the list and five Elvis Costello albums already? How many Elvis Presley albums? 0 Elvis C. is hit-or-miss for me. This one is in between, just average. Nothing stood out too much. Favorite track: Next Time Round

I've never heard of The Bees. It's pleasant enough, chill music. Good for 2000s pop music. Favorite track: A Minha Menina

African choral music. It took me until the third song to realize, hey there are no instruments, just their voices. It's nice and all, reminds me of the beginning of The Circle of Life from The Lion King. It wouldn't surprise me if these were the people who did that one. It would take a very specific time and place for me to put this on again. Favorite track: Many of the songs sounded the same, but I'll go with Yibo Labo.

It's time for the Rush Limbaugh sh...I mean Green Onions by Booker T. & The MG's! Though some of this album sounds like you are at a hockey game or a circus, it's enjoyable. He must have known he had a hit with the title track as it gets a reprise with Mo' Onions. I let the album play a second time, so it has to get at least a 4/5. Favorite track: Green Onions

An enjoyable album that I probably won't listen to again since I don't like listening to music on YouTube, which is the only place I could find that had it, and even that wasn't easy. The singer has a nice voice and the music is energetic. I don't understand the lyrics, but that's OK.

Previously rated: E.V.O.L. (1/5) ******************* I absolutely hated the previous Sonic Youth album. Going in to this one, I already knew I liked Kool Thing at least. Now this is more what I expected from Sonic Youth! I don't know what happened with that other album, but this one rocks. Except for that one nonsense noise track Scooter and Jinx (it's short though), I liked everything here. Maybe some of the tracks had a similar sound to the best track, Kool Thing, but I didn't mind. I will listen to this one again.

Previously rated: The Low End Theory (3/5) ******************************** The music is fine, good beats, outdated rapping style. Lyrics not at smart as people seem to think, but I'm so glad they aren't rapping about guns, drugs, violence and n-words. I could play it with kids in the car, for the most part. I might skip the one about STDs. The appeal is still somewhat limited as they talk about Afrocentrism multiple times, which just isn't very engaging to me.

Never heard of this band. Pretty boring female vocals. Not required listening at all in my opinion. Best track: Heaven or Las Vegas.

Is this Shoegaze again? I should learn to be suspicious when Apple Music just labels an album as Alternative. This is, for the most part, boring and too long. It had a few moments where I wondered how it would sound if they were awake and lucid. Was "Run" a mashup of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Velvet Underground? It was probably the best track. I'm listening to the last track now, thank goodness. Is she just going to slowly count all the way to 200?

I had not heard of The Fall before this. I will say that it's pretty unique sounding, especially for 1985. But everything sounds so out of tune that I felt uneasy the whole time listening to it. The songs can get pretty repetitive as well. There were one or two tracks that sounded B-52's inspired, and one of those was my favorite. I don't remember the title. This is not something I will listen to again.

This was a pleasant listen on my drive to work this morning. I was a little disappointed when it started over again. I wanted a little more. Better than being too long though.

Nicely produced modern sounding folk(?) music. It was fine. The singers were good. It got a bit boring. Ultimately not really for me, but it's OK.

Dreamy pop music with pleasant vocals. Not my cup of tea really, but also not bad.

Edgy British boys playing the worst sounding guitars I've ever heard on a professionally produced album. Drumming was nothing special. The bass was actually good in spots. Vocals were very British and spoken not sung, from a discontented point of view, repeating the same lines over and over. No thanks, I'll take The Clash or even Sex Pistols over this any time.

I didn't think I knew any of their songs until I heard Tennessee. That one I heard back in '92 and probably not since. The black revolution, religious, and overthrowing the government stuff does not appeal to me at all, but the actual music does. It's upbeat and uplifting, and even some of the lyrical content has a good message, like telling kids to go play in the dirt, lol. It's smarter than 99% of the rap/hip-hop from this time. I will listen to this one again.

Well, that was a surprise. I didn't expect that kind of music from the knobs on the album cover. I was prepared for some depressing, self-indulgent Radiohead sounding crap. This was upbeat and fun, with sort of a throwback sound. I heard John Lennon, The Clash, The Cure, and other likely influences here. I will listen to this again at some point.

A man, his acoustic guitar, and his depressing songs.

Not available on Apple Music for some reason. Listened on YouTube. I was expecting some more middle eastern sounding for some reason, though I don't know what middle eastern jazz would sound like. This was nice and enjoyable. I'd put it on again.

My ears recoil when hearing rappers with a British accent. I'm not sure why exactly. I just don't like hearing it. Some of the other sounds on this are kind of good, and her fast rapping is impressive. On the other hand, all the n-words and other obscenities make me like this way less. Also, overloading the microphone on Boss is annoying as well. Her picture on the album cover looks like Jayden Smith's punchable face. All in all, it probably deserves a 1, but I give it a 2, who cares?

Pretty decent for country music. Didn't sound too '80s except for some of the drums. I recognized Buck Owens singing on one of the songs, so doing this challenge is paying off. Still has some of the annoying country music trappings that I'm not a fan of, like letting his voice crack, and he's got a nasally voice sometimes.

Previously rated: Innervisions (4/5) Songs in the Key of Life (4/5) ************************************ This one takes a while to get going, starting off kind of flat until Boogie On Reggae Woman which sounds kind of like Superstition from a couple of years earlier. That one and Bird of Beauty were probably the best, but the album as a whole didn't grab me like the other two.

Folk with orchestral and some jazzy stuff incorporated. I liked the piano in a couple of tracks, but I didn't like his singing style (breathy, I guess). Sadly, the instrumentals were boring, and the album overall was tedious, but thankfully short. Best track: Poor Boy

Was this 1979 album the official start of '80s music? I grew up in the '80s and I never heard of this guy. It wasn't until much, much later that I started hearing his song Cars on the radio and I wondered why I never heard it growing up. 1979 is the reason. I was 5 years old and not listening to pop music. Anyway, back on track, when I started hearing it on the radio, I didn't care for it. I still don't really. It felt like a novelty song to me, like "She Blinded Me With Science." It feels more at home within the context of the full album though because the whole thing is that synthy and weirdly sung. The best thing about it to me, are the drums. I got used to the vocals and the synth, but I could take it or leave it as a whole. I think M.E. may have been my favorite track. I probably won't listen again to be sure.

Previously rated: Bryter Layter (2/5) ********************** I just heard my first Nick Drake two days ago. It was not quite a 3. Let's see if he has grown on me in that time. No, no he hasn't. This album has less of everything except his annoying singing and his admittedly good acoustic guitar playing. Less orchestration, less jazzy stuff. The only song I thought was even decent was the last track, Saturday Sun.

Previously rated: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (4/5) Aladdin Sane (3/5) The Next Day (3/5) Young Americans (3/5) Station to Station (3/5) ************************************************************************* Pretty good Bowie album. Lots of variety.

African music started off sounding OK, but got really repetitive and wore out its welcome. It could have used some percussion to keep me interested.

I have sadly never heard of this band. Besides the bad production quality, this is some pretty good rock and roll, reminiscent of the Rolling Stones and a bit of The Band or CCR. Did I hear the f-word in one of the songs? I will listen to this album again. Best track: Teenage Head

Previously rated: Infected (3/5) ************************* A not fun and not very catchy pop album. Some good piano in one of the tracks. The final song was almost decent. I’m Ok with not hearing this band again. Isn’t Duran Duran on this list somewhere?

Good choice for this list. Ska/reggae sort of punk-ish stuff, girls with attitudes. The singer sounded kind of German, reminded me of Nico and a little bit of the Shaggs (lol). Interesting lyrics and a unique sound. I'll give it another go.

Don't Know Why is the only song I had heard before, and it's a nice one, soothing lounge pop. And the other songs are just more of the same, not deviating much from the formula. Pretty voice, sparse instrumentation rinse and repeat. It's leagues better than the god-awful pop music I hear today, so I'll give it that, but I prefer more energy and excitement. We would get that the year after this album was released with Amy Winehouse's Frank, which I rated a 5/5.

Another band I never heard of, and another reason I'm glad I'm doing this challenge. Good fun punk rock with some horns and harmonica. Reminded me some of Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the Strokes. Favorite track: Orstralia

No Patrick, a dial-up modem is not a musical instrument. Overall, this album is a giant bag of unpleasantness. Discordant, purposely out of tune instrumentation, and flat distorted vocals don't do it for me. One of the worst so far. I can't prove, but I just know Yoko Ono was involved in the making of this.

Previously rated: In Rock (5/5) ************************ Nice to hear one of the best albums after getting one of the worst yesterday (the Liars one). Everything here rocks. The guitar, bass, organ, drums, vocals. Just groovy hard rock perfection. Most people know Smoke On the Water and Highway Star, and some have heard Space Truckin', but the hidden gem here is Pictures of Home. I can't get it out of my head.

I heard this one once before. A good pop-rock-punk record. Chrissie Hynde has a great voice with some attitude. There are a couple of boring songs, but for the most part it holds up well. I will listen again.

I wasn't familiar with their music, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it, and I was right. I'm too far removed from my edgy teen years to appreciate this at all. It's Industrial metal, a genre I do not enjoy. It's angry and screamy and repetitive. I did like the track Hero minus the vocals - the only thing keeping this from being a 1/5.

I think I had heard of Mudhoney before, but not familiar with anything here. Screamy noise rock that has some moments. A bit too sleazy for my taste nowadays. The closest in sound/style I can think of is Jane's Addiction, but there's probably a better comparison I'll find out when I read others' comments. Listened to the original 6 songs on the EP plus 3 more from the deluxe edition. Best track: Touch Me I'm Sick

I didn't know what Billie Holiday sounded like. I was expecting a voice like Ella Fitzgerald, so I was taken aback when she started singing. She has an odd, old lady smoker voice, which is fair enough considering she had probably been singing in smoky night clubs her entire adult life. I got used to it. As far as the album goes, it's slow, dreamy orchestral jazz. There's not much of a difference one track to the next. It's mood music. Favorite track: You Don't Know What Love Is

I know nothing of Frank Black going in. Track 1: Hmm, this sounds kind of like Primus. Track 2: Well, this one is more like Dead Kennedys. Track 3: Now he sounds like Neil Young. Track 4: Is this a Dire Straits song? And so on. What I mean to say is there is a ton of variety on this album. I enjoyed it and will listen again.

Previously rated: Scott 4 (2/5) ******************** I didn't recognize the name, but when he started singing, I recognized the voice. Turns out I rated Scott 4 192 albums ago. I liked this one a bit more, though it still had some boring, over-orchestrated stuff. The lyrics were very interesting and unique. Two songs in a row mention ass-slapping, at least one of which will upset some people. This guy seems to be a more eccentric Neil Diamond.

Starts off with a prayer to Jesus then immediately rapping about stripper ass and pussy. And he wishes his dick was as big as the Eiffel Tower. And drugs. And violence. And lots and lots of n-words. This music was not made for me, but it was somewhat entertaining at least. He's got sort of a unique delivery. Dr. Dre's rap sucked. He should have stayed retired.

Decent, inoffensive, country rock type music. Better and more thoughtful than most country I hear, but still kind of bland. Best track: New York, New York, but the beginning of that and Gonna Make You Love Me both sounded like Pinball Wizard to me.

I was not looking forward to yet another rap album. Well, this one is quite a bit different than most. It was certainly a ride, though not one I'll likely take again. I was wondering where this rapper got all these dated references from (Space 1999, Arsenic and Old Lace, Mr. Whipple, Monchichi), so I looked him up. To my surprise, he was born in 1970 and not black (someone must have given him an n-word pass). There is barely anything on his Wikipedia page. Anyway, the music is...interesting. Sometimes funny, occasionally falling into the usual rap trappings of sex, drugs, violence. Sometimes different and weird. Worth one listen I guess.

Finally another album where I know some of the songs! I figured this would be "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and the rest filler. Nope, I'm very surprised how solid this was besides the first couple of boring minutes and the last couple. Really jazzy, I loved the drumming especially. The one song where the other guy sang wasn't as good as the rest. The main singer has a Tom Jones quality to his voice, so it might sound a bit lounge singer-like, but I like it. The three songs I knew all made me feel all warm and nostalgic, and that's surely going to bring my rating up. This album made me so very happy.

This gimmick of singing in a serious, earnest tone about wild, silly things has been done before. (Jonathan Coulton comes to mind.) It's good for a chuckle and a single listen. There's also some (I think) actual serious songs and social commentary here. Favorite track: Chicken Bones

I knew "Cry to Me," but I didn't know the name Solomon Burke. This is good comfort soul music in the vein of Sam Cooke. He even mentions Sam and Ray Charles in one of the Songs. I think it was "Can't Nobody Love You." I will listen to this again one day.

I much prefer young, fun, pop Madonna over pretentious sounding emotional mature Madonna. But I can't say this is bad. Some of it even catchy.

Garage rock with lot of organ, almost punk sounding, that was probably pretty edgy for the time. One song sounded Doors-like. Not something I'd listen to very often, but it was OK.

Previously rated: War (4/5) ************************* By 2000, U2 was a pretty generic sounding rock band with generic pretentious uplifting sounding songs - the kind you'd hear during church worship services. That's what it always reminds me of. It's well done generic music though, so 3/5. Favorite track: Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of

A dance album with some '80s inspired sounds. One song sounded a little like Sweet Dreams. Disco II Disco was one that was very annoying with the voice effect and especially that waaaaaaaah sound that was repeated ad nauseum. Otherwise, it seemed like a fine soundtrack to a dance party, not so much a soundtrack for my morning commute, but I can't fault it for that. The songs themselves were repetitive as you'd expect, but they were fairly unique from each other. I do wonder what makes it special enough to be on this 1,001 albums list. Favorite track: Soft Machine

Another electronic music album. Is it a good one? Hell, I don't know - it all sounds the same to me. Maybe it was ahead of its time or influential in some way to be on this list? Sure, I tapped my foot along with the beat as you do. It's something, but I'll take off one star for the obnoxious "time becomes a loop" and "input output" crap. They could have made the same point repeating it for only 5-10 seconds.

It's always a treat to hear "new" music from bands/artists you enjoy, and most of these were new to me, besides the singles and the Beatles cover. I love the vocal harmonies - Mama Cass is the standout voice here. The guys have that generic bubblegum pop voice it's hard to describe, and over-enunciate sometimes. Hey Girl was the weakest track, but I loved everything else. Favorite track: California Dreamin'

Decent rock album, just a bit too noisy for my taste, especially “Don’t.” Hard to hear the lyrics.

Crappy hippie renaissance fair music with some sitar mixed in, and lots of off-key singing made for a very unpleasant 49 minutes.

Previously rated: The Stooges (2/5) ************************** This was quite a surprise, as I wasn't a fan of "The Stooges" album. Straight-forward rock with hectic guitar playing and high-energy vocals. A couple of the songs he sounds like Jim Morrison. The drums are slightly more in the background than I'd like, but this is something I'd listen to again.

I had no idea who Jane Weaver is. I would not have guessed a middle-aged woman did this album. I was turned off by that dreamy singing style, but ignoring that, some of the tracks are decent. I like the ones with real drums in them (at least they sound real). The last few tracks got pretty boring. A low 3/5. Favorite track: The Architect

I listened to the basic 65 minute version on Apple Music. I hear a bit of David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, the Cure(?) on this, but still overall kind of mediocre to me. For some reason the singer wants you to know his initials are the same as Jesus'. I looked it up and it's true - Jarvis Cocker - a name that would certainly get you a few playground beatings. A low 3/5.

Previously rated: Oedipus Schmoedipus (3/5) ********************************** I'm not one to listen to instrumental movie/TV show soundtracks, so this is not up my alley. My ears perked up hearing the couple of James Bond-like tracks and the Alfred Hitchcock Presents cover, but I would opt for the real thing any time.

I don't have a lot to say about this. It's folky country that is OK, but not much to get excited about. Favorite track: Fly By Night

Previously rated: Highway 61 Revisited (4/5) Blood on the Tracks (4/5) ******************************* He's an even worse singer live than in the studio, but somehow I enjoy listening to it. Half acoustic, half electric. I liked the electric a bit better, but the acoustic was good too. Did not feel too long at 90 minutes.

Kinda dull early 80s synth pop. I will forget I heard this soon. A very low 3/5.

This reminded me a bit of The Slits album earlier on the list. I had to turn up the volume pretty high to hear the quieter parts, that made it too loud for the louder parts. Overall, not bad, she's got a good voice, it's just not quite one I'd choose to listen to again. A high 3/5.

I've heard of this band, but I didn't know they started this early. Second album in a row I'll compare unfavorably to The Slits album, though it's perfectly OK girl punk. I listened to the 12-track version with Hong Kong Garden which gave the album a bit more variety. Favorite track: Nicotine Stain

Previously rated: Ray Of Light (3/5) *********************** After the first half, I was leaning towards a 4/5. Really solid dance music with some throwback 80s effects. Then the awful auto-tune in Nobody's Perfect and the annoying sound cutting out on the next track Don't Tell Me, I have to take a point off. I'd still rather listen to any of her first four albums.

Previously rated: Machine Head (5/5) In Rock (5/5) *********************** I listened to the original 76-minute release, but I am adding the 123-minute deluxe version to my playlist. Excellent live album from an excellent band. I enjoy the noodling and jamming and the drum solo, all of it. Favorite track: Highway Star

Previously rated: Hot Buttered Soul (4/5) ************************* Maybe the main theme should be on 1,001 *songs* to hear before you die, but not necessarily the whole album. Not that the other stuff is bad, it’s just mostly blacksploitation movie background music. Do Your Thing also stands out. It’s 20 minutes long though. Will I listen to the album again? Probably not, but I might see the actual movie one day.

A lot of uh...yeah...uh...nomsayin...lemme axe you. In general, just too much of everything, an overload of sounds beating you over the head. And a freakin' 12 minute outro with him shouting out every single person he's met in his entire life. On a positive note, he doesn't go for the violent thug life , disrespecting women, filthy lyrics like some of the other rap albums on this list. It's something.

Apple Music only had a deluxe version. I edited it down to what Wikipedia shows as the original UK release, and it was 3 minutes shorter. Why can't they just have the original release as an option. Anyway, I like it, and after this whole challenge is over, I'll go back and listen to the deluxe. Favorite track: He's Always There

Previously rated: Sail Away (3/5) *********************** Standard Randy Newman sound. This one was more political than Sail Away. I won't hold it against him too much.

Boring, cheesy, ambient synth music. The first track had a bit that sounded suspiciously like Steve Miller's Fly Like an Eagle, which came out a few months earlier. This album may have been ahead of its time in 1976, I don't know. Maybe it influenced some people (John Carpenter?), but it doesn't do much for me in 2024.

Early ‘80s Brit synth pop. Yep, it sure is that. Still waiting for a Duran Duran album to pop up though.

Great American hard rock album. I think I had heard maybe 4 songs off this before, Back in the Saddle of course being the most popular. Last Child is also a good one, very distinctive. Some cool bass lines throughout too. The whole album kicks ass and is a refreshing change from much mediocrity on this list, which honestly might bump it from a high 4 to a 5. Will listen again.

Previously rated: Stripped (3/5) ******************* I was leaning towards a 4/5 for this one. What she does, she does well. No auto-tune is a big plus. Over the course of 118 minutes though, the vocal gymnastics get old and annoying. Second half isn’t nearly as good as the first. I’m not a fan of tracks where she feels the need to address her critics. Favorite track: Still Dirrty

Previously rated: Highway 61 Revisited (4/5) Blood on the Tracks (4/5) Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) (4/5) ************************************************** Social commentary without being a holier-than-thou woke scolding a-hole. I like that. Some good humor as well. Would have liked to hear more than just acoustic guitar and harmonica though.

Previously rated: Pretzel Logic (4/5) ***************************** Do It Again, Dirty Work, and Reelin' In The Years make it a 5/5. The other songs are pretty good too.

While some of this sounded like 2000s era rock that I don't like (Radiohead, Maroon 5, Coldplay), it really has some epic sounding stuff that blows that crap away, especially towards the end. I really liked City of Delusion, but Knights of Cydonia is the big standout to me and pushes the whole thing up to a 4/5. Will listen again.

Bah, this could have been interesting with the sort of punk, sort of bluegrass vibe, and some of it was. But the awful, awful vocals. Why? And then even the instrumentals seemed kind of lackluster to me. Disappointing.

Previously rated: Electric Warrior (3/5) ************************** Another just average album from T. Rex. Some songs were OK, The Slider and Buick Mackane. Telegram Sam sounded like Bang a Gong part 2. Ends on a low note with Main Man. I don't think this album is notable enough to be here honestly. I listened to a much better Slade album (The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome) after this.

Never heard of David Gray, but I have heard Babylon. It must have been everywhere in 1999 if someone as off the popular music radar as I was remembers it. He sounds like he was influenced by someone else who was influenced by Bob Dylan. But besides Babylon, it's mostly bland and boring. Nothing I'd want to hear again.

Oh no. Such a wussified, limp, no balls, lame suckfest this was. Why is this album here? Some of it actual sounds like parody. Give me disco falsetto Bee Gees any day over this garbage. Best song (and only tolerable one): How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

Previously rated: Who's Next (5/5) Live at Leeds (5/5) My Generation (4/5) ************************ I had never heard anything from this album apart from "I Can See For Miles." Surely this was their answer to the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. Is it as good? Well, no, but it's a good listen.

The Wikipedia article on the film says the soundtrack has 6 songs. Apple Music, YouTube, etc. has 10. I went ahead and listened to the full 10. Some of this reminds me of a Quinn Martin production or Quentin Tarantino film, but Indian. I liked Title Music and Baby Let's Dance Together.