At the time of War’s release, U2 were still being placed under the post-punk banner. That was fitting for albums like Boy, but with War, the band was already reaching for something grander. U2 were becoming a protest band, maybe even a spiritual band, and with that maturity and growing acclaim came a bolder sound. Despite being unhappy with the reception from October, the band stood by their punk influences, but U2 aren’t known today for their restraint. That journey began with this album, which sees them experimenting with all kinds of new ideas. Whether it be the background vocalists present on songs like Surrender or Red Light, or a violin carrying the rhythm on Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2 simply wanted more. Bono’s lyrics were also getting better, trading out feelings of youthful vigor in favor of more worldly visions, which suited his impassioned singing style even better than it did for tales of boyhood. The first half is stacked with fan favorites and live staples, with New Year’s Day being the album highlight, a sign of what the band would be capable of in following albums. Even with their turn toward anthems, Side A ends with Drowning Man, a song that still feels unique in the band’s catalog, and one of my favorite vocal performances from Bono ever. That said, Side B is why I keep returning to the album year after year. Surrender and Two Hearts Beat as One are some of their most underrated material, ending with “40”, a somber finale that went on to close out their live shows for years and years. If there’s a misstep, it’s maybe The Refugee, which feels a little unfinished in comparison to some of the other tracks on here. Even that’s easy to forgive thanks to Larry Mullen’s thundering drumming. U2 is a fun band to track because you can really see their progression from album to album, and this was where that trend really first showed itself. A personal favorite, and a must listen.

Two of the biggest music powerhouses of their time, arguably at the peak of their creativity, collaborating once again on what is easily Iggy’s best album. The raw power of The Stooges work may be fading, but Pop still has the juice when he wants it. His worst impulses being reigned in by Bowie is what keeps this album flying though, and pushes his sound into territory Pop likely wouldn’t have explored on his own. The balance between the two is perfect, and the results speak for themselves. Hard not to enjoy an album when the opener is Lust for Life.

Belle & Sebastian is a group that I’ve flat out failed getting into despite being a perfect band for me on paper. So many of their influences, contemporaries, and bands that cite them as an influence are all favorites of mine, yet I’d feel something revolting inside of me every time I’d try to give them a go. This is a perfect example of why I wanted to take on this project. I left my preconceived notions at the door before giving this another shot, and I’m happy I did. I think my biggest hurdle with them has always been Stuart Murdoch and his whispy vocals, it was a problem I was still having initially this go around. Then I got to Electronic Renaissance and things seem to be finally clicking into place. I Could Be Dreaming helped me further, and by We Rule the School I was doing a firm 180 on how I felt about their sound as a whole. The entire back half won me over, and as soon as it ended, I played the whole thing again. Most of the albums I’ve been reviewing on here have been based on initial impressions after a single play-through, and that’s where I’ve left most of them at since, but I’m halfway through my fourth play-through and I’m really beginning to love this album. Looking forward to more by them when they no doubt show up again on this list.

I originally discovered this album about a year after graduating high school, freshly 19, and it really opened a lot of doors musically for me. There wasn’t a lot of music from this genre I was familiar with, being still relatively new to punk music, and it’s hard for me to separate it from that time period. I haven’t listened to this album in full for at least 10 or so years, so this was a fun trip down memory lane for me. At the time, I don’t think I was listening to much that felt this sexy, this cool, this dangerous, and I loved it. I still kinda love it, it turns out. Songs like Damaged Goods still get me amped, and Andy Gill’s guitar tones still cuts through like an alarm call that refuses to be ignored. It’s an album that feels very angsty, and youthful, and while I’m much older now, it’s power still holds that energy over me. Incredible debut, and a must listen for punk and post-punk fans alike.

While a landmark record in it’s time, Here’s Little Richard is likely most known these days for the singles that have stood the test of time. Tutti Fruity, Long Tall Sally, Slippin’ and Slidin’, are all songs that still remain enjoyable. However, in album form, they get lost in the shuffle of too many same sounding songs. Richard’s energy is always at an 11, the main star of this show, and the only reason to see it through. For a certain generation, this is a 5/5 album, but only because nothing like it existed before it hit. Rock has evolved so far from it at this point that it’s hard to look past its simple nature. Still fun to play, but not one that warrants many repeat listens.

This is an album that frankly just isn’t for me. I am not really the target audience, and the movements that Kathleen Hanna helped pioneer never appealed to me all that much beyond what bands like Sleater Kinney contributed to it. I think there’s some interesting ideas going on with drumbeat sampling, and the final track is a stand out, but the overall package is not one I cares much for.

You really can’t go wrong with CCR in their prime. I prefer their follow up, but that album ran after this one walked. Just a perfect 30 minutes of music, all killer no filler. Music for blue collar people by blue collar people, something that seems to be dying with every passing year.

Two of the biggest music powerhouses of their time, arguably at the peak of their creativity, collaborating once again on what is easily Iggy’s best album. The raw power of The Stooges work may be fading, but Pop still has the juice when he wants it. His worst impulses being reigned in by Bowie is what keeps this album flying though, and pushes his sound into territory Pop likely wouldn’t have explored on his own. The balance between the two is perfect, and the results speak for themselves. Hard not to enjoy an album when the opener is Lust for Life.

After leaving his deteriorating acting career, and staging the successful comeback special, Elvis vowed to never sing another song he didn’t believe in. This is the album that follows that up, and you can feel that sentiment throughout. He puts every ounce of himself into these songs, and they sore because of the emotions he’s bringing to the table as he sings them. The melding of country, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll are what made Elvis so special to begin with, and it’s all on display here with the help of the equally talented and in step Memphis Boys. Can’t think of a better studio representation of what Elvis was capable of than this album, especially this late into his short lived career.

I want to love Stevie Wonder, and I sometimes do, but then I get to tracks like “You and I” and I get bored to tears. That said, “Superstition” is one of the greatest songs ever, and there’s other moments on the album that come close to those highs, but something about him is still not clicking with me. I acknowledge this is a me problem, and hopefully one day I’ll learn to properly appreciate his talents. Until then, “Superstition” is likely the only song I’ll keep returning to off this one.

This album is about 50/50 for me, and the dividing line is the covers versus the original material on here. You have pop masterpieces like “It Won’t Be Long” and “All My Loving”, but you also have some lackluster takes on “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Till There Was You”. “Please Mister Postman” is maybe the one exception, but as the following years would prove, The Beatles just needed to pump out some albums until they felt comfortable enough relying solely on their own material. This is a necessary stepping stone to that, and regardless of the overall quality, that Beatles charm shines through the whole thing to keep it enjoyable.

Much like Dark Side, Pink Floyd are saying a lot as simply as possible, while pushing the boundaries of what was possible with recording music at the time. Another classic

I can’t think of an album that had a bigger influence on 80s new wave than this one. Metal, M.E., and Cars are all classics that still go hard, the latter propping up the weaker back half after the overly long Conversation and weak ending of Engineers. Despite the album as a whole maybe over staying it’s welcome, there’s some days I just replay songs like Metal over and over again because it won’t leave my head.

It was so smart of them to put American Girl as the final track, taking this respectable 3-star album and turning it into a solid 4-star one that you’ll immediately want to replay. The one-two punch of Rockin’ Around and Breakdown set the stage for a tight 30 minute album of short but sweet tracks. As bands of the era seemed to only grow bigger and more bloated, Tom Petty showed them that all you really need is a good hook and a chorus to sing along too. A good start to a great career, and a perfect entry point for new listeners.

This is a perfect example of why I wanted to start this project. I had never heard of this artist before, nor the album of course, so it was fun listening to one where I went into it without any preconceived notions. That said, this album started out strong, but I grew pretty tired of it by the end. Even After All is a great song, and a high point for sure, but everything after that feels like diminishing returns. The combination of reggae and trip-hop is one I want to explore more, and this album delivered on some of that, but I was constantly wanting more from it the further I got into it. I think my main hang up is the vocals, which feature a Scottish born singer doing his best Jamaican impersonation. Sometimes it’s fine, but there’s points on the album where he drops it entirely and those feel like his best moments. The UK has a long history with Reggae, so it’s unsurprising to hear an artist so inspired by that sound, but it is surprising to see one adopt the accent along with it. I’m sure there’s plenty of examples of this happening, but I know of plenty that avoided that and still made great music (The Clash for starters). So in short, there’s some good stuff here, but maybe not enough to revisit.

Totally dog shit rock ‘n’ roll. This is the first time I’ve tried listening to KISS, outside of the occasional song I’ve heard through cultural osmosis. I’ve heard Detroit Rock City more times than I’ve cared to, and it has gotten no better on this play through, and every song after it feels like a worse version of it. Then there are the ballads, which are full of cheese and not in an endearing way. I have zero nostalgia for this band beyond their 90s resurgence where they began showing up on lunch boxes and Saturday morning cartoons, so they always felt like a joke to me. I guess if I was a high school jock in the 70s I’d probably love this, but now it feels like something a high school would use as the basis for some shitty original musical they’d put on. I suppose that’s not too far off from what they aimed for.

When I first heard this album at 19, it was one of those experiences where I just kept saying to myself, “you can make a song like this?” It is still a sentiment I feel today. I come back to this one nearly every year. It is one of my most heavily played albums, and yet I am constantly finding new things to love and appreciate. The tripped out anxieties filtered through a dreamlike (and sometimes nightmarish) lens have always been incredible relatable to me, and the sonic soundscape only echos those feelings. Even as I evolve and change as a person, this album still remains relevant. A strange mix of the beauty and fears found in life, Halcyon Digest will be an album I’ll never grow tired of, and one that I think should be heard by anyone feeling a little lost and introspective.

This is one of the albums I was excited to finally get to when starting this project. Up until recently, my understanding of this album is that people hated it. Even though it is one of the greatest selling albums of all time, the over all consensus these days is that it is middle of the road garbage. It wasn’t until fairly recently that I learned the actual problem people seemingly have with it is that it was so overplayed, particularly the title track, that most people never want to hear it again. I don’t share that experience, I’m too young for it, and I kind of love that song. I don’t really ever seek it out, but when I come across it, I’m probably going to enjoy it. The rest of the album, and the rest of The Eagles catalogue, is mostly unknown to me. I’ve heard New Kid in Town (pretty good song) a few times, as well as Life in the Fast Lane (not a fan), but everything after that was a new experience. I’ve listened to the album a couple times, and I’m a little confused as to why this made such waves back in the da. While it may not be “garbage”, I am sort of back to feeling this is very middle of the road. In fact, I don’t feel like much jumped out at me after those first three songs until the last couple tracks came on. The title track feels like such a high bar compared to the rest of the album. Each time I get to the end, I sort of just feel like giving a big shrug and moving on, because I’m failing to understand the appeal. What were The Eagles doing that made this such a bigger hit compared to some of their contemporaries? Maybe I just had to be there, but currently, I think this is average at best, even if I feel that ends with some interesting high notes.

I have a lot of blind spots when it comes to rap and hip-hop. I was never really exposed to it, especially anything pre-2000, and this includes basically anything by The Wu-Tang Clan and their various solo projects. It is almost embarrassing to admit that this is the first whole album experience I’ve had with them, and one of the only hip-hop albums I’ve listened to in these last few years. It’s been a long time since I was last into the genre, and I wish this would have hit a little harder to make me more excited by the prospect of going through some of these landmark releases. There are definitely great songs here, All I Need and What the Blood Clot were stand outs to me, but some of these tracks simply didn’t make a big impression on me. That said, as talented as Method Man can be here, the more noteworthy bit to me is getting more familiar with RZA. His production is right up my alley and I can’t wait to hear more of what he’s got in store when I no doubt come across more Wu-Tang projects while doing this.

There is plenty of mediocre to outright bad pop bands from the 60s riding the wave of bigger names that made up the British Invasion. The Beau Brummels are a step up from most of those groups, unintentionally being thrown into the mix alongside the likes of Paul Revere & The Raiders or The Monkees as an American band who sounded close enough to their counterparts across the sea to gain a following of their own. Certified B-tier in the 60s cannon, but still a part of the greater changes in music occurring during the back half of the decade. Like so many others, by this point in their career they were pushing toward a looser version of their more professional selves, and experimenting with burgeoning new sounds that reshaped what was possible with music. What stood out to me when listening to this album was their ability to mix Americana and folk with the new sounds of psychedelic rock, packaged in the bite sized song structure of mid 60s pop. Plenty of bands did this at the time, but to me, they did it better than most on this album. It’s not as ambitious as the greater works of the era, but still very enjoyable listen for what it is. The only thing I don’t quite understand is this uninspired album title, which does this album zero favors.

I was dreading trying this one. Something in my head just made me groan as soon as I saw The Mars Volta pop up, despite being a fan of At the Drive-In. I remember trying to listen to Francis the Mute ages ago and being turned off almost immediately, and that’s always colored my perception of this band. Then I heard Inertiatic ESP and realized I may have made a mistake. Like the best At the Drive-In tracks, there’s a lot here that rips, and the constant switching between different dynamics every minute or so always keeps you guessing. It’s as if the band has some sort of physical reaction as soon as a song enters any stage of comfortability, only being able to play a part over again in service of the occasional chorus or rousing rallying cry. The lyrics are often abstract, conveying twisted thoughts and feelings that mesh well with the constantly contorting musicianship at play. That rhythm section! You definitely won’t walk away from here feeling bored, but you may feel like you’re losing your mind a little if you truly dive into this one.

I’ve never done much of a dive into The Kinks outside of their more popular singles, so this is my first real play through of an album by them. I always saw them as the scrappy underdogs in the British Invasion scene. Their craft is undeniable, but the fan base never reached astronomical levels. Even when talking about them today, there’s a reverence, but they were never The Stones or Beatles or even The Who. I think this album is a good illustration as to why. You’ll find well crafted pop songs from start to finish, but none that really transcends the medium. Music was moving so fast by this point and this album already feels like it’s falling behind the pace. It is also deeply British, unlike some of their more world weary contemporaries. That said, Waterloo Sunset is a real gem, and it is enough to justify this album’s existence. I probably just need to spend more time with more essential Kinks albums to get their appeal, but this one felt very non-essential on first listen.

Bongos have never rocked this hard before or since. Not something I see myself coming back to, but it was fun hearing some tracks that have gone on to be used in some pretty well known samples.

One of those that probably sounded great in its day, but now seems a little too quaint to my ears. I love Dusty’s voice and personality that comes out in these songs, it’s definitely a step up from any bubble gum pop of the era, but there wasn’t anything in particular that made me feel like I’d return to it either.

I’m one of those that firmly believe this is the best post-Beatles album any of them created. While John and Paul spent years recording every idea they could put together, George’s ideas were largely seen as lesser than works that didn’t quite deserve the same attention. Thankfully, George seemingly held onto those ideas and put them all here instead. An ambitious album that never gets lost in its own ideas, all you have to do is press play and enjoy the ride. Isn’t It a Pity is so beautiful, particularly the second time around, that it alone is enough to warrant 5 stars.

This one surprised me. I really enjoyed the blue-eyed soul this group brought, and songs like “Groovin’” are still fun to listen to. The whole album is a pretty breezy experience, with a couple filler tracks that bring it down a little.

As an American Brit-Pop enjoyer, I’ve always been a little fascinated by Suede but have never down a deep dive into their discography. I think this stems from the popular narrative of them paving the way for bigger acts like Blur and Oasis, while failing to capitalize on their own buzz worthy debut. My first real experience with Suede was with their comeback record, Bloodsports, which coincided with a reevaluation of their place in the story of Brit-Pop. Failing to be a band of the people in the way their more popular peers were presented as, Suede was maybe unfairly maligned for their slightly more pretentious ways. While it may be true this was a step away from the working class feel of the genre, I can’t imagine those same artists managing to make something that feels this towering. More indebted to glam rock from the 70s and 80s as opposed to a modern reinvention of British Invasion style rock, I think there’s more happening here to elevate it beyond even the most ambitious records that later overshadowed their importance. It’s not as good as their debut, but I’d still pick this over something like Be Here Now. Not a top ten in the genre, but a respectable top 25.

Belle & Sebastian is a group that I’ve flat out failed getting into despite being a perfect band for me on paper. So many of their influences, contemporaries, and bands that cite them as an influence are all favorites of mine, yet I’d feel something revolting inside of me every time I’d try to give them a go. This is a perfect example of why I wanted to take on this project. I left my preconceived notions at the door before giving this another shot, and I’m happy I did. I think my biggest hurdle with them has always been Stuart Murdoch and his whispy vocals, it was a problem I was still having initially this go around. Then I got to Electronic Renaissance and things seem to be finally clicking into place. I Could Be Dreaming helped me further, and by We Rule the School I was doing a firm 180 on how I felt about their sound as a whole. The entire back half won me over, and as soon as it ended, I played the whole thing again. Most of the albums I’ve been reviewing on here have been based on initial impressions after a single play-through, and that’s where I’ve left most of them at since, but I’m halfway through my fourth play-through and I’m really beginning to love this album. Looking forward to more by them when they no doubt show up again on this list.

Once again, another classic artist I have little experience with and was hesitant to try. I’ve heard the title track a handful of times and never really found the appeal until this go around. The album is way more fun than I expected, with Lemy’s vocals being just barely a step up from your local bar band’s. That’s sort of their appeal though, vibes that say get trashed, fuck around, and maybe try and get laid. Unfortunately there’s Jailbait, which brings the party to an uncomfortable point that it never really recovers from. Everything leading up to that is a good time, and so is everything after it for the most part if you’re able to remove the bad taste from your mouth. Motörhead feels firmly in AC/DC territory, where it’s nothing special but there’s also nothing that hits quite as good as it when you’re in the mood for it. Maybe just skip Jailbait and play the title track again instead.

Depending on the day, this one trades places with Rubber Soul as my favorite Beatles record top to bottom. I just think everyone is really bringing their A-game here. They all get a moment to shine while still making it feel like a group effort, which is something that can’t always be said about Let It Be or The White Album. The two Harrison tracks in particular are incredible stand outs on side one, and the melody of side two is about the most fun way I can think of to bookend their career. I know Let It Be came out afterwards, but this is their final album to me, and feels like the fitting end their legacy deserved. I mostly listen to the 2019 mix these days, but this album needed it the least out of all of their releases. The original was already mixed for stereo, so there’s not a lot of changes here beyond beefing up the bass, which I appreciate. As a bass player myself, I’m always astonished by McCartney’s playing, and this album is no different. The only one here that is maybe slacking would be Lennon. While I love the drugged out I Want You, I can really take or leave Come Together these days. I recognize that’s a me problem. I think I’m just tired of the song at this point, and I feel that every song after it is better. Regardless, this is one of my most played albums ever and I still love it as much as I did the first time I heard it. A truly timeless album that keeps the rewards coming every time I press play.

I’ve always enjoyed the hits from this album but haven’t listened to the whole thing until today. Those hits stand head and shoulders above the rest, but songs like Smokin’ and Let Me Take You Home Tonight make this such an easy front to back play that it’s hard to knock any points off. The hooks are big, the choruses are bigger, it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, a simple pleaser on all fronts.

This is another one of those classic albums/bands I have little personal experience with. I’m not sure if I’ve even ever heard Smoke on the Water all the way through until now, which seems impossible. The point I’m making here, much like Hotel California, I have zero sentimentality associated with this album, nor was it played to the point where I am sick of it. It’s hard reviewing albums like this on just a play through or two, because they frankly don’t always hold up. That’s how I felt about Hotel California, and it is sort of how I feel about this one. There’s good songs here, Highway Star in particular is a perfect opener, but I come more from a punk background which got its start being the antithesis to albums like this. Songs like Lazy get boring to me so quickly, and the well songs like that come from feel incredible wide but extremely shallow these days. There’s only so much guitar virtuosity one can take in a sitting, and while their abilities are impressive, I feel like I’ve got it after hearing it just once. It’s not always easy to listen to something old for the first time, and trying to appreciate it for the period it came out in, but it is a requirement when you want to love something like this. This go around, that was too high of a mountain to climb for me.

When I was a teenager and first starting to get into music, Sonic Youth were one of those groups that challenged my tastes almost immediately. I sometimes get this drive when I have trouble understanding the appeal of a band or film that is surrounded by a lot of positive criticism. I can live with not liking it, but not understanding it is unacceptable to me. I remember coming across Teen Age Riot and falling in love immediately, it might as well have been a song built in a vacuum just for me at 16, but that was about all the further I’d get in the album proper. As soon as Silver Rocket’s screeching beginning would play, I could feel my ears begin to bleed. This felt wrong to teenage me, I couldn’t accept that I could love a song so much by a band but not enjoy their other stuff. I kept digging, and I eventually found more songs I liked. That started pushing me further into the stuff I didn’t like, and even the nosiest bits began making sense to me. I never became a fan of their entire catalogue (is anyone?), but I had developed a healthy mix of songs I loved and the ability to play Daydream Nation and Goo front to back. I never made it to Dirty, and I that was a mistake on my part because I think I would have loved it then. There’s no Teen Age Riot or Kool Thing on here, but this is probably the best melding of everything they had done up to that point. There’s still plenty of noise, but it is more refined here. It takes a few before it hits its stride, but things really pick up by the time Sugar Kane comes around. I haven’t spent much my adulthood with Sonic Youth, maybe it was a mistake to leave them with my teenage self, but it was great to have an excuse to revisit a band that became a gateway to many other bands I’d grow to love.

Listening to this only a few times before writing about it feels disrespectful to the work that someone like Cohen presents. A true poet, Leonard Cohen has been someone I desire to spend more time with in general, because he really feels like someone whose identity changes for the listener the older you get. These songs are simple but never boring. Sometimes a string section kicks in to fill out the sound, but this is little more than Cohen’s voice and acoustic guitar, and they are all angry. The title may have Love in it, but there is little to go around. The characters here are miserable, in pain, and the only love to be found is that of unfulfilled longing. Maybe it’s obvious, but Cohen is one of the undisputed kings of sad sack music, and that reputation is due in part because of albums like this one. I would like to shout out Diamonds in the Mine, a perfect end to Side A that has Cohen sounding angrier than ever. Great album, and maybe it’ll be a 5/5 for me one day.

Tattoo is the exact kind of song by The Who that makes me nearly hate them. Their off and on obsession with concept albums helped build their career, but it almost always feels like a detriment to the more solid songs found on their albums. What’s the concept this go around exactly? To make you feel like you’re listening to the radio in London? I guess they accomplished that but I don’t really understand the point. Maybe I’m just too American to understand it. There’s a few good jokes to be had with these skits, but they never elevate the rest of the material. This isn’t a unique concept, but usually it’s done on an album that tries to be nothing but hits front to back. I’m sure The Who thought they were doing that, but I can’t help but feel they come up short. I Can See for Miles is evidence to the contrary, a staple of The Who’s discography, but 90% of that is owed to Keith Moon. The song just wouldn’t be that interesting without him, and neither would the rest of this band. Everyone else is fine, this album is fine. I’m not a total Who hater, but they have better albums than this, and there’s plenty of other albums by their contemporaries that are worth listening to over this one.

This is the dividing line between me enjoying something and appreciating something. I can say that this clearly takes a lot of talent to do, especially in a live setting, and that the usage of synthesizers and organs was very innovative, but I can’t help but feel that this is just some nerds doing nerd shit. For some people that’s appealing, but I felt very disconnected from it when listening. I think I could enjoy it more if I was seeing it performed myself, but I’m not, so the recording is what I’m going off of. I’m not much of a progressive rock fan in general, so my opinion probably doesn’t matter much with this one, but there are moments where this sounds like nothing more some guy playing around on a keyboard.

An astounding portrait of American country music, Will the Circle Be Unbroken is a true love letter to a bygone era. The amount of talent on display here is hard not to appreciate, even from Country music haters. I loved the personal touch of having conversations play out before and after songs at times, giving a real sense of the craftsmanship these members are capable of delivering. It also just sounds great. This recording is impeccable, and there isn’t a single note lost in the shuffle, no matter how many instruments are being played together. Beautiful music, from a simpler time.

I’m sure I’m missing something here, but when it comes to post-Velvet Underground works, I’m always going to be more of a Lou Reed kind of guy.

At one point or another, this could be my favorite Smiths album, but that is something that changes constantly. Their consistency in their output during the handful of years they were together is about the best you can ask for from a band, and I’ve been a fan for the majority of my life at this point. I think the turning point for all fans, even though it’s a core part of The Smiths’ appeal, is realizing Morrissey and his lyrics are their least essential element. There’s some great moments from him here (I’ve always enjoyed the imagery found in Rusholme Ruffians), but the overly dramatic emotions on display eventually ring as being a product of their age rather than anything overly profound. It’s easy to feel differently when you’re a teen, but the further I get from away from my own adolescence, the less relevant his lyrics become. When you listen to the copy cats that sprung up in their wake, you realize The Smiths’ real magic is Johnny Marr’s guitar, backed perfectly by their underrated rhythm section. Morrissey may have had his shtick down with their debut, but this was the first album where the rest clearly surpassed what he was bringing to the table. While I’d argue that Headmaster’s Ritual is their best opener, the title track is easily one of their worst, the only major blemish to be found on an otherwise perfect album.

Much love to Nick Zinner’s guitar work, and the rest of the band’s contributions, but there’s one reason why this band ever mattered, why it is one of the few bands cited as being leaders in the early 2000s NYC scene, and that reason is Karen O. She brings a swagger and brashness to that scene, and rock music in general for the time, that had been left vacant. She wants to party, she wants money, but she mostly wants to fuck, and the way her lyrics and vocal style deliver these desires is still mostly unique to her. She brings a chaotic energy to most of these songs that feels genuinely explosive, and it made them stand out even further from groups like The Strokes that were a little too cool for this kind of emotion. These songs, while more polished compared to the stuff that came before it, still sound rough in the landscape for the time. It’s clever punk songs by way of art students, who were still young enough to give an edge of dangerousness that I think they lost in subsequent albums (even though I mostly enjoy those as well). When the album does slow down to breathe, it does so through sweet and saccharine smiles. Maps is a stand out for a reason, and a truly vulnerable moment from a woman who, for most of the album leading up to it, seemed more ready to hit you over the head with a beer bottle than say I love you. I also want to give special mention to Pin, which is a song I come back to time and time again, and describes a feeling I felt so often as a teenager trying to better understand myself through friendships and lovers. If there were ever to be a Mount Rushmore for the blog rock era, this would have to be on it.

I was prepared to dislike this album. I am not much of a metalhead, no disrespect to the genre, it’s just I’m one of those that begins to recoil as soon as I find out the vocals are going to be mostly nothing but growls and screams. My loss, I know. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It fits in at a unique crossroad, when industrial, grunge and thrash were basically dying and funneling their influences into nu-metal, and this is an album that bridges that transition. Apparently the guitarist used the same pedal as the guitarist on Korn’s debut album, and for better or worse (I’m in the former of the two), that is sometimes very apparent. To piggy back on that, I thought the making of this album was genuinely interesting and worth a quick Wikipedia dive. The background of the percussive elements on this album I found to be particularly interesting, just really impressive stuff all the way around, and it was the main factor for my enjoyment. One easy thing to knock against it is it’s simply too long, and it grows stale by the end. Hard for me to recommend outside of fans of the genre, but maybe it’ll work out for naysayers in the way it worked out for me.

I’m not much of a Foo Fighters fan, but this was more enjoyable than I expected. Just a tight 45 minutes of rock, before Dave Grohl lost some of his bite. The “generic” critique is more appropriate for later Foos, but I think this is still close enough to the Nirvana days that makes it worth a listen. It gets brought up every time I see this album discussed, but it is impressive that Dave Grohl played and sang everything on this album. Solid all around.

I originally discovered this album about a year after graduating high school, freshly 19, and it really opened a lot of doors musically for me. There wasn’t a lot of music from this genre I was familiar with, being still relatively new to punk music, and it’s hard for me to separate it from that time period. I haven’t listened to this album in full for at least 10 or so years, so this was a fun trip down memory lane for me. At the time, I don’t think I was listening to much that felt this sexy, this cool, this dangerous, and I loved it. I still kinda love it, it turns out. Songs like Damaged Goods still get me amped, and Andy Gill’s guitar tones still cuts through like an alarm call that refuses to be ignored. It’s an album that feels very angsty, and youthful, and while I’m much older now, it’s power still holds that energy over me. Incredible debut, and a must listen for punk and post-punk fans alike.

At the time of War’s release, U2 were still being placed under the post-punk banner. That was fitting for albums like Boy, but with War, the band was already reaching for something grander. U2 were becoming a protest band, maybe even a spiritual band, and with that maturity and growing acclaim came a bolder sound. Despite being unhappy with the reception from October, the band stood by their punk influences, but U2 aren’t known today for their restraint. That journey began with this album, which sees them experimenting with all kinds of new ideas. Whether it be the background vocalists present on songs like Surrender or Red Light, or a violin carrying the rhythm on Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2 simply wanted more. Bono’s lyrics were also getting better, trading out feelings of youthful vigor in favor of more worldly visions, which suited his impassioned singing style even better than it did for tales of boyhood. The first half is stacked with fan favorites and live staples, with New Year’s Day being the album highlight, a sign of what the band would be capable of in following albums. Even with their turn toward anthems, Side A ends with Drowning Man, a song that still feels unique in the band’s catalog, and one of my favorite vocal performances from Bono ever. That said, Side B is why I keep returning to the album year after year. Surrender and Two Hearts Beat as One are some of their most underrated material, ending with “40”, a somber finale that went on to close out their live shows for years and years. If there’s a misstep, it’s maybe The Refugee, which feels a little unfinished in comparison to some of the other tracks on here. Even that’s easy to forgive thanks to Larry Mullen’s thundering drumming. U2 is a fun band to track because you can really see their progression from album to album, and this was where that trend really first showed itself. A personal favorite, and a must listen.

In the conversation for best opening and closing track on an album ever. Midnight Rambler and Monkey Man are two of The Stones best blues tracks. Love in Vain is a fun country romp, while Country Honk does exactly as the name implies. Live With Me starts out with a funky bass line and transitions into a classic Stones, sexy, pop song. You Got the Silver is an uncharacteristically personal song from The Stones, and a great setup to the end. The only dud might be the title track, a light knock on an otherwise top to bottom classic.

Free Bird, more like Free Time to Go Take a Nap. Mississippi Kid, more like Miss-I-Can’t-Listen To This. Things Goin’ On, more like Nothing Goin’ On. Poison Whiskey, man, I hope it is. I Ain’t the One is already appropriately named. Gimme Three Steps, more like Let Me Take Three Steps away from this album. I’ll be here all week.

Found it really hard to enjoy this considering half the time all I could think about was how his voice reminded me of Adam Sandler’s while performing the Hanukkah Song. In general, I just found this really boring, and not for me.

This is a 5 star album, but songs like Songbird really slow it down for me. That said, the highs on here are some of the highest highs an albums can give. The making of this album is almost worth 5 stars on its own. One of the best examples for the peak cocaine fueled studio masterpiece era. Find me another album that can go from The Chain to You Make Loving Fun and it not feel jarring.

Released just weeks before Ten and Nevermind, Metallica’s self-titled could be seen as the final gasp of the 80’s. Thrash metal at its most radio friendly, and yet it never feels like a sell out move. If the awful 80’s mainstream rock movement was needed to build up to this album, then it was all worth it.

This is the only album I can think of that even approaches the perfect pop masterpiece of Pet Sounds. Nearly every song is perfect, and it is so fun listening to The Beatles really take advantage of their adopted personas. The jump from Revolver to this is staggering, and the experimentation throughout never feels anything short of ambitious. There’s not much I could say that hasn’t already been said, but I’m constantly amazed by how well some of these songs still hold up today. One of those albums where you’ll have some clear stand out favorites on your first listens, and then years will pass and the ones you used to barely pay attention to are now your new favorites.

The fact that this has Four Women and Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair makes this a must listen.

I was prepared to hate this, I’m allergic to most mainstream 80’s rock, but it’s almost hard to not to appreciate this big budget sound. If there’s a crime here, it’s the mega hit Pour Some Sugar on Me, which I personally find to be one of the worst ear worms ever conceived. The album as a whole is a little overly long, and it doesn’t shake up the sound enough to justify the length, but there are some undeniable hooks throughout that make me resist turning it off. I was truly blown away by some of the guitar tones, which has to be some of the best of the genre.

I imagine most people look at the idea of Morrissey going solo with quite a bit of skepticism, especially these days. After all, he’s the only insufferable part of The Smiths (and that’s nothing to say of his politics). It was definitely the reason that, despite being a fan of his original band since I was a teenager, it’s taken me some 15+ years to dive into any of his solo work. But honestly, at least in his beginning years, Morrissey clearly reveled in the idea of what he could do without being shackled to the sound of The Smiths. He still has his moments, but more often than not his lyrics have more wit and malice than the overly dramatic emotions he was expressing with Johnny Marr. He just seems to be having some fun for a change, with a little bit of maturity that keeps him reigned in, and it comes out in some of his best work. Suedehead is a must listen, and Everyday is Like Sunday will be stuck in your head for weeks once you hear it. Break Up the Family may be my favorite of the bunch. It feels like the bridge between The Smiths and his solo debut, while simultaneously being something he never could have done with that band.

Sometimes you’ll see quotes from Liam or Noel about what a rock star should be and sound like and think, “these guys are ridiculous.” Then you play this again and remember that these guys know what they are talking about.

While it’s a little hit and miss, there are some truly great electronic songs to be found here.

Been years since I’ve listened to anything Eminem related, but it’s hard to overstate how big of an impact he made at the time. Even listening to this now, it’s crazy to hear how novel some of his stuff still sounds. His bread and butter early on was how usual it was to have such personal perspective in damn near every song, constantly flaunting thoughts and viewpoints most people would never dream of sharing with someone. There’s some things that haven’t aged well I suppose, but the most heinous ideas are often so absurd that I’m not sure how anyone ever took it so seriously at the time. His juvenile side was always the least appealing to me, but I think it works best here, at a time in his life when he was barely an adult himself. There’s a couple duds, it doesn’t quite have as many peaks as future releases, and the skits grow annoying on replays, but its hard to deny how this album still feels so unique and influential.

I often think about the South Park episode where they say this is the best album ever made, and sometimes I’ll give this a play and think that they were a 100% right.

Peace Frog is good I guess.

Really hard to understate the magic between Jones and Strummer, the melodic and the brash, the rock and the punk. The bounce between those two pillars is what made The Clash the “only band that matters”, and it’s still amazing how hard some of these tracks on their debut hit. It often feels like the only thing holding everything together is a tried and true rhythm section. Bolstered by their affection for not just classic pop-rock songs, but also by the burgeoning reggae genre, The Clash’s s/t still feels like punk at its very best. Hard to not be excited by a band that has a song like Police & Thieves on one hand, and White Riot on the other. Legendary stuff from one of my favorite bands.

If you’re going to listen to blues rock from this era, then it’s hard to beat this classic. It’s derivative, self-indulgent, and a good chunk of the songs are straight up stolen, but this is still a 5 star masterpiece. Maybe IV is the better album, but this is certainly the more fun one, and the easiest one to come back to. I rarely get excited by this period of music at this point in my life, I even groaned a little when I saw this one come across my feed, but those feelings never fail to disappear about a minute and a half into Whole Lotta Love. The production on this is simply fantastic. The way they pan the guitars and vocals back and forth between left and right is almost nauseating, in the best way possible. Still a lot of bite in this one, even if the genre as a whole is nothing but stale these days. Great record.

Like so many idealistic teenagers who fell in love with The Beatles, Lennon was my favorite, and the only one I had any interest in delving into after their break up. Like so many others who fell into that trap, once you realize Lennon didn’t quite embody the life he sung about, it’s hard to see him as being anything more that stuck up his own ass. When you think about how he had Beatles Fuck You Level of fame and fortune, it becomes a lot easier to understand how he wrote that legendary title track. It sure would be nice to live in a world with no greed or hunger, but it’s also the kind of thought that only people like John Lennon could realistically afford to sit around and think about. Last time I checked, he didn’t sell all his possessions, either. I normally wouldn’t harp so much on the hypocrisy found in lyrics, but his writing ability was sort of Lennon’s edge compared to Harrison or McCartney, and I simply don’t believe he brings as much substance as he gets credit for post-Beatles. I personally think All Things Must Pass has more to say on life and the world than anything found on Imagine, but maybe that’s just me. The writing isn’t all bad, but its front and center, and still the thing he gets the most credit for, and I simply am not buying it. All that said, I’ve always enjoyed Lennon’s singles, and that’s still the case here (outside of the dreadful title track obviously). Jealous Guy is a great song, even if it is repurposing A Day in the Life, but the stand out for me is certainly How Do You Sleep? This is maybe the only song here that comes close to The Beatles more experimental side, alongside I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier, which enters the heavy drugged out territory that Lennon occasionally excelled at. It all ends with the catchy Oh Yoko!, but much like his peaceful platitudes, I find his Yoko-inspired tracks to be absolutely groan inducing. This isn’t the worst version of that, but it’s also not a song I search for in the rare moments I do return to Lennon’s solo catalog. At the end of the day, I find Lennon’s solo career to be of the greatest hits variety, as opposed to the collect every album kind, and I don’t believe this album would be on a list like this (or so many others) if it were not for what came before it.

I spent years trying to get into this album. I knew its reputation, but I couldn’t figure out what made it special. No doubt Buckley voice is enough for some to make it a stand out, but vocals alone aren’t usually enough for me. Not that I’m speaking negatively of the musicianship present, which was also immediately obvious when I first dove in, as in every subsequent attempt there after, but I just couldn’t quite connect. Then one day, my shuffle threw on Lover, You Should’ve Come Over, and in that moment I realized it was simply one of the greatest songs I had ever heard. Everything else fell into place after that, and every song began hitting harder than it ever had before. It wasn’t just talent that stood out to me anymore, it was the emotion, and unique beauty that accompanies every song on the album. Brilliant stuff.