542
Albums Rated
3.34
Average Rating
50%
Complete
547 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
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Rating Timeline
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Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
54
5-Star Albums
29
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Want Two | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Rattus Norvegicus | 5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
| Pink Flag | 5 | 3.21 | +1.79 |
| Let It Be | 5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
| Fun House | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| Beautiful Freak | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| Wonderful Rainbow | 4 | 2.28 | +1.72 |
| First Band On The Moon | 5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
| Yankee Hotel Foxtrot | 5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
| The College Dropout | 5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite For Destruction | 1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
| Hotel California | 1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
| Slippery When Wet | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector | 1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
| Live At The Star Club, Hamburg | 1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
| Everything Must Go | 1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
| Tubular Bells | 1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
| For Your Pleasure | 1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
| Walking Wounded | 1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
| The Gilded Palace Of Sin | 1 | 2.93 | -1.93 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 5 | 5 |
| Beatles | 6 | 4.83 |
| Kanye West | 2 | 5 |
| The Clash | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.2 |
| David Bowie | 7 | 4 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.33 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Everything But The Girl | 2 | 1 |
| The Beta Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| Barry Adamson | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Albums | Variance |
|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (54)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Coldcut
2/5
Good question, what IS that noise? It turns out it was a truly unremarkable house music album.
4 likes
Talvin Singh
2/5
My previous commentary got wiped out some how, but honestly, it was about as important as this album really is/was. That is to say, not so much.
To sum it up, OK is hardly worth the time and is likely taking up a spot on this list that should be going to a far more deserving album. I'll give it 2 stars because there is some interesting live instrumentation on this album, but it's not enough to save the otherwise boring electronica album..
1 likes
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Very Pet Shop Boys start to finish. Some gems on this album, but ultimately, this album exists in a very specific time in history and doesn't really hold up in the modern music world (that sounds more negative than I mean it). A number of the songs get a little repetitive and drone on for a little too long, but the themes and emotions throughout are relatable and at times hard hitting.
1 likes
Cheap Trick
4/5
It's amazing this band isn't more beloved than they are and In Budokan was what it took to finally get these guys a top 10 single.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (202)
1-Star Albums (29)
All Ratings
David Bowie
4/5
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Adele
3/5
Deerhunter
4/5
Nick Drake
4/5
R.E.M.
4/5
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Röyksopp
4/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
Television
5/5
John Martyn
3/5
Al Green
5/5
Jurassic 5
4/5
The Stooges
5/5
5/5
Kanye West
5/5
Magazine
3/5
Cornershop
2/5
Miles Davis
3/5
Yes
4/5
Mike Oldfield
1/5
Sure, it's a clever album with good musicianship, but my god is it a chore to get through.. I'd be more than happy to not spin this one again
The Pogues
3/5
Missy Elliott
3/5
Michael Jackson
5/5
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
Tom Waits
3/5
Tom Waits has a wonderful gift for songwriting, composition and storytelling, not so much so for singing. He's for sure an acquired taste and won't be everyone's cup of tea. I enjoy it his music, albeit in spurts and small doses. Great record, but not one I'd listen to in regular rotation
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Spotify is missing tracks 5, 6, 12 and 13, making it hard to get the full seamless album experience. Good album all the same with a industrial jazz vibe
King Crimson
4/5
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
The The
2/5
The Band
3/5
The Monkees
3/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Wilco
5/5
OutKast
3/5
Bert Jansch
3/5
Talk Talk
4/5
Cream
3/5
The Black Crowes
3/5
Screaming Trees
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Solomon Burke
3/5
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Iron Maiden
3/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
Eagles
4/5
Elastica
4/5
Guided By Voices
3/5
Radiohead
5/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Eagles
1/5
I find a guilty pleasure in some of the songs I've heard by The Eagles, Hotel California is not one of them. Having been playing drums in a classic rock cover band for over a decade now, I can't express the burnout I have over this album. There is not a single track on this particular record that brings me any joy.
The Band
4/5
The Doors
4/5
Aimee Mann
3/5
I enjoy Aimee Mann's song writing but for some reason the way she delivers those songs always feels a little lack luster to me. Great production from Jon Brion as always. I can see how this would be an essential album to listen to, but it doesn't have a lot of replay value for me.
Anthrax
3/5
Nirvana
4/5
Stone cold classic
Beastie Boys
4/5
4/5
Raekwon
3/5
Peter Tosh
2/5
this is my least favorite genre and this album is indicative of why. Every song is painfully linear and same-same. This one has the added benefit of being painfully drab
Brian Eno
3/5
Interesting album. Not sure if it's good for background music, or putting on headphones for a dedicated play through.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I said on my earlier review for Peter Tosh that reggae is my absolute least favorite genre, but I'd be remiss if I didn't note that The Wailers were first rate musicians a composers. Bob is truly an icon and wrote some beautiful songs that I would probably be playing all the time if I was introduced to them in a different genre. That said, everything the Wailers bring to the table makes this album all the more exciting and enjoyable for me, though not more so enough for me to give it more than a 3
The Police
4/5
The Who
3/5
I love me some unhinged Keith Moon, but this album is a bit of a chore overall. Some of the songs simply overstay their welcome, feeling like it's nothing more than Pete Townshend indulging himself. I understand this album's inclusion on this list, but I feel like there's been better albums of it's sort since.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
The Cure
3/5
Good album, not their strongest or most exciting though. Largely just ambient sounding instrumentals, almost sounds like it's incomplete with Robert Smith not yet having recorded the vocals
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Not my cup of tea
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Boston
4/5
Gene Clark
2/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Meat Loaf
2/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Beatles
5/5
David Gray
2/5
Singer-songwriter discovers how to sample and loop tracks and proceeds to make music for proto wine moms.
Gray is a solid song writer, but this album as a whole is so generic (especially the singles). I was 16 and working at the local shopping mall when this album really started gaining traction, and Babylon was inescapable. I'm immediately transported back to folding jeans at Anchor Blue and for that, I need to take a star off the otherwise middle of the road score I was going to give it.
I did enjoy My Oh My
George Harrison
5/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
Kelela
4/5
Joy Division
3/5
Eminem
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
My my, hey hey, the front end of this album is not okay. Featuring some of the most dismal and grating recordings in Neil's catalog, if not of all time, this album shouldn't be on this list. Neil has plenty of music in his career to pick from, this is not the album I would have chosen. It finally starts to pick up a bit with Powderfinger. This album is supposedly a mix of live and studio overdubs and it shows with the rough mix and sloppy performance, but goddamn are the guitars in Hey Hey, My My nasty as fuck. +1 for that tone that's going to haunt my dreams
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
The Yardbirds
4/5
Ice Cube
3/5
Frank Zappa
4/5
Radiohead
5/5
Miriam Makeba
4/5
The Byrds
3/5
Radiohead
5/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Prince
4/5
The Black Keys
5/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
The National
4/5
The White Stripes
4/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Le Tigre
3/5
SAULT
4/5
Ok, so I occasionally check out the site that hosts the list this is sourcing this info. They do remove albums from time to time and when they do, it's moved to an "expunged" section, which also includes a few albums that should have never been considered to begin with (I'm looking at you Chocolate Starfish!). This album is no where to be found anywhere on the list, hell, there's only one album newer than 2017 across the board. This feels like it's clearly an editorial move made by the team running the album generator.
That out of the way, this album has a lot of solid grooves start to finish, but I think leans to hard into the culture war aspect lyrically that at times it's a little contrived. I'm in full support of the movement, but in this singular artistic expression, it's a little hamfisted. If it wasn't for the musical accompaniment, I probably would have just turned it off and bailed, but there's some certified bops on this album that will have me bobbing my head for at the very least the rest of the day.
Fav tracks: Wildfires, Why We Cry Why We Die, Stop Dem (got some 00s Adult Swim vibes), Monsters
David Bowie
4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Buzzcocks
4/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Love how many Americans living in fly-over states think they're making this grand patriotic statement by blasting the title track from their overly lifted Ford and Chevy pickups while completely missing the point.
This album is almost a greatest hits when it comes to my limited knowledge of Springsteen's catalog, but I know a large chunk of them just from the radio of my childhood.
Listen to Cover Me, Darlington County, I'm On Fire, Dancing In The Dark
Blondie
4/5
Tears For Fears
5/5
Radiohead
5/5
The War On Drugs
5/5
Jack White
4/5
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Dr. Dre
4/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Kanye West
5/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
fIREHOSE
3/5
Pretenders
4/5
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Effectively a cover album with only 2 original songs on the whole thing, but some of them are fantastic covers, the biggest one being Nine Inch Nail's "Hurt" with a surprisingly uplifting instrumental arrangement and some very closed in vocals. The rest of the album is very much produced in the same vein, acoustic guitar, piano and occasional organ (like in Danny Boy) and vocals mostly mixed without any space to them making the album as a whole feel like you're in a small room with Cash. Not an album you HAVE to hear before you die, but a pleasant one all the same
Julian Cope
3/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
It's a good album, but I don't know what sets it apart from all the other albums out there just like it other than I guess it's considered the first of it's kind.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Yes
3/5
Dr. Octagon
4/5
"Fuck it, he's dead..Oh Shit! There's a horse in the hospital!"
Certified classic. This is like the soundtrack to late 90s/early 00s Adult Swim. Basically a completely bonkers concept album with some real bangers. The skits are silly and juvenile and honestly don't do much to add to the album other than perpetuate the medical theme.
Radiohead
5/5
The Youngbloods
4/5
Wasn't familiar with this album at all but really enjoyed the mix of folk, singer-songwriter, occasional prog-ish vibes (see the instrumental track "On Sir Francis Drake"), blues inspired guitar and bass and jazz tinged drums.
David Bowie
3/5
The writers of this list LOVE their Bowie, and I don't blame them, so do I. There has been a total of 9 Bowie records on list, but agreeably, they've stricken this one from the official list. It's a great record, but 9 albums for 1 artist on here is a lot and this is my personal least favorite of them.
Elton John
4/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Did you know there's 4 PJ Harvey albums on this list? FOUR!! I'm not knocking her, but that feels excessive given all the omissions elsewhere in this list.
All that out of the way, this was a fun raucous and exciting record. Raunchy bass, angular guitars and drums that never seem willing to just sit in the pocket with rhythms seeming switching up at the drop of a hat. Only thing that's hurting this album for me is the mix. For the most part it sounds like everything was done in a single take and whatever mix they had in the room is what you get on the final product. It sounds almost chaotic, but I guess that's also it's charm.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Slipknot
2/5
Ray Charles
4/5
That's a bold claim you're making there Mr Charles, but goddammit if you're not spot on. Reminds me of the music I'd hear my grandparents playing when I was a kid
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
The Cure
5/5
2/5
Garbage
4/5
Why does it seem like 30 years after it's release this album is actually super underappreciated? This is a solid album with some serious bangers
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Morrissey
3/5
interesting choice to add to a list of "must listen" albums. All in all, it's a good record, Morrissey has a timeless voice and the songs are well crafted. That said, he's still a racist POS.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
There's no fewer than 5 Springsteen albums on this list, take that and do with it what you will. I missed this one when it was picked for me, so gave it a spin when playing catch up. For albums of all time, it's ok to good, for Springsteen albums, it's pretty run of the mill. Not really any big standout moments. Thunder Road, Born To Run and Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out are pretty good, while Backstreets sounds painful on the vocal chords. Jungleland is a sprawling ballad but overstays it's welcome.
3 stars
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I get why it's on here, but I really don't care for RCHP, their old stuff (like this album) had it's moments tho. Ultimately, the singles on this album are pretty timeless, but the majority of the rest of the album is pretty forgettable.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Far from the worst on this list, also a country mile from the best. What sets The Velvet Underground apart from other similar bands is their seeming lack of fucks to give. I'd be willing to wager that more than a few people told Lou Reed he is definitely not a guitarist, but he had so few fucks to give that he did it anyway. They get a 10 for the punk ethos and a 2 for talent, but this was a fun album all the same.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Sure. Perfect for a muggy afternoon on the back forty with a rocking chair, cold beer and a piece of straw hanging from your mouth.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Baaba Maal
3/5
Fun album, but not my cup of tea
Iggy Pop
4/5
Weather Report
3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Lou Reed
3/5
King Crimson
4/5
The Auteurs
3/5
Paul McCartney
4/5
Beck
5/5
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Guns N' Roses
1/5
My god I hate this band...
I'll go as far to admit that there's some catchy jams and Sweet Child O Mine is a definite ear worm, but Axel has one of the most annoying voices and absolutely ruins everything I hear him in.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Taylor Swift
3/5
Paul Simon
3/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Norah Jones
3/5
This is a nice album, nothing that grabs me particularly, but it's nice all the same. Also for what it's worth, according to the current 1001 Albums list, this one has been knocked off for something else to keep the "official list" limited to 1001.
Various Artists
1/5
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Luckily I already have this album, it's a legit classic. Sadly it's not available on Spotify to stream
The Cure
3/5
Ian Dury
3/5
The White Stripes
4/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
5/5
The Lemonheads
4/5
2Pac
4/5
Pearl Jam
3/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
Faith No More
3/5
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Not for my tastes. Also, the over compressed, digital samples are just grating on the ears...
The Rolling Stones
4/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Beatles
4/5
Dennis Wilson
4/5
Sounds far more modern than his contemporaries, including his brothers in the Beach Boys were doing. Brilliant album
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
The Avalanches
4/5
The Only Ones
3/5
Billy Bragg
3/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
Pulp
3/5
Pere Ubu
4/5
Artist not available to stream on Spotify, but songs I was able to locate on Youtube are quite good
R.E.M.
4/5
Deee-Lite
3/5
not my cup of tea but a solid classic
Depeche Mode
4/5
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
probably the only RHCP album I've listened to all the way through on my own and without skipping a track
The Stone Roses
4/5
Queen
3/5
SZA
4/5
Solange
3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Orbital
3/5
Not really my kind of thing, but makes good background music while working.
Kings of Leon
4/5
The Smiths
2/5
It's ok I guess. Whomever created this list is a bit of a Morrissey fan boy though, because there's too many albums on here of his. Love me some Marr though.
Frank Ocean
4/5
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Oasis
4/5
The Kinks
4/5
Haircut 100
3/5
Neil Young
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Green Day
4/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Wilco
4/5
Fairport Convention
2/5
Mott The Hoople
4/5
Sigur Rós
4/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
Rush
2/5
I don't know why I just don't get Rush..
Spiritualized
3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
John Cale
3/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Metallica
3/5
Classic album with some incredible songs but the era wasn't very good to this genre in terms of the mix. Wish the album had a more balanced sonic range, would get another star out of me for sure
k.d. lang
2/5
meh
ABBA
3/5
What else can there be said about ABBA...
The Verve
3/5
Urban Hymns is a bona fide classic 90s britpop album. Ashcroft's smooth vocals and melodies paired with big spacey verbed out guitars, and well layered production. The obvious big hit, "Bitter Sweet Symphony", I think is the main reason this album even makes this list. Undeniably memorable, but just as much so for the copyright debacle as the song itself.
All in all, it's a good album, but suffers from most of the songs sounding pretty similar throughout. Throw it on in the background while you cook dinner or study or work. It's not an album I'd say you want to sit down for a fully dedicated listening session as the somewhat repetitive feel of the album can be a bit of a drag over the 75 minute runtime (knock about 5 or so minutes off if you skip the silence between "Come On" and the pseudo sci-fi sounding instrumental hidden track "Deep Freeze")
MGMT
4/5
Eels
5/5
If you're only in it for powerful lead vocals, energetic songs, beautiful harmonies and big lead guitars. This isn't the album for you.
But if you want some well crafted/written indie alternative music, then don't skip this record. E's vocals are considerably limited, but his lyrics and song craft are downright masterful. The bands only radio single "Novocain For The Soul" kicks off the album with some creative and uplifting yet depressing lyrics like "life is good, and I feel great, cause mother said I was a great mistake". "Susan's House" is a spoken word track over a simple drum groove that should not be skipped. And everyone who grew up in the 90's will remember "My Beloved Monster" from the OG Shrek soundtrack.
Personally, 5 stars, no notes
Syd Barrett
3/5
I once heard a friend refer to a band as "very Syd Barrett-y". I don't remember the band he was talking about, but I remember the music feeling fairly jarring and "herky-jerky", if you will. After finally listening to this record, I can say with confidence that I now fully understand and will be using that phrase comfortably in the future.
Nick Drake
4/5
Beautiful album with Nick Drake's signature acoustic sound and masterful song writing. Maybe not the most exciting album you'll hear, but certainly one of the most soothing.
Some of my favorite tracks include "Thoughts Of Mary Jane", "Time Has Told Me", "Way To Blue" and "Day Is Done"
Beatles
5/5
This album is probably that kicked off my love for the Beatles. Fantastic album with some of the best rock songs (maybe more pop than rock by modern standards) out there. That slap you in the face chord that starts "A Hard Day's Night", to beautifully melancholic "And I Love Her" and "If I Fell", to the head bopping tracks like "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Tell Me Why". While not my favorite Beatles album, it's certainly firmly planted in my top 100 albums of all time.
Also one of the best band movies out there. Making light of the Beatlemania of the time with a bunch of sly jokes. The media party scene with classic one-liners, like when someone asks Lennon "How'd you find America?" and he simply replies with a straight "Turned left at Greenland".
Nirvana
4/5
The grandfather of so much music to come, truly a legendary and influential album by all counts. 4 stars because some songs wouldn't impact the final product if omitted, such as "Endless, Nameless"
3/5
Classic punk with that classic raw production. Good energy and surprisingly upbeat
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
It's safe to assume that At The Drive-In were fans of this album as you can hear it's influence all over their albums from their original run (Acrobatic Tenement to Relationship Of Command). I missed these DLJ during their heyday, but they're going to be rotation going forward for sure.
Steve Earle
2/5
Not really my thing, but sure
Bad Company
3/5
Classic rock with a pop flare at some of it's finest. Not every song on the album is great, but when it hits, it hits just right.
\"Have you heard Bad Company by the band Bad Company of their album Bad Company?\"
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
On this album, Gaye really wants to get it on and keep getting it on. He really lets you know where his intentions lie instead of beating around the bush.
Cheap Trick
4/5
It's amazing this band isn't more beloved than they are and In Budokan was what it took to finally get these guys a top 10 single.
Scott Walker
2/5
This is the 4th album with the name Scott by Scott Walker. Definitely cut from the same cloth as Neil Diamond (or at least a similar pattern). It's an ok album I guess, nothing too exciting start to finish.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Interesting album with a varied mix of afro, middle eastern and latin beats and instrumentation but not interesting enough to make up for the lack of excitement throughout the whole album. Not really sure why this one would make a list of albums you have to listen to for any reason.
Common
3/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
It's an ok album, kinda one note/bland overall, certainly not indicative of their jam band reputation. Feel like this is another questionable addition on this list, but I'm sure this isn't intended for everyone to love everything (see: Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells..).
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Some of the beats go pretty damn hard, but "grime" isn't really my thing and production on these earlier albums feel somewhat dated to my ears. Overall sound doesn't hold up as well to modern hip hop with the somewhat thinner sounding instrumentation, but that's just my 2 cents.
"Fix Up, Look Sharp" is a bop, check out the live version off the deluxe version of Tongue n' Cheek.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Bad is a great record with a bunch of classic pop hits, but not MJs best overall album. Much like Thriller, this album feels a lot like a collection of hits more than a cohesive album, I mean, 8 of 11 songs charted as singles in the US alone with 5 of them reaching #1! Maybe when the album came out it felt more cohesive but with time and it's overall legacy started feeling more like a greatest hits. Still a fun listen tho
The xx
2/5
I know this was a pretty big album when it dropped but it's honestly a snooze for me. Both Jamie and Romy have done far more interesting music outside of this very empty sounding album (can't say the same for Oliver only because I haven't listened to any of his solo work).
It's not a bad album, it's just a boring album.
Aerosmith
4/5
Fun album with a few big hits. The album as a whole flows but if you aren't intimate with every song, it can kinda bleed together since most of the songs have the same feel/production/sound. Really is a staple of that boogie rock with a pseudo punk ethos.
David Bowie
4/5
A solid Bowie album, not my favorite of his, but it's still a classic. More groovy than a lot of his earlier work, and certainly stands on it's own in the middle of an incredible run of albums (Ziggy was less than 3 years prior with Aladdin Sane, Pin Ups, and Diamond Dogs between them!). Just on the topic of sheer output, Bowie released at least 1 album a year from '69-'80 and not a flop among them.
Young Americans gives you the title track and "Fame" as the 2 massive singles, an interesting take on the Beatles "Across The Universe", a fun collab with Luther Vandross in "Fascination", and in my opinion, not a skip on the album.
4 out of 5 only because by Bowie standards, it's not his best and most influential album that he's released, but that's hard to do with his catalog surrounding this album.
Circle Jerks
4/5
A blink and you'll miss it classic punk album. 14 high octane tracks clocking in just shy of 16 minutes. Perfect hardcore punk with a diy sounding production, delightfully unrefined performances, zero nuance or subtly from frontman Keith Morris, but why would you be looking for anything more/less in the genre?
I fully support this album making the list.
Supertramp
4/5
Kate Bush
4/5
Wild and interesting album to be sure. Certainly not Hounds of Love or The Kick Inside, but it's certainly an album of all time. It's a weird record that takes a number of plays to get into and can be a little unsettling at times, but it is a good album overall, even if it's not her most user friendly or popular releases.
If you want more approachable version of one of these tracks, check out Ra Ra Riot's version of "Suspended In Gaffa"
3.5/4 stars
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Ronald Isley is the definition of butter when it comes to vocals. Dude is smooth as it gets! Good album but not my favorite from them, still some great tgracks though with the ever famous "That Lady" and a beautiful cover of Seals and Crofts' "Summer Breeze" and a fun take on The Doobie Brothers' "Listen To The Music". It's a good listen, but not sure if I'd call it a mandatory album.
Overall, I give it 3/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
Some solid jams breaks, but just not my thing. Never been able to get into the Dead.
ZZ Top
3/5
Have Mercy!
I'd agree that this album is a staple for rock/blues/boogie-woogie. Kicking off with a killer 1-2 punch to open the album with "Waitin' On The Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago", but the following "Beer Drinkers..." is a little weak across the whole track except for Gibbons' solo. The song list as a whole has some ups and downs, with some weaker tracks in the mix but great playing all the same. Of course you have one of their biggest hits before switching up to a more 80's pop working of their core sound on the album Eliminator with "La Grange".
All in all, a good album despite it's flaws. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but don't feel quite right giving it a 4, so 3 stars I guess
Beatles
5/5
Arguably one the greatest rock/pop albums ever recorded. There's nothing more that really needs to be said. 5 stars for me.
The Smiths
4/5
It's a quintessential jangle-pop album, no doubt. Some great tracks on this album, but I'm not sure I'd actually consider it their best album, I'd probably tag the self-titled debut for that.
The title track, Bigmouth and Some Girls are songs certainly worth checking out.
Also, fuck Morrissey..
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
There's so many albums out there that sound exactly like this that I'm not sure why this would be considered required listening. It's an generally fine record but nothing that really seems to set it apart from others. Just check out the "Fans also like" section on Lloyd and co.'s Spotify page and it's just more copy pasta of the same sort of act. If the list that has this album listed is really limited to a finite 1000 total records, then get this one off here to make room for something better.
Manu Chao
3/5
Completely forgot about this album. When I was in high school, so many of my friends were obsessed with the track "Bongo Bong" to the point that it became more of a novelty than anything else.
The album itself is clever, with an almost seamless transition between every song across the album with exception of a few pointed stops. As a whole, it definitely feels like it was written to be a singular project more than a collection of songs thrown together.
Overall, I enjoyed it, even if I'm not likely to come back to it for another listen anytime soon. The immediate nostalgia upon hearing "Bongo Bong" was a trip though, right back to my freshman year of HS.
A strong 3/5
Cat Stevens
4/5
I've never been big on the singer/songwriter sound and tend to prefer music with a little more energy to it. That said, hard to argue with the staying power of songs like Wild World and Father and Son. Cat Stevens is a legit tour de force when it comes to songwriting and has a buttery delivery of said songs. Tea for the Tillerman is nice, tight little package of songs barely over 35 minutes, and makes the most of that short runtime.
Notable songs: Wild World, Miles From Nowhere, Father and Son
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Not the Boss's best album, nor most popular, but a solid record all the same. Opening track, "Badlands", comes right out the gate and hits you in the face with a classic Springsteen sound you'd hear cranked in a packed dive bar. He doesn't give you a chance to settle in as "Adam Raised a Cain" wastes no time with a dirty rock groove that hooked me right away. "Something in the Night" is a great piano ballad of sorts but I don't care much for Bruce's nasally vocals in the opening. "Candy's Room" has good energy but is just ok and then it's another piano ballad with "Racing in the Street". Then it's more signature Springsteen with "The Promised Land" and "Factory". "Streets of Fire" is a lumbering track that throws a little Gilmour-esc solo at you with a good "soft/loud" dynamic between verse and chorus. The album closes with "Prove It All Night" and the title track, the former of which is one of my favorites from the album with a great hook and the latter sounding much like the rest of the album.
Suggested tracks: Adam Raised a Cain, Streets of Fire & Prove It All Night
3/5
Nico
2/5
Beautiful instrumentation and arrangements, great songwriting by a number of brilliant artists, but Nico's "singing" just sounds flat and dead on every damn song. While I am into this genre generally speaking, I just can't get over Nico's voice. These Days is a beautiful song, but you should go listen to The Black Keys cover of it instead.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Neil Young is one of those odd successes in my opinion. Brilliant song writer and guitarist, and while he's a reliable singer, his voice isn't all that pleasant on the ears. All that said, this is a great record with some of my favorite Neil tracks.
Notable songs: Cinnamon Girl, Down by the River (the big single), and the title track. Also check out the different takes on "Cinnamon Girl" by Smashing Pumpkins, Susanna Hoffs/Matthew Sweet, and Type O Negative, and "Down by the River" by Buddy Miles.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Alright album with a real americana/country tinge to it. Most of the album is pretty mellow with the exception of a few tracks, so if that's not your thing, skip this one.
If nothing else, check out the track "To Be Young"
The Clash
5/5
There's only a handful of double albums out there that are "all killer, no filler" and in my humble opinion, this is easily in that group! However, in classic punk fashion, you still get all 19 songs in an almost fleeting 65 minutes.
Notable tracks: ALL OF THEM, DAMNIT! But seriously, "London Calling", "Spanish Bombs", "Lost in the Supermarket", "Clampdown", "Train in Vain"
Goldie
1/5
The album is called \"Timeless\", but at nearly 2 hours long, this album has overstayed it's welcome. Sure music changes and evolves all the time, but ironically, this album sounds very dated and I'm convinced the author put this album on the list because they owed someone a favor. Most of the songs are over 6 minutes of dragged out, bloated 90s drum and bass.
1/5
Hookworms
4/5
Wasn't sure what to expect once the first song started with all sorts of old school electric rhythm sounds only for it to transition into a very Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, !!!, MGMT mix of early 2000's indie dance punk. There's a certain nostalgia I got from this record
This is my first experience with this band but I'll likely be digging into the rest of their catalog in the future.
Check out "Static Resistance", "Opener" and "Each Time We Pass"
4/5
John Grant
3/5
Would you call this "proto Father John Misty"? I haven't checked out the rest of his catalog yet, but FJM did debut 2 years later in 2012 and this album feels like it was the foundation before Tillman added all the strings and additional orchestration that usually fill all his albums. All in all, it's an ok album albeit not that exciting. None of the songs really popped out at me or excited me in any way. It's just solid mid.
Stan Getz
4/5
Stan Getz has a solid catalog, and this is no exception. Put on "Samba Dees Days" while you're making dinner and dance around the kitchen. Sip on a glass of wine while enjoying Getz's signature breathy sax style on "Samba Triste" and "Samba De Uma Nota So" with perfectly paired runs with Charlie Byrd's guitar.
Honestly, there's nothing about this album to dislike, it's just so pleasant and easy. This album screams dinner party or wine bar and tapas.
Pair with a nice and light Pinot Noir or medium bodied Cabernet
Tim Buckley
3/5
Tim's vocals are incredible, but I confess I'm not really into this album that much. It's good, it just didn't leave any sort of lasting impression for me.
Beck
4/5
I remember how big the hype was around this album was when it came out. Beck makes a hard pivot from the sound of his previous albums focused on sample driven, alt rock, pseudo psychedelia, funk rock, hip hop and disco to a lush, acoustic driven, heartfelt album of folk rock perfection.
Check out Paper Tiger, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Lost Cause, Round The Bend and Sunday Sun
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I miss this version of AM. Energetic, hard hitting, cutting, angsty and punked up.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Some have considered this album to be part of the garage rock revival, but I'd say it's a little more inline with the early dance-punk that was starting to take off in the early 00s with the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and others. A little more raw production getting that garage rock tag, but the energy of the album is more bopping around while staring at the floor in a dark, dirty basement night club in NYC. Each track hits you with searing energy and sharp edges with the only seemingly polished break you get in the whole album being "Maps", but even that has massive wall of guitar hitting you in the bridge, never really letting you relax until the album closer Modern Romance.
Listen to: Man, Pin, No No No, Maps, Y Control
Roxy Music
3/5
As many have already pointed out, the cover art is far more exciting than the album and I'm inclined to say they're not wrong. It's an alright album but nothing to write home about. I wish I could give it an even 2.5/5, but since that's not an option, I'll bump it up to a 3 for making me feel like I'm doing something inappropriate with the cover art on my work computer.
The Triffids
1/5
How drunk was the person that decided you had to listen to this album? I mean, there's nothing about it that should have landed it on this list. I think what makes it even worse is it's a whole double album with the second disk full of demos of the same unremarkable songs that make up the first disk. There's this weird mix of very typical 80s alternative/pop male lead vocals and country pedal steel guitar on a number of tracks that just doesn't make sense in my mind. The lyrics I've been able to pickup on are barely surface level deep and there's just really nothing that has me wanting to hear this record (or any of their other albums) again.
Maybe use this album to kick off a new list of 1001 albums that would have made no difference to the world had it just not been made.
1/5 (because that's as low as it goes around these parts)
Michael Jackson
4/5
Probably one of MJs better solo albums. Right out the gate you're shaking your shoulders with good vibe dance grooves with Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough and he doesn't give you any reason to stop until the second half of the album. Rock With You, Workin' Day and Night, and Get of the Floor will keep you moving. The title track starts off a little less energetic with a cackle that I think it could do without but picks up quickly and gets you back into the boogie.
Kicking off the second half, Girlfriend is a chill poppy bop of a track with a bouncy bass line, smooth harmonies and catchy melody. You'll still be bopping your head.
Finally you get a sweet ballad about lost love and heartache with She's Out Of My Life. Very simple production that just servers to highlight what we've already known about MJ's vocal power (I get chills every time I her the "deeeeeeep in side" crescendo).
I Can't Help It is a return to the disco dance vibes, albeit at a slower tempo that the first half of the record, but the tempo picks back up throughout It's The Falling In Love (fucking bop and a half) and closing the album with Burn This Disco Out.
Certifiable classic album, a disco banger before MJ sets in stone his claim as "King of Pop" with Thriller
Sex Pistols
4/5
Legendary album but maybe not as revolutionary today as it was when it came out. I still give it a spin or 2 a year for the nostalgia.
Listen to: Bodies, No Feelings, God Save The Queen & New York
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Big band esc jazz, lounge-y, feel good background music. All in all a very pleasant listen. Can't say I recognize any individual songs from this album outside of this listen or that I'll come back to this record on my own volition, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.
Side note, I feel like I was actually a little more productive at work with this in the background than the other albums I've had on this list that make you pay more attention (or in some cases question why you're even listening to it)
David Ackles
1/5
The number of Spotify listeners/streams on this album would imply it's probably not that important of an album. Even AllMusic wrote "it never found it's audience". Probably because if you're looking for classic singer-songwriter fare, you'd be somewhat disappoint by this way-off-broadway theater schlock.
I though I was going to get something along the lines of Jackson Browne or Dan Fogelberg or James Taylor, but instead I was "gifted" with odd stories about wishing something was a one night stand or rain in California, flat vocals, disjointed lyrics and a musical production more suited for the high school play it sounds like it was conceived for.
To quote Mr Horse from Ren & Stimpy; "No sir, I didn't like it"
Fever Ray
2/5
Somehow this album perfectly encapsulates the hangover I'm currently working through and I'm not sure how that makes me feel.. I thought the vocals in "Dry and Dusty" were just in my head, but no, they're right there! Honestly I don't have a ton to say on this album either way but I don't think I'll be revisiting it anytime soon.
The Temptations
3/5
Buttery vocals and harmonies across this entire album, but that's what you get with the Temptations. Great arrangements and production too. Side note, I don't think I ever heard the album version of Papa Was A Rollin' Stone and didn't realize it's almost 12 minutes long!
Over all it's a fine album, albeit fairly forgettable as it sounds like most of their catalog and just going of the numbers it would appear most Spotify listeners only listen to 2 songs off this album seeing a play count drop off 75% between the 2nd and 3rd most played tracks and then another 50% between the 3rd and 4th with the latter getting just shy of 155k at time of this writing and half of this album not even that much. Ultimately, it's a Temptations album so you'll get exactly what you expect from a Temptations album.
Listen to Run Charlie Run, Mother Nature, and Do Your Thing
3/5
Talvin Singh
2/5
My previous commentary got wiped out some how, but honestly, it was about as important as this album really is/was. That is to say, not so much.
To sum it up, OK is hardly worth the time and is likely taking up a spot on this list that should be going to a far more deserving album. I'll give it 2 stars because there is some interesting live instrumentation on this album, but it's not enough to save the otherwise boring electronica album..
Talking Heads
4/5
How serendipitous that I just watched Stop Making Sense last night.
Just about everyone I know that likes Talking Heads cite this as their best and most influential and innovative album, and I don't completely disagree. I always find myself flip flopping between this or Speaking In Tongues for their best album. Meanwhile, Remain in Light is a fantastic blend of styles with new wave, funky bass grooves, afro-beat percussion, hypnotic rhythms, spacey synths and abstract guitars. The first half of the album far more exciting and energetic while the last few songs kinda drone on with David Byrne more or less monologuing over very Brian Eno influenced backing tracks.
It's a great album, highly recommend, even if it's not their most successful and single laden album.
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
What a banger from Elvis and company, solid from start to finish.
The mix didn't age as well as the songs on it, sometimes sounding a little mid focused or over compressed, but that doesn't detract from the quality performances across the whole album. The issues in the mix actually do help to highlight just how awesome the bass lines are in every song bringing the instrument almost in front of the vocals at times.
Check out "No Action", "This Year's Girl", "Pump It Up", "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea", "Little Triggers", "Lipstick Vogue" and "Radio, Radio"
Moby Grape
4/5
What a delightful album, short and sweet with a great mix of cutting rock and roll, acoustic folk, CS&N-esc harmonies and some Beatles influenced guitar leads. The whole album comes in under 30 minutes and is worth a few plays. Since it's so short, there's no reason to point out specific songs, just give the whole thing a spin.
Fun tidbit about this album, it came out only 3 months after The Grateful Dead's debut and out performed it on the charts. Both bands originate from San Francisco and come from the same music scene.
As mentioned by others, it's not available on Spotify but you can find the whole album on YouTube.
Sade
4/5
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
I've never really been a Sufjan fan. He's an undeniably talented songwriter but when I originally heard this album around it's release back in 2005, it just wasn't my cup of tea so I just carried on with my life not giving any further though to Mr Stevens other music. Since then however, I've expanded my horizons and feel like I can better appreciate this almost 20 years later and boy is it a delightful album. Illinoise is wistful, clever and beautiful, from start to finish and I don't even know where to start with specifics of the across the album, as the whole thing is a masterclass in modern song craft. Whether it be the up beat, bouncy 5/4 on the title track, or immediately followed by the somber acoustic "John Wayne Gacy' Jr.". The album flows seamlessly from one track to the next with lush strings and little segues of applause. I don't know what else to say about this other than it's a 4/5 for me.
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
You hear a lot of people talking about bands like Drive Like Jehu, American Football and Cap'n Jazz being the founders of emo music by way of the midwest emo scene, but I'd argue it was the early 90s indie rock/power pop bands that came shortly after 80s new wave and during the rise of grunge that set the tone with heartfelt lyrics sung softly over a wall of guitar and drums. This album/band helped form my own music over the years along with the likes of Big Star, The Posies and Superdrag.
Listen to "What You Do To Me", "I Don't Know", "Metal Baby"
Stereolab
3/5
meh.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Ramblin' is a bit of an understatement, but at least he has some sense of direction, Oakland is, in fact, across the bay from San Francisco...
Ramblin' Jack meanders his way through the album, caterwauling, mumbling and giving "here's a song about..." exposition. A reasonably talented songwriter, but seemingly found his limitations and decided to just stop there and not push himself any further. Ultimately, this album is very forgettable and it's highly unlikely that I'll remember any of it because I won't be coming back to it, ever.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Catchy songs with an upbeat groove, but some of the sample interludes are a little to long and repetitive ("would you like some sweets willy?"), but overall sounds exactly like what I remember from early 90s dub and house music. Sarah Cracknell's vocals are soft and sweet and offer a nice break from the otherwise over repetitiveness of the album.
I don't feel like this is required material, even if it may have been influential on the genre, it doesn't do much to excite me
Richard Thompson
4/5
This is the first album I've added to my saved music on Spotify in weeks (that wasn't already there). The first 4 tracks are great folk-ish songs with some elements of rock and delightful guitar work.
Lambchop
3/5
This was my first exposure to Lambchop and I almost bailed on the first song, mostly due to Kurt Wagner's drab vocals and somewhat sparse instrumentation, but luckily I stuck around for the second track. Grumpus is a nice bit of life added to this album after the snoozefest of The Old Gold Shoe. You Masculine You ends up being a bit of a cross between the first 2 tracks with very so-so vocals, but far more engaging arrangements (great melody, but the soft falsetto was distracting and ultimately just meh).
So all that said, you can pretty much get a feel for this whole album in the first 3 tracks. Solid arrangements with beautiful strings and other accompaniment topped with dull vocals. I feel like this album would have been more enjoyable with a different singer.
I guess 3/5?
Morrissey
2/5
Self-righteous, pompous, trite, unapologetic (literally) and fairly bland. Come listen to Morrissey spend 47 minutes and 20 seconds berate you about how he's so much better than you are or ever will be. Most of the songs are repetitive and drab with very few exceptions.
"Irish Blood, English Heart" slaps tho.
Hanoi Rocks
1/5
Maybe periodically updating this list isn't what's needed anymore. Maybe it's time to just scrap it and start from scratch because like this album, there's a lot of fluff/filler on here that just doesn't need to be.
There's nothing remarkable about this album at all. From off-key, whiny vocals to generic, uninspired performances (that awful flute in the intro track). Heck, this isn't even a popular album among their listeners on Spotify..
The Stranglers
5/5
In case you ever wondered what raw power sounded like, look no further. Nasty bass, snarling vocals, heavy organ, this album absolutely drips attitude and punk ethos. "IV"? More like "V"!
Been a long time fan of these guys and this album falls in my personal top 100 records of all time. This is a rare gem on this list that has been rather stale the last few weeks.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Very Pet Shop Boys start to finish. Some gems on this album, but ultimately, this album exists in a very specific time in history and doesn't really hold up in the modern music world (that sounds more negative than I mean it). A number of the songs get a little repetitive and drone on for a little too long, but the themes and emotions throughout are relatable and at times hard hitting.
The Beta Band
1/5
What an aggressively mid record. It truly doesn't know what it wants to be, and I don't mean that in an "every song has it's own sound" kinda way. Every track is a mishmash of half baked ideas that never quite land. Seventies singer/songwriter esc at it's core with overwhelming drum loops, disconnected sound effects, ambient repetitive vocals. And that cover?! Some 14 year old boy probably saw this in the shop and thought it was going to be the coolest album ever, and then he listened to it...
Deep Purple
4/5
If all you've heard of these guys is "Smoke On The Water" (or even worse, kids that just heard it for the first time playing it wrong/poorly at your local guitar store), I suggest putting that song out of your mind when listening to this. The opening track alone is straight face melting raw rock power! Bloodsucker feels like proto Jack White as he's definitely ripped off that guitar line on a solo track and the arrangement on more than one Raconteurs songs. Child In Time is a 10+ minute roller coaster with prog-y organ and haunting vocals, but really picks up at the 3:20 mark and you're right back to the brutal rock for just under 3 minutes before going back to the chill organ and back up again. The rest of the album is a lot more of the same, just hard hitting rock with thick organ and guitars, kicking drums, and powerful vocals. After this album, I finally get what all the fuss was about with these guys
Beach House
4/5
Dream pop is dreamy. Honestly, this was a very enjoyable album (especially compared to a lot of the other suggestions I've been getting on here as of late). Ambient, sweet and well written.
Fav tracks: Norway, Lover of Mine, Real Love
Heaven 17
1/5
This album should serve as a reminder that just because a band was a "pioneer" in a genre does not mean their music will hold a flame to anyone they served as an influence to down the road. There's some interesting production choices on this album and for 1981, it was probably revolutionary, but by today's standards, it's an exhaustive listen. By the end of it, my jaw hurt from clinching my teeth...
hardly a 1/5
Doves
4/5
I had this album on CD when it came out, so there's a tinge of nostalgia listening to it again all these years later. I feel like it still holds up for the most part. Well crafted jangle brit-pop, comforting melodies, great arrangements, snappy production. The tracks sung by guitarist Jez are great songs, but his voice is nasally and whiny and leaves much to be desired, while Jimi's smooth almost crooner delivery serves the songs very well.
There's 2 "instrumental" passages on this album that could have been left out as they don't add anything to the overall listening experience. In the same vain, a number of songs on the album have long drawn out intros making the album a little bloated overall. That said, it's still a solid record and I can confirm that I still enjoy it after all these years.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Pretty standard blues for the era. Only song that really stands out from the rest of the album is the title track and that's entirely because of the Santana feature, he just comes out and punches you in the face as if to say "Hey! Santana is here!". The rest of the features do bring that artists' signature touch, but none of them as prominent as Santana's signature guitar tone and band. All in all, this album is just okay, nothing spectacular, just middle of the road blues.
PJ Harvey
4/5
If a record could have teeth. Maybe not the best mixed album, but the songs hit hard and PJ's vocals are great!
Blur
3/5
As an American, I'm a casual Blur fan as they were little more than "Song 2" on this side of the pond. That being said, this is a solid record overall. Certainly a staple for 90s Brit-pop/power-pop. I know Song 2 wasn't their typical sound, but beyond just the wall of guitar and quiet/loud production, there's something in the writing of that song that isn't found anywhere else in their catalog that I've found.
3/5
Two Blur albums almost in a row? I wonder how many more of their albums are on this list. It's an ok album but not great.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
This was way better than I expected it to. Sure, it's still corny 80s dance pop and would in no way make the cut for this list if both weren't UK based. Driving beats, infectious energy, soft crooning ballads, the interesting decision to include 2 seemingly random but well executed covers back to back (Born To Run by Springsteen and San Jose by Burt Bacharach). The title track goes pretty hard too. Much more exciting of a record than just the big hit single.
The Cars
4/5
When your debut album is a literal greatest hits album. The Cars released a few other albums after this but I don't think any of them were as instant of a classic as their debut.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
My notes were wiped and I don't remember them, but I enjoyed this album. Great playing all around by everyone even if the bass solo passages at times seem to go on a little long and diverge from the core feeling of the song a bit.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
I could have sworn that I already had this album suggested but that might just be because I have it in semi regular rotation in my personal collection. This record is so damn smooth and buttery, a bona fide staple of early hip hop and also absolutely timeless.
For a laugh, check out "Rap Promoter" if you want to hear what Kid Rock tried to rip off..
Fiona Apple
4/5
Fiona Apple is a talented and accomplished songwriter, singer and performer. I've personally been a more casual fan since she first debuted as I was just entering high school. FTBC is certainly an interesting and eclectic album with some amazing arrangements great songs, but it didn't hit me the way it did most of my friends when this first came out. I'll give it a solid 4.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
It's nice enough I guess. Sounds pretty much like all the other country, singer/songwriter, coffee shop music that came out around the same time. There's really nothing spectacular about it.
David Bowie
5/5
This is such a phenomenal album, but it is a hard listen knowing it was Bowie's farewell to the world.
Haunting production from start to finish, even in the more upbeat-ish tracks like "Tis a Pity" and "Sue". There's a lot of prog elements to the album as well that keep it exciting and fresh.
Favorite tracks: Blackstar, Girl Loves Me and Dollar Days
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Maybe this album was more important when it was released, but it didn't really do anything for me as a full album. A couple tracks are bops, but the album as a whole just feels slapped together with no real sense of direction. Good bass grooves though
Steely Dan
4/5
Steely Dan definitely deserves to be on this list but I'd probably pick a different album, like either album the one is sandwiched between. That said, it's a good record. I give it a light 4
Thin Lizzy
3/5
These guys absolutely rocked. Awesome musicians, a solid live performance, and a great selection of tracks. But I don't think a live Thin Lizzy album should make it on a list of albums to listen to before you die. There's so many other live albums that could have been included instead of this one.
Nitin Sawhney
1/5
it insists upon itself...
Kings of Leon
2/5
There's no reason for this album to be included on this list. It's a fine garage rock album but it's honestly just ok in the grand scheme of things. Songs like King of the Rodeo are just annoying.
Another record that's fine to be left to the sands of time...
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Very avant-guard post punk. Siouxsie's vocals are some how both awesome and grating but no matter your tastes, they work here. Not sure how often I'll revisit this album, but it did send me down the Siouxsie and the Banshees rabbit hole which is full of wonderful music. I'd give this a 3, but since it resparked my joy for the rest of the catalog, it gets bumped to a 4
Hot Chip
3/5
Opening track takes a moment to get some traction and I was going to just throw in the towel expecting just another run of the mill electronic act that plagues this list (seriously, how many copy/paste English electronic bands are on here?!?), and then those crispy-af drums came in and caught my attention. But was that it? No! The song kept going and drawing me in more and more. Truly a killer song and album opener.
Sadly, the momentum doesn't carry and the next few tracks were bland enough that I drifted off and missed them until slipping back in with "Look At Where We Are", which is a beautiful yet somber tune. The album continues to be a bit of an up and down with some great songs, some less so. Some take a little too long to get off the ground, some punch you right in the face.
It's not a bad record by any stretch, just not one I'll be coming back to as a full album, but definitely added a few songs to playlists.
The Sonics
3/5
That mid 60s mix/audio fidelity. A surprisingly fun record with a ton of energy. Mostly covers but 2 of the 4 originals on the album I really enjoyed (The Witch and Psycho). Boss Hoss is what I imagine every classic car obsessive has playing at home on repeat.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
This list already included his best works with "What's Going On" and "Let's Get It On". This album has some of the same signature sounds as those before it, but unlike those other albums, it doesn't really add anything that sounds out in his overall catalog. Gaye's smooth buttery vocals, croon-y ballads, occasional funky groovy vibes, and all are great, but it's nothing fresh.
The Pogues
4/5
Now we're talking! And almost nailed the timing with Christmas coming up and Fairytale of New York. Not long ago, they would do a 3-4 night stint at The Fillmore here in San Francisco this time of year and I'm happy I got to catch a show the one time.
A master class in blending traditional Irish folk music with the politics and ethos of punk rock. I don't have a single bad thing to say about this album, just go listen to it, and when it's over, listen to it again.
The Cult
3/5
A fun album by a classic rock band. But a must-listen-before-you-die album? I think not...
Doves
3/5
Your boys at www.1001albumsgenerator.com sure do love their Doves. I wonder if they'll update the list to add the new album when it comes out?
Doves are a pretty consistent band, and I do enjoy them (had this and The Last Broadcast on CD back in the day), but I feel like they would have been fine to include just one album from their catalog on here and then looked to other artists that were effectively snubbed. This can actually be said about a lot of albums on here, and while I agree an artist can have multiple albums in their catalog that are a must, not EVERY artist deserves multiple shoutouts on here.
All that said 3/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
Fucking masterpiece.
Black Sabbath
4/5
The birth of metal sounded a lot different than you'd think. By today's standards, this almost plays like a Cream album with a little more teeth.
U2
3/5
Certainly one of the better U2 albums, but that doesn't mean it's one of the all timers because it's still U2. Some great songs on here but why is Bono's voice so far out in front of everything else?!
Manic Street Preachers
1/5
I enjoy power-pop and britpop, I honestly do, but this album is just no good. The vocals are grating, the lyrics are cringy and the production is somehow both over done and bloated while also being thin and cheap sounding. Hard pass for me
Donald Fagen
3/5
Groovy, bouncy, jazzy yacht rock through and through. It's like diet Steely Dan with all the signature taste of Fagen, but zero Becker. That said, I'd rather listen to Steely Dan.
Big Star
4/5
I never travel far, without a little Big Star! One of the best examples of "your favorite band's favorite band."
Highly underrated band led by one of the more influential song writing duos, Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, #1 Record is a masterclass in power pop. Seriously, it was a landmark record when it was released and more people would be familiar with it had their label not completely bungled the release by failing to properly promote it or even get it into stores for purchase.
I'm happy this album made this list as it's an all-timer
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This album is a fucking journey and I'm here for it. Nick Cave is one of those rare talents that needs to be heard by everyone at some point.
Gram Parsons
2/5
Yee haw!
It's ok I guess, but I'm not a country guy. Biggest highlight for me was the moonshine fueled chicken-pickin' guitars, otherwise nothing really stands out on the album.
Barry Adamson
1/5
If you made a list of must hear albums back in 1991, I can see including this in the mix if not just on the edge of making the cut. However, if this list was made in 1992, then I can almost promise you a dozen or so albums more deserving were released so this could fade away into obscurity, never to be heard again.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Almost as influential as it gets. It really is a great album if not as enjoyable for me personally
American Music Club
2/5
Note: This album is not on Spotify, but it is on YouTube.
I don't know what qualifies this album to be on this list, it's largely forgettable with songs that are bland and anti-climactic. The only commentary on it from wiki is one reviewer said the album is the band's "definitive statement", and if that's truly the case, are they really worth listening to if this is their most defining album?
Absolutely undeserving of being on a list of this nature
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
I never really connected with a full McCartney album post Beatles. Always a few tracks here, a few tracks there. However, the tight tracklist of Band On The Run certainly gives it the best chance of being a standout in a post-Beatles catalog.
From start to finish, Band On The Run is nothing if not great. Every track is a well written piece of pop rock from one of the greatest songwriters to ever do it. This record is 10 years older than I am and I still remember hearing the big singles on the radio when I was a kid (this is before there were dedicated stations to "classic rock"). While the production doesn't quite stand up to modern standards, the songs certainly do!
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
It's been said that Ian McCulloch and God co-wrote The Killing Moon. Who knew that God had bars.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Not only could this essentially be a greatest hits album featuring some of the biggest and best pop songs of it's time (6 out of the 9 tracks ended up as singles, 4 of which peaked in the top 5), but it's also one of the best pop albums of all time! This came out a year before I was born and most of the songs on this album were still all over the airwaves through the 80s and into the 90s.
If I could, I'd give 6/5 stars
Giant Sand
1/5
Could someone please explain to me why I need to listen to this painfully drab album?
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
An interesting album with a unique take on a familiar acoustic blues guitar sound. I understand it's largely traditional minded African fold music, but there seems to be a broader range of cultural influences across the whole record. Some songs have a middle eastern feel, like Erdi and Penda Yoro. Some more reminiscent of old southern American blues/hymnals, like Yer Bounda Fara. A Hybrid of all that and more traditional African folk on Beto. And then you have what seems like a Celtic influence on Soya. The trend continues throughout the album with a variety of cultures blended into the core African folk foundation.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
This is my shit!
Skepta
3/5
I'm a casual rap/hip hop fan at best and still just barely familiar with the grime genre. That said, I don't know enough about the genre to really assess if this is top of the top or not, but I did enjoy this album all the same.
Nick Drake
4/5
Beautiful album start to finish. Swipe left if someone says they think this album is overrated or their not a fan of Nick Drake.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
The album is pretty one note. Nice guitar work, rough vocals, not much else...
Pulp
4/5
I remember when this album came out and the press was all over it (even in the states), and there was a surprising amount of fervor over the release with big posters in local record stores. However, I don't really remember a lot of the buzz dyed out not to long after.
It's a good very record, even if it's a little bit of a discount David Bowie, but it just didn't seem to have the staying power that the initial hype implied it should outside of any influence it left on the music to come.
Joan Baez
3/5
Beautifully sung and played, feels like a time capsule of 1960 folk music. I have nothing bad to say about this album other than you really need to be in a headspace to listen to it. It's perfect in it's simplicity, but that simplicity can leave listeners bored (as some have suggested on here) or maybe fatigued by it's consistency. For that, I give it a 3/5. A masterpiece for it's time that went on to inspire many more amazing artists but was left in it's time.
Blue Cheer
4/5
What is it about the song "Summertime Blues" that's had it covered by everyone from these guys, to The Who, to Alan Jackson, to Joan Jett, to Brian Setzer?
This record is what you get when you're not burdened by perfection and instead just make pure unadulterated rock and roll. It's not a pretty album, but it punches you in the gut with primal vocals, howling guitars, bombastic drums and massive bass.
Jerry Lee Lewis
1/5
"Open up, a-honey, it's your lover boy me that's a-knockin" hits a little different when you find out he wrote it at the age of 23 and married his underage cousin.
Nothing special about this record in the slightest..
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I love this genre generally speaking, but this surprisingly the first time I've really given Cocteau Twins a listen. This album is probably going to take me more than a handful of play to really connect with, somewhat in part to the production being a little grating at times (multiple vocal parts piled on each other drowning out almost everything else). That said, I do love the moments between with wistful and ethereal instrumentals and the songs themselves are beautiful.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Chaotic, dissonant, and seemingly haphazard. A cacophonous mess of incredibly talented musicians and vocals that's absurd from front to back. Unless you're a fan of abstract experimental rock fused with jazz and recorded to sound like a low budget delta blues album, then skip this one.
ABBA
4/5
ABBA is definitionally pop perfection. Do what that as you will.
4/5
My favorite take on Satisfaction.
Devo is the end result of the awkward nerdy kid in class discovering himself when he heard punk rock for the first time.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
As a long time musician and listener, I like to think myself to be a student of music, but this was too much like a lecture to be an enjoyable album to just listen to. I enjoyed the explanations he gives, but it takes away from the listening experience almost 100%
The Damned
4/5
Holy crap, these guys are still going with 3 original members, and I feel like that's just unheard of in these OG punk bands. This is almost everything you expect from that early punk era with no real individual identity yet (feels like kind of a hybrid of Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Buzzcocks, The Stranglers and so on), but it's a solid, albeit short album.
Favorite tracks: Machine Gun Etiquette, Plan 9 Channel 7, I Just Can't Be Happy Today
Maxwell
3/5
I'm a man and I think I'm pregnant after listening to this
Linkin Park
4/5
I was an angst-fueled, recently 17 year old when Linkin Park debuted with this masterpiece at the start of my junior year of high school. I had the CD on constant repeat and my parents hated it, but I didn't care, because unlike mom and dad, LP understood my pain.
These days, I lack that teen rage and angst and looking at the rest of the reviews on here, a lot of the people are in the same boat. That said, I'm happy to overlook some of the cringe lyrics and fairly dated nu-metal sound and give it an extra star for the nostalgia it brought me listening to this album for the first time in probably close to 20 years.
Eurythmics
4/5
Honestly, not a bad song on the album. Sure, some were far bigger than others (such as the title track having 1.5 billion more plays than the second biggest track on this album), but they're all great and I seriously feel they still stand up. Thanks to the solid production and recent 80s rehash from a few years ago, these songs actually sound fairly modern with the only real thing that makes them sound 40+ years old is surprisingly Annie Lennox's voice, which is by no means a negative criticism, you just don't hear singers like her anymore.
Kraftwerk
3/5
The world we're currently living in is not the future Kraftwerk promised us. Can we please find the world where we live in this future utopia?
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
It's inclusion on this list is a little wild given that this sound was already prevalent in the states years earlier and this isn't bringing anything new to the table. It's a well done album, but it's very derivative and hardly original for it's time. Not bad but certainly not special by any means
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
I'm typically into post-punk and punk but the first half of this album is some serious work to get through. It isn't until the title track that things start feeling intentional. Production wise, this album is all over the place with some songs sounding like they were professionally recorded in a studio and some of them sounding like they were recorded in a leaky bunker at the bottom of the ocean. Even at a brief 40 minutes, this self-indulgent album feels like it goes on for a little too long.
The Vines
4/5
The year is 2002, I just graduated high school. I'm in San Francisco at a small music club called Slim's. The Vines are the headliner but I'm not familiar with them, not yet at least. I'm there for the 2 opening acts that make this one of the more interesting lineups I've seen live and I'm still not sure what the connecting through line is over 20 years later. Opening the night is SoCal pop rock of Rooney, then it's the bouncy power pop of OK Go on tour for their debut album. And then, the wild, seemingly drunk and/or high punch in the face of The Vines on their first North American tour riding the high of Rolling Stone's claim that they're "the next Nirvana". Of course they didn't survive the hype, mostly due to self-destruction and it's impossible to live up to the expectations of being a new Nirvana.
This was an interesting era in modern rock where every band was supposed to be "the next ____", and so many albums were released in the same year that that became so legendary that it was all too easy to be forgotten to the sands of time (You Forget It In People, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Songs For The Deaf, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot to name a few). In the end, this is a great album with some great rock songs (don't know what they were thinking with "Factory"), and it takes me right back to probably one of my favorite years in music. 4/5
The Beta Band
2/5
Yet another album that doesn't deserve the acclaim this list is giving. Maybe if I ask nicely, they'll put the album my high school band recorded on this list and I can feel like a special boy too!
This is the second album I've got for The Beta Band (Heroes to Zeros is also on here for some reason) and while this is the better of the 2, it's still nothing to write home about. Sure, I can hear it's influence on some of my favorite bands, but those bands just did it better. I was going to just skip it all together until I heard this is where Lupe Fiasco got the sample for "Daydream" and thought, sure, I'll give it a try, and about halfway through, I had to move on to something else.
Incredibly mid snooze fest
R.E.M.
4/5
I love me some R.E.M., but this is probably my 4th favorite album by them behind New Adventures In Hi-Fi, Monster and Out Of Time (or maybe Lifes Rich Pageant, but in that order). I'm pressed to believe that this album made this list because of the mainstream success they finally saw with this album and the powerhouse hits of It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) and The One I Love. Still though, it's a great record!
Goldfrapp
3/5
Beautiful and ethereal but not all that exciting. No real standout songs anywhere on the album as they all pretty much just blend into one another and none of them really have any sort of climax.
The Cardigans
5/5
This is a masterclass in pop music and I fully admit as a middle-aged, straight, white man that this is and has always been one of my top albums of all time! I can't call it a "guilty pleasure" because for me it's 100% pleasure and 0% guilt.
Production on this album is delightfully eclectic with a different approach to the mix and unique drum sounds on on every track. There's great variety from song to song with some bubblegum pop, some retro 70s vibes, a creative Black Sabbath cover, and more. The only real common thread through this album as a whole that brings it all together is Nina Persson's sweet and charming vocals.
Most of the songs are themed around love but the tone shifts from song to song with new infatuation, being vulnerable, emotional manipulation, insecurity and desperation, power dynamics, feeling trapped and becoming disillusioned.
Favorite Tracks: Heartbreaker, Step on Me, Never Recover and Choke
Elvis Costello
2/5
I'm a fan of Costello, but this album was a chore to get through. Half of the lyrics sound like he woke up from a fever dream and just jotted that shit down, never proofread and immediately committed it to tape. The vocals are too much in pretty much every sense, with off key high harmonies mixed almost in front of the lead vocals. Very few tracks live up to his previous work on just writing alone.
Sulky Girl and Kinder Murder pretty good.
The White Stripes
4/5
I put this album on while in a small rural town in central California. One of those quintessential "one stop light town" type places. Everything had kind of a drab beige veneer, people walking along the side of the road on a dirt "sidewalk", a liquor store on every corner... The kind of city that nurtures the kind of angst that inspires kids to make this raw, distorted, barely held together garage rock.
I've been a fan of this album since it was fresh, but it was the perfect time and place to give it another listen and feel more immersed into it than ever.
3/5
Loretta, you sassy little minx. Interesting to hear a song from this era so flat out claim it was her time to step out on a relationship. Ultimately a pretty basic album, great vocals and ripping slide guitar, but very same-same overall.
Carole King
5/5
At the time of writing this review, the global score on here stands at 3.9. Lets get that up to a 4!
This is such a delightful album start to finish, like a warm cozy blanket with a fire going nearby, maybe a hot cup of tea, but preferably a hot toddy. People may make the suggestion this is essentially a greatest hits record for Carole King, but I'd argue it's the greatest hits of '71. As a whole, this is a damn near perfect album.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
I find it fascinating that if you're going to include only one QOTSA album on this list, the one they pick is the self-titled debut. Not to disparage the album in any means, but surely Songs For The Deaf stands as a bigger and more exciting album. Maybe because this was a somewhat fresh sound compared to everything else coming out at the time and SFTD feels more radio ready but still QOTSA vibe. Still a killer record, just questioning why this over another album from their catalog
Barry Adamson
2/5
This fucking guy again?! Look, you've already included his first album, which was "a soundtrack for an imaginary noir film", but to also include Oedipus Schmoedipus (just an awful album title), which is "a soundtrack for an imaginary noir film" is just negligent...
This is nothing more than mid background music occasionally with some creepy, sometimes overtly sexual spoken vocals. I'll admit that some of the songs had some decent grooves, but not enough to merit it's placement on this list..
I guess 1.5/5 stars rounds up to a 2...
Brian Wilson
4/5
I loved this album when it came out and for what it is/represents, it still holds up. However, I feel Pet Sounds is better and feels like a more cohesive piece of work. Still gets a 4 out of 5 from me.
Roxy Music
1/5
What a chore to listen to. Bryan Ferry is clearly high on his own supply with those vocals. He sounds like no one ever criticized his ability to sing so he honestly believes people want to hear him.
The Human League
3/5
It's easy to see why there's only one long standing hit on this album as "Don't You Want Me" is by far the most catchy and memorable while the rest kinda blends in together and is largely forgettable. The thing that really works against this album is most of the songs lack energy and fall flat when you stand them up against the almost anthemic sing-along chorus of "Don't You". That said, the album is not without it's merits, there are a few other songs that I found rather enjoyable even if I'll likely never revisit this album or even those tracks.
Worth listening to "Darkness", "Love Action"
The Zutons
3/5
For what it's worth, the official list this site is based off has expunged this album from your required listening. So, yes, you can die without having listened to this album, but give it a spin anyway because it has some fun tracks that offer a good look at what the modern alternative landscape was in the early 00s.
The biggest surprise I had after pulling up this album was finding out these guys are still active! Not just that, but only last year did they return the gesture of covering one of Amy Winehouse's songs ("Back to Black") after she had a huge hit with the Mark Ronson produced "Valerie" nearly 20 years prior. Overall, Who Killed The Zutons is a fun bouncy record that came in the early days of the garage rock revival, but decidedly more polished than a lot of the lofi recordings of other bands you'd find on the same radio lists.
Listen to: Pressure Point, Nightmare Part II, Not A Lot To Do, You Will You Won't
The Beau Brummels
2/5
This is a less interesting Donovan.
Björk
3/5
Vulnicura is one of those albums that you should put on your best set of headphones, turn off all the lights, light a few candles, smoke a little weed and just relax to. It's peak Björk! Weird, tranquil, moving, stressful, abstract, soothing and more. The majority of her catalog is something everyone should listen to at least once, but I confess I'm more of a "Post" fan, which upsettingly is not on this list anywhere.
Living Colour
3/5
It's like a time capsule taking me right back to my childhood. Cult Of Personality is still a certified banger! A lot of the album is kinda generic for the time it came out (I mean that in a positive way), but they manage to throw in something exciting here and there like the wild syncopated drums towards the end of Open Letter, the driving and funky bass lines throughout the whole album, to the almost country tinged Broken Hearts. Then you have songs like Glamour Boys which is the second most streamed song on the album but feels like a ill advised attempt at a Fine Young Cannibals song.
All in all, it's a fun listen but not sure I'll intentionally be coming back to it. If it comes on, I'll be tapping my toes and bobbing my head, but I don't see myself playing the whole album on purpose.
I'd give it a 3.5/5 if I could
The Pretty Things
3/5
Someone else said this is pre-Beatles and Doors weirdness, but this album came out the year after Sgt Pepper and The Doors debut album? I don't know..
This was a fun romp of an album though. A creative arrangement and mix, intriguing songs, some very heavy Beatles influence throughout, but with a little more bite and edge at times.
At the end of the day, it's fine to good, nothing ground breaking.
Foo Fighters
4/5
I can see this album probably only makes this list on the fact it's the drummer from Nirvana and ended up being the debut of one of the biggest rock bands out today, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that it's actually a great rock record performed entirely by Grohl with the lone exception of some extra guitars on X-Static.
A lot of people probably talking ill of this record are too young to remember a time before the Foos were just some generic arena rock band, but there was a time when they were putting out music that was exciting and it's probably this to One By One (man, was that a killer 4 album run). I'd give this album a full 5 stars, but it only gets 4 because the follow up is probably one of the greatest alternative rock albums of all time.
Coldcut
2/5
Good question, what IS that noise? It turns out it was a truly unremarkable house music album.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Far more enjoyable than I expected! I'm a long time fan of Pet Sounds and that album is a legit all timer and just the title of this album gave me pause thinking it was going to be some return to the campy, tiresome surfin in the California sunshine swill again. Instead it's a raw, more serious (at times), and rocking album. A little more stripped back than Pet Sounds, but in a good way. Headier and moody subject matter for the most part, but with some of that Beach Boys cheese still scattered around
Lightning Bolt
4/5
Jesus fuck, what a wild ride!!! This album sounds like it's barely held together by duct tape and shoe laces and I love it!
Skunk Anansie
3/5
These guys were never big in the States but I've been at least aware of them for quite awhile now. Even when everything else I listened to sounded pretty much the same, I just never found myself enjoying their music. Skin has a killer voice and some of the songs here really sound like stuff I continue to listen to but there's a feeling of disconnect between the vocals and the backing music. I don't know if that's a mixing issue, my ears, maybe it's the vocals seemingly drifting around the music like she's singing to a different record? I appreciate that they're a good band, but I just can't listen to them.
Fav tracks: The Skank Head, Charlie Big Potato
Air
4/5
Effortlessly chill and groovy.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Basically what I wrote about the previous Bob Marley album but I'll expand a bit more I guess.
Reggae is my least favorite genre (but better than the modern pop country stuff). However, I fully concede that The Wailers were first rate musicians a composers, arguably the best to ever do it. Bob is truly an icon and brilliant song writer who produced songs that I would probably be playing all the time if I was introduced to them in a different genre. The grooves and social commentary across this album cut deep and there's no denying this album's place on the Mount Olympus of classics.
All that said, everything Bob and the Wailers bring to the table makes this album all the more exciting and enjoyable than other similar albums, though not more so enough for me to give it more than a 3. As I said earlier, I just really don't like reggae.
Spiritualized
3/5
Spacey and ethereal, but the problem is it all ends up sounding kinda the same song after song. It's not bad at all, entrancing at times even, but it's just not exciting and drags on for too long.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Some real nostalgia on this album, I had no clue some of these songs from my childhood were all the same person. Some solid grooves and soulful tracks on this album, but it's definitely dated (production sounds exactly what you'd expect from something that dropped in the late 80s).
Queen
4/5
The bulk of this album gets by purely on the backs of the 3 singles. Half of the songs don't deserve the monumental status given to them by simply existing on an album with Bohemian Rhapsody, You're My Best Friend and Death On Two Legs. That said, I don't think there's any world where I'm In Love With My Car should be released to the world.
Seaside Rendezvous and Good Company are fun little bops
The Prodigy
2/5
I don't know enough about this genre to know if this was really all that special of an album, but most of the songs are just too long and became super frustrating and repetitive.
Beck
4/5
This album is peak Beck. You have the radio ready pop-rock Beck with Girl, Go It Alone and Earthquake Weather. Then you have classic alt-rock Beck with E-Pro, Rental Car, and Black Tambourine. Can't forget about the tongue-in-cheek hip hop inspired Beck with Hell Yes and Que'Onda Guero.
But to make sure no stone is left unturned, you also have singer-songwriter Beck with Missing and Broken Drum, lo-fi blues inspired Beck on Farewell Ride, and lastly, the more abstract Beck with Emergency Exit.
Truly, Guero is a "complete" Beck album.
The Who
3/5
Apparently I'm not really a fan of The Who. Their singles are great and I love Moon as a fellow drummer, but I struggle to get through a full album. I think the play count for all the songs on this album speak for it's place in the world of rock music. 16 tracks with one being played just shy of 31 million times while the bulk of the album barely makes 200k. It's a fine middle of the road album for it's time, the concept is a little annoying with "commercials" sprinkled throughout the album and most the songs are forgettable.
Django Django
3/5
A perfectly fine album. Some interesting and fun ideas and throughout the full album but feels a little haphazard and maybe incomplete?
4/5
This list loves it's PJ, and I get it! I missed out on the majority of her music when it was current with the exception of a few singles. I'm glad this list is making me go back and give it an honest listen. PJ has great vocals and all of the songs are well written and arranged (I had issues with the album Rid Of Me, also on this list, for sounding like it was cobbled together from parts and not played as a band). I especially enjoyed the 2 tracks with Thom Yorke. I'll be coming back to this album again in the future for sure
John Lennon
3/5
It's Imagine by John Lennon, so of course it's on here. That said, this album is honestly just ok at best. Lennon really benefits from having the other Beatles with him to keep him in check.
The Saints
4/5
I completely missed these guys back in my more punk focused days. Sharp crisp production more polished than what you'd expect from 70s punk but still has the attitude you'd want.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I'm told I'm supposed to enjoy this album and it's some of his finest work, but to my ears, this is just Springsteen doing his best "guy with an acoustic guitar" impression. The kind of stuff you'd hear played to death in a coffee shop in 1994. Bruce is a fine songwriter, and acoustic Bruce is also fine but maybe only for a song or two per album, but a whole album of that stuff is just too one note and drab.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Known about this album most of my life but never really gave it a listen because the bit single was played out by the time I finished 7th grade. However, this album really caught me off guard. Some very interesting arrangements, jammy blues and jazz flares and not the dark heavy rock you'd have expected from Mr Cooper.
A pleasant surprise
Tito Puente
4/5
This is the album I needed right now. Such a great, up beat, cheery sounding album. Took my down and self-loathing mood and picked me up right off the ground.
Now I want some mexican food.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
What fresh hell is this album??? I can't decide if I like it or not, maybe leaning towards the not. It's too chaotic to really make out what's going on with any of these songs. Antmusic is easily the most digestible song on the album, and Dog Eat Dog is pretty good, the rest is pretty bananas..
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Absolute classic album and deserving of it's inclusion on this list. Not the happiest listen all the way through, so if you're feeling a little down, you may want to shelve this one until you're feeling better.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Man, I remember when this album came out. It was all over the radio everywhere and rightfully so. I think it also holds up today as a really well written, performed and produced album. Some of it is a little dated sounding. For example, the jazzy groove of The First Taste is very mid 90s. I could say Criminal is also very mid 90s sounding, but that's because it was THE song of the mid 90s from my memory.
808 State
3/5
After awhile, this got to be just too repetitive for me. Maybe for it's time it was a standout record, but there's nothing about it today that sets it above any music in it's genre. So for me it's just another middle of the road electronic album
Tricky
3/5
Moody trip-hop is moody.
Pretty decent record overall, would probably benefit from many many listens to really deep dive and connect with but I have no complaints.
Beatles
5/5
Without even listening to this, I already have this album as a 5/5, so this is just serving as my reminder to listen to it again (and again, and again). Just a solid album with 14 perfect rock/pop songs packed into a tight 35 minute package.
I don't understand why there's so many detractors on this site over this album, they must just not like music I guess.
The xx
2/5
The album gets points for Jamie XX's solid production and I enjoy Romy's vocals, but a good record that does not make. The majority of the songs are drab and feel incomplete. I've never cared for these guy s in general, in large because Oliver sings like someone who didn't have any friends or family telling him he shouldn't and then because of the sparse instrumentation, his vocals are way out in the front (seems to be a choice made by the band as all their albums are like this). I've tried to like these guys time and time again and I guess I should just accept the fact that I simply don't and won't.
Also it's worth pointing out that this album is actually NOT on the original list, nor has it ever been.
Green Day
4/5
The background music to my life in middle school. Absolute classic album that helped to put punk back in the mainstream and start my lifelong love for the genre. A solid inclusion on this list
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
People could make the argument that this album/band is overrated, but I'd say it's properly rated right as it should be. 6 all timer singles, plus 5 "deep cuts" that hold up to the big tracks. Though not perfect in my opinion as I don't really care for Songbird or Oh Daddy, I think the rest of the songs more than make up for the 2 I usually end up skipping to warrant a 5 stars.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Sorry, but the story behind this album is way better than the album itself. Nothing else about it really stands out against their contemporaries. It's good enough psychedelic jam pop, but nothing special outside of the title track which is just bloated and over stays it's welcome.
Metallica
4/5
Sorry, but the story behind this album is way better than the album itself. Nothing else about it really stands out against their contemporaries. It's good enough psychedelic jam pop, but nothing special outside of the title track which is just bloated and over stays it's welcome.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
I found Teenage Head to be very fun and enjoyable, but not sure I'd call it mandatory. I'd give it a solid 3/5
Gang Of Four
4/5
I have no clue why I slept on this album for as long as I have, or Gang Of Four for that matter! Crunchy, angular, stabby guitars, driving rhythm section with punk attitude but more accessible than the faster, more aggressive punk.
XTC
4/5
I can absolutely understand why some people have a hard time enjoying XTC, most of their music is very self-indulgent art-pop, but I confess that's pretty much the main reason I love them. They grace this list twice (the other album, 99's Apple Venus Vol 1), and I'd argue that Kid Rock should be kicked to make room for at least one more album.
Anyway, Skylarking is a delightfully fluid album with beautiful string arrangements, often bouncy melodies and cheeky lyrics. While the I find the second leg of the album to be a little lacking compared to the front half, there's still a lot to enjoy throughout the whole thing.
If it wasn't for the monumental hit that is "Dear God", I would have maybe swapped this album out for Oranges & Lemons instead
The Waterboys
3/5
Did you know these guys are still at it?! On the day this was suggested to me (4/4/25), they released their 16th studio album. Regardless where this review goes, I think that's pretty impressive. A band that released their first album the year I was born and consistently to the year I turn 42 (so far).
I don't think I've ever heard this album, but I've definitely heard of the band. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the opening track gave me hope. That momentum certainly carried into We Will Not Be Lovers, a rocking 7-minute barrage of violins that I very much enjoyed. Frustratingly though, all that drive was lost for Strange Boat, which just sucked all the energy out of the album. When the energy picked back up on World Party, I thought "ok, hopefully this is more the vibe of the rest of the album", but alas, it's more of the mellow, downtempo folksy stuff. Not that there's anything bad or wrong with where the album went, it just left me disappointed after those first few songs.
I guess it's a good record, but not something I'll becoming back to any time soon with exception of a few songs.
3/5
Van Morrison
3/5
I know this album is supposed to be one of the all time greats, but I can't say it does much for me. Morrison has released some all timers in his career, but I struggle to find anything on Astral Weeks that really excited me enough to feel like it lives up to the hype.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Perfectly fine 60s pop rock. Generally pleasant but nothing outstanding
Soul II Soul
1/5
There's a bar somewhere playing this album thinking it makes them hip...
Another shining example of the regional bias of this list. Maybe this album had a place in time that it stood out, this is not that time.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Please let the record show that while the publishers of this list at one point felt it necessary to include 3 of Kings of Leon's first 4 albums on this list, they have since come to their senses and expunged all of them from the current version. I don't say this to be mean, they're a fine band, but I don't think their catalog belongs on a list like this in the modern music world, and it would appear that the makers of this list agree. These guys were great when they had their moment back in the mid 00s, but this album doesn't stand up to time they might have hoped it would.
Favorite track: California Waiting
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
I wasn't sure what to expect with a Bollywood soundtrack going in and figured it wouldn't fare well without the context of the movie to help it out, but I was pleasantly surprised. That said, as with a lot of orchestral soundtracks, some visual context does help a bit, but I did enjoy this album all the same. Some great big band/jazzy passages that did most of the heavy lifting to get me through the whole soundtrack, while some of the more obvious tracks lifted from the film were harder to enjoy as a standalone piece of music (looking at you "One Two Cha Cha Cha").
All in all, an interesting experience.
Janet Jackson
4/5
Banger after banger! Is the album over produced? Sure. Are the interludes completely unnecessary? Also, yes. But is Janet's performance and the songwriting enough to make this an all-timer? Fuck yeah! Also, I'm going to need a cold shower after "Someday Is Tonight"
Favorite tracks: Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do, Escapade, Black Cat
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Wild to think that this barrage of noise, tape loops and non-songs exists on a list with Mariah Carey's "Butterfly" (spoilers?). Now, I like me some Zappa, but this album's (if you can still call it that) inclusion on this list makes no sense to me.
This one is a hard 1/5 for me just because there's nothing enjoyable about it.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Credit to MC for having some serious vocal chops. Like seriously, girl can sing like a motherfucker. That said, this album is so same-same from start to finish that I legit thought it looped back around, but turns out I was only about halfway through...
Maybe this album was bigger in the UK, but stateside, I remember her 2 prior albums being a much bigger deal.
Genesis
4/5
Absolute staple of prog-rock. So many beautiful ballads, intense and articulate instrumental passages and brilliant performances from all. If anything, it could be a little shorter with that 94 minute runtime. Still an incredible album
Bauhaus
4/5
Weird yet beautiful. Cavernous and drenched in reverb yet still articulate. Upbeat and depressingly grim at the same time.
Took a couple plays through to really sink in, but once it did, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Not a perfect 5/5, but certainly a solid 4/5 for me
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Sure, the lyrics are misogynistic and dated, but still a solid album. I guess it's a 3/5, could have possibly been a 4/5 if we dropped all the cringy skits...
The Undertones
3/5
This album fits somewhere between people taking this list too seriously and are setting their standards too high, and conversely the creators of this list need to raise their standards and expand beyond just the UK.
This is a perfect middle of the road punk/pop album that doesn't take itself too seriously (I mean, they covered Under The Boardwalk?!) and it's all the better for it. However, there's nothing truly standout-ish on this record. Fairly reminiscent of Buzzcocks, but not quite as good IMO.
Is it good enough that people should give it a listen? Sure, but it won't make their life any different if they miss it, so I'm not sure it deserves placement on this list. It was new to me though and I enjoyed it enough to save it to my library.
Santana
4/5
timeless latin prog rock, give me more
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Sure, the bulk of the lyrics haven't aged well, but I don't think that should be the takeaway from this album. The Everly Brothers offer some amazing vocals and harmonies (remember, this a time before the technology to "fix" the recordings existed, this is au naturel!). The songs are sweet and charming, and the album is short and succinct. I will echo another person's criticism though and say it does seem like they didn't seem to know how to end the songs as they all abruptly fade out in the middle of a chorus. Maybe this is a decision that was made to conform to the physical media format available at the time?
Fishbone
3/5
Not bad, but really just not for me
Merle Haggard
3/5
Solid classic country music. Not sure if it belongs on a list of required listening before you die, but it was a nice glimpse back in time before country music became the awful country pop that took over in the 90s
Wire
5/5
A grossly underrated album in this modern era of music. The Grandfather of so much modern punk, post-punk and rock music. Thick fuzzy guitars, almost sludgy in tone, sneering vocals, groovy bass and energetic drums.
This one should be on everyone's radar! 6/5 from me if I could give it
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Honestly? I have neither the knowledge or taste to weigh in on an electronica/techno album or artist. I can appreciate it not being another tired house music album, but it honestly didn't do anything for me all. Some of the tracks are fine, some of them overstay their welcome (Chemical Beats for example just goes on for far too long without enough variety).
OutKast
4/5
Definitive staple of the Southern Hip Hop scene by arguably one of the best acts to do it. Solid bangers across the whole album and would be an easy 5 for me if it wasn't for the interludes/skits every few tracks. A serious whos-who of features across the album though.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Question, by what metrics are the UK based writers of this list using to determine that an American country act is required listening? While this isn't a bad record, it's absolutely nothing spectacular. The harmonies are solid and very tight but not too exciting. I'd say this is a perfect example of an act who influenced bands/artists that had a wider spread impact that the original artist's music
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Soft boy indie pop at it's finest. A mostly tranquil album driven by soft vocals, often sparse instrumentation, understated drums, gently strummed acoustic guitar. Great story telling and emotion driven lyrics. The synth and drum machine driven "Electronic Renaissance" is a great departure that comes just in time to keep the album fun and exciting instead of being same-samey front to back, and is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album. The following track is a nice upbeat bop that is easily in my top tracks for the album as well.
Kate Bush
5/5
I love this album, thank you for reminding me that I still need to listen to it this week.
Hounds of Love deserves every accolade it's been given over the 40 years since it's release. Whimsical and uplifting, heavy and melancholic, dark and brooding. This album has it all!
Favorite songs: the whole fucking thing! like really
for extra credit, check out The Futureheads' cover "Hounds Of Love", both Placebo's and First Aid Kit's covers of "Running Up That Hill" (Loveless does a pretty solid hard rock version if that's your thing), and Matthew Good's cover of "Cloudbursting"
The Stooges
4/5
First time hearing this album for whatever reason. I'm familiar with both The Stooges and Iggy, but it's interesting to me to hear this young Iggy. I dig it!
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
it's alright I guess, but kinda drab.
Brian Eno
3/5
Pretty much essential Eno, but you need to be in the right mood for something like this. It's beautiful and tranquil and soothing, but it's very new age sounding. Would go great with your next massage
The Jam
4/5
Now this is my jam
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Cohen was an incredible poet that wrote some amazing pieces over his lifetime. He's put out some incredible songs as well, but I feel like the covers are better (tell me the original version of Hallelujah can hold a candle to Jeff Buckley's version). If you want to get into the weeds of lyrics, Cohen is your man, but listening to his lumbering baritone never connect to the song backing him can be a bit of a chore.
Brian Eno
3/5
This is the second album this week from Brian Eno that I was given and they couldn't be more different from one another. While there's the early days of his exploring (inventing) electronic music on Before And After Science, it still at times feels like a late 70s prog-rock album. Where as the album that came the following year, Ambient 1/Music For Airports, was an album with only 4 tracks of instrumental music.
Ultimately an interesting listen, but not sure if I'll come back or not. Definitely saved King's Lead Hat though, that's a bop
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Could someone please explain to me why I need to hear this album? It's repetitive, bloated and self indulgent. Even the big singles don't really do anything to excite, even if they're the only semi enjoyable tracks on the record, but they still overstay their welcome.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Not a bad record, but it's pretty sleepy. Definitely needs a certain setting to listen properly listen to.
The Strokes
5/5
Classic early 00s indie rock. Perfect album that gets in, makes it's point and gets out leaving you wanting repeat listens.
Ice T
3/5
Not sure I agree with this album being on this list. It's fine overall, but there's better rap/hip-hop out there that was probably denied being on her because this album was selected.
My biggest criticism is it's far too long and some of the songs just overstay their welcome. ICE-T's flow is pretty sloppy at times and he doesn't mix it up when he should and instead tries to shoehorn far too much into a bar making it clunky.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
America needs more Dead Kennedys. Take that however you will.
Elvis Costello
3/5
There's a total of 6 Elvis Costello albums on this list and I'd argue at least 3 of them are fluff (either their inclusion on the list or the contents of those albums, your call). That said, I'm good with this one being included as it's probably my second favorite after This Year's Model.
Some solid tracks throughout the album and definitely brings that old school rock sound with a little more of a punk attitude
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
Fun record that's very much of it's time. Clearly influenced by the Beatles earlier output but not to the point of coming off as derivative. There's enough variety between tracks to keep it interesting, but unless you keep this in rotation, you'll likely forget most of it because there's nothing that really stands out beyond the 2 singles and maybe a couple of other tracks, but I enjoyed it all the same.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
Better than the other album from EBTG that's included on this list, but marginally so. Vaguely trip-hop, decidedly dull, lifeless vocals. I won't be coming back to this one ever.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
An interesting and eclectic album with some very verbose story telling. Suzanne Vega is a brilliant song writer and poet, but this is definitely an album you need to be in a specific mood for, I feel.
Fred Neil
2/5
It was ok I guess...
Finley Quaye
2/5
Another very middle of the road album, nothing special to write home about. Some of the tracks have a solid and interesting bass lines, but they get a little too repetitive after a while. I would consider giving it a 3 with it being so up the middle, but it's also highly forgettable, so I gotta give it a 2
Lana Del Rey
3/5
My previous commentary on this was wiped out, but for those complaining about an album this current making it on the list, I wanted to let you know that it is not, nor has it ever been on the official list this site is pulling from. I'm guessing it's the people on this site taking some creative liberty.
That said, this album is fine although a little flat as far as variety goes. Every song sounds pretty much the same as the last but they're still good songs, they just get a little tiresome over a full albums worth.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Noisy, raw and somewhat chaotic. I approve
Small Faces
3/5
Front half of the album is a fine pseudo psych album, but back half is a fine almost prog rock album. All in all, it's a fine record
Butthole Surfers
2/5
This album is truly an experience, but the jury is still out on if it's a welcome one or not.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Not at all what I was expecting from the cover, but a pretty good classic rock album. Not sure I'll spend much time coming back to it, but it was a fun listen.
Tortoise
4/5
Real talk, take out that first 20 minute slog of a casio demo they call a song, and you have an incredible instrumental EP!
Madonna
3/5
Seriously? Nothing against this album, just surprised of it's inclusion here.
For all intents and purposes, this is a pretty middle of the road album that doesn't really do much to stand out from everything else the late 90s adult pop rock genre. To set the scene, this was a year after the debuts of Meredith Brooks and Natalie Imbruglia, the same year Jewel and Alanis Morissette dropped their second albums, Sheryl Crow's 3rd album, Cher's "Believe", Goo Goo Dolls dropped their mega successful "Dizzy Up The Girl", and Sheryl Crow released her 3rd album. Not that any of those albums belong on this list either, but the whole year in pop rock was just about as copy/paste as it gets.
For the most part, this album is pretty dated and same-samey with the exception of the title track. None of it is bad, it just gets tiresome after awhile. To steal a line from the write up from the book from which this site was born, "At 67 minutes, it could have used some judicious editing"
Mylo
2/5
With so much electronic music on this list, I'm genuinely curious what qualifies any of it as mandatory listening. In the case of this album, there's genuinely nothing special about it to my ears. Generic pop hooks repeated over and over to the point they become tiresome. Even when there's something interesting, it too gets repeated so much that it loses it's intrigue.
The Cramps
4/5
I have no clue what to say about this album. It's fun, energetic and brief. I would give it a 3 for what it is, but I feel a 4 is more appropriate for everything that spawned in it's wake.
TV On The Radio
4/5
I'll preface this by saying I'm a fan of this band and this album. Have been since it came out and will continue to be a fan for years to come. But I can't for the life of me figure out why it's on this list?! If you absolutely have to put something by these guys on the list, why not Nine Types of Light or Return To Cookie Mountain, which are arguably better albums? That said, I'm still giving it a 4 because I like this record, I'm just scratching my head as to why it's here.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Clapton is arguably one of the more important guitarists of all time. A lot of what we got after him only happened because of him. I want to separate the art from the artist though because a 50 year old album at least deserves an honest review.
Now, with all that out of the way, this album is pretty bland. The only real standout track is the Bob Marley cover. There's some great guitar work on the album over all, but that doesn't really do much to make up for the subpar song writing.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
I've been seeing this woman lately that would call this "sticky sweet", and I'm inclined to agree. Dusty's voice is just buttery and smokey in all the right ways.
Metallica
3/5
Sure, I guess this album belongs on this list given that 1001 albums is quite a lot and some of the other middling garbage they decided to include.
Metallica's "Black Album" is pretty decent and probably their last decent album (I confess I did have Garage Inc. and enjoyed it as a kid more than I probably should have). Some of their best sounding production/mixes, but a lot of the songs to lack the teeth of their earlier output.
David Bowie
4/5
This is a great album, but I wouldn't put it in my to 5 Bowie records. I would argue that this isn't even the best of the "Berlin Trilogy" and say "Heroes" is actually the best of the 3. It's still a great album though with some absolute bops in the first half ("Sound and Vision" is one of the most ear worms of a songs I think I've every heard from Bowie).
Not quite a 5/5, so I'll give it a solid 4
The Adverts
3/5
Pretty classic brit-punk. Fun, energetic, but nothing that really stood out to me on this one. I'd give it a solid 3/5
Crowded House
4/5
This is a hard one to rate. It's a great album with some amazing songs, but it's not exactly timeless outside of maybe 3 songs. Neil Finn has always been an incredible writer and there's some legendary songs on this record (Fall At Your Feet, It's Only Natural, Four Seasons In One Day, to name a few). But there's some odd (if that's the right word) tracks on here too, like the opener "Chocolate Cake", which has some kinda silly lyrics set to an otherwise fantastic song and the bonus track "I'm Still Here"s drunken swagger.
I think most surprisingly is this album being included on the list over their self-titled debut. I mean, how many bands hit the scene with a "Don't Dream It's Over"?
Travis
4/5
This album only made a tiny blip in the states with the single "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" and then Travis disappeared into the sea of brit-pop bands that were no more than a flash in the pan for most of America. I, on the other hand, had this record and loved it, but admit that I've completely forgotten about it in the last 20+ years! I played the absolute shit out of this CD in my teens.
This album still holds up for something that came out 26 years ago. Great song writing, performances and production, Fran's voice is smooth and dreamy. That said, this album is somehow both timeless and dated. The mix sounds full, fresh and modern, but some of the instrumentation is solidly late 90s coffee house rock. Maybe there's a bit of nostalgia influencing my rating, but I gotta give it a decent 4/5
I mean, it's fine I guess..
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I'm torn on this one. Joni is a legendary songwriter that deserves every iota of praise sent her way. Incredible voice and wonderfully written songs, but very simple and bare arrangements for the whole album. If I was to hear any of these songs by itself, I'm stopping whatever I'm doing and just enjoying the pleasantness, but a whole album becomes almost chore-like. The songs are beautiful but can kinda drag on a bit and if you have the album set to continue to replay, then it's hard to tell when you're back to the first track.
Realistically, this is probably at least a 4+, but I'm not sure I can give it that over the monotony, but it's a very high 3 for me
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Leonard Cohen is arguably one of the greatest storytellers every and an incredible poet and songwriter. Compelling lyrics, beautiful structures and arrangements abound. But Leonard Cohen the singer/performer just makes me want to take a nap while stoned out of my mind.
Gary Numan
3/5
I definitely enjoyed this more than I was expecting to. I'm familiar with Gary Numan's work in general but never gave him a full album listen until now. It's less repetitive than most electronic music as it seems Numan is writing actual songs and using the new synth tech of the day as the vehicle instead of just making noise or soundscapes. Some of the songs are a little same-samey from one to the next, but maybe that's just because of the limitations of synths at the time.
James Brown
3/5
How does a live album recorded in 1963 sound this damn good?!
It's a great performance by a legendary performer. Band is great. Everything about this record is great. However I do not believe this is mandatory outside of it being a masterclass in live concert recording.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
HAHAHAHA!!!! This is hilarious! This album is definitely not something you need to hear before you die
Sebadoh
3/5
sounds like something I would have made in my parents garage in my teens on my Tascam 424 Portastudio (but maybe a little cleaner and more experienced). It's a fun album, but not life altering.
John Martyn
3/5
Just a delightful singer/songwriter album with wonderful story telling and a solid but airy (hyuk hyuk..) production. This is the kind of thing I'd put on while sipping coffee, sitting in my back yard on a mild spring morning
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
All hail the genius that is Jeff Lynn! I love this album, it's a bunch of bops with a really creative approach to recording.
The Streets
1/5
What a painfully mid album...
No groove, no flow, just a disjointed mess from start to finish. The beats are either basic and boring or pointless because there's not a single other thing happening in the song that connects to the beat. Some of the songs give "sad boy" vibes but the lyrics are completely juvenile and (I hate to repeat myself) have no flow and don't connect to the backing track at all. All said, I'll concede the track "Fit but You Know It" is comical and fun and probably the most well executed track on the record, but that doesn't save the rest of this dismal record.
Skip this one.
Scott Walker
2/5
You know this guy spent a little too much time listening to the old standards and smelling his own farts.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Well, this certainly was a thing. This is like the when the trashy dive bar band throws you an original song but they're too drunk to remember how to play it. I like it though, it's chaotic, energetic and reminds me of my youth.
Traffic
3/5
Interesting to see where singer Steve Winwood would be creatively just a decade later with "Valerie", "Back In The High Life Again", and "Higher Love". I guess if you can get around the big organ sounds, you can pick up on those pop sensibilities.
John Barleycorn Must Die is a perfectly fine album, but not sure it's quite as critical as other albums that were snubbed from this list. No real new concepts or timeless classics, and I don't mean this as a slight at this record, there was just other bands doing this exact same thing before them, and in some cases better. I think it's a straight up the middle 3/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Just like the other album on this list from The Divine Comedy, this definitely feels more like a musical/Broadway production than an traditional album. His performance is very self indulgent and you know this dude just likes the smell of his own farts...
Muddy Waters
4/5
This is some good ol' blues, but not the kind that makes you want to wallow in the corner and cry into your beer. This album flows so well and every song has such a bouncy upbeat vibe to it, that you can help but bop your head along.
Favorite tracks: Mannish Boy, I Want to Be Loved #2, Crosseyed Cat
Everything But The Girl
1/5
What a mid tier album... Why the hell is this Yankee Candle/christian book store music on this list?! Do yourself a favor and skip this one
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
This is the kind of noise nightmares are made from. Fucking hell!
I get what it is they're trying to do with the experimentation, but there's nothing truly redeemable about this "album". No real musicality to be found, just yelling over over whatever they could find to bang on at the hardware store. Screeching high end that pierces your eardrums. I'd be interested in hearing what, if anything, people find enjoyable about this record.
M.I.A.
2/5
It's fine...
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Dark and brooding, and soaking wet in reverb, stabbing and aggressive drums, spooky synths, big church-y choirs. The pinnacle of 80s goth rock.
Dire Straits
4/5
An absolute delightful record with Knopfler's exquisitely tasteful guitar playing that is impossible to ignore but yet never shoves itself down your throat. The spanky twang of songs like Setting Me Up, bouncy groove of Southbound Again, the undeniable geneious of Sultans Of Swing (I strongly recommend checking out the Live Aid version of this on Youtube).
Just some of the most solid guitar pop rock there is.
Aphex Twin
2/5
great background music for when you want something other than silence, but nothing memorable because it's truly in the background. The kinda stuff you'd hear at a poorly lit, try hard clothing brand store in a mall with more employees standing around than customers shopping.
Tori Amos
3/5
I remember when this album came out and all the buzz around it was how controversial it was that she was the daughter of a Methodist preacher instead of focused on the performance and arrangement. However, you could not escape "Crucify" on most contemporary and alternative radio for a good year. As a whole album, it's pretty captivating. Whimsical piano passages, sparse cavernous drums, dramatic strings and Tori's commanding vocal performance.
My personal feelings on this album though is despite everything previously mentioned, it does tend to drag on a bit and overstay it's welcome and at times feels a little self-indulgent. Great artist, very 90s female singer songwriter, but not my cup of tea. Still a solid 3.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
The authors of this list stan hard for Cohen. He's a great poet and writes some captivating songs, but a performer he is not. I always feel his music is best left in the hands of more capable artists, like Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright (Hallelujah), Nick Cave (I'm Your Man), Beck (Master Song), Glen Hansard (Who By Fire), just to name a few. This album is no different. It's full of well written poems with great arrangements and tiresome spoken word vocals that will lull you to sleep. A depressing album through and through.
The Blue Nile
3/5
I don't think I've been so divided on an album from this list as A Walk Across The Rooftops by The Blue Nile. There's so many elements I enjoy from this but nothing really sticks the landing. Some lovely arrangements, interesting performances (especially a fan of the bass line in the opener), fun (albeit incredibly 80s) vibes and grooves, all hindered by meandering repetitive lyrics, and songs that go on for far too long. None of the tracks on this record benefit in the slightest from their bloated run time (seriously, the average is 5 and half minutes per song).
I don't think it's awful, but it's not great either. Maybe I'll come back to it at some point when I can sit in a dark room with headphones while a little high.
TV On The Radio
4/5
Full disclosure, I like TVOTR and this is a great album, but I'm not sure if I believe it should be on this list. It would also appear that the authors of the official list agree as they've removed it to make way for something else. I'm giving it a 4 out of 5 because of my personal enjoyment of this album, but it would probably be a 3 in the context of this list.
Supergrass
5/5
Man, I forgot how much I dig this album. Brit-pop but with teeth! It's as if you took Blur's self-titled and flipped the vibes of the big single and the rest of the album. "Alright" is a peppy little pop bop, but the rest of the album has some serious punk rock vibes, where as on Blur, you have a punk rock esc single in "Song 2" and the rest is more Brit-pop bops.
Criminally underrated in the states! Love this one!!
Brian Eno
4/5
I'm familiar with a decent amount of Brian Eno's work, but mostly as a producer with Talking Heads, Bowie, U2 and Coldplay among others (did you know he produced the song "Laid" by James?), and his more ambient work.
This is my first time hearing "Here Come The Warm Jets" and I honestly dig it. It's quirky, and immersive with a fun mix of pop and prog elements.
Aerosmith
2/5
The 2 singles are classics, the rest is kind of a throwaway. Definitely could have left off the Bull Moose Jackson cover as it adds absolutely nothing to the album, nor are they adding anything to the song..
Roni Size
1/5
Yay, another house album... The hip hop addition to some of these songs make it feel less monotonous than the others but only barely. Most of these songs significantly overstay their welcome and only serve to make the album tiresome as a whole.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
I had fun with this one, what a banger! Seriously not a bad track on here! Smooth, soulful and groovy from start to finish. Really enjoyed Mayfield's buttery vocals in Little Child Runnin' Wild over over that funky rythym and massive horn section.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Jeff Beck is an absolute guitar legend, and it's well deserved. I could have done with more instrumental tracks on this album though and significantly less Rod Stewart (I get it, he was huge in the 60s and 70s, but less Stewart is always better). Listening to this album, you really need to put yourself in the mindset that this was of a certain time in rock music. Listening with more modern ears will leave you feeling a little meh about the record, but for late 60's blues rock, this thing goes pretty hard.
Bon Jovi
1/5
I'm emphatically not a Bon Jovi fan. In fact the whole hair pop metal scene of the 80s is just cringe as hell. I decided to give this a fresh listen since I've basically avoided Bon Jovi since around 2000 as much as possible, but all I can say is I was right. This shit is so painful to listen to. Sure, the hooks are solid and all, but the lyrics are god awful, the 80s drums are tacky, the keys a little too polished and make the sum of the parts sounds gooberish.
I'm happy it's been 25 years since I've listened to Bon Jovi and I was right to do so. I won't be coming back to this one ever.
Ice Cube
3/5
Hard to take this album seriously after the disaster that is War of the Worlds. A lot of this album comes off as a little try-hard when listening with modern ears, but there's still some good flows in there.
Iron Maiden
3/5
not really something I typically listen to, but it's a solid record and I legitimately enjoyed it. The mix has it's issues, like the vocals just seem too dry and don't feel like they belong in the mix. The songs hit hard and the riffs scream throughout the whole record. Maybe it's time I listen to some more Maiden and get hang with Eddie for a little bit.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Kinda surprised with all the 5s this album has on here. Not that it's a bad album, it's just kind of a snooze. Songs are fine, Gillian's vocals are soothing, the guitar playing is well executed and the production is fresh sounding for something that's nearly 25 years old. But there's just nothing to get excited about. I didn't hate it nor love it, so I guess it's probably an average 3..
Slayer
4/5
Heavy, satanic thrash metal that's basically what early Metallica would sound like if they had a competent drummer and more versatile singer
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
At time of writing this review, there are 15832 other ratings and it has a perfect 3 global score, which I think is appropriate. The way I've been looking at these scores is your standard "bad-good" with a 3 being right up the middle of fine/ok/indifferent, and that's exactly how I feel about this album. There's some solid bops, there's some absolute nothing-burgers of a song and across the whole of the album, it's just fine.
A generic, milquetoast album with a well deserved and emphatic 3 out of 5
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
Solid grooves and a chill vibe overall, but very much sounds like hold/loading screen music from the late 90s/early 00s and not that exciting.
U2
4/5
Don't listen to the haters, this is a great record. Sure, not every song is perfection, but the ones that are more than make up for it. This album is the same age as me and it has better staying power than I'd ever hope to have.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
This is such a delightful little indie pop gem of an album. Love the off-kilter but charming pop across it all, especially opener Cannibal Resource with it's bubbly backing vocals and angular guitars, followed by Temecula Sunrise's ebb and flow tempo. I can see how some might find it jarring and messy, but I promise it works.
If you found this enjoyable as an indie pop album but couldn't connect to the album as a whole, I recommend checking out Ra Ra Riot's album The Orchard!
What a lovely 40 minutes that turned into hours with all the repeat listens!
Jane Weaver
4/5
Not my typical cup of tea, but I enjoyed this one. Pretty chill kinda dream pop. Definitely saved this one to my library
Drive-By Truckers
1/5
Why on God's green earth are these guys on this list?! There's so much better music in this genre and even that music is hardly worth mentioning here.
These guys are awful and I want my 90 minutes back!
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Eclectic and creative, but the vocals leave a little something to be desired. An interesting mix of genre, but kinda meh across the album as a whole. 3 stars for being diverse enough to keep my interest through the whole album though
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
The thing I didn't care for with this album is it reminded me I wasn't on vacation or enjoying a backyard bbq with food more exciting than burgers and hotdogs. For the pain it caused me, I'm going to have to knock off a star from what my score would have been
Minor Threat
4/5
I won't claim to know what qualifies a hardcore punk album for this list, but I absolutely agree that there needs to be at least a few hardcore albums here. This takes me back to my teens, going to local DIY punk shows and throwing myself into the pit. If only my knees could take it nowadays!
Bobby Womack
4/5
Such a fun groovy record. Soulful, funky, catchy and instantly had my head bobbing. Some of the lyrics are a little corny, but that's more a sign of the times than anything else and if you just throw this on in the background, you'll be dancing around while you do whatever it is that you do.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Fuck yeah! Just such a massive and epic album with banger after banger!
The The
3/5
I honestly don't understand the alure of The The. Ultimately, both albums I've heard from this list just sound like there's a bit of an identity crisis as to the sound their trying to achieve. While this is decidedly 80s in it's production, there doesn't seem to be anything cohesive about the record beyond that. The big single "This Is The Day" did tickle my nostalgia a little bit, but that's about all I got from it. There's some fun passages from the album here and there, but not enough for me to enjoy the album as a whole
Ride
3/5
This is my first time hearing anything off this album, let alone hearing of Ride at all. It's a fine album, but I admit it sounds a lot like many other artists that came out in the late 80s to early 90s. I didn't not like it, but nothing truly stood out to me compared to their contemporaries. I'll probably come back to this one in time, but it's still a solid 3 out of 5 for me
Rufus Wainwright
5/5
I personally can't understand the hate this album is getting on here.. This is exactly the kind of thing you'd hope to find on a list of albums you have to hear before you die! I'll just assume those that don't like it aren't interested in expanding their repertoire. For those leaning into the pun, this is actually the second installment of a double album and Want One is equally as incredible. Also, I really don't understand the Radiohead comparison, and I'm a big fan of both
A wonderful collection of baroque pop songs with lush arrangements, crooning vocals and clever song writing from start to finish.
5/5 for me
The Bees
3/5
This has got to be one of the most early aughts sounding albums I've heard in awhile. It's not the most exciting listen, but all the elements are there for an alternative rock/pop album from the turn of the century. A lounge groove feel, mostly spoken vocals, occasional dub vibes, refined simplicity.
This is excellent background music for something like happy hour, having company over for dinner, doing chores, or shopping some small boutique-esc shop. However, it is not an album for a deep, focused listen as there's not really a lot below the surface.
For all intents and purposes, I enjoyed this quite a bit and will keep it in my back pocket for when I need something in the background.
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
I'm starting to think the people running this site are starting to throw in some personal picks. According to the official site this generator is based on, at no point has Jazmine Sullivan been included. Gave it a listen anyway and there's some bops on the album for sure. Girl's got some excellent pipes. Pick Up Your Feelings was a good jam.
The Clash
5/5
I to am board with the USA... If only Joe lived long enough to see it as it is now, I'm sure we'd be gifted with another great record from him.
Korn
2/5
A lot of hate for this album on here, and I'm not here to defend it and say "y'all just don't understand it's genius" or whatever. Davis has a unique voice that's honestly very hard to listen to for a whole album, but for a metal album from the late 90s, this album did a lot to influence so many other bands and is actually pretty interesting overall. "All In The Family" certainly didn't age well...
Marianne Faithfull
1/5
The first track had my interest until it just went on for far too long. From there it was all down hill...
The Replacements
5/5
Honestly one of my favorite bands and albums, and very happy to see it's inclusion on this list! Best described as "your favorite band's favorite band", The Replacements released some of the greatest rock music of their generation. Westerberg is a legendary songwriter who went on to have a consistently inspired solo career after The Replacements finally called it quits.
Regardless if you like this album or not, I highly recommend you check out the book Trouble Boys, which gives you a great look behind the curtain of one of the most self destructive bands ever.
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
80s pop perfection! What more needs to be said?
5/5
This isn't my favorite Beatles' album, but it's not far off. It's not a bombastic album by any stretch, but it's one that changed the landscape of music in general for generations to come. Beautiful baroque pop rock with a range of influences from world music and psychedelia.
Minutemen
4/5
Had no idea this is where the Jackass theme came from, so that's cool. what can I say, I love a punk album that's over an hour long and has 40+ tracks, I don't care if they're all fairly similar, they throw in enough variety to keep me entertained
Animal Collective
4/5
A definite staple in the "pretentious indie rock fan starter pack". Eclectic and adventurous, Merriweather Post Pavilion is a pillar in Pitchfork's hope for credibility. While I enjoy this album, it's not as important as you'd be lead to believe. I 'd give it a solid 7.2 outta 10.
The Boo Radleys
4/5
There was a time that all I listened to was bands that sound just like this. Indie power pop with infectious hooks, layers of guitars, creative additional instrumentation, a barely ok singer but still great melodies and harmonies. I somehow completely missed out on these guys back then, but will be digging into them now for sure!
Japan
3/5
I'm kind of struggling with figuring out how I feel for this one. Based on the Wiki for this record, it really wasn't that significant when it was released and sounds to my ears like a lot of the rest of new wave that was on the radio back in the day. It has it's moments that really grab my attention, but then it just fades into background noise again. Some tracks are bloated and over stay their welcome, some of the vocals are tiresome, but there's some really interesting arrangements and instrumentation all over.
All in all, I don't think this one will really stick around for me, but it was an interesting listen, so I'm giving it a soft 3
The Undertones
4/5
Amazing old school pop punk! I still prefer this over the more modern take on pop punk, it still has that raw punk feel but with catchy pop hooks that you can actually sing along with. A while back, this list gave me the follow up to this record and I wasn't exactly underwhelmed, I liked it, but it didn't exactly excite me all that much (I did save it to my library though). The Undertones' self-titled debut though, I enjoyed this far more!
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
Is this the most exciting Damon Albarn project? Probably not, but it certainly had me hooked when it dropped back in the day. Something about having Paul Simonon from the Clash just really excited me about the project. There's a few all timers on here, but I can understand comments for a lot of it just kinda passes by the ears without sticking too much. I still enjoy this album and appreciate it as a little moment in time that takes me back to my early/mid 20s where I thought I was hot shit and listened to cooler music than everyone else
Hawkwind
3/5
Absolutely relentless! This album just doesn't quit, but I wouldn't mind if it was cut in half as it does drag on. Killer stuff though
Rod Stewart
3/5
1/5
Limp Bizkit is actually a very talented band, but Fred Durst is the Fred Wurst. Looking at the lyrics, Fred just comes off as some sort of cringy edgelord literally saying the word "fuck" 50 times in the song Hot Dog alone. Considering this album to be one you have to listen to before you die is just ridiculous...