Black Mirror is a great opening track and the indie punk sound reminds me of my uni years. Nice drums but the angular guitar parts get a bit repetitive halfway through the album. nice vibe to listen to while walking, or to use in a hipster indie film

I don’t listen to trip hop much, it’s not bad but most of the album faded into the background until Heat Miser which grabbed my attention.

Some schoolmates and I once went on a joy ride during high school one summer night and discussed our favourite music. Apparently at one point I said “well everyone loves a bit of Foo Fighters” It’s refreshing to hear this album again after so long, especially looking back from 2023 where most music is so digital and heavily edited and sampled, to get that usable TikTok soundbite. Basically a Dave Grohl vehicle (he played all the instruments) it’s quite stripped down in a way that’s understandable as someone coming from a 3 piece grunge band. It has the same ingredients to Nirvana (loud distorted guitars, pounding drums, quiet loud structure) yet so different, decidedly sunnier and more pop. Still, it’s got that charming rough around the edges and a bit more raw compared to the stadium rock polish they would be so famous in later albums. What I noticed this time is how the vocals are a little bit buried in the mix. I forgot how much I used to enjoy just lying back and letting a wall of crunchy distorted guitar and loud drums wash over me. Steak and potato rock for sure, but nothing wrong with that.

Here’s an album that’s been on my to listen list for a while. They said Bowie made a masterpiece before he passed away. The album manages to capture a classic Bowie sound while being forward looking at the same time. Highlight song for me is Lazarus.

I used to listen to a lot of classic rock like this, but somehow this particular album just doesn't really do it for me... the mix of the bass is a bit weird in the earlier tracks and that continued to distract me haha. And man is the bass line so busy in the opening track! Is it sacrilege to criticise an album that every boomer rates 5/5 stars? That said, the more mellow acoustic songs were quite nice (maybe because the arrangements didn't have as much bass!). Obviously Maggie May is a classic but for me the standout tracks are "Tomorrow is a Long Time" (which turns out to be a Dylan cover... figures!) and "Mandolin Wind".

Brilliant album, tonally consistent. Leonard Cohen has a way with lyrics and the stripped back folk arrangement suits this well. Standout track is "Famous Blue Raincoat" but "Avalanche" demands your attention as soon as you hit play.

I am not familiar with Sonic Youth but have heard about them a lot. So it was good to have a chance to listen to them. My thoughts on this album? A bit meh. It’s fine as music playing in the background when I try to soak up in it I find most of the tracks too meandering with not much melody to make any of the tracks memorable. Maybe that’s the point with noise rock? And I usually like my fair share of noise and distortion. I think this kind of sound was probably groundbreaking in its time but after grunge became mainstream this doesn’t sound too exceptional. Anyways this is also supposed to be their grunge album. Disappointed that I didn’t like this album but afterwards I started checking out their earlier stuff and I like them a bit more. Standout track for me here is Chapel Hill with its catchy opening riff.

Interesting album and concepts to incorporate world music sounds. It ends up sounding like background music in a cafe that tries to be a bit posh. At least the bass lines are pretty solid. Standout tracks: Bomba and Erzulie

Thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Love the funky jams

Classic album and really good from start to finish

Not a country music expert by any means and the album won’t make me start listening to it more, but I appreciate how polished this album is. Clear dreamy vocals, reverb laden lead guitars, plodding bass. This is what I imagine a barn slow dance would sound like. Also appreciate that this is trying to be a concept album at an era where this wasn’t the done thing.

All the classic hallmarks of REM is here. The jangly guitars, the cryptic haunting wails from Michael Stipe.. this is 80s alternative at its best. Accessible yet sounds a bit underground like the best years of university. Second half feels a bit weak I find but the first half makes up for it and I found myself singing along to One I Love while vacuuming. Solid effort.

Very competent punk album, the songs are short and to the point!

Haunting choral like vocals with hard hitting 90s alternative rock drums. This album is a masterpiece. Highlight tracks: Grace, Lilac Wine, Hallelujah, Lover You Should’ve Come Over

A bit like a more diverse Motley Crüe. LA metal/hard rock sound but with a bit more groovy rhythm section and some experimental songs. Dave Navarro is a tasteful lead guitarist in small doses. Can’t really stand the lead vocals though. Standout track is Standing in the Shower Thinking and Mountain Song

To me it seems like more noise rock like Sonic Youth but apparently they are not. Not sure what the difference is. There’s something to appreciate in noise rock. Unusual song structure, a wall of sound that drowns you. On an intellectual level I think it’s pretty cool but I just can’t connect with it emotionally. Feels a bit calculated, eschewing conventional rules just because you want to rebel. I guess it’s a teenage instinct that I don’t relate to anymore. The texture of noise is actually quite nice and visceral. Unfortunately the whiny mopey lead vocals don’t really do it for me and it takes away from the experience. Most of the album feels like a blur of noise but the stand out song for me it’s Don’t. I couldn’t help comparing it with Nirvana’a Territorial Pissings but much more raw and cathartic (which is an awesome thing).

Never heard of them before but it's pretty good Britpop with less whiny vocals when compared with Oasis. High energy rock.

Smooth grooves. Love the long jams but I think I need to be in the right mood for it.

Clint Eastwood and 19/2000 are classic standouts. The rest are interesting jams with a lot of instrumentals over various styles of music blended into a unique Gorillaz sound. Pretty interesting blend of genres which is pretty ahead of its time.

Punk/new wave from the 80s. Interesting addition of bluesy keys.

Can't deny the influence of Motorhead to heavy metal. The combination of hard rock and punk (in sound and attitude) is charming, as is the production value. Standout track is the classic "Ace of Spades" but the rest of the album sounds a bit samey to me. Lemmy is not the most technical bassist but his hard driving bass lines and slightly distorted tone suits the music so that's cool. I definitely enjoy his bass playing more than his vocals haha. Something I don't mind listening to in small doses but not all the time (generally applies to metal for me nowadays).

Can't go wrong with a vintage Bob Marley album. This is the first time I've heard the non-live version of No Woman No Cry and I have to say the vibe is more chill.

A quirky album with satirical commentary lyrics and even in attitude. I appreciate it for its vision and concept intellectually. I also agree that it is definitely influential, but it was not enjoyable listening to it. Reminds me of when I was super drunk trying to be a rock star at my friend’s flat. I thought I was super witty with my random lyrics but I wouldn’t listen to it again the next day.

I thought I would Neil Young but his voice grates after a while. Highlight on this album is For the Turnstiles for me for the laid back folky arrangement.

Beautiful buttery voice with a bite. Standout track for me is Down in the Valley

Eclectic mix of sounds but doesn't really work for me

Great jazzy record. Couldn't spend enough time to listen to it properly but what I heard was great.

Gritty 60s rock, can see how it influences punk.

Actually really nice classic rock. Prefer the more acoustic folky numbers like Teach Your Children and Our House

A bit too hippie for me

Didn’t really stand out for me

Interesting Brasilian music. Samba influences apparent but mixed in interesting ways.

Comparisons to early Coldplay is justified. And to me that’s in the best way possible. Love late 90s/early 00s Britpop

Good folk music. Can see how it influences later artists

Silky smooth voice. Sometimes the songs on the record are a bit cheesy. Highlight is Son of a Preacher Man.

The live album captures Motorheads energy a lot better than the studio albums. But it gets repetitive after a while.

Surprisingly enjoyable old school country music. Found myself dancing along haha. Great vocals and storytelling.

Great 2000s indie rock

Quite smooth but in some parts Sinatra’s lounge croony voice doesn’t really suit the bossa nova style.

Interesting arrangements with positive message.

Another punk album

Love industrial metal from time to time. This album is pretty influential to the point that Du Hast sounds very similar to Just One Fix. I prefer my industrial metal with more chunky groove and less of that harsh vocal though.

Interesting alternative rock

Quiet pleasant album to listen to while winding down on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Vocalist has a calming voice. Feels like an album to be highly regarded and recommended by purveyors of taste and played in cool record stores.

A moody post punk album that’s been very influential in the genre. I need to be in the mood to enjoy Ian Curtis’s vocals but love the instrumentation. The rolling drums and plucky bass high in the mix is quite catchy.

My favourite Radiohead album. It's a transition album from their typical Britrock debut to the electronic rock of OK Computer, and it's a perfect balance.

Feels like generic 70s hard rock

Cheesy pop metal from the 80s? Yes. But such a guilty pleasure

Another REM album. Not bad to play in the background but nothing much sticks out to me apart from Radio Free Europe

60s British rock, less Beatles-y than the Beatles. Favourite tracks are Sunny Afternoon and Rainy Day in June. They’re fine but it made me realise how much I am missing the Beatles harmonies, John’s sarcasm, Paul’s bass lines, George’s licks and Ringo’s fills.

Not bad but still can’t really stand abril Young’s voice most of the time. Love the distortion tone of the guitars though.

I enjoy most of the trip hop recommendations on this list.

Love their brand of rootsy hippie rock. I’m ambivalent with their straight up rock and roll numbers though. Classic album with plenty of CCR classics.

Really dig Billie’s voice. Such a rich timbre with a lot of emotion. The arrangements don’t get in the way.

Great folk rock by Yusuf. His most well known songs are on this album.

Great grooves and rhymes

Strong tunes in the first half but the latter part of the album feel like fillers

Really enjoyable Bowie album. Sounds a bit stripped back and folky (a lot of piano driven songs) but with that touch of Bowie quirkiness and flamboyance. One of my favourites.

Some tracks that I liked. Not really sure how to categorise the music here and maybe that’s the whole point. Maybe Jack White is trying to broaden his sounds to more than just bluesy garage rock. Quite unlike The White Stripes and it’s a bit more polished of a record.

So many eclectic styles in one album. Some people hate his voice. I think it’s quite cool. Just can’t stand the tracks with the extremely 80s saxophones and the carnival style songs.

For a 22 minute album this is full of energy

Almost no bad tracks here. Black Dog has one of the best riffs in hard rock. Rock and Roll is unstoppable.