585
Albums Rated
2.78
Average Rating
54%
Complete
504 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Rock-and-roll
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
27
5-Star Albums
47
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman | 5 | 2.22 | +2.78 |
| I See You | 5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
| The Man Who | 5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
| Youth And Young Manhood | 5 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
| Clandestino | 5 | 3.21 | +1.79 |
| Melody A.M. | 5 | 3.21 | +1.79 |
| System Of A Down | 5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
| Beautiful Freak | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| You've Come a Long Way Baby | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| xx | 5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Songs From The Big Chair | 1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
| The Joshua Tree | 1 | 3.67 | -2.67 |
| The Queen Is Dead | 1 | 3.66 | -2.66 |
| Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme | 1 | 3.62 | -2.62 |
| Arrival | 1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
| War | 1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
| Dirt | 1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
| Parachutes | 1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
| A Rush Of Blood To The Head | 1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
| My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | 1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The xx | 2 | 5 |
| Deep Purple | 3 | 4.33 |
| David Bowie | 8 | 3.88 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| U2 | 4 | 1 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 1 |
| The Smiths | 2 | 1 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 1.67 |
| Love | 2 | 1.5 |
| Christina Aguilera | 2 | 1.5 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 2 |
5-Star Albums (27)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Gotan Project
1/5
By listening to this, we have deprived an elevator somewhere of its music
5 likes
U2
1/5
The least bad of all of the U2 offerings so far.
I gave up on this one because I was bored, not because it felt like listening to fingers scraping down a blackboard. And I lasted more songs before giving up.
Surely we're done with U2 albums now on this list, but if not: Who knows, maybe the next U2 album will creep up to a second star?
4 likes
Mike Ladd
4/5
I didn't expect to like this but I was really surprised. Will definitely check out some more of Mike Ladd's music.
MF Doom / Madvillain influences throughout.
SO WHY IS THERE NO MF DOOM IN THIS LIST?!?
2 likes
Coldplay
1/5
Coldplay's popularity is as great a mystery to me as U2's.
That said, I made it to the end of this, so I must have disliked it less.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (103)
1-Star Albums (47)
All Ratings
David Bowie
4/5
Not my favourite Bowie album and the original is better than the remaster but still a solid 3.5 stars
Aerosmith
2/5
Didn't hate it but a bit bland, repetitive, and forgettable. 2.5 stars. Why can't I give half star ratings?!?
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Great album, shame about the noncing
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Manu Chao
5/5
I know nostalgia is making me overly generous but I'm sticking with it.
Taylor Swift
1/5
Didn't hate it but very forgettable and no desire to hear it again.
Gotan Project
1/5
By listening to this, we have deprived an elevator somewhere of its music
The War On Drugs
1/5
Bland and forgettable
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Sam Cooke
4/5
Boppity bop bop. Never listened to Sam Cooke before.
The Who
2/5
Some great tracks, some meh tracks, but musicals just aren't for me.
Roni Size
3/5
Some bangers. Some background music. Good, but not his best.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
A couple of good songs. A lot of dross. Never understood the hype. Lou Reed was much better as a solo artist.
ABBA
1/5
I heard this album WAY too many new as a young child and now hate every ABBA song.
I tried to pretend I was listening to it for the first time, but I couldn't do it, didn't survive the first song.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Some great songs. Some awful ballads.
5/5
Some absolute bangers. A few weaker songs, but when it's good, it's REALLY good.
The Cure
3/5
I wanted to like it more. I should get around to listening to the Cure more but I think they may stay as more of a "Greatest hits" band for me.
Pink Floyd
2/5
Meh
Charles Mingus
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Kid Rock
1/5
Musical tastes are a subjective thing. But this was objectively awful.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Musical tastes are a subjective thing. But this was objectively awful.
Spiritualized
2/5
Bland
John Lee Hooker
4/5
Missy Elliott
2/5
Silver Jews
2/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Listened to it twice; both times while working. Found it quite jarring. Think I need to listen to it when I can focus my full attention to it.
Not sure if 3 stars is too much or not enough.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Another entry on the "great music, terrible person" list.
Spotify's generated playlist was outstanding.
Traffic
2/5
Thought I was going to like it from the first song. Lost its way and sounded like a budget Jethro Tull.
Santana
3/5
Spacemen 3
2/5
Occasionally threatened to be interesting, but overall, just a bit too out there for me.
FKA twigs
2/5
I felt like there was something good here under the surface, trying to break free. But it didn't try hard enough and got overwhelmed by the blandness.
It's a shame, I almost liked it. But I didn't.
John Coltrane
4/5
So much better than some of his later work
Gorillaz
4/5
Little Simz
4/5
When it's good, it's very good (Selfish, Venom) but some filler, not as good overall as Sometimes I might be Introvert
Gang Starr
2/5
Ok but didn't really do anything for me
Stevie Wonder
3/5
A few bangers, a lot of filler, and a few songs that belong on the soundtrack of a dodgy 70s porno
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Inoffensive but a bit bland and forgettable
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Not for me
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Two of the greatest songs of the 60s but the rest of the album didn't do much for me
Sugar
2/5
Sounds like the less talented love child of the Foo Fighters and Buck 65
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Some great songs, some filler.
Dare I say it: I prefer covers of a lot of her songs to the originals
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Not particularly memorable but happy, relaxing, vibes to have on in the background
Megadeth
3/5
Not really my thing but enjoyed it more than I expected.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Meh. Never understood the hype.
The Stooges
3/5
Good, not great
Mylo
4/5
Good, chilled house and an early mover towards lo-fi / chill hop sounds
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Relaxing to have on in the background but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it
Def Leppard
2/5
Meh. Some good songs but mostly bland. With a lot of listening to catch up on, I got bored and gave up part way through.
Radiohead
3/5
Some good songs, some whiny, bland forgettable songs
John Martyn
3/5
The United States Of America
2/5
U2
1/5
If I never hear Bono's whiny bitch voice again, it'll still be too soon
Ray Charles
3/5
Good, but too many slow ones. I prefer him when he's more upbeat.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Feel like it could go down or up with more listens but low 3 stars based on first listen
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
The B-52's
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
David Bowie
5/5
Classic Bowie.
Blur
3/5
A few classics. A lot of dross.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Surprised me
Pink Floyd
4/5
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Frank Sinatra
2/5
AC/DC
4/5
Air
3/5
Started well, lost its way a bit, but good background while I worked
Gene Clark
2/5
Mixed bag. Enjoyed a couple of Dylanesque tracks. Didn't enjoy the more country / Paul Simonesque tracks. Inoffensive, but no desire to listen again.
Doves
2/5
Couple of good songs but mostly bland
Big Star
2/5
Sounded like a cross between The Who and Status Quo... but not as good as either of them
Simon & Garfunkel
1/5
Just not for me
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Venom
1/5
Did not enjoy at all.
Basic and boring. Listened to the end to see if my opinion would change. Wish I hadn't bothered.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Not his best. Bit depressing.
The Temptations
2/5
Didn't get into it.
Bad day at work probably led to me not really giving it a chance.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Unsurprisingly, it sounds a bit dated now but was so far ahead of its time and still sounds good to me.
The Who
4/5
(only listened to the original version, not all of the nonsense repeats on Spotify)
Van Halen
2/5
Ok, but not my thing
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Didn't expect to enjoy this but I was pleasantly surprised
Radiohead
3/5
Inoffensive but bland
De La Soul
3/5
Mostly good. Influential but very dated.
Bill Callahan
3/5
One of those artists that I've never got around to listening to.
Enjoyable relaxing background music. Reminds me of a cross between Leonard Cohen and Willy Mason.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Eels
5/5
Very good. Not quite as good or as catchy as Daisies of the Galaxy but just enough to sneak into 5* territory.
Meat Loaf
5/5
Unashamedly cheesy and over the top and I wouldn't have it any other way.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Inoffensive but forgettable
The Pharcyde
3/5
Good in places. Some meh towards the end.
White Denim
2/5
Meh. Forgettable.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
The Doors
3/5
CHVRCHES
4/5
Catchy feel good songs. Not groundbreaking, but I enjoy them.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Enjoyed the jazzier Basement Jaxx-esque songs. Could do with another listen to decide whether it deserves bumping up or down a star.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Wild Beasts
2/5
Coldplay
1/5
Coldplay's popularity is as great a mystery to me as U2's.
That said, I made it to the end of this, so I must have disliked it less.
Blur
3/5
It's got a few great songs, a few meh songs, and a few rubbish songs.
For me, Blur are a very good "greatest hits" band, but not a great "album" band, and this is not Blur's best album either.
I never understood how the question was "Blur or Oasis" when the correct answer was clearly always Pulp.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Prefer Sonny Rollins as a solo artist, but still good
The Pogues
4/5
I really want to give it 5*s for Fiesta and Fairytale of New York, and for being such strong influence in the Celtic/folk punk world. But there's a bit too much filler.
Any normal person would have come away with a serious brain injury after Shane and Spidey's performance of Fiesta when we saw them in Manchester. Just a standard Saturday night for those 2.
Rest in Pieces, you crazy, crazy man.
Miles Davis
4/5
Very good.
But at the risk of angering every jazz fan ever, I think Cannonball Adderley was even better when leading his own band.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Much better than the last Frank offering.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Good in places. Meh in others.
Willie Nelson
2/5
It was fine to have on in the background as I worked. But it didn't really do much for me and no particular desire to listen to it again. Like most country.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Light hearted, catchy fun
The Kinks
3/5
Not their best
Deee-Lite
2/5
It was fine. Didn't really get into it though.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Tried to vote as if we have just had another Dexys album a few days ago.
Added a star for Come on Eileen
T. Rex
3/5
The Clash
5/5
It's not as good as London Calling for me, I think The Clash are at their best when mixing in more ska/reggae as well as the pure punk, with Police and Thieves and Hate and War being a sign of things to come.
Not as polished musically as their subsequent albums but the energy and lyrics can't be beaten. One of the greatest punk albums.
Dr. Dre
1/5
Awful. Couldn't finish it.
Stereolab
3/5
Good to have on in the background but didn't blow me away
The Beach Boys
4/5
Beatles
3/5
Some good songs, some ok songs. One extremely creepy song.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
So so
Femi Kuti
4/5
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
It was fine. Generic 60s sound.
Richard Hawley
4/5
1950s Country music lullabies from...erm... Sheffield in 2005.
The musical equivalent of a hug and a cup of cocoa in front of the fire on a cold winter's day.
Nick Drake
2/5
Fine but forgettable
Beck
2/5
Eh. Bland, nowhere near as good as some other Beck albums.
Stan Getz
3/5
Radiohead
2/5
Some good songs. A lot of whiny, bland songs. Not their best.
M.I.A.
3/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Better than The Scream. But I still thought I would enjoy Siouxsie And The Banshees more than I do.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Couple of bangers, but Bruce is a "greatest hits" artist for me, not someone who I want to listen to whole albums from.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
I'd forgotten about this album.
Hits the Guthrie vibe well. Wilco and Bragg complement each other nicely.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Some great songs, some ok songs. Overall, not as good as some of his other albums.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Some good songs. A lot of forgettable songs. Nowhere near as good as Funeral or Neon Bible.
3/5
Obviously includes some great songs. But also some that I don't enjoy/don't know as much.
For me, I prefer the studio versions of many of the songs. The live versions didn't add anything.
The Byrds
3/5
Generic 60s
The Charlatans
2/5
So very beige. Does nothing for me. Never understood the hype.
Elvis Presley
2/5
One banger. Mostly a bit slow and forgettable. Not his best.
The Go-Go's
3/5
A couple of good songs but mostly forgettable generic 80s sound.
The Strokes
5/5
Some absolute bangers (New York City Cops, Last Nite, Take It Or Leave It). Some tracks haven't aged as well. So much youthful energy and swagger that could not be replicated in their future albums. Very influential on the next decade of "indie" guitar music (Kings of Leon went on to become probably the most popular band in the world for a few years by basically changing their sound to copy the Strokes).
2001 teenaged me would have hit 5 stars without a second thought. 2023 me agonised for ages over whether it still deserves 5 stars.
I have finally got off the fence and decided it still deserves 5 stars (just)
Slint
2/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Fine. Some good tracks. Some generic 70s.
2/5
Eh.
Some good songs, but I found myself bored and struggling to listen to the end. I think The Kinks are a greatest hits band for me, I don't need to listen to whole albums.
Kanye West
1/5
I enjoyed his debut album when it came out.
Maybe my tastes have evolved since then, maybe hip-hop has moved on since then and I expect more, or maybe I'm no longer willing to separate the person from the music. Whatever the reason, I did not enjoy this.
Well produced, but you can't polish a turd.
Elastica
3/5
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Didn't get into it at all
Prince
3/5
Some great songs but the album doesn't live up to the hype for me.
Portishead
4/5
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Ministry
1/5
I tried. I didn't last very long. Not for me.
The Kinks
3/5
Some very good songs, some weaker songs that bring it down to 3 stars.
Much better than the previous Kinks albums we've had on the list.
Buck Owens
3/5
Enjoyed the classics. Didn't enjoy the generic country tracks
Elbow
3/5
I want to like Elbow more than I do. Some good songs, but too many bland, forgettable songs that are almost good but just don't quite hit for me.
Radiohead
3/5
Starts strong, but too many forgettable droney songs in the second half.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Nina Simone
3/5
Good, but not one of Nina's best for me
The Avalanches
4/5
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Beatles
3/5
Genesis
3/5
Fever Ray
3/5
I didn't know Fever Ray before. Enjoyed some of it. Should probably give them another listen.
Pulp
5/5
One of my favourite albums of all time. Easily the best thing to come out of the britpop era.
The Police
3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Adele
2/5
Some good songs but the slow, depressing, whiny songs are not for me
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Nowhere near the level of the Holy Bible or Generation Terrorists. It was the beginning of the post-Richie poppier sound but still with a few very Richie-esque tracks like Kevin Carter.
RIP
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Had forgotten this album (and Want 2) existed. Very relaxing, although I can imagine his voice being a bit marmitey to some.
Motörhead
3/5
The Who
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Juuust crept into 4⭐
The Bees
3/5
Quite enjoyed it
SZA
2/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
The Offspring
4/5
Good. I didn't get into it as much as Conspiracy of One, Americana and Ixnay on the Hombre. Maybe I need to listen to it more.
Sister Sledge
3/5
The National
3/5
Fine but not particularly memorable
2/5
Enjoyed some of instrumentals. Didn't care for the vocals.
Cream
2/5
Janet Jackson
2/5
Sade
2/5
Love
2/5
Fine but very generic. Like a Who album but without the bangers to carry it.
Deep Purple
5/5
Classic.
A couple of weaker tracks but Space Truckin, Highway Star, Smoke on the Water and Lazy are good enough to secure its 5* status for me
Pixies
2/5
I've always felt I should like Pixies more than I do. They did a few bangers, but I find most of their songs boring and forgettable.
People rave about them and I want to like them but they just don't do it for me.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
Eh. Sounds like the filler tracks on a Blur album.
R.E.M.
3/5
Enjoyed some of it. Seemed to lose its way a bit towards the end. They've made better albums.
Skunk Anansie
4/5
I've slept on Skunk Anansie a bit, I knew I liked some of their famous songs but don't think I've listened to a full album of theirs before.
Enjoyed it, I should explore them more.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Beatles
3/5
Obviously a few great songs. But a lot of it is meh. Editing exists for a reason, this album did not need to be this long.
Brian Eno
2/5
I quite liked some of the earlier tracks but overall, it was too out there for me. Couldn't tell if I would appreciate it more after more listens. Not sure I'm willing to give it the chance.
Tom Waits
2/5
Meat Puppets
3/5
Weird. After listening to it 3 times, I'm still not sure if good weird or awful weird.
Parliament
3/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The Killers
2/5
I never understood the hype. Takes me back to uni days where you were likely to hear most of this album played at every single bar or club that you went to on a night out.
It's not bad, I just didn't need to hear it multiple times a day, every day for a year.
1 star deducted for how sick I am of it, even after 19 years.
Can
3/5
Weird, but I quite enjoyed it in the background.
Living Colour
2/5
Didn't know them before. From the description, I was hopeful, but I was disappointed. Most of it sounded a bit Phill Collinsey very 80s and very boring.
The second half of the Clash cover was the highlight, but over all, not for me
Funkadelic
3/5
Pixies
3/5
A couple of great songs. The rest is a bit meh. Much better than the previous Pixies album we had
Peter Tosh
3/5
It was fine. Not especially memorable.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Very good in places, but it didn't need to be so long. Sometimes less is more.
2Pac
2/5
Influential but now sounding dated and the bigotry is not ok
The Police
2/5
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Relaxing, but a bit wet
Johnny Cash
4/5
Good. Had a lot of his classics. I prefer Fulsom overall.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Slayer
3/5
I can appreciate the skill, but I'm not likely to choose to listen to a whole album of it.
The Band
2/5
Forgettable
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Hüsker Dü
2/5
Already forgotten everything about this album
Frank Ocean
1/5
Boring, overproduced songs with a whiny voice. I don't understand the popularity of this style of R&B at all.
I don't hate Stupid Rich Kids. It was the only song that I could tolerate listening to in its entirety.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
Can definitely hear the Eno influences.
Fine as background music, but nowhere near the level of classic Bowie and I don't see me going out of my way to listen to it.
Boards of Canada
4/5
Dreamy, minimalist, ambient electronica.
Ambient music has moved on in the last 25 years so it sounds a bit dated in places. But we probably wouldn't have some of today's ambient sounds without albums like this.
Juuuust sneaks into 4 stars, partly due to its influence on other artists that I love.
2/5
It's hard to believe that this list could do such a poor job of showcasing punk music.
There's so many albums included in the list that are loosely considered "punk".
But so many of them are so bland when punk can offer so much more.
King Crimson
2/5
The first half was very reminiscent of the more experimental end of Pink Floyd.
Struggled to maintain interest in the second half.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Various Artists
2/5
It's fine as Christmas albums go... but there's far too many generic Christmas songs out there and I don't need to spend 1 month every year being bombarded with them. I don't listen to sickly sweet songs filled with sleigh bells the rest of the year... because it's not a good sound.
The talking at the end was cringey and unnecessary.
Waiting until January to listen to it probably didn't help.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Quite enjoyed some of the jazzy beats and the flow.
Less misogyny than most hip-hop of it's era, but still more than is acceptable.
2.5 stars.
Primal Scream
4/5
Some top tier tracks, some mediocre.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Classic Dylan.
Half of the album easily deserves 5 stars but some weaker songs dragged it down to 4.
Fugees
3/5
Some great songs, some average
Public Enemy
3/5
Good, not great
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
American Music Club
2/5
Fine in a relaxing way but not particularly memorable
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Very samey. I swear I heard the same track about 5 times.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Ok, bit forgettable
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I love the brooding, bluesy gospel sound of the first disc. It's Nick Cave so, of course, the lyrics are excellent.
I hadn't listened to it as an album before, although I knew and liked some of the tracks already.
I think it would have worked better for me as 2 separate albums, rather than a double album. The first album probably would have earned 5 stars from me. I think I may have appreciated the second album more as a standalone as well, rather than listening to it at the end of a long album.
Sonic Youth
4/5
I've never really listened to Sonic Youth, despite then being so influential for many post punk bands that I enjoy.
Raw, discordant, and I really enjoyed it. Will make an effort to listen to some more Sonic Youth.
The Zombies
2/5
Generic 60s. And it isn't the album that contains their one great song.
Pretenders
2/5
Fine but not really for me
R.E.M.
2/5
Didn't get into it. I wasn't paying full attention, but I can't remember any of the songs. Not REM's best work for me.
Tim Buckley
2/5
There was a couple of good subs near the start but the rest was just boring.
The Black Crowes
2/5
Sounds like a cross between a Rolling Stones b sides album and an ACDC b sides album.
Ok, but all a bit bland and generic.
Last track was pretty good.
Garbage
3/5
Ok, but I thought I was going to enjoy it more than I did
The Verve
3/5
A couple of great songs, but I struggle to remember anything about the rest the album
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Classic Dylan
John Lennon
3/5
Some great songs, some that unsurprisingly sounded like Beatles filler tracks
Van Morrison
3/5
Television
2/5
Particularly wrong with it, I just didn't really get into it.
Fats Domino
3/5
Quite enjoyed. For some reason, I've never really listened to Fats Domino as much as a lot of the other bands leaders of that era.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
Ok as background but forgettable
2/5
I thought I was going to enjoy this more from the first track, which reminded me a bit of Laura Nyro and LaBelle. But that was as good as it got, the rest was all very forgettable.
Nirvana
5/5
Didn't need to listen to it too know it was 5 stars.
But I still listened to it, at work, with my earphones on. And I was surprised to find that I didn't like it as much as I remembered. It was still good, but not AS GOOD as I remembered. It seemed a bit muted, and didn't evoke the same response that it used to. Definitely a 4 star listen, not 5 stars.
Listened again at home at the correct volume and on decent speakers. Of course it's 5 stars.
Outstanding from start to (almost) finish. The only weak song being Endless, Nameless which I have never enjoyed.
TL;DR I was wrong, and my earphones are not good.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
It was fine but not many memorable tracks. Think I was hoping for more given how much I've enjoyed some of their recent collaborations and remixes.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Disappointed in the lack of a zero star option.
Not so much music as a series of unpleasant noises. I didn't find any of it challenging or interesting, just unpleasant and I hope I never hear it again.
I tried to think of something positive to say. All I could come up with was that I didn't hate AB/7A. It wasn't good, but it wasn't painful to listen to.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Portishead
3/5
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Jethro Tull
3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Bit bland, not really for me
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Bland
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Fine
Talking Heads
2/5
I want to like it more than I do.
I quite like the classic Talking Heads songs but a whole album doesn't really do anything for me.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Treads the line between good weird and too weird
Violent Femmes
2/5
Other than Blister in the sun, it wasn't very memorable
The Undertones
4/5
Eagles
2/5
Other than Hotel California, I can't remember any of the other songs. Very samey.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Enjoyed more than I thought I would.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Jorge Ben Jor
2/5
Reminded me of Lee Scratch Perry. But not as good.
Miles Davis
3/5
Björk
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Cat Stevens
3/5
5/5
Well that was not what I was expecting at all. I didn't know of John Zorn before, and I didn't even know that thrash/punk jazz was a thing.
Wild, chaotic, and unrelenting, and I really enjoyed it.
Time to do some more exploring of John Zorn and Ornette Coleman.
It's taken over 500 albums, but I've finally given a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating for an album (and indeed artist) that I didn't already know before this list.
Sure to be a very polarising album. I expect a lot of people will hate the chaos but it worked for me, even though I hated Coltrane's chaotic albums.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Jurassic 5
3/5
The Beach Boys
2/5
Not their best
Queen
3/5
A few great songs, but I'm still not a fan of musicals.
The Hives
3/5
I never got into the Hives as much as I thought I should. They do a few very good songs, but a lot of them are very samey to me.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Starts strong but fades in the second half
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
Clichéd but still a classic and I love it (while also loving Half Man Half Biscuit for mocking those who love it)
System Of A Down
5/5
I'd forgotten how good this album is.
I go back to Toxicity a lot more frequently than this. I should remember to go back to this more often.
John Grant
2/5
Not sure what to make of this. Some of it seemed quite good, but some of it sounded like a bad Simon and Garfunkel tribute act.
OutKast
2/5
Too long. Would have enjoyed it a lot more if half the tracks were cut from it.
Fatboy Slim
5/5
So good
Massive Attack
3/5
Good in places, with one great song
Weather Report
3/5
Fine as background music, but I wanted more from it. Just about scrapes a 3.
Stan Getz
2/5
Fine in the background, but I wouldn't choose to listen to it
U2
1/5
The least bad of all of the U2 offerings so far.
I gave up on this one because I was bored, not because it felt like listening to fingers scraping down a blackboard. And I lasted more songs before giving up.
Surely we're done with U2 albums now on this list, but if not: Who knows, maybe the next U2 album will creep up to a second star?
Van Halen
2/5
A couple of good songs, but I'm really not a fan of that generic 80s sound.
OutKast
2/5
Some good songs, didn't need to be that long.
The Zutons
4/5
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Orange Juice
2/5
Not my thing
Fela Kuti
3/5
Quite enjoyed this
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
It's fine as background music.
I want to like it a bit more than I do. It goes on longer than it needed to, with a lot of similar songs.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
MC Solaar
3/5
Quite enjoyed the jazzy beats.
Need to concentrate more and have a better understanding of French to understand much of what they're saying.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Quite enjoyed. Relaxing, if a little bleak.
Norah Jones
4/5
Relaxing
Scott Walker
2/5
Not for me. Wasn't paying though attention to pick up on the lyrics.
Dire Straits
3/5
The xx
5/5
Maybe another one that I'm overrating due to nostalgia but I still love the minimalist chilled vibe.
Beatles
4/5
A lot of classics. Much better than some of the other Beatles offerings we've had so far.
Could have done with some more ruthless editing towards the end to remove some filler, but good overall.
Talking Heads
3/5
Good in places. Faded a bit as it went on.
Goldie
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to.
I knew Timeless and Inner City Life but I've never gone out of my way to listen to Goldie.
Really enjoyed it as chilled background music. Think it might be a bit too pedestrian for me to want to listen to it as more than background music but a pleasant surprise.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Bopping. I enjoyed this.
Although I knew some of the songs, I didn't really know Booker T. & The MG's before.
Shack
2/5
It's like the Bluetones, but without the one Bluetones song that everyone loves.
It's inoffensive, but it might as well be any other 90s indie/britpop album.
ZZ Top
3/5
Beastie Boys
2/5
R.E.M.
3/5
Some very good songs, some of it is a bit forgettable.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Generic 80s
Alice Cooper
3/5
Quite enjoyed the jazzier blusier tracks. Solid 3.5 stars.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Enjoyed some of it more than I expected to. Some of it is just bland. 2.5 stars.
The Doors
3/5
Ok, some good songs, some a bit samey.
Les Rythmes Digitales
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
A few very good songs, but it isn't his best album.
AC/DC
3/5
Some good songs, but quite samey
The Rolling Stones
3/5
A few bangers but not their best as an overall album.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
A couple of classics, but much of it all blurs into one
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
ZZ Top
2/5
The Monks
3/5
Dated, but pretty good
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Relaxing
Louis Prima
4/5
Pretty wild for the 50s.
Enjoyed the more upbeat songs. Some weaker slower subs but I enjoyed it overall.
Magazine
3/5
Never heard of them before. Pleasantly surprised.
Hardly a groundbreaking sound but I quite enjoyed it.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Quite good but they've done better
Screaming Trees
2/5
Shades of Nirvana and Primal Scream, mixed with a generic 90s guitar sound.
Green Day
4/5
Very overplayed when it came out, but it's been long enough that I can enjoy it now.
Some very good songs. Bit too much filler towards the end, but still good overall.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Much nostalgia
Chicago
2/5
Some good. Some not good.
The Darkness
3/5
Good light hearted fun with some very good tracks. But it loses it's way a bit in the second half and I don't see me choosing to listen to it as a whole album.
Pentangle
3/5
Quite relaxing and enjoyable. But is this really a "must hear before you die?"
Nirvana
4/5
Some top tier tracks. But it doesn't live up to the hype as one of the greatest ever for me.
Radiohead
2/5
I liked OK Computer, but all other Radiohead albums are too slow and whiny for me.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
No.
I considered adding a star for it supposedly being an inspiration for some of the post punk bands that I do enjoy. But it doesn't deserve it.
Feels like the lyrics were written by a thirteen year old who was trying to be edgy after being grounded by their parents.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Not sure if I'm being a bit harsh but I can't really remember any of it.
The Spotify playlist that was based on the album was so much better than the album itself.
The White Stripes
3/5
Some good songs, some meh
Bob Dylan
4/5
Starts very good. Tails off a bit but still good overall.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Not my bag at all, especially the preachy early tracks. Improved enough towards the end to avoid a one star rating.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Some classics, some weaker songs but good overall
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Generic britpop sound, not particularly memorable.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
A few great tracks. But longer than it needed to be. Would enjoy it more with some of the filler removed.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Just like Bjork's solo work, I struggled to get into it.
A few good songs, but overall meh.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
This sounds like rock and / or roll.
Shades of the Doors and Deep Purple.
But a bit too proggy with too many solos for me and the title track overshadows the rest of it.
Mercury Rev
2/5
Ok but a bit bland.
Very Flaming Lips-eque
Eminem
3/5
I think I've found this one harder to rate than any other album on the list.
Teenaged me listened to this album a lot and would have given it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ no questions.
Adult me is a lot more troubled by the misogynistic, homophobic and violent lyrical themes even if they are sometimes slightly tongue in cheek.
I ummed and ahhed and considered every rating from ⭐ to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. In the end, I've gone somewhere in between.
Lou Reed
5/5
Sex Pistols
4/5
I don't hold it in as high regard as some of the other early punk pioneers and it wouldn't be lauded in the same way if they hadn't been one of the first.
But it's still got some great songs and energy even if it sounds dated now.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Everyone Knows was a banger and I enjoy the whimsical lyrics.
But too many slow songs.
Anita Baker
1/5
New speedrun record. Think I ran through this one in about 10 minutes.
This wet, cheesy, generic 80s pop/R&B sound really isn't for me.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Smooth but a bit pedestrian in places
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
The Cure
2/5
The Prodigy
5/5
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
Bland
Coldplay
1/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
Some of their best, but also some filler in the second half
Digital Underground
2/5
Some ok beats but very dated.
I had it on in the background while working so I didn't fully take in some of the lyrical themes. Probably for the best...
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Crowded House
2/5
A few good songs in the first half. Faded away in the second half.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Good in places. But he's a "greatest hits" artist for me, not someone who I want to listen to whole albums.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
Sigur Rós
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to.
Very relaxing to have on in the background while working.
Terence Trent D'Arby
1/5
We already had enough Michael Jackson albums on this list without adding in pound shop Michael Jackson knockoffs.
The Style Council
2/5
Thought I was going to enjoy this a lot more than I did from the first couple of tracks.
Enjoyed the jazzy instrumental tracks. Did not enjoy the cheesy, generic 80s tracks.
Nick Drake
3/5
Very relaxing. Quite enjoyable.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Some bangers, but too much filler
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
The Cure
3/5
It's fine. Some good songs but a bit samey, and we've definitely had more records from The Cure than this list needs.
2.5 stars
Mekons
2/5
Not very memorable
4/5
Deep Purple
4/5
Some of my favourite Deep Purple tracks.
But having the studio albums on this list is enough. We don't need all of the same songs live as well.
Scored as if we hadn't already been overloaded with Deep Purple albums.
Nico
2/5
Talking Heads
3/5
Michael Jackson
2/5
A couple of good songs near the beginning. The second half of the album was a real chore.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Some very good songs but some of it goes on a bit.
The White Stripes
3/5
Loved Hotel Yorba when John Peel played it as a sample from a new unknown band.
Some very good songs (Hotel Yorba, Fell in Love with a Girl). Some average songs.
Cypress Hill
3/5
Some very good tracks. Groundbreaking when it came out and some great production.
But I'm glad that (some) hip-hop has moved on from all of the glorification of violence, drugs and homophobia.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Don't know if I like this a lot more or if I was just in a better mood than for their previous album.
Steely Dan
2/5
Metallica
2/5
One of the bands that I've never understood / got into.
Everyone else rates them but they don't do anything for me.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Not sure how I felt about this. Enjoyed bits, didn't care for other bits. Maybe need to listen to more from them to really make my mind up.
Guided By Voices
2/5
Generic, did nothing for me
Deep Purple
4/5
It's got some of my favourite Deep Purple tracks on it.
I'm tempted to knock off a star for the excessive number of Deep Purple albums on this list: how many times must we hear different versions of the same songs in a different order before we die?
Supergrass
4/5
Some bangers, especially in the first half.
Loses it's way a bit towards the end but still probably my second favourite britpop album after Different Class.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Very good in places. A few bangers and some good bluesy sounds.
But also a bit too long, and not as good as peak Led Zeppelin.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Some classic tracks, but not a classic album for me.
Great flow, great delivery, great rhymes, but sounding dated and the lyrical themes (misogyny, homophobia, glorification of violence and drugs etc) let it down.
And the sex noises are not big or clever (unlike Biggie).
Saint Etienne
3/5
I like the Lemon Jellyish vibes on some tracks.
A lot of it sounds very dated now though.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Very relaxing.
I'm not going to go out of my way to listen to it, but enjoyed it as background music while I worked.
Supertramp
3/5
3/5
A couple of good songs early on. I like her more upbeat, catchier songs. I don't care for the slower, quieter ones.
Jacques Brel
2/5
Not my thing.
That was some very dramatic vocals. I kind of wish I had been focusing more so I could understand more of what he was singing about.
Beth Orton
2/5
Ok. Not very memorable.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Not very memorable
Muddy Waters
4/5
Enjoyed that.
The Smiths
1/5
The only voice in music that grates even more than Bono's.
The only album so far where I couldn't bring myself to even listen to the first track.
Peter Frampton
2/5
Rather bland, poppy dad rock.
It's not particularly bad, it's just not particularly interesting.
Tina Turner
2/5
Eh. The generic 80s sound is not for me.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Ok
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Michael Jackson
2/5
Very 80s and not for me.
Highlight is Smooth Criminal, lowlight is Liberian Girl.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Good in places. Not at good as peak Bob Dylan.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
Hookworms
3/5
It was fine.
But not sure why this album was included in the list over countless other indie bands of the time with a very similar sound.
Bee Gees
2/5
Haven't listened to much pre-disco Bee Gees before. I don't think I was missing out on much, I've already forgotten nearly everything about this album.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Didn't know the band before, but knew some of their classic songs.
Enjoyed Whiskey Women and a few of the other tracks.
Some of it was just generic 60s/70s rock sounds.
With a bit more editing, this could have been really good.
LL Cool J
2/5
Generic 90s hip-hop, sounds very dated now.
Syd Barrett
2/5
Eh.
Thought I was going to like this more.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Bland, generic pop. A few bluesier and funkier songs which were a bit different, but just as bland and forgettable.
Beck
4/5
Beck at his weird and wonderful best
Neil Young
2/5
Eh
Dr. John
2/5
I don't remember much about it.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Van Morrison
3/5
Ok
The Pretty Things
2/5
Another generic 60s album. It's inoffensive but I could definitely have lived a contented life without hearing this album before I died.
Sounds like a Beatles b-sides album.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
Not my thing
Lou Reed
3/5
I like this album in places, but it's nowhere near the level of Transformer.
Mike Ladd
4/5
I didn't expect to like this but I was really surprised. Will definitely check out some more of Mike Ladd's music.
MF Doom / Madvillain influences throughout.
SO WHY IS THERE NO MF DOOM IN THIS LIST?!?
Pantera
2/5
Really not my thing. I can appreciate the technical ability, but I have no desire to listen to it again.
New York Dolls
3/5
Didn't know them before.
Kind of enjoyed the raw proto punk vibes but also a fair bit of filler.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Many classics. This is more like what I was expecting for the previous CCR albums on this list.
Napalm Death
1/5
Too much for me.
Mariah Carey
1/5
Offensively bland with no redeeming features.
I did not need to hear this before I died.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
80s hip-hop just sounds so very dated now. Not bad, but no real desire to listen to it again.
Kelela
1/5
Super generic. Sounds like every other bland R&B artist from the last 20 years.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Into my arms is one of my favourite Nick Cave songs.
Some great lyrics, but overall, the album is a bit pedestrian for me.
Elliott Smith
2/5
It was fine but it sounds like so many other singer songwriters, I'm not sure what was supposed to be so special about it.
Khaled
2/5
This was very mixed. I enjoyed the funkier tracks, but the cheesy, wet pop tracks were just awful.
Hand the album was a solid⭐⭐⭐, half the album was ⭐, so it gets ⭐⭐ overall.
Turbonegro
2/5
Reminds me of an Offspring B-sides album, but with lyrics written by a 13 year old.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Too many slow, wet songs. Not enough of the funkier, faster paced songs.
Elis Regina
4/5
Never heard of her before. I enjoyed this, especially the more upbeat songs.
The Jam
4/5
As a greatest hits sort of a band, The Jam are top tier for me.
But this album doesn't quite reach that same level. Enjoyable, and it gets 4*, but only just.
M.I.A.
4/5
I knew I really liked the singles, but I had forgotten how good the album as a whole is.
The Who
3/5
Some good songs, but too much filler. Not their best work.
Kings of Leon
5/5
Great album. I haven't returned to it for a while and I'd forgotten how good it is.
Not as good as Aha Shake Heartbreak, but still far better than anything else they have produced since.
There was an intensity and a rawness to their sound that they lost when they became more polished (and when they began to sound more and more like a Strokes tribute act).
Carole King
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to.
Some great songs, although I prefer covers of many of them to her originals.
Just about squeezes into ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Brian Eno
3/5
Very different to the other Brian Eno albums we've had.
But a bit like his previous albums, I'm really not sure what I make of it. Was it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ or was it ⭐⭐?
I'm going in the middle and settling on ⭐⭐⭐.
This list has made me want to explore Brian Eno more than any other artist, because I find his albums interesting, but challenging. I suspect he has probably made an album or two that I would really love, but I don't think I've found it yet.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
When it's good it's very good.
Some of the songs were very overplayed when it was new but it's been long enough now that I can enjoy them again.
But of filler towards the middle and end, but good overall.
Q-Tip
2/5
I listened to this twice because I couldn't remember what I made of it.
...and I still can't remember. So it didn't make much of an impression
Röyksopp
5/5
So relaxing and so catchy.
It's a while since I've gone back to this album, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
It was fine as background but no real desire to go back to it.
Alice In Chains
1/5
I just found this rather boring. Every song sounded the same and they did nothing for me.
Jack White
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected to. Better than some of his other side projects/solo work.
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
Eh, did nothing for me.
Little Richard
4/5
Enjoyed this.
D'Angelo
1/5
Does music come any more beige than this?
So bland.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
One good song, and a lot of very samey songs that all blur into one.
It's not particularly bad, but I'm not going to go and listen to an album of theirs, and I don't understand why some people rate them so highly.
The KLF
3/5
Quite enjoyed
Kate Bush
3/5
Starts really good, then loses its way a bit as the album goes on
a-ha
2/5
Great first track. Didn't need the rest.
XTC
2/5
I've never enjoyed this very 80s sound
David Bowie
4/5
I enjoyed it more then I expected to given that I'm not generally a fan of Bowie's later work.
But does it really need to be on this list when peak Bowie was so much better?
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
A couple of good songs, but a bit mediocre overall.
I quite liked their collaborations with Jack Johnson. On their own, they're missing something.
Thundercat
1/5
I have exceeded my limit for listening to generic R&B songs for one day.
On another day, this may have earned a second star, but this list has been full of bland R&B recently and I've heard enough.
TLC
1/5
They did 2 iconic songs. But I really didn't need to listen to a whole album.
Boring and very generic, I had to skip half the songs.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Didn't really do much for me. Not particularly memorable. Nowhere near as good as Sister. Disappointing.
The Doors
3/5
Talk Talk
2/5
Eh
Jungle Brothers
3/5
It's fine, but sounding a bit dated now.
Arcade Fire
4/5
A few great songs, and I love the theatre of the organs.
But there's a few weaker songs and overall it didn't quite maintain the level of Funeral.
The White Stripes
4/5
Very good start, drops off a bit as it goes on.
Paul Simon
2/5
Seemed like a muted version of a Simon and Garfunkel album.
It was ok, but I don't need to listen to it again.
Britney Spears
1/5
It comes to something when the second and third "best" tracks were the rubbish remixes of the first track.
One iconic song, but the rest of the album was awful. An unimaginative cover version stands head and shoulders above most of the original tracks.
I expected to dislike this album. When I was half way through the title track, I started to feel cautiously optimistic. By track 3, I realised that it wasn't even going to reach my original expectations.
Ice Cube
2/5
Technically decent and some of the tracks sound like a big improvement over the very dated sounding 80s hip-hop.
But I don't want to listen to the misogyny and the glorification of violence.
Maybe gains points for its influence on improving hip-hop technically. But loses at least as many points for being one of the frontrunners of rappers glorifying violence and discrimination.
Tom Waits
3/5
Enjoyed the jazzy bluesy vibes.
Could have done with some of the filler tracks being edited out.
Travis
5/5
It's a long time since I've listened to this album (or Travis in general).
I had forgotten how much I liked this album.
Blue Flashing Lights is a contender for my favourite closing track to an album.
Culture Club
2/5
A couple of good songs, and a lot of 80s dross.
Steely Dan
3/5
I've never really got into Steely Dan. I quite like the songs that I know. The rest is fine, but I'm not likely to go out of my way to listen to an album.
Burning Spear
3/5
Enjoyed the
The Blue Nile
3/5
Very Bowiesque
Queen Latifah
3/5
Enjoyed it more than I expected to
Butthole Surfers
1/5
So, that was a thing...
Why does this list do such an atrocious job at showcasing punk?
The Young Rascals
2/5
Generic 60s
Bert Jansch
2/5
Fine, but not particularly memorable.
Killing Joke
2/5
All a bit samey.
There's hints of something interesting there, but they're hidden quite well.
Linkin Park
5/5
So much angst, so much trauma, and so many bangers.
Some of it sounds very dated these days, and some of it is much harder to listen to than it was when it first came out, but still a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me.
RIP
John Martyn
2/5
Relaxing and inoffensive, if a little dull
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
A few interesting tracks but also some that aren't really for me.
I enjoy the chilled DnB vibes. Not a fan of some of the Indian-style vocals.
I might investigate some of Nitin Sawhney tracks, I expect I will like some. But I don't think I will ever want to listen to another album.
There is potential for something that I would really enjoy here, like a cross between Four Tet and Etherwood, but it doesn't quite deliver.
Now I want to hear a collaboration album between Four Tet and Etherwood.
4/5
Some of their best work, but also some weaker tracks towards the end.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2/5
Eh, forgettable.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
The first song was a bit weird but it had shades of The Futureheads and the Flaming Lips, leaving me cautiously optimistic.
But that was as good as it got. On some of the songs, it seemed like different band members were playing completely different songs and genres to each other and it just didn't work.
Blondie
5/5
It has some absolutely top tier tracks.
It also has a few weaker tracks that almost made me deduct a star.
But how could I not give ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the album that contains Sunday Girl, Picture This, I'm Gonna Love You Too, and One Way Or Another?
The Byrds
2/5
Pearl Jam
2/5
I never understood the hype about Pearl Jam, it's all a bit bland to me.
If one of their songs comes up on a Spotify mix, I'm unlikely to skip it, but I don't have any desire to listen to more than one.
Ian Dury
4/5
Another artist that I've never really got into. I don't particularly like any of his big hits.
...But I think I really like this.
Loved how it goes from 50s rock n roll influences to punk and to everything in between.
It's weird, and at times I think it's bad weird. But overall, I think it's good weird.
If I had listened to this on a day where I was in a bad mood, I suspect the bad weird could have won the battle and I might have only given it ⭐⭐, but I was in a good mood so I gave it a chance and I'm glad I did.
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
Some good tracks, some filler. Hasn't aged that well.
Some of the DnB remixes if his tracks are way better than the originals, he should have collaborated with a DnB DJ.
Suicide
4/5
Not what I expected at all.
Enjoyed it a lot more than I expected.
Except for Frankie's Teardrop. That was more like what I was expecting, and was a bit much.
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
The Electric Prunes
2/5
More generic 60s
Air
4/5
I've never really listened to Air, despite obviously knowing their hits.
Enjoyed it. You can hear their influence a lot in artists like Daft Punk and Bonobo
k.d. lang
3/5
Treading the line between very relaxing and just dull.
Sounds more like it's from the 50s than the 80s.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
I want sure what I made of this so I wasn't at all surprised to find out that Brian Eno was involved with it.
Some tracks made me want to give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐, some tracks made me want to give it ⭐.
Overall, I quite enjoyed it, and I'm going for ⭐⭐⭐.
Steely Dan
2/5
Generic.
Nothing particularly wrong with it. But it has no place on a list of albums that I must hear before I die.
Metallica
2/5
I never got the hype with Metallica.
Circle Jerks
4/5
I had a spare hour, so I listened to it 4 times.
Finally a punk album on this list that I didn't already know and didn't hate.
Quite enjoyed it. Relentless, brash, and fun.
It's not as good as some of the punk/hardcore albums that were criminally overlooked for this list, but I enjoyed it.
Django Django
3/5
There's hints of something really good here, but it doesn't quite make it for me.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Johnny Cash at his best and one of my favourite live albums.
When I hear the studio versions of some of these songs, they just don't sound right without the prison announcements.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Not for me.
It all sounds very similar to me. Definitely didn't need to hear a double album.
Beck
4/5
It starts as good as Odelay, but it drops off a bit as it goes on.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (just). I was maybe a bit stingy with Odelay, which could have been ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.
4/5
I'm not generally a fan of prog rock.
I didn't know a lot of Yes' work, but from what I did know, I was expecting to go be this about ⭐⭐.
I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to.
Billy Bragg
4/5
A few classics, and some filler (I ignored disc 2 as usual). Scrapes 4 stars because of the classics.
When I hear There is Power in a Union, it usually ends with the venue lights going out, the bagpipes starting, and the mayhem beginning. It's weird when the lights stay on and nothing happens.
Big Black
4/5
Brash, discordant and angry. Some very dark lyrical themes, but I enjoyed it overall, especially Passing Complexion.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Didn't know them before this. Enjoyed it.
The Smiths
1/5
"The tracks on this list are not available"
Thank you Spotify for saving me from having to suffer through any of Morrissey's voice.
Frank Zappa
3/5
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Some of it was quite good, but no real desire to listen to it as a whole album.
Anthrax
2/5
Not really for me.
All merged into one song.
The Jam
4/5
Starts off great, love that opening bass line, and it's got a few of my favourite Jam songs. Drops off a bit towards the end.
Soft Machine
3/5
Not bad, but there's plenty of other jazz albums that I would have included in this list ahead of it.
Quite liked the last track.
2.5 stars.
Beach House
2/5
Fine background music. Not exactly groundbreaking.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Sympathy for the devil is one of my favourite Rolling Stones tracks.
But it drops off a lot after that.
Hole
3/5
One great song but the rest of the album could be any other grunge band.
Deerhunter
2/5
It's fine.
But not very memorable. Sounds just like every other shoe gaze album/band.
Another 2.5 stars
TV On The Radio
2/5
At times it was boring, generic indie.
Some songs threatened to be more interesting, almost giving Beck or Young Fathers vibes. But the interesting bits were too few and far between.
The first bonus track was just awful.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
Ok, not their best.
2.5 stars
The Yardbirds
2/5
Generic 60s
Common
3/5
Not bad, enjoyed it more than I expected.
Wasn't paying too much attention, so I have no idea what he was saying.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Relaxing, but country is not for me.
Laura Nyro
4/5
I enjoyed this.
Cheesy at times and quite different to anything that I usually listen to.
I liked her album with Labelle. I don't know why I've never checked out any of her other work.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Quite liked the first track but it was downhill from there.
Generic glam rock that wasn't particularly interesting.
Tears For Fears
1/5
I have never enjoyed this 80s sound at all.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Sounds almost identical to the stone roses.
It's ok but I'm not going to go out of my way to listen to them again.
The The
2/5
More of that generic 80s sound that I do not enjoy
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Not my thing
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Do we really need a covers album in this list?
A couple of good songs, but mostly forgettable.
Skepta
3/5
There's better grime artists/albums.
Had a few good tracks and a few forgettable ones.
Don McLean
3/5
Starts strong, second half was a bit forgettable.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Not their best. I prefer it when they're more upbeat.
David Bowie
3/5
Not his best. 2.5 stars.
50 Cent
1/5
The inclusion of rubbish like this just makes the omission of MF DOOM even more baffling.
Some of the samples are quite catchy, but his rapping is meh (all of the best rapping on the album is by the guest rappers) and the lyrics are pathetic.
Morrissey
1/5
Yeah, nice try, but I'm not committed enough to this list to put myself through listening to Morrissey.
It's a guaranteed 1 star anyway (but only because zero isn't an option).
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Didn't expect to like it, and I'm not going to go out of my way to listen to whole albums of hers, but I quite enjoyed it, very relaxing.
Can
1/5
Just noise with no redeeming features. I don't think this was supposed to be listened to by sober people.
I don't actively hate it like some of my ⭐ reviews, but I don't see why this is a thing, or why anyone felt it was necessary for me to hear it.
1/5
This is the second U2 album where I considered giving it a second star. I didn't hate the first half of the album nearly as much as their other albums.
But the second half was just awful and firmly cemented its ⭐ score.
Elliott Smith
2/5
Ok, if a bit forgettable.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Inoffensive, but bland and a bit forgettable.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Starts good but drops off.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
I've already forgotten it
The Band
2/5
Björk
1/5
Unique. But not for me.
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
Boring generic country sound, combined with awful lyrics.
Not for me.
Faust
4/5
Very varied and a bit weird.
I didn't enjoy all of it, but that's not surprising given how many tracks there were and how many genres it spanned.
Overall, I enjoyed it more than I expected. It seemed like the kind of album that I wanted the Velvet Underground to make.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
At last, a hyped hip-hop album on this list that I actually enjoyed.
John Lennon
3/5
Working class hero was a great song. The rest sounds like a collection of the least memorable Beatles songs.
3 stars, but only just.
The Young Gods
2/5
Didn't really grab me
Fiona Apple
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot more then the last Fiona Apple album that I heard. I understand the hype now.
Mudhoney
2/5
After the first 2 songs, I thought I was going to enjoy this more than I did. It tailed off and all of the songs began to blur into one.
Common
3/5
I liked the jazzy, soulful beats and the production.
Didn't listen too closely to the lyrics, probably for the best.
The xx
5/5
Beautiful. One of my favourite chill out albums.
Pleasantly surprised to see two xx albums make this list.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
I feel like I just listened to the same song 12 times.
Daft Punk
4/5
I wanted to give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, and it's got a few great tracks with much nostalgia.
But as an overall album, I think it's more of a ⭐⭐⭐⭐.
New Order
2/5
Very 80s. Not very me.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
It's fine, but including this album in the list over ...And Out Come The Wolves is criminal.
David Bowie
4/5
A few songs that I really like, but also a fair bit of filler.
The good ones are just about enough to make it scrape ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Nobody does bitter quite like Alanis Morissette.
The perfect break up album.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Ok, not particularly memorable, not their best work.
Fishbone
3/5
Quite enjoyed the ska tracks. The other tracks were a bit dull.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Not particularly memorable.
Supergrass
3/5
A couple of bangers, but far too long and much of it was forgettable.
Yes
3/5
Ok. Sounds busy like the Who.
2/5
A couple of good songs. But this was far too long, and much of it was very forgettable.
Ray Charles
2/5
I really enjoyed the few jazzier tracks. Sadly, they were sandwiched between a whole load of country tracks that I did not enjoy.
King Crimson
2/5
Generic 70s
Lucinda Williams
1/5
Bland, generic country
Joy Division
2/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
A few bangers. Some weaker tracks towards the end.
I've never gone out of my way to listen to whole albums of theirs, but this is pretty good.
Haircut 100
3/5
Funkier than I expected.
Marvin Gaye
1/5
Dull, not for me
Adele
2/5
She's a good singer, but this is not for me.
The first 2 tracks were massively overplayed, the rest is just bland and repetitive.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Not something I'm going to go out of my way to listen to, but it was nice relaxing background music to work to.
Korn
2/5
One banger, the rest is a bit meh.
Waylon Jennings
2/5
Generic country.
Better than most country, I didn't mind having it on in the background, but i have no interest in hearing it again.
Shuggie Otis
2/5
Eh
Love
1/5
Offensively average. Just another bland 60s album that I did not need to hear before I die.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
"According to Spence, the Nashville sessions were intended by him to only be a demo".
Should have listened to him, would have saved us from having to listen to this.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Ok, but unremarkable. Definitely not essential to hear before you die.
Kate Bush
3/5
Justin Timberlake
1/5
It's just the same song played over and over again.
Bad Brains
3/5
The song I Against I was good. But the rest was quite forgettable.
Neneh Cherry
1/5
Never liked this 80s / early 90s pop / rap sound.
Very dated, very repetitive, and not at all enjoyable.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Sounds like every other R&B album
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Bland
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
Not my kind of thing. Ok for a few tracks, but it got very samey, and I did not need a double album of it.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Much better than the previous Missy Elliott album.
Some good tracks, some a bit pedestrian. The album could have done with being a bit shorter. Scrapes ⭐⭐⭐, just.
Solomon Burke
3/5
A few good tracks. Some of it is a bit wet.