1001 Albums Summary

Evident reggae (and jazz?) influence (good). Instanteously excellent with first song 'Billy Jack'. This is about a black man being shot. First impressions: 4 stars.

Excellent jazz playing. Very good technique. Nice and eclectic mix of instruments (jazz fusion so guitar and drums mixed with piano and saxophone). Probably 3 stars out of 5 (very, very good but 'The Gumbo Variations' has some strange sounds from the playing, lyrics on 'Willie the Pimp' are bizarre and not very well-written, I also think this would be amazing as a jazz album -- i.e w/o guitar, drums, etc. ...). The album has definitely made me think that Frank Zappa is good! The vocals on 'Willie the Pimp' are good in its own bizarre way. Overall, very good: all the songs are highlights; this is both because, and a consequence, of the album's cohesion. Why is '13' by Blur not on the 1001 albums?

Immediate punk sound. It also reminds me of metal? This man does not sing on 'Personality Crisis'. Contradict me if you will. I can see why people would like this -- it seems to represent punk done well. But I do not like this. Sure, if someone put on certain songs, I could listen to them. Nevertheless, I can not see myself ever electing to listen to any of this. 5/10.

Very relaxing music but also a lovely, concise length. I like their voices! One to revisit. 8/10 Heard before: ‘Take it Easy’

I had notes here but my computer crashed :( This instantly established itself as a 1970s album. It seems a little generic. However, I think it only sounds generic because it seems to have had such wide-ranging influence -- all its sounds have been reused (at least, I think it has had a wide-ranging influence). First impressions: 4/5. I think 7/10 at the end -- 3 or 4. The title song merits a 4.

2020 Mercury Prize winner! First album that I have got from this century. Bongo drums at start of first track. Instantly engaging with Jake-Bugg-esque vocals on the first track, 'You Ain't the Problem [sic]'. They sound like they have had similar production ('Lightning Bolt' and 'You Ain't the Problem'). End of first track simultaneously reminds me of both Mario video games and Keane. Theme of sadness from first three tracks -- throughout whole album. Stylistic change in second track, 'Rolling'. Orchestral accompaniment in 'I've Been Dazed' (excellent feature). 'reputation'-esque production in fourth track (the 'Intro'). Good lyrics -- socially conscious and interesting. Nice singing! A HARP on 'Another Human Being'(!!!!!!!!!!!). Folk sound. An evident 'Parachutes' influence (the Coldplay album) comes through throughout the album. The interlude and 'Solid Ground' effortlessly blend into one. A good, subtle start to 'Solid Ground'. Good ending with a backing choir. Too much holiness on the third track. I am thinking 4 stars. I understand why it won the Mercury Prize (Kiwanuka had been nominated twice before and both were deserving, so it's only fair. However, Laura Marling was nominated for the fourth time in 2020 and she did not win) but a lot of the songs seem to sound the same to me. They are all excellent songs, but folk is not really to my taste; thus, I don't really remember many of the tracks. FINAL THOUGHTS: 9/10. Therefore, 4/5. (Obviously, 9/2 = 4.5, which rounds to 5, but it does not deserve 5 à mon avis).

Not the Daft Punk album I would personally choose to go on this list but still very good. I shall listen to it again. ...but it was too long. Of course it's repetitive -- it's electronic dance music, that's the point -- yet some of the songs towards the end are a lot weaker than the first two-thirds. They take forever to finish and don't sound nearly as good (possibly because my brain was so tired by the end). I could tell you which ones, due to the (admittedly well-done) segues. It was a chore to sit through all of it. Heard before: 'Da Funk', 'Around the World', 'Burnin'' 7/10. Nevertheless, it could grow on me.

2006 Mercury Prize nominee. Eclectic range of instruments. I like the violins on 'Coles Corner'! His voice seems pretty good: I only ever heard Jarvis Cocker on Pulp's music. The lyrics make reference to the purpose of the real-life Coles Corner as being an area to meet a future lover. First impression after the first song is that this will be a 4. 'I Sleep Alone' reminds me of the song 'Lightning Bolt' by Jake Bugg. I rather like the instrumental track 'Last Orders'. A wide-reaching range of genres seem to have influenced this album but it is still cohesive overall. Presumably due to the genres that have influenced it, 'Coles Corner' sounds rather old. Nevertheless, it comes across as rather repetitive. This sounds like slimmed-down, mass-produced Radiohead in parts. This album, at other times, sounds part-indie-rock, part-old-time-country. It's not really my kind of music (whatever it is, it's not Pulp), but I like the background instruments. Best songs: 'Just Like the Rain', 'Hotel Room', 'Born Under a Bad Sign', 'Tonight', 'Last Orders'. Favourite track: 'Last Orders'. 7/10. I debated giving it a 6.5 and a 3, but I'll give it a 4/5 -- it was nominated for the Mercury Prize (did it deserve to be nominated, however...? I think so, to be honest, but I would have preferred if Keane's 'Under the Iron Sea' was), I like the album's instrumentation, and it's an easy listen. Most importantly, it sounds like an album that could easily be adapted for the piano/flute (both of which I play). It seems to be possible to take the album's Spotify link, paste it in to the search bar after '1001albumsgenerator.com' and it will lead to the album? Worked for 'The ArchAndroid'.

2006 Mercury Prize nominee. EXCELLENT. Great, socially conscious lyrics. According to Wikipedia, it is a concept album about war (therefore, 'Soldier's Poem', march tempo on 'Invincible'. etc.). The vocals remind me of 'Burn the Witch' by Radiohead. Tracks two and three are famous; I had obviously heard them before. Good violins on first track. Lovely, smooth transition from hard rock on 'Map of the Problematique' to soft classical pop on 'Soldier's Poem'. Definite 5/5. FAR, FAR better than 'Drones'. 'Soldier's Poem' and first part of 'Invincible' are much softer than songs before. I thought perhaps the album was in two halves, but the second part of 'Invincible' is as hard as the start. Personally speaking, 'Assassin' does not sound as good as the songs before it. I think it's too influenced by industrial rock and metal for my tastes. Does 'City of Delusion' have influences from Bollywood music (in a recurring motif on the song)? It certainly has excellent sweeping strings, and fantastic trumpet-playing. I prefer the classical pop songs (e.g. 'Soldier's Poem' and 'Hoodoo') over the industrial/heavy metal songs. Good production on the vocals in 'Hoodoo'. Nice recurring melodic and rhythmic motif of the drums (bongos?) in 'Hoodoo'. 'Glorious' in NOT on the physical CD (only standard Spotify edition and Japanese CD); thus, do NOT listen to it. Evident electronic influence from first to last song. 'Knights of Cydonia' is amazing. 10/10, or maybe 9/10 -- but a definite 5/5.

WHO IS THIS SINGER? WHAT is wrong with his voice?! What sort of insane person let him away with singing?!?!?!?! The music and lyrics in 'Navvy' are laughably bad. Earlier today, I rated a grunge album I had missed. I waited out the whole length of it. Given that I have already exposed myself to one atrocious album, I have decided not to repeat the experience. Pere Ubu are less talented (this is not music -- sound is the only word I can use to describe it) and the album is TWICE AS LONG. 1/10. And what is that name? 'Father Ubu' without an accent? (apparently it is, given that the name is taken from the play 'Ubu Roi' <Ubu the King>).

I thought this was pretty good. Originally a four… until about twenty minutes in, where it became a three… so why the 1? ‘One of Them’ is pure homophobia. It’s not satire, it’s complete shit. I shut this absolute nonsense up as soon as I realised.

I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I didn't have time to finish it but I did not care one bit. That was incredibly boring and monotonous. Kurt Cobain's vocals are utterly rubbish. Good background music for philately. I don't agree with the inclusion of live albums from the album era on this list, to be honest. I could understand a live album from the 1950s, but Nirvana and Metallica don't need live albums here. 4.5/10.

YAY! Probably 4/5 (9/10; 18 or 19/20), based solely off the three songs I have heard. Maybe 5 because it's better than the other 4s? 1993 Mercury Prize winner. Songs I had heard beforehand: 'Metal Mickey' (not to my taste but I understand why many like it), 'Where the Pigs Don't Fly' (excellent and I like the techniques), 'Animal Nitrate' (AMAZING and excellent pun in order to highlight social injustices). I LOVE the androgynous front cover. WHO was going to tell me these were public????????????????!!!!!!!!!!! Good start to the album with 'So Young' (heroin references!). Probably a 4. 4.5 if I could. All good styles but I don't think it's absolutely amazing. It did deserve the Mercury Prize though! 'She's Not Dead' is pretty good. The lead singer has a good voice. I like the cohesion in the songs. It reminds me of 'Parachutes': every song is similar but still fairly memorable and different. 5. 'Sleeping Pills' is very good! I now like 'Metal Mickey' -- an acquired taste of a song that must be listened to multiple times, it seems. I know Suede did not like the term 'Britpop' being applied to them but this is definitely a Britpop album. 'Animal Lover' is another highlight.

After part one was finished, I felt it had been nice and relaxing. The album certainly seems influential, what with being mostly synthesisers. However, I prefer interesting instrumentals, pieces that convey moods, images, and intrigue the listener due to their complexities and technical difficulty (I find that these requirements usually only apply to classical music, and I am aware how snobby this makes me look). This was not that; thus, it sounded fairly similar throughout. Nevertheless, the album wasn't bad (if you like instrumental popular music, you'll love this) and the aforementioned influence is important, so I shall give Jarre 5/10.

BEFORE LISTENING: I have never been a fan of hip-hop. I love albums from all other genres (except maybe jazz but I do like a few songs). The only hip-hop album I have ever enjoyed was, ‘People’s Instinctive Travels…’ by A Tribe Called Quest. I do quite like that song ‘Intergalatic’ by the Beastie Boys though. AFTER LISTENING: After hearing three or four tracks, I was going to switch it off after side A finished. I lasted until the middle of ‘High Plains Drifter’. What on Earth is this crap? This did not change my opinions on hip-hop and is in no way comparable to Sgt. Pepper.

This completely deserved its Mercury. smash THOM YORKE Everyone should listen to this at least twice before they die to fully absorb its magnanimity. 8.5/10

I have opinions surrounding country music. I have opinions surrounding hard rock music. And I have opinions surrounding live albums. I switched this off due to being unable to bear this right now. Nevertheless, I did enjoy 'Something's Happening'; however, I will never purposely listen to any of these songs again. 3/10.

I loved 'It's Blitz!' and I love the songs 'Rich' and 'Maps'. Looking forward to the whole album. I did not like 'Date with the Night' (I hated that part where she screams 'Chop' about ten times) and 'Man' as much. Nevertheless, 'It's Blitz!' grew on me; I presume this album will too. Halfway through (at 'Black Tongue'), I realised that it has been fairly similar throughout so far, with the exception of 'Rich'. It's a fairly good album with some highlights, but not one I would be inclined to listen to again. Is 'Pin' just one long bizarre innuendo? If the lyrics weren't so... 'unique', I might have liked this one. Favourites: 'Rich', 'Maps', 'Modern Romance' 7/10.

A concept album about witch trials: it sounds interesting! Weird opening. This first song is alright but very, very strange. I guess I should have expected that from an album about witchcraft? Clearly very experimental. They deserve the 'noise rock' label. Again, the first word to come to mind for the second track is just plain 'weird'. I do have to say that I don't think it's actually all that bad? Probably a 3. I mean, if you like this sort of thing, go listen to it. Not really my type, but maybe, just maybe, I'll come back to it. I did finish it and thought it was OK, bordering on good. It was also fairly easy to listen to -- not really a chore: probably because it was alright and because it was fairly short. 6/10.

NAHHHHHH I WAS LITERALLY GOING TO LISTEN TO THIS WHEN I CAME HOME ANYWAY WHAT THE SUS AHQHJQBNAJIOQOSJSHSBHHSHSHSHHSHS I ONLY FOUND OUT IT WAS ON THE LIST YESTERDAY WHAT A COINCIDENCE OH MY LORD AHJQIJWHWNSNNSJSSJSJJSJS The first song is pretty good and I love the harmonica! Björk's vocals are fantastic (as per usual)! 'Motorcrash' is really good and the chorus is well-performed. Definite 5/5. Excellent soft/alternative rock music. 'Birthday' is pretty good but, despite being the most famous, is not the best. 'Deus' reminds me of 'Venus as a Boy' -- the lyrics more so than the music. Björk is better than Einar, the other lead vocalist. Best songs: 'Motorcrash', 'Delicious Demon', 'Mama', 'Deus'.

1995 Mercury Prize winner. 'Mysterons' is a bit eerie and ethereal, with seemingly bizarre instrumentation (I cannot lie - it reminds me of Scooby-Doo). Is that a theremin? I like the drums ostinato -- or what sounds like drums going rat...rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat. I couldn't really hear what the vocalist was saying but she has a great voice. The first track is right to my taste; from this, it seems like I will enjoy the rest of the album. 'Sour Times' continues to appeal, with influences that seem to be jazz, blues and even... western? It even reminds me of 'OK Computer' (nevertheless, that album came out a few years after 'Dummy'). Again, the polyphonic melody seems to contain ostinati. 'Strangers' starts with a bizarre noise that hints at bizarre recording, bizarre production or most likely both. I still have very little idea what this singer is actually saying, but that does not really matter. The idea of this being 'trip-hop'/'alternative hip-hop' comes in most prominently so far in this song compared to the previous two. Again, 'It Could be Sweet' sounds like an alternative hip-hop track. This album just keeps getting better! It's similar while remaining wildly different on each track. 'Wandering Star' sounds like it has been taken from the soundtrack to a sci-fi film. The looping drum ostinati continue, as does the singer's beautiful voice. The song seems to have influence from older rock, but remains thoroughly modern. 'Numb' sounds the most like a dance track on the entire album (but it is not). Is that the same vocalist? Cool abrupt ending! 'Roads' is noticeably slower than 'Numb'. The start sounds like a piano ballad, only the piano's part has been recorded and warped to sound nothing like a piano. Probably my favourite so far (or 'Wandering Star'), especially due to the sweeping strings that come in around halfway through! 'Pedestal' -- the voice sounds like it has been edited, unlike on the other tracks where (to me, at least) it sounds completely natural. 'Biscuit' has an excellent intro with brass instruments. Does this sample something? A man sounds like he's singing at one point; the production makes it sound like he's fifty metre away from the other instruments in a smoky bar, making me think that the vocals were not recorded for this song. That 'piano' sound from earlier reappears -- is it some kind of synthesiser? 'Glory Box' is the final song. That passed quickly! Again, it sounds like there is a change of vocalist -- she even sounds like Amy Winehouse -- but I'm pretty sure it's the same one. I like the loop of a crescendo in whatever that instrument is -- a violin? If I had to guess, I would say this was one of the singles released (I was correct!). Overall, the album deserved its acclaim, being a fantastic début -- great instrumentation, great production, great vocals, great genre (sounding like hip-hop at one point and contemporary classical at others).. The slow tempi fit the mood. It's also a nice length. My one complaint is that I could barely tell you five words that were said in any song except the last. 9.5/10.

I have never listened to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs before but apparently this is a progression from rock to dance. 'Zero' is rather good -- I can tell how it has both rock and dance influences. This is a very good dance album from the first two songs! Probably 9/10 -- either 4 or 5 -- probably 4. Nice length. Definite 9/10 but also 4/5. Not quite 5 but very, very good! (This was my first time listening: I have yet to award 5 stars to an album I have never heard of or never listened to a little bit of, like this one). That said, I have added it to my library and will definitely be listening again. Actually, despite being 9/10, I think it is a 5. All the songs were very good.

I have just listened to Wet Leg and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Metallica they are not. Contrary to what that sentence might imply, I mean that as a compliment to the two former bands. This is the exact opposite of the Beatles' 'White Album': Metallica's 'Black Album' is the opposite colour, and is also the opposite of excellent. My father loves Metallica. I hated the band with a (very childish, I might add) burning passion in my childhood and I have very little interest in wasting sixty-two(!) minutes that I shall never get back. 'Enter Sandman' is one of the worst songs I have ever heard. Heavy metal, to be frank, is not a great genre: I struggle to comprehend how there seem to be so many metal albums on this list (a lot of which have received critical acclaim, to be fair) yet only one metal album has ever been nominated for the Mercury Prize in its thirty-year history. Why does it have to be turned up ever so loud -- is it to disguise the fairly mediocre instrument playing and average vocals? I'll gladly take classical music over this any day, given that it is played with... well, class. Who on Earth decided that Metallica get four albums on this list when neither Louis Armstrong or Édith Piaf have a single one? Eric Clapton and Radiohead (Radiohead!) also have four. Metallica are not on par with these greats. At least remove some of their albums and make way for something much better, like '13' by Blur or Rina Sawayama's début. That said, this album appears to have had a wide influence, which is a criterion important as to whether it should be in the top 1001 most important albums. 'Most important' is definitely different to 'best'. I do have friends who are big fans of Metallica and metal in general. 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' is an amazing album (yet, I mostly listen to the art rock pieces on it). If metal is what you like, then listen to it, enjoy it and don't let me, a random Internet album-listener, spoil your fun! While it is personally not to my taste, I can appreciate that there have to be some positives. And, out of respect to my father, I may give this a 2. Or not (to be honest, I did not give it a listen). Maybe another day. I have the whole summer to waste those aforementioned sixty-two minutes.

Tracks heard before: 'Sexy Boy' (probably because I have watched 'Ten Things I Hate About You'). This is amazing electronic music two tracks in! Atmospheric soundscapes. I can see why they were picked to make the soundtrack for the film 'The Virgin Suicides' -- it strikes me as the kind of music that would complement the film perfectly. Beth Hirsch reminds me of Beth Gibbins from Portishead. This album reminds me of Daft Punk if they weren't Daft Punk. I suppose both are French. 'Moon Safari' is fantastic. I can understand why one of the top reviews thought it was 'elevator music' but I can't say I agree in any way. It's relaxing and just what I needed today. Ooo, and they're French. 9.5/10.

DAMN I WANTED THIS AS MY NEXT ONE SGAHIQOQLAKSNSHGTSGTS I have obviously heard the songs 'Dirrty' and 'Beautiful' before. I have the CD! I like the montage of 'celebrity gossip' (for want of a better term) in the intro. It definitely sets a tone and a scene for the rest of the album. The continuation of the intro later in the album is also an interesting technique I've never seen before. The second track instantly cements it as pop. I was not alive when Christina Aguilera was very famous, so I don't know whether this is really a 'new direction' as she claimed. I doubt it, to be frank. However, just because it's pop doesn't mean it's bad. I didn't think this album would really be amazing enough to be included in this guide, but it seems pretty good. Nice message of feminism in 'Can't Hold Us Down'. I can understand why people didn't (and don't) like this. But it's honestly very, very good! She has a great voice, and it's not just meaningless, producer-written, bubblegum drivel. I hear influence from Latin music. All very danceable -- not necessarily a bad thing! There is a time and a place for art rock, and a time and place for Christina Aguilera. 'Infatuation', 'Underappreciated' and 'Dirrty' all remind me of each other. Rina Sawayama definitely heard 'Loving Me 4 [sic] Me' before recording 'Love Me 4 [sic] Me'. Not only are the titles (obviously) very similar but the songs sound rather like each other. I LOVE 'BEAUTIFUL'. I like the violins that recur throughout. I presume they're synthesisers, however. :( 'Dirrty' does not belong on this album -- it sounds very different. I know she wanted to shed her image, but she could have done that and then left this overly sexualised song off the album... However, I suppose it signified that her old image had now been 'stripped'. I think 9/10. Nevertheless, it deserves 5/5, because I'll be listening again. I did debate giving it a 4, but that's not happening after listening through fully, mainly because ARGHHHH I LOVE 'BEAUTIFUL' SO MUCH. Not for the first time, I wish this website operated using a scale of 10, not 5.

What is this? There has to be good, 'old school', '90s hip-hop on this list... but this is not it. I tried to listen. I really did. And I switched it off after playing the first song on low volume. I have no desire to hear about your penis and what you want to do with women approximately once every ten seconds.

I loved it! I find it very interesting how the television series 'Black Mirror' was inspired by the song. Probably my favourite on the album! Et le chanteur chante en français ! I like the violins. The unconventional instrumentation (organ, hurdy-gurdy and mandolin, according to Wikipedia) is also very interesting and sets Arcade Fire apart. The organ is quite clearly heard on 'Intervention'. Definite 5/5. Favourite tracks: all of them! French again on 'Black Wave/Bad Vibrations'! Excellent orchestration on 'Ocean of Noise'! The end almost sounds like jazz. 'The Well and the Lighthouse' is the song that sounds most like pop so far. Classical-influenced pop, I would say. '(Antichrist Television Blues)' seems to be dance-rock, like Franz Ferdinand or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Probably my favourite album that I have discovered through this project (aside from 'The ArchAndroid') I LOVED IT. 10/10.

A live album? Why? I am not listening to a Metallica (strike one) live (strike two) album that is over two hours long (strike three). Oh, and it's called 'S&M'. Strike four (apparently this stands for 'Symphony and Metallica', but the connotations are still there). I do like a good orchestra. It has to be said. And they could be heard instantly on the first track! OK, this first one is actually very good. Probably because Metallica had no hand in it! (Obviously, I have watched 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'). Oh, I'm not bothered. 2/5 for having an excellent orchestra perform (honestly, if it was just them, I'd be willing to give 10/10, but there are sadly no classical albums on this list). But I'm not bothered with the rest of this.

I just can't wait to listen to an album that lasts for over an hour and spends most of the time dwelling on homophobia, misogyny, and violence, especially all three together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!! Unpopular opinion: this rapping is not great. I lasted about one minute before switching this tripe off. 1/10. I can't be bothered... but he did have a huge influence. Still, I'll give it a 1/5.

This is MY kind of hip-hop. I knew there had to be good hip-hop on this list! I suppose it is alternative. I love this jazzy production that juxtaposes the backing instruments and the rapping; the former sounds like it comes from the 1930s, while the latter sounds like it's from the 1990s. 'Luck of Lucien': they even sampled the Beatles! It was a pleasant surprise to discover that 'Can I Kick It?' is by this group. 'Ham 'N' Eggs' cements the idea, if there was any doubt, that this is a hip-hop group like no other. It was refreshing to not hear the N-word. Favourite songs: 'Luck of Lucien', 'After Hours', 'I Left My Wallet in El Segundo', 'Can I Kick It?', 'Ham 'N' Eggs' (but it's all great). 9/10. I finally understand why people rave over A Tribe Called Quest. This is probably better than some of the others I rated 5... but the problem is I don't think I'll listen again.

uppa norn iron

Heard before: 'Venus as a Boy'. I adore Björk! 'Human Behaviour' is fantastic. Typical Björk alt-pop/trip-hop/God knows. Driven by an immediately obvious drum machine. 'Crying' -- great piano ostinato! 'Venus as a Boy'. No words needed to express how good this song is. I love the world influences. 'There's More to Life than This' is a... house track? I don't really know but it's good. Good segue into 'Like Someone in Love' which has a lovely harp. The singing is secondary. 'Big Time Sensuality' is yet another (very good) house track that reminds me of M People. 'One Day' is seemingly another trip-hop track. With a baby gurgling at the start? 'Aeroplane' introduces an obvious jazz influence that is hinted at in the previous song. 'Come to Me' sounds like a band that I cannot quite place. Is it supposed to be space rock? Or maybe I'm thinking of 'OK Computer'... A testament to Björk's extraordinary ability to fuse together anything and everything. 'Violently Happy' is the final house track on this album, utilising distorted vocals reminiscent of 'Hunter', the first song on her third album. The final song, 'The Anchor Song, again follows house with jazz. Jazz-electronica fusion? Also, does this album seriously end... with a tuba? True alternative music at its best. 9/10... but should it be a 4 or a 5? I would say a 5. I can definitely see myself listening to this again, due to all the excellent, and excellently different, songs on it.

An excellent synth-pop album. Great tunes from start to finish: well-written and well-produced. None of my favourite songs by them were on this album but I’ve now discovered new favourites!

I have only ever heard 'when you sleep' from 'loveless' before. I love that song so I'm expecting good things. The first song clearly demonstrates that this album is still shoegaze, like 'loveless' 22 years before. However, the more I listen, it sounds like it was influenced by... pop. Specifically electropop, with loops. Not what I was expecting on the second half, from 'if i [sic] am' until the end. In fact, 'nothing is' is a rave track and no-one can tell me otherwise. I can understand the lead singer better on this album, which is positive. I'm thinking an 8 or a 9 out of 10. 'new you' was probably my favourite, but none, including that one, really stood out. Nevertheless, I loved the overall cohesive sound so I'll give it a 9/10. I will listen again.

It just sounds the same as all country music. I don’t mind the sound of country but I’m not naïve enough to believe that this was ‘groundbreaking’ or important, just a representation of good country music. And I’ve heard enough of that after two songs.

Heard before: 'American Idiot', 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams', 'Wake Me Up When September Ends'. I can't really understand him between the loud instruments and his accent, except on songs I already know. Isn't this pop-punk? Maybe not, according to this website. I love love love 'WMUWSE' but it could not save this thing. 'American Idiot' and 'WMUWSE' are absolute bangers. I also think if I had got this on a different day I would have loved it, given that I quite enjoy pop-punk. However, today I was not feeling it and I doubt I'll listen again. It was on the side of meh that's closer to bad. Thus, I'm giving it a 3 and a 5/10. I was going to give it 4 after hearing 'WMUWSE' again but after the album limped on for 13 more minutes I think the original rating was good.

WOW. Far, far better than I expected. I thought Pavement were supposed to sound like Tortoise and Blur’s eponymous album. I love Blur’s fifth album but… it really had to grow on me and I only put in so much effort because Blur are my favourite band. However, this record is filled with accessible indie rock (my favourite genre) alongside just the right amount of more unconventional singing and production. 5 stars!

One to definitely listen to again. I had heard a few of their songs before so I was rather glad to see this album ('Enjoy the Silence', my favourite Depeche Mode song, is on here).

These songs are all nice and poppy. All nice and short. Basic enough with some basic songwriting (see ‘Please Mister Postman’). This is the kind of album I would put on again without particularly liking any of the songs by themselves. 7/10.

Tbh I was so uninterested in this that I forgot it was playing and suddenly thought to myself, 'What's that noise? Oh yes, that album I put on'. The first song wasn't even over yet... The music was inoffensive to the point of being rather bland and synth-pop has been done better. Maybe this was very influential in order to justify its inclusion? 4/10

I knew (and liked) the first song, I got through the whole album, Dolly is a great singer and the album wasn't bad. If this is your kind of music, it has been performed well and I would recommend it. If you do not like country, then I would doubt it would be particularly interesting. 5/10.

She sounds like she is excessively imitating FKA Twigs on 'Sober'... but imitation IS the highest form of flattery. I love this concept of going to a house party, being sad and leaving. I also adore the song 'Green Light' (which was the only one I had heard before). My new favourite is 'Homemade Dynamite'. 'Liability' is also great, and I recommend 'Perfect Places'. The whole album is great, but I just feel like there is something missing. I don't think I shall be listening again. 8/10.

I listened once, I thought it was alright, I recognised ‘One Day Like This’ and I had to stop listening because I was so exhausted. After my nap, I revisited and it is SO SO GOOD. Orchestral chamber indie rock that won the Mercury Prize that sounds like Blur mixed with early Coldplay (two of my favourite bands) etc. etc. = perfection. Just listen to it.

I only finished the album on my third listen. Good indie but I don't understand all the hype. I love 2000s indie rock, and thus I know I should appreciate that this album paved the way for that entire genre, but I just can't get it. It's fairly good, especially the second half, but it's not amazing. Maybe, in order to get this, I should have been young in 2001. 7/10.

I just have no interest. I listened to the first track and I gave up. I’m sure it’s good if you like this sort of thing.

MY FIRST RADIOHEAD YAY I was expecting to give this 5/5 just because it's Radiohead and I love Radiohead. But from the first few notes of '2 + 2 = 5', it was crystal clear that this rating was deserved. Absolutely amazing as always. Unpopular opinion but I preferred this one over 'Kid A'. 'Hail to the Thief' grabbed me and demanded to be listened to from the get-go because it's so good, and maintains its excellence throughout. 'Kid A', on the other hand, was carried by 'Everything in its Right Place' on the first listen. 9.5/10.

I have heard of him so that's a start. I always thought he was a rapper but he sings very well! Pop/R&B? Favourite songs: 'Thinkin Bout You', 'Sweet Life', 'Crack Rock', 'Forrest Gump'. This is a very good (unconventional and strange yet very well-executed) album but it's not really my kind of music. I did enjoy most of the songs but I won't listen to most of them again. If it was shorter I would probably like it more. One other 3-star review sums up exactly how I felt: 'Good music but not my style. Would listen again and revise.' 6/10.

Heard before: 'Sex on Fire', 'Use Somebody'. First track in. This is better than I expected from the (alright) singles I knew. Second track in. Both excellent! Favourite songs: 'Closer', 'Crawl', 'Revelry', 'I Want You'. 8/10.

I mean, I tried. I thought that I shouldn't listen to all the reviews and try to hear this album with no judgement. I thought the first song ('She's Hit') was alright but definitely not really my kind of music. Then, Nick Cave started GROWLING like some kind of rabid dog at the start of 'Dead Joe' and I decided this wasn't really for me.

Not really my kind of music but I can appreciate that it is interesting and different! 5/10. One point taken off for being far too long.

Bad singer. Not a fan of grunge so not expecting much from one of its progenitors. HUGE influence on Nirvana, which shows. Even Kurt Cobain's singing style is similar to this. I REALLY wanted to switch this off after two songs, but I persevered because it's only just over twenty minutes long. For this reason more than anything else it gets 2/10. I truly detested this. I cannot understand the appeal of 'energy' etc. blah blah blah. One condition of good music is that it must be GOOD. I was going to give it two stars but halfway in my mood was too sour. This did not improve my opinion of grunge one bit.

no idea what she’s saying but ok slay queen x Seriously though, this album is beautiful. I am a big fan of shoegaze and I can see how this was clearly very, very influential. Favourite songs (after listening multiple times): ‘Cherry-coloured Funk’, ‘Pitch the Baby’

This sounds good from the start, which is always a great sign! However, the first song is incredibly sad. Reminds me of Nick Cave's 'Ghosteen' a little bit. I also understand he is screaming due to his therapy but it is incredibly unsettling to listen to. Nevertheless, I think the screaming/rasping actually does complement the music in the first song. It gets old quickly, as shown when he does it in other songs. 'Hold On' is excellent. This man is not a good singer. I knew he was an acquired taste from 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' but one full album is hard to listen to. This would be a 5/5 with different lyrics. I know it was important to him that he wrote the songs with those lyrics but they are very, very depressing and/or difficult to listen to. Those instrumentals are class. Except for that strange bomb noise at the end of 'Remember'. Favourite songs: 'Hold On', 'Isolation' 7/10.

2010 Mercury Prize winner. I listened once. And then I listened again (but I was interrupted halfway). I thought I would really enjoy it, given that they're meant to be similar to other bands I like, but I just thought it was... OK. Not amazing, but not too bad. 'Intro' was my favourite track and 'Crystalised' [sic] was alright -- but none of them, even those two, really stood out. On most albums here, even ones I don't like, I can say to one song, 'Oo, that was something pretty good despite all the mediocrity.' Not really the case here. 5/10.

I don’t mind singing along to Beyoncé on the radio. I did listen to ‘Renaissance’ and I could understand the critical acclaim surrounding it, given that it utilised forms of house music in order to pay homage to Black and queer musicians. ‘Lemonade’, while I have never heard it, seems to have good lyricism, judging from what critics say. Yet, I cannot understand how the rest of her albums generate so much acclaim, appearing on end-of-decade lists! The same goes for Taylor Swift. They make basic pop music, not really pushing anything or being too original, but because both are superstars they also receive acclaim. Thus, I listened to this album, but it didn’t change my opinion. It’s basic white girl 2010s pop. Enough said. (I must say that Beyoncé and Taylor Swift deserve recognition for becoming so famous. Good for them. However, that doesn’t mean all their music is fantastic). This is genuinely one of the albums I regretted listening to. For that reason, it gets 2 stars (not one because it’s not THAT bad. I’m sure if I was attracted to women I would enjoy it way more).

so depressing but exactly what I needed Good for him for getting catharsis!

Excellent! So, so good. It’s my exact style of indie WITH A MARIMBA FOR GOD’S SAKE! ARGQHQ Fave songs: all of them tbh

This album has two songs and last just over twenty-five minutes. One of the few EPs here! Afrobeat and African popular music are not really my styles (I enjoyed 'The Age of Pleasure', though, and I don't mind a bit of jazz, funk and reggae, which have influenced the style). Nice antiphony on the title track. Combined with the political lyrics, a very memorable song is created. (The antiphony on the other track is also good. It's one of the features that makes the album obviously African). This really reminds me of Frank Zappa's 'Hot Rats'. Someone else said this album is acid jazz, which 'Hot Rats' is as well, so maybe I'm not the only one. I thought 'Hot Rats' was great but '70s instrumental jazz is not my thing. 5.5/10.

YAY FINALLY THE FIRST ONE I’VE HEARD BEFORE! I didn’t particularly like it the first time I heard it but I enjoyed quite a few of the songs so definitely at least 7/10. Heard before ever listening: ‘Mr Brightside’, ‘Somebody Told Me’, ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ Favourite tracks: ‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’, ‘Smile Like You Mean It’, ‘Somebody Told Me’, ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’, ‘Andy, You’re A Star’, ‘Believe Me Natalie, ‘Everything Will Be Alright’ 7/10.

I enjoyed the great technique, both instrumental and vocal. I’m not sure why it attracted so much acclaim (I presume this had great influence). Heard before: Dreams, Go Your Own Way, The Chain.

My initial impressions of Massive Attack suggested that this would be an album I was going to love. The only song I’d heard before (‘Unfinished Sympathy’) is a complete banger and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the tracks on ‘Mezzanine’ that I’ve heard. I love Portishead’s ‘Dummy’, which I consider one of my 25 favourite albums of all time. I knew Massive Attack had a different sound to Portishead but both fall under the ‘trip-hop’ label. Finally; Robert del Naja is very attractive ;) However, while I can recognise the influence and impact this album has had on electronica, I found it rather bland and repetitive. While ‘Dummy’ appears to focus more on the ‘soul’ aspect of trip-hop due to the sheer power of Beth Gibbons’ voice, ‘Blue Lines’ seems to lean more towards the juxtaposed ‘hip-hop’ aspect, with a focus on beats over the singer, and extended tracks. Hip-hop is one of my least favourite genres, primarily as a result of what I see as unimaginative music. The lack of a unifying singer also increases focus on the arrangements and instrumentation. Overall, though, the album was not a regrettable listen. 5/10.

Amazing album! I only started listening to this a few days ago In June, but those days have been fantastically soundtracked. Excellent melodie’s and riffs.

This was rather repetitive and I’m struggling to understand the hype around the entirety of the album. ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ is AMAZING, but it grew on me with repeated listens. I presume this is similar. I enjoyed ‘Lost Ones’ and ‘Superstar’ but nothing else. Those skits were pretty annoying (it’s a pain that they aren’t separate tracks so cannot be skipped) but I understand they show a classroom and link the album together thematically, which is better than most skits — which are just annoying and seem to serve very little purpose. 5/10

Great riffs drive every song. A little too long and I’m quite glad I can’t understand those bizarrely written lyrics when he’s singing but overall excellent (and I despise hard rock)! The finish is nice and soft. 5 stars.

yyayayayayyayaya 10/10. Outstanding. Quite an evident influence on literally every form of popular music today.

I feel like this is betraying my fellow people… please forgive me 🙏🏻

When they are good, they are amazing (cf. Red Alert, Rendez-Vu). However, the rest of it, while definitely sounding different to most dance music, is not amazing. This album is also too long. I'll stick with my 'Basement Jaxx: The Singles' CD. 5/10. Two amazing songs (and the alright 'Bingo Bango') are not enough to justify a higher rating.

Growing up in Northern Ireland, I think I am well-qualified to say that I despise country music. I had to listen to so much of that rubbish when I was younger, and I did not last three minutes into this. Not going to waste an hour I’ll never get back.

An excellent Christmas album. I was surprised to hear that I had heard some of these exact versions before! Not quite a 5 because it has to be a specific time for it, and because they aren’t all my favourite versions, but great tunes.

that cover ohmygod ohmygod WHY didn’t I listen to this when it was generated? I thought it sounded unique, listened to a piece, enjoyed it, BUT DIDN’T LISTEN TO THE ALBUM. I think this is as close as the list will get to art music. Excluding Indian classical music. About that, why is it on here when ANY sort of Western art isn’t?! I’m unaware what any of the lyrics mean, but as I always say, I view lyrics as less important than music, a perspective influenced by my love for classical music. This is a prime example of fantastic music with sparse lyricism (I think they’re mainly sampled). Like the antithesis to hip-hop: technical proficiency! Everybody here is complaining about ‘hold music’. Instrumental music isn’t immediately bad purely because it’s instrumental. The music isn’t insanely repetitive either; the pieces flow and move. How many albums can you name with a more unique feel? Electronic beats mixed with tango rhythm is a fabulous concept, especially for someone who enjoys all kinds of dance music — a unique ‘mix’ (pun intended). Throw in the fact it’s French (the band — I’m aware the lyrics are not) and a front cover with a man’s sternocleidomastoids and right collarbone (mmmmm)… Favourite pieces: ALL OF THEM I CAN’T CHOOSE (but probably ‘Época’)

This is one of those albums where I wish I had a copy of the book to understand why it is here. I presume it’s because the Verve were massively popular and this is the 19th-biggest selling album in the UK ever. I love Britpop (despite being born well after the movement occurred) but I found this far too melancholy. The album itself was too long — 75 minutes?! I couldn’t really understand what he was singing due to the mixing unless I focussed, but I used this as background music due to the aforementioned runtime. I like the two hit songs but unfortunately they happen very near the start so the rest was a slog to get through. 5/10.

This is the second album on this list that I had heard before, but it is the first one that I had heard before that I actually liked, never mind adored. This album is such an absolute classic. My seventh favourite of all time. Mercury Prize-nominated in 2003. The lyrics, the vocals, the instrumentation, the minimal production: all combine to produce a fabulous result, a beautiful work that makes me sad and joyous simultaneously for fifty-four minutes. Every single song is perfect, and so I love them all. (Except maybe The Scientist. The worst song on that record, but still quite good). My favourite is usually Politik, but some days it’s Amsterdam. Or the title song. Or Clocks. Or Green Eyes. Or… (Yes, I am a British/Irish teenager, and so yes, I am virtually obliged to like Coldplay and know all their hits, and yet, I still believe that this album would be fantastic performed by anyone else, at any point. It is not just the fact that Coldplay made it).

I think this album is similar to ‘Future Nostalgia’. I enjoyed it because it had four songs that were MASSIVE hits (five if you include the hit on the deluxe edition). Obviously, it was also excellent music. However, with Duran Duran, I only know their big songs ‘Ordinary World’ and ‘Girls on Film’. Although I do now want ‘My Own Way’ at my wedding. Therefore, if you enjoy New Romantic music, or grew up in the 1980s, this album is a solid 5. 6/10.

The beats on this album are quite good. That is coming from someone who HATES the concept of ‘beats’ — what happened to instruments and singing? But what the actual f…? The misogyny is CRAZY. And is ‘Get Off My Dick…’ supposed to be… homophobic? I can’t even tell because I don’t understand what language half these words are. Useless attempt. Sorry you feel threatened by women and gay people because you’re an insecure piece of crap and they’re more successful than your worthless little life? This isn’t even music. The background is good. With better lyrics, I would even consider a 3. But this deserves negative stars. What is wrong with critics? Worst tracks: ‘You Can’t Fade Me’, ‘Turn Off The Radio’, ‘Get Off My…’, ‘It’s A Man’s World’ (I basically didn’t listen to any other tracks except the first seven).

I did not finish this. A very unimpressive effort that my dad enjoys. The insane promotion of domestic violence that the (also quite literally insane) singer, Kevin Flint, tried to claim was simply a metaphor for ‘being different’ or something stupid justifies one star, if nothing else does.

Has this idiot never heard of singing? what are these lyrics. what is that title. what are these songs called. The only good thing about this album is that it switches up every minute… but the songs are basically exactly the same except with slightly different lyrics, always about drugs. 2/10 (for the energy and the fact it’s thankfully so short).

I listened to the ‘Intro’ and part of the first track. I refuse to listen to more because of his criminal convictions and because the ‘music’ was boring.

WHJQLWLWNWNWBBWBWHWHWHWBWNKWKQLQLQOWKNWBEHEGRHRJNRKDKFKFJFNFNNFNFKSLSL This is my favourite album ever (tied with Sawayama, 13, OK Computer and the ArchAndroid)! First Blur album on this site! Blur are my favourite band! 100/10. (For anybody saying that this album is bland nonsense, my piano tutor wrote essays on this in her music degree (in a British university) in the 1990s).

Heard before: 'Waterfalls'. If you grew up in the 1990s, or contemporary R&B is your style, listen to this. Excellent production, great singing and very cohesive with the many interludes which have the group whispering, 'Crazy... sexy... cool' in the background. Yet, despite its cohesion, the songs don't all sound the same. However, I thought it was too long, and I neither liked nor disliked any of the songs. I don't mind 'Waterfalls' but it's not enough to justify a 4.

Overall… alright. Not as good as I was expecting from the three monster singles (‘Right Here, Right Now’, ‘The Rockafeller Skank’, ‘Praise You’), coming from somebody who enjoys dance music. 5/10

An excellent, high-quality album with fantastic songwriting, instrumentation, vocals, playing, production. A varied yet cohesive collection of great music that has something for everyone. To quote the Star-Ledger, the album ‘appealed to Baby Boomers nostalgic for Etta James, Carole King and 'Dusty in Memphis.' It also appealed to teens struggling with the first sting of heartbreak, hipsters who missed Amy Winehouse, traditionalists weary of synthesizers and vocal effects, and non-pop fans who simply found it refreshing to hear a singer belt out her blues with conviction.’ It was for everyone, and everyone listened. I can’t fault this album — I immediately listened again but got interrupted. Oh, and Adele has soundtracked my ENTIRE life. 25 and 30 came out at different times in my schooldays, but I still remember the hype everywhere. Justified. 10/10.

Fantastic album! Easy listening (except for the highly unsettling ‘Pull/Pulk Revolving Doors’). My favourite songs are ‘Packt Like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box’, ‘Knives Out’ and ‘Morning Bell/Amnesiac’ (I much prefer this version to the one on Kid A). One to listen to many more times!

This is literally the origin of the metal stereotype… The band members look as you expect. The songs are so short and the lyrics are some of the gimpiest I’ve ever heard. The cover! Why did you need to make a song about Josef Mengele…? This idiot can’t sing. Zero stars if I could. The whole premise of the album is to ask how to annoy parents in the maximum amount possible.

I loved this! I was already a reasonably big fan of theirs (I have ‘Behaviour’ and ‘Discography’ on CD) but these songs are amazing. Cryptic lyrics about Thatcherism throughout. The ‘80s synths, so often associated with joyous dancing, betray great scope in emotion here, demonstrating the PSBs’ mastery over their craft. The five ‘hidden’ gay songs (Rent, Hit Music, It Couldn’t Happen Here, It’s a Sin and I Want to Wake Up) are also excellent ;) 10/10 Heard before: Rent, It’s a Sin

I feel like this is an album I would love if I had discovered it before this generator. The thing about the generator is that I rarely feel the need the listen again, because I simply do not have time compared to the vast and endless hours of music on here. This is one of (admittedly few, so far) albums I will consider revisiting after I finish the list. Right now, however, it did not particularly grip me but I can recognise it has interesting, well-crafted gospel-tinged indie-folk-pop melodies. 7/10

NO WAY I was listening to this the other day after buying the CD and I nearly finished it but got interrupted. I got to the start of ‘FEELINGCALLEDLOVE’. I have heard the singles many times (I rather like Pulp) and I loved the album ‘This is Hardcore’. This is one of the albums where the less good far outweighs the amazing. Suffice to say all the songs are my favourites except for ‘Live Bed Show’ and ‘Monday Morning’. How can few of the top reviewers on here understand satire? Is this a strange American thing? It’s quite clear that the bizarre sex fantasies are a persona put on to mock the upper class’ very low expectations of lower classes as ‘dirty’ in more ways than one. I know we Brits are great at sarcasm (see what I did there?) so I would have thought it was fairly obvious we wouldn’t have bought 1.33m copies of an album that is serious about rape and other assorted perverted fantasies. 10/10. Possibly better than ‘This is Hardcore’…

This today and ‘Different Class’ yesterday! On a roll (with it). This was the first album to ‘get me into popular music’. From when I was about 10 to 14, I rarely switched on music. I had no specific taste in music but did not really enjoy the sound of ‘hits’ either. I loved (and still love) classical music, but I didn’t listen to pop. Until I developed a crush! His favourite song was ‘Wonderwall’. So I went home and I listened to this album. On repeat. For the whole summer. And then I moved on to ‘Definitely Maybe’. And then I kept moving… Thus, this album has a very special place in my heart. I don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I used to, but I’m glad it exists and still put it on from time to time. I don’t like their (ironic in my case) homophobia (none present on the album, but it has shone through in some interview comments). Blur is still my favourite band. I also refuse to stream ‘Hello’ because Gary Glitter still receives a lot of profit from it. Excellent song though! 10/10.

This was amazing! I knew it was about British youth nightlife but the development of the thematic concept blew me away. The lyricism is fantastic and being a British 16-year-old male I related to all of this incredibly. I never find myself fully able to connect to their music though: the only other album I’ve heard is Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino and didn’t find it fantastic either. There’s just something slightly off. 9/10.

Finally a Taylor Swift album! I used to have a big Taylor Swift phase back when this came out but I listened to few songs on this project, especially compared with her other albums. Heard before: ‘Willow’, ‘Champagne Problems’, ‘Happiness’, ‘Dorothea’, ‘Marjorie’. After listening, I do think ‘Folklore’ should be on this list instead of this one. ‘Evermore’ is different, admittedly, but every song sounds similar to each other (except ‘Closure’ with its industrial influence and atypical time signature). This album is definitely different to most of her recent synth-pop from ‘1989’ (or even ‘Red’) onwards, but I’m not a big fan, especially due to the greater country influence here than on ‘Folklore’. Of course, that part is purely subjective, yet I don’t think it’s like ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’ — ‘Amnesiac’ is actually better in my opinion, but both of these contain plenty of interesting, brand-new, avant-garde experiments. ‘Folklore’ is supposed to be more hopeful and ‘autumnal’ (whatever that means), whereas ‘Evermore’ is more muted and ‘wintery’, with more detailed characterisation. But Taylor Swift is not a poet focussing on intricate techniques to engage the reader and encourage them to explore subtext. Does that make her art any less valid? No. She is a songwriter. The fundamental difference is the necessary musical accompaniment in songs — lyrics are secondary in music, self-evident given that plenty of excellent music (mostly art/classical) has no lyrics. Whereas ‘musicality’ (e.g. rhythm) is secondary in poetry. Are song lyrics literature? An excellent question that entered public consciousness after Bob Dylan’s famous (or infamous) Nobel win… so I’ll leave that up to you. To conclude, I think ‘folklore’ is more important, not just because the critics have given it so much more attention (‘Evermore’ was released after most year-end lists came out, interestingly. I will never understand why they don’t make those lists in January), but because the music and production is more varied while being completely different (indie/folk/pop) to anything she did before. ‘Folklore’ introduced us to this other side of Taylor Swift, demonstrating her ability to truly rise above genre (and wider societal) stereotypes of ‘dumb blondes’. Also, ‘evermore’ is more an afterthought: studio extras so to speak. Given that she is currently one of the most popular singers in the world, ‘Folklore’ should be here, even if some would argue it doesn’t ‘expand’ the genre. I think the mere fact that this incredibly popular singer took a risk by surprise-releasing a ‘folk’ album with no singles beforehand is expansion enough. ‘Evermore’ is simply part two: interesting for Swifties, reasonably interesting for those who claim to have never heard her sing (…) but not important for most people interested in music. 8/10

Excellent album! Amazing, sparse arrangements to accompany a beautiful and well-trained voice. Not really my style but excellent background music for relaxation. 9/10. Heard before: ‘Don’t Know Why’, ‘Cold Cold Heart’, ‘Come Away With Me’, ‘Turn Me On’

The Beatles once again show their influence on contemporary music. It was a nice, concise length and definitely demonstrates further development in their proficiency. While I did not truly enjoy the album and can’t particularly remember any of the songs, I wasn’t listening too closely but enjoyed the overall sound.

Very relaxing. Not quite as much trip-hop and electronica as I was hoping for, but still an excellent listen. I had heard of her before but had never listened to any of her material. 5/5.

I have listened to this once before but very passively. Exciting! This simply reminded me why I LOVE Radiohead. Another fantastically written, performed and produced album.

ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITES. ‘In Rainbows’ yesterday and this today! Interestingly, this was the first CD I ever ordered online. This album is what got me to explore beyond rock and pop into genres like funk and soul… I had heard of the album before signing up to this project and found it an interesting concept but never listened. When I realised it was on this list, as soon as I got home I switched it on and I was bewitched from the start of ‘Suite II Overture’ (being a classical music fan). But I was entranced by the entirety of what followed… I think I listened to Suite II three or four times consecutively because I couldn’t get enough. Then I listened to suite III. Still amazing, but probably because it was the second suite I heard, it didn’t quite match the first one. Everyone should listen to this absolutely fabulous album which can be read as an exploration of how the contemporary Western world treats minorities, including women and people who aren’t white, straight and cisgender. Given that Janelle falls into all of these categories (although they no longer identify as a woman), it is fascinating to hear their story. A first-person perspective on the timeless tale of falling in love with somebody that you shouldn’t, but with the twist of an extended android metaphor. Cindy Mayweather and Sir Anthony Greendown fall in love clandestinely, yet only Cindy gets threatened with execution. A familiar narrative? One of the greatest albums ever conceived, in my (contrastingly) humble opinion. 10/10.

An excellent album and one of my favourites from the nineties. My mother loves this album and we regularly sing along so plenty of nostalgia there too. Her pop-rock melodies are perfectly balanced between both elements. Intrinsic, introspective songwriting is found on every track. Personal favourite: ‘Forgiven’. First track heard: ‘Ironic’. Second track heard: ‘Hand in My Pocket’.

I refuse to stream Kanye West.

The Beatles’ early stuff might be rather bubblegum, but it’s so damned FUN. Which is far more than most of this list can say, given that there is a large quantity of… ‘interesting’ albums. This album, their third, shows a clear development in their songwriting and musicianship. 9/10

Another one of my favourites! The people on here are incredibly disparaging. Just because Adele has two of the top three best-selling studio albums in the UK does not automatically make her music bad. Incredible voice backed up with great songwriting and a different sound to ‘19’, ‘21’ and ‘30’. Even the Max-Martin-produced songs aren’t too bad: a different direction for Ms Adkins. I first listened to this all the way through after this website recommended ‘21’, although I obviously knew all the hits.

That was a thoroughly enjoyable album! As a big fan of synth-pop, I loved the experimentation audible here. However, I think I’ll stick just listening to ‘Don’t You Want Me’ on further listens. 9/10

SECOND NORTHERN IRISH ALBUM As a Northern Irish person, I was going to give this 5 anyway (😳) because I want to increase my country’s ratings on this site. However, the melodies are interesting, the songs are catchy and the lyricism is great! I recommend this for anyone of any nationality 😉 I need to listen to lots more punk and post-punk. 10/10.

I’ve heard ‘Playground Love’ before. This is another excellent album from the masters of ambience. It is varied enough to be interesting (for example, drums on ‘The Word Hurricane’ — in fact that whole piece) but also intoxicatingly repetitive. However, each piece is short enough that the band avoid straying into dull ostinati, instead leaving the listener with a craving for more. I haven’t seen the film but I’ve read the book and this fits well with the atmosphere! 9/10.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM. I’ve never listened to it in full, but I knew 12 of the 28 songs before listening. It was great to get the opportunity to sit down and force myself to listen to this masterpiece in full! A spectacular sprawl of art rock mixed with progressive metal awaits you…

I love the singles off this album (except ‘Love is a Losing Game’). ‘Tears Dry on Their Own’ is AMAZING. However, overall, while I found the music itself interesting and I think Winehouse is a talented lyricist, this album simply didn’t appeal to me. I preferred ‘Frank’.

Their Spotify description quote literally begins with, ‘NWA, the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap’. … … … … I finally understand what ‘dated’ production is. And every ‘song’ (out of the three half-things I listened to) has the SAME background. babs. omg shut the fuck up what am i even listening to 0/10

I have tried to listen to the album so many times. Yet I have never got past ‘Fancy’. I have the European CD, but it has all the original songs alongside a few new ones. Songs I had heard before: ‘Independent Woman Part 1’, ‘Survivor’, ‘Bootylicious’, ‘Nasty Girl’, ‘Fancy’ Favourite new songs: ‘Happy Face’, ‘Brown Eyes’, ‘Dangerously in Love’ and especially ‘The Story of Beauty’ I had quite a scathing review written, but instead I’ll take the message of the first part of the album and be positive. The album is more cohesive than many reviews here claim. It transitions from empowerment to upbeat love songs and ends on love ballads. Overall an interesting listen but far too long. I won’t be listening again. 6.5/10

Some lovely proto-Britpop jangle pop. I feel like if I had listened to the whole album when I was obsessed with Britpop it would now be one of my favourites. I’m surprised I didn’t, given that ‘There She Goes’ was one of my favourite songs at the time. Heard before: ‘There She Goes’

This album is so. Bloody. Long. I thought most of the songs were not all that interesting — not rubbish or technically incompetent, simple not very memorable and lyrically bizarre. However, I recognise the wide and disparate experimentation in virtually all genres and thus the influence this album has exhibited on all of popular music. I will not revisit this. ‘Revolution 9’ is the best track.

no

I love this album! Alongside ‘OK Computer’, ‘Jagged Little Pill’, ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ and the music of Abba and Rina Sawayama, this was one album that ‘got’ me into popular music. The disjunction between the very sad but sweet musical arrangement and the uplifting lyrics that anyone can relate to is fantastic. As are both the music and lyrics themselves! 10/10. Fabulous.

MY FAVOURITE MADONNA ALBUM (and the first one that this generator has generated for me)! I was thinking of this album just earlier today! This album is an excellent exploration of electronic music, building on the experimentation of ‘Ray of Light’ (widely acclaimed as her best). Of course, it contains the monster hit ‘Music’, alongside plenty of deep cuts with important messages, such as ‘What it Feels Like for a Girl’ and ‘I Deserve It’. I’m unsure why there is so much Madonna hate on here. Perfect arrangements and fantastic vocal technique. The influence on every single pop song from the 2000s should not be underestimated. To paraphrase another review, it sounds like the quintessential 2000s album because it influenced plenty of albums from the 2000s, despite this being the third decade of her career. Unpopular opinion: Madonna’s cover of *that* song is better than the original 😘 10/10

what IS this

An excellent album! I enjoyed the songwriting but the instrumentation was also good: clearly, there was some influence from genres like disco but equally the influence of ‘80s soul on hip-hop can be seen. This would be a 5 if I was more interested in the genre. 9/10. A note for anyone using streaming services or digital downloads: he changed his name to Sananda Maitreya and it’s easier to search for that than Terence Trent D’Arby.

Better than I remembered! Nevertheless, many of the lyrics are certainly weird and I won’t be listening to this ever again. I do recommend the CD over streaming — it sounds less noisy. I can admire the musicianship even if I find the random shouting/screaming (viz ‘Vamos’) bizarre. 4/10. Heard before: the whole album but I only remember ‘Where is My Mind?’

An interesting and unique album, but certainly not one to which I shall be listening again.

When I went over to France to immerse myself, my host family had a vinyl of this. I’m finally listening to it nearly a year after going to France, and it seems bland and inoffensive (two songs in). Apparently it was the progenitor of new wave though, a genre from which I enjoy a few songs, so I shall give this a distinctly average review. I’ve just reread the reviews and I’m unsure where I came up with that, but… what is the point of this then? With further listening, I admire their technique and their songwriting. 6/10.

This was very danceable! However this is not something to which I shall be returning. 8/10

okay i concede my gen z arse gets ALL the hype

From memory this is the latest album in the book! This belongs in the category of excellent albums here that simply aren’t to my taste. ‘Kiwanuka’, ‘People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm’, ‘Evermore’, ‘The Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby’. As a gay man I’m not listening to ‘On It’ again… 9/10.

I tried to make myself like this album a few years ago. I am a big fan of indie rock and I do enjoy some garage rock revival, but this is one album I couldn’t get into. I admire the musicianship and I liked two or three of the songs (‘Narcissist’ is good) but overall there’s just something (that I can’t quite pinpoint) that I don’t like about it.

What a perfect album for GCSE results day! So British, so contemporary, so punkish, so artsy, SO GOOD. One of my favourite albums ever. 10/10.

One of her best, but also in my top 100 albums ever. This album was everywhere, not just in 2014, but when I was growing up. Proof that she could switch genres easily, as she did again on ‘folklore‘ (although ‘Red’ did precipitate a change to some sort of pop, and ‘folklore’ contained plenty of pop aspects). 10/10

This is a fantastic album! I’m glad to have the excuse to listen to it again, because I’ve only heard it about three times. The synths are beautiful, sounding much better than most of the synth… music from the 2010s. Favourite song: ‘Tether’. (The instrumental is FANTASTIC).

I had heard this one before but I had to listen again because I felt it was on the cusp of a 5. An excellent dance album with plenty of synths and fantastic songwriting — definitely not hard to tell why it was seen as a ‘coming out’ album given that I see little room for subtlety.

Definitely very experimental and abrasive and subjectively I think her début was better. However, I enjoyed a good few of the songs. ‘Paper Planes’ is by far the highlight.

This is one of my favourite albums of all time! What a fantastic exploration of gay life. From friendship to family and NYC nightlife, this band packs a variety of themes into excellent songs with hooks aplenty and enviable skill on every instrument. 10/10, absolutely deserves to be here. No wonder it was 2004’s best-selling album here.

A very, very interesting album. I love the exploration of postmodern literature in musical form — but very listenable! Absolutely deserved its Mercury Prize win. A great example of British indie from the aughts.

A great album from one of Ireland’s finest. Took me a few listens to fully appreciate it but this album is worth it. Recommended if you need something relaxing: for a long drive, perhaps.

Yet another amazing offering from my favourite band. A clear influence from American slacker rock/lo-fi bands like Pavement, whom I find alright, but Blur take this subgenre and make it their own. ‘Death of a Party’ is a FASCINATING song with plenty of subtext as well as a great hook. 10/10

What an original album from the 2010s. Not particularly surprising that it wasn’t more popular, as a consequence of its highly experimental nature, yet it fully deserved to be. Rather relaxing to listen to on replays. 10/10

My favourite dance album of all time. So much more to explore past ‘Groove is in the Heart’ (which is still an absolute banger, bop, tune…). 10/10

nah

A fantastic dance album. I can see why it got so much acclaim, especially given that it was so different to what else was popular at the time. A bit like how Scissor Sisters’ début was adored for the same reason. It’s a shame he never followed this up.

A fantastic synth-pop album from one of contemporary France’s leading innovators. Their lyricism in French is indeed superior to that in English, but both are interesting and nuanced. The production is highly commendable, with clear homages to the ‘80s while simultaneously sounding fresh (not easy to balance and pull off). A variety of themes are covered, mainly focussing on the relationships between sex (both meanings), gender and power. 10/10

Fantastic