The Monkees have some truly great songs, sadly none of them are to be found on this album. At times they're really channeling their inner 'Beatles', but without any of the charm or musicality.
A landmark album for The Beatles, and an absolute pleasure to listen to throughout, with only a couple of songs not quite hitting the highs the others reach (e.g. 'Love You To' or 'She Said She Said'). Also I don't care what anyone else says, Yellow Submarine is a banger. Recommended listens: Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, Yellow Submarine, Good Day Sunshine, Got To Get You Into My Life
'Walk On' is a decent enough introduction to this album, and 'See the Sky About to Rain' was a pleasant surprise for a second listen. However we peak early as the next few tracks lead to an underwhelming mid-section (especially track 4 'For the Turnstiles'). Things really tail off towards the end, and the result is an album that's a bit boring and uninteresting. 'Ambulance Blues' is sort of an alright ballad to end things off with, but not enough to save the album. Recommended: See the Sky About to Rain
One of the greatest rap albums of all time. The mood, the atmosphere, the storytelling, it's all top quality.
Vocals are a bit, all over the place and not really to my taste. However the instrumentals are really catchy for the most part. Final song ('Meat Is Murder') is the most controversial track on here, but I don't think it really said much, just more going for shock of 'It's murder!". Wasted opportunity as there are plenty of reasons to criticise meat industry, but this felt like a lazy attempt at being socially conscious.
Upon second listen this album clicked a lot more with me, I was really feeling the general vibe of this one. It got a little bit weaker in the middle, but finished strong with a surprisingly good cover of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You'.
An incredibly influential album, and one that still hits as hard today as it did back when it was first released. The gritty, rough-around-the-edges production only adds to its charm, all topped off with bucket loads of charisma from all 9 members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Most of this album just sounded, sort of, noisy to me, though 'Super Massive Black Hole' is still a banger. The quieter/slower tracks are better on the whole, but not enough to save this album from mediocrity. Just on the wrong side of boring, really.
Super funky and jazzy, really enjoyable album. This is the kind of funk/jazz fusion that I'm all about, even when some of the songs are 15 minutes long!
It all sounds a bit pretentious and the screeching guitars are unpleasant to listen to. Altogether quite boring, which is amplified by the droning voices. Ending song is really just noise and screeching, not at all plesant to listen to.
Has a nice chilled, laidback vibe to it. Rapping was calm and almost serene to listen to.
Most of this album sounded like fairly generic punk, but the tail end wasn't too bad all things considered. Just not really my cup of tea.
I'm hesitant to call this bad, because I think I just don't get it. That being said this was a real tough listen and not one that I'd hurry to repeat.
This was a very pleasant listen, old school rock and blues vibes coming through with some really good riffs throughout.
A trip down nostalgia lane, 'Take Me Out' is and always will be an absolute banger of a tune, the rest is decent enough, but I wouldn't call it essential listening.
It's all a bit weird and is so in the trying-too-hard to be weird sense. It feels a bit forced at times, and that does a disservice to what are sometimes otherwise quite enjoyable tracks.
Better than I thought it would be, wasn't expecting much but was quite pleasantly surprised. Probably wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again, but also probably wouldn't skip over it.
A really heart-wrenching and emotional album, you can tell that John was pouring his heart into this one. Sometimes he gets a bit screechy which does feel a tad over the top, and keeps this from being rated higher.
Easily listenable to and very calm and peaceful. Not necessarily something I would hurry back to, but I wouldn't say no if someone suggested playing it.
Really nice chilled out tracks, the house music is strong with this one so it's right up my alley.
Excellent album, as one would expect from Billy Joel. Some absolute classics off of here, and the deeper cuts only serve to enhance the experience.
Pleasantly surprised by how much I actually didn't mind this, given that it's not a genre I usually vibe with.
Not exactly my style of music, but not altogether unlistenable either. Unlikely to ever come back to listen to it again, though.
Pleasant enough I suppose, didn't really blow me away but also was completely inoffensive.
Excellent album as expected from one as legendary as Al Green, I could listen to his voice for hours.
I have never listened to this type of music before and was unsure of what to expect going in. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and sheer conviction with which the songs were sung. Not something I'd throw on to listen to for fun, but would happily listen to again in the right setting.
Upon listening to this album a second time it definitely clicked a lot more than the first time I'd heard it. It's a pretty rocking album though it is a bit strange at times that makes it hard for me to rate it too highly.
Some glimmers of greatness but unfortunately just doesn't quite do much for me, feels a little bit unfocused at times.
A legendary album from a legendary singer, what more needs to be said?
I really did not think I would find much to enjoy from a Justin Timberlake album, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a pretty consistent pop album from start to finish, though the tail-end does dip a bit in quality in my opinion. Probably not something I'd have on regular rotation but I'd definitely give it another listen or two.
D'Angelo has an incredibly smooth voice that is a pleasure to listen to, and the songs themselves are real easy-listening RnB. However, there seems to be just something missing that gives it that extra kick that would make me seek this album out for repeated listening.
Not all that bad, but not all that special either. Some of the tracks were alright but it was certainly an album that pretty much passed me by.
Another classic album from the Beatles that showed them really starting to flex their songwriting ability. So many good songs off of this album, but the best has to be Michelle, what a tune!
This was rather pleasant to listen to, the production on this is absolutely stellar. It didn't grab my attention too much overall, but I'd throw it on again every now and then if I owned it.
Based on some of the reviews I'd seen for this I expected to not really enjoy this, but it's actually pretty good! I love the stripped back nature of it and the singer has an overall pleasant voice to listen to.
The instrumental tracks are a definite highlight of this album, whilst the other tracks are pretty solid throughout. I love the jazzy feel a lot of the songs have, whilst the album manages to still hop around genres a bit. The rap is definitely a bit out of left field and I hesitate to say I liked it, but maybe it's so bad it's good? Either way, a thoroughly enjoyable album.
Somehow one man improvising on a piano manages to produce one of the most entertaining and profound pieces of music I've ever listened to. Simply phenomenal.
Leonard Cohen is a fantastic storyteller but damn do these tracks just sound so ... boring? Lifeless? Just feels like his not really doing them justice.
This album certainly ebbed and flowed for me, sometimes just when you thought things were getting a bit boring a song that really catches your attention comes along. Unfortunately, its this inconsistency that means I can't give it higher than 3 stars, but I'd probably return to it again to give it another chance.
What started off as an unassuming album slowly draws you in until you're fully engrossed and sad that it's finished.
This is a very different style of music to what I'm used to so it probably needs more listens to really determine whether it's my kind of thing. Still, it was inoffensive and I would definitely give it another go.
Fairly gentle but very listenable country music, not a bad album at all to just sit back and listen to.
I'd heard this album before and wasn't too sure what I thought of it, but upon a repeat listen I was actually really digging it.
Bob Dylan is undoubtedly one of the greatest songwriters ever, it's just unfortunate that he's the one singing the songs. Some of these weren't too bad, but between Bob Dylan's grating voice and the often ear-piercingly sharp harmonica, it's not always the most pleasant of listens.
The Monkees have some truly great songs, sadly none of them are to be found on this album. At times they're really channeling their inner 'Beatles', but without any of the charm or musicality.
This is a bit folky at times and at other times I'm not even sure what it is, but it just missed the mark.
I knew both Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt before listening to this album, but had never heard of Emmylou Harris, but it seems she's just as good a singer as those two. Together all 3 come together to create a wonderful trio that delivers a real earnestness in their songs; absolutely loved it!
Bruce Springsteen is a legend and this has got to be one of his best albums, the second half definitely just keeps going from strength to strength.
I don't mind the style, but 19 songs of it is probably pushing the limits of how much I'm willing to listen to it in one sitting.
It seems this was quite ambitious for the time, however I don't think that carries over to the modern day.
This album is incredible and an undeniably important part of electronic music, still sounds great even to this day.
I was a bit skeptical going into this as this is a double album that is 40 songs in length. Add onto this that these are solo albums for each individual member of OutKast and I was unsure how rating this would work should I love one members individual direction more than the others. Fortunately, both are exceptional and unique in their own right and showcase the talent this duo possesses. Definitely a commitment to listen to both albums in one sitting, but the reward is more than worth it.
Very easy listening and wouldn't go amiss listening to this at a bar on a sunny afternoon.
There's some classics on here and it's altogether a fun listen, if a bit shallow.
This is a pretty decent album, nothing particularly standout but an enjoyable listen from start to finish.
The songs on this album really do seem to drag on and I really can't say that I found any of them to be particularly engaging.
There's a lot to like about this album, the soul/funk is strong with this record. That being said, it didn't absolutely blow me away like other soul/funk albums have and so I can't, in good faith, give this a higher score.
There's some pretty recognisable tracks off of this, it's just a tad unfortunate that the rest of the songs don't quite deliver on the same level. The last track, however, was a really great album closer.
A little bit weird but altogether rather pleasant to listen to.
I was going to give this 1 star but the second half marginally improved things to the point where I could kind of see myself tolerating listening to this at a push. If that's not a glowing endorsement I don't know what is!
This is just an album of bangers from start to finish, throw in the nostalgia of listening to most of these when I was younger and it's a recipe for success.
I've never been the biggest fan of Radiohead and this album sort of skirts the boundary between getting it and hating it. The instrumentals are all pretty top notch, but I'm just not a fan of the whiny singing that pervades most of this album.
Sinead O'Connor has probably been unfairly largely only known by people (musically) for the track 'Nothing Compares 2 U', as she has plenty to say on the other tracks here. Sadly, it doesn't matter how good your message or intentions are if the songs are all a bit boring and uninspiring to listen to.
Whilst the idea of combining Metallica and an orchestra is pretty neat, the result is an overly-long and at times mind-numbingly repetitive performance that long overstays its welcome.
Having listened to the two albums preceding this by Public Enemy and throughly enjoying them, I went into this with high hopes and it's safe to say that my expectations were exceeded. Things sound a bit less noisy than before which does take away some of the punch, but that is more than made up for by each track just being a real jam to listen to.
Ray Charles has a marvellous voice and his command of the piano is on full display here. Whilst listening to the full two volumes in one sitting is perhaps a bit much, I have no doubt that one would thoroughly enjoy themselves sitting down and listening to these songs.
This is an album from which many of Duran Duran's most well-known hits originate. Those tracks ('Save a Prayer', 'Hungry Like the Wolf', 'Rio') are hits for a reason and prime examples of 80s synth pop. The rest of the tracks aren't all that bad, but also fail to live up to those heights.
There are some of ABBA's best songs on this album ('Dancing Queen' and 'Fernando') which already makes this worth a listen. The rest of the album is largely of similar quality, though some of the tracks are a bit forgettable.
It's all a bit noisy and not particularly engaging. I wouldn't necessarily turn off any particular song if it came on the radio, but I also wouldn't be going out of my way to intentionally listen to any of them either.
I've never been the biggest fan of Neil Young and whilst I was yet again not blown away by this album, it did make for quite pleasant background listening.
What is better than a jazz album by one of the best jazz singers of all time? Why, a live jazz album that perfectly showcases just how incredible her voice was.
Jeff Buckley has a great voice and his command of it on this album is truly impressive. This is definitely well worth a listen, but probably a bit too full-on all the time to be an album I'd rate super highly.
There's flickers of what could be goodness, maybe even greatness, but the constant reliance on screeching and over high-pitched noises makes for an altogether unpleasant and, at times, frustrating listen.
This isn't the most pleasant album to listen to, the distortion is at times creatively wielded but more often than not feels a bit excessive.
Lyrically this album is pretty awful, musically it's quite catchy at times, however a lot of the songs are far too long for their own good and are of questionable quality.
A legendary album from a legendary band. 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' is just the icing on the cake.
A far more modern album than most that I've had to rate thus far in my journey on this list, and it manages to impress. It's ambitious, trying many different sounds and styles which come together to form a thoroughly enjoyable album that justifies its runtime.
"Come On Eileen" is the only song of note by this group, and it's annoying as all heck. Surprisingly the rest of this album isn't anywhere near as annoying, but it's also completely underwhelming. Questionable inclusion on a list such as this.
Thought I wouldn't enjoy this much, but was pleasantly surprised by a rather abstract but still very enjoyable album. I have a feeling this is an album that I will grow to like even more with repeated listening.
Based on people's comments on this album I went into this full expecting to not enjoy it, instead I was pleasantly surprised by an album that was quite rewarding to sink one's teeth into. Love the violin bits especially!
It started off a bit slow and I thought this would be an album I would be a bit ambivalent towards, but it really picks up after a couple of songs and by the end is quite an engaging listen.
There are so absolute smash hits on this album, and the rest is largely enjoyable thanks to the sheer energy put into each song.
The tracks that are well known off this album are well known for good reason, unfortunately the rest of the album is a bit uninspiring.
Whilst at times overly self-indulgent and not an album I'd necessarily want to own, I also wouldn't be offended if someone were to put it on.
This album may well have been very influential, and it's definitely easy listening, however it unfortunately sounds a bit dated at this point.
This is just some classic country and I'm always down for that sort of thing.
This is a perfectly pleasant jazz album, though not one that necessarily pushes the boundaries. That's not all bad, however, as sometimes jazz can get a bit full of itself, so this is a welcome 'simple' jazz album that one could throw on whenever.
It's a classic for a reason, one of my favourite albums of all time.
It's punk. The instrumentals are often amazing but the vocals leave much to be desired. Still, not the worse punk album I've ever heard.
This is exactly the kind of jazz that I can get behind, really, well, jazzy!
This really does sound like the 80s, and that's mostly a good thing. I was at times, however, flip-flopping between really grooving with the songs and then being kind of underwhelmed.
This is just good, honest country music done brilliantly. Not necessarily going to blow you away, but hard to go wrong with this kind of style.
It has its moments of being genuinely quite amazing but it is bogged down by being at times self-indulgent and aimless. Far from the worst album I've ever heard and I'd happily listen again, but could've also been improved upon.
There's some really good tracks on here, 'Without You' is a classic for a reason. The rest of the album doesn't quite hit those heights, but it's still a rewarding listen nonetheless.
Moments of inspiration often let down by aimlessness. Can't say it's bad exactly, but I was definitely bored throughout, which is perhaps worse. Shoutout to the flute though, that went hard.
There are moments of brilliance on this album but it's just overly long. I'm a huge fan of electronic music, but this was at times too experimental and all over the place. Had it been a more focused and concise project I feel I would've enjoyed it a lot more.
The Beatles as performed by the Bee Gees.
The album cover alone is worth 5 stars, however the songs don't quite live up to that level. Still, a really enjoyable album and an improvement over their previous one.
A Tribe Called Quest is a legendary group, and their debut proves why. It's such a fun listen and the use of samples is genius. One of the best albums I've heard off of this list so far.
Ramblin' is certainly an apt description for Jack Elliott, though therein lies the joy of listening to this album. There's a real earnestness and honesty to these tracks and the storytelling is top notch. Whilst at times things go a bit too off the pace for my liking, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable listen.
Whilst the vocals are at times a bit droning, the melodies are infectious and I found myself jamming out to the tracks regardless.
Not a bad album, but also not an album that I'd likely return to in a hurry; unsure why it's made the list.
This a pretty decent album, quite easy listening and some occasional bops scattered throughout.
Good, honest, American rock music.
A solid David Bowie album, though far from my favourite by him.
This album felt a bit all over the place in terms of quality, some songs I could see myself jamming out to whilst others left me underwhelmed. Definitely a bit of a mixed bag.
Fairly decent folk rock album but it didn't leave too much of an impression on me.
This is just some good old classic blues from an absolute legend. The energy on this album is fantastic, such a fun and enjoyable listen!
A varied medley of songs that all seem to work from one to the next. One of his most well executed albums I feel.
The first time I listened to this I was a little underwhelmed, but I've come to appreciate the more chilled out vibe and electronic sound. That being said, the tail-end of the album does drag a bit and feels a tad overly long at times.
Legendary album.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, however it's likely not an album I'd hurry back to any time soon.
I'd struggled to get into Radiohead before, but this album is just so good that I think I finally understand what all the fuss is about; sensational stuff.
I thought it started off a bit slow but by the end of it I was fully captivated by this love letter to an older era of music.
This is a very calm and relaxing album, the sort of thing you can put on in the background whilst studying or doing some other activity.
Fairly forgettable songs, not bad but not something that I see myself returning to.
I've listened to this album multiple times, and each time I've enjoyed more than the previous listen. Some of the tracks on this album are absolutely top class (the first track may be one of the finest openers to an album I've heard so far), which does mean that a few of them fail to live up to those lofty heights.
At times meandering, this is a fairly soft and easy-going album. I could see why people enjoy it, but I can’t really stand her voice unfortunately, else I’d probably rate it higher.
This album was going pretty decently until the penultimate track 'The Murder Mystery' which I would struggle to even call a song. It's reminiscient of their first album, self-indulgent and more noise than tuneful. This, sadly, brings the score down because such a slight upon the ears cannot go unpunished.
Doesn't get much more classic country than this, and it's well worth a perfect score.
If you like Bob Marley, then you'll love this. Wasn't quite my cup of tea, but wouldn't turn it off if someone else put it on again.
Just good old-fashioned rock, adrenaline pumping stuff. Does get a bit samey listening to a whole album of it, but it's nigh impossible to stop one's head banging along to the drums.
Janet Jackson is quite the legend, and this album firmly cements why that is the case. At times heartfelt, always personal, this is an incredible album to sink your teeth into.
It's a bit experimental and sonically all over the place, not for me but I admire the ambition.
Upon second listening I think I finally get this album, though 'Mother' is not a song I think I'll be coming back to.
I usually don't mind Elvis Costello and I quite enjoy his voice, but this album was just a bit boring to be honest. Nothing managed to stand out and every song just kind of passed me by, not the worst thing I've ever heard by any stretch of the imagination, but hard for me to find the reason it's on a list such as this.
It's just some great gangsta rap, if that's your thing then this will be your thing. And this is definitely my thing.
Absolutely phenomenal album with not a single duff track on it.
This was incredibly boring and if you've ever heard british indie music, you've heard this album but likely 100 times better. So unbelievably pretentious at times, thought I was giving this 2 stars but writing this I'm getting more annoyed about what I just listened to.
Some nice instrumentation going on in this album and I can't say that the vocals are bad, but overall it's not quite my kind of vibe.
The second time of listening to this album had me appreciate it a lot more, especially the second half. Whilst not everything here hits the mark for me, I feel it is just shy of getting 4 stars and this may be an album that I rate higher with further listens.
Sometimes good music is just good music, and this is that!
Not really my style of music usually, but this was actually not too bad! Wouldn't mind listening to it again, even if I won't seek it out directly myself.
Nothing to complain about here, but it's pretty tame all things considered. You'll have a good time with it, but you could also listen to something else that would be more interesting.
The first half of this album is incredibly solid, the second half doesn't quite meet the same standards and you'd be forgiven for checking out early. Sadly, a sign of things to come, I fear, for Coldplay after this.