715
Albums Rated
3.7
Average Rating
66%
Complete
374 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
185
5-Star Albums
21
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
|
5 | 2.03 | +2.97 |
|
Scum
Napalm Death
|
5 | 2.07 | +2.93 |
|
Junkyard
The Birthday Party
|
5 | 2.16 | +2.84 |
|
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
|
5 | 2.22 | +2.78 |
|
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
|
5 | 2.28 | +2.72 |
|
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
|
5 | 2.29 | +2.71 |
|
Suicide
Suicide
|
5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
|
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
|
5 | 2.52 | +2.48 |
|
GI
Germs
|
5 | 2.54 | +2.46 |
|
Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
|
5 | 2.57 | +2.43 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 4.36 | -2.36 |
|
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
|
1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
|
Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka Touré
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
|
Rubber Soul
Beatles
|
2 | 4.12 | -2.12 |
|
Pump
Aerosmith
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
White Ladder
David Gray
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
|
1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
|
Savane
Ali Farka Touré
|
1 | 3.02 | -2.02 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.75 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 4 | 4.75 |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 5 |
| Sonic Youth | 3 | 5 |
| The Velvet Underground | 3 | 5 |
| Prince | 3 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.5 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 4.67 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Cure | 3 | 4.67 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 4.67 |
| Can | 2 | 5 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 5 |
| The Jam | 2 | 5 |
| Portishead | 2 | 5 |
| Björk | 2 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 6 | 4.17 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 4.33 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.33 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Farka Touré | 2 | 1 |
| Super Furry Animals | 2 | 1 |
| Rufus Wainwright | 2 | 1.5 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Kanye West | 4, 5, 2 |
| U2 | 1, 2, 4 |
| Radiohead | 5, 2, 4, 5 |
| Beatles | 2, 2, 4, 3, 5 |
5-Star Albums (185)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Weather Report
3/5
It frustrates me that out of the limited amount of jazz on this list, we get this. With all due respect, it's the most background music, white-people-dinner-party type jazz you can get. Not that it's terrible, it's fine, but not engaging in the slightest.
I wonder why this was included when so many others were left out? (reads the wiki entry)
"the band's most commercially successful album"..."one of the best sellers in the Columbia jazz catalog"..."the opening track was a significant commercial success"...
ah there we go...the creator of the book didn't know anything about jazz and so resorted to throwing in some Miles Davis and Coltrane that everyone knows, and then skimming the best sellers to pad it out. Of course.
25 likes
Doves
3/5
These guys are so frustrating, it's like they want to do something interesting but they can't quite bring themselves to do it. There's a bunch of variety to the instruments on here, but all the songs still end up being the same decent mid-paced track. Solid songwriting only gets you so far, I don't see any spark that makes me want to go back the album or any track in particular.
12 likes
Beatles
2/5
The Beatles are that one band that people just won't let you dislike. "It's influential! It's influential!" they scream at you...uh ok? I thought we were judging how good the music sounds, not what other people thought of it. Was a bit disheartened when I found this site to see that the top albums are littered with the usual bunch of Beatles albums that everywhere else is. I just can't for the life of me understand what the big deal is.
And honestly, around their time there were other incredible artists that I think were both more important and influential, and their music has stood the test of time. Bands like The Velvet Underground, The Stooges or The Doors. They definitely have a couple better albums than this, but nothing to write home about.
8 likes
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Really is incredible this came out in 1967, on another level compared to the rock music of that time, with one or two notable exceptions. A unique voice in music that accomplished so much in the short time he was around.
3 likes
CHIC
3/5
It's good fun to listen to, nice and funky. It's always cool to hear these classic albums and find songs you've always known about but never known the name or artist (Le Freak), or songs that have been sampled elsewhere (Chic Cheer). Doesn't blow me away though, but i'm not mad about getting it.
3 likes
4-Star Albums (235)
1-Star Albums (21)
All Ratings
The Rolling Stones
2/5
The Stones definitely fall into that group of 60s/70s rock bands that I just can't for the life of me understand why they're still celebrated now. I'm sure at the time the music was groundbreaking and exciting, but it just doesn't hold up like some others from that time. Listened to the UK version and enjoyed the first track, but I'm struggling to recall anything interesting after that. I guess they just aren't for me.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Familiar with Curtis from his self-titled and Superfly, both great albums that i enjoyed more than this, though there isn't really anything wrong with this either. It's pleasant to listen to, some great grooves, but overall just kind of breezes past me after finishing. Probably worth another listen in the future, but overall just a solid album that i don't regret having to listen to at all. 'So in Love' especially was a good listen.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Probably the best compliment I can give the album is that it's packed with smash hits, and it's sequenced in a way where you basically get a hit, a solid filler, and then another hit all the way through. All of the non-hits are pretty standard though and don't really stand out, but they aren't bad either. The production, especially the drums, really screams 90s so it does feel a little dated, but the angsty lyrics and great choruses make up for it. Not one to go back to that often, but the hits really do hit. Especially Ironic, one of the best singles of the 90s for sure.
Metallica
3/5
Probably their most progressive of their first few albums. The songs are generally pretty long, something they've picked up again since Death Magnetic but with 1/100th of the songwriting skill shown here. The big let down is definitely the production, without any bass the whole sound is very flat. What is impressive though is how memorable and fun to listen to the songs are despite the length, the title track is a great example of this at nearly 10 minutes. For the first half at least this is true, after One the quality does take a bit of a hit, but not enough to completely turn me off the album.
Definitely still worth a listen but wouldn't put it above the two albums that preceeded it.
John Coltrane
5/5
Every time Coltrane's sax pops into a song it feels like the heavens are opening. So glad that I can appreciate jazz a lot more than I could years ago, makes you realise just how unique this album is in the genre, there's really nothing else like it. It's amazing how much it manages to do in barely half an hour, and with just those 3 words repeated. Somehow feels deeply spiritual just through the sound alone. It's a masterpiece.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Now we're on my kind of music, some classic punk. Listened to this already many times, Dead Kennedys had a really interesting sound on here thanks to their surf-rock influence. Songs like 'Kill the Poor', 'Lets Lynch the Landlord', 'California Uber Alles' all are punk classics that I could listen to everyday and not tire of them. The only thing stopping me from giving it a 5 is a few tracks near the end running up to the legendary 'Holiday in Cambodia' which are a little weak and don't leave much of an impression even after all the listens i've given them.
Regardless this is still a punk classic that anyone interesting in getting into the genre should listen through a couple times.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
I'm sure everyones review mentions it, but this has to be one of the best produced rock albums of all time. Even on songs i'm not crazy about like 'Settle for Nothing', the contrast between the quieter and louder parts, how well every instrument fits into the mix. The first minute of 'Take the Power Back' is a masterclass in how to mix an album.
Outside of that, the political lyrics and the anger they're delivered with matches perfectly with the instrumentation. Only things stopping me from giving a 5 are a couple of weaker tracks, and a general feeling like the songs could use a bit of trimming. The whole album also just works off the same trick, but it's an innovative trick and it sounds good. The amazing production also masks over a lot of small issues, it's just great fun to listen to.
Orange Juice
3/5
Was excited to get into this as i love a bit of post-punk, but ends up being a lot less exciting and interesting than the usual albums i'd put on. The first track which was apparently the big single off it was pretty decent, and there was a couple tracks after that that reminded me a little of 'Remain in Light' by the Talking Heads with some afrobeat influence. Unfortunately those songs still aren't nearly as interesting as anything from that album, and the rest of the album, especially the slower cuts, don't leave much of an impression at all.
There isn't really anything outright bad or annoying about the album, but there's nothing that makes me want to replay it again either.
Yes
3/5
As much as I did enjoy listening to it, can't help but feel like it would be much better if it was put together similar to 'Close to the Edge'. That album was just 3 epics packed in with no room for filler. With Fragile it feels like despite having 9 songs on the tracklist, only 3 or 4 are actually full length songs, not some kind of interlude.
Those actual songs are great, especially the closer, but I really don't see the point of the filler tracks. Could've removed those and just given us another full length track.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Seen this album cover a million times, so glad I finally get to check out the music behind it. The unfortunate thing is that it's all in french, and the story being told in the lyrics seems to be a pretty important part of it. Especially in the first track, which gives me vibes of 'The Gift' by The Velvet Underground, with a quieter instrumental in the background, and ASMR-esque vocals upfront. This opening and the similarly long closer are definitely the highlights, the closer especially has some great moments, but everything in between seems to just pass by so quickly. There's some nice melodies (pun intended) and instrumentals spread through this middle but without the lyrics to grasp onto, nothing really sticks.
Glad I got the chance to check this out finally, but i don't see myself returning to it any time soon. Unless i suddenly become fluent in French.
Bauhaus
3/5
Definitely one to give some more listens. My kind of music, that gothic post-punk is something i love, and was familiar with their debut album already, which is great. I think it could do with a little trimming down, maybe the version i heard had some bonus songs added onto the end, because the quality definitely dipped in the final few songs. Glad i listened to it though, will have to check out the rest of their discography some time.
TLC
3/5
This is probably the most 3 album i've heard yet on here. I love a nice 90s hip-hop/rnb beat, and there's some great ones on here especially near the start, but there's a lot that aged like milk. The interludes too are so unnecessary and i'll never understand why 90s albums were full of them. The lyrics are pretty straightforward, not really anything too deep, but the choruses and fun and they have great voices. Might come back to a couple songs off here but that's it really. Don't regret hearing it.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Doesn't feel quite as full of an experience as Folsom Prison, but it's still a great listen. Part country album, part standup comedy. Hearing the crowd cheer at every vulgar lyric, or boo at any mention of the guards or wardens is hilarious every time.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Feel like i need to give this a 3 because i really enjoyed up to and including 'Been Caught Stealing'. It's a really strong first half to the record, full and life and energy, was having a great time. Then they decided to load all the longer songs onto the second half, which just drags the pace down incredibly. Not that these songs were especially bad or anything, but there's nothing I hate more than an uneven tracklist. A bit of shifting songs around and you'd have something really good here.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Well this was a pleasant surprise. This whole album is excellently produced, you really notice it in the first couple songs with all the different instruments popping in from all sides, and it sounds great. It was only when I got to the chorus of 'Without You' that i recognised the song, which apparently this is a cover version, but damn he really sells it. The highlight of the album for sure, but I couldn't really pick a weak track out. Maybe having 'Coconut' right after that is an odd choice, but it's a fun silly song so i can't stay mad at it.
Jurassic 5
4/5
There's a lyrics in one of the first songs on here that says something along of line of how they just want to bring you the old school hip-hop sound. And that's exactly what they do over the whole album, and do it very well. If you're not a fan of those 90s beats and lyrics then I doubt this will change you mind, but for someone like me who loves that sound, I had a great time listening. The production is great, even drum kicks hits you right in the chest. The songs where they up the tempo a little lets them show off their more technical skills, but mostly this is an album to sit back and relax too. No complaints really.
Nick Drake
3/5
Very familiar with Nick Drake, but usually when I go to listen to him, it's almost always Pink Moon that I put on. It's an amazing album but I was happy to give another listen to one of his other albums. While I still don't enjoy it quite as much as Pink Moon, all the added instrumentation makes these songs really beautiful, the production is amazing. Nick's voice is soothing and gorgeous as always. Will need to give it more listens as is still blends together a lot for me, have trouble picking out any particular song, but still worth a listen.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Fun album to listen to. Think the opener and Summer Breeze overshadow the rest of the tracks with their slick guitar work and jam sections, but that might just be my own taste and biases. The album flys by though, great basslines and grooves throughout. Definitely one i'll be throwing on for some more listens in the future, where the other tracks might start to stand out more. But it's a high 3 for now.
The Doors
3/5
Very bluesy, great production, and ends with one of their greatest songs. Another one of those artists where I usually default to the same album whenever i want to listen to them (the self-titled), but I might have to add this one into the rotation. Bit of a quality dip from the first couple tracks until Riders, but couldn't really pick a weak track overall.
Beatles
2/5
The Beatles are that one band that people just won't let you dislike. "It's influential! It's influential!" they scream at you...uh ok? I thought we were judging how good the music sounds, not what other people thought of it. Was a bit disheartened when I found this site to see that the top albums are littered with the usual bunch of Beatles albums that everywhere else is. I just can't for the life of me understand what the big deal is.
And honestly, around their time there were other incredible artists that I think were both more important and influential, and their music has stood the test of time. Bands like The Velvet Underground, The Stooges or The Doors. They definitely have a couple better albums than this, but nothing to write home about.
Deep Purple
4/5
Usually I can't get into a lot of the classic rock bands, say like Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin etc. There just isn't anything exciting about their music to me, and when they seem to 'jam' it feels safe, like they're afraid to go all out. With Deep Purple, I don't get that feeling at all. Every song I hear from them is just balls to the wall, trying to outdo each other for the entire song, being technical and musical in equal measure. The longer songs like Child in Time on here are just so much fun to listen to, 10 minutes has passed you by before you even realise. For me they blow a lot of those classic rock bands out of the water.
ABBA
3/5
Similar to an album like Thriller, where the legendary singles just seem to overshadow the rest of the album. That's not to say that the other songs aren't a decent listen, they're fun and catchy, but after the album is done I spent the next few hours singing Dancing Queen and Knowing Me Knowing You over and over to myself. A greatest hits comp is definitely the best thing for ABBA, but it can't be too bad of an album when a third of the songs are straight up pop classics. Just not something I see myself really going back to.
The Clash
4/5
Back to my kind of music. Though their debut isn't as varied as their classic album London Calling, they came out of the gate with some great punk music. Full of songs you can sing back after 1 or 2 listens, and songs like Police & Thieves do show a glimpse of what was to come later down the line. It's full of energy from start to finish, and I always feel tempted to start it all over again as soon as the album is done.
Q-Tip
3/5
Despite being a big Tribe Called Quest fan, i've never really gone into Q-Tips solo work fully, as this was just as pleasant as i expected. Instead of the usual jazzy beats it's more of a soulful sound, with some great features to compliment it (looking at you D'Angelo). Q-Tip sounds smooth as hell as usual, he flows over these beats easily. It's the kind of hip-hop album i could play on a drive with my mum, and I mean that in a good way. It's light, bouncy, easy to listen to. It's not blowing me away, but i'm enjoying the experience from front to back.
Tom Tom Club
4/5
Had never heard of this before, then clicked the wiki to see that it was a side project of half of Talking Heads (plus Adrian Belew who was on Remain in Light). So I was then pretty excited to hear it, and lo and behold, it's a fantastic album. Brings the eccentricity of the last Heads album and bumps up the danceability. Can't help but feel like this was a big influence on Belew as I hear a lot of similarities between this and the King Crimson album Discipline that he would record just months after this one.
If you're a Talking Heads fan then this is almost like an extra album from their prime era to enjoy. Will be going back to this one for sure, especially Genius of Love, what a great song.
Megadeth
4/5
I'm surprised at the low score (bang on a 3) and the negative reviews here calling this \"typical metal\" etc. I think this is one of the more fun metal albums you'll hear in your life. It breezes past at around 40 minutes, and is just alive with wild technical ability and fun songwriting. I can understand not being a fan on Mustaine's voice though, I guess i'm just used to it after knowing about Megadeth for so long. Can't quite bring myself to give it a 5, but it isn't far off.
I do have a slight complaint about the remastered version I was listening to. Just seems like a slight mixing error but often the drums were very loud and the vocals seemed pushed back a lot.
R.E.M.
3/5
The singles from this album are great, Nightswimming is an especially pretty song. I think I still need more listens for the rest of the album to sink in, but i don't think there were any bad songs at all. The production on this album is amazing too.
Slayer
5/5
Probably the peak of metal music for me, doesn't really get much better. Album flies through at 200mph, insane riffs and solos. As soon as it's over I just want to listen to it all over again.
Heaven 17
2/5
While it starts off pretty strong with the opening track, the album as a whole ends up feeling very one dimensional. Not enough variation or stand out tracks, despite some nice grooves here and there.
Neil Young
4/5
Neil Young is one of those artists that I've listened to plenty of, but he's never completely clicked with me. So I made sure to give this album a few full listens to really try and get into it, and by the end of the day it was really starting to open up to me. There's some gorgeous songs on here, Heart Of Gold especially. Looking forward to hearing some more of him now.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Getting some more country music, always glad to see an album pop up on here that isn't from a genre i'm as familiar with. I love her voice, songs like the Beatles cover and the closing track Queen of the Silver Dollar are great listens. Will probably end up coming back to this in the future for some more listens because I had fun. Hoping there's still more to come on this list that'll help me expand my tastes.
Syd Barrett
2/5
I was never a fan of Pink Floyd's debut, so didn't have high expectations going into this. Was still left feeling pretty disappointed. I'll always struggle to see why Syd has been held up in such high regard in history, when all his musical contributions that I can see were pretty mediocre. Maybe it's the whole 'tortured artist' narrative. Does nothing for me though.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Just a couple days after getting some Neil Young, here he is again with his friends. Gave it a couple listens and enjoyed it, was more varied than the typical folk rock I was expecting. The opening song in particular had a great change up in the middle that i didn't expect. An album to give some more listens to for sure, but isn't blowing my mind yet.
Kate Bush
5/5
Loved this album and Kate's music overall for a while now, it's got to be a 5. First half is some of the catchiest and easily enjoyable pop music you'll ever hear. The chorus of Running Up That Hill, the strings on Cloudbusting, her vocals on the title track. It's all incredible. Then if that wasn't enough, the whole second half of the album is a single story told through some pretty artsy instrumentals and song structures. She really was a genius for this one.
Big Star
4/5
Reading the reviews for this one you'd think people were listening to a completely different album. Had heard some Big Star (and this album too) before, but after giving it a couple of good listens it really started to open up to me. Plenty of variety from song to song, you've got some hard rockers in here, and also some of the most beautiful songs i've heard in a while. A real treat for the ears, and will be checking them out a lot more in the future i'm sure.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Respect is a legendary song, but the rest of the album kind of flows past me without much thought. There's also no doubting the power of her voice, the songwriting and production just feel so dated, especially compared to other albums from the late 60s. Still a decent listen.
Jack White
3/5
I'm a huge White Stripes fan but haven't gone much into Jack's solo career, and i'm glad this site finally got me to give this one a chance. I don't think I can give it too high a rating right now, but I enjoyed the listen. He just knows how to write a damn good rock song. His voice still sounds as good as it does on any TWS album, with just some better production than back then. Will be worth revisiting in the future.
Fugazi
5/5
Don't need to play a second of this to give it a review, as it's probably one of my most played albums of all time by maybe my favourite artist of all time. It's everything that rock music should be: it's energetic, loud, aggressive, the lyrics have meaning, and the vocals are delievered with so much emotion. It's amazing that they somehow kept this quality up throughout their entire career. What a band.
Ute Lemper
2/5
It's not terrible, the instrumentation and songwriting is generally pretty good. Her voice is the main thing turning me off, it doesn't sound very good to me at all, especially when she really tries to push it. Also the cabaret angle just sounds a bit goofy in here too. Can't see myself coming back to it.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
I've always enjoyed some singles from RHCP, but a full album is testing for me. It especially doesn't help that the people who mixed this album were tragically deaf, I had to half the volume on my system before I could listen to it, and even then it was often overpowering. Great singles like Scar Tissue and Otherside make the first half of the album enjoyable enough, but man does it drag on after that. An hour of music shouldn't feel this long.
The Verve
4/5
I'm surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this. I think it just scrapes a 4 from me, as I love the sound they have. Some of the jams in the earlier part of the album, on some relatively long songs, were really fun. It does commit the cardinal sin of being far too long though, there's no reason for an album like this to be over 70 minutes long. If it was a tight 9 songs, ~50 minutes, we'd have a real gem on our hands, but when you've got your sound nailed down like this, it gets tiring by the last few songs. Well worth a listen regardless though.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
As much as I love to hear a full hours worth of Neptunes and Timbaland beats, this pretty much follows the usual formula of big mainstream pop albums. Any singles are packed into the front half of the album, and the rest is filled with pretty average filler. We even get a little piano ballad to finish it off. It wasn't too bad, but it really didn't need to be over an hour long. Every single song is like 5 minutes long, just cut a couple songs completely and trim a few to a solid 3 minutes and I'd be fairly happy.
Beatles
2/5
Seeing this sitting at nearly a 4/5 average while an album like Hounds of Love barely pushes 3.5 is pretty depressing. Sometimes I just want to grab a Beatles fan by the shoulders, shake them and ask "Why do you all like this album so much?!", and you aren't allowed to talk about it's "influence" or anything like that. Just what are you hearing in this music that I'm missing, it's just the most plain uninteresting pop music you'll hear from the 60s.
I'll never understand.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I'm pretty sure this is one of the oldest albums on the list, always good to hear some good old rock n roll. Did enjoy this, maybe partly just for the historical factor of it being the first Elvis album, but the songs are quick and punchy. I like how he lets his vocals fly around a little, worth a re-listen in the future.
Snoop Dogg
5/5
Another easy 5. Snoop came in straight out the gates after being the highlight of The Chronic to make a classic album. Backed up by Dr Dre's best production until 2001, there isn't a single song on here that doesn't have my head bobbing the whole way through. Sure you can complain about the lyrics, they really aren't saying anything insightful, but for me this album is all about the flow, the attitude and the incredible g-funk production.
Air
4/5
I'm very close to giving this a 5, it's a fantastic soundtrack that works perfectly as an ambient album in it's own right. Playground Love is an incredible song that hooked me soon as I first watched the film. Funnily enough, that was only about a week and a half ago, great timing. I'll be replaying that song and the rest of the album a lot over the coming weeks i feel.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Really an album that was ahead of it's time, lovely pop songs with the most insane wall of guitar noise you'll hear. Just Like Honey is a stone cold classic, but there's plenty more to enjoy. The juxtaposition of the harsh noise with the sweet pop tunes is such a fun combination. Better than I remember from the last time I heard the album.
Nirvana
4/5
Interesting that this would come up on here so early, and well timed as my opinion on it has changed quite a lot in recent months. Always thought it was pretty overrated, but after numerous recent listens i've started to really come around to it. It's incredibly well produced, well written, and some of the deep cuts on the album have started to shine through a little. I still think the first half outshines the second with it's huge hits, but I have a lot more respect for the album now than I once did.
Buck Owens
4/5
Yet another album where i'm kind of surprised at the low ratings. Maybe I was just in the right mood while listening but it felt like it flew by. Pretty much every track didn't waste any time, was fun to listen to, had a catchy singalong chorus. Buck's voice is just perfect for this. Fun album.
David Bowie
3/5
It's not Bowie's best by a long shot, that would be the 3 albums coming directly after this one, but it's still an enjoyable listen. It's just a bit, in one ear and out the other really. Nothing sticks around too long, but it's a fun listen while it's on.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
I do love some jazz, and thankfully this is a new album for me. While it wasn't up there with the best i've heard, it was pleasant enough. The organ was a nice change to have as the lead instrument, not often you get to see that. Glad I got to listen to it though, whole album went by before I even realised.
Small Faces
3/5
I'm not mad at giving this album a listen, i've always liked the charm of a lo-fi production. I think my main issue here is the extended spoken word passages in the second half, along with the fact that a lot of the tracks feel like interludes on the way to something that never quite arrives. The songs themselves though are nice enough to listen to, there's plenty of variety throughout to stop any boredom creeping in, but I don't think i'll be returning to it anytime soon.
Laura Nyro
3/5
I enjoyed her voice quite a lot throughout this record, contrary to what most of the reviews seem to be saying. It kept me interested throughout the runtime, which was a solid 40 minutes. Don't have many complaints, or too many praises to sing either really. It's very much in one ear and out the other, but while it's playing the tunes are catchy and fun.
Digital Underground
2/5
The only thing saving this from a 1 for me is the opener being fun and the beats in general being pretty funky. Almost every song on here overstays it's welcome by a good 2-3 minutes, and the rapping is so basic when at this point you'd already had Rakim, Chuck D, Ice Cube that had pushed the form forward. I was just waiting for it to end by the time it was halfway down. Won't be returning to it any time soon.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I'm far more familiar with Dylan in the 60s than this, even though I know most people consider it his biggest masterpiece outside of that era. I'm giving it a 3 now just from my first listen in a long while, but I can tell it's going to be one i'll enjoy a lot in the future. Dylan just always takes some getting used to and some time is needed to really dive into the album. Especially when there's a couple of songs on here pushing 8/9 minutes with almost no break in the lyrics. Another hit from Dylan.
Van Morrison
4/5
Not a single skip on here to my ears. I love Van's voice and how jazzy the songwriting is on this one, the title track is pretty much a straight up jazz song. Gets a little weaker towards the end, but not enough to stop my enjoyment of the album.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Never got round to listening to this when it came out, though I did listen through some of his earlier acclaimed albums after his death. The opening track on here is brilliant, his voice is so dark and brooding throughout the whole album. It's one to give some more listens to, as it feels like it'll open up some more. I like what i'm hearing off first listen.
AC/DC
2/5
I groaned a little when I saw this album pop up, but after the first 2 tracks i thought "hey, maybe it's not so bad". A couple more songs later and nope. The fatigue sets in so quickly with ACDC, people are not exagerrating when they say every song they make sounds the same. It's all the same structure, the same sound, the same tempo, same same same everything. It's 40 minutes but it feels like an hour, 4 minute songs feel like 7. I won't give it a 1 because the songs individually are catchy and fun, but listening to more than 1 in a row just shows how much of a one trick pony they are.
The Stooges
5/5
In a Beatles review on here, I mentioned The Stooges as a band that were actually important and influential, and made music that can still be enjoyed today. Listening to this just makes me even more sure of that, it's insane what they managed to come up with in 1969, nearly a decade before punk actually blew up. So much energy, the guitars are screeching and squealing the whole time, it's so easy to listen to. I feel like I would be wrong to give it less than a 5, even though their next 2 albums were somehow even better.
The Cars
4/5
This album is about as easy listening as it gets. A tight 30 minutes of catchy, well-written power-pop. 'Just What I Needed' could be on this album an extra 20 times too and I wouldn't even mind, that song is pure ear-candy. Can't wait to throw this album on again.
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
I'm surprised i've never listened to The Furs before as their post-punk sound is right up my alley. Had a great time listening to this. All was new to me except for Pretty In Pink which i recognised instantly. Looking forward to hearing it again.
The White Stripes
3/5
I was going to give this a 2 but I thought that might be too harsh. The reason is that I love The White Stripes, I think literally all of their other albums are some of the best that 2000s rock has to offer, but this one falls short for me. It feels like they wanted to experiment a bit but they weren't completely sure where exactly they wanted to go with it, so it just kind of meanders throughout the runtime.
Surprised that this was selected for the 1001 albums, but hopefully we'll see De Stijl and White Blood Cells too later.
The Doors
4/5
Think this is the 4th Doors album i've heard in it's entirety, and the second on this list after LA Woman. So far they haven't missed, everything I've heard from them has been great. Vocals are powerful, I love the heavy blues influence, and the organ sound is perfect. Can't wait to get more of them, as i'm sure there's more on this list.
Paul Simon
3/5
A very pleasant and easy album to listen to, hard to find many faults except from that it lacks some real standout songs outisde of Julio. Could listen to Paul Simon sing for hours though, great voice and guitar playing throughout. Probably worth a relisten in future.
Foo Fighters
3/5
It's another one of those albums where there's nothing offensively bad about it, but it's hard to find reasons to praise it either. I've heard this before a while ago but remembered nothing (not surprising). Was hoping since this was their first album that it might be a bit more rough around the edges, and it is...a little bit. Not enough to actually make it interesting though. But there are some decent songs and performances on here, overall it's just pretty plain rock though.
Slipknot
3/5
I was fully prepared to give this a 4/5 after the first few tracks as they were so good, but the album really overstays it's welcome being an hour long. I still enjoyed listening to it, the drums are insane, vocals are intense, and they know how to bring 110% energy on pretty much every song here. The style just runs a bit stale by the end. Can see myself going back to a bunch of songs on here.
Big Black
5/5
Maybe in the top 5 guitar sound on an album of all time, it sounds like scraping against giant strings of metal. Kerosene alone is one of the most intense and explosive rock songs you'll ever hear ("SET ME ON FIRE"). I was pretty sure I'd give it a 5, but after relistening i'm doubly sure, you'll struggle to find more aggressive rock music than this. Not surprised that once again, an album that's actually interesting and different than plain 60s rock n roll is panned with a low score on here.
Primal Scream
3/5
I was heading towards a 4 because the longer songs on the front half of the album kept my attention pretty well, or they were just danceable that I didn't notice the length. Some of the later tracks do have a length issue though, they just don't keep my attention enough. But overall this album is an interesting mix of indie and dance, songs like Slip Inside This House are just so funky I can't help but groove to it.
Talking Heads
5/5
Not that it matters, but I want everyone that rated this less than a 4 or 5 to know that i'm judging you and your taste very harshly.
Radiohead
5/5
I see a couple of the top reviews saying either every song sounds the same, or they all sound like random noodling. I feel sorry for the ears of these people, clearly they aren't working properly. I don't think there's anything exceptionally experimental or hard to listen to about this album. To me it's just a collection of well-written and perfectly produced songs. Seriously, the sound quality of this album is amazing, every instrument fits right into place, like a jigsaw. It's hard not to be moved by the music on here.
Eric Clapton
3/5
It's some pretty unoffensive and fun blues rock, nothing too crazy going on here. The Bob Marley cover is great, if a little unchanged from the original. Vocals are solid, good guitar playing, there really isn't much to comment on. It's just solid, a solid 3.
Dire Straits
3/5
A fun listen with some great guitar playing throughout. It slows down a little on the second half, more listens might make it more enjoyable, but the first half is back to back excellent tracks. Walk Of Life is one of the bounciest pop songs you'll ever hear, and Money For Nothing almost doesn't even need talking about. One of the best guitar riffs i've ever heard, and even though it's over 8 minutes long, if you told me it was only 3 minutes i would believe you, it goes by that fast.
The Lemonheads
3/5
It's nice when an album is brief enough that you can give it multiple listens in the day. It's some good old 90s indie rock, most of the songs being pretty quick, think Doolittle or Slanted & Enchanted, though not quite as great as either of those albums. It's still a fun listen, the title track seems vaguely familiar with me, as does the Simon & Garfunkel cover bonus song (which is lovely). I don't think there's quite enough sticking to me to give it a 4, but I can see myself returning to it.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Didn't check anything about this before listening, but turns out it's some mostly instrumental folk/jazz, well produced too. The album kind of meanders and can't find it's feet for a while until you hit the 12 minute epic that's the centerpiece of the album. What a beautiful song, but after that the album is almost over already. Definitely worth a listen, and probably some more in the future.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Oh man, what could I possibly say about this album that hasn't been said before. I can't think of any album that effectively killed a genre quite like this did with shoegaze. Sure there have been other great shoegaze albums after this, but this is just universally held up as number 1. It sounds exactly like the album cover looks, sweet pop songs covered in a thick pink wave of guitar noise. Sometimes is one the most heartbreaking songs you'll ever hear. I plan on enjoying this album for the rest of my life, I don't think i'll ever get tired of it.
John Lennon
3/5
Being a good old Beatles hater, I wasn't looking forward to this, but it's pretty tolerable. The piano ballads (Imagine, Jealous Guy) stand out much more to me than the bluesier songs on there, they kind of pass by without much thought. Outside of the significance of the opening track i'm not really seeing why it was included in the list, there's nothing exceptional in the music here.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
It's pretty impressive how captivating an hour of just solo piano improv can be, music is weird. Enjoyed this a lot though, he manages to put so much emotion into his playing, and knows exactly how to build intensity throughout these long pieces. Again, the fact that this was all improv is incredibly impressive, deserves a high rating just for the technical ability on display.
2Pac
4/5
Probably Pac at the peak of his powers, right before a stylistic left turn with All Eyez On Me after this. The g-funk production and lyrics rife with paranoia and depression from lost friends and court cases. Despite being a little long the highlights make it all worth it, like the beautiful Dear Mama, the ode to rappers that came before on Old School, or begging death to take him away on So Many Tears. Should be essential hip hop listening even if it isn't the very best the genre has to offer.
Queen
3/5
Given I always thought of Queen as more of a singles band, it was a nice surprise to see how cohesive of an album experience this was. A lot of the tracks blend right into each other, you can definitely hear some prog rock influence going on. The mix is a little muffled though, especially in the louder moments, and this also makes some of the songs sound a little similar. I enjoyed the album overall though, I just wish there were some standout songs.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
This is one of those albums where I feel like I should like it more than I do, if that makes any sense. The lo-fi kind of production, plenty of diversity in song structures and sound, it really should be right up my alley. That being said, I do definitely enjoy this album a lot, but I find myself debating whether or not to give it say a 4 rating. I think I will because the highlights on here really are great, Race for the Prize, Superman, Disintegrate are all fantastic. Even the whiny vocals don't annoy me much at all, I quite enjoy the occasional voice breaks.
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
Hooray, my first 1 rating after 80 albums! I've heard worse than this before but oh man, this is putting me to sleep. I'm stopping a couple tracks from the end because I just can't bear another non-descript ballad with average vocals. I'm not seeing the Thom Yorke comparison everyone is making, maybe it's the super weak songwriting that's stopping me. Please no more.
Morrissey
4/5
It might be my love for The Smiths that is making me lean this way, but I really enjoy this. It's almost like a 5th album of theirs, just missing the amazing Marr guitar work. But still Morrissey manages to string together a choesive album full of fun catchy pop songs. Sunday, Suedehead, Forget Me are all fantastic and I would throw on a playlist in a heartbeat.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Iron Maiden were really onto something in the 80s, they have what, 7 albums in a row that are all great listens. Pretty incredible. I'm always a big lover of metal that can appreciate the bass guitar, and it's prominent throughout this album to my delight. I remembered the singles of course, but the rest was surprisingly solid too, and at a tight 40 minutes and 8 tracks they make sure not to stick around for too long.
When an album ends with a song like Hallowed Be Thy Name it's hard not to leave with a super positive impression.
The KLF
3/5
Electronic music is the genre I know the least about as far as the history of it, so I can't really tell if this was ahead of it's time or anything like that. There's some fun songs on here overall, kind of falls off towards the end though especially with the 10 minute song that didn't need to be half that length. Was pleasant enough of a listen, but I doubt i'll be going back to it anytime soon.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
It's a great concept and they pull it off, but obviously it is way too long to listen to in full unless it's a rare occasion. There's just too many amazing tracks to give it less than a 4 though. Papa Was A Rodeo is especially a highlight for me, tears me up everytime it's so beautiful. Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side, Long Forgotten Fairytale, I Think I Need a New Heart, Book of Love, do I need to go on?
Wilco
4/5
I am seriously judging anyone that would call this album boring. It's the music equivalent of being so used to marvel films that you can't stand to sit through 5 minutes without a silly quip or a CGI action scene. Just sit back and take in the great songwriting here. Pretty much every track on here is gorgeous, couldn't pick a weak one.
Bad Company
3/5
Just based off the band name and the album cover I expected some kind of early punk rock, turns out it's just some pretty average blues rock. Turns out i've listened to the album before once but nothing stuck with me, and on a second listen it seems like the same has happened again. The album is actually just about to finish as I write this and i'm having trouble remembering anything that happened. Nothing offensively bad though, just forgettable, so a 3 is probably fair.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Blues rock is a genre that I enjoy quite a bit when it's playing and it's done well...for a period of time. After a while it gets really tiring, and when the album is 80 minutes long like this one, and every single song is pushing 6 minutes, I'm just wishing for it to end. It's a shame they couldn't edit themselves a little as there's some great songs and guitar playing on here. Though I will say it was a nice idea to leave the big single Layla until the very end of the album, kind of brought me back into it for 7 minutes. Really is a damn good song.
Klaxons
5/5
There's a couple songs I've known from this album for a while but never checked out the whole thing. What a mistake that was. This album is so much fun, it's over in a flash and pretty much every song bombards you with catchy hooks or riffs. Listened to it 3 times during the day and I intend to listen to it some more. Perfectly represent a certain time for indie rock in the UK in the 2000s along with the first Arctic Monkeys record where rock music was fun and exciting.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Obviously I knew Fast Car going into this, but I was surprised how well the rest of the album stands up, she was no 1-song-wonder. The instrumentals are fairly simple but they carry the songs well, and allow her vocals and lyrics to take the center stage. Songs about revolution, the police, consumerism, a lot of fiery topics that she isn't shy about running into. It dips off a little in a last few songs which aren't as interesting, but overall she produced a great first album here.
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
Such a fantastic power-pop album, was already fairly familiar with it before this but giving it a concentrated listen just reveals how good the songwriting is here. The opener especially is incredible, and throughout the album I love how prominent the bass is, always makes me happy. Putting it at a 4 but in the future I'm sure it'll climb even more.
Cornershop
4/5
Went in expecting an hour of average indie rock based on the wiki description and the fact the band is only really known for the big single on here, Brimful of Asha. Imagine my surprise when it's a pretty eclectic mix of indie, trip-hop, filled with influences from indian music specifically. Turns out it's pretty great actually, kept my attention pretty much for the whole hour which is impressive for a first listen. Was going to give it a 3 but scratch that, for how unique it is it deserves a little more.
James Brown
4/5
Great fun to listen to. Live albums can be really hit or miss, but this one benefits from being a tight 30 minutes with no fat on it. The 10 minute song that takes up a big portion of the album is great, his back and forth with the crowd takes what could've been a repetitive song into a fun experience that slowly builds over time before exploding into the medley after it. His vocals are insane too, some of the screams are almost inhuman.
Femi Kuti
4/5
Being pretty familiar with Fela Kuti, I probably shouldn't be surprised that his son also makes incredibly fun and catchy political afrobeat music. Given it's a little later than that era, the production has caught up a bit more and can really bring the music to life (but they really should've turned the kick drum down a little, jesus christ).
The Vines
2/5
It's ok i guess. I can see where the Nirvana comparisons came from, not from the songwriting obviously, but the singer's voice and the way it drags out sometimes is similar to Cobain. The mix is really way too clean for something like this though, I need a bit more edge. Some of the harder rocking songs like Get Free are fun, but there's not enough of them.
Ali Farka Touré
1/5
Really not that interesting, couldn't hold my attention for the duration of a song.
New Order
5/5
It's hard to think of any artist that did the synth-pop/new-wave sound better than New Order did in their prime. It's like they just couldn't help but make every song sound like a huge epic, while simultaneously being insanely catchy, especially on this album. Even when they dip back into the more post-punk style on a song like Sunrise, it's a complete banger of a track (very similar to The Cure though). There's about 4 albums from them you could put on the list and I wouldn't have an issue with a single one honestly.
Maybe the lyrics are a little cheesy sometimes, and the singing isn't perfect, but god damn how can you not just dance around like an idiot listening to this?
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
I remember a bit of a fuss going around when this came out, but I never checked it out as it didn't seem like my thing, but I guess now it's been forced upon me. And oh man it's exactly what I dreaded, completely boring country-pop with nothing interesting or captivating about it. What on earth convinced them that this needed to be on the list, 1000s of albums that sound exactly like this have been made for decades now. Her vocals are fine, but there's only so long I can listen to the basic lyrics, basic playing, basic song structure over and over. Made 45 minutes feel like a few hours.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
I feel the same way as another review I saw for this. It's an ok country album, nothing special, so why is it on this list? I thought these albums were supposed to be somewhat important and influencial, but I'm not seeing what some random country album from the late 80s is doing here.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Though their debut is still a little rough around the edges, and very much indebted to the heavy blues rock that was around at the time, you can see them already carving a completely new path in rock music. The opening track especially is just haunting, and incredible that it came out in 1970, the blueprint for heavy metal right there. The next couple of albums are what really defined their sound and took them to godlike status, but this is undeniably a fantastic start to the discography of one of rocks most important artists.
Blur
3/5
It's tough to rate this one. I've never been a huge Blur fan outside of their big singles, but it seemed like this was supposed to be the point where they branched out from the brit-pop sound to experiment a bit more, and you can hear that pretty clearly. It does make the album feel a bit disorganised, but also not that much of a chore to listen to even with it being nearly an hour. Only had the chance to give it one listen, but i will come back to it in the future. Feels like an album that will really benefit from more listens to let all the different ideas and sounds sink in.
The Who
4/5
Live albums are usually hit or miss, but this one actually gave me some new respect for The Who. Never been a big fan of any of their albums i've heard, but this one really brings out their punk energy, which is crazy given that it only came out in 1970. The long jam tracks like the 17 minute My Generation track are fantastic, you can see how they were influential to the punk scene. Worth going back to.
Duke Ellington
3/5
This isn't really the type of jazz i enjoy most, it's big band swing type stuff and i prefer the smaller groups with more solos, bebop and all that. But it's hard to deny the ability on display here. They really shred through some of these songs and they all have some catchy licks all over them. Don't regret having to listen to it at all.
Blondie
4/5
Another one of those albums where the singles really outshine the rest of it by a fair margin. Not to say the non-singles are bad, they're just not on that level, but the average across the whole album is pretty enjoyable. Didn't find myself waiting for it to end or getting annoyed at any songs. It's a quite fun breeze through some great pop punk and new wave.
The Killers
4/5
Damn, hitting me right in the childhood here. Those 4 big singles have been unescapeable since then, and they still hit hard nearly 20 years later, 10/10s the bunch of them. What I was surprised about was how well the rest of the tracks stood up. It's a little frustrating that all the singles are packed at the front of the album though, they could've spread them throughout the tracklist more which would improve the experience. 'Everything Will Be Alright' was maybe the one weak link here, but the rest deserves a listen. A 2000s album that actually deserves it's placement on this list.
The Fall
3/5
I groaned a little when I saw the wiki description mention this being their most accessible album. I love The Fall and was just thinking, well why is this included on the list? Why not just throw a couple of their classic 80s albums on here and call it a day? But it turns out that even accessible Fall music is still pretty damn good, catchy post-punk with Mark E Smith blabbering in the back, a combo that never fails. I'm sure some of their earlier, more seminal work will come up on the list, but for now i'm pretty glad to have got my fix for today.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
It's always a nice surprise when a 70 minute long album turns out to be a fairly easy listen. Obviously I knew that one song, but the rest was completely new to me. God damn these guys knew how to write a catchy pop song. Every single one had a great hook whether that was in the vocals or some kind of guitar lick or keyboard line. Just super fun all round. The length might stop me from putting it on too often, but it wasn't a drag at all.
Gene Clark
3/5
'For A Spanish Guitar' was an insanely beautiful song, wish I could give such high praise to the rest of the songs here. It's some country-tinged singer-songwriter music that is very pleasant to listen to, but will definitely take more listens to really sink in and grow deeper feelings. Worth a listen though. Hard to pick anything standing out from a single listen other than the song i already mentioned.
Songhoy Blues
2/5
It's ok i guess? I'm not sure why it's on here (common theme with newer albums on the list). The description of everything surrounding the band and the album are a lot more interesting than the actual music on here. In one ear and out the other really. At least it's some variety outside of the usual classic rock/pop stuff.
Killing Joke
4/5
Now we're back in my element, prime gritty post-punk. Had heard the album before a couple times, and The Wait especially a bunch more. Requiem with that repeating synth is a great opener, Bloodsport is a funky instrumental that feels a bit Talking Heads-esque, and the already mentioned The Wait has a riff that hits like a sledgehammer. 8 songs and a little over 30 minutes, they really just threw a bunch of bangers together and called it a day.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Being a huge punk fan i've obviously heard this album a couple of times already, but for some reason it never really appealed to me all that much. Something has clearly changed since then because after giving it a couple spins today, I'm loving it. The snarling vocals, the rough production and guitar fuzz, it all comes together to make a super easy listen. Massively influencial and deserves a spot on the list for sure.
Yes
3/5
Good timing as I was just listening to a bit of prog yesterday. Though you can see the potential here, I don't think they were quite the beast they'd become on Close To The Edge yet here. There's no bad tracks out of the six here, but I feel like I need some big long epic here, just one at least. The three longer songs are great but they just leave me wanting a bit more. Not quite sure where to rate it really.
D'Angelo
4/5
This is sitting at a 2.9 average rating on here, are you people crazy? You need to invest in a decent pair of headphones/speakers because the production on here alone is worth a 4, that bass feels like it's hugging my ears through the whole runtime. The constant 5+ minute songs don't bother me at all because this is the type of music you just need to let it run for a while, let those beats and the soulful singing just absorb you completely. I think his most recent album Black Messiah might be his peak, but you can't go wrong with any of his work, incredibly consistent at a high level.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Super solid album from Tribe. It's hard to give it too high a rating because the two albums that follow this are just out of this world, some of the best hip-hop albums ever made, so this one is bound to look a little weak in comparison. The beats are pretty skeletal, but the sampling is fantastic and the flows make it easy to groove along to regardless. 'Can I Kick It?' is also one of the best hip-hop singles of all time. They really couldn't do wrong could they.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I know this album is kind of the dark horse in Springsteen's discography, a lot of people call it his masterpiece and praise it to the heavens. I've never managed to enjoy it as much as 'Born to Run' or 'Darkness...', I just prefer that bombastic and over-the-top Bruce to this more subtle and darker version. It's still a great album though, songs like Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper, all tell great stories and are captivating. I just think he's much better with some more instruments and energy behind him.
The The
4/5
Another one of those albums where i'm not sure how it passed me by. Synth-pop and post-punk, this should be right up my alley but somehow I think i've only heard the band's name in passing a couple times. What a great treat to listen to this was, huge drums and catchy beats, wasn't bored for a second of it. The longer closing track was a real epic, love an album that ends like that. Will be revisiting this one again very soon.
Coldplay
3/5
Coldplay nowadays might have fallen down the rabbithole of bland made-for-radio pop dross, but from their first couple albums you can see why they got so much acclaim and attention. Even if it isn't anything groundbreaking on here, it's just solid songwriting, great production, and great performances all around. Yellow really does stand out though, one of the most passionate and simple love songs you'll ever hear, and the way that guitar comes in at the start, amazing. The rest ranges from good to lovely, never dipping too high or too low. A very solid effort.
The Cure
5/5
This album has been a serious grower for me. The first couple times I heard it I already really enjoyed it, it's just my kind of music, but it was mostly just for the singles like Lovesong and Pictures Of You. Over time, the rest of the album, especially the lengthier songs in the second half, have really grown on me. Hard to think of many quicker ways to have 70 minutes fly by you than listening to this. The mood of it, the production, just the overall atmosphere of this is a perfect example of why the album format will never be beaten. It all just fits together so well.
Orbital
4/5
I've said before on here that electronic music is a real weakness for me when it comes to musical knowledge, so I was happy to see this album pop up. Have seen Orbital's name mentioned with praise a few times but never really checked them out. Clearly this was a mistake, as this album is insanely fun to listen to. I was just vibing out the whole time to the repetitive beats, almost hypnotized by it. They layer on enough additional sounds throughout the tracks so they don't get boring even at their fairly long length. Soon as it was over i was already eager to replay some of the songs.
Green Day
4/5
A real nostalgia trip as this was the first album i ever bought and listened to fully when i was about 10/11. Most of the album was still super familiar to me even though I very rarely give it a full spin nowadays. The quality drops a little towards the end, Homecoming being as long as it is doesn't keep my attention the same way all 9 minutes of Jesus Of Suburbia does at the start of the album, and Whatshername is a pretty forgettable closer. When it's on point though, it's a super fun listen, and pretty diverse for a band that was just a fun pop-punk band until then.
Linkin Park
4/5
Though the big singles were huge when I was younger, I never listened to the full album, probably because the nu-metal thing kind of passed by me. If you can handle the lyrical edginess and the somewhat cringey rapping, there's a tight and concise album here. Only runs about 35 minutes and doesn't have a dull moment in there. Every song has those punchy soft-verse loud-chorus dynamics that keep your attention, and the guitars hit hard with this production. Kind of wish I had checked it out back in the day, I probably would've loved this.
PJ Harvey
3/5
PJ Harvey falls into that category of artists for me that although I've tried to listen to a lot of their work, and maybe even found some of it pretty enjoyable, they've just never clicked with me to the extent I expected. Given the style of music she makes I thought i'd enjoy her stuff more, but it always just sits in the "yeah this is pretty good" bucket. Same here, although the rougher production and songs do suit her well. I'll continue to come back to her music every now and then to see if my opinion changes, but for now, it's fine.
Minutemen
5/5
Didn't have time to listen to it fully today, but it's already in probably my top 10 all time albums and I can recall most of the 43 songs from it anyway in my head, so who needs listening? (nvm i got a few songs in and listened to it all anyway) One of the most fun albums you'll ever listen to, punk rock with a side of funk and jazz influence. The guitar riffs and solos are insane, the bass lines are groovy as hell, the drumming is frantic. If you trapped me on a desert island with this album only, I would quite happily be spinning it day after day after day.
Me and Mike Watt, playing guitar...
OutKast
3/5
Big Outkast fan but not sure I've ever given this a full listen. The Speakerboxxx side I really enjoyed. Big Boi picks some insane southern style beats for it, the features are fantastic, and it just feels huge. Flows by without you even realising. For Andre's side I was expecting it to be a big more experimental, since that seems to fit his nature, but unfortunately it's a bit of a let down. There's some interesting songs, and some big hits, but it really loses energy especially towards the end, and even moreso compared to the first side of the album. Speakerboxxx will get some replays, Love Below maybe not so much.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
There's just something about the way Creedence wrote songs. They wrote a bunch of great albums, all in a pretty short timeframe, with a pretty similar sound, and they're all fantastic. This one is no different. It's just strong songwriting, great playing, and awesome vocal performances. Not much more to say really, it's just good music.
The Black Crowes
3/5
It's some solid blues rock. Outside of the singles it tends to blend together a bit, but those singles are good fun, and the playing overall is solid too. Not something i'm likely to come back to, but it was worth a listen.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
The story around the album is a lot more interesting than the album itself, reminds me of the Syd Barrett album I had to sit through, in more ways than one. Feels like another instance of the tag of "psychedelic folk" just being an excuse to cover up mediocre songwriting with some weird production trickery. Once you look behind that though, there's really nothing there.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
With it's overall length and the length of many of the songs here, you can't help but feel like it's a little unfinished. With more time you might have a real classic here, but what you get is pretty great regardless. Mrs Robinson, America, Hazy Shade of Winter are serious highlights. The rest flows well, if being a little forgettable compared to those. At 29 minutes though you never get bored of it.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Might be one of the coolest (koolest?) albums of all time, the album cover only helps with that. Sonic Youth is everything that rock music should be, loud and exciting, unafraid to be experimental and weird, and most importantly, fun as hell. Kool Thing, Tunic, Dirty Boots, Mote, Disappearer, Titanium Expose...how could this not be a 5 with songs like that filling it up? I would have them on rock music's Mount Rushmore alongside The Stooges and Velvet Underground, no question.
Billy Bragg
4/5
I was already a little familiar with Billy Bragg already, so I thought I would enjoy this. Turns out I was absolutely right, it's a fun and easy to listen to album that tries to say a lot too. Lyrics can be a little clunky at times, but his passion makes it work. The guitar playing is great and I love the little touches of keys and horns that pop up on odd songs. Will be playing 'Greetings to the New Brunette' often now, what a song.
Can
5/5
It gives me immense pleasure to imagine someone in their 40s/50s starting this challenge hoping to find some hidden gems and rediscover classics by Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles etc.
Then being sat at a desk job with headphones on being subjected to the middle of Peking O. Hilarious stuff.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I mean it's hard not to give this a 5. As a lover of the full album experience, few albums nail it as well as Dark Side does. Hard to imagine not playing it through front to back everytime. 'Us vs Them' I think might be my favourite on here.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
1/5
I don't think acapella music has to be boring, but this album certainly is. There's only so many times I can hear - guy says a line, then the choir repeats the line 3 times, guy says a different line, choir repeats it, over and over again. They have lovely voices but I need more than that for 45 minutes.
Lambchop
1/5
Ok i'm tapping out of this one too. I have the same issue with some baroque pop as i do with psychedelic pop, where it feels like they're using an aesthetic to mask over the flaws. As though just throwing some strings and piano over the top will make me forget about the bland songwriting and the horrific vocals when he gets into his higher register. Couldn't remember a single song or a single interesting moment after three quarters through. Make it stop.
CHIC
3/5
It's good fun to listen to, nice and funky. It's always cool to hear these classic albums and find songs you've always known about but never known the name or artist (Le Freak), or songs that have been sampled elsewhere (Chic Cheer). Doesn't blow me away though, but i'm not mad about getting it.
The Cure
4/5
This is just the start of their greatness, and of a great trilogy of albums, though Faith and Pornography that follow it are probably both superior. This one does have the big plus of having 'A Forest' on it though, that's a pretty huge check in it's favour. A little too much filler/interlude songs for my liking, but even with that they really had that gothic post-punk sound nailed down right from the start.
Pearl Jam
3/5
Never been much of a grunge fan outside of the occasional listen to Nevermind, but this is solid enough to deserve a good rating. The big singles (which is like half the album) I've heard plenty of times before and they still land well. Songs like Even Flow, Alive, and Jeremy, the opener Once has a killer chorus and guitar riff too. I'll probably give it more listens in the future and it'll likely grow on me, but for now I'll just leave it at I enjoyed it.
The Strokes
5/5
If you've just listened to this album for the 1st or 2nd time, it really creeps up on you. First you think, oh this is a fun rock album, nothing too special. A couple listens later the songwriting and the performances just grip you tight and never let go. One of the best rock albums ever made for me.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Heard it a couple times before this but managed to give it another couple listens today. You wouldn't believe this album came out in 1983, it sounds so 90s. Some great songwriting and desperate vocal performances all over it. 'Gone Daddy Gone' with it's xylophone solo is a real highlight.
Led Zeppelin
2/5
I've listened to this album again and again over the years in the hopes that this time i'll finally understand the universal critical acclaim around it, and it never happens. I still think half the songs on here are solid (first two, stairway and levee) but the rest are passable at best. 50% is a pretty atrocious score for supposedly one of the best rock albums of all time. 'Rock and Roll' is such a good song, but the energy of the album just gets sucked out after it's done until 'Levee...' suddenly pops up at the end.
Roni Size
2/5
There's a lot of good stuff going on here, but god damn is it way too long, feels like i've been listening to it all day and there's still a couple songs left. With a big load shaved off of it I think this would be a pretty good listen, but it all blends together after an hour or so. I don't think the average song length needed to be like 7 minutes either.
The Temptations
3/5
Only got the chance to give it a single listen, but it was pretty damn funky. Definitely one for me to revisit in the future, had heard the group name before but expecting something more soulful. Not disappointed with some funk instead though.
The Specials
3/5
Very familiar with their single 'Ghost Town', a banger of a song, but nothing on here rivals that. It's good fun while it's on but it's pretty much in one ear and out the other. Ska was never the most complex or innovative genre though so can't really judge it too harshly.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Damn I only had Led Zep IV a couple days and now I get another one. Also heard this before but not enough to remember anything except obviously 'Whole Lotta Love', which is a banger. I actually like this quite a bit more than IV, there's a lot more raw energy here and they also get a little weird with it which I enjoy (i'm thinking the bridge on 'Whole Lotta Love' and all the drums on 'Moby Dick'). That stuff works here whereas on IV it felt like the weirder stuff really dragged it down. Still not blowing my mind like Led Zep does for a lot of people, but I did enjoy this one.
MGMT
3/5
Hitting me right in the teenage years with this one, 'Kids' was inescapable for a long time, still gets plays even now on any kind of indie night around town. Out of the 3 huge singles though I think the opener 'Time to Pretend' is the king, telling a morbid story of fame with those awesome synths. 'Electric Feel' is funky as hell too, and the rest of the album manages to be pretty enjoyable if a little forgettable compared to the big 3. 'Of moons, Birds and Monsters' is maybe the deep cut that stands out the most, that big instrumental crescendo is gorgeous.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
I've heard this once before and I think if I gave it another couple serious listens, it would really start to click with me. Even now I was seriously getting into it on that last run of songs, the energy is palpable, from the instruments to the wild vocals. It's just natural that music not in your own language can take a bit more time to digest since there's no hooks or choruses to latch onto, but this one is definitely going into the memory bank as something to revisit.
Iron Maiden
4/5
The more I hear this one, the more it creeps up to becoming my favourite Iron Maiden album. I don't listen to them very much anymore, but the raw almost punk energy on this one really appeals to me way more than their later stuff, which feels super bloated and devoid of passion. 'Prowler' and 'Iron Maiden' are just pedal to the metal bangers, 'Phantom of the Opera' goes all over the place with super fun riffs, and the tempo changes in 'Remember Tomorrow', it's all so easy to listen to.
The Zombies
4/5
Listened to this a couple times years ago but not since, and after a couple listens today i'm not sure why. This is a perfectly concise album of excellent psychedelic rock from the 60s. Songs like 'Care of Cell 44', 'Hung Up On a Dream', 'This Will Be Our Year', 'Time of the Season', all absolutely fantastic. That's a full third of the album being outstanding, and the rest doesn't fall too far behind it. Super solid songwriting and fun performances, will be listening back to it very soon.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Even after listening to a few of his albums, I'm still not sure i'm completely connecting with Leonard Cohen's music. This is definitely the favourite so far though, the playing on this one is so beautiful, mostly just a quiet acoustic guitar and his voice. The opener 'Suzanne' is a highlight with it's gorgeous melodies and sweet lyrics, also 'So Long Marienne' which has a bit more instrumentation surrounding it than most of the other songs, along with some female backup vocals in the chorus to really bring it to life. I'll be back to it soon to try and get into Leonard more, but I did enjoy the listen.
4/5
The sign of a good live album or compilation is that it immediately gives you the craving to go back to the artist's studio albums, and this does that for me. It's split like 'Bringing it All Back Home' with an acoustic side first and the full band electric side second. Some of my favourite Dylan songs like 'Visions of Johanna' and 'Just Like a Woman' feature on that first side. Will be going through some of his classic albums in the near future i'm sure after this.
Solange
4/5
Sometimes I feel like me and some other people on here are listening to completely different albums, what's with all the Beyonce comparisons simply because they're sisters. This sounds nothing like her, it's also head and shoulders above anything Beyonce has ever released. R&B isn't a genre I get into very much, but this is an exception for sure. Lovely vocals, meaningful lyrics and messages, backed up with super high quality production. 50 minutes goes by barely noticing.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
This is the musical equivalent of cavemen discovering fire, there's no predecessor to this in rock music. Compare this to everything else around in 1966/1967 and you can only wonder how they hell they made this. The beautiful 'Sunday Morning', wild guitar flailings on 'Run Run Run', BDSM lyrics and screeching viola on 'Venus in Furs', ear-shattering crescendos of drug addiction on 'Heroin', and the improvised madness of 'European Son' to end it out. It still sounds like it was from the future nearly 60 years later, and it influenced damn near every genre of alternative rock we have today.
God bless The Velvet Underground for what they did for music (and for 'Sister Ray', their masterpiece in my opinion, but that doesn't happen until the next album).
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Creedence are just really good at what they do, and that was making southern bluesy rock albums that each had a couple massive hits on them with the rest being solid. They never blow me away, but listening to an album from them is never a bad time, always end up grooving along to a riff on each song.
Prince
5/5
It's funny how albums on here seem to appear if i've been listening to them recently, as I've thrown this one on a few times in the past couple weeks. Might be climbing over 'Purple Rain' as my favourite Prince album, there's such a good mix of styles on here. For a double album it's rare to see such consistency across the whole thing, I wouldn't say there's a bad song on here at all. Some highlights for me are the title track, 'U Got the Look', 'Strange Relationship' and 'I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man'. Prince really knows how to write a damn good pop song the pulls from rock, funk and soul in perfect balance.
Ice Cube
3/5
Thought i'd listened to this before but apparently not the whole thing, though I'm very familiar with his first 2 albums and NWA. You could definitely make the argument that from '88 and that first NWA classic to this album in '92, Ice Cube was the best rapper doing it, and his skill is obvious all over this thing, though I do think it's my least favourite of his work up to this point. That doesn't mean much though considering that's such a high bar, his attitude and anger comes through just as potently as on any of those albums. I just need more time to sit with it, the anger feels more focused and directed on this one compared to the last 2 where he was just calling out anyone and everyone. Worth some re-listens.
Judas Priest
4/5
Of the early Judas Priest albums i've heard, this is probably the most basic of them, but that's not exactly a bad thing. Most of the songs here are just straight forward bangers, especially 'Breaking the Law', not hard to see why that continues to be probably their biggest song. I think 'United' was the only stinker on here, the chorus and lack of energy really drags it out. Outside of that though, this is a super consistent and easy to listen to metal album, the sort you'd recommend to someone trying to get into the genre.
Talking Heads
5/5
Don't even need to listen to it again since it's been almost on repeat since I watched their live concert film 'Stop Making Sense' a couple months ago when it was in cinemas (I watched it 3 time actually). The groovy 'Life During Wartime' and melancholy 'Heaven' are both featured on there and the live performances are just as amazing as the studio versions. Other highlights on the album are 'Cities' where David Byrne sounds like he's literally going insane, 'I Zimbra' which opens the album and showcases the afrobeat influence they'd really hone in on on 'Remain in Light' after this album, and 'Mind' which has one of the stickiest melodies on the album. It's a banger front to back.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Man, you just can't touch early Black Sabbath. Must be 6 albums in a row in about as many years from their inception, and every single one is a damn near metal classic. At first it's hard to get past the incredible big hits like 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man', but on repeated listens the rest clicks pretty quickly. 'Electric Funeral' is one of the doomiest riffs you'll ever hear, while 'Hand of Doom' and the closer 'Fairies Wear Boots' just show how Sabbath just had an endless bag of badass riffs and hooks they pulled from, while not being afraid to play around with atypical song structures.
I might still be in the camp that puts their next album 'Master of Reality' above this, but to call this anything less than a genre defining classic would be plain wrong.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
This album was a real grower for me. First couple times I heard it I just enjoyed the big singles like 'Cherub Rock' and 'Today' that i was familiar with, but most of the rest felt overly long and not too interesting. Over more listens I've really come to appreciate it a lot more, 'Soma' is maybe the only weak spot on the whole thing for me, and even that's not a bad song. Most of the enjoyment now comes from that insane fuzzy guitar tone that just smothers the whole album, it's like wearing a nice fur coat over my ears.
Other highlights are 'Silverfuck', 'Hummer', 'Mayonaise', and the gorgeous closer 'Luna'. The longer songs do start to open up eventually, so don't be shy to give it a couple more listens if it doesn't hit you immediately.
GZA
5/5
Probably tied for my favourite solo wu-tang album with 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx', though '36 Chambers' is obviously the king of all things wu. Production is ahead of it's time on this one, clearly influencing a lot of experimental hip-hop to come, and GZA matches these beats with gritty storytelling and intelligent rhymes. He might not flow as smoothly as Ghostface or be as eccentric as ODB, but he has a distinct voice and style to his lyrics that keeps the album engaging 100% of the runtime. Great features from other wu-tang members also. Highlights for me are '4th Chamber', 'Killah Hills', 'B.I.B.L.E', and of course 'Gold' which is a masterclass in hip-hop storytelling.
Gillian Welch
3/5
When I saw it was another modern-ish country album I groaned, expecting a repeat of the Kacey Musgraves album I hated, but turns out that's not the case. Though I will admit that despite a couple of solid songs I was not too impressed as I got towards the end. Then holy hell, she busts out a 15 minutes emotional gut-punch of a closer to finish the album off, just absolutely beautiful from start to finish. That alone will bump this up to a 3 for me, and I can't wait to listen to that song again. Fair play to her, she won me over by the end.
Lenny Kravitz
1/5
It's a bit like a Prince album, just without the amazing songwriting, or the incredible voice, or the intense sexual energy and charisma, or the great guitar playing, or the decent lyrics.
Whose idea was it to put this snoozefest on the list?
The Band
3/5
Much better than I expected. Not some bland 60s folk rock, but actually had some great songwriting and performances, plenty of extra instrumentation to flesh the songs out too. Kept my attention the whole time. Can't bring myself to give it a 4 though as it wasn't blowing me away, and it's not really the sort of stuff i'm too used to, but a good album nonetheless.
Orbital
3/5
You can tell they were experimenting a bit more on this album compared to their other one on this list. Still found it very enjoyable though, some great beats and sounds throughout, the last two epic songs I thought were especially pretty, the vocals on 'Are We Here?' are gorgeous. You wouldn't think these two songs are nearly 30 minutes combined, they go by without you really noticing. Also loved 'Crash and Carry' in the middle, that one was a real banger. Maybe I preferred the straightforward danceability of the last album, but will be looking into the rest of their work after these 2.
Beck
3/5
I'm not sure what it is about Beck but every single album i've heard from him is just...ok. I don't mind it while it's on, but after it's done there's never a single song I want to repeat, no urge to check out his other stuff or anything. It just kind of happens and that's it.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Proto-Tracy Chapman, it's a bit in one ear and out the other, the big single 'Love and Affection' is a nice tune though and there is a bit of variety to the songs. Will say that the album cover does go pretty hard
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
That Jimi guy sure can play, but the highlights on here just blow everything else away so it feels like it's 80% filler. Ends on a super high note, but I wish the rest was as good as those two songs or Voodoo Chile.
808 State
4/5
Was pretty banging front to back, and for 1989 feels pretty ahead of it's time. Liking the older electronic stuff i've got from this list like this and the Orbital albums, can see myself going back to them.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Meh it's fine, sounds just like the other elvis album on here, no big stand outs.
Various Artists
3/5
It's a little cheesy especially with the spoken word bit at the end, but the production is nice and all the performances are good. Only problem is obviously you'll only want to listen to it in a period of about 2 weeks all year, but for what it is it's good.
Suede
3/5
Hard to figure out how i feel about this one, feel like i'd need a few more listens to it. Couldn't pick out any single highlight songs but it was all pretty decent, like the horns on a couple of tracks.
Super Furry Animals
1/5
you know i think could've died without hearing this one actually, and there were even a few points deep into the album that death almost seemed more appealing than sitting through more of this bland "made for supermarket adverts" type rock. would give it a 2 because most of it wasn't completely intolerable, but I did give it up completely before the end, so 1 it is.
Eagles
2/5
Being a musician in the 60s/70s must've been so cool, all you needed was to write a single banger (hint: it's the title track) and now your entire album gets recognised forever after as a rock classic, just because that one song is now repeating endlessly on every boomer rock radio station. Doesn't matter how entirely uninteresting all those other songs are, it's now an essential album that everyone must listen to. Why? Who cares! Just slurp up that radio rock slop you peasant!
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Thank you Stevie and co. for saving me from the recent run of albums I've had. This is the pop album that all other pop albums should be compared to, just unbeliveable songwriting and performances that keeps you enthralled without effort for the whole album. The chorus of 'Dreams', the energy of 'Go Your Own Way', the bass riff in 'The Chain', the beautiful vocals of 'Songbird', the groove of 'You Make Loving Fun'.
Pop music doesn't have to mean basic and sticking within the boundaries, you can make fantastic art within the genre like this.
Def Leppard
2/5
Whoever produced rock music this pristinely should be shot on the spot, only gets a 2 because Animal is a banger, the rest was like listening to the same song over and over
George Jones
3/5
Honestly, the old country stuff on this list is kind of a vibe, makes you feel like some southern USA farmer. Love the twang in the voice too, good fun.
The War On Drugs
3/5
I remember this coming out and there being a lot of hype, but it never clicked with me. Listening again I kinda feel the same, it's hard to find anything bad about it really, but also hard to pick out anything it's really good at. It's just solid rock music, needs more energy for me though.
Malcolm McLaren
5/5
Wait, where did this come from?! Might be the most eclectic album I've heard in a long time. Thought it was going to be some kind of early hip-hop sample based album kind of like Entroducing, but then it switches to a pop banger on 'Double Dutch', then a wild salsa song, a synthpop kind of song, and it's all tied together with this radio show concept with little skits appearing throughout. I love it. And it was made in 1983, insane.
A 2.73 average rating though, you people should be ashamed.
Gene Clark
4/5
It's just damn good songwriting all over. Super well produced for the 70s, the instruments all sit on top of each other nicely and you can hear finer details throughout the songs, backing vocals are just right too. 'Strength of Strings' was especially fantastic.
Neil Young
4/5
One of my favourite things that can happen with albums, is when the last song is a good bit longer than all the rest, and it's also the best song on there. This happens here, probably my favourite Neil Young album of the ones i've heard.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Even though a lot of this old folk-rock stuff usually goes right through me, this was an enjoyable enough listen. Their voices mix together well, the keyboard was a nice touch to give a bit of colour to the songs. May come back to it in the future.
Queen
4/5
Queen might be the only band that can do the whole theatrical and cheesy thing and it becomes a positive for me rather than a negative. Freddie is a big part of that, it says a lot that the only song without him on vocals felt so out of place to me and clearly the weakest. If they went in a full prog-rock direction I feel like they could've made some killer stuff, just from what the more proggy songs on here sound like.
Super Furry Animals
1/5
Nah i'm not going to finish this one, got through 7 out of 12 songs, stop making me listen to this fucking band
Fiona Apple
4/5
99% of my Fiona listening has been to 'The Idler Wheel..." which is a masterpiece, think i've heard this once before though. 'Criminal' is obviously a banger, and the rest is actually very memorable for being mostly piano ballads. She had some serious songwriting chops even at such a young age, super impressive.
Lightning Bolt
5/5
This being in the bottom 20 overall is insane, as soon as Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones shows up you're all like "oh we love rock music, this rocks!". But then when you get an album like this that ACTUALLY rocks, now you're crying about headaches and "it's too experimental and noisy for me" just because the music actually has some urgency to it for a change.
bunch of fucking babies you people
Weather Report
3/5
It frustrates me that out of the limited amount of jazz on this list, we get this. With all due respect, it's the most background music, white-people-dinner-party type jazz you can get. Not that it's terrible, it's fine, but not engaging in the slightest.
I wonder why this was included when so many others were left out? (reads the wiki entry)
"the band's most commercially successful album"..."one of the best sellers in the Columbia jazz catalog"..."the opening track was a significant commercial success"...
ah there we go...the creator of the book didn't know anything about jazz and so resorted to throwing in some Miles Davis and Coltrane that everyone knows, and then skimming the best sellers to pad it out. Of course.
The Icarus Line
4/5
Well that was a nice surprise, never heard of them before. This is my kind of rock music, the kind that prefers being loud and aggressive and maybe a little sloppy, instead of sounding pristine and perfect. Love the singer's energy, fits it perfectly. Good entry.
(Just looked and of course it has a 2.5 rating, you people suck)
The Police
3/5
For a trio of white british lads, they were pretty funky, especially whichever one of them is strumming the bass. It's pretty post-punky so right up my alley, but not grabbing me completely. 'Message in a Bottle' is an all time classic though, just nothing else really comes close after that, and it's the first song...
Marvin Gaye
4/5
It's unreal how smooth this guy was. The title track is a stone cold classic but everything else holds up too. A simple and short track list with no filler.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Somehow never listened to Janis despite knowing about her forever, so this my was first time hearing her. Got such a powerful voice that carried the whole album. Would return to it, isn't blowing me away but it's a good easy listen.
The Smiths
5/5
Doesn't matter how many times I listen to it, it only gets better. Different songs start to stick out every few listens, 'Boy with a Thorn in his Side' has really been nailing itself to my brain recently. Also I don't care how silly the lyrics are, the guitar riff on 'Some Girls...' makes it a classic for me. Easy 5, incredible what they produced in such a short career.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Heard it a couple times before but it really struck me today just how much energy this thing has, and rock music with high energy always gets a big thumbs up from me. It maybe loses a little of that steam with it being as long as it is, but the quality never really dips and it doesn't feel like it's length, so not that much of a downside. Some really dark lyrics too, jeez.
Moby
3/5
It's fine but it's a bit of a one trick pony, and having to hear that trick about 18 times is way too many. Cut it off at like 12 songs and it'd be a pretty fun listen, some of the samples are gorgeous, 'Porcelain' being the obvious one.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
It's cute. For 1960 you can see the influence it might have on a Beach Boys or Beatles, and even if you aren't into it there's only 28 minutes of it to sit through. I enjoyed it though, doubt i'll go back to it anytime soon, but learning a bit of musical history is what this list is all about really.
Public Enemy
4/5
Classic hip-hop, they had a lot to say on this album and didn't sugarcoat it in the slightest. The shorter skit songs and the super energetic production all over it make it breeze by even though it's 20 songs and over an hour, no small feat. A lot of beats from this era haven't aged too well, but this one still holds up.
Kanye West
4/5
Unfortunately Kanye has never been the same after his mum died, mental issues have held him back from being the same creative he was. This is maybe the only one that does turn it into a pretty great album though, as i'm not a big fan of 808s or anything that came after this one.
It does commit the huge sin of ending miserably though, once you hit the peak of 'Runaway' it sticks the landing by breaking both of it's legs instead. 'Hell of a Life' has the clunky sabbath sample, the chris rock skit is funny once and then just time consuming, then for some reason ending on a bon iver cover is such a bizarre and weak way to close off what was a very creative album earlier.
The White Stripes
5/5
Though everyone knows a couple singles from them, I still don't think they get the respect they deserve for being one of the best rock bands of this century easily. 6 albums in under a decade, 5 of them bangers and 1 kind of a dud ('Get Behind Me Satan' is that one). They just rocked too hard, how can you not scrunch up your face when 'Ball and Biscuit' starts shredding.
Fugees
4/5
It might be sacrilege to say this, but I think the two covers are the weakest songs here. As nice as Lauryn's voice is on 'Killing Me Softly...' it's just 5 minutes of chorus, and comes right after the double hit of 'Fu-Gee-La' and 'Family Business' which are two of the best on here by far. I heard the popular songs plenty but somehow never went through the full album, and I was definitely missing out. The beats are fantastic, I love their chemistry together, and though they're all great here, Lauryn really shines. Classic hip-hop.
Janet Jackson
3/5
There's some fat funky beats all over this thing, but it does drag on a little bit, especially as you get towards the last stretch. Nice that she tried to have some meaning to her lyrics, don't see myself returning to it much though.
The Offspring
5/5
It's pretty crazy how you start the album and the bangers just keep coming, so you wait for the quality to dip, and it never does. Not a weak song on here, everything is just top tier fun punk. Maybe the silence at the end is a bit annoying, a leftover from the CD era, but I'd be lying if i said i wasn't bobbing my head and singing along to every single chorus on here. Just earworms back to back.
Radiohead
2/5
Has to be my least favourite Radiohead album (haven't really listened to the debut). It's just a mess of half-ideas, throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. The ballads are all pretty dull, you do get some bangers like 'Where I End...' and 'There There', but most of it is pretty tough to get through, at least compared to how good their other albums are.
No idea why this is in the list when you've already got OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows. That's all the essentials anyone needs.
Adele
3/5
Maybe it's just the curse of the big singles being so ridiculously huge that the other stuff just pales in comparison, but especially after 'Set Fire to the Rain' i'm just sitting around waiting for 'Someone Like You' to pop up. No denying her voice is incredible though, shame the Cure cover is a bit toothless as that could've been fun.
Will say though, 'Someone Like You' is a 11/10 ballad, and ending the album on that is a power move.
The xx
3/5
Don't really know what to say except, yeah it's fine? I really don't think I needed to listen to this before I died, but it was fine. I don't remember much of what happened, but the sounds didn't offend my ears, they were fine. Yeah, it was fine.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
It's solid post-punk new wave-y stuff, nothing much to comment on really. Kind of breezes past you, probably doesn't deserve to be on the list, but at least it doesn't overstay it's welcome.
Oasis
4/5
'Slide Away' might be their best song, I could listen to that wall of guitars on repeat forever. That shoegaze-y wall makes the whole thing sound great even if the songs are somewhat basic, but I guess that was their whole appeal, simple stuff but it's damn catchy. Shoutout to the chorus of 'Supersonic' too, the guitar bends in that make me bite my lip a little.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
One to give some more listens for sure. I do like that 80s gothic sound, stuff like The Cure or Bauhaus comes to mind first when I hear this. I also like this album format of just having a handful (8) songs but a few of them being a bit longer, makes it more memorable.
Calexico
3/5
Some kind of interesting ideas popping up here and there, but mostly a forgettable but ok mix of songs. Bit indie, bit country, nothing special.
The Who
3/5
There's some decent songs hidden in there, but a lot of it feels like half-finished ideas. Doesn't stick with you, doubt i'll return to it.
3/5
One to give more listens, I wasn't paying 100% attention and there were little hints of lyrics peeking through that made me want to look into it more. Some great tunes though, 'Shangri-La' and the closer especially, though 'Australia' feels like it goes on for about 3 or 4 minutes too long.
Peter Tosh
4/5
Nice to see some reggae here, listened to a bunch of Wailers albums but not heard too much of the genre outside of that, unless you want to lump some Dub stuff in there too. It's a great listen though, it can be repetitive but those basslines and the production always keeps you hooked.
10cc
4/5
J Dilla jumpscare on the 2nd track, always fun to hear the original from a sample you've heard a million times. As a whole though it's actually a really fun listen, great balance of catchy pop/rock songs with some slightly more experimental stuff. Sticks around for a cool 40 minutes and is done.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Undeniably a classic, smooth as hell from front to back with something to say. One of those albums where I would actually take your musical opinions a little less seriously if I knew you hadn't heard this.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Simple and stripped back so Dolly's voice can carry it, and she does it well. The title track especially is super sweet, songs all about heartbreak and love. A very pleasant listen.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood but damn this is really boring. No energy at all and Rod's solid voice can't keep it interesting all on it's own.
The Coral
4/5
Surprisingly good. Only knew 'Thinking of You' before so expected it to sound similar to that, but it actually had a pretty diverse sound, the dub sounding song early on was a nice surprise. At only 35 minutes too it's over before you think about getting bored, will have to go back to this.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
It's good, but I feel like all the songs are very dense and it's gonna take me a few listens to really get into the meat of it, so I can't rate it too highly just on a first listen. The Kate Bush cameo surprised me though, and for everything i've heard about Sledgehammer that song is a banger.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Can't shake the feeling it was just a poor man's Public Enemy, the guy even sounds a bit like Chuck D. Some decent production but it feels way too preachy, even if i don't disagree with any of the messaging.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
Oh god it just keeps going and going and going. Why is so much country-pop always so boring, I thought with all the acclaim this one was going to be different, but it's all the same.
Eminem
5/5
It's just so much fun, Eminem peaked here right at the start. The beats were fantastic, which would always be his biggest weakness going forward. Technically his rapping is untouchable, but here it manages not to be corny like his later stuff, and it's hilarious. A lot of the songs have certain topics or stories that make it cohesive. What more could you ask for really, there's a reason he was as huge as he was.
Mercury Rev
5/5
Well damn, took about 2 seconds to see why people were making Flaming Lips comparisons, but then it turns into so much more. Amazing songwriting, production is so full, there's not a single song i didn't like. Even had a couple of weird interludes to satisfy that part of my brain too. Banger.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
It's fine but I wish i liked it more, since her voice is unique and she can get very expressive with it. A lot of the ballads and slower songs don't hold my attention to much, 'Nothing Compares 2 U' being the exception obviously. She nails it on that one, but it's not a bad listen by any stretch.
The Slits
5/5
You hate to see a banger album with such a low rating on here, I get it though, the weird post-punk stuff isn't for everyone. I love it though. The way the songs just flow from part to part, the wild vocals all over the place, sick basslines, it's so much fun to listen to.
'Shoplifting' and 'Typical Girls' are just straight up bangers, along with the amazing 'Heard it Through the Grapevine' cover. I hope nobody turned off the album before that one comes on at the end.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
With his style being this post-punk/new-wave type thing, you would think i'd be more into it than I am. I do really enjoy it though, there's not really a band song on here. The singles bang, the deeper cuts are still super catchy. I hear there's a lot of Costello on this list, so maybe those will finally make him click for me.
The Cure
5/5
God damn, that final trio of songs 'Strange Day' / 'Cold' / 'Pornography' is just unbelieveable. I'm so glad that it's not just albums after this one that are included by The Cure, since this early work of theirs was amazing. Almost unbearbly dark and soul-crushing, but also some of the best post-punk you'll hear.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
This is probably amazing if you know a lot about Lynyrd Skynyrd, but i don't, so 90 minutes of songs about them is a little much. The music isn't bad though.
Depeche Mode
5/5
I love synthpop like this. No bullshit, just big fat synths and some drums pounding away, catchy as hell. The singles are all classics but there isn't even a hint of a weak song on here in totality.
Burning Spear
5/5
Damn I love all the grooves on this thing, I don't know if the songs were getting better as it went on or if i was just really getting into it. The production is great too, the horns, vocals, other instruments are just the right volume, and the basslines pop right in the center.
As a big fan of the bass, i'm slowly learning that i've been missing out on reggae and dub music.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
It's just super chill and funky, great grooves. Not really sure what else to say, will probably be throwing it on in the future when i'm in the mood for this kind of thing.
The Youngbloods
3/5
It's a fun little old rock album, but kind of breezes past me. The two longer songs felt like they dragged on, but the rest were pretty nice. Doubt i'll return to it in the future, about as 3/5 as an album can get.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
It's getting a 2 and i'm being very generous. 'Sympathy for the Devil' is a banger, but everything else after just bored me to tears, but it's listenable, that's as positive as i can be about it. Maybe you just had to be there, the Stones do nothing for me.
System Of A Down
5/5
One of the most bizarre and fun metal bands to ever do it. I've learnt that Toxicity isn't on this list, which is insane, but this is not too far from the quality of that album. It's all over the place, heavy and silly in equal parts, with some of the wildest vocals you'll ever hear. Rare to find a band that is truly unique in every sense of the word, but here they are.
Pavement
5/5
Just a little indie classic for a sunday night. Love this and their first album, laid back and just simple great songwriting. 'Gold Soundz' has such a strong nostalgic feeling to it, love the climax at the end of 'Elevate Me Later', and 'Unfair' melts my face everytime.
Nirvana
4/5
I like the choice from them not to just run through the classics, but to do some relatively deeper cuts and a bunch of covers, the Bowie one especially being fantastic. Really shows what an amazing frontman Kurt was, one of a kind. Not an album i'll throw on often, but it's always a good listen, stripping the instruments back shows off their great songwriting more.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Forgot how much I love this album, not a single song i'd change from it. If the 4 Neighbourhood songs don't get you going then I don't know what will, especially Tunnels and Power Out, both give me goosebumps every time. Then you've got the singalong chorus on 'Wake Up', the ending of 'Crown of Love' with that sick disco drum beat, and the way 'Haiti' transitions into 'Rebellion'. What an amazing album experience, peak of 2000s indie right here.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
Surpisingly great, was a lot jazzier than I expected. They even throw in a full 12 minutes jam at the end that goes super hard, I heard them bust out the lick from 'Sunshine of your Love' in there somewhere. For 1968 it's pretty crazy, will have to come back to this one.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Not terrible, but I can't stand these hour long britpop albums that feel like they go on forever. Chop this up into a 40 minute album and you'd have some interesting stuff here. They play around with shoegaze and other styles so it would make for a decent album, but again it's just bloated, I can't wait to turn it off by the end.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Probably their best, right alongside 'Dark Side...'. Sometimes I feel like the middle 3 songs are just fillers between the epic 'Crazy Diamond' pieces, which I think is really the heart and soul of the whole album. But those 3 tracks standalone on their own feet, and I love how seemlessly they blend into each other and back into the final track. Pink Floyd really knew how to create a real album experience, not just a collection of songs.
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as the reviews on here would have you believe. A lot of people say they're fine with electronic music, but what they really mean is they just like Daft Punk. I agree it's overlong though, chopping it down to an hour would've been nice, but there's still bangers on here and it keeps it pretty varied. 'Wilmot' especially was a good time.
Röyksopp
3/5
I'd be very surprised if someone told me they disliked this album. I'm not saying you need to love it, but it's such a smooth and easy listen that I can't imagine anyone getting worked up about it. Doesn't leave a super strong impression though, but it's a nice time.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
All killer and no filler. Super easy listen with those jazzy beats, having an actual jazz bassist playing all over it definitely helps. The back and forth is so good on this album, one of the best things about Tribe. Love it.
CHIC
4/5
Not much to say except, damn that bass is funky.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
It's fun as hell, over before you even realise. One of the best vocal performances you'll hear on an album, just gives every song so much energy, and brings the emotions out perfectly on a moew somber song like 'Maps'. Soon as it's over I just want to play it back again.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Don't know if i could say anything particularly bad about it, but it really just flew by without making a single impression on me. Like the epitome of background music.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
I need to listen to this more because it's right up my alley, dark gothic post-punky stuff. Didn't pick out any weak songs while i was listening, and those basslines were going hard.
King Crimson
5/5
5 prog rock epics all on one album. While I think 'Red' is their best album, this one comes reasonably close. Hard to think of a more fiery opener to an album than 'Schizoid Man', 'Epitaph' is hanuting and epic, and then the closer is a wild journey to finish it off. Love it.
The Only Ones
4/5
This was super fun pop-rock right here, catchy as hell all over. Even sounds a bit before it's time being the late 70s, would've guessed sometime in the 80s. Already knew 'Another Girl...' was a banger going in, now there's a few more tracks to replay over a few times.
Soundgarden
4/5
As someone who's never been a big fan of grunge, and prefers shorter albums, you'd think this would be a big swing and a miss for me. Surprisingly this is a very enjoyable listen. The songwriting is interesting and varied, some great riffs, very powerful vocal performance that carries a lot of the tracks. Not too shabby.
Tears For Fears
4/5
This is some pretty high-tier synthpop, 8 tracks in a tight 40 minutes. 3 of those tracks are stone-cold classics that everyone has probably heard, but the deeper cuts aren't too bad either. Super catchy, the classic synth sounds always get me.
Doves
3/5
Somehow avoided hearing them despite seeing them around for years, just never got around to it. Turns out they can write a pretty decent song, and create some nice atmosphere. It's just overall a little underwhelming, no songs really made my ears stand up and take notice.
a-ha
4/5
Early synthpop is just so much fun, the goofier and sillier the sounds they come up with, the better. Even outside the obvious 11/10 song here, the rest is super catchy. Not long enough to get boring, by the time it's over you're ready to start it up again.
Funkadelic
5/5
I feel like it would be wrong to rate it a 5 just on the incredible title track, which is so obviously a 5 that it doesn't even need saying, what an insane solo. But then again, everything else on here is super funky, easy to listen to, makes you want to dance around while listening. So I guess it is just a 5 after all.
Barry Adamson
2/5
I actually have no idea how I feel about this after listening. It's pretty long and it jumps around so many ideas, even if individually they can be fairly interesting, as a whole it feels too disjointed.
Wire
5/5
According to my last.fm account this is my most listened to album (since 2014 when i reset my plays), so you could say i kind of like it. Barely a month can go by without me giving it a spin, I genuinely believe it's one of the best rock albums of all time. Incredibly catchy, short punk bangers that just fly through in half an hour. The two longer cuts of the title track and 'Strange' show their versatility that would become more apparent on their next two albums (which are also incredible). Thank god for Wire.
Eminem
4/5
For the insane influence and banger singles like 'Stan' and 'Real Slim Shady' that are still classics now, it should be a 5. Unfortunately it goes on a little too long and ends up throwing some weak tracks at you towards the end. 'Amityville' is clunky, the D12 features on 'Under the Influence' just aren't nearly as good or funny as Eminem is, and 'Kim' for how raw it is is insanely long and bad. If you stopped it before that last section of the album I think it's a 5.
Fever Ray
5/5
It's a shame that this and The Knife will always be under-appreciated. The atmosphere throughout this is intoxicating, 'Triangle Walks' and 'Keep The Streets Empty For Me' are the highlights but I couldn't pick a weak song on here if I tried. Just swallows you into it's world.
Merle Haggard
3/5
All classic country is basically just emo music for people in the bible belt. Every song is 'my woman just left me', or 'I miss my ex', or maybe even a little 'I killed my woman and now i'm sad about it'. I should listen to stuff like this when i'm on a downer, it would probably go over well. "If i could die my pain might go away", jesus man, it's gonna be ok.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Much calmer and restrained than the first two Velvet albums that I prefer, but their incredible songwriting is still plain to see. Would still consider them one of the most important rock bands of all time, their versatility was unbelieveable.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
They knew how to groove better than almost anyone else, just bangers all over this thing.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Sure it can't really compete with 'Loveless' but what can. Nobody does it like My Bloody Valentine does, so even if this isn't their best, the deafening wall of sound that masks those sweet pop songs hiding underneath is still worth a 5 to me. Over the course of this album i found myself increasing the volume steadily throughout, until I finished it at about twice the volume I started it on.
Red Snapper
4/5
Liked it quite a bit more than I expected, given how some of the seemingly random british albums that get put on this list are. While some songs could definitely be trimmed, and I never found any of the vocals appealing, this album does the good thing of putting the very best tracks right at the start and the end. The opener pulls you in, and then the last two tracks are just fantastic, incredible atmosphere.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Fela's albums already felt like you were listening to a live band just jamming out for 15+ minutes on some sick grooves. This just ups the energy by even more, the band sound fantastic. 60 minutes of music doesn't get much easier to listen to than this.
Gorillaz
3/5
Never been a big Gorillaz fan, and as the album neared it's conclusion I was pretty happy for it to end. That's not to say it was bad, it's just overly long and feels like it keeps the same pace for the whole runtime, which gets tiring. The songs with features are pretty good, the basslines and production overall is definitely a highlight, but would need serious trimming for me to want to revisit it.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
You gotta respect this guy for still rocking out and having a voice this good in his late 70s when he made this, but it's not that exciting of an album. It's a solid listen though.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
One of the rare albums you could play for pretty much anyone and the worst response you would get is "yeah, that's nice". If you aren't pulled in by the opener then I just don't understand you, nevermind the multiple other classics like 'Boxer', 'Cecelia', and 'New York'.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
I'm always happy to hear some jazz on the list, but I feel like I need some horns or something else to keep me fully engaged, just piano, drums, and bass can get a little stale. The playing is great though, and the recording is too, just blends into the background a bit without something more going on.
Method Man
5/5
After wu-tang's debut, they went on a few year streak of releasing just banger solo albums one after the other, all produced by RZA from the clan. This one starts that streak off, and though it's maybe my least favourite from the first batch of solo albums, that's not really a negative. It's still grimey and dirty, immaculately produced, and fun as hell. Only complaint is the mixing can be a bit off in sections, like he's being drowned out by the beat. There's nothing like early wu-tang though, it's too good.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Don't get too much prog on here so this is nice, I usually have issues with this album format though. It's always one long song that is a raging banger, then a bunch of short songs that leave no impression. Luckily some of the shorter ones here aren't too bad. The huge title track is insane, Emerson's wild jazzy keyboard playing carries the whole thing, he's a madman on this album. Was a nice change of pace from the other stuff on the list.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Can't be mad about getting to spend some of easter monday spinning this modern classic. Not a single bad song, maybe the title track is the weakest but that doesn't say much. The double whammy of 'Someone Great' then 'All My Friends' is a real gut punch, songs like the opener and 'Us vs Them' just make me want to dance, and the closer is beautiful. Some of the post-2000 inclusions so far on this list have been questionable, this one is perfect.
Where are your friends tonight?
The Kinks
3/5
I have some trouble with this simple early era of rock/pop from the 60s, but this was a pleasant enough listen. Definitely heard 'Sunny Afternoon' in various places before but it's nice to put a band and album to it. Songwriting is good but it blends together a bit by the end.
David Bowie
3/5
As well written as the whole album is, I prefer Bowie when he gets a little weirder, like his Ziggy persona or the run of albums from 'Station to Station' onwards where he experiments more. The classics on here are classics, but the rest don't leave a huge impression on me.
Soft Cell
4/5
Just like the title and album art suggests, this does sound like a sleazy back-alley sex club. I'm surprised (as always) at the very low score, I thought this was a lot of fun, some songs were pretty wacky like 'Sex Dwarf' but that early synthpop sound just makes everything into a banger. 'Tainted Love' is an 11/10, goes without saying, but especially towards the back half I found every song to be extremely catchy.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Not a Stones fan at all, but for some reason this one just sticks out to me as a really great album. The songwriting is just way above their other stuff, the performances are exciting, love the horns added on a bunch of tracks. It's good rock music.
Doves
3/5
These guys are so frustrating, it's like they want to do something interesting but they can't quite bring themselves to do it. There's a bunch of variety to the instruments on here, but all the songs still end up being the same decent mid-paced track. Solid songwriting only gets you so far, I don't see any spark that makes me want to go back the album or any track in particular.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Feel like I'd need to look more into the guy to know why this is included, but it's fine. He's belting it out on the opener, the rest can't really compare, even though his powerful voice does carry the rest of them too.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
An all time favourite here, literally would not change a single thing about this one. Joni's voice is beautiful, as is the instrumentation, and every single song is filled with lines that stick in your head for days and days after listening. 'River', 'My Old Man', 'A Case of You', 'California'. I could just go through naming every song really, they're all fantastic.
Tom Waits
5/5
Probably my 2nd favourite Tom album with 'Bone Machine' just beating it out, but he has multiple masterpieces so doesn't say much. There isn't an artist alive that sounds like him. 19 songs on this album and every one is unique and bizarre in it's own way. He throws everything and the kitchen sink into these, strange lyrics about seedy characters that sound like something out of a carnival horror film. Even if you don't love him, you have to recognise how completely original he is, and this album is one of the best examples from his incredible catalogue.
Brian Eno
5/5
Had a Tom Waits album yesterday and I'd consider him a musical genius, Brain Eno is firmly in the same category. This is his best album imo, perfect mix of his earlier experimental rock stuff and the later ambient that he'd become known for. Some of the most beautiful songs you'll ever hear are on this: 'Becalmed', 'Golden Hours', 'Everything Merges With the Night', and of course 'The Big Ship' which is honestly just one of the most incredible songs ever written.
Sepultura
4/5
Heard this and another album of their's not too long ago and didn't think much of it, just that it was alright, i'm not too much of a thrash metal listener anymore. Giving it another listen though I must've just not been in the metal mood at the time, as this actually shreds pretty hard. Didn't feel like there was a weak song, some wild riffs and solos going on, exactly what you want from the genre. Might need to give them another chance.
Metallica
3/5
I do enjoy some Metallica, and as nice as the idea of this is, more than 2 hours of it is a bit of a slog. Especially since they exclude almost all of their earlier faster stuff that I prefer, as that would be tough to make interesting with the orchestra. Hetfield's little ad-libs are comedic ("San Francisco Orchestra YEEAAUGH"), although i don't think that was the intention. Definitely some great highlights on here, but i don't see myself every listening through it again. Watching the actual concert might be a good time though.
Erykah Badu
4/5
I can see the comparisons to D'angelo's 'Voodoo', that album also has A+ production. The drums hit hard and the bass is smooth and warm, love all the jazzy instrumentation, great sounding beats over the whole thing. Erykah's voice is lovely throughout. I was tuning out a little bit towards the end when the songs felt a bit more stretched out than the ones before, but never heard a weak song really.
Beatles
4/5
Even as a renowned Beatles hater, I'm man enough to admit when they were kind of cooking. I say 'kind of' because despite the highlights, there's some definite filler on here, looking at you 'Yellow Submarine', 'Doctor Robert', 'I Want To Tell You'.
The highlights make up for it though, songs like 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'For No One' are fantasticly written little things, short and to the point with great ideas. Then the best for me is 'Love You To' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows' (a 10/10 if i've ever heard one), where they really get their hands dirty trying to experiment. It's a shame they didn't walk down this path more, as it's always annoyed me how they clearly have the ability to do something interesting, but often just fell back into safe pop-rock.
Air
4/5
Starts off with some serious bangers, trails off a little towards the end but it's still an enjoyable listen throughout. Pretty chill eletronica, not much to complain about.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Same as many albums that have come before it in this list, it's very much "in one ear and out the other" type music. I don't dislike it while it's playing, but after it's done if you put a gun to my hand and asked me to sing any chorus, any melody, any solo or catchy lyric, my brains would be splattered across the walls.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Of course the rapping sounds dated, this is seriously early in hip-hop's history, but it's undeniably influential. What the technical rapping skill lacks, they more than make up for with chemistry, humour, and the booming beats backing them up. A few serious classics in the middle of the tracklist, it makes for a fun listen overall despite the negatives.
4/5
I've struggled to get into PJ Harvey, with the exception of 'Let England Shake' which is great, but this might be the album that helps me on that path. Not really a weak song on here, the songwriting is consistently great throughout. On the heavier songs she's really belting it out, and she still shines on the more restrained tracks. Also shoutout to Thom Yorke for his excellent little contributions on here. Deserves a few more spins from me.
Boston
4/5
Was expecting bland dad rock, instead I got very fun and well written dad rock. Knew 'More Than a Feeling', then 'Peace of Mind' came on, turns out i know that one too, 'Foreplay/Long Time' was fantastically epic, especially the intro. Everything after that just kept rocking out, didn't feel annoyed or bored for a second, which is far more than I can say for a lot of classic rock albums. They kind of nailed it here.
Little Simz
4/5
Even being from the UK, i'm not a fan of UK rap usually. The beats are often kind of clunky, same with the flows, and the lyricism is miserable. Luckily Little Simz is the exception to all of these, as the beats bang here and she has something to say, and says it well. Her next album is better than this but it's still a great listen.
I think if it wasn't for nostalgia then I'd think 'Beautiful Day' was just bland radio slop too. Giving it a 1 because this album is the antithesis of everything I think rock music should be. It's bland, uninteresting, unexciting, has no passion, and nothing to say. Get it out of here.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Maybe a 5 could be a bit high, but this is sandwiched between a U2 album and an Elbow album, so it's the only thing keeping me alive right now. Full of bangers front to back, but especially at the front, and ESPECIALLY at the back. 'Don't Stop' could maybe do with being a couple mins shorter but otherwise no complaints.
Elbow
2/5
Never been a fan of them from the songs i've heard, even the big singles on here still don't do much for me. The vocalist just doesn't sit right with me, brings the whole thing down. Just not for me.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
It's such a fun concept, have a jazz album based around using weird time signatures, call it 'Time Out', even have some of the song titles be references to the time signature. On top of that it's just a fun listen. I maybe like my jazz a little wilder or weirder, but you can't deny the bangers on here.
The Replacements
5/5
Well this is easy, The Replacements have been one of my most listened to bands over the last couple years, this album especially. They're so versatile, from punk ragers, to sweet piano ballads, to indie rock bangers, they can do anything. Could name every song as a favourite, but i'll just mention that 'Androdgynous' is beautiful, 'Answering Machine' is a gut-punching way to end the album, and 'Unsatisfied' is one of the most passionate rock songs i've ever heard, in the vocals specifically. Absolute alt/indie classic.
David Bowie
5/5
Bowie was just at an insane creative peak around this time. First half is wild bangers with some of the most interesting instrumentation you'll hear him with, and then slows it down in the second half (similar to what he did on 'Low') with some instrumental tracks. Can feel the Eno in that second half, somehow it all works together just as perfectly as it does on his last album 'Low'. If that wasn't enough to convince you, then the legendary title track should at least.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Had their album 'The Holy Bible' before and enjoyed it a lot, seemed like a good addition to the list. This one I don't really see the reason for the inclusion. It's a solid album of pop/indie-rock, the singles especially are all great. I also was a big fan of the closing track, the guitars were a bit thicker and it felt closer to a shoegaze song than anything else here. Overall it's just fine though, don't think it needs to be here but i wasn't mad about hearing it.
The Darkness
3/5
I guess i'll commend them for realising that 38 mins is about the limit on how much someone would want to hear this, I would've removed a star for every 10 mins it continued. This kind of rock is a little more bearable when it's somewhat tongue-in-cheek like this, but I was still losing my patience about halfway through (ironically around the song 'Givin' Up'). The big single is fun, maybe that's just nostalgia, but the rest does very little for me. It's not bad, but it definitely isn't good.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
It's always impresive to get a 21 track album, all songs of decent length, but without a hint of filler on it. Maybe a couple tracks aren't amazing, but the highlights are stunning. 'Isn't She Lovely' might be one of the most beautiful and joyous songs ever written. Stevie keeps it fresh the whole runtime somehow, a master songwriter without a doubt. Filled to the brim with pure soul.
Patti Smith
5/5
This album wouldn't work with anyone else. Patti is just full of energy and charisma and passion on here and it works perfectly. Could write a million words about every song on here, the blueprint for punk before the Ramones or Sex Pistols came along.
Ash
3/5
Good solid fun, keeps a good amount of energy throughout which i like. 'Girl From Mars' gave me a big hit of nostalgia when it came on, but doubt i'll return to much else here.
Animal Collective
5/5
I wish all pop music could be as fun as this album. Cute lyrics about family life set to wild bouncy loops of electronics. Banger after banger after banger. 'Brother Sport' is an insane way to end an album.
Otis Redding
3/5
Sure it's fine, he has a fantastic voice. It's just a little dull overall, in one ear and out the other. Doubt i'd play it again but there's nothing wrong with it.
Iggy Pop
5/5
I have no idea how he did it. Made 3 legendary punk albums with The Stooges, perfecting the genre before it was really even a thing. Then he goes solo and in the same year drops two classics, this and 'The Idiot'. Iggy is incredible, it'll be a huge loss to the world of music when we lose him.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Early hip-hop and rnb hasn't aged too well, and this isn't an exception. The opener is pretty fun but after that it's all some basic beats and rhymes that don't hold up anymore.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
It's hard to rate this because her voice is obviously incredible, and the two most popular songs on here are undeniable classics. The rest though, while not bad, doesn't hit that same quality level or really get close to it. I feel this way about a lot of these old soul albums. At least there's a good bit of energy to some of the tracks.
Roxy Music
4/5
I'll be honest, the vocalist bugs me a little bit, even as a British dude myself. Know about these guys because of the Eno connection, and he plays the keys nicely on this one. Feel like it would really grow on me with more listens, but it's definitely a step above your average glam rock album.
Joy Division
5/5
Legendary album in the genre of post-punk/gothic, like nothing that came before it really. The opener 'Disorder' might be one of my favourite songs of all time, the way that bass line moves along with the twangy guitar riff, it's perfect. Then you've got ones like 'New Dawn Fades' and 'Day of the Lords' that are just so eerie and haunting.
There's just a consistently dark atmosphere around this album that makes it feel like a full experience. 5/5 classic every day of the year.
The Doors
5/5
What a year 1967 was for rock music, this and the Velvet Underground's debut both pushed the genre forward as an art-form by leaps and bounds. Even if it was just the first 10 songs, this thing would be a stone cold classic. But then hey, they decided at the finale to throw in a 12 minute long fucking masterpiece. A creepy sex/murder fantasy that just gets more deranged and explosive as it goes on. Morrison was a frontman that will never be recreated.
ZZ Top
3/5
It's very ok, 'La Grange' rocks though.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
This is some pretty fun post-punk/new-wave, the duo drum sound is not something i've heard too often. It's a little front heavy but wasn't really any particularly weak tracks. Solid stuff.
The Who
3/5
If you graphed the quality of this album, it would be a perfect inverse bell-curve. Starts and ends with absolute banger tracks, the ones just next to them are pretty solid too, then the rest in the middle is just alright. Having 'Baba O'Riley' and 'Fooled...' on a single album should warrant a solid rating alone really, they're just too good. At least the album isn't very long but the mddle section still drags out for me, i'm just waiting for that closer to come as soon as the opener is done.
Willie Nelson
3/5
It's a sweet little cover album, nothing too crazy. Love 'Unchained Melody' but i think that's just because the original is such a great song anyway. Wish i'd got an original album by him instead but this was an enjoyable time.
The Damned
4/5
Even as a huge punk fan i've somehow never listened to The Damned, even know i've known about them for god knows how long. Clearly I made a big mistake here, as this album shreds. Full of energy, super catchy hooks, even a little more variety with the instruments than you'd usually expect from an early punk album. Will be returning to this and the rest of their albums shortly.
The Sonics
4/5
Though there's usually never a precise point that genres get created, you can always trace them back through albums and artists, and this one feels like a very early indicator of what punk would be. Super energetic and fun garage rock. I also love how despite most of the album being covers, it's 3 original songs that steal the show.
'The Witch'. 'Strychnine', and the classic 'Psycho' are 10/10 bangers. None of them sound like they came from 1965, it's insane. The vocalist also carries the whole thing on his back, his energy is untouchable, similar to legendary punk artists that would come later.
Beach House
4/5
Sure, maybe it's very same-y throughout, all the songs are a similar tempo and style. But everything here is like a warm hug around your ears. Beautiful voice and melodies throughout, if it gets you in the right mood this would be just perfect.
Lou Reed
4/5
Lou will always be one of the most important people in rock music for what he did with the Velvets, but also he had some fantastic solo stuff too. This is one of them, some stone cold classics singles on here, whole album flows by in no time with just great songwriting throughout. Man was a legend.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
Since I first heard this years and years ago it's grown on my massively, now there's not a single second of it I don't like. Perfect album to lay back and relax to, beautiful lyrics and melodies. It does sound same-y the first time or two, but the songs really open up after that.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
This is some damn good pop, not a bad song on there. Fun instrumentals, the vocals are great, the first few songs especially were incredibly well done. Seen this album around a bunch of times but never gave it a spin, will need to come back to it.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
It's good while it's on, and it's impressive that the 3 big singles he had all came from this same album, but it does get a bit tiring towards the end. Though the blow is softened a little bit by that banger of a closing track, that did have me grooving. It just seems to be common with electronic albums that they stretch the albums and songs out to longer lengths than they need be, but I guess the intended listening experience is on a dancefloor, not sitting at home with headphones on. So it's understandable.
De La Soul
3/5
The production and energy really saves it, but it is a little too 'all over the place' for my liking. You can't judge the level of rapping too much for the time it came out, and for being an hour long it doesn't feel that long.
Traffic
4/5
Was expecting it to be pretty folk or country just based on the album name and cover, but it's actually kinda jazzy, especially near the start. I love this kind of album format too, 6 songs that are nicely fleshed out with some good jams, no filler, everything feels like it has enough time to breathe. Enjoyed it a lot, a great new find.
Faust
5/5
I'm very familiar with their first album becuase it's one of the most insane and weird albums i've ever heard, and an easy 10/10 for me. Clearly I've been sleeping on this one though, despite hearing it a couple times in the past. The huge opening track is amazing, sucks you in with it's repetition. Then the rest follows suit, some wild stuff going on.
Common
4/5
Having your hip-hop album be solely produced by prime Kanye (before he went mental) and J-Dilla pretty much guarantees it's going to be fantastic. Common is the only issue. Even though he's solid on this, he's far from my favourite rapper. Saw someone else describe it like someone's dad rapping, and that's a good way to explain it. I just feel like he never flows too well when he raps, it's always a little clunky. This is as good as he gets though, and the amazing production distracts from him enough.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I love a bit of Bob, but i'm always wary of albums from artists with a large discography where it seems to be outside their prime, so I had fairly low expectations. Turns out i didn't have much to be worried about, I guess Dylan still had it after all those years. There's plenty of great songs on here, his voice holds up and makes some of the tracks pretty powerful emotionally. Better than expected for sure, even the huge 16 minute closer was enjoyable.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Some nice storytelling, some of the better country i've heard, though i can't say i've heard that much. It's just solid.
Johnny Cash
5/5
One of the most fun albums I can think of. The cheering and yelling from the audience every time Cash says something about shooting women or doing drugs is hilarious, even cracking him up. Probably the one country album you could give to anyone and they'd get something out of it.
The Jam
5/5
Heard some Jam songs but never a full album, and it's exactly up my alley. Enjoyed every single song on here, the vocals, the basslines, the sharp guitars, it's all exactly what i like in my music. Also ends on the best song, couldn't ask for more here. Will be listening to all of their stuff in the very near future.
Tom Waits
5/5
This is where Tom turns into the weirdo that we love, and pretty much all albums from here are just fantastic. The range he shows is incredible, from slow piano ballads to wild rowdy bangers. And that voice. One of my favourite artists of all time, could pick 100 songs from him and not a single one would sound the same.
Justice
4/5
Super fun album to listen to front to back, they take the attention to make sure most of the album flows into the next track, so it makes a nice full experience. Also like how harsh some of the synths they use are, gives it some edge.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I think i still prefer this one to TPAB because it's easier listening without sacrificing any artistry. The beats bang, incredible storytelling, the features all kill it, 'Real' is the only weak spot on the whole thing and even that isn't too bad. Kendrick just pulls together the best of everything hip-hop on this, i'm glad it got the recognition it deserves.
Bon Jovi
2/5
I could just copy and paste my Def Leppard review from a few months back, as I feel the same way about this. It's bland over-produced rock music made for stadiums, it sounds souless to me. The singles are fun, but that's probably nostalgia talking. The rest has nothing to offer me, lyrically or musically. It's the rock equivalent of listening to Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran, it's really not for me.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Well that was some really lovely folk. Think i've heard this group before but this impressed me. Great playing and the singer's voice is gorgeous.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
As much as I love to see some more jazz on the list, Monk isn't a huge favourite of mine, and neither is this album. The line up is fantastic, Rollins on sax, Roach on drums, Chambers on bass, it should be fantastic but instead it's just good. Worth a listen but doesn't bring out much excitement in me.
Dr. John
5/5
This is actually insanely good, how have I never even heard of this guy before. It's like a prime-era Tom Waits album but 15 years before that even happens, sounds so ahead of it's time. Every song was interesting, great mix of instruments, range of vocals, it has everything. Makes me fall in love with this challenge all over again.
Taylor Swift
2/5
I tried to put my anti-Swift bias to the side and see what this album had to offer, since I know this one is pretty highly regarded among her fans. The folkier side somewhat suits her, especially that one that's kind of country about the guy cheating. But then the next song rolls around, and the next, and the next...and oh god there's still another 6 songs left?!
This thing feels like it goes on forever. The songs start to blend into each other, nothing really sticks out. Her vocals and lyrics are far from enough to hold interest, which is the same issue I have with everything she's done after this album. Just a little variety or a cool hook or bridge somewhere wouldn't go amiss. Still not a fan.
Richard Hawley
3/5
The sort of thing that i'd assume isn't really for me, but found it quite pleasant instead. I like the tone of his voice, fits the music very well. Maybe a little tempo change or some other change-up would help the album out, but it's not that long and doesn't get too boring.
Billy Joel
4/5
Just great songwriting and performances all around on this thing. Especially the longer tracks on here, keeps it fresh and interesting and doesn't lose any steam. Surprised i've never bothered to check this out. Maybe the tag of 'piano rock' made it sound slow, but it isn't.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Aside from that little mouth harp thing going "boing" for every single second of the album in the background, this is a lovely listen. No huge standouts like on his first album, but every song has some great guitar work with Leonard's iconic voice. Very enjoyable.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Some of the reviews on this made me question whether some people even like music or not. This is a masterpiece for me, pure passion from front to back. No weak tracks but 'Jungleland' especially is just genius, that song could be twice the length and I would still ask for more.
Steely Dan
4/5
Heard this for the first time maybe a year ago and wasn't impressed at all. I guess my ears were just malfunctioning that day, because this is damn fun. Just enough jazz to keep it interesting, and the riffs and playing are all excellent. Need to give it another spin soon.
Aerosmith
2/5
I swear years go by without me remembering Aerosmith exists. The two big singles on here are fun, the rest goes right through my ears and out the other side. Nearly turned it off at that "ten inch" song, rock in it's worst form.
John Grant
2/5
Can't say i got a lot out of this, just really not my style. Felt like it was all meshing into one as it went on, a bit of fire or passion anywhere on here would be nice.
Steve Earle
3/5
Some decently enjoyable country. Doesn't do anything too interesting with it, but it's a fair way to spend 30 minutes. Gets you in that country mood.
Steely Dan
4/5
More Steely Dan about a week after I got 'Aja' and discovered i really like that album. Turns out this one bangs pretty hard too. It's not as wild and jazzy as 'Aja' which is a bit of a shame, but it makes up for it with infectious hooks and smooth playing. Was enjoying myself for the whole runtime.
Thundercat
5/5
Damn I really should've listened to this back when it came out, reminds of the Flying Lotus albums i used to love and listen to all the time. Huge bunch of quick songs with some wild jazz-fusion-y instrumentals. Vocals fit the vibe perfectly, all the features killed it. Just love the whole atmosphere of this thing.
4/5
A nice surprise. The top review mentioned Stereolab and that was the very first thing I thought when it started. Sweet female vocals over repetitive jazzy music. Throw in a bit of electronic in there and that's this album. Repetition is perfectly fine with me, maybe cut a song or two from the runtime but other than that it was a very enjoyable listen.
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Ok there's a couple of great songs on here, 'Immigrant Song' obviously, and 'Since I've Been Loving You' was a good time too. Outside of that they just seem to lose the plot, especially towards the end. When they're just going acoustic the songs are just big balls of nothing, doesn't evoke anything from me. I've struggled to get into Led Zep for the longest time, and the re-listens this challenge has made me do hasn't changed my mind in the slightest.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Heard this a couple times before but i don't think it ever fully clicked with me, and i feel the same now. Even though it's hard to find a flaw, except for maybe it feels a bit same-y as you get towards the end, but the songwriting and performances are all fantastic. I love Sufjan's voice, maybe it just needs more listens still, since it's a pretty big album. Still great to listen to despite that.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
There's been a trend recently of this album topping a bunch of all time best album lists. I think that's pushing it a little, but it really is a fantastic album, rarely a weak song on it. Lauryn's voice and rapping are great, production slaps. Even the skits aren't too bad.
Prince
5/5
An album full of funk epics. The long runtimes end up working in it's favour, since you just don't want the grooves to end. Prince gets a little too comfortable with the sex stuff on a couple of songs, but it's manageable. Those basslines are crazy, so much fun.
David Bowie
4/5
Even though this one's in the accepted canon of great Bowie albums, I've never listened to it much. Shame because I enjoyed going through it, I thought it was more straight forward than ones like 'Low' or 'Heroes' which I love, but there's still a good amount of weirdness in it. And Bowie's songwriting is obviously always on point.
Black Flag
4/5
I really want to give it a 5 because I know it's hugely influence to punk, but imo Minor Threat are the ultimate hardcore punk band, and I think Black Flag get better when they got a little weirder with 'My War'. Still, this is definitely a classic, a bizarre mix of satirical punk songs with some crippling depression on the side. 'Rise Above' is a legendary song too.
Frank Black
4/5
Big fan of this album format, the 20+ short songs collection. Reminds me of like an alt rock London Calling, not quite on the level of Pixies best, but it's a fun and easy listen.
Marty Robbins
5/5
Peak country. Starting your album with 'Big Iron' and then ending it with 'El Paso' is like a cheat code for a good time. Also have to mention 'The Master's Call' which gives me chills, a masterclass in storytelling. Marty's voice is perfect for it all too. Banger.
3/5
First song is a banger, the rest just meander after that for the next 25 minutes. She has a nice voice, but nothing else really stands out. Little to say.
The Blue Nile
4/5
That was some nice pop right there. All the songs felt fully fleshed out, nice range of instruments, good stuff.
Mudhoney
4/5
The super fuzzy lo-fi production really appeals to me. The songs are fun, not really a grunge fan so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it feels more indie or garage rock to me. Glad it came up.
Norah Jones
2/5
I can't lie, by the time I bothered to open up my music player and check where I was, I was 13 songs deep and nearly finished. The whole thing just breezes by me without so much as grabbing a spec of my attention. It's great background music that your mum or elderly relatives would probably love. Not bad, just bland and inoffensive.
The Beta Band
1/5
I just woke up an hour ago and now I want to go straight back to bed. Get this snoozefest out of here.
Tim Buckley
4/5
The author of these books is a coward for having multiple Tim Buckley albums on this list, but not including Lorca or Starsailor. The people deserve to hear Tim at his peak weirdness, 'Gypsy Woman' on here starts to come close to that realm, but it's not enough for me. Listen to those albums please (this one is still great though).
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Fun tunes with some great vocal work, but unfortunately 'California Dreamin' ' is just an 11/10 song and nothing else on here can really come close to touching it's greatness. Everything else is good don't get me wrong, but they just hit a diamond mine on that one and it makes the rest look worse in comparison.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Maybe a little too clean for me, but that's probably because i know this is the guy from Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes, two wild rock bands that go hard as fuck. This does not go hard as fuck unfortunately, but it definitely rocks. The horns add a nice touch, though it starts to blend together as you get towards the end. Still solid.
3/5
I wish this album was as good as everyone says it is. There's some great stuff, like a couple of the opening tracks, 'A Day in the Life' obviously, 'Mr Kite' is nice too. The rest is just not very interesting at all, or they try and make up for a mediocre song by throwing some weird instruments into the mix to throw you off and make you think you're listening to some great experimental bit of genius.
The best bands of this era managed to make exciting and interesting songs while experimenting at the same time. The Beatles seem to always be struggling to manage that.
Tangerine Dream
5/5
Truly an innovative band. Love that old-school synth sound, they create some gorgeous landscapes on here, just takes you away and before you know it the whole thing is already over. Ambient stuff like this isn't everyone's thing for sure, but when you can start to enjoy music like this, it hits a spot nothing else does.
Pink Floyd
5/5
For being a double album it certainly doesn't feel like it. I think the motifs that keep popping up throughout help it feel more cohesive, but I guess some people might call that repetitive. Plenty of standout songs too to match with the more interlude type tracks, but even the shorter ones can have some great instrumentation or melodies in them. Grows on me more every time i hear it.
The Streets
4/5
I get why everyone doing this list is going to hate this, it's insanely British, the beats are all wonky, the singing isn't great, and Mike's whole style of lyrics and delivery are very plain and straight-forward. This and the first Streets albums though are just classics, I definitely prefer the first but this has legendary tracks like 'Fit But You Know It', 'Dry Your Eyes', and 'Blinded By The Lights'.
Now that I think about it, it's also the only album I can think of that has alternate endings, with the final song going down two different paths to finish the story. Really creative stuff.
The Dandy Warhols
2/5
I going to resist just throwing at 1 at this because i guess it's somewhat competent, but man do I hate these hour long alt rock albums that have no variety whatsoever. Complete snoozer, glad it's over.
Kanye West
5/5
As GLC says in Spaceship, "Lost my momma, lost my mind". It's a shame we'll never get this focused and introspective Kanye back, from around 2010 onwards he's just a lost soul. Somewhat understandable given what happened to his mum, but it just broke him completely. Never been the same. At least we'll always have this and 'Late Registration' to show that at one point he was completely changing hip-hop with his albums.
Baaba Maal
3/5
It's actually kind of hypnotic, in a good way, The simplicity of the guitars with their vocals floating over the top is enjoyable to listen to, but it does really start to drag on a bit. I think in a solid 40 minutes chunk this would be great.
Nas
5/5
I think hip-hop is the only genre where if you took thousands and thousands of fans and asked them what the best album of the genre is, you would get one clear front-runner. Illmatic would be that, it's just perfect in every way. A young Nas rapping like he's been perfecting the art for centuries, alongside some of the very best producers of the time (and of all time). Super concise, not a single second wasted, not a weak track/beat/bar across the whole thing. Makes 40 minutes feel like 10.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
It's a very important piece of hip-hop history, obviously it comes off very simplistic in hindsight, but at the time I'm sure it was mind-blowing. Have to give it respect for that, and 'It's Like That' and 'Rock Box' I actually think still hold up as great tracks today.
The Black Keys
3/5
Never managed to get into The Black Keys that much, though some of their earlier blues-ier stuff i've heard was pretty good. Expected this to be fairly commercial blues rock, and it is, but there's some really good songs especially stacked at the front. It gets tiring by the time you reach the end, but you could definitely pick a few songs off here and enjoy them on your own time.
The Hives
5/5
On the one hand, it's a compilation album, which i feel like should be a no-no for this kind of list. On the other hand, it fucking rocks.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
A slow sad burn, but it's great songwriting and especially some of the early tracks hit you in the soul.
Carole King
4/5
Some real classics on here, and her voice is lovely throughout the whole thing.
Radiohead
4/5
It's grown off me a little over time, it's definitely 2nd tier Radiohead behind their big three albums. There's a couple classics on here like 'Pyramid Song' and 'I Might Be Wrong'. Unfortunately there's also a few songs that are kind of half-ideas that get stretched out into a full song, not surprising given this was Kid A outtakes essentially. Still a good listen.
Screaming Trees
2/5
Grunge has never been my thing, was going back and forth between 2 or 3 throughout this. One song would have some nice riffs or a catchy melody in the chorus, then the next one would bore you to death. Meh, give it a 2.
R.E.M.
4/5
I've heard it before and wasn't that impressed, it's more on the jangly side of post-punk which is not my preferred style. I can say I do enjoy pretty much every song though, there's just nothing that really sticks out after the opener. Kind of want to give it another try in the future though, so I guess that says something.
Neil Young
4/5
Young has grown on me over the years that i've been randomly listening to him in spots. It's a great concise folk-rock album,one of the better ones i can remember from him.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
It's a nice listen, she has a lovely voice and the instrumentals are fun. I like the little electronic bits and what sounds like horn samples in a few places. Does run a bit same-y towards the end, I think 40 minutes was a good stopping point. If this was 50-60 minutes I think I would've been much more tired of it.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
It gets bonus points for sounding so ahead of it's time for 1966, especially that insane 12 minute long closing track, just complete weirdo shit. There's some great tunes amongst the rest of it too, but the silliness of it does wear it out for me after a while. Much prefer Zappa when he starts trying harder to make interesting experimental in his jazz fusion era a few years later, but this is still a nice change from the more mundane stuff on the list.
The Band
2/5
Not gonna lie, I have no idea what the hype is around this one. I know this album and band are acclaimed, this just sounded like regular old folk rock to me. Very little stuck out.
3/5
I always look forward to the ones on here that are super low rated, they're always interesting. And while this one certainly is too, it doesn't quite keep my attention the way some of the other weirder albums on here do. There's a couple on here that really stand out, they manage to work the oddities into a pretty enjoyable few minutes, but a good part of the album just floats by without leaving too much in your memory.
Madness
4/5
'Our House' is obviously the banger single, but outside of that there isn't a weak song in the tracklist. They had some great songwriting abilities, fun basslines all over this thing, the horns add so much as always. Like the jazzier closing song too, great stuff overall.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Gil has such a capticating voice, and Brian's keyboard work always matches the tone of the songs perfectly, whether that's being light and jazzy or more upbeat. Soulful and smooth, really enjoyed giving this one a listen.
Frank Ocean
4/5
Even if modern soul/R&B isn't my favourite genre by a long shot, you can't deny Frank Ocean's voice and his songwriting abilities. This and Blonde are both great albums. All I will say is that Pyramids sticks out like a sore thumb by being so damn good.
The Temptations
3/5
Thought this was going to be really interesting after the first couple songs that were pretty psychedelic and fun. Unfortunately it gets a little tedious after that, expected more after I read the wiki about how this was a big change for them and a pioneering psych-soul album. Still worth a listen, fun album.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I think Led Zep just aren't my thing, tried all of their classic albums and while none of them are bad, none of them really moved me either. I start tuning it out once it gets towards the end. There's some rockers on here, no denying that, but i'm not wanting to start it over once it finishes.
Metallica
5/5
Yeah it's a metal classic, what else can you say. Performances are flawless, better songwriting than 99% of metal you'll ever hear. I don't listen to metal like I did when i was a teenager anymore, I rarely listen to it at all really, but this album still stands out as something special even after all that time.
Pet Shop Boys
5/5
Damn what's with the fairly low rating on here, this thing is synth-pop bangers front to back. Always knew they had some killer singles in them but this is a full album of great material. That classic synth sound just works so well for pop music, every song on here made me want to groove.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Scores big points for the epic closing track, sounds like a more advanced version of the kind of stuff The Doors were doing a year or so earlier. Very trippy and experimental, loved it. The rest is pretty standard psych-rock from that time, but still enjoyable.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
It's very pleasant to listen to, but it blends into the background for me pretty quickly. The woman's vocals are lovely and there's some great beats here. Doubt I'll return to it.
2/5
Starts off with 3 genuinely excellent songs, especially 'With or Without You' which is beautiful. Then you get to sit through another 35 minutes or so of the most lifeless rock music you'll ever hear. Thanks U2.
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
Luckily this is from 2008 when Alex Turner still cared enough to make music with some excitement and energy. Though it's more of a baroque-pop thing than what the Arctic Monkeys were, it's a lot of fun and the added instrumentation keeps it interesting. A tight half an hour or so.
Eels
3/5
Yeah that was a really pleasant song, all 12 of it.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Once you hit the title track it's just banger after banger after banger. Production is amazing, killer basslines and good vibes. Love it.
The Birthday Party
5/5
As a big Nick Cave fan it's nice to finally hear some context for where he started. I know from interviews and stuff that he was a huge fan of british post-punk weirdos 'The Pop Group' around the time he made this, and oh boy this album sounds just like them half the time, especially when Nick gets all yelp-y on a song. Now this is fine for me because 'Y' by The Pop Group is one of my favourite albums.
It's nice to finally have another album to put alongside that one as post-punk that gets as wild and unhinged as possible. Wish I'd checked it out sooner, this is mental.
Throwing Muses
2/5
So there's nothing really bad about this, I even like the singer's kind of wild voice, adds a little flavour to it. But it's just the songwriting has to be the most bland thing i've heard in a while, not a single interesting moment across the entire album. Felt my attention constantly floating in and out.
Parliament
4/5
It's damn funky.
Deep Purple
3/5
They are definitely jamming hard, maybe just a little too over the top for my taste. The first few tracks where they don't go too wild with it are fantastic, shows what a talented band they were.
ABBA
4/5
Not surprised to see this was their last studio album for nearly half a century, it's so mature compared to anything else i've heard from them. Songs feel fully fleshed out but still with the same beautiful performances they usually do. Top tier pop right here.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
It's not offensive, but I was pretty happy to hear to end of it. A lot of the songs are just a bit too simple, and none of the featured vocalists are really that good either. A banger here and there but not an album i'm ever going to go back to.
Sigur Rós
5/5
Was really looking forward to seeing this on the list finally. Sigur Ros fall into that annoying category of artist for me where I know they have fantastic stuff, but for some reason I just don't end up listening to them often, my brain just filters them and others out when I want to throw an album on.
This really is a beautiful album from the second you put it on. Staralfur is like an orgasm in my ears, the production on the whole thing is so balanced. The strings can be clear when they need to be, and then on the next song the bass can really rumble. A stroke of genius songwriting here.
Can
5/5
Part 3 in the insane trilogy of albums that Can released in just 3 years, they were just on a completely different level in that time. This might be my favourite of the three, this one just feels so cohesive as an album. It has a dreamy atmosphere surrounding it with a little less of the wild experiments you got on 'Tago Mago', but still all the incredible performances of the other albums.
And so the first 3 tracks on here are amazing, don't get me wrong, but it's the monstrous 20 minute 'Bel-Air' that steals the show. Possibly the quickest song of that length i've ever heard, it goes by in an instant, it's that good.
XTC
4/5
An album packed with great interesting pop tunes. Heard it once before but definitely got more out of it on my 2nd listen here. Good range to it, doesn't stick to the same idea which keeps it fun.
Ali Farka Touré
1/5
Yes I love hearing the same bluesy guitar lick repeated over and over for 5 minutes, then getting a new lick on the next song that repeats over and over. 2nd album from this guy on the list and i'm not seeing what the point is at all. I'm completely ok with repetition if it's a cool idea (I love The Fall after all), but every song here is just one single idea drawn out to a full track.
Massive Attack
4/5
Full of great grooves and basslines, an array of different vocalists that all bring a different feel to the songs, each does their job well. 'Unfinished Sympathy' is an 11/10 song, and while the rest can't really compare, there isn't a bad song on here. Was just naturally bobbing my head pretty much the whole time.
Taylor Swift
2/5
It gets a 2 for being catchy overall, but it's dead behind the eyes, it's soulless. People point to this as her peak but really it's the end of her as a solid pop songwriter and her entry into just being an empty vessel for empty music made solely to do numbers and get to the top of the charts for as long as possible. Awful stuff.
Spiritualized
5/5
Oh yeah this goes hard, that final track, holy shit. Heard this a couple times before and enjoyed it but must've had my ears only half open. This album is amazing, incredible atmosphere.
Common
4/5
It's pretty long but a very easy listen. Common has never done much for me as an MC and this didn't change my mind, I just don't think he sounds good on a beat, clunky flow.
BUT he does have one hell of an ear for production. J Dilla on 90% of this, the rest is the likes of D'angelio, The Roots, DJ Premier. That's some serious taste, makes the album super enjoyable even if his rapping isn't to my liking as much.
The Cardigans
5/5
Well that's some damn good pop rock, don't think there was a single track I didn't enjoy. The Black Sabbath cover somehow worked, and it was nice to find out finally where Lovefool came from.
Mylo
3/5
Fun little album with some nice tracks. 'Drop the Pressure' felt somewhat familiar and 'In My Arms' was a nice use of an older popular song sample. Blends into the background a bit by the end, but had a good time listening.
Aerosmith
1/5
The horror that set in when I checked my music player and we were only halfway through the album. Truly the worst that music has to offer, bland hair-metal/cock-rock. Not a big grunge fan but i'm glad it came along to finally end this era.
Bill Callahan
4/5
Really pretty stuff, like the country vibes going on here. Isn't clicking with me 100% just on the first listen, but I get the feeling it could be a real grower. The instrumentation is so nice, especially on the longer final track.
John Prine
4/5
Got a little repetitive towards the end maybe, but it's some great country. Stands out lyrically with some really personal stuff, a good deal of anti-war sentiment I caught in there. Guitar playing is lovely too and he has the perfect voice for it. Very nice.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Just going off the cover I expected just some basic folk rock, but there's actually quite a bit of variety on here with the instruments. Makes it an engaging listen, enjoyed it a lot.
Roxy Music
4/5
Definitely needs more listens to really sink in, there's a lot going on here, in a good way. Every song felt unique, great playing. Poppy rock music can still be super interesting when done by great musicians like this one is.
David Gray
1/5
Maybe i'm being harsh but this is just so boring, I can't imagine a world where this is required listening for a music fan. It's background music for TV or shopping centres. At least I know who did that Babylon song now, been hearing that since i was a kid.
Dennis Wilson
2/5
A bit bland honestly. His voice isn't very strong at all, feels like it's in the background for a lot of the album. Songs don't really stick out either, it's just plain folk by the numbers. Meh.
Fairport Convention
3/5
This is pretty good folk, love the vocals especially.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
I can never say enough good things about The Velvet Underground, bunch of geniuses that made some of the most creative music of all time.
Also Sister Ray is probably the greatest song ever made, I honestly can't think what else would take it's place.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Vocal jazz is not really my thing, I need all the wild improv solos. But her voice is great, there's nothing offensive about it.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
Honestly not as bad as I expected it to be given it falls directly in that cock-rock/hair-metal genre I hate so much. The singles are classics and still fun, the rest aren't too bad either.
Turbonegro
4/5
Maybe a bit cheesy but it rocks, so I'll allow it.
Finley Quaye
3/5
It's alright because I'm a sucker for some reggae bass lines, but the vocalist himself isn't all that, and the songs blend together. Probably shouldn't be on the list as I don't think it's essential, but it's OK.
Michael Jackson
5/5
I like it more than Thriller honestly, it's so damn funky from start to finish.
The Monkees
2/5
Was so uninteresting that I didn't even notice the music stopped once the album was over for a good 30 minutes later.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Only knew a couple of their big singles but this was a fun listen. Despite the length it goes by very quickly thanks to the high energy that they keep up throughout, it's rock music that actually rocks thankfully. Can tell a lot of it might be overdubbed and not 100% live but doesn't really matter.
Brian Wilson
4/5
Some incredibly creative pop. The full smile sessions you can find from the Beach Boys is even better and turns this into a real epic, but this is still fantastic. It's a mystery and a tragedy how it never came to fruition right away in the 60s, would've been legendary.
Korn
2/5
Ok so at least this one makes sense being here, nu-metal was a huge deal at the time and Korn were a big part of it. As far as the music, oh boy does it go downhill after the first 3/4 songs. The collabs with Ice Cube and Fred Durst might be some of the worst songs i've heard in a long time.
Manu Chao
2/5
I won't say it was terrible, but i'm quite glad it's over, I got very little out of that experience. Don't like the guy's voice at all, none of the songs really stand out, it all blends together. Especially at the end, tracks 10-16 i didn't even realise had happened.
David Bowie
5/5
His best for me personally, he couldn't be touched on this streak from 'Station to Station' to 'Heroes', what a run. I just love the split of the album from weird trippy pop/rock in the first half into the more spacey and ambient stuff in the second half. Shoutout to Eno.
Michael Jackson
4/5
The man was just making hit after hit. It feels dumb to say but I think the big singles being SO good kind of makes the full album experience worse, because the non-singles, while still fun, just can't compete. Luckily half the damn album is hit singles though.
Simple Minds
4/5
Some damn good synth-pop right here, kept my attention the whole way through.
Black Sabbath
5/5
I guess any of the first 6 Sabbath albums are incredible, but this one especially has become possibly my favourite. The opening track, Snowblind, the closer, SUPERNAUT (what a song). Album is just packed with some of Sabbath's best riffs and keeps it interesting with the song structures too.
Beatles
5/5
As a known Beatles disliker (hater seems too harsh) this is the one time on a full album i'll give it to them. Even though there's still a couple duds in Maxwell and Octopus, the rest is excellent. Love the structure of the second half being a long medley, that part where the melody of 'You're Gonna Carry that Weight' comes back in towards the end is brilliant. Also I Want You (She's So Heavy) is the best song they ever did, and it's a tragedy that they wasted so much time on crappy little pop songs when they had potential in them the whole time. Outrageous.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
5/5
Ok that was fun as hell. Wild garage blues rock, I guess you'd compare to like a drunken, coked-out White Stripes cover band at points, it's all over the place. Noisy and lo-fi, it's unhinged rock music which is exactly how rock music should sound like.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Would love to give this a 5 because I love the band, but it's clear here that they aren't quite at their potential yet, but they're on their way. The jump up from this to Loveless in a few years is incredible, and there's still a handful of fantastic songs on here, but it's rough around the edges.
Deee-Lite
3/5
It's a lot of fun but 90s dance music is the sort of thing I just want to hear a song or two from at a time, not a full 45 minutes albums worth. Was getting a bit sick of it by the end, but overall it was a good collection.
The Adverts
4/5
Some old school british punk i'd never even heard of. It's exactly what you'd expect it to be, which is perfectly fine with me.
The Auteurs
1/5
Oh boy I love boring as fuck british alt rock with nasally vocals, please continue giving me more albums like this!
Fats Domino
3/5
All of this old school rock n roll is just in one ear and out the other for me. While it's playing it's a fun time though.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Sonic Youth are easily in my top ~5 artists of all time, their discography is untouchable. So of course i'm going to give a 5 to one of their best albums. Doesn't hit the heights of a Daydream Nation, Goo, or Murray St for me, but I could have it on repeat all day and never get tired.
My preferred Sonic Youth is definitely post-Sister though when they started to build out longer songs and get into those extended noise sections. The energy in this one makes up for the lack of those though, they are just ripping through these songs.
The Pharcyde
5/5
It's probably the most fun jazz-rap album ever made. It helps to take out the few interlude tracks but then the whole thing is smooth like butter. Funny, witty, high energy. It's a banger album.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
It's fine but it's just so boring to me.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
They are kinda shredding on those bongos, i can't lie. Funky.
The Specials
4/5
Good fun, ska tends to be a bit samey over the course of an album and this isn't any different, but it's enjoyable while it's on.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Heard this before but I must've been only half paying attention, because this is fantastic. Art-pop/rock that keeps your attention while still being interesting and unusual.
4/5
Early 80s synth-pop bangers, as fun and funky as you'd expect from this era. Poison Arrow is going to be stuck in my head for a week now.
5/5
Even if it was just the title track it would be a 5, the other two are just a bonus. This is why i'll always love longer songs, you just get to fit so much in, it becomes a real journey rather than just a quick little musical fix. Prog at it's peak.
Pink Floyd
3/5
I can never decide on my feelings about this album. So much of it just feels like alright psychedlic pop, but then stuff like Interstellar Overdrive comes on and you realise they had some insane stuff hidden inside them. Just wish they let it show on here more, most of it is a little bland honestly.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
It's solid background music, but that's all it is. The other on the list from them was a bit more interesting. Sort of music you'd play around your mum or grandma.
Pulp
4/5
Not really a big britpop guy, but was enjoying this one, the songwriting was very strong.
Goldfrapp
3/5
A fun listen but can't say it left a big impression on me. Love her vocals though, and some of the beats are silky smooth, just a little non-descript overall.
Girls Against Boys
5/5
"Post-hardcore, indie rock, noise rock" - yeah you just know this shit is going to be right up my alley. Never even heard of these guys before but everything fits just right on here. Great sludgy guitar riffs, I was enjoying every song.
Living Colour
4/5
The guitarist and the bassist were cooking all over this, just a shred-fest but still with solid songwriting.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
1/5
Still got 2 songs left but I see that they're actually bonus tracks, not from the original album, so i'm just shutting it off here. What a fucking bore. Felt like an hour had gone by and when I checked there was still half the album left.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
Raw rockin' fun, which is what I expect from the Queens. Not as polished songwriting wise as Rated R or Songs For The Deaf right after this, but it's a great start. Some real bangers on here.
Dion
2/5
It's so close to a 1 it's scary, but the music isn't too offensive or dull to warrant it. It is rather dull though, more than enough for a 2. I have no idea what was supposed to be essential about these 8 easy listening pop throwaways.
Suicide
5/5
Truly the kind of album this list was made for, just appears in the 70s out of nowhere and creates a whole new world. Frankie Teardrop is obviously what most people will focus on, and of course it's a masterpiece and one of the most difficult to listen to songs of all time, but the rest is incredible too. Repetitive droning synth-punk that manages to be catching and un-nerving at the same time.
Mind melting stuff.
Holger Czukay
4/5
Looking at the cover made me think this was likely some country/folk album, but then i click onto the wikipedia. "Experimental rock", the guy is from germany and it's the 70s, "his first solo album since leaving Can". Ah ok, so turns out this is going to be some super interesting weird shit instead. Delightful.
Sabu
3/5
Was very interested during the first half as it had a pretty fun improv vibe, makes sense as the cover says it was released on Blue Note, the legendary jazz label. Unfortunately it gets a bit stale into the second half, the improv style drifts away a little and gets replaced by repetitive bongo drumming, which i'm not completely opposed to, but it was just alright. Glad I got to give it a shot, but doubt i'll be spinning it again any time soon.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
It's just some damn good reggae, not much more you can say about it.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Gorgeous pop like you'd expect from them, the title track especially right at the end leaves it on an incredibly high note.
Mj Cole
3/5
I can get why so many people on here are hating this, it does go on for far too long and the songs are particularly exciting or interesting. But...I grew up right in this era of UK garage so this whole sound is incredibly nostalgic to me, so for that reason I can't bring myself to dislike it. It is essential? Probably not, but hey, there's a handful of bangers in here.
5/5
I'm so glad when I get an album like this on the list. Those drums are insane, blowing my ears off. Like hardcore-punk-inspired free jazz. Crazy stuff. Calms itself down a little towards the end but I was engrossed the whole time.
The Mars Volta
5/5
The only issue with this album is that now 99% of all other rock music is ruined for you, because it's never as wild and fun and exciting as this album is. Shouldn't be a surprise they started off with a masterpiece as the final At The Drive-In album was one too. Exactly the way rock music was intended to be done.
Gang Of Four
5/5
God knows how many times i've listened to this album, already a fav for me especially given my extreme love for the post-punk era it comes from. Biting lyrics full of wit and humour, edgy guitar and bass lines, almost mechanic drumming. One of the top albums when it comes to this style.
Tricky
4/5
Silky smooth trip-hop. Overcome and Black Steel have always been popping up on my playlists for years but it's been a while since i went through the whole album. It's definitely a little front-loaded, but for an hour long album it doesn't really drag much at all. The vocals all over it are fantastic, and you gotta love those bassy beats.
Underworld
4/5
Interesting structure for an album to start with two epic long songs, then the rest be much shorter, but it works. The first track especially was a real banger. Huge beats throughout, kept my attention for the whole 70 something minutes, which is impressive given how rarely I listen to this sort of music.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
It's fine, but it's the same as most of the albums in this style i've had on the list where it feels like every song just starts with an idea and then just rides it out for the entire length. Never feels like a song is progressing in any way. Whole thing just goes right through my ears and out the other side.
Tina Turner
4/5
Some very solid 80s pop, better than I expected. Her performances are great all over this, the title track especially is excellent. There's a decent bit of range across the tracklist too, doesn't just feel like a bunch of similar throwaway tracks. A nice surprise.
Frank Zappa
5/5
File this under "Albums that are too much fun". The whole thing just shreds and kicks your ass. From the gorgeous opener, to Zappa making love to his guitar over Beefheart's growls, it's just so good. Iconic album cover too, what doesn't this album have?
Love
5/5
One of those classics i've listened to many times now over the years, and while I don't consider it a perfect 10, it's pretty fantastic and can still go toe to toe with all the other classic albums that also popped up in 1967. What an insane year for music it was. Love the variety on here, the opener especially jumps back and forth between sweet acoustic ballad and some kind of mexican party anthem with horns tooting. It's awesome.
James Taylor
4/5
Lovely little folk album, was a good choice to start to day.
Madonna
3/5
Suffers from "put the absolute bangers at the very start" syndrome, but the rest still range from ok to very enjoyable. Those first two really are fantastic though, the title track is a legendary pop tune. At least there's enough variety amongst the rest of the album to keep it interesting, even the slower songs were pretty good.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Crazy reviews on this one, I found it to be really beautiful throughout. First song especially knocked me off my feet.
Incubus
5/5
Always had a soft spot for Incubus, since 'Stellar' from this album was in the first guitar hero game, their album SCIENCE was full of nu-metal bangers, and 'Wish You Were Here' was also a banger tune. Turns out this album is also just full of great alt-rock tunes front to back. Who could have guessed.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Not the best i've heard from Bob, but there's still classics on here without a doubt. Solid all the way through.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
1/5
I'm rating it now even though there's still a couple songs left because holy shit this is boring. Why is everything Damon Albarn does so lifeless outside of a few bangers with Blur. You've got Tony Allen on the drums man, do something!
Circle Jerks
5/5
I guess i'll always be a punk guy at heart because this shit rocks.
Ian Dury
3/5
It's very british. Not sure how essential it is, but at least it was something different, and the songs generally were pretty fun to listen to. Didn't take itself too seriously.
Kanye West
2/5
When it came out I was at the peak of my Kanye and hip-hop enjoyment, but it grew off me massively over time, mostly due to the terrible lyrics and the production feeling like a bad imitation of more interesting artists. There's some good moments spread throughout, and I enjoy the production more than i used to now, but it's still a rough listen.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Definition of "in one ear and out the other". Couldn't tell you a single thing that happened. Was fine though.
The Jam
5/5
Ok so clearly I should've been listening to The Jam this whole time because this is the 2nd album I've had by them, and another 5 on first listen. It's exactly my kind of post-punk with those edgy riffs and sick basslines. Vocals are fantastic too.
Mekons
4/5
Took a few songs to get into the swing of it but by the end I was very much on-board with what they were doing. Helps that the penultimate song 'Last Dance' is an absolute rager, 10/10. Feels like something that could really grow on me over time, post-punky country, a rarity for sure (check out The Gun Club).
Anthrax
5/5
Partially for nostalgia reasons I still really enjoy this, I used to love all that thrash metal when I was a teenager. I realise why I stopped listening to it as much though, since it does get a bit tiring towards the end despite being just a 50 min album. Great riffs and super fun regardless.
The Charlatans
3/5
This list really does love a good old average brit-pop album. It's fine.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
Not bad in any way, just very boring.
Ryan Adams
5/5
A slow monday morning was probably the perfect time for this album. Lovely country vibes, gorgeous slow songs. Will definitely have to check out more of his stuff.
Saint Etienne
4/5
A fun listen, best song comes right at the start which is always a little annoying though.
Mudhoney
3/5
Grunge has never been my scene, the other album by them on this list i've had didn't do much for me either. Not noisy or interesting enough for my style of rock.
Kelela
4/5
Think I gave this a shot when it came out and enjoyed it, just never went back to it again. Not because it's not a good album, it definitely is, but r'n'b is just not my jam. Still, great production and vocals, didn't mind giving it a run through at all.
5/5
This is why post-punk will always be my favourite genre/era of music. Everything about it, those funky basslines, angular guitar riffs, tight drumming. It just hits some part of my brain and I love it so much.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
It's a funky classic, no more needs to be said.
Django Django
3/5
I like the vibe they're going for and there's some fun songs on here, just a little aimless.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
I'm a little biased since I saw him live a couple weeks ago and he was amazing, but this is incredibly strong for being later in his career. I hope people didn't switch off towards the end and missed the brilliant closer that is 'O Children'.
John Cale
4/5
He was such an important part of the Velvet's, it shouldn't be a surprise that his solo stuff is well worth your time too. It's not super experimental like you might expect, it's just very pleasant baroque-pop.
2/5
That album was playing for nearly 40 minutes just now and i couldn't tell you a single thing that happened during it.
The White Stripes
5/5
Undeniably one of the best rock bands of the 2000s, if not the best. 6 albums and only 1 i would say is a little less than excellent (and that 1 is on this list for some reason, and De Stijl isn't!). Such a fun and easy listen, the riffs and production are so raw and bluesy you can't help but love it. 'Fell in Love With a Girl' is an all time classic tune.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I have a weird relationship with these guys, I like everything i've heard from them, but it never quite clicks with me hard enough that I love it. I think 'Heaven or Last Vegas' is the closest they've come to really hooking me, this one not as much. But again, I do enjoy the album quite a bit, it's gorgeous.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Same as the Cocteau Twins album i just listened to, I feel like this guy's music should be right up my alley, but it always comes across to me as just "good". Nothing more. Catchy tunes on here though.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Super solid and has some real classics on it like Rehab and the title track. Her story means this will probably always be considered a classic, even if it's not groundbreaking or anything. Deserves it's spot though, everyone should hear this once.
The Undertones
5/5
It's just classic british punk, what more could you want.
Coldplay
4/5
A little front-loaded because of those first 5 excellent tracks, but keeps up a high standard throughout. Sure it's nothing that's going to blow your mind, but Coldplay back then just had a real knack for writing a great tune. 'In My Place' especially is a highlight for that beautiful guitar lick.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I think I prefer his weirder albums that came just before this one, but it's still interesting and damn funky. Also he was immeasurably horny when making this album, jesus christ.
Robert Wyatt
4/5
You know i love the artsy-fartsy stuff, and while I was on the fence for a while I think this won me over in the end. Interesting mix of influences and was a unique listen, more than you can say for a lot of the ones on this list. So that's a plus for me.
Talking Heads
5/5
It's maybe their 4th best album and it's still absolutely amazing. They just knew how to write a song around an amazing groove. Those basslines and funky guitar riffs with David Byrne's wackiness topping it all off. What a band.
Scritti Politti
3/5
It's another one of those british synthpop/new-wave type albums on this list that is perfectly ok, but baffling as to why the author thought it was something you had to hear before you die.
Cat Stevens
5/5
Quick and excellent folk. Not a bad song on here but a few fantastic ones, 'Father and Son' being the obvious one but it's a stone cold classic. Always a pleasure to listen to.
The Byrds
3/5
Some cute little folk rock with some solid covers, but doesn't move me too much.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Pop bangers front to back, hard to argue with Bruce's output for that first batch of albums, he was unstoppable.
Talk Talk
5/5
The top review is saying this is another average new-wave album from the list, are you people smoking crack? This is head and shoulders above 99% of new-wave. It's incredible what they managed to make on their final 2 albums after this, but already you can see that they just had a knack for incredible songwriting.
Faith No More
4/5
I need to listen to more stuff with Mike Patton, everything he does seems to be so much fun.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I always like talking about album structure and how it can impact a full listen, this album has fantastic structure. Start with a nice longer jam session, then rip through killer tune after killer tune for most of the runtime. Finally give us 1 more long (incredible) jam song before a quick little tune to end it. They could write one hell of a track.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
I thought a full hour of this might be a bit too much, but it actually kept my attention throughout easily. Helped by sprinkling excellent songs across the tracklist, like having the gorgeous 'Power of Love' right at the end to leave it on a great note. High tier synthpop.
Aerosmith
3/5
Much more bearable than the other 2 Aerosmith albums that have been forced onto me, but partly because this one was very short. Still not a fan of them at all, but at least this one had a bit of a bluesy feel to it which helped.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Not much to say, it's very easy listening but doesn't hold my attention too well. She has a decent voice but the songs are plain. Didn't know she did 'All I Wanna Do' though, that's a classic.
5/5
Even though there's a whole trio of Bowie albums I prefer (Station to Station - Low - Heroes), this is undeniably still a classic. Not a single weak song, the songwriting is just stellar nonstop.
Supergrass
4/5
Definitely more fun and interesting than most of the brit-pop albums on the list so far. Has plenty of energy to it, 'Alright' is a classic banger we've all heard a million times. Wasn't mad about hearing it.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
As you'd expect from a 20 track album, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but most songs are on the good side. A couple were a little goofy, but nothing that really turned me off. It's Fleetwood Mac, the songwriting and performances are bound to be great. I think i've just spoiled myself with so many listens of Rumours.
Giant Sand
3/5
I'll give it points for at least being a pretty interesting listen, they try a lot of different styles and while it doesn't always stick, it's better than being boring. Might even grow to enjoy it with more listens, but that won't be for a while if ever.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Opens and closes with some super strong tracks, the last track especially sounds like she has venom spewing from her mouth as she sings. The rest is a mixed bag but with great production and vocal performances from her. A mix of new-wave and bluesy folk that doesn't overstay its welcome.
David Crosby
2/5
Bit boring.
SZA
3/5
It's not really my style of music but I can appreciate it, there's some nice songs here. Her voice is great, features didn't really add much to it for me.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
A little all over the place, but the base of the songs are all great. Everything I've had from him in the list so far has been a fun listen.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
I think they must've sold their souls to make this album, because after this one all the energy and excitement in their music just evaporates (ok the 2nd album is pretty good). But damn, at least they struck gold once, every song on here is a top tier banger. One of the most fun rock albums you'll hear.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
Maybe the smoothest flow on an album you'll hear outside of maybe Doggystyle by Snoop. Biggie though has the incredible lyrical ability to go along with it, and some classic beats. It's an easy 5.
Portishead
5/5
Haven't heard this for a while, I usually default to putting on Third because I think that's their masterpiece. This deserves all the accolades it gets though. Great mix of styles and Beth's iconic voice over the top, then ends with the sexiest song ever written.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Not awful, but it's just not very interesting is it? Every song feels like it drags on forever, whether it's 12 minutes long or 3.
U2
4/5
Had some great songs on it, turns out in their post-punk era they were pretty on point. Shame about the later stuff.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This is one of those albums where if you told me you didn't like it, I would probably discount any other musical opinion from you entirely. Really? You couldn't jam to this at all?
R.E.M.
4/5
Early REM all seems to be pretty consistent. I'm assuming this is the album that got them big due to the banger singles, and it makes sense since the rest of the album is pretty good too. The Wire cover in the middle was a bit of a jumpscare.
Joe Ely
3/5
Feels like there's a bit more energy and variation in the instruments than a lot of older country i've seen on the list. Made for a fun listen.
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
It's fun and it rocks, the last track especially goes hard.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
I've heard a few albums from them now and they've all been exceptionally well done synth-pop, rarely a weak track to be seen.
Nirvana
5/5
It's more up my alley than Nevermind is, as much as I like that album too. This is noisy and abrasive, shoutout to Albini on the production, rest in peace.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Was leaning towards a 2, but there were genuinely some good tracks when they went more in the dance direction rather than hip-hop. Definitely wouldn't call this an essential though.
The The
3/5
Bit weird but kinda fun.
Minor Threat
5/5
No surprise i already love everything Minor Threat since Fugazi is maybe my favourite band of all time. I think a lot of their best songs are all on the EP's they did, but this is fantastic all the way through too.
M.I.A.
4/5
It's completely all over the place, in a good way. Shame how she ended up, she made some really interesting and out there music for the time.
Fred Neil
3/5
Decent folk, the last song was especially fun, reminded me of some Velvet Underground stuff, and this was even a year before that!
Genesis
5/5
Not had a bit of prog on here for a while it feels like. Definitely underrated this one from the couple of listens i've already given it, had a blast this time. The first track especially kicks with off with a huge bang. None of the longer songs feel like their actual length at all.
Jeff Beck
4/5
He's kinda shredding on this one, and Rod's vocals are perfect for bluesy music like this.
Donald Fagen
3/5
If i didn't read this was the Steely Dan guy, i think i would've figured it out from the music. It sounds like what they would've done in the 80s during the synthpop era. It's fun.
Björk
5/5
It's so rare to get an album where it feels like the artist is just completely baring their soul in it, but Bjork does that here. It's so personal, sometimes even feels like she's singing right into your ear. Beautiful album.
Randy Newman
3/5
His vocals are nice, but instrumentally there isn't much to write home about. Short but pleasant.
Pulp
4/5
Just great tracks from front to back. Even as someone who could never get too excited about brit-pop, have to admit this is far better than most of the stuff in the genre. Jarvis Cocker really sells this one, a charismatic frontman always makes album feel more alive.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
If you don't like this at all you're probably a little bit boring. It's just banging beats for an hour, what's not to like. Sure it gets a little same-y eventually, but it's good fun.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Not as emotionally devasting as Funeral is, and not quite as concise either. This one does drag a little bit towards the middle, but the highlights make up for it. And the excellent ending with the Sprawls.
Dinosaur Jr.
5/5
It's like they knew exactly how to push my buttons on this album. Make the guitars all loud and fuzzy, don't care so much about making it sound perfect but instead make it sound like they're just going balls out on every song. It's full of energy.
Massive Attack
3/5
Doesn't do as much for me as Mezzanine or Blue Lines, a bit too inconsistent. Starts with a couple bangers but kind of hits a lull after that.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Doesn't feel like an hour long album with how much variety there is. Some of these beats are insane too, such a unique group.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
It won the Mercury prize in the UK? Better add it to the list! Another album that was popular here for a few months and then dropped off the face of the earth that we're forced to listen to. It's not the worst thing ever, but it is incredibly plain and boring.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Actually better than i remembered it being. Maybe it doesn't have the emotional punch of Funeral, but the songwriting and performances are top tier. You could definitely make an argument for 'No Cars Go' being their best song.
Beck
3/5
Yeah it sounds fine, but Beck's music just does nothing for me. Doesn't move me in any way, it just washes over me and and soon as the album is done, I forget it ever happened. Meh.
Tortoise
5/5
A perfect example of a really creative band taking influence from a wide range of artists, and creating something excellent from it. The 20 minute opener is truly special, and the rest is just as moving.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I love Nick Cave, but full on piano ballad Nick is not my preferred style. I lost the post-punky stuff a lot more. It's still nice though.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
It's some decent jazz, but it's not wowing me. It drags on a little despite being solid throughout.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Not very interesting 60s folk-rock, struggling to see what makes it essential. That second to last track kind of went hard though.
FKA twigs
4/5
R&B has never been my forte, but i guess this is more like artsy pop music, and it slaps.
N.E.R.D
3/5
No strong feelings about this, some fun songs but didn't leave much of an impression on me. The mix of rock and hip-hop is cool though.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
great song, boring songs, good song. wow, a real classic here lads
Elliott Smith
5/5
It's a damn classic, no question. Some of the most beautiful music you'll ever hear in your life. He just had a knack for writing magical tragic songs, taken from us far too soon. Not a weak point in his entire discography.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Doesn't come close to what he would do just a couple years later, where he really goes off the rails, but this is still decently fun blues rock. It's just a bit plain when you know where his music is about to go.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Great mix of both Nick Cave styles, the edgy post-punk stuff and the gorgeous ballads. The songs with PJ Harvey and Kylie on here are especially fantastic.
Joanna Newsom
5/5
This average rating here is criminal, do you people just not like music? One of the most original and beautiful hour of music you'll hear in your life right here. 'Sawdust & Diamonds' and 'Cosmia' are like an out of body experience every time.
The Saints
4/5
You can't really go wrong with punk from the early era, it was all pretty great, if a bit similar to each other.
Simply Red
3/5
It's some fine funky pop/soul, but doesn't leave a strong impression on me. The covers were probably the best songs.
Green Day
5/5
The peak of pop-punk right here, just banger after banger. Full of energy throughout, could listen to this every day and not get tired of it.
CHVRCHES
5/5
This went hard back when it released, I'm pretty sure i wore myself out on the singles before it even came out though, especially Gun and Recover. Still incredibly fun synthpop though, not a weak track to be found.
Mariah Carey
2/5
No thanks, this kind of vocal style where she's throwing it all over the place isn't impressive to me, it's just annoying. The songs are slow and uninteresting too. Won't give it a 1 because it's not offensively bad or anything, just boring as hell.
Eurythmics
3/5
It's fine, but the rest of the album really can't compare next to maybe the greatest synth-pop song of all time. Tough competition.
Neu!
4/5
Think i've underrated this in the past from the couple times i've heard it, it's super fun, especially the 2nd half where they up the tempo. Nice to see some interesting krautrock stuff represented in this list, only other I can remember so far was the Faust album.
The Go-Go's
5/5
This kind of jangly-pop/post-punk is exactly my kind of music, and this album does it incredibly well. Love everything about it, fun riffs, rhythm is tight, love the vocals. Wish i'd heard it earlier, but i'll be replaying it very soon.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
I dunno, vocal jazz stuff like this always just puts me to sleep.
Death In Vegas
3/5
Kind of went in one ear and out of the other, apart from the Iggy Pop jumpscare partway through.
Portishead
5/5
In my opinion this is genuinely one of the greatest albums of all time. The group comes back after a decade of inactivity to create a weirdo art-rock masterpiece with influences from all over the place. Beth's voiced aged into something so haunting and fragile it sounds like it's on the verge of completely breaking, especially on the final track.
Part of me still wants them to release another album in the future, but how do you improve on near perfection?
TV On The Radio
3/5
Like some stuff i've heard from them, nothing too special on this album though.
Guided By Voices
5/5
Incredibly good collection of sweet little song ideas, all thrown together into a melting pot of lo-fi guitar fuzz.
B.B. King
4/5
This thing has some serious energy to it.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Perfectly good classic psych rock. Enjoyed it but probably not one to return to.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Have to disagree with everyone saying it's too long. The grooves make it go by quickly to me. The dirty laundry in the lyrics is mildly funny though.
The Soft Boys
5/5
What a nice surprise, some early post-punk/jangle-pop that i've never even heard about. Was a blast the whole way through, was sad when it ended. Though that last track especially was a banger.
Solid but fairly unremarkable blues rock.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
Great post-punk, but it really does pale in comparison to Metal Box, their next album. That thing is a post-punk masterpiece. The groundwork is set here, but they do sound like they're fucking around a bit too much for it to really be special.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Always enjoyed Jimi's music, just never felt i loved him the way many people do, but definitely respected him. Can't deny this was a great listen from start to finish though, he was killing it.
The Avalanches
5/5
It's hard to think of a more uplifting album experience. Just great vibes and amazing production throughout, it feels like 1 cohesive song. The well-known songs are classics, and for good reason, but the rest stands it's ground too.
Jean-Michel Jarre
5/5
It's impressive how little it takes sometimes for music to be fantastic. Just some looping synths and drum beats manages to make this a fun album to listen to. Great atmosphere.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Suprisingly good for a classic rock album, which isn't usually my jam. The big singles were the classics as usual, but the rest holds it's own.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Great chill funk music. Fully instrumental which isn't a problem, but doesn't leave that big of an impression. The title track is legendary though.
Bobby Womack
4/5
Soulful and funky, caught me just in the right mood i guess. Enjoyed it throughout.
The Police
3/5
A bit up and down in terms of quality song to song, but generally a good time. Couple of classic tunes.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
It's another super solid Neil Young entry. Really liked the songs where they give it space to jam out a little, dude knows how to play a guitar if nothing else.
Moby Grape
2/5
Just not my style of rock, pretty dull and over before it even starts.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
A worth follow up to their amazing 'You're Living All Over Me'. Similarly noisy and wild, maybe just missing some of the strong songwriting, but a great listen.
Carpenters
5/5
Took me by surprise with how much I enjoyed it. Her vocals were fantastic, and for 40 minutes of this slower ballad style, I didn't get bored at all. Will be returning to multiple songs on here for sure.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Been listening to a lot of drone-y ambient stuff recently, so was nice to get to revisit this album. The title track clearly towers over the rest, but it's a fantastic track.
Hawkwind
5/5
Sure it's a little long, but i don't think i was ever bored at any point. It's a truly space-y and psychedelic journey, love the atmosphere. The spoken word interludes make it feel like a full experience rather than just a random live recording.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Nice to come across something truly different on this list, even if I wasn't mesmerised by it. Made for some pleasant background listening for a while.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Very solid punk, but nothing to really write home about.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Some high tier Joni right here, can tell she's starting to experiment more around this time. She blends it in well though.
Nick Drake
5/5
Joni Mitchell and then Nick Drake back to back, what a folk treat. Nick never made a bad song or album, just 3 classics in a row, Pink Moon being especially beautiful. One of the biggest "what if"s in music history. Perfect voice and high quality songwriting, who doesn't love this?
The Residents
5/5
Easily one of the weirdest entries on the list after 600 of them, and far preferrable to some of the basic albums i've had to sit through. Already familiar with The Residents and this album, but it's so fantastically odd that I have to love it. 'Constantinople' is a brilliant song to start it with, and it only continues on the same path from there.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Started fairly strong, but ended up being somewhat dull folk-rock. Not bad, but felt longer than it actually was.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Didn't click in my head until I saw someone mention it just how Springsteen this whole album is. Luckily i love Springsteen.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Perfectly passable country, but I end up tuning it out by the halfway point.
JAY Z
5/5
Extravagant production and Jay is at his best here. The truly great songs are spread across the runtime which makes for a nice album experience. Definitely a 2000s hip-hop classic.
Radiohead
5/5
I'm not in my Radiohead phase anymore, though I still love their discog. This one reminded me how good they were, really a special album. Takes serious balls to release something like this right after OK Computer, and to do it so well too.
Bee Gees
2/5
That was a slog to get through, some truly awful vocals in places too.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Really is incredible this came out in 1967, on another level compared to the rock music of that time, with one or two notable exceptions. A unique voice in music that accomplished so much in the short time he was around.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
I'll give it some credit for having some fun singles and solid production throughout, but god damn it is way too long. Chop this up into a 45 minute album and it would be decent pop, but i can't see myself ever listening to it again the way it is. Fine, but definitely not essential.
Nico
3/5
Her genius would shine through in her following albums, where she was allowed to make the music she wanted, but this is a good start. First few tracks are excellent, 'These Days' is an all-timer, but it loses it's way a little bit after that. Not a bad listen, but it's nothing compared to something like Desertshore.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
A fun little prog album, feels a little aimless but doesn't run on for too long, so it's not much of an issue.
Nick Drake
5/5
I don't go more than a few months without giving this album a spin, perfect beautiful acoustic music. Hard to think of many better ways to spend half an hour.
Arrested Development
3/5
Solid positive hip-hop in the vein of A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul, just a lot less interesting then those, both in rapping and production. A few bangers but nothing special outside of those.
The Crusaders
4/5
The opener is fantastic, the rest falls under decent funky jazz music. Nothing that's blowing my mind, but it's pleasant.
Skepta
4/5
Wildly inconsistent, but i'm still nostalgic for it. You get some insane bangers like It Ain't Safe and That's Not Me, but also duds like Ladies Hit Squad and Numbers. One thing you can't deny is it has some infectious energy.
Pretenders
5/5
What a treat, right up my alley and i've somehow never given it a spin before. Recognised a couple of songs once they came on, but i'd struggle to pick a weak song out of everything else here too. Will be getting plays in the future for sure.
Destiny's Child
1/5
Love it when an album starts off immediately with all the big singles, and then just gets progressively worse and more boring as it goes on. My ears were begging me to end it by the last few songs. As a full album i have no idea why this would be considered essential.
Deep Purple
5/5
Rocks harder than pretty much anything else did from around that time.
Cee Lo Green
1/5
This is the ultimate "fake it 'til you make it" album. He's constantly talking about how great his music/rapping/lyrics/singing/everything is, but damn there is absolutely nothing to back it up with. Just bland neo-soul that felt like it went on for years.
Tito Puente
3/5
It's pretty fun while it's on, but i'm going to forget everything about it maybe 10 seconds after writing this review.
Motörhead
4/5
Better than i remember from the first time i listened to it. Full of energy which is always a plus for me when it comes to anything rock, so i was happy sitting through it.
Cheap Trick
4/5
Great energy, wasn't bored at all throughout. The two big singles back to back are the main highlight.
Lupe Fiasco
5/5
One of those hip-hop albums i've always heard a lot about, and heard a single or two, but never gave a full listen. Clearly that was a mistake, excellent production and great tunes abound.
The Fall
5/5
Was always going to give this a 5, I love The Fall and this is one of their best. Their style of post-punk just tickles something in my brain and i can't get enough of it. Just burst into a nice riff and play that shit into the ground for 5 minutes with drunken ranting on top. Brilliant stuff.
Boards of Canada
5/5
Heard it many a time and it keeps growing on me more and more. Just gorgeous landscapes of electronic music, works as background music, but also interesting and layered enough for closer listening. Don't think they have a weak song in their entire catalog.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
Bit of a snoozer this one. Couple of decent tracks which i gather were the singles, but the production is a bit bland and his voice wasn't stirring much emotion out of me. Doubt i'll return.
John Lennon
2/5
I could just put the same review everytime for Beatles related albums on this list, feel like i'm repeating myself. Handful of Beatles stuff = pretty darn good. Majority of Beatles stuff = not for me. Beatles solo stuff = usually pretty dull.
This fits right into that formula.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Not the best Nick Cave album, but it might be his best ballad album. You can feel the emotions pouring through on every single song here, sometimes it sounds like he's just a second away from breaking down. The songs themselves are very sparse, almost ambient, but i love the atmosphere it creates.
The Pogues
5/5
I'm an idiot for not listening to this sooner considering how much i like 'Rum Sodomy and the Lash' which came right before it. Songwriting is just top tier all over this. Plenty of albums on here feel like they drag on forever, this one I was shocked when it ended, felt like it only started.
Gram Parsons
5/5
The country entries on the list so far have been very hit or miss, but this one is 100% a big hit. Great songwriting, love the combination of their voices.
The United States Of America
5/5
Thought this was some folk-y rock album, forgot how wild and experimental this one is. Pretty ahead of it's time, right around the Velvets and the Doors releasing their first stuff. Heard it once before but it was really clicking this time, will have to go back soon as it definitely takes some listens to absorb it all.
The Clash
5/5
If you don't give this a 5, you need to get your ears checked and then come back.
Mike Ladd
2/5
Really does drag on. I want to give it a decent rating because it's at least trying to do something interesting, but it's just not doing a great job at it. Made sense to see Company Flow on here, it's that style of hip-hop, just with much lesser beats/rapping/everything.
Megadeth
5/5
The peak of thrash metal along with Reign in Blood (Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets are great but not on the same level imo).
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Really can't go wrong with some Stevie, not quite at the peak of Innervisions or Songs...but still full of funky soulful tunes.
Marilyn Manson
3/5
It wasn't bad or anything, but it really really really drags on. I like the sound overall though, front loaded with the classics which makes the rest feel so long.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
My kind of music but it didn't seem to grab me at all on first listen. Might need to give it further tries, but sounded like a poor version of The Chameleons honestly.
New York Dolls
5/5
Banger proto-punk, a good few years before the punk movement actually takes off, but sounds just like it. RIP to the lead singer who apparently passed just a month or two ago. Ahead of it's time and likely influenced one of the most important movements in music history.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
5/5
Never has my opinion on an album changed so much, half a lifetime ago when I first listened I thought it was the worst thing on earth, now I think it's far away one of the best albums ever made.
Find me an album more fun than this, it doesn't exist. Everything is flying all over the place, hilarious lyrics, wild vocal lines, instruments jumping all over each other. Once you stop taking it too seriously like it's some deep art, it becomes incredible.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Their music always seems to grow on me massively after more listens, i except this one will too. Still loved it on first try anyway, their style of folk/indie rock is instantly catchy.
AC/DC
4/5
All the regular complaints about AC/DC apply to this, but meh the songs are fun.
The Divine Comedy
1/5
Unbelieveably boring theater kid music, i'm good thanks.
Germs
5/5
Nice to have some proper music after the last album i had. Classic early hardcore punk, no punches pulled.
Bob Dylan
5/5
A timeless classic from Bob, from his era when he could do no wrong. Electric half is fantastic, the acoustic half is fantastic, struggling to find a weak point on the entire thing. Hard not to get engrossed in his lyrics.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Simple and short, struggles to leave a big impression when it's only 28 minutes. But it's fantastic music nonetheless.
Miles Davis
3/5
Love a bit of jazz, especially some Miles, but he has a million more interesting albums than this one. It's very middle of the road. Enjoyable enough while it's on, but let's be real, who is taking this over something like Bitches Brew or In A Silent Way?
Fiona Apple
4/5
Haven't really come back to this since it came out, but enjoyed it more than i remembered. It's classic Fiona, not my fav by her, but a great listen. Her vocals are incredibly powerful.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Fun, but not something i'm going to remember much about.
M.I.A.
4/5
It's so odd and all over the place that you can't help but admire the guts it took to make it. Strange beats and features, not every song works but it's definitely worth a listen just for the originality alone. Also it's hard to deny that Paper Planes is one of the most unique pop hits of the 2000s or maybe all time.
Joy Division
5/5
A genuinely terrifying spiral into darkness and depression. Both of Joy Division's albums are peak post-punk and goth music to me, nobody else could match the atmosphere they created. The last 4 tracks on this album are from another planet. 'Decades' is one hell of a way to close out your band's tragically short-lived career.
Sebadoh
2/5
I kind of got into the vibe of it towards the end, but overall it was a slog despite not even being that long.
Elton John
5/5
Doesn't feel it's length at all, fantastic songwriting throughout. Maybe it's not the best idea to start with the two best songs on the album, but there's plenty throughout to keep me interested.
The Shamen
3/5
It's fine but i was hoping for something in the vein of Underworld or Orbital when i saw this come up. Unfortunately it's a bit more one-note and not as interesting, goes on for far too long too. But it's alright.
Traffic
2/5
Rarely does 40 minute feel so long, no idea what is so essential about bland classic rock.
Bert Jansch
4/5
Some really great folk. His guitar playing is fantastic, especially on the instrumental songs which are gorgeous.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Pretty banging from front to back, his voice gives it a nice twang.
Kid Rock
3/5
yeah i was having fun, fuck it
Fleet Foxes
5/5
Gorgeous music, I would judge anyone that said they didn't like this.
Tom Waits
3/5
I love Tom but this isn't his best, not by a long shot. Luckily a mid Tom Waits album still beats 90% of anything else.
Nanci Griffith
5/5
Some of the best country i've heard, fell in love with her voice through the album.
The La's
4/5
Great jangly pop-rock, hard to find a bad tune on it.
Television
5/5
It's one of the best rock albums of all time and you know it.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Great energy and presence on this one, just how a live album should be. A performance, not just playing the hits.
Dizzee Rascal
5/5
The americans just won't get it, still sounds like the future
Grateful Dead
4/5
Let them boys jam, they're pretty good at it
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Her voice is amazing, can't deny that, but just shuffling through it a little and it's already getting very same-y. I think the whole 3 hours would bore me to tears.
LL Cool J
3/5
Title track is a classic and for 1990 it generally doesn't sound too dated, but as usual with a lot of hip-hop it could definitely do with trimming a few tracks. The last few you could probably just clip off completely and have a solid 45 minute 90s rap album.
Muddy Waters
5/5
For a guy in his 60s he's absolutely ripping it up on this one.
Prince
5/5
Damn near pop perfection. If anything i think it's a little back-loaded, there's some great tunes at the start but oh man once you hit Doves, it goes off
The Prodigy
5/5
Just wall to wall bangers with no breaks, how can you not just dance around like an idiot listening to this.
Raekwon
5/5
It takes a little time to get into 90s hip-hop but once you do, it's insane how consistent some of these classics are. Over an hour long and not a single beat or line is subpar here.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Same as his other album on the list 'Heartbreaker', I enjoyed it a lot more than i expected i would. Great voice and knows how to write a solid tune. Could definitely use a little trimming though.
The Modern Lovers
5/5
Heard a few times before but it only really hit me this time just how overwhelming the Velvet Underground influence is on here, probably why i enjoy it so much. Obviously 'Roadrunner' (one of the best songs ever) takes almost directly from the Velvet's 'Sister Ray' (probably the best song ever), but the album is filled with those vibes.
Ananda Shankar
4/5
The covers at the start are a little tacky, but it really kicks off once you hit the second half. The 13 minute track is a real journey, if the whole thing was like that it would be something special.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
sorry i'm not going to finish this, i just don't know why basic stuff like this is on the list
George Harrison
3/5
yeah it's fine but it goes on a bit, and don't think we need alternate takes and instrumental versions of songs.
Jane Weaver
3/5
pretty pleasant, reminds me a lot of Stereolab, which definitely isn't a bad thing.
Silver Jews
3/5
Still waiting for his stuff to grow on me more. Love the lyrics but it's still a slow grind
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Couple of electro songs at the start were fun, and obviously "The Message" is about as essential to hip-hop as a song can be. The rest is a hard skip though
Britney Spears
2/5
Starts with 2 complete bangers, but the rest is throwaway
Elastica
3/5
solid rock, kinda punky
Beck
3/5
I can appreciate how much he likes to get a little weird with it, it's mostly his vocal style that just puts me off.
The Verve
4/5
I do enjoy the walls of guitar noise, but songs themselves are a bit non-distinct.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
Never listened to an instructional album before. Big fan of the sitar sound, the droning appeals to me.
Richard Thompson
4/5
Very pretty folk, nothing to complain about here.
Kate Bush
4/5
Talk about ending an album on a high note. Amazing how consistent her discography is.
Sonic Youth
5/5
It's roughly in the top 7 or 8 Sonic Youth albums, which of course makes it a 5*
Wilco
4/5
Sure it's pretty lengthy, but when the music is great that's not an issue.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
As someone who isn't a Stones fan at all, was better than I remember it being from the other couple of times i've heard it. 'Can't You Hear Me Knocking' is a real banger
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Drags a little outside of the few highlights, but the good songs are very good.
The Dictators
4/5
Can appreciate this a lot given the context of punk, this is another proto-punk one, before the whole genre really kicks off. Does it well, plenty of energy, doesn't take itself too seriously.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Little unlucky for this album that it's sandwiched between absolute classics in his discography, but it still manages to hold it's own.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Pretty fun overall but does start to dip in quality around the halfway point.
SAULT
4/5
a little repetitive at points but instrumentals were smooth and funky, never heard of these guys before
4/5
Funky and jazzy, always glad when this style of music lets itself jam with some longer songs, fits it perfectly.
Os Mutantes
4/5
More well written than most other weird 60s psych-rock i've come across, while still being plenty strange.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Love her voice and the choice of covers is solid, but does feel a little one note throughout. No big issues though.
Björk
5/5
Truly a unique artist, nobody is like her. 5 albums deep and managed to come up with such a bizarre concept as this, and pull it off.
Throbbing Gristle
4/5
Weirdo music, but there's nothing else like it, and originality is a rare commodity in music.
The Kinks
3/5
It's a bit dull but alright
American Music Club
3/5
nice little folky indie stuff but not much to note
Napalm Death
5/5
Loud, brutal, disgusting, relentless. The riffs on this thing go hard as fuck. I'm used to a lot of wild short songs thanks to all the screamo/emo stuff i love, so didn't phase me at all. Big fan
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Think i like it more than the other one he has on the list, but it's still overly long and gets boring after a while. He's also channeling Thom Yorke a little too much for my ears
The Beach Boys
3/5
The harmonies are next level as expected, it's a fun little listen.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Surprisingly good given how dated 80s hip-hop always sounds. A few huge hits on here.
k.d. lang
2/5
Inoffensive and very bland, for a 35 minute album it really feels like twice the length.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
5/5
Everyone else on here must be listening to a different album, really fun classic rock. Feels almost punk-y at times.
R.E.M.
3/5
Enjoyable, but like most REM, doesn't do anything special for my ears.
Sister Sledge
4/5
Get a bit same-y as you go through, but the funk and the vibes can't be denied.
The Libertines
4/5
Still not sure how i completely missed The Libertines as a british kid back then, guess i just wasn't that into the indie scene. Really fun album though, full of energy, and a little sloppiness that i like in my rock.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Nothing really about it, some cool riffs here and there, but it goes in one ear and out the other. I'm on the last song and i've literally already forgotten everything about this album.
Jeru The Damaja
5/5
It's a 90s hip-hop album and the entire thing is produced by DJ Premier, of course it's fantastic.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Solid country rock, it's solid
Ride
5/5
On the mount rushmore of shoegaze for sure