560
Albums Rated
3.07
Average Rating
51%
Complete
529 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
28
5-Star Albums
13
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
John Prine
John Prine
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Diamond Life
Sade
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
|
5 | 3.54 | +1.46 |
|
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
|
5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Third
Portishead
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
|
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
|
Harvest
Neil Young
|
2 | 3.83 | -1.83 |
|
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
|
2 | 3.83 | -1.83 |
|
Da Capo
Love
|
1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
|
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
|
2 | 3.81 | -1.81 |
|
Doolittle
Pixies
|
2 | 3.75 | -1.75 |
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
|
Cut
The Slits
|
1 | 2.71 | -1.71 |
|
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
|
1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.67 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.25 |
| Queen | 3 | 4.33 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1.5 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Portishead | 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (28)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Flaming Lips
2/5
The instruments sound great. The background effects and instruments sound great. The vocals and lyrics are blahhhh. It's a very forgettable album that I feel like could have been so much more with better vocals.
2 likes
Billy Joel
5/5
I've never really been one to love Billy Joel. Apparently his career is a bit tainted by his works in the 80s, which don't feel nearly as good as this album. I think this album has changed my mind on Billy a good bit. It's great, front to back. Lyrically, musically, pacing, it's a near-masterpiece. An easy listen with a decent variety, this album really proves that Billy Joel deserves the respect and fame that he has earned.
1 likes
Soundgarden
5/5
What a heavy hitter. For me, this is the peak album of the early 90s grunge era. It's got the heavy guitars. It's got the dark lyrics. Soundgarden really was at their peak right here. Matt kills the drum parts. Ben nails the driving bass lines. Kim lays down some real slick guitar riffs. Chris just gives it all on the vocals and holds down the rhythm.
1 likes
ABBA
4/5
My father-in-law really enjoys Abba. I've listened to a bunch of their albums, but they've always been albums that have one or two hits on them. I had never listened to The Visitors, and am now a bit upset that I had been missing out. A real gem of an album. Still a fun Abba sound, but a bit more mature than their earlier stuff.
1 likes
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I'm very torn on this album. There are moments of pure beauty where everything comes together and sounds wonderful. Then there are moments that sound like a carnival. I think leaving it at a middle-of-the-road 3-stars is fair here due to its highs and lows.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (13)
All Ratings
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Parliament
4/5
The Who
3/5
Eminem
3/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Talking Heads
2/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Green Day
3/5
Pearl Jam
5/5
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
Sarah’s voice. The musical vibe front to back. The live setting ambiance. A surprising masterpiece.
The Cure
2/5
Eels
3/5
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
The Streets
1/5
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
4/5
It’s a good album front to back. I don’t find myself enjoying every track as much as Abbey Road, but I don’t find Sgt Pepper’s annoying as I do with Magical Mystery Tour, which leads to a conclusion of 4 stars.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
Wilco
3/5
The Temptations
3/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
XTC
2/5
Roxy Music
4/5
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
Iggy Pop
3/5
The Kinks
2/5
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Beatles
4/5
Kanye West
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
ZZ Top
3/5
The Clash
2/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
Dennis Wilson
4/5
Elvis Costello
3/5
Eminem
4/5
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Lightning Bolt
2/5
The Zutons
3/5
Paul Simon
3/5
Beatles
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Bert Jansch
4/5
The Shamen
1/5
Violent Femmes
3/5
The Doors
4/5
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Metallica
5/5
Lou Reed
2/5
Marty Robbins
4/5
The Who
3/5
Nirvana
4/5
Various Artists
3/5
The Pharcyde
2/5
Fairport Convention
4/5
John Grant
3/5
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Moby
2/5
Talk Talk
2/5
Pixies
2/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Van Morrison
3/5
The Temptations
2/5
Steely Dan
4/5
Queen
4/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Stan Getz
4/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Cream
2/5
Linkin Park
3/5
10cc
2/5
Love
1/5
Steve Winwood
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Gene Clark
2/5
Deep Purple
3/5
Mike Ladd
2/5
Judas Priest
3/5
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Duke Ellington
4/5
Prince
3/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Mj Cole
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Elliott Smith
2/5
Metallica
3/5
Orbital
2/5
Television
3/5
Ian Dury
2/5
Michael Jackson
5/5
Kanye West
4/5
Tina Turner
3/5
Nick Drake
4/5
Barry Adamson
2/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
Ray Charles
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
R.E.M.
3/5
Steely Dan
4/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Hole
2/5
Pavement
2/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Funkadelic
5/5
Sister Sledge
4/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Massive Attack
3/5
The Flaming Lips
2/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Beatles
3/5
Adele
2/5
Brian Eno
2/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
Beatles
2/5
Laura Nyro
4/5
The Byrds
3/5
Le Tigre
2/5
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Ice Cube
3/5
Pentangle
4/5
Blur
2/5
Beatles
4/5
Thin Lizzy
2/5
Napalm Death
2/5
Talking Heads
2/5
Brian Eno
4/5
Lauryn Hill
5/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Cornershop
3/5
Joy Division
2/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
The Doors
3/5
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Paul Simon
3/5
The War On Drugs
2/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
Nick Drake
2/5
Elton John
4/5
Snoop Dogg
3/5
The Byrds
2/5
CHIC
4/5
Dire Straits
3/5
Joni Mitchell
2/5
T. Rex
2/5
Thundercat
4/5
Mudhoney
3/5
Beck
2/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
The Black Keys
4/5
Rod Stewart
3/5
1/5
Santana
3/5
Muddy Waters
3/5
Wire
2/5
The Jam
2/5
Arcade Fire
2/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
The White Stripes
3/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Laibach
1/5
Sade
5/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Joanna Newsom
2/5
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Destiny's Child
3/5
Sex Pistols
3/5
Harry Nilsson
2/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Solomon Burke
4/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Jurassic 5
4/5
B.B. King
5/5
The Thrills
2/5
Arrested Development
3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
The Beta Band
2/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Pixies
3/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
Metallica
4/5
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Prince
4/5
John Cale
2/5
Supertramp
2/5
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
R.E.M.
3/5
Blur
3/5
Lorde
4/5
Mylo
2/5
Def Leppard
3/5
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Meat Loaf
5/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
Doves
3/5
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
The Who
4/5
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Coldplay
2/5
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Public Enemy
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
The White Stripes
3/5
Louis Prima
5/5
The Clash
3/5
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Cheap Trick
3/5
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Kate Bush
3/5
The Who
3/5
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Can
2/5
Underworld
3/5
Janelle Monáe
5/5
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
This is like if a guy who does David Bowie covers decided to release an album but didn’t want to drop the Bowie impersonation. It’s not unbearable, it just doesn’t hit me as something special by any means.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
I thought I'd enjoy this album like I do with Marvin's earlier works. This one just comes off as whiny and I couldn't really get on board. Nothing that had me wanting to hit skip, but nothing that would have me coming back.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
This was far more interesting than I anticipated it would be. I enjoyed the back half of the album a bit more than the front. Not a disappointment, but nothing that seemed exceptionally special.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This album just keeps cranking good song after good song
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
The album is fine. It seems like not a lot of original material, but that's ok. I don't think I'd listen again, but I wouldn't be opposed.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
It's ok
Nirvana
4/5
I was in love with this album as a 14-year-old. 20 years later, it still holds up.
Deerhunter
2/5
It just feels so blah. Nothing special going on here. Won’t revisit. Not unlistenable.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Its a solid one for sure. Not my absolute favorite Stevie album, but not a disappointing one by any means.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Not my style, but it's a good album. I can see this being put on as background music in the kitchen. The album just feels good and relaxing. Definitely seems more mature than Elvis' earlier material.
Brian Eno
3/5
ADHD music. Fine for blasting through work with a huge caffeine buzz. I don't think I would sit down and actively listen to this album.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
It's a cool album. Very much sounds exactly from the era it's from.
Van Morrison
3/5
Has some strong spots, and some that I wasn’t huge on. Not a major disappointment.
Talking Heads
4/5
It's actually a pretty good album. I just can't get over how this jackwagon dances around on stage in front of the mic. The whole album plays while I imagine him flailing his arms around and knocking his knees together. I don't want to like the album for this reason. But I also can't get over the fact that this album just feels fun.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
It’s fine. It’s not her later or live stuff, which is phenomenal. I think it’s higher than 3 stars, but 4 feels like too much.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
Ugh. Felt like a slog
The Stranglers
3/5
It’s 70s punk. Nothing really stood out, nothing really revolting
Liz Phair
2/5
This gives me sort of Social Distortion vibes, but I can’t get along with it. It feels like this is your buddy’s sister’s band in high school and everyone is just going to see them because they’re hot. It’s not really objectively bad on any level, I’m just not really moved by it in any way.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Great album. Feels like you could listen to it in front of your fireplace on a rainy day.
The Police
3/5
It’s ok. I have a large respect for the police but can never vibe with any of their albums
The Police
3/5
I can't do multiple days in a row of the Police. Please make it stop. It's a fine album, I'm just not on-board.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
It’s fine. Nothing revolutionary, nothing repulsive.
The Human League
3/5
Makes me want to drive around Miami at night in a C4 corvette wearing a white suit.
3/5
It's a totally fine album. Very much sounds like it could be a Beatles album from the same year. Would I revisit it? Probably not. But that's not to say it's not a decent album with any songs that I would skip.
OutKast
4/5
What an album to get on a Monday morning. I’ve always loved it and was happy to blast it.
Portishead
1/5
Somebody reviewed said: "If my anxiety had a soundtrack it would be this album", and I don't think there's anything else that I would add. Perfect summary.
The Black Crowes
3/5
It's a good album to bop around to. I struggle to give it a 4 since there's hardly anything memorable on the album. I can see this playing in the background really anywhere and not disturbing the vibe. 3 feels low. I really wish this was out of 10 since a 7/10 feels just about right.
The Slits
1/5
It's bad. It's the type of album some snooty music critic would tell you that you just don't understand why it's perfect. The vocals are rough, the musicianship is rough, the mix is rough.
Queen
5/5
A masterpiece that shows what variety Queen could produce. I enjoy Jazz and The Works more, but album is no slouch.
The Pogues
4/5
It’s good, it’s interesting, I’ve got no real complaints. Not one that I would have gave a listen without it popping out of this list.
Calexico
3/5
This is a cool album. Definitely worth a revisit when the vibe is needed.
Paul McCartney
4/5
If you go into this expecting the Beatles, you’re going to come out disappointed. It’s very laid back, however. It seems like some of the material could have used some polishing before recording, but that’s also part of the charm.
fIREHOSE
2/5
It feels like an album full of ideas that just weren't fleshed out. The mix feels muddy at times. The bass player absolutely carries the album, but that only goes so far. I thought this was going to be a promising one when the 1st song was playing, but there's a lot of nothing going on in this album.
Michael Jackson
4/5
A classic. Not quite masterpiece Michael, but finally feels out of the Jackson 5 era.
The White Stripes
4/5
An album that I never thought to listen to because I figured Seven Nation Army was the one trick this pony could pull. I was wrong. It's a cool album that definitely shows their influences in 70s rock and blues. I can also see the influence of the White Stripes in bands from later on in the 2000s. Very cool.
Holger Czukay
4/5
This album is weird. But it’s also cool. It’s like a 3.5 - no real complaints. I don’t think I’ll revisit, but I probably wouldn’t mind if I had to.
Daft Punk
4/5
It’s good. It’s fine. It’s nostalgic.
The Damned
2/5
This sounds like it could’ve came out of some noodling and recording in a garage. Nothing spectacular here that I’ve found.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Cool and Jazzy. Not unpleasant. Would willingly revisit. No wow moments, but nothing that needed to be skipped. The recording sounds great for being 65 years ago.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Wow. There are much more interesting albums on this list by a long shot from this same era. I thought this one would be more captivating, but I was wrong. I would much rather listen to Neil from Deja Vu (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, 1970) than this one.
Korn
3/5
RAaa hramba uuooh rahaha rata. It's Korn. It sounds like Korn. They have 1 sound. What did you expect?
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
It's a CCR album. They've got that swamp rock sound that we all expect and enjoy. I like Cosmo's Factory more, but this one has no skips.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
It’s a lovely album with a lot of singing that feels like spoken word. It’s interesting and feels intimate. I was surprised to like it.
The Smiths
2/5
No
Beck
3/5
This is like a 3.5 star album. I wish there was some sort of theme/style similarity throughout the album, but there just isn't. The random stye jumps are interesting and make for an album that doesn't have any skips, but there's no real cohesiveness that would have me coming back regularly. Not a disappointing one, just felt random. Like if I had ADHD and decided to just create a random playlist.
AC/DC
4/5
Pure rock and roll babyyyyy
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
It’s fine for post-punk, which still isn’t my jam. I could turn this one on and let it roll without complaints. The Cutter is cool. Ripeness had me bopping around.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Surprisingly good. Not sure why she isn’t a household name.
Iron Maiden
4/5
I’d never listened to this one end to end. I love a few of them. It’s good through and through.
Elton John
3/5
It’s a great album. There are definitely a few in here that I could stand without. I prefer Goodbye Yellow Brick Road a bit more. 3.5/5
George Michael
3/5
Sounds like every solo 80s album I can imagine.
The Sonics
3/5
Yea...it's an influential album. The sound quality is bad, but lets excuse that due to the era it was recorded in. The album is not specifically bad, but it's not anything I'd go back to. Very much what you'd expect from 50s-60s rock and roll when it comes to instrumentation, lyrics, and vocal style.
Goldfrapp
5/5
Wow. What an unexpected surprise from this one. Chill throughout. The synths are cool, the vocals are perfect for the ambiance this album creates. Oompah Radar is the only one on this album that felt out of place. Why the upbeat carnival song thrown in? It could have easily been taken off the track listing and the album would be better for it.
Queen
4/5
The album where Queen started to find their stride and sound. This one is fun and has a large variety of styles (much like the later Queen albums), but still has some of the proggy stylings of Queen and Queen II. No skippers, cool album.
David Bowie
4/5
The album is good, nothing really stood out to me. Bowie has always existed in my head with a fair bit of weirdness around him, and this album definitely delivers on weirdness. Nothing horrific going on, nothing worth skipping.
David Bowie
3/5
2 Bowie albums in a row? Once again, Bowie confirms to me that he’s a weird guy who makes weird music. This album has no skips, but I preferred Station to Station to this one.
Adele
4/5
She has an amazing voice. This album is littered with hits, but it's way more of a pop album than I wanted (I don't know why I expected otherwise). I guess I was hoping for soul? A 3 feels too low, but I don't think this is quite a 4? I guess that will do, though.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
What makes this album suck? A lot that I don't want to revisit in my mind. I don't know where and to whom this was influential, but it's not here and it's not to me.
Metallica
4/5
Solid album from Metallica. I think Ride the Lightning edges this one out, but it's certainly an absolute classic.
Depeche Mode
3/5
It's dark. It's interesting. There's not a massive breadth of variety here, but somehow, I enjoyed it. I thought this was going to be a slog. I'm acquainted with Depeche Mode and can recognize their sound easily, but a look at the track listing revealed no songs I knew. I'm surprised how cohesive this album feels. Very cool.
Dolly Parton
4/5
A classic country album with Dolly's sweet earlier voice. A real gem that I hadn't heard before. Despite having no smash hits on it, there's no disappointments. Will revisit and explore more of her earlier catalog.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
The instruments sound great. The background effects and instruments sound great. The vocals and lyrics are blahhhh. It's a very forgettable album that I feel like could have been so much more with better vocals.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Here's a band that I've always known about but never listened to. This album is pretty cool. The guitars are great and loud. You can definitely hear see their influence all across the popular rock music of the 90s, especially grunge. I wish this album had stronger vocals, which would have made it nearly perfect. 4/5
David Bowie
3/5
It’s an ok album. There’s nothing horrible on it. Some songs feel intimate, others feel like they don’t fit the album.
Pulp
3/5
It's cool. It's fun. Nothing really stood out, but nothing was repulsive. Felt like a decent pop album with a bunch of upbeat rock elements.
Q-Tip
4/5
Solid hip hop album. You can definitely feel the 90s influence on this. It flows well and has a great feel to it. I was pleasantly surprised on this one. The album reminds me of the Black Eyed Peas album Behind the Front (1998 - pre Fergie).
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Musically, this is a fine country album with no complaints. Lyrically, it leaves a bit to be desired. Dwight needs to let this chick leave him and let her be. It's ok to be sad, but he's a little extra here.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
One minute into the first track and I knew this one was going to be a slog to get through. Boy was I right. The mix is ridiculously muddy and the songs go on and on and on and on with nothing happening. I really hope my friends and I's band wasn't this rough to listen to in 2007, but it might be the case. This one gets 2 stars because, despite being rough to get through, I save 1 star reviews for ones that I laugh at and say "how the hell did this one make the list?".
George Harrison
2/5
The music itself is good. But 2 hours?????? That's enough time to make the best album of all time a total slog to get through. Let's get some variety in there. I just don't understand why this needed to be so long. Self-indulgence? I'm not sure, but I'm not about it. 2 stars because this length is torture. If this album was trimmed down to even 1 hour, I could easily see a 3-4 star.
Alice In Chains
4/5
An album that I'd forgotten how much I loved. The heaviness of both the instruments and the lyrics complement each other, along with Jerry and Layne's instantly recognizable harmonies making for a phenomenal album, front to back. Yea, the subject matter being heavily on drugs and the likes really points to what would be to come, but the emotion really comes out on this one. Is Facelift a better album? Maybe, but in my mind, it's close, with both being very different. We all know Jar of Flies is the true masterpiece.
Randy Newman
3/5
The songs and songwriting are very good. But we’ve had his voice drilled into our collective conscious by Disney, which has probably done Randy’s catalog a disservice. I enjoyed this once I could separate my brain from Toy Story.
UB40
2/5
It's a bland reggae album where one song is nearly indistinguishable from the next. It's not bad. It's just not actually good.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Wowwwww this one is not good at all. The vocals are bad, the sound is bad, the whole album is bad. It's like if your friends got together to make some music but forgot to learn how to play any songs together and are also drunk.
Norah Jones
4/5
It's a very sweet-sounding album. Easily palatable. Nothing jumping out as extreme or risky. You could easily have this one on in the background for pretty much anything casual. Guests over? Check. Working in the office? Check. TJ Maxx? Check.
Norah's voice is beautiful from front to back on this one and accompanies the instruments perfectly. I think it would just be dishonest to not admit that this is a good album, despite it not being edgy or progressive. I can see why she won multiple grammy's from this.
The Who
3/5
As somebody who thought they were familiar with The Who, I've realized that I'm familiar with their later material. Despite the title track not sounding like the rest, the majority of the album fits right in with the music of this era. A sort of bridge from the 50s rock and roll/blues into the rock of the 70s. While this album isn't bad, nothing really stands out and it could be any other album from this era, without noticing a difference. It's hard to imagine how music changed so fast in this era. Jimi's Are You Experienced was only released 2 years after this, and Zeppelin I was 4 years after this. What a huge change in popular music.
The Monks
3/5
Not much to hate. Just sounds like a bunch of guys having a fun time playing music together. I can get with that. They don't sound an awful lot like anybody else, which is good. Just some guys vibing. I don't really know who they influenced, but these guys are fine.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Salsa is not typically a genre that I listen to, for no other reason than I didn't grow up in a home that had cultural ties to the music. I've always appreciated it, but it means nothing to me. This is a good album. It sounds great, front to back, especially considering the age of it. I wouldn't be able to differentiate this album from any modern salsa album, which probably speaks volumes for the quality and stylism of Siembra.
Radiohead
4/5
Great Album. I always forget about Radiohead because their later material is stuff that I couldn't care less about leaving alone. The Bends and OK Computer are total masterpieces. The guitars sound good, the songwriting is good, the vocals are good. It's got sad songs, it's got rockin' songs. It's got it all.
DJ Shadow
3/5
This album screams 90s hip hop. The samples. The lyrics. It’s all there. It’s all what you’d expect. It’s not a bad listen, but certainly one that I wouldn’t’ve found on my own.
Neil Young
2/5
I’ve come to the conclusion that Neil Young just doesn’t do anything for me. I don’t like whiny vocal tone. I don’t like the real lack of variety here. I really felt nearly no emotion while listening to this. I want to get it, but I just don’t. I would way rather listen to Willie Nelson or Gordon Lightfoot, which are constant favorites.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
It's a little on the lighter side than "Hair Metal", but it's a fine album. What more would you expect by the cover art? Motley Crue mixed with David Bowie? You wish.
Sugar
2/5
This album screams 90s alt rock, but there's nothing that stands out here. It sounds like it's a mix mosh of every major 90s alt rock band, which makes it sound like nothing. Maybe this was first and every other band that I'm thinking about from the later 90s derived themselves from some aspect of this sound, but it makes this album non-memorable to me. It sounds cool, but I'd rather listen to every other band that does something memorable. Plus, the lyrics are always repeated. Why?
Oasis
4/5
I've never listened to Oasis and completely wrote them off from hearing Wonderwall about 650 times each year. I was wrong, at least on this album. It's a great one. Oasis definitely deserve their love.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Nice album. Has its differences from what you'd initially bring to mind when you hear the word "jazz", but not in a bad way. No bad ones here. Each song brings its own different vibe and the album just rolls along.
Radiohead
3/5
I've found that I like Radiohead's earlier records much more. This one is still good and can have its place, but their older stuff just feels better to me.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
While it's not horrible in my eyes like a lot of the punk records that I've gotten on here, it's not one that I'd revisit. It seems like these guys actually care about playing cohesively with each other and tried their best. This album doesn't feel sloppy, and they should get credit for that. I didn't have a moment where I felt like I was listening to this just to get to the end. Good job boys.
Elvis Presley
4/5
It's easy to see Elvis' influence on artists of the following decade. This album is fine 70 years later, especially seeing how this sound evolved. You can clearly see the collision of country and r&b influences here. It sounds great for the era; despite what we know about these being rips of artists that I might agree are better in their own respects.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
I feel like this is Arctic Monkeys time traveling to the early 70s and somehow they picked up the rhythm section from Mumford and Sons for a few songs. Interesting. Not my jam, but I know people who would love this.
Little Richard
4/5
This album is so much better than the first Elvis record from the same era. I could listen to this and bop it around. Little Richard really had some soul coming out of his voice.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I've always been relatively familiar with this album, but have never listened to it in its entirety.
I opened it up on Spotify and thought that I must have opened some sort of re-release with additional material. Nope. This is a double album. Nearly 2 hours long. I thought that my previous enjoyment of some of the material on this album was now going to be scarred by having to dredge through this lengthy monstrosity.
Boy was I wrong. What a masterpiece and a joy to listen to. I can finally see the entire appeal of this. Such a beautiful album, front to back.
The Fall
2/5
This album is like if somebody had never heard of Talking Heads, but was described them and then forced to recreate it. Maybe I'm just not getting it, or maybe it's just not that good. I really don't enjoy Talking Heads much either, but they're at least tolerable.
Ryan Adams
2/5
The songs here are an easy listen and aren't too long where you're waiting for the end. I don't really have any complaints, despite not expecting to want to revisit this one.
The verdict:
- This album is good (3 stars)
- Ryan Adams is not (-1 star)
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
The album is nice sounding. Very casual, very chill. But it's very slow. Very very slow. I can't stop realizing how slow these songs are. They would be perfect for just sitting around with nothing at all to do. The vocalist's wispy voice fits the aesthetic of this album perfectly. This album deserves 4 stars, but the speed of every song knocks it down 1.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Very 90s singer/songwriter sounding. You could pick out the influences from the bands of the same era, with the same vocal styles, and the same instrument styles. The album is fine, but doesn't tickle me in any way.
The Specials
4/5
I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this album. The vocals aren’t amazing, but as a whole, it felt like a really good album. It still isn’t my style, but at no point was I checking to see when it would end.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This one is really a masterpiece. In my mind, it’s always overshadowed by Dark Side of the Moon, but in all reality, they’re both amazing.
The Byrds
3/5
A very forgettable album that I probably couldn't hum a single melody from. It sounds good, there's nothing that puts me off, but there's just nothing special here. Maybe the guitar and bass playing was a bit progressive for the year? There were some nice licks and bass lines throughout, but also a lot of uninspiring nothingness.
4/5
Well...here it is. I was assigned the Oasis album Definitely Maybe a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised, especially after writing them off for years based on hearing Wonderwall a billion times.
Well, here's the Wonderwall album that I dreaded. I expected whiny Liam the whole album, which isn't at all what I got here. What a great album with a nice variety. Oasis has definitely been growing on me. I may even have to take a deep dive into their catalog.
The Stooges
4/5
Ya know, I've done nearly 350 of these albums now and every time I get fed a punk album it's absolutely horrible. This one was awesome. I loved the rawness of it. It was just well done. Played well, sung well. It was angry, but didn't feel angsty. Definitely one to revisit.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Cool album. Kind of feels like a mediator between 80s and 90s rock style. I could give this one a few more listens.
The Killers
4/5
I've never listened to this album in its entirety, despite Mr Brightside being an absolute classic at this point. It did not disappoint.
Rush
4/5
I've loved this album for probably 2 decades now. 2112 by itself is a masterpiece. Side 2 doesn't capture me as much, but I still enjoy the heck out of it.
Ministry
2/5
I usually like metal, but this just didn't do it for me. I'm not sure what it was, but this ain't it.
Van Halen
4/5
I love David Lee Roth era Van Halen so much better than Sammy Hagar era, despite the Hagar era pushing them to new heights. To me, David Lee Roth just sounds like Van Halen.
This album just does it for me. Great guitars, DLR's screams. I just eat it up. I like 1984 more than this album, but I can't deny how good this first release was.
Neil Young
2/5
Ugh. Another Neil Young whiny slog fest. He's so divisive. I know people who absolutely love Neil Young by himself, in Crazy Horse, in Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Every time, I give him a chance and just don't get on with it. It always strikes me as slow and whiny. I get it, the political commentary is good, but the music just sucks to me. I didn’t hate it, so that’s plus one.
Kate Bush
3/5
Wandering and wandering this felt like. Searching for a melody, searching for a hook. It’s beautiful sounding, but wasn’t incredible to me.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
The recording quality sounds good. The whole vibe of the album really reminds me of 70s singer/songwriter/folk types. Nothing really grabbed me, but it was a pretty decent album. I wanted it to end just because I wanted to listen to something more interesting.
John Prine
5/5
I'm less than a minute into the first song and I hear a strong slowdown of the tempo as he goes into the chorus. I'm immediately interested. This is a great album, well written, and good sounding. John Prine is lyrically great on this album. The storytelling is good. This is an album that I'll easily revisit. Easy 5 stars from me on this one, I couldn't want more.
I'll need to do a dive on John Prine. I'm hoping he doesn't have the same 1st album syndrome as many others, where their initial release is amazing (presumably because they've had years to sharpen those sets of songs), but their subsequent releases are lackluster (presumably due to time demands of their new record deals).
Depeche Mode
4/5
This is the exact sound I expect from Depeche Mode. They always feel, to me, like a one trick pony, with really one style and sound. But it’s good.
Billy Joel
5/5
I've never really been one to love Billy Joel. Apparently his career is a bit tainted by his works in the 80s, which don't feel nearly as good as this album. I think this album has changed my mind on Billy a good bit. It's great, front to back. Lyrically, musically, pacing, it's a near-masterpiece. An easy listen with a decent variety, this album really proves that Billy Joel deserves the respect and fame that he has earned.
OutKast
5/5
Usually, double albums are a total drag and just serve as an ego trip for the artist. That's not the case at all here. Speakerboxxx and The Love Below are two different albums that, somehow, go together rather well. Big Boi really kills it on Speakerboxxx with his more southern rap style. Andre 3000 answers back with a more pop/funk oriented second half. Neither album needs any skips. A match made in heaven.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I can’t understand it, but it’s a cool sound. I don’t know how this is relevant to Senegal, but I hope they like it over there.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
This album feels like a bunch of kids trying to be edgy. At the age of 13, my friends and I started playing instruments and got really into Nirvana. We ran high gain, chorus pedals, flangers, and the like. We sucked and sounded just like this album. I guess we were too late to make it big by being bad.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
As a kid, I knew a handful of Stones hits and a handful of Beatles hits. I always would say that I preferred the Stones, since their hits always seems a bit harder and edgier than Beatles hits. As a young adult, I did a deep dive into the Beatles and came out the other end absolutely floored. I've recently done a dive on the Stones and there's a lot of forgettable fluff in between a handful of hits. This album is no different. Yea, I can tell it's the Stones by their sound, which is good for something, but there's just not much that I can see as great going on here. Very middle of the road album.
Frank Zappa
4/5
This is cool and it makes me feel cool when I listen to it.
Anita Baker
3/5
Amazing voice with great control. But somehow this fails to make me really feel any emotion. It's like a soundtrack to a bad 80s romance movie. I can't really describe how it feels. Sterile? Uptight? Over produced? Probably would be better as a live album where they could allow the musicians and Anita loosen up.
Ash
2/5
I started out excited. This seemed like it was gonna be a 90s British, grungy, combination. My excitement faded when I started feeling like the songs got really repetitive. I think it's the same riffs over and over and over and over. Yea, it's pretty cool, but I don't think I'd be excited for another ash album.
Elis Regina
4/5
The songs are fun and interesting. Lyrically, I have no idea, but the melodies don't detract from the song, so I can only imagine that the lyrics would have to be totally abysmal to make the tunes less enjoyable.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Well... this just confirmed what I've always suspected. I often confuse Dusty Springfield and Buffalo Springfield. Instead of getting Neil Young and the boys (who I'm not a massive fan of, who I thought I was getting), I got a British lady singing covers in the style of the 1950s. It's a fine sounding album, but not groundbreaking.
Patti Smith
3/5
I get the cultural subsidence, but Patti has just never been my style.
Radiohead
4/5
I have a friend that I once asked, "If you had to listen to one artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?". His answer was Radiohead. I've asked people this in the past when I want some random artist to do a deep dive on. Radiohead is a band that I had known about, but never really dug into prior. OK Computer and The Bends turned out to be absolute gems, with the rest of the earlier discography not disappointing at all. Great album, great group.
Al Green
3/5
The title track is great. It's downhill from there. Still a good album, but I was very hyped for what was to come when I heard it start with Let's Stay Together.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Here's one that I'm sure is polarizing. It's polarizing in my own head. I'm kind-of weirded out by this one, but on the other hand, it's pretty cool sounding. It can be aggressive and groovy at the same time. Neat album. I don't think I'd be looking to revisit, but I'm not disappointed at it by any means.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Being from NJ, where Bruce is a living legend, I've heard Springsteen songs forever. However, I've never enjoyed Bruce's singing. I feel like he just doesn't try and tries too hard all at the same time. This is a good album, through and through. It's cohesive, ramps up, and has variety. I'm glad to give it a listen. For me, this album would be an easy 5/5 rock n roll album if I could really vibe with the vocals. It's still really good.
David Bowie
3/5
It's a good album, not exactly one of Bowie's greatest. I think there's just too much Bowie on this list. I mean, c'mon. This album AND Blackstar?
The Charlatans
2/5
Very middle of the road British 90s alt. Nothing offensive here. Nothing really innovative. It's just pretty plain.
The xx
3/5
This album is cool because it's different. But it makes me feel sleepy. I could definitely see myself listening to this on a rainy day, looking out the car window, just vibing and being melancholy. Will I come back to this one? Maybe? Probably not? Am I disappointed that I gave this a listen? Nah.
Bad Company
3/5
Standard 70s rock. Can't Get Enough is a real strong start to an otherwise decent album. Plus, it takes some serious ego to have a song called Bad Company, on the album Bad Company, when your bands name is Bad Company.
The Strokes
4/5
This album really does it for me. It just feels cool and carefree. Maybe a little snarky. Idk. I've always dug the sound of this album, and it doesn't disappoint whenever I go back to it.
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
Real tight early 90s hardcore hip hop album. Really holds its own 30 years later.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Various emotions come out on this album, without any words being spoken. Masterfully played and put together. Easy listen.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
This would be a cool space video game soundtrack. Other than that, I was relatively bored with this album. It's cool sounding, but not much else to me. It gets a bonus point for being released as early as it was. This album could be made by some hobbyist today on a 10 year old laptop, but doing this in 1976 is pretty cool.
Randy Newman
3/5
Eh. It's not for me. I guess it's just having grown up on Toy Story, but this just doesn't feel right to my mind. I'm going to give it 3 stars because I'm sure it's not actually as rough as I felt it was, but just my ear wanting to hear "You've got a friend in me" when I hear Randy's voice.
Neil Young
4/5
This is the 7th Neil Young album that this list has fed me, which includes 1 from Buffalo Springfield, 1 from Young & Crazy Horse, and 1 from Crosby Stills Nash & Young. This is the first Neil Young solo album that I could tolerate. It's actually good. I don't know what's different about it, but I can rock this one.
Johnny Cash
5/5
I've always enjoyed Johnny Cash, but this album is just another level. It's live, so the recording isn't amazing, but the rawness of it just shines. Extremely good. Great songwriting. The album is 45 minutes, but has 16 songs, so it doesn't feel like anything drags on.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
I didn't want to like this album because it was absurdly British from the first word that was spoken. But I got to vibing with it and really enjoyed it.
Ice Cube
2/5
I always enjoy the early 90s hip hop style. The delivery, the beats, it just feels raw and right. This album is fine, but the endless profanity just feels really excessive. I'm fine with dropping bombs here and there, but c'mon, this is a bit much. A bit much to the point where I felt like I had to turn the sound down.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I used to adore this album. Now, I still find it good and funky, but the length is too much, and the overt sexual themes got old. Maybe I'm just getting old.
Nick Drake
4/5
I'd never heard of Nick Drake before this album, and I'm a bit bummed that I hadn't. This a really good album. It's not long, the songs are great sounding. Definitely worth a revisit.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
OOF! Curtis starts off laying it on THICK and then just keeps giving on this album. Lyrically good, sonically great, this album is fantastic.
William Orbit
2/5
It's cool, I guess. But this one got old and kept going. Maybe it could've been cut down to half the length.
The La's
3/5
Middle of the road British pop rock. Would give it a 2 but I recognized 1 song on this album that I enjoy.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Beep boop goes the 70s space music. I would have enjoyed this one if each song was half the length.
3/5
I was assigned this album on a Friday. I'm not set up for weekend albums because I typically have too much going on, which usually means the Friday album gets a few spins, and maybe more attention than the ones from the rest of the week.
I knew a guy in around 2009-2010, who was obsessed with Muse, and I never gave them a chance, so I figured that I owed this one to Cody to go more in depth.
My first time through, I really enjoyed. The music was spacy, synthy, heavy, soft, all sorts of things. It's a cool album. Muse was definitely doing their own thing with this one. I was prepared to give this album 4 stars, but then I listened to it again.
On the second time through, I couldn't stop thinking that this guy must have been obsessed with Radiohead, because I can hear A LOT of Radiohead influence in this album. Not a bad thing, not a bad album, but kinda ruined the magic for me.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
I guess this is a cool album. Or I'm atleast supposed to think it's cool. The problem is this: Fleetwood Mac made Rumors a few years before this. That album is so good, that they should have just hung it up.
Leftfield
3/5
An OK electronic album that ends up being great background music. Not super distracting, nothing flying out the speakers at me.
Supergrass
4/5
An album and band that I’d never heard of. I typically groan when I get, yet another, 90s british popish band assigned to me. This album was a pleasant surprise and kept me entertained. It’s enjoyable. Nothing magical, but a good album front to back. I’m torn whether to give it a 3 or 4. One one hand, I think it deserves more than a 3, but on the other, putting it at a 4 puts it with some company outside of its league. It’s a real solid 3.5-3.7.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Never was huge on Missy, and listening to this album confirms it to me again. I’ll give her a bonus star because I’ve spent too much time perfecting the reverse section of Work It and then playing it back in reverse. That song still slaps.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
This is a real good album. Has good energy, good lyrics, and some decent variety. I was into Cage the Elephant around 2010 and listening to this really brought some similarities to my head that I couldn't quite put my finger on. So I went back and listened to CTE's 2009 debut album and enjoyed that as well, for the first time in over a decade. An overall real nice experience with both albums.
The Prodigy
3/5
This album feels like the soundtrack to an early 2000s PS2 dirtbike/quad/waverunner game. And I'm here for it. Nothing that wowed me, but great background tunes.
The Darkness
4/5
I've always felt like the Darkness don't take themselves super seriously, and that's not a bad thing. Justin has fun with the vocals, the band is great behind him. I've never thought there was anything groundbreaking about this album, but I've always enjoyed it. I feel like this album has a great mash of rock influences shining through. From hair metal, to ACDC, to Queen, it's all evident.
Blue Cheer
4/5
I really hate this style of album art. I hate it on Jimi's albums. I hate it on Cream's albums. It's just so cliche from that era of Psychedelic Rock. I like this album, it's dope. I hadn't heard of Blue Cheer prior and went into this one not expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. Yea, it's very typical of the era and style. But there's always something about this genre from the late 60s that just has a swagger to it. Every time I get an album like this, I run home after work, blast it, and jam to it on the bass. Idk if it's the bluesiness of them, Idk if it's just the rhythmic fuzzy guitars. It just tickles my ears.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Blah.
I've seen people complain about the masses of britpop on this list, and this just drives it home. I didn't find anything of note in this album. Sure, it's not appalling. It's not offensive. It's sonically fine. It's just boring.
The Cars
4/5
I didn’t think I liked the Cars, but this album is really good. Not really a boring song to be found.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Sounds good. Pretty bare bones, which makes it really shine. Very enjoyable.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
What are we doing here? I get the jazz influence, but it’s wayyyyyy too busy. I guess the boys never heard that less is more in some cases. Some of these songs would be much better if they could just breathe.
Gram Parsons
2/5
Felt like a real middle of the road 70s country album. Not really much to pick apart and complain about, but nothing that had me wanting more when it was over.
The Hives
1/5
They’re loud. They feel like they don’t care. It’s the punk aesthetic, I guess. I’m just unsure of why a compilation from multiple albums is on this list. That sort of defeats the point. I could probably take my most hated bands and find 10 songs over a whole discography that would make one ok album. And for that reason, this one ain’t for me, dog.
Screaming Trees
2/5
Maybe I’m not seeing the significance here, but this album struck me as incredibly boring and sorta melancholic.
Travis
2/5
If there was a more “meh” album, I don’t want to hear it. This one doesn’t need to be on this list. It’s like if Radiohead was bad and didn’t care to be better.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Album would be absolutely killer if Bob had a decent voice. It’s still good. Interesting. Varies a bit. I could revisit this without complaint.
Living Colour
3/5
Man, what a mix of emotion about this album. First of: Cult of Personality is an absolute banger, which is, I think, a problem for this album. The intro track is so good that the rest pales in comparison.
The bass sounds great throughout. The guitar licks on a lot of the songs are lackluster and ok’ish. Buddy has a great voice with, sometimes, corny lyrics. Drums are good.
I just don’t know where to land this one. It’s like 80s metal fused with 70s funk in places.
Method Man
2/5
It's like the Wu-Tang sound without the rest of the Clan. Meth has a good flow on this album. The beats are good. The tracks seem a bit busy. It's a fine album and definitely has its influence on much of what was to come, especially out of the East Coast hip hop scene.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
Boring music. Boring vocals. Definitely had some promise at spots, but it felt like it constantly let me down.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I'm very torn on this album. There are moments of pure beauty where everything comes together and sounds wonderful. Then there are moments that sound like a carnival. I think leaving it at a middle-of-the-road 3-stars is fair here due to its highs and lows.
Aerosmith
2/5
Ugh. Despite 2 really good songs, the rest of the album is pretty "meh". Just bland 70s rock. Middle of the road.
Do yourself a favor. Give this one the 2-3 stars it deserves, and listen to a better album from 1975, I'll list a few below that I'd gladly take:
- Wish You Were Here
- Theres No Place Like America Today
- Red Headed Stranger
- Physical Graffiti
- A Night at the Opera
- Mothership Connection
- Born to Run
Neu!
4/5
Oddly cool. Oddly relaxing for the most part.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Covers? And just ok ones at that? Is the only reason that this is here because it’s the stones?
The Young Gods
2/5
Not for me, but at least they had a good time (I think? I can't understand them)
Maxwell
2/5
The mixes are really good and clear. The vocals are great. There's one problem, and that is that the album is largely forgettable and kinda just blends together with itself. Sometimes that's not a bad thing. A great album usually has some sort of cohesiveness between each different song that pulls it all together. This album doesn't have that, it just kinda all mushes together without distinction.
4/5
Definitely an interesting one. It's like Bossa Nova/Latin/Eletronic all fused together.
Cool album. Not loads going on, but certainly cool.
Coldplay
3/5
This album is better than I expected it would be. But I didn't find it as good as I wished it would be. I wanted to be surprised that, having not liked Coldplay for years, this album would be fantastic.
The sound is exactly how I would have imagined it being, probably because we've all heard Clocks and The Scientist a million times a piece (thanks math review guy).
Maybe it would be better if it was 15 minutes shorter.
Ray Charles
4/5
Oof. Big band brass, swing, and blues all come together here to make a really great album. Despite this being over 75 years old at this point, I would not hesitate to give this one loads of more spins.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Funky funky funk album. Certainly cool. Certainly too long. I don't know why this has become a regular complaint by me, but I've really come to appreciate albums that can be magnificent without seemingly dragging on.
Soundgarden
5/5
What a heavy hitter. For me, this is the peak album of the early 90s grunge era. It's got the heavy guitars. It's got the dark lyrics. Soundgarden really was at their peak right here. Matt kills the drum parts. Ben nails the driving bass lines. Kim lays down some real slick guitar riffs. Chris just gives it all on the vocals and holds down the rhythm.
Orange Juice
3/5
Not a bad album by any means. Not much that really "WOWed" me. The album goes through seamlessly though - the songs are not drastically different enough to be jarring when the track changes. Great as background music to just bop along to. Not really something that I want to actively listen to, but not offensive by any means.
Scritti Politti
2/5
This just isn't very good. Why would I listen to this when I could just listen to Phil Collins and enjoy it farrrrrr more?
Saint Etienne
3/5
Nothing excited me about this album. It's like melancholy electronic music that your friend who thinks they're really edgy and into really unknown artists would listen to, all while swearing that you don't understand the significance of it. It's not bad. It's just not doing anything for me. A lot of the bass is cool. I just wish the highs were higher and the lows were lower. Very middle of the road, in my eyes.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
Beautiful album. I'm thankful that I read a handful of reviews and found that the spotify version is not the actual recording. I listened on Youtube and enjoyed it far more than on spotify.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Felt like a middle of the road 70s rock album. Better than I expected. I was hoping that I'd leave this with a new appreciated for Alice Cooper, but they're just as I remembered them being.
The Smiths
3/5
It's an alright album and felt very 80s British to me. Spot on.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
I didn't like this and found it rather boring. It's not sonically bad, it just didn't make me feel anything besides bored. I would go easier on it if this album was from the 60s or 70s, which is where it would fit, but it's from the 2000s and could be better. I don't know why this album is on this list.
The Birthday Party
2/5
It's loud. It's rowdy. It's not for me. Just felt like noise from some local garage band that's drank a few too many beers (probably Keystone Lights? Pabst?). The album art is cool, though.
Killing Joke
3/5
I saw that this was post punk and already decided in my head that I wasn't going to like it. Despite that, the album turned out to be pretty good. Not anything like what I expected. Nothing that I found groundbreaking, but it's easy to see Killing Joke's influence on styles and bands in the early 90s.
The Psychedelic Furs
2/5
This album sounds so similar to other albums from the same era/wave that I kept getting into songs and in my head thinking "oh I know this one". In fact, I did not know this one. And that speaks enough to me that this album does not stand out in the least. Just listen to this Pistols and you'll enjoy it more.
Sonic Youth
2/5
#358 on Rolling Stones top 500 of all time????? Why? This sounds like every British 80s album on this list, despite Sonic Youth being American.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Good album. The title track (Green Onions) is track #1, sadly it's such a bop that the rest of the album can't keep up. Maybe they should've thrown a few others before it to work up to the masterpiece. Still very enjoyable.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Not the typical Beach Boys sound that I expected, especially with an album title of "Surf's Up". Seemed a lot more mellow and bluesy. Decent album. Not something I'd come back to, but it didn't offend my ears.
Genesis
3/5
Cool album. I think I enjoy the more pop oriented Genesis albums that came later, but this album is neat.
Scott Walker
2/5
I was super excited with the Spanish guitar intro and then that excitement faded as the album went on. It’s really an ok album, but a lot of the songs sound extremely similar. It could do with a lot less string sections as well.
The xx
2/5
The album is neat. The production sounds great, but the songs, themselves, are pretty lackluster.
The Byrds
3/5
It's exactly what you expect from the Byrds in 1965. It's fine and an easy listen. It's not hard to see their influence on other artists, especially into the following decade. Other than that, there's nothing spectacular or earthshattering here (or ear-shattering, either).
Beatles
5/5
It really is a masterpiece of an album. I feel like this is a great goodbye album from the Beatles. For me, the early albums are far too much like the rest of the music from the late 50s and early 60s. The psychedelic stage Beatles gets weird, but better. Abbey Road just brings it together and was executed masterfully.
Sigur Rós
4/5
I still don't know what this was, but it was like a moody, ethereal, Radiohead meets Smashing Pumpkins, meets Muse. I liked it and understood none of it. Very cool album.
The Verve
3/5
Not the hottest album I've ever listened to, but not bad. Not what I expected, only knowing a handful of the Verve's songs, all of which are from Urban Hymns. This album is very much like Radiohead from the same era, just not as great. Still a good album but feels very whiny and British. Very 1995.
American Music Club
3/5
Dang. I've never heard somebody try to be Bruce Springsteen so hard. And then to call the album "California"? C'mon.
Other than that, it's an enjoyable album. Not one that I would come back to, but it sounded good. The back half of the album was kinda sad and dreary.
Manu Chao
3/5
Fun album. I felt like Manu Chao doesn't take himself too seriously, and I like that. A lot of albums come off as too pretentious and too serious, but this one was a bit laid back, but still had a bunch of interesting bits. I was also sent for a trip when I thought this album was going to be all in Spanish and then started hearing French.
R.E.M.
4/5
Somehow this album was exactly what I had expected from REM, but not what I expected at the same time. It was fantastic from front to back. I'm not sure if I expected it to deviate from their sound, but it didn't and it was not disappointing.
Fred Neil
3/5
Very laid back. Almost calming in a lot of places. The songs aren't anything revolutionary, but this was 1966 and sounds fine for that era. Some of the guitar tone, to me, sounds like David Gilmour may have taken some inspiration. Or maybe there was limited gear, idk.
Klaxons
3/5
I expected this to be very much 90s British. I was wrong. This is very much 2000s British. It's actually a good album and felt fun. I probably wouldn't come back to re-listen, but I enjoyed it while it played.
Slayer
2/5
I wasn't a fan of this one. Maybe I'm not huge on thrash metal, but I do enjoy much of Metallica and Megadeth's early music. I'm not sure if it's because there wasn't much variety here, or what, but I didn't find this album to be that great.
Bee Gees
3/5
Not an album that I expected to listen to, and definitely not an album I knew existed. I didn't know that there was a pre-disco Bee Gees era, let alone one with so many albums. This one is not a bad album at all, but it's not what I expected from the boys. Just mellow and soft.
The Cult
2/5
It's incredible how middle-of-the-road this album is. Like, so generally bland that I think I experienced no emotion throughout the whole album.
Traffic
3/5
I had no idea that Steve Winwood was in any band other than his solo stuff. And by solo stuff, I mean, just Valerie and Higher Love.
Band and selection of songs is not anything groundbreaking, but nothing horrible either. Like some unknown 60s-70s rock that your uncle listens to while he drinks beers in his basement.
Guns N' Roses
2/5
GnR has always been like this for me : I understand that I'm supposed to enjoy it, but Axl's voice just feels like nails on a chalkboard to me. This is further tainted by him being an absolute tool. I'd give this album 1 star, but the songs are actually good, plus Duff is cool.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
A pretty decent album. Seems like a band you'd compliment after seeing them play a good set in the park during the summer.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Stevie just cranked out good album after good album in this era. Sure, it's no Songs in the Key of Life, but it's still solid, front to back.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Here we have Bruce Springsteen trying his hardest to be relevant again. Sonically, it's fine. It sounds just like Bruce, but it's almost like any spark or purported adversity he faced as a child has now faded and he's just pumping out the same music. His stuff from the 70s is cool and still sounds good (coming from someone who isn't exactly a fan), but this album is just a bore. I would give this album a 1 for how "blah" it is, but I reserve the coveted 1 star for albums that are truly horrible. This isn't horrible, it's not good either, it's just nothing.
Air
3/5
Relatively cool electronic album. The synths are neat. Maybe I would've really enjoyed it if I had seen the movie.
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
Maybe I just don't understand the dislike for this album. I found it really enjoyable. Clearly influenced by the music that was around at the time and music from eras past. Lenny does it really well on this debut. I was really surprised to find that he played the majority of the instruments on this album. It sounds good, front to back, flows together nicely, and has a nice variety.
The Offspring
3/5
I feel like this album was better when I was younger. It's still decent, but a little bit annoying now. Like a 1 trick pony. It still jams though.
The B-52's
3/5
Just a charming album. Not mega long. I don't think the B-52's took themselves too seriously, and it shows. It doesn't come off as pretentious, just fun. Would I come back to this one? I doubt it, but it's still pretty good.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
It's 90s electronic and it still sounds good in 2025. Maybe even better than some of the new stuff with the extremely obnoxious samples.
Tim Buckley
2/5
The only reason why I can give this album a 2 instead of a 1 is because the guitar, bass, and drums are really good and pretty funky on this one. Tim's vocals are annoying at times (most times) and the lyrics just keep getting worse and worse as the album goes on. This guy just seems like a real tool who is trying to convince his middle school friends that he has had sex.
Fishbone
4/5
Cool album that I otherwise would have never listened to. Not very cohesive, but you can tell that the boys are having fun here just playing whatever they feel like. Very enjoyable mix.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This album really does hold up after all this time. The metal samples behind the hip hop beats and rapping really still get you amped up.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Despite this album, undoubtably, being handed to every person who hadn't listened to it on this list, the day after Ozzy passed, it really is phenomenal. I constantly return to songs off of Paranoid because they're just flat out good tunes. There's a part of me that really wants to give this album 5 stars, but I try not to give them out for nothing. And I really do enjoy Master of Reality and Heaven and Hell (RIP Dio) slightly more than Paranoid. This one still sits extremely solid.
TLC
3/5
It's not a bad album. It's pretty much just OK. If this is your style, and you were 15 years old in 1994, this album would probably be a 5/5, but that's not me.
Waterfalls is still a banger, 30 years later (which hurts me to believe it's been this long).
Radiohead
4/5
I had a whole weekend with this one and have started to realize that a lot of my favorite music from the 2000s and 2010s is very influenced by Radiohead. I really enjoyed this album. A lot more than I expected, since I typically gravitate towards their earlier albums. Solid solid solid solid.
The Pogues
3/5
Definitely an interesting album. Has a cool mix of a more folky Irish type and also some rock/punk type. I wouldn't revisit it, but I'm glad somebody is/was doing something different for once. Not an upsetting listen at all and overall a good album.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Actually, a real solid album, but what really struck me is how quiet it was. Like seriously this album played at like 10db less than everything else I normally play, when it should have come out of the gate at like 10db more and punched you in the face.
Ozomatli
4/5
I was really surprised by how cool this album was. Had some early arabic influences flow through. And then had some more spanish influences come out. Enjoyable.
ABBA
4/5
My father-in-law really enjoys Abba. I've listened to a bunch of their albums, but they've always been albums that have one or two hits on them. I had never listened to The Visitors, and am now a bit upset that I had been missing out. A real gem of an album. Still a fun Abba sound, but a bit more mature than their earlier stuff.
2/5
Where to start on this one? Fred from the 90s is annoying. Fred now is ok. I didn't find much enjoyment in the album, but Rollin' is still a banger. Wes Borland is a monster as usual.
Pantera
2/5
Did nothing for me, really. Yea, Dime plays a mean guitar, but Phil seems like a real jerk and I can't get over it.
I saw the current rendition of Pantera (with Zakk) open for Metallica a few years back, they were fine live, but I wouldn't actively seek them out.
Burning Spear
3/5
Cool old school reggae album. Not quite a 4 star for me, but certainly better than 3.
Portishead
4/5
This is the second Portishead album that I was assigned. The first one, "Third", sounded like an embodiment of every anxiety attack I've ever had. It was not good to me at all.
"Dummy", on the other hand, left me pleasantly surprised. Beth's vocals are perfect over the background beats. The songs are a bit haunting and mellow, but remain cool. This album really shows the kind of beauty that can be made with simplicity.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
I had no idea this existed and now I'm a bit upset that I didn't. Cool album, definitely unexpected to have something like this pop up.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
2 good songs with junk in the middle. I wanted to like it, but I really didn't like it at all.
Muddy Waters
4/5
I've been really aware of Muddy Waters for nearly 20 years now. I took a course on the history of modern music and the professor really emphasized Muddy's influence on blues and how that bled into the massive rock acts that came around in the late 60s and early 70s. I started to really enjoy his music, not listening to it regularly, but going back to it from time to time.
There's something really amazing about music that is so simple, yet so compelling.
3/5
Neat album, but nothing really spectacular that caught my ear.
Sparks
4/5
This album actually really reminded me of Queen. Sounded good. Was fun. Songs differed. Cool album that I otherwise probably would have never heard of.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Nice little pop album. Not hyper processed. Songs all are good. Some decent variety here, very good variety for an album that's just over 40 minutes long.
Brian Eno
4/5
Dang, there seems to be a bunch of Brian Eno on this list. This must be my 4th or 5th album of his. I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It was a fun ride.
Donovan
3/5
I always find it a little charming when I get given an album that I had no idea exists. Never heard of Donovan, never seen this album. And then in playing it, I know a handful of songs. Still not my cup of tea, but not bad. Pretty good for the era. You can see the influence this had in the bands that came up within the following 5 years.
Finley Quaye
2/5
This felt like something was off the whole time. I usually listen to these things blind. No reviews, no wiki, no google. Something was just not right here, and it turns out, he's Scottish, not Jamaican. Not even from Jamaica, but Ghana. Idk about you, but I know that's a whole ocean apart. Now, there's nothing wrong with being a Scotsman from Ghana and making reggae, but it felt like he was trying really hard to not be himself. The album as a whole is totally fine. Nothing jumps out of the speakers, but nothing was like nails on a chalkboard.
I Need a Lover was cool, though.
Bauhaus
2/5
Some of this is good. Some feels like noise.
David Bowie
4/5
Super solid album. To me, this is typical, peak Bowie. It's weird in a way that only he could be. The songs are a bit theatrical, but keep you interested in the regard.
Red Snapper
3/5
Experemental? Yeah, sorta. Cool? Kinda. Vibey? For sure. Do I think it would be worth listening again? Nope.
I didn't find anything inherently wrong with this album, but it just didn't blow me away in any way. It was perfect for background music at work, however.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Real middle-of-the-road early 90s hip hop album. Sounds good. Very typical of the era. I'm not sure where the influence of this album goes, but it's decent at the least.
MC Solaar
4/5
OOF. I wasn't expecting such a hitter. Buddy has some real nice flow. The samples are on point. This era of rap/hip hop feels so organic and, despite not speaking a lick of French, I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Pretty regular sounding 80s country album. Very sweet sounding, but a lot of it bleeds together. Not sure why it's here. I would have rather had another Dolly album.
Nirvana
4/5
Phenomenal album, front to back. I loved it more 15 years ago than I do now, but it still holds up and has a solid group of songs that get replayed with no skips fairly regularly.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
The late 2000s-early 2010s folk sound gets so tiring to me so fast. This album just solidified that fact in my head. Maybe these guys were the first to get to that sounds? Otherwise, there really isn't anything super notable about this album. I think the peak of this era was Mumford & Son's Babel. Sigh No More was released a year after Fleet Foxes. Maybe they shared some common influences. idk.
50 Cent
3/5
Not my cup of tea, but a solid early 2000s rap album at the least. It does go on for a bit too long (19 songs???, 69 minutes???), but could easily serve as a 50 Cent's greatest hits album with the number of classics.
Animal Collective
2/5
I'm sure the guys were having fun when they wrote this album. While it comes across as creative and experimental, it also comes across as lazy and not good. The mix really isn't that great.
It's like this is an album that some guy who always needs to know an unknown indie band tells you to listen to when you let him know that you enjoy MGMT.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Aggressively experimental is a bit of an understatement here. It seems like it would be fun to just throw down some noise on a record and let it fly into production. I imagine every amp and speaker was absolutely dimed when recording this album. I gave Goo 2 stars and liked this album considerably less, but I like to save the coveted 1 star for albums that are absolutely unbearable. Unfortunately, Sister is not that guy.
Britney Spears
2/5
I can't believe this album is here. I mean, it really is peak late 90s - early 2000s pop, but I just can't blast this one in the office like I do with most of the albums on this list without the ole coworkers giving me some judgmental stares.
Weather Report
4/5
I'll always enjoy hearing Jaco smoothly rip it up on the bass.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Great example of an album I probably would have never found without this list, despite being familiar with 2 of the tunes. It's a cool, relaxing album, but there are times where you wish the songs would go somewhere and they just, kind of, peter out into a tease of nothingness. It's not a bad album, it's actually quite good, just could use a little more of something.
Hookworms
3/5
I saw that it was British and a feeling of dread came over my body. This list has albums on it that seem to just be here because they're British (and end up being mediocre). This album was actually pretty decent. I wouldn't go back and listen to it multiple times, but I enjoyed it.
Mekons
1/5
Wow this album is pretty bad. I think I wrote most of these songs like 10 years ago when I was still drinking and rambling on and on about randomness. "My dad burnt the toast this morning" like c'mon what are we even doing here? And that was just the start to the rambling words (can they be called lyrics if they're just spoken?) and seemingly rambling instruments.
Madness
2/5
This album is nearly 2 hours long. Thankfully, Spotify only has 8 of the 30 tracks, which is all you need to listen to in order to identify that this album really isn't that great. We all know "Our House", and that tune is okay, I guess. Usually when Spotify doesn't have an album, I'll seek it out elsewhere, but this time, I'll refrain from doing so. Report me to the admin, idc.
Dr. John
4/5
Definitely an interesting album, but not in a bad way. Buddy is just having a good time on the bayou. Would revisit. Would definitely do a deep dive into Dr John's other works.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Yay, another Britpop album. They just all sound extremely similar to me. How could this be very influential if it sounds like everyone else?
LL Cool J
3/5
This album really feels like the transition from 80s hip hop to 90s rap. Some songs really blend the two styles, others go one way or another. I'm not upset that I listened to this, I just don't think I will ever need to ever again, and I'm not so sure I had to listen to this before I died.
White Denim
4/5
I didn't want to like this album because the album art looks like one of those pictures that makes you feel like you're having a stroke. But I enjoyed this. It's interesting and seems like the White Denim guys were doing something different here and dropped a real gem that seems relatively unknown and underappreciated in the mainstream.
Duran Duran
4/5
And here's a band that I had totally written off since we've all heard Hungry Like the Wolf a million times. It's almost as if their perception was plagued by their own success. This album is genuinely good, even to the point that I may listen to other Duran Duran albums. The album is just good, throughout. It's cohesive, it's consistent, it's not a drag. Good job.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
I don't know what's so revolutionary about this album. It's like a whiny Radiohead, 10 years after Tommy Yorke & the boys did it better and whinier. I can't see any scenario where I would rather listen to this album than any Radiohead album (and I'm no Radiohead fan, by a long shot). Similarly to another reviewer, I share the same sentiment: He "Want Two", I give him two (stars).
Deee-Lite
4/5
Solid album. I’ve known this album for a long time. Groove is in the heart is a bop. And the rest are dope as well.
Eurythmics
4/5
Bunch of good ones on this album. I had this one back to back with World Clique from Deee-Lite, which, actually went well together. Maybe I'm just a fan of these 2 albums, or maybe they're just actually both good.
Primal Scream
2/5
There's something deep inside of me that really wants this album to be called "Screamadelphia", but Primal Scream is Scottish, so we can forgive them for making that mistake. Other than that major issue, this album feels like it doesn't have much of a direction. There's a big variety here, and sometimes it just feels like noise for the sake of noise. Most of it isn't bad, but the band could use a little bit of a "less is more" mentality on some of the tracks.
Stereolab
3/5
Totally fine album. Sounded good. Grooved good. Nothing jumped out, but it wasn't even close to unbearable. Wouldn't mind giving it another listen.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Truly one of the greatest albums of all time. It's just great track after great track after great track. You know it's good when the title track of the album isn't even close to the best one, but still kills it.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
This album seems pretty divisive. I enjoyed it, however. It wasn't the best thing I'd ever listened to, but it was far from the worse. The songs are a bit all over the place, but it sort-of fits the theatrics of it all. Musicianship is fine, originality is there, the singing is odd at times. All in all, very middle of the road.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Not as good as Licensed to Ill. Still good.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Way too much distortion on nearly every track. It's like when I got my first Boss DS1, cranked the distortion knob wayyyy too far over, and had no idea how horrible it sounded.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Lyrically odd. Sonically very cool and very 80s. I'm really wishing I liked this record a bit more, but I just don't. It sounds good, it's fun. I just don't know what it is, but I don't really have a want to listen to it again.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
Most people I know love fun. Do most criminals not enjoy fun? Is that why the boys needed to set themselves apart as the Criminals that actually Love Fun? I'm not sure if there is an answer to this question that could be answered by any mere mortal on this plane.
The album opens up with a track that flows decently. Very mid 90s hip hop. But that sample that repeats during the verse is just annoying. It's like if they really wanted to be Digable Planets, but wanted to bring a more mid 90s tone to it.
Second track. Cool chill vibe until the chorus. Is this where Limp Bizkit got their style from (just more aggressive)? From chill and flowy verse to overly aggressive and loud hook. OK I guess.
3rd track is forgettable. 4th track was forgettable and then suddenly got my attention when I heard "scooby snack". What a record we got going here. I'm sure I can now die knowing I've heard the greats.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Great album. Doesn't do it for me like "So" does, but this one is a bit more artistic and less typical 80s pop sounds. Very cool from front to back. Some songs that would end up forgettable but sandwiched between some really great ones. Not flawless, but definitely void of any major flaws.
The KLF
3/5
While not really bad, I didn't find much enjoyment here. It's not an unbearable album and I've got a hard time giving it a 2, so I guess a 3 it is. Sometimes I wish this was a 10 point scale to make ones like this much easier. I read that the boys retired after this album. I guess they saw the writing on the wall.
Pere Ubu
2/5
This is the second Pere Ubu album I've gotten on this list. And the best one so far, which isn't a huge accomplishment. I hated the first one, and this one isn't much better. On this album, the boys get their act together a bit and have some coherency going on. There are whispers of inspiration and genius, but it never really fully materializes. I'd love to jam over this album and see what comes out of it.
The Go-Go's
4/5
I wanna be cool and edgy and say that this album is lame. But it isn't. It's fun and sounds great. I'm a bit upset that I wrote it off in my mind even before I hit play: "The Go-Go's, ugh what a drag this is going to be on a Monday". The songs area good in general. The vocals are good, the instruments are good. Solid album.
Scott Walker
3/5
The music here is very theatrical sounding. Almost like a David Bowie & Sinatra blend. Cool sound. Not something I'd revisit, but pleasant to listen to. Lyrically it's alright.
The Band
4/5
Here's an album that really feels ahead of its time. It's got such a variety and such a melt of so many different styles. Good album through and through.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
What a real mess of an album. The styles sometimes really clash with each other. Sometimes they're incredibly beautiful. The one thing that really stuck out to me was that the album really didn't seem to have a sonic direction. There were some really jarring differences from one song to the next that just didn't flow. Maybe a reorganization of the track listing would help, who knows. Despite this being a bit of a train wreck, it's not so much that it's a 1.
Pavement
4/5
Peak 90s indie sound. This album really captures the era. They care just enough to sound good, but not enough to sound pretentious.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Not a bad album by any means, but really nothing phenomenal going on that John Lee Hooker didn't perfect in earlier albums. I still enjoyed it; I just would much prefer to listen to earlier albums than this one again.
Spacemen 3
2/5
Not for me. Maybe I just don't like shoegaze. Maybe I just don't do drugs. Maybe I can't stand the music droning on and on and on. Maybe this album was far too long. I don't know, but I didn't like it really one bit. But it wasn't repulsive, so that's a plus.
Buzzcocks
3/5
I really wanted to like this album when I first hit play. The guitars, drums, and bass came in and I thought to myself, "Wow, this might just be the punk album that makes me a convert". And then homeboy started...singing? Talking? Complaining? Comentating? Idk what to really call it.
Like...I don't hate this. I really don't. I really want to enjoy it. I just don't really know what is up with the vocals here. I can't get over it for some reason.
3/5
This album is too long by about 20 minutes. And it's so overly British, I don't even know how to feel. Yeah, it's not unlistenable, I just don't want to listen to it anymore. This album doesn't even have the woo-hoo song on it, so there's that.
SZA
2/5
Definitely didn't need to be on this list. Much better and more influential hip hop albums from the past 15-20 years that could've been here. I would replace this with Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of Day
Steely Dan
3/5
It's a good album, but not even close to one of my favorites from the Dan.
Miles Davis
3/5
Listen, I love Miles just as much as the next guy, but I had to digest this one in pieces. It's just too long for 1 album. Yea, it was good. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I need to knock off a star just based on length.
Steely Dan
3/5
Here's an album that I really counted out since I love Aja and The Royal Scam. Still a solid album, but I wouldn't put it on the top tier of stuff from Iron Daniel
David Gray
3/5
It's like a guy who was really into the Goo Goo Dolls also kinda liked electronic music. I can see this being an album that's influential to a whole genre, but that whole genre doesn't seem to be in the room with us.
I struggle to give this album 2 stars, since it's not actually bad, I just don't know where we're going here. 3 stars it is; 2-1/2 would be more accurate.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Obnoxious and in your face. I really don't like Perry's voice, but I don't think anybody else could pull off being the vocalist for Jane's Addiction. Really a mash of sounds from the 80s and into the 90s with some edge.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Nah. This ain't it fam.
The album doesn't sound good. Maybe get another producer/engineer. Let's work on the mix here. Even that might not save this trainwreck. Lyrically, not great. Her voice is nice and could probably sound great on the right track.
This isn't an unlistenable album; I just don't ever want to listen to it again.
Kid Rock
2/5
Nope. Not a good album. I didn't need this at any point. It's about twice as long as it needed to be, which is still about a half hour more than I would be typically willing to put into this record.
Doves
3/5
Middle of the road album. I think it could be better in the right mindset. I'm going to revisit this at some other point, but I really wish we could edit reviews and comments to update it. I've got some regretful reviews that I'd like to go back and add to.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Phenomenal album, just feels tediously long at points. I'm not sure there's anything I'd cut though. It's kinda right where it needs to be with its contents.
Germs
3/5
As somebody who doesn't usually like Punk, I immediately knew what this was going to be when I saw it was the Germs. However, this album didn't really bother me at all. The recording is clear on all the instruments. You can tell the band actually practiced together and didn't throw this album together over a 3-day weekend. The singing isn't my thing, but it's whatever. Not upset that I got through this one. Probably wouldn't come back to it, but didn't have a single moment here where I felt that my ears were bleeding (maybe because the songs are so short).
Wild Beasts
2/5
It's like if you took Radiohead and made it whinier and tried to be even more artsy and stuck up about it. This was a bit tedious to listen to.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Not my favorite, but certainly interesting. I immediately had my attention grabbed when I noticed Jaco playing on the first track. Interesting arrangements, interesting vocals. Not my thing, but pretty decent.
The Cure
4/5
I think maybe I confuse The Cure with The Clash because I completely did not expect this album to be what it was. And what a great surprise that was. Front to back, it's great. I could definitely see myself getting into the small nuances and listen to it over and over.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
This is now, what I believe to be, the 8th album with Neil Young that I've had the (mis)pleasure of being assigned (sentenced?) by this list. While some have been better than others, this isn't one of those some. I just can't get on with his voice. On top of that, this album just kind of feels like it blends together like some amorphous blob of sonic gel. While I admire his outspokenness, I can't stand his music.
Os Mutantes
4/5
I didn't know that I needed to know about this album, but I really enjoyed it. Sometimes, not knowing the language that an album is written in really helps with enjoying the dynamics of the music, and this was the case here.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Dang the albums from this era can vary in quality so hugely. I don't know if the boys were being serious with this one, but it wasn't great. It wasn't even good, for that matter. I'm not sure who this influenced and when, but it shouldn't have.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
From today's standards, this album is not really anything to even glance at, but for the time, this would have really been pouring the foundation for drum and bass. Not an unenjoyable listen, just really dwarfed by those who came after it.
New Order
4/5
I don't know if New Wave is growing on me, but I really enjoyed this album. I'm going to have to give this 1000 album thing a second spin as a whole to compare ratings from the first to the second for sure. There are definitely some regrets on some earlier albums that I've come to appreciate substantially more, and I think this would have been one of them if I had been given it over a year ago.
The Saints
3/5
Solid late 70s punk album. This one really isn't obnoxious sounding. Vocals are typical for the style, kinda not caring, kinda trying. I got through this album and didn't feel the need to skip anything.
TV On The Radio
3/5
This is a solid album from a band I'd never heard of. Definitely a cool sound and aggregation of different influences going into this one. Enjoyable for sure.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Nothing that really impressed me on this album. It kinda sounded like every other Leonard Cohen album I'd ever heard. Was there something profound that I was supposed to find here? If there was, I missed it.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
It’s a good album, but Sinatra really is a one trick pony. He’s got a silky smooth voice and tells coherent stories, but his style definitely feels dated, unlike some of the stuff that came out of the 60s. Regardless, he’s a massive influence, even in today’s age, and that can’t be ignored.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Annoying album. It actually really feels like this could be covered by Lenny Kravitz and made substantially better. And that's saying a lot, since ole Kravitz isn't exactly my cup of tea.
Brian Eno
3/5
While I do think there's probably 3 too many Brian Eno albums on this list, this album isn't one of them. Not to say it's my favorite thing, actually pretty far from it, but this album has its spot here. It's pretty experimental for the time period. There are some neat ideas that get brought out. Cool to listen to. Not one I'd want to come back to.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
I have no point of reference for this album. I'm not familiar with Bollywood or its musical styling. This album was fun at points and sounded good to my ear. I didn't hate it. Being a soundtrack, I'm now curious about the movie. I guess it did its job well?
Primal Scream
3/5
Fairly boring album. Doesn't really go much of anywhere.
The Zombies
4/5
Great album that I'd never heard of. Each song sounds great and aged really well. Not a tedious album to listen to, but can feel a little draggy, like some other Psychedelic albums. Still worth a listen and possible a few re-listens.
Garbage
3/5
As far as albums go, this one is solid. As far as albums in the 90s go, this one is less solid. There are so many great options from the early-mid 90s that I'd have a hard time going to Garbage (although this is hardly trash). Heavily reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins.
FKA twigs
3/5
Certainly, a cool album with a neat vibe. Could I listen to this multiple times? Possibly? Possibly not? I didn't see much value in this for a relisten, but I wasn't upset at the first run through. Not super groundbreaking in any regards, but still a neat album that feels pretty experimental.
3/5
Standard 80s pop with some nasally, groovy bass on top of it. Cool album, but I don't think it really did much for me. I'm not sure what it was about it that made this not very memorable. The songs were catchy and had me bobbing along, but maybe they were just too middle of the road? I'm not sure but it didn't really stand out, despite being good when examined.
Ute Lemper
2/5
This is actually a rather boring album. I couldn't wait for it to end. Her voice is really nice, but the songs are just boring. Maybe this style of cabaret just isn't for me, but I'm not sure who would enjoy this.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
I can 100% see how this album served as a link between late 80s/early 90s grunge and the alternative rock that came in the mid-late 90s. Despite enjoying both of those eras, that doesn't mean that I enjoyed this in-between. It's ok, but lyrically hard to listen to. And somehow the singer manages to channel Steven Tyler and Lenny Kravitz at the same time.
Grateful Dead
2/5
I expected more, but was pretty disappointed. This album kind of wanders around aimlessly. I didn't find anything profound, which I expected with how renowned Grateful Dead are.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
This album had promise when it started out, but just sounded like much of the same stuff over and over. Not too great.