699
Albums Rated
3.08
Average Rating
64%
Complete
390 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
56
5-Star Albums
19
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Slipknot
Slipknot
|
5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
|
Reign In Blood
Slayer
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
|
5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
|
Hysteria
Def Leppard
|
5 | 3.21 | +1.79 |
|
John Prine
John Prine
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
Fun House
The Stooges
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
Live Through This
Hole
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
|
1 | 3.18 | -2.18 |
|
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
|
Skylarking
XTC
|
1 | 3.04 | -2.04 |
|
Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
1 | 3 | -2 |
|
The Doors
The Doors
|
2 | 3.95 | -1.95 |
|
Very
Pet Shop Boys
|
1 | 2.93 | -1.93 |
|
Street Signs
Ozomatli
|
1 | 2.87 | -1.87 |
|
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
|
2 | 3.87 | -1.87 |
|
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
|
1 | 2.87 | -1.87 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Metallica | 4 | 4.25 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pet Shop Boys | 3 | 1.67 |
| XTC | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Prince | 5, 2 |
| Metallica | 5, 5, 5, 2 |
| Stevie Wonder | 2, 2, 3, 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 2, 4, 4, 5, 2, 3 |
5-Star Albums (56)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Thom York sings Broadway songs. Nothing stands out as bad, but nothing stands out in a good way either.
8 likes
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Every time I get a S&G album on here, I think "this is the one that will get me into this band." I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like them. The first and second side of the album don't mesh at all. Other than "Mrs, Robinson," this album was a big miss.
3 likes
The Jam
3/5
Kind of a popier version of The Clash. Handful of really catchy songs mixed with some less memorable ones.
2 likes
Ozomatli
1/5
Take the worst parts of multiple musical influences and blend them together. Might be the worst album I've encountered on the list.
2 likes
Slipknot
5/5
I was 13 when this came out and it absolutely changed my musical trajectory. I had no idea music could sound like this and it opened my mind to a universe of non mainstream music that existed. This album still gets frequent play from me.
2 likes
1-Star Albums (19)
All Ratings
Van Halen
5/5
Hard to believe this is their debut album. Not a song worth skipping on the whole album.
Stan Getz
4/5
Supergrass
2/5
Ehh, it's not bad, it's just not something I can get into.
Little Simz
3/5
Unique and well produced.
James Brown
3/5
Love James Brown but just don't love the lice album aspect of it.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
Other than American Girl and Breakdown, this album is somewhat generic and boring.
Funkadelic
5/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Love the authenticity of the album. The little quips, mess ups and off hand remarks make it. June Carter is a beast. Parts of this are a bit boring and like listening to old church songs.
Beck
4/5
Album is super unique. Good listen the whole way through.
The Kinks
2/5
60's Brit pop is one of the few genres I absolutely hate. Album had some nice moments but overall, still 60's Brit pop.
Ozomatli
1/5
Take the worst parts of multiple musical influences and blend them together. Might be the worst album I've encountered on the list.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Solid album, just couldn't get into more than a handful of songs. 2.5/5
Common
2/5
J Dilla and Kanye influence make this album for me. Lyrically he fluctuated between genius and cornball.
Frank Zappa
5/5
"A movie for your ears."
The Yardbirds
3/5
I just can't get into Brit pop or whatever we want to call it. Not a bad album, but not memorable or leaving me want to listen again. 2.5/5. I'll give it a 3 because Jeff Beck is fantastic.
Depeche Mode
2/5
I can appreciate the influence of this album at the time it was released but I just cant get into it.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Sandy Denny is amazing and the musicianship is great, but just not something I would sit around and listen to.
The Hives
2/5
How do you put what I'd essentially a greatest hits record on here? I'd give this a 2.5 but giving it a 2 because their compilation album is still mediocre.
Fela Kuti
4/5
First exposure to Fela Kuti. Read his bio and liked him even more. Great for background music while cooking or just chilling.
Deep Purple
2/5
Iconic album in the world of rock n roll. The good songs are really good and the others are mediocre.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Other than "under a killing moon," there wasn't a song I would go back and listen to again.
The Doors
2/5
I've never been a fan of The Doors from the radio hits and other exposure. Listening to this album in its entirety cemented that. Lyrically unimpressive, but my favorite line is "I eat more chicken any man ever seen." The organ is fucking insufferable. Like the phantom of the opera serenading me in hell. Why is it soooo loud? Lead guitar? Fuck no. Lead organ. Morrison has a great voice though. Would have loved to hear him front a post hardcore band.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Production is great for a live album. Tons of energy.
Arctic Monkeys
2/5
Ok album, don't really understand how this made this list though. Most of the songs sound like the same song.
Elvis Costello
1/5
I couldn't even make it through this whole album.
Air
2/5
Ranks somewhere between zzzz's and meh. Has some interesting elements but overall just kind of drags on.
Blur
2/5
I just can't get into this album. I feel like this is what 60's Brit Pop's natural evolution would be and I hate Brit pop. Song 2 is a bizarre outlier on this album.
The Undertones
3/5
Dead Kennedys x Devo crossover in a good way.
Randy Newman
2/5
Interesting artistically but overall a nightmare to listen to with a few exceptions. Sounds like the score to a movie I don't want to watch.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Good album but prefer some of older less polished stuff.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
What Beyonce strives to be.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I imagine this is what a Monty Python take on an avante garde album would sound like.
Judas Priest
4/5
Absolute classic. Would have given it a 5 of it weren't for the two mediocre songs on the album.
The Bees
3/5
I generally have some idea who most of the artists are on the 1001 list but know nothing about this band. Playful album that is super easy to listen to. Very much enjoyed it.
Britney Spears
1/5
I would rather listen to my kids yell and fight in the car than listen to this. I don't understand how this makes it. It was a cultural sensation at the time but a team of writers and producers churn out this garbage and Briitney steps in to recite the prewritten lyrics.
The Coral
2/5
Ehh this album teetered on being good multiple times but just kept blowing it. One listen was enough.
Sam Cooke
5/5
Generally not a fan of live albums but this is incredible. The soul is out of the speakers.
The Black Keys
4/5
After reading through some other reviews, I just can't understand the hate for this album. If nothing else, it's easy to listen to, catchy, and well produced. Seems like people are penalizing them for making a blues inspired album that wasn't written in 1950 in the south.
The Gun Club
3/5
Surprised I never came across this album. Really great genre spanning album. Little bits of Ramones, Pixies, Cramps, touch of country.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I don't think there is a classic rick album that can top this.
Coldplay
5/5
Sometimes hard to distance the more recent stereotype of this band from the first few albums, but this one is incredible. A ton of emotion and great hooks. It's nostalgia points as this album was on repeat during a pivotal place in my life and "Green eyes" was played at my wedding.
DJ Shadow
4/5
I think many who hear this in 2024, take this for granted because technology has come so far that you can produce this on your home computer. The painstaking detail and time used to layer and create on this is incredible. Smoke a joint, put your headphones on and sit back and enjoy this.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I feel like I should really like this album, I just don't.
Soundgarden
5/5
Possibly the best album from the grunge era.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Kind of a Dead Kennedys meets the Pixies with a sound machine vibe.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
There are some absolutely great hip hop songs on here with great mixing and beats. There's also just as many songs that are just plain dumb with juvenile lyrics. I'm going to be generous by giving this a 3 just because it's unique although I have no interest in putting this album on ever again.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Paint it black and under my thumb get a 5, the rest is a mix of shit Brit pop and something approaching blues. How are these songs on the same album?
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
This is almost more of an album of poetry with music to fill the background. Nothing really stood out.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Went in only knowing the few radio hits and ended up really enjoying this. It has rock opera feel.
The Specials
3/5
Solid overall but only a few really standout songs.
Motörhead
5/5
It's Ace of Spades, it gets a 5.
Prince
5/5
Close to perfection. Automatic party time when this album comes on.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Immediately transported back to 1996 and my mom has me at the hair salon she goes to. I am looking through random hair style magazines. Smart phones don't exist and I feel like I will sit here for all of eternity while my mom gets her hair done.
Similar vibe to this album. Sitting here bored for what seems like an eternity.
Radiohead
3/5
I love this album but there are a few mediocre songs mixed in here that bump my overall rating down.
John Prine
5/5
An accessible and likeable midwestern Bob Dylan.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Good introduction to this band although I found the back story of the singer more interesting than the album.
Jeff Buckley
2/5
Buckley obviously has a great voice but the songs all kind of blend together for me other than "Hallelujah." I've been aware of this album and the tragic story of Buckley but never took the time to listen to it until now. Maybe the bar was set too high by the legend of this album, but it was mediocre at best for me.
MGMT
4/5
The non singles on this are as good as the the singles everyone knows.
Sparks
2/5
This album was bizarre and fun but not something I want to listen to in its entirety.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Not bad just not great. A few really good songs but mostly kind of boring melodies with generic lyrics.
Radiohead
4/5
I was 13 when this album came out and never gave it the attention I should have. Innovative and daring album in the hay day of grunge.
Bebel Gilberto
1/5
Elevator music.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
There was a store in the mall when I was a kid called "Everything Natural" that might have played this on repeat for it's entire existence. Not bad, just not something I might ever be in the mood to listen to.
Joe Ely
3/5
Album was an easy listen. Good story telling, good voice, nice mix of ballads,twang and rock n roll.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Strong start and mediocre at about the halfway point of this album. Not a bad album by any means, just not something I am going to put on again other than "Don't stop" or "Rock with you.
Rush
5/5
4 songs get 5 stars, 3 songs are solid 4 stars so it gets a 5. This is about as good as a prog rock album gets.
TV On The Radio
4/5
I was introduced to TOTR my sophomore year of college by the indie girl I was dating. I was playing in grindcore bands at the time so this was a huge departure for me, but instantly fell in love with this album. Droning, dreamy, danceable, nostalgic.
Ice Cube
4/5
Amazing artistic time capsule of what was happening in the early 90's. Easy to forget how raw Ice Cube was after getting used to seeing him in Disney movies for the last decade.
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
Really great mixture of musical styles. Only complaint is that the repetition is well, really repetitive. You need about a minute of each song and it's time to move on.
AC/DC
4/5
This would be a greatest hits compilation for most classic rock bands.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Listened to this after Apple Music named this it's #1 album ever and the controversy that ensued. This may have set the bar too high for this listening experience. Album has some absolute bangers and a lot of songs that don't compare.
Kanye West
5/5
This was the peak of Kanye balancing his creative genius and being an insane person. Beats and loops are money, lyrics are clever as hell, cameos on point. Added personal nostalgia that when I started dating my wife this was our go to album. Anytime we get trashed k she puts this on.
The Byrds
3/5
At it's core this is country cosplay. Talented musicians that previously made 60s rock add a new member and go all in. Musicianship is there but felt it lacked any kind of soul.
Various Artists
4/5
This one gets heavy rotation at my house around Christmas.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Aside from the obvious standout songs, the last three tracks might have been my favorite. The Noel Redding song threw me off and I had to see if the album was over and Spotify randomly out some similar artist on.
R.E.M.
3/5
Godfathers of alt/indie music. You can hear hints of what the genre would become throughout this album. All that said, there were only a few songs that really stood out to me.
Ray Charles
3/5
I have a soft spot for this era of music from my grandparents so this was a super fun listen. Love the contrast between the big band sound and the latter portion of the album.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Other than "Little piece of my heart," I've had not exposure to this band and honestly assumed that song was just Janis Joplin. Album is an awesome blues/psych explosion. Her voice is insane and I love it.
George Jones
3/5
Epitome of 70's country. George's voice sets him apart from other singers of the era. That being said, album gets a little repetitive.
Miles Davis
3/5
Musical representation of ADHD.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Probably giving some nostalgia points on this one as it was on repeat right after college when it seemed like I had no direction in life. Great mix of musical influences, instrumentation, and moods. Love the concept of this album and the lyrics.
Neu!
2/5
I feel like this album is missing cohesion. You start with some quasi electronic rock n roll and merge into a rain scape, the a proto punk song and end with 10 minute s on the same drum beat with a really slow build over it and into a wind storm. It's unique and creative but just not something I'm into.
Beth Orton
2/5
Amazing voice, forgettable album.
OutKast
4/5
Such a versatile album with two guys that compliment eachitherbso well.
Nick Drake
3/5
First real exposure to Nick Drake other than "Pink Moon." Easy to listen to but didn't really catch my attention too often.
Pere Ubu
3/5
I've really come to enjoy this album. Not accessible by any means but they absolutely did their own thing and did it well. Elements of Devo, the talking heads, Fugazi, combined with some weird 80's art school aesthetics.
Turbonegro
3/5
This album is a solid 4 musically. Great rock n roll album with solid guitar work. The lyrics are flat out dumb. Theres a way to do sexual/humor/party lyrics in a clever way and then there is this.
Talking Heads
4/5
The Fela influence is unmistakable and amazing.
ZZ Top
5/5
Solid from start to finish. ZZ Top is the embodiment on American Rock n Roll.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Out of the 19 songs on this album (2 cover songs tacked on the end), 6 are fantastic and the rest are forgettable. Great musicianship but the lyrics are absolute trash.
Boston
5/5
Banger after banger. Absolutely no fluff on this record. Classic rock classic.
Justice
2/5
First few songs were nice background music as I cleaned up the kitchen on a Saturday morning. Halfway through the album, it was getting more annoying than entertaining. Overall, like listening to Daft Punk.
The Beach Boys
4/5
My college girlfriend loved this album and I just couldn't get into it back then so I had to try and get past my preconceptions. First listen I wasn't a fan but after a few more spins, it really grew on me. It varies in sound from baroque pop to a trippy fever dream. The album definitely feels dated and stuck in time but that's not a bad thing. It's a 3 for me but I'll bump it to a 4 because of the significance of the album.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Appropriate album title for a solid 3 ratings. Some great songs, some mediocre songs, some cover songs.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
About as iconic as a reggae album gets.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Wasn't familiar with the Flaming lips other than Do you realize and she dont use jelly so I really wasnt sure what to expect. Maybe a more upbeat elecronic Radiohead vibe?
The Band
4/5
This album is a warm hug of Americana.
Adele
2/5
Tremendous voice, boring and generic music.
Black Sabbath
5/5
An album that sits atop the Heavy Metal Mountain.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Between Clapton and Duane Allman, the album is a guitar masterclass. "Layla" obviously stands out but "Bell bottom blues " has always been the song that has blown me away.
Reading other reviews, I just dont get how people can hate this album other than because they dislike Clapton as a person, which we aren't rating his humanity, but the album.
The Cars
5/5
Every song stands out on the album with the exception of "I'm in your world," which wasn't bad, just not up to the standard of the other songs. A lot of cool production elements, great guitar tone, and overall just a fun album. I'm also a fan of shorter albums (35 minutes).
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
This is genuinely awful. It's one thing if it's a decent album but just not my cup of tea, this is just bad music. Incredibly cheesey, generic lyrics, overly synthed. I hope listening to this didnt affect my Spotify algorithm.
2/5
The dreaded album that isn't on a streaming service. I only know XTC for the Nigel song. Overall, pretty forgettable.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
This album was confusing as hell. Found myself absolutely hating parts of it and other times really enjoying it. The common theme for me was that I HATE the vocals. He doesn't have a bad voice, it's just cartoonishly 60's lounge singer. All I could think of was Will Ferrell from Anchorman singing all the songs.
Jack White
4/5
Album really shows of Jack's musical prowess beyond the simple catchy White Stripes era.
Yes
4/5
Program rock eargasm. Giving it a 4 as it's my second favorite YES album.
The Sonics
3/5
There is a ton to like about this. Sounds like the grandfather of modern day garage rock bands. I hate when albums end up on here with cover songs and this album is packed with them (although well done). I think there are only 4 originals which is ridiculous.
The Prodigy
4/5
Took me back to being 13 and taking my cash to the music store in the mall to purchase this from hearing 1 single on MTV. This album was a gateway to a lot of music I would have never considered giving a chance. Energetic, noisy, aggressive.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Overall an easy listen but not a lot jumped out. Similar sound to The Smith's.
Dr. Dre
2/5
Beats, samples, and production are epic. Lyrical content sounds like it was written by a 13 year old trying to act hard. Even as a person that swears way too much, this was hard to listen to.
Guided By Voices
3/5
You just sat down at a local brewery and have 45 minutes and want to try everything so you start ordering flights. Some are great, some are good, some are average, some suck. That's this album in a nutshell. Goes by fast and in the end you enjoyed it but can't recall which songs you really like because you just drank 28 4 oz beers.
The Stone Roses
3/5
This feels like the 1990 version of 2000's indie records I would really love in college but minus the nostalgia factor. Overall good album just didnt quit connect to it.
Wilco
3/5
There is no reason to make an album this long, especially when you only have a handful of memorable songs on the entire album. Take on your own ego and admit that you didn't write 19 songs worthy of making the album. Do some editing, hire a producer that will challenge you in the studio, do some reflecting. All that said, I generally like Wilco, just not 19 straight Wiclo songs.
Van Morrison
4/5
First 5 songs are absolute classics. Next 5 songs were somewhat forgettable, especially compared to the first 5 songs. Still a classic album.
4/5
A handful of incredible tracks and a few that didn't stand up to the absolute bangers. Love the concept of the album.
Soft Cell
1/5
Bad vocals, droning synth, pervy lyrics...really nothing I enjoyed about this. These dudes seem like a couple of creeps.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
Album had some good moments but overall kind of bland. No songs really stuck out in particular.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Nothing if not unique. Gloomy and emotional. His voice was too much at times with the vibrato. Not something I'm probably ever going to listen to by choice unless I'm contemplating suicide.
The Cure
3/5
Great mood an atmosphere. Only complaint is that the album is too long and drawn out. "The same deep water" is 9:22 of repetition. I had to make sure Spotify wasn't stuck on repeat.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Hard to believe this is their debut album. Everyone is aware of the genius and talent of Jimi but what really stood out was the talent of the band as well. Groundbreaking album.
Living Colour
3/5
No experience with this album other "Cult of personality." Great musicianship throughout. Mix of rock, hip hop, funk. It's got some Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Faith No More vibes.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I understand this was a hugely important album in modern music and had vast cultural significance, so I'm not going to be too harsh. Overall, there's a few catchy songs and a bunch of forgettable tracks. The biggest reason I can't score this higher is that Elvis didn't write a single song on this album. To me, Elvis is more of a performer, not an artist.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Stewart's voice is what really sets this apart as a great album. Few songs really stood out but overall, his voice is what makes it. Someone take the bass away from Ronnie Wood.
Queen
3/5
Great guitar riffs and Freddie's fantastic vocals makes a solid, but not spectacular album. Queen has an unmistakable sound that no one else has replicated, I just don't love the rock opera vibe.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Best enjoyed sparking a joint on a dock in the bayou or a tunnel in Vietnam.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The amount of songs and run time is alone impressive. Pair that with the fact that there is (to me) only one subpar song on the entire album and it's an easy 5. A ton of diversity.
Talvin Singh
1/5
One of those albums you put on and know within 30 seconds you don't like it and dread the experience. I did my best to make it through this album. I listened to the first two songs and then parts of the rest. Overall, seems like his take on world music is blending some of the most random stuff over techno beats.
Soft Machine
3/5
The first song is 18 minutes long and sounds like Geese fighting but after the fight they decide to have a jam session. Song two is a relatively straight forward jazzy prog rock song, song three is prog rock. Song 4 we are listening to trippy sounds on the moon. The rest of the album was unavailable on spotify. Every song is 18+ minutes which should be a crime. I generally like prog rock but these guys might have taken a little too much acid.
Nina Simone
2/5
Might be blasphemous, but her voice just doesn't do it for me. Album is a bunch of random songs from different recording sessions so it lacks cohesion. Nina only wrote one song on the album which knocks it down a star.
Beatles
3/5
The era of The Beatles I don't care for but still a quality record none the less.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Absolutely love her voice but this album has one song written by her and the rest are covers. Solid 4 if she wrote the songs, but the karaoke factor brings it down to a 3.
The Youngbloods
3/5
Not bad as background music but nothing memorable. Interesting mix of country/rock/jazz/psychedelic.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
This is a perfect rock n roll album. Axl's voice is at it's prime, Slash is a virtuoso but the riffs are so catchy, Duff adds so much on the bass, and Adler is the perfect drummer for this album. They show a ton of musical range on this album. Amazing that this is their debut album.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
Starts out as interesting background music. Somewhere in the 5th song I couldn't handle it anymore. Felt like being stuck in some kind of silent movie about an insane person at the circus.
Otis Redding
3/5
Overall a good listen full of songs you know. The problem to me, is that this is essentially a covers album. Otis wrote or cowrote 3 of the songs.
The Police
3/5
Album starts out weak and ends weak with about 4 great songs sandwiched in the middle.
The Smiths
2/5
Boring, droning, pretentious, British.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Really stands out among their catalog as the most complete album. Ramble Tamble was such a damn good start to the album.
Cream
2/5
This album just doesn't do it for me. Can't stand the vocals, most of the songs aren't particularly memorable, guitar playing is highly skilled but comes across as somewhat aimless noodling.
Eminem
3/5
This album is a bit of a paradox for me. Well produced, entertaining, lyrical talent, wild flow, tons of emotions. There's a ton of nostalgia with this one. This was everywhere during high school. All that beig said, if Eminem comes on, I'm skipping the song. I grew up in a medium size town with a big drug problem and plenty of kids that thought they were Eminem which definitely taints this album.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Such an influential album on much of the music I grew up listening to and my own song writing at one point. Love how they can write such awesome hooks and surround it with noise and chaos. I've never loved the vocals from Sonic Youth, but musically this is 5.
Pentangle
2/5
Obvious musical talent throughout the entire album, but I just can't appreciate the medieval festival vibe.
Metallica
5/5
Some of the most iconic songs of metal are on this record. The influence of every young guitar player and metal head since 88 is undeniable.
a-ha
3/5
You can't start the album with the best song. The hits on this album were good, the filler was filler. Sound is unmistakable 80's.
Linkin Park
3/5
I wasn't a fan of this when it came out in 2000 and not a fan in 2024. I hate the rap element of this album, never enjoyed Benningtons screechy vocals, overproduction and oversaturation. Comes off as the edgy rock version of the boy band era. I get why this appeals to people, but just doesn't do it for me.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Really interesting album. It runs the gambit of musical styles and influences. That being said, I didn't think she did anything that was particularly memorable. I kept fluctuating between thinking she had a really good and sub par voice. Overall, not a bad listen, wasn't a drag to get through, but likely won't be returning to this one.
Solomon Burke
2/5
Nothing bad about this album but nothing particularly good. Great voice, just a little boring. I had this on over coffee on a Saturday morning and my wife remarked, "What the hell is this?"
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
This would have been way more accessible if all the songs were half their length. You get a minute of "this is pretty interesting" followed by three to seven minutes of "enough already."
Ice Cube
3/5
An album addressing racial issues, violence, and politics all while shitting all over women and promoting violence. Lyrical content aside, it was raw and energetic. Great flow.
Beastie Boys
3/5
My aunt let me buy this cassette tape at a yard sale when I was about 8 years old (1994). I vividly remember listening to it the first time and just thinking "what the heck is this?" in a good way. Such a unique record. Awesome word play, great use of samples and amazing chemistry.
4/5
Stumbled upon this record purely by accident. Bought it as a cheap used record and my kids loved to dance to it so I listened to it way more than I may have otherwise. Fun, energetic, experimental.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I can understand why people could really like this but I just don't. I hate the dual vocals. The more monotone folk songs all blend together. How is Cecilia on this album? It's like they decided to snort a line of coke in the middle of recording and get some energy. "Why don't you write me," is the only other real stand out for me.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Interesting concept, but one of the best 1001 is quite a stretch. Do yourself a favor and smoke a joint before you sit down and turn this on. Has some legit good music tucked in all the noises. "The swinging detective" has some 007 Golden Eye video game vibes.
Nirvana
5/5
Iconic album for myself. Vividly remember sitting in my buddy's basement and he pulls this cassette out with a naked baby on the cover. Album spans genres and influenced a generation.
Scritti Politti
1/5
Off the Wall Michael Jackson + WHAM! now make it fucking suck.
The Associates
2/5
Phantom of the Opera, David Bowie, a carnival on acid, Day Man from it's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, pure 80's vibe. The vocals really kill the album. Party Fears Two almost seems like a joke with how over the top the vocals are.
Iron Maiden
3/5
As much old school metal as I listen to, Iron Maiden has just never done it for me. Dickinson has a great voice. It's just a little too theatrical for my liking. It feels less like evil metal and more like Broadway. Album is full of bangers and overall a great listen.
Digital Underground
2/5
First thing to stand out is how dated this sounds. Weird balance of corny and overly sexual. I wanted to turn this off and listen to Parliament instead.
Röyksopp
2/5
Slightly more interesting hold music.
Jacques Brel
2/5
I find it very difficult to appreciate what this potentially is just because I have no idea what he is saying. You can hear the passion and skill, but it starts sounding like gibberish after a while.
Fugees
4/5
Great samples, flow and lyrics. Lauren Hill makes this album. The skits are out of place but an essential part of late 90's/early 2000's rap.
The Dictators
4/5
Can't believe I never came across this album. Absolutely awesome. Awesome guitar work. I really like how the lyrics can easily seem really offensive but if you look at the context it's all a joke.
Eagles
3/5
I saw this pop up and thought this will be a 5. It's not. Couple great songs, a lot of mediocre songs. Not bad by any means, but not what I expected. The dude was right.
R.E.M.
3/5
Other than the radio hits, kind of unremarkable overall. Stipe's voice has never done it for me but he is a good lyricist. Hard to believe this was recorded in 1987.
Orbital
2/5
Listened to this while making breakfast for my kids. When it was in the background it was fine. When my attention shifted to the music and I actually listened, it was 90's techno hold music. Not horrible, but will not seek it out.
Django Django
3/5
I listened to this multiple times to try and get a feel for it but I just kept getting tired of it. It seems like something I should be into but just never got there. Good background music but not so great in the foreground.
Elvis Presley
2/5
I used to think I liked Elvis but it turns out his hits were OK and his full albums are uninspiring. As always, he didn't write anybody the songs on the album, only sings them. So even if this album was good, all the credit shouldn't go to Elvis.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this. I'm not sure why I was so unexcited when I saw his name but I was proven wrong. Tones of Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello. Multiple songs on here I didn't realize he performed.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Had some good moments but ended up being a lesser version of a mediocre Bowie album.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
Mix of soft dinner music and orchestral arrangements about a pedophile. I would give this a zero if it were possible.
3/5
Listening to this on a dreary Monday morning felt pretty appropriate. Dark, brooding, droning.
Wild Beasts
3/5
Instrumentals started in the first song and really thought I was going to be into this and then the vocals came in...... Antony and the Johnsons on vocals but then another guy takes over vocal duties on a handful of songs that are much more palatable. Overall, I really enjoyed this album other than some moments of what the fuck with the vocals.
N.W.A.
2/5
First time listening to this in its entirety and my take away is that there was more cultural significance to this album than actual greatness of the music. The album does not stand up to the first two tracks, other than express yourself. I found myself ready to skip most of the songs after the first minute or so. The misogyny gets impossible to overlook the further you get into this.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I think you either love or hate Bob Dylan and I find myself in the camp of love. His first non acoustic album and it was a revolution, creating an electric folk blues fused rock n roll. I love the production of the album where it feels like you are sitting in the room with the musicians in a shitty bar.
Pixies
5/5
Hey! Been trying to meet you.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
This embodies the music from the 60's that blows.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Radio hits from this are great, the rest kinda feels like forgettable filler.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Really enjoyed this one but the length of 3/4 songs is just too long. Two songs just become 10 minute jam sessions, which is fine, but Hayes as a solo artist, isn't writing his own much other than contributing to Hyperbolic. The fourth song is 8 minutes of spoken word poetry. Overall, I wanted to love this album but the length of the 4 songs just was too much.
George Michael
2/5
This man wants your sex. If you thought "I want your sex" was getting the point across, he is going to hit you part two and then for good measure, end the album with "A last request (I want your sex)." Sprinkle in "Father figure" and it gets really fucking weird.
Talking Heads
3/5
Overall a fun listen. You can hear the Talking Heads taking shape of what they would become. Fear of Music and the next few albums after that are where I think they really hit their stride. This one is less memorable and a little monotonous.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Never took the time to listen to this cover to cover, but glad I finally did. Great production and the backing of the Dap Tones gives this an authentic feel. Her voice is fantastic.
Faust
3/5
I was not expecting "Krautrock" to sound like this but it makes sense. Kind of a prog rock meets, electronic music, meets avante garde/art school mixed. I would have pegged this as a genre of the 80's so to see it's from 73 is wild.
Deerhunter
2/5
I was really into indie music from about 2005 - 2015. I remember this album only because of the album cover and interesting band name. After listening, I realize why I don't recall anything about it. It's pretty unremarkable. No songs that stand out, grab you, move you. Generic indie music mixed with shoe gaze and a sleeping pill.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Review can't do the album justice. Just go listen to it.
3/5
Her man is a real piece of shit and she needs to wise up and realize she's better than crying her eyes out thinking about him out fooling around.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Wild that was recorded in 1982. Always thought this was from the early 90s. Such a unique sound between the vocals, the active bass, and random instrumentation.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Was sitting around with a bunch of guys who aren't into hip hop and I put this on in the background and even they enjoyed it.
GZA
4/5
Album has such a mood to it. Lo-fi and atmospheric with a lyrical journey.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Fluctuated between hating this and loving it. I'm not much of a pop music person but this was entertaining and fresh.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Every time I get a S&G album on here, I think "this is the one that will get me into this band." I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like them. The first and second side of the album don't mesh at all. Other than "Mrs, Robinson," this album was a big miss.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Started strong and got a little monotonous after a while. Still a good funky listen.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Perfect album to sit around and drink coffee in the morning. Nothing groundbreaking but just a nice album.
Air
3/5
Having never seen the movie, I assume that plays into my lack of interest in this album. I knew the first song but after that, it was atmospheric background music. Not bad, just not memorable other than the last track which made me appreciate the entire album a little bit more.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Only knowing "Come on Eileen" I was dreading this one. Well shit, it came through. Vocals have like a Robert Smith meets Freddie Mercury vibe. I love the English countryside folk music feel that is blended with almost an E Street Band vibe.
Queen
4/5
Excellently produced and engineered album that runs the gambit of musical style. Theatrical and flamboyant but also punches hard on the rock tracks and solos.
Brian Eno
2/5
Just couldn't get into this one. Most of the songs never really connected to me in any way.
Miles Davis
3/5
Good background music but found it less engaging than other records like "Bitches Brew, In a Slient Way, or Kind of Blue."
Dolly Parton
3/5
How many men are gonna break poor Dolly's heart?
Os Mutantes
3/5
Not something I'll probably put on again, but this is the kind of album that makes this project dun.
Spiritualized
2/5
Repetitive, uninspired version of Krautrock mixed with 90's pop rock.
Gang Of Four
3/5
Had some random exposure to this band over the years but this is the first time listening to a full album. Really thought I was going to like it after the first few songs but the second half of the album fell flat and repetitive.
The xx
4/5
Nostalgia is going to cloud my ability to judge this without bias. This album came out when I was going through a shit breakup and ended up living in a strange city by myself. This was on repeat for many months. Minimalist, lo fi, haunting.
Elbow
3/5
Listened to this on a rainy overcast drive through the Pennsylvania mountains and it was perfect. I kept getting hints of Peter Gabriel in his voice. Overall had a little bit of an older Coldplay vibe.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Album starts off strong but starts to fall off and can't keep up with the first few tracks. Lyrics fluctuate between interesting and corny/childish. Undeniable 80's sound and production. I can appreciate what this did for hip hop which gets it an extra star.
The War On Drugs
2/5
I would argue this band could use the influence of drugs instead of waging war on them. This was an hour of boring, repetitive fluff. Shitty version of Ryan Adams with a Bob Dylan impersonator singing mixed with some soundscape noises.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Absolutely perfect in the background hanging with friends. Great production, musicianship and energy.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
I can respect this for being what is considered the start of post punk but it just doesn't seem like a cohesive concept yet. A 9 minute opener, a spoken word track, then put it to music for the third track. Just learned the singer was in the Sex Pistols, which makes sense, as I don't care for them either.
Slipknot
5/5
I was 13 when this came out and it absolutely changed my musical trajectory. I had no idea music could sound like this and it opened my mind to a universe of non mainstream music that existed. This album still gets frequent play from me.
Neil Young
4/5
Glad I got this album after old Neil pulled his head out of his ass and put his music back on Spotify.
The hits are 5/5, the rest is solid other than "There's a World" which sounded like a mash up of 1940's theatre production with Neil on vocals. The lyrical pairing to
the theatrical sound of "A man needs a maid" is bizarre. Leaving the Orchestra out of this album would have made for a much more cohesive experience.
2/5
I base everything I know about Blur off of "Song 2" but now realize that song was an anomaly for the band. I can't put my finger on what specifically I can't stand about this band, but there is something.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Who the fuck is making these beautiful cowgirls so sad!?
Tears For Fears
4/5
A ton of huge hits on one album. You can taste the 80's pop.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Really interesting mix of a traditional blues sound on guitar, chanting, and almost a dancy percussion section. Little redundant at times but still solid.
Tom Waits
3/5
You're walking down the street and hear music down an alley. You take a look and it's a circle of hobos, junkies, drunks, playing random instruments. Some of them are surpsingly good, some are just drunk dude beating on a trash can. Then a man with a mouthful of gravel starts singing. You're at once terrified and intrigued. Honestly not sure if I love this or hate it but it's different and interesting.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
I remember being a young kid and my dad listening to this album. Now I'm a dad with young kids and it has come full circle.
The White Stripes
3/5
Very different from their previous release and has a lot of variety. There's an odd phenomenon with the White Stripes where I enjoy their albums during the 1001 but never want to randomly put one on.
Coldplay
4/5
Jethro Tull
4/5
I remember was a was a kid and my dad told me about this dude that played flute and stood on one leg like a flamingo. Well, this is that dude and he is amazing.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Bowie + Iggy 4 eva
Aimee Mann
2/5
I knew in the first 10 seconds I was in for 52 minutes of doing everything I could to not keep hitting skip. It's not bad, it's just an hour of boring songs that blend together. The album title is very appropriate.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
I could listen to this on repeat all day. Beautiful lyrics, iconic singing, and of course the Wailers holding it down.
Supertramp
4/5
Went into this knowing a few songs but really enjoyed the experience of the entire album. Right out of the gate, School is a ripper after a long intro.
Santana
4/5
Great balance of showcasing the guitar without making it all about the guitar. Super easy listen that I will definitely revisit all summer.
SAULT
1/5
Musically I'd give this a 3. Some beats and riffs I enjoyed but a ton of repetition. Lyrically, it's an hour of BLM indoctrination which ruined the entire listening experience.
Eminem
2/5
Listening to Emimen reminds me of the Eminem kids from my home town and ruins any potential this album has. He's a great rapper but the lyrical content is just dumb at times. It feels like he is trying too hard to come off edgy without it organically happening.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
I felt like this album never went anywhere. Nothing really stood out and if you didn't pay attention sounded like one long sad gloomy song.
T. Rex
3/5
The Clash
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
I admire Bowie for stepping away from what people want to hear and doing what he wants. This isn't a commercially good album but it's an interesting listen. Half familiar Bowie and half Krautrock/dune soundtrack.
John Martyn
3/5
I went back and forth on this one. Hate the opening track and loved the second track. This pattern repeated throughout. The folky guitar tracks are reminiscent of the band Iron and Wine. The more jazzy tracks inspire images of Ron Burgandy.
The Who
3/5
I generally loath the earlyvto mid 60's British pop sound so I was not looking forward to this one. I was pleasantly surprised at the different elements they fused into this. Still a lot of the 60's sound I hate but somewhat balanced out by the thunderous drums and guitar tone. "The Ox" was a great way to end the album.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Overall an easy listen but nothing stuck out that much to me. Great in the background, but probably not something I'm going to think to put on again.
Nirvana
4/5
Love the contrast of this to "Nevermind." This album comes across darker, more abrasive and raw. Easy to forget this is from 1993.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
Band name and album title might be the most accurate ever. Never have excel spreadsheets been done with so much gusto once I put this on.
Björk
2/5
I'd file this under art for the sake of art. Minimalist background noise and shrieking.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I feel like it's a me issue that I just can't connect to Stevie's albums. This is pleasant. At no point did I want to turn it off but it never really grabbed me. The legend of SW makes me feel like I should be blown away by his music, it just isn't happening.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
I wavered between starting to like this album and hating it. There are some nice elements but gets repetitive and nothing really stands out. One of those albums where you can't remember a single song after listening to the entire album.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Six of the 11 songs are absolute 5's. The rest teeter on 3's.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
This was all the rage among the alt girls that hung in the punk/hardcore scene back in college. Raw, loud, noisy, fun. Maps is everyone's go to but Y Control has always been my favorite on this album.
Talking Heads
3/5
As much as I love some of the Talking Heads other albums, this one just doesn't land. You can hear the potential but other than Psycho Killer, much of this blends together.
Common
2/5
Common is an artist I haven't listened to a lot but am lead to believe he is very intellectual and deep with his lyrics. This is the second Common album I've had to review and it came off corny and contrived lyrically like the first. I enjoyed the beats but the album was a little long overall.
Silver Jews
3/5
Musically this is right up my alley with the mix lo fi country and indie but the vocals are distracting from the music. I kept hearing Steven Wright singing.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Tom Waits meets Bob Dylan at the local coffee shop open mic night.
Willie Nelson
2/5
I'm going to assume this album was an easy cash grab for Willie to buy more weed? Boring, uninspired, sleepy, forgettable.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I never gave this album a fair chance even though it was incredibly popular when I was a teen. Corgan's voice always annoyed me back then. Listening to this front to back, it's amazing. Absolutely love the guitar tone and layering. Still don't love his voice but it does fit the music well.
David Bowie
4/5
First listen through nothing really jumped out other than Jean Jeanie and the cover of Let's Spend the night together. I let this play in the background about 3 more times and more and more things started to stand out. Overall, this was a solid album that just lacked the typical amount of Bowie radio singles I knew.
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
This one was out there. I had to do some digging to find out this genre is "Grime" which is an appropriate name. Realizing he was 16ish when he produced this album is super impressive. Overall, not something I'm going to likely want to listen to again, but super original blend of rap/EDM/dance music.
The Clash
5/5
19 songs and not a bad one on the album.
Stan Getz
4/5
Absolute vibe. Listened to it three times through on a roadtrip.
Wire
3/5
Somewhat unremarkable punk/rock album.
The Prodigy
3/5
Love the aggro industrial and metal.vibe to this along with the back beats. Not really my thing as far as genres go and it started to get a little tiresome about halfway through. That being said, we'll produced and exciting album.
Beck
3/5
Beck is one of those artists that I've never really liked his radio hits but when you listen to the full album, have a way better appreciation for the musician he is.
Arcade Fire
5/5
One of my favorite albums from the 2000's indie scene. All the feeling and emotion of "Funeral" but more upbeat and grandiose.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
There are fleeting moments in this album that are musically good. The rest sounds like some people got drunk and recorded an album in their garage on a tape recorder with one microphone. There is absolutely no reason for a 17 minute song on here about someone sucking on your "ding dong."
Be aware, the actual album has 6 songs and a run time of 40 minutes. 1001 links you to a two disk 2 hour version.
Simple Minds
2/5
I enjoyed nothing about this album. All the quintessential 80's sounds but bad.
De La Soul
2/5
I just never connected with this album. Seemed like the only songs that stood out were because of the sample used.
Slipknot
4/5
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Overall, very meh. Nothing stood out and couldn't wait for the album to end.
Taylor Swift
2/5
From the constant fawning over her and her music from the media and Swifties, you would think you are in for a musical revolution upon listening. What you get is 48 minutes of generic pop music with lyrics that sound like they came from a middle school diary.
Shake if off was pretty good.
Calexico
3/5
Wilco makes a western movie soundtrack.
Dire Straits
3/5
This album fell off a cliff after an insanely strong start. Hard to find a better first three songs on any record, but then suddenly turns into super boring soft rock. Absolute shame.
Tom Waits
2/5
Poetry reading meets amateur standup comedy performed with a mouth full of gravel.
My second Tom Waits album I've had to endure and I know more are coming.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I ended up listening to this on repeat most of the day. Amazingly American sounding album by a British band.
Traffic
4/5
Genesis
4/5
Growing up, my dad listened to 80's Genesis so I was familiar with that, but 70's Genesis is a whole new animal. As a prog rock fan, this is outstanding.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Really eclectic mix of Beatle adjacent songs. 1985 is a jam.
Dion
2/5
Buzzcocks
2/5
Pretty average 70s Brit punk. The vocals became annoying pretty quick.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
Just as bad as the last Pet Shop Boys album I had to endure. I also hate the album art because it makes me feel like I need to yawn.
The Cure
2/5
Moody, brooding, and boring.
David Gray
3/5
I know "Babylon and Please Forgive me" from early 2000s radio. Always wondered why that was the extent of my exposure to David Gray considering how huge those two songs were. Well after listening to the entire album, I understand why. It's like he wrote those two songs for a different album. The rest of the album mediocre singer/songwriter coffee house music.
Roxy Music
3/5
Odd and interesting mash of sounds and instrumentation. I got notes of Captain Beefheart, Peri Ubu, Talking Heads. First half of the record is pretty strong but falls off on the second.
Green Day
4/5
Bought this used at a flea market when I was 13 years old around 1997. Probably no better anthem for a 13 year old in the 90s than this.
B.B. King
4/5
To be in the audience and experience this album live would be incredible. "How blue can tou get" was an absolute stand out. BB is a true blues master.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Wild that this was released in 1962 when Booker T was 17 years old. Such a pioneering album and sound. That being said, there are moments where there is Hammond Organ overload. The album is all covers other than two songs. Great background music. Check out Booker T's Christmas album. It's a staple in our house.
Liz Phair
3/5
Appreciate this album more for what it was in 1993 rather than as something I enjoy in 2024. Fuck and Run is so catchy but the rest of the album isn't particularly memorable.
Elliott Smith
3/5
I knew more about the lore of his death than his music going into this. First listen, I was distracted by the production. Whisper vocals, insanely loud snare and overpowering guitar tone. Luckily I was stuck on a flight without wifi and had this downloaded so I listened to it 3 times. Each listen, I appreciated it a little bit more.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
This album was fueling my ADHD. All over the fucking place. Fun listen but not returning to this one.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I feel like when you see a Bruce Springsteen album pop up, you assume it's going to be a 5 due to the legacy and lore of his music. Maybe I put too many expectations on this album but it was mediocre at best. The singles are great but everything else is hardly memorable.
Minor Threat
3/5
If I was going to pick a Minor Threat album for the list, it wouldn't be this one but still an important album in the evolution of music.
Dr. John
2/5
Definitely some interesting elements to this but I kept getting annoyed with the songs after a short time. All the New Orleans elements seems almost forced at points.
Beatles
3/5
I really dislike this. It's corny with teenage diary lyrics and average musicianship. I generally dislike any early 60's British invasion music so this was no surprise.
I understand the significance of this album and The Beatles place in music history so I'm not going to give it a two star review like I want to. This album reminds me of being a kid hanging out with my aunt who loves the Beatles so there was at least that.
The Verve
2/5
Listen to the first song on the album and then turn this off and save yourself an hour of a lackluster Coldplay meets Oasis.
Beck
3/5
Sad Beck makes a sad album.
Overall, not bad, just hard to listen to if you aren't in a sad mood. Very different from what you generally expect from a Beck album. Good on him for branching out, just not something I will likely seek out.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Kids: "Mom, can have Bob Dylan?"
Mom: "We have Bob Dylan at home."
Carole King
4/5
This is a soft rock masterpiece. Love that she wrote or cowrote all the songs.
Machito
4/5
Absolutely love the vibe of this album. Made a cocktail and cooked dinner while listening to this and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Monkees
3/5
I hate the early 60's British pop sound so some American guys mimicking it while generally not even writing the music was better than I expected.
Billy Joel
4/5
BJ doesn't miss on this one. Makes me yearn for a bottle of red on the patio of a bustling NY restaurant or a line of coke in the bathroom.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Did you ever eat a bag of party mix? This album is the musical equivalent. Random pieces that don't seem to go together but as a whole are amazing.
The Who
3/5
Cool concept and good on them for going for it but this has one memorable.song on the entire album.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Has kind of a Stranger Things vibe to it which made it more interesting than it otherwise would have been. This would probably be a five if you smoked a joint, threw on some headphones and sat in the dark, but unfortunately, I am experiencing this at 8:30 in the morning with caffeine being the only drug in my system.
Beatles
4/5
The beautiful thing about 30 minute albums is it gives you a chance to listen multiple times. First play through I did not care for muchbof the album. It seemed disjointed and had no flow. A few listens and a little research on the album brought me around.
Bee Gees
2/5
There's a few standout songs but overall, it's a boring attempt at a Beatles album. If they could have had a few change of pace songs, it would have been easier to listen to. Album art is rad.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Beautiful vocals and lyrics but overall a little forgettable other than Wild World and Father and Son.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Flow, samples, beats are a 5. Lyrical content gets old pretty fast and the skits really ruin any kind of uniformity. Like did I really need to hear a girl asmr his dick in a song?
Neil Young
3/5
Nothing about this album really stands out. It's not bad enough to give it a 2 but might not really deserve a 3. Just because Neil Young writes an album shouldn't automatically put it on this list.
Ramones
4/5
Fast, energetic, and catchy as he'll.
N.E.R.D
2/5
Musically somewhat interesting in spurts. Lyrically, sounds like a bunch of 13 year old boys wrote it. Overall, couldn't wait for this album to end.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
This is a desert island album for me. I listen to this probably once a month.
Pulp
3/5
Seemed like it could be the soundtrack to a pretentious indie movie I don't want to watch. Not entirely bad, just forgettable.
Rush
3/5
Starting out with a 20 minute song is a bold move but it moved in and out of different sections well and functioned more as cohesive intertwined songs. Overall. Not Rush's best work but still a solid album.
3/5
So you're telling me this isn't a Beatles album?
British invasion/British pop is one of my least favorite genres but this was at least listenable.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I absolutely hated this while at fleeting moments, loved it. If nothing else, he stepped out of the usual and did something original. That being said, no interest in ever putting this on again.
Steely Dan
3/5
Love the addition of Donald Fagan but the album seems to less memorable songs than can't buy a thrill.
David Bowie
4/5
You can hear him becoming Ziggy Stardyst on this album. So many great songs.
Steely Dan
4/5
Fondly remember staring at this album cover in my dad's record collection as a kid. So many classic songs and a few lesser songs.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
So incredibly boring. If you aren't paying attention, it sounds like one long song until you hit dance til we die. Overproduced, whispery mumbles.
The Band
4/5
I lived in Richmond, VA for a decade. When we had twins we moved back to PA. I vividly remember listening to "The night they drove old Dixie down" as we left our house in Richmond in a van packed full of kids and random stuff. King Harvest really stole the show for me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Gothic Americana Tom Waits.
Duran Duran
4/5
Really surprised by how consistent this album was outside of the singles. I listened to this one on repeat.
David Holmes
1/5
Well, that was something.
King Crimson
4/5
The album that arguably may have spawned prog rock. 21 century and ourt of king crimson are absolute classics. I talk to the wind feels out of place and moon child is 12 minutes of noises. If it weren't for those two tracks it would be a 5.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
A good but somewhat boring listen. No particular track really stood out.
3/5
Really fun pop/rock/prog fusion. A lot of similarities to older Radiohead.
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
There is no way I am going to listen to 3 hours of this. It's fine in small doses but it should be illegal to put a 3 hour, 5 disc compilation on here. I only made it through disc so my rating is more of a "why the fuck is this on here?" than rating the content.
Kanye West
4/5
Such a bummer that people can't separate art from the person. Kanye is wacky as fuck but he's a musical genius. Absolute master of sampling and integrating them. Bound 2 is on repeat.
ABBA
3/5
You ever eat something really sweet and decadent and you know it's going to make you want to puke but you just keep hammering down fork fulls into your fat face? This is the audio version.
The Who
4/5
First two and last two songs are absolute fives. The middle sounds like filler in comparison but still all solid songs. Keith Moons drumming is so fucking awesome.
Louis Prima
4/5
40 minutes of pure energy. Do not try to steal this man's meatballs.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Album is absolutely gorgeous, haunting, and emotional. Perfect listen on a gloomy fall day.
4/5
Really surprised how much I enjoyed this album. I had no explored to Oasis other than a few radio hits and hearing they are insufferable assholes. The hits are amazing and the rest of the album is a mix of indie rock and pop.
Deee-Lite
3/5
This was pretty interesting for a few songs and got stale pretty fast.
Moby
3/5
There are some great songs on here. The problem is my brain associates them all with tv commercials in the early 2000s.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Sigur Rós
3/5
This was a unique experience. The album is spacial and immersive. I think it would be hard to just listen to a single track from this as it needs to be consumed as a whole album.
36 minutes of solid 70's guitar driven rock n roll with Rod Stewart at the helm.
John Coltrane
3/5
One of the most important jazz albums ever made
Or.....
The sound of people all playing different songs at the same time in varying time signatures.
Both can be true.
The Cure
3/5
I dig the gloomy Soundwave of this but after a while it all sound the same.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
I'm pretty sure I've heard this guy busking on a corner in Asheville, NC. Pretty standard 60's folk album.
Beatles
3/5
I don't care for the bubblegum Brit pop portion of the album but the acoustic songs give it some depth. Norwegian Wood is fantastic.
Leftfield
2/5
Needs to be ecstasy passed out when you get this album. I enjoyed nothing about it.
Oasis
3/5
Pretty average pop rock album. Nothing really stood out and nothing completely sucked.
Radiohead
5/5
Love the way this album weaves between minimalism and swelling rock songs. Videotape is the perfect closing song.
Billy Bragg
2/5
Kind of a Joe Strummer mixed with Against Me! vibe but nothing really stood out. Disc two was added during the 2006 re-issue so I only listened to disc one.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Only exposure to J5 was through the song Golden. The rest of the album lived up to that song. Great flow and beats. I love the positivity of the lyrical content.
Sebadoh
3/5
Feels like a precursor to what 90s grunge and indie would become.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Some absolute peak 80s bangers on here but her voice is a little much at points.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Interesting sound to this, kind of a an electronic tinged Bond soundtrack. Got a little monotonous towards the middle.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
I just can't understand the hype around this band. I've been led to believe they were some sort of trailblazing act but this is a relatively boring and standard 60s album.
Underworld
2/5
This is what you hear blasting out of the spin class at your local globo gym as you walk to the water fountain.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
When I was a kid, my grandma used to leave the FM radio on for her dogs when she left. It was always tuned to country music and I'd bet her dogs liked Dwight Yoakam.
There's some fun guitar work on here but the 80's sound that came out in some of the songs knocked it down a notch.
David Bowie
3/5
Side one was a good time. Really enjoyed the addition of Fripp. Lyrics are lacking and no true stand outbtrack other than Heroes. Side 2 is a head scratcher. Two decent songs and 3 weird synth noise songs. Every time I get a Bowie album, I get the sense he should have released fewer albums and condensed the great songs onto fewer albums.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Most of these albums have either been artists I know but never gave an entire album a chance or artists I don't know at all and don't really like. This album was one of the rare, "wow" moments where I just found a new artists to add to the rotation.
Scott Walker
2/5
This is absolutely awful. Will Farrell doing his Robert Goulet impersonation in real life.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Never fancied myself much of a riot grrrl so I'm not the target audience. I like the punky indie garage rock sound but the vocals were just too much after a few songs.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
If they would have edited this down to a single disc, it's a 5. I appreciate them going for it on a double disc, 2 hour endeavor is too much. I found a lot of great songs outside of the radio hits I knew.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I love the bluesy/country phase of the Stones.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Writing three fantastic records in the span of a year is insane. I especially love this one. During Covid lock downs, I would play Bad Moon Rising on the guitar for my kids over and over again while they danced.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Album started super strong. I thought this was going to be a good time. Enter it's a shame and dreamin and we lose all the energy. The message is iconic but it's 4 minutes too long. Message II couldn't get us back to having a good time and then NY NY finished us off with another song that was 4 minutes too long.
Megadeth
4/5
Musically, a technical masterpiece. Vocally, it's Dave Mustaine which knocks it down a star.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
So this album flopped so bad that the band broke up and yet it's on this list?
Nick Drake
5/5
Couldn't have been better timing getting this one on a crisp fall morning on my way to hike. I've heard the song Pink Moon but nothing else from this before now. Oddly melancholy and joyful at the same time. Beautiful guitar work and voice.
Frank Black
3/5
As much as I love The Pixies, I've never listened to any of Frank Black's solo stuff. Really fun Pixies adjacent record. My only complaint is that it's 22 songs. They start to blend together after a while but there are super interesting parts all through this.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Please, no more Elvis Costello.
Paul Simon
3/5
Ok album overall. Paul Simon just doesn't do anything for me. You can Call me Al is awesome just because Chevy Chase was in the music video. Go listen to Justin Townes cover of Graceland.
Neil Young
3/5
Strong start to the album and then it really falls off the last half. It really struck me how bizarre his voice is at certain moments in the album.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Was this album recorded as a joke? Who the hell makes the choice to listen to this?
The Doors
4/5
Mix of radio hits, generic blues songs, and songs that sound like they were on a bender just jamming. The less prominent role of the Hammond Organ makes this my favorite Doors album. Solid 3.5 out of 5 so we'll round up.
The Stranglers
3/5
Not a bad listen but nothing I'll return to. Like the clash and the specials made an unremarkable album together.
MC Solaar
2/5
I'm not really sure what to do with this one. Interesting beats and samples but hip hop is often times make or break on the lyrical content. I don't speak a lick of French so this might as well be gibberish.
Nitin Sawhney
1/5
The attempt to blend multiple genres of music into the most boring hour of music ever was successful.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Theatrical and over the top in the best way.
Beatles
5/5
Listened to this on repeat throughout the day.
The Soft Boys
4/5
Really enjoyed this one. Little bits of multiple genres perfectly smashed into one album.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
The Stones at their best in my opinion. Great range of songs from ballads, to blues tracks, to straight fucking rockers.
The La's
3/5
There she goes is really an outlier on this album. The rest is kind of jangly emo brit pop.
Culture Club
1/5
Generic 80's garbage.
The Byrds
2/5
There is something about 60's psychedelic that drives me nuts. Sure there are some interesting parts but overall it's like nails on a chalk board for me. I dislike the vocals on this album and the "trippy" lyrics. Its gang vocals in an empty room. The little bits of country western music thrown in were the only silver lining. Most interesting parts of the album was the last track where you hear them arguing during the recording process.
Elton John
5/5
Desert island album. Grew up on this album spinning on vinyl at my parents house so the nostalgia factor only solidifies that.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Great mix of the folk music he's know for and a more hard edged guitar forward sound.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I knew the singles on this one but enjoyed the second half of the album.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Weird and wild ride of an album. Not something to put on everyday but a nice little treat.
Kraftwerk
3/5
This turned out to be a really fun and interesting listen. 36 minute run time is perfect.
Parliament
2/5
Really love some of Parliament's albums but this one isn't in that collection. After a while, the word funk starts to grate on you.
Small Faces
2/5
Typical late 60's Brit pop with an extra awful vocalist.
John Cale
3/5
Had this on in the background while cleaning the house so it played like 3 times through. A few more songs grabbed my attention each time. Macbeth and Paris 1919 were the highlights for me.
Radiohead
4/5
Dirty Projectors
2/5
The word "bitte" is a German word for "please", and "orca" is another name for a killer whale. Frontman David Longstreth states that he liked the way the words sound together.
This sums up the pretentious nonsensicle garble this album is. Weird just to be weird.
Pavement
3/5
A lot of this just went nowhere. No hooks, melody, nothing memorable. Jangly noise with someone talking. I can see the influence but the honed version other bands and even other pavement albums put out were better.
Joan Baez
3/5
Went back and forth between she had the most incredible voice ever and wanting to plug my ears. Some of those high notes were HIGH. Incredible guitar player and musician but this got boring after the first few songs.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This is as close to perfect as an album gets. Fucking masterpiece.
Tortoise
4/5
Really enjoyed this one. Kind of a Russian Circles meets Explosions in the Sky but with a mid 90s indie flair.
John Grant
2/5
There is a sweet spot in the middle of this album that is good. It is bookended on the front and back by a bunch of boringly annoying songs.
Mylo
2/5
Rather destroy this than rock n roll.
Motörhead
4/5
Motorhead is the embodiment of rock n roll. Not usually a big fan of live albums but this is an exception. Band is tight and production is clean but still raw.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
I liked this way more than I expected after reading the description. Perfect background music with just enough to draw your interest back in.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Really fun listen but got a little repetitive towards the end. Big iron is a jam.
Ian Dury
3/5
I absolutely hated some of this album and really enjoyed other parts. Some of the songs remind me of Fear (Blackmail man, Plaistow Patricia) then some sound musically like a Bowie album with a Chimney sweep singing. Really quite an enigma of an album.
Can
3/5
Frustrating listen as it starts super strong with great grooves and seemed like something I'd really like. Next thing you know, you got several 17 minute songs of literal noises and gibberish.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Lady with a pleasant voice sings songs someone else wrote. Not bad by an means, but nothing stood out.
3/5
Hints of Lightning bolt and Genghis Tron with a bit of a more minimalistic appproach. Fun listen.
Japan
3/5
If you put this on without telling me who it is, I'd say it's a Duran Duran album. Enjoyed this way more than I expected by the name and album cover.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I can see why this was interesting in 1964, but in 2024 it's just a cover album.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
You know the yuppy neighbors Todd and Margo in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? They definitely own this album.
The Stooges
4/5
I went with the Stooges mix instead of the Bowie mix. I listened to this probably 10 times. I was focusing on Iggy and his vocals and lyrics at first but the more I listened, guitarist Williamson is the real focal point. I went down a rabbit hole of his career and it's amazing the did two stooges albums and then became a producer and software engineer. The guitar tone and riffs absolutely make this album.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Talking Heads with female vocals and a more dub influence.
Metallica
5/5
Easy 5. Absolute classic.
Girls Against Boys
4/5
I had heard of the band but never exposed to them. In the same vein as the Jesus lizard or mud honey. Really enjoyed this.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Thom York sings Broadway songs. Nothing stands out as bad, but nothing stands out in a good way either.
The Replacements
4/5
They hit so many genres so damn well on this album. I've listened to "Tim" a million times but never gave this one it's due.
Kings of Leon
3/5
I was never super keen on this when it came out but it's short and straightforward early 2000s indie hipster music. I forgot how mumbly the singer was on this record. It gives it charm in some songs and just kind of ridiculous on other songs.
The Saints
3/5
I wanted to like this but it's just rather unremarkable. Listened twice and no songs jumped out or got stuck in my head.
Portishead
3/5
Really interesting album from a band that I've heard their name but never their music. Atmospheric and dark, minimal at times. Krautrock and trip hop influences. Really unique.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Fantastic background music while cleaning the house or working. Not something that is going on an everyday playlist.
The KLF
2/5
The album isn't available on Spotify so I went to YouTube which forces you to listen to commercials between each track. I got two tracks in and knew this isn't something I enjoy. Beyond that, musically it's sooo dated and just sounds like music from a bad early 90's movie at this point.
Hole
3/5
Mix of really good radio hits and mediocre to decent album filler. Also seems odd that a bunch of musicians that aren't in the band wrote or courtesy much of the back half of the album.
Madness
2/5
Other than "Our House," this was super forgettable. A group of chimney sweeps playing toned down ska.
American Music Club
2/5
Kind of a not so good Wilco/Dawes sound. Few decent songs but otherwise, spent the album wondering why it's on the list.
Aerosmith
3/5
Just a generic blues rock album with a few radio hits. All of which are about being horny.
The Only Ones
3/5
Sounded like a mix of the Violent Femmes vocals and Television and The Gun Club musically.
Boards of Canada
2/5
Good ambient background music. That being said, not noteworthy in any way.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Really awesome debut album as you can hear him searching for a post Genesis musical identity. I don't love this album but really appreciate the array of sounds he worked through. Solsbury Hill is a masterpiece. Here comes the Flood is another solid song.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
The more RHCP albums i listen to in full, the more I realize I really don't like them. Anthony Keidis might be the worst lyricist of any largely popular band ever. The band is musically talented but I just hate the funk rock aspect of this album.
The Darkness
4/5
AC/DC + Tenacious D + Dennis and Charley day man song + Skid Row + Queen and it FUCKING WORKS.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
An hour and a half of generic pop music. Her voice is fine and the production is great, but this was relatively torturous to try to get through. Felt like this was made by an advertising company.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Liked this as much as I expected I would like a 60s psychedelic album which is very little.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Not my favorite TVOTR album but still a fun listen.
The Triffids
3/5
I liked this more as the album went on. Takes a few songs to get used to the vocals but musically this is solid and really improved from the mid point of disc one. Lyrically, seemed like they were trying a bit too hard to be profound or edgy but still better than Anthiny Keidis.
Black Sabbath
5/5
I would love to time travel to 1970 and witness people putting this on for the first time. Album created an entire genre and influenced every metal head going forward.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
A bit redundant after 10 minutes in but not bad for background music.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I went into this album with some preconceptions. I dated a girl in college that was very much into the early 2000s indie scene and we frequented house parties where it seemed like LCD soundsystem made up the bulk of the Playlist. Never liked them or hated them back then. This album was a pleasant surprise compared to what I'd heard.
D'Angelo
2/5
Incredibly boring album with a guy that sings real sexy.
X-Ray Spex
2/5
Overall this has the potential to br a really fun punk album. I love the addition of the saxophone. The vocals were just way too much at certain points and detracted from the overall sound.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
When the first song is her best known and I hate it, you know you are in for a rough listen. Cheesy, shit lyrics, too long.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
I was not looking forward to this album was wrong about my preconceptions. Super easy listen, warm vibes, beautiful harmonies. Not something I'm going to listen to frequently but something I'll definitely put on sitting around a fire on relaxing on the porch.
Korn
3/5
It's 1998, I'm 14 years old hanging out at my neighbors house in the basement. We just finished playing Golden Eye on N64 and realize it's almost 4pm. Time to turn on TRL and wait for the Freak on a Leash music video to come on. Pizza rolls fresh out of the microwave and a mountain dew on the side. Life of good.
Miles Davis
3/5
This is one of those albums where if you don't profess it to be an all time great, you are looked down about by musical snobbery. Well judge away because this is a good but not perfect album. Good in the background, relatively forgettable in the foreground, but in no way bad.
Le Tigre
3/5
Kind of forgettable outside of the first track. I really like the 80's vibe mixed with some punk elements but there just wasn't much that stuck out.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Mix of synth pop, krautrock, Brian Eno and just overall 80s vibes. There are some really good songs on here and some wild experimental stuff. This is the kind of album I love getting from this project.
Manu Chao
3/5
Equally confused and impressed by this French/Spanish/English quasi reggae album. Great in the background but not something I'm seeking out.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
This is why I love this project. I've heard the name but never dug in because I thought it was a dumb band name. Yes, I'm an idiot.
Ethereal, atmospheric, shoe gaze, a little goth, angelic vocals. I imagine sexy Victorian vampires listen to this, if they had the technology to do so.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Wasn't a fan in the 90's when this was all over the radio but I was like 10 years old when this came out so thought maybe I'd come around 30 years later.
Nope, still not a fan.
The album wanders around aimlessly through different genres but never really hits any of the consistenly well. The radio singles are fine but not much happening outside of that. Igiving it a 3 for the nostalgia factor.
ZZ Top
4/5
Great progression into a more 80's sound while retaining the ZZ Top sound although Billy didn't credit Linden Hudson for cowriting most of the album.
Marilyn Manson
3/5
I was a teenager when MM hit his provative pinnacle but never dove into a full album. The legend of MM at that point in time was bigger than his music. That being said, it's an interesting listen. Elements of NIN, Korn, Helmet, and teenage angst.
AC/DC
5/5
They might be a one trick pony but they do it better than anybody.
Scott Walker
2/5
The backing band is solid but I find Scott, his vocal style, and lyrics to be shite.
Animal Collective
2/5
Samples, loops and layers with repetitive lyric chants x 11 songs. A little goes a long way.
Pantera
5/5
I fancy myself a discerning metal head. This album is an absolute masterpiece. Dimebag's riffs are iconic, Vinny has so much groove to his playing and Phil rounds it out with the all the angst you could want. The production of this is top notch. The album art is spot on. A sonic punch in the face.
Billie Holiday
2/5
Would be amazing if I were sitting in a smoke lounge in 1958 listening to her soulful singing but I am not. Saturday morning sitting in the sun room with a coffee and this just isn't doing it. Really boring and it all blends together. Sorry lady in Satin.
Gene Clark
3/5
The record label and David Crosby really did old Gene dirty but he got the last laugh with this lovely country folk album with a little 70s flare.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Not much of a rap connoisseur, but I would be way more into hip hop if this was the standard. Great production, lyrically interesting, love the cameos, and even the skits didn't bother me. If this was a few tracks shorter it would make it a little more solid.
Prince
2/5
I thought I enjoyed Prince but maybe not. This is the kind of generic music they would play in a hotel lounge that is trying to have a vibe.
John Lennon
4/5
I'm not invested enough in The Beatles to be team John or Team Paul and I haven't done a dive into John apparently being a cunt, so from purely as musical review - this album is fantastic. Easy to put on replay and each song stands out in its own way.
Love
3/5
Psychedelic rock doesn't really seem to fit this album. It's got a pretty wide range of sound from little bits a punk, ska, baroque, Spanish guitar licks, but then makes the base for it on that 60s sound. The deal breaker for me was the vocals. There are a few songs where he gets more of an aggressive rock vocal going but then keeps coming back to the douchey 60s soft singing and corny lyrics. 7 songs at 36 minutes saved this record. If it were any longer, it would be shite.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
I have seen multiple reviews refer to this band as the Icelandic B52's and it's super accurate.
Metallica
5/5
7 year old me waiting by the TV to see the the "Enter Sandman" music video was super stoked to see this album pop up. My preference is thrash Metallica but a transition to more mainstream hard rock doesn't get much better than this. Absolutely classic album.
Primal Scream
2/5
Even if a genre of music isn't my thing, I can usually appreciate it in some capacity. This was total shit. 53 minutes of nothing. Half fleshed out songs where nothing really caught your attention.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Around the time this album came out, I was sitting at Union Station and someone asked me if I was in The Kings of Leon, so I jad that going for me.
Late 2000's indie staple album. I can listen to this from front to back with no skips but that is probably the nostalgia factor kicking in too. Use Somebody still hits a special feeling.
Gotan Project
2/5
The weather channel used to just give you the local forecast on loop like every 10 minutes and this is what I recall the music sounding like.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
It's 2000 and I'm sitting in the planetarium at my high school trying to not to fall asleep. This is blasting over the speakers while my teacher is talking about some galaxy.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
A long, boring 38 minutes.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Went back and forth on this one. Some of it is very self indulgent 80s music and some of it is super catchy and has some great hooks. Can't decide if I like or hate the vocals. Kind of a Peter Gabriel meets David Bowie but he's trying too hard sound. Weak 3/strong 2.
The Jam
3/5
Kind of a popier version of The Clash. Handful of really catchy songs mixed with some less memorable ones.
The Smiths
3/5
A little more polished than I'm used to Smith's sounding but an enjoyable listen.
Adele
3/5
The singles on this Album are fantastic. The rest are a collection of incredibly boring ballads.
Buck Owens
4/5
This was a super fun album. Ended up listening to it several times on repeat.
Morrissey
3/5
Left out an audible groan when I saw this after just having a Smith's album a few days again but was pleasantly surprised.
Def Leppard
5/5
Deliciously overproduced self indulgent 80's rock. This is a greatest hits compilation for most bands. If they left the last two tracks off it would be flawless.
The Residents
3/5
This is awful in the best way. Bizarre avant garde nonsense. Give me more of this and less Elvis Costello or Taylor Swift.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Two bangers and a bunch of absolute shit.
The Zombies
3/5
60'a "psychedelic" is generally a genre I hate so I went in with low expectations. This was a really well written and executed album. Missing a lot of the over the top annoying shit this genre usually brings with it. I really liked the vocalist and the production. The back story on this band makes them even more interesting.
Lou Reed
3/5
Better than I expected this to be but still just missing something to keep my interest. It has a rock opera kind of vibe.
The Beta Band
2/5
Something just brutally boring about this. The vocals sound like he's never been excited in his life. Music is an eclectic mix that isn't bad, just the combo of everything is very vanilla.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
While I can appreciate this album and the importance it had as a bridge between 80s rock and 90s funk and Rrock bands, I've just never really liked Jane's Addiction.
R.E.M.
3/5
The singles are fantastic but the rest of the album falls flat.
Donovan
3/5
If there is one thing I've learned from this project, it's that i really hate 60's psychedelic music. It's a fine album, just not for me.
Travis
2/5
Boringly depressing. Bland Coldplay with a kiss on the cheeks of Oasis. Even the band name is boring.
The Damned
4/5
Another one of those bands I was aware of but never dug into. I assumed they had a musical h more raw punk sound. This was a pretty polished punk record. Super energetic and engaging album. Probably a 3.5 but rounding up to 4.
Killing Joke
4/5
First play through this didnt really catch my attention. I ended up listening to it multiple times trying to figure this one out and in the end I really liked it. Kind of an LCD Soundsystem meets Devo and Helmet.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
This was tough to get through. Just incessant droning and bored echoing vocals. I liked some of their prior albums but this one had no highlights.
The Style Council
2/5
This felt so fucking pretentious from the band name to the album name to the music. Made me think back to going to the beach as a kid and the hotel had a "nice" restaurant that you went to one night. You had to pack a polo shirt just for the occasion. There would be a jazz quartet playing in the ballroom to signify that it was classy. This is what was probably playing.
Steve Earle
2/5
Musically this was decent. His voice felt like he was trying really hard to be "country" to the point it seemed like a joke.
CHVRCHES
4/5
If this were the template for pop music, I would listen to it. Dreamy synthpop with an angel singing.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I thought the first Divine Comedy album I had to rate must have made it on here by mistake. But here we are again, listening to another one. Thankfully it's 30 minutes long. Just confusing....crooner pop chamber music. Good on him for doing his thing, I just don't enjoy it.
Hot Chip
2/5
Combo of the worst parts of 80s synth with early 2000s indie. Absolutely hated the vocals.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
The ultimate background music while cooking dinner.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I gave this a few listens but just couldn't come aroundnon it. I generally like the Stooges and David Bowie but this version of Iggy just doesn't do it for me.
Paul Simon
4/5
Didn't connect to this on the first listen but after a few more I really started to pick up on a lot of the subtleties of the record. Fantastic guitar work, charming voice, and beautiful lyrics.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Better than expected. Wasn't a fan of the vocalist but the chill synthwave sound was lovely.
Stephen Stills
3/5
You can't start an album with your best song ever because it is inevitably down hill from there. A solid 3 star album.
Television
4/5
Great hooks and riffs. Vocals take a little getting used to but I think they really make the sound. Kind of a proto punk indie rock vibe.
Al Green
4/5
Audio velvet.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Put this in for someone who says they don't like jazz.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Everytime Elvis pops up in here I think I'm going to love it and everytime, I am disappointed.
Crowded House
2/5
I knew from the chocolate cake song that this would be rough. Generic pop music that you'd expect to hear on a TV sitcom.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Beautiful voice, solid backing band, just not into it.
Johnny Cash
4/5
As entertaining for the commentary and crowd interaction as it is for the classic songs. Awesome concept, great execution.
Tori Amos
3/5
She is an absolutely amazing musician and singer. Lyrical content is interesting and pointed. Not something i will likely revisit bit a good listen none the less. This will always remind me of my Jr High girlfriend and her budding interest in feminism and riot grrls.
Willie Nelson
3/5
I'm torn on this one. On one hand we've got great story telling over authentic country music and of course Willie's great voice. I really wish they would have polished this up a bit from a production standpoint. Sounds like a demo and found myself adjusting the volume frequently. Half the album are covers of other so gs which I always knock off a star for. Good sleepy listen but not my favorite work from him.
Pixies
4/5
Great example of a complete album where the sum of it is better than the individual songs. Solid 4.5 for me but I'm going 4 since it isn't my favorite Pixies album.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Kind of sounded like one long monotone song. Not bad, just boring. Singer sleepy mumbled most of the album with no range.
Van Halen
4/5
Really poppy and accessible for as technically proficient the music is. Loaded with si gles and a shirt run time. Not my absolute favorite VH album but still an iconic album
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Equal parts amazing and awful. I love that they came up with this insane concept and saw it through. I would love to time travel back to see this performed live all while tripping hard on some good 70s acid.
The Cardigans
2/5
One radio hit, one weird Black Sabbath cover and a bunch of bland 90s pop music.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Everytime I see and album from the 60's la eled as "psychedelic" I prepare for torture. This was a pleasant listen but not something I'm coming back to. Early Beatles meet Bob Dylan.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
This was a chore to get through. 55 minutes of melancholy vanilla quasi country.
Patti Smith
2/5
Perhaps the worst singer I've encountered in almost 500 albums I've reviewed. Came across as an overly self indulgent attempt at being artsy. Even the few somewhat catchy songs are ruined by her wailing.
Johnny Cash
4/5
I'm generally not a fan of what isnessentially a covers album but thisbhas a particular novelty to it that is unmatched. Knowing that Cash was in and out of the hospital and battling death while recording the album makes every song that much more haunting and powerful.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
I'm going to give this a 3 out of respect for Buddy Holly and his importance to music but I didn't enjoy this one. The bubblegum lyrical content and the doo woop harmonies were just too much. There is some cool guitar work on here, but nothing I want to revisit.
Fiona Apple
4/5
I was 12 when the video for "criminal" came out. I didn't exactly know what was going on but I was very interested. This album is absolutely solid and I find myself listening to her more and more over the years.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Generally love some Zappa but this one is more annoying than catchy.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Something about this band that I just can't get into them. I really like a lot of adjacent bands like the Strokes, Interpol, etc, but can't come around on FF. Overall, album is pretty standard earl 00's alt music.
Stephen Stills
3/5
After reading about the insane hours that were put into this album, I really expected something special. I came away from it thinking they should have scrapped the double album idea and just made a really good regular length album. Great musicianship but just not many memorable songs on an hour plus 20 track record.
The Adverts
3/5
This album has all the essential elements of 70's punk minus perhaps the most important thing.....it's not catchy. I came away feeling like I listened to one long punk song without the proverbial earworm from any particular song.
Pretenders
3/5
Love her vocals and edgy lyrics. Kind of a mix between new wave and punk. 3.5 stars
Slayer
5/5
Fucking SSSLLLAAAYYYEEERRR
Bee Gees
2/5
This could be used to torture people. I don't enjoy disco Bee Gees but at least that shit is kinda funky and fun. 17 songs and over an hour of runtime of an odd concept album that highlights that these dudes aren't great singers.
Deep Purple
3/5
Awesome guitar tone, great vocals and just a cool rock sound. The organ was a little much and the super long run time of multiple songs was the down side for me. 3.5 rounded down for the organ solos.
Bon Jovi
4/5
Jam packed with radio singles. Bon Jovi has never been a band i listen to but you can't deny why this album made them so popular. A little corny but a fun listen. 3.7 rounded to a 4.
Big Star
3/5
Hard to believe this band never crossed my radar as much music I listen to. Super pleasant surprise. Beautiful song writing akin to the Byrds or Kinks. That said, only a few stand out tracks.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
This album transported me back to 1995. Im riding bikes with my buddy. He is trying to explain to me there is a song that they say "I want to fuck you like an animal." We go back to his house and impatiently watch MTV post midnight when all the naughty songs and videos are on just to catch the music video that was crazier than the song.
I have a soft spot for this album but listening 30 years later the lyrics aren't nearly as edgy as they are attention seeking. Still groundbreaking sound in 1994.
Don McLean
2/5
Old Don had a big slice of American Pie to open the album then the sugar crash set in and 20 minutes of sleepy unremarkable folk music followed.
George Harrison
4/5
I think I listened to this multiple times but it might just be that long that I didn't realize it was still going. Yea, it's way too long but some amazing songs as well. You can hear a lot of his influences of the time in the recording.
Venom
4/5
Most people initial takeaway is that it sounds likebitnwas recorded on a tape player in a bathroom but the importance of the album to the genre can't be understated. Great riffs, aggression and gnarly vocals.
Radiohead
4/5
A handful of songs I adore and a handful that are more in the vein of boring brit pop. This album stirs up so many good and sad feelings for me.
Barry Adamson
2/5
This guy is a talented musician but what the fuck did I just listen to?
Nirvana
4/5
This album does such a great job of stripping down the noise and showcasing what really made Nirvana special. I vividly remember seeing this on MTV way back when.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Four absolute bangers out of the 9 tracks. The rest is good to forgettable but I love the mood of this album. This project has me becoming a Depeche Mode fan.
The Killers
5/5
Insane run on the first 5 songs. The rest of the album isn't quite as good but it would be hard to maintain that list of banger after banger. I had Killers fatigue when this came out since it was everywhere but 20 years later I can really appreciate this album.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
I read a brief overview of his life while listening to this album which made it perhaps more melancholy and sad than it really is. A few standout out tracks and a bunch that blend together.
Nick Drake
4/5
Listening to Nick Drake sing should be a recognized form of therapy.
Blondie
3/5
Teetering on a 4 star but couldn't quit get there. The singles are fantastic but the rest is mediocre to good.
The Mars Volta
5/5
Seeing this as my album made my day. This one is in constant rotation for me. Absolute sonic prog rock masterpiece.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I am beginning to think Elvis Costello is the person running this project. I don't know how you justify the number of his records on here otherwise. That being said, this was the best one yet. Listenable and only moderatley annoying.
XTC
1/5
I absolutely hated this album. Something about the vocals and the lyrics combined with overwhelmingly boring music made it hard not to hit the skip button on every track.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Mediocre at best hip hop album from a guy that seems to have a very inflated opinion of himself.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
This is an absolutely lovely album but borderline boring. Similar sound to Sufjan Stevens.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Kind of a Pavement meets REM sound. Not bad overall, but album is too long with too much of the same.
Aphex Twin
3/5
Ambient couldn't be more accurate. Often forgot it was on. At no point did I hate it. At no point was I drawn to it. Nice background music while doing excel spreadsheets.
Joy Division
3/5
One of the albums I feel like I should like but just don't love it. The opening track sets the bar high and the rest falls flat in comparison.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Discordant, thrashy, noisy, chaotic but still very listenable.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Awesome debut album. I was a big RATM fan as a kid learning guitar. Morello's guitar style is super unique but accessible.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Bob Dylan goes to the Renaissance Fair with a lovely female lead vocalist.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Like a quieter version of the Flaming Lips. First song sucked me in and the rest of the experience was better than expected.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
I don't believe anyone actually enjoys listening to this.
2/5
This could be really interesting if it weren't insanely redundant. Basically build and layer every song for multiple minutes until you have an itch to skip to the next track.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
Oh "modern" country. The faint sound of a banjo or slide guitar here or there and we've got country music.
This is a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Not the good kind with real vanilla, but the fake vanilla kind that you buy at a gas station. Not terrible but nothing to go back for seconds.
High Horse is a banger though.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Borderline unlistenable and I'm someone who generally enjoys "avant-garde" music.
Dissonant in ways that are just noise without any structure. It's like every member of the band is playing a different song while some guy whales and moans. If Pere Ubu sucked, this would be the album they would make.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Somewhat unremarkable. Good production, seem to be solid musicians, decent vocals, just never connected to any particular song.
Aerosmith
4/5
Had a ton of exposure to this album as a kid from my dad so there might be a bit of nostalgia boost on this rating. Purely looking at the album and not the legacy of certain band members, this is a awesome blues rock album full of great hooks and riffs. Lyrically questionable but I think the music makes up for it.
Hookworms
3/5
Can we get some LCD Sound System?
We have LCD Soundstystem at home.
The Slits
2/5
Fun punk vibes mixed with some reggae flavor and general artsiness. That being said, nothing stood out, vocals were a little grating at times and the guitar tone was really tinny.
The White Stripes
4/5
Never gave this album a fair chance just because Seven Nation Army was inescapable.
Album is an interesting mix of blues and garage rock. Love the tone of his guitar and the simplicity of most of the songs with the ability to make simple interesting.
Green Day
3/5
I was 18 when this came out and I couldn't escape it. The songs were EVERYWHERE. I wasn't a fan of it back then mainly because I really loved early Green Day which thisbis a big departure from and the audio fatigue of the singles in this album.
20 years removed, this is a super catchy album with really no bad songs. Lyrically, much of this comes across as faux outrage from an angsty teen. Album is super polished and over produced which can be a selling point for some, but not my thing.
The Young Gods
3/5
Man what a wild ride. Ministry + NIN + Tom Waits + French. Super interesting listen but won't likely revisit.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Just when I thought there couldn't possibly be another Elvis Costello album, here we are. Google says he has 33 studio albums so I am just going to assume they are all on here.
I can't stand his voice. I'm at the point with this guy that I can't even appreciate the song writing or music because his vocals are all I can hear.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Run of the mill 90s brit pop. Not bad, just nothing stood out.
Brian Wilson
3/5
This album is an audio fever dream. I had violent swings between absolutely hating this and finding certain parts bringing me back in and enjoying it.
The xx
3/5
They found a way to make a really boring yet somehow interesting album. Sounds like one long minimalistic song other than "on hold". Not bad, but their prior albums are much better.
3/5
The Who + Jethro Tull + T Rex...maybe?
Anthrax
4/5
I've never given Anthrax a fair chance because I cant get past the vocals. I'd lump Anthrax in with Megadeth where if they had a good vocalist, they would be an incredible band.
That said, this album is super solid. No bad songs, a lot of punk influence comes through. Fun and catchy songs, good hooks and riffs. After a couple listens, the vocals weren't as annoying.
Screaming Trees
3/5
I've always like Lanagans vocals but never really dug into Screaming Trees. Album is about 50/50 split of really good songs and unmemorable rock.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Crazy timing the day after Brian Wilson's death. I've never been a Beach Boys fan but this strayed far from what I understood them to be. Interesting evolution of the BB sound if nothing else.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
There's nothing I dislike about this album other than it kind of all ran together and nothing stuck out.
Roni Size
2/5
Spotify lists 13 tracks but I heard an hour and 18 minutes of the same song. Good background music while using Excel but not something im going to revisit.
The Police
3/5
Really wanted to like this album more than I do but there's only a few really good songs and a bunch of forgettable stuff.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This album is a 50/50 split of amazing songs and mediocre filler.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
I assumed these albums were on here because they are really good, not as in you have to hear this album because you're not going to believe this album full of noises is on here.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Kinda funky kinda corny.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Those was a wild ride. Likely not going to revisit it, but the kind of horizon expanding album I love to get on this.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Overall good 90s indie rock album with a few standout out songs. I listened to this multiple times.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Never dove into a full Kendrick album. I knew the production would be on point and his flow is nasty. Aside from that, I liked the way the album unfolded and got a little more accessible and closer to an R and B vice later on the album. Good use of skits to help the story unfold.
Richard Thompson
3/5
There's some really fun upbeat songs on here and a bunch of really melancholy singer/songwriter stuff. I prefer the former as the latter lulled me to sleep.
David Crosby
3/5
Tough one to rate. Many points felt like a two staff album but then would hit some really great listening. So many of the songs built and droned for too long only to get a small crescendo. With the guests musicians on the album, I expected more but they kind of blend in too. This is what I assume a CSN jam session sounds like.
Tina Turner
3/5
Great voice, mostly forgettable songs.
3/5
Kind of a punkier Blondie with a mediocre female vocalist. Fun listen but nothing really stood out.
Mudhoney
3/5
Keep seeing grunge references but I feel like this is more of a punk album than anything. Raw sound with tons of overdrive. Something about the singer just annoyed me and brought this down from a 4 star. They covered the Dicks which is awesome.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
First thought was, 21 songs and 144 minutes. No thank you.
Couldn't have been more wrong. This album might be the most deserving 5 on this list. And it's his18th album?!
Jimmy Smith
4/5
What a gem of an album. I am a sucker for some funky Hammond Organ and Jimmy delivered.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Drunk guy from NYC puts on his cowboy attire and does a Woody Guthrie impersonation.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
41 minutes of random noises.
Mj Cole
1/5
I broke my rule of listening to thr entire album on this one. 2 hours of generic club music you would likely hear on a car commercial.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I firmly believe a double album is generally not in the interest of making a good product and this was no exception. Cut out half the songs and it's a solid album. There's a few great songs but otherwise repetitive.
The Monks
3/5
This is the kind of wild shit I was hoping for doing this project. American GI's stationed in Germany making groundbreaking pre punk garage rock with wild lyrics with a distorted banjo. I wish Spotify had this so it were more accessible to listen to again.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
This is just a really enjoyable album. I let it play on repeat probably 5 times.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Mediocre rock n roll that is essentially a covers album The mandolin gives it a little different feel. I enjoy Rod's vocals but it's a pretty generic album.
Fugazi
3/5
Super fun album but loses steam multiple times throughout the album.
Jorge Ben Jor
2/5
A little of this goes a long way.
Giant Sand
2/5
Appropriately named chore, as this was an absolute shit listen. Boring, droning, monotonous, no direction, running out of descriptors for boring. It goes without saying I did not listen to the remixes or bonus tracks. 30 songs and almost 2 hours of run time is offensive.
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
Overall, relatively forgettable album with the exception of the spoken word piece about Watergate.
John Lennon
4/5
Damn, this one hit me. Raw and authentic. People need to seperate the person from the art. You can feel the pain and sorrow come through every song.
The United States Of America
3/5
60s sci fi, proto prog rock, mixed with typical 60's flower child vibes. Really interesting listen, but likely not going to revisit this.
Faith No More
4/5
When I was a little kid, MTV was still relatively new and music videos were must see TV. The video for epic will forever live in my mind with the piano blowing up and the goldfish flopping around. The album is a genre bending and blending masterpiece. I love Patton's vocals which i realize can be an acquired taste.
The Stooges
5/5
Raw and sleazy. Album gets more chaotic as it progresses.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Day after Ozzy's death and I get this gem. Likely on purpose from the author of the project, but I want to think it's the universe giving me this today.
This album showcased the artisty of the band as they branched out to ballads and acoustic numbers. Epic riffs that set the stage for sludge and stoner metal.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
When you think of the hippy sunshine music infecting the 60's, its hard to believe such a bizarre album was right there with them. This was artsy and out there in a all the right ways. Wild lyrics, great musicianship mixed with sloppy chord bends and notes. Fucking Beef.
The Byrds
2/5
Every 60's "psychedelic" rock album I get on here further solidifies my hatred for this era of music.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
This is a band I've tried to get into since living in Richmond, VA but just can't. This album is way too long and most of the songs sound exactly the same. Beyond that, I just don't enjoy the vocals.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Possibly thr best album of the grunge era.
System Of A Down
4/5
I loved this album when it came out and just kind of forget about how original it is and lumped it in with the rest of the Nu/rap metal scene. Serj skirts the line of absurdity with his vocal acrobatics but always pulls it back in with his vocal power. Original and timeless album.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Amazing production often forgetting this was a live album until the crowd noise hit. Incredible musicianship and vocals to match. The length of some of the jam parts and solos got a little tedious but overall still a fun listen. I'm definitely more into ABB studio albums.
Bill Callahan
2/5
Musically, I enjoyed ths stripped down mellow indie country vibe. I could not get past his vocals and cadence. This was borderline unlistenable for me.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I spent college playing in in a grindcore band but started a girl that was the epitome of the Indie scene and this was one of her favorites so this became a really formative album in converting me into Indie music. Upon hearing the first notes I get this visceral nostalgia that makes me kind of nauseous but still can't stop loving this album.
Ryan Adams
3/5
This album was on rotation during college when I was all in on the Indie scene so Im sure nostalgia clouds this one a bit, but it's a great quasi folk rock record. Really falls off the last three songs when Ryan does his best to put you to sleep.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Nothing really stood out from this album. Generic soul music.
Queen
4/5
Hard to believe there is a Queen album that absolutely rips without a radio singles on it. Prog rock opera at its finest.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Im immediately transported to the back seat of my dad's car while he is driving around running errands with me on a Saturday morning. These guys had a really unique sound sandwiched between 80s glam rock and 90s grunge. Great musicians and Chris Robinson has one of the better rock n roll voices of modern rock. This album is jammed with 5 star singles but the rest is kind of derivative blues rock.
Weather Report
3/5
I got really high and put on a documentary about the Newport Jazz festival one night. I passed out not long into the show and dont remember much about it. The title track on this snapped me back to watching the doc and I suddenly remembered parts of it.
Anyway,just like the Newport Jazz Fest doc, I had enough after a song or two.
Metallica
2/5
Really interesting concept but I hate the execution of it. The orchestra feels forced and on most songs doesn't compliment the music and stands out in an odd way.
Doves
3/5
Kind of a Coldplay meets Radiohead and they make and early 2000s indie album. Definitely going to dig into this band more.
Wilco
3/5
This is hailed as a masterwork album so I may have had my expectations set too high. I was familiar with parts of this album and enjoyed those but this as a whole collective work was really boring and underwhelming.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Rumours was jam packed with hits whereas this one doesn't have a stand out single yet it is still a good listen. Feels like they really just kind of went for it musically on this one and disregarded the formula that made Rumours so big.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
This is a covers album but I actually enjoyed hearing a greatest hits cover album.
Kate Bush
3/5
Hard to believe this came out in 1985 other than some synths on a few songs. Dreamy, ethereal pop that could have come out in 2025. Not my cup of tea, but way different and better than I expected when I saw Kate Bush pop up.
Little Richard
4/5
Incredible voice and energy. I imagine seeing him perform this live when it came out was like watching an alien. Sound is dated at this point but it's a quick run time and and insane debut album.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Was excited to listen to this as I never fully dove into Frankn Ocean other than the singles. I should have stopped there. Outside the singles it's musically boring and hollow. He's got moments of interesting lyrics but mostly sounds like dumb stuff a teenager would write. Giving it a 3 since the singles are absolute bangers.
The Jam
4/5
I love albums with shorter run times because I tend to listen multiple times and really come to appreciate the album more than just a once through. First listen didn't really don't for me but by the 4th listen this album felt like an old friend. The sound is somewhere between the Clash and The Who but with its own take on it.
Massive Attack
2/5
I can't put my finger on what exactly it it is, but I hate this album. There is a specific pretentious cool I remember from the 90s and this just feels like the anthem for it.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Fun listen and a short run time. Drives me nuts when the artist doesn't write their own music and only one song on this album was written by Waylon. Album is a 4 but rating a 3 for not writing the music.
Massive Attack
2/5
Second Massive Attack album in 4 days. Hate this one as much as the first one. Hopefully no more from this artist on the project.
Eagles
5/5
The Eagles were firing on all cylinders on this one. My dad listened to this album a lot when I was growing up so every song felt familiar and brought some nostalgia which probably boosts this from a 4 to a 5 for me.
Gorillaz
3/5
Album fluctuates between like an anime hip hop and a shitty version of Radiohead. Overall, pretty blah with moments of interest.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Interesting listen but never completely pulled me in. Ran through this twice and it became background noise about halfway through both times that would pique my interest at times.
Germs
3/5
Landmark punk/hardcore album but it's a tough listen if you aren't into the genre. Raw, gritty and loud.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Felt like he tried way too hard to make a drug influenced masterpiece and it just turned into mash up of genres with no real core.
Spiritualized
2/5
Found most of this to be pretty boring but then the 17 minute final song solidified that sentiment.
Bob Dylan
3/5
The enigma that is Bob Dylan for me. I absolutely love some of his work and other stuff is an absolute chore. This album fell into the chore category. After the first track it became an hour of what seemed like the same song. The harmonica was out of control at points.
Ride
2/5
Hard listen after you read glowing reviews about how this is a "shoegaze" classic. Droning and uninteresting but I guess that is the shoe gaze genre in a nutshell. If they cut the run time down to about 40 minutes it would greatly improve this. The vocalist might be the worst part.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
I have a special dislike for this era of music and this one is especially bad. 5 songs that offered nothing special followed by a 17 minute snoozefest other than the main riff.
The Human League
2/5
Everything bad about 80s music in one place.
Paul Weller
2/5
Album was only 53 minutes but damn did it drag on. A few decent songs and a bunch of meh.
Supergrass
3/5
Surprisingly enjoyable punky brit-rock.
New Order
2/5
I liked moments of this but the singer is so bad that it generally ruined those moments.
2/5
Disc 1: When someone does a Bob Dylan impression with the over emphasized nasally delivery, they sound just like he does on this album. Its comical at points on here. Also, I'm not convinced he actually knows how to play the harmonica.
Disc 2: Much more of the Dylan I actually enjoy. But to say this should be o the 1001 list is still a stretch.
Radiohead
4/5
This album is a 5 in the right mood and place but harder to connect with in a non immersion environment i.e. under fluorescent lights, staring at a computer with coworkers interrupting you.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Subpar 80s new wave with tribal beats. This got old fast.
Queens of the Stone Age
5/5
QOTSA are a desert island band for me.
David Bowie
3/5
Rather unremarkable album but the presence of David Bowie gives it a little more juice.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Interesting mix of 80s punk vibes, soul and horns but the vocals were too much at points.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Really unexpected listen. Thought this would be some kind of poppy lounge music. This was sleazy art rock. "Why's you do it?" was wild. Overall fun listen.
The The
3/5
Put this on while cleaning up the house on a Sarurday morning. My wife remarked from the other room, "What the hell is this?" I agree with the sentiment. Spooky 80s Broadway punk?
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
I liked this way more than I thought when I saw I had a Bonnie Raitt album. Maybe it was being a child of the 90s and these songs were everywhere so it gave some nostalgia. Overall, not my jam but a pleasant listen.
Hole
5/5
This album does not get the credit it deserves in the grunge era. Raw, angry, emotional. Bridging grunge and punk rock.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
It's Led Zeppelin II.....it gets a 5.
Solange
2/5
This was brutal to get through. Basically the same song for 51 minutes cut up by spoken word interludes. Being Beyoncé's sister probably had nothing to do with her getting an album, right?
Pulp
2/5
This isn't awful but I just can't find anything to like/enjoy about it. Was ready for the album to end the entire time. Also, not hardcore at all.
Pearl Jam
4/5
First half of this album is insanely good. Second half doesnt live up to the first but still solid.
Suicide
2/5
A microphone, Casio keyboard, and cricket/cicada noise.
Big Star
2/5
Long run time combined with really monotone material makes for a rough listen.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Stumbled upon this during the pandemic and it felt really timely. Overall, not something I listen to frequently but can appreciate the uniqueness of this album and recording. Cosmonaut is played on repeat.
Aerosmith
4/5
34 minutes a blues rock mastery.
The Crusaders
3/5
The weather channel in album form.
Lambchop
3/5
Stupid band name and a stupid album name so I had my doubts going into this. Musically they are super solid and the vocals have a nice delivery an rasp. So a great album, right? Should be but I just didn't connect with this really at any point. It seems like they couldn't find a hook in the entire album.
Morrissey
3/5
All the negative reviews had me curious. I've listened to The Smith's so knew what I was in for with Morrisey. Basically a less catchy Smith's album.
Genesis
3/5
An adventure of an album. Relatively long but never got boring. Great after a smoke, sitting in a comfy chair admiring the changing leaves on the mountain.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Im so glad I gave this more than one listen. The first run through didn't completely catch my attention but the next listen hooked me. It's got the prog element of Genesis but with some pop sentiments all while being artsy in the best way. Through the wire is an absolute banger.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Like a minimalist goth Depeche Mode. Perfect mid October listen.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
As far as 60's psychedelic rock albums go, this was good. That being said, it's one of my least favorite genres.
Joy Division
2/5
This became one long droning song. I enjoyed "Unknown pleasures" but this just didn't do it for me.
Public Enemy
3/5
Social commentary and aggressive old school rap is a great combo. Warning to other white men: Don't listen to this at work on your speaker.
Eels
3/5
I didn't dislike this in a way where I couldn't wait for the album to end but only a few track really pulled me in.
The Stooges
4/5
I can't imagine putting this on in 1969 and having your mind blown. You can hear the punk genre forming in this album.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Apparently this has a ton of influence in the early punk scene. I'm guessing that is why it's included because I just didn't get anything groundbreaking, unique or really even enjoyable from this. Vocals were awful, akin to a yelping injured dog.
Big Black
4/5
My first exposure to Big Black which is shameful as a life long punk/alt music fan. Driving, noisy and chaotic. Really liked this.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Ended up listening to this in portions multiple times and each time it drew me in a little more. Enjoyed much more than the other albums from Siouxsie I've gotten. Kinda of a goth poppy punk vibe. Into the light had Blondie vibes.
Ray Price
3/5
Somewhat unremarkable old time country album about a guy with gal trouble loving booze. Would absolutely put it on in the background at a dive bar but that's about it.
Portishead
4/5
As soon as I saw "electronic," I cringed but this was such a cool album. Vocals are so smooth and sexy and mixed with the smokey dark vibe, it's perfect.
Steely Dan
4/5
My dad had this on constant rotation growing up. Big Dan isn't for everyone, but it's for me.
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
This one did not age well. One standout songs and a bunch of forgettable 60's music.
Moby Grape
3/5
60's psychedelic rock is my least favorite genre so I was dreading this. It was a short album and had it's moments.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I always try to add a stand out song to a playlist from each album. It was really hard to find one on here. No song was particularly bad but none stood out. 50 minutes of depressing vanilla.
Steely Dan
3/5
A few solid hits and a bunch of less memorable stuff.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Started out kind of enjoying this. Got a little catchy pep to it. A few songs in, everything blends together and it's just one long song.
4/5
Prog rock masterpiece.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Super solid debut album. Raw and emotion but still polished.
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
This was fucking intense. Generally b
Not into what I'd consider an "art" album but this sounded like the soundscape in hell. The fact that it was 1981 and they were improvising with random objects and tools to create this abrasive sounds is innovative.
Klaxons
3/5
Meh, generic 00's indie music. Not bad but not something I'll feel like revisiting.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Possibly the greatest concept album ever. The long run time flew by. I really like how they made multiple songs into different songs and revisited the concept throughout.
Talking Heads
5/5
On top of this being just an amazing album, this holds a ton of meaning to me. During the pandemic, we had twin two year olds and a 4 year old. This album was on almost daily for months and it would incite and immediate dance party for my kids.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Ehhhh, ok.
The story behind the album is more entertaining than the album.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Respect them for being hip hop trailblazers but this aged like milk. Sounds like 1 long song. Finishing each other's sentences for old real quick.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
An hour plus of theatrical power pop. Great singles and the rest of the album holds up.
John Martyn
2/5
Eh, this was fine. It was music. It was boring. It had no energy. He mumbled the entire time. It wasn't bad, but it just was.
Holger Czukay
3/5
This has a very Brian Eno/David Byrne vibe to it. Easy and interesting listen.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Crazy the evolution hip hop made from the mid 80s to this in 1990. Super listenable.
Fishbone
2/5
This album was insanely annoying to me. The funk rock element mixed with the singers voice made it hard to enjoy any song o this album.
Beyoncé
1/5
The inclusion of this is an insult to every real musician on this project. A team of writer's make songs for her to come in and sing only to be overproduced and edited. Considering the level of production and amount of writer's, it's amazing that this album isn't at least catchy and listenable.
Megadeth
4/5
Someone asked Kerry King of Slayer, who is better between Metallica and Megadeth. He responded, "Metallica has a singer." This album is a musical masterpiece but Dave's voice just doesnt do the music justice.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Such a strong start to this album. First 5 songs are amazing and then the second half just doesnt live up to the beginning. Still an album I love and revisit frequently.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Couple bangers but couldn't really get into it otherwise.
Tom Waits
3/5
The amount of Tom Waits on the project is baffling. This is the first album I actually connected with so maybe it's working. Just an absolutely wild take on instrumentation and vocals.
The Avalanches
3/5
This was a fun listen for about half an hour. Past that point I started to lose interest. Creating an album like this in 1999 is way more impressive with the constraints of technology at that time. In 2025, it doesnt inspire the same because a teenager can now make this on their laptop with modern technology.
Beach House
3/5
Dreamy synthpop. Overall a good listen but not my favorite album from them.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
2 plus hours long and I never got tired of it. Perfect album to pop on sitting around the fire.
Slade
4/5
I like this way more than I expected. Only knew them from the random Christmas song. Kind of an AC/DC vibe but a little more diverse in the song writing. Really like the vocals.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Super generic rock n roll.
Kelela
2/5
14 songs of unremarkable electronicish R & B for getting sexy.
Kate Bush
3/5
She seems like an insane person in the best way. The vocals were all over the place and made a somewhat dull album very expressive. "Get out of my house" is absolutely unhinged.
Hawkwind
2/5
This is potentially a really cool album but faces multiple hurdles. At first I thought this is like a punk rock Emerson Lakes and Palmer but it just drug on too long. After a few songs just all blends together. The recording quality is pretty crappy. If you are doing a live album, it shouldn't sound like I'm listening from the street to some dudes practicing in their garage. Cut out half the songs and get a sound engineer and this is a great album.
Eurythmics
3/5
One good song couldn't save this from mediocrity.
Garbage
4/5
Knew all the hits on here as a child of the 90s but really surprised by how complete this album is. Vow is such a good song.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Strong opener and closer with a middle that doesnt live up.
The Pogues
4/5
Was only familiar with the Christmas song from athe Pogues but I was pleasantly surprised by this. Love the Irish folk punk vibes.
Charles Mingus
3/5
I'm sure this is some superb stuff for jazz nerds, but this just wasn't easy audio to digest.
The Smiths
4/5
Love this album front to back. Sharp witty lyrics, funky bass, bright crisp guitars, such an easy and fun listen.
Sugar
3/5
A generic rock album with a touch of punk and a splash of pop. It's kind of catchy but kind of boring. Feels like I know these songs but I dont.
4/5
There isnt a bad song on this album but it's so hard to keep up the bar they set with the first 4 songs. Beyond the singles, the middle has some absolute gems and the last few songs trail off a bit. If this album had 8 songs instead of 11 it would be a solid 5
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Don't get me wrong, Thin Lizzy rips. But, to make a "live" recording compiled from various live performances and then overdub it in production making essentially a greatest hits album, shouldn't get a spot on this list.