Some cool beats here. I could see this being a huge hit at a rave, and I would actually be into it there. But there’s no reason these songs (which most tracks barely qualify as) need to be this long.
Fuck Kanye. Also, the album just sucks. Like, hurts my ears bad. I don't understand the boner everyone gets for this stuff.
Speakerboxxx > The Love Below, although The Love Below is more interesting. Good but long. I do wish they had blended the two better into a single album (cut out the skits for one). It’s a big reason why, IMO, “Roses” is the best song here, although “Hey Ya” still effin slaps. Truly OutKast’s White Album.
This is a potentially phenomenal album that’s brought down by bad vocals. The music is like nothing else ever to exist, and the singing sounds like any of a thousand mediocre emo bands from that era. Still four stars because the music is that good.
Some signs of what Michael would become, but a bit too much generic-sounding disco here. I do wish I had listened to this before “Bad”.
Good rainy day album
Chill, a little overlong
Hip hop instrumental, love it!
Aggressively 80s
Heroin music. The Velvet Underground do it better. I like Soul Kitchen.
Latin with strings, mostly instrumental. Really good!
Brazilian world music. Good.
Chill relaxing folky
Unexpected psychedelic surprise!
I liked the funkier parts of this one. Could do without the stuff that sounds like 70s porno
I can understand how fans of the genre would like this, and I actually didn’t mind the parts with actual singing. But overall, not my cup of tea. “Snuff” is weirdly out of place.
Great sound for a party. A lot of the songs are about a minute too long
When I first turned this on I was expecting to hate it. As I listened it grew on me. It's not my favorite but it was an enjoyable experience. And at only about 30 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome.
Screamy and no melody. It probably has its place, but ultimately not into it.
I can absolutely see why people went nuts seeing this live in 1963.
I was not expecting to like this one as much as I did. This kind of music is definitely better with a female vocalist.
It’s a bit upsetting that this one doesn’t hit like it did in my mid 20’s
Rush is a band for whom I like the deep cuts much more than the hits. “Tom Sawyer” is one of the weakest songs on the album, and “Vital Signs” is a downer of an ending. But the rest of the album is great. “YYZ”’s reputation is 100% deserved.
Good for driving fast through the open countryside between Los Santos and San Fierro
We’ll, THAT’S something I never would have listened to without this list… Tough to rate since I have no reference point for it. Not for me though.
Much more melodic than what I was expecting, really ended up liking this one! I was worried when I saw 9-minute songs but nothing felt overlong.
She’s got a reputation for a reason.
This is what punk should be. Fun, breezy, and DGAF.
Good harmonies. Not for me though.
I’d love to hear a fan edit of this album with all of the overlong instrumental breaks edited down. This would be a 10/10 if most of the songs were about half as long. “International Lover” is the only one that earns that length, although it is good that the album ends on such a high note.
An awesome mix of rock and psychedelia. I unabashedly rocked out to this one. Certainly put a different spin on “Iron Man”.
Nice and relaxing
“Junk” is certainly an apt descriptor for this one. Only people in their 20s who have done enough drugs to think they’re profound or talented would write garbage like “Dead Joe” or “Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow)”. Happy to duck out of this birthday party early.
Relaxing
Exactly what I wanted it to be on Christmas Day. Minus one star for the Phil Spector of it all.
There’s a time and a place for this, and it’s a cool concept. But a whole album of this is a real bummer.
Wow, what an interesting mix! Part Prince, part Beck, part Styx, part disco, part Pink Floyd (although the “Comfortably Numb” cover is a little out of place). Loved this one!
Good, nothing earth shattering.
Enjoyable album
Dear all metal artists that just scream into the microphone, Having talented musicians and intelligible lyrics makes your music MUCH better. After so many one-star reviews of albums like this, Metallica was a really nice change of pace. Very much a fan of this one.
Liked this
This grew on me. I don’t love it but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. “I’m Going to Spain” is a standout.
Really came out of the gate swinging. A fan!
Never realized how much this inspired. Enjoyed it.
I like the sound. A little long
I wouldn’t listen to this every day, but there’s definitely a time and place for it.
Decent elevator music
Very danceable, into this one.
Perfect for a cold snowy night
A tough one to rate. “Solsbury Hill” is a deserving classic, and most of side 2 is good. But there are also some real stinkers here. “Moribund the Burgermeister“, “Excuse Me”, and “Humdrum” really show that Peter Gabriel needed the rest of Genesis to rein in his dumber ideas.
Fuck Kanye. Also, the album just sucks. Like, hurts my ears bad. I don't understand the boner everyone gets for this stuff.
Groovy, fun, kinda forgettable.
This album had one goal - to make its listeners get up and dance - and it accomplishes it beautifully. Any song here could have been a hit.
Beautiful voice, supremely talented
Liked this. Got a bit repetitive though.
MIA is a wack job, but this album is still good. Major nostalgia factor here, very unique sound. Still proud to say I liked this before it was cool.
5 stars for the nostalgia alone. This is one of the defining albums of my life, and I’m glad to hear that it holds up so well. Just an absolute joy.
They say don’t judge an album by its cover. Based in its cover I thought I’d hate this one, but I didn’t. I ended up liking how the long songs build. Unfortunately there are still enough stinkers here to prevent me from fully recommending it.
I really liked some of these and forgot about others. Suffers from a lot of bloat like other albums from the 90s
Great confident hard sound. Rocked out to this one. “When the Sun Goes Down” was a late-album highlight, and “A Certain Romance” is a hell of a closer.
I was expecting this one to be quite depressing, glad it wasn't. Beautiful, moving music. Elliott Smith was quite a talent.
Enjoyed, good for open driving
I liked most of this one. It kind of falls off though.
Very good music for enjoying a cocktail at a super fancy gala.
Green Day aren’t great musicians but they don’t need to be. This album is fun and not serious at all, which is perfect. I can see why it sparked so many imitators.
I think my pants fell off while listening to this.
The title track is still a banger, and reminds me of the time of my life when I knew every word to it. The rest of it is good, nothing earth-shattering except The Grave, which is beautifully haunting.
Nice funky folky feel.
Dinosaur Jr. is one of my favorite bands. I don't love J Mascis's voice, but they rock hard enough that it doesn't matter. The two Barlow songs at the end stick out, but the rest of the album is so good it doesn't matter.
Weird and fun!
Bowie gets funky. IMO, nothing gets close to peak Bowie.
I wanted to like this, and there's a lot to like about it. But it feels like when I really get grooving with this it reverts back to noise. Parts of it really deserve the love they get, and Teenage Riot is fantastic. But on the whole it didn't do it for me.
Loud, clearly talented, but nothing memorable. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Marvin Gaye had a beautiful voice and certainly knew the way to a woman’s heart and/or pants. Well-deserved reputation.
For me, Beatles>Stones. The Stones only do one thing, but they are absolutely phenomenal at it. Gimme Shelter is a deserving classic that should be played at as loud a volume as possible, but so much in the middle rocks awesomely as well.
Not my cup of tea. Gets real psychedelic at the end.
Musicianship is good, but every time the lead singer opened his mouth it hurt my ears.
Grooved to this one, definitely talented. Ends as it starts to get “samey”
Feels like more than the sum of its parts. Liked this one better than Queen is Dead.
Brings me back. Perfect for lying on a beach or staying inside as the snow falls. Still holds up.
... the fuck? "Hey, I have an idea! Let's just randomly play our instruments as loud as we can!" "And we'll all be playing the same song?" "No way, why would we do that?! We can just call it 'art' and that way no one can criticize us!" Oh my god, this one sucked. Don't do drugs, kids.
Like many others, I knew Deep Purple as the "Smoke on the Water" band, but they're so much more than that. This one starts a bit rough, but after the first minute gets into such an awesome groove. "Flight of the Rat" is a major highlight.
I was dreading a 90-minute live album, but I was in for a pleasant surprise. So many emotions and different musical genres played here! This would have been great to see.
Fun album!
Beautiful album. Got weird in a good way. But as I have some distance all I remember are the two hits.
Such a mixed bag. Some of these feel like Madonna is ahead of the curve (“What It Feels Like for a Girl”, "Gone") and some of these feel like she’s chasing trends instead of setting them (“I Deserve It”, "Paradise [Not For Me]"). Some good songs offset by some god-awful autotune. The less said about the "American Pie" cover, the better. Talk about missing the point of a song.
This is the kind of album that this project was built for! Rocks so hard and so awesomely from beginning to end. Loved the use of strings too! Favorite track: “Girl From Mars”.
Liked this one, interesting sound. Could be a little shorter.
Beautiful album. Best enjoyed entirely in one sitting.
I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to this, as I've disliked a lot of metal I've heard here. But this one was great! Window down, driving fast, and this album blasting from the car speakers is the ideal way to listen to it.
This is a potentially phenomenal album that’s brought down by bad vocals. The music is like nothing else ever to exist, and the singing sounds like any of a thousand mediocre emo bands from that era. Still four stars because the music is that good.
The kind of album you play for a nightcap. Good for late nights
I’m not much of a rap fan, but this was awesome! There’s clear talent here, and this stuff is always elevated by using real instruments.
This album is beautiful from beginning to end. I know Nick Drake had his demons, but this put me in a much better mood. Perfect for springtime in nature.
The hits are good. But the rest of this one really doesn't do it for me, I find it kinda boring. I would like to see Kevin Malone cover "Mother" with Scrantonicity II. WTF is up with that one?
Perfect album for a week ago. I want to dance and drink lots of beer when listening to this. The sound did get old though.
I didn't know much of Marianne Faithfull other than the fact that she was classic rock's Courtney Love. I didn't love this at first, and I still think the title track is the weakest one. But it's also out of place. Most of this album has an edge that I really like. I got a lot of "The Wall" vibes from this one.
This makes me want to drop acid and frolic freely while barefoot in the woods. Interesting experimentation, this takes a hard left turn at the end. "Goin' Back" is absolutely beautiful. "Tribal Gathering" is a blatant rip off of "Take Five"; if George Harrison had to pony up, David Crosby should have too. Though, by the way the cover looks, he ponied up in his own way.
Good sound, hard edge with a great singer. Not worthy of its name at all.
I like the energy in this one.
I had never heard of them, but I liked this one. New wave but not aggressively so, worked for me.
Really unique psychedelic sound. I really felt like I was in a field with a bunch of hippies.
At three hours, this is the biggest commitment of any album I've listened to so far. But Ella had a phenomenal voice that's worthy of the three hours. It's good background music for nighttime in the city. I may or may not have danced to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" in my desk chair.
I was not expecting this to rock so hard! I said this in my review of Green Day's "Dookie" that the lyrics are terrible, but they don't need to be good. It's not about the lyrics, they're just a vehicle for the music. This one rocks so hard that I missed an earthquake because I was listening to it with headphones on!
I was expecting strict Afro beats, but this is so much more! What a fun, exciting album!
Elvis was such a blatant thief. Most of these songs are cheap imitations of better songs. Enjoyed it okay.
Banger after banger. Perfect for driving on a warm sunny day. After an Elvis album that was essentially a shitty covers album, hearing an actually interesting take on an existing song was refreshing. I understand why you'd prefer Marvin Gaye, but I love the jam on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" here.
Unapologetically dumb. Unapologetically awesome.
Unique sound. Needs a good uninterrupted listen at night.
This is a one-hour album stretched to 90 minutes. There's a lot here where not much is happening between the good stuff. Not bad, just boring.
I'd love to light up a huge blunt with George Clinton. This one can take you places. Really into it.
Bad 90’s trend: overlong, repetitive, generic-sounding albums full of overlong, repetitive, generic-sounding songs. The ability to fit more music on a CD was a huge negative factor on the quality of some albums.
I liked a lot of this. Could do without the Icelandic songs.
I was worried about seeing just 4 long songs, but this was so dynamic and awesome, minus “One Woman”, which was thankfully the shortest song on the album. Best praise - I didn’t think about Chef at all when listening to this.
Some of this is good. But this lead singer does NOT have the pipes to carry a ballad. “Hospital” and “Girl Friend” are both huge momentum killers, and the album would have been so much better if they had both been left off it entirely. And I’m pretty sure it’s well-documented that Pablo Picasso was, in fact, an asshole.
Great for when you’re sad, this album captures melancholy very well. If you’re in a good mood, it doesn’t work as well.
I didn't know what to expect when I saw this cover, but it was NOT this. I can fully understand why the "hippie" artists loved this album. The OG version of "Everybody's Talkin" is far superior to the Nilsson one. If Fred Neil was 10 years younger, had long, flowing locks, and had completely changed the cover art, this album would have made him a huge star. 5 stars.
If you’re in a good mood this will lift you up. If you’re in a bad mood this will help immensely. Marley was a legend for a reason.
The hits are good. But the filler really didn’t do much for me.
Taylor Swift’s star is very well deserved. This was a great album for the setting at which I listened to it. She’s going for something, and she just doesn’t nail it, she writes the book on it.
I’m really glad I listened to this one after I listened to “Dookie”. The evolution of Green Day is insane. They’re still clearly themselves, but there’s no way they were doing a mini rock opera back then, much less two of them. This is an awesome protest album, maybe the last great one of its kind. I really miss this kind of album. Maybe encapsulates its era better than any other album of the 00’s. Nailed the zeitgeist.
Good in a vacuum and has good variety, but suffers when compared to some of the other Britpop on this list. Better than “A Northern Soul”, not as good as “Definitely Maybe”. But enjoyable nonetheless.
“Look at me! Look at how I say ‘fuck’ all the time. Isn’t it amazing how edgy I am?!” - Fred Durst (probably). Swearing, cliches, and rhyming words with themselves - the album. The sad part is, the instrumentals are actually okay, bordering on good. Nothing about this is offensive to the ears, which keeps it from getting a 1. It’s just that the vocals are So. Effing. Stupid. Being on the same track as DMX and Xzibit (far from the GOAT) doesn't help matters for Mr. Durst. It’s also kind of funny how much better the production values are on “My Way” than the rest of the album.
Some cool beats here. I could see this being a huge hit at a rave, and I would actually be into it there. But there’s no reason these songs (which most tracks barely qualify as) need to be this long.
Parts of this are beautiful, and parts of this are smug as hell. A lot of the protest stuff probably hit a lot harder in 1963. But it’s still a good listen out in nature, and you can’t deny that it’s revolutionary.
Has some really good moments, but also kinda dies towards the end. Everything between “Emit Remus” and “Road Trippin” feels superfluous. But the rest of the album is great.
An absolute shit album. But also a fascinating absolute shit album.
Excellent
What a weird mix of an album. Noise collages with generic 70s stuff. Could occasionally get into it.
In a vacuum, the edgier stuff is pretty good. The Dude was absolutely right about the rest of it.
Was decent. I don’t know how much British hip-hop really resonates with me though.
If I closed my eyes it felt like I was drinking whiskey in a smoky lounge.
I liked the parts that didn’t feel like real sappy stuff.
I’d lien to hang out with these guys.
Okay, didn’t quite have the punch I wanted.
Enjoyed some, but I can’t really get into the softer stuff.
Yes, all AC/DC songs sound the same. But it’s a great sound.
Just okay, long. Did get into it by the end though.
Funky and fun!
7/8 of this album is an overlong mediocre yawnfest. “(I Know) I’m Losing You” is absolutely awesome and sticks out like a sore thumb here. It brings my review score up an entire star on its own.
Very much a product of its time. Did get kind of into it though.
Simultaneously epic and sexy. Very much into this album.
Love this one. It’s got a vibe that’s good for driving and for sitting back and smoking a j with friends.
Kinda surprised it took me this long to get a country album. Doesn’t do it for me.
Production is great, vocals are great. Rockin out!
This man had talent out the ass. It’s easy to see how this became the defining soundtrack of an entire generation.
This one has such an intense sense of place. I didn’t just listen to this, I felt it. Absolutely demands to be listened to at night.
There’s good stuff here, and Amy Winehouse had a great and unique voice. But there’s also signs of struggling to figure out what works for her. A big voice needs big songs.
Very interesting music, really into the instrumental stuff.
Bob Dylan’s voice (raspier with age) arguably fits this bluesy stuff better than it does his early material. Gives it a haunting quality.
Peaceful and interesting sonically. I can very much imagine lighting up a J and putting this on. Big fan of how it ends too. “Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp” put this over the hump to 5 stars (and I do kind of miss weird hidden tracks on albums).
Up to listening to this, my exposure to reggae was limited only to Bob Marley. This feels very different, and I like listening to a different side of the genre.
First 5 minutes: ugh, this is such a slog. Next 15 minutes: wow, this is incredible! “A Passage to Bangkok”: this is pretty good, but that riff is kinda racist, isn’t it? The rest of side 2: ugh, this album just died. When does it end?
This kind of stuff usually isn’t my jam. She has a beautiful voice but I wasn’t super into the music, and I was debating on whether to give this 3 or 4 stars based on the strength of her voice. Then the “For No One” cover came on. Absolutely moved me, and my decision was made.
Interesting mix of jazz, funk, and punk. Wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did.
Speakerboxxx > The Love Below, although The Love Below is more interesting. Good but long. I do wish they had blended the two better into a single album (cut out the skits for one). It’s a big reason why, IMO, “Roses” is the best song here, although “Hey Ya” still effin slaps. Truly OutKast’s White Album.
Part of this project is listening to stuff you’ve never heard of from genres you’d never even dream of listening to. Another part of this project is speeding down the highway in sunny, 80 degree weather with the windows open blasting Springsteen. One of the easiest 5-star reviews I’ve given. Banger after banger here.
Definitely more than the sum of its parts. Not Arcade Fire’s best album, and some songs here, taken individually, are pretty weak. But the whole thing builds in a good way. I like the placement of the “No Cars Go” climax with the denouement of “My Body is a Cage”.
Surprisingly effective for getting work done. Everything except the occasional random scream is great.
It’s good, Bowie was a genius. But I’d hardly call this one essential. I think they made the right call removing this in later editions in favor of “Blackstar”.
Very nice summer album. Didn’t change my world but I liked it.
The Deadhead in your life’s new favorite album.
I really like these old loungey albums that essentially amount to a recording of the live show, although you can see the beginnings of studio experimentation here, especially on side 2. Side one is a total banger, and if you're in the right mood for side 2, it hits hard.
I’ve probably heard “Bohemian Rhapsody” more times than I’ve heard any other song on this list, but it really put it in a new perspective listening to it on the album, where it serves as an epic climax. The deep cuts are all great (even though someone really should talk to Roger Taylor about his relationship with his car). Queen hit a real creative peak here.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, especially considering how much I hated the other Rod Stewart album I've had so far. Not pushing any boundaries, but good nonetheless.
“Bittersweet Symphony” is easily the best song here and still hits (almost) the same. “The Drugs Don’t Work” reeks of trying too hard. The rest of it is pretty generic Brit Pop. The Verve still have the problem of an album full of overlong, repetitive songs.
This one was fun AF! Costello really came out of the gate swinging.
The Byrds had such an awesome sound. Why’d they have to pull this shit?! Not the worst album I’ve ever heard, and I actually really enjoyed “One Hundred Years From Now,” but one star for shitting all over something that used to be amazing.
Definitely a unique sound. This one could only be classified as an experience. Fuck it, I’m a fan.
Like Springsteen working on a 70’s porno. I really don’t like albums where the artists feel that the songs need to be crazy long. Especially if nothing happens. Album did have its bright spots, but didn’t do it for me.
Enjoyed it, especially considering I’m not much of a country fan. Rounding up because of how much Steve Earle supported Bubbles on his sobriety journey.
The song from all the commercials! The rest of it is really good too. The right mix of rocking out and weirdness.
Almost 2 hours long and this didn’t drag once! I was dancing in public with this one on, really vibed with this one. Reputation very much deserved.
Good fun songs, and well-deserved hits. Does start to feel “same-y” after a while.
Saw this was one of the lowest-rated albums here, and got worried. Was expecting it to be way worse. It reminded me of the soundtrack to a weird Broadway musical. I can tell this is an intense war album, and it communicated that feeling very well even though a lot of it was in German. I also appreciate the instrumentals as a former band geek. The length is a problem; it lost its effectiveness about 40 minutes in. I enjoyed this for what it was. Although I probably won't ever find the need to listen to it again, I'm ultimately glad I did.
Good politically charged listen.
More than the sum of its parts. They’re working together in such a groove to make an album that feels like one complete work instead of a collection of songs.
My “Born in the USA” review can be applied to this, pretty much verbatim. Must be a Jersey thing.
Banger after banger. Say what you will about The Killers, but this album effing rocks.
Truly the voice of an angel. Would probably be better served soundtracking a night on the town.
Perfect Friday album. I definitely prefer this to R.E.M.’s slower stuff.
I liked a good portion of this. Some good flow, interesting beats, and once this got going I really felt it. Then I got to “Water”, and all that came to a screeching halt. Avant-garde does NOT fit here. That song sucked so hard it brings my entire score down one star. It should have been left off entirely.
A few songs are okay, but this doesn’t really feel like an album. Probably suffers a lot without the movie it’s attached to. …do I just not like slow, soulful R&B?
Some signs of what Michael would become, but a bit too much generic-sounding disco here. I do wish I had listened to this before “Bad”.
Loved this one, great psychedelic sound. Not sure why The Doors have the lasting legacy and these guys don't. This is also one of the most fitting album covers I've seen.
Raw, powerful stuff. How could Uncle Joey hurt Alanis like this?
Rocks hard with excellent guitar work from the first minute to the last. Loved this one.
Haunting even without the context in which it was written and released. If only we all could get a swan song like that.
I could totally sexy dance to this
Hit a bit strangely at first because I listened to “Apocalypse 91” before this one, but I ended up really liking it. Fun as hell.
Still rocks and rolls, and you can really hear the influence this had on so many other things (including being blatantly stolen by Elvis). Doesn’t have the “oomph” it probably did when it first came out.
Enjoyed the vibe, even if it was a little generic.
Just okay, a whole album of songs that sound like each other. No real standouts for me.
Wow. Seriously haunting album. This one floored me. Phenomenal.
Simon and Garfunkel take LSD. I’m here for it.
A very hard one to rate. Overall the music was very good. Sometimes the singing fit it. Other times, the music was interrupted by the sounds of a whale in heat. Split the difference I guess.
Didn’t consistently enjoy this. I did get into it for bits and pieces, but it feels longer than it’s 38 minutes. Not sure if it’s the singer or the fact that they didn’t have enough ideas to fill an album.
I liked the upbeat stuff, but really not into the slow stuff. More good than bad, I liked it.
Just by listening to this I can tell that The Residents are all pretentious douchebags who would laugh at you for not “understanding art” when you, rightly, tell them that their album is complete garbage.
Some of this is good. But there is no reason for these songs to be this long.
That could certainly be described as, um, something… I actually kinda sorta liked it.
If I’m ever feeling reflective about anything, I put this on. This album has gotten me through a lot. I’m happy to see it still has the same effect on me after all these years. Easily one of my top albums ever.
Pretty solid. The stuff that doesn’t mean anything is better than the psychedelic stuff.
Strong music that’s not served well by the singer. Interestingly enough, Kurt Cobain’s voice would fit very well on every song here.
Not sure how much of this would fly today, but it is interesting. The African sounds work very well with Paul Simon’s music. Difficult to separate from The Lion King for modern ears but it was a good listen!
I thought it was bad enough being loud and shitty. Turns out it’s possible to be loud, shitty, and boring. The unfortunate part is that these guys are talented players. Sometimes, this approaches something resembling okay, only for them to repeat the same thing for six minutes. There is precisely nothing “wonderful” about this album.
Some of my 1-star reviews are weird genre stuff I’ve just felt wasn’t for me. Sometimes the musicians are talented but made awful musical decisions. Sometimes they overdo it with the artsiness. Sometimes I can see how some people might like it. Not this, though. This just sucks. Strong WOAT contender here. The band name is accurate though. The lie they tell is that they have any musical ability whatsoever.
How have I never heard of this before?! This should have been all over the place during college! I don’t know if this is because of getting two 1-star albums in a row or a testament to how good this is (probably a combination of both), but this really vibed with me. One of the best discoveries of this project for me so far.
Funky and fun, danced the whole way through. You definitely got that funk, Parliament.
Somehow simultaneously fun and boring. Danceable but also incredibly dated, a lot more so than other stuff from 1990. Also, same 90’s problem of overlong songs just because of the upgrade from vinyl to CDs.
I wanted to like this more than I did, especially given Skip Spence’s story. It does have its occasional moments, and I genuinely enjoyed some of it. But it doesn’t really hit without the heroin.
I’ve said it before, but the Stones only do one thing. However, they are phenomenal at that one thing. It’s nice seeing them get a bit experimental. Not as solid as some of their later albums. “Paint It Black” and “Under My Thumb” are far from their best hits, IMO. It definitely picks up on side 2, though.
Not advisable to listen to this while driving. You may head bang too hard and lose focus on the road.
Jewel vibes here. Didn’t change my world but I liked it.
Good but not cohesive. Almost sounds like a collection of leftovers rather than one album. “Student Demonstration Time” pisses me off because of how disgusting of a human being Mike Love turned out to be. Score gets rounded up because of how hauntingly beautiful the title track is.
Very much an album that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Weird and disparate (a lot of these songs don’t work individually, and I’m still not quite sure what the concept is) but somehow fits together to make a great psychedelic work.
Good interesting sound. Enjoyable.
A good double album that would have made it a great single album, so basically Fleetwood Mac’s White Album (complete with its own “Revolution 9”). “Sara” is as good as anything on Rumours, and should have been a hit.
Schmaltzy as fuck. Five stars.
Based on the description, I was expecting to like this more than I did. It did kind of grow on me though, but only to a point. I’m still not into the Indian-sounding stuff, but I like the bluesier parts. Unfortunately, the Indian-sounding stuff came to dominate the album.
I might be too sober to enjoy this fully. It was good, and the best songs (“SWLABR”) really showcase Cream’s musical talent. But ultimately I think the members of Cream (the Creamers?) might be better as session musicians than fronting their own band, Clapton included.
Good beats, enjoyed. I could work to this music. Not sure why techno artists insist on their songs being crazy long though.
I think it’s a testament to this project that I can articulate specifically why I don’t like this. They’re skilled rappers, but these beats kind of suck.
Not an album, but a symphony. I can see why someone wouldn’t be into this, but it worked for me. What that asshat John Zorn wishes he could be.
West coast hip hop > east coast hip hop Good bears and true emotion here. I really wonder how 2pac would have handled the Bush or Orange Asshole administrations.
VERY problematic era for Bowie, but this might be his best album, which is really saying something. I forgot how awesome these songs (“Stay” in particular) are. It’s amazing that he did so many drugs that he didn’t remember making this one. All that happens when I do too many drugs is that I lie on the couch and eat too many Cheez-Its.
How dare Ray Davies trash Revolver when he blatantly copied the Stones and the Who (and frankly, with the harpsichords, the Beatles too) in the same year! At least the Beatles did something unique. You should be ashamed of yourself, sir! Good, but the fact that they just ripped off better artists makes me angry.
Meaningful lyrics, good beats, and a good vibe. I can see why this is considered a GOAT.
Wow, what a difference between Side 1 (which is godawful) and Side 2 (which is actually pretty good). I was kinda surprised when I stopped hating this one. One of those “split the difference” scores. Making this an EP with everything from “50ft Queenie” onwards would have been fantastic. Alas, it was not to be.
“I dunno, I thought this would hit harder.” *turns volume up* “Holy shit, this is amazing!”
Very much transitional, which means it kind of struggles to have a viewpoint. Not as good as some of their other material.
My third Smiths album. It was fine, didn’t really change my world or anything. By this point, I think I have an idea of what they’re about.
Very unique voice that fits this music well. It moved me.
This is a real relaxing jazzy vibe. A lot of A Tribe Called Quest influences. I liked it except for the skits (which I have no idea why rappers love - they’re almost exclusively terrible).
Absolutely epic album. No two Bowie albums sound alike. It makes them all essential listening. I’d call him the “anti-Morrissey”.
Cardinal Rule of Music: never listen to the xx during the day. The first album is better, but this is good. Although at points it was mostly the Jamie xx show
Ed Sheeran 100% stole “Crazy Love”. Van has a good voice, but, with the possibly exception of the title track, even the big songs are bland AF. Disappointingly boring album.
This one (like a lot of Radiohead) requires the right mindset to enjoy. If you’re not in the right head space it would be a big miss. But it has an incredibly haunting quality that rewards concentration and focus, and if you’re in the right headspace it’s perfect. Not Radiohead’s best, but definitely their most underappreciated. I was mesmerized by this one. Didn’t rock out to this by any means but a great album nonetheless.
Just as you start to get into it it gets weird, like if The Beach Boys went even further during Pet Sounds and had kicked Mike Love out of the group. Not a relaxing listen, but it is very interesting. It grew on me.
Probably suffers a bit from “Seinfeld is Unfunny” syndrome since it spawned so many imitators and “Wonderwall” has become so closely identified with douchebags with guitars. But it still rocks, even though it sounds a little generic now.
Whoever decided speak vocals should be a thing should be erased from history. Not only are these songs bad, they’re also long and boring. There’s some talent here but overall this is one of the dumber albums I’ve listened to.
“A Child’s Claim to Fame” is god awful, and “Sad Memory” isn’t much better. The rest of this album is amazing. This one could have been a GOAT contender if they had completely cut out the steaming turd sitting at track 2, or if they had kicked Richie Furay out of the band.
I like about half of this, which is more than I thought I would at first. It’s a weird vibe, some stuff that sounds great, and some truly awful shit, sometimes in the same song (looking at you, “Thorn of Crowns”).
It’s a testament to the Beatles’ genius that even a “lesser” album like this is still this good. A lot of the mop top stuff sounds dated and of an era, but the Beatles were easily the best to ever do it.
I was today years old when I found out that Steely Dan is just glorified elevator music. If the rest of the album had been more similar to “Josie”, it would have been so much better.
More than any other album I’ve listened to here so far, this is truly “one thing”. Wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but ended up liking it. Will definitely listen to again at night with a J in hand.
If this were just a little worse, I would hate it. But as it is, this is amazing. What Metallica’s (many) imitators don’t get is that these are actual songs, with actual music and actual singing. I think I’m a legit Metallica fan. Who knew?
Not what I anticipated it to be. I thought this would go harder. Jazzier than I expected though, which I enjoyed.
Drove down the street blasting this while swinging my arm back and forth. Big fan, and absolutely wouldn’t have listened to this without this project.
Mariah unquestionably has an amazing voice. But a lot of this sounds incredibly dated. The album also has the classic 90's bloat problem, although not as bad as some of its contemporaries.
I didn’t know much about Public Enemy before I started this project, but they were consistently great. My favorite is still It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, but this is a lot of fun too.
Good album. The rest of the album doesn’t quite hit the awesomeness of the beginning, although “Mother’s Daughter” does get to that level.
Dear artists, If you have “album versions” and “single versions” that are half has long, your “album versions” are too long. Very repetitive album. If I was a teen when this came out, I would have been “disco sucks” really hard. However, I might enjoy this in the right environment.
There’s a surprising amount here that doesn’t work. The rap songs are easily the strongest parts, so I guess it makes sense Gorillaz leaned into that later. Surprising to rate it this low. I actually really like Demon Days and Plastic Beach. But Gorillaz did not come out of the gate fully formed.
I don’t usually go for this type of R&B, and I’ve hated some R&B I’ve had in the past. But I do like this modern take on it. Some good Lauryn Hill vibes here.
Like a French Tribe Called Quest. Liked it.
The more I think about this one, the more I like it. Captures melancholy very well, which makes sense given everything I know about Elliott Smith. Probably a perfect “rainy day album”.
Joan Armatrading would have absolutely killed the festival circuit. I want to hear her play with every great guitarist who’s ever lived. Great discovery, unbelievable album.
Like a funky Pink Floyd. Liked this more than I thought I would.
This might have been interesting live, but there is almost nothing about this that works as recorded music.
An album that feels very much like “one thing”. Enjoyed it.
Good mixing of genres here. Surprisingly enjoyable album.
There’s good schmaltz and there’s bad schmaltz. This is bad schmaltz.
Better than what he did with The Smiths. Good.
Needed to be in the right mindset for this. Even then it was just okay. Not really into new wave, I guess.
Ah, so this is why Pharrell is a star… Enjoyed this one a lot. Big fan.
What I imagine every hippie drum circle sounded like.
Say what you will about the Chili Peppers, but this album is great. Does get a little long (classic 90’s bloat) and the album would be improved by removing the title track, “Apache Rose Peacock”, “The Greeting Song”, and “My Lovely Man” (yes, I know it’s the Hillel tribute). But that doesn’t do much to dampen this album’s greatness.
Good upbeat jazzy album. I like that this is a protest album too. Enjoyable listen.
Bad white-boy rapping, misogyny, racism, asinine lyrics, thinking saying “fuck” a lot is edgy, musical incohesiveness, bad autotune, AND awful bloat?! All in one album?! All from a noted Terrible Human Being?! Yay!! Surprisingly does have some highlights (namely every time Kid Rock shut his mouth during “Fist of Rage”) but those highlights don’t outweigh the idiocy. https://kamalaharris.com/
A perfect time capsule of the mid 90’s. I wasn’t expecting this to be so familiar to me. It’s got a real “soundtrack to summer” vibe.
A great sound at its peak. Love the talent here. OutKast are effortlessly cool, nice change of pace from some others I’ve gotten recently. Doesn’t overstay it’s welcome even after an hour.
Steely Dan pisses me off because they were very talented and clearly had the ability to make awesome music, but just chose not to. “Bodhisattva” and “My Old School” both rock. But the rest of this is just repetitive or glorified elevator music. Incredibly boring.
Some songs are good, but something about this just doesn’t vibe with me. I think it’s the lead singer’s voice.
Good sound that I rocked out to, and a good encapsulation of "hair metal." However, the problem with this album is that it doesn't really "fit" as an album or feel like "one thing", especially towards the end. But I did enjoy it.
Not as good as A Night at the Opera, but still enjoyable. Love “Stone Cold Crazy” and “In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited” are real highlights for me. Straight up heavy metal! I do wish they had made all of the shorter side 2 songs go together, Abbey Road-style. “She Makes Me” also would have been better with Freddie on lead vocals.
Tough one to rate. I liked this a lot better than Medúlla, which is admittedly a low bar. This one has some good hooks and interesting orchestral parts. I might actually like it under the right circumstances. Weirdly reminded me of the Hollow Knight soundtrack (which I loved). Unfortunately, this isn’t universal throughout. Not sure what “Family” or “Notget” were. I do think it was intentionally uncomfortable though, even though some of it id just weird for weirdness’ sake. I’ll give Björk this, though: one thing she definitely isn’t is boring.
A fun time! Nice mix of bluesy and psychedelic. “Ever Since the World Began” is a bizarre closer, especially since there’s already a song called “Farewell” on the album.
I don't know how much of this is due to the fact that I was very much in the mood for classical music when I was listening to this, but this is incredible! Especially impressive given the fact that it's just one piano. Amazing find.
The 20-year nostalgia cycle is VERY evident here. If I had never heard of The Darkness and if “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” hadn’t been everywhere in the early aughts, I’d believe you if you told me this was from 1986. Good, fun album you can blast out of your car speakers. Who cares if it’s not wholly (or at all) original?!
"Now here are some of your no-name bands. Sonic Youth? Nine Inch Nails?" - Homer Simpson If hating this makes me uncool, then consider me a big ol' square.
Chillwave before chillwave was even a thing. Love the use of real instruments interspersed here too. Great vibe with this one.
Captures a particular vibe very well. Probably not as revolutionary as The Velvet Underground and Nico, because of course it can't be. But it is good. "The Gift" is haunting.
"I've got an idea. Let's cover some Russian classical music in our style! I think that could go over well" "Yea, I think that's good. No one's really done that before, and these classical songs can still sound really good." "But it's missing something..." *band members think for a minute...* (in unison): "MORE SYNTHS!!! ALL THE SYNTHS IN THE WORLD!!!!!" Ugh, this one was a chore to get through. It’s everything people hate about prog rock all in one package. Felt so much longer than its 38 minutes.
D.A.N.C.E. is a classic, of course. Problem is the rest of it isn’t good. Repetitive uninteresting techno beats doesn’t make a good album.
U2 was probably a breath of fresh air for everyone who hated hair metal. Say what you will about him, but Bono is arguably a GOAT-tier lead vocalist.
Solid rap album from beginning to end. Literally flawless.
Not bad, good funky vibe. Nice use of jazz elements, but it does get a little “70’s porno”-ish. Does also get a little “meh” by the end.
Bright and poppy and serves David Byrne’s weird vocals very well. It’s clearly what all other inferior New Wave bands tried to emulate. This is the kind of music I’d dance to!
CeeLo is an asshole, but this is a fun album. He’s got a good unique voice and there’s skilled rapping all over this. The album is a bit too long, though. It would be 5 stars if it didn’t overstay its welcome.
If you didn’t listen to this one at night, outside, while smoking weed, did you really give it a fair chance?
If you were to tell ChatGPT to write you bland, generic movie montage music, this is what you’d get.
Recommendation: listen to this one in the woods.
The blues had a baby and named it Rock and Roll. I can see how this was so influential. I can hear it in almost everything I listen to. Great to see it works on its own too.
Solid album. The hits are obviously the best, but this is pretty good as well. Does sound a bit generic, but not as bad as other BritPop.
The bluesy stuff works better than the “heroin” stuff. A lot of this album is good, but many songs run out of gas before they end. “L’America” is a major low point, and “Riders on the Storm” is overrated. However, the title track is very good. CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT: Jim Morrison’s reputation as a “poet” is undeserved, and The Doors would not have endured like they have if he hadn’t died young.
What an interesting album! Never got boring from beginning to end, blended genres in a great way, and was great to listen to from front to (almost) back (the "Light My Fire" cover was a hair out of place). Loved this one.
I feel like this was old people music even when it came out. One of the lamest, most boring albums I have ever heard.
Elvis Costello is good, but this is almost indistinguishable from his earlier stuff except for the fact that it’s lost some edge. I liked his first two albums, but this one gives me the sense that he had a good sound but never really grew or evolved as a musician. The album ends on a very high note - "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is great - which helps it. The casual slur in “Oliver’s Army” has aged incredibly poorly. I’ve now listened to three Elvis Costello albums. I don’t think I need three more from this list, especially given the fact that I’m pretty sure I’ve already gotten his best ones.
It's tough to believe this is the same person who sang "Son of a Preacher Man." Nice and peppy with a good voice. Not sure I would call it essential, though, especially considering this is very much not what I think of when I think of Dusty Springfield.
Nice background music. Not sure I’d pick this every day but there’s a time and place for it. I also can see why “Smooth Operator” was a hit.
“I bought another Sonic Youth album and it sucks. It’s just noise.” - Juno MacGuff. There are some good songs here, most notably “Sugar Kane” and “Chapel Hill”, but overall Juno is right. I can’t rate an album where one vocalist sings like she’s throwing up everywhere very highly.
This one’s not about lyrics, which aren’t great. It’s not about musical talent either, which isn’t anything special (but if Sid Vicious wasn’t good enough to play on this, it really says something about his [lack of] talent). It’s all about a vibe, which is captured perfectly. There’s a reason this was so influential. Deserves to be played as loud as possible.
How have I not heard of Jane Weaver?! How is she not more popular?! This is such a solid album from beginning to end. Sounds like one thing and was a great listen.
I honestly thought this was 15 years younger than it actually is. Gotta give credit for inventing hair metal.
I feel like the only reason Sonic Youth got popular was because smug Gen Xers who bitched about “the mainstream” and “selling out” could feel good about themselves by listening to this garbage. After getting two Sonic Youth albums within a week of each other, I feel confident in saying that they’re one of, if not the, most overrated bands in history.
I’ve listened to Zappa before, but never anything like this. Love the psychedelic jazz! I get why Zappa’s music isn’t for everyone, but based on just raw talent alone he might have been GOAT-level.
The music of a bunch of musicians who dropped acid and went to a Ren Faire.
Didn’t get into it until about halfway through, but this is beautiful! Joni has a beautiful voice, and the fact that this is mostly just her and a piano is amazing.
Janis had one of those voices that was impossible to replicate. It gives all this music a raw quality and an edge that makes it that much more enduring. This album deserves to be blasted at as high a volume as possible.
I like a lot of this. Generally, but not exclusively, I think Bob Mould’s stuff is better than Grant Hart’s. Problem is, the album is so friggin long. It’s another double album that would work better as a single.
A psychedelic Coldplay - I like the sound, very much not the generic BritPop I worried about at first. Most of the songs are too long, though. The album would be a 5 if almost every song were trimmed down by at least a minute.
Literally just a carbon copy of Never Mind the Bollocks. Same exact sound but without the edge. In a world where that album doesn’t exist, this ranks higher. As it is, though, this just shows zero originality.
I first listened to this album when I was 21. I had been out of my “all music ended in 1979” mindset for about a year by that point, but I still only listened to what my friends told me about. I stumbled upon this on my own, almost by accident even though it had been out for a few years by that point. Almost immediately, my idea of what music could be was transformed. I’ve listened to this one a lot since then. Listening to it again for this project reinforces everything that this album has meant to me. Every song still brings out such powerful emotions. In these dark times, “Come On Feel the Illinoise” and “Jacksonville” are such strong beacons of light. “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” is still haunting, I still know every word of “Decatur”, and “Chicago” never fails to bring a tear to the eye. And that doesn’t even get to what may be the single saddest song ever written, “Casimir Pulaski Day”. This is a very long album, but it earns every second of its run time. (Also, listening to it now, 350-odd albums into this project, some of the interludes feel like they were meant to be intermissions, which helps with the length). The back half of the album is full of gems. Even after all this time, I was surprised at how affected I was by “Predatory Wasp”, even though nothing about this album should surprise me anymore. And the reward for sticking it out to the end is “The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders”, about as good of an album climax as I’ve ever heard. Illinois is a perfect album, plain and simple. I’m glad to see that such a monumental album in my life remains that way after all these years.
What’s worse than a bad synth album? A bad synth album with a single 20-minute song! ELP’s heads were so far up their own asses they forgot that random synth playing doesn’t actually qualify as music. Some of this is actually pretty good, namely everything that’s guitar-dominated. But that just serves to make the terrible parts, which is most of the album, suck even more.
Solid summertime lounge music. I feel like you don’t really get the “need to follow them around” feeling from the albums, but I did like it.
Did The Velvet Underground get clean? I enjoyed this one a lot. Nothing groundbreaking, because it's really only possible to break ground once like this (with a few exceptions). But I did like this one a lot, especially the ending - I was transfixed by "The Murder Mystery", which works very will with the extremely ahead-of-its-time "After Hours" as a denouement.
Oh no, Lou Reed is back on the sauce… This one is hurt by the fact that the first three songs on the album are the worst. It did get better, though, and by the end it’s a good story and a powerful album, especially side 2. The problem is that Lou Reed’s voice doesn’t fit a lot of these songs. It would have been so much better with a different vocalist.
B.B. King was fucking good at that instrument. Truly earns the title of master. This captures the feel of this concert extremely well. Probably the rare live album that does that.
I could see how this would be influential, but on the whole this is a long, boring album where not much happens. Kinda disappointing considering I’ve really been into this sort of thing in the past.
Takes a bit of time to really get going, but it has a good funky sound once it does. “Higher Ground” is an absolute banger, and in general side 2 is better than side 1. Some songs, especially the slower ones, sound dated. Not as good as Songs in the Key of Life, but still enjoyable.
Hard one to rate. It almost goes like an “every other song” situation, where one song is good, but the next song is just art for art’s sake. I did enjoy some of it, but I wouldn’t say I liked the album. Reminds me of Zappa, but without the musical talent to back it up.
Of all the music I’ve listened to here, this might be the single most devoid of talent album I’ve heard. The vocals suck, the musicanship shoes zero evidence of actual ability, and it was overall a completely unpleasant experience. Like listening to a bad high school Battle of the Bands entrant. .
Background music for a fancy cocktail party. Probably wouldn’t seek this out for my own listening, but it works for that setting.
There’s no denying that these harmonies are great, and, yes, Dolly is a national treasure. But a lot of this music just bores me to tears. Probably would be better live, but as an album it doesn’t work for me. A classic example of being impressed by the artistry behind something but still not liking it.
Sounds quaint to modern ears, but you can hear the origins of so much different music here. It’s amazing how many artists can trace their lineage here, and how varied those artists are. That alone is worth at least 4 stars. One extra due to the boogieing.
Why, yes, I did do the hip thing in my driver’s seat. Why do you ask?
Eminem is a very talented rapper, but a lot of this hasn’t aged well. He does seem to have the self awareness to know that it’s an act and what he’s saying is horrible, but he still says it. It probably had more impact when this was everywhere, but with the separation of time, the album is left alone to stand on its own merits. Unfortunately, it’s a very abrasive experience, and not an enjoyable one or a good listen. Not only is it hateful, it’s also so long. The 90s references in “The Real Slim Shady” are hilarious in retrospect.
This one’s about mood and harmony, which they hit. Didn’t set my world on fire but I did enjoy listening to it.
After listening to Eminem, who has talent but is so angry and abrasive, this was a breath of fresh air. Almost the exact opposite - technique is good but not the best, but great jazzy beats and, most importantly, it’s fun! Could stand to be a little shorter, but I liked this one a lot.
The hits are great (especially "Kids"), but the album feels like it's pulling in two different directions. Sometimes it works, but a lot of the non-hits are mediocre imitations of better bands, and that sort of thing isn't in MGMT's wheelhouse. I know they didn't like the hits and wanted to do something else, but this ain't it.
In an alternate universe, Prince doesn’t give Sinead permission to record “Nothing Compares 2 U”. Sinead doesn’t get huge, but she becomes an indie darling with a long, ultimately successful career. She doesn’t get big enough to guest on SNL for another few years, at which point she picks a different target that doesn’t get the same kind of negative press, and she’s lauded for it. Alas… Most of this is timeless and incredibly moving (which makes “The Emperor’s New Clothes” especially jarring). Mostly great from beginning to end. Rounding up because Sinead absolutely didn’t deserve what happened to her.
Good soundtrack to a dark, rainy day. Björk’s voice fits this when she’s not screaming. I think I’ve now gotten all of Björk, in reverse order, which makes it seem like she started weird and toned it down, as opposed to the other way around. As it stands, it’s a shame she gave info her worse impulses. Still, definitely not a boring artist, for better or worse.