Saw a tweet one time that was just this picture, captioned “these honkeys were COOKING” and it’s so true. ‘Shout’ is just one of those few 80’s gems that will never be replicated. It’s got AURA. It’s got ATTITUDE. This can be said for the entire album actually. Tight, direct song structure that knows when to slip in and out of instrumental atmospheres. A massive generational pop hit. One iconic vocal melody after another. A mystical album ender. Socially conscious messaging. This album has it all and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome at all. Perfect! It’s incredible that we got this less than a year after Purple Rain. It’s worth noting that they’ve done the impossible recently - they made a song that’s unique and new sounding, unlike every other legacy band from the 80’s or earlier pumping out nothing-burgers to cash in on yet another world tour. Check out ‘No Small Thing’ it’s worth a listen

I don’t hate this album as much as I used to, even if morissey is still way too whiney. This probably hit super hard if you were a British teen back then. The instrumental composition is really good. The fact that this got a 3 out of me is saying a lot. It just makes me want to listen to Brand New. Similar amounts of whiney crooning

Alright I’m officially tilted at how many boomer rock albums we’ve pulled. I would like to use this album to bring to light the 2010 remix of My Generation featuring Slash and Will.i.am., in which he sings about the war in Iraq and the recession

“Mamaaaaa, uwu” - Freddie Mercury

I have a soft spot for a lot of these sounds. People like Aphex Twin would take this and iterate on it. So I see this album as important, but not necessary amazing. Probably very cool if you were into this when it came out tho

Makes me wanna mull over a glass of whiskey in a black&white downtown diner while figuring out cold case crimes. Flames

Did I hear some crooning vibrato vocal runs? Damn Post Malone kinda stole her flow. Very heartfelt very personal very nice

“Mamaaaaa, uwu” - Freddie Mercury

What a fun goofy band! I wonder how they feel about the war in Iraq.

the stronks 🗣️

Genesis/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel but for British millennials 🔥🔥🔥

🔥🔥🔥🔥SKA MUSIC🔥🔥🔥🔥

What in the WORLD is this hippie going on about???

https://youtu.be/zLk6bUvS6Ic?si=M_uO2c8Ata2fpNoW

Millennials know that Deep Purple rocks they were the first song in Guitar Hero 3 AND the intro to Rockband

One liberating thing about turning 26 is being able to say “Neil Young just doesn’t do it for me” without the fear of being disowned by my parents and dropped from the family healthcare plan. Too old for that now

Fucking AMPED for this one. Wildly ahead of it’s time. The prodigy did the dubstep/riddim/bass music aesthetic 20 years before it became a thing. Producers like G Jones and Nitepunk are just now making Prodigy-style sounds popular in edm. The first two tracks on here are widely considered to be classics, but Mindfields is such a slept on banger. The Noisia remix of Smack My Bitch Up & the Glitch Mob remix of Breathe are modernized versions of these bangers, worth checking out

Points for going full Jack Black there at the end

I’m more of a blink-182 guy a very soft 3/5 on this one

I’m convinced she dated bob dylan just to show everyone how she clears him in many categories (multi-lingual, sane)

Such a good way to end the earlier traditional Beatles sound. Very polished. Nowhere Man gotta be the highlight here. But the real treat of this album is Ringo Starr doing a lead vocal (What Goes On) where he’s NOT singing about an imaginary creature or some drug-induced situation he finds himself in

She sings the hell outta this album. Generational vocal talent. Adele, Karen Carpenter, Aretha Franklin. Can't think of many other singers who stick the landing on EVERY single note like this. Unless that new Ringo Starr album HITS XD

Front half of the album is good, back half is a snoozer. And what does Kings of Leon do that The Killers, The Strokes, Muse, U2, or Black Keys didn’t already do better? Album is fine in a vacuum but on a 1000 albums you must listen to list? I don’t knoooow about that

• Blissed out and hypnotic. Like I’m in a UK warehouse on acid • Lush 3-1 gets played at a rave happening inside Donkey Kong Country 2 • This album is what old excision is gonna sound like in 30 years • The la la la vocal from Halcyon And On And On is a famous sample. Most recently used in a Skrillex & Boys Noize BANGER called “Fine Day Anthem” • There’s some more important/better electronic albums I’d rather see on this list • If Parker blind-rates this above a 2 then I will give myself $20

I downed a red sour patch ghost energy drink and put this on to start work at 5:30AM and I got real productive real fast. Hijacking the arena sport aux to play this during soccer games 🔥

Aretha-tier vocalist doing some ice cream + red wine jams

Please please please go listen to their next album “This Is Happening” It’s iconic it should be on this list so I can give it 5 stars Why is this album on here instead? >:(

One of the albums of the 90’s

Take a journey inside the mind of the average league of legends player

While I don’t go back to this album often, you gotta respect the creativity and raw talent here. "Calm down folks, now just tell me what did the Jimster do?" - Hugh Neutron

Simple but effective. Some sadder British Jim Croce/James Taylor vibes. My one tiny criticism with this album is that there isn’t enough tight chorus/catchy parts, my monkey peanut brain needs a little more to remember and sing along to. But this is great imma listen to more of the better Drake here. He was 21 when he made this??? Damn

Sultans of swing great song to do cocaine too everything else is meh

First time listeners do NOT let this be your final impression of him, go listen to Born to Run or Darkness on the Edge of Town to get that classic anthemic Bruce sound. He was going through some dark times when he made this album & would immediately turn around to write his “pop album” Born In The USA. Firm 3.5 out of 5. Depressed minimalist Bruce Springsteen still clears many artists in the story telling department

Eddie Vedder drank wine from the bottle when I saw him at the mariners stadium then belted out Black just as it sounds on this album

Wake up honey, it’s time for your daily seattle grunge album ⏰ Not as solid as Ten but Layne Staley has some pipes on him. Must be something about fellas born in the Bellevue/Kirkland area that makes them destined to make it big 🤔 you and me Layne, equal levels of greatness

After two albums, I can list the ingredients needed for your typical Bobby song: 1. Play a loopy acoustic guitar melody. Keep playing the melody the entire time. 2. Bob proceeds to word-vomit about the latest adventures of his imaginary friends during a drug-induced psychosis. 3. Harmonica outro.

*refined* new wave. The most refined

Solid for what it is. “Zilch” went crazy

George Harrison - ass album. Very impressive that he made this at 19 though, serious musicality. Hard working 3 out of 5 from me

Emma as my witness I fell asleep for this one

Very solid 2000’s indie sleaze! Now let’s all listen to “Heads Will Roll (Atrak remix)” - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

A lot more cowbell on this than I remember. Pretty one dimensional album but the highs are so high, some of the greatest arena rock songs of all time on here

Very fun very lively I would’ve never found something like this if it weren’t for this list 🙏

He knew we were going to someday be reviewing this album when he titled that song “midnight ravers”

Imma call this genre “the opposite of edm.” Better album than I remember, wears out its welcome towards the end. Great songwriting and composition, just kinda wish it was performed in more unique ways? The 90’s singer-songwriter sound doesn’t always hit for me

master storytelling ability and succinct songwriting

*deferring my right to comment on this one so our native Kiwi can have a moment of Oceania pride*

2 stars, doesn’t have West End Girls on it

Was a little skeptical about this but then learned that Brian Eno was in the band so of course this album was very musically sound and in some ways ahead of it’s time. You can really hear the Eno on the last track it’s almost like a transition song to his solo masterpiece that dropped two years later “Another Green World”

Strong writing strong voice. Doing some research into what she had going on in life makes many of these songs even more impactful

God, if you’re listening, please give me something from the 21st century man. This should be a Lady Gaga album

An album that gets better the older (and sleepier) i get. I didn’t understand the point of this album when I first listened maybe a decade ago but now I have more patience and willingness to listen to this beauty. Kinda invented ambient music as we know it

I can’t handle much CCR beyond their greatest hits. Do I love their greatest hits? Yes. Do I strongly affiliate them with early childhood memories of music? Yes. Am I tired of rolling the boomer rock albums? YES.

He oscillates between being a total cornball to having some really clever bars. Pretty good for 1990! A hard-working 3/5 for me

Peak 50’s crooning

Really enjoyed some of the more mellow and experimental songs on here. Lou Reed has unlimited singer/songwriter rizz. I would just like to point out how the song “Murder Mystery” on here is eerily similar to “Chop Suey” by System of a Down

Alright I’m officially tilted at how many boomer rock albums we’ve pulled. I would like to use this album to bring to light the 2010 remix of My Generation featuring Slash and Will.i.am., in which he sings about the war in Iraq and the recession

...I’m hate-listening now. Smite me down, God, end my boomer-rock-induced suffering

It’s kinda like if My Chemical Romance got inspired by Muse then just went crazy with it. Very thoughtful very technical i just need to listen to it more

Really liked this one, I feel like tumblr probably liked it even more though

The most disingenuous thing I can do is adjust my rating just because it’s Christmas and this is a Christmas album. Imagine if i just ripped a 1/5 though. Also he invented the 2014 Forest Hills Drive album closer style with this one, just doing a spoken narrative thank you

Pulling two heavy tumblr-core albums in a row is huge after all the boomer rock. The highlight of this album for me isnt the atmospheric pads and melodies that everyone knows it for - to me its the way the bass player chooses to play in a more sparse and often repetitive manner. Long repeated one-note hits with quick fill melodies at the end of a verse. Induces the same feeling of the best house music songs of this albums time - hypnotic and blissful

This album is a TRIP. Was cruising along thinking “huh nice a little Rush meets ska revivalism ok ok” then the song ‘Deep Inside’ comes on. Then it’s just Music To Ride Your Harley To. And then socially conscious protest music???

High intensity soul

This would’ve gotten me torqued if I was a British teen in the 70’s. Not just the messages but the playing is really tight and it has a huge, booming sound for its time

amazing posse rap dynamic and incredibly menacing for the early 90's

They’re all so on the same page it’s insane

Personal results of this daily listening list: - developing a genuine aversion for classic rock - coming to the conclusion that the drugs in the 60’s must’ve HIT to make this type of music culturally enjoyable

They scared a lot of people back in the day, but hindsight let’s this album stand it’s ground. Layered instrumentation & memorable grooves. I’m addicted to the opening song on this record there’s like 3 separate perfect melodies going at once towards the end of it

Despite this album only being a few years older than the Five Leaves Left album we pulled a month or two ago, he definitely sounds a bit older/more rough around the edges. Becoming a fan of his delivery

This is so close to a full 5/5 stars for me. I think the most impressive thing about this album is how many songs have absolutely killer hooks, all done by the trio, all sung by people who consider themselves rappers/mc’s before singers. Intstrumentals are so pleasing and easy on the ears

I was so torn on what to give this album, until I asked myself “what’s holding this album back from being a 5/5?” and I couldn’t come up with anything. So ladies and gentlemen we got my third ever 5/5 here. It’s just so full of life, addresses very universal human emotion/struggle. I’m beginning to create a scale for boomer music: on one end is the “songs to ride your Harley to” and on the other end is “songs to do a line to” and this one is more on the latter side

More “music to do lines to.” A very solid 3 for me. I’m learning a lot about popular musicians pre or post famous bands they were in. Steve Winwood in this one John Barleycorn is an opp 🖕🗣️

Was this really so uniquely essential that it needed to be in the list? A bit of a nothing burger tbh

This is the quintessential sound of any GTA game based in the west coast. Highlight for me is the clean sampling in the production, the beats were clearly made to blow out the low-end of boomboxes and car radios. This sound is totally made for cruising in a convertible

What a fun way to say “im not like the other girls” Pop songwriting perfection and all-out performance

Solid. A little better than the first wailers album we pulled. This is like the 4th duplicate artist in 60ish days of this list

Loving the amount of “YEOOW” they’re dropping on these songs. Never has a band been more synergized the EW&F and this album is proof

I enjoyed this more than most rock from its time. They seemed to be on the cutting edge of punk. Probably had a lot of people up in arms back then

Ten minutes in and I was already amazed by his ability to weave in and out of melodic ideas and different motifs. The audible woo’s and noises he makes confirms that he is but a vehicle for these beautiful motifs to manifest on the keys. I needed a new type of calming background music and this is it

Listening to U2 confused me a lot as a kid because some of their music is so sonically timeless. Like, this is from 1987, but With Or Without you sounds exactly like a mid 2000’s moody radio hit. No aged synth leads, no annoying programmed electronic percussion. All that being said, this album is just fine. Revolutionary and timeless for something from the 80’s, but nothing more than solid

This was kind of a fun vibe! When I hear the term krautrock, I don’t really have much of a frame of reference so I assume it’s just very on the nose guitar based stuff. But this was much more nuanced and chill. Great background music that enhances whatever you’re doing at the time

This is what the list is best for - I would’ve never listened to this otherwise. Opening song was crazy

Very good music to start your work day to at 5am. Bill Withers type beat

Not quite the right rock opus that Machine Head is, but still solid. A little more sprawling and all over the place. I can see how these guys inspired a lot of early metal. I have gained knowledge and respect for them beyond the Guitar Hero 3 smoke on the water band

Second greatest vocal harmonics in rock behind the eagles. Forgot our house is on here. More dynamic songwriting than I remember. Last album: Deep Purple. If you hang out around Emma’s dad enough you’ll hear Deep Purple. Today’s album: CSN&Y. If you hang out around my dad enough you’ll hear CSN&Y.

Was going through this album thinking of how badly it needed a remaster. I couldn’t hear shit and it was just meh. At least in the context of Lou Reed’s full career. Then “Sister Ray” came on at the end. She was too busy doing HUH to WHAT????

Incubus, Soundgarden for pop punk heads. This aged a little better than I expected! Drive was a good shot of nostalgia

I have a soft spot for a lot of these sounds. People like Aphex Twin would take this and iterate on it. So I see this album as important, but not necessary amazing. Probably very cool if you were into this when it came out tho

Damn what a cohesive vocal unit. A nice newer iteration of the temptations that isn’t just “oooohh ahhh I like this girl.” Also the deep bassy baritone guy popping in every once in a while cracked me up. Sounded like a cartoon charecter

TWO CSN ALBUMS WITHIN A WEEK? 🤔🤔🤔🤔 this time without Young, and these guys sound more cohesive without him tbh. Neil Young’s incredible but his voice was its own thing that stuck out a bit in the other record. That being said, these honkeys were COOKING with a few songs on here - Helplessly Hoping (S+ tier song), Teach Your Children, Judy Blue Eyes. If I could sum up this album, I’d say it’s like Simon & Garfunkel for people who grew up near the appalachians. Graham Nash isn’t even American too, that’s insane

Picture a scuzzy cartoon alligator in a rocking chair on the porch of a house in the swamp. Bottle of bourbon in hand, belting out these songs while his tattered fedora falls over his eyes. The first song had me a little unsure of how this would go, some interesting lyrics, and his singing voice made me wonder if I was supposed to take him seriously or not. But Tom manages to execute both sides of an interesting coin here: Half the songs are gritty, southeastern honkeytonk blues with some sort of loose storyline. Then the other half are somehow the most beautiful piano-and-string love ballads I’ve maybe ever heard, where genuine sincerity shines through his weathered voice. I can’t believe I’m giving this album a five outta five but I have to. Masterful songwriting. Insane vocal commitment. Clear sonic theme. Rob Dougans “Drinking Song” is a clear homage to this style of ballad too, and I highly recommend the album it’s on, “Furious Angels”

Ok there’s no way this thing is random. I give Tom Waits a 5 yesterday on my first time listening to him then I pull this?????? No way. This wasn’t as memorable as Heartattack and Vine. I likened him to a scuzzy cartoon alligator on that last album. He sounds more like a slimy river eel on this one. A little more devilish and doomer-pilled, dropping the sense of sincerity from Heartattack in favor of more lofi experimentation

Very safe solo debut. Just some mostly stripped back songs with basic but interesting stories, until Maybe Im Amazed comes on and blows everything else out of the water

It seems like he kinda has creative control as one of the figureheads of this bluesy sound

She’s had an interesting musical arc and I’ve liked Dirty Computer since it came out about 5 years ago. Much like her other stuff, this is a very nice easy listen that falls just short of absolutely great. Solid and unique but not wildly amazing. This is one of many musical works to be largely inspired by the movie metropolis from like 100 years ago. Another musical trilogy that shares the name and inspiration is the metropolis EP series by the M Machine. A must listen

Man. A whole can of worms with Oasis. It helps being a gen z American, to view this band outside of the social context they existed with in the UK in the 90’s. So there is some positives to this album and oasis in general. I think this was probably the baby boomers last time they ‘got’ the sound of pop radio music. Because this album definitely has some Beatles, classic rocknroll structure to it. And the songwriting at its core is really solid - it’s fleshed out pop and rock. But maaaaan. Did this really push pop music forward in any significant way? Does oasis even function as a gateway to anything else besides a look back at the rock that influenced them? Is that important? The sonic choices are so plain and polished to the extent that it washes away a lot of the impressive songwriting aspects about it. It makes you appreciate the Billie Eilish’s or Lady Gaga’s of the world that pushed their way into pop radio with great songwriting AND unique, forward thinking artistic/musical aesthetics (at least for pop standards). Really torn on oasis, always. Hard to separate how huge they were from a social standpoint, with how down the middle their music was

This shit slapped front to back. This is tight, colorful, memorable pop + r&b. Stellar. The ultimate compliment i can give an album is the honor of going to its Wikipedia page to see who has production credits on it. They produced the hell out of this album. It’s obviously a Y2K pop album (rimshot snare, the use of a triangle/bell shake, synthetic strings everywhere). But the lead on Perfect Man? That intro to Independant Woman II? Cmoooon this is masterful.

Look at their past members list on wikipedia. Maybe slightly better than most surf/psych rock if it’s time. It nothing crazy

Was ho-humming this album as another quirky alt British rock joint but then Caught By The Fuzz played and I remembered the Oasis album from a few days ago, which was made around the same time. I would’ve killed for Oasis to make anything this explosive and raw. This album seems like a precursor to the blog rock and tumblr rock sound that lasted for a good 20 years after. Solid stuff I may give this a relisten

We’ve said goodbye to the beatles of old, say hello to the influence of fame and drugs kids! Paul is starting to test out all sorts of genres, John is starting to get a little pretentious, George is finding his sense of self in India, Ringo is letting the psychedelics manifest in yet another whimsical song about being underwater. After having not listened for a while, I notice how Eleanor Rigby and Got to Get You Into My Life are a precursor to some of Paul’s most ambitious Wings stuff, namely Band on the Run. But honestly this album has a lot of snoozers at least by late Beatles standards. Also is Tomorrow Never Knows the first DnB/breaks song ever??? :eyes:

I knew we were in for a long one when they busted out the keys and started noodling on the first song. And much like this album, I have nothing else to say

So good. A beautiful blend of country, lounge, ballads, & singer-songwriter stuff. She’s so good at expressing love & longing. Engaging and personal, lots of textured instrumentals, unique compositions. One minute it sounds like I’m in the hills of rural Italy, the next it sounds like I’m in the dustbowls of Nebraska, the next it sounds like a pacific island beach. Close to a 5, will get many relistens outta me. Enough listens over time could turn this into a real 5, actually. Highlights are: Miss Chatelaine, Wash Me Clean, and DEFINITELY Season of Hollow Soul

Ok so I was like “who tf is this guy I should know him” and it turns out yeah I do but not for this project. He has some really good stuff later on as the Thin White Duke (Four To The Floor Remix) and then as Jacques Lu Cont (remixed tons of pop songs). And he produced Madonna’s best album imo. So this guy has chops, no doubt about it. BUT, I consider myself someone who has his ear to the ground for all things dance music from the mid-90’s onward, and I cannot in good faith figure out why this record is on here, and Daft Punks Discovery is not (and a whole list of other edm records tbh). Discovery is one of the most influential, perfect dance records, and this one from just a few years earlier…is kinda not even noteable? This album has not held its own in the past two decades, nobody talks about this album. In fact, this album is a spineless nothing-burger in the context of this list and in the context of its respective genre. This album can’t make up its mind if it wants to be something for your headphones or something for the dance floor. It uses a lot of dated sounds even for its time of release. The grooves and loops are sometimes grading on the ears. What are we doing here? This album feels like such a disconnected music nerd’s token pick of what they think good electronic music maybe could sound like. Do yourself a favor - instead of listening to this album, listen to Chicane’s “Far From The Maddening Crowds”. It came out at a similar time and actually commits to its melodies and ideas. It scratches the same itch that this album SHOULD be scratching. It is actually danceable AND more sonically layered. I’m so mad this took up a spot on the list.

Great 100th album to have for this list. Shout out to Emma, this is one of her favorite Gorillaz records and we’ve gone back and forth on this vs. Plastic Beach for a while. I think the best thing about this album is how it sets a good listening atmosphere. Some of the lyrics aren’t immediately intelligible, there’s a lot of lofi sounds, classic drumloop samples (like to a DJ Shadow extent), and there’s a bit of a punk/postpunk influence (literally the song Punk on here). This isn’t nearly as clean or tight as almost every mainline Gorillaz album after it, but that doesn’t detract from it! It’s a good easy listen with some HITS sprinkled in

This is a sprawling masterpiece that’s surprisingly mostly about genuine affection. There’s a ton of clear-eyed love ballads and entertaining skits especially on the Love Below. The DNA for Kendrick’s to Pimp a Butterfly can be found all over this record. Much like Kendrick, Andre3000 has more unique thoughts on this album than I feel like Ive had in my whole life. And this is SO ahead of its time. The intro alone could have been released today, it’s so modern. Most of the first album is this way! Lastly, while I know this is a double album made by two different people with two different visions, I think it flows together very well. Nearly a 5

For what this is, it’s solid. There’s another ‘fear of the bomb’ 80’s song in here and it made me notice an interesting split in music and how it represents different perspectives on life. I don’t think too many black artists were making songs about fearing the bomb during the Cold War, and instead were making songs about the struggles of day to day life. Interesting to see how that split has evolved over the years

OOOooooh baby OOOH! On a hot streak right now of like four albums in a row from the mid-80’s or later. A lot of people with my listening habits give this one an instant 5 and point out the similarities to Daft Punk’s Discovery (which again, is better than this album and not on this list somehow). I think this album’s shining moments are the dreamy, blissful waves of samples that come together to create a sound collage. Extra points to this record for creating one of my favorite feelings you can get from music: sample-based ecstasy. Very much worth listening to their most recent album, We Will Always Love You. It tightens up the song structure, and has a handful of INCREDIBLE additive guest features on it. & specifically an 11/10 song built entirely around a Carpenters sample. This record is a little shy of a 5 for me, with the only detractor being sometimes it gets a little too lost in a fugue state with the sampling starting to all blend together a little toooo much. Everything else though? Beautiful.

A whole week+ with no albums from before 1980 let’s go. This was alright. If you’re into ska I could see this going crazy. Some nice moments, some that blended all together. Another song about fearing the bomb in 1980’s, just a few days after another 80’s album with a fear of the bomb song on it

Yeah it’s Bad alright. Ok so it’s Off The Wall > Thriller > this album. And I think each album has more hype and cultural buzz around it, while each album also has less substance in it (yes Off The Wall has more substance than Thriller). To further go on about comparisons, Purple Rain just kinda does everything on here but better? As far as this album goes on its own…I wish for so much more edge. So much more soul. It seems like Michael is being pulled between the desire to be his own unique voice and the need for this album to have a universal commercial appeal. Smooth Criminal is a beautiful Thriller holdover that CLEARS everything else on this album. What a fun song. I don’t get much enjoyment out of the rest of this album

Was this the first instance of money being referred to as long?

Soft 3 for me. Some albums are greater than the sum of their parts. This album is the opposite. The bangers BANG, everything else gets a bit annoying in the ears. It’s funny how Mr. Brightside isn’t even the best song in this album, it’s All These Things That I’ve Done. Still a karaoke banger though. I wonder how future generations will take to The Killers. Hopefully well. Now the REAL actually good Killers album is Pressure Machine. Earnest portraits of the struggles of inland America without being preachy or ideological

Love a good indietronic throwback. As with most records in the genre, this is very good at being whistful. Slows down a little too much for me towards the end of the album. Heads Will Roll is a classic, Atrack is a genius for what he did in the remix too. Probably won’t go back to this album as much as Fever To Tell from a few months ago

Can’t find the quote but I’m pretty sure one time George Carlin said something along the lines of “if you work in advertising, kill yourself.” and that basically sums up the ethos of this album!

I was BOOOOOOOORN by the river!

The crazy tonal shift from Stupid Girl (spiteful, misogynistic) to Lady Jane (respectful, regal) is crazy. Why tf would I listen to the UK version that doesn’t have Paint It Black on there??? Whack suggestion. Most everything else here stays within the lines of the stones stuff for this time - a little honkytonk, a little bluesy stuff, rock, slight instrumental experimentation. Solid

Does “Tragedy” have the same drum loop as “Clint Eastwood” ???? I respect this album a lot, I think Brandy Carlisle owes a ton to this album in particular. Best compliment I can give this albums authenticity is that my grandmother born and raised in West by god Virginia wouldve enjoyed this

First off, this album cover goes so insanely hard. This record really confused me. Some songs on here are the most drab 90’s britpop. At other times though, they’re pushing very interesting experiments. Songs that sound like a leftover Spiritualized cut. Very washed out melodic passages, like the end of Butterfly McQueen, which sound like an early Hum song. So while there are some highlights on here, I have a hard time grasping and what this albums concept or vision is.

Opening track is among the all time greatest openers. Smooth, fluid ideas that flow from one song to the next. Who knew more classical instruments could be so emotive?

Hindsight has made this album the slightly more acceptable version of insane clown posse. My absolute favorite part about D12 era eminem is easily the courage the cowardly dog type of sounds in the instrumentals. A whirling theramin, the circus-style bouncy keys. It’s like a dumb carnival/haunted mansion. I don’t have anything to add to the shitty lyrics discourse that hasn’t already been said. I will have to say that once you hear a few songs on here you kinda hear them all. I wonder if people see earlier Eminem like I do too, as a tandem project with Dr. Dre just as important to the whole project. Not taking anything away from mr. Venommmm himself, but Dre was in the right to put himself in the picture as much as he did.

We all knew this was a 5 outta 5. There’s so much that’s been said on so many levels about this album, so I’d just like to say that what I appreciate most about Kendrick, on this album and in general, is that he gives his ALL in these performances. No one can ever question Kendrick’s dedication to his craft, his consideration in his lyricism, or his effort in his performances. I’m glad I’m around at the same time Kendrick is around, I’m glad he makes it cool to push oneself in dedication to one’s craft. This album is a crowning achievement and a brilliant ode to specifically the black experience and the human experience in general.

This is Brian Eno-core 110%. I appreciated much of this album in all of its whimsy. Highlights was Blues In Bob Minor, which is a better (and more cogent) Bob Dylan song than half the Bob Dylan songs.

There’s something so intoxicating about an early Kanye beat. He had it figured out. Had such a good persona and a good ability to communicate like he was talking to you while rapping. What happened man

If the black keys knew how to hold a groove and let it simmer

Charming, slightly kitschy. Meg Whites drumming is killer, it embodies the spirit of the project as a whole. Interesting if you’re into post 2000’s rock, but doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel. “I Think I Smell a Rat” sounds strangely like an MCR demo

Jump Into The Fire was on the Shaun White Snowboarding soundtrack and maybe it was just the context of the game but I always thought it was like a 2000’s rock/funk/alt jam. Even though this album didn’t totally click for me on first listen, I recognize good songwriting when I hear it

Such a fascinating album to me. Cash’s cover of Hurt is a perfect statement on age. There are few songs from the perspective of a man his age, even fewer that are bound with such complicated emotions as he looks back on a life lived to the fullest. While I consider the Eagles original version of Desperado to be one of the greatest songs of all time, I’m glad Cash put his elderly spin on it here too. Don Henly comes in to harmonize the post-chorus and it could bring a tear to the eye. He knew how to pick ‘em for this record, because he picks a third song I’d consider to be one of the greatest written pieces of music of all time - with Danny Boy. Think we are done with good covers of the greatest songs of all time? WRONG! How about Bridge Over Troubled Water too! I’d seriously consider all four songs talks about above to be put on a record to introduce aliens to music, if we ever encounter them (although most of them as originals). That being said, I’ve always felt like Personal Jesus is overhyped and this cover doesn’t redeem it any more

These guys go crazy what a fun listen front to back. A lot of punk for me suffers from the same repetitive structure and sound but these guys have tons of unique passages in each song. A swing drum line, actual rock guitar solos. Wonderful!

The punk aesthetics were alienating to me as a child but listening to this again you realize this is just charged up pop music slammed into very efficient punk aesthetics and it works so well

Solid rock opera. I think the only thing supertramp sometimes suffers from is star power. everything about the music is there, there just isnt a sense of personality in here all the time maybe? hard to grasp. Either way, super impressive arrangements

ELO’s greatest hits is up there with any rock band’s. Seriously, go listen to it. However, with this album, once you’ve heard a few songs you’ve kinda heard em all

Hard for me to grasp that this was someone’s G Jones. I appreciate it for what it was at its time, but I’m so far removed from music like this now

I should be giving this a 2 stars just on the principle of this list containing over three Pink Floyd albums. Putting that aside. Today we get to learn about artistic foreshadowing! Syd Barrett sings about whimsical gnomes and leads the band into wild vocal/instrumental passages, surely foreshadowing is imminent mental spiral! Fun!

This is my first 1/5 stars (a little over 100 albums in). There is nothing redeemable or functionable about this record. I tried SO hard to justify a 2/5. But I can’t. The instruments are often atonal, the composition is so forgettable, the recordings/mixing is ?????. https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/260817778/Guy-taking-off-headphones

Tough week for me, this ends a full week of albums from 1969-1980. Most metal is a bit hard for me to really dig into, since modern dubstep festival kinda fills a similar role for me. But I super respect this regardless. A little samey all the way through but that’s expected. Super tight arrangements. A neat feature for me was all the drum fills peppered in throughout the album

Life could be dream type beat. Actually really entertaining, it’s clear that this guy was an entertainer as much as he was a musician. Most joyful listen I’ve had in a bit

This album is such a 2014 time capsule. It’s features, the themes of self-love and new-wave feminism. The trappy production choices. I think it’s aged pretty well though, the composition and writing stands on its own especially in the most memorable songs to have come from this album. A 1.5 hour album is such a slap in the face to the listener, she just did it again with the Cowboy Carter record. I am one of the few people that has the time and attention to listen to albums at that length, most people don’t! Streaming has ruined the succinct album experience. Very solid 3 for me almost a 4.

Strange and extravagant. Went to the grimes school of music. Sometimes gets a bit lost in the crazy atmosphere of the album. I’m glad she’s since done more pop-focused projects, she’s got the chops for it! I think she deserves more mainstream recognition for the space she’s carved out for herself in contemporary music.

This set a nice ambiance for me to get ruthlessly ledge-camped by a marth named “TheNik” on slipping during my paid day off. TheNik, no amount of bluesy lamenting on this album can replicate the misery of your play style.

Do we really need to prove that Van Morrison sounds good in a live setting on the 1001 albums you should listen to before you die list? No problem with the album in a vacuum, he’s super talented. More a problem with the album in the context of this list

Oh baby this has long been in many peoples top albums of all time list. On that note Sloop John B -> God Only Knows is incredible, two generational songs back to back. I think God Only Knows is a top 5 song of all time. This album has such a specific sound and formula, not only unique for it’s time but unique for almost anytime.

Peggy NOOOOO 😳 I dunno, I see the appeal to this, and if I actively listened enough times I could find the enjoyment in it. But I don’t think I should have to do that much legwork to meet this album where it is, especially when there are more albums of it’s time that execute its sound better. Respect, but not enjoyment

Saw a tweet one time that was just this picture, captioned “these honkeys were COOKING” and it’s so true. ‘Shout’ is just one of those few 80’s gems that will never be replicated. It’s got AURA. It’s got ATTITUDE. This can be said for the entire album actually. Tight, direct song structure that knows when to slip in and out of instrumental atmospheres. A massive generational pop hit. One iconic vocal melody after another. A mystical album ender. Socially conscious messaging. This album has it all and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome at all. Perfect! It’s incredible that we got this less than a year after Purple Rain. It’s worth noting that they’ve done the impossible recently - they made a song that’s unique and new sounding, unlike every other legacy band from the 80’s or earlier pumping out nothing-burgers to cash in on yet another world tour. Check out ‘No Small Thing’ it’s worth a listen

Quick, someone who was alive back then tell me how bad and persistant the comparisons to Prince were. This is solid, I think it’s survived it’s time and aged maybe better than most mainstream rock albums of it’s time. A hard-working 3 from me.

Cause ALLLLLLL I neeeeeed, is a beauty and a beeeaaaaaat This album is sweet, tight, punchy, and fun. I can see this having inspired all sorts of projects and genres that came after it, everything from Sleater-Kinney to No Doubt.

Not much to say here fun listen

Really makes you feel like you’re in a snooty jazz bar

It’s a damn shame these two hate each other now. Because together they were such a force of songwriting and harmony. This album displays some of their most creative and whimsical ideas alongside some of their most sincere lyrics and instrumentals. And this isn’t even their best album. Incredible! Maybe it’s just the constant harmonization but there’s something so natural about a good Simon & Garfunkel song

This album was the ultimate “falling into your dad’s music taste check” and it checked me HARD. I used to think Valarie as a song as so mild when I’d listen to it compared to the sampled version from Eric Prydz/Thomas Bangalter. Then I listen to this album and maaaaan Steve’s in the POCKET on these songs. Not overdoing it, just groovin

There are way too many live albums on here that aren’t Alive 2007 by Daft Punk. There are too many live albums on this list in general. Is it good? Yes. Very good. Incredible noodling and drum soloing throughout. Is it necessary to the list? ………..

While impressive for it’s time, is this album really that unique when you strip it of it’s psychedelic presentation? Clapton doesn’t even carry it

Radical for its time, but a time we are so far removed from that it doesn’t shake any modern musical conventions

Elite r&b. The Wurlitzer-rhodsy chords just glide through this whole album creating a masterclass in atmosphere. Perfect amount of crooning. Punchy yet subtle basslines. Wonderful

Fun musical ideas turned into whole journeys. Well ahead of its time and aside from everything else that was coming out around then, with the exception of maybe Brian Eno. Great way to start my morning with this album

For better or worse, this is one of the most American albums I’ve heard. Honkeytonk and blues as far as the eye can see. But this shouldn’t be on here. I don’t care that ABB is tight in a live setting. It just isn’t pertinent enough to be anywhere near this list - we as millennials/genz must overthrow the makers of it. You wanna actually learn something from ABB? Whatever you do, don’t ride your motorcycle in Macon, Georgia. There. That’s more interesting than the umpteenth classic rock live album on here

I don’t hate this album as much as I used to, even if morissey is still way too whiney. This probably hit super hard if you were a British teen back then. The instrumental composition is really good. The fact that this got a 3 out of me is saying a lot. It just makes me want to listen to Brand New. Similar amounts of whiney crooning

What the Cold War does to a mf 💀💀💀 I’m assuming they’re repeating Germanic phrases that center around social issues? Truly the Death Grips of their time, except this made a bit more sense than death grips do tbh. Never listening to this again, but I get it and respect it

I love me a good horn section but this can be a bit excessive at times. Fun, easy listening, but it always sounds like they’re falling a little short of a pop hit they’re aiming for. Meanders around a lot

I’m calling this “One Tree Hill Core”. First half of the album or so is easy on the ears, with a slight influence of post rock. A little melodramatic at times, like this is so clearly made for 2000’s dramas. There is a weird point in the album, from “Catch The Sun” onward there’s a consistant need to sound like a British foo fighters ripoff? A hilarious shot of nostalgia for turn of the century tv series enjoyers.

It’s like if No Doubt was a new wave band! -wildly strong, unique female lead vocalist (who is just a little quirky) -mostly faceless male instrumentalists who keep it tight in the backing tracks -a dynamic that produced some of the most spunky pop tracks of its respective time

He was cookin The band was cookin Even the crowd was cookin They made a sizzlin dish 🤌

Haven’t and won’t do a deep dive on CCR’s discography, but I’m willing to bet this is their best album. It feels the most directed and concise, not just one folksy honkeytonk song after another. When I was like 5-6, I used to LOVE the song Traveling Band. I’d scream the screaming part and everything

It is STRIKING how powerful the tom drums and other floor drums just PUNCH through your headphones. Especially since they’re being banged on so constantly. I would love to know how one ends up liking this music as casual listening, how many holes you have to go through. Very interesting, very frenetic

Milquetoast at best. Forgettable delivery of almost every song

You shouldn’t be allowed to be this horny and this weird

It’s American Gorillaz! Same sort of lofi drum loop sampling with some twangy vocal noodling at its best, waffles out a little too long at its worst towards the end. Might hit a lot harder smoking weed on a porch in the middle of nowhere

What I wish for from more rock albums of its time. Ambitious and focused, some generational singles to come out of this one. The British had rockestra down, I can point to this and all of ELO’s greatest hits as evidence

Pulling the CCR album last week with Looking Out My Backdoor, which mentions Buck Owens, was a summoning ritual for him to appear this week. There’s nothing like a good ol steel guitar. Which made me realize that people our age might like the steel guitar because of…SpongeBob. Of all things. Anyways this was surprisingly enjoyable front to back. Simple, compact, easy country listening

Hope There’s Someone was lifted/covered by Avicii and it’s just as beautiful as it is here. I was so excited to hear the original here opening the album. And it’s consistently as raw and emotional throughout. Lots of great messaging about identity and self-discovery in the singers journey of finding a true self

I listened to this literally the day before this for the first time because it was on apples top 100 💀 Surely the frat boys at the time ATE this up

Running Free is absolutely the highlight here. The rhythm and drum fills tickle my brain. I wonder how much variance there will be in Iron Maiden albums, considering this was their first, and their output was pretty prolific

Grooving’ but at what cost This was passable and relaxing but further proves how ahead of their time the Beatles were

Electric and emotive and most of all innovative. I’m guessing the reversing of the tape technique was pretty mind-boggling back then. Hendrix is what every frontman should desire to be.

Not sure what she’s saying but it sounds fun

He understood and performed music so well that he super rested the 80’s sound fonts so frequently used in this amazing album. Strong 4/5

They’re the best bits of AC/DC + Aerosmith. The ultimate Dudes Rock arena album. Surprisingly good, energetic from front to back. Surprisingly thorough

I do understand this, I really do. I even respect it. But it’s not for me. Especially after having just done Princes’ 1999 a couple days ago. Nothing in this album stands out from its 80’s pastiche

Fine at best, not unique enough to be deserving of a 1000 albums list at worst. Probably helped the onset of shoegaze as a genre but who cares

The Band. The Album. The Songs. The Music. The mid.

Anyone with parents my age knows this has a handful of generational hits on it. Specifically the first three songs, that’s an all-time track list. it’s insane how the first like 5-6 songs are all played on classic rock radio as hit singles. They figured out how to write a killer pop chorus, how to harmonize on it, and ran with that formula. As with most hit albums, my only criticism is that it’s a bit front-loaded. Last 2-3 songs are a bit lackluster. But holy shit. I acknowledge the nostalgia clouding my vision on this one, but I also think it’s fair to say this is one of the best, most succinct American classic rock albums

Thoughtful lyrical oldheads unite 💯 This is solid, it’s a good, summation of what Common is all about. Except there’s so much Kanye on here. Constantly. Hard working 3

I used to always just be right on the edge of grasping the appeal of Massive Attack, and in some ways I still am. But I think it helped that I listened to this at 5:30 am while I buttered the forklift around the warehouse at the beginning of a quiet work day. Massive Attack isn’t meant to be grasped super hard, and this album helped me realize that. Great background music, great weed smoking music

Candy sweet and squeaky clean. Like, almost too clean. I think a big part of most pop music today is that it doesn’t have to adhere to such tight production and mass-appeal standards (harry styles and a few others are exceptions though). Pulls from what was working in 2014 but doesn’t lean into it too hard. Hooks for days, but as with every pop album, it’s front-loaded.

Unlike most albums of its time, the last two tracks in particular brought it home for me. A surprisingly solid finish. If there’s one thing I’m learning, it’s that old heads love CSN&Y, and that includes all of their careers individually. Understandable, this was a respectable effort with a tasteful amount of shredding. Hard working 3

Talking heads more like clicking heads am I right gamers? Probably the quintessential talking heads album, I’m just more of a remain in light guy myself

There isn’t a single thing this album does better than its predecessor, Funeral. Therefore, outside of being a little recession time capsule, I don’t think this album will age with grace. It doesn’t have edges, it’s so soft. My real gripe with this album is once again within the context of this list. There is no reason for this to be on here, taking up a spot when I’m sure funeral already is on here. It’s milquetoast Grammy fodder for 30+ year olds who want to look back on their privileged suburban life fondly. Twinkly, sweet moments that are otherwise washed over by drab blehhhhh

It’s been a long time coming for this one. I hold this album close to my heart, it was a big revelation for me as a listener/consumer who was growing in and out of certain music tastes about 8ish years ago when I finally heard it. This album helped me realize that a record can be greater than just the sum of its parts. On their own, many of these tracks are just fuzzy, hypnotic trip-hop, with strange samples going in and out of phase. But as a whole, this album sounds just like the title of one of its best tracks: Midnight In A Perfect World. This record manages to establish an atmosphere thats both liminal, AND blissful. So many odds and ends have been stitched together perfectly here. A haunting organ soloist sample. A vintage scifi movie clip. Or those lush, beautiful organ chords at the beginning of the aforementioned Midnight In A Perfect World! I can’t completely put proper words together to describe the aura of Endtroducing. I’m convinced this album was conceived in its entirety under a full moon summer night. So please do yourself a favor and save Endtroducing for those long summer months coming up (June 2024 as of writing this). Bring your headphones and go for a walk on that next full moon night. Listen to this front to back, your human experience will be enhanced for doing so!

What am I supposed to say here “oh it really comes alive halfway through the second album oh the third disc really has some hidden gems in it.” Get tf outta here with a nearly 3 hour long album comprised mostly of male manipulator music. This album was a huge test of strength for me to meet a piece of art where it’s at, and I tried my hardest. But after a while, these songs did what I’m guessing a lot of deadmau5 songs do for his first time listeners: blended all together. This was a Spotify streaming bloat album well before it’s time though, I’ll give it that

They’re all self-aware jesters doing their best to make us giggle and I really appreciate that. Finally something from the 70’s that stands out a bit! Still not some generational record, but at least this had lots of character. Almost a 4 star from me

Maybe a bit more meditative than the 2 other wailers albums we’ve had so far, but otherwise pretty similar

Shocked that we are 186 albums into this list and this is the first Radiohead album we’ve had so far. Like so many albums in the early/mid 2000’s, there’s lots of despair and grappling with the world post-9/11. I’m pretty sure Radiohead has better offerings than this though

The Beatles have broken up and now it’s the stones time to shine. And they stick to their honkeytonk guns. It’s impressive how many British rock bands at this time wanted the American sound. Please check out Susan Boyles version of Wild Horses from this album. She actually made a better song out of it

Man I love Chic. They laid out the blueprint for house music 20 years before it became popular. Simply make an irresistible musical idea, loop it, and iterate on it throughout the course of 5+ minutes. Shout out to Nile Rodgers who has to be one of the most important musicians of the 20th century. Chics greatest hits go head to head with any greatest hits album.

It did not transcend the time it was made in, unfortunately. There’s more unique and identifiable arena rock out there, if you ask me. Photograph on here even kinda just passes by as it’s hit song

The advent of all things punk, the best to ever do it. Everyone else has already said everything else, I’d just like to point out two songs I particularly like on this record. 1. The Card Cheat - it’s practically a Bruce Springsteen song 2. Revolution Rock - is this early ska?

Never had there been an album cover more accurately depicting the contents and aesthetics of a record. The song Gz And Hustlas has an unreal sample of a Bernard Wright song. Seriously this is such a find, it sounds like it could be on a Justice record just as easily

It’s no Heart Attack and Vine (the GOAT) but it’s at its best still leaning even further into the scuzzy fictional characters that reek of old-timey New Orleans folklore

It’s unexplainable U2 to release this album on January 1, 2000, and have the opener be “Beautiful Day.” I fear that the times are beginning to catch up to U2 on this album. They stuck to their guns, which are running out of ammo. This sound was so clean and cutting-edge on something like Joshua Tree in the late 80’s. But the Radioheads of the world have since taken the blueprint that U2 laid and expanded upon/experimented with it. So is this album bad? No. Is it unique, worth being your first U2 album listen, or a stand-out in the field of its early 2000’s contemporaries? Nope. One more unrelated note, today is July 3rd, and I know this list has kicked out holiday themed albums in the past. I’m calling a Born In The USA pull for tomorrow.

I’d say this album aged poorly, but there’s just no way people didn’t see a ton of red flags with this album on release, both lyrically and sonically. When I can’t understand the lyrics, I just hear grating babble. When I can understand the lyrics, most of the time I end up wishing I didn’t. Multiple kings of Leon albums on this list are an affront to the dedicated listeners time

Spunky very fun full of attitude, probably one of the last good unique rock albums that had some wider appeal. I will be going back to this!

I just knew that was Nile Rodgers the moment I heard the guitar. These ladies can sing and harmonize like crazy. While I think Chic came out with more bangers, this album follows the same enjoyable template that laid the ground for house music with its grip Iness and repetitive nature

I appreciate this a bit more than most Brit pop of it’s time. It felt like there was some serious thought given to the composition and instrumentation, especially on the title track. I got a sense of weight and movement that id normally hear in a Zedd song 🤌 Hard-earned 3, could come back to it and bump it up to a 4

Wow! Wow wow wow. I love it when baroque/art pop sticks the landing. I can’t believe this is from 1973. It’s just as unique as Eno’s Another Green World which came a few years later. The title track is one of the best chorus medleys and executions I’ve ever heard. Like, even when the next song started playing, the “you’re a ghost lalalalalalalalala” just kept on going in my head. It’s the end of the day, I listened to this album 3 times today at work, and still, I have that chorus stuck in my head. Great concept, incredibly catchy from start to finish, succinct enough. Perfect. This might be a softer 5/5 than some of my true longtime favorites, but I cannot deny this album what it truly deserves

I know I’m getting old when the Steely Dan singles start sounding like harmonic gold to my ears. The lack of bombast can be forgiven and replaced with an appreciation for the unique composition and tight production. Which is all ironic this time around, because this album doesn’t contain any of those yacht rock classics I used to hear on my parents radio in my youth. All that being said, should this album be on this list? Not if there’s two or more other steely Dan albums on it, which I’m sure is the case. Begrudging 3/5. Anyways happy 200 albums :)

Alright I must admit I was blown away on the first song, his voice is so aged and sinister. I do think that effect overstays it’s welcome. But I appreciate an album from someone who isn’t in the prime years of their life, even if there should be many albums from the mid-2010’s on this list instead

A perfect summation of John Lennon’s persona; equal parts iconic and pretentious. How can you lead the album with the messaging on Imagine but then also have a diss track about your former bandmate on the same album? This record fluctuates from fantastic to grating on the ears far too often

Refreshing sound in the greater context of this list. Suspenseful, unique, but not anything mind-blowing imo. What are we calling this, dramatic lunge music? Chat is this dubstep?

Just wanna start off by saying there are pictures of her in which she looks hauntingly like Clairo??? Anyways, I respect this record a lot, her performances are full of life. Sweet Blindness probably the favorite for me. Will I go back to this album often? Probably not, but I still respect it. I wonder why Laura never got the mass legacy appeal someone like Carol King did. These songs have a pretty similar standard quality

Not for me, anyone younger than genX, or anyone else who can count on one hand the number of times they’ve smoked weed. With that in mind, I will give props to these guys for being this musically fluid while surely being cooked out of their brains

I was so sure tenement funster was done by The Who frontman. But I was wrong. Maaaan so few bands were put together as well as Queen. Ironically, this might be the closest thing we ever got to an ELO record that isn’t actually ELO. Maybe classic rock was just starved for pianos not done in the honkeytonk style. This album is great, the transition from the theatrical melodrama of In The Lap Of The Gods right into the proto-metal, Deep-Purple-esque Stone Cold Crazy. So wonderful. What a performance. And then Leroy Brown?!? That pretty much did a better job every Panic At The Disco song tried to do. Perhaps the coolest thing about this album is how it consistently escalates the theatrics and fun of everything with each new song.

Maybe real Beckheads can get excited about this one, because I cannot. Does he always sing like this, or is this just really Chris Cornell inspired?

Seems like every Stones record is just -honkeytonk admiration -classic late 60’s rock doowop -that one song everyone on planet earth knows -more honkeytonk -Mick having a moment of actual humane introspection -oooohbabeyyy you’re a honkeytonk giiiirl from upper Virginia god I wish I grew up in Appalachia Now I will give this album some credit for diverting from that method a slight bit and leaping away from the 60’s classic rock sound into something often more subtle and nuanced. And the story telling is pretty vivid too.

For when it's dude's oclock and the fellas want to drink beers, try this album! This sounds like a disciple of the iron maiden format, and it mostly works.

fun and simple, an ode to basic songwriting and simple themes. not many highlights, but not many lowlights either. Soft 3

Finally, 211 albums in and we get some Bowie going. Outside of the individual album ranking, David Bowie is one of a few true solo artists who should be given 5 stars for his career, not just any one album. While Hunky Dory is an artsy, boundry-pushing, expressive rock (kinda) album, he truly went crazy with it over the years. For example, in 1997 he did an electronic BREAKCORE ALBUM that honestly holds up pretty well for what it is. Anyways Fill Your Heart on Hunky Dory is my sleeper highlight here. STRONG 4 stars here. Truly an honor to have walked the earth at the same time as David Bowie

so that's where modest mouse got that voice

Perhaps the best use of a live vocal sample is Mat Zo sampling Chuck D. in Caught, Can We Get A Witness off this album. This is carried insanely hard by the larger-than-life presence both Chuck D and Flava Flav have. Because I'm sorry, as fun as some of these beats aree, they are still clunky at the end of the day. I respect it either way

I would like to cite the ending of one of the most popular reviews on this website (a 5 star review of Lorde's Melodrama) that ended by saying "Sorry it's not King Crimson or whatever." And that feels fairly accurate. If I was born in 1954 and spent my 20's doing LSD, being sure that these guys + Pink Floyd had just figured out music, then I too would go bananas over this. So I respect it for how progressive it was for it's time. Additionally, there are passages in this album that are still placid and beautiful, like the ending of Exiles. But I don't see myself ever enjoying this an the every-day setting. Nor do I see myself remembering too much of it either

indie darlings? yes. Kinda snoozy? Also yes

REM probably hit a little harder if you were alive and tuned into american current events when this album came out. Like...these songs are well-written (at least mostly), but are performed in a pretty bland way (outside of the obvious hit singles). REM on the whole, not just this album, feels like a settled agreement or compromise by the radio listeners at large. Nothing is done outright BADLY, but nothing is that good to my ears.

A bit pretentious to call it that but when you listen all the way through and consider the man and the time period, you’ll allow it

My personal name for this album is “Context has the right to change my opinion” When I first heard this album years ago I thought it (and all other Boards of Canada music) was a snooze fest that didn’t deserve any of the hype it got. Most of the songs just kinda came and went, there wasn’t much to grasp. But maybe it’s not about grasping a song. Maybe it’s more about sinking into the vibe. Minecraft’s soundtrack led me to a deeper appreciation of Aphex Twin, who made a lot of music very similar to what’s on this album here. With that in mind, and the proper time to sit on it all, I’ve realized that this album is about embracing the liminal soundscapes that come and go, just like a nice dream. While this album does overstay it’s welcome a touch, it’s not nearly as challenging as it once was. Listen to it right before bed or right as you get out of bed.

We’re (I’m) around 215 albums into this list and the realization is coming over me that I’ll be getting real tired of the inclusion of albums like this - it’s the new random psychedelic rock album inclusion. I don’t care if these guys influenced bigger bands, the album just passes right by

The earnest nature of the first song gave me hope, but alas, that hope was ill-placed. This is not in the top 1001 albums you should listen to, surely it’s not

It’s is two separate things to “get” an album vs. to “like” an album. I get this album. I really do. There’s no more needing to beat me over the head with it. But I still don’t like it in the way everyone else does. There are other albums that go for this same aura and do it better

An album that you give a 5/5 stars to without much thought. Not to say that it’s overrated at all though! Most songs on here are household names for a reason. Billy Joel sticks the landing over and over again. A masterclass in storytelling done perfectly through the lens of piano-pop ballads

Boomers bring anything Steely-Dan-related to this list like Sheen brings Ultralord to class in Jimmy Neutron It would be something if this album was unique, but it was just more of the exact same steely Dan sound too >:(

Essential early millennial listening that set the trend for tumblr pop in the years to come. The pop hits are hits for a reason, sometimes the performances and deliveries towards the end get a bit lethargic, and not in the cool way. Still, almost anything post-2000 is refreshing for this list

A rare, RARE case where a pop-adjacent album ends with its best two songs. This album has me conflicted, there are moments of Bowie-inspired greatness, and most of the compositions, specifically the instrumentals, are great. Sometimes the vocals are a little all over the place though. I could see this being the greatest thing that ever happened to you if you were an impressionable teen at the time of its release, it has that sort of dramatic energy. This is a soft 4 for me for now. But I’m coming back to it, I’m interested in this albums replayability

There should be a 2 album per band limit and I don’t think Queen II cracks the top 2 for Queen

RHCP are such an interesting listen to me and this album is a microcosm of that experience. The hits are anthemic, timeless, and undeniable, and within an hour I’m really tired of hearing the band. My non-hit-song highlight from here would be “Road Trippin” as it’s a good break from the slappy funk-rock that starts to otherwise blend together as the album lengthens out

Her ability to inject genuine personality and character into each song is so astounding that the instrumentals don’t have to do that much work. I can think of few others over the past few decades who have that capability - maybe Frank Ocean, earlier Kanye, and Kendrick. Elite storytelling abilities puts her in elite company. Side note, anytime I pull an album from 2000ish or beyond, I’m filled with excitement for something new, but also filled with dread - knowing there’s only more 60’s psychedelia and 80’s british post-punk to slog through

Was it good? Arguably - it was at least well-executed with tight production and a clear vision for what it wanted to be as an album. Was it ageless/timeless? …please refer to the cover art.

If early Skrillex was a signal from the transformers, then this was an eloquent message from aliens outside our solar system. Otherworldly, gracious, delicate, tactful. Maybe not totally ‘music’ as it’s known, but most definitely inimitable art

Few albums will ever touch the complete artistic vision this album embodies. The songwriting is SO good that it completely escapes the time capsule many of its 80’s sound fonts have locked themselves in. Everything good has already been said about this album, it’s performer, and it’s concept. I will just say that if the aliens do want us to send them a “NOW! That’s What I Call Humanity’s Greatest Hits” — the song Purple Rain absolutely makes it on that record

Personal Jesus - ahead of it’s time in the sound department, never that good in the lyrics/writing department Enjoy The Silence - timeless, beautiful, that little plucked guitar melody with the chords they run under it is precious. Good album, worth your time, great sense of aesthetics and presentation. Strong 3, maybe a 4 if you catch me on the right day

The inclusion of two (at least, I’m only 230ish albums in) Roxy Music records has me irritable, when I know how many good post 2000’s records have been left off this list. This album wasn’t as good as the RM album that came after it, not was it unique enough to justify its place on this list

We’ve already pulled Paul’s Boutique, and to me this album gaps that one. PB was interesting and vivacious, but the thoughtfulness and experimentation pays off in spades for Ill Communication; Bodhisattva Vow is a good example of that willingness to experiment yielding a wonderful change in dynamics. No longer is everything shouted loudly and over pronounced. This album feels like watching a former frat boy, now in his late 20’s, start to shed his old ways, reaching for a more meaningful lifestyle

ACAB: The Album! We now know where Danny Brown got his flow, and with how catchy this album is, we don’t blame him

The more classic rock concept albums I listen to from this time period, the more I realize the peak male fantasy was some alignment of heavy rock n roll combined with mystical lyricism. The fellas just wanted to live in a Tolkien-inspired world. Pepper in some honkeytonk, add a smidge of rebellion. And boom. That’s it. Soft 3.

Gotta be one of the most accessible and lyrically logical Bobby albums Along with some great, simple guitar playing Some actually pleasant storytelling that you only need a surface-level grasp of social contexts to get what he’s often talking about Strong 4

The Who delivers a poignant concept about living in a “modern” world that advertises you into submission, with a surprisingly timeless display of irony. While the mediums have changed (tv -> social media), the inward cacophony that’s induced by yet another car sales jingle has remained all the while - this album will tug at that cacophony for years to come. Their rendition of In The Hall Of The Mountain King leans into the cool unease so well. Strong 4.

A wonderful, rich instrumental pallet cleanse from most other sounds of 1963

It’s sometimes hard to listen to these super old albums in a comparitive context that this list forces. Like, this doesn’t sound anything like Lorde’s Melodrama. But there are some cool things to be heard, like how the black social struggle was represented by Little Richard, and how it shares some base similarities with how it’s presented in music now. Anyway, he’s very energetic, it’s fun to think that this was the cutting edge of pop performance back in its day

It’s still hard to believe, even after the second REM album on this list, that this band was one of the most popular in the world. It’s just passable pastiche

The Superbowl for depressed people who spend lots of time on the internet. It’s alright, there’s instances of good storytelling, a clear ability to inject his personality into the songs. I think this is sadly a case of the albums aura being heightened by the context of its artist. Soft 3

While I think this is a very left field pick for something out of the late 2010’s, it deserves to be here. I just wish there were more albums from its time. I hear a lot of Spiritualized in these guys. They do the same exercise of taking a musical idea and letting it grow its own atmosphere over a few minutes. The abrupt ending of the song Boxing Day was really cool, caught me off guard. And Reunion will be used in the ambient playlist going forward too. Hard working 3 almost a 4

It is so cool that the first few minutes of this album could be the beginning of a Tyler, The Creator album. There are moments of timeless composition, timeless performance on here. Impressive storytelling throughout. The one ding on this album is that it’s a bit long and played out, for how many songs sound so similar. Still, a classic.

When it’s going well, it’s dramatic, airy, theatrical. When it’s not going well it’s a bit over-performative

Outright incredible storytelling. Leonard Cohen, one of the few exceptions to the rule I want to impose on this list of only 2 albums per artist. This album proves that this guy should’ve got the spot the Bob Dylan took in the pop culture lexicon

Indeed it is.

I really wanted to like this more than I ended up liking it. There is some good to be had in here, for example, this is definitely a progenitor of the yung lean/lil b ethos - where it doesn’t matter how atonal you are, it only matters that you’re rapping with personality. But yeah, I wish this album stuck its landing a bit more. The shock value samples/lyrics aren’t that zany, the sick & twisted aesthetics are just passable. Feels like the same 3-4 things are being brought up over and over again. Interesting guy, but this just doesn’t do it for me like I hoped it would

My first childhood band obsession was AC/DC, former expert checking in here. New lead singer Brian Johnson is here and he brought some of the most momentous arena rock of all time with him. It’s hard to think of another band that had a lead singer pass away, and have a graceful replacement take the band (so quickly) and elevate its sound like Brian does here. I really respect their decision to take heavy rock aesthetics, package them into a pop box, and not be gentle in introducing you to their new identity. Kinda ballsy to make the first song after Bon Scott’s passing (RIP) “Hell’s Bells”, but they practically HAD to - that song is meant to be an album opener. The only glaring reduction of this albums greatness is what any post-1980 AC/DC record can be criticized for - each song sticks to a tried & true formula; that formula can get a bit mundane, especially to the ears of a younger generation. Additionally, some lyrics and innuendos are very corny and aged, but that’s sadly par for the course for this genre. Man. What a total “dudes rock” album. Such a stellar tone-setter. One of the best album openers ever. And such a great closer to the record as well! I feel like it’s sound is a bit of an homage to Bon Scott, blending the new cutting-edge heavy sound with something slightly bluesy/twangy/lazy — a sound they had perfected by the end of the 70’s.

There is nothing that hasn’t been said about this masterpiece so I will just add in a personal anecdote — i’ll add that I cherish the rides over to the cabin or night hike drives where this was a new, exciting, fascinating album. The vast expanse of Shine On juxtaposed with the stripped rawness of Wish You Were here captivated our attention and soundtracked our good times. For that, I am forever thankful.

Funky and full of ground zero for the term “gangster rap”

Is this the first or second best CCR record? Because if not, there shouldn’t be more than two on this list!! All is as it should be with this album. Songs about the backcountry, about rambling, about being a rolling stone that grows no moss - even in the swamp.

Really, really struggling to see how this album earned a spot on this list. I will remember nothing from this album other than it being new wave. Is it outright bad? No. Is it at all unique or memorable? No.

HOW the HELL does THIS make the cut, but “This Is Happening”, one of the greatest indie dance albums of all time, DOESNT?????

Considering her output in the years to follow after this album, this is a refreshingly progressive pick to be on this list. Highlights for me are “SOS” and “Onanon”.

Not his most outstanding work by any means, but only because Bowie set himself such an astronomically high standard throughout his career. One of the few artists who deserve to have more than two albums on this list. We were lucky to walk the earth at the same time as David Bowie

Some generational hits packaged in an album that’s largely about the toll of war (in Vietnam or otherwise) - that’s nothing new for rock of this albums time. However, what is new is a sort of looming dread Paranoid carries with it. Manic mental states, confronting death in its face, grappling with the modern technology of war. These guys may have a legacy of mindlessly rocking and rolling, but behind that lies a lot of existential questions about the horrors we can barely comprehend

I really wonder what this album will sound like in 20+ years. It’s still young enough that it’s cool, but also starting to get old enough to be considered for the seminal work it is. Pharrell kills it on Numbers, and of course Shutdown is quintessential UK grime listening - this whole album is, really.

Witness a man staring death in its face! This album is transcendental, given the context that Bowie knows he’s terminally ill. Complete existentialism at the end of life for one of the world’s greatest artists. Makes for a powerful listen

These guys were a hit song away on this album from stardom forever, I truly believe that. Great album opener, very fun album closer. What is it about these guys? Is it spunk? Panache? Rhythm? Whatever it is, they’ve got it. A refreshing hidden gem. Sneaky good

I’m sorry there’s no way I’ve had 3+ REM albums a quarter of the way through this list. Not happening. Wish I could veto but I’m in too deep at this point. Even more unfortunately, the music itself does nothing to prove its placement on this list. Outside of the rare almost catchy hook, this album offers nothing. Not memorable, not descriptive, not unique. I’m so sad about this. Have to give it a 1.

Yeah I’m really not too sure this needed to be on here, outside of Take Me To The River there are no iconic or unique moments worthwhile. Love Talking Heads but this one isn’t it

I actually kinda mess with this one, or at least some songs on this one. Session Man is a very fun meta song without getting too lost in its own joke. I think I’ve heard Sunny Afternoon a few times before as well. Some highlights, some songs shouldn’t have made the cut, but at least there are some memorable, very Beatles-inspired moments.

I was never clear which song came first, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You on this album, or 25 Or 6 To 4 by Chicago. But I’m convinced someone copied someone. The good about this album is its slightly saturated, gritty, natural rock sound. Early signs of that Tolkien-inspired-folk here and there. And hey look! Black Mountain Slide is the obligatory Indian-style jam, as every rock band had around this time. The bad is the insane amount of whining about women/his woman. It was par for the course during this time, but Robert Plant just doesn’t stop. Additionally, even though it’s their first LP, you can already hear the imitating of black vocalists from time to time.

If you’re like me and wanted a record to engage in your confirmation bias that 90’s britpop was largely overrated and melodramatic, boy do I have the album for you. Much like beans on toast, you can only hope this is a product of a bygone, more troubling time

It goes from a solid 4/5 to Free Bird bringing it home to an undeniable 5/5. Anthem after anthem, from songs about classism to songs about cocaine. This is the southern rock classic

Some good lyrical miracle posse rapping. Highlights are One Of Them, which is more vicious than most tracks on here, followed immediately by Hey, which just has an incredibly pleasing instrumental.

About 250 albums or so in and I’m experiencing the first instance of real memory issues with this list - I swore we (i) already pulled this one. Anyhow this is a markedly incredible record. Outside of some obvious “Metallica” sounds, you can barely tell it’s from the 80’s, or any certain time period. It’s all energy, all perfect execution. Even as i listen to this at 5:30am to start work, I can only be super impressed with how tight the production & performance is. It’s missing some softer dynamics/ maybe one melodic interlude away from being a true 5/5 for me, but i recognize this as the holy grail for metal heads and respect you if you give it 5 stars

It’s a bit long to listen to one man constantly talking like that, but at least there’s some personality and character to it all

It is with great regret that (even with this being the second Kinks album this week) i say i like and appreciate this album. While there are too many like this record on the 1001 list, this one at least knows what it’s doing. There’s plenty of character, fun storytelling, catchy melodies. These guys really hate the idea of war, as did most rock bands in the late 60’s. Highlights on here for me are Yes Sir, No Sir as well as Shangri-La

Creates a good vibe that maintains a specific pleasant atmosphere for bunches of 10 minutes or so, mostly when it’s Stevie knicks singing. I’m always impressed at how Fleetwood Mac found the sweet spot for letting instruments and vocals breathe, giving everything its proper room in the mix/recording. Still, nothing on here makes me jump out of my seat

Alright I’m pretty sure that’s all 3 major Nick Drake albums checked off, what are we (i), 271 albums into this? I remember the first one being the most impressive to me, even through the background noise of a giant airplane taking me to NZ. He had a very grounded vocal presence that seemingly held out a hand to take you along through whatever story he was telling. Then we pulled Pink Moon, which was a bit more experimental and definitely more in lala land mentally (apparently representing the decline of his mental state a bit), and now we are here in the middle. So how does it go? More like the first record, thankfully. Drakes delivery is very arresting. There’s strangely a lot of tasteful, easy waiting room style music in this too. Maybe not everyone’s thing, but I’m a fan. 3 for now, but I want to go back to this one I think there’s more here. Poor Boy is my highlight of the record

The stark cut from the first track into The Nurse, which is by far the best song on here, is the highlight for me. I had to check to make sure it wasn’t my phone going off. Everything else is par for the White Stripes course. After enough time with this list I can offer my respect to the Whites as musicians. Not often my mood, but they’re both stellar

Fun loving? Yes, absolutely. These guys are very fun and at times pure of heart. It’s infectious at best. However, it often comes at a cost of subpar lyricism and delivery. It’s interesting, they’re at an intersection of rock and rap, but not at all in the nu-metal linkin park way. “All the Time In The World” is the highlight for me here. Good instrumental, good vibe. And a light 3 for those good vibes

Chat am I a jaded hater? I’m just getting this feeling that I won’t remember anything off this record other than the title track - which does deserve its props. Sweet Dreams (the song) seems like the type of song you write/record and instantly know you’ve got something big on your hands. I must also recognize it’s staying power, zedd just recently played it at his show. It’s still recognizable and sleek. But outside of that…there’s nothing new to grasp onto. It’s just 80’s music with nothing more than a slightly dark facade to it all. Carried by the title track, if there even is anything to carry here

Simply put - not my jam

So this is what they sang about before the cold war! Very tight & well performed as a band, but hard to judge

So this is Grateful Dead. Not as eclectic as their reputation would lead you to believe, but I know that most of that reputation is from their “jam band” style live shows. This was just very Crosby-Stills-Nash-esque. Truckin is a classic, my favorite on here is Ripple though. Not too shabby

Yeah this is a bit more solid than most stones albums / any rock album of its time. I think the biggest standout on here is the moments of restraint mick and the band use on some arrangements - they know when to go crazy and Gimme Shelter it, but they know when to pull it back and You Can’t Always Get What You Want it

the lightest 4 stars from me. Good protest music, some iconic songs are frontloaded onto here, tapers off a bit in the back.

Like every album made by The Black Keys or Kings of Leon, I wish they would just shut up. Such nice pop-rock compositions almost always ruined by the singers voice. I can’t quite pin it down, but there’s something in both the tonality of the singers voice and the lyrics that is so grating on the ears. On the plus side, this is recorded excellently. The fidelity and textures of all the instruments, how they all come together, it’s all fantastic. Softest 3 possible.

Showcases the incredible quality of Kurt’s voice in its unique tonality and his ability to so personally tell a story in each song. An iconic album in the eyes of many

I don’t know if the 5am ghost was just hitting right this morning, but this was a surprisingly good album. I wasn’t expecting much at all. The highlight for sure is I Wish I’d Never Loved You, it’s soaring and dramatic and sung to perfection. Also, is Live It Up sounding really close to The Loco-Motion to anyone else? I know it’s not an uncommon chord progression, but it sounded pretty similar. Anyways, really enjoyed this album.

I can’t really poke a hole in this album. Maybe that’s partly due to how out of my depth I am with anything metal. But this was fantastic. Obviously, Hollow is the clear highlight of the record. More melodic and refrained than most songs, which I think all metal/loud albums need a bit of. A stark, interesting contrast from Master Of Puppets that was recently the album of the day, in that VDOP here was often more introspective and lyrically based in reality. Really well done.

Not as impactful as the previous kd lang record we’ve pulled from this list. A bit more outwardly country & folksy, maybe a tad too much so. Not bad by any means, just not the best offering

The instrumental backing is lovely The singing is unbearable

Telling myself that English britpop/rock isn’t derivative and mundane for the millionth time while wearing a clinically insane smile on my face and manically clawing at the walls that surround me

I apologize Queen Latifah, I wasn’t familiar with your game. Thoughtful, well-produced, full of charecter. “Come Into My House” is the highlight for me

Sister Midnight and Nightclubbing are both incredible songs, then it slowly devolves into more hazy, hard to grasp stuff. Glad to know that China Girl by Bowie is a pseudo cover/redo

Queens of the Stone Age are really good at Just The Right Amount. Just the right amount of melodic variation, of emotion, of sounds vs. silence. Where they really excel is in producing an atmosphere (songs for the deaf will go on to further prove this). Really good rock music that isn’t bogged down by an awful singer

A lot of people think of this record when they think of the word "album" The strange thing is that the first two songs sound like an album closer. Within You Without You into When Im 64 is a personal favorite beatles moment for me both songs are so fun. Now is this a 5 outta 5? No. But its making the case for it. a couple of tracks with a little less punch than the rest. Still, it deserves much of the generational hype.

While it had its moments of getting way too noodly, I get the hype for this one. Very much ahead of it’s time for progressive/experimental rock

I had such a good listening experience with this album that I just let Spotify suggested take the reins for like two hours after. Great music to work to. I’d hoped there’d be more albums of this unique variety when I first got into this list

This was so well done, especially for a movie score. I feel like, too often, film scores fall too far into doing way too much or way too little in terms of their presence and listenability outside of the movie. But this is perfect, enjoyable, and tight. Cafe Regios is a highlight on here (outside of the crazy Do Your Thing which should just be listened to, not talked about), one of the best songs I’ve picked up so far from this daily albums list. Tasteful bossa nova that paces itself so well, when that hi hat ride kicks in around halfway through and the drum pattern slightly alters - OOH!

there's so much personality in this, especially in the first track. Thankful for the rare instances of true variety this list can provide, so glad its a break from classic rock or new wave. Very very fun mixup

Some personal chronicles about the dynamics of relationships. Nothing overtly amazing, but nothing skippable either. Very accurate cover art, the focus here is a girl and her guitar. For this being made almost 50 years ago, it holds up surprisingly well. Feels like it coulda been on the radio with Lenny Kravitz in the 90's. An even 3 stars

Simply one of the greatest albums of all time. There are a handful of EP’s and just a few albums that I can playback in my head from start to finish - this is one of them. Every song is uniquely memorable, no skips at all. It’s a damn shame these two had a falling out, because this record is at the top of the evidence pile for a case to be made the S&G were the greatest duo ever.

I enjoyed this slightly more than I thought I would! I would say it’s well above average for an early 70’s rock record. This list has helped illuminate little nuggets of albums like these, that teach me that there was a lot of good music more grounded in reality thats been hiding behind the wall of select classic rock hits that get played to death

This is a protest 2 star. We don’t need this many rock albums from the 60’s! This is simply insane! I don’t care if it’s the Beatles or a one-hit-wonder! It must be stopped, even this record is not that essential!

This one’s a bit of a rollercoaster. I was beginning to think that live Motörhead was wearing out it’s welcome quite early, but something about the persistence of their energy and great chemistry/playing live was noticed around the time they get to We Are The Road Crew. A nice little sentiment for a yeehaw metal song. But then it kinda goes back into a wall of noise towards the end of the album. Still, engaging enough to hold my attention for an hour

A scathing indictment of suburban America and its culture/belief system under the Bush administration. Also at times a beautiful display of the different ways those suburban kids/families struggle to reckon with personal tragedy. A great juxtaposition of power chords and sad but catchy melodies. It’s undeniably a 5, a good snapshot in time for a subset of Americans

Let’s go NZ this is one of the most justified white woman crashouts of all time. Pop artist should use this record as a reference, it’s that good across the board. And is that some Kate Bush influence I hear in Writer In The Dark?

I’m semi-convinced that Limp Bizkit (and specifically this album) exists as a way to show us how lucky we were to have Linkin Park, and specifically the dynamic between Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda. A sort of Wario to LP’s Mario. Because nothing about this album is charismatic, but everything about this album is enigmatic. The instrumentals and compositions are so cutting-edge and clean for their time, then Fred Durst just takes the mic to spew verbal diarrhea everywhere. And at points there’s some self-awareness to it all? It feels strange giving such a polarizing album/band a 3, but here we are. The clever chorus on Full Nelson is the highlight for me

Man they seem like they’re having so much fun while performing with such ease. Call me aging, but Do It Again grows on me more and more as the years go by. I went into a convenience store yesterday and it was playing over the speaker, and my mood just got better instantly. Soft 4 here, great week for albums so far it’s been a 5, 4, and today a 4. We’re (I’m) 300 albums in and I don’t know if that’s happened much or at all!

I’ve got no qualms with the quality of music, thank you Green Onions for the iconic Sandlot lick. But none of this sticks. It’s like how some people feel about house music, it’s all just kinda in the background, kinda not impactful or wanting to make its presence known - but at the same time it’s clearly not trying to do the ambient music angle where it’s intentionally out of the way/in the background too. Cool guys, important that they were racially integrated as early as this was, but just not doing anything for me musically

Heartfelt and delicate, but has the same issue as many other albums of it’s time in that it’s almost too mellow at points

You can frolic about in the echoey indie sounds of this album, but most of them will be forgotten to the whimsical sands of time.

I’m so glad I was an impressionable age when this album came out. I think these days I would’ve more easily written it off as 80’s revivalist pop pastiche. But no, this was peak tumblr, Porter-Robinson-adjacent, on the drive to my first job, good from front to back. Wistful lead vocals packed with a nice balance of angst and catharsis, often dancey, AMAZING hooks. If you are new to liking this, I suggest The Naked And Famous as a similar listen. “Tether” is my highlight and it has a great house remix from Junior Sanchez that should be listened to as well

I have not had harder lyrical whiplash than my listening experience with “Oliver’s Army” on this album. And upon further digging it looks like Mr. Costello has a big issue with his views and choice of words - but that he’s also very actively pro-Palestine??? Anyways, nothing on here is bad, but nothing is very new or unique. “Party Girl” is probably my highlight. I’m sure I’m the last person on earth to hear Elvis and think that Prince was doing it better. I wish this album wasn’t given a spot on here, considering there are other more deserving ones not dropping hard R’s!

I saw her in concert about two months ago! I went into it with very few preconceptions or specific expectations and I left very impressed. She’s a performer through and through, it was dramatic from start to finish, very few words were said until a break towards the last few songs. I greatly appreciated it. Anyways, as for this album here, it is a great balance of delicate and guttural. I suppose you can say that about all of her best stuff. Uninhibited vocals and raw instrumentals to back it up. A very very strong 4 outta 5.

Good RnB/soul music is where the vent diagram of honest lyricism/singing crosses with bits of the pop format. I really respect Al Greens ability to do that with such ease on this record. Just little treats of authenticity coming at you left and right every single song. Like someone handing you assorted homemade baked goods for an hour straight

Al Green yesterday Marvin Gaye today. Gaye's falsetto crooning is perhaps the defining sound of this album - backed by grooves that weave between heavy pockets and lighter passages with ease. It seemed like this album was a big leap for him thematically, moving away from the overtly clean suit and tie doowop love songs, to something more existential, open-ended, and funky all the same. Not the most surprising pick, but Mercy Mercy Me is my highlight here -- What's Going on is so culturally significant that I'm sure most everyone already knows it.