387
Albums Rated
2.83
Average Rating
36%
Complete
702 albums remaining
Featured Review
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa • 3/5
Evil jazz. Chaos prog. There no doubt Zappa is talented, and wildly creative. Kinda makes sense that the only vocalist Frank got for this was Captain Beef heart, another agent of chaos.
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1990
Favorite Decade
Hip-hop
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
28
5-Star Albums
39
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
|
5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
|
Spiderland
Slint
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
Debut
Björk
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
|
5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
|
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
|
5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.41 | +1.59 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
1 | 3.72 | -2.72 |
|
Station To Station
David Bowie
|
1 | 3.69 | -2.69 |
|
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
|
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
|
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
Queen II
Queen
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
|
Odelay
Beck
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
|
1 | 3.43 | -2.43 |
|
Different Class
Pulp
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kanye West | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.25 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pulp | 2 | 1 |
| Iggy Pop | 2 | 1 |
| Queen | 3 | 1.67 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 2 |
| Blur | 3 | 2 |
| Leonard Cohen | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Beck | 5, 1 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 2, 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 2, 5 |
| Pixies | 4, 5, 2 |
| Beastie Boys | 2, 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (28)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Queen · 1 likes
1/5
Very few tracks I enjoyed on this one. I have such a hard time getting into Queen.
The United States Of America · 1 likes
2/5
There are some interesting moments on this record, mostly the weirder psychedelic moments. Otherwise its a bit boring. I think this music would have been pretty groundbreaking for its time given the use of electronic sounds, but that kind of style has a long way to go from here before its halfway interesting for me.
U2 · 1 likes
3/5
There are definitely some stand outs here, and honestly this album is consistently good. However I think this album is a little to tied to the trends of the early 2000s compared to their other works.
I always enjoy Bono's' singing, even if his writing can be a little (or a lot) self righteous.
As a final note, Beautiful Day is a great song. I have only ever heard it in stadiums and on the radio in the background. I was surprised at how good it was when I listened to it on decent pair of headphones at home.
War · 1 likes
3/5
Jazzy. Wah wah. Jam sesh vibes. Some guy killing it on a funky organ. Saxophone guy is also killing it.
Not really my vibe but its not bad.
The Monkees · 1 likes
2/5
Pretty ok. It sounds alot like if the beatles never moved on from 'Please please me'
4-Star Albums (70)
1-Star Albums (39)
All Ratings
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Definitively 70s American. Bluesy as all hell.
Southern vibes. Good golly miss molly
3/5
Jazzy. Wah wah. Jam sesh vibes. Some guy killing it on a funky organ. Saxophone guy is also killing it.
Not really my vibe but its not bad.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Very fun Brazilian rhythms. Very dance-able, samba-ish. Very cool traditional Brazilian instruments here.
Paul Simon
5/5
More interesting rhythms than I remember. Surprisingly, can have some more experimental elements than most pop from the time. Pop, folk, and definitely African influenced. Lyrics are often quite funny, and bordering on spoken word at times.
Favorite tracks: Graceland, Diamonds on the souls of her shoes, You can call me Al
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Fun lyrics and wordplay over jazzy New York beats. Psychedelic and funky. Their style definitely feels underdeveloped, especially compared to the next two albums they would release.
Not my favorite tribe album, but still good.
Nick Drake
3/5
Pretty good folk. Raspy soft voice. Acoustic. Buzzy guitar.
Not bad. Worth listening to twice.
Pulp
1/5
Pretty grungy Brit rock. Some of the songs sound like something Cake would do. I feel like there are bands before, and after pulp that do this sound better. I find the writing to be underwhelming.
Beck
5/5
Glitchy and artsy with a significant steel guitar presence.
E-pro, Emergency Exit, and Hell Yes are significant highlights. Becks vocal style seems to be partially influenced by Kurt Cobain. This album seems to get progressively better with every re-listen.
DJ Shadow
5/5
God tier drums. Atmospheric, with interesting samples. Really makes you wonder what makes hip hop "hip hop". Twin peaks sample right at the end. This album is an absolute treat listen after re-listen.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Surprisingly good actually. Twangy, Mick Jagger style. A kind of country/ folksy Rolling Stones album.
Pixies
4/5
Lo-fi and grungy. Some songs are more surf rock than others. Gigantic and Where is my mind are big highlights.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Very folksy, western sounds and themes. The singer-songwriter angle here is definitely not my cup o' tea.
Solomon Burke
1/5
Old school vibes. Kinda cheesy. Dont love it.
Talking Heads
4/5
Better than I remember. Talking heads are always an equal split for me between David Byrn's interesting singing style and out-there lyrics, and the bands awesome instrumentals. The Big Country is a HUGE highlight on this album.
Yes
1/5
Perpetual change is good. Otherwise its not really my style.
Solange
2/5
R and B. Some songs felt like they had a Frank Ocean influence. Not really any stand out tracks to me.
LTJ Bukem
4/5
Awesome collection of 90s DNB. Spacey af.
Mudhoney
1/5
Very lofi and grungy. Im not really a fan.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
I can see some appeal overlap with David Bowie from an instrumental perspective. Cyndis singing style sometimes reminds me of Tom Petty.
This album is alot of fun, time after time.
Hugh Masekela
2/5
Decent jazz. Really nothing outstanding in my book. Maybe I've just been spoiled with extremely good jazz in the past.
Interesting thing about this album is that it has a strong African vibe at times.
Christine and the Queens
4/5
Awesome contemporary french new wave . I enjoyed this quite a bit.
The second half is all English versions of the first half. Last song (The stranger) has Shifting Sand Land energy.
Chicago
2/5
The intro didnt sell this album for me, however the music really starts to get fun, and the cliché 70s vibes really start to grow on you. Very long winded in the second half.
Faust
2/5
Boring German language rock.
Idk man its just not for me.
Aretha Franklin
2/5
Bluesy and old timey. Not bad, but definitely not a first pick for me.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Classic blues rock album. Its great what can I say.
There are definitely some stand outs here, and honestly this album is consistently good. However I think this album is a little to tied to the trends of the early 2000s compared to their other works.
I always enjoy Bono's' singing, even if his writing can be a little (or a lot) self righteous.
As a final note, Beautiful Day is a great song. I have only ever heard it in stadiums and on the radio in the background. I was surprised at how good it was when I listened to it on decent pair of headphones at home.
Louis Prima
2/5
Not bad for an oldies album. I liked this a little better than some other pop albums from this time-frame.
The Monkees
2/5
Pretty ok. It sounds alot like if the beatles never moved on from 'Please please me'
The Avalanches
2/5
It was ok. Didnt love it too much. It was a kind of interesting style of sample heavy electronica.
B.B. King
4/5
This is blues music at its finest.
Iggy Pop
1/5
Iggy pop has a strange way of singing. Not sure that I like this.
Laibach
1/5
Weird German Language rock. Not as good as Faust, which appeared earlier on this list.
Fever Ray
3/5
Super weird and spacey. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
The Killers
3/5
Pretty good pop/alt. The highlights are awesome, and the lowlights arent too bad.
Soundgarden
4/5
Grungy. I have been meaning to check out soundgarden for a while now. Not bad, but they can be slow and dark at times.
Edit:
I had to come back to edit this review because goddamn this album gets better with time. The hits are infinitely re listenable. I come back to this all the time.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Black Sabbath is definitely one of the grandfathers of hard rock, and this album is a pioneering work of that genre. Many stand out hits.
Beth Orton
2/5
Not bad. In some ways this reminds me of a Fiona Apple album. A bit long imo
Taylor Swift
2/5
Indie vibes with that familiar Swift style. I was hoping TayTay was gonna step out of her comfort zone with this one and make something interesting. Alas I am disappointed again.
Steely Dan
2/5
Steely Dan is definitely a band with a signiture sound, just not a sound that I am a huge fan of.
The Doors
2/5
Bluesy and rock and roll for sure.
Miles Davis
1/5
Much too experimental, even for me.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Really good. My first real exposure to Björk. Björk is really obviously the star of this band.
The Youngbloods
1/5
Its ok. Feels like the guess who sometimes
Santana
2/5
Decent Santana. Latin music with some familiar hits
Depeche Mode
4/5
Very good. Some of Depeche Modes best work is on this album.
Orbital
3/5
Pretty good. Spacey and old school electronic.
Dire Straits
4/5
Great Dire straights album. Several really good songs on here.
The Human League
3/5
Enjoyable. I forgot about the song Seconds, which is a highlight. Some rather boring songs on here also.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Soulful as expected. Pretty good, although this is something I have to be in the mood for.
Beatles
4/5
Its the fucking Beatles White Album. If it were 45 mins shorter, it would be the best Beatles album far.
Sade
2/5
Smooth and soulful. Not really my style.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Pretty good. Definitely more grungy than what is typical from Neil Young.
Blue Cheer
1/5
70s hard rock. Not really my thing
Missy Elliott
3/5
Some fun tracks, but ultimately you gotta really be in the mood for this type of 2000s hip hop
King Crimson
5/5
Awesome record. A great recommendation if you're into prod rock. Cant choose a best track because they are all important to telling the story of the Crimson King.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Paint it black and Under my thumb are good songs, but the rest of this album is quite dull.
The Jam
1/5
Bland brit rock. Not interested.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Some good hits. A little corny nowadays since rap has really come a long way since '86
Elliott Smith
1/5
I just cant seem to get into Elliot Smith
Prince
5/5
Very good prince album. A good time all around. This one has really grown on me.
Beatles
4/5
Great album. All the songs on here are awesome. That being said I cant give it a 5 because there are definitely some lower points on here that I dont necessarily look forward to on re listens.
Cee Lo Green
1/5
Nah im not a CeeLo fan apparently
Steely Dan
4/5
This album has grown on me. Definitely my favorite from Steely Dan so far.
Jungle Brothers
2/5
I can see how this album continues to influence hip hop music even to this day. However, its really not my kind of hip hop.
The Stooges
2/5
Its ok. I respect that this was a pioneering piece of music for punk, but the genre has never really appealed to me in its raw form like this.
Talking Heads
3/5
Good album. Talking heads are usually a hit for me.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Pretty good, especially if your already familiar with CSN. Surprising amount of range here also. Folk rock is not usually my go to though.
The Temptations
3/5
Good and funky. More enjoyable than I was expecting.
Kanye West
5/5
One of the best hip hop albums of the 21st century. Essential hip hop.
Queen
1/5
Lots of Led Zeppelin sounding stuff in here. Also I can hear the Beatles.
That being said Im not a fan of this rock opera style.
David Bowie
2/5
Not bad, but I struggle to get into Bowie.
Burning Spear
3/5
Really good actually. Reggae is not one of my more explored genres, but this was nice.
Pulp
1/5
Much like the last pulp album, This is hardcore, I really cant stand this brand of brit pop.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Pretty good first exposure to Nick Cave. I will likely come back to this. Some highlights are Hiding All Away, Nature Boy, and Supernaturally.
Van Morrison
3/5
Not bad. Enjoyable in the first half.
Mott The Hoople
1/5
70s glam rock. Im not really into it. I can see some Bowie influence, but still no.
Fugees
5/5
Really good hip hop album. Im definitely coming back to this.
Favs: How many mics, Zealots, The Beast, and Cowboys.
R.E.M.
3/5
Not bad. Pretty distinctly REM. Some good hits on here.
Billy Joel
2/5
Not bad. Pretty distinctly REM. Some good hits on here.
Kanye West
5/5
An absolute must listen in the hip hop canon. Kanye at his most maximal. A star studded list of collaborators makes this an incredibly massive record. Super refined, and and a great listen.
Ice T
2/5
Decent old school album. I think I would have probably rated it lower if I didn't already have an appreciation of old school hip hop.
A couple standouts, not because they are better than the rest, but because they are very different than the rest of the tracks:
Midnight. This one has an oddly 'ahead of its time' beat.
Body Count. A metal track lol
Pixies
5/5
Amazing piece of music. So many great songs on here. Crazy how much influence this band had on rock going forward into the 90s.
The White Stripes
2/5
Blues rock sounds that you've come to expect from The White Stripes. Not my favourite, but still not bad. I can see this being hard to listen to, if you don't already like Jack White or The White Stripes.
Japan
1/5
I dont love this. I am a big fan of new wave, but this isnt really anything special.
ABBA
1/5
Not really my thing. Not as Disco-y as other ABBA projects, but still.
Wire
2/5
Not bad post punk. Nothing amazing though.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
Its ok. Im not a fan of Leonard Cohen or this style of singer songwriter music.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
S tier album. Nothing bad to say. No skips.
Bauhaus
1/5
Nope. Not a goth fan. This kind of sound was better improved upon by bands like Joy Division and The Smiths.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
This band sounds like if Billy Joel was obnoxiously British.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
This singer reminds me of Wilco, or Elliot Smith, but the band is pop punk.
Not bad. Some enjoyable stuff here.
Beck
1/5
Not terrible but really a disappointment coming from just having listened to Guero.
Devils haircut and Where its at were highlights but you can kinda tell he was going for a couple more radio friendly singles with those.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Finally I get around to listening to Arcade Fire. I like this style of indie rock or whatever you call it.
However every song always feels like its missing something. Like they are 90% of the way to having a great song.
The suburbs is my fav track, but I knew about that song before this album.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
This album is 100x better if you are already familiar with The Fugees.
Lauren Hills style is way more refined here. This album will really hit if your a fan of Common, instrumentally, and conscious rap wise.
I also love the concept of this record. The skits really make it a full album experience.
I have to remove a point though because I do think its a bit too long. This would have been great at 45-50 mins
Dirty Projectors
2/5
So far this is awesome. Abstract instrumentals tickle my brain.
The second half of this album is pretty obnoxious. The vocal melodies are very reminiscent of the annoying technical flexing of singers like Jacob Collier. No hate to Jacob, but I find that style to be humble brag-esqe.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Wow im surprised how much I am enjoying this. This is a solid old school country album.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Easily the best Tribe album. After my 20th re-listen, I am still finding tracks that I forgot I loved.
A Tribe Called Best
Neil Young
3/5
Pretty solid. First half is better than the second half.
Some classic folk rock on this record.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
A little less interesting than loveless. Shoegaze is definitely not my first love, but its actually quite nice to listen to at work. Even so, I would still put on loveless any day of the week over this.
Frank Ocean
4/5
A classic. Not franks best work, but still a great listen. Some songs are a bit lame, but the ones that shine are so good you can easily forget that.
Best song: Lost
Worst song: Pilot Jones
Most underrated song: Pyramids
Lenny Kravitz
1/5
Not really into it. Lenny sounds like if you mixed Prince and Paul McCartney. His instrumentals aren't all that interesting either.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
First off, the marketing on this record is really cool. Love the artist name, album name, and artwork.
As for the music itself, its not really my kind of jazz. Decent, but kinda more fitting for background music at a restaurant, than active listening.
Its ok.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
This is my second attempt at getting into this album. While I enjoy some of the more experimental moments on this album, I find myself really getting bored at most of the stereotypical hippie drum circle vibes.
The Pogues
4/5
Great irish rock music. Very happy with this recommendation.
Various Artists
2/5
Christmas music isn't really my thing from a lyrical perspective. That being said, I do enjoy that classic 50s style pop that Christmas music usually provides.
Red Snapper
5/5
This was awesome. I really liked it. Im gonna say its a five, but Endtroducing... is still my favorite from this genre.
Also, this sounded like a collection of Bjork instrumentals.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
This was pretty nice. First half was better than the second. Probably wont revisit this though.
David Bowie
1/5
Not loving it. I have a hard time with David Bowie most days. Golden Years it the only real standout.
Very nice. I like Rod Stewart, and this is a more rock and roll version of him.
Hell yeah
Guns N' Roses
1/5
I really don't like GNR. Never did, and maybe never will.
Björk
3/5
Björk is definitely not for everyone. Once you form an appreciation for her music though, there's really nothing else like it. This is my fourth Björk album, and I'm quite happy with it. I wouldn't put it above her earlier work, but still enjoyable.
Prince
4/5
Nice listen. Prince is usually a good time. Some songs are more eventful than others, but there's some really enjoyable songs here.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
One of those artists that so strongly define the decade. Dusty really shaped the sound of pop/soul in the 60s.
I enjoyed this a decent amount.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Good reggae. Not my favorite genre, but still a good time.
4/5
A real gem. U2s best album imo. So many strong songs, and even the lowlights on this record are pretty good.
I cant give it a 5 though because I feel like this album is a bit front loaded, and the back half is quite a bit weaker.
Maybe if the hits were better spread out, this would be a better album experience.
Deep Purple
2/5
The intro was awesome. Not a huge fan of these live albums that just have endless noodling, but Highway Star was cool.
All in all, for me, this was like 60 mins of improv, and like 16 mins of good songs.
Iggy Pop
1/5
Actually not as bad as I thought it would be. Still not my thing though
James Brown
2/5
Pretty good. Im not a huge funk guy, but I can appreciate the greats
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Never gave this a listen before, but I am very familiar with LZ1 and LZ4 so I have some perspective.
A decent addition to the discography .
Led Zeppelin always gets bonus points from me because their lyrics are only really about 3 topics:
1. LOTR and other mystical realms
2. Love making (Minus points for having a ton of lyrics that didnt age well.)
3. Bluesy type shit
Definitely too long.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Smooth and soulful.
The first song it the sample used in Hood Took Me Under.
Fun fact: Injury Reserve payed homage to Isaac Hayes by naming their (and post-hip-hops) best album after the final track on this album.
Scott Walker
4/5
I like this quite a lot actually!
I feel like Nick Cave got some of his style from Scott Walker.
I am 'modern-Scott Walker' - BCNR
The Cure
4/5
This is like my fifth time listening to this album, and I will say for sure that this really only works as a whole album experience. There's a mood that grows throughout the tracklist, that is hard to just drop into.
The back half of this album is pretty prog, and I wasn't really expecting that.
I think I like this album more now than I have in the past because I have done a ton of exploring in and around this genre since my first listen.
I was prepared to rate this a 3, but when I finally finished it, I am happy to give it a 4. The final 2 songs really tie it all up nicely.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This is the second best Kenny album imo. It gets a 5 though because its amazing in a way that doesn't really compete with TPAB.
I like the weird gloomy aesthetic, and the dark storytelling. Kenny really does a fantastic job describing life as a poor black kid, but in a more direct way than anything in TPAB, in GKMC he is really straightforward in his message.
There are a couple parts of this album I don't love quite as much as the rest, but the highlights are so damn high, you completely forget about them.
Best songs: Sing about me, The art of peer pressure, and Money Trees.
Less memorable songs: Real, mAAd city, and Compton.
Best verse: Jay Rock on Money trees.
Best beat: The art of peer pressure.
Deep Purple
3/5
Three of the best deep purple songs on one record.
This is pretty good despite my distaste for endless noodling on songs (tbf they kept it pretty tame compared to Made In Japan)
Enjoyable for the most part.
Rush
3/5
Wow I am very impressed. So many good songs here. Very technical instrumentation as well.
Witch hunt was very cool.
YYZ uses a 7 time signature which is unusual but cool.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Wow this is a 90s RnB time capsule. Really transports you to 97.
The track 'The Roof' heavily uses a sample from Mobb Deeps Shook Ones, which I find interesting, but I guess Mariah has always been rap adjacent.
Sly & The Family Stone
1/5
I didn't really love this. It wasn't horrible, but I wont be giving it a re-listen.
Queen
1/5
Very few tracks I enjoyed on this one. I have such a hard time getting into Queen.
Primal Scream
2/5
This album kinda reminds me of Gorillaz early stuff, but a with fewer garage band vibes.
I swear to god the song Suka uses the same flute sample as a Boards Of Canada song on Geogaddi.
Very 90s. Pretty cool.
Tom Waits
3/5
Interesting and strange folk music. Kinda grunge and spoken word at times.
Some cool jazz moments on this.
Blues also? Damn this guy has a versatile band.
I cant help but feel like Robbie Robertson stole Tom Waits style on Somewhere Down The Crazy River.
Wow this was really good. Not something I would come back to for some time, but I really enjoyed this.
Supergrass
2/5
Im pretty lukewarm on this one.
Brit pop esque, with a bit of an experimental edge.
Adele
2/5
It's nice to hear Adele outside the context of her mega successful hits.
Even so, not really my thing.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
This album is like 90% the way to being amazing. I love his voice, and the instrumentation is so so good. Some of these chord progressions are magical (That voice again, In your eyes, to name a few). There is something missing here though. I don't know why, but each song feels a little incomplete.
"So was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1987 but lost to Paul Simon's Graceland"
Understandable (Graceland is a 5/5) ^
This album also contains the best song Peter Gabriel ever made, so that's a bonus.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
So aggressively Springsteen, in a good way.
That being said, this album is pretty one note. The title track is by far the best song, but other than that, the rest feel like watered down versions of the same thing.
Al Green
2/5
I liked it in a general sorta way.
Not terrible, but not my thing for sure.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
Decent grunge rock vibes.
The Zombies
2/5
I cant help but hear the beatles here, though not nearly as groundbreaking as the beatles were in the same era.
Yep, A rose for emily on this album bears a striking resemblance to For no one by the beatles, which came out a year before.
Meh
The Black Keys
3/5
Awesome contemporary blues record.
The speaker buzz really adds an aesthetic, pretty cool that they only add it to like one instrument per song. Makes the song feel almost punk rock.
The Black Keys often feel like the next step in blues music after Jack White.
This album is way too front loaded. If this was cut down to 30ish mins it would be legendary, however the back half is much too slow compared to the first 25 mins.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I cant seem to get into The Rolling Stones. I dont know why, but their style of rock never really appealed to me.
Miriam Makeba
2/5
Not a bad listen, but not really my style.
Dion
3/5
Lots of americana vibes. I like it.
Very smooth and easy.
Nice.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Rap at its most raw, gritty, and lyrical.
A landmark in hip hop history, and a template for numerous rap albums to follow.
This album is waaaaay better than I remember.
Dark, hardcore new york style.
Protect ya neck and Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II hit so unbelievably hard.
Judas Priest
2/5
Pretty decent 80s power metal.
The Undertones
3/5
Interesting music. Almost punk but not quite, almost glam but not quite, with a bit of a Beach Boys feel.
I really like the vocalist, but most of these songs are pretty similar sounding. Pretty enjoyable, though I likely wont revisit this one.
The Young Gods
2/5
Growly french industrial, with alot more metal than im used to for an industrial album.
ZZ Top
2/5
Average blues music at the best of times, boring boomer rock at the worst of times.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This took me 3 separate listens over the span of ten years to finally 'get it'
It has to be because I got into Black Country New Road, and they always cite this album as inspiration. Now I can see where they are coming from.
Van Halen
3/5
Eddy is a pretty good guitar player. I like that most of these songs have a really fast tempo, really amps you up
Not bad overall.
Beatles
4/5
Im really more of a fan of the post Rubber Soul Beatles. That being said I am still a huge fan, and I can really appreciate this one as well.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Not bad like usual. Neil young usually does a really good job of blending rock and folk.
New York Dolls
3/5
Kinda like if Mick Jagger sang punk songs.
70s punk is not really my wheelhouse, but I found most of these songs enjoyable. I can see this slapping in a certain context.
Johnny Cash
4/5
This is awesome. I really enjoyed this.
This is the gritty tough guy country I can get behind.
MGMT
3/5
I'm fairly certain you could consider Electric Feel a disco song.
I like the awkward vocal style of the lead singer, it adds an endearing, sincere quality to the music.
The hits are very synth heavy, but alot of the other songs here are oddly folky.
Love
2/5
Nothing here that really interests me.
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
I started out not really liking this album. After a while though, I found it growing on me.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Really cool jazz fusion album. Funky as hell, jazzy as heck.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
Also, badass album artwork.
OutKast
2/5
This album has some great songs.
However, of all the Outkast albums to choose for this list, this is one of only two I would have NOT chosen.
Its way too bloated. If it were just the best 45 mins of songs, this could have been great.
Also this it the album where Outkast was basically already broken up, and its just a solo BigBoi album stitched together with a solo Andre 3000 album.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Absolutely legendary album in the realm of psych rock, and prog rock.
Ive listened to this one at least 50 times over the years.
Its reputation, and billboard records really speak for this one.
Not a skip here. Maybe On the run, but even then, it helps the atmosphere.
Depeche Mode
2/5
I usually enjoy Depeche Mode, but this was not great.
First half was good, the second half was not.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Good old school country. I don't possess the musical vocabulary to express why I like this, but its good.
Aerosmith
2/5
Pretty typical Aerosmith. I didn't mind most of this. Nothing standout though.
Johnny Cash
3/5
This was good. However I can't help but compare this to San Quintin (which is better).
Duran Duran
5/5
My all time favorite Duran Duran album, and my favorite new wave album.
This is 80s pop perfection.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
This band is like Gorillaz and Parquet Courts combined, and they write all their songs like the Beatles.
No sympathy could be a Death Grips beat.
I got quite a bit of enjoyment from this album.
A bit long, but not bad.
The La's
3/5
Very 90s. The singer kinda reminds me of Micheal Stipe.
There were some good songs on here. I liked it.
Talking Heads
3/5
I very much like Talking Heads, and this is a good debut.
They really reach full stride (in my opinion) on their 2nd album.
That being said, this is good if your into weird autistic music.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Fun, gunslinger music. Great atmosphere if your feeling all wild west like.
Nirvana
4/5
A great Nirvana album. This one is definitely less beginner friendly than Nevermind, but still a banger.
Very raw, aggressive grunge, which is what I like about Nirvana compared to their contemporaries in the Grunge genre.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Interesting early EDM. Kinda psychedelic . Not bad but I probably wont revisit this.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Jimi is usually a good time. I enjoyed this. Before, I had only listened to Are You Experienced, and this was a good follow up album.
Man the production team really loves playing with the stereo effects. Lots of panning between left and right channels.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Classic singer songwriting vibes from Leonard Cohen, this time with 80s pop instrumentals.
Not bad if your into this sort of thing. I think the value of Cohen really comes from appreciating the poetry in his writing.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Great disco/soul. I enjoyed the first half alot. The second half was a little less my speed though.
The Band
3/5
This seems like a kinda boring version of schoolhouse rock.
It gets a free +1 though because The Weight is legendary.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Cpt Beefheart is always interesting to me because his music is so obviously steeped in irony. Dude is weird for the sake of being weird.
Trout Mask Replica is his magnum opus in that regard, but this is also a really interesting take on 60s pop and blues.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
This was ok. A very confessional album. Not really my thing, however Anderson Paak was cool.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Interesting orchestral German language album. It was fine, but im not gonna revisit this one.
Ich bin ein Berliner
Steely Dan
4/5
Really good debut from Steely Dan. This one competes with Aja for my favorite SD album.
Cool easy listening/ jazz instrumentals, with awesome vocal performances.
Every song here was at least a 3/5, most were 4/5, and at least 4 songs were 5/5.
I will come back to this for sure.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Pretty good release from Bob. I enjoyed the classic folk vibes.
Also you could make the argument that this was the first rap album released on a major label (see Subterranean Homesick Blues).
Jane's Addiction
2/5
This was fine. Nothing outstanding. It was kinda grungey, but otherwise not overly interesting.
Little Simz
3/5
This was good and I enjoyed most songs. I didn't really connect with most of the lyrics, and I don't love Simz's delivery most times, but this album was well put together.
Beats were almost always good if not great, and everything just felt well put together.
The Modern Lovers
1/5
I can see the Velvet Underground influence, and I can appreciate that this was important in a time where punk was first emerging.
That being said, there's really not anything on this album worth revisiting for me.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Of the great 4 Pink Floyd albums, I find this one the hardest to get into, despite having the clearest concept.
I think I just prefer a less lyrically dense PF.
That being said, there were some really cool moments on this record, and I do like the idea of an anti fascist concept album.
There was a moment mid way through the album where they kinda did a throwback to Echoes, which was a cool little Easter Egg.
The White Stripes
4/5
Some of the best chord progressions ever written by Jack White.
Some really awesome blues rock songs. Gritty, but catchy.
Jacks poetry is always interesting, and has a very unique vibe.
Morrissey
3/5
Enjoyable, but I can see some people finding this a bit too pretentious and mopey.
Some of Morrisseys best solo work is on this record.
Also damn he really is calling on the people of Britain to murder Thatcher.
Roni Size
3/5
Decent retro DNB. There are some really cool moments on this album.
However a lot of it is kind of forgettable.
Still, its a good album to put on, and be hypnotized by the repetition and gradual progression.
Buck Owens
4/5
What can I say, Buck Owens is in this list not because he was breaking new ground, but because these are just a collection of solid gold country hits.
I enjoyed this all the way through, though its not something I would regularly listen to.
Great stuff, but I probably will revisit only once or twice.
The Police
4/5
Surprisingly good. I don't know why I wasn't expecting much but I am pleasantly surprised.
Half the songs here are basically Space Reggae.
Stings vocals have definitely inspired a ton of artists, two that are very obvious are Björk (Especially her early stuff), and Fever Ray.
Pretty cool actually. I may revisit this album.
David Bowie
2/5
Bowie is so hard for me to like. I really don't know what it is but his music doesn't speak to me at all.
I am not in my Bowie era, maybe one day I will be.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Pretty cool 90s dance music. Some great jams in here.
Tom Waits
2/5
Troll under the bridge music.
I like that this album uses the most off the wall percussion instruments.
I don't really have an opinion on Tom Waits grumbly spoken word/ yelling performances, I could take them or leave them.
Talking Heads
4/5
Autism in Africa.
Not my all time favourite Talking Heads album, but certainly one of the most experimental ones. This album had a huge amount of influence on music at the time, and is responsible for artists of the time trying new styles.
That being said, its more of a whole album experience in my opinion, and not something you put on casually. You gotta be in the right mood.
The Smiths
4/5
In my opinion this is the best thing Morrissey has ever made.
Every track is great in its own right, and there's several tracks that make it into my regular rotation.
Mopey sometimes, bitter most times, and always some kind of social commentary over a jangly rhythm.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Sometimes this felt like the 4th Nirvana album which makes alot of sense given that it's Dave Grohl in 1995.
Not a huge fan of FF, but this album was pretty good. I may have to visit some of their other stuff.
Doves
2/5
Inoffensive and forgettable.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
1/5
Probably my least favorite Neil Young album. I don't know, maybe it's because this is album 20 for him, but I think he kinda lost the magic.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Decent smoking lounge type music.
Public Enemy
4/5
Great album from PE. Love the rawness of this brand of hip hop.
Funkadelic
3/5
Funky and fun. I can see this album influenced a ton of 90s hip hop. There's a clear pipeline from people's parents music choiced, to their kids sample choices. Case and point Ice Cube grew up hearing Funkadelic from his mom's car stereo.
Björk
2/5
Pretty good. But not my favorite Björk album. I kinda like how she incorporates electronic into her songs, and she was mostly a capella here.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Decent old school EDM. It's kind of what I expected. Pleasant though.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Pretty decent. I have no idea why Elvis Costello isn't more popular. He has alot of the same appeal as his contemporaries like Tom Petty.
Not bad, but I probably wont revisit.
Stan Getz
3/5
Nice easy going jazz. First time i've sat down and listened to Stan Getz.
Nothing outstanding, and on the spectrum of easy listening to experimental, I like jazz a little more zany.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Much love for LCD Soundsystem. Ive enjoyed this album for a long time.
I love the droney instrumentals, and Nancy Whangs erratic keyboard playing. This album shows a lot of love for New York.
This came out at towards the end of a hot streak for the NY indie scene, The Strokes, and Interpol to name a few of their legendary contemporaries.
Iron Maiden
2/5
Decent 80's hard rock. I can appreciate how this was intense back in the day, but compared to todays metal, it really is pretty mild.
A few good tracks on here, but mostly this is an album of endless guitar solos.
Morrissey
3/5
This is an ok Morrissey album. Not really my favourite, and no huge bangers, but not terrible.
k.d. lang
3/5
I liked it for the most part. City country vibes. A little jazzy. Not bad.
The Pogues
2/5
Irish rock/ folk. Not bad but not my thing. I might like it better if it was a bit 'rockier'
The Clash
2/5
This was fine, but no really stand out tracks for me.
Brit rock/ punk. A little soft for my taste, but I do understand that this was early in the punk canon.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Good old school fun. More intense than other rap from its era, but really tame for rap standards to come. Decent.
White Denim
4/5
Unexpected W.
From the album art I really expected this to be a 70s rock album.
Prog/ Psych rock, and cool as hell.
You can hear Black Keys influences in the vocal performances, as well as some Radiohead, and maybe a touch of Jack White.
Interesting chord progressions and a variety of instruments throughout.
Super cool. Very strong 4.
I will definitely re-listen.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
More enjoyable than what I was expecting. Ghostface isn't super high on my Wu-Tang list, and I didn't love Supreme Clientele my first few listens.
That being said, I enjoyed this from the storytelling perspective. Kinda like watching a Ghostface movie for an hour.
Portishead
4/5
This album creates an atmosphere like no other piece of music I have heard. I find it hard to describe. Hypnotic, electronic, and hypnagogic.
The Temptations
2/5
Not really my thing. Not horrible though.
David Bowie
4/5
Finally a Bowie album I can get behind.
Most songs on this were great, and I really liked the more experimental second half of this project.
Fave songs: Heroes, Beauty and the Beast, and Moss Garden.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Not bad. But brit rock/pop is a bit more difficult for me to enjoy.
Brian Wilson
3/5
A big surprise from me. I didn't think I was going to like this but it was a great time. Good wholesome fun the whole way through.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
A bluesy Jimi. Not bad. Pretty psychedelic, which makes sense for the period.
While there are some big highlights on here, its mostly uninteresting to me.
Alice In Chains
4/5
Really good. I enjoyed this alot, and its my first real listen of AIC. I had heard their hits on the radio a bunch but its nice to get to know their work a bit more.
Awesome rock album. I will revisit this.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Ol blue eyes never fails me. Nice relaxing bossa nova on this one. Very smooth and enjoyable.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This had alot of the elements of new wave that I really love, combined with several vocal performances that reminded me of U2.
The first half was really good, but the second half really lost steam.
The United States Of America
2/5
There are some interesting moments on this record, mostly the weirder psychedelic moments. Otherwise its a bit boring. I think this music would have been pretty groundbreaking for its time given the use of electronic sounds, but that kind of style has a long way to go from here before its halfway interesting for me.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Very very good jazz record. I enjoyed this alot. Normally I am somewhat hesitant with sax jazz, but this was great.
This may make it to my regular jazz rotation
Fiona Apple
4/5
My opinion has largely remained the same on this album over the 10ish years I have been listening to it. First half is really good, second half slows down a bit too much, then ends on a high with Carrion.
Lana Del Rey for girls who have more good days than bad.
Post by Björk is a great follow up after listening to this. At least for me.
UB40
1/5
Did not enjoy this. I'm only lukewarm with reggae to begin with, and this was absolutely nothing outstanding.
Ray Price
3/5
Decent country Western. A little mopey but not terrible.
Queens Of The Stone Age
3/5
Pretty interesting rock, with influences of psych, grunge, and prog.
Not bad. Only one or two real standouts for me though.
Walkin on sidewalks was cool. Kinda reminded me of Jack white for some reason.
The Who
2/5
The who is not really scratching that 60s rock itch for me. My generation is good, but mostly because it was kinda one of those first stutter songs. Other than that it was forgettable.
Public Enemy
4/5
Awesome hip hop album. I think they refine their style a bit more on FOABP, but this is still dope.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Pretty good album. Some enjoyable songs on here. Even the songs that aren't hits were pretty good.
Beatles
3/5
Beatles early days, when they were pop heavy. Not bad, but I don't listen to the Beatles for their early stuff.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Fun and enjoyable Cubano music
3/5
Surprisingly I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Many enjoyable tracks.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Good pop from the 60s.
Although I can't help but thinking that all of these pop bands from this era are all a year or so behind the trends set by the Beatles.
This album sounds like something from Beatles For Sale, which was like 2 years before this.
That's not a bad thing though, there was a lot more room for pop like this, and the Beatles move on very quick from styles that they seemingly invent.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Above average reggae, but that's what you get with Bob.
Björk
5/5
Amazing Björk album. IMO she gets this style even more refined in Post, but this is a really good representation of early Björk.
On her first two albums she was considered very forward thinking, incorporating a lot of electronic instrumentation into her songs.
Also bonus points she is a big fan of Aphex Twin.
Never let a poet lie to you.
4/5
A fine example of how to do Brit pop. Oasis really knocked it out of the park.
3 legendary hits here, and the deeper cuts are also decent. If Live Forever was on here I could almost give this a 5.
This kind of reminds me of Ten by Pearl Jam, in the context of a band having most of their hits from 1 single album.
Beastie Boys
1/5
Really unimpressed with this one. Licence to ill was so promising for the beastie boys, but it seems they couldnt keep the magic going.
Jack White
2/5
Jack whites solo stuff never thrilled me. He certainly has a distinct solo sound, but most of the time it's not for me.
The Stranglers
1/5
Really didn't do it for me. It was kinda punky which was cool. But otherwise not my thing.
TV On The Radio
3/5
The instrumentals and song concepts were cool. I think Bob Ivor took some influence from this band. Overall not bad. But not overly memorable.
Sugar
3/5
This album surprised me. I was kinda underwhelmed by the first few songs. After a little while though, I found the sound started to grow on me. The instrumentals were pretty cool, and the singer reminds me of Micheal Stipe.
The Prodigy
4/5
A fine example of British electronic punk.
So many good tracks on this project.
This was so much fun I might keep it in my regular rotation.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Really cool album. I liked this one alot and I think I will revisit this one a few times.
Vocal heavy post rock.
Stereolab
2/5
This album has an oddly 60's sound for being recorded in 1995.
Kinda cool but not really something I would come back to.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Rest in peace Ozzy.
This was a cool glimpse into the origins of heavy metal and doom metal.
I liked it, but BS would go on to further improve this style.
Rush
3/5
Man, prog rock is so fucking cool.
A lot of King Crimson vibes.
Not too shabby.
The Offspring
4/5
Fast paced and fun. A lot more punk than alot of so called punk bands from that era.
Good times.
I would give it a 5 but something is holding me back. 9/10
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Best Jimi album in my opinion. So many classics. This album has some dry sections, but The wind cries Mary makes up for all of them.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Very very long boxset album.
However, every song is really good. Fitzgerald and Gershwin are some of the best at what they do.
The songwriting is very entertaining, and Fitzgerald performs the songs so so well.
The xx
2/5
Inoffensive and kinda boring.
Whisper indie.
Its ok.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
I will admit, there's almost no band out there that sounds like Jane's Addiction. However, their sound is just not for me.
Deep Purple
2/5
Kinda cool jam band noodling vibes, but ultimately something I wont come back to. Lots of the same it felt like. Deep Purple has done better in my opinion.
Meat Loaf
3/5
Fun. Feels like a cheesy movie musical from the 80s, which I guess makes sense given what I know about Meat Loaf.
Dinosaur Jr.
5/5
Now this is what this generator is for, albums that are innovative and influential.
DJ are so ahead of their time it's crazy.
This album rocks so fucking hard.
This album holds up so well with its contemporaries (Daydream Nation, Surfer Rosa, Bleach, etc).
Bonus points for being just the right amount of weird.
9/10 but I'm giving it a 5 star on here
The White Stripes
5/5
A really good White Stripes album. I will say its actually their best work.
Such good songwriting, and the musical arrangements are often so simple, yet so well done.
This is a great album if you want to get into hard blues rock that sometimes has a bit of a folksy vibe to it.
Also worth mentioning that Jack White occasionally fucking shreds the guitar on a blown out amp, which is awesome to hear.
Another interesting thing about this album is that they recorded it entirely with equipment from before 1963.
Grateful Dead
3/5
A cool live jam album that for the most part, I enjoyed. This is one of those albums that you would put on in the background, but actually deserves to be listened to actively. Pretty complex at times, and lyrically pretty interesting.
Good stuff, but ultimately not entering my regular rotation.
Queen
3/5
I'm not a Queen fan but this was not bad actually.
Not much else to say about this project.
4/5
Best Bowie album I have heard so far. This makes a lot of sense given that this is the most acclaimed Bowie album.
Cool jams and wacky vocal performances. Also I really like the chord progressions on the title track Ziggy Stardust, it reminds me of a progression you would hear Led Zeppelin do, just much less hard rock.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
You really can't go wrong when Premier is on the beat. Jeru is a decent MC, but unfortunately he's competing with some rap titans from this era, so his music kinda gets left behind.
Not bad though. Some good tracks on here.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Please be with me was a good song but really nothing else. Who shot the sheriff was good, but I liked Bob's version better.
Nothing too exciting for me here.
Deerhunter
3/5
Interesting music. Often very quiet and somber. Sometimes very Brit pop esque.
It's cool to hear some droney dream pop jams on this list. I can really hear Arcade Fire in these songs. John Lennon must have been a huge influence on this singer, at least on some of the songs.
I liked it, but this isn't really the kind thing I would keep in rotation.
Willie Nelson
2/5
A collection of quiet and slow ballads. Willie sings some classic pop songs. This is decent to play in the background, but kinda boring in any other setting.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Legendary album. I always love coming back to this.
I forgot how much flamenco is in this album.
All the jazz heads I talk to seem to agree this is great, and I can't say the same about some other avante garde jazz albums.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Considered the best shoegaze album, and for good reason.
I always underestimate this one. The atmosphere it creates is so powerful.
Probably one of the best examples of how to use drone.
I really debated going with a 4 for this album, but honestly I come back to this record at least once a year, and love it each time, so its gonna get a 5.
Honestly though, kinda wish I could rate it 9/10.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I liked it a reasonable amount. I think the Beatles kinda took this style in some of their songs. Paul Simon has a specific sound that I enjoy, but I don't think I would have enjoyed this as much if I hadn't already heard Graceland.
Ms. Robinson can land in my regular rotation, but not much else.
The Smiths
4/5
I love The Smiths. They often have such atmospheric and melodic instrumentals, and Morrissey's melancholic moaning voice appeals to me strongly.
Other times they are upbeat, and with a brit pop esthetic, which is a lot of fun.
Lyrically, very cynical and mopey, but it works so so well as a whole arrangement.
Some very interesting and avant-garde style interludes.
Excellent entry to The Smiths catalog.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Some good songs, some bad/annoying.
Idiot wind was a bit much.
Overall I struggled to get through this Bob album. I have heard it a couple times before, and I just think this one is not for me.
Prince
2/5
Not my favourite prince album. Some songs were good, but I found most of them to beyond my taste in music.
This dude really loves sex though damn.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
This album is so similar to The Rolling Stones its crazy.
Unfortunately I don't love this style.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I would have actually rated this a 1 based on what I heard in the first ten minutes, but the last 3 songs has some really cool avant prog vibes, and I appreciate the experimentation.
Slint
5/5
Legendary post rock album, so good it hurts.
I have listened to this album at least 50 times over the years.
No skips. Good Morning, Captain, and Don, Aman are among the best post rock songs I have ever heard.
Fucking insane that Laughing Stock by Talk Talk came out the same year.
I feel like this is one that kinda grows on you, and really benefits from being revisited every year.
Paul McCartney and Wings
2/5
I don't really find any of Paul's post Beatles stuff to be interesting at all.
Ram maybe, but most everything else is from my point of view, corny and boring.
3/5
Not bad. Kinda fills a similar niche to Fiona Apple.
Often moody, often upbeat. Harvey has a nice smokey voice.
Feels quite 2000s, in a good way.
A lot of the time this feels like Radiohead, or maybe the Thom York feature just got me thinking about them.
Röyksopp
3/5
This is really cool. I like this one a lot.
Reminds me of some of the other experimental electronic from the period, including Kid A, and Music Has The Right To Children (Or Geogaddi but less scary).
Screaming Trees
3/5
Wow they really pioneered this particular style of psych alt rock. It seems to me that style would really pick up steam in the late 2000s to early 2010s.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Cool to hear Wilco like this. Woody Guthrie wrote some good songs it seems. Billy Bragg is good too I guess.
Honestly I think I most enjoyed the Jeff Tweedy performances on here. Maybe I should just listen to a regular Wilco album.
Nas
5/5
My pick for best rap album of all time. Tough to pick but I honestly can't rank any album higher than this.
You know what they say, you have your whole life to write your first album, but damn he really didn't need that much time to completely change the game. Boy oh boy this was when Nas was at his best lyrically.
The production staff on this is honestly unbelievable for a rapper who had no prior studio releases. Dude managed to get every hip hop legend in the game to make his beats, and they came through clutch.
Every song is memorable. No skips front to back. One of the best intros as well with the genesis.
I will stop here but I can talk about this album for hours.
I can't name a best song. All of them slap so damn hard.
David Bowie
2/5
Much more playful than alot of other Bowie entries. A trait I enjoy from him. And yet, I still find myself rather bored towards the second half of this album. I am really close to giving this a 3, but I really cant.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
I will admit I did not look forward to listening to this, but I tried my best to not allow that to influence my perception of this record. This is like RHCPs white album. It's got some great songs, but between each hit is like 4 neo funk tracks that are grating to my ears.
I will say, Anthony Keidis is what makes this band so unique, but I agree with what someone once said before, RHCP is like if a very talented rock band let a homeless person be their frontman. "There's devils in my dick, there's demons in my semen." The man has a way with words.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
Really old school hip hop. Afrika Bambaataa was one of the first to do it on record.
This early style of hip hop was meant to be heard live, and record label A&Rs did well to put this down on wax.
Not my thing but I have respect for the path they paved.
The Thrills
2/5
For an Irish band, the sure write alot of songs about California.
This is one of those albums that would be awesome if you didn't know English. Decent folk pop instrumentals and the singer has an interesting vocal style. Unfortunately I find the lyrics so bland and unoriginal.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Very good southern style rock.
Tuesday's gone and free bird are highlights on this one, both exceptional songs.
The rest of it I'm not sure I loved as much, but not bad overall.
Radiohead
4/5
As a self proclaimed Radiohead fan, I'm ashamed to say I've never listened to this album in full before. I glad I did today because this was a great entry to their solid gold discography.
More mainstream appealing than almost all of their later works, this one holds up really well.
Many great hits on this. I definitely will listen again.
Green Day
2/5
Not a huge fan of this era green day. That being said I think Jesus of Suburbia is the best song they have ever recorded. A pop punk Bohemian Rhapsody.
This is their so called "sell out" record, which marked a stark change in style from their previous work, from a more true punk style, to more pop punk and stadium rock esthetics.
Overall it's listenable. But there's only one track I come back to revisit on this project, and honestly it can't carry the whole album.
Brian Eno
3/5
Eno really paved the way for Brian Ferry huh.
Eno is legendary for pretty much inventing ambient music with "Music for airports".
I've never heard any of his lyrical stuff, and it's pretty odd.
Without "Here come the warm jets" there would be no "By storm". Have to respect that song at the very least.
Experimental and weird, which the world of music needs now and again.
JAY Z
2/5
One of Kanye's big producing breaks.
I struggled to get through this album.
Hov never appealed to me outside the hits.
Some would put this album in the best rap album of all time conversation, but for me, this doesn't come close.
I didnt absolutely hate it, and there was some interesting soul samples (Kanye), so it's saved from a 1 star.
Patti Smith
2/5
Lo-fi and kinda strange.
Not really my taste, but it was fine.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Classic g funk album.
Snoop really helped set the tone for gangster rap, and g funk.
Many good songs here. Love it.
R.E.M.
3/5
R.E.M normally doesn't do it for me.
This was decent though.
I enjoyed a few tracks on this album.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Bluesy. I'm a little picky with my blues music though, and muddy doesn't really hit for me.
Respect the greats and all, but this is not entering my rotation.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I think I enjoyed the back half of this album more than the front half.
Sonic youth is a little better when they use grunge sounds, rather than those songs where they sound like a Velvet Underground cover band.
I gotta give them an extra star just for the fact that the singer often sounds like Dinosaur jr, which is cool.
U2
3/5
A few good songs, and the rest were decent as well.
Why do I not see any anti war albums anymore? Seems like a dying art.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
The first song was awesome. Really enjoyed that one.
Also when CCR does blues rock, thats when they are at their best.
I feel like they tried out some more traditional rock styles on this project, and I didn't really vibe with them so much.
Raekwon
2/5
I'm just not into the mafioso sound that Rae was into on this one.
It's fine but not really my thing.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Kinda unique honestly. Very british, and pretty punky alot of the time.
This album wasn't bad. If I knew nothing about this album before going in, it would be pretty obvious which song would make it big.
4/5
This was very cool. Deep and dark at times, other times, trad Brazilian.
Super cool vibes. While this one may not make my regular rotation, this was a dope listen.
Pixies
2/5
Digging for fire is a classic, but the rest of this album was a bit disappointing.
Doolittle was a bit of a magical moment for them, but this showed me that they kind of exhausted their good ideas. Still though, for the time period, this was still ahead of its time .
Bob Dylan
2/5
Didn't love it. I just can't get down with Dylan most days.
FKA twigs
1/5
Mostly weird, but not in a way I enjoy.
Kinda cool beats sometimes, kinda cool vocals sometimes, but never together.
Meh.
Magazine
1/5
What a slog.
Most times the instrumentals were interesting, but the singer was just so damn generic. Brit punk vibes, but really not it for me.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Ambient and pleasant.
Nothing outstanding, but very enjoyable.
New Order
3/5
I like new order quite a bit. And this was pretty decent.
Not much else to say. Pretty chill.
Blondie
2/5
Nothing on this album was hard to listen to per se, but I definitely didn't love any of these tracks, including the hits.
Blur
2/5
One of the cases where I can absolutely see, and respect why this band is on this list. However you probably could have just left it at the Gorillaz self titled, seeing as its the next, and more interesting Damon Albern project.
Oh well.
This just sounds like proto Gorillaz, with some more strong grunge and indie notes.
Nina Simone
2/5
Nina is great, but I don't have much desire to seek out her music.
Enjoyable when im listening to it, but I don't think much about her otherwise.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
I didn't know this was Janis Joplin before I started listening. Suddenly, I thought, damn this singer is cool. So I guess I am a fan of her.
Blues rock at its finest. 60s psych prog at its finest.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Ahh the Led Zeppelin folk album.
Some cool songs, some forgettable ones.
Overall a good addition to the Zep discography.
My left ear really loved that last song.
Wilco
4/5
An indie folk classic. I always enjoy coming back to this one.
There are a few outstanding tracks, and the rest are good as well. Solid listen.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
One of THE best dream pop albums I can name. 3 seconds into this album your already ascending.
The last 2 songs are a little less interesting, but I'm giving this a 5 just by virtue of how often I come back to this album.
The Who
3/5
This is just good classic rock. Exactly what you would expect from the genre, and that's not a bad thing.
My Generation, right at the end had some really interesting instrumentation that I was not expecting. Very cool.
Donald Fagen
2/5
You can really see who contributed 'that' Steely Dan sound.
However, unlike Steely Dan, there's really no spark to any of these songs. No magic.
Kinda forgettable.
Frank Zappa
3/5
Evil jazz. Chaos prog.
There no doubt Zappa is talented, and wildly creative.
Kinda makes sense that the only vocalist Frank got for this was Captain Beef heart, another agent of chaos.
Blur
1/5
Listen, Damen Albern is a legend. But this is just bland Brit pop.
I couldn't find a single song worth revisiting.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Insanely creative.
For me, this has re-listen value ONLY for the case when I need a music reset, and need to be reminded how strange music can be.
Buzzcocks
2/5
Punk rock. Idk what else to say. Not really my genre, but I can listen to it from time to time.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Wow very cool album. Some songs remind me of Brian Ferry.
Gabriel's writing is good as always, especially the song about killing JFK.
Peter Gabriels discography has more gems than I previously thought.
As usual, alot of African influence. As well as some great experimental aspects .
Great stuff.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Seems like CCR really has a handle on blues rock. Very consistent.
R.E.M.
2/5
I'm less and less impressed with REM as this challenge goes on. They are fine. Jangle rock, but still not impressing me
Laura Nyro
2/5
Smooth and soulful. Not my normal kinda thing, but decent in the background while having dinner.
Drive-By Truckers
1/5
So this is a tribute album?
I didn't make it too far into this one. Nothing here I really enjoyed.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Meh. This one is just not hitting.
Sonic Youth is cool sometimes, but no so much on this project.
Dark an industrial. Maybe im just not in the mood for this kind of music.
De La Soul
3/5
Some really good songs, some really corny songs.
It's good I guess, but not my favorite group from this era. I respect the production style though. Really pushed forward sample heavy hip hop beats.
The Stone Roses
1/5
There were some interesting moments on this album, but mostly bland brit rock to me.
I can't really rate this higher than a one.
Radiohead
5/5
At the time of writing, I think this has to be my vote for the best Radiohead album.
It has so much variety, not only from song to song, but also within the songs themselves.
All of the musicians in this band contribute a unique style, and keep just the right amount of that experimental attitude.
The only drawback, if you can call it that, is that there are no radio friendly, or easily accessible songs on this. Not an issue for alot of people, but there's not an easy entry point.
Also bonus is that this is the second album where I can hear an obvious Boards of Canada influence.
Excellent.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Decent folksy rock. Not something I would listen to regularly, but enjoyable.
4/5
This is definitely one of the strangest 4 stars I have given.
Most if not all songs are 4, but not 5 stars.
This album came so close to being great, but every song seems to miss it just by a hair.
Not sure what's missing.
Feels like if Duran Duran just never got that spark.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Old school folk.
The storytelling is great, but most other aspects of this album are kinda boring to me.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Smooth and easy to listen to.
Enjoyable for sure.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
Very meh.
I'm not sold on Arctic Monkeys, and this sounded similar to TBH&C.
Kinda bland to my ear.
Mercury Rev
2/5
Definitely unique. Oddly cozy. However nothing really that exciting for me.
Throbbing Gristle
3/5
Well, I got through this one unscathed.
Truly this is an album that lives on the fringe of music.
This feels like a combination of The downward spiral, and Geogaddi, but most, if not all musical elements have been stripped away.
A weird, noise, sound collage.
I'm rating this higher than one would expect because this album is a real musical reset. It reminds you of what music is, by showing you the absolute farthest edge of what music can be.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Once again, I can see the appeal of Costello crossing over with other greats from his time like Bowie and Petty, or Joe Jackson.
Not bad.
Radiohead
4/5
This is the Radiohead album where they did everything.
Jazz, rock, EDM, ambient.
Every song is wildly creative.
The arpeggio on In Limbo is dissonant and fantastic.
The BOC influence is bigger here than on any other Radiohead album.
Awesome tracklist. Biggest fault is that Pyramid song didn't make the cut.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Helplessly hoping really kept this from being a 2. I enjoy CSN, but it kinda gets a tad boring after a while.
Young is really the secret sauce that made deja vu great.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
This is way more interesting than their debut in my opinion.
I'm a sucker for a spoken word section, so The Gift was up my alley.
I love how this album is kinda bad. I think that makes it really endearing.
Def Leppard
3/5
Wow I am really surprised by this one! I'm normally very hesitant with glam metal, but this was just dramatic 80s fun!
Very enjoyable, especially if you don't take it too seriously.
Pink Floyd
5/5
One of the best Pink Floyd albums out there.
Shine on you crazy diamond is a fantastic prog psych rock song, and it makes up like half this album.
Not much else to say. This album is great.
Harry Nilsson
2/5
This feels like a sober white persons idea of fun, but not in like a straight edge punk rock kinda way.
A dad joke in the form of upbeat non-offensive alternative pop.
Not too too bad, but I really wouldn't put this on intentionally.
Bad Brains
2/5
I don't have what it takes to enjoy punk music. I don't know what is missing from this album for me to really enjoy it thoroughly.
That being said, its not annoying, or hard to get through. Just... Bland.
Decent as background music. Gives a punk vibe, without having to think about anything to hard.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
What I have learned in my journey of listening to Blues music is, I really only like it in 2 ways.
1. Live albums
2. Blues fusion.
This is neither, and because of that, its not really my thing.
Brian Eno
2/5
Kinda interesting. Sometimes it sounds like Byrne, sometimes Eno.
First half was good, second half was boring.
It's aight.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I appreciate that people really like this album but it's way to sweet and cutesy for my taste.
Beach boys are just way too agreeable for me. Fun loving, happy times kinda music that I don't really love.
Beatles
3/5
Pretty good. Less memorable than some other Beatles albums, but this one marks a nice transition in the Beatles songwriting.
I'm my life is clearly the best song, followed closely by drive my car.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
A soft and slow listen.
Pretty uneventful in my opinion.
Not Simon's best work.
Linkin Park
5/5
Absolute banger.
High energy the whole way through.
I was gonna deduct a star because Cure for the itch had a weird opening, but recovered by being a cool Aphex twin like song.
Cool call and response parts in some songs as well.
I will return to this one again soon for sure.
Sparks
1/5
Not great.
Felt like bad new wave.
Idk man there's nothing here for me.
Ramones
2/5
Kinda one note to me.
Meh I don't love punk.
Sorry Ramones fans.
R.E.M.
3/5
Decent REM album.
I enjoyed the consistency. Good kind of somber but yet oddly upbeat vibe.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Interesting blend of genres.
Rockabilly sometimes, country other times.
Tom Petty had a unique way of singing, that I think is kind of dialed back for his hits.
Only a couple standouts, american girl being the obvious one, but I also really enjoyed the wild one forever.
American girl has to be one of the most interesting pop songs from this era. Not often do you get something this catchy, with such and interesting vocal style.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I don't know man.
I think by now I've heard enough Bob Dylan to know if it's for me or not.
I'm just not sure that he's really my cup of tea.
Like a rolling stone was good. The rest, just ok.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Every song was decent, very few stood out at all. It was a collection of decent soft rock songs, varying alot in style.
So this is the guy that harassed Phoebe Bridgers?
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Pretty cool listen.
This seems to me to be a really influential album. I was constantly hearing little jingles I knew from other places.
Decent music to have on in the background.
Stan Getz
3/5
Good samba album.
I like Getz pretty generally, but this album isn't an active listen for me. Not enough experimentation.
Good listen though, just not something I'd come back to unless the particular mood struck.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Great African album. I enjoyed this a lot.
Not much else to say. My African music literacy is pretty weak, so I can't describe it better than "I liked the rhythms"
Randy Newman
2/5
Kinda corny, but nothing offensive here.
Its aight
The Lemonheads
3/5
Pretty good alt rock actually.
I'm surprised there were a few more good songs than just Ms Robinson.
I could revisit this.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Pretty good African fusion.
Ginger baker felt like more of the star here based on the emphasis of his drumming.
Good stuff.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Surprisingly good for the beach boys. I was really starting to think I wouldn't enjoy anything these guys made.
This album is much more interesting sonically and lyrically than anything else I have heard from them.
The Electric Prunes
1/5
Damn I'm tired of this mid 60s stuff man.
Nothing at all of note for me.
Several songs I actively disliked.
Nah.
The Crusaders
3/5
Easy jazz album. A fun time.
I think most people could enjoy this.
Radiohead
4/5
A great Radiohead album, and I would say it contends for their third best.
Lots of memorable moments, however this one feels a bit more like they are playing it safe.
Good, great even, but not a Radiohead album I come back to often.
Kate Bush
3/5
Not bad. Not really my thing too much.
I liked the other songs on this album a bit more than the famous song Running up that hill
Tears For Fears
5/5
This is a really strong contender for my favorite synth pop album ever. These guys were on such a creative run with these songs. So beautifully produced. Also I have to give them huge props for trimming this project down to its most minimum concept. Zero bloat. Every song is important, and in its place.
The working hour is a masterpiece, and one of the greatest prog synth songs I have ever heard.
3/5
I'm kinda surprised. I've been previously underwhelmed by Blur, but this one was kinda good.
Too long, but there were some interesting moments on this one.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Meh. I don't live hip hop from this era.
The 2 hits were good, but otherwise I didn't love it.
Circle Jerks
3/5
Actually pretty fun. Turns out I like hardcore punk better than just plain ol' punk.
It's not making it to my regular rotation, but it was kinda fun to put on.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Wow I was very surprised by this one. As this is the 3rd Beastie Boys album on this list so far, I was very ready to write them off completely as kinda cheesy old school rap.
However, compared to their previous work, this was much more varied and interesting.
I will come back to this.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
This is such a good album its crazy.
No skips, and while the quality is a little lower at songs 2, 3, and 4, all the other are so damn good, you forget it completely.
Americana, country, pop, and rock. Tools all used masterfully by The Boss.
This album gets a ton of praise for being the songwriting being very down to earth, and I wholeheartedly agree. That is a huge part of the charm of this record.
Hookworms
4/5
I enjoyed this alot.
Kinda felt like LCD Soundsystem mixed with M83.
Dope modern psychedelic rock.
I am gonna listen to this one again.
The Style Council
3/5
Wow what a wild variety of music.
Sometimes jazz, sometimes funk, sometimes hip hop,
Some songs really felt like Prince.
Fun listen.
Lou Reed
2/5
It's ok. I don't love this, just like I don't really love velvet underground.
Also that's kids song kinda put me off.
It doesn't deserve a 1, but I don't really like Lou Reed , or this album.
Metallica
3/5
I enjoyed this quite a bit. Not the most memorable Metallica album for sure, but a solid entry.
I do enjoy that this album had a bit of a concept.
Typical Metallica style for this era. Chugging and power metal solos. Pretty fun.
Eagles
3/5
I enjoyed this a little less than I thought I would. The hits were great, but the other songs just didn't have enough going on for me to love them.
I like the eagles alot for their hits, but this album disappointed just a little.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Pretty good country album.
I enjoyed this one.
Not much else to say, other than this is a good pick for some good ol' country.
Os Mutantes
2/5
Kinda boring in a way that I find alot of 60s psychedelic boring.
The Brazilian side of it made it more interesting, but not that much.
Otis Redding
3/5
Pretty good soul.
I feel like I undertand hip hop samples a bit better after listening to this.
Decent
John Lennon
3/5
This was fine. I haven't really found any solo Beatles stuff I've loved yet.
I kinda liked how much more focused this felt compared to Plastic Ono Band.
Maybe the most interesting part of this was the songwriting, but instrumentally I found this kinda plain.
Special recognition goes to that extremely pointed diss track. Rip Paul.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
It seems that this is the album with the most hits from Bob.
Good songs on here, but I really don't prefer listening to reggae.
Good for what it is though.
Nick Drake
3/5
This is a really nice nick drake album.
Coming from Pink Moon, it's cool to hear him with a backing band.
His take on folk is really ahead of its time.
It would fit in well even in today's folk landscape.
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
This is really interesting. Stoner rap over blues and even sometimes jazz instrumentals.
Honestly really creative and interesting.
I liked this alot and i could see myself putting this on when I feel like chillin.
Reminds me of Sublime, but less California themed.
Fishbone
3/5
Lots of variety in this album.
I think there's a song or two for anybody here.
Not something I could come back to, but mostly a good time while listening to it.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Very good classic folk rock.
Several standout tracks, as well as some I hadn't heard before.
First 3 or 4 tracks are very good, as well as Father and Son. Into White was also a good discovery.
Kinda of somber, but whimsical in a way. Makes sense given what Tea for the Tillerman is meant to mean.
Elton John
3/5
You gotta hand it to Reggie, when he makes a hit, it sounds like nobody else.
I liked the hit songs on here, but the rest were not my thing.
John Martyn
2/5
Kinda like 70s Jack Johnson, which is to say, not too interesting to me.
Frank Black
3/5
I enjoyed almost every track on this, which isn't too much of a surprise given my love for the pixies.
However there was not a single standout track on here. Nothing I heard and said I need to come back to this.
If there was one or two song like that on this album, it would be a 4, but instead it gets a 3.
Coldplay
4/5
Excellent Coldplay album.
Slow at times, but I enjoyed it.
Some really good songs on this album. I like most if not all songs on here, even if Chris Martin's lyrics come off as corny sometimes.
I felt this was quite a cohesive album experience. All the songs were similarly paced.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I liked this better than other Cohen albums. It has more grit to it.
I enjoyed the lyrics, and the instrumentals weren't bad either.