Like most of the albums on here this album has obvious merit. It sounds great and the production and song writing were top notch. I tried to find a foothold in so that I could enjoy is with my heart rather than my head, but didn't manage it.

Good but too dense to take in over 1/2 listens. Will come back to it

God I really disliked this. I know it's of its time and I can see the quality of the playing and everything is great. But it just felt like it was taking the piss. All I could hear was a jack black cover band who play a set in a film that's set in a renaissance fair with mid 2010's stoner actors who fuck around and not much happens. It's just so ridiculous and pompous and easily parodied.

The first album in this project that I own on vinyl. Radiohead are my Beatles and this is one of their best. They do what other bands can't which is evolve, stay ahead of their fanbases and maintain an incredible level of quality. This album has some of the best Radiohead tracks ever, but I can pick anything out as the album is so good. I'm giving this 5 stars but it's also made me wish I'd not given previous 5 stars out as this is a cut above.

God I hate Morrissey. Setting aside his more than odious rightwing views, this was unbearable. His lyrics read like a teenager in the first flush of puberty discovering word and emotions for the first time, his vocals are dreary and grating and the music lacks the fun and energy of the smiths.

Ok, not my cup of tea, but message in a bottle is a classic

A classic

Good but too dense to take in over 1/2 listens. Will come back to it

Not for me. The vocal became grating, the lyrics are that of a horny teenager and the 80's Casio keyboard music doesn't really hold value. If you were a horny teenager in 1981 then I'm sure this was 'your music' but I don't think it has stood the test if time.

If this doesn't make you even a little joyful then you need to see a doctor.

If you can sperate the art from the artist and forget about the walking turd of human that Kanye has become, then this is a banger across the board. A step up from the more mainstream college trilogy, but not so up its own arse like later stuff. I've stopped listening to him in the last decade but this deserves its place on the list.

Sounded nice, but didn't grab me.

Crazy 60s psych which was fun, but I won't be going back to

Didn't like this one. I can only assume it's popularity is based on being a early version of better female fronted grunge/alt from the early 90's. Better listen to early Hole or even 4 non blondes.

This album reminds me of my sister. I flower out from under her bedroom door for a good chunk of the 90's. In my head, it's always been 'her' music so I never really listened to it. On reflection I can see the appeal, sunny tracks that speak of its time and place. I'll probably listen to this more now, mostly to remind myself of her, but also because it's a good album

Neither liked it or disliked it. Seemed to be a perfectly reasonable crooner but it's not something that interested me.

Fairly middle of the road Americana. Didn't finish the album

Didn't care for it. I can't article why, but it didn't grab me on any level.

Beautiful songs that set the standard. My only issue is the tone of her voice at higher ranges doesn't sound good to me.

There are lots of positives here. She has the look, the ambition of sound and image, I liked the diversity of musical styles and her voice is good. But the album felt about 50% too long and sounded like someone still trying to break through the external facade to reveal her true self. I think there is a classic album in her future, but this wasnt it.

Really enjoyed this. I'd heard the name but never dived in. I'm delighted I started at the start and it will allow me to work though everything in order. This sounded to me like a mix of the clash and gang of four. Short sharp scuzzy and very good. A new fan.

When I get was 13, an older boy made a fortune taping his copies of Nirvana albums and selling them for a pound to the younger kids. In Utero on one side and Nevermind on the other. I listened until the tape wore through. I'm not able to accurately judge this as it's wound through my teenage years like raisins in a Danish pastry.

The first album in this project that I own on vinyl. Radiohead are my Beatles and this is one of their best. They do what other bands can't which is evolve, stay ahead of their fanbases and maintain an incredible level of quality. This album has some of the best Radiohead tracks ever, but I can pick anything out as the album is so good. I'm giving this 5 stars but it's also made me wish I'd not given previous 5 stars out as this is a cut above.

There are obviously some bangers in this and I discovered a couple of album tracks I'd not heard that were good, but it's just too damn long. There is an incredible single album about an hour long in here, it just needs some significant editing.

It's a very good album and I think man in the mirror is one of the best pop songs ever written. A relisten does reveal a surprising amount of filler though.

A beautiful and seminal album. The sparse industrial rhythm perfectly match the dark lyrics that evoke the industrial north. A relisten highlights the fact that the vocal and the guitar are duetting throughout.

Perfectly fine funk/soul with not much to complain about but it's nothing I'd turn to again

If I ever feel the need for xylophone jazz then I'll remember this. But that's never going to happen and this was the first album I have up on.

When this came up, I thought: not my usual jam, but why the fuck not, so put it on at high volume and went for a walk. Turns out the 'why not' is fairly evident after about 3 tracks. I can imagine this sounded raw and energetic when it came out but it now just sounds a bit mediocre. Not angry, not poppy, very dated and weirdly bland.

I enjoyed this and will come back to it.

I enjoyed it. The long form funk was a change and it allowed the whole thing to wash over me.

Love Bowie. Have listened to this before and am aware of the massive foreshadowing that makes it. But I didn't gave the space to properly digest this.

I enjoyed this. Her voice is one of the best. More importantly I think the music and production, whilst obviously from the 80's didn't sound embarrassingly so. (Cough cough soft cell).

Didn't know this album. Turns out it perfectly serviceable 90's wrap. No complaints.

I didn't really get on board with this. Id never heard of it and when it started I thought it may be some good punk/postpunk. But it turned out to be weirdly insipid and quite poppy.

Nothing more than fine. Grating voice and ok 80s pop.

Working class hero is an absolute banger and an new iteration of 'masters of war'. The rest of the album contains some beautiful and incredibly personal lyrics, but it has cemented myself as a McCartney fan over a lennonite.

I enjoyed that.

Did not like this. It felt very one note and bland.

I'm only 50 albums in, I was born in England in the early 80's and I'm already sick of all these 80's British bands. This was fine, bit it doesn't warrant making this list.

I don't live in a cave so am aware of Taylor Swift, but hadn't listened to any albums of hers. I found this to be perfectly decent pop music with a nice bland message and seemed well produced and packaged. I've no idea why she is as lauded as she is, but it wasn't bad.

Now this is what I'm here for. I'd not heard of this but loved it. It managed to sound both lowfi and incredibly well produced, simple and complex, with brilliant variety across genre. There were clear pop songs, punk, country, spoken word, jazz and much more. Plus the jackass theme popped up in the middle which made me think I was having a stroke temporarily.

It's a great album. His ear for a tune and a lyric are top tier. There is a arguement for the album to lose about 1/3 and I do prefer some of the versions included in the live at Carnegie hall, but I enjoyed every second of this.

Mad, mad and not for me today. Maybe another day it may stick, but I got to the barking and rolled my eyes

Some obvious classic tracks but found the rest of the album inconsistent.

I didn't like this. It sounded like lowest common denominator music for simpletons. But further into the album it started to remind me of people I did enjoy, there were brief flashes of Elvis, a Jonny Cash baseline or a Ryan Adams b-side. Country music can be complex, interesting and innovative and this was none of those things.

Nice, dense and interesting. Will revisit.

There isn't anything I can say that hasn't already been said about Mr Hendrix. As a man who can't play guitar, it's amazing that he is so far above his peers that even an idiot can see he is the GOAT. Plus some absolute bangers on this album.

If Grima Wormtongue was given the job of DJing the Uruk-Hai Christmas Party I think would be perfect. It has the innate anger of a pack of Orcs but adds enough wimsy and jauntyness to appeal to murdering half-men celebrating a nice time of the year. I'm sure the Orcs would give this album five stars. However for all the same reasons this gets a 2 from me.

These guys are from my county and I followed them coming up. It was exciting to see a local band make it big and I had this album and saw them live. I'm surprised to see this on the list as it never struck me as a classic. A relisten a decade later shows this for what it is: an ok album, with a fairly marmite singer. This isn't bringing any warm fuzzy feelings back and it won't send me back through their catalog, but its nice.

Brilliant album. It hits so many different heights. The rhythm is brilliant and uplifting, the composition is lush, the production is clean and the lyrics paint a picture of Thatchers Britain in the 80's. I cannot find a single reason not to give this 5 stars.

I can't find any merit in this. I know people rave over Frank Ocean and I've tried his albums before, but on a concentrated listen I didn't find anything that engaged me. Bland and boring.

I was surprised to see this on the list. I would be absolutely the right demographic for this album being English and of the correct age, but the first album by Mike Skinner is so far above this in terms of quality and importance that its much better inclusion. What Mike Skinner does well is he writes really good music of his time and his lyrics accurately describe my life. His singing/wrapping isn't for everyone and if you compare it to US rappers then it's not going to impress anyone. This album has a scattering of good tracks but he very quickly found the edges of his talent. If you enjoyed this or wanted to hear a better version, go find 'origional pirate material'

This is magical. Her voice, her energy, the musicality, the joy all combine to form something timeless. It struck me that this is 30 years old and still sounds contemporary. If the world was more Bjork it would be a better place and this represents her youth and excitement.

It's a bit unfair to drop this on us on Xmas day. I had a brilliant day and this was on loop so of course it gets 5 stars. Merry Christmas everyone!

It was boxing day and I couldn't find a moment that seemed appropriate to put this on with the in laws around. I'm sorry. I'll come back to it I promise.

It was nice and floaty with occasional bursts of tune to engage the ears. But I found them too far apart to hold my attention and this drifted by without leaving much of an impression. Much preferred Moon Safari.

I've not listened to this in 20 years so it was nic to revisit it. The singles stood out and I enjoyed the fun concept but I wouldn't be coming back for a relisten soon.

I'd never heard the name, but when the album started I immediately recognised the voice. It's surprising how many tracks I could sing along to. Good 70's fun.

I didn't find much in this beyond middle of the road early indie.

The is one was pretty straight forwards. I didn't find it first time around but some nice and mainstream girl indie punk was more than welcome.

It's not the best Radiohead album so I was considering giving it a 4 but I listened through again and it's a masterpiece still.

I enjoyed this. It was a more complex than I'd expected from my knowledge of the Byrds. The country sounds and rhythms were appealing and it held up well.

I didn't hate this but it didn't really interest me. I've found I'm quite averse to the 60/70 style of female folk vocal which is grating and lacking in depth. This hit that 'not so sweet' spot and I found it difficult. I'm sure the songs were well crafted and if you like her voice it could be a great record, but not for me.

This morning as good fun and a pleasurable listen. But I don't listen to enough reggae to look past his previous band so it wont get much repeat play

So many if these albums are masterpieces and 24 hours isn't enough to form a coherent opinion of them. This is a classic example where I managed 1.5 listens through and liked what I heard by it didn't manage to get a sense of the stories and the magnitude of the thing. I'll try to revisit.

This brought the rave scene to the main stream in the UK in the early 90's. I remember it being labeled as dangerous and drug fuelled. Which made it more intriguing as a young person. I remember the hits, but a full listen through unveils a surprisingly diverse and musically accomplished album. There is a bigger debt to the Pet shop boys than I expected and all in all the hour skipped along well.

This was fine. Take on me is part of the furniture culturally, but I think it may be a bit overrated musically as it gets a lot of it's credit from the video and the MTV generation. The rest of the album is serviceable pop.

I'm aware that this is a classic and a listen through showed beautiful melody and lyrics. But I had to find it on YouTube and the ads really disrupted my flow.

There is a huge amount to respect and love the Boss for. He writes a banging pop song, he is a man above reproach, he speaks for people who don't have a voice and he works harder than anyone else. But I'm not a blue collar worker in the rust belt and listening through to the album it is still fairly middle of the road pop/rock which is good, but it's not life changing.

This was a delight. Sinatra is such an icon and is so woven into the cultural history that his music comes with a set of pre-conceived notions. I knew the classics and had an image based on the rat pack, stories of mafia connections, womanizing and generally being old school cool with a large slice of misogyny thrown in. However this album really caught me off guard. It's romantic and vulnerable and subtle. The story telling in the lyrics, the lush orchestration and the emotion in his voice blew me away. Plus I read the wiki entry and discovered this was one of the first concept albums and he pioneered this type of album. I'll be listening again and I'll be looking at his discography for more gems rather than the playlist/best of that may have got an occasional play previously.

I'll start with a declaration. I'm not objective about this album. I'm English, was 13 years old when this came out, saw them at v96 at 14 and had my kind blown, own all Pulp albums, listen to Jarvis on the radio and just finished his book. Let's say this is my music. In an attempt to be objective, the music is brilliant pop, the lyrics should win the Pulitzer and I listened to this and danced around a shopping centre. The hits are unparalleled and the album tracks are equally good, there is no filler. If I'm being subjective, this is a core memory for me and fills my old man heart with the joy and vigour of my younger self. If I was in a coma, then play this and I'll wake up.

This is a beautiful album from start to finish. The falsetto voice against the guitar sound is a stunning combination. The songs are filled with emotion and jaw dropping heart. I could listen to Last Goodbye on a loop for a year and still feel my heart swell.

I didn't find this offensive, but I listened to this twice through yesterday and when it comes to review it I can't remember a single thing about it apart from the sound bed that's is used in a sports podcast I like. I remember finding it perfectly pleasant but nothing memorable.

It's lovely to have a change of pace and move away from the western centric anglophone stuff that dominates this list. I only know him from a duet with Neneh cherry in the 90's and it's the interesting to dive deeper. The north African rhythms and instrumentation are lovely, obviously I've no idea what he was singing about but it ticked by quite nicely.

This isn't my usual stuff but I didn't find it offensive. Some fun stuff and a surprising amount of variety. But I'm never going to go back to it.

I was excited when this came up and I've enjoyed 90's hip hop. A couple of listen throughs later and I'm not blown away. It was good but not great, there wasnt much light and shade and it all blended into one.

Yeah fine. I didn't like it loathe this. The definition of a 3 star

I'd never heard of this so came in blind. I found it to be some pleasant country/ folk. The songs were well crafted and I enjoyed her voice. Whilst I can enjoy the skill, it didn't light any fires.

These kind of albums are one of the real benefits of this exercise. I should be a massive fan of his but I'd never found a foothold. He is always listed alongside Dylan and Cave who I'm massive fans of. I listened through to this 3 X with headphones to concentrate. The lyrics are basically prose. The musicality is very gentle and restrained. I'm taking a while to warm up to his growl but I think I'll get there. I hope this is the introduction I need to become a fan.

I did a marathon in 2019. When I decided to do it, I was excited by the prospect. I was used to a usual run time but this was way above the usual. The first 10 ticked along in a bubble of enthusiasm. As the time passed I found it difficult to differentiate one mile from another. After about 30% it became a slog and I just kept my head down and chugged through. My brain only really woke up when the end was in site. In retrospect, I'm glad I did it. I'll never do it again. It was too long.

The man is a pig and a cancer on society. Having said that he is part of the fabric on Ireland and the album is smooth and mellow. I'm a fan of separating the art from the artist but fuck van Morrison.

Like most of the albums on here this album has obvious merit. It sounds great and the production and song writing were top notch. I tried to find a foothold in so that I could enjoy is with my heart rather than my head, but didn't manage it.

Perfectly pleasant jazz prog nonsense. Certainly nothing I'd ever listen to before or again, but certainly didn't hate it.

It avoids one star because the first three tracks are pop classics. But that is an awful album. They knew it as well as they just dumped the three singles as the start and then left the rest of the album to be filled by an AI with the instruction to generate insipid, inconsistent, dated r n b. I shudder at the thought of this.

Loved it. The precursor to a lot of what I listen to now. I love the loops and the crunchiness.

Lovely stuff. Dreamy, French pop with loads of detail in the background. Beautiful synths and base lines, actual hooks and lots to focus in on. But zoom out and let the beauty wash over you.

My second MBV album in my first 90. Still can't get on board. Mumbly vocals, willful lack of cohesion and only reason it gets 2 stars is the passable shoegaze at the end.

I'm a fan of Mr Brown but i dont think this captured him at his best. I'm sure he was spectacular live but it doesn't come across in this

I'm all over the place with this one. I was brought up in a Rolling Stones household so this was on in the background all the time. When I got a record player this was one of the first albums I bought as I thought it was a mandatory thing. When the album came up I realized that a) I still had the record and b) I'd not played it in a decade. So I take a couple of passes on vinyl and one on my headphones and all I can say is, I'm underwhelmed. A lot of these tracks are obviously very good pop/rock/blues tunes. The guitars and rhythm are excellent and I can see why this became a seminal album in its time. But I don't think Jagger is a great singer. And also, as music availability has expanded it seems ludicrous to listen to this, admittedly good, imitation pop version when the original blues records are easily available. Go straight to the source and get it before it gets watered down.

I really enjoyed this. It seems to full to the brim with heart and soul. I like his voice, the music was great and I'll be digging into the back catalogue.

Another classic band that needs no introduction. I'd not listened to an album by them before, but was happy to sing along to the hits. The rest of the album was fine but my ambivalence is more due to this not really being my thing than any failings on their part. A solid 3.

As a child of britpop I was amazed I'd not heard this. Seems like it came just before and paved the way for a lot of music that I love. Knowing that context means I'm inclined to be more generous, but putting it against its followers shows it to be a weaker album.

My second talking heads album and I'm now turning to them without the aid of the list. The energy, the rhythms and the eloquence are all my bag.

I've had a few country albums so far and all I've learnt is that I don't like country. This didn't have anything to change my mind.

I felt this was truer to the origins of the blues but lacked some of the poppier hooks of the the rolling stones for example. Perfectly reasonable and 3 stars

I didn't know Janis Joplin could sing like that! I had her in my head as a folkie. Like the vibe and the wurlitzers. However, if I ever wanted to listen to this again, I'd just put on Aretha Franklin.

I've had a lot of this genre recently and I am generally quite ambivalent towards it. On a couple of listens I can see the blend of blues, country, pop and a bit of psych is unique and it's well done of a little under cooked. But I won't be going back.

I'd never listened to this album all the way through before and I regret that now. What an album. The scope of it is just epic. It does incredibly well painting pictures in your mind using space and quiet as well as lots of layered noise. It's a bit like jazz in that the real skill is in the spaces they leave. This is the first album that gets a five having never listened to it before. Outstanding.

Well this was ubiquitous throughout my 20's on radio and everywhere else. I had the cd and if you aren't tempted to bounce around at Mr Brightside then I suggest you donate your ears to someone who would make better use of them. A relisten reminds me of how many singles they pumped from this album and the general lack of filler throughout. It's not going to change the world but it's undeniably a strong album of pop/rock.

Easy 5 stars. This may be top ten ever. If you rate music by how much it makes makes you feel then this is god tier.

Obvious quality but surprisingly not as aggressive as I'd hoped.

I hadn't heard this so came to it fresh. I thought it was fine, but it's not my bag. It reminded me of The Strangers that my mum used to play to me as a kid

Whilst I can see the obvious musicianship that radiates from every pore of this, i'e prefer the originals and I'm not a massive metallics fan anyway.

This was wild. Hair metal, with extra slap bass and some properly weird lyrics. I didn't hate it but man the 80's sucked.

In my head I had The Grateful dead as a bit weirder than this. The first half was good quality MOR radio friendly pop rock. The second half started to add a bit of colour, but nothing that made this warrant any excitement.

I like music. I recognise and value experimentation. I know all genres aren't going to float my boat and that's fine. But holy shit this is unlistenable.

This process showed me a love of Talking Heads, but I don't think this album was their best on first impression. Seemed a bit less varied than others and that lead to some boredom. Maybe repeat plays with uncover it's depth so I'll be back

Let's put to one side the all encompassing soulless, beigeness that Coldplay have become and look at this album on its merits. This debut was genuinely exciting when it landed. There are some killer pop tracks in this and the album doesn't seem like filler. They know how to write a really good melody for vocal and guitar and I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.

Polly Jean is a icon and should be taught in schools. Her energy, intelligence, voice and message are important. I don't think there are many better opening 6 track runs in an album. I put my headphones on and walked my baby to sleep and was bouncing along. I'd love to give this 5 stars, but the discordant strings on plants and rags weren't great and the drop in quality for the last 3 tracks make this a 4.4. Ive know this album for 30 years and it it was 5 stars I'd have listened to it more, so I'm rounding down.

A stone cold classic and the perfect entry into this list. This album is hugely of it's time and that is a good thing. It washed away the so called "landfill indie" that proceeded it in the UK. It's birth at the start of file sharing and new ways to disseminate and consume music felt new and genuinely exciting. I moved to Sheffield in 2000 and was firmly ensconced in the music scene when these guys exploded. I didn't get to see them at the Boardwalk, but to have 18 year old boys playing music that spoke of our time and place makes it something personal to me. If you ignore the personal and cultural history and look at the music they generated it would still warrant it's place because the quality of the album speaks for itself. The consistency from track one to the closer is incredible. The lyrics are witty and warm with an excellent injection of snarl. The guitars and driving rhythm section elevate this further. Add a liberal sprinkling of pop hooks and sing along choruses and it demonstrates what the best music can be: the alchemy of putting quality ingredients together to produce something more than the sum of its parts that speaks to people and brings joy. Put this on loud and sing every word and you'll be a better person afterwards.

This is my second Fela Kuti album on the list and I've enjoyed both. This live one has a more raw and exciting feel to it and that lifted the whole thing. It's still not my go to, but I'm glad I listened to this.

I like getting introduced to new things and whilst I didnt find this offensive, it didn't hold much interest for me. A low 3

Morrissey is the human equivalent of the stain in your underpants when you have picked up a stomach complaint.

It's stupid, misogynistic, devoid of depth and loud and I love every second of it. I'm about 120 albums in and I've had rock classics like Sabbath and others and they've left me cold. This does not. Admittedly I had this on cd when I was 13 and so I put it on loud and sang every lyric at the top of my voice. Great, foot stomping, lyric shouting, head banging nonsense.

I really enjoyed this but my baby isn't sleeping so that's all you are getting.

So, this comes a day after Appetite for Destruction for me, its an interesting comparison. I highlighted the misogyny in the other one and it feels important to do the same here. As a 41 year old white dude from Ireland, I've never had to assess the correct order for cash app and my pussy, but the message about getting paid isn't one I feel I'd share with my kids. Moving on from the message, it comes down to how this makes me feel. Did the lyrics resonate with me? No, can I imagine they do for other people? Sure. Did the music engage with me? No, I'm not R'n'B expert but I could name 5 better albums quickly. Did I like the idea of mixing spoken word and song? Yeah, why not.

When he is good he is very good. On a par with Hendrix for guitar playing. Has written some of the best pop music in the history of the world and is a manic purple sex pixie to boot. There is a certain amount of filler though so only 4 stars but the singles are what all music should be judged against.

It's weird how snoop has gone from misogynistic gangsta to wholesome dad, but this album was the high point of 90's small dick gangsta rap. Having said that, the beats are heavy, the flow is smooth and there are some absolute bangers here.

I enjoy Brian's later ambient output and I can see the beginnings of the Talking Heads style sound here, but it feels like this isn't a fully formed sound yet. I didn't dislike it and can see the merit in places, but it's an easy three for me.

I'm a Dylan fan. Blame Max Broadys dad who played him in his car when I was about 13 and I was hooked. Blood on the Tracks is up there as one of his best. I cannot add to the cannon about his song writing ability and I know his voice isn't for everyone. But these tracks just soar.

I really want enjoyed that. Lots of brilliant riffs and low fi crunchiness

This process has unveiled a love of post punk that I didn't know I had. Really enjoyed the spectrum of pinky noise through to some genuinely catchy tunes.

Even when I don't like something, I can usually see why it's on the list but this has left me stumped. It's such a sea of blandness and beige. There are passable tunes here and I don't dislike her voice, but it's not good, interesting, new, progressive or engaging.

I enjoyed this. It was wild and weird and I felt like I was at some sort of medieval fair.

Another good addition to the list. I'm not a fan of whatever this is classed as and when the growling started I braved myself for a slog. But there was a surprising amount of tune in these and it seemed very well done. It reminded me of some of the American punk that I listened to in the late 90s when I was a teenager, but with more darkness and depth.

Johnny Cash is a force of nature. I'm part of the generation who rediscovered him via Rick Rubin's albums with him. I'm not a country fan but this bridges the gap due to the quality of the songs, the driving rhythm, his voice and the sheer magnificence of the man. This album has a really cinematic feel and it's certainly adds to the album and dovetails with the reputation of the man.

I'm going to be a heretic here, but I thought this was good but nothing that stood out from a lot of the list. There are some well known classics here and I can't deny the energy and songwriting skill on show. But I didn't see what elevates it to great, I found his voice annoys me and the drop off from singles to album filler was steep.

Lots and lots of fun. Great rhythm and beat. The audio tapestry style just makes it very interesting. There is some variable consistency across the album but when it's good it's very good.

As with previous Neil young stuff, the fact I have to listen with adverts on YouTube is hugely distracting and ruins the flow of the album. However, this one may the start of me liking his stuff. It's the second one I've had and I enjoyed the mood in this one more than others.

I read the reviews and they made my heart sink. Not another wall of shoegaze industrial noise please. I've already given MBV 2 stars. However on a listen this was a much more palatable listen. The balance between scuzz and genuinely tuneful guitars was surprising and it fitted into a spectrum of music that I co in let enjoy, albeit at the darker end.

I like the doors and Jim Morrison but this doesn't strike me as their best work.

I should know about this as I was 18 and in the UK when this came out, I loved music around this area but I've never heard of this. I have no idea how this made the list, it's fine for a genre that I do enjoy but it's not good. It made me want to listen to propellerheads, chemical Brothers and massive attack, not listen again.

Maybe I'm just jaded from being on a run of 3 star albums but this annoyed me. I was aware of their hit in the 90s and there are some decent pop tunes in here and their playing is undoubtedly good, but I ended up annoyed It just seemed so commercialised and annodyne. What happened post post-punk to go a full 360 and turn it into frat rock? It's still a 3 but for once I'm surprised with my reaction.

I thought this was really inconsistent. The upbeat tracks worked really well, but the ballad were very bad. I feel this may be over rated as an album due to Madonna's profile.

A great album that I enjoyed. The singles were well known but the reason this gets 4 stars is the album tracks were also excellent.

This process has given me a new found live of the white stripes and this is another banger

I think this is a great example of a album that merits its inclusion in this list but isn't massively for me. I remember Brown Sugar from the first time around, but the rest of the album seems quite competent lyrically and the groove is good.

The guy's got a Pulitzer prize. And this is in the conversation about being one of his best. And it has subterranean homesick blues, Maggie's farm and Mr tambourine man on. There isn't an easier 5 stars in the world

I was raised on Abba gold and can sing along to most of the hits. I wouldn't choose to listen to it now l, but it's undeniably excellent pop music. Now this process gives me a chance to delve into their difficult break up album and see what it brings and on the whole it seems of a good standard. There is undeniable song writing mastery at work, coupled with heart breaking lyrics and beautiful singing. The darker synth sounds are interesting and it's a worthwhile addition to the list. However, I don't tend to return to their accessible stuff and this would be below that for me.

I didn't come across this first time round as it was 5 years to early but Sonic Youth was a name I knew. On first listen I found it weirdly bland, but I felt there was enough there to come back to it. I managed to get another 2 runs through and it slowly unveiled itself. The initial angry skuzz gives way to some quality songwriting and a surprising amount of space and panorama in the music. I really warmed to it and may return to see what else comes out over time.

With the exception of Sunny Afternoon found this suprisingly bland. For one of the supposed best songwriters ever, I thought it was quite dated and very lightweight.

Does Bob get an instant 5? Probably, but let's listen. It was the first day of spring here, the sun came out and I was out and about in my car a lot with my sunglasses on. I say this because this music couldnt have fitted the scenario better. It's like sunshine in audible form. This album was quality all the way through and Bob is more than an icon. Yes, Bob gets 5 stars

Urgh, this was fairly repellant. On the plus side I can see how this could be considered building on the stones in terms of guitar sound. But this is so puerile and vacuous. Walk this way is much better with RUN DMC and the other supposed stand out track wasn't great.

Yesterday I had Aerosmiths third album and didn't enjoy it, 2 stars. I opened today hoping for a palate cleanser and was given Aerosmiths 4 album. I barely made it through a single listen of this as I was already sick of their stones derivative, screechy, puerile nonsense. Today they get one star just because I'm sick of their shit.

Another artist who sits above reproach. I was raised on Ziggy Stardust and have loved the music ever since. This final chapter in his discography is a worthy finale and it is a marks of the man's inability to do anything undramatically that he died straight after it's release. On revisiting the album, it is dense and textured with lots of modernity about it despite his age. The voice holds well and it sounds great. If it was to be rated at the top of his discography it could benefit from a couple of slightly more accessible or poppy songs but that wouldnt be the point now would it. RIP David

Probably my least listened-to solo MJ album and I regret it now. An absolute banger of disco funk and soul. Sometimes on his other albums, the familiarity with the hits means you don't hear the music, just the anthem and with the obvious exceptions here I found myself able to really appreciate what is going on. The quality of the song writing is god tier, but it's his voice and the alchemy of Quincy Joneses production that raise this another notch.

I love PJ but she progressed too quickly for me and some of her stuff gets a bit more experimental than my tastes. Still enjoyed the listen tho.

God this was bad. For a band known for their singing i found their tone incredibly bad and some of the songs were laughable.

This was great. I'm not American so country music isn't as pervasive, but I'd still heard if Willie. I've already had some country on this list that I hated so wasn't sure going in but my fears were soon calmed. There is a real warmth to this that I can't quantify, it was a delight to listen to. The story telling was great, the voice was very comforting and the music was surprisingly diverse.

I'm staying with my sister, explained the generator and asked to put this on the speakers as we'd be out all day. The whole family voted to turn it off about halfway

A seminal hip hop album. Lost a star due to terrible skits and sex noises.

I weirdly enjoyed this. Big, sprawling ridiculous stadium rock has it's place in the world and Rush seems to do this well.

I can see how this is described as the pinnacle of swing/big band. It seemed like they had thrown everything this music stood for into one album. The quality is obvious to see and it deserves it's place here. It's an interesting stepping stone on the progression of music and I'm glad I'm listened but it's not going to feature in regular rotation.

This should not be enjoyable as it includes most of the tropes of this kind of music that I dislike, but I have to admit I enjoyed it. It bounced around from Americana to classic rock radio to slightly harder and did it well.

It has merit and I managed 2 runs through, but I couldn't say much stood out for me.

This was surprisingly great. I came in with zero expectations and was blown away. The songwriting, guitar parts, the old school blues were all lovely and the diversity kept me engaged throughout. This should be better known

I've discovered a love of 80's post punk and this sit well in there, all be it at the harder end of the spectrum.

This is a banger and right up my street. I love dnb and seeing one of the founding albums of the genre here fills my heart with joy. I played it in the car and my 7 year old loved it as well so thumbs up all round.

If the value in music is how deeply it burrows it's melody into your brain then this is priceless. I spent 3 months on Cuba and this music reminds me of sunshine, rum and people who seemed not to have a care in the world. It put a smile on my face and a spring in my step.

I enjoy Nina Simone and when this came up I felt good about the day. However 2 runs through and I didn't end up as wildly excited as I expected. The slower stuff didn't seem to suit here voice and I found the album dragged a touch. I really enjoyed some of the jazzier piano stuff and some tracks were of her usual high standard.

My heart sank at another MBV album, but either I'm softening to them or this one is better. A bit more melody, some nicer vocals and this passed the time. Still took much industrial background scuzz for me but a step up.

There is a lot of Neil young on this list. I've started to warm to his acoustic stuff but this was the first with crazy horse. I'm still a bit meh about him to be honest. This was still full of the Americana songwriting chops you'd expect, but his voice is still thin and the band are fine.

I think as delighted to get this one. This is obviously a classic and some fit be tracks are proper American songbook standard. A full listen through was delightful, but revealed a couple of lower level album tracks and some weird orchestration so it's not perfect but it's damn good.

This was kinda fun. I liked the guitar licks and there were a couple with a very strong groove. But this isn't an improvement on the pixies and I found it overly long.

Is this the best or worst album title on the list? I can't decide. Not my bag, but I would up enjoying it as it went. Some poppy blues and as much as the pint sized scot is a bit of a prick, he has some.pipes on him. A good three stars, but better than expected.

This was fun. If I had to listen to old rock I'd pick this over the sabbaths and deep purple and stuff. I moved to Ireland nearly a decade ago and Phil Lynott is a god here and I can see why. He is the Irish Hendrix. Plus the rhythm section slaps as well. The live album seems to do a good job of capturing their energy. My only complaint is that it didn't offer much variety and I found over an hour if this way too much. But if you are a fan then I'm sure you'd stuck this straight in your veins.

I was a fan of this first time around, had the CD and saw Arcade Fire in Paris circa 2011. I hadn't listened to the full album for maybe a decade so was excited to come back to it. Keep the car running is an absolute masterpiece, but the rest of it didn't stand out much. I used to think this was so deep and articulate, but now it struck me as "im15andthisisdeep". I'm off to listen to Funeral which I have more hope for.

This was a surprisingly good 80's pop record. Bands like Spandau ballet and Duran Duran seem to have held their place in the music consciousness better, but I was supposed how many of these tracks were familiar It's still 80s pop for which I have little love but this was on the better end of the spectrum and deserves more recognition

I'm really starting to enjoy Elvis Costello. My second album and I've started dipping into their catalogue when we I have time. This one was great, I love how it was recorded loud to give it real energy.

There is a couple of very good songs here, but the rest is very grating. It appears they got more experimental and I barely managed 1 total run though.

Another icon and another easy one. I was brought up on Bowie and whilst this doesn't get the full marks, it was a joyous listen.

A classic three. Nothing that offended me, but nothing that engaged me. Serviceable 70's prog/pop nonsense.

This is beautiful. I've been through the American recordings series with Rick Rubin and I think this represents the high water mark. They have managed to tease out the parts of the puzzle that make cash unique and build exclusively with these attributes. His growl, the drive of his guitar, his man in black American outlaw/Messiah complex. This album is like a minimalist painting from a painter in his later years who has learnt that less is more. A masterpiece and something everyone should hear.

I was surprised by the recognition of the opening track as I went in blind. A good pop song and rest of the album seemed fun but dated. A 3.5 if there was half marks.

Lovely nostalgic feminist pop punk. Great tunes and good consistency across the album. It's a good sign when I'm humming the tunes later in the evening.

This is on the lower end of average for me. I didn't dislike it but I found little of merit and after one listen I was glad to move on. This kind of slacker rock I think is done better elsewhere and the lack of tunes or good vocals means it's slipped past me without anything to hold onto.

Is it even possible to objectively review the Beatles? These guys are so woven into the fabric of music and culture that they stand alone as titans. I was raised in a Stones household and not a Beatles household and I consider it the biggest failure of my parents. This isn't one of the big albums so I hadn't listened through for a long time. God it's good. It's not got the depth of later stuff, but it's still amazing pop music that stands the rest of time. If this was their only album on the list I'd give it 5 stars but I need to leave space for their others.

I'm glad we get something non UK/us, but this sounded very average to me. There are so many brilliant albums here that be comparison this seemed very boring and bland. Not offensive, just a bit meh.

Love, love, love this. I had it on CD first time around and I'd forgotten how good it is. The funky, proggy, jazzy guitars are amazing, the rhythm section slaps and it just seems all round like fun.

God damn it! I like cheesy American 70's stadium rock now. This and Rush (I know they are Canadian but you know what I mean) have been great fun. I'm off to buy a denim jacket with the sleeves cut off, a trucker cap and air guitar like a muthafucka.

Urgh. I can be a wankery indie hipster at the best of times but this was too much for me. There were brief flashes of something resembling a tune, but every time something interesting happened they seemed to shoot themselves in the foot straight away. Neither vocalist is as good as they think they are and it was a difficult listen.

I very much enjoyed this. It passed me by originally and I regret that now. It is lovely floaty indie pop and the french add a certain je ne sais quoi

When you start this project, your mind inevitably wanders to what you may add to the list. If it wasn't already here, this would be a strong contender for me. Richard Hawley is magic. He takes the raw ingredients of old school rockabilly, country and rnb and filters it through a more modern lense. He has a beautiful voice, lyrics that make a grown man feel and lush orchestration. An easy 5 stars for a defining album.

Love this. I've been a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for a long time, have seen them live and the acoustic version of Hysteric was played at my wedding. Across their albums I've always found there are some significant high points but there can be a bit of inconsistency which is why it's a 4 but it's still brilliant and Karen O is a force of nature.

Unlike a lot of other reviewers, I can see the value of this album on the list. Simply red were massive in the late 80's in the UK. Their brand of middle of the road, white man soul was very popular and no one can deny Mick Hucknell has a good voice. My parents had the later album stars and I remember it well. A relisten doesn't generate many more positives though. It's not a patch on more genuine soul music, and the 80's wraps itself around this like herpes.

So so bland. I can't really even remember listening to this.

As a teenager I went on a long road trip from the North of England to the French Alps by bus. I had a new discman and 2 CDs. They were Dookie by Gree Day and this. I must have listened to each album 5 times each and they are both burned into my soul. This isn't clever, its not the best punk rock and it's not pushing the boundaries of anything. But it was and still is a shit-ton of fun and perfect for a confused, energetic and angry teenage boy. I sang along to every word, I made my kids listen to it and coughed over the swear words and we call bounced around like fireworks in a tin can.

I enjoyed Gnarls Barkley era Cee-Lo so went into this with an open mind. After about 30 minutes I found myself wanting to turn it off. The voice is undoubtedly a strong soul voice but it grates after a while, the rapping is terrible and there ar no memorable songs and nothing that marks it out as an album worthy of this list. On completion I was left with a sense of anger that this had made the list as it was below mediocre on every level.

I like the cure, but it turns out it's their poppier, later stuff. This was fine. Like a less tuneful Joy Division.

A great band, a banging album and one of the best album names on the list. Saw these guys in Paris once and the were facemeltingly good. Admittedly I'm their demographic as an 80's born Brit who loves electronic music so I'm not objective. Love their energy, the driving rhythms ands had this on a loop pretty much all day. Looses a star because I understand it's appeal isn't universal.

This one had me all over. I'll be honest and say this isn't my kind of music. I've never been a fan of really aggressive or raspy anger. And for the first few tracks I tolerated it rather than enjoyed it. However I did come out the far side resp dating the work and kind of enjoying it. There is a lot more variety and depth than id expected. The light and dark were good contrasts and the album was filled with good ideas and hooks. When 'hurt' appeared at the end it was very interesting to get a different perspective on it habig only heard the Johnny Cash original (joke). I won't be going back, but I'm glad I listened.

This is another great example of why this process is valuable. The name didn't mean anything to me when it popped up but I recognised the hit from it. I much prefer rap when it's lyrics have some agency rather than the bling/butches stuff that came after. It feels like the natural successor to Gil Scott Heron, but I'm not clued in enough to know who came after this. Towards the end, it did just make me want to listen to NWA though so it's not the most original thing but a good listen none the less.

Twas ok, but not for me. There is a lot of slacker core on the spectrum from the Lemonheads up towards the pixies amd this sat in the middle without really standing out. I enjoyed the first couple of tracks before it starts to lose me.

I always assumed that the P in P-funk stood for parliament as they are so funky they created their own damn musical genre. Did I put this on my headphones and walk down the main street in Swords where o work and feel like the blackest white man in town -yes. Did I enjoy every second - absolutely

I'm not a country music fan and was apprehensive when this appeared. But it's not the worst country I've had so far. The traditional nature of this is what gives it a pass. If I needed to play an alien an album to explain country music it would be this and I didn't hate it. But it's also twee, musically infantile and spectacularly dated in the most.

This was a blast from the past. It landed in my ears as part of the 'landfill' indie scene of the early 2010's. The name wasn't inaccurate but it seems a bit harsh. This stands the test of time well, strong indie with a dreamy west coast vibe. There isn't much depth but perfectly passable.

I tried to find a way into this and I thought it had merit and some musicality, but it's just not something I can get excited by.

This was delightful. It was very clean and well produced with some lovely harmonies and decent tunes. Reading Wikipedia after made so much sense how it was recorded in Abbey road before the Beatles as it has a lot of the same charm.

It's Jimmy, what more do you need? Greatest guitarist that ever lived is always welcome. The tunes are solid and the licks are sublime. This one didn't grab me as much as the other so 4 stars but it's still all good.

Is there an easier 5 stars? Is there a better advertisement for this process than either introducing someone to this or reminding them of its glory. The answer to both is no. Better, more eloquent people have written volumes about the soul, the sadness, the live, the romance, the depth and the musicality of this. All I can say is it's always welcome in my ears.

I've had a recent run of Jimi and it doesn't get boring. There was some nice variation here and I enjoyed the quality again.

Came to this guy from Jeff Buckleys name drop on Live at Sin-e. I enjoyed it first time and loved revisiting it. A diversion from the anglophonic majority and one very worthy of inclusion in the list. Having no familiarity with the expected rhythms and structure as well as no idea of the lyrics meant this just floated by beautifully and I could just enjoy the vibe

This was very enjoyable. Good rhythms, decent hooks, a sunny disposition and lots of fun. It could be accused of maybe lacking depth, but that may be because I dont speak the language.

One of those albums that could get 10 stars if it was possible. I'd put this in my top ten of all time. I'm intimately familiar with every chord and word here. Without going song by song and eulogising: the simplicity and delicateness of the songs is balanced by the lyrics that sound as angry and relevant now as they did then. I'd suggest this may be Bob at his most accessible where his voice hasn't disappeared into a rasp and the tunes are just beautiful.

I was interested to hear this again to judge if the love for it was pr hype and nostalgia or if it's actually a quality record. I got three runs through and I think it's a little from column a and a little from column b. I think they were very well timed for the zeitgeist, well packaged and undoubtedly cool. But it is quite derivative and has the flavour of posh boys cosplaying as rebels. But on the plus side, there are some excellent tracks on this. The whole album hangs together well and by the third run through I was singing/dancing along. In conclusion this is pop music for people too cool for pop music but it's well done.

Never heard of this. The wiki said it was a better version of the stones blend of white boy rock and blues. A couple of run throughs just confirmed this was a mostly correct statement, except it's not better. It could be the same or worse.

I thought this was perfectly acceptable. The tunes were good and the music was fun, I really liked the slide guitar that popped up throughout. The voice isn't one for the annuls but then a lot of artists in this vein don't rely on a set of pipes.

This was a perfect 3 for me. I can see the quality both in the musicianship the sound recording and the form is at a very high quality. It ticked along very nicely in the background and wasn't offensive at all. But I don't really need many 11 minute blues/rock jam songs in my life so a whole album was plenty. I can imagine this is the holy grail if you play and are into this kind of music. For me it was a pleasant hour and into the next one.

I'm going to give this a 4. It's still brilliant, but I need to leave room for 90% of their catalogue as I think this isn't top tier.

Another great example of something I'd never heard of and really enjoyed it. Funky electronic and atmospheric. I listened on a loop 3 times through and didn't get bored. But I also didn't realise where it started and finished so it's more a vibe than an album.

I made the mistake of reading one of the reviews before I listened who basically called this a shit REM album and unfortunately it was too accurate for me to hear anything else.

Wow. The first album in over 200 that goes straight to 5 star and am ordering on vinyl having not been familiar with it before. This stands out to me because it manages to offer variety that never loses it's quality. Some albums are very good but have one note, this seemed like a rainbow where the 4 members of the supergroup all contribute something different but equally brilliant. Almost cut my hair has one of the best guitar sounds I've ever heard, our house is beautiful as is teach your children. An absolute classic.

It's all a bit meh. He wants to be the lovechild of prince and Jimi Hendrix and doesnt do a bad job. He is a marketers dream as he is all sexy and leather clad. But really, the music doesn't really hold up for me. It's all so early MTV and vacuous.

Im sure this didn't sit well with some of our American brethren but this was writ large over my 80's UK based childhood so it left me with a lovely wave of nostalgia. The opening track is obviously a pop classic but the rest of the album didn't fall off a cliff. The surprising orchestral piece at the end was a welcome addition as well. This isn't going to rock many worlds but a solid three is always welcome.

I love Prince, I think he is incredibly talented. He has written some absolute pop classics, he may be a top 5 guitarist of all time and he is cool as fuck. But sometimes I just can't get enthused. Maybe is the innate 80's feel, the overly long album with an absence of quality control I don't know. Would this be a better album if an editor has chopped it down to 40 mins? Definitely. Did anything really stand out? No

Yeah, for all the progression into a jazzier sound, undoubtedly good lyrics and general legend status, I just don't like her voice. I'm sorry I can't get past it.

I didn't hate this, I didn't like this and I didn't really understand this. My knowledge of west African blues was zero before and I found this floated by reasonably but it's not going to get any regular rotation

This one surprised me. From a cultural view, it made me proud of the multicultural place that England used to be. Birmingham reggae as a working class response to thatcherism is a delight. On a musical note I found it to be very pleasant and well done. Good tunes angry lyrics, some real heart and quality. Well done and fuck the Tories.

Another enjoyable introduction. I found the live recording had it's pros and it's cons. The chatting took me out of the moment which disrupted the flow a lot, but the energy of the lube band really came acrossm

So this took me on a journey. I came to it with no idea of who or what this was and pressed play. A little context: last week I'd had Deja Vu by CSNY and fallen in love. It was the first album that went from no idea to 5 stars and into my vinyl collection in the 200+ albums I'd had so far. The variety, the quality and the guitar sounds were all amazing. Back to today, when I put this on I immediately starter enjoying it and for a lot of the same reasons as above. The variety was amazing whilst quality stayed hi, there was blues, country, folk, some soul and lots of psych. I wasn't sure if either CSNY had opened my heart to this kind of music, this period had loads of untapped albums or something else. After I finished my first listen through I opened up the wiki article and discovered the reason: it has 2 (maybe 3) of CSNY in here. So turns out I'm just a massive CSNY fan now

My heart sank when I saw this as I'm not a Madonna fan. An easy 2 but lets listen. I've upgraded to a three as the William orbit music has held up well and I found her voice quite strong.

I'm really torn on this one. On the one hand there are some classics that really stand out. The opening bars are superb and the musicianship throughout is of the highest possible level. But on the other hand I found Getting in Tune had some of the worst lyrics I'd ever heard. I didn't care for Mr Daltreys voice a whole lot and it all seemed a big 'Jeremy Clarkson era Top Gear'. I'm really not going to revisit this and it hasn't sparked an interest in the who so for the quality of the musicianship I'll give it a three.

A fine and pleasant addition to the list and a good yardstick for decent folk of this vintage. Pales into comparison with some of its more illustrious peers but nothing wrong here.

Beautiful voice, lovely pop songs. Not really a stand out for this list as I don't think it has much creative merit but I pleasant listen.

I love PJ and I listened to this a lot when I came out to try and get a foot hold into it but never managed it. I thought a return to it may help, be it no. I can appreciate the storytelling, the state of the nation lyrics and the general folk ambiance. But it really lacks hooks and tunes to get me to want to come back to it.

Love fleet foxes, prefer their live stuff to the albums which I feel can be a touch overly produced and intricate. Looking forward to Robins late stage one man and a guitar phase as that will be perfection for me. Nonetheless, some absolute classics on here.

Firstly, I know this came out well before the movie, and I've searched the previous reviews, but I can't help it due to the beard and the typography of the front cover. WWWIIIIIIILLLLLLLSSSSOOONNNN!!!!!!!! Now that's out of the way, I couldnt get to grips with this album. I listened to this blind and found it fairly middle of the road 70's pop rock. I could hear the obvious beach boys influence but it didn't have any of the light and shade. I read the wealth of glowing reviews and came back to it for another pass. Sure the production is good and there are some interesting ideas here, but I still couldn't find a reason for it to be in this list. I didn't dislike but found it a bit meh.

There was a lot to get though on this and I didn't really get onboard with it. Mid 70's stadium rock done well, some tunes I recognised but nothing for me here

Ok, I'm going to park the human bag of crap that Kanye has become to discuss the music. Unfortunately this is an absolute banger. I still dont get "skits" in rap albums but Jesus walks, get em high and workout plan are a run of absolute quality along with loads of other wit and pop mastery. It's such a shame Kanye lost his mind because it feels like we are robbed of what this Kanye could have become.

Love Nick Cave but have mostly listened to his more romantic and later work, so hadn't been too familiar with this. I regret that now. Dark, vivid storytelling. Snarling, euphoric vocals. A wealth of suprise guests. Simply magical.

God I really disliked this. I know it's of its time and I can see the quality of the playing and everything is great. But it just felt like it was taking the piss. All I could hear was a jack black cover band who play a set in a film that's set in a renaissance fair with mid 2010's stoner actors who fuck around and not much happens. It's just so ridiculous and pompous and easily parodied.

God I hate Morrissey. Setting aside his more than odious rightwing views, this was unbearable. His lyrics read like a teenager in the first flush of puberty discovering word and emotions for the first time, his vocals are dreary and grating and the music lacks the fun and energy of the smiths.

Is it going to far to call Bob Marley a cultural icon? He manages to represent a country, a religion and a lifestyle across the globe. He spreads a message of peace and love and he does it all on top making some of the most iconic songs of all time. He is taught in school, he is loved by all generations and he is handsome as fuck.

This was fine. Mid 90's lady indie/Americana isn't my thing, but it's a step up from Sheryl crowe and I didn't dislike it.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Quintisential angry young men doing what they need to. But this manages to add in good hooks without turning into Greenday style pop punk. Good lyrics, the bass slaps and Henry Rollins is a beast.

This was lovely. I knew a lot of the songs but had never sat and listened to an album and I was very impressed. The songwriting is top tier, as are the vocals and the instrumentation, especially the guitar. It was a sunny day here and I had it on loop throughout the day and didn't get bored. I don't think it makes it to 5 as there could have been a couple of gear changes that elevated it and I'm not sure it would work in a less sunny environment but a welcome discovery none the less.

I'm sure that there is more to this if you really dig, but I'm not that bothered and this sounded perfectly reasonable if a little bland.

At times I wanted to give this a one, and at times it came up to a three but it wasn't an enjoyable listen I'll be honest. Starting with the good stuff, I was 20 when this came out and a woman who marketed herself in the way she did was always going to attract my attention as well as a lot of media coverage. The singles all remain firmly lodged in my brain via ubiquitous radio play and can't be faulted. The message of self empowerment for women is a good step forward and no one can deny she has a powerful voice. However, the album tracks really didn't hit any heights. 77 minutes was too long and the vocal wanking really takes its toll after a while. It's not often I find I physically can't listen to stuff but I only made it through the whole album by giving each track about a minute to get the gist and then skipping onto the next. I was hoping I'd find gold but i didn't. Later on I talked to my wife about who is the same age and who was a big fan when it came out. Looking at female led pop across decades, this really doesn't hold up against the 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's.

Once through is plenty thank you. Noise rock that lacks tune, melody or really much else. I like a wide range of music but I just can't see the merit in this unless you are 14 and angry at your dad in 1989.

This is a banger. So much warmth and fun projecting out of this. To the people who cry cultural appropriation, this is a celebration of African music not theft.

I found this a pleasant way to spend 30 minutes but if you scratch the surface it doesn't really hold up. He has a good voice and whoever pulled the strings picked some good songs. I have always felt Elvis the cultural icon was a bit ridiculous, but he undoubtedly is one. The issue is that these songs only became popular because it was a sexy white man singing black music. These songs were better as originals and in this day and age, we wouldn't need to whitewash them to make them acceptable to the ass market. Let's leave it as Elvis was decent for his time, but thank god society has moved on.

This isn't really my bag. I never really got his voice and it seems that Eno is straining at the leash to do something more interesting. Decent pop but I listened once and quickly forgot about it.

This was a welcome return. I had the album when it came out and the nostalgia was strong. I found it very good on a relisten and loved will come back Moby seems like a bit of a twat though

This is good pop rock that makes you tap your feet but doesn't really stay with you. I'd have had a few KOL in my time and would have jumped around like an idiot after a number beers to these tracks and so it was a nice trip down memory lane, but the fact that I haven't listened to them in 15 years tell you how valuable this probably is. 3.5 stars rounded down.

Id had 4 hours sleep and was in pieces when I put this on, but it just sounded like a terrible Sting tribute act. I'm sure it's not but I couldn't stomach it.

I loved Wail when it first came out so am familiar with this. It's cool and scuzzy and bluesy and fun. At points it becomes a bit too much but I enjoyed the trip down memory lane. It was interesting getting this close to a Kings if Leon album as I wanted to score his higher, but I realised that was just because if nostalgia and because they were cooler and less mainstream but KOL has catchier songs. Another 3.5 rounded down

There is so much Morrissey on this list and it's like being forced to visit your racist uncle on a regular basis. At least at this point he was still married to Auntie Jonny Marr who is supremely talented and bakes you guitar based cookies of the highest quality. I'm so glad they got divorced so Auntie can go off and live his best life and uncle goes down a YouTube rabbit hole and becomes a sad old man that shouts at clouds and black people. 3 stars out of respect for Jonny

I was around during UK Garage, but I couldn't have been further away from the scene if I tried so when this popped up I was dismayed. However I'm going to give it some credit. The basic building blocks were solid and hit me with a wave of nostalgia and the tracks including the single didn't annoy me. The Spotify link takes you to a double extended album and I didn't go past the original album but I didn't hate it.

Early dnb. Check. Indian instrumentation. Check. Orchestral flourishes. Check. Meandering, sparse and relaxed composition. Check. Loved it

I very much enjoyed this. For some reason it had passed me by first time around at it shouldn't have as it's right in my wheel house. Quiet and tuneful and introspective is a well trodden path but this does it well.

I think this is a good album for the list and is a high water mark for this music at this time. Time has not been kind to the bitches and guns type of rap, but a listen confirms the beats are strong, the flow is smooth and the message is angry.

Stevie Wonder is a magical creature sent to earth as a gift to humans to spread joy and soul and funk. I hadn't heard this album so it was a gift to me. As part of his golden period it has the same incredibly high level throughout. It's only missing a stand out track to elevate it a touch but I'm confident I'll be spending all free time for the next few days listening to more Stevie

The first half of this album is god tier and 'all my friends' is one of my top five songs of all time. It's fun, clever, cool, funky, danceable, heartfelt, energetic, uplifting and well made in terms of musicality and production. It does what good music does and fills my heart with happiness.

I'm ill so I didn't get all the money at through it but I'm intimately familiar with this record. It's a classic from the production to the flow.

Peak Stevie and unparalleled. It's like aliens came down and made a perfect music making human and then put him through Motown school.

It's the white album. Go read other people's reviews if you want detailed analysis. Or better yet, just put on some headphones and immerse yourself in quality.

The name of the album is the review.

This (aptly) has always floated on the edges of my consciousness as an album. It's right in my wheel house being late 90's British and a bit pompous (self burn), so when it flashed up I thought its an excellent time to give it some proper attention. Unfortunately I don't think it bears up to much scrutiny. After a listen through I came away very bored and confused. I read through other reviews and someone else explained it perfectly. It's got lush orchestration, layers upon layers, huge amounts of love and attention, but at its core the songs just really aren't any good. No lyrics, no hook, no tune made it out from under the layers and layers.

The singing and harmonies are other worldly. The flavour of something non western is delightful and I enjoyed the hour or two it took for a couple of run throughs. However, I did miss percussion and I found it a bit repetitive and one note after a while.

I'd suggest that Public Enemy have aged better than their peers as their message of revolution stands the test of time better than gangsta wrap. The sound collage style of music was pioneering and the flow is very good. How ever I found the production patchy and the whole thing drags. Should have been a much punchier 40 mins.

I think Dolly is one of those people who gets an extra star for being an exemplary human in the opposite was to someone like Morrissey. I'm not a country fan but I've listened to enough on this list now to appreciate it and I enjoyed the story telling then simplicity of the music and dolly's voice.

I didn't dislike this and American Girl is a great track, but the best thing about this was it's relatively short length at 30 mins

I'm a bit stumped by this one. Weller has been so prolific, productive and so damn good for so long. There are songs and albums from the jam, style council and his solo stuff that will stay with me forever. The man oozes class and charm, musical ability and song writing finesse. I listened through this twice as I wanted to get my teeth into it. My reaction is slightly positive ambivalence. All the good stuff is there but it didn't grab me enough.

Well this was a journey. Initial distain for hippie, psychedelia gave way to recognition of some classic rock from my youth, some decent blues and some quality throughout. A surprising number of hits, some good variation and nothing to moan about. A suprise hit.

I found this pretty repugnant. Lowest common denominator, puerile and lacking in any kind of heart. Gang bang sounds like it was written by a 14 year old boy in the first flush of teenage hormones and is the shallowest point of this very shallow puddle

I'm not a metal fan but this seems like a high water mark for this type of music. The reviews talked about heavy and dark music, but I found it to be surprisingly tuneful and hook laden. Maybe metal has moved on in the intervening years and a lot of Nordic black metal and industrial noise metal raised the bar for what is considered heavy in this era. But a listen through I found this to be almost mainstream. Good song writing, recognisable hits and lots of fun to be had.

This is another of those bands who I was aware of, had heard the hits on the radio but never really dived into an album. Turns out it's fairly consistent, radio friendly punk pop. I enjoyed it, like the attitude and the hooks were good. Nothing I'll be heading back to but a worthwhile listen.

A banger. Beck is a mix of Willie nelson, beastie boys, Nile Rodgers and much more. A man out on his own doing his own thing and this presents his high water mark of his more eclectic earlier phase. He can be accused of inconsistency but this one has the fewest duds.

I didn't object to this. I knew the name but couldn't name a song when it came up. Turns out to be fairly proficient middle of the road hip hop from early 2000's. Less of the misogyny and gun, more of the grove and flow.

It was exactly as I was expecting. Passable would with a slight 80'e vibe. Nothing stood out but it wasn't offensive.

I can see how this became the bridge between classic rock and grunge. I don't think it's particularly ground breakinf and I miss the anger and sludge that grunge brought, but it's a perfectly serviceable rock album with some good tunes.

This was a great find. Very much like the Ramones and the new York dolls, but with a slightly better set of players who took it a bit further in terms of playing and arranging. Weirdly reminded me of late 90's punk pop boys Ash at times.

I'm about as close to the target market for this as possible and I thought it was just ok which probably means everyone else thought it was rubbish

Is this the wildest swing between first and second tracks in the history of music? The opener is fire and the bass, the rhythm and the melody are spectacular. Then we get the version of a classic that is so inferior to the Marvin Gaye version it's laughable, maybe it's the original I don't know but I couldn't stomach it. The rest kind of passed me by. Like eating too many donuts, eventually the consistency of the sweetness became slightly unpleasant but generally I have to say it's average but wildly varied.

This would have been right up my street when it came out and I never bonded with it. Fresh ears don't reveal much to make me change my opinion. Pop dressed as punk with a Roxy music vibe. A couple of good singles but nothing to make the heart soar.

There are too many bangers on this album to do anything but sit back and enjoy regardless of your taste.

Turns out rock opera narrative stuff isn't my bag. I enjoy that this annoyed the who. The quality is fine but I'm not ever going to revisit

A classic and opened up hip hop and rap to a n audience not keen on guns and hoes. Loses a star for interminable skits but the classics are undeniable.

This wasn't a one, but that's just because I respect the craft. Epic space rock nonsense that goes on for 2 hours isn't what I needed today or most days.

I can't really explain why but I quite enjoyed that. I would only know Dexys from the hits and I can't say I'm a massive fan of his voice. But the confidence to give this the space they have, the still strong pop hooks and melodies and the overall feel sucked me in. A surprising treat.

Lots of bangers here. Weller throughout his career has had numerous peaks and this is one of them. Toe tapping, cool as fuck and well done

This is my second pixies album and I'm still not onboard. The singles that got significant airplay have an undeniable hook. But I've yet to find anything that lifts this beyond some fairly generic early 90's rock. I think that maybe a have a personal blind spot for music that was popular just before I came of age musically. This sounds like the music that people 4 years older than me lived and my contrariness means I unconsciously reject it

CSNY have been one of the highlights of this journey so far. Deja Vu hit me like a truck a few months ago and was the first record that went from 0 to vinyl in my collection. This first album is also excellent but doesn't quite hit the highs of deja Vu. Beautiful songs and melodies, with every track just burying with ideas and quality. Its missing some of the soaring guitars of Cut your Hair and Neil Young's grit in the pearl

In 2001 I was playing pool in the Cavendish on west street in Sheffield with a mate when a bunch of scruffy looking lads took the table next to us. On closer inspection it was Badly Drawn boy and the Doves who were playing later on. I was weak at the knees as it loved both albums but was too chicken to talk to them which I regret to this day. This is a beautiful album from start to finish with a warmth, a complexity, a heart and a soft melancholy that makes it timeless. The record gets regular play in my house and today was a good day to listen to the album.

It's Coldplay so I'm sure this will get a lot of hate and I don't disagree with most of it. They've become bland, lowest common denominator stadium pop for people who don't like music and the people reviewing these albums don't fit that brief. I remember when their first album came out and it seemed genuinely exciting and there is no denying that there are 3 or 4 quality pop songs on this album but the rest of it doesn't stand out for me

I saw noise rock in the description and my heart sank, but a listen was a different story. This is much more post rock than noise rock with a sound that gives itself time and space to develope. More of a large abstract painting than a photo realistic scene but very much enjoyable.

To all the Americans who write reviews about twee British Indie music that they think shouldn't be on the list; this is my version of that. I like a fair amount for rap, but this seems to bring very little to the genre. Boring skits, bitches and hoes, some fair beats. I've heard it before 100 times and don't see the value here.

Bruce is an icon and obviously a class guy. He captured the zeitgeist in the way only a very few people ever do. He is his own genre and I've loved reading other people's reviews talking about what Bruce means to them and New Jersey. His classic songs are American standards and familiar across the world. But I listened to the album and it didn't really grab me. The storytelling is fine, but I'm not in the American rust belt and it doesn't resonate. The voice isn't really very good and the music is pretty average with chugging guitars and a lack of hooks. I'm sure other people think I'm mad and wrong but it's not really great.

One of the weirder discoveries from this process is that i weirdly dont hate this cheesy wholesome stadium rock and ive really enjoyed the previous rush albums. This one was a bit too proggy for me but was still vaguely enjoyable.

This is one of those easy 5 star albums. For me its the peak album of the best female vocalist of all time. Herr voice, the songs, the playing and the soul are all unparalleled. Just put this on and smile.

This was delightful! Never heard of this or her and this is why this list exists. The singing was beautiful, the songs were good, it sounds like sunshine and i went twice through twice and will go back again.

Ok, obviously this is a classic. The quality of the pop music, the story and the singing all mark this out. I dont see what elevates it from good to great though. It needs something special to elevate it up to the rating it currently has in my opinion.

This one has me confused. As a child of britpop im intimately familiar with primal scream and the hits on this stand out like absolute beacons. The opening track musy be one of the best album openers ever and loaded is a classic. But a listen through the album reveals such inconsistency in sound, genre and quality that i struggled. Maybe i need 5 listens through to appreciate the subtlety but for now im just a bit confused. 3.5 stars rounded down

Bob is always welcome but this one didn't catch fire ironically. Sounded like a late stage album where the sound was locked in but the hits have dried up a bit.

This was surprisingly pleasant. Obviously, Mr Blue Sky is a song that has woven its was into the fabric of society due to its irrepressible bouncy fun, but i wasnt sure how much more there would be to offer. A wealth of fun is to be had here with beautiful orchestration and arrangement, decent hooks and a light progginess that didnt swamp it all. Obviously, its way too long and could be accused of lacking real light and shade. But i enjoyed it on balance

On the plus side, these songs are rock and roll standards played with skill and energy. On the negative, the man stole his act from little richard and was a paedo and a horrible person

I think this is an excellent album. It veers between mainstream pop punk to some harder punk. Its tight, with plenty of hooks and lots of energy. It may not try to be as cool as the strokes which is an obvious point of reference, but im not basing this on how cool it is. At worst its top level green day. At best it has a colour of black flag.

An absolute treat. One of those albums where you are surprisingly familiar with a few songs but the rest is a mystery. Sometimes the singles are just the diamonds in the rough. Sometimes the singles are just an indication of the quality to be found on further inspection. This is the latter and the singles hit me like a wave of nostalgia, but the rest way very good. Four seasons in one day could have been a Beatles song, and italian plastic shone. An unfortunately line about god and a sausage dog, plus some random mooing probably keep this off the top rank, but i think i managed 4 listens in a day and that speaks volumes

I understand this is considered a classic and im not going to get under the skin of this in 24 hours. But i only got the impression of an album bloated and full of ridiculous nonsense with a smattering of good tunes spread around. I dont like rock operas but i know some people do. It seems the quality of the music was secondary to the story and narrative and that detracted for me. By the end i was looking for enough merit to convince myself to revisit this and try and get i to it, but i dont think i made it.

Whilst this wasn't offensive and i remember the singles well being of radio listening age when this was prominent, i didn't enjoy this much. Im sure the problem is as much mine as the albums in that im not a fan of this genre of music, but i found nothing to catch my ear.

I think my reaction to this was more cultural than musical but this felt like a warm huge from an estranged big sister. Its very much of its time and place and i was 8 and in the north of england when it was released. I was familiar with their rebirth with a more electronic based sound post Todd Terry remix in the mid 90s but didnt know their earlier stuff. Her voice is fantastic, the collage of scenes and reminiscences were very evocative and i liked the composition. There were a few very 80's Sade-esque flourishes that have dated badly but thats not a real problem. Ive immediately started to listen to their back catalogue which is a sign of something brilliant.

I love the beastie boys. Their style, their cool, their message, the sampling/scratching, their fashion, the guys are funny and talented, i watched the doc/talk from apple tv and cried. They have made some of the most amazing songs across 20 years of my youth. But ill be honest and say that ive never really loved their albums. When it works it works, but it can descend into slightly annoying audio collages that don't draw me in. A bit like donuts, i love the idea of them and the first 3 bites are heaven, but a full box is to much

A classic of the genre. The songwriting is perfect and the music perfectly captured a time a place. I was just too young for this when it first hit, but it didnt take me long to catch up and i've come to wrap myself up in this like a warm hug

Ive developed a real blind spot with this genre. Middle of the road american late 80's/early 90's rock seems like it was more about the angry/grungy vibe rather than any musical quality. Ive had countless albums where the vocal is poor, the sound is generic radio fodder for angry teens and they wash over me without any real value.

If ive heard an album before i can dive into the reviews before listening without having my first impression prejudiced. And o did so with this and im going to steal anothers review. 28 minutes of pure perfection.

This was delightful and i wish the lust showed me more unknown corners of music. Good voice, good guitar, good, good stories, good cowboy nonsense

This his some good spots and a some bad spots for me. The singles were ubiquitous in my teen years as Shirley was scottish so Garbage were claimed as one of ours even though they are an american band playing american rock. Shirley herself was responsible for scarousing many teenage boys and i was one of them. The second half of the album showcases the songwriting chops of the band and there are some good tracks. However there is a lot of this that strikes me as bland 90's american college rock of which ive had my fill. This genre for a brit is the equivalent on this list of the americans who complain about too much british indie. Ive struggled through pixies, janes addiction and this and it just bores me generally

I understand that this has merit, the playing is good and there is obviously some good 70's blues rock in there. Bit it washed over me without leaving any impression except for the awful Marvin Gaye cover.

I tried, i really did. This is my 3rd Morrissey album and i really hate the man, his voice, hit lyrics, his music and his politics. Im 300 albums in and ive genuinely listened to each one. After 2 tracks i realised that as much as i want to be disciplined in this process, there are better uses of my time than being tortured by this bigoted, self involved wanker.

Im kind of ambivalent here. A short, sharp, well played album is always welcome. I only know them via Dylan and enjoyed The Weight, though im not sure who did it first. But the vocals are weak and there is nothing incendiary here.

Massive attack make excellent music. They are dark and varied and interesting. Their use of strings and soaring vocals, interesting rhythms and good production make them a serious band making progressive, interesting music. When it works, it is unbeatable and unfinished symphony is a contender for best song if all time and they have a few of these. Ive never really fallen in love with their rap led tracks and this inconsistency is the only thing holding this back from a 5.

Im on record about how much i love the beastie boys, but jow their output is inconsistent. However i think this is their high water mark. Sure shot and sabotage are god tier and there is a lot less filler than in other albums.

This is a good album. I was too young for it originally and too old for the stranger things inspired revival, but the hits are british classics. Unlike a lot of 80's albums, this doesn't date at all as its completely unique and of itself not its time. The voice, the experimentation, the pop hooks, the variety of instrumentation, the weird irish trad bit are all delightful. More music should be as weird and brilliant as this

I was a 13 year old white britsh male in Lancashire when this came out. This was my moon landing. Definitely Maybe had set my world alight and this follow up was seeing them off to Mars. Im unable to give an objective review of this as i could sing every word whilst asleep 29 years later. Wonderwall, some might say, champagne superrnova, dont look back in anger, shes electric and cast no shadow are genuinely classics and the fact thats more than 50% of the album shows its quality. I think it falls down when Liam is asked to use his higher register. The 'Roll with it' hook grates me immensely and this happens in a few of them. I prefer the first album, the band members turned out to be pricks and they never really progressed from this sound. But they were ontop of the world for a while and this shows why

This wasnt offensive, but 2 goes through and im left with 2 thoughts: i dont like Brian Ferrys voice and the only sexy thing about this is the cover.

Ok, this fucking rules. I had Roxy Music yesterday and was bored as fuck. I got through this twice and was transfixed. It demands your attention by being absurd and funny. There is even the odd bit of melody thrown in for good measure. I imagine if aliens landed and only had 70's radio waves as a starting point and tried to make an album it would sound like this. As a cherry on top, it was my sons 8th birthday yesterday and i played him birthday boy and he howled with laughter. On the other hand, my wife asked me to turn it off as it was giving her an anxiety attack. Good art makes you feel something and this is good art!

If this was the go to album for the dinner party scene in the 80's, id rather starve

This album definitely deserves is place here. It was ubiquitous for a decade, has some classics of the genre and holds up well. None of it is my bag, but i really found merit in this.

I wasn't concentrating on my first pass and it didnt grab my attention. A second go with headphones was much more profitable and revealed a floaty surface with a good number of layers with substance underneath. Lovely vocals, some good hooks and some nice orchestration and production. Nothing to blow the socks off but an interesting listen

I know what im going to say is sacrilege but her voice really didnt bring me joy. I didnt know anything about this band and only realised who the singer was afterwards. I listened to this and enjoyed the whole psych, 70's, vietnam feel to it. It made me want to watch Forrest Gump. But the covers weren't good and i had to force myself to finish the album.

Ive never really got Fleetwood Mac. True, Rumours had a lot of excellent pop hits on it that makes it an undeniably great album but its spectacular rating was always alien to me. Tusk seemed to be all of the run of the mill bits of the band without the pop hits. I dont know where this comes in their discography but it sounded like them post-Rumours furiously trying to create another hit record but having to substitute good songs for endeavour and throwing as many ideas as possible at a record in the hot that some stick. 2 listens through and i can only really recall the weird production on maybe track 2 that was all bass and really low vocals

ChatGPT: please produce an album that sounds like people in the 00's making a 70's pastiche album. Make sure to clumsily copy Bowie mostly but with a dash of Elton John, Kraftwerk and Parliament. Please make it weirdly soulless and annodyne. This sounds like the favourite album of a dusty politician who doesnt like music but wants to appear hip and woke. Im giving it an extra star because filthy/gorgeous somehow is a banger

I much prefer the best of world music than more US college rock or british indie, bit this one didnt really take off for me. Interesting yes, something that engaged me, no

I was 18 when this landed. I loved the bends with every fibre of my teenage body, ok computer was a bit out there but still brilliant to me, but i was just starting uni and my music taste moved toward drinking cheap alcopops while dancing to landfill indie and drum and bass. Kid A came out and sounded like it had come from the moon. It couldnt have been further from what i wanted and i abandoned radiohead. The years passed and my tastes moved on a bit and In Rainbows drew me back in. Having regained a foothold i went back through what i had missed and found Kid A/Amnesiac and began to appreciate what a ground breaking collection of songs they were. Very few bands are good or brave enough to abandon a popular sound to jump ahead of everyone by a decade and then wait for them to catch up, but these guys did and i think it may be their greatest achievement. The introduction of electronica, ambient, orchestral, drone onto rock makes for a masterpiece of sonic glory. This album sounds as good now as ever and the triple album covering this album and the Amnesiac sessions is a staggering achievement of a band who travelled back from the future to light the way for everyone. So much of this list is music that sounds good at the time but maybe hasn't aged well. This is the only entry which takes everyone else by the hand and shows them what the future needs to sound like and improves with age. Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand for the national anthem

I know she is a cultural icon and i applaud her female empowerment message, but i dont think the music stands up to the status This was overly long, overly produced and pretty bland. None of the quirk of Janelle Monae, none of the beats of a Lauren Hill or a Little simz. Just meh.

This was beautiful. Im assuming it was his second album after pink moon where his talent became apparent and they gave him a bigger budget and more scope to play with. In some ways the delicate and intimate nature of just him and a guitar is lost. But in the other hand the orchestration is beautiful, thr jazzy parts are excellent and the ability to develop his sound is inpressive. If only he was able to grow old us and shoe us where his talents may have led him next.

Love Ray Charles, love this album and own it on vinyl. The voice is unmatched, the piano playing and arranging are spectacular its its just a seriously good album

I was surprised to see this on the list because i think it is one of the weakest Blur albums. Its still a decent early britpop album but its not got the hits or depth to do much for me.

I like what jack white is about, im onboard with his style of music and i think i even owned this back in the day. However the fact im not sure probably speaks volumes. The album passes by quite pleasantly, there are some good tunes towards the second half of it and its well made. But i cant help feel that it, or I, am missing something. His voice is unique but not too offensive, there are hooks here, but it just seems to lack a bit of depth and heart. Maybe one day this will click and i'll love it but im not there yet.

An absolute balls to the wall classic. Not only a good album of its time, but a building block for the electronic music that followed it. Pace, power, energy, form, skill and production combine something that everyone should be aware of. Its criminal that its so badly rated here.

This is the pinnacle of rock and roll for me. The songs are brilliantly written and have such an energy, the voice perfectly matches, the guitar sound is raw and angry and the rhythm section drives it forward like a train. This isnt my genre and doesnt have the depth of better work, but god damn its fun

Post beatles Mccartney seems to be for the fanboys. Its decent generic pop music of the time, but doesnt really stand out.

I found this a perfectly reasonable 80's fun pop album. Couple of good singles, nice energy and skipped along well.

This passed by pleasantly without engaging me. Im sleep deprived so its probably me, not the album.

I think this is a good album. For me it treads the line well between homage to the older sound and just ripping it off. Most art is a stolen from a million different ideas, but the difference majer here is that it is done very well. Her voice is strong and conveys a lot of emotion, the song writing, arrangement and priduction are superb and her story adds additional gravity to the lyrics.

Yeah, im the target audience for this and even i thought it was rubbish. It doesnt really go anywhere, do anything or have much merit. Should have been a car advert soundtrack

Is this over rated die to it being the last thing Nirvana did or is a classic? Lets see. There is undeniably a cultural significance to this record. It was peak MTV which came in and out like a tidal wave in the 90's, covering everything and then disappearing as quickly. Kurts death soon after made the world stand up and take notice of his talent, bringing them to a much wider audience than their original fan base. This was accessible, brilliantly done and allowed everyone to share in the sadness of his passing. The album itself is raw but beautifully done. Its a showcase of kurts surprisingly beautiful voice, the delicate songwriting and their excellent playing and arraging. It is a signpost to what late era kurt could have been, like Jonny Cashs reinvention, it could have been so much. A verifiable classic.

Im not sure what more there is to say. If Radiohead are my generations Beatles then this could be their Sgt. Pepper. It marks their giant leap from top of the range indie rock band (i love the bends) to culturally important path makers into the future of music

An album so deeply engrained in my teenage years i am unable to be objective in any way. 5 stars for helping a 14 year old boy feel rebellious.

Yeah, this didnt grab me first time around and it doesnt this time around either. Its overblown and empty. Its well made and im led to believe they are good live, but its music for people who dont like music.

Ive had a lot of Neil Young so far and whilst its stopped annoying me and ive begun to see the value in it, i havent become a massive fan. This seems a nice middle ground between his singer/songwriter work and the harder Crazy horse stuff. It ticked along well but im not coming back to it

This was a surprisingly pleasant time capsule. Shades of Micheal Jackson, early scratching and hip hop. Im not sexy enough for the lyrics but it went past with some pleasure and it was consistent as some of these albums are 2 singles and then a wasteland.

Much like the Neil Young on this list, there is a surprising volume of Elvis Costello, it can vary from quiet to loud, the song writing is always excellent, the voice can divide opinion and if you get it you love it, but it can equally piss people off. This doesnt deviate from the above. I wouldn't be a fanboy, but ive heard enough to appreciate it without falling in love.

I hadnt listened to this for years and it came back and put a smile on my face. Yes it was sacrilegious to some to take metal and water it down with pop, rap and some scratching but they do it well, they gave an outlet for anger for a nice middle class generation and it's stood the test of time.

I was and am an arcade fire fan and i had this album but they had fallen out of rotation. I feel this maybe their most consistent album but it does lack a single, stand out track. Always enjoyed their energy but this has good production as well.

The musical equivalent of a slice of white bread. Wholesome but bland as fuck.

This starter off ok and descended into utter shite. Mid level 60's pop followed by weird nursey rhymes and music hall ditties. No thanks

This is a stone cold classic. The melodies are timeless and the vocal is so emotive it cant be beat. Unless you pay attention to the lyrics in which case they may be. The stories told are heartbreaking and the unfulfilled optimism 30 years on tells its own story.

The man gets under your skin. I knew him by reputation and had already had a later album in this process that was ok but didnt hook me. I started this one, finding his voice just irritating. But i finished it fairly enthralled. The melody from the guitar and the story telling are powerful weapons. Ill be going back to this and i may even consider myself converted.

I did not like this. It felt like getting sexually assaulted by the early 90's. Rock and rap can go together but i needed a bath after this as it just felt greasy

Love Eno and listen to his ambient stuff mire. This sounds like a good quality talking heads esq sound. A bit too many references to sausages, but enjoyable none the less

This reminded of my dad. Not in a good way. A couple of hits but the slow stuff was bad and i couldnt wait for this to finish

Not offensive, but like listening to an episode of the OC

Mark E Smith has always struck me as a bit of a prick. And his voice has always been a barrier to any previous engagement in the fall. Having been through this twice, i've not changed my mind. However it wasnt as bad as expected. There are tunes in there and a surprising electro portion towards the end. If this is their high water mark then i dont feel im missing out.

A perfectly reasonable motown album. Im a fan of motown and papa was a rolling stone is a classic. The rest is serviceable without being top drawer. Enjoyed it but not going to make a big impression.

The late 80's really sucked. This is better than a lot of the sleazy rock that was going around but it still lacks any merit.

Ok, this is what im here for. Something entire new that is brilliant. Rock music with a brain. Lots of anger and ideas smashed together. Ill be back

I should be more into this but i couldnt find a foot hold. The fault lies with me. Will come back to it.

Love Ray Charles and very much enjoyed this. My only complaint is that it doesnt really fit the album template, its just a collection of really good standards by a good singer and arranger.

A lovely, funky blacksploitation soundtrack for an autumnal Friday. Short, sweet and perfectly enjoyable.

That was great. I was always aware of Talking Heads and realised i should like them but never spent the time to work them out. This process has given me that and i thank it. Its nice that the 80's produced pop music that has stood the test of time. Good hooks, a real sense of style and well made.

An obvious classic. Lots of bangers on here. I was never a zep fan bit this is good. Il let other people be more eloquent.

I like jazz as much as the next man and i enjoy having my horizons broadened with world music, but i didnt see anything out of the ordinary here. It passed by and wasnt offensive but nothing stood out.

A perfectly named album. The feeling of energy and growl throughout is perfect. Trainspotting thoroughly planted the opening track into my generations zeitgeist but i think the passenger is the star of the show. It looses a star for some end of album mediocrity but that was fun!

What a collection of absolute bangers. This is on a par with Rumours in terms of 80's pop. The hits are all brilliant and the rest holds up. Its 50 years old and still sounds modern, well produced and danceable as fuck.

Ahhh, this takes me back. Its 1996 and i'm 14 and at Tom Booths house. This was on repeat and felt so dangerous. Whatever your opinions on late stage RHCP and some of the more recent allegations that deserve to have them cancelled, this is an undeniably good record. There are 5/6 really top tier tracks, a few good and a few average tracks and a better editor would have brought this in under an hour but it was sure fun. It has some of the hallmarks of more rock based late 80's sleaze but it manages to avoid the repellant aspects and replaces them with some introspection, some very good slap bass and just a fuck ton of energy.

Ok, ok, hes not Michael Jackson and Pharrell isnt Quincy Jones. But not many people are. This is decent, of its time, pop music that borrows heavily from previous generations to make something fun. All art is theft remember? Some really good tracks here, and some absolute filler as well.

As a record this sounds about 50 years ahead of its time, but that doesnt mean i enjoyed it. The inaudible lyrics and relatively sparse soundscapes sound modern and im not surprised artists like Beck love this, but i didnt find any particular value in its lack of enagement

Obviously a classic and not really anything that detracts. Maybe a slightly underwhelming honky tonk woman, but if this isnt good then i dont know what is.

Van Morrison is a repellant human being. But i tried to assess the music independently. Astral weeks is supposed to be this transcendent album that couldnt fail to hook me in, but i didnt think it stood out. Sure its a good voice and the bluesy feel is nice, but i dont get what the fuss was about. A 3 downgraded to a 2 because he is a human turd.

I happy to admit that this process has shown me that there are some albums that im not objective about. They are too interwoven into my own personal musical journey and as such my opinion is invalid and thats ok. I sang every word of this from start to finish.

I loved this album when i was 17 as a nice white middle class boy, and i was very surprised to find it on this list as i had always just thought of it as fairly disposable. On revisiting this it doesnt let itself down. Its sunshine in musical form. Well composed and fun pop/reggae. Sure its not authentic, but i loved it then and i enjoyed it now

This is a modern classic. It transcended boundaries at the time and brought forward a new wave of femal hip hop stars that followed in her trail. The soul, the voice, the composition and songs are all top tier. Having the balls to leave Everything is Everything to the second last track of an album lasting over an hour is amazing for the time. Its a shame she is now as mad as a bag of cats as id have loved to have witnessed what she could have gone on to do

This is my second Spiritualized album. I should be the exact target market for this and yet im still not finding anything that gives me a way into this. It seems to just float past sounding well done, but lacking anything to make it stand out. All fur coat and no knickers

Not their best album but still brilliant. A rockier sound and it doesnt have as many stand out tracks but the quality is so high throughout i loved every second of this.

Ok, ive hady fair share of landfill american college rock, but this seems to be the best if the bunch. Good songs with good hooks, lots of punchy guitar, lots of variation and lots of scuzzy sound. This is much better.

I remember this well as a very cool album. Justine was dating Damon. The cover rips off the ramones. Short poppy tracks played by skinny people in black. I was interested to hear how it held up. 25 years on and its not bad but it seems a bit thin (see what i did there). Some good singles and a nice overall sound, but a lot of filler. An ode to vaseline is an aesthetics choice, rather than anything meaningful. Thanks for the memories

I enjoyed this more than i thought. Its my usual stuff but why not. I enjoyed the softness, the subtlety, and the vibe. The squelchy synths and production drew me in. Its difficult not to compare her to her sister and this is much more interesting

This was wonderful. It encapsulates a lot of what Paul Simon did beautifully in this phase. Its a combination of really good pop songs, but with added musicality and breadth. Me and Julio is one of the og's.

Ok, so this was the album ive been waiting for. I like hip hop but never found a way into kendrick. I found him a bit dense and lacking in hooks. Today i was visiting a city and put this on my headphones and walked around. The lyrics shone through, the beats were good and save for an obsession with his penis i thought that was great. Maybe i'll work through his back catalogue.

This was pretty good. Obvious single excluded this was new to me. Like a poppier velvet underground maybe. Nothing earth shattering but not offensive

Well this was one of those albums where the vive couldnt have been further away from when i listened to it. I was very hungover and tired, flying solo through an airport. It gave me anxiety and thats more my fault than its. If it caught me at the right time then this could be interesting, but not today.

God i hate Morrissey. I didnt always and have danced my little heart out to the smiths in my indie disco days. But once you learn about his views then his whiney histrionic singing and lyrics really grate and even Mr Marr cant save it. Im giving me marr a bonus star but this still only gets 1 as without it i would have burnt my phone and cur my ears off

Listening to Bjork is like stumbling into a room full of people who are far smarter than you and listening in. You learn something, you feel like you are probably getting about 70% of whats going on and am ok with that and you hope in a few years it makes more sense when you've caught up. I love her independence, the absolute drive forward, the energy and production quality. At times it did sound like i was listening to a christmas album from a world filled with orcs and elves, but thats not necessarily a bad thing.

I was alive in the 80's but im very glad i wasn't old enough to have this as my formative musical upbringing as it seems like a bit of a wasteland in hindsight. This just seems very empty and shallow. It could be called fun and well done, and it gets a bonus point for being from Sheffield. But it was a tough listen

If this process has given me one thing, its a love of Crosby Still and Nash and ive resisted the temptation to go through their catalogues outside of this to make sure when something pops up, it is a welcome treat. This was one such treat and received heavy rotation. There is something about the guitar, the melody, thr lyric and the voice that creates gold and i really enjoyed this

Ive never become a zepp fan but this is the closest i think ill get. This is obviously very good. Ive always been on the fence with regard to his voice but it makes sense here. The guitars are really very good and the songs are very catchy. Its still a bit Jeremy Clarkson for me but this is obviously great.

Ive become a fan of Talk Talk and enjoyed this without being blown away. Their sound is delightful and had a beautiful english charm, but it didnt have a stand out track to raise it up a notch.

Short and sweet and lots of fun. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants.

What can i say that hasn't been said in the mountains of commentary on this legendary album. Its one of the best albums of all time from a wide range of metrics, from the pop hooks to the nerdy production, from the breathtaking lyrics to the harmonies. All i can say is i heard it as a kid and it melted my mind. I still listen to it now and its not aged or declined over time

This is beautiful. Ive read some reviews accusing British musicians of appropriating indian music, but this is British Asian music and is authentic to its core. Im not a fan of colonialism, but one of the silver linings is the uk's history of accepting everyone and being better for it. I lived in Yorkshire for 20 years with a strong british asian community that i was very familiar with and this music shows the incredible value of mixing cultures to great something new and better. Cornershop have a really strong discography of quality indie, played through an indian viewpoint, their lyrics tell stories that resonate with vast swathes of the uk population from the last few generations and i think they deserve to be more widely known and held in higher esteem. This album has their big hit which puts it on this list but if you enjoyed this then go back and listen to everything. My favourite is 2011's Cornershop and and the 00 Groove.

By all metrics i should love this album. It ticks so many boxes as punky, poetic and honest. The opening track is a classic and i found the rest of the album seemed to be perfectly respectable, but i did a foothold to go from mild appreciation into the heart of the album. Ill be coming back to it when i can to see what ive missed.

Its the beatles innit. All of it is gold. Do you compare this to their later work and mark it below, or compare it to the rest of recorded music in which case its top tier?

A few years ago a friend asked me to name the album that had the biggest differential between opening track and the rest of the album and i was stumped, but i may have found it. Whats going on is an all time great song, seriously god tier. Rest of the album is pretty meh but ticks along without much offence.

This was a welcome addition to my brain. I love tracking music back to its source and seeing the morphing of jazz and blues into heavy metal was fascinating.

I can see the merit in this as an exercise, but as a piece of music to actually listen to it didnt do anything for me. It seems well written and produced and met the described brief well. But i did not enjoy anything in it.

Dirt by name, dirt by review. God I hate late 80's early 90's sleaze rock.

I always enjoy something that id never come across normally and this was very new to me. I enjoyed the rhythm and the vibe bit it never really took off from there.

This was great. It seems like a classic that never crossed my path. Lots of beautiful song writing, great playing and good hooks. It would have made a 5* album in an hour but the bagginess drops it to a 4

I listened to this once yesterday and struggled as it seemed really bland. I now have to write a review and cannot remember a single note of it which tells you all you need to know.

This fills me with a warmth and comfort thats only partly explained by nostalgia. I had this on CD when it came out and played it non stop, the simple folk with a slightly more modern and urban feel felt more relevant to me. I think the songs are beautifully crafted with some excellent writing, good production and it creates a beautiful atmosphere. I think it lacks a better voice for 5 stars but this was a good day.

I remember this fondly and was glad to revisit it. I enjoyed this first time around about 5 years ago, and was mortified to discover it was actually 20. The birth of Pharrell as a super producer seems like a valid entry to this list and the quality of arrangement, production and feel are all top notch. There isnt much in the way of rapping and song writing but its still fun

This is a great modern album. Dark and moody, some great tunes, it builds on the music before it and contributes to progress.

I was excited when this came up but i wasnt after 2 runs through. Trip Hop was abd is great and i think Massive Attack and Portishead have aged beautifully, but this seemed all vibe and little substance. The dark and brooding beats are ok and the singing is good but it lacked substance. I swear he had s big hit single to hand the rest of the album off but couldnt find it.

This was interesting but really started to grate quite quickly. Opening bars told me this was sime nice scuzzy, punky stuff that was right up my street and i was interested in. Unfortunately, this got swamped with the random squeaks, talking heads esque vocals. It just seemed to disappear up its own arse.

This could be right up my street, but i couldnt find a way in on the day. Probably more down to having no time to give it attention. Will come back to it

I really like Nick Drake and his dreamy, pastoral sound here is brilliant. Of his three albums i feel this is the middle ground and it probably makes it the lowest rank of the the three but still a treat for the ears and the soul

Such a warm comforting hug of an album. I love the fact that this flopped on release and grew organically based on people discovering it rather than a marketing budget. People actually liked this organically rather than it being cool, and j think a lot of the reviews here miss this point. Sure its not breaking new ground, but there are some serious songs on here and i lobed revisiting it.

Im a Bowie fan, but sometimes the shapeshifting isnt 100% successful. This album had some obvious classics, but the rest of the album doesnt really stand out.

I dont know what happened to metal in the 80's but it wasnt for the better. Ibe had so much sleazy and nasty late 80's metal and this comes along and both predates them and blows them out of the water. Hard driving guitars, growling lyrics about fighting and gambling, brilliant drumming, lots of denim and leather and moustaches. These are a few of my favourite things.

This was my second barry adams album and i didnt like the first. I though this was better, it had more variety and sounded like an actual album. The addition of some vocals was welcome and the guest stars are people i love. Still not going back to ist bit nice to find a Jarvis in the wild.

I know this is a semi album for a lot of the musicians and music i love, and i can see why, but i just dont think its held up very well. Its pretty boring in a lot of ways and what is provides in barrier breaking it lacks in actual fun to listen to

I found this weirdly bland. I get that there is a narrative arc but when the arc is prioritised over the actual tunes then im not keen

This wasnt something i had prior knowledge of and thats always fun. It seemed to slip between Roxy Music, into Talking Heads and also some Zepplin later on. It passed by pleasantly, but i didnt really think uch of it stood out. Just a standard pop album of the era.

This is so much fun. The warmth, the wit, the big sweeping tunes. This is both a pastiche of Britishness and an addition to the canon of loveliness!

This wasnt unpleasant, but it fidnt blow me away. My 74 year old mother was here and she enjoyed the nostalgia as she was mid 30's when it came out. A good couple singles and a pleasant vibe

This was some fairly nice old hippie rock. Opening track was a banger and whilst its not something ill go back to, i actively enjoyed it

An obvious classic but one where there is a noticeable drop off between the singles and the album tracks.