503
Albums Rated
3.48
Average Rating
46%
Complete
586 albums remaining
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1950s
Favorite Decade
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Enthusiast
Rater Style ?
152
5-Star Albums
52
1-Star Albums
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Ratings by genre
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Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shleep | 5 | 2.51 | +2.49 |
| Shalimar | 5 | 2.66 | +2.34 |
| Music | 5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
| Palo Congo | 5 | 2.69 | +2.31 |
| Dr. Octagonecologyst | 5 | 2.69 | +2.31 |
| Cut | 5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
| Medúlla | 5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
| Group Sex | 5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
| Histoire De Melody Nelson | 5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
| Olympia 64 | 5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| (What's The Story) Morning Glory | 1 | 3.84 | -2.84 |
| Harvest | 1 | 3.83 | -2.83 |
| In The Court Of The Crimson King | 1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
| Definitely Maybe | 1 | 3.52 | -2.52 |
| Smash | 1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
| The Chronic | 1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
| The College Dropout | 1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
| First Band On The Moon | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| John Prine | 1 | 3.22 | -2.22 |
| Selling England By The Pound | 1 | 3.18 | -2.18 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 3 | 5 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 5 |
| Beatles | 3 | 5 |
| Sonic Youth | 4 | 4.5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 4.67 |
| Frank Sinatra | 2 | 5 |
| Stan Getz | 2 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 2 | 5 |
| Pixies | 2 | 5 |
| The Smiths | 2 | 5 |
| Sly & The Family Stone | 2 | 5 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 2 | 5 |
| Isaac Hayes | 2 | 5 |
| Missy Elliott | 2 | 5 |
| The The | 2 | 5 |
| Funkadelic | 2 | 5 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 4.33 |
| PJ Harvey | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Kinks | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kanye West | 2 | 1 |
| King Crimson | 2 | 1 |
| Ryan Adams | 2 | 1 |
| Oasis | 2 | 1 |
| Genesis | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| U2 | 5, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (152)
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Popular Reviews
Dr. Octagon
5/5
This is so stupid that I absolutely love it. It’s Bronx weirdness unbridled. Yeah, the characters in this audio porno comic book are juvenile. And yeah, the lyrics are graphic. But there is so much greatness on this record.
Kool Keith’s heavy neighborhood accent is my favorite thing in the world right now. Nearly shed a tear when he rapped about getting his shirt “out the dry cleaners”. If you know, you know.
The music though, is the star. Non-stop head boppin’ beats. And the scratching! This is genius level mixing.
Fuck it all, I’m giving this a solid 5.
7 likes
The Cramps
5/5
This is so much fun. Love this band. Enjoying this way more than expected. It’s fucking rad. Atmospheric, sexy, cinematic vampire Rockabilly. No one can do it like they did.
No flaws.
5/5
5 likes
Bee Gees
2/5
I don’t know if I hate how lame this is, or if I love how lame it is.
“Israel, Where there’s sand, Where there’s beautiful sand” I mean, wtf? Really?
I don’t think this was intended to be comical, but my god. Stopping after four songs. This is tedious.
5 likes
Ananda Shankar
5/5
Yeah, this whole record is rad af. Very unique. Lots of fun. Really well done. Absolutely influential and inspiring for generations of western musicians.
4 likes
The The
5/5
Aww shit! Memory motherfucking lane again.
Caught them at CBGB’s with Johnny Marr, back around ‘94. We snuck backstage so a friend could give Matt a letter. He was the nicest, kindest, sweetest man to her. Was truly human and decent. Absolutely had a positive effect on her. Matt Johnson is more fabulous than he has any right to be.
Love this band, love this record as much as their others.
5/5
4 likes
4-Star Albums (118)
1-Star Albums (52)
All Ratings
The Who
3/5
Skip tracks 4, 6
Well arranged songs. More epic than I typically like to listen to, but the quality is undeniable. Would not go out of my way to listen to this band. Good work, just not something I would put on a mix. Exhausted and bored after the first few tracks.
Robbie Williams
1/5
Wtf is this bullshit? No fucking way am I sitting through this horrendous pop crap. Fuck the dipshit who added this to the list.
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
Not for me. It’s well made. Just too pop/kanye. Meh. Stopped after 3 or 4 songs.
Sister Sledge
5/5
Love! Already had half the album in my favorites. Added a couple more.
Baaba Maal
3/5
It’s okay. Not my favorite from Africa. Lots of singing. Very good production. Not great for mixes. Neutral for me.
Cream
2/5
Really not my thing. I appreciate its place in music history. I can see why people like it. But it is driving me nuts and I really hate it right now. Had to stop after 4/5 songs.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Oy. Yes, Dylan is important to music history and songwriting. But, Jesus, I do not like listening to his voice. Overall, this skews more honky tonk than I can handle. This album is not for me, at all. Stopped early.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
No. Not interested.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
Much better Clapton than Cream. It’s not bad. It’s just Clapton. Music is fine. Not my thing.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Tricky
4/5
Been ages since I’ve listened to this one. I like it better now. There’s still some stuff that’s more sound than music, but this album is overall very good.
U2
5/5
It’s been a long time. I forgot how good they used to be. This album holds up. This is why the band got famous in the first place. This deserves a comeback. It’s easily the best thing they ever did. 10/10 bangers front to back. Every song was regularly played on the radio in NYC back in the day.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
Feels like I wandered into a recording session. Feel’s meandering, unedited, mumbling. This is not for me. It’s pub music at best and I don’t drink. Stopped
Afrika Bambaataa
5/5
FUCK YES!!!!!!!!
The sound of my childhood. 10000 stars!
Tom Waits
3/5
So far this is better than I expected. I don’t drink enough to put this on regular rotation. But it’s clearly good, well written and uniquely performed. A full album of gravelly singing is a bit much for me. Instrumental bits are more successful. Too exhausted to fully listen to the last 3 songs.
The Associates
1/5
First song is just a cocaine-fueled synth instrumental that then sounds like trash rattling in the wind. Second song sounds like Xymox, but off key and slowed down. Third song explains why I’ve never heard of this band. Fourth song - oy vey. It gets worse from here.
This is not good. I understand that this is early synth pop goth. At best, it sounds like a bad joke. The more I hear, the less I like.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
FANTASTIC!
What a breath of fresh air in the never-ending slog of old white man music. More like this, please.
Mudhoney
1/5
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Love Sinatra. This album is perfect.
Neil Young
1/5
I hate Neil Young’s voice.
Maxwell
5/5
This album holds up! Classic soulful R&B. This will get you laid.
50 Cent
1/5
Is this a joke?
Dr. Dre
1/5
West coast bitches trying to act hard
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
HELL TO THE MOTHER FUCKING YES!!!!
PERFECTION
Stevie Wonder
5/5
YAY!!
There’s a bunch of songs that just don’t resonate with me. But then the classics start and who can care about anything else. So many brilliant hits off this album.
Ute Lemper
1/5
She has a nice enough voice. The music is well played and arranged. And yet, this stinks. Comes together like bad Broadway. Why was this made?
I will never listen to this again. Cannot get through a whole song. This is not good.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
WOOOHOOO!!!
Morrissey
1/5
Used to love this fucker back in the day. Now he’s a big time racist, elitist piece of shit.
Had stopped listening by the time this one came out. There’s nothing necessary about this one. There’s no reason this should be on a list like this.
The Chemical Brothers
5/5
Used to love this fucker back in the day. Now he’s a big time racist, elitist piece of shit.
Had stopped listening by the time this one came out. There’s nothing necessary about this one. There’s no reason this should be on a list like this.
Aphex Twin
5/5
Going in nervous. I appreciate this band, but they can be a little intense.
Ok, I take it back. This has been great. Might be their most listenable album. Ambient is the correct descriptor. It’s upbeat, easy to keep in the background, easy to work to. Honestly, I am really enjoying this album.
Another nice surprise off this list. Me likey.
Stan Getz
5/5
YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!
Beyond perfect. This is another level of beautiful
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Oh snap! Another from the old collection. Love this album. Ages ahead of its time. It dropped like a bomb on 80s pop music.
It’s still so good. Better than most. Every note of this is flooding back from memory.
Kanye West
1/5
Kanye is a Nazi piece of shit. Fuck him and fuck everyone who still supports him.
Various Artists
5/5
The only Xmas album that matters. Darlene Love could sing the phone book and it would be a fucking banger.
Kings of Leon
3/5
I don’t hate this. Why don’t I hate this?
Overall, this was actually okay. Nothing new or innovative. It’s fine. It’s pop rock. Won’t listen to this again, though.
Nick Drake
4/5
Very pretty
David Bowie
5/5
It’s fucking Bowie.
Ash
1/5
Here’s the thing. This sound was totally played out by the time this came out. It was tired already. The only people listening still were frat boys. It was top 40 junk.
There’s no soul in this music. It’s empty. Sounds like Pavement and I wouldn’t put them on a list like this either.
The Cardigans
1/5
I was hoping to like this one. But baby voices are annoying and the music isn’t good enough to compensate. Boring, uninspired pop crap.
Men love that sexy baby sound.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Would be better with a head full of acid
Soul II Soul
4/5
Fun hearing the whole album. Found a few more songs that I like. Not everything is great. That Do’reen sings like a goat. But overall, this is a good album.
Can
5/5
4 songs in 40 minutes. This is brilliant.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
So advanced for 1984. Truly unique.
Great band. Can’t remember the last time I listened to a full album. This was a treat.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Confession: never listened to this before. Never really got into this band. What little I had heard seemed boring, or like you need a bunch of acid to enjoy.
This is probably amazing on headphones, while tripping balls. Probably great when paired with the Wizard of Oz, or whatever it was people would rave about. This is certainly a mood. And it is very well composed, serious song structure, real direction. Excellent musicianship. There’s nothing bad here.
Confession #2: I’m still mostly bored. Feels like I missed my window to develop a real affection for this band. Maybe you need to be young to be impressed by this. At this point, to my ears, it’s just alright. It’s good, but I’m not getting the full OMG experience.
This was very good, but I don’t see myself listening to it again. Don’t hate it, but won’t seek it out.
Pixies
5/5
Oh fuck yes!
How have I never listened to this album? This is the one with Gigantic.
Röyksopp
5/5
Oooo! Looking forward to this one.
Very, very pretty. Really enjoyed this.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
2/5
Oy more hippies.
This is good for driving down the highway with the windows open.
It’s fine. Overall, it’s too loud and too country for my taste. It’s the kind of music that’s playing at a bar you don’t want to be in. Can’t get into it.
Milton Nascimento
5/5
This is the shit I came here for.
Fantastic. Loved this.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Oh this is going to be fun.
Ok, not my favorite. This is closer to what people who hate jazz, think jazz is.
It’s still pretty great and unique.
The Smiths
5/5
Hello, darkness, my old friend.
John Prine
1/5
I hate this kind of music.
Ozomatli
3/5
This is fun. Not perfect, but really good.
The Fall
3/5
Ok, the cover of Sister Sledge’s Lost in Music is kinda cool. Nice surprise.
Overall, I get it. The band is influential, prolific, and eclectic. It’s not bad, just not something I’d come back to.
My problem is that I only seem to like parts of their songs. Like, good music, but meh singing, that kinda thing. It’d be nice to enjoy a full song.
M.I.A.
4/5
Looking forward to this.
Already like several tracks on this one. Loved the video for Boyz. This whole aesthetic came out of left field. There was no one who looked or sounded like her.
Lots of fun, lively tracks. Very unique.
Talvin Singh
1/5
Starts off sounding like the soundtrack for a Venice Beach guru cult, complete with gropey hot yoga sessions in a converted shipping container.
Cheap, cliche and very posery. Even the cover art looks like an AI prompt. Nothing feels authentic. Just a cash grab.
Nothing about this record is required listening. This was all very old sounding by ‘98. There are much better recordings that were overlooked for this mall muzak.
Genesis
2/5
Starts off a bit better than most progrock. Sounds better when it’s just Peter Gabriel singing.
It sounds like the soundtrack for a very tedious and heavy handed Broadway show. I’m shocked it hasn’t been become a jukebox musical, yet.
It’s very very 70s prog. Like omg, someone smash that keyboard. Definitely not something I will listen to again. This requires a lot of drugs.
Frustrating cause every time they get a good bit going, they start throwing in cheesy prog cliche sounds. Album is way, way too long. For early Genesis, it’s okay. But I can’t wait for it to end.
Peter Gabriel was smart to leave this band and go solo.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Oh yay! This is the album with Family Affair.
Starts off hot and funky. I’m sold within the first 30 seconds. You can already hear the influence this had on George Clinton and Gil Scott Heron. It’s a rich tapestry of American soul. And it just gets better from there.
This is the kind of album that deserves its place in the pantheon of great recordings. Unique, interesting, relevant, influential and inspiring. It’s both experimental and complete. The band knew exactly who they were and what they wanted. There’s no searching, only quality and delivery.
How have I lived so long without listening to this album? What’s the point of life without this excellence?
Burn all that whiney, shitty hippie crap. I would rather have this record listed 100 times, than have it stand next to some of the hot garbage that’s on here. How you gonna put Robbie Williams and Cee Lo in the same room as this?
This record is so good, I wish I could give others -500 ratings. It’s so good, I want to violently shake the author and make him explain himself. Like, how dare you think half of this list could even come close to this.
This is my new favorite album and I’m only halfway through. There needs to be a higher rating than 5 for stuff like this. This is perfect. Not a note out of place.
I thought Sly was good before. But now I know that he was so much better than I could have imagined. He does not get a fraction of the praise that is heaped on his contemporaries. Throw Clapton, Dylan, Young and Creedence in the river. This is so much better. Even the yodeling song is better than most music on this list.
100,000/5
Kraftwerk
4/5
It’s hard to critique this band. They were a million years ahead of the rest of the world.
It’s amazing how listenable their albums really are. This one was pure techno, a good 20years before techno existed. It’s like 808 State, it’s a night at the Palladium. Really very very good compositions.
Common
3/5
Nice smooth head boppin’ hip hop. It’s like easy-listening rap. I don’t dislike it. It’s very nice. Less edgy than Queen Latifah. But nice.
Skip Kanye the Nazi lover.
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
This is pretty cute. Never heard of them. There’s quality here. Good vocals, good production, nice music. Not too pop, not gimmicky. Just good solid music. Me likey.
Feels like the kind of band that would play at The Roadhouse in Twin Peaks.
Can’t find anything bad to say about this. Good stuff.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Such a pretty album. This is just the loveliest singing and harmony. Choral folk, but somehow not at all corny. Genuinely pretty as fuck.
Radiohead
5/5
WOOOHOOO!
Every album, from Ok Computer through In Rainbows, is absolutely brilliant.
The Youngbloods
4/5
First track had me panicking with the fiddles, but it becomes a nice banger in the end. So far, this is better than most of the hippie shit on this list.
There’s something sincere here, something interesting and thoughtful. Not horrible at all. Well crafted music played with clarity. This actually pretty cute. Nice range, good attitude. Can’t hate it.
4/5
Oh hot damn. What a nice surprise. Love this band.
The hits still hit. This band is fun 80s blue-eyed soul pop. There’s some good stuff here. It’s cute. Gets better as it goes.
It was probably more of a sensation when it dropped in ‘82. Today it feels a little dated. Not sure how it earned a spot on this list. It’s very good, but not exactly essential.
Definitely polished. I can see how this fuller sound influenced a lot of the British pop that followed. Can’t get Pet Shop Boys, Tears for Fears, Style Council or Duran Duran without this record.
That said, Look of Love is still fabulous and impossible not to love.
This is what Sam Smith thinks he sounds like. He does not.
Paul Simon
4/5
Oh fuck yes.
Hearts and Bones and Train in the Distance are so beautiful that it hardly matters what the rest of the album sounds like.
There are some real clunkers. Overall it’s unfocused, or like he was trying out contemporary styles that just don’t suit him.
But what is good, is fucking amazing.
Scissor Sisters
2/5
On paper I should love this band. But I have struggled to connect to their sound.
It’s too much like 70s Elton John and the Bee-Gees. That’s not a bad thing. Just too much of another artist’s well-established sound. It’s wall-to-wall falsetto and there’s nothing really new here. You could believably claim this was an album of covers. It feels calculated, not authentic.
They are supposed to be based in NYC, but it is not reflected in their sound at all. It’s London/Cali/Detroit at best. They sound like transplants.
I checked and, yes, they are from Arizona, Texas and Oregon. It shows.
I can’t say this is bad. It’s fine. It’s just not essential. And it’s a lot of falsetto! Tapping out early.
Oh and Better Luck Next Time totally ripped off Depeche Mode’s Never Let Me Down Again.
Mekons
1/5
Damn. The author of this book loves pub rock.
I don’t drink enough to make this sound good.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
While I don’t totally vibe with Tom Petty’s music, I do respect its place in the pantheon of American music.
This is the definition of suburban rock. It requires teenagers in cars and keggers in the woods. It’s what the kids in Fast Times at Ridgemont High listened to. Not a bad thing. Just can’t relate.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
I was fully prepared to hate this. But it’s fantastic.
Janis at her finest. Her range, control and emotion are pitch perfect in every track. How she made gravelly screaming sound good, is a work of magic.
Even the music is just right. Not overly self-indulgent. Genuinely good rhythm and blues, played very well. Really balanced sound.
This should be annoying. But it’s really great. It’s probably the best example of the genre. The fact that it’s recorded live, without any of the modern production ‘fixes’, proves how tight this band really was.
Again, I should totally hate everything about this, but there is not one flaw to be found.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
For what it is, this is fine.
Rod Stewart
1/5
Jesus. Ok, so I don’t have anything against Rod Stewart. He’s fine, whatever.
But wtf was the obsession with honky tonk back then? There’s a reason I chose to eliminate country music from this generator. It’s unbearable and grating.
This album has a lot of the things I dislike. Kept looking for even just one halfway decent song. No. Not here. This is shit. Steaming hot crap. I tried, but this is terrible.
King Crimson
1/5
Oh gosh. Exactly what is this? What is this for? Is someone supposed to enjoy listening to this?
Yeah, no. This is pure noise. Tapping out after 5 minutes. I can’t listen to this mess.
Mylo
3/5
Not sure how I have managed to hear a few of these before. Must have snuck into Napster/Limewire under different names.
Not bad overall. Not essential, but not bad. The song Destroy Rock and Roll is a very clear reference to Daft Punk’s Homework. Not great.
There are a few cute songs here. But most of this is pretty average. Not new or innovative. Too late in the game to be influential. It’s like easy-listening DJ music. If this intended to be the heir to Kraftwerk and 808 State, this is a poor example.
This is fine, but there are better records that deserve this spot.
5/5
Mid-90s nouveau samba. This is around the time of Bebel Gilberto’s crossover, and Towa Tei’s bossa nova sound. DJ lounge music was big. You can hear elements of Bjork and Tricky in this album. This downtempo sound was the counterpoint to the harder techno and electronica sound at the time. Mushroom jazz was just emerging in San Francisco.
Really enjoying this one. Wish I had heard this at the time. Excellent choice for this list.
George Michael
4/5
Oh fuck yes!! This was such a sensation when it came out. So many good pop songs. Everyone my age knows every word to Faith. Still holds up. This bitch could sing.
Father Figure is still weird. Once watched a carny play it for a 13yr old girl. She loved it. Following that track with I Want Your Sex was a choice.
I miss this golden-voiced weirdo. Forgot how much of this record was played on the radio. It was everywhere. The whole sound is emphatically 1987. Hard to hate. His stuff was always fun to sing along with. Wish he was still making records.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Goddamn this lady is insanely talented.
Tom Waits
5/5
What is this movie that plays behind his eyes?
This is a lot fun. He created such a rich atmosphere, filled with curious characters. Tom Waits is just very unique, an acquired taste. I’m glad to have finally gotten there. His music is so so good.
White Denim
2/5
I think I just really don’t like psychedelic prog rock. This is just lost on me. Clearly it’s well made for what it is. But I’m gonna stab a bitch if I have to keep listening.
Le Tigre
5/5
Kathleen Hanna performs with such abandon that it’s impossible not to enjoy whatever she’s doing.
This band is so much fun. It’s pure LES/Brooklyn pre-9/11. Extra bonus is the dig at Giuliani in My Metrocard.
I don’t care if I don’t love every song. The hits are so excellent, they carry everything else.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Classics on top of classics. It’s perfect. Even if I prefer other renditions of these songs, there is nothing to complain about here.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
To me, this is hilarious. It’s genuinely very good. Music is beautifully composed, the singing is excellent. And the lyrics really are about the end of a relationship.
What tickles me is how on-theme all the songs are. The man was seriously upset by this marriage. He put it all out there. It’s a very cathartic project. If you’re going through it, this is the album for you.
Considering the other concept albums on this list, this has to be among the best. Setting a song about attorney fees to a sexy slow jam, is the chef’s kiss of pettiness.
Al Green
5/5
The most beautiful song in the history of all space and time. It never gets old. It’s always a joy. Nothing is better than this song. Supremely romantic. Soulful and tangible. I could listen to this forever. And that’s just the first track.
Everything here is perfect. Al Green is the fucking best.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Marley belongs in the top five artists of all time. Everything he did was amazing and timeless. This record is fantastic.
Supergrass
2/5
Alright is alright. The rest of this is too noisy for me. They are trying to be punk, but this is closer to frat rock. I really enjoyed the part where it got quiet, once I turned it off.
Fugazi
5/5
Fugazi is one of those bands that’s difficult to critique. They had such an immense influence on music. Fugazi got America pregnant and birthed a million garage bands.
This record is fucking great!
The only thing wrong with this album is that it doesn’t have Waiting Room on it.
Soundgarden
5/5
Jesus Christ, it has been a long ass time since I listened to this. Had a friend in college that was in love with Chris Cornell. We sat up all night trying to decipher and transcribe the lyrics from all her favorite songs. Back in ye olden days.
I think I like this more now than I did back then. Miss the fuck out of Cornell’s voice. He sounds so great on Fell on Black Days. Forgot how much I loved this song. His voice was always best when he just sang. He could scream with the best, but he sang better than most.
Honestly, it was impossible not to jump around to all of my favorites first. You could release this today. It’s still so strong. Black Hole Sun, Spoonman… such classics. And that voice. “No one sings like you anymore.”
Kings of Leon
2/5
Did we really need more than one album from this band?
This feels forced and phony.
Kanye West
1/5
Never. Fuck this Nazi.
1/5
Can’t make it more than 5 seconds. This is noise. Unbearable noise.
Thundercat
5/5
Such a weird little gem.
It’s like stream of conscious cool jazz. It’s a throwback tribute to the late 70s/early 80s liteFM sound. Calm, peaceful and trippy. Sometimes funny, sometimes intimate. And then he’ll just start meowing over some quiet storm r&b. It’s bizarre and wonderful.
This bitch had the nerve to dig up Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. I love how unapologetically nerdy the whole thing is.
There was probably a lot of mushrooms involved in the creative process. But the music is beautifully arranged and performed. The talent and skill are front and center. It’s really hard to make a project like this work so well. Respect.
Nice to see this on the list. It’s a unique treat all the way through. This made me a fan.
Sabu
5/5
Yes yes yes! Already love the first song. Love having a chance to hear the whole album. Truly, this is exactly what I was hoping to find on this list.
Everything about this is perfect.
Bee Gees
2/5
I don’t know if I hate how lame this is, or if I love how lame it is.
“Israel, Where there’s sand, Where there’s beautiful sand” I mean, wtf? Really?
I don’t think this was intended to be comical, but my god. Stopping after four songs. This is tedious.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Funny. I was just listening to this earlier today. Fucking LOVE Fela!
This is genius.
Nirvana
4/5
It’s been a long, long time. Like everyone else my age, I got this when it came out. Don’t love it as much as Nevermind or Unplugged. But there’s some really good tracks. There’s a handful I still really love.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I don’t know how, but about half of this album sounds familiar to me, even though I have almost never listened to this band.
Overall, it’s pretty good. Solid altpop. Nice transitions and range. Well produced. Can’t complain.
Klaxons
1/5
Boring, dated, nothing new or interesting here. So, so dated.
The Slits
5/5
Loved the hits for decades but never listened to the full record. Randomly got to see Ari Up perform at a party in Brooklyn, back in the 00s. She was tall and elegant, with no makeup and dreds to the floor. Cooler than cool could ever hope to be.
This record is better than expected. Apparently, Bjork’s been channeling Ari Up, all along. The influence of The Slits is far broader than I’d realized.
There’s something about Heard It Through the Grapevine that makes it one of the best covers of all time. And the original is immaculate. This version surpasses the typical karaoke style to make it feel fresh and reverential.
Another one of those albums that improves with age. Hard to remember this was just a few teenage girls in 1979. Very clever work.
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
How do I review the very first cassette that I bought for myself? Could probably sing every word off this one. I idolized her style back in the day. Girls wanted to dye her hair wild colors and run around in crinoline skirts. Cyndi came out of nowhere and was nothing like anyone else in pop music, at the time.
For all her irreverent affectation, her voice was undeniable. Kind of like Bjork before Bjork. Just as strong and controlled as any of the more traditional singers. And certainly better quality than her closest contemporary, Madonna.
Musically, this is still pretty solid. The Prince cover sounds as good as ever. Every woman my age can probably sing Time After Time by heart. And the song still hits exactly the same.
It’s been a long time since I listened to this album. Expected it to sound totally dated and cringey. But it’s not that at all. You could legitimately release some of this today and it would be more successful than it was back then.
She Bop is still hilarious, All Through the Night is still pretty. There’s a lot of range, different styles, a few surprises. Lots of unapologetic silliness and fun. This was definitely “Unusual”. Liberating for little girls at the time.
Dire Straits
3/5
The first three songs were all over the radio, when this came out. The record benefited from the performance they did at Live-Aid with Sting. All it took was the phrase, “I want my MTV”, and this was solidified as a classic. People lost their minds.
It’s okay. Clearly well played, good musicians, standard composition. Definitely has its roots in the British pub rock scene. But it’s pretty dated by today’s standard. 80s saxophone, liteFM, lullaby blues guitar. It’s good for what it is.
Talking Heads
5/5
Starts with my favorite song of theirs.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
I mean, what’s better than peak Aretha Franklin?
Every major performer has aspired to recreating the power and magic of Respect. No one has ever come close and no one ever will.
Since nothing further needs to be said about this masterpiece, I’d advise anyone who reads this review to please go watch Aretha Franklin’s funeral concert. It’s a who’s who of holy crap, all singing Aretha’s hits. And she organized this herself, before she passed. Cecily Tyson’s hat alone is worth the trouble. You’re welcome.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
How do you review something this essential?
This is perfect and necessary. There’s a reason everyone can pull quotes off this record. Killing in the Name should be the national anthem.
Doves
2/5
Holy shit, the lyrics for Words are essentially, ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me’. Are you serious?
Next song is pure Coldplay. This is where I check out.
David Ackles
2/5
First song is trite musical bullshit. Second song is pretty. Third is terrible. Fourth is pretty again, but it’s a 70s musical. And it just gets more melodramatic from there.
Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s composing partner is the producer of this album. There is clear quality and musicianship. But this is not for me.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Big band jazz in South Africa just swings in a different way. This was absolutely lovely and unique. Wonderful recording.
Paul Weller
3/5
Oh shit! Did not expect this one on the list. Got this back when it came out. The title song is great, but don’t remember much else.
First song is okay. Second song is a little too American. That title track still kills it. Instrumental Pt 1 is rad. All the Pictures is pretty. So is Country.
Another reviewer on here said that this album sounds like something Paul Weller made for himself, and that sounds accurate. He is clearly enjoying himself. There is range and excellent musicianship. This is probably more interesting for guitar players.
Overall, this is very nice. It’s not my favorite Paul Weller project. It’s a little too average white guy, for my taste. It’s probably fun to listen to while riding down a country road. But, I wouldn’t say this is essential listening.
Pulp
1/5
How many Pulp albums are on this list?
So annoying and pretentious that I can’t even get through one song. This band is wildly overrated.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
5/5
It’s not the greatest album ever. But the work here is important, hard to find, and still totally relevant to modern society. That alone marks this as essential listening.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
This gets credit for being rather unique when it premiered. No one else was really doing the old California rock & roll sound at the time. So, for that alone, it was a bit of a sensation. Plus, the man was beautiful.
The beginning of My Precious Love is a rip off of George Michael’s Father Figure. When you go through each song, you can better hear all the musical references. There’s really nothing new on this record. It’s fine. It’s a pop & roll retro wannabe. It was successful. Kravitz became a pin-up.
Someone else here said that it sounds like he went through his parents’ record collection and just copied what he heard. Frankly, it’s an accurate description. There’s no lyrical insight, no innovation. Just an average retro sound.
D'Angelo
4/5
Already liked a couple songs off this record. Several songs in, and I’m adding everything to my playlist. This is better than I expected.
Classic soulful, quiet storm r&b. This will get you laid. No fail. Even the song about murderous rage is sexy as fuck. The Smokey Robinson cover is a nice surprise. Well done.
Really enjoyed this album more than I thought I would.
Blue Cheer
2/5
Their rendition of Rock Me Baby is criminally terrible. It should have disqualified them from ever recording another song.
I get why this was chosen for the list, but it sucks and I don’t like listening to it.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Love the One You’re With is a popular classic, though lyrically it’s kinda cynical. Rather on theme with the hippie lifestyle though.
Singing and melodies are nice, unsurprisingly. But it’s a lot of that rich white guy blues that hippies popularized. Dentist rock. The music is fine. But listening to the privileged sing the blues is agitating.
Serge Gainsbourg
5/5
Getting mad at the story presented here is a bit like getting upset over Nabakov’s Lolita. By dismissing it totally, you kind of miss the point. It is a work of art, from the viewpoint of the bad guy. Nobody likes a pedo. Doesn’t mean you can’t tell a good story about one. And, at the time of its release, the subject of middle aged men having a mid-life crisis and chasing after ridiculously young women, was kind of the zeitgeist. Context helps when it comes to art.
Musically, this is really lovely. It’s even better if you don’t understand French. The twanging guitar and rhythmic drums of En Melody can be heard decades later in bands like Stone Roses and Ride. The low driving sound of Cargo Culte could have come from a Soundgarden song. The influence of this record is everywhere.
Soft Machine
1/5
Trash
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This is beautiful. Heavy but beautiful.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This feels more like an event than a record. It sounds like the soundtrack to a stage show. Like, if you picture Nick Cave prowling around, narrating the story, while a full cast acts it all out, then this starts to make sense.
He’s got such a dramatic voice, it’s nearly operatic. As a performance, this album is excellent. But it’s not something meant for mixtapes.
Tina Turner
5/5
Ok. This is the record with: What’s Love Got to Do with It, I Can’t Stand the Rain, Private Dancer, Let’s Stay Together, and Better Be Good to Me. Basically, all of her best songs. All from her first solo album.
This woman was a goddess.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
What a privilege to listen to Curtis Mayfield. Why did it never occur to me before that Prince was doing a Curtis Mayfield impression most of the time.
This record is excellent and too short.
Alanis Morissette
2/5
I cannot stand this woman’s voice. This is not for me.
The Bees
3/5
It’s cute. Eclectic, different and well performed. Don’t hate it. It’s easy listening and inoffensive. Not essential, but nice. Good for background sound.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking might be my favorite on this album. The longer version is much better than the radio edit. Too much honky tonk overall. But the good stuff is great.
Rocket From The Crypt
1/5
Frat rock. Middle American mediocrity. Hate it. Can’t get through a whole song.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
Is this what cultural appropriation sounds like? The man took a bunch of sounds and styles from 80s NYC, threw them in a box and shook them up.
I don’t hate this. There’s a lot of good stuff here. McClaren has an ear for talent and he’s very good at promoting different ideas. But some of it feels a little strange. It’s almost like he’s looking at NYC culture as a wild curiosity. Sometimes it feels more like creatures on display at the zoo, than a celebration of diversity.
This is not to say that this is not a good record. I’d argue that it’s pretty great at times. I think the issue is with McClaren himself, who’s vocals feel more like PT Barnum hosting a circus. When it’s just music, it’s actually very good. He’s just a super weird cat of a man.
4/5
I cannot count the number of times I listened to this on my walkman, full blast, in the middle of the night. Pretty sure it was a bootleg cassette, too.
Bullet the Blue Sky, Running to Stand Still, In God’s Country, all still solid. The hits were hits for a reason, even if they were played to death. Anyone my age will struggle not to sing along. It’s reflexive.
Yes, they became insufferable after this, but it was a big deal at the time. And there’s really lovely production work here. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois really worked a bit of magic to give U2 their big sweeping sound. Not my favorite of U2 album, but it is tough to hate on. The Edge is at his best here.
The Offspring
1/5
Never really got into this band. Too metal for my taste. Too Midwest college frat bitch. I dont like spending time with the people who listen to this.
Heaven 17
4/5
Fascist Groove Thing is still a great song. Should be on the radio now. Haven’t heard Penthouse and Pavement in a million years. This all so perfectly 80s. Even the cover art is a spoof of the Yuppie takeover; a premonition of American Psycho, complete with executive ponytails.
Oh snap, I totally forgot about Play to Win. Jesus, this is such a blast from the past.
This is a fun little record. Did not expect to see it on this list. It’s really pretty good, though. Smart, upbeat, and funny. Final song is hilarious.
Not everything is intended to be serious.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Oy. That fucking harmonica!
I swear. I was halfway through Girl from the North Country, and genuinely falling in love with the song. For once, there was a truly beautiful song from Bob Dylan, that I could actually enjoy. And then that motherfucking harmonica came screaming out of nowhere, for no good reason. And now I just want to cry.
Masters of War is great. There’s no question that his songwriting is brilliant. It’s clear why this record landed like a bomb on the youth culture of the time. The influence off this one is ridiculous. Everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Beck has tried to do their version of this album.
Down the Highway, A Hard Rain, Don’t Think Twice, Corrina Corrina - all solid. Except for that goddamn harmonica. Like, if this album just didn’t have that painful mini bagpipe screeching through every song, I would genuinely love the fuck out of this album. But as it is, I have to stop, or I’m going to smash something. Seriously, how much do I need to drink, to make this stop hurting my brain?
I tried. All the parts without the harmonica were very nice. But I still prefer covers of Bob Dylan songs, just because of that arrestingly painful harmonica. Please kill me. It hurts.
The Blue Nile
4/5
Feel like I heard something from this band back in the day, but there were a lot of bands trying this smooth new wave at the time. This is actually a really great example of the style.
Tinseltown in the Rain is catchy in that perfectly 80s pop song way. This whole record could be the soundtrack for an offbeat 80s movie. Rags to Riches is a clear influence on the band Underworld. There is a lot about the song structure here that would come back again and again. You could put Stay on the radio right now and people would lose their minds. Easter Parade sounds like a Peter Gabriel song.
This record is a lot better than expected. Really pretty melodies, not too loud, not too much of anything. Nice, calm, well crafted music, that is enjoyable to listen to. Interesting, complex, unexpected, sophisticated and yet, a toe-tapper.
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
Oh hells yes! How lucky are we to live on the same planet as Sarah Vaughan’s recordings. The singer’s singer. Her voice is impossibly flawless. Her entire catalog could be on this list. Not enough stars available.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
It’s alright. Onie is actually kinda pretty. Train for Tomorrow is good. But that’s really it. The rest is just boring. I don’t understand why this was selected for this list. Not enough here.
Ryan Adams
1/5
Apparently this guy’s a molester, so I’m skipping.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Overall, this is excellent. Still really fresh and relevant. His sound is really unique and balanced. Almost economical. Nobody else could pull this off.
Richard Thompson
2/5
Makes sense that they came from Fairport Convention. This is nice, but it’s a bit slow. Title track has a bit of life to it. But the rest of this just really isn’t for me. Feels like this would be good for drinking alone on the moors. Very pretty, but I can’t wait for it to end.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Already like Who Knows. Overall it’s much better than I expected. I like this better than some more well known artists. Feels unpolished in a good way. Not trying too hard. Just genuinely decent music. Love A Sailor’s Life. So far, fun and unpretentious. Not into everything, but it’s cute. 4/5
Hole
2/5
Not exactly looking forward to this. I think I like Courtney Love’s acting more than her singing.
At the time this came out, it felt like pre-packaged Riot Grrrl. It was widely assumed that she was just trying to market Lady Nirvana to the MTV Beach House crowd.
Violet is still pretty good. The music in Miss World sounds like it came off a Foo Fighters album. Plump starts off sounding like a PJ Harvey track. Asking for It sounds like Kurt Cobain covering a Liz Phair song. Honestly, most of this does.
To my ears, Hole suffers from a similar problem to Alanis Morisette and Cheryl Crow. Sure, the bands are tight and the records nicely produced. But they feel like generic Top 40. It’s the same lady in a different dress, so to speak. It’s too MTV and not very innovative.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Oh, how I love this band. In the middle of all the grunge, metal and gangster rap of the late 80s, these two bitches went full easy-listening liteFM. And it’s goddamn great.
This is unironically wonderful. Today it might seem more like mall music. Like something playing gently in the background, at a luxury resort spa retreat, in wine country. And, yeah, you might have had five Chardonnays with lunch, but you’re on vacation, Brenda. Relax, you worked so hard for this. You earned this weekend away from grind. Let the sultry saxophone lull you, as all the tension in your body just melts away. You don’t need to think about anything ever again. You’re safe now. Everything is Idlewild.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
There are exactly zero flaws on this album. So incredibly influential. Q-Tip might be my favorite. This is really excellent.
Fishbone
5/5
In high school, I had the maddest crush on a guy who had the Fishbone logo painted on the back of his jacket. He was the only mildly punk boy in the area and he had excellent taste. *swoon*
Freddie’s Dead sounds brand new. I love what another reviewer said about this band: they are a black ska punk band from the 80s that white bands would try to imitate all through the 90s. Dead accurate. Not a damn one of those white boys ever came close to this.
Joyful energy, strong vocals, tight band, slapping beats, killer range. So rare. This is a real gem. So glad to see it included here. Saving every song so far. Forgot how much I loved this guy’s voice. Halfway through, I’m calling this a solid 5.
Skepta
1/5
This probably sounds great riding around in one of those SUVs with the blaring thumping base, that really just annoys everyone around them.
Meanwhile, this just meh. Sounds like everything else that gets blasted too loud by dickheads. Too boring to finish.
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
This is actually pretty nice. Totally new to me. It’s good. Calm uptempo background music. Very chill and uninvasive. I like it. Will definitely revisit. Good choice for this list.
The Police
5/5
6/11 songs are already saved to mixes. This is hands down my all-time favorite band, ever, ever. If you don’t like this, I feel bad for you.
Bob Dylan
3/5
There is too much Bob Dylan on this list. But maybe this is finally wearing me down a little.
The absence of the harmonica is such a treat. Feels like I can finally enjoy the music a little more. And he’s not bombarding the listener with a wall of unpunctuated text. There’s room to breathe.
Even though his voice has become charred gristle and he makes no effort to reduce his nasal tendencies, there’s something good here. His raw vocals compliment the intimate emotion and heartbreak in his lyrics. The music is really good. I actually saved a song. That’s miraculous.
I swear he goes out of his way to make his music difficult to enjoy. It’s like he’s afraid to show off how good it really is. Just like Neil Young, I wish I could peel back the noise.
Let me like you, dammit!
Little Richard
5/5
The inventor of Rock’N’Roll. Wooo!
Jane Weaver
4/5
I’ve already got the title track off this saved to a playlist, but never heard anything else by her. So far this is really good. Almost feels like she made it by herself in her basement. Like, her voice almost sounds like it’s in the room with you. Despite the layers of music and filters and samples, she feels unvarnished somehow. Hard to describe.
But this is actually really good. Not too heavy handed, not a lot of posing. A real toe tapper. Very nicely engineered, good balance.
There are elements on this record that are clearly inspired by a lot of other artists on this list. This is an excellent distillation of the past into something new. Enjoying every song, no skips. Almost like Velvet Underground meets Goldfrappe.
Very nice surprise. Really enjoyed this.
Digital Underground
4/5
Knowing that George Clinton and Bootsy Collins produced The Humpty Dance, explains the fun funky vibe. Hip hop was mostly gangsta rap by this point. So this was a good reprieve from the anger, a reminder that music can be enjoyable.
This is a lot better than I expected. Good beats, nice samples, decent raps, chill and positive vibe. If anything, maybe the songs are a little long, but that’s nitpicking. All the P Funk bits are a welcomed delight.
I will say that songs like Freaks of the Industry made adolescent boys an absolute nightmare to deal with at the time. While it’s totally fine for adults, this kind of stuff added fuel to fire for Tipper Gore’s warning label campaign. It made it easier to censor explicit political language, which was more popular. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Overall, this is a pretty good album. Solid groove throughout. Nothing terribly annoying. Nice range, easy to enjoy.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
Makes sense they came up in the psychedelic San Francisco scene. You can hear the Grateful Dead in their guitar work. There’s even a note of the California surfer sound.
Normally, I hate this kind of music. But so far, it’s alright. Bitch is tearing it up on When You Love. It’s nice that the songs flow straight into each other. Feels like an unbroken musical experience. Where You Love, How You Love and Which Do You Love are interesting and experimental.
I should not be enjoying a psychedelic jam band, but I think that’s what’s happening here. It helps that it’s mostly really well-played instrumental music. Words would not be helpful here. Better that they let the music do the talking. Makes absolute sense when you learn that the full six song suite was based on Bo Diddley’s original 1956 Who Do You Love. Pretty brilliant reinterpretation.
Should hate, cannot find cause.
The Shamen
3/5
You had to be there… When this dropped it felt so fresh. It was like a British Information Society, with rap. This was the original club music. It was raves at the Hacienda. It was among the precursors to Techno.
Move Any Mountain could still stand on a workout mix. The rest of this isn’t bad, actually. Yes, it’s dated, but there’s some real work here. It’s got that experimental vibe you get off an early Depeche Mode album.
Possible Worlds is easy background music. This record might be a good choice for studying. Uptempo, but not droning or too invasive. A toe-tapper. Sounds better blasted at a thousand people high on Xtasy at 3 in the morning.
Also, this band’s videos defined the standard techno music video. Check out the film It’s All Gone, Pete Tong for a perfect parody.
Stereolab
4/5
Loving this even more than I thought I would. Love the way their songs build up with layers. Deceptively complicated. There’s clear, sophisticated music education. Overall, this is really excellent.
Gil Scott-Heron
5/5
Oh shit! So excited for this one. Love this artist.
It’s a relief to find this beautiful recording posted on YouTube. Undeniably great. He was a poet. He was a genius. Raw soulful singing, luscious music. Get into it!
Dr. Octagon
5/5
This is so stupid that I absolutely love it. It’s Bronx weirdness unbridled. Yeah, the characters in this audio porno comic book are juvenile. And yeah, the lyrics are graphic. But there is so much greatness on this record.
Kool Keith’s heavy neighborhood accent is my favorite thing in the world right now. Nearly shed a tear when he rapped about getting his shirt “out the dry cleaners”. If you know, you know.
The music though, is the star. Non-stop head boppin’ beats. And the scratching! This is genius level mixing.
Fuck it all, I’m giving this a solid 5.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Wonderful. A bit too conceptual/70s jazz to be my favorite. But it’s undeniably beautifully crafted. 4/5
Cee Lo Green
1/5
This is shit. There’s no hook on any of these tracks, no soul, no innovation, nothing unique or special in any way. The lyrics sound like voicemails. 1/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Have not heard Silver in 30 years and every word flooded right back from the first notes. Goddamn I miss this band.
“C-c-cucumber, c-c-cauliflower, c-c-cabbage.” Yes, they really did that. Gothy, weird, dramatic and fun. Cool kids my age know every note of Killing Moon. There’s probably a clockwise kicking, swaying dance to go with it. And Ian McCulloch is great to sing along with.
Fabulous hits off this album. Still sound excellent. Don’t love all of this, but the good stuff makes it 4/5.
Richard Hawley
3/5
I swear that I Sleep Alone is a total ripoff of the Stone Roses’ Waterfall. You can hear it in the second half.
Ok, so this was cute. Very nice, easy listening. Lots of late 50s / early 60s sounds throughout. Kinda dreamy. Kinda like old Los Angeles. Every song reminds me of something else I’ve heard.
He didn’t reinvent the wheel here. But he made a pretty good wheel.
Ice Cube
2/5
Some of this is feels loud to me like heavy metal. Title track gives his voice room to breathe. It was a good day is a 90s classic.
Overall, this is better than expected. It’s still a lot of bitches and hos, though. Don’t Trust ‘Em is annoying and degrading. The non-stop misogyny throughout is off-putting at best. It’s too much of the he-man woman-haters club.
Giving up on the rest of this.
Burning Spear
5/5
Already love Marcus Garvey. This whole album is fantastic. Not just perfect reggae, but perfect music. Really lovely, energetic and enjoyable. Not a damn thing wrong with this record.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
This isn’t the album with all the hits and Spike Jones videos.
Not bad at all. It’s really cute. Definitely 90s. Nice, energetic, upbeat. Good for background music while working out, cleaning or studying.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Five songs in 20 minutes, and one is a remix. Painfully short record from this excellent band.
Morrissey
3/5
This is perfectly fine. But there’s nothing new. Just meh. It’s a lot of the same-old.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
This sounds like a parody record. Are we sure this isn’t a joke? It’s such a random combination of sounds. First song has a banjo, sitar, rubber band and spoons.
Oh no, second song is worse. This is not good. If this was recorded by Monty Python it would make more sense. But as a collection of music intended to be listened to and enjoyed, no.
The Black Keys
4/5
This is really solid. Not perfect, but definitely very good. Saved a bunch off this. 4/5
Guided By Voices
2/5
How is this special? Not impressed at all. The mix is annoying af. This is just more whiteboy bullshit. 2/5
Jurassic 5
5/5
This was a really fun surprise. Never heard this before. Automatically liked everything. Good, soulful jazzy hip hop, with real singing and real flow. Nothing here to hate.
Eagles
3/5
A lot of people have strong feelings about this band. I do not.
This is fine.
Robert Wyatt
5/5
This is interesting. I don’t hate it. Even though it’s a bit proggy, it’s actually listenable. It’s like if Peter Gabriel and Radiohead did a collaboration, and let Brian Eno produce it. Not bad at all, but very interesting. If anything, it sounds kind of contemporary. Certainly not 30 years old.
It’s experimental without getting lost up its own ass. Jazzy, free flowing, expressive, cinematic, but really very listenable. I liked this quite a bit. Such a clear influence on Radiohead.
Seven songs deep and I’ve already saved six of them. That’s pretty fucking outrageous. This is exactly the kind of record that should be on this list. Excellent stuff.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Rock Your Body is his best song, ever, and it’s still a great party track. I have watched a room full of music snobs genuinely dance their asses off to this song. Still slays. This song deserves a 5, but the rest is a solid 3.
Beck
4/5
This was really pretty. Not my favorite Beck. But genuinely, very good. Much more interesting than expected.
Stan Getz
5/5
It’s so nice when you get one of your all time favorites. This is impeccable. One of the most perfect and beautiful records ever.
Saint Etienne
4/5
Goddamn, it’s been a long time!
I like this better now. The hits still hit.
Rahul Dev Burman
5/5
Sample heaven. Desperately want to see this film. This was a great soundtrack. Some real bangers. Naag Devta is rad. This whole album is rad af. Funky, jazzy Indian disco. Wish there was more like this on this list.
Randy Newman
2/5
When I was a kid I genuinely believed that Randy Newman was mentally challenged, because of the way he sang. He sounded just like the Down’s syndrome kid down the street. I have never been able to shake this impression of Newman. No matter how well written and composed his music might be, to me he will always be ‘that special needs guy’.
The Strokes
2/5
I remember when everyone in the LES was buzzing about this band. Never got the hype.
Honestly, I think you have to be young to be impressed with this. There’s nothing new here. Feels on par with Lenny Kravitz, in terms of authenticity. They listened to their parents’ records and tried to imitate. But this is just pop music. Anyone who says the word “punk” needs to be slapped in the mouth.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
My cat really loved this album. It’s excellent.
New Order
3/5
Haven’t heard this in 30 years. Fine Time actually holds up, sounds better now. All the Way sounds like The Cure’s Close to Me.
It’s not my favorite New Order. This is fun and had a bunch of hits. But mostly, it feels like they had a little too much fun with the samples on the Casio. It’s a little too basic for such an influential band.
Solange
4/5
Really lovely. Genuinely well done. Very pretty songs. Easy listening. Saved a bunch. Very impressive.
Ryan Adams
1/5
Apparently this guy’s a molester, so I’m skipping.
Goldfrapp
3/5
This was cute. Goldfrapp is always good. This runs a little pop for me. But it’s really nice, upbeat, not annoying.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
This works and bombs at the same time.
John Grant
4/5
Ok, this is a charmer.
Totally reads like the Michigan sound. You can hear all the influences on this record, without anything being a direct rip off. There’s SuperTramp and Elton John, mixed with Beck and Father John Misty. But somehow it works as one coherent sound. And the lyrics are fantastic.
Circle Jerks
5/5
14 songs in 15 minutes tickles my soul. I hate how much I love this. Never thought I’d really enjoy this band. Fuck me, this is excellent. I really missed the boat.
Really fun, fast paced, upbeat, toe-tapping, headbanging old west coast punk. And yet, the band is pretty tight, the singer is really clear and articulate. Lots of tracks worth saving. It’s like The Dead Milkmen, but angry and more organized.
John Lennon
3/5
There’s some really nice stuff here. Like the other solo projects, this doesn’t measure up to the standard set by The Beatles. But that bar is unrealistic.
I’ll say this is fine and nice. Definitely emotional. But the music gets a little same-y. Not the most interesting or compelling. It’s certainly a stripped down version of his style. But it can get a bit bland and overly simplistic. The whole recording is simultaneously both pretty and kinda tedious.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Not my kind of thing, but I don’t mind it. Fully expected to cringe the whole way.
Most Anything is cute. My Mirage is some slammin’ psychedelic goth vibes. I should hate this, but it’s fabulous. A million times better than Grateful Dead. These dudes actually know how to play their instruments.
Termination and Are You Happy are dark, but in a fun way. Almost like if The Monster Mash was a band, that occasionally took acid.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Ah, the early 90s. It was such an innocent time for pop culture.
This album hit right when MTV got serious about college radio bands. Evan Dando’s hair was perfectly TV ready. That’s really all that set this band apart from the 10000 other bands that sounded exactly like this. The Mrs. Robinson cover was an excellent gateway to the mainstream. Lots of indie bands were doing nostalgic covers at the time.
It’s a cute album. Better than expected. Not annoying. Indie Pop. It’s fine. Not amazing. Met Dando and Hatfield once. They were sweet kids.
Miles Davis
5/5
The best of all time.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Is it normal to hate and love something, in equal proportion? Like I hate this style for how cheesy it is. But it’s so unapologetically cheesy, that I have to respect it. Also, it’s hard to hate on something that’s mostly jolly, earnest and naive. Also, too, there’s an adequate amount of cowbell.
That said, I prefer The Darkness, and won’t listen to this again.
Brian Eno
3/5
This was interesting. Different, experimental and challenging. Not exactly easy to listen to. Not a background or mix kinda record. But there’s definitely some good work here.
Elvis Costello
5/5
Never realized how many classics came off his debut album. His whole sound and brand came out fully formed and fully trained. It’s such a lovely tribute to different styles of music. Retro made into something fresh. And so well written. Crazy impressive. Seriously, no wrong notes. Like this a whole lot more than I thought I would. How tf is this a debut?!
Gotan Project
4/5
Really calm and pretty background music. Spanish lyrics set to French cafe music. It’s easy and inoffensive. Good for relaxing or studying.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Very interesting work. Always ambitious, never quite the same. Great band.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
Variations on a Theme Pt 1 is really pretty. Pt 2 sucks.
This is very much from the Groovy portion of the 60s. It’s okay overall. Clearly good musicians, clearly trying to do something. It’s a bit heavy handed for casual listening. Feels better suited to movie soundtracks.
It’s kind of all over the place. It’s okay, but I don’t see what makes this worthy of this list. Not necessary.
You Made Me So Very Happy is still pretty good.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
If his first album was a tribute to all of the music that influenced him, this second album would be the one that went on to influence so many other artists. You can hear The Replacements, Cocteau Twins, The Pixies and Smashing Pumpkins. It’s stupid how far this album reached.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
It’s alright. Like, I get why it was sensational at the time it was released. There’s obviously good stuff happening here. They clearly made a real effort to make something nice. And it is definitely nice.
But I struggle to connect with this style. Always feels like I need to be on drugs to get why it’s so wonderful. It’s fine. But that’s about it for me. And it doesn’t even have the song I like by them.
Rock & Roll Woman is really solid though!
David Holmes
3/5
Ok, the astrologist on Gritty Shaker was a real guy in Greenwich Village at the time. He would hang out around the parks with his charts and sheets of paper and offer readings for a few bucks. But he would rattle everything off by memory. He was amazing and funny and a real local character. I’m ashamed to say that I had forgotten about him. But I’m so thrilled that he was immortalized on a popular record. The world got to meet him. The bucket drummers and street performers are all very endearing and authentic. The parts that are Holmes are okay. But the parts that are the real city recordings are the good. They are actual gems in a time capsule. 90s Manhattan was a fabulous dream. Overall, this is nice background music. Good for imagination time. A little heavy handed and obvious. But a nice relic of the time and place.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
My My Hey Hey is pretty okay, except for the harmonica. I still really don’t enjoy Young’s voice. The music is nice, lyrics are interesting. Just wish someone else was singing, and that I could take a sledgehammer to that fucking harmonica. I have the same issue with Bob Dylan.
I wish I could stand more than five minutes of his singing. But, like Dylan, it’s just too whiny and does my head in. Like, who told him to sing? Why?
Can’t take it anymore. Bailing.
Magazine
4/5
This is so fun and wonderful. Shot By Both Sides is excellent. Beautician in the Sky is ridiculous. Really enjoyed this record overall. Interesting, unserious, well made, and surprising. Real hidden gem.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
It’s been a thousand years since I’ve listened to this. But it’s all coming back. This was huge at the time.
Yeah, I don’t even need to finish it to know it’s at least 4/5.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
Impossibly fabulous. Only Sir Isaac Hayes could pull this off.
His version of Walk On By is fucking brilliant. 5/5
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
People really like listening to this? Why? Which part? Goddamn this is really unpleasant in absolutely every way.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Yeah, I really missed the age when you’re supposed to be blown away by this band. This record requires LSD and a laser light show. Otherwise, it’s just fine.
The Band
2/5
Jesús, I really hate this style of music. It’s that old white guy music that I associate with small town racist boomers. Cannot listen to a full song.
Tortoise
4/5
Ok this is interesting. Probably a lot better on headphones. Really enjoy the way the sounds and melodies rise up and evolve. Gives your mind something to play with, while you’re busy doing other things. Don’t hate this.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Blue eyed soul. Impossible not to get swept up in her singing. Fun to sing along with. More subversive than you might think. Excellent. 4/5
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
My problem with Zappa is that he is so clearly talented. He could sing, write, play, arrange, produce, everything. And when he tries, he’s very good.
But so much of this record is dedicated to “freaking out the normies”, that the good bits get lost. It’s like Weird Al, but without the sweetness and silliness. Zappa had little more than contempt for pop culture. His writing, again, is compelling. But singing off-key and being annoying to make a point, still makes you annoying. And it kills me. Cause the sound mixing is so good that he even made harmonicas work.
Trouble Every Day is rad. But that’s it for me.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
This is very nice. Not my favorite. Too many bass solos. But the parts that are good are very good.
More of a musician’s musician.
MGMT
4/5
Don’t know much by this band. But already got 3 saved. Looking forward to the whole thing.
Ok, the 3 I liked before, I still really like. The rest is fine. But I didn’t grab anything new. Still good overall, though. 4/5
Missy Elliott
5/5
Oh hells yes!
This is fantastic. Only ever heard the hits. But the whole album is great. Excellent flow all the way. Makes me wish I could smoke blunts with Missy all day. Innovator. Creator. Iconoclast.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
This is impossible. There’s no flaws here. It’s an immaculate recording. Paul Simon is a genius. 5/5
The Hives
4/5
I liked this a lot more than I expected. Fun, upbeat, well played, nicely produced. Somehow not too loud. Normally I despise modern bands attempting the old punk style. But this kind of works. Should hate. Can’t.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
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Bob Marley is always the best. This is perfection.
The Monkees
4/5
Starts off sounding like the Beatles. Some genuinely good tracks. A good variety of sounds and styles. Not everything is great, but overall pretty good.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
This was interesting.
4/5
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Enjoyed this much more than expected. Lots of fun tracks, good lyrics, soft singing. Never too loud or boring. Very interesting and well made.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
This is some serious drinking music. Privileged white man blues. Yes, they could play. But at what cost? 2/5
Q-Tip
5/5
Q-Tip might be my favorite rapper. I can understand everything he says. His whole vibe has always been chill.
This is really nice. Saving tracks left and right. This is exactly my speed rn. 5/5
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
Never heard her stuff. She has a nice voice, but modern country pop is not an exciting genre.
Ok, 2nd song and now I hate her voice and this heinous mall muzak. This is everything wrong with modern music. I want to set this on fire. 1/5
Dion
1/5
WTF is this country twanging bullshit coming from a boy from Belmont Avenue?
This is terrible. There’s a good dose of Christian rock. How TF did Phil Spector produce Christian music?
This is really schmaltzy and unsettling. It’s the kind of music you might hear at, what you later find out is, a cult. Stopping before I get converted and join a commune. 1/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
It’s not my favorite. This is very pretty. She sounds amazing. Production, all of that is excellent.
My issue is with the songwriting style that was popular at the time: I’m sitting here and I’m doing this, and now I’m over here doing some other thing… And it’s just an endless meandering list of things scribbled in a journal.
Coyote, Song for Sharon and Black Crow have more structure, and are more cohesive, to my ears. 3/5
Justice
3/5
Already love DANCE, so I’m excited to hear the rest.
Well, I still like that one song, but that’s it for me. 3/5
Pere Ubu
3/5
You can totally hear the influence this had. Pixies, TV on the Radio, King Missile, just to skim the surface. It’s experimental punk, but well played. Never proggy. Reminds me a bit of Captain Beefheart. Certainly an acquired taste. Very interesting. Definitely different. Don’t love, but don’t hate. It’s kinda fun. 3/5
Ice T
2/5
This is kinda boring. 2/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Yeah, I’m not really getting what’s so special. He’s clearly trying to do something here. It’s definitely Pop. But it’s just like, slightly better Pulp, mixed with Marc Almond. It’s fine, but kinda boring.
Steve Earle
3/5
Loved him on The Wire. But honkey tonk makes me stabby. I know it’s good, but I just can’t listen.
Eminem
2/5
I must admit, I’ve avoided this artist as much as possible. He always struck me as an overrated, wannabe edge lord. His whole brand is insufferable.
The misogyny, violence and bigotry are pervasive and oppressive. It’s an onslaught of words, like Bob Dylan, but few of them are pleasant. I get that there was a big audience for this. It’s just miserable to listen to.
The music is pretty good. I just wish he’d stfu and let me enjoy it.
Pixies
5/5
Every note of this record is stitched into my soul. Easily one of the best and most influential albums on this list.
10Million/5
Todd Rundgren
3/5
While I can appreciate the work that was done here, there are big chunks of this that don’t do it for me. There are bits I really like, but not as much.
You can definitely see the influence this had on other artists (Queen?). It’s creative and different, very well made. But the psychedelic bits are lost on me. This is probably fabulous on LSD.
Sometimes I Don’t Know, Does Anybody Love and the Medley are very good. He’s gotta be a monster at a karaoke bar.
3/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie!! Always a joy. 5/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
Pleasant Street is really pretty good. I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain, too. The transition into Once I Was feels very Radiohead.
Don’t love everything, but there’s some interesting stuff. Sometimes he sounds like Grace Slick at the Ren-Faire. 3/5
John Cale
4/5
There’s some really pretty stuff here. Don’t love everything, but there’s a really nice, relaxed vibe. Definitely interesting and complex.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
This was such a sensation when the documentary came out. Feels even more beautiful now. What a precious treasure for world culture. So intensely sublime and perfect. Makes me hate every other record on this list. Throw it all away. Music doesn’t get better than this.
Infinity/5
Girls Against Boys
4/5
12,000 monthly listeners is suspicious.
This is actually kinda cute. Good head bopping, driving beat. It’s loud, but not too bad. Not too serious. Well produced. You can actually hear the instruments and the singing. There’s a good flow from song to song. Balanced, interesting, well crafted. It’s kinda sorta like Soundgarden, mixed with Fugazi and Sonic Youth. It works. Saving most of this.
After reading some of the other reviews, I fully expected to hate this. But it’s not bad at all. Fun record. This aged a hell of a lot better than some of the more popular bands on this list. Bitches are sleeping on this one.
4/5
Ride
4/5
I have not heard this band since the early 90s. This is a nice blast from the past. So 1990.
Think I like this more now. Seagull is a banger. The whole album is an easier listen than I expected. Nice head bopping background music. Not too loud, but not boring either. A really good example of the style of the time.
4/5
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
It’s the one with the hits! Looking forward to learning more.
This is okay. Really like Grace Slick. She’s got a unique style. The music is good, too. Not loving the guy’s singing as much. Wish she got more leads.
Overall, this is truly hippie dippie, summer of love music. It’s still got the hopeful, naive sound. It’s cute. The hits still hit. You can understand why this was popular at the time. This is probably a delight to listen to at a picnic in the park, smoking reefer with your friends. 3/5
Finley Quaye
4/5
I remember the name and nothing else, so this’ll be fun.
Ok funky reggae. This is cute. Easygoing, mostly mellow. Nice rhythm for background music. Gets much better in the second half. Can’t complain.
The man wrote his own Spotify bio. That’s too pure. Sweet and Loving Man, indeed. 4/5
Tom Waits
5/5
His sound is so unique. This record is excellent.
Adele
4/5
It’s a shame this has been played to death. But it’s no wonder it was a sensation. Quality pop music, unique voice, extraordinary talent. Shocking for someone so young. The Cure cover is a nice surprise. Some of the songs are a bit typical, but overall, this is pretty remarkable. 4/5
The xx
3/5
This is very nice. Clearly made by very well trained musicians.
But there’s just something not really working for me. I think that I’m too old and jaded. There’s an earnestness to this record that speaks better to younger ears. It’s all very polished. Also, breathy singing has been way overdone in the last 20 years.
For pop music, this is very good. But I am not the target demographic.
Dangerous and Replica are good.
3/5
The Cramps
5/5
This is so much fun. Love this band. Enjoying this way more than expected. It’s fucking rad. Atmospheric, sexy, cinematic vampire Rockabilly. No one can do it like they did.
No flaws.
5/5
The Black Crowes
2/5
While the music is well played and the record is well produced, I still don’t like this.
It’s the whole calculated retro sound-a-like cash grab that is off-putting. It’s nouveau drinking music for mid-western white guys. Feels mind-numbing and ultimately, soulless.
2/5
Big Star
3/5
Yeah, I don’t know. This is good. Nothing really wrong with it. Just feels a little ordinary for this list. It’s fine. But not essential. 3/5
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Heard a few tracks off his first album, so I’m looking forward to this.
This definitely sounds better on headphones. Nice, calm, pretty, well made. Relaxing and easy to enjoy. Gets better with repeat listening. Nothing to complain about.
4/5
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
It helps that he has a quiet voice. It’s cute. A little like a musical. But a pretty good one. It doesn’t all resonate with me, but I appreciate the effort. It’s a nice project. It is too long, though. Tapping out after 12 songs. That’s enough. 4/5
King Crimson
1/5
Oy. Are we really pretending this is nice to listen to? This is music for sociopaths.
Grinding my teeth halfway through the first song. This is atrocious. Fuck everyone who says this is good. There’s something wrong with you. This is intensely pretentious and overrated.
If this was a physical record, I would smash it.
1/5
OutKast
4/5
This has So Fresh, So Clean and Bombs over Baghdad.
This was cute. I prefer the other OutKast album on the list, but this is very good. Too many dicks and hos. But otherwise good.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This is easily their best album. This is where their sound matured.
10 Millones/5
The Young Rascals
4/5
Real solid pop music here. A traditional radio song structure. Not exactly innovative, but solid and reliable. Good melodies, good singing, good range of styles, relatable lyrics. More depth than you’d expect. No surprise there were so many singles.
4/5
New York Dolls
5/5
Aww fuck yeah!
L-U-V
5/5
Jack White
4/5
I really like the music. Jack White is an excellent student. The pop structure is there. Smooth af production.
He never reinvents the wheel, but he makes very nice wheels.
Honestly, I love Jack White, but the music is so good, sometimes I kinda wish someone else was singing.
4/5
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Never really listened to this band before. This is nice. Some parts are better than others. Don’t always like the off-key twanging singing. It subtracts more than it adds. Cause the music is very good.
Easy to see why this was popular with the festival set. Probably wonderful when you’re young and tripping on acid with 50,000 of your closest friends.
4/5
The The
5/5
Aww shit! Memory motherfucking lane again.
Caught them at CBGB’s with Johnny Marr, back around ‘94. We snuck backstage so a friend could give Matt a letter. He was the nicest, kindest, sweetest man to her. Was truly human and decent. Absolutely had a positive effect on her. Matt Johnson is more fabulous than he has any right to be.
Love this band, love this record as much as their others.
5/5
Booker T. & The MG's
5/5
Yes. This is the shit I’m here for. Twelve songs in 36 minutes, and the first one is fucking Green Onions. Automatically the coolest on the list.
Santana
5/5
Fuck yeah!
Normally I hate guitar heavy recordings. But Santana makes that bitch sing. This is a work of art.
The Yardbirds
4/5
Christopher Guest’s character in Spinal Tap is a dead on impression of Jeff Beck. Makes me like this more.
This is not my usual thing, but it is legitimately very good. So influential.
GZA
3/5
Good beats, not loud, easy to play as background music. Head bopping, not boring. Doesn’t sound dated either.
3/5
Django Django
4/5
I had forgotten about this band. Glad to find them here. This is really excellent. Saved half of it. Quality modern music. Like, if The Stone Roses, Beck and Hot Chip were in a band that played at The Road House in Twin Peaks.
Blondie
5/5
I mean…
5/5
Come on now.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Honestly, the only song of hers that I know is Shake it Off.
First song is the gentrifier’s anthem. Go away. Native New Yorkers don’t want you.
This is very much not my thing. Way too pop. Like, sanitized pop. Made to be piped into the background of shopping centers kinda pop. It’s all very well made. But, it’s over-polished.
I think that’s the thing that doesn’t totally click for me. Feels like I’m listening to Disney Radio.
There’s nothing wrong here, really. It’s cute for modern pop music. It’s better than expected. But I feel absolutely ancient listening to this.
The Libertines
2/5
Three songs in and I’m not seeing the quality here. This kinda insufferable. Just average, nothing. Okay, five songs and I really don’t like this.
Pure wanker trash. There is nothing here.
2/5
Cheap Trick
3/5
Essentially, this is fine, clearly influential and well made, but it’s not something I like enough to revisit.
Scott Walker
4/5
JACKIE!!
This man’s voice is unreasonably good. None of this should work. But he’s fabulous.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Sounds like a crappy cheap copy of Jane’s Addiction.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
There is too much Clapton on this list!
Look. This is fine. The music is clearly well performed. But this style of white, boomer boy blues is way too over-represented on this list. Absolutely unnecessary.
Dr. John
3/5
Aw damn. I fucking hate Dr. John. His usual schtick grates my nerves. Mostly, he sounds like Tom Waits mixed with Captain Beefheart, but kinda gross and creepy, like Randy Newman.
This is the most I have ever been able to tolerate by this artist. The music is actually very good. But his singing makes my skin crawl. It’s like too much ASMR, piled on top of some really decent tunes. I’d like this so much more, if he just didn’t open his mouth. This is probably much more interesting with a head full of acid and PCP.
I can’t say this is terrible. The music is nice. Just don’t like his voice. Spotify really needs a “mute the singer” button. 3/5
Beth Orton
2/5
This is alright. It’s nice. Kinda pretty sometimes. But nothing to write home about. It’d be better without the breathy singing gimmick. Mostly, the whole thing is just same-y and boring.
Don’t hate, but don’t really like that much either. It’s fine. Too average for a list like this, though. 2/5
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Zappa has a strange sense of humor. This is like a Dr. Demento show with nothing to laugh at or enjoy. Zappa was a genius in so many ways. But this is painful to listen to. Every time it starts to sound like music, he goes out of his way to ruin it. I’m sorry I gave this second chance. 1/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Yeah this is a lot more challenging than their other album on the list. More noise, less fun. Last song is pretty good, though. 2/5
The Cure
4/5
Ho-ly shit! Didn’t expect another Cure album. This is a very nice surprise.
Never realized that The Forest was from so early in their catalog. This whole album is very good. Not my favorite. But the work here is surprisingly strong and smart.
The Birthday Party
1/5
Sounds a bit like a screaming gothic Primus. It’s sort of alright in some spots. But it’s trying too hard to be edgy and discordant. Not really hearing anything special. Just a lot of noise. And screaming.
This is what clueless posh people think Punk is supposed to sound like. This is the bullshit they use in movies. Feels like the author was just fanboying again and wasting a spot.
We all agree that Nick Cave is wonderful, but this was unnecessary. There are better things to listen to. This is shit, Mary.
1/5
Gang Of Four
5/5
Oh fuck yes!
So fun and interesting and influential. It’s still pretty fabulous.
5/5
3/5
Not on Spotify.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
This was pretty good. Interesting. Nothing amazing, but certainly well made. Indian trip hop, very mellow and thoughtful. Good for disco naps.
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
This is the kind of music I really dislike. Formulaic, sentimental pop rock. This is the kind of album your dad listens to in his car. This is the shit that gets piped into the background at shopping malls.
When people say they don’t like Springsteen, this is what they’re talking about.
2/5
DJ Shadow
3/5
This was good. Interesting and experimental. Heavy mixing of familiar tracks to create new songs. Nice background music.
3/5
Peter Tosh
4/5
It’s fucking Tosh, man. He was so far ahead of his time.
This is better on headphones. Quality reggae, sensitive lyrics, gentle vocals. It’s like sharing a spliff with an old friend. Let Jah be praised.
4/5
Brian Wilson
1/5
I fucking hated this.1/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
It’s ridiculous how prolific Paul McCartney has been in his career. Five full albums in three years, after The fucking Beatles, is insane. More impressive that he played most of the instruments here, too.
It’s pretty good. Nice and sweet, with a few surprises. Not all bangers, but decent pop.
3/5
Beyoncé
3/5
Two discs is a bit much. There’s no doubt Beyoncé has a wonderful voice. If I were a teenager, I’d probably be impressed with the production and range.
Drunk in Love is fun. But Jay-Z doesn’t really add anything. Rich people singing about rich people problems, has limited appeal.
Blow is cute. First two songs are skippable. Partition is fun, from 2 min in.
3/5
Love
3/5
Never knew that Alone Again Or was by this band. All this time I thought The Damned wrote it. The original is very nice, but a bit of an adjustment.
This record is so ‘60s, it’s almost laughable at times. The Red Telephone sounds like a parody.
Overall, it’s cute. They tried. But it’s not something I am likely to revisit much.
3/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
I’m just never gonna love Bob Dylan. His songwriting is fabulous. But the whole harmonica/whiny voice thing makes me stabby. Every time I start liking a song, along comes that damned harmonica.
That said, I can’t deny the importance of this record and the influence it had on the culture. I just really wish someone else was the performer.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Nobody rocks harder than this tiny little white lady. She’s fearless. And yet her music is complex, different and compelling. And never a note out of place.
4/5
Gang Starr
4/5
Really liked this one. Good beats, good flow. It’s very early 90s hip hop, but still feels fresh. On par with Arrested Development and Digable Planets. Precursor to trip hop, lounge and mushroom jazz.
4/5
Radiohead
5/5
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Sonic Youth
4/5
Lots of innovation, very unique, very authentic and thoughtful. Much better than I expected. Definitely deserves a place on this list.
4/5
U2
2/5
So, I finally got a chance to see U2 on the Zootopia tour. We had a big group going. Tickets were expensive. But we were all psyched, cause they were known to be one of the best live bands.
They kept us waiting in the rain for three hours, played maybe 45 minutes, and then left. One of the worst concerts I’ve ever seen. The disappointment was so profound, I stopped listening to them entirely.
There’s no reason this record needs to be on this list. Unless the point is to show what it sounds like when a band totally sells out. Then, yes, this is a perfect example of a good band evolving into absolute mediocrity.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
This is really fun. Nice, easy to enjoy hip hop. Interesting, different, good mixing, good flow. Some decent party tracks, too. Nothing to complain about.
4/5
Machito
5/5
Oh fuck yes!!
This is music at its finest.
If you had to listen to just 1 record before you die, this is the one.
Infinity/5
The The
5/5
This could not have been more serendipitous. No lie, I am going to see this band tonight.
This record has popped up repeatedly, at very significant times in my life. This holds cherished memories for me. Couldn’t be happier to see any other record pop up on today, of all days. Such a surprise, I could cry. And it’s a full moon.
Obviously 5/5
David Bowie
5/5
It’s Bowie.
5/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
J’ai fait tout is really good. One Big Love, Hour of Gold, My Antonia, too. Wish the rest was more like this. 3/5
Donovan
3/5
Not my favorite Donovan record. There are a few great songs. But the rest is mid for him.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
It’s fucking Jimi.
5/5
Duran Duran
5/5
YAY!!! So happy to see this dear old friend.
5/5
Deerhunter
2/5
The author of this book really has a type. This sounds a lot like 147 other bands on this list.
Oh why, oh why, oh why is this special? It’s fine at best. Not at all bad. It’s kinda nice in some places. But this is pretty ordinary overall.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I keep trying to listen to this record, but can’t make it through the first song. Been saving this one until I finished listening. It’s been months and many attempts. Let’s just say it’s settled and the answer is that I don’t like as much as their older work.
The Byrds
1/5
That’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.
1/5
The Zutons
3/5
Meh. This is fine. Ordinary .Nothing special and totally not worth of a spot on this list.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Oh LiteFM flashback: age 6, sliding around in the back of a station wagon, tearing down the highway, on the way to the outlet mall, opening track turned up, followed by copious amounts of Neil Diamond and Johnny Mathis.
The rest of this is fine. Well composed, but the instruments are too dated to enjoy. It’s not trash. Just can’t get into it.
2Pac
4/5
Expected to cringe through this one, but I was wrong. The controversy swirling around him in those days made it easy to dismiss him as just another hack. But no, there was real talent here.
Excellent flow, interesting beats, fine production, real music. Nothing to complain about, and I am hunting for flaws. There’s really good shit here.
Wish we could have seen his work develop. Whoever really is responsible for killing PAC and Biggie robbed us all.
Peter Frampton
3/5
It’s good. But I could live without it.
3/3
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
Damn, Ian McCulloch could sing! Like, of course. But, when he get going, it’s so hard not to sing along at full volume.
Lots of great stuff here. Truly one of the best new wave bands of all time. Might be their best record. Everything about this is infectious. Hard not to love it.
Frank Ocean
4/5
This must be what Xanax feels like. I don’t hate it. It’s just more relaxed and pared down than I’m used to.
There’s a lot of good stuff here. I like that it’s quiet and mellow. Feels like the kind of record that gets better with every listen.
Astrud Gilberto
5/5
Is every Gilberto in Brazil a timeless musical genius?
Her voice is always so lovely. Like, it shouldn’t be so perfect. This is not the strongest set of pipes on the list. Her accent slips into her pronunciation. She’s not even a dynamic performer. But there is something special about Astrud Gilberto.
Her voice is instantly relaxing, even with a marching band behind it. It’s kind of ridiculous. Anyone else would have cheesed this up. Astrud is perma-cool.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
The melody on Every Day Should Be a Holiday is a complete rip off of Duran Duran’s Hungry Like the Wolf.
That said, I don’t mind this record. It’s actually pretty cute. They remind me of Ride mixed with Smashing Pumpkins or My Bloody Valentine. It’s a real 90s feel. Last Junkie is really good.
It can get a little same-y, a little droning. This is probably incredible on heroin or opium, or something. It can feel a little drawn out otherwise.
Simple Minds
4/5
Oh goddamn this takes me back!
Sounds best played loud in the car, windows rolled down, while singing along at full volume. Particularly Glittering Prize.
Promised You a Miracle is definitive of the 1980s style. It’s hard to find a better example. It’s perfect.
4/5
Steely Dan
4/5
This was pretty good. There was a lot that I didn’t enjoy. But there is also such a clear influence on other artists at the time. And you can see how easily this fits in the pantheon of popular music. There’s no doubt this belongs on this list. I don’t need to love it to respect it.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
It’s okay. Mostly it’s kinda boring and a little twee. But he really tried to do something. He knows how to write music. And it’s all nicely made. I’m just not the target audience. It is cute, though. Bewilderbeast feels like a direct Beatles ripoff.
Alice In Chains
3/5
There was this whole genre of rock bands that got lumped into grunge, that didn’t really fit. Really, those artists leaned more towards heavy metal. IMO, this is one of those bands. To me, they are closer to Metallica than Pearl Jam.
This is another of those albums that was co-opted by 90s Midwest frat boys. It’s the kind of music that gets played in the background of a nasty hazing incident. It’s what the kids who destroyed Woodstock ‘99 would have listened to.
That said, this band was never that bad. They were just alright. This does not qualify as required listening. It’s just sort of fine. Nothing to write home about. Angry, whiny white boys just get boring after a while.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Tracey Thorn could sing the phone book and it would sound lovely. This was massive at the time. Still chill af.
4/5
Arrested Development
5/5
Goddammit. I had this on cassette. If I remember correctly, it was a bootleg tape. And I played the ever loving shit out of it. This was a very big deal at the time. We discussed it in school.
I’ll be damned if it doesn’t hold up. The music, scratching, flow, catchy af.
Sade
5/5
A favorite! All Sade is good.
Nina Simone
5/5
Yes, Miss Simone!
Funkadelic
5/5
I mean…
5/5
Radiohead
5/5
One of the best albums on this list. 5Million/5
Frank Black
3/5
Interesting. I expected something closer to the Pixies. This is not that. It’s good. It’s fine. It’s alright
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Ah, the siren’s song of the hippie movement.
Hard to hate this one. Mama Cass was a treasure. She’s the best thing here.
What’s funny is that this record is essentially just a jazzed up Peter, Paul & Mary. It’s all super pretty harmonies, gentle orchestration and classic covers. Nothing even remotely radical. It’s lighter than liteFM. It’s what the parents of the hippies would have liked. It’s music by kids who grew up watching Lawrence Welk, and then smoked some reefer in high school.
How this managed to inspire a generation to throw off the shackles of a nice, secure middle class life, I will never understand. But here we are. Thanks for ruining everything, ya filthy hippies.
That said, this is fine. As per usual at the time, the guys sing too much.
The Sonics
4/5
This was actually kinda cute. Classic party band sound. Very fun.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Didn’t like this one as much as the other one on this list. Too heavy handed.
Bee Gees
2/5
Yikes!
Billy Bragg
3/5
Ban all harmonicas.
I get the value of this record. It’s an interesting project by very talented musicians. That said, I don’t enjoy listening to this and probably won’t ever listen to it again. 3/5 just for digging up Natalie Merchant.
TLC
4/5
I knew I was going to enjoy this, but didn’t realize how much. Lots of great tracks. The whole thing has that mid-90s Babyface production sound. Lots of fun.
Creep is 30 years old and it’s still one of the best songs. Everyone of a certain age can sing every word. Half can pull a full lip sync battle.
Gen X geriatric centers are going to be a trip.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
This is pretty fun. I don’t love everything, but I like the vibe very much. There’s a refreshing sense of abandon about the way they play. Pretty great for a debut album. Maps is fantastic. Rich and Y Control are pretty rad, too.
Kate Bush
5/5
This is pure genius. Running Up That Hill, Hounds of Love and Cloudbusting are three of the most perfect songs ever composed. And that’s just in the first half of this record.
Kate Bush is a goddess.
Calexico
3/5
I wish this was more mariachi and less Portlandia indie twee.
Pepita and Dub Latina are pretty. But most of this is pretty boring. It’s like low energy Arcade Fire. Or, like, slow zydeco. It’s not bad, just not my thing. The instrumentals are the best parts.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
I wouldn’t mind the music, if the recording wasn’t so muddled. Yes, they’re going for the scuzzy sound. But it’s too murky and noisy.
This record certainly fits alongside The Cramps, Meat Puppets, Primus and Beck. Lots of distorted sharps and sour notes, scratchy noises and unbalanced sound. This feels like they got to play with all the buttons and knobs in the recording studio, but then decided to blindfold each other and only use their feet. It’s too much.
It might belong on the list, but it is unpleasant to listen to.
Steely Dan
3/5
This is the one with Do It Again and Reelin’ in the Years. They trigger all the old LiteFM memories. Sliding around in the back of a station wagon, speeding down the highway, on the way to the mall.
As for the album, it’s alright. Clearly they were wonderful musicians. But there are still a lot of early 70s tropes draped on top of otherwise decent music.
Devendra Banhart
4/5
It’s surprising that this was the record chosen from Banhart’s catalog. He’s got much better music than this.
This is interesting. Overall, the guitar work is lovely, the music is well composed, and the lyrics are cute. But the vocal affect that’s employed here is a bit too dominant. He sounds like, if Tom Waits and Jack White had a baby, and that baby got blackout drunk alone one night in a recording studio.
That said, I don’t hate this. It’s good for soundtracks to strange and gritty crime dramas.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Lots of compelling melodies and arrangements. Very pretty singing. Poetic lyrics. Jungle Line, Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow, Shades of Scarlett Conquering, Hissing of Summer Lawns, Shadows and Light - all really lovely.
Sebadoh
2/5
Yeah, I never got into this band. Their music has a lot of the elements that I don’t enjoy. Feels like wannabe grunge, with jangly indie guitars and off key garage vocals. It’s like shitty Lemonheads. Seven songs in and I just can’t find anything compelling.
Add this to the pile of “totally not necessary to hear before you die”.
Wilco
2/5
Yeah, no. I know I’m supposed to love this band, but this is some white boy nonsense. I’m not listening to none of this.
The Killers
3/5
Mormon rock.
The production is good, it’s well mixed. Everyone did a very nice job. But this killer carries a water pistol. For such a ferocious name, this is just Top of the Pops. There’s no teeth, no danger, no fire.
It’s very good mid-west pop music. Tame enough for children’s parties.
The Icarus Line
2/5
1660 monthly listeners is shocking.
This is kinda like the Strokes, with a little Jon Spencer Blues Explosion or Smashing Pumpkins. Not exactly worth listening to before you die. There’s a lot of yelling. Feels like Heavy Metal masquerading as a Christian rock.
The Byrds
3/5
It’s cute. But it’s pretty heavy handed. They had a lot of fun getting high in the recording studio. The harmonies are nice and the music is well written. But sometimes it sounds like folky, trippy Monkees.
Shack
1/5
Oh damn, this is some bullshit.
Not bothering to finish. Throw it in the bin.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Feels like you need to do a load of cocaine and ecstasy, in 1999, as a 20 year old, to really enjoy this.
2/5
T. Rex
5/5
FUCK YES!!
500Billion/5
Funkadelic
5/5
Brilliant.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Everything that’s great with this record comes from Quincy Jones. This is a pop symphony. 5/5
Nas
5/5
How have I never listened to this before? This is fabulous. Perfect mid-90s vibe. Loungey, scratchy, real music, real flow. This is a gem. Saving every song. The authentic Queens accent is the cherry on top.
Beatles
5/5
I mean…
The Byrds
3/5
It’s okay. Full-on early hippie, jangly pop. There’s a couple of cute songs, but mostly, the singer has a real Sonny Bono style.
The White Stripes
5/5
Two people should not be able to make this much noise. This band was so great. Perfect blend of punk, blues and rock.
5/5
Don McLean
4/5
Can’t get over how pretty his voice is. So easy and gentle and sweet. Like, the music is nice, but his singing is fucking lovely as shit. Did not expect to like anything on this record, but I have been corrected. Don McClean has a great voice.
Till Tomorrow, Crossroads, Winterwood, I’m upset at how good these are. Motherfucker. Fully expected to hate this record and I just cannot. It gets prettier and prettier. I normally hate this kind of stuff, but this bitch sings like an angel. The slower, the better. All that’s missing is a soul-crushing version of Oh Danny Boy.
Lambchop
3/5
This was pretty. Really relaxed and mellow. Lots of little nuances. Very clever. Not pretentious. Just really nice music, genuinely well made. The second half I could live without, but the first half is very nice. 3/5
1/5
God I hate this band. Genuinely never understood the appeal. It’s just generic, loud, whiny and boring. Honestly, all their shit sounds the same. Shallow shit tracks.
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
Woohoo!
This is a masterpiece, within a collection of masterpieces. Ella was the greatest singer of all time and space. Her voice was absolutely exquisite. The orchestra is incredible. Completely sublime work.
More artists should be doing projects this special. Infinity stars.
3/5
You know, I could actually get into some of this. And then the music gets all coked out and I can’t keep up. It’s good, but it’s way, way too much. So much cocaine!
Nick Drake
5/5
Just love Nick Drake’s music. His songs are so well crafted. Just enough and never too much. Perfectly edited. I like him more and more.
5/5
This is rad af. Wild, trippy, silly, inventive and influential. Like The Beatles mixed with Monty Python.
Pavement
2/5
Another example of MTV grunge. Empty, loud Frat Rock. No soul, no bite. Just Midwest college drinking crap. There were at least 10 bands at the time that all sounded exactly like this, and they all sucked.
Madness
3/5
Our House sounds as good as ever. The album is fun & short.
Paul McCartney
4/5
Paul gets a lot of shit, but he’s been the most prolific and most daring. Just doing whatever he feels like since 1970. I respect that he never seemed to follow the pop psychedelic trends and just did his own thing.
There’s some really good stuff on this album. The songs about love, romance and Linda are the best. 4/5
Faust
5/5
This is one of those records that was so broadly influential that it’s impact is impossible to measure. Literally, entire genres of music would not exist, if it were not for this.
It sounds like the inside of my brain.
Jimmy Smith
5/5
This was an absolute gem. Perfect in every way.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Eh. I get why the author chose to include this in this collection of records. It fits neatly between Scott and Rufus Wainwright. There is certainly a thread of music like this in pop culture.
But on its own, this is nothing. It’s fine, just not at all necessary.
Simply Red
3/5
Not at all what I was expecting. This is a lot more funky and jazzy than Holding Back the Years.
There’s certainly a good portion of schmaltzy musak. But the band is tight and there’s a clear competency. A lot of the music sounds dated. This is emphatically 80s. But it’s not the worst. You can tell he’s trying.
Come to My Aid and Money’s Too Tight are catchy. The rest sounds like something you’d find on an 80s movie soundtrack.
Supergrass
2/5
This is very clearly well made. But it feels shallow and empty. Pop paint by numbers.
Giant Sand
1/5
This sucks.
LTJ Bukem
4/5
Deep gratitude to the reviewer, who posted the YouTube link to the original record.
It took me ~3-4 tracks to realize that I actually bought this CD set, while passing through London, back in ‘97. I like it better now.
This was an interesting chapter in the evolution of club music. This was the bridge between the famous DJs in big clubs and kids spinning records in their basements. Techno went from a highly social experience to something much more introverted.
Ravi Shankar
5/5
This is the kind of project that should be put into outer space, for the aliens to find, to prove that humans occasionally did beautiful things. There’s just nothing quite like this.
Crowded House
3/5
They have one amazing song, and it’s not on this record.
This is so dated it hurts. It’s not terrible. It’s okay. It’s just cheesy. Formulaic.
Orbital
4/5
It’s been a long, long time. There’s some good stuff here. This was pretty widely influential.
Techno music was designed to be layered and mixed into other songs. This was done live on turntables by brilliant DJs.
As compelling as this can be at times, it is, by its very nature, missing something. There’s supposed to be another song woven around and through each track.
This is mostly a set of building blocks for creative college kids to dick around with in their basements. Complete the scene with glow sticks and X-tasty.
This inspired enough artists to merit 4/5.
Madonna
5/5
Of all the albums in Madonna’s massive catalog, it’s been interesting to see what was chosen for this list. Neither, so far, have been my favorites, or her most influential. But this record does have her best track of all time: What It Feels Like for a Girl.
Both the song and the video (directed by her then-husband Guy Ritchie) are the best she has ever produced. And for the artist with probably the most memorable, generation-defining records and videos, that’s really saying something. But this one is hands down the best.
That said, the mixed media video for the title track did introduce the world to Sasha Baron Cohen. So there’s that, too.
You can’t say shit to me about Madonna. It’s unreasonable, and I don’t care, but she’s gets 5s every time.
Pink Floyd
3/5
I get it. I just don’t want to listen to it.
Baaba Maal
5/5
This is what I came here for. Absolutely beautiful. Sounds totally fresh.
The National
3/5
It’s not terrible. But there’s something about this album that’s not good. Feels like it was composed by AI, or written for midwestern focus groups.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Even though there some great songs on this, it’s not his best. But what’s good is classic.
The Kinks
4/5
This was such a joy. Really fun and deceptively simple. Good variety of styles. Very influential. Hard not to like. 4/5
Ali Farka Touré
5/5
Words just can’t describe this beauty. The man is a genius. This music feels like it has always existed. It is the root of all other music, throughout the entire history of the human species, around the globe. Everything begins and ends here.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Legends of Rap music. The early style is dated by today’s standard. But the attitude and fashion resonated with kids around the world. They’re still fresh. Rock Box is still badass.
The Clash
5/5
FUCK YES!!!!!!!
Pearl Jam
5/5
It’s been a long ass time since I’ve listened to this. In college, you could hear this on every floor of the dorms. Everyone had a copy, or a copy of a copy. Literally, everyone. It’s 1992 on vinyl.
4/5
Never realized just how much Courtney Love was imitating Exene Cervenka. Speaking of which, fun fact: Exene was married to Viggo Mortenson.
Anyway, this is actually really rad. Enjoyed this a good bit.
The Streets
1/5
Is this music?
The Smiths
5/5
When I am old and decrepit and lost to dementia, I will still be able to sing every word of this record.
Soft Cell
3/5
It’s a bit silly overall. But this captures a specific moment in time pretty accurately. Marc Almond sounds almost like he’s making up the lyrics as he’s singing. This record feels low budget and advanced at the same time.
ABBA
2/5
I love ABBA, but this was dull.
Muddy Waters
5/5
He completely defined an entire genre of music.
Buzzcocks
5/5
I fucking love this band. This not my favorite record of theirs. But Fiction Romance is a badass ass motherfucker. And the fact that they worked Ralph Nader into a punk song about driver safety, tickles my heart to no end.
Sugar
3/5
I remember when this came out. DJs and music magazines lost their minds.
It’s okay. It’s better now. Back then, it got lost in the onslaught of grunge. It still feels repetitive at times. But it’s alright.
Eminem
2/5
I know I’m supposed to love this. But I never liked any of his shit. Still don’t. Annoying. Juvenile. Boring.
Barry Adamson
3/5
I was about to complain that they sound like Pulp. Of course, it’s cause it’s the singer from Pulp.
This is better than Pulp. I like the instrumental bits. Miles is a particularly lovely tribute. This is a nice concept project. The music certainly fits a soundtrack. But it’s not pleasant listening all the way through.
Beck
4/5
This is nice and all. I like it. But how is this different from the other Beck records on this list? Wish there had been a limit to how many records from the same artist. This is good, though.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Teen Age Riot is still one of the prettiest songs. No one talks about how pretty the guitar work can be with this band. They are so great at discord and noise that it’s easy to forget. Ultimately that’s what makes them so special. I like this so much more now.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
If the first track was the only track on this album, and the only thing they ever did, this would still be a masterpiece created by geniuses. Classic funky soul music, at its finest.
Fugees
5/5
There’s a lot that’s great here. But Lauryn Hill’s voice is truly sublime. She is such a unique talent, that it’s a shame she didn’t do more. She could sing anything and make it better. It’s hard not to be greedy for a thicker catalog.
It’s all good, but goddamn, Lauryn Hill.
The B-52's
5/5
Fuck yes! The ultimate party band. Perfect album.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
This was really nice to listen to. Upbeat and pretty.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Nobody does Noise Rock better than Sonic Youth. They really mastered the balance of chaos and progression.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
Yeah, no. I fucking hate this.
Grateful Dead
2/5
There’s no song structure. Feels aimless. Like they are still tuning their guitars. It’s kinda sloppy sounding.
I’m all for deconstructing art, but this doesn’t sound like it was ever even written down. I couldn’t even call this jamming. Just guys trying to follow each other, with no leader. Maybe a head full of acid would help? I thought there would be more music to their music. Can’t really hang your hat on anything here.
Sonic Youth
5/5
It’s easy to forget just how fun this band can be. Enjoyed this quite a bit.
Roxy Music
3/5
The model on the cover of this album is Amanda Lear. She is a famous singer and TV personality in Europe. Her video for Queen of Chinatown is worth finding.
As for the music on this record, it is most definitely 1970s prog-ajacent. It is experimental and wild, but in compelling ways. It’s interesting. Probably needs a few more listens.
Solomon Burke
5/5
Deep soulful romance. Really enjoyed this. Such talent. This is what all those white hippies thought they sounded like.
Gram Parsons
1/5
Yeah, this is a big heaping pile of honky tonk.
ABBA
4/5
Not every song is a winner. But the classics are legendary. They still work.
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
I knew this was going to be interesting, but this is fantastic and surprising. Rad, funky, soulful, and still totally relevant. It’s not often you hear a song about hermetic philosophers. Loving every minute of this record.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
This is actually compelling. It’s different, challenging and weird, but beautifully composed.
Jacques Brel
5/5
Oh yes! This is the shit.
Right away you can hear Stromae, Scott Walker and Nick Cave. So much commitment to the drama. It’s wild and thrilling. His style is raw and earnest, like Edith Piaf and Marc Almond. You don’t need to understand French to feel the story.
This isn’t just singing. This is a true performance. Masterfully done.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Not his worst. The best song was about murdering a woman. Wtg.
The Replacements
5/5
I Will Dare ❤️
The Coral
2/5
In a lot of ways, it feels like they swept up all the abandoned ideas left behind at the recording studio, and strung them all together in one record.
So much hokey shit all in one place. Also, why is there more than one record on this list, that features sea shanties?
The Beach Boys
2/5
It sounds like if a bunch of the Muppets ate some shrooms and made a record. That’s not a bad thing. This is certainly their most tolerable record. But it’s still too cutesy for me. It’s nice that they got socially conscious, though. Lookin’ at Tomorrow was pretty good until that guy started making noises.
Was this when they were hanging out with Charles Manson?
Hot Chip
5/5
So much more fun and romantic than expected. Really well crafted music. Very sweet lyrics. It’s got a retro vibe, but it’s really fresh and new. Enjoyed this quite a bit.
James Taylor
2/5
Fire and Rain is still pretty good. But that’s about it for me. It’s very pretty, if this is your thing. There’s a lot of honky tonk, white boy blues, slide guitar and Americana. Suite for 20G sounds like Carol King wrote it for him, but I still don’t like it. This is just meh, for me.
Aimee Mann
3/5
Say Anything, Jacob Marley’s Chain, Mr. Harris - all solid. In fact, I’d say the album gets much better in the second half. Not bad, just not great.
1/5
Yeah, this is not for me. It’s really annoying and unpleasant.
Roxy Music
3/5
Don’t love this record, but I get it. 3/5
Britney Spears
1/5
No. This was always weird and gross.
The Cure
4/5
This was really good. Not my favorite, but clearly influential.
The Human League
3/5
Love Action is an old favorite and Don’t You Want Me was an anthem when it came out. Everybody can sing that one by heart. A lot of this album is dated by today’s standards. Darkness is still surprisingly good. Do or Die could do with a little update, but there’s something good there. Seconds is still relevant. The album gets much better in the second half. This band had some really fun tracks.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
This was cute.
R.E.M.
3/5
There’s a lot of great stuff here. It’s not my favorite, but it’s still very good. 3/5
Red Snapper
2/5
This is pretty boring. I really wanted to like this. But there’s no soul here. It’s very empty. It’s not dancey. The vocal samples are tedious and repetitive. There’s just no hook.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This was pretty good. Not an unbearable amount of honky tonk. Enough careful composition to keep it interesting. Bluesy classic rock. Not my thing, but I can’t complain
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
Another reviewer here said that this band is sort of the link between grunge and MTV rock bands like Bush.
Musically, the band is pretty tight. The sound is right down the middle of the road. Good enough for 90s frat boys. Would be much better as an instrumental.
The United States Of America
3/5
There’s too much circus music. And it’s definitely heavy on that ‘60s experimental psychedelia. You probably need a lot of acid to love it. But it’s interesting. One of those kinds of projects that needed to happen, in order to inspire others artists. Not bad.
Paul Simon
5/5
This is so pretty. It definitely feels like listening to a genius put himself through music school. So much exploration, new styles and sounds. And, yet, it seems fairly intimate and pared down. Far from the symphonic compositions he’s known for. Can’t complain. This was a great surprise. 5/5
Brian Eno
4/5
This was really nice for what it is. Fantastic project idea. Was actually good to fall asleep to.
4/5
This was great fun. Must have been incredible to be there.
Bauhaus
4/5
Overall, this record is pretty fuckin rad. Peter Murphy is terribly underrated. The music is interesting and unexpected. The arrangements are more sophisticated than they might seem.
This whole record is way, way better than expected. Thought it would be a drag. But it’s a bop.
Public Enemy
5/5
Did not expect this to be so musical. Great funky mixes. Lots to enjoy. Not just politics, but straight entertainment, too. It’s a fantastic classic. But it’s even more relevant now.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
It’s interesting, but I can’t say that I really enjoyed this.
As a project, there’s something very compelling here. The second half sounds like the inside of a coma patient’s brain. Its structure and composition are kind of fascinating. As another reviewer pointed out, there’s some evidence of influence on Radiohead. Alife is a good example.
It’s good, but hard to listen to.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Really glad to have had a chance to listen to this one. Been curious a long time.
It’s just alright for me. More noisy and chaotic than expected. It’s fine, but not at all essential.
Slint
4/5
Not my usual kind of thing. But this was very well done. Really tight. Singular style. Never obnoxious. Interesting, different, not bad at all. Like Fugazi, but less groovy, more spare and slightly haunted. 4/5
James Brown
5/5
FUCK YES!!!
Beatles
5/5
Come on now…
Ian Dury
3/5
Hard to listen to. Like 2-3 songs.
Meat Loaf
2/5
I have never enjoyed Meat Loaf’s music. I really can’t tolerate anymore. This is too loud and obnoxious. Stopping in the first song.
Travis
2/5
This is nothing.
Garbage
2/5
I’ve found that most of people who really love this record, were mostly lusting after the lead singer.
Overall, this is pretty paint-by-numbers for the post-grunge MTV era. Everything homogenized. They had some Top 40 hits off this record. But Stupid Girl is the only, really good song.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
This is such a gem. There would be no Violent Femmes without this record. There is no 80s college radio without this. There’s no Wesley Willis. Such a fun version of punk. Such unvarnished lyrics and singing style. Very raw, but also personal and tender. Underneath it all, it’s rather romantic.
The Kinks
4/5
This really is just a lot of fun. High quality, unserious, honest and free. Ray Davies made delightful fucking music.
Maybe I’m bugging’, but I’m pretty sure Luscious Jackson pulled a riff from Rosy Won’t You Please, for their song Bam-Bam.
Traffic
3/5
Another reviewer very accurately said that this is what Grateful Dead fans think this is what the Grateful Dead sounds like. Couldn’t be more true.
This is nice for what it is. Well played, well balanced. But it’s heavy on the pre-prog psychedelia. When they just play music, it’s actually pretty good.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
My cat hates this. Sounded pretty good to me, but only got through 17 minutes, before I was told to shut it off.
Depeche Mode
5/5
Goddamn, this one changed me.
This was my first Depeche Mode record. Got a tape of a tape, back in ‘88. Listened to it, pretty much non-stop all through junior high and high school. This turned me into a hardcore, new wave evangelical devotee, and DM super fan.
The nerve of this record to still sound so good. It’s been many, many, many years. But it still hits all the right notes. Easily the best in their catalog.
Yes
2/5
Like, there’s some good musical arrangements and complex compositions. But it’s lousy to listen to unless you’re really into progrock.
Moby
3/5
Not sure how this manages to be both very good and terribly lame at the same time. 3/5
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Mostly, it’s just kind of average. Nothing all that special. It’s frustrating. I keep waiting for it to kick off or something, but it’s just not getting there. There’s a lot of potential, but not much payoff.
Patti Smith
5/5
This one is important, whether you like it or not.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Omg I fucking hate this. Burn it with fire.
Wire
5/5
21 punk songs in 35 minutes. Where have you been all my life? Five songs in and there is no question this is 5/5.
Minutemen
4/5
This is so SoCal punk. It’s got the trademark slapping base, that would define bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Overall, this is pretty good. The quieter bits and instrumentals are the most successful. The anti-fascist lyrics are sexy. We need more songs that call Nazis pieces of shit. The quality of the live track was delightfully accurate.
While I don’t love it, there’s no denying the influence this had on garage bands and college radio, across the country.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
There is music before Jimi Hendrix, and there is music after Jimi Hendrix. Everything changed with this one man. He was a genius beyond all geniuses.
Björk
5/5
Another old friend. Finally got to see her tour with this album. This woman is a genius on another level.
The Zombies
3/5
Time of the Season is still brilliant. Like, crazy good. The rest, however, never gets anywhere close. More like British Beach Boys.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
I was conceived to this record. 5/5
Meat Puppets
4/5
I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. This is far more sophisticated and complex. No wonder Cobain was a fan. I don’t love some of the whiny vocals, but they knew how to play. Enjoying the instrumentals very much.
5/5
She can roar with the best of them, but it’s such a treat to hear her singing. We Float is so pretty. There’s a lot of range on this album.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Clearly, a fair amount of talent and skill. The instrumental bits are the most compelling. Some of it is cliche and typical of Dimery’s personal preferences. It’s fairly middle of the road, pop-adjacent, white people music.3/5
Blur
4/5
“I’d love to stay here and be normal, But it’s just so overrated.” If that doesn’t sum up the ethos of Gen X, I don’t know nothing. 4/5
Roni Size
3/5
This was interesting. Usually, I don’t care much for Drum & Bass, but this is alright.
American Music Club
1/5
Is this a parody album?
Suede
3/5
When this came out, there was a lot of media hype for them, cause they looked good in magazines. The music was okay. Fine, but nothing exciting. It’s still fine, but ultimately not much more than that.
The Specials
5/5
!FUCK YES!
This record is so fun. The Specials are brilliant.
Gary Numan
5/5
Feels like a synthesizer on a cocaine bender.
1/5
Yeah, no. 1/5
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Modern music COULD NEVER! NEVER!!
Queen
3/5
This was cute. This record doesn’t have the hits. But you really can hear their style solidify. It’s not for me, but it’s well made. 3/5
Ice Cube
2/5
Why is there more than one Ice Cube album on this list?
The Byrds
3/5
This record has that groovy baby, 60’s vibe. Very Summer of Love. Cloyingly so, at times. It’s good, but not great. At least it doesn’t have anymore Clapton.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
I swear, the way some reviews were trashing this one, I expected another version of The Birthday Party. This is not that at all.
This is actually pretty good. Lots of classic punk, but still innovative and unserious. Definitely influential. I enjoyed this.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
Overrated whiny white boy bullshit. More sea shanty than anything else. Hard pass. Doesn’t belong on this list.
Gorillaz
5/5
Damon Albarn is one of the most prolific musicians of the modern era. More than a pop star, he’s a student, composer, overachiever. Real quality to his work.
Gorillaz has been a brilliant collaborative collective of artists, that just gets more and more ambitious.
I don’t love every song, but I adore the project as a whole.
The Stooges
5/5
Fuck yeah!!
JAY Z
2/5
Look at my money, look at my hos.
The Verve
2/5
It feels like a very cheap ripoff of Radiohead. Like obviously a total fucking copy.
This is nothing.
The Verve
2/5
Honestly, I just don’t see the appeal. It’s just a copy of everybody else. There is nothing original or compelling with this band. Posers.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
This one is okay. I like this band in theory, more than I do in reality. It can be a challenge to get into this. The music is pretty solid, though.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
extremely fabulous.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Okay, this is kind of amazing. There’s really so much great work here. Also, are The Stones solely responsible for starting the honky tonk trend of the 70s?
While this is so clearly inspired by the old rhythm and blues from the American south, it never sounds like a copy.
The music composition and production quality are truly stellar. Insanely influential. Very impressive.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The mean boys of the groovy 60s. The Misfits, to The Beatles’ Jem.
Lady Jane is hilarious. They were so earnest. You can hear them finding their style throughout the different tracks. So much great music.
Keith Richard’s doesn’t get enough credit as a songwriter and musician. Everyone just jokes on him, but he is always pitch-perfect. Really brilliant from such a young age.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
So much of what came after this was an imitation. This is another one of those albums that could be released now and still be a sensation. Goddamn her singing is so, so pretty. Not my usual style, but I really like this a lot. It’s flawless.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Wow. You can hear the cocaine right off the bat here.
I’m not going to act like he’s not talented. Some of this is sort of okay. I can see why it appeals to certain audiences. But it just sounds like a bunch of cheap covers.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Truly excellent modern jazz. Not annoying or demanding. Intellectual without being up its own ass. Just really well-crafted compositions, played beautifully. Good for background music. 4.5/5
Daft Punk
5/5
Fuck yes!
David Crosby
5/5
This is what it sounds like to live on a California commune in the 1970s.
Genuinely thought I was going to hate this. I do not.
This is among the most successful albums of this genre. Really great music, gentle harmonies. All the chill bits from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. There’s no assault on the ears, like Dylan’s mumbling twang, or The Dead’s meandering noise mush. This is both loose and tight at the same time. Serious composition and arrangement. Gentle af.
And yet, you can hear the influence this record had. This is crazy good. Did not expect to be impressed. But goddamn. You can tell that every great musician has studied this.
I need a hero dose of shrooms and some alone time with this one.
Raekwon
3/5
Ok, I was fully prepared to hate this. But I’ve added a bunch to my favorites. The parts that are music are genuinely good. Overall, the chatter was unnecessary. It always breaks up the flow on a record. But, the music bits are solid.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Yeah. I can see why they’re popular. But this just ain’t my speed.
Genesis
1/5
Oy progrock. I can’t make it through the first song. It’s too much.
Air
4/5
This has to be one of the most perfectly named bands. Their music always feels like it’s just floated in from the ether.
Ananda Shankar
5/5
Yeah, this whole record is rad af. Very unique. Lots of fun. Really well done. Absolutely influential and inspiring for generations of western musicians.
Sex Pistols
5/5
It took them 38 minutes to change the world. You don’t need to love it to know that it’s one of the most influential records on this list.
Mj Cole
2/5
Meh.
Brian Eno
5/5
I’m not even done listening and I already know it’s 5/5. This is beautiful.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
It feels like he’s trying to do too much. It’s not bad. He is ambitious and that’s respectable. But there’s a lot here. And a good portion sounds like mediocre Thom Yorke impression.
I don’t hate it. This might be better than the first. It just doesn’t feel like a complete project. And we really did not need more than one record from this artist, if any. 3/5
Syd Barrett
1/5
Unlistenable. 1/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I was really expecting to cringe my way through this one. But it’s surprising.
I’m convinced that The Stones are to blame for the resurgence of country music. They were already well-studied in old American rhythm and blues by ‘66. Everyone else was just trying to catch up. It was great to hear them tie it in with British folk music.
There’s a genuine intelligence to the music. There’s reverence for the original inspirations. The Stones are unfairly treated like a punchline. But their records are beautifully produced. And it’s clear how much influence this had. You can hear it in other albums on this list.
Ramones
5/5
14 songs in 29 minutes. One of the best bands of all time. This is flawless. 5/5
Queen
4/5
Demented from the start. Silly, theatrical, melodramatic and goddamn fabulous. Hard to find fault with this band 4/5
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Absolutely brilliant, start to finish.5/5
Missy Elliott
5/5
Already loved the singles off of this album. It was a treat to listen to the whole thing. Immaculate production.
I still love Missy.
Hole
2/5
This is just too generic and average. Overrated.
Green Day
2/5
I actually bought this cassette when it came out. Longview was the big single and it sounded promising.
Longview is still good. But everything else in this band’s catalog is too average. Sounded like everything else on the radio. Nothing special.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I am really trying here. I swear. But I really can’t get into Dylan’s stuff. There’s too many of the things I don’t like: harmonicas and his voice.
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
Roky Erickson kicks your dad’s ass.
Jethro Tull
3/5
I can’t say that I hate it. It’s very well made, and definitely unique. But it is a trip to hear this sort of rockin’ Ren fair style. Chunky prog flute. It’s not terrible and that’s surprising.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I didn’t expect to like any of this, but this was pretty good. Not too much of anything. Really balanced and authentic. Definitive Bruce.
The Sugarcubes
5/5
Wore this cassette to shit, I played it so much. Easily one of the best records of all time. Never get tired of it.
Beck
5/5
This is still really good.
Beck landed like an alien when this was released. It was wild and intuitive, filled with stream of conscious compositions. It was like he shook all the sounds out of the radio and rearranged them.
I don’t love all of this, but it’s undeniable.
The Doors
5/5
This record feels like the moment that sex and drugs met Rock’n’Roll.
Can’t really argue with this one. Iconic fr.
Oasis
1/5
Definitely not.
Bobby Womack
5/5
Knew this was going to be great, right from the start. But this is perfect, all the way through. Bobby Womack’s voice will get you pregnant.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Don’t need to be the target demographic to be impressed. Flawless performance and production. Clearly influential. 4/5