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.

Never. Fuck this Nazi.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wtf is this bullshit? No fucking way am I sitting through this horrendous pop crap. Fuck the dipshit who added this to the list.

Not for me. It’s well made. Just too pop/kanye. Meh. Stopped after 3 or 4 songs.

Love! Already had half the album in my favorites. Added a couple more.

It’s okay. Not my favorite from Africa. Lots of singing. Very good production. Not great for mixes. Neutral for me.

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.

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.

No. Not interested.

Much better Clapton than Cream. It’s not bad. It’s just Clapton. Music is fine. Not my thing.

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.

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.

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

FUCK YES!!!!!!!! The sound of my childhood. 10000 stars!

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.

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.

FANTASTIC! What a breath of fresh air in the never-ending slog of old white man music. More like this, please.

Love Sinatra. This album is perfect.

I hate Neil Young’s voice.

This album holds up! Classic soulful R&B. This will get you laid.

Is this a joke?

West coast bitches trying to act hard

HELL TO THE MOTHER FUCKING YES!!!! PERFECTION

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.

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.

WOOOHOOO!!!

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.

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.

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.

YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!! Beyond perfect. This is another level of beautiful

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 is a Nazi piece of shit. Fuck him and fuck everyone who still supports him.

The only Xmas album that matters. Darlene Love could sing the phone book and it would be a fucking banger.

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.

Very pretty

It’s fucking Bowie.

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.

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.

Would be better with a head full of acid

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.

4 songs in 40 minutes. This is brilliant.

So advanced for 1984. Truly unique. Great band. Can’t remember the last time I listened to a full album. This was a treat.

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.

Oh fuck yes! How have I never listened to this album? This is the one with Gigantic.

Oooo! Looking forward to this one. Very, very pretty. Really enjoyed this.

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.

This is the shit I came here for. Fantastic. Loved this.

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.

Hello, darkness, my old friend.

I hate this kind of music.

This is fun. Not perfect, but really good.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Such a pretty album. This is just the loveliest singing and harmony. Choral folk, but somehow not at all corny. Genuinely pretty as fuck.

WOOOHOOO! Every album, from Ok Computer through In Rainbows, is absolutely brilliant.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Damn. The author of this book loves pub rock. I don’t drink enough to make this sound good.

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.

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.

For what it is, this is fine.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Goddamn this lady is insanely talented.

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.

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.

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.

Classics on top of classics. It’s perfect. Even if I prefer other renditions of these songs, there is nothing to complain about here.

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.

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.

Marley belongs in the top five artists of all time. Everything he did was amazing and timeless. This record is fantastic.

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 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.

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.”

Did we really need more than one album from this band? This feels forced and phony.

Never. Fuck this Nazi.

Can’t make it more than 5 seconds. This is noise. Unbearable noise.

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.

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.

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.

Funny. I was just listening to this earlier today. Fucking LOVE Fela! This is genius.

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.

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.

Boring, dated, nothing new or interesting here. So, so dated.

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.

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.

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.

Starts with my favorite song of theirs.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Big band jazz in South Africa just swings in a different way. This was absolutely lovely and unique. Wonderful recording.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Trash

This is beautiful. Heavy but beautiful.

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.

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.

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.

I cannot stand this woman’s voice. This is not for me.

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.

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.

Frat rock. Middle American mediocrity. Hate it. Can’t get through a whole song.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Apparently this guy’s a molester, so I’m skipping.

Overall, this is excellent. Still really fresh and relevant. His sound is really unique and balanced. Almost economical. Nobody else could pull this off.

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.

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

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.

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.

There are exactly zero flaws on this album. So incredibly influential. Q-Tip might be my favorite. This is really excellent.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

The inventor of Rock’N’Roll. Wooo!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Wonderful. A bit too conceptual/70s jazz to be my favorite. But it’s undeniably beautifully crafted. 4/5

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Five songs in 20 minutes, and one is a remix. Painfully short record from this excellent band.

This is perfectly fine. But there’s nothing new. Just meh. It’s a lot of the same-old.

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.

This is really solid. Not perfect, but definitely very good. Saved a bunch off this. 4/5

How is this special? Not impressed at all. The mix is annoying af. This is just more whiteboy bullshit. 2/5

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.

A lot of people have strong feelings about this band. I do not. This is fine.

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.

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.

This was really pretty. Not my favorite Beck. But genuinely, very good. Much more interesting than expected.

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.

Goddamn, it’s been a long time! I like this better now. The hits still hit.

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.

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’.

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.

My cat really loved this album. It’s excellent.

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.

Really lovely. Genuinely well done. Very pretty songs. Easy listening. Saved a bunch. Very impressive.

Apparently this guy’s a molester, so I’m skipping.

This was cute. Goldfrapp is always good. This runs a little pop for me. But it’s really nice, upbeat, not annoying.

This works and bombs at the same time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The best of all time.

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.

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.

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?!

Really calm and pretty background music. Spanish lyrics set to French cafe music. It’s easy and inoffensive. Good for relaxing or studying.

Very interesting work. Always ambitious, never quite the same. Great band.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Impossibly fabulous. Only Sir Isaac Hayes could pull this off. His version of Walk On By is fucking brilliant. 5/5

People really like listening to this? Why? Which part? Goddamn this is really unpleasant in absolutely every way.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

This is impossible. There’s no flaws here. It’s an immaculate recording. Paul Simon is a genius. 5/5

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.

5555555555555555555555555/5 Bob Marley is always the best. This is perfection.

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.

This was interesting. 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.

This is some serious drinking music. Privileged white man blues. Yes, they could play. But at what cost? 2/5

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is kinda boring. 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.

Loved him on The Wire. But honkey tonk makes me stabby. I know it’s good, but I just can’t listen.

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.

Every note of this record is stitched into my soul. Easily one of the best and most influential albums on this list. 10Million/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!! Always a joy. 5/5

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

There’s some really pretty stuff here. Don’t love everything, but there’s a really nice, relaxed vibe. Definitely interesting and complex.

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

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

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

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

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

His sound is so unique. This record is excellent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

This is easily their best album. This is where their sound matured. 10 Millones/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

Aww fuck yeah! L-U-V 5/5

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

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

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

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.

Fuck yeah! Normally I hate guitar heavy recordings. But Santana makes that bitch sing. This is a work of art.

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.

Good beats, not loud, easy to play as background music. Head bopping, not boring. Doesn’t sound dated either. 3/5

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.

I mean…

Come on now.

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.

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

Essentially, this is fine, clearly influential and well made, but it’s not something I like enough to revisit.

JACKIE!! This man’s voice is unreasonably good. None of this should work. But he’s fabulous.

Sounds like a crappy cheap copy of Jane’s Addiction.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Oh fuck yes! So fun and interesting and influential. It’s still pretty fabulous. 5/5

Not on Spotify.

This was pretty good. Interesting. Nothing amazing, but certainly well made. Indian trip hop, very mellow and thoughtful. Good for disco naps. 3/5

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

This was good. Interesting and experimental. Heavy mixing of familiar tracks to create new songs. Nice background music. 3/5

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

I fucking hated this.1/5

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

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

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

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

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

55555555555555555555555555555 55555555555555555555555555555 55555555555555555555555555555

Lots of innovation, very unique, very authentic and thoughtful. Much better than I expected. Definitely deserves a place on this list. 4/5

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.

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

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

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

It’s Bowie. 5/5

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

Not my favorite Donovan record. There are a few great songs. But the rest is mid for him.

It’s fucking Jimi. 5/5

YAY!!! So happy to see this dear old friend. 5/5

That’s gonna be a no from me, dawg. 1/5

Meh. This is fine. Ordinary .Nothing special and totally not worth of a spot on this list.

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.

It’s good. But I could live without it. 3/3

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.

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.

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 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.

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

Tracey Thorn could sing the phone book and it would sound lovely. This was massive at the time. Still chill af. 4/5

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.

A favorite! All Sade is good.

Yes, Miss Simone!

I mean… 5/5

One of the best albums on this list. 5Million/5

Interesting. I expected something closer to the Pixies. This is not that. It’s good. It’s fine. It’s alright

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.

This was actually kinda cute. Classic party band sound. Very fun.

Didn’t like this one as much as the other one on this list. Too heavy handed.

Yikes!

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.

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.