723
Albums Rated
2.95
Average Rating
66%
Complete
366 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
41
5-Star Albums
29
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Want One | 5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
| Blood And Chocolate | 5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
| Nighthawks At The Diner | 5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
| Kimono My House | 5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
| Golden Hour | 5 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
| Cross | 5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
| Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus | 5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
| I Should Coco | 5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
| Debut | 5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
| Beauty And The Beat | 5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odelay | 1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
| S.F. Sorrow | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| Spiderland | 1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
| The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| Reign In Blood | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You | 2 | 3.93 | -1.93 |
| Ten | 2 | 3.92 | -1.92 |
| (What's The Story) Morning Glory | 2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
| Arular | 1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
| In Utero | 2 | 3.83 | -1.83 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 7 | 4.43 |
| David Bowie | 4 | 4.75 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.5 |
| Prince | 2 | 5 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 4.2 |
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 4.25 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1.5 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 2 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Kate Bush | 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (41)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Megadeth
2/5
I don’t know how many times I can write “this is probably good it’s just not made for me” in regards to heavy metal. It’s not my genre. I don’t enjoy listening to it. But there’s definitely talented musicians. 2.5/5
5 likes
Beth Orton
2/5
I normally love this type of music. But I kept losing interested. There are splashes of stuff I really dig, but then it would be back to various vocalizations and “vibes” I wasn’t vibing to. 2.5/5
4 likes
Steely Dan
2/5
I think the funniest thing is that there are people who are OBSESSED with Steely Dan. And to me they’re the poster children for music that is perfectly made to be played in the background of a bar scene in a movie. 2.5/5
2 likes
Cheap Trick
2/5
I’m so baffled by this album. I simply don’t understand (or hear) what elevates this above other live albums. To have this be on the list (and Rolling Stone’s list) as one of the most essential albums ever just does not compute. I wouldn’t say anything is aggressively awful. But all these songs are done better on their studio albums. How this is what got radio play and then made Cheap Trick huge I’ll never understand. 2/5
2 likes
Underworld
4/5
I guess I’m just a sucker for British electronic music. This was a great way to spend a night driving in my car imagining I was the protagonist of a moody 80s film.
I’ll admit it’s a bit too long. But otherwise I thing this was pretty good. 4/5
1 likes
4-Star Albums (178)
1-Star Albums (29)
All Ratings
Peter Gabriel
2/5
This album starts off strong with two great tracks. I still have a fondness for “Sledgehammer” because of the music video. The rest of the album has some great production value. The drums and synths really do it for me. But I doubt I’d ever want to listen to the full album again. “This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)” is aggressively awful. 2.5/5
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
The only Blacksploitation film I’ve seen is Shaft. The songs on this album seem to be overtly commenting about the actions happening on-screen. At least I assume. But this album rips! Super funky sound. I love those horns. And it’s capped off by the sweet voice of Curtis Mayfield. I’ve found a new favorite album. 4.5/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Apparently I’m a bigger fan of funk than I thought. No skips at all on this. Just infectiously upbeat rhythms and melodies. My only minor nitpick, which is what prevents this getting a perfect score, is that two or three tracks tack on an extra few seconds of random noodling that I could do without. 4.5/5
Beatles
3/5
Love The Beatles. But this isn’t my favourite record of theirs. As a bit of a nitpick I think the order of songs is weird. There’s not a good flow to this. Still there are some of my all time favourite songs on this. “Norwegian Wood,” “Nowhere Man,” and “In My Life” are my personal high spots on the album. 3.5/5
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Some all time classic songs on this. But there are just as many, if not more, that are just ok. A pleasant listen that I’ll probably come back to. But I’ll skip around to hear the highlights like “You Don’t Own Me,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” or “Wishin’ and Hopin’.” 3.5/5
The Who
4/5
As a lover of musicals I’m prone to like this. Which I do! While none of the individual songs outside of “Overture” and “Pinball Wizard” I have a desire to listen to on their own I can’t deny being swept up in the rock opera when listening to the full thing. The movie is wild too. 4/5
CHVRCHES
4/5
I fell in love with this album when it was first released. I still groove with these Scottish musicians. I understand the criticism that it begins to “sound the same” after a while. But I like the sound and never get bored with it. “Recover” and “By the Throat” are my two favourite tracks. 4.5/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
One of my biases is that I’m just not a big fan of heavy rock or metal. That being said I can get behind Robert Plant’s unique voice, and Led Zeppelin is a band I can like in short burst. While “Kashmir” is undeniably a great song the rest of the album is only so-so. I saw another reviewer say that this is an 8 song record forced to be 15 and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s diminishing returns past the halfway point. 3/5
Duke Ellington
4/5
I really enjoyed my time with this album. I could see myself listening to the abridged version more where they remove all the filler tracks of Duke and the MC talking. The music is fantastic. This is really my first time sitting and listening to Duke Ellington and I want more. However the full record, at nearly 2 hours, is almost too much of a good thing. 4/5
Ray Charles
2/5
This is probably going to come across way meaner than I intend. But this was generic jazz tunes without any passion. They’re performed competently but without urgency. I’ve heard Judy Garland, and other artists, perform these songs and I become emotional due to her performance. This elicited nothing from me. Ray Charles could do that with other songs that I’ve heard. This was a dud. 2/5
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
I can totally understand why someone would find this insufferable. The vocals and instrumentation are very much of a time. But it’s completely and totally my jam. I love the grungy sound, the whiny vocals, and the aggressive posturing. Plus I think the lyrics are great on both a thematic and technical level. 5/5
De La Soul
3/5
I’m trying my best to embrace hip hop more. My brain is so geared to enjoy melody that when music prioritizes rhythm I tend to become bored very quickly. There’s still some fun to be had here. This comes across as a goofy concept album complete with samples from Liberace and random French speakers. I liked some of the tracks. But overall I thought this was just ok. 3/5
The Thrills
1/5
This was pretty disappointing. Nothing about this record feels authentic. Maybe I’m projecting, but an Irish band affecting a Southern US accent and wistful recollections of travelling there comes across as try hard. The music is fine, but not exceptional. The presentation continually pushed me away. No individual song was a standout. I’ll never listen to any of this again. 1.5/5
Waylon Jennings
3/5
I love Waylon Jennings’ voice. This is the type of country I enjoy. Most present era pop country is just not my thing. But this harkens back to when country music could have an edge. However, I don’t think there are many standout tunes. This is a pleasant listen but also one I’ll forget about in a few hours. Nothing urges me to return. 3/5
Various Artists
2/5
Certainly a festive selection to listen to today! But this is a weird one. Will I ever consciously return to this album? No. Is it a decent recording of Christmas songs? Sure. It does the job it sets out to do. But I’m not amazed at the production. 2.5/5
Travis
2/5
It’s just so lethargic for the entire runtime. Every track ends up sounding the same. There’s a reality where I could see myself listening to this while relaxing knowing that there will be nothing interesting happening musically. Mostly I was bored while listening to this. There’s some talent on display but nothing that I’d want to return to. It didn’t help that my autoplay had a Keane track and then a Radiohead track after the album was finished. That feels like what they’re attempting but failing at. 2/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
It’s been a while since I listened to this album in full. While not one of my all time favourites I still find it solid. There’s a few great songs. It definitely laid the groundwork for the alternative rock I still find pleasure in today. Totally agree that a couple of the songs can come across as noise. But overall this album keeps my interest while I groove out. 4/5
The Cure
3/5
My guess is that in further listening this will be rated higher by me. However, on the first experience, while I enjoyed this quite a bit there were no standout songs. I love The Cure and Joy Division but I admit I’m not a deep fan who knows their entire catalogue and B-sides. I just know the hits. So that’s a long way of saying I enjoyed this a lot but I’m not in love with it. At least not yet. But I will be returning to it. Especially when I’m in need of existential dread. 3.5/5
The Band
2/5
I don’t really “get” The Band. I understand how influential they are and how much they were respected in the industry but they’ve never done anything for me emotionally. I’ve listened to a bunch of their song and I’ve seen The Last Waltz. Still nothing. I enjoy “The Weight” and some of the instrumentation in other tracks. That’s about it. 2/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Currently the average rating for this album is 2.97. So I enjoy this WAAAAY more than the average. I think this is the perfect rock record. It has great songs and doesn’t overstay its welcome. There are different kinds of tunes so there’s a good flow to the whole thing. I’m a fan of Elvis Costello generally. I’d never listened to this before but so glad I did as I’ve just found a new favourite. 5/5
Sepultura
2/5
I’m just not a metal guy. It makes me feel angry rather than allows me to release anger. So I can certainly understand how this band is musically proficient. The drums and bass are crazy. But I can’t get over how I want to turn this off after 10 seconds. I still listened to the whole thing, but this is very much not my tempo. 2/5
The White Stripes
4/5
I love this album. So many songs are among my favorite rocks songs. Totally get that Jack White’s voice is not for everyone. But for me he hits the exact right notes. This is just a great rock record. My only minor criticism is I think that it’s one or two songs too long. 4.5/5
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
I had no idea who these people were. It made me research Astor Piazzolla and his studio stuff feels very cinematic and odd. I wouldn’t be surprised if Danny Elfman was inspired by him. While I don’t think the live aspect improves this there are a couple of tracks that I love. I can see this is a divisive record, but as a guy who loves listening to movie scores this was a treat. 4/5
Nick Drake
3/5
Really solid record. Listened to it twice in a row. While I can’t say there was a standout song, the album washes over you. Love the stripped down nature of it. I’ll probably revisit this in the future. 3.5/5
Merle Haggard
3/5
Some solid tunes. I tend to like Merle Haggard but this didn’t leap out as one of his best albums. Maybe his singles were just better. Not terrible but definitely not something I’ll be returning to soon. 3/5
Linkin Park
2/5
I’m of the right age that this album came out as I was entering university. I understand that this is important to so many people. But I never liked it. I don’t like good metal music let alone substandard versions of it. 2/5
Donovan
3/5
Granted I find a lot of these songs generic. But the title song and “Season of the Witch” are so strong that I have to give it an extra star. 3/5
Hole
4/5
I think my peer group did a disservice to Hole because I was always under the impression they sucked. But this rocked! Loved the production, and instrumentation, and the vocals. It’s lyrically pretty good too. Sad I’ve missed out on this for so long. 4.5/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I think the majority of this album is great. The music is complex, the lyrics insightful, the production stellar. It can occasionally get too juvenile for me. I also think it’s a couple if tracks too long. But I always love listening to this. 4.5/5
Ray Price
3/5
Solid country record. I think the song “Night Life” is great. But I also think that’s the only standout. Not a terrible listening experience. But I’m not so sure it’s an essential one. 3/5
Machito
3/5
There’s some great jazz tunes on this. I enjoyed learning more about Machito. Weirdly, and this doesn’t happen very often, I found the tracks too short. I kept wanting them to be longer so that I could fall into the groove. But just as I was loving them the song would end. 3.5/5
The Sonics
2/5
There’s a rawness that I enjoyed about this. The original songs are good. I can see now this would evolve into the punk scene. But the covers, which is what most of this album is, range from underwhelming to terrible. 2/5
Michael Jackson
3/5
There’s three absolute bangers on this. But like other Michael Jackson albums there’s at least one that’s godawful. (For me that’s Liberian Girl.) The rest of the album is fun. But those great songs are phenomenal. 3.5/5
Carole King
3/5
A solid album featuring some of the greatest songs. I really love a lot of Carole King’s body of work. But I have to admit that as an album I get a bit bored by the end. 3.5/5
Green Day
3/5
I’m exactly the right age for this to hit a lot of my nostalgia centres. However, while I love Billie Joe Armstrong’s voice and there are a handful of songs that are among my favorites, there are a bunch of tracks that just kinda sound the same. That last track is awful. Still had fun revisiting this, though. 3.5/5
Radiohead
5/5
I’m not going to say anything new about this album. If you don’t like whiny voices you’re going to bounce off of this really quickly. But for me it hits right to my core. Coupled with the production and orchestrations this becomes one of my favorite albums. 5/5
2/5
I love Loretta Lynn’s voice. But this doesn’t feel like one of her essential records. A pleasant enough listen. I doubt I listen to any of these again. 2.5/5
The United States Of America
2/5
I went on quite a journey with this album. At first I hated it. Then there was a run of songs I found enjoyable. Then I hated it again. I probably need to relisten at some point but for now I’m rating it 2.5/5
Ice Cube
2/5
Totally understand the importance of this. There are some good hooks. But this is just not my kind of genre. It was a bit of a chore to get through. Especially due to the lyrics. 2/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
What can I say? I mostly live The Velvet Underground. Until they get too bizarre and screechy. That only really happens once on this album. Otherwise this is mostly filled with bangers. 4.5/5
Jethro Tull
3/5
May need to give this another listen. I honestly can’t say I hated this. It does feel like a bunch of theatre kids made a rock band replete with jazz flute. I can see why some would absolutely loathe this. To be honest I should love this but was only slightly amused by it. It’s possible it’ll grow on me over time. 3/5
Fugees
4/5
Really liked listening to this. I expect the score could rise after relistens. Lauryn Hill’s voice is gorgeous. The production is great. The beats and samples perfect. Wish the skits were on their own tracks. Often they ruin songs. 4/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Haven’t delved too far into this band before. But it make download the album. Just some fun indie tunes. 4/5
2/5
While not as dreadful as I was led to believe I also didn’t enjoy listening to this. Occasionally I found something musically interesting. But that was soon followed up by annoying noises. 2/5
Chicago
4/5
I love this. I know Chicago tangentially through some of their bigger hits and especially when they became a far more commercial band. But this debut is great! Kinda a jazz infusion with a wicked lead vocalist and a killer guitarist. It’s a shame that the track “Free Form Guitar” exists because it’s truly awful to listen to. 4.5/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Solid album. Reggae isn’t always my jam, but Bob Marley is always Jamin’ for me. 4/5
Björk
5/5
Another artist where I was convinced by other people that they were bad. I loved this! Bjork’s ethereal voice mixed with banging music is a recipe for greatness. I’ve found a new favorite. 5/5
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
Listen. I love George Gershwin. (Ira Gershwin is hit or miss with lyrics.) Ella Fitzgerald has a beautiful voice. But there’s no reason why this should be on the list. It’s a box set. It’s way too long. And many of the songs use a tempo that’s far too slow for my taste. Only a handful are what I’d considered great. 2.5/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I was pretty underwhelmed by this. I’m not the most knowledgeable of Springsteen outside his major hits. This seemed far more down tempo than what I’m used to. And none of the tracks really grabbed me. The production and vocals pulled me through. I’m gong to give another listen soon to see if I’m just having a bad day. Not for now this just seemed like mostly filler. 3/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
I would love to be a contrarian. But I must be the stereotypical white guy who loves this album. I wasn’t even alive in the 70s for this to be a nostalgic record. It’s just undeniably great and is one of the few albums that I enjoy listening start to finish rather than skipping to the good stuff. It’s all good stuff. 5/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Was only able to listen to this once today. There were some good parts but nothing truly grabbed me. I do like a lot of other Neil Young music. So maybe this one will grow on me. 3/5
Kelela
2/5
Not really my thing. Kelela’s voice is beautiful. The music is only interesting a couple of times. Otherwise it’s just repetitive drum loops and I get bored. 2.5/5
Radiohead
5/5
I guess I’m turning into a Radiohead freak. I can’t say there’s a bad song on this. Such a great album to just vibe to. 5/5
Guns N' Roses
2/5
For sure there are three songs on this that have seeped into the popular culture. It kinda needs to be on the list. But this is aggressively not my thing. I tried convincing myself for years that I liked it. But I don’t. Plus, I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but this music sounds like completely uncool people trying to be cool. I guess it worked. But beyond having to hear these songs in every grocery store for the rest of my life I won’t seek them out. 2/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
Extremely not my cup of tea. Maybe had this artist gone on to do other albums there would have been a novelty with their freshman effort. A couple of melodies are fine. But he mostly mumbles incoherent lyrics with the urgency of someone who knows they only have access to the recording studio for two hours. Anyway I didn’t like this and won’t revisit it. 1/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Previously I got Physical Grafitti from Led Zeppelin which outside of the one great song I found seriously lacking. This on the other hand is full of almost all bangers. With the exception of “The Battle of Evermore” all of these songs are good to masterpieces. But that one song prevents it from getting a perfect score. 4.5/5
Parliament
5/5
One of the great things about going through this list is discovering things about yourself. I had no idea I was such a lover of funk. But I am! This album is great. Just groovy beats to vibe out to. Plus it features one of the best songs of all time. An easy 5/5
The Who
2/5
Perfectly fine. If you love The Who I’m sure this hits deeply. I can enjoy two or three of their songs before I need some variety. Not sure if this is an essential live album. Anyway I wouldn’t be mad if somebody played this but I won’t ever choose to listen to it again. 2.5/5
B.B. King
2/5
Solid. But another album I can’t see myself ever going back to. I also am starting to see that a live album has to do a lot for me to like it more than a studio album. Most of the time I prefer to listen to something where the crowd isn’t interrupting the performance. Anyway, King is very good. This just didn’t blow me away. 3/5
4/5
This is what I love about this project. I never would have come across this unless it was forced upon me. But I loved it. I listened to it three times today. Sometimes haunting, then bizarre, but always interesting. There’s only a couple of boring parts. Can’t wait to revisit! 4.5/5
The Police
3/5
The second half of this album is great. However the first half is filled with forgettable tunes and what even is “Mother” trying to be? The good is very good but the bad is head scratching. 3.5/5
Roxy Music
4/5
Another great find because of this challenge. Every song grew on me on the second listen. Really enjoyed the production behind this. Looking forward to hearing more from Roxy Music. 4.5/5
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Marvin Gaye’s voice is beautiful. But after the first banger of a song it’s just variations on a (not that impressive) theme. He’s horny and wants sex. That’s about it. Still love “Let’s Get It On” but I will never listen to these other songs let alone the album. 2/5
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I had two Marvin Gaye albums in a row. This one suffers from the same issue I had with his other album. This first song is awesome and then the rest of the album is forgettable. This has the slight edge because I think there’s two other songs that are good. But the highlight is the first track. 3/5
The Beta Band
3/5
Was only able to listen to once today. I was intrigued but not blown away. Need to revisit to know for sure. But cool to be introduced to a band I’ve never heard of. 3/5
Maxwell
2/5
The first half I was on board with. Then the second half just felt like a repeat and I became bored. 2.5/5
Talking Heads
4/5
I only discovered that I love Talking Heads in the last couple of years. This is a very good album. Listening this time proved that the first half is killer. And the second half is just good. Therefore it just misses the perfect rating. 4.5/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Really loved this album. The voice, the production, and the lyrics. Except that last song stinks. I actually turned up my nose at it. 4.5/5
The Yardbirds
2/5
Not really my thing. There’s some ok tunes. But nothing I’d intentionally seek out to listen to again. 2.5/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
I wouldn’t call myself a huge Beastie Boys fan. I’ve heard a handful of their songs and enjoyed some. This is the first time I’ve listened to one of their albums in full. I liked it! 4/5
The Who
3/5
I keep feeling that I should love The Who. Most of the time I just have a grudging respect. I don’t know why. This opens and closes with a banger. The rest of the album is solid. I will never choose to sit down and listen to The Who. 3.5/5
Sex Pistols
2/5
There was a moment in my life that I really liked the Sex Pistols. Their style and attitude were attractive to a jaded teen. Now I can’t get past their corny lyrics. The attitude still works, but far better punk bands have come along since this made waves. 2.5/5
Neil Young
4/5
Really liked this. I know some find Neil’s voice grating but I’m not one of them. There’s a few bangers on this record. I can see myself returning to this. 4.5/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
I’ve enjoyed the occasional Grateful Dead song. But they feel so much like background music. Nothing urges me to relisten to them. And I certainly won’t be coming back to this. But also it isn’t really bad. It just kinda exists. 2.5/5
The Stone Roses
4/5
I stumbled across The Stone Roses when I noticed them on the Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Best Albums of all time. This is the first time I actually listened to the full album and really enjoyed it! It feels like the lyrics of the 60s matched with the instrumentation of the 80s. So it was great! 4/5
The Triffids
2/5
Pop music isn’t exactly known for its lyrics but that can be hidden behind hooks and infectious melodies. This band brings the lyrics front and centre but they’re dopey and sometimes overwrought. The music is fine. But I’m never coming back to this. 2/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
I’ve always regarded this band as a joke who only were able to be a one hit wonder. While I wasn’t blown away by this album there was a lot of the production elements I loved. The changing of the radio stations on the first track, the instrumental interludes, and the use of horns. Only able to listen to it once all the way through. But I think I’ll return to this. 3/5
Beatles
5/5
I’m a Beatles fan. Sue me. So listenable with a bunch of their best songs. Of course I’m giving it a 5/5
Alice Cooper
3/5
The musical theatre flair should thrill me more than it does. (I mean he samples West Side Story for goodness sake!!) But outside the title track I don’t find much to be enthusiastic about. Mostly it’s a fine rock record if not a little bland. 3/5
Dr. John
3/5
A wild album. I love Dr John’s voice but a few times I thought the record just meandered around. I did end up enjoying it. But another listen will confirm whether I love it or not. 3/5
Spiritualized
4/5
Had never heard of this album or group in my life. Was entranced by the whole thing. It becomes unwieldy by the end and almost went off the rails. But I enjoyed it. A few more listens may convince me this is a masterpiece. 4.5/4
The Black Crowes
2/5
Except for the one song that became a hit this was mostly a waste of my time. 2/5
Laura Nyro
3/5
There were individual moments that I liked. But no single song made me want to return to this. Completely fine. 3/5
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Wanted to give this a second listen today but ran out of time. I’m in the minority based on the average rating. I loved this! It’s weird, funny, and always musically interesting. Will definitely be revisiting this. 4/5
Supergrass
5/5
Energetic raucous rock record. I recognized one song but all the others were new. Never knew the name of the band. I’m a new fan. 5/5
Blur
2/5
Song 2 is a banger. But everything else is so bland on this album. This is definitely one of those bands I “don’t get.” Sorry. 2/5
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Not the hugest hip hop fan. I know how important this is. There’s some fun tunes. But there is a corniness that’s inescapable from early hip hop. 3/5
The Kinks
2/5
Kind of disappointed in this one. I normally love The Kinks! But this early album doesn’t feature much of what would make them great. Too cutesy and generic pop for me. 2.5/5
AC/DC
2/5
I like “Highway to Hell” and I enjoy a couple of the other songs. But mostly this falls into the category of music that is ultra masculine that I can engage with for a couple of tracks and then become increasingly tired with. I don’t think it’s garbage but the aggressiveness drives me away. 2.5/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
Solid album with a unique history. I can see myself returning to this. Enjoyed the variety of voices heard on the record. 4/5
I’m not the U2 hater that many seem to be. A couple of the songs on this album are quite formative for me as they mark the time I left high school for university. Though released pre 9/11 they would become mega hits post 9/11. So there’s a lot of history here. However, after revisiting this with the exception of the first two songs (which I still say are good) this becomes a bit of a slog to get through. 2/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I think this is the first time I’ve ever listened to a full album from The Rolling Stones. I certainly know their hits. But this was far more country and blues focused than I was expecting. I dug it. It was a busy day so I could only listen once. But I’ll be back to listen to it again. 4/5
Cornershop
2/5
I don’t know. I actually liked the first song and thought I was discovering a hidden gem. But the more it went in the more I wanted it to stop. 2/5
Beck
1/5
Call me a hater because I didn’t like this at all. I’m even the right age for this to be a seminal work. But I never “got” Beck. I enjoy weird. But this is mostly nonsensical. It feels like I’m being trolled the entire time listening to it. I look forward to never doing so again. 1/5
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I’m starting to suspect that for many of the renowned 60s musicians I’m going to remain impressed at their impact but not necessarily love their work. This has sick guitar riffs. A couple of songs are great. But I’m never going to intentionally listen to the full album ever again. 3/5
Television
5/5
I guess I just love whiny men who sing. Everyone has a type I suppose. Anyway all of this is entirely my jam. Love it from start to finish. Can’t wait to listen again. 5/5
The Kinks
4/5
Really enjoyed this even though some songs felt like they were from an entirely different genre. Unlike the last Kinks album I was given this felt more like the band I love. Ending an album with Waterloo Sunset automatically makes it good. 4/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
1/5
I’m discovering that I have little patience for psychedelic music. I didn’t enjoy any of this. I could barely finish it. Yes there’s some interesting instrumentation. But I’m never listening to this again. 1.5/5
The Smiths
4/5
I know it’s controversial now because of Morrissey’s words and actions. But I love The Smiths. This is no exception. However this isn’t my favourite album of theirs. Still solid. I can groove to it. But it doesn’t feature what I consider their absolute best. I still love it, though. 4/5
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
I had a good time with this! I have no frame of reference of how this compares to other Cuban music. Or even other Spanish artists. But I was never bored. Just a solid record that I’ll probably return to. And my score will probably climb. 3.5/5
808 State
4/5
As I type this the average rating for this album is 2.9. I done know why! I loved this. Great rhythms and melodies. The orchestration, such as it is, is wonderful. Maybe I’m just an electronic guy. The more I spend with this it could creep up to be a perfect 5 but for now it’s 4.5/5
Napalm Death
1/5
Completely not my thing. I wish I could like this kind of music. But every fiber of my being rejects it. I can hear the talent in some of the playing. However this makes me angry. I get angrier the longer I listen. There’s no catharsis for me. This completely ruined my day. 1/5
Otis Redding
3/5
It’s an ok record filled with covers of great songs. There are a few that have a unique orchestration that makes this a non-typical collection. It’s a reinterpretation of many of these songs. All that being said the back half started boring me because I’d rather listen to the originals. 3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
I’ve only tangentially known about Nick Cave and now I need to listen to his whole discography. I loved this! Moody, poetic, and musically dense. Can’t wait to listen again. 5/5
OutKast
5/5
You wouldn’t think the two halves would work together. But I totally think they do! Just a great collection of songs that range in complexity and danceability. 5/5
Marty Robbins
3/5
I quite enjoy Marty Robbin’s’ voice. The entire album is pleasant although never veering into greatness. I love the song “El Paso” but only two other songs come close to it. It’s fine. Wouldn’t mind listening again but I’m not going to rush to so. 3/5
The Cars
5/5
Had no idea I was this much of a Cars fan. Nor would I have guessed they released this in the 70s. Just some great rock with some punk attitude. 5/5
Baaba Maal
2/5
Perfectly fine for the most part. But I guess I couldn’t get a wrangle on what made it great. As an outsider it felt like one long song stretched across the entire record. Nothing was specifically bad but I can’t see myself ever listening again. 2.5/5
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Just hippie bullshit. I can’t stand this kind of stuff. Like kids pretending to be a rock band. 1/5
Aerosmith
2/5
“Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion” are great. But the rest of this album is disjointed and, in parts, completely unlistenable. Stick with the two hits and ditch the rest. 2/5
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I enjoy later Stones’ records. I don’t feel they had their harder edge yet on this first record. You can certainly hear the Blues influence. But they also feel too beholden to older pop music that just feels cheesy. 2.5/5
Elvis Costello
3/5
Solid record but not at the level as some of other Costello’s work. Only a couple standout songs. 3.5/5
Radiohead
4/5
This one didn’t grab me like the other Radiohead albums. I still grooved to it. But there didn’t seem to be any standout songs. It was more of a sound bath. Will have to return to see if anything jumps out for me on a second listen. 4/5
The Go-Go's
5/5
This was a blast to listen to! I didn’t thing I knew The Go-Go’s but it turns out a handful of the songs I was familiar with. From top to bottom this is all killer stuff. Can’t wait to dive in again. 5/5
Joy Division
3/5
I love so many Joy Division songs. But I was a little let down by this one. Nothing really hooked me. And the first song I thought was kinda bad. There’s still a couple of standouts. But this is something I’ll have to return to and see if it rises in my estimation. 3.5/5
The Stooges
3/5
For some reason what I’ve discovered is that I’m not much for the 60s sound unless it’s The Beatles. This was ok but once again I’ll never choose to listen again except for one or two tracks. But there’s nothing overtly bad either. 3/5
Prince
5/5
I’m a Prince guy. Love his sound and his eccentricities. This is great beginning to end. Good grooves and catchy hooks. Will be listening forever. 5/5
Morrissey
4/5
I wish I could unabashedly love Morrissey. But outside of his music he makes it so hard. Anyway, this is essentially my catnip. I like his vocals and ethereal instrumentation. It’s mostly a home run, but might have a couple of songs that could’ve been cut. 4/5
Fairport Convention
3/5
I kinda liked the first few songs. My bias against most 60s bands was melting. Then it devolved into mostly forgettable tunes. But nothing overtly terrible. Might need to revisit at some point. 3/5
Nirvana
4/5
Solid live set. Loved the interplay amongst the band mates. Even though was the exact right age to be obsessed with Nirvana I never was. I’ve begun to warm to them over the years. I could see myself returning to this. 4/5
Iron Butterfly
4/5
While the rest of the album is ok to very good, the crowning achievement is the 17 minute long titular masterpiece. Call me basic but I love all of it. 4/5
Madness
3/5
I’m such sucker for horns and music that feels like a small orchestra is playing it. I had a lot of fun listening to this. Weirdly it’s hard to find streaming. So I had to suffer through a bunch of ads while listening on YouTube. The first two thirds are pretty great and then it loses a bit of its lustre. 3.5/5
Red Snapper
4/5
Another album where the average rating is far too low in my opinion. Apparently I love the electronic industrial stuff far more than most. And I didn’t think I did! Anyway I listened to this twice through on my drive today just drifting along to the music. It’s very good! 4/5
Iron Maiden
3/5
I’ve actually never listened to Iron Maiden but know the name. Was expecting a much harder sound. So there was stuff to like even if it wasn’t completely jam. 3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
I just love this kind of whiny white boy music. Especially from the 80s. Will be listening to this over and over. 4.5/5
Kacey Musgraves
5/5
I’ve heard one song from Kacey Musgraves before this which I thought was fine. But I loved this! Beautiful melodies, quality songwriting, and a collection of tunes that fit nicely together. A perfect album. 5/5
Iron Maiden
3/5
Slightly better than the other Iron Maiden album I listened to (only two days ago!) I like this one marginally better. And I could actually see myself listening to this again. For some reason this reminded me a lot of Spinal Tap. The lyrics aren’t as funny but there does seem to be the same level of irreverence. 3.5/5
Gorillaz
3/5
I’ve liked a lot of Gorillaz’s songs in the past and was sure I was going to love it. Except for “Clint Eastwood” and a couple of other times this was mostly just fine. I don’t think I’d really ever re-listen to the full album again. 3/5
Mercury Rev
2/5
This was a weird one. I liked a lot of the music and could see myself vibing with it. But I couldn’t stand the vocals. They ruined the song almost every time. 2.5/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I know this is highly regarded. But except for a couple of songs this didn’t vibe with me at all. Not that it was bad. A lot of the lyrics, music, and production I can recognize are good to great. I just was never moved by it. 3/5
The Clash
5/5
Just perfect from start to end. It’s an album I’m very familiar with. But each time I think there might be a lull it’s just another great song. One of the best! 5/5
The Clash
4/5
Two Clash albums back to back. Not a bad week. Maybe it’s because London Calling is perfect that this felt a bit lesser than. It’s not bad. There’s some great tunes. But it’s no London Calling. 4/5
Morrissey
2/5
This is just Old Man Yells at Cloud: The Album. 2/5
Kate Bush
5/5
I think Kate Bush is mostly an artist you either love or hate. I’m on the love side. Does every little choice completely work for me? No. But as a complete work this is challenging, trippy, and has more than enough pop hooks with ethereal vocals to make me adore it. 5/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Still love Talking Heads. But what I’ve discovered is that I adore individual songs and not entire albums. At least not yet. There are a bunch of individual tracks that are great. But as a whole it’s just good. But my epic playlist with all my favorite Talking Heads songs flows better. 4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
I don’t dislike CCR. It’s just find them to be OK. I’m down to listen to their most popular songs. But for an entire album it just washes over me and then I forget about it. I’m never eager to listen even when I recognize their musicianship and cool vocals. It’s simply fine. 3.5/5
Steve Winwood
2/5
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Steve Winwood before. Some of the melodies I enjoyed. But every song is too long and outstays its welcome. Plus I felt that each song sorta sounded like a rough draft for a 1980s sitcom. 2/5
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I’ve known about Belle & Sebastian for years. Even liked a couple of their songs. So I was convinced I’d love this. It was ok. Certainly there’s three, maybe four, songs that I’ll come back to. But the rest of the album really didn’t do much for me. 3/5
Green Day
4/5
I know my rating is mostly due to nostalgia. I own that. Because nowadays this type of artistic activism drives me nuts. It’s performative and makes it feel like you’re doing something when you’re actually doing nothing. But the songs slap and I enjoy listening to it. 4/5
Q-Tip
3/5
It’s always hard to rate an album that I recognize is just not made for me. I think this is well produced. Some of the lyrics are great. There’s a smooth quality to it. But I’ll never listen to this again. It’s not terrible it just isn’t my thing. 3/5
Adele
3/5
The album has two gears. One where I’m completely in tune with what Adele is singing. The other where I’m not vibing at all. There is no in-between. I still enjoy it more than I don’t. But there are a handful of tracks that are very skippable. 3.5/5
Eminem
2/5
I lived through this. Thought he was edgy. Probably even cool. But rap has just never been my thing. Now listening to it as a 40 year old I just think most of it is cringey. I will say there are some great rhymes. But that doesn’t make up for the rest of it which I find distasteful. 2/5
5/5
Perfect from start to finish. Some of Bowie’s best work. I never tire listening to this. 5/5
Wilco
3/5
I don’t think I “get” Wilco. It’s not like I hate anything on this record. It’s pleasant enough. I wouldn’t turn it off if someone started playing it. But nothing grabbed me either. It just felt like background music. 3/5
ZZ Top
2/5
Once again an album that just isn’t my thing. There’s some good rock licks and I understand on a fundamental level why someone would love this. But I can’t stand listening to this kind of thing more than a couple of minutes. 2/5
George Harrison
5/5
Normally it’s difficult for me to keep my interest with a double album. But this record has such a great variety with so many banger songs that I’m never bored. More than anything I’m eager to listen to the full thing again. 5/5
Hugh Masekela
3/5
I dug some of this. But nothing ever leaped out and got me by the throat. Perfectly good record that I probably will never revisit. 3.5/5
Soundgarden
2/5
I really like “Black Hole Sun” but the rest of this album is mediocre for me. Not exactly terrible. But there were times that I forgot I was listening. So many of these times are interchangeable that it makes for a boring listening experience. But I can’t quite say anything specifically was bad. Just unmemorable. 2/5
R.E.M.
2/5
I’ve really never been a fan of REM. This album didn’t do anything to change my mind. There’s an occasional song that’s good. Or a musical riff that’s interesting. And then it just changes to elevator music to me. 2.5/5
The Strokes
5/5
It’s impossible for me to listen to this without nostalgia. Love this from top to bottom. Not a bad song on the album. Love the grungy fuzziness of it. I know detractors say that it’s derivative. Maybe it is. But I still love it! 5/5
Raekwon
2/5
Another record that just isn’t made for me. I can’t say it’s awful. There seems to be quality beats and rhymes. But I didn’t enjoy even one second of this. 2/5
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
A pretty standard country record. I grew up with parents that listened to country radio. I know Dwight Yoakam quite well. Yet I didn’t know any of these songs. What’s that about? Anyway I know that part of his persona is that he was a throwback to older style country music. And that’s that this is. Perfectly fine. But I doubt I’ll be rushing to relisten to this. 3/5
Neil Young
4/5
The vibe feels like someone on the beach playing some songs. I liked it! Not my favorite Young record but a strong one. 4/5
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
I like the title track. Always have. The rest is fine but gets a bit too repetitive after a while. There’s a reason only “Green Onions” popped from this. 2.5/5
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Frank Zappa is like David Lynch. I love hearing them talk about art, life, and politics but I just don’t really like what they make. This record has some great lyrics set to music that I find incredibly annoying. 2/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
I love Arcade Fire. I return to certain songs again and again. This album nearly gets crushed by its own ambition but the wall of sound is beautiful and especially the first 6 songs are all bangers. The middle couple of songs bring the mood down a bit but it ends strong. It’s a fun album to experience from start to finish, although I think two or three of their other albums are tighter and stronger. 4.5/5
The Stranglers
4/5
Had never heard of The Stranglers. Really loved a lot of this. The lyrics about rape not so much, but the musicianship and attitude I enjoyed a lot. 4/5
Pink Floyd
4/5
Doesn’t reach the highs of Dark Side of the Moon or the best of The Wall. But I still vibe with a lot of it. 4/5
The Crusaders
3/5
Pleasant enough. In fact I quite liked portions of this. But this is quality background music. I can’t see myself ever throwing this on to enjoy. 3.5/5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
I’m finding these classic rock records so hard to rate. Outside of the songs that have stood the test of time a lot of these tunes are first time listens and I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan. It’s not that they’re bad it’s just that they don’t do anything for me. They are of their time and I’m not nostalgic for them at all. I’m happy others find so much joy from this but to me it’s bland rock. 2.5/5
Spacemen 3
2/5
I don’t know. I just don’t think shoegaze is my thing. There are moments where I’m vibing. But mostly I find it too pretentious and grating. 2/5
Dagmar Krause
2/5
What a strange album. There’s some times that I quite liked. The music feels kind of like a cross between musical theatre, pop, and traditional folk music. Which on paper seems like I’d love it. But the lyrics are not that great. And ultimately, at 26 tracks, this just goes on too long. 2.5/5
Tears For Fears
4/5
There’s three songs on this record that are among my absolute favorites. The rest range from good to forgettable. But I still vibe with the record overall. 4/5
Patti Smith
4/5
Had a great time with this! I’ve known of Patti Smith for years but have never listened to her before. I’ll need to remedy that as this is mostly my jam. Two or three songs go on for too long. But half of this album is a complete banger. 4/5
Basement Jaxx
2/5
There were some beats I would occasionally groove too. But more pervasively I was just looking at the clock waiting for this album to be over. 2/5
The Jam
4/5
Had never heard of The Jam before. I ended up loving them! A sort of punk band with good lyrics and melodies. I became a fan. 4.5/5
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Not as good as To Pimp a Butterfly. And honestly I just don’t vibe with most of this. Overall I’m not much of a hip hop fan. I can recognize that many of these lyrics are good and I really enjoy some of the melodies and beats he raps over. But there’s just as many misogynistic verses. And I just don’t enjoy hearing the N-word this often. But that’s me. This isn’t made for me. And that’s ok. 3/5
Ministry
2/5
Once again this is an album that is clearly not for me. That doesn’t mean it’s objectively bad. I can tell that the musicianship is talented. But I’m not a metal guy so it’s semi-torture for me to have to listen to an entire album in which I actively dislike everything that’s going on. Not because it’s “bad” but simply that I don’t like it. Anyway, I guess 2.5/5?
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
I feel bad because Bob Marley is always somebody I want to love unabashedly and I always leave underwhelmed. Perhaps he was amazing to see live. “No Woman No Cry” is great. Everything else is ok to forgettable. 2.5/5
Depeche Mode
5/5
I guess I should’ve got into Depech Mode way earlier. Loved this! Dreamy vocals, great lyrics, and rad music. 5/5
Motörhead
2/5
I love Lemmy’s voice. The snarling growl is perfect for a rock/metal band. I wish I actually liked the music. It just does nothing for me. I have a bias against angry music mostly because I end up feeling agitated for the entire day after listening to it. I know that’s a me problem but it is my reality. 2/5
Spiritualized
3/5
I enjoyed the other Spiritualized album I listened to. This one didn’t grab me as much. I vibes do a lot of it. It too much of the album felt repetitive in a bad way. 3/5
Yes
3/5
I can’t quite put my finger on it but this didn’t entirely wow me. I did enjoy a lot of the musicianship on display. Obviously the members of the band are talented. Occasionally I could groove to the tunes. But it only stayed pleasant. There was nothing that tipped the scales so that I loved what was being played which seems to be a recurring problem as I listen to more 60s and 70s albums. 3/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
For whatever the Beasties are more fun than eye rolling to me. They still have questionable lyrics at times but there’s this ever present sense of goofiness that I enjoy. 4/5
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
That was unpleasant nonsense for me. 1.5/5
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Wasn’t sure about this at first but ended up really enjoying it. Will need to listen again to know if this remains a “good” album or a great one. 4/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
This didn’t have a lot of the Elvis classics that I love. Although it did have “Blue Moon” which is great. Otherwise it’s fine. 3/5
2/5
Another psychedelic record that I don’t really “get.” I don’t hate it. But I find most of these songs aggressively mediocre. Nothing that stands out. Some good production value that’s for sure. But I’m left completely unmoved. 2.5/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
This is a weird one because I like some of the music. But I find the vocals to be so dreadfully boring that the back half of this album was a chore to get through. 2.5/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
CCR has been just a cultural behemoth that it feels like they’ve always been here. Half this album is classic. Enjoyed this. Great summer driving music. 4/5
Bon Jovi
3/5
At the very least there are 3 all time classic song that were inescapable in the 80s. The rest of the album is fine. This type of hair metal has never really been my thing. But I do like those three hits. 3/5
Janet Jackson
4/5
Definitely a concept album. Most of the interludes are there to add ambience rather than be good songs. Everything else is solid. I like a lot of the stuff on this album even if I never fully fall in love with it. 4/5
Van Halen
3/5
Call me basic but I like the two big hits from this (Jump and Panama). Then everything else is pretty generic hair metal. Completely fine. 3/5
Beatles
5/5
It’s the most mainstream of tastes to love The Beatles. But I do! This is hands down one of my favorite albums of all time. Just a great listen from start to finish. Even the goofy stuff is awesome. 5/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
This is a hard album to figure out. On one hand there’s some great musicianship. But most of the vocals I don’t care for. It feels meandering for most of it. It’s not aggressively terrible. But there were long stretches I zoned out completely and forgot I was even listening to an album. 2.5/5
Deee-Lite
4/5
I don’t really get why the average rating for this is so low. I think this is fun, poppy, dance music. I can see myself returning to this when I want to cheer myself up. 4/5
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
I found this more interesting than good. Ultimately it’s just not my thing. I’ll never return to this. But I did like parts of it even when things got far too repetitious. 2.5/5
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Maybe it’s because I’ve been sick the last couple of days but I could not fully vibe with this. I liked parts of this. And other times it got a tad too austere. 3.5/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
I do enjoy Apple’s brand of rebellious music. I just think I like her earlier stuff a bit more. 4/5
Love
2/5
I don’t know. There’s some fine bits I guess. But my patience for psychedelic music wears thin after a couple of minutes. 2.5/5
Black Sabbath
2/5
Once again this just isn’t my thing. I’m not much of a fan of heavy metal. And this also doesn’t have any of the popular Black Sabbath songs. So I pretty much endured it while totally understanding why others would love it. 2.5/5
Cheap Trick
2/5
I’m so baffled by this album. I simply don’t understand (or hear) what elevates this above other live albums. To have this be on the list (and Rolling Stone’s list) as one of the most essential albums ever just does not compute. I wouldn’t say anything is aggressively awful. But all these songs are done better on their studio albums. How this is what got radio play and then made Cheap Trick huge I’ll never understand. 2/5
Megadeth
2/5
I’ve been getting a lot of heavy metal recently. And just like those last albums this just isn’t made for me. I find a lot of this genre (not all) has a paradoxical effect on me. It simultaneously bores me and makes me extremely angry. I get that the anger part is part of the selling point of the music, but it’s an emotion I don’t enjoy wallowing in.
It’s obvious the prowess the band members have. But after 30 seconds I just want it to end. 2.5/5
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
No. That’s a no from me. 1/5
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Solid funk album. Good stuff!
Carpenters
2/5
There’s a few classic songs that still hold up. But most of this record is bland. What even is that “Help” cover? 2.5/5
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Maybe this is a hot take but I think this album takes a while to get going. Once it hits its groove, though, it becomes great. 4/5
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
A very strong rock record. I’m not the biggest fan of super hard rock, which I think this is, but this album is pretty undeniable. 4/5
Gillian Welch
2/5
I think there’s some strong songwriting on display. But the songs themselves all sorta sound the same. It’s a perfectly fine listen but I doubt I’ll ever come back to this. 2.5/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
This once again proves that my patience for psychedelic music is nil. I won’t deny that the irreverent tone is occasionally fun. But it’s a lot of nonsense underscored by music that I mostly find insufferable. 2/5
Roxy Music
2/5
There have been other Roxy Music albums I’ve enjoyed, and certain songs that I love. But this was fairly tepid. Nothing really stands out. I don’t hate it. But I doubt I’ll revisit. 2.5/5
The Temptations
2/5
Outside of “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” I found this far too slow. The covers are lethargic. All the other songs feel they’re at half speed. Great vocals though. 2/5
Khaled
2/5
There’s a Bollywood influence to the music that I appreciate. There’s some great horn playing throughout the record. I don’t like this version of “Imagine” and by the halfway point I was over the initial sense of wonder and became bored. There are some standout musical moments that are drowned in an album that’s too long. 2.5/5
2/5
I was in my formative years when Oasis were huge. I won’t deny that there isn’t a bit of nostalgia for the popular hits. But I’ve also always thought they were completely overrated. Outside of those big hits this is a bit of a dud of an album. 2.5/5
Deep Purple
2/5
I do like some of these songs quite a bit. But I’m continually baffled by which live albums are included on this list. Was this record truly that revolutionary or “must listen”? I don’t think so. It’s occasionally fun but mostly tedious when they go on their fifth 10 minute guitar solo. 2/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I like Amy Winehouse. But this feels like the unrefined act that would become the perfect Back to Black album. Some good songs. But there’s something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. 3/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Love “Theme from Shaft” and the rest of the album is a solid film score. Not one of my favorites, but still decent. 3.5/5
Kraftwerk
4/5
Really loved this. Reminded me a lot of the soundtracks to my favourite video games of the 80s and 90s. I think I’m just genetically engineered to love this kind of stuff. 4.5/5
Alice In Chains
2/5
Even though Alice in Chains was a popular band when I should have heaps of nostalgia for them I don’t. I’m not really into hard rock. I guess there’s some good guitar playing. It this does nothing for me. 2/5
Skepta
2/5
Another album that’s just not my jam. I can totally understand how someone would love this. Unfortunately I’m not that person and found it pretty grating for most of it. 2/5
Justice
5/5
Really only knows the song “D. A. N. C. E.” but loved the whole record! Turns out I’m much more of a fan of electronic music than I thought. 5/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
I don’t know. I lived through this period of music and I still can’t get into it. I know they are beloved by many but it all comes across as static to me. There’s some interesting musical idea occasionally. But not enough for me to care. 2/5
Underworld
4/5
I guess I’m just a sucker for British electronic music. This was a great way to spend a night driving in my car imagining I was the protagonist of a moody 80s film.
I’ll admit it’s a bit too long. But otherwise I thing this was pretty good. 4/5
Doves
3/5
I tend to like this kind of vibe. And there are a couple of songs I really liked. But it slightly overstates its welcome. Still solid but not great. 3/5
Paul Simon
3/5
I’ve know about the reputation of this album for a while. So maybe my expectations were too high. I thought it was solid. There are a few songs I’d consider great. But as a whole I wasn’t blown away. 3.5/5
Deep Purple
3/5
I really do like some of Deep Purple’s stuff. I also think that most of their songs are one or two minutes too long. A bit of a tighter focus and I think I’d love this. But “Smoke on the Water” still rocks. 3/5
Lambchop
2/5
Pretty bland for me. And so long. One track felt like it led to the next without any discernible difference. Wish I could hate it but I can’t even remember it. 2/5
The Blue Nile
2/5
After the first two tracks, which I absolutely loved, I was convinced I’d discovered my new favorite album. Then it slides into mediocrity pretty fast with generic sounding tunes, without the inventiveness shown in the first couple. Disappointing. 2.5/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This is now the epitome of dad rock. But I honestly have a good time listening to this. The iconic songs remain iconic, and the rest are solid tunes. 4/5
Destiny's Child
2/5
For me it feels pretty standard girl group sound of the time. That’s not necessarily bad, but I spent do much for me. Beyonce would go on to make some of my favorite things. Destiny’s Child is just fine 2.5/5
Stan Getz
3/5
Perfectly pleasant easy listening. The type if stuff you hear in the background of a wine bar so that it doesn’t overtake the general conversation at the tables. 3/5
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
I appreciated how different this felt. Obviously it’s a very intentional work. But I mostly found myself being pushed away rather than drawn in. There’s a part of me that think on a relisten there would be a deeper appreciation. The unfortunate reality is that I have no desire to revisit this. 2.5/5
Dire Straits
2/5
I honestly thought I was going to love this. I really like a few Dire Straits songs. One of them is on this record. But as a full album I mostly found this tedious and uninteresting. 2.5/5
Beth Orton
2/5
I normally love this type of music. But I kept losing interested. There are splashes of stuff I really dig, but then it would be back to various vocalizations and “vibes” I wasn’t vibing to. 2.5/5
Missy Elliott
3/5
There’s some solid grooves and songs. I like that there’s some variety amongst the songs. But overall this isn’t really my thing. I can respect this from afar, though. 3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
A great American pop record. Beautiful vocals and arrangements. A few classic songs. Solid! 4/5
4/5
This is my first PJ Harvey record ever. I really fell into a groove with it. Will need to relisten to fully appreciate I think. 4/5
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
I find these old folk songs are sorta comforting. A mythologized past that probably didn’t exist, but that nevertheless are pleasant. Jack has a nice voice. This is simple guitar music. Nothing that I go crazy for but fine. 3/5
The Roots
3/5
This probably needs a deeper dive. There’s a lot going on in this album. A lot a like and some that’s just too dense. As someone who has seen The Roots live and loved them, this record doesn’t sound like that performance. It’s an ambitious work that’s near impossible to give a quick review after one listen. I respect it and could potentially love it on a relisten. 3.5/5
Dr. Dre
2/5
We once again arrive to something that just isn’t my thing. Most hip hop doesn’t do anything for me. Especially when there’s this much discussion around somebody’s dick. 2/5
DJ Shadow
3/5
This would be a great album to drive late at night to. I can’t see myself just casually listening to this, though. I think there is talent at cobbling together a bunch of samples and making it sound this good. 3/5
Miles Davis
4/5
I get it if people hate this. I think at times it does degenrate into squawks and “noose.” But truly that’s why do like it. This isn’t something I can just throw on in the background. I need to be intensely focused on the music while it’s playing. And when I do that I’m taken on a journey that’s thrilling. 4.5/5
Joy Division
3/5
I generally like Joy Division but I guess I don’t love Joy Division. The couple of albums I’ve listened to because of this project have only been pretty good rather than great. 3.5/5
Doves
3/5
There’s moments on this record that I absolutely love. Specifically when it becomes a sweeping orchestral score. The singing doesn’t do much for me. Overall it’s fine but not one of the greats. 3/5
The Dictators
2/5
Upbeat and sometimes even fun. But the lyrics are stupid and most of the songs just aren’t my thing. 2.5/5
Elvis Costello
4/5
I feast on the tears of Elvis Costello haters. I gobble them up! It’s apparent that a sizabale portion of the people who are doing this project hate him. But I think he’s great. His style of rock is right up my alley. And in regards to his voice, I think he’s a better vocalist than Bob Dylan. (I also love Dylan.) So I don’t know. This was very good. Found some new favourites. I do think it’s a touch too long. I’d have cut two songs and made this tighter. 4/5
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
I do like this. But it just feels like background music at an upscale wine bar. It’s not bad but I also don’t yearn for it. 3/5
Elvis Presley
2/5
I guess I’m one of those people who just likes Elvis’ hits. Because this wasn’t an essential album for me. It’s pleasant enough. But none of the covers are among my favourites and it features 0 of his well known tunes. 2.5/5
Boston
2/5
Very dad rock. Nothing wrong with that it’s just not my thing. Except for the first song, their big hit, I found this pretty bland. 2/5
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Just a really fun pop album with some all time classics. This is great. 4/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
While I didn’t find any individual songs so amazing that they became one of my favourites, at least on this first listen, l still enjoyed this from start to finish. So many hip hop albums I bounce off of because I find the drum machine beats in the background too repetitive. But this had more melodies and other instrumentation that drew me in. Plus the lyrics are pretty great. 4/5
Meat Puppets
3/5
Musically this feels all over the place. Some stuff I liked. Mostly the instrumental stuff. Other stuff I actively disliked. But I respect the attempt at being different. 3/5
The White Stripes
3/5
I think I enjoy The White Stripes more theoretically than actually. That’s not to say I think this is bad. I still love “Seven Nation Army.” Jack White’s influences are on full display and he does a great job honouring what came before while also making it feel fresh. But there’s not a lot on this record that I yearn to revisit past the big hit and maybe one or two others. 3.5/5
Depeche Mode
4/5
I love me these Depeche Mode soundscapes. Not as good as some of their other stuff but still a solid record. Weirdly I love driving to their music. 4/5
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
The live albums on this list continue to baffle me. Why is this here? Is it truly one of the essential live albums of all time? I like The Allman Brothers. But I prefer their focus on a studio album. This is far too meandering for me personally to latch onto. It’s fine. 2.5/5
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
There were a couple of tracks I really enjoyed. But ultimately the album turned into something that was aurally uninteresting to me. 3/5
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2/5
I didn’t find anything bad on this but it also came across as pretty forgettable. Two songs I loved but everything else was just there. 2.5/5
Megadeth
2/5
I don’t know how many times I can write “this is probably good it’s just not made for me” in regards to heavy metal. It’s not my genre. I don’t enjoy listening to it. But there’s definitely talented musicians. 2.5/5
Manu Chao
3/5
I enjoyed a lot of this. Pretty fun listen. I can’t say I loved any individual track. But I also was never bored. 3.5/5
Dennis Wilson
2/5
I’m a fan of a lot of the Beach Boys stuff. At least I think so. Most of this was pleasant but repetitive after a while. Wouldn’t complain if someone turned this on in the background but I’d never seek this out to listen to again. 2.5/5
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I agree with another review I read. This album opens with a great song. “Sympathy for the Devil” rocks. But then it’s followed by 9 absolutely forgettable bluesy songs. It’s not terrible, but it is mediocre. 2.5/5
Nas
2/5
Another album that I can sorta understand its importance, but this genre really isn’t my thing. The beats are a bit too repetitive. The lyrics are ok but nothing stood out to me. 2.5/5
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Mostly loved this. A handful of songs are amongst my favourites. Always thought “Coconut” was a novelty song and not part of a real album. Can definitely hear the Beatles influence. 4/5
Beck
3/5
Not as aggressively grating as the other Beck album I listened to. But there’s also nothing that I really loved either. It’s mostly fine. Wouldn’t have qualms listening again, however I’ll never seek this out intentionally again. 3/5
The Temptations
3/5
Some good stuff here. I quite like the long 9 minute song that takes you on a journey. The rest doesn’t wow me. But it was a pleasant listen. 3/5
Solomon Burke
3/5
Another album where I think it’s completely fine. The historical context was interesting to learn about. As a listening experience it was mostly good. But I don’t think I’ll ever consciously search for these songs ever again. But I’ll love it when they show up in a movie. 3/5
Barry Adamson
4/5
This is a wild, wild ride. I never knew what was coming next. Big band? Film soundtrack? Audio book? Honestly there was not once where I’d label this album boring. It is an acquired taste, though. I happened to enjoy it immensely but could just as easily understand if someone else found it utterly baffling. 4/5
The Avalanches
4/5
Because of the heavy rotation of “Frontier Psychiatrist” on Much Music in Canada I have a soft spot for The Avalanches. It was probably my first time being exposed to this type of absurdist electronica mashup. I like their other songs on this too! Probably deserves a second listen but for now it’s a 4/5
The Cure
4/5
Sad and depressing rock is my bread and butter. Plus the instrumentation behind the whining is great. 4.5/5
Ananda Shankar
2/5
This felt mostly like the light music you hear in an elevator. The covers aren’t all that spectacular and the originals are just ok. 2/5
The Cure
3/5
Far more atmospheric than the other Cure albums I’ve listened to. It’s a vibe I enjoyed. More than their other albums this felt like one long piece. I probably need to listen a second time to fully settle on my thoughts. But for now it’s 3.5/5
Paul Simon
2/5
I think I’m discovering that I’m not that big of a Paul Simon guy. A couple of good songs, but mostly just banal pop music. 2.5/5
fIREHOSE
2/5
Fairly innocuous stuff. Nothing really stood out. Kind of bland rock that u forgot I was listening to something. 2.5/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
My first Dylan album only took 264 days to get here. There are some standout tracks on this. But I think it peters out at the end. Still some great songwriting on this. 4/5
Iggy Pop
3/5
I love Iggy Pop’s voice. Occasionally I loved this record. But for me half is a strong record and half is fairly mediocre. 3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I think I’m becoming Nick Cave pilled. I knew of him for years but never really listened. But each album that’s been given to me during this challenge I love. This is no exception. A few less 5 star songs from the last but still a great time. 4.5/5
D'Angelo
2/5
Another performer and album where I get why they’re adored, and seen as influential, I just don’t enjoy the experience. Far too slow a groove for me. 2.5/5
Talking Heads
4/5
I’m a Talking Heads fan. So this was a great morning listening to this. Plus a couple of my favorite songs! 4.5/5
Ryan Adams
2/5
There’s some pleasant tunes but nothing that rises to great for me. But more egregiously it overstays its welcome with a runtime that’s far too long. 2/5
Radiohead
4/5
Another Radiohead album I enjoyed. It just doesn’t rise to the level of their two masterpieces. 4/5
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Didn’t really enjoy most of this. Far too frenetic. I’ll never revisit this on purpose. I did like their sample of Lawrence of Arabia, though. 2/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
First half is a masterpiece for me. Just a great infusion of disco and pop. The second half isn’t as strong but has some really good stuff. 4/5
Talk Talk
2/5
I didn’t find anything uniquely terrible about this album, there was some good atmospheric music, but nothing that I could foresee wanting to return to. Perhaps a second listen would unlock it for me. But for now I’m just underwhelmed. 2.5/5
Supergrass
4/5
Call me basic I guess because I love this band. Their first album was a gem when it was given to me earlier in this list and I loved it. This has just as high highs but I think I slightly prefer the rawness of their first record. 4.5/5
Eminem
2/5
At one time I would have argued Eminem was a master. Others will do that nowadays. But listening to this with fresh ears it’s hard to get past the sophomoric humour which basically boils down to raping women and being scared of homosexuals. The skits are bad. The rhymes are fine but I’ve heard better rappers. What I still do believe is that “Stan” is a great examination of a superstar trying to reckon with the responsibility of influencing the younger generation. It still works for me. But the rest of it is best forgotten. 2/5
System Of A Down
2/5
The last couple of weeks I’ve had quite a few entries that just aren’t my thing. I’m glad other people like this. I sure don’t. 2/5
Norah Jones
2/5
Have to agree with the majority of the other reviews. This is palatable background music while you sip a latte at a cafe. I do really like Norah Jones’ voice. But none of the songs are particularly amazing or different than dozens of other performers. 2.5/5
Madonna
1/5
I like Madonna. The Immaculate Collection album is one of my favorite things ever. But whether this album was done by her or somebody else it slides into annoying bad rather than regular bad and it makes my skin crawl in places. Plus her cover of “American Pie” is egregious. 1.5/5
Willie Nelson
4/5
This is very good. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” never fails to make me emotional. I think having the same song three times, albeit different iterations, is a bit weird. Especially when that’s only for the first half. Would not hesitate to listen to this again. 4/5
Queen
4/5
I read somewhere that Queen is better remembered for the singles rather than the albums. I tend to agree. They’re a deeply goofy band with obvious comedy and musical theatre influences. As an album I do enjoy this even if there’s only two or three great songs. Everything else fits the tone they’re looking for but aren’t exactly something you’re hoping pops up on the radio or a playlist. 4/5
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
I don’t know. I kinda liked all of this. Is some of it just kooky to be kooky? Probably. But the music is good and I never got bored. 4/5
Steely Dan
3/5
The first couple of times I was convinced I was listening to a masterpiece. I know that Steely Dan is a love it or hate it band but I’ve never delved into them that much. There was a lot I liked but then found it was diminishing returns the longer it went. 3.5/5
The Byrds
2/5
I do like their version of “Mr. Tambourine Man” but that’s the first track. After that it’s generic 60s pop that I’m increasingly becoming exhausted by. 2/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Yep. I’m a Nick Cave guy. I love all his weirdness. There’s a couple of songs I think go on a tad too long. But overall I was interested in hearing these murder tales and enjoyed how they were musicalized. 4.5/5
Air
4/5
I pretty much vibed with the whole thing. Was surprised I even knew a few of the songs already when the band Air had no name recognition from me. Will probably return to this again in the future. 4/5
MGMT
5/5
A formative album for me. But I still love the entirety of this. So many good grooves and melodies. A perfect experience. 5/5
Fiona Apple
2/5
Never locked into this. I like Fiona Apple’s voice. And I’ve enjoyed her songs in the past. But this album didn’t do much for me. 2.5/5
Rush
2/5
Rush is one of those bands that you either make your whole personality or you kinda shrug your shoulders at. I’m shrugging my shoulders. It’s mostly just fine. I think the rock vocals are good, the instrumentation is interesting, but every song sounds the same to me. 2.5/5
Oasis
2/5
Just not my jam. It’s not atrocious. But I don’t particularly like any of the songs. All of which sound the same to me. 2/5
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Didn’t like him when I was a teenager and he was super popular. Certainly don’t like him now. 1/5
Beach House
4/5
I’m just a sucker for these dreamy vocals. The whole album feels like I’m in some sleep word and that’s a good thing! Saw them live once and they put on a great show. 4/5
Moby Grape
2/5
Another generic 60s album. I didn’t find one standout song. It’s not amongst the worst I’ve listened to but there’s nothing here that I find essential. 2.5/5
Miles Davis
4/5
What can I say about Miles Davis? He’s a master. I enjoyed listening to this. A couple of tracks are in my favourites. I don’t find his music something I can relax to. I need to be listening intently. And because of that I’m rarely going to throw him on to listen to. 4/5
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Overall I enjoyed my time with this. There’s a few songs I found to be great. It this album is also 20 minutes too long. 3.5/5
ABBA
4/5
Call me basic if you must but I love ABBA. I guess the production of their music can be seen as cheesy, but their vocals are killer. Plus, something that isn’t valued in pop music but that I respect is that they usually use perfect rhymes. As a stickler for that sort of thing I appreciate it. Anyway, fun album! 4.5/5
John Lennon
5/5
Not the best solo album from a former Beatle. But pretty close! You really can hear all the things that John brought to that band without any other influence. And for a brief moment it’s magic. 5/5
Baaba Maal
2/5
Not terrible but this is just not my thing. Some of the backing music was enjoyable but the vocals kept taking me out of it. 2.5/5
Ute Lemper
3/5
It’s odd. Because on paper I should love this. What pushes people away is what I greatly enjoy: the bombastic theatrical style of the music. But the lyrics are often quite awful. 3/5
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
I … I don’t know what this was. Mostly cheesy tunes, and then that’s parade song was a bridge too far. The music is fine, I guess, but the lyrics are suspect. At least it’s under 30 minutes. 2/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I don’t know if I fully “get” Stevie Wonder. There’s certainly individual songs I like. But the two albums this challenge has served me are just ok. Nothing that I’d choose to revisit. 3/5
Lana Del Rey
2/5
Her voice is pleasant enough. But every song just sounds the same. 2/5
Digital Underground
2/5
I don’t even really like their big hit. Plus it being over an hour long seems egregious. Also admit this is just not my thing. 2/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Maybe my expectations were too high. I’ve enjoyed other Joni Mitchell stuff and this is considered one of the best albums of all time. And I thought it was pretty good! Just not excellent. 4/5
Leftfield
3/5
These type of albums are so hard for me to rate. Did I groove to it? Sure. Will I ever seek this out again? Probably not. But I did enjoy my time with it. 3/5
Elton John
3/5
Elton John has created some of my all time favorite songs. But his singles are often better than listening to his albums. At least in my opinion. So many forgettable tunes on this and one that’s embracing. But the bangers are just so good. 3.5/5
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Because of the nature of this list I don’t get to spend a lot of time with an album. I need to return to this because I liked a lot of it. But I do think it’s a tad too long. They being said I also have never listened to any other LCD Soundsystem album so maybe I just don’t have context. 3.5/5
Cat Stevens
4/5
Really loved my time with this album. Just pleasant songwriting. A handful of songs are among my favourites. Maybe this is just because I love Harold and Maude. 4.5/5
The Pretty Things
1/5
This project has revealed to me just how little patience I have for psychedelic rock. It’s at a zero. Didn’t really enjoy this at all. 1/5
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Here’s the crazy thing with expectations. Basing it on the current consensus I was preparing myself to have this. Instead I came away kinda liking this. I definitely appreciate it! An attempt to show the music of India isn’t “weird” to an English speaking audience. I thought there was some good stuff in this. 3.5/5
Nick Drake
3/5
Pleasant record. This is a great example of an album I wish I had the time to listen to a second or third time as I suspect my admiration would grow. But for now it’s going to be labelled as “good.” 3/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I listened to this yesterday and now can’t remember a single thing. Neither positive nor negative. It just washed over me. 2.5/5
T. Rex
4/5
I’ve heard of T. Rex but never engaged with their music. Had a great time! Some new favourites. 4/5
The Zombies
3/5
The Zombies have made some of my favorite songs. This album was a slight disappointment as I was expecting a bunch of bangers. The good songs are great. The others are merely passable. 3.5/5
Not aggressively bad. It’s just not my jam. I can hear elements of precision and talent but I’d never choose to listen to this again. 2.5/5
The Stooges
2/5
The beginning songs are fine I suppose but the last two songs, especially, devolve into screeches and noise. 2/5
Foo Fighters
2/5
Foo Fighters have never been my thing. There’s obvious talent and well crafted songs. But I’m just bored the entire time. 2.5/5
Mudhoney
2/5
To be fair I don’t think, overall, I’m much of a grunge person. There was the occasional moment that I enjoyed but overall this was a slog to get through. 2/5
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
I listened to this two days ago and forgot to rate it afterwards. I can’t remember a single thing about it. So it couldn’t have been awful. But certainly not something I’ll be returning to. 2/5
Portishead
3/5
I had a very different understanding of what Portishead was like as a band. I think I’d conflated them with Prodigy. Anyway, this was a pleasant listen. Ethereal vocals. Would put this on if in the right mood. 3/5
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Somehow I know a lot of Fatboy Slim songs when I didn’t think I’d ever heard more than two or three. Had a blast listening to this. Fun mashups and grooves. 4.5/5
Kate Bush
2/5
As someone who loved the last Kate Bush record that was given to me I was shocked by how much I hated this. There’s a lot of screaming and weirdness but not much of it is good. 2/5
Genesis
3/5
Need to give this another listen someday. At first I wasn’t sure what I was even listening to. Some parts felt a bit too goofy. But by the end I’d fully been swept up into it. Has the potential to rise highly in my estimation but for now I’ll give it a 3.5/5
Taylor Swift
4/5
This album is an anomaly for me. I’m not that much of a Taylor Swift fan. I find her lyrics far too over praised and her music lacks a dynamism that appears in stuff from her peers. And yet I think this is a solid pop record. There’s some good bangers on it. The only one of her albums I’d ever come back to and listen in full. 4/5
Jimmy Smith
3/5
I did enjoy listening to this. But I put it on while painting a room. Can’t say any song jumped out at me as being essential. 3.5/5
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
This felt like the lost soundtrack to a David Lynch film. Vibed to a lot of it. Didn’t find any individual songs that I found I wanted to revisit. 3/5
Nico
2/5
There are isolated moments where I vibe to this. But an entire album is a bit much. 2/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I think I’m discovering that I’m just not a Springsteen guy. It’s fine. But nothing that thrills me. 3/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
I know some Beach Boys fanatics so I knew that their later discography was different than what most people know them as. I was enjoying the first half of this. But the second half wasn’t as strong. Some songs felt like noise while others just felt like a rehash of the earlier songs on the album. 3/5
Circle Jerks
2/5
Love how short this is. Also love the attitude. But u can’t get over how amateur the lyrics are. I get that punk music is more about the attitude but it was grating how bad the words are. 2.5/5
Ray Charles
3/5
Ray Charles is another artist who I like in small doses and not really an entire album. It’s not bad. But I start checking my watch halfway through. 3.5/5
Girls Against Boys
4/5
I really vibed with this. I liked the punk influences. The melodies are good. I’ll definitely listen again. 4/5
Kraftwerk
4/5
One of my great discoveries in this project is how much I love Kraftwerk. It’s like they’ve burrowed into my brain and harvested sounds that I’ll enjoy. 4.5/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
I was listening to this while on a long distance drive. One song blended into another. I can’t even really remember much about it other than it being alright. 2.5/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
It’s a seminal album for sure. The highs are very high. But there are a couple of duds on this. 4.5/5
William Orbit
3/5
Listened to half of this in the car and the other half with headphones on. While wearing headphones I began to appreciate the textures more. Don’t know why that is. 3/5
2/5
Some standard punk stuff. I swayed from liking it to tolerating it. 2.5/5
Pretenders
3/5
I liked this. But once again while I didn’t hate the experience I wasn’t overly in love with anything either. 3/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Still so sad what happened to her. The lyrics are quite good and I groove with most of the music. 4.5/5
Beatles
3/5
I’m a huge Beatles fan and I can confidently say this shouldn’t be on the list. Great for the Beatles completions, and there are some good songs but this is not one of their essential albums. 3/5
Muddy Waters
3/5
Good performances of these songs but I’m not sure why this live album was selected for this list. A Muddy Waters studio album would’ve been better. 3/5
Blur
2/5
Good in small doses, I suppose. There were a few songs I liked and could see myself revisiting. But as an album I found the “cuteness” became cloying after a while. 2.5/5
Aretha Franklin
2/5
No argument that Aretha can sing and sing well. But with the exception of “Respect” I found these songs mostly bland. And they all kind of feel the same. It’s not awful but I was pretty bored while listening. 2.5/5
Little Richard
3/5
The template for rock and roll to follow. A great collection of tunes! But I do find a bunch of filler is on this too. 3.5/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
“Wake Up” is probably in my top 20 songs of all time. I really like the rest of the album too. 4.5/5
Silver Jews
2/5
I think you had to be there. 2/5
Gene Clark
3/5
Sounds like old school country. I know that turns a lot of people off. I didn’t mind it but also didn’t find anything that elevated it beyond a pleasant listen. 3/5
Queen
2/5
I think I’m just a fan of their greatest hits because I found this album to be severely lacking. Plus it doesn’t even have one of their more famous songs. It’s ok, I guess. 2.5/5
Massive Attack
3/5
Did vibe for most of this. But probably not something I’d return except for a couple of songs. 3.5/5
Van Morrison
4/5
I pushed play on this expecting to hate it. So maybe because I had the lowest of expectations, especially because I haven’t really enjoyed most of the live albums on this list, this was a pleasant surprise! I really liked it! It’s not revolutionary. But maybe because it’s mostly a straight ahead record without a lot of crowd work it worked. Good recording. 4/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Fun change of pace! Loved the instrumentation. But this isn’t really my jam, especially for 7 songs in a row. 3/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
I like Tom Pertty’s later output far more than this first record. Still some good stuff but a lot of this feels like filler. 3/5
The White Stripes
4/5
This is just my kind of thing. Totally get if people are turned off by Jack White. But his melodies always sound right to me. And his vocals match the music. 4/5
Pantera
2/5
Once again we return to metal and I just don’t like it. The fuzzy guitars are cool. But the vocals and the aesthetic are turn offs for me. I believe that those who love this get some kind of catharsis that I don’t. It just leaves me feeling anxious and angry all day. 2/5
Pulp
4/5
Guess I’m an outlier on this one. Really enjoyed. Far more than most of the other Britpop I’ve encountered on the list so far. Liked the memories, and the attitude, and the whole production. Will definitely listen again. 4/5
Aretha Franklin
3/5
There were individual songs that I loved. But as a whole album there are a few dull parts. 3.5/5
Meat Loaf
4/5
So maximalist and so fun. Very theatrical. As a musical theatre fan it’s right up my alley. 4.5/5
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Pretty generic punk from my untrained ear. 2.5/5
Wilco
2/5
On paper I should love this. But I’ve tried to like Wilco in the past and it just doesn’t take. Some occasional good melodies but mostly I’m checked out. 2.5/5
Hole
4/5
While I liked the other album from Hole better I still found myself liking this a lot. 4/5
Ride
2/5
There was nothing I hated. It just washed over me and left absolutely no impression. 2.5/5
Aphex Twin
4/5
Had a great time having this on in the background while making breakfast this morning. It’s a perfect record to just relax to. 4/5
Kanye West
3/5
It’s fine. There are individual songs that I find undeniably great. But I’m not convinced this entire album is at the same level.
Guided By Voices
2/5
This is a bunch of musical ideas, none of which are explored. Anything good is quickly abandoned so that the next song can start on this far too many 28 track album. Had they dug into the truly good melodies and songs, and tossed the actively annoying tracks, this could’ve been something special. 2.5/5
2/5
Was never a Devo devotee. A lot of this is just annoying noise to me. 2.5/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
I don’t dislike CCR but I do also feel like once you’ve heard one song you’ve heard them all. 3/5
Killing Joke
2/5
Some good grooves but I found this mostly dull. 2/5
Burning Spear
3/5
I think I need to return to this sometime. I liked it but it was not at all what I was expecting. I’ve never been that big of a fan of reggae but this hit different. 3.5/5
The Band
3/5
Never been the biggest The Band fan. There’s a couple good tunes. But overall this is the type of music you license to play in the background of a movie scene that takes places in a Southern bar. 3/5
Pink Floyd
4/5
There are some undeniable bangers on this. But unlike Dark Side of the Moon this overstays its welcome. Way too many songs that feel more masterbatory than essential. Still, I can’t deny that when it’s great it’s fucking great. 4/5
The Stooges
2/5
Don’t know why I can’t lock into The Stooges. But everyone I try I bounce off. The punk attitude is great but I simply don’t enjoy their songs. 2.5/5
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Listens to this sporadically while visiting parents at Christmas. Would probably hit different if I could’ve listened to it all in one go. Still liked it. But possibly could love it if I return to it. 4/5
Pixies
4/5
Great. Loved it. Will probably get bumped to a 5 after I listen to this a bunch. 4.5/5
Frank Zappa
3/5
Agree with others who have said this feels like a score to a movie that doesn’t exist. Did like large swaths of this. But the few times someone started singing I was aggressively turned off. 3/5
The Prodigy
4/5
Really dug this. But I still subscribe to my theory that it takes something really special for an album to justify being over 50 minutes long. It does start to become diminishing returns the longer it goes. 4/5
David Bowie
5/5
I do think the first half is stronger than the second half. But I just lock into Bowie’s stuff so I’m never having a bad time. 5/5
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
The length is daunting. I still say not many great albums are over 50 minutes. But I did love a lot of these songs. Will definitely be retiring to certain tracks. 4/5
Big Star
2/5
It’s perfectly fine. There’s two or thee songs that I think are really good. Then the rest is just mediocre background music. 2.5/5
Fats Domino
3/5
I do like Fats. But I guess I just like his hits. Because most of this (not very long) album is him singing standards. It’s just ok. 3/5
Death In Vegas
4/5
Don’t know what to say. For some reason this just clicked with me. Seems like most people dislike it but it settles my mind. I definitely prefer the instrumental only tracks, though. 4/5
John Prine
2/5
I’m not a member of the country hate train. But I also didn’t like this all that much. The lyrics can sometimes be hard hitting. But there wasn’t much variety with the instrumentation. 2/5
The Lemonheads
2/5
A couple songs were fine but mostly this was forgettable indie pop for me. 2.5/5
David Bowie
4/5
Still firmly a Bowie fanatic. 4.5/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Not in love with this as much as the other Nick Cave albums I’ve listened to for this project but still solid. 4/5
The Young Gods
3/5
Another album that I liked way more than the average. Solid French rock music. Although I admittedly only know a couple of bands who sing in French. 3.5/5
4/5
I’m in the in-between generation of people who love U2 and people who hate U2. I think this is a very good collection of songs. But I’m not going change my life for it. 4/5
Massive Attack
4/5
With a good pair of headphones I fell into this and grooved to this album. Still think Massive Attack is better when there aren’t lyrics. 4/5
David Holmes
2/5
With all the car horns and other sound effects probably a bad idea to listen to this while driving. 2.5/5
Scritti Politti
2/5
This was a weird experience. Because I really like the vocals. Dreamy and ethereal. But almost across the board I didn’t like the music/instrumentation that they put underneath. 2/5
Coldplay
4/5
Call me basic because I think this is a solid album. The popular singles are still good and I think the collection of songs work to build musically over the record. 4/5
Drive-By Truckers
1/5
First album from this project that I didn’t finish. I hit the 30 minute mark of this ludicrously 90+ minute record and I was hating every second of it. So I stopped. Try hard country. 0/5
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Will need to give another listen sometime. But I really enjoyed this. Seemed like one long song meant to underscore a spiritual journey.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Pleasant enough listen. A couple of standout tracks. Probably would never choose to relisten to the album, but there are certain songs I’d revisit. 3/5
Eagles
3/5
Love the title track. A couple of others are strong. But this is the dad rock album to rule all and I became bored by the end. 3/5
Pere Ubu
1/5
I couldn’t get past the fourth song. Just unpleasant to me. 1/5
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Just bland light rock. Found myself falling asleep multiple times. 2/5
Nick Drake
4/5
Love Nick Drake as a songwriter. Don’t know why I never feel compelled to listen to him. 4/5
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
They should score a movie about a social media company. 4/5
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Hip hop continues to not really be my thing. But this was enjoyable for many tracks. The skits are all bad. It’s also WAY too long. However theres some good stuff here. 3/5
Willie Nelson
4/5
I don’t know if all the songs are covers but a lot are. And they’re lovely. 4/5
The Smiths
3/5
There’s individual songs from The Smiths that I love. But I struggle with full albums. Kinda mid honestly. 3/5
Orange Juice
2/5
The first song filled me with hope. I liked it even though it felt like a ripoff of The Smiths. But then the rest of the album devolved into nonsense. 2/5
Madonna
3/5
There are songs on this that I think are undeniable. Specially “Like a Prayer” is one of the all time great pop songs. But then there a handful of true head scratchers. Nice to see Madonna experimenting. But I don’t want to listen to it. 3.5/5
James Taylor
2/5
Sure you have “Fire and Rain” but all the other tracks basically sound the same. Taylor’s voice is nice but the music puts me to sleep. 2/5
Rod Stewart
2/5
Rod Stewart is one of those artists where I like the hits and not much else. 2.5/5
10cc
3/5
Love that they go for it. Goofy and bizarre in places. But I’d rather listen to something like this than an album that’s 15 versions of the same song. 3/5
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Voice of an angel. Music that’s only ok. 3/5
Steely Dan
2/5
I think the funniest thing is that there are people who are OBSESSED with Steely Dan. And to me they’re the poster children for music that is perfectly made to be played in the background of a bar scene in a movie. 2.5/5
Songhoy Blues
2/5
Wish I liked this more. I didn’t hate it. But after 3 tracks I was mostly bored. The craft is good, but it’s just not my thing. 2.5/5
Louis Prima
4/5
Just fun from start to finish. Plus there’s a lot of variety in song choice, vocals, and style. I’m biased, though. I never get tired of hearing King Louie scat. 4/5
Thin Lizzy
2/5
I’m glad they have fans. It’s not even music I find terrible. It’s just not something I get excited by. 2.5/5
Prince
5/5
Not every individual song is a banger. But as a whole this entire album rocks. Plus the highs are so astronomically high that I can’t help but give this a 5/5
Mudhoney
2/5
I like the fuzzy guitars. But otherwise this just wasn’t my thing. 2/5
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
My suspicion is that Sleater-Kinney would be amazing to see live. As a recording I only mildly enjoyed it. But I doubt I’ll return to this anytime soon. 3/5
Def Leppard
2/5
I’m just not into this although I see the appeal. I like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” but I wonder if that’s just nostalgia. 2.5/5
The Monkees
2/5
I was actually looking forward to this. I’ve enjoyed a couple of singles from The Monkees understanding that they’re sugary sweet pop. And so I was very disappointed that most of this is just bland. 2/5
The Pogues
3/5
Could only find the Expanded Version of this album so I’m not sure how long the original is. But for me it definitely outstayed its welcome. Still for the first 10 songs there was variety and I kinda loved the Irish nature of the rock band. 3/5
Blue Cheer
2/5
Interesting for the novelty of it being the first hard rock album (supposedly). But it didn’t do much for me personally. 2/5
Brian Eno
2/5
As back ground music? Sure. To sit down and listen to? No. 2.5/5
Pavement
4/5
Not a complete home run for me. But the good outweighs the bad. I’m the sicko who loves the whiny vocals. And the backing guitars are great. 4/5
New Order
2/5
I honestly forgot I was listening to this while I was listening to it. Not awful but completely forgettable. 2.5/5
Lucinda Williams
2/5
A couple of good tunes choked within a swatch of mediocre songs. 2/5
Korn
1/5
I know the poster to this album well. When I was a teen boy all the other teen boys were obsessed with Korn. Listened to this album non-stop, had the band’s pictures plastered on their walls, and talked about them all the time like they were modern day profits. I was mostly scared by the heaviness of the music, and preferred to explore other types of music. I’m glad people still get value out of this. I continue to wrinkle my nose at it like the absolute square that I am. 1/5
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Cocteau Twins are so weird for me. I always enjoy them while listening but nothing sticks. I’d probably never search them out to listen to. 3/5
UB40
2/5
After two songs I got the point. Then it continues for over an hour. 2/5
Tim Buckley
2/5
It’s not exactly your standard singer/songwriter from the 60s. But I was fairly bored by the third song. I definitely prefer his son. 2.5/5
Billy Joel
5/5
People will never get me to hate Billy Joel. Great hooks, fun lyrics, performed earnestly. I like all of it. Except that second last song. But all the rest are great. 5/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Wish I could be as enthusiastic about this as others are. I actually find most of the songs actively annoying with the occasional good one thrown in. 2/5
Missy Elliott
2/5
Totally understand that Missy Elliott is revered, and in some cases under appreciated. At least in theory. As the person who doesn’t really connect with hip hop this sounds like more of the same. 2/5
Britney Spears
2/5
That opening song is still pop perfection. Everything after that I can’t get into. 2/5
Jack White
4/5
Can veer into cheesiness at times. But mostly this is an earnest rock record which rarely gets made anymore. 4/5
The Who
3/5
I may not be the biggest fan of The Who but at the very least this was interesting. At times it sounds like a Monty Python record. Irreverent and funny. Some of the songs are good. I feel like they also wanted to make a movie out of this. 3/5
Wild Beasts
3/5
The average rating for this bad me worried. For the most part I liked it. But I think I’ll need to listen again to fully review it. The one thing I’ll agree with is that many of the lyrics are pretty cheesy. 3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Features a few of my all time favorite Dylan songs. But I also find a few that feel like filler. 4/5
Randy Newman
3/5
Having Toy Story be the first introduction of Randy Newman truly does not prepare you for him singing the n-word with a hard R. Anyway this is a concept album with some lovely tunes. But the chances of me sitting down and listening to this in full again are basically nil. 3/5
Metallica
2/5
“Enter Sandman” may be the best opening to an album ever. Afterwards this is just diminishing returns. 2/5
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
When this album came out it hit at the right time for me. However now, outside of the famous song, there wasn’t a lot that excited me. Not terrible just ok. 3/5
Mott The Hoople
4/5
Looks like I’m an outlier. But u always enjoy the energy from Mott the Hoople. No idea what their name means but their music is fun. 4/5
Throwing Muses
2/5
Some of the musical textures were great. But man those lyrics are both bleak and often not good. 2.5/5
Germs
1/5
Certainly no wasted time on this album. But this is also absolutely not made for me. Did not enjoy any part of it. 1/5
Giant Sand
2/5
Don’t mind some of the instrumentation but the vocals drove me nuts. Far too often they’re too quiet to make out what they’re saying. When you can understand I don’t care. 2/5
Roxy Music
2/5
Don’t know why I liked the first Roxy Music album I listened to so much. Because every other one on this list has been annoying. 2/5
John Grant
4/5
Surprising. Not at all what I was expecting based on the album artwork. This is more tongue in cheek, almost novelty, songs. But I enjoyed a lot of it. The backing music is layered and textured that makes it far more interesting. Lyrics can be funny, but are often inconsequential.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
I don’t know. It sounds maudlin and sugary sweet for most of the record. Occasionally an interesting musical idea is merges. But mostly I found this forgettable. 2/5
Robbie Williams
2/5
Just really joy my think. Not the worst pop record. But to me it just comes off as generic without any hooks that make me want to keep listening. Also, didn’t this guy used to be a monkey? 2.5/5
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Not precisely my cup of tea. It just comes off as generic pop of the time rather than anything essential. 2/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Short and sweet. Fun to hear a 1960s audience lose their minds. Not sure if I’d listen to this live album rather than the studio recordings, though. 3/5
Funkadelic
4/5
The album artwork has always slightly scared me. But the actual album is far different from the picture to promote it. I fell into the grooves and had a great time listening. 4/5
Tom Waits
4/5
I’m one of the sickos who enjoys Tom Waits’ whole deal. So I enjoyed this quite a bit. A tad all over the place tonally but that’s a small nitpick. 4/5
Buzzcocks
2/5
Can’t deny their energy, but after three songs it all kind of blurs together. 2.5/5
Fairport Convention
3/5
Weird because it simultaneously sounds like so many records of the 60s and yet also sounds different. I can’t quite put my finger on why. Regardless I was glad to be introduced to it. 3.5/5
Stephen Stills
2/5
I feel like there’s this whole period from the mid-60s to mid-70s that prioritized blues based rock and it’s a real “I guess you had to be there” vibe for me. It’s not that I think it’s bad. There’s good musicianship on display. I just stop caring after three or four songs. And this goes on for over an hour. 2.5/5
Sister Sledge
3/5
Pretty groovy. 3/5
Deep Purple
3/5
A down the middle hard rock record. It was completely serviceable. Occasionally thrilling. 3/5
Jungle Brothers
2/5
Old hip hop always feels so precious. Lik a child trying to sound cool. There’s a charm to it, but it always sounds a bit cheesy now. 2.5/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
I’m not going to say I loved this. But there were moments I locked in. The vocals and music almost cast a magic spell. Ultimately I doubt I’ll come back to this but wouldn’t be mad if I did. 3/5
The Killers
4/5
This album was released in my last year of university. It’s so hard not to look at this without rose coloured glasses. I love it. At least the first 7 songs. The last four are a bit hit or miss which prevents this was from being a masterpiece. But boy does it get close. 4.5/5
The xx
3/5
I never really “got” xx even though I was alive when they became an indie sensation. A handful of their sons are enjoyable late night driving songs. But ultimately I’m always waiting for the beat to drop or a hook to start and it never comes. 3/5
Goldie
1/5
Simply not my thing. Tried to engage with the ethereal nature but just heard disparate noises. B
Hated listening to this. 1/5
Big Star
2/5
There’s always a debate on popular singers who don’t have beautiful voices but do have good music. (Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, etc). For the most part I like those artists. But Big Star has their lead song out of tune and it drives me nuts. 2.5/5
The Who
2/5
Outside of a handful of their big hits I mostly find The Who tedious to listen to. Like, I get it. It’s just not really for me. 2.5/5
Sepultura
2/5
I’m so glad that this gives joy to people. But I couldn’t stand listening to it. As with most metal I appreciate the musicianship but it just puts a frown on my face. 2/5
Nirvana
4/5
While I was never a “Nirvana guy” even though I’m the exact right age, I still can’t deny many of these songs. 4/5
The Charlatans
2/5
It sorta just blends together after a while. I suspect they were probably good live. But I have no desire to listen to this ever again. 2/5
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Not really my thing. Seemed quite devotional which I’m sure others will find resonance with. 2.5/5
The Monks
3/5
Kind of like a proto-punk band in a way. Enjoyed some of it. But did get pretty repetitive by the end. 3/5
Gotan Project
3/5
Of course I don’t understand all of this. But there were moments I totally locked into this. 3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I prefer the other Yeah Yeah Yeahs album I listened to. But there’s are two or three standouts on this album that I really enjoyed. The others are pretty forgettable. 3/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Cohen proves why he’s beloved. This is before the huskiness of his voice took over so it does sound pretty similar to the singer/songwriters of the time. It’s just that his lyrics are far better. 4/5
Stephen Stills
2/5
Perfectly pleasant but just not my thing. 2.5/5
Garbage
4/5
This was a surprising one. I’m of the right age to know Garbage and be obsessed with them. Except I never listened to them in my teens. Now, fully an adult, really loved this. Would probably remove two songs to make it perfect. 4.5/5
N.W.A.
3/5
A 42 year old white man probably shouldn’t be blasting this while driving to work but here we are. Not really my thing, but I understand the importance, and some of the rhymes still hit hard. 3/5
Metallica
3/5
Will never be a Metallica superfan. But I think I get their appeal. There’s a handful of songs here that are propulsive and catchy. But I’ll never seek them out to listen. 3/5
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
There are a few songs on this that are undeniable classics. But I also think more than half this album is a snooze fest. 2.5/5
Black Flag
3/5
While I can’t imagine I’ll ever seek this out to listen to again, I can’t deny there’s a charm to the earnest angst this record showcases. This group hates a lot of things, ironically lists stuff they like, but does so in such a gloriously punky way. 3/5
Koffi Olomide
2/5
I’m sure if I saw this live it would be infectiously fun. Listening to it on its own it all just fades into itself. 2.5/5
Randy Newman
2/5
I don’t know. I honestly think Newman’s lyrics are great. But I veer wildly as to whether I’m enjoying a song or not. So I’m either all in or all out. Too much whiplash for me. 2.5/5
Talvin Singh
3/5
Often sounded like an epic film soundtrack. Have to say that I vibed with this for the most part even if I never fell fully in love with this. 3.5/5
Tracy Chapman
4/5
The highs are so insanely high on this. There are a couple of forgettable songs but overall this is an essential album. 4.5/5
Coldcut
3/5
Call me basic I guess because I liked most of this. Sort of diminishing returns as the album goes on but I enjoyed it overall 3/5
Brian Eno
2/5
Liked a couple of songs. The soundscape was often cool. But the singing mostly drove me nuts. 2/5
The Vines
2/5
Maybe had I got into this when I was 20 it would’ve spoke to me. Mostly this came off as generic. 2.5/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Likes this better than the last Eno album I got two days ago. Lyrics were kept to a minimum and I was able to enjoy the ethereal music landscape. 3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This band is a bit of a conundrum for me. I enjoy the whole listening experience but there isn’t a song that I feel compelled to listen to by itself. So I guess that makes it a good album? 4/5
Common
3/5
While I’m not usually a big hip hop fan I actually locked into this pretty quickly. I liked the melodies and beats chosen for the underscore. The lyrics were good. Would listen to this again. 3.5/5
Pixies
3/5
I like Pixies. I do. But for some reason this album didn’t fully connect with me. Outside of “Where is My Mind?” I found most of songs fine but not great. Still might return to this again, though. 3/5
The Youngbloods
3/5
For a band that I’d never heard of this was far better than I thought it was going to be. As with many albums for this challenge I’ll need more than one listen to really compose my thoughts. But I enjoyed most of this. A fusion of 60s pop and jazz. 3.5/5
The Cult
2/5
Aggressively banal. At least for me. It’s probably one of those things you just had to be there for. 2/5
SZA
4/5
I really do like SZA. Her dreamy vocals just draw me in. I think I prefer her followup record but this has some great stuff. 4/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
On paper I should be annoyed by all of this. Similar albums I have been. But there was something about the music that drew me in so much that I could usually ignore the bullshit vocalizations. 3/5
Little Simz
3/5
While I don’t think I’ll ever intentionally listen to this again I didn’t have a bad time worn it. Admittedly hip hop isn’t my preferred genre but I was able to groove to this. That is until the N words start being dropped. 3/5
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
It’s some alright background music that goes far too long. 2/5
Ramones
3/5
Some of these are bops (pun intended) but it does start to feel the same after a while. 3/5
AC/DC
4/5
Even though I’m not much of a hard rock guy this album is kinda undeniable. A handful of classic songs. Plus a propulsive drive that doesn’t overstay its welcome. 4/5
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Some good stuff but nothing I found essential. My suspicion is they’d be great to see live. 3/5
SAULT
3/5
Not even sure how to describe this. Every song is different. It’s a collage of styles and ideas. So I kinda liked it. 3/5
Bert Jansch
2/5
Was hopeful when I heard this was a Scottish folk musician. Only occasionally could I hear his brogue! Disappointing. Especially because this album is so boring. 2/5
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
It’s getting harder for me to rate things on this list. Like this wasn’t awful but I wasn’t wowed by it either. It was totally fine. And I’ve generally liked songs from this band that I’ve heard in the past. Sometimes an album is just too much of the same thing. 3/5
George Jones
3/5
I’m just a fan of George Jones’ voice. Because of that, and the quality of the lyrics, I’m able to forgive that this is basically the same song over and over again. 3/5
The Verve
2/5
The nerve of having The Verve is throwing off my ratings curve. 2/5
The Offspring
4/5
Transported back to the 90s. Have to admit I didn’t realize how important of a band The Offspring were not that their most famous song was actually about race riots. 4/5
Richard Thompson
2/5
Mix of singer/songwriter and Irish ballads. But there also a dash of pop in there too. Anyway it’s a bit of an odd confection. There was one song I really loved. But the rest was fairly forgettable to me. 2.5/5
Richard Hawley
3/5
Really vibed with this. Never even heard of this guy. Certainly a throwback, but with enough ethereal backing music to make it interesting. Need a second listen to really understand my feelings. 3.5/5
The Zutons
2/5
Couldn’t quite crack if this was earnest or ironic. Not that it ultimately mattered but it seemed to veer from rock to novelty at the drop of a hat. 2.5/5
Paul Weller
3/5
Definitely a throwback. This doesn’t sound like a 90s record. I locked into some of it. There’s certainly a mastery of creativity even if it’s not something I’ll come back to. 3/5
Sade
3/5
Easy enough go listen to. I wouldn’t say I disliked it but I often found myself falling asleep while listened. 3/5
George Michael
3/5
I think people will either accept or reject the ultra processed sound of this. But there are three songs that I think are great, a few that are pretty good, and the rest are fine. Had a good morning listening to this. 3.5/5
Bill Callahan
4/5
I found the music hypnotic. I done disagree with those who find the vocals at odds with the instrumentation. But I locked into this oddity fairly quickly and was along for the ride. 4/5
Crowded House
2/5
Fairly generic stuff. Didn’t actively hate it but I was never excited to be listening. 2.5/5
Queens of the Stone Age
2/5
I know anecdotally that there are a bunch of Queens of the Stone Age fans. But I’ve never really got them. It’s fine, I guess. A whole album is too much for me. 2/5
Pavement
3/5
Whiny white boy music. Which means I’m going to like it. Except for a couple of songs I don’t find this exceptional but it’s solid. 3/5
Pearl Jam
2/5
I’ve never been much of a Pearl Jam fan although I do enjoy doing an Eddie Vedder impression whenever I get the chance. I still knew half of this album even though I’ve never sat down and listened to it. It has a legacy for sure. It’s just not my thing. 2.5/5
Public Enemy
4/5
While I’m most likely not the target audience at all I love this album. Especially the final song, “Fight the Power” this feels like the apex of early hip hop. The sampling is unmatched with how many references they’re throwing at you. The lyrics still carry a weight. My only nitpick is that it’s a bit too long. They could’ve trimmed a couple of songs. 4.5/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Alternates from attempts at more hardcore music to sleepy attempts at being Joy Division. 2/5
The Fall
2/5
Happy for the people this speaks to. For a punk album it feels far too over produced. Music never grabbed me. 2/5
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Oddly, having known of Pet Shop Boys for decades I’ve never really listened to them. But this is very much my jam. The backing beats, the synths, and the vocals all add up to be catnip for me. I wouldn’t say there’s a standout song though. It’s mostly vibes throughout the entire album. 4/5
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
As I make my way through this list I’m consistently proven right that hip hop just isn’t my thing. That being said there are some rhymes in this that are excellent. Witty and perfect. But as always it goes on far too long. The genre prefers beats over melodies and I’m just wired to enjoy the inverse. But I can’t deny the talent. 3/5
White Denim
3/5
An odd blend of pop, indie, and country. I liked a lot of this. Think I’d need to take another couple of listens to fully know what I think. At this point no standout songs. But I did enjoy my time. 3.5/5
The National
2/5
I find this kind of music the hardest to rate. Is never search it out to listen to. But while it’s playing I can vibe to parts of it. They’re probably a pretty solid live band. But I’m left unmoved after listening to this. 2.5/5
Ryan Adams
2/5
For me it’s basically the shrug emoji. It’s fine for the most part. But far too long. 2.5/5
Aimee Mann
3/5
Lovely. Really my first experience with Aimee Mann even though I’ve known about her for decades. 3/5
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Didn’t hate it. But there’s nothing essential on this either. 2.5/5
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
At times it does feel like random elements thrown together. For me the surprising thing is that it often works. Can’t see myself seeking this out again but glad I had the experience. 3/5
The Prodigy
3/5
Nice blast from my past. I still have no idea what they’re singing about. 3/5
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Somehow missed out on this band while growing up in the 90s. Had a blast with it! Found some great new songs. Will definitely relisten. 4.5/5
Sparks
5/5
I’ve heard about Sparks for the last few years but I still didn’t think I was going to fall head over heels in love with them. There’s an ironic detachment they have. But the music is great. 5/5
Liz Phair
3/5
Another album that I liked but didn’t find any song that I loved. Wouldn’t mind if someone put this on but I’d never seek it out. 3/5
Incubus
2/5
I agree with another review I saw on this site. You can be metal or you can be not metal but this wants to be both and it doesn’t work. At least for me. 2/5
Deerhunter
3/5
I find these shoegaze albums so hard to rate. Like, I did vibe at times. But this is something I’d put on in the background and never engage with. Something to set the mood and not to enhance it. Good but not essential. 3/5
Bee Gees
2/5
What an oddity. You can hear bits of The Beatles and hints of Creedence Clearwater Revival, fronted by the unmistakable sound of Bee Gees vocals. Then interspersed is an orchestral score for a movie that doesn’t exist. I don’t know if it actually holds together despite individual moments being pretty good. 2.5/5
3/5
There’s some bangers. But I can’t help but hear how derivative this band is. 3/5
Tom Waits
4/5
I know (and totally understand) that Tom Waits is an acquired taste. But it’s a taste that I’ve acquired! This isn’t my favourite album of his but the instrumental tracks are lovely, I could listen to him spin tales in the spoken word sections for hours, and this has some great songwriting. But I get it if you bounce off of his voice. 4/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
One of my favourites. Dylan synthesized his talent into one of the greatest records of all time. Many of my favourite songs appear on this album. Perfection. 5/5
Slipknot
1/5
I’m sure this works for somebody. 1/5
Elbow
3/5
Fairly solid. A few songs I absolutely loved. But mostly good stuff that doesn’t tip over into greatness. 3.5/5
Kings of Leon
2/5
Comes across as generic. I’m sure live they could put on a quality show. But just listening to this it feels like background music you hear at a dentist. 2/5
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Some moments that I enjoyed and overall an album I liked. But it does feel like try hard folk music at times. 3/5
FKA twigs
2/5
This was a weird experience. I’ve come across a couple of FKA twigs songs in the past and liked them. Even added them to a playlist. But the entire album did nothing for me. Maybe individual songs are good to generate the proper tone of a mix tape but not all that impressive solo. 2.5/5
Tito Puente
4/5
Because of my age I only know Tito Puente because of his involvement in the two part classic “Who Shot Mr. Burns” episode from The Simpsons. This album was groovy and fun. But I hadn’t noticed that Apple Music began playing similar songs after the album was finished. It took three tracks for me to clue in. So I feel that if this sounds so similar to other artists can it be one of the best? I’m probably overthinking it. 4/5
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Intellectually I know this is unfair, but because her pain from trauma is so apparent it makes me too sad while listening to this. There are a few songs that are among my favourites. But as an album it almost becomes too much. 3.5/5
Dr. Octagon
1/5
Pretty annoying experience for me. 1.5/5
Brian Wilson
3/5
Crazy this came out in 2004. Even knowing the history it sounds exactly like a record conceived in the 60s and then recorded with contemporary technology in the 2000s. So it sounds new and dated simultaneously. Never been the largest Beach Boys fan although when they hit for me they really hit. Glad I listened to this but I’m not sure I’ll come back to it. 3/5
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Another album that I kinda forgot I was listening to while listening to it. Never garbage me. 2/5
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
You can tell how this influenced other bands. But I think those bands do it better. 2/5
Venom
2/5
I’m just not a metal guy. That has been reaffirmed with this list as not a single one has been able to break through. I can hear how this was influential but it doesn’t make me like it. 2/5
Ozomatli
2/5
The first song made me believe I was going to love this. But eventually it all just ran together without any standouts. Fine but not essential. 2.5/5
The Icarus Line
1/5
I just found the whole thing exceptionally grating. 1.5/5
The Smiths
4/5
I’m still a sucker for this whiny white boy music. 4/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Still love Bob. Not quite the absolute masterpiece as a couple of his others but still very strong. Like all of the songs and half of them are some of my all time favourites. 4.5/5
Tim Buckley
2/5
Don’t mind his voice. Even some of the music is alright. But another commenter wrote that it sounds like a bad Renaissance Faire performance and I can’t unhear it. 2/5
The Mars Volta
3/5
I’m a fan of the instrumental stuff. The lyrics are complete nonsense. And they noodle around a bit too long. Solid but not really my thing. 3/5
Mekons
4/5
I’m bucking the consensus. Had a rad time listening to this. Its fusion of punk and country does sound off putting but it gels for me. It’s coming from such an earnest place. Found a few new favorite songs. 4/5
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Unlike, seemingly, the majority of the people who are on this website I’m totally on this band’s wavelength. Irreverent, operatic, and fun. Totally my jam. 4/5
Sheryl Crow
2/5
I like Crow’s voice. But the music itself is a touch too generic for me. Outside of the super famous song included on this album I mostly endured listening. 2.5/5
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Did like the music and the beats. As with a lot of the “world” music on this list I fear I don’t really get it when I can’t understand the words. 3.5/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Those harmonies are so gorgeous. A lot of great stuff here. One of my all time favourite songs is Bridge Over Troubled Water. That live song inclusion prevents this from being perfect. Stop clapping! 4.5/5
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Another world music album that was fine but not something I’d choose to revisit. 3/5
Can
1/5
Glad they were able to experiment. Also happy that others enjoyed this. I absolutely did not. 1/5
Pulp
4/5
A thoroughly enjoyable listen. The kind of English rock I love. Common People is the standout. 4/5
Aerosmith
2/5
Yep. That certainly is Aerosmith. Doing their Aerosmithery. 2.5/5
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Wow! Didn’t know about this album or artist and it totally knocked my socks off. A mix of genres but still feels thematically similar. Can’t wait to listen again. 5/5
Sugar
2/5
Generic and bland. I kept forgetting I was listening to an album. 2.5/5
The Kinks
4/5
Always been a fan of The Kinks. They sometimes get lost in the shuffle of the other rock bands from Britain. But this was pretty enjoyable. Maybe a little too much harpsichord. 4/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
It’s the type of 80s synth stuff that I like. 4/5
Alice Cooper
3/5
Pretty decent. I often find Cooper a bit try hard. And this certainly is ostentatious. But most of the music is good, but not all that essential for me. 3.5/5
OutKast
4/5
I think that Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is a masterpiece. This is also strong but doesn’t rise to that same level. 4/5
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Didn’t hate this. A couple of songs I’d even say are good. But I agree with many that many of the tracks sound like a poser trying to emulate their favourite artists rather than forging their own path. 2.5/5
Jane Weaver
4/5
Wow. This album is not very well liked. At least not by looking at the average rating on July 9, 2025. But I really enjoyed that! Loved the backing synth heavy music. Sure the vocals aren’t extraordinary but they fit the vibe. Found some songs I’ll definitely be revisiting. 4/5
The Birthday Party
1/5
No thanks! 1/5
Beatles
5/5
I’m a Beatles fanboy. So of course I loved this. One of the best! 5/5
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
A bit generic for my taste. Weirdly I loved the one instrumental track more than any of the other songs that had lyrics. 2/5
Steely Dan
2/5
I’m continually learning that Steely Dan is just not for me. It’s something to put on in the background of a bar but not something I’d choose to listen to of my own accord. 2/5
The Undertones
3/5
Some good stuff here. But I can’t figure out if it feels too slight or too rushed, however I ended up zoning out by the halfway point. 3/5
CHIC
3/5
“Good Times” is still a classic song. The rest of the album is good but just more of the same. 3.5/5
Sigur Rós
3/5
I tend to enjoy ethereal dreamscapes. But even I think this album is way too long. Still, there’s some good stuff here. 3/5
Stereolab
2/5
Thought I was going to love this but ended up being pretty disappointed. Just didn’t work for me. Mostly just goofy stuff without memorable melodies. 2.5/5
Weather Report
2/5
Felt like I was listening to hold music for an entire album. 2/5
5/5
I’m a Beatles fanboy and this is one of their best. When you have three of the best songs of all time on one album then it’s hard for me to not think it’s a masterpiece. 5/5
The Human League
2/5
Reading the description I was convinced I was going to love this. Unfortunately I didn’t find enough differences between the songs and many of the lyrics too goofy. There’s still some good beats and hooks but it never rises to anything but ok. 2.5/5
Gang Starr
3/5
I still struggle with rap while going through this list. It’s just not my genre. I like the backing music on a lot of this. Lyrics are fine but now feel quaint. 3/5
Joan Baez
3/5
I don’t dislike folk music but I do find I can only abide three or four songs before I get antsy for something different. I do like Joan’s voice, though. 3/5
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
That’s certainly 69 love songs. I can’t complain about false advertising. Could they have picked a lower number? Probably. Not every song is essential. But the experience was worthwhile. When I was vibing with this I was REALLY vibing with it. 4/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
Glad people enjoy this. It’s not that I hate it but it ultimately does nothing for me. Middle of the road dad rock. 3/5
The Damned
2/5
Energetic and fun. But for me this now seems dated rather than essential. 2.5/5
Ash
3/5
Found myself enjoying this far more than I thought I would. I wouldn’t say it gets to brings great. But it’s solid. 3/5
Pentangle
1/5
When we get to flower children cult music I completely check out. Didn’t like this at all. 1/5
The Young Rascals
2/5
It’s fine for what it is. A couple of songs I actually like. But the rest comes across as fairly derivative for the time. 2.5/5
Boards of Canada
3/5
Totally understand the criticism of this being a bunch of bleeps and bloops. All I can say is that at certain moments I fell into its vibe. Will I ever seek it out again? Doubtful. But it was a cool experience. 3/5
Slayer
1/5
Not my tempo. 1/5
Björk
3/5
I liked the other Björk albums far better. 3/5
Air
4/5
I should really rewatch this movie. 4/5
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Alanis was more of my brother’s music than mine. But the hits on this album still hit for me. 3.5/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I think I’m starting to “get” Springsteen even if I’ll never be one of his superfans. 3.5/5
The xx
3/5
There’s a couple of standout songs. But for the most part this faded into the background and I forgot I was listening to it. 3/5
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I just don’t think they’re my thing. Parts of songs were enjoyable. But often they were ruined by bizarre instrumentation that didn’t fit together for me. 2/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Would probably love seeing him perform live. But after the halfway mark of just listening it becomes repetitive. 3/5
Living Colour
2/5
Much like this past year’s Summerslam, everything went downhill after CM Punk’s entrance. 2.5/5
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Fairly generic. Didn’t hate but was looking at my watch waiting for this to be over. 2.5/5
Lou Reed
3/5
I normally like Lou Reed but this didn’t really do it for me. A couple of good songs and a lot of filler. 3/5
50 Cent
2/5
Glad people love this. But as I’m reaffirming by doing this challenge, most hip hop just isn’t for me. 2/5
Mike Oldfield
4/5
Does feel, at times, like a score for a film. (I know parts of this were used for films.) The kind of album you can throw on in the background and do other things (complimentary). 4/5
LL Cool J
2/5
Once again hip hop just isn’t my thing. There are some inventive rhymes and rhythms. But never once was I enjoying the listening experience. 2/5
Mylo
3/5
Didn’t white destroy rock and roll but certainly had a few good grooves. 3/5
Nanci Griffith
3/5
A solid country record. But nothing I can see me returning to. 3.5/5
The Jam
4/5
Fun pop record. Interesting instrumentation. Lyrics aren’t great all the time, but the hooks make you forget that. 4/5
Django Django
2/5
Occasionally there was a fun sequence. But too often it sounded like an 8-bit video game caught in a blender. 2.5/5
Ian Dury
1/5
Not entirely sure if this is serious or a joke. Regardless I didn’t enjoy it. 1/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Felt like I was being shouted at for most of this. 2/5
Goldfrapp
3/5
Quite a few of the tracks sounds like James Bond opening songs for movies that done exist. That’s a compliment. Alternates between engaging and bizarre. I was never bored. But my patience was tested a few times. 3/5
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Dreamy and hypnotic. But nothing that pushes this above every other band that sounds the same. 2/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
I appreciate the over the top theatricality. It’s just that outside a couple of songs there isn’t a whole lot memorable or essential here. 2.5/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
Stellar trumpet playing. Groovy music. Wish I understood the political message better, but overall this was a very good record to listen to for the first time. 4/5
Slint
1/5
Mumbly and pretentious. 1.5/5
Hookworms
3/5
I, like other commenters apparently, have never heard of this band. Ever. I did find myself loving certain tracks on this, though. However, there’s just as many that seem middle of the road. 3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This projected has affirmed that I’m just not a Rolling Stones guy. Not that there bad. They’re just extremely ok. Record was fine. Does do on for a bit too long. 3/5
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
A total surprise! Had never even heard about this album before. But I enjoyed basically all of it. Felt a tad long. But honestly the mostly instrumental album was great. The few songs with vocals also worked for me. 4.5/5
Fishbone
2/5
I found this far more eclectic than some of the reviews give it credit for. Not really my jam though. 2.5/5
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Pretty timeless and great. Of course there’s “Take Five” which almost feels overplayed at this point. But this is still an album I’d throw on. 4.5/5
Steely Dan
2/5
I just don’t think I “get” Steely Dan. Occasionally there’s a song I like. But mostly it’s just good music on a telephone call I don’t want to be on. 2.5/5
Love
3/5
Besides the first (great) song this is just a pleasant record. I do like the arrangements, but the lyrics aren’t that great. And it kinda starts to feel all the same by the end. 3/5
Syd Barrett
2/5
Only occasionally did I think that music and lyrics came together into something good and/or interesting. Mostly I felt this droned on. 2/5
M.I.A.
1/5
Absolutely not for me. Sounds like random noises at times. 1.5/5
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Hendrix is another artist I respect for what they’ve done but I don’t really love their music. Not that this is bad. It just doesn’t do much for me even when I can notice the amazing guitar work. 3/5
Sam Cooke
4/5
The exception that proves the rule. I normally don’t enjoy live albums. Far too much crowd work, and a sound that’s worse than a studio recording. But this won me over. It’s propulsive and energetic. The crowd reactions are additive. 4/5
The Shamen
2/5
I should’ve bought some glow sticks. 2.5/5
Femi Kuti
4/5
Pretty fun album to listen too if maybe a tad too long. 4/5
The Verve
2/5
I won’t apologize for still liking “Bittersweet Symphony” but the rest of this album is a bore. 2/5
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Generic hippie pop which as I get older I have very little patience for. 2/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
I can understand now impressive the musicianship is on this but if just never does anything for me emotionally. 2.5/5
The The
4/5
I had a lot of fun with this! Loved the grooves and melodies. Need to relisten to figure out my feeling. Name of the band sucks, though. 4/5
PJ Harvey
3/5
Grungy but effective. 3.5/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Would probably love this at a rave in 1996. 2/5
Al Green
4/5
There’s some albums that I feel so unqualified to write anything about. And also, this is such a classic that everything that can be said has been said. Solid and undeniable. 4/5
PJ Harvey
3/5
Being introduced to PJ Harvey for this project has been interesting. I like a lot of her stuff but don’t love it. May with more listens is will. 3.5/5
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
Completely fine. I probably will forget about this in less than 24 hours. 2.5/5
The Only Ones
4/5
Dug this. But I’m also a sucker for whiny white boy music. 4/5
Aerosmith
2/5
After the couple of albums that are on this list I think I can firmly say Aerosmith is not for me. 2/5
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Think I would’ve loved this if it the album was like disc 2. Just a complete throwback. Instead disc 1 is a collection of songs yearning for classic artists but done in the most grating of mid-2000s production value. Christina can sing but I’ve always found her need to do vocal runs in basically every song unenjoyable. 2/5
Skunk Anansie
2/5
I’m glad they got off but I never did. 2/5
Neu!
3/5
I find that I like a lot of the weird electronica on this list. No exception here. Not amazing but I had a good time with it. 3.5/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Grew up with this album. I know many hate Billy Corrigan’s voice but I’m not one of those people. It’s probably 15 minutes too long. Disc 1 has the majority of the great songs. But overall I’m here for the ride and loving it. 4.5/5
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I’m glad that at least he’s having fun. 1/5
Tricky
2/5
Full disclosure, about half the songs weren’t available on Apple Music. From what I heard this is a bit too over the place for my liking. 2/5
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I love Marvin Gaye’s voice but think his music is just ok. If that makes sense. 3/5
The Doors
3/5
I guess I’m also not much of a Doors guy. This was fine. But nothing I’d be eager to return to. 3/5
Violent Femmes
4/5
Continue to enjoy whiny white guy music. Quality punk adjacent album. 4/5
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Funky for sure. But outside the two classic songs I found this fairly mediocre. 3/5
Christine and the Queens
3/5
There are singles that I adore from this band. An entire album, especially of this length, outstays its welcome. 3/5
Santana
3/5
That’s some quality guitar playing. 3/5
Rush
3/5
Am I a bad Canadian if Rush isn’t my favourite band? Eh… 3.5/5
Laibach
3/5
At times I felt like I was summoning a demon. At others it was just some German rocking out. Weird experience. 3.5/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
There’s still some juice from Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 2010. But I don’t know how much of this is call great. 2.5/5
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I find Fatboy Slim good in small doses. Albums that run over an hour start to become diminishing returns. 3/5
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Never heard of this group. But I thought this was solid. 4/5
Madonna
3/5
As far as post 80s Madonna goes this one is alright. 3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Solid classic rock album. Hard to say anything that hasn’t already been said. 4/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
I mean … come on. It’s one of the best! Still holds up. 5/5
The Undertones
2/5
Wouldn’t be made if someone were to throw this on. But after listening to it yesterday I can’t recall a single thing about it. 2.5/5
Calexico
4/5
Surprised how much I enjoyed this. Pretty sure I’ve never heard of this band. First half better than the second, but overall a solid record. 4/5
Hawkwind
2/5
Far too aimless for me. 2/5
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Great voice paired with a great band. It’s hard to go wrong with that. 4/5
Tom Waits
5/5
Loved this. Truly feels like you’re in a tiny jazz club watching watching someone spin tales. Waits has a voice you either fall into or bounce off of. I can’t get enough of his raspy drawl. Album is often more spoken word than song. Rarely listen to albums twice in one day but for this I made an exception. 5/5
The Fall
3/5
Found it to be a bit too long which made it have diminishing returns. But there’s some good stuff here. 3/5
Rufus Wainwright
5/5
I’m such a slut for Rufus’ voice. Plus the musicianship and music writing age top notch. One of my favourites in this project for sure. 5/5
The Replacements
3/5
Mostly fine. Some questionable lyrics here and there. 3/5
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
I do love their vocals. The popular hits are awesome. The songs I hadn’t heard were ok. 3/5
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Solid stuff. Wish it was available to stream rather than listen on YouTube where an annoying commercial popped up after every song. 3.5/5
Bad Company
3/5
In a modern context this is a straight down the middle quality rock record. I’m sure it blew people’s minds at the time. 3/5
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
That’s a no from me. 0/5
The Black Keys
4/5
I do enjoy The Black Keys whole deal. The “hits” still hit for me. The other songs are solid. 4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Hauntingly beautiful. And sad. And great. 4.5/5
Janelle Monáe
5/5
An album I adore but that I also recognize the whole is better than the individual parts. Relatively few songs, by themselves, are ones k want to listen to. But as an album I can’t stop listening. 5/5
Minutemen
3/5
I think all of the songs are quick and to the point. Never fully won me over. Thought it dragged on a bit too long. 3/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I got to hand it to Bruce that this sounds like an early 2000s record. Sometimes artists never evolve musically. Lyrically there’s some interesting stuff. But just like every Springsteen album I get kinda bored by the halfway mark. 3/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
On first listen it’s certainly not the masterpiece that Rumours is. However this is stuffed with great songs. Maybe a bit too long. 4/5
Method Man
3/5
Keep trying to lock into any of the hip hop records on this list. I enjoyed some of the lyrics and the kung fu samples throughout this album. But found the beats and lack of anything resembling a melody unpleasant. 3/5
George Michael
3/5
Starts off with a couple of bangers, then has a series of pretty good songs, and then ends with a couple of extremely generic tunes. 3.5/5
Tina Turner
3/5
Love Tina’s voice. But I think I enjoy the singles more than the album. 3.5/5
Adele
5/5
It’s such a basic opinion but I like Adele’s voice. And this album really broke her out huge. For me it still holds up. 5/5
Elis Regina
3/5
I did like her voice even if I wasn’t in love with the music all the time. Doubtful I’ll return to this. 3/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Need to explore more jazz as it’s another one of my blind spots. Liked this quite a bit. But I bet I’ve only scratched the surface. 4/5
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Doesn’t quite standout like the other Joni albums. 2.5/5
Frank Black
3/5
It was alright. I couldn’t pick out anything that made this rise above all the other alternative acts at the time. 3/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Like a smooth whiskey on a cold winter’s night. 4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
“The Killing Moon” is an all time great song. So much so that I think it stands out on this album heads above everything else. Not that the rest is bad. It’s just a collection of some good songs and one masterpiece. 4/5
Suede
4/5
Another British record featuring whiny white guys. Of course I enjoyed it. 4/5
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
I’m partial to the twang and musicianship of this. There’s something that just fires neurons in my nascent mind. It’s cultural and something else ephemeral. Like the need to revisit a David Lynch film that adoringly loves the 50s but acknowledges the monsters who live there. Am I going to seek this out again? Probably not. But I enjoyed the listen. 3/5
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Love that this has a quality of stumbling into a late night jazz club where a drag queen starts singing about their feelings. 4.5/5
David Bowie
5/5
I’ve listened to this album multiple times in the past. I wavered on whether I should label this a masterpiece but I think i have to. A complete departure of Bowie’s normal sound. But one that I’m totally invested and love. It took me a while to uncover its brilliance but now I fully embrace it. 5/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Another solid record by Young. I just am never in love with his stuff even though I reconfigure the greatness of the lyrics and music. Don’t know why that is. 3.5/5
Nirvana
2/5
Another thing this challenge has affirmed for me is that even though I’m the exact age to love Nirvana, I don’t. Never did. One or two good songs and the rest is noise to me. 2.5/5
Heaven 17
2/5
This far into the project and I just don’t know anymore. Liked a couple of songs. Then I didn’t. Then I just didn’t care. No idea how to write about music that I have no strong opinions about. 2/5
Don McLean
3/5
I’m super basic. I like “American Pie.” And I think “Vincent” is one of the best pop songs ever written. The rest I could take or leave. 3/5
Joanna Newsom
3/5
Didn’t have the immediate negative reaction like a lot of people seem to have. However I do think these songs have a kind of meandering quality that I found tiresome. Lyrically it was as if I were listening to a toddler telling a story: “and then… and then… and then… etc.” However, musically I loved it. So a mixed bag overall. 3/5
Faith No More
3/5
Impressed by vocals and musicianship even if it’s not really my thing. 3/5
Common
3/5
Fine I guess? Nothing was overtly awful. But there were moments where I forgot I was even listening to a song. 3/5
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
I think the highs are higher on Want Two when compared to Want One. But there are a couple of songs I’d have probably not included. 4.5/5
Thundercat
3/5
I’ve no idea what to make of this. Feels like it straddles the line between genuine and prank. There’s ridiculous lyrics but also some pretty good beats and music. Filled to the brim with online speak and memes. I kinda liked it despite my bafflement. 3/5
Supertramp
3/5
The songs I knew about really stood out. But the rest of the album is still solid and fun. 3.5/5
The Doors
3/5
Sure there’s a song or two that I can get down with. But overall I’ve always been confused at people who idolize The Doors. 3/5
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
It’s so much my jam. But I do have to admit this does sound derivative of other bands. 3.5/5
Beyoncé
3/5
I’ve always followed Beyoncé at a distance. Occasionally I’ll dip in and like a song. But just as occasionally I’ll hear something that I’m left baffled by. Like I do enjoy a lot of this. But sometimes it’s just noise and unpleasant for me. 3.5/5
The Fall
2/5
Felt like I was just listening to radio fuzz after a while. 2/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
I love Emmylou’s voice. This album isn’t her strongest though. 3.5/5
XTC
3/5
A pleasant listen to me. Weirdly the only song I was familiar with was the last track “Dear God” which is quite different than everything else. 3.5/5
Animal Collective
3/5
I’ve been getting a lot of albums recently where I slightly vibe with but don’t love them. This is another example of that. Wouldn’t hate if someone put this on but probably won’t seek it out myself. 3/5
2/5
I’m not much of a hard rock fan. This sounds fairly similar to all of their contemporaries. Unfortunately not my thing. 2/5
4/5
I should really listen to The Kinks more because every time I do I like them. Most of this music was new to me but I dug the vibe. 4/5
Beatles
5/5
Sprawling and ambitious. What I appreciate the most, and what others see as a negative, is that no two songs sound the same. Sometimes you get halfway through an album and you feel like it’s been the same song repeatedly. But here so much experimentation means I’m never bored. I do wish “Revolution 9” wasn’t on there. But even with that I consider this a masterpiece. 5/5
MC Solaar
4/5
Certainly didn’t understand everything being said. Mostly every 15th word or so. But I enjoyed this! Maybe the production was just better. I usually don’t connect with rap music because I find the beats too repetitive. But I didn’t have that issue here. 4/5
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Often feels like somebody noodling on a guitar and coming up with lyrics in real time. 2/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
I was bathed sonically but I don’t know if I ever fully connected. 3/5
New York Dolls
3/5
Fine I guess. You can certainly hear their influences. But it starts to become repetitive by the end. 3/5
The Coral
2/5
Listens to this album yesterday and make can remember a single thing about it. Which is never a good sign. 2.5/5
Jacques Brel
3/5
Not sure what he’s singing about but he does it with so much enthusiasm that I can help but be partially entertained. 3/5
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Peter Gabriel is always an artist where I like what they’re doing but never love it. 3.5/5
2/5
Conflicted. I really enjoyed the instrumentals. But I found the vocals actively annoying. They often sing a single phrase over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. Preferred when the vocals went away. 2.5/5
Elton John
4/5
For every classic on this there’s a song like “Jamaican Jerk-Off” where Elton adopts an embarrassing accent for a best forgotten ditty. It’s just the highs are incredibly high. 4/5
Charles Mingus
4/5
Some great musicianship that I respect. Don’t know if I’d actually listen again though. 4/5
Finley Quaye
2/5
Something felt off about this and then I found out the singer is pretending to be Jamaican. Which is weird. Some of the actual music is fine. But the performance is off putting. 2/5
The La's
2/5
You can tell I grew up in the 90s because I still think “There She Goes” is awesome. The rest is fine to annoying. 2/5
Sebadoh
1/5
I found this mostly unpleasant to sit through. Had to take breaks because I wasn’t enjoying it at all. 1/5
Anita Baker
3/5
Great voice for sure. Not precisely my jam fully. But wouldn’t be mad if someone played this. 3.5/5
Tortoise
2/5
Mostly just random noises with an occasional interesting melody. 2/5