466
Albums Rated
3.6
Average Rating
43%
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623 albums remaining
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1960s
Favorite Decade
Blues
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78
5-Star Albums
0
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wonderful Rainbow | 5 | 2.28 | +2.72 |
| I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail | 5 | 2.81 | +2.19 |
| A Walk Across The Rooftops | 5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
| Joan Baez | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| evermore | 5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
| I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Ambient 1/Music For Airports | 5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
| Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space | 5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
| Ritual De Lo Habitual | 5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
| Deloused in the Comatorium | 5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back In Black | 2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
| Appetite For Destruction | 2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
| Dummy | 2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
| Unknown Pleasures | 2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
| Dirt | 2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
| Blue Lines | 2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
| Doggystyle | 2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
| Parklife | 2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
| Seventeen Seconds | 2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
| xx | 2 | 3.37 | -1.37 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 4.4 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.67 |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| The Beach Boys | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 4 | 4.25 |
| Brian Eno | 4 | 4.25 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (78)
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Popular Reviews
Charles Mingus
5/5
Track A was such a dirty, dark track. I feel like it's telling the story of the sinner lady working as a sex worker. She finishes up with her client and heads to a bar.
Track B feels like the black saint and the sinner lady meeting at the bar for the first time and there is this kind of balancing act of hitting it off but also there is some friction between them due to the sinner lady being a sex worker. It still kind of has this like dirty grimy feel to it with some like happy and sexy moments in there.
Track C almost feels like regret. Maybe the black saint is feeling regret from what happened the night before. The black saint starts to do mental gymnastics because he enjoyed the night but also does not approve of the sinner lady. Most of this song is him dealing with this cognitive dissonance.
Mode D feels like the black saint decided he couldn't deal with the fact that the sinner lady is a sinner. He decides to ignore the sinner lady and never talk to her again. This obviously is a difficult decision for her and you can hear some mental turmoil throughout the song as he's dealing with this. This goes on for a while. He's dealing with this pain the rest of his life.
I don't know if I've ever heard and album tell a story this well before. This might not be the story that was intended but it's what I heard. The instruments are acting both as the conversation between the characters and also as the background music and it does such a good job portraying the emotions felt.
5 likes
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
I can't decide what it says about my music taste that I actually enjoyed this record quite a bit. I can't tell if it's genuine world fusion or if it was just a white dude that went to India once and was inspired. I think I'm leaning towards genuine. The male vocals were not great and were kind of annoying but the female vocals were pretty solid. Where this record really shines is with the instrumentation. Lots of different instruments and styles that in my opinion were really interesting. I really enjoyed Erzulie. Everyman's An Island was pretty solid too. It reminded me a lot of the Tel Aviv band Satellites.
2 likes
Madonna
4/5
Surprised by the psych production on this record. A lot of psych sounds panned to one ear or alternating back and forth. I had no idea Madonna had an electronic psych record. Dude the title track goes HARD!!! The vocals sound dated to the 90s but the instrumentals/production doesn't. Honestly it makes sense that most people wouldn't really like this record. It's weird and not an easy listen but honestly it's right up my alley. I also love the eastern sounds on this record.
1 likes
OutKast
4/5
I absolutely love how unpredictable Speakerboxxx is. The sound and style changes at the drop of a hat and its very fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Love Below however had elements that I really liked but my biggest issue with it are the lyrics. Cheesy, misogynistic, and cheap. The interludes are kind of stupid too.
My thought is that Speakerboxxx is probably a 5/5 and The Love Below is probably a 3/5.
I think they could have taken most of Speakerboxxx and then a few of the best from The Love Below to make a shorter double LP instead of a 2 hour long double LP.
1 likes
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Apple's recently announced top album of all time. I had never listened to this record but I've been meaning to. It feels very personal and intimate. Her range on this record is very impressive. I love the themes of love and stuff as well. The snippets of conversations really made it feel intimate. I can appreciate this album a lot but in the end, it's just not really a genre that captivates me.
1 likes
All Ratings
Fela Kuti
4/5
I haven't listened to much afrobeat before. My main intro to it is the song Ice V by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard where they draw influence from afrobeat and I love that song. This album is jammy, groovy, and jazzy. A very enjoyable listen. I loved learning about Fela Kuti and the story of how the album came to be. I will definitely be listening to more Fela Kuti and other afrobeat artists.
B.B. King
5/5
I don't know if I've always just been a fan of the blues and that's why I like jam band music so much or if I like the blues so much now because I've been into jam band music. I'm hearing tons of influence that the blues had on the Grateful Dead. Did American jam bands just appropriate jazz & blues? This album is so good. Will definitely be revisiting.
Daft Punk
2/5
I like Daft Punk and electronic music. I sometimes have a hard time getting into house music though just because it feels too repetitive. There were some cool parts but overall I kind of got bored from the repetition. I do appreciate it's significance in french house music and dance music as a whole.
The Stooges
3/5
This was a pretty rad record and was easy to listen to for me. I can definitely see how this could have been such a big influence on the punk scene. I bet for the time it was really crazy but listening to it now it's a good punk record but there isn't anything that really stands out as unique or exciting. Without the context and history I'd just feel like it was a pretty good punk record.
Duran Duran
3/5
There is a lot of nostalgia for me around this album. My parents love this album and played it a lot when I was a kid. The title track is such a banger. Didn't realize hungry like the wolf was about a horny boi trying to get some. A lot of the album sounds very similar but it's very obvious that a lot of the modern indie synth pop drew inspiration from this sound. There is also a psych aspect to this album which I appreciate.
AC/DC
2/5
I can’t believe a band with a singer like this got as popular as they did. It feels like parody. What did the other band members think when the singer was like hey guys I’m gonna sing like this? Some catchy hits and I knew most songs but I just really don’t care for AC/DC.
Various Artists
3/5
A bunch of classics in . I appreciated that most of the songs were secular. It’s crazy how so many of these songs are still listened to regularly even though the recording and production quality is so bad.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Sounds just like the era which I really enjoy. A good, easy listening, catchy, and wholesome record. Listened to it while I waxed my skis the day after Christmas which felt very fitting.
The Cult
3/5
This record sounds like hair metal but better. It was actually pretty enjoyable to me. This genre from this time period can often times come across as super cheesy to me but this record didn't feel as cheesy. I don’t think I’d ever revisit the album but it was easy to listen to. Born to be Wild is a classic but it’s a bit cheesy. Reminds me of my dad.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Wow what an album! It’s seriously such a shame Jimi Hendrix died so young. Will be returning to this one a lot. My faves were All Along the Watchtower and 1983 Merman. Hendrix’s playing is so expressive it sounds like he’s talking through his tone.
New Order
2/5
Sounds like pretty basic 80s synth pop. Not a fan of the 80s clap drum sound. Reminds me of Eurythmics but not as good. After hearing the whole album, I was just very bored with the whole thing. Also the singing was trying too hard to be that 80s synth pop sound.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Had to get my credence tapes back to listen to this one. Fun country rock album that’s super easy to listen to. Fun guitar riffs, fun harp riffs, fun all around. Some bangers in there.
Gotan Project
3/5
Great background noise. Listened while I was coding and it was easy to get in the zone. Not sure I'd ever listen to this outside of that context though because I think I'd get a bit bored. A lot of the songs feel repetitive. I haven't been paying close attention but I feel like I keep noticing some repetition between the songs.
The xx
2/5
Chill atmospheric music. Easy listening but honestly it's a little boring. The instrumentation doesn't sound as smooth as I'd like. You can hear every single strum of guitar and it doesn't feel very layered. I do like the duets vocals though. I feel like I remember liking this when it came out and there was a lot of hype around it but overall listening to it now I'm just waiting for it to be over so I can listen to something more interesting. Giving it 2 stars feels harsh but 3 stars seems like to many. I'd probably actually give it a 2.5.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Really can’t stand the vocals or cheesiness of this album. The production is pretty good though. I really couldn't stand the first half of the album but the second half is much better. This seems like the influence for a lot of 80s music which I can appreciate. I'm hearing some ska sounds on the back half of the album which is interesting. What's So Funny Bout Peace Love and Understanding is a great album closer.
Final thoughts are that the first half of the album is a 2 star album but the second half is a 3-3.5 star album. If I were to listen to this album again I'd probably just start at Party Girl.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Such an amazing record. Pretty crazy it's the first hip hop record to go platinum. I've enjoyed this one since I was a kid. I love the rock samples and the rock fusion. It seems like this was a major inspiration to subsequent artists. I wonder if they were thinking that they were being innovative when they made this record or if they were just having fun.
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
I bet this was such a fun concert. It’s so high energy. Is Money a Jerry Lee Lewis original? I think I’ve only ever heard more modern covers of that. The fast tempo and keys are so fun. My most favorite concerts I’ve been to in the last few years have had this level of energy. It’s something I really value in live music. My only real complaint about this album is that it’s way too short.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
JT!!!! This is a genre of music that I've never gotten into. I didn't listen to it growing up so I don't have the nostalgia like so many other people do when they listen to this genre. Starting with Señorita, it's fun, catchy, and I like that he's okay being silly on it. The bit where he was telling the ladies the part they were going to sing was funny. Even though this style of singing isn't really my jam it's very easy to recognize how good of a singer JT is. He really did have me nekked by the end of Rock Your Body.
Several times during the record I noticed some record pops. I'm curious the recording process for this record. I'm wondering if they recorded, pressed to vinyl, and then recorded the vinyl playing. Or if it's just like artificial record pop dubs.
This record is too long. I started getting over it with like 4-5 songs left.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
First of all I love how this album opens. Only Shallow is a banger.
Overall it's a pretty cool album although I found myself getting a bit bored a few times. I can appreciate the heavy pedal effects, the reverb vocals, and weird noises. I also usually like when songs are drawn out but in this album it got a little boring at times because it wasn’t changing much.
From a historical perspective, I cannot believe it cost as much money as it did to produce this album.
The Stooges
4/5
First off it sounds like there are two guitars running lead. Down on the Street has that one part where one guitar is soloing in one ear and other guitar is soloing in the other ear and that was very enjoyable. I love the crawling bass lines and that the bass is essentially playing rhythm. The random hoots and hollers throughout also make me happy. This album one hundred percent influenced Viagra Boys. I actually think Viagra Boys are paying homage to Loose in Punk Rock Loser. Dirt was a cool slower song. I enjoyed the slower tempo with the guitars wah wah-ing and the vocals over the top of it. It broke up the faster paced songs nicely. This album even has saxophone!!! I love a good rock band with a saxophone. Viagra Boys also has a saxophone... lol. Fun House was a fun song. The sax and the lead guitar just going nuts in the background with the hard vocals was pretty sick. It was maybe a little longer than it needed to be though and that's coming from someone that loves long songs. L.A. Blues is such a crazy closer hahaha. So chaotic.
Massive Attack
2/5
The vocals and lyrics are almost too cheesy to bear in the first two songs. Does every song just repeat the same lyrics over and over while mostly just playing the same beat in the background? Every now and then I hear a cool change to the beat or a new sample or something but overall it’s just the same thing over and over. This would be pretty decent study or work music because it's smooth and chill and repetitive but I can't see myself ever wanting to listen to it intentionally. I've never been much of a trip hop fan though.
Five Man Army stands out.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
I don’t think I’m very qualified to have much of an opinion of jazz music. It’s a very cozy album. Makes me want to sit in front of a fireplace with a comfortable blanket. Makes me think of the Christmas music I enjoy, or a fancy hotel lobby or nice restaurant. It sounded very technical. That mixed with the song lengths is very impressive.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Beastie Boys owned this genre so hard that if any other white boys try to do rock/hip hop like this it just sounds like Beastie Boys. I love this album and have since I was a kid so it's hard to review/rate this album without any nostalgic bias. It's fun and innovative. One of my biggest gripes with this album is that it's pretty misogynistic.
Public Enemy
3/5
Solid rap record. Love the political messaging and I love the snippets that sound like they're from their concerts. The sampling is so solid on this record. My biggest beef with this album and with Public Enemy in general is I don't love Flava Flav's hype man stuff. It feels a little annoying and cheesy at times. I'd like it a lot more if Flava Flav just stuck to the regular rapping instead of the hype man stuff.
Morrissey
3/5
I grew up listening to The Smiths but I don't think I've ever listened to Morrissey's solo stuff. It almost feels wrong hearing his voice singing more upbeat music but it definitely works. Glamorous Glue is such a banger. I love the guitar work in it. I'm really loving the psychedelic elements he's got going on with the guitar on this record. It makes things a lot more interesting. Certain People I Know caught me off guard haha. It has like a more country sounding riff.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I haven never really given Stevie Wonder a chance. I think it's because I had a different idea of what kind of musician he was. I think maybe I just thought he was a bit of a mainstream pop artist that wrote love songs. The opening track was a bit of an eye opener. I didn't think he'd have a song about being too high haha. The synths sound awesome and funky. I'm a sucker for synth. The political messaging in Living For The City was powerful as were the female vocals. Higher Ground is amazing. Jesus Children of America is such a great soul/funk song.
Cat Stevens
5/5
An emotional and hard hitting acoustic pop album. You can feel so much emotion in most of the songs. The melodies and songwriter are top tier. I also love that there is some variety on the album. Variety in style and a variety in instruments. It's an interesting album all the way through.
It opens so strong with Where Do The Children Play? Wild World is another amazing song. On Spotify, But I Might Die Tonight and Longer Boats are the least popular songs on the album which is surprising to me. I feel like they're both underrated. I think my least favorite song is probably Sad Lisa mostly due to how he says the word Lisa. Father and Son is just one of the best songs ever written.
Nico
2/5
I really enjoy the instrumentation of this album but I’m not a huge fan of the vocals. They’re not bad but I just found myself getting bored fairly often. I can’t believe she didn’t want the strings or flute. Those add some layering and depth. Without them, I think the record would have been pretty boring. I love her record with the Velvet Underground but this one just isn’t doing it for me as much. I had a crazy day at work and I usually listen to a lot of music at work but I didn’t listen to to any because I didn’t want to listen to other music before finishing this record and this record was just so boring that I didn’t want to listen to it. I think I’d give it a 2.5 if I could but I’ll go with 3 because I didn’t necessarily hate it. I just didn’t love it and didn’t want to listen to it during a high energy day at work. Okay I finished the album finally and I realized that the vocal melodies were just so damn boring that I have to give it 2.
Dennis Wilson
4/5
I had never listened to the 2LP Deluxe Legacy Edition of this album. This one is great. River Song and Pacific Ocean Blues are incredible. Such a good album. Sad to know what happened with Dennis Wilson but I'm happy he could get this record out. This is an easy listening pop album with catchy melodies and some more introspective songs.
The Cardigans
3/5
Pop vocals but not quite so pop instrumentals. It definitely works. I love that they have a flute. The song transitions really make the album feel cohesive and they are well done. I really appreciate an album with good song transitions. I really liked how Heartbreaker transitioned into a minor key darker outro. Gave the song an eerie feeling. With the current state of pop these days, this album hardly feels like "pop" music. It's pretty enjoyable and creative. This album reminds me a lot of the indie music being made right now. I was wondering how I had never heard of this band since I grew up listening to the radio all the time in the 90s and then Lovefool came on. Feels like one of their poppier songs on the album so it makes sense that this was the radio hit. Lovefool to Losers was quite the whiplash haha. I'm not really a super hero person so Iron Man was kid of silly to me. Album ended strong with choke.
Parliament
4/5
Really made me want to get funked up. The fun energy, great instrumentation, and good vibes make this album fun and easy listening. It's hard to not dance a little while you're listening. I knew the Give Up The Funk song before but I'm glad I could hear the whole album now. I love the jammy sections. This is another album that reminds me that modern jam bands have basically just taken inspiration from black artists. Jazz and funk is such a part of the modern jam band sound.
The Doors
4/5
After going down the psychedelic music rabbit hole the last few years it's really nice to revisit one of the records that helped kick off that genre. This record is fun, interesting, and high energy. I love that it has the classic rock and roll sound but with some psych elements. The organ is so good. Did Smashmouth rip off Soul Kitchen for their greatest hit? Light My Fire is probably my favorite on the album. I absolutely love the guitar work in The End.
Manu Chao
4/5
Easy listening vagabond vibes. Feels like traveling and a chill carefree lifestyle. There were some good song transitions and I appreciate hearing several languages on the album. He seems observant of what’s going on in the world with his travels with some political commentary and philosophy. It kind of feels like musical journalism. Lots of different sounds on this album too. Overall it’s fun and easy listening.
The Hives
3/5
Honestly this felt like a pretty standard garage rock album. It wasn't bad at all but nothing really stood out to me. I enjoyed it but it didn't blow me away at all.
I found this record to mostly just be okay. Rod Stewart's voice is kind of cheesy to me. It feels like it's trying to be an American country rock album but it doesn't quite land. Probably due to them being English. Best song is probably Stay with Me which is pretty catchy and has fun guitar riffs.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I didn't know who fatboy slim was. I thought he was some stupid white rapper. I wasn't expecting him to be a DJ making sampledelic music similar to The Avalanches. I sing the line "right here right now" all the time as a joke and had no idea it was a fatboy slim song. The Rockafeller Skank is a pretty fun song as well. Some sections of songs kind of hurt my ears which wasn't pleasant. Overall it was pretty good background music while I worked.
David Bowie
3/5
I had no idea this David Bowie record existed. It's whacky and experimental. It's pretty fun but I feel that the instrumentals get a bit repetitive sometimes. The synth sounds were a fun addition and added some depth though. The second half of the album has some pretty cool and unexpected instrumental songs.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Had to go to youtube to find this one again. I gave this one a listen a year or so ago and really enjoyed it.
I enjoy the folky/country singer songer writer aspect of it but it has fun grungy guitar and fun/chaotic solos throughout it. It kind of scratches two itches for me and overall it's a fun, and easy listening album that I'll revisit regularly.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
Something about this record annoys me and I can't quite figure it out. I don't love Lucinda's voice and I don't love a lot of the lyrics. The songs feel repetitive in an uninteresting way. You can either be repetitive with the instrumentals or the lyrics but not both and Car Wheels On A Gravel road was repetitive in both ways. It definitely sounds like the 90s too which isn't bad but it's just interesting. Can't Let Go was actually pretty decent. It was the only song that really caught my ear. I really enjoyed the guitar in Joy. Jackson was pretty decent too. I don't think those three songs are enough to make this whole record redeemable though.
Tom Waits
3/5
Such a raw and primitive sound. It sounds incredibly rough around the edges which could make this a really hard listen for most. I wonder if Tom Waits inspired Isaac Brock's music at all. I feel like Modest Mouse is a bit of a more polished version of this. The existential lyrics are powerful and thought provoking. I like that this album goes back and forth from super rough and raw to more melodic.
Sex Pistols
3/5
An energetic and raw album that was fun to listen to. I don't know a lot about the history of punk rock but it's easy to recognize that this was a very influential and culturally significant album. I could definitely see myself revisiting this album because I enjoyed pretty much every song and there were some true bangers on there as well.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I really enjoy rock and roll and I appreciate the impact this record had on rock and roll but it is hard to fully appreciate it when it's almost fully covers of black artists. I know there is debate on Elvis and how much of a culture vulture he was but B.B. King claims that he was alright. The songs are great and Elvis does a great job covering them but it's just too bad the black artists that wrote the songs didn't get as much credit as they deserved.
Roxy Music
4/5
Initial thoughts are that the album cover definitely does not match the vibe. I was expecting something totally different. I really enjoy the instrumentals. Like a lot. I do not really enjoy the vocals as much. I love the experimental and psych instruments but the vocals are more like glam rock or 80s pop and the two don't work super well together. The Bogus Man sounds like it could have maybe been inspiration for Radiohead. It's super psych and the vocals work a lot better on that song.
This album gave me more mixed feelings than most of the other albums I've received so far. I'm obsessed with the instrumentation and psych/experimental elements of this record. I really don't like the vocals on it though. If the vocals sounded more psych rock or raw/rough, I'd be super into it.
Alice Cooper
3/5
The title track reminds me so much of my dad so there is definitely some nostalgia there. The lyrics are so incredibly cheesy though haha. I actually don't think I've ever listened to anything else on this album. Was not expecting Westside Story on this album!!!! Blue Turk actually isn't too bad. I like the more jazzy feel to it and the saxophone. My Stars was actually pretty good too.
Okay the first part of the album was what I was expecting but I really did not expect this album to go where it went. I was mostly expecting the glam rock stuff like School's Out. But I didn't expect it to get jazzy/bluesy. I also didn't expect the broadway Westside Story bit.
Shack
2/5
To me this album sounds like really easy listening 90s radio music. I'm a bit confused why this album out of all albums made it on the 1001 albums list. It sounds very basic and like all the other music in the genre that came out around this time. It's crazy that this artist only has 18k monthly listeners on spotify too. Streets of Kenny was a pretty cool song though. Probably my favorite on the album except the ending of that song was so abrupt and terrible. Like why did they end it like that?????? Since I Met You was also a decent song. The psychedelic nature of it was kind of a surprise.
Metallica
3/5
I've never been able to get super into thrash metal. After spending two years being obsessed with KG, I thought I'd like classic thrash metal more since they draw a lot of inspiration from 80s thrash. Turns out I mostly just like KG's version of psych/prog thrash. I don't dislike this by any means, I just found myself getting a little bored at times. I can totally understand why this was such a cultural phenomenon though. Getting music like this in the 80s would have been a lot of fun and would absolutely generate a cult following. I think this genre was slightly ruined for me by high school sports. It seemed like classic thrash metal was the anthem for high school sports teams and I can't help but think about that whenever I listen to it. Makes it feel a little cheesy to me.
I like the technical aspect of the album. I wish the riffs and solos were a little catchier though. I liked the anti-war messaging in Disposable Heroes.
Aerosmith
3/5
Overall a pretty average rock record. Most of it is pretty meh but there are some interesting bits, some surprises, and a couple of classics on there.
George Michael
2/5
I feel like George Michael had sex with me on this record and then left in the morning before I woke up just to never contact me again. I Want Your Sex was a little much with the grunting and stuff. Honestly I did not like this album and it's not just because I'm not really into this genre. I feel like he's just trying to rip off Michael Jackson but make it more sexual? It was a pretty sleazy feeling record.
Neu!
3/5
I've been enjoying Krautrock from bands like Radiohead and KGLW so I was pretty excited to listen to one of the bands that were part of the Krautrock scene of the 70s. I found the opening track a little boring honestly. Second song was also a bit slow and chill but it got a little more interesting toward the end. In Hero the music started getting more interesting and I was enjoying it quite a bit but I wasn't a fan of the singing haha. It was kind of comical. It's interesting that they end each of their songs with ambient noise. I had to go to youtube to listen to the last song on the album which might have been the best one on the album.
Nas
5/5
This album is sick. I can't believe this was his debut. I love the samples, I love how hard the songs go, and I love how much flow Nas has with his lyrics and the way he presents them. While I listened, I looked at pictures of the Queensbridge houses and the surrounding area in the 90s. I feel like this album can transport you there. The production on this record is sick as well. It feels super cohesive yet varied. Not a single skip on this album.
There is definitely some Public Enemy inspiration in this album too which is cool.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Kind of a good blend between 80s and 90s. It’s like 80s synth pop meets 90s shoegaze. It makes for really easy listening and enjoyable music.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Fun poppy folky songs. Biggest complaint is the production makes the music feel far away if that makes sense. Almost cut my hair is a banger. I’ve almost cut my long hair multiple times in the last 7 years of having long hair and I have been happy that I never cut it and have let my freak flag fly all this time.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Not my favorite genre of music but I actually liked it more than I thought I would. Chock full of riffs and sick solos which are pretty fun. I'm a fan when bands have 3 guitarists so that they have one rhythm guitarist and two guitars that can harmonize on the solos.
Joy Division
2/5
I like the weird and experimental nature of the instrumentals. The vocals are not great and they sound a bit disconnected from the music. It makes sense if the band lost their lead singer. Someone else in the band had to step in which would be difficult. Supposedly this is one of the first bands in the post-punk movement. I can definitely hear it a little but it sounds like a lot of other 80s new age music. I guess this was released in 1980 so maybe all the 80s new age bands drew inspiration from this?
Biggest complaint is that the album is lacking solid melodies which make it feel like it's dragging on a little. I enjoy experimental sounds and I'm okay with some repetition but there needs to be more melodies to help drive the song forward without feeling like it's droning.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Such a smooth album. I love the introspective nature of the music and the lyrics. It sounds wise. His super low voice caught me off guard at first. I dig it. It's a bit slow and sad so I don't know if I'll ever revisit it but I definitely appreciate it.
GZA
4/5
If I'm being honest, I'm so busy with work that I couldn't pay super close attention to the lyrics of this album which is unfortunate because this album is known for its solid lyricism. The album flows very well. The low-fi production makes everything feel so smooth. The instrumentals/samples are atmospheric and keep things interesting.
Beatles
5/5
How do you even review such a classic album? One of the best ever. So many classic songs on this record but even the ones that aren't considered classics are great. I don't think there is a single skip on this one. I've been listening to this since I was a kid and will continue to listen to it probably until I'm dead. It deserves all the hype it has ever gotten.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Wow what a beautiful record. This was so enjoyable to listen to. I loved the melodies and the instrumentation was so good. Lots of different instruments adding flavor to each song. Just weaving in and out. Loved the harmonies and the songs were just written in interesting ways. I love that it's a poppier album but has folk and jazz influence. It makes it easy listening but also interesting.
Tim Buckley
4/5
Tim Buckley belts it! The instrumentation definitely sounds like it came from the late 60s. It fits right in. It seems like his vocals are what make it more unique though. I love a good folk, psych, jazz soup.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Funky and kind of silly but enjoyable none-the-less. I like how weird they get on some of the more electronic songs. Hahahaha the Stevie Wonder love song!!!! I enjoyed a lot of the bass lines on this album. This made me realize that Hamilton's Cabinet Battle #1 is totally paying homage to the song The Message. "It's like a jungle sometimes it makes.me wonder how I keep from going under"
Snoop Dogg
2/5
A fun and funky record but it feels very juvenile due to the lyrics. The number of times talking about dicks and balls and bitches is a little much. I don't think I'd ever listen to this record again because the lyrics are just so bad. It's ironic too because today is international women's day hahaha.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I was raised on 80s synth pop and 90s grunge which I think maybe makes it hard for me to really take this vocal style seriously. I can't help but think of Jack Black when I hear this style of singing. I really love the guitar tone though. Especially on In My Time of Dying. It has some really cool guitar effects and noises. Kashmir is a sick song.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Some solid songs on here but some questionable production. Some of the high pitched screeching noises hurt my ears. I realize it was made in '67 but I think they probably could have avoided the high pitched noises. I also think I have some Nico PTSD from the last Nico record. I find her music so incredibly boring. I think this is more a record to hand pick songs. Listening to the whole thing through really kind of hurt my ears.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This album was just a delight. A lot of great songs on here. Loved the instrumentation and the lyrics. I honestly don't mind Bob Dylan's voice that much but I feel like I start to get tired of how he is constantly modulating his pitch up and down. It's just constantly going up and down and up and down and up and down. The album also feels a bit long. I started to zone out a little bit on track 9.
Tom Waits
4/5
My second Tom Waits album in this project and I was pretty stoked about it. I love just how absolutely bonkers this record is. I said this in my last Tom Waits review but I'm a huge Isaac Brock fan and this Tom Waits album feels like an even bigger inspiration for Isaac Brock than the last one. The instrumentals and production are really fun and interesting and the vocals/lyrics really go well with the style.
N.W.A.
3/5
It's always a little cheesy when people tell you how cool they are. Even if these guys were as hard as Nas in NYC, they come across as posers a little bit because how much they feel the need to tell you how hard they are. Nas actually came across as hard because the music portrayed that very well. I didn't hate this record but I also didn't love it. Dr Dre and Ice Cube can flow pretty well. I don't care as much for the Easy E sections though.
Steely Dan
3/5
Loving the Wurlitzer solos on this record. They're fun and add a lot to each song. I love the jazzy elements of this album as well. The instruments are also mixed super well. It sounds very good. I don't love Deacon Blues, the story is a little silly in my opinion. I'm starting to like this less and less the deeper I get into this album. I feel like it had a lot of potential from the first couple of songs.
John Prine
5/5
This album is amazing. Really interesting storytelling and catchy tunes. I don't think I've ever listened to this album all the way through but I found myself knowing a lot of the songs. Pretty relatable lyrics and some of them are really clever/ironic. A staple in folk/country. It's too bad covid took John Prine.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Pretty cool record. I've never really been into reggae so it's hard for me to be critical of this record. I do love how they're able to put political messaging into music that sounds so light hearted. Overall it was an enjoyable, easy-listening record that I will likely revisit.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Frank Sinatra's voice is wonderful. The music is super chill and easy listening. I was feeling stressed all day and this honestly helped me feel less stressed. A lot of the music reminds me of Animal Crossing for some reason though haha. None of the songs really blow me out of the water but overall it's a pretty decent record.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I love this record. I love the prog and the synth and the psych elements to it. It's a journey that doesn't get boring. All the subtle sounds effects are great. It's an album I've revisited many times over the last decade and will continue to revisit. It might be my favorite Pink Floyd album.
Hugh Masekela
5/5
I loved this record. It was varied and really interesting. You'd have more upbeat songs and then a slower song to break things up. Things got really jammy towards the end. The drum solo in Blues For Huey when the riff started coming back in, followed by the whole band was so sick. The trumpet solos/riffs were so good and the harmonies were amazing. I also loved all the piano noodling. It was the perfect album to listen to as I drove to the canyon early in the morning to ski powder. I'm also just really stoked on the name of the album. It really resonates with me.
Kanye West
2/5
I was kind of hesitant to listen to this due to Kanye being just an all around terrible person. The production on this album is insane. The instrumentals are so unconventional for hip hop and honestly it works so well. I really don't love the lyrics on this album and they're even worse due to how bad of a person Kanye is. They're very misogynistic and egotistical which I don't care for at all. It's hard to give this album a score because the instrumentals are amazing and the production is amazing but I very much dislike Kanye and his lyrics in this record.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
This was pretty enjoyable overall. I like world music and African music. Some sections felt a little too repetitive but overall an easy listen with some found sounds. I enjoyed the drums a lot and the vocals. I probably wouldn't revisit this album but I liked hearing it.
The Darkness
3/5
This was an interesting album. 80s hair metal but written in the oughts. Super campy but honestly not too bad. A lot of the album made me laugh with the funny lyrics being sung in the super high falsetto voice. Not really my vibe but it was fun.
Marty Robbins
4/5
I love Marty Robbins' voice. His story telling is very fun and he has some true classics on this record. It's country that just feels truly western.
Green Day
4/5
A great pop punk record that is culturally significant. I understand the significance of this record and how it influenced a lot of the music I grew up listening to. There are about 5-6 absolute classic bangers on this record that I have listened to so many times in my life and will always love. The rest of the album is actually pretty forgettable in my opinion. It might feel blasphemous but due to the other like 9-10 forgettable songs that are pretty repetitive, I think I'm going to have to rate this one a 4 instead of a 5.
Paul Weller
2/5
Sounds like music my dad would turn on during camping trips and road trips. Easy listening soft pop rock that's borderline boring. I hate when you get one of these albums that is kind of boring and then you see that it's longer than a standard LP. I think the only song that really caught my ear was Shadow of the Sun. It got more psych and prog and the longer track length let the song develop more. I would have liked him to lean more into that although I understand that isn't really something that sells in the mainstream music world.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I love how whacky the instrumentals are on Have a Talk With God. Some fun electronic sounding stuff. This album actually just has a wide variety of styles and sounds that make it interesting. Contusion caught me off guard because I didn't really expect a random instrumental prog song in this record haha. I've never noticed all the weird sound effects in Isn't She Lovely. Honestly I think that song probably could have done without all those lol. Wow this is one long record. It was pretty enjoyable overall but it took me all day tp get through.
Little Richard
4/5
I feel like this record is timeless, classic, and influential. Surprisingly good for being recorded in 57. I can only imagine the energy that Little Richard brought in front of an audience. Some real classic bangers on this album. It is kind of repetitive but it's fun and energetic.
Sam Cooke
3/5
I love live albums and I was pretty excited to listen to this one. It was good but I will say I was expecting a bit more energy. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely energy with this one but it's not quite what I expected after listening to other live albums from this time period that have shown up on this list. It was fun hearing these songs live though. Good soulful classics in a live, and energetic environment. Sam Cooke has an amazing voice and is very charismatic with the crowd. I love hearing him work the crowd and hearing them sing along.
Fela Kuti
3/5
I was stoked to get another Fela Kuti album. I loved the last one that was on this list. I enjoyed this one but it definitely grab me like the last one. Zombie was a great song and Mr. Follow Follow was pretty decent but I don't feel like Observation No Crime was as engaging. It got a little repetitive to the point where I didn't even want to finish the song.
Gene Clark
2/5
Honestly this record felt kind of boring to me. I'm not sure why it made it on this list. It feels like a copycat Bob Dylan or a John Prine, or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It just didn't really do it for me.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Personally I love that records like this make this list. The band has 30k monthly listeners on spotify which means that a lot of their listeners are probably from this 1001 albums project. It's nice to get something weird. This record feels intentionally weird and harsh sounding. I believe it actually takes quite a bit of skill to make a record sound so weird like this and I think most people that hate it can't appreciate that. Yeah, there are a lot of weird sounds going on but it stays cohesive. It kind of makes me think of black midi and Viagra Boys which makes me wonder if this album is an inspiration for post-punk. It also sounds like Talking Heads could have pulled some inspiration from this record or they had similar inspirations.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This is a pretty good singer-songwriter style folk record. I had already listened to Leonard Cohen's final record before he passed so it's pretty fun to hear something from 45 years before. Some songs on this record reminded me of Johnny Cash and some reminded me of Bob Dylan. Overall, it was a really enjoyable record.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
This album is great. It’s such a time capsule of the 90s. Some serious 90s bangers along with some slower songs. It’s unconventional pop and I grew up singing a lot of these songs in the car with my parents. The mixing and production sounds so 90s which I can’t quite pinpoint what that sounds like but I can recognize it right away.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
I have actually never listened to Nine Inch Nails. They scared me when I was a kid haha and then I just always thought it would be stupid nu-metal or something. This is a really unique sounding rock album. The electronic music mixed with the industrial rock is pretty interested. It's very abrasive and angry sounding. Some really interesting production and surprises on the album too. Holy shit things got really heavy at the end of this record though. I understand that it's a concept album of someone in a suicidal spiral but damn the title track was a little heavy for 9am on a Monday.
Silver Jews
3/5
This is another one of those records where I'm a bit confused how it ended up on this list. This album almost feels like a parody of indie rock at times. There doesn't seem to be anything really special about this one. I do enjoy country-rock and indie-rock so it wasn't an unenjoyable album by any means but it just didn't feel like anything special to me. The song that has stood out the most to me is Let's Not and Say We Did which is the least popular song on the album. I wonder what that says about me...
OutKast
4/5
I absolutely love how unpredictable Speakerboxxx is. The sound and style changes at the drop of a hat and its very fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Love Below however had elements that I really liked but my biggest issue with it are the lyrics. Cheesy, misogynistic, and cheap. The interludes are kind of stupid too.
My thought is that Speakerboxxx is probably a 5/5 and The Love Below is probably a 3/5.
I think they could have taken most of Speakerboxxx and then a few of the best from The Love Below to make a shorter double LP instead of a 2 hour long double LP.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Kind of an average album with a couple solid songs. I wanted it to be better than it was. Probably won't ever listen to the whole album again but the classics on there are classics for a reason.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Really impressive jazz that's pretty easy to listen to. I really like the background noises.
OutKast
4/5
Some seriously great songs on this record. I was caught off guard by a couple songs that reminded me of Funkadelic which was cool. A really enjoyable and unique sounding hip hop record.
Madonna
4/5
Surprised by the psych production on this record. A lot of psych sounds panned to one ear or alternating back and forth. I had no idea Madonna had an electronic psych record. Dude the title track goes HARD!!! The vocals sound dated to the 90s but the instrumentals/production doesn't. Honestly it makes sense that most people wouldn't really like this record. It's weird and not an easy listen but honestly it's right up my alley. I also love the eastern sounds on this record.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Awesome world sounds on this one. Pretty easy to listen to. Some songs feel funky and some feel pretty tropical. I little hard to fully connect to it due to the language barrier but still something I could appreciate.
Richard Hawley
3/5
This is another one of those records where it's fine but I'm not really sure why it made this list. It doesn't seem like it's doing anything special or influential. I'm sure we can find 1001 albums now days where all 1001 of them have some sort of innovation or musical significance. While this record isn't bad by any means (I enjoyed listening to it), there is absolutely nothing special about it other than it feels a little out of place for a 2005 album. I like the old country sounds to some of the songs.
Dr. Dre
3/5
Lyrics did not age well even though they do flow pretty well. The beats were pretty sick.
King Crimson
5/5
I like this album a lot. It's very interesting and I love the fusion of genres and sounds. Incredibly creative for the time and it ended up being such an inspiration. Definitely a classic that's worth listening to.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
Man what a fun salsa album. Tons of variety in terms of sound and lyrical content. I have a major soft spot for music like this since I lived in the Dominican Republic for 2 years. This was also such a breath of fresh air for this project.
5/5
This album was so sick. So much flavor with all the different sounds and tempos. The jams went hard. I also loved how layered all the tracks were.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Honestly I don't have much to say about this one. I previously had 3 days in a row of 5 star albums and this one just kind of played in the background. Nothing offensive but nothing really caught my ear. I enjoy funk, jazz, and afrobeat so overall it was pretty good but nothing seemed amazing.
Radiohead
3/5
After getting totally obsessed with Radiohead this year, this was still one of the albums I hadn't spent much time with. It was pretty decent but I feel like Radiohead albums need to simmer and be listened to many times before you can really appreciate them. I didn't like this one nearly as much as I like Kid A, OK Computer, and In Rainbows but it was still pretty good. Pyramid Song is incredible and definitely the star of the album.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Quintessential indie record. Very relatable as a someone who grew up in the suburbs. "Pray to God I won't live to see the death of everything that's wild" hits really hard as I've seen the suburbs eat up wild places I explored as a kid and as the suburbs are eating up wild land in the city I currently live in. Sprawl II is one of my favorite indie songs of all time.
3/5
Why did the first song keep sounding like it was going to break into Chattahoochee by Alan Jackson? Interesting mixing different sounds into punk. There were definitely a few songs that had a rockabilly vibe. Honestly in 2024, this album is kind of boring. I could see how this would have been fun in the 80s though.
Brian Wilson
4/5
Lots of interesting things going on in this album. Definitely not traditionally structured and it has some fun surprises. I love that he's just singing about silly things. I think sometimes people think that songwriters always need to write poetic stories all the time but honestly it's kind of nice to get something silly sometimes.
Green Day
5/5
Such a classic. I also had never noticed this before but this album has some freaking long songs! Punk hardly ever has songs this long. I really respect that.
Air
3/5
I was pretty excited when this started. I like electronic music and it seemed from the beginning that it might get pretty interesting. It ended up being slower and less interesting than I wanted but because of that it probably an easier listen for most. Not bad by any means but also just not super interesting.
Frank Zappa
4/5
The rats were so hot on this one. Sweet jams and jazz fusion. Pretty fun and interesting listen.
Pixies
4/5
Fun and weird. The whole album listens really well as a whole.
Brian Eno
4/5
I was surprised by the Roxy Music album because I liked the weird aspects of the album. That makes me think I'll probably enjoy this one. Right off the bat I'm loving the guitars on the first track. The vocals are fun too. Brian sure knows how to make weird psychedelic music haha. I dig it.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
First song has me stoked. I had heard of the Dandy Warhols before but I didn't remember what genre they were. I was pleasantly surprised that they're like a 90s sounding psych rock band. First song really grabbed my attention. 7 minutes, psych and shoegaze rock, and with synths? After listening to this album, there were some fun and silly songs that were enjoyable but there were also a lot of snoozefest songs.
Pink Floyd
4/5
While I do think this is a masterpiece, a classic, and an all time classic album, it's not really an album I gravitate towards. I feel like I tend to get a bit bored with it. I do like prog rock and I'm an absolute sucker for concept albums so I can appreciate that bit but I would much rather listen to Animals, DSOTM, or Wish You Were Here.
Linkin Park
5/5
For me this is a classic but I could see how if this album didn't come out while you were in elementary school/middle school/high school, it might not be as good. This is maybe the most accessible Nu-Metal? And some of the only good Nu-Metal out there. The hardcore Nu-metal people might say this is too soft and overproduced. Then the people that don't really consume harder rock probably think it's too hard. I love this album.
Donald Fagen
2/5
Man this is just really generic sounding pop to me. There's no character or anything interesting to this. Sure it's an easy listen but give me something interesting.
Soft Cell
3/5
The tainted love cover is amazing obviously but everything else is mostly just meh. Not bad, not that good.
Hole
4/5
I haven't really listened to much female grunge but I love female hard rock. This album went super hard. It was melodic and felt very punk/grunge.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Apple's recently announced top album of all time. I had never listened to this record but I've been meaning to. It feels very personal and intimate. Her range on this record is very impressive. I love the themes of love and stuff as well. The snippets of conversations really made it feel intimate. I can appreciate this album a lot but in the end, it's just not really a genre that captivates me.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Good ol disco! I can enjoy disco because I think it's just good to have music that's fun instead of just trying to have such serious music all the time. I also appreciate disco because of how it might have created the punk scene. Not a bad record at all but I would probably only listen to it under certain circumstances.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Real smooth and chill. The content matter of the album feels maybe a little dramatic haha. Is That Enough was really good and funky. Easily my favorite from the record. I really enjoyed the production of this one and I loved the sax. Overall I enjoyed this album but it did drag on for a bit too long.
Stephen Stills
4/5
I really enjoy this genre of country/folky/bluegrassy rock. It makes me feel happy and is really easy listening. This record is quite conservative. It doesn't feel like they're taking any risks and everything feels pretty safe. I'm content with easy listening albums but they usually end up being 3 star albums for me. There wasn't a single song that really stood out to me. It all kind of just blended together. I think I'd give this one a 3.5 but I'll round up.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Talking Heads
3/5
I've been getting really into Post Punk, Dance Punk and specifically LCD Soundsystem. The opening song to this album seems like clear inspiration for LCD Soundsystem. I grew up listening to Talking Heads because my parents were big new wave/post punk/synth pop fans but I've never listened to this album. I'm really happy to give this one a go. One of my main complaints about this record is that there are a handful of songs that could have been cut. It doesn't need to be an hour long.
Frank Ocean
4/5
Such a smooth album. Frank Ocean's voice is velvety smooth. Admittedly I've always struggled a bit to get into R&B but this record is quite enjoyable to me. Some really nice bass lines, keys, and groovy rhythms. There are some serious standouts. For the R&B genre, this is definitely a record that needs to be listened to. The perfect album to throw on in the background at a dinner party or something. I love the song Super Rich Kids.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Oh jeez. I'm 3 songs into this am I'm really hating it. I just do not like CeeLo Green's voice, tone, or style. I don't like how full of himself he is. The production is pretty boring. I really can't believe this record made the list.
Coldplay
3/5
An easy listening soft rock pop album with a hint of nostalgia for me. Listening to it 20 years later makes me realize that it really isn't more than just easy listening soft rock pop with a few radio bangers. Also, is Coldplay just soft rock Imagine Dragons?
Radiohead
5/5
It took me a while to finally "get" Radiohead. I tried many times for multiple years. Randomly one Sunday last year I thought to throw on OK Computer while I shopped at Costco and it all clicked. This album is so rad. This was their break away from the britpop scene and experimenting with more electronic sounds. It was quite a risk for them but I'm glad they did it. This is an amazing concept album with some really thought provoking lyrics and cool musical themes. This album has really held up and the production is very cool. In my opinion this might be the most 5 star album out of all the 5 star albums I've rated so far.
The Dictators
2/5
Amazing cover of I Got You Babe. I haven't listened to much proto-punk so it's fun hearing a record that influenced so much music. I love the raw feel. It's just raw enough. Definitely hearing that they probably influenced Beastie Boys. Back to Africa is a little weird in a racist way... but the instrumentals are good with some cool guitar solos. Also what's this master race talk??? Also a Lou Reed diss line? Also misogynistic macho man lyrics. Basically these dudes seem like pieces of shit that would be super annoying and problematic. I appreciate their influence but that's about it.
Queen
4/5
I was not aware of this record or really any of the songs on it but wow it's so good! There are some seriously good songs on here with a lot of variety in sounds and instruments. I also love the transitions between songs. I love the prog elements of it. I really wish I had known about this sooner.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
I expect this to get low reviews because people love hating on female pop stars. This by no means is an amazing album and it's really not my style but you cannot deny her talent. He voice is amazing, she's very sexy, and she really nails that female pop star vibe. The album is a bit long and the songs kinda start to sound similar. I don't really care for the subject matter either but it is a solid pop album. I do like how the second LP is so different from the first LP and I much prefer the style of the second LP. Wow Nasty Naughty Boy was pretty damn sexy.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
It's hard to review this album. Incredibly hyped up with some absolute classics on it. It's pretty hard to beat Dreams and The Chain. Solid album and I think most people would give this a 5 and I do love it but it's more of a 4 star album for me because quite honestly I very rarely feel the need to go back and listen to this album.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Solid dance-punk record. I honestly did not care for Take Me Out when it came out. Listening to it now though, it's a solid fun song. I had never listened to this album before. It's fun and very dancey and I've been really into post-punk and dance-punk recently so this came at a perfect time.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Reading about this album beforehand got me pretty excited and then it ended up being a little bit boring to me. I was hoping for more variety of sounds or for him to lean into the psychedelia part harder. It wasn't bad by any means. It was an easy listen but nothing really stood out to me until at the end he busted out a sitar. It didn't help that I don't speak Portuguese which made it really easy to zone out.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Not much standing out here. Lots of repeated lyrics and line it boring. Miracle song was pretty decent though. Definitely hearing Springsteens influence on the killers. Worlds Apart was pretty sick. Definitely the most interesting on the album so far. He also sounds like Eddie Vedder on some of these songs haha.
Steve Earle
4/5
The riff in Guitar Town sounds like it clearly inspired the riff in Chattahooche. That was great. Solid country.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
That was a super fun listen. It was fun catching a lot of melodies and rhythms that have influenced a lot of modern music. My favorite one was A Woman, A Lover, A Friend being the melody of Hurts Me Too. I learned Hurts Me Too is a 1928 song but it's one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs/covers. Title track is amazing obviously. Seems like such a culturally significant record.
Guns N' Roses
2/5
I've never been a fan of Guns N' Roses. What's with all the moaning haha. I just can't take bands that sing like this seriously. Some of the songs on this record seem like the direct inspiration for shitty conservative country rock.
The Stooges
3/5
Not a bad record although I think it could be better under different circumstances rather than listening while working at 8 in the morning on a Tuesday. Felt longer than 35 minutes because it kind of drones on at parts. I appreciate the significance and influence of this record though. Up until today I thought Tropical Fuck Storm wrote Ann instead of it being a cover.
The Icarus Line
3/5
Wow. 1,508 monthly listeners on Spotify. I guess 1,508 users get this album a month haha. It says that Icarus Line was inspired by the Stooges. I had a Stooges album yesterday. Opening track was pretty good honestly. High energy and hard hitting. Most of these songs were pretty decent with a few songs that were a bit too much and a little headache inducing. Can definitely hear a lot of influence from The Stooges, Queens of the Stone Age, and The Strokes. Honestly not bad but I don't really understand why it made this list. Getting Bright at Night was a pretty sick song.
Elastica
3/5
Fun and catchy with some cool riffs. Overall this was a pretty decent listen but nothing blew me away.
Miles Davis
4/5
This was a pleasant and easy listen. I typically like my instrumental music a little higher energy but I can't complain at all about this record. I bet it would be even better with a more intentional listen.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I don't think I can write an adequate review for this album. It's amazing and dense. There's a whole season of Dissect dissecting this album line by line. It's very dense and experimental and incredibly interesting. My favorite art is the kind that gets better and better the more you listen to it and I think this album is that. It's dense enough and weird and creative enough that you could probably listen over a hundred times and still pick up new things. It feels like this album is the type to drive forward a genre and music in general.
The Beta Band
4/5
Instrumentally, this record is really fun. Lots of different sounds and layers mixing funk, rock, and electronica. Honestly, I love when bands mix rock and electronica. A bit of a psych production with poppier melodies makes this an easy, yet interesting listen. I think this one is better listened to intentionally with good headphones. If listened on like crappy car speakers, you'll miss a lot of interesting production. It makes sense this was produced by Nigel Godrich. While not being one of the masterpiece albums on this list, it is an album I think I'll choose to listen to on my own because of how much I enjoyed it. There were some boring songs on the record for sure but overall it was enjoyable.
Gram Parsons
3/5
This felt like good classic country rock. Very easy listening and fun. Made me feel good.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Wow Jeff Buckley's voice! It's so good. So much range and versatility. I love how he dips into psych and prog into this record. I honestly can't quite place what genre it all is. Like soft rock mixed with psych/prog??
The Halelujah cover is amazing. Corpus Christi Carol was probably my least favorite. Eternal Life was like quintessential 90s sounding rock haha. I love that this album was kind of all over the place.
Norah Jones
4/5
Even though Don't Know Why was played to death on the radio and in 2002 I was subject to my parents playing the radio all the time, I did always like this song and I still think it's a beautiful song. I had never listened to the rest of this album. This record was so wonderful and easy to listen to. I loved several tracks. Turn Me On really caught my attention. It has a really similar chord progression, and vibe to It Hurts Me too. Could be a fun song mashup haha. Nightingale had a really great jammy sounding bit that also caught my attention.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Ah man what a freaking album. I love this so much. The energy on this record goes so hard and I absolutely love how hard Paul Allan Oscher goes on the harp. This is one of the records that absolutely deserves a place on this list. It feels like a quintessential cornerstone album. I don't know the history of the blues very much but it seems like this was very influential.
My favorite band of all time is KGLW and Ambrose clearly has Muddy Waters as one of his inspirations which makes me super happy. Ambrose even teases Got My Mojo Working in one of their boogie-inspired songs.
Bill Callahan
4/5
Who does Bill Callahan sound like? I turned on this record and I was like okay I've definitely listened to this guy before but I didn't recognize him or find him on any of my playlists. I'm a big fan of this style of sad indie-folk. The music is chill and easy listening while the lyrics are kind of intense and deeply personal. This album reminds me so much of the indie music I was into around this time which makes it incredibly nostalgic.
Okay I figured it out. Bill Callahan sounds exactly like Silver Jews or maybe it's the other way around, I dunno.
King Crimson
3/5
I've started to really appreciate prog the last 4 years or so but this one might be a little too prog for me to really love it. I think I gave In The Court of the Crimson King 5 stars because it was like the perfect amount of prog but it seems like they took this one even further. Definitely some cool stuff going on but it appears that this needs much more of an intentional listen than trying to listen while working on a random Wednesday morning. I think my favorite track was Easy Money.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
First of all, what is that on the road?????
I like Joni Mitchell. I think she is an excellent singer-songwriter and I really enjoy her music. There are some solid songs on here. My problem is it's hard for me to pay attention to an entire album of hers. It kind of starts sounding all the same. Some similarly styled instrumentation while she's telling stories while sing-talking.
Nick Drake
3/5
Such an intimate record. With just the acoustic guitar, his voice, and nothing else it feels like a friend playing music for you around a campfire. I was quite impressed by his guitar playing. It was so relaxing and full of skill.
Dire Straits
3/5
Dylan sounding vocals, and some cool guitar work but I honestly had a hard time getting into this one. I felt like it was lacking in energy and passion. I honestly was not familiar with Dire Straits at all. This may be embarrassing but I was thinking they were a country group? Ended up being some classic dad rock. Wasn't bad at all but I just felt like it was lacking a spark.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
This was fine. I didn't really have any issues with it other than I'm kind of confused why it made this list. It doesn't seem influential or like it was doing anything new or innovative at the time. It's folkish music with a 90s/2000s twist. The songwriting was pretty decent though telling stories.
The Damned
4/5
Man what a way to start a record! Also what a fun freaking punk record. So many different sounds, high energy, and it gets a little weird! I love when bands are willing to get a little weird. Honestly this kind of reminds me a little of Glow On by Turnstile. It follows the genre but adds different sounds to it to keep things interesting.
The Lemonheads
4/5
A record that came out the year I was born. It's so 90s. The lyric "I've never been too good with names, but I remember faces" resonates with me. I'm a sucker for the 90s alt rock sound but all these songs sound exactly the same. Amazing Mrs. Robinson cover.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Main thought is that I absolutely love the flute on this. I mostly really enjoyed the instrumentation on this record but didn't care so much for the vocals.
Fats Domino
4/5
Really fun classic blues/rock and roll. I don't have much to say about it other than it was a fun listen.
Soft Machine
3/5
Long, adventurous, ambitious, and interesting experimental prog jazz. The first few minutes set a bit of a bad tone for the album. It's a bit long and hard to really appreciate unless listening to very intentionally. It is impressive however. I couldn't really get into it much this morning but I can appreciate it.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Such a good country rock blues record. So many classics and they deserve to be classics. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
The Band
4/5
I was definitely familiar with The Weight but not really any of these other songs. The songs are full of soul and the production is raw. It's crazy that they can be Bob Dylan's backing band but make a record that doesn't sound like they're Bob Dylan's backing band. This is a solid record.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Interesting because the lyrics can be seen as offensive and stupid but it appears to be a big critique of his youth growing up in Compton. Musically, it's a little bit boring to me. Overall a pretty solid record that would probably get better with more listens or listening while having all the lyrics up. I don't like this one as much as DAMN. or To Pimp a Butterfly. The Art of Peer Pressure really sheds a lot of light. It seems like Kendrick was a good kid but caught up with the wrong crowd. After finishing the record, I feel pretty sad. It's a heavy record thinking about the kids that systemically end up in situations like this where at a young age they have to learn how to process things like sex, drugs, and violence.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Wow I loved this record! Some amazing psych/soul/funk. There was some fun pop and also some awesome jammy sections. I loved all the sounds and instruments going on with all their different effects. The highlight for me might have been the lead guitar. It seriously had so much voice to it!
The Byrds
4/5
Pretty cool psych rock record that sounds influenced by some of the other psych bands of the time but not like a rip off. It seems like they were doing some experimental things to make it sound more psych which I really appreciate. Overall quite an enjoyable listen for me.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
I really enjoy blues records and this one is pretty decent but I feel like blues really benefits from a more raw, and energetic production. It almost feels too clean. I think it would be better if it sounded a little more like a live album.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Honestly sounds kind of like some basic 60s pop rock. There were a couple moments that caught my attention and it's very easy listening but overall is was an inoffensive record that was a little boring to me.
The Who
3/5
The front half of this record was okay. Kind of cheesy with some cool sections here and there. Then we had the really weird opera about engine driver Irvins which I did not like. After the weird opera though.... things got really good. Amazing Journey / Sparks to My Generation was sooooo good.
Neil Young
4/5
Was kind of busy working while listening to this one so I didn't write up any notes on it but I thought it was really enjoyable. My impression was that it was a 4 but I'm guessing if I actually paid more attention to the lyrics and songwriting that it would probably be a 5.
Beck
5/5
This album really strikes an amazing balance between poppy and weird. It's experimental but not too experimental. It surprises you and you never really know where things are going to go. They could go anywhere at any point which is very fun. It has fun melodies and hooks mixed in with the weirdness too which is honestly my favorite. I also love the genre fusion on this album. It keeps things really interesting.
Can
4/5
The first 4 tracks are awesome. Maybe like 4 or 5 star material for me. Experimental but still pretty easy listening and really interesting. It's the type of music I absolutely love. Track 5 & 6 are definitely songs meant for tripping so I understand why people wouldn't like it.
TLC
2/5
Okay I really am not a fan of this genre haha. This was a hard listen for me. I'm not against music made for teenage girls by any means but this one didn't do it for me at all. Waterfalls is by far the best song on the album. The interludes were hilarious though.
Deep Purple
4/5
Well this is another really fun live rock album. Such a good recording for the early 70s that's mixed really well. I love them goofing around. This type of energy and improvisation actually reminds me a lot of my favorite band's live shows. I bet it was absolutely electric live. I feel like this is what rock music is all about. I can't even imagine being a big Deep Purple fan and then going to see them live and getting this show. It would be amazing. I've never been into Deep Purple at all but this was still very fun to listen to.
The Doors
3/5
I had listened to this a handful of times before. I like it but it's not my favorite Doors album. There are a few pretty solid tracks but a lot of it is kinda of boring and feels like it lacks passion. I like the more bluesy sounding songs. I also like the organ and harmonica when it comes in.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I really did not care for the radio hits from this album at the time. Rehab was so annoying to me when it came out. The production on this album is really interesting. It has a fuzzy feel to it which makes it sound like a lower quality recording which makes it feel older. I'm sure that was intentional and I'm not sure how I feel about it. The audiophiles online seem upset by it calling it "unlistenable". I don't mind it too much but I do think with her voice, it would have been better to have a cleaner sound. Overall this is a great album. It's a shame Amy Winehouse died so young.
M.I.A.
3/5
Overall I liked this! It honestly went by pretty quickly and I didn't pay super close attention to each song since a lot of them sound very similar. I like that I don't really know what genre this record is. It sounds pretty unique and seems a bit experimental for the time. Overall it was a pretty solid listen but it's not something I'd go out of my way to listen to very often.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is a pretty cool record. The birth of ambient music by Eno! It's a nice and pleasant album. Super easy listening. Perfect for certain moods but maybe a little slow if you like more upbeat music. I love the electronic aspects and the cool production on it. There is a lot of variety in sounds and noises that make it interesting.
Miles Davis
5/5
This was really awesome. It was such a journey and really made me feel some things. I don't really know if i need to say anything more than that.
Ramones
3/5
Classic punk record. One thing I'm noticing in a lot of these albums is rock stars love writing love songs about "little girls" which is gross. Like why are these dudes on the album cover wanting to be the boyfriend of a little girl????? Also I'm being a bit critical but I understand that this is a pretty influential album and that the Ramones were quite influential but I completely zoned out after like 5 songs. They're all a bit repetitive.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
I listened to this record for the first time a year or so ago and was pretty into it. Especially Chameleon. I freaking love jazz fusion.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
This one just really didn't do it for me. Not totally sure why but I found it quite bland.
The Residents
2/5
I really like when music starts to get pretty experimental and weird but when it starts to go past experimental and into avant-garde then I start to enjoy it less. I actually appreciate that this was made but it definitely wasn't an easy or enjoyable listen. I love that bands like this get a little cult following though.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Amazing opening track. I love the piano on it. I also love that the opening song is the title track and 10 minutes long. I respect the hell out of that. It goes hard.
Dire Straits
4/5
This was pretty interesting. Overall a solid rock record with some cool stuff. I don't love his voice but overall I enjoyed the record a decent amount.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Well that was just a pleasant record. This is the exact kind of music my parents were into and would play while I was growing up. I loved it.
Jane Weaver
3/5
I get really stoked when the opening song is electronic krautrock fusion. I love that stuff so much. I also love the seamless transition into track 2. I wish that track 1 was 4 minutes longer though. It starts building really well and then just ends. I wish that she would lean into the weirdness a little more. There is definitely potential to make the music a bit more interesting. Favorites on the album were H>A>K and The Architect. The rest of the songs weren't bad but were maybe a bit slower than I would have liked.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
This was a really fun live album with some solid jams in there. Admittedly I wasn't paying super close attention to write a thorough review but I enjoyed it so much that I listened to it twice and will probably come back to listen to it again later. A couple standouts that I remember were In Memory of Elizabeth Reed and Whipping Post. I remember a few times that the harmonica parts were awesome as well.
Beatles
4/5
I haven't spent much time with this beatles album compared to other beatles albums. I have really loved Norwegian Wood though for a while. I don't love the hard panning on this album. It kind of hurts my ears. In My Life is an amazing song. The lyrics of Run For Your Life are terrible.
Kate Bush
5/5
This was unexpectedly really good to me. Insane production style for the 80s. She kind of reminds me of Florence and the Machine or that style of like indie pop. This honestly sounds way ahead of its time. I feel like there are a handful of really popular alt-pop or progressive pop artists now that sound a lot like this.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Some pretty solid alt-country. I was more into the first half of the record than the second half. I think I could listen and get into this more if I didn't know that Ryan Adams was a sexual predator piece of shit. It's hard for me to separate the art from the artist sometimes. It's not that hard to refrain from being a sexual predator.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
This was a solid listen. Very easy listening for me in the background. It was hard for me to pick anything out specifically that I liked but also hard for me to pick out anything that I disliked. I don't listen to Tango ever or vibraphones and it was quite pleasant. I feel like it wasn't very Tango-y though. It felt almost more like classical/jazz with tango influence in some songs but I don't listen to any Tango.
R.E.M.
4/5
Man, R.E.M. is a special band for me. It reminds me a lot of my parents and growing up. This album came out the year I was born and we listened to a lot of R.E.M. as I grew up. This album is quality and the production still holds up so well.
Common
4/5
This was a sick record. I liked the lyrics a lot and the music was good too. It kept making me think of Common in Small Foot though which is kinda funny.
Elbow
3/5
Honestly I'm pretty surprised that I've never heard this album before. It sounds kinda like 2000s indie mixed with Radiohead. I really enjoyed this record.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
One of the smoothest and sexiest records in existence.
Talking Heads
3/5
This was pretty interesting and psych. Not my favorite Talking Heads record. I hadn't ever listened to it and I'm not sure I will go out of my way to listen to it in the future. I definitely heard some things that likely inspired LCD Soundsystem though.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I did not realize that The Band was covering Bruce Springsteen's Atlantic City. That's seriously such an amazing song. I'm also a big fan of State Trooper. This is a solid record.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
I don't know what it is about Bossa Nova but it makes me feel good. It's such a vibe. It's easy listening but it's also interesting. There are lots of sounds happening. Astrud also has quite a pleasant voice. This record also has that like old timey cursed ballroom sound/production that is kind of spooky and feels a little bit like a distant happy memory.
Queen
3/5
Well for some reason the review I wrote while I listened to this record didn't get saved. I think I said something along the lines of not ever hearing this album before and not really knowing very many songs on it. I like the proggy nature mixed with glam and also rock and roll. Overall it was a fun and interesting listen. The vocals are so over the top sometimes but I'm not mad about it. I remember there being some pretty sick riffs too.
Blur
2/5
Girls & Boys started and I was like okay this is pretty groovy and fun and then after like 3 minutes I was like oh man it's just the same thing still and I got kind of bored with it. Overall I was a bit bored by this album but there were a couple interesting moments. I liked London Loves. It was kind of like post/egg punk sounding.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
I can't decide what it says about my music taste that I actually enjoyed this record quite a bit. I can't tell if it's genuine world fusion or if it was just a white dude that went to India once and was inspired. I think I'm leaning towards genuine. The male vocals were not great and were kind of annoying but the female vocals were pretty solid. Where this record really shines is with the instrumentation. Lots of different instruments and styles that in my opinion were really interesting. I really enjoyed Erzulie. Everyman's An Island was pretty solid too. It reminded me a lot of the Tel Aviv band Satellites.
Charles Mingus
5/5
Track A was such a dirty, dark track. I feel like it's telling the story of the sinner lady working as a sex worker. She finishes up with her client and heads to a bar.
Track B feels like the black saint and the sinner lady meeting at the bar for the first time and there is this kind of balancing act of hitting it off but also there is some friction between them due to the sinner lady being a sex worker. It still kind of has this like dirty grimy feel to it with some like happy and sexy moments in there.
Track C almost feels like regret. Maybe the black saint is feeling regret from what happened the night before. The black saint starts to do mental gymnastics because he enjoyed the night but also does not approve of the sinner lady. Most of this song is him dealing with this cognitive dissonance.
Mode D feels like the black saint decided he couldn't deal with the fact that the sinner lady is a sinner. He decides to ignore the sinner lady and never talk to her again. This obviously is a difficult decision for her and you can hear some mental turmoil throughout the song as he's dealing with this. This goes on for a while. He's dealing with this pain the rest of his life.
I don't know if I've ever heard and album tell a story this well before. This might not be the story that was intended but it's what I heard. The instruments are acting both as the conversation between the characters and also as the background music and it does such a good job portraying the emotions felt.
Slipknot
3/5
I've always associated Slipknot with the scary weirdo incel types and have never actually listened to them even though I have listened to a ton of Slipknot-adjacent music. Track 2 actually has me pretty stoked. The drumming is sick and it's not the nu-metal style I was expecting. The breakdowns remind me so much of A Day To Remember.
Louis Prima
5/5
I love this music. It makes me want to be there in person when this was recorded. I just love when live music is high energy and fun. You knokw, music that makes you want to smile and move your body. That's what this is. I have no idea what he was talking about most of the album and that's okay.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Soul powerhouse. Some classics on here. I could listen to her voice forever. Love the subject matter of the songs as well.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
I enjoyed this album but wasn't blown away. It reminds me of a lot of other music from around this time but it might even be a little more interesting than a lot of the indie music I listened to. There was a variety of styles and sounds which surprised me. There would be like a random bit in a completely different genre that would catch me off guard and I love that.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
I really enjoy this style of music but unfortunately it's such easy listening for me that I zoned out during a lot of it while I listened at work. There were a few moments that stood out to me when the big band would come in louder. I think in summary this just makes really good background music.
Nanci Griffith
4/5
This type of 80s pop country reminds me so much of my wife. It makes me happy. What a beautiful record. I love her voice and the production on this thing is really clean with instruments coming in and out to fill space but not take up too much space. It keeps her great voice at the forefront but if you pay attention to the instrumentals, it's also really interesting.
Beatles
4/5
It's crazy to think this record is 60 years old. I love the title track and I always think about that first note they play on it and how it is pretty difficult to recreate. This beatles record is just fun pop rock songs. It's pretty enjoyable.
Neil Young
4/5
Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you!
That line goes so hard on this record.
Such a solid folk/country record with some incredible songwriting. It's pretty hard to beat honestly. I also love the variety in the sound throughout the album.
The Black Crowes
3/5
I was not excited to listen to this honestly. I have so much good music to listen to lately and I didn't want "Shake Your Money Maker" to take up that time. It ended up being better than I was expecting. Some high energy blues rock with. hint of glam rock but the glam rock vocals aren't as annoying as they can be sometimes. Some fun riffs and solos but overall just exactly what you'd expect for this genre. Nothing really very unique in my opinion.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Wow this record feels like it's ahead of its time. I love how ethereal it is. It kind of sounds like a mix between shoegaze and dream pop.
The Cure
2/5
I grew up with parents that loved The Cure. I got excited when I saw we had a The Cure album today and was looking forward to it. I listened to a The Cure a lot but I think it was mostly greatest hits. Honestly I was quite bored and unimpressed with this one and I was kind of confused why it made it on the list. Lots of repetition but with very simple riffs and drumming. If you're going to be repetitive you need more interesting things going on and more layers.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Wow short and sweet. I’m not the biggest fan of this style of rock but this record actually left me wanting a little more. Thin Lizzy sounds great live. Most notable was the guitar work. Some really fun solos and some fun harmonizing solos. The boys are back in town with this one.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
I'm pretty stoked to have finally listened to this album fully. I'm kind of upset I hadn't listened to it through all the way before today. Such a sick hip hop record. The mixing and production is so cool, especially after learning about how it was done, the history, the influence, and just how young they were when they made it. Q-tip was 16 when he recorded and mixed this thing? That is insane. I love it. Some really cool beats in here and really flowy lyrics. I love how warm and fuzzy it sounds too.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
This is not what I expected at all based on the artist's name, the album name, or the album cover art. It's super chill and easy listening but maybe almost too easy listening. I got pretty bored and wanted something more engaging 3 songs in.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
I kind of have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I really don't like the violent and misogynistic lyrics on this album. On the other hand, I love how this album sounds. It flows so well and the rhymes are good. Musically, it's a very fun album to listen to. Some of the skits were kind of funny too. I think I'd give this a 3.5 but I'll round it up to 4.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
I very much loved this album. It has that 90s sound/production that I'm a sucker for. It was interesting, it went hard, it had lots of variety in sound. I think I'd probably give it a 4.5 but I'll actually just round up to 5. I'd give the album art a 1/5 though.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Sounds like a live album and has the high energy of a live album. Crazy that it's a studio album. That's pretty cool. Janis Joplin killed it with the vocals and there is some sick guitar playing. A lot of moments in this record remind me of live Grateful Dead when they had Donna.
Cream
3/5
Yummmm warm and fuzzy late 60s psych. I can see how this album likely had and has had a strong influence in psych music and it was probably mind blowing when it came out. currently I find it just a bit boring. The melodies and the riffs aren't super interesting and it's not very layered. So I like the vibe of the record and I appreciate the influence but I'll likely never listen to this one again.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
The title track is a masterpiece. Such a beautifully written song. Honestly this album deserves a 5 just for the title track. It's probably one of the easiest 5 stars so far I've given so far in this project. The songs are all beautiful, interesting, and just really good.
Os Mutantes
3/5
The first thing I noticed with this record in track one is that they are not very tight. I don't know if it's on purpose but they are definitely not in sync and it's kind of bothering me haha. Wow it's so weird and psychedelic which I am a big fan of. Lots of unexpected things happening. Overall this was more enjoyable than I first expected. I think they did a good job copying the psych sounds of the time.
Van Morrison
4/5
Man, I love that flute. While I think this is a solid record and probably a 5/5 for a lot of people, I have to give it a 4/5. The songwriting is solid but since I’m a music-first, lyrics-second music enjoyer, I do need to criticize the repetitive nature of the instruments on each track and the lack of melody.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Really solid blues/country rock album. Opens and closes with some absolute classics. The instrumentation is interesting and solid, and the vocals are catchy.
Adele
4/5
I remember when Rolling in the Deep came out. It was all the rage and felt like such a unique and cool pop song. I've never been on the Adele hype train. I appreciate how talented she is as a vocalist but I've never really been into her songs. I do think that she's a step up from the generic/algorithmic pop though.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
The songs are big and full of energy. It's crazy hearing just how much Springsteen has influenced modern The Killers. A lot of this sounds like the latest Killers albums. Love the instrumentation, especially the brass.
Tears For Fears
5/5
There are few albums that remind me more of my mom than this one. I grew up on this record. What an incredible opening track. This record is such a solid synth pop record. I love it.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
The australian Smiths. It was a fine record. Easy to listen to, maybe a little boring, but definitely a Smiths rip off.
David Bowie
4/5
I listened to this on Friday and forgot to take any notes. I remember liking this one. I remember the funkiness and the sax. This is also a side of Bowie I'm not super familiar with but I'm digging it.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
This is such a sick record. I love the beats and the jazzy aspect of it. It flows well and is a pretty easy listen but it also has stuff to sink your teeth into.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
This is quite the ambitious project and they nailed the sound they were going for. It just dragged on a little too long for me. I was pretty bored and over it by track 8 and admittedly just kind of skipped through the rest of the album so I could move on to some better music to get me through election day.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Feels like Kraftwerk meets Talking Heads which makes sense because of who the band is. I enjoy the electronic music with funky guitar playing over the top of it. I like the silly lyrics too. To me it's just kind of an easy going fun record.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This is a solid record. I don't think it's Arcade Fire's best though. I think The Suburbs is their best. Overall this album hits hard but there are a couple of songs that just don't really do it for me so I would put this one at a 4.
Kraftwerk
4/5
This record is so influential on all electronic music. You can hear the influences it had on 80s new wave. It influenced artists like Daft Punk and is still influencing artists today. It sounds like they used modular synths or sequencers to produce those driving hypnotic sounds and then they must have used some synth keyboards to play over the top of it. I also love the vocoder for the vocals. It's a bit slow for me so I don't revisit this album very often but I do like to revisit it to try and pick out what they're doing with their synths since I am a big fan of electronic music. My favorite band was heavily inspired by this record to start dabbling in electronic music using the same kind of technology so I've been very interested in this.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
I love how this album has so much variety and so many interesting sounds. The run of psych songs later in the album was soo good. She is an impressive vocalist and she seems a bit weird which is a big turn on for me. What gives her the right to be gorgeous, talented, and also interesting?
Bobby Womack
3/5
Fun and groovy record that's very inoffensive. I enjoyed it but it's more of a background-music album for me.
Gang Starr
3/5
This is definitely more of a lyric album which is tough for me since I listen while I work. The lyrics flow pretty well but in kind of a slow way? The beats are just slightly boring to me. Overall it seems pretty decent. I'm sure it would be better if I had time to give the lyrics more attention.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
This was pretty good! I grew up listening to Peter Gabriel but I only recognized one of the songs on this album which made it interesting. I liked the easy listening elements mixed in with more of the experimental and dark elements.
4/5
Admittedly I didn't take any notes while listening to this on Friday. This is such a solid record. Easy to listen to but also easy to dive in deeper. Some all time classics on this record as well. Good melodies, good production, good songwriting.
Ray Charles
4/5
I really love this music. It makes me feel good. The horns are amazing on the first half and the piano ballads are nice on the back half.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is right up my alley. Instrumental, kinda weird, psych, experimental. Love both these musicians and this collaboration is sweet.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
A warm feeling album sonically with some variety in sounds but honestly nothing about it really captivated me. I was pretty bored listening to it. I don't know why it felt the need to be an hour long and I'm not really sure why it made this list.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Some songs were pretty fun and interesting but some of the songs dragged on a bit. As far as soundtracks go, it's pretty solid.
Nick Drake
5/5
I like this Nick Drake more than the last one which was Pink Moon. I think Pink Moon was mostly just guitar playing and singing where this one has so much more depth instrumentally. The guitar is very meditative and the strings, and winds come in and really give things flavor. I also love the bongo drums in it. The songwriting is good and Nick Drake's voice is very soothing. Softer music hasn't been grabbing my attention as much lately but this one actually really caught me and I was really engaged with it. It was both very relaxing and interesting. This is one that I will for sure be revisiting. Five stars for Five Leaves (left).
The Temptations
4/5
Great funky 60s record. My only complaints are that the second half isn't as good as the first half and that they pan some of the instruments too hard to one ear which makes it a little harder to listen to with good headphones on.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Within the first minute of this album you can obviously hear just how good the production is on this album. It sounds and feels amazing. The bouncing panning of the drums back and forth on Red Rain makes it sound like it is raining which is so cool. It was a solid collection of 80s pop songs.
Beach House
3/5
Super chill indie dream pop record. I remember listening to this in college and thinking it was pretty cool. Listening to the whole thing right now is making me realize it's a bit boring. It's dreamy and vibey but there isn't really a lot going on.
Van Morrison
4/5
First of all, the album cover looks like a meme format which has me chuckling. This is a perfect Saturday morning album. Chill, and easy listening. Solid songwriting and some interesting instrumentation
Sade
3/5
Smooth, and funky. Easy music to kind of get lost in. I dig Sade's vocals and the saxophone and I like the meditative bass lines with disco piano over the top of it. Admittedly I started to zone out and not really hear the music anymore halfway through which means it lost my interest a bit. I think it's pretty solid pop music but it's not a record that gets me really excited.
Scott Walker
3/5
This kind of reminded me of Engelbert Humperdink or Tom Jones but maybe less commercialized? His music feels maybe more... indie?? than the music by Tom Jones and Engelbert. It's funny, I just googled "Scott Walker Tom Jones" and apparently Scott Walker hated being compared to Tom Jones. That checks out. Scott Walker has an excellent voice and I love the latin jazz influence. It was lacking in bangers though IMO. I appreciated it but since it was so close to the artists I mentioned I was hoping for one song where he just belts loud.
Big Star
4/5
This sounds like a band that should be more well known than they are. Whoa that 70s show theme song was written by these guys?? Now I'm definitely thinking these guys should be more well known than they are. Thirteen is an excellent song and way too short. I feel like they're somewhere in between The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC.
The Pogues
5/5
This album has a lot of the ingredients for a 5 star album for me. Edgy, raw, variety, unpredictable, and many different instruments. I had never heard it before and I really enjoyed it.
Gorillaz
5/5
Well, my review didn't end up getting saved which is a bummer. Basically this album was super rad. The beats were really cool and there was some nice variety. It was the perfect album to get into the zone to because it was just meditative and chill enough but also it was interesting enough that I could just really groove to it.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I'm not a huge Bob Dylan connoisseur but I think this is probably my favorite Bob Dylan record. I don't think I know enough to be able to say much but it definitely had some classics on there. I love his take on rock music in this one while still being the poet that he is.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
This totally sounds like the era but it's almost like if you told AI to write an album based on the era. It feels very cliched. It's so inoffensive that it's kind of offensive to me? It felt kind of cheesy. I'm not totally sure what's going on with this one but I kind of just don't like it haha.
U2
5/5
I think that LCD Soundsystem pulled a lot of inspiration from U2 because I just kept thinking "this sounds like LCD Soundsystem" throughout the whole album. Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day are such classics and the rest of the album is just solid. I really enjoy this album. I've been diving into post-punk a lot this year so it's fun giving this album another listen and recognizing the influence it has had. This is one of the albums that I feel like really deserves a place on this list.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
I appreciate this album so much. First of all, it's just so good. Second of all, I think so many of the bands I love that use a lot of fuzz, wah, and feedback pedals can be traced back to Jimi Hendrix and this album.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Such a groovy album. Curtis Mayfield has an amazing voice. The first 30 seconds of the album hit so hard but I never quite got that again the rest of the album. I don't have much to say about this album other than it was pretty decent but it didn't blow my socks off.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
80s goth! Love that reverby drum sound of the 80s. It's so nostalgic for me. For some reason I can just picture Jason Segel being the lead singer of this band.
Depeche Mode
5/5
The intro of this album reminded me a lot of Kraftwerk. There's this weird creepy undertone. Like not just depressed but maybe depressed and a bit incel-y. The electronic aspect of this album is awesome and the production is really good and clean. They absolutely nailed the vibe they were going for and it's pretty consistent throughout the whole album which creates this really interesting atmosphere. Personal Jesus, Enjoying the Silence, and Policy of Truth are such classics too. I've been listening to those since I was a kid.
It’s weird we got Depeche Mode today because when I woke up this morning I got on Reddit and saw that the school shooter from the other day was wearing the same shirt as the Columbine shooter which is a band shirt for KMFDM and I guess people used to say that stood for Kill Mother F*cking Depeche Mode because they were mad that Depeche Mode took Industrial music mainstream. So that's a weird coincidence.
Sepultura
4/5
This is such a unique sounding metal record. There are elements of thrash, elements of nu-metal, and then it's also mixed with some Brazilian tribal sounds which is so cool. Ratamahatta was so sick being all in Portuguese. The nu-metal with the bongo drums honestly worked so well together haha. I think overall my favorite thing about this record is the unique drumming/percussion for a metal album. The only beef I have with this album is I was kind of fatigued by it by the end. It was a little long.
Foo Fighters
4/5
I've never listened to early Foo Fighters and I didn't realize how much some of their stuff sounds like Nirvana. Some songs literally sound like Nirvana songs. This makes sense but I always thought after Nirvana, Dave Grohl changed the sound quite a bit. I really enjoyed this and I think I enjoy it more than the Foo Fighters songs that I know and grew up listening to on the radio. I'm a fan of the 1 guy does it all DIY rawness to this album.
R.E.M.
3/5
I think I might have some unpopular opinions about this one since it’s REM. I had never listened to this record and I don’t think I knew any of the songs before. My main beef with this album is that it was kinda boring. A lot of the songs just had the same repeating 4 bars over and over and there was very little to no variation of instrumentation or vocals. The songwriting was fine but nothing mind blowing. I honestly was pretty stoked for an REM album and then I just ended being bored by it.
Dion
3/5
This was pretty easy listening and I feel like it had hints of lots of different 70s sounds. Overall a pretty enjoyable record but I’ll likely never listen to it again. The lyrics and melody of Feliz Navidad can be sung pretty well to Queen of 1959 haha.
Moby Grape
4/5
It would have been real fun to be a fan of psych music in SF in the late 60s. The harmony vocals maybe sound like basic 60s vocals but I feel like the instrumentation is really interesting if you pay attention to them. There is a lot going on and it's all very tight and driving.
ABBA
5/5
What an absolute classic by such a legendary group. It may not be music I listen to on my own but I will never be upset if ABBA comes on. It has the power to make almost anyone wanna get up and groove. I'm confident this album had significant influence on all the pop music that came after it. The songs are so big yet the melodies are so catchy and easy to sing along to.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
I think I like This Is Happening and american dream more which I think might be an unpopular opinion but this is still a solid album with some really solid songs. I think some people might really dislike the repetitiveness but for some reason it really gets me into a medititate flow. I love the electronic aspect of it. I started getting into post punk more last year and learned a lot of LCD Soundsystem's influence on the scene with their dance punk. This album feels more raw and I appreciate that even though there is a lot of electronic stuff on it, there are moments where things allow for some humanity such as in All My Friends, you can hear that the piano part at the beginning isn't perfectly executed. Based on the music I grew up listening to, it makes perfect sense that I would be into LCD Soundsystem since his musical influences are pretty obvious.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I thought that maybe I'd be into this one since I'm into some weird music and I can be pretty forgiving of out of tune vocals but the prolonged dissonance was just a bit too much for me to really enjoy this. It was very melancholy and kind of slow. I appreciated the proggines of it and there was some pretty interesting things happening but I don't feel like this needed to be in this list.
Dwight Yoakam
4/5
I really enjoy this sound of country music. I reminds me a lot of my wife and the music she grew up listening to. It sounds like maybe a more authentic Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, or George Strait. I like the echoey guitar playing and honestly just the instrumentation in general. Lots of cool stuff happening with variety and different effects.
UB40
2/5
I liked the brass added to the reggae sound and I liked some of the psych production on this record. I grew up with my parents listening to Labour Of Love II and other UB40 songs so I've heard UB40 quite a bit. This is my first time hearing this record. I just couldn't really get into this one and got pretty bored. The lyrics were pretty good but the vocals kinda bugged me. Reggae has never been a genre that has drawn me in.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Dusty has a very beautiful voice and I love the backing orchestra. This album sounds so warm and inviting and kind of nostalgic. The Windmills of Your Mind was excellent and bonus points for the sitar sounding instrument on In The Land Of Make Believe.
CHIC
4/5
This is an excellent dance album. It seems like a classic disco record and the instrumentals and production are excellent. The bass is superb.
The low point of the album for me is probably At Last I Am Free. It feels a bit long with how repetitive it is but I do still love that bass line in that song.
Gary Numan
4/5
Another record on this list that my parents listened to when I was growing up. It's fun to start learning about the artists that wrote the songs of my childhood. Cars was such a classic in our house. I love the commitment to straight synth on this record. It seems like this record was probably a big inspiration for a lot of the synth pop/new wave bands of the 80s and I appreciate that since that music really shaped my overall musical taste.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I didn't have much to say with this one because I'm pretty busy with work but I really enjoy Neil Young and I love live albums so this one definitely works for me.
Nirvana
5/5
Jesus doesn't want me for a sunbeam. He wants me for a Nirvana fan.
James Brown
3/5
Overall pretty solid but it ended up being a bit underwhelming for me. I was like "oh hell yeah live album of the No. 1 R&B Start of 1962?? I bet this has some sweet energy" and then other than I Don't Mind, nothing really caught my ear.
The White Stripes
5/5
What a solid record. Seven Nation Army is one of the most iconic songs and for good reason. Even without that song, this album would be very solid and enjoyable.
Pere Ubu
4/5
This is my second Pere Ubu album on this list. I'm quite surprised this band had 2 albums make the list. This album was sick. Very weird, psychedelic, and from what I can tell, influential. It sounds like it influenced bands like Talking Heads and some of those other 80s groups that kind of sing similarly. The title track reminded me so much of Modest Mouse which was cool since they're one of my favorite bands. It makes sense that they have so few monthly listeners on Spotify since this music is so weird but it also surprises me because with how influential they seem to have been, you'd think they'd have more of a cult following.
Eminem
4/5
This album is over the top. It's violent, misogynistic, and homophobic and at the same time it's pretty self aware. Stan and Who Knew dives into that a bit. He says he's just messing around with his Slim Shady character and people are taking his lyrics and acting on them. The jokes are intense but he's calling out that they're jokes. I don't know if the jokes are okay but he said he makes "fight music for high school kids" which is kind of what this is. I was so into this album in high school. It's full of high school toilet humor. It seems like maybe he's struggling with his rise to fame in this album. He addresses how he doesn't love getting stopped in the streets and how he didn't realize people would take his lyrics so literally. It's hard to deny how talented he is and there are so many songs on this album that are classics in my opinion.
In summary, this album is quite offensive and I've docked points off other albums in this list due to being offensive. He does call out pretty clearly to me that he's making jokes and that he doesn't want people taking them seriously but I still don't think that makes the offensive jokes okay but honestly I'm just not really sure.
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
I'm sure at the time it was very experimental and I guess it could still be considered experimental now compared to the majority of electronic music that people listen to (poppy EDM). Now days I feel like this is probably still a bit experimental for electronic but not too crazy. I dig this but it is a little more boring than what I really enjoy with electronic music. I tend to prefer the experimental stuff mixed in with more melody or story telling. It's a bit too repetitive and a lot of the times it feels like it's building but doesn't come with the satisfying drop which I think is something that electronic music really thrives on. This is more of a passive electronic album in my opinion and I likely won't listen to it again but I do like it.
Talking Heads
5/5
This was such a great album. It might be my favorite Talking Heads album although Speaking in Tongues is also amazing. I love the afro beat influence on this record and specifically the influence from Fela Kuti. The rhythms and polyrhythms and experimental nature on this album really grabbed me. I liked the instrumentals. Once in a Lifetime is an all time classic but I also really enjoyed The Great Curve. Once again, I'm realizing that LCD Soundsystem is basically just a continued Talking Heads and I love LCD Soundsystem. The Overload by Talking Heads also made me want to listen to The Overload by Yard Act. Now that I think of it.... Yard Act is also definitely inspired by Talking Heads.
The Slits
4/5
Right off the bat, this album kind of reminds me of Animal Collective. Would this be considered avant Garde reggae punk? I'm digging the weird nature of it honestly. There's also a band I listen to with a female vocalist that sounds just like one of the vocalists of the slits and I cannot figure it out for the life of me. It's driving me crazy.
The Smiths
3/5
From a very young age I remember singing "And if a doublе-decker bus crashes into us, to diе by your side is such a heavenly way to die" because my mom was always singing it. She loved the Smiths so they always makes me think of her. Some solid guitar work and basslines in this album. Overall I liked it but it's not really an album I think I'll revisit very much if ever.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Man I love old country and Dolly Parton is a legend. This album has some really solid songs on it. I especially loved Early Morning Breeze. It sounded like it could have been a Grateful Dead song and the bass line especially felt like a Phil Lesh bass line to me.
Pulp
4/5
This dude loves hooking up with women that are in relationships. He seems like a horny bastard. The album is over the top though in a good way in my opinion. High energy pop songs that sound like they should have been from the 80s instead of the 90s. I'm digging the 80s inspiration on it and it also seems like there is some shoegaze influence which is fun.
Nirvana
5/5
Man I really love this album. Luckily my dad liked cool music in the 90s so I remember liking this album when I was super young. It hasn't ever gotten old. I really don't know if I need to say anything about it.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
This has a lot of elements of music I like. It's weird, high energy, and noisy. I like it but I don't love it and I'm trying to figure out what aspect of it is what's keeping me from loving it. Maybe it's the Elvis voice. Maybe it's weird but not weird enough. Maybe it's not psych enough. I'm not sure. But I love the variety of sounds and the blues and punk aspects of it. It was good enough that I want to check out some of their other records.
Paul Simon
4/5
I'm really enjoying the variety in sounds. The guitar work has been really fun too. I love this style of acoustic guitar playing. It's very relaxing to me. I'm loving hearing all the different instruments on this record. I also just love Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I've never spent much time with Black Sabbath. I think growing up in a really religious family, Black Sabbath felt like it would be satanist music and so I avoided it. And then when I was a bit older I heard Iron Man and kinda thought superheroes were lame so I thought they were kind of like cheesy metal. They get lots of praise though and my favorite band is very influenced by them. This album was a really nice surprise. The opening song was killer. Changes was excellent, and honestly the rest of the album was sick. I wasn't really expecting the psych/stoner sludginess that goes so hard.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Some clever songwriting that touches on political issues that are still happening today. Overall, I liked this but probably wouldn't revisit it. I think it's mostly due to the record lacking in some production areas, and I tend to prefer either angrier or higher energy vocals in rap.
The Replacements
4/5
Sometimes it sounds like it's on the verge of being new wave and other times it's more punk. I love the rawness to it and it feels genuine. They were ahead of their time with Androgynous. There are also some pretty sick riffs in there.
Mercury Rev
4/5
Man these guys sound so much like The Flamings Lips and I mean that as a compliment. After doing a bit of research it looks like the frontman ended up joining the Flaming Lips after Mercury Rev which is interesting because he sounds just like the singer of The Flaming Lips but he was a guitarist haha. Holes is an amazing song and I've heard it in a bunch of places but I can't remember where. The whole album is solid though. It's weird but still accessible and it kinda of has this uplifting hopeful feeling to it which is something I've needed.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
I understand that Arctic Monkeys are basically sacred and so many people love them buuuuuut I've never really been able to get THAT into them. I'm not exactly sure why but the style of vocals just really doesn't do it for me. I love the instrumentals but the vocals sound almost too radio-y to me. This is a solid debut record but I just don't care that much about Arctic Monkeys.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This was a really fun record for me and a Rolling Stones album I had never listened to before. I loved the rock n' roll, roots, and country aspects. Some solid bass lines in some of the songs and some jammy moments. I loved the featured mellotron on some of the songs like at the end of Jig-saw Puzzle
The Saints
3/5
Aussies don't know anything about rock music
Isaac Hayes
5/5
This album is incredible. The horns, and strings, mixed with the funk and soul and psych guitar make for a really fun and interesting album.
Pixies
5/5
This album is weird, chaotic, and raw. It's full of energy and fun little skits. I love all the high energy riffs.
The Band
5/5
I don't have much to say about this one other than it's just really good and all you have to do to know it's really good is just throw it on.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
I'm a sucker for prog. I like that it's not predictable. I like that it's technical and is usually in weird time signatures and using weird scales. I think I like prog better when it isn't keyboard led like on Tarkus but this still isn't bad.
I didn't like the more traditional songs very much. The songwriting was weak and they didn't make up for it in any other way.
I think I liked Bitches Crystal the best.
I think this album is probably a pretty tough listen for most people. I love the totally ridiculous album cover.
Overall I didn't dislike this but I don't think I'd ever listen to it again.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Need more reverb!!!!
In all seriousness though they have some awesome pop songs layered beneath lots of noisy reverb. I thoroughly enjoyed this album.
Solange
4/5
I'm really digging the electronic elements sprinkled in. I'm really digging the chill vibe of this one. The piano stands out in it as well. My beef with this album is I think it's a bit too long. If you shaved off a few songs, it would be perfect. I was starting to get a little bored by the end of the album.
Elliott Smith
5/5
This album is so good. It has this melancholy yet hopeful feeling to it. The songwriting is really good and I love the variety in chord progressions and sounds on it. I don't immediately repeat too many albums from this list but this was one that I threw on a second time immediately after the first time.
Bob Dylan
5/5
This might be my favorite Bob Dylan record. It's energetic, powerful, and introspective. You can groove to it and you can also stop and pay more attention to the lyrics to try and figure out what they all mean. The review section for this album is full of people that don't really understand music in my opinion. I understand many people hate Bob Dylan's voice but honestly this wouldn't be as good with someone with an incredible singing voice.
Portishead
2/5
I don't really understand what made this band very influential. There were several other bands from around the same time or that came before that were doing similar stuff but way more interesting. This album is kind of boring. I didn't really enjoy it at all.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Wow this first song really caught me off guard and went places I really didn't expect. I struggle with the vibrato in the vocals a little bit but it is interesting so I don't hate it. One thing I love about this album is how powerful and emotional it often sounds. I don't think I'll ever go out of my way to listen to this again but I really appreciated listening to it. It felt like reading someone's journal about transitioning from a man to a woman and it was very powerful.
The La's
3/5
Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Reminded me of the 90s.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Pretty good soul for a white british woman in the 60s. I would have much rather had this from a black woman. Regardless, I enjoy the energy, the voice, and the songs. It kind of reminds me of like Amy Winehouse or Adelle but from the 60s.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
This is a solid album with great song writing. I've definitely listened to it before multiple times. I'm not sure why but I just really wasn't vibing with it though today. I think it's probably a 5 star album but I like it at a 4 star level.
It's weird that River is using the Jingle Bells melody haha.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This album was kind of forgettable for me. I appreciate what he was going for and I do think this album had potential but it was just missing some oomf or something. I'm not really sure how to describe it.
Minor Threat
4/5
Super fun song structures, riffs, and bass lines. This was excellent. It also was high energy and short which was nice. Minor Threat is one of those bands I haven't listened to much of but I should have and still should. I listened to so much "straight edge" music in high school I probably should have spent more time with its roots.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
This is a very warm feeling psych album. I'm hearing lots of different influences in there all from bands that I enjoy. I also realized that Wooden Shjips got their band name from the song Wooden Ships on this album.
Moby
4/5
I'm into this style of older electronic music where it's just a lot of stuff being sampled. Reminds me of Fat Boy Slim or The Avalanches. A handful of these songs are very nostalgic for me. I don't think this is as good as some of the Fatboy Slim stuff or The Avalanches stuff I've heard but it wasn't bad.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Admittedly I listened this while working and I already struggle with following lyrics on the first few listens. I'm a music-first listener. With that being said, I think this was a solid record with a few songs standing out. Overall it feels a bit slower and less energy. I absolutely loved Highway 61 Revisited because the music and energy grabbed me which helped me pay better attention to the songs/lyrics. With Blood On The Tracks I found myself not paying attention to the album at all for parts. My fav songs were Tangled up in Blue, Idiot Wind, Meet Me in the Morning, and Buckets of Rain
Deee-Lite
3/5
It feels weird that this was made in 1990. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. It was fine. Some funky and psychedelic moments throughout are the good parts.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Some of the vocals throughout this remind me a lot of Caroline Polachek. It actually feels like Caroline Polachek was heavily inspired by this album/artist which is cool. I also really like the production on this album. This isn't really my vibe but for queer electronic pop, this feels really great and important.
Pearl Jam
5/5
This is such a good album and a quintessential 90s, and grunge album. I can't believe this is their debut. I think so many bands have been inspired by this album and have tried to copy its sound but no one has come close. There are so many great songs on this one. I think the production is maybe a bit dated but overall it's so solid.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I wasn't familiar with any song on this album outside of Immigrant Song. I really enjoyed this record. The production was great and I loved the fusion of genres with the hints of like country/folk and acoustic stuff. I loved the variety.
T. Rex
3/5
This felt like such an easy going record. It was fun but not crazy fun. I kinda just zoned out for a lot of it but every now and then, a riff or something would catch my attention. It seems like Stu Mackenzie was trying to copy the T. Rex lead guitar tone on B741.
Stereo MC's
2/5
90s electronic hip hop Oasis.
Elis Regina
3/5
This was pretty chill. I learned that I like Brazilian jazz after hearing that The New Sound by Geordie Greep was inspired a lot by Brazilian jazz. I definitely could hear that influence while listening to this album. I was much more engaged with this album at the beginning and halfway through I started to zone out more and more. Overall I enjoyed this though.
Screaming Trees
3/5
Grunge with psychedelic breaks? The grunge parts are kinda boring but as soon as they start incorporating the psych stuff, it gets significantly more interesting. Unfortunately there aren't very many psych breaks which makes this overall kinda boring and forgettable.
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
This album is full of bangers. This is excellent 80s pop.
Steely Dan
3/5
This album has elements that I'd typically like quite a bit. 70s rock with variety in sound, pretty solid songwriting, cool instrumentation, cool guitar tones in certain songs, and some jammy elements, but I just really couldn't get into it. I've never been against Steely Dan, but I just haven't really been able to connect with it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
This was a fun album. I loved the swampy blues/country sound. I loved the jammy bits as well.
Tito Puente
4/5
I love how fun this is. It has excellent instrumentation and it just makes you want to move your body. I lived in the Dominican Republic for 2 years and this reminds me a lot of some of the music I'd hear there.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This is a fun album. Rip This Joint really caught my attention with how fun and high energy it was. It sounded like true rock and roll. I seriously loved the instrumentation and energy on this one. The instrumentation on Turd On The Run sounds a lot like the instrumentation of Grateful Dead's Cumberland Blues.
Yes
5/5
Good ol' nerdy prog. This album has a pretty good balance of nerd rock, mainstream sounds, and classic prog sounding stuff. These are talented musicians for sure and I think it's cool that they could make a pretty technical album that could appeal more to the mainstream. I liked this more and more as the album went on.
Nina Simone
5/5
One of the greats for good reason. This album is so damn good and if it came out today, people would still go crazy for it. In fact, I'd kill for an album like this to come out today. This was such an easy 5 star for me.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Honestly not bad for the 90s but incredibly boring for 2025. I'm not against chill electronic music but chill electronic music now days at least has more depth.
Massive Attack
2/5
Another pretty boring 90s electronic album. I'm sure this was cool at the time and influential but it hasn't held up well. It's most just boring at this point.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
This is our third electronic album in a row. The last two were 90s electronic duds. This one was still pretty slow but it was more spacey and I appreciate how it was made. It feels more layered than the 90s ones. The synths in this one feel nicer on my brain too. Still not anything mindblowing for me but I definitely like this one better.
The War On Drugs
3/5
I've loved Red Eyes since it came out in 2014. I also just enjoy TWOD in general. I think I've listened to this album a handful of times but not in many years. Listening to it in its entirety now is interesting. It's a pretty good album but it's also kind of boring mostly because a lot of the songs sound the same. It's certainly not a bad album but the sum of its parts are not greater than the whole. This wouldn't be an album I'd ever buy the physical copy of and it will mostly just be a couple of songs that get thrown onto a big random playlist I never listen to.
Björk
3/5
I like the way she sings. It's unique and it reminds me a lot of Caroline Polachek. This album was mixed and produced pretty terribly in several songs. You can barely hear the music because it's mixed so low in those songs. I appreciate the variety on this album. It has many different sounds. Honestly I wanted to like this more than I actually did which is a bummer.
Ray Price
4/5
Nice classic country sound. Ray Price has such a great, and pleasant voice. I enjoyed this record but lost focus on it a few times. It would be a great record to throw on at home in the evening or a slow Sunday morning.
Metallica
3/5
I dunno, man. If I'm being so totally honest, Metallica just doesn't really do it for me. Enter Sandman reminds me of soccer practice and my soccer coaches and the rest just got super old. I'm definitely hearing influence of Metallica riffs on KG thrash metal which is fun but I think I want my thrash to be more like "acid thrash". It makes it feel less... conservative.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
So smooth and groovy. This was an excellent listen and it's an album that has aged wonderfully. You could have told me this came out in 2025 and I would probably believe you. I think there are artists today trying to get this same sound.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I like Beastie Boys and read their book but for some reason I've never listened to this album? I have no idea why I haven't because it's excellent. The samples are so good in this one.
Blur
3/5
I've known the song Song 2 for most of my life due it it being a radio song but I had no idea it was by Blur and I had no idea it was called Song 2. Overall this feels like a pretty forgettable album but I thought the experimental nature of the album was interesting. There was quite a bit of variety in the album too with some songs sounding like other 90s artists.
Digital Underground
3/5
After seeing the album cover, album name, and the year it came out, I was very much not looking forward to listening to this album. It ended up being better than I expected. The beats were good. It made me want to move my body. The lyrics and the concept were silly and goofy but man these guys were horny. I enjoyed it being on but I can't imagine a scenario where I ever play these guys casually.
Julian Cope
3/5
Pristeen had me dreading this 2.5 hour album.
Double Vegetation got me stoked on this 2.5 hour album.
East Easy Rider caught me off guard and had me confused about where this 2.5 hour album was going to go.
Promised Land had me wondering if I was going to make it through this 2.5 hour album. Is the ending the Promised Land?
After that, there were definitely some interesting songs in there but man 2.5 hours is way too long. I think I really appreciate the weirdness and the variety in this album.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I really enjoyed the raw vibe and high energy of this one. I also liked some of the experimental and "artsy" bits of this album even though I occasionally got a little lost. I think the main thing I don't like about this album is the mixing/production. It's a bit dated to the 90s which has some of my least favorite production out of the decades.
Beatles
4/5
I actually had never listened to this record before. It was hard to rate it because I was comparing it to other Beatles albums rather than just as a stand alone album like I do all the other albums on this list. I think overall it was fun with some high energy and some catch pop songs. I enjoyed it but honestly probably won't revisit it as a whole album ever.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean for sure carry this whole album. I don't care much for the other songs but in terms of pop music, there are few songs that are as iconic as those 3, and for good reason. They're amazing pop songs will really good production. The rest of the album doesn't really do it for me though.
Portishead
4/5
This album really reminds me of Radiohead in a way. Like if you swapped out Beth Gibbons' vocals with Thom Yorke's vocals, it could totally work. I think Portishead is a little more experimental and less technical and meticulous than Radiohead. The Rip was a sick song. I love the electronic aspect of it.
Metallica
3/5
Goes pretty hard but man the production and mixing on this one is just bad. This could have hit so much harder if the bass was mixed higher. It's so treble-y. I really like the technical playing on this one though. It's more interesting than some of their other stuff. I feel like I should like this more than I do but I've never really been into thrash and I think I've been spoiled by KG's thrash metal since it's way more psych and much less... conservative sounding.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Nice chill and dreamy record with a few moments that made me stop working and check the song because it was good. The second half of Little Bird is an example of one of those moments. It picks up tempo and goes a lot more electronic. It was really cool. Most of the moments on this record are chill but kinda forgettable.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Fast Car is one of the greatest songs ever written in my opinion. It was also very cool that she released it when she did. Honestly, it's cool she released the whole album when she did. I absolutely love Fast Car even though I've heard it so many times over the years. There are a few other tracks on this record that are very good but honestly most of the album doesn't quite grab me.
Rush
3/5
Musically this was pretty cool. I like prog and I like prog that has 20 minute songs. My biggest issue with this era is the singing.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This is a pretty interesting sound for a record that came out in 97. It sounds so swampy and old timey. It's also an interesting sound for Bob Dylan to me. I'm not familiar with this side of him.
The Style Council
2/5
Wow what a way to start the album. It immediately grabbed me. The piano on this record is excellent and I love the instrumental tracks. I'm not into the vocal tracks though. WTF was that rap track??? The second half of this record caught me off guard with the style change haha.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
This was some pretty decent noise rock. Nothing really stood out to me but also I didn't dislike it. I probably need to give it another listen. I listened while working and work has been busy. But I guess that says the kind of album it was. It didn't annoy me but it also didn't make me stop and look at which song was playing.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Jeez this album came out swinging! The energy in the first song was palpable. This album rips. I don't care for every song and I haven't paid attention to the lyrics even a little bit but musically it's solid. I started getting a little over the album by the time Disc 2 came around. He should have cuz a handful of songs and this could have been a great album.
Soundgarden
3/5
First song that really caught me was the title track. That song was awesome and went hard. It had the high energy and crazy heavy psych guitar that I'm really into right now. I've been a fan of Black Hole Sun for a while and it's crazy to finally listen to the whole album that it's on. It's a different vibe than what I was expecting. It's a lot heavier.
Spiritualized
5/5
Wow what an ambitious project. This was such a good mix of the psych, shoegaze, noise, hippie bullshit that I love. It was so big though. I listened to it on my 8 mile run and felt like I was floating in space. I loved all the instruments especially the harmonica. I couldn't decide if I'd give it a 4 or a 5. Part of me feels wrong rating it a 5 but I really enjoyed it and I think due to how big and ambitious it was, I'll give it a 5.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Honestly the only song I think I've ever heard by this band is Come On Eileen which obviously is amazing. So this is going to be interesting. Musically, it's okay but I'm having a hard time with the vocals. Why does One Of Those Things sound like Sweet Home Alabama.
I think the instrumentals were good on this album but I didn't like the vocals much and I didn't care for some of the like spoken word parts. I didn't love this record but I didn't hate it. Easy 3.
Janis Joplin
5/5
Such a high energy and soulful album. It's such a bummer she died so young. I wonder what would have happened in the Grateful Dead community if she didn't die so young. Makes me wonder if she would have been more involved with the band. She has an amazing voice and you can just tell she has an amazing live presence.
Patti Smith
5/5
This is a super rad record. I can hear that it influenced a lot of music. I don't think Patti Smith influenced Violent Femmes but I think maybe she inspired and was inspired by Velvet Underground and I think Violent Femmes were inspired by Velvet Underground. I love the vibe of this album. It feels raw and experimental-ish and definitely has a folk-punk vibe to it.
10cc
3/5
What did I just listen to? That was such a weird album that was all over the place. It kind of reminded me of Ween. Honestly musically/instrumentally, it wasn't bad and there were parts that I thought were pretty good but overall I think it was just a bit too silly and a little too all over the place. I was intrigued but then I just got a bit tired of it by the end. It was hard to take anything seriously.
The Kinks
4/5
Well this was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the classic pop songwriting on this and it had some fun songs.
Jamiroquai
2/5
It took me a hot minute to realize what I was listening to. Is it like white guy Stevie Wonder?? I'm okay with white people incorporating funk into their stuff but this feels like a Stevie Wonder rip off. There are elements in the instrumentals that I like for sure but the album and Jamiroquai as a concept is not something that gets me stoked.
Beck
4/5
Honestly a lot of this is pretty boring with some weird stuff sprinkled in and very repetitive. I can be okay with repetitive as long as the instrumentals are switching things up and being interesting. I feel like Beck had good ideas but just couldn’t execute on them super well. There were some good songs though. I really liked Broken Drum quite a bit.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
I liked this more than the last dexys midnight runners album but honestly I kind of ended up just zoning out during it. That's usually a 3 for me because it doesn't annoy me but also nothing really stands out to me.
Magazine
4/5
This record feels ahead of its time coming out in 78. I love the weird post punk sound. The vocals were fun and I really loved the instrumentation.
The Adverts
3/5
This kind of just sounded like standard English punk. Nothing really stood out too much but it wasn't bad.
The Who
4/5
This was a fun listen! I enjoyed the energy and the variety on the album and it had some classics on there.
The Mars Volta
5/5
This is insanely good prog/psych rock that also kind of feels a little bit like a subset of emo rock that I was into when I was younger. The production on this album is insane with some of the weirdest sounding things going on that I can't totally figure out. I've seen The Mars Volta talked about a lot and I've tried a few of their more modern albums but I had never given this one a listen and I wish someone would have just pointed me towards this album.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
I really love the vibe and the instrumentals on this one. The lyrics hit hard as well. It's honestly maybe my favorite Bob Marley album even though I haven't really gone through and listened to them all recently.
Haircut 100
4/5
I wasn't stoked when I saw we got another 80s britpop album but this has been a lot of fun. I'm digging the instrumentals and the latin-jazz feel to it. It's accessible yet has depth to it. My biggest complaint about this record is that it felt a bit too long.
Van Halen
4/5
80s metal is usually not my favorite. Jump reminds me so much of my parents and it makes me kind of happy. I feel like this one is self aware satire. Panama is fun but the little monologue in it was so funny. That paired with the angel baby smoking cigs on the album cover tells me it has to be a bit of satire. Overall, I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit. I probably won't listen to it on my own time but it was really fun.
Spacemen 3
3/5
Feels like a much more mellow Spiritualized. It feels like psych rock but with that shoegaze/atmospheric sound. I liked this but I also felt like some of the songs went on a little too long without a good build up which is something I typically really enjoy in this genre.
Tori Amos
2/5
I like the piano work and the instrumentals but the vocals just don't work for me. Everything together feels maybe a little too dramatic for no reason. I would never choose to listen to this on my own.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Brian Wilson died yesterday so this is very timely. I had never heard this record before and there's a chance I haven't even heard any of the songs on this record. I didn't know they had anything this weird or psych sounding. I very much enjoyed it.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
In a lot of ways, this album represents what makes music so special to me. Musicians being present in the moment just creating from stream of consciousness while the audience is simultaneously present feeling the magic together. It's a unique experience where the artist and the audience can connect on music being created in the moment to never be created in that way again. It's very fleeting but so rewarding. In this case it was just him up there for an hour. He didn't have any other musician to lean on if he ran out of ideas or inspiration. Keith Jarrett is very talented and I quite enjoyed what he was able to come up with.
Carole King
5/5
Loving the instrumentation on this one. The piano and guitar is so fun. It sounds like there is some serious chemistry between the band members. I did find myself not being captivated during this album a few times but overall I thought it was a solid folk-pop record from the time period. I had also listened to this one before.
Iggy Pop
4/5
I wonder if IDLES pulled inspiration from this record. Some of the vocals in Lust For Life really remind me of Never Fight a Man With a Perm. Could just be coincidence but they are both post punk. Or maybe it's just a common thing that I haven't picked up on before. Honestly, I quite enjoyed this record. It was full of energy and started a little more raw sounding and then transitioned into something a bit smoother. I loved the Bowie influence on this record as well.
Maxwell
3/5
I don't know for sure but it sounds like they recorded and pressed to vinyl and then record them playing the album on vinyl which I'm a fan of. It gives it some warm texture. Well I was more stoked on this record before the singing came in. I was thinking it was going to be a nice chill groovy jazz record but the singing is making it a bit cheesy and now I just want to go listen to Yussef Dayes. 4.5/5 instrumentation, 2/5 vocals, and too long.
Chicago
5/5
Wow Introduction really was quite the introduction. That went hard. This is not the Chicago that I have ever known. This is like really good psych rock. It feels kinda proggy and the instrumentation is so good. I'm way stoked on this record.
Joy Division
2/5
This seems like maybe one of my more controversial ratings. Joy Division is a band that I just really can't get into and I feel like I'm missing something because in theory I should like them. I just get really bored when I listen to them. I've tried to get into this album multiple times and I've always bailed because I get too bored. It's Monday and I'm so bored with this album that I want to bail again. They seem like a band where you just really had to be there to get it.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Fun but not super fun. I actually like his weird voice. I like the indie vibe with a southern rock twist. I feel like it's a bit unique. My biggest critique is a lot of the riffs are really simple and kinda boring but there are some that work pretty well.
Björk
2/5
Interesting fusion of orchestral and electronic music. Some parts of the album were very layered and beautiful which I'm really into. Other parts were a bit slower than what I like. I'm sure if you sat down with the lyrics and were feeling a bit sad, this album would be pretty emotional and beautiful. One of my issues with Bjork is that sometimes the vocals feel pretty disconnected from the instrumentals. I like when the vocals almost feel like an instrument blended in more with the actual instruments.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
There aren't very many indie-folk bands that have stood the test of time for me. I know Fleet Foxes was a little before the big indie-folk craze and they might be more indie than folk but this band really has stood the test of time for me. When I was 20 I was a member of the mormon church and I was doing a mission for them. On those missions, you're not allowed to listen to any music that's not church music which was incredibly difficult for me since I have always loved music so much. I caved and burnt Helplessness Blues to a CD and that album helped me get through that mission. So Fleet Foxes is a special band to me emotionally. I also just want to say that it's crazy that this is a debut album.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
I wish the writer of the book had to give an explanation of why an album was on the list. This album doesn’t deserve to be on this list. There’s nothing innovative or special about it. Mostly boring with a few moments of cool jazz piano or something like that. The Night I Heard Caruso Sing was almost a beautiful ballad but something just felt off about it.
Richard Thompson
5/5
This was a lovely record. I quite enjoyed it and I had never heard of this duo. It feels nostalgic, yet ahead of its time. I almost think it was just barely too short which isn't something that's common on this list. I listened to it a couple times and it's one that I want to revisit in the future.
4/5
This is a pretty cool prog/psych record. I'm surprised this band isn't more popular. I hadn't ever heard of them but they sound like they could have inspired other 70s psych/prog bands.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Glam rock is not what I needed today. All the Way from Memphis had some cool instrumental stuff. Overall it was a bit too cheesy to really be enjoyable. I do appreciate that it has some weird parts though. Some stuff was kinda sounding like Bowie mixed with like Beatles or Floyd vocal effects? I couldn't totally tell. Anyway, interesting album but it just wasn't really doing it for me.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
I had no idea what to expect but I was thinking it was going to be something jazzier? But then it ended up just being a mess of a bunch of different sounds all coated in that classic 90s sound. Listen, I love albums that mesh genres and styles but this album did not do a very good job at it. It didn't feel very cohesive and was mostly whiplash.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
I don't know why but this just didn't resonate with me much. Something about the vocals, generic punk rock guitar and song structure, and ska brass all together didn't quite work. Fat Lip might have been the most interesting song to me. It was the only song that had me stop working and look over and see what song it was that was playing.
TV On The Radio
3/5
- Chord progressions feel nice in some of the songs.
- Love when he goes into the falsetto.
- Got bored halfway through. It seemed to be lacking in energy and there weren't any hooks or anything to catch my attention.
- Production is pretty good for 2008. Has a timeless sound for what they were trying to do in my opinion.
- DLZ is a sick song.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
- Man who is writing these bass lines? I'm loving them
- The instrumentation is so freaking good on this one and Joni's voice over the top is just amazing
- Whoa The Jungle Line was a little jarring
- I'm loving the variety and experimentation in this album
- Joni Mitchell always seems to surprise me
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
- The panning on this album is nuts for '67
- This goes without saying but the guitar playing is nuts
- The songs are all so short which is weird to me. I feel like they all felt like they ended too fast
- I love all the weird psychedelic guitar noises he makes during the psych parts
New Order
2/5
I listened to this record first thing in the morning while driving to go mountain biking and it really didn't do anything for me. I mostly just felt like they were trying to be The Cure but couldn't pull it off. The acid house music vibes did not really work with the vocals at all. Honestly I just did not care for this at all.
The Jam
4/5
This was a solid listen! It was enjoyable. Nothing really blew my mind but everything was fun to listen to. An album that kind of just passed me by but in a good way.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
I don't totally know what to think about this. It feels kinda like Queen rock-opera but maybe with a hint of grunge, punk, and then dark themes and lyrics.
Buck Owens
5/5
I love this sound. The whiny piercing guitar and driving tempo with twangy vocals. I also love the lyrics about being sad and also about getting out and exploring. It feels so wild west which I guess is why it was country music haha.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Honestly this kinda of just bored me. Another one of those albums where I don't really understand why it's on here. Maybe it would be really good if I was a big Elvis Costello fan.
Black Sabbath
5/5
How many of these reviews today are going to start with R.I.P. Ozzy? Honestly this is such a good album and it holds up really well. Wow! such fuzz, many doom, much metal. This album and early Black Sabbath in general has influenced a lot of bands that I love and I can definitely hear it. It also always surprises me that Black Sabbath had such a stoner/psychedelic sound. Big fan.
Q-Tip
4/5
I really enjoyed this one. It felt super flowy and groovy. I really enjoyed the production on it too. It was easy listening but still interesting.
Lightning Bolt
5/5
Noisy, fuzzy, songs featuring multiple time signatures, and fun basslines. I have been into rock on the noisier side fairly recently so this is hitting. I bet this is insane to see live. They probably get some crazy sounding reverberations in the venues they played this in. Especially 2 Towers. 2 Towers was nuts the way that they kept changing the rhythm under the bassline.
We need more albums like this on this list and fewer britpop records.
Ministry
4/5
Thrash but quite a bit more interesting to me than Metallica which is probably the industrial side of it. Jesus Built My Hotrod was super fun and a song I'd totally expect in Tony Hawk Pro-Skater 2. Overall I liked this quite a bit. I've been getting into more thrash the last few years and I love the weird industrial twist on it here.
The Beta Band
4/5
I think the reason this one made it on the list is because it does a pretty decent job mixing genres. It has hints of electronic, psych, and hip hop all while sounding pretty indie still. The production was pretty solid on this one. I enjoyed it a decent amount but I could see how this might be a bit boring for other listeners.
The Louvin Brothers
4/5
First thing I'm noticing is that the vocal pairing/harmonies are soooo dialed. It sounds cool. I also love the dark lyrics and storytelling.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Found this one on Youtube. Felt like a musical so I think I would appreciate it more if I could sit down and try and pay attention to everything it's saying. Musically, it was a little boring.
Little Simz
4/5
This was really interesting and I feel like she had so much flow.
Def Leppard
2/5
Rock Rock till you drop baby. This album feels like a parody. I have to admit that it's kinda fun. Pop rock anthems that your grandma can chant along to if she doesn't think it's satanic. There are some fun riffs. Hate the vocals, and the drumming is so simple that your grandma could play along. This album reminds me of my dad because he has a few songs from this album on his trusty mountain biking playlist.
Alice In Chains
2/5
Is this 90s hair metal? Alice in Chains reminds me of 2 different things. The first is it reminds me of an ATV video game that my brothers and I would play on the PS2 when I was a kid. We treated it like it was an open world exploration game and we'd tried to find weird physics bugs when really I think it was maybe a racing game? The second thing it reminds me of is a high school acquaintance/ex roommate that wishes he could be the frontman of a band like Alice in Chains more than anything. Rooster is pretty sick but honestly I've never actually really liked Alice in Chains very much. I didn't really enjoy listening to this and I felt kind of embarrassed pulling up in the dentist parking lot with it playing in my car.
Brian Eno
5/5
Wow. This record improved my focus at work, made me feel very calm, and also made me start reflecting on life and specifically some good memories. It reminded me of when I went to New Zealand with my wife and parents for some reason. It reminded me of some very peaceful meditation sessions I've had while grappling with existentialism and the meaning of life. Who thought that such simple noises could do such a thing. I guess that's the brilliance of a project like this.
Goldie
3/5
I'm not the biggest fan of 90s electronic. I do love a lot of electronic music but something about 90s electronic drives me nuts. A lot of the times I think it's the vocals or I just find it kind of boring. This record is actually pretty decent though. I still don't love the vocals or the drums but they do some pretty cool psych stuff which I really vibe with.
Janet Jackson
3/5
I think overall I liked this record. I honestly had a hard time keeping attention on it but I remember thinking the production was nice and I appreciated the variety in sounds throughout. It didn't really bore me but it didn't totally captivate me. The heavy bit about the mass shooting was a jump scare. Probably won't seek this one out again but I enjoyed it.
Burning Spear
4/5
This was great. I know a huge part of reggae is the lyrics. I definitely tuned into a handful of the lyrics and they were powerful but unfortunately since I listen to these while I work, I wasn't able to tune into them all. I also don't know enough about reggae to know how this ties into the bigger picture of the genre and influence. Overall it was quite enjoyable.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Amazing record and even better if you learn a bit about the history. I feel like a lot of reggae needs context to make it even more powerful.
The Blue Nile
5/5
This album is a really good combination of things I love that ends up scratching a certain itch for me. I love 80s music so even though this record is dated, it's dated in a way that I really enjoy. I like the vocals, I like the production, I like the weirdness, I like the synth stuff, and I like the psych nature that comes from the instrumentals, synth, and production. I enjoy when music sounds kind of poppy at the surface but when you pay closer attention, there's a lot more to dive into. I was surprised I had never heard of this group before and then I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Well now I can see where Wolf Alice got most of her inspiration. This honestly could have been a Wolf Alice record (except for the 70s soft rock one that she released today). I dig it. It has hints of psych/shoegaze/grunge. Some of the parts of the record that don't totally remind me of Wolf Alice remind me of Florence and the Machine who I also really like. This was a sick record. I'll for sure revisit this in the future.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
This was fine for me. She's obviously talented and it wasn't a bad listen at all. I had a hard time seeing what she did on this record that put it on the 1001 albums list. She has good flow but the instrumentals didn't have anything special for me. Felt like pretty standard beats.
Holger Czukay
3/5
I really appreciated how weird and experimental this one was but I have to admit there is a lot better music in this vein. I know this was in 79 and this is a Can dude so that definitely helps with my opinion but I don't think I'd ever come back to this record. Particularly because if I'm in the mood for something like this, I'd go to a more polished krautrock/psych record. I really appreciate that this was made though because I want artists to feel like they can be experimental like this. I'm sure this influenced a lot of the music I listen to today as well. I'm stoked this got chosen for the list.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Man that was sad as shit.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
Wow that intro was something to listen to at 7:45 in the morning on a Thursday. Okay I did not like this. Why the hell did it have to be so long?
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Love the energy and rawness to this one. The guitar is awesome. My only issue is that Neil Young's voice really doesn't fit for this genre.
Taylor Swift
5/5
Evermore is such a solid record. It's hard to not compare it to folklore though. folklore is my favorite of the two because it's just slightly more cohesive. If you took no body no crime out of evermore I think I might like it better than folklore. It sticks out like a sore thumb on that record and for whatever reason I just don't really like haim all that much. I love the mood of this record and the lyrics are dark and poetic.
T. Rex
5/5
This record was so fun. At times it was borderline cheesy but never quite got there. I love the raw garage sound mixed with the more theatrical vocals and lyrics and then the fuzzy guitar solos every now and then. Some of this reminded me of My Chemical Romance and some reminded me of KG. Overall it was super solid and I'll for sure be listening to this some more along with other T. Rex records.
Joan Baez
5/5
Completely blows my mind that she was 19 when she recorded this. I love her voice and her guitar playing. It feels simple, and raw. I feel like I could be in the room with her as she plays this. Joan's version of I Know You Rider was so excellent.
The Offspring
4/5
I wasn't cool enough to be into real punk when I was younger. All I had was the more mainstream punk and pop-punk. The Offspring was one of the mainstream punk bands I was into. This album definitely has a nostalgic feel to it because of that. I tried to listen to this with fresh ears and I think I like it a bit less than what I thought. A lot of it actually kind of sounds like a Nirvana rip-off which is something I had never thought of before. I think without the nostalgia, I'd give this a 3/5 but due to the nostalgia I think I'll give it a 4/5.
Steely Dan
4/5
Instrumentals were awesome and I really grooved with them pretty hard. I don't love the vocal style so much which probably bumps it from a 5 to a 4 for me.
Wilco
5/5
Somehow Wilco wasn't in my rotation back when I started getting into indie rock in like 2009ish. There were always a few Wilco songs that I really liked but I didn't actually listen to this record all the way through until a couple years ago. I was bummed I had been missing out on it all those years. I think I would have really loved it back in 2009 when I was obsessed with The Shins, Modest Mouse, and Bright Eyes. I love that these songs are pretty simple but they have lots of interesting instrumentation if you're paying attention. It's a great album with good headphones on.
Marilyn Manson
4/5
I debated if I should listen to this one. I wasn't really feeling in the mood to listen to a 1h 11m album from a rapist creep. I decided to listen to it. You can definitely hear Trent Reznor's production and mixing on this one. It sounds like a NIN album. Unfortunately I do actually like moments of this record quite a bit. It's way too long like a lot of other 90s albums and there are a handful of songs I did not care for at all. Some of these songs are pretty shitty to listen to with Brian Warner being a rapist and a creep. Angel with the Scabbed Wings in particular was not a great listen.
Missy Elliott
4/5
I quite enjoyed this one. The collabs were good, I liked the samples, and the whole thing just kinda flowed really well. I was listening to Work It immediately after learning that Charlie Kirk was killed. One of my main complaints is the "Missy Elliott exclusive" bite at the beginning of some of the songs is dumb haha.
De La Soul
4/5
That was a very fun listen. Early lighthearted hip hop has such a sound and feeling to it that is hard to dislike. I forgot to take notes while listening to it yesterday so I don't have much to say.
Scritti Politti
2/5
Man I really did not like this album at all. It was hard to get through. Why is this on the list? Why is there so much 80s brit pop on the list? Why should anyone have to listen to this before they die? It sounds like they're trying to be Michael Jackson but just really not nailing it at all.
Jack White
4/5
Not my favorite of Jack White's work but still a solid record. It had a subtle variety of sound throughout and I quite enjoyed the production on a handful of the tracks. I feel like a lot of the riffs reminded me of more famous riffs. Some of the songs bordered on cheesy from a lyrics standpoint. Overall I always love high energy records and this checked that box for me.
ZZ Top
3/5
This album is a fun classic but that's pretty much the only lens I can view this album. It works well for very specific circumstances like a needle drop in specific scenes, a playlist for when you're on a mtn biking camping trip with your dad, etc. I can't totally take it as a serious work of art. It has fun iconic riffs and catchy hooks but that's about it.
Killing Joke
4/5
I thought this was a really cool record. I love the DIY/raw feel to it. I love that they recorded it live. The way they use the synth feels ahead if its time for coming out in 1980. This definitely feels like it could be pretty influential for the bands coming out of the most recent post-punk scene. I think since it was recorded live without dubs, it tends to lack a bit of depth when it gets into the repetitive jammy sections which can make those parts a bit boring. I like the hints of hardcore sprinkled in there. Honestly some parts kind of reminded me a lot of Turnstile. I bet if this came out today with more modern production, it would be a hit. Overall this is a pretty cool vibe. I think one other criticism I have is that the drummer isn't great. I noticed multiple times where they were off a little and sounded a bit amateur. It was most noticeable in S.O.36
4/5
I quite enjoyed this. It's perfect music to have on while working. I thought the production was really cool. That was probably what stood out the most to me. I'm not totally sure what genre this would be considered but it seemed like it would maybe be considered acid jazz? It was pretty psych and experimental in some places. It struck a really good balance between kinda weird and chill.
Suede
4/5
As far as the brit pop albums go, I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Seems like a band that was not wanting to embrace the 90s sound because this very much sounds like an 80s record.
Sabu
2/5
Conga overload. Maybe a bit too repetitive for me to really enjoy it. It kind of sounds like they setup something to repeat early on in the song and then just repeat it for like 5-6 minutes. I heard so much music like this when I lived in the Dominican Republic and that usually makes me feel some sort of nostalgia but this one just didn't really do it for me. I think this would be way more fun to dance to since it's so rhythm based. The guitar in Choferito-Plena and Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso was great.
Iron Maiden
4/5
This is really fun prog-metal. The riffs were really fun to follow and the drumming was interesting especially alongside the riffs. There were also some fun bass lines happening in the background. I really enjoy albums where it's written and produced in a way that you can feel the energy and this is one of those. I also really love the dual lead guitar sound. Harmonizing riffs speaks to me.
Dead Kennedys
5/5
Raw, punchy, political, and energetic. Hints of surf rock sprinkled in there as well. There’s also some like horror rock in there too which was fun. I feel like sonically this is a very interesting sounding punk album for 1980. This type of music has been my jam all year so I was stoked to listen to this one today.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
My first thought was being annoyed that I need to listen to an album with 69 songs even though I appreciate the humor in that. After a few songs though I was really enjoying it. I had never heard of The Magnetic Fields but this album just feels like true indie to me. I'm not totally sure what that means but when I think of the origins of indie music, this is what I hear in my head. It all sounds pretty similar but varied at the same time.
Okay I bailed halfway through LP2. LP1 was pretty fun for the most part but it got way too old. There's too much good new music right now to spend 3 hours on this.
I think if they would have only kept the solid tracks and removed all the filler getting them to 69 songs and only had 43 minutes of love songs, it would have been pretty good.
Lou Reed
4/5
I'm a sucker for well done concept albums especially when the music matches the story being told really well. This is one of those albums. The story was sad and it's even more sad to learn that he kind of based it off of his own life in that moment. The music was eerie and sad but at times it was big and ambitious. Sad Song was such a great way to close out the album. I don't know if I'll ever come back and listen to this one but it's not because it isn't a solid album.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
If you play Stairway to Heaven backwards there is a satanic message that says this album deserves 5 stars.
Santana
5/5
I love the variety in sounds in this record. The psych rock, the latin sound, and jazz. They're all kind of fused together in a really amazing way which is something I appreciate so much in music. I thoroughly enjoyed this record. Every musician killed it. The organ playing, the guitar playing, the piano playing, all interweaved. I loved the bongos throughout it all. I loved the polyrhythms as well which gave it a prog feel too. This record essentially had bits of a lot of my favorite parts of music.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
I had never heard of Rufus Wainwright or any of the other names in the wikipedia snippet. Oh What A World caught me off guard and I really liked it. It was big and ambitious and sounded like indie from the early 2000s and got pretty stoked if the rest of the album was going to be like that. Then I Don't Know What It Is came on and now it sounds like generic theater kid pop. Go Or Go Ahead was also pretty good even though it sounded very heavily Radiohead inspired. Overall I liked 2 songs and disliked the rest so I’d probably give this a 2.5 but am going to round down on this one.
Morrissey
2/5
Gettin high off his own farts on this one. It didn’t do anything for me.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
I didn't know how this one would go but honestly it ended up being a hoot. I had a lot of fun with this. The percussion was excellent and the covers added more to the originals than I expected. I would totally throw this on again for fun.
Suicide
4/5
I really love electronic/rock fusion so this album was cool for me. It was pretty simple but I can hear how this influenced tons of music that I'm really into. I can see how this could get boring to some people but I really love repetitive driving rhythms. My critiques are that I don't love how the vocals were mixed and I also don't think Frankie Teardrop should have been 10.5 minutes haha.
The Waterboys
3/5
The irish folk rock sound is pretty rad. I love the hints of classic 80s production in there as well. I really liked the fiddle. Not sure I'd listen on my own but it was an enjoyable listen.
Bad Brains
4/5
I lost my original review of this when I refreshed the page unfortunately. This was a pretty cool Bad Brains album. I still struggle a bit with the vocals but I really loved how melodic this record was. I feel like they pulled in a lot of different influence into the hardcore sound which is super cool. I feel like they could grow even more on me if I spent the time on it. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened at some point.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I've wondered for a while why I love music like this so much. I think I finally made the realization during this record. I LOVED Christmas time as a kid. It was so fun and special to me and I also loved Christmas music. Most of Frank Sinatra's music makes me think of Christmas music and it immediately evokes nostalgic and happy emotions for me. There's something so soothing and relaxing about Frank Sinatra which is funny because this album just a bunch of sad songs. I just love big band singing. I want more modern big band stuff that's not Michael Bublé. The problem with this record is that it did start to feel a bit boring towards the end.
Laibach
3/5
Leben
Leben
Leben Heist Leben!!!
That opening track was incredible. Made me want to go pump iron. Unfortunately the next few tracks didn't hold up. I loved that Opus Dei came in with the Leben motif though. That got me all stoked again. Actually it just seems like Opus Dei is the english version of Leben Heist Leben and according to the internet it's a cover of an Austrian song but the band Opus? So that's interesting. The German version was much better than the English version.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I feel like since I grew up with Red Hot Chili Peppers as a household name I haven't really thought as much about them as I should. Funk metal is such an interesting fusion of genres that they're able to pull off so well. Are there any other bands that have been able to pull it off as well as they have? This record has amazing melodies, hooks, riffs, and such good bass lines. I love it. They deserve all the praise they've gotten. My main critique on this record is that the production isn't as good as it could be. It feels flatter than it should. It also should only be 10 tracks long. I'm going to have to go with a 4 because towards the end, it started feeling too long.
3/5
I can't remember if I've listened to this album all the way before but I have always kind of thought of Muse as a Radiohead rip-off band and a bit uncool. I've struggled to appreciate them.
Okay that first song blew my mind.
Starlight is ruined for me because of the radio.
Supermassive Black Hole just rubs me wrong for some reason. It could be due to the radio as well.
Okay the rest of the album just felt kinda meh to me. I don't think this is bad music by any means but I just don't care for it that much. It feels like maybe it's trying too hard? I thought the production was solid and I liked the fusion of electronic and rock. I was caught off guard by some of the harder rock moments.
The Prodigy
3/5
This album is interesting. It's like dance mixed with metal which seems like at the time of release it would have been a perfect intersection of interests for a niche group of people. Maybe that's the jilted generation. I like the lo-fi sound but my problem with dance music is it's going to be the best if you're actually dancing to it. It's not so good to me if I'm just listening to it casually. I didn't dislike it but I probably won't ever throw it on.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I don't really have much to say about this one. I had a hard time paying attention to the lyrics because of a busy day at work. Sonically, I feel like his vocals and guitar pair very well together. I could see how this would be a boring record to a lot of people but I found it to be a pleasant background listen. There are many other singer-songwriters/folk records that have a little more umph that I'd listen to over this. It feels wrong to rate a Leonard Cohen record a 3 but I'm gonna do it.
The Libertines
3/5
This was one of the most 3/5 records ever. There was nothing remarkable about it but I enjoyed it. Sounded like a big combination of a bunch of different British indie.
Elton John
4/5
I've heard more covers of Bennie and the Jets than there are albums on this list. It's a joke in my family that my dad is just completely obsessed with this song.
I've never actually listened through this album before. It definitely has some all time classics and I'm pretty stoked that he opened this album with an 11 minute prog song. Only complaint is it starts to drag a little bit.
Queen
5/5
I freaking love this weird album. It goes all out. It's a brilliant record. There are so many different sounds and things going on in this one that you can't get bored.
Raekwon
3/5
I like the production, samples, and flow of this one but didn’t care much for the lyrical content. It’s also too long.
The Cure
4/5
Man what a depressing album. It's so droney and felt very shoegazey at times. It perfectly matches the lyrical content.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
I knew before I opened this one that it would be a longer album but I actually didn't end up minding the length. I liked this record quite a bit. Yeah, it's repetitive but that's the point for this genre. The repetitive nature lets you get in the groove and get lost a little bit in the music. Then you notice little nuances in the repetitions and that makes it more rewarding. I understand repetitive music isn't for everyone but it really works well for my brain. It's why I like krautrock and krautrock influenced music so much.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I don't know why but man I have a hard time really getting into Elvis Costello. I think it might be his voice. It kinda drives me nuts. Overall this is pretty decent though. I don't think it's a bad record, I just don't think it's for me. I also learned today that Elvis Costello used the pseudonym Napoleon Dynamite which is quite interesting.
Ozomatli
2/5
I found myself really liking certain sections of this record and I also found myself really hating certain sections of this record. Overall I don't really like it but I could see how this would be a banger of an album for a lot of people. I'm not a big fan of latin rock but I really like latin jazz and just latin music in general. The hip hop stuff came across as pretty cheesy. So I think whenever it got more rock-y or more hip hop-y I started to hate it. I think I'd give it a 2.5 but I'm leaning more towards a 2.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I love the album Loveless by my bloody valentine but I haven't really listened to much more of their other stuff so I was excited to dive into this one. I've also been getting way more into shoegaze over the last couple years so I was anticipating really liking this one but unfortunately it fell a little flat. I think I like when the shoegaze is a little more melodic than only droning.
Fishbone
4/5
Man this album has so many different sounds on it which I quite enjoy. It made listening to the album for the first time really entertaining because I had no idea what to expect ever. This was cool. Not every song hit for me but most of them did. There were some cheesy moments which is fine. I'm okay with some cheese but they did stand out. There were some really cool basslines in there. Bonin' in the Boneyard was so sick.
Rush
5/5
An absolute classic. The singing isn't my favorite but it works. I appreciate this album so much for how much it has influenced. Crazy they were doing this in 81.
The Byrds
4/5
I quite like this psych folk stuff. This was a great listen for me.
Aerosmith
3/5
Horny hair metal written by 40 year olds but there are some hits on there and is some of the more enjoyable hair metal in my opinion. This record actually had a few instrumental moments that I enjoyed quite a bit.
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
This was not what I was expecting. I liked it quite a bit. They have a really cool raw sound. Nothing sounded overproduced. It felt like I was watching them live in a tiny venue. I loved the way the instruments flowed together and her voice is lovely.
Boards of Canada
2/5
This is kind of funny. I was just listening to a random album drop that came out today of eurorack generated ambient music. I made it 35 minutes and needed something more melodic so I decided to jump over the the albums project and got this album which actually sounds so similar to what I was just listening to. This stuff was so eerie and kind of bad-trippy hahaha. Honestly I didn't really care for it very much and it's possible it's because I was already burnt out on ambient electronic music.
Mudhoney
4/5
I really loved this. Wah wah, fuzz, grunge, punk. All the good things. Fun to hear how this influenced grunge.
Neil Young
4/5
I feel like Neil Young keeps surprising me over the last few years. This was a pretty enjoyable record.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Great storytelling, landmark album, and amazing production. Such a great album. I love that it's inspired so much indie music that I love.