My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
American Gothic David Ackles	5	2.48	+2.52
Phaedra Tangerine Dream	5	2.74	+2.26
Beyond Skin Nitin Sawhney	5	2.77	+2.23
Happy Sad Tim Buckley	5	2.78	+2.22
Oedipus Schmoedipus Barry Adamson	5	2.79	+2.21
Night Life Ray Price	5	2.81	+2.19
A Wizard, A True Star Todd Rundgren	5	2.83	+2.17
Picture Book Simply Red	5	2.88	+2.12
The Gilded Palace Of Sin The Flying Burrito Brothers	5	2.93	+2.07
Rapture Anita Baker	5	2.94	+2.06

Album	You	Global	Diff
Reign In Blood Slayer	1	2.96	-1.96
Slipknot Slipknot	1	2.68	-1.68
Nevermind Nirvana	3	4.37	-1.37
I Should Coco Supergrass	2	3.34	-1.34
Celebrity Skin Hole	2	3.29	-1.29
Wonderful Rainbow Lightning Bolt	1	2.28	-1.28

Artist	Albums	Average
Beatles	5	5
Bruce Springsteen	4	5
Creedence Clearwater Revival	3	5
The Who	4	4.5
Neil Young	3	4.67
Michael Jackson	3	4.67
Stevie Wonder	2	5
Fleetwood Mac	2	5
Ray Charles	2	5
Stan Getz	2	5
Todd Rundgren	2	5
Van Morrison	2	5
Bob Dylan	2	5
Simon & Garfunkel	2	5
Marvin Gaye	2	5
Steely Dan	2	5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	2	5
Miles Davis	2	5
Jimi Hendrix	2	5
The Temptations	2	5
Nick Drake	2	5
The Rolling Stones	4	4.25
Led Zeppelin	3	4.33
The Doors	3	4.33
Pet Shop Boys	3	4.33
Arcade Fire	3	4.33
David Bowie	5	4

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

Oddly, this is an album where I mostly enjoyed the hits...Otherside, Californication. It wanders all over the place, some good, some...meh.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

4/5

I'm old enough to remember: This is exactly what 1975 sounded like. Bring on 'da funk, at least for 35 minutes.

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Not Curtis Mayfield's best, but this album defined the soundtrack of the blaxploitation era in the 1970s. Curtis was a GIANT talent.

Kid A

Radiohead

3/5

I suppose it's referred to as...atmospheric? Some is, some is just atonal. I wouldn't put it on my album shuffle list. (and I sure wish we could give half-stars)

The Marshall Mathers LP

Eminem

3/5

I approach Eminem the same way I approach NASCAR. I respect it, I see the talent, I see the impact it has on many. But it's not music (or racing) that I enjoy. Give me Jazz and F1. But I get it.

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

3/5

I have little appetite for this music, even in small doses.

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

4/5

I didn't have a lot of eight-track tapes back in the 70s, but I had this one, and I can still sing most of the words to most of the songs. This was an important album for baby-boomers, and an important album for Paul McCartney to show the world he was more than just a Beatle. He has proved it, hasn't he?

Black Holes and Revelations

Muse

3/5

A little more melodic, at times, than I thought it would be. But...eh.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

4/5

I hadn't heard Elliott Smith in a very long time, thanks for jogging my memory. This is powerful music, worth revisiting.

Liege And Lief

Fairport Convention

5/5

This is exactly what the late 60s and early 70s was supposed to sound like. Powerful music, then and now. If you're under 50, spend more time with Fairport Convention.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

Redifining 'all over the place,' no?

Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

Jerry Lee Lewis

3/5

I can take The Killer in small doses. Two songs is usually enough.

Let's Stay Together

Al Green

4/5

Still a delightful listen. 50+ years later, this album, and this singer, still persevere.

Berlin

Lou Reed

4/5

Besides the musical legacy, Lou Reed is most responsible for most of us New Yorkers wearing black 12 months out of the year.

Slipknot

1/5

Angst x 100. I can get through about 15 seconds of each song. Hard pass.

Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones

4/5

Is it possible that this album is 60+ year old? Wow. Here you see how heavily the Stones were influenced by American blues.

Tea for the Tillerman

Cat Stevens

5/5

An important album, then and now. 50+ years later, it remains relevant. Every. Single. Song. Musically and lyrically, this album is close to perfect.

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

4/5

David Byrne is still a genius.

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band

5/5

I don't know how I missed The Beta Band, but this is impressive. This is the first time I've wanted to dive into an artist further!

Metallica

3/5

I get it, but that doesn't mean I have to listen to it.

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

5/5

An extraordinary musical document of the second half of the 20th Century. Powerful words, amazing musicianship. Stevie Wonder is IMPORTANT.

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

4/5

Could Cyndi Lauper be as big in 2024? I don't know, because the industry has changed. But she combined musicianship and fun to create some excellent music. Plus, anyone who partners with Captain Lou Albano is all right in my book.

Violator

Depeche Mode

4/5

Helped to define New Wave. Solid.

Music From Big Pink

The Band

4/5

For 1968, The Band was pretty progressive. The music is still relevant.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

5/5

Didn’t you think Neil Young was from the Deep South when you first heard this album? A classic, in every way.

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

One of the top albums of the last century. Everything about these songs is defining.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

5/5

It shows you the versatility and Genius of Ray Charles.

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

4/5

An interesting, experimental approach. Really, the only song that didn't work was their attempt at Curtis Mayfield's 'Freddie's Dead.'

Everything Must Go

Manic Street Preachers

3/5

Hard to get involved with this album. No thanks.

Reign In Blood

Slayer

1/5

With all due respect, I just don't get it. Never have, never will.

With The Beatles

Beatles

5/5

If Meet The Beatles didn't convince you, their second album did, no?

Stankonia

OutKast

4/5

An important album. I preferred their older, slower groove, but everything about this album was groundbreaking.

John Prine

4/5

A great songwriter and an important voice who didn't get acknowledged until much later in life. These are powerful songs.

So

Peter Gabriel

5/5

Nobody has taken more chances and been more experimental in sound than Peter Gabriel. From the first Genesis album to today, he has pushed barriers and made amazing music. This album is no exception. And let's be honest, 'In Your Eyes' is one of the great love songs of all time.

On The Beach

Neil Young

4/5

I'm not sure if Neil Young is a fan of the author Nevil Shute, but this album suggests much the same as the great novel 'On The Beach.'

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

5/5

Still relevant, still powerful. How many rockers have Broadway shows built around their music? (a few, but not many)

Joan Armatrading

4/5

An important soundtrack to my college years. (yeah, I'm that old) She always found a way to make her message melodic.

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

5/5

A defining album by the defining musicians of the Rock and Roll era. Everything about this album showed that they were the real deal.

Tanto Tempo

Bebel Gilberto

5/5

A delightful album, true to bossa nova with modern touches. I guess if your name is Gilberto, you are inclined to excellent musicianship.

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/5

Do I like power pop. Yeah Yeah.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

4/5

I'm still not entirely sure what genre Coldplay fits in, but this is decent music. That is all.

Harvest

Neil Young

5/5

Neil Young wasn't even 30 when he recorded this album. Wise beyond his years, and a genius storyteller. This Canadian figured out America in a way that America still hasn't.

The Last Broadcast

Doves

3/5

This mostly passed me by. I don't miss it.

Steve McQueen

Prefab Sprout

4/5

One of those British bands that I missed here in the States. Nice sound, jazzy undertones, good writing. Thanks for the introduction!

Thriller

Michael Jackson

5/5

Legendary, in every way. We forgive geniuses their trespasses, don't we?

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

5/5

He changed the way we listened to music and made us pay attention to the Caribbean. A genius.

Green

R.E.M.

4/5

Is there a more 'self-aware' rock group than R.E.M.? Occasionally interesting music here. In my opinion. :)

Destroyer

KISS

3/5

Wasn't a fan then, haven't changed. The only singer who could get away with dressing up did it in support of the music: Peter Gabriel during the early days of Genesis.

Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz

4/5

You can tell Lenny grew up listening to the Beatles all the time. His music evolved, but for a debut, this is an excellent effort.

London Calling

The Clash

4/5

Proper punk, this is. If you were anywhere near London in the late '70s, you couldn't miss hearing an album as important as this one.

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

4/5

The first Led Zeppelin album I ever bought. They were never top-tier for me, but that's personal. The talent, still, is obvious.

Machine Head

Deep Purple

3/5

We need half-stars here. This is a 3.5 star album, import for early hard rock, but it hasn't survived as well as many other artists/albums of the era.

Celebrity Skin

Hole

2/5

Meh.

Second Toughest In The Infants

Underworld

4/5

Early EDM? Great for focusing while working, but I'm not sure that's what it was intended for.

Nevermind

Nirvana

3/5

At some point the screaming becomes too much, no?

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

5/5

This was the very first album I ever bought. (Yes, I'm *that* old.) The music is timeless, and the message is more relevant than ever.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

4/5

You knew, the first time you heard this album, that George Harrison had moved past the Beatles. Seeing how many hit songs came out of All Things Must Pass was a pleasant surprise!

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

Is there another group that lived their lives through their music as intensely as Fleetwood Mac? I don't think so. A legendary album, another transition for a group always pushing the boundaries.

American Gothic

David Ackles

5/5

I have never heard of David Ackles, and I've been around a long time. He is a troubadour who would be equally as comfortable on the Broadway stage. This is the most American album I have ever heard.

Wonderful Rainbow

Lightning Bolt

1/5

Nope.

I Should Coco

Supergrass

2/5

Glimpses of melody and nothing else.

Licensed To Ill

Beastie Boys

3/5

Still fun. In small doses.

Sea Change

Beck

4/5

A terrific songwriter for the times. Solid music.

Doggystyle

Snoop Dogg

4/5

The man has it all figured out, doesn’t he?

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

5/5

Fifty years later, this is still great Rock & Roll. Powerful arrangements, Ian Anderson's distinctive voice, and...flutes? It all worked then, and it still works now. Probably one of the first albums I ever bought and it was nice to listen to the entire performance again.

Bossanova

Pixies

3/5

Occasionally interesting, IMO.

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

4/5

Not their best work, but it showed how early rock bands could incorporate honky tonk into their arrangements and make it last forever.

Rapture

Anita Baker

5/5

We were all caught up by her beautiful singing back then. Great arrangements and Anita has an instantly recognizable voice. This is a delightful album still.

Very

Pet Shop Boys

4/5

Their music instantly transports you to 1990's London, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Dire Straits

4/5

Mark Knofpler = musical genius.

Kick Out The Jams (Live)

MC5

3/5

Tommy

The Who

5/5

Tommy defined 'concept album.' The fact that it's back on Broadway shows you just how powerful this music still is. One of the great recordings of all time.

You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen

4/5

Like Johnny Cash's last album, you knew when you heard this that Leonard Cohen was about to depart this veil of tears. Powerful music from one of the most important songwriters of the past 100 years.

New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Simple Minds

4/5

Forty years old? Still has a nice vibe, in small does.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

4/5

If you needed somebody to represent the turn of the century, Wilco would be a good choice.. Their music stands testament, 20+ years on.

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

4/5

New to me. Solid guitar music, powerful lyrics from a talented group of musicians in exile. Thanks!

The Stranger

Billy Joel

5/5

I'm 67, and I grew up on Long Island. This is my story. I'm not alone.

Gorillaz

3/5

Easy listening for the new century. Are they still around?

Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals

3/5

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

4/5

A different world, a different time

Abraxas

Santana

5/5

Legendary music from one of the greatest guitars of all time.

We Are Family

Sister Sledge

4/5

Bad

Michael Jackson

4/5

Extraordinary musicianship from a damaged human.

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

4/5

Angry, powerful, on target, and infused with tremendous musicianship. Public Enemy needed to be taken seriously.

Suicide

3/5

Some interesting moments in a couple of the songs, but otherwise...meh.

World Clique

Deee-Lite

4/5

Funky, optimistic, fun. This is just terrific music to elevate your mood.

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3/5

Probably 3.5 stars if I could choose.

In Rainbows

Radiohead

4/5

Trance Chill Alternative. That's Radiohead. It works.

Led Zeppelin

5/5

Legendary. They got better, but out of the box, they recreated rock & roll.

m b v

My Bloody Valentine

2/5

There's clearly some musicianship tucked into these recordings, but there's so much noise in the midrange that it's impossible to cut through it all. I don't get the appeal.

Sex Packets

Digital Underground

3/5

3.5 stars, if I could add a half

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

4/5

Still fun, still in your face. Wonderful in small doses

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

5/5

There wasn't just a British Invasion in the early 1960s, there was also a musical invasion from Brazil. It was led by Astrud Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim and...this extraordinary album from Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd. The music is expressive, melodic and wonderful, still.

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

3/5

Probably 3.5 stars. Lots of interesting music, but better in small doses.

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

3/5

OK. Nothing new here, just OK

Something/Anything?

Todd Rundgren

5/5

Legendary. A musical genius, still at it. Plus...50+ year old hit songs!

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

5/5

Legendary. Any questions?

The Holy Bible

Manic Street Preachers

3/5

Understandably angst-filled but with hints of melody. Not bad.

Imagine

John Lennon

4/5

Imagine is one of the great, hopeful songs of all time. The rest of the album is solid.

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise

3/5

I'm still waiting for it shift into second gear...

Teen Dream

Beach House

4/5

Whattya call this? Easy listening? Nice music, makes sense for summer.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

4/5

Canada's finest.

The Stone Roses

3/5

Arc Of A Diver

Steve Winwood

4/5

Winwood's transition from Traffic clarified that he was pop-focused, much like Phil Collin's latter Genesis recordings. Fun but...different.

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

5/5

Van Morrison is a musical genius, but attending live performances can be frustrating. Here's this amazing concert, and he doesn't say one single word to the crowd. With all due respect, that's wrong. I saw him once and said that was enough. I will always listen to his music, I don't need to see him live.

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

4/5

Still fresh, still relevant. This Elvis rocks.

Shake Your Money Maker

The Black Crowes

4/5

Straight-ahead, pure rock & roll. Still works.

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

I'm glad that Herbie Hancock returned (mostly) to standards and straight ahead jazz, but I'm grateful that albums like this helped to define funk jazz.

Fuzzy

Grant Lee Buffalo

3/5

New to me. Spend a little time listening to Jim Morrison over and over and over and over and over and......???

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

4/5

Fun hipster yuppie New England band. Dazzling!

Ray Of Light

Madonna

4/5

A terrific album, exploratory, interesting, and you can still move along to it.

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

Important music, then and now. John Fogerty is one of the great voices of America in the last 50 years.

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

5/5

He still had voice ,and he always had amazing writing skills. He's Dylan.

Violent Femmes

4/5

If I were 10 years younger, this would have been an important album for me all the way through my life. Still good, still worth listening to, but not a driver for an oldie like me.

Faith

George Michael

4/5

A complicated, tragic figure. But this man made some terrific music.

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

5/5

Trailblazing. Epic. Aretha.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

5/5

One of the great storytellers of Rock & Roll, and this album was his story. Still terrific.

Elvis Presley

4/5

I totally understand the phenomenon and how much he shaped music in the last 70 years. I still prefer listening to Sinatra.

Ananda Shankar

3/5

An interesting but odd way to approach early rock songs.

Who's Next

The Who

5/5

I think this was the second album (OK...8-track) I ever bought. It sounds as fresh as ever.

Autobahn

Kraftwerk

4/5

I'm still trying to figure out how this became a radio hit but yet, Trance 101 right here, kids...

Protection

Massive Attack

4/5

Never heard of them. When I hear Tracey Thorn (EBTG is a favorite) on the first song, I was intrigued. This is an interesting mix of styles and it works well.

Pelican West

Haircut 100

3/5

3 1/2 stars really, for early '80's fun to dance with memories.

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

5/5

There isn't a single bad note on this album. Yes, he was a genius.

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo

Devo

4/5

Ahead of its time. We continue to devolve as a species. We are not men.

The White Room

The KLF

3/5

Early '80s, London. It's all good.

The Contino Sessions

Death In Vegas

3/5

I kept waiting to see where these sessions would go. Still waiting...

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

4/5

He was a trendsetter then and a wizened and still talented musician now. Plus, he's married to one of the great jazz and standards singers of the 21st century. WTG.

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen

5/5

Just so damn powerful.

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

5/5

At the top of the list of musical geniuses of the 20th century sits Frank Zappa. Any other questions?

MTV Unplugged In New York

Nirvana

4/5

This music is so much more approachable when it's acoustic, no?

Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears

4/5

A terrific album that covers all the bases and I'm sure still helps pay the bills.

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

3/5

Is it just me, or does this get old really quick?

Logical Progression

LTJ Bukem

4/5

This is terrific music. If I still owned restaurants, this would be the soundtrack.

Step In The Arena

Gang Starr

4/5

This is a solid album. On target, beginning to end.

Melodrama

Lorde

4/5

Mature, powerful music. An artist tuned into the planet and all its angst.

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

4/5

Post 9/11 angst music. How soon we forget.

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

5/5

Happy Birthday, Mark Knopfler. This is a terrific album, far more complex than it sounds. Great music.

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

5/5

One of the great prog rock albums of all time, and one of the Top Three Genesis Albums.® I know what I like, and it's this.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

Eurythmics

4/5

The '80's, defined. Annie Lennox is great.

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

4/5

Montreal's best rock, despite the protestations of the Quebec government. ;-)

Disintegration

The Cure

3/5

The Rise & Fall

Madness

4/5

Power Pop from Britain at its best. This is fine, fun music.

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

5/5

Amazing that this album is over 60 years old. Still funky, still makes you move. Timeless.

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

4/5

Still trying to figure Cocteau Twins out. And you?

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

4/5

As good as hard rock got back in the day.

Beyond Skin

Nitin Sawhney

5/5

My favorite part of 1001 Albums Generator is finding new artists, and Nitin Sawhney is a great discovery. Thanks!

Sound Affects

The Jam

4/5

In case you're wondering how angst-ridden Great Britain was during the Thatcher years, here you go...

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

5/5

Well, duh.

xx

The xx

4/5

All music should be this chill, no?

Picture Book

Simply Red

5/5

I have always been a fan of Mick Hucknall. This is superb pop music with a jazzy feel, and he has only gotten better over the decades.

Immigrés

Youssou N'Dour

5/5

As good as World Music gets.

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

3/5

They got better. IMO.

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

5/5

I remember how dazzled we were when this came out. If you're from NYC, you were immediately drawn in by Phil Rizzuto's voice, but for everyone, this is just fun, over-the-top opera rock.

Grace

Jeff Buckley

5/5

Masterful talent who left us way too young. This is a magnum opus album.

Timeless

Goldie

4/5

Really 4.5 stars. Timeless is a great title for this album, it created a new genre and then ensured it would be...timeless.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

The music of my youth. The songs that stick with you forever are from when you're 8-9-10 years old; that's what these are. AND...they're great songs.

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

4/5

Has anyone before or since sounded like The Kinks? No. They were unique, and this music is very good.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

5/5

A masterpiece of writing and performance. Ne plus ultra.

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

5/5

It was great then, and it was great just a few years ago when they brought a retrospective of this album on tour to NYC. The Zombies are STILL relevant.

Pearl

Janis Joplin

5/5

A bright, shining, shooting star.

Marquee Moon

Television

4/5

Unique and pretty damn good. It holds up.

Ramones

4/5

Does the rest of the country dig this, or just us New Yorkers of a certain age?

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Stevie Wonder

5/5

Exquisite.

Colour By Numbers

Culture Club

3/5

3.5 stars, really. Still fun, in small doses.

Winter In America

Gil Scott-Heron

5/5

Relevant then, equally relevant now. The only thing they got wrong? The revolution WILL be televised.

evermore

Taylor Swift

5/5

This is one of the other reasons this lady makes $10 million every single day.

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

4/5

Not his best, but even his very good is still amazing.

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

5/5

It's not easy to combine jazz and standards and country and make it sound so good. Norah Jones's debut was sublime.

Destroy Rock & Roll

Mylo

4/5

New to me and very listenable. Strange album title, interesting audio drop-ins, but overall, a fine album. (This is what I enjoy most about 1001 Albums Generator)

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

3/5

Forgetful.

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

5/5

One of the most important recordings of all time. A call to arms delivered in a positive, forward-thinking and soulful way.

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

5/5

From the beginning, one of the great bands of all time. And nobody had better production skills than these two dudes, nobody.

Eagles

4/5

The soundtrack of my teen years. I was never a huge Eagles fan, but these songs worked.

Feast of Wire

Calexico

4/5

New to me, and thanks. All over the place, but in a fun, musical way.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

4/5

At times swinging, at times melodic, and at times experimental. Mingus was always pushing the limits of jazz.

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

4/5

Dusty Springfield is one of the unsung heroes of the '60s. This was an introduction to what was coming, and what followed was amazing music.

Technique

New Order

4/5

The sound of the late 80's, when many (many!) were in a trance.

Suzanne Vega

4/5

A terrific songwriter.

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

3/5

You either are a huge fan of Deep Purple or you ain't. I ain't.

Wild Wood

Paul Weller

4/5

Solid rock and roll from an unsung musician.

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

5/5

This band just got better and better and better and better and..........

The Next Day

David Bowie

4/5

Not a Top 5 Bowie album, but still excellent, like everything he did.

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

4/5

Fun ballads. 45 minutes is enough. ;-)

Rio

Duran Duran

4/5

Solid music, unique at the time. Many, many hits.

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

5/5

A musical genius, then and now. Always pushing the boundaries, but at the same time, crafter of terrific hit songs. Go see him while you still can.

Odelay

Beck

3/5

Probably 3.5 stars. Beck is good at expressing the mood of the country.

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

4/5

The roots of the Stones, bluesy and still filled with hits.

Being There

Wilco

4/5

Solid straight-ahead rock with a nod to country. Fine musicianship.

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

3/5

20-25 minutes is enough.

Want One

Rufus Wainwright

4/5

A troubadour in the style of his father. Great stories.

In Our Heads

Hot Chip

4/5

New to me. This is EXCELLENT EDM music. Thanks.

Kenya

Machito

5/5

Fantastic and timeless. The 1950s were a great time for all genres of music. Then Mitch Miller showed up and ruined it all.

Moondance

Van Morrison

5/5

He's been making some of the world's best music for nearly 60 years. Not great in concert, and terrible in interviews, but he's Van Morrison. He gets to do what he wants.

Elephant Mountain

The Youngbloods

4/5

Defining music of the era. There's nothing that comes close today even though we are again in remarkably challenging times.

The Visitors

ABBA

4/5

They should have kept going. The maturity of this album is obvious.

Let's Get It On

Marvin Gaye

5/5

Legendary, healing, powerful.

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

5/5

Pretty close to perfect. A great Quincy Jones arrangement, and not over-produced. Michael at his peak, before the parody began

The Message

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

5/5

Quintessential funk! Terrific music from the guys who allowed it to evolve.

The Joshua Tree

U2

5/5

Top 100 album of all time.

The Specials

4/5

Didn't this define Britain in the late 70s! Great music, spot on for the times.

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

4/5

Good music, and a unique song. Nobody sounded like Supertramp.

Songs From A Room

Leonard Cohen

5/5

Some of the greatest songwriting ever. And young Leonard Cohen had as much emotional depth as old Leonard Cohen.

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

4/5

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

4/5

Rock Bottom

Robert Wyatt

4/5

Mid 70s prog rock fans went two ways...either to Genesis/Yes/ELP or to groups like Soft Machine. This is good music, but not as good as early Genesis.

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

An important recording. A very important recording.

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

4/5

4.5 stars really. This is terrific, melodic music.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

5/5

The beginning of a masterclass in Rock & Roll. The first line of 'American Girl' defines the U.S.A.

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington

5/5

One of the most essential live Jazz recordings of all time. Astounding musicianship.

Live At Leeds

The Who

4/5

I listened to the remastered version. You might want to find someone with better mastering skills. ;) But...The Who are great live.

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

4/5

Glam Bowie. Not the best Bowie, but Bowie nonetheless.

Buena Vista Social Club

5/5

This is luscious music, isn't it?

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

Isn't it amazing that a Canadian has, since the beginning, understood America so clearly? And this album shows every single side of Neil Young. A masterpiece.

A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Streets

4/5

Solid music from the streets of blue-collar England.

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

4/5

It has survived the test of time. It's not the best Xmas rock album of all time, but it goes on.

Chris

Christine and the Queens

4/5

Solid European pop. A great album for a semi-mellow party vibe.

Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis

5/5

Defining. Legendary. Important. This. Is. Jazz.

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

5/5

One of the top two or three musical voices of the Civil Rights movement. Still important.

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

4/5

New to me, and terrific.

Crazysexycool

TLC

4/5

Diggin' on this for an entire generation. Still wonderful.

High Violet

The National

3/5

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

4/5

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

5/5

The soundtrack of my very early years. Great harmony, still.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

3/5

The Man Machine

Kraftwerk

4/5

Still relevant. They really were EDM trailblazers, weren't they?

1984

Van Halen

3/5

Da Capo

Love

3/5

Interesting, at times melodic. But there's a reason this group didn't have the same staying power as so many 60s bands.

Nighthawks At The Diner

Tom Waits

5/5

I'm still trying to figure Tom Waits out, but I guess we all are. Whatever this genre is, it's awesome.

Scott 2

Scott Walker

4/5

New to me. Who knew??

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

5/5

We didn't listen then, are we listening now? Happy MLK Day

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

5/5

He helped bridge the gap between jazz and rock & roll and had more fun doing it than anyone. Louis (and Keeley) were awesome.

Behaviour

Pet Shop Boys

4/5

Still charming, innit?

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

John Fogerty was and is important to music and to the U.S.A.

My Generation

The Who

4/5

Find raw, early rock. They got better. :)

Young Americans

David Bowie

4/5

He got better but this is still very good Bowie.

The World is a Ghetto

War

5/5

More relevant and more powerful 50+ years later. Who makes music like this nowadays?

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

3/5

I was around, but I was never a big fan.

James Brown Live At The Apollo

James Brown

5/5

Energy x5; Soul x10. The Godfather reigns supreme.

Fred Neil

4/5

Raise your hand if you remember Fred Neil. Talented songwriter!

Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone

5/5

Funk. Starts. Here.

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Come on, who else even approaches the level of expertise of Hendrix? The ONLY thing this album is missing is the greatest Rock & Roll song of all time, which is on Electric Ladyland. (you figure it out)

Scott 4

Scott Walker

4/5

Tortured soul, always trying different ways to approach music. If you're 55+ and didn't recognize the name but thought the voice was familiar, take it easy on yourself. ;-)

Django Django

4/5

New to me. Solid what...EDM Pop?

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

The Byrds

4/5

Pure twang. Not The Byrds I grew up with, but fine.

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

4/5

Top-notch songwriting

Zombie

Fela Kuti

5/5

Powerful, fun, excellent.

Something Else By The Kinks

The Kinks

4/5

The roots of Brit Rock. Good to revisit annually.

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

5/5

Better than I remember! Thanks for the nudge back to some really good music.

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

5/5

Brilliant. Not as spare as most Monk, but that's Sonny Rollins for you.

Back To Black

Amy Winehouse

5/5

Great music. Legendary singer. Tragically missed.

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

5/5

Coltrane defied the laws of physics and helped to define Jazz. This is an important album.

All Directions

The Temptations

5/5

Soul defined!

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

5/5

The Sam Cooke you never heard in the studio. Huge talent, tragic early passing.

The Healer

John Lee Hooker

4/5

Spanning generations of the Blues. Terrific collaborations.

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective

2/5

Goes nowhere for me.

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

5/5

An album that changed music when it was released. Yes, it was THAT important. The only question? Would it have had as big an impact if it didn't have one of the most recognizable album covers in history?

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire

4/5

Happy funk, with a mostly positive message. Sorely missed.

Sunshine Hit Me

The Bees

5/5

New to me, and...excellent. I guess this is easy listening? Works!

Penthouse And Pavement

Heaven 17

3/5

About 20 minutes is enough.

Funeral

Arcade Fire

5/5

Montreal's finest!

#1 Record

Big Star

3/5

OK. Not great, OK. That's why you don't hear them on the radio anymore.

Ambient 1/Music For Airports

Brian Eno

5/5

The world would be a little less crazy if we all spent more time listening to ambient music.

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

5/5

Ambient, elevated.

Future Days

Can

4/5

And you thought Kraftwerk was the only German band to crank out ambient, meditative music.

Crosby, Stills & Nash

5/5

Who could predict that we would be in such a mess in 2025? The science fiction writers...and the musicians of the 1960s. This is an important and timeless album.

Parklife

Blur

4/5

Punky Britpop. Works.

Birth Of The Cool

Miles Davis

5/5

Massively important. The only question is: When you're that cool, how do you know it? How did they know they were birthing The Cool?

Treasure

Cocteau Twins

4/5

I still don't understand it. I like it, but I don't understand it. ;-)

Time (The Revelator)

Gillian Welch

5/5

Moody, introspective, powerful, intelligent. Spare and wonderful.

Happy Sad

Tim Buckley

5/5

Extraordinary music from a tragic hero.

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

4/5

Strong, challenging album. Kudos.

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

5/5

Stellar. Soulful, funky, jazzy. This is solid music.

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

Lucinda Williams

5/5

A bittersweet explanation of America in the 21st century. Where are we headed and what's with this handbasket??

Dummy

Portishead

4/5

Music for uncomfortable, sleepless nights.

Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts

The Adverts

3/5

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

5/5

Fabulous, pithy, bittersweet. Great music.

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

4/5

This is still important and relevant music.

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room

Dwight Yoakam

4/5

Muy bien.

Want Two

Rufus Wainwright

4/5

A tantalizing recording

Your Arsenal

Morrissey

3/5

It wanders to many different places, some enjoyable, some not so much.

1999

Prince

5/5

It's Prince. It's genius. Next?

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

5/5

Psychedelic soul. Still wonderful to listen to.

Opus Dei

Laibach

2/5

Somebody needs to explain this to me. Listening to Opus Dei, I felt like I was in an even more dystopic version of The Wizard of Oz.

Wild Gift

X

3/5

At times, interesting. At times.

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

5/5

A major talent who led a fierce life.

At Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan

5/5

Major talent. Massive sass.

Better Living Through Chemistry

Fatboy Slim

3/5

about 20 minutes is fine, thanks...

In It For The Money

Supergrass

3/5

I wonder how much they made?

Fleet Foxes

5/5

New to me and fabulous. Gentle, transporting, sad.

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

5/5

IF you have to choose a 'best' Sinatra album, this one would serve you well. He's in perfect voice and Nelson Riddle is arranging. It gets no better than this, in any genre.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

My life and welcome to it.

Porcupine

Echo And The Bunnymen

4/5

Solid, focused, fine.

New Boots And Panties

Ian Dury

4/5

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

5/5

Legendary

War

U2

4/5

Groovin'

The Young Rascals

5/5

The soundtrack of my childhood, and still groovin’.

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

5/5

Legendary.

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

5/5

THE voice of America. He always has been.

Sail Away

Randy Newman

4/5

The Doors

4/5

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

The genius began here.

Tracy Chapman

5/5

Legendary

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

5/5

One of the most important albums of all time, regardless of genre. RIP Brian Wilson

25

Adele

5/5

A lovely album, all the way through, don't you think?

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

Are there words that can describe The White Album?

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

5/5

Wonderful music, an important album, still.

Gasoline Alley

Rod Stewart

5/5

Rod Stewart has reinvented himself countless times, but the best Rod Stewart is this...the earliest Rod Stewart.

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

5/5

If you're old enough to remember, this album changed music in many ways back in the '60s. And...there's no music more seductive than bossa nova.

Heroes

David Bowie

4/5

Not the best Bowie, but...interesting.

The Nightfly

Donald Fagen

5/5

Close to perfection. And one of the best-produced albums in history.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

David Bowie

4/5

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

My youth, all on one fabulous album.

Third/Sister Lovers

Big Star

2/5

Interesting. Next?

Diamond Life

Sade

5/5

Sade sounds like nobody else. This is legendary music. Timeless.

Illinois

Sufjan Stevens

4/5

A Date With The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers

5/5

The early days of folk-rock. Still charming.

The Dreaming

Kate Bush

3/5

A different album. I love Kate Bush, but I don't like to be screamed at, even by her.

Dusty In Memphis

Dusty Springfield

5/5

The English Ladies Who Know How to Sing American Soul Invasion began with this talented lady.

Rid Of Me

PJ Harvey

3/5

Soft-Loud? Make it make sense, please.

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Soft Cell

3/5

About 20 minutes is enough. And if push comes to shove, I'm fine with just their one hit.

Punishing Kiss

Ute Lemper

4/5

Fabulous music known to very few outside Europe.

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

5/5

There's my early childhood, encapsulated in a handful of charming songs.

Life's Too Good

The Sugarcubes

3/5

Some of this was good. Some was just...noisy.

Justified

Justin Timberlake

4/5

Solid pop. Is this considered nostalgia? Am I that old??

Apple Venus Volume 1

XTC

4/5

New to me and a very pleasant surprise. This is a very good album.

Smokers Delight

Nightmares On Wax

4/5

Surprisingly delightful. Well named. 😉

American Beauty

Grateful Dead

5/5

It's the Dead, it's American Beauty. It is America.

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

4/5

Important then. Sorta important now.

NEU! 75

Neu!

3/5

It goes to interesting places. When it focuses on electronica, it works well.

Night Life

Ray Price

5/5

A master class in Country music.

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

4/5

Groundbreaking.

Actually

Pet Shop Boys

5/5

Still charming, in an angsty '80s BritPop way. :)

Street Life

The Crusaders

5/5

Legendary musicians and...Randy Crawford. This is just a terrific album.

Moon Safari

Air

4/5

Charming Jet Set Lounge music, and new to me. Nice!

The Modern Lovers

3/5

Solid music, Jonathan Richman's voice has never appealed to me. ;)

The La's

4/5

Fun. Lightweight, but fun.

Seventh Tree

Goldfrapp

5/5

New to me and excellent. Thanks for adding to my music collection.

Dust

Screaming Trees

4/5

Solid.

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

5/5

Boomers will remember his '60s hit 'Grazing in the Grass,' but I think that was his only popular song. This is all excellent music, spend some time here!

Blood, Sweat & Tears

5/5

Nobody sounded like them when this album was released. (Chicago Transit Authority was close, but had a different approach) This album was startling in its daring and still holds up.

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

3/5

They've done better

Kenza

Khaled

4/5

New to me! (I know...) World music at a very high level

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

4/5

Good writing, decent music. Yes, these are stories.

Mermaid Avenue

Billy Bragg

3/5

Calenture

The Triffids

4/5

New to me. Melodic, impressive.

Debut

Björk

4/5

Wonderfully experimental. Most of it works. Not all of it, but most of it.

Swordfishtrombones

Tom Waits

4/5

Still don't understand him, but I love listening to him.

Signing Off

UB40

4/5

What the angst of BritReggae was best represented by.

Life Thru A Lens

Robbie Williams

4/5

I'm not sure why he didn't make it bigger in the States. Any ideas?

White Light / White Heat

The Velvet Underground

3/5

They got better, Lou Reed got better. Some of this is very good, some is still...self-service noise.

Rocks

Aerosmith

4/5

C'est Chic

CHIC

4/5

Solid dance music from what...40-50 years ago? Freak out!

Paris 1919

John Cale

4/5

Clandestino

Manu Chao

4/5

New to me and more than enjoyable. Thanks.

Solid Air

John Martyn

4/5

A different sound of the 70s. Never really attracted enough attention, but this is good music.

Femi Kuti

4/5

Some World Music sounds...otherworldly. Other types make you want to get up and dance. This album is the latter. Get up and dance!

Trio

Dolly Parton

5/5

Legendary. Everything good about Country music is embodied in this recording.

Oedipus Schmoedipus

Barry Adamson

5/5

New to me, and a fascinating and pleasant surprise. This, for me, is why I do this.

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

3/5

Moss Side Story

Barry Adamson

3/5

I must have missed this fist time around. Whew.

Go Girl Crazy

The Dictators

4/5

Solid, powerful, wrestling-focused novelty rock. We're all going under the thunder of Manitoba!

Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan

5/5

You can write 1,000 words, or you can just say...Early Dylan.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

4/5

The sound of America...when it's united. Been awhile.

Tank Battles

Dagmar Krause

3/5

Fascinating. Fascinating...

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones

4/5

The Libertines

3/5

The Modern Dance

Pere Ubu

4/5

The Last Of The True Believers

Nanci Griffith

5/5

What America should sound like, always.

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

5/5

Always bittersweet, always beautiful.

Sheet Music

10cc

4/5

Underrated band (even with a huge hit) and a unique sound.

The Gilded Palace Of Sin

The Flying Burrito Brothers

5/5

Legendary. One of the great albums.

Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin

4/5

Pornography

The Cure

3/5

Here Come The Warm Jets

Brian Eno

4/5

Always intriguing. Not his best, but very, very good.

Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago

5/5

I recall the moment I first heard the opening notes of this groundbreaking album in 1969. (I was a kid) It's as good as ever, and more relevant.

Sincere

Mj Cole

3/5

Back to Basics

Christina Aguilera

4/5

A fine talent, and she proved it on every track here.

Hearts And Bones

Paul Simon

5/5

Not well known, probably because no hits came from this album. However, this is quintessential Paul Simon, making it worth spending some time with.

Stephen Stills

5/5

Legendary. Any questions?

Tellin’ Stories

The Charlatans

4/5

Solid!

Highly Evolved

The Vines

4/5

Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Spiritualized

3/5

Interesting. Meandering. At times, too noisy for me.

Basket of Light

Pentangle

4/5

A pleasant, nostalgic visit back. Like today, the world was in turmoil. Unlike today, musicians knew how to represent it.

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

5/5

This is a perfect album by the First Lady of Song. If you're new to this, keep listening. More Ella!

Oxygène

Jean-Michel Jarre

4/5

Memories of college radio in the 1970s. Still a good listen!

Cut

The Slits

4/5

Primo Punk, 'ya know?

Space Ritual

Hawkwind

2/5

At times interesting, but overall, there's a reason you don't remember this album—or this group.

Hms Fable

Shack

4/5

New to me, and at times, pleasantly surprising. Worth your time!

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

3/5

3.5 stars, if I could.

Darkdancer

Les Rythmes Digitales

3/5

20 minutes is enough unless you’re in a club.

Inspiration Information

Shuggie Otis

5/5

Funky, warm, wonderful.

Brothers

The Black Keys

4/5

Solid. Next?

Dry

PJ Harvey

3/5

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

5/5

Bill Evans played (and heard) music like nobody else before or since. This is a sublime recording, made all the more powerful by the fact that it was a live performance.

A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

4/5

Impressive. New to me and caught me from the first few notes. I will dig...a little deeper. ;-)

Kilimanjaro

The Teardrop Explodes

3/5

Revolver

Beatles

5/5

I guess all the albums get five stars, but this one was evolutionary...the beginning of the transformation from the Fab Four to something else.

L.A. Woman