560
Albums Rated
3.54
Average Rating
51%
Complete
529 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Blues
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
113
5-Star Albums
19
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
|
5 | 2.02 | +2.98 |
|
Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
The White Room
The KLF
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
Leftism
Leftfield
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
Kala
M.I.A.
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
Moby Grape
Moby Grape
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Spiderland
Slint
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
|
1 | 3.67 | -2.67 |
|
High Violet
The National
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Vespertine
Björk
|
1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
|
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
The Rise & Fall
Madness
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
|
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
|
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Want One
Rufus Wainwright
|
1 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
|
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 5 |
| Public Enemy | 3 | 5 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5 | 4.4 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4.4 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.67 |
| Metallica | 3 | 4.67 |
| Neil Young | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Doors | 2 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 2 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 5 |
| Muddy Waters | 2 | 5 |
| AC/DC | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 4.33 |
| Radiohead | 3 | 4.33 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 4 | 2.25 |
5-Star Albums (113)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Grant Lee Buffalo · 2 likes
3/5
Fuzzy is a perfectly serviceable album, very much of its time with its distinctive early 90s alt.rock vibe and sound. I found it enjoyable enough, but it didn't blow me away.
Metallica · 2 likes
5/5
A masterpiece of thrash metal. One of my favorite albums of all time.
Tom Tom Club · 2 likes
3/5
The whole album is a wild ride that goes all over the place, but maintains a fun and playful spirit throughout. David Byrne is a fascinating figure, but this really shows you how much Frantz and Weymouth brought to the Talking Heads sound. Absolutely bursting with creative energy but doesn't take itself too seriously. One of the best side projects of all time.
Beastie Boys · 2 likes
5/5
What a musical masterpiece. Really loved this one.
Leftfield · 2 likes
5/5
Great electronic album. This album you can focus and zone out on anywhere and still enjoy it.
1-Star Albums (19)
All Ratings
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
IT'S OK-EASY LISTENING. SHAME LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM IS OVERSHADOWED. i LIKE FLEETWOOD MAC IN ITS EARLY DAYS
Green Day
2/5
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Often cited as a pioneering act in the shoegaze genre, their sound is characterized by dissonant guitar textures, androgynous vocals, and unorthodox production techniques.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Grohl said that he recorded the album just for fun, describing it as a cathartic experience to recover from the suicide of Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain. The album is considered to have started the post-grunge genre.
The Who
4/5
The term classic rock is all-encompassing and is a simple way to describe The Who.
Justice
4/5
ENRGETIC-VIBE MUSIC-The album was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album and "D.A.N.C.E." was nominated for Best Dance Recording and Best Video at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
Le Tigre
4/5
The album combined pop music with the band's feminist political lyrics.
2Pac
4/5
2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impending prison sentence, troubles with the police, and poverty.
The Police
4/5
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
The songs rock but I find the vocals shriek-y, like I'm being yelled at by my girlfriend for 35 minutes straight.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
Americana, and the crossroads of Blues, Country, and Rock.
Sam Cooke
5/5
Totally electrifying live performance, raw and raucous but still note-perfect — breathes new life into songs I've heard to the point of fatigue
The Verve
3/5
The Verve is like U2, if they were less annoying, but also way more generic.
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
"África Brasil" is a masterclass in rhythm and performance, with secretive but long-lasting influence that can still be felt today. Even for any listeners wary of any language barrier with music, Jorge Ben Jor makes music that anybody can immediately understand and groove along with.
Rocket From The Crypt
5/5
A thrill ride, like a rickety wooden rollercoaster hurtling at speed; driving rhythm section, stabbing horns, charismatic frontman; slick back you hair, rev up your motorcycle, pull on your leathers. Rock music like it should be done - get in, get out fast, look good whilst you do it.
Thin Lizzy
5/5
- so much fun, great vibes
- great quality for a live album
- left the album radio on all day
- so many likes
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
POST PUNK! I can fast forward through any song and wherever I stop sounds exactly the same as where I started.
The Lemonheads
2/5
Ok but dull, samey jangly pop rock. Not worth a second listen.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
Inventive, beautiful, and poetic. There's so much energy and soul in these tracks, it's incredible front to back.
Björk
1/5
I just can't get into her voice and her weird infantile fairy thing.
The Doors
5/5
A cultural colossus.
3/5
Spirit was a little too out there for most people. They were a little bit rock, a little bit jazz, a bit psychedelic, and several doses of just plain weird.
Johnny Cash
5/5
One of the most genuine and authentic albums I’ve ever heard. I love it when he breaks mid-song to tell a joke or a laugh slips, especially when it’s in contrast to some soul-crushingly melancholy lyrics. I don’t really think there’s a bad track in the bunch. I love this album and the special place it takes me to every time I revisit it. I give it a 10+
Van Halen
5/5
1st album purchased as a kid- one of many great albums
Coldplay
4/5
Coldplay as the alternate-universe version of Radiohead that continued to explore the Pablo Honey sound and style
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Sexy Album!!!
Raekwon
1/5
Quite an exhausting listen, and I'm still someone who struggles with all the interstitial skits that pepper hip hop albums, but the music itself--no thanks-heard better
Sonic Youth
2/5
It's just sloppy noise-rock.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
The rest is mostly the worst aspects of indie meets a really toothless brand of punk rock I suppose you could call it.
Charles Mingus
4/5
It has moments of delicacy and beauty, and of utter stormy cacophonous noise.
Putting aside the stories about Mingus (aggressive, violent bugger, essentially) it feels like these people are all playing for their lives. Quite a thing to behold
Van Morrison
5/5
Van Morrison makes some of the most soothing and relaxing songs that feel personal. The lyrics are great. The jazzy instruments are wonderful.
Eminem
3/5
I forgot how violent this album is. And anti gay. And misogynistic. I can never figure out if satire, a joke, or real. it's ok.
The Doors
5/5
Great album-one of my favorites!!!
John Martyn
2/5
Anti-groove jazz.
Throwing Muses
2/5
raw, emotional, artistic, alt. punk
Madness
1/5
Just ok. Our House, obviously a terrific song. The rest of it? What am I even listening to
Television
3/5
I don't think that they are bad or unskilled, just not for me.
Daft Punk
3/5
i get why this album is important
i don't hate it but i don't love it.
Syd Barrett
3/5
A hard album. The music of a great talent deteriorating. You can hear this is someone who is damaged.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
classic, still can't get enough of this record - sent me into a Neil spiral
The Charlatans
2/5
A decent album to put on while I drink my morning coffee and browse the ol' Internet on this Sunday morning, but on the other hand, it lacks a certain spice to make me want to listen to more.
SAULT
4/5
Good beats, good production. I liked the whole album, but no single track jumped out at me.
Bob Dylan
5/5
The first of likely many Dylan albums here. The only debate is whether it gets a 4 or 5 from me. Good God, the music released in 1965 is just insane.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
What a surprising musical journey. Beautiful vocals and grandiose music pieces.
Gram Parsons
4/5
Enjoyable country rock with a light psychedelic tinge.
Isaac Hayes
2/5
This was a funky album. But also... my life doesn’t need to have shaft music in the background.
Dolly Parton
4/5
It's so clear in what she sings about and how she lives.
The National
1/5
Basically the same song over and over again. Lead vocalist has no range.
The Crusaders
3/5
Good 70s funk
The Pharcyde
3/5
It reminds me of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Rush
2/5
Not bad music but kinda long songs and not particularly special to me.
Small Faces
3/5
It was a bit much at times though. I think the wackiness sometimes surpassed the actual quality of the music,
Stereo MC's
4/5
this was a surprisingly fun and enjoyable album.
Garbage
3/5
Not bad, absolutely fine to have playing during work. But there's nothing remarkable about it either.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
The sound of a fembot sipping a cocktail from a coconut next to the pool just before Austin Powers swings round the corner.
Cypress Hill
5/5
420 stars.
TLC
3/5
Not my thing, but that doesn't mean it's without merit. If you like this sort of music I suppose this would be pretty good. But it's music you don't need to engage with.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The beginning of the Stones really sounding like the Stones. Recording is still a little rough, although Brian Jones' use of whatever instruments were around lifts the sound into something fresher than most of their contemporaries.
4/5
Motha fucking classic. Always a pleasure listening to this.
Dusty Springfield
5/5
Smooth, soulful, enjoyable. beautiful voice
The Modern Lovers
1/5
Overall forgettable and boring to me.
Dire Straits
5/5
Clean, like the genre
Would listen to it outside of this
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Maybe occasionally let the music breathe and stop inserting your Nick Cave-ness into everything.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Great for summer background. Sittin on da porch. Cookin a nice meal. Do something active but lowkey, turn this bad larry on.
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
I listened for a few tracks, lost interest, shut it off and didn’t feel bad about it, because this album has been removed from the book.
Bert Jansch
5/5
The guitar on this album is phenomenal, and songs in short snippets really sells it for me.
Radiohead
4/5
First time with this album and I can see it growing on me even more. It's got a more chill vibe and the jazz influence on a few track adds a nice little extra.
Leftfield
5/5
Great electronic album. This album you can focus and zone out on anywhere and still enjoy it.
T. Rex
3/5
Mysticism and pop can be a perfectly fine combination. Sometimes a perfect one. But it can quickly turn turgid if the artist gets dumb about transcendence being antithetical to pop. Suddenly, they think tempo, vibrancy, structure and precision are the enemy.
Steve Earle
4/5
better than I thought, never heard of him before - he is country, but not pop nor is it willie nelson
David Bowie
5/5
Bowie! It's hard to dislike anything Bowie has done, honestly. He was so alien and ahead of his time that there's always something new and strange to learn when listening to his albums.
Culture Club
1/5
Ministry
4/5
Brilliant speed and rhythms. A little more separation in the mix for lead guitars wouldn’t have harmed, but still a thrill a minute.
Fugees
5/5
The Platonic Form of Hip Hop. Lauryn Hill is hands down what elevates this album to a firm
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Love many individual tracks and the psychedelic effects in the production. Love the way certain tracks flow into one another.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I'll stick with Radiohead, thanks.
Van Morrison
4/5
one of the best live albums.
Talking Heads
3/5
Beautiful, high energy without ever getting manic.
Madonna
4/5
Peter Tosh
3/5
Give me 85 degrees, a beach, and a cooler full of beer and this album is a 5.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
"Beggar's Banquet" is a bit of a roller coaster of an album. It's blues, it's rock, it's got some country.. it's kinda all over the place but everywhere it goes is good. It's a raw sound in all the best ways.
The KLF
5/5
The album itself consists of hunks of tripe interspersed with tidbits of sweet genius. But dig deeper into the KLF story and you won't be disappointed.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
The songs are still brilliant. It is easy to get caught up in Jimi's excellent guitar work but the other pieces of the band are just as great.
JAY Z
4/5
A couple of good tracks but I'm not a massive fan of his style
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
Perfect inflection point between 60’s folk/rock and what was to come in the early 70’s for rock. Everybody was for a moment in that band totally together and making a near perfect album.
The Byrds
2/5
Folk, blues and traditional. Fairly bland, felt a little like a contractual obligation album.
Hüsker Dü
1/5
More like Husker don’t
The Who
4/5
Very strong start and finish but lags in the middle, much like me having a shag.
Elliott Smith
5/5
A new discovery that's going to make it firmly into more regular listening
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
I just can't enjoy the monotonous sludge of distorted guitars and Corgan's petulant whine.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Bookended by two stone cold classics, the Stones try their hand at numerous genres and pretty much nail every one. A classic album in every essence.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Good music but I can really only handle Bruce's voice in small doses.
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
A whole album of Lauper is far too much Lauper.
ABBA
5/5
This one stopped me in my tracks. I was predisposed to dismiss ABBA as mindless pop (which is not to say I haven’t listened to “ABBA Gold” countless times). But this album is much better than I expected.
Roxy Music
3/5
The first few songs have a bit of a Grateful Dead meets David Bowie feel before the prog/art rock really takes hold. Brian Eno’s contribution is immense and hints at his ambient music aspirations.
The Smiths
1/5
It's like listening to the same song over and over again for an hour. Pretty bad in my opinion.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
A lot of the records on this list are ahead of their times but that's not the case here. Dusty gets points for some really great recordings of really great songs but they're mostly rips of other people's work. That was common for the time (especially among white performers covering songs by black artists) but it still makes me wonder why this was included in the list. It was enjoyable but nothing groundbreaking.
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
I was not expecting to rate Lenny Kravitz this high. Was completely unfamiliar with his work, but the versatility and energy is incredibly impressive. He made this album basically ENTIRELY BY HIMSELF.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Politically charged, yet makes me wanna party.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
What an absolute masterpiece.
The Chemical Brothers
5/5
A nailed-on 5 and without any competition the best dance/electronica album ever made.
Country Joe & The Fish
5/5
On the whole, I liked it. Good, old-school, jazz-infused psychedelic rock.
Wilco
2/5
Pretty boring album, there's some decent songs in the middle but it starts off with nothing and ends with nothing, I was not impressed with most of the songs on this album
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
I really like this Jazz album- I was very productive listening to it because jazz piano is my favorite.
Metallica
5/5
A masterpiece of thrash metal. One of my favorite albums of all time.
Moby Grape
5/5
This hits the sweet spot between rock and roll and the "roots" sounds of country, blues, and friends. Hits it perfectly, as far as I'm concerned, with a delicious dusting of California psych.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
4.5, but honestly, cant really find any major flaws with the album. Great mixture of energetic tracks with slower ballads, with super dense instrumentation.
Neil Young
5/5
He really is one of the best. Something so mysterious and unconventional about his voice
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Sounds like Depeche Mode but boring. Didn't see anything special in this, just more 80s synth music.
ZZ Top
4/5
this is a fun album.
Louis Prima
5/5
Funny, energetic recording of Prima's legendary live show. It's loose and irreverent, uptempo and hilarious. Prima takes liberties with his own material and jazz standards to create a raucous big band experience that leans towards the coming RnB.
Beatles
5/5
One of the most influential albums of all time and the point where the Beatles started changing the game. Tomorrow Never Know’s is perhaps one of the greatest finale’s on any album.
Elton John
2/5
Love me some classic Elton but this doesn't really make the cut. First two are great, rest is typical '70s Reg - clumsy but oddly endearing lyrics and some pleasant tunes.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Most 60's groups had three choices: copy the beatles, copy the beach boys, or sexually abuse minors. These guys changed the game and did all three- Four stars!
Yes
4/5
Yes has always been a great band to mellow out to and enjoy.
Prince
5/5
Some tracks a bit too long but great overall. Gonna party like it is 1999.
Ian Dury
1/5
Could’ve happily made it to death without ever hearing this
Black Sabbath
5/5
Another perfect Sabbath album.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
5/5
A quintessential blues album which gained Clapton his “God” nickname. This influenced very popular guitar sounds in the years and decades which followed and is an album which many many successful artists will point to as inspiring.
Miles Davis
5/5
They don’t call this Birth of the Cool for nothing. What a fucking classic
Common
5/5
THIS CAT RAPS AS SMOOTH AS A PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICH.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Not good, could not listen
Brian Eno
4/5
Don't really know what to say about this except that it does exactly what it tells you it's going to do and it does it very well. Great studying music and very relaxing
Paul McCartney
5/5
It made me feel very happy listening to it.
David Bowie
5/5
Everything was perfect about this album. Perfect run time, solid production, amazing vocal performance, a unique blend of 70s music styles, progressive in its own way, and kept me intrigued from beginning to end. Bowie is a fascinating person, I really look forward to his other albums. Masterpiece.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Talk about an album that fizzles... The first half is pure fire, but the last half lingers way too long.
De La Soul
5/5
Very fun and incredibly clever. Many reviews compare this record to Sgt. Pepper but for hip pop.
The Shamen
2/5
Absolute garbage. Repetitive, uninteresting, dated, meaningless new-agey-druggy lyrics, awful sound, terrible singing - tedious beyond belief
Jack White
5/5
Outstanding. I've never heard this album before yesterday. It really blew me away. It will get repeated listening from me. Road trip music for sure.
3/5
Aggressive, noisy, raw. To start with. Slides into mediocre lager rock which is alternately boring and annoying.
Alice Cooper
5/5
Very bluesy, awesome album with a different sound every song and high school themes. I love it.
Nick Drake
5/5
When I listen to Nick Drake, I can feel my brain expanding.
Cheap Trick
5/5
Cheap Trick rode a wave that was departing the Disco era, when most bands were transitioning to Soft Rock. These guys turned up the heat and brought some heaviness back to Rock music. This was a great listen and an album you must hear before you die.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
To simplify…a musician with a bad back who was hungry, slightly grumpy and playing a piano that wasn’t even the one he asked for and was substandard at that, improvised this piano solo.
I’m blown away by it and the talent of the musician. I wouldn’t term this as Jazz, just an absolutely beautiful piece of music.
Pretenders
5/5
Always wanted to like the Pretenders more - and definitely do now after listening to this album!
Metallica
4/5
Metallica is a good, but not quite great, album, one whose best moments deservedly captured the heavy metal crown, but whose approach also foreshadowed a creative decline.
Barry Adamson
1/5
This sounds like what it is, a soundtrack for a film that doesn't exist. Some nice bits but fairly pointless
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
The Dude: Do you find them much, these, stolen cars?
Younger Cop: Sometimes. Wouldn't hold out much hope for the tape deck though.
Older Cop: Or the Creedence.
Radiohead
5/5
Radiohead going experimental because they didn’t like their own rock sound anymore and not disappointing at all, this whole album is just an experience with beautiful songs.
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
This album is like the smoothest cup of coffee and the warmest blanket on the coldest day.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
lot of fucking bongos. Too many fucking bongos, if I'm honest. 3/5.
Underworld
4/5
This album has moments of straight techno which melt into new wave and atmospheric rock. At times, the album is danceable and at others, ponderous. The way that the music constructs and deconstructs is interesting and adds to the simmering quality of some of the tracks. Overall, really enjoyable if a touch too long
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Incredibly repetitive. Incredibly repetitive. Incredibly repetitive. Incredibly rep rep repetitive. Incredibly repetitive. Incredibly rep repetitive.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Emmylou Harris is somehow an underrated country legend. When it's all said and done, she'll forever be on the Mount Rushmore of female country artists, along with Loretta Lynne, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton. None of those country legends have a voice like Emmylou Harris.
Beatles
4/5
This is my favorite pre-Rubber Soul album. No covers. Full on McCartney-Lennon pop songwriting genius from start to end. There's something to love about each track.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
It's frustrating, but at least there's some ambition here.
Sex Pistols
4/5
This album is pure energy. Weird listening to it today, when all the "controversial" aspects seem tame. It's been imitated so much that it almost sounds like a parody of itself. No doubt that this is as punk as a studio album can get.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyable and nicely varied for a punk album. I didn't feel like I was listening to the same slurred song for thirty-five minutes like I often do with bad punk. This was a great introduction to the Dead Kennedys!
Sheryl Crow
4/5
A great album! She's basically the female tom petty. A liberating and sometimes heartfelt album.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
This album can only be considered a patronizing capitalist insult to those who are getting ground up by "the machine".
Sister Sledge
4/5
This album is funky, it swings. It makes me want to sing and dance. The vocals are incredible and the instruments are clear and good. This is music.
Public Enemy
5/5
58 minutes of pure adrenaline that always leaves you needing to catch your breath at the end.
Gene Clark
3/5
Nicely understated and under appreciated. Soft and lovely, the album can sound a bit the same at first, but the songs quickly grow on you.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
This is a foundational album.
You can love it. You can hate it. And without denigrating anyone's opinion, it just doesn't matter.
Metallica
5/5
A classic. Enough has been said about the self-titled track, but I just want to call to attention how brilliant of a piece Orion is. One of only a few Metallica instrumentals, and simply stunning.
Ice Cube
3/5
Another excellent entry by Ice Cube. Vocals are strong and so easy to listen to. One of the best songwriting in the genre of the era. Songs are funky and have great use of sampling. Some have catchy choruses making the album very accessible to newcomers.
Fela Kuti
4/5
This album has a fantastic start and then just keeps going. Very funky and jammy with great rhythms. Didn't even notice the songs are 12 min long!
Just a fun, and well-rounded album.
Al Green
4/5
So so good. Groove is immaculate. LOVED this.
Tom Waits
4/5
Brilliant jazz spoken word/ sung style. Relaxing and hilarious, Tom Waits nails his characterization.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
I enjoyed this listen quite a bit, at least with an intermission break included midway. I had forgotten how fun bluegrass music can be, and this album proved that by a mile and a half. Not all of the tracks stick, but I enjoyed the vibe of this album enough to stick the whole way through.
5/5
The grand daddy of concept albums. Features, arguably, the greatest Lennon McCartney collaboration, A Day In The Life.
Duke Ellington
5/5
Exceptional. They certainly don't make music like this anymore.
5/5
Rich and exceptionally well conceived and executed, each song stands on it's own merits while still contributing to the larger themes. Great melodies, kicking arrangements, humor and pathos, this album stands as a rocking testament to the Kinks' contributions to the genre.
Johnny Cash
5/5
There's no question that this album is powerful, and the fact that he played at a prison, and the interaction with the audience of prisoners is beyond remarkable.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
The title sums this album up perfectly. Competent music, but for a collection of love songs it feels cold and perfunctory.
Miles Davis
5/5
An enthralling listen.
Kanye West
1/5
I'm not listening to this narcissistic waste of human flesh, no matter how "influential" his music is. Kanye West is an influencer to the decline of civilized society and nothing more.
Can
5/5
Absolutely excellent, groundbreaking tunes and an addictive listen.
N.W.A.
4/5
One of the more iconic records of this genre. The problem I’ve got with this and others like it is they're just so one dimensional. Great music, great flow, but lyrically suspect. It just gets old, quickly.
Os Mutantes
5/5
I think that this album is criminally overlooked. We would do well to get outside of our Anglo-American concentration and see how what we are familiar with influences and has been influenced by what we are not familiar with.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I'm not going to get into whether this is Dylan's BEST album.
Songhoy Blues
5/5
Clearly inspired by the late, great Ali Farka Touré, Songhoy Blues brings the same unstoppable energy to their music that made Ali so influential. "Music in Exile" is powerful and moving in a way that modern American blues so often isn't. The electric tones of Muddy Waters and Albert King find whole new dimensions when they're shaped and guided by the unexpected rhythms and patterns of Malian music. It's a whole vibe and I couldn't be more here for it. I don't understand a word that's being said and I don't care.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Fuzzy is a perfectly serviceable album, very much of its time with its distinctive early 90s alt.rock vibe and sound. I found it enjoyable enough, but it didn't blow me away.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
The real reason why we listen to Iron Butterfly is not for the lyrics, but the music: bright, tenor organ contrasting the thundering walking bass and pounding tribal drum beats.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
The album mixes world music with some weird/cool grooves. Some elements reminiscent of INXS, Sugar Ray. A collection of very good musicians doing something they aren't taking all that seriously.
Massive Attack
4/5
This was a great surprise! I've never listened to these people before at all. I'm usually not a fan of all electronic stuff, but they use the vocals so well over the top that it pulls it together very nicely. I think this is the best electronic music I've heard.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
I liked this - the production is great. I don't think I'll listen to it again, though.
Beastie Boys
5/5
What a musical masterpiece. Really loved this one.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Absolutely smooth, guitar is just another vocals and it blends beautifully with the music. Distinctly African and also distinctly Blues.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
The whole album is a wild ride that goes all over the place, but maintains a fun and playful spirit throughout. David Byrne is a fascinating figure, but this really shows you how much Frantz and Weymouth brought to the Talking Heads sound. Absolutely bursting with creative energy but doesn't take itself too seriously. One of the best side projects of all time.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
I'm genuinely confused by this album, or at least its inclusion on this list. Nothing I heard seemed new, novel, or influential. The recording quality was mediocre, and song writing basic, the execution lukewarm.
Beastie Boys
5/5
I believe Paul's Boutique is an absolute gem. Every single track on here is packed with fitting samples, witty lyrics, raunchy and edgy rap, great pacing and extremly catchy bass riffs.
Ryan Adams
3/5
this guy has had a messed past with women and he will likely never recover professionally. I don’t think I would feel good ever supporting this guy financially. Again, another album we have to evaluate our feelings about. I think criticism of him is justified. I think he deserves the hardships he seems to be experiencing. But this is obviously a great record and likely influenced a lot of artists.
Slint
5/5
A sonic snuff film, in the best possible way. All jokes aside, really good instrumentation, and the meandering spoken word really works.
Pixies
3/5
Not usually the kind of rock I’m into but I actually really enjoyed the album. Songs were repetitive but fun to listen to
Paul Weller
3/5
Dreary sameness. I guess in theory I see how this could be someone's thing.
James Brown
3/5
He's a good singer and the instrumentals are decent but the live element of this is just much too irritating.
Megadeth
3/5
Technically sounds great. But I was very bored. Its just so lacking in charisma charm, guile.
Elvis Presley
5/5
The first album by the King. Actually, it accumulates some singles, outtakes and other things from the Sun sessions and brings them all together in a surprisingly cohesive album. It's Presley without the bells and whistles, the way he was meant to be heard.
The Saints
4/5
Super punk and raw as hell, especially that last song. the energy of this album is killer and i knew by the album name and band that it'd be pretty good but it exceeded expectations.
Tori Amos
3/5
This album has clearly been influential for a lot of future indie women artists, but I don't think these songs hold up.
The White Stripes
4/5
Compelling from start to finish. A couple of annoyances that I could nitpick, but it's a great album.
Pulp
4/5
I like this. Weirdly nothing stands out, no particular song is great. But the whole thing I can happily listen to.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
Janis Joplin kills it in the vocals, strong blues roots, great guitar
King Crimson
4/5
Amazing debut album, it's like King Crimson emerged fully formed and mature.
Pulp
3/5
It's like Elvis Costello met the Cure. It's music for the scene in the film where the boy chases the girl through the streets in a whirlwind romance.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Absolute classic that set a standard for the genre. Excellent samples create a jazzy atmosphere that match up with the great lyrical team up of Q-Tip and Phife Dawg.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
A Tribe Called Quest came out swinging with this phenomenal, genre-changing record. It was positive, experimental, well-rounded, and exclusively different than anything that
rap and hip-hop was known for in the early 90's.
David Bowie
2/5
A few good songs, but nothing particularly noteworthy.
50 Cent
4/5
I don’t really know, but I do know I had a hell of a good time listening to this. The best of gangsta rap meets some of the catchiest pop rap ever. The Dr. Dre-led production is damn-near immaculate. Perfectly crafted beats, absolute ear worms
Elis Regina
3/5
A pleasure to hear, inspiring the saudadesque hope that in a future life one's soul is reborn in Brazil, where can be a samba-listener and lover, futebol-watcher and full-time caipirinha drinker.
Neil Young
5/5
This is probably my favourite Neil Young album.
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
Not for me. Cheesy lyrics, bland.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
this album was an experience, but was not an experience i enjoyed.
The Band
3/5
Meh, good to listen to while drinking beer in the sun.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
1/5
Disliked just about everything about this.
Soundgarden
4/5
Chris Cornell had such a voice.
Hawkwind
3/5
This record has space rock, psych rock, hard rock, blues rock, proto-punk and a whole bunch of stuff. Just to long
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
Nothing special at all
The Cars
4/5
I didn't realize how many classic rock songs came from this one album.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Bowie with an 808, innovative, bouncy and fun
Sigur Rós
5/5
oh wooooaaaaaaw this is the kind of thing I was hoping to find on this excursion. An unusual and exotic band, something I have never heard before and instantly have a connection with. I really enjoyed this, and can't understand a word he is singing... but somehow I get it. Isn't music just amazing?
M.I.A.
5/5
This is a sonically dense and textured albums. So many new and interesting sounds, samples, references, and interpolations of other songs and styles just come out of nowhere but it's all united by M.I.A.'s creativity and politics. Also, THAT FUCKIN Groove.
Muddy Waters
5/5
I don't know how you can listen to this and not love it. Every second of this album is gold.
John Grant
4/5
Absolute fantastic album from someone I've never heard of before. I'm so happy I discovered this album and this artist. Will definitely be listening to more. Really well done.
Saint Etienne
4/5
So quirky, joyful and upbeat, such intelligent use of the most obscure samples.
Thelonious Monk
5/5
Swanky and stanky. The Picasso of jazz. Rock on Thelonious.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
music is the driest, most unsoulful pop goop imaginable, the lyrics are weird, and the whole thing has a locked in a dark closet humming to himself vibe.
Simple Minds
2/5
This album slipped across my mind without leaving any trace of it's time there.
The Coral
3/5
Unfortunately, this album is not that and the rest of it is more of a psychedelic folk rock album. Still, the highlights of this album more than make up for the lowlights and it's well worth checking out for anybody who wants to hear some stuff they've never heard before
Public Enemy
5/5
I don't think there is a voice more perfectly suited for rap ever than Chuck D's. The previously Public Enemy albums broke the ground, but this album was a group at their peak, striking an amazing, balance, producing an incredibly impressive, brutally unapologetic set of serious yet sonically infectious songs unlike anything anywhere.
Paul Simon
4/5
African and western instruments combine wonderfully. Every contribution is perfect. I love the bass lines. Every track is different and danceable, singable and just fantastic. Every time I listen, I hear even more wonderful musicianship.
4/5
Sounds like the drums are beating the shit out of the saxophones.
Tito Puente
5/5
Really hard not to smile while listening to Señor Tito and his orchestra. Perfect for cooking or, really, anything.
Klaxons
3/5
I enjoyed it all the way through for what it is. I just don't know that it's interesting enough to be on this list.
The Who
4/5
Distilled into 6 cuts (3 of which aren’t even their own songs) ‘Live At Leeds’ is 37 minutes of awesome unrestrained destructive bluesy hard rock power with not an ounce of fat or filler. While the expanded versions of this record released over the years are still great and give context to the rest of the Leeds gig, it’s still the concise original released version that represents the Who at their absolute best live.
The Monks
3/5
Awesome proto-punk that I literally never knew about prior. Demented and fun.
Paul Simon
4/5
Great album. Never would have listened to Paul Simon without this site.
GZA
4/5
Absolute banger of a hip-hop album
Cream
4/5
bluesy and psychedelic in perfect amounts. It worked well.
Napalm Death
1/5
one of the worst things I’ve ever listened to.
Steely Dan
4/5
What a great listen. Strong start and continues through most of the album.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
The perfect soundtrack for mindless, repetitive works tasks on a Friday morning.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Very beautiful and heartfelt.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
It was pleasant without being remarkable.
Yes
3/5
This album makes a catchy, fun and interesting blend of sounds, drawing from prog rock but not falling into the classic traps of the genre. The songs, while long and complicated, are easy to like and feel very timeless.
David Bowie
3/5
This is an almost good album. Glad I got to listen to it before I die.
Parliament
5/5
My Funkometer EXPLODED and I got Funk particles (Funkocules) all over my room.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Not enough to tank the album but enough to take the score down significantly. I'm really glad Petty and his boys figured out their own thing and got better from here.
The Strokes
4/5
The New York group quickly rose to prominence and gave way to the indie music revolution. It was a return to the fundamentals and the basics of what made rejecting main stream so cool. The strokes were able to make amazing melodies with fairly simple progressions and that in itself is what lens does band its signature sound.
Van Halen
5/5
Van Halen let everybody know what they were about from the get-go, and this album is a tight 35 minute roller coaster.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
standard 60's white-guy rock
not terrible, but not good either
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The diversity of musical styles on this album is just unreal, with each track hitting you in its own unique way. These songs just feel like the culmination of Zeppelin's unparalleled songwriting ability and overall musicianship.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
A great debut album. Thought-provoking, raw lyrics with infectious hooks combined with an understated voice that blends into a well mixed band.
The Pretty Things
3/5
I had not heard of this album until today. A blend of Sgt peppers, Early Who, Pink Floyd, the Kinks and many other bands. Definitely peak 60s psychedelia. It reminds of a less pretentious Tommy with a big focus on sound.
Ice Cube
3/5
Commentary on race, violence, inequality, culture, etc. is delivered with agressive poeticism. The biggest issue is that the beats are dated. SUPER dated. A related issue is that every track sounds so similar to the last.
R.E.M.
4/5
Wow, did not expect this-IT'S GOOD.
Talking Heads
4/5
This album is funky and fun and weird, and for that I really love it. I'm glad I finally gave this album a spin.
The Adverts
2/5
It’s not too surprising to me that The Adverts broke up shortly after this album- listening to it, it’s difficult to work out a direction they might progress in.
Lightning in a bottle… and then the bottle smashed.
Spiritualized
4/5
Spacey and gorgeous. Spiritualized albums exist in their own galaxy, orbiting a lonely planet inhabited by disembodied creatures longing to make physical what exists in the aural realm of these tracks.
B.B. King
5/5
Electric, simple, legendary
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Cohen is so very good at the melancholy thing, and I love it. On later albums he gets even better, as his voice ages he grows into it more and it's just beautiful. This album is a lovely listen, full of stories.
The Libertines
2/5
It's not bad, it's the definition of "landfill indie" however, instantly forgettable
Elvis Costello
2/5
Just like all his other stuff but don't find it too interesting, feels like he has 1 or 2 songs on an album that are really nice and then lots of fillers which are very forgettable
The Young Gods
2/5
Angry French with his angry buddies pounding on their synthesizers.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Maybe it holds up better than many of its contemporaries, and a lot of what's there still has meaning today, but it feels like you just trip over lyrics you could draw modern parallels to with any of these Vietnam era rock albums, many of which present their ideas in a more compelling fashion than this. I'll give them credit for one thing, though: their Bob Dylan parody(?) is legitimately funny. Folk rock.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
A curiously funky album. Easy to listen to.
Chicago
5/5
Really great album. Great straight up rock songs, but the addition of a powerful brass section adds a cool flair to many of them.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
On a technical level, what they are doing takes immense amount of skill and you can tell that all musicians involved are virtuosos in their own right. On the question of how enjoyable it is, it is unbridled creativity, a storm of brutal sound that can also be quite intriguing at times, like an LSD-infused dadaist poetry slam.
AC/DC
5/5
Highway to Hell. It's good, classic rock. Enjoy it.
John Lennon
3/5
This album is raw, personal and direct.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The breadth and depth of musical styles and emotions, and the way these are weaved together throughout and speak to us is why this album is so good and why it will always resonate.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Iron Maiden’s brutal debut is a classic.
George Jones
4/5
George Jones’s voice is the epitome of old country crooning and I’m here for it. This album makes me want to be on the road by myself with all the windows down, driving across the desert.
Minutemen
3/5
Phenomenal. This is the type of punk that I really enjoy. It's like punk meets funk.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
These guys are also absolute pioneers of an entire genre and played a key role in bringing it to the mainstream, with some of the tracks from this album at the heart of that.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This was a very 'soulful' type of rock and roll album. I enjoyed it quite a lot!
Richard Thompson
3/5
Nice, folksy, and calm.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Dark Side of the Moon, as released in 1973, is a flawless, timeless album.
Beck
4/5
This album is pretty sweet. The style is all over the place and really keeps things interesting.
The Stooges
4/5
Imagine hearing this in 69. Good stuff
Leonard Cohen
4/5
The vibes are immaculate. I love the blend between singing and storytelling, and how everything feels uncomplicated.
Laura Nyro
2/5
Soul, jazz and experimentation all banging together. It's an album I won't be sure about until I've given it more listens.
The Cure
4/5
Dense with atmosphere - jagged guitar loops, foreboding synth drones, vocal echoes, distorted field/media recordings. Lyrics express paranoia and dread - "I must fight this sickness." Initially what strikes me most is the drum sound. Sparse, driving, machine-like, repetitive, urgent.
Violent Femmes
4/5
This was a real mindblower for me - acoustic but sounded dirtier than anything else I was listening to. Love it.
Jamiroquai
3/5
It's right in the middle of 3 for me. Nothing that really bothers me per se but nothing that really excites me too much either except maybe the use of the dijeridoo.
AC/DC
5/5
It's big, it's basic, and it's timeless. 42 years old and could have been recorded yesterday. I'm not sure anything betters this in terms of loud, balls out, unpretentious rock.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Nothing revolutionary in terms of country but it's just so easy listening and enjoyable.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Absolutely loved some of it. Some of it made me feel completely uneasy.
Beck
4/5
Manic and experimental, wild and weird, there’s nothing quite like it. So many of these songs (and the entire album in general) feel haphazard and randomly stitched together and yet everything clicks. Every sudden genre switch, every vocal effect and every sound effect feels like it’s right where it’s supposed to be.
The Fall
3/5
Peak post punk
Massive Attack
3/5
With nods to 70s soul deep cuts and a melange of styles and genres, Massive Attack made this masterpiece for the ages. Absorbing, flowing, emotional - electronic music was rarely this introspective.
OutKast
3/5
It’s overstuffed and definitely bloated, but the sheer creativity and ideas explored make it an interesting sound album
Arrested Development
3/5
Some of the subject matter in the lyrics came off a bit squeaky clean and naive though, but overall a fun listen.
Tina Turner
3/5
The change of sound from her past songs is welcomed and at some points in the album, invited. Her raspy vocals still provide a strong and seamless album that is enjoyable to listen to.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Love the blues elements and even the country twang. Good listen!
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Nice voice, catchy songs that are distinct enough from each other. Like a female Leonard Cohen who can sing.
Love
2/5
Nothing stood out and then the never ending final song sunk whatever meager positive feelings and goodwill the record had managed to generate.
Anthrax
3/5
among the big four thrash metal bands!!!
Linkin Park
4/5
Iconic sound. LP hit a vein of gold and then milked it for all it was worth. This album was for all those angsty teens existing without normalized therapy and proper mental health awareness. Hits like a greatest hits album.
Beyoncé
3/5
I think her massive appeal and commercial success is more attributed to Beyonce the "product", rather than just the music. An above-average singer, with an above average hype machine behind her.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
lush - dreamy, yearning, songs of transition
Carole King
3/5
There's so much space and breath between the notes, it forces me to allow down and listen. Excellent headphone album.
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
I have always loved the Sweet Jane cover but had never listened to this entire album until now. I am blown away at how ethereal and gorgeous it truly is from start to finish.
Deep Purple
4/5
This album is THICK with sound. A driving rhythm section, big distortion, and versatile organ usage make for a sound modern stoner rock constantly seeks to emulate. This is a Jam. Probably a 4.5, but I'm stoked!
Scissor Sisters
4/5
The music is tight, zippy, funky, cocksure and enjoyable. Loved it.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
Really felt this one. Hard to think of a better sounding big band recording and the feel is spot-on. Somehow arrives in that perfect moment when this style of music felt essential and yet recording technology had caught up enough to make it really sing.
Nirvana
5/5
Amazing album, lots of great covers. Originals are spot on. Something magical about this performance in the PINES, IN THE PINES!
Björk
3/5
The range of influences is so wide there's bits of pop, electronica and jazz. Some of the tracks are avant-garde ballards and some sound like house tracks written by poncey art students. All the different elements are all linked by Björk's really distinctive voice, which provides a nice consistency to the album. I can see some people turned off by her vocals but once I got used to them I found them very enjoyable.
John Coltrane
5/5
find this to be an amazing piece of art with wonderful diversity that demonstrate both immense talent and powerful messages that convey deep emotion to the listener.
Wire
3/5
British punk album. Lot of super short songs. Great energy, similar to The Clash. Which is probably the lazy comparison.
Various Artists
3/5
A nice little compilation.
Willie Nelson
4/5
The album is calming, and oddly a good balm for loneliness but without being whiny. It feels like a chat with an old friend: mellow, reassuring, maybe even a little bit commiserating. And, above all, worth your time.
The Cure
3/5
Spooky/atmospheric/gothic/moody
Willie Nelson
4/5
How relaxing is this album. Not too long either, a nice in and out experience.
I can really see myself listening again to fit a calm mood.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
This is a short performance, but perhaps one of the few times I will prefer a live album to a studio album. It is a particularly electric performance heightened by the feel of the room. It’s the perfect type of music for a live album as well, very little processing and a lot of room to ham it up and wail.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Rock ‘n Roll. Decadent and dirty. Crystallized toxic masculinity with only a hint of redemption.
Def Leppard
4/5
Pyromania is a monster. What it did in 1983 and paved the way for is probably invisible from most of the reviewers here who probably don't realize they were possibly conceived to this album. Did Def Leppard overstay their welcome? Yes.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Bad is a great record with a bunch of classic pop hits, but not MJs best overall album. Much like Thriller, this album feels a lot like a collection of hits more than a cohesive album. Still a fun listen tho
Lou Reed
3/5
Tragic and bleak. Full of emotion, tells a clear story and has amazing instrumentation/ production
The Stooges
4/5
Really, really fucking good! Dirty, scuzzy, filthy rock n roll! Love it! Short, sharp and at times brutal! Like being given a high five. But in the face. And with a brick. Iggy’s vocals are brilliant, the riffs are great! What’s not to like! TURN IT UP!!!!
Suede
3/5
There's nothing TECHNICALLY wrong with it. The musicianship and production values are fine. It's just so damn bland. It's cream of wheat to Bowie's strawberry tart.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The perfect blend of funk and soul. The beats are incredible and Stevie’s voice is one of a kind.
Adele
4/5
Hadn’t realised just how good this would be. Great from start to finish.
Aerosmith
3/5
Aerosmith, to me, is the very definition of a middle of the road band. They have some pretty memorable songs but just a lot that that is either bad or just pretty forgettable. Aside from Walk this Way and Sweet Emotion and maybe the title track Toys in the Attic, the rest of this just felt like filler.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
The first few tracks really won me over. Somewhere in the middle it kind of lost its grip on me, but turned it back around in the end.
Röyksopp
3/5
Funky, dance trip. This was a pleasant surprise. Awesome downtempo dance music with some very unique sounds.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Dark, heavy, badass, angry. Bone crushing guitar work, awesome vocals, really cool use of vocal harmonies to darken the sound even more.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
This starts a nicely melodic psychedelic folk country album with lots of creative songs. Takes a bit hit at the midway point.
Queen
4/5
One of the bands best works. Definitely glam rock💯
Public Enemy
5/5
Every track is a heater. It's rowdy, rude, and in your face. It's also one of the most culturally influential albums of all time. This one is an all-timer
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
The vocal delivery is like Bono trying to channel Jim Morrison's ghost (especially on thorn of crowns). Ambitious and moody. Like a strange hybrid of The Cure, Bauhaus, XTC, and U2.
The Birthday Party
2/5
It's a bit too wacky to go in my regular rotation, although I'd definitely bring it out on Halloween, or after a Fearnet binge if Fearnet still existed.
Wilco
3/5
A nice rock album of easy listening songs. At times it has an Eagles vibe at others something more contemporary. What holds back the album is the incredibly long run time that includes more forgettable songs.
4/5
Compelling, intriguing, very interesting chord progressions and rhythms, and I just dig the overall vibe. Dark without being too self-referential or too harsh. Really solid album.
The Byrds
3/5
Great harmonies with a dash of psychedelia and a sprinkle of country.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
the talent is there and there are some bright spots in the album where he really gets into some great poetry, but it drags on too long and I just don't enjoy some of the content regardless of the talent behind it.
George Harrison
4/5
This album very much feels like if the White Album only had songs like Long Long Long, Savoy Truffle, and While My Guitar.. on it. The songwriting is quality but there isn't much variation, and it lasts for almost 2 hours.
Billie Holiday
4/5
Lady in Satin may not have been intended as the last album released in Billie Holiday's lifetime but it's got all the hallmarks of a farewell; a glimpse of a life truly lived through hell and beyond.
The Darkness
3/5
If you let this stand alone on its music, it's ok. Vocally, it makes chalk screeching across a blackboard sound like fine opera.
Gotan Project
3/5
The music is unique enough. They've got a trip-hop vibe going on. There are some cool Latin influences in the guitar playing and I dig the Spanish vocals. They keep it French, adding accordion over the songs. They mix the accordion with a delay pedal a lot which adds to a cool psychedelic effect. Overall there wasn't enough variety between the songs
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Her voice, as always, is beautiful and unique, the instrumentation is varied, lively and engaging. The blend of folk and jazz manages to be both soothing and invigorating, with flourishes of ambitious sonic textures and experimentation.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Some pretty good moments in songs, but the songs are too long, and there's a lot of not great stuff in between the good stuff.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Certified funky fresh.
The Kinks
3/5
Nothing to hate here. Very solid representation of a time and place. There's some ... we'll call it "experimental" engineering choices on this album that didn't exactly work out all that great but, overall, it's a chill, fun, 60s britrock album.
The Specials
4/5
Amazing album. I love the punk energy and the ska attitude working together. I find the whole thing very moving, reminiscent of a time when music tried to change things (if only peoples’ minds) and be a force for good.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
This was a really challenging record for me, as I had never heard anything from this record beyond "Fast Cars". I expected Chapman's lyrics to be more autobiographical, but surprisingly, Chapman is more of an observer.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I tried, I really did, but it was bloody awful. They didn't sound very competent on their instruments at all, and vocally it was like someone mumbling through their sleeve.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
The first time I've ever really connected with him. Tastefully loud, full of energy perfectly arranged, beautiful harmonies, very weird but very cool lyrics.
Heaven 17
3/5
Its got groove. But somehow it feels very small, the sounds feel very small, and the vocals seem very of. This is pretty bad.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
A great album, with no fat whatsoever.
Green Day
4/5
the music is very entertaining. Head banging punk rage, with a unifying operatic theme. Plenty of creative innovations.
David Bowie
4/5
You get jazzy funky fun Bowie, crooning emotional weirdo Bowie, smouldering intensity soul Bowie, and boldly venturing into R&B Bowie too! It's an ever shifting sonic kaleidoscope of tones, moods, and styles that blend together with effortless cool. It's about as buttery as Bowie ever gets; we need a biscuit to sop him up! The perfect album for a night owl summer cruise on a hot sticky night with the windows down and nobody else on the road.
Nirvana
5/5
Listen to this dark, dark album to fortify an appreciation of the Light. The experience will, perhaps counterintuitively, make you grateful. Like Jonah in the belly of the fish (Jonah chapter 2).
Pantera
3/5
Essential album in the evolution of Thrash metal as it grew out of its 80's infancy and continued to spread in the 90's.
The Clash
5/5
One of the greatest punk albums ever created. Also one of the best debuts ever.
Supertramp
4/5
first time I'm listening to an entire album by them and it still feels sort of weird to me. Like I almost like them really much and they're almost exactly my cup of tea, but then something is slightly off and it makes them simply OK instead of awesome.
I like the ambitiousness of this album, which I didn't get as much of a sense of on the individual tracks I've heard by them.
Tom Waits
5/5
Waits is certainly a polarizing musical figure, and I understand why his sound doesn't sit well with many, if not most, but I've had nothing but admiration for him ever since he had me spellbound over the radio that night all those years ago. Above all I'm drawn to his focus on texture and atmosphere. Whether you enjoy it or not, he has one of the most instantly recognizable sounds in music. A genre of his own. It must have been a difficult road being such an iconoclast, bucking trends, and simply being himself in the face of showbiz, but I'm glad he took the journey.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
A great pop rock album that still sounds great today.
Finley Quaye
4/5
Super mellow and smooth, especially for a Sunday afternoon. Very chill with hypnotic (but not numbing) vocals.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Solid proto-post-punk. More important than many records of that era
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
This album is super fun. It's a nice mix of celebrating their music and themselves, addressing societal/cultural issues, and even honoring women (and also Stevie Wonder)! All in a funky fresh, totally early 80s way, and every song sounded different. Great listen!
Lou Reed
4/5
With its mix of accessible glam rock and provocative storytelling, Transformer offers a glimpse into Lou Reed’s unique artistic vision and enduring legacy. Whether viewed as a glam rock triumph or a reflection of New York’s subcultural vibrancy, it’s undoubtedly a must-listen.
Donovan
4/5
I had a ton of fun listening to this psychedelic masterpiece and look forward to taking more trips with Donovan.
k.d. lang
3/5
Nice music, relaxing, good songs
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Ultimate dad rock with a small dose of cirngey good ol' boy lyricism. Good tunes though, nothing great, but good.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
a unique sound, and very melodic. You can hear some of the French/Belgian influences there, but this is really its own thing.
Bon Jovi
3/5
bubblegum metal.
Buck Owens
3/5
be overstated. Owens and Don Rich (along with Merle, but never mind that) pioneered the honky-tonk sound that influenced generations of country musicians, and nearly every song on this album has been covered many times over. One of the major issues with this album is that in almost every case, the covers are better than the originals. It speaks well of the songwriting.
Boston
5/5
Epic powerhouse record front to back with weaknesses.
Guided By Voices
2/5
Sounds like a weird demo tape. 17 second songs, many of them sounding unfinished.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
This might take the cake for most self indulgent album of the cd era. I find the sheer length simply unbearable. I don't hear anything in the music/concept to justify its insane demand on the listener. Most of it is so half baked that I find it almost insulting. I don't get it. Both the singing voices and lyrics are irritating to me. In trying to march onward and listen to this there are some okay tunes buried in there but as an album its unrefined/unfiltered stance is utterly preposterous.
Arcade Fire
3/5
. The subject matter and lyrics reflect a disconnect with society. The white picket fence falling apart. The album plays with the idea of our surrounds reflected by a neighborhood. Heavy emotional subjects surrounded by big sound, organs, instruments.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Good rock with various styles, ranging from classic to prog, and some really good instrumental songs.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Transcendent. Jazzy, cinematic. Mood music.
Aimee Mann
1/5
did not like this very much.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
A really catchy and enjoyable instrumental R&B/soul record, with a distinctive Hammond organ sound front and centre. It would perfectly soundtrack various daily tasks like doing the washing up, spreading toast or walking through a town or city.
Randy Newman
3/5
This album was a biting satire that sent up American exceptionalism and even flirted with the absurd.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Percussion is really cool. Chill music, easy listening
Radiohead
4/5
Radiohead is one of the bands I've always wanted to love but still haven't quite embraced to their fullest. Their originality, musicality, expressiveness, talent, the undeniable influence on so many others; it's all there. I don't really understand why I haven't connected more strongly with this band.
Talk Talk
3/5
You need to be in the right mood for this one, but if you are, it's good.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
This album is quite relaxing, and sweet.
Dr. Dre
4/5
In the 90s, this was definitely a five star album. If I were hearing this for the first time today, probably four stars due to the filler tracks.
Elliott Smith
3/5
It was ok. Background music really. Perfectly ok, but nothing that stands out.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Listen to the LYRICS. Deeply introspective personal reflection plus insightful social commentary without being hortatory.
This album represents a development from the popular funk of the early SFS. Excellent, beautiful, soulful funk, executed by extraordinarily talented musicians and vocalists, but much more serious than their previous work (although there’s some great comic relief in “Spaced Cowboy “, where we’re treated to a funked-up country piece complete with Sly Stone yodeling the chorus. Yodeling.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Really enjoyed this one, energetic & driving guitars with sax blended in throughout. Unexpectedly amazing
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Side A is Young mourning everything - the death of Elvis, his separation from CSN, his feeling that punk rock was overtaking rock n roll - and it's all set to that familiar acoustic and harmonica set. For Side B, he invites Crazy Horse to join him, and it's almost as if he's trying to burn away the rust. There's a symmetry to this thing, almost a chiastic structure. The first and last tracks are the most obvious pieces of evidence for this, but there are other parallels (Pocahontas and Welfare Mothers, for example). The tight structure and evocative imagery is impressive enough, but hey, it also sounds great. What an album.
Slipknot
2/5
Genuinely tough to listen to. A few not-terrible choruses, but otherwise will always be the official music of middle school children of divorce.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Hawley kind of effortlessly blends elements of country, 40s-50s rock, and other bits into this album. But it doesn't feel very special or impactful for me. I'm enjoying the songs, but I'm questioning why it was included on the list? It's hard to motivate myself to listen to this one,
American Music Club
3/5
This came completely out of nowhere. Never even came close to hear about American Music Club.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Repetitive for me. The songs are a bit too similar sounding. I found myself tuning it out half the time, so it's hard to focus on and appreciate. While it's not a bad record.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Dated on release, this album definitely didn't stand the test of time. The samples are tired, the flow is weak, and the lyrics are a disjointed mess. It's pop trying to pass itself off as "edgy" by co-opting hip-hop
Kanye West
3/5
This album gets three stars for the beats. That's it.
Beastie Boys
5/5
It has it all, extremely creative and hard-hitting funky jazzy beats, a nice variety of headbangers and funny satire of frat culture, and an edgy raw energy that is rarely seen from a contemporary hip hop outfit.
M.I.A.
3/5
It's weird, wild, compelling, and completely different from anything else I've heard.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
After the Overture, this album starts and just keeps going. Great energy, vocals, big band mixed with some synth/electronic that give a bit of a Wizard of Oz vibe.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
the instrumentals are consistently excellent—bass, drums, guitar are very well performed. Bass and guitar solos on “Naked in the Rain” are very good.
But the compositions are uneven. Rap lyrics seem amateurish. Sex references, while ubiquitous, are exceedingly shallow, as if love making is a hobby. It seems to be in perpetual search of shock. Mindless lust is overrated. Has its cool moments.
Thundercat
3/5
A generation of young and talented hip hop/funk/soul infused Jazz musicians surrounding him. He doesn't take himself too seriously, it's fun, it's groovy and it is a very enjoyable listen.
Miles Davis
5/5
I love how all of the instruments feel like individuals talking to each other, each one saying something unique yet still talking about the same stuff. This is what I want when I want jazz.
Nas
4/5
An absolute classic
If hip-hop is supposed to be a window into the streets, ILLMATIC sounds, feels, and even fucking SMELLS like NYC in the '90s. When the war against the Disney-fication of NY was still being waged.
Tears For Fears
4/5
Masterful pop production. It wears its era on its sleeve, which is perhaps the only complaint, but also a big part of the charm. There are plenty of legitimately interesting ideas across the eight songs, while they all manage to sound like the commercially successful pop music which they were.
Kings of Leon
3/5
the album was bland, generic and sounded a lot of the same. If only the album had remained as strong as its opening.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This is an actual classic album. Stevie Wonder in his imperial period. It is hard to over-praise this record.
Muddy Waters
5/5
This album is credited with introducing Chicago-style blues to a white audience and influencing the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Angus Young, and more. Its footprint is so massive that it can't be overstated, and it's easy to see why. Waters starts with some blues standards and slowly turns up the heat until the crowd is going nuts. He plays his penultimate song twice, reportedly exhausting himself to the point that Otis Spann had to sing the final number. It's an expert balance of frenetic energy and casual blues musicianship. Just incredible.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
The level of creative originality is incredible.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
It’s got that precise, professionally smooth, middle of the road, edgeless sound, augmented by some stylistically horrible synths and electric pianos.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Hard to argue this should be anything but a 5. I won't waste my time justifying. Go live your life
The Yardbirds
3/5
This album has a very 60s feel to it, but not in a way that is confined to any specific genre. There is a definite psychedelic influence, but there's also rockabilly and early 60s pop influences. This album at once sounds like more authentic blues than the other two but at the same time strays further away from the blues. Jeff Beck's guitar does a lot.
Pink Floyd
5/5
It is an exquisite work of art, treating of the theme of individual introspection on a level with Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”, St. Augustine’s “Confessions”, and the book of Job
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
like a lounge singer in the 80's doing it, and it's too much for me.
The Fall
2/5
If you're not in the mood, this is just a drunkard singing pub songs.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Overall, a mysterious and alluring mix of rock and jazz.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
You can hear the early beginnings of punk rock mixed in with blues/jazz. It's such a cool and unique sound, I think this opened the door for a lot of experimental stuff coming in the years after.
The Residents
5/5
Dadaist approach to music has allowed them to experiment and venture into areas that no other musical artists would dare approach. A complete disregard for melody and structure gives them free reign to explore dissonance, new forms of instrumentation, and (most importantly) humor. The Residents revel in being inaccessible and strange.
The Style Council
3/5
I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about it. I think that’s because it plays with so many sounds and styles.
Moby
4/5
the soulful beats give this music its life. Play is almost like a storybook, and feels like an explorative journey of the human spirit through its beauty and pain. It feels meaningful and nourishing,
CHIC
3/5
Classic disco record. Fun, catchy tunes, great production, killer bass and guitars here and there.
At the same time, there are repetitive, easily consumable songs that are often longer than they should be.
John Prine
5/5
John Prine tackles war, government, jingoism, aging, drugs, depression, relationships, the environment and a host of other topics with perceptive and unflinching observations of humans and humanity. The organ warms itself against the stark lyrics. The guitars wander from folk to country with occasional touches of rock to elevate the stories. Every song on this album is a gem. Experiencing them together as an album is a powerful and emotional experience.
This is an album that will connect you more deeply to your humanity if you are willing to listen. An amazing work of art that I will listen to again and again. RIP John Prine
Carpenters
3/5
This is a very pleasant album that I’ll probably never revisit.
Girls Against Boys
4/5
liked this. Very 90s, but in a good way. Will listen again.
The Sonics
3/5
The sound quality is terrible and there are far too many standard covers on the album. However, it's easy to hear how this album influenced the punk bands that came after it. It just has that energy that comes with listening to punk music. The original songs are far better than the covers.
4/5
the soul side of the moon
Orbital
4/5
Mysterious secrets of the rave. Minimalism, experimentalism, and classic techno collide. Conceptually rich, diverse and epic.
Tom Waits
4/5
A wonderfully broad swath of genres that envelope a grimy and expansive soundscape. It channels the dirtbag spirit of Bukowski with the unflinching eye of Steinbeck, performed in the trashcan of Oscar the Grouch.
2/5
great layers, great melodies, fun instrumentation.
The Verve
3/5
neo-psychedelic album, definitely inspired by some Radiohead vibes.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
fun! upbeat. a surprising listen.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Iconic, but a little repetitive
Nico
2/5
It sounds medieval and boring. In addition to being grating, the singer's voice doesn't fit the backing instruments at all, and the audio tracks sound like they were unmixed or at the very least mixed extremely poorly.
Goldfrapp
2/5
Reminds me of a bunch of contemporary artists — like Sylvan Esso (male + female duo, less dance my though), Portis Head, and even gives me Billie Eilish inspiration vibes with the eerie vocals.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
I really don't know what it's doing on a list of the 1001 greatest albums of all time.
Frank Black
3/5
Many of the songs feel like fragments, but there's a good force of rock driving throughout. This seems like a really creative guy who felt repressed by being in a band, so he's letting it all out in a solo project.
Elvis Costello
2/5
it was so boring and bland, at least musically, and the lyrics also didn't do anything for me.
Deee-Lite
2/5
“Is there more to it than ‘Groove Is in the Heart’?” And the answer is a resounding no. That track is the sole bright spot on this album - a funky throwback that sounds like nothing else on this record and was a huge hit around the globe (the fact that it had an eye popping, candy colored music video probably didn’t hurt). The rest of the album unfortunately sounds like bog standard late 80’s/early 90’s electronic/dance music with the occasional strangeness (“Who Was That?” being a prime example of the latter) thrown in.
The Undertones
3/5
It is fast paced, it’s uplifting, and the simple lyrics about girls and doing hood rat shit with your friends is enough to set the mood. Honestly though, Undertones debut album is largely forgettable.
UB40
3/5
This is an amazing reggae album. I'm blown away by the musicianship, the socio-political lyricism, and the cool unique flavour of it all.
Pere Ubu
3/5
why do i have the best time with the weird albums
OutKast
3/5
Innovative and creative and manages to alternate between fun and meaningful without giving the listener whiplash.
Simply Red
3/5
Feels like sitting at a bar with a drink and a stranger, just to swap stories and part ways.
Solange
3/5
The vibe of the album is intentional, pure, sparsely adorned, and holds your attention. The beats and arrangements are generally mellow and ride somewhere between jazz, hip-hop, funk and R+B. The instrumentals themselves are subtle and provide the solid foundation for the vocals, which always take center stage.
Magazine
4/5
It's great, has enough punk vibe but also much more clever than what came before in terms of musicality. The songs are varied and I'll definitely listen to this again.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
The songs are very catchy and it's a super fun alubm.
Tortoise
3/5
An experience as much as anything, the opening 21 min track bending and winding its way through the soundscape.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Clearly the most underrated album by Led Zeppelin, this work deserves a serious listen by every music lover.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
One of the most original and innovate rock albums of all time. Nobody combines aggression, melody, and sonic experimentation as well as Trent Reznor does.
The White Stripes
3/5
Their crazy garage rock image was replaced by quirky garage drum and vocal, which was pretty fun, but not for the whole record.
The Beach Boys
4/5
This isn't your cleancut Beach Boys, this is your animal style fries Beach Boys.
This album kicks ass. Listen to it until you get it.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Stellar classic rock and roll. 12-bar blues. Great melodies, lyrics. Recognized a few songs.
The xx
3/5
The music utilized sampling very well and created a nice quasi club-like atmosphere. The musicianship was all fine but the album sounds like it should have been released about five years prior. The vocals are just dreadful though. The male voice was better on this album, but I just cannot stand the female voice. There's a fake soul-like quality to it that is just grating and thin sounding. The affection in general is just puzzling and there is an occasional awkwardness to syllabic placement.
Miles Davis
5/5
It was WAY more experimental and chaotic than I expected. The musicianship is undeniable but it's not exactly an enjoyable listening experience. For some reason, though, it absolutely pushed me to heights of productivity while I listened to it this morning so there's something there that's working on my subconcious.
Germs
3/5
Super fast and thrashy like punk should be, but I haven't got a baker's fuck of an idea what the lead singer is saying. It's exactly what you expect from a good punk band. Hard, fast sloppy, and unforgiving.
Soft Machine
3/5
The field recording of an alien swingers party that ends in communal astral projection.
The Stone Roses
3/5
The guitars shimmer over the ethereal vocals on (This Is The One is a great example) and their songs seem to unfold delicately to reveal their story.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Each song is distinct, it's not a mushy bleed-together of left-overs to pad the length. But the production is consistent and each song obviously belongs on this album.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Funky funk funk funk. This is a disco masterpiece, obviously. It’s got R&B, Disco, Pop, a whole bunch of stuff. The bass playing and production is what really stood out to me. I don’t think I can really state the impact that this album made on popular music going forward.
Peter Frampton
4/5
Frampton understands his craft and changes the gimmick of his voice box into more than that. He doesn't overuse it, but it becomes part of his toolbox.
3/5
I typically use music to separate myself from the chaotic racket of life. Rarely does that noise create anything resembling music, but occasionally the thunk of an air conditioner does match up with the splat of a dripping sink. So I appreciate it when a band chooses to focus on wrangling the chaos into art
Bad Company
4/5
Damn! If it hasn't been fun listening to this album again. In the end, for what it is...it really is great from start to finish, and sometimes you just need uncomplicated straight up 70s guitar rock.
Turbonegro
3/5
Fun, kind of brainless (by design) rock 'n' roll.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Really catchy productions and it put me in a good mood. On the other hand the lyrics are cringeworthy misogynistic.
It’s both a 5 and a 1 at the same time.
Love
3/5
They treat the scattered remains of the 60's with equal regard, only interested in reassembling them so that only the most intense moments remain. True to dream logic, not everything makes sense until it does.
Otis Redding
5/5
The pace, the horns, the voice: They're all so close to perfect! It's a slow but steady and energetic blues walk through songs both familiar and not.
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
The Sabres position themselves halfway between ambient and dance music. I can easily imagine this playing in a bar or club or sushi restaurant. It's pleasant sonically and has a laid back, cool vibe, but has enough energy to provide a consuming mood, whether that consumption be food, drugs or alcohol.
The first few tracks are quite abstract. The sound sources are varied and quite tasteful. No horrid synth patches here. The sonic manipulation is creative and tasteful as well. The rhythms are mostly fairly simple. The interest comes from how the various elements fit together. On these early tracks, the Sabres sometimes deconstruct the tunes a bit to point out the art in what they're doing. It's a savvy strategy.
Steely Dan
3/5
It’s slightly jazzy and proggy, but still has catchy tunes.
The Offspring
3/5
Musically, it’s aggressive pop-punk of its time, and more enjoyable than the music
The Police
3/5
Lots of energy, lots of snap. For just three guys, they create a ton of sound.
Cornershop
3/5
Interesting album. It's rich and diverse, and a bit weird at times, and challenging and glorious and full of soul and spirit. Just like anglo-Indian food.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Surprisingly not that bad, album was all over the place with lots of different genres mixed into Hip hop
Mike Ladd
3/5
Interesting. I like where it’s going but don’t know if it got where it wants to be.
The United States Of America
3/5
Fuckin weird and kinda loved it.
Motörhead
4/5
The extract of rock!
Marilyn Manson
3/5
weird, touchy, rapey, gothy creep.
Julian Cope
1/5
U2
4/5
How do you follow The Joshua Tree? This is how. You expand your sound. You get out of your comfort zone a bit. The songs on Achtung Baby feel more personal and sound more energetic.
The Kinks
3/5
Just groovy enough without suffering from being overtly psychedelic.
Beatles
4/5
Lennon and McCartney turned the musical world in a direction we are still following. It elevated mainstream rock from “culture-caused” to “culture-causing”.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Soulful, significant and spirit-raising, all at the same time.
LL Cool J
3/5
Pleasantly surprised by the banger beats and his flow. His lyrics are witty and full of finesse. I found myself nodding along to the songs.
Skepta
2/5
I don't know enough about the genre to really assess if this is top of the top or not
ABBA
3/5
Just let go and let the music take you.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Some good, ol' fashioned country music. If there's one thing that I've learned from this album generator, it's that I don't hate country music, I hate modern country music. The songs go down smooth and don't overstay their welcome.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
I do feel a certain joy and contemplation while listening, which I think just hints at what really lies behind his music.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Never heard of them before and really enjoyed.
Weather Report
2/5
With all due respect, it's the most background music, white-people-dinner-party type jazz you can get. Not that it's terrible, it's fine, but not engaging in the slightest.
Joy Division
3/5
depressing, off-kilter deconstructed punk dance with gothic vocals and tawdry rhythms.
David Gray
3/5
music that comes preset on your phone for ringtones and alarms.
Happy Mondays
1/5
I didn't care for the vocals, lyrics, or music on this album. Nothing about this stood out to me at all, and it was a chore to get through.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Nothing could prepare you for this. It was unlike anything else at the time. And it STILL holds up today.
The Damned
3/5
Rowdy, raw, unrelenting, with a nice mix of weirdness and psychedelia.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
this album was overwrought. Too much instrumentation, too many odd sound effects, and so on. The couple of classic tunes on this record are tunes that don't have these distractions.
Madonna
3/5
The influence on every single pop song from the 2000s should not be underestimated. To paraphrase another review, it sounds like the quintessential 2000s album because it influenced plenty of albums from the 2000s, despite this being the third decade of her career.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Superb raw blues with pockets of ambience amidst layers of quality musicianship.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
This album is a modern masterpiece.
The The
3/5
It's kinda not good, right? Like... almost good... but then not.
The Prodigy
4/5
This album was pretty great. Ultimate example of the rave sound of the 90s.
Aphex Twin
4/5
Just chill, wordless music that is upbeat.
Genesis
3/5
There are a lot of great moments here, but they are just that…moments.
Janis Joplin
5/5
Janis and this album is superb work of art. Recommend on every level.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
it's pretty much folk-banger after folk-banger.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Political sophisticated lyrics, that couldn't be more relevant with beautiful low beats that's suits today's music Definitely not 90s recognizable
Little Simz
4/5
This is a fantastic record. Little Simz has impressive flow and the instrumentation is funky and engaging. At 35 minutes long, it’s concise, hits hard right out of the gate and doesn’t over stay its welcome.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Never heard of this cat before and had no idea how big he was. Some really interesting beats and sounds.
Supergrass
3/5
It's a pleasing, natural variance that doesn't reek of showiness.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Not one I would personally consider a “must hear”, but nonetheless, it’s pretty cool and relaxing.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Waylon gets in, handles his business, and gets out. Great lyrics (no, really, some true classics in here) and slick early-70s production make this a good time to listen to.
Holger Czukay
3/5
Fun to listen to. Pallete cleansing. Loaded with surprises and overflowing with ideas but in a digestible way.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
a collection of either competent pop songs underwhelmingly executed or underwhelmingly written pop songs competently executed.
3/5
It didn't make much impact on me. Neither hated nor loved this album. It was mostly ignorable, early-90s pop rock.
Devendra Banhart
3/5
a coffee shop guitar, quirky lyrics album
Hookworms
4/5
This album game me strong Spiritualised vibes - and that cannot possibly be a bad thing. Catchy, melodic and multilayered.
Britney Spears
3/5
a collection of either competent pop songs underwhelmingly executed or underwhelmingly written pop songs competently executed.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Psychedelia. I think weird and unorthodox music like psych/prog rock is vastly more interesting than anything that's been on the pop charts for ages. I like nontraditional song structures, with strange chord progressions and time signatures. I really enjoy the 1967-1975ish era when rock musicians were really pushing the boundaries of music, creating cohesive mind-expanding albums instead of cheap radio pop singles
Big Star
3/5
Unusual and hard to classify, somewhere in the rock / folk spectrum.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
pretty accessible psychedelic rock with some darker, jazzy blues riffs, and a vague desert-y vibe. Good contemplation music. A bit too long for a casual listen.
Les Rythmes Digitales
4/5
heavy breakbeat techno dance album.
Stephen Stills
3/5
safe album.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Music to drink a gallon of hot, black coffee and smoke 2 packs.
Dire Straits
4/5
Great album that brings back memories of listening to it
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
The rich, engaging lyrics, the gentle acoustic guitar tracks, the surprising but perfectly placed trumpet solo, and the extended crescendo to close out - so good, and yet the album is only getting started. Every song on here is skillfully composed and so enjoyable.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
a distinctive sound and feels like an addict experiencing the ecstacy and devestation of addiction.
David Bowie
4/5
It's tender and understated but also powerful. Bowie's undeniable talent comes through with a strength and softness like a velvet hammer.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Playing around with classical tango sounds, tossing in some vibraphone just to be cheeky, and towing the line between classical and avant garde perfectly.
Adele
4/5
I'm not quite sure if I'm ashamed to admit this or not, but I really like Adele's music. She is an undeniable, generational talent. And it's not just the voice, but the authenticity.
Def Leppard
4/5
This is a fun one. Just ridiculous 80s butt rock and soft metal. Tons of great shredders and power ballads.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
It's a noteworthy accomplishment for Alanis to represent such emotional and dark themes through an up-beat, mainstream pop driven instrumentation. The album is a collective statement and fierce representation of her artistry within the rock genre.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Funky, soulful, 80's greatness. Solid production, great voice.
Goldfrapp
3/5
This is the dreamy, ethereal, atmospheric kind of music that sounds really pleasant while you're listening to it. But it's also the kind of music where it does slightly merge together at times and you forget what each song sounded like by the time the album is finished.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Musicianship is on point, the songs are long and fully formed but never feel like they’re lugging along, and it’s awesome lyrically considering the seemingly light and fun arrangements.
The White Stripes
4/5
I love the energy Jack Black brings. It always feels a little hillbilly meets hard rock.
James Taylor
3/5
Great bluesy folk album by James Taylor.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Smooth and jazzy
Blondie
4/5
Really solid album. It starts of strong right from the get go. A ton of catchy tracks on here as well, especially Heart of Glass. It does have a few songs, that didn't catch my attention as well.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Not every song is a banger, but none of them are snoozers either. The one thing they all seem to have is a strong sense of groove
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Hot, sexy, soulful, groovy and trippy improv from the late great!
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
An early ‘80s classic. Post-punk meets new wave and pop and Richard Butler’s very distinctive voice.
The Beach Boys
4/5
It is a combination of pop/jazz with a ton of orchestral music woven in. It showcases why Brian Wilson is considered to be one of the greatest songwriters in history.
Eric Clapton
3/5
It's all very middle of the road. It's not horrible, it's not great, it's just enough.
Tricky
4/5
This hip hop joint from Great Britain is well composed, moody, deliberate, sensual, smooth and almost uniformly slow. With lust-protest-drug lyrics that are highly introspective, delivered mainly by the sultry lead vocals of Martina Topley-Bird, this record is not your run-of-the-mill rap. It’s highly eclectic, drawing from jazz, blues, prog rock, funk, reggae, you name it. These tracks have a huge variety of sounds, including delicate scratch that actually makes sense. Tricky has clearly done his audio homework.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I really enjoyed this album. It’s got plenty of sharp lyrical observations wrapped in a really interesting package of music.
Elvis Presley
3/5
This is a good album. But it does not demonstrate what made Elvis a cultural icon. It lacks the energy and seductiveness of his earlier live and television performances. And it lacks the showmanship of his later Vegas years.
Little Richard
4/5
The energy on this album is amazing and infectious. The songs are composed flawlessly, and the way Little Richard uses his voice is incredible - not just as a vehicle for the lyrics but as an instrument and the way he expresses emotion. Album is literally full of high, high quality from front to back. No skips on this album at all.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
"one of rock's most ambitious, innovative musicians".
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Santana
4/5
Guitar work was tasteful and impressive and I was blown away by the percussion section. It felt like a jazz album of rock with a Latin feel.
William Orbit
4/5
I liked this in a very calm and non-threatening way. There are some nice sounds here. It
Neil Young
4/5
Beatles
4/5
The songs demonstrate the Beatles' increasing maturity as lyricists, and in their incorporation of brighter guitar tones and new instrumentation such as sitar, harmonium and fuzz bass, the group striving for more expressive sounds and arrangements for their music.
The Roots
3/5
I really like the combination of rock, hip hop, and some whacky electronic influences.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
The range of influences in this album is impressive.
Laibach
2/5
80s Rammstein w/cookie monster singing
Beck
3/5
Beck has no edge on sea change but he’s riding sad boy wave pretty well.
Steely Dan
3/5
A jazz-rock album which fuses cool jazz, blues, and pop into a masterpiece of an album. The production and mixing are amazing; filling soft melodies with jazzy solos and rich background instrumentals which flow seamlessly with each track.
2/5
Mid '90s wine bar music. The Brazilian aspect makes it both a little more interesting AND even more clichéd, somehow.
Beach House
3/5
So dreamy, but never to the point of feeling like it blew itself away; it remained fluid but thick and sweet.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It just sounds incredible, with unconventional recording techniques that somehow manage to excel with the theme and Wonder's style. It's still distinctively soul, but it's really atmospheric, and you can hear the decades of influence these songs would have on neo-soul from the late 90s to modern age.
Portishead
3/5
This album is like a soundtrack to a dark, confusing dream. A great application of electronic instruments to create a feeling of uneasiness.
The Who
3/5
Honestly, it was all just research for a book.
Eagles
4/5
Classic album, an absolute powerhouse for the entire first half, but maybe loses its momentum in the second section.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
The album is a little too long, and I didn't really appreciate the message of In Dayz 2 Come, but I'm all prepared to overlook those because the album is such a joy regardless. I came away wishing that this had taken off, rather than The Chronic, a conclusion with which I suspect many would concur. Sometimes the best doesn't win. C'est la vie.
Mudhoney
3/5
Nirvana similarities. Like Nirvana, The Stooges and early californian punk all rolled into one.
Traffic
3/5
Very good mix of classic rock with a dash of prog and folk.
And Steve Winwood is crazy talented.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Strangely hammy, weirdly rapey, oddly energetic.
Scott Walker
2/5
Weird energy-elevator music
The Replacements
3/5
Diverting and unpretentious collection of power jangle bangers.
Death In Vegas
4/5
What an album - from the opener Dirge it just builds brilliantly until Aisha which is such a tune , feels dirty and gritty and a strong step away from the “big beat” they started with. The whole album flows brilliantly with a dark edge and I totally forgot just how good it was.
The Smiths
3/5
Great guitar lines and riffs, drum fills, orchestration and production, and interesting lyrics.
Killing Joke
3/5
This feels so much like the soundtrack to some post-apocalyptic/dystopian movie from that period, like "Escape from New York", "Running Man" or "Mad Max"/"Road Warrior" or the like, all of which would have benefited tremendously from the grind of Killing Joke.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This is one of the weirdest things I've listened to in years.
Norah Jones
5/5
Fantastic. Intimate and soulful. Brilliant.
The Cramps
5/5
Enjoying this way more than expected. It’s fucking rad. Atmospheric, sexy, cinematic vampire Rockabilly. No one can do it like they did.