508
Albums Rated
3.23
Average Rating
47%
Complete
581 albums remaining
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Rating Timeline
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1950s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
58
5-Star Albums
27
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Highly Evolved
The Vines
|
5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
|
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
The Bones Of What You Believe
CHVRCHES
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
American Pie
Don McLean
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Fragile
Yes
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Bossanova
Pixies
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
|
1999
Prince
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
|
1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
|
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Hysteria
Def Leppard
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
The Blueprint
JAY Z
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Pyromania
Def Leppard
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| U2 | 3 | 4.67 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 2 | 5 |
| Metallica | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 4.33 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
| Def Leppard | 2 | 1 |
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 1.75 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 2 | 1.5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 4 | 2 |
| Sonic Youth | 3 | 2 |
| Prince | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| My Bloody Valentine | 1, 5 |
| The Velvet Underground | 4, 1 |
| Leonard Cohen | 2, 1, 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (58)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Dr. Dre
1/5
Wow. I don't understand why these fools are so idolized in the world of music. This was a miserable experience. Absolutely hated every second of it. Lyrics were just the same bs repeated over and over again, they ain't even inventive. All they care about is sex, drugs, and shooting peeps. What a sad life. Their rapping is meh, lyrics are awful, just awful all around. I cannot respect anyone who think this is one of the greatest albums of all time. This was trash in every sense of the word.
6 likes
Van Halen
5/5
I wish I had been around when this first came out and it was new to the world. I still remember the first time I heard "Eruption" and it absolutely blew my mind (it still does every time I hear it). This album opens with four absolute bangers and then carries on from there. Obviously Eddie and David Lee are the flashiest parts of the band, but Anthony's vocals might be the most underrated part of this band, they are superb and on point, remind me of John Frusciante's vocals. Alex is great on drums. "Ice Cream Man" is by far the weakest track on here but everything else is superb. Eddie was one of the best to ever do it, wish I could have seen him live. Also "you know you're semi-good looking" is an absolute bar.
4 likes
Bob Dylan
2/5
Oh my goodness. I cannot give this a 1 bc the instruments were good (with one exception) so it’s better than Leonard Cohen (but only marginally). HOWEVER, this album is still buns and Dylan is arguably the most overrated artist of all time. His voice remains like nails on chalkboard. He just flops around from word to word like a stoned fish out of water. His lyrics are STUPID. He’s like Beck but worse because everyone thinks he’s some sort of poet who captures the essence of America. HE’S NOT HIS SONGS JUST DONT MAKE SENSE AND YET EVERYONE ASSUMES THAT MEANS HE MUST BE A GENIUS. HE’S NOT. Also I mentioned this earlier and now will come back to it, the instrumentation was pretty good except for one instrument, the harmonica. It’s only natural that an artist as whiny and stupid sounding as Dylan would have a harmonica prominently featured on this album (and most of his others too). The harmonica is the most whiny and painful sounding instrument and Dylan doesn’t even play it well so it sounds even worse. This was a painful album from a wildly overrated artist that I never want to hear again in my life.
4 likes
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Very funky. Loved this thought it was great, very different from pretty much anything else we've had so far. It was different but not in an experimental way. Loved the instruments, really well done. Even though the songs were long they didn't drag (take notes Bob Dylan). Loved this.
3 likes
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
England ought to be ashamed of itself. This was just as bad as their other album "Metal Box" that we had to endure. There's probably only about three other bands that have ever existed that I hate with as much passion as I do this sorry excuse for a band. Let's start with the songs. They're really, really bad. I don't care if they're supposed to be some sort of profound commentary on society and music and religion as an institution, they sound like crap. I mean just downright awful. Once again the only part of the songs that wasn't nails on chalkboard for me was the bass line. Everything else, the drums, guitar, and vocals, was just torture. If you wanted to drive me to insanity you would just need to play Public Image Ltd. and that would do it. Secondly, WHY WAS THERE A 56 MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH LYDON AT THE END??? Nobody cares what you have to say John, you're a terrible musician as well as being a bloated, conceited, arrogant wannabe philosopher who thinks he's the funniest thing the world has ever seen and the messiah of music. You're just not. You never have been and never will be. You are not and never will be "ten times better than anything else out there". I mean what an arrogant and pretentious statement to make?? How deluded and narcissistic can you be?? This was just a travesty and England ought to be ashamed that they produced such a band.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (27)
All Ratings
Bob Dylan
2/5
Wildly overrated everything made it seem like it was supposed to be some deeply profound work the songwriting is mid at best and good lord his voice is agonising to listen to for more than 15 seconds.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Pretty okay album. Liked the instrumentation on it and señor Nick’s voice was nice (better than Bob Dylan’s by far). Liked that most of the songs told stories but lyrically some of it made no sense and was just kinda weird. Supernaturally (track 5 on the second album) was pretty solid.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Pretty good, didn't love it but it did remind me of a stripped-down down more chaotic version of Cage the Elephant's album Thank You Happy Birthday or kind of like the Black Keys. The sound was really interesting but I did not love the lead dude's voice (still better than Bob Dylan).
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Well, that was an experience. Look I love the Chilis but this was just not even close to their best album. They had some solid songs on here, Breaking the Girl, Under the Bridge, I Could Have Lied, but that was completely offset by the brain-numbing experience that was the 8-minute, 16-second long atrocity that was Sir Psycho Sexy. I mean that song is up there with The Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands by Bob Dylan for worst song I've heard so far, this one mainly because of the lyrics, the Dylan one because of his voice, and the fact it's so freaking long. Overall you can hear where the band will be going, which is Californication and By the Way which are both vastly superior to this so there's that I suppose. Any Chili's album before Californication is not worth your time and this album is proof of that. I'm going to give it four stars but that's only because I cannot give it 3.5 which is what it deserves.
Moby
5/5
Ok I was not expecting to like this at all since it's electronic but I absolutely loved this album, it'll probably be my go-to study music if I want something without too many lyrics. It isn't the harsh almost dubstep-type electronic I was expecting and I really like that. Really, really nice actually knew a couple of the songs he sampled from which made those more enjoyable. I do wish this site would stop giving double albums though since they are obnoxious and nobody wants to sit down and listen to 29 songs.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Originally I was gonna give this a 3 but I bumped it down to a 2 because the lyrics don't make much sense most of the time and half the songs are just fuzzy, scratchy, overdrive-filled guitar riffs. For Mote and Titanium Espose about half the songs were just overdrive guitar screeching. That takes no skill and just hurts your ears I don't understand what you think you're accomplishing by doing that. Also the song Mildred Pierce is absolute trash. Who in the world even is Mildred Pierce and why should I care that she's dead? We will never know because the whole song is just screaming Mildred Pierce or why. It's just not good songwriting or good songs.
Derek & The Dominos
5/5
Phenomenal. All those idiots who wrote bad reviews about it are fools. You listen to Clapton play precisely so you can hear him noodle around on the guitar for 3 minutes a song because he is one of the greatest to ever do it. The fact that you believe this isn't how blues "should be" is moronic because have you ever considered that maybe blues could be more than just what you have in your tiny little box or the fact that Eric Clapton transcends blues? Anywho, the album is incredible, best we've had so far, Layla remains one of the greatest songs ever written, and Bobby Whitlock's vocals add so much depth to this album when paired with Clapton and the guitars. So choice.
Beach House
2/5
Well that was 55 minutes of my life I will never get back. That was like staring at a beige wall for almost an hour. It was bland, uninteresting, the lyrics made no sense, you could barely tell what was even being said, musically it was a total drag, nothing happened. It was like they were trying to make an album with as little emotion or flavor as possible, and they succeeded. Sarah and Ian might like this but I hated this it didn't make me feel anything and that is the opposite of what music is supposed to do. Blah.
AC/DC
3/5
All things considered that was pretty meh. Angus Young's guitar was pretty nice but that was offset by Brian Johnson's voice which I strongly dislike (though not as strongly as I dislike Bob Dylan's). There was also very little variety across the album it was mostly the same feel to every song. Yeah this album didn't really do it for me it was just overall very monotonous and monochromatic in terms of sound, lyrics, and feel. I really don't get all the hype around AC/DC I don't really think they're that special.
Roxy Music
4/5
Ok so overall I really liked this album it was really nice to listen to. The guitar was nice and not monochromatic (unlike Back in Black), and the guys voice was nice to listen to (unlike Bob Dylan). I also liked the stylistic changeup after the chorus in the first song it kept it interesting and lively. I really liked the last song it was really solid had a fun feel to it. The only real critique I have is the cover art, which while not as bad as some of Jane's Addiction cover art, is still not something I would like to have a poster of in my room.
Kelela
1/5
That was awful. Every single song for the 53 minute run time was about a relationship or just sex. There was nothing else. Is there nothing else going on in her life or in the world that she could have drawn inspiration from? The album felt incredibly slow and just plodding along, was super boring. Musically nothing happened (mainly because the only instrument was a keyboard) and lyrically it was just the same things over and over again. This was just not an album I needed to listen to before I died. It's supposed to be revolutionary or so the critics say. How? Is it revolutionarily bad? I think I'm actually worse off for having listened to this album.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Very solid, definitely the best from this week. Honestly I would have given this album a 4 star even if all the other songs on it were purely mid because In Your Eyes is just that good. Thankfully the other songs were very nice to listen to. There was a nice mix of poppy stuff and then more relaxed and mellow songs such as Mercy Street. Mr. Gabriel has a very lovely voice and this was a very lovely album. In Your Eyes is the second best song we've heard so far behind Layla.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Ok so you may call me a heathen but I don't hear how this is supposed to be some sort of masterpiece or revolutionary sound. The only reason I'm not giving this a 2 is because of God Only Knows and because some of the songs have solid lyrics. However, otherwise I found this whole album profoundly mid. Musically it was just kind of blah and I think that's just me I am not a big fan of The Beach Boys sound, it sounds plastic and like they're all smiles and basically 60's frat boys. Brian Wilson's falsetto isn't terrible which is nice but he uses it an awful lot and there's constant ohhhhh's and ahhhhhh's in the background which I just felt was completely unnecessary. Overall it might have been revolutionary in the 60's but it is well past its prime now.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Ok there is a reason nobody likes experimental type music except for the "enlightened" music critics. It's because it sucks and is painful on the ears. Music shouldn't be a slog to have to get through or something you must force yourself to endure. That is exactly what this album (I feel like even calling it that is hurtful to other albums out there) was, a painful, slow, agonizing experience. John Lydon's voice is worse than Bob Dylan's (wow I know I can't believe it either). The songwriting was terrible as well. If you could understand the lyrics (which is a big if) they made zero sense for many of the songs. The guitar is screechy and shrill the whole time and entirely too bright and tinny. The drums are completely forgettable. The bass is the only non agonizing piece to this album but it's also quite boring (but at least not bad). This was the musical equivalent of Birdemic (if you know you know).
System Of A Down
1/5
Ok look I like hard rock/nu metal but more in the papa roach, HU, some Beartooth vein not the Korn/SOAD vein where it's just some guy screaming into a mic. I mean I don't understand how anyone could sit through that and think, "wow that was really good, I really enjoyed that". That was awful. The only reason it might not be the worst album we have listened to is because the instruments were played well (mainly the guitar and drums). Otherwise this album was an absolute pain to sit through. "Have you ever wanted to die?" they ask on one song. Yes, yes I have, because I had to sit through this album.
The Clash
3/5
Ok so I know what you're thinking. "Kieran I thought you loved punk how could you only give this album a 3?" Well I do love punk so just hear me out. This album is good but honestly I don't think it is great. Most of that has to do with Joe Strummer who does the lead vocals for most of their work. I don't like it. I don't like his voice and it is really hard to understand what in the world he is saying most of the time. Should I Stay or Should I Go is one of their best songs but that is sung by Mick Jones not Strummer. I really don't feel like this album is super special. I'm sure it was at the time because this was the birth of political punk as we know it (maybe not quite stylistically cause it is quite slow by comparison to punk in Cali later when punk became a big thing) but definitely in lyrics. However I think that kind of hurts it in the long run because eventually you will have people born (like me) who have no idea what events they are referencing and it has not meaning to us, which drains the songs (and the album) of some of its punch.
Eagles
4/5
What a pleasant surprise. I had the same mindset for this album coming into it as So by Peter Gabriel of even if all the songs on it are purely mid its getting a four because Hotel California (the song) is just that good. It has one of the most rad guitar licks in existence and is such an incredible song lyrically, musically, and emotionally. The album itself was great as well, the songs were flowing and poetic. Musically it was a nice mix of rock and piano/strings on some of them so very nice variety. Very solid album.
Public Enemy
4/5
Well I liked that a lot more than a lot of other hip hop/rap groups that I've listened to in my time. The lyrics actually meant something which was really nice and every other song wasn't about sex, drugs, and depravity, which was a refreshing change. Public Enemy was rapping about issues bigger than themselves not just how great they were which I really liked. This was really solid. I also really liked what the Bomb Squad did on this musically it was really solid and full of energy which was great.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Very funky. Loved this thought it was great, very different from pretty much anything else we've had so far. It was different but not in an experimental way. Loved the instruments, really well done. Even though the songs were long they didn't drag (take notes Bob Dylan). Loved this.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Well that was at least novel to hear. Dude had a really cool voice and this was certainly unique although honestly I'm not sure I really needed an hour and a half of it. Did get a wee bit repetitive after about the first disc. Again what is the deal with this site and giving double albums nobody likes them. Overall all a rather enjoyable and interesting experience although I haven't the foggiest idea what was actually being sung. I actually rather liked that to be honest cause it meant I didn't have to pay a lick of attention to the lyrics which is normally something I try to focus on.
Sex Pistols
3/5
So much better than Public Image, I mean seriously it's night and day. I still am not over the moon about it, I'm gonna give it a 3 but that's just cause I don't love Lydon's voice and the lyrics get real repetitive in a lot of the songs. Otherwise I thought it was a solid album, this is the first one to sound like what punk would become, at least more so than The Clash. I also didn't realize this was their only album, pretty alright job for just a one and done.
Pretenders
3/5
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I really liked Chrissie's guitar playing and the overall music of this album. Instrumentally it sounded really good. Gave me some Police vibes on some of their songs especially on "Private Life". That was cool to hear. On the other hand I don't love Chrissie's voice. I don't really know what it is about her voice that bothers me but I don't like it. Also I was just kinda ambivalent about most of the songs except "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket" those were both pretty good although "Kid" was by far my favorite. Overall the album was just kinda okay.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
So at first I was kinda lukewarm about this. To be honest I've never really listened to Stevie apart from "Isn't She Lovely" and "Superstition" and his two Christmas songs (which are both incredible). Also this is really embarrassing but I didn't know he was blind til today just found out about that. Didn't love the first track felt really plastic but then after that the album really deepened (in my opinion). The second track deals feeling that sense of brokenness in the world (which is very relatable) and was pretty profound. After that there's a nice mix of deep meaningful tracks, some about love, some about the world, and overall it was a really solid album. He has a very nice voice (take notes Bob Dylan).
Deee-Lite
1/5
Well that sucked. This album had a lot of the things I hate in music. It was stupid, the lyrics were dumb and naïve, they had no depth, it was all just love and smile more and flower power. Musically it was buns as well. It was all just electronic crap with equally bad and worthless lyrics over top of it. I hated this. That felt good to get out of my system.
Air
4/5
I listened to this while doing some school work so I can safely say that apart from the last song this is very nice study music. It had nice variety to the sound, and was musically very interesting. I have no idea what it's about other than it's a soundtrack for a movie but I like it. I found it very pleasing to listen to.
Circle Jerks
4/5
Finally some So Cal punk. Was not my absolute favorite punk album but def my favorite so far. Sure they had some questionable songs but they also had stuff like "Beverly Hills" and "What's Your Problem" or "Red Tape" that have some substance to them. All of the songs at least had a point which is more than can be said for some of the other albums we've been forced to endure. That's why I love punk because it's not about making the music sound pretty and getting everybody to like it, it's about getting a point across and playing really fast. I thought Circle Jerks sounded great on this album (they played really fast), their songs were short and catchy and very punk, very anti establishment/the man and I really liked this album. Can definitely see hints of this in early Green Day and other So Cal punk bands. Also I really liked that the album was only 16 minutes that was refreshing (wish Bob Dylan's albums were this short).
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Did not like. All the songs blurred together. It wasn't even interesting enough to keep my attention I started doing something else and just had this on in the background. Not my cup of tea. If the songs had other subjects besides just love and relationships this might have gotten a three. But it didn't so its stuck with a two.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Eh. Didn't really love it. I mean I don't really care who the artist is (maybe with the exception of Eric Clapton or Hendrix) I don't want to listen to a song that's almost 20 minutes long, especially when half of it isn't even music it's just the artist telling a sad story about a broken relationship. Mr. Hayes has a nice voice and the first two songs were pretty good but I didn't love the second two on the album and the last one was about half the album's length so yeah. Not really my style, lyrically and in their subject matter the songs are very monochromatic.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Pretty solid. Was very enjoyable to listen to. The whole thing reminded me of Midsummer Murders which made me happy cause that's a great show. The instrumentation was great and the lady's vocals were very nice. Loved all the story telling. Very solid.
Ian Dury
2/5
Did not like. The lyrics were terrible and this dude is incredibly horny. The only reason this isn't a 1 is because of the instruments they sounded quite nice. Did not like.
Primal Scream
4/5
I quite enjoyed this here album. At first, when I saw that the first song was 7 minutes long and there was another that was 8 minutes long I was a bit apprehensive. I thought this was going to be another Public Image Ltd. debacle like that of four weeks ago. However I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked this, not quite enough to give it a five star but a solid four. The instrumentation was very well played and there was quite a bit of variety. Some of the lyrics were a little bit questionable but I can ignore that because the rest of it was quite good. There were songs with many different styles which helped the album not to drag. Would listen to again.
Talking Heads
3/5
It was interesting. Liked the sound of it but it was also just really weird. It wasn't necessarily a bad weird (like Public Image Ltd. or Sonic Youth) more just the album lacked consistency and even in some of the songs themselves there wasn't much unity. Not really my style but still sounded nice.
The Strokes
4/5
I really liked this album. I had heard a couple songs by The Strokes before but never really listened to them much. This was pretty solid, not enough to get them a 5 since quite a few of their songs kinda sound the same and there isn't much variety in terms of what their frontman does vocally or really overall with their sound. However lyrically I felt there was enough variation and combined with the different feels to each song, I felt there was enough variety to keep one interested for the entire album so this gets a 4. Kinda reminds me of Cage the Elephant.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Well I had a really low bar for this album since it said it was British post punk and Public Image Ltd. did not give a favorable impression of that, but this passed it. A solid 3 although on another day I might have given it a 4 but I had just finished studying o chem while listening to this so that may contribute to it getting a three. Regardless, it was an interesting listen, the vocals were great the instruments were played quite well and the overall sound was very different which was kind of nice. I don't love the 7 minute song at the end, that just kind of drug on.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Well it wasn't bad so that's cool I suppose. I dunno this kinda falls under the category of an album by a band that sounds okay but didn't blow my socks off or anything, it was just kind of mid. I didn't hate it and they sounded good it was just kind of weird and we've had a bunch of kind of weird albums back to back to back so that has kind of gotten old for me. I'll probably never choose to listen to this album or this band again and will most likely forget about them in a couple days.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
I saw a review on here that I completely agree with. This album is great but it's also kinda disappointing because the first four songs are so fire that after that it's just kinda a letdown. Seriously the first four tracks are absolutely baller. After that it's not that the songs are bad they just don't measure up to the opening set which is understandable. Overall a very solid album.
CHIC
2/5
I really struggled #1 to get through this album but then #2 on whether to give this a 1 or a 2. I finally landed on 2 but that is solely because of the bass and the guitar (especially on track 3). Otherwise I hated every second of this album. I don't care that Chic is supposed to be some revolutionary band that inspired generations. They're overrated. I don't care that the did Le Freak. The lyrics sucked it's all just get up and dance and that will somehow make everything better. Also the songs just repeat the same couple phrases for about 5 minutes. It's awful. There's a reason disco died and I really hope it stays dead. I did not like this.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I'm gonna give this a four but it's really more of a 3.5 for me. I love Page's guitar playing, it is supremely rad. However I don't love that literally every song was about a woman who had done them wrong and several of them were over 5 minutes long which I didn't love. I do like Plant's voice though so they've got that going for them which is why I decided to round up to 4. Seriously though Page is an absolute beast on the six string.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
This album is fortunate it caught me on a good day otherwise it would be getting a 1. Happily for all parties involved I was in a good mood so this gets a 2 but my goodness I did not enjoy sitting through this album. So far all the indie albums this site has forced me to endure have been absolute buns. I don't know if that's just because this site is choosing stupid indie bands or if this just means I do not like indie as a genre (which could very well be the case and I'm perfectly fine with that). Wayne Coyne's voice is awful. He cannot sing. Somebody had to have told him that early on because I don't understand how someone could enjoy listening to that man try to sing. It is unpleasant on the ears. The instruments were great.
Korn
1/5
That was so much worse than anything I could have expected. I was really trying to keep an open mind to start off with but then we got to tracks 4 and 5. That's when I would have stopped if I was just listening to this for kicks. However I am a man of principle so I soldiered on. Then we get to track 8. I mean where do I even start? That made me want to weep and then die it was so pointlessly bad. I mean who thought that would be a great idea to write a diss track between Limp Bizkit and Korn and have it just be a bunch of slurs? Seriously why? Jonathan Davis has a serious problem with women apparently. Almost every other song's main idea was just violence against women. Also what in the world was his attempts at scatting? That was balls. It actually made me laugh a couple times because it was so out of the blue and so wildly awful. I mean Anthony Kiedis does a better job and he's not really known for incredible vocal prowess. The only small glimmer of not terribleness was the instruments, they were played well and sounded at least not god-awful. However almost all the songs sounded the same. This was such a stupid album from a stupid band. I listened through all of it and I still don't know what in the world was the point of all that. Also I would like it to be known that after enduring this I listened to Lenny Kravitz (5 specifically) to help restore my faith in humanity and remind me that there is good music out there that is pleasant to listen to.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
It was pretty good, I dunno I didn't really love it but it was much better than yesterday's album (although that was not a very high bar). I liked the lyrics on a lot of the songs, they were very interesting and very much got your attention. It sounded really nice overall, just not really much my style.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I really liked this album. Not quite enough to give it a fiver but it was very pleasant to listen to (I could very well have such a high opinion of it bc we had to endure Korn a couple days ago so anything sounds really good compared to that). The only real critiques I have of this album is the fact that most of it is so quiet and slow. That’s not a bad thing but it might be nice to have just one or two songs that were a bit more upbeat but that’s a minor critique. Also I didn’t really love the Murder Mystery song, it was just weird and very hard to understand. I do really like the album other than that it has a very cozy feel, something I would very much choose to listen to on a dreary day while I sit inside and stare out at the rain.
Metallica
4/5
Ok I know it was over 2 hours so y’all are probably gonna knock it for that but I really liked it. I like Metallica’s sound a lot and it was really cool to hear them with the orchestra as well. Yes I would probably prefer if it wasn’t over two hours but at least it was an enjoyable two hours with a band I like and enjoy the sound of. If this had been two hours of Korn I may have done something drastic.
Adele
4/5
I cannot give this a 5. I want to but I simply cannot as there is not enough variety. I love the album overall it's a very solid 4. There are a couple songs that aren't just her belting out melancholy lyrics (which she does incredibly well) as in Send My Love, but overall most of the rest of the album is just kinda slow melancholy songs. Again she sings them super well its just that's not really something I want and entire album to be. Also every time I hear Hello all I can think of is the scene from The Amazing World of Gumball where Pluto is singing about not being a planet, "the hurt I feel is deep insiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide/my planet status has been deniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied". It makes me laugh which is unfortunate because Hello is not exactly a super happy song but I can't help it.
The Vines
5/5
Yes they sound like Oasis, however unlike Oasis, they are not (to my knowledge) a bunch of pretentious jerks who think they're God's gift to music. Also I don't think they're the second coming of Nirvana. You can definitely hear Nirvana's influence on them, but they are not in the same league. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It honestly reminded me a bit of Cage the Elephant on their debut and Thank You Happy Birthday. They had nice variety on their stuff so it wasn't just 45 minutes of garage band rock. Really liked the fast hard hitting songs, they sounded great on them, but then they also sounded really good on the slower more melodic songs which was really cool to hear because normally bands on this list (at least recently) have been really good at one or the other but not both. Really liked this one a lot.
Tori Amos
3/5
The piano was nice and the lyrics were interesting I suppose but I really didn’t care for her voice all that much. Also having two songs that are over 6 and a half minutes long on one album was a bit much. I don’t understand why artists do that.
Neil Young
4/5
I liked. Nice guitar, I know some peeps don’t love his voice, I didn’t have a problem with it. Yes the lyrics are a little weird in spots and I didn’t understand what he was getting at but he sounded nice and it was kinda relaxing to listen too. Again, I do wish there weren’t three songs that were around 7 minutes, that’s just not necessary.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I mean it's Elvis, I like his voice and "Blue Suede Shoes" is a great song but honestly other than that I feel like his songwriting was pretty mid. The album seriously slowed down after the first couple tracks and his guitar playing was also not great. Maybe that had something to do with the recording equipment that was available at the time, but I didn't think his guitar skills were very good. Overall just kinda meh.
Deep Purple
4/5
I was not expecting to like this album at all, however I really did. Ritchie Blackmore on guitar was exceptional and I loved the variety going from crazy guitar licks to organ (??!! I mean what hard rock band uses an organ?). I really liked it, it added some nice spice and uniqueness to their sound. Yes, they had some long songs, but they sounded really good and weren't monotonous in their sound (mainly because of the organ and guitar licks). Overall very solid and a nice surprise.
Tim Buckley
2/5
This was such a stupid album. I can't in good conscience give it a 1 because the instruments were played well but holy cow I did not like this. He sounded so pretentious, I can't really describe why but he sounded so pretentious. The lyrics were super medieval themed for some stupid reason and oh, of course, there's an 8:41 song for absolutely no reason right towards the end of the album where this fool just rambles on and on and on. Then there's some random song about a hobo. Did not like this album, I mean what was even the point of making us listen to this?
The Who
2/5
Eh, didn't really like. Not sure this album really had a chance with me cause I don't normally like live albums all that much so maybe that should be taken into consideration when viewing my review. They sounded pretty good instrumentation wise but I could not understand about 80% of what was being sung. Also fun little trivia, Green Day did a cover of "A Quick One, While He's Away" on 21st Century Breakdown. I thought it was a weird and strangely long song when I first heard them do it and I think it is just as weird and even longer upon hearing the original live.
Meat Loaf
5/5
So I had never heard of Meat Loaf til now so my expectations were entirely based upon the album cover so I was expecting like thrash metal. I was quite wrong and I am oh so happy I was. I really, really liked this. It was like a mashup of Journey and Queen. He does an incredible job with the power ballads. On track 6 the little baseball commentary is perfect for that song and was a great touch and a great way to add some humor into it. I loved the opening song the title matched the feel and the intensity of the song, so well done. Really liked this a lot (again I'm quite surprised). Very swag only complaint I have is that spoken word stuff at the beginning of track 2 was kinda weird but I can ignore that because the rest of the album is so good.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
I was not expecting big things from this album because we have not had much luck with soul albums from this list in my humble opinion (cough cough Kelela cough cough), but this was fantastic. Easy 5 stars and one of my favorite albums that we've had so far. His voice is great, lyrics also great with a story and umph behind them. Musically it was great with splendid variety from slower more melancholy songs to more upbeat tracks. I absolutely loved this album.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
Another day, another album I simply did not need to listen to before I died. This album had a lot of things that I really dislike about alternative/indie music. The lyrics, for instance, made little to no sense for many of the songs. You can try and pretend that they're mysterious or profound or that maybe I just don't understand but seriously has nobody thought that maybe, just maybe, they're just nonsensical? I mean what was the meaning of the last song "Bird Girl"? No sense. Also I could not stand this fool's voice. Good Lord the amount of vibrato was just obscene. If this had been a solely instrumental track this would be an easy 4 maybe even a 5. But it isn't so this gets a 2.
David Bowie
3/5
Eh, I'm not a big Bowie fan. I mean his voice isn't awful but I don't love the vibrato. Also it's all just pop stuff. Not really my style. Wasn't bad but I really didn't need to have listened to this before I died, it just was not that good or profound.
a-ha
3/5
Eh, it was whatever. It's just pop. Not my thing, "Take on Me" is a classic but it's kinda overplayed and this just wasn't my type. Totally mid.
Eminem
4/5
Look, he's an angry elf but I think this album was solid. Some of it, specifically "Role Model" gave me the same feel as "Idol" by Hollywood Undead. It's the idea of are you sure you really want to be like me? Are you sure you want to be just like your favorite artist? I really appreciate it when artists do that and for Eminem to recognize that so early in his career is kinda astounding. Yes his music is violent and twisted but there's a point to it. He's throwing a lot of the stuff that culture already revels in and profits off of back into the mainstream's face. Maybe instead of everybody hating on Eminem, we should take a look around at our culture and try to change that. Then again, maybe he's just pissed off and none of this has a deeper meaning. I kinda like that it's not clear, it makes him more interesting.
The Prodigy
4/5
I really enjoyed this. Listened to it whilst studying for O chem (I think electronica stuff is what I appear to gravitate towards for study music which I find interesting). I liked that there was actual singing/rapping/whatever vocals and not just sampling of other people's vocals. Also I agree with Big Kev, the cover art is very swag, I really like the crab.
The Human League
2/5
Another day, another totally meh pop album. This just was not even remotely good or special enough to be on this list but for some moronic reason it is. Everything is plastic and fake sounding. They also try to stick in some songs like "Do or Die" and "Seconds" I'm assuming in an attempt to sound serious but I simply cannot do that after listening to the first couple tracks and the ridiculous cover image. Yes, "Don't You Want Me" is a classic, but that cannot save the album. The only reason this isn't a 1 star is because his voice doesn't make me want to kill myself so they've got that going for them I guess.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
This dude's voice is on par with that fool from The Flaming Lips. I don't care what he sounds like on other albums or other songs but he sounded bad on this one. The man cannot sing. The entire album is incredibly slow, boring, and tedious. It's just this fool with his acoustic guitar (which he does not play super well, he's about on Elvis' level) and a super simple bass line that even I could play and occasionally a keyboard. Why is this on this list? I know I keep asking that question and it will never be answered but I will ask it again. This album was absolutely not special and I never needed to hear it. It was drudgery.
The Smiths
4/5
Very enjoyable 4. Really liked Morrissey’s voice and the juxtaposition of his floaty voice and happy feel to the song with the somber and macabre (at times) lyrics. Very much liked the guitar was great overall just very solid album.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Ok look, this album has some really good songs on it like "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "1979", "Zero", but it just doesn't need to be so freaking long. I do not understand why Billy thought making a double album would be a great idea. I don't want to listen to his voice for 2 hours. It starts to sound whiny after 2 songs. However I did like the variety between lullaby feel songs and the grittier, grungier feeling songs, that made this not absolute agony to sit through. I feel this deserves a 3.5 but I can't give it that so it's getting a 3.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
I'm gonna give this a 4 but that's only because I thought the music was so good. I could understand a 3 because it just kinda repeats. Over, and over. Didn't love that. They sound so, so good but seriously why repeat the songs? The different versions do not sound any different. It was kinda cool to have the interviews at the end to get some of their story that was neat. Again, sounded superb (loved the guitar and vocals) but I really feel some more thought could have go into the actual production of the album, that's the only thing holding this back from being a 5.
Justin Timberlake
1/5
🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮. This was abysmal. Point the first: Every song sounds the same, there is no originality or variety across this album, it's just Justin singing about girls THE WHOLE TIME. Point the second: This album gives the impression that this fool is just a total womanizer. Point the third: "Cry Me a River" is just not a very good song. It simply isn't. Lyrically it is the exact same as all the other crap on this album but it has the added bonus of terrible beatboxing in the background to try and make him seem like he's all that cause he got beatboxing on an album. Point the fourth: His voice is not that great. It sounds dumb and plastic. Point the fifth: WHY ARE ALL OF THE SONGS OVER 4:30 MINUTES LONG. I don't want to listen to any pop song that long, let alone this drivel. Absolute bunsssssssss.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
This sounded exactly the same as his other stupid album the "Songs in a Room" catastrophe. This dude is buns. I know I gave that other album a 2 but this is getting a 1 because I was in a bad mood when I sat down to listen to it and this did NOT improve it. His voice is bland and uninteresting. The music is also bland, uninteresting, and boyishly repetitive. Seriously it's just an acoustic guitar with the occasional 4 note bass line. His lyrics are just mindless drivel that people think is profound or mysterious because they can't understand it. It isn't, it just doesn't make sense. This was such a boring album. On a totally separate note he kinda looks like a young Adam Sandler.
Os Mutantes
3/5
I'm not quite sure what I just listened to. Didn't understand a lick of it since I don't speak a word of Portuguese, however it was pretty fun and enjoyable. I'm not really sure if I would like it more or less if I could understand what they were saying. I did like the mashup feel to it, made it interesting and gave it nice variety. The cover was super wonky, the guy in the back looks really stupid ngl, while the guy in the front looks totally stoned, which is kinda amusing. This whole album was kinda amusing, much better than Cohen.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Look, usually with concept albums I can kinda take it or leave it. This I'm kinda in the middle with it. I didn't really love it, but that's not really through any fault of its own. She's got a great voice and the songs are really well made. It's just the whole dystopian cyborg thing that just doesn't really do it for me. I dunno, it sounds good but really didn't do anything for me, and the lyrics are kinda weird on some of the songs (which didn't really surprise me). Again, just kinda middle of the road for me.
David Bowie
3/5
Eh. I'm still not a Bowie fan, this album hasn't changed that. I just don't really like his voice and his stuff is so pop it's just not really my style. His eyes look cool though.
3/5
Well at least we're a third of the way through. I did like this one slightly more than the other Bowie albums, "Starman", "It Ain't Easy", and "Suffragette City" were my personal favorites from this album. However all that being said I still don't think he has all that great of a voice and a lot of his stuff I think just sounds so fake and naive. He's still not my style and I have to go through another 6 of his albums. He is not good enough to justify 9 albums being on this list.
CHVRCHES
5/5
Aight I need to apologize to Mason for all the crap I gave him about electronic music back in middle/high school. I thoroughly enjoyed this here album. I loved the lyrics, they did a good job of telling stories. I felt that the sounds were different on each song so the whole album didn't sound monotone. I also very much liked that they had different vocalists (granted it was only for two songs but still that's more than most bands). Very nice album.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Very solid album. I love Tracy Chapman's voice and the guitar is great too, very melodic and fits the feel of each song, and has nice variety too. Her songwriting ability is tremendous and she does such a good job of telling a story and making you feel what she's feeling from the song. That's a powerful gift. The only reason this album isn't a 5 is because I have to hear enough about racism, violence, and how broken the world is regularly on the news and I don't necessarily want to be reminded of that in the music I listen to. However, Tracy Chapman does such a good job of making it personal that it doesn't feel preachy or showboaty, she sounds very genuine and that is something that is also very difficult to do in the music industry.
Beck
5/5
The first time I ever heard Beck was as a kid when "Loser" came on the radio and I hated it. Thankfully my musical taste has vastly matured since then. However that was the only song by Beck I had ever heard until this here album came along. I had no idea what to expect. I absolutely loved it. This was such a good album. It starts off with E-Pro and that has such a nice guitar riff to drive it along. Each song has something that drives it, be it Beck's voice (which I think sounds better on this album than it ever did on "Loser") or the jangly acoustic guitar on "Farewell Ride". This was such a good album. If I still listened to CD's I would totally go out and buy this one.
The Doors
3/5
Another day, another album that I don't understand how it made it on this list. I mean it wasn't awful, the guitar was nice and the instruments were played well and sounded good in the songs but I did not like Morrison's voice and the songs were just kinda weird lyrically and did not resonate with me at all. Seriously what is supposed to make this album soooooo good that it makes it one of the 1,001 albums that I NEED to listen to before I die? Someone please explain.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
Please no more. My farts sound more melodic than his voice. The man literally cannot sing. His voice is so flat and out of tune it is painful. Again, see my previous reviews of his previous terrible albums. He's straight up awful. The guitar is pathetic and a joke that sounds the same, not only on every song, but on all of his albums too. He is a one trick pony and it's a terrible trick. No mas por favor.
Miles Davis
4/5
I didn't love this album. I liked it a lot and it was very nice to do some school work whilst listening to it but I didn't love it. I did like the sax men wombo combo of Cannonball and Coltrane, but that's because I am a little biased towards the saxophone. I did not however very much enjoy the trumpet, but that is through no fault of Miles Davis. He is a phenomenal trumpet player I just am not a big trumpet/brass kinda guy, I think it sounds too bright and tinny for my taste. My favorite parts of this album (kinda surprisingly to me) were the parts where it was just the piano, the bass, and the drummer keeping time in the background. It was very lovely.
Saint Etienne
2/5
This was, once again, not an album I needed to hear before I died. It was boring, uninspired, lackadaisical, and generally kinda stupid. I could not tell you what the point of the album was at all. The samples were just strange (the one asking Willy if he wanted any sweets was particularly stupid and annoying). Was this supposed to be revolutionary or impressive cause it was neither. Does not deserve to be on this list at all.
N.W.A.
1/5
This is the stuff that ruined hip-hop/rap for years. There is no justifying this, and definitely no justifying this being on this list. It's just violence, misogyny, and drugs. All this album does is glorify the depravity of humanity. There is nothing redeemable about this album. Stuff like this is the reason I stayed away from rap for so long. Gangsta rap is up there for me as a contender for one of the worst genres of music of all time.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This album probably had a shot at getting a 5 from me if I hadn't listened to the second half after watching the Bruins lose tragically. It still gets a solid 4, I really liked the lyricism and the way they told the story of suburbia and nostalgia and looking back on where you came from. The instrumentation was also really solid and had some very nice variety. Liked that they switched up the lead vocalist every now and then, variety is the spice of life. Solid album.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Totally whatever. Really did nothing for me. Didn't hate it but it just really was quite boring. I couldn't understand a word of what she was saying and it felt like there was no passion to it, just sounds. I mean I guess it didn't sound bad so that's cool I guess. Really not my cup of tea, very uninspiring.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Eh, I mean she can sing and has an incredible voice but WHY WITH THE DOUBLE ALBUM. I hate double albums don't understand the point of them. Anyways I also don't really understand why this album was on the list, there really wasn't anything super special about it beside's her voice. Her songwriting abilities are mid at best, the only reason this album doesn't get a lower score is because of her voice.
The Beta Band
4/5
Honestly I was expecting to hate this album with every fiber of my being. I did not. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Maybe it was because I was listening to this after studying for o chem all day and the vibe was just what I was looking for. Maybe it was because it was super low-key and they didn't seem to take themselves stupidly seriously. Whatever the reason I really liked this one. What an unexpected, pleasant surprise.
Sade
2/5
Totally and utterly mid. Her voice is pretty good I guess but the songwriting is just the same sort of feeling over and over. Did absolutely nothing for me. Very boring, very bland, not nearly special enough that I NEEDED to listen to this before I died.
Charles Mingus
3/5
I would really like to give this a 3.5 but I can't so imma give it a 3 because I didn't love the chaos. I really liked the piano and trombone but I felt that it felt kinda scattered and spastic in places and I didn't love that. The trumpet was cool at first but I kinda got over it after the first little bit. Other than those two things it was pretty groovy.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Boring and stupid. This should not be on this list, the amount of sub par pop/hip hop albums on this list is astounding. Really dumb. Not impressive at all, just stupid. Did not like.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Very solid. Liked all the different sounds and styles he had on this. He had stuff that was fast and fun, slower and more poignant, and then kinda funky stuff. The variety was really nice. His voice sounded pretty good and the instrumentation, while simple, was still quite nice, it wasn't pretentious sounding. Also the whole album was pretty short which was nice.
Pulp
4/5
Very nice album, thought they sounded great, production was really good. Loved the stories the songs told, tracks 1, 3, and 5 were my personal favorites. Didn't love how preoccupied they seemed to be with sex although they were telling stories about people and society so I suppose that makes sense. Very solid album.
Bon Jovi
4/5
Quintessential 80's. While I don't love hair bands and hair metal, this is a pretty solid album. They have three all time classics that are mandatory to sing along to and a couple surprises that I really liked in "Raise Your Hands" and "I'd Die for You". Yes, most of it is cheesy, over the top, and extravagant but that's what makes it fun. Sometimes that's all music needs to be is just fun. Their hair was kinda ridiculous though I could not imagine having to deal with that much hair all the time. Also their guitarist Sambora was surprisingly really good. Like really, really good. Did not expect that from a hair metal group.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Pretty solid hip hop rap album. The lyrics were pretty solid and I liked how they actually told stories for a lot of the songs. Kinda sad to see where hip hop has gone since this album.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
I’m not a huge fan of indie music in general cause it’s usually incredibly boring and everybody seems to LOVE it but this was pretty good. The folksy feel to it was quite nice and nice break from what we have been having listening to. The vocals were superb and the harmonies were great. It was really nice to listen to a band with great vocals. The only critique I have that prevents it from being a 5 is that it’s just kinda tame and boring. It’s very much dinner party music which, while nice enough to listen to, is not something I would sit back down and listen to again.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
This dudes voice is AWFUL. Seriously he’s on par with Bob Dylan for me (and that’s really saying something). Does he try to make his voice sounds this bad? Is this something he’s worked at? He’s completely unintelligible and painful to listen to. The only reason this isn’t a 1 is because of the instrumentation, the horns and others were nice but my goodness his voice is PAINFUL. Not worthy to be on this list and should not have been forced to listen to.
Queen
3/5
I don't get all the hype. Yeah Freddy Mercury can sing pretty well and play the piano pretty well but I don't understand why they are held up like gods in rock. I just don't think they sound that original and they sound kinda pretentious. I dunno maybe it's just cause they're not my style. The production was really well done though they sounded very crisp.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Preferred "The Suburbs" over this. Not sure what whoever that mixed this was thinking but his voice was absolutely buried under the instruments, could not tell a darn thing he was saying. Musically it was nice but seriously I could not tell you a single word that he said and that kinda annoyed me. Also I felt like Win's voice sounded better in "The Suburbs" than it did in this but it wasn't an awful album just very meh.
The Charlatans
2/5
Congratulations to the makers of this list they have now added another genre of music for me to hate in Brit Pop. This is the album that finally did it for me. Everyone who compared them to Oasis was right and I hate Oasis so this sucked. His voice was terrible, whiny, stupid sounding, and he sounded kinda like Bob Dylan on a couple songs which was a double kick in the teeth. The only good tracks were the two instrumental ones where I didn't have to hear his voice. There is nothing about Brit Pop that makes it worthy to be on a list of albums I NEED to listen to before I died. This was stupid, whiny, boring, dull, and not enjoyable.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Her voice reminded me a lot of Adele, which was nice. Both her voice and musical style were very enjoyable along with the overall feel of the album but I can’t rate this higher than a 3 because of the lyrics. They’re so sad especially in light of how soon after this she died of the very life she was condoning in this album. If the lyrics had a better purpose to them this would probably be getting a 4.
Thundercat
2/5
I'm just kinda mildly confused. His voice sounded good although it did sound kinda autotuned. The overall production of this album honestly reminded me of psychedelic type music mixed with r&b. It was all kinda confusing, although musically I didn't think it sounded too bad. It did kinda all blend together there by the end although the collabs were pretty nice. I dunno I don't really understand why this is on the list nor do I think this was spectacular or anything. It was fine as background music but otherwise all he talked about was getting high which I couldn't really relate to. The album cover gets two thumbs up though.
Elton John
2/5
I have now discovered that I am not a big fan of Sir Elton. I mean his voice and piano sounds great and he's a lot better than a lot of the crap we've had to endure on this list but I am just not a fan of his work or this album. I do find it kind of perplexing why I dislike so much of this album and yet I like Meatloaf so much but I think it comes down to the feel of the two artists. Elton just has too much glitz and glamor and overall pizzaz. Meatloaf felt more real and tangible and earthy. Also this album is just kinda too long it really could've been a wee bit shorter and maybe this would have gotten three then.
Supertramp
4/5
Really liked this, did kinda remind me of Pink Floyd. I really liked the slower parts with the keyboard and saxophone contrasting with the heavier guitar parts coming in. The lyrics were really great too, loved the storytelling that went on in them. Didn’t love that almost every song was over 5 minutes but it’s a 70s rock album so what can you do. Really struggled on whether to give this a 5 instead but there were a couple tracks that I really didn’t connect with so imma give it a 4.
Ministry
2/5
Well I will never listen to that again or this band again. Did not like. However still think this was better than Korn. At the very least not every song was filled with braggadocious macho bs and misogyny. Yes some songs had some really bleh lyrics but I could barely understand what the dude was saying bc his voice was buried so far in the mix and there were effects on it half the time which was honestly a plus. Overall industrial metal is apparently not my thing.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
England ought to be ashamed of itself. This was just as bad as their other album "Metal Box" that we had to endure. There's probably only about three other bands that have ever existed that I hate with as much passion as I do this sorry excuse for a band. Let's start with the songs. They're really, really bad. I don't care if they're supposed to be some sort of profound commentary on society and music and religion as an institution, they sound like crap. I mean just downright awful. Once again the only part of the songs that wasn't nails on chalkboard for me was the bass line. Everything else, the drums, guitar, and vocals, was just torture. If you wanted to drive me to insanity you would just need to play Public Image Ltd. and that would do it. Secondly, WHY WAS THERE A 56 MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH LYDON AT THE END??? Nobody cares what you have to say John, you're a terrible musician as well as being a bloated, conceited, arrogant wannabe philosopher who thinks he's the funniest thing the world has ever seen and the messiah of music. You're just not. You never have been and never will be. You are not and never will be "ten times better than anything else out there". I mean what an arrogant and pretentious statement to make?? How deluded and narcissistic can you be?? This was just a travesty and England ought to be ashamed that they produced such a band.
Judas Priest
4/5
I really enjoyed this which I was not expecting. They can play really well and don’t just rely on playing some boring riff or progression over and over again for an entire song. The lyrics were interesting and solid. It sounded a lot like Metallica which was cool with me cause I like Metallica. I think the fact I had just had to endure another Public Image album before this one made this sound even better.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Look I love the Foo’s but I don’t understand why this is the album they chose to put on this list. It’s really solid (especially compared to a lot of the terrible tunes we’ve had to listen to) but they’ve got some other better, more complete and mature albums out there. Overall though it’s still a very solid album. The guitar riffs are great, the drums fill out the songs and drive them nicely, and the lyrics sound very cathartic. Cool to see where a band that became as big as the Foo’s started out at.
Radiohead
3/5
I dunno I mean it’s okay. They sound good but honestly I prefer the sound and feel of “Creep”. I get it the band didn’t want to be pigeonholed but this album really didn’t do it for me. It sounded okay but just okay. I really don’t have any sort of real critiques of it it’s more like the songs just didn’t do it for me, there was no connection, nothing resonated with me. Also his voice starts to sound kinda whiny after a while so that didn’t help either. Don’t really get all the hype around Radiohead tbh.
Big Black
2/5
This was such a conflicting album for me. On the one hand I love, love, love the sound. Love the bass line being all over the place and super prominent, the songs being driven by the drums (drummer did a great job), and the guitar was great. Normally I don’t like a super bright, tinny sounding guitar but this worked within the context of the songs and the overall sound really, really well. However, I hated the lyrics. They ranged from super wonky to super gross and stupid. Did not like most of the songs lyrics and that’s a big hit to their star rating for me because of it. “Kerosene” is an absolute banger though.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
I mean it was a fine album to listen to. It sounded really good which is more than I can say for quite a few of the albums we've had, but I don't think it would ever rise above the level of background dinner music for me. I just don't really connect with jazz/big band music as much as other genres. It just doesn't really do it for me. Also I don't understand why this was on the list, sure it sounded fine but good/revolutionary enough for me to NEED to listen to it before I died? I don't really think so.
Van Halen
5/5
Such a fun album. Are some of the lyrics shallow and questionable, sure. Are the songs relatively simple and lack real musical depth and complexity, yeah. Is the David Lee Roth the world’s greatest singer, no, no he is not (but he is a superb frontman). But do they have one of the greatest guitarists of all time? Absolutely without question. Eddie is an absolute beast. “Hot for Teacher” and “Girl Gone Bad” have some seriously underrated licks on them. “Panama” is just such a fun song along with “Jump”. The lyrics may be meh in places but Eddie more than makes up for it.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Do I like country? I think I may, at least Cash. Loved this album. Normally I think live albums are dumb and don’t sound very good but this was great. You could hear the cheering from the crowd, the announcements over the intercom in the prison, Cash’s little asides to the crowd, it was great. Also who else is like “yah know what, imma record an album in a prison for a bunch of inmates and then include some songs from one of the inmates on it”. I don’t know of anybody else who would. The songs were all great, he is such a good storyteller and has the gravitas to tell darker stuff without it seeming fake and like it’s just for shock value. Really, really liked this album.
The Icarus Line
3/5
I mean it was okay. It kinda reminded me of The Vines. The lyrics were kinda meh but instrumentally it sounded pretty alright. I dunno this really didn’t sound that innovative or fresh to me just kinda some more meh garage rock. Don’t think this should’ve been on the list and don’t understand how it got critical acclaim and stuff it’s not that great.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
If this was made in a vacuum then I would give it a 3. However it was not and therefore will be receiving a 4. This is because this was such a unique sound when it came out. It changed the course of music and pushed it towards grunge and away from crappy, worthless pop and the hair metal. Personally I really don’t mind Farrell’s voice I know that can be a sore spot for some people. Dave Navarro is an absolute baller on the six string which was awesome to listen to. Also I loved the drums, they really helped propel the album along.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Somewhere there is an elevator in the Star Wars world that is playing this. Totally mid. I get that this is supposed to be a historic album or whatever but it sounds seriously dated and literally put me to sleep. Nothing happens in this entire album. It’s just spacey sci fi vibes.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Oh my goodness. I cannot give this a 1 bc the instruments were good (with one exception) so it’s better than Leonard Cohen (but only marginally). HOWEVER, this album is still buns and Dylan is arguably the most overrated artist of all time. His voice remains like nails on chalkboard. He just flops around from word to word like a stoned fish out of water. His lyrics are STUPID. He’s like Beck but worse because everyone thinks he’s some sort of poet who captures the essence of America. HE’S NOT HIS SONGS JUST DONT MAKE SENSE AND YET EVERYONE ASSUMES THAT MEANS HE MUST BE A GENIUS. HE’S NOT. Also I mentioned this earlier and now will come back to it, the instrumentation was pretty good except for one instrument, the harmonica. It’s only natural that an artist as whiny and stupid sounding as Dylan would have a harmonica prominently featured on this album (and most of his others too). The harmonica is the most whiny and painful sounding instrument and Dylan doesn’t even play it well so it sounds even worse. This was a painful album from a wildly overrated artist that I never want to hear again in my life.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
It was okay. It was another 60s psychedelic rock album. “Somebody to Love” was a good song and otherwise there wasn’t anything super annoying which was nice. Also the songs weren’t stupidly long which was nice (unlike Bob Dylan). None of the other songs really did anything for me at all but I at least didn’t hate it so that’s something cause a lot of the stuff on this stupid list I do end of hating.
Klaxons
4/5
Pretty solid. They kinda reminded me of The Strokes and Cage the Elephant. Pretty good overall, and enjoyable listen. The sound was very nice and crisp. They kept it interesting from song to song and had nice variety. Lyrics were kinda weird at times but nothing that made me do a double take. Would listen to again.
Sepultura
2/5
Thrash metal just really isn’t my style. I don’t like the guys voice, I hate how every thrash metal band has pretty much the same sound, it’s just some dude screaming into the mic while trying to make his voice sound deep and gravelly. They don’t do a very good job of it. The instruments all sound the same in thrash, you can barely tell what the guitars are playing, they’re basically just a rhythm section. The drums are the only bit that sound good. Overall this album was pretty meh, the lyrics were ok I guess, better than a lot of the other metal stuff we’ve had but still don’t love.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Quite enjoyed this album. Loved the harmonies and the musical skills displayed. The guitar sounded great loved the little electric riffs in a lot of the songs. I also liked how the acoustic was used thought it was great not just the stereotypical use of it as a rhythm instrument.
Frank Zappa
3/5
I was gonna give this a 4 until “Gumbo Variations”. That song single-handedly brought this down a star. The saxophone sounded awful he sounded like a dying sheep bleating out its last breaths. Also the fiddle (or violin I dunno even what it was) sounded equally as bad and the song just kept going and going and going. Otherwise I found the first half of the album quite enjoyable. It was fun, funky and sounded good. For that it gets a 3.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
I enjoyed this even though I have not learned any more Portuguese between this album and the last Brazilian group we listened to. It was very upbeat and joyful sounding and pretty funky too. Even though I couldn’t understand a lick of what he was saying I enjoyed it.
2Pac
4/5
I was expecting to hate this cause I typically hate gangsta rap but I actually kinda enjoyed it. I’d like to give it a 3.5 but I can’t so it’s gonna get a 4 and I will explain why. He didn’t glorify the thug life so much as explain it as a matter of necessity and a product of how he was brought up. I appreciated that and the fact that he was very cognizant of the repercussions of his lifestyle and the wake of death that it leaves behind. You can’t say the same for very many other rappers. I don’t think he quite deserves the god tier status that he occupies in rap/pop culture and I don’t really understand why he’s so deified but that’s a minor point.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
She’s got a great voice. I loved the storytelling and the way she sang them. I know almost all of them weren’t written by her but I really don’t have a problem with that, there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging somebody else’s song as really good and you wanting to sing it. That’s some pretty big kudos to that artist. Thought she sounded great this was a nice listen.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
Just because your music is dIfFeReNt and aRtSy doesn’t make it good. After the first song I was like oh okay maybe this won’t be that bad. This song was okay even it Reed was just repeating the same things over and over (same thing for tracks 4 and 5). Then I got to track 2. Who puts a spoken word track on an album. It was bad. The story was stupid and really depressing and had no purpose being on the album other than making me hate it. Then track 3 happened which I didn’t like either. Track 4 was okay just like track 1. Track 5 was good up until the 2 and half minute attempted guitar solo that’s was BUNS. Then track 6. I mean what the heck guys. Why. First off it’s almost 18 minutes long. Secondly it’s AGAIN the same lyrics just repeated over and over and over. Then there’s another terrible attempt at a guitar solo that hurt me inside. This album was just pathetic. Did not deserve to be on this list and don’t want to ever hear it again.
Johnny Cash
5/5
This is such an incredible album. Cash’s voice is what makes this album so powerful. It sounds so troubled and world weary and this gives the album such a gravitas. His cover of “Hurt” is just spectacular. So, so good. There’s such emotion and power from Cash with just his voice, a guitar, and piano. Very few artists can do the same with such a stripped down accompaniment. This album is even more powerful sounding because it was his last. In my opinion this album is bulletproof.
Nina Simone
3/5
Eh. Her voice really didn’t do it for me it was too fluttery. The songs were just kinda the same vibe from song to song so this album was just kinda meh. I really didn’t think this was all that special of an album personally. Musically and instrumentally I thought it sounded good but that was about it.
Can
3/5
It was better than I expected. It was kinda nice and vibey good background music. I really didn’t think this was anything too spectacular so I don’t really know why this was on the list but whatever. I do wish the last song wasn’t almost 20 minutes long that’s just too long.
Def Leppard
1/5
There are only two hair metal bands that I find acceptable: Van Halen (bc Eddie may he rest in peace) and Bon Jovi cause they have some actually good songs. Def Leppard is not one of them. This album and this band is ridiculous and just awful. This is neither metal nor hard rock it’s just some pop artists who think they know rock. It’s quite disgusting. All of their songs sound the exact same. All of their lyrics are just about girls, sex, partying, and drinking. Dudes really have a one track mind. Musically they all sound the same. EXACT SAME. Some might say oH bUt ThEy HaD sEvEn SiNgLeS. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE IMPRESSED BY THAT? Seven carbon copy singles. Big freaking whoop. This band is a disgrace to anything resembling rock, they’re absolute trash and deserve no place on this list.
Jethro Tull
4/5
I actually liked this. I know a lot of peeps did not like the flute but I thought it added a fun little line above the music that most other groups don’t have. Didn’t mind his voice, thought the guitar and bass worked well with the flute and I really liked the riffs. It sounded like a nice fusion of folky kinda stuff with rock. Pretty enjoyable.
Iron Maiden
4/5
I surprisingly really enjoyed this. I was expecting much more of like a screamo thrash type stuff cause I’ve never listened to Iron Maiden. Thankfully it was not like that at all. Honestly they reminded me kinda of Metallica/Guns N’ Roses mashup with the guitar shredding and Bruce Dickinson’s voice with the vibrato. I also liked that the album had some songs with heavier societal topics rather than just songs about partying and stuff in that vein. “22 Acacia Avenue”, “Run for the Hills”, and “Gangland” all helped give this album more weight while not compromising on their sound. Very solid album over all. The cover art is pretty cool too.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
If they had taken off like four or five songs from this album it would have gotten a 4 from me. It was really enjoyable and loved the sound. It was fun, festive, and full of life. Again, I really didn’t mind not being able to understand pretty much anything they were saying. However, I really wish this hadn’t been as long of an album, it started to drag about halfway to three quarters of the way through.
Turbonegro
2/5
So at first I was like well this album may be getting a 4. I love the sound, it’s so punk and so fun, and the lyrics were kinda stupid but kinda funny. Then tracks 5 and 6 happened and I was like well now they’re down to a 3. I liked track 7. Then 8 and 9 were bleh and 10 was okay. 11 and 12 were pretty solid. And then we end on track 13. Because of that I think I’m going to land on a 2. Honestly if you could just cut out the lyrics for pretty much every song this album would be a 4 as just an instrumental.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Look as far as debuts go, this one is pretty cracker. The songs are varied from slow and sad to more upbeat and lively. “American Girl” is such an incredible song (maybe my favorite of Tom Petty’s) and is such a banger of a way to end the album, although it is an interesting choice to have it at the end but I love it. You can hear how much promise this group has and what they will become.
The Triffids
3/5
Another totally mid 80s pop album. There was nothing special about it, but at least it wasn’t painful. It was typical over polished pop songs that were almost all about love and the drum line sounded exactly the same on every single song which really annoyed me but otherwise this was totally forgettable.
Yes
4/5
Psychedelic rock is kinda hit or miss for me but I liked this one. The lyrics weren’t completely nonsensical drivel and the instruments sounded really nice. Loved the guitar and the drums. I didn’t mind the length because so much of it was instrumental bits and not stupid lyrics repeating over and over. Would listen to again.
Cat Stevens
4/5
I actually quite liked this album a lot. The simple tunes were great, the storytelling equally great, I really, really liked this. His voice sounded great. The songs were simple without getting super repetitive and devolving into just some dude and an acoustic guitar around a campfire. Would recommend.
Beatles
4/5
This album never really had a chance to be a 5 star because it’s a double. It’s just so long. Sure there’s some really solid songs on here. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is just incredible love Harrison’s melancholy voice it’s perfect for this song. I also really liked “Yer Blues” and “Helter Skelter” hadn’t heard those before. But it’s just so long and “Revolution 9” is not what I want to be listening to towards the end especially since I wasn’t high as a kite while listening so really didn’t like that. Overall a solid album but not necessarily a great one.
The Doors
4/5
This may be a hot take but I liked this one a lot more than L.A. Woman. I very much liked the variety, from upbeat twangy electric guitar to slower more plodding songs with a nice splash of blues all across. I liked the organ that was interspersed throughout. The storytelling was nice too, it wasn’t all coked out nonsense that only makes sense if you’re high as a kite. Pretty good album I would listen to this one again.
Supergrass
4/5
This was so close to being a 5. It started off so strong and I loved it. It was like The Strokes but with less overdrive on everything. But alas they couldn’t keep it up. The second half of the album really drags and that’s what drops them to a 4. That and the fact it can be really hard to understand him at times. Otherwise it is a great album. I would totally listen to it again but maybe stop about half to 2/3 of the way through. Otherwise this was really solid. I was kinda concerned when it said it was BritPop that this was just gonna be another Oasis (🤮🤮🤮) wannabe but thankfully it was not.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I had never listened to a Rolling Stones album before so wasn’t really sure how much I would like 67 minutes of Mick Jager but I quite enjoyed it. I loved the overall feel and energy of the album. It was just always going there never came a point where I thought wow this really drags. That’s pretty hard to do typically on an album this long but they succeeded I thought. I also really liked all the horns on the album and the brass thought they added a nice touch (and kinda one I didn’t expect) and added some nice layers. Overall very enjoyable experience.
Elliott Smith
3/5
It was okay. I think that instrumentally it sounded good but his voice started to get on my nerves after about 4 songs and it was a 16 song album so that wasn’t great. Otherwise I don’t really see why this is on the list I mean it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t exactly extraordinary either. Totally mid and something I will forget I ever listened to in about 32 hours.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Well I mean that was an experience. On the one hand it felt like total cultural appropriation bc the white Brit sounded like Stevie wonder and the lyrics reminded me of Bob Marley with all the social activism and stuff. I also felt like they were trying too hard to be socially relevant and woke before it was cool. On the other hand I thought they sounded pretty alright musically it was funky and alright. I also don’t understand why they’re on the list. They’re some second rate Brit funk wanna be and I didn't need to hear this before I died.
CHIC
2/5
Bleh. I already knew I wasn’t gonna like this from the other Chic album we had to listen to and I was right. There’s a reason disco is dead. Each song just drags on and on and on and on. The lyrics are just the same crap repeated over and over and over and over. The only reason this isn’t a 1 is because the bass lines are solid and Nile Rodgers can play the guitar really well. Otherwise this album was unpleasant to experience just like the last one. Disco should stay dead.
George Michael
4/5
This was a very nice listen. I had never heard any of George Michael’s solo work before and I’m glad I now have. His voice is incredible and sounds so, so good. The songs lyrically were divers, not just a bunch of feel good, sound good pop fluff. The Stevie Wonder cover was very well done. Overall this was just a great album. The only reason it’s not a 5 is that many of the songs, while they sounded really good, didn’t really connect with me. Otherwise very well made and sounding album.
Sigur Rós
4/5
This was quite the album. I wasn’t really sure what to expect with Icelandic post rock but it was not this. I think if I had been listening to this on a cold, gray day then this would have gotten a 5 because that would be perfect for this album. However I was not so it’s getting a 4. It was very soothing and whimsical in its sound. Honestly it almost put me to sleep (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). I really didn’t mind that I couldn’t understand a single word cause it helped me to focus on the overall feel and tone of the album rather than splitting my attention between the musical side of it and the lyrics. Overall very interesting album and what I hoped to be introduced to by this list.
Radiohead
2/5
I just don’t get it. We already had one Radiohead album and I didn’t love it thought it was just mid. This one I actively disliked. Everyone raves over how good they are, how forward thinking they are, how monumental and epic of a band they are. I just don’t get it. The dude cannot sing. He sounds terrible and so freaking whiny. The lyrics are just meaningless drivel. He just drags each word out waaaaaaaaaaaay too long. You can’t understand what he's saying at all and even when you do it makes zero sense. I just don’t understand why they are so revered when this is what they put out. They are one of the most overrated bands in history. The only reason this isn’t a 1 is because if you took out whiny boy the tracks would have sounded at least decent if not pretty good. So wildly overrated.
1/5
This was terrible. The cover art looks like it was made by 10 year olds and the music sounds the same. The lyrics are trying to be all mysterious and edgy but they’re just weird and nonsensical. Even the instrumentation sounded like it was being played by a bunch of middle schoolers who just found out how to play instruments. This was garbage and I don’t understand why it’s on the list.
Chicago
4/5
I actually quite liked this. I was initially put off by the length of the album but the songs were so good I didn’t mind. The guitarist and drummer were on point the entire time (except for that weird track “Free Form Guitar”). The horn section sounded great I really liked the long instrumental parts to each song. I do wish the last song wasn’t quite as long but it sounded really good so it’s whatever. Really well done album the band sounds great.
The Byrds
3/5
It was okay country. The vocals were totally mid and the instruments were kinda forgettable. This whole album, while it sounded fine, was just very forgettable. I don’t really know why this was on the list. Pretty meh.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Pretty solid. I thought this album was gonna be a total drag but I quite enjoyed it. “Big Iron” was probably my favorite song so it’s kinda unfortunate that the album starts with that but that’s okay. Reminds me of Johnny Cash at least in his style of writing and story telling ability.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
You know this could’ve been a 5 if it wasn’t so bleeding long. I thought his voice sounded really nice, same with the songs. It was all very flowing and melodic. The song titles were super weird but that’s whatever. I liked the little instrumental tracks throughout. Did not like that this song was over an hour long. That’s just too long.
Talk Talk
3/5
This was totally mid. It sounded fine but that was it. There wasn’t anything that made me go wow that’s really good. It totally faded to the background pretty fast. Couldn’t even tell you a single lyric from the album. Really don’t understand why this is supposed to be some incredible album or band for that matter.
The Band
3/5
Totally mid “southern” rock. Really just very bland. The songs just kinda blended together and none of the dudes voices sounded any good. The are a joke especially when you call yourself “The Band”. Totally mid.
Manu Chao
3/5
This week has been nothing but mediocre albums that I could’ve died having been content never having heard. His voice was good but I didn’t understand very much at all due to my Spanish not being muy bueno. The one song in English I didn’t like it didn’t flow at all. I would give this a 3.5 if I could but I can’t so it gets a tres.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This was so much better than all his other crap that everyone loves for some reason. His voice actually sounds good (reminds me of Mark Lanegan may he rest in peace), much better than his other albums. Also he changed from nothing but acoustic guitar! I’m so proud it only took him his entire music career to do it. The strings and piano accompaniments were great. They added variety and nice ambiance to complement his voice. The lyrics also made some sense and weren’t just random poetry that everyone seems to love even though it’s gibberish. Overall I really wish his other albums sounded like this, this one was great.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Felt like I was right back at work (thank you Joe). I do love Bob Marley just to have in the background. It’s such a great vibe and he’s such a great artist at making good vibes. But the flip side (and this is what makes him so good) if you really listen to the lyrics they’ve got some oomph to them which can be a tough line to walk for many artists. Overall a very great album. Solid vibes man.
John Grant
4/5
I really liked the majority of this album. His voice was great, the musicality was great, it sounded really smooth and polished. I loved the differing varieties and feels to the differing songs. The only critique I have is track 10. I get what he was doing with it but at the end where he just said a bunch of slurs I just felt that kinda ruined the song for me. He had accomplished his goal so far throughout the song without that being necessary so I just don’t really know why he added that at the end. Otherwise very nice album.
The Only Ones
2/5
As soon as this fool started yodelling I knew it was gonna be a long 42 minutes. His voice is 🤮🤮🤮. I mean it’s not quite Bob Dylan bad but boy is it close. Everything else was great. The guitar, the bass, the drums, even the occasional horns were okay. But his voice was just awful. The lyrics were meh. The instruments saved this from being a 1 for me.
The Slits
2/5
Welp another “punk” British band that’s supposed to be glorious that is a total flop. The only reason this isn’t a 1 is cause the lyrics aren’t too bad although tbh I did fall asleep for about half the album cause it was that uninteresting and not entertaining at all. I don’t get what’s supposed to make them so special. Totally bleh and could’ve been just fine dying without ever having heard them.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Quite enjoyed this. Much like “The Suburbs” it had a very nice sound and the lyrics, while they didn’t make 100% sense 100% of the time, were at least interesting and attention grabbing. I thought Win’s voice sounded good, much better than on “Funeral” which I did not like nearly as much. Overall a very solid album that I would listen to again.
Steely Dan
4/5
Pretty solid. Ngl had it on while unpacking my stuff in my room so wasn’t paying it the fullest of attentions but it was enjoyable as nice background stuff. Nice vibe, would listen to again, wouldn’t mind if someone put it on.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
I was expecting this to be a solid 4 for me but I think this deserves a 5. The harmonies are just so, so good. Not only do the vocals sound incredible but so does the instruments as well. The lyrics are great as well have depth and tell stories. I really, really liked this album a lot I would totally listen to it again. It’s a great vibe and such a pleasure to listen to.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Look it’s not their best album but it’s just so much fun to listen to. The energy doesn’t ever drop at any point. Each song leads into the next and makes you want to get up and go. Do some/most have questionable lyrics, sure. But the energy and wonky lyrics I think makes up for that. These guys don’t take themselves seriously at all which I think is what makes them so good and fun to listen to.
Elastica
2/5
Another day another bleh Brit pop band. I don’t understand why there’s so many on the list, it wasn’t a good time for music then and unlike a fine wine it has not gotten better with age. I could not understand what the chick was saying most of the time and music was just meh at best. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about this album at all. Also the album starting off with the one guy in the band grunting/moaning or whatever that was was not a good start. Didn’t need to hear this totally bleh album.
Ray Charles
4/5
Okay so the only reason this isn’t getting a 5 is because of the big band stuff in the first half of the album. I’m just not a big band fan. It’s too much, too many instruments clashing together. Also it completely overshadows Ray’s voice which is kinda the whole point of the album. His voice is just so, so good. He sings with his soul. He makes every song sound achingly beautiful (at least for the second half). The slower stuff is where he really shines. Really great album.
Al Green
4/5
Solid 4. At first I was kinda in between a 3 and a 4 because every song was about a woman and love gone wrong but then I realised that it was still a very nice album to listen to. His voice sounded good, musically it was on point, each song was unique. Overall nice album and one I wouldn’t mind someone putting on.
Morrissey
4/5
Very nice listen. I like Morrissey’s voice quite a bit I find it kinda soothing. The songs were nice and a pleasant experience to listen to which is more than can be said for many albums we’ve had (cough cough Bob Dylan cough cough). Very solid.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
Such a great album. They sound so good, the songs have range and variety from catchy and fun to slow and more melancholy, like "Porcelain". Then you have some real classics on there with "Around the World" (which is such a great way to kick off an album), "Otherside" (which was the first Chilis song that I can recall listening to and really liking), "Scar Tissue" (first Chilis song I learned on guitar), and "Californication" (which is one of their all time best songs). Top to bottom its just great music, everyone in the band is on point and it doesn't have any super weird, super sexual songs like "Sir Psycho Sexy" which kinda ruined Blood Sugar Sex Magik for me. Overall awesome album.
AC/DC
3/5
When I saw this was the album I sighed. I just don’t like AC/DC. It’s the vocals. Bon Scott isn’t any better than Brian Johnson, in fact I think they sound eerily similar. This is sad because if it was anybody with decent vocals this album (and Back in Black) would probably be 4’s. If you take out the vocals it’s a solid album. Angus Young is an absolute hoss on the guitar and that was great. Everything is great except the vocals, and that really, really hurts this album’s rating (and my ears) so it’s a 3 for me (only because of Angus).
Prince
1/5
This album was hanging onto a 2 only because of "Little Red Corvette". Then "Automatic" came on and it all went down hill real fast. I just don't get Prince, I don't get the appeal, either from his music or his style, none of it makes sense to me. This dude had a one track mind. All he talked about in this album was sex, sex, and more sex. This album was just awful. It didn't help that every other song was like 8 minutes long. You can hate me if you want but this dude was just not it. I do not understand why he is so revered if this is the stuff that he put out.
Arrested Development
4/5
This was a very nice experience (so much better than yesterday's album). I really liked this album, it was just very enjoyable to listen to. They lyrics were refreshingly uplifting, had depth to them, and (this was probably most surprising to me) were pro-faith which isn't normally something that occurs in rap/hip-hop. I really liked the way they seemed to approach and view life and society, was a refreshingly different take from the gangsta rap that helped ruin rap. Overall really enjoyed this album and wouldn't mid somebody putting it on again. Also I love the closest dude's clothes on the cover they look super snazzy.
Slipknot
4/5
So much better than Korn. I was really expecting another "Follow the Leader" album and I am so, so, so glad it's not that. I actually quite liked this album. Yes the masks are kinda kitschy, but the music was solid I thought. The dude can actually sing (which is much more than I can say for Jonathan Davis). Also he doesn't try to do any stupid scatting (like Jonathan Davis 🤮). They can seriously play their respective instruments, the drums were awesome, just straight fire. I also appreciated that every song wasn't completely overrun with double kick drum cause I feel like that happens a lot in metal. Also the lyrics weren't complete trash which was really quite a surprise and nice. Were they pretty dark in places, sure, but they at least had meaning and weren't the mindless gratuitous violence of Korn. Very surprised but would listen to again.
Nirvana
5/5
So, so good and such a great example of grunge. Is this Nirvana's best album, no, but is it still straight fire? Absolutely. All of the songs on here help showcase and channel all the angst and snarl that was in Nevermind and then let it off the leash. "Dumb" remains one of my favorite Nirvana songs along with "Heart Shaped Box". Kurt does a really good job of channeling his emotions into each and every song and lyric which makes it even more tragic that his death wasn't prevented.
Steely Dan
4/5
Very solid. An enjoyable album that I wouldn't mind if someone put on again. The lyrics are fun and interesting, the sound is great, harmonies are fantastic. The only thing I have (and it's kinda nitpicky) is that the songs kinda blend together to a degree but thats not too bad cause they sound good. Overall really solid album that sounded really nice.
Prince
3/5
Honestly I kind of struggled with whether to give this a 3 or a 4 which is absolutely shocking to me considering how much I despise 1999. I think the reason I'm gonna give it a 3 instead of a 4 is because of tracks 3 and 5. I really didn't like them, 3 because there was waaaaay too much falsetto and 5 because I don't want to hear about how horny Prince is, I already had an entire album of that in 1999. However, "Let's Go Crazy", "When Doves Cry", and "Purple Rain" are just bangers there's no two ways about it. This was a much better album than 1999 but I don't feel bad that I only know Prince's hits, his other stuff has been either bleh or just meh so far.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
I actually quite enjoyed this, I loved the kinda slow fuzzy guitar, the overall feel of it. Loved that there were instrumental tracks on it, the lyrics were interesting, the songs varied in their speed and overall feel, would listen to again.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Good album. Liked the kinda weird lyrics (except the last song that was just strange). The instrumentation was nice and loved the way everything was put together. Sounded really good and a nice and enjoyable listen.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Such a stupid, stupid album. Can’t tell what the blithering idiot who’s singing is saying (and I really don’t care after all that anyways), the instruments sound like they’re all being played wrong and out of time, and the whole experience made me feel nothing but frustration and annoyance. Maybe there’s a reason nobody had never made music like this before, it’s cause it sucks, is boring, uninteresting, and vague. Stupid album that never should have been on the list and I never want to hear again.
Björk
2/5
Okay look I'm sure this was all cool and innovative and boundary pushing when it came out but that was 31 years ago and I'm not sure it has retained that. The biggest problem I have with this is her voice. I know she's speaking English but I have no idea what she's saying about 90% of the time. The music is cool and funky though which is nice but most of the songs kinda sound the same and again, not a fan of her voice. Also the sweater she's wearing looks really itchy.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Okay the only thing holding this album back from being a 5 is her voice. She does not sound good when singing and doing the weird scream/groan/grunt whatever it was that she did a bunch in the opening track and then sometimes throughout the album was unpleasant. Otherwise I loved the lyrics they were witty, funny, and made you think. Musically it sounded really good. I just cannot stand her voice or the song "Ironic". The only thing ironic about that song is that NONE OF THE THINGS IN THE SONG ARE ACTUALLY IRONIC. It really bothers me.
Roxy Music
5/5
I loved this album. I really liked the one we already listened to by Roxy Music (even though nobody else did apparently) and I really, really enjoyed this one too. The lyrics were fun, interesting and kinda poked fun at various areas. The random saxophone solos were an unexpected and fun little surprise that I liked. The other instruments sounded really good, the production on this thing was really great. I will admit the last three tracks were probably the weakest on the album but overall very solid album and one I would definitely listen to again. Nice little surprise this one.
David Ackles
2/5
Look if an album has remained undiscovered for 52 years maybe it just isn't good. This felt like some strange musical soundtrack, which is not my preferred genre. The dude just kept telling random, weird stories that didn't resonate with me. Also the actual music felt tacky and forced. Also didn't like his voice reminded me of like a lighter, worse, not Australian version of Nick Cave at times, which I didn't like cause it felt like a rip off. This album was just bleh.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
At first I was like "okay a lot of distortion but there's some catchy hooks and lyrics buried underneath, I can get behind this". Then after about the ninth song I was like "okay guys it's just the same schtick over and over again". Each song sounds very much the same which is disappointing. That's probably my biggest complaint is just the repetitiveness of the album. Also using crazy fuzz on every single song just kinda dulls your overall use of it, too much of a good thing and all that. Really disappointed me beginning was pretty strong.
Stan Getz
5/5
I was in a good mood when I sat down to listen to this and this only served to elevate that so it's getting a 5. Such an immaculate vibe, the music has such a close and intimate feel, very personal. Loved the vocals, didn't matter that I couldn't understand most of it cause it wasn't in English, I did not care, honestly I think that kind of enhanced the experience. Sounded really good for being recorded in the mid '60s. I would listen to this again. "The Girl from Ipanema" was the best track on here but it all was really solid.
Ramones
5/5
I know this is kinda sacrilegious to say as a punk fan but I had never actually listened to the Ramones before now. Now that I have I can safely say this album is bulletproof punk in my humble opinion. Each song is like 3 or 4 power chords, it's fast, it's kinda rough, ain't too polished sounding. It honestly sounds like just 4 guys playing in someone's basement and I love it. It makes it so much more personable and enjoyable. The lyrics are fun, kinda stupid, but also kinda genius in parts which is the line that, when punk walks it well, is at its best. I mean they have a song about sniffing glue that made me laugh when I saw it. Just a great album from top to bottom from some of the legit OG's of punk.
Public Enemy
4/5
Look, this is a great album from a great group. They lyrics (for the most part) have a lot of purpose and intentionality behind them, they are about actual issues not just stupid gangsta rap bs and Chuck D has incredible delivery. The Bomb Squad is also great, love them. However I just don't understand why Flavor Flav is even a part of the group. Like what is he bringing to the table? I feel like he's kinda a joke, he doesn't have the same intensity as Chuck and just sort of appears on random tracks. I really feel like he undercuts a lot of the seriousness on this album and I think that kinda hurts it. Still great overall.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
I just don’t get it. Why was it on the list? It wasn’t impressive and didn’t make me go wow at any point. I honestly can’t believe people paid and chose to listen to this for an hour of their lives. Really stupid I don’t get why this was on here or why I needed to listen to it. Whateve
k.d. lang
4/5
This album deserves a 4 but depending on my mood I could totally give this a 3 and be okay with that. There's a couple songs that are kinda upbeat like track 3 and track 7, but otherwise it's all slower stuff. Thats not really a bad thing but when it's an entire album of that it can get a little old by the end. She does a great job with the slower stuff, has a great voice. Track 7 was my personal favorite off this album.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I'm absolutely shocked i'm doing this but I'm giving this a 3. At first I was thinking this was a 2 at best but I think that was mostly because I really didn't like The Soft Bulletin. This I liked a whole lot more. The only thing holding this album back from a 4 or even a 5 is the fact that Wayne Coyne cannot sing. He always sounds out of tune. It sucks. Seriously if almost anyone else had been doing the vocals (besides Bob Dylan) I would have had no problem giving this a 4 maybe even a 5. But instead we have dear old Wayne yodeling away for 47 minutes. Loved the ethereal feel, the psychedelic feel, the storyline (especially at the beginning that was fun), and way they kind of switched between serious and kinda silly with the lyrics. Great album, shame that their frontman can't sing.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Solid 4. It's very nice music to listen to, great to have on in the background. It doesn't really grab my attention and demand I give it respect but that's okay not every album needs to do that. I thought everyone played their instrument really well, they sounded really good, the sounds sounded different so it didn't just feel like one gigantic song for an hour (I feel like some jazz albums do that). Overall nice listen would put on again maybe not regularly though.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
It’s okay. I mean the lyrics are solid, the instruments sound good, like the punk overall feel but I am not a fan of her voice. It’s just too much, can’t understand what she’s saying, it doesn’t really sound good, just very eh for me. That’s my only big complaint for this album. I also don’t really feel like it does anything particularly awesome that makes me go wow so I don’t really know why it’s on this list but you know I’ve said that a lot so it is what it is.
T. Rex
3/5
Totally mid and typical glam rock. There’s very little going on musically, it’s just kinda the same lyrics repeated over and over again, the band thinks they’re really cool, totally mid. Just whatever don’t understand why I needed to hear this before I died.
Ray Charles
3/5
Look, Ray Charles had an incredible voice. He sounded great on this album. The problems I have with it are that it is 1. A double album and over an hour long and 2. Every single song is about a woman that he either can't have or broke his heart in some way. Every. Single. Song. Like seriously can the man not come up with some other material to sing about? Is there nothing else in his life or the world that captivates him? It just makes for a very long 74 minutes when every song has the same topic.
Pixies
5/5
I don't know why I haven't listened to the Pixies before this. So good, so deserving of their reputation. There's so much variety, ups and downs, slower stuff and faster stuff, love it. The way the album starts is great love the slap in your face that "Rock Music" brings. The surfer vibes are great. This album is absolutely immaculate.
Soundgarden
5/5
I don't care if you don't like grunge, you have to admire Chris Cornell's voice. He had one of the best voices in music, one of the absolute best to ever do it, may he rest in peace. This album is just fantastic. It has everything that is key to grunge, the angst, the pounding guitar, hammering bass line, driving drums, fiery guitar solos, and of course a superb frontman. Album has solid variety, love how vulnerable Chris is on some of the songs with the lyrics. Just a fantastic album from start to finish, absolutely bulletproof in my opinion. "The Day I Tried to Live" is one of my all time favorite songs.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Very much gave me Flaming Lips vibes, seriously this just felt like a knock off of them. Liked the sound and the music of it but again, just like the Lips, dude can't sing well at all. Made it kinda cringey to listen to. I did like this more than The Flaming Lips because there were much more instrumental tracks on it where I didn't have to listen to the man sing, but seriously why did they make this dude their frontman he does not sound good.
2/5
Sigh. There's so much potential in this band and they just squander it. Wes Borland is a great guitarist and has great stage costumes and looks super freaky with his contacts. John Otto is a great drummer, sounded really good on this album. DJ Lethal is incredible as always (thank you for "Jump Around" btw). I really don't mind Fred Durst's voice. But the lyrics. Good Lord they range from trash (which is the vast majority of their stuff) to meh to actually a couple good songs. On this album there's like two songs that I would listen to again. That's not great for an album thats an hour and 15 minutes long. I mean come on guys. Not a big fan of the Bizkit but they are still better than Korn in my opinion.
The Avalanches
4/5
This was an enjoyable one. I liked the sheer volume and variety of the samples, I mean there was stuff from everywhere. I loved that and it gave the album great variety and feel but also made it feel cohesive in its scatteredness. Best track was "Frontier Psychiatrist" such a fun little song, liked the story. I also really loved how different tracks would flow into each other so you couldn't really tell where one was ending and another began if you were just listening. Really helped tie the whole album together because it all felt like a progression, a cohesive whole with a lot of diversity, which can be very hard to do and do well. This album did that.
Sister Sledge
2/5
Meh. It's disco, which should have stayed dead. I really am not a fan of disco, never have been, never will be. They just kinda repeat the same things over and over for 5 minutes, it's really boring. The music isn't even interesting either it's just bland and repetitive.
John Lennon
2/5
Yeah whatever. I could not care less what John Lennon had to say. He doesn't believe in anything, doesn't care about anything other than himself and Yoko, cool we get it. It's because of that that I never understood why he was so popular and so idolized. Most of his songs on this verge on experimental (which I hate) and the others are just like "Imagine" (which is one of the most overrated songs of all time). I don't get why this is on the list, it wasn't very good at all.
Metallica
4/5
I know this is a long album and has some long songs on here but I'm here for it. Metallica is one of the few bands that I don't mind having 8, 9 minute songs on an album. A whole lotta other bands just sound pretentious and "artsy" when they do that but I think Metallica sounds great. The lyrics for this album are tough, hit you in the mouth, all about justice and how it is twisted in our world. Love that that's the focus and not just something shallow and dumb or super self focused like a lot of metal bands do. Also Lars Ulrich on the drums is always a treat to listen to and James Hetfield is just phenomenal on the rhythm guitar. Just lights out. Superb.
New Order
3/5
meh. It was better than I expected I guess, the instruments sounded pretty nice but didn't really like the dude's voice and couldn't understand much of the lyrics at times. Also when I could they did not resonate withe me so I didn't really care. Very mid didn't need to hear this before I died.
The Band
3/5
Whatever. Just like the other album from The Band that we had to listen to. Seriously you name yourselves "The Band" and then this is the best you can do? How pretentious can you be? Totally mid '60s "southern" rock. Very mid. Most of the dudes cannot sing well at all. Also "The Weight" is a super overrated song, makes no sense, dude on lead vocals does not sound good, who the heck is Fanny and why is she taking a load off? The song makes no sense. I don't get why this band is on here at all let alone twice so far. Stupid.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Very fun album liked this one a lot. Songs were down to earth, fun, cut with some seriousness, catchy, sounded good, the whole package. The album was the perfect length, no song was obnoxiously long. Loved the overall feel and sound to this album and I think I just talked myself into a 5 for this.
John Martyn
4/5
I really struggled with what to give this album. I think I'm going with a 4. After the first song I was like wow this is getting a 1 but then the second song hit and the one after and I was like wow this guy can actually sing he just chose not to on the first song. This cycle kinda repeated a couple times. On the tracks where John mumble, slurs his way through the lyrics it's not great, kinda painful. On the ones where he actually sings it's quite lovely. The instruments sound really nice and I absolutely loved that aspect of this album. That's kinda the only reason this album is getting a 4 is because of that.
JAY Z
1/5
I’m not impressed. You’ve made a ton of money (somehow), hustled a bunch of drugs, and banged a bunch of women and then made a career bragging about it. Congrats? You sold your soul for this? Really? I don’t understand how he’s supposed to be a generational talent or artist. This isn’t art.
Ghostface Killah
1/5
I just don’t get it. You grew up slinging drugs, kept slinging drugs, started rapping bout slinging drugs and banging a bunch of chicks. WoW aReN’t YoU cOoL. Am I supposed to respect you because of this? Cause I don’t. Also why are all the trashy rap albums unnecessarily long?
Beastie Boys
4/5
Twas a fun little album. Does it have the deepest lyrics, no. Is it profound? Also no. But is it just fun to listen to? Absolutely and that’s the appeal. Nobody takes the Beasties seriously, not even them. That’s the joy and what makes this album so fun to listen to.
David Bowie
3/5
Another day, another Bowie album. I get that he was a super influential pop figure but he just wasn't a good enough musician to warrant the 8 or however many albums he has on this list. His voice is mid, songwriting is mid, overall feel is mid. I really don't see what's so special about his music. It's totally mid.
The Stooges
3/5
Didn't really care. The songs were just kinda there didn't do anything for me one way or the other. Didn't really mind them but didn't make me really feel anything either. Iggy's voice was fine. Instruments fine.
Minor Threat
2/5
meh. Normally I like the fast punk feel of stuff like this but this didn't do it for me. Really hard to understand the dude, lyrics were okay. Songs just felt very much like copies of each other. Not really a huge fan of this but it was short so had that going for it.
DJ Shadow
4/5
Really solid. Wasn’t sure what to think before I started but I quite liked this. Very mellow, low key. Loved the variety to the samples and the way later songs incorporate stuff from earlier songs. Nice vibes would put on again.
The White Stripes
4/5
Solid, solid rock album. The Whit Stripes had such good chemistry. Songwriting was great, funny in spots, guitar was great, drums great. “Seven Nation Army” is one of the most famous songs of all time. Really solid album overall.
Pink Floyd
4/5
So it's a good album and an interesting one too and it sounds good. It just so. freaking. long. Way too long. Too much. Not a fan of that. This is why so many concept albums fall flat. They're too much.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Well that was an experience. Once I found out it was made by Frank Zappa it made a lot more sense. Super weird, kinda fun, liked the shots at hippies, that was amusing. I think imma stick with a 3 but could be persuaded to give it a 4 if it just made a bit more sense. Overall weird mildly enjoyable listen.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Nice. Classic voices that mesh really well together and sound really fantastic together. Love the different feels to each song. Overall a very enjoyable country album that sounded really nice.
4/5
Fun little album, really enjoyed it. Only reason it's not getting a five is cause I didn't really love the last song but otherwise great album. Really liked the longer songs which is kinda rare, instruments sounded really good, liked the mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, nice variety. Overall very solid and would listen to again.
4/5
Nice little album. The Kinks are another one of those really famous and influential bands that I have never actually listened to until now. Quite liked it. Liked the lyrics a lot loved the critiques and the way Ray Davies presented them. Their overall sound on this album was also very enjoyable. Would not have guessed that this was made in '69 sounds much more clean cut and modern than that.
The White Stripes
4/5
Very solid album, I didn't know that they did "We're Gonna Be Friends" til now so that was a fun little revelation. Really like their sound, very stripped back, garage band feel which I really dig. Reminds me of "Get Free" by the Vines for many of the songs. Great album loved that the length of the songs varied and none were obnoxiously long.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Okay so in terms of my enjoyment this was probably a 3. I’ve never really listened to The Boss much before and I’ve found his voice is kinda meh. I really couldn’t understand a lot of what he said. However, I think this album is a 4. It is really well crafted, the storylines and the lyrics are compelling, the feel of the album is very appropriate for what Springsteen was going for. I did like the stripped back melancholy feel to the whole thing.
The Coral
3/5
Kinda meh. Liked “Wildfire” a lot but otherwise pretty meh. Vocals were fine, music sounded fine, lyrics were fine. But that was also the problem everything was just fine nothing extraordinary. Not bad just meh.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I think I quite like Neil Young. This album was great I really enjoyed it. It took its time and kinda wandered which I really liked. Maybe that was because I was listening to it on a sunny Friday afternoon and was in a good mood but it doesn't matter. I loved the longer songs that just kinda noodled around for a while in the middle I thought everyone sounded great during those bits. I don't mind Young's voice, it's not my favorite but it doesn't bother me. I liked the wandering feel to the lyrics and the overall album. This very much felt like an album I should listen to while driving through Montana or somewhere out west.
Rush
5/5
I mean when you open with "Tom Sawyer" it's gonna be a solid album. I struggled with whether a 4 or a 5 on this and I think imma go with a 5. Peart was just a master on the drums. I quite like Getty's voice it's very distinctive and reminds me of middle school (which isn't necessarily a good thing but it doesn't remind me of anything bad). "YYZ" I really liked. The whole band sounds really good, really talented group. Iconic and the first Rush album I have every listened to.
Orbital
2/5
This was really stupid. Half the album was just some random phrase repeated over and over again, it was really frustrating. The samples were bland and repetitive. Overall a boring and uninteresting album that was way too long. Stupid.
David Crosby
2/5
Meh. He was better in CSNY. Do not like his voice solo, instruments sounded perfectly fine on many of the tracks but his voice just didn't. Also lyrics were kinda meh and bland. Overall just felt like a bleh album. Nothing doing for me.
Doves
2/5
Booooooooring. At first I thought it would just be another Oasis but thankfully the dude's voice wasn't as whiny so I guess that was something. Still didn't think they sounded very good, kinda outta tune and sad sounding which isn't very pleasant to listen to for almost an hour. Also too many of the songs are too long and just drag on and on and on. The comparisons to Coldplay are stupid, these guys have nothing on Parachutes or Rush of Blood to the Head, those albums blow this outta the water. Another stupid brit pop album that nobody cares about.
The War On Drugs
3/5
eh. Nothing very special. I did like the instrumental bits, track 7 was nice but it all kinda sounded the same. I did like how ethereal it sounded but the tracks have a tendency to just go on and on with no end goal that they're pushing towards they just kind of exist for two unnecessary minutes longer than they should. Also the dude's voice sounded like Bob Dylan on most tracks and sometimes sounded like a mashup of Dylan and Eddie Vedder on "Yellow Ledbetter" cause I could not understand about 90% of what he said. Not a fan of the voice or the unnecessary length but musically it sounded mostly solid.
Elliott Smith
2/5
I don't get the hype. I mean Apple Music had an essay written about how influential and life changing this album was and it did absolutely nothing for me. His voice is mid and he just whispers the whole album. Did not like. The lyrics were fine I guess none of them stuck with me so that doesn't help its case. Was really expecting something more from this highly touted artist/album.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Was kinda expecting this to be a 5 but no dice. The two 12 minute songs was really what hurt it. Also I didn't think the other two songs were phenomenal, but really well done. "Wish You Were Here" is the best song on this album (and one of their best of all time) but that's kinda the only shining moment on this album. Everything else is just kinda meh for me although production wise it is really well put together and sounds good, just didn't connect for me.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Okay. Normally I'm okay with Farrell's voice but it annoyed me on this album. The last half were just a bunch of obnoxiously long songs where he droned on and on about stuff that didn't make sense. Only really good song on here is "Benn Caught Stealing". Everything else just feels like Farrell is spasming out on the mic with the lyrics. Guitar was great though.
The Who
3/5
okay. I was really expecting more from such a revered band but this was just kinda mid 1960's brit rock. Just whatever. Didn't really grab my attention at all. Kinda tuned most of it out to be honest. Last track was the best.
Parliament
3/5
Very funky. Not really my preferred cup of tea but it was okay. Nice background music. Very weird band and weird sound.
Pulp
3/5
Meh. Liked their other album we had on this list. His voice was mildly annoying in this album. Also it was a really long album which I wasn’t a fan of. Best song on the album was the last one everything else was okay or decent but nothing really wow. Don’t know why I NEEDED to listen to this before I died.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I've never been a big reggae kinda guy so this album was kinda lost on me. I always kinda feel like it's just the same sort of slow beat in the background with lyrics over top. Musically it doesn't feel like there's that much variation which leaves a lot of emphasis on the lyrics. The lyrics were solid, political as Marley's often are, just didn't really make me go wow this is incredible. Reggae has always kinda just been background music for me and this album did not change that.
Fiona Apple
2/5
Nice voice and I liked the instrumentation but she just kinda repeated the same lyrics over and over again for most of the songs. Did not like that, lyrics were kinda eh and not very enjoyable also just kinda weird. Not my jam also didn’t feel good while listening to it so that may have impacted its rating negatively.
James Brown
4/5
I think I'll give this a 4 just cause it has such great energy. Normally don't really like live albums but this one I really liked the crowd interaction, they clearly loved them some James Brown. Did not like how hard it was to understand or hear him on some tracks. Otherwise cool album.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Decent. Better than I thought. I really dislike "Hard to Handle" so I thought the whole album was gonna be like that and thankfully it wasn't really. Dude was very hard to understand for most of it but musically it sounded really nice and my kind of southern rock. Wish the vocals were more intelligible but otherwise solid.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
okay so musically I liked their style and feel. Their voices however, were painful. They cannot sing. The background vocals sounded great though, especially on "Ice Cold Ice" and "Up in the Air". However the main vocalists sounded downright bad. And then there's the length. You make me sit through an hour and 9 minute long album, I want some variety to spice it up. This album had none of that, it was the same stuff over and over and over again. Nothing fresh or new later in the album that they hadn't already done earlier. Not a fan of that.
Lambchop
3/5
Musically it was very vibey and just kinda floated in the background. Didn't really do anything for me either way. His voice however was just plain bad. Did. Not. Like. Did not remind me of Cohen the way his voice sounded but the lyrics sure did. Most of it was poetry-esq nonsense that felt like he was trying too hard to be mysterious and deep. It was just stupid. Don't know why this was on the list.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
I actually quite liked this one. Thought his voice was funky but I liked it. The music was nice, I didn't mind the 17 minute song because they sounded good on it, there were nice transitions and variations in it, and the other songs on the album were all like 3 1/2 minutes. Overall really enjoyed.
Prince
2/5
Just painful. It started off okay but I've learned that Prince only made good singles, never great albums. All his albums that we've had so far (which are supposedly his best) have been either okay or hot trash. This was no different. First off, it's an hour and 20 minutes. No album should be that long. Secondly, the first couple songs start off okay, decent even, and then fall off a cliff. It's just a bunch of whatever nonsense lyrics or just Prince doing his squeaky falsetto over and over and over and over again. Also the "drums" actively annoyed me. Dude is still super horny and manages to have about half the album be about his sex drive. I don't understand how this fool got so famous.
Bob Dylan
2/5
please no more
Heaven 17
2/5
this was dumb 80's synth pop. Nothing special, boring, repetitive, mildly annoying. Bleh.
Billy Bragg
2/5
That was dumb. I don't want to listen to some wanker who thinks he knows better than everyone else whine about how messed up society is for over an hour. Your voice doesn't sound good enough for that. Also the random pot shots at America were not appreciated. You don't even live here why you trying to tell us how our country should be? Kinda pretentious. Thus music was good though.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Very nice. Liked her voice. Songs were nicely written and sounded good. Classic artist.
Lorde
2/5
Whatever late 2010’s pop. Most of the album just blends together indistinguishably. This is what SO much gen z music is and I hate it (as a gen z’er I can say this). It’s the oh woah is me my life is so hard and sad melancholy drama bs. Her voice is fine and like two of the songs are decent but literally everything else is the same track after track.
De La Soul
2/5
Totally mid. Better than any sort of gangsta rap but still totally mid. I don’t get the hype. All the tracks are just kinda juvenile and dumb. Also it is just entirely too long. 23 tracks is a ridiculous amount.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Another day, another totally mid British album. Lyrics were interesting and thought provoking at points but the dude’s voice was very ho hum. The pervasive synth and fake instruments were boooooooring. Especially when that happens for almost 45 minutes.
Killing Joke
2/5
Meh. There’s a reason nobody likes post punk. It’s just experimental music and somebody singing poorly. Don’t like and this was no exception. Absolutely not remarkable.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Loved this. First Sabbath album I’ve ever listened to. The hard guitar riffs combined with great bass playing, and incredible drums to tie it all together. The vocals are great as expected. Lyrics were surprisingly really mature and very interesting. Loved the variety on the album too, not many metal bands can do that well. Superb
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Really nice, really fun. Normally I don’t like live albums all that much but this was really fun. I loved when she was just kinda improving like at the beginning of track 2 and the last track, made it feel very personal. Vaughan has a great voice even if I don’t love the vibrato all that much. Very classic sounding and a very nice listen.
Coldplay
5/5
I don’t get why everyone hates on Coldplay. I loved them in middle school and still do (up through Mylo Xyloto). This album is so smooth and beautiful. The guitar is simple and clean but fits so well. Chris Martin’s voice is so great. All parts fit together so well, they aren’t trying to do too much and they sound so good doing it.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Wow congratulations you hate Christians aren’t you cool. I liked the instrumentation and how different each song kinda was. Thought that was really cool and sounded really good. Otherwise there were about two songs that had decent lyrics that weren’t just hatred and vitriol. So much hate in this album. Also his voice is really whiny. Also the album is over an hour long. Also he kinda looks like Nicolas Cage.
Various Artists
5/5
Solid Christmas album. A bunch of classics really nice listen on Christmas. Even at other times of the year would probably be nice but obviously best at Christmas.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
I really liked this album. Thought it was a fun kinda funky slow dance for most of it. Liked the dude’s voice and the lyrics. Instruments were funky and very pleasant to listen to. Really liked.
Pixies
4/5
Really solid. Love the spastic all over the place guitar. Drums sound great too. I honestly can barely understand the lead singer most of the time but that’s okay. Great debut really paved the way for grunge later on.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
I just don’t like his voice. It’s too high for me. The songs themselves are solid no problems there it’s really just his voice. Really not a fan of that.
Hole
4/5
Pretty solid. I’ve never listened to a Hole album before and I thought it was really good. Love the feel and vibe from this. Love’s voice I also thought sounded really nice.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
It was nice sounding but unremarkable. Totally mid 60’s pop album. Don’t really know what’s so special about it but whatever at least it wasn’t painful.
The Darkness
2/5
This should not be on this list. Bleh. Sometimes I like some glam rock but this was trash. Musically it was fine but that was it. The vocals were awful, so shrill and so, so much unnecessary falsetto. Could barely understand the dude most of the time. Just trashy vocals.
MGMT
3/5
The bridge between Millennial music and Gen Z music. Knew some of these songs from my childhood/middle school years. The album sounds nice well produced. Dude’s voice does not however so that dampens the enjoyability a bit. Also some of these song were super overplayed. Lyrics are kinda dumb too imo.
Nick Drake
5/5
Really pleasant listen. Very nice sound, liked his voice, very, very nice listen on a snowy winter day. Might give it a 5, at the moment it’s a 4 cause I was listening to it while having an awful run on a treadmill so we’ll see how I feel in the morning. Really nice album sad he only got recognized once he was dead.
Paul Simon
4/5
Very nice to listen to. His lyrics were thoughtful and interesting without being pretentious and annoying which hasn't happened very often on this list (cough cough Bob Dylan). Voice sounded really good. Instrumentation was very nice and had some nice variety to it. Overall very nice listen. Album cover is a little weird but nothing crazy.
SZA
2/5
Ugh. Production is pretty solid and sounds good. Her voice is pretty solid. Otherwise though, lyrics are straight trash. All this album cares about is sex, drugs, and pleasure at any cost, it's so hedonistic. Kinda makes me sad that that's all you care about in life.
Traffic
4/5
I liked it. Is it something I will listen to over and over again, no. Liked the different instrumentation, flute, organ, saxophone, nice variety. Liked the different vocals. Could've been a little shorter but otherwise quite liked this album.
Metallica
5/5
This album is just straight bangers. Some of their most famous songs on here. I mean "Enter Sandman" is just such a great way to open an album, such a phenomenal song. I've said it before and I'll say it again, James Hetfield is one of the greatest rhythm guitarists of all time and really shines on this album. So much of this album is done so well, the instrumentation fits so well with the lyrics and the feel. Phenomenal album with riffs that hit concrete hard.
U2
5/5
I think this was the first legit U2 album I've listened to before. It was incredible. Loved the overall feel of this album. Goes from very much in your face, pounding, antagonistic in the beginning to a more hopeful, mellow sounding in the second half. The drums really carry this album and drive it forward. Edge's guitar is a great layer on top to add spice along with Bono's vocals. Clayton on bass helped add to the march-like feeling. Lyrics were poignant and powerful. Really, really good body of work, especially for only a third album from a band.
Frank Ocean
3/5
I mean his voice sounds nice. I don’t care for many of the lyrics and most of them didn’t do anything for me anyways. If you said u loved this I would say okay good for you. Really kinda ambivalent bout this one.
Ryan Adams
3/5
It was nice I guess. Voice was good, lyrics were mostly interesting, but this was too long and too many of the songs ran together. Didn’t think this was that special but it was good.
The Bees
3/5
This was a nice album, just didn't love the vocals on some tracks. Tracks 5, 6, and 10 were my personal favorites. Lyrics were solid, no complaints there. Musically the instruments sounded really good, production really solid. Very smooth album. Wouldn't mind if someone put this on but I'm not gonna request it.
King Crimson
2/5
Yeah okay whatever. First track I was like okay cool I can work with this. Then the second track came and I was like wow this is a let down. This cycle continued throughout the album and throughout the last two songs as well. I mean the Moonchild song was just some dudes farting around on random instruments for like 4 minutes. Also the album cover is really dumb and I don't like it.
The Doors
4/5
Liked this a lot more than L.A. Woman. I still don't really get all the hype around them but that's probably because when this was released it was a lot more controversial. By today's standards it's absolutely nothing. Sounded really nice, I actually didn't mind the final almost 12 minute long song at the end. Not something I am dying to listen to again but because of its historical importance imma give it a 4.
Kraftwerk
2/5
I mean it sounded nice I guess but goodness gracious a 22 minute song right off the rip? That's a bit much fellas. Also I felt like the album didn't really do much just kinda meandered along with random sounds, a lot of which were just repeated over and over again. I wouldn't cry if someone put this on or scream (like I would if someone put on Bob Dylan or Public Image Ltd.), but I wouldn't notice it either.
Madonna
3/5
Okay. If you gave this a 4 I wouldn't fight you over it. Her voice sounds really nice on this. The techno kinda vibe works really well for this album, sounded really good. The album is pretty lengthy though and with each song being around 5 minutes it's just a lot. Not a ton of variety in length which kinda drags it down. Nice variety in feel and style though especially in the first half, liked that.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Really nice, liked her voice and the lyrics they were better than I was expecting from an early 80's pop album. The album was more than just the two hits which is always nice to see. Sounded really good, not terribly long, very nice.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Didn't like this as much as The Number of the Beast but was still really solid, they are one of the cornerstones of metal. The guitar is immaculate, really well done, solos are great. The bass (as became their trademark) is superb, under appreciated, and drives the album. Everything else is solid but not really remarkable to the extent of their later works imo. I do love that they kept Eddie in some form or fashion. Would give this a 3.5 if I could but imma round up.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I'm shocked I loved this as much as I do. Normally I'm pretty opposed to albums over an hour long and this one was pushing hour and a half territory. But they make it work and work well. They all sound incredible and I think track 3 showcases it the best. Just phenomenal. The variety is really what helps this album, it is all over the place. So many different styles and feels to each song. Without all the variety there's no way this would be getting as high of a score as it is. Loved this, much better than their debut (which is the only other album I've listened to). Great album.
Air
4/5
Again, like their other album I liked this a lot. It sounds really good, really smooth which is not always a guarantee with electronic stuff on this list. I liked the occasional vocals. It sounds like their name, nice and floaty and breezy but not boring. Really found this a very pleasant listen.
Blondie
3/5
Eh. I never really liked Blondie's hits all that much and this album didn't change my mind. Mid pop from the late 70's. Sounded fine but really didn't do it for me.
Adam & The Ants
1/5
Guys what the heck. I'm pretty sure everyone in this band collectively shares a single brain cell. I mean to start off with this dude decides to take a stage name and chooses Adam Ant. Like what?! Why is that what you go with? Secondly, he names the band after himself, Adam and the Ants, which makes no sense as a name either. Then the cover art is just weird and I do not like him staring at me like that from the cover. Then we get to the music. It was bad. Nobody on the band has good vocals, the backup vocals are whack, the main vocals are whack, the lyrics are whack and repeated a thousand times, the instruments are whack. The drums were literally the only thing on this album I liked. Everything else was a hard pass and should've stayed and died in the U.K. Why'd you guys let this come over here? Why?
Muddy Waters
5/5
This was the first Muddy Waters album I've listened to and I loved it. The sound is just phenomenal. The way he can manipulate the guitar with the slides, the picking, the amps and give it that gritty, screamy sound is just fantastic. I absolutely loved this album. Seriously this is some of my favorite sounding blues guitar (or just guitar in general) I've ever heard. You can really feel his influence on later artists with his style. The slides though, the slides. That was my favorite part of this album.
The Killers
5/5
Bangers. Great indie album that actually has a bunch of really solid tracks rather than just 2 singles that were beat into the ground. They make fun of themselves and their genre and perceived lifestyle which adds so much. Really don’t have anything negative to say bout this one.
The Cramps
2/5
This was unpleasant. Did not like. Dude's voice was all kinds of wonky that I didn't like, the lyrics were wack, the instruments sounded pretty good thought which is why this isn't a 1. I get it was pioneering a sound, but it's a sound I don't like.
Alice Cooper
4/5
This was very nice. I liked the variety to the tracks a lot. The one random bluesy track was super fun. Cooper's voice sounded really good and he can change it around quite a bit. Everything sounded really good, really fun on this album. It does a really good job of capturing the feeling you get towards the end of the school year around May once it starts getting warm outside. Really solid.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
I mean they sound really nice, production is great, overall sound is really solid. Every song has a very similar vibe though which just kinda makes the album drag a bit. Not really my jam but they sound nice so if you like them good for you.
Neil Young
4/5
Look I like Neil Young and I will die on this hill. His voice is fine, sounds best on the tracks with the harmonies. The instruments sound great, it really does sound like an album some dudes just kinda recorded in someone's house which I dig. The lyrics are solid, good storytelling. He's quite the character and I like that. This album does a solid job of showing that.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I mean they sound really nice but honesty that's kinda the reason they aren't gonna get a 5 from me. They sound too perfect too good to be true. It kinda irritates me. Also most of the songs sound very, very similar. Very folksy. Nice harmonies of course but the whole album was just very folksy which isn't a bad thing just not really my cup of tea for a whole album.
Sonic Youth
2/5
They are fortunate this isn't a 1. The songs weren't wildly offensive so that's the only reason why. I just can't enjoy any band that is trying to be artsy and that's exactly what Sonic Youth is, a band trying to be artsy but not too hard. They aren't Public Image Ltd. bad, but it's still not really enjoyable. There's a reason there's standard tuning on a guitar. It's cause it sounds good. You don't need a bunch of wonky tunings, just chill out. It's not selling out if your music sounds good. Usually its a good thing, and something people strive for, to make you music sound good, not actively make it obnoxious.
Japan
2/5
Bleh boring late 70's synth pop. The synthy stuff was fine, kinda boring and repetitive (but that's how most synth pop goes), but not unpleasant on the ears. The dude's voice though, holy cow. That was unpleasant on the ears. That dude sucks at singing. Just straight up bad. Lyrics were totally whatever. Also, y'all are Brits, why is your band named Japan? There is nothing Japanese about what is going on here.
The Pharcyde
2/5
Eh. I had high hopes cause it was supposed to be an offset from gangsta rap but honestly it wasn't that good at all. I mean it was still better than like NWA but I will never listen to this again. Did not like. Bunch of stupid, pointless songs about getting high and banging chicks. Kinda sad that those two things are your highest priority in life. Also this suffers from the same thing most hip hop albums do in that it's just too long and has a bunch of songs that could 100% be cut and the album would not lose anything.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I already knew I really liked CCR's sound but had never listened to a full album by them. This was fantastic. They sound like an older, little more stripped back version of The Black Keys (another great band). Crazy that none of them are from the South and yet they sound like they came straight from the bayou. Love Fogerty's voice, love the slide guitar, love it all.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Really liked this. Dude had a nice voice, instruments sounded really good. Loved the delivery of everything, loved the feel. Lyrics were interesting and solid, everything just sounded really good, especially for this time. Normally I hate anything Britpop related but I really liked this. Only downside was the fact that allegedly this inspired Liam Gallagher which is incredibly unfortunate as Oasis is one of the worst things to come from Britain and wildly overrated.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
They sound good and they're great players but this is not really my vibe. This is old people country. Also, it's over 2 hours long. Thats obscene. Stop it. Not cool.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Okay so second CCR album in 5 days which is awesome. Fogerty's voice is incredible, lyrics are great. Instruments are played masterfully. I don't even mind the harmonica which is strange for me. Best track is "Good Golly Miss Molly". However, some of the tracks could be trimmed down, mainly tracks 3 and 7. That is why it's not getting a 5 cause I never thought that on any of the tracks on Cosmo's Factory. They just kinda drag on a bit. They sound great on them they just drag and make the songs feel long.
Depeche Mode
5/5
Okay so this album was really solid and normally I don't like synth/new wave type stuff very much. I knew the three singles but that was it. This falls into the same boat as Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen. My personal enjoyment was probably a 4 but I think this album was so well made and crafted that imma give it a 5 cause that's what I think it deserves.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
This kind of music just really isn't my jam. It's too much lovey dovey feel good type music. Just not my vibe. Musically it's fine, they sound fine. Falsetto is a little much and a little too often. Plus side album isn't very long.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
She had one of the greatest voices of all time, no doubt about it. Album was really great, lyrics were solid, very soulful, "Respect" is one of her best works (didn't know it was a cover until today). In my personal enjoyment this is probably a 4 but I think this album is worthy of a 5.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
This probably could've had a shot at a 5 if it wasn't so freaking long. But it is so it should be happy it's getting a 4. They sound great, love the harmonies, production is great. Songs were nice and varied. Overall sounded really nice just so long.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
I really waffled between a 2 and a 3 but I'll be generous I suppose. I really liked the overall vibe and the instruments. The guitar sounded great, drums and bass sounded very jazzy and laidback. But the dude's vocals. Holy cow they were awful. If you gave this below a 3 I would understand and would not argue I'm just in a good mood cause I'm about to leave for spring break 😁.
Small Faces
4/5
As I quite like psychedelic rock, I liked this album quite a bit. It was quite the adventure and was certainly unique. Sure the 19 minute song is an odyssey, but it was a fun and unique story. Loved the instruments and the way they played. There was one small part in the “Happiness Stan” song where the dude singing sounded like John Fogerty which I thought was funky.
Nirvana
5/5
Normally I'm not a big live album kind of guy. This was spectacular. It still kind of astounds me that Nirvana sounded so good on this considering how big and loud so much of their sound was. But they sound so, so good and much more personal on this. It really lets Cobain's voice shine and sounds much closer and more intimate than they do on any of their other albums. Loved that it wasn't just a greatest hits album but they did mostly deep cuts and covers, it works so well for them. They sound incredible and it really serves to highlight how much more they could've evolved if Cobain hadn't died. RIP Kurt.
Beatles
4/5
I’ve never been a huge Beatles fan and this doesn’t change my opinion. They were a great band who really pushed rock/pop music forwards but I don’t think you can appreciate that as much looking backwards as you can if you experienced it. I don’t think this is the best album of all time. It has some beautiful songs (“Golden Slumbers”, “Carry That Weight”) and some bangers (“Come Together”, “Oh! Darling”) but a bunch of other mid songs. Also I don’t like “Here Comes the Sun”. It’s a solid album that they sound really good on, but I don’t think it’s one of the best albums ever devised by man.
Yes
5/5
This was super cool. I wasn’t sure it would be my cup of tea when it started with and 8 and a half minute song but it was great. The bass is immaculate on this. The songs alternate tempos and dynamics really well, there isn’t constant lyrics which allows the instrumental parts to shine really well. Overall just sounded really, really good.
Finley Quaye
2/5
Okay reggae isn’t really my think to begin with and this didn’t change my mind. Normally reggae gets a 3 from me but this dude is buns. There’s a reason he made one album and then dropped off the face of the earth. This was not pleasant. The music was incredibly repetitive. Just the same phrase over and over and over again. So incredibly boring. Also he’s not even Jamaican so what’s up with the accent there bud?
Ice Cube
1/5
I don’t really understand how anyone can say this is a “good” album with a straight face. It’s just like all the other gangsta rap trash. Constant swearing, super derogatory of women, bragging bout how many people you’ve iced and how you hate the police. Also, most gangsta rappers rap about societal problems (or at least claim to), but don’t seem too concerned about actual change, they seem content to wallow in their filth.
Santana
4/5
Short, sweet and full of most excellent guitar playing.
Coldplay
5/5
I've listened to this album several times before and it still holds up. There is not a single bad song on this album and I will die on this hill. Coldplay does not deserve all the hate that they get for some reason. Sure, any album past Mylo Xyloto is questionable at best, but everything up to and including that album is amazing. Just beautiful, they sound great, everything is great. I'm convinced that the people who hate on this and Coldplay in general are incapable of having fun and are the same people with sticks up their buts who think Radiohead and Public Image Ltd. are God's gift to music and going to save music from itself.
The National
4/5
This would have had a good chance to get a 5 if the dud just annunciated a bit more. Sometimes that's not really a problem for me (Eddie Veder) but this dude does not have Veder's voice. Loved the overall sound of the band and the way they played. Couldn't really understand the lyrics. Loved the overall feel besides the lead dude's voice and the way he sings.
Method Man
2/5
Whatever. This dude doesn't rap impressively, can barely understand him (although that may be because of the production as well), and the lyrics are (shocker) pretty bland and trashy. I don't get the hype and if this is what the Wu-Tang Clan sounds like I'm not impressed.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Meh. I was really expecting more. I don't really get why this was on the list, it's just another meh brit album that was totally mid and I will forget I ever listened to in about 20 minutes.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This album is one of the best executed concept albums I have ever heard. Not only is it musically and instrumentally superb, but the lyrics fit the songs and what the band is trying to accomplish with this album really, really well. I love how the songs flow into each other. Personal enjoyment would probably be 4/5 for me but this is a masterpiece so it will be getting a 5.
Norah Jones
5/5
She's got a wonderful voice, absolutely beautiful accompaniment, very nice and cozy feel to this. Great album from top to bottom I really loved this.
Dr. Octagon
1/5
Lord above, if anyone tells you this fool is good, or that this album is one of the best, most innovative rap albums of all time, they are lying straight to your face. This was awful. Dude is just some horny pervert who just says random crap every other line that makes no sense, and when it does, it's just disgusting. This was awful.
Joy Division
3/5
Okay, I can recognize what they're trying to do here with the stripped down, bare sound reflecting the message of their lyrics. That doesn't mean I enjoy it cause the dude's voice is icky and it's not a very pleasant listen. However I can appreciate it to some degree, hence the 3.
Television
3/5
Eh. I guess I can appreciate their impact but the dude's voice is bleh. Musically it was fine but the songs kinda drag for quite a while.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Not their best album that we've had but still solid and I think I'm gonna give it a 4 just because of all the crap we've had recently. They play their instruments super well and while yes a lot of the lyrics are pretty demeaning towards women, it's nothing compared to the gangsta rap we've had recently. "Paint it Black" is one of their best ever.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I really enjoyed this, maybe not it being over an hour long but overall really liked this. My favorite parts were by far the tracks where they just kinda spasmed out like "The Ledge" and "I Know I'm Not Wrong". The tracks were they sounded most Fleetwood Mac-like I didn't love, wish it was most spastic. They harmonize really well. Overall really liked.
Eagles
4/5
I liked this, not as much as Hotel California but their harmonies are just so good. Like Henley's voice more than Frey's but they both sound pretty good. Really liked "Witchy Woman". They sound really good.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
What the heck was this old fart doing. He keeps wavering back and forth on whether or not he wants to actually try to sing or just kinda moan out random words. Instrumentally it's incredibly boring. Also the out of sync backing vocals on some of the songs is just painful not artistic. Just bleh.
Billy Joel
5/5
I get why Billy gets some of the hate he does but this album is great. Feels very New York in the late 70s. Love most of the songs on here, last one and “Just the Way You Are” were my least favorites but otherwise just phenomenal. Does what he does best at his best.
The Offspring
4/5
Okay, love parts of this album. "Come Out and Play" is one of their best songs, takes me back to middle school. "Self Esteem" is another straight banger. Love the fast and furious, really punk feeling songs in the middle. I think the lyrics of most punk bands are really undervalued, which is especially true of The Offspring. This is not the best punk album of the time (I think Dookie is better) nor is it The Offspring's best album (Let the Bad Times Roll is). But it is a very solid album. Don't love the long silence leading into a secret song at the end, but it is very 90's. Only reason this isn't a 5 is cause I know they have better albums, and while I agree this should be on the list, I don't think it is 5 star worthy.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Really solid. Very punk feeling. Like the energy of the songs and the instrumentation. Lyrics were solid. I'm on the fence about whether or not I like his voice but it was okay on this album.
Haircut 100
2/5
I am so sick of the mid Brit-pop crap that keeps popping up. This album was mid at best but I'm mad I even had to listen to it so it's getting a 2. Nothing about this album (or the band) is special. Stupid bubblegum pop music. Bleh.
Culture Club
2/5
I knew this was gonna be a rough one when it started out with "Karma Chameleon". I hate that song. It's just the same refrain over and over again, and it gets stuck in my head and will not leave. There's no way the rest of the album would follow in the same vein right? SHOCKER, it does. Boy George just repeats some 1-2 lines over and over for about 3 minutes with the same musical refrain playing in the background. Rinse and repeat for an entire album. 80's pop sucks. Also the album cover is just terrible. Like what are the three dudes doing on the left? They just look like three guys from the gym, are they even a part of the band? Also Boy George's face kinda creeps me out.
The Cure
5/5
I was leaning towards just a 4 but then "Fascination Street" and "Prayers for Rain" came on and I was like wow this is really good. Love the ethereal, chorusy guitar, really floats along in the background. The bass is superb, doesn't try to do too much, but does an excellent job of pushing the songs along and driving them, otherwise things could really drag. Smith's voice is great and really helps tie the whole album together and give it a cohesive feeling.
Van Halen
5/5
I wish I had been around when this first came out and it was new to the world. I still remember the first time I heard "Eruption" and it absolutely blew my mind (it still does every time I hear it). This album opens with four absolute bangers and then carries on from there. Obviously Eddie and David Lee are the flashiest parts of the band, but Anthony's vocals might be the most underrated part of this band, they are superb and on point, remind me of John Frusciante's vocals. Alex is great on drums. "Ice Cream Man" is by far the weakest track on here but everything else is superb. Eddie was one of the best to ever do it, wish I could have seen him live. Also "you know you're semi-good looking" is an absolute bar.
Suede
2/5
Okay so first off, these are the fools I have to thank for Britpop. Yippee. Secondly, I thought this could get a 4 through the first three songs, then I got gradually more irked as the album went on. This has got to be one of the most pretentious albums of all time, like Radiohead levels of "woe is me" poor tortured misunderstood artist. Bleh. Lyrics were pretentious, the way the fool sang, trying to be all dramatic and such, pretentious and bleh. This album just irritated me. Now I'm in a bad mood and have to listen to a Radiohead album so thanks for that album generator.
Radiohead
2/5
Having now listened to three of Radiohead's albums and supposedly one of their best, I now feel no remorse in saying that they are the most overrated band of all time. This album in particular is quite possibly the most overrated album I've ever had the misfortune to listen to. I just do not see what people hear in this or the band. The music is all over the place, which I get is a statement they are trying to make, but that doesn't make it pleasant to listen to. The lyrics are meh I guess, I wouldn't really know cause I have no idea what Yorke is trying to say. Thom Yorke should not be allowed near a microphone. The dude CAN NOT SING. It is painful in the extreme to listen to him. If someone can explain the vision to me then great, maybe my mind will change, but all anyone ever says is "this is one of the greatest albums of all time" but nobody can tell me WHY. It certainly isn't because of the vocals, and the musical arrangements don't seem particularly special either. SO WHAT GIVES WHY IS THIS SO HYPED UP? Don't believe the hype people this trash is not worth it.
The Police
3/5
I really wanted to give this a four but I just don't think it gets to a 4. If tracks 2, 7, and 9 weren't on this it would probably get a 4 but they really drag down the album. They just aren't good. Otherwise The Police sound really good. "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" are classics but otherwise the songs are either okay and decent or kinda bleh. Kinda disappointed I was expecting big things from them.
OutKast
3/5
I mean, I liked it more than a lot of the rap/hip-hop albums we've had on this list but that doesn't mean I loved it. It suffers from the same problems a lot of them do such as a lot of trashy songs with pointless/worthless lyrics and being entirely, annoyingly too long. Seriously, like every rap album made between 1980 and 2015 is over an hour for absolutely no reason. Just obnoxious. This album wasn't awful, Outkast can spit for sure and the lyrics in parts were interesting but overall just too long. Did like that they said "Break" after every interlude/skit, I dunno why but that made me smile.
Joy Division
3/5
Meh. This is about on par with their other album we had, "Closer". Dude still can't sing. Just kinda painful. Musically it's okay, I can appreciate the stripped down sound to match the lyrics, that works well. But seriously this man cannot sing. I will never listen to Joy Division by choice in my spare time. Another forgettable Brit band.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This was their best album we've had so far. Absolutely loved it. I loved the mix ups between having Page featured prominently on "Heartbreaker", Bonham on "Moby Dick", Jones on "The Lemon Song" and tying it all together was Plant's vocals. Loved "Thank You" as a nice change of pace on the album. Felt like everything was super cohesive and sounded phenomenal.
The Dandy Warhols
2/5
After the first track I was like, okay this is getting a 2, I can't understand a lick of what this dude is mumbling. Then after track 2 I was like okay maybe a 4, I really like this. I never thought that again after track 2. Most of this was trashy, mumbly lyrics that were either plain and I did not care about or they were just super sexual for no reason other than this dude be horny. Musically it was okay, sometimes really good, but often really boring (tracks 13 and 14). Also being over an hour is obnoxious, y'a'll ain't that good.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Parts sounded really good but the dudes voice is no bueno. Liked the female artists more. Overall sound was good but could’ve been a whole lot better. A lot better than I was expecting though, was expecting some sort of artsy prog rock, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Dr. Dre
1/5
Wow. I don't understand why these fools are so idolized in the world of music. This was a miserable experience. Absolutely hated every second of it. Lyrics were just the same bs repeated over and over again, they ain't even inventive. All they care about is sex, drugs, and shooting peeps. What a sad life. Their rapping is meh, lyrics are awful, just awful all around. I cannot respect anyone who think this is one of the greatest albums of all time. This was trash in every sense of the word.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
I was like okay a 3, this is fine. Then track 7 hit and I was like nah. This is getting a 2. It just annoyed me and lasted way too long. Didn't like, sounds made me uncomfortable. The rest of thes songs were never better than meh, so I feel no pressure to give it a better rating than its weakest link.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Johnny Cash is a legend for a reason. I mean who else records multiple live albums in prisons. And they're really, really good too. He is one of the rare artists that gain a lot from having a live album, it shows the versatility and the impact his songs have. Songwriting is great like usual. The crowd interactions are great too, add some nice flavor. Easy 5.
Cornershop
3/5
I mean it was pleasant on the ears I suppose but the lyrics were meh (the ones in English at least). Also didn't really love the dude's voice. And the album kinda dragged for a while. Meh.
Steely Dan
3/5
It was nice enough, but I feel like my complaint with this is the same with the other Steely Dan we've had. Musically I'd give it a 4 or 5 but the lyrics don't do anything for me. I'm just kinda meh about them. If someone put on Steely Dan I'd be totally okay with that but it's not going to be something I request. I can respect a Steely Dan enthusiast, but I am not one of them.
T. Rex
3/5
I don't get why T. Rex are so revered but that's just me. They sound good but that's it. Nothing really struck me as incredible or profound. I was never like "Woah that's super cool". Therefore they get a mid 3 stars. I'm convinced Britain keeps trying to gaslight the rest of the world into thinking they have a ton of incredible musical talent that just ends up being mid (or trash cough cough Radiohead) and kinda disappointing, to try to be relevant. Stay in your lane you silly little island.
The Pogues
4/5
I'll be generous and give it a 4 cause I'm done with classes for the semester. Love the Irish feel and the accent, the songs were fund and interesting. Stories were solid. Felt like the lead dude was forcing his brogue a bit on some of the songs, like trying to lean too deep into it. Otherwise solid.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
This was cool. First time I've listened to a Mali artist, couldn't understand anything obviously, but he sounded really good. Loved the sound and the overall feel of this album. Very nice.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Okay this is getting a lite 4 but it could have been a solid 4 (3.5 is a more accurate rating imo). Voice was solid, loved the broody, dark feel to it, fit great with the album. Most of the album was really solid musically. Lyrics were good. The drum machine though. Like I get it, this was the thing for some reason in the 80's but Lord above drum machines are trash. They sound bad, sooooooooo fake. Was it really that hard to find a drummer during the 80's? What was going on? Nobody actually thinks they sound good. Chill out with the fake drums and synths. Otherwise this was a pleasant and surprisingly good album.
Rod Stewart
4/5
Okay so apparently lots of people hate Rod Stewart, didn't know that. Personally I liked this. Loved the layers to the strings, that sounded really good. I really liked his voice (I'm a sucker to scratchy gravely voices like Mark Lanegan). Wish it was a bit harder, or maybe more folksy, I dunno it's kinda in the middle which is fine but nothing more. The lyrics were pretty mid tbh. I'm in a good mood though so I'll be generous.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Really, really good. I think I liked this more than Paranoid. Crazy that they did obscene amounts of cocaine and still sounded this good. Screaming Trees did a cover of “Tomorrow’s Dream” which is actually the first time I heard that song. Really nice variety. They sound great on all the tracks.
The Black Keys
4/5
I am a Black Keys fan and this is a really solid album. But it’s not their best. It’s really, really solid, very pleasant to listen to and miles above most of the trash we have to endure on this list (like Britpop). But it is not their best. El Camino takes all the elements of this album and does them better. If that album isn’t on this list and only Brothers is, then that is a crying shame.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Whatever. Her voice sounds great but she just does too much with it. Like way, way too much. The lyrics are fluffy throwaways that mean nothing. Literally just copy and paste for an entire album cause every song sounds the same. Bleh.
The Auteurs
2/5
Whatever. Totally mid Brit rock that I could not care less about. Dudes voice is mildly annoying (par for the course). The lyrics are bleh cause they try to do too much and be too deep with them (naturally). I feel nothing other than mildly annoyed that I had to listen to this.
Paul Simon
4/5
He has a great voice, the South African musicians sound great as well. The lyrics are solid and well done, Simon is a great storyteller. However, I don't really want an entire album that's just stories. It's too bright and sunny for me. It's a very pleasant album which is kinda why it rankles me a wee bit. It sounds too bright.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Okay. She had a very distinct voice that, for the most part I like, but this album didn't really do it for me. On the slower stuff I think she sounds a lot weaker which is unfortunate. The backing band sounded really nice, liked them a lot. Overall this doesn't really do it for me one way or the other. Do not like the album cover art, it's just too much.
Green Day
5/5
Easiest 5 I’ve given out so far. I absolutely love this album, one of my all time favorites. There is not a bad song on this album. Every single one tells a story, has really solid lyrics. The songs are really well written, the sound is incredible. Love the anger and the way a lot of the songs have bite to them. Normally I think long songs are stupid but “Jesus of Suburbia” and “Homecoming” are incredible, especially since they’re so underplayed compared to the singles off this album. Literally nothing bad to say about this album, it is fantastic.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
He sounded great, love the feel, really well performed. I do wish each song wasn’t as long or that the album wasn’t as long but it was nice. Good background dinner music.
The Lemonheads
4/5
I have a soft spot for fuzzy punkish bands and this is one of them. They sound really solid, play their stuff really well, dudes voice is close to being too whiny but doesn’t cross the line. This wasn’t an album I’ll ever put back on again but it is one I enjoyed and would have fond memories of if someone put it on or talked about it.
Venom
1/5
Well that was awful. Y’all need Jesus. TBH in a lot of this album it was kinda cheesy, felt very much like they wanted to seem super hardcore so they included a bunch of satan worship. This was trash.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Solid. Not the best CCR album we’ve had (that would be Cosmo’s Factory) but still really solid. Great palate cleanser from Venom earlier this morning.
Nas
3/5
Another hip hop album that I absolutely do not get the hype about. Sure he’s really good at rapping but the lyrics are realistic and have nice flow at best. But that’s it. He doesn’t seem to want to rise above the streets that he’s talking about. He’s merely content to chronicle them.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Okay. I mean he sounded good and the lyrics were fine if weird. Don’t think he’s all the Beatles made him out to be. Just fine.
Talking Heads
3/5
I have learned now after two of their albums that I am not a Talking Heads fan. Sure “Burning Down the House” is a banger but the two albums we’ve had from them have not lived up to the hype. They should be glad they’re getting a 3 and not a 2 here. Byrne’s voice is not great and I can’t understand anything he says. They’re just so weird and artsy it’s not for me.
The Stooges
2/5
I appreciate how much influence yall had on later bands but this just ain’t for me. The instruments were solid in places but this album took a serious downward turn around track 5. The tracks got uber long and Iggy just kinda went off the rails. He reminds me a bit of Anthony Kiedis. Not really a fan of this one.
Otis Redding
4/5
He sounds great, I only knew “The Dock of the Bay” before this but his voice is incredible. Lots of emotion and oomph to it. Really tragic that he died at 26, lots of potential. This was great, although the album does kinda drag after the first couple songs.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Fantastic album. Much better than Licensed to Ill and better than Paul’s Boutique. The songs are fun, they sound really good, the group isn’t taking themselves seriously at all which is refreshing. Love the instrumental type tracks sprinkled throughout, mixes up the album quite nicely. “Sabotage” has one of the greatest bass riffs of all time and I will die on this hill.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
This is that same artsy, avant-garde, pretentious bs that Radiohead falls into. I was done with this album after 2 songs. It’s pathetic hippy music that rends my very core. Bleh. There should be more Soundgarden on this list.
2/5
This was dumb. I bet these guys felt real cool and edgy when they made this. They are this was stupid they just kept repeating stuff and it was really annoying. Everything about this album annoyed me.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Well that was something. This would’ve had a legit shot at a 4 if it wasn’t ALMOST THREE HOURS LONG. Wholly unnecessary. Sounded really nice but I didn’t want to spend pretty much all of my afternoon with this droning on in the background. If they hadn’t switched vocalists every now and then I would’ve lost my mind so I appreciated that.
Stan Getz
4/5
They sound great, and it was a very pleasant listen (and short too!), but I’m not somebody who sits down and is like wow I really want to listen to some jazz right now. Maybe that’ll happen when I turn 60 like a light switch but that day has not come yet.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
“Earth to your brain, is anyone home?” Love the lyricism, the way it flows over the beats, the samples, the occasional scratching. It all fits so seamlessly. I went into this knowing that bare minimum I can tolerate ATCQ but I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. Loved the jazzy feel to the beats and rhythms. The lyrics are great, tell stories poke fun at stereotypes and are otherwise just worlds apart from the asinine gangsta rap that would come to so heavily influence hip hop and rap. Really wish it had been this album and others like it that had a greater influence. Despite it being over an hour I did not mind in the slightest which is rare for any hip hop/rap album. “Description of a Fool” was a great track to end on and perfectly encapsulates what I love about this album and hate about gangsta rap.
Death In Vegas
2/5
Totally mid and boring. The beats and buildups are boring, the occasional vocals are painful and boring, this whole thing is boring, England is boring.
The Dictators
2/5
I really thought this had a chance when I saw it was protopunk. Alas this fell well short of my expectations. The lyrics, while sarcastic and funny in places, for the most part were delivered in a way that just made me cringe. Some very nice shredding in parts but overall this whole album just made me cringe and wish it would end. Did like the shot at Lou Reed though.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This was really solid. It probably deserves a five but I really didn’t like the last track and it’s a bit on the longer side (we’ve had a lot of long ones so I’m kinda pissed about that). Cave’s voice is great for this kinda album. He always has pretty deep and introspective lyrics and this doesn’t disappoint. Very solid and very well done. Again, this should probably be getting a five but I personally didn’t enjoy it enough for it to get there.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Look, yes it’s MJ, The King of Pop, it has three incredibly famous tracks that are super catchy (although Chris Cornell’s cover of “Billie Jean” is far superior to the original and I will die on that hill), it is incredibly clean and polished pop/funk, and yes it is the most successful album of all time. But it just doesn’t do it for me. There’s some catchy stuff of here but the album as a whole, just not for me. Never adored MJ, probably never will. I can respect how he changed music but he’s just not my jam.
Gorillaz
2/5
These guys probably really like Radiohead.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
They sound really good, although I have no idea what they were singing half the time. Kinda all blended together though so didn’t love it. Sounded nice though.
Tears For Fears
4/5
Some really solid songs on here but I can only do so much Tears for Fears and Curt Smith’s voice. Overall it’s really good, but just not really my style for a lot of it.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I hate the bubbly, sunny sound of this brand of California music. The songs all blur together, it sets my teeth on edge. The only reason this isn’t a 1 is because they do a great job with the harmonies. Otherwise I hate pretty much everything here.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Really nice. Couldn’t understand a word but didn’t have to. Great sound, great backing vocals, really well done. Liked the variety too. This is what I was hoping this list would do more of.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Her voice is fine for a couple songs but an entire album kinda grates on me. I do love the emotion she can pack into a track though that is nice.
GZA
2/5
I just don't get the appeal of the gangsta, street rap. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up on the streets but I dunno. Anyways, this is just the same ole same ole, a rapper talking bout how they many peeps they've shot, how much drugs they're slinging. I didn't hate this as much as NWA or Dre but I did not enjoy.
B.B. King
3/5
Meh. This didn't really do it for me. Was really expecting something more from what is touted to be one of the best live albums of all time. There have been others on this list that I enjoyed a lot more.
Lou Reed
2/5
This was incredibly boring. The lyrics were meh, just super melodramatic sad lyrics. Don't like his voice at all. Really boring don't get the hype.
Bob Dylan
1/5
Next time we get a Dylan album someone please, please for the love of God shoot me. I just CANT DEAL ANYMORE. I will reiterate: his stupid, whiny, nasally voice is nails on chalkboard for me. ALMOST EVERY SONG HAS A HARMONICA IN IT. WTF DYLAN YOURE ALREADY ANNOYING WHY DOUBLE DOWN??!! And then there’s the lyrics which are just fever dream rambles. Also the fact that the songs get progressively longer on this album really pisses me off. Also listening to this while waiting in line at the DMV just makes it worse. I think I’ve talked myself into giving this a 1 even though it shouldn’t be I’m just so mad at ole Bob right now I don’t care.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Really good, sounded really nice but got kinda repetitive as it went on. Solid but not phenomenal.
The Style Council
2/5
Why are there so many utterly mid Brit bands on this stupid list. Dudes voice is whiny and doesn’t sound good falsetto (which he does a lot). Lyrics are just bland like plain spaghetti. Overall sound is fine but wouldn’t like more instrumental tracks, they sounded best on those. Otherwise totally mid and did not need to hear this before I died.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Normally I like a lot of the international stuff they’ve put on this list but not this. It was about 30 minutes too long and he kinda repeated the same lines over and over again.
Sparks
3/5
Aight musically I like it. I like the composition of the songs, I like the witty lyrics they’re really solid. Only thing holding this album back from being really good is the dude’s voice. It’s like a rip off of Rush’s frontman. The falsetto is bad and it happens on every song. Really unfortunate.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Okay I can appreciate the great lyrical writing that Bob Marley possessed and exhibited on this album. It is fantastic and remarkable. However, reggae has never (and probably never will) done if for me. It’s just the same beat and refrain for the entire song. I like a little more variety in my songs. Just not my preferred genre. This was a very solid album and if you gave this a 5 I would not argue.
5/5
This was my first time listening through this all the way and it is a masterpiece. The three opening songs are just works of art. They showcase Bono’s vocals so well, lyrics are phenomenally written, the drums and bass provide the perfect background canvas for the Edge to float over top of, it’s just all done so, so well. Underrated gems, at least for me personally, “Bullet the Blue Sky” and “Exit”. This is such a well conceived album that perfectly captures the feeling and idea they are going for of wide open spaces and the American west. Just phenomenal.
John Prine
2/5
Ugh. Another Dylan. Literally the exact same shtick as ole Bob. Bleh
Kate Bush
3/5
All the songs on here sound the same. Bunch of synth and drum machine and then some weird lyrics on top of it. Not my jam although “Running Up That Hill” is a great song. Pretty mid album otherwise.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
This is tough. Do I rate it as I imagine it felt back when I came out? Cause then it would be a 5. Do I rate it in its modern context where it is no longer as revolutionary as it was in the late 60’s? I can’t ignore the flow of time and history so imma go with a 4. Obviously incredible voice, the arrangements are well done, but they’re very simple which makes sense to let Aretha’s voice shine, but I dunno I find that a little boring.
Cream
4/5
I'm always down for some psychedelic rock, especially if it involves one Eric Clapton and this was a fun and very solid listen. Didn't blow me away but really solid. Loved the tracks where Clapton just kinda spasmed out in the background. "Sunshine of Your Love" is a classic for a reason, "Tales of Brave Ulysses" was an unexpected gem. I do wish the drums had been higher in the mix, they were really fun but kinda hard to make out on some tracks which was a shame.
R.E.M.
4/5
I do love that I can tell what Stipe is saying but still have no idea what he means, he’s like a reverse Eddie Veder on this album. Everyone sounds really good it’s just that about half the album doesn’t make me feel anything, just doesn’t really do anything for me. Sleeper songs, “Lightnin’ Hopkins” and “Oddfellows Local 151”. Have no idea what those songs are about but they sound good.
Liz Phair
2/5
I can appreciate the lyrics and what she’s trying to do with them. But that’s it. The stripped down, intimate feel for this album made it more painful cause it just spotlighted her voice even more. I do not like her voice. No me gusta. Bleh. Also it’s almost an hour, that’s just not necessary.
Tom Tom Club
1/5
What is this. Why am I supposed to be impressed by this? It was just weird and annoying and the songs lasted waaaaay too long. The only reason this is on the list is cause it’s two of the members of Talking Heads. Honestly I’m so annoyed by this that I’m giving it a 1.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
I’m always down for some psychedelic/acid rock and this started off really strong. Loved the first half, great energy, fantastic playing and solos. The second half though was just completely devoid of all the energy of the first half. Was quite boring honestly and that really disappointed me. If it had kept that energy and power for the whole album this probably would have gotten a 4 maybe a 5.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I can appreciate the lyrical skills Kendrick has and the stories he tells. He’s a great storyteller and his songs are super complex, which is more than can be said for most of the “classic” rap albums that are on this list we’ve had so far. I do think this is much, much better than a lot of the rap albums we’ve had and it’s light years beyond gangsta rap in terms of lyrical content and storytelling. However, it does suffer from the same drawback that almost every other rap album suffers from of just being too long. It doesn’t need to be over an hour. That’s just not necessary.
Michael Jackson
2/5
Too much falsetto, the songs are just too long when he’s just repeating the same thing over and over, they all sound the same, I’m really not impressed which is a shame considering it’s the King of Pop.
Black Flag
4/5
Solid fast and furious punk. Solid lyrics well done, sounded great. Really liked.
Anita Baker
3/5
Her voice is solid, not my favorite R&B voice. The songs kinda blur together after a while. Great background music but not something I’d ever request.
Tim Buckley
2/5
🥱🥱🥱 he’s like a knockoff Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen.
Brian Eno
3/5
Not really about that prog/experimental rock. Just kinda repeats itself over and over. I don’t see the vision.
The Byrds
3/5
It’s fine I guess. It was also super influential I suppose. Didn’t really do anything for me. They feel like The Doors where I know I’m supposed to appreciate them and how they influenced music but I can’t. I don’t really get it. It is nice and short though.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Really solid debut. Not as good as some of their later work but still really good. Guitar is phenomenal. RIP Ozzy
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I’m gonna give this a 4 even though I didn’t particularly love it, but, much like Nebraska, I think it deserves it. If someone gave this a 5 I wouldn’t fight them at all. The lyrics are great, he’s a great storyteller. Nice variety across the album, including with Bruce’s voice. Very solid album by The Boss.
The Who
3/5
I don’t much care for the Who and this album did not change my mind. It’s a good concept I just don’t think they executed it very well. It’s all just fine nothing really extraordinary imo.
The Temptations
4/5
Good. Groovy. Funky. Really no complaints.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
I liked some of the songwriting skills she showed here, but some of it just felt kinda preachy and then very repetitive, especially on some of the earlier tracks. Also do not like her voice. I’m really torn between a 3 and a 4 here so we shall see what I give this in the morning I could go either way and live with it.
Willie Nelson
5/5
This was a superb cover album. It is not any easy thing to do a cover album this well but Willie killed it. Normally I’m kinda lukewarm about Willie but this was really, really well done. Would very much like to listen to this again on a cool fall day out on the front porch.
Steve Earle
3/5
Totally mid. Did nothing for me. I don’t see why this is supposed to be influential or important.
David Bowie
3/5
Another day, another Bowie album I don’t get.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
She’s just okay by herself. Wash actually kinda disappointed that most of it was in English, wanted more Portuguese.
Calexico
3/5
It was interesting I guess but nothing really blew me away. Nice blend of different sounds and styles. Last half kinda drug on in parts.
Can
2/5
Wow what a ride. Thought it was weird but quite interesting at first and then it all went downhill, specifically on tracks 4, 5, and 6. Honestly if they hadn’t had a vocalist they probably would get a higher rating but he was just spasming out on those tracks and they were waaaaaaay too long.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
good, nothing extraordinary. I felt nothing other than slight boredom when listening to this. It's pretty short though so that's nice.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Normally it's not a big deal for me that I can't understand an international album but this one seemed to have a lot of emphasis on its lyrics as many of them were supposed to be political statements. I don't speak Portuguese so all of that is kinda lost on me. Musically it didn't really seem to be doing anything, just kinda all over the place and not in a super enjoyable way.
Ray Price
3/5
Meh. Boring, very plain and traditional country. I don't really see why it's supposed to be so important but what do I know.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
I quite liked this. Fun little composition for an album, some blues, jazz, and rock all mixed together. Also really liked lead guy's voice. Overall very pleasant and I think I would listen to it again. Didn't knock my socks off but still very good.
The Cardigans
3/5
It's good, nothing special, sounds fine, enjoyable enough. Nothing impressive don't really see why this is on the list but you know it didn't suck so I guess I'll take it.
The Adverts
4/5
Imma give this a 4 because I think it deserves it with the way it was made and its quality, not because I loved it. I was kinda ambivalent about it which is weird cause I like punk. I think I'm just tired of British people. They got solid lyrics, nice variety, not super screamo, overall solid (the album not the British).
Kings of Leon
4/5
Okay so, unlike many hits from when I was a kid, I don’t hate “Sex on Fire” or “Use Somebody” (the latter of which I quite like). I also think they have solid songwriting skills and I love Caleb’s voice. However, their albums as a whole tend to bleed together, one song into another. Also like 85% of the lyrics are kinda impossible to understand because Caleb never annunciates at all. I do think it’s a really solid album, but not an incredible album.
Kid Rock
3/5
So like first half of the album passed and I was thinking this was gonna get a 4 but then there were just a few too many tracks that just made me cringe and then of course the 12 minute song at the end because why not.
Carole King
3/5
It was cool I guess. She sounded good, the songs were pretty well written. It didn’t really do anything for me though and I fail to see how this had a profound impact on music in the long term.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Meh. They don't seem to have had a huge influence. His voice wasn't great (Billie Joe's is better) and their lyrics were simplistic and repetitive. Overall, kinda sucky and, unlike most punk albums, overstayed its welcome. Disappointing
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This probably would've been a 5 if he had the vocal control of his later albums like Nebraska or Born in the USA. Alas, he did not at this point and that kinda hurt the rating here. His storytelling is immaculate, hurts and makes it feel real and yet joyful in a howling at the moon sort of way. Also the random saxophone solos in every song was great, for many other artists it would feel cheesy and forced. This man has earned his reputation and respect.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Meh. I don't see what the fuss is about. He sounds like every other 60's country album that is made by Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson. Didn't really like.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
Was pleasant enough to listen to but my goodness was it boring and repetitive. Just the same sounds looped over, and over, and over again. Nothing original or special about this. Also it was just too long.
Gang Starr
4/5
Really like the lyrics and writing on this one. A very pleasant surprise. Reminds me a bit of Tribe Called Quest. DJ Premier does a great job on this album. Really solid from top to bottom. Like most hip-hop/rap albums, it's just too long. It doesn't need to be pushing an hour. Just chill out guys.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
This sucked. More bland, repetitive, annoying, pointless British pop music by some nobodies that were only mildly famous in the UK for like 3 years. This did nothing musically, just was kinda there in the background while I did homework. Why did I need to listen to this before I died? The last song made me want to die low-key.
Wild Beasts
3/5
Musically I quite liked it but the dude's voice just drove me nuts. If he hadn't sung like he did for the entire album, this would be getting a 4.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
This was lovely. Kept me from doing something drastic while watching my Tar Heels get railed by TCU during Bill Belichick’s debut. Probably would be a 5 if I understood jazz better (or like, at all). Really nice.
The Kinks
3/5
This isn't as good as Arthur of the Decline and Fall of the British Empire. It lacks cohesion and feels kinda disjointed. I just don't really know where they were going with this, the songs feel really all over the place. Nothing really stuck out to me or made me go wow. Slightly disappointed.
John Cale
4/5
Really nice. Was very hesitant when I read that he cofounded The Velvet Underground but this was so much better than any of their stuff. Sounded really nice, lyrics were solid. Overall just a very enjoyable experience.
Mudhoney
4/5
Okay so this one is gonna get a bit of a boost because of the impact Mudhoney had on the burgeoning grunge scene. Honestly, if this group had any of the bigger grunge band's frontmen (Veder, Cornell, Cobain, Staley, Lanegan) it would be getting a 5. I love the music and what they're doing on this album, lyrics are really solid too, I just can't really get past Arm's vocals. Really don't like them. Love everything else and their sound, the punky, fuzzy, sloppy sound, just not the vocals.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I dunno if having had to listen to two of their albums already colored my opinion (it probably has), but I hate Sonic Youth. Yes, this album (like some of their others) has brief sections that are pleasant and sound good and are doing interesting things musically. HOWEVER, the vast majority of this is just screaming, be it from a fuzzed out guitar (that's also out of tune because that's aRtSy) or someone literally screaming. I don't understand what's supposed to be so profound about Sonic Youth. I just don't get it. It's just painful. Also this album is way too long.
Don McLean
5/5
Really, really solid album. Usually I'm kinda hesitant to listen to singer-songwriters (thanks Bob Dylan) but this was great. Great voice, great songwriting, just beautiful all over. Obviously having "American Pie" will help lift your album a lot, but the rest did not disappoint at all. Really beautiful.
Mike Ladd
2/5
The vast majority of albums that are "critically acclaimed" and praised by music "critics" but don't sell at all or make their way into the public consciousness whatsoever, are complete trash and hard to listen to. This album is a great example of this. Like most hip-hop/rap albums, it's entirely too long. It drags a bunch in places. Also, this dude sucks at rapping. His lyrics make no sense. This isn't special. Only reason it's not a 1 is cause some of the musical parts are interesting.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I don't think her voice is as good on this one as on later albums but it's still very solid. Liked the lyrics on some of the songs, if her voice sounded like it did on later stuff this would get a 4 but it kinda irked me in parts.
The Youngbloods
4/5
Really nice, pleasant listen. Liked it more than I thought I would.
Duran Duran
3/5
It's new wave, it's fine, I don't love it, I don't really understand the hype about synthesizers, they're cool I guess. Duran Duran just doesn't do anything for me. Also "Hungry Like the Wolf" really annoys me for some reason. If you like New Wave you probably love this, I don't so it's just kinda meh for me.
Soft Cell
2/5
It was fine I guess. Some weird songs (“Sex Dwarf”), a great song (“Tainted Love”), and a bunch of mid, really annoying songs (the rest of the album). Just kinda repeated the same lines over and over. I don’t really understand why this is supposed to be an important album.
Def Leppard
1/5
If I could logically explain my hatred for Def Leppard I would. Alas, I don’t even fully comprehend it myself. However, it is there, and it is a burning hatred. Maybe it’s the fact that they repeat a chorus 5,000 times during a song. Maybe it’s the fact that all of their songs sound like carbon copies of each other. Maybe it’s the fact that their vocals sound incredibly forced and plastic. Maybe they just suck and my hatred is deserved (it probably isn’t). Bright side is that if “Foolin” wasn’t written, produced, and tainted by them, I would consider it a good song. I dunno what to tell yah guys, I just hate all of the music I’ve ever heard you play. Talk to Bob Dylan.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I really didn't care for this one as much as his other stuff. Just didn't really do it for me. The lyrics were solid in places but nothing blew me away. Also his voice kinda annoyed me on this one. I can do his voice for about half an hour, but the extra 10 minutes had me a little annoyed.
The Pogues
4/5
This is one of the bands that makes me happy to have done this little project. It's a band I never would've found otherwise, they're great (not spectacular but great), lot of fun to listen to, and I thoroughly enjoy.
U2
4/5
Honestly I like Joshua Tree more. Some of this kinda drug on (last half). Still a great album, just not their best so no 5.
3/5
I think me being so far removed from a pre-Beatles world prevents me from appreciating the Beatles as much as others rave about them. I also think if I was on acid or seriously stoned I would enjoy this (and other Beatles albums, I'm looking at you White Album) a lot more. However, I was not when I heard this so it's just kinda meh. It sounds nice, if kinda weird. I dunno this just really doesn't do anything for me and I don't really understand in an emotional sense (I can understand it in an academic sense) the impact this had on music in general. Call me stupid if you want, I don't really care, this album is kinda mid.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Pretty solid. Didn’t like how breathy the sax sounded but I dunno if that’s cause this is super old and recording has come a long way. Otherwise very interesting and nice listen. Wonky rhythms which I liked
Motörhead
2/5
I’m so torn with this. On the one hand, I love the way they play. It’s hard. It’s fast. It’s loud. I like that. Kilmister’s voice though? Don’t love. In fact quite dislike. Really ruined this whole thing for me. So, do I give them a rating that reflects their musical/instrumental skills and my enjoyment of that, or do I give a rating reflecting my thoughts on the experience as a whole, which feels more honest? I dunno I’ll see how I feel in the morning.
Adele
4/5
I have found I can do about 35 minutes of Adele's voice before it starts to annoy me. This was more than 35 minutes. Also when like 70% of the songs are slow piano ballads, the album kinda drags. Also all the songs are sad love songs, wish there was a little more variety.
Mylo
2/5
DJ's aren't artists. They just slap a bunch of stuff other people have made together and call it their own music. This album was so incredibly boring and repetitive (like most electronica) and was stupidly long. Mylo you ain't got nothing on rock don't act like this accomplished anything. This was a dumb album I'm actually kinda pissed I had to listen to it.
Little Richard
3/5
I should probably rate this higher because of its impact on rock but honestly I just can't bring myself to. I really didn't enjoy this that much. He's got passion for sure which was great but he just kinda shrieked the whole time and none of the songs did anything for me. I'd rather listen to Muddy Waters.
Hookworms
2/5
Okay I guess. The songs were way too long and repetitive and bland. Just sort of fine all over. Nothing extraordinary or groundbreaking. Really don't think this accomplished anything. They're only on here cause they're British. There's better ways to spend 45 minutes than this.
Ravi Shankar
5/5
This was pretty much guaranteed a 4 since I love the sitar, sounds super cool and funky and fresh. But then he gave explanations for what the structure is for the different songs and the overall structure of classical Indian music and that bumps this up to a 5. I could then listen and actually know what I was hearing, what was happening in the songs, the flow of them, rather than just listening to pleasant sounds.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
This is another one of those albums where musically I really like what they're doing, love the drive, the oomph, sounds great, love it. But do not like Skin's vocals on the softer, quieter parts of the album at all (she's great on the loud and intense parts). Also the lyrics on about 5 of the songs were kinda stupid. And a lot of the songs went in one ear and out the other without doing anything. It's also 50 minutes long. Albums just don't need to be that long if you aren't gonna do anything with the album over that time frame. "Cheap Honesty" is a really solid song.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Totally mid, synth pop. Only on here cause they're British. Bleh, total waste of time
The Clash
3/5
Kind of disappointed that I didn't like this more. Kind of just repetitive and boring quite honestly. I know this was super influential but I just didn't like this that much. Also it is waaaayy too long.
The The
2/5
Another day, another totally mid British band. Also what kind of name is The The (a stupid one that's what).
ZZ Top
3/5
Kinda expected more from a band as famous as ZZ Top, but I guess what I got shouldn't surprise me. All the songs sound like "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Sharp Dressed Man". It's fine, sounds fine, lyrics are about what I would expect. It's all just kind of fine. I do like the song about TV dinners though that was a bit of a surprise and I thought it was funny.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
It started off pretty good and then kinda just got weirder, and then it started to really drag, and then it was just kinda boring towards the end. He has better stuff (like So).
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Fine. Incredibly boring. Don't like his voice. British.
Scott Walker
2/5
Bleh. Did not like. Didn't like his voice, the lyrics were boring and kinda just whatever. Really mid and not special at all.
2/5
This is another album where I like the musical sound they got going for them but my goodness the vocals are just painful. It is kinda short though so that's nice
Genesis
4/5
Really like the instrumental journeys they go on, it made me happy. Very pleasant to listen to, although the back half isn't as strong as the first half. Also Peter Gabriel sounds more whiny on the back half imo. Enjoyed the parts where he wasn't yapping most.
Paul Weller
4/5
Quite liked this. Sounded rocksy and folksy and many songs leaned one way or the other or were a nice blend of the two. His voice sounded great, lyrics and stories were solid, overall very nice experience. Could stand to lose like 15 minutes but that goes for a LOT of albums on this list.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
I was expecting this to be on par with Lennon's deep and profoundly stupid solo stuff but this was really nice. Nothing took itself too seriously, the lyrics were solid. It was fast in parts, kept moving, had some really nice moments. Quite liked this overall. Thank you McCartney for not being as pretentious as Lennon.
The xx
3/5
Sounded nice but pretty boring and uninteresting. Really lacking in any emotion or effort, which I get is what they were going for but makes for a very snoozy album. Didn't even notice when it ended. British.
The Who
4/5
This was by far the best Who album we've had. First half of the album is super strong, straight up incredible. No complaints for that half. Back half kinda drags, things slow down, less happening musically too. The last song does not need to be almost 9 minutes long. They don't really do anything with it, just the same ideas over and over again. I found "In Tune" to be quite funny I appreciated that.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Not nearly as good as Hard Again. Solid, but not great. There's just not enough guitar in this one. Also I just don't think most live albums are as strong as studio ones (usually).
Rod Stewart
3/5
I like Rod Stewart's voice, but Gasoline Alley was better than this. Lyrics were solid but he just kinda repeats the same refrain over and over for many of the songs (which gets quite tedious after a while). Decent album I don't think he should get all the hate he does.
The Everly Brothers
4/5
Really solid. Can see why they are cited as so influential. Very nice listen, harmonies are great, nice and short album. Really solid.
Bad Brains
4/5
Really solid. First heard them when I was watching the Foo Fighters Sonic Highways docuseries and thought they seem pretty cool. Now that I've heard an album from them I can confirm they're pretty cool. I don't love the vocalist but he's not terrible either. Other than that, everything was fire. They play so fast and hard, there's really no way to describe it. It's like an auditory flamethrower. It's incredible.
Paul McCartney
4/5
This was really nice. Liked the lo-fi kinda feel to it, the stripped down, more intimate vibe it had, really nice. Not as good as when he was in Wings (really liked Band on the Run) and I guess the Beatles too. It wasn't mind-blowing but it was a very nice listen and I'd listen to it again. It's too bad Paul died back in '66 and this was all made by his doppelgänger.
Neu!
3/5
First three songs I was thinking 4. Last three sons (mainly 4 and 5) made me think 2. So imma settle in the middle on a 3. It is very experimental for its time which is cool and parts of it are really nice, but others are just repetitive noise and just sucks.
Sam Cooke
3/5
Good. I'm not really a live album guy and this didn't do anything incredible for me. Solid voice but every song kinda sounds the same.
4/5
Normally I'm not a big live albums guy (which is what I usually say right before ripping into whatever live album I've just finished with) but this was great. Love the energy and passion on every track. This must have been a fantastic show to see live. Sure the last two songs kinda drop off but I can forgive that because the rest of it is so good.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Going from MC5 to this is whiplash. It feels too clean, too polished, too perfected for my tastes. I get what they're trying to do and they do it well but I don't enjoy listening to it. The songs are still too long, still too clean and polished sounding for me to enjoy. It's better than their other album we had. Too much repetition too.
The Prodigy
5/5
I thought this was fantastic. Again, whiplash from previous albums but so worth it. Better than Fat of the Land (but not by much). Yes the length is a drawback but they do so, so much with every track and with the album as a whole. So much energy, so much variety. I am really, really impressed. Well done chaps.
Massive Attack
2/5
I hate bland electronica. And that's exactly what this was! Yippee. Lyrics were incoherent at best, songs were slow and plodding, repetitive, they did nothing with this album. The Doors should be offended that one of their most famous songs was butchered so horrifically at the end there. I'm not a big Doors fan but good Lord above that was awful.
Neil Young
3/5
He has more enjoyable albums imo (On the Beach being one of them) and better albums from an artistic standpoint (if that can even really be argued for After the Gold Rush would be it). This isn't bad, his vocals are pretty all over the place but I think that's kind of the point, I mean it's really raw and two of his friends had overdosed on heroin not too long previously so I think it at least fits the album. This is something we've lost in modern music, it's all too polished, too perfect, too put together. Nobody makes anything raw and bloody anymore. Kids these days got no heart and no stomach.
Kanye West
2/5
I'm sorry, but I just don't get the appeal of this album. It's fine, the beats are cool I guess, some of the lyrics are inventive and interesting. That's about it. Like most rap albums, it's waaaaaaaay too long. Why do rappers feel the need to include skits? Most of them suck and just interrupt the flow of the album and drag it out. I feel like a lot of rappers underachieve. They have the skills and the talent to do something great and instead they just rap about themselves and money and their dick and chicks and drugs. Sure, they throw in the obligatory 2-3 songs about family and some sad story and everyone goes aww see they care about their family/friends/literally anyone that isn't them. A couple songs on an album over an hour long doesn't make up for all that self-centeredness. The 12:41 song at the end didn't endear this album to me either. Also this fool is straight up a Nazi so I can't give this a good rating.
Iggy Pop
2/5
At first I was thinking this could be a 3, but his voice is just too wonky and the songs are just kinda rambling nonsense for like half the album. It's not as weird as some of his Stooges stuff (he wasn't incoherently screaming or moaning) which I suppose is a plus, but this wasn't particularly enjoyable. The last song was particularly painful which I suppose was the point given the title.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
I saw this was supposed to be the progenitor of shoe gaze and I was dreading having to slog through another 45 minutes of boring, someone-please-kill-me-so-I-feel-something "music". Boy was I wrong. This is probably a solid 4 based solely on my enjoyment of it. However, it's getting a bump to a 5 cause of the inventiveness and uniqueness of it. The layers, the effects, I had no idea one could make a guitar sound so all over the place. This was incredible. The overdrive, reverb, delay, it all works together so, so well. I was never bored once listening to this. Really wish this was on Apple Music, but corporate greed what can you do. Anyways, why doesn't modern shoegaze sound like this? Also they're Irish so bonus cool points there.
The Stooges
4/5
In terms of enjoyment this was a 3. However, due to its influence, on punk especially, imma give it a 4. I love the guitar sound they got going on in this. Iggy's voice and performance at large is, once again, not really doing anything for me but that's the way it goes. I really don't think this album is that special if you listen to it in a vacuum but of course we don't live in one so I feel it's unfair to rate one as such. Count your blessings Iggy.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I really have no idea what was going on in this album. It's all kind of a fever dream. I don't feel like any of the songs on here are real except for maybe "Mrs. Robinson" and "A Hazy Shade of Winter". Sure their harmonies are nice but I don't feel like they really did much on this album. It was short though so that was nice.
Tortoise
2/5
meh. I just don't get the artsy post-whatever flavors of music. I bet Thom Yorke really likes these guys. really boring
Dusty Springfield
3/5
If you like her voice and an album of 20 love songs then this is the album for you! I don’t.
Eric Clapton
4/5
This was pretty much guaranteed a 4 just because of Clapton's skills. It did not exceed expectations. The guitar playing is par excellence but the songwriting is not his best. Not the greatest album he's been a part of but still quite solid. Very pleasant listening.
Tom Waits
2/5
If this had been sung by almost anyone else (not you Bob Dylan) like Mark Lanegan, Eddie Veder, Chris Cornell, it would've kept the gravitas and heaviness without making my ears bleed. I could not take him seriously with his ridiculous voice. It's so, so bad. The storytelling is great, really, really well done but my goodness, just painful to get through. Also he looks like a total creep on the album cover.
Jacques Brel
2/5
It's really hard to appreciate someone who supposedly has really solid lyrics when you don't speak the same language. That being said, it felt a bit spastic during most of the album. Also I'm not a huge live album guy as I've mentioned before. Also it's all in French so that's gonna cost it a star.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This was my first time listening to a Hendrix album the whole way through. It was the same experience as listening to "Layla" for the first time or "Eruption". Absolutely mind-blowing. Some of the songwriting is a little weak in parts but I don't care the otherworldly guitar playin more than makes up for it. Hendrix can say so much without saying a word. This dude is just on another level. Bob Dylan may have written "All Along the Watchtower" but Hendrix owns that song. The 15 minute long "Voodoo Chile" was the song that blew my mind and from then on out this album was just fire. Absolutely loved this.
Faust
3/5
Fine. I mean they were at least kinda interesting unlike most of the other krautrock we've had (looking at you Kraftwerk). Didn't really love but could appreciate the innovation.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Superb. Love the energy, the music is great, the overall vibe is great. Honestly I really have no complaints this is a fantastic live album and I love the uber long drum solo at the end. I think I’ve talked myself into a 5 and I’m not mad about that.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Obviously this album is fire. Not gonna lie, I prefer Electric Ladyland but I can understand why this is more popular as it is the more accessible of the two and has a bunch of bangers on here (“Purple Haze”, “Fire”). Hendrix is the star of the show and for excellent reason but the other two dudes are solid two. This was excellent I really have no complaints.
Laibach
4/5
Look, at least it was interesting which is more than can be said for a lot of albums on this list. I appreciate what the band is doing with the political satire. This album is truly something I've never experienced before. This is the kind of stuff I was hoping the list would introduce me to. Thank you.
Leftfield
2/5
Like most electronica, it is incredibly boring. This album was way too long for something this uninteresting. They don't really do anything with the album and it's all over the place. No cohesion.
Aerosmith
3/5
Look I love Steven Tyler's voice, Perry's guitar, and whoever the bass guy is. Love the energy, I bet they put on a banger of a live show. But the lyrics are really boring, which was kinda shocking.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I will maintain that The King of Pop and Prince both do not have good albums but have great singles. I did enjoy this a lot more than most Prince albums thought (except maybe Purple Rain). However that's not a very high bar. Pop albums just don't do anything for me. They're so plastic and vapid. Also the constant "hee-hee" and "hoo-hoo" kinda got on my nerves. Otherwise his voice is pretty solid. Imma be generous on this rating.
Elis Regina
4/5
Fun, sounded really good, full of energy, couldn't understand a lick of it.
Portishead
2/5
Really boring. Really felt like they were trying super hard to come across as tortured artists and it was just kinda wimpy and annoying. Didn't really enjoy anything here.
M.I.A.
4/5
I actually quite liked this, which I was not expecting. For the most part (except "Hombre" and "10 Dollar") I really appreciated the lyrics or at least found them interesting. I also loved the kinda spastic beats and layers throughout the album. Her voice was pretty solid too.
R.E.M.
5/5
The fact that this is their debut is nuts to me. I like this a lot more than Document I'm kinda shocked by. R.E.M. is such an interesting band. Peter Buck with his jangly little Rickenbacker has such a unique sound, Mills on the bass is just fantastic. And then there's Stipe. Sure you can't understand anything he's saying, and even the things you can understand don't make any sense, but that's part of the draw I think. It's interesting to see how much of an idea and a feeling a band can get across with the lead singer mumbling a bunch of nonsense with his very distinct voice. I think it makes this album so much better. However, I think a lot of people try to read too much into the lyrics and view them as something profound and prophetic when they aren't (much like they do with Bob Dylan). Don't try to make this into something it's not. It loses its magic if you do.
808 State
2/5
"Pacific 202" was a vibe but otherwise this was a very boring album, like most of the electronic we've had. Just real boring.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
Kevin Rowland can't sing. He sucks butt at it in fact. I hate his voice. Also half the album is him talking to himself. It's boring, painful, and crappy. Why does a one-hit-wonder have three ENTIRE ALBUMS ON THIS LIST? What's up with that? British bias.
Van Morrison
3/5
Listening to this after Dexys Midnight Runners makes Morrison sound like the voice of an angel. I do like his voice but this album rambles too much. It's just too rambly with no point it feels like, and this makes it drag in places, especially "Madame George". Overall it sounds nice but that's kinda it for me.
Aerosmith
4/5
I liked this a lot more than Rocks. Lyrics were better I thought, and the songs felt a little more varied, a little more layered/complex musically speaking. Overall really solid and I liked.
Tito Puente
4/5
Very fun and funky. Like most of the international stuff on this list I really enjoyed it. Got to practice my Spanish too.
The Soft Boys
3/5
Actually much better than I thought it was gonna be. Sound was good, just didn't really like the dude's voice. Also none of the lyrics really did anything for me and that kinda held it back from being a higher score.
New Order
3/5
This also wasn't quite as mind-numbingly boring as I anticipated (that doesn't mean it was great either though). Was fine.
Big Star
3/5
This was fine. They sounded fine. "Don't Lie to Me" was a great song. I don't really see why it's so special but what do I know. I'm just a kid who hates Radiohead.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Like most of his stuff, it's really, really good, love the instrumentation, the lyrics, the stories. However, his voice does kinda hold it back. There is a lot of energy on this album which is always a plus.
Peter Frampton
3/5
He sounded good my this was waaaaaay too long of an album. Nobody has ever asked for a live double album. Ever.
Talking Heads
2/5
Talking Heads are a lot like Peter Gabriel or Devo for me. They’ve got a couple nice, accessible songs, and then the rest is just artsy, boring, annoying stuff that’s just all over the place. This album had a lot of the latter.
The Yardbirds
4/5
Really solid start, loved most of it, B side was not nearly as strong got kinda weird there.
Sabu
2/5
This kinda sucked. It was just uber long repetitive boring drum solos and repeated lyrics for most of the album. No bueno
The Verve
2/5
Britpop sucks butt and should stay dead. This album is a great representation of it: boring, lifeless, emotionless, bloated, and wildly overrated. There is literally nothing good-great on this album (not even “Bittersweet Symphony”). He just drones on and on and on and on with zero emotion or talent for 70+ minutes. And that pretty much sums up Britpop for yah.