420
Albums Rated
3.45
Average Rating
39%
Complete
669 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Britpop
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
71
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Grand Tour | 5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
| Apocalypse Dudes | 5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
| Eli And The Thirteenth Confession | 5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
| Ogden's Nut Gone Flake | 5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
| The Last Of The True Believers | 5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
| Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind) | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| The Nightfly | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| The Notorious Byrd Brothers | 5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
| Your Arsenal | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Eternally Yours | 5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highway 61 Revisited | 1 | 3.77 | -2.77 |
| Blonde On Blonde | 1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
| Oxygène | 1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
| Music For The Jilted Generation | 1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
| Larks' Tongues In Aspic | 1 | 2.99 | -1.99 |
| Ys | 1 | 2.8 | -1.8 |
| Doolittle | 2 | 3.75 | -1.75 |
| Talking Book | 2 | 3.72 | -1.72 |
| Grace | 2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
| Kid A | 2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Stan Getz | 2 | 5 |
| Eagles | 2 | 5 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 2 | 5 |
| Supergrass | 2 | 5 |
| Michael Jackson | 2 | 5 |
| AC/DC | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 4.25 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 2 |
| The Prodigy | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (71)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Arcade Fire
3/5
You can tell this album came out in the 2000s. The whole time I felt like the songs were building up to a crescendo of sort that never came, and that went on for too long. I will say "No Cars Go" did scratch that itch a bit but not enough. It should have ended with that song. Having "My Body Is a Cage" be the last song felt like it ended with a soft fart.
1 likes
Deep Purple
3/5
Live jam albums aren't my thing, but this one had a couple bangers on it. Normally this would get a low rating, but can't discount some actual good music. But alas, live jamming is only enjoyable in person.
1 likes
Kanye West
5/5
Some brilliance from Kanye West, back before he was a full-on nut job. Just a semi nut job.
1 likes
Randy Newman
2/5
This sounds like the type of music you'd hear in a hotel lobby while you're checking out. Some dude in the corner playing the piano and "singing" songs that all sound the same. Randy Newman will forever be GOATed for his Toy Story soundtrack, but this album just ain't it.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
Lou Reed
2/5
Alright, this album was mid, at best. The common theme I could not get passed was the spoken vocals. My favorite few songs off the album involved his vocals (Perfect Day, Satellite of Love, Wagon Wheel) The only saving graces of this album were the experimental instrumentals on each track. And, of course, I come to find out this album was produced by Bowie. Well no shit this album got attention if Bowie had a hand in it. Without Bowie's production, Reed's vocals probably would have been backed by yawn-worthy instrumentals, which in turn would have made this album dust in the wind.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Led Zeppelin III is an awesome album. Puts the rock in rock n' roll.
Sigur Rós
3/5
I liked the vibes, but I would have enjoyed this more if I were on drugs.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Meh. Wish I could give this 2.5 stars because it's bang average, but I'll round up to three since it's Stevie.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
I can see how alt white people love this music. I wasn't drawn to most of it, but it wasn't TOO readily skippable. Although, if I wasn't working while listening to this, it probably would have been a different story.
Neil Young
3/5
I think this album would have been really good, had it not been for me not being able to get past Neil Young's high, whiney voice. Instrumentals were solid, though.
Norah Jones
5/5
Alright, this album slapped. Made me want to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and just vibe with the music. Norah Jones' voice just fits the acoustic, jazzy, and smooth themes of the album so perfectly.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Good album if you like Bob Dylan. Can't say I'm a fan, but I liked the bluesy themes in a lot of the songs. He does have a legendary line "and I been to gay Paris" in the song 'Not Dark Yet'.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
I thought the album was pretty good overall. This is some good windows down, summertime cruising music.
David Holmes
1/5
How the hell did this album make it on this list? Sounds like a soundtrack to a shitty 90s action movie. Really hard to get through and mostly boring.
Massive Attack
4/5
Good album overall. The chill instrumentals mixed with the softer raps make for some easy listening tunes that still sound soulful.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
This album was overall good. There were a few times when I thought modern production could have made this album even better, but whaddya gonna do, it was the 60s. That said, even with the production value sometimes lacking, you could tell the idea was there and the album was very enjoyable.
Germs
3/5
Alright, so if I had sat down and listened to this album a few years ago, it would have been an instant one star. However, over the past year or so, I've come to appreciate genuine punk rock more. While it definitely isn't my favorite genre of music, I can see why people enjoy it and I indulge in the headbanging myself from time to time. I think as a punk rock album, GI checks all the boxes to be really good. Would I add it to my regular listening rotation though? Probably not.
Peter Frampton
3/5
He's a great guitarist who can obviously put on a good show; however, I didn't find this album overly entertaining. Side note: does someone in the crowd get shot at the 0:53 mark of "Wind of Change?"
Nas
5/5
This album is just great. Period. One of the best hip hop albums that will grace ears, in my opinion. The instrumentals are so great and smooth; everything just fits perfectly. I LOVE the "Human Nature" sample, one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs, in "It Ain't Hard to Tell." And meanwhile Nas' lyrics and rhythm throughout all the tracks....they just don't miss. This is a legendary hip hop album through and through.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Stan Getz
5/5
Bossa nova at its finest and apparently from reading the history, at one of its earliest moments. Relaxing, easy-listening, and the sax will make you fall in love. Great album.
Buck Owens
4/5
Probably a pretty polarizing album; either you love this kind of old honkey tonk country music or you don't. I tend to love it.
Burning Spear
3/5
I don't listen to reggae, but this album seemed like a pretty typical one. Fine to listen to, though I don't think I'd seek it out.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
This album was a melting pot of all the rock sounds going on in the 90s. Some of it was very Stone Roses/Blur-esque britpop sounding, while there are also some grungy sounding songs mixed in, which is fitting since the Dandy Warhols are from the Pacific NW. Some of the album was enjoyable, while other parts were uninteresting.
P.S: Call me anti-artsy fartsy if you want, but the last 15 minutes of the album were so unnecessary.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
The bangers are bangers (albeit there are few) and the non-bangers are....well, they're not bangers. Generally, the song writing was there. I think the production value for a lot of them, however, left something to be desired.
Taylor Swift
4/5
I think this is definitely Taylor Swift's best album in her poppy era. It takes me back to the end of my high school career and beginning of my college. I have fond memories of dancing to Shake it Off, jamming to Bad Blood, and badly singing along to Wildest Dreams. And Style is one of my favorite TSwift songs, if not my top. Some of the non-singles are a bit boring, which takes away a star for me, but still a very strong, well written/produced album that absolutely shows off how talented Taylor Swift is, as we all already know.
Goldfrapp
2/5
This album felt like I was watching a high school-age weird girl who idolizes Billie Eilish a little too excessively perform her bedroom solo album at a talent show. I was actively laughing at some parts of the album. Not bad enough to give one star because the instrumentals were decent at some parts, but holy hell this one was kind of rough to get through.
Joanna Newsom
1/5
I tried....I really tried to give this album a chance. But I just could not. The whiney voice, the widely uninteresting instrumentals....absolutely not for me. I can't imagine a scenario that I would ever want to sit down and listen to this music. Newsom is an undoubtedly talented musician, but these 10+ minute ballads are just not my cup of tea.
Elvis Presley
5/5
Elvis don't miss. This album was thoroughly enjoyable. Not much else to say; just listen and let the King of RnR do the talking.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
This review may be a bit biased as I'm already a fan of EW&F, but this album is one of their best. Just gets that funky 70s sound absolutely right. From the good groovy dancing songs to the slowed heart-felt ballads.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Decent album. The famous hits were good, the other tracks were fine. As a whole, just average for me.
Prince
3/5
None of the songs are necessarily bad, but damn do they overstay their welcome. The vibes and instrumentals are there, but they're not grasping enough to be as long as they are. They do make you want to get up and dance, but not for over an hour.
P.S. Shout out to Prince's Tom & Jerry screams; RIP the legend
The Jam
3/5
Bang average.
LL Cool J
4/5
Great album that highlights how 90s era rap really puts most of the modern era rap to shame. LL Cool J has the flow that makes this album smooth but bumpable.
Nick Drake
3/5
It's definitely easy listening for sure, but maybe a bit too boring at times. The instrumentals are really relaxing and good, but I felt Drake's pretty monotone voice paired with them made me uninterested in what was going on at times.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
So I'm already pretty familiar with this album as it was in my listening rotation in high school, therefore this review may be a bit biased, as there is an added nostalgia factor.
This album does everything that a 2000s British alt rock album should do correctly. This genre of music was apart of the foundation of my musical tastes, and Franz Ferdinand, in my opinion, captures the essence so well. To me, it's all about the catchy but not too complicated lead guitar riffs, ever-so-complementary bass, and the non-basic rhythm guitars.
Apply all these and you got yourself a hell of a record. Check, check, check.
Tom Waits
2/5
This album wasn't necessarily one-star terrible, but definitely close. Tom Waits (assuming that is the man behind the vocals) sounds like he's trying to impersonate Louis Armstrong but instead sounds like Cookie Monster's grandma who chain-smoked cigarettes every day of her life. I think the musical aspect of this album is its only saving grace. But even then, it mostly sounds like Rocky Horror Picture Show had a love child with a shitty blues album and this is the result.
Mercury Rev
2/5
15 seconds into the first track and I said "oh boy, here we go." The album as a whole turned out better than expected, but still meh. This guy's vocals are something else...and not in a good way. Whiney and just not really too pleasant to listen to, but not across thew whole album. At parts his voice was fine. Overall, the instrumentals of this album are good and at least captivating. I'd say this album is a 2.5 stars, but due to some of the album being borderline unlistenable, I gotta round down to two.
Judas Priest
5/5
This is heavy metal at some of its finest and Judas Priest nails the guitar effects to solidify an album full of certified head bangers. Pair that with Halford's vocals that are gritty yet powerful and you got yourself a heavy metal all-time classic album.
Queen
4/5
First album I've listened to on this journey that I found myself wishing a couple of the songs were LONGER. There's no doubt Queen is one of the most legendary bands of all time and this is for good reason. In my opinion, they absolutely mastered the formula that combines a Broadway feel with some absolutely fire hard rock with crushing guitars. And of course, someone who can match Freddie Mercury's vocals is hard to find. All this said, this isn't necessarily music I would keep in my personal rotation, but I can absolutely appreciate it for what it is.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Some of the songs were good and groovy, some were meh. Average overall.
Miles Davis
3/5
The composition is good. Nice and easy to listen to and there's no doubt Miles Davis is a talented composer/musician. However, would I say someone needs to hear it before he/she dies? Nah.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I like the alt rock/metal sounds that encapsulate a real 90s feel. However, the vocals are kind of miss for me. It's like a cross between a hair metal vocalist and a grunge vocalist and it doesn't mesh well with my ears.
Missy Elliott
3/5
I was in-between a 2 and 3 start rating, but didn't think this album was on par with the albums I've rated 2, so I went 3. There are a few good songs on this album but most of the others are pretty uninteresting. Not necessarily bad, but I was definitely checked out for a decent amount of the album.
Queen
4/5
I'll copy and paste my review from 'Sheer Heart Attack' because I feel the exact same way about this album: There's no doubt Queen is one of the most legendary bands of all time and this is for good reason. In my opinion, they absolutely mastered the formula that combines a Broadway feel with some absolutely fire hard rock with crushing guitars. And of course, someone who can match Freddie Mercury's vocals is hard to find. All this said, this isn't necessarily music I would keep in my personal rotation, but I can absolutely appreciate it for what it is.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I dug this album. The instrumentals were gripping and cool; I never felt bored at all while listening. The vocals were fine, although at some parts maybe slightly annoying? A solid 4 stars. I would listen to this album again.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I mean....it's fine. Just sounds like your stereotypical "experimental" 80s music that happened to get popular. Not bad, not great.
Heaven 17
2/5
During most of the songs I found myself thinking "okay I get it, I GET IT" but the song kept going on. And on. Repetitive 80s experimental. Siiiiiiiiiiiick, just what my ears want.
Some songs were okay though. Some.
Adele
5/5
I usually stray away from music where the vocals are the main focus, but Adele gets the pass every time. One of the best voices of our generation and she delivers eargasms like a Broadway star but with the instrumentals of "pop" music. Proper album.
Beatles
4/5
A lot of good songs on here and I wouldn't say I disliked any of them. Did it need to be an hour and a half though? C'mon now Paul & John. Other than the length, though, this album was solid.
Nirvana
4/5
I think grunge loses some of its draw if it's played "unplugged" as it is here, but there's no doubt these songs are great. Kurt Cobain pulled off the live vocals extremely well.
Eagles
5/5
What else can I say besides this album slapped. Eagles obviously figured out how to make popular, groovy songs and this album encapsulates that greatly. I didn't even get bored with the long songs. Just a well written album that has a few legendary bangers partnered with nice, smooth-listening tunes.
Calexico
4/5
I really liked what was going on in the album; the instrumentals were fantastic. There was a lot going on: Spaghetti western-type vibes, folk sounds, some outlaw-ish grit with steel guitar & bass, Spanish flamenco fusion, jazzy themes...this album has a lot of elements that I dig a lot. The only thing keeping me from giving this album a 5 is the vocals. I felt they were whiney and didn't really fit the music. Everything else was great, though.
The Saints
5/5
After seeing the year this came out, I was shocked at what was coming through my headphones. I think this music was a little ahead of its time. I don't think of this type of garage-y punk rock gaining traction until the 1990s/2000s, but I thoroughly dug it. I found myself headbanging along to most of the songs. Makes me want to thrash about in a pit at a concert. I enjoyed this album a lot.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
So I read some of the reviews for this album on this website before listening and I was expecting something life changing. Not the case. This funky jazz was fine, but not 5-star, MUST-HEAR great, as a lot of people have expressed. Some obviously talented musicians put these pieces together and it was worth a listen, but I wouldn't say I'd listen to it again.
Charles Mingus
2/5
These cats were definitely cooking but god damn did they burn the food. Last two songs of the album were better than the first, though. Rough start, okay finish.
5/5
People will be quick to shoot this album down just because it's "country", but this stuff is absolutely great. Loretta Lynn has a great voice and the instruments all hit. Put this on the jukebox in your local dive bar and get to foot tappin. Love the vibes.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Definitely a lot going on in this album. If I had no context and listened to this and was asked to describe it, I would say "it sounds like a soundtrack made for a Bollywood Western movie." Doing some research on Shalimar, it looks like that's exactly what the movie is. I wouldn't necessarily say I enjoyed this soundtrack but it wasn't terrible to listen to.
David Bowie
4/5
Upon first listen, I liked the album overall, but had to listen again to get my final rating. I was going to land on a 3 but I think I'll bump it to 4. There is something about Bowie's experimental sounds that fit so well with his voice.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Depeche Mode: one of the 80s synth pop bands who got popular, for good reason. This album was pretty good. My one gripe with 80s synthpop songs is sometimes they overstay their welcome a bit in length. But most of the songs on this album were good enough that I didn't have that issue. Policy of Truth is always a bop.
Solomon Burke
3/5
It's fine. I'd put it on if I was sitting out on the patio and having a couple drinks, maybe. Don't think I'd add it to my regular music rotation, though.
Talking Heads
3/5
Not gonna lie, thought I was in for a stinker upon listening to the first song, but the songs got better. This is one of those albums where I thought the songs were generally fine, but would I go out of my way to listen to them? No. I recognized Once in a Lifetime and I do like that song, but if it already wasn't exposed to me through pop culture/radio, would it stick out? I'm not sure it would. All around average.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Vocals (especially the harmonies) and instrumentals were all great. Reminded me of Simon & Garfunkel. Very relaxing.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
CCR nails the fusion of a classic rock, bluesy, rockabilly type sound that just goes hard. Fogerty's voice just fits the music so well, too. A thoroughly enjoyed album.
The Pogues
5/5
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. St. Patty's Day is a sacred holiday for me, and this just get me in the mood to celebrate with a Harp's and do a jig. Recognized some of the songs on here just from them being classic Celtic bangers. Once I finished the album, I listened to it again. That good.
Pixies
2/5
Some decent songs on the album but they're widely overshadowed by the songs that are borderline unlistenable.
Stereolab
2/5
Let me paint you a picture: I sit down at my desk to begin work for the day and put this album on. I got 10 seconds into the first song before I had to switch to some music I actually like, so that I could mentally prepare to what I was about to listen to. To be fair, the first song gave a bad first impression. The rest of the album wasn't TERRIBLE, but definitely bland. The random French was kinda cool though, I guess.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
This album was hard to rate. Some songs are really good. Reminiscent of some banger Britpop tunes and heavy pedal shoegaze. Other songs....yikes. Just absolutely ruined with some atrocious instrumentals that just sound like high schoolers bashing around in a garage. Which is a shame, because Britpop and shoegaze are two of my absolute favorite genres. This album had the potential to be insanely good, but they got a little too full of themselves when it came to providing listeners with a bit of edge.
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
The music itself is good. Good bluesy sound mixed with a blend of blues and hip-hoppy vocals. A lot of the songs sounded the same, however, which made it feel repetitive at some points. Overall good album, though.
Supergrass
5/5
What can I say except this album was absolutely great. I wish I had known this album existed when I was in my Brit rock bangers phase. Every song on the album was unskippable and had me foot tappin, bangin my head, or just simply drawn in. Fantastic in every way and I will be definitely adding Supergrass to my regular listening rotation.
Eagles
5/5
Great album with a great rock n' roll sound mixed with some chill Southern rock vibes. Eagles just don't seem to miss.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
Not saying this album is bad, but I'd definitely have to be in a mood in order to put it on. An angsty, "f*** the world" mood. A lot of the songs had a similar formula: start with rocking out, some "screw you" lyrics, a slow build-up somewhere in the middle, finished by some rocking out. I did enjoy the formula, mostly. But as previously stated, I'd have to be in a specific mood to thoroughly enjoy the formula.
The Killers
4/5
The album started off with a bang. You get all the Killers bangers in at the beginning and all is well. The second half of the album gets a bit dull, however. I think they could have cropped a few of the songs shorter or even out completely (especially looking at you Everything Will Be Alright). I think this album would have been a 3 if I didn't already know some of the songs, but you can't rule out just how proper the tunes are at the beginning of the album. Songs everyone knows. I'll bump the rating to 4 because of this.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Overall this album was good. It kind of sounds like an alt-rock, Smashing Pumpkins-esque fusion with some good Britpop sounds. Some good tunes in there and I was never dissatisfied with what I was hearing.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
I like the Allman Brothers. I really do. And I like the bluesy rock they make. But I do NOT need to listen to 15-20 minute guitar solos, which is hard for me to say because I love guitar. But the jams were just a bit too excessively long. I really do think I would have given this a 4 or 5 if the songs were a lot shorter, but I gotta cut the rating solely due to the obscene length.
Muddy Waters
5/5
A proper blues album and Muddy Waters is goated.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Groovy African music. Not something I'd seek out though, although the music itself was good.
The Thrills
3/5
Pretty meh. Songs weren't necessarily bad and for the most part, the instrumentals are generally good. But holy hell I could not get past the singer's voice. Extremely whiney.
The Stone Roses
4/5
Love the Stone Roses and one of my favorite early 90s era britpop bands. Some absolute classic, made-in-Manchester bangers on here that are already in my rotation. However, bias aside, I do have to admit the middle of the album is lacking for my taste. But still, proper album overall.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Fantastic album. A couple of classics on there I recognized and the rest of the songs captured an awesome country rock/bluesy sound that I absolutely loved. Didn't know the Rolling Stones were chill like that.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Good stuff on here. Obviously some absolute banger anthems and those I dug. The non-recognizable songs were fine, but nothing to write home about.
Bad Company
5/5
This album is special to me. My dad introduced me to it when I was listening to some hard rock back in high school. I loved it. I think all the songs just really flow well together and even though I guess I'd classify it as hard rock, it's pretty easy listening. Classic rock, easy listening, and nostalgic. Triple win.
The Police
2/5
I honestly didn't enjoy pretty much all of it, except Message in a Bottle. Not unlistenable, but just very unnoteworthy and extremely boring. Towards the end I was getting to the point where I was getting a little mad that I had to finish the album.
The Doors
3/5
It was fine. Some good instrumentals and vibes, but as a whole I would say it's mostly unremarkable. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. Sounds like your stereotypical 70s bluesy rock.
Meat Loaf
4/5
This album kind of reminded me of a Queen-esque formula that combines a Broadway feel with some great hard rock. Meat Loaf ain't no Freddie Mercury, but he does have some pipes. As I said for the Queen albums, this isn't necessarily music I would keep in my personal rotation, but I can absolutely appreciate it for what it is.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Really solid album overall. Lots of recognizable hits and I enjoyed listening to most of the songs. Some of the songs towards the end were a miss, but the album was a good listen nonetheless.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
It was alright. All the songs kinda sound the same, like your stereotypical 80s new wave rock. It's not a bad sound, but I was pretty okay with the album being over when I was done with it.
Red Snapper
3/5
This album is what David Holmes' "Let's Get Killed" album wishes it was. Intricate but riveting instrumentals that actually catch interest and hold it. That being said, I wouldn't necessarily seek this album out again, but it held my attention for the most part and was decent.
5/5
This album was one of my favorites in high school. I could say "I may be biased" but there is no bias to consider; this album is freaking amazing. Muse was at their best with all their 2000s albums and this album may be the best of them (between this one or Resistance). Bellamy's voice is just so good and partnered with the badass instrumentals, it makes for an excellent fusion of rock.
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
Not saying this album is unlistenable, but holy hell was it hard to get through. I have a disliking for singers with a high, whiney voice and Sufjan Stevens fits the bill. The instrumental parts were good at points but largely overshadowed by his annoying voice.
Sam Cooke
4/5
The man has some pipes and is very talented. I can appreciate this soul music for what it is.
Neil Young
2/5
I'm not a Neil Young fan.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Hot dog, Janis Joplin has some pipes. I mostly enjoyed this album overall. Great tunes and fun to listen to. Solid.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Definitely an interesting listening. I think it's a little bit too "experimental" for my taste, but not by much. For the most part I could at least tolerate what was going on and liked a lot of it. Would I listen to it again? Probably not.
Air
4/5
You know what? I dug this album. Really chill vibes that were lovely to listen to. I won't give it a five because I don't know if I could just sit there and listen to it while doing nothing else, but you could put this on while doing anything and it'd be more relaxed. Overall a good listening experience.
T. Rex
4/5
I think a true rating would be 3.5 but I'll round it up to 4 because Bang a Gong is such a proper tune. Some good songs on here but was kinda meh on a lot of it as well.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
This album definitely has a unique sound, not sure it's quite my tempo though. I definitely liked the country instrumentals, but I think the songs are just a bit too slow, which made it uninteresting at times. The singer has a good voice though.
Pink Floyd
2/5
They were definitely on some of that good stuff.
Jean-Michel Jarre
1/5
The kind of album that makes you want to quit doing this listening quest. Genuinely pissed that I sat through this. I get it, it's just soooooo creative and genius that it HAD to be added to this list, right? C'mon.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
It took me a bit to start appreciating the African lyrics/vocals partnered with the blues instrumentals but once I started coming around to it, I dug it. Listened to the album twice and liked it more the second time. There's something powerful about this genre. Reminds me of Fantastic Negrito.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Probably the best Led Zeppelin album. Some iconic songs and really none of the songs on the album are skippable. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I'm not normally one who enjoys a big vocal performance as the main factor of music, but Christina Aguilera just has a fantastic voice and it really drew me in. Lovely album and I thought Thank You (Dedication to Fans...) was a touching song.
P.S. Nasty Naughty Boy had me bricked up.
John Cale
3/5
It's fine. Not terrible, but I won't listen to it again. Just sounded like your stereotypical 70s soft rock.
Ray Charles
3/5
Decent album. I liked the bluesy aspects of it the most; the big band stuff was alright.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Quite the horny album. I mostly liked the rock instrumentals but some of the vocals were a bit annoying at times. Average overall, Maps is a banger though.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Third Led Zeppelin album I've rated, so I ain't spewin the same shit. It's good.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Some good songs on here, some meh songs on here. Overall average.
Fiona Apple
2/5
Kind of a tough one to get through. A jumble of instrumentals partnered with vocals that comprise of talk-singing along with high-pitched wails. Not necessarily one-star worthy, but definitely not a very pleasant listening experience.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Started out good. But then it started getting repetitive. Same formula for each song. It's not a bad formula, but I was getting tired of it towards the end. Album was average for me.
Michael Jackson
5/5
It's MJ, of course it's gonna be 5 stars.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Tom Petty is a legendary artist no doubt, and his hits stand the test of time. But I feel like his non-hits don't. Honestly, I think his voice is kind of annoying, but really on the songs that I don't know, which was all of these. The instrumentals were generally good, however.
Joy Division
3/5
Some good ol' manc goth music. Not terrible, but definitely wouldn't seek out again.
Coldplay
3/5
Not gonna lie, I thought I would enjoy this album more than I actually did. I've never really listened to Coldplay outside their radio hits, and let me tell ya...the radio hits are the only songs worth listening to. The lead singer's voice gets slightly annoying with his constant higher pitched swings and to be honest, I expected more intricacy/production value for an album from one of the world's most popular bands. That being said, the album wasn't terrible, but wouldn't listen to it again.
The Bees
3/5
Started off cool and groovy then just slowly lost my interest. Not a bad listen, but was kinda ready for it to be over towards the end.
Coldplay
4/5
Better than Parachutes, that's for sure. Coldplay stepped their game with this sophomore album. The hits are really good (especially Clocks) and even some of the non-hits I vibed with. Started losing interest towards the end, though. Overall, a good album.
The Black Crowes
5/5
Overall a pretty good album. I loved the bluesy Southern rock sound this band puts out and recognized a couple songs (Hard to Handle & She Talks to Angels), which are proper tunes. This album came up at a good time, as I was in a bluesy listening mood recently. I think I would normally give this album a 4, but I'll land on 5 as I was just really in the mood for it.
Mudhoney
3/5
This is a tough album to rate. Generally I liked and could stand what was going on. This type of grungey punk rock really got my head banging here and there. But there were some parts that were almost unlistenable, mostly due to the vocals. I think my true rating would be a 2.5, but I'll round up since the good parts outweighed the bad parts.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
What is it with electronic artists thinking their songs can be 6+ minutes long of repetitive sounds and everyone is going to love it? That being said, the songs on this album weren't too bad, but some did drag on. I'd say I generally could vibe with what was going on, but don't think I could classify this better than good background music.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This was a fun album. A good bluesy rock groove that got my foot tapping. I enjoyed pretty much every song. A proper first album from a legendary group.
The White Stripes
3/5
I started out vibing to this album. I liked the garage rock-y sounds and was head bangin' along. However, as it went on, I was losing interest and a lot of the songs started sounding the same. Not a bad album, and I think if I were to listen to a couple songs here and there, I'd dig it. But, the cramming of all these songs back to back made for a meh listen.
Elvis Presley
4/5
A proper showing from the King of RnR on his debut album.
Duran Duran
4/5
A slapper of an 80s synth pop album.
The Yardbirds
3/5
This was quite the experience. Don't know quite how to classify this genre....experimental blues rock? It was good at some parts, meh for some. Definitely an interesting sound, considering it is from the 60s.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Overall good 90s hip-hop album. I liked how it wasn't ALL about thuggin' and sex; he added songs in there about his mental health, which was a good change of pace.
Bob Dylan
1/5
Listening to this album made me want to kill myself. Bob Dylan's whiney talk-singing and the shrill harmonica made my ears bleed.
Björk
2/5
Not quite my tempo.
Elton John
4/5
Decent album. Elton's voice is wonderful as always and the instrumentals are good. Some of the songs in the second half of the album seemed to drag on, though. Definitely needed more pick-me-ups in there. A true rating would be 3.5 but I'll round up for Tiny Dancer.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Elvis Costello sounds like he was an annoying drama club/show tune kid in high school that always got cast as an understudy but thought he was the best. Then he went on to project his whiney, obnoxious voice over some pretty decent instrumentals and this album is the product. It sounds like someone singing karaoke.
AC/DC
5/5
Hard rock doesn't get much better than this. Almost every song on the album is a banger and makes you feel like a badass just listening to it. AC/DC is a legendary band for good reason.
3/5
Quite the interesting listen. A lot going on here and I liked the different genres that came and went as the album progressed. I generally liked what was going on while listening, but some of it was a miss. Don't think I'd seek out again, but it was a good listen.
King Crimson
1/5
Nope. Not my tempo.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
This one was quite the journey. If you're going to make an album an hour and a half long, it better be damn well worth it. I can say this wasn't. That being said, I liked most of the songs. Led Zeppelin was producing hit after hit album during this time and I truly think I would have added this to that list had they shaved some of the songs out. Really great hard rock, but I can't justify the length.
The Damned
3/5
A solid punk rock album. It's old, yeah, but it still holds up. Not my favorite type of music, though.
4/5
Overall a good album. Most of the songs I vibed with and had my foot tapping. Just a nice upbeat album to put on when going on a walk or something. I lost interest in a few of the songs, but good showing from the Kinks.
Black Sabbath
4/5
The album started off well and continued on that path until "Electric Funeral." That song and the couple after were kind of duds, but the album finished strongly with "Fairies Wear Boots." At the end of the day, it's a great heavy metal album that is definitely an all-time classic, but I gotta deduct a star for those meh songs in the middle.
Talking Heads
3/5
An interesting album. I'd say I generally liked/could stand what was going on, but there were times when I wished the singer would just shut up. He doesn't necessarily have a bad way of singing, but it's across between shouting and singing, in my opinion, and it can get annoying. Quickly. The instrumentals were all pretty good. I think if there was a better vocalist singing these songs, it had the potential to be 5-start worthy. That ain't the case, though.
My favorite song is "Pulled Up" because it sounds like he's saying "pooed" at times.
"I sliiiiipped....and I got pooooooed. Pooed up. I tripped. And then you pooooooed."
Michael Jackson
5/5
It's MJ, of course it's gonna be 5 stars.
Hot Chip
4/5
So when this album first started, I thought to myself "oh god, here we go with another borderline unlistenable, 'artsy' and 'experimental' electronic album." But I was pleasantly surprised and proven wrong. I liked a lot of this album and didn't mind the length of some of the songs, which can be a killer for a lot of electronic music. Overall, a good listen and wouldn't be mad if I had to listen to it again.
Steely Dan
5/5
A really groovy album. All of the musicians on this album are outstanding and I really vibed with the prevalent jamming. Peg will forever be a banger. I was cooking food while listening to this album and found myself dancing along to a lot of it. Proper tunes from Steely Dan.
Metallica
3/5
It's decent. As far as heavy metal goes, it doesn't get any more legendary that Master of Puppets. The instrumentals are superb, however the lead singer's voice got pretty annoying at the album went on. I could probably take the songs in doses, but not for a whole hour.
Donald Fagen
5/5
A really good album. Usually when artists from bands put out solo material, it sounds a bit different from their band material, but this is Steely Dan through and through. All the songs had me foot tapping along and the instrumentals were incredible. Proper album, Donald.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
Pretty good album overall. A lot of the songs I was bobbing my head along to. Some of the songs were skippable, but a good showing from Paul Revere & The Raiders. One if by cock, two if by balls. If you're a Brit and you're reading this, how'd the American War of Independence go for you? Take that L
Nick Drake
3/5
It's okay. A little boring to listen to. The music itself isn't bad, but it didn't really get catch my attention too much. It's easy listening for sure, but I'd have it on in the background while doing something and that's about it. Pretty average. And sounds exactly like it was make in 1970.
The Temptations
3/5
Pretty average for me. I'm not a huge fan of 60s soul music, but it's not the worst genre. Sometimes all the hard singing can got annoying to me, but not a deal breaker as far as listening to it goes. The instrumentals were good. About all I can say.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
James Murphy can fuck off
The KLF
4/5
I was expecting to dislike this album upon hearing the first song, but I was pleasantly surprised that I quite dug it. It's a great 90s electronic/trance album, a genre to which I have quite the liking. If you're going to release an electronic album, ya gotta make sure your instrumentals aren't too repetitive and the vocals really capture the listener. The rap parts were good and the singing was excellent. Some songs were just okay, but overall a good showing from the KLF.
The Doors
4/5
I like the overall sound of The Doors. I'd describe it as "spooky rock." There's some really good songs in here and I enjoyed it overall, however a lot of the songs do sound the same. Still decent though.
David Bowie
3/5
A little too artsy fartsy for my taste, but not terrible.
Bob Dylan
1/5
Bob Dylan can suck this
Ramones
4/5
A very solid punk rock album. It appeals to the average non-punk listener as well as being palatable for those who prefer a more extreme punk angle. A lot of the songs sounded the same, but overall very good.
Patti Smith
2/5
Patti Smith sounds like a drunk girl at a karaoke bar trying to sing Fleetwood Mac songs.
The Band
3/5
Started off good but I slowly got tired of it as the album went on. It's fine; there are a few bangers in there, but a lot of the songs are forgettable. A decent Americana album overall.
Neu!
2/5
What started as pleasant, chill music transformed into what sounded like music for crackheads. Like what the actual hell. I would love to give this one star, but I can't discount the okay music at the beginning.
C'mon on now. You're telling me this is a must-listen-to album? Are you fucking kidding me? Sick. Siiiiiiiiiiick, dude.
Sade
4/5
This album is a tough rate. I can say I liked what was going on for the whole album, but something just wasn't clicking all the way, for me personally. I enjoyed the smooth jazzy vibes a lot. Felt like I was in a 1940s black and white detective film. The main vocalist I think is what leaves something to be desired. She is by no means bad, but I'm not so sure she matches the best with the music. I think a true rating would be 3.5, but I'll round to 4 for the sexy sax.
OutKast
4/5
Solid album. An all-time classic hip-hop album. The length of some songs partnered with their repetition sometimes got old, but great nonetheless.
Raekwon
4/5
I'm not sure why a lot of hip-hop artists love to scatter skits throughout their albums, and that's their prerogative, but I'm not a big fan. A great album otherwise. Some really solid classic rap.
John Martyn
3/5
I legitimately started laughing when this dude starting singing on the first track. The instrumentals of this album are decent. But his voice....it's not BAD but holy hell, this man has smoked one too many cigarettes.
Gram Parsons
4/5
Really like the country instrumentals, especially the steel guitar parts. I liked this album overall, but I couldn't help feeling something was missing. I'm not sure if it was just the songwriting in general or the production, but something was keeping me from loving this album. Maybe it's the thought that he sounds like a slightly discounted John Denver. I may relisten and change my mind, but I'm keeping the 4 star rating for now.
Otis Redding
3/5
It's fine. I'm not a huge fan of soul music, but Otis Redding has a really good voice and every song was listenable. That's about all I can say.
Paul Simon
3/5
It's alright. Definitely an interesting listen, but nothing really stuck out besides the hit songs I already knew. Average.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I appreciate the fresh genre. This album was as 3-star (2.5 if we could do halves) as you can get, for me personally. Pretty basic production and all the songs sound similar, but I didn't dislike what I was hearing. I'd definitely have to have this playing as background music. I couldn't just sit down and listen to this without doing anything else.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
To me, this is Kendrick's first truly experimental album. I remember listening to this for the first time back when it first came out in 2015 and not really liking it that much. After listening to 'good kid, m.a.a.d city' religiously, this album felt like a let down. I had kept some of the songs in my listening rotation, but mostly forgot about it. I can honestly say this is my first time relistening in its entirety since then, and I enjoyed it. Honestly, I think the non-popular/non-single songs are the best. There are a whole lot of themes going on and it makes for a great listen. It isn't all capturing, so I can't give it 5 stars personally, but it really is a great album.
Kings of Leon
3/5
If this band had a different lead singer, I'd easily be giving this album at least 4 stars. But I just can't get past this dude's voice. It's very annoying. The songs are good, but they can't outweigh his whiney, scratchy voice.
Kanye West
5/5
Some brilliance from Kanye West, back before he was a full-on nut job. Just a semi nut job.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
I mean....it's fine? This album went on for way too long and did not do a good job of really capturing me. All the songs sound the same. It really isn't bad music, but I did get tired of it about halfway through. I think if I were to listen to just a few songs at a time, I'd be giving the chunks 3-4 stars. But listening as a whole got me annoyed.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I liked the songs where the dude was singing. Some really good noisy/grungey rock that got my head bobbin. The songs with the woman singer though....yeesh. Not havin that.
Venom
4/5
Awesome heavy metal. Every song had my foot tapping. The lead singer's vocals fit wonderfully with the style. The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but a proper album of the genre.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Oh sick, the second Sonic Youth album in three days? Niiiiiice. This one was WORSE than 'Dirty.' I could, for the most part, stand what was going on on 'Dirty,' but this album I could not. The woman lead singer still sucks ass. This is music made for 90s teens who love smoking cigarettes in the bathroom and love calling people "posers." The songs with the guy singer were ight.
Beatles
3/5
It's fine. I was expecting a masterpiece, but I was let down a little. It's definitely not bad, but just fine.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Average listen. Nothing really stood out. Music was generally good, but nothing capturing.
Randy Newman
2/5
This sounds like the type of music you'd hear in a hotel lobby while you're checking out. Some dude in the corner playing the piano and "singing" songs that all sound the same. Randy Newman will forever be GOATed for his Toy Story soundtrack, but this album just ain't it.
Eels
3/5
It's decent. You can tell this is from the 90s. A solid 90s alt rock album, but I probably wouldn't listen to it again.
Mudhoney
3/5
It's a fine grungey-sounding album. That's it. That's all I have to say.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Usually I hate talk "singing", but for some reason Mr. Cohen gets away with it, for me at least. This album still isn't amazing though. It was tolerable. One listen is good enough for me.
Moby
3/5
An electronica album with repeated beats/music/samples/sounds/etc, yet not as bad as some songs of the same genre can get. Kept me interested, for the most part, but at times got a bit boring. Average overall.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I've never heard this cover album from Willie Nelson, but I gotta say it slaps. Some people will rag on Willie for not being able to sing, but I love his voice. Just something smooth and nostalgic about it. Don't think it's 5-star worthy and I'm not gonna lie, it is probably 3-stars if it's anyone but Willie, but Willie gets the 4-star bump.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Only thing that got me excited about this album was the titties in the artwork
Radiohead
4/5
Altogether a pretty good album. Some really good sounds going down on this album that I enjoyed. Some of the songs I could have done without, but I was vibing with most of it.
Dire Straits
5/5
What a proper album. Normally I don't like singing that is borderline talking, but Knopfler gets away with it. The instrumentals throughout were captivating and I especially liked the lead guitar parts. A good mix of soft rock and a bit harder rock. Some absolute tunes on here and will definitely listen again.
Carole King
4/5
A powerful voice and some great songwriting. Carole King really shows her talent as a singer/songwriter on this album. Not really my favorite genre, but I absolutely respect and can appreciate the art.
ZZ Top
4/5
This is the type of southern blues rock that makes you wanna season up some ribs, put em on the smoker, then crack open a cold beer and sit out on the porch in your rocking chair.
Orange Juice
3/5
True rating would be 2.5. It's just so uncommentable. Not bad, not great. Bang bang average.
The Libertines
4/5
I have a very soft spot in my heart for 2000s Brit rock and this album definitely secured its lasso on that soft spot. Very nostalgic feeling to it even though I've only ever listened to "Can't Stand Me Now." That being said, it definitely isn't the best of that genre, but I enjoyed what I was listening to.
Queen
3/5
The previous Queen albums that have been generated have been able to get my appreciation, but this one kinda missed. The music is definitely not bad/unlistenable, but it just didn't keep me enthralled. One of the more poorer showings from Queen.
Paul Simon
3/5
Great guitar instrumentals that I really enjoyed. And then you got Paul Simon's voice. Mix that, it's a 3-star rating for me.
Paul Simon
2/5
I think I hate Paul Simon.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Nope. Absolutely not my tempo.
The Avalanches
2/5
If I hadn't been doing some mindless tasks at work while I was listening to this album, it probably would be 1 star. But I appreciated the filler background music that consisted of unnecessary scratchy audio and the same samples/bits/vocals being played over and over and over again.
The Clash
3/5
It's alright. Songs were generally good, but I think they added way too many to this album. Should have shortened it a bit.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Damn what a beautiful album. Alice in Chains just perfectly encapsulates a great sound that tiptoes the line between hard rock and grunge, and it all just meshes so perfectly. Staley's voice really helps seal the deal.
Van Halen
5/5
This is an album I've already listened to multiple times in my lifetime and actually just listened to it a month or so ago. But of course I listened to it again now because it is damn good. As a guitar player, I have a massive appreciation for music that shows the lead guitarist's skills. It also just so happens that I personally believe Eddie Van Halen is the greatest guitar player of all time. The stuff that man could do on guitar is nothing short of a miracle. The album just screams quintessential hard rock. The awesome lead guitar with Eddie's classic and unique sound partnered with David Lee Roth's legendary vocals....a masterpiece. Wish I could give it 6 stars.
Miles Davis
5/5
Just a really solid jazz album. Kept my foot tapping the whole time and it was very relaxed. I usually only listen to guitar-heavy jazz, but this I could dig.
Muddy Waters
3/5
I really thought I would like this album more than I did. I know it's a classic blues sound, but the blues doesn't always have to be playing the same shit over and over again. The mastering/production also got to me. The harmonica was way too loud at times that it was almost annoying. All irks aside, this wasn't a bad album. Muddy's voice is perfect for blues and is undoubtedly a blues legend. However, this album did leave a bit to be desired.
Fugees
5/5
Just a real chill, classic-sounding 90s hip hop album. Most songs were pretty long, but I didn't even really notice. The flow was top notch and the skits were minimal (which is a plus for me personally). Very bumpable.
B.B. King
5/5
I may be a little biased as I'm a big B.B. King fan, but I believe his blues style is goated. He has a way of making his guitar licks so similar but completely different. There's a reason is touted as one of the best blues guitarists of all time (I think he is THE best). Combine that with his soulful singing voice and the band behind him, this album is amazing. Props to the sound engineer, I would not have changed a thing.
Rush
4/5
Great album. Loved the jamming instrumentals and Geddy Lee's voice is just so unique. Some of the songs were a bit too played out in my opinion, but a solid album nonetheless.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
A lot going on in this album. It was like a medley of a bunch of different genres that Captain Beefheart decided to throw together. Each song wasn't necessarily bad, but I felt it could have been done better by an artist who specializes in that correlating genre. Some of the vocals are wild.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
This album is a tough rate. I'd say if it was a studio version, easy five stars. However, the "live" aspect has its ups and downs. I liked the feeling that I was at the performance, but there's a reason why live versions of songs that are recorded for radio/personal listening are rarely as good as studio versions. Loved Vaughan's voice, but at some times it was overpowering. I have no doubt this concert was amazing live, but at times it did not translate well into the recording. However, with it being from the 50s, the recording was pretty decent.
Supertramp
3/5
Started off strong and then I just started losing interest as the album went on. The music is good, but the songs are drawn out.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Too many bass solos, otherwise this would be a slam dunk.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
Pretty enjoyable album. It definitely sounded 80s, but in a very good way. Some of the songs I could have done without, but the good songs are really good.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
The songwriting is good. The instrumentals all sound the same for each song, but they nail that 70s soft rocky sound. Mitchell has a great voice. All in all, though, this music ain't for me.
Elis Regina
4/5
Loved the great samba/flamenco vibes from this album. The more soft rocky songs were alright. Really good album overall, had my foot tapping along for a good chunk of it.
3/5
It's okay.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
A classic, to say the least. I love grunge music, and I do like the Smashing Pumpkins, for the most part. There's something intangible that makes me not LOVE their music, for some reason. It maybe Billy Corgan's voice, I don't know. I can definitely appreciate this album for what it is, but I just can't bring myself to love it, no matter how many times I listen to it. "Today" will forever be a proper tune, though.
The Smiths
3/5
The Smiths can be pretty hit and miss for me. Same goes for this album.
Grateful Dead
3/5
I can see how the Grateful Dead have fans, but no idea how they got their huge cult following. It's fine. Nothing to write home about.
Soft Machine
2/5
I ain't gonna listen to this whole thing. Not 1-star worthy, but f this
The Verve
5/5
What a great album. 90s Britpop at some of its finest. The only song I didn't like was "This Time." Every other song I dug. I really only have the popular songs from this album in my regular rotation, but will definitely be adding more.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Classic 90s hip hop that is ridiculously listenable and great for vibing. What else can you ask for? Flows and rhymes on fleek.
The Hives
4/5
Some proper thrashing rock. Enjoyed listening to this one. It's not an album I could sit and listen to at any given time and thoroughly enjoy, but could hit HARD at the right moment.
Magazine
2/5
The longer this album went on, the more I started to despise it. The singer's vocals are the worst part. The actual instrumentals are not bad, but I can't get past the dude belting out lyrics sounding like a drunk guy at karaoke.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
So much unnecessary, overbearing NOISE on this album. I feel like if a lot of the obnoxious sounds going on in a lot of the songs were cut out, the album wouldn't be half bad. But alas, some of these songs were borderline unlistenable. I don't think it's one-star worthy because the unnecessary noises started tapering off toward the end, but holy hell, why is this on the list?
Ghostface Killah
3/5
I've liked most of the hip hop albums on this list so far, but this one was just okay. Too many skits (not a fan of those) and a lot of the songs were average. The Champ is a banger though, remember that one from WWE SvR 2007 video game.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
These cats were cookin'. They were SWINGIN'! FUCK!!!
R.E.M.
3/5
The songs that I recognized (Stand and Orange Crush) are good, and the others aren't bad...but I do not like the lead singer's voice. Would easily be a 4 if the singing was a little more palatable. Not bad otherwise.
King Crimson
3/5
After listening to Larks' Tongues In Aspic by King Crimson, I thought for sure I was going to hate this album. But this one actually had legit music and not noises. It's not my favorite, but I never really disliked anything that was going on while listening. Average. Really all I have to say.
SAULT
2/5
The album attempts to send an important message, but that doesn't mean the music and their attempt are great. If you're going to have lots of songs that are repetitive, you have to make damn sure the part repeated is good; they failed to do that on a lot the tracks. The more slow, bass driven soul songs were good. The others subpar.
As for their attempt at sending a message about racial injustice (if you can even call it an "attempt"): could have been executed better. That's all I'll say.
The Jam
4/5
Proper album. They really nail that new wavey punk rock sound that was popular among British artists in this era. Paul Weller doesn't have an amazing voice, but he doesn't need it since the songwriting is good. I enjoyed the album, but it could have used a bit more change up.
Mekons
2/5
Going into this album and reading that it was going to be a punk/country fusion sound, I was looking forward to it. Boy, what a huge let down. I mean sure, there are SOME country aspects to it, but it's mostly a bunch of noisey crap with a dude who's trying to sing like Joe Strummer.
The White Stripes
4/5
The good songs are really good and the not good songs are....not good. For the most part, the songs were good. Some really good rock tunes on here, including some popular classics (that's right, White Stripes is now classic). Jack White has a great voice for upbeat rock songs, but his voice gets annoying on the slower ones.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Good album overall that has some absolute all-time classic bangers. However, some of the less popular songs were a bit annoying, which brings my personal rating down a peg.
P.S. One of the dudes sounds like Mr. Poopybutthole from Rick & Morty and it borderline ruins that dude's parts.
D'Angelo
3/5
Started off really digging this album, then got slowly annoyed at the length and repetitiveness of some of the songs as the album progressed. It's a really good album to just chill to while doing something, but I think if I was just sitting down and listening to it, I couldn't get through it. Tough rate for me, because I did really enjoy it at times, but slowly started feeling distain. Guess that makes it average.
Willie Nelson
5/5
It's Willie Nelson. All that needs to be said.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I'm just gonna copy and paste my review from the last Joni Mitchell album, Court and Spark:
"The songwriting is good. The instrumentals all sound the same for each song, but they nail that 70s soft rocky sound. Mitchell has a great voice. All in all, though, this music ain't for me."
James Brown
3/5
It's fine. James Brown has a great, classic & recognizable voice and the band behind him is good. I can't understand wtf he is saying half the time though. Not a huge fan of R&B/soul music either, so just overall average for me.
The Band
3/5
It all sounds the same. Not bad music, though, just unremarkable.
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
A really solid album. The instrumentals were cool & trippy. Mostly great (especially the guitar), but at times they got annoying. However, those instances were minimal. Same with the vocals. The singer is by no means great, but his voice fits well with the music. But the first couple songs were definitely a miss, vocals-wise. Glad the album got better.
Side note to the singer: You didn't have to drop so many on-the-nose hints about LSD, we could tell you were already on it.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Music isn't bad, but that's because it can't afford to be. Bruce Springsteen's vocals over trash instrumentals is a one-way ticket to being trash.
Doves
3/5
I really wanted to like this album a lot since I love the Doves, but I can't bring myself to do so. I've listened to this album before and then and now, nothing has stood out. It has elements of the classic 2000s Brit indie sounds that I love and cherish, but nothing cohesive enough to make me love it. Also, some of the songs are just way too long for what they are. Nonetheless, the good parts are still solid enough to warrant an average rating.
Bob Dylan
3/5
This is the fourth Bob Dylan album that has been generated and I still firmly cannot grasp how this man became regarded as one of the greats. This album wasn't as bad as some others, but good lord, there is nothing special about any of it. Just sounds like some bozo telling stories with a guitar. Not unlistenable, but not amazing in any way.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Really vibed with the instrumentals on this album, but the lead singer's voice kind of got annoying after awhile. A bit too whiney and talk-like for my taste. I also thought some of the songs went on for too long. But the music produced wonderful psychedelic hints at times and some upbeat feelgood tones at other times that I really enjoyed.
Thundercat
4/5
Thundercat slaps the bass hard and writes some funny/clever lyrics in this one. I liked this album overall, but don't think I'd go back and listen to a lot of the songs on here. Them Changes is forever a bop, though.
Anthrax
3/5
Really liked the metal instrumentals. The vocals were okay. Overall sounded like off-brand Metallica. A true rating would be 3.5....I'll round down cause some of the songs went on for too long.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Was looking forward to listening to this so I could see the reasoning why Lana Del Rey has such an obsessive fanbase....failed to see why. It wasn't terrible, but nothing that deserves the praise she gets. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of music where vocals are the main draw and the instrumentals are the afterthought, but artists like Adele and Beyonce I GET the worship. All this being said, I wouldn't say this is 1 or 2 star worthy. Just meh.
Pulp
3/5
Listening to this album felt like I was being subjected to a band that writes incredible music while letting some drunk, horny emo dude write all their lyrics and vocals. I'm not necessarily saying that in a bad way, however. Some of the songs were decent. Others had me saying "what the hell is this?"
Marty Robbins
5/5
You give this album a better name than "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs." Every song encapsulates that title. Robbins nailed the formula of a great country/outlaw ballad and every song on here had me hooked. While I will say a lot of them sounded the same, I did not care; he found the winning recipe and a gobbled it up like a fat boy at Golden Corral.
Fiona Apple
2/5
I do not like Fiona Apple's music. There I said it. There is something about this album that feels off. Something about the vocals and the music do not mesh. I think the vocals are too loud. And I also don't think her voice is good enough to be put over the instrumentals chosen for this album. It is off-putting to me.
Gotan Project
4/5
I love the overarching Latin theme mixed with jazzy influences and contemporary beats. Would I listen to it again? Probably not. Bottom line is it's good music but nothing I would seek out. I can definitely appreciate it for what it is, though.
Turbonegro
5/5
This was a really fun album to listen to. An interesting blend of some head-banging punk and badass hard rock. People clown on the lyrics but I think they're funny and the band is just having fun. Not every song has to be about heartbreak and failed relationships. I really enjoyed this album and saved some songs to revisit.
Arcade Fire
3/5
You can tell this album came out in the 2000s. The whole time I felt like the songs were building up to a crescendo of sort that never came, and that went on for too long. I will say "No Cars Go" did scratch that itch a bit but not enough. It should have ended with that song. Having "My Body Is a Cage" be the last song felt like it ended with a soft fart.
Miles Davis
4/5
Good jazz
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Just like every other dance/electronica album with no BPM changes: great if you're on some sort of substance; incredibly repetitive and boring if you're sober.
Hole
3/5
I listened to this album semi-recently but found nothing noteworthy. Thought maybe another go around might change that; it did not. I guess I'm not grungey enough.
Lambchop
3/5
I usually hate talk-singing, but it definitely depends on the music that type of "vocals" are paired with. This guy gets away with it. The music is chill and the talk-singing couples decently. But would I revisit any of this? Nah. "Butcher Boy" definitely should not have been the ending track. "Yeah let's put the most anxiety inducing track that seemingly finishes very abruptly at the end of a mostly chill, relaxing album." That made me almost bump the rating down to two.
Deep Purple
4/5
Some "fuck yeah" hard rock on here. And these dudes are rock hard.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I liked this album a lot more than I thought I would. Amy Winehouse had such a great voice and it fit really well with the jazzy music.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Franklin really belts it out on this one. Really good songs, however I found the covers she does on here better than the original songs by Franklin.
GZA
3/5
It's fine. Flows are ight, beats are ight. Could have done without all the skit dialogue. Don't really feel like it added much.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Proper album. Just great punk rock through and through and had me rockin' along for most of it. I do think the album is a couple songs too long, though. Should have stopped after "Pretty Vacant", although "New York" isn't a terrible song.
Kate Bush
3/5
I personally think this album's average global rating is skewed upward just because "Running Up That Hill" is on here. It's a great song, yes, but you have to weigh the other tracks. This album just progressively gets worse. Starts with an absolute banger, then drifts into tracks that are a bit repetitive/boring, and then gets into tracks that just sound like noise. "Jig of Life" was cool though, until the dude starting yapping. Finished off alright with "The Morning Fog."
A final rating for this album is tough…a true rating would be 2.5, but I'll round up because of the ripping first track.
Neil Young
3/5
Neil Young's voice = bad. Music minus vocals = good.
Small Faces
5/5
This album was great. It felt like a medieval fantasy twist on Pink Floyd. Guess that's the best way I can describe it. Such a unique sound that I enjoyed a lot. I'm not usually a big fan of dialogue skits in songs, but the ones presented in this album were good. Genuinely don't feel like I could compare this to anything to which I've ever listened. Great experience.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
This album was straight up annoying. The vocals were the worst, but the instruments can't get away unscathed. The mastering on the horns were awful. Some of the songs were fine, but this album was a big miss.
Nina Simone
4/5
It's like Koko Taylor did a crooning album. I really vibed with the beginning tracks, but kind of got bored with it once the songs without band accompaniment began, at "Wild Is The Wind." Finished alright with "Either Way I Lose", though. Overall the music was good, but the later songs weren't my cup of tea.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Felt like I was there. Johnny Cash is badass. I usually don't like live albums, but the beautiful simplicity of Cash and his songs makes it work. Great stuff.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I liked this better than Neon Bible and I gave that one 3 stars, but don't think this one deserves 4. If the vocals were a little bit better/less whiney it may be a 4.
Pentangle
3/5
It started off intriguing but I slowly lost interest as the album went on. The woman singer is pretty good, the male singer is not good. I liked the medieval-sounding aspects of the instrumentals, but sometimes things sounded too harsh at times. Overall not terrible, though.
Kid Rock
4/5
This album is getting way too much hate on here just because it's Kid Rock. Yeah he's a huge POS and a pandering fraud, but I'll separate the art from the artist:
I enjoyed this album a good amount. The opening tracks are bangers. I have some white trash roots in me and they scratched that itch. As the album went on, the songs got a little worse but still not outright terrible. A lot of the songs have no business being as long as they are, though. Nonetheless, I found myself head nodding along and saying "fuck yeah" multiple times.
Madonna
3/5
I got some gripes. First off, this album isn't bad. But do I think it belongs on here though? No. Confessions on a Dance Floor is better and has similar music. It's a better representation of Madonna during this time period. I'm not sure if COADF is on this list or not, but if it isn't, I will riot. The rating of the album is a 3, but I had to express my displeasure in the list; it can be fucking comical.
Van Halen
4/5
'Jump' and 'Panama' will always be forever goated songs and the rest of the songs are not bad, but they definitely don't scratch that Van Halen itch like their self-titled debut album songs did. Still a great album nonetheless.
Common
5/5
Good beats and good flows. I liked that some of the songs had some inspirational lyrics. Really enjoyed this album a lot.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Just sounds like typical reggae.
Don McLean
4/5
Like an off-brand John Denver, except the next best brand.
Beck
3/5
I can appreciate the artsy fartsy sounds he's going for, but not all of them were entirely pleasant on my ears. This album dipped HARD in the middle. Wanted to stop listening. It finished alright starting with Sissyneck (minus High 5 & Computer Rock) though.
Devils Haircut, Derelict, and Sissyneck were the standout good songs for me.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
What a great album. Almost every track is a proper 90s tune and there are so many hits as well. This is one of those albums that you expect to be on this list. Morissette has such a unique voice that is easily recognizable and fits the music so well.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Should have stopped at just the first album. The music on the first I liked for the most part. I took a long break before listening to the second album so my views of the album wouldn't be tainted solely by the run time; it was terrible at first and slowly got better, starting with 'Supernaturally.' But not too much better. The second album focused too much on the vocalist's shitty voice. The first album had good music and a backing choir to cover that up. Averages out to a 3.
Black Flag
3/5
Tough rate for me. I think this album would be a home run if they had shaved a few of the songs out of the album. I was rocking out to most of the songs, but felt the album went on for a bit too long. To me, the perfect punk album thrashes about for 25 minutes MAX. I liked the songs that had funny party lyrics, a good breath of fresh air from all the "death to everyone, I wanna kms" lyrics mostly present. A true rating would be 3.5, but I gotta round down because I can't discount all the times I felt annoyed by either length of song/album or just annoyed with the sounds in general.
Korn
3/5
Good metal, and I've tried multiple times to get into Korn; however, I can never really get over the angsty/weird side of Jonathan Davis' vocals that are present in a lot of tracks.
De La Soul
4/5
Good flows and beats. I usually don't like skits on rap albums, but the skits on this one were funny, so I dug them a bit. This album might have been a 5 if it wasn't so fucking long.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It's fine. No song really stood out to me that much, though. Just sounded like The Rolling Stones. Bang average.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Easy listening, but nothing that really piqued my interest.
David Gray
4/5
Very simple, but in a good way. Wouldn't seek it out again, probably, but I'd say I enjoyed most of what I was listening to.
The Strokes
5/5
I be Strokin' my shit to this
Everything But The Girl
3/5
The first two songs started the album off well, but then it just kinda started getting bland from there and running together. It's not bad music, and it is very trance-like, which is a genre I like, but falls a bit short.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
I honestly thought I would enjoy this album more than I did. I enjoyed the hit songs, but the rest was kind of lost on me. Too much extra stuff; I've never been a fan of skits on rap/hip-hop albums unless executed greatly. Snoop doggy dog didn't pull off the execution.
Janis Joplin
4/5
It's no secret that Joplin had some pipes. Loved the KK (may he rest in peace) cover as well.
Sabu
2/5
Painful to listen at times, to say the least. The songs where there were actually other instruments besides drums were kind of okay, but they sort of lacked creativity on the individual solos. The songs featuring just the drums, however…..awful. Who the hell wants to listen to 6 minutes of bongos and congas? And don't get me started on the vocals. Just overall the music was way too harsh-sounding and repetitive. I can't discount the full band songs, so I can't justify a one-star rating; barely a two, though, however.
Leftfield
4/5
I saw this was a 90s electronica album and prepared for the worst, but was pleasantly surprised after listening to it. This album did a great job of standing out from your typical repetitive, mundane electronica from the times. The vocals on some songs kept the air fresh and the tempo changes from track to track were necessary. It kept me interested (although there were some dull moments) for most part and I largely enjoyed what I was listening to. Didn't mind the length too much, either. Overall, a good chill album to bump.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Good flows and good beats.
Cream
4/5
A proper bluesy rock-sounding album that had me mostly interested in what was going on.
AC/DC
5/5
Quintessential hard rock. Every song is a banger. Makes you wanna drive drunk.
David Crosby
4/5
Some really cool psychedelic folksy songs on here that were really unique and I really dug. A couple of the songs were meh (especially 'Song with No Words') but a solid album overall.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Women do R&B better than men. Change my mind.
This just in: you can't.
Really good album, but holy hell some of the songs were excessive in length.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I'm not sure I can put into words how much of an influence this album had on me in my coming of age years. This was the first complete hip-hop album that I fell in love with. Personally, no other Kendrick Lamar album comes close to this one. Every song on here contributes to the overall masterpiece and even the skits contribute (I usually hate skits). It does such a good job of portraying Lamar's story (fact or fiction, not sure) as a young man growing up in Compton. "Money Trees" will forever be my favorite hip-hop song. "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" is a close second. Just a thoroughly great album and hip-hop doesn't get much better than this.
Fats Domino
5/5
Great album. All these cats were cookin'. They were SWINGIN'. Some good early rockin' and rollin-type music that I really dug. Easy five stars.
The Beach Boys
4/5
The bangers are bangers and the meh songs are meh. Averages out to a 4, I'd say.
Billy Joel
5/5
It's amazing how many top hits Billy Joel has. This album was full of great songs. I'm not usually a fan of singer-songwriter music, but Billy Joel is one of the exceptions. The man just knows how to write good music.
The Prodigy
1/5
Nah, fuck this shit.
Elbow
3/5
It's fine. Not really much else to say. Some of the songs are good, but there are some snoozers on here as well.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Big shoutout to the KC native Janelle Monae. This album is incredibly unique and was well worth a listen. It was an interesting blend of genres that I mostly enjoyed. At some points it felt like I was listening to a play soundtrack, while other times just a nice contemporary mix of soul/R&B. I'm not sure I'd listen to it again, which is a must for all my 5 star rated albums, but good stuff nonetheless.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
The first two songs are bangers, of course, and the rest don't stand out at all. Typical electronic music.
The Louvin Brothers
4/5
Some quality, classic country music. I think the songs could have used some change ups with the instruments used, but the songs themselves are all good.
The Cure
3/5
Nothing really stood out to me on this album. Was it bad? No, but it all kind of sounded the same.
David Bowie
4/5
Some proper rockin out songs. Bowie doesn't really miss, does he?
Cocteau Twins
5/5
I'm a big shoegaze/dreampop slut, so I'm biased, but this is one of the best earlier albums of the genre. I've already listened to this album a couple times before and it don't miss. Just listened to it again two more times.
Boston
5/5
Classic rock bangers through and through. "More Than a Feeling" is one of the best songs ever. I don't think I've ever listened to this whole album before, but regretting not having done so. Enjoyed every song.
Roxy Music
3/5
A unique-sounding album with some interesting instruments/sounds, but nothing really stood out as amazing to me.
Soundgarden
5/5
RIP Chris Cornell, this album is a masterpiece.
The Go-Go's
4/5
The songs are all good, but they all kind of run together. Not much tempo/style change. But still, solid album.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Can't deny that this is inherently good music, however I just couldn't help feeling bored during parts of it. Overall really solid, but not 5-star solid.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Just average music. Kinda good at times, kinda boring at times. Like a shittier version of the Beatles.
Ministry
3/5
Produced some head-bangin moments....also produced some repetitive, annoying moments. Average.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Didn't really feel like a Beach Boys album. It's like the boys got into a depression making this. Not bad music, but I wouldn't call it good.
Pixies
3/5
I liked that there was a lot of diversity in sound on this album. Some of the songs were good, but a lot were not my cup of tea.
Jimmy Smith
5/5
About as good as jazz can get.
Foo Fighters
5/5
Full of rock bangers. Not bad for Grohl's first album after Nirvana.
Carpenters
3/5
Karen Carpenter has a great voice, but the music is kinda yawn worthy. A couple of good songs in there, but pretty average overall.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Wow this was a tough listen. All the songs where Nick Cave was alone on the track were dreadful. The songs with featured singers were decent. It's a shame because the instrumentals aren't bad, but Cave's drunk, creepy rumblings drown it out.
The Who
4/5
One of the better live albums I've listened to. These guys can jam.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Every Arcade Fire album I've listened to so far from this list are all the same: a few good songs and a lot of meh filler.
Deep Purple
3/5
Live jam albums aren't my thing, but this one had a couple bangers on it. Normally this would get a low rating, but can't discount some actual good music. But alas, live jamming is only enjoyable in person.
Ute Lemper
2/5
There's something off-putting about this album and I can't quite place it....the instrumentals are fine....I guess it's the singer? Idk, something isn't meshing well. It doesn't necessarily sound BAD, but I could not just sit there and listen to this.
Public Enemy
4/5
Started off as just straight bops and it kinda tapered off a bit starting in the middle. Then it ended with the bop "Bring Tha Noize." Haven't heard that song since I played Smackdown vs. Raw, but damn what a banger. Good album overall. Good flows and barely any monotony.
John Coltrane
3/5
I have usually liked all the jazz albums on this list, but this one was just okay for me. The music is inherently good, but the solos went on for waaaaay too long.
The xx
3/5
Never got into The xx, even though I feel like I should have. There was a small window a little after the time when this came out that I got into this type of indie-ish sounding music, but I think I was a little late to the party and was exploring other artists on the rise. Fast forward to today and I just don't really vibe with this type of music anymore. It's definitely not bad and I can appreciate it for what it is, but I won't listen to it again.
M.I.A.
3/5
I've heard worse....but definitely heard better. It's like the same song stuck on a loop, but switched up juuuuust a little bit between each iteration. Not exactly annoying....but it's pushing the limit. Best part is when she hits the "hoyyeeaaaaah" on Bingo.
ABBA
5/5
Saw the tracklist of this album and knew it was going to be 5 stars. Catchy and groovy music all the way through. Not a bad song throughout. Truly a fantastic album.
The Who
5/5
An album full of bangers. Great rock through and through. I wasn't bored for a second.
Talking Heads
3/5
Not interesting but not uninteresting.
David Bowie
3/5
First Bowie album on here that I thought was average.
Gorillaz
3/5
Some good, artistic shit in here, but by the end of it I was ready to be done.
The Byrds
5/5
An interesting mix of country and folk-sounding music with some psychedelic shit mixed in. I really dug what was going on here.
Beatles
4/5
Of course it's good music, it's the Beatles. But will I listen to it again? Probably not.
Kraftwerk
5/5
The first song of this album started and I thought "oh boy, here we go." But then the first minute passed by and...I started digging it. It's like early synthwave, a genre of which I'm very fond. There aren't many types of music that can transport you to a state of mind, but this one did. If you went to outer space, this is what would be playing. Loved the vibes overall.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Song were generally good and I liked what was going on for the most part. Have to deduct a star for the Neil Young-featured vocals songs though.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Dug this. Some great funky/soul rock (and dare I say bluesy at times) that will put some pep into your step.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Monotonous songs and the singer's voice is absolutely dreadful. Not entirely unlistenable, though.
Barry Adamson
2/5
I'm sure some critic out there deemed this historically significant, but this shit don't hold up
Wilco
3/5
It's fine. Kinda boring.
Rush
4/5
Great music, but that first 20 min song made this album feel like it was longer than is was.
3/5
It's ight.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Some good heavy metal. Liked what was going on the whole time. RIP Ozzy, poetic that this album came up the day after his death. Probably won't seek out again, but still good nonetheless.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Tough rate. I liked the instrumentals a lot; gave some grungey stoner rock vibes that I dug. However, I feel like a few of the songs could have been cut shorter. They just repeat the same line or instrumental measure over and over again. Some of the songs I liked a lot and some I couldn't wait to be over. I'd say I felt more of the former, though. A true rating would be 3.5, but I feel like this falls mostly in line with more albums that I've rated a 3 over a 4.
Radiohead
2/5
I think I may hate Radiohead.
Cat Stevens
2/5
Don't think I'd ever be in a mood to listen to this.
Nanci Griffith
5/5
Great album. Griffith's voice sounds like Stevie Nicks with some higher country inflections thrown in. Instruments change up just enough to not all sound the same from song to song. Really well done and will listen again in the future.
Pixies
3/5
Interesting medley of punkish and grungey. Some good songs on here....and some not-so-good songs as well. It was okay overall.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Good, flowy rap.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Good music, but wouldn't seek out again.
Iron Maiden
4/5
The metal was heavy. Some absolute classics on here. True rating would be 4.5, but I gotta round down cause I don't think I'd listen to the whole thing again. \m/
Cheap Trick
3/5
Another live album for a rock band. What else is there to say?
Coldcut
3/5
One of the better late 20th century electronic albums I've listened to on this list, but still not great. I actually liked that the instrumentals weren't monotonous and there were a lot of different sounds/themes. The "vocals" were hit and miss. Overall not bad and was groovy at times, but still not my preferred cup of tea.
The Cramps
3/5
Dude on the cover looks like a high elf from the Elder Scrolls series
Jeff Buckley
2/5
No idea how this has such high reviews. I personally think the Buckley's voice is incredibly annoying. He has talent, but I just simply do not like it. I thought I would at least like his Hallelujah cover, but even that I found annoying. It's not 1 star worthy, but it definitely ain't 3 star worthy.
DJ Shadow
3/5
The music is good, but it has the same downfall as every other electronica album: the songs are too fucking long.
Maxwell
4/5
Generally groovy
David Bowie
4/5
Overall, it was good. There were a couple songs that weren't too pleasing to the ear, but the rest of the songs made up for them. Bowie tends to not miss.
Tears For Fears
5/5
This is one of my favorite albums of all time. I believe it is the pinnacle of that new wave sound. Every single song hits and is unskippable, from the popular singles to the instrumentals. My favorite song is "Head Over Heels", but I believe "Listen" is the most underrated song off the album. I don't know why it enthralls me so much, but I get lost in the melodies every time I listen to it and before I know it, it's over. Just such a great album.
Radiohead
3/5
Best Radiohead album so far, but still meh.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I strongly dislike Bob Dylan.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Some good rockabilly roll sounding music. Would have given it 4 stars, but have to deduct a star because of the creepy title track. A pedo anthem that one
Tim Buckley
3/5
Would have been at least 4 stars if all the songs were cut shorter instead of drowning on with random noises. Not a bad showing from Buckley, though.
Radiohead
2/5
Legit made me want to harm myself. Not kill myself, though, so can't give it 1 star.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I'm just not a fan of singer/songwriter music where it's just a dude and his guitar. Still better than Bob Dylan, though.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Really solid album. I think maybe it's a bit overrated, but still a great showing. Doesn't show off the true greatness of Hendrix's guitar skills, unfortunately.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Really dug the album and vibed ALMOST the whole way through, but the sound kind of started getting annoying towards the end. Just the same shit.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Really dug the first track but the rest of the album was just meh. I liked the R&B/soul/funky/jazzy fusion sounds that were going on, but could have been executed a bit better. Got better towards the ends with the more chill, instrumental tracks, however.
Morrissey
5/5
I really enjoyed this album. It's funny because The Smiths can be very hit and miss for me, but here you have an album where Morrissey just comes out on his own and sings banger after banger. Haven't heard his solo albums that precede this one, but may just have to give them a listen. Excellent through and through and I definitely will be returning.
Miles Davis
3/5
The music itself is fine, but I can't imagine going to see this live and not getting a bit bored with it. I, personally, need some breaks. Davis is without question one of the greats, but these 20+ minute improvisation pieces couldn't hold my attention. If all these songs were a bit shorter, it would have been great.
Dire Straits
4/5
Proper album and great tunes. Have to deduct a star for the talk-singing though.
The Prodigy
2/5
What is it about people in the 90s absolutely loving electronic/techno music that just drones on and on? At least this one has some lyrics here and there, but damn this was a hard one to get through.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
An interesting album. Sounds like it should have been released in the 60s/70s, but it came out in 2000. Probably would have been a big hit back in the later decades. All that said, I thought it was okay.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
The music isn't bad, but I can't view it as more than just background music.
Funkadelic
4/5
Thought I was in for a snoozer after listening to the first track, but was pleasantly surprised with the rest of the album. A fairly unique sound that kept my interest for the most part. Kind of lost interest with the last track, but the sandwich between the first and last track was good. True rating is 3.5, but better than most albums I've rated 3 stars, so I'll give a 4.
Eminem
3/5
I really thought I'd enjoy this more album, but that wasn't really the case. Of course Eminem is a great rapper and the beats are good, but the lyrics are pretty cringey most of the time.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Not sure if this album caught me on a bad day or what, but I didn't vibe with it. I think the songs dragged on for way too long and Mayfield's voice got annoying. It wasn't unlistenable, and some songs were okay, but for the most part I couldn't wait for it to be over.
Beatles
4/5
Copy and paste of my review of probably all the Beatles albums that will be generated in this list:
Of course it's good music, it's the Beatles. But will I listen to it again? Probably not.
Brian Eno
2/5
This album was all over the place. A couple of the songs were good, but most of them were not my cup of tea.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
First half of the album feels like ultimate 80s pop and it's awesome. Second half gets meh. Decent album overall.
Radiohead
2/5
I'm usually one to rag on Radiohead, but this time.....yeah it's no different. I wish I had amnesia and could forget this album. Only thing it'd be good for is being put to sleep. Granted, it's not unlistenable, so I can't give it one star.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
How the fuck...and I mean HOW THE FUCK...is this on here? And the fish on the album cover isn't even a god damn trout.
The Mars Volta
3/5
Some really good moments on here and some that dragged on. I get it, prog rock is all about being artsy fartsy, but shave some of that shit and this would have been a slam dunk.
The Charlatans
4/5
Proper brit rock.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I listened to the US version of this album which includes "Paint It, Black" and I gotta say, this probably would have been a 3 star rating but that song alone bumps it up to a 4.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Love Sinatra. I loved his voice over the jazzy bossa nova music and all the songs were soothing. There's something keeping me from giving it 5 stars though, but I'm not sure what it is. I liked everything, but wouldn't say I loved it. Maybe it's the fact that all the songs sound the same. A true rating would be 4.5.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
From some history I was reading, apparently some prominent synth pop bands of the 80s like Depeche Mode and Human League drew inspiration from OMD. Well, all I can say is OMD walked so those other bands could fly. Not a bad album, but not great either.
The Fall
2/5
There's good punk and then there's bad punk...this leaned more toward bad punk. You can only get away with being repetitive if the song is short. Most of these songs are way too drawn out and hard to listen to at times.
Oasis
5/5
Yes.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
It's not bad music, but I never got on this late 2000s/early 2010s craze of pop folk music. It was short-lived for good reason, in my opinion. I hate on it, but it's not unlistenable. Just makes me think of all the pretentious buttholes in high school.
Sepultura
3/5
At first the vocals jarred me and I didn't think I would like this album, but I got used to them and this turned into a decent showing. It's good metal; I don't think I can give it 4 stars because I generally don't like harsh, screamo vocals, but the music was decent nonetheless.
Common
4/5
A hard rate. I liked the music, but it all kind of ran together. It also felt like everything was dragging on by the end. Those are the negatives. But the positives are Common had good flow and I really do enjoy this style of smooth hip-hop with a good message. I think a true rating would be 3.5, but I'll round up.
The Vines
4/5
An interesting blend of britpop and some garage punk music. I liked it.
5/5
Awesome album from the Bowmeister. I don't think I disliked any song. Everything meshed well together and was pleasant on the ears.
Funkadelic
5/5
Finally, a politcaly movement I can get behind. One Nation, Under A Groove, Indivisible, with liberty and FUNK for all.
Baaba Maal
3/5
It's fine. Cool African music. Will I listen to it again? No.
Adele
4/5
Adele has one of the best voices of this generation and her music is good. However, I was ready for it to be over by the time the album was closing out.
Fugazi
3/5
Some of the songs are good, some are meh, some are bad; so overall, it's meh.
Stan Getz
5/5
Smooth and groovy.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Besides his hits that everyone knows, I can't bring myself to get behind the Springsteen hype. I think it's a combination of his voice and his instrumentals being all over the place. Pick a sound, dammit. Overall, it's not bad but I ain't listening to it ever again.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
I enjoyed all the different sounds from each song and the genres seemed to be all over the place, which was a bit refreshing. Was each song perfectly executed though? No.
1/5
This pissed me off
Supergrass
5/5
Supergrass really don't miss, do they? All the songs were rockin' except "Sometimes I Make You Sad", but not enough to bring it down to 4 stars. I'm a big slut for britpop.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Easy 5 stars. CCR makes the type of music that makes you want to sit out on your back porch during a hot summer day and crush some beers. Light, AMERICAN beers. Didn't even mind the couple long jam songs. Good shit.
The Who
3/5
Never knew The Who started as a band trying to emulate R&B/soul music. Glad they changed their sound.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Ah yes, another 90s electronica album made for people on drugs that is absolutely terrible to listen to while sober. "Santa Cruz" can absolutely go fuck itself.
The The
3/5
An album that you can tell is pretty experimental but is not terribly unlistenable. About all I can say.
Laura Nyro
5/5
I'm usually not a fan of a jazzy/showtuney voice, but Nyro's voice is amazing to me. This bluesy singer-songwriter shit of hers is BUSSIN.
Beatles
5/5
I think I've given every Beatles album thus far a 4/5, but this one is a 5/5. Just good music through and through (although "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" overstayed its welcome). What else is there to say that hasn't already been said?
Billy Bragg
4/5
Liked it overall.
Spiritualized
3/5
Felt like I was being edged the whole time. There were some two-star moments, some four-star moments....but mostly bang average 3-star moments.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
It's not one-star worthy, because there were moments where I was genuinely amused by what I was listening to, but damn this one was a tough one to get through.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
This was an interesting blend of punky grungey type shi that you can imagine being played at a gig in someone's basement. I think I like it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I hate Nick Cave. His voice sucks and the instrumentals on this album just seemed too raw with seemingly bare minimum production; nothing seemed to mesh well. Not 1-star worthy and completely unlistenable, but still bad.
Iron Maiden
3/5
It's mostly good, but I wasn't in the mood for the extended shredding.
New Order
3/5
I love me some New Order, but this one I wasn't quite jiving with.
Machito
3/5
I mean....it's fine, I guess.
The Doors
4/5
Enjoyed it for the most part. I really dug the bluesy sound. I think I'd listen to this again.
Moby Grape
4/5
Good bluesy/rock n roll type music with some apparent southern country rock influences. I liked the vibe of the album overall. Feel like there wasn't much five star-worthy standout, but a solid showing.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
Something about this album just didn't sit right with me. I feel like the production on the instruments could have been a little smoother. I also don't think D'Arby has the best voice; it's not bad at all, but there were moments where I was questioning it. Idk, the album was a bit all over the place. A true rating would be 2.5, but I gotta round down cause most of the albums I've rated a 3 are better than this.
Digital Underground
3/5
Good beats and flows, except all the songs don't have to be so damn long. The lyrics can be very outdated and cringey at times, but overall the album was okay.
Aerosmith
4/5
Funny that the most streamed song was the one I hated most lol. Tyler's voice on that one is just so screechy. Album got better from there, though. Just some good classic rock through and through.
George Jones
5/5
Love me some Possum
The Youngbloods
4/5
Lead singer's voice was kind of annoying but the songs were all good, even enjoyed the jamming parts of the album. Everything just sounds so late 60s/early 70s. Good showing.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Not for me, but still better than Radiohead. True rating would be a 2.5.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I liked the music in this album; has that essential 80s sound with the cool synths. But holy fuck most of the songs went on for waaaaay too long.
Fishbone
3/5
An interesting listen for sure. Had elements of ska, garage rock, funk....I didn't hate it, but don't think I'd listen to it again.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Some proper original rock n' roll that'll get you snappin along.
The Style Council
3/5
Started out jazzy and smooth, and then kind of jumped all over the place. Wasn't expecting the rap song. Not a bad album, but nothing to write home about.
Garbage
4/5
Love me some Garbage. Not every song is a banger, but overall the album is good.
John Grant
5/5
I'm not sure if I'd give this a 5 on most days, but this album hit me at a good time. Working from home and snow on the ground....it was a good vibe of light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek lyrics with some softer, good music. Enjoyed it a lot, and will be listening again.
Sister Sledge
4/5
Groovy for sure. "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family" are all time classics. A couple other songs that got me in the disco mood, but there were a couple non-capturing songs. True rating would be 4.5, but gotta round down for the uncapturing moments.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Not a bad album, but just kinda meh. All the songs sounded the same and really there was nothing ground breaking about it; sounded like all the other post-punk 80s bands, except The Teardrop Explodes did not explode like they did. Shit talk aside, it doesn't sound bad. Just not remarkable.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Okay music, but way too drawn out.