My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
L'Eau Rouge The Young Gods	5	2.32	+2.68
The New Tango Astor Piazzolla	5	2.88	+2.12
Os Mutantes Os Mutantes	5	2.97	+2.03
Will The Circle Be Unbroken Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	5	2.98	+2.02
The Libertines The Libertines	5	3	+2
Hot Shots II The Beta Band	5	3.01	+1.99
Ray Of Light Madonna	5	3.02	+1.98
Deserter's Songs Mercury Rev	5	3.03	+1.97
Tom Tom Club Tom Tom Club	5	3.03	+1.97
Maxinquaye Tricky	5	3.05	+1.95

Album	You	Global	Diff
Amnesiac Radiohead	1	3.42	-2.42
In Rainbows Radiohead	2	3.86	-1.86
Kid A Radiohead	2	3.7	-1.7
Hotel California Eagles	2	3.59	-1.59
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water Limp Bizkit	1	2.51	-1.51
Hail To the Thief Radiohead	2	3.45	-1.45
Strangeways, Here We Come The Smiths	2	3.44	-1.44
Public Image: First Issue Public Image Ltd.	1	2.42	-1.42
Seventeen Seconds The Cure	2	3.38	-1.38
There's No Place Like America Today Curtis Mayfield	2	3.37	-1.37

Artist	Albums	Average
Beatles	7	4.57
Led Zeppelin	5	4.6
Blur	3	5
Creedence Clearwater Revival	3	5
Nirvana	3	5
The White Stripes	3	5
Johnny Cash	3	5
Leonard Cohen	5	4.4
Simon & Garfunkel	3	4.67
Beastie Boys	3	4.67
Green Day	2	5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	5	4.2
Stevie Wonder	4	4.25
Bob Dylan	6	4
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	3	4.33
Nick Drake	3	4.33
The Beach Boys	3	4.33
Pink Floyd	3	4.33
R.E.M.	3	4.33
Paul Simon	3	4.33
Black Sabbath	3	4.33

Artist	Albums	Average
Public Image Ltd.	2	1.5
Radiohead	6	2.17

Artist	Ratings
Dexys Midnight Runners	5, 2
Madonna	5, 5, 2
The Cure	2, 5, 4

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

Fun first choice

Radiohead

2/5

I had this album when it came out because everyone said Radiohead was so amazing and revolutionary. It was so boring and overrated. Now hearing it again 20 years later, it’s still boring and overrated, but a little better on headphones. The dude cannot sing and there’s much better electronic music out there.

Parallel Lines

Blondie

4/5

Fun dreamy glam rock

Low

David Bowie

3/5

Started very fun, but fell off at the end

Aftermath

The Rolling Stones

3/5

Not their best work, but not bad.

Abbey Road

Beatles

5/5

It’s Abby Road

Melody A.M.

Röyksopp

3/5

A peaceful listen, but not too memorable.

(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

4/5

Lots of classic southern rock with blues influences

Maxinquaye

Tricky

5/5

I really like the dreamy low tempo electronic music

Live / Dead

Grateful Dead

4/5

A little weird at times, but overall very groovy and chill

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

5/5

Mind bending

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

3/5

Reminds me of Miseducation, but less memorable

Elastica

5/5

This is one of the 90’s best

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

4/5

The Band

5/5

Wow that was great! How did I miss this before?

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

5/5

I could go the rest of my life without hearing Under the Bridge or Give It Away again, yet the rest of the album still soars.

Ritual De Lo Habitual

Jane's Addiction

2/5

Jane’s Addiction is kind of annoying

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

5/5

A breath of fresh air

The Score

Fugees

5/5

Much better now that high school is over and the annoying girls who played this all the time are far away. Now it’s very groovy

Me Against The World

2Pac

3/5

I didn’t get into this back in the day. He was smooth, but a lot of it is very repetitive. It gets stronger towards the end. It’s not bad overall, but the era has better hip hop too.

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

4/5

The second disk was awesome! I can’t be 100% sure if I heard the artist’s original intent since only later additions were available. Nonetheless, this jumped genre and did reasonably well in all of them

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

5/5

I’m obviously going to love this, but I don’t know that I have 3 1/2 hours to dedicate to it. Agree with others that a best of should not be eligible.

Debut

Björk

4/5

4 instead of 5 because I thought it had it’s oh so quiet and it didn’t

The Message

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

4/5

This is completely insane and I can’t begin to know how to rate it

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

2/5

The Cure was around in 1980? I like their later work, but this didn’t really speak to me so much. I enjoyed the penultimate song a lot

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

3/5

Well, it’s not bad, but I don’t see picking this over the original stuff. It’s definitely performed really well and helped introduce this stuff to a new audience.

Bert Jansch

3/5

Pretty and raw, but I don’t think I’m likely to listen again

Heartbreaker

Ryan Adams

4/5

I remember hearing about this artist back in the day, but never listened to it. It was much better than I was expecting. Haunting and well crafted

Transformer

Lou Reed

5/5

This was five stars up until that weird Telephone song. Nonetheless I loved this and have absolutely no idea why. Aw never mind, it’s a five in spite of that

G. Love And Special Sauce

G. Love & Special Sauce

4/5

This is so unique and only possible in the 90’s

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

3/5

I enjoyed this well enough. You could have told me that this was U2 in the late 80’s and that would have been pretty believable. Yet, I doubt I will revisit this one too often

Metallica

4/5

That’s tough, I loved this in 7th grade but was way too cool for it in 12th. I guess I’ll just have to try to give it an honest listen 30 years later. It pretty much holds up! The instrumentation is top notch, but the lyrics are dumb and boring. It would be a five if it were in a language I don’t understand.

Timeless

Goldie

2/5

Not very memorable. Some of the breaks were nice, but I can’t imagine putting this on

Horses

Patti Smith

2/5

Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood, but I had a hard time getting into this

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

4/5

Fun distraction, I could put this on again

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

No one jams like this. Dolby Atmos sounds so good with this too

Amnesiac

Radiohead

1/5

Radiohead was deeply overrated at their best. This collection of B sides that even they didn’t like was torturous to slug through. The only listenable track was the instrumental one.

Parklife

Blur

5/5

Still so much better than Oasis

Hotel California

Eagles

2/5

A bit of a slog after the title track

The Blueprint

JAY Z

3/5

Tough to judge, Jay-Z was always pretty funny and without much gimmicky stuff or unimaginative swearing. He picks good tracks to mix, but it does get a little same-ey after a while

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

Joni Mitchell

3/5

This is unique and new to me! I have heard the name, but I don’t think I’ve heard her stuff before.

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

3/5

A couple great tracks but it gets really weird and experimental. Not necessarily a bad thing tho. Tough to digest

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

4/5

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

4/5

That was great, never heard of him before

Arc Of A Diver

Steve Winwood

2/5

He was certainly talented, but this is such a product of its time that I cannot help but be a deeply bored child again when I hear it.

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

4/5

This was better than Eminem led me to believe. Elvis was kind of the go-to pop culture joke in the late twentieth century, so it’s kind of weird to give him an honest listen. It was pretty enjoyable really (still hoping to see the original blues men make their appearance tho)

Sheet Music

10cc

3/5

Well that was different. I mostly enjoyed it, but the Flaming Lips did it better

Roger the Engineer

The Yardbirds

3/5

I can’t be sure that I heard the correct version, but I enjoyed it well enough without being blown away by it

Sulk

The Associates

2/5

This was kind of a mess, but with a few bright spots. I can understand why someone might like it and can see how it inspired the goth sub genre, but it was pretty grating

3 + 3

The Isley Brothers

3/5

Summer Breeze is a lovely song (at least the first time it appeared on this album), but the rest was in the best that 70’s soul has to offer

Either Or

Elliott Smith

5/5

Haunting and absolutely beautiful

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

4/5

Trippy and fun! I probably wasn’t in the right headspace for this, but I can tell he definitely pushed the technology available in 1973 to the max to great effect . Really rocked near the end

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

4/5

This was so much fun! It’s stuff that you know you’ve heard in the background of movies, but really focusing on it lets the storytelling shine through

S.F. Sorrow

The Pretty Things

4/5

Well this is what I’m here for! Amazing music that I’d never heard of before! Have to welcome multiverse Beatles into the regular rotation

Water From An Ancient Well

Abdullah Ibrahim

4/5

My streaming service didn’t carry this album, but I was able to cobble together most of it from other albums. Absolutely beautiful, but not Miles Davis

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)

Motörhead

3/5

Fun but rather same-y. I’m surprised that they started with their hit.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

Best of the Southern rock genre

Rust In Peace

Megadeth

2/5

Megadeth kinda sucks. Metal can be great when it carries a big atmosphere, but this almost sounds AI

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

3/5

Pretty relaxing, but forgettable

Stankonia

OutKast

5/5

Beats are best in genre. Unfortunately the skits are still dumb

Songs The Lord Taught Us

The Cramps

3/5

So much fun! I appreciate how they inspired Rev Horton Heat

Your Arsenal

Morrissey

3/5

Morrissey is great but this wasn’t his best

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

3/5

Tough follow up album. Enjoyable, but not as memorable

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

3/5

Pretty mellow and enjoyable on a weekend morning

Heavy Weather

Weather Report

2/5

I like jazz, but fusion is a mess. The musicians are talented tho

Black Monk Time

The Monks

4/5

What a trip, early punk sounds. This was so fun

On The Beach

Neil Young

5/5

An unexpected 5 stars! I have heard plenty of Young’s music, but not this album. That was hauntingly beautiful

Thriller

Michael Jackson

5/5

It’s literally Thriller

In Our Heads

Hot Chip

4/5

I recently discovered these guys too! Good stuff

Southern Rock Opera

Drive-By Truckers

4/5

This album is so fun and would probably be 5 stars if it was just one disk

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

5/5

Crazy how I don’t think I ever heard this beyond the singles before. So complex and beautiful

Sunshine Hit Me

The Bees

4/5

That was fantastic and shall be added to the rotation

The Bends

Radiohead

3/5

Better than expected after hearing their whiny and shitty later work. They should have kept this energy

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

5/5

Eargasm

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

2/5

One interesting track but mostly boring

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

I was really surprised to discover that I have not heard this whole album before, but know about half of it very well. The highlights are some of the best songs ever written, but the lows are so stupid “let’s do Julia in the road 100x” that’s it’s so hard to rate. I would rate it 4.5 if I had the option

Femi Kuti

4/5

Pretty good, I love the call and response on this! You definitely need to be in the right mood for it tho

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

3/5

Enjoyable background music, but doesn’t really catch you for the most part. You can tell it wasn’t a cohesive work, but just kind of everything he was working on

Olympia 64

Jacques Brel

3/5

He had a lot of gusto

Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple

4/5

It’s really tough to know if an album this recent will stand the test of time, but this one seems likely. She’s a world class poet

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

3/5

Modern R&B does not appeal to me, but I recognize the talent

Roots

Sepultura

4/5

That was awesome! If not for the screaming vocals would probably be a five

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen

4/5

Hauntingly beautiful lyrics

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

The Kinks

3/5

Not bad, but typical of the era

C'est Chic

CHIC

2/5

Sorry, quite boring

Future Days

Can

2/5

That was a pleasant, but very forgettable background sound

Time Out

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

4/5

First half was incredible! Fell off a bit at the end

Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton

4/5

Dolly is the greatest American

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

I was never really into these guys, but they were definitely a big influence. This is 1990s rock in the 1980s

White Ladder

David Gray

3/5

This is the background of a 1990’s coffee shop, pleasant but not memorable

Boy In Da Corner

Dizzee Rascal

2/5

Man, it was really weird to find this album on the list. Like, it’s fine, but more a goofy distraction than anything influential or must-hear

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

4/5

America’s poet

Idlewild

Everything But The Girl

3/5

I was expecting much worse based on these reviews. This is pretty ordinary pop from the late 80’s. Not my thing but well done

A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy

3/5

It grew on me on the second listen. Not bad if you keep an open mind

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Stevie Wonder

3/5

Not his best work, but the highs are still pretty high

Better Living Through Chemistry

Fatboy Slim

4/5

This hit just right! Not normally a genre that I’m into, but I wish I’d given it more attention in the 90’s

The Stranger

Billy Joel

4/5

Billy Joel owns the 70’s

Achtung Baby

U2

5/5

This whole time, I thought I didn’t like U2. This was really something else

Birth Of The Cool

Miles Davis

4/5

Good, but not as great as Kind of Blue was

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

Didn’t like it at first but it really grew on me

Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy

4/5

What a deep reference! I heard these guys in their Alternative Tentacles days. Some of the writing is cringe now, but the rolling bass is lots of fun

Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin

5/5

I’ve been sick of this album for 40 years, but can’t deny it’s great

The Last Broadcast

Doves

4/5

Pretty good, it reminded my wife of Pink Floyd

Here Come The Warm Jets

Brian Eno

3/5

That was something different. Sounded a lot like a precursor to Beck

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Raekwon

3/5

It had some solid moments (Ice Cream Truck), but the beats were not very memorable. Wu was missing its Tang

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

One of my wife’s favorite albums and I can see why. Haunting and beautiful. I enjoyed the loving Dylan send-up too

Ys

Joanna Newsom

4/5

I can see why this one was so controversial. It took a second listen on a good speaker with no distractions to really get into it. It really grew on me tho, and I think it would be a five if her voice matched the project better (she has a bluesy voice). I’m intrigued

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

5/5

These beats were insane and never let up. I normally don’t enjoy the whole “movie dialogue sliced into the track” thing but this DJ excels at at. This has to be an unexpected 5

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

Not exactly my jam, but I can definitely acknowledge how atmospheric and enchanting it sounds in the right environment

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

5/5

Aside from the Jamaica song was perfect

Spiderland

Slint

4/5

This was a lot of fun (outside of the last track). It reminded me of a small town local band in the 90’s

The Clash

4/5

OG

The Man Machine

Kraftwerk

4/5

As someone who played video games in the 1980’s, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

4/5

Not my thing, but I’ll grade on a curve since this sound had to be pretty new in 1974

Punishing Kiss

Ute Lemper

3/5

I didn’t like it at first but it grew on me. I’m still not sure why it’s here when there’s so many more impactful broadway recordings and this was nothing new in 2000

Purple Rain

Prince

5/5

Prince does what he wants

Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

Jerry Lee Lewis

3/5

Well, I can’t argue the talent, but it got very same-y very quickly

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

5/5

Raw and awesome. Not sure how I missed this in 2003

Inspiration Information

Shuggie Otis

3/5

It’s fine but from the era when R&B started to fall off

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

5/5

I love the blues guitar. No idea that JJ had a backup band before her solar career

At Budokan

Cheap Trick

3/5

Good energy, but I can’t say it did much for me

Follow The Leader

Korn

4/5

The more experimental stuff didn’t age well and their self-titled original album was their best in my opinion. Still cannot deny these guys invented a new sound that’s unique

The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie & His Orchestra

4/5

Big band’s last gasp. Really enjoyed it

The Lexicon Of Love

ABC

4/5

This was much better than I expected! Full confidence 80’s pop that didn’t hold back

Third/Sister Lovers

Big Star

2/5

There were a couple good songs, but overall this was kind of a mess

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

4/5

These guys are quickly becoming an unsung hero

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

5/5

My wife said I can’t make a flight club reference, but I may give it five stars anyway

Copper Blue

Sugar

4/5

Enjoyable early 90’s rock that didn’t reach the charts so much

Red Dirt Girl

Emmylou Harris

3/5

This was pretty enjoyable. I respect the effort. Reviews suggest it was not a typical work for her. I did not know the artist previously

Eliminator

ZZ Top

3/5

Not bad, but doesn’t really grab your attention. This becomes pleasantly background music and you can tell that’s not what they’re going for

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

2/5

Please stop making me listen to Radiohead. They aren’t getting better.

Autobahn

Kraftwerk

3/5

The title track was great but fell off from there

The Undertones

5/5

This was so good, I love this sound (surf-punk). It’s like Dead Kennedys were in a good mood. I had not heard these guys before and was slightly expecting a ska band with their name

S&M

Metallica

4/5

If this can stay instrumental it might be five stars Welp, not working for Master of Puppets Works well with Wolf song, (but not really a good song) Thing that should not be is boring Fuel is good Spaced off A good idea in theory, but they are really overwhelming the orchestra and May as well not be there Nothing Else Matters works well…but didn’t it already have a symphony? Bell tolls is working pretty good…please don’t sing Roam would work really well if the dude would just STFU, they need a choir next time Second disk picks up a lot One works really well so far Sandman doesn’t work nearly as well as they thought it would, maybe spoke too soon…nah Well, I gotta give an A for effort tho. I think this project would have worked best as a DVD instead of an album because the symphony got drowned out a lot. Still a very fun idea that would have been great in person

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

5/5

The energy never lets up. This is close to best in genre

3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...

Arrested Development

4/5

One of my very first CDs. Aged better than I expected

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

I love the titular song and can tell it’s a fantastic album but can’t really say I was in the mood for it

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

5/5

Think about you is the only weak spot so far. Rocket Queen too, but everything is is banger. It’s been a while, but this album has held up beyond expectations

Groovin'

The Young Rascals

4/5

At a certain point in the 60’s, it’s hard to tell what is rock and what is R&B. Regardless, this was the golden era for R&B

Low-Life

New Order

3/5

Great instrumentation, but the singing was noticeably off.

Live!

Fela Kuti

4/5

Pretty intense drumming. I enjoyed it

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

5/5

Aside from one cringey song this was flawless

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

Aw, I grew up with this album. I cannot turn down blusey classic rock

The Chronic

Dr. Dre

4/5

I know they’re supposed to be making fun of each other, but I don’t think they could have ever guessed how unintentionally homoerotic it comes across 30 odd years later. The first half of the album was a solid five, with the iconic rolling bass and whistle sound. It falls off pretty hard when the skits start to about a 2.5, so it’s a 4 on average

Rock 'N Soul

Solomon Burke

4/5

This was a lot of fun! Somewhere between Elvis and Sam Cooke

Walking Wounded

Everything But The Girl

3/5

A peaceful and enjoyable album that dragged on a bit too long

John Prine

5/5

I have seen this name, but never heard him before. I do not normally go for this genre, but wow I was floored by how catchy and gripping it was! A little twangy protesty poignant Dylan/American Pie. This is a five star new album

Black Holes and Revelations

Muse

4/5

This is what Radiohead would sound like if they were good

Risque

CHIC

4/5

Much better than the other CHIC album. The repetition was bugging me at first, until I realized that this is meant to be dance music. I mean, disco is still a synonym for dance club. With that in mind I totally get the groove and it’s a good one.

Aja

Steely Dan

3/5

Not bad, but very background

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

5/5

If you are listening on Apple please turn off the Dolby atmos or it will sound like she’s yelling at you a cappella. Of course the big singles were very overplayed, but if you can get past that…Easy five star but at least two stars are Flea’s

Fromohio

fIREHOSE

4/5

Not what I was expecting. Pretty decent jam band playing a variety of styles well.

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield

4/5

Who knew these guys had other songs and that they’re pretty good?

Cut

The Slits

4/5

What an interesting album! I wouldn’t exactly call it punk but I don’t know what to call it. They were not shy about experimenting with new sounds and I heard a lot of stuff that would become prominent throughout the 80’s

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Okay, but does not hold your attention. Very difficult to get worked up liking or disliking this guy

Vulnicura

Björk

3/5

Her newer stuff isn’t for me, but I really respect Björk as an artist who makes exactly what she wants.

Black Metal

Venom

3/5

Hail Satan! Once you get past the 80’s metal cheese, it does have a few high points. I really prefer sludgy metal, but you can tell these guys were having fun and didn’t take themselves all that seriously. Definitely had a big influence on the next couple decades

The Velvet Underground

3/5

I hadn’t heard this album or any of its songs before. It’s pleasant and peaceful up until the penultimate song. I like his other work more tho

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

5/5

Absolute banger all the way through

The La's

4/5

This doesn’t sound like 1990. Really growing on me in the second listen. These guys exceeded the one hit wonder reputation

Doggystyle

Snoop Dogg

5/5

He did his own thing in an instantly recognizable and an unduplicated way.

25

Adele

5/5

I was skeptical But it is winning me over. This is a massive talent. I won’t exactly listen to it again because it’s not a genre that works for me, but big respect. I’m sold

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

5/5

What a great surprise! Apparently this was part of Ted Lasso

McCartney

Paul McCartney

4/5

Great to hear a generational talent just messing around in his home studio all raw and lo-fi

Pretenders

4/5

Oh man, I’ve only heard of this because of the Vandals Turns out, TV’s GE smith was no match for this

MTV Unplugged In New York

Nirvana

5/5

Well I’ve heard this a million times. What I didn’t know was that they released a handful of rehearsal songs from this in 2019 and it’s haunting to hear today.

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

5/5

The first three tracks were a steamroller! It mellowed out after that but never really let up. I haven’t given Dire Straits much attention before, but I’m realizing that I really should

O.G. Original Gangster

Ice T

4/5

This album is really funny! It’s odd that now he’s better known for playing a cop, but he had a lot of fun making this

The Stone Roses

4/5

A pleasant listen, I’m glad I heard it

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

3/5

A lot of solid and uplifting moments, but it got too disjointed at times. I’m spoiled by finding Miles first

Astral Weeks

Van Morrison

3/5

Pleasant noodling but didn’t really hold my attention

Iron Maiden

3/5

You sure don’t expect to get slut-shamed by Iron Maiden?!

L'Eau Rouge

The Young Gods

5/5

Well crafted industrial music is hard to come by. I guess I should have looked in Switzerland. This was a genuine treat and exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to find. I can understand why it’s a little out there for some folks, but it worked for me

Modern Life Is Rubbish

Blur

5/5

Transcendently beautiful

Guitar Town

Steve Earle

3/5

This was country before it sold out. It’s not my genre so I can’t really judge it very effectively, but it was well crafted

Revolver

Beatles

4/5

The Beatles had no bad albums, but they have entries stronger than this one. The hits are the hits tho

Winter In America

Gil Scott-Heron

4/5

The first third was a bit rough. I didn’t like his singing and wished it was instrumental. It really picked up in the middle and I can see some real solid talent. The poetry near the end was FIRE and notched it up a star!

Songs Of Love And Hate

Leonard Cohen

4/5

I wasn’t completely in the right headspace to take this album in, but I could tell it was some poignant and powerful poetry

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

4/5

You wouldn’t expect Michael Jackson to make one of the best disco albums

Grace

Jeff Buckley

4/5

That started slow but got really beautiful by the end

Play

Moby

4/5

A lot of very solid background tracks. It would be five stars if it was about a third shorter

Ray Of Light

Madonna

5/5

I have been wrong about Madonna for 25 years, that was amazing actually . I was surprised by how good this was. I don’t really like the Ray of Light song so much, so I didn’t have high expectations of it, but it’s downtempo and really well put together. I think sometimes we don’t give albums a fair shake when the artist is a media spectacle. Lesson learnt

Blur

5/5

With Song 2 being so overplayed, I’d kinda forgotten how good this was. Very few misses on this diverse album

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

3/5

Well that was interesting! I can see why it’s controversial because at times it does seem like they are just screwing around with the synthesizer, but when they really get going and jamming it’s not bad

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

4/5

A beautiful album

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

4/5

It was better than the other one and I kinda jammed out at times

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

4/5

I wasn’t able to give this the time it deserved, but the middle was incredible writing

The World is a Ghetto

War

4/5

Pretty solid funk album. I particularly dug the instrumental tracks

Pieces Of The Sky

Emmylou Harris

4/5

I’m starting to think there might be a reason all the country music on this list has been from the 80’s or earlier so far

Tapestry

Carole King

5/5

I was too sick to properly enjoy this one, but I could tell it was spectacular

Movies

Holger Czukay

3/5

Well, that was what you might expect German electronic music from 1979 to sound like. I was impressed that he’s still making music today

Mott

Mott The Hoople

4/5

Better than I was expecting, this was actually pretty epic

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

4/5

Very solid album, but I like This is Happening more

Drunk

Thundercat

2/5

A couple decent songs, but this was mostly phoned in and boring

The Holy Bible

Manic Street Preachers

4/5

I have heard of these guys, but never listened before. It grew on me a lot during the second listen

They Were Wrong, So We Drowned

Liars

2/5

Ouch why? Track five is listenable. Make it to the half point and it gets a bit better

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest

5/5

Brilliant rhyming, sampling and storytelling. I am skeptical about the last few tracks being on the original album tho

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

5/5

I used to think this was the worst White Stripes album (still incredible, but not on level with their other work). I’ve matured since then and realized this is a generational talent

Mask

Bauhaus

3/5

Gothy

Urban Hymns

The Verve

3/5

I think I had this album but barely remember it. It holds up well enough

Superfuzz Bigmuff

Mudhoney

3/5

Solid proto grunge

What's That Noise?

Coldcut

4/5

This one was not on my streaming service, so I listened to a couple tracks from a “best of” album and was underwhelmed at first. Then I found the whole thing on YouTube and gave it a full listen in the background and it really impressed as a complete package. I can see how this influenced so much in the 90’s

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

I am a sucker for anything blues based. It is the sound of America 🇺🇸

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

5/5

Wow! What a surprise masterpiece

Mermaid Avenue

Billy Bragg

5/5

Really solid work! I did not realize Wilco was around that early

Destroy Rock & Roll

Mylo

3/5

Not iconic, original or influential. It’s not awful but I cannot understand why it’s here.

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

5/5

Possibly best in genre

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

3/5

Quirky and fun

A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Streets

2/5

I spent the 2000s in the UK and I kinda remember the short lived belief that a new genre had been invented. Aged pretty badly. A couple high points, but These guys would probably prefer to be left off of the list so this embarrassing album could be forgotten

The Real Thing

Faith No More

4/5

Solid influence on the 90s

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

5/5

American music’s heart…except the dog shooting I guess

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

5/5

Introspective and yearning masterpiece

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

5/5

The second half of this album SLAPS

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

3/5

Not bad but didn’t connect with me

Licensed To Ill

Beastie Boys

5/5

These guys perfected rock samples into a hybrid genre that is almost uniquely theirs

Trans Europe Express

Kraftwerk

3/5

Getting a little tired of Kraftwerk, but there’s a couple good tracks

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

Genesis

2/5

It had a moment or two but not nearly enough to justify the 90 minute slog

Tea for the Tillerman

Cat Stevens

4/5

Not bad, some earnest hits that have fallen out of the zeitgeist on here

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

5/5

My folks loved this album growing up. It really showed that Paul McCartney had solo musical chops

The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

5/5

Hauntingly brilliant

Fleet Foxes

4/5

A really unique and interesting sound. Was too sleepy to give it a proper listen, but I’ve heard them before

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

4/5

This one needs to be enjoyed in a cozy environment. It improved greatly in the second listen at home

Here, My Dear

Marvin Gaye

2/5

I can see the talent, but for me this is about where R&B fell off until the 90s. Every song lasts about two minutes past when it was over

Your New Favourite Band

The Hives

4/5

I didn’t want to like this because I thought of them as a one-hit wonder, but it won me over. Better than the Strokes, but not as good as the Black Keys or White Stripes

Odelay

Beck

5/5

An all-time favorite and an easy five

Nixon

Lambchop

3/5

Cozy background music, got better when stripped down

This Nation’s Saving Grace

The Fall

3/5

Is this a punk rock jam band? Interesting stuff

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan

5/5

Apple Music called this a pop album, but I’m still not fucking with it

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

2/5

This was almost as weird as JD Vance

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

5/5

Lots of classics that set up a half century of pop music

Justified

Justin Timberlake

4/5

Pretty decent pop record, if it had been released 20 years prior I think it would have a higher general rating here

Paul Simon

5/5

Great collection of world music sounds

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

4/5

Solid Dylan work

A Walk Across The Rooftops

The Blue Nile

2/5

Hard to see what they were going for here

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

4/5

Fun late 60’s rock. Did not realize who they were until the last song

Street Life

The Crusaders

3/5

Not bad background jazz. It mostly doesn’t command your attention after the first track

L.A. Woman

The Doors

4/5

I’m a sucker for anything blues based, but the version of Riders on the Storm with excessive band chatter at the beginning with no other noticeable changes was annoying

Peter Gabriel

3/5

Good variety of sounds on here

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

4/5

I was today years old when I learned Social Distortion did not write that song

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

5/5

This labor of love is possibly best in genre. Every song is so layered (except Disarm, that song is annoying)

Tidal

Fiona Apple

4/5

Very solid start

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding

4/5

Good collection of covers

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

Popularized the genre worldwide

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Pink Floyd

3/5

Not as good as their later work

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

4/5

I’m the right context this could be incredible

Dookie

Green Day

5/5

For everyone who was ever 14

Kings Of The Wild Frontier

Adam & The Ants

3/5

That was off the wall

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

4/5

The final boss of 80s synth pop really picks up about halfway through when it gets more creative and varied

Led Zeppelin

5/5

I’m a sucker for blues based anything

Stardust

Willie Nelson

4/5

What a delight that was!

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

4/5

A really interesting album with many great highs and a few crass lows that knock it down a notch

Fisherman's Blues

The Waterboys

3/5

Enjoyable pub rock, but I don’t imagine coming back to this

All Directions

The Temptations

3/5

I usually like older R&B, but this didn’t meet my expectations

Elephant

The White Stripes

5/5

Generational talent

Dire Straits

4/5

Really chill

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

4/5

Some of his best work

When I Was Born For The 7th Time

Cornershop

4/5

Groovy

Modern Kosmology

Jane Weaver

4/5

Enjoyable and tough to categorize

Clandestino

Manu Chao

4/5

Very chill and enjoyable album

We Are Family

Sister Sledge

3/5

Had some high points, but was a little past prime R&B

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

3/5

Better than the last one

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Sinead O'Connor

4/5

I enjoyed this much more than I expected to

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

5/5

I’m a Blur guy, but that won me over

Group Sex

Circle Jerks

4/5

Pretty raw early punk

Surfer Rosa

Pixies

4/5

The start of something incredible, but Doolittle was better

In Utero

Nirvana

5/5

Fantastic that this should follow the Pixies

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

4/5

Good, but not their best outside of Immigrant Song

Younger Than Yesterday

The Byrds

4/5

The most 60s album yet

Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals

4/5

Pretty solid and eclectic collection of tracks

War

U2

3/5

Was okay but not in the mood

Moving Pictures

Rush

4/5

Pretty solid rock

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

4/5

I understand why it’s way too much in one sitting, but I found it clever and charming. It was as if Shel Silverstein was a musician

Penance Soiree

The Icarus Line

3/5

That was okay but I’ll never listen to it again

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

5/5

This was even better than the other one

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

Frank Sinatra

3/5

I really enjoyed it until he started playing literally the same song five times. Too much

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Soft Cell

3/5

The first half had the singer kinda overwhelming the rest of the (pretty decent) instrumentation, but it picked up a lot in the second half to land in the middle

In Rainbows

Radiohead

2/5

They are not getting much better. It really is an Emperor’s New Clothes situation with these guys

D

White Denim

5/5

What a great surprise! I’ll definitely need to put these guys on regular rotation

The Man Who

Travis

2/5

The radio hit was nice, but OMG the rest sounds like Christian Rock

Arise

Sepultura

3/5

I don’t know metal well enough to rate

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Arctic Monkeys

5/5

I somehow managed to never listen to this one when it was big. What a miss, it was amazing outside of the radio hit

B-52's

The B-52's

5/5

I didn’t realize these guys were around that early

Since I Left You

The Avalanches

3/5

Interesting concept

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

4/5

Really picks up around Southern Man

Run-D.M.C.

3/5

Early genre weirdness

Ambient 1/Music For Airports

Brian Eno

4/5

That was peaceful and influenced a whole genre

Germfree Adolescents

X-Ray Spex

4/5

Not heard of this before, what a trip!

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

5/5

Cannot believe he just freestyled this

Chemtrails Over The Country Club

Lana Del Rey

4/5

She constantly releases good albums

The Slim Shady LP

Eminem

3/5

You can see the beginnings of his talent, but this was his angry middle school notebook

Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones

4/5

My folks played this one a lot growing up

Back To Black

Amy Winehouse

5/5

Massive talent

Zombie

Fela Kuti

4/5

Pretty fun

Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches

Happy Mondays

4/5

Pretty enjoyable

Shake Your Money Maker

The Black Crowes

5/5

I’m a sucker for blues based rock

Murmur

R.E.M.

4/5

Fantastic, I don’t think I’ve heard most of this before

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Legendary

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

4/5

Very solid entry

Django Django

4/5

Pretty good

Eli And The Thirteenth Confession

Laura Nyro

3/5

Not bad exactly, but the tempo just didn’t seem to match to my ear

Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson

5/5

America’s heart

Blackstar

David Bowie

3/5

Of course David Bowie was a treasure. Not bad, but definitely only here because it was his last work, not his best.

Nowhere

Ride

3/5

Tough to rate. None of it’s bad but none of it really commands your attention either

Music Has The Right To Children

Boards of Canada

2/5

By 1998 I expect more from electronic music

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

4/5

I don’t like to judge the album by the person, but this did remind me to get my flu shot

Frampton Comes Alive

Peter Frampton

3/5

It’s an album that has been the butt of many jokes

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

4/5

Great album but not really the day for it

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

4/5

I’m surprised that I haven’t heard this one before. It’s apparently well known

Ramones

5/5

OG

Live At Leeds

The Who

3/5

I’ve never really gotten the Who, but respect their talent

We're Only In It For The Money

The Mothers Of Invention

3/5

That was strange but I can see what they were going for. It was just too much of an inside joke for a previous generation that’s a little lost to time

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire

4/5

That was a trip that won my whole family over

Ragged Glory

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

Yeah I can see why they called him the godfather of grunge

Kilimanjaro

The Teardrop Explodes

3/5

It had its moments

British Steel

Judas Priest

5/5

I didn’t really know these guys when I was younger but this was easily the best 80’s metal so far

The Doors

4/5

I was surprised that I hadn’t heard all of these before

The Predator

Ice Cube

5/5

I wish I’d heard his stuff beyond the radio hits before, that was all around amazing

Larks' Tongues In Aspic

King Crimson

4/5

I didn’t want to like this because Genesis taught me that I don’t like progressive rock, but it ended up being pretty good

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

4/5

Spooky

Mr. Tambourine Man

The Byrds

3/5

Pretty good, but very repetitive

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

4/5

Fuzzy sounding excellence

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor

Lupe Fiasco

4/5

Pretty clever rhymes, but imagine being the one person in the business who he forgot to shout out

Disintegration

The Cure

5/5

Wow, that was atmospheric! I totally get the appeal

Moon Safari

Air

4/5

Trippy

Step In The Arena

Gang Starr

3/5

Pretty fun direction

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.

5/5

Equal parts brilliant and crude

Damaged

Black Flag

4/5

Oi oi oi

There's A Riot Goin' On

Sly & The Family Stone

3/5

Groovy

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

2/5

Not a very interesting album

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

The Pogues

4/5

That hit way harder than expected

Nevermind

Nirvana

5/5

The radio songs (other than maybe Lithium) have been played to the point that I don’t even really hear them anymore. Otherwise it’s hard to express how this sounded when it was fresh

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

3/5

It had its moments but a lot of this was trying too hard

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

3/5

I can see the appeal, but so much of this dragged on and on long after it was interesting. I got bored with about half of it

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

5/5

Best in whatever genre that was

The Last Of The True Believers

Nanci Griffith

3/5

A sweet and inoffensive album

Joan Baez

3/5

Her voice didn’t work for everything here but it was sweet overall

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

David Bowie

5/5

Another amazing album that I thought I knew, but actually didn’t. That’s what this project is great for

The Grand Tour

George Jones

4/5

Solid foundational country

Everything Must Go

Manic Street Preachers

3/5

A few standout tracks

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

2/5

I did enjoy the rolling bass lines, but the falsetto singing just got too annoying

Elvis Is Back

Elvis Presley

4/5

A great collection of songs that I have not heard this version of before. Not exactly an album tho, just a talent showcase

Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes

3/5

You sorta know exactly what this will sound like as soon as you see the cover

Fred Neil

4/5

Better than expected

Ten

Pearl Jam

5/5

Best in genre

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

3/5

It’s fine, I just don’t like progressive rock

American Pie

Don McLean

4/5

What a poet!

So

Peter Gabriel

4/5

Say what you want about the 80s, but pop music peaked

The Trinity Session

Cowboy Junkies

5/5

I only knew the song from Natural Born Killers before, but wow this album blew me away

Liege And Lief

Fairport Convention

4/5

Better than the cover suggested

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

3/5

I guess Van Morrison wrote other songs

Abraxas

Santana

5/5

Eclectically brilliant

Trafalgar

Bee Gees

3/5

That was the BeeGees???

Station To Station

David Bowie

3/5

It’s not bad, but not his best work. Too 70s

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

4/5

Solid entry, but not quite as immersive as Key of Life

Atomizer

Big Black

4/5

I can understand why some people wouldn’t like this, but I think it was in interesting blend of punk and industrial

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

4/5

Festively soulful and it reminds you what time of year it is

Histoire De Melody Nelson

Serge Gainsbourg

4/5

Ennui

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

My wife’s favorite album is an all time classic

Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

Bill Callahan

3/5

I get what he was going for, but was definitely not in the right mood for melancholy

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

4/5

Smooth

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

4/5

Much better than the other Zappa album. This was a fun take on jazz

Calenture

The Triffids

3/5

Not bad, but instantly forgotten

Dry

PJ Harvey

4/5

It has the Nirvana pattern of quiet heavy quiet that was popular in the early 90s

Fragile

Yes

3/5

They were having fun making this

Africa Brasil

Jorge Ben Jor

5/5

Blown away by this. Another five star album by someone I didn’t know before

Pyromania

Def Leppard

4/5

Don’t care, had fun

The Pleasure Principle

Gary Numan

4/5

I learned that the Basement Jaxx famous song is a cover

You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen

5/5

This haunting album stays with you. Fantastic

Sail Away

Randy Newman

3/5

I didn’t expect to like this but it grew on me

Mothership Connection

Parliament

5/5

So much fun and plenty of 90s rap Easter eggs too

...And Justice For All

Metallica

3/5

Not really worth paying for, but worth a stream or two

Green

R.E.M.

4/5

Solid college rock

Synchronicity

The Police

3/5

The second half was a five

A Seat at the Table

Solange

3/5

She had a nice singing voice, but the songwriting and instrumentation wasn’t anything special. Seems likely this one benefited from family connections

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

4/5

Most of the time this was a lot of fun. A little of the time this was obnoxious

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

4/5

Sweet harmonies, I thought I knew this album but I was wrong

Djam Leelii

Baaba Maal

4/5

Very pleasant listen. I was a bit zoned out from exhaustion to give it proper attention

3/5

A real mixed bag. I really like some of it, but some of it was stupid

Elvis Presley

4/5

Wow we were so cynical, Elvis before he was famous is pretty good stuff

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

3/5

Fine, but not his best work

Vulgar Display Of Power

Pantera

4/5

I did not have high expectations for this album but it really impressed me. Probably the best metal album from the 90s

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

4/5

Eclectic songs that were well cry

The Poet

Bobby Womack

3/5

It’s not bad, but r&b in general was in a lull

Rid Of Me

PJ Harvey

4/5

Pretty intense

California

American Music Club

3/5

Not bad. It’s mostly just okay with one stand out track. Odd that this seems to be their only non-streaming album

Crosby, Stills & Nash

5/5

A couple misses, but overall a garfunkeleske work of art

Tarkus

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

4/5

For progressive rock, this isn’t nearly as bad as the reviews suggest. It’s basically jazz

The Wall

Pink Floyd

5/5

Pretty epic rock opera here

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

4/5

Not bad early rock

New Boots And Panties

Ian Dury

3/5

Goofy but fun at times

Le Tigre

4/5

Surprise hit

Under Construction

Missy Elliott

5/5

Some of it is a little hilariously outdated today (Donal Trump having no time for politics / Diddy being something to brag about) but you can’t deny she’s the best female rapper in the business

Melodrama

Lorde

4/5

Solid album, I wonder if her other one is on the list

Ace of Spades

Motörhead

4/5

I’m rocked pretty good by this

Architecture And Morality

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

4/5

Interesting and beautiful at times

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

4/5

Peaceful and trippy

Broken English

Marianne Faithfull

2/5

I’m not sure what this was supposed to be

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying

Megadeth

4/5

Okay that was a lot of fun! Much better than the other Megadeth album on the list. It would probably be a five if it didn’t repeat itself for no reason

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

3/5

Well that was certainly an album

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

4/5

Dark and hypnotic

Take Me Apart

Kelela

3/5

Not bad, I enjoyed the downtempo but I don’t tend to go for modern R&B

Repeater

Fugazi

4/5

I know 13 Songs pretty well but hadn’t heard this before. It holds up

The Idiot

Iggy Pop

3/5

Not his best

Legalize It

Peter Tosh

4/5

Jah

Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin

5/5

Well ya can’t argue with that

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

You can see why this is the highest rated album on the list

Beach Samba

Astrud Gilberto

3/5

Pleasant background music

Fun House

The Stooges

2/5

Ironically, this would have been way better without Iggy Pop in it

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

4/5

What Radiohead might sound like if they didn’t suck

Third

Soft Machine

2/5

It occasionally found a song

Machine Gun Etiquette

The Damned

4/5

Solid

Scum

Napalm Death

3/5

It wasn’t that bad. I don’t enjoy the barking, but the riffs are pretty good and they stop before they get boring

Parachutes

Coldplay

4/5

Coldplay kinda missed me the first time around, but this is pleasant

Rage Against The Machine

5/5

FDT

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

5/5

Yeah I know…in fiction it’s a lot of fun and entertainment when a genius goes mad, in real life it’s just sad

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Richard Thompson

3/5

It had its moments, but this just seemed a little too Middle Earth for me

Let It Be

The Replacements

4/5

That went pretty hard

Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

TV On The Radio

4/5

I think this would be 5 without that singer. Otherwise pretty innovative and impressive

Floodland

Sisters Of Mercy

4/5

80s darkwave goodness

Kick Out The Jams (Live)

MC5

4/5

Holy shit what just happened. This was a solid five up until the last song spaceman thing

Rising Above Bedlam

Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart

3/5

Functionally fine, but reminds me too much of Muzak

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

3/5

Old Skool’s last gasp was fun enough

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention

5/5

That was way better than their other one

Come Find Yourself

Fun Lovin' Criminals

3/5

Goofy at times but kinda fun most of the time

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

5/5

Folks didn’t give these guys enough credit back in the day

Too Rye Ay

Dexys Midnight Runners

5/5

Spectacular big sound, orchestral and jazzy. I would have never guessed it would be that good

Slayed?

Slade

4/5

They said it sounds like the Beatles and AC/DC writing songs for each other and they were right

Miriam Makeba

5/5

Wow, what an awesome experience

OK Computer

Radiohead

3/5

Replace the singer and this would be pretty good. At least they restrain him somewhat on this one

Rattlesnakes

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

4/5

Enjoyable 89s college rock

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

4/5

Fever dream

Sea Change

Beck

4/5

I love Beck! I would have gone with Guero tho

Kenya

Machito

5/5

Best enjoyed with headphones

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

50 Cent

4/5

I’ve never liked in da club, but there’s plenty to enjoy here otherwise

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

3/5

Why is an instrumental song a ballad? So much cocaine. Well done

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

4/5

Oddly I don’t think I’ve heard anything from this album before, despite it being on this list and others. Lots of clever writing here. I don’t get the hate for Morrissey

Gorillaz

4/5

So groundbreaking, but the last third feels kinda unfinished and falls apart

Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears

5/5

Wall of 80s sound done right

Peggy Suicide

Julian Cope

3/5

Without the singer this would be pretty good. It felt super cringy at first, but it grew on me once I got used to his voice. Really tough to rate

Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Public Enemy

4/5

Not quite as good as first one, but pretty solid. A few slow spots

Who Killed...... The Zutons?

The Zutons

4/5

Idc I liked that

LP1

FKA twigs

4/5

I can understand why people didn’t enjoy this one but it really felt experimental and new. It pops with solid headphones

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

4/5

Dang this project is really giving me a much stronger appreciation for EDM. Who knew

Shleep

Robert Wyatt

2/5

The opening track is okay and the some of the tracks near the end are all right but they surround a shiiiit sandwich. This album is a prank

Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone

4/5

Too funky

Close To The Edge

Yes

3/5

It’s competently done, but doesn’t really appeal to me

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

5/5

Fantastic haunting album

Paris 1919

John Cale

4/5

I don’t care for his voice but the instrumentation was fantastic

xx

The xx

5/5

Quiet and romantic, a surprise favorite

Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman

John Zorn

3/5

I didn’t hate it and might have even kind of liked it when it didn’t focus too hard and just let it zen in the background. It was super jarring at first, like a big jazz number that spent five minutes on a big continuous ending, but I started reading a comic book and let it play on some quality headphones at the same time and I found myself occasionally getting sucked into the cacophony and even tapping along

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

3/5

Loose, bluesy, and way too long in spots, but I was vibing more than I expected. A beautiful mess.

Dear Science

TV On The Radio

4/5

Genre-hopping, sharp, and emotional. A little uneven but packed with standout tracks. Loved the fire, loved the ache.

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

4/5

A dream of a city night - fierce, tender, and raw in all the right places. Some drag late, and Yorke nearly puts it to sleep, but the highs glow.

Steve McQueen

Prefab Sprout

2/5

Soft, clever, and a little too proud of itself. A few good moments, but mostly forgettable 80s fluff

Disraeli Gears

Cream

5/5

Fuzzy, bluesy, and trippy in all the right ways. A few weird moments, but I was grinning through most of it. Just don’t let Clapton babysit.

Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz

4/5

Heartfelt and vibey. The influences are obvious, but they make it stronger, not weaker. Some corny lyrics, but Lenny’s effortlessly cool and the groove never quits.

Double Nickels On The Dime

Minutemen

5/5

Amateurish in the best possible way. Like seeing the best local band in town the night punk gave birth to grunge. Raw, weird, real - and that bass was tits.

Infected

The The

3/5

Like Leonard Cohen fronting a synth-drenched fever dream. Theatrical, uneasy, and unforgettable. The drum machines sounded like the exact models Reznor used on Pretty Hate Machine but used very differently…I haven’t heard anything else quite like it.

Heartattack And Vine

Tom Waits

3/5

Wasn’t in the mood today, but the dive bar grime and sorrowful soul still landed. I know this one would wreck me on the right night.

Five Leaves Left

Nick Drake

5/5

Earnest and delicate, with masterful control over guitar and mood. soft-spoken and unforgettable.

Two Dancers

Wild Beasts

2/5

Instrumentally solid, but the lyrics are stupid and the vocals sound like a Muppet auditioning for an art school tragedy. No favorites.

Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners

2/5

Moments of real beauty and emotion, but never a full song I could latch onto. Feels more like Kevin Rowland’s soul journaling than an album. Hard to revisit.

Liquid Swords

GZA

4/5

Razor-sharp flow and a unified, gritty atmosphere. The beats can feel a little repetitive, but GZA’s precision and the vibe carry it hard. Cold, focused, and real solid.

Blunderbuss

Jack White

5/5

This guy never runs out of creative juice squeezed from the great American songbooks. Future editions could probably replace this one with “No Name” but still A masterclass in emotional range and sonic invention.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

5/5

Heavy metal was borne right here, dammit. Even if it’s not my main thing, you’ve gotta give credit when guys invent a whole genre. An apocalyptic breeze of riffs and ruin.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

Interesting story behind this one

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

Somehow this missed me before, but it turns out that fusion jazz has a variety of styles and some of them aren’t pure chaos

Faith

George Michael

5/5

Really did not expect this to be that good

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

Devo

4/5

Devolved

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

4/5

Sprawling, slithering, and sacred. This is Zeppelin at full power; blues thunder, mystic haze, and swagger carved in stone.

Back to Basics

Christina Aguilera

4/5

Y2K glam meets vintage soul. Aguilera’s voice is thunderous, and the production knows it; bold, polished, and way more fun than expected.

Palo Congo

Sabu

3/5

Hypnotic and unfamiliar. A rhythm-driven ritual I can’t fully judge, but I felt it all the same.

Reign In Blood

Slayer

3/5

Tight, furious, and legendary, but I prefer my metal slower and heavier.

The United States Of America

4/5

A long, strange trip into oscillators and ideology👽. Clever, chaotic, and way ahead of its time. Uncle Sam never sounded so warped.

Real Life

Magazine

3/5

Artful, angular, and a little too aloof for me. I admire the mood, but didn’t connect with the message.

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age

4/5

Fuzzy riffs, desert propulsion, and a hypnotic groove. A desert rocket that peters out toward the end

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

5/5

As a card-carrying snob, I’d have gone with de Stijl but it’s whatever. Jack has made no albums that aren’t a five

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

Side one is a masterpiece of memory and mortality; side two trades the concept for a hit parade. The brilliance never fully fades, and when it lands, it’s timeless.

Traffic

3/5

Pleasant and well-crafted, but never truly commanding. It’s a gentle, drifting listen ; more background breeze than bonfire.

Tragic Songs of Life

The Louvin Brothers

3/5

A pleasant and reverent listen, if a bit uniform. The harmonies cut like old wood, and the sorrow feels sacred. ‘In the Pines’ opened a door straight to Lead Belly and Cobain.

Feast of Wire

Calexico

4/5

A singular, sunburnt experience, the instrumental atmospherics and borderland storytelling is hypnotic, especially on the album’s second half.

Graceland

Paul Simon

5/5

Big sound, big effort, and it works. I remember this from childhood without knowing it. Some songs are playful, some hit deep, but the whole thing earns its place. Five stars.

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

5/5

WOOO!

Country Life

Roxy Music

3/5

This was pretty unexpected and unique. Kinda Bowie, but didn’t always land. I loved the bass work and call and response

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

4/5

I wasnt in the mood for this but it won my respect for being a big grand sound

I Against I

Bad Brains

3/5

I respect what they were going for, but the vocals were hit or miss. Cool riffs, good groove — just not as heavy or consistent as I expected.

Microshift

Hookworms

2/5

Some interesting moments, but it dragged. Felt like wish.com LCD Soundsystem

Frank

Amy Winehouse

4/5

Fascinating to hear a legend just getting started. Jazzy, sly, and raw.

Sound Affects

The Jam

5/5

This was ahead of its time, full of sharp turns, and somehow even dropped ska on me. I hadn’t heard it before, and now I can’t believe it was hidden. Absolutely brilliant

Strange Cargo III

William Orbit

3/5

Solid background vibe, I would play this again if it was on Apple

Brown Sugar

D'Angelo

4/5

Groovy and peaceful, with rich instrumentation and a relaxed vibe. Some songs feel extended longer than necessary, but the musicianship and atmosphere earn it high marks, even from someone not typically into 90s R&B.

Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Koffi Olomide

3/5

Sounds like a foreign establishing shot in a movie. Groovy and polished, but more atmosphere than engagement.

São Paulo Confessions

Suba

4/5

Enjoyed the vibe, smooth and atmospheric. Great study music with just enough texture to keep it interesting.

In The Wee Small Hours

Frank Sinatra

3/5

Jazz bar atmosphere all the way. Frank Simpnatra was clearly going through it, less range than I expected, but he belts it out loud and proud

Scissor Sisters

5/5

OMG this is so much fun. Total glam-disco chaos in the best way. I was grinning the whole time.

1999

Prince

4/5

Reinventing pop

Orbital 2

Orbital

3/5

What a trip. I’m not really into EDM, but it was cool to hear something so different. A long, spacey ride with some genuinely beautiful moments.

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

4/5

Fierce and spiritual, but felt more like a string of virtuosic solos than full songs. Not as cohesive as Miles or Herbie, but the piano, bass, and drums were absolutely elite.

Goo

Sonic Youth

2/5

It’s not bad when it gets out of its own ass. Feels like a band trying so hard not to care that it ends up being obvious they care a lot. Most of it felt like effort disguised as disinterest, but “My Friend Goo” hit the punk note, and “Mildred Pierce” almost worked before they wrecked it. “Titanium Exposé” closed things out better than expected.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

4/5

Completely wild. It broke into every direction at once; Spanish guitars, shouting horns, swirling chaos. It doesn’t stay in one place for long, but it leaves a hell of an impression.

Funeral

Arcade Fire

4/5

Emotional, theatrical, and sweeping. It’s grand without being overblown, and the energy feels raw and real. A strong halfway marker.

Picture Book

Simply Red

3/5

Definitely cheesy at times, but not irredeemably

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

5/5

The playing is masterful, the tone reverent, and it’s amazing this much 19th-century tradition was captured while the legends were still alive.

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

4/5

Solid blues-based rock all the way through

Henry's Dream

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

5/5

Total gonzo energy all the way through. Chaotic, theatrical, and wildly alive. Like a sermon delivered during a jailbreak.

Kimono My House

Sparks

4/5

Like Queen and Elton John if they got trapped in a fever dream.

Dub Housing

Pere Ubu

3/5

Definitely different, especially for its time. Sometimes it’s noise and chanting that sounds like Radiohead to people who don’t like Radiohead. Other times, it breaks into something jazzy and Doors-like. Would’ve liked it a lot more without the singer.

Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp

4/5

Total haunted Portishead vibes. Elegant, eerie, and immersive

Fifth Dimension

The Byrds

3/5

Uneven as hell. A few tracks shine; Eight Miles High, Mr. Spaceman, and Captain Soul; but the writing often falls flat, and it fizzles out by the end. Cool ideas, shaky delivery.

Call of the Valley

Shivkumar Sharma

4/5

Peaceful and tranquil. A flowing, meditative suite that gently unfolds.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

4/5

Feels like Axl Rose if he was more into weed than booze. Great songwriting, classic rock energy, and some real hidden gems beyond the overplayed hits.

Dusty In Memphis

Dusty Springfield

5/5

Every track hit. Not the live album I expected, but the intimacy and emotion made it feel like she was singing right in the room. Stunning vocals, gorgeous arrangements, and not a single misstep.

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

5/5

Pretty enchanting throughout. Smooth, funky, and full of heart. A landmark record that still feels alive today.

Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Tortoise

2/5

A few decent moments, but a lot of this just doesn’t feel like music. Djed meandered through five ideas without cohesion, and much of the album felt like sound design exercises. Cold, clinical, and more of an art project than an album.

Celebrity Skin

Hole

4/5

Really liked it; a sharp, catchy album with big energy and bigger attitude. Could’ve shaved off 15 minutes and been even tighter

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

3/5

Impressive musicianship, no doubt; but it mostly feels like a document of an amazing concert rather than an essential listening experience. Great performances, but it doesn’t add much beyond the studio versions.

Queen II

Queen

5/5

Didn’t expect it to be this heavy, or this good. Like progressive rock with all the boring bits surgically removed. Full of drama, riffs, and ridiculousness that somehow works. Absolutely soared.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

5/5

Like watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force high as balls

Let's Get It On

Marvin Gaye

3/5

Huge talent, no question, but it really demands a specific mood, and I wasn’t in it while working on my greenhouse. I liked What’s Going On better overall.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

5/5

I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. Grandiose, intense, and lyrically sharp; big apocalyptic energy without tipping into melodrama.

Let's Get Killed

David Holmes

3/5

Not bad EDM, but too much talking in the intros

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

4/5

Epic and emotional, with a real sense of weight behind it. You can feel the haunted history in every note

Trio

Dolly Parton

4/5

It took a bit to warm up; I thought it might be a snooze at first. But once “To Know Him Is to Love Him” hit, it launched into a hot streak

Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

4/5

It was haunted in tone, in theme, and in timing. Not the surfy sunshine of old, but something heavier, more introspective. The sound of a genius drifting out to sea, one broken harmony at a time. Perfectly eerie for the day Brian Wilson left the planet.

Ocean Rain

Echo And The Bunnymen

4/5

melodramatic, orchestral, and brooding in a way that definitely shaped alt rock. Sometimes they get a little ahead of themselves, weird for weird’s sake, but it’s still a vital piece of music history.

GREY Area

Little Simz

4/5

her rhymes are complex but sound effortless. London flow laid over beats that feel like a mash of punk urgency and Black Keys swagger.

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

4/5

Doesn’t overstay its welcome, doesn’t need to prove anything

I Should Coco

Supergrass

4/5

Definitely fun; high energy, cheeky, catchy in bursts.

Crazysexycool

TLC

4/5

Forget what real R&b sounds like

Rocks

Aerosmith

4/5

This is good and doesnt sound like Aerosmith

Rubber Soul

Beatles

5/5

This is still peak Beatles. The perfect balance of early simplicity and the psychedelic experimentation to come.

Beyond Skin

Nitin Sawhney

2/5

ambitious in concept, but forgettable in execution. I gave it a fair shake, but this one didn’t stick.

Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

5/5

Blues and hard drugs was a winning formula in the ‘60s.

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

4/5

Filthy in all the right ways. If Paranoid was the classic, Vol. 4 is the sewer-dwelling cult favorite.

Savane

Ali Farka Touré

4/5

I don’t feel qualified to rate it, but I found it effortlessly cool

All That You Can't Leave Behind

U2

4/5

This is a real vibe if you are in the mood for it. It works for a rainy day

Gris Gris

Dr. John

3/5

Gonzo

The Gilded Palace Of Sin

The Flying Burrito Brothers

3/5

A smooth dusty vibe, but pretty same-y by the halfway point. Felt like cosmic country played from inside a lava lamp. Nice to visit, maybe not a regular stop on the trail.

Rum Sodomy & The Lash

The Pogues

5/5

Celtic punk energy in its rawest, drunkest, most poetic form. Shane MacGowan sounds like he gargled broken glass and regret, and somehow it’s beautiful. Feels like getting punched in the heart by a fiddle.

Life Thru A Lens

Robbie Williams

3/5

Well performed but the writing was kinda stupid. I think I get it

Kala

M.I.A.

4/5

A globe-trotting firecracker of an album. Not every swing hits, but the fearless experimentation and infectious energy make it a standout.

Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Aphex Twin

3/5

Pleasant and unfocused

Heroes to Zeros

The Beta Band

4/5

This was interesting and kinda underrated on here

White Light / White Heat

The Velvet Underground

2/5

Not bad, but trying way too hard

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

4/5

Bitches Brew is a wild, simmering stew of sound

The Libertines

5/5

Fitting title for a day when liberty feels in short supply.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

3/5

I get why it was important, but it’s kind of boring ,not much spark for me.

Technique

New Order

3/5

Early industrial goodness

With The Beatles

Beatles

4/5

Great collection of singles

All Hope Is Gone

Slipknot

3/5

Some decent riffs if you enjoy metal

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

3/5

I like the concept but the Wesley Willis delivery kinda makes it hard to enjoy

Virgin Suicides

Air

5/5

That was a vibe! I have never heard of this movie but it sounds sadder and less relaxing than this album

American Beauty

Grateful Dead

4/5

Groovy

Being There

Wilco

4/5

Who knew these guys were around (and really good) in 1996?

Bossanova

Pixies

4/5

Dreamy

The Hour Of Bewilderbeast

Badly Drawn Boy

5/5

Maybe ran a bit long, but it was enchanting throughout

Done By The Forces Of Nature

Jungle Brothers

4/5

Phat beats from another time

Bug

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

It’s fuzzy but you can see the inspiration

Berlin

Lou Reed

4/5

Interesting story. Put me in mind of Rocky Horror a bit

Third

Portishead

3/5

I dig what they were going for here, but I really think they peaked with Dummy

Smash

The Offspring

5/5

Alright that energy won me over

Songs From A Room

Leonard Cohen

4/5

He’s a legendary poet but let’s be real this is all the same (brilliant) song

Illmatic

Nas

4/5

Clever rhymes and great use of samples

If I Could Only Remember My Name

David Crosby

3/5

Some beautiful work in the first half

Black Sabbath

4/5

Not completely finished but birth of a genre. Rest in power

GI

Germs

3/5

It’s fine but there’s better late 70s punk

Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth

3/5

It’s great in spots but man these guys could have really used an editor

Very

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

Not at all what I was expecting. It’s okay dance music

Elephant Mountain

The Youngbloods

4/5

A chill jam

Chris

Christine and the Queens

3/5

That wasn’t bad. The throwback 80s synth was well used (if a little odd to be on a list with anything from the actual 80s). It sounds better in French

Shaft

Isaac Hayes

4/5

Like, intellectually I know that a soundtrack has to be mostly instrumental by definition but still seems insane to hire a voice like Issac Hayes to only sing three songs on a double album

Nothing's Shocking

Jane's Addiction

4/5

I didn’t think I liked Jane’s Addiction but this was really relaxing

New York Dolls

3/5

Yeah you can see how this was influential

Suicide

3/5

Kind of mesmerizing

You Are The Quarry

Morrissey

3/5

Hector was the first ear worm to stick in my head all Saturday

Make Yourself

Incubus

4/5

It’s Korn with a guy who sings instead of cries

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Dead Kennedys

5/5

Maybe best in genre?

90

808 State

3/5

It’s not bad techno, but idk if I need to hear it outside of a Blade movie or Mortal Kombat

Another Green World

Brian Eno

4/5

So peaceful. Listen to this on the beach if you can

Catch A Fire

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

Perfect vacation music

The Renaissance

Q-Tip

4/5

I really dug the beats and positive rhymes

Porcupine

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

Yeah it’s fine

Live At The Witch Trials

The Fall

2/5

Generally bad

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Pavement

5/5

I should listen to more Pavement

Deserter's Songs

Mercury Rev

5/5

Wow, yeah I agree. This was the best album the Flaming Lips didn’t make

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

3/5

It sounds like an early DMB

Slanted And Enchanted

Pavement

4/5

Glad for the opportunity to listen to more Pavement

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

4/5

Heroin is one of the most impressive songs ever written. There’s some other gems here too. A couple clunkers tho

Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons

4/5

Pretty solid album all around. I’m not generally into the genre

Hysteria

Def Leppard

4/5

A lot of 89s bombast, but these guys really bring everything they got

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

3/5

These guys are fun. Just a bit disjointed

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

4/5

I am Groot

Medúlla

Björk

3/5

That was something

Private Dancer

Tina Turner

4/5

She really brings it

This Is Fats Domino

Fats Domino

5/5

Takes a bit to find and fix, but well worth it

Beauty And The Beat

The Go-Go's

5/5

Big unexpected fun

Another Music In A Different Kitchen

Buzzcocks

4/5

Fun early punk

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

4/5

Groovy beats

Survivor

Destiny's Child

4/5

R&B just doesn’t harmonize like this anymore

Da Capo

Love

2/5

I didn’t enjoy the shitty doors

American Gothic

David Ackles

2/5

This is country? At least it sounded like he was having a good time

Freak Out!

The Mothers Of Invention

3/5

Okay I enjoyed this more than I planned to. I don’t get this guy

I’m a Lonesome Fugitive

Merle Haggard

4/5

I enjoyed this one more than I expected to. An open mind is everything

461 Ocean Boulevard

Eric Clapton

4/5

Solid album

Lady In Satin

Billie Holiday

3/5

It’s all performed well, but didn’t have the spark that her reputation makes you expect. I think maybe this was the wrong album to highlight

The Coral

4/5

This was a fun sound

Out of Step

Minor Threat

4/5

How cool to hear the original “Think Again”

Our Aim Is To Satisfy

Red Snapper

3/5

Started strong but overstayed its welcome

The Contino Sessions

Death In Vegas

3/5

Started pretty strong

Want One

Rufus Wainwright

4/5

This is a name I remember hearing a lot but couldn’t say anything about. Pretty clever instrumentation but only okay singing

Dance Mania

Tito Puente

4/5

One long but fun song

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

4/5

Surprising choice by Tupac

Teen Dream

Beach House

5/5

Wow that was a treat

Logical Progression

LTJ Bukem

4/5

Not normally into EDM but that took me to another place

Warehouse: Songs And Stories

Hüsker Dü

3/5

Better than the reviews, but could have really used an edit to drop the lesser songs

Pearl

Janis Joplin

5/5

You dropped this queen 👑

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

4/5

Very distinctive sound

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

This influenced so much

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Terence Trent D'Arby

4/5

The first song had me not expecting much, but this really broke out after that

Wonderful Rainbow

Lightning Bolt

3/5

I’m not sure what that was but I’m kinda impressed

Dirt

Alice In Chains

5/5

Based

Space Ritual

Hawkwind

2/5

They were having a lot of fun but damn this was tedious

All Mod Cons

The Jam

4/5

I dug it

Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Bob Dylan

4/5

The first disk was unnecessary live versions of his famous songs but the second disk was pretty incredible with the full electric band

It's A Shame About Ray

The Lemonheads

4/5

Snarky

Like A Prayer

Madonna

5/5

Man, people really dismissed Madonna too easily

Sunshine Superman

Donovan

3/5

A couple big hits but the rest is average

Bone Machine

Tom Waits

3/5

A few hits a few misses. It took me entirely too long to realize that the album was on repeat

Marcus Garvey

Burning Spear

3/5

A good voice

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

5/5

Rapping is best done in harmony

Tellin’ Stories

The Charlatans

4/5

That was way better than the cover art would lead you to expect

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

3/5

He worked better in groups

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

4/5

Whatever you expected this to sound like, it’s not that

Giant Steps

The Boo Radleys

3/5

The writing wasn’t very strong but they had some fun ideas

American Idiot

Green Day

5/5

It’s American Idiot

Triangle

The Beau Brummels

3/5

It was okay

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

4/5

Solid album that deserves more recognition

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren

3/5

It was a little schizophrenic

Odessa

Bee Gees

4/5

This is the second non-disco Bee Gees album I’ve heard now thanks to the generator

Colour By Numbers

Culture Club

3/5

Has a couple moments but doesn’t really hold up as anything special

Imagine

John Lennon

4/5

Well I didn’t plan to like this

#1 Record

Big Star

4/5

Big fun

Pornography

The Cure

4/5

It’s a mood setter

Supa Dupa Fly

Missy Elliott

3/5

Not as strong as her other album on the list

Ghosteen

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

Damn that was the saddest thing I’ve ever heard

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

4/5

You can totally see why he was special

Want Two

Rufus Wainwright

2/5

This wasn’t very good

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

3/5

It’s good but it’s all kind of the same

Os Mutantes

5/5

What a trip! Way better than I expected

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

4/5

This pleasantly surprised me

More Specials

The Specials

4/5

I’m enlisting in the Two tone army

Tom Tom Club

5/5

What a ride!

Lam Toro

Baaba Maal

4/5

Impossible to really rate fairly but I certainly enjoyed it

The Sun Rises In The East

Jeru The Damaja

3/5

Interesting ideas but the beats were just a step off. It’s probably intentional

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

3/5

Not bad, but not super coherent

Bandwagonesque

Teenage Fanclub

3/5

Pretty decent

Killing Joke

4/5

This built so much of what we heard in the 90s

Happy Sad

Tim Buckley

3/5

First song was great, but it fell off after that

Protection

Massive Attack

4/5

The generator has earned these guys a new fan

BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé

4/5

I don’t understand the hating on modern pop. All said, Lemonade would be the better choice

Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus

Spirit

4/5

It really hit at times

Garbage

4/5

Fuzzy

Tuesday Night Music Club

Sheryl Crow

4/5

Way better than expected

A Northern Soul

The Verve

3/5

These guys are alright but I am sure I didn’t need to hear two albums by them

Cross

Justice

5/5

Woah

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band

5/5

I didn’t want to like this but it was really clever

Bongo Rock

Incredible Bongo Band

5/5

What if bongos but too much?

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

5/5

Masterpiece

The Bones Of What You Believe

CHVRCHES

3/5

Some high points

Konnichiwa

Skepta

4/5

Clever rhymes and delivery. This is a fun sound

Junkyard

The Birthday Party

2/5

This is an album by someone who misunderstood punk, but does eventually get better

The Who Sell Out

The Who

3/5

Interesting concept album

Superunknown

Soundgarden

5/5

A massive sound

The Next Day

David Bowie

3/5

He’s great but this is too much of one guy

White Light

Gene Clark

4/5

Better than I was expecting but a lot of it sounded the same

american dream

LCD Soundsystem

4/5

Not his strongest work

Exit Planet Dust

The Chemical Brothers

5/5

Peak EDM

Vincebus Eruptum

Blue Cheer

3/5

It’s okay but doesn’t stand out for the era

John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic

2/5

This was a bit dull

The Age Of The Understatement

The Last Shadow Puppets

3/5

Didn’t really land

Slipknot

3/5

Solid enough

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

Mudhoney

3/5

Solid

Rattus Norvegicus

The Stranglers

4/5

I dig punk with extra instruments

Buena Vista Social Club

5/5

What a vibe

Hard Again

Muddy Waters

5/5

I didn’t think he was still around that late. What a masterpiece. Nice to see a blues album

Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine

Cee Lo Green

3/5

Better than the reviews suggest, but definitely had some low points

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

4/5

Loads of great beats with a little instrumental filler

Arrival

ABBA

4/5

Well that was way better than anyone expected

A Date With The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers

3/5

Good harmony

Wild Gift

X

3/5

Interesting sound

Tigermilk

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

Mellow vibes

Slippery When Wet

Bon Jovi

4/5

Much respect for a big sound that can their guitar talk.

Safe As Milk

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

3/5

Talented parodist

Moby Grape

3/5

Groovy

Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves

4/5

Very pleasant listen

Boston

5/5

Daaaaaaaa

Butterfly

Mariah Carey

3/5

I mean…there’s nothing wrong with it, but how did they end up picking this album when she has a lot of well known stuff?

Exile In Guyville

Liz Phair

3/5

I like the instrumentation but some of the singing structure was off

Tubular Bells

Mike Oldfield

3/5

The first track was five stars but then it got stupid with the growling. What a shame

Forever Changes

Love

2/5

Interesting instrumental parts but some of the writing was pretty dumb. I really couldn’t get into this

Alien Lanes

Guided By Voices

3/5

Pretty good, but maybe a bit in cohesive

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears

3/5

It’s funny how we’ve heard Baby One More Time to death, but forgot everything else

The Rolling Stones

4/5

Good renditions, but I wish more of the originals were in an album format compatible with the list

Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes

4/5

Solid sound from top to bottom

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

The Byrds

2/5

It’s passable country but like, why would the Byrds do this?

Diamond Life

Sade

3/5

A few real gems here surrounded by 80s waiting room (yes I was there)

Isn't Anything

My Bloody Valentine

3/5

I get why it’s not for everyone, but the guitar sound is ahead of its time

Bummed

Happy Mondays

3/5

I liked the other one better, but these guys have a distinct thing going on

Rock Bottom

Robert Wyatt

2/5

I did not enjoy this other than the beginning of track 2

My Generation

The Who

4/5

Probably some of their best work

Stripped

Christina Aguilera

3/5

A lot of variety here that was well done. It just got a little too long

The New Tango

Astor Piazzolla

5/5

So peaceful

Emergency On Planet Earth

Jamiroquai

3/5

Who knew?!

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

5/5

Always a favorite

Teenager Of The Year

Frank Black

4/5

Defining sound of the era

The Joshua Tree

U2

4/5

Okay I get it

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

4/5

Blown away by the wall of sound

Penthouse And Pavement

Heaven 17

3/5

This had its moments

Among The Living

Anthrax

3/5

Can’t help but headbang a little

NEU! 75

Neu!

2/5

It’s okay for what it is

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne

3/5

It’s not a bad groove

New Forms

Roni Size

3/5

Not bad for what it is but it’s tough to figure out what was the original album

Playing With Fire

Spacemen 3

2/5

Wildly inconsistent

Maverick A Strike

Finley Quaye

2/5

Well that was weird

The Soft Bulletin

The Flaming Lips

5/5

These guys are a national treasure but I would have gone with At War with the Mystics TBH

One Nation Under A Groove

Funkadelic

3/5

Well, that got pretty weird

Phrenology

The Roots

4/5

Complex arrangements here

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

5/5

I can’t really judge the world music albums but they all sound great

Pump

Aerosmith

4/5

It’s hard to hear this album the same way knowing what we know now, but I try not to let the artists personal life change the ratings

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

4/5

Playing with the genre a little

Like Water For Chocolate

Common

3/5

Overly long, but they guy has some great storytelling

Van Halen

4/5

Well I’m sold

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

At first I was annoyed because it seemed like there’s too many Nick Cave albums but this won me over

Tical

Method Man

4/5

Great beats for the most part

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

1/5

Trying so hard but ultimately boring. Unsuccessful troll is unsuccessful

Welcome to the Afterfuture

Mike Ladd

3/5

Some of this was really atmospheric and groovy but a bit of it was pretty corny too

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

4/5

Some undeniable bangers but it went too long

D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

Throbbing Gristle

2/5

Not nearly as rough as expected from the universal reviews. It’s not something I’ll put on to listen to, but I get what they were building

Smokers Delight

Nightmares On Wax

3/5

Chill music that fades into the background

Shalimar

Rahul Dev Burman

4/5

I was not planning on enjoying this but holy shit cha cha cha

Scott 4

Scott Walker

2/5

This was so boring up until the last part when they remembered that it was the 60s

Faust IV

Faust

3/5

Enjoyable but jumbled. That’s probably intentional

Actually

Pet Shop Boys

4/5

Very enjoyable 80s pop

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Kings of Leon

3/5

I can understand not liking his voice, but the album is decent

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

4/5

Started slow but really picked up in the middle

Armed Forces

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

It’s fine but I really don’t need to hear anyone’s full discography

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

3/5

I probably wasn’t in the right mood for this. It’s fine, reminds me of Rocky Horror Picture Show

Different Class

Pulp

5/5

What a storyteller! Weirdly just discovered these guys last year with their most recent album

Second Toughest In The Infants

Underworld

3/5

Decent EDM that makes you want to join Morpheus

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

5/5

What energy he brought to a live show! Thank goodness this was preserved and released twenty years later!

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

Generational talent

E.V.O.L.

Sonic Youth

2/5

I once paid money for this album based on a recommendation and definitely regretted it. They have a little good stuff but not this many albums worth

...The Dandy Warhols Come Down

The Dandy Warhols

4/5

These guys deserved better than a one hit wonder status. Interesting that this is not the album with the hit

World Clique

Deee-Lite

4/5

This is about as early 90s as possible. And a bag of chips

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

4/5

I did enjoy the show! It did drag just a bit in the middle

No Other

Gene Clark

4/5

Really pleasant listen, didn’t expect that

Club Classics Vol. One

Soul II Soul

3/5

The a cappella was an unexpected improvement

Suzanne Vega

4/5

I knew I knew the voice from somewhere. Quite an album without any of the radio hits

Remedy

Basement Jaxx

3/5

It’s decent EDM. Reviews are harsh

Devil Without A Cause

Kid Rock

1/5

I almost gave this a sympathy 2 for Joe C, but then I heard that last song. Then it snuck an identical version of Bull god into the end. Gen X is sorry about this

Little Earthquakes

Tori Amos

4/5

That’s some massive talent.

Time (The Revelator)

Gillian Welch

5/5

What a pleasant listen! I don’t typically care for much country from that era, but she is a breath of fresh air

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

4/5

Crazy how good a lot of this was! It did slow down a bit in the middle and you can tell It wasn’t written as one thing, but man when it hits it hits

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

4/5

I see you Aqualung

Homework

Daft Punk

3/5

Some flashes of brilliance but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sit through the whole thing again

Time Out Of Mind

Bob Dylan

4/5

I’d always heard bad things about later Dylan, but this was rather relaxing to listen to

This Is Hardcore

Pulp

4/5

These guys are a real new discovery for me, Thanks generator!!

Face to Face

The Kinks

4/5

Had the Beatles sound but a little cheekier

Is This It

The Strokes

4/5

When this was current I sorta dismissed this album. I figured, who would want this when the White Stripes are available. Revisiting it today however, I totally get the appeal as something a bit different

Fuzzy

Grant Lee Buffalo

3/5

It’s not bad, I can see why Michael Stipe likes it

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

3/5

I probably didn’t listen as closely as this deserved, but it was decent brooding gothy stuff

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones

4/5

I’ve heard a lot of these but never the whole album. Some of their best work

Casanova

The Divine Comedy

2/5

Like, is this a play? What am I hearing here. Maybe it’s meant to be a comedy album

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Small Faces

4/5

Yeah it got weird at times, but man these guys smoked when they were playing. Couldn’t make much sense of the fairy tale, but it was kinda neat to hear a rock Peter and the Wolf

Honky Tonk Heroes

Waylon Jennings

4/5

Dude is a treasure but it’s missing his best song “Clyde”

Leftism

Leftfield

4/5

Mesmerizing EDM. Two beats in particular stand out “Song of Life” and “Inspection”

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room

Dwight Yoakam

3/5

The instrumentation is excellent and would rate very high on its own but his voice is just too twangy for me

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

5/5

Wow what a discovery! I was entranced nearly the whole album. This will be a future study album

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

4/5

Beautiful songwriting throughout

Screamadelica

Primal Scream

3/5

Yeah that’s alright. Enjoyed in the moment

Lazer Guided Melodies

Spiritualized

3/5

I wasn’t expecting much, but it was pretty peaceful

Gentlemen

The Afghan Whigs

3/5

A few good tracks. I can see why people call this the breakup album

Gasoline Alley

Rod Stewart

4/5

I could not have foreseen enjoying Rod Stewart this much

Hypnotised

The Undertones

4/5

The singer sounded like an optimistic and frivolous Jello Biafra to my ear, which was a bit disconcerting but not necessarily bad

Dust

Screaming Trees

4/5

the lost grunge album, except melodic enough that you can actually understand the singer

The White Room

The KLF

2/5

Genuinely great instrumental music buried under vocals that killed it every time something clicked. Madrugada Eterna thumps hard and Build a Fire has a spaghetti western atmosphere I wasn’t expecting, but the Director’s Cut also swaps out the famous Tammy Wynette closer for something that sounds like a late 80s cartoon intro. A real loss.

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

3/5

Came in skeptical, leaving mostly neutral. ‘In the End’ holds up, the DJ scratches are a nice touch, and Chester could genuinely sing. But the formula runs out of ideas before the album does. Solid 3.

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

4/5

Crazy how I’d never heard of this guy before the generator

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

4/5

I’ve heard a lot of this before and really dug it

Rio

Duran Duran

5/5

Duran Duran Duran Duran

Rejoicing In The Hands

Devendra Banhart

3/5

Peaceful opener, cinematic gut punch, then Poughkeepsie. The voice keeps fooling you but it works. Uneven and knows it. I’ll probably forget to revisit it.

Smile

Brian Wilson

3/5

Equally beautiful and incoherent as if the Joker collaborated on an album with Bob Dylan

Franz Ferdinand

5/5

You just had to be there

The Modern Dance

Pere Ubu

3/5

Relentless bass, weird singing

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

3/5

These guys have staying power. My 2010 born daughter just loves them

The Only Ones

2/5

The band is pretty good but the singer just seems like no one will tell him he doesn’t belong in a band

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

3/5

This one can work if you don’t focus on it too closely, like Spy vs Spy or EDM

Hejira

Joni Mitchell

3/5

A bit more variety with this one

m b v

My Bloody Valentine

2/5

There’s a few spots where this opens up into something but so much of the time this album forgets that it’s there

Music

Madonna

2/5

Surprised that the majority of the Madonna albums have not been from the 80s. This is not the strongest entry

Rapture

Anita Baker

3/5

Decent background R&B but no one was breaking much ground in the 80s

Headquarters

The Monkees

4/5

These guys deserve some stars for being the best thing on Nick-at-Night

Violator

Depeche Mode

5/5

I understand where KMFDM is coming from, but this was awesome

Tommy

The Who

3/5

It was fun to hear the context around Pinball Wizard but wow this was way too much. It felt like a dragging broadway musical after a while

Scott 2

Scott Walker

2/5

There were a couple good tracks here, but it was largely bizzaro Frank Sinatra

Underwater Moonlight

The Soft Boys

4/5

Was not expecting much and was blown away

Eagles

4/5

I didn’t want to like the Eagles but I did

KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)

Ministry

2/5

Good in small doses

So Much For The City

The Thrills

4/5

Well…instrumentally this was fantastic. The dude’s voice bugged me tho and I can’t place why. It was like Temu Wayne Coyne

Tanto Tempo

Bebel Gilberto

4/5

A decent vibe

Sheer Heart Attack

Queen

3/5

Big sound but a little drifting at times

Hearts And Bones

Paul Simon

3/5

I don’t think this one was necessary

Violent Femmes

5/5

Man I forgot how good this was

Roxy Music

3/5

Five distinct talents that don’t really go together, except when they do

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington

5/5

I’m blown away by the energy from this live show from before I was born. This rivals kind of blue

Post Orgasmic Chill

Skunk Anansie

4/5

That was genuinely different

School's Out

Alice Cooper

4/5

Okay that was more theatrical than I expected. Wayne’s World was not that far off

Basket of Light

Pentangle

4/5

Man, people are tough on traditional music. I thought it was well done and different

The Notorious Byrd Brothers

The Byrds

3/5

An experimental groove that lands but doesn’t stick

James Brown Live At The Apollo

James Brown

3/5

Love a lot of his work, but this was actually kind of underwhelming compared with some other live acts from the era

Moondance

Van Morrison

5/5

Damn that was era defining

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

4/5

That was pretty awesome. Could make good working music

Viva Hate

Morrissey

3/5

No Morrissey please

Metal Box

Public Image Ltd.

2/5

A pretty good bass player surrounded by people who didn’t understand the assignment

London Calling

The Clash

5/5

Rudie can’t Fail is an all-time favorite

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell

3/5

Pretty nice R&B groove for the background

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

3/5

It all sounds fine but not nearly as memorable as Blur or Gorrillaz

Stephen Stills

4/5

Probably the unsung hero of CSN&Y

16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens

3/5

It’s nice and forgettable for the most part

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

3/5

Pretty good in the middle but too much about this is gross

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

4/5

Who the F am I to judge Buddy Holly? Sometimes this list is hard

Eternally Yours

The Saints

5/5

What a surprise! Some deeply innovative punk with a variety of well placed instruments to complement it. I dig it and appreciate the generator for bringing it to my attention

Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson

4/5

I can separate the art from the artist, but I understand how many can’t, especially for a niche, intentionally antagonistic genre. I can see Reznor’s fingerprints all over the best moments here. It’s overlong by design and loses a star for that, but that chorus in Reflecting God has me punching the air thirty years later if you can make it that far

Bad Company

4/5

Entertaining blues rock. I’m easy to please

Let's Stay Together

Al Green

4/5

Smooth all the way through

Tracy Chapman

4/5

Heavy listen, but what a voice

The Slider

T. Rex