I was skeptical when I saw the title, and sure enough I hated this album. What a devastating indictment of how Third Wave Feminism has gutted modern womanhood. I can’t imagine living with such a transactional mindset and allowing my identity and self-worth to be utterly wrapped up in my sexuality. How gross and depressing.

Another nostalgia blast. Interesting to hear his life performance, and to know how much he was influenced by other early rock, and R&B artists.

Another classic. Pushing boundaries, but not so strange as to be inaccessible or unenjoyable.

Meh. It’s fine background music. As a flute player, I enjoyed the intro to Mary Jo. Maybe I need to listen again to focus on the lyrics… but in first listen, it’s a 70s-throwback pop album, but not something that compels me to look up more from Belle & Sebastian. Honestly, as a band I’ve seen lauded repeatedly over the years, this is disappointing.

I always forget The Kinks started in the 60s - I think of them as a later rock band… so when I hear this music, it’s so surprising to me. A pleasant surprise, but still. Great early concept album. Would love to hear the unreleased tracks and get and even better sense of Davies’ full concept.

I was immediately drawn in by the ethereal feel. This is an album I’ll come back go for reading and working to.

I despise the song Imagine, and want to give the lyrics to the rest if the songs a second listen, but otherwise enjoyed this album. Musically, it’s pretty close to my general tastes.

Good work music - fun, but not too distracting. Definitely would listen to multiple times and search out other music by this group.

I understand the classic-ness, though still believe the radio releases were the best cuts from the album.

Meh. Now I can say I’ve listened to The Talking Heads. Stand-out track: Find A Job

I can hear the influence this album had on other artists I love. I assume this was an instant classic when it dropped in 1986.

Again, I can hear his influence on other songwriters that I enjoy. That said, I’ll continue to let others tell me how good Simon is, rather than seeking his music on my own.

Enjoyable! Good for listening at work.

Not as full of recognizable hits as I presume other albums are, but still a decent set.

Unsure why this is praised so highly. It’s got done good lyrics, but the music is rather one-more. Each song blends into the next. Meh.

SO GOOD. Would listen to on repeat. Deserves its place in modern music history.

What a unique voice. I think I’ll need to listen a few times in order to get the full impact of the lyrics.

Not for me. Couldn’t understand the lyrics. Bland rock. Didn’t finish.

This may be sacrilegious in the world of rock-n-roll aficionados, but this just feels like an extension of The Beatles.

I love this. This is my kind of jazz and early rock and roll! So fun to hear the originals of these iconic songs!

Meh. It’s fine background music. As a flute player, I enjoyed the intro to Mary Jo. Maybe I need to listen again to focus on the lyrics… but in first listen, it’s a 70s-throwback pop album, but not something that compels me to look up more from Belle & Sebastian. Honestly, as a band I’ve seen lauded repeatedly over the years, this is disappointing.

Classic for a reason. Not an instant-favorite, but I’m glad to have listened.

As a fan of the band American Aquarium, it was good to finally listen to the album that inspired their name.

Love it. Love hearing the classic jazz that I’ve heard in jazz and marching band my whole life from the legend himself and his amazing band

This sounds like the kind of music I would enjoy - it makes me think of MIKA mashed-up with the soundtrack to Sing Street - AND YET it just made me wish I were listening to either of those instead. Ultimately, this album is fine, if mildly annoying.

Enjoyed it! Final track was as the standout to me.

Another classic. Pushing boundaries, but not so strange as to be inaccessible or unenjoyable.

LOVE THIS. Coconut is one of my favorite songs ever, and I can’t believe I didn’t know that I didn’t realize he was the iconic cover of Without You. Wowza! Adding this to repeat later!

Love this!!! Ashamed I wasn’t aware and already a fan of this, by name, before now. As a band geek, I was definitely familiar with the music, just unaware of the band or album by name. Fantastic album - perfect for working to or jamming on a road-trip!

Meh

Unexpected, rhythmical fun, but not something I’ll listen to again soon

Classic for a reason.

Takes me right back to jr. high and high school. STRONG ENOUGH still one if my faves to belt along with.

I caught some provocative lyrics that I can appreciate. But ultimately, it was an exercise is perseverance to finish it his album. Screaming rock is just not my jam, and for every lyric that I found interesting, there were 4 more I found insipid or banal. Ick. Will not be repeating this album.

It’s fine. Freedom Song was a standout, as well as the final song Looking Glass. But overall… maybe I needed to be in a better mood to appreciate more? Meh.

Classic for a reason! A damn-near perfect blend of rock, blues, and Americana.

I can’t hear this without being transported back to watching Veronica Mars. It’s a solid pop album, though if I want to listen to Time To Pretend again, I’ll probably just listen to my VM soundtrack.

For rap fans, I’m sure this is great. It’s just not for me.

I usually like jazz and I did enjoy some of this album, but much of it went over my head, just aimless noise.

This is my type of jazz! Bright, engaging, smart… what a 🔥 set!

Must admit, listened while at work so didn’t catch all the lyrics. It’s okay for background music, but I didn’t enjoy as much as I anticipated based on the Wikipedia description.

Costello, like Dylan, must be famous more his writing and musicality than for his voice - super nasal and thin. I can definitely hear the Beatles’ producer’s influence. This album was really hit-or-miss for me; it was work to get through the first 3 tracks, but then it started picking up. Really enjoyed The Long Honeymoon and Almost Blue.

Love this album. Have loved it since its release - it was an instant classic and well-deserved all the praise it received. Johnny’s voice is perfect for the melancholy tone of this project. The production is simple and pure, letting the lyrics and his voice do the heavy lifting. It’s a masterpiece.

This is not for me. Didn’t finish. Ick.

I can’t see the band name RUSH without thinking of a minor character from THE GOLDBERGS, Johnny, who is obsessed with them. It’s not the band’s fault that I now associate them with a long-running sitcom joke… but it certainly didn’t help me take this album seriously. Prog rock just isn’t my cup of tea.

It’s an interesting listen. The British Invasion sound is fully there and the lyrics are often challenging by today’s standards. I’d definitely listen again, though, to have a better hold on what made the Stones so influential.

Too I-am-woman-hear-me-whine for me. Which… you know… I love Alamo’s and I love Brandi Carlile and I know I *should* love Liz. But mostly I just kept checking the track numbers to see how close I was to done with this album.

Easy listening, good background music for work. And I appreciate the historic musical importance of the project.

Hmmm… I can hear the punk sound, like with other albums in this project, appreciate the influence it has on later albums and groups. But not a fan overall. Lyrically meh.

Surprising! I enjoyed and will listen again to get a better understanding of the lyrics.

This is the kind of album that gives critics a chance to wax poetic about ART and risk and nonsense, but that no one actually wants to listen to.

Meh.

This album wasn’t available on Amazon, so I listened to his Superhits albums Vol. 1 & 2. Powerful lyrics and great delivery. Jones is a country legend for good reason.

Enjoyed this even more than the previous NC&TBS album from my generator. The standout to me was Straight To You because I was only familiar with Josh Groban’s cover from his Illuminations album (which I love).

Meh

Really enjoyed this. Perfect album to kick off my Monday workday. Moody but also energetic.

Hallelujah for an album I know and love! Love this one, too to bottom - great music writing, dynamic and relatable lyrics… Joel is a genius.

The first half of the album was surprising and fresh. Really enjoyed the melding of punk and electronica elements. I feel like the last 2 tracks were superfluous. The last half of the album, I kept checking “how much more do I have to go before it’s over?”

A great concept album and requires multiple listens to get the full lyrical impact. Sufjan is not for everyone - can be very ethereal and noisy - but I appreciate most of the writing and music here.

This is just noise. The music is repetitive, the vocals are monotonous… ugh. Why did this make the list? The critics liked it; this listener does not. Listened to the first seven tracks, then skipped down to Dresden Dolls because the title seemed familiar. It was fine. Otherwise did not finish.

Classic punk that I can appreciate. Very grounded music, understandable vocals / lyrics.

I enjoyed this more than I initially thought I would. I imagine careful inspection of the lyrics would lead to ideas I disagree with, but musically, I enjoyed it.

I vaguely recall watching the 1982 film musical with my high school drama class. This really is a fascinating concept album. I can see why certain critics called it overblown or pretentious, but perhaps the better description would be ambitious and utterly unique.

Simply iconic.

Super surprising and enjoyable! Hadn’t heard of this Byrds project before.

I don’t care what the critics say - this is the kind of album that makes people think they hate jazz. Ugh. Mindless, pointless, meandering noise.

This album was surprising and subversive. I was completely creeped out by Pencil Skirt. I’d listen again, for sure - this is a layered work and has me intrigued.

Didn’t finish. Ick. Good beats, good samples, crap lyrics glorifying thug life. Not for me.

Musically and lyrically interesting… he must have been a hell of a performer, bc he certainly was not hooking people with his voice.

Takes me back to high school and summer camp… that’s about all I have to say about that. Not sure this actually holds up over time, though I recognize I’m likely in the minority in feeling that way. If I’m going to listen to 90s piano-driven feminism, I’d prefer Fiona Apple.

Gotta love the King. Listening to this put me in a good mood.

Loved this!

I always forget The Kinks started in the 60s - I think of them as a later rock band… so when I hear this music, it’s so surprising to me. A pleasant surprise, but still. Great early concept album. Would love to hear the unreleased tracks and get and even better sense of Davies’ full concept.

Fun listening. I want to listen again to better digest the lyrics.

I was skeptical when I saw the title, and sure enough I hated this album. What a devastating indictment of how Third Wave Feminism has gutted modern womanhood. I can’t imagine living with such a transactional mindset and allowing my identity and self-worth to be utterly wrapped up in my sexuality. How gross and depressing.

Lovely jazz. I don’t know enough to parse the differences between this and prior Davis releases, I just know that I like it.

Interesting concept album. A little uneven, but not bad listening.

A short album, and not unenjoyable… yet, I was glad when it was over. Musically, it just felt repetitive. And by the sixth reach, I was tired of the high falsetto. The lyrics are important - I understand why this album is on the list. But it tired me out listening to it.

Noise rock, indeed. Did not finish.

Couldn’t get past the first track. Nearly an hour and forty minutes of this junk? No thank you.

Fun rock album. Several fine tracks - Evil Hearted Ada was a pretty perfect callback to Elvis.

This album wasn’t on Amazon Music, so I listened to Funkadelic - The Best (1999), just to get a feel for their overall catalog and vibe. I prefer the instrumental parts to the lyrics / vocals.

Good background music for work.

I enjoyed this more than the recent Funkadelics album, but still felt repetitive and too long overall.

Really enjoyed this, lyrically and musically.

Really enjoyed this, lyrically and musically.

Fine listening, but too long. Boy do I relate to *not wanting to be an emotional teenager*

I enjoyed this album, though musical.ly, it seemed to be a little all over the place. I am surprised that it’s from the 70s, and I imagine it was considered pretty progressive for time. I enjoyed the tracks without vocals best.

A nostalgia blast.

Another nostalgia blast. Interesting to hear his life performance, and to know how much he was influenced by other early rock, and R&B artists.

Another nostalgia blast. Interesting to hear his life performance, and to know how much he was influenced by other early rock, and R&B artists.

Trash. Driving beats, but trash lyrics. Only made it through the first 3 tracks.

Particularly like (She’s A) Runaround

Wow. So, mostly good and listenable, with a few classics I was familiar with. But I cannot get over the track “A Man Needs A Maid.” What a bizarre track! Beautiful orchestrations set to the biggest whiny lyrics. Reading about his back injury and background only helps minimally - that song just really threw me for a loop.

Good album, if a little long

Love his voice, and the old-country sound. Made me want to listen to more of his music.

Ah! I’d forgotten about BDB, hadn’t listened to him in years. First heard him from the ABOUT A BOY soundtrack, and then went down a rabbit hole of his music in the early 2000s. Thanks for the reminder on how fun and quirky and insightful his writing is.

Woooo boy… George was all in his feelings for this album. I understand why it was a hit even if I felt like done if the tracks were too long.

Too long. Meh.

Stands the test of time. What an absolute legend.

I understand why he was a unique voice, but it’s just not my cup of tea.

Loved it - solid album that holds up over the decades.

Rock, but chill. Not like “soft rock” of the 80s, just very background - like, electric-guitar coffee shop music.

I remember when this came out, and being intrigued by the retro sounding instruments and beats set against decidedly modern lyrics and hip-hop-lite vocals. It was such a fun juxtaposition, though not something I listen to regularly.

Not what I expected, but enjoyable.

Enjoyed hearing this modern classic. Especially love “Lover You Should Have Come Over,” which I was familiar with from Jamie Cullum’s cover.

How the hell did this ever chart as “country”?!

I understand she has a great voice… I don’t understand how she became the icon that she is. Meh.

I enjoyed this mix of old-school beats / music and the easy-to-understand rapping. Very chill.

Classic, already heard many times and still love it.

What a voice. What classic country righting.

Honestly not what I expected. Felt like a Beastie Boys & Linkin Park mash-up… or perhaps I was just hearing how RATM influenced them.

Mediocre garage band to my ears

I enjoy Afro-fusion-jazz, but many songs felt too long and repetitive.

What a wild roller coaster of an album!

Pretty voice

Awful noise. Hated it.

Well, that’s 21 minutes of my life I’ll never get back. Literally whiny punks. Hard pass.

T-Swift’s best album, IMO. The album that made me a fan.

I understand the punk significance of the Pixies… but this was just meh for me. I did enjoy La La Love You.

Catchy for sure

Not for me… just noise.

A masterpiece? Meh.

I enjoyed this, but ultimately it felt a little long by the end of the album.

Tight set of beautiful Aretha classics. Wonderful, timeless album.

The Beatles + Queen = 10cc

I only made it halfway through this trash.

Just the pick-up I needed to get back into the swing of work after the holidays. Peppy, poppy, clever.

NGL, didn’t focus on the lyrics. But musically, I enjoyed this much more than I expected to. I’ve generally avoided Black Sabbath just based on the name - not going to apologize for judging, as they picked the name knowing it would provoke strong reaction. So, I’m thankful this was listenable and enjoyable.

Takes me right back to my college years!

This is the kind of music I love!

Genius

Johnny Cash at his iconic best.

Johnny Cash at his iconic best.

Johnny Cash at his iconic best.

I vaguely remember this group / album from my high school days, so there was a double dose of nostalgia in listening to this.

ICONIC

I love the Dave Brubeck Quartet!

Oh man, this music is tight up my alley. How am I just now discovering her?!? Loved it.

I enjoyed the blues - rock - funk mash-up vibe, but will have to listen more than once to really appreciate the lyrics.

Not what I was expecting, enjoyed more than I thought I would…

Love “Birdland” from my band days - glad to hear the rest of this classic album!

Repetitive and boring. Really hated, DNF.

Classic (and as a theatre nerd, I was already familiar with), but definitely absurd and overly-long at times.

Enjoyed this! Can totally hear why it was a hit on college radio, love that vibe.

A musician I’ve heard of for years, but haven’t actually heard. This was really enjoyable, the kind of album I’m surprised I didn’t get from my folks. I’ll be checking out more of her stuff!

Love ABBA, a little uneven but mostly fun

Meh… I imagine my enjoyment of this album would change with the weather and my age and my mood. It’s not bad, it’s just not absolutely good either. It’s like the idea of what a college freshman thinks would be impress a girl at the keg party.

An album I actually already own and enjoy! It’s not groundbreaking, but solid blues-informed rock-n-roll.

A perfect highlight of the difference between “hard rock” then and now. Great classic album, though.

Iconic for a reason and just what I needed to wake me up in the middle of this work week.

This album is both nostalgic and still so timely. Loved it when it originally dropped and love it now.

Yet another album proving why I despise most prog-rock. Senseless noise.

Have listened to this many times, doesn’t get old. Love Morrison’s creativity and voice. Also love some of the humorous cuts from the “deluxe” version with Morrison giving the label many nonsense tracks out of contractual obligation - great sense of humor!

Noise noise noise.

Intellectually, I understand the significance of this album…. But I think you have to be in the mood to listen to it.

Such a brilliant album.

Perhaps this is something one has to be “in the mood for” to listen properly. It felt very one-note across the board to me.

I recognize the significance of this album and the talent of Ice Cube and his producers, but really found most of this album off-putting and too violent.

More noise. What a bore.

Loved this - gosh, what a classic! *****

Classic snd eminently listenable

Classic snd eminently listenable

I see and ditto all the other reviews referencing the Beatles. Very trippy Brit-rock. Meh.

Nostalgia-packed for me, and still a fantastic pop album 40+ years later.

Pedal-to-the-metal start to finish; a perfect microcosm of early rock-n-roll. Wish I could’ve been a fly in the wall when Little Richard and his band were making music history.

Peak 80s pop-rock

Starts strong but ultimately devolves into fairly repetitious noise. I enjoyed the driving brat and 80s keyboard funky rock way more than any vocals or lyrics.

Funky and easy to listen to.

Interesting concept, mediocre listening experience

Feels like Eric Clapton + Dave Matthews - perfect for a beach day or road trip

What a voice. Need to listen to more than once to fully appreciate the poetry.

Great background music, but not good for driving if you’re even if a bit drowsy - it will lull you with it’s hypnotic beats.

Love the classics, but truthfully, feels a little long by the end

Meh. Yet another “how… why… why is this a must-hear album?” on this list. Nothing special at all.

Enjoyable dance bops, good for listening while exercising or doing chores.

Eclectic, somehow felt like 8a or 90s TV soundtrack material

Really enjoyable! Very rockabilly, very listenable.

Loved it - a breath of fresh air

It was fine, but too long - by the last two tracks, I was wondering “isn’t it over yet?”

STRANGE. A never-ending and not fun trip. Gives major ick.

Loretta is a country icon for a reason and this album shows that in spades. Folks calling her a Dolly knock-off don’t know their music history.

Well, that’s an hour of my life that i’ll never get back

Love this album! Still stands up after nearly 30 years.

.

Ethereal pop

I understand this is a highly touted and influential album, it’s just not for me

I hear the “soundtrack” vibes, but it feels uneven and overwrought. Meh.

If someone asked me to conjure the sound of 80s punk, this would be it.

An interesting combination of musicians, but I feel the vibraphone softens the edges of the tango too much.

I appreciate the synth music, but find the lead vocals grating.

Love this album! Just beautiful.

A complete (and grody) waste of time

I feel like this is an album and artist that people say they like in order to sound intelligent and high-brow… but to me it was meh poetry sung by an irritating voice. This Woman’s Work was the only real standout, and even that was only “good”because I recognized it from use in tv / movies / dance, not because I actually liked it.

Like many (most?) other rap albums on this list, I recognize his skill and cultural impact, but really did not enjoy.

Starts off okay, but ends up obnoxious and self-indulgent.

There are moments of inspiration - Rooster is obviously a stand-out - but mostly, I found this to be an exercise in depressing noise

An album that truly deserves the “modern classic” moniker.

Cozy pop

Repetitive and occasionally raunchy. Yet another baffling example of an album that makes one thing, “how did this make the list?”

Shades of Bowie and U2madhrd together.

Intriguing and fresh. I enjoyed this much more than anticipated.

Started strong, ended meandering and monotonous.

Interesting beats and use of influencing styles, but again… I hate the lyrics

#1 CRUSH always takes me back to Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet and high school. Pure teen angst nostalgia.

Terrible, awful, no good, BLECH - if I could give negative stars, I would.

A damn near perfect rock album.

Will require more than 1 listen to really absorb the lyrics, but enjoyed the first pass.

I enjoyed the instrumentation and music aspect more than the lyrics

Unimpressive except for Nature Boy

Strange strange strange… also oddly soothing at times… But mostly just always on the edge of weird

TBH, I’m too lazy to look up the English translation of the lyrics… But this meant I could just enjoy the music and the beats

didn't hate it as much as i expected to

I loved the song Yellow when it came out, and it still brings back nostalgia for my college years… But overall, this album feels pretty sleepy and repetitive – the songs bleed into one another without much change.

Iconic.

If I could give this trash heap of screamo negative stars, I would. Nearly unlistenable.

Utterly mediocre

I loathed this as much as I loved Tidal. What a waste of time.

Sounded like a radio-friendly Bowie knockoff.

Aching and beautiful and worth multiple listens to keep discovering the lyrics.

Why? WHY is this a must-listen album???!!!! What a mediocre waste of time.

Very interesting, sonically, but will require more than one listen to get all the lyrics.

A little uneven, but gritty and honest. It’s nice to hear a full record from a band I know has been a huge influence on some of my favorite Americana bands.