This was the last album I listened to before Helene hit Asheville like a week ago. I honestly don’t remember a thing about it but I do remember that adding a decade to the Brit Pop sound helped. I’ll go middle of the road to be safe.

Does every drum and bass album have to be an hour long? It’s not that I dislike it, it’s that it’s way too long. The last song is by far the most interesting.

I have a huge soft spot for 90s Alternative Rock and I can’t believe I hadn’t come across this album before. This one is great for background music with its mellow vibes that can be played from beginning to end (maybe skip Susan’s House every now and then if you don’t want to be a buzzkill). There also seems to be some influence from Beck and artists like him. Definitely something I’ll be coming back to and a discography I'm excited to explore.

I imagine if Roz from Monsters Inc. was the lead singer of a band this is what their music would sound like. Such a Scream and Goin’ Out West are jams. The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me is creepy. I wouldn’t mind having a couple songs from this album come up on a shuffle of my entire library but I won’t be seeking out this album on its own. That being said, it still wasn’t a struggle to get through it.

Good lord, Butcher's Tale is so dark and depressing, but I guess so is trench warfare. Only knew Time of the Season coming into this and I was surprised that a lot of the album had less of a psychedelic sound. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this very short album and would go back to it again.

Reminds me of Collin Hay’s solo projects. Easy listening, good melodies.

More rock-forward/alternative/punk than I anticipated after already knowing ‘Here Comes Your Man.’ Good album but not all of the songs are my preferred style of music. Looked more into the meaning behind ‘Debaser.’ Based on a weird ass scene from a Salvador Dali-inspired movie from the 1920s. Smashing Pumpkins but more punk? And add in some Weezer on some tracks. Heavy video game soundtrack vibes like the group discussed.

Early reaction but I feel like this album would be a lot more fun to hear performed live instead of listening to the album. I can see the appeal but it’s not music that I personally enjoy. With out ‘Maps’ I don’t know how much I’d ever come back to this album.

Funky but not always funky on every track. The different instruments used throughout the album really add a lot. And of course, Stevie’s voice is timeless. ‘Higher Ground’ and ‘Don’t You Worry Bout a Thing’ and absolute classics and by far the best songs on the album. Bass line on ‘Too High’ makes me want to have loud-ass noise cancelling headphones on while I smoke a blunt. ‘Golden Lady’ is a jam. Kinda reminds me of melodies that Chicago would have in their songs.

Billy Corgan’s voice is like a double IPA. Abrasive at first and definitely an acquired taste, but once you’re about it, by god you’re about it. The album starts off loud and rock heavy but slows down by the end. And it keeps that classic Smashing Pumpkins grunge sound the whole time. ‘Cherub Rock’ and ‘Today’ take me right back to those Guitar Hero and Rock Band days in the late 2000s. ‘Disarm’ is another classic that will have me saying “the killer in me is the killer in you” all weekend. I want to give this a 4, but I don’t know that I can justify anything more than a 3.

There’s so many hits that it’s hard to deny the relevance of this album. The biggest flaw, as we discussed, is that the finish of the album is weak. But when you have multiple top ten hits, is the album really that weak? The first two thirds of the album is perfect for a road trip. It’s a five on this rating system but I might give it a four and a half if given the opportunity.

I feel like it works really well from beginning to end. But I don’t think the songs standout so much as they work really well in the flow of the album. Not sure that I will return to re-listen to it more than once but I am going to give it another chance.

I imagine if Roz from Monsters Inc. was the lead singer of a band this is what their music would sound like. Such a Scream and Goin’ Out West are jams. The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me is creepy. I wouldn’t mind having a couple songs from this album come up on a shuffle of my entire library but I won’t be seeking out this album on its own. That being said, it still wasn’t a struggle to get through it.

There’s a heavy throwback of 50s and 60s pop throughout the album. That mixed with what seems to be an influence of maybe Coldplay or Snow Patrol makes for a very low key sound that’s really enjoyable. Could definitely see some of the songs being played in the background at get togethers. The three most listened to songs from this album are the peaks of the album but there are some lows here and there. I’ll definitely listen to this one again and check out more of Deerhunter’s stuff.

I’ve heard Folk music all my life and I really enjoy it but this album was a struggle to get through. Obviously 60s British Folk Rock is different from what we have here in the Appalachians, but still, not much held my interest. Bright spots were Farewell, Farewell and Tam Lin for me, everything else was forgettable.

Short, sweet, and simple with a driving rock sound. It’s hard to believe this is the first of three albums CCR released in 1969 but I guess that explains why it’s only half an hour long. This version of Proud Mary is a timeless classic and every other song has replayability. There really isn’t much negative to say about this one, other than its brevity. Great instrumental sections, meaningful lyrics, and a decent level of variation within the seven songs. It’s a strong four with a potential to be a five the more I listen to it.

This a landmark album even if it's only for We Are Family. I'm pretty sure we all heard it at a young age from our parents or in movies/tv shows/commercials and it’s stuck around almost 50 years since. On top of that, there are so many different samples taken from the other tracks that eventually turned into hits of their own (looking at you gettin' jiggy with it Will Smith). A great disco album with great rhythm and catchy lyrics, no wonder people wanted to get up and dance. The genre and musical styles might be a little outdated but really there isn't much to dislike about this album. Best tracks are We Are Family (obviously), He's the Greatest Dancer, Lost in the Music, and Thinking of You. Also, the original album without all of the remixes is super short.

I knew Kate Bush’s music was experimental but I didn’t know it was this far out there. Every song seems to be different and the only thing that remains the same is the 80s sound. Each song tells a story so it’s great for those that pay attention to lyrics. All that being said, I don’t know if I’ll go searching for more Kate Bush music after this, except for Runnin Up That Hill. Solid songs were Love and Anger, Never Be Mine, the breakdown on Rocket’s Tail, and This Woman’s Work. This album is a two in my personal opinion, but I could be swayed to a one or a three based on the argument.

I have a huge soft spot for 90s Alternative Rock and I can’t believe I hadn’t come across this album before. This one is great for background music with its mellow vibes that can be played from beginning to end (maybe skip Susan’s House every now and then if you don’t want to be a buzzkill). There also seems to be some influence from Beck and artists like him. Definitely something I’ll be coming back to and a discography I'm excited to explore.

The first half of the album is incredibly strong, with a classic in The Passenger and a giant in the licensing/advertisement industry with Lust For Life. But once you get to the third quarter of this album it becomes very bluesy and slows way down. The last quart picks up slightly but doesn’t finish in a memorable way. Of the 70s/80s rock stars I feel like you rarely hear about Iggy Pop and that’s unfair, because I don’t think this album should be overlooked.

The influence of Wu-Tang Clan is undeniable. Ask any of the most popular rappers today and they’ll name-drop RZA, Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface, or Method Man as their idols. When I think of 90s rap this will always be the first group that comes to mind and specifically this album as the game changer of the decade. But I’ve got the tiniest bit of beef so I’m gonna bring the ruckus, even though I know the WuTang Clan ain’t nothin’ ta fuck wit. Each song is essentially about just that, there’s nobody that can top them and don’t dare try it. While I’m inclined to believe them I think the lack of variation and repeated lines in multiple songs brings it to a 4.4, so I have to round down. It’s one I already come back to listen to from time to time so not much is gonna change for me.

I probably haven’t listened to this album from beginning to end in about a decade and it was nice to come back to it. The first four songs are a great start to the album, then the Blues Rock carries you through to the end. There are some certified jams on this album, like Everlasting Light, Tighten Up, Howlin’ for You, and Never Gonna Give You Up. The biggest flaw is that some of the songs blend together in the middle of the album and it’s hard to differentiate between them if you aren’t paying close attention. I’m juggling back and forth between a three and four, but I think I’ll stick with a three because it’s early in our 1001 albums and I know there will be even better Blues Rock albums.

A really enjoyable album to listen to. You can tell that the music is shifting between the sounds of the 60s and heading into the 70s. The songwriting is incredible and so are the harmonies. The instrumental sections show off each artist’s skill. The album has a ton of variety and most of the songs stand out from one another. Top tracks in my opinion are Teach Your Children, Helpless, Deja Vu, Our House, and Country Girl. A solid three and I’d hear arguments for a four.

It’s an album by the King of Pop. It’s also a disco album that sure as hell isn’t Thriller. It has its strong moments, especially the first two songs, but there’s a reason disco music isn’t popular anymore. The rhythms are great but the repeated lyrics get old pretty quickly. Definitely something that would be fun to dance to but having to listen to the album in certain environments takes away from it. I think it’s a three because it really marks the beginning of MJ becoming MJ but that could be more to do with Quincy Jones than Michael. Ask me next week and who knows, I might say it’s a two.

One of those cases where the originators aren’t exactly the best to do it. It’s a groundbreaking album but this is when rap had really just gotten started by adding lyrics to breakdancing beats. I’m sure if I heard this in 1986 it would have blown my mind, but it doesn’t really hold a candle to the great rap albums that released in the decades following. That being said there are a couple classic tracks that deserve some replay from time to time and Afrika Bambaataa has to be mentioned when discussing the history of rap. Two stars because I know there’s gonna be better rap albums in our journey.

I listened to this album twice through with it being a weekend, so clearly I at least somewhat enjoyed it. The second listen was from beginning to end straight through and some of the songs started to blend together so I think that detracts from it a bit. R.E.M.’s influence on alternative rock is apparent even with it being their first album. You could tell me this was released in the 90s and I would believe it because it sounds like it fits right in. Easy listening, great background music. Best songs were Radio Free Europe, Laughing, and West Of The Fields. It’s gonna be a three for me.

One of the main ways I recognize that I’m getting older is that I have been appreciating jazz music more and more. I’m not quite to the point that I’d go to a jazz club to hear it live but I’m always willing to put it on while getting some work done. Some of these songs have even been playing in the background my whole life with how often they’re used in media. That’s what this album will become for me, along with more of the quartet’s music. A solid three. Nothing earth-shattering but an enjoyable listen.

The genius of Eric Clapton is hard to deny, but I don’t find much that stands out too much in this album from other 60s psychedelic rock. Sunshine Of Your Love is a classic and by far the best song on the album. Strange Brew right before Sunshine makes for a strong opening. I don’t think it’s a bad album by any means and it wasn’t hard to get through. Overall, a quick, solid album. I still think I’ll stick with listening to Clapton’s solo stuff before I get back to Cream, though.

Am I listening to a standalone album or the soundtrack to a dark and depressing musical? I guess the storytelling is decent, but this style of ballad just isn’t for me. I like sad music usually but this taking it to a whole new extreme. The best songs are the duets. I won’t be listening to much more of these guys except for the Peaky Blinders theme.

With a month removed from our first Yeah Yeah Yeahs album I’m not sure if they’ve grown on me or if I was always going to like them and Fever To Tell was a bad starting point. This anlbum also feels much more mature and sentimental, which is a bonus for me, even if they still repeat lyrics in every song. Heads Will Roll passes Tom Haverford’s “is it a banger?” test. Other good songs are Zero, Dull Life, Runaway, and Hysteric. I’ve really come around on this band and I think it’s a four.

It definitely sounds different than a lot of 70s music. There’s a lot of variation in the songs in just a short amount of time. I also find it funny that Jump Into The fire takes up a fifth of the album but I’m not complaining because it’s a jam. Other good songs are Gotta Get Up, Without You, and Coconut. Overall a solid listening experience that was a nice way to start a Saturday morning. Three stars for me.

There aren’t many of Queen’s big hits on this one but you get plenty of operatic lyrics and Freddie absolutely crushing it. Great guitar riffs throughout the whole album. Killer Queen is far and away the best song on the album. I think this is a really good album but I know there will be better Queen albums on this list, so I’m going to keep it at a three. Will absolutely be listening to it again.

Can’t say I’ve ever heard of Bobby Womack but I sure as hell have now. I listened to the original 1980 five-track release first before listening to the first three tracks on the 2021 rerelease. Just My Imagination is a great starter and has that quintessential yacht rock sound. Stand Up is a freaking jam that had my attention in about 15 seconds. The jazz and soft rock in Games switches up the vibe in an instantly and gets into the blues for If You Think You’re Lonely Now. From there I don’t see any reason that Where Do We Go From Here needs to go on that long. The additional three tracks are solid but nothing spectacular. The bass and guitar parts as a whole are phenomenal. I know every song can’t be incredible but the good-but-not-great songs bring this down to a four for me. Can’t wait to listen to more of his stuff in the future.

I know a handful of Rod Stewart songs, including Maggie May, but I was absolutely surprised to hear such a strong country/American folk sound from a British rocker in the 70s. The back end of the album is much better than the beginning though, which brings the rating down a notch. The rendition of Amazing Grace at the end of That’s All Right was gorgeous and Mandolin Wind was as well. A good album that would be great mood or background music. I’ll listen to it again but it’s nothing that blew my doors off. Three out of five.

Feels like if Kate Bush was making experimental music into the 21st century. I think the album gets better as it moves along, which is only because it starts out weird as hell. I don’t think it was hard to get through but it wasn’t my cup of tea. If we hadn’t already listened to Murder Ballads by Nick Cave I’d probably give it one star, but it’s better than that so I guess I have to give it a two? Gonna keep Criminal as Fiona Apple’s only song in my library. Also, I listened to the beginning of For Her again and it reminded me of the Star Wars Bad Lip Reading song Seagulls, Stop It Now and now I’ll never hear it any differently.

Neil Young is an excellent songwriter. The lyrics are timely and the melodies and harmonies will draw you in. I can’t exactly give the same praises to his singing voice. That being said, the album is a pretty solid listen. You can also tell that Neil Young has been a massive inspiration on music for the past sixty years. Personal favorites on the album were Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Southern Man, and Birds. Three stars.

It’s wild that a band’s debut album has three of the most well-known rock songs of all time on it. An iconic band and Axl Rose has an iconic voice. It rocks the whole way through and was a gritty but fun listen.

I hadn’t ever heard of this group before but then I looked up their lineage and was completely shocked. Also had no idea that there was a connection between Blur and Gorillaz, so it really is a banner day for me. I mostly listened to this album in the background and it was excellent to let play through from beginning to end. Nothing blew me away but it’s definitely one that I’ll return to, as well as their other album.

I absolutely loved listening to this album. Between the original tracks that have been the inspiration, some being straight up samples, for other great songs and the covers, I thought it was fantastic. Who would have thought you could improve on a James Taylor classic? Excellent melodies and lyrics, great musical techniques, and just the right amount of funk. The only critique I can give it is that I couldn’t tell much difference between the regular tracks and the different versions offered on the back half of the album. But, I do think the commentaries are a pretty cool addition. I haven’t given out many fives, but I think this is deserving.

This album wasn’t for me. It wasn’t hard to get through by any means, it just didn’t do much to compel me. There were a couple solid songs in the quick listen, but nothing notable. If I had to choose my favorite it would be Macbeth, and the fact that it sounds so different than the rest of the album is probably why.

I’ve always thought of U2 as a band that was massively important for Gen X but just didn’t do much for Millennials. I know their hits, especially the ones on this album, but after that I couldn’t tell you much about them besides Bono’s humanitarian work. That and their infamous forced album download we talked about along with them being the poster band for the early iPod classics. Come to think of it, maybe they did have a big impact on Millennials. I can see why this gained so much acclaim around the world, it’s easy to get into and the lyrics are socially conscious. It didn’t blow me away and it wasn’t bad, so it’s in three territory.

I knew a couple of these songs coming into this album and knew the vibe I was getting into. The composition on this one is incredible, so many moving parts in each song and each song comes together so well. The songs have some very diverse topics, some of which are on the darker side, but the delivery is so calming and soothing. There are also a few moments where I felt like I was living out the Juno soundtrack. My drive to and from work was super peaceful today, and that is always appreciated. I don’t think it’s quite a five, but a strong four.

The whole operatic rock thing was never really for me, but there were still parts where I was thinking this was a great album. There were even more moments where I was wanting the song to just be over already. I also could do without the couple bits of dialogue added in. All that said, the musical ability and skill is evident and the ballads were excellent. I don’t know how I feel about this one. I don’t think it’s a two but I don’t know that I can justify a three. I’ll sleep on it and decide in the morning.

I’ve never felt more like a midwesterner in the 70s knocking back a six pack of cheap beer in the truck on the way home from work. It’s really a fun listen and it has an all-American rock vibe. I’m not sure how much influence they had on the later punk movement, but it seems like a lot. It’s not my kind of music but I still appreciated it.

I thought this album was pretty good, which makes sense because TLC have reached legendary status as far as 90s music in general goes. I knew Creep and Waterfalls coming in, but I was pleasantly surprised by a few of the other tracks Diggin’ on You and Switch. Still, I wouldn’t say it’s an album I’d listen to on repeat, I’d just come back for that handful of songs. Rest in peace, Left Eye.

David Bowie is a legend and there’s a lot of his music that I really enjoy and think stands the test of time, like Heroes from this album. But I just didn’t feel much of a draw from this album as a whole. I thought there were only a couple good songs and even though they were gorgeous, the instrumental songs at the end were too much of a surprise. I’m stuck between a two and a three on this one, but I think I’ll give it a three because I’ll come back to it at some point and I bet I’ll appreciate it more the second time around.

Bob Dylan’s vocal style might be incredibly different and the butt of a lot of jokes, but his music might be one of the most purely American sounds ever produced in the country. On top of that, his lyrics don’t talk about life in the cities and about the glamor, but about what living was like for a majority of those in America. The songs are really heartfelt and the mix of folk and early rock was really a nice listen.

I had no idea what I was getting into at the beginning of this album but I was pleasantly surprised by the end of it. The composition held your attention and parts of this album were hauntingly beautiful. The subject matter was surprising once you got into it, especially for something that came out in 2005 when the world was a lot different. I don’t know how often I’ll return to any of the songs on this album, but it was nice to listen through at least once.

I’m pretty sure this is the first Black Sabbath album I’ve listened to from beginning to end. I can firmly say I’ve enjoyed this listen through and the album simply rocks. The instrumentals hit hard with great solos, and the two slower songs don’t feel like a drag. Snowblind is a journey and I loved every second. Will listen to this one again next time I’m jonesing for some classic rock.

I’ve got a huge soft spot for 80s synth pop and Cyndi Lauper is an icon, so I was excited for this one considering it put her on the map and has three of her most famous songs. Is it a little dated at this point being 40 years old? Sure, but I think that’s part of the appeal. That being said, there are a couple songs on this album that just don’t do it for me and drag it down. And I really didn’t see any point in He’s so Unusual, like what? Also, even though her version is a classic hit, the Quietdrive version of Time After Time is in the conversation for covers better than the original.

Second time with the Smashing Pumpkins in only a couple months and I think a lot of the initial statements remain for this one. Billy Corgan’s voice is unique and the band will give you a bunch of different rock sounds. This album has two of the first songs that come to mind when I think about the Smashing Pumpkins with 1979 and Bullet With Butterfly Wings. The heavier metal usually isn’t for me but I feel like it works within the album and kept the energy up when cycling between metal, early punk/emo, and the softer rock. The biggest drawback to this album is that it’s two hours long. Yes, the music is good, but that length is excessive. I’d give this one a 3.5 if given the opportunity, and I’m gonna round up because of the iconic 90s alternative rock hits on this album.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I’ve heard all the hits so this was a great introduction to more of his discography. I can start to see why Elvis had so much hype surrounding him. I liked this one from beginning to end. The mixture of blues, country, and a little bit of gospel was wonderful.

The whole time I was thinking that this was a background music type of album but I think it deserves more credit than that. There are a lot of really good songs on here, like There Goes That Fear and Last Broadcast, and I felt the album flowed well throughout. There were enough changes of pace to keep your attention, as well. The slight hints of indie, pop, and rock sounds from the early 2000s are like little bits of nostalgia that give it a familiar feeling. Overall I throughly enjoyed this album and I’m interested to see what else Doves has in their repertoire.

This is a classic example of 90s rap having incredible beats with lyricism that just ends up sounding corny 30 years later. I can see that it was groundbreaking in its era and there is a lot of meaning behind the lyrics, but goodness, rap certainly matured over time. There were a couple songs I enjoyed, but most of the album I would rather have just listened to the instrumentals. The baseline on Dawn Of The Dreads goes so hard. It wasn’t bad, I just don’t know if I’ll come back to it.

I’m assuming this was the first full Common album I’ve listened to and it was on par with what I expected. A laidback feel, smooth flow, and overall excellent production. Common is definitely overlooked when it comes to 2000s rap and shouldn’t be, but I think the low-key sound plays into that. Nothing that blew me away, I think it would be really good to have on in the background.

Honestly, I’m just lucky that two Neil Young albums came up on this list within my 30 day free trial of Apple Music. All because of the Joe Rogan/Spotify deal I’ve gotta have some other streaming service to listen to this album. And I get it, I’m not a fan of Rogan either, but now cancel culture is effecting me and I hate it. I’m fully embracing my old man shaking his fist at the sky moment. Are these my first steps towards conservatism? But for real, I thought this album was pretty good. Easy listening and blues made for a great Saturday afternoon on the porch. A couple solid songs, like Walk On, Vampire Blues, and On The Beach stood out, and the rest blended together pretty nicely. I enjoyed this album more than After The Gold Rush, but it still wasn’t anything that I’d consider groundbreaking.

The first album our group has had that has been name-dropped in School of Rock, and as Dewey Finn promised, it blew the classical music out of my butt. Also the first Prog Rock album I’ve listened to all the way through. The solos and blends of different styles seemed like a new experience, and some of the chord progressions were very interesting and kept you guessing. I really enjoyed listening to this one. Mood for a Day was my personal favorite, with Roundabout coming in second.

I can’t think of another band that has a song title that’s the name of their group on a self-titled debut album. Talk about some cojones. I thought this was a pretty good classic rock album. There were a couple memorable songs like Don’t Let Me Down and the aforementioned Bad Company but nothing that stood out too much from the crowd. When I think about what classic rock sounds like, this is a pretty general style that pops into my head.

It’s Paul McCartney’s side project where he can let his creative juices flow without having to deal with John and Yoko. In the end, does it sound like more Beatles music? Yes. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not. A wonderful album. My only drawback is that some of the more country-western influenced Beatles songs tend to be my least favorite and now we know if was Paul who pushed that sound into the music.

I listened to this album over a two hour drive and didn’t look to see what the song titles were, but I did look to see how much of the first track was left. This album had some great guitar solos and instrumental sections. But it seemed like every other song the lead singers vocals would almost ruin the song. I still really enjoyed it and it made for great road trip music.

I like doing this random generator because I don’t know that I’d ever give Nine Inch Nails a full album listen otherwise. There were definitely parts that were way too rock heavy for me, the screaming isn’t my thing. But there were parts that I enjoyed, like the instrumental sections at the end and a couple of the other songs. I came into this one only knowing Hurt and Closer, and those two are probably the only ones I’d potentially go back and listen to. I also think it’s wild that this came out in 1994, it sounds like it was much more recent. Good, just not for me.

I was reading the artist description on Spotify when I started the album and saw that Fairport Convention was an influence and got scared for what I was about to endure. Luckily, the sound I knew from White Winter Hymnal and Ragged Wood stayed consistent throughout the album and I couldn’t be happier. The indie folk movement has really grown on me and I’m sad I didn’t give Fleet Foxes a deeper look until now. I know it’s a pioneer-like situation, but I wonder if they’d be more popular if they were gaining popularity now? Either way, I thought this was very enjoyable and from what I read, their second album is in line with this one, so I’ll listen to that next. I really liked the song Blue Ridge Mountains. But the Smokies are mountains in Tennessee and the Blue Ridge are the eastern-most peaks in North Carolina and Virginia, both being part of the larger Appalachians. “Near Tennessee” isn’t specific enough. So get your shit together, Seattle boy.

I wouldn’t say there’s anything that absolutely blew my mind with this one, but I did enjoy it. Super low-key vibes would make it great for some background music, which is essentially what it became during my afternoon listening to it. Constant Craving will always be a jam. Good but not great, and I’ll add a couple more k.d. lang songs to my library.

I’d play this album for background music but actively listening to it is not for me. There was more than once that I was hoping for a pickup in the tempo or a key change because I thought that’s what the song and album needed, but it never came. This is one of those albums that I question why it’s on the list. It’s not bad music by any means, I just don’t see the significance right away. I was sitting on a three, but the cover of Stand By Me was not it, and frankly why even try to cover that masterpiece? The Opening Day/Winter In combo was also trippy.

I thought the album started off pretty strong and slowly faded into mediocrity. I definitely enjoyed this one more than Fetch the Bolt Cutters and I liked how the same chord progression was built into multiple songs to make the album feel more cohesive. You can definitely hear the 90s alternative influences and that helps it catch my interest, but it’s still not anything incredible. I’d probably give it two and a half stars if I could, but I’ll round up to three willingly because Criminal is an all-timer for me.

I, too, have learned a valuable lesson about mixing water with my wine next time. Came into this album completely blind and I was pleasantly surprised to discover this artist. I really enjoyed listening to this album and some of the songs were truly jams. I’m curious if more of her work will show up and if it will compare to this album. Either way, I think this one earned the four stars.

The Neil Young burnout from this list is real. And whether it’s his solo work or a band he’s affiliated with, this is the worst of what we’ve listened to so far. There wasn’t much that caught my attention and it’s weird to hear a live album that cuts out pretty much all of the crowd noise. I’m sure we’ll have some more Neil Young, hopefully the rest are better.

I wouldn’t call this one an album, it’s really like a handful of really long songs. It’s not bad or anything, the jam band thing just really wasn’t ever for me. Maybe they’re significant, but I couldn’t tell you why.

Did anyone else’s dad refer to Def Leppard as Blind Cheetah? Just mine? There are a couple classic songs on this album and the rest has that quintessential 80s hair metal sound. Nothing too wild on here, just some solid rock. The only thing, is like most hair metal, it all eventually blends together. I’ll give it a three because I enjoyed it and Photograph is probably one of the most famous songs of the era.

Recognized PJ Harvey’s name from the track list on Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads and got a little scared. And the first half of the album seemed to validate those fears. But with the back half of the album, things took a turn in my favor. There were influences from all kinds of genres and I’d assume even some of the artists we’ve listened to so far. I liked the punk and 90s grunge that kind of snuck through. That being said, I can see the significance but this just wasn’t for me. About midway through Man-Size Sextet I knew this was either a one or two, and the back half keeps it at a two. Not unbearable, but not something I enjoyed.

Just gonna get it out of the way, it’s a five. One of the best examples of old Kanye being the best Kanye. Yeah, he’s hella problematic as a person, but this is a separate the art from the artist situation. I have so many memories attached to this album as a whole and to individual tracks. I bought this one the week it came out, which just happened to be my first Black Friday weekend at Target, and then bumped it on the way to work that whole Christmas season. And then of course all of the memories of hearing these songs with friends while being a teenage degenerate. This album has the radio hits, it’s got the deep cuts, the 2000s era Kanye production, and best of all it’s a fun one to go back to after a few years. Very glad it came up on the list, now I hope College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation are here as well.

I found this album to be a pretty pleasant listen. Nothing abrasive or too difficult to get through but also not much that stood out, except for maybe The Murder Mystery but that was only because I’m pretty sure that bass line has been covered a few times. There were some moments that felt like the band was ahead of their time as far as styles and genre went, but most of the time it sounded like 60s rock.

So we start this album with one of Van Halen’s biggest hits in Runnin’ with the Devil, go into Eruption, one of the top five most well-known/best guitar solos ever, and then probably the best cover of You Really Got Me Now. No wonder Van Halen blew up and became huge in the 80s. It’s short, but it’s a fun ride and it’s clear that this album helped to propel glam rock fully into hair metal and into what many would argue is the genre most associated with 1980s American culture. A strong four.

Other than knowing of them, my only prior experience with Judas Priest is when my friend Josiah commits minor traffic infractions he sings the chorus from Breaking the Law. And if Ozzy didn’t have such a unique voice I’d probably easily confuse them for Black Sabbath. But being like Black Sabbath definitely isn’t a bad thing, this was a solid listen and I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I also thought it was interesting to have this album the day after Van Halen to really see the different ends of the spectrum when it comes to the metal genre 40 years ago. Nothing stood out all that much, but it definitely wasn’t bad.

I'd really love to know the backstory and inspiration behind this album, because it has to be a juicy story. Marvin Gaye's voice is timeless and such a joy to listen to, even if I have no prior experience with any of these songs. I also thought the difference in topic from What's Going On to this album was very interesting. Overall, its not a bad album at all, its just a very specific subject.

Absolutely an album I expected to see at some point on this list. Between the talent of Marvin Gaye and the social commentary, this is not only a great album to listen to but an important work of art in American history. It’s brief, but the only reason that’s bad is because I want to hear more of Marvin’s voice.

I still find it hard to believe that even in 2024 people get surprised by what machine is being raged against. From their debut album they’ve been pretty clear about their stance and outlook on the world. The power to the people lyrics are incredible, but even if you took them away you’d still have an album that goes so damn hard. I really enjoyed getting to rock out to this one today.

I’ve always held the opinion that I like The Smiths but I don’t really like Morrissey, and this album only hardens my stance. It’s not bad and definitely better than other albums we’ve listened to, it’s just not what it could be. Sometimes solo projects are great, and I know with this artist I’m probably in the minority, but this one doesn’t fall into that category. Not much caught my eye, except for maybe a couple songs towards the end. Stuck between a two and a three so I think I’ll round down.

Good lord, Butcher's Tale is so dark and depressing, but I guess so is trench warfare. Only knew Time of the Season coming into this and I was surprised that a lot of the album had less of a psychedelic sound. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this very short album and would go back to it again.

Coming in looking for punk and hearing influences from all different genres was a huge surprise. I liked the album, but there were parts that seemed to blend together in the middle. I also thought the bookending of London Calling and Train in Vain was a great way to start and end the album. And shoutout to the mid-2000s NCAA Football games for having great throwback hits on their soundtracks.

I gotta say, the format of this album is a little frustrating. I get we want to keep the integrity of the original, but can’t we just separate these tracks when it was remastered? Overall, this was a decent album, it just obviously blended together and was pretty brief. Wicked World was probably my favorite song and had the most recognizable sound. Hopefully if we get another Black Sabbath album it’ll have more than five tracks.

As I l mentioned in my MBDTF review, this is one of my favorite Kanye albums, so because of my previous rating and by the transitive property, this album is a five. The only thing I dislike is the number of skits and the story at the very end of the album where Kanye is talking about his come up, definitely glad that’s something rap has slowly moved away from. I wouldn’t blame anyone for ranking this album lower because of that. But for real, what a debut album with so many hits, quotable lines, and excellent social commentary. The early 2000s rap sound takes me right back to middle and early high school, such a nostalgic feel. Had a blast re-listening to this one.

The variation between songs in the first half of the album was a welcome surprise, and not one we usually get when it comes to rock-ish albums on this list. A lot of the classic rockers have a distinct sound either on one album in across their entire discography. But of course, as I sing those praises the second half does slow way down and the tracks lose a little bit of that variety. When you add them both together you get a pretty good background music album. Other than Two Weeks, which get a lot of playtime on a couple playlists I regularly listen to, not a whole lot stood out. I do feel like this one deserves a second listen though, maybe on a road trip on a more dreary day.

It’s any old 90s afternoon. I’ve got my Bagel Bites, a blue Kool-Aid jammer, and some Dunkaroos. Everything is lining up to be great except I walk into the den at my grandma’s and my brother already has the tv on Cartoon Network. That means I’ll either have to start a channel changing battle without the remote, or I’ll have to watch Toonami instead of Nickelodeon. To make matters worse, Sailor Moon hasn’t even ended yet and there’s still a half hour after that until Dragonball Z comes on. That’s what listening to this album is like. Some good, some bad, but ultimately it’s not really what you wanted.

I was worried about this one pretty early on. The industrial synth rock from the 80s rarely ages well, so this being so heavy on it early was starting to drag. But the ballads on the back half of the album absolutely save the whole thing. I also get that the interludes do exactly that, bridge the gaps between songs, but I don’t know that eight interludes including the bookends of the album is really necessary. Overall, there’s a couple hidden jams on this album that I might come back to, but other than that it’s a bit forgettable. It’s like a 2.75. And goodness, Someday Is Tonight is gonna make people in our group make some more babies.

When an album has two of the most iconic rap songs of the 20th Century, and they happen to be some of the first rap songs that 90s kids had memorized word for word, you’ve gotta give it its flowers. I was worried about how well the album was gonna hold up all these years later, and some parts were a little dated, but overall it was better than expected.

Can’t say I’ve ever sought out jazz featuring the electric organ. Exactly what you’d expect, though. Easy listening and solid background music. Now I just have a strong urge to watch The Sandlot.

For an album with so much critical acclaim there sure were a more than a few times that it couldn’t hold my attention. At the same time, there were moments where I was really enjoying the music and could clearly spot the influence that Sonic Youth has had on the indie scene since the 80s. There’s some good songs but nothing that really blew me away or that I’d come rushing back to.

Insert generic comment about the technical ability of the musicians but not liking the genre of music at all here. I was surprised by a couple of the songs but other than that, I wasn’t a fan. And I somehow knew psychosocial. I’m giving it a two because I’d still rather listen to this or more Nick Cave or Tom Waits.

It was honestly a shock to see this on the list, but it was great background music. Probably won’t listen to the album again but I will probably watch the movie at some point.

One hell of a debut album. The pacing makes this album fly by and then you won’t realize that it’s over. It leaves you wanting more, which isn’t bad because this is one most everyone will want to return to eventually. There are some bangers on the album, like I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor, but Mardy Bum is my personal favorite. I think I could give this a five and feel alright about it, but a strong four will do.

Our first Alanis Morrisette album means I’ve gotta share the links to the first two things that come to mind when I think about her and this album. Alanis is Canadian and has issues: https://youtu.be/XqcemLA4f9g?si=0B5me3_u0ry5bq58 The best You Oughta Know cover: https://youtu.be/nixsUgSDdjw?si=1X94Js7x6nKa0IV2 We all know it at this point and it’s no secret, but I still can’t get over You Oughta Know being one of the greatest breakup/fuck you songs of all time and it’s about Uncle Joey from Full House. Absolutely wild. 90s alternative rock hits me right in the nostalgia more than almost any other genre, and Jagged Little Pill has five iconic songs from the decade. Hard to deny the relevance and importance. The vocals on some of the lesser-known songs does drag a little bit, but hey, that’s just Alanis being Alanis. Part of me feels like this should be a five, but I think it’s solidly in the four range.

Jesus Christ… that’s a Wish Jason Borne soundtrack. Still better than Nick Cave and Tom Waits.

Sometimes it was a movie score, sometimes it was background music at a wedding, and sometimes it was beeps and boops. Why is this on the list? A two because the album artwork made me chuckle.

He sounds like a slightly more country version of Elvis, just without as much talent. I knew 60s country/folk wasn’t gonna be for me coming into this one, and I was right. Everybody’s Talkin’ is by far the best song, but it’s not even the best version of the song itself. Another one where I’m left wondering why it made the cut. Zero desire to come back to this one.

Early on during Covid when everyone was working remote, I went to go live with my friend Cotton for a few weeks. There wasn’t much to do except watch tv and play video games. So naturally, we brought out his old Wii and started playing Wii golf while drinking cheap beer and blasting 90s alternative music. Cotton has one hell of a playlist, so there’s almost 18 hours of music ranging from Toad the Wet Sprocket to Nine Inch Nails. Dirt is a critically acclaimed album from the legendary 90s rockers Alice In Chains, so of course there’s like five songs from this album on that playlist. And like I said, there wasn’t much going on in the world, so I’ve had my fair share of drunken attempts trying to hit the fairway on that stupid island shortcut par five and listened to more 90s alternative jams than a drug user living in Seattle in 1992. We’re four years removed from that, and things have upgraded a bit. We play Switch golf now, there’s a second tv so we can watch sports while I shoot an even par and still lose by ten strokes, and sometimes, I’ll drink cheap wine instead of Coors Light. But one thing remains the same. I only really want to frequently hear two songs on this album and the others I might as well say “ok Google, next song” to before I down the last swig of $9 rosé.

Smooth and easy listening to start of the week was much appreciated. Sade’s influence on future artists is very apparent and I’d even go so far as to say she opened the door for soulful British female singers that blew up in the 2000s. I enjoyed it, and there will be some tracks I’ll come back to.

I don’t know about y’all, but I was completely taken back by the N-word and hard-R usage in the first few songs. Can’t say I expected to hear it in this genre at all, but it does make sense in the context. I hadn’t ever heard the term ‘clit-rock’ before either, but somehow that also makes sense. I thought there were some really great parts to this album and other parts were forgettable. Either way, it held my attention and it was an interesting band to discover, it just wasn’t a top 1001 album to me.

The first half of the album had so much ear candy that it was hard not to jam out. It was classic George Michael using melodies and chord progressions that get stuck in your head like RFK Jr.’s brain worm. But, the back half of the album kinda drops off and blends together. Early into the album I was leaning four, but I’ll settle on a three.

We're almost a tenth of the way through this list and one thing I've learned is that the extra long track was a very popular move during the 60s and 70s. Unfortunately for my millennial mind, a 12 minute song causes me to eventually lose interest if I'm not listening to it live. The album is funky, it has socially conscious lyrics, and it jams, but it also makes me tune it out eventually. Not bad at all, and would make good background music.

I listened to this album while driving on a road trip. When The Ox came on, it started pouring rain and visibility dropped to be g able to only see the car directly in front of me. Something I’ll probably never forget. It felt like I was running out of time in my Donkey Kong Country level or some shit. Really enjoyed it, though. Lots of pop, rock, and blues influences throughout. I have a better understanding of why The Who have been so critically acclaimed for so long.

Holy hell, what a voice. There’s so many classics on this album, and even though I like some versions more than Aretha’s, it’s still a great listen. Her vocals on Ain’t No Way were incredible.

What is there to say? This album is fantastic. It’s got some of RHCP’s most well-known songs and it’s something that you can either put on for background music or actively listen to and jam out. Everyone obviously loves the hits, but the B-Sides also have a lot to offer. It was a five before I re-listened to it, and it’ll stay a five. Also, it took about 100 albums, but we finally got an album from a band I’ve gotten to see live, so that was cool.

As far as the social commentary goes, I can see why this album has so much acclaim. Musically, the album kept my attention the entire time and there were a few songs I enjoyed. I’m not saying the lack of “radio hits” brings it down, I’m just assuming that’s why I’m so unfamiliar with the whole thing. It’s an album I’d check out again, but didn’t leave me wanting to listen to it again right away.

I know the movie came out well after the peak of Elvis Costello’s career, but his voice always reminds me of the lead singer in That Thing You Do. Not a bad thing, but I definitely might watch that movie tonight. You can clearly hear all of the influences other bands have picked up from E.C., including Lenny Kravitz who essentially stole his whole vibe while singing. Also not a bad thing, because I really like a lot of the bands that picked up that influence. It was a short, easy listen that'll I'll come back to again for sure.

I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a Metallica album from beginning to end, but I guess this was the one to start with. Of the songs I know, a bunch of them were on this album. The pacing was solid with a good mixture of songs that absolutely rocked and slowed ballads. I’ll obviously listen to songs like Enter Sandman, Sad But True, and Nothing Else Matters again, I just don’t know if I’d go all the way back through again.

Major ‘you wouldn’t steal a car’ anti-piracy ad vibes. At first I was upset because I wasn’t a huge fan of our first drum and bass album. But I quickly realized that I’m actually familiar with these songs and after a google found out a decent amount were included in the soundtracks in what seems like every 2000s and 2010s action movie. Still, its mood music, and a rainy day off from work definitely isn’t the same as being in the club. The familiarity gives it a little extra oomph for me.

Never gonna get this hour back. Listening to Kollaps be like: https://youtu.be/mMh9A_4u2ic?si=BbPioCxtCP1270kV If you told me this band was from East Berlin it would make more sense. Gotta credit the resourcefulness to even make instruments out of the Berlin Air Drop packages. I’m not cool enough to get in but this is all they play in Berghain, isn’t it? The lesser-known German Fourth Reich: nothing but a capitalist-driven psy-op to make shit music that’ll make the communists go crazy. The Berlin Wall stood like five years longer than it should have just because of this noise. Does anyone else randomly want to watch a WWII movie now? It all comes full circle. One of the band members was also a member of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

Do I see the relevance and impact this played on later punk music? Absolutely. Is this groundbreaking for the era and an album that should be included on this list? Absolutely. Am I gonna hold off on 70s punk and just skip to the 80s at the earliest? Also absolutely. It’s almost a bad version of CCR, like they got all the songs Fogerty didn’t want to touch. And then having to listen to LA Blues after having Kollaps the day before? Little bit of a nightmare scenario.

After a few not so great albums in a row, it was nice to get some good music, and from a Beatle nonetheless! I was thinking this was a no-doubt four, but then Kreen-Akrore came on and the doubts came in. There’s a timeless classic in Maybe I’m Amazed and another personal favorite in Every Night, but I don’t think that’s enough to solidify that four rating. And I gotta say, it is really impressive that McCartney recorded it all himself.

I think when artists try to make an album that flows together, this is the album they’re trying to emulate. It’s only a little over a half an hour, but every single song flows into the next and the cohesiveness of the album is what really sets it apart. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great album, it’s just a little dated and it doesn’t have as many hits as you’d expect for how many greatest album lists it ends up on. I’d give it a nine out of ten if I could, but for now I’ll stick with four stars.

Add this one to the “I’m sure it was revolutionary and influential in its time but has aged like milk” category. There’s a lot of cool things going on musically, I just don’t like the way they come together every time. I’m not trying to do it, but I’m sure tripping acid and listening to it would be a different experience. Except for all the feedback on European Son. Like what the hell? Was that considered edgy at the time or something?

Influence be damned, they’re stat compilers. Like an athlete you thought dominated for two decades but when you break their career down you discover they were actually just above average the whole time. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and whoever else’s name they throw on there are just that. You’re bound to have some chart toppers when you release 73 albums combined. I did actually enjoy this album, at the very least more than the Neil Young and CSNY albums we’ve had. It’s got some good variety and it’s nice to have on in the background. Still on the fence with the double album thing.

Am I in a 1950s Disney movie? Am I walking through a Renaissance Fair? Is this the 21st Century version of Kate Bush? We may never know. I’m not gonna say all experimental music is bad, but I am gonna say there are more times than not that I’d rather not be a part of the experiment. The different instruments featured are a highlight, especially the harp sections. For the most part I find her singing voice pretty soothing, except for the shrieking here and there. This is probably the first album to truly benefit from the post-Kollaps listen, so it’s not a one, but I’d also honestly hear arguments about it being a three.

This album is all over the place, and that isn’t a bad thing. That made for a very interesting listen that held your attention for the very short album. I don’t know if I’d go back to it anytime soon, but it was more enjoyable than a lot of other albums we’ve had.

There are a lot of great songs on this album and Frank Ocean’s singing voice is fantastic. Easy to go back to for either the hits or to go through the entire album. It’s a nine out of ten for me, but on the five star scale I’m gonna have to round down to four.

I think almost everyone has heard the two singles from this album, but there are some pretty good B-Sides as well. I especially enjoyed the slower ballads. Obviously this isn’t anywhere near The Beatles best album, but it’s so catchy even if it’s only half an hour long. I would accept arguments that this is a three star album, but I’ll let my bias show and proudly rate it a four.

I can tell you one thing: this is not the album you want to listen to in a "hurry up and wait" situation as a teacher on the last day of school while waiting on the district office to finalize grades for your high school seniors a day later than planned because a singular individual did not have their grades done on time and refused to work late to get them done. Essentially, I'm listening to club music while being held captive by an archaic reporting system and someone's inability to read their emails. Too long, just like the amount of time I had to sit in an empty classroom today. I guess you could say Their Laws and Claustrophobic Sting were tracks that really stuck out for me. Also, how does a kid that I’ve seen be glued to their laptop for four years fail an Intro to Computers class? I don’t know if it’s that this genre is growing on me, or if The Prodigy is really good at what they do, but these albums really aren’t terrible. They’re just very situational listens. Rounding down from a two and a half.

There were times when I thought this album rocked, and times when I thought this album flopped. And I can see the punk beginnings but I heard more psychedelic and blues influence on MC5 more than anything. And then I read about the band, John Sinclair, and the White Panther Party and holy hell, these dudes were punk as fuck. There’s better late sixties albums but this one wasn’t that bad. A three for the political influence.

I’m not a Bollywood expert but this is pretty much exactly what I was thinking a 70s Bollywood soundtrack was going to sound like. It’s not bad by any means, just not knowing anything about the movie or being able to understand the lyrics puts you at a disadvantage. A little dated but the vibes are solid.

There have been some 60s rock albums that we’ve come across that have left me wanting more, and this wasn’t one of them. Great vibes, chord progressions that catch your attention, and a good mix of blues and rock. I think if there were one or two more songs I really liked I’d give it a four without question, but I feel comfortable sticking with a three.

Oh shit, we got a surprise Kate Bush feature. I was excited for this one. I love Genesis but I don’t know too much of Peter Gabriel’s solo work. My biggest issue is that I don’t know that I need this many six minute songs, even if they are fairly entertaining. In Your Eyes is by far the best song and an 80s classic. Overall, it was pretty meh. Not bad, but not all that great. I think I’ll stick to Genesis.

Fifteen years ago when I was working in a factory at my very first job, I had a coworker in his late forties that was a temp worker like me. I’m pretty sure he came to work either drunk, on cocaine, or both every day. Couldn’t tell you his name, but I do remember that he was short-tempered if you even insinuated that he was acting dumb, and he loved some Al Green. This was probably one of the first times coming back to this album since then, and I can tell you it’s a much better listen driving around town than it is doing manual labor with a dude that will rage when you tell him he put something on the wrong pallet. Al Green has a great voice, but he’s no Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder.

This is one of the reasons I love getting a random album from this list, sometimes it’ll give you some absolute heat that you probably wouldn’t have ever come across otherwise. You know how every now and then you’ll be at a bar or brewery with live music and the band is absolutely killing it? These were the vibes I got throughout the whole album. The mixture of blues and rock blended together perfectly. Paul Weller’s voice reminded me a little bit of Chris Stapleton and the lead singer of Collective Soul, and I wonder if there’s any influence on those artists. Definitely a strong four and an album I’ll be listening to again soon.

Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed the instrumental tracks a lot more than those with lyrics. One of those times where the musicianship is let down by the vocals. I’d give this album a three if the singer didn’t sound like he was the inspiration for every band on the Juno soundtrack. And don’t get me started on the whole same song title but slightly different thing.

I like The Smiths, but even though this is usually considered to be their best album it’s not my favorite of theirs. I know they’re an acquired taste, but I still think it’s a decent album. Nothing bad, but nothing to write home about.

This album was all over the place, but in a good way. The different parts of the world represented on the album kept you on your toes, and somehow Paul Simon’s voice blended in with all of them. There were a bunch of songs I enjoyed and of course You Can Call Me Al is timeless. For me, this is one of those albums that gets shafted by the rating system. Easily a nine out of ten, but it’s rounded down on the smaller scale.

Back at it again with the strange vocals. The instrumentals were just a little too strange for my liking. Overall, it’s a no from me, dawg.

I can’t say I was a big fan of the artistic style of this album. The fake British radio broadcast and ads are obviously dated and don’t hold up well. There’s also really only one hit to draw in your attention. I like The Who and understand their influence, but I guess I have to care that they sold out to fully appreciate this one.

Ultimately it’s unremarkable and sounds like most 80s rock. The best song on the album is a cover, and after reviewing 100 albums that’s a pretty strong indicator of a low rating. I wasn’t bored listening to it and I didn’t dislike it, I just probably won’t listen to it again.

Perfect for background music or in my case, enjoying coffee on a cool summer morning. When compared to albums that have and will be on this list, it’s nothing special. But that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy listening to it. Worthy of a solid three, only because until I can start to pick out really good jazz from decent jazz I can’t go higher than that.

I read the Wikipedia summary and had high hopes for this album. Unfortunately, I found it pretty bland. There are a couple songs I enjoyed, Stand and Orange Crush, but otherwise it was a mostly forgettable album. It would be good for background music but I don’t know if I’d go back to it. Not bad but also not great.

Lyricism aside, I had a hard time getting into this album. Not much to catch and hold your attention. I appreciate Cohen’s storytelling, it just wasn’t for me.

Vibes for days. The only criticism I have is that when listening to the album all the way through some of the songs tend to blend together because the drum beat isn’t all that different from song to song. Hard to say this one doesn’t belong on the list because it feels like Connected has been in popular media and advertising forever. May not come back to the whole album, but I will with a couple songs.

There were times that I thought that I was going to give this album four stars, because early on I really enjoyed it. But the double album mixed with too many echoed lyrics killed it for me. I went from jamming out to wanting to put on something else for a roadtrip. Was the feedback on the live track even necessary?

I’m more familiar with Jack White’s work with The Ranconteurs and The White Stripes, so I had a feeling this album was gonna have some jams with slick guitar riffs. There wasn’t anything that blew me away but I did enjoy the variation between the songs, you can definitely see the influence from different genres that he draws from.

An album that contains an eternal classic in Wonderwall and another quintessential 90s alternative jam in Champagne Supernova. It’s hard to deny the relevance of an album when it has a song that you’d have a hard time finding someone that’s never heard its biggest single that still produces memes 30 years later. The rest of the album is fantastic, a personal favorite of mine is Don’t Look Back in Anger, and there are other hidden gems as well. A great way to kick of the week.

Really takes me back to those chorus days. A solid listen, and even with the language barrier I still enjoyed a few of the songs. Glad I listened to it, but probably won’t again.

I was really enjoying having this album on in the background, right up until the last half hour of the album is the same song over and over. I’d definitely listen to this again for background music, but just the first half. Billie Holiday is a massively important artist but as an album, it just doesn’t hold up.

Just, no. I read this band has albums that are all very different from one another, so maybe I’ll enjoy that if it comes up, but I didn’t enjoy this one. The only reason I’m giving it a two is because I have a better understanding of what the depths of this list have to offer.

An all-time punk album. I knew more of it than I expected and enjoyed it for the most part. I was also surprised it was really their only official album.

There’s really only two things wrong with this album in my mind. I’ve found I’m not always a huge fan of the double album so there’s a couple tracks that could be dropped and it wouldn’t change much, and that what were considered to be “futuristic” sounds almost 50 years ago don’t really hold up. That being said, the antiquated old school lasers mixed with yacht rock vibes makes for such an excellent listen. The album has a couple great standout songs as well as some deep cuts that are jams. I was excited for this one and I’d say it met expectations.

Ultimately it was an enjoyable album except for the talk-singing. A couple solid songs in Walk on the Wild Side and Perfect Day, but not much else stood out. I don’t know that I’d come back to it except for those two songs. Better than a good bit of what we’ve heard, so I’ll go with a three.

A very pleasant listen. Nothing amazing, but also nothing abrasive.

There’s only been a handful of albums we’ve come across so far that have a stronger first two tracks than this one. Even though the rest of the songs, minus Reelin’ In The Years, are lesser known, I still thoroughly enjoyed this album from beginning to end. This would be a nine out of ten on a larger scale, but I feel like I need to round down for this one because of the lack of hits.

Light and breezy! I feel like I should be enjoying the night sipping a cocktail in a cigar bar in Rio. The upbeat tempos keep you interested and it’s not the double album length, so that’s a huge plus. Overall very enjoyable.

Listening to this album only made me think about people in their mid seventies and older and how they’ve witnessed the entire transformation of rock and roll to this point, with this album being the starting point for many of them. I also thought about this style of rock and roll being retirement age and how that’s fitting because it doesn’t work anymore. It’s a massive influence, I just found it too repetitive and not dissimilar enough between songs. I’m giving it a three because everyone knows Tutti Fruitti and it created a great IHOP entree option.

Usually when the Wikipedia article mentions an album being the band’s most accessible I get worried with this list, but overall that’s a pretty accurate claim. Definitely punk rock, but it’s not in your face and doesn’t fall into that category of punk with a lead singer that wouldn’t be a lead vocalist in any other genre. Solid listen.

I really enjoyed this album! Great vibes and it was perfect for a rainy day. Added a couple songs to my library that I didn’t have before and will probably check out more of their discography.

I definitely appreciated this album even though this side of the spectrum on this genre isn’t always for me. Sounds like there has been plenty of influence on later bands as well. It made for great driving music on the way home after a long weekend.

It’s always hit or miss listening to a soundtrack of a movie I haven’t seen, but I’d be interested to see this one. The album was funky and truly did tell a story. In addition to the title track, there were a couple other songs that caught my attention that were added to my library. I’ll round up to a four because I was grooving to this one.

This is one of the Brit Rock albums I’m glad I came across on this list. Has a somewhat timeless feel to it with some songs seemingly in the wrong decade. A lot of fun to listen to front to back, plenty of songs that were jams, and something I’ll be returning to.

I was a little more excited for this one than I should have been. Usually I’m a sucker for the singer songwriter/soft rock stuff, and it started out strong, but this one was a little lacking. Great for background music but when you listen to some of the lyrics they don’t work that well (can’t say I’ve ever heard a song start with “oh, jambalaya”). The composition is really what saves it for me, a mood music three.

Absolutely pleasantly surprised by this album. Little bit of blues, folk, and soft rock all mixed into one. Peaceful and soothing throughout, so really there aren’t many complaints. I’d give it a nine out of ten but here I’m rounding down.

I think I’ve only ever seen Henry Rollins labeled as a “rockstar” in the media because they don’t want to associate him with a band and album that came for the throats of the mainstream. Hardcore punk is not my favorite genre but I can’t think of a better example than this. Loud, abrasive, and absolutely furious with the man. For thirty minutes I felt like toppling the capitalist system. Definitely understand this album’s place in the list, a surprising four from me.

Nothing that stood out besides picking out a sample and seeing the influence this band might have had on future artists and engineers. Chill vibes the entire time and good background music. Middle of the road for this one.

Brass in Pocket is a classic and there are a couple other good songs as well. Other than that, not much made me feel like this was an album deserving more than a three.

Little Star makes me feel like I’m playing a low budget Dreamcast game. One great song, one decent song, and that’s about it.

Smooth and easy to listen to. Not a huge fan of the bossa nova sound but it wasn’t too bad.

I don’t think I’ve really ever listened to Iron Maiden because I’d written them off as metal and something I wouldn’t be interested in. It’s still not my favorite genre but I absolutely understand the hype and staying power of this band. The songs blended together really well and some did have a similar sound, but there’s still a lot of variety for being just over half an hour. I’m sure we’ll get more Iron Maiden in the future and I’m looking forward to it.

I was worried that I was too high on this album after my first listen because I was starting a road trip and excited for the weekend. After my second listen on Sunday evening, I can firmly say that this album is a five. Yes, the standout song is a cover, but I think there’s a lot more to offer even if the styling of this cover is now how every cover since has been done. Lover, You Should Have Come Over, Forget Her, Grace, and Last Goodbye all caught my attention instantly, and Eternal Life comes out of nowhere absolutely jamming. The only critique I have is that Corpus Cristi Carol seems completely out of place and isn’t that good in general, but it also helps the shock factor with Eternal Life coming in with heavy rock right after. I’m willing to overlook that blemish with how much I enjoyed listening to this album.

It’s not Nevermind, but damn, it’s close. So many great songs and such a great album. I teach about ‘what if?’ moments in history and this whole album is a “what if life had been less cruel to Kurt Cobain?” This album is one I usually listen to a few times a year so nothing will change there, but I don’t think it’s quite in five territory.

I’m teetering between a two and a three. On one hand, Tainted Love is an all-timer (also find it crazy that Where Did Our Love Go? doesn’t directly follow it on the track list) and the synth beats are so damn catchy. On the other, the lyrics are absolutely wild and scandalous (and not always in a good way) and the best song is a cover. I’m going with a two because there’s not much to draw me back besides the two songs. Not looking forward to Sex Dwarf popping into my head at random points later in life either.

A really fun and breezy album that reminds me of the songs they played in gym class in middle school. The combination of new wave and surf rock is a lot of fun to listen to.

Spoonman will always remind me of playing Rock Band for hours on end, even if it wasn’t a song we chose very often. There are three really good songs on this album and one all-timer, the rest just kinda leaves me wanting a little more. Half is also strange and doesn’t really fit with the vibe of the rest of the album. Overall, a decent listen that felt like a slog towards the end but gets a bump for the hits.

Fantastic album. A handful of great songs that are surprising to be from a debut album and a ton of variety. Enjoyed every minute of this one, but I know Led Zeppelin has more to offer so I’m sticking at four.

This is the first album we’ve had where I need to be wearing noise-cancelling headphones and just disassociate for 45 minutes. I wasn’t in the right environment for this one, so maybe I’d rank it higher than a four but it’s a solid four.

I listened to this album but I can’t tell you anything about it that has any substance. Less abrasive than a lot of punk rock, but it’s punk rock so is that actually a good thing? I didn’t dislike it and it’s better than a lot of other albums we’ve come across so far.

Nobody ever said Leonard Cohen was easy on the ears, but this is a hauntingly beautiful retrospective from someone in their final moments of life. The half spoken-word delivery adds so much emotion to the lyrics. I don’t know how soon I might return to this if I ever do, but I’m glad I’ve listened to it.

Do you think if Nick Cave just played music in a garage instead of in recording studios that he would get welfare checks called in by his neighbors? Because I do. Not nearly as bad as Murder Ballads, but way too long and still not for me.

I specifically saved this album for a late road trip home on a Sunday and I’m so glad I did. Even with slower songs this one really gets the blood pumping and it just rocks overall. Great variety, incredible guitar riffs, and the harmonies provide that perfect ear tickle. The only thing that drops this to a four for me is that the front half is loaded with hits and the back half doesn’t quite hold up. Can’t wait for more Eagles albums.

Elevation is a terrible song. One of the worst on this list that isn’t made by a German junkyard instrument band. Most of the rest of the album is pretty pleasant just not very memorable. Sitting at a two and a half bit Elevation is bad enough to round down.

Couple high school throwbacks, couple hidden gems, couple fuck you tracks, a thank you song that in hindsight probably would have put up NUMBERS on 2006 YouTube, and more than a few that could have been left off. Christina’s voice is absolutely incredible and I never got bored with it, i just felt like I could have used that extra half hour differently. I also got the style this album was going for (Ain’t No Other Man and Candyman make so much more sense with that context), but I still found the intro to the second disk unnecessary. A three that could have been a four.

Between the heavy synth drums and the lead singer’s voice, this one didn’t cut it for me. It wasn’t the worst, but it definitely wasn’t that memorable. From what I read, there are samples throughout the album and that’s why it’s influential, but the only thing that sounded familiar was a potential Mario sample.

The beginning of England sounds like a goat dying. There were times early on that I thought this was better than Rid Of Me, and then it slowly got worse as it went on. I can respect the musicianship of PJ Harvey but her music is not something I enjoy.

With only knowing Aqualung from this album I had all kinds of assumptions coming in but I was pleasantly surprised to find a good variety and a great sound. Really good instrumentation and a solid listen if not a little lengthy. I also found out this is an album my dad listened to a lot when it was more popular, so that’s pretty cool, but he doesn’t know where his copy on vinyl went, so not as cool as it could be.

Ultimately, the only memorable song is Highway to Hell. It’s better than a lot of other seventies rock albums we’ve had, but there’s nothing that makes me want to come back to this album specifically rather than listen to a greatest hits compilation.

Pleasant and great for background music while getting some work done. Couldn’t tell you much more about it, but I did enjoy it.

My biggest critique is that some of the songs are longer than they need to be. I don’t know if Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence would be such hits if they never made single edits. I would also say the album is too long, but the 2006 rerelease adds an extra 30 minutes and I was upset I found this out after listening to all of it. Overall, not bad at all, but I’m only coming back for the hits.

I don’t understand any of the lyrics but the music is so good that I don’t need to. Great composition and plenty of funk. I read she was a Bossa Nova singer and if this is the other end of the Bossa Nova spectrum I need to reevaluate my feelings towards it. Great listen and a strong four.

Only knew two songs coming into this album but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good variation and obviously some incredible vocal talent from Stevie. There were some moments that reminded me of a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album with the repeated lyrics, but it didn't effect the experience too much.

This one came in with some high praise from the Wikipedia blurb but it failed to live up to it. Nothing special, and wasn’t a bad listen, but it didn’t captivate me in the least bit.

The spoken word is what does it in for me because the best parts of the album are the stretches that don’t have lyrics. Was hoping I was going to discover a new band I’d like. I did not.

I really liked this one! The 90s alternative sound was right up my alley and I’m honestly surprised I hadn’t ever heard of them before. I can hear different influences from previous musical acts and what I assume are influences on later bands. The lyrics are full of introspection, political commentary, and critiques of popular culture. They can be dark at times and tackle some difficult subject matter, but I think that adds a lot to the experience. I would not mind at all to have more Manic Street Preachers albums.

Would definitely listen to it again as background music to get some 80s vibes going, just might skip a couple songs.

I listened to this album twice over the weekend. Once while drinking on Friday night celebrating having next couple days off, and once on Sunday finally getting over a two-day hangover. This album was somehow perfect for both settings. My attention was held from beginning to end and the album flows together seamlessly. The 90s sound gets right to the nostalgia, even if I was only four when it came out. There are some great songs on here as well, not just the most popular tracks. Might be showing my bias towards the era, and I definitely understand the common complaint that Thom Yorke is whiny, but this is a five in my mind.

With Every Breath You Take, King Of Pain, and Wrapped Around Your Finger this album might have the best three track run of soft rock/synth pop in the 80s. The only thing is getting to it felt like a slog at times and Mother is incredibly strange and out of place.

Not much to say other than this album is fantastic. Only critique is that I don’t need an eleven minute cover of Heard it Through the Grape Vine, but it’s got a good groove so I’ll let it slide.

Between the length and the outdated style mixed in, this one was hard to get through. I didn’t dislike it, but being over listening to it and finding out you still have eight songs left is pretty disheartening. It also sucked that Anyway U Want It was the song I liked the most and it was the third track. I was misled. I feel bad giving it this rating with some songs having a great message and meaningful lyrics, but it’s just not something I’ll come back to.

Pleasant for background music with a couple standout songs. I can see the appeal and I do love the 90s pop rock sound, but I don’t think it’s anything groundbreaking or massively influential, just good music. It’s a standard, middle of the road three for me.

Probably the most soothing album we’ve had so far. Nora Jones’ voice comes over you like a wave and you just kinda float off with the smooth jazz backing, the experience is unmatched. I am very familiar with this album and getting to come back to it is always a treat. Even with this album being two decades old, it still holds up. I’ll accept that the length might be a drawback and that it’s not something you’d play all the time, but that only brings me down to a four and a half and I’m gonna round up.

Pretty standard Smiths album. Every album solidifies my stance that Morrissey by himself just isn’t as good. A solid listening experience if you enjoy their sound, can definitely understand complaints against it.

Definitely get some hints of inspiration from the 60s pop/rock bands and overall it’s not too bad. Nothing blew my mind by any means, but enjoyable enough even if there were a couple times I asked myself what I was listening to. I don’t know if I’ll come back to this one, but a couple songs coming up on a shuffle wouldn’t bother me. Also, this has to be the winner for shortest average track time out of all of the albums on the list.

At this point, I’m afraid that when we do finally get another Beatles album I’m going to be completely burnt out on 60s Brit Pop. It’s not bad but it’s hard to separate it from a lot of the other bands from the decade if it’s not something you listen to often. Not entirely sure if it’s the band, album, or a single that counts as influential on this one.

This was the last album I listened to before Helene hit Asheville like a week ago. I honestly don’t remember a thing about it but I do remember that adding a decade to the Brit Pop sound helped. I’ll go middle of the road to be safe.

So many slick beats, which is a staple for Tribe. I’m interested to look into the samples that have been used on the album and who has sampled these songs since. The delivery can be very dated at times, but we’re further away from the release date of this album than this album was from the invention of rap, so what exactly do you expect? So many great tracks and ending with Scenario goes so hard. This was the first time I’ve listened to music in like a week since the world ended in WNC and it was so great to have a different form of entertainment, but I don’t think that’s impacting my rating too much.

No song takes me right back to high school like Time to Pretend, and there aren’t many songs that hit close to home like it does in adulthood. This album wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either, the hits standout well above the rest. I definitely see the influence this album has though, I would even guess we don’t get Gambino’s Awaken, My Love without this album being made.

Knew a couple songs and it was cool to put some hits with the band that they’re attributed to. The opening of Indian Song instantly reminded me of the sand level in Mario 64. I only wish the sound mixing raised the audio levels so I could hear the vocals a little better. Solid listen.

“Sounds like Justin Timberlake if he was good.” - My brother. This is some straight up baby-making music. So smooth, so funky, and the lyrics leave nothing to the imagination. It’s really good, just has a bit too much length. A couple songs will be added to the library but that’s about it. I thought the instrumental tracks were better than most of those with lyrics.

I honestly had no idea that Rod Stewart got his start with Jeff Beck, so I was surprised to hear his voice throughout this album. The second half is so much stronger than the first. The blues tracks are what takes this album from a two to a three.

I listened to this album once on Friday, and again on Sunday. It’s not bad, but aside from Lovesong not much was all that memorable. Great for background music, but I don’t think I’ll have a strong desire to listen to it again.

What is there to even say? This is arguably one of the greatest albums ever made. Hit after hit from beginning to end. I love the timeliness of getting Thriller to kick off spooky season, it’s like this list has a mind of its own. PYT is my favorite MJ song, Beat It and Billie Jean are all-timers, and if Human Nature isn’t on your Yacht Rock playlist, I want nothing of it.

Meh. The only reason this gets a two is because I know what a one on this list truly sounds like. The back half of the album was kinda tough to get through, probably only going to listen to Come On Eileen from this group.

I think I have better memories attached listening to this album for the very first time than I do the music itself. The day this released, same day as J. Cole’s Born Sinner by the way, I was on a road trip with Hayden to Wilmington. This is the same infamous trip where I would fall asleep during game seven of the NBA finals and Jackson would scream and run by the ocean at midnight to celebrate the Heat winning the title. I’ll never forget being a degenerate flying down the highway with the windows down, my long hair in a mess all over the place, smoke billowing out of the car, and the look on Hayden’s face while he was blitzed out of his mind absolutely astounded by the beat on New Slaves. What a weekend. We almost got ran over by a semi on that drive, saw Zac Brown Band, partied listening to Get Lucky and Blurred Lines all night on Franklin Street, and I met Tyler Hansbrough who wouldn’t take a picture with my drunk ass. All that being said, when people ask me if I like Kanye I tell them: “everything up to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is incredible, Yeezus has a few good songs, and I don’t care about the rest.” This still holds true. That and you can’t top a Kanye beat.

I fully understand the importance of this combination between vocalist and composers, as well as their importance in the evolution of music, but releasing the whole songbook is a bit much. Ella’s voice is and always will be incredible, and listening to it while sipping coffee on the first chilly morning of fall was delightful, so those are the only reasons this album gets a three.

I hadn’t ever listened to a Janis Joplin album all the way through, and damn she’s got some pipes. I can also see why she was able to captivate audiences before her death, even on this recording she came across as genuine. The album itself is good but not great, and I wouldn’t seek it out specifically but also wouldn’t be mad if it made it back around in a shuffle.

I’ve heard of Muddy Waters and I’ve heard about how legendary and influential this jazz festival was, so it was cool to get to listen to a piece of history. Great blues riffs and an enjoyable album overall, made for some great driving music on the way home from a trip. Nothing here blew me away, nice middle of the road start to the week.

There’s a lot of funk here, but the times that the beat continuously repeats along with the length is what does it in for me. A couple good songs that could boost this to a three, but I don’t think it’s in that tier as a whole.

There were a couple decent songs but otherwise this was a slog. Don’t see much influence besides it being Madonna. At least we’re knocking out some of the latter albums in her career.

This album has me split between a rating more than any of the 200+ we’ve rated so far. On one hand, there’s a four song stretch of hits that almost every millennial knows by heart, including an all-time anthem in Mr. Brightside. On the other hand, the second half of the album is incredibly weak compared to the first. Regardless, cranking out these singles from a debut album is super impressive, even if they haven’t topped that success since. I think this is one where the singles give just enough boost to round up from a three and a half.

I think that this album helps me to better understand the influence The Who had in the 60s and 70s, and seeing them play live would have been a lot of fun. That being said, I still don’t find it to be all that great, but would be good background music.

Nick Drake is probably my favorite artist I’ve discovered on this list. I think I like Pink Moon more, but this one is in the same vein, making for great easy listening or background music. Definitely something I’ll come back to while sipping coffee and easing into a Saturday morning.

It’s a shame these guys didn’t stick around for much longer after this album, I can definitely see the influence they would have had on bands that would get their start shortly after this release. My only issues are that it’s lengthy and not too many of the songs grab your attention and draw you in. Gonna go with a two because I just don’t think I’ll be listening to this one again anytime soon.

Some of the riffs sounded familiar but I’m not sure if they’re samples or if later artists sampled Elvis Costello. It wasn’t bad by any means, just wasn’t for me.

Part one reminded me of the Stranger Things theme song a little bit. It was chill, probably gonna play it in my classroom during independent work. Who knows what teenagers will think. Dope album art.

There may not be too many hits on this one but it’s a solid listen, especially sitting in traffic with the windows down. It’s really cool to listen to an album that will play a part in changing modern rap music and Dr. Dre introducing legends in the game. I also appreciated the lack of skits on this album, I don’t know why that became a trend. There are better rap albums on this list, but I was very close to giving it a four.

Definitely the best of The Who albums we’ve had so far. Still not crazy about them but this album is really solid from beginning to end, has some hits, and kinda helps me understand the hype.

An album that I had no idea was going to rival Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret for the coveted Horniest Album on the List award. Starts out super strong with 1999 and Little Red Corvette and then the length and repetitive nature of the songs just drags you down. I’m not one to question the musical genius of Prince, but I will say my rating would be a star higher if the album was 30% shorter.

A really enjoyable album for some background music, it just has the same flaw that dampens the rating of a lot of albums on the list, the length is a bit much. Liked it enough, but probably won’t seek it out to listen to it again.

The impeccable cover of Hurt was the only song I was familiar with coming in, and boy, was I in for a treat. Not only does he put his own touches on other covers, and does them wonderfully for how late in life he was, but the specific songs he selected are reflective and heart-wrenching knowing his story. There wasn’t a dull moment in the album and I enjoyed it from top to bottom. You really can’t beat listening to some smooth Johnny Cash. My only issue is that this isn’t an album I could listen to all the time because I can’t walk around in emotional shambles, and that’s the only reason I’m dropping to a four. I also realize that admitting that an album making me feel such a way is grounds for a five, but I don’t think a four is a disservice to an album that’s mostly covers.

If I ever want to experience the vibes of an Asheville drum circle without the hippies, body odor, and patchouli, I know exactly where I’ll come looking.

Really wasn’t expecting such a country sound from what I know about the Stones. Starts off strong with Sympathy For The Devil, but there wasn’t too much worth mentioning after that. This is probably the first time I’ve listened to entire album of theirs, but so far it’s solidifying me being more of a Beatles guy. Kinda feel bad about my rating but I don’t think this is their best.

Really didn’t need something repetitive and this lengthy on an already tense Election Day. Daft Punk have some hits, and Around The World is one of them, but I really didn’t enjoy this album.

Feels like home.

Does every drum and bass album have to be an hour long? It’s not that I dislike it, it’s that it’s way too long. The last song is by far the most interesting.

There was a ton of variety for an electronic album and that was a pleasant surprise. It was also fantastic for a road trip. Some songs were added into my library, but I don’t think I’ll ever find myself seeking out this album as a whole.

La Grange might be one of the most fun rock songs to listen to, but it’s not enough to boost this above a three. Enjoyed the classic rock vibes, but there was a lot that blended together in this really short album.

Of the Morrissey albums and songs I've listened to, this one has been the most bearable. I think the transition from popular music styles between the 80s, 90s, and 2000s is the main reason that I find this album better than the others. Still can't really give the album more than a three, but it is an improvement over Vauxhall and I. America Is Not The World definitely hits harder twenty years after release and seeing two female presidential candidates fail to be elected when running against a clearly weaker convicted rapist and felon. At least we've had a Black president since then?

As I was listening to this I was really wishing it was a rainy fall day because it seems like it would have created a perfect vibe for the album. Because of that, I think I wanted to like this album more than I actually did. Early on I thought I’d go with a four, but then I found myself losing interest. There’s rain in the forecast tomorrow, maybe I’ll see if my theory is correct. For now, I’ll round down from a two and a half.

There are very few artists that have been and will be on the list that have a singing voice that I enjoy listening to more than Tracy Chapman. Combine that with the composition and the social commentary in the lyrics and it’s really something special. Not quite a five, but a strong four.

I fully understand the draw of Metallica, but it’s just not for me. But, a bunch of the Metallica songs I know are on this album and I really did like this album even if I did have to take a couple breaks so the length wouldn’t drag on. Definitely have to be in a mood for this one, but if you are it slaps. Still wild that they were featured in Fortnite for like two months.

The hits being frontloaded on this album bring it down from a four to a three. The front half has three of the biggest hits ZZ Top has ever released and then the second half is mostly forgettable generic southern rock. Overall, I did still like this album, just can’t get behind anything above a three.

It’s not a bad album, but it’s nothing great, either. Starting out with a 20 minute track really takes the wind out of your sails. There were some sections of songs that were really enjoyable but the rest is pretty meh.

I wouldn’t want to look anyone in the eye either if this was what I called music.

First time I can remember taking a deep dive into a Bee Gees album. A pleasant album to listen to with a lot of great harmonies but I guess they don’t start hitting the high notes regularly until later in their discography? I’m teetering between a two and a three, and what’s gonna push me to a two is that one song towards the end of the album where it sounds like a muppet is singing. I know I like The Bee Gees, but maybe not this version of their sound.

I enjoyed this album a lot more than Green, especially with two of R.E.M.’s biggest hits on the track listing, but I’ve put myself in a conundrum. I gave Green a three and I think Document is better, but I don’t think it’s a four. It did make for a good road trip album and it does have the sound that you’d expect from R.E.M., I just need a ten star scale more than I have so far on this list. Mostly only coming back to this one for Its The End of The World and The One I Love, but I’ll be alright with the other songs coming up on a shuffle.

When this era of classic rock was making its resurgence in the mid-2000s, this was the album that caught my attention the most. So much so that I actually went out and bought the CD since streaming was still a decade away. Everyone knows Stairway and it’s guitar solo, but there are so many jams on here. Always a pleasure to listen to IV, and today was no different. Stairway might also be the first time I’ve been alright with a seven minute track from the list. I know it’s overplayed quite a bit, but it’s still incredible.

Knowing Ice Cube more as an actor and then taking a deep dive into his music career is a wild ride. There is a lot of violence portrayed in the lyrics, but knowing the history explains why. It’s a huge moment in American history and this album serves as a voice of those experiences living through police brutality in LA in the early 90s. Great beats with a clearly old school style, but it never felt dated. Really enjoyed this album and will come back regularly for a few songs.

Maybe my ignorance is showing because I’m not a huge country music fan, but I really don’t see the influence here. It’s mostly unremarkable 80s country for me.

Me, Myself, and I will always remind me of playing NCAA Football 2007 for hours after school and on weekends. 90s rap can sometimes sound dated, but the flow of the lyrics was nice. As always, I could do without the skits. Overall it was fun to have on in the background while hanging out, but it wasn’t anything special. No complaints, but definitely can’t go higher than a three.

Really missed my opportunity to sit by a fire and sip cocktails while listening to this one. I absolutely see why people hold Miles Davis is such high regard, and there are other legends featured in this ensemble. I’ll definitely come back to this one, it’s just restricted to dinner party and background music.

Iconic in every sense of the word. Massive hits, solidified the grunge sound, and changed music afterwords forever. There are a couple songs I could do without, but there are too many classics to justify anything lower than a four. I’m bumping this one up to a five on the influence alone.

The only reason I’m giving this a two is because I’d actually be willing to listen to it again if it were an entirely instrumental album. The talk-singing with incredibly crass lyrics just doesn’t do it for me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a song with fart sounds that I’m going to go learn every word to.

The decade jump from 60s to 70s British Folk is much appreciated, but I'm starting to think I'll always be more of a fan of good ol' backwoods Appalachian Folk. Not bad, and maybe I'll give this another chance when I'm not listening to it mostly stuck in traffic, but really wasn't my speed.

Of the couple handfuls of Bob Dylan songs that I know, two are on this album so that was nice to listen to those in the context of the album. I enjoyed the mixture of folk with a little pop, even if Dylan’s singing voice is an acquired taste. I think this album automatically gets bumped up a star after listening to I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight the day before.

Good lord what a voice. First time diving deep into an Aretha album and I was very pleased. Respect is an all-timer and you really never get tired of hearing her sing. Not quite a five but a solid four.

I don’t know how I feel about this one. There were times I was really vibing with it, but there were other times that it felt like listening to ambient noise for longer than I wanted to. Between the length and the language gap, I’m gonna go with a two.

Anyone else randomly get a couple Rock Lobster vibes at the beginning and end of the album? I didn’t dislike it but it definitely isn’t something I’ll come back to listen to again, especially with its length. The rest of the album being at least decent to listen to saves the fishcakes song from dragging this down to a one.

First thought: this is the kind of music that made 90s evangelical Christians boycott the world. Second thought: I don’t know if I can do 45 minutes of this. Third thought: it’s true, sometimes you do have to ding a ding dang your dang a long ling long.

As I get older I realize that I’m not so far from my southern roots as I thought I was, I genuinely do enjoy bluegrass music. It’s not something I actively seek out, but if it’s being played live there’s not much better. I’ve also found out that I much prefer a banjo and fiddle going to town rather than hearing the lyrics. This album’s biggest downfall is its length, but getting to listen to the great Doc Watson on a few tracks makes it go by fairly quickly. If it were only the second disk I’d be rating this a four, but the double album length brings it down a star.

A really pleasant album to listen to, and the first time I’ve ever listened to a Willie Nelson album from front to back. I enjoyed it, I just don’t know how I feel about giving an album of covers a four.

Some wonderful jazz to have on in the background while working and driving. I’ve never heard a trumpet wail like that, really impressive. Already two live albums from the Newport Jazz Festival and it’s really cementing how important this series of shows was for music history. My biggest complaint is that the original release isn’t on Spotify and jumping around the complete version was a pain, but that’s not the album’s fault.

Pretty generic 90s alternative rock, but right up my alley so I didn’t mind. I only knew Dying Days coming in and that’s pretty much what the rest of the album sounds like. Kinda like a mixture of Collective Soul and Eels. No big hits and left a little to be desired but wasn’t bad at all, so I don’t feel wrong going middle of the road here.

I can vividly remember my first real introduction to Billy Joel, not counting the absolute banger that is Why Should I Worry? from Oliver and Company, of course. I was around 10 years old, out running errands with my mom on a Saturday morning. We stopped at the tiny strip mall on Hendersonville Road for lunch (for those of you from Asheville, the one near Asiana with the post office and Amish furniture store). We ordered pizza at some place that isn’t there anymore and then went to look at CDs in a second hand record store, also not there anymore. I probably wanted some boy band CD, but all we left with was The Essential Billy Joel, and from then on I probably played his greatest hits hundreds of times over. Obviously, there’s a handful of songs from this album in the compilation, but even the b-sides have that classic charm that embrace you like an old friend. I haven’t really ever gone through his albums individually, at least not in a couple decades, so I’m really excited to see what other albums of his make the list. Listened to this one twice in one day, I think that’s clearly grounds for a five.

Nothing Compares 2 U is one of the best breakup songs of all time. The rest of the album just isn’t for me, though. Could be impacted by having such a great album the day before, but I think a 2 is fair.