1001 Albums Summary

Dig the funky vibe, great instrumentation and vocals. Just not sure it would be one that I’d have in rotation, it doesn’t necessarily make me want to groove like I hoped it would.

I enjoy the unique sound and style of The Police and Sting’s vocals, and it’s cool to hear one of their early albums and how it all began. I was only familiar with one song from it. The album as a whole doesn’t necessarily grab me or speak to my soul but I like it nonetheless!

I mean, this is pretty iconic being the Ramones’ first album. True garage/punk rock. Love the early grit vibe. That being said, all the songs start to sound very similar as the album goes on and the sound quality is lacking, but loved hearing their first album.

Seems like a pretty epic show to have attended. You can definitely feel this band’s soul. Puts me in the mindset of a flower child of the 60s on acid. Dig the beginning of the show, started to fall off a bit for me at Space Truckin…great instrumentation but the jams get really long and drawn out. I’m also a little confused by the end because there are a couple repeat songs. Solid show overall!

Great album, definitely a journey he takes you on. This is the first time I’ve listened to a full Jimi Hendrix album. Nice variety of song styles and of course awesome guitar playing. Not a huge fan of the vocals, because they feel far away and kind of like an afterthought but overall, feels like a true classic.

Really liked this performance, though I wasn’t familiar with these particular songs. He has such great energy and this feels like getting transported back in time. Quality soul for the soul. The audio recording is great too.

I don’t consider myself a ZZ Top fan, and this album pleasantly surprised me. Hot, Blue and Righteous was probably my favorite discovery. A great classic rock listen!

I really wanted to like this album. As someone relatively new to the GBV world, I haven’t heard many of their full albums. I’ve seen them live a couple times and thought the last show I went to was great. I even went to a GBV cover show last summer and had a blast. Their bigger hits are really fun live. But this album didn’t do it for me, sadly. A lot of songs felt unfinished and the sound quality wasn’t good. Giving them a 3 because it’s GBV, but I had higher expectations for this.

This album immediately made me feel happy when it started. Despite never hearing of the band or album, it kind of felt like comfort food. Definitely recognize that early 2000s indie vibe but with its own unique instrument blend that give it a bluegrass charm. Love the banjo and harmonica. His vocals aren’t my favorite and leave me wanting a little more passion/variation as the album progresses, but really enjoyed this overall.

Great album, loved it. I didn’t explore the Pixies much when they were really blowing up, I only know a few of their songs, so I was excited to really enjoy a full album.

Love this so much. Country is not high on my genre list, but his style of country hits different, and this album is just beautiful. Feels like home. Waylon is a gem.

I prefer the psychedelic Beatles and their less poppy stuff in general, but this is solid, classic Beatles.

Love the flower child era vibes. Teach Your Children is a true classic. This record really takes you back in time to life during the Vietnam War, and the profound impact it had on society.

I rolled my eyes when I saw this was the album of the day. All I remember from them is the song Nookie from the late 90s, which got way overplayed. But when the album started, I found myself grooving to their intro and the first song with the NIN mashups made me laugh. Then all the songs started to blend together a bit. Has an immature kind of feel to it but it did kind of make me nostalgic for that era of weird pop culture yell rock. I dunno. I’m all over the place with feelings on this one lol. It’s fun for what it is, but it’s lacking some serious depth. Dude laughing in the outro was so annoying. That outro put a bad taste in my mouth. I thought this had potential in the beginning but damn.

I was a bit disheartened to see Korn come up this morning after Limp B yesterday. As lawdogg remarked, “Did these cards get shuffled?” 😆 It’s not terrible, just not the type of music that moves me. I do like this one a bit more than Chocolate Hot Dogs. Hoping to have a break from this genre after today though.

Despite a few problematic lyrics, I kinda love this. Have been a semi-fan of Eazy E and Dr Dre for a long time but their N.W.A. work is mostly new to me. Lots of great moments, great raps, great samples, and important commentary on racial injustices in policing.

Feel-good 60s hippie pop, a pleasant palette cleanser after a week of full-bodied flavors and textures.

I thought I would like this more than I did because I like the two hits on it. Those were really the only two songs I liked. And I was confused by the long songs and just wanted them to be over. This album didn’t do it for me.

Despite the shoe-gazing vibe, I can appreciate what they’re doing here, and their contributions/influence in this genre. They clearly influenced the Smashing Pumpkins. Feels more like a meditative/experimental journey than a musical destination. I wish I could understand ANY of the words they’re saying, but pretty solid nonetheless.

There are far better Radiohead albums than this in my opinion. Surprised this made the list. I like the jazz loungy vibe of the last track, and I Might Be Wrong has some fun grooves. Overall, the album is a little too experimental/slow/melancholy for me. Radiohead tends to depress me the older I get, and this album in particular leans into that vibe. But there is beauty in sadness too, especially when the music is well composed. Anyway, it’s Radiohead, so even though it’s not my favorite, it gets a 3 because they are iconic and they make beautiful music.

What a delight. I’ve never heard of this band, other than knowing Our House (didn’t know who sang that). But the music is fun and lively. I like the blend of new wave, pop, and wacky. Our House is so great, and this is such a refreshing collection of songs in general. Love so many of them. This album made me feel good, and that’s a good way to feel. Had to find the album on YouTube, it was mostly missing from Spotify.

Oof. This album was a fairly painful listen. It had a few tracks that actually sounded like music, and I did enjoy their Grapevine cover. Props to them for this somehow being influential though.

The lyrics are melancholy, but the end product is a warm, pleasant listen. Elliott died from an apparent self-inflicted stab wound to the heart (WHAT?!) at 34, after an argument with his girlfriend, so he clearly dealt with a lot of demons. There’s also speculation he was murdered so who knows for sure I guess. Sounds like he talked about (and attempted) suicide a lot, and also had addiction issues. RIP to this tortured soul I’m just now hearing of. Thanks for the tunes.

A lot of classics here, and RHCP’s fun and funky vibe is pretty infectious. Solid grooves all around. And fun fact I didn’t realize until now: this album that’s largely about California was also released right after my first trip to California with slashing lumpkins!

This is another new band to me. Totally dug the vibe when it started. It fell off for me a bit at Orange and never entirely regained its momentum, though it still has some great moments after that. The Creep Out is a solid finale.

Damn, his voice just does it for me. This is such a smooth and silky listen. I’m Your Man (the song) is super sexy. Take This Waltz is another one of my faves. Overall - interesting, strange and beautiful. Jazz Police is an unfortunate outlier. I’m pretending in my rating that one isn’t on there.

Oh yeah, love me some Fatboy Slim. Was excited to see this pop up today. This is a party. There are a few tracks I don’t love, and some of the songs go on a bit long, but had a blast with it. If this don’t make your booty move…get that booty checked stat!

Gotta love when a new (to me) album kicks off with an iconic Dirty Dancing ditty. This album is packed with soul, and apparently a lot of relationship drama. I think every one of these is about breaking up, hooking up, or someone he’s in love with. In addition to his musical genius, he had 21 kids, four wives, and countless lovers, so that tracks. Lots of inspiration for song writing no doubt. You can’t love ‘em all…or CAN you? He sure can try. Totally dig his voice and his vibe. Great listen!

Despite his riches, Springsteen somehow manages to feel very authentic when singing about the plights of the less fortunate. This album is pretty sad, but deep and beautiful too. In general, I prefer more upbeat tunes, but this is a great album for what it is. I especially love the sound the harmonica brings. It feels both ethereal and strongly rooted in southern blues. Very moving.

This is around the time I stopped listening to Madonna as much because her early aughts evolution was a bit jarring to me at the time (though I LOVED Ray of Light). I know the hits from this album, but I really enjoyed it as a full listen. Amazing is a great song I wasn’t familiar with. She really layers a lot of funky and interesting beats and sound effects throughout these songs. It’s a bit more forgettable than her 80s catalog, but still a good Madonna time. Queen’s gonna queen.

For someone who had an 11 minute song made about him, Papa sounds like kind of an a-hole. I enjoyed this album, but it didn’t grab me in the same way as Solomon Burke’s style of soul. It feels more composed but a bit lacking in personality. Still some beautiful tunes though!

This was ok. I appreciate world music but this one didn’t do a whole lot for me.

This album was nice easy listening, but I found it a bit boring. Darkness, Darkness was a great start, and Smug was pretty good, but it felt like the energy dropped off after that. Also, totally forgot to give the Imagine cover by Khaled a shout out in my review yesterday, so I’m doing that now…despite my low rating on that album, that cover was sensational!

This one is a mixed bag for me. Perfect Day is a song I’ve loved since Trainspotting times. It’s so good. And Walk on the Wild Side is a classic. I enjoyed a few others too - Vicious, Hangin’ Round, and Goodnight Ladies - but the rest just kinda felt like not a lot of effort was put in. Definitely interesting music though.

Didn’t do a whole lot for me

This probably falls into the ‘most famous albums ever’ category, and for good reason in my opinion. It has so many hits, awesome vocals and drums, and some of the most iconic guitar playing in history. Wish we could’ve experienced his musical evolution over time.

Kinda dig its weirdness, and I like the lead singer’s voice. Makes me think of Anthony and the Johnsons (his voice)

Hmm, this guy kinda sounds like Dave Matthews in a British way. Vibes are great, songs are beautiful. I'm sitting on the beach drinking a mimosa and waiting to see Dave Matthews later tonight so that might be skewing my judgment but great stuff!

Not too shabby. Beatles vibes for sure.

I appreciate the influence this album had on the evolution of rap music but this didn’t necessarily age the greatest for me. Found it to be just an ok listen, it got kind of boring.

Is there a more iconic album than Thriller? This was a childhood favorite, and it has most definitely stood the test of time for me. It doesn’t get more classic 80s than the Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean trio. And Human Nature and Pretty Young Thing are just so good. A lovely moonwalk back in time.

It’s cool, pretty legendary butt rock. Transports me to my Midwestern small town beer tent. That being said, it all kinda sounds the same and I don’t know that I’d ever choose to play this again.

This is an impressive debut by the Van Halen crew. The hits keep coming and the guitar keeps shredding. First half is better than the second, but pretty epic album!

I want to like R&B music more than I do. This is good music to put on during sex, but it didn’t do much for me otherwise. Nothing I disliked about it, it was very technically sound, but also nothing I loved about it. Sexy album cover!

This one is a step above Highway to Hell from two days ago. Feels a little tighter. Though RIP to Bon Scott, so many musicians leave us way too soon. Bonus points for You Shook Me All Night Long. Makes my American thighs want to dance.

The first couple songs weren’t bad. In fact, the first song’s vocals remind me of the lead singer of Los Diablos Blancos (check out their album Golderado if you haven’t heard of them, they rock). But overall, just couldn’t get into it.

Perhaps this would hit different if I had experience driving on the Autobahn. Update 5.20.25: Ok so I was having a really stressful day the day that I got this album last year, and I always felt like I didn't give this the attention it deserved. After getting a different Kraftwerk album today that I really enjoyed, I decided to revisit Autobahn. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Man-Machine, but it still deserves a bump from a 2 to a 3. Pretty cool stuff in here, and so far ahead of its time.

Not always a fan of woeful heartbreak music but I love Lorde’s artful take on it. Her funky beats and beautiful melodies mixed with raw emotions and occasional dance vibes are sad and uplifting at the same time. A delightful journey of sound! She rocks.

It’s got some good grooves.

Love The Cure, but this one is too broody for me. Didn’t have a single song I could say I actually liked, unfortunately.

Super interesting that they were mainly a backing band for famous artists. I found this to be groovy and a pleasant listen. Title track has become pretty iconic over time. The album had me wishing they would’ve experimented with adding vocals, but a good time nonetheless.

To borrow a phrase from my dad and uncle, “That’ll put hair on your chest.” One of those albums that’ll really wake you up in the morning and then send you into a dark and confusing place. I really like NIN, but the older I get, the harder time I have enjoying this kind of dark energy in the music I listen to.

A peaceful easy feeling with a gal and her guitar. I like her croons. Would’ve loved a livelier track or two thrown in, but it was a relaxing listening experience.

Red alert, red alert, it’s a Sunday dance party!

And today is a guy and his guitar, with the occasional harmonica, which I always enjoy. Cool to hear Dylan’s early musings. Really dig his lyrics and the simplicity of the guitar. Love Girl from the North Country!

All the 60s vibes here. Nothing specific really grabbed me, but I dug the album anyway.

Well this is interesting and weird, and kind of fun. Made me feel like I chased a white rabbit down a Scottish rabbit hole. Not necessarily an album I’d ever come back to unless I was tripping on acid, but it gets an extra star for being unapologetically bizarre.

This is just, pretty terrible. If you only wanted to be loved, that last song isn’t helping your cause.

Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up on a Friday morning to Pet Sounds being the album of the day? Love this album so much. Sloop John B makes me emotional with how much I love it, it’s just so great. Their departure from bubble gum surf rock (which is also fun) while still feeling like The Beach Boys is just a delight. Everything is so well composed and thoughtful. A beautiful wall of sound. And it even ends with a train and some dogs, chef’s kiss. Easy 5 for me!

This feels like a warm, cozy blanket. Love Simon and Garfunkel’s comforting, peaceful vibe.

I gave this a triple listen and the more I listened, the more I wanted to be its friend. Blister in the Sun is a classic, and I knew a couple others, but the rest was new and fun to discover. Perfect blend of weird and catchy. Cool bass playing too!

Kendrick is a fantastic rapper. I like m.A.A.d. city and Swimming Pools, and it’s fun to hear Dr. Dre in Compton. Some of the album was hard for me to get into because a lot of the rapping is accompanied by kind of a boring steady beat. That being said though, I appreciate how well crafted and well written this is, and how intentional the storytelling is. It feels like a journey that evolves in kind of a beautiful way. I liked it better on my second listen, which is always a good sign. Except…the “bitches” gets old, we are ladies dammit.

I’m always a mix of cautiously optimistic and mildly wary when I see artists I’ve never heard of pop up. Especially when I see their roots are in the post-punk genre. This album was a pleasant surprise. Such a variety of song compositions, instruments and interesting lyrics. Dug it!

Interesting. I guess I thought I would be semi-familiar with Emerson, Lake & Palmer but apparently not. Maybe you had to be there. The Great Gates of Kiev wasn’t too bad, but overall this was sort of a yikes for me.

I mean, I might call Pablo Picasso an asshole if he was being an asshole. But I get the point, lol. This album is fun, I enjoyed the lyrics. Nothing was particularly moving or catchy, but it was likable nonetheless.

I’m a big word person, and Bob Dylan just writes great lyrics, which really shine in his work. Even with songs that don’t really grab me, I’m a fan of the stories he writes with music. And the harmonica just always does it for me. Lots of great stuff on this one!

Really enjoyed this, she kind of reminds me of a mix of Olivia Newton John and Barbra Streisand, but with her own unique soulful style. Been a big fan of the Preacher Man for eons, but the rest was new to me. Really dug So Much Love and Don’t Forget About Me.

Well this was a delightful surprise. I had no idea what to expect and I was afraid it might venture off into the “too weird” realm, but it was so fresh and enjoyable. A great Sunday Funday soundtrack!

This takes me back to living in my first college apartment, and to the 90s EDM/rave culture. Wacky times! I love Daft Punk, but this album as a whole is a little lacking for me. Some of the tracks feel too repetitive and go on too long (and the album itself is long), but songs like Around the World and Da Funk are classics. I enjoyed it fine, but it’s not nearly as polished and interesting as their later work. Definitely not of the same caliber as Random Access Memories, or even Discovery, but it’s a fun dance party. Get me some glow sticks!

Blondie is so great. This album is perfection. That is all.

Damn, sure would’ve been fun to be at this show. Jerry really rocks and rolls and shreds that piano. His energy is wild. I love it. Feels like his whole soul comes out on stage. Definitely a party!

Second time getting Elliott Smith. This album was a pleasant listening experience, but nothing terribly memorable came from it. I get Garden State soundtrack vibes from his music. Makes me want to cuddle with an emo Zach Braff.

I had a Doors Greatest Hits album once, but most of this was new to me. It grew on me after a few listens. The Doors have a pretty unique sound, and Jim Morrison sings with a lot of soul. I get psychedelic undertones sprinkled into this mostly bluesy rock collection. Enjoyed it a lot!

I’ve never really listened to Pavement, and this was better than I thought it would be. Some funky tunes on here.

There seem to be some conflicting stories of exactly why Syd and Pink Floyd parted ways. Did he really go crazy? Sounds like maybe he just took so much LSD so regularly that he wasn’t a reliable band mate. Hard to say for sure. Creative geniuses are often a little mad. This is a beautifully composed album with poetic lyrics. If he did go mad, he certainly reined it back in for this.

Well this is just lovely. Transports me to a dark, smoky jazz club of that era. It’s so groovy and chill and silky smooth. Love the vibe, and totally dig the sax playing. It’s not something I’d jam out to with the car windows rolled down, but certainly would be a great Sunday morning type listen.

Was excited to wake up to this today! Damn I love this album. It’s such a journey. Fight Test and Do You Realize are such freaking masterpieces they make me cry, and the whole thing is so creative. Lyrics are incredible, musical compositions are unique and beautiful. An exploration of the complex simplicity of universal questions and truths. It’s truly a work of art. Do you realize how lucky we are to be able to experience this music and this life? Sunbeams and starlight, it’s all a mystery. All we have is now.

The first song (Connected) is such a blast from the 90s past. A fun kickoff. This album has a pretty unique sound. Feels like it straddles a line between the 80s and 90s, with a fusion of pop, new wave, and hip hop. It’s fun and bouncy and a good time.

It’s funky and groovy and lustful. I like his voice and soulfulness. Not really something I’d come back to, but it’s good music.

I love how the Beatles evolved over time. This album is such a great example of them becoming more profound, with richer sound, exploring deeper lyrics. I’m ok on their early stuff, but this is where it gets really good to me. The last song is a bit psycho, but somehow they even make a song about raging jealousy catchy. This is an exceptional collection of Beatles tunes.

This isn’t as bad as I thought it might be, but just not my genre.

I like her vibe and energy but don’t really love her voice. It was hard to get past that the more I listened to it. I do like experiencing the 60s through a woman’s lens though.

Ahh, this is more like it. Amnesiac was rough, but this is the Radiohead I know and love. It’s Radiohead, so it does still send me into a mild state of despair, but in the best way possible. It’s passionate and deep and hits me in my feels. Beautiful album from start to finish.

Scooby Snacks! Totally forgot about that song. I feel like this band/album was on the perimeter of my college life, but aside from some band stickers I remember having, and Scooby Snacks, I never actually had a musical relationship or familiarity with them. Now I wish I had! Super groovy stuff, it’s fun and cool with some great raps.

This isn’t the type of music I normally gravitate towards, but this is pretty beautiful. She has such a unique voice, and it feels like her entire soul is coming out of her body in her vocals. The instrumental compositions are really nice too.

I don’t love the sound quality, it sounds too muffled and that’s kind of annoying. Most of the songs are cool enough when they start, but they get pretty chaotic with all the background noise that gets added in. Kind of hurt my ears after awhile. Really liked Some Candy Talking.

Love it! This album is freaking awesome. It’s catchy and broody and dancy and sexy and hopeful and lustful and just all the things. I was familiar with a couple of the songs, but damn, this whole thing is just perfection to me.

This was fine, some good classics on it. Not a lover or hater of Rush, and the same goes for this album.

I wanted to like this, but most of it was either too weird or too boring, and Booming and Zooming was super annoying. Really dug the Under the Boardwalk cover though.

Hats off to you again, Radiohead. Great stuff, and super cool for it to be released as a pay what you want album. Pretty revolutionary for that time!

Really dug this! It’s so soulful and a real journey of ebbing and flowing energy. Feels very intentionally put together. It’s full of both haunting heartache and rockin’ jams. Hero gave total Jimi Hendrix vibes. Beautiful stuff.

This had a fun energy. Weird, but not unlistenably weird. Had some good grooves! The 50s/60s bop vibe was neato in some of the tracks too.

This feels pretty unique and fresh for 1988. It’s the second Sonic Youth album I’ve listened to recently, and I’m right in the middle with them. Quality music and vocals for sure, but nothing totally grabs me and makes me want to love them yet.

This was a tough one. I REALLY liked this album back when it came out. Listened to it a lot. Hearing it today, it’s hard to separate the art from the artist because I really can’t stand him as a person and have made it a point NOT to listen to him anymore. So it was hard to get through from that aspect. But my feelings towards him aside, there are songs on this I still like (there’s something still moving to me about All of the Lights and Runaway in particular). It felt like his peak. Even though he sucks, this album doesn’t and I’m gonna strike a balance and just give it a 3. This one really fucked with me. 😭

What the hell even is this? My ears feel tortured. Easily the worst album I’ve heard in my life.

She has a nice voice and writes pretty songs, but this fell kinda flat for me. Nothing about it was very interesting or moving, almost had a generic feel or something. Can’t quite put my finger on it, it just wasn’t really my thing.

My goodness, this album is just beautiful. So many deeply moving and emotional tracks, and some great rock tunes too. It’s all heart and soul and rock n roll. Loved every second.

This is definitely a vibe and love hearing some African music on this list because I haven’t sought out much world music in my life. Sounds like he was incredibly influential and created his own path (AND music genre). Fun and spunky and hip-shaking. I dig it.

Never heard of these guys. This was a cool chill album. Made me feel floaty.

I really enjoyed this. There were some songs where I wanted them to rock a little harder and belt out the lyrics a little louder, but it still had a good energy. Lots of catchy tunes and overall a super fun listen!

This album is a little odd. Roundabout is a classic, but the rest was new to me. Some of the songs are too long and drawn out and others are weird interludes. It was a boring listen but might be more interesting on drugs.

I’m finding R&B music isn’t really my thing, but this album was solid for the genre. Nice easy listening.

Well this album was quite a lovely surprise. Not knowing of him, I had no idea what to expect, and really got into it. Quite a journey of heartache and love and quirk and even Sigourney. So beautiful in its emotion and its weirdness, I loved it!

This style of broody music doesn’t do a lot for me. It wasn’t bad, just felt kinda flat footed and meh.

This is a pretty creative album and felt very intentional and cohesive. Great raps, good storytellimg, lots of cool hooks. I dug it.

I get a mix of Strokes and Smashing Pumpkins vibes from them. Super fun rock music, but it went on too long. I feel like they could’ve edited this into a one disc album. I was excited about it at first but then got annoyed because it wouldn’t end. Enjoyed their overall sound though.

This was a really fun listen, nice variety and lots of catchy tunes. Enjoyed pretty much every song, what a great find!

Love his voice and groovy style. Great messages about war and society too. It does kind of sound like one big long song though.

This album really starts off at a gallop and doesn’t let up. Super awesome rock and roll, enjoyed it a lot!

This is a solid Jay-Z album. All the guest stars are fun, loved Eminem making an appearance. He is pronouncing himself king, and he wasn’t wrong. Crazy that it came out on 9/11.

I lean towards later era Beatles, but this was a happy, old-timey vibe and the covers were a fun addition.

This album started off so great. Loved the first track and was hoping the rest would follow suit. I still enjoyed its energy and oddness, but nothing quite measured up to that first tune. Still good stuff, and especially love the horns.

I like Beautiful People, but he’s just too over the top for me. We get it, you’re dark and edgy. Feels like he’s trying too hard to play a character, which takes away from the music. Plus it’s just loud and angry, and I don’t relate to this level of ire in my middle aged life.

Great musicianship, and nice “vibe” music, but nothing stood out that I loved. Kinda bored me.

I want to love this because I am all about their message, but it’s delivered through a genre that’s hard for me to get into. I appreciate them raging against the machine and taking a stand though.

Had a couple good grooves, but was just kinda weird.

Super groovy and funky. Love when the guitar talks. I’m a fan.

I love this. I’m a big fan of Louis Armstrong, and it’s clear this Louis was heavily influenced by him. Really fun jazz, this is the New Orleans vibe I am all about. (Sorry, Dr. John)

Beautiful piano playing, but also kind of a snooze fest. Listening to straight piano just isn’t my jam. Appreciate the quality though.

I really like the three-song run of The Walk, Sweet Dreams, and Jennifer. I didn’t love the rest of the album but it was still kind of fun and funky. Totally 80s!

Nice score today. I listened to this album a lot in college and was pleased to find it’s stood the test of time for me. Beck has a quirkiness that I dig, and his songs are unique and fun and rockin. Loved it.

The Eagles are not a band I seek out, but this album is such a staple of classic rock that giving it less than a 4 feels wrong. And I also enjoyed it!

Instrumentation was nice I guess, but I found this boring and aimless.

This one is interesting because I was actually pretty familiar with this album already. I think if I was listening to it for the first time right now, I’d think it was too weird. But I have memories attached to it and enjoyed listening to it when it came out, so it’s fun and nostalgic and I like the weirdness of it. I especially like the songs when the woman is doing the main vocals. Groovy stuff!

This was a pretty cool album. The trippy instrumentals on either end were interesting, with some funkier tracks in between. Felt like a complete journey. The chaos of the last track felt like a great representation of the maddening and violent struggle for equality.

This album absolutely rocks. Muse feels like a must-see live experience if this is the kind of energy they bring to their recorded music. Lots of passion here. Definitely hit me in my feels today. Loved it! (Is it dorky to love this? I don’t care!)

The hits on here are some pretty awesome classics. Metallica rocks it! The non-hits were just so-so for me, but still a super solid album.

I really like the Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde has such a cool voice and the band has a very unique sound. We have Get Close on vinyl, which I love. This is a good one too! Brass in Pocket, Mystery Achievement and Stop Your Sobbing are great standouts.

I love the comforting croons of Paul Simon, this album feels like a warm and soulful hug. His voice is so uniquely him and there’s a nostalgia to his music that draws me into that time period. Me and Julio is a favorite, that song just makes me happy. I’m a fan of this whole thing too!

The music gods have smiled on me this week. Love this album, such an 80s throwback and so many classics that are still as great today as they were then.

I love how this is such a complete album and we’re all invited to the circus. There are so many great tracks, it’s fun and creative and trippy and insightful and just a delightfully good time.

Take all my 5s, album generator! This has been a good run of music, damn. Of course this gets a 5, it’s about as classic as it gets, and for good reason. Zeppelin rocks. Stairway to Heaven is still an absolute treasure, and there are so many other total bangers on here too. It could pretty much be a greatest hits album.

The 5 streak has ended, but this was an ok listening experience. Just kinda chill and vibey. Didn’t really do a lot for me, but it was fine.

Are we at a carnival? Are we on a farm? Are we on a serious acid trip through Brian Wilsonville? I’m confused as to what kind of vibrations I’m picking up, but I’m ok with that. This was strange, that’s for sure. There’s nothing super catchy about most of these songs, but they were interesting and he obviously had a vision of … something. I appreciate the social commentary in Roll Plymouth Rock and I did enjoy a few of the other songs. Definitely creative. Mrs O’Leary’s Cow felt like it could’ve been played during the twister scene in Wizard of Oz. The second listen made me appreciate it more. Torn between a 3 and a 4 bit I’ve been feeling generous lately.

This album is so famous and highly regarded because it really just is that awesome. Beautiful lyrics, unique and creative musical compositions, everything just works pretty perfectly together. Every song on this is great.

This was certainly lively! Lots going on. Appreciate the talent and the emotional chaos of this, but jazz has yet to find a special place in my heart. I could see this being a favorite of jazz fans though.

This album is pretty spectacular. Jim Morrison’s vocals are so smooth and intimate and at times emotionally raw, and the instrumentation is composed and executed really beautifully. Love the keys. It’s a particularly perfect album to vibe out to with a little greenery. I listened to the Doors in college but they haven’t been part of my regular rotation over the years since, so it’s awesome to hear them again after such a long time…loved!

Um, is he dissing thrift shopping? Blasphemy! That aside, I couldn’t really get into this. It felt kind of bland and boring and I’m not surprised I haven’t heard of this group.

Awww yeah, love how much Green Day rocks out against the fuckery of society, while being so catchy too. The lyrics are as relevant now as they were then. So many great songs on here, and as a whole, it’s a very complete feeling rock opera. They are so fun live, and this was also a cool show to see on Broadway :)

“Don't you just love Prince?” Yes, yes I do. I’ve never listened to this whole album before. Love the hits on it, and the others are fun and groovy too, though they take kind of a weird turn and go on a bit too long without any obvious purpose for being so long - feels like a little bit of editing could’ve been done. Regardless, he has a way of making his music sound very effortless and cool and sexy. I enjoyed this a lot. And I love how encouraging he is about letting your freak flag fly. RIP you sexy mother fucker.

This feels whimsical and fresh. More of a vibe than something that hits at my soul, but it was a fun and groovy listen. It started off a little meh but got better as the album went on. Lots of fun samples.

This wasn’t bad, but it was hard to hear a lot of the lyrics and I’m not really a fan of that. Some level adjusting would’ve been nice. I dug some of the sounds, but it was pretty forgettable overall.

This album rocks! Was already a fan of the first two hits, and I found the whole thing very engaging and interesting. It’s fun and dancy and soulful and something I just wanted to keep listening to. Great stuff!

Loved the energy of the first few songs and then it takes a pretty slow turn that gets a little humdrum. I wasn’t sure what I’d think of a full album of Neil Young’s voice, and I liked it better than I thought I would, but the melancholy second half was just kind of a downer.

This was a fine enough listen. Good chill Sunday vibes. Nothing really wowed me, but it was pleasant.

It’s very moving to hear this 33 years after its release, knowing the impact it made on people and on the future of music. Makes me emotional (shocking!) This album is a masterpiece. So many great songs. RIP to Kurt and his beautiful tortured soul.

Post punk continues to not be my thing apparently. This album was annoying. Thankful for its short length though!

This is a cool album. I dig the vibe, and the raps and lyrics were pretty great.

I really like Elton, and this album has such a rich tapestry of instrumentation. Hard not to love.

I dig the lounge act vibe of this. Nothing totally knocked my socks off, but it was a cool album.

I’ve become a fan of Paul Simon through this project but this album was just ok. I’m surprised this one made the list. Cars are Cars and Allergies were particularly silly songs.

I didn’t know Iggy was the first to record China Girl. Cool version of it! I dug this album. It was cool and feels innovative for its time. He has a pretty unique sound.

This was pretty and vibey but started to get annoyingly boring towards the end.

So many iconic songs on this album, and some great messages too. It’s one of those albums that feels like a greatest hits compilation. The interludes are a nice little touch to help with smooth song transitions. Really love this as a whole package!

Never heard of these guys or any of these songs, but this was pretty funky fresh!

As this album progressed, I went on a journey from “What the hell is this?” to “Ok, I kinda dig it, it’s getting better” to “I think I love him.”

Rush just doesn’t give me a rush but this was fine for what it was. Didn’t love it, didn’t dislike it.

I was a big Def Leppard fan in my youth, so their music is nostalgic for me. A few fun hits on here, and definitely love me some Photograph, but overall this just sounds like any other 80s hair band now.

I know some people really connect with this type of music but I am not one of them. This could not be further from my vibe. The lead singer’s over the top vocals sound ridic to me. But at least overall it sounds like music I guess. And the other guy’s vocals are ok sometimes. Or maybe it’s the same guy changing his voice. I don’t know.

It’s pretty cool he decided to bring a small amount of joy to prisoners’ lives by performing for them, and even taking their requests as he played. I’m sure it was a very special experience. Fun show!

I really enjoy Ella Fitzgerald, and this was a very lovely listening experience. She’s pretty awesome. Total Sunday morning soundtrack. In the context of this project and my general attention span however, it’s soooo long. I listened to the whole thing, but it started to feel like a slog. Some really great songs on here though!

The first song felt very fat shamey, which set a weird offensive tone at the start of the album. That song aside, I really enjoyed a lot of the songs on this, especially the last several. It felt interesting and reflective and was pretty catchy too.

Iconic. What a great show and fun throwback to MTV in its prime.

Really impressed by this album. Love the nostalgia in a lot of the songs, and the desire to hold on to their upbringing and culture. There’s something very genuine feeling about it all. Super fun and catchy and lovely.

Maybe my expectations were just way low, but this wasn’t as bad as I was anticipating. Definitely not my genre, but they rock out pretty hard in some of these songs, and it wasn’t as over the top as some of the metal albums I have a hard time even getting through. Lots of serious guitar shredding!

We Will Fall seemed unnecessarily long. I dug the first couple songs and like the instrumentation but overall it felt middle of the road for me.

This starts off with some serious hits! A bangin’ beginning. It’s practically a 5 with just those three songs. It gets deeper and more reflective after the first few tracks, but I really enjoyed the lesser known songs too. Each one takes you on a magical little musical journey. Love!

I’m torn on this one. I love her voice and the drama and beauty she brings to her music. She makes even the slowest songs feel very alive. But a lot of this was so slow that it’s not something I’d choose to listen to very often. She is super cool though.

This album was ok. I didn’t dislike it but it was a little depressing, and not in a way that emotionally moved me.

I was a little confused about what to listen to. The Spotify link was a compilation list, and I found an album on YouTube called This is Fats that was different than the Spotify link…but regardless, totally dig him, and his influence seems to be incredibly far reaching.

Super funky grooves! I’m into it.

As someone with moderate flying anxiety, I appreciate that he made something designed to calm the airport/flying experience. Super cool that it’s known for sort of creating the ambient genre. Not an album I’d crank up in the car on a road trip, but it’s very pretty and soothing for what it’s intended to be.

I really dig the vibe of this. It’s ambient but funky. Great chill music. It’s something I would’ve listened to in college for sure. I’m surprised I didn’t know of this group then.

I’ve listened to this album a couple times recently, and after today’s listen, I have to say…this album RAWKS. So many awesome songs. It’s fun and different and makes my pants want to get up and dance.

They put a lot of heart into their jams. I can put my inner flower child at their show pretty easily, swaying to the psychedelic sounds. That said, I got a little bored with some of the jams too.

This was one of those muffled vocals albums that I struggle with. It was fine, there was nothing I necessarily disliked, but it was mostly forgettable and nothing grabbed me.

Running Up That Hill has become an iconic song, and I liked a couple of the other earlier tracks too, but this got weirder and weirder as the album went on.

I like the vibe of this album. It’s smooth and funky and kinda sexy. It didn’t wow me, but I enjoyed it.

I’ve never explored Black Sabbath beyond their hits. For being in the heavy metal genre, it had a lot more diversity than I expected. I enjoyed it but it was also a little weird.

Didn’t love the last album by them but went into this one with a totally open mind, and again, I just don’t get it. It’s like there’s a fuzz over everything and it kind of ruins the listening experience for me. I want to like them, but ugh.

This was super beautiful…not sure how it was influential since it’s an album of covers, but I enjoyed the Willie croons regardless.

Super fun album! I enjoyed grooving along to it. It’s lively and made me happy to listen to.

It took me until disc 2 to realize he totally reminds me of Neil Diamond, not only in singing style/voice, but Neil also has some super weird songs mixed with more classic Neil jams. It’s almost like a variety show with the range of different tracks. Really enjoyed the backup vocals when they’re present. This grew on me a lot. Kinda love it.

Despite being born into a Jewish doctor’s family in Brooklyn, this man sure seems to have the heart of a cowboy. He apparently had a huge impact on Arlo Guthrie and Bob Dylan, which is pretty neat considering I had no idea who he was. This album is a little strange and the song about bugs made me laugh, but I appreciate the old timey vibe and the creativity. He should leave the yodeling to the Swiss though.

Really enjoyed this, especially the lyrics. It’s not quite of the same caliber as Automatic for the People, it didn’t have the same deeply emotional energy to me, but still great stuff!

The first song is so freaking beautiful 😭 I dug this album overall. It was kind of all over the place, from slow and dreamy pieces to songs they just sort of banged all the instruments to. Felt pretty cohesive despite that, and I liked the emotion of it. Interesting stuff!

This album is fantastic. She is an amazing writer and her voice is truly one of a kind. Love the social and racial messages too.

I enjoyed this. He’s got such a cool and sexy sound and almost an effortless quality to the emotion he evokes. Apparently he was super coked up during these recordings, so maybe that helped.

The emotions run deep in this album, and so do the layers of sound. I kinda love Bruce and the storytelling in his songs. There’s a comforting nostalgia to his style of rock and roll. I dig it!

I’m feeling the Illinoise! Let’s face it, Illinois doesn’t get a lot of love, so the fact that this entire album is inspired by it just warms my little heart all up. I was pretty familiar with the album already thanks to my cousin, and we even saw him live around the time of this album. I’d forgotten how beautiful it is. So many of the songs just keep building into these orchestral feeling masterpieces. There’s kind of a magical quality to it. Love!

I love the concept behind this album, and I feel like he’s successfully blended various world music in a really interesting way. Kind of a little journey around the planet. It didn’t connect with me in a very deep way, but I enjoyed all the different sounds.

This album is pretty rockin. I appreciate their style of rock. Child in Time and Flight of the Rat were my faves. Not something I’d really come back to, but glad I’ve heard it!

Kendrick is such a talented writer and rapper, and this really feels like a complete album and not just a bunch of songs that sort of go together. Love his depth and his creativity.

This was a feel good indie album for a Sunday morning. I didn’t realize these guys have been around for so long. Love the horns, those remind me of Sufjan’s music. It’s a vibe. Listened to it twice in a row, and that was starting to feel like a bit much. Maybe they are best in smaller doses.

This was a really great album. Thoroughly enjoyed! It’s catchy and groovy and cool, and it feels different and fresh for that era.

I didn’t care for this, it was a little too strange for me. I appreciate the conceptual aspect, and it does hang together as a complete creepy forest feeling album, but was ready for it to be over after a couple songs.

This was solidly in the middle for me. Had a cool new wave vibe and it was a pleasant listen, but nothing wowed me and I got a little bored with it.

It was cool to hear Paul’s first solo album and learn the story behind it. I’m sure it was a wild time with the Beatles breaking up. It felt a bit disjointed but it was pretty decent for being so lo-fi.

This got better towards the end, but I found the beginning kind of dull.

This album was pretty great. I love her voice and her energy and the music is cool and creative.

The first half of this was pretty cool and funky. Then things went super ambient, which I didn’t mind, but it felt like two different albums. Sounds like he was really going through it at the time with trying to get sober, and this was sort of a mish mash of his experimentations in the face of all that. Cool grooves overall!

If this album was just disc 1, it would be an easy 4. Then disc 2 fell more into 3 territory. The Apple Jams of disc 3 really went off the rails to a 2. Just had McCartney’s first solo album, and now Harrison’s. It’s really interesting to hear their individual musical styles coming off such massive Beatles superstardom.

I love hearing old timey country through a woman’s lens. She’s pretty great. Her songs have a fun energy and totally dig her voice. This has a comforting nostalgic vibe, despite all the drunkenness, cheating and heartache.

This album was a pleasant surprise. Never heard of these guys and I was intrigued when I saw Paul Oakenfold had a part in this production. I assumed it would be more heavily electronica than it was. I enjoyed the funky grooves. Great vibes!

This was interesting and quirky. I enjoyed the uniqueness. Fave songs were the first couple and the last. Some of the other tracks sort of blended together and sounded very similar, but overall, cool and chill.

Well this was quite nostalgic. This was the first “official” album I ever owned on cassette tape and I was so damn proud of this thing, lol. Was fun to hear the lesser known songs again. It’s probably been almost 35 years. Wowza. Lots of classics on here, but aside from the tried and true, it’s not THAT outstanding of an album. It still has plenty of the typical hair band sound. Want to give it a 5 just because of my connection to it, but musically I gotta knock it down a star.

I’ve never wanted to listen to an album less, but I am committed to this project. Kid Rock is a POS, but in a quest to separate the art from the artist as much as I can, this does have some catchy tunes on it. Definitely remember a lot of them from back in the day. However, there’s also a lot of gross misogyny and it’s just generally over the top. It started making me angry as it went on, especially towards the end. And if I have to keep my car windows rolled up while driving because I’m too embarrassed to be listening to someone, that’s also problematic. Fuck Off, Kid.

This was pretty great. I enjoyed the depth of the lyrics and a couple killer classics on here too. I continue to swoon for the harmonica.

This is a pretty special album. Great year too. It’s fresh and funky and even some of the songs that start off “just ok” have fun little surprises to them as the songs go on. There were a few songs in the middle that didn’t draw me in as much, but super solid overall. Love the Talking Heads!

Karma Chameleon is such an 80s staple, and I was hoping this album would just knock my slouchy socks off. My socks stayed in tact, but it was still catchy and fun and got better on the second listen.

Wow, Elvis’s first album. Pretty cool to hear where it all began for him! I enjoyed this, it was a fun blend of rock and ballads. What a time it must have been when this type of music hit the mainstream. And while it sucks that it took a white man to make the music of black artists so popular at the time, I appreciate that he acknowledged their influence and didn’t actually consider himself king. Thanks for rocking and rolling, Elvis!

He was really going through it. I hate that he had a childhood that messed him up so badly, but he made some pretty kickass music from his trauma. These songs are deeply emotional and angry, and the anger is kind of beautiful. A lot of the songs sound pretty similar and almost formulaic, but I really like how they’re composed. A little more variety would’ve been cool though, and I needed a break after a first listen. I like a lot of the songs individually, but listening to the whole album at once got pretty depressing. It’s a heavy one. RIP to another tortured soul.

This show is so incredible it brought tears to my eyes. His energy is big and bright and infectious, and his songs are just fun. Amazing voice and sounds too. Loved it all! Easy 5!

This is some of the better 70s punk I’ve heard. These Australians are pretty rockin!

Super confused about what to listen to here. Bowie and Iggy both have versions they mixed? Then there’s a four disc version with a live version of the album and then some other rando songs? I went with the Iggy version for my review. Anyway, it was pretty good. Had some rockin grooves. Nothing super wowed me, but it was cool enough. Kind of forgettable though.

Damn, this was really great. Love the funky beats and lyrics and storytelling. I’m a sucker for samples, and I love how they weave them in so seamlessly. I dig the chill and positive vibe of it too. Super impressed by this!

I appreciate the message in their lyrics, and this album grew on me as it went on. It rocked pretty hard. Post punk has been one of my lowest rated genres to date, but this might actually be my favorite album so far in that category. That’s not really saying much, but it wasn’t bad!

I liked this album a lot. There’s something about old country that’s comforting and nostalgic, even though I don’t have specific memories associated with it. His voice was soothing, and the music was just really nice to listen to.

Wow, what a great freaking album. Really dig the lead singer’s voice and the emotion and passion she injects into these songs. It felt very deep and genuine. I had no prior knowledge of this band, which always makes me a little wary, so it was a wonderful surprise to enjoy it so much. Love the blend of rocking out hard and soulful ballads. Gives me all the feels!

This starts off with some hits! I like The Cars, they have a super classic vibe but with a sound that still feels unique to them. Moving in Stereo is my fave on here, but lots of great tunes. Super solid album from start to finish. Quite a debut!

I know his lyrics can be ridic, but I’m an Eminem fan. He’s such a talented rapper and I love that he doesn’t give a fuck. I don’t like this album as much as The Eminem Show though. It doesn’t have the same lighthearted catchy vibes that kind of soften the problematic things he sings about. This one feels a lot darker.

I love Bob Marley. He sings of deep cultural experiences and his reggae is perfect for campfires, weed and straight chillin. He has a calming effect on my human spirit, and he really is pure Jamaica. Thanks for the great tunes, Bob.

This was fine, but it kind of bored me.

I dig some older honky tonk, as I’ve discovered through this project, but this album didn’t do a lot for me. Feels like it’s missing the soulfulness of a Waylon or a Willie or a Loretta. It felt a little generic to me compared to the legends. It was perfectly pleasant and had a decent energy, but something was missing.

This album is effing awesome! Totally 80s, totally Cyndi, and totally perfect. Every song pretty much kicks ass. Love love love.

The Beatles have a lot of masterpieces, and this is definitely one of them. It’s obviously iconic and for good reason. They were close to the end, and this is such a great example of how they evolved as a band and as people over the course of their time together. It feels like a culmination of their journey from bubble gum boy band to trippy acid hippies to this more mature and sophisticated sound. It’s deep and emotional, and musically, it’s pretty damn amazing.

I guess maybe I don’t like The Cure as much as I thought. The hits on this are great, and I enjoyed some of the earlier songs, but this felt like it got worse as it went on. I dunno. The songs are long and drawn out and all start to sound the same. It’s ok.

This was a fun chill vibe. I liked it!

This is a great show. Big fan of the hits, especially the closer. I wasn’t super wowed by the rest but still super solid. He can play a guitar.

This was a good debut album. Some fun tracks in here, feels very 60s, even got a Beatles vibe here and there.

Well this was fun and interesting. Feels pretty creative and innovative for its time. I like the psychedelic aspect, it adds a lot of character without being over the top. And I do hear Bob Dylan in him. Good stuff!

I had higher hopes for this. There is far stronger Talking Heads music. Almost feels like abstract art.

This is very original. I like the world music aspect, and just the overall variety and creativity. There’s a lot of talent in these compositions, and I love that Sinead is in the first song. I especially liked Ungodly Kingdom too.

I love this so much. Crazy Diamond is just perfect and beautiful. The whole album is a work of art and makes me cry. Pink Floyd is timeless, and there is really nobody else like them.

This was super 80s and super fun.

Well. At least that’s out of the way.

One of my college roommates had this album, and after listening today, I’m assuming it was just on repeat in our apartment because I know the whole thing pretty well. It’s chill and slow, but has a lot of beauty and emotion in its pace. Also feels different and cool for that time. I enjoyed it!

I know I’m generalizing here, but was the post-punk movement basically an excuse to just make a bunch of weird noise and call it music? I consistently feel this way about post-punk albums in this project. And this is Nick Cave?? I gave his last album a 5, and this was a wildly different experience. Yuck.

This feels very avant garde and also like the soundtrack to an overly dramatic musical. Not that either is necessarily a bad thing. But this was pretty tough to listen to, and I will definitely never make the choice to listen again.

I like New Order’s vibe. Nothing super duper grabbed me on this particular album, but it was a fun and groovin’ listen.

This album was rockin…becoming quite a Pixies fan through this project. Didn’t love this one as much as Doolittle but still super solid.

This was a cool album. I love the variety of instruments and types of songs too. I gravitate more towards the dancy ones, they are super fun, but the slow songs are unique and interesting too. Overall pretty great!

This was super fun! It was catchy and rockin’ and I was already singing along to some of the songs on first listen. Great vibes, really liked it.

This was a little bit of a hot mess in my opinion. It’s still Jimi Hendrix, and he’s still a cool cat, but if felt too chaotic to really get into.

I kinda dug the garage rockin’ vibes of this one. They don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, which makes it more fun. However, they do seem to be confused about their relationship with the derrière. Are we rendezvousing with it or rocking against it? Either way, this was better than I expected!

This was some cool African jamming. I liked the second song a lot. Overall, I got a little bored with it, but it was super chill good vibes.

I recognize some of these songs, kind of a blast from the past. The album is really beautiful and complex … deep and rich. It’s also super chill and dreamy. Feels like something you could really get lost in. Kinda loved it.

Ok this is better than the Marshall Mathers LP. He’s still totally inappropriate and misogynistic, but it’s less angry/dark and just way more likable and lighthearted. Also like the early Dr. Dre appearances, and the overall creativity. Can’t help it, I’m a stan.

I really liked the classic rock blended with old country vibes of this. Great road trip music!

Not really sure how to categorize this music, but it was both chill and rockin’ and I dug it!

Neil Young has a voice that can get a bit grating after awhile, but overall, I thought this was pretty good. A few quality classics on here, and gotta love the harmonica. Though I like Dylan’s harmonica sounds a little better. Super chill vibes. The one song I really didn’t care for was A Man Needs a Maid.

Ugh, I really don’t like this type of music. Even if it has deeper meaning in the lyrics and decent instrumentation, I can’t get past the loud noise and yelling. I do appreciate the few tracks that were more tribal and not metal. The things this project is doing to my Spotify algorithm, lol. Can we be done with nu metal now?

This is easily my favorite Bowie album so far in this project. Love the musical compositions and lyrics and emotions. I like that the piano is featured in a lot of it, and the layers it adds. Just a quality album overall, and feels very David Bowie!

This is SO 80s. Definitely makes me want to dance. Do or Die felt like running through a happy video game. I didn’t care for a few of the songs, but it was overall a pretty fun time!

I love Dre and Snoop together. I know there are misogynistic lyrics, but this is just such a well done, storytelling kind of album, and there’s more depth than just bitches and hoes. And being openly horny was very fashionable in the 90s anyway. Nuthin But a G Thang is such a party. The $20 Sack Pyramid is hilarious. This album is pretty epic. I’m a fan!

This album is excellent. The queen of soul definitely brings the soul. The whole thing is pretty flawless. Easy 5!

This was interesting and pretty. Nothing I’d listen to again, but I appreciate the talent and creativity.

I can never quite decide how I feel about Coldplay. I want to feel the emotion he’s feeling but can’t quite get there, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because his voice isn’t my favorite, maybe there’s just something that feels too manufactured about it. It’s fine music, it just doesn’t hit my soul like I want it to. I do like Yellow a lot, and Shiver was a nice surprise. Overall don’t love it though.

This had some cool sounds, the trumpet is great, and I like how it’s mixed, but jazz continues to bore me. And because of the electronic influence, it almost feels like a more boring form of jazz.

This was quality Elton. The first couple are solid classics and I also really liked Indian Sunset and Holiday Inn. Didn’t quite reach 5 territory, but I love learning more of his lesser known works. So much talent between him and his lyricist.

This is a great reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. So many of these lyrics could’ve been written today. Love the depth and everything he’s standing up for. The problems he describes in society are very on point. I like all the real sound bites he uses from the news and such too. And this is Michael Franti, wow! Had no idea about his earlier career. I’ve never heard of this before. It felt a little lacking musically, but the lyrics were really the star here.

Loved this. So much fun energy and hard to find any flaws. Just a boppin’ great time!

Wow. The sounds in this are so rich it almost feels decadent. It’s creative and sexy and just super freaking cool. Love love love.

A couple of the earlier tracks were tolerable, and this wasn’t awful overall. It had some interesting variety and creativity, but it’s not my thing.

This album started off great! First track was a banger, Heroes is a total classic, and I mostly enjoyed the first half of the album. But what the hell with a few of the second half songs. It came back around with the final track, but he really wandered off into a weird, ambient forest after V-2 Schneider in a way that felt totally disconnected from the rest of the album.

This was pretty creative, but also kind of weird. Goes a little too much into the experimental world for me. There wasn't anything I felt I could really grab onto, and some of it was just too noisy.

This album is incredibly nostalgic for me, and I haven't listened to it in a really long time. At some point in my 20s, Pink Floyd started to feel like a downer. I haven't avoided them, but I haven't sought them out all that much in the last twenty years. Revisiting The Wall now, it is an absolute freaking masterpiece. The narrative is dark, but it has an incredibly rich tapestry of sound, and it's such an intentionally crafted storybook. I could not get enough of listening to this today, and I loved that it was long because I didn't want it to end. On top of all that, any album that gives me chills and makes me cry multiple times is an easy 5! Also, watch their Live in Berlin 1990 show if you somehow haven't like me before today, played at the site of the recently demolished Berlin Wall, with so many awesome guest stars. Bonkers and mind blowing.

Really like While You See a Chance, such a good message that gives me the warm and fuzzies. The rest of the album was pleasant enough, and it's impressive he played all the instruments, but nothing really measured up to the first track. I did like Slowdown-Sundown. Hits tend to be hits for a reason, and that stands true with this one. But it was a nice listen!

What's not to love about Abba? This is just feel good music that makes me smile. Obviously Dancing Queen and Fernando are iconic, and Happy Hawaii was my favorite surprise on the album. When I Kissed the Teacher lyrics were cringe, but whatevs, it was the 70s and she had a crush on her teacher, and the song is super fun.

Never heard of these guys. This was a cool enough album, it feels very of its time. Street Worm and Morning Will Come were particularly rockin' tunes. I dug it.

This album was super funky and cool. I love the variety of instrumentation. Really like The Cisco Kid, Where Was You At, The World is a Ghetto, Beetles in the Bog. City, Country, City was a fun enough jam session, but that one went on too long for my taste. Overall really quality music.

This is such quintessential 70s psychedelic rock. Sunshine of Your Love is a solid classic, and Tales of Brave Ulysses and Take it Back (that harmonica, man) are my favorite tracks on here. Curious about what they were on when they wrote Mother's Lament, lol. Love the overall vibes and how the album transports me into an era of history I didn't experience, but can totally feel through the music.

I like the super chill vibes of this, feels a lot like Portishead, and they even share one of the same samples. That being said, I don't have the same memories/nostalgia attached to this as I do to Portishead, and I did get a little bored with the pace of things. My favorites were the two faster songs, Black Street and Brand New You're Retro, because the tempo was more interesting to me. Suffocated Love was pretty good too, and overall I enjoyed the sexy coolness of the whole thing.

This really lacked any kind of personality for me. Felt like underwhelming, bland garage rock. And I could barely understand any of the lyrics. Not a fan.

So much tragedy that befell Jeff and his bio dad Tim. This album is beautiful, and it feels like it could've been the beginning of an incredible music career. He plays and sings with a lot of heart and soul. His voice is captivating, and his Hallelujah cover is pretty mind-blowing.

Love me some Dave Grohl and the Foo Fiighters. Just a cool, grungy rock and roll album with some great hits on it. Fave song I didn’t know well was Floaty.

This was cooler than I was expecting. Nice chill vibes and interesting sounds. Really liked Moonshake.

This was a really pretty album, nice Sunday morning listening.

This sounds like the same song on repeat. And why are the songs so long. Tough one to get through.

My favorite part of this album was his Amazing Grace cover at the end of That's All Right. I wish he would've done that as a separate song instead of at the end of a song I didn't really care for. Overall, it was fine, but I'm not sure I'm much of a Rod Stewart fan. I don't love his voice. I like (Find A) Reason to Believe, not a huge fan of Maggie May. I'm definitely failing to understand how he had the highest attended concert in all of human history. It wasn't an unpleasant album, it was just kind of average to me.

I would really enjoy this at a jazz club in Cuba.

Love the energy! Their music is pretty infectious. Take Me Out has been a fave tune of mine for a long time and I was vaguely familiar with a couple others, but the album as a whole was new to me. They really rock it out from start to finish.

Sexy and cool, I like his voice and his vibe but it all kinda sounded the same.

This would be fine music to fall asleep to. That being said, this was boring and made me sleepy.

I guess his thing is that he samples stuff, which I am all for, but he doesn’t do it very well. His samples are just way too repetitive.

The Kinks have a kooky fun vibe, and I dig their sound and their energy. Appreciate the conceptual aspect, though it made it feel a little more like a storybook than a music album. Good times though!

I didn't know anything about this band or Richey Edwards before today. He was going through a next level tortured existence. The story of his disappearance is pretty wild. While suicide by drowning is the most obvious and probable outcome, I like to think he disappeared into obscurity and somehow escaped his demons. As far as the album goes, I didn't really know what to expect, but it was actually pretty good. The political topics and mental health themes were solid (though I couldn’t really understand the lyrics so I followed along with some of them on the app), and it wasn't over the top musically. I liked how they started some of the songs with different snippets to set up the theme of each track too. Not too shabby at all!

Whoa. I was JUST having a conversation about her with a friend yesterday, and this album popped up today. Kinda wild! Anyway, my main memory from Suzanne Vega from the 80s is the Luka song (and its video that used to play a lot on Friday Night Videos). I felt so sad for Luka on the second floor. So I always associated her with sadness and this album fit right in with that melancholy vibe. She has a pretty voice and the songs were cool enough, but nothing was very catchy and it was a lot of spoken word. It’s not something I would listen to again because it’s kind of a downer.

This is a funky fresh dance party! And sampling that's actually done well. It's a shame it's not on Spotify because I'd like to add a few of these tracks to my playlists. Stop This Crazy Thing was my favorite.

Wow, this album is really damn good. So many interesting change ups, and the layers of instrumentation and vocals make for such a rich sound. It has great energy and diversity in sound too. Love the saxophone! I've never dug into Paul's solo work so wasn't entirely sure what to expect outside of the hits, but this whole thing was pretty spectacular to me. New-to-me songs I especially loved are Mrs Vandebilt and Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five.

This was a fun listen, lots of good rock songs.

I kinda love the country / punk rock fusion and also how obviously British they are. Totally dig the fiddle too. Though a bit strange and a little messy and chaotic at times, it all just works somehow. I’m a fan!

I've heard so many great things about this album, so was very excited to see it pop up today! It has kind of a magical quality to it, I think in part because of his soothing silky voice, and also the almost ethereal way the songs are composed. It's also a really nice blend of beautiful love songs, musings on life, and important racial and political issues. Stevie is one of a kind.

I love all the hits on this album, and the rest of it was pretty interesting too. It's kind of broody and introspective, but with totally radical, totally 80s new wave vibes. Had a great time listening, it's aged like a fine wine!

This album is rockin! I was hopeful when I saw it was British glam rock, and it did not disappoint. Great energy, a lot of super catchy, rock ‘n roll jams, and seemingly heartfelt emotions. This whole thing feels like a story about the rise and fall of love and sex and relationships. So that was an interesting thread throughout it too. I was familiar with I Believe in a Thing Called Love, which is a great song, but the rest was new to me. Really enjoyed this!

This started off as quintessential 70s easy listening, but there was a lot of variety in style as the album went on. It's impressive he pretty much recorded all of this himself. He's incredibly talented, and I like his voice and his vibe. The little behind the scenes moments were kind of cute too. As a double album without a unifying central concept, it does feel long and drags a bit though, and I found myself getting pretty bored in a lot of places.

I'm not sure what it is about this album I don't care for. Despite there being several hits on here, the whole thing just feels kind of boring and uninspired to me. Even the hits are kinda meh. Sharp Dressed Man is ok, and I kind of liked I Got the Six. Otherwise, this is a pass for me.

I love Fleetwood Mac. There’s something so comforting about them. I didn’t know most of the songs on this album, and it probably isn’t top-tier Fleetwood Mac, but they can kind of do no wrong in my eyes. It was all very beautiful to me. I love Stevie’s voice so much, and Christine and Lindsey have incredible vocals too. They are such a special and absolutely one of a kind band.

Frank Sinatra has a gorgeous voice and the songs are beautifully composed. This was good Sunday morning music, but nothing really grabbed me and made me want more. A nice listen but probably won’t return to it.

Tighten Up and Howlin' for You have been regulars on my personal playlists for so long that I'm almost tired of them at this point, lol. I really liked the Black Keys when they arrived on the scene, I dug their unique sound and catchy beats. I'm a little more so-so on them now, I feel like I've somehow outgrown them a little. This is still a solid album though. Everlasting Light and The Only One are my two faves on here. It does all start to sound a bit samesy as it goes on, and some of the slower songs where he's talking more than singing get a bit dry, but it was an enjoyable listen overall!

This is the kind of chaos that feels appropriate for Election Day. This is messy and raw and weird, but I'm not mad at it. I like how hard she rocks.

Not sure how I'd feel about this album on any other day, but today sucks. And this album wasn’t my vibe. It wasn’t horrible though.

This was … interesting. Some of it was just really weird, but then songs like Wowie Zowie and Anyway the Wind Blows were fun. Go Cry on Somebody Else's shoulder was funny with the sock hop vibe. Trouble Every Day sadly hits home still today. Help, I'm a Rock and It Can't Happen Here were way bizarre. As was the last track, which also felt unnecessarily long so they could fill up the end of the record, but probably they were just enjoying jamming and being weird. Is cream cheese a metaphor for something that also involves an orgy in the jungle? The album intrigued me enough to give it a full second listen once I got a feel for what it was all about. Its weirdness did grow on me a bit.

She sings with pretty much every fiber of her being. Such a soulful rock star. Love the hits on this so much. The rest didn’t draw me in QUITE as much as I was hoping for, but it was still great.

This is the first full RS album I think I’ve ever listened to. I really liked all the instruments in it, but the vocals were kind of weird to me. It was hard to understand a lot of them and they got kinda lost sometimes. The first half of the album was super solid, the second half had a “is this over yet?” vibe. Stuck between a 3 and 4.

Lots of emotion here, it's pretty but also kind of depressing. This isn't something I'd ever put on unless I just wanted to feel sad. And even then, I'm sure there are plenty of sad albums I'd enjoy more. If I'd found just one song to add to my playlist, I might give it a 3, but I didn't.

U2 has a sound that's all their own. This doesn't feel like it came out of the 80s. Really loved it...deep, impactful lyrics, emotional vocals, rockin' instruments. It hit me in my feels. Enjoyed every song.

I like this, it's such an old-timey vibe, and would be great music for a hipster retro Sunday mimosa brunch party. Frank has a beautiful voice, and I like the band too, but this just isn't music I can relate to very much. It feels so far away in time. There's no edge to it. There's no commentary on society. It’s lacking depth and emotion. It's almost too perfect and happy. So while I appreciate the vibe and the vocals and the sounds, there's a disconnect that's hard to get past.

Wow. This album was really powerful and beautiful. So many layers of sound and emotion. I was so-so on her last album, but this one kind of knocked my socks off. I got very immersed in the soul of it. I like how a lot of the tracks built as they went on. The first and last tracks were my faves, but so many great ones in between too.

Love their sound! They would be so fun to see live. The blend of rock and country, Irish and Scottish...it all just works. And there's something about Irish music that makes me feel warm and fuzzy in general. There are so many great songs, hard to pick a favorite. Meet Me at the Station is awesome. World Party is super fun. The Stolen Child is really beautiful. LOVE the sax in You in the Sky. Easy 5 for me.

Love this album so much! I was familiar with a lot of it, but if I've heard the whole thing at some point, it's been a very long time. Anyway, Andre and Big Boi are both awesome, and they jive so well together. This album is creative and catchy and diverse in sound and topics and feels like such a complete piece of art. Bombs Over Baghdad has been one of fave songs for years. Special shout-out to the Kim & Cookie Interlude, cracks me up. So much talent in these guys!! There should be a special category for albums that are 6/5.

This was ok. Not bad, but a lot of bitches and hoes with less meaningful songs to balance that out. And I could’ve done without the sex SFX, especially at the end of the reggae song, which I rather liked until the end. Also hard to listen to those sounds knowing how much Puffy was involved in this album. Anyway. There’s a reason I’m west side apparently. Give me Tupac!

This immediately made me want to turn it off. But nevertheless, I persisted. It's violent and ridiculous and I cannot relate to this level of anger and rage. Me no likey.

This album is super fun. Lots of guitar shredding. Love Jump and its intro, and there are a few other rockin’ classics on here too. The non-hits kinda lost me, but overall it was a good time.

It's hard to imagine being forced to flee your home and start a new life. It's amazing they channeled their story into something beautiful and positive and continued to spread the sounds of their roots. Kinda dig the Mali blues!

I thought this would feel darker based on the description, but it's actually super pretty and chill despite its theme.

I liked the old school punk of all this, and especially loved the sax. The added layer of sound brought some fun and funk. Recording quality isn't great, but overall I quite enjoyed this!

This album was nice and chill but also confusing. It didn't seem to have a concept or direction, and overall, it just felt too restrained. And it was kind of a snooze fest. And what the heck with that ending.

This was really great. I love his voice and vibe.

I like xx’s earlier album (xx) much better than this one. This one feels like one big relationship drama broken out into individual songs. The songs are pretty and well composed, but just kinda feels over the top and sappy and like a lot of the same thing over and over.

Feeling middle of the road with this one. It was fun and fine.

This album was pretty familiar to me, apparently I listened to it plenty at some point! I really like it, it has its own unique spin on electronic music. A lot of fun and interesting sounds they play with, and good lyrics too. Had a great time listening again.

Dangit, I had a whole rather long review written out that didn't save. Sigh. The summary: this was bizarre but I kind of liked it. The end.

This album is pretty flawless, aside from the unfortunate Mother song. What the hell is that? Feels very out of place, but the rest makes up for it. King of Pain is one of my favorite songs ever. So many other great hits (including the stalker song!) and non-hits on here too. Love love love.

This was pretty cool listening. I was vibing with it.

This was pretty great. Not sure which songs are covers and which are originals but she does them all well and lots of fun old hits!

My hearing is starting to decline a tad as I age, and this felt like it amplified that muffled feeling I get sometimes. And that was very distracting and made this music hard to get into. Also just didn’t like it that much.

Usually an album of mostly covers gets a little extra scrutiny in the context of this project, but this is pretty incredible. It’s just so good and he really makes these songs his own while feeling like he’s honoring and celebrating each one. The collaborations with other singers is super special too. Love it so much.

So many classics on this, plus Springsteen's butt! What's not to love? I’m a sucker for his Americana rock ‘n roll.

If the contents of a garbage truck formed a band and decided only the least talented among them would get to play and sing, this is what I imagine it would sound like. I suppose it could always be worse, but yikes.

This was ok. Kinda liked the vibe when it started, but nothing really grabbed me and it felt largely forgettable.

I wanted to like this more, and listened to it multiple times in hopes of that happening. But it just kinda sounds like the same thing over and over, without any particularly catchy tunes. It’s still New Order, and I like their sound and their vibe, but wasn’t grabbed by anything.

I guess the universe wanted me to have a good cry today. This is an alternative rock masterpiece. It's filled with emotion and absolute banger songs. Mayonaise is my #1 on this, though Disarm is a very close second. And Geek U.S.A. holds a special place in my heart as part of a glorious Greatest Hits compilation once created on cassette tape. I've been adjacent to a certain someone's Smashing Pumpkins obsession my whole adult life, which has also made me a pretty big fan. A lot of nostalgia here for me too. Saw them live 25ish years ago, and then again this past summer. They still rock it hard! And this album is their crowning jewel.

This was very pretty and had a warm and comforting vibe.

I liked the lyrics but overall, this didn’t wow me as much as I was hoping for.

This isn't my favorite of theirs. It's a little too slow and experimental for me at times, but they do create some pretty magical soundscapes and there's an ethereal quality to it. I really like Idioteque, it's a standout for sure. Also really dig the horns in The National Anthem.

Really dug this album! Funky fresh beats, and they don't feel like anyone else out there. They've made their own sound that's very LCD Soundsystem. Love their blend of rock and electronic, with emotional and thoughtful lyrics too.

I imagine this is what hitting rock bottom sounds like musically, so I guess if that's what the concept was, kudos. But this was almost unlistenable to me.

Almost a year in, and this is my first Costello album, I was wondering when the onslaught would start! This wasn't bad, but there was a blandness to it that's hard to define. There wasn't anything musically wrong with it really, it just didn't evoke anything in me. It feels too "professional" or something, like music you'd hear at a corporate event.

This is super rockin...I dig his music style. It took a minute to appreciate and then got better and better with each listen. I'm Shakin' is a party! Apparently that's a cover. Love all the piano in the album. Adds a unique touch to all the rock and roll. Fun lyrics too. Great stuff!

I really liked this. Great lyrics, great raps, great beats. I was groovin.

It’s hard to pinpoint a genre for this. It’s dreamy and folksy and bluesy and a little trippy. The blend of sounds works really well, and I very much enjoyed listening. He’s a little mumbly at times, but that kind of adds to the dreaminess of it. Also like how he lets a lot of the songs breathe at the end. It all felt like a warm bath for my ears.

Some of the songs on this felt a little too restrained to me, especially the first few. It did get better as it went on, and I do really love The Weight (was lucky enough to see Mavis Staples and Dave Matthews perform it together earlier this year). I'm familiar with wildly different versions of Long Black Veil and This Wheel's on Fire (Ab Fab, anyone?), versions I prefer over the ones on here, but they were still good in their own right. Also liked Chest Fever.

This felt like pretty standard 60s fare. Nothing really grabbed me and made me love it. It was enjoyable enough in an average sort of way though.

Detroit Rock City is a banger. Apparently I'm so clueless about Kiss though that I didn't even realize they sang Beth, lol. The juxtaposition between the "hardcore" God of Thunder and the more ballady Great Expectations right after it cracked me up. These guys don't take themselves too seriously, right? They are over the top with their "edgy" image but their music just feels like poppy rock and roll. Anyway, it was fine.

This album is far too nostalgic for me to give it anything but a 5. I listened to this cassette SO MUCH as a kid, and if I had to pick my #1 favorite song from childhood, it would most definitely be Pour Some Sugar On Me. I was obsessed. I definitely listened to side one more than side two, based on my familiarity with each side, lol. Really bringing back all the memories listening to this. Also, it totally rocks!

I was familiar with a few of Blur's hits but never explored them beyond that. This album was super fun, enjoyed it a lot. It didn’t feel totally cohesive but it was great energy.

I really liked the diversity in these songs and especially enjoyed the instrumentation. Lots of super pretty sounds from horns and violin and even some flute action. I don’t love the lead singer’s voice though and that kind of made the whole thing feel a little too fluffy and soft for me.

This was long and felt like the same jam over and over and over. And over. With some trippy stuff about space sprinkled about. Not terribly impressed with this show overall. A little too noisy and samesy.

I really liked Arcade Fire when they first got popular and am pretty familiar with this album. I liked their indie/anti-establishment vibes. They're a bit on the emo side for me now, but this is still a solid album, and it was cool to listen to it again after so long. They have a unique sound and I dig it.

This was so chill it made me sleepy. Also his voice is SO gravelly in this album.

Gawd. ANOTHER album of all covers?? Jk, this was a great Christmas album. Love the song selection and how each group or singer put their own spin on the tracks they did, while all still hanging together as a cohesive holiday delight. A fun Christmas surprise!

There was nothing offensive about this, and it was relatively pleasant to my ears, but I just can’t relate to being an old-timey cowboy.

Well. I'm pretty torn on this album. Huge fan of the hits on it, especially Sledgehammer, and Red Rain and Don't Give Up are pretty ok lesser known tracks. But I really didn't like a few of them, and that brought this down a notch for me. The songs I do like are special enough to keep this at a 4 for me though.

This was a cool punk album, and I enjoyed the first run through. I wanted to give it a second listen but my heart wasn’t in it after a few songs. Just kinda blended together. So while I appreciated it for its genre, I wouldn’t come back to it.

This is so groovy and silky and sexy. I really love their lyrics too, and there’s a lot of cool layers in their sound. And the blending of hip-hop and reggae and electronic chill vibes (and more!) is pretty awesome. It all felt very creative and unique. So great!

I liked this! Total 70s vibes and great energy while having that chill Steely Dan feel. Dug the song compositions and instrumentation too. The St. Louis Toodle-Oo was a fun departure from the rest of the album.

I like the vibe, but it’s a LOT of jazz. Hard to get super into it because there’s a lot of jamming and not a lot of catchy beats. Totally appreciate the talent though. If I was a big jazz fan, I’m sure this would be really great.

Two days in a row of live jazz. Wasn’t excited about that when I saw this album, but I actually really enjoyed this. So chill and smooth and you could feel the emotion in the songs. It hasn’t converted me to a big jazz fan yet, but it was quite good!

Apparently the universe thinks our group needs a lot of jazz in the new year! Three days, three jazz albums. I actually recognized the song Take Five, and the first track sounded semi-familiar too. I enjoyed it fine overall. In general, jazz is more of a vibe to me than something I can really fully absorb though. It doesn't move my soul the way I'd like. I have a hard time actively listening to it, although when I do, it CAN be very pleasant and lovely. This album kind of transports you back in time and space, it's easy to imagine being in a dark smoky jazz club in that era. Which is pretty cool. But can we rock out again here soon?

This feels like pretty revolutionary sound for that era. Amy was doing something different and creating her own style. Some of this does feel a tad over dramatic for my taste, but she's in her feels, and that's all good by me. While there weren't any songs I really grabbed onto and loved, this had good energy, good vocals and good musical compositions. Fave song was Amy, Amy, Amy. She's a vibe.

This album was weird and confusing. It went from soft instrumental rock to music you’d hear while getting a massage, and then it moved to rocking out (sorta) in German. Didn’t feel cohesive and it was also pretty boring.

I really liked this. There’s something beautifully raw in the first half or so of the album and what seems like a lot of complicated emotions in a complicated relationship. Enjoyed the politically themed songs too, and the song compositions were all cool and unique. Favorites were Family Snapshot, And Through the Wire, and Games Without Frontiers.

These guys feel like Metallica and Ozzy blended together. A lot of it sounds the same to me, and kind of meh. The guitar rocking is cool though. And I do like Rooster and Would?, those were big hits back in the day and still fun listens. Overall, it was fine and a solid 3, but not a band I'll explore more, unless of course they come up in the project again!

This drags a little at times, but I really dig their vibe. I'm getting a more chill version of Pulp from them (and it's no secret I'm now a big Pulp fan), even though they're not British. Interesting that they're American, but they were more popular in the UK than the US. Maybe the Brits got the Pulp vibe from them too. Anyway, love the creative and introspective lyrics, love his voice, the horns are really great, and this is just a comforting and warm kind of album to wrap up in. It did end on a rather depressing note, although I really liked that song in general. Also, this is album 365 for our group! Made it a whole year already, it's been quite a ride!

Madonna is a queen. The major hits (Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish) are all pretty damn perfect works of art. I didn't have this album growing up, and this is the first time I've listened to the whole thing. I loved it all from start to finish. She sings about very real emotions and situations and weaves in great messages too (about falling in love, what to expect from a relationship, the pain of heartbreak, complicated family dynamics, the comfort of family, etc). The songs flow really well as a complete album, and there are so many different, fun and creative compositions. Some of my other favorite songs were Till Death Do Us Part, Oh Father, Love Song, and Keep it Together. Promise to Try is really beautiful too Easy 5!

So much great energy! I had no idea whose song Mannish Boy was, now I do. And did they base the Babysitting Blues from Adventures in Babysitting on that riff? I don't know if blues is typically my thing, I've never dug into the genre much, but I really loved this album. It overflows with heart and soul, has great lyrics and vocals, and the band totally rocks! What's not to love about this? Hearing him live would've been so fun. Also, special shoutout to the Crosseyed Cat lyrics, and to this lyric from Bus Driver: "He used to give her rides in the daytime, now she gives him rides at night."

I guess I thought I didn’t like Jethro Tull, but maybe I do. Really enjoyed this. The songs were big and interesting, it felt like a rock opera. And the themes of religion and homelessness had a lot of depth and meaning. The whole thing just felt very relevant to the human experience, and they rocked it out the whole time.

I didn't dislike this, the songs were interesting, but nothing particularly grabbed me and it was kind of depressing. Not something I'd return to again.

All I wanna do is have some fun too, Sheryl. Love the opening track, and it sets the tone for a solid debut album. I enjoyed this a lot. Obviously several of these songs were hits in the 90s, and it was cool to hear the whole album from start to finish. Never listened to it before. It was a good blend of fun and introspection. I dug her heartfelt lyrics and the emotion in her songs. I Shall Believe is a particularly beautiful and emotional one. The Na-Na Song is my favorite ‘new to me’ song. Great stuff!

I have a deep appreciation for Radiohead, but I don't love everything they do. This one was middle of the road. I like the emotion and the themes in the album, but a lot of the songs felt kind of flat and boring. Their experimentation is always interesting, but this one didn't really hit the mark for me.

Well. I guess I'm an Alice Cooper fan now too. This is a super fun and thoughtfully crafted collection of songs. There's a lot of cool and interesting things happening. Blue Turk is quirky and feels like it's out of a spy movie. Big fan of Gutter Cat vs. The Jets too. Because cats. And because the song is also super cool. Love how he rocks out and how the guitar shreds in My Stars. Public Animal #9 is boppy and catchy and rockin. Alma Mater and Grande Finale both felt like the ending to the album. I guess he decided to do a lyrical finale and an instrumental one. Cool by me, I vibed with them both! Loved how big and dramatic Grande Finale was, and chef's kiss to the POW closure. School's Out (the song) is kind of played out, but I have a better appreciation for it now in the context of the album. This was a great time!

This one was weird for me. I've never seen this movie, and obviously the album was primarily created to set the tone and background for Shaft. Not having the context of the movie felt like I was missing part of the whole picture. That aside, this is cool vibes and good music. But it gets a bit long and boring on its own, and the 20 minute song was pretty grueling. The lack of lyrics in most of the songs really does make a lot of them feel like a movie score rather than music simply for music's sake. When I heard his voice in the first song, all I could initially hear was Chef from South Park, lol. I do love his voice! Wish there was more of it in the album. Ultimately, not really sure why this one is on the list.

This is pretty funky and groovy. Long instrumental songs can be a lot to digest, but they mix the sound up enough that the lengths are tolerable. However, coming off of a long Shaft soundtrack yesterday is making me a tad less tolerant. Need to compartmentalize here though! Really liked the funk of Chameleon, it was my fave of the album. The wooden flute in Watermelon Man is cool too, and I can get down with the piano jams in Sly. Vein Melter got slow and I was kinda over it at that point. Overall, I dig the vibe and the jams, but this isn't really the type of music that moves my soul.

More instrumental jazz music. yay. They are obviously talented musicians, and it's so old-timey that it really takes you back to a totally different era. So that's neat. I want to FEEL jazz more though, I want it to move me and shake me and bop me. And for some reason, most of it just doesn't. I appreciate the vibes here, but it continues to feel like music I might put on in the background of a hipster happy hour, and not something that works its way into my soul.

This was very avant-garde and too weird for my listening palate. I did like that the last song actually had a beat and also what sounded like meowing cats. The rest of it, no thanks.

This is quintessential new wave 80s for sure. Lots of good bops here, especially What Have I Done to Deserve This, It’s a Sin, and Heart. I enjoyed the album and it’s probably a 3.5 for me, but not sure it quite reaches 4 territory. I really like their sound and there are a lot of interesting lyrics, but the diversity from song to song is a little lacking. I feel like once you’ve heard a few of these, you kind of know what to expect from the rest. Still a good time though!

This is so super silky smooth. She has a very warm and sensual voice, and the music feels almost like it envelops you, and it's something I found myself getting a little lost in even. Favorites were Smooth Operator, Hang on to Your Love, and Cherry Pie.

I really love Cat/Yusuf and his exploration of life and love and meaning and death. He has a very calming effect on me, and I admire the emotion and wisdom he sings with. The instrumentation really adds more layers to the feelings he evokes too. Especially love the piano and violin in Sad Lisa and the violin again in Into White. Wild World is a classic and a great song, and my fave 'new to me' songs were Miles from Nowhere and Father and Son. This was really beautiful from start to finish. While his life is certainly not free of controversy, and I'm mildly confused at where his spiritual journey led him, he somehow makes it feel like it will be perfectly ok to float away someday after this journey is done.

This is a pretty great album. Lots of classic hits (Movin' Out being my fave), and I really enjoyed most of the songs I was unfamiliar with too. Only song that was kinda meh to me was Get It Right the First Time. Lots of creative instrumentation and good variety of sounds. Just super solid stuff from a legend! I'm at a 4.5, but I'm gonna bump this one up. 0.5 bonus for the month and year of its release.

I enjoyed this. Listened a few times, and it grew on me more with each listen. It felt a bit disjointed, but it was cool to hear some early Neil Young and Stephen Stills. Their story of finding each other in an L.A. traffic jam, forming the band, and performing live five days later is pretty neat. Broken Arrow is a great classic, and Mr. Soul is a fun rock tune. I also especially liked the lounge vibes of Everydays, the dreaminess of Expecting to Fly and the funk of Good Time Boy. Even though it didn't feel terribly cohesive, the variety was interesting!

There are some really great songs on here. Into the Mystic is such a beautiful tune and I’ve always been a big fan of Moondance too. However, in listening to a whole album of Van, I found myself growing tired of his voice. So while I like pretty much all the songs individually, I didn’t love them all collectively.

This album is rockin! Loved the emotion and the songs are super catchy and make me want to dance. Just really fun Welsh rock and roll.

They sound so much like Lenny Kravitz to me, but this album actually came out a year before Lenny’s first one. So kudos to them for this unique version of rock and roll. It’s an interesting style. There’s some serious guitar rocking going on and some big drums too, but then the vocals are more friendly/poppy than edgy rock and roll. But hey, it’s kind of their own thing and it works for them. Cult of Personality is a great hit, and there are a lot of other fun tunes on here too.

Live Irish rock the week I leave for Ireland, let's go! Perhaps I'm a little biased based on the timing, but I thought this was pretty awesome. I knew very little about Thin Lizzy before this, including that they're Irish. I know this is all spliced together and not one specific show, but I especially love how they transition from Cowboy Song into The Boys are Back in Town. Sounds like they liked it too, and started ACTUALLY doing that at their shows after this. Some other faves were Jailbreak, Southbound and Dancing in the Moonlight. Warrior had total Jimi Hendrix vibes. So much energy in this whole thing. I'm sad Whiskey in the Jar isn't on here, but this was a rockin' good time regardless. It's interesting how much controversy there is about how much or little this is overdubbed. I guess I really don't care that much if the finished product is a quality piece of art.

I'm all for political commentary in music, but this whole thing just felt like a mess. It's noisy and weird and lacks structure and general pleasantness. And framing your album around dissing another band feels kind of immature. Isn't making money a hopeful part of any profession, including creating art? Does that mean it's the "only" part? Anyway, I'm not going to pretend to know all of the Beatles' motivations for Sgt. Pepper, but it's a beautiful piece of art compared to whatever this is. And if you're going to make fun of hippies (which I'm not necessarily opposed to, even as a hippie at heart), then make better music than them.

This was really interesting and creative. I've heard of these guys, but knew very little about them until today. I was expecting hard screamy music and was happy that wasn't the case! As a mega fan of the Trainspotting soundtrack, I was excited to hear Trainspotting on here. I also really liked Burning Wheel and Motorhead, and loved the message in Star. Most of this is a little slower and spacier than I usually go for, but it really grew on me because of all the cool sounds to get lost in.

This album is pretty rockin! Only reviewing the first nine songs (ending with Whiskey Woman) per the original album track listing. Sounds like this was compared to the Rolling Stones at the time, and there are obvious similarities. And Evil Hearted Ada has very Elvis vibes. Love the overall energy and the blend of blues and rock. I'm surprised I've never heard of these guys, they're pretty great. Really enjoyed this!

Dig their sound and energy on this! Mansize Rooster is a total jam. And Alright is such a classic from the Clueless soundtrack, I didn't know that was Supergrass. This was a hard one not to love. Made me want to rock out and dance.

This album is very polished...super tight musicianship and his vocals carry a lot of emotion. Sounds like he's been a pretty big jerk in his past, but trying to look past that. I think in the early aughts, the emotion in his music would've moved me more than it does today. It just feels very much of that time period. Not taking away from the talent here, but not sure this is so much my thing anymore.

As fate would have it, I was on holiday in Glasgow (where Donovan is from) when this was my album of the day! I didn't have a chance to listen until I returned from my travels, but given I also had Thin Lizzy and Primal Scream in the few days leading up to my trip to Ireland and Scotland, this serendipitously completed a trifecta, which is pretty darn neat. That being said, I really like the two big hits on here and also liked The Trip, but while pleasant enough, the rest was a bit slow and boring to me. He has a unique and creative sound though.

Damn, that harmonica makes me swoon. And I'm a sucker for any song about a llama. Really loved how sentimental most of this was. It felt very Americana, in a lovely way, not a 'Merica way. Except Welfare Mothers, that was a weird song and not sure exactly what he was getting at there. This borders on 4, but not sure I'm quite there with it.

This was a nice listen. Super chill vibes. I like P'ing in the Wind, Disillusion and Say it Again. The variety in sound was creative and refreshing, and I'm impressed he wrote, produced, and did a lot of the instrumentation on this. Quality production overall!

I liked this a lot better than Ritual de lo Habitual. It felt more raw and genuine and was good solid rock music.

I was already pretty familiar with this album. Really great hits on here! There aren’t any songs I dislike, I feel like this is all quite well done. Their high notes get a tad grating after awhile, but I’m a fan regardless!

Big fan of Queen here, but not of this album. It had some rockin' moments, but mostly I was just bored with it and it was often too noisy for me. A lot of big sounds, but lacking in good hooks. Not surprised there are no hits from this. Appreciate this anyway though! I mean, it's Queen.

The songs on here are really pretty and heartfelt, but the melancholy of it all is kind of depressing. I don’t know that I’d ever listen to this again.

Ah, Fiona’s debut, brings back memories! I love how a lot of the songs start slow and simple, and then the layers build into a big emotional energy even as the pace stays similar. Criminal and Shadowboxer are standout hits, and Never is a Promise is a favorite on here too. Just really beautiful music, I love her.

Prince's voice is almost like its own instrument. He brought such a cool factor to whatever he touched, and this album really highlights the range of what he was capable of. It's funky, it's jazzy, it's soulful, it's poppy. It's emotional, it's fun, it's sexy, it's reflective. There were a few songs that didn't really grab me, but as a whole album, this is a pretty special piece of art.

I like his voice and the simplicity of what he's doing and also appreciate the layers he builds into the tracks. It grew on me a little as the album went on, and I found the later songs to be more palatable than the earlier part of the album. I do prefer songs about death and sadness to be a tad more upbeat though. I'd have to be in a rather dark emotional state to want to listen to this again.

Allrighty then.

It's pretty interesting this was created almost entirely of vinyl samples. And although it's not original music, he seems to have tinkered with it enough to make it his own, and rearranging and building music like this is a creative art and impressive endeavor in itself. That being said, this was mostly just chill mood vibes, and it didn't super resonate with me on a deeper level. Enjoyed listening though!

Are you ready for a revolution? It’s time to get hot! What a lovely Friday surprise. This album feels like such a party as it addresses serious topics. So groovy and funky and hip hoppy. This was a lot of fun. I can see why it won a Grammy! Discoveries like this are why I love this project so much.

This was some solid classic Beach Boys. But I thought I would love it more.

This album gives me Meatloaf vibes. He really brings the drama and I have no idea what he’s singing about half the time. But I love Meatloaf for that, and I kinda loved this too. I guess it’s all a dream and that’s why it’s so strange? I like the first four songs best. Would be a 5 if the rest hadn’t fallen off a little after that. Another great discovery!

Oh jazz, I long to love you. Every time we get a super famous jazz musician, I'm hoping THIS will be the one that makes me fall hard for the genre. But alas, despite the obvious talent, this just sounds like a long jam session that doesn't really take me anywhere special. It's cool and chill and good Monday vibes though.

So I've apparently never paid attention to the lyrics of Brown Sugar before. They seem...problematic, to say the least. But that aside, this is a solid Stones album. I enjoyed almost every song.

Beautiful Day is one of my favorite songs and the perfect track to start an album and a day with! This is really front-loaded with the four best songs in my opinion, but the rest is pretty damn good too. The more times I listened, the more songs I loved. It's interesting to see how songwriting evolves as artists age and gain new and different perspectives on life. U2 is just an outstanding band who showed how powerful they still were 20 years after their first album. Can't believe this is now 25 years old!

This album feels more like an immersive soundscape, rather than intentionally composed "songs." Which presents the philosophical question, What IS a song? Anyway. It sounds like something they'd play at the Van Gogh (or other such artist) experience. It's pretty interesting to hear early experimentation into what was possible with electronic sounds though, and I appreciate their contributions to the genre! It was pleasant enough, but this isn't an album I'd probably return to, unless I was in one of those salt baths you can float in or something.

This wasn't so much my thing. He's a talented rapper, but it all sounded kinda samesy, and it felt really long. I appreciate the topics he addresses (minus the misogyny), but the music compositions just didn't hold my interest. Side note, loved Ice Cube in Boyz in the Hood, which came out a year after this album. They carry very similar themes!

Didn’t really like this. They sound like a lot of other bands in this genre/era. I thought this could be interesting based on the concept, but it was really just dark and kind of annoying.

This is pretty perfect Sunday morning music. A couple cool covers on here - Help and Reason to Believe. I thought they did a nice job making those songs their own. There’s nothing ground breakingly deep here, lots of simple love lyrics, and it’s VERY 70s, but it was a nice refresher after such a dark album yesterday. And there IS depth and complexity in the instrumental compositions, more than I expected. Enjoyed this a lot!

These feel more like stories than songs. I'm really not familiar with Joni Mitchell's music, so I wish I had listened to an earlier album first to get a better idea of how her music evolved to this. She has a pretty voice and is a good storyteller, but as music, nothing really resonated with me. I did do a good amount of reading on her today since she seems like someone I should know more about. Her story and career are absolutely impressive, and she was an incredible influence on so many other artists. I'm gonna assume there's more Joni in this project, so maybe some of her other work will make me a fan. This was almost a 2 for me, but it didn't annoy me in the way that most of the 2s I dole out do.

This album is super fun. It's a nice mix of celebrating their music and themselves, addressing societal/cultural issues, and even honoring women (and also Stevie Wonder)! All in a funky fresh, totally early 80s way, and every song sounded different. Great listen!

I'm a big fan of Supertramp's hits, so I was excited to hear a whole album of theirs, especially one with lesser known songs. I enjoyed it! Their lyrics are great, and the instrumentation and compositions were creative and fun.

Ah, another 'separate the art from the artist' kinda day. Not a fan of the human, but this was a solid album. Also glad that his I Shot the Sheriff cover helped Bob Marley gain the international recognition he absolutely deserved. Love me some Marley! The Hand Jive cover on this was pretty interesting too. Let it Grow was my favorite 'new to me' song.

This is pretty low-fi garage heartbreak rock. Their Wiki page compares them to bands like Guided by Voices, which I didn't pick up on until I read that. But now I can definitely hear it! Anyway, this wasn't terrible. I jived with it here and there and I thought the lyrics were pretty well done, but it's probably not a new favorite band. I was definitely ready to be done by the end of the second listen. Favorite song was Flood, the closer. I liked how screamy it was.

I thought this was a pretty quality album. Lots of great rockin going on!

This album is quite lovely, and it’s really sad how mired in tragedy it is. Dig the Brazilian lounge vibes.

Seeing that this was performed with the SFSO, it seemed like it could be pretty damn cool. And it was! I loved all the rich epic sounds the symphony added. It made the thrash metal way more pleasing to my ears. This feels like it needs to be big and loud to appreciate, so I was glad to WFH today so I could immerse myself in it. Always love to hear the crowd singing on a live album too. The length was kind of a lot, but can't really fault that on a live album. Good stuff, Metallica!

If music was a raincloud, it would be this album. I'd be interested to hear it the way she wanted it, with drums and more guitar. It sucks she didn't want strings and flute, but the producer added them anyway. I generally like the sound of those instruments, but that wasn't her vision, and they didn't help make this any better. It's very drab and a bit of a downer. Even Nico didn't like it! It's also just her singing other people's songs, and her voice isn't even that great. This wasn't my thing.

This album definitely has a "cool" factor to it as he commentates on society and black culture. The songs are creative and well composed, and he's super talented. The guest collaborators add a lot of interesting layers to his storytelling too. Overall, I thought this was super solid!

I've known of G. Love & Special Sauce for a long time, but I've never sought them out to see what they're all about. I kind of recognized Cold Beverage, but all else was new. Cool vibes for sure, but it's mildly annoying when it sounds too sloppy. It sometimes gives an air of not trying very hard. Not hating on it though, it was still fun.

I'm a big fan of I'm Your Man so was excited to get Leonard again. This one feels like a stripped down version of that. I love his voice and his drama, and I like when the backing vocals come in. Overall though, this album is a little too simple, and I don't really know what he's singing about. Diamonds in the Mine was the standout song for me, and Sing Another Song got pretty interesting as it went on. Despite not loving this, I like his style and he still makes me swoon.

Obviously a 5! This album was so unique and fucking awesome when it first came out, and it has aged like a fine wine. Alanis kicks ass.

I'm forever surprised how many musicians I didn't realize are from the UK lol. These guys have always felt so classic American rock to me. The Wiki page describes them as a hard rock group, and I also don't get those vibes. Anyway, lots of classics on here and this was a great debut. I was not expecting to like this so much. So groovy and rockin' and just pretty special. These guys are super talented. Don't Let Me Down is my fave on here, but really enjoyed the whole thing.