649
Albums Rated
3.74
Average Rating
60%
Complete
440 albums remaining
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1970s
Favorite Decade
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Top Origin
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
186
5-Star Albums
14
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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Ratings by genre
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Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Stab/Buster & Glen | 5 | 2.03 | +2.97 |
| L'Eau Rouge | 5 | 2.32 | +2.68 |
| Opus Dei | 5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
| Moss Side Story | 5 | 2.53 | +2.47 |
| OK | 5 | 2.57 | +2.43 |
| Devotional Songs | 5 | 2.58 | +2.42 |
| Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche | 5 | 2.61 | +2.39 |
| Medúlla | 5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
| Roots | 5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
| Tarkus | 5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is This It | 1 | 3.82 | -2.82 |
| Brothers In Arms | 1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
| Exile On Main Street | 1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
| Parachutes | 1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
| Sound of Silver | 1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
| My Aim Is True | 1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
| This Year's Model | 1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
| 461 Ocean Boulevard | 1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
| Imperial Bedroom | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| Rattlesnakes | 1 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 5 | 4.8 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.75 |
| Tom Waits | 4 | 4.75 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.75 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| Queen | 3 | 5 |
| Beatles | 3 | 5 |
| Joni Mitchell | 3 | 5 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 5 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Kinks | 3 | 4.67 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.67 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 2 | 5 |
| King Crimson | 2 | 5 |
| Michael Jackson | 2 | 5 |
| Björk | 2 | 5 |
| Jane's Addiction | 2 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Marvin Gaye | 2 | 5 |
| Funkadelic | 2 | 5 |
| Fiona Apple | 2 | 5 |
| Massive Attack | 2 | 5 |
| Hole | 2 | 5 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 5 |
| Depeche Mode | 2 | 5 |
| Yes | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 5 |
| Sonic Youth | 4 | 4.25 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.33 |
| Brian Eno | 3 | 4.33 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 2 | 1 |
| LCD Soundsystem | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Divine Comedy | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Beta Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5 | 2.2 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Metallica | 4, 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (186)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The The
2/5
I’ve always wondered what The The sounded like since I saw a cassette on someone’s shelf at a Halloween Party my sister took me to when I was a kid.
It’s fine. Kinda quirky new wave. I don’t quite see what’s so special about it that nearly every review is 5 stars though. I give it a high 2.
5 likes
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
This is way less abrasive than their first album but also somewhat less distinctive. Still good solid, chill post-punk.
2 likes
4/5
Masterful composition and production but mostly bs lyrics with the occasional clever line and Liam’s arrogance shines through every moment. So anyway… here’s “Wonderwall”.
1 likes
Jane Weaver
3/5
Nothing about this strikes me as radically original, but I enjoy it. Good songwriting and sense of harmony. I got bored though.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (14)
All Ratings
AC/DC
3/5
I feel the same about the music as I did when I first heard it 25 years ago. It’s fun, stupid hard rock. As I’ve matured, however, I’ve gone from finding the lyrics amusing to largely distasteful.
Queens of the Stone Age
5/5
One of my favorite albums of all time. I don’t think I’ve gone 6 months without listening to it in the past 24 years. Loved it just as much this time as I did when I first heard it in the year 2000.
Talking Heads
4/5
I’m familiar with the Talking Heads but hadn’t heard this one before. It’s full of fun grooves, inventive riffs and provocative lyrics. Trails off a bit in the middle but picks up steam again towards the end. Will definitely come back to this one.
LCD Soundsystem
1/5
“It’s not getting better, man. It’s just getting old.”
Oasis
2/5
It’s fine, I guess. I really didn’t feel anything listening to this. Not even nostalgia, even though I owned it on cassette and listened to it at least several times back in the day.
Coldplay
1/5
Not as bad as I expected. If it weren’t for the vocals it might even be good.
Meat Loaf
3/5
It’s fun jut a bit too musical theater for me. Amazing vocal performances though.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
This is great. The whole gynecologist gimmick is definitely cringe, but it’s only a small part of it. Beats and rhymes are fantastic!
Public Enemy
4/5
Relentless and powerful to the point of exhaustion.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
There’s a reason it’s called “Layla and other… songs.” Besides the title track, the other tunes aren’t very memorable. Still not bad for white blues rock. Duane Allman’s slide guitars and the vocal harmonies are highlights.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Better than I expected for mod-ish retro Brit rock. Some clever songwriting and didn’t overstay its welcome.
Prince
4/5
It’s not my favorite Prince album but it may be the most Prince of all Prince albums.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Pretty solid moody country rock. About what I expected from what I’d heard of Neil Young before. I can see why Pearl Jam liked it so much.
Cream
4/5
It’s kinda wild how every album from 1967 sounds pretty much exactly the same. Only knowing the hits, I hadn’t realized how similar most of Disraeli Gears sounds to Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Sgt. Pepper, Her Majesty’s Satanic Request, etc.
Like everyone really seemed to be on the exact same acid trip that year.
Also “Tales of Brave Ulysses” remains an absolute banger!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Cool, gritty bluegrass rock. Most of the songs don’t really stand out to me, though. “Bad Moon Rising” is still a banger, though. And I hadn’t heard “Sinister Purpose” before which is awesome.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Absolutely wonderful record!
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
This is actually very cool nerdy experimental post-punk!
King Crimson
5/5
Majestic af
Janis Joplin
5/5
This album is everything my 6th grade Social Studies teacher raved about. Janis’s voice is powerfully soulful, the songs are dynamic and heavy. Great stuff!
ABBA
3/5
It’s super fun. The ballads are a bit too broadway for me but the bops really bop. And actually even the ballads have some cool instrumentation. It’s like new wave with the goth/punk melancholy stripped out of it.
Travis
2/5
This album isn’t as bad as I expected. Quite milquetoast, but has some kinda interesting harmonic stuff and the singer’s voice isn’t unpleasant. There’s a delicacy to some of the arrangements that’s actually quite nice and would have been totally lost on me as a kid. Some tracks are awful cheesefests though. Some really inane lyrics and song titles too. “The Last Laugh of the Laughter”? Gimme a break. Just found out this Travis album was produced by Nigel Godrich which explains most of what I like about it! There’s def elements of it reminiscent (ahem, derivative) of Radiohead.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Their vocal harmonization is pretty and the musicianship is strong, and some of the darker songs are kind of cool, such as “Katy Dear”. Others like “Knoxville Girl” are really messed up. I was a bit bored by the repetitive melodies, but there’s definitely a mood here.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
It really is that good. Can’t help but smile listening to songs like “As”. But it’s also really long. Some parts have also been ruined for me by being featured in commercials. “Isn’t She Lovely” being the most palpable example. Still a total masterpiece of a record.
The Cure
4/5
I hadn’t heard this one before. It’s sparser and sketchier than their later work with which I’m more familiar, lacking the lush production and consummate songwriting of Disintegration and the like. But I still thoroughly enjoyed it in its raw airy simplicity and melancholy, with some definite bangers in “A Forest” and “M”.
Beck
2/5
This record is kinda pretty but mostly sad and boring. I generally dig sad, but not when it’s boring. “Paper Tigers” is a cool track, though. I believe that was the single.
Supergrass
2/5
I find this album… mildly obnoxious. The jam at the end of “Sofa of My Lethargy” is kinda nice though.
Sonic Youth
3/5
This album is alright. I dig some of the tunes. But I definitely didn’t need a double album of Sonic Youth. To be fair the original album isn’t all that long for a double.
Boards of Canada
3/5
Not unpleasant but a bit tedious to pay full attention to. Fine as background music. “Telephasic Workshop” “Roygbiv” and “Turquoise Hexagon Sun” are highlights.
Sabu
4/5
This has great energy, as if a community celebration is happening rather than merely a performance. The musicianship is at a high level, and it is a lot of fun!
Michael Jackson
5/5
Regardless of what you believe about MJ, Thriller is generally tremendous by virtue of the hits alone. There were two songs I hadn’t heard before “Baby Be Mine” and “The Lady in My Life”. They’re certainly not highlights but are okay. “The Girl is Mine” has always been pretty stupid though.
Foo Fighters
4/5
It’s not my favorite Foo Fighters album, but I still enjoy listening to a lot of the songs and Grohl makes a solid one man band. The ghost of Cobain looms large here. As far as lyrics, Grohl has admitted a lot of his are nonsense and it really feels that way on this record especially. Also it kinda trails off in the second half. I’d probably like it less if it weren’t for nostalgia.
Nirvana
5/5
This album is just as beautiful and compelling as it was 30 years ago. The arrangements are so delicate and supple. His voice is just dripping with understated emotional resonance. It reveals their songs as what they really are, not just aggressive paroxysms of angst, but tortured folk songs wrought by generations of trauma and exhalation. When I was like 13, I met a conspiracy theorist who thought the cia killed Kurt after the unplugged performance, because he revealed that his music was more than just loud, aggressive, angst and he was about to lead his listeners to something more socially conscious and truly revolutionary. That’s probably not actually true, but I feel like there’s some grain of truth in the idea, especially given how rage and rebellion would become so completely commodified and intensified in the ensuing half decade.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I was immediately turned of by the chord progression and sound of his voice on “Badlands” but I kinda dig “Adam Raised a Cain”. Everything after that I didn’t care for.
Tears For Fears
4/5
This is peak 80s. The hits are wonderful but the rest of the songs don’t really stand out.
The Darkness
2/5
Largely derivative cock rock. The singer’s constant falsetto is impressive but (maybe not unintentionally) comical and obnoxious.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
The first half of this is an extended jam session on a single musical theme that is pleasant enough but only moderately held my attention. I’m sure it seemed epic to tripping hippies in 1969 who had not yet experienced the great prog epics to come. The rest is also pretty noodley and unmemorable. The guitar and bass tones are great though.
David Bowie
5/5
This is my fourth favorite Bowie record from his “Berlin” period between 1976 and 1979 (I count Iggy Pop’s The Idiot and Lust for Life among them.) An excellent record in any case.
Elton John
5/5
This album rules way more than I expected! Besides the just masterful songcraft, there’s an edge, like an underlying seething anger that only barely bubbles to the surface. I also feel like Chris Cornell listened the hell out of this record.
The Stooges
4/5
I think I listened to this too late in life to be fully affected by it. But I still feel the energy of it and dig some of the songs.
Common
4/5
Extremely cool beats, smooth flow, thoughtful lyrics, and a relentless momentum throughout. I enjoyed this one thoroughly.
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
Interesting beats and flow, though a bit repetitive at times and grows abrasive after awhile.
Björk
5/5
This Bjork album is tremendous. The arrangements are made up of mostly vocal sounds though not quite entirely a cappella. Reminds me of the group Mycale that did a fully a cappella John Zorn record, but with an edge provided by the harsher tones of Mike Patton, Rahzel, and the Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagac. First rate mouth sounds all around. Enchanting and beautiful from the first note, this is a gem of a record.
The Shamen
2/5
It’s like hip-hop infused electronic dance pop. Extremely early 90s sounding. I guess the progenitor of a lot of stuff of the time that sounded the same. I don’t hate it but would not choose to listen to it on my own. Though ironically I probably like it more now than I would have if I had heard it in the 90s despite how dated it sounds.
Air
2/5
Pleasant but a bit too innocuous for my taste.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
This is pleasant enough but I don’t quite see what’s so remarkable about it.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Another Springsteen record. This one a collection of earnest, heartfelt blue collar americana ballads. There’s a definite mood to the record that you can sink into. I prefer it to most of his boisterous arena rock. “State Trooper” is a highlight. It may be even more effective with a bottle of whiskey. But I’d rather listen to Mark Lanegan for that sort of thing.
Parliament
5/5
A funky good time like only P-Funk can bring. This one is a bit more gimmicky and not quite at the level of artistry of Maggot Brain but is still brilliant and irresistibly fun. The lyrics of “Handcuffs” are pretty cringe though and the talky bits take me out of it a bit.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
Beautiful a cappella compositions infusing traditional call and response with barber shop and doo-wop. This is exactly the kind of record for which this list was made. I probably never would have listened to it otherwise but am very glad I did!
Scott Walker
4/5
I enjoy Walker’s ultra-horny ballads.
Holger Czukay
4/5
Deliciously eccentric
5/5
I’d never really listened to The Kinks before and had mixed expectations because they influenced a lot of bands I love but also a lot of bands I don’t care for. As it turns out I find this album delightful. It has an intellectual streak that sets it apart from other similar offerings of the time, similarly to Talking Heads vs the rest of the classic punk scene. The irreverent satire and social commentary is top notch.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Pleasant enough with good playing.
John Cale
2/5
Put me to sleep.
The White Stripes
3/5
I appreciate some of the songcraft and the sonic inventiveness of the guitar tone, but there’s something about this music that I just can’t connect with. Is it the lack of bass? Jack White’s personality? The dumb simplicity of the riffs? The fact that it’s yet another White guy playing the blues? Whatever it is, I’ll never love the White Stripes the way so many people seem to.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyed the Biggie album. But I don’t quite connect with him as much as I do 2Pac, Wu Tang, and some others of the era. Just a little bit too much macho swagger for me. Still undeniably great stuff.
Though the track “fuck me” reveals some refreshing self-awareness about all that. Hilarious!
T. Rex
5/5
This T. Rex album brings me utter joy. It’s like if Bowie didn’t take himself quite so seriously.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
It’s impossible to listen to this music and not smile. Absolutely wonderful. I was surprised at the Africana elements at the end but that too was a cool additional element to this deep soul experience.
Nirvana
5/5
I’ve completely played this record out for myself several times in my life. But it’s still awesome.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Interesting proto-industrial. A bit repetitive though. I think some of their later stuff is better.
Madonna
5/5
Pop perfection! Yet personal and challenging.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I was surprised this one was on here, despite the wide-ranging influence of “Kashmir” on subsequent rock music. I played Zep’s catalog out for myself in high school and never had much desire to revisit it over the past 20+ years. That said, I enjoyed this more than I expected. “The Rover”, for instance, is an absolute banger. Definitely didn’t need to be 2 discs, though. Several tracks could have been way shorter or left out entirely. There’s only so much Robert Plant I can take in one installment. Disc one is way better than disc 2.
The Doors
3/5
I was a big Doors fan at around 13/14 years old but soon after grew tired of them, particularly this album. Listening to it now is oddly nostalgic. It’s not bad, but still feels immature musically and lyrically. Still rocked out to “Soul Kitchen” and “Crystal Ship” though. Other tunes did not age as well, particularly “Back Door Man”.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I generally don’t care for the Rolling Stones, but find this album particularly uninspired and distasteful. White dudes doing a Ledbelly impersonation while strutting around and horndogging over black women (I guess, reading the lyrics closely, self-awarely?). “Moonlight Mile” is the only sonically interesting track for me.
Ray Charles
4/5
Not quite what I expected from one of the progenitors of rock and roll. Besides “Let The Good Times Roll” this is mostly Charles as a crooner, which isn’t a bad thing. I especially enjoyed the string-accompanied second half of the record.
Paul Simon
3/5
Inoffensive but didn’t really grab my attention other than a couple of songs. “Armistice Day” and “Peace Like a River” were highlights.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I had written them off as just another hipster band back in the day, but there’s actually something too them, a lightness and joi de vivre that’s infectious.
M.I.A.
4/5
Really enjoying that M.I.A album. Such a cool, dynamic combination of elements. The songs are a but rhythmically repetitive though, which I get is a stylistic choice but it does get a bit tedious at times.
Nas
5/5
Enjoyed this album tremendously. I recognized some tracks from hearing them in the aether over the years. Superb lyricism (one homophobic line that Nas has since recanted notwithstanding) highly compelling beats, pretty much everything one could ask for in 90s rap. I fully understand the hype now.
Brian Wilson
2/5
This is compositionally very interesting but I can’t say I enjoy listening to it. I feel like maybe it’s intended for small children?
The Yardbirds
3/5
Fun but fairly run of the mill 60s fare.
David Ackles
3/5
This is actually pretty cool. Like Scott Walker meets Kurt Weil and his voice sounds a bit like Nick Cave. Was likely an influence. But it did wear on me a bit by the end and the final track was unnecessarily long.
Thelonious Monk
5/5
Exquisitely masterful
Jane's Addiction
5/5
Truly unique and dynamic. And some of these tracks rock tremendously.
Ananda Shankar
4/5
This is a pretty rad blend of rock n’ raga. I dig it.
Steely Dan
4/5
I love Steely Dan, but this isn’t one of my favorite albums of theirs. It’s still Dan though.
Van Halen
3/5
I’ve never been crazy about Van Halen but I enjoyed this a little more than I expected.
MGMT
4/5
I’ve never understood just why I like this and their next album so much. I think it’s that they have a kind of naive innocent aloofness that is yet somehow genuinely heartfelt.
2/5
This may be the most 80s thing I’ve ever heard.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
I think this has a fairly solid claim to being the best album of the millennium so far.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Cool vibes and I can see why it’s so influential. The songs don’t really stand out as very distinctive and the abrasiveness of the sound made it hard to listen to after awhile. It doesn’t have the warmth of later noisy bands such as mbv and Pavement.
Slint
4/5
I know a philosopher who thinks this is the greatest album ever made. I am not that philosopher. But it’s not bad.
Jethro Tull
4/5
I vacillated between absolutely loving this and finding it unbearably cheesy.
Simply Red
2/5
For a second I thought this wasn’t so bad but then I realized no it is actually extremely bad. But then I started thinking it’s so fucking weird and awkward that actually maybe it is kinda cool, but not that cool. 2 stars
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
1/5
Jeez so much British 80s bullshit on this list. This was pretentious and boring. A chore to get through.
Incubus
2/5
The musicianship and production on this isn’t bad (dated nu metal flourishes aside) but I really can’t stand the singer.
Prince
4/5
Not my favorite Prince record, but still lovely. Hoping for Aroubd The World In A Day.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
This was mostly inoffensive and occasionally fun.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I’ll always love this demented clown show of a record.
The Smiths
3/5
I really don’t know how to feel about The Smiths. The songs are exquisitely well crafted and executed but Morrissey’s arrogance just radiates through every second of them.
Julian Cope
4/5
It’s pretty cool. Post-punk somewhere in the vicinity of Nick Cave and The Gun Club with a dash of Can and Frank Zappa. Very sonically inventive. I enjoyed some tracks more than others but found the entire experience stimulating.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
This is pretty decent electro pop. A lot of the sounds didn’t age well. Some of the beats are a lot of fun though. I can imagine getting hyped when some of these tracks come on in the club. Some of the best tracks aren’t on spotify so it may be worth digging them up on youtube.
Missy Elliott
5/5
Straight fire
Deep Purple
4/5
Amazing playing and recording on this live album. I could do without some of the extended solo sections but many of the live flourishes are super fun too.
The The
2/5
I’ve always wondered what The The sounded like since I saw a cassette on someone’s shelf at a Halloween Party my sister took me to when I was a kid.
It’s fine. Kinda quirky new wave. I don’t quite see what’s so special about it that nearly every review is 5 stars though. I give it a high 2.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
It’s brilliant playing and I appreciate the instructions.
Pulp
3/5
Better than a lot of the Brit schlock on here, but not especially compelling to my ears.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
When this first came out I hadn’t liked it as much as the previous two but I was kind of burnt out on his stuff at that point given three albums with a similar vibe and now a double. I like it a bit more now. It is hauntingly beautiful but is quite long without much tonal variation, not that more would be appropriate.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Way more than just a good time.
Hawkwind
2/5
Damn I really want this to be better. I’m grateful to them as one of the main progenitors of stoner tock and the album cover is wonderful. But I was completely bored only five minutes into this thing. It got slightly more interesting at some moments but not that much.
Iron Maiden
4/5
I like this a lot more now than I did as a kid. It’s fun and well executed, though kinda cheesy at times where I’m like “what is this, Journey?”
The Sugarcubes
5/5
Pure joy
The White Stripes
2/5
I remember when we first heard “Fell In Love With A Girl” my friends and I thought “This sounds like a Gap commercial.” It still does. I like the first song. The rest ranges from mildly irritating to skillful and not unpleasant but rather derivative.
Black Sabbath
5/5
50 years later it’s still the one of the heaviest albums ever. And I appreciate Geezer Butler’s playing more and more as the years go by as well as the bluesiness of Ozzy’s vocals. The eponymous track is actually quite a bit faster than I’d remembered it being.
Genesis
3/5
There’s something about the production that makes this really hard to listen to. I dig some of what’s going on musically but have trouble paying attention. I’d like to give it another listen to get more of the story but dunno of I can bring myself to go through the whole 90 minutes again. Once was hard enough.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
I dig these folk songs that are so bleak they make Elliot Smith sound cheery. I’m not into the more country elements as much.
The Prodigy
3/5
I’m very nostalgic for this album but it’s a bit more repetitive and boring than I remember.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all music pillaged from previous black artists.
Miles Davis
5/5
Bitch juice
Death In Vegas
2/5
I was somewhat intrigued by the minimalist trip hop of the first track but didn’t like the vocals on the second and was soon bored. Some of the sounds are inventive but there was not enough here to carry my interest throughout the album.
The Black Keys
3/5
Top review says it all.
Eagles
2/5
Distasteful though occasionally tuneful. It seems cliche at this point to hate The Eagles so I tried not to instantly write this off. Still not great though.
The Stranglers
5/5
Had never heard of this band before. They’ve got a fun, unique, kinda carnivalesque punk rock sound. Haven’t heard much punk with an organ player before!
Jane Weaver
3/5
Nothing about this strikes me as radically original, but I enjoy it. Good songwriting and sense of harmony. I got bored though.
Linkin Park
4/5
I gotta say I’ve kinda taken a 180 on this since it came out when I was in high school. A lot about it is certainly dumb, but it’s also kinda awesome. Much of the song composition and arrangement is really tight and some of Chester’s vocal performances are absolutely gripping. Still not something I’d reach for on the reg, but I appreciate it way more than I did back in the day.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I found track 3 kinda charming and track 4 a bit clever. Otherwise not my bag.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Very much a one song album. I enjoyed some of the guitar and organ playing on the other tracks but the singer kinda sucks.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Johnny Cash FTW. 4 stars for the tunes + 1 for the banter!
TV On The Radio
2/5
This npr rock is a bit too weak sauce for me.
The Young Rascals
2/5
Much of this is middling tripe. Some of the more psychedelic songs are kinda cool, but why do I feel like they never even really took acid?
Meh. Not for me. I am impressed he made it as far as he did with his level of rasp. It’s like the more rock n’ rolly Bowie tunes which are my least favorite to begin with , but without any of the stuff that makes those songs kinda interesting. Like Bowie’s Dylan impression but not as good.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Beautiful poetic imagery and a hell of a mood, but rather musically limited at this point in his career.
Queen
5/5
I had somehow never heard any of the songs on this album before, but I love it. It’s them as a badass rock band before their more artistic operatic excesses and anthemic exclamations. I dig the fantasy elements on the black side too.
The Divine Comedy
1/5
Somehow more insipid than their other album on here. And longer.
Norah Jones
2/5
This is not unpleasant but also makes me feel like I’m in Kmart.
The Beach Boys
3/5
The instrumentation is interesting though occasionally irritating such as the percussion in “Help Me Rhonda”. This isn’t my favorite Beach Boys record but is okay.
Duke Ellington
4/5
This is not my favorite style of jazz but it is certainly executed exceptionally.
Minutemen
4/5
There’s a lot going on here. Likely more than I can appreciate in a single listen. Musically it’s jazzy post punk with a palpable Talking Heads and Joy Division influence.
The Band
4/5
Soulful country rock. “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” is a deserved classic.
Liz Phair
3/5
Strong songwriting, a bit milquetoast.
Circle Jerks
3/5
I don’t really like listening to this kind of punk but I appreciate it for what it is and like some of the lyrics, especially the political ones.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
I can think of some people in the world who should listen to this record.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Sad fuzzy bliss
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Have the Rolling Stones killed.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Bluesy blue blues
The Offspring
4/5
I loved this album when I was a kid first getting into “alternative” music. It actually holds up better than I expected. Too bad everything they did after this was trash.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
I’ve always thought I would like Fleetwood Mac more as I got older and sure enough I gave Rumours a spin about a year ago and enjoyed it. This record, however, isn’t for me. Though there are a few cool moments, particularly towards the end.
Iggy Pop
4/5
This record has some gems on it but it’s not as good as The Idiot.
Funkadelic
5/5
Another great one!
Gang Starr
4/5
Delicious old school beats and eloquent rhymes. I got a bit bored by the end though.
Aimee Mann
3/5
I have a soft spot for this kind of ‘90s singer songwriter stuff. And some of the tracks here verge in excellent with inventive arrangements and production techniques (at least for the time). Nonetheless most of it doesn’t really grab me.
The Human League
3/5
As 80s as it gets. Nothing I’m crazy about though.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I think I’m starting to get what’s so great about Bob Dylan. It’s a mood.
Ash
4/5
This record is majorly nostalgic for me. I happened to find “Goldfinger” on a British magazine cd sampler during a family vacation and liked it enough to go by the record which I found to be a cool and charming mix of fuzzy hard rock and cheekiness, like an Irish Foo Fighters. Unfortunately their subsequent work eschewed the fuzz and what was left over was far less charming or cool. Anyway I enjoyed listening to this one again after so many (at least 20!) years.
Joe Ely
2/5
This isn’t terrible. I actually liked “Boxcars”. But overall it was a tough 33 minutes to get through.
Arctic Monkeys
2/5
Like if QOTSA were annoying instead if cool.
Elvis Costello
1/5
This is the epitome of “butt rock” to me. The songs do nothing for me and the tinny production makes it unlistenable.
Van Halen
3/5
I like some of the songs on this album but I still don’t really like Van Halen.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I appreciate the experimental nature of this but it’s a tough listen. Tracks 3 and 4 are good tunes, though. I always liked the Nirvana cover of the latter.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Even better than the other Johnny Cash prison album on here.
The Monks
4/5
Brilliant but gets a bit tedious.
Fugees
4/5
The singles are all amazing but while the album tracks have some cool lyrical moments, they’re largely forgettable and often sound like second rate Wu Tang.
The Black Crowes
2/5
As pedestrian and generic as rock gets.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Lots of cool imagery in some of these songs but a bit too much Dylan for me in one installment.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
The hits are great but there’s a lot of nonsense in between.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Reading the other reviews I realize how problematic this is from an appropriation standpoint but it’s still a uniquely interesting pastiche of musical styles. I’m torn.
The Temptations
5/5
Masterful funk, soul, and R&B with poignant lyrics.
Prince
5/5
Still not my all time favorite Prince record, but a masterpiece nonetheless.
Deerhunter
4/5
Cool vibes. Inventive approach to songwriting. I sense some influence from David Eugene Edwards. I enjoyed this but git a bit bored toward the end.
Black Sabbath
5/5
“I love you first four Black Sabbath records.” This is actually my least favorite of the four but it’s still amazingly wonderful.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Points for creativity but a lot of this was tough to listen to. Reminds me of something I might’ve made in high school before learning that less is more.
The Temptations
4/5
I like this record. But not quite as much as the other one I’ve heard on here.
FKA twigs
4/5
Really happy this is on here though I don’t like it quite as much as the follow up, Magdalene.
Pretenders
4/5
Way more interesting than I expected.
Ice Cube
3/5
Some of this goes hard, but it’s too long and a lot of it is cringe.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Minstrelsy good fun
Nick Drake
5/5
Heavy vibes. Funny that I got it right after Fairport Convention. Dope album cover too.
Sade
4/5
Smooth
808 State
3/5
Fairly interesting and enjoyable electronic music.
Fiona Apple
5/5
I love this record. It’s not quite as musically sophisticated as her later work but is chock full of bangers.
Eminem
3/5
Funny to think that a quarter century ago this was the undisputed number 1 record both commercially and critically. The flow is undeniable and the social commentary really was insightful at the time, but it’s fairly repetitive and I got bored halfway through.
The 13th Floor Elevators
5/5
My favorite psychedelic album ever. Unfortunately spotify doesn’t have the tripped out philosophy behind each song from the liner notes.
Massive Attack
5/5
I had only really known later Massive Attack. This is fun. More of a varied sound, with more reggae influences.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Thin Lizzy is a rock n’ roll good time.
Queen
5/5
Another fantastic fucking Queen record.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
A definite step up musically from his early stuff, but some of the arrangements are a little overdone. Amazing lyrical imagery as always.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This record had my favorite Hendrix tunes on it, which are wonderful, but in between them is a lot of nonsense.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Weird how low key sexually aggressive some of these songs are though I guess that tracks with the anecdote in the top comment.
Hole
5/5
Underrated grunge record. Reminds me of the girls I liked in high school.
Steve Earle
2/5
When I was 13 someone told be I like like Steve Earle. Now over 25 years later I finally know what he sounds like. Not entirely terrible. I like some of the guitar sounds.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Sly is that fucking dude.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
My sister took me to see them in Paris in the Summer of ‘96. It was my first ever concert and I was completely enchanted. This record captures all their ethereal majesty in its most iconic and accessible form.
Talking Heads
4/5
Excellent debut album. Takes a little while to get going though. I definitely preferred the second half to the first.
David Bowie
5/5
My second favorite album of Bowie’s Berlin period (third, if you count The Idiot).
The Pogues
3/5
Combining punk with Irish folk music was pretty ingenious and this had more variety than I would have expected. Wouldn’t listen to it if my own volition though.
Neil Young
3/5
Great more Neil Young, but now he’s trying to sound like Lou Reed. I actually don’t hate it.
Beatles
5/5
My absolute favorite Beatles album. Before the full on psychedelic wackiness. Exquisitely written and arranged songs and chill vibes (“Run For Your Life” notwithstanding).
The Band
2/5
I can hear how influential this is and it kinda grooves sometimes. But I find the vocals a bit grating and overall it’s just not for me.
Spiritualized
3/5
Some cool instrumentation but after going through so much of this list it’s hard mot to just hear a whiny British guy singing over it.
3/5
I love some of Blur’s later work, especially 13. But like many Americans I was unaware that they had any albums before Parklife, which makes sense, because while this one is okay with some very cool moments, overall it’s just a bit too British for my taste.
Bad Brains
5/5
I’d always been told Bad Brains were a uniquely creative take on punk and I was not disappointed. I liked each track better than the last.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
I’ve long known Aretha Franklin was a vocal master, but this amazed me beyond all expectations!
Living Colour
5/5
A unique sound with tremendous playing. Definitely seek out “Desperate People” on YouTube because it isn’t on spotify. It’s one of the best tracks.
Ray Charles
2/5
This doesn’t really do much for me though I get why it’s important.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
This was the first rap album I ever owned as a kid. It’s still tremendously fun though I do cringe at a lot of the lyrics.
Ute Lemper
3/5
Lemper’s voice is kinda cool. The quality of the songs varies with that of the collaborators.
The Beta Band
1/5
I saw these guys open for Radiohead back in the day. They were forgettable but that was the right spot for them. Being on this list is not. I can’t imagine how boring this record was without Godrich’s production.
The Clash
5/5
For some reason I remembered not liking this album as much as other Clash records. But on this listen I found immense joy in the melodicism even of songs with which I was already very familiar. Lovely stuff.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Cheesy as hell but I dig it. Tony Levin seriously brings it on bass.
The Byrds
4/5
I liked this way more than expected. Definitely a bit derivative from the psychedelic albums that came out the year previous but definitely a different spin on the sound.
Throwing Muses
4/5
I had never heard this band before. Very cool stuff. More similar to goth bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees than I had expected. I did get a bit tired of the vocal style after awhile though.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
As much soul as a white boy can have.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Big points for innovation but I got bored after the first few tracks.
Terence Trent D'Arby
4/5
Funky and sweet
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This record is so sonically rich I can forgive some of the questionable lyrical choices. Though the Untitled, Unmastered record that followed was even better.
The Verve
2/5
The 90s decade rating is really suffering at the hands of these middling brit pop acts. Why does it have to be so long?
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Beneath the soft fuzzy exterior lurks a dark, sinister inside.
The Bees
3/5
Quite pleasant. Perhaps too much so. I kept forgetting it was on.
Otis Redding
5/5
He sure does
Beth Orton
2/5
Pleasant enough but unremarkable and some of her vocal flourishes are annual.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
The VU may be the most overrated band of all time. “Venus in Furs” is a jam though and I also like “Sunday Morning”.
The Stone Roses
4/5
Liked this more than expected. A bit of Pixies and MBV in there with the folksy stuff.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Yeah this is some pretty good shit. His voice wears on me after awhile. It’s best with the big rock instrumentation rather than just the quiet acoustic tracks.
Sonic Youth
5/5
I don’t always love Sonic Youth, but I do love this record. That is, perhaps, typical.
John Lennon
4/5
Whatever you think of Lennon’s personal behavior, “Imagine” is a profoundly important political anthem. The rest of the songs are good to great.
David Bowie
5/5
This is a top ten Bowie album for me. I love everything on it except “Changes” which is one lf the only Bowie songs I actively dislike.
ZZ Top
2/5
This is mostly uninteresting but well executed and produced rock and roll. The lyrics have a depressingly horny desperation. “Legs” is perhaps the mostly insipid male-gazey song of all time (appropriately WWE’s Stacey Kiebler used it as her theme music). “She’s got legs and knows how to use them). Yes, like most non-aquatic animals.
The Crusaders
3/5
This isn’t super original and it’s a mistake to call it jazz but it’s super chill and funky. I take it over any of the hundreds of mediocre brit-rock bands on this list.
Soft Cell
3/5
This was better than I expected. I like a lot of the sounds and the sleazy vibe. Most of the tracks go too long and get a bit boring though.
Marty Robbins
3/5
This is good for what it is but really not my thing.
Magazine
5/5
I can’t believe I never heard of these guys before. I feel like they should be spoken of in the same breath as Talking Heads, Television, etc. This is a brilliant record with a distinctive sound, yet also ranging across the entire punk/post-punk spectrum. Clearly highly influential as diverse as Radiohead, Sopor Aeternus and Of Montreal.
Dire Straits
1/5
Utter fucking tripe
Muddy Waters
3/5
Solid blues
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Despite lacking anything as iconic as “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” or “Whitey on the Moon” this record is far more musical and even given Heron’s obvious vocal limitations, this is just oozing soul.
Blur
3/5
Woo hoo
Big Star
2/5
Jangly twaddling. The strings on “For You” are nice though.
The xx
5/5
Beautiful, inventive minimalist songwriting on this. I waited way too long to give this band a proper listen. Will now give repeated ones. Chord progressions did feel a bit repetitive towards the end though.
Sonic Youth
4/5
This one is pretty good
Neneh Cherry
4/5
A uniquely fun slice out of time.
Wilco
2/5
In high school I went to a taping of Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Wynona Rider was the main guest so Wilco, being her favorite band, was the musical guest. I thought they were terrible. This album isn’t quite as bad as that.
The Undertones
4/5
Fun poppy punk. Something like The Ramones but with its own flavor.
Genesis
4/5
This has some really cool elements but something about the vocals and some cheeesiness keeps me from really loving it.
Napalm Death
3/5
I had a whole story about seeing Napalm Death play at CBGB’s but am gonna skip it after reading that top review. I didn’t hate listening to this as much as I expected. “Siege of Power” kinda rules.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I like this one even better than Songs in the Key of Life!
Talking Heads
5/5
This is comparable to Bowie’s Lodger record, released the same year in its unhinged eclectic zaniness. Lodger is my favorite Bowie record. This isn’t quite as good as that but is still great.
4/5
This is an extremely fun record that was clearly very influential on subsequent post-punk.
GZA
5/5
Genius
Sonic Youth
5/5
This is some of their best stuff.
B.B. King
4/5
This is way more fun than your typical blues record and the guitar technique is exquisite.
2/5
Weird hearing this right after Sparks because it’s kind of the same thing except obnoxious and lame. “Your Dictionary” is worth listening to just for the cringe. Some of the harmonic arrangements are nice though.
Ramones
5/5
The unsurpassable ur punk-bop.
Aphex Twin
5/5
Wonderfully inventive. Amazing how modern the sounds are for the time. Beautiful composition and chill vibe. Aphex Twin walked so that 21st century music could run.
Depeche Mode
5/5
1,000 bands have a similar sound but none come even close to doing it this well. I prefer Violator but this record is great too.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
This album is heavy and rules.
Arrested Development
4/5
It took me a little while to get into but this is actually really awesome.
Tim Buckley
5/5
Does anyone else find the album cover extremely unsettling? What’s the deal with it?
Tom Waits
5/5
Uniquely brilliant. Waits at his best!
The Doors
2/5
Not the best Doors record.
Willie Nelson
5/5
This is about as much as I’ll ever like country music this side of Johnny Cash.
Yes
5/5
This album is tremendous. It’s cheesy as hell. But the playing is so good and the compositions so epic I still get pulled into it.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Very smooth, but the voice is a bit much after awhile.
Green Day
3/5
By the time this album came out I had already soured on Green Day and the pop-punk/Gilbert and Sullivan hybrid was a big turn off for me. It’s still not my thing, but there is some strong songwriting on this.
Bill Callahan
5/5
Hyper articulate heavy vibes. Very dig.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
This is way less abrasive than their first album but also somewhat less distinctive. Still good solid, chill post-punk.
Van Morrison
2/5
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
The Byrds
3/5
This was okay but not as good as the last album of theirs I heard on here.
Sparks
5/5
Unhinged maximalist brilliance.
Jack White
2/5
I just really don’t like him that much.
Metallica
4/5
These are some of the best metal compositions ever but the lack of bass keeps the album from being truly great.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Not quite as polished as their later work, but still tremendous! You can hear the next 20 years of what metal would become contained within it.
Taylor Swift
2/5
Lyrically vapid poison eating away at the fabric of society. But it’s damn catchy.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Wasn’t expecting the wild synths. First half is pleasant but sleepy. Tight cornball anthems in the back end.
Portishead
4/5
Cool experimental development on their sound.
Randy Newman
4/5
That first track is wild.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Beautifully delicate and understated renditions of these classic tunes.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Gorgeous and inventive playing. I can see how contemporary guys like Brad Mehldau were influenced by him.
The Auteurs
2/5
This has elements from things that are cool and interesting but fails to be either cool or interesting itself.
4/5
Masterful composition and production but mostly bs lyrics with the occasional clever line and Liam’s arrogance shines through every moment. So anyway… here’s “Wonderwall”.
Rush
5/5
Took me a ling time to come around to Rush but this is pretty awesome.
The Fall
4/5
This is cool but I like other albums of theirs more. The second half is def better than the first.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
This is fine. Didn’t need to be a double album, though. And it ain’t no Hall and Oates.
Arcade Fire
2/5
This is a band I really didn’t care for when they first came out. Trying to keep an open mind here. The first track is kinda cool. Second one not so much. From there it’s very meh. Like a pretentious Bruce Springsteen. The last track is closer to Neil Young and is probably the best tune.
Elton John
4/5
Y’know as someone who grew up in the 90s I had no idea “Candle In The Wind” was originally about Marilyn Monroe. Great tunes on here, but I don’t like it quite as much as Madman Across The Water and I can’t give 5 stars to a record with “Jamaican Jerk-Off” on it.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Cool funky tunes. Lost me a bit in the middle though.
Pink Floyd
5/5
The crazy thing is that it isn’t even their best or even second best album.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
A uniquely majestic and gorgeous album. I like it even better now than I did in middle school. I don’t even care that it’s a double.
Buck Owens
3/5
I didn’t dislike this as much as I thought I would but I don’t love it.
David Holmes
3/5
Some of these bests are interesting. Not bad for background music. Extremely New York, well captured by the Irishman. I really don’t understand the vitriol towards this album here. It’s quite melodic and musical as electronic music goes. A lot of critiques here seem to be stock objections to a genre rather than genuine consideration of a particular instance of it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Creedence being Creedence
Neil Young
3/5
None of these Neil Young albums are bad, there are just a lot of them on here.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
This is more interesting than I expected but I still wouldn’t say that I love it.
New Order
3/5
This is my first time hearing this record. The instrumentals are interesting but the vocals and songwriting feel a bit irritatingly lazy.
Rush
4/5
This is fun but not as good as Moving Pictures.
Leftfield
3/5
This was a weird blend of stuff, and I enjoyed it.
PJ Harvey
5/5
Not quite my favorite PJ Harvey album but still magnificent.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
More of this shit.
Carpenters
2/5
Gets an extra star for having Homer and Marge’s meet cute song.
Ministry
4/5
I like a lot of the stuff influenced by this more than Ministry itself (Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, etc) but gotta give these dudes props as the ogs.
Elliott Smith
4/5
I like this one better than Figure 8. Some heavy tracks here.
Deep Purple
5/5
In rock, indeed!
Black Flag
3/5
I guess I had to be there. The guitar sounds are kinda cool though. And I kinda like “TV Party”. I just don’t like Rollins. Wouldn’t load on Spotify so I had to listen on YouTube and ironically, therefore sit through commercials between songs.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Extremely well executed, exquisitely produced, but otherwise unremarkable blues.
James Brown
5/5
I got to see James Brown play at Woodstock ‘99 and even then he was full of explosive energy. On this recording that energy threatens to overwhelm the tape and set it on fire. What an incredibly badass ensemble he’s got behind him too!
Little Simz
4/5
Extremely cool beats. I wish the vocals/lyrics were as interesting. Her general flow is good though.
Giant Sand
4/5
This is somewhere between Wovenhand and Silver Jews and isn’t bad, but is not as good as those other bands.
Antony and the Johnsons
5/5
The beautiful simplicity of the vocals and arrangement veil the complexity and stark realism of the lyrics. The vibrato is a bit much on the opening tracks but it doesn’t bother me that much.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Much of this doesn’t hit for me the way it used to. Largely because I find Plant obnoxious but also because it just feels like appropriated blues. “Battle of Evermore” is still cool though. “Stairway” is also pretty undeniably great as a composition even if I’m tired of it. “Going to California” is still pretty. And the actual blues cover “Levee” still rocks hard!
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
Excruciating. Sounds like he’s singing with someone’s balls in his mouth, which means he’s likely doing two things poorly.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
I like this even better than What’s Going On?
Led Zeppelin
4/5
This is definitely the best Led Zeppelin album.
Miles Davis
5/5
Finally had a reason to crack open my vinyl of this.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Funky, smooth, and energetic. I like the second, less horny, half better than the first.
Youssou N'Dour
5/5
I love the interplay between strings, percussion and voice here, with twists and turns around every corner!
R.E.M.
4/5
Finally get to dig into the REM catalog. I enjoyed this but will probably need multiple listens to fully appreciate it.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
Heavy turn of the millennium nostalgia vibes for me on this. Probably makes me like it more than I would otherwise. Nice record to blast first thing in the morning.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I enjoy Sinatra and like some of these tunes. Jobin’s arrangements and little touches are pleasant as well.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
Eh, I don’t get the appeal. I find his vocal style rather obnoxious. “Luna” is better than the others.
The Soft Boys
5/5
A lighthearted missing link between punk and indie rock. Wonderful guitar sounds, clever lyrical concepts, psychedelic dynamics. Lovely!
5/5
This is one of the greatest records ever made. A beautiful encapsulation of how it felt to live in NYC at the turn of the millennium right before 9/11 changed the city and the world forever. I still remember my friend Zoe telling me how good this record is right when it came out and man, how right she was! I think it makes me cry more than any other album whenever I listen to it.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Super creative beats on this, especially the MF Doom ones.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I like a couple of songs on this but I still find Jagger painfully annoying. I highly recommend Soulsavers’ cover of “No Expectations” with Mark Lanegan singing. Way better than the original, which I often find is the case with Stones tunes.
Doves
4/5
I dig the vibes on this one.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
This one’s tough. Two of the greatest songs ever written, but the rest is jangly forgettable nonsense.
Dr. Dre
4/5
Oozing with talent, charisma and creativity but simultaneously possibly the most damaging piece of art to the fabric of society ever.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Pleasant enough but puts me to sleep. The singer’s lisp kinda annoys me. Extra star for Isobel Campbell.
Queen
5/5
Absolutely majestic af
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Sleepy and inoffensive.
The Killers
2/5
It’s like if The Cure had no soul (contrary to the singer’s claims).
Beatles
5/5
My 2nd favorite Beatles record after Rubber Soul. Possibly the greatest exercise of melody in any rock album ever.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
Funky proto prog. I dig it.
Beck
4/5
I hadn’t heard this one before but it reminds me of the Beck I liked.
The Streets
1/5
Leave it out there. Insufferable.
Einstürzende Neubauten
4/5
Scream, soft ears!
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
This is not quite as bad as their earlier stuff. The King Crimson/Talking Heads influence helps. But why does it have to be so long?
The Specials
4/5
I generally don’t like ska (likely due to having come of age during the abominable 90s ska revival). There’s something about this I kinda dig though.
Blur
3/5
Another Blur record. I hadn’t realized “Girls & Boys” was their song. It’s really the only thing that stood out as memorable here.
Adele
4/5
Girl can seriously freaking sing. The hits are very well written songs and some of the album cuts are pretty good too. The Cure cover was a fun surprise.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I actually liked this record when it first came out but grew to loathe the hits over time. On this listen I didn’t hate it quite as much as expected and got a twinge or two of nostalgia for sophomore year of high school. Flea’s bass playing is always fun too. Nonetheless I’m good with never hearing it again.
The Clash
4/5
Not quite at the level they would attain in later records, but you can hear the potential here.
Scritti Politti
2/5
Not for me. Will Lee on bass is always great though.
Talking Heads
5/5
This is the weird one and that’s saying a lot. Love it!
Arcade Fire
2/5
Slightly more interesting than the other one on here but still not at all my bag.
Neu!
4/5
This isn’t as high energy as I remember some of their stuff being but it’s pretty chill and quite interesting.
Sepultura
5/5
Roots bloody fuckin’ roots!!!!
Pearl Jam
5/5
This is the only great Pearl Jam album. But damn it’s a masterpiece. Every song is a total banger despite hundreds of listens over the years, it still hits.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Saw these guys open for U2 in ‘97. “Scooby Snacks” was kinda fun back then. Never listened further than that. Didn’t really need to, but it isn’t terrible. Remember when smoking weed could be your whole personality? Extra star for being real NYC scumbags.
George Harrison
4/5
The best Beatle by far.
3/5
I was a big fan of the first two Muse records and thought everything afterwards was watered down for the American market. But over time I’ve come to appreciate some of the tracks on this one and its predecessor a bit. There’s also a lot of horrible cheese on this one too though.
The Smiths
4/5
I think I like this better than the other Smiths album I’ve heard on this.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Not bad for 2000s pop music. Gross at points for sure.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Another suite of bangers by Mr. Wonder.
Neil Young
4/5
There are too many Neil Young albums on here. But there’s a reason this is the one everyone knows.
Killing Joke
5/5
Post punk rarely has this much sonic variation and color in its character.
Primal Scream
3/5
I think these guys might be on drugs!
Barry Adamson
5/5
Spooky vibes, inventive sounds. I dig.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
This is fine, I guess. No strong feelings either way. It has its moments.
The Cramps
3/5
I find this music rather silly, annoying, and musically uninteresting. But I guess it has some charm.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
As a kid, I liked The Fugees but this record didn’t appeal to me at all. Now I think it’s actually way better than The Score. My only complaint is that all the songs are way too long (which is typical of albums of the cd era.)
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Nuthing Ta F’ Wit
John Martyn
3/5
Wyte
Various Artists
3/5
I just happened to get this one on actual Christmas! How serendipitous! I wouldn’t have wanted to listen to it any other day.
Bon Jovi
4/5
“Metal” made safe for the masses through masterfully crafted pop songs. And they’re all here.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
More Neil Young. Cool.
PJ Harvey
5/5
This is Harvey’s most typically 90s alternative rock album but it’s wonderful nonetheless.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I enjoy later Beasties more than this one but it is a major achievement. O wonder how many records from this list are sampled on it.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Dazzlingly masterful folk rock songwriting and production.
The United States Of America
4/5
I greatly enjoy a lot of this (mostly the tracks with the female singer.) Some of it is a but too goofy sounding but it’s psychedelic music so that comes with the territory.
Talvin Singh
5/5
“World Music” is an idiotic term born of Western ignorance and ethnocentrism. However, in the case if this gorgeous mosaic of a record, it’s entirely appropriate.
Joy Division
5/5
Post-punk could’ve ended after Joy Division. Doesn’t get better than this.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
The groove is irresistible and the message is inspirational no matter how many times I hear it.
Depeche Mode
5/5
The absolute pinnacle of synth pop.
The Monkees
2/5
Bleh
Stan Getz
4/5
This is nice if culturally exploitative.
The War On Drugs
2/5
I’m with drugs in this one.
Massive Attack
5/5
Another laid back masterpiece, a refinement on their first record.
2/5
Not wholly unpleasant but also not particularly inspiring and got annoying after awhile.
David Bowie
4/5
This was never my favorite David Bowie album but as I get older, I like it more every time I listen to it. I could do without the “Across The Universe” cover though.
Gram Parsons
3/5
I didn’t hate this. But it didn’t really keep my attention for the most part.
The Undertones
3/5
This doesn’t really speak to my sensibilities but it’s not bad.
Yes
5/5
I love this silly shit.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
He’s definitely on the good stuff!
5/5
That’s so Devo
George Michael
4/5
Solid 80s pop record
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Big band stuff. Meh.
Funkadelic
5/5
Funking Transcendent
Public Enemy
4/5
I’m not sure this list needed 3 Public Enemy albums on it, but this is probably my favorite of them.
Stan Getz
4/5
Pleasant background music.
Spacemen 3
2/5
There’s something I fond very irritating about this music. I like a lot of the Kraut rock some people are comparing it too. But this doesn’t have nearly as much character.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
I like Court and Spark a bit better than this one, but it’s still masterful.
Underworld
3/5
Fairly run of the mill electronica. Not bad for the gym though.
King Crimson
5/5
They sure started with a bang! Possibly the most majestic record of all time.
Erykah Badu
5/5
It took me way too long in life to realize how amazing Erykah Badu is.
4/5
I’m running out of patience with the acoustic stuff. The electric disc, on the other hand, I enjoyed more than I expected and am beginning to understand from it why Dylan was so influential.
Public Enemy
4/5
I feel more or less the same about this one as Fear of a Black Planet. I dig it, but am exhausted by the somewhat monotonous rhythmic onslaught.
The Residents
5/5
Ingeniously demented
Kraftwerk
4/5
Sehr gut
Kate Bush
5/5
A continuously magical eruption of creativity.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Unparalleled sense of harmony. Glad I got to see them live at Lincoln Center years ago.
Django Django
2/5
Millennial Beach Boys. Meh.
The Fall
4/5
This has its moments but lacks the charm and atmosphere of their earlier work.
Boston
2/5
I feel more or less the same about this band as I do about the city of Boston.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Enjoyed this way more than expected. Strong songwriting. Snappy production helps a lot.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
My first 2020s record on here. I love Lana and there’s a lot that’s good on this album but it’s far from her best. (Not even the best she put out that year!)
Beck
4/5
Damn this list loves Beck. This one’s a classic though.
The Doors
4/5
This is one of the better Doors albums.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I’m so over Neil Young on this thing but this is one of the better ones.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This was my first Beastie Boys album, and it remains my favorite. I think I appreciate it even more now.
OutKast
5/5
This was all the rage when I was in High School. I knew the hits well, but had never given the whole thing a proper listen. It’s everything one could want in hip hop. Creative beats, great flow and poignant lyrics (though occasionally a bit too horny).
Tina Turner
5/5
The production is cheesy as hell on this but there are just too many great songs and her vocal performances are incredible. She also more than does justice to both a classic Beatles song and Bowie song.
De La Soul
4/5
I dig the hyper-eloquent laid-back vibes. I think I’ll like their later stuff even more.
Michael Jackson
5/5
This is my favorite version of MJ. Just pure funky joy. Can’t help but smile.
Jurassic 5
5/5
Ear candy, indeed! And the lyrics aren’t without depth, either. Wonderful stuff.
Television
5/5
A gem lf a record. Glad I got to see these guys live once, though they didn’t have a ton of material to draw from so spent a lot of time jamming which was a bit unimpressive.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
Disco era salsa?! Yes, please!
Anthrax
4/5
Anthrax is definitely my least favorite of the big four thrash bands. But this def has its moments especially when it goes a bit power metal. Album cover is cool as hell too.
Def Leppard
3/5
This is better than I would have expected. Some of it is legitimately heavy. Kind of trails off towards the end though.
Santana
4/5
Hadn’t heard the whole record before. Guitar tone and playing is wonderful. Outside of the hits not much in the way lf songwriting though.
The xx
4/5
This one’s cool, but I don’t like it as much as their first one.
The Byrds
4/5
Good Byrds
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Good pop album for the time with some truly exceptional vocal performances and impeccable production. Songwriting is a bit too cheesy for me to want to listen to again but I didn’t hate this. The grunge rip off “Make Over” made me laugh.
The Avalanches
3/5
Some interesting samples but got a bit annoying. “Frontier Psychiatrist” is a great track.
The Electric Prunes
4/5
I like this kind of unhinged psychedelic rock but this isn’t quite as good as 13th Floor Elevators.
Brian Eno
4/5
The first half is fun in the way of other acts of the time, some of whom Eno worked with: Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson, etc. but it lacks the distinct character of any of them. I can see why he elected to focus on the more atmospheric stuff, which feels much more his own!
Q-Tip
4/5
This whole record is enjoyable, but not much stood out to me distinctly. I think “Move” was probably my favorite track on first listen. Q-Tip and I had the same vocal coach and I met him one time between our sessions. He was a nice dude.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Like a breezy summer day in the nyc of my youth. With some of the most musically creative use of samples ever.
The Afghan Whigs
5/5
It took me a long time to come around to liking the Afghan Whigs but now I’m all in. The record is wonderful.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
This ranges between pleasant and boring. “The Murder Mystery” is an interesting track.
The Verve
2/5
Who outside the UK even knew these guys had more than one record. Though I think I like this one slightly better than the other. Second rate Oasis in any case.
R.E.M.
5/5
The deepest dwelling moodiness. The true emo. I need to be in the right mood for it but this is great.
Frank Zappa
5/5
Frank Zappa’s work is generally brilliant, but listening to the pure musicality of this mostly instrumental record is especially wonderful. Not that I don’t also love the Captain Beefheart track!
Love
3/5
This is okay but I don’t love it.
Tom Waits
4/5
This one is good but not as memorable as some of his other records.
The Zombies
4/5
Well wrought 60s pop.
M.I.A.
4/5
I like this about as much as the other one of these.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Great voice. Okay songs.
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
This is pretty cool. The more rock n’ roll elements kinda take me out of the otherwise post punk vibes though.
Skunk Anansie
4/5
Cool trip hoppy nu metal that has some bangers but suffers from some of the stylistic conventions of the time.
The Beach Boys
5/5
It really is that good. Though it kinda creeps me out. Both because the lyrics and general vibe are kinda stalkerish and because the production is spooky as if it’s somehow haunted.
Haircut 100
2/5
Like early U2 with no soul and only the cheesiest elements of Bowie. I most likely won’t remember their name.
Spiritualized
3/5
Basically just slowed down, less creative U2. I realize I mentioned U2 in my last two reviews, but seriously could we get some U2 on this thing?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
This was the first Nick Cave album I got into and remains a favorite. Gratuitously violent and obscene for sure, but overall the poetry and storytelling is unparalleled. Featuring iconic duets with PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Please no more of this guy
The The
3/5
This is a bit more interesting than their other record on here but I still don’t feel it.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Cool early post-punk with great energy. Not as polished as their later stuff but some killer guitar work. Wish I’d seen them live during this period.
Megadeth
5/5
It’s always been hard for me to take Megadeth seriously because of Mustaine’s voice. But the explosively ornate arrangements and Friedman’s guitar playing more than make up for it.
George Jones
4/5
This is actually pretty heavy.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Contrary to my earlier statements, I realize now that this really is the best Hendrix record. Nearly all the songs are good and some are even great. Beyond that it’s such an important step in the evolution of rock music as the first hard rock, stoner rock and arguably even heavy metal record (on at least one track) it deserves the highest rating.
Iggy Pop
5/5
I adore this record. As much Bowie as Iggy. Synonymous with Berlin in my brain.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
This was fun for a soundtrack. I didn’t mind that there weren’t many “songs” on it.
Nina Simone
5/5
Not as cohesive as some of her other albums, but some absolute killers on here, including the Bowie cover.
Peter Tosh
4/5
Solid reggae with a few exceptional tracks.
The Youngbloods
4/5
Soulful 60s rock. Pretty cool.
The Associates
4/5
This is weird as hell and I love it. Might actually regret not rating it higher once I give it more listens.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
I really wish I didn’t know what this is about because the instrumentation is very cool.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
This kind of country pop doesn’t do much for me but I suppose it’s well executed.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is delightfully weird even if it lacks any really stellar moments.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
This was cool but didn’t hit me as much as her other record on here.
The White Stripes
2/5
I like this even less than their other albums on here.
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Yeah these guys are pretty much the best brit pop band, besides that one Blur album.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
80s country has gotta be one of least favorite eras/genres. This is maybe better than most? At least it’s short.
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
This was an unexpected pleasure. Wild frenetic guitar playing with harmonic surprises around ever corner. Vocals did irritate me after awhile though.
Lou Reed
4/5
It’s crazy how much more I like Lou Reed’s solo records above Velvet Underground. This one isn’t quite Transformer though.
Sebadoh
4/5
Ah the 90s. What a 90s 90s band from the 90s.
Ryan Adams
2/5
There’s enough artistry to this that I may have rated it much higher if Adams wasn’t an awful individual which comes across in the lyrics and sucks most of my enjoyment out of this. I song telling a “girl” she’s nobody followed by how he wants his own personal Sylvia Plath to bathe him? No thank you.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I’m pretty sure I like this one as much as I’m gonna like any Dylan record.
Anita Baker
5/5
Incredible voice and wonderful songwriting. Did not expect to love this so much.
Dire Straits
3/5
Certifiably dad rock but exquisitely smooth.
Paul McCartney
2/5
The worst Beatle by far.
The Rolling Stones
1/5
Over an hour of jangly mumbling white man bs blues. Blegh.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
This is cool. Rawer and less developed than their later work. It doesn’t grab me quite as much.
Metallica
5/5
Yes this is the record where Metallica first “sold out” and many of its tunes are way overplayed. But any metal fan who denies that this is a great record is fooling themselves. Metallica masterpiece the art of writing equally heavy and catchy songs on this album in a way which has never been duplicated. “Sad But True” has one of the coolest, heaviest riffs ever. “Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters” are both gorgeous ballads. “Wherever I May Roam” is epic. Most of the album tracks are also really strong. “Through The Never” and “The God That Failed” are ones I hadn’t remembered that are excellent. Even “Enter Sandman” has its charm despite having taught the world that Metallica was now for children.
Soul II Soul
3/5
I probably wouldn’t listen to this by choice but I enjoyed parts of it at least.
Morrissey
3/5
Meh. Not quite as good as The Smiths.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
I’ve always preferred Prodigy and to a lesser extent Chemical Brothers as far as late 90s electronic hit acts go. This one is cool too, but the repetition of the samples does wear on one eventually.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Not really my thing but I can see why some people would really like it. That song about zombies is definitely a banger.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Some of Clapton’s best playing outside of Cream. Tasty licks abound.
Solange
4/5
Highly creative songwriting and production.
Paul Simon
3/5
I wasn’t really feeling this one but “Train In The Distance” and “…Johnny Ace” are both pretty interesting and cool.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Country rock. Blah.
The Beta Band
2/5
The best part of this record is the sample at the beginning. “Life” is an okay song too.
Bauhaus
3/5
Weird that they’re supposed to be the quintessential goth band. “Mask” is the only track that screams “goth” to me. Mostly I find it’s Bowie derivative post-punk that’s not as emotionally powerful as Joy Division and has some annoying rockabilly thrown in there.
Al Green
5/5
The most soulful soul that emanated from any soul, even if that soul was actually a brutally violent and abusive one. Weird how that works.
Blondie
4/5
Punky pop rock at its most charming.
The Mars Volta
5/5
This record was all the rage when I was in college. Never a huge fan of the vocals for the most part, technically impressive as they are.and a lot of it is kind of noodly but there’s definitely a lot of really cool stuff going on in it. My generation’s Rush. Given its singularity as an album of its form in its time I think it deserves the highest rating.
Fishbone
4/5
Didn’t know if I’d like this. Some tracks were wonderful! The more ska heavy ones I didn’t like as much.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Amazing voices, good songs!
Pere Ubu
4/5
Not exactly pleasant but fun and major points for weirdness.
Faith No More
5/5
The record that unleashed Mike Patton on an unsuspecting mainstream listening public. Their most varied, funkiest, and joyfully evil album!
Mylo
3/5
Decent electronic stuff but nothing special. I liked the “bike” track.
Gary Numan
4/5
You’re alright, robot man.
George Michael
3/5
It’s okay. He was definitely trying to make a new, more epic kind of pop record. I appreciate the big swing. But there was nothing as memorable here as the best tracks on the previous record.
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
I’m pretty sure I saw them open for the Foo Fighters in 1998. Which is interesting because parts of some of these songs bear striking similarities to parts of Foos’ songs, likely owing more to both bands’ influence from the Beatles than any direct influence between each other. Overall this is boisterous punky ska-infused hard rock that’s way less obnoxious than most other examples from that genre.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Amazing on multiple levels
New Order
3/5
This just sounds like a more sanitized, less interesting version of their earlier stuff.
Fats Domino
4/5
Good ol’ timey rhythm and blues.
James Taylor
5/5
Some of these songs hold a special place in my heart for they were sung to me when I was a child. And Taylor’s own voice is one of unparalleled serenity even on the surprisingly burly “Steamroller”.
Syd Barrett
4/5
Not quite as batshit crazy as his later self-titled but definitely heading in that direction.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Peak hippy shit.
The Strokes
1/5
One of the saddest, most uncomprehending days of my life was towards the end of high school when I discovered that some of my friends who had been listening to Tool, Radiohead, QOTSA, etc had fallen for this gaggle of talentless, derivative, rich kid hacks. The soundtrack for a million transplant hipster shitheads who ruined NYC, driving up the rents and whitewashing any remnant of the culture that had already been dismantled by Giuliani’s reign of terror. Fuck The Strokes to hell. Negative one million stars. And yes I listened to the whole, abhorrent, goddamn thing. (The bass playing actually wasn’t that bad tbh.) I hadn’t realized it was released on 9/11. Makes it even more emblematic of the violent, painful transition away from the NYC of my childhood towards something colder, shallower, more disingenuous, whiter and more sanitized.
Ozomatli
4/5
I saw them open for either Rancid or Offspring at Roseland in ‘98 or ‘99. Fun and unique blend of styles.
Janet Jackson
3/5
I have a soft spot for the early 90s production and some of the songs are fun, but the boring r&b ballads weigh it down.
The Cure
5/5
The more desperate and depraved, the better The Cure.
Animal Collective
2/5
The sudden explosion of sound in track one is by far the coolest moment on the album.
Radiohead
5/5
It’s tough to follow up the two most revolutionary albums in popular music in a (my) lifetime but Amnesiac holds its own with a bunch of amazing compositions that feel humbler than those of Kid A but are no less dynamic and inventive.
Goldie
2/5
Okay for gym music but tedious after awhile and way too much of it in one album.
Pavement
5/5
It took me awhile to realize this is the best Pavement album and therefore by far the greatest ever indie rock record. Just pure, detached, hyper-intellectual sarcastic serenity.
Morrissey
3/5
Diminishing returns with this guy. Less is Morrissey. This one is a little different though. More rock n’ roll.
N.E.R.D
4/5
Wildly eclectic amazing musicality. Lyrics and off key vocal approach takes me out lf it sometimes though.
Stereolab
2/5
Inoffensive but uninteresting background music. If they weren’t French no one would have ever cared about them.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Decent 60s psych rock. Mostly unmemorable outside of the comic book references and explicit invocation of lsd.
Soundgarden
5/5
One of my favorite albums of all time but I’ve come to realize over the years that “Black Hole Sun” isn’t actually a good song.
The Cars
3/5
Some lf the album tracks such as “I’m In Touch With Your World” are more interesting than I expected from knowing the hits.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Dime store Bowie but I don’t hate it. There are even some musical surprises. Overall I feel like they were a bridge to the glam metal of the 80s. Weird that “All The Young Dudes” isn’t on this one.
Koffi Olomide
5/5
I had never heard this kind of music before. It’s very fun to listen to and fascinating.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
I dig some of the riffs on this. The vocals really don’t do it for me though.
The Go-Go's
4/5
This is fun and pleasant, with great songwriting. I feel like Sleater-Kinney must have listened to this a lot.
Goldfrapp
2/5
Mostly pleasant but unremarkable.
Digital Underground
2/5
This album is the musical equivalent of that scene in Idiocracy with the guy who “really likes sex”.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
“Gimme Shelter” is a good song. The other hits on here are okay. The rest is just more Rolling Stones’ slop.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
I had never heard of her before. She’s awesome!
T. Rex
4/5
I don’t like this one quite as much as the other one I’ve heard on here, largely because the hits have been somewhat ruined for me by their presence in commercials.
Brian Eno
5/5
Eno starting to come into his own. I dig it. Fripp’s contributions are great.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
5/5
First rate prog rock! Feel like this is a big influence on the John Zorn Simulacrum stuff.
The Kinks
4/5
In general I don’t like it as much as the other Kinks album I’ve heard on here but it definitely has some strong tracks including “Situation Vacant”.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Thanks to this project I finally know the difference between Buffalo Springfield and Dusty Springfield. Weird how each track on this is a somewhat different flavor of 60s folk rock. I like some of them okay.
Joan Baez
4/5
My mom loves this shit. Voice is definitely strong. I prefer her in the lower register though. The hyper-celtic falsetto gets a bit tiresome after awhile.
The Beach Boys
4/5
It’s no Pet Sounds, but there are some cool tracks. RIP Brian Wilson. He died yesterday! Can’t be a coincidence.
Motörhead
4/5
Undeniably badass. Not a ton of variation throughout the record and kinda cringe at times. But mostly fun, dirty rock n’ roll.
Cee Lo Green
4/5
I enjoyed this way more than I expected. Great beats, flow and vocal harmonies. Lyrics that are refreshingly heartfelt.
Björk
5/5
Another wonderful record from Björk. This one more intimate and personal than the others I’ve heard.
Klaxons
3/5
Had never heard of them before. The first few tracks are pretty cool. Kind of a less melodramatic Muse. Liked it less as the album went on though. Too much of The Killers in there.
Traffic
4/5
A lot to like here. Some very cool harmonic twists and turns. Blows Jethro Tull out of the water as far as flute-based 70’s rock is concerned.
Joy Division
5/5
Definitely the better of the two Joy Division records. “Twenty Four Hours” is especially my jam.
Pink Floyd
4/5
A monster achievement of a record but somehow also a step down from the three masterpieces that proceeded it. Too much Roger Waters self-psychoanalysis.
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
You can hear all of 90s alternative and modern rock contained within these songs. Oasis, Foo Fighters, Failure, etc were clearly influenced by these guys. It’s cool but a bit whiny for my tastes.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
This is a near perfect record. I randomly discovered Sleater-Kinney shortly after its release when I was looking at music biographies in Tower Records and got into a conversation with someone who convinced me I should go check out the free Guided By Voices concert at Central Park Summerstage. GBV was okay but the opening act was S-K and I was instantly entranced by Tucker’s banshee wail and her and Brownstein’s dueling vocal and guitar lines. They’ve been one of my favorite bands ever since. They have other great albums but none hit quite like this one.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
There are elements I like in this but overall I find him kinda cheesy.
ABBA
3/5
I thought I’d like this more than I do. It’s really not as fun as I was hoping it would be. “Dancing Queen” is by far the best track.
Simple Minds
4/5
This is actually pretty good. I dig the vibes.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Hadn’t heard this one before but was quite familiar with the follow-up having owned a copy around the time of its release. I think this one i
Peter Frampton
3/5
As dad-rock as it gets. The talk box is fun and the songs occasionally rock but it’s a little too smooth for me and that’s coming from someone who loves Steely Dan.
The Blue Nile
3/5
This was promising with some unique instrumentation and I enjoyed some of it, but it was infected with the all too pervasive cheese of music from this time period.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
This isn’t bad and he has a nice voice but it’s produced in a way typical of modern records where it’s easy to ignore. I kept forgetting I was listening to it.
Tom Waits
5/5
One of his best.
John Lennon
5/5
Definitely the best Lennon solo album and probably the best solo Beatles album overall with some really all time amazing songs.
Louis Prima
3/5
Big band is the worst form of jazz though this is a bit more interesting than most.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
I have a soft spot for this kind of 90s electro-pop. But something is *Missing* from this particular record.
Morrissey
3/5
The more I listen to Morrissey, the more I realize what an insufferable crashing bore he is. From a musical perspective some of the tracks are somewhat interesting, though.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
Not as heavy and epic but more high energy and lighthearted than Nothing’s Shocking. Still a fantastic record even if it does trail off a bit towards the end.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Hadn’t heard this one before. I think it might be their most consistently great record. Some really excellent tunes here.
The B-52's
4/5
Way cooler and more fun than one would expect having only heard “Love Shack”.
Kate Bush
5/5
More majesty and wonder from Kate Bush. A bit more restrained on the first half and then she lets loose.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Not unpleasant to listen to, but a bit too twee for much revisiting.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Possibly the best of all Sabbath albums (though a case could be made for Master of Reality). Just relentlessly awesome! I’ve even come to appreciate “Changes”.
Korn
3/5
This record was all the rage freshman year of high school. The first three tracks remain legitimate bangers, but after that the quality drops precipitously, bottoming out in the truly abysmal “All In The Family” which is one of the very worst products of Western Culture, though emblematic of the late 90s.
Talk Talk
3/5
80s vibes sans synthesizers. Kinda interesting.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
A spooky post-punk masterpiece that’s way funkier than it’s generally given credit for being.
Garbage
5/5
I freakin’ love this record. Possibly the most 90s thing that was ever made. Were they commercially fabricated? Sure. But Shirley Manson at least had genuine talent and heart behind her performances and she was a big part of my adolescent sexual awakening so I guess that biases me.
Beyoncé
3/5
I don’t really like Beyoncé’s whole deal but the production makes this a kind of ear candy that’s not unenjoyable. The sexy parts are fun too.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
This has some interesting elements but the vocals mostly made it an unpleasant listen.
Eels
5/5
Unique pastiche of sounds and melodies, apparently born from a hyper-intellectual and traumatic upbringing. I dig it.
Donald Fagen
4/5
Not quite the same without Becker but it still has a lot of what makes Steely Dan great and that decadent late night vibe.
TLC
4/5
I didn’t appreciate this music when I was a kid but it’s actually pretty fun.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
The first four traditional blues tracks don’t do much for me but the last two songs are true classic bangers.
Fever Ray
4/5
I wasn’t crazy about the Swedish dark pop wave that included this when it first hit but I’ve come to really appreciate it over the years.
Sugar
3/5
Parts of this are good but it has the worst proclivities of the Foo Fighters.
The Damned
5/5
As good as punk rock gets!
Madness
4/5
I didn’t get the appeal of this band when I was younger and found my sister’s copy of their eponymous compilation. But now I realize they’re really fun and musically interesting.
N.W.A.
4/5
Much of this is brilliant but i can do without most of Dre and Cube’s cringe bs.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Some real bangers on this one, regardless of how insufferable Plant is after awhile.
Radiohead
5/5
One of the few perfect albums in existence and possibly the record that most defined my taste in music as a youngster when I bought it shortly after it was released. It may still be my all time favorite. Has become increasingly relevant as the present has come more and more to resemble the future it foresaw.
Roxy Music
5/5
Epic dark glam rock comparable to Bowie and presaging Nick Cave.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Two days after OK Computer I draw another record that I believe to be note for note perfect and that was a major formative part of my musical taste as an adolescent. I’ve come to prefer Animals over the years, but this remains an all time genuine masterpiece.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Typical Cohen. Lyrically compelling but musically uninspired. I feel like Nick Cave and Mark Lanegan both listened the hell out of this one though.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I listened to this record for the first time a few years back after dismissing it for most of my life as “old person music even when they were young”. But now as an older person myself I appreciate it as having some genuinely great songs. Still without the lore and Stevie Knick’s style cult they’re really just typical classic soft rock.
The Charlatans
2/5
Bargain basement Oasis. Not entirely unpleasant of a listen but has no business on this list.
CHIC
4/5
These songs are fun but a bit longwinded if you’re not on the dance floor. It puts me in that weird timeless 70s dreamscape that one could wake up to discover is a simulation in a postmodern cyber-noir film.
Gang Of Four
5/5
This is harsher and more abrasive than most post-punk, musically and lyrically. I dig it and highly respect it even if it’s not exactly ear candy.
Bebel Gilberto
4/5
Enjoyable background music with some interesting elements just under the surface.
Carole King
4/5
White lady blues. Pretty damn powerful though and she’s got a kitty on the album cover.
Nick Drake
5/5
I needed this record today. Not sure if I like it better than Pink Moon but it gets the higher rating for hitting the melancholic spot.
Germs
4/5
I’m not a huge fan of the genre but it’s hard to imagine it being more fun and well produced than this.
The Young Gods
5/5
This is a uniquely fantastic take on industrial. Had never heard this before. Thanks generator!
Happy Mondays
3/5
I don’t love this. But it’s not terrible and gets points for being so drug-addled. May have benefited from less bombastic production.
The Police
2/5
Fuck The Police. Mostly fuck Sting. Not Sting the wrestler, though. He’s cool.
Queen Latifah
5/5
Truly resplendent. The pinnacle of old school (80s) hip hop.
Steely Dan
5/5
Only my #3 favorite Steely Dan album but indeed the white funk prog rock masterpiece it’s known to be by those who feel it.
Green Day
4/5
This album was all the rage when I was in 5th grade. The hits are genuine bangers abd the songwriting is strong throughout.
Can
4/5
Delightfully nonsensical
The Kinks
5/5
More sardonic fun from The Kinks.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This is the one about PJ Harvey. Not as dynamic as his earlier records but strong, melancholic songwriting that began his middle period.
The Mamas & The Papas
5/5
Powerful use of harmonies in stereo sound with some absolutely classic songs.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Groovy and inoffensive
Kate Bush
5/5
I love how wildly unhinged this record is. Reminds me of my favorite Bowie album, Lodger. This is also my favorite Kate Bush album that I’ve heard so far.
Röyksopp
3/5
Reasonably pleasant and occasionally interesting electronic music. Didn’t hold my interest for very long though. A bit too placid. Reminded me of shopping at dsw.
The Who
3/5
If only they knew the horrors their generation would wreak upon the world. Mostly white boy blues here with some hint of their more sophisticated work to come.
Bobby Womack
4/5
Almost too smooth.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Solid if somewhat unremarkable jazz.
U2
5/5
This was my first favorite album when I was 9 years old. I heard “Mysterious Ways” on my sister’s stereo and later tracked down the album, falling deeply in love with it. All these years later, through many developments in my musical taste. I still love it, though I don’t know how I would have felt about it had I first encountered it later in life. I think it’s unquestionably U2’s best album objectively speaking. Ironically, “Mysterious Ways” is now one of my least favorite tracks, though “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” is indisputably the low point of the record (it does have a killer bridge section, though.) “The Fly” and “Until The End of The World” have always been faves. Recently I’ve come to appreciate “Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World”. Am extremely fortunate to have been able to see them perform this record in the Las Vegas Sphere last year! Really needed this on a challenging day today.
Elvis Presley
2/5
I like some Elvis but this isn’t his best work.
Hugh Masekela
5/5
This grooves hard as hell! And it’s anti-apartheid?! I’m here for it! Some of the melodies/chord progressions actually remind me a little of Steely Dan, be less white and cheesy. The traditional African stuff mixed with the jazz piano at the end is super cool too.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Come for the epic riffs and incomparable lush yet crunchy guitar sounds, stay for the hauntingly nostalgic songwriting.
Thundercat
4/5
Madcap fun
Fiona Apple
5/5
Fiona Apple just got better and better as a musician and songwriter over the years. Fantastic stuff!
Lorde
3/5
Creative contemporary pop music. Kind of a less eccentric Kate Bush. It’s not bad but there’s something about Lorde that just doesn’t click with me.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Not nearly as groundbreaking or memorable as Loveless but still a cool return from the fuzzmasters. Surprised it made the list though.
5/5
Definitely in my top 10 Bowie records. Possibly track by track the most consistently great one.
Gotan Project
3/5
Not unpleasant background music. Zappa cover is cool.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
5/5
Transcendiferous!!!
Hot Chip
2/5
Tepid fast fast shopping music.
Tom Waits
5/5
Brilliant concept and execution. Waits is at his most melodious and entertaining. He hadn’t yet turned to the abrasive and abstract sound characteristic of his later and more well known period.
Songhoy Blues
5/5
Amazing discovery. Gorgeous music and a powerful, inspiring story of resilience and resistance.
Wild Beasts
4/5
Kate Bush/Bowie/Sparks inspired naughties twee pop. I kinda dig it though.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
This record is so full of undeniably classic hard rocking riffs that I can almost forgive Robert Plant’s vocal sexual assault.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I had skipped this one when it came out. I had assumed it was an unnecessarily long collection of ballads which I had enough of on No More Shall We Part (my favorite Nick Cave album). But there’s a lot more variety here than I expected. Disc one has some tracks that feel a bit like okder Cave though sans Blixa and plus gospel backup singers. Disc two brings the soft ballads and stuff that sounds like Jimmy Buffet. A mixed bag for sure. More is less here and it’s far from a classic Nick Cave record.
Baaba Maal
5/5
This is pretty chill, meditative, almost desert blues but more laid back.
New York Dolls
4/5
So this is what all those terrible hipster punk bands were trying to sound like. It does rock pretty hard. I’m sure the live shows were fun back in the day. Better than the Rolling Stones anyway.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Another one from Rotten & co. This time with more instruments but sometimes no instruments. I think I prefer it to the other one. Gets a bit tedious though.
The Byrds
4/5
Commercial proto-psych pop. Not bad for what it is. Couple of gems. Could do without the “Hey Joe” rendition though.
Goldfrapp
4/5
Enjoyable but mostly unremarkable trip hop. Has some cool moments though.
The Cult
3/5
It’s weird hearing Ian Astbury sing on an AC/DC record. Still not a bad record, though. Has a few gems.
Laibach
5/5
Like Rammstein if they had some aesthetic subtlety. Pretty incredible that this is on this list.
50 Cent
4/5
I have a soft spot for this era of commercial hip hop even though we always felt it was kind of a joke back in the day. The record has some epic hooks though, and not just in the hits (of which there are more than I had remembered!)
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
In middle school and high school this record was universally regarded as a masterpiece. It hasn’t aged too well since then. I find Anthony Kiedis obnoxious and honestly abhorrent. But it’s hard to hate the hard rock funk of the rest of the band and “Under The Bridge” is a great song.
Radiohead
4/5
This was the first Radiohead record since their debut that didn’t completely blow my mind on first listen. Still a strong record, though not quite on the level of their six masterpieces.
Guided By Voices
4/5
I don’t really find their sound generally enjoyable but they get credit for creativity and sonic experimentation with some moments of genuine brilliance.
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
Their most famous record for a reason. “The Killing Moon” really is by far their best song. The whole album is quite beautiful too, though.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
This feels like a bridge between the glam rock of the 70s and the glam metal that would dominate the 80s. It has more of the artistry and musical inventiveness of the former, with the jocular energy of the latter.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
I love how the description makes it seem like people in the US had no idea there was music in Africa until this album came out. Not that I don’t believe it! “World Music” has always been a sad and hilarious label. There’s the US, the UK, and then “The World”. Anyway, the record is pretty cool.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Cool beats. Lyrics are heavy handed and not always artfully composed, but are nonetheless quite based!
Britney Spears
2/5
Ngl the first two tracks are bangers. But the rest was tough to get through. Generically vapid pop music of the time.
Nick Drake
4/5
Some of Drake’s best tunes here. Still very steeped in 60s folk.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
I like this one a bit more than their other record on here. It’s a bit chiller.
Metallica
2/5
Way to make “Master of Puppets” sound like a Christmas carol. I can see why Newstead quit after this. It’s worse than I remembered it. Some of the weaker tracks are actually enhanced by the symphonic elements but that doesn’t make up for the Disneyfication of their classic tunes. “One” is especially an abomination. If you want symphonically enhanced metal, go listen to Ihsahn’s last record.
Mudhoney
5/5
The grungiest of the major grunge bands. Mudhoney don’t get enough credit for the inventiveness of their sonic textures, which are on full display on this record. And some of the guitar solos are wonderfully demented.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Not as experimental as TPAB but still sonically rich and warmer with irresistibly catchy hooks.
Sex Pistols
2/5
I think I prefer the bollocks
John Grant
4/5
He’s kind if like a twisted funhouse mirror Elton John. The first time I ever heard him was when I saw him open for The Pixies I believe not long after this record came out, and he was an impressive performer. These songs are dark in a wistfully sardonic way. They’re excellent but I can only listen to them in a very particular mood.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Funkier than you’d expect from a white British (and Portuguese) guy.
Hole
5/5
This one is even better than Live Through This. Fantastic songwriting and arrangement throughout. Corgan’s influence is apparent, especially concerning the latter. I wish he and Love had collaborated more. It dips a bit in the middle, but it’s excellent overall.
Sister Sledge
5/5
Deliciously funky and genuinely soulful compared with other disco-era records.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
“Rock Box” is great. The rest is okay.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Avant-garde jazz-fusion Joni Mitchell?! Hell yeah!
Eric Clapton
1/5
The epitome of appropriative boomer slop.
Pixies
5/5
Gorgeous, bizarre, wonderful,record from top to bottom. The Pixies’ best!
The Jam
3/5
This is fine but not really my jam.
Radiohead
5/5
The defining record of the millenium so far.
Van Morrison
3/5
The music on this is actually kind of cool but I just find Morrison’s voice grating. Pretty sure Mark Lanegan loved this record.
The Prodigy
4/5
Really creative electronic dance music. Not as iconically stylized as FOTL but musically more interesting.
Kelela
3/5
Decent near-contemporary electro rnb. Not much that’s especially memorable but definitely paved the way for more interesting stuff from the next several years.
Billie Holiday
4/5
I like this somewhat grizzled, older Billie, just as smooth and deeply emotive as ever.
PJ Harvey
5/5
I didn’t really feel this record when it first came out, which was the case for pretty much all of her work after “Stories From The City…” but I got more out of it this listen. There’s a lot of beauty and depth to it, and I’m sure I’ll find even more on subsequent listens. I still feel like some tracks end abruptly when they could have gone somewhere interesting, but maybe that’s the point. Definitely need to spend some time with the lyrics to get the full context.
Femi Kuti
5/5
This is tremendously fun, vibrant music.
Little Richard
3/5
I’m not a huge fan of this early era of rock n’ roll and prefer Chick Berry in any case, but this has an incomparable manic energy that’s pretty impressive.
Nirvana
5/5
The best Nirvana record by far.
Supertramp
2/5
Too cheesy for my tastes. The sort of thing that gave prog-rock a bad name.
5/5
Can a record be overrated but still one of the greatest of all time? Some of these songs I’ve known for literally as long as I can remember. I sang “When I’m 64” in Kindergarten chorus. Other tracks such as “She’s Leaving Home” and “Good Morning Good Morning” (which anticipates Pink Floyd’s Piper by only a couple of months), I didn’t remember as well but are still bangers. Layers and layers to enjoy in this one.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Simple music for simple men. “Simple Man” is itself a banger though I never noticed before how its message contradicts that of “Free Bird”.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot. Well constructed, powerfully personal and emotive pop songs.
Donovan
3/5
“Season of The Witch” is a great song. The rest is okay. Cool that Green Lantern gets a mention in the title track.