This is the background music my background music plays at it's dinner parties.

This is a harsh 4. More of a 4.5 really, and with about 3 tracks trimmed it would be a 5. Noisy and melodic, varied but coherent, raw but slick. it's a real experience. Particular shout out to the superb drumming.

Sounds like trailer trash Beck. Wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but I didn't make it through the last few tracks.

AI, make me an album of sea shanties, children's skipping songs, blues, jazz and folk songs. Here you go Thanks. Now make the singer a chain smoking ogre, but make it bizarrely awesome. Like this? Yeah. Now throw in a Rod Stewart cover version that isn't a cover version. This one? No, the other one. This one? That's the one. Perfect

I enjoyed this musically - angular, catchy and cleanly produced. Vocals and lyrics not so much. It also lacks variety, and the last couple of tracks nearly dropped it a star.

I'm not going to diss you on the Internet.

Why do country songs recorded by a jazz/soul artist in 1962 sound like Disney Christmas songs from the 1930s?

Biggie's flow and rhyming are fantastic, but this album is bloated by all the skits and filler, and the lyrics are about the things that have put me off 90s hip hop for decades - violence and misogyny - which prevents me from enjoying his obvious talent. It's such a a shame we didn't get to see the rapper he could have matured into.

This is a harsh 4. More of a 4.5 really, and with about 3 tracks trimmed it would be a 5. Noisy and melodic, varied but coherent, raw but slick. it's a real experience. Particular shout out to the superb drumming.

Not as good as Blue, but still worthy of 5 stars

A benchmark album for truly alternative rock

Great first 4 tracks, then tails off into madness

One of THE great post rock albums, in my opinion. Probably one of the most unique too.

I get its importance, and it's enjoyable, but does an EP really belong on this list?

"Experimental double album" is usually a phrase that sends a shiver down my spine, but this is a joy from start to finish. My only criticism is starting with the wonderful Teen Age Riot seems like a waste; just imagine how great it would feel if it was the payoff after one of the more difficult tracks instead.

Really stands the test of time. Not an inch of fat on this album (and they had plenty of b-sides from this period that are album worthy)

Surprisingly great. Acoustic pop punk that must've sounded way before it's time, as it has aged really well.

Probably the best example of the style, so it gets a 5

Cheesy, and a bit too candy sweet for me, but you can't knock the songwriting.

I've been pretty careful about giving out 5 stars, and I certainly don't use this term lightly, but this is a masterpiece. The production, the musicianship, and the songwriting is all awesome. It's varied but has an extremely cohesive theme, and the pay off of the "I'll see you on the dark side of the moon" in Brain Damage always gives me goose bumps. It's not my favorite album ever, but it is the standard against which all others are compared.

Starts off really strong, but didn't keep my attention for the second half of the album. Might've been 4 star worthy of I'd had chance to listen more closely.

Track one: oh yes, I remember this one - choon! Track two onwards: well, this is embarrassing

Easy 5 stars: iconic

Felt every word

AI, make me an album of sea shanties, children's skipping songs, blues, jazz and folk songs. Here you go Thanks. Now make the singer a chain smoking ogre, but make it bizarrely awesome. Like this? Yeah. Now throw in a Rod Stewart cover version that isn't a cover version. This one? No, the other one. This one? That's the one. Perfect

Great fun, but not really sure it belongs on the list

Sure, the 80s production is cheesy, but it perfectly contrasts the dark, razor sharp and occasionally sexy lyrics and vocals. A big surprise for me.

My favorite PJ Harvey album. A great collection of songs that show off her range, but have a cohesive theme. The Thom Yorke cameos are the icing on the cake.

Hasn't aged well for me. The excellent singles are still overplayed on the radio and consequently have lost some of their appeal, and the album tracks are pretty forgettable.

Enjoyed the guitar work. Pleasant vocals and lyrics, but fairly forgettable

Sounds like they had a lot of fun recording this album

When I first heard this album I thought it was a greatest hits. It's incredible that the same person wrote all these gems.

This is the background music my background music plays at it's dinner parties.

The layers of samples are so thick at times that it risks sounding messy, but somehow it never does. Albums like this just aren't viable any more.

Not my style at all, but wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There are a few decent tracks in there, but it sounds more like she's copying American R&B than making her own sound.

Still great. This album really captures a certain romance of being young, going out to bars/clubs, first relationships etc with catchy tunes and sharp lyrics. It also reminds me of the era of downloading and sharing bootleg versions of the songs before they were released, as the music press hyped them up, which was more rewarding than the immediate gratification of today's streaming. I'm glad they have matured since then, but this album will never not be fun.

I've listened to this album before, but I don't think I had HEARD it until today. I knew it was going to be a 5/5 from the tracklist alone, but it was even better than I had expected. The themes/story are present through most of the album, but never detract from the songs (I read some were written before the theme was decided then tweaked to fit it, which makes sense when you listen). It's grand but never over the top like I've come to expect anything called a "rock opera" to be. The songwriting is obviously amazing because Bowie, but the production is also superb, and I love how it starts and ends so strongly. Ziggy was right to be concerned - he's still blowing minds all these years later.

Sounds like trailer trash Beck. Wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but I didn't make it through the last few tracks.

Sounds exactly how you expect British punk to sound...but with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing - moments of glam, hand claps, a hair metal guitar solo. I enjoyed it.

Dull, dull, dull

This one really tests my ability to put nostalgia aside, and the basis I have been rating some albums on. Radiohead are my favorite band, and this album was my entry point to them as a 13 year old, so holds a special place in my music journey. For that reason it's really difficult to be objective about how good it is. I've also tried to limit my 5s to the best of the best, and there are some great albums I've given a 4 because they aren't the artist's best album. I've tried to leave myself room to differentiate only their very best works as a 5. The Bends is probably my 4th or 5th favorite Radiohead album (my exact ranking changes depending on my mood), but try as I might to take an objective and strict perspective it's still a 5 star album. There isn't a weak track. Thom Yorke's vocals are probably the best they've ever sounded, and Jonny Greenwood's trademark crunching guitar still does funny things to me all these years later.

Elliot Smith was a special talent and a tortured soul. I've listened to this album a hundred times, but I still manage to find something new every time.

Funky/jazzy Bowie isn't the best Bowie (for the record, that's Labyrinth Bowie), but it's still pretty great

Every Breath You Take saves it from being a 2

When Bjork commits to a concept for an album she commits hard, sometimes to the detriment of the album. This isn't my favorite Bjork album by a long shot, but it's hugely ambitious, always interesting, and has some really beautiful tracks.

There isn't much more I can say that hasn't been said about this album, but when it starts with my two favorite Beatles songs it's going to be hard for me to give it any less than 5

I'm a fan of Lana Del Rey and this album, but got to admit I was surprised to see this on the list. It's not her best album. Hell, it's not her best album released in 2021! That said, it's still a good album - moody, dramatic, with just enough pop hooks to keep you reeled. I just wish Lana Del Rey was represented by Norman Fucking Rockwell! instead.

I can't be objective about this one. It probably has a little too much filler to truly deserve a 5 star rating, but the whole album is such a vibe, and the standout tracks are such classics in the indie/dance crossover genre, that anything less would be a disservice. Can we talk about the album cover too? Iconic.

I wasn't prepared for how much I love this. I'm a bit of a sucker for piano-lead rock, but throw in the saxophone, great vocals (which I was expecting, 'cus Springsteen), and fantastic production, and this really hit hard. There's just not an inch of fat on it. "Springsteen envisioned the songs taking place over one long summer day and night." - what a frickin' day that must've been!

Sorry to the Paul Simon fans, but every track is either boring or a bit cringey

Started off strong, and I enjoy the Springsteen vibes, but every song is too long, and there's too much ambient noise filler.

I enjoy this every Christmas 🎄☃️🎅

Two classic early 90s dance singles (Connected and Step It Up) get a star each, but like most albums in this genre there's just a ton of filler around them

Not Fiona Apple's best album, but it's truly remarkable that she was a teenager when she wrote and recorded this album. I struggle to think of many more mature debuts.

This album is a vibe.

Reminds me of my university days. This is the perfect music to study to; not distracting, but has a level of energy so it doesn't put you to sleep. Not sure I can give background music more than 3/5 though.

It's hard to fathom how this must have sounded in the context of 1968. Just 5 years after the Beatles shocked the world by having slightly long hair, and just 3 years after Dylan caused a stir by using electric guitars, the aggression of this album must've sounded like being in a wind tunnel.

I feel like I should like this more than I do, but the songs are too long and too...twee. I'm sure I'd enjoy it more if I relistened and really focused on the lyrics, but it didn't draw me in for a second spin.

I view this album like a companion piece to Odelay, much like how Morning Phase is a companion piece to Sea Change. It has a similar mash up of styles, but feels a little less frenetic and a little more mature. Only 4/5 because it doesn't have the killer singles that Odelay has.

Very chill, but the quality of musicianship really stands out even to someone who doesn't know much about jazz

I've always thought I should like Foo Fighters more. They release good singles, they're a great live band and Dave Grohl is a legend, but I've never been tempted to dive into their albums. This isn't the album to change my mind. Sure it's really impressive that it was recorded in 6 days by the guy everyone thought was "just" the drummer from Nirvana, but ultimately it's a pretty mediocre grunge/rock album without any particularly memorable songs.

Sorry, but this was a real struggle to get through. I found myself skipping the last minute or so of most tracks, which is pretty damning

I tend to approach albums I know and love with more scepticism than those I'm not familiar with; is it really that good when viewed objectively in comparison to great albums? Often that results in me listening to my head over my heart and reluctantly giving it a 4 star rating, and I thought this would be the case here. However, Nevermind still holds up for me. Sure it's front loaded, but what a front half that is! The second "side" doesn't have the same hits/hooks but it's still aggressive, lean and always engaging. It's the best grunge album in my opinion, and the iconic cover art tips it over the edge of there was any doubt it's a 5/5 album.

I was dreading this based on the name of the band and the album, but it turned out to be pretty fun

Not sure why but I wasn't expecting to enjoy this, so it was a pleasant surprise.

Contrary to others, I found it a pleasant surprise to find this on the list. Doves were a favorite band of mine in the 2000s, and although their debut is my favorite, this is a more commercial/accessible album. Personally I think it still stands up, and I'll defend it's place on the list to represent that era.

I haven't gone this far back in U2's back catalogue before but I enjoyed this. The production is great, especially the drumming which reminds me a bit of Joy Division - it gives the album a coldness that suits the political subject matter of some of the tracks. Taking a star off because although there were no skippable tracks, after the first 3 none really stood out to me as special.

Nice!

I was happy to get Brian Eno album after recently reading about his role in producing some of Bowie's most interesting albums, as well as U2, Talking Heads etc. However, whilst this album is definitely a collection of interesting and diverse soundscapes, they rarely turn into anything more than that. Oh for Bowie to work his magic over these starting points.

Riffs on riffs on riffs, over great drums. The lyrics are pretty corny these days, but I'm here for it. The opening salvo of War Pigs and Paranoid is hard to beat, and the reprieve of Planet Caravan is welcome before Iron Man completes one of the strongest side 1s I've heard. I was fully expecting it to drift off a bit after that, but side 2 is strong too

It's just wall to wall hits. My only gripe with Thriller are: i) Paul McCartney isn't the right for The Girl Is Mine, and ii) the album title doesn't really fit with the vibe - Thriller is an outlier. Aside from that it's pretty perfect.

I first heard this album 9 months ago, and immediately became pregnant. The pregnancy was smooth, the contractions had a funky rhythm, and today I gave birth to our child who emerged wearing a velvet robe.

One of the things I love about this project is I've listened to more hip hop than ever before, and I've really enjoyed a lot of it. I was excited to get an album from a non-US artist thinking the different accent and terminology would offer something new, but I just found the lyrics to be pretty cringe worthy to be honest. And why in 2016 were artists persevering with the awful "skits" between tracks - I don't think I've heard one that adds anything to an album after about 1988. Ya get me, fam?!

It's hard to dislike Creedence. This one starts off a bit slow for me, but side 2 is packed with jams.

I thought it would be the lyrics that would make me dislike this album, but I actually objected to the slick and super commercial production more.

I find double albums rarely justify their length, so I wasn't too excited about this monster. There are some really good songs in there, some catchy melodies, great lyrics and moments of humor, all of which would be memorable if they weren't buried under mounds of filler. Some tracks are just forgettable, some are too twee, some are cringe worthy attempts at humor, and some don't even pretend to be more than filler. The good moments would make a great album. Maybe even a great double album! But I shouldn't have to go digging through so much dirt to find the gems, and you sure as hell don't get bonus points for it. It actually made me pretty angry to listen to.

I'd say I was a fan of The Kinks, but that's based on their greatest hits - I don't think I've ever listened to one of their albums before. This felt like a breath of fresh air compared to yesterday's album (69 Love Songs by Magnetic Fields); the perfect length to listen to on my morning commute, and no skippable tracks. I enjoyed how British it sounds - there's even a song about afternoon tea! Aside from the singles, Love Me 'til the Sun Shines was a standout.

Surprised by how many of these I knew. Classic stuff that I'm glad I've listened to, but not something I'd revisit.

I was surprised to see that this renowned album doesn't have any of the Stone's big hits, but from the get go this album is an absolute riot. Between the variety of US influences and the production with Jagger's vocals low in the mix battling with the instruments, it made me feel like I was in a small venue in New Orleans with the band packed onto a tiny stage, and having a blast. I love how different members of the band take center stage on different tracks. If I'm being picky I'd drop a couple of tracks, and use that time to extend a few tracks that fade out to give them time to wrap up properly, but it's still a definite 5/5.

Starts out really strong (love Papa won't leave you, Henry and Straight to You in particular) but fades out in the second half. I listened to the remastered version, so I'm not counting the original production issues that Cave didn't like against it.

I didn't dislike this as much as I thought I would, but it sure does wear you down after a few songs

Weird but really fun

Aged 8 I developed an unlikely love for Alice Cooper's song Poison. That and School's Out were the only of his songs I knew before listening to this, so this album was a big surprise. I was expecting hair/glam metal and dark lyrics, but what I got was a variety of styles that decidedly don't rock. Fun at times, but ultimately a bit too camp

I get why it's on the list, and I'm tempted to rate it higher because it's the Beatles, but it's nearly half cover versions, and they're just lacking a bit of... something. Maybe it's just too polished compared to their rockier live performances before they were picked up.

There's so much anti Coldplay sentiment these days, that I've found myself starting to believe it (when in fact I loved their first 3 albums, and have subsequently found them a bit boring and over commercialized). Revisiting this album was a welcome reminder of how good it it. No skips for me, and I had forgotten about some great non-single tracks.

It's been interesting to get early albums by the Beatles and the Stones back to back. I marked the Beatles down for half the album being covers, but the reality was it was the covers just being a bit... whisper it... average. I found this mostly covers album much more enjoyable. Jagger's vocals, and the energy of the performances, plus a better choice of songs channeling their love of American R&B makes this much more of an essential album for me. The Beatles plodding their way through Please Mr Postman just can't hold up to the likes of Not Fade Away and I Just Want To Make Love to You just a year later.

Easy 5 stars for me. The best album by one of my favorite bands, and the one where Jack White's guitar playing really hit it's stride. Hardly any wasted space on this album (only the introduction narrative to Little Acorns is potentially a skip). 7 Nation Army gets the most attention, but with the likes of The Hardest Button to Button, Ball and Biscuit and Black Math it's got fierce competition for my favorite on the album.

With all albums on the list that I already know and love(d) I start out assuming it's a 4/5 when put in the context of some of THE great albums. Sure, I loved it when I was 14 and hadn't heard that much music, and I'm sure I'll still enjoy it, but it's no longer going to hit the same now. Surprisingly, this album absolutely holds up for me. It has hits spread throughout (I'd forgotten that Ironic is at track 10), and the album tracks all contribute variety and depth. It struck me that word perfect 14 year old me didn't really appreciate the subjects Alanis Morissette was singing about - I was able to enjoy this on a different level today.

Gets better as the album goes on. I appreciate the songwriting and his voice, but ultimately this over dramatic style just isn't for me (and probably actually detracts from what I'd imagine are decent lyrics and interesting subject matters). Interesting to see where the Arctic Monkeys took inspiration from their last couple of albums, though. BTW what's with the photo used on the cover - was that really the best shot they could get of him?

I enjoyed this musically - angular, catchy and cleanly produced. Vocals and lyrics not so much. It also lacks variety, and the last couple of tracks nearly dropped it a star.

I enjoyed this one a little more than I was expecting - this album doesn't get the same sort of hype as their 90s albums. Really hits it's stride in the middle of the album, but there wasn't a weak track.

Despite not being a fan of 90s hip hop I've got a lot of time for Eminem. I like his multiple personas (little bit Bowie-esque), his rhymes are very clever, he's definitely got an ear for a good sample, and he's undeniably influential. That said, this is the second Eminem album I've listened to now and the second I haven't enjoyed. There are some really good tracks (The Real Slim Shady, Bitch Please II) but there are also some I hated (Remember Me, Kim), and others that were ruined by attempts to shock with violence, misogyny and homophobic slurs. Then there are the awful skits that unnecessarily pad the album out to a bloated 72 minutes. And no, Eminem, I'm not going to suck your cock because I don't like your music.

Pretty enjoyable. I appreciate the variety, but it makes for an album without coherence. It left me not really knowing what sort of band Spirit are, or whether I wanted to check out their other albums.

The one where the Stones found their sound

I'd rather listen to a classical piano suite than listen to someone wank off a keyboard to it

I wasn't too excited about getting another album by The Byrds, but this was better than I was expecting. 1967 was a special year for music.

I really love the sound of some of the opening tracks, but it's far too long and I stopped paying attention half way through, which is never a good sign

I really enjoyed revisiting this album. It definitely drops off in the second half, and I wish the 4 great singles had been spread out better (imagine All These Things That I've Done as an album closer), but the first half is so strong I'll forgive them. As an aside, I saw Bill Bailey at a festival where The Killers were playing, and he did a version of All These Things That I've Done with a chorus of "I've got ham but I'm not a hamster) and it's been how I sing along to it ever since.

Living in Texas I feel like I should make more of an effort to listen to Willie Nelson. I wouldn't say he's bigger than Jesus here, but he is treated somewhat similarly (it's not unusual to see either's imagine on someone's wall). I liked the really relaxed tone of this album. It's the sort of music I'd love to listen to live in the background, sat outside with a cold beer in my hand. His voice is great, but there's nothing that really caught my attention, or informed me why this album was chosen over his 101 (literally!!!) other studio albums.

I appreciate the interesting production, although a few of the tracks were quite annoying. I got to To the Moon's Contractor and thought a 10 minute instrumental was a bit of a flat way to end the album...then realized there was another 25 minutes to go. It's bloated and pretentious, but I made it through which gets it 2 stars (just).

If you can turn a blind eye to the absolutely rampant misogyny, this is a pretty great and undeniably important album.

One of the holy trinity of Britpop albums (the others being What's The Story... and A Different Class) but this definitely isn't my favorite Blur album. It's a lot of fun, but I find the almost cartoonish levels of Britishness slightly grating at times.

That voice. That soul. I'm pretty familiar with this album, but it never fails to give me goosebumps at several points. Me and Bobby McGee is the greatest cover version ever (fight me!), and Cry Baby is up there with the great vocal performances, but every other track is great too. Top musicianship too, although Joplin always takes center stage. It doesn't matter to me that she didn't write most of these songs, because she makes them all her own

Sounds surprisingly fresh; only a couple of tracks sounded dated, and even they sound more early/mid 90s. I was expecting every track to be 8 minutes, but it's much more restrained than many electronic albums. I'm not going to revisit this album, but I appreciate it's good and was probably groundbreaking.

For me, this isn't just one of the best albums of the 2000s, it's up there as one of the best debut albums of all time. It still stuns me that Arcade Fire arrived so fully formed, with their own distinctive sound and an album that's wonderfully coherent, both musically and thematically. Most bands don't reach that level until several albums in, and many never get there. The downside is each of their subsequent albums will always be compared to Funeral, and they haven't been able to reach that height again.