862
Albums Rated
3.32
Average Rating
79%
Complete
227 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
79
5-Star Albums
21
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Street Signs
Ozomatli
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
The Who Sell Out
The Who
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
|
Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka Touré
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
|
1 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
|
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Reign In Blood
Slayer
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
|
2 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
|
Arise
Sepultura
|
1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
|
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
|
2 | 3.73 | -1.73 |
|
Slipknot
Slipknot
|
1 | 2.68 | -1.68 |
|
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
|
1 | 2.64 | -1.64 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Who | 5 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4.6 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.75 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.75 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 6 | 4.33 |
| Paul Simon | 3 | 4.67 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| Fiona Apple | 2 | 5 |
| Jane's Addiction | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Dire Straits | 2 | 5 |
| John Lennon | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4.2 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 4.25 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.25 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Kinks | 3 | 4.33 |
| Queen | 3 | 4.33 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.33 |
| U2 | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Prodigy | 2 | 1 |
| Sepultura | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 4, 1 |
5-Star Albums (79)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Lenny Kravitz · 13 likes
3/5
For me, Kravitz has always dwelled in that area between “modern iteration of Sam Cooke“ and “yoga instructor your wife/girlfriend is a little too excited to see.“ I liked this album, but it didn’t do much to move him one way or the other on that spectrum.
Can · 9 likes
2/5
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Nina Simone · 4 likes
5/5
Singers like Mariah Carey should take note: having a powerful voice is about more than just singing scales. You can feel Simone’s pain, heartache, outrage, and strength pouring out of even my tinny phone speaker. Amazing!
Paul Simon · 2 likes
5/5
I believe that at his peak, Paul Simon could write a song about the phonebook and make it sound witty, then hit you with an understated yet poignant track about your grocery list.
Ozomatli · 2 likes
5/5
Listening to this had multiple health benefits including a lifting of spirits, and a slight loosening of hip joints. Suffice to say I had never heard of this band before today and I am so glad I know of them now.
1-Star Albums (21)
All Ratings
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
A voice as comforting and graceful as a warm autumn afternoon.
Supergrass
3/5
Early 90s Brit alt-rock/pop in a nutshell.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Strong vocals, powerful lyrics, great album.
Billy Joel
4/5
He’s the piano man. He played me a song tonight. Some of those songs were pretty good. I may ask him to play them again.
Depeche Mode
3/5
As a being with mass, I appreciate this band making music for me and my ilk. When I have further need of feeling robotic and disconnected, I shall request my musical device to summon said music.
Röyksopp
2/5
I didn’t catch all the lyrics, but I’m pretty sure a few times I heard them say, “Your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line for the next available associate.”
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Unconventional, but these songs tended to become more beautiful the more time you spent with them. Started as a 3*, ended as a 4*.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Should have been billed as a synth-pop opera about a sex club. Despite that oversight, it was actually pretty good overall. Well, better than expected anyway.
Funkadelic
4/5
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Interesting, charming, and I feel like a better person for having listened to this.
Suede
3/5
A little Stone Roses, a little Depeche Mode, and a lot of “meh.”
Aretha Franklin
4/5
It’s hard not to like Aretha. Soulful, powerful voice with great range. Can sing everything from gospel to blues to pop with equal sincerity.
Solomon Burke
4/5
If ever I find myself in the mood for some old-school soul music, I can see myself reaching for this. Not quite as smooth as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, or Wilson Pickett. But that’s not a bad thing.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Wow. Nobody can play the squeaky balloon quite like Robert! Honestly, I can think of a lot of different albums I would rather have listened to instead of this.
Digital Underground
3/5
Fun, albeit a little more pornographic than expected. And it definitely gave the expectation of being pornographic.
Blur
4/5
An interesting blend of alt pop, sensibilities, and unconventional creativity. I pressed play expecting to hear just another bland Offspring type of band. Instead, I heard elements of the Kinks, Bowie, and the Velvet Underground. A pleasant surprise.
Incubus
3/5
Don’t like it enough to give it a 4*, didn’t hate it enough to give it a 2*. Pretty typical commercial angst rock from the early aughts.
The Residents
1/5
This answers the question of what people did with their strange music projects in the days before YouTube. Turns out, they were still able to cut a record and release it to the public. I actually would give this a 1.5* because it made me laugh more than it made me angry for being on this list in the first place. But I am going to round down because I do not support the stabbing of ducks. Even if that duck happens to be similarly armed.
Fela Kuti
4/5
I recently attended a performance by an Afro-Caribbean brass band during which the band leader explained the history of that style of music. Brass instruments had been introduced to most corners of the world as part of military bands and had come to represent oppression and colonialism (redundant, I know). So by co-opting those instruments, musical styles like this, ska, rocksteady, and reggae all came to represent freedom and independence more so than just a laid-back “island” sound. I had never really thought of it in that way before, and will never look at it the same way again. I really enjoyed this album.
The Stooges
4/5
The album title is definitely appropriate. Not very polished, but that is to be expected from this genre. My biggest complaint is that I could almost smell Iggy’s sweat while listening to it.
Little Richard
3/5
I respect Little Richard for his talent and impact on the music of that generation. But every song sounds pretty much the same with only a few variations in the lyrics and occasionally the tempo. I’m not so sure if that is due to limitations in his talent and ability or the expectations of rock music at the time.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
The Who
5/5
Dion
2/5
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Steve Winwood
3/5
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Paul McCartney
3/5
Liked it better for not having a lot of typical McCartney pop singles.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Felt like I was in an hour-long Charlie Brown TV special, except with more bass solos. I’m not mad.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Excellent voice. She could make singing the phone book sound delightful.
Moby
3/5
I will forever prefer Johnny Cash‘s take on “Run On,” but overall some pretty entertaining tracks.
Bob Dylan
4/5
When it comes to Dylan, I feel sometimes his limitations as a vocalist cloud his skills as a songwriter. That is how I felt when I originally bought this album back in 97. Listening to it again now, I have a greater appreciation.
Boston
4/5
It’s like every song ever played on classic rock stations is on this album. Seriously. “Greatest Hits” albums don’t have the kind of success rate this one did. Love, hate, or just tired of the genre, that’s a pretty impressive feat for a debut.
Pixies
4/5
With the exception of a couple of tracks, I really enjoyed this. You could definitely hear the how they influenced a lot of the bands that came after.
Julian Cope
4/5
Came into this with zero expectations. This is an artist I felt I may have heard of but really knew nothing about. Really like the mix of punk, funk, and overall originality.
Mercury Rev
2/5
Can’t say this was what I expected to hear when I pressed “Play.” Can’t say I really liked it, either. Not bad, just not my cup of tea. I read one description of the album that said the band made this mostly for themselves rather than to please critics, and I’m happy for them for that.
Michael Jackson
2/5
I did not enjoy this. There was enough funk on a few tracks to save it from a 1-star rating from me. But too much disco everywhere else.
Soundgarden
4/5
The Killers
4/5
Was familiar with the radio-singles, but never took a deeper dive. They seem to have taken the best elements of 80s alt-pop and updated the sound. I really like this.
Blondie
4/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Hard for an album to have a stronger opening track than “Badlands.” Definitely one of the all-time greats! Listening to Springsteen makes you feel like you just worked a double-shift digging ditches at a steel mill, only to come home and find an eviction notice on your door and yet feel that you’re strong enough to keep doing what needs to be done. A cognitively dissonant blend of feeling bleak and hopeful at the same time. It’s brilliant!
Skepta
3/5
Talented MC and DJ, plus his accent adds something a little extra special.
Pretenders
3/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Elliott Smith
2/5
A pleasant but mostly uninteresting collection.
Hole
3/5
Back in the day, I had always dismissed Courtney Love as a female Kurt Cobain wannabe. I think that still holds true. But with the wisdom of age, I also see her carrying on the tradition of Patti Smith, Chrissy Hynde, and Debbie Harry and I have a bit more respect for that.
Eurythmics
3/5
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Maxwell
2/5
I feel like I need to take a shower and clear my browser history.
Santana
4/5
The Police
4/5
Pantera
1/5
I am not angry enough at the world to have enjoyed this.
AC/DC
3/5
James Brown
4/5
I like James Brown, but a little can go a long way. This was the just right amount.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Didn’t care much for him as a vocalist. But he made up for it as a so-so songwriter. Pretty telling that the best track was the cover of “Hallelujah.”
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Case study in quality songwriting. One doesn’t need to be a great vocalist, although it helps. Cohen is emotional without being whiny, dark(ish) in a matter-of-fact way, and an overall treat to listen to.
Elton John
4/5
I liked the energy of this, plus the variety of styles and influences. Elton John has certainly earned his status as a legend in the field.
Ozomatli
5/5
Listening to this had multiple health benefits including a lifting of spirits, and a slight loosening of hip joints. Suffice to say I had never heard of this band before today and I am so glad I know of them now.
Scott Walker
2/5
A pleasant voice singing songs. Aside from that, I’m not sure what it is about this album I had to hear before I die. Although I do appreciate the plot summary of The Seventh Seal. Watched that movie in college and wasn’t really able to understand it very well. So, thanks for that, Scott.
The Soft Boys
3/5
If bands were people themselves, and not just made up of people, then this band would be a child of the Clash and the Kinks, who spent a lot of time growing up listening to the Pixies, Violent Femmes and the Velvet Underground. That doesn’t mean I like this band as much as all those others. But I do respect their influences.
The Smiths
3/5
Not a big fan of Morrissey as a vocalist. But I can hear and respect the influence they had on other bands of their era, and those to come after.
Tom Waits
3/5
Tom Waits is one of those artists whose voice is just as much an instrument as the piano, guitar, etc. The singing is a little hard to take at first, but the more you listen to him the more it “works.” At least, it worked for a couple tracks on this album. Others, it was a distraction. “Closing Time” is a far better album from him.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
If you were anywhere around college radio in the early to mid 90s, you didn’t have to be there long before hearing one of the many iterations of Bob Mould. It’s pretty obvious how he and his bands helped define the “alternative“ genre during that time.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Stereolab
2/5
Every bit as “artsy” and non-commercial as the album title would suggest. But after a fun start, it mostly became repetitive and unenjoyable.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
A perfectly adequate representation of mid 90s alternative rock. Also a perfect representation of why I dislike the term “alternative rock,” since the sameness of it means there wasn’t much of an alternative.
Baaba Maal
4/5
Proof that you don’t necessarily need to understand the words to find music a total joy.
Norah Jones
3/5
Lovely music, although I could walk away from it while still playing and feel like I didn’t miss much.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
An amazing talent. Great range in her voice, and creative use of multiple musical styles.
Deep Purple
2/5
As I listened to this, all I could picture in my head was Spinal Tap. They, too, were big in Japan. And that connection helped deal with the lyrical meaninglessness of songs like “Space Trucking.” Not bad music, but really hard to take seriously.
Supertramp
3/5
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
4/5
I would have liked some of the tracks more if the blues hadn’t exploded. But overall a fun, rockabilly sound that I may not like every day, but I enjoyed today.
Aerosmith
4/5
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
Talking Heads
5/5
The Verve
4/5
Cypress Hill
4/5
Adele
4/5
Inarguably a tremendous voice. Although I must say, I prefer her singing on soul, blues, and rock-inspired tracks compared to her ballads.
Thundercat
2/5
Very Zappa-esque. I never really got into Zappa. But then it took a strange turn into 90s soul/rap before both styles drunkenly mixed to finish the album. Amusing, but I don’t love it.
Eagles
4/5
Although I’m a little tired of how overplayed this band has been over the years, I will admit that I owned this album back in the day and their harmonies are beautiful to listen to.
Laura Nyro
3/5
I feel like I just listened to the story arc of a contestant on American Idol. A talented vocalist showing off her technical skills on a series of somewhat uninspiring songs. I’m not mad I listened to it, but I’m pretty sure I will quickly forget what I heard.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Jazzy. But jazz is more fun with a big(ish) band than some dude meandering away on a piano with equally aimless bass accompaniment. A little short of “atomic” in my book, but not hard to listen to.
Doves
2/5
I read this band was #1 in the UK during their heyday. But the UK also gave us Coldplay and Oasis. That’s a big pile of “meh,” for me.
Beth Orton
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
5/5
Sigur Rós
2/5
Sorry, Iceland, but I'm just not into this.
David Bowie
3/5
Almost exactly what one would expect from Bowie. Inventive and unconventional But this is far from my favorite work of his.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
This album seems to answer the question the Beatles were afraid to ask, as to what would happen if they made every song as lyrically random as “I am the Walrus.” The results aren’t terrible, but I’m not sure I’ll listen to this again.
Beatles
4/5
Oasis
3/5
A lot of these tracks are OK, and some are even quite adequate.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Still not a fan of the genre and the frequently repetitive loops, but something hit me right about this today.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Another one of those bands that I had always heard about but never listened to. Fairly representative of late 80s alt rock/punk in the spirit of Husker Du, Psychadelic Furs, and Sonic Youth.
Frank Ocean
2/5
Charles Mingus
3/5
Beatles
4/5
It’s hard not to like the Beatles or st least acknowledge the depth and breadth of their impact. They set the standard for pop song writing. But once I realized “Norwegian Wood” was about burning down a girl’s home because she wouldn’t give more than pleasant conversation, it has hit a little different. And the lyrics to “Run for your Life” are more than a little cringy. I’m guessing they might like to have that one back. Those are the only things holding me back from giving this a full 5-stars, because otherwise it is a brilliant work of music.
The Streets
1/5
The story arc was sort of an interesting idea, and I’m happy he found his money while learning a little bit about himself and his relationship. But he’s not a very good rapper and the beats were awful.
Beastie Boys
4/5
The Beta Band
3/5
Miles Davis
3/5
There were moments of this I really enjoyed. But overall, I still don’t think I’m cool enough to get jazz.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Beats and flow = 4*
Lyrics = mostly 2*. To me, the power of a track like “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” is undercut by the total unseriousness of “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” and “Backseat Freestyle.”
B.B. King
5/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
John Prine
4/5
Decent “country” voice. Great lyrics.
The Temptations
4/5
3/5
I think I finally figured this band out. They are what the Beatles would have sounded like had they continued making music into the ‘90s: not bad, but past their prime.
The Byrds
3/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Blur
2/5
Not sure how an album like this made the list. Although there are some entertaining bits, those bits were already done by the Kinks in the 60s and most “new wave” bands in the 80s.
The Smiths
3/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
Nice to hear some deep cuts from Elvis to be reminded he wasn’t always the caricature he has turned into.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
In any conversation about “great American songwriters,” it’s easy to say Springsteen belongs at the fore of that conversation along with Dylan, Lou Reed, Paul Simon, and (maybe to an only-slightly lesser degree) John Hiatt.
2/5
If my kids ever ask what 70s prog-rock sounded like outside of radio-edited singles, I feel confident that I can point to this or Jethro Tull’s “Thick as a Brick” as representative examples. I’m equally confident that they will never ask that question. Prog-rock singles are just fine.
Neil Young
4/5
The Who
5/5
As a Who fan, I know this isn’t their best album. But I was happy to see it make this list because it showcases their creative and satirical side - and features one of the best lead-drummer songs ever.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Scott Walker
2/5
I feel like I’ve spent 45 minutes trapped in my parents house. Walker has a lovely voice and decent range. But I enjoyed listening to him not at all.
The Specials
4/5
That was fun.
Duran Duran
2/5
If my kids ever wanna know what 80s pop music sounded like, I would play them this as a fairly representative example. And then I would quickly explain to them that there was much, much better music that came out of the decade than what this presents.
Tori Amos
4/5
This album seemed to be in every woman’s dorm room on our college campus in the early 90s and for good reason. Her songs spoke to a lot of the female experience that went unrepresented in a lot of 80s music, and 90s men trying to prove themselves sensitive to that paid attention. Love it or hate it, you couldn’t ignore it. But are the songs any good? Yes.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Answers the question of what would it sound like if The Beach Boys wanted to make an Eagles album, yet without using any of either band’s trademark harmonies. The results aren’t awful, so at least now we know the answer. If anyone asked.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
Nick Drake
4/5
Pressed play, and was pleasantly surprised to realize I had been thinking of Nick Cave when this popped up on the album of the day list. Still melancholy, but much more enjoyable to listen to than Cave.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I feel like I should have liked this more than I did. They are way too mellow and chill to dislike. But something just didn’t click for me.
Van Halen
3/5
I would not debate that Eddie Van Halen belongs in the upper echelon of great rock guitarists. But overall, these songs didn’t age well.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
The Incredible String Band
1/5
“Scottish psychedelic funk” sounds like fun. But loosely translated to English, it simply means, “we have a sitar and nonsensical lyrics.” This album is a 49-minute trip to an extremely awkward Renaissance Fair. I know that’s redundant, but I think that helps underscore the experience of listening to this.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Quality vocalist gives adequate performance of uninspiring love songs.
Eagles
3/5
Since almost every album by the Eagles that we are exposed to in life seems like a Greatest Hits album it was kind of nice to listen to some of their “deep cuts.“. Can’t say I loved them, but it was nice to hear.
The Human League
3/5
Simultaneously peppy and depressing. Is “emo-synth pop” a thing? I do admire the variety of styles the 80s presented.
The Hives
3/5
I was a little surprised to find I knew more of their songs than I thought I did. But the fact that I never connected their name to those songs indicates they have fallen well short of this albums stated goal. An underwhelming level of ordinaryness.
Radiohead
4/5
The more Radiohead I listen to, the more I realize how like the Velvet Underground they are. Not every song is a toe-tapping sing along, and some tracks are a challenge to listen to. But there’s always something interesting going on.
Method Man
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
My only complaint is that when Boomers get all puffed up and smug about “our generation had the best music,” they can point to these guys and I have to sit back down. Maybe not the GOAT, but damn they’re good. It’s just a shame that generation mucked up so many other things.
Radiohead
4/5
I’m not all the way to being a Radiohead-head yet. The vocals are a little hard to take for long stretches of time. But every time I listen to them I hear something interesting.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I’ve always heard good things about this band, but only knew a couple of songs. I’ve been missing out. This was a pleasure to listen to - original without being hipster-level opaque, mature but fun. Like Radiohead on antidepressants.
Frank Black
3/5
This is one of those albums I would have liked better if it were 8-10 tracks shorter. Doesn’t matter which ones they cut.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t 27-minutes of the “Dukes of Hazzard” theme. Actually found it somewhat enjoyable, especially compared to the soulless pandering of modern country music.
Nirvana
4/5
This is a great example of why listening to an entire album is much better than just the singles. I’ve never been much of a Nirvana fan, mainly because of how some songs were overplayed on radio and MTV. But there’s no denying this is a powerful performance, and the lesser known tracks are some of the best.
Dr. John
3/5
This reminds me that this project is about albums we should listen to at least once…not necessarily the 1001 best of all time. Is this one of the top 1001 of all time? I’m arguably not qualified to say. Will I listen to it again? Perhaps. Am I glad I listened to it? 100% yes.
MGMT
3/5
This is a good example of why you shouldn’t judge an album by its cover art. Looking at this, I was expecting “millennial bros make music whining about first world problems.” The end result was actually far more tolerable, albeit ordinary. Seriously, nothing here I haven’t heard before.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Perfect example of a band’s name fitting their sound. One can picture penguins performing most of these tracks, relentlessly cute, until one sort of tunes them out and forgets they’re there.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Consider hell properly raised.
The Doors
3/5
Still don’t love the Doors. But I will admit Morrison is a better vocalist than I had previously given him credit for.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Jazz.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Guided By Voices
3/5
Carpenters
2/5
I’m struggling to understand why I didn’t like this better. She has a lovely voice, and their style is reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel. But something about it just doesn’t strike my fancy. Maybe it’s because the songs themselves are a bit dopey and cliché?
Dr. Octagon
3/5
Ray Charles
4/5
I can’t help but wonder how many country music fans in the early 60s picked this up expecting something different. The rearrangement of old country standards must have put more than a few of them on edge. But this is a great work and a pleasure to listen to, although occasionally jarring to hear him refer to himself as a slave (albeit to love) and as having “once” been blind.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Paul McCartney writes catchy songs.
John Cale
4/5
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if John Cale could sing like Paul McCartney, this album would be seen as an equal to “Band on the Run.” May this be the most controversial statement you see today.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Smacks somewhat of the lyrical sensibilities of Springsteen coupled with the grander orchestration of Cold Play. The latter somewhat undermines the former at times, but all in all I like this band.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Context matters. So it’s important to think about what Germany was like in the early 1980s when asking, “vat der fuhrk?” The Cold War was hell on so many levels. I would like to believe this album represented some sort of protest against the whole East v. West, mutually assured destruction dichotomy. In my limited understanding of the German language, though, I think the title of one track loosely translates to “shit in the blood,” which…just, huh?
Erykah Badu
5/5
This may not be something I listen to every day. But I am sure as hell glad I listened to it today!
Iron Maiden
3/5
I couldn’t listen to this without picturing Spinal Tap in my head the entire time. That made it a little hard to take it seriously, but ultimately it worked in their favor and I liked this better than I thought I would. “Amused” may not have been the emotion they were hoping to invoke, but it earns them a 2.8 rounded up to a 3.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I respect their influence on punk and alternative rock, but I don’t think this is something I’ll listen to again.
De La Soul
4/5
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
It’s hard to argue with the genius of Jimi’s playing, although I’m not a fan of the longer, jazz-like meandering jams.
The Lemonheads
2/5
Adequate. But I can think of at least a handful of other alternative bands from the early 90s that I would’ve rather listened to today.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I tried hard to not like this. Who needs to hear another singer/songwriter from the 70s? There’s plenty of Paul Simon, Harry Nilsson, and John Prine to go around. But I actually found this kind of likeable in spite of some of its cliche nature.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
ABBA
4/5
This is disco and disco sucks, right? So why do I find myself sort of enjoying this?
Billie Holiday
4/5
This is the voice of someone who has been through some shit and came through the pain with grace and dignity. Even without knowing the context of this album relative to her career and lifespan, this is an incredible piece of work. I am interested to hear her in her prime!
Mariah Carey
2/5
There is no denying Mariah Carey has a beautiful voice and exceptional range. But something about listening to her sing is the equivalent of watching da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa as a “paint by numbers.“ The performance lacks the same depth as heard in previous generation talents, such as Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. It’s not Carey’s fault. She may not have had the same life experiences as those other women. But it leaves the performance somewhat hollow in my estimation.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Lots to love about this album. For me, it’s mostly the attitude in the lyrics. Costello set the standard that later “pop punks” tried and often fell short of achieving. Certainly not their fault since that’s such a fine line to tread.
Fun fact: I first learned of Elvis Costello from a Marvel Comics “team up” issue in 1981 when Spider Man was singing “Oliver’s Army.” Hard to get more pop punk than that!
Joan Armatrading
4/5
A powerful, interesting voice performing some very well written songs.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Although the album cover screams “first class douche,“ the music itself is really good. Like in the case of most albums where there are a ton of well-known singles, I enjoyed the tracks I had not heard before much better.
The Dictators
3/5
Hard not to like punk that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
T. Rex
3/5
It says a lot that this was the top-selling album in the UK in ‘71 - the same year as Who’s Next and Bowie’s Hunky Dory. Also says a lot that it doesn’t have the same staying power as those two albums. It’s got some catchy songs that were enjoyable to listen to, but I don’t see myself seeking this out for a 2nd or 3rd play.
Gang Of Four
3/5
Learning that I like punk, or, at least postpunk, more than I thought I did.
Missy Elliott
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Good stuff, although most days I’m sick to death of “classic rock.” There’s something about CCR that’s hard not to like.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Track selection is very important when putting together an album. I may have liked this one a little more (meaning, at all) if it had been 20 to 30 minutes shorter. I can understand hard-core as a genre a little bit. But an hour of screaming, mumbling, and “grump singing“ is just a bit too much for me.
Randy Newman
3/5
To start with “Rednecks,” it’s a little jarring to hear a white guy singing the N word over and over, especially in a Southern accent. It’s pretty plain to see that it’s meant as a satire on Northern contempt for Southern racists, when historically the North is not without guilt on race issues. A game of “moral equivalence“ that is far too complex to get into on an album review post, but suffice to say this song could not be done again in 2024 - or even sung on karaoke night ever.
The rest of the album is very well written and arranged. Randy Newman is an exceptional talent. We can all arrive at our own judgements on the content.
Queens Of The Stone Age
4/5
I’ve listened to a couple other albums by this band but didn’t really get into them. This one was interesting enough that I will round up from a 3.5 to a 4.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Trent Reznor is one of those paradoxical artists who I respect but do not necessarily enjoy listening to.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Lots of fun to listen to
The Pharcyde
3/5
The War On Drugs
2/5
Sounds like what would happen if Arcade Fire decided to cover some Coldplay songs. Great news if you are a fan of Coldplay. Not so great if you prefer the other.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
The opening track is extremely fitting. Jimi was from another planet!
fIREHOSE
4/5
Solid if unspectacular. Felt like I was listening to a band playing a local bar, the kind of music you can semi tune out while talking to friends, but occasionally catches your attention in a good way. If they didn’t have such a silly name I might have picked this up a long time ago.
Soft Cell
3/5
Tainted Love is one of the quintessential 80s songs that is almost impossible not to sing along to. The rest of the album is ok, if not slightly forgettable.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
Talented musicians playing boring music. I was going to give this a 3*, but then they absolutely murdered Little Wing, which is one of my all time favorite recordings (Stevie Ray’s version first, Jimi a close second). Controversial statement of the day: Clapton is good, but way overrated.
Napalm Death
1/5
I might actually agree with their socio-political points, but it’s rather hard to say. It would help if they just took a deep breath and tried again to articulate why they’re so upset. It’s almost like a toddler babbling about an injustice on the playground, which undermines the legitimacy of their complaints against multinational corporations and such. At least the tracks were kept to a tolerable length.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I like how they included the track of old people talking, as if to challenge the notion that everything they recorded was a work of genius. Well played, gentlemen. But the songwriting and harmonies are brilliant, and no level of kvetching will distract me from that.
I mean, seriously. If anyone other than a children’s artist sang, “I wish I was an English muffin,” I would think them pretentious almost to the point of being asinine. But when these guys do it, I instead find myself agreeing that I, too, would like to make the most of my toaster.
3/5
This would be fine for the days I’m feeling like listening to Brit synth-pop, which almost never happens.
Kanye West
4/5
It’s too bad he’s gone around the bend crazy, because this is a really good piece of work. Rating this on its merits and not his jackassery.
Pavement
3/5
Makes me think of the kind of music the Velvet Underground would have made if they had originated in the 90s and didn’t have Lou Reed or John Cale in the lineup: good, but missing a little something that stops it from being great.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
It is a rare talent indeed for someone to write a song that can dominate MTV in the late 80s, become a mega hit for a mediocre pop country singer over 30 years later, and yet still be filled with power and sincerity. The rest of the album is equally strong, and I’m ashamed to admit it took this long in my life to hear it in its entirety.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Still not my favorite band. But I’ve discovered I like CCR a lot more than I thought I did.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Smooth
Michael Jackson
3/5
I loved this album when I owned it as an eight-year-old. And I can definitely see why it is so highly ranked on this list. But my score is based on how much I enjoyed it today and the likelihood that I would listen to it tomorrow.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Kid Rock
1/5
I’m trying to rate artists not by their politics, but by how their work makes me feel. This album makes me feel like machine-gunning a case of Bud Light.
Seriously, the music isn’t bad but the lyrics are cartoonishly juvenile and asinine.
Neil Young
2/5
I’d never heard any of these before, and while I normally love deep cuts I would say with all due respect to Mr Young that this album was mostly boring and forgettable.
Slipknot
1/5
I don’t know enough about this genre to say how innovative, creative, or influential this work is, although I can somewhat relate to the “fuckity fuckity fuck fuck”-ness of some parts. But overall I don’t find it interesting and am sad-mad for having to spend time with it.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
For me, Kravitz has always dwelled in that area between “modern iteration of Sam Cooke“ and “yoga instructor your wife/girlfriend is a little too excited to see.“ I liked this album, but it didn’t do much to move him one way or the other on that spectrum.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Sounds like ABBA doing folk (or, more accurately, ABBA sounds like Mama’s & Papa’s doing disco). Lovely harmonies, hard to knock the talent.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Decent “white English dudes play the blues” album.
M.I.A.
4/5
I really enjoy her originality and passion.
Stan Getz
3/5
Pleasant enough jazz. Still not enough to make me a jazz fan, though.
Eminem
4/5
Easy to see here how he earned his reputation as controversial figure and one of the greatest rappers of all time. Some of the lyrics are immature and hard to take, but the rest is pretty solid especially when taken in context of his real life trauma and struggles. Definitely puts it all out there.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
The genius of this is how he’s able to present outrage at injustice and calls for revolution in a way so chill that it makes white folks bob their heads.
Can
2/5
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Metallica
3/5
Not as “pop metal” as the ubiquitous Black Album, which made me enjoy this more than I thought I would.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Fun. Probably won’t look this up again, but an enjoyable listen for today.
Common
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
“Post punk” is a lame way to categorize a music genre. But, for me, so is “alternative.” Doesn’t do much by way of describing what we’re hearing. But if you have to put things in pigeon holes, “post punk” is as good a term as any, I suppose. And Echo is as good as any band from that era. Too bad they didn’t have the staying power of some of their contemporaries, like U2. Wonder if it was because they couldn’t or wouldn’t incorporate pop elements into their style?
The White Stripes
4/5
Ananda Shankar
3/5
For as much as Western musicians stole from India during that time period, it was inevitable that they would try to steal some back.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
This is one of those albums where you absolutely need to understand the context of the era in which it was released. The music is mediocre at best, but considering what popular music mostly consisted of at the time it was an important piece of game-changing innovation.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Turbonegro
4/5
My initial impression was “Jane’s Addiction doing Judas Priest covers.” That impression lasted, but in a fairly good way. Rounding up because this was a lot better than I expected.
Arrested Development
4/5
Gene Clark
2/5
If you add the words, “white heat,“ to the title you get an excellent album and song from the Velvet Underground. That stands in stark contrast to this room temperature pile of mediocrity.
Nina Simone
5/5
Singers like Mariah Carey should take note: having a powerful voice is about more than just singing scales. You can feel Simone’s pain, heartache, outrage, and strength pouring out of even my tinny phone speaker. Amazing!
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
I feel like I just spent 63 minutes playing Twisted Metal on my PlayStation1. That game always gave me a headache after 15 minutes. I’m sure this is high-quality electronica. But my score is based on how much I enjoyed it and the likelihood I would listen to it again.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
I never spent much time with Zappa before today. I always operated under the misconception that he and the Mothers were talented musicians being weird for weird’s sake. I really enjoy the satire on this album. Definitely need to give him props as one of the founding fathers of punk.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Metallica
3/5
Ok, but aside from “One,” not as good as I was hoping for. My best takeaway was the reminder that we can rightly call Metallica an 80s band. Not sure why that amuses me, but it does.
The Who
5/5
I like how this album showcases all the musical styles that influenced the Who and so many other bands of that era. It also serves as a nod to the club-tours they had to do back in the day, and the various audiences they had to appeal to before fully developing their own sound. Aside from Moon and Entwhistle’s playing, this may not be their best work overall (aside from the title track), but as a fan it’s always been a favorite.
Nick Drake
3/5
I really enjoyed the music, but the vocals were lacking. Sort of like John Cale’s solo work.
George Harrison
4/5
Never once have I listened to “My Sweet Lord,” and thought it bore any more than a passing resemblance to “He’s So Fine.” But I’m not a musician or a lawyer. George was definitely “the forgotten Beatle,” but of their solo catalogs I would place him as my second favorite after Lennon.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Proof again that you don’t necessarily need to understand the lyrics to enjoy the performance. Although even if all the songs were, “death to the colonizers!” it was still a lot of fun listening to this.
Cream
3/5
I had lately come to believe that the “cream years” were the best of Clapton. For that reason, I was rather excited to press “play” on this today. But aside from a couple of tracks, including one with no guitar at all, I was rather disappointed by how uninteresting this was. Part of the problem I think is the meaningless pseudo-artsy lyrics typical of psychedelic rock. But all in all, I did not like this as much as I would have if I were still 17.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
The Bees
4/5
Started off making me think they were just another group of Beatle-revival wannabes. But there was enough originality here that actually left me wanting more when the album ended.
Screaming Trees
4/5
With all the talk about the “Big 3” of grunge (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, & Soundgarden), I always felt Screaming Trees belonged in the conversation as leaders in the genre. . Although I liked their Sweet Oblivion album better, this is a great selection for this list as well.
The Byrds
3/5
Not an album I would go to every day due to my personal tastes. But I like these tracks better than their radio singles, and it’s fairly representative of the pop-folk genre.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I have tried and failed to dislike Neil Young.
Circle Jerks
2/5
This is definitely the style I think of most when people talk about punk rock. But now that I’ve learned that genre includes the likes of the Velvet Underground and Patti Smith, I’m going to judge this a bit more harshly.
Love
2/5
‘67 was the Summer of Love, right? So, with that in mind, I was looking forward to writing a review about the irony that I had never heard of this band before. But after listening to this, I found them completely undistinguishable from any of a dozen other “pop folk“ bands from that era. Such a wasted opportunity.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Naming the “band” after each individual member belies how well these guys harmonize. Very few, if any, did it better.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Synth-pop has its place. However, that place is not in my music library.
Goldfrapp
3/5
At times hauntingly beautiful, and at others painfully dull. 2.5* rounding up to 3 to account for the possibility I was just grumpy before playing this. Definitely need to be in the right space for melancholy electronica.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Socio-political hip hop is the best kind of hip hop. The fact that the lyrics are relevant 32 years later is equally inspiring and disheartening.
Beatles
5/5
It’s hard to deny that this is a really good album. I struggle to call it the “best ever,“ as the global rankings of this project seem to have it right now. But I am hard-pressed to name an album more deserving of that title. 4.5* rounding up to 5 to help make sure Kid Rock doesn’t catch up in the standings! 😉
CHVRCHES
3/5
After a Pet Shop Boys album earlier this week, I said synth-pop had no place in my music library. That was before I was reminded of the 80s-influenced synth-pop revival of just a few years ago. Chvrches isn’t terrible - in fact, I found “The Mother we Share” quite likable. So now there’s a small space in my library for some synth pop. I hope those fans feel better.
The Vines
3/5
Not bad. But nothing really new or exciting that I hadn’t heard before, either. And with the exception of a couple of tracks, nothing that I would really seek out to listen to again.
Paul Simon
5/5
I believe that at his peak, Paul Simon could write a song about the phonebook and make it sound witty, then hit you with an understated yet poignant track about your grocery list.
4/5
I’ve always liked the Kinks because sometimes the Beatles are too “pop,” but Frank Zappa is too weird. They live perfectly in the spot in-between. Ok, well, maybe more towards the Beatles end of that spectrum. But you take my point.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Highly reminiscent of John Denver. And, like with John Denver, his voice is sometimes charming and wonderful to listen to and at others extraordinarily annoying. I was tempted to round up my score given his tragic death at such a young age. But setting that aside, I’m actually going to round down. Not because of his vocal talent, but because the songwriting didn’t equal that talent.
Wilco
3/5
I’m as melancholy as the next guy, and have sincerely tried for years to like Wilco. But every time I listen to one of their albums, I end up tuning them out after a few minutes and they become little more than pleasant background music. They’re good. And I still sort of wish I liked them better.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The thing I like least about the Stones is their longevity (and, maybe a little, Mick’s vocals). By still recording and performing today, they make me (and I’m sure I’m not alone in this) feel like they’re just another bunch of Boomers whose best days are behind them yet they still refuse to give up the mic or stage. And I honestly believe they could have quit in the late 70s, or even early 80s, with legend status. But the fact they’ve gone probably 30 years or better without a significant contribution to music should not undercut the obvious influence they held in their heyday, yet that lens makes it hard to rate this album honestly. I fell short of loving it, but if I was truly hearing it for the first time in 1966 it would have floored me (especially since I hadn’t been born yet - but we’ll leave that fact aside for now).
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Television
3/5
If I were a musician in 1977, I can see how this may have been inspiring to the punk genre. As a listener in 2924, however, it hit me as mostly uninteresting.
Pere Ubu
2/5
There were some parts I liked, but overall a little too “artsy-alternative” for me to understand.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Although this is a far cry from the pandering to mythical America found in modern pop country, you can certainly see its roots in the “misunderstood murderer” theme of several tracks here. There’s a line in John Hiatt’s “Memphis in the Meantime,” lamenting how one more heartfelt steel guitar chord is going to do him in. I’ve never related more to that line than I do now.
Pulp
4/5
Since I couldn’t have afforded to see Bowie in ‘95, I think this would have been an adequate substitute. Took a little while to grow on me, but by the end I was a solid member of the “not sorry I listened to this” camp.
Lou Reed
5/5
Although not my favorite album by Lou (that title will forever belong to “New York,” sadly not on this list) it is hard to deny its brilliance. It captures the magic of what was best about the Velvets while featuring his ongoing evolution as an artist. This album also serves as a reminder of Bowie’s impact on both sides of the studio glass!
Sonic Youth
4/5
I understand how ironic it is to say I appreciate Sonic Youth more now that I’m older.
King Crimson
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Progressive rock usually means long, rambling jams of various tempos and a marimba or dulcimer here and there, and there certainly were elements of that. But they kept it under control, and the only thing keeping me from rounding up my 3.5* is that I’m not likely to listen to it again.
Joy Division
3/5
This is what 80s “alternative rock” sounded like. If you like 80s alternative rock, you can listen to this. Or the Cure. Or the Smiths. Or Echo & the Bunnymen. Or maybe even the Pixies.
The Byrds
3/5
It’s easy to see how at the time these guys may have been seen as America’s version of the Beatles. I can also see how they didn’t quite reach that level. There are a few really good songs on here, as well as the roots for better music to come.
Slayer
1/5
The understated songwriting of Paul Simon with the unmatched harmonies of CSN. You won’t find them here. This is thrash metal. Angry, “I want to see your skin rot and melt away” thrash metal. It certainly has its place, and I can see how some are drawn to it as an outlet for pain and frustration. But I can’t say I enjoy listening to it.
Neil Young
3/5
This is good, but I don’t hear anything that differentiates it from any of the several other albums by Neil Young on this list. I know he is talented, but to be the most represented artist here I think should come with a bit more variety in the work presented. no offense, Neil. I just don’t understand the rationale that went into assembling the list.
Janis Joplin
5/5
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again: having a powerful voice is not about singing scales. Janis probably wouldn’t have made it past the first round of American Idol, but she deserves her place among the best vocalists this country has produced, period.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Not knowing what his relationship with his ex-wife was like, I can’t tell if this is a genius work of expressing pain and the emotional roller coaster of divorce, or a genius turning his power to sarcasm and passive-aggression. There’s no debating the smoothness of his vocals or the coolness of his backing band. I’m just not sure if I should like it.
Soul II Soul
4/5
Good R&B.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I have no logical reason to dislike this album. The band is as smooth as they come, the lyrics are strong and topical, and Marvin’s vocals border on legendary. Yet for some reason, I found myself somewhat impatient for it to be over and I don’t think I will look this up in my “free time.”
Depeche Mode
3/5
A couple great songs here. But the rest of the tracks just aren’t for me, and that drags this score down a notch.
Sebadoh
3/5
This album had everything you would expect from early 90s Indie rock: Some songs that are surprisingly listenable with new and energetic material, and some songs overflowing with weirdness and unnecessary shrieking . That balances out to a perfectly inoffensive average score. I do hope they gave Kurt Vonnegut credit for the central part of their cover art (IYKYK)
SAULT
3/5
I was happy to finally see an album from this decade on the list, and for the most part enjoyed it. The lyrics were a bit too churchy for my taste in places, but all around worthy of making the cut.
Meat Loaf
4/5
A rock opera/concept album about getting laid on prom night that clearly influenced Jack Black, “Superbad,” and countless others. Cheesy, over the top, and inexplicably likable.
Simple Minds
3/5
Talented vocalist and musicians. Just not a style I enjoy, and I have heard better songs by this band.
The National
3/5
Take the more melancholy elements of Arcade Fire and mix them with the melancholy elements of Wilco, Mercury Rev, and a bottle of cough medicine and you get this. Melancholy. The strongest feeling I took away from this was a renewed wish for a more nuanced scoring system for this project. Not bad enough for a 2 but not quite good enough for a 3. I’ll round up since the vocals were good, even if the lyrics were numbing.
Talking Heads
4/5
Over the last 15-20 years or so I’ve come to appreciate the Talking Heads more and more. This isn’t one of my favorite albums from them, but I’m going to round my score up anyway. “Take Me to the River” and “The Big Country” are great songs. And I love that other tracks sound like Velvet Underground 33 1/3’s played at 45 rpm.
The Clash
4/5
An unpolished gem for sure. By itself, nothing too spectacular here. But knowing what type of work they were to produce later, you can hear the foundation in this debut. That alone is enough to round up from a 3.5 to a 4.
Sepultura
1/5
Thrash metal certainly has its place. But that place is not in my playlist. Liked this a little better than some other thrash we’ve heard here, but only a little. 1.2/5.
The Yardbirds
4/5
Blues, rock, folk, and a little psychedelic rock make this a fun blend of styles to listen to.
Paul Simon
5/5
Hands down one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. Twelve year old me picked this up because of “Call Me Al.” And 5 seconds into “Boy in the Bubble,” I learned that there are more styles of music than what my local radio stations would have me believe. This definitively opened my mind to the music of the world and is an album I come back to any time I want to feel happy.
I can understand some of the criticisms he received for violating the cultural boycott of South Africa. But to me this album played a tremendous benefit in introducing African style music to a wider audience. It would be absurd to say he or any of the artists who participated in creating this supported apartheid.
The Libertines
3/5
Sound a little like a 2000s iteration of the Clash, although it felt a bit more “pop conscious.”
Heaven 17
4/5
This band has a sociopolitical bent that is reminiscent of Midnight Oil in places. But that would’ve been easy to lose in all the synthpop if they hadn’t opened with such a strong track about fascism that one could easily hear being played at (or about) current political rallies.
Queen
5/5
Kids, this is Queen. Queen makes good music.
The Beach Boys
2/5
When I was a kid, I thought The Beach Boys were super cool. Today, I found this really boring.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Soothing, ambient music that belongs more in a new age spa than my music collection. But reading about what a heck of a guy the composer is inspires me to round this up from a 2 to a 3. That is my act of humanitarianism for the day. You’re welcome.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I’ve been a fan of Lou Reed for a really long time. But to be completely honest, I never spent much time listening to the Velvets until the last five years or so. I can understand why they didn’t have much commercial success since some of these tracks are not exactly radio friendly. But the more I hear from them, the more I like it. I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened if Lou’s near-crippling insecurity hadn’t driven him to push John Cale out of the band.
Beck
3/5
I’ve always somewhat liked Beck. This album sounds like what Kid Rock would be if he were less trashy. For some reason, that realization makes me like Beck a little less.
Prince
3/5
I was 10 when this came out, and liked the radio singles as much as any 10-year-old likes pop songs. Turns out, every song is about sex. I’m a little embarrassed for that kid back then.
Orbital
2/5
This is exactly the album I would want if I was going out clubbing today. Unfortunately for them, that is not on today’s agenda.
Coldplay
3/5
Happy to have the opportunity today to reflect upon what some may see as my irrational aversion to Coldplay. After all, I like Radiohead and have sometimes been melancholy. . And, to be fair, most of these songs aren’t terrible. I think my issue with this band is that there’s nothing here I haven’t heard before. They’re ok, but not special.
Raekwon
3/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
Not bad, for the most part. But the best tracks were pretty much the same as Echo & the Bunnymen or any other of a number of bands from that era. Really nothing new or interesting enough to warrant a “must hear.”
Devendra Banhart
4/5
I have to admit, I was a little nervous when YouTube music categorized this album as “psychedelic folk.“ The last time we encountered an album by that description, I had to listen to an extended play of the weirdest Renaissance Festival there ever had been. But this turned into quite the pleasant surprise. Charming, and very interesting to listen to.
Foo Fighters
3/5
I sometimes wish I liked the Foo Fighters more than I do. Dave Grohl is a talented musician, and I have enjoyed listening to him talk about music because of his passion for the art. But the band just has never done much to move me.
Cheap Trick
3/5
This wasn’t necessarily the album I was in the mood for today. Well produced and performed, especially for a live album. But I probably would’ve scored it higher had I been in the mood for “classic rock.”
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
So what did we learn from this? That Southerners work hard, drive hard, drink hard, and have complex feelings about racism and the views of southern America’s past. Oh, and a concept album about Lynyrd Skynyrd can actually produce more interesting results than one would think.
Parliament
4/5
I once heard someone ask George Clinton about how drugs influenced his music, to which George replied that he believed his music influenced the drugs. I don’t have a lot of experience with recreational drug use, but I really want to believe that is true!
Orange Juice
3/5
A little fun, lightweight 80s music to get you through your day.
Radiohead
2/5
Radiohead is one of those bands that I feel bad for not understanding better what they’re doing. I like some of their other albums, but this one was over my head.
Faith No More
4/5
A unique blend of styles that you would not expect if all you knew were the pop metal singles. But, lucky for me, a good friend had this back in the day so I was prepared. Overall, a 3.5*.. But I will round up because it made me feel good to listen to today.
Rush
5/5
The thing I like most about this album is the story behind its making. The band were about to be dropped from their label and were being pressured to produce a more “commercial” work. Instead, they kept doing their thing and came up with this masterpiece. Even people I know who don’t like Rush will admit their talent is extraordinary. Peart was second to none behind the drums!
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
A name and a sound that are both anachronisms from the 1970s. Since I can’t play an instrument or write songs, I try not to criticize people’s talents because as a rule they are almost all better than me. But in the context of making this style of music in the early aughts, there’s really nothing special here. Actually, in the context of making this music in the ‘70s there still isn’t anything really special going on.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
There were definitely some things to like about this album, the final instrumental track in particular. I feel as though if I spent more time with it I might actually like it more. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to make me want to hit “play” again just yet.
Jack White
4/5
A simple-sounding but effective songwriting style.
Megadeth
3/5
It’s nice to know you can do thrash metal without having a mumbler on vocals. That and their cover of Willie Dixon‘s “ain’t superstitious,“ (look it up) made this an enjoyable listen.
The Stooges
3/5
This is probably what the Velvet Underground would’ve sounded like in 1969 if Andy Warhol had not been involved.
Motörhead
3/5
I kinda like Motörhead, although for reasons real fans would probably hate me for. They seem like a caricature of metal bands, like Spinal Tap with only slightly less unserious lyrics.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Back to Black is definitely her masterpiece, but this is a damn fine album as well. One of the all-time great vocalists!
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Almost exactly the kind of band the three star rating exists for. I know some albums that should be on this list that didn’t make the cut that are probably better, but I’m not angry that this one is here.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Answers the question of, “what would the Clash sound like if they were more camp?“
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
An influential piece of work made all the more compelling by the inclusion of a track dedicated to date rape at a time, and in a genre, where the subject was rarely considered. Actually, rarely considered still.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Costello is my favorite of all the Elvises.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Vocalist is reminiscent of Steve Perry from Journey. And, much like Steve Perry, his voice ranges from compelling emotion to overwrought and annoying. I want to rate this higher to give a boost to my score for albums from the 2000s. But I honestly can’t say I want to listen to this again as a whole. A couple singles, maybe.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
Blends the better elements of 80s alt-pop with touches of punk for enjoyable results!
Prince
4/5
Not sure why this had to be a double album. I liked it more than I liked Prince back in the day, but there were a lot of tracks I could have lived without. Since slightly more than half of the work was good, I‘ll round up my score.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
The just-right amount of guitar distortion I didn’t know I needed today.
The Temptations
4/5
Makes hard times sound soooo smooth.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Delightfully weird enough to keep me interested for most of the absurd running time. I likely will never listen to this again, but for a somewhat harebrained gimmick I’d say they pulled it off.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Has the sound of someone trying way too hard to impress on karaoke night. Talented, but absolutely nothing here I feel like I HAD to hear.
Weather Report
2/5
Sounds like the theme or transition – sequence music from nearly every show in the 70s.
Portishead
5/5
This lives in that hard to define area between “Tori Amos made a James Bond soundtrack,“ and “the Cowboy Junkies went clubbing.“ No matter how thin you slice it, this is pretty cool stuff.
Morrissey
3/5
I’ve known some people who really liked Morrissey. But he’s way too whiny for my tastes. The instrumentation on this album is saving it from a lower score, though.
Rod Stewart
4/5
The lyrics about his “slant eyed lady” are more than a little cringe. But aside from that, this is a much deeper piece of work than I expected from the guy who brought us, “If You Think I’m Sexy.”
Bob Dylan
4/5
Songs about social injustice are almost as old as music itself. I agree that Dylan was better at writing about it than most, but am feeling a little bittersweet about the “timelessness” of his subject matter. Would almost rather view these songs as “quaint” rather than “still relevant.”
Rod Stewart
3/5
Normally, I like albums from “big name” artists that don’t contain a lot of radio hits. Somehow, this fell short of lowered expectations.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
Vocals range from “charming” to “annoying,” often during the same line. Instrumentation is not for everyone, including me. I tried liking this, but just couldn’t.
Garbage
5/5
This has all that was good about ‘90s rock: talent, originality, and strong vocals.
Eminem
4/5
For me, the thing with Eminem has always been the struggle to reconcile the humanity in tracks like “Stan” with the inhumanity in tracks like “Kill You” and the homophobia, etc. in many of the other tracks. Although he says on tracks like “Criminal” that he doesn’t mean everything he says, there is the Howard Campbell, Jr. (look it up) element of being “who we pretend to be.” It’s the same with a lot of rap from that era. There’s no denying his talent as an artist, and he definitely puts all of his issues out there!
Slint
2/5
This is the album to reach for if you like Sonic Youth but are also extra-hipster.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
A worthy tribute to the pioneers of music history. I would definitely take her over some of the other so-called “divas“ of this time period.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
The percussion on “Tusk” is entertaining, and there are some good vocal harmonies here and there on the other tracks. But for the most part, this is pretty blah late 70s pop. The title track is the only thing keeping me from rounding down from a 2.5.
XTC
2/5
One of those albums that just blended into the background and did little to stand out.
5/5
Psychedelic rock with a pop flourish. Very few bands could pull it off like these guys did.
UB40
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
This and so many other Zeppelin albums dominated my high school stereo playlist. For some reason, though, it isn’t hitting the same now. The lyrics, especially to “battle of evermore,“ and (sacrilege!) “Stairway to heaven,“ are deep-sounding but ultimately meaningless, except for maybe the most devout Lord of the rings fans. The instrumentation is good, but I prefer Zeppelin III and Physical Graffiti for my nostalgia for this band.
OutKast
4/5
To properly carry on the legacy of George Clinton, as this albums opening track implies, artists can’t just be weird for weird’s sake. There also needs to be elements of creativity and purpose to the work. These guys are the proper heirs to that legacy.
Talk Talk
3/5
Not bad. But I didn’t really hear anything here that we hadn’t already heard from the Smiths or the Cure.
Steely Dan
2/5
Not the album I was in the mood for today. But then again, I don’t know how often I am in the mood for this tranquil blend of smooth jazz and soft rock. It’s not you Steely Dan, it’s me.
Van Morrison
3/5
I didn’t care much for the tracks where he pretended to be the white Muddy Watters. But overall a decent listen.
Tears For Fears
4/5
Mostly typical 80s Brit-pop. But I remember really enjoying the radio singles back in the day, so they score some positive nostalgia points for that.
Deerhunter
3/5
If you like Arcade Fire and Radiohead but can’t afford a ticket, this would be a nice low-cal alternative . Not bad, but not terribly memorable.
Kate Bush
4/5
I knew the one song plus her collaborations with Peter Gabriel. But I had no idea how much of an influence she had on subsequent artists. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought this was a Tori Amos album. Their vocal styles are extraordinarily similar.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
I like a lot of Sheryl’s songs if not always her singing. But if she were a better vocalist, she’d be Fiona Apple or Norah Jones. And if she were a male, she (he?) would be Tom Petty or John Hiatt. And we already have all of those. So she fits perfectly just where she is.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
Bonnie Raitt is one of those artists who I have long respected, yet always seem to forget to reach for when I’m in the mood for some quality female-led blues rock. After listening to this, I played her first two albums and found them to be outstanding. She has earned her reputation and accolades.
Van Morrison
4/5
“Moondance” is my least favorite of Morrison’s songs. But that’s balanced off by how much I like “Into the Mystic.” The other tracks here are pretty solid.
Tom Waits
3/5
I really like his “Closing Time” album, so it’s disappointing to me that so much of his other work sounds like a spectacularly drunken episode of the Muppet Show. I know there are artistic reasons for doing things the way he does. I just don’t always get it.
Janet Jackson
2/5
Not a fan of the “pop diva” genre, although “Black Cat” was a banger.
The Replacements
2/5
80s punk rock - loud, abrasive, and far too celebratory of Gary’s boner.
King Crimson
2/5
If it weren’t for albums like this, we may not have the “Stonehenge” scene from This is Spinal Tap. So…thank you?
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
Proof positive that you can bend and combine genres without having it be purposeless noise. You know…bedlam. Maybe not a great recipe for commercial success, but it does make for an enjoyable listen.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
In general, I am growing to enjoy bluegrass music more as I grow older. But the running time of this album pushes my tolerance for southern drawls to its limit. Plus there are only so many “chase-scene from Cannonball Run” types of tracks any man can take without going a bit mad.
The Doors
3/5
Didn’t hate it. But I still don’t think I am a Doors fan.
Johnny Cash
4/5
A lot of Cash’s songs have high cringe-level violent lyrics (stomping on a dog’s head? Aside from Kristy Noem, I don’t think anyone would get behind that). But it’s hard to take it seriously when he follows them up with songs like “Flushed from the Bathroom of your Heart.” Staging a show like this in a prison was more than a publicity stunt for a man like him, though. It demonstrated a level of empathy uncommon in most of our society, and helped define the legend of Johnny Cash.
Various Artists
2/5
A gift Lana Clarkson and family would be hesitant to open. Too bad artistic genius so often comes with irreconcilable madness.
As for this album, I have to say that I try to avoid Christmas music almost as much as pop country and for a lot of the same reasons.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Homer Simpson, smiling politely.
I like the Pumpkins well enough, but Billy’s vocals and affinity for the occasional ear-piercing guitar feedback require this album to be taken in smaller, bite-sized pieces. I think I would have liked it less had I done it all in one sitting.
U2
5/5
See, kids? I told you U2 used to make great music about important things!
PJ Harvey
4/5
More creative and original than other albums we’ve heard from this era. But PJ has been at this for a while.
The Sonics
2/5
I found this band to be completely relatable in the sense that I can’t play an instrument, either.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
The Charlatans
2/5
If you wanted to listen to Oasis but didn’t want your friends to know you were listening to Oasis you could play this and hope they didn’t notice.
John Grant
3/5
Vocal style and lyrics remind me of Harry Nilsson. Liked this a little better than I thought I would.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Country music isn’t normally my jam, but these harmonies are lovely. It’s easy to imagine a similar effort by stars of equivalent stature today resulting more in a series of tracks with each singer trying to out “down home” and “aww shucks” each other, with redneck charm. This latter bit prompts me to round up from a 3.5* since these performers have actual charm.
Elvis Presley
3/5
My favorite things about this are that the songs are short and the cover art seems to have inspired the Clash’s London Calling. My least favorite thing is that it’s really hard to separate Elvis the artist from Elvis the caricature. I can see how this may have been revolutionary for its era. But not very interesting in 2025. This is a 2.5* for me at best. Reluctantly rounding up due to “legend status.”
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Costello is still my favorite of all Elvises. The only thing is that every time I listen to an album of his I hadn’t heard before, which is most of them before this project, it makes me a little sad I hadn’t listened to it sooner.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
If I ever find myself in the mood to listen to the Clash and the Talking Heads simultaneously, I would reach for this again.
Pixies
3/5
I really want to like the Pixies more than I do, since they are influenced by and have influence on so many bands I do like. But aside from “Where is my Mind,” there weren’t any tracks here I’d care to hear again.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Fuzzy guitars and moody vocals. This is what “indie“ rock usually sounds like. Not bad for the most part, like a slightly more polished Sonic Youth. But some tracks sounded like they were part of a climatic scene in some millennial movie melodrama, which I found annoying. A little better than a three star album, but not enough for me to want to round up.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Pretty sure I’m pregnant now.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Lovely vocals and melodies.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
I came to the Velvets late in life, and that’s probably a good thing. In my younger years, I don’t think I would have been mature enough to handle the visceral experience of listening to a song like “Heroin.” Although I’ve never used drugs, this track hits on many other levels of mental health. Nico’s singing is hard to take at times, but in spite of that I still believe this to be a work of genius.
The Gun Club
4/5
A good album for when you’re in the mood to hear the Violent Femmes sing the blues. Which apparently I was today.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Not bad. But the parts I liked most were things I’ve already heard from the Talking Heads and contemporaries the Killers and AWOLNATION. I wouldn’t change the station if this came on again, but probably won’t seek it out either.
Funkadelic
5/5
That was almost too good to be believed.
The Kinks
5/5
You can always count on the Kinks for quality lighthearted satire of British life in the ‘60s. Seriously, though, the music holds up well.
Deep Purple
2/5
It was nice to hear something from them other than “Smoke on the Water,“ or “Space Trucking.“ But that doesn’t mean I liked this any better.
SZA
3/5
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are compelled to listen to pop music created within the last 10 years, you could do a lot worse than this. The vocals are strong and the lyrics and music are solid. I’m just not a huge fan of this genre.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
“Green Onions” is about as cool and smooth a track as one can get. The rest of the album made me feel like I was at the hippest skating rink or ballpark around. It’s too bad the organ-sound has been co-opted in that way. Was a little hard to take it seriously.
Bad Brains
3/5
Hey, punk! Oops. Punctuation matters. I meant: Hey! Punk! I feel like this is what the Clash would sound like had they been American…and slightly less innovative. I hear this band had a more diverse sound over their career, so I might check that out some day. But today is not that day.
John Lee Hooker
5/5
Legendary blues. This album captures all the emotions of the genre: love, regret, hope, mourning, and strength.
Talking Heads
5/5
Beyond radio singles, I never really gave much thought to Talking Heads until recently. But it’s never too late to appreciate their quirkiness and creativity. And Tina Weymouth is an excellent bass player!
Steely Dan
3/5
There were elements of this album that I liked better than Aja. But those elements didn’t last long enough for me to say I enjoy Steely Dan.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Not sure what all the fuss is about, but I’m not her target audience. Tunes are catchy ear-worms, vocals are ordinary, and lyrics are boilerplate pop. But she clearly resonates with her audience, which I sort of respect.
Jurassic 5
4/5
This seems like a good time to remind listeners that, unless you are a member of an historically oppressed minority, there are certain words you are not allowed to use. Those words represent that historical oppression, and have a different meaning only when used by the oppressed class. So no matter how much you may dig tracks like, “One of Them,” you are not allowed to sing along out loud. Just listen and appreciate.
Thus ends today’s linguistics lesson.
4/5
Everything that is good about Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde is in PJ Harvey on this album!
John Martyn
4/5
I didn’t care much for the opening/title track. But the rest of it grew on me and it finished strong.
Small Faces
3/5
Had I lived in the UK in 1968, I probably would’ve found this a side-splitting parody of commercialism and the cynical downplaying of the health effects of tobacco or some such thing. Without that context, though, I only found it mildly amusing. The music was good with several elements that can be heard in other bands of the era including Cream, The Who, and the Stones.
Songhoy Blues
5/5
Only thing more impressive than this music is the band’s backstory!
Pink Floyd
5/5
Along with Tommy by The Who, this work stands as a brilliant and thoughtful illustration of the long-term effects emotional trauma and psychological abuse can have on the young. Each album needs to be listened to in its entirety, though. Although the radio singles are exceptional, the depth of the message becomes a bit diluted that way.
If this were the first U2 album I’d ever heard, I probably would have liked it a lot more. Some pretty solid, catchy singles here. But, fair or not, I always compare their later works to War, Boy, and Joshua Tree. And after Achtung Baby, their work seemed to lose its passion. Solid pop, meh rock.
Missy Elliott
4/5
NSFW. But if that’s your only standard for rating hip-hop, you’re going to miss out on some good music.
Sex Pistols
3/5
The perfect music to sneer at the world by. I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would. And I would like to rate it higher. But if I’m being honest with myself, I probably won’t seek this out to listen to again.
Britney Spears
2/5
Even if you try, it’s hard not to have heard about Spears and her struggles. What I’ve read about her conservatorship issues makes me respect her on a human level. As far as this album goes, though, it sounds to me like what happens when you try to sexualize a former Mouseketeer for cynical commercial gain. There are a couple moments where you catch glimpses of sincere talent, but not enough to justify an hour-long pop album.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
4* horns
2* vocals
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
I know he was “Just Playin’,” but the last track had some lyrics that were beyond simply uncomfortable about a child and date rape. Smacking Tina Turner around is also in poor taste. Too bad, too, because it otherwise had a great beat. And forgetting that one for a minute, I can definitely see why people call him one of the best in the genre.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
If you were one of those people in 1988 who loved the B-52s but wished they could be weirder, I can see how you would love this. I wasn’t one of those people, but I didn’t hate this.
Ice T
4/5
I will forever find it amusing how Ice T went from this to the most mainstream of TV cop procedurals and an endorser of Cheerios. Still haven’t figured out what that says about America, though.
David Bowie
4/5
Although not exactly “prime Bowie“ this still stacks up pretty well compared to other music of this era.
R.E.M.
3/5
Rare case of a band who I enjoy their later stuff better. Never realized how much Michael Stipe sounded like Morrissey with an American accent.
The The
3/5
Aggressively ok.
The Jam
3/5
I liked that I could hear elements of bands to come, like REM and Arcade Fire. But since I don’t belong to either of those bands, I can’t say I enjoyed this one very much.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
So unremarkable that it’s irritating.
The Associates
1/5
In their best moments, this band sounds like Talking Heads in their worst moments. Those glimpses did not last long enough for me to term any of this “good.” In fact, it sort of made the whole listening experience all the more irritating.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Somewhere between Johnny Cash’s sincerity and modern pop-country pandering lies Dwight Yoakam.
Klaxons
3/5
Track selection is key to any good album. And my favorite thing about this one is that they kept it to under 40 minutes.
Tortoise
2/5
This music is described as “post rock.“ If that’s the case, I truly hope rock ‘n’ roll never dies!
Radiohead
3/5
I don’t love this as much as the rest of the world seems to. But it’s ok.
Louis Prima
4/5
Music was fun enough to gloss over the occasional sexist or misogynistic lyrics that were endemic to the time period.
Mylo
2/5
If you want to destroy rock and roll, I think you need to go at it with something stronger than this. I don’t go to clubs, so I don’t have a frame of reference for this music style aside from mall stores. And waiting an hour for my wife to get out of an Old Navy changing room is not the greatest feeling you want music to invoke.
The Saints
3/5
Not terrible. Won’t listen again, but it was kinda fun.
Bob Dylan
5/5
At his best, Dylan is one of the best storyteller songwriters of all time alongside Simon and Springsteen. At his worst…he’s still in the top 10.
The Beach Boys
4/5
My favorite thing about this is that none of it sounds like any other Beach Boys song I’ve ever heard. It’s refreshing to know they weren’t all about surfing, cars, and everything being a-ok! I’m not surprised that there are no radio-singles here that I’m familiar with. But this is easily my favorite work by them.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Alice Cooper
4/5
Joe Ely
3/5
The most interesting thing about this was that I didn’t hear anything here that Garth Brooks didn’t do in the 90s. That realization alone makes me like Ely more than Brooks (who I like not at all). But the music and storytelling here wasn’t half bad!
Sister Sledge
3/5
Great vocals. Can’t say I dig the music, though.
Steve Earle
2/5
Normally I’m down for some “alt country,” and a few tracks here were enjoyable. But for the most part I found his accent a bit grating.
Mudhoney
3/5
The birth of grunge was not a pretty place.
Brian Eno
2/5
I was familiar with Eno‘s name as a producer with David Bowie and others, and a frequent answer in crossword puzzles. This is the first time I have listened to him as a musician, and I must say that I enjoy him much better as a producer and crossword puzzle answer.
The better tracks were the ones where Rod Stewart sang lead. But the best parts were when nobody sang at all.
Ray Price
2/5
The creepy, “I’m-going-to-watch-you-make-out,” cover-art set a tone that was hard to overcome. I sort of liked the concert-like intro track, and his voice wasn’t bad. But there’s such a thing as too much slide guitar, and when set against the backdrop of the album cover…all I could visualize was the next Netflix “true crime” documentary series.
5/5
Hands down their best work. It’s not fair that I’ve judged the rest of their discography by this metric, because its power and beauty set such a high standard. Peak socio-political artistry with pop accessibility that rivals Dylan in his prime.
Jane Weaver
3/5
Somewhat interesting. But not really my cup of tea.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
You can always tell when you’re listening to a Smashing Pumpkins song. My only complaint, though, is that sometimes it’s hard to tell which song that is until they reach the chorus. And even then it’s often hard to distinguish one from another.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
I don’t particularly care for the beatnik-type jazz poetry, but I do like his lyrics. The “Watergate Blues” are an oddly chilling yet comforting reminder that nothing changes.
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie’s best era, in my opinion.
The Offspring
2/5
I’ve always felt Offspring were a “paint by numbers” punk band - packaged as being edgy while their videos played endlessly on MTV. Between that and the vocals, I found them mostly annoying then and still do (although to a somewhat lesser degree now).
The The
2/5
How how did did this this band band end end up up on on this this list list twice twice? Oh, wait…now I see it!
Slade
3/5
CHIC
2/5
Lots of people worked very hard to bring us this disco album. I mean no disrespect when I say I don’t care for the outcome.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
If you can’t decide if you’re in the mood for De La Soul or Ladysmith Black Mambazo, this would be a good album to reach for.
Lou Reed
4/5
Far from my favorite work by Reed, and not his best in my opinion. But I’ve read that it was one of the works he was most proud of and was seriously upset by its negative critical reception upon release. With time, critics have changed their stance and the more I listen the more I find things to like about it.
Hot Chip
3/5
Compared to other albums from this genre, I would consider this somewhere between “tolerable“ and “almost likable.“
Gary Numan
3/5
This album new waves very hard.
Kate Bush
4/5
This album is quite a paradox. I didn’t care much for the music, but I couldn’t stop listening (and not in a “how bad is this going to get?” way, but more like “I don’t understand this and feel like I really should.”). Could hear the influences that passed on through Tori Amos to Lady Gaga, also in good ways.
The Stranglers
2/5
Further proof you cannot judge an album by its cover. I looked at this expecting late 70s punk. And to some extent, they delivered. What I was not expecting was the low rent Doors organ-riff knock offs. There were enough tracks skewing towards the Clash that I would honestly rate this a 2.5. But I’m going to round down that score since I fail to see what about this I absolutely needed to hear.
OutKast
4/5
That was a lot of music. Fortunately, it was a lot of good music!
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
This sounds like the French translation of a Leonard Cohen album. My language skills are a little rusty, but near as I can tell Melody is not delivering his DoorDash order. Joking aside, the music was pretty cool, but the vocals a touch creepy.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I’ve said before and I’ll say again that the Stones’ longevity has made them a bit of a caricature and a punchline. But it’s hard to deny that this is a great album!
Keith Jarrett
4/5
This piano man did not sing us a song tonight. And I’m kind of OK with that.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
For my money, I will always take Joan Osborne’s version of “Son of a Preacher Man.” I think it has something to do with authenticity. Dusty has a lovely voice, but sometimes it seems like she’s just singing the words on the paper in front of her.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
I’m not a fan of this genre, so I heard nothing here to distinguish it from any other electronic music. In fact, all I could hear was a fairly obnoxious level of sameness.
The Mars Volta
2/5
If you like Radiohead but wish they would pick up the pace a little and maybe throw in some more spastic drumming, then have I got news for you!
Joni Mitchell
4/5
My only complaint is that sometimes I don’t care for her vocals.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Chicago
4/5
I’d often heard about this band’s legendary horn section, but every time I’d hear one of their songs it was from the crappy, sappy, Peter Cetera time period. I’m actually impressed by this that the legends were true!
The Who
5/5
Letting Townsend and Entwhistle sing lead on a few tracks is the equivalent of the Beatles letting Ringo take a turn at the mic. The Who were just that good at their peak! One of the great “What Ifs“ of rock ‘n’ roll is what would’ve happened if Entwhistle and Moon had joined Led Zeppelin like Jimmy Page wanted. Thankfully, we never will know and we can sit back and enjoy the great music from both of those bands.
Manu Chao
4/5
I wish I could understand a damn word of this. But from his tone, I’m guessing he wasn’t singing “death to puppies,“ so I feel confident in saying I liked this.
Elbow
3/5
A few likable tracks. But overall, too much like Coldplay for my tastes.
Ali Farka Touré
5/5
I’m sad that for pretty much all of my youth I was lead to believe discussions about the greatest guitarists had to be limited to who I heard on classic rock stations. Because of that, I’m only hearing this for the first time now.
Brian Eno
3/5
I liked this well enough. But I still maintain that Eno’s strength as an artist lies in producing more than performing.
Lorde
4/5
Is it possible to describe Lorde as a millennial Tori Amos and have that understood as a compliment to both performers?
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
These guys may not have invented three-part harmony. But they definitely did it better than most.
Madonna
3/5
Not exactly my jam. But I can see why Lady Gaga wants to be her.
The Cure
3/5
Not bad. But I’m not feeling “80s emo” enough to enjoy this today. Although if you’re emo, do you really enjoy anything? So maybe I did like it?
Brian Eno
3/5
There are parts of this I liked. But every time I listen to Eno, I find myself thinking of the Dana Carvey “Chopping Broccoli,“ sketch because it sounds like he’s making things up as he goes. I know that’s not fair and I am sure he is a brilliant musician and producer. Maybe I would like him better in the context of when this was released rather than 50 years later.
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
I’m not comfortable calling Jerry Lee a pioneer in the field since there were so many better Black blues rock pianists in that time who did not get their due. I’m also a little uncomfortable with his penchant for marrying underage girls.
Richard Hawley
3/5
This sounds like the Smiths or The Cure grew up and decided to keep making music to pay the bills. I don’t mean that as a criticism, as one who has grown up and has bills to pay.
Common
3/5
LTJ Bukem
3/5
This music takes me on a journey…to the mall or, in more enjoyable moments, the nearest planetarium for a cool show. I’m not making fun because as a non-musician or composer this is far better than anything I could do myself. I’m just saying I don’t get or enjoy this style.
Marilyn Manson
3/5
A little more interesting than others I’ve heard from this genre. The vocals were somewhat reminiscent of Alice Cooper. If it had been 30 minutes shorter, I may actually have liked this album a bit more. Knowing when to stop is always key!
Kings of Leon
2/5
I really tried to like this band. The instrumentation is not bad at all, but the vocals are extraordinarily annoying to me.
Miles Davis
4/5
A rare jazz album that I might actually seek out to listen to again. It’s interesting, unpretentious, and as cool as the other side of the proverbial pillow.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Great wordplay and flow.
M.I.A.
4/5
I’ve long respected M.I.A as an artist. But her political endorsements of late are rather confounding. I still like her music, but thinking maybe I misunderstood her sociopolitical leanings. I know you can be a good person and still somehow have been led to support the current American presidential administration. But it’s going to take me a minute to reconcile this.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I’ve read that Blue is considered her best album. But I enjoyed this work much more. I think it’s because her vocals are more consistent here.
TLC
4/5
As someone who likes things that are sexy and cool, I was able to overlook the crazy. Except for the toilet-flushing “prank call” track, which almost spoiled the mood beyond the point that even “Waterfalls” couldn’t save it. Almost.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Songs of heartbreak and struggle so relatable that it could help bridge a lot of the political divide today - assuming people realize that divide is more up vs. down (socioeconomic) as opposed to left vs. right.
MC Solaar
4/5
His beats and flow are great, but my high school French fails me when it comes to his lyrics. Based on his bio, I’m going to assume they’re awesome and not about torturing puppies, so that’s a thumbs up from me!
Alice In Chains
5/5
Thirty years ago, I operated on the assumption that all the grunge bands were basically interchangeable. Based on that, I chose Peal Jam as my favorite since it was easier to sing along to most of their songs (even when Eddie was at his most incoherent) and left my knowledge of the others to their radio and MTV singles.
Truthfully, this album is a lot darker than what I would have been into back in the day anyway. But as I have grown older and more comfortable with difficult music, I can see this as a harder rock variant of the Velvet Underground to a degree.
Mekons
3/5
I wouldn’t leave a pub if these guys started playing, but I would certainly hesitate to enter if they started before I arrived.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Normally, I’m fine with unconventional vocals, especially in punk. This was not one of those cases.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
You don’t need to understand a vocalist’s words to understand the emotion they are portraying. That is why we don’t mind when Eddie Vedder mumbles. And it’s also why this is one delightful album.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Am I the only one who could not find a version of this album shorter than 2h 37m? I liked the music well enough, and the Welsh was fun to listen to, but at this kind of run time does it still qualify as an “album” and not a “boxed set?”
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
A little more interesting than some of the other Brit synth-pop we’ve heard. But a lot of sameness, too, that keeps me from considering it anything more than average.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
I wish I had as much fun listening to this as I did saying their name. I think the Dead did late-60s hippie-country music better.
Jethro Tull
4/5
I had this on CD a long time ago, but gave it up when I got tired of my classic-rock phase. I’m not saying it’s time to start a new phase, but it was nice to hear this again after all that time.
Gram Parsons
2/5
There were a couple tracks I didn’t hate. But for the most part this was way too “country” for my tastes.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Left me craving a martini and a cigarette. Where is my fedora, baby?
Talking Heads
5/5
You can always count on the Talking Heads for something unconventional. And as I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate just how entertaining that is!
Skunk Anansie
4/5
With the first few chords of the opening track, I thought this was going to be another amped-up Radiohead knock off, like The Mars Volta. But what developed was far more entertaining.
The Icarus Line
3/5
Somewhat serviceable screech-rock.
The Fall
3/5
This sounds like the band Lou Reed or Iggy Pop would have been in had they lived in Manchester instead of the US. Not bad, but at times grating with its repetitiveness and seemingly stream-of-consciousness lyrics.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
The only way to properly serve soul music is hot and buttered. Thank you, Chef!
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The title is somewhat nonsense. But the work is amazing.
The xx
2/5
A couple of tracks weren’t that bad. But for my taste, I will go with arcade fire when I am in the mood for “indie pop.“. Which is not often.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
I can respect the creativity and effort that goes into making electronic music. But I’ve never really enjoyed listening to it, and this album did little to change that for me.
Billy Bragg
4/5
To sum this up in one sentence: imagine, Robert Smith fronting the clash while performing songs written by Woody Guthrie. It’s a combo that I didn’t love every track of, but the ones that worked worked well!
Peter Frampton
3/5
Really hard to hear this as anything but cliche. But I guess I can see why people have played the shit out of this for the last 49 years.
New Order
3/5
The album to reach for if you like the Cure but want your melancholy slightly more uptempo.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
It’s hard to argue against Flea’s talent and innovation on bass. And I enjoy RHCP for the most part, but usually only in short bursts. I can go a really long time without listening to them and not miss a thing.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Punk is supposed to be abrasive and off-putting. So…mission accomplished?
Aerosmith
4/5
It’s easy to forget that these guys used to make some really good rock music!
Randy Newman
3/5
I never been able to figure out if Randy Newman is a crazy, slightly racist, corny sentimentalist for an America that never existed or a satirical genius. I liked, “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” but the rest of the album did nothing to help me solve the riddle of Newman.
Madonna
3/5
Not exactly my jam. But as a man of a certain age, Madonna holds a semi important place in my development that I will always respect her for.
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
Margo’s voice is a genre all its own. I don’t say this about many things, but if we can’t agree on this point, then we can’t be friends.
Wire
4/5
So much punk music consists of just hammering away on an instrument and telling the world to sod off. These guys, similar to the Clash, show that you can tell the world to sod off while still having some musicality.
The Black Crowes
5/5
I played the shit out of this album 35 years ago. And even though their later works didn’t fare as well, this still holds up pretty solidly from start to finish.
Frank Zappa
3/5
I respect Zappa and all, but I’m not a huge fan of long, meandering jam tracks.
Fugees
4/5
Japan
2/5
If I had heard this when it first came out in ‘79 I may have been impressed with the innovation or talent or some such thing. But without that context I did not hear anything all that impressive. And their cover of the Velvet Underground actually made me hate them a little.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Costello is the UK equivalent of Springsteen and Dylan, if you’re big into geopolitical boundaries. Without those boundaries, they are equals, in terms of sociopolitical awareness and song writing talent. Definitely still my favorite of all the Elvises.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
This seems like the type of album I would like more if I spent more time with it. 3.5* rounding down because aside from The Waltz there wasn’t much to hook me into that second listen.
2/5
These guys took the torch from Kid Rock and went absolutely nowhere with it. To sum up, they are confident enough to know they like what they like, but insecure enough to feel like you hate them for liking what they like, but immature enough to tell you they don’t care if you like what they like and they’ll fight you over it. Now repeat that theme for an hour, and you have an album!
Dizzee Rascal
4/5
More unusual than a lot of hip-hop I have listened to. Some days, I would find the irregular beats and flows annoying. But it struck me just right today. Really enjoyed this!
808 State
3/5
The loons on Pacific 202 were nice to hear. But the rest of it was quite forgettable.
The Byrds
3/5
I think the Byrds sound a bit like a cliché for early 60s pop folk mainly because they influenced the genre so much.
Suede
3/5
Didn’t really love the vocals. But compared to other bands from that part of the world in that era, I found it less “shoe-gazey” than Oasis and less pretentiously artsy than Radiohead. Overall, somewhat not awful.
Black Sabbath
5/5
The way blues influences appear on this album remind me of Led Zeppelin. But most of all, I was really surprised by the overall talent of the musicians. I had always known Black Sabbath set the standard for their genre, but never really appreciated them beyond the rare radio single our small town stations would play around here (and usual very late at night). I was sort of expecting to hear Spinal Tap when I hit play on this. But I now understand that film wasn’t parodying this band, or at least this iteration of them, but everybody who was trying to be them.
Leftfield
3/5
Still not a fan of this genre. Which is a little disappointing, since the name implied I might be pleasantly surprised. Like something coming at you out of …well, you know.
Megadeth
2/5
I guess I have to respect Megadeth for finding a sound they liked and sticking with it in spite of what I am sure must have been intense pressure to vary the tempo every once in a while. Maybe this was supposed to be a concept album to determine if anyone could tell it was just the same song repeated 10 or 11 times?
Eric Clapton
4/5
I still maintain the somewhat controversial position that Clapton is good but overrated. However, this is an undeniably cool album!
Violent Femmes
4/5
Simple guitars and vocals plus some really interesting bass riffs make for a fun listen!
Dire Straits
5/5
I remember buying this tape as an 11-year-old and being disappointed that every song didn’t rock as hard as Money for Nothing. But that disappointment faded with maturity. Mark Knopfler is a master of his craft.
New York Dolls
3/5
They get “respect points” for their place as pioneers of the punk genre. But their music didn’t really stir any strong emotions for or against, which kind of runs counter to what I thought punk should do.
Morrissey
2/5
Maudlin: “self pitying or tearfully sentimental.“ There is no other word to describe Morrissey’s music.
Radiohead
4/5
Of all the Radiohead albums we have encountered on this journey, I would call this one the most accessible. I mean, I honestly like their other albums, but they do tend to feel a little self-consciously “artsy.“. I don’t feel as pretentious saying I like this one.
Q-Tip
3/5
With all due respect, this is one of the more questionable monikers in hip-hop. Which is too bad because the music is pretty cool but all I can keep thinking about is earwax. Sorry.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Delightful. I feel like a slightly better person for having listened to this today.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Rather fitting that this album should come up on the day after Brian Wilson‘s death. It presents a rather fitting tribute to his legacy and signature harmonies. As the name of the album would imply, the music itself is pretty tame and comforting but mostly entertaining.
AC/DC
3/5
If you’ve ever heard an AC/DC song you pretty much know what you can count on from them. Catchy guitar riffs and adolescently-pleasing lyrics that are fun to shout along to when you’re in the mood. I give them props for their reliability. Somewhat cliche, but not in an annoying way. 3.5 rounding down since I honestly won’t seek this out for another listen under normal circumstances.
Motörhead
3/5
The rare band that I respect without necessarily liking all their songs. Tremendous energy in this live set!
Green Day
3/5
I was somewhat hopeful that this would be the equivalent of the Clash doing the Who’s Quadrophenia. Instead, it was typical Green Day ranging from the great (“American Idiot”) to the mundane (“Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends”). I’m sure the latter is what gives them the freedom to do the former. But it makes it difficult for me to call myself a fan. 2.5* rounding up.
George Jones
2/5
I know every genre has songs about love and loss and heartache and being mistreated in a relationship. But there’s something about putting it over a steel guitar that makes it really off-putting.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
I was expecting a more cliché brand of psychedelic rock, so was pleasantly surprised by the blend of styles. Because of that element of surprise, rounding up from a 3.5.
Stan Getz
3/5
Should I find myself in the need to samba, I will reach for this.
The Fall
3/5
This album seems to take a lot from the Clash and give a lot to the White Stripes. Likable enough, but I’m in no hurry to play it again.
Femi Kuti
4/5
Tito Puente
4/5
Mood-lifting.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
To me, listening to a Leonard Cohen album is a lot like meeting a dude in a bar who has some interesting stories to tell while sipping his whiskey neat. But every once in a while, you also catch him staring a little too long at your wife.
Johnny Cash
4/5
The depth of the pain I can hear in his voice on “Hurt,” almost makes me feel like I am intruding on something personal and should not be enjoying that track so much. As for the rest of the album, it’s clear that by this point in his life his voice had lost its conventional richness…but much like on “Hurt” it lost none of its power and emotion.
Syd Barrett
3/5
For better and for worse, this sounds like a demo tape for early Pink Floyd. Makes sense, obviously. I can’t say that I loved it, but it was reasonably interesting.
The Kinks
4/5
In terms of their contemporaries,the Kinks live almost perfectly at the midpoint between the lightheartedness of the Beatles and the down and dirtiness of the Stones.
Beck
3/5
Demonstrates that you can be melancholy without being maudlin. Rounding down from 3.5* though because it felt about 2-3 tracks too long.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Some tracks sounded like Peter Gabriel doing David Bowie impressions, and others like Bowie doing Gabriel. In spite of how much I like both of those artists, this really didn’t do much for me.
Red Snapper
2/5
I swear I try to be open minded whenever we have a club/electronica album come up. But halfway into the first track they just fade into the background and I don’t really notice until it’s over. This album did nothing to change that pattern for me.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Didn’t hate it. But came up well short of liking it.
Daft Punk
2/5
I will always maintain that it takes talent to make music of any style. But the more of this genre I listen to, the less I like it.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Public Enemy
5/5
I feel that liking this album is going to put me on a list somewhere. Political rap is the best rap, and 35 years later there is still a palpable fear of a black planet.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Enough elements of his 70s/early 80s work to satisfy fans from that era, and enough “maturity” and evolution to his lyrics and playing to show he wasn’t just trying to do the same thing over and over.
Gotan Project
4/5
As a non-musician, my scoring rubric is based almost entirely on the mood an album creates. This one created a very positive mood, and quite possibly loosened my hips a little as well.
John Lennon
5/5
It is for work such as this that John was my favorite Beatle. Paul may have had a knack for catchier melodies, George a better guitar player, and Ringo a better Ringo. But John’s ability to sing about hard truths with a simple honesty tops all that.
Roxy Music
3/5
Wanted to like this better due to reputation and similarities to 70s Bowie. But just didn’t do it for me.
The Birthday Party
1/5
This album is a lot like cooking fish in a microwave: not as good as I hoped it would be, and left a really negative atmosphere that lasted well after it was over.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Liking me some spicy salsa!
Genesis
4/5
Considering the different artistic arcs each party followed, it’s easy to imagine what the break up discussion between Peter Gabriel and the rest of the band was like once they wrapped on this album. Can’t say that either side was wrong. But in my opinion, one side definitely got it right.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
The radio-singles were great, but the “deep cuts” didn’t hook me as much as I hoped they would.
Beach House
3/5
Sounds like a millennial reboot of Mazzy Star. I don’t hate it. But was never really a fan of the “original” in this case, either.
Gillian Welch
4/5
A beautiful piece of work.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Is it called “outlaw country” because it doesn’t suck like most of the genre? Seriously, there’s an authenticity and depth to the sound of these songs that is sorely lacking from his contemporaries (looking at you, George Jones)…and don’t get me started on today’s faceless ocean of WGWGs.
The Young Gods
3/5
Unexpectedly interesting. The grumbling in French was slightly off-putting (more for the grumbling than the actual language), but the sampling was more inventive and varied than a lot of dance music I’ve heard.
Bill Callahan
2/5
Sounds like a guy who grew up listening to Leonard Cohen and said, “I can do that.“ In addition to being unoriginal, I find this not interesting or in the least bit compelling.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Presley had a tremendous voice which almost sounds like a parody of itself, listening to it now. The lyrics are quaint and outdated, but may have been seen as meaningful at the time. Just the same, it adds to the caricature of the whole thing. “Suspicious Minds” is great, but I can live without the rest.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
This album did little to settle the debate I’ve never had as to whether or not Kentucky or Alabama is the greatest place this side of heaven. It also did little to improve my appreciation of charming harmonies about beating your fiancé to death. In all seriousness, I know this style of music has its place and I can hear its influence on bands I do like such as Old Crow Medicine Show. But in the context of this project, there are albums I know aren’t on this list that I’d much rather have listened to today.
The Waterboys
4/5
Like an extraordinarily pleasant road trip this album covers a lot of territory.
Van Halen
4/5
I had this when I was younger. But I didn’t realize until today how much it represented a bridge between the Led Zeppelin era of 60s/70s hard rock and the “stadium rock“ of the 80s. Not sure how I feel about that theory, but for better or for worse, this is a solid album!
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
I can’t say for sure that they turned me into a fan. But I definitely liked this album more at the end than I did at the beginning. The vocals ran the gamut from beautiful to emotionally overwrought to sincerely powerful, at times evoking thoughts of an “American Bono.” I’m quite tempted to give this album a second listen.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Best thing about this is the less than 40 minute run-time.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Despite not wanting to know what Iggy put in his ear, I think that, along with “Passenger” are great songs on an overall solid album.
Black Sabbath
5/5
After being “assigned” a Christmas album on Christmas Day, a Beach Boys album on the day after Brian Wilson died, and now this a day after Ozzy’s passing, I think it’s fair to say there’s little “random” in the “random album generator.” I’m not complaining, though.
Listened to some Sabbath after hearing about Ozzy yesterday and probably would have dialed this up today anyway. Ozzy was clearly synonymous with the metal genre, and it only takes a slightly more than cursory listen to understand he was not quite the villain uptight folks would have had us believe. No saint, for sure. But his music was a welcome place for those who hadn’t quite found where they fit into the world. And for those who did know, he and Sabbath were still innovative musicians worthy of serious attention.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Her vocal range makes me think a little of Amy Winehouse. But I can’t quite put my finger on why it doesn’t have the same power to me. Is it song selection? The Mickey Mouse Club influence? Or is it that the album is not stripped of pop music platitudes as the album title implies? I respect her work, but there is absolutely no chance I would be interested in listening to this again.
Pentangle
3/5
I found a couple of tracks entertaining. But overall not my bag. Or basket, such as it is.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Fun and funky.
Barry Adamson
3/5
This album achieved its goal of being the soundtrack for a movie that didn’t exist. While I normally would have believed that concept to be annoying and pretentious, I found myself several times visualizing a noire thriller and rather enjoying it. 3.5* rounding down due to the honest unlikelihood that I’ll want to listen to this again. But I’m not mad I heard it today.
R.E.M.
4/5
I owned this back in the day, although I haven’t really given it much thought in a long time. The arrangements are beautiful and the melancholy stops just short of whining, for the most part.
Stereo MC's
3/5
This album opens hot with “connected,“ and then follows it up with 11 tracks of “meh.” 2.5* rounding up because making music is hard, and this was less annoying than most electronica (but not as good as a lot of hip-hop).
Dagmar Krause
2/5
I may not have found the full version of this album, but I heard enough on YouTube Music to get a pretty good impression. I was expecting the soundtrack from the Atari 2600 tank battles. But what I heard instead was more like a cartoonish version of Cabaret. More because of the German than the subject matter, although there were Hitler and brown shirt references near the end of what I listened to. Aside from that, the vocals were good and, because overall better than expected, rounding up from 1.5*.
Simply Red
2/5
A good album for people who can’t make up their mind if they’re in the mood for pop-jazz or disco.
The Coral
2/5
An unexpected blend of early aughts alt rock and late 60s psychedelic folk. The end result is periodically entertaining. But not entertaining enough to round up from 2.5*.
The Police
3/5
Can’t deny this group’s talent and impact. But this album fell short of my expectations given how much I’ve heard about it over the years.
Goldie
2/5
The purpose of this musical style is to create a mood and in my case, the mood it creates is probably not what the artist intended. Listening to this brings to mind the soundtrack of a video game that quite literally gives me a headache within 10 minutes.
Minor Threat
3/5
Definitely the sound that comes to mind when one thinks of hardcore punk. Lots of energy but not a lot of variance from one track to the next. But that’s punk, right?
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
If you were to triangulate a point perfectly equidistant from Lenny Kravitz, James Brown, and Michael Jackson, you may land here. The only question that remains, is if all that triangulation was necessary.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Dylan-esque, but in a way that suggests an understanding that he is a student and not a copycat. Well learned.
Traffic
3/5
I like Steve Winwood as a musician, but I can’t say I’m a huge fan of his vocals. For the sake of comparison, I’d say this sounds a lot like Jethro Tull if Ian Anderson was out of breath before taking the mic.
The Doors
3/5
Like with a lot of other bands from this era, I like the “deep cuts“ better than the singles that have been played to death on classic rock radio. I can’t say that that is making me into a fan, though.
The Black Keys
5/5
I’m a fan of their entire catalog for the most part, but this is definitely the one that first drew my attention. I’ve read comparisons to the White Stripes since they’re both power-duos, but the Keys seem to project a bit less hipster and a bit more blues.
The Byrds
3/5
The signature sound for that era in American pop music. I respect it but don’t love it, although “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” is a top-notch F-off song!
Stevie Wonder
5/5
There’s a scene in the film “High Fidelity” where a record-store customer is looking for a copy of Stevie’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” and is aggressively verbally berated for being basic. The more of his albums I listen to, the more that scene makes sense. The range of his artistic talents is amazing.
Queen
4/5
I like Queen as much as the next guy, but I have to say this album didn’t do much for me. If they didn’t close with the strongest track, it would not left a very good impression at all. Reluctantly rounding up from 3.5*
3/5
A flashback to some of the more mediocre elements of college radio in the 90s that I could have lived without.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Not my favorite Sabbath album, but still better than a lot of bands at their best. I like the departure from the sound in their earlier work.
Eels
4/5
An American version of Radiohead, but in a good way.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
As a nine-year-old boy when this was released, I thought I wasn’t supposed to like “girl music,“ so I never gave Lauper much thought. With the wisdom of age and experience I have truly come to appreciate her unique style and vocal range.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Like a blend of Bowie and Tom Waits. And as with each of those artists, some tracks worked for me and some landed a bit wide of the mark.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Listening to Stills without Crosby and Nash is kind of like having a lettuce sandwich without bacon and tomato. Not bad, but definitely missing something that would make it a lot better.
Steely Dan
2/5
A perfectly serviceable collection for those in the mood for light rock, soft jazz, or adult contemporary. Just not my jam.
Bee Gees
2/5
It was nice to hear some Bee Gees songs I had never heard before. It would’ve been even nicer to say I liked them. The instrumentation was all well and good, but the vocals really grate on my nerves.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
The Damned
3/5
Johnny Cash
5/5
I think Cash’s “prison series” of live albums demonstrates one can have empathy and still be a “tough guy.” The deference he shows to his audience should remind us of the humanity people in jail deserve even if they have done wrong.
The Pogues
3/5
The lack of a comma between the first two words of this title paints a picture of alcohol misuse to the extreme. Punctuation matters! As for the music, it’s perfectly acceptable drinking music. But with the exception of “Dirty Old Town,” I’ve heard better singles from this band.
Calexico
4/5
Indie bands almost always have a unique sound, and this is one I wouldn’t mind listening to again.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
“Purple Haze,” is about as good as you can get by way of introducing yourself on a debut album. Jimi was in a class all by himself!
3/5
This strikes me as the equivalent of a “made for TV” rock opera: adequate but not terribly compelling.
Pearl Jam
5/5
This album did as much as any back in ‘91 to announce the death of womanizing , “ain’t nothing but a good time” hair bands, and that rock was moving in a different, emotional direction. Introspective without being whiny, and angst filled without being offputting. A bit more polished for mass consumption than their grunge brethren, Pearl Jam still set the soundtrack for much of Gen X.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Arcade Fire to me is the early-2000s equivalent of Radiohead. I enjoy some of their stuff, but feel like I should like them more and can’t understand exactly why I don’t.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
If I didn’t see the release date on this, I would have thought they were a dime-a-dozen pseudo-psychedelic pop-rock bands from the mid- to late-60s. Being “retro” doesn’t really make them any more compelling.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
There’s no denying Sinatra has a tremendous voice. How I feel about listening to him usually comes down to my mood on any particular day, and that feeling ranges from trying to croon along happily to cringing at the dark, misogynistic tendencies of the era this style so smoothly glosses over. Today, I will try not to be cynical about the “aw shucks” innocence of these lyrics and just accept them at face value.
Spiritualized
3/5
I think I may have liked this better if I wasn’t already familiar with the Velvet Underground. When I pressed play, though, I was expecting a rather drab journey to a planetarium. So in that context, it was a pleasant surprise.
Venom
2/5
In spite of, or perhaps because of, their relentless energy, I found this a bit boring after a fashion. Every song at the same tempo with only some minor variations in the lyrics just didn’t do it for me.
Laibach
1/5
From the, “it’s not what you say, but how you say it,“ department, these guys could be singing about puppies and rainbows and still make it sound like the end of the world. Pretty sure they weren’t singing about puppies and rainbows though. If this style is considered avant-garde, I can’t wait for the apres!
Deee-Lite
3/5
70s funk updated for the 90s and still sort of fun to listen to in the 20s. The only thing that’s honestly keeping me from rounding up from 3.5* is that several tracks reminded me of sitting in an Old Navy while waiting for my wife to try on clothes.
CHIC
2/5
Like most disco, the funky guitar riffs spark a little joy for a short time. But the rest of the sound gets annoying after a few minutes.
John Martyn
4/5
A variety of styles that, for the era, calls to mind a British Harry Nilsson (although not quite the vocalist that Nilsson was).
David Ackles
3/5
Sounds like Neil Diamond performing songs written and arranged by Tom Waits.
Hookworms
3/5
This band has a sound far more pleasant than their name implies.
The Cure
4/5
The orchestration for “Pictures of You” is so good I don’t really mind that they follow the same structure on so many other tracks.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I still don’t know enough about jazz to say whether this was good or not. But I didn’t hate it, so that’s the important thing.
3/5
This is one of the most frustrating Dylan albums I’ve heard. Normally I’m quite tolerant of his unconventional vocals. They usually work. But for some reason, I found them exceptionally grating in this performance. 2.5* rounding up because he’s still Dylan.
JAY Z
4/5
N.W.A.
4/5
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Irritating vocals sung in an atonal and arrhythmic style offset some otherwise promising tracks here. I guess I’m not artistic enough to enjoy this.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
I’d first heard Anohni’s voice singing backup on some Lou Reed tracks. I can’t say I loved all of this, but her unique voice certainly has a power to it that I respect.
James Taylor
4/5
There is something relentlessly likable about James Taylor. No matter how many times I have heard all of his radio hits, I still don’t seem to mind hearing them. And as is often the case in this project, I really dug the deep cuts on this album.
Massive Attack
3/5
A bit more mellow than the band name would imply, and a bit less annoying than most “electronic“ music.
Django Django
4/5
A bit of a throwback to the 60s with a mix of 21st century quirkiness. Normally a blend that would annoy me, but for some reason struck me as just right today.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
I can understand the critical acclaim for their influences on “acid rock,“ and the future of heavy metal. But like most one hit wonders, I can also see why they did not have much staying power. The one song is really their only good one, and to me sounds more and more like a punchline every time I hear it.
Killing Joke
4/5
Easy to hear the influence they had on rock bands that came after.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
I appreciate the tutorials on this album. But a little raga goes a long way for me.
The Zutons
4/5
I always hold my breath a little when we get an album from this era. Not to be ageist, but I feel like there was a definite drop off in talent around the turn of the millennium. That said, “Pressure Point,“ is a really fun track. And the rest of the album was surprisingly good to boot!
3/5
They sound like the Violent Femmes with slightly less catchy guitar hooks but an actual female vocalist. So it’s either those reasons or a coin toss that I have heard of one, but not the other.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Anytime some oldster says modern music doesn’t make any sense, you can ask them to justify this. Both the band name and a lot of the songs are pseudo-creative sounding, but basically meaningless. Nonsense and vapidity in music doesn’t belong to any one generation.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Because of the timing of its release, I remember “New York, New York,“ getting tons of airtime on local radio as some sort of anthem of unity and healing. That was not the song’s intention, clearly. And, with all due respect to Mr. Adams, he was not the songwriter for that sort of task. These tracks are fairly entertaining, but lightweight and indistinguishable from one another (with a few exceptions).
Tom Waits
5/5
Tom Waite’s vocals are usually a test of my patience. Especially because I know he can sing better (reference his debut album, Closing Time). But with these songs in particular, conventional vocals would not carry as much power. I’ve come away with a better understanding of why he does what he does. At least, it works on this album and I caught myself listening to it three times today.
Fever Ray
2/5
I’m sure they’re good at what they do. But this style is just too monotonous for my tastes.
The United States Of America
2/5
As a piece of sociopolitical commentary about America in the late 1960s, I found this work to be the equivalent of the Velvet Underground without the creative influences of Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Moe Tucker, and Andy Warhol, or the musical “Hair,” without the cohesive story arc.
In short, I didn’t find it very interesting at all.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
A low calorie Radiohead with some Talking Heads influences thrown in. In spite of that, it didn’t really hook me.
The Thrills
3/5
Not exactly as thrilling as I was expecting. But not awful either.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Abundantly adequate.
David Bowie
4/5
Some excellent tracks here. But a little too much sax (yes, I said it!) on some keep me from rounding up.
The Stooges
4/5
A good punk album has high energy, plus screaming and grumbling vocals for more than just screaming and grumbling’s sake. Most importantly, it knows when to stop. This has all the makings of a good punk album.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Not bad. But a little too much electric light in the orchestra for my tastes.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Every so often I find myself wishing I had studied music more at an academic level so when I listen to jazz, I can say things like, “oh my gosh, I can’t believe he just did that!“ As it is, the best I can do is say, “that wasn’t bad to listen to.“
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
Björk
3/5
I’ve always thought of Bjork as the Icelandic equivalent of Yoko Ono. And maybe that holds true with the Icelandic equivalent of John Lennon. But I actually found this album a bit more listenable than a lot of Ono’s work, so maybe I was wrong about her. 3.5* rounding down due to the absolute unlikelihood that I would seek this out for a second listen.
4/5
This had a charm about it that I was not expecting. As concept albums go, I think it was akin to the Kinks’s Arthur and the Rise and Fall of the British Empire, with only the occasional hint of The Bee Gees Odessa.
5/5
A rich, complex sound that is somewhat reminiscent of Queen. Yet there is enough creative originality to keep them from sounding like a wannabe or copycat.
Beatles
3/5
Well, they’re the Beatles, so this doesn’t suck. But I like their later works much better. I think this is a classic example of having to pay the bills (literally and figuratively) in order to earn the artistic license to get away from cheesy pop songs and sadly being the prototype for all “boy bands” that followed.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
No matter the language, that’s some damn fine guitar playing!
Yes
3/5
“Roundabout,” slaps, as the kids say. But the rest of it is a giant pile of art rock that I need to be in a very specific mood to enjoy. I was not in that mood today, nor do I expect to be tomorrow or likely even the day after.
Elliott Smith
3/5
I would call this “aggressively okay,” but it’s far too mellow for that. It was good enough, though, that I might look up the song that got him nominated for an Academy Award. If I can remember to do that after my nap.
Os Mutantes
3/5
I can’t say that I liked it, but there was enough charm to offset the long stretches of weirdness.
Sepultura
2/5
I don’t really mind thrash metal in general. But the vocals make it really hard to say I enjoy it.
KISS
3/5
With all due respect to the recently deceased Mr. Frehley, without the face paint they’re fairly indistinguishable from other bands of that era like Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple. I would like to say the music was more interesting, but it just didn’t hook me. Rounding up from 2.5 out of respect for their “legend status.“
Michael Jackson
3/5
“Smooth Criminal” is kinda cool, and it’s plain to see why so many other pop stars tried to copy his style. But overall there are too many, “hee hees,” and “hoo hoos,” for my taste.
Silver Jews
3/5
I tried to pay attention. But this did absolutely nothing for me aside from a couple moderately interesting hooks.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
A little fun, the duet with the child was cute, and it didn’t overstay its welcome at 27 minutes running time. But for the life of me, I cannot understand why they would put a parade march dead center of this album.
Burning Spear
4/5
Nice to get a taste of some reggae beyond Bob Marley. Same chill sound, and the same strong cry for justice.
Joan Baez
4/5
A note to all divas: singing scales is good and all, but if you have a beautiful voice, I think it is better utilized singing about interesting things and with feeling. Joan definitely belongs there amongst the best.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
The hip hop on this is good enough to forgive them for the attempts at soul on a couple tracks.
Billy Bragg
4/5
I’ve tried liking Wilco for a while now, but aside from a few tracks here and there, they’ve always felt a bit too “hipster.” I found this album a lot more relatable for some reason. Is it Billy Bragg? Woody Guthrie’s lyrics? Or am I getting more hipster in my old age?
Nas
4/5
Faust
2/5
If this is what happens to music when you lose a world war, they make a very strong argument for peace!
Isaac Hayes
3/5
I like the theme song as much as the next guy, so I have to admit I was hoping for more tracks with Isaac Hayes’s unbelievably smooth vocals, and fewer “Shaft gets a cup of coffee,“ instrumentals. I can still dig it, but just not as much.
Metallica
3/5
I’m a little disappointed I didn’t like this more. “Enter Sandman” is cool and all, but feels sort of cliche to me now. And the other tracks just didn’t do much for me. Maybe it’s the singer’s limited vocal range?
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I would not go out of my way to listen to this again, but I wouldn’t be mad if someone left it playing when I walked in the room. Another aggressively ok offering.
Giant Sand
2/5
This sounded like Leonard Cohen fronting Wilco, and that combo just didn’t work for me.
Grateful Dead
4/5
I like a lot of Dead songs in general, but can often do without the long, meandering jams.
David Bowie
4/5
If the stations in question are “Ziggy Stardust” and “Dark Star,” then this album does seem to lie perfectly in between.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Even though they couldn’t get Keith Moon or John Entwhistle to join the lineup, things turned out pretty well for this band.
Shack
3/5
The first couple tracks made me think that they are what Oasis would sound like if they relaxed a little. But the later tracks kind of drifted into the same pretentiousness that made me glad the album was over.
Ray Charles
5/5
It ain’t bragging if it’s true. There are times where I feel very fortunate to have lived in a world with Ray Charles music in it.
Bob Dylan
5/5
“Tangled Up in Blue,” has long been my favorite Dylan song. It has all of the storytelling elements he does best without his hard-to-take vocals. The rest of the album kind of follows that mold, making it possibly my favorite Dylan album.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Was about to write this off as a “meh” representation of female-led punk from the early 90s. But her “Highway 61” cover kicked things up a notch for the second half. Rounding up from 3.5 because of that strong finish.
Coldcut
4/5
The beats were fun, a lot of tracks were interesting, and the album as a whole didn’t overstay its welcome.
Miles Davis
3/5
Cool? Sure. But jazz just still isn’t my bag.
Dire Straits
5/5
Mark Knopfler is an exceptional talent.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Good vocals, but the songs were mostly forgettable tripe. Happy Sad makes me a little sad mad that it wasn’t better.
ABBA
4/5
There weren’t any real standout singles on this. But as a collection, it really works. Showed me a depth to ABBA I did not know existed.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
OK, for the most part. But I can think of a handful of bands off the top of my head that sound exactly like this one, and can name at least a dozen albums from others which are better but aren’t on the list at all.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
More “accessible” funk than a lot of George Clinton’s work, but funky enough to avoid being annoying pop.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Not bad, but mostly indistinguishable from the Smiths, Pixies, and the Cure, for better and worse.
Spiritualized
3/5
Atmospheric and sets a tone that’s not altogether unpleasant.
Def Leppard
2/5
If you were to ask AI to come up with a prototypical 80s stadium rock album, it would probably throw something like this back at you. Catchy hooks, gang vocals, and lyrics that walk the line between misogynistic and just plain silly (“Armageddon it? Yes, I’m a-getting it.”). Full disclosure, I owned this album back in the day and thought it was pretty cool. Listening to it now, I waver between an amused nostalgia and an irritation that a lot of the albums I left this for are not on this list.
Queen
4/5
A lot of albums sound better through headphones or decent stereo speakers. With Queen, it’s a whole different experience!
Elton John
4/5
Some mighty fine piano rock in’.
a-ha
3/5
I’ve heard these guys were huge in their native country, so I was hoping we got it wrong in the US to call them a one hit wonder. Unfortunately, I just didn’t hear it. The one song everyone knows is great. The rest of it is pretty “meh” 80s style music.
The Cure
3/5
A smoother sound then a lot of their contemporaries. But nothing on this album really stood out for me.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Neil Young has been quite a presence on this list, and for the most part I can understand why. There are some good rock and folk songs here, but not much to set it apart from other Young albums and justify its inclusion.
Love
2/5
Doors Light.
Kraftwerk
2/5
The best thing I can say about this album is that it helped me save money on getting a “23 and Me,” test. I think I can safely rule out any German heritage. Seriously, I might have liked this album a smidgen if the tracks weren’t so long, monotonous, and an obvious attempt at hypnosis.
George Michael
3/5
He’s an excellent vocalist, but the style just isn’t my bag.
Orbital
2/5
I might feel differently about this style of music if I were in my 20s and three drinks deep at a club. But I’m not. And I don’t.
Big Star
4/5
More interesting than I expected for a band that wasn’t interested in finishing the album themselves.
The White Stripes
5/5
If the Velvet Underground was just Lou and Mo…and if Lou was a slightly better guitarist.
The Style Council
4/5
Extra points for being an unexpected sound for that era. Interesting blend of jazz, hip hop, and pop.
The Darkness
2/5
Decent rock, but the falsetto vocals get a little annoying after a fashion. A good choice if you want to hear some classic rock but don’t want to take the time to seek out AC/DC or Deep Purple.
The Band
4/5
I really like this album, but with one exception. It’s hard to get behind any song that glorifies the antebellum era. Even though “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,“ has a very “poor man fighting a rich man’s war” tone about it, the references to Robert E Lee being one of the “very best,“ and his brother, taking a “rebel stand,“ are part of a broader misrepresentation of what the Civil War was about that is still quite common to this day.
Take those lyrics away, or remove the track entirely, and this is definitely an all-time great album.
Black Flag
3/5
I can get behind the sentiment that leads to punk music, if not always the music itself.
The Undertones
3/5
A fun little bit of “softcore“ punk. I enjoyed it, but not enough to round up from 3.5 simply because there’s a little chance I would seek this out to listen to again. But I’m not mad.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
It’ll never cease to amaze me how many people still think “Born in the USA,” is a patriotic song. I was 10 when this came out, and even though I didn’t really understand everything he had to say at the time, I knew there was more to the song than simple flag-waving. Unfortunately, the rest of the album, with only a couple of exceptions, is comparatively boring pop-rock. I can forgive him, considering his overall body of work. But not enough to round up from a 4.5.
Deep Purple
3/5
They are highly competent within their genre. But I still maintain their lyrics, especially on “space trucking,“ are amongst the silliest in rock.
Radiohead
3/5
I always enjoy reading about albums that bands had the artistic freedom to do their way, without corporate or commercial pressures. I just wish I enjoyed the outcome as much.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Charming harmonies. Quaint lyrics.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Slightly better than average punk.
Brian Wilson
2/5
If there was ever any question as to who was the creative force behind The Beach Boys, this should put that to rest. But this album also has the sound of someone who is going through some emotional and mental health issues. And while working on the album may have been therapeutic, with the exception of “good vibrations,“ I’m not so sure the point of releasing it.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Proving that not all magic is good.
The Beta Band
4/5
Charming, which is not a word I often use to describe this genre.
The Who
5/5
In the Broadway production, the song order is tweaked slightly, and Tommy’s character is portrayed in a more positive, less cynically manipulative way. Those changes improve the story, but the music on this version is exceptional. The Overture in particular has a way of staying with me all day.
Richard Thompson
3/5
A listening experience akin to a melancholy evening of public radio programming. Not a bad experience, but the music sort of faded into the background of my day too often for me to justify rounding up from a 3.5*.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
This album has elements of Talking Heads, which I like. But there are lots of electro/dance elements that I don’t. A rare rounding up from 2.5*.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
I imagine there are some people who do not find his vocals almost immediately annoying. And some of those people may even consider him their favorite artist. I’m not here to judge them.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
You could say the lyrics to “Brown Sugar” didn’t age well. But even in 1971, a song about a plantation owner raping his slaves shouldn’t have been made so cheerful. I was happy to find an article where Jagger said they would not have written that song today. But it is so tasteless, it distracts from the overall quality of the remainder of this album.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Combines the best elements of Veruca Salt with Sonic Youth. It took a few tracks to grow on me, but I found the end result rather entertaining.
Cee Lo Green
4/5
Not a huge fan of his vocals, but this was an irresistibly fun album to listen to.
Bad Company
4/5
A pretty standard representation of 1970s blues rock. Simple, and at times pseudo introspective lyrics (you identify with seagulls? Really!?) But for basic entertainment value, I’m OK with rounding up on this one from 3.5*.
10cc
3/5
Not the worst band in the world. But not one I’m going to spend much time thinking about once the music ends, either.
Taylor Swift
3/5
There’s not much here that we haven’t heard already from the likes of Fiona Apple or Tori Amos. But I actually mean that as a compliment, even though her voice doesn’t have the range of those other two. On the whole I liked this more than I thought I would. But I would have liked it better had it been 20 minutes shorter. Because after a while each track sounded like the one before it. Rounding down for overstaying its welcome.
Suicide
2/5
The punk/psychedelic rock fusion album we didn’t ask for. Probably because it’s not as interesting a concept as it sounds.
Tina Turner
4/5
I love Tina’s voice. I just wished I loved more of the songs on this album, but for the most part I can live without pop.
Death In Vegas
3/5
There were a few moments on this that I actually sort of enjoyed. For the most part, electronic music just doesn’t know when to quit when it’s ahead, though.
Madonna
4/5
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Considering the lineup, I thought I would like this more than I did. Too much Gorrilaz, and not enough Clash in their sound for me to want to give it a second listen, though.
1/5
A reminder that this is not a list of the best albums of all time, just ones that we should hear. I’m always amazed that albums like this not only get made, but that some people do count them as among the best…maybe even their favorite. I do not judge them. There were some almost interesting sounds amongst the noises here.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Laid back!
Machito
3/5
Entertaining, although I don’t have enough vocabulary for this style of music to be able to differentiate one track from the next.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Do I believe I needed to hear some contemporary French pop? For the sake of my global musical vocabulary, sure. Did I like it more than American pop? Un peu.
Khaled
4/5
Proof that you don’t need to necessarily understand the lyrics to feel the emotion behind them. And the instrumentation had a lot of variety and was quite interesting. It was hard not to enjoy this.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Much like Leonard Cohen, for better and worse. Interesting lyrics often undercut by the vocals. Although I have no problem with unconventional singing, Cave’s voice, like Cohen’s, sometimes drifts too far towards “grating.”
The Monks
2/5
They may very well have been pioneers of late-60s psychedelic rock and/or punk. But I feel like if I have to do that much research into the context of the album, I’m just looking for a reason to like it rather than just rating it on its “stand alone” merits. In that sense, it’s an ok representation of the genres, but not that much fun to listen to.
Animal Collective
2/5
I hope they had fun making this.
The Monkees
2/5
I used to watch reruns of their show when I was a kid, so I was actually looking forward to hearing some songs I hadn’t heard before. But even back then, I knew they were mainly lightweight Beatle wannabes. And this album did nothing to change that perception. In fact, it made me almost wish they had thrown in some of the more familiar hits to make it a bit more fun to listen to. Their hits are a little more distinctive than what’s represented here.
Ms. Dynamite
4/5
Sounds like what would happen if Amy Winehouse leaned a little heavier towards R&B.
Fugazi
3/5
Punkity punk.
Iggy Pop
4/5
If David Bowie was from the Midwestern United States and went long periods of time between showers, I think this is what he would sound like. And I actually mean that in a positive way for Iggy.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
As cultural experiences go, this was somewhere between “enlightening,” and, “Monty Python Cheese Shop sketch.” (I know it wasn’t a kabuki on this album, but those who know will take my point.)
The Slits
4/5
Like a combination of Patti Smith and early Clash. Their cover of “Grapevine” was pretty entertaining. Rounding up from 3.5 mainly because they caught me in a good mood.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
You can always count on Gabriel for something interesting and original.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Lovely vocals. Just wish I liked the style more. Makes for a nice soundtrack to something positively reflective, but not the music I was in the mood for today.
Sonic Youth
4/5
The daydreams this album conjures are of college radio in the early to mid 90s. By most metrics, that was a pretty good time. Sonic Youth themselves are somewhat the equivalent of the Velvet Underground in that they didn’t make many “sing-along“ songs. But much like the VU, I’ve come to appreciate them more as I get older.
Nirvana
4/5
Definitely less commercially “polished” than Nevermind. Rounding up from 3.5.
Finley Quaye
4/5
After each track, I kept bracing myself for the next one to be annoying or boring. That didn’t happen. This album had an unexpected amount of originality and was entertaining from beginning to end.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
The Cult
4/5
The Cult make great music for when you’re in the mood to hear something loud, but you don’t want to think about it all that much.
Lambchop
2/5
An adequate representation of mellow rock, I surmise. I do not judge you if that’s what you’re into. But not really my vibe.
Mudhoney
4/5
Tuned in expecting “early Nirvana,” and got more of a Stooges vibe instead. I’m 100% ok with that.
Morrissey
2/5
There aren’t too many performers like Morrissey. And for that, I am grateful!
Solange
4/5
My daughter listens to a lot of “pop radio,” and I think Solange is as good as, if not better than, most of the so-called divas I overhear several times a day. In addition to a seat at the table, she definitely deserves more air-time around here.
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
A good vocalist. But for some reason this album did not hold my attention.
Sabu
3/5
A bit more fun than expected for a Wednesday morning.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
“Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” and “Pastime Paradise,” are exceptional songs. The rest of the album is solid, and I think it is mathematically impossible to truly dislike Stevie Wonder.
Elvis Costello
5/5
Pop punk pioneer. I’m not too familiar with his later catalog, but am working on that. But early Elvis is like listening to Tom Waits sing through nasal congestion and not from the bottom of a bag of broken glass. And I mean that as a compliment to both those artists.
Bee Gees
2/5
I’m sure these songs were delightful. But the vocals are at a pitch that I simply cannot hear.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Artsy and rockish.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
A lot like the Grateful Dead. If the Dead never sang in harmony. And only played variations of “Who Do You Love?” over and over with different lyrics.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
A genius of a musician who gets better every time he lets the funk out.
Cornershop
4/5
Creative and surprisingly catchy for an “indie” band.
Sade
4/5
A voice as elegantly smooth as the correct pronunciation of her name.
Doves
3/5
Like Coldplay, only without the whiny vocals. Adequate millennial rock.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Coming of age in the early 90s, I gravitated towards the more radio-friendly sounds of Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, and the like. I’m coming to realize how much those bands owe to Sonic Youth. I may not have loved every track here, but I really like the overall feeling it left me with of having heard something original.
The Only Ones
2/5
Ordinary to the point of being unlikable.
Def Leppard
3/5
Another OK album for when you want to play something loud and not really think about it.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Not too bad if you think of it as an homage to the Kinks and Beatles with an occasional nod to the Who thrown in. Luckily, I like all of those bands.
Elis Regina
3/5
I liked the vocals if not all the arrangements.
Travis
2/5
It’s like somebody asked Radiohead to do Coldplay songs. Can’t say I’m digging the result.
Brian Eno
4/5
I know Eno is highly esteemed for his influences and abilities as a producer. But I preferred the elements of this that leaned more toward Byrne’s sound and style. 3.5*
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Probably the most American response there could be to the “British invasion,” both in name and sound. I prefer the invaders, but will round up from 2.5*.
Ian Dury
2/5
It shouldn’t be so hard to figure out if this is bad punk or a bad parody of good punk. Maybe it’s brilliant punk portraying itself as a bad parody? The time I’ve spent writing this is way more time than I’ve wanted to spend thinking about this album.
Dr. Dre
4/5
Just remember, my white brothers and sisters: under NO circumstances should you sing along.
Peter Tosh
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
My favorite of Bowie’s “eras,” although I liked “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust…” as an album better than this one.
Ute Lemper
3/5
I kind of enjoyed the arrangements, but the vocals were all over the place, especially on the duets.
John Lennon
5/5
Say what you will about Yoko “breaking up the Beatles.” Lennon’s solo work compared to that of the others tells me they were all heading in different creative directions anyway. Has anyone ever used the term “intellectual punk?” Because it’s really striking on this how his punk-rock attitude is articulated through more emotions than just anger. Whatever term you use for it, he was clearly working out some deep personal issues here that would not have worked in a cheerful McCartney-melody.
Ministry
2/5
I don’t usually listen to industrial, but when I do, you can rest assured it’s because of my commitment to this project. Honestly, this is not my jam. But I will say I almost liked “Jesus built my hot rod.“
Iron Maiden
3/5
Does listening to this today make me a late-middle-aged dirtbag, baby?
Tom Tom Club
4/5
This was a lot of fun, and increased my respect for the Talking Heads so much more to learn that David Byrne wasn’t the only creative force in that band.
Fairport Convention
4/5
I’m proud of myself for recognizing the French translation of a Bob Dylan song before the chorus hit. Aside from that, I tried hard not to like this. But the “Joan Baez (ish) fronting CSN (ish)” vibe wore me down. Rounding up from 3.5*
The Flaming Lips
3/5
This is another band that I feel I should like more than I do. From what I’ve read about their live shows, I’d probably go to one if someone bought me a ticket. But for casual listening, I don’t think I’m cool enough to get it.
Gene Clark
2/5
I have a hard time imagining anyone in 1971 excitedly asking their friends to come over and listen to the new Gene Clark album. And, outside of this group, I’ll probably forget to mention to anyone that I listened to it. Not that it’s bad. It just isn’t the type of music that puts air in my tires.
Pulp
3/5
If late-90s Britpop were the only genre to chose from, I would pick this over Oasis. But that’s a pretty low bar to clear.
Underworld
1/5
I don’t think I want to know who was the most toughest in the infants. Nor do I want to know who approved that as a standard of measure.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Don’t need to understand all the words to get the vibe. And I kinda dug his vibe. But because of the language barrier, I did find it hard to differentiate between some tracks. Rounding down from 3.5*, but that’s more my fault than his.
The Prodigy
1/5
I’m old enough to remember reading about the controversy around, “Smack My B* Up,” when it first came out. But since there was no YouTube Music in ‘97, I didn’t want to waste my time or money to listen to it and make my own judgment. Now, thanks to YouTube Music, I can have another reason to dislike electronic music for free!
American Music Club
2/5
Suggested alternate title: “Morrissey as an American.”
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Bruce does “working class troubadour” better than almost anyone, even if the themes are somewhat formulaic. I don’t care for his “pop rock” tracks, though…catchy but a little dull. Overall, this isn’t as good as his earlier stuff. But there are moments worthy an artist of his stature.
Destiny's Child
4/5
Beats are a solid 4*, but the lyrics a mediocre 3 at best. (No offense, but I think it’s understood that a survivor will keep on surviving. The point was made early on.). The vocals are quality enough to make that not annoying and tip the scale in favor of rounding up.
Bert Jansch
3/5
Pleasant.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Trippy, man. How ‘bout that electric jug?
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
There weren’t any tracks that really stood out for me. But I am feeling a little less sinister, so there’s that.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Sounds a bit like Chrissie Hynde fronting Sonic Youth. Not a sound I would be down for every day, but I’m digging it today.
Stephen Stills
4/5
For those who like CSN but wished they didn’t harmonize so much. Seriously, this is likable but maybe not a double-album’s worth.
The Undertones
3/5
The Clash did punk better, but I don’t think these guys were trying to beat the Clash. They seemed comfortable doing what they did, and for that I respect them.
Fats Domino
4/5
Really good playing and signing in any context. But to package delta-style blues rock piano in a way that didn’t scare the crap out of 1950s white audiences/record buyers, while not being a white, child-marrying man, is truly remarkable. (Ok…maybe Fats isn’t as “edgy” in his sound as Jerry Lee, but I think that’s sort of my point.)
Primal Scream
4/5
Not as obnoxious as most albums labeled as “dance music.” In fact, I’d go so far as to say I rather enjoyed it.
The Cardigans
4/5
Oddly enough, their best-known song was the one I liked least on this. Their interpretation of Iron Man was great, although I can hear lots of Sabbath fans screaming about that. Overall, had positive elements of Portishead, Garbage, and Sun 60. Might warrant a second listen some day, just maybe not today.
Bauhaus
2/5
Started off dreary but then lifted its mood to a noncommittal melancholy. Didn’t hate it, but a day after listening to it I can’t recall a single track specifically.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
A little less annoying to me than most “dance“ music. He kept the tracks short and the beats interesting. Blended nicely into the backdrop of my morning. Maybe not the effect he was hoping for, though.
The Youngbloods
3/5
If you like CSN but don’t care for their harmonies, then this is the band for you! Seriously, the music is good, but I can see why they did not reach the popularity of some of their contemporaries.
David Holmes
2/5
Is it a rule that electronica albums have to be an hour long or more? Because I can only take about 20-30 minutes at a time on a good day.
Fishbone
4/5
I like their sound and blending of styles. But for my money, I prefer the vocals and horn section of the Rustic Overtones when it comes to funk/punk/ska rock. Just the same, will round up from 3.5*.
Paul Weller
3/5
Vocals have a Gregg Allman-esque quality that’s not altogether unpleasant. None of the songs were all that memorable, though.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I think the true mark of Floyd’s greatness is that any band who has tried sounding like them typically comes across as pretentious. Nobody did it quite like them (although Peter Gabriel/early Genesis came close).
GZA
4/5
I can’t be 100% sure, but I think I just got taken to church. Or a kung fu movie. Or both?
Culture Club
4/5
A bit more depth to their music than a lot of other bands from that era. I remember the hits, but the “deep cuts” are really good, too.
Willie Nelson
3/5
I don’t expect covers to sound like the originals. In fact, I often prefer it when they don’t. Each artist should put their unique stamp on a song. That said, I respect Willie but did not enjoy his choices here. Maybe if I hadn’t known better versions of many of these songs, I wouldn’t have minded his vocal limitations so much.
Talvin Singh
3/5
An album for people who can’t decide if they want to go to the spa or the club. I guess it’s…okay.
Tom Waits
4/5
Opening a set by talking about being horny enough to screw the crack of dawn certainly creates a tone! The storytelling and comedic asides made the jazz feel more accessible and entertaining. I’m starting to see what all the fuss around Tom Waits is about.
Tom Waits
4/5
At times, Waits sounds like a whiskey-informed sage, sharing hard learned lessons of life, love, and regret. At other times, he sounds like a drunk muppet. What he doesn’t sound like is Rod Stewart. And I’m ok with that.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Howlin Wolf once said, “if you can’t feel the blues you must have a hole in your soul.“ If that’s true, what does it mean if you can’t feel the funk?
Wild Beasts
2/5
This sounds like a band who want to be Arcade Fire while desperately and self-consciously trying not to sound like Arcade Fire.
Sparks
3/5
Leaves the impression of a collaboration between ABBA and Queen that turned into a tug of war over artistic control and the rope broke, with the finished product landing somewhere near the Rocky Horror Picture Show, traveling through time and channeling Chappell Roan. In short, I find it sort of campy, but not necessarily in a bad way. This is one album that definitely sounds exactly like the cover art looks.
Suzanne Vega
4/5
Took the torch from Joni Mitchell and carried it well forward to the likes of Tori Amos , Fiona Apple, and those who came after.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
No thank you.
Fiona Apple
5/5
She could have kept making albums like Tidal and still been considered a solid artist. This shows how much further she can push her talents.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Exceptional musicians. But for some reason this just didn’t capture my attention like it may have once.
T. Rex
3/5
Can’t say I loved it. But I didn’t hate it, either.
Queen Latifah
4/5
Great sampling and interesting lyrics. 3.5* rounding up.
N.E.R.D
3/5
As rock-rap goes, they aren’t as gifted musicians as Red Hot Chili Peppers and the hooks aren’t as catchy as 311. But I would not be embarrassed to be caught listening to them again.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Early on I got a mental image of the vocalist as L’il Sweet from the Dr. Pepper commercials. Made it hard to take the music too seriously, but I don’t think this band took itself very seriously in the first place. Entertaining if unspectacular.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
I have never listened to this album before, but there was nothing here I haven’t already heard. Rather bland and unremarkable.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
I always thought there was a comma in the title of, “Come On Eileen.” The fact that there isn’t changes everything.
Seriously, that song is so well known that every track sounded like the singer wanted to belt it out. But the instrumentation and arrangements carried things along well enough to keep it interesting. 3.5* rounding down for punctuation.
Grateful Dead
5/5
“Ripple” has always been my favorite Dead song, and this album on the whole showcases their strengths in writing charming melodies and songs that aren’t just 20-minute meandering jams.
Green Day
4/5
Green Day has always been a frustrating band for me. I really like their punk and a lot of their pop-punk, but they occasionally put out some pop rock which I find very annoying. Fortunately, this album has more of the first two elements and only moderate elements of the third.
Pavement
4/5
On a near par with Sonic Youth and Mudhoney if you are in the mood for early 90s noise rock/prototype grunge. Which I sort of was today.
Björk
3/5
I may not always understand what she’s doing, but I respect her sincerity.
The Verve
4/5
Jimmy Smith
4/5
That was a fun spot of jazz. Thanks, Jimmy!
Elastica
4/5
Vocally, a little limited and almost monotone. But that may have been the sound they were going for. “Line Up,” and “Connection,” were in heavy rotation back in the college radio days, so I’m rounding up from 3.5* due to positive nostalgia.
Genesis
4/5
Sold! For 4*.
I seriously keep forgetting that Gabriel’s time in Genesis was real and not just an answer to a trivia question. I also keep forgetting, or maybe refusing to believe, that Phil Collins is/was a really good drummer. I appreciate this project keeping me straight on both counts.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Girl boss punk from a punk girl boss.
Alice Cooper
5/5
I’d vote for Alice.
The Prodigy
1/5
Although I have often felt jolted myself, I found no comfort in this music. I do not judge you if you do, though.
Or maybe the intent was not to provide comfort, but to remind you over and over again that you were jilted? One way or another, I care not for this genre.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Normally, I don’t mind “unconventional“ vocals. But for some reason with this band it detracted from my overall enjoyment of the album about five tracks in.
Steely Dan
2/5
I find Steely Dan endlessly annoying in a harmless, soft rock sort of way.
Ice Cube
4/5
Thought provoking.
Minutemen
4/5
Surprisingly, more entertaining than I expected for a double album from a punk band. It really helped that they varied the styles, kept the tracks short, and were actually pretty talented musicians.
Miles Davis
3/5
Nice bit of relaxing, background jazz that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
So much has changed in America since ‘75. Primarily, we don’t have anyone making music like this today.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
American psychedelic folk. Tolerable, but not the album I was in the mood for today.
Pixies
4/5
Ubiquitous sound. Easy to spot the influence they’ve had on “alternative” music.
Cat Stevens
4/5
The kind of songs about peace, love, and introspection that are bound to land you on a “no-fly” list.
Scritti Politti
3/5
A band whose sound truly mimics their name: lightweight, and sort of meaningless. The music wasn’t bad, but each track sounded the same.
Haircut 100
3/5
Surprisingly decent musicianship on otherwise routine New Wave Britpop fare.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
I’ve always liked a number of his songs but I never sat down with a full album. After this, I understand better why. His vocal style is like someone gasping for breath. That works on some tracks, but leaves me gasping after a near hour’s worth. He plays the blues far better than he raps.
The White Stripes
4/5
I was reaching a point with these two where I thought fuzzy, distorted guitar riffs were all they had to offer. The deep cuts put holes in that theory, and show why listening to an album in its entirety can be such a treat.
Kelela
3/5
A lovely voice reminiscent of Ariana Grande. Much like with Ariana, though, there is nothing about these songs that interest me beyond the vocal talent.
Ice Cube
4/5
Good stuff! Thank goodness the racial issues he’s rapping about ended in the 90s. Much the same way civil rights issues ended in the 60s, right? Right?!?
The Shamen
1/5
Another day wasted at a local Aeropostale waiting for someone trying on clothes.
Linkin Park
2/5
Every song sounds almost exactly the same as the one before it.
Paul Simon
4/5
Aside from a couple of gems, overall not his best work. But even so, better than most!
Van Morrison
3/5
Might this be considered “psychedelic folk?” Whatever it is, I can’t say I loved it.
Metallica
3/5
A collaboration that must have been inspired by Opus the Penguin’s belief that “heavy metal” meant “weighty brass.” (Look it up, children)
Seriously, the music walks the line between artistically interesting and comic book movie soundtrack. To me, metal has always had an orchestral feel to it and vice-versa. But I think I would have liked this better had they used Sabbath’s catalog.
ZZ Top
3/5
“Jesus Left Chicago,” and “La Grange,” are great tracks. The rest is surprisingly “meh,” blues rock, but better than a lot of what they put out in the 80s.
Gorillaz
3/5
I liked a lot of this more than what their live-action counterparts have done (with the exception of Tina Weymouth’s collaboration on “19-2000.” She has been consistently excellent). However, I’m going to round down from 3.5* mainly because there’s little chance I would seek this out to listen to again as a whole.
Donald Fagen
2/5
Sometimes when an artist goes solo, it’s to pursue a sound different from what they were doing with their band. Such is the case with the likes of John Lennon and Peter Gabriel, for example. Then there’s this guy. More Steely Dan. Maybe his bandmates were tired of his direction?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Opening track was strong, but settled into “okay,” after that.
TV On The Radio
3/5
I know I need to familiarize myself with more music made this century. But so much of what’s been represented in this project is about as inspiring as plain yogurt. Not bad, but almost immediately forgotten.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
More entertaining than other bands we’ve encountered purporting themselves as being “incredible” at their instrument. Looking at you, “Incredible String Band!!”
Lightning Bolt
2/5
The good bits were things Sonic Youth did better. The rest was just noise.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
I do not believe in ghosts. But if I did, a haunted dance hall would be a place to avoid. And even though I don’t believe in ghosts, I think I will avoid listening to this album again. Just not a fan of the genre.
Can
2/5
Sounds like an album I would have made had I been left alone with a tape recorder and Casio keyboard when I was 12. I’m sure it has more artistic merit than that. But it just wasn’t fun to listen to.
Soft Machine
2/5
I didn’t know Keyboard Cat made an album in the “70s! Seriously, once I saw Robert Wyatt’s name in the band lineup I knew I was in for a long one. It actually ended up slightly better than Wyatt’s solo work, so cheers to his band mates.
The Fall
3/5
Not the worst punk you would hear in a day.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I had always thought of Pet Shop Boys as a one-hit wonder. This album did little to change that opinion. Sounds like the 90s struggling to stay 80s. Meh.