This album bleeds style, flow, intelligence, and everything I want in a hip hop album. GZA's lyrics are complex and deep, and mixed with RZA's beats create a whole world through the storytelling, ambiance, and samples. If it wasn't for the out of place bible song at the end this album would be about as good as it can get.
As someone living under a rock, this was my first intentional experience with David Bowie. The album was imaginative and I enjoyed he story, but the songs themselves were only ok. Starman is a banger but the rest were fine. Really reminded me of Elton John but more about the show than the music
I like punk, I like hardcore, this album had hints of both but didn't accomplish the goal of either. One of the features of hardcore is that the songs are short and powerful, many of these songs these were just too long. Maybe that's what "post hardcore" is but then maybe it's not for me.
A concept album I really didn't enjoy. It's really trying to act like it is saying something. Disliked the spoke word stuff (like really, making me listen to a 4 minute 30 second creepy voice message?) Redeemable only by the instrumental tracks.
As a lifelong fan of Drum and Bass and it's derivatives I'm really happy to see some recognition on this list. Goldie was a pioneer of the old school style of the early to mid 90s that paved the way for the artists of today. Clean breakbeats, interesting bass lines, and great vocals make this a classic DnB album to show someone what the genre was all about.
Wonderful instrumental album. Great for relaxing and getting lost in real (non electronic) music.
The album is full of Elton John "classics" which I enjoyed, especially after a couple listens. The real treat are some of the lesser known (to me) later tracks like Roy Rogers and Danny Bailey. Unfortunately all the songs kinda sound the same if you listen all the way through.
I wanted to like the whole album more than I did. Light my fire is a time machine, a psychedelic trip back to a time and place long gone but never forgotten. Unfortunately I'm not sure all the other songs have aged as well.
I will preface this review with the fact that I am separating the art from the artist. That said, this is the first MJ album I've listened to and I now understand how he earned the title The King of Pop. The album is fun, energetic, and takes you on a journey perfectly curated to engage all the senses and emotions. Amazing.
A deep, meaningful, beautiful album. I only think it suffers from being so familiar that it doesn't give the same mystery and wonder it once did.
A fun album of a time long gone, but don't look for anything deeper than some cool guitar riffs and a couple catchy chorus lines.
This was not enjoyable at all. While I am a fan of punk and discordant music, this is just torture.
While I really appreciate what they were going for, it unfortunately still sounds like the beach boys at times, which is to day, ok. Best of the beach boys by far.
The smashing pumpkins help create the sound of the 90s. From disarm to cherub rock, to today these dreamy, crunchy, and raw songs helped the mainstream move past the overproduced pop music of the 80s.
The album is fine but I have a very different taste in EDM. The significance of bringing EDM to the masses is kind of lost on me.
This album is exactly why I wanted to use the album generator. While I have heard some mid 2000s Santana I was never impressed. This album is a work of art, brimming with passion and feeling and I am so happy to be introduced to it.
Unfortunately boring and passionless. Some songs had a couple ok melodies, but the album just didn't do it for me.
I like punk, I like hardcore, this album had hints of both but didn't accomplish the goal of either. One of the features of hardcore is that the songs are short and powerful, many of these songs these were just too long. Maybe that's what "post hardcore" is but then maybe it's not for me.
A fun album but difficult to listen to with all the misogyny.
Wow, what deep and meaningful songs. Neil Young expresses emotion and storytelling through all aspects of his musicianship. I really enjoyed the worlds each song built. Not one bad song on the album.
Beautiful music with deep passion and emotion. It felt like some lyrics or word choices seemed out of place, kind of like a translation error or if English was a first language. When her singing hangs on every word this made it a little difficult to get into.
Ah another melancholy and frankly boring 80s indie rock band. Nothing to distinguish them from their contemporaries.
An interesting conscious hip hop / almost spoken word album. I really enjoyed the beats and tracks, many which reminded me of MF Doom, and the deeper, more political and meaningful lyrics. I haven't ever heard of Mike Ladd before and really couldn't find much about him which was a little confusing. Maybe he just doesn't have that main stream appeal?
My favorite Kendrick album. Songs like King Kunta, Alright, and How Much a Dollar Cost are masterful, funky, and soulful, but, it is difficult to get past the misogyny laced throughout and some of the interludes just didn't do it for me.
Ray Charles voice is great but just not a fan of big band music.
Not a bad country album. She has a wonderful voice and I enjoy the production and full band, but just a little too vanilla.
Waits' voice is unique and therefore polarizing. I am just not the biggest fan of it, but can appreciate a couple songs, Downtown being my favorite. While I do like the lyrical themes of the anti-hero and the downtrodden, it is just a little to grating to listen to the whole album all the way through.
I enjoy Smith's voice and the multi players vocals throughout which, along with the acoustic guitar and occasional drums, give the album an ephemeral feeling. Wish I could give it a 3.5, but alas a 3 it is.
Fun, a little edgy, and makes you feel like you are listening to them at a house party.
A good album but not a great album. There just isn't enough of something but I'm not sure what it is.
This is the embodiment of the 80s, with the clean, early electronic sounds, up beat tempo, and synths out the wazoo. The vocals have all the attitude and style you could want.
While I really enjoy Sade's voice and smooth operator is a banger, the rest of the album didn't wow me. Definitely great for more relaxed listening.
Enjoyable but few songs really stood out. It feels like the B-side of KidA which is apparently is what this album is.
This is time and place music. In the right time and place, the atmospheric, repetitive and ghostly sounds and vocals give a meditative and reflective feeling. In the wrong time and place these 10+ minute songs don't have much to offer to keep your attention.
As someone living under a rock, this was my first intentional experience with David Bowie. The album was imaginative and I enjoyed he story, but the songs themselves were only ok. Starman is a banger but the rest were fine. Really reminded me of Elton John but more about the show than the music
Whole Solange has a beautiful voice, the album felt a little flat without any real sense of direction. The interludes felt out of place and forced. Ok but not for me.
An album full of feeling and passion. Tina Turner's voice commands every track and each song tells a story. Along with the 80s synth and beat, the album keeps your attention from the faster paced songs to the slower ballads.
Interesting album with some good guitar riffs, though the jarring swings from hard rock to blues rock to the beetles(?) felt disjointed. Great energy that never quite feels earned or fully does the job of making something special. Would probably be a 2.5.
I like Paul Simon's voice and some of the songs that stood out, but overall the album felt a little disjointed and a little too mellow for my taste. Really liked Me and Julio.
This album bleeds style, flow, intelligence, and everything I want in a hip hop album. GZA's lyrics are complex and deep, and mixed with RZA's beats create a whole world through the storytelling, ambiance, and samples. If it wasn't for the out of place bible song at the end this album would be about as good as it can get.
Haunting. Beautiful. Bold. Soft. It's so hard to describe the range of this album. By far my favorite Radiohead album if not one of my favorites of all time.
While parts of the album stood out, many tracks just felt... shallow? Like they were trying to emulate other southern rock / bluesy artists while they were trying to develop their own style.
Ah post punk, all the words without any of the feeling. Unfortunately the vocals just don't lend themselves to the slower post punk style for me. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if the tempo was increased and it had more attitude. This felt like slower complaining.
I enjoyed some of the songs but nothing really stood out. A good indie band for sure.
Not the biggest fan of this style. Sinatra's voice is obviously great to listen to but every song sounds the same.
Enjoyable but didn't stand out. Not a fan of spoken interludes.
Great EDM for the time, but as a fan of more modern house and drum and bass it doesn't quite hit the spot.
While there are hints of something, I can't really find much that stands out. The first song was cool but then the rest of the album was just... Meh?
Shoegaze, huh? My first introduction to the genre. Melodic, spacey, hammering the vocal harmonies every chance they get. Not bad, but nothing that gets the blood flowing. I might turn to it when I want something that is chill but... louder?
A serviceable psych/classic rock album with the ridiculously distracting "electric jug" played throughout. If not for the jug it would be fine but it is so distracting...
Dreamy and melancholic, with a little edge here and there. While the album was cohesive, I wish there was a little more variation in tempo or feeling. Solid 3.
A classic album for many 90s kids like myself. In the album Eminem explores the similarities, differences, and blurring of lines between himself, marshall, and the slim shady character, a modern day villain. What is real, what is for show, etc. Would be a 5/5 but for the incessant homophobia and misogyny, which of course was of that time but unfortunately takes away from the timelessness.
A great, chill, proto-lofi album.
The ambient tracks were nice, but I wasn't a fan of the songs with vocals. Maybe this was good in the 70s but it doesn't really have enough content to hold up.
Great, dreamy, alternative rock. A consistent album but nothing hits the high water mark of the first track.
A great album showcasing what feels like a more mature version of the Pixies. My favorite song on the album, Dig for Fire has all the hallmarks of what I love about them. Brash and loud swinging to quiet and melodic, with lyrics that just barely make sense.
Catchy, memorable, stylish. Almost every song on the album hits. Cohesive yet varied. The pinnacle of their craft. Objectively I'd have to give a 4 but my nostalgia for this album and love for the Pixies bumps it to a 5.
Unfortunately boring and dull. Uninterested vocals, little message in the lyrics, and not much to listen to otherwise. While I can appreciate angsty teen rock, this album isn't it. Shadow of a Doubt was cool but that was about it.
Upbeat, catchy, funky jazz pop that just lacks a sense of soul. The lyrics are unfortunately about as deep as a puddle, but the music is fun to listen to.
I liked this more than I initially thought I would. Almost like a precursor to math rock.
It's very ok. Nothing about this band or any of their albums (this is the second I've gotten) has stood out or made an impression. This is not to say this album isn't good, it sounds great but somehow it's just... boring? Much better than "Being There"
The album was great. I started off thinking, oh wow another alt/indie/garage band, and was pleasantly surprised with how unique they sounded. The songs are punchy, memorable, and fun. Probably as good as indie alt gets for me.
Fine, minimalist indie-electro-pop? Not much to it, though I did enjoy the vocals of both singers.
The songs were groovy, funky, and soulful. Loved the string ensemble. Would have been better without the lengthy spoken interlude. 4.
More like a soundtrack to a musical than an album. -1 star for not being on Spotify.
Sick riffs, pounding drums, with Hetfields voice carrying the energy. Forgettable lyrics but an hour of what makes Metallica so good.
Billy Joel is a performer and singer of the highest degree, but unfortunately his songs just don't really hold my interest.
While this is likely the musical equivalent of crack for a teen-twenty something, as a 30s man I didn't really connect with the lyrics on this album. The songs are catchy, well produced, and really compliment Lorde's unique voice and singing style. Very good but not for me.
Great album, I like it better than Ziggy Stardust if only for the fact that it sounds more grounded and less Rock-opera like. If this was objective ratings it would be a 4.5 but I just don't really "get" Bowie unfortunately.
A fun album with some classic rock songs and some great guitar riffs. Just unfortunately felt a little shallow with nothing to "wow" me or connect deeper to.
Similar to other reviews, I enjoyed the funk songs but wasn't into the later Motown songs
A wonderfully paced and executed album. Every song is unique but adds to the whole. Aretha's voice is spectacular.
Buckley is a great singer and underrated for what he can do. The first two songs are great as well as his rendition of Hallelujah. Unfortunately the rest of the songs are too samey to stand out from one another and after an hour blend together.
Interesting and very talented, but not something I would want to listen to again.
Rating the album and not the person, College Dropout is a cohesive vision that helped shift rap to the conscious and self reflective version that I enjoy. Amazing beats, guest artists, and overall feels like a work that West put his heart and soul into.
A classic album of my teenage years, though I much prefer Reanimation. It's just fun. Yes, your brain would rot if you only listened to 2000s nu-metal, but it's ok to have it every once in a while.
Yet another melancholic post-punk album with whiny British boys. This one was more up beat than the others so I'll give it half a star for that. Just boring and formulaic justi like the others of this genre. 2.5.
I liked it better than I thought I would. Like a psychedelic, less grim johnny cash. I can definitely see how he influenced many artists.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Nothing new or really unique about this album from his other works except the hushed vocals of Lifeguard Sleeping which was interesting.
Great vocalist and beautiful lyrics, but so little variety the whole album was just the same song. Should have been at least a 3.
Just not a fan of the who. This album was just generic 70s rock. Decent energy but nothing stood out.
I liked this more than I thought I would after reading the description. Though I'm a weirdo who likes video games soundtracks. This must have been very cool at the time.
I don't know Bowie's music that well, just not of my time. I enjoyed this more than Ziggy Stardust. It gave more of a feel of "regular" Bowie. It is great music but I guess I just don't really like his singing style so nothing stands out to me. Overall, a well put together album that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Sultans of Swing is a 5/5. The rest of the album is good but nothing spectacular so a 3/5. Therefore overall 4.
Neil Young can pack more emotion and feeling into a 3 minute song than some artists life's work. This album is no different. From deep soulful songs, to up beat (almost punk) rock songs. The album doesn't overstay its welcome but says a lot in that time.
I can't really find anything special about this album. Not for me.
Sadly I found little redeeming qualities. The vocal style ruins the album for me.
A good album that overstays its welcome. Big fan of CSNY and Stills is great, the album's brightness is just muddled with a few too many songs.
Atmospheric, melancholy, with a bit of an edge that you would want from "the" goth band. The album was a little long, but if you appreciate Robert Smith, it has enough variation to not overstay its welcome.
I enjoy Smiths vocal style and can definitely be in the mood for early 2000s emo. Probably my favorite non-rock emo. This album was varied and carried my interest but didn't really stand out from his other work I've listened to, though being his final album was basically the most polished and well put together one of those.
An ok indie UK band. Nothing remarkable but better than the 80s 90s versions of this same band (of which this list has countless others) simply because the sound is more modern. Nothing hateful and so brief I didn't know the album ended until I saw Spotify was playing something else.
A fine blues album. Not the biggest fan of live albums as they can have recording issues like this one did. In spite of this the vocals were top notch, though the band was just ok.
A great Beatles album full of some of their best songs. I like the first half a little better as the back half seemed to have a little less differentiation. The Beatles are the 5/5 band so they are on a different scale. For a Beatles album this is a 4/5.
This was way better than I expected, I didn't realize this was the Funkadelic of the Parliament duo. The album is fun, funny, groovy and full of songs that keep your interest. The definition of funk. I want to listen to more.
The classic heavy metal band. Though I have been a metal fan in the past, I've never really been a big fan of Iron Maiden, mostly due to the higher pitched vocalists. This album was energetic, had a cool dark atmosphere with the lyrics and samples, and great guitar solos, though the bass was going nuts in a few tracks. Great for what it is and I found myself warming to the singer towards the end.
Having never listened to Peter Gabriel, I've definitely become a fan. Unique sounds, great singing. The differentiation between each track yet having a fully cohesive album makes this a pleasure to listen to. It's fun, interesting, and textured.
A weird album with some cool vibe to it at times. The first 4 tracks are like a mix of classic/experimental rock and a Jam band. I really liked the different layered rhythms and unique sounds. Then you get to the really experimental stuff which loses me. 4 for first half, 1 for second half.
Offensively boring. Just 60 minutes of the same song. They do have the one hit, There She Goes, but it's lost in a sea of bland.
I have to be in the mood for jazz, but once I was warmed up it was really enjoyable. I know nothing about jazz so I don't have anything intelligent to add. I liked it but don't know if I'd seek it out.
Clean harmonies that ring out, that whimsical psychedelic atmosphere, and lyrics with a bit of a subversive undertone. About as good as 60s groups of this time get for me. California Dreaming is so representative of the sound and feeling of the era. The album offers a lot for only 35 minutes of your time. Very well put together.
This album has it all. Incredible musicianship, a showcase of the bands range, with a consistent storytelling lost in most concept albums. It deserves your attention and rewards you with it.
I really liked the beats and tracks but Tricky's vocals/rapping was weak. His lyrics were odd and were delivered in a sort of bored mumble. Would have been much better as an instrumental album.
A concept album I really didn't enjoy. It's really trying to act like it is saying something. Disliked the spoke word stuff (like really, making me listen to a 4 minute 30 second creepy voice message?) Redeemable only by the instrumental tracks.
Great grooves, excellent percussion to all the instruments. You can tell they are trained musicians. Amazing debut, their later albums perfected their sound. Only knock is that maybe there wasn't much variation between songs.
I appreciated the style and flow of the tracks, 90s hip hop has something real that just can't be replicated today. I also really like this period of anti-gangster rap that doesn't rely on mysogeny and violence. Unfortunately most of the songs sounded way too similar, with similar themes and at times similar lyrics, after an hour it all just blended together.
A great punk album by a great punk band. Short and to the point.
While I can see that this is for someone, it's not really for me. This is likely very touching for someone dealing with loss. Nick Cave has a very emotional voice that is backed up by an interesting band/group? that makes a for a very theatrical sound. Almost like a movie soundtrack. There is a lot of artistry here, just more of a performance than an album of songs.
As a lifelong fan of Drum and Bass and it's derivatives I'm really happy to see some recognition on this list. Goldie was a pioneer of the old school style of the early to mid 90s that paved the way for the artists of today. Clean breakbeats, interesting bass lines, and great vocals make this a classic DnB album to show someone what the genre was all about.
I really like the singer but as a whole the band just doesn't do enough to stand out. The singles are great but otherwise the rest of the songs on the album are a little bland.
The Sex Pistols are just a manufactured commercial punk group. Not real punk in any way. Mediocre at best.
Fun new wave rock. The singles off this album are timeless. Sting's vocals are great and so are the guitar effects they use. Some songs aside from the singles aren't really memorable but still a good album that is really evocative of a time and place. 3.75/4 (but not a 4 so I have to round down.)
Great funky jam jazz music that would be amazing to see live. The album plays like a live performance which has its drawbacks as the songs seem to all blend together and at an hour and fifteen minutes gones on for a little too long. Would have loved to see him live.
This was a mediocre Queen album. Freddy Mercury is a legend but nothing stood out on this album like others. Still not bad but not memorable.
From the first track, I asked "Am I into disco?" The funk and soul from the guitar to the vocals just bleeds style and texture. Great variety and lots of fun, though a couple of the slower songs just didn't do it for me as the more up beat ones.
A beautiful album, not necessarily what I look for in music but as something to put on when entertaining a relaxing evening, this is great. I liked Silent Way a little more. 3.
A fine British Rock group. The album is good but not spectacular. Time of the Season is an amazing song and is a 5/5 classic, but doesn't really lift the whole album. I appreciate it's brevity. 3/5
Just an amazing Queen album highlighting how special Freddy Mercury really was. The a capella interlude in The Prophet's Song is mesmerizing along with the singles make this a fun album to listen to end to end. Unfortunate there are just a couple songs that fall completely flat. A 4.5 that I'll nudge to 5.
A fine folk pop album. A little boring, not much differentiation between tracks. At least the album is brief and does hold a consistent theme. Sounds like the way a suburban parent wearing Patagonia looks.
Only notable for the interesting synths. Otherwise yet another boring post punk (and as a fan of older and modern punk music I hate that term) album on this list.
The album is fine but doesn't particularly stand out. If there is something deeper then either I can't hear it or they aren't conveying it as best they can. A typical indie album, similar to their others. Not hateful but certainly didn't speak to me.
While I'm not a Bruce Springsteen fan, I'm not opposed to becoming one. This album didn't do anything to get me there. It was pretty one note of Bruce with an acoustic singing in the same tone and cadence for 40 minutes. This album should have been one song on another album. Hopefully his other work will do it for me.
Nirvana at their best and probably the best live performances of the 90s. Raw, emotional, etc. though there is a strange feeling like seeing an animal in a zoo, just something about Nirvana performing sitting quietly in an MTV studio just seems wrong.
This was kind of a worst of both world album for me. Not edgy or energetic enough for punk and not melodic enough for rock. Like a mismatch of the vocals to the band.
An interesting pop 80s album that feels like looking in a time capsule. It's actually neat to hear their take on culture and society and how they thought it would look in the future. Otherwise, the band itself was unremarkable. Boy George is fine but his backup singer was better. 2.5 brought down to a 2 cause I'll never listen to this again.
A really good rock album. There is a really high level of polish that both helps and hurts the album. While it sounds spectacular, it looses a little bit of the real/rawness of rock and roll. Masterfully put together and recorded, fun to listen to, but just lacking a little in soul.