Is it a bad album? Not by any means. Is it unbelievably overrated? Absolutely.

I like off the wall, weird music. This sucks ass though.

I understand the influence, and honestly a great lyricist and intersting song structures..... but that voice.

About as "eh" as can be. Its not bad, its just not good.

WHO IS MAKING THIS LIST?

Some real high points and a lot of blah. In general the highs outweigh the lows.

Not for me

Fun album

Fantastic album!!!

Like listening to the classic rock station.

Awesome awesome awesome. Ended up buying it. I don’t know why I don’t listen to more big band when I always end up enjoying it so much.

Not my cup of tea but I can appreciate that its influential.

Can’t stand Morrisey.

Classic. Feels like I’ve heard it a million times because we all have.

I see the appeal just not for me.

Nice, not something I would listen to often but I definitey wouldnt turn it off when it comes on

About as "eh" as can be. Its not bad, its just not good.

I should like this, it sounds so 90's. Unfortunately its the worst parts of the era with horrible vocals.

Its clear why this group and this album are considered groundbreakers in the alternative genre. This music is fun, heartbreaking, silly and morose all at any given moment and there are truly gifted, skilled musicians in this group and some interesting song writing ideas and thought provoking lyrics. And then there is Perry Farrell's voice. Sheesh. It reminds me of why I only put this on when I want to stroll down memory lane or listen to the instruments while hoping there is a vocal-less mix out there that will drop someday.

Its crazy that with how much I love New Order I feel the opposite way for Joy Division.

this is, well, not good.

Ugh.

Once the childlike worship of the makeup wears off this music is terrible.

Phenomenal.

The good news is that I had never heard this before. I always enjoy the opportunity to broaden my horizons and have been pleasantly surprised and added things into my musical realm. The bad news is this is not good. I like industrial, I like weird. This is just bad.

These songs are classics for a reason.

SO SO SO GOOD

Yeah, thats not for me

ugh. I understand that all musical taste is subjective but this is trash. Great news though, this is a poorly recorded version of trash. Wish I could zero star some of these. One star is REALLY being generous.

This feels like something someone listens to so they can mention in casual conversation to an acquaintance or someone they've just met in an effort to be cool. Granted, some of the songs have appeal, but you're really ACTIVELY listening to this front to back repeatedly? Nice fucking fedora, goes well with your suspenders.

Nice. Perhaps not the best album by them, but its good. 'As ugly as I seem' is fantastic.

I should love this, I don’t.

ehh

I understand the influence, and honestly a great lyricist and intersting song structures..... but that voice.

WHO IS MAKING THIS LIST?

For all the absolute slop this list has suggested, every now and again it recommends something great. This is regarded as a classic masterpiece and rightfully so.

Of all the slop I have subjected myself to by committing to actually listen to what this list has suggested (granted there have been some good albums) THIS is an actual masterpiece.

While far from my favorite album by The Cure any record featuring a song as haunting as "A Forest" is magical.

I see why people like this. Its not bad by any means, Im not going to get up and turn it off as soon as it comes on. That being said I wont ever get up and put it on either. Its the very definition of "well this exists".

UP THE IRONS!!! Classic album with only a couple of ho hum songs in the heap of metal goodness. That being said I can think of 3 other Maiden albums that should be on a list like this before The Number of the Beast.

nope i get that its influential and that there are a couple of songs that are recognizable. nope

I understand their impact, I just happen to think they blow.

Tightly crafted songs, intricate melody sections both vocally and instrumentally. CLEARLY some of the best studio musicians ever were brought in to lend their incredible gifts to what could only be described as emotionally flaccid wanna be cool.

Critical darling of the 90's! Not sure why.

Interesting that this comes up the day after Ozzy died. I think this is their most complete album and has my favorite song by them on it (War Pigs). The influence this had on the hard rock/metal genre cannot be understated. Of the 100+ albums I've listened to on this list this is one of a handful that deserves to be on a list like this.

A classic album that displays all the traits of overdoing everything in the 70's. The high points of this album are amazing, the rest... well it could have been left out entirely. A LOT of skippers on here. Had clear heads won out over cocaine confidence this would be a single album and not a double. All of that being said I own this on vinyl, cassette, cd and even 8 track.

Its not changing the world, its fun. Fun is good. Do people need to hear this album before they die? Absolutely not.

Is it a bad album? Not by any means. Is it unbelievably overrated? Absolutely.

Some absolutely classic songs on this album! A lot of songs I could do with never hearing again. VERY uneven quality wise. Then again, what do I know? I prefer Big Boi over Andre 3000.

I like off the wall, weird music. This sucks ass though.

How in the hell is the Beck album on this list NOT Sea Change?

This sounds like something you would hear in the background of a smoked out room where people use the word "ganja" unironically.

As with any Police record its very uneven. A couple of fantastic songs and then a mixed bag of "eh". I have to question, AGAIN, who is making this list? Of all the Police albums this is the one you picked? I get that music is subjective and tastes vary, this list feels like someone trying to squeeze in some radio friendly groups chosen at random to legitimize some of the absolute try hard trash someone thinks makes them cool.

A nice, country tinged bunch of cover songs, guest writers and songs written for or by other artists. Country really isn't my thing but older country western is more akin to my liking than the 80s soft rock being peddled as country these days. Overall a good record that I would never purchase but wouldn't be mad if someone else was playing it.

Its David Bowie, of course its good. GOOD, its not the absolute masterpiece revisionist history has bestowed upon it. Like a lot of 70s albums this has cocaine written all over it, some great bits and pieces and some things that someone should have talked someone else out of.

I am clearly not hip enough to love Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds as much as the critics from Pitchfork or the people that made this list that are trying to cram Nick Cave down my throat 6 (6! fucking 6!) times. The music is ho hum modern gothic blues done better by other artists. The lyrics float willy nilly between 'almost great, where is this going' to 'did 7th grader write this for his poetry class'. This feels like the kind of group its fans would hate if they sold 8 million copies of an album. I wouldn't leave the room if it was playing but I am most certainly never going to purposely play any of it.

Absolutely classic album by a group at the height of their powers!

This is another album that over the course of time has somehow inexplicably built steam in the critics eyes. Its easy to see how this influenced other groups and blended genres of music later on, it doesnt mean this is A. good or B. something someone NEEDS to hear before they die. I suppose you NEED to hear this if you want to hear the last gasp of a once great pop group.

This is nice, gave me something to add to my collection. Why its on this list is anyones guess, but it is nice.

Nothing of any specific critique other than I think The Who are overrated and I don’t like them.

I'll side with the original assessment of this album when it came out, its uneven, song quality is all over the place...mostly meh. This is yet another album that revisionists are trying to make a masterpiece, its not.

Its fun hip hop from an era when it was ok to have a message, be funny and experiment with samples. Its a shame hip hop has moved so far away from creative mixing and actual lyrical content.

FANTASTIC! One of the few albums on this list that you really should listen to before you die.

Its easy to see how this influenced popular music as well as why it was so popular during its day. Great, short (though formulaic) little dance tunes.

IF you can get past the part that its Marilyn Manson this is fitting music for its time and place. Well produced and a couple of really good songs in there. If you cant get past the fact that its Marilyn Manson this is sophomoric edge lord try hard crap that was biting the industrial sound that was becoming more popular at the time. I wish I could give it 2.5 stars as its neither a 2 or a 3.

I am not a country fan, I am however a fan of Dwight Yoakam. 'What I don't know' is fantastic. Its too bad country and western music these days is just 80's butt rock cosplaying as cowboys.

I get it, they are influential. I think the who blows.

Not my favorite album by Bowie. Its good, its not great.

I will never understand why music critics fellate PJ Harvey albums the way they do. If some British dude put this out he would be labeled a wanker. Good thing this list is insisting on shoving PJ Harvey down your ear holes 4 times with 4 albums. YAY!

Solid lyricist with actual story line, theme and thought. This is the opposite of the random phrase mumbling that is nothing more than boasting like a brain dead rooster just strutting around. Solid 3 stars.

There are some good songs on this. I cannot fathom any scenario that ones musical journey of discovery dictates this NEEDS to be heard before death.

I get it, shes got a great voice. I dont actively dislike it but I dont fall at the altar of her being the greatest singer of all time. Good album!

Cool background music. Its good, no need to purchase physical media of this, nor do I feel the need to add the artist or album to my streaming platforms. Dont get me wrong, its good. I wish there were half star options, this is a solid 2.5 stars. All of that being said this is another in the "you dont need to listen to this album before you die" pile.

This has always been a strange album for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Beatles. This album has some absolute highs and some skippers for sure. Overall its OK. I own it on both vinyl and cd though it rarely gets played.

JESUS

I see that its a precursor to thrash. I see why people would like it, I dont. Those lyrics....

Not particularly my cup of tea, but classic Santana is classic for a reason. Worlds above the later collaborations that make me want to stab myself in the ear when they come on.

An unbelievably overrated artist and album. A couple of decent songs and headlines that wanted everyone to believe this is the second coming of Aretha Franklin (you know, a white brittish woman). I just dont get the hype. But thats just like, my opinion, man.

That voice....

A lot of interesting ideas, a lot of swings and a lot of misses. Those moments that do hit though.... damn. Unfortunately they are usually moments that hit within songs not entire songs. Worth a listen simply for the lyric: "Do you realize That everyone you know someday will die?"

An absolute classic actually deserving of the praise it has received over the years and it deserves more. I wish todays hip hop had half the thoughtful lyrical content this does. Im honestly stunned this made it on this list, its not trying too hard to be cool bullshit like the majority of this catalogue. THIS is an actual album you should hear before you die be you a fan of hip hop or not.

Eh, not particularly my thing but I get why people like it.

Well, this exists...

Ugh. Seriously? One of the albums everyone NEEDS to hear before they die?

Thats an hour and fourteen minutes of my life I will never get back. If I wanted to listen to listen to show tunes I would go to a show, a good one. Not this one.