Apr 17 2024
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Moondance
Van Morrison
Overall enjoyed it, have heard a lot of these songs growing up.
5
Apr 18 2024
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Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
What I enjoyed: the hits land, the heavier tracks
Very 90s for better or worse, can't say the emotional beats landed with me very much
3
Apr 19 2024
View Album
Brothers
The Black Keys
I used to listen to this album a lot. It still is pretty good, relatively one-note but in a way where they nailed what they are going for with a few standout tracks. Reminds me of other alt-pop-rock-ish stuff.
4
Apr 20 2024
View Album
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
I've passively listened to a lot of Bruce Springsteen. It all kind of blends together for me. This album was all good and does all the stuff I've heard. I think the strongest track is upfront.
3
Apr 21 2024
View Album
Young Americans
David Bowie
4
Apr 22 2024
View Album
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
Had never heard of this album/group, interesting to place it alongside 90s and early 2000s hip hop. Felt like it rounded out a lot of stuff I had heard as more breaks/beat-focused. I probably prefer more sample-focused stuff, but good stuff all around. This also kind of filled in a gap around like a lot of hip hop in video games of this era.
4
Apr 23 2024
View Album
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
I'm glad this is on the list, and it's interesting that it exists, but I couldn't make it through half the album.
2
Apr 24 2024
View Album
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
Run to the Hills and some other tracks rip. Throwback to SSX on the gamecube. Some of the vocals don't really land for me, but when it all comes together right there's some great moments. It's hard for something to hold up for 40 years, and I couldn't tell how serious the album was supposed to be.
I never realized Dragonforce was just Iron Maiden sped up until listening to this.
3
Apr 25 2024
View Album
Shadowland
k.d. lang
Country and loungey, reminded me of Elvis at points. This album was not bad, but I can't say much stood out to me.
3
Apr 26 2024
View Album
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
I listen to a lot of electronic/dance stuff and this is a snooze, though it was probably more impactful in the 80s or early 90s. There's nothing terrible about most of these, just boring as an album.
On the plus side I got to find out where some prominent Girl Talk samples came from.
2
Apr 27 2024
View Album
Parklife
Blur
Not bad, I kind of think of this as stereotypical "british rock". Girls & Boys is a great song. Nothing else on the album did much for me tbh, but it's a fine album.
2
Apr 28 2024
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Diamond Life
Sade
Strong 4, Smooth Operator is an all time song, and the vibes are great.
4
Apr 29 2024
View Album
The Stooges
The Stooges
Hard to rate. For the 60s this was apparently super influential and I believe it, that being said I think it's a couple of good songs and a bunch of meandering. I need to stick with did I enjoy listening to this without context, so probably just a 3.
3
Apr 30 2024
View Album
Metallica
Metallica
Pretty awesome. A bit longer than it needs to be and kinda one-note, but that one-note is really good. I haven't listened to any other Metallica so maybe that is coloring my opinion compared to their other albums, but this one hit the spot.
5
May 01 2024
View Album
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Just going to 1 star this and move on...
1
May 02 2024
View Album
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
A lot of this felt cliche/boring/meandering. I generally prefer stuff that pushes strongly in a direction, not sure that this accomplishes that.
2
May 03 2024
View Album
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
Dude... I was excited to see a short album, but then my excitement quickly waned after realizing what this was. I thought the instrumentals were actually good, but the overall horniness and meandering nature of the songs brought this down a lot. Would love to know why this album was included.
2
May 04 2024
View Album
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
This is good. Liked the commentary about modern life, feel like that still holds up today. I think a couple of songs stood out more along those lines, maybe the rest blends together a bit, but overall is decent. It's hard not to feel the Beatles influence here, and at the same time wish the songwriting was as grabbing and interesting as the Beatles.
3
May 05 2024
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The Wildest!
Louis Prima
A fun one, and his voice is a classic. I think this hits a certain vibe/era extremely well.
4
May 06 2024
View Album
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
Weird and experimental which makes it worth listening to. I can't say its very musical or enjoyable, but from a creativity of sound standpoint it's an interesting artifact to hear at least once. This is cool in the same way much of early electronic music is cool, as a historical artifact.
2
May 07 2024
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Station To Station
David Bowie
3
May 08 2024
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Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
This was not bad, more synthy than I expected.
3
May 09 2024
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Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
3
May 10 2024
View Album
Homework
Daft Punk
It's good, but still to me maybe the weakest of the Daft Punk original trilogy. I think the other two are more listenable, and this one sort of makes me wish a lot of these songs were the Alive 2007 versions that feature those tracks instead. I think the composition is more towards club track / DJ tool vs. listenable song here.
4
May 11 2024
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Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
Time of the Season is fantastic, the rest is forgettable.
3
May 12 2024
View Album
evermore
Taylor Swift
It's fine, something about the music and lyrics rarely hits for me with Taylor Swift, but there's nothing wrong with this album. I really liked the Bon Iver feature as a song, the rest kinda blended together for me.
3
May 13 2024
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Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
Couple good songs and a bit boring.
3
May 14 2024
View Album
Harvest
Neil Young
This was great, the emotions hit home, especially in the second half. More interesting than I'd expect from what seemed like a "country" album. Another one that I was raised listening to songs from so also pushes it up a bit.
5
May 15 2024
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Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
Folky and flutey. Pleasant to listen to, but I won't say much stood out to me. Some nice songs and good background music?
3
May 16 2024
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Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
I am conflicted on this one, on the one hand it does a very good job at what it does. On the other hand that is not something I was super into.
3
May 17 2024
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They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
And now for something completely different...
2
May 18 2024
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Paul Simon
Paul Simon
I felt like the hits are some of the greatest songs ever written with a bunch of middling stuff in-between.
3
May 19 2024
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Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
Really nice and a more interesting blend of sounds with the folk and 60s sounds than you get with a lot of stuff of that era that kept it from being boring or samey.
4
May 20 2024
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Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Fast Car is a great song, a lot of these kind of felt like similar ideas, but don't quite get going or have the songwriting to the same extent.
3
May 21 2024
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Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
3
May 22 2024
View Album
Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
I felt like this album was a joke, was this ever relevant? If you look at other stuff coming out in 1994 like The Prodigy, Moby, Nine Inch Nails, Jamiroquai, etc. there are just so much better electronic picks. This album felt dub-influenced and surely there are even better dub albums out there. I love electronic music but the songwriting is bland, the sounds are grating, and today this feels like stuff someone could make with 10s of hours looping some stock sounds + effects in Ableton without too much regard. There is the occasional good idea in here though.
2
May 23 2024
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Like Water For Chocolate
Common
4
May 24 2024
View Album
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
It is okay 60s music. California Dreamin is good, the rest is a bit boring/uninspired compared to the greats. Sort of derivative of Beatles + Beach Boys I think?
3
May 25 2024
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Stardust
Willie Nelson
All the renditions were really good, enjoyed this.
4
May 26 2024
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Hms Fable
Shack
Questionable inclusion in the list for sure.
2
May 28 2024
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Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
Great stuff
5
May 30 2024
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The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
Sad cowboy.
2
May 31 2024
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Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
Cool to see 60s music that has some more interesting influences.
4
Jun 18 2024
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Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
A hard listen, but I don't hate it, I don't know.
2
Jun 19 2024
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Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
3
Jun 21 2024
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The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
4
Jun 22 2024
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3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
4
Jul 08 2024
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Remedy
Basement Jaxx
It was okay
3
Jul 09 2024
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Play
Moby
The hits are good, everything else is probably a bit meandering/repetitive or just not quite as good, but overall enjoyed it.
3
Jul 10 2024
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Goo
Sonic Youth
4
Jul 11 2024
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Melodrama
Lorde
3
Jul 12 2024
View Album
Kollaps
Einstürzende Neubauten
There was an unironic use of what sounded like a smoke detector beep at some point. This is probably sick sample fodder though. I appreciate on this list that it is not another rock album.
1
Jul 13 2024
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Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
This was sick, wish I listened to it sooner.
5
Jul 14 2024
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The White Room
The KLF
Cool and weird and 90s.
4
Jul 15 2024
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Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
Felt like I was playing Age of Empires 2 and Minecraft at times, kind of wild to me that this came out in the 60s.
4
Jul 16 2024
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Queen has some absolute hits, but I just don't think most of this album lives up to the hits, and I think the hits are Queen at their best writing really unique songs.
3
Jul 17 2024
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The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
4
Jul 18 2024
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Fromohio
fIREHOSE
3
Jul 19 2024
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Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
3
Jul 22 2024
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Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
An interesting historical artifact, but not that great.
2
Jul 23 2024
View Album
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
Solid interesting album, good stuff.
4
Jul 24 2024
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Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
There's a snake in my boot!
5
Jul 25 2024
View Album
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
The hits are good, the rest is pretty boring.
3
Jul 26 2024
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Hunting High And Low
a-ha
Great single, nothing else comes close to it.
3
Jul 30 2024
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From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
Hard to rank a whole Elvis album, for me Suspicious Minds is an all-time great song, but the rest doesn't raise to the level of the hits and doesn't add much to listen as an album.
3
Aug 01 2024
View Album
School's Out
Alice Cooper
Did I expect a west side story cover? No. Is this album anything special beyond one song? No, not really. The variety was alright, but I didn't feel like many of the songs excelled at much, and a lot felt meandering/repetitive in a not great way.
2
Aug 02 2024
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A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
4
Aug 03 2024
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Hotel California
Eagles
3 good songs and boredom after those.
3
Aug 04 2024
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The Yes Album
Yes
2
Aug 06 2024
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In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
Great stuff. Never listened to this before, but upon listening the reputation is deserved. Flows well as an album as an added bonus!
5
Aug 07 2024
View Album
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
Really like the progressive rock sections of this, less into the "intros", but overall really good once the songs get going. Some awesome/fresh ideas that clearly influenced a lot after them in surprising ways and great drumming.
4
Aug 08 2024
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No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
Fine and fun, but one note and the audio quality is poor. Nowhere close to the greatest live album of all time if you include stuff like Talking Heads, Alive 2007, Justice's live albums, and many many others.
2
Aug 09 2024
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This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
This was fine
3
Aug 10 2024
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Murmur
R.E.M.
3
Aug 11 2024
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Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
It had its moments, but just a lot of meandering psychedlic-ish guitar stuff.
2
Aug 12 2024
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Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
Hard to judge as I lack genre familiarity, but I enjoyed it.
4
Aug 13 2024
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At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
3
Aug 14 2024
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Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
4
Aug 15 2024
View Album
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
I thought this was good in a meandering dreamy kind of way. I would assume this album isn't as good as her previous and seemingly more popular album, but I haven't listened to that yet!
4
Aug 16 2024
View Album
So
Peter Gabriel
This album manages to encompass both the best and worst of what I think of as the most stereotypical 80s pop. In Your Eyes is pretty great and hits the mark with some 80s cheese but in a good way. Stuff like Sledgehammer and Big Time are 100% cheese -- Sledgehammer being the worst offender with innuendo so uncreative that it's been basically parodied to death at this point.
2
Aug 17 2024
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Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
3
Aug 18 2024
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Scott 4
Scott Walker
2
Aug 19 2024
View Album
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
Good and smooth, there is probably a better Sinatra album out there, but enjoyable.
4
Aug 20 2024
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Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
Hits hits hits.
4
Aug 21 2024
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Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
Very cool, very cool.
5
Aug 22 2024
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Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Somehow I liked this a lot more than the later Iron Maiden with the high-pitched vocals.
4
Aug 23 2024
View Album
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
This was very good and had some variety/flow that felt like it added up to a largely solid album. Excited for when we get Maggot Brain hopefully, though interesting to me that this came out after that, maybe this is a sleeper that is even better? Much better than so many of the albums here that are a few hits and collections of okay songs. Sad this isn't on Spotify.
5
Aug 24 2024
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Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
4
Aug 25 2024
View Album
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
🥱 adult contemporary
2
Aug 26 2024
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To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
I've listened to this so many times, but still one of the all time great albums. Great songs, great variety, great storytelling, great features and sessions musicians, an overall thematic journey that ties the whole album together. Few albums reach the level this one does on any level, let alone across so many fronts at once. I probably prefer GKMC to this at the end of the day, but this album is easily one of the GOATs and it's criminally underrated on this site seemingly because its rap/hip-hop and contains profanity. Unfortunate.
5
Aug 27 2024
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Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This album was okay. Maps is a very good song, but what else?
3
Aug 28 2024
View Album
Shleep
Robert Wyatt
I wanted to give this a 1, but really I can't justify it. It has the occasional compelling moment, which is then almost always followed by one of the most lackluster things you've heard.
2
Aug 29 2024
View Album
Kala
M.I.A.
It's a banger. I first listened to this album back in like 8th grade a ton, still sounds cool and fresh today, and you can see a bunch of influences play out.
5
Aug 30 2024
View Album
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
Karma Chameleon is so far above every other song on this album, but the rest is okay. Can't really say its a good album overall.
2
Aug 31 2024
View Album
Is This It
The Strokes
4
Sep 01 2024
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Music
Madonna
2
Sep 03 2024
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Parallel Lines
Blondie
All the Blondie hits except for Call Me.
4
Sep 04 2024
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Dub Housing
Pere Ubu
Creative, but just absolute trash. Was curious if this is some sort of outside art/music.
1
Sep 05 2024
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Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
Sort of so bad its good, I mean it's not actual good, but in a goofy way where you lose all musical criteria there's something compelling here. I can't bring myself to say its actually good, but an interesting listen. How do you rate such a thing? To me a fun 2 that is elevated to a 3 by being weird and crazy in a good way. Can't bring myself to give this a 4 though.
Ant music for sex people, sex music for ant people,
3
Sep 06 2024
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Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
4
Sep 07 2024
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Pearl
Janis Joplin
3
Sep 08 2024
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Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
🥱 not sure what this is doing that it deserves to be on this list?
2
Sep 09 2024
View Album
Elephant
The White Stripes
A lot of times in this list I forget what a great album is supposed to be, and then something comes along to remind me. Just a great album, strong arrangements, focused and creative songwriting, emotion, and a cohesive and strong tracklist. All that done with a "less is more" approach, which I really appreciate after hearing so much bloated and meandering music. Seven Nation Army is up there as THE song of the early 2000s to the point where today you hear it as a ubiquitous chant at almost any crowd gathering.
5
Sep 10 2024
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Abbey Road
Beatles
Easiest 5 star of my life, what can you even say. The songs at the beginning are great, the run at the end is legendary. This could come out today and be a hit. Changed the course of music completely, etc. etc. The amount of pretty boring 60s music (and onwards!) on this list really shows how far ahead the Beatles were for their time. Probably the best Beatles album?
5
Sep 11 2024
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Moving Pictures
Rush
Tom Sawyer is a great song, the rest of this is alright. Nothing against Rush, but also just not that into them.
3
Sep 12 2024
View Album
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
I love Demon Days and also think Plastic Beach is great, and Clint Eastwood is a great song, so I was ready to love this and unfortunately it's just a bit boring. The tight ideas, memorable songs, etc. aren't really there. It's kind of amazing to me that Demon Days came out after this given how good and tight everything is on there compared to this. This kind of feels like a proto-Gorillaz grab-bag rather than a properly written and put together album. Alas.
3
Sep 13 2024
View Album
Leftism
Leftfield
This was probably pretty out there and groundbreaking for the time, but can't say it holds up super well in todays world of electronic music. I wish the songwriting was more compelling, I wish the grooves were better, I wish there was a bit more interesting stuff going on.
2
Sep 14 2024
View Album
Revolver
Beatles
Hard to not give this a 5 -- its not my #1 Beatles album, but its undeniable.
5
Sep 15 2024
View Album
Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
Cars are cars, all over the world. This is an album of a man who seems unhappy with his relationships, and also lacking inspiration for what to write about outside of that. Doesn't quite get going, definitely could have cut the songs about cars and allergies. Not great. Paul Simon has some great songs but none of them are on this album, arguably not even notable enough for this list.
2
Sep 16 2024
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Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
Low-key a gem for 1983 with some cool famous samples showing up. Cool to hear this one, kind of an odd collection of songs, also confusing to me who the actual musicians and artists were as there are plenty of singers etc. but no one credited.
4
Sep 17 2024
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Back In Black
AC/DC
Very good, the hits are huge, they nailed a specific sound, but you can just listen to like the 3-4 hits vs. the whole album here.
4
Sep 18 2024
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All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
3
Sep 19 2024
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Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
It was the most country of country. Not bad.
3
Sep 20 2024
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Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
Creative, but not that good...
2
Sep 21 2024
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Disintegration
The Cure
Great album, great atmosphere. Strong emotion and really nailed a feeling.
5
Sep 22 2024
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Heavy Weather
Weather Report
This is almost the type of music they play on the Watercolors station that your Uber driver or local breakfast restaurant listens to. Opening track is pretty great, I guess less stands out from later on though.
3
Sep 23 2024
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Dry
PJ Harvey
Solid album, probably very influential, but can't say its the type of thing I enjoy a ton or that does much for me.
3
Sep 26 2024
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Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
Very nice downtempo chillout stuff, it's no Carboot Soul though which is a great one.
4
Sep 28 2024
View Album
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
Ali Baba and the forty thieves... Ali Baba and the forty thieves... Ali Baba and the forty thieves... ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES
This album is so goofy, the peak hits are often worse than the rest of the album, the vocal delivery gets grating, and yet its undeniably fun, creative throughout, the boom bap rock stuff is done really well. I can see why a lot of people will hate this, but it's an awesome album.
5
Sep 29 2024
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She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
A couple of hits, I can't say I really like Cyndi Lauper that much beyond those.
3
Sep 30 2024
View Album
Black Metal
Venom
I'm sure this is here because its super influential and where black metal comes from, but as an album its simultaneously cool and a bit boring. Sound quality is poor, songwriting all kinda blends together, hard to understand and hear the lyrics, the whole album kinda sounds like if you stood outside a black metal concert to some extent and overhead "this is sort of what black metal sounds like"...
2
Oct 06 2024
View Album
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
2
Oct 12 2024
View Album
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
Just a great listen all around.
5
Oct 15 2024
View Album
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
So boring and repetitive... not the best AC/DC album.
2
Oct 16 2024
View Album
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
This list did not need two Pogues albums...
2