384
Albums Rated
3.14
Average Rating
35%
Complete
705 albums remaining
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1950s
Favorite Decade
Jazz
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Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
18
5-Star Albums
8
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| I Against I | 5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
| O.G. Original Gangster | 5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
| Done By The Forces Of Nature | 5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
| Maxinquaye | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Ready To Die | 5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
| Seventeen Seconds | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| Either Or | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| Black Metal | 4 | 2.46 | +1.54 |
| Rust Never Sleeps | 5 | 3.53 | +1.47 |
| Jazz Samba | 5 | 3.56 | +1.44 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graceland | 1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
| Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | 1 | 3.68 | -2.68 |
| Band On The Run | 1 | 3.67 | -2.67 |
| Paul Simon | 1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
| My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | 1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
| The College Dropout | 1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
| The Last Broadcast | 1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
| Who's Next | 2 | 3.91 | -1.91 |
| (What's The Story) Morning Glory | 2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
| Pearl | 2 | 3.73 | -1.73 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Davis | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Simon | 3 | 1.33 |
| Kanye West | 2 | 1 |
| The Who | 4 | 2 |
| Roxy Music | 3 | 2 |
5-Star Albums (18)
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Popular Reviews
Paul Simon
2/5
This is the third Paul Simon album I've been served in the span of two and a half months. Please make it stop. I'm really starting to resent the people who catapulted this man to such fame that he is considered so essential. He is about as fundamental to musical experience as the Barenaked Ladies.
2 likes
PJ Harvey
4/5
This is a pretty solid album. I like the lo fi production, I like the nuanced song writing choices. It has an earnestness and fire that was emblematic of the music scene back then but seems to be in short supply in the 2020s.
1 likes
ABBA
4/5
It's ABBA. If you want to get down with some well-crafted pop songs, this is your jam.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (8)
All Ratings
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
It’s pretty fresh beat wise, both Phife and Tip grew lyrically in the following albums. Maybe it’s not fair to compare it to their later work, at the time I am pretty sure there was almost nothing else like it. Still! The best was yet to come.
Paul Simon
1/5
I don't get it, but then again, I don't get Simon and Garfunkel either. This is the sort of record that makes me want to scream at baby boomers like "THIS is what you think is an alltime record?" while throwing an endless stream of vinyl copies across the room.
Chevy Chase was the best part of "You Can Call me Al" and given how he has become known as one of the biggest tools in show business, even that carries very little water.
The Doors
3/5
The music is pretty great, Morrison's lyrics sometimes come off as hokey and corny - I mean, "she's a 20th century fox" wow deep bro, deep. Despite this, it's easy to see what makes it a renowned album. Each musician knows when to pull back and dive in, creating a sense of depth that a lot of recordings lack.
Parliament
3/5
This is probably better suited for an ambient speaker system than in ear headphones. Layers upon layers here, and so many call forwards to hip hop songs that became part of the modern vernacular.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Pretty dope, I feel like I've heard some afrobeat in the past and felt meh on it. But this is the real stuff! A protest album with dire consequences.
Fugees
4/5
It's easy to forget how good this album is amongst all the things that followed - Wyclef's penchant for flipping cheesy samples, Pras' legal troubles, and Ms. Lauryn imploding her career after dropping Miseducation.
But subtract all of that and take it back to the source - fresh beats, interwoven rhymes. Three lyricists giving their best over their own productions. Who could have blamed anyone for seeing anything but a brilliant run of albums as a collective and individuals? Dang. We'll always have The Score.
The Band
2/5
no no no no big no no thank you I don't care how is this even on this list
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Definitely some catchy songs. FF is one of those bands that I bypassed when they were at the height of their popularity. Take Me Out is a jam, at the time we were inundated with bands that were similar to, but not exactly like, the Strokes.
This hits a bit different than the Strokes, but not enough to convince me I needed to hear it!
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Great vibe, incredible voice.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
BIG is a nihilist. I have had this album for years and don’t revisit often because of that. But it is a stone cold classic, the beats are amazing, the rhymes are excellent.
Burning Spear
3/5
A solid listen, no real ear worms tbh. I guess I’m more of a Toots and the Maytals enthusiast.
Faith No More
3/5
It’s no Angel Dust!
The Smiths
4/5
It’s no Angel Dust!
The Human League
4/5
This one grew on me as I progressed through the album. There are some musically interesting bits, all of them sequenced before the most famous track on the album. I feel like I will revisit this one!
The Black Crowes
3/5
There are some gems on here, but a lot of the album feels like filler. The hits are the hits, of course, but they are hits for a reason!
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
Nah
OutKast
4/5
This album is... sprawling. Compared to the first three outKast albums, it is far more indulgent and the moments of pure head nodding bliss are farther between. But they do come up with some bops here and Andre 3000's contributions are pretty interesting. A keeper that will probably reveal more on further listens.
ABBA
4/5
It's ABBA. It slaps.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
Damn near perfect album, perfect energy.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
yea I just couldn't finish this one. I like Pump It Up. I know that he played "Radio Radio" with the Beastie Boys on SNL. But this just does nothing for me. I WANT TO LIKE IT. But no.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
This feels like a watered down version of Jimi Hendrix's "Band of Gypsys" album, which came almost a year before this. Is there a connection or influence? I have no idea. But if they are drawing from the same well, I would take the Hendrix album just about every time. It's not bad! But it pales in comparison.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
I would consider this a "technical" album. But I did not finish it simply because I don't believe in forcing myself to do so. Three stars based upon what I heard. If you are into a stiffer version of Medeski Martin and Wood, this might be your shit.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Thanks I hate it.
David Bowie
4/5
Just some good songs. There's no doubt that Bowie is a good song writer, and this album is a prime example.
Shack
4/5
A well crafted pop album.
Steve Earle
4/5
A solid album, the last two cuts not living up to the promise of the previous eight. But fair enough! I will be coming back to this one.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Dear Lord did I really need to hear this? I skipped the first track because I've heard it enough, the second song was solid and gave me hope. The third and fourth songs? What the actual f. It really sounds like some dude who is half in the bag that decided bringing his guitar to the party would be super cool. It's not.
Coldplay
3/5
Yasiin Bey once described Drake as "music you can shop to" and I think that's an apt description for Coldplay. There are a couple exceptional songs on here, but if you heard the singles... you're not missing anything. Everything else can be categorized as "songs to fall asleep to".
Def Leppard
3/5
There are a few good songs in here but the sheen of the production wears thin after a bit. Maybe that's just a contemporary sensibility. Still I won't be running back to this record, though I wouldn't be in a hurry to turn it off if it was already playing.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Pretty foundational album. Delete tracks 9, 10 and 11 and it would be damn near perfect.
Duke Ellington
4/5
This teeters between a three and four. I really liked the opening and ending tracks! Not sure how I feel about the middle three - they're not bad, they don't swing like the other two do, that is for certain.
Steve Winwood
3/5
I really can't be mad at Steve Winwood, this just doesn't do it for me though.
Björk
3/5
Some of the sounds she gets from pure vocals are impressive! I had a few moments where I had to remind myself there's no instruments. That being said, is this a great album that is drawing me back for repeat listens? I don't think so. Bjork has done more memorable work, and acapella songs have never really worked for me personally.
Jack White
3/5
Some moments of pure musicality, but not enough to put it over the top.
Otis Redding
4/5
Starts slow and picks up by the end!
Blondie
3/5
A strong start, weak finish, "Heart of Glass" notwithstanding. Disappointing to say the least!
The La's
3/5
I think I would like this if I was into poppy 90s alternative. It's catchy and pleasant.
The Who
2/5
You want me to listen to 24 songs of The Who? No.
Paul Simon
1/5
oh hell no
Anthrax
3/5
A lot of the riffs here are great, pummeling stuff. But a lot of the lyrical content paired with Belladonna's vocal style really doesn't do it for me. This is more of a three and a half but I think there are plenty of other thrash albums that would easily make it to four over this one. Apologies to Scott Ian.
Nick Drake
4/5
It's very beautiful.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Yea this is what I am here for. weird, trippy soundscapes. I'm in.
John Cale
3/5
Nothing to see here.
Elvis Presley
3/5
A pretty solid album, on the cusp of a four. The final song "Reconsider Baby", comes off as a tepid lift of far better blues songs and reminds me of how much the entire affair owes to artists who were not given the same chances as Elvis.
Blur
2/5
I wanted to like it, and can tell that some of the songs hit the numbers for being solid pop jams. It just could not hold my interest.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Seems technically good, it just wasn't working for me. Had to quit after awhile.
PJ Harvey
4/5
This is a pretty solid album. I like the lo fi production, I like the nuanced song writing choices. It has an earnestness and fire that was emblematic of the music scene back then but seems to be in short supply in the 2020s.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
It bops.
Kings of Leon
3/5
The singles are jamming. I think I'm developing a process here - the first 1/4 - 1/3 of the songs songs, and then the singles if nothing holds my interest in the first group. Using that metric, this album does ok! But I did not hold out for any surprises once I finished with the singles.
N.W.A.
4/5
Though Dre disavowed this album in terms of production quality, the beats are working on just about every cut. Even "Something 2 Dance 2", which seems out of place but slaps in its own right.
When Ice Cube is firing on all cylinders, he's a great lyricist. Five minutes of him talking about how he disrespects women ("I ain't the 1") is about five minutes too long.
Everything else hangs together pretty well. Timeless.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
oh god no
Garbage
4/5
The production is brilliant, as to be expected. Though I wouldn't revisit, I get why this is a popular album.
The Smashing Pumpkins
1/5
Overlong. self-indulgent. 1979 can't redeem this album, and it's just as much a waste as I remember.
Barry Adamson
2/5
David Bowie
3/5
Meh. The piano player is great, and it's clear that Bowie is a skilled songwriter. Outside of the first track, nothing that remarkable IMO.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I don't know who this is for, but it's not for me.
Ray Charles
4/5
Morrissey
4/5
Borderline four / five. Just about every song is a catchy jam.
Radiohead
3/5
It's cool. But not cool enough.
Paul Simon
2/5
This is the third Paul Simon album I've been served in the span of two and a half months. Please make it stop. I'm really starting to resent the people who catapulted this man to such fame that he is considered so essential. He is about as fundamental to musical experience as the Barenaked Ladies.
The Who
2/5
Mehhhhhhhhh
Neil Young
3/5
I can respect Young as a songwriter but this just wasn't for me!
The Kinks
2/5
The next time an older person decries the state of music, I will be able to reflect on the multiple baby boomer-centric albums served to me on this list - the Paul Simon records, the Village Green Preservation Society, anything from Paul McCartney and Wings - and conclude that, no, it was not better back then, and that having skipped this genre in favor of others did nothing to degrade my quality of life.
Miles Davis
3/5
I like a lot of stuff from Davis. For some reason this album misses me. Hoping that some of my favorites landed in this list but time will tell!
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
No doubt Sullivan has a great voice, I just think her songwriting style is not correlated to my own tastes for the most part. I think fans of adjacent artists will get a lot out of this record.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
A stone cold classic.
Paul McCartney and Wings
1/5
Peak boomer bullshit. Let me die without having to insist the musical idols of my youth are some type of critical piece of musical education.
Muddy Waters
3/5
I thought I would like it much more. I wanted to be a “blues guy” but it just never hit for me the way it fires for others.
Common
3/5
Some people really like Common. I am not one of those people. Solid effort, his lyricism just doesn't work for me on a consistent enough basis to warran more stars.
Mj Cole
2/5
lounge music, pass.
The Beach Boys
3/5
What a weird album.
Judas Priest
4/5
I wasn't too optimistic about this one, I prefer more of a Lemmy type growl to the the clean singing and high pitched tones you get from a vocalist like Rob Halford. But I have to admit, this album won me over. Living After Midnight is far from the high point of the album, though it is as renowned as Breaking the Law.
Pixies
4/5
Pretty solid!
Frank Ocean
4/5
Man. This goes between a three and a four. There is some generic filler here but the good songs really work.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
I really love the opener and the last two songs. Everything in between is a skip! Should have been a four song EP.
Willie Nelson
4/5
A beautiful album
50 Cent
2/5
I really really really really wanted to get into this album when it dropped. But the title tells you what to expect: 50 doing whatever he needed to do to get rich, even if that meant dropping subpar lyrics that managed to rise to the top during one of the more fallow times in hip hop. I mean... definitely one of the weaker eras in my book, Eminem aside.
So this is what we got. C'est la vie.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
It’s dope but dark
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Not bad, but also not good enough to revisit. In general, once you've heard three or four Belle & Sebastian songs, you know what to expect!
The Strokes
5/5
I WAS SURPRISED. I have owned this album for a long time and never made it past the first or second track - to be clear, I do think the first song is a banger! I don't know why I wrote them off. But it's a good one. Full listen, lots of hooks, lots of melody.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
To no one's surprise, John Lydon's vocals are the worst thing on this album. And then I made the mistake of going on his Wikipedia page. Never again. I wish I could give this zero stars, but the musicians do hold up.
3/5
I can tell this is musically solid but just not my thing. So... three stars ofc.
Pink Floyd
3/5
I know this is good but I can't handle a pink floyd double album.
Metallica
4/5
Public Enemy
4/5
There are a few songs in the beginning that rely on high pitched samples, which always kept me away from the rest of the album. But yea it’s good, obsession with whistles aside, great rhymes, unparalleled beat making.
Eurythmics
3/5
strong meh from me!
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
I've never been a huge Neil Young fan, but this one slaps from front to back. A must listen.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
I want to like this more than I do. That being said, it is a pretty solid album.
The xx
3/5
Too mellow for me.
Kanye West
1/5
No.
The Mars Volta
4/5
This one's tricky - it's so good! But also not the easiest listen. You really don't fire up this album to kick back for the evening and shake off the day's troubles. But it's still a keeper!
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Fun, depressing, an album that is somehow inaccessible in full anywhere but Youtube (or buying on bandcamp but not ready to commit!)
Marty Robbins
3/5
It's solid but not that great!
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Solid, front to back. Worth a listen.
Röyksopp
3/5
It's ok. Like a lot of electronic music, there's nothing challenging and it winds up feeling as if you've heard every song on the album once you've waded through the first three or four.
Joy Division
4/5
So weird, so dark. Love it.
Linkin Park
3/5
The songwriting hangs together well, it just really really really sounds like an album that was made in 2000. Which is, canonically, one of the worst times for music. This was the mashup era, and it shows.
Venom
4/5
The audio quality undermines the effort here, yet the music is on par or better than what we get out of modern metal.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Sounds good, I just can't rock with folk. For me, British folk doesn't have the cultural baggage of the American folk movement of the 60s. So there's that. I can say on the merits of the sound and playing, it's good. But I can't go above three because that would mean I'd want to come back to it later. And I don't. But if you put it on in a restaurant or coffee house or just chilling somewhere it would be just fine.
Bad Brains
5/5
Classic, easy five stars
Depeche Mode
4/5
I would give this three stars on the strength of "Clean" alone. And yet! You've got plenty of other bangers on here.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
this is ok.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Boomer bait. Sounds fine but no thanks.
Dolly Parton
4/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
I'm starting to feel like the random choices are saying "are you sure you don't like 60s folk? how about psychedelica?". I get that just about every genre sounds 90% the same with a few standouts that transcend their categorization and do really interesting things. This is not one of those standouts.
The Auteurs
2/5
Ah, we've found "The Shitty Beatles"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPIpeW581rE
Portishead
4/5
This is pretty dope. Beth Gibbons doesn't reel me in when it comes to her style and melodies, yet the atmosphere throughout the album keeps things interesting.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Pretty much the culmination of an incredible four album run.
Fred Neil
3/5
Sorry Fred. This ain't it (for me).
Bert Jansch
3/5
Pleasant enough, but pleasant ain't gonna get you past three stars Bert.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
He's a good piano player, it's a good recording. It just doesn't do anything to move me past three stars.
Kate Bush
4/5
Some of the songs fell flat for me, but there are plenty of cuts that held my interest. Worth another listen in the future I think.
Ray Charles
4/5
Ray Charles is always a solid pick.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
There are a few flat spots, yet the good songs more than compensate!
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I've had this one for a while. It's one of the weaker Led Zeppelin records for me! It feels meandering and self-indulgent in way too many places.
Tricky
5/5
This is four and a half because I think one track is a miss, but I cannot bring it down to four.
The Zutons
3/5
Nope! I'm sure it's fine. But still, nope.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I was surprised at how much I like this, I am pretty sure this album is the first one without any of the key Wailers. Great stuff regardless.
Roxy Music
2/5
I've taken two passes at this and it wasn't working. There are a few Roxy music cuts I do enjoy. I suppose I was expecting something similar to Eno's solo work but not to be.
10cc
3/5
Kinda fun, kinda entertaining but after awhile I was like "ok I've had enough"
Songhoy Blues
3/5
The music is pretty tight!
The Cure
5/5
I really love the choices they made in this album. I was familiar with more of the pop parts of the Cure, and this one defied my expectations!
Beatles
3/5
There really is something about the way the Beatles phrase and sing lyrics that can make me go "oh I don't give a shit" the minute the vocals come in on so many of their songs. And TBH I think it's more Paul McCartney than anyone else.
If there's ever an argument of throwing out any of your drug induced song ideas, "Yellow Submarine" would be it!
Ghostface Killah
4/5
This one's better than I remember. People really get down with Ghost as a story teller, but songs like "Be Easy" are just straight swagger and so good. I will forever give Ironman five stars, but this one runs a close second or third.
The Temptations
3/5
I feel remiss giving this a three given the source! But I got this album when I was much younger and I wasn't vibing with it then either. Sad, mostly for me.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
yea, no. but you do you.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Kind of underwhelming but then I've always felt this way about the singles from the album. I like them if they come on, yet rarely seek them out.
Laura Nyro
2/5
She can play, she can sing. The composition is excruciating.
Arcade Fire
3/5
meh
Miles Davis
5/5
Anything that needs to be said about this has been said.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Not exactly my bag, but you can tell the Cohen is firing on all cylinders. The production is well done, the composition is well done. He's not a strong singer, but it does not make much of a difference!
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
This is decent, but John Phillips is probably a sex pest, so 2.5 stars for you!
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
I wanted to like it more than I actually do. Alas!
Queen Latifah
2/5
This is alright. It does have the worst De La Soul cut I have ever heard, not because of the beat or the rhymes, but because of the extended outro where they pretend to be babies.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Yikes. I feel like this man's greatest contribution to music may have been his son.
ABBA
4/5
It's ABBA. If you want to get down with some well-crafted pop songs, this is your jam.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Oh goddamn this is worse than the last one they gave me.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I can't disrespect Elvis Costello but it's just not working for me.
The Zombies
2/5
You don't need to hear obscure folk-pop psychedelica. Ever.
Sam Cooke
5/5
Every song is a hit. Even the deep cuts sound like hits.
The Coral
3/5
JFC. More generic folk psychedlica.
Giant Sand
3/5
This is ok. And again I ask... was it really a MUST that I hear this before dying??
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2/5
I'm about one tenth of the way through this list, and the sheer volume of folk and folk tinged albums is almost embarrassing. Other forms of music exist!
That being said, the track "Helpless" by Neil Young is good. It's no wonder Young has managed a career spanning decades while the others remain relics.
Iron Maiden
3/5
It's ok. I think they improve on this formula in their later efforts.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I can see the appeal if you're into noise rock, which I am every now and then. But I don't think you gotta hear this one.
Green Day
4/5
There are some great songs, some good songs, and some real let downs. I think the strength of the good songs, as well as the rhythm section, keep the album moving forward.
Khaled
3/5
Going to pass since it is so difficult to find this.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Frank Sinatra is a dipshit that lent Ronald Reagan his plane in his campaign against Jimmy Carter. That's just a fact.
But this album is a vibe that I need for all the times when I'm not trying to make myself sick with such knowledge.
Randy Newman
2/5
I appreciate that it's satire but the racial slurs are a no from me. He's a good musician but man get this off the list for the love of god.
Lou Reed
4/5
Lou Reed seems like a shithead but this album is pretty good.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
I wouldn't put Chapman's style in my list of gotos - she is skilled beyond a doubt in her playing, composition, and lyricism. I do think this one is an actual must hear, for people in the United States in particular.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
This is a thing that exists.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes alone would bring this to three stars. The remaining cuts are a weird, enjoyable journey.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I'm not a huge fan yet, but I'm getting there!
The The
3/5
🤷♂️
Steely Dan
3/5
It's got some neat songs. Not mind blowing by any stretch of the imagination.
Air
3/5
Is this cool or just inoffensive?
Roxy Music
2/5
Nahhhhhhh
Santana
4/5
A pretty solid listen
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Solid!
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
For me, Lenny Kravitz is perpetually on the verge of doing something ambitious or interesting. And that is just not enough for my one life.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
dude wtf
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
I always liked this album for standouts like "Buggin Out", but once I gave it a closer listen I came to appreciate how the sound and details of the deeper cuts make this a very complete sounding album.
The Police
2/5
My first exposure to a Police album. It's ok but I'll be sticking with the hits.
The Adverts
3/5
It's alrigh!
Liz Phair
3/5
its fine! I think Phair's vocal delivery just doesn't work for me.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
The lead guitarist and Joplin are standouts against a backdrop of boilerplate rock numbers. Otherwise, its spot here is boomer fan service.
Joe Ely
3/5
It's good. Just not for me.
The Who
2/5
I wish this service was context aware. As in, I've already gotten two Who albums and gave them two stars. I don't want to listen to the Who. Two albums is enough.
Supergrass
3/5
It's fine. Musical is good. Just not working for me.
David Bowie
4/5
I don't know if I'll ever be a Bowie fan but god damn this man can write a song.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
what is happening
The Style Council
3/5
Not bad for elevator music
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Kings of Leon
4/5
3/5
🤦♂️
Holger Czukay
3/5
yea but no
Steely Dan
2/5
we will not be doing any more steely dan
Johnny Cash
4/5
A lot of his songs sound the same but every now and then he drops a banger. Love "San Quentin" and "A Boy named Sue" on this one.
Adele
4/5
I feel like the album starts off very strong and gets muddled towards the middle. But it can live off the strength of its best cuts.
R.E.M.
4/5
I feel like this one is worth coming back to!
Jungle Brothers
5/5
Wild that the JBs did every single beat on here, and every one is fresh. No misses.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
ah it's fine. not for me.
John Coltrane
4/5
I had gotten this album during a personal jazz craze and had remanded it to second tier status for being too busy in comparison to albums like "Coltrane + Hartman" and "Lush Life". But coming back... it's good. It's working for me. I will be coming back for more.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Sparks
3/5
eh it's ok
Dire Straits
3/5
The first three songs are pretty good. And then it dies.
Ice T
5/5
Damn near perfect album tbh
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
This album is so intertwined with my childhood I needed a lot of space to really appreciate it. But it is really a solid one.
The Fall
3/5
I can see the appeal but it gets kind of repetitive after a bit.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Grohl playing the drums on this really gives it a life I don't hear on their other stuff. I like Foo Fighters songs, I think this one has some of the most consistent writing on it. He just went and did his thing and it really shows.
Arrested Development
3/5
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Willie Nelson
4/5
Nice mellow jams. Would listen again.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
The music has a good vibe, but I don't enjoy Mick Jagger's vocal approach at all. I don't think I'll understand this band, I just can't get past it!
Norah Jones
4/5
You go Norah Jones.
Miles Davis
5/5
TBH I like this one better than Bitches Brew. Can't explain that. But there it is.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Eminem
4/5
I feel like I have to give this a four because he's one of the most skilled lyricists of this generation. But the production we were getting in the 2000s just feels so generic, with few exceptions.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
I have no ill will towards drum and bass as a genre. Does this deserve space on a list of "albums you must hear before you die"? No. This would be a three star if it was just something someone told me to check out, but since this list is telling me it's a "must hear" I gotta knock it down to two.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Songs like "A&E" and "Caravan Girl" have some character here, but it's not so much the rule as the exception.
Sigur Rós
3/5
This is good background music... but that's it.
The Pharcyde
3/5
This one sits between a three and a four. The last third of the album is classic, but the front of the album has one standout (4 Better or 4 Worse). Those songs are strong! But not enough to pull up the rest.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
yea, no. it's fine. but moving on.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
The second disc drags but the first is a real peach.
Can
4/5
Weird, but in a cool way.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Seems like this is only a "must listen" if you really want to explore the roots of hip hop, but for the most part it's like a snapshot of people figuring out what hip hop is going to be.
Wilco
4/5
This is better than I remembered it being. Maybe I've grown some!
Black Sabbath
4/5
Near classic.
The Doors
3/5
The music is solid. Like really good. But I just can't deal with Morrison's vocal style.
Radiohead
4/5
YES!
Waylon Jennings
3/5
yea its ok. Moving on though.
Gillian Welch
3/5
meh. It's ok. I like her style sometimes but all in all it gets monotonous.
The Stooges
3/5
I get that the Stooges are supposed to be fundamental to punk rock but I can't pull this above three stars.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I was a bit apprehensive about this one, I've had a copy of "Blue" for years and never got into it, even though that is supposed to be THE Joni Mitchell album. For my taste was way more enjoyable!
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Femi Kuti
3/5
One of those albums I really wanted to like but it just didn't happen.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The stones... you get three stars for Gimme Shelter and that's it.
Deep Purple
3/5
Decent stuff but must hear? I don't think so.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
The hits are the hits but I didn't find the rest of it that remarkable on first listen.
Eminem
4/5
I mean... he's a great rapper, I just think his albums are about five to eight songs too long. But his talent is undeniable.
Neil Young
3/5
I feel like Neil Young can write a banger every now and again.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Someone said "half an album of the band tuning" and yea I think that kind of nails it. What is going on here.
Crowded House
3/5
yea ok. Crowded House just kind of phoning in the type of stuff you'll hear while shopping at Whole Foods.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Pretty great. The last track drags a bit in the beginning. I don't love Hayes' vocal style but the music is A++
Joanna Newsom
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Not bad, not great. Right down the middle.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
It's ok but not much to see here!
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
- Neil Young rocking on the opening and closing tracks: 👌
- Every other song: ✋
3/5
Nah.
Fats Domino
3/5
Some classic sounds in here.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Weird shit but ok.
3/5
Beatles
3/5
People really love the Beatles. I think they are ok. some of my favorite musicians also love the Beatles. but not me!
The Libertines
3/5
Seems like a fun album but nothing to write home about.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Nice but not my jam.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Don't waste your precious time!
Air
2/5
Instantly forgettable.
Beatles
4/5
Early Beatles are enjoyable, well done songs with just vocals and four instruments, and this is an album of fundamentally good songs. It works.
Bad Company
4/5
NGL I knew "Can't Get Enough" and was fully prepared for the rest of the album to be pretty weak. I was surprised! Most of the songs range from good to genuine ear candy, with "The Way I Choose" and "Seagull" being less memorable cuts.
Pixies
4/5
Solid stuff right here.
Oasis
3/5
It's enjoyable, still mid.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
It's dark and moody. Perfect.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Pretty great. There are some real bangers, and outside of that there are just solid songs. Not a miss among them.
Janis Joplin
2/5
Maybe worth visiting as an artifact as a different time, but it's hard not to see Joplin as someone who lifted a soul / R&B vocal style and did it over more straightforward rock. Maybe it was revolutionary at the time, but I don't think it aged as well as folks wish it did.
Suede
3/5
Not enough here to listen all the way through.
Bob Dylan
3/5
It's fine and forgettable.
John Lennon
2/5
Well, Jealous Guy is good. Though I think Donny Hathaway did it better.
Solomon Burke
3/5
SAULT
4/5
Every song is pretty solid. It's just a lot for one sitting. Four stars though.
The Jam
4/5
Pretty good. the post-punk influence shows here and it makes the songs all the better.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
😒
T. Rex
3/5
Meh.
Doves
1/5
Coldplay's success mind-screwed a generation of British rock musicians, creating a regrettable genre of music that "is compatible with shopping" (ty Yasiin Bey)
The Clash
4/5
🫡
Sister Sledge
3/5
It's ok! Not my thing though.
3/5
I get it. Kinda. Would not go out of my way for this one.
Moby
3/5
I mean it's pretty cool, but then it gets kind of repetitive towards the end. Eighteen songs is too many.
The Charlatans
3/5
we're not doing this
David Ackles
2/5
faaaaaack no
Adam & The Ants
4/5
I was surprised by this one. Catchy stuff, would listen to again!
The Fall
2/5
I can't get with the Fall I guess. Too bad, some of my favorite artists really dig them.
Moby Grape
2/5
[Michael Scott no.gif]
Kanye West
1/5
This would be three stars, I could never get down with Kanye the way others could. But he’s a Nazi so fuck him, one star.
Cream
2/5
Pretty freakin terrible.
2/5
The deeper cuts are enjoyable but man do I hate the singles from this album.
Eagles
2/5
me and Lebowski are on the same page with this band.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
I could kinda see coming back to this if I needed some weird shit. But I don't think it's a heavy rotation type of record.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Some good ones but pretty generic!
Big Star
3/5
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
John Martyn
2/5
Primal Scream
4/5
Ok, I understand why people were so into Primal Scream in the 90s.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I like the hits, and this is a band I want to like more than I do. C'est la vie.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
pretty dry.
Ute Lemper
3/5
I can't say whether this is good or bad. It's not something I am into hearing at this stage of my life.
The Young Gods
3/5
Not sure if this doesn't hit because I only know about ten French words, or it's just mid. Like would I like Nine Inch Nails if I was not fluent in English?
Iggy Pop
3/5
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Adele
4/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Some interesting bits but I wasn't totally blown away? Seems unfair for such a revered band.
Beck
4/5
this is one of those albums that is ACTUALLY worth hearing, even if I don't see myself going back to it that often. Good stuff.
Grateful Dead
3/5
The Vines
3/5
it's ok. Insert evolution joke here.
Carole King
3/5
the hits are good. everything else I can leave.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
ayfkm
T. Rex
3/5
it's fine.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Background music.
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
Richard Hawley
3/5
Sounds nice! Not sure if I would go back to this well very often but it works for easy listening.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Velvet Underground cuts are 50% "this sounds really cool" and 50% "wtf"
Brian Eno
4/5
This is some weird shit. I am into it. I have been getting hit with Roxy Music recommendations for a long time and they were all misses. I am so glad he left and did his own thing.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
It's ok.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Blur
3/5
Blur songs are consistently solid but it is rare that I feel moved by them.
Meat Loaf
2/5
If you like showtunes you might have a better time than me.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Kinda cool, kinda weird. solid album.
George Harrison
3/5
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Solid album the whole way through.
Frank Zappa
4/5
I was skeptical because... Zappa. but it's a pretty good album from front to back.
Justice
3/5
Gorillaz
3/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Mike Ladd
2/5
Talking Heads
3/5
They get better with age, for sure. David Byrne especially!
The Boo Radleys
4/5
Solid.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
This would be a five but Kool Keith is just too unhinged.
Finley Quaye
2/5
There needs to be some sociological study on the late-90s / early aughts reggae / surfy musicians and what came of them. Anyway, this has it's moments but really you've heard better in other places.
The Temptations
3/5
Temptations albums always throw me for a loop.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Not sure I like this sludgier version of Black Sabbath versus other albums I've heard so far. This almost went to three for me - maybe because the first four tracks are some of their most renowned and have been played so much that there is no sense of discovery here. The back half drags a bit but Jack the Stripper really saves things at the end.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Björk
4/5
A strange but accessible album. I like the next two albums a bit better but I can't give this less than four stars.
James Taylor
2/5
There are a few good (Fire and Rain) to excellent (Sweet Baby James) on here. Threes probably some deep psychological issue here, but a lot of the other ones make me want to jump off a bridge.
Roxy Music
2/5
Hard to believe Roxy Musoc had multiple entries in this list.
Steely Dan
2/5
Unremarkable
The White Stripes
3/5
At this point, Jack White has been a known quantity long enough to know whether or not he is your jam. He is one of many musicians whose accolades are warranted while doing nothing for me on a personal level. If you gravitate towards his style, I'm sure you will find this more rewarding than I did.
Elliott Smith
5/5
I don't gravitate towards these type of records any longer, but I think that the skill and artistry is undeniable.
Coldplay
2/5
it's nice music to shop by. Or fall asleep to. Which I did once.
William Orbit
3/5
really hard to find this, no thanks
Gotan Project
3/5
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
This is fine but I guess I don't like the Pet Shop Boys as much as I thought I would!
Queen
4/5
IMO Queen is at their least interesting when they are in straight head rock mode. This album has a lot of twists and turns that let Freddie Mercury really fly. I don't think I'll ever be a huge Queen fan, but I can appreciate what they are doing here.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I never heard a Taylor Swift song that didn't sound like a shampoo commercial. Some parts are catchy, and other parts feel contrived to the point of being a turn off. A couple good songs ("Blank Space", "Style"), plenty of skips ("Welcome to New York" for SURE, "Shake it Off").
I don't think anyone cares what I really think here so I'm going to shut the fuck up.
Massive Attack
3/5
I expected more from this album.
Radiohead
4/5
I've really liked the Bends for a long time. It's just a good rock album, so I always skipped this because I was just ok with knowing Radiohead in that way. But this is as good as people say it is. I was ready to let Radiohead be Radiohead.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
George Jones
3/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
a-ha
3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I am surprised by how many songs I already knew. Great album.
Stereolab
3/5
Manu Chao
3/5
He started losing me me when he started doing his English rap style on the third track. Other than that... it's ok.
Leftfield
3/5
Kinda cool but after awhile it gets repetitive. that is the curse of so many of these mid-90s electronic instrumental albums.
Black Sabbath
4/5
The Black Keys
2/5
there was a time when I really wanted to be into the Black Keys. It passed.
John Grant
3/5
What exactly is the criteria for this list?
Bob Dylan
3/5
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
The first three quarters of this album are really great.
Ride
3/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Madonna
4/5
One one hand, the first three songs jam. And the album closes out with Prince ripping... always a treat.
On the other, everything in between is so hit or miss. It's worth a listen.
Common
3/5
I've had this one since it dropped, and it's always the same three: Time Travelin', the Questions (every other Yasiin Bey line is a gem) and the 6th Sense (minus the terrible skit at the end).
I'm glad Common is acting now?? Maybe???
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Circle Jerks
3/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Ice Cube
4/5
Great album, the misogyny has dated this a bit. Sad for the family man I guess.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
It good.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
So I thought Astrud Gilberto was THE Gilberto on Getz / Gilberto. She is the vocalist on the opening track, so that makes sense, and that lead me to believe that his would be on the same tier as that album. But I just couldn't hang with this one. I had high hopes.
(Her then-husband was the titular Gilberto on that album, as it turns out)
The Damned
3/5
It's fun, but not as great as I had hoped.
Hole
3/5
it's mid
The Band
2/5
I tried to get into this album when I was much younger. I'm not doing that again.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
I bet Pitchfork gave this album a 10.
Lambchop
3/5
Sorry, I just don't have time for this.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Basement Jaxx
2/5
The Waterboys
3/5
Orbital
2/5
American Music Club
3/5
Can’t find it
FKA twigs
3/5
It's compelling when FKA twigs decides to sing, her choice to hide it behind a wispy facade is... something? Just let it rip. I can see why people might dig this and then eventually move on.
Kate Bush
3/5
I really hoped I would be into Kate Bush. This is the second time I've been served one of her albums and TBH it's just not working for me!
David Holmes
3/5
I think it's pretty hard to make something really compelling in this genre of breakbeats sans vocals. The format really doesn't let you go too far. You can skip.
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Slint
4/5
Weird, dark, Fugazi vibes. Yea I can come back to this well.
Silver Jews
2/5
am I missing something?
David Bowie
3/5
I had high hopes for the "experimental" side of the album but only "Subterranean" worked for me. As far as the pop side "Speed of Life" is a promising start. I am not a huge Bowie fan but usually I find one or two cuts each album that takes me by surprise, but there was nothing there the stood out.
The Who
2/5
absolutely not.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Beyoncé
2/5
I've heard a lot of Beyonce and I think maybe one song hit? So I don't feel bad about this.
The Young Rascals
3/5
sorry, I don't think I HAD to hear this before I died. It just makes me think of all the things I could have been listening to instead...
Julian Cope
3/5
come on man. what is this list.
The Youngbloods
2/5
meh, no.
Daft Punk
3/5
I see the appeal but I think electronic music has the same problem: if you're not dancing to it, then it really loses it's luster after six or seven tracks.
Slipknot
2/5
I came of age when Korn, Deftones and Limp Bizkit were breaking out. TBH this reminds me of the first Soulfly record. anyway. I don't feel like it's bringing anything new to the genre, so I don't get why it's here.
M.I.A.
4/5
Pretty solid, pretty interesting. that Timbaland feature could have not happened.
Stan Getz
5/5
A classic.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Sufficiently weird.
2/5
Oh look it's Bob Dylan... ZZZzzzzzz
The Avalanches
2/5
Pretty boring! I guess it's ok if you put it on as background noise at a party.