386
Albums Rated
3.14
Average Rating
35%
Complete
703 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
30
5-Star Albums
18
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smile | 5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
| Pump | 5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
| American Pie | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| ...And Justice For All | 5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
| Devotional Songs | 4 | 2.58 | +1.42 |
| Machine Head | 5 | 3.59 | +1.41 |
| Hotel California | 5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
| Hard Again | 5 | 3.62 | +1.38 |
| Out Of The Blue | 5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
| Catch A Fire | 5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transformer | 1 | 3.67 | -2.67 |
| The Velvet Underground & Nico | 1 | 3.62 | -2.62 |
| Marquee Moon | 1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
| Hot Rats | 1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
| British Steel | 1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
| A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector | 1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
| Loveless | 1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
| Songs From A Room | 1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
| New York Dolls | 1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
| Kind Of Blue | 2 | 4.06 | -2.06 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.75 |
| Dire Straits | 2 | 5 |
| Metallica | 2 | 5 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Eno | 2 | 1.5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 2 | 1.5 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| David Bowie | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Beach Boys | 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (30)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Television
1/5
That's it. I'm done. Fuck this list. This was supposed to be fun, and it has been a slog to get through 80% of these albums. Music shouldn't feel like a chore to listen to.
This guy's voice is like nails on a chalkboard
9 likes
Beastie Boys
4/5
This is music in my taste profile from my era, amd somehow I have never listened to this whole album. Why?
I didn't like Sabotage when it came out; I thought it was over-hyped. I was just a "too cool for everything" teenager, and as I have grown older, I'm more of an "everything is so cool!" adult. Sabotage kicks ass.
Nice guest spot from Q-Tip here, which added an element of smooth to the normally brash and confrontational style of the Beasties. Very nicely complimentary.
WTF was Sabrosa?!? Super cool. A very nice break from the chaos that really shows the Beasties aren't one trick ponies.
Flute Loop?!? Fuck, this is badass! This is the highlight of the album for me so far. The back half of this album is incredible
4 likes
New York Dolls
1/5
The title of track 6 sums up this album perfectly for me
1.25
2 likes
Green Day
5/5
I remember when this came out. Dookie was definitely in my top 5 albums at the time, and I very much remember being disappointed in this album. Green Day had grown up, but I hadn't.
I have heard some of the singles a number of times as they had significant radio play, and maybe listened to the entire album once when it came out. It wasn't ever something I purposely went back to, let alone listened to with intention.
Listening today, in the first days of 2025, I regret all the time that went by that I wasn't listening to this album. I am glad I have been able to mature enough to appreciate this album for what it is: a fucking masterpiece of pop punk, and opera, perfect commentary on the time it was released, and an unfortunately accurate prediction on the time I'm listening in 2025.
I listen to music a lot, and have always had a feeling that I couldn't name about certain songs or bands. Sometimes, a song just feels...BIG. An epic. Led Zeppelin and My Chemical Romance are two bands that stick out to me as making songs like this that I couldn't describe well. Reading the Wikipedia article, Green Day said they wanted to abandon the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge structure and go big. That's it. That's the thing I haven't ever been able to put my finger.
Also, Tré's toms sound so big on this album. The bass and guitars sound huge and so good together. This was masterfully produced and recorded.
5 stars
1 likes
Animal Collective
2/5
Couldn't make it through this trash. I don't have time for this kind of shit. I could be listening to literally anything else.
After having read a lot of the reviews by professional critics, I'm left wondering what "pop" music is, since this was considered some transformational experimental pop album. Zero catchy melodies, droning overstuffed instrumentation, and virtually monotone singing...this is pop? It's more appropriately described as semi-coherent noise; barely recognizable as music
Fuck this album.
1.5
1 likes
1-Star Albums (18)
All Ratings
Depeche Mode
4/5
Listening critically:
Samsung Galaxy Earbuds:
Really enjoyed the finesse of the opening drum beat on the first track
Never specifically heard/paid attention to the tuba(?) that adds so much to the drama and "big feeling" in personal jesus.
Listening critically on KEF Q950s while browsing the internet:
I have always liked Enjoy the Silence, but listening to it on the Kef Q950s was a whole new experience. So much detail and new information. I think I have only heard it on shit car speakers.
This is a GREAT recording. (Policy of Truth) So much depth and interesting activity on the synthesizers between channels. Really cool mix and vocal layering I haven't heard until now. This is a whole different song. I'm so glad to be listening to this album. What a great start to this adventure!
Everything sounds so forward and present. I just did not appreciate Depeche Mode in this way before (Blue Dress). I haven't heard this song before. David Gahan (vocals) has a...something special. Such a unique voice, and knows how to use it. I'm really liking the post-song interludes that the radio never played. It's like finding money in the couch cushions. Seamless segue into Clean
Clean: Every instrument is in the exact right place. What is it about this recording? Have my speakers always sounded this good?
Starting the album over on the KEFs. Better than the earbuds, for sure. I wish everything I listened to on these sounded this...crisp (World in My Eyes)
It's Sweetest Perfection that has the slick beat (sounds like brushes). I like the surging/building effect this has. Also...sounds great on the KEFs. Loving the cello break at 2:20.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
So incredibly NOT looking forward to listening to this. Lou Reed has all the bad voice characteristics of Bob Dylan, and none of the redeeming qualities.
Sunday Morning: Yep. Suspicion confirmed
I'm Waiting for the Man: this sounds like a third grader wrote it. Why do people think this album is so great?
Femme Fatale: Weird (intentional?) distortion is jarring and unsettling. Zero merit in the background vocals. These are not good singers
Venus in Furs: stylistically, the music reminds me of the The Doors, which is a plus. Absent the atrocious singing, this could be a cool song. The lyrics might even be ok, but how they're vocally presented just takes all merit from them for me
Run Run Run: Sounds like a bad Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band. Horrible guitar screeching. WTF is this garbage?
All Tomorrow's Parties: Starting with a bit of promise. Singing is super flat. If this is such a great album, I could make a "top 1,001 album" with all the ZERO musical talent I possess. In the TV show This Is Us, Mandy Moore's character, who is a MARVELOUS singer gets told she is "Pittsburgh good" at an audition for a record label. If she's only Pittsburgh good, then this band is "elementary school chorus bad" from a vocals perspective.
Heroin: this song has some potential. Sounds cool. Slow pace, light drums, in tune, sort of twangy guitar....and now Lou Reed is ruining it with his Bob Dylan impression. Picking up speed, speeding toward disaster now. And back to the slow pace and Lou's completely unpolished...uh, everything. This fucking sucks, man. I hate Lou Reed. This is torture. How many songs are left? Oh god, four more. And this one isn't even half over... Caterwauling, horrible screeching feedback on the guitar. Terrible. This is THE song a teenager was listening to when their dad burst into the room and said "You call this music? This is just NOISE." Then the dad sits down in the kitchen and says "I just don't know about that kid, Martha" and pours himself a whiskey, wondering where he went wrong
There She Goes Again: Alright, poppy potential...nope, here comes Lou Reed to ruin everything. Ultra simplistic lyrics, lame kindergarten rhyme scheme, and couldn't carry a tune if he had as many arms as on octopus
I'll Be Your Mirror: Cool doo-wop sort of opening riff. Into it. Nico singing here. Eh, not bad. Not good either. Very simple lyrics, but not an entirely unpleasant song, I guess. Kind of off key
The Black Angel's Death Song: frantic, screeching strings. Bad. Unenjoyable. Oh, here's Lou Reed again doing his best to be the worst. Is he... hissing into the microphone??? Or filling up a tire. WTF is this?!? Coming back to edit my notes, and re-reading the song's title, I will give the benefit of the doubt here and say that this is EXACTLY what a "death song" of a black angel would sound like. It does make a person want to die...
European Sun: ooh, kinda Beatlesesque. This is fun. Poppy 60s guitar, nice pacing. Oh, here's Lou! Oh, wtf is that noise? Dragging a metal garbage can on the street? And here we go with out of tune, played too fast guitars, and...this is like when you give a kid an electric guitar for his birthday and he confidently (and wholly incorrectly and without any musical knowledge whatsoever) just starts playing as fast as he can. The pace gives me anxiety. Somehow this has devolved into something even worse.
I'm wondering if this is like avant garde or something? Like such high art that an untrained person like me shouldn't even bother trying to understand. I mean, it does have a Warhol painting on the cover, and like wtf was that guy even doing? That's "art?"
Nah, this band fucking SUCKS.
Album: 0/10 would not recommend. Will continue to shit talk in the future
Later in the day, thinking about the time this was released:
This was not "ahead of its time." There has been no time in the last 50ish years that this would have been musically relevant. There was no boundary pushing here. This is just bad music made by bad musicians. There is no distillation of elements to make the complex art form simple. There is no taking of existing conventions and modifying them to produce something new and different. I would honestly be surprised if any of this album was more than just a loose idea and the old trope of the band leader saying something like "just follow along." Even then, I have heard competent musicians do this, and still sound cohesive and coherent. This is just a fucking mess. I fail to see any artistic merit. Anyone who claims to "get" this album, I would immediately assume was insufferably pretentious.
Rush
3/5
Tom Sawyer: I think one of the great things about Neil Peart is that he does SO MUCH work, but it never sounds like too much
Red Barchetta: This just sounds like a generic Rush song. Good, but this is not a track I'd specifically seek out to listen to
YYZ: So, this is supposed to be some sort of drum masterpiece, I think. I like this song, but specifically listening to the drum part, this just sounds like everything else Neil does. That's not to say Neil's not special (because I think he really is), but more to say I don't see why this stands out as something different to other people. Maybe id understand if I was a drummer?
Limelight: such a slick opening riff. I have always like the strategic paises in songs, and I think this song is a great example. I appreciate Geddy telling a story about life in the public eye from the perspective of both gratitude and annoyance. Fun imaging on the drums at the end of the track. Kudos to the engineer there
The Camera Eye: pretty meh. Overly long
Witch Hunt: Not bad. Also meh
Vital Signs: really fun opening synth riff. I quite liked this song. Very fun. I had never heard this before. It's one I'd go back and listen to just like Tom Sawyer.
I liked this album.
Steely Dan
4/5
Radiohead
4/5
Some of the crunchy, distorted guitar parts in the opening couple of songs weren't my favorite. Otherwise, great album
Supertramp
4/5
The White Stripes
2/5
Ick
OutKast
3/5
Paul McCartney
3/5
The Psychedelic Furs
2/5
Ick
I appreciate their very obvious influence on Brit Pop, but this was a bit to raw / unpolished for me
Heaven 17
2/5
Made it more than halfway through, and I'm definitely not torturing myself with the rest
Cat Stevens
3/5
Coldplay
3/5
The Specials
2/5
Started off bad and progressed to meh
Van Morrison
4/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Not bad at all. Not for me, but I definitely get why people like this album
Pixies
3/5
Pleasantly surprised about this one
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Justin Timberlake
2/5
How the fuck did this album make the list of 1,001 albums you MUST listen to before you die?!? Jesus fucking christ, this was hot garbage.
I'm rating this two stars because it's recognizable as "music;" one star reviews are reserved for Velvet Underground albums
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Finally some good fucking music
4.5
Soul II Soul
2/5
2.75
It got better as it went on, but it never got good enough for me to want to listen to it again
Black Sabbath
3/5
3.25
3/5
Better than I was expecting, but not really my thing
Joan Armatrading
3/5
3.75
This was new to me, and I liked it
Animal Collective
2/5
Couldn't make it through this trash. I don't have time for this kind of shit. I could be listening to literally anything else.
After having read a lot of the reviews by professional critics, I'm left wondering what "pop" music is, since this was considered some transformational experimental pop album. Zero catchy melodies, droning overstuffed instrumentation, and virtually monotone singing...this is pop? It's more appropriately described as semi-coherent noise; barely recognizable as music
Fuck this album.
1.5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
Not super interested. Not bad either
2.75
Björk
2/5
Weird, as Björk is known to be. I think this is the least weird thing I have heard from her
Not bad. Not enjoyable either though
2.75
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Quite enjoyable!
Barry Adamson
2/5
I completely fail to understand why this is on a list of albums a person should listen to before they die.
What the absolute fuck is Dirty Barry? Miserable.
Vermillion Kisses also fucking sucked.
There is too much garbage like this on this list. I think I'm going to quit
The Vines
2/5
If you like the White Stripes, The Strokes, Jet, Franz Ferdinand, or any of those other bands in the stripped down, lofi garage band genre, you'll love this. I think it sucked because it's very demonstrative of that shit genre that nobody asked for, and I'm pretty sure nobody ACTUALLY likes. The only thing I enjoyed about this was skipping songs halfway through, knowing that it would allow me to stop listening that much sooner.
Highly Evolved: monotone screaming, shit guitar riff, lack of melody. Unlistenable. Skipped after half the song
Autumn Shade: far better
Outthatway: not quite as bad as Highly Evolved, but in the same terrible vein. There's a melody, at least. Skipped halfway through
Sunshinin: not a-melodic, but mostly monotone vocals. Dislike. Skipped halfway through
Homesick: best song so far. Still sucked. Skipped a little after halfway during guitar solo
Get Free: trying to be grunge, but doing a bad lofi impression. Skipped during first bridge
Country Yard: definitely solidifies my distaste for "lofi trying to sound like the Beatles" genre. Skipped
Factory: fun opening ska-like riff. Maintained that ska-like energy through MOST of the song. It was ok until the chorus(?). Skipped after the second one
In the jungle: fuck this list. Skipped
Mary Jane: shit
Ain't no room: worse
1969: unenjoyable. Thank goodness this is the last song
There sure is a LOT of hot garbage on this list of albums everyone "MUST" listen to before they die. Is there some sort of subtext I'm missing there? Like, does the author think you should listen to garbage noise every once in a while to appreciate good music or something?
Röyksopp
3/5
I'm so relieved to be listening to an album that is actually enjoyable. The last week has been a slog. Comparatively, this is a phenomenal album. Realistically, it was just alright.
Poor Leno is a standout for me as not as enjoyable as the rest of the album
3.0
Queen
3/5
3.75
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Listening to this for the first time in more than 20 years is interesting. Simple, boom bap beats and decent (though uncomplicated) rhyme and flow for the most part. Also interesting, you can see emergence of more modern rap styles on songs like Show Business.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Thoroughly unenjoyable
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Thoroughly meh
2.5
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Not offensive, but also not enjoyable. I appreciate the early contributions to grunge, but I definitely won't ever listen to this again
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
This was the first album in two weeks that didn't make me feel relieved when it was over. Thank you, Tom and the Heartbreakers!
RIP, Tom. I miss knowing you were out there rocking somewhere
4.0
Pixies
2/5
Another shitty noise "rock" album. Nails on a chalkboard.
1.5
The Byrds
3/5
This was a breath of fresh air after some of the garbage this list has served me lately. Thank you, Croz
3.5
The Blue Nile
2/5
So, this was not really enjoyable, but it was a relief after all the terrible music this list has been serving me. My only hope is that the first hundred albums I listen to are trash, and the remaining 901 albums are amazing.
This list is bullshit, really
Anyway, this album:
Inoffensive. I certainly would have liked to hear this album in the year of its release. I think it would have been really different from everything else I was used to hearing at the time. I don't know if I would have liked it, but I think I could have appreciated it a bit more than I can now
2.75
Slade
1/5
This album sounds like it may have influenced the genre of glam rock.
I hate glam rock.
Quite poorly recorded; tons of clipping throughout the album. Several times throughout, I was wondering if I had accidentally damaged my headphones somehow and had to go listen to a reference track to be sure my gear wasn't the problem. It wasn't my gear.
"I don't mind" wasn't bad. I liked the blues-like pace and feel, but toward the end, they went back to sounding like a high school AC/DC cover band that forgot all of AC/DC's songs. This album was really difficult to listen to. Very little merit for me
1.5
Blur
2/5
2.5
Nothing special
Funkadelic
2/5
Wasn't for me
2.5
Basement Jaxx
4/5
Something refreshing in a mountain of shit on this list. I was beginning to question if I even like music
Television
1/5
That's it. I'm done. Fuck this list. This was supposed to be fun, and it has been a slog to get through 80% of these albums. Music shouldn't feel like a chore to listen to.
This guy's voice is like nails on a chalkboard
Beatles
4/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
A pleasure to listen to
Brian Eno
1/5
I disagree with Moby and anyone else who liked this
Judas Priest
1/5
Disliked very much. Guy's voice is intolerable.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Timbaland's fingerprints are all over this, and this is more his album than Missy's, I think. Missy's flow has always been solid and unique, but I think lyrically, she made huge improvements in later albums that I personally think are more noteworthy.
I also feel like a couple of cameos were unnecessary: Busta was just playing hype man instead of adding musical value, and Lil Kim and Da Brat have never done it for me (though I acknowledge Lil Kim's flow). Aaliyah, to me, was the only guest that added value.
This album is a good start for Missy. She only got better as she went on. I appreciate how Missy "got weird" later in her career, which is something I feel like people who listen to this genre had little tolerance for at the time. Missy was definitely her own person, which I always thought was cool
David Bowie
2/5
I never liked David Bowie. I still don't, but this wasn't bad. I probably won't listen again, but if (most of the songs) on this album came on, I wouldn't rush to skip them like I have in the past
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
The Coral
3/5
This is the first band on this list I haven't heard of before AND ALSO liked the album. This is exactly what I was hoping this list would be like, and have thus far been quite disappointed.
This was fucking FUN! I really don't think it belongs on a list of albums you must hear before you die, but I don't want to diminish how much I enjoyed this album.
I appreciate the eclectic mix of styles and am reminded of how I felt listening to bands like Panic! at the Disco, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly , and My Chemical Romance for the first time. They're all doing something somewhat new with well-founded historical precedent in a way that blends nicely and makes me want to find the music that inspired this.
3.5
New York Dolls
1/5
The title of track 6 sums up this album perfectly for me
1.25
Leftfield
3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Best album of the 60+ I have listened to so far. More of this, please
4.5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I liked this. Joni Mitchell is great. I don't love her singing style all the time, but I was in the mood for it today
3.5
Leonard Cohen
1/5
This is a concept album where the artist jokingly has decided to unnecessarily shoehorn the jaw harp he won at the county fair into every track to hide the fact he's a terrible singer and see if anyone would notice.
This was a huge miss for me. Wildly unenjoyable. To plagiarize from the title of a Gin Blossoms album: A New Miserable Experience
Supergrass
2/5
The first three tracks were just painful to listen to
Late in the Day was the first listenable song on this album for me. I quite enjoyed this one
Everything that followed was mediocre and relatively inoffensive. I could have listened to all of them in their entirety, but why? There was nothing compelling here for me
The Beta Band
2/5
You're allowed to like this if you want.
I do not. Pretty boring
It's actual music, so it gets more than one star, I guess
Marty Robbins
4/5
I didn't have high hopes, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Every track was fantastic
Black Sabbath
3/5
Simple Minds
3/5
I liked this, but there was nothing groundbreaking or excellent here for me
Scott Walker
2/5
After reading some reviews, it's apparent to me this album is supposed to be a joke. I get the joke, and it's not funny. I would have also independently described it as a joke, but not in the way the artist intended
Roxy Music
2/5
This album might have convinced me I don't like Brian Eno
The Band
3/5
3.5
Enjoyable. No sub-par tracks, in my opinion
Dire Straits
5/5
Outfuckingstanding
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Fleetwood Mac's weakest album, in my opinion. Still an enjoyable listen.
The title track is a standout for me.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
This was a surprise. Like everyone, I had heard Jailbreak, The Boys Are Back in Town, and had heard Metallica cover Whiskey in the Jar. I didn't pay Thin Lizzy much heed, because truthfully, I felt like The Boys Back in Town was overplayed, And Jailbreak wasn't anything more than a really catchy guitar lick. I went into this album thinking I was going to skip every track 30 seconds in. I was COMPLETELY wrong!
Man, what an enjoyable album! Every guitar part on this album is just as catchy as Jailbreak, the vocals are unique and perfect, great lyrics, and the rhythm section.... fuck! I'm so flabbergasted by how much I enjoyed this, words fail me.
This will definitely go into my permanent rotation. A rare win for the 1001 albums list!
Deerhunter
3/5
This isn't my type of music, and for the first two songs, I thought I was going to talk some shit about it here in my notes. As the album continues into the 3rd track and onward, it grew on me. I'm still not sure if I like it, but there is definitely something there that compels me to listen again.
3?
Johnny Cash
4/5
Loved it
Soundgarden
4/5
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Uninspiring and not very interesting to listen to
Gillian Welch
3/5
I liked this quite a bit, but I'm a little biased because bluegrass/Americana featuring female vocals is one of my favorite types of music.
While really enjoyable, there are dozens of albums in this genre subset that probably have been included on this list before this album.
3.5
James Brown
4/5
This was a pleasure to listen to. This crowd was super excited to listen to The Godfather, and so was I.
4
The Clash
4/5
Fuuuuuck yes! Couldn't ask for a better opening track to an album!
Warm and fuzzy analog anger!
Haven't ever heard Police and Thieves before, and it's awesome. I was either tapping my foot, bopping my head, or drumming on something for every best of this album. Fantastic album
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Pretty enjoyable. No notes
Mj Cole
3/5
Enjoyable. 3.5
Pink Floyd
4/5
4.5
Neil Young
4/5
Keep on rockin' in the free world, Neil!
No notes
Massive Attack
3/5
Track 1: sounds like it belongs on The Matrix (or similar movie) soundtrack or in the closing credis. That's not a bad thing though
Track 2: could absolutely do without the vocals from the guy with weird voice
Overall, not bad. For a minute there, I was going to complain about the overly simplistic rhyme schemes / poor cadence / old white man flow of the rapping, but then I remembered this came out in 1991. And now that I'm writing this, I'm remembering other rap of the time did not suffer from this, so I still can't let them off the hook for it. I tried.
That said, nothing else sounded like this on 1991 that I can remember, so kudos to Massive Attack for creating something new. The echoes of this style can still be heard in some of my favorite new music, so I appreciate what they have done here.
My rating system is based on my own personal enjoyment, not as a criticism of the music. I'm not a music critic or a musician, so I don't feel like I'm qualified to rate this stuff any other way
The Rolling Stones
3/5
3.75
Sonic Youth
3/5
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
I'm not really into "world music" because a lot of what I have heard has rhythm / musical conventions that aren't very pleasing to me. I'm not a musician, so I can't say if those non-western conventions are present in this album or not, but this is a rare thumbs up for me in the "world music" genre
808 State
3/5
Sex Pistols
3/5
Willie Nelson
3/5
Slipknot
2/5
When Corey Taylor sings like Corey Taylor, I'm into it. When he sings like he's in Slipknot, hard pass
Anita Baker
2/5
Not offensive, for sure. Pretty meh for me. First track was by far my favorite
2.75
Robert Wyatt
2/5
What a waste of time. This album sounds like someone recorded the disjointed sounds of a middle school orchestra warming up, then running it through a synthesized piano machine, while whining about how much they needed a kazoo to round it all out.
This fucking sucked.
1.5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Banger after banger. There were like 4 singles on this album, and everything that wasn't should have been
R.E.M.
3/5
It's kind of amazing to me this came out in 1988
U2
3/5
How one feels about this album is likely the same as they feel about U2 in general. In my case, U2 in general is pretty meh, but also inoffensive. So...
2.9
Prince
3/5
3.5
3/5
Not bad at all. New to me and enjoyable
Beastie Boys
4/5
I remember when this came out; nothing had ever sounded like this before. I appreciate the black origins of hip-hop and the samples they used, based on music that inspired them to become musicians themselves. White kids growing up listening to Led Zeppelin and CCR obviously had different musical interests early on, but converged with hip-hop, bringing their own flavor to an emerging genre, while still using similarly-styled lyrics/cadence/flow. This might be the first album on this list I recognize as a true "essential." I hope to hear some of the earliest hip-hop albums on this list too.
Also, name another album with more singles than this one.
The Prodigy
3/5
Better than I remembered, and first time I have listened all the way through that I know of
Elton John
4/5
This is my second favorite Elton John album, behind Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Elton is one of my favorite artists. I had a really good time listening to this
Bad Brains
2/5
This definitely wasn't for me. The first several tracks were unbearable, but the latter half of the album was listenable (though not enjoyable)
Cornershop
3/5
This was a big surprise. Like everyone else, I have heard Brimful of Asha before. I hadn't heard anything else from this album before. I was impressed with the funky/DJ-heavy/Indian-influenced music; super refreshing. This is pretty well-recorded too.
Least favorite track: Funky Days Are Back Again
I was absolutely compelled to tap my foot and bob my head during What Is Happening
Frank Zappa
1/5
1. The most energetic elevator music I have ever heard
2. Absolutely anxiety-inducing. Couldn't listen to all 9+ minutes
3. This sounds like music for a chase scene shoehorned into a 70s porn. Would have been fine listening to it for a minute until the next scene, not any longer
4. Too many musicians playing different songs at the same time. Not enjoyable
5. If yaks went to blues bars, this would be their favorite saxophone riff. I, as a not yak, am unfortunately not the target audience for this song
6. I like Scandinavian Jazz, French Cafe Jazz, Hard Bop, Cool Jazz, and Jazz Trio (guitar-led AND piano-led). I do not like Anxiety Jazz, which is a genre I hadn't heard until now.
Hard pass on this album, and I fail to understand why it's on this list. Perhaps for inventing Anxiety Jazz..?
Public Enemy
3/5
Alice Cooper
2/5
School's Out: I'm not sure if this was "just alright" because of its ubiquity and because it's just alright
Luney Tune: meh
Gutter Cat vs The Jets: funny to hear a West Side Story reference here. Overly long, the lyrics are a real reach, and uninspiring instrumentation
Street Fight: this seemed like the last part of the previous song, but they made it its own pointless track because they couldn't release an album with just 8 songs
Blue Turk: this was good. I appreciated the jazzy surprise
My Stars: not bad at all. Enjoyed this
Public Animal #9: this was ok. Kind of the bare minimum quality of song that should be on an album, but definitely of lower quality than I'd expect an album on this list to have
Alma Mater: this sounded sort of Beatlesy to. Understandable, given the time period. Kind of a sad ending
Grand Finale: This was alright too.
This album was okay. Sort of confusing, but definitely some nice moments. However, there didn't seem to be much consistency between those moments and the rest of the album. "Lacking coherence" is maybe what I'd say about it
2.5
Paul Simon
4/5
Miles Davis
2/5
Firstly, I did like this album. There were some sections with atonal or just irregular/seemingly not fitting with the note before parts I didn't much care for, but as a whole, this was enjoyable.
Reading the Wikipedia article gives me some insight to maybe why I generally don't care for post-hard bop Miles Davis. I think a lot of this comes from the modal nature of the music instead of the "normal" chord progressions that I'm used to. I'm not a musician, nor do I really know anything about music theory, so I'm not really sure if what I think counts for anything here (and, I suppose, in any of these reviews I leave here for albums...)
This was enjoyable and I'm glad I listened. I still don't care for Davis' later work, but I suppose that's my fault for not knowing more about it?
I took a second pass at this later in the day, and the off pitch / squawky noises are just not for me. For a while, I'll be enjoying the moments, and then the screechiness comes back and pulls me right out of it.
I just can't rate this very high on my personal enjoyability scale. :(
2.5
Pink Floyd
4/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
While I like this album, it isn't my favorite Amy Winehouse album. That said, I appreciate the 50s crooner sound with a modern feel and Amy's signature overt trashysexy lyrics. 3.75
I miss her presence in the world.
Gang Of Four
2/5
1. Couldn't listen to this all the way through
2. This one either
3. Nope
4. Hey! Not bad! Maybe this album is getting better?
5. Nope
6. Listenable, but didn't enjoy
7. Meh
8. This guy might be restless? Skipped a little more than halfway through
9. Tedious. It's a good thing punk songs are so short
10. Sigh...
11. OK, I guess?
12. No thanks. Fortunately, this album is over
Frank Black
2/5
1. What in the blue fuck is this? No. Like, really, just...no
2. OK, this is actually music. Not good music, but recognizable as music
3. Not offensive. Not really enjoyable either though
4. Not offensive. Slightly more enjoyable than the previous track. This artist is showing me in this song he has the potential to be one I like
5. Pretty bland
6. Eh...
7. This was the single?
8. Inoffensive, I guess
9. I feel like I have the gist of the album at this point. I'm not listening to 22 tracks of this.
2.0
Coldcut
2/5
Not bad. Overly long songs.
For anyone wondering why this album is on this list, I had to read the artist's Wikipedia page to understand a bit more because the album's article was pretty sparse
2.75
Dolly Parton
3/5
Short, sweet, and goddamned good music.
Dolly's straightforward storytelling style is very impactful to me, and while listening to this album (Coat of Many Colors, in particular), I was able to put a name to a feeling I have had for a very long time.
3.75
3/5
It was alright. First half was better than the second for me
Thelonious Monk
2/5
Too many discordant passages in this for me to really like. I like other music from Monk, but I didn't much care for this album
2.5
Germs
2/5
This wasn't bad, but roots/ultra-raw "real" punk isn't for me
2.5
Steve Winwood
3/5
Didn't realize this album was a one man show. I like Steve Winwood, and I liked this.
On vacation in Barbados, so I probably won't review for a while
Jeff Buckley
4/5
It's hard to overstate this album's importance in my life. This came out when I was in high school, and it's strange to read it wasn't very popular on its initial release because my friends and I were immediately and continuously listening.
Jeff has an incredible voice, and the way he he uses it to convey beauty and anguish simultaneously never fails to bring me to tears. Grace and Last Goodbye have gotten me through innumerable tough times. For this piece of art, I am forever grateful to Jeff. It's tragic he was only able to release more than one.
Thank you Jeff for all the healing and beauty you have given to me over all these years.
For folks who liked this, check out Live at Sin-é which is a much more personal and intimate look at Jeff's songs before they were so polished
4.5 stars
Adele
3/5
I kind of always discounted Adele because of all the hype surrounding her, while still knowing she was an impressive vocalist. This is the first time I have listened to one of her albums, and it was quite enjoyable.
I usually avoid "the new hotness that everyone is talking about" due to my (possibly misconceived) notion that what's popular is generic and created to be palatable to the masses, and therefore a bit watered down and vague. This album, to me, really doesn't make me change my mind about that type of music, but I really did have fun listening to this album.
3.5 stars
Guided By Voices
2/5
Listening to this album was like teaching someone how to drive a manual transmission: frustrating because you know how it's supposed to be, but also surprising because you didn't know your car was capable of performing in such weird ways when an amateur is in charge
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Take This Waltz was the only track I got all the way through.
There is a characteristic of Leonard's vocal style that makes his voice seem horribly out of place with everything else in his songs, and I can't stand it. Take This Waltz was the only song he seemed to fit into correctly for me.
1.75
Love
3/5
Pretty enjoyable and new to me!
Hugh Masekela
3/5
I only listened to half of this. It was enjoyable, but when I ran out of time to listen for the moment, nothing about the album was compelling enough to make me want to finish
Nirvana
3/5
3.5
Goldfrapp
3/5
I quite liked this, and I don't think I'd heard anything off this album before. Somehow...
3.75
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
This was pretty fun. A band I hadn't ever heard of before, and an album I could definitely see myself listening to again. But that's only if I remember to listen to them again
Richard Hawley
2/5
I'll have to try this again sometime. I was really not in the mood for this kind of music when I heard it. For now, 2
Janis Joplin
3/5
I like Janis, so I liked this
3.5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I haven't listened to this album in probably 20 years, which is weird to say and makes me feel old.
I'm only part way through Around the World, and what a shit track this is. I liked it much better when it came out.
Parallel Universe is off to a much better start. Flea's bass break/the instrumental section was a treat, for sure.
This is maybe the worst mixed/produced album I have encountered on this list. I'm not even listening on great gear, and I'm having a hard time listening because of all the artifacts and compression. It's a shame even the remaster is bad because there is music on this album I really like. I tested both versions on tidal.
I still love Scar Tissue
Otherside has always been one of my favorite RHCP songs. Still true today
This album is SO FUCKING LOUD. Get On Top and Around the World, especially so
Californication is always a treat
Emmit Remus wasn't super enjoyable
This Velvet Glove: if someone had never heard of RHCP and asked what kind of music they played, this would be the song I'd play for them. Not in any sort of negative way, though. I quite liked this song
Road Trippin': I have always liked this easygoing guitar and soft vocal track.
I can't give this album 4 stars, but it's just the slightest bit south of 4.
3.99
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
I have never really paid much attention to this band, despite having heard of them. I really liked the three piece / trio arrangement in the band, and I REALLY enjoyed listening to the bassist and drummer who are obviously jazz musicians play a unique take on... whatever you call this. I was surprised I liked this as much as I did. I'll for sure add this album and more from the band to my own collection
Orbital
3/5
Time becomes: This was annoying at first, but once I realized what was happening, it was super cool, then ultra satisfying when "it" happened. I don't think this song has much replayability though...
Planet of the Shapes: cool. Primitive techno, but I think this was likely pretty advanced for the time. Not positive though, because at the time this came out, I was pretty much listening to Green Day, Jimi Hendrix, and Cypress Hill. I don't think I was even aware that electronic music existed at the time
Lush 3-2: I liked this more than Lush 3.1 (which wasn't bad or anything). This just sounds much more like the techno I finally got into in the very early 2000s. I suppose that probably says something about Orbital as a band, perhaps having influenced other artists to come
Impact: sort of anxiety-inducing around the 7 minute mark, and definitely so at the 9 minute mark
Walk Now: super much enjoying the didgeridoo on this track. It fits very nicely, and was a great way to open the track
I'm not sure if I'll come back to this album or not, but I'm glad I got to listen to it
Frank Sinatra
2/5
This wasn't at all difficult to listen to; pleasant, actually. However, this really isn't for me, and I seriously doubt I will listen to this on purpose. That said, if it came on, I wouldn't change it
The last two tracks could be completely omitted: one is a medley of the several of previous songs, then the last is a repeat of the first with non-meaningful differences
Elton John
5/5
My absolute favorite Elton John album
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Great harmonies from the boys. I really enjoyed this.
4 stars
Brian Wilson
5/5
Some of this is excellent, and some of this is maybe the most beautiful music I have ever heard, stopping me in my tracks and bringing me to the verge of tears.
I have been superficially aware of Smile and Brian Wilson's struggles with the album from the 1960s (shamefully, I was only made aware by one of my favorite movies; Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), but I didn't know it was actually completed in 2004.
This has been the best "never heard it before" album from this list for me. I'm definitely adding this to my personal collection and will be listening again. Probably today, actually...
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Pretty good. Overly long songs, but I'll definitely listen to Isaac Hayes again. This was a good introduction to the artist for me
Christine and the Queens
2/5
This wasn't objectionable, but I fail to understand the importance or significance of this album. This was all just basic 80s style New Wave/Pop without anything new or special to me. I'm definitely not listening to both volumes either. The first was kind of a waste of my time. Again, not objectionable or bad, but definitely not significant
Can't rate this 3 stars. It's just not...I dunno...important feeling
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Not as good as I remember when it came out. A little too heavy in places for my current tastes
Nirvana
5/5
My wife says Nirvana is my favorite band, and I argue with her every time and tell her that's not true. "Remember when you asked me what my 'one album for a deserted island' was, and I said "Alice in Chains Unplugged?!?" After intentionally listening to this album in its entirety, I might have some apologizing to do to my wife.
I haven't listened to this front to back in probably 20 years, and I won't be making that mistake again. This album came out right when I started to find my own musical sense; something different from my what my parents listened to. I think this album DEFINED my musical tastes for a very long time. Now that my preferences have a lot more diversity, I listen to fewer of the seminal albums of my life, and I think that needs to change.
Fuck, this is a good album! Every track is special to me. 5/5
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
I'm not sure what specific factors of this album merit inclusion on the list, especially considering how thin the Wikipedia article is. However, I really liked this album. Really easy to listen to, and I enjoyed the African take on American blues in Amandrai
The Jam
3/5
This isn't objectionable in any way. In fact, this was a pleasant listen. Really, I did quite enjoy this. However, I do find its placement on this list a bit confusing. There isn't anything here The Clash didn't do better and earlier
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Little Wing stops me dead in my tracks every time I hear it, whether it's Jimi's version or SRV's. Such a beautiful song, which really should be at least 50% longer.
There is a lot on this album I like, but there is just enough "filler" and weird shit (Exp) for me to not be able to rate this album four stars. 3.99
Yes
3/5
This was quite good
3.99
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Various Artists
1/5
I have an intense hatred for Christmas music. I can't decide if Velvet Underground or Christmas music is worse
The Human League
3/5
Two tracks in, and I can say I am fairly uninspired, but definitely transported back to the 80s. For some reason, I am reminded of the Cold War Coca Cola and Levi's situation in the USSR.
I can definitely acknowledge this album's influence on other synth/new wave artists, but to me, this lacks soul. I can imagine these guys in the studio looking really bored and withdrawn from what they're doing. Or maybe almost robotically disinterested..?
2.99
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I'm not really sure what this is, but I do think I like it. This is the first album I have listened to by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Previously, I have had very limited exposure to the band, having heard just a couple of singles (Red Right Hand, notably).
Let the Bells Ring is the standout track for me on the first volume of this double album.
Volume II of this set is by far far my favorite. I'm definitely coming back to all this
3.75
Beatles
3/5
Taxman is almost unlistenable on headphones due to the weird stereo mix
Eleanor Rigby is perhaps the best song ever written
For No One: if someone asks you what the Beatles sound like, this is the song you should point them to
3.75
The Byrds
3/5
Much like the radio stations, I also thought the song 5D was a reference to psychedelics. After reading the Wikipedia article, I think I need to make another pass through that song and listen for the theory of relativity..?
2-4-2 Foxtrot is so very annoying. The high pitched engine noises behind the chanting of the same 7 words is almost equivalent to torture
Overall, this wasn't bad. It was neat, experimental, transitional, and influential on a lot of other stuff I like.
3 stars
LL Cool J
3/5
LL: I have so many rhymes. My rhymes are amazing. You found yours in a garbage can
Also LL: Down rhymes with down!
In fairness, there's only one example of this that I found on this album, but I feel like if you're writing about your attention to detail, misspellings pretty much make your argument moot.
I absolutely could do without the chorus of Milky Cereal. Otherwise, great song. Great beat
There were a couple of clever lines in To Da Break of Dawn that made me laugh out loud.
3.5
Don McLean
5/5
Everyone has heard The Day the Music Died, and probably too many times to still enjoy it. I know for a while, I couldn't listen to it because of its ubiquity. Serendipitously, last weekend my wife and I were in the kitchen, preparing for the coming week, and listening to music. Vincent came on, and though I'd heard it before, suddenly I realized who it was about. What a sweet tribute.
Listening to this album today, The Day the Music Died seemed to me as fresh as it had ever been. Vincent was a punch in the gut, and I felt a true sense a loss for an artist, a tortured soul, a misunderstood man...a person who felt unappreciated, despite trying so hard.
The Grave - supremely impactful to me. As a veteran, this reminds me of who I was as a very young man, and makes me grateful this was not my story
Babylon - wonderful
The sparse arrangements, McLean's simple playing and guitar tone, and all of the feelings this album evoked in me earn this album a 5 star rating.
Green Day
5/5
I remember when this came out. Dookie was definitely in my top 5 albums at the time, and I very much remember being disappointed in this album. Green Day had grown up, but I hadn't.
I have heard some of the singles a number of times as they had significant radio play, and maybe listened to the entire album once when it came out. It wasn't ever something I purposely went back to, let alone listened to with intention.
Listening today, in the first days of 2025, I regret all the time that went by that I wasn't listening to this album. I am glad I have been able to mature enough to appreciate this album for what it is: a fucking masterpiece of pop punk, and opera, perfect commentary on the time it was released, and an unfortunately accurate prediction on the time I'm listening in 2025.
I listen to music a lot, and have always had a feeling that I couldn't name about certain songs or bands. Sometimes, a song just feels...BIG. An epic. Led Zeppelin and My Chemical Romance are two bands that stick out to me as making songs like this that I couldn't describe well. Reading the Wikipedia article, Green Day said they wanted to abandon the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge structure and go big. That's it. That's the thing I haven't ever been able to put my finger.
Also, Tré's toms sound so big on this album. The bass and guitars sound huge and so good together. This was masterfully produced and recorded.
5 stars
Sade
3/5
Fiona Apple
3/5
I like Fiona Apple, so I know I'd like this, but I'm in a terrible mood and really can't appreciate this for what it is. I can definitely say the barking dogs would suck no matter what kind of mood I was in
3.75
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
MC Solaar
3/5
Probably would have enjoyed this more if I spoke French
Steely Dan
4/5
4.0
Johnny Cash
4/5
Normally, I read the album's Wikipedia article while I listen. It's impossible to read while Johnny is telling stories through song; he just commands my complete attention.
Björk
2/5
1. That would have been a lot better if Björk didn't sing
2. Somehow worse singing than the previous track
3. So far, this is my favorite Björk song. I'll never listen to it again because it also sucked, but it's the best offering I've heard from her
4. "It's not meant to be a struggle" is often repeated in this song. This is very much a struggle
5. This would maybe be an ok song if it was someone else singing
6. Wonderful! Note to reader: did not have Björk's voice. New favorite Björk song!
7. Ugh. Skipped 2 minutes in. More of the same
8. Skipped 3 minutes in. Not objectionable, but pretty meh
9. Skipped 2 minutes in. There is nothing for me here
10. Björk talks about losing her voice here. That's the dream, ain't it?
11. OMG, Björk is Yoko Ono! (See her perform with Chuck Berry for evidence)
12. This wasn't objectionable, but not did I find it enjoyable
Björk is like a joke the world plays on me that I'm too stupid to understand. How does she have at least two albums on this list? Out of 1001 possible artists, they fucking picked her TWICE? TWO TIMES? And Stevie Ray Vaughan isn't on the list? That's just one example of hundreds
Beatles
4/5
For me, this is less an album, and more a collection of songs. That's not a bad thing; it just doesn't feel like a cohesive "one thing" is all. That said, it's one of my favorite albums.
"Something" is a tender, beautiful description of love that chokes me up every time I hear it
"Oh! Darling" has the neatest "variations on a theme" drum fills
"Here comes the sun" also chokes me up every time I hear it. Any time I hear it when I'm by myself, I song along as loud as I can. I love this song.
The medley, even though Lennon (the worst Beatle) hated it was a great inclusion on the album. Obviously, there are great bits to songs every artist has that they just can't make a whole thing out of. This, to me, was a great way to record some of those really cool pieces and share some really great bits of music with the world. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight is wonderful, and who knew McCartney had pipes like that? Admittedly, I favor Joe Cocker's version of She Came Into the Bathroom Window, but this is still wonderful. And a fucking Ringo drum solo?!?
There are a couple of songs I'm not crazy about on this album, but they have merit and I'm glad they're on it.
4.5
De La Soul
4/5
It's fucking annoying I wrote a track by track review and it disappeared. This was fucking great, but we'll never know how I really felt in the moment
4.5
Pink Floyd
5/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
I had time to listen to all but the last two songs, and I won't be going back for the last ones.
Like, this wasn't objectionable or anything, but why should I hear this "nothing special" album before I die? The only thing the Wikipedia article had to say about this album is it's on this list. That's not much notoriety...
2.5?
Ray Charles
3/5
Pretty enjoyable. Not really sure what kind of mood I'd need to be in to go back and listen to this though.
Ray is one of the greats, and I appreciated his take and arrangements
3.75
The Flaming Lips
2/5
1. Very unpleasant distortion effect on the drums. Hard to listen to. Also, going in with some bias; I don't like this band
2. This guy's sings like he's mocking another singer that he hates.
3. This song actually sounds pretty cool, but the vocals ruin it for me. This guy just doesn't have the chops to pull off his imitation of Neil Young
4. I cannot wait to not be listening to this anymore
5-8. Unremarkable
9. "Putting all the vegetables away...". Yeah, fucking rock-'n'-roll, man!!!! Ugh
10. Intro sounds like the score for an epic western movie reminiscent of Ennio Marconi, which is cool. I'm digging the choir too. Of course, the main vocalist ruined it 2½ minutes in
Yeah, I think I'd like all of this if the dude just didn't sing
⭐ ⭐
Wilco
2/5
First impression: WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
This isn't great so far. I had to skip to the next track ⅔ of the way through the first song.
Track 5 seemed substantially better to me, but still was just OK
This would probably be alright if they were just an instrumental band
Nick Drake
2/5
All the tracks seemed a little samey-same to me. This was enjoyable enough to listen to, but its presence on the list is somewhat confusing to me
2.75
Queen
5/5
The Associates
2/5
1. Sounds like a training montage song from an 80s B movie
2. Sounds like another 80s B movie scene with someone walking down a dark street trying to recover from a breakup. Super annoying vocals. Couldn't listen all the way through
3. This is shaping up to be a shit album. Skipped 2 minutes in
4. This would have been a decent instrumental track. This guy's weird vocals are unbearable to me. Skipped 3 minutes in
5. Nope. Skipped 2 minutes in
6. Least bad so far. Still bad
7. A new way for this guy to deliver bad vocals! How fun! Skipped 2 minutes in
8. This whole album was like the (rightly) rejected score from Neverending Story. The bridge on this song is actually pretty good (the guy wasn't singing)
9. I was tapping my foot until the singing. Skipped two minutes in
10. No singing at all, so not bad
I'm absolutely not going to listen to the 4000 bonus tracks on this album. If they were substandard for the original release (which sucks), there's no point in continuing for me.
2 stars
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
The Flying Burrito Brothers?!? The Gilded Palace of Sin?!?
Based on the name of the band and album alone, I'm going to start this off giving them 5 stars and deduct as I listen, if necessary. Amazing names
No specific point reduction notes, but still pretty good.
3.75
Common
4/5
MGMT
3/5
4th Dimensional Transition was a little anxiety-inducing for me, so I couldn't listen all the way through
Pieces of What was the second song I didn't much care for
Pretty good otherwise!
3.5
Deep Purple
5/5
I was waffling between 4 and 5 stars for this until Lazy came on and sealed the deal.
Fuck, this was good!!! I love how well-integrated hard and crunchy guitars seamlessly meet the organ/synth piano. Sometimes, in a solo, it's easy to understand just how hard the musician is working in their solo, at the bleeding edge of their skills. Deep Purple make every solo sound like they're barely working at all; they're so natural and easy sounding, which is I think the biggest compliment i could give them. They're such skilled musicians that all these passages and phrases that helped give birth to a genre seem to just fall out them. Amazing
It's so easy to hear some of the initial stirrings of heavy metal in every song on the album.
5
Slipknot
2/5
It's nearly impossible for me to believe there ANOTHER Slipknot album on this list. I fucking hope there isn't a 3rd.
1. Annoying
2. Made it ¾ of the way through and skipped
3. No
4. I quite like the chorus, but the rest of the vocals I just can't deal with. I did listen to the whole song though
5. Skipped when the hoarse screaming started
6. This sounds like if Linkin Park sucked and then played a 311 cover at 4x speed
7. Nope. Skipped
8. Better, but still no. Skipped
9. Nope. Skipped
10. Listened all the way through. Not great, but at I could get through the whole thing
11. I got all the way through this one too. It wasn't for me
12. I think this was the track I liked most on this album so far. It seems like the back half of this has musical stylings that are closer to my tastes (still very much not my taste)
13. Also not bad. I'm not sure if the back half of this album is different, or it's sort of growing on me
14. Skipped when the vocals got all screamy. Had potential though
15. I listened all the way through, but wasn't enthusiastic about it
I love Corey Taylor when he's doing his solo thing and with Stone Sour, but I just can't like this. I just do not like this kind of music. Admittedly, the drums are fucking CRAZY GOOD. Crazy good! All in all, I would have rather been listening to downtown traffic instead of this.
2
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
This was quite good. Hadn't heard of the band before, have added them to my library, and will definitely be listening again
4
Radiohead
3/5
3.5?
I need to listen to this again
The Temptations
3/5
I have an issue with albums like this. I liked it, but its significance isn't immediately apparent to me, so I read the Wikipedia article. When albums have basically no information in the article like this one, I still don't know why it's on the list. So the only place left to look is the book, and the book never says either...
Anyway, this was OK. We'll call it a 3
Red Snapper
3/5
This kind of reminds me of Basement Jazz, and had I heard this contemporaneously with that band, this album would probably have a nice warm fuzzy of nostalgia from me. I probably would have played the shit out of this in the early oughts.
That said, I'm into this, but I'm not sold on its inclusion in a list of 1001 albums to hear before you die.
3
Air
3/5
3.5
Donovan
3/5
This album has a great Wikipedia article, so instead of me saying " this is just a Beatles rip-off," I know this came before the Beatles added sitars into their music. I also learned Jimmy Page (of Led Zeppelin fame) played guitar for Donovan, and that this album contains basically the first music in the psychedelic genre. I wish more albums on this list were so well-documented.
3.5
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
I was forming my musical tastes for myself when this album came out, and in Hindi, I absolutely slept on Biggie. I liked the West Coast style with the smooth flows and seemingly higher production value. Up until today, I probably would have told you I didn't much care for Biggie's flow. I don't know what I was thinking, honestly.
This guy has skills, and I regret not having LISTENED to this album sooner. Of course, I heard it, but mostly the singles. The deeper cuts on this album are fantastic.
Juicy: hey, Puff, shut the fuck up. You contribute nothing to this
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
U2
3/5
3.75
Bobby Womack
3/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
3.25
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The most petty nitpickiest thing I could say about this album is there are some great songs that derive no benefit from being 7 or 8 minutes long. They could have been cut in half and been better. Addition by subtraction.
Other than that, fucking fantastic
4+
Marvin Gaye
4/5
This is such beautiful music and messaging. I have been emotionally overcome multiple times while listening to this.
And GODFUCKINGDAMNIT we're almost 55 years after this album's release and we STILL can't be nice to each other and respect our planet.
4.5
Queen
4/5
Tom Waits
2/5
1. I'd hate to be the tech who has to clean this guy's microphone. Gross. I get the same feelings listening to this song as I get listening to something chewing with their mouth open
2. Not bad at all
3. Is he putting us on with this voice? Like this is serious?
4. Better vocals, for sure. Like not good or anything, but the bar is pretty low after the last song
5. Ok, so this guy would probably be alright as an instrumental act. Or would definitely benefit from someone who doesn't have such a distractingly tragic voice
6. Let's start a men's barbershop quartet with this guy, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan. If we're to pretend bad singing is what makes something like this album great, let's go all in
7. Badbadnotgood is a way to describe this using the name of a band that is good. "Fucking awful" is another way
8. I think his voice actually works quite well with this blues-style song. Enjoyable
9. This kind of reminds me of a bad Springsteen impersonator. And let's be real, Bruce doesn't have the best voice either
Finley Quaye
2/5
1. If this amelodic style of singing continues throughout the rest of this album, I won't be listening to much of it
2. Better, but not great
3. Alright, here comes The Question: why is this album on the list?
4. Not seeing what's special here
5. Nope
6. I like this traditional reggae style better than anything else so far. Still skipped halfway through
7. Made it all the way through this one!
8. Made it all the way through this one, but still pretty meh
9. Best track so far. Still not seeing a reason to listen again
10. Lol. Ok, now my favorite is the instrumental song
11. Skipped
12. Also skipped
13. Meh
Another album on this list here without justification by the Wikipedia article or other sources explaining why it's significant or special. In fact, the artist's Wikipedia article states "Three albums were made between 2019 and 2023 but also removed from distribution and outlets because of lack of recognition, interest or support in the United kingdom in terms of live agents, labels and publishers." I think that says a lot more than I could.
ZZ Top
4/5
Fun, though not particularly meaningful. Not that absent-minded and fun is a bad thing...
Beastie Boys
4/5
This is music in my taste profile from my era, amd somehow I have never listened to this whole album. Why?
I didn't like Sabotage when it came out; I thought it was over-hyped. I was just a "too cool for everything" teenager, and as I have grown older, I'm more of an "everything is so cool!" adult. Sabotage kicks ass.
Nice guest spot from Q-Tip here, which added an element of smooth to the normally brash and confrontational style of the Beasties. Very nicely complimentary.
WTF was Sabrosa?!? Super cool. A very nice break from the chaos that really shows the Beasties aren't one trick ponies.
Flute Loop?!? Fuck, this is badass! This is the highlight of the album for me so far. The back half of this album is incredible
Prince
4/5
Ride
2/5
Tidal only has the "expanded edition" of this album with 15 tracks. The original album had 8. After making it more than halfway through this album, I'm sure I won't be listening to any of the "expanded" content.
1. Not much of a fan of this
2. This either
3. First listenable track
4. Couldn't take the droning anymore. I had to skip ⅔ of the way through
5. Meh
6. Listenable
7. Listenable. Didn't skip
8. I'm quite enjoying this track, actually
9. Alright, I'm into the expanded content now. I'm out at the first inkling of trouble!
11. See ya, Ride. I'm out
Q-Tip
4/5
Everything on this could have been a single. Fantastic!
4.75
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Everything about this is great.
I could have done with a shorter version of See the Light, and without the weird synthesizer though
4
Nirvana
5/5
I remember watching this concert when it aired on MTV. I got this album for Christmas the year it came out. I remember spending an entire summer listening to this album on repeat and playing Donkey Kong Country. This album hit me right when my musical tastes were forming, and has been incredibly influential in what I listen to today. Nirvana also introduced me to other artists through their covers I had never heard of.
Playing pool in my grandparent's basement all summer with my friends listening to this, Pearl Jam's vs. and Ten, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, and Aerosmith is another important memory of mine.
My grandfather was a guitar player who loved country and bluegrass music, and it was great that his tastes and mine overlapped on this album. I remember listening to it several times on tape with him on a drive from Tennessee to Georgia.
This has always been an album I could turn to when I wasn't sure what I wanted to listen to, it was one of bring with me when I could only bring a few, and one that was always with me on road trips. I listened to it several times driving my first car across the country to get to another duty station when I was in the army. In fact, just last year, my wife and I sat in a hotel room looking out at Canada from Port Angeles Washington on another road trip. On that road trip, my wife and I stopped in Aberdeen and saw Kurt's old house and his memorial on the banks of the muddy Wishkah.
I am so grateful for this album, Nirvana, and their friends who came together to make one of the most revisited pieces of art in my life. I can't say enough about this album. It is a part of me.
This is the easiest 5 star rating so far.
2Pac
4/5
I haven't listened to anything from this album in probably 20 years. That was a dumb idea.
Pac has always been in my top three rappers. His flow is legendary, his lyrics poetic and significant, and I have always appreciated his ability to take a sample of some other song and breathe new life into it.
That said, I definitely need to draw a distinction between the man and his art. Nobody DESERVES to be murdered like he was, but it definitely shouldn't be a surprise when a person lives a life harming others or being directly responsible for the deaths of other people. It seems to me 2Pac was not a person trying to change the world for the better, but more trying to improve his own circumstances by whatever means he felt necessary. Perhaps if he would have lived into maturity, he would have become a better human. We'll never know
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
1. Complete waste of time
2. What?
3. What?
4. What? Why?
5. Ridiculous
I can't go one by one anymore. I read the Wikipedia article. I understand the joke, but I don't think it's a great joke. Or at least I'm so far removed in time or uneducated about the times/events being satirized, the joke isn't relevant to me. The music isn't very enjoyable by itself and because the joke is lost on me, I'm not enjoying this album at all.
I think even if I heard this when it was relevant, I wouldn't care for the music the messaging comes wrapped in. Too many backwards passages, weird hard left/right panning, strange noises, nonsensical spoken word passages for me to be able to enjoy this.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
Like a lot of folks here, I first heard of this artist through Jeff Buckley's Live at Sin-é album. Unfortunately, I never investigated further, but I remember thinking if Jeff liked this artist, he must be something special. I was right to think that. This album is certainly in my top 5 of the albums on this list I had never heard before.
Normally, I'm not much of a fan of "world music," but I am very much enjoying listening to this. Cool depth, texture, instrumentation, vocals, and just the vibe in general. Super glad I listened to this
The Who
3/5
I'm 4 songs in and this album feels very much like just generic rock and all very samey-same to me. Perhaps this was a great show in 1970 in its own context and time.
Young Man Blues is pretty good and is the first song that sounds like its own song. All of the previous tracks sounded like one long song.
Moving into the stuff from Tommy makes the album more enjoyable for me
Overall, a pretty meh and disappointing album from a band I like
David Bowie
2/5
I haven't ever been much of a fan of David Bowie's music, and this album doesn't change my mind at all. If anything, it just provides more evidence that I don't much care his music.
This album wasn't hard to listen to, but hard to like. I feel relatively certain I won't be listening to this album again.
Ice Cube
2/5
Wow, "You Can't Fade Me" is fucking horrific. This is shit that would have appealed to 13 year old me, and I would have probably argued "oh, this was just for shock value." As an adult, it's just gross.
Stylistically and musically, this album hasn't aged well. I think the "fuck the police" and anti-black racism themes are unfortunately still relevant today. To give the benefit of the doubt, perhaps a good amount of the sexism on the album is either tongue in cheek or critical of people who behave that way, but it's still hard to stomach for me. If it hadn't been for the verse trading with Yo-Yo on It's A Man's World, I might not have been able to give any benefit of the doubt at all.
I don't regret listening to this, but I can't say I enjoyed it very much. I was definitely a lot more into it when I was an idiot. It's interesting how some albums lock themselves into a specific time period (this album, for example) while a person continues to age, and other albums even from 40-50 years ago seem like they could have been recorded yesterday because lyrics, music, and themes don't seem to have aged at all.
Paul Simon
4/5
I need to listen to Paul Simon more often. Every time I do, I remember how much I like his music.
4
Metallica
5/5
Metallica is one of my favorite bands, but I do hold them to account where it's due. For example: St Anger, Death Magnetic, and Lulu (I'm a Lou Reed hater). I can definitely acknowledge the first three of their albums as different and excellent, but not necessarily better in my opinion. They're great, but for different reasons.
This album, for me marks the beginning of my personal favorite era of Metallica: Black Album through S&M1. That's unpopular, but I don't give a fuck. I love earlier stuff and albums from 2016 to present too. Also, more unpopular opinions: I like Jason Newstead. He's a great bassist and it must have sucked to have felt like a stepchild in the shadow of the prodigal firstborn.
Anyway, this album is great, and there are no misses for me on this album. Great production, Newstead's parts are not only audible in the mix but also significantly contributive; heavy, dark, melodic, angry, sad, tender lyrics and instrumentation. I have a hard time finding fault with this album, but if I need to be picky, I'd say once The Struggle Within hits its stride after a solid intro, it becomes the weakest track on the album.
What I miss on this album compared to their previous albums (a HUGE instrumental track) is made up for by the middle passage of My Friend Of Misery. It's no Orion, but it's a beautiful fucking bit of music.
All in all, FUCK. YES. Great album 🤘
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
R.E.M.
4/5
Really solid album. Stipe's voice is awesome, great guitar tones and arrangements, well-recorded, and I'm a sucker for orchestral backing to rock songs. I couldn't ask for much more.
The album barely holds its ⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating because I feel like the back half of it had a miss or two. If everything was a good as the front half, it would have been a 5 for me
T. Rex
3/5
Alright
Anthrax
2/5
I think I only made it all the way through two songs? This isn't really for me. It could be my current mood, I suppose. I'm sick today and feeling slow and beat up. I'll toss this on the pile to give it a second listen because I definitely see merit here.
What I did appreciate was the clear vocals at the top of the mix and that these guys are clearly all excellent musicians. I think they do a good job at what they do, and I can definitely see places other bands have drawn inspiration from Anthrax. I wouldn't blame anyone for liking this album.
2
Femi Kuti
4/5
I'm glad I was exposed to this album. I really enjoyed listening
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Eagles
5/5
Nonstop bangers. They could re-release this album as a Greatest Hits album and I wouldn't bat an eye.
Badass technical guitar work, some of the best harmonies in rock, (mostly) good songwriting, and solid band cohesion make this a Top 10 album for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beck
3/5
3.75
Tom Waits
3/5
I don't like Tom Waits, so this album was quite a surprise. I did like this album, but I likely won't ever listen to it again. The atmosphere created for this album makes me want to have attended the "show." The crowd sounds fun, and the seemingly improvised nature of Waits' performance sounds like a good time. The band is great too.
I don't much care for when Waits actually attempts to sing, as he does in Warm Beer and Cold Women
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Certainly not a chore to listen to, but I'm not a huge punk fan. I normally like to hear distinctions between instruments instead of a wall of noise and yelling.
That said, Holiday in Cambodia is an excellent song. And Viva Las Vegas was an interesting choice. Not bad though
Ice Cube
3/5
OutKast
3/5
Muddy Waters
4/5
This was quite good. I'll be adding this to my collection
Nick Drake
3/5
This was nice, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the other Nick Drake album I have listened to on this list.
I really enjoyed the bass accompaniment in Man in Shed. While I like Drake's stripped down feel of most of his other work, I think the piano and bass still allow for that feeling and give a more "whole song" feeling rather than demo track vibes.
Nothing to do with the album, but reading Drake's Wikipedia article and learning he died at 26 after a lifetime of not connecting with other people so sad. A life of mental illness seemingly causing "voluntary" isolation from other people who obviously cared about him is pretty tragic. If you're reading this and that sounds familiar, you won't be a burden by asking for help. You might not be great at music or some other easily-recognizable talent, but you have something else the world needs.
Sebadoh
2/5
Pretty meh up until the track Fantastic Disaster, which really couldn't be any more descriptive of a name for that song.
Happily Divided, with its acoustic guitar was the first song I actually liked on the album. I hope there's more of this type of thing later
Nope. Elixir is Zog makes as much sense in its name as it does musically. Maybe like 12 people know what that means, and maybe half of those enjoyed the song.
Emma Get Wild was fun. Tied for 1st place on this album for me
Everything else was either meh or not good.
This was like listening to the average of all the filler songs on all other grunge band albums at its best, and just plain bad at its worst.
M.I.A.
1/5
This was such a terrible fucking album. I couldn't listen to any one song all the way through. I need a palate cleanser and legitimately something for my newly developed headache. I can't say enough bad things about this. While AWFUL, still not as bad as Velvet Underground
1. Whatever. Skits are lame
2. Absolutely not
3. No
4. No
5. Better than previous songs. Still not good
6. What? Useless
7. Boring AND bad
8. Not sure how this song can be monotone and boring with so much going on. But it is!
9. These songs sound like that song the Italian musician made to sound like English but was just nonsense
10. OK..?
11. No
12. Best part of this album so far is the Sanford and Son theme song sample. Bad otherwise
13. I'm developing a headache
14. Finally done. I feel like Frodo after having dropped the ring into Mount Doom.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I didn't like Springsteen for like 40 years. Lately though, he has been growing on me, and everything I hear endears his music a little more to me. This was his exception. Solid album.
The Temptations
3/5
Enjoyable, but nothing stood out as notable or remarkable. I'd definitely listen again, but probably not on purpose
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
I would have liked to have heard this when it came out instead of 25 years later. This very well could have been one of my favorite albums if I had heard it at the right time.
I had to skip "This Song" because of the hard, rapid left/right panning. Wearing earbuds with a good seal, it was affecting my balance, not to mention annoying.
Sinead O'Connor
2/5
I was really disappointed by this. The only song I could get through was Nothing Compares 2 U, and it's not even her song
John Grant
3/5
I have mixed feelings about this album. On one hand, I quite liked the music. The arrangements were good (though not groundbreaking in anyway). The guys voice is good and nestles into the music quite nicely.
On the other hand, wtf are these lyrics? I have seen a lot of comparisons from the other commenters here that I agree with: John Lennon-esque nonsense, Harry Nillson (tonally pleasant), bad middle school poetry.
Another head scratcher as to why it's on the list. I can definitely see why I haven't ever heard of this guy or this album before
Depeche Mode
3/5
It is said this is DP's best album; I disagree. To me, it's par with everything else in their catalog, which is to say it's REALLY good. I prefer Violator.
As always, extraordinarily well-produced
3.75
Fela Kuti
4/5
Awesome drumming. Adding to my collection and will listen again
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
I don't know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't this. Quite a breath of fresh air
Public Enemy
3/5
3.75
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Of course the ethics surrounding the amount of stolen(?) music is a valid discussion topic, but for my purposes, it doesn't matter. I'm taking it all at face value.
The weakest song on this album is better than many, many entire albums on this list. Led Zeppelin is one of my favorite bands because they have so many albums that are this consistently awesome all the way through.
Can you imagine listening to Good Times Bad Times in 1969? The next "changing rock history" album was going to be Abbey Road, which wouldn't come out for almost a year. Yeah, the Beatles were changing music, but these guys were creating an entirely different sound. I would have loved to have been present for this era of music. Blazing guitar, wild vocals, and maybe rock's best rhythm section ever would have put the 1969 version of me in a fucking coma.
Easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aretha Franklin
4/5
I love Aretha's voice; so much power and just the right amount of smokiness.
Jurassic 5
3/5
James Taylor
4/5
This album is getting a lot of (hilarious) hate in the reviews, and I think some of those points are easy to understand. This is a pretty schmaltzy record that's easily digestible for the masses; "mom rock*," I think I read. Doesn't matter to me though.
I love listening to James's finger-picking style, simple and impactful drums, and he's just got such a sweet, easy to listen to voice. He's always been a favorite artist of mine, even if he's not breaking ground. Not every album has to be the cornerstone of a genre; they can just be enjoyable. Art is supposed to make you feel, right? This makes me feel relaxed and happy.
Great album.
*BTW, my Mom also likes James Taylor
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I liked this a lot more than I wanted to. I don't like this genre, so I went in with a bias. They won me over
⭐⭐⭐
Coldplay
4/5
This album brings me back to where and who I was when it came out, and it has been with me in some capacity all throughout my adulthood. Whether is was a breakup or times when I felt free and on top of the world driving with the windows down, or when I just wanted to listen to beautiful composition, this album has always been there.
I have never seen them live, but just last night, my wife told me they'd be in my town soon. I think I'll go.
The Strokes
3/5
I really don't like this genre of rock that's characterized by singing/droning into a soup can and lo-fi guitars. This is especially frustrating to me because I know just how good of a voice Julian Casablancas has.
I never found myself tapping my foot during this album. For me, the best part of the album was the clean guitar in Trying Your Luck, but mostly because it reminded me of Weezer.
This was BAD bad, but I'm glad it was only 36 minutes long. I used the extra time to listen to Julian Casablancas sing something I like on Random Access Memories
Alice In Chains
4/5
Layne and Jerry are my favorite post 1990 rock harmonists. So many great songs on this album, and I was really pleased this came up this morning and I "got to listen" to an album I really like.
"Am I wrong? Have I run too far to get home?" is one of my favorite lyrics.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Pavement
2/5
These guys aren't doing anything that Suicidal Tendencies hadn't already done better 10 years earlier. I don't see the appeal at all
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Curtis has one of the most instantly recognizable voices from this era. Great, funky tunes, plenty of conscious lyrics, an orchestra,.and a perfect rhythm section. It's hard not to bob your head and tap your feet to this. I loved this, having only heard two songs previously.
Side note: I recognized a sample of Freddie's Dead from a song by a rap duo I listened to quite a lot in the early 90s: Poison Clan
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Prodigy
4/5
I was a little young for the rave scene, as this came out when I was 14. This album certainly makes me nostalgic for something I never got to participate in.
I wasn't listening to this type of music in 1994, but these days, I'm always looking for a high electronic music without unnecessary lyrics. For that reason, this is a far better album than Fat of the Land for me.
This is definitely going into my personal collection
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I like pretty much everything this duo does, but this was a pretty weak album for me. Nothing offensive or hard to listen to (except maybe old people talking), but just not as high quality as I think other albums of theirs are. This was headed towards a 5 star rating until I got to the second half
⭐⭐⭐
Otis Redding
4/5
This was a pleasure to listen to
Sonic Youth
2/5
Well, this is the best Sonic Youth album I have ever heard, but that would be a pretty low bar. It started off "not explicitly bad," but on the back halg moved into maybe something like "couldn't be this bad on purpose." I'm just not into their style. Or noise. Or droning, one-note vocals. 🤷
⭐⭐
The Byrds
2/5
I'm very much into 60s - 80s country, so an album like this is very much in my wheelhouse. That said, I liked this album, but there's nothing special here. Almost the entire album sounds like filler. This is totally inoffensive and easy to listen to, but I just keep waiting for it to get better and it never did. The especially frustrating part for me is I like this band AND I like this genre. I guess I just had expectations that weren't met.
I feel like giving this three stars is too generous, and two stars is too harsh. Whatever rating I end up giving to this album isn't one I'm going to be satisfied with.
At least it's a short listen, so I only had anxiety about its underperformance for about half an hour.
⭐⭐
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I didn't expect anything at all from this, but I'm having quite a good time listening. This sounds like Danny Elfman's score of a stop motion film by Tim Burton where the protagonist spends a lot of time running and hiding. Not in a bad way
⭐⭐⭐
4/5
Killer song to open the album
Starlight: I love this
Regrettably, I haven't ever listened to this entire album before. I have missed a lot of time that I could have been listening to more than the 3 or 4 singles on it. The deeper cuts are fantastic as well.
Map of the Problematic has a a really cool feel. Great vocal pairings between the lead and accompanying voices. The choir effect is very befitting of the song
Invincible reminds me a lot of a U2 song
Assassin has a great fast-paced opening, leading into Muse's signature style, which I quite like
In City of Delusion, the transition to a sort of Middle Eastern/ mariachi interlude was a really cool contrast with the rest of the song
The intro to Hoodoo is very reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, and after reading Bellamy's Wikipedia page, that seems to track pretty well
Knights of Cydonia is awesome. If you're not banging your head and tapping your feet to this song, I don't think you liked anything on this album. This is such a cool surf guitar/western movie-themed song. There's even some Daft Punk/Tron sounding stuff in there
It's albums like this that make me glad I'm going through this list. I liked Muse. I knew a few tracks on this album. Now, having heard the entire thing, I'm going to intentionally listen to these guys a lot more, and I'm going to look for shows of theirs I can attend. This album made me a Muse fan, rather than someone who had heard a few of their songs .
Talking Heads
4/5
This is another album by a band I like, but have only heard a few select songs off the album.
Born Under Punches: Excellent and funky. It was a little slow, but in a way I like
Crosseyed and Painless: Reading about the album's Fela Kuti/Afrobeat influence, I can hear it plain as day in this song. Fortunately, I have had a Fela Kuti AND a Fema Kuti album in this list so far, so I had a point of reference for that. And THAT, is exactly why I'm doing this list
The Great Curve: Cool. No specific comments
Once in a Lifetime: I have always loved the spacey feeling of this song. This is probably the first Talking Heads songs I can remember hearing, and I have always liked the band since then.
Houses in Motion: Cool funky bass. I probably could have done without the extended flute(?) solo, but still good
Seen and Not Seen: maybe one of the only tolerable spoken word tracks I've ever heard
Listening Wind: Good track. No specific commentary
The Overload: Weird, though strangely enjoyable
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ice T
2/5
Tiresome and without lasting power. Simplistic, boring lyrics, and same ol' boom bap beat style without a speck of innovation.
Just so everyone knows, in case Ice-T didn't REALLY hammer this message home, he's a tough guy who gets ladies.
⭐⭐
Fugees
4/5
This was fantastic. Their cover of No Woman No Cry has always been a favorite.
4.5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The intro to Can't You Hear Me Knocking gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. The crunchy guitar by itself, then later the bass coming in to accompany is one of my favorite passages of music. Not much gives me the stank face so fast.
Sister Morphine has slick guitar playing. Really enjoyed this track
Moonlight Mile is gorgeous
4.5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
At three tracks in, everything I have heard so far sounds pretty deeply nested within the country/rock/hippie genre that was in fashion at the time.
Dropout Boogie is pretty bad, and apparently starts a shift in the album to "weird and not really good"
Electricity has a lot of really annoying shit in it
Abba Zaba: ridiculous. Couldn't finish
Grown So Ugly: bluesy and not bad at all
Safe as Milk Take 5: needed at least a 6th take
Big Black Baby Shoes: disclaimer: I am not a guitarist. These guitars are out of tune and terrible sounding
Flower Pot: WILL IT EVER BE OVER?
Trust Us: I almost didn't make through the intro. The song actually wound up to be maybe my favorite on the album so far. Pretty low bar there though. Oops, wrote that before the 3 hour outro. No thanks
Korn Ring Finger: Absolutely fucking not. Terrible
Final thoughts: Not great, overall. Weird, atonal, and uninspiring. Also, perhaps the squeakiest drum pedal in all of recorded music history
Little Richard
4/5
Infectious beats. I love his lyrical cadence too
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Tears For Fears
4/5
This just squeaked in at 4 stars. There were a couple of track that I thought were weak
Rod Stewart
3/5
All Over Now was about 3 minutes too long
Not really understanding why this album is on the list. It's not bad or anything, but definitely is a little ho-hum to me...
⭐⭐ seems too low and ⭐⭐⭐ seems too high. 3..?
Solange
2/5
I wont downplay her messaging on personal, political, or racial struggles because they're all valuable and important. However, listening to these musical ingredients the way she puts them together is like eating a nutritionally complete meal in bar form. Dry, rectangular, tastes like cardboard, and just ain't the same as real food. Sure, you get everything you need from it and technically it's all you'd ever NEED to eat, but it's not satisfying or something you're looking forward to.
I don't think this album deserves the two star rating I'm going to give it because it is indeed nutritionally complete, but I don't want to eat it ever again. Because it's something I'd never look forward to, like other albums I didn't like for different reasons, it gets that rating from me. I do think this artist is capable of getting a 5 star rating from me on an album because it's clear she's very talented. It just wasn't this one
⭐⭐
The Beach Boys
5/5
I'm listening to this on June 12, 2025. Brian Wilson died yesterday and will be sorely missed.
Aside from my emotions associated Wilson's very recent death, I'm overcome by much of the music on this album. The dense musical layering, atypical song structures, incredible harmonies and other vocal layering, and unbelievable production make this a very special artwork to me. Additionally, the themes of simple love, self doubt, nagging feelings of not belonging, and heartbreak all touch me more than a lot of other music that tries really hard to be profound.
Thank you, Beach Boys for putting up with Brian's craziness to make this album (and all the others, really), and thank you Brian for being exactly who you were.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3/5
This wasn't as bad as I'd feared, but not as good as I had hoped
⭐⭐⭐
Michael Jackson
4/5
I have never been a fan of The Girl is Mine, specifically. I think there were a couple of weaker tracks, but weak track by MJ is someone else's one hit wonder.
It doesn't hit a perfect 5 for me, but it's pretty close.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
The split writing effort on this album makes it feel a little less cohesive as a singular work of art and a little chaotic. I don't think anything is bad here, but I just have a (maybe false) expectation that an album from the "album era" would sound a bit more cohesive than this.
That said, Stills and Nash are greats, and I was introduced to Good Time Boy, a surprising funky track written Richie Furay, whom I don't recall ever hearing about.
I think Broken Arrow and Expecting to Fly are the standouts of the album for me.
I'm not sure how to rate this. I have rated better albums 4 stars and more mediocre albums with 3 stars. 3.99?
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
This album struck me at a strange time. I'm having a lot of feelings of self doubt, and this album somehow is making me worse. It's not the albums fault though. This would probably be a lot of fun to listen to in another mood.
I will say this gets pretty samey same after like 15 tracks, which I think knocks the album down a star for me.
⭐⭐⭐
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Some of this is alright, and some more is good. It's interesting to me how this album and band were playing the kind of music I listened to at the time, that I was devouring music and developing a taste at this time, and somehow this never came to my attention.
This COULD have wound up becoming something I listened to a thousand times. I think everyone has a band they feel like they're the band's only fan (for me, it's Self), and I feel like this band who never came to my attention is probably that for a lot of people.
Mausoleum was really cool and caught my attention really quickly. Parts reminded me of REM
Die in the Summertime sounds like of a lot of other stuff I was listening to at the time. Sort of reminds me of Porno for Pyros(?) And sort of Alice in Chains, maybe?
I'm not sure how I feel about this album. It's good and I like it, but I feel like I'd need some real history with it to be able to rate it higher than a 3
Black Sabbath
4/5
If I were in a better mood, this could have been a 5 for me. Strong 4 though
Bob Dylan
2/5
I recently watched (and very much enjoyed) the 2024 Dylan biopic, and I was hoping that movie was going to change how much I enjoy his music. Nope.
Any praise I could give Bob Dylan is immediately negated by the pain of harmonica and vocal torture. I couldn't finish this album in the allotted time, and normally when I do that, I make some time in the afternoon to finish up. Not gonna happen today
⭐⭐
Beyoncé
3/5
Not bad. Not essential either, in my opinion. 3? 3.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
I really appreciate the production on this album. Alanis is right on top of the mix, loud and clear. I just can't understand why this isn't the norm.
When I say Alanis has a great voice, I mean her singing voice and also her narrative style. Even as a middle-aged man, there isn't a single song on this album that isn't highly relatable to me. I think she has a way of connecting to pretty much everyone, even if they haven't had the same experiences. It's incredible to believe she wrote and recorded this album at 19.
I listened to this in my mid teens when the album came out, and I really don't think I was prepared for what I was listening to. I liked the music and thought she had a great voice, but none of the experiences really resonated with me at the time, and she's only 5 years older than I am. Wise and perceptive beyond her years, for sure. I wasn't this perceptive until I was probably twice as old, and I still can't articulate these feelings so simply and impactfully.
Alanis deserves every bit of credit and hype she ever got. That first belt of "It's like RAAIIAIIN" gives me goosebumps every time (and for this, I can absolutely forgive the misuse of the word 'ironic")
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aerosmith
4/5
Excellent. No notes
Funkadelic
3/5
I have tried listening to this before, and I didn't care much for it. I'll give it a second shot today, and hopefully come away with a better feeling.
I definitely enjoyed it more this time around.
⭐⭐⭐
ZZ Top
4/5
You just can't argue with that nasty riff on La Grange. It just DEMANDS to be turned up to the point of hearing damage.
I'm always amazed at how much sound a good three piece band can put out
⭐⭐⭐⭐
David Bowie
2/5
This is like my 500th Bowie album on this list and my patience is worn thin with him
1. Terribly repetitive atonal noise and not worth my time
2. By the time I decided to skip this track, it was already over, so that was kind of a blessing
3. More of the same. Skipped
4. A worse version of Hand Jive with coffee dripping on the burner.
5. Just plain not interested in this
6. There was no point going past the first verse/chorus and I don't know why I did
7. Not offensive, so I listened all the way through
8. Um, alright? Skipped ⅔ of the way through
9. Skipped. No value for me
10. This wasn't bad, but at this point I'm really looking forward listening to something else
11. See 10
I just can't with this guy anymore. After my album ended yesterday, it started a station based off the last track. Mississippi Kid by Lynyrd Skynyrd was the first track on that station, and I had a great time remembering that song. That's where I'm headed now
⭐⭐
Scott Walker
2/5
This reminds me of Kirk Van Houten's breakout album "Can I Borrow a Feeling?"
I definitely can say anything strongly worded about this album. It just doesn't invoke any sort of passionate response from me.
Groovy bass in The Old Man is Back Again
2.49
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
I'm not sure how this escaped my notice when it came out. I wish it wouldn't have. This album is going into my collection today.
I'm only halfway through listening, and I'm rating it at least ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is possibly the best "never heard of this band" album I have had on this list so far (270/1,001)
4.5
Radiohead
5/5
I don't know how to explain why I liked this so much
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Radiohead
4/5
Radiohead albums are hard for me to describe. I'll just say I liked it
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
This alternated between "unlistenable chaos" and "meh" for the whole album. The synthesizers were over the top and screechy for the most part and the album's largest detractor. And then fucking Christmas music at the end? I'd rather have tinnitus than listen to any type of Christmas music
⭐⭐
John Lennon
3/5
Ranking of the best Beatles:
1. George Harrison
2. Ringo Starr/Paul McCartney (tie)
47. John Lennon
This album wasn't bad, but there's a missing magic the other Beatles brought to the table John just doesn't have by himself. He was very lucky to have the other three members as contributors
⭐⭐⭐
2/5
This was mostly mating cats in a bagpipe recycling facility.
The only bit of enjoyment I got from this was The Band. Still though, I didn't even finish the second disc.
⭐⭐
Elvis Presley
4/5
From a personal enjoyment perspective, I quite liked this album.
From a music history perspective, this is super fraught. The majority of these songs were written and better performed by black artists. It simultaneously makes me glad things have changed somewhat, but it also reminds me that SO MUCH racism still exists
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The Icarus Line
1/5
This was a pile of shit
⭐
The Monks
4/5
I don't know what I expected, but it was better than that.
⭐⭐⭐ For the music
⭐ For the novelty
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Thrills
3/5
I wasn't expecting an Irish band to sing in an accent from the American South
These guys sound like Eliot Smith on antidepressants, which is definitely not a complaint at all. I hear some Ben Folds and Self in here too. I like all those musicians, and I like roots country and bluegrass, which are both present here. I'm quite enjoying this album. I'll be adding this to my collection.
Whether this album belongs on a list of albums one MUST hear before they die is a different story.
3.75
The Cars
5/5
Let the good times roll!
This is such a a great album to me. I LOVE the production; every instrument or vocal track has its own special place in the mix, but also somehow feels like the star of the song. I have no idea how they do that. The bass guitar and synths line up and play together so nicely, Ric has such a smooth vocal style, the drums are full, catchy, and driving...man, everything just lines up so nicely for my tastes.
Every song on this could have been a single, which really isn't saying enough because only like two of them didn't get significant radio play.
Superb.
Bye Bye Love
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Thanks to Nick Offerman suggesting this album in one of his books, I found this album just five or six years ago. As a beginner woodworker, I was inspired to listen to this in the shop (as Offerman says he did) while I wasted wood and didn't make much more than sawdust and smaller pieces of wood. Thanks to Nick, I love this album and have marginally increased my woodworking abilities.
Anyway, I know Neil Young is an acquired taste and not for everyone. I was a hater for a long time, so I get it.
For me, ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Aerosmith
5/5
Hard rock, unpretentious, well-arranged and composed, by some of the best in the business.
I'm a philistine, perhaps, but I'll have to disagree with anyone calling this metal (of any sort: hair, glam, etc.).
I also don't get the hate for the band or the album in these reviews. It's possible I like Aerosmith so much because they were a staple of my musical taste development. They were pretty much the biggest mainstream rock band when I was a kid. They released albums for my parents in high school, and then for me in high school.
Hate on, haters. I guess..?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sheryl Crow
3/5
If this whole album was like Strong Enough, it would be a straight 5 stars for me. However, there are too many Na-Na Songs that fill the gaps between songs like Leaving Las Vegas and All I Wanna Do.
I enjoyed my time with this album, I like Sheryl Crow, and I LOVE Strong Enough. For me though, this album isn't more than 3 stars and I question its placement on an essentials list
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
4.5
Miles Davis
3/5
The further back in his catalog we go, the more I like Miles Davis; less experimental and more normal. I typically like when musicians push boundaries, but not with screeching horns; it's like an icepick in my ear.
They say if you don't like Miles Davis, you don't like jazz. That's bullshit. I love jazz but I only listen to Miles Davis when this list makes me. It's just generally not enjoyable for me. That said, this album was ok. There was too much of what I don't like and too little of what I do like in jazz to rate this very highly
The Black Keys
4/5
I went into this thinking "Great. Another lo-fi garage group. This is going to suck."
I was quite surprised to find out that there IS some really good music in that genre. The Hives, White Stripes, The Strokes, etc. have really done a shit job in the genre, but these fucking guys TEAR IT UP! Great fuzzy guitars, simple but catchy rhythm section, nicely implemented keys...really pleased and surprised.
Damn, this was good. Super happy to have heard this today.
On another interesting musical history note, the band members talking about the way the Muscle Shoals booth was constructed and its effects on the final mix was fascinating. It would definitely explain why the bass on this album is a little hot (in a very pleasing way to me) and how some of the very rich soul/rock/R&B recordings of its heyday sound so fucking good. I've even watched a documentary about Muscle Shoals and hadn't heard this before. Neat!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
To start, this is an exceptionally well recorded album. Fantastic production and audio quality.
I appreciate the mix of brass and traditional rock instruments. Very cool fusion that reminds me of Chicago, who I also love. There's something about the lead singer's voice that really firmly anchors the music to the time period it's from. I'm not sure if that's because BS&T helped to set the tone of the era or it's just because of the way I think of and originally heard the music.
Blues PT. 2 was sort of a non-sequitur and didn't feel especially relevant to the rest of the album. I enjoyed the song (especially the Cream reference). The vocals done in the style of Janis Joplin were fun too.
3.75
The Saints
2/5
This album has its moments, but there were definitely "how is this still going," which I think says something about an album that's only 36 minutes long.
This was too good for the ⭐⭐ rating I'm going to give it, but not good enough for ⭐⭐⭐.
2.75
Dr. Octagon
3/5
This was fucking weird. The guys got flow, for sure. The abstractness/surrealism/non-sequitur character of the lyrics makes it somewhat hard to tell if he's one of the greats, or uses these "features" to obscure the fact he can't maintain the flow and have substantive, meaningful rhymes. Second to none turntablism too.
This is hard to rate, but I'm going ⭐⭐⭐
Dire Straits
5/5
Marvelously recorded, with a place for every instrument. Mark Knopfler, as always, performs at the highest level.
As a veteran 20 years removed from their service, Brothers in Arms speaks so very loudly to me. The relief of it all being over and having "won," the intense familial connection felt between fellow soldiers, and the reflection on the absolute futility of it all left me in tears this morning.
This is a favorite album of mine. Though not every song is worthy of a five star rating, some so far exceed five stars, they absolutely pull any extra weight not picked up by slightly weaker tracks.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And just a note to those folks who are (justifiably) upset with the use of a slur in Money for Nothing: I urge you to go back and listen to the lyrics. The song is from a 3rd person perspective and is criticizing the type of person who thinks and talks that way. I think this context is important
The Who
3/5
I liked this, but I can't finish the last 25 minutes of it. I mean, I had time, but it just wasn't calling me back after I needed to stop for work.
⭐⭐⭐
The Birthday Party
2/5
Well, this was thoroughly unenjoyable
⭐⭐
On a positive note, because I disliked this so much, I had some time to work on finishing The Who - Tommy from yesterday
Randy Newman
3/5
I thought this was OK, but after having read a bit about the lyrics, I think I need to make another pass through this. Reasonably enjoyable at face value, but I think it's maybe more than that.
⭐⭐⭐ for now
Roxy Music
2/5
Like many people my age, I have bought albums based on ONE single and have been terribly disappointed because that's the only decent track on the album.
This is the kind of album that younger me (fuck it; me today) would buy based on the cover art. The difference between this album and the former is that there's at least one track on the album I liked.
While very much suited for elevators, I don't think I could bring myself to trap people in a box and force this on them if I owned an elevator. This album kinda sucks
⭐⭐
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
I don't why we bother rating these albums. None of us can say if an album is objectively good music or bad music. Ultimately, were just sharing how much an album matches up to our personal preferences. We're all just here screaming into the void how much we like or dislike something, hoping to find other people like us - people who like the same things as us; other members of our tribe that time or distance won't allow us to meet.
So, for anyone who likes this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ much, I'm out there
The Smiths
3/5
I really like sound of The Smiths, but admittedly, it's sort of a chore to sit through an entire album sometimes. It's like eating a really good dessert, but the flavor is so strong you can't eat all of it.
Honestly, I think the too-strong flavor is Morrissey's vocals. Again, very good, but sometimes too much to enjoy in one sitting
⭐⭐⭐
Roni Size
3/5
Eh, not bad? Could have been a WHOLE LOT shorter. 2.75 rounded up to 3
Living Colour
2/5
This is soulless, generic imitation music. In fact, if this hadn't come out in 1988, I'd suggest it was AI generated slop.
Have you ever had a person you know try REALLY HARD to fit into your friend group, but they just don't because they're trying too hard? Like, if they'd just be themselves, they'd fit in and be very likeable, but because they seem so fake and in the uncanny valley, they make everyone unsettled and awkward-feeling. Ultimately, they come off as an empty shell impersonating a human.
That's Living Colour; fake and plasticky. Who the fuck are these guys, really? They always sound to me to like they're making the music they think people want them to make, not the kind of music they actually want to make. These guys are OBVIOUSLY skilled musicians, which frustrates me
⭐⭐
Metallica
5/5
It would have been super rad if there was a bass player on this album
R.E.M.
4/5
I love the R.E.M. sound: warm guitars, Michael Stipe's unique voice, the backing vocals, and the occasional mandolin. These guys combine to make one of the perfect bands for me. I hardly ever listen to R.E.M. on purpose, but it strikes as I write this that I'm probably never in a mood that I wouldn't want to listen to R.E.M.
This album is also quite well recorded
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Beach Boys
2/5
This was severely disappointing. I can't listen to this without comparing it to other albums by the Beach Boys, and by comparison, this sucked. Perhaps, taken on its own without a comparison to their other music, I could like it. Unfortunately, my brain just doesn't work that way. This was not the version of the Beach Boys I like.
Ugh...⭐⭐?
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
This was really cool. My friend is a salsa musician, and loves this album. I can see why!
GZA
4/5
GZA makes it sound so easy to have a flow this good. For me, this album IS hip-hop, almost as a definition of the genre.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aimee Mann
2/5
This certainly wasn't difficult or offensive to listen to, but it all seemed pretty generic to me. All of the songs on the album sound like the filler songs on an album with three banger singles.
I actually don't think I'm going to go further than track 6
Lou Reed
1/5
This is album is masterfully produced and recorded. This is the conclusion of anything good I have to say about it.
The only worse album I have encountered on this list was a Velvet Underground album. There's a common thread here, and it's "Lou Reed fucking sucks." The Velvet Underground album, I wish I could have rated zero stars. Since this one is better than that, it has earned the one star I'm giving it
⭐
Dusty Springfield
3/5
This was pretty pleasant and fun to listen to. Nothing groundbreaking since it's all covers. Makes me want to jump in a convertible and go pick up my date who's wearing a poodle skirt
⭐⭐⭐
Kraftwerk
4/5
I like electronic music, 80s New Wave, and synth pop. Thank you, Kraftwerk, for inspiring musicians to make music I love. You're not so bad yourself either!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
While reading the reviews here on an E.L.O. album, there were several comments saying Jeff Lynne and ELO were what Paul McCartney was trying to be, and now I can't un-hear that listening to this album. I wouldn't say that ruined this album for me, but I do think it taints the experience somewhat.
The back half of the album was my favorite.
⭐⭐⭐.5
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Christina Aguilera is an undeniably exceptional vocalist, but I don't think I'm the target audience for the stuff on this album. That doesn't diminish the quality of her work; it only talks about my enjoyment of it.
Regardless of the target audience, I think this album was probably about 7 songs too long.
⭐⭐⭐
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The Kinks
3/5
This is definitely the most British thing I've ever heard. Not bad though
⭐⭐⭐.5
The White Stripes
2/5
I hate it when great musicians make music that sucks. Worse still is everything these two make sucks.
⭐⭐
Eels
3/5
I remember Novocaine for the Soul getting a lot of airplay on MTV when I was in high school. I thought it was okay then, and I don't think I have different feelings about it today. In general, this was better than I expected based on my previous knowledge of the one track. I also quite enjoyed Not Ready Yet. There are songs ranging from "okay" to "wow, this is quite good."
There are a few reviewers making comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Elvis Costello, which I find curious. I can't stand either of those guys, but I liked this album.
When enjoyable, I'm having a hard time understanding why this is on an essentials list.
⭐⭐⭐.75
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Fun and funky!
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Man, this brings me back. I wanted to ask for the album for Christmas in 1991 based on Under the Bridge. Of course, because the word "sex" was in the title, there was no chance my mom would buy it for me. Fortunately, What Hits?! came out the following year and had a much more palatable title. I DID get that one for Christmas. Parents, right?
More than nostalgia though, this is a great album. Well-recorded and produced, great grooves, Kiedis' vocal style, badass drums, Frusciante's melodies, and Flea all add up to make this (and subsequent RHCP ventures) a big part of the soundtrack of my youth. There isn't anything on this album don't like.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
The Go-Go's
4/5
I NEVER would have listened to this whole album without the 1001 list, and I really would have been missing out. I was surprised to hear that everything on it was as good as the two singles everyone knows. Everything on the else on the album is so good, they could have all been singles too. That sort of consistency isn't something you see very often.
Maybe the only album on this list so far that I wished was longer. It's not very often I hear a great album on this list I don't already have, but this is one. Adding to my collection today
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Sepultura
2/5
The songs on this album are like Taco Bell menu items: the same 4 or 5 ingredients together, but just called something different. All taste the same.
Some people really like Taco Bell. Not me.
The vocals really ruin music I could otherwise enjoy. I just do not care for that style.
⭐⭐
The Cure
4/5
Almost perfect
TV On The Radio
2/5
Extraordinarily forgettable.
As of this writing, it has been 13 years since the album came out, and from my perspective, has had zero impact on later art or culture.
Not offensive, but not really worth talking about much either.
⭐⭐.5
Beastie Boys
4/5
Hard to beat The Boys!
I listened to this twice, including the bonus content.
4.5
Talking Heads
3/5
This was all kind of OK and un-special to me. I very much liked Remain in Light , which just seemed much better to me
The Young Gods
1/5
This sounds like the fictional score to a French cyberpunk dystopia movie.
And I don't like it very much at all. Pretty shit, actually
⭐
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Being familiar with and agreeable to Bob Marley, I was looking forward to an album I was sure to like. And while I was right about liking it, that just doesn't do justice to how I now feel about it. I don't know if I'm in the perfect mood to listen to this, or this is the perfect album for me.
Even discussing painful or dire topics, Bob makes me feel positive and hopeful. It's September of 2025, and the world seems bleak and hopeless. Two major wars (one which could be called an extermination), cruel, divisive, and hateful American politics, and evil people in power in many powerful countries have made me feel powerless and have mostly stolen my hope and optimism. Listening to this album has been such a wonderful vacation this morning. I'm sure I'll listen at least once more today, and I will definitely put this into my regular rotation.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Music was pretty alright. Lyrics were pretty fucking terrible
⭐⭐⭐
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
3.75
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I like Jimi!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
This was a killer album. Not a substandard track on it
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Jam
3/5
The bass guitar is the REAL star of this album. Every song feels completely structured around what the bassist is playing. Even though the the bass is the backbone, the world of the drummer and guitarist does not go unnoticed, nor are they crowded out. Very nice arrangements with VERY British vocals nestled nicely into the mix.
I haven't heard of this band before, and all of these songs were new to me. When I pre-screen these albums before I listen, I saw "British," "post-punk," and "psychedelic pop;" none of these descriptors ever give me any hope that I'll enjoy an album. This one very pleasantly surprised me.
I don't know if I'll seek this album out again or not, but it's definitely not out of the question. Quite good! Discovering music like this is exactly why I started this
⭐⭐⭐.5
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I definitely acknowledge the pioneering status of this album, and in the late 80s and early 90s, I found it easy to listen to. Today, it sounds so outdated to me. The genre has come so incredibly far (perhaps further than any other genre) that listening to this album is like keeping your food in the snowbank outside because your refrigerator is broken. It's just not something I'd prefer to do, if avoidable.
There is also a whole lot of sameness on this album for me .
⭐⭐⭐
Joy Division
3/5
This is like if The Cure sucked.
Honestly, this could have been a pretty good instrumental album. This guy's vocal style is miserable. Notably, the Wikipedia article says "they advertised for a singer. Curtis, whom Sumner and Hook already knew, applied and, without having to audition, was taken on." No shit, right? There's no other way he could have been a singer otherwise. For me, the vocals ruin what I think was pretty solid music.
I definitely can hear sounds on this album that show up later in the grunge/alternative scene from the 90s, which I can appreciate.
I think I'm going to go listen to The Cure or Depeche Mode now
3 feels high, but...
The Specials
3/5
I don't think I would have guessed there would be a ska album on this list, so this was a fun surprise. I like ska, and it's fun for a little while, but I definitely can't imagine this being a staple of my music diet.
Fun, but probably not adding this into my regular rotation. Still, I'll enjoy it every time it comes on
⭐⭐⭐
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Nick Cave is capable of making music I would like. He just doesn't.
All the ingredients to a great meal are there, but he's boiling the steak and trying to fry a whole baked potato.
Most tolerable song: West Country Girl
2.5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Another reviewer said "I love music! I love Stevie Wonder!" That does it for me too.
I haven't ever heard They Won't Go When I Go, and wow, what a blessing that song is.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thanks, Stevie!
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Unbearable. This is like Billy Corgan singing into a broken toy microphone over the sounds of cats mating run through a guitar pedal
Once of the my least liked albums so far on this list. Will actively avoid this band going forward .
⭐.5
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Ella is wonderful, but I do question the album's place on this list. I would have rather had something uniquely hers. And not 3 hours long either
Muddy Waters
5/5
Every performer on this album is an absolute master. Often with collections of talent like this, there is a "too many cooks in the kitchen" sort of feeling. Muddy's band work together perfectly to showcase their talents and perform a tight, cohesive sound. Expertly recorded as well.
This is a near-perfect album for me. A perfect opening song, great guitars, vocals, insane harmonica, rocking piano, and the perfect amount of drums. I can't ask for much more
Brian Eno
2/5
Brian Eno as an artist makes shit music. Brian Eno as a producer makes great music because there are artists involved that are not Brian Eno. This is an album by Brian Eno the artist, and is therefore shit. If Eno wrote more than 100 tracks for this album and narrowed it down to 10, i consider myself fortunate for being spared those additional tortures.
On a more positive note, I saved some time with the number of awful tracks I skipped, and I'll be able to listen to something I like this morning
⭐⭐
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
I wish I was in a better mood listening to this. It probably would have been a 4
The Residents
1/5
Absolute garbage. I feel bad for anyone who paid for this album
⭐
Louis Prima
4/5
Quite a fun album. Love this guy's vocal characteristics. I can see why he was chosen to be a voice actor.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
B.B. King
4/5
Solid blues. Surprising falsetto! Great album
Calexico
4/5
2003 was a year I was consuming a lot of new music, but somehow this band escaped my notice until 2025. I'm not sure if I would have liked it then, but I definitely do now. I'll definitely be exploring their discography further. The "sounds like a Western movie soundtrack" songs are what I'd like to hear more of.
Favorites: anything with sounds from Mexican music
Could do without: breathy indie stuff
⭐⭐⭐ for the music
⭐ For the freshness
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
I was severely disappointed in the lyrics, not fond of the vocal delivery (more spoken word than it is singing), and pretty meh about the music. I will say it was well-recorded.
I had high hopes for this, given the hype about the album and the artist. Kind of a bummer
⭐⭐
Tim Buckley
2/5
I'm really looking forward to listening to this, as I have been a big Jeff Buckley fan for more than 30.years and have never made time to listen to his dad .
Well! That was jarring. On the positive side, I think he's got a great voice and I liked the music. However, I just listened to the musical equivalent of someone putting ketchup and mustard on a decent medium rare steak.
⭐⭐
Iron Maiden
4/5
Not as good as I had hoped, but better than I expected
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
I'm a sucker for harmony. And CSN
ABBA
3/5
Based on how I felt the first 3 or so songs, this was going to be a 4 or 5. The tempo slowed way down and wasn't near as much fun after that. Still, not bad. Not 4 either
Tori Amos
4/5
This is still as different and fresh to me as it was when it came out. Tori Amos was absolutely not the kind of music I was listening to in the early 90s, but she still somehow always made it into my rotation. This is the first time I have listened to this particular album on good equipment, and I'm very impressed. It's very well-recorded, and her unique stylistic choices make this an album I regret not paying more attention to.
I love the singer/songwriter with a piano combination, generally sparse arrangements with such changes to more dense segments, the occasional soaring strings run, and her her unique voice. Great album, and honestly a bit unexpected to see here
Hookworms
3/5
This was alright in places, meh in others, and in a few cases not good at all. On average, ⭐⭐⭐? Feels a bit generous...
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
It's like these guys made songs 8x as long as a normal song with 25% of a great song idea. I appreciate the concepts on this album, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Actually, cut these down to like 3.5 minutes, and a lot of my gripes go away leaving basically only my "overly repetitive" complaint
⭐⭐⭐, I guess? I feel like that's too high and 2 is too low
Bob Dylan
4/5
Probably my favorite Dylan album, and the only one I could close to this high
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fats Domino
4/5
This was fun
⭐⭐⭐.75
Just a quick note on the recording / audio quality: If you're having trouble or somewhat uncomfortable listening to this, it's likely because most of the music of this era were mastered for AM radio, which did not have sufficient bandwidth to carry all the sonic information a band produced, nor did the overwhelming majority of playback equipment (speakers) have to capacity to reproduce the whole sonic spectrum. Everything sounds dry and tinny; there is virtually no bass.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
This was interesting. Like listening to early Stones, kind of?
⭐⭐⭐
Skepta
2/5
This would have been alright if it was by a rapper with something to say and knew how to deliver it. Tired "I'm so tough and women like me" bullshit we all left behind more than a decade earlier should not land a rapper on this list. With such a shit flow and even worse rhyme scheme, it's hard to understand why any critic liked this album.
⭐⭐
Sonic Youth
4/5
As a teen in 90s, I had a certain subset of friends listening to Sonic Youth's albums released in the mid 90s. For some reason, those never hit my ear right, and I just thought "I don't like Sonic Youth." Simple as that.
Here we are, a whole lot of years later, rocking the fuck out to this album, missing all the years I could have been listening to this.
I absolutely cannot believe this came out in 1988. It sounds fresh today, and is undeniably a major influence on the staples of my music diet. For context of how different this was in 88, MJ's Bad, The Joshua Tree, and Luka by Suzanne Vega won Grammys that year. Incredible. I can't imagine what it was like to hear this when it came out. After 400some albums I have listened to from this list, this is the first that has changed my preconceived ideas about a band.
I think what I'm so interested here is that the album has basically all the things I complain about on other albums, especially discordance and limited vocal talent. However, they take all the things I don't like and make them very palatable for me.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
I came to this album pretty late in my life at 40 or so. I always wanted to like jazz, but I couldn't ever acquire the taste for it, and the bulk of the advice I got was "you wanna get into jazz? Start with Miles Davis." I did, and I was like "I hate jazz."
At some point, I watched LaLa Land, and listening to Ryan Gosling's nerd out about jazz, something rusty inside me was finally able to turn free a little. Soon after, I was separately pursuing audiophile headphones, and this album was recommended as a test. Oh shit, I like jazz now? Turns out, the screechy horns of Miles Davis (and the like) are what I don't like.
So, thank you LaLa Land and Dave Brubeck for finally getting me started. Without those influences, I might still claim to hate jazz.
Every track on this album is a standout great, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Blue Rondo
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Who
5/5
This is, by far, my favorite Who album. I listened twice in a row this morning. These guys can put together a rock song of epic proportion, a lonely ballad, and a universal tale of human experience. We are all the character in Behind Blue Eyes. Baba O'Riley was without peer in its time, and it is still fucking incredible. Keith's drumming is huge, exact, and in the perfect quantity. Pianos, organs, synths, violins, monster guitar riffs with fuzzy amps, harmonies, and Roger's perfect frontman vocals combine for a diverse, huge sounding but occasionally perfectly sparse album.
While I'm sad for The Who for how they must have felt when mod culture began to wane, as did their audience as a result, I'm so very grateful they went this direction. Fucking stellar album
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
The social and political commentary on this album is so ahead of its time that most Americans STILL aren't ready to hear it. It's not like other people weren't saying similar things at the time; it's more they talked about the effects, rather than the roots. This guy went to class, took notes, analyzed the material, and extrapolated more significance than the lecturer gave, and threw his thesis into this album. "Music and Politics" was a superb bit of introspection you'd be surprised to hear from anyone today, let alone someone on a hip-hop album from 30 years ago. That took courage.
The beats were and samples were on par with the rest of late 80s to early 90s hip-hop; nothing special. The flows were standard and don't stand out as better (but possibly slightly worse). Overall, not a great musical experience nor necessarily a showcase of great talent (though I do appreciate some of Franti's current works from a musical perspective).
Ultimately, this gets 4 stars from me for the disturbingly prescient political and social commentary and the bit of introspection I surmise most of us could use to better ourselves.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Talking Heads
4/5
There's something about Talking Heads that just clicks with me, and it always has. This is no exception. Thanks for a great album, you weirdos.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/5
Many more astute, qualified, and eloquent people have reviewed this album before me, and I think they've done a great job. Nothing I say here will add any value, with the possible exception of my very simple review:
I listened twice in a row. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I was prepared to rate this album 3 stars, but the back half of this album really changed my mind. I'm sure it wasn't the first diss track ever, but a roast of Bob Dylan (who I would similarly roast, were I clever enough) kicked off what I think are some really fantastic songs.
This isn't my favorite S&G album, but it's an S&G album, so it's pretty damned good
⭐⭐⭐⭐
a-ha
3/5
I now know why I have only ever heard one song from the album
John Martyn
4/5
The first track would have been better as an instrumental, and did not make me look forward to the rest of the album. Everything after was a pleasant surprise
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Initial impression: this is an insane cacophony. Terrorism with musical instruments
Impression after reading the Wikipedia article: "[Beefheart] once told drummer John French that he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia." Oh, this makes complete sense now.
This is absolutely what I imagine schizophrenia would sound like. I have dealt with numerous severely mentally ill, manic, and people in crisis, and this word salad nonsense is exactly what they sound like. It's impossible to replicate for someone who isn't in one of these states, but an instantly recognizable hallmark of the condition. Now, apply the word salad concept to musical instruments and you get this garbled nonsense with actual word salad stacked on top. This is more an accidental distress signal than it is music.
I made it halfway without skipping a song, but I gave up at Pena. This album was an assault.
⭐
The Who
3/5
This is fine
⭐⭐⭐
Sigur Rós
2/5
As an instrumental, I would have liked this album much more. The vocals are grating to me. Since they're in a language I don't speak and that hits my ear in an assaulting way, I just can't get by it.
Things picked up for me in the last 3rd of the album
⭐⭐.5
4/5
I tend not to like much punk, but when I do, I really do. What I like about this is it's punk with polish. Great vocals, cool bass work, and great punk/rockabilly guitar. I'm surprised about this one.
I can almost hear June Carter and Johnny
Cash covering In This House That I Call Home.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beach House
3/5
I think I like the slow, liquidy jams here. Very chill, but also very easy to let this one drop into the background and not pay attention while it's playing.
Traffic
4/5
I like pretty much everything about this album, but I'm having trouble articulating why. I'll just rate this ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and go make sure I have it in my personal collection
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Billy Corgan wanted to make The Wall for GenX? Unfuckingbelievable, the stones on this guy. First of all, The Wall was The Wall for GenX. Secondly, this album isn't any better than all the other albums in the mainstream that year. In fact, pretty sure The Bends came out that year. Get over yourself, bro.
Ok, now that's out of the way...
This is actually a decent album, but it definitely should have been two. I don't see why making it a double was necessary when there is no unifying theme or narrative. Two hours is a long time to listen to unrelated songs.
New Order
2/5
I do quite enjoy 80s New Wave, and this wasn't an exception. I do think the vocals get in the way of good music occasionally, and I think Sunrise was a straight rip-off of The Cure.
The second half of the album actually was worse with the vocals/lyrics and brought this album down from ⭐⭐⭐.5 to ⭐⭐.5. Bummer
⭐⭐.5
Billy Joel
5/5
Not necessarily as an album in its entirety, but most of the songs here have played important parts in my life. Almost everything on the album has a specific memory or name attached to me.
For example, one of my daughter's favorite songs is Vienna, which I found out when she was probably 15. I don't know how she encountered it, but she put it on a playlist of "songs your dad listens to" and sent the list to me. I'd never even heard the song before! But now, it's one of my favorites too because it makes me think of my little buddy.
Don't Go Changing makes me think of my wife. I wish I could have written it for her. Only the Good Die young has been a staple of pop for me for the last 45 years, and my aunt Virginia likes to make jokes about it. Movin' out carries a message I understood too late, but I'm working on incorporating into my life.
This is a very special album to me. And it spite of the weaker last two songs, it gets a hard ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me.
Massive Attack
4/5
I have had some experience with Mezzanine from Massive Attack, and I don't recall liking it much, so I wasn't much looking forward to this today. Fortunately, either it was different or I am. This was quite enjoyable, and I'll be adding this to my personal collection. However, I will be making sure the Light My Fire cover is deleted. That was wildly unnecessary, extraordinarily bad by itself, and threatened to tank this album's rating for me. Fucking terrible, that was
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Julian Cope
1/5
I made it to track 13. To quote Chunk from The Goonies, "That's all I can stand... and I can't stand no more!"
This fucking SUCKED
⭐.5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No notes
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Competent, but not especially inspiring. I like other Stones albums more
⭐⭐⭐¾
Syd Barrett
1/5
Unlistenable garbage. I couldn't make it all the way through a single song.
⭐
Morrissey
3/5
As an American political independent, I'm as critical of Americans as the next guy, but that first track was a pretty shallow and juvenile attempt, and the next one starting right into criticism of the English was just as bad. Also, I'm pretty critical of organized religion, and I felt the same way about the Jesus song. So, three stinkers right off the bat.
Things picked up after those and got back to a more Smiths-like (but a little more grown up) Morrissey, which I like
⭐⭐.75
Pulp
2/5
If The Cure were uninspired, unimaginative, on sedatives and forced to create an album for contractual obligations under a pseudonym that distances them from the garbage music they turned out, it'd sound a lot like this.
It wasn't offensive, but there's also no compelling reason for me to listen again
⭐⭐.5
Beck
4/5
Beatles
3/5
This isn't my favorite era of the Beatles and this album was absolutely not what I was in the mood for this morning. Still, Any Time at All grabbed me and changed my how I was feeling about the whole thing
⭐⭐⭐.25
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I wasn't super impressed with the first half of this album, but the downshift to Riot Van and Red Light began what I was hoping to hear all along. Their slower, more melodic songs are great, but the high energy/fast songs of theirs all just sound like they're playing fast for the sake of playing fast
⭐⭐⭐.75
Ash
4/5
Had I heard this when it was relevant, this album might be one of those that holds a special place in my heart like other mostly-forgotten discs (Subliminal Plastic Motives, for example). Bands that sounded like this were the music of my youth; the soundtrack of my 20s, the music I raised my daughter on, those that bring me back to so many important times, and make me think of people who are important to me. Listening today, never having heard this before, it sounds like a thousand other forgettable acts from those days. Still, these guys are competent and likable, though pretty average for their time.
I listened to and liked everything on the album, but I had to skip the Black Sabbath rip-off. That was jarring and it sort of pissed me off, which I can't really articulate a reason for.
As the album progressed, the more I decided I liked it. I don't yet know that I'll add it to my personal collection, but it's a contender. I'm glad I heard this today.
⭐⭐⭐.75
Steely Dan
4/5
I love Steely Dan and I won't apologize for that. You're probably thinking that I'm a white suburban dad because of that, right. Well, yeah, I am. Whatever. Think of me what you want; I'll be listening to some white suburban dad rock with my headphones and I'll never hear you talking that shit
⭐⭐⭐⭐.25