The angst was there, the guitar solos were so there, I just couldn’t quite give it a 5.
The highlights were excellent but there were definitely times that seemed like they were just banging on the keyboard.
Miles Davis and John Coltrane collaborated on an album and I’m expected to rate it anything less than perfect? I am not so presumptuous.
I get that it was influential, but it doesn’t even sound innovative for its time. I can hear the bits and pieces of the music that followed, the just don’t quite understand why this album was the one everyone keyed in on.
I was only vaguely familiar with Lou Reed beforehand. Looked him up and Wikipedia said he was known for his experimental guitar playing and poetic lyrics. I waited 36 minutes for either of those to appear on this album and finished it disappointed that I had heard neither.
I don’t like Bruce Springsteen and think he is the lesser of NJ’s 2 Native Sons who made it big in 80s rock. After listening, I respect him a little more and get more where he’s coming from, but I’m still no fan.
It’s extremely instrumentally interesting, drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences. It’s a cool bridge between 80s/90s hip hop, and I can hear stuff here that artists are still doing now. Lyrics are vapid af tho. 73/100
I’ve never actually listened to Pink Floyd before this. It is practically instrumentally perfect. The arrangements and performance are incredible. The lyrics left me wanting in spots and weren’t as cohesive as I’d like.
The only remarkable thing about this record is the release date. In context, I’m sure it was a wildly revolutionary sound, but 41 years later it sounds like any other 90s alt record.
Instrumentally and vocally gorgeous. Marvin Gaye’s version of Grapevine is far superior though. The title track blows the rest out of the water.
This album is so much fun. I’m honestly upset that I’d never heard of this band before, it’s some of the best early punk I’ve ever heard.
I liked this a lot more than I expected, as someone who doesn’t often enjoy hip hop. Maybe it’s the Britishness of it that presents some novelty.
It combines all of my least favorite things about indie/alt music from the late 2000s: overreliance on poorly produced electronic elements, bad vocals, and a faux self-effacing pretentiousness. Last track is good tho
Tom Sawyer is classic Red Barchetta is adventurous YYZ is virtuosic Limelight is challenging Camera Eye is expansive Witch Hunt is thought provoking Vital Signs
This sounds a lot like most other late 90s-early 00s rap that I’m familiar with. The beats are extremely well produced, but the most notable thing about Missy’s lyrics is the career they precede
There’s a certain crassness that comes with the territory of what he’s trying to go with here, but he pushes it past its limits at certain points for a shock value that, as a contemporary of Eminem and RATM, just isn’t there.
So wonderfully captures that carefree neo-boho moment of the mid teens, but low energy pop has never been my jam.
After reading up on The KLF, I feel like listening to this album in a relative vacuum takes a lot of the punch out of it. Interesting and eclectic genre mix that, when it works, works well, but when it doesn’t, kinda sucks.
Nearly 60 years after this album came out, it sounds like cliché crying cowboy country, but I can’t help but think that it wasn’t yet a cliché in its time. The last 3 tracks are great, too.
This is the kind of music I hoped I’d hear when getting into this project. It’s high energy, thoughtful, poignant, and the instrumentation and sampling are so creative and interesting without coming off as experimental.
I get what they’re going for, I just don’t really like it that much. The frequent dissonance and long instrumental sections perfectly set that moody, mopey tone you expect from the cure, I’m just not crazy about it.
Bored to tears, tbh. It was musically very nice, but the genre just didn’t do it for me at all.
Really pleasant country pop that doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. The lyricism is excellent even if there isn’t much variation musically.
Beautifully crafted, raw, honest examination of the central themes of relationships within the context of addiction and economic difficulty.
Too experimental and artsy for my taste. The high energy sections often worked very well, the guitar solos were great, but I just don’t feel like it worked as a cohesive piece.
I’m a sucker for southern rock and good storytelling. The killer guitar solos don’t hurt either. I’m definitely coming back to this one.
I’m already vaguely familiar with this record, but I confess that it’s better than I remember. Pop-leaning IDM that retains a lot of the charm of their earlier successes while not settling or sounding stale.
The highs were extremely high—excellent lyricism and messaging. The lows came off as corny and gauche.
A solid 90s alt-rock offering. Hard to beat it, but can’t call it perfect either.
It’s Ella Fitzgerald and George Gershwin, how do you miss? That being said, it’s also 3 hours long so I’ll cop to not listening to all of it.
If this had been released 10 years later, it would be significantly less remarkable. But to so flawlessly capture the best parts of 80s rock in the 70s makes this exceptional.
Peaceful, emotional, raw but not unpolished. This was nice.
The instrumentals were exceptional and exciting, but Morrissey just seemed vocally bored the entire time. I get how some people might be drawn to this, but it’s not for me.
90s hip hop sensibilities at its core but with a lot of interesting variations. On the edges. Still not really my thing but I can respect creativity.
Jazz instrumentation and general positivity make it stand out, but there are lots of pretty mainstream early 2000s hip hop elements that just don’t land with me.
This was way more pleasant than I anticipated it would be. Actively calming without being sonically boring.
Tbh, I feel like they did the whole Beatles-esque folky rock minstrel show better than the Beatles. A little derivative but really pleasant.
I expected something fully unserious and got some decent groovy tunes. The guitars were especially nice
I can’t tell if it’s hackneyed or influential but I know it sounds like songs I’ve heard a thousand times before in the corniest way.
Bruce’s storytelling skills are without parallel, but here he decides to couch them within the most boring music you could possibly imagine.
I hate that I’m starting to enjoy these late 60s/early 70s folk-based rock albums. Still a little too woo-woo for me, and I still can’t get into the airy vocals over acoustic guitars, but the more uptempo sections hit just right.
Side A is better storytelling, side B is catchier. All in all, a solid solid album.
He tries to blend rock, pop, country, and even a little folk, to the detriment of most of those genres.
The worst of early teens indie sleaze without what made genre standouts good. It actively irritated me.
The wordplay and lyricism and instrumentation and arrangement are mindblowing, but it does feel like a bit of a relic that doesn’t sound very 2002
I love punk, but man this is exceptionally mid.
The title track is exceptional. The rest of it, with the reggae schtick and Caribbean vocal affectation, gets old really quick.
Birdland is a certified classic but the rest just sounds like elevator music.
I can’t stand his voice and it seems like he took all of the least pleasant aspects of experimental rock at the time and smushed them together.
So much respect for minor threat but their later stuff just hits better.
Perfectly pleasant jazz. The bass player is incredible.
The instrumental sections were especially nice. Groovy, interesting, dynamic.
Hell yeah slipknot
There is practically nothing remarkable about the instrumentation, the lyrics are so-so, and her voice is downright annoying. I’m not surprised that I’ve never heard of PJ Harvey; there’s not much of not to have heard.
Ridiculous Halloween circus music
Really pleasant, sounded like a jazzier Phil Collins
It was hard to divorce what I know of the Foos from my listening experience. It’s not as good as what came later, but on its own isn’t a bad album.
It would’ve been better as a concert film, but regardless, it’s wonderful. Groovy, dynamic, artistic, I’ll definitely come back to this.
Regardless of any issues I take with their premises (though only a few), it’s damn fine rock and roll. The in ovation and technicality, paired with the passion and emotion, make this an incredible album.
I appreciate the artistry, but there was too much chaos and dissonance for me to actually enjoy it as a whole.
Post punk but more on the punk side. I liked this way more than I expected to, despite the popular song being one of the worst on the album.
Drony whiny indie garbage
Just a touch too old school for my tastes, but I appreciate that they were innovative for the time.
The instrumentals were excellent—raw, but passionate and well executed. The vocals sounded like a drunk Sylvester Stallone recorded them from outside the booth, and tbh did a disservice to the thoughtful lyrics.
It’s really just Taylor poppifying 2010s indie sleaze. Doesn’t mean it’s not good, but it’s neither the best TSwift album nor the best downtempo pop album of its era.
It’s wonderfully pleasant, but I can’t imagine how it’s possibly influential enough to be included on this list.
Groovy, pleasant, I kept saying to myself “hey I know that song from a movie”
Truly the best of 2010s indie pop. It’s energetic and dynamic without losing its depth.
The storytelling and ability to stay around the central theme of the shock of fame are excellent. Beats don’t quite do it for me tho.
It’s so dynamic and exciting and creative. I’m honestly mad at myself that I’d never heard of Machito before this.
Perfectly fine folk based Beatles style rock, but absolutely not my jam.
I wanted so badly to like it. It’s high energy alternative rock. What’s not to like? But the mixing job was absolutely atrocious and was so distracting that I couldn’t focus on anything else.
It’s just diet Beatles. Fine for others. Nor for me.
Divorcing it from what I know of Aerosmith, it’s satisfyingly bluesy and more interesting than their later stuff to be sure.
So preposterously corny
Innovative, a great blend of punk and outside influences. I just don’t love those outside influences lol
The high energy stuff is some of the best pop I’ve ever heard but she loses me on the ballads.
Not one of the best jam bands I’ve ever heard but their energy is undeniable.
Not quite country, not quite rock, not quite pop, not quite anything enough to be worth listening to.
Not quite as sharp as its contemporaries. It was fine but didn’t quite hit the soulful spot as other similar notable albums.
The fact that the whole Beatles-esque minstrel sound was ever popular is an enduring mystery to me.
It’s really only redeemed by its blues influences. The whole Beatles style minstrel folk rock movement doesn’t hit with me, and it’s hard for me to be objective about how it could hit with others.
I really dug the bluesy instrumentals but the vocals would’ve been bad even if I spoke the language.
I really wanted to like this more than I did. The softer rock songs are significantly better than the fast paced or hip hop stuff, and the lyrics are straight nonsense across the board.
I get that it was influential, but it doesn’t even sound innovative for its time. I can hear the bits and pieces of the music that followed, the just don’t quite understand why this album was the one everyone keyed in on.
I really like Isaac Hayes but omg why do the songs need to be 11 minutes long
That first track did not age well omg
He’s not the king for nothing.
Maybe it’s just because I had such low expectations but I adored this. The fusion of high energy post punk with afro and latin jazz influence is so insane and so fun.
If Bob Dylan’s voice didn’t sound like the sonic equivalent of floppy pizza, this album would be incredible.
It’s like a drug fueled Beach Boys children’s album. Unsettling.
I could see where their future greatness came from, but this album was bland by comparison.
The hits weren’t even the best tracks. Especially compared with their earlier stuff, it’s much more engaging and dynamic.
I get that Cohen is a master storyteller and lyricist, but the monotony of his music is a not insignificant barrier to the appreciation of his message.
The higher energy, harder parts were nice, but the rest sounded pretty run of the mill. Somebody to Love a classic nonetheless
I like most of this better than The Beatles; it seems a litter deeper and more in an artistic vein that I appreciate. That said, the sound got repetitive after the whole ass 2 hours omg
So insanely effective at creating that haunting grating angsty sound paired with the dynamism of Reznor’s vocals. It’s truly an experience.
High energy, catchy, musically risky, decent lyrics, I mean, what’s not to like?
I listened to this one more than any other album in recent memory. I couldn’t stop coming back to it. The sound is piercing and raw without sounding cheap, the vocals are the perfect mix of clarity and emotion, and the lyrics are gorgeous.
To hear the influences of artists down the line is really cool, even if this comes off as unpolished and juvenile at times.
I’m not much for indie, but it was pleasant and well put together for what it was.
Manly rock for men about manly things. Rock and roll with chest hair but no depth. So fun.
Miles Davis and John Coltrane collaborated on an album and I’m expected to rate it anything less than perfect? I am not so presumptuous.
They don’t do anything that their contemporaries didn’t do better. I can hear how they might’ve been influential but there are many influential bands, especially in the sonic space that The Monks seemed to occupy, that have been rightfully overshadowed by their successors.
I can hear strains of bands I like in there, and it’s cool to hear where they got their sound, but it’s a little too artsy for me.
Soulful and lively without sounding dated
After listening to her far more critically acclaimed 2000 album, I expected to hate this. I still think her voice isn’t good, but it lends itself better to this style of grunge tinged angsty alt rock than the downtempo singer/songwriter stuff she did later on.
Really good, groovy, like if all those Beatles sounding bands took the good drugs. Too damn long tho.
I continue my inability to see why people lose their minds over Bruce. The instrumentation is creative and novel here but everything else is just kinda meh.
Perfectly pleasant. I recognized a few songs that I didn’t know that I knew, which was a nice, albeit slight jarring experience.
Perfectly fine enjoyable music, but I can’t imagine this being that influential tbh.
I get why it’s influential, I get why it’s noteworthy, I just think it sucks.
Seemed like they couldn’t quite agree what kind of music to make well, so they did an okay job or 4 or 5 genres.
Groovy spacey wildly interesting arrangements and production techniques. Maybe it’s just because I didn’t know what to expect but I loved this album.
Dreamt and thoughtful without being pretentious. Some of the best of what 21st century indie can be.
It’s hard to put this in any specific genre, but it was pleasant for what it was.
For what it is, it’s excellent. Angsty, moody, dynamic, meshing that 90s alt sound with goth rock sensibilities.
Knowing only Hallelujah, I was pleasantly surprised by how dynamic and energetic the rest of the album is. The title track literally had me hooting and hollering In My car.
Lacks the edge and energy of REM at their best, it’s giving alt-goes-grunge in the worst way.
Extremely fun, great jammy backbone with enough country sensibilities to give it some flavor. The hits hit hard but the misses miss hard.
I was only vaguely familiar with Lou Reed beforehand. Looked him up and Wikipedia said he was known for his experimental guitar playing and poetic lyrics. I waited 36 minutes for either of those to appear on this album and finished it disappointed that I had heard neither.
I have so little precedent for this type of music. I genuinely didn’t k ow what I was supposed to be listening for and what he did well or poorly. A thoroughly confusing experience.
The angst was there, the guitar solos were so there, I just couldn’t quite give it a 5.
It was okay, and I’m sure for its time it was great, but it’s hard not to listen to it with 2025 ears.
High energy, dynamic music with incisive but barely intelligible incisive and insightful lyrics. What more could you want from early punk?
This would be so much better if Liz Phair could carry a tune
Excellent on a Dylan scale. God knew if he gave Bob Dylan vocal talent, he’d be too powerful.
The vast majority of these are really bad. I imagine the influence here is in the concept, but I’ll take quality over quantity.
I wanted to think this was corny and square but it frustratingly isn’t. Karen Carpenter’s voice is practically perfect, the arrangements are so pleasant, and the inclusion of orchestra instruments is so interesting yet natural. This was genuinely enjoyable.
I liked this way more than I expected to. Beck doesn’t take himself seriously but still manages to expertly weave together folk, alternative, and even hip hop on a way that feels authentic and organic and has aged exceptionally.
It was okay for what it was. Super gothy and droney, fine for background music but not one I’d come back to.
How can I rate it anything but 5? Groovy, funky, virtuosic, seminal, amazing.
I liked this more than London Calling, whoops.
Like if Metallica listened to Nirvana and SoaD. Not bad as it is, but also one of my least favorite parts of 90s rock.
I really enjoyed this. A blues rock backbone with folk flavoring and some country and bluegrass elements on the fringes doesn’t sound like something I would enjoy until I listened to it. I heard traces of some of my favorite acts and wouldn’t be surprised if they listed The Youngbloods as an influence.
I get why The Smiths appeal to some people, but the consistently downtempo instrumentals, Morrissey’s whiny pitchy vocals, and their inane, often seemingly pointless lyrics, make me not one of them.
The lows were meh but the highs were so so good
Flawless 21st century pop. The perfect balance of excited high energy and introspective low energy, of earnestness and snark, of wide eyed innocence and winking experience. This is Taylor Swift announcing to the world that she’s coming for the top spot.
It’s so weird and dynamic and angsty and cathartic and I cannot believe I’ve never heard of this band.
The highlights were excellent but there were definitely times that seemed like they were just banging on the keyboard.
Great way to start off St. Paddy’s weekend. It was fun, lively, interesting.
There are some albums that immediately mentally transport you back to when you first (or most prolifically) listened to them. Other albums make you wish you could listen to them again for the first time. Back in Black is the latter for me. It rips every time.
Groovy, and the solos are incredible. Doesn’t have the same raw aggression as their self titled.
I wanted to enjoy it. I know it’s a classic, a legendary hip hop album of the 90s. The beats are so solid. But the lyrics are corny as all hell! A whole ass song about your nuts, Dre? Flexin badass bc you smoke weed? Sayin “I’m big bad and powerful bc I have a gun” brother that’s corny as hell!
Soulful and Bluey without getting too twangy. Excellent country album.
I find Courtney Love to be one of the most insufferable human beings on the planet, but unfortunately this is pretty solid rock and roll.
I couldn’t stop listening. It seems to transcend its time. Definitely not one that you put on to show somebody, but the arrangements are beautiful, intricate, and dynamic.
Sad Sinatra is still Sinatra.
It was fine but trip hop doesn’t really do it for me.
Relaxing, smooth, charming
Side B is so much better than side A. The groove is immaculate. The lyrics are practically nonsense.
Solid hip hop album with generally cohesive lyrical themes, incredibly well produced and creative beats, and interesting/engaging flow with the occasional pleasant hook break.
The highs were high: dynamic, exciting, intense. The lows were boring and navel-gazey.
Bono is a pretentious turd but this album is incredible. Lyrically thoughtful, musically tight, emotionally engaging, very well produced.
Overdubs notwithstanding, this still sounds like a kickass show.
I genuinely enjoyed it, but I couldn’t help but feel like this album is to more prominent 90s hip hop what Olive Garden is to Italian food.
I liked more of this than I wanted to. The jammy sections were excellent, the strict baroque pop sections were solid. It was really just the proto punk that didn’t hit.