Completely new artist for me—really enjoyed this apart from a couple of tracks that seemed designed more for the pop charts. The artist’s voice reminds me a little of Suzanne Vega. Described as country but more contemporary sounding. Giving it a 4 so I’ll come back to it.

Between a 3 and a 4, rounding up because I ran out of time to listen again but I think it would improve with repeat listening and be good music to write by.

Somehow survived the 90s without ever listening to an REM album! This was very REM. Some great songs there but I like them better as singles.

Listened to Bowie mix.

This starts with Tutti Frutti, continues with songs that sound like Tutti Frutti, and leaves you with Tutti Frutti in your head until the end of time. Infernally catchy, enjoyable but may never listen to it again.

Not objectionable but dance electronic not really my thing

I’ve never enjoyed rap music (I lack the vocabulary to define why) and was expecting to rate this album a 2, but I listened to it a couple of times and it grew on me—I might even listen again! This kind of discovery is why I am doing One Album a Day.

Cannot believe I had never heard this or heard of it given how many hours I have spent on late ‘60s/early ‘70s Spotify playlists. Great stuff—giving four stars because five is reserved for proven favourites over time, but this could get there.

Not my favourite work by them - the title track is a favourite but the rest of the album blurred into one for me.

This sounded like “grown-up music when I was little” and reading the Wikipedia page for the singer didn’t help…

Love Johnny Cash, great songs but giving this album a 3 because I can’t get my head round the different versions so I have no idea which one I was supposed to listen to.

This would have been a 4 if I were new to ragas but in fact I wanted to learn more from the introduction or have expert guidance listening to a full peace. Possibly Spotify helpfully crossfaded the explanations…

I have been trying to like Björk for decades but she just sounds like the LP is randomly going at the wrong speed, and overall either soporific like this album or too discordant for my taste. This would probably be a 2.5 as there were one or two songs I might revisit later, but not my cup of tea.

Having somehow never heard of the album or the band, I really enjoyed this but didn’t have a chance to listen all the way through due to attending the Glasgow 2024 WorldCon. From what I’ve heard it’s a 3.5 which could become a 4 on relistening so I’ve rounded up this time.

Good stuff—I’ve only ever really listened to hit singles and the brilliant Seeger Sessions, so was glad to explore earlier Springsteen.

Part of my musical DNA but not as much as The Dark Side of the Moon or Woods You Were Here!

I used to prefer his earlier Goodbye and Hello, but this one just may have overtaken it.

Really not my kind of music but one or two songs I could like. Between a 2 and a 3.

My sister bought this on vinyl when it came out, great stuff.

I have never listened to this through. The first track is a classic but none of the rest really stood out.

I was only dimly aware of the band - very Radio Paradise.

I tried. I really tried. But Dylan still sounds like a human trying to sing like a badly played harmonica. I can appreciate the quality of the songs but give me cover versions please.

Not sure why but despite Document including three of the R.E.M. songs I like most, I prefer this album. Both were between a 3 and 4 so I’m rounding up this time.

I was only dimly aware of the band and would have said I’d never heard her, but it turns out that the singles on this album are are Radio Paradise regulars and I’ve favourited one of them. Another one between 3 and 4, marking it a four as something to come back to.

This concept album is clearly the Genesis that people had in mind when calling them an influence on Fish era Marillion - I was only familiar with their earlier albums and with late Phil Collins era. Enjoyed the music but the concept was kind of naff.

This concept album is clearly the Genesis that people had in mind when calling them an influence on Fish era Marillion - I was only familiar with their earlier albums and with late Phil Collins era. Enjoyed the music but the concept was kind of naff.

I had discovered her later song A Mistake from a Battlestar Galactica fan video or something like that. This reminded me of a more chilled ‘90s Laura Nyro.

This wasn’t available on Spotify so I listened to it in playlist form. Some bits are decent but the rest is just cacophony, and any inclination to knock it up to two stars is fatally countered by the memory of the pretentious ex who used to listen to it because it was recommended by Q magazine…

I grew up listening to my mother’s country music records but this is the kind of country music neither of us likes…

Classic Queen - unmistakable despite only including one song I already knew. I am sure there will be more.

The quest to find hiphop I like continues. This one started promisingly enough but again the use of peculiar sound effects just didn’t work for me.

Overall this sounded better than previous albums in the same genre I’ve listened to for the project. I don’t mind the swearing, but the voicemail beeps, sex moans and other obnoxious neighbour sounds mean it’s another 1 for me.

Probably my favourite album by them containing favourite songs especially “Go Your Own Way”.

I am wavering between a 3 and a 2, but enjoyed this less than most of the 3s so far. I like the 70s sound but found that the long tracks became a bit repetitive.

Good stuff.

TIL that Talking Heads were American. One of those bands I’ve always felt I ought to like more than I do.

Not my usual thing but I like jazz from time to time.

Baffled that I have never heard of The Triffids, Calenture, or any of these tracks from 1987 when I was listening to a LOT of music. This is a 3.5, was leaning towards 4 but I didn't enjoy it as much the second time round so another 3 it is.

Another one who was just a name to me until now—I liked this. Rounding up to 4.

Always liked the band from the odd singles, but I don’t think I’ve listened to an entire album. Really liked this and some of the content of the extended version was reminiscent of Nick Cave.

Another band I’ve never heard of but one or two songs sound familiar. Very Radio Paradise background—between a 3 and a 4 but going with 3 this time.

Very Pet Shop Boys but I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs. This site really needs half points or I need to stop reserving 5 for albums I can’t stop listening too… this would be 3.5.

Apart from In a Lifetime and Road to Nowhere, only one of which is on this album, I guess I still don’t care for Talking Heads.

Not my favourite favourite Beatles album but still a classic.

I didn’t know this band or album - another 3 or 4, rounding up because I really liked Captain’s Table and Streets of Kenny.

None of the tracks stood out and one or two were a bit cacophonous for me taste (Hit the Plane Down) so it’s between a 2 and a 3 - I doubt I’d listen again.

I thought I was going to like this more than I did. The only impression it left was someone playing musical chairs with styles and influences.

Some absolute classics on here but I’d never listened to it all the way through, so giving this a 4 so that I’m likelier to come back it for repeat listening.

Not a kind of music I listen to regularly (too much piano) but virtually every song a classic.

This was a pleasant surprise - I quite liked the first couple of tracks, especially "Overcome", but less so the later tracks where the tempo picks up. Possibly trip hop is more to my taste than regular hip hop. Voted 2 but more a 2.5.

A slight surprise to discover songs other than Jump. Good Eighties rock.

Had been wondering if this list was entirely Anglo (having forgotten about Ravi Shankar) when this turns up in Spanish by a French band. Unfortunately I found it really boring.

I must have heard this artist on Radio Paradise as she sounded familiar. A bit piano heavy for my taste but I enjoyed it and will listen again - like a chilled Florence + The Machine.

Classic Who but generally prefer studio albums to live.

For decades I haven’t remembered which songs were Verve, Pulp or Blur, or ever listened to albums by any of them, in spite of which this entire album felt familiar. Giving it a 4 in hopes of remembering which one I like (apart from Common People by one of the others, which is great).

Pleasant to listen to some Rolling Stones others than the usual hits. Considered a 4 but honestly doubt I’d actively decide to listen to it.

Another of the one word bands of the ‘90s that I get mixed up, between a 3 and 4, rounding up to remind me to come back to it. Reminds me of a cross between The Verve and Muse.

Some really good songs (My Sweet Love) but after the first part they became a bit samey and the whole thing went on way too long.

A favourite when I was in my 20s and listening to hippy era music rather than what everyone else was listening to…

Still definitely not my genre but more listenable than most hip hop, albeit sounding a little like listening to two radio stations at the same time; at least it doesn’t sound like noisy neighbours as well.

Not actively objectionable but boring. New Look or H&M changing room music.

Classic big band jazz. I prefer the tracks without piano but leaning more to 4 stars than 3

Where has this been all my life? Why has Jeff Beck been just a name? It came out before I was born, contains covers of at least three songs I love, feels new and familiar at the same time because of the Rod Stewart vocals, the guitar is sensational, and has a Sixties/blues/verging on metal sound that ticks so many boxes.

Good classic stuff.

Loud and boring.

I like the blues, this didn’t especially grab me.

Loud and boring.

Classical instruments in a different mode. Felt I should have enjoyed this more than I did but rounding it up to 3 because the name is great.

How do you even start rating music that’s been a soundtrack since childhood? A number of 5-star songs and it’s great music - would be a 5 if I could imagine myself feeling like listening to the album rather than individual songs.

This one surprised me in a good way—the singles were familiar, even overfamiliar, but the album had a consistent sound and the other songs were pleasantly new to me rather than bland or tiresome. Definitely growing on me.

I miss Garfunkel!

Epitome of 1970s grown up party music.

This was always my favourite Beatles album along with Rubber Soul. Not a 5 currently because I listened to it too much at one point. (I should have given the White album a 3 really as it never was a favourite, but was being sentimental about the Beatles.)

One or two interesting songs but generally this felt like background music and what they did to Light My Fire shouldn’t be allowed.

I still don’t get on with hip hop but even I could tell this was an art form and without the annoying gimmicks. I’d say 2.5 but can’t quite bring myself to rate it 3…

I was wondering when this would show up. I was expecting to rate it 4, but having not listened to it for about 25 years due to bad memories of the ex who introduced me to it, to my surprise I have ended up giving it full marks.

More of a 2.5 than a 3 in that I probably wouldn’t ever decide to listen to it, but it’s such a successful ‘70s hommage that I’m rounding up.

Some great songs.

I was introduced to The Doors by a friend at 19 and this was always one of my favourite albums by them for the strong blues element. Some music I listened to a lot as a student are hard to go back to now (too close to old emotions) but not The Doors.

Simply Red have always bored me to tears, not actively objectionable so should probably have rated this 3, but I wanted to reflect the lifelong response.

My husband's cousins :-) (huge family, I never met them) If I'd heard the first song on the radio I'd have wondered how there was a Smiths song I didn't know, but I liked the whole album.

One or two decent songs - Waterfall especially familiar - but overall like being on hold with a utility company... High 2 but still a 2.

Anarchy in the UK :-)

Strangely I’d never heard of this despite growing up with my mother’s late ‘60s/early ‘70s country LP collection. It sounded very generic country to me to the point of being a little tiresome. A low 3.

Still don't like hip hop.

My first Bowie rating! Not my top rated among his albums apart from the classic title track and Sons of the Silent Age, the Berlin period has never been my favourite and the Low-style electronica of side 2 is a bit forgettable.

Earworm after earworm!

Was looking forward to this until I read the Wikipedia entry and discovered it was going to be The Byrds sounding like Gram Parsons, whose album Grievous Angel I rated 3 the other day but should have rated 2. Now I have to rate this 3 because it was a little better than that (less twangy).

Ok but not sensational, I liked the song by The Cure in the style of the Jesus and Mary Chain.

Hadn’t listened to this in decades! I had thought I preferred Surfer Rosa, but I just listened to that too, and Doolittle is better—a more consistent sound and more memorable tunes.

Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year’s Day are classics - a high 4 but not quite a 5 for the album.

Didn’t really do much for me—the songs I liked are irritably because of other versions I’ve heard and like better, e.g. Streets of Laredo.

Not my usual listening, but I enjoyed this. A high 3. Nicely funky in a Seventies way.

Pleasant enough country.

Enjoyed this more than the only other album I’ve listened to from the band (can’t remember the title). Good classic rock.

Much prefer Forever Changes. This album sounds more aggressive somehow.

Actually better than I expected but still a 1 - a high 1 possibly for the sound which feels more authentic than some of the later hip hop I’ve listened to for the project, but the lyrics are just too mysogynistic.

Completely new artist for me—really enjoyed this apart from a couple of tracks that seemed designed more for the pop charts. The artist’s voice reminds me a little of Suzanne Vega. Described as country but more contemporary sounding. Giving it a 4 so I’ll come back to it.

My husband hated this so much I had to close the door, but I quite enjoyed it after the initial cacophony in the first track. Three stars because I’d rate it in my mind before reading his bio on Wikipedia and discovering the underage wife thing…

The title track is 4 or 5 stars but the rest of the album didn’t quite live up to the promise - I mostly only like slower doom metal rather than the loud shouty kind. Between a 3 and a 4 but going with my first instinct.

This nearly made it to 3! Rap over a more rock background than the other albums proposed so far, and the James Bond cover was fun, but still not really something I’d ever feel in the mood for.

I remember the name of the band but not one of these songs was familiar. Not offensive but bothering especially grabbed me either.

This is totally not my usual style of music, but it's also the soundtrack of childhood and parents' parties and grown-up disco. I had no idea all these songs were the same band! Pure nostalgia.

I can appreciate the artistry of the rapping as a creative use of language, and the song with Aerosmith was a trip down memory lane, but I loathed this band at the time and still dislike the sound of the album intensely, and can’t bring myself to give more than one star to anything using those smeary sounds.

The missing link between Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Not sure how I’d never heard of him before. I’d rather listen to Woody Guthrie…

I like prog rock and this sounded ok apart from occasional bursts of cacophony, but the concept behind the album is tiresome. I wouldn’t turn it off if someone put it on, but I wouldn’t spend the effort to concentrate on it as advised in the Wikipedia article. A high 2 or low 3.

I would definitely listen again, but didn’t enjoy this as much as Black Sabbath (the album).

How could I give the album containing White Rabbit anything less than 4?

The sound of summer road trips.

I had never heard of the album or the artist, and had to listen on YouTube because it wasn’t available to play on Spotify, but apart from the ads I really liked it. A sort of alternative folk sound.

More classic childhood road trip radio.

Heart of Glass, Sunday Girl, Hanging on the Telephone… I’d never listened to the album but at least half the songs are familiar!

Between a 3 and a 4, rounding up because I ran out of time to listen again but I think it would improve with repeat listening and be good music to write by.

This album contains Hurt, the saddest song in the world, and also a duet with Nick Cave, one of my favourite artists. I would give it a 5 for the sake of Hurt alone, but if I listened to it more than twice a year I would probably dig my own grave...

As usual I liked Elvis Costello less than I think I should, he just fades into the background. I don't think I noticed a single song but it was pleasant enough.

This wasn't available as an album on Spotify or Youtube so I could only listen to about half the songs as a Spotify playlist made up of tracks on compilations. Very pleasant and chilled but can't rate it more than a 3 without hearing the whole thing.

I was listening to a lot of music in 1986 but have never heard of the band or the album. None of the songs sounded at all familiar and after listening to the album three times, none of them left the faintest impression other than being unobjectionable hard rock. I feel bad about this and want to like the album but I don't understand what it's doing on the list.

I really liked this—blues with an African inflection especially in the vocals. The second track has a bit of a Stairway to Heaven thing going.

Not the hugest fan of the Stones - Gimme Shelter is a 4 and there are a couple more songs I like, but overall a 3 taking into account the familiarity effect, I think.

The musical equivalent of strobe lighting. Boringly repetitive but fades into the background so not actively annoying.

Another one that sounds like childhood and summer road trips. Nice mix of rock and blues with a dash of jazz.

I usually like classic prog rock but several of the tracks were too discordant for my taste. A low 3.

By the end of the album I had Going Underground in my head and only noticed on the second listen that it’s not on the album 😂… a high 3 but doesn’t quite make it to a 4.

Those album doesn’t contain any of my favourite Leonard Cohen songs, and the third track sounds like he’s plagiarised his own song “So Long Marianne”. I hope some of his other albums are coming up but this one is average.

The band’s DNA is fully present in their debut album but somehow for me they’ve always mostly been a band for singles rather than albums. I’ll listen to it happily enough but wouldn’t reach for it or any of the songs here, so more of a 3 than a 4.

Solo album by The Pixies frontman. Sounds like The Pixies with the good parts replaced by louder parts, and went on way too long. Didn’t enjoy enough to listen again.

The first half of this is a solid 4 even if (or because) the first track is basically Pachelbel’s Canon. Unfortunately the second part of the album degenerates into cacophony, so it’s a 3…

Really wanted to like this one, but have always found jazz from that period hit and miss. This had too many jangly discordant passages thst I just wanted to be over, so not quite a 3.

The first album in the project that I bought when it came out, as an LP! Came to it via Nick Cave and blind bought this and Crime and the City Solution. Pleased to report that I still like it! Soundtrack for a film noir that was never made is spot on.

This was ok but not especially gripping on first listening. Listened another two times because it sounds like I should like a lot, but it’s still a bit meh.

The lead singer is from Decatur! I feel I should misquote The Blues Brothers about Illinois Nazis/punk but in truth I neither love nor hate it…

Inoffensive but not really my thing.

Oh, The Smiths. I listened to them way too much at a time when I was in a mad place mentally, so it’s hard to listen to them now, plus Morrissey has gone off the deep end. I love their sound but this album was never a favourite so rating it 3.

Another one that’s ok but not really grabbing me or standing out.

I like Thin Lizzy but am not crazy about live albums and this one doesn’t include Whiskey in the Jar so rounding down to 3.

That voice. Some absolute favourites here.

If this wasn’t the soundtrack to Hill Street Blues, it should have been! Not my usual listening but would definitely listen again if in the mood for something jazzy.

Hesitated between 3 and 4 - I‘ve never listened to a PJ Harvey album but expected to like her based on my musical taste (still waiting for Nick Cave to turn up). If I’m honest I wasn’t crazy about this, especially the Bjorkish vocal style, but rounding up to 4 because I think it could grow on me.

Van Morrison is another one of those artists I always feel I should like more than I ever actually do - I like him better in single songs than album length. A high 3 but still a 3, I think.

Whereas I really like Led Zeppelin despite never really listening to them…

I have always liked the idea of Siouxsie and the Banshees better than actually listening to them…

I remember disliking Girls Just Wanna Have Fun came out because Cyndi Lauper seemed like a Madonna copycat, but she’s so much more than that. A solid 80s pop album.

Simple Minds are another band I always thought I should like better than I did—until now, ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ was the only song I really liked—but this album really works as an album if you avoid the five hundred versions of ‘Promised You A Miracle’ at the end of the deluxe edition…

I wasn’t a huge Bon Jovi fan in the Eighties but they’ve really grown on me. Nearly gave this a 5!

Too plinky plonky elevator music

I like Led Zeppelin, but didn’t like II as well as III or IV…