563
Albums Rated
3.23
Average Rating
52%
Complete
526 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
57
5-Star Albums
23
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Repeater
Fugazi
|
5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
|
Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
B-52's
The B-52's
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
Raw Power
The Stooges
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
|
2112
Rush
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
|
1 | 3.19 | -2.19 |
|
Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
|
1 | 2.92 | -1.92 |
|
Gris Gris
Dr. John
|
1 | 2.88 | -1.88 |
|
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 4.6 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.75 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.5 |
| Rush | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 4.2 |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 4.33 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Waits | 3 | 1.33 |
| Tim Buckley | 3 | 1.67 |
| Leonard Cohen | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 5, 3, 4, 1 |
| The Who | 5, 3, 2 |
5-Star Albums (57)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Joni Mitchell · 2 likes
2/5
Joni Mitchell is overrated. She is a good poet, but not really a musical artist. I don't know why she seems to hate writing choruses so much. Most of the songs are just unstructured messes that never go anywhere.
2⭐️
Leonard Cohen · 1 likes
2/5
Oh great, another entry in the “old man sing-talks poetry about life and God immediately before dying” category.
I can appreciate the artistry (and definitely prefer his earlier work), but don’t think a second listen is ever likely…
2⭐️
Queen · 1 likes
4/5
I’m more of a Queen’s Greatest Hits guy, so a lot of this album was new to me. The only songs I knew were “Killer Queen” and “Flick of the Wrist.”
I forget that their earlier work was much more progressive-influenced before they became pop area glam rockers. Really enjoyed this and don’t think there was a bad song!
4⭐️
Slayer · 1 likes
2/5
Noise, shred, noise, shred, noise, shred. Is it possible to smell music? I could smell this, it smelt like sweaty men.
There just seemed to be nothing melodic about it. I can't stand these sort of guitar shredding solos for the sake of it, "OK you can play notes fast, congratulations". Not for me.
2⭐️
Tom Waits · 1 likes
1/5
WTF is this? Terrible... It sounds like drunk Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean trying to make a concept album.
I just don’t get the love for Tom Waits…
1⭐️
4-Star Albums (172)
1-Star Albums (23)
All Ratings
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A classic! How do you not like Bad Moon Rising?
The Police
4/5
I’m a sucker for any 70s/80s bass-forward three pieces. I think I walked around for years with Message in a Bottle rattling around in the back of my skull.
But there’s so many good songs on this album that didn’t get airplay or videos on MTV. Regatta de Blanc, Bring On the Night, and No Time This Time are favorites. By the same token, there are some head scratchers - On Any Day and Does Everyone Stare sound like a totally different decade and band.
Ray Charles
3/5
Classic Ray Charles
Peter Gabriel
5/5
This is one of my favorite albums by a hugely talented artist. I listened to this cassette until it snapped in my boombox. Also bought it on vinyl, CD, MP3s and FLAC. No bad songs. The only things better are the live versions of many of these songs on the Secret World Live tour, but that’s because I really like the contrast of Peter Gabriel’s and Paula Cole’s voices.
Also, I jammed my thumb while making the bed listening to this album. I ended up in pain and listening to In Your Eyes. Reminds me of high school…
David Bowie
4/5
On his 26th album Bowie knew he was dying and still reinvented his sound and message. The artistry is on full display, although this was somewhat of a hard listen for me on a Monday going to work. Dark and moody, reflective, and at times sonically dissonant, but his genius still shines through. A struggle to start with Blackstar at ten minutes, but Dollar Days and I Can’t Give Everything Away are a strong close on the coda of an amazing lifetime of music.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
It’s not everyday that a child actor goes from being slimed on You Can’t Do That on Television to creating a new, edgy adult persona…and getting away with it. Jagged Little Pill was everywhere when it first came out, and I can’t listen to it without thinking about how it became so ubiquitous that they made a pretty bad Broadway jukebox musical of these songs.
So trying to divorce myself from all that and listen to it now with fresh ears and an open mind, I can hear why it was successful. It echoes the angst of then-popular grunge with just enough of a pop sugar coating to make it radio-friendly (mostly). I just never got into that grating voice warble though…
You Oughta Know is an anthem for jilted lovers set to crunchy guitar effects and it still rocks today. Other notable ones are Perfect, You Learn, Hand in My Pocket and Ironic (although that last one feels more like a joke now than it was meant to be…ironically).
I didn’t remember the deeper cuts on the album (Forgiven, Mary Jane, Not the Doctor, Wake Up), sometimes with good reason, but the lyrics are raw and heartfelt throughout.
The Doors
4/5
I discovered the Doors while going through my dad’s vinyl collection in the early 1980s. Along with King Crimson, the Doors were one of the first bands to expand my view of music beyond what was on the pop radio stations. This is a great experimental spoken word poetry album set to complex music that still somehow feels of the 1960s (with a couple of songs that “broke through” to popularity). The End is a haunting, if somewhat overly long and self-indulgent, piece that echoes through my memories.
Tom Waits
2/5
I generally like experimental music, I want to like Tom Waits (Tommy the Cat by Primus is a favorite of mine), and I’ve tried before, but I just can’t get into it. Tom Waits sounds like Cookie Monster on a three day bender…
Johnsburg, Illinois and Rainbirds are OK.
2⭐️
Miles Davis
5/5
If you have one jazz album in your collection it should be Miles Davis — Kind of Blue. Ironically enough, I recently got my old MiniDisc player out of storage, and Kind of Blue *IS* my only jazz album.
Davis is a genius and is accompanied by greats in their own right on the other instruments. A masterpiece, and the most iconic example of modal jazz improvisation. Where is the six stars button? 😁
5⭐️
1/5
Yesterday I got Miles Davis - Kind of Blue followed by…this.
Opposite ends of the jazz spectrum for sure. I gave Kind of Blue five stars, so logically this gets:
0⭐️
(sigh)
1⭐️
Pixies
4/5
The Pixies set the stage for so much of 90s alt-rock, particularly the loud-quiet-loud song structure. You can hear a bit of what they do in so many other bands. Bossanova doesn’t have any hugely well known songs, but maybe that’s for the best.
4⭐️
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Games Without Frontiers is one of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs, and I knew Intruder, No Self Control and Biko, but I’ve never listened to this whole album before today. Family Snapshot was a standout favorite, and you can hear the evolution from Solsbury Hill and the seeds of later, more contemplative Gabriel in songs like Red Rain and Don’t Give Up.
Unsurprisingly, I’m a big fan. Early post-Genesis Peter Gabriel still has more progressive/art rock sound and sensibilities. I’m a huge Robert Fripp fan (yay, King Crimson!!) and also with Steve Lillywhite producing and Kate Bush’s backing vocals. Oh, Phil Collins is here too, but playing drums like he should.
4.5⭐️
Little Simz
2/5
I was wondering when I would get my first rap album. Expected Tupac, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Eminem, Jay-Z, Biggie, or A Tribe Called Quest or any other of the pioneers of rap. Instead I got a modern British rapper that I’ve never heard of. Trying not to let that affect my rating, listening to this with an open mind, it still was just OK. UK rap is not my thing.
2.5⭐️
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
This is fine; it sounds like so many other bands I heard at bars and fraternity parties in 1994. The Special Sauce is better than G. Love’s vocals and lyrics. Maybe I’m just not that big a fan of Philly…
There are better options from the early-mid-90s in this college rock meets jazz/funk genre that I would pick for this list - Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews Band, Cake, Govt Mule, and Rusted Root all come to mind.
3⭐️
Crowded House
3/5
Already knew Don’t Dream It’s Over and a couple of their radio hits, but I had never heard this album. The bass lines are complex and interesting, and the songwriting is catchy.
Favorites: chocolate cake, it’s only natural, fall at your feet, weather with you, four seasons in one day, and there goes god.
When I started this project, I wanted to discover good music that I had not given a chance. I will most likely listen to more Crowded House (and Split Enz).
3⭐️ (really somewhere between 3 and 4).
Blur
4/5
In the great Oasis vs Blur debate of the late 90s, I was squarely on Team Oasis. That’s not to say I didn’t listen to or like Blur, but they weren’t “my” band.
With the distance of time, I can appreciate why folks were pro-Blur. It has a neo-Beatles/Rolling Stones vibe (more Rolling Stones, whereas Oasis were definitely more Beatles). That sound just hits something fundamental in a lot of people.
Songs on the album I liked - Beetlebum, Song 2 (obligatory), M.O.R., On Your Own, Look Inside America, and Movin’ On.
4 ⭐️
The Pogues
3/5
In college, my friends and I hung out at a bar called Limerick Junction, so I’ve heard my share of Irish music in various styles. The Pogues are an energetic fusion of punk and traditional Irish songs and instruments. This really takes me back. But beyond nostalgia, this is a solid album. The musicianship is high throughout and the singing is…exactly what I would have expected. Not an album I would put in rotation, but a fun listen!
3⭐️
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Not sure what to make of this one. I see this as an evolution of folk music and singer-songwriter lyric-driven albums, but maybe it’s from an alternate dimension.
The guitar is clear and straightforward, but got a bit repetitive by the end. Banhart has one of those voices you either love or hate. I tend to like a higher, nasal male tone (I see you Geddy Lee and Les Claypool), so this worked for me, except when some phrasing bordered on going too “country.”
Songs I liked: A Sight to Behold, The Body Breaks, Will is my Friend, Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry (for the name of nothing else), Rejoicing in the Hands, Fall, the music from Insect Eyes, and Autumn’s Child.
Things I didn’t understand: Poughkeepsie - what’s the deal with naming Elvis albums?, counting in so many songs, the lyrics to Insect Eyes.
Not sure I would ever choose to listen to this again, but not mad that I gave it a chance. I’m going to give this one: 3⭐️
Garbage
4/5
This one feels like the poster child of 90s grunge-inflected pop/rock. The album's techno-minded sound and Manson's alluring persona complemented and countered the grunge sound Vig had helped pioneer after producing Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind. The musical techniques used on Garbage felt radical at the time and had a clear influence on subsequent popular music, pairing distorted heavy guitar sounds with dark, sultry, sometimes angry female vocals.
Normally I would list the songs I liked on the album, but on this one there are no bad tracks.
4⭐️
Dire Straits
4/5
I was a little kid in 1978, when my dad left this record on his turntable in the basement. For years, as he puttered around doing woodworking and going through his fishing gear, echoes of Mark Knopfler’s guitar licks and Dylan-esque singing filtered up through the vents as I played upstairs. It was one of his favorite albums.
So it’s hard for me to think of this as anything but a classic of literal dad rock. Listening to it now, I’m honestly into this a lot more than I anticipated. Some really fantastic guitar playing and the vocals are catchy and bluesy. It’s not what I would choose everyday (like my dad) but I'd definitely listen again…at least to Sultans of Swing.
4⭐️
The Soft Boys
3/5
I knew some of Robyn Hitchcock’s solo work and of course Katrina and the Waves, but had no idea that they both originated in the Soft Boys.
Another reviewer described this as:
“What if The Byrds were a punk rock band?” which is the perfect description, so I’m stealing it. A fun listen, and you can hear the influences on jangle pop / 1980s indie rock.
Songs I liked: I Wanna Destroy You, Tonight, Queen of Eyes, Underwater Moonlight, I Wanna, Er, Over You.
3⭐️
T. Rex
2/5
I really love 70s rock, but this album is just OK. It’s repetitive and not a fan of the singing style. It’s one that I think I would have liked more if I heard it when it first came out.
Bang a Gong is clearly the best song on the album, and almost sounds like a different band wrote and performed it. That’s even more true with It’s a Rip-off - it’s like someone finally got them in the studio when they weren’t on shrooms (but maybe on uppers?). Also, what did “bang a gong” actually mean in the UK in 1971?
2.5-ish⭐️ (but I’ll round down)
Metallica
3/5
I’ve probably seen the video for One a hundred times. I have heard other songs on this album though the years on occasion, but definitely not a thrash metal guy. Fine to listen to this as part of the 1001 albums project, but for sure not putting it into my rotation.
As many other reviewers have pointed out, this is all guitars and drums. Where is the bass in the mix?
I understand that this is a quintessential album for the genre and Metallica is a group of technically gifted musicians, so I am going to rate it higher than my “do I like it” score:
3.5⭐️ (rounding up to 4 for overall rating; my personal “like” score is 2.5)
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Fleetwood Mac is my mother’s favorite band, and this is her favorite album. I remember hearing it constantly, echoing in from another room; it is the background music of my early childhood. I have no way to separate this personal history from the music, so I will just say it’s a timeless classic and leave it at that.
5⭐️
New Order
3/5
Perfect mix between synths and guitars in the evolution of New Order. You can hear where so many later bands were inspired by New Order’s use of synthesizers and drum machines in dance music, and putting the vocals low in the mix. I like it, but can’t help comparing it to later New Order that is more well known, and I think, better.
3-ish⭐️ (4 for the pioneering instrumental parts, and 2 for the vocals and lyrics)
Black Sabbath
4/5
This is a genre-defining, timeless album. You can see where so many future bands got their influences from, but it is a well-executed classic in its own right.
4.5⭐️
The Jam
4/5
I had heard of the Jam, but never got into their work. Really enjoyed this! It hit that nostalgia punk/pop/New Wave spot in my heart. Sounds like “what if the Clash, but more fun?” I was hooked with the first track!
Songs I liked: Pretty Green, But I’m Different Now, Start!, Set the House Ablaze, Dream Time, Boy About Town, Scrape Away
4⭐️
Christine and the Queens
3/5
I really like 80s music, but not sure if I need more of it created in 2018. That said, it is well executed and cleanly produced. The 1001 Albums Generator is doing exactly what it promised, because there is no way I would have come across modern French pop music on my own. I would not put it in rotation, but not mad that I listened to it.
2.5⭐️ (rounded up to 3 for rating)
Pere Ubu
3/5
Honestly I can’t even say I liked most of it, but man, they sound like they are having so much fun! “Avant-garage” is a great way to describe the sound. It feels like, “What if Talking Heads, but David Byrne had a stroke and no one told him?”
2.5⭐️ (rounded up to 3 for rating)
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I’ve never been a straight ahead blues rock guy. My preferences have always tended more towards art, psychedelic, progressive, and jam band. Based on that, suffice to say in the Beatles vs. Stones debate I’ve always found myself with both feet firmly planted in the Beatles camp.
That said, I have always respected the Stones for their musicianship and longevity. This album with its diverse rock-n-roll, blues, and country flavors just isn’t my bag. There are some great songs on this record, especially the "non-hits" and slower tempo like Sweet Virginia, Loving Cup, Let It Loose, and Shine A Light. In the end, my respect for this work is high as a classic album, but it still doesn't translate into something that makes me want to listen to it repeatedly.
3.5⭐️
Stevie Wonder
4/5
What can I say that hasn’t already been said (by Eddie Murphy)? Stevie Wonder is a musical genius!
4.5⭐️
The Band
2/5
It's decent country rock music with old timey Americana themes (played by mostly Canadians), but it's really not my thing. No song makes me want to give it a second listen. Should have stayed as a backing band for Dylan.
2⭐️
Van Halen
4/5
It's the Van Halen album that first blew up for them, and showcases their instrumental prowess as a band, the best of Diamond Dave's shtick, and the most fun songwriting. This album was everywhere throughout the 1980s, and Jump, Panama and Hot for Teacher have lived on as staples of classic rock radio. On listening today, I was most surprised by how synthesizer-forward so many of the songs were. And House of Pain sounded much heavier than the other songs; not as good a vehicle for David Lee Roth’s vocal style.
4+⭐️
Alice Cooper
3/5
This is the campy, theatrical, dark rock that I expect from Alice Cooper, but it had some surprises and was more entertaining than I hoped for. Mary Ann sounded like it could have been lifted as an outtake from an Emerson, Lake and Palmer album, and Hello Hooray, Elected, No More Mr. Nice Guy and Unfinished Sweet were great tracks.
I can do without ever hearing Sick Things and I Love the Dead again.
3⭐️
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
All I knew about the Dandy Warhols was their name. In 1997 I was living out of the country, and way more interested in exploring the music of a new continent, so this one slipped by me.
This sounds like “what if Garbage, the Breeders and the Lemonheads decided to get together to try to make a Velvet Underground album, with a little Pink Floyd thrown in for good measure.” A bit uneven throughout, but overall a really enjoyable listen!
Songs I Liked: Boys Better, Every Day Should Be a Holiday, Good Morning, Whipping Tree, Cool as Kim Deal, and Pete International Airport
3.5⭐️
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
An underground classic that got lost in the mainstream because 1994 was an amazing year for hip hop releases. I hope some of those records are in this project too (e.g., Nas - Illmatic, B.I.G. - Ready to Die, Big Daddy Kane - Daddy’s Home, Beastie Boys - Ill Communication, Outkast)
DJ Premier is amazing as always with the beats, and the lyrics and flow are a great example of mid-90s NY bravado. Best track: You Can't Stop the Prophet
3⭐️
Beastie Boys
4/5
My favorite Beastie Boys album! This was the CD in my car stereo on repeat for 1994. Truly a classic and such a variety of musical styles; so many great tracks.
Favorites: Sabotage, Root Down, Sure Shot, Get it Together, Flute Loop, Heart Attack Man, Tough Guy.
4.5⭐️
Marty Robbins
3/5
Interesting storytelling and I like Marty Robbins’ timeless voice. Not my scene, but my grandpa used to love this stuff.
Songs I liked: Big Iron, El Paso, The Master's Call, Hanging Tree
3⭐️
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I’m more familiar with older Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, so this was a first listen for me. I’ve always thought of Nick Cave and Tom Waits as being in the same genre and experimenting in similar musical spaces. But I’m more partial to Nick Cave, primarily because the vocals are more melodically pleasing and some of the music remains more accessible while still pushing traditional boundaries.
This double album did not disappoint, with some great songs that I would play on repeat (There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Messiah Ward, Let the Bells Ring, Easy Money, Supernaturally, and O Children) and some others I would not (Fable of the Brown Ape, Lyre of Orpheus, Cannibal’s Hymn). Overall, makes me wonder why I waited so long to seek this out.
3.5⭐️
Keith Jarrett
4/5
I encourage anyone who is about to listen to this record to also read about the story leading up to this performance. Absolutely ridiculous circumstances surrounding the show that really puts the songs in a different perspective. The music itself is great as well. Impressive improvisation throughout. Also surprising to me that a solo piano free-improvisation record became a best seller.
3.5⭐️
Goldie
2/5
This album is called Timeless, but I think they meant to say “Time, less” as in the less time spent with this, the better!
I understand this is a foundational album for jungle/drum’n’bass, but it’s really not my thing. Maybe if I was into Ecstasy…?
2⭐️
John Prine
3/5
Well, country really isn't my genre. Not by a long shot. So I wasn't thrilled to get this album.
After a full listen-through, I will say it was proficiently played 1960s-1970s style country music and Prine’s lyrics are clever, but a lot of it reminded me of songs from the Muppet Show - think Kermit the Frog singing The Rainbow Connection.
I like the Dave Matthews Band version of Angel from Montgomery a lot more.
3⭐️
Love
2/5
Usually with older bands on this list I’ve at least heard some of their work, even if I’m not familiar with their full catalogue. With Love, I didn’t know a single song. This album is all over the place - folk rock, jazz, baroque and the last song tried to do some kind of psychedelic soul thing. Most of the better songs sounded like they were doing an impression of the Doors, really early Pink Floyd, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. This album feels like they had a lot of the building blocks, but didn’t really put them together in new, unique or interesting ways.
2⭐️
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
I love ELO and this album is no exception! Good rock with various styles, ranging from classic to progressive. Jeff Lynne is the fifth Beatle!
Favorite Songs: Mr. Blue Sky, Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin’ Woman, Jungle, Steppin’ Out, Standin’in the Rain
4.5⭐️
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
I play bass, therefore I love Earth, Wind and Fire.
4⭐️
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
A jazz standard filled with notable classics. Dave Brubeck is so precise and complex, and the rest of the team backs him up superbly, particularly Desmond and Morello on the highlight Take Five.
5⭐️
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is peak 60’s Dylan. The actual album is split down the middle between electric and acoustic songs, reflecting the fissure that was taking place in music (and society). The whole album is an expression of Dylan’s out with the old and in with the new sensibility.
One of the first and still one of the best music videos is for Subterranean Homesick Blues. Also, true story - I got kicked out of Sunday School for singing Subterranean Homesick Blues (without the cue cards).
5⭐️
OutKast
4/5
Certified. Legendary. Status. It really doesn't get much better than this. It's innovative and creative and manages to alternate between fun and meaningful without giving the listener whiplash. "Stankonia" is a timeless classic and the best of OutKast, Atlanta rap, Southern rap, and a great of overall hip-hop.
4+⭐️
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Live music that's so well recorded and performed that you can barely tell. Jams that are intricate and interesting, but go on for just a bit too long. Classic!
Favorite songs: Whipping Post, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Hot ‘Lanta
3.5⭐️
Jeff Beck
3/5
I like Jeff Beck as a guitarist (particularly with the Yardbirds), less so as a singer. You can hear where Rod Stewart really evolved into his sound over time in his later solo work; some of this seems uneven to me, especially Shapes of Things. No massive stand out hits but the overall sound is great classic rock without the cheesiness or overplayed aspect of some of the other bands of the time. Loved some sneaky Led Zeppelin vibes in Beck’s Bolero!
3 ⭐️
Steely Dan
4/5
My dad was a dentist in the 1970s through the 1990s, so I think this record was obligatory for his work playlist. It’s like the background music to my childhood visits to his office.
Do It Again and Reelin' In the Years are well-known classics, but my favorite song is Dirty Work. The rest of this album is actually decent too though. There's really no other band that sounds like Steely Dan.
3.5⭐️ (I’ll round up to 4 for rating)
Kate Bush
4/5
Kate Bush to me has always been inextricably linked with one of my favorite artists, Peter Gabriel. Hounds of Love has so many progressive rock inspirations that it is one of those very few examples of progressive pop music. Instrumentation, lyrics, pure weirdness ('Waking the Witch'!) go hand in hand to create something very unique. It could be released now and still sound fresh and relevant. This is indeed a classic that is really timeless.
4.5⭐️
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
I have always loved the Sweet Jane cover but had never listened to this album until now. The soft vocals here are hauntingly beautiful. The mix of covers and originals are kinda cool. The lore surrounding the album is cool. The genre mixing is cool. Albums like this are more about creating an overall vibe and less about making those album defining, standout tracks.
Favorites: Sweet Jane, Dreaming My Dreams With You , I Don’t Get It
3⭐️
Beck
3/5
Great wallowing in sadness album. Great sonic production by Nigel Godrich. Not what I expect from Beck based on his earlier, popular work. I guess I’m more of a “two turntables and a microphone” guy.
3⭐️
This is just middle-of-the-road, bluesy, bar room rock and roll. Nothing unique or surprising but everything was just...fine. Faces is most notable for what some band members did after Faces broke up. Although I think the world would have been perfectly good without Rod Stewart’s solo career.
2⭐️
N.W.A.
4/5
I had this cassette in high school, and like so many other suburban white boys listened to it all the time, thinking I was a bad ass. There’s real shock value, and 35+ years later I can do without some of the language and imagery. But damn, it’s still a fun listen! There are some bangers on here, they had a point of view, and the fact that I still remember a bunch of lyrics tells you how much of an impression it made.
Also, the unsung hero of this album and of N.W.A. generally is the D.O.C. In an alternate timeline where he didn’t injure his vocal cords he could have been as big as Dr. Dre or Ice Cube…
4⭐️
Peter Tosh
2/5
I have to admit that Reggae is not my jam. This was fine musically and after reading the Wikipedia article I understand why it was included in this project. But I wouldn't choose to listen again.
2.5⭐️ (round down to 2 for the rating)
The Who
5/5
I feel like anything I would have to say about this album would be woefully insufficient. I mean, this is the epitome of a 5 star classic rock album - the Who at their musical peak (yes, including Tommy and Quadrophenia).
Some of the best rock songs ever made on this album, including the monumental Baba O'Riley, the blistering Won't Get Fooled Again, and the deeply intense Behind Blue Eyes.
Favorite Songs: Baba O'Riley, Bargain, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again, Going Mobile, My Wife
5⭐️
The Police
4/5
Some of the best works that the Police are known for, a few okay tracks, and one awful song (Mother). Overall, the good far outweighs the bad.
You can hear the changes from earlier albums where they were a true three piece group. On this album, with Sting being the focal point, they lose that cohesion and it’s clearly the swan song of the Police.
Favorite songs: Synchronicity I and II, Every Breath You Take, King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Murder By Numbers
4⭐️
Eminem
4/5
This is funnier than I remember but also lots of horrible messages. People say it hasn’t aged well, but this was also intentionally shocking when it came out in 1999 (and remains so today). Slim Shady was always a goofy, immature, admittedly evil persona that Marshall Mathers created so that he could spew terrible shit in fantastically complex rhymes. The flow and the storytelling are still top notch, and Dr. Dre’s beats…*chef’s kiss*!
4⭐️
Guns N' Roses
4/5
The definitive Guns N Roses album! One of the best rock albums of all time, even if a couple of tunes from it are way too overplayed on radio (paradise city, sweet child o mine) it's still just amazing. I'm more of a Use your Illusion kinda guy, but this is still the work that people know them for, and that’s what makes it a timeless classic!
4⭐️
The xx
3/5
Words that came to mind while listening to this album: melancholy, emo, minimalist, moody, tortured, sparse. It feels like the music that gets played in very hipster coffee shops and trendy, overpriced goth clothing stores.
Which is not to say that I didn’t like it. The interplay of the male and female duet vocals is engaging, especially on Stars, Basic Space and VCR. The instruments are muted and create a sonic fabric, layered over each other in a way that washes over the listener. Cool ambient mood music to put on in the background.
3⭐️
Pearl Jam
4/5
Love this album - was really nice to listen to it again. I was way more into Pearl Jam than Nirvana. This CD basically had a permanent position in my Aiwa 3-disc changer.
Was one of the best debut albums of the early 90s and still holds up today. All great, no filler songs (except maybe the final track is a bit too long).
4.5⭐️
Bob Dylan
3/5
Tangled Up in Blue is incredible. The rest of the album reminded me why I'm a distant admirer rather than a fan of Bob Dylan.
The vocals are an acquired taste. I feel like I like Bob Dylan in spite of the singing, not because of it. The lyrics however are really inspired. My suggestion is to have them available when you listen to this album. It really helps your enjoyment.
Favorite songs: Tangled Up in Blue, Shelter from the Storm, Idiot Wind, Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
3.5⭐️
AC/DC
4/5
It's fundamental, basic, and timeless. This may not be the first, but it is still the most prototypical hard rock album. People love the songs on this record so much, and have heard them so many times in movies, TV shows and at sporting events (and for me growing up they were a staple of school dances), that they don’t have to think about them anymore. They’re just part of the experience. Which is good, because the lyrics (such as they are) don’t really matter. It’s all about loud, bold, power chord, blow your socks off rock (but in the best possible way).
4⭐️
Nirvana
5/5
One of my favorite Nirvana albums. Something magical about this performance, although maybe it's my nostalgia. The stripped down sound of acoustic Nirvana and the raw, intimate emotion of Kurt Cobain’s voice throughout really singles this out. Nirvana would never again achieve this level of artistry, and we are all better off for the fact that it was captured as a moment in time.
For my money, this is the definitive version of The Man Who Sold the World. They out-Bowied Bowie.
5⭐️
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
I wouldn’t have sought this out, but happily surprised. It’s well done, chill, jazzy bossa nova. I don’t speak Portuguese, but enjoyed the vibe very much. Might put it on in the background next time my in-laws come over for dinner.
3⭐️
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I’ve worn out my copy of Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits, so a fan of their work generally but not to go on a deep dive.
America and Mrs. Robinson are, of course, excellent. Great cover of Hazy Shade of Winter, too. Several other songs I hadn't heard before that were good, but not great. Voices of Old People isn't something I would listen to again.
4.25⭐️, because I can't quite round up to 5.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
already knew most of the songs, but hearing it all come together as one album makes it all the better. Some classic stuff here.
4⭐️
Justice
3/5
Not my usual genre, but this was very big, bold and mostly catchy, which I don't usually get out of electronic music. Sounds a bit like older Daft Punk, which is a plus for me.
3⭐️
Johnny Cash
3/5
Johnny Cash all the things!!! Cool concept. Hurt and Personal Jesus are my two favorites.
3+⭐️
Rush
5/5
I have been waiting for this album since I started the project! Rush is my favorite band and this is my favorite album. It showcases their musical virtuosity, high concept lyrics and storytelling, and it’s still a banger by today’s standards. Each is a master of their respective instrument, and the sum is more than each part. Quite possibly the easiest 5 star review I’ve given.
5⭐️
The Vines
2/5
Meh. Trying to be Nirvana and Oasis at the same time is hard. And these guys came up short. Not sure why this album is one I must hear before I die.
2⭐️
Anita Baker
3/5
Anita Baker has a very strong vocal performance, with high quality mid-1980s production, but it feels electronic and sterile. Nothing to hate, but the quiet storm isn’t for me (it’s only for the grown and sexy people).
3⭐️
R.E.M.
4/5
Ah, this one is filled with nostalgia for me! I think of this album as the midway point between R.E.M being an indy band and getting huge. The one album that could keep everyone happy. Document was always my favorite, but this one has a lot of hits. Always makes me appreciate the band and want to go through the back catalog.
4⭐️
Deep Purple
3/5
Great album, lots of awesome heavy riffs mixed with interesting chord progressions to give a little something for everyone. Ambitious keyboard + guitar work, and what's not to love listening to the OG Jesus Christ Superstar wailing away?
3⭐️
Ride
3/5
Compact wall of sound with intriguing but beautiful melodies in what is one of the more significant shoegaze releases. Not sure it’s an album I had to hear before I die, but a worthwhile listen nonetheless.
Favorite songs: Seagull, Decay, Dreams Burn Down, Nowhere
3⭐️
The Stooges
3/5
It's obvious from the first track that so many bands that followed them were influenced heavily by the Stooges. This album is raw and visceral. The feeling of this whole album is one of an amazing live show, where the power and emotion is front and center.
3⭐️
Depeche Mode
4/5
It’s my first full time through this album although I’ve heard Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth a million times. Really like this vibe and will revisit this album in the future.
4⭐️
Barry Adamson
2/5
An interesting concept, but I have neither the time nor the inclination to listen to the soundtracks of movies that don’t exist. But even more so when a lot of it isn’t great music. Another album from this project that I’m quite certain I didn’t need to hear before I died.
2⭐️
Pentangle
2/5
It was kind of interesting at first but it lost me over time. I ended up just not really liking it without being able to put my finger on why. 1969 must have been a crazy time!
2⭐️
Radiohead
4/5
Not quite at the levels of OK Computer, but it's super complex and experimental annd extremely well mixed. Radiohead really is one of the best modern bands.
4⭐️
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
A good Neil Young album, but certainly not his best. Some songs really don't click with me, but they are compensated with some great rockers such as Country Home and mansion on the Hill. Peak grunge phase Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
3⭐️
PJ Harvey
4/5
A raw & abrasive almost-masterpiece of the OG PJ Harvey trio. Steve Albini is truly fantastic here and elevates the music and lyrics fantastically.
Favorite songs: Rid of Me, Man-Size Sextet, 50ft Queenie, Snake
4⭐️
Pink Floyd
4/5
I like psychedelia. I think weird and unorthodox music like psych/prog rock is vastly more interesting than anything that's been on the pop charts for ages. I like nontraditional song structures, with strange chord progressions and time signatures. I really enjoy the 1967-1979 era when rock musicians were really pushing the boundaries of music, creating cohesive mind-expanding albums instead of cheap radio pop singles.
Even though this album shows its age, it is much more inventive than anything produced in this century. I find it fascinating that music like this ever sold, back in the day. It's the opposite of radio-friendly. I will say that this album is not a great intro to Pink Floyd. Their later albums are more well known and definitely the reason they are considered one of the timeless classics of rock.
Favorite Songs: Astronomy Domine, Lucifer Sam, Interstellar Overdrive, Bike
Also, the album cover looks like a bunch of rejected actors for 1960s Doctor Who (which is a positive!).
4⭐️
The Smiths
3/5
Was never really a Smiths fan, but now I can appreciate the band musically. I still think that Morrisey is one of most overated singers of all time though.
3⭐️
k.d. lang
3/5
I should start by saying that this kind of low key adult contemporary music with the occasional country twang is absolutely not my thing. Not that I hate it. It just would never occur to me to listen to it. But I'll do my best. The first thing to note is that k.d. lang is an excellent singer. The music and lyrics are…fine. I can recognize what they are going for, appreciate it, but still not really like it. But Constant Craving is a bop!
3⭐️
Love
2/5
Honestly, there's nothing really stand out here. Some of these songs are duds some are okay but nothing tips the scales either way. On balance, it's decidedly mediocre. I liked A House Is Not A Motel and Bummer In The Summer alright though. So it's saved from a failing mark on the weight of those two songs alone.
2.5⭐️
4/5
I enjoyed this album a lot, especially since it's not a style I normally listen to. The Cisco Kid is great. I also liked City, Country, City even though it clocked in at 13 minutes.
4⭐️
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
No thanks on the Lolita-esque, proto-ASMR concept album. First I thought I didn’t like it only because it was in French and I didn’t understand it. Then I read what it was about and I was sure I didn’t like it.
1⭐️
M.I.A.
2/5
Interesting and eclectic blend of styles, and politics, and it's rare to find something that is so mixed up like this. The vocals get a bit grating and one-note at times. So for its uniqueness I guess I see why it is on the list, but I didn’t enjoy it.
2⭐️
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Beautiful ephemeral pop that I could listen to on loop forever. Couldn’t tell if the lyrics were in English 95% of the time, and I didn’t care. What a great layered, wall of sound album.
3⭐️
Norah Jones
3/5
Singer/songwriter meets jazz piano for nice chill background songs. I love the tone of her voice. Unfortunately, it’s become standard “Starbucks music” but that shouldn’t take away from the album, which was hugely popular when it first debuted.
3⭐️
Pink Floyd
5/5
I mean, it's a timeless masterpiece! Monster hits every single track (Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Welcome to the Machine, Have a Cigar, and Wish You Were Here) Some of the best and most popular progressive rock music ever written. No complaints, only positive thoughts for this one.
5⭐️
Hole
3/5
Celebrity Skin is a great power pop album and an interesting way to depart from the grunge style from previous Hole works. The changes in the line up and production style (thanks to Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins) resulted in an album about California that works very well as a single theme record. Love's lyrics are at her peak, exploring themes of superficiality and sexism. "Celebrity Skin" and "Malibu" perfectly embody 1998’s music scene.
3.5⭐️
Little Richard
4/5
These are the kind of records I expect to get from this project. Classic in every sense of the word. An undoubtedly important and influential piece of music. Without Little Richard’s success I don’t think most of the rest of the list would even exist.
However, this seems like a "you had to be there" kind of thing. Seeing him perform during that era was probably insane. It's definitely an album that doesn’t fully capture that live concert experience.
4.5⭐️
Mariah Carey
2/5
Not unpleasant, and I can see how some R&B fans might like this, but it's not for me. Every track sounds exactly the same. Mariah doesn't really sing songs so much as just moan scales.
2⭐️
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The Stones at their best, a golden age far much better than their later career from the 80s on. Paint it Black is far and away the best of the album.
4⭐️
Screaming Trees
2/5
Kinda surprised to find this album on here. No real hits; I guess All I Know is the most famous song on this one, but does not compare to Nearly Lost You (far and away their most well-known track).
It's not a bad album, but there's nothing remarkable about it either. To me, it's just another of the dozens of bands that put Led Zeppelin through a Nirvana filter.
2.5⭐️
Arcade Fire
4/5
I’m too old for this to be “the music of my youth” so I never listened to a full Arcade Fire album before today.
But I have always heard that Arcade Fire was on the vanguard of this generation of indie rock. I quite liked this. Good energy, musicianship and lyrics; I will seek out more of their work.
4⭐️
4/5
This is the album that made Oasis a household name. And for good reason. It's an undeniable powerhouse of a record. There's not a bad track on here. Anyway, here's "Wonderwall."
4-5⭐️
Cheap Trick
3/5
Cheap Trick captures their sound in an amazing live venue. This live album does exactly what all live albums should: make you wish you were in the crowd that night (even if, like me, you are not the biggest Cheap Trick fan)!
3⭐️
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Never really been fan of “White Rabbit”. I mean it’s ok, but it’s no “Somebody to Love”, which easily makes it into in the top 5 songs of the 60’s. The rest of the record pales in comparison to those two hits, but it’s enjoyable overall. This band is clearly at their best when they’re playing in rock mode rather than folky acoustic shit.
3⭐️
Slint
2/5
I feel like there is music that music theorists love that I just don’t get and this album is it. In one word: Pretentious. In two words: Whisper Shouty.
2⭐️
Big Black
1/5
No thank you. Just noise. Completely unnecessary inclusion.
1⭐️
Ray Price
2/5
I am not a country fan, and this sounds like just about every other country record from the late 50’s or early 60’s that you’ve ever heard. Not objectionable, but not necessarily an album I needed to hear.
2⭐️
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Brilliant corners is simply a timeless classic. Monk's style may be off putting for some with his crunchy dissonant, off kilter dissonant piano playing, but therein also lies his genius. Allstar band. Highlight for me is Bemsha Swing.
4⭐️
Soundgarden
4/5
Chris Cornell was the lead in spirit as well as voice; what a masterful performance! The guitar work is also stellar, and really set the tone for a lot of harder rock that came after (e.g. Foo Fighters). Unsurprisingly, Black Hole Sun is my favorite track.
4⭐️
Goldfrapp
3/5
This was a interesting record, but definitely sounds like a study of rejected James Bond movie theme songs. I like the singer’s ethereal voice and the arrangements. That said, one time listening to this is more than enough for me.
3⭐️
The Band
3/5
"Wait. Let’s try this again. Do you see the band on stage?"
"No, I don’t see The Band, that’s a different group entirely!"
"On stage, Skippy! Look, see the band?"
"No I don’t!"
"Get rid of those John Lennon glasses and look! There, there’s the band!"
"No, that’s not The Band! The Band is performing later on. Who is onstage."
https://youtu.be/MC7lUOT3xPg
This is the best thing about The Band. They should be the backing group for Dylan; not everyone should go out on their own. Without focus, this is a jam on record. A couple of classic songs (The Weight, Long Black Veil) surrounded by forgettable, generic bluesy folk rock.
3⭐️ (2⭐️ of which are for The Weight)
Suzanne Vega
4/5
Beautifully arranged album, Suzanne Vega has a gorgeous, wistful, voice which lends itself perfectly to her fantastic guitar playing. You can definitely hear the influence artists like Lou Reed and Bob Dylan have on her work.
4⭐️
Tim Buckley
1/5
Like a 70s porn flick…this has not aged well. Not my bag, and doesn’t even seem that Tim Buckley was popular when he was putting out music (putting out…see what I did there? I could write these lyrics). White boy sex funk honky tonk bullshit. No thanks.
1⭐️
The Kinks
3/5
I'm familiar with the usual Kinks songs but had only heard one of the tracks on this album (Picture Book). I am always down for a concept album, even when some of it doesn’t work. I keep listening to the title track over and over again. It's got a Lewis Carroll feel to it. There are a few silly songs on the album towards the end (what’s with the Wizard of Oz munchkin voice effects?), but they don't really distract from the whole and even those have some parts that are worthwhile.
3⭐️
Moby
3/5
To me Moby comes across less as a musician, and more as a reupholsterer. He chooses old African-American spirituals, as one might find a beautiful old sofa. He hammers the old melodies into shape, puttying over any small imperfections. He then applies some new material, slick beats crisp and bright (like new fabric on an old sofa), to make the original content marketable to a contemporary consumer. It's a professional and precise product but it feels cold and inauthentic.
(Note: This is not my original writing, but it so perfectly captures how I felt listening to this album that I am going to “borrow” it - thanks!)
2.5⭐️
Kate Bush
4/5
Beautiful, lyrical, ethereal. The opening and closing tracks are exquisite. Kate Bush is in a class of her own.
4⭐️
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
This is why I’m doing this project. Absolutely not the kind of music I would ever come across organically, but an important work. I appreciate being introduced to this album, as it also lays groundwork for later psychedelic influence from the likes of The Beatles, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and many others I'm sure.
3.5⭐️
Metallica
4/5
After the muddled production and ultracomplicated song structures of ...And Justice for All, Metallica decided that they had taken the progressive elements of their music as far as they could and that a simplification and streamlining of their sound was in order. While the assessment made sense from a musical standpoint, it also presented an opportunity to commercialize their music, and Metallica accomplishes both goals. The best songs are more melodic and immediate, the crushing, stripped-down grooves of "Enter Sandman," "Sad but True," and "Wherever I May Roam" sticking to traditional structures and using the same main riffs throughout; the crisp, professional production by Bob Rock adds to their accessibility. "The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters" avoid the slash-and-burn guitar riffs that had always punctuated the band's ballads; the latter is a full-fledged love song complete with string section, which works much better than might be imagined. The song- and riff-writing slips here and there, a rare occurrence for Metallica, which some longtime fans interpreted as filler next to a batch of singles calculated for commercial success. The objections were often more to the idea that Metallica was doing anything explicitly commercial, but millions more disagreed. In fact, the band's popularity exploded so much that most of their back catalog found mainstream acceptance in its own right, while other progressively inclined speed metal bands copied the move toward simplification. In retrospect, Metallica is a very good commercial success, but not quite great, album, one whose best moments deservedly captured the heavy metal crown, but whose approach also foreshadowed a creative decline.
4⭐️
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
As someone who is squarely Gen X, I think I get what they were going for in the moment, but from the first note (or scream) this was a complete fail.
There were so many good albums that came out in 1996 that could have been on this list: Gin Blossoms - Congratulations I’m Sorry, Cowboy Junkies - Lay it Down, Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music…, Barenaked Ladies - Born on a Pirate Ship and Rock Spectacle, Marillion - Made Again, Slater-Kinney - Call the Doctor, The Verve Pipe - Villains, Local H - As Good as Dead, Veruca Salt - Blow it Out…, The Cranberries - To the Faithful Departed, DMB - Crash, The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse, De La Soul - Stakes Is High, A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes and Life, R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi, Rush - Test for Echo, Cake - Fashion Nugget, Weezer - Pinkerton, Nirvana - From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, Phish - Billy Breathes, Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites, Paula Cole - This Fire, Wilco - Being There, Rusted Root - Remember or even Nerf Herder.
But instead we got…this…
1⭐️
Charles Mingus
3/5
This is heavy music--there's a lot going on here, and I don't think this is a jazz album to drop in the middle of a broader range of styles and say, "Here, this one is one of the best." It may be, but it's for hardcore jazzheads. I think "Mingus Ah Um" or "Mingus Plays Piano" is better for the general listener to get familiar with Mingus. This would be better suited for "1001 Jazz Albums To Hear Before You Die." Great album? Probably. Over my head? Definitely. 3/5, just because our esteemed editors haven't read the room. Including this album is just pretentious or lazy; not sure which.
3⭐️
Beth Orton
3/5
I liked her wistful way of singing, perhaps for one song at a time. I don't love a whole album of her voice. Her songs are pretty but aside from "Stolen Car," nothing really stands out to me.
2.5⭐️
Prince
4/5
Classic Prince! Huge hits, a few good grooves, and some random crap that still sounds funky. This one is an easy:
5⭐️
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
New album to me and truly nothing grabbed me. Meh version of standard 90s pop rock IMO
2.5⭐️
Green Day
4/5
An amazing collection of guitar-driven pop songs. Always happy to hear this record, and still holds up after more than 25 years. A hugely influential album. In my opinion, the pinnacle of pop punk.
4⭐️
Elliott Smith
4/5
Tragic figure. You can really tell he was influenced by the Beatles, particularly Lennon. Smith ultimately inspired later artists like Ben Folds and the Shins, two of my favorites. Great stuff here, but think it was included since it was his final work (and the iconic album cover). Either/Or is still my favorite of his albums.
4⭐️
3/5
Snoop Dogg
4/5
George Michael
3/5
The front half of this one is great. I remember when the single for Faith was released and it was a massive hit. You can hear the strong Prince influence on the front half, which is probably why I like it. Then, the back half hits. Seems like they lost steam and ideas. Also, essentially 14 minutes of this thing is devoted to "I Want Your Sex." Catchy tune, but c'mon.
3⭐️
The Offspring
3/5
Offspring is like Taco Bell for Punk. If someone said "I want Mexican food" it isn't my recommendation, but it deserves it own category for just how tasty it can be (even if it’s junk food)…
3.5⭐️
Spiritualized
2/5
Like a VERY 90's Pink Floyd!
2.5⭐️
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Far too sexy for me. Makes me feel uncomfortable. Fuck knows what that says about me.
4⭐️
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This is one of my all time favorites. Zeppelin at their most varied, including crushing blues, heavy metal, acoustic and folk. Since I've Been Loving You is among my all time favorites.
5⭐️
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Pleasant. But if I never heard it again, or never had heard it, I don't think my life would be any the poorer.
2⭐️
JAY Z
4/5
Jay-Z was always big but this is before everyone's grandparents knew who he was. H to the Izzo is a classic. Takeover is ruthless. Girls, Girls, Girls is funny as hell. I like the reminder that before Jay-Z hung out with Obama he stabbed a guy in a club a month after this album came out. Definitely gets a little repetitive (drugs, girls, etc) but I like that each song has a structure and arc and sticks to a subject unlike most rap today. The middle of the album is little weaker and I was excited for Renegade. Foundational album and I didn’t remember that it came out on 9/11/01!
4⭐️
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I don't blame Robert Wyatt for making this album full of noodling nonsense. I blame the project for including this album - so many other good experimental works came out in 1974 that could have been included instead of this one. Weather Report Mysterious Traveller would be a good choice!
1⭐️
Elvis Costello
4/5
What a debut! Costello came out of the gate running. Pure anger, spitting power pop. BT: Welcome To The Working Week, Alison, (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
4⭐️
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I am not a Joni Mitchell fan, but I do think she has a way with writing lyrics. What saves this album for me is the inclusion of the best bassist of the 1970s, Jaco Pastorious. Mitchell appears to have given Pastorious the record and just said, please bass all over this, and the result is glorious!
3⭐️
Meat Puppets
3/5
Post-punk/post-rockabilly, proto-grunge - call it what you will, but this is fun. I’ve liked the Meat Puppets for a long time. Not my favorite album (that would be Too High to Die), but a good representation of their varied styles.
3⭐️
Van Halen
4/5
What a classic album. Their first, legendary. Eruption is a true form guitar solo turned song.
4.5⭐️
Madonna
4/5
You can't really argue with what Madonna does, love it or hate it, she's very good at her pop thing. This album is full of classic pop tracks, easy to sing along with, easy to dance to, easy to relate to. I'm not a big pop fan these days but I enjoy most things she put out through the 80s. It's so streamlined and polished. Good stuff.
4⭐️
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Fun, upbeat, different to what I would usually listen to. Honestly enjoyed listening to this album.
3⭐️
The Youngbloods
2/5
Well, this was a strange one. A bit folky. A bit rocky. A bit jazzy. A bit country. A bit too averagey. Nothing stood out for me, and there was nothing to get my teeth into. It flowed over me like water over a rock. And left me just as cold.
2⭐️
Ray Charles
4/5
Damn awesome execution of this idea. Ray Charles voice is timeless, and though some of the strings and background vocals are a bit overdone, the blues approach to country/western is very cool.
4⭐️
Joni Mitchell
2/5
What have I done to deserve two Joni Mitchell albums in one week? Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.
2⭐️
Dire Straits
5/5
Mark Knopfler is a beast all over this project, one of the best rock albums ever made. Effortlessly cool and technically brilliant.
5⭐️
Led Zeppelin
4/5
'Physical Graffiti' is a Zeppelin album that I've had to warm up to over the years. The diversity of musical styles on this album is just unreal, with each track hitting you in its own unique way. At first, it didn't grab me the same way Led Zeppelin II or IV did.
This another one where the first half is full of great stuff and the longer it goes on, the more I wish it had stopped. This is an amazing ten song album, but there are fifteen songs.
Still…4⭐️
Bob Dylan
4/5
I like this more than I thought I would. I am glad that this album was selected instead of one of the folk albums, since I tend to not be a big fan of folk. "Like a Rolling Stone" is on this one, and it is the greatest song ever written, according to Rolling Stone (seems sus, but whatever). I'm more of a, "A Change is Gonna Come" guy myself.
My personal enjoyment: 3⭐️
Did it belong on this list: 5⭐️
Bob Dylan
1/5
So oddly enough I got Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited yesterday, and now this. Wow, what a change a few decades make - and not for the better. This was a dirge and a slog. The people who say that you shouldn’t listen to anything from Dylan after 1975 are onto something.
1⭐️
John Coltrane
5/5
One of the most important records ever made, John Coltrane's A Love Supreme was his pinnacle studio outing, that at once compiled all of the innovations from his past, and glimpsed at the future innovations of his final two and a half years.
5⭐️
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I don't need to listen to this album (for the 5 millionth time) to give it 5 stars. Every song is a winner.
5⭐️ 5⭐️ 5⭐️
Portishead
4/5
Classic alert! They have a pretty unique sound as a band, only problem I have with them is they never really stray from this sound. IMO this is the only portishead album you really need to listen to, the others all sound the same but worse.
4⭐️
Bad Company
3/5
Bland Company. Short average dad rock. Not bad but not memorable.
3⭐️
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Classic album. Janis Joplin is timeless. R. Crumb’s graphics on the album cover did not age well (even if meant to be a send-up in 1968…).
3⭐️ for enjoyment
5⭐️ for it’s place in this project
____
4⭐️ average score
The Verve
3/5
The verve are far too average to have more than one album on this list. Frankly, this can be set for most artists with more than one album listed.
3⭐️
Various Artists
1/5
Good production can’t cover the fact that this is still a collection of fucking Christmas songs.
Also, fuck Phil Spector.
1⭐️
Lou Reed
4/5
One of the all-time classics. And Reed’s best. Bowie’s involvement in this is probably no coincidence. A distillation of his best late Velvets sound with some superbly crafted rock songs.The fact he also sidesteps this with songs like Perfect Day and Walk On The Wild Side make this album far from a one-trick pony. I love the different moods and tempos, but it all hangs together beautifully to evoke New York life and style at the time. And Satellite Of Love is one of those recordings that can’t fail to make you feel better, no matter your mood when it starts.
5⭐️
Janis Joplin
4/5
Honest, raw and polished in equal measure. A good listen. Sadly one of the prominent members of the 27 Club.
4⭐️
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Even if every song on the album sucked, except for California dreamin, it’d still be a 3 because that song is still great. Good album overall. Would listen again.
3.5⭐️
John Lennon
3/5
As a kid, I would have given this a 5. As the album hits it the middle group of songs, it becomes more average. By the end you realize Spector’s production is the only thing making some of the average songs great, along with mysticism around Lennon’s celebrity. As an adult with a new perspective, the album is good, but not as big as I once thought it was. I would give this:
3.5⭐️
Nirvana
4/5
This is the best of it's genre and an extremely important album to boot. It's style, sound, and substance was huge, managing to enjoy mainstream success while also resonating with music nerds of the day (and today). To top it all off, it managed to do this while being the follow-up to the darling Nevermind, and it still rocks.
4⭐️
4/5
Sixteen year old me chalks this up as an easy 5. And upon listening again, 50-year old me is pleased to mostly agree with my younger self. Bono gets on my nerves pretty fast as a person, but I have to think even his harshest critics have to give him credit for a lot here, especially With Or Without You and my favorite track on the album, Bullet The Blue Sky. This was the moment for U2 when everything fell together, and they finally reached an audience who somehow missed their landmark performance at Live Aid two years earlier. The three hit songs from this album are arguably the three most popular of the band's career. It's almost the definition of a quintessential album.
4.5⭐️
Black Flag
3/5
So this is what Henry Rollins did when he was younger? I was surprised how "adolescent" the themes were e.g. I'm bored, don't wanna watch TV. Not bad as hardcore punk, but not my bag.
2.5⭐️
Billy Bragg
2/5
Not really appealing to me, quite boring. The only reason this is on the list as far as I can tell is that the lyrics are from Woody Guthrie’s rejected song notes.
2⭐️
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The Rolling Stines can fill out a Greatest Hits release with ease, but I have yet to find what I would call a good Stone's album. Does this one really deserve to be on the list? There are two amazing songs (Sympathy for the Devil and Prodigal Son) mixed in with a a bunch of unforgettable bluesy snoozers. I'm not denying their talent as a band, just that this album deserves to be on here when many other albums are more complete and polished.
2.5⭐️ (one star for each hit, 0.5 for the rest)
The Bees
2/5
Chill, mellow, eclectic lo-fi music for commercials and hipster travel videos on YouTube. Not a bad album but does not belong on this list at all.
2⭐️
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
I am a fan of Neil Young’s later solo work, and also a good amount of CSN(&Y). This feels like all the building blocks for the future are there, but sometimes they just didn’t quite put them together perfectly.
3⭐️
Neil Young
3/5
A couple of great songs - Walk On and Vampire Blues. Something so mysterious and unconventional about his voice - seems like it should be grating and annoying but it never is.
3⭐️
The Icarus Line
2/5
The album is just kind of a lot of noise. It sounds like any other garage rock / 2000's White Stripes copy. Unfortunately, this album doesn't bring anything new or interesting to the table. It's weird that anyone would put this on a list of quintessential albums.
1.5⭐️
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
You need to be in the right mindset to connect with morbid depressive off-kilter discordant folk, I guess. Unfortunately, I was not, and not sure I will give this another chance.
2⭐️
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
LCD Soundsystem is clearly influenced by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Talking Heads and Kraftwerk. Kind of thrown in a blender and strained through a 2007 sieve, so not as good as the originals. That said, I generally found something to like in listening to each song. Not amazing, but better than most electronic/dance/rock(?) from this time period.
2.5⭐️ (but I’ll round up)
Paul Simon
3/5
Interesting mix of material that is still very reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel (like Duncan or Peace like a River) and that which is markedly different (like the opening track Mother and Child Reunion and Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard for example). Most of the rest of the tracks are arranged fairly simply but have a different feel than your average Simon and Garfunkel track; jazzier/more soulful & a little more laid back & personal/conversational.
3.5⭐️
The Pharcyde
4/5
One of the cornerstone west-coast hip-hop acts of the 1990s, the Pharcyde is just one of those bands that you know if you're into hip-hop. They offered a completely different take on the genre with their lighthearted (at times straight-up goofy) lyrics in a time when hardcore gangsta rap dominated. Passin’ Me By is still one of my favorite hip hop songs of all time.
Like most rap, especially older albums, there are lyrics that didn’t age well. But I have the perspective and memory of being there when the album was new, so it’s easier for me to overlook and think about this album in that context.
4⭐️
Suede
3/5
Can’t say that I am too familiar with Suede. A dark and melancholic album. Some of the guitar work really shines. Some good songs and heavily influenced by Bowie.
3⭐️
Michael Jackson
4/5
This is one where “you had to be there.” I grew up when Michael Jackson was putting out music, and we all knew he was a strange guy (of course, not to the extent of being a criminal) and it didn’t matter because his music was just that good!
Bad is an incredible, era defining album. Music that everyone enjoys and knows the words to. The production is crisp and beautifully crafted, every synthetic sound is perfectly constructed. The only reason I don’t think it is a 5 is because I’m saving that rating for Thriller.
4.5⭐️
Finley Quaye
1/5
Definitely don’t need to listen to Scottish Reggae before I die. Yet another questionable inclusion on this list…
1.5⭐️
SAULT
2/5
I very much doubt that I'm the target audience for this album. Initially I enjoyed the beats and there's some really nice progressions in there. Compare this, however, to Public Enemy, NWA, RATM - they went for the jugular, they meant it with a passion. This album is watered-down with lightweight easy-to-swallow commercial chants for an ASMR generation.
2⭐️
Paul Weller
3/5
Released in 1993, but the songs could have been released in 1973. Almost feels like a contemporary work by Traffic or Blind Faith with some James Taylor thrown in for good measure. It just has a rich, mellow soulful sound that is not tied to the era it was released, having none of the grunge or jam rock that was so prevalent in the early 1990s (at least in North America, maybe things were different in the UK).
3.5⭐️
Dr. Dre
4/5
An album that changes music. How did that make this list? Oh right, 90s hip hop!
I think more garbage and pretension has been written about this album by suburban white critics than the same breed writing about Jimi Hendrix. In fact it is a great album. Dr. Dre knows the form (much better than I do) and grows, expands and changes it. Snoop shows why he becomes a star. And the anger and bitterness is nicely done.
Taking off half a point for the skits and because (like most rap from this time) some language and themes don’t age well.
4.5⭐️
Public Enemy
5/5
Public Enemy does not sound dated at all - so many of the lyrics and topics are 100% as relevant today (30+ years later)! Yet what makes this album (and PE's other early (pre~1994) albums) especially fantastic isn't just the lyrics/topics but the kickass music - judicious samples and hard beats; if the music isn't any good, the message isn't going to be heard - and the music is great.
Chuck D was never better than on this collection - "Welcome to the Terrordome" and of course the huge hit "Fight the Power" are standouts. I still can’t hear 1989 without immediately thinking “a number, another summer…”. "Burn Hollywood Burn" might be the best of them all - the beat is intense and high-paced, and guest verses from Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube make this catchy as hell.
Fear Of A Black Planet also works so well because it is truly a complete *album* rather than a smattering of tracks here and there. It's not the best hip-hop album ever made, but it might be the one that has the most to say.
5⭐️
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Essential Wings album. Haven't listened to too much of them, so I enjoyed hearing this album in its entirety. Noticed a line that Dave Matthews must have lifted for "Dancing Nancies" in the song "Mrs. Vandebilt": 'what's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying."
Highlights:
Band on the Run
Jet
Bluebird
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
4.5⭐️
Radiohead
4/5
Ok the highlights on this album were incredible, with “2 + 2 = 5” probably being my favorite, but “There, There” and “Where I End and You Begin” also being standouts. At this point in Radiohead’s discography, there were 2 groups of fans they had: those who preferred their more traditional rock sounds of “The Bends” and “OK Computer”, and the other group of fans who preferred the more experimental/electronic sounds of “Kid A” and “Amnesiac”. Personally I’m in the former, but I feel like this album does a good job of bridging the gap between those two camps. This album is pretty political and that can get pretty one-note and tiring, especially when you add in the fact that this is Radiohead’s longest album, coming in at 56 minutes. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but it wouldn’t be the first Radiohead album I’d recommend to someone.
3.5⭐️
Beatles
4/5
Possibly the best of the Beatles’ early work. Features all time great tracks like ‘Hard Days Night’ & ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ as well as some lesser known greats like ‘I Should Have Known Better’.
4.5⭐️ (because their later work is even better)
Jurassic 5
4/5
Jurassic 5 has long been a hip hop favorite of mine. Quality Control is probably one of my favorite hip hop albums, so I was excited to get this today.
J5 features 4 rappers (and 2 DJs - which does not equal 5), all with unique voices that come together for choruses and harmonies. Chali 2na's deep flow is my favorite, but there isn't a weak voice in the group, and all deliver with incredibly creative writing and rhyming.
With rap music generally way too caught up in objectification of women, violence, and drugs, the comparative positivity of Jurassic 5 is refreshing. They were not the only group cultivating their style and skill rather than trying to be edgy and hard - and they deserve acclaim alongside Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, De La Soul, and others. "Power in Numbers" is a throwback to the 80s with breaks, scratches, (lots of credit to DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist for shaping that sound), but it still feels (or felt?) fresh.
4⭐️
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Fair play for abandoning the Sex Pistols' sound and exploring new and interesting sonic textures, but this seems like a case of PiL crawling in a slow, ungainly manner so other post-punks could run. There's music that’s discordant in an edgy, strangely hypnotic way (which this is some of the time), and then there are downright tuneless, repetitive dirges (which this album veers into a bit too often).
2.5⭐️
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Super chill listen. Not something I’d reach for all the time, but i wouldn't turn it off if I was like at a dinner party with my in laws or my parents, and we were having like some charcuterie.
3⭐️
Gang Of Four
3/5
This was a fun surprise. I was not familiar with this group. If you're into punk, this is going to work for you. It's everything you love about punk - all the energy and the sheer, nihilistic joy - but with the added spice of funky beats. Feels a little like proto-Red Hot Chili Peppers!
3⭐️
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I had no clue this album existed. So jangly and grungy. Love Elvis Costello but this one is not his best.
2⭐️
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
This is an enthusiastic “ok”. The title track throws thunderbolts down on everything around it, but the record is consistently pleasant. It just makes me wish they’d stretched to write more of their own compositions, rather than this bunch of covers that slide smoothly down amnesia alley. Gives me the feeling of walking into a sleazy bar in an old movie, which I like.
2.5⭐️
Tom Waits
1/5
WTF is this? Terrible... It sounds like drunk Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean trying to make a concept album.
I just don’t get the love for Tom Waits…
1⭐️
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
When it comes to the Goth/dance sound this pales in comparison to the Cure and New Order. I found the vocals a bit annoyingly repetitive.
2.5⭐️
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
More a concept album about being an angry. Very much captures the time but also sounds dated for it. Some of the slower jams are pretty good. "Closer" is probably the most well known song that you can’t play on the radio. "Hurt" is obviously fantastic but skip to the Johnny Cash version.
3⭐️
Lorde
3/5
Randy Marsh is a fantastic singer: “I’m Lorde. Lorde, Lorde. Ya ya ya…”
But seriously, a good pop album produced by Jack Antonoff. More of what has made him famous (particularly with Taylor Swift). For Lorde, I prefer her debut album which feels a little more raw.
Favorite Songs: Green Light, The Louvre, Perfect Places, Homemade Dynamite
3.5⭐️
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Hell yes! Hard to believe this was their first album and they weren’t even signed yet. They had it all: the swagger, the musicianship, those vocals, Robert Plant in puffy shirts. The only reason this isn’t a full five is that their later albums are even better.
4.5⭐️
Adele
3/5
Adele's incredible vocal talent makes for a great album, and her singing would not be out of place in an opera, but this is a pretty safe pop album.
3⭐️
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
The most important hip hop album of the decade, with hard-hitting lyricism, flow beyond compare, and incredible jazz and funk-influenced beats.
4.5⭐️
Jethro Tull
4/5
First concert I ever went to was Jethro Tull. Anybody who complains about the flute knows what they can do with said instrument. This is a classic from start to finish.
4⭐️
Suede
3/5
Not that familiar with Suede’s discography. Because it is the precursor to a lot of Britpop, it ends up being an album that has a nostalgic vibe despite me not knowing many of the songs.
3⭐️
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
This is a very interesting album. In many ways it feels very retro - like parts of this came straight out of the 70s. But those parts are fused with some very modern influences. I found it quite remarkable.
3.5⭐️
Nick Drake
3/5
It's very brooding and moody and all, but somehow also relaxing and vocally monotone? I honestly don’t think I’ll remember what I just listened to, like it lulled me into a half-sleeping dream.
3⭐️
Paul McCartney
4/5
Short and sweet without fillers. Great pop songwriting! I’m not a huge fan of how bluesy it was, and the half-finished feel of some of the songs (almost felt like Paul was still working out his sound). But Maybe I’m Amazed is on here, which is one of my favorites!
3.75⭐️
Coldplay
3/5
A few really good songs (The Scientist, God Put a Smile on your Face, Clocks), but also a fair bit of filler. Struggled to make it to the end! Their earlier work, such as this album, is better before they fell into even more repetitive song structures and whiny, earnest lyrics.
3⭐️
U2
4/5
Usually I find U2 to be pretty overrated, but this album's really good. Very interesting sound to start the 90s with and so different than Joshua Tree.
It was vital listening when it was first released, which is hard to think since U2 (and especially Bono) have become irrelevant though the years.
4⭐️
The Coral
3/5
Really surprised this is in the list. Weird Doors and Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd mashup with some wacky sea shanties and klezmer music mixed in for good measure. Shouldn’t work but it kind of does (for me).
3⭐️
Traffic
3/5
Quirky, freeform proto-progressive rock jazzy organ and folk rock sounds with random pan flutes thrown into the mix….don’t hate it but don’t love it either. Steve Winwood’s soulful vocals are a high point.
3⭐️
Slayer
2/5
Noise, shred, noise, shred, noise, shred. Is it possible to smell music? I could smell this, it smelt like sweaty men.
There just seemed to be nothing melodic about it. I can't stand these sort of guitar shredding solos for the sake of it, "OK you can play notes fast, congratulations". Not for me.
2⭐️
Neil Young
4/5
Seminal early Young. Evocative of a loss of innocence and the instrumental embellishments of horn and piano throughout are very welcome and add texture and some complexity.
4⭐️
The Human League
4/5
Love it, classic new wave! You can hear the influence on so many later electro-pop bands. Sparse, melodic hooks, great beats. Favorite song is, of course, Don’t You Want Me, but also liked Love Action, Darkness and The Sounds of the Crowd.
3.75⭐️
Fats Domino
4/5
I adore the vibes of this. It's a joy to listen to, very easy-going and just fun!
4⭐️
Amy Winehouse
4/5
A soulful, beautifully written, beautifully produced record. Definitely bittersweet in retrospect but Amy Winehouse has a beautiful voice and the songs to back it up. Rehab was the big single but Back to Black is absolutely the show-stopper here. All great writing and music, every track.
4.5⭐️
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
It got old fast. It's psychedelic protopunk I guess, but the recording style kills it for me. There’s a reason why “electric jug” is an “instrument” only found on one album.
2⭐️
Jamiroquai
3/5
This isn’t even the one with Virtual Insanity on it!
Don't really have a lot to say on this one. It's right in the middle of 2.5 - 3 for me. Nothing that really bothers me (except the appropriation) but nothing that really excites me too much either. It just makes me want to listen to Stevie Wonder instead.
2.75⭐️
The Smiths
3/5
Johnny Marr is a great guitarist, and if Morrisey just wrote lyrics he would be fine. But I can't stand Morrisey once he opens his mouth.
3⭐️
The White Stripes
4/5
This is the album that allowed the band to break through and become the legends they were destined to become. Jack White became the guitar god of a new generation and deserved the status. A hard blues rocking album, but with Jack's twists that gave blues rock a new sound and opened up the ears of the pop-drenched culture. He could be responsible for the vinyl and classic rock resurgence, but also gave hope to many that rock was far from dead.
4⭐️
John Lee Hooker
2/5
I do not begrudge John Lee Hooker for selling out like this, he is a blues legend and I'm fine with him securing his retirement funds. However, I do not see the point of adding this album to the list in favour of some of his classic stuff.
2⭐️
TV On The Radio
3/5
Really truly enjoyed this. Very different from most of the stuff on this list and felt like a true discovery of a band that I wish I'd know about a long time ago.
3.5⭐️
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Perfect inflection point between 60’s folk/rock and what was to come in the early 70’s for rock. Everybody was for a moment in that band totally together and making a near perfect album.
4.5⭐️
The Stone Roses
3/5
This is super critically acclaimed and considered super great and I can't figure out why. I remember when it came out, and wasn’t into it then; still not now, but I can appreciate it.
3.5⭐️
Os Mutantes
4/5
This is the kind of weird stuff that makes me stick with this project! Like a mix of the Beach Boys and early Pink Floyd. One of the more interesting 60s psychedelic albums I've heard, but maybe because I don’t speak Portuguese and so I focused on the music.
4⭐️
R.E.M.
4/5
Drive is such a great track on this record. The strings add a lot to the feel of melancholy and sadness. One of my favorite REM albums.
4⭐️
Boston
4/5
Epitome of classic rock! Smash hits one after the other. And More Than a Feeling is one of the greatest opening tracks on an album!
4.5⭐️
Laibach
1/5
This feels Nazi-adjacent to me, but maybe it’s just the German…
1⭐️
Tim Buckley
2/5
I'm a dogged singer-songwriter apologist, and even I can't defend this being here. Aimless troubadour rambling; as before, the best versions are on "Dream Letter'. Inessential
2⭐️
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Not bad but a lot of Arctic Monkeys songs just sound like Arctic Monkeys songs.
3⭐️
Beatles
5/5
I mean, it's the White Album. I would feel bad for anything less than:
5⭐️
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Relax is a classic but the album really drops off in the second half…
3.5⭐️
The Flaming Lips
4/5
This is hands down one of my all-time favorites. A kitschy, fuzzy, psychedelic odyssey in the form of a sci-fi anime rock opera. Every song is cinematic, melodious, and fun. Covering topics like sentient robots and vitamin-eating Japanese schoolgirls.
4⭐️
James Brown
4/5
Hit me! Two times!! Uh, uh!!!
The Godfather of Soul live on stage at the Apollo Theatre is like capturing a moment on wax for all of us not lucky enough to be there, but to feel like we were. A tight listen to early James Brown before he really funked it up (in the best way possible).
4.5⭐️
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Not much of a reggae guy, but I enjoyed this album. Can see why Bob Marley stands out as a great in the genre.
4⭐️
Killing Joke
2/5
Maybe it’s just not my genre, but I found this to be too much of the same thing in each song. Repeated choruses way too many times. Put another verse in or trim the length.
2.5⭐️
The Beach Boys
4/5
I have mixed feelings about this album. Every time I have listened to it before was after reading a review that made me think I was gonna see god after listening to this. Not life changing, but it was actually pretty good! The instrumentation was layered and interesting though the vocals still feel trapped in 1950s boy band zone. Overall I think this album is more historically significant as one of the first concept albums than some sort of sonic masterpiece.
4⭐️
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I like Todd Rundgren generally, and this is a pretty good, if too long, album. I think there are others that are more experimental and are more worthy of inclusion on the list.
3⭐️
Haircut 100
2/5
Haircut 100? The (barely) one-hit wonder from the early 80s? Essential album? I beg to differ, and I’m a fan of British New Wave.
2⭐️
Jack White
4/5
Jack White is a modern hero of Rock and Roll. This album is no different to the rest of his work. Travelling across, rock, blues, country and binding it all together to make solidly produced tracks. And while I recognize and acknowledge his mastery of the craft, he is still just not my favorite and I can’t put my finger on why…
4⭐️
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Oh great, another entry in the “old man sing-talks poetry about life and God immediately before dying” category.
I can appreciate the artistry (and definitely prefer his earlier work), but don’t think a second listen is ever likely…
2⭐️
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Blue eyed soul. Songs don't have the typical verse and chorus structure. More of a lyrical journey. She's got a breathy, sensual voice. Favorite songs were Son of a Preacher Man, Just One Smile, and Windmills of your Mind.
4⭐️
The Beau Brummels
1/5
A forgotten band’s fourth album after more talented people left the group? Bad, thin vocals and odd, jangly psychedelic country folk rock? This is clearly not an album anyone needed to hear before they died.
1⭐️
David Bowie
4/5
Ziggy goes to America. I love this album, I think it's my 4th favourite Bowie. A great chaotic follow-up to Spiders. The piano work is incredible.
4⭐️
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
One of my favorite records by one of my favorite groups! Feels like a love letter to 16 year old me.
Only outdone by The Lowend Theory, this is as strong a debut album as any on this list. Tribe is something special in the rap world, even among the Native Tongues collective. Creative rhymes delivered with a laid back flow full of youthful charm over clever, jazzy beats that act like a tour of the pop culture my generation grew up with.
5⭐️
Björk
2/5
I want to like Björk, I’ve tried to listen to her work…but it just doesn’t do it for me.
2⭐️
Super Furry Animals
2/5
It's ok. Bit of a confused sound. Like they don't know if they want to be Brit-pop or psychedelic rock.
2⭐️
Louis Prima
4/5
Great 50's swing from King Louis! The band is red hot and the lyrics and scatting are just fun. Hard to be depressed while listening to this stuff!
4.5⭐️
OutKast
4/5
OuKast is an undeniable Atlanta hip-hop power duo. A double solo album to follow up easy 5⭐️ Stankonia is a weird decision but one that paid off. Both Speakerboxxx and The Love Below are stuffed with bangers and clearly demonstrate what each member brings to the mix to make OutKast so damn good. More than 20 years later and still in high rotation!
4⭐️
The Specials
3/5
I’ve never got into ska. It’s interesting to see it emerging as a sort of oddball love child of reggae and punk at this point in time. But that doesn’t quite equate to me wanting to pop this on and listen to it again.
2.5⭐️
Beck
3/5
Quintessential Beck! A bizarre yet unique trip through the imagination of alternative rock and hip hop. Not always spot on, but a fun listen! Favorites: "Devils Haircut", "Where It's At", "Ramshackle"
3⭐️
The Only Ones
2/5
I always get excited when my album of the day is from a band I’ve never heard of; a true mystery. Will it be a hidden gem that slipped my radar? More often than not, however, there are one or two good songs that were super popular in their day but are now forgotten.
Today’s is not even that - a fairly talented group of musicians that are let down by very off-putting vocals. Unfortunate.
2⭐️
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Bruce is an American icon, and so many people love his music. The E Street Band is talented. And I just don’t like it. It doesn’t resonate with me.
It always frustrated me that folks lumped the title track in the same category as "God Bless The USA" and such, when it's actually an indictment of the country and the culture.
3⭐️ (because I recognize the artistry, even if it’s not my thing)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I remember really liking this when it came out, but now not really for me. It’s the music equivalent of those oscar-winning movies that people like because they are told they should. I feel like if you hit it on the right day in the right mood this is a 5 for someone, but today for me it’s a:
3⭐️
Sam Cooke
4/5
This was fantastic. Sam Cooke has an incredible voice - so much soul and feeling going into every song. Well worth multiple listens.
4⭐️
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Not my favorite CCR record, but it does have my favorite track of theirs, ‘Born on the Bayou.’ John Fogerty’s vocals and guitar playing are incredible. CCR was one of my Dad’s favorites; I grew up listening to this band and this album particularly.
4⭐️
Bobby Womack
2/5
I like it. It’s groovy and funky and great background music to jam out to.
2.5⭐️
Black Sabbath
4/5
The first heavy metal album (at least on purpose), and it still holds up amazingly well. You can hear the foundation of where Black Sabbath would evolve, but still a great debut.
4⭐️
Talking Heads
3/5
Arty, nerdy, white disco-funk-New Wave goodness from the Talking Heads and Brian Eno! Not my favorite album by them, but Life During Wartime is a great song.
3.5⭐️
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Back To Black is a clearly superior album. But Amy Winehouse's debut is still a solid effort with raw emotion in the vocals, although the lyrics sound odd coming from a 19 year old. She lived hard and fast and was taken from us too soon.
3⭐️
Missy Elliott
3/5
Don’t know if it’s the slower pace, the beats, or the samples used, but this is undeniably 90s and that it comfortingly familiar even when I have never heard any track beyond The Rain. Is this the best hip hop album? No. Would I put this on while I get shit done. Absolutely.
3⭐️
Beatles
5/5
This album scores highly purely on innovation and influence but when you add the quality of songs that feature on this album, it gets full marks. Lyrically it’s probably their best work - “wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door.” The Beatles at their songwriting and creative peak, I love this album.
5⭐️
Fiona Apple
3/5
I'm not really sure how an album from 2020 is even on this list. Is this a cool album? I can see why it struck a chord with people who were locked down and scared during the early stages of the pandemic. It's weird, and reminds me that I liked Fiona Apple back in the day.
3⭐️
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Nothing I heard makes me think this album should be included in this project. Vocals are somewhere between Bush and Tom Waits. Double bass is cool, though!
2⭐️
The Doors
3/5
The Doors have better and more adventurous albums than this. Sometimes there were moments when they diverted from the normal blues formula, but this was rare and fleeting. I am not really a blues guy, so this one is a:
3⭐️
Pantera
1/5
One of the reviews for this album called it “punishing.” Another called it “tedious.” Add in loud and you’ve got my summary. Also, WTF was the ballad at the end?
1⭐️
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I’m not really a Sinatra or a Bossa nova fan, and this combo seems to bring out the worst of both. Hope there are more classic Sinatra albums on the list.
2.5⭐️
TV On The Radio
3/5
Listenable album from a bad that I know is very popular in some circles. That said, I really didn’t see what was so special about this that caused it to be on the list.
3⭐️
Willie Nelson
3/5
The Byrds
2/5
A good and important album, but I see it more as a stepping stone for future bands instead of being excellent itself.
Too jangly and country-adjacent for my taste.
2⭐️
Queen
4/5
I’m more of a Queen’s Greatest Hits guy, so a lot of this album was new to me. The only songs I knew were “Killer Queen” and “Flick of the Wrist.”
I forget that their earlier work was much more progressive-influenced before they became pop area glam rockers. Really enjoyed this and don’t think there was a bad song!
4⭐️
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
A great Latin jazz album. Even though I don’t totally understand it, the vibe is amazing. Could listen to this on repeat all day.
4⭐️
Otis Redding
5/5
Otis, my man!!
Listening to this album feels like participating in music history. Great covers and amazing originals that would go on to be covered (Respect). Funky, soulful, bluesy (in the best way).
5⭐️
System Of A Down
3/5
Another time that this list goes for a band’s debut when another album makes way more sense. SOAD’s Toxicity is a way better choice and much more influential.
But…
“Why’d you put this album on the list?”
“You wanted to!!!”
3⭐️
The Darkness
3/5
Not particularly deep by any means, but a hell of a lot of fun. An unabashed homage to the 1980s hair and glam bands (that I love) with only a little in updated production values as a clue that this is actually an album from 2003.
3⭐️
Van Morrison
4/5
A classic that helped to define the sound of a musical era, and totally deserves to be on any best-of list. Great songwriting, and beautiful incorporation of jazz without being cheesy. His voice is velvet and gravelly where it needs to be to convey emotions. Into the Mystic is my favorite on this album.
4⭐️
Massive Attack
3/5
Acid jazz was not my jam in 1991, and trip hop isn’t my favorite now by any stretch. But I can recognize the importance of this album as the originator of the sound and genre. For that it gets an extra star:
3⭐️
Nitin Sawhney
1/5
I genuinely do not understand how this can be on the list...
1.5⭐️
Muddy Waters
4/5
I'm not usually a blues guy, but this album brings such incredible energy. It's undeniable. The production is also great.
4⭐️
John Grant
2/5
Looked at reviews and there’s basically a ton of 1’s or 5’s, and I figured this one would be a bit of a rollercoaster.
Musically it is beautiful, ethereal guitars and dreamy synths so that’s a big plus. Makes me want to listen to Midlake’s other works.
Besides that, there are several problematic things with this album. Grant's lyrics are often just bad, ridiculous or completely out of synch with his delivery, which is extremely one-note. It feels like the earnest ramblings of a depressed, anxiety-filled high school theater kid.
On the surface it’s a good listen ... until you start to really listen.
2.5⭐️
The Yardbirds
3/5
I’ve always felt that the Yardbirds were a breeding ground for great guitarists and a proto-Led Zeppelin. Mostly I knew them for three songs: For Your Love, shape of Things and Over Under Sideways Down. This album has the third. Featuring Jeff Beck as the guitar virtuoso surrounded by a sea of mediocrity, it still is a good listen. But it makes me wonder when Jimmy Page is showing up. Favorite song: Jeff’s Boogie (the instrumental, which should tell you something).
3⭐️
LL Cool J
4/5
I am unabashedly nostalgic for this album and the era of hip hop it came from. LL was never my favorite, but this is the pinnacle of his work as the East Coast transitioned from 80s to 90s rap. The title track is still a banger and the MTV Unplugged edition is even more iconic!
4⭐️
Duke Ellington
3/5
I heard if you wanted this at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant you have to call ahead…no wait, that’s Beef Wellington…
The music was great, but I could do without all the emcee banter.
3⭐️
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
This is one of the first post punk albums ever. Siouxsie has always been a legend, even in her debut album. This work is gothic, aggressive, exciting, and explosive.
4⭐️
Madness
3/5
Was surprised when Our House played. Was not aware it was on this album. The rest of the album stayed interesting throughout.
3⭐️
R.E.M.
5/5
One of the best debut albums of all time and it’s probably not even their best album (i.e. Document). And from an unknown band from Athens, Georgia (Go UGA and Emory!!!)
Great melodies, great harmonies, unique jangly guitar, amazing bass, cool driving drums. Just all around a fantastic album that cemented R.E.M. as the best college rock band of their time, and the originators of indie rock as we know it today.
5⭐️
Parliament
5/5
P-Funk! The Allstars? George…Clinton…and…the…Parliament….
Funkadelic?!?!!
Extraordinary, extraterrestrial, masterful musicians all, but hats off to Bootsy Collins on bass and Maceo Parker on horns! A funkalicious party jam from beginning to end!
5⭐️
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I always want to like Nick Cave, but he’s hit and miss for me. This one’s a miss. Murder Ballads is exactly what it says on the tin. Performed in a dark Tom Waits-esque pantomime that I don’t appreciate.
2⭐️
Gillian Welch
3/5
Bluegrass, Americana and modern folk are not really my thing. But I do like Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan and other similar singer-songwriters. This album bridges that gap for me in a way hits home. Welch has an earnest, forthright delivery and the acoustic guitar work is clean and masterful. This was a great surprise for me!
3.5⭐️
The Strokes
3/5
The Strokes know how to keep it simple and just write good songs. Throwback sounds make this a fun listen and Last Nite is a certified hit.
3.5⭐️
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Fleet Foxes is a band I’ve heard of and never listened to before. It strikes me as borrowing a lot of vocal arrangements, sounds and vibes from The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, the Shins, Neil Young, and even some singer-songwriters like Johnny Cash. I like it, and glad that I found it through this list. At 39 minutes it is a strong, tight debut album and a good listen.
4⭐️
New York Dolls
3/5
Archetypal “band who the bands you like like” for me. Had so much fun listening to this and can see the influence it had on so many bands I’m in to. Regret not having listened to them before.
3⭐️
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Aretha. Respect.
5⭐️
GZA
4/5
This is a strong contender for the best Wu-Tang solo record. Of course, solo record is a bit of a stretch given that all eight other members of Wu-Tang Clan are present throughout the album. RZA's production is slick and the beats are deliberate and hypnotic. GZA's lyrics are complex, philosophical and cinematic, further punctuated by the interspersed samples from the film 'Shogun Assassin.'
3.5⭐️
Prefab Sprout
3/5
I think of myself as fairly well versed in 80s music, but I had never even heard of Prefab Sprout before this. Sounds like they were much more popular in the UK. They strike me as very similar to much more popular options that either are, or should be, included on the list. That said, I enjoyed listening and it took me down a very 80s synth pop road. Favorite songs: Bonny, When Loves Break Down.
3.5⭐️
David Bowie
4/5
Early Bowie isn’t my favorite - more of a Ziggy Stardust fan. But on Hunk Dory you can see his brilliance as a lyricist and songwriter. Changes is an all time classic. Also, on a more piano-driven album you can’t do any better than Rick Wakeman.
4⭐️
The White Stripes
4/5
A great album that came out at the right time to prove to the world real rock wasn't dead.
4⭐️
The Who
3/5
I like a lot of The Who’s music, and really love a handful of their tunes. I think Pete Townshend is one of the best guitarists and songwriters in rock history. Love his voice, too. Roger, John, and their drummers and keyboardists, are all excellent. That being said, this is not an album I've listened to a lot. I do get its importance in rock history, and it has some fun mid-60’s “mod rock” songs, but overall I like their later stuff a lot better.
3⭐️
The Byrds
3/5
Enjoyable and very of it's time. The more I listened to it the novelty sort of wore off though.
3⭐️
The Who
2/5
I just got the Who’s first studio album a few days ago. That makes sense to be on the list, so not sure why this needed to be included as well.
2⭐️
Motörhead
2/5
Let me tell you something. The world did not need nearly two hours of live Motörhead. Especially since a) the recording quality is super low and b) they blew their wad early by putting "Ace of Spades" as the very first track. It's 100% downhill from there with each track progressively sounding more and more similar. The end result is two hours of growling over a bed of fuzzy mess.
2⭐️
Throwing Muses
3/5
Had to jump through hoops to listen. Good, but not something I’ll plan to listen to again.
Ice Cube
4/5
Damn. I can't believe it's almost 30 years later and we're still dealing with the societal issues Ice Cube brings up in this album.
Favorite songs: It Was A Good Day, Check Yoself, Wicked!
4⭐️
Michael Jackson
5/5
Greatest pop album of all time. Number one selling album of all time. Made Michael Jackson the king of pop.
Even with all of MJ’s weirdness and pedo-ness this album is clearly worthy of:
5⭐️
The Saints
3/5
I enjoyed Eternally Yours more than I expected, it's a more polished punk sound than a lot of stuff from this era and the horn section definitely goes down well with me when used, I've always enjoyed ska-punk and adjacent genres. It's not flawless, the bookends of the album are weaker than the middle, but the run through the middle is really good and No, Your Product is a genuinely brilliant song that sounds 25 years ahead of its time. Think it's a high 3 on balance but there's quite a bit of good stuff on here and a coupla tracks I'd definitely go back to regularly.
3⭐️
Billy Joel
5/5
Classic. I loved it, again.
5⭐️
Johnny Cash
4/5
Cash can be hit and miss for me but this was 100% a hit. Every track perfect and powerful. Even more so knowing his audience for this one. Just damn good. His reputation is earned.
4⭐️
Iron Maiden
3/5
Not my thing, but I can definitely appreciate how important this album was on the development of the heavy metal genre.
Exactly what metal should be. A little bit angry, a little bit silly, soaring vocals and bass that feels like it's going to rearrange your intestines.
3.5⭐️
The War On Drugs
3/5
Mellow, good lyrics and well crafted but ultimately one dimensional. Reminds me of Don Henley’s 80s work, Bryan Adams, and in its best moments a glimmer of Dire Straits and Bob Dylan.
3⭐️
The Cult
2/5
Overall a decent album but can't understand why it's on the list (especially when their prior album Love is better). Best song: Love Removal Machine.
2.5⭐️
Dolly Parton
4/5
As someone who is not a fan of country music, this album was enlightening. I always knew Dolly Parton was something special, but this album reinforced that knowledge. She manages to take what I often times feel is a tired and repetitive genre and produced songs that are poignant, sweet, and funny. An absolutely fantastic album.
4.5⭐️
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
This album was in my dad’s vinyl collection so I’ve heard it more than a few times. Jams from the late 60s SF psychedelic rock/blues and Woodstock era are important culturally, but not my favorite. These guys didn’t last, which is a bit of a shame when you compare them to some others from the scene that were around forever.
3⭐️
Radiohead
5/5
OK Computer set the tone for indie and alternative rock for the next century. It is an innovative record that has stood the test of time. The lyrics captures modern America's addiction to technology, consumerism, media consumption, and political scandal. This album represents a full break with the grunge sounds of Pablo Honey and The Bends, and is what I consider to be the electro art pop that is bold, true Radiohead. I’ve given fives to other albums, but this might be the one deserves it the most!
5⭐️
Fugees
5/5
Intelligent, a little angry, and with effortless cool. Perfection.
The only disappointment it shame here is that the Fugees didn’t stay together. Wow, what could have been. Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was great, Carnival was very good… but the Score is next level. Unmatchable. Six stars if I could. The rhymes, the references, I could go on and on.
The Platonic Form of Hip Hop. Lauryn Hill is hands down what elevates this album to a firm 5.
5⭐️
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
This is an undisputed classic of hip-hop. I'm amazed when I read about how this album was recorded that it even came together the way that it did. Usually too many cooks spoil the meal but with this it just worked and MAN did it work. I would say that this is one of the most influential albums of the 90s and I still think C.R.E.A.M. might be one of the top ten hip hop tracks of all time.
5⭐️
Ute Lemper
3/5
This feels a bit like Germany’s answer to Björk, backed up by some heavy hitters doing cabaret. I don’t know if I mean that in a good way or in a bad way. Maybe I need to listen to the album again…
3⭐️
2/5
This album and band were so popular, mostly because it was the last gasp of record labels and MTV pushing an artist as “cool.” So egregiously bad that, often enough, it wraps around to being funny. Made even worse/funnier that sometimes the riffs are actually good until Fred Durst opens his mouth.
2⭐️
Led Zeppelin
5/5
What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Nearly every song on this album is a classic and they come together to make the album a masterpiece. If you like rock, especially progressive/hard rock with fantasy-themed lyrics, this is your holy grail, your One Ring.
5+⭐️
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
You may know Lupe Fiasco from his guest verse on Kanye West's hit single Touch the Sky. I like that song.
This is an old Kanye-esque feeling album without all baggage of current Kanye. Lupe Fiasco is a talented lyricist and the beats and production are great!
3.5⭐️
Stereolab
2/5
Not my bag, but I guess it’s fine…
DJ Shadow
3/5
I like my hip hop samples with lyrics, but this is an album of well-crafted beats evidencing DJ Shadow was at his prime in 1996.
3⭐️
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Just because you have the idea to blend five different genres doesn’t mean you can execute that idea successfully. And that’s with a guest appearance by Sir Paul on the album, no less!
It was too all over the place for me to be a coherent listen. There were moments in songs, but nothing that I want to listen to again.
2⭐️
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
I halfway expected this album to be various jazz covers of Toto's Africa given the title and cover art, honestly I probably would have liked that better than what I got. It's very uninspired. I really don't have much to say about this album. Quicky faded to the background. I didn't find any qualities that would lift this album above more well-known 1980s britpop New Wave post-punk.
2⭐️
Funkadelic
5/5
The absolute pinnacle of funk, with a healthy blend of rock and psychedelia. I would give my left leg to be invited to a party at the Pitt with George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars!
5⭐️
Air
3/5
Really fantastic album, enjoyed it a lot. Kind of reminiscent of Portishead in the downtempo instrumentals with the occasional Daft Punk-esque vocoded vocals. Didn't know what to expect going in but it was surprisingly enjoyable.
3.5⭐️
David Bowie
3/5
I love Bowie but for me this was too dramatic and artsy with too many random sounds and instruments. It's risky, I just didn't like it that much.
2.5⭐️
Pixies
4/5
This album is so influential and the blueprint for many more commercially successful indie/grunge/alternative albums and bands that followed, including Nirvana’s Nevermind a few years later. This is their rawest most punk Pixies album, and the lyrics and vocals are more deranged than the later ones. Makes this a harder listen, but still worthwhile.
4⭐️
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
This album had a permanent spot in my Aiwa 3 CD changer from 1991-1992. Love RHCP (especially Flea on the bass) and this is their best full album. After the white rap-rock-metal fusion, going back to listen to this album sounds more derivative, but the Chili Peppers were really trailblazers and innovative at the time.
4.5⭐️
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Solid but uninteresting.
2.5⭐️
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
In my opinion this doesn’t rise to the meteoric levels of their debut album, but still a great example of 80s synth-pop with a political satire edge. Love the Dusty Springfield duet. Favorite tracks: "I Want to Wake Up", "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "It's a Sin"
3⭐️
The Beach Boys
3/5
I received this as my pick on the day after Brian Wilson passed away (June 11, 2025). Not sure if that’s a very odd coincidence or the pick was de-randomized…. In any case, I’ve tried to listen to this album without all that influencing my review.
A stepping stone album that sounds equal parts early surf-pop Beach Boys (which is fun but bubblegum) and the sonic experimentation of Pet Sounds, which I think is a marvel and deserves a place scoring very high on this list. Because it’s not really either, it’s just OK.
3⭐️
Santana
5/5
I really love this album - listened to my dad’s copy of the vinyl growing up, and it was one of the first CDs I purchased. Santana is such an incredible guitarist, and the arrangements on this album are so complex and interesting. Truly a classic that deserves its place on the list!
5⭐️
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Loud band with semi-singing frontman. Pretty is Pink was a great single, but his voice palls over the length of an album, and it all starts to sound pretty much the same.
2.5⭐️
The Pogues
3/5
Who would have thought that Celtic-Punk needed to be a thing??? I guess the Pogues! This is a great, influential album but for me it won’t be a repeat listen. Favorite song: The Irish Rover
3⭐️
Radiohead
3/5
I’ve never been able to separate this from the much superior effort of Kid A. It really does seem like the outtakes and their messing around in the studio and then just decided to release it. That said, Radiohead’s outtakes are better than most band’s work, so still a worthwhile listen.
3⭐️
Van Morrison
3/5
I like live albums, especially if they're done well and the songs are as good or better than the original studio versions. I hadn't heard this album before and though I'm familiar with a lot of Van's work, this was a pleasant way to listen to songs from throughout his career up until then. He brings new life and energy to most of the songs and generally it's a solid collection. He does a respectable job with the covers, but it runs a bit longer than it needs to be. I listened to this while doing other things, so I wasn't super focused on the music and it was a great soundtrack to my day. I'm not sure this would be the ideal "sit down and listen intensely" record, I may get a little drowsy after a while, but overall it was fine.
3⭐️
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Like everyone else, I really liked their contributions to Paul Simon’s Graceland album. However, by themselves I am not as much of a fan. I put this music on in the background while I worked - not disturbing, occasionally noticing a few seconds that stood out positively. And I think that's both good and bad in that it kind of all blends together. For me, a vocal album where I can’t understand the lyrics becomes beautiful ambient noise.
3⭐️
4/5
This is an awesome, innovative album by a crazy talented band. Came out in 1978 but was a blueprint for what would come in 1980s post-punk alternative underground rock. Brian Eno and Mark Mothersbaugh are both geniuses!
4⭐️
Nick Drake
2/5
1970s folk is not my bag. I listened to it yesterday and really cant recall a single thing about it so that should say a lot. I would have remembered if it was bad though.
2.5⭐️
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
"This sounds like the Arctic Monkeys with a 60s mod rock feel" - was the first thought I had when I started listening to this album. Turns out that's exactly what it is, and, well, I like both those things and I like this album.
4⭐️
Brian Eno
4/5
You had me at Eno and Fripp! Yes, I’m one of those “olds” that think King Crimson hung the moon…
Super weird and unique in its vision. Transitional between the rock and minimalism/ambient phases of Brian Eno’s recording career. An important and worthwhile album, but I acknowledge won’t be to everyone’s taste or popular on the radio.
4⭐️
Frank Zappa
3/5
Jazzy psychedelia is not my general vibe, but this hit me at the right moment to enjoy it.
3⭐️
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Nostalgia, easy to listen to, beautiful harmonization. It’s interesting to hear what preceded The Beach Boys and the Beatles in the evolution of pop.
3⭐️
John Cale
3/5
Sounds like a Beatles cover band that tried to write its own music. So not objectionable, but not memorable either.
2.5⭐️
Kings of Leon
2/5
Oh, this one is so boring! I like some things from Kings of Leon, but this album is so background your brain ignores it completely.
2⭐️
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Joni Mitchell is overrated. She is a good poet, but not really a musical artist. I don't know why she seems to hate writing choruses so much. Most of the songs are just unstructured messes that never go anywhere.
2⭐️
Saint Etienne
2/5
Knew only love can break your heart. That's been played a lot and I guess stood the test of time.... But it was probably successful because of the Neil Young hook.
The rest of it isn't bad, but it's definitely nothing special either... Not sure it's list worthy really. I liked the kinda dubby bass on some tracks.
2.5⭐️
Britney Spears
3/5
Iconic Princess of Pop, truly the sound of a generation (not mine).
As far as I am concerned, it starts out as a 5 based solely on the importance in shifting the tone of the music industry away from 1990s grunge towards ultra-produced, scientifically manufactured pop/girl group/boy band music that we’re still in today (see: BTS).
I checked the composer/lyricist credits - the MVP of this album is Jörgen Elofsson who wrote Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, and Sometimes which are the first three/best songs. Then I took away 2 stars because after the first three tracks the songs are total schlock (WTF were they thinking with Soda Pop and E-Mail My Heart!?!!).
3⭐️
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Haven’t heard this whole album before, but obviously familiar with Fast Car. It’s an updated take on the folk/protest music of the 1960s that is melodically interesting with important, largely painful and disturbing, but also hopeful lyrics delivered in a clear, powerful voice. Bob Dylan should take some notes.
4⭐️
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Another one of those albums I only found out about because of this list, and it’s really enjoyable. I expected a banging latin album that would have me dancing. Instead it was super a chill and relaxing. I don’t understand Portuguese, so that’s on me, but it reduces from my appreciation of the artistry as a whole.
3.5⭐️
The Undertones
2/5
This didn’t do much for me. There are better examples of punk from this time period. I was underwhelmed by the Undertones.
2⭐️
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
I have two original pressings of this album on vinyl. Time After Time might be one of my favorite songs ever. This one is a no brainer for me. Cyndi should have been as big as Madonna (and was at least on par with her there for a minute). She's more talented, and she has such a powerful voice. Plus, we all needed more Captain Lou Albano in our lives.
5⭐️
Oasis
4/5
Though not as coherent as ‘What’s the Story Morning Glory’ Oasis’ debut is energetic and full of memorable songs, but mostly Live Forever. This band came on the scene knowing exactly who they were. Their sound is developed (by The Rolling Stones and The Beatles) and their delivery is spot on.
4⭐️
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Leonard Cohen paints a picture with his words; a morose picture. But he is not known as a poet; he’s supposedly a famous, talented musician.
This is a collection of barely-sung lyrics over simple music. Just like every other Leonard Cohen album. I guess I don’t get it…
2.5⭐️
Dolly Parton
3/5
Could be subtitled "Men Are Bastards" (except JC, he's cool). This is a beautiful joining of three amazing voices, a trio of country/pop perfection.
3.5⭐️
Pink Floyd
5/5
One of the greatest albums from one of the greatest bands of all time. Emotive, storytelling, beautiful, everything art rock should be.
5⭐️
The Cure
3/5
The Cure from when they were dark, moody, rhythmic and oppressively morose. There’s no sign of the evolution that would allow them to write a hit like “Friday I’m In Love.” On a regular day a bit of chore to get through, but if you turn this on when you’re depressed…*chef’s kiss!*
3.5⭐️
The Blue Nile
1/5
I lived through this time, was into ‘80s New Wave, and I don’t know this band. Sounds like a demo by some no-talent high school kid that got a Casio keyboard for Christmas. Sparse with both music and true singing - more like a breathy, word salad set to the occasional, repeated synth note and sporadic drum machine.
1⭐️
Grateful Dead
4/5
Gotta give it at least a 4 to help counter all these 1s (one star off for Feedback). Yes it's weird early Dead but it still far superior to several of the random 80s pop bands that somehow make the list.
4⭐️
Sade
4/5
Wow. Now I know why people love Sade. Absolutely great album that I completely overlooked. Happy that the list made me give it a chance.
4⭐️
Hawkwind
3/5
This should be right in my wheelhouse, but I think it hit me on the wrong day when I didn’t have time to “experience” it. Long, double live albums without good recording (even by 1973 standards) do not make for enjoyable listening. Probably one of those “you had to be there” moments.
Hawkwind’s performance has shades of Pink Floyd, Rush, and Jethro Tull (prog flute bands FTW!). Unfortunately, unlike those more well-known bands that I mentioned, the bass lines can get repetitive, and there aren't too many really great melodies to hook into.
3⭐️
Hugh Masekela
3/5
What a great album. It's an amazing blend of jazz with african rhythms and instruments. So glad I found this album and this artist!
3.5⭐️
Rush
5/5
There are two kinds of music fans - those that know that Rush is the most talented group of musicians in the last 50 years and everyone else (who are objectively incorrect). I will concede that Geddy Lee’s voice is polarizing (but I’m all in).
Moving Pictures is an automatic 5⭐️ for me - not only formative in my high school years for myself and my friends, but clearly a (not the) high water mark in Rush’s long musical journey. It also produced more of the radio-friendly hits that are still staples today, including Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Red Barchetta and YYZ.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
The album really took a turn for the worse once it started. The production is good, however, that’s mainly where my praise stops. The lyrics are nonsensical and the beats and vocals are annoyingly repetitive. I can’t believe they made an hour of this. If I just had one song, I could see it being a fun song to dance to and in that sense it’s fine, just not for me. Music Makes You Lose Control made me yearn for the Missy Elliott and Ciara version…
2.5⭐️
Ozomatli
2/5
Given the connections to Jurassic 5 I really thought I was going to enjoy this album. But this just feels like a mashup of the least interesting latin music and hip hop. It's too manufactured and clean.
2.5⭐️
Tim Buckley
2/5
This list introduced me to Tim Buckley and also taught me that I don’t like Tim Buckley.
2⭐️
Beatles
5/5
A quintessential “perfect album!” Classic record, one of my favorite, if not favorite Beatles album. Something and Come Together, I want you, Here Comes The Sun are bonafide classics. Side B, while I don't really love any of the big long song individually, as a whole it's super cohesive and fun, they flow very well. Really nail what they were trying to channel on Sgt. Pepper‘s.
5+⭐️
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
One I've not listened to before. Just thought of them as one hit wonders with "Come on Eileen" and kind of dismissed them.
You either love or hate horns on punk albums, and I love it! I'd bet this was a real fun live show, especially if you were drunk; clearly the band is having a good time doing it.
Lost points for the vocals, Kevin Rowland sounds like he’s having a stroke…
3⭐️
Richard Thompson
2/5
I think the most interesting thing I’ve learned about my musical taste in going through this list is that I really can’t stand folk music. Not Dylan, certainly not Joni Mitchell, and the English permutations of it from the various members of Fairport Convention leave me cold.
I can appreciate that Richard and Linda Thompson have talent, but this is just not for me. At best, it’s forgettable background music.
2.5⭐️
The Isley Brothers
3/5
That Lady! Who’s that lady? Love it. The rest of the album is strong. Smooth and Funky!!
3⭐️
Grateful Dead
3/5
I forgot how many big songs are on this album. Fantastic opening trio. More accessible for non-Deadheads than any other record probably until the final one.
3⭐️
Black Sabbath
4/5
They set a precedent for other bands of the genre. It's what you want from Black Sabbath, but not quite up to the highest highs (except for the coke) of their earlier work.
4⭐️
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Hooked me, lost me, hooked me, lost me. Overall, very nostalgic for me from my college days. Block Rockin Beats was one of my faves and it still hits!
4⭐️
Elvis Presley
3/5
Other than Suspicious Minds and In the Ghetto, this is just standard Elvis country music filler. He's going through the motions with a talented backing band. The slurring Vegas barfly crooner Elvis is who we get here.
2.5⭐️
The The
3/5
Heard of The The, but had no idea what they sounded like beyond generic New Wave/Post-Punk. Liked it well enough, but to really embrace it feels like a “you had to be there” band.
3⭐️
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Someone else already said all that needs to be said about this one:
I have no objection to personal songs or emotional connections, but this is self-indulgent, overblown and interminable. ‘When did I stop loving you?’ Round about song three. Two many low points, and not much to praise except the Motown production. And Marvin Gaye does have a good voice. Really not one of his best.
2⭐️
The Clash
5/5
Classic and essential. Intelligent, snarky punk.
5⭐️
The Beta Band
2/5
Another British (Scottish) band that isn’t very good and clearly made the list due to personal taste in lieu of greatness. This album is a mix of folk rock and electronica - two genres I have discovered through this list that I don’t really like. I definitely won’t explore the rest of their catalogue when this is all over.
2⭐️ (would have been 1, but I dig the album art)
Herbie Hancock
5/5
An amazing jazz-rock-funk album from Herbie Hancock & Co. What more do you want?
This one made my day!
5⭐️
Fishbone
3/5
This is a surprising mix of rock and ska/reggae from a 1980s band, but it melds together into a fun, energetic and unexpectedly good album.
3.5⭐️
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
A fun and funky album I’m rating on sound, feel and vibes. Not a Portuguese speaker, so no clue about the lyrics. Still, I enjoyed listening.
3.5⭐️
Doves
3/5
This is another early 2000s Britpop band that is in the list because the author likes them. Good, but not anything that is unique. To my ear sounds a lot like Coldplay from the same time. In fact, in an alternate reality I could easily see Doves being the hugely famous mega band instead.
3⭐️
3/5
Modern Life is Dull... Just like this album. Little intrigue or diversity of sound and the runtime is much much too long.
I thought I liked Britpop before this list, but now…?
2.5⭐️
Kraftwerk
3/5
Not my thing but still sounds surprisingly fresh and modern, highlighting how far ahead of their time Kraftwerk were at the time of release.
3.5⭐️
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
This album feels like Radiohead sings schmaltzy Broadway songs. These are two things I like separately; they are not two great tastes that taste great together.
2⭐️
Faust
2/5
Krautrock is noise. Did I need to be on drugs to enjoy this? It wasn’t good.
2⭐️
Prince
4/5
A classic, but not better than Purple Rain. U Got the Look is still a banger!
4⭐️
Elton John
4/5
I enjoyed the theatricality so much more than I thought I would. A classic with a lot of sincerity, but Indian Sunset certainly does not stand up.
4⭐️
Maxwell
3/5
This album is so smooth and jazzy, with just a touch of boom bap. Maxwell is a great vocalist and one of the best examples of mid-90s sexytimes R&B.
3.5⭐️
Kanye West
2/5
West is an antisemitic, homophobic, racist, misogynist. So 0⭐️ for the person.
But back when this came out, it was my jam! I listened to it on repeat. So sad that I can’t enjoy what this music once was. 4⭐️ for the music (if you can separate it from the artist).
On balance, I will give this 2⭐️ and no listens.
Gorillaz
4/5
Gorillaz self-titled debut was everywhere when it came out in 2001. So much of it holds up nearly 25 years later and still sounds as cool and good as the last time I listened to it.
How do you come up with an idea as out there as "Let's make a virtual cartoon band" and it all works this well? And it's enough of a hit that they just kept doing it?
You’re welcome, Hatsune Miku, et al…
4⭐️
David Bowie
3/5
Someone else’s review (https://1001albumsgenerator.com/shares/5ffe1c0b18cab5358459f182) already summed it up for me:
There’s some strong stuff on here, and it’s Bowie after all, but it sort of highlights my continuous gripes about this list giving some artists too many spots. If you’re boiling down Bowie to a “must hear before you die” list this doesn’t make the cut in my book.
3⭐️
Grizzly Bear
2/5
This is pleasant enough stuff hipster twaddle (I’m not a banjo fan). But I really don't know what it's doing on a list of the 1001 albums to hear before you die.
2⭐️
The Go-Betweens
3/5
I’m one of the few people who don’t think the Smiths walk on water. And it’s not just because of Morrissey. This band feels like the lesser-known, Australian version of the Smiths.
It was pretty good - not much Australian representation on the list, so I will give it:
3⭐️
Prince
5/5
What can possibly be said. It’s Prince. PURPLE FUCKIN RAIN!
(Although that album cover is atrocious)
5⭐️
Pere Ubu
1/5
Impressive in that it started out with a long annoying sound and managed to keep it going through several songs.
Just because something is intentionally bad doesn’t mean it isn’t bad.
1⭐️
Eagles
4/5
Classic. Many consider it overrated but in my opinion that's just because of how ubiquitous it is. My wife can’t stand it because she was forced to listen to it on every family road trip on repeat. Just for that I give it another star.
4⭐️
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
This one held up really well. Just a great album. The composition, instrumentation, and lyrics are all on point. I know a lot of folks hate on Corgan's voice but it's never bothered me and it matches the lyrics and feel of these songs so well. Just really great.
4.5⭐️
808 State
2/5
As far as dated electronica goes, this was pretty good. Still not my bag.
2.5⭐️
Cee Lo Green
2/5
It's fun and playful but I can't completely get into it. I think I prefer his Gnarls Barkley material.
2⭐️
Kraftwerk
2/5
I respect the influence and that this foundational for electronica. But I mostly hear beep boop we are German and we like trains.
2.5⭐️
David Bowie
3/5
Robert Fripp and Brian Eno really bring it together to paint a gorgeous masterpiece for David Bowie.
3.5⭐️
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
I thought this was a good example of dirge-like, folk-inspired, shoegaze indie rock that was popular in the 2000s.
I understand that the album is no longer in the latest editions of the book. Shows that you should really let the music be at least 10-20 years old before it makes the list. I think there are a bunch of albums included from the 2000s on that don’t meet the standard to be included. Or maybe I’m an angry old man yelling at clouds…
2.5⭐️
Eurythmics
3/5
The title song is a timeless classic, a few others are great (Love is a Stranger and Wrap it Up) and the rest of the album is padding out good ideas into full songs (meh). But I will always love Annie Lennox!
3.5⭐️ (3 of which is for Sweet Dreams the song)
Paul Simon
5/5
Listening to this album now when world music is much more common and accepted, I can see how someone can think this is appropriation. But in the mid-1980s it was viewed as a glorious example of multiple different genres coming together and creating something even better. Paul Simon's lyrics and soothing melodies are gorgeously complimented by the Soweto choir. African and western instruments combine wonderfully. Every contribution is perfect. I love the bass lines. Every track is different and danceable, singable and just fantastic. Every time I listen, I hear even more wonderful musicianship.
5⭐️
The United States Of America
3/5
This is one of those albums that needs to hit you on the right day, when you have time to lay back, chill and “experience” it. Unfortunately for me, I got this on an extremely busy Tuesday when I had no time for anything except work and chores around the house.
Under other circumstances the psychedelic avante garde nature of their experimental would probably be cool and different. But to me today, it was confusing and I didn’t connect. I should give it another go when I’m in the right mindset.
3⭐️
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I’ve said it with every other Leonard Cohen album - the man is a hugely talented poet that fails as a musician. The instrumentation and arrangement is just absolutely NOT for me.
Sounds like “we have Johnny Cash at home” backed by some 12 year old who is figuring out the Casio keyboard they got for their birthday.
2⭐️
N.E.R.D
4/5
Remember back in the early 2000s when everything sounded like The Neptunes or NERD or Pharrell? This is actually them, and it’s much better and more varied than anything they produced for others. Love the prog influence and nerd culture references (hence the name of the band?)
4⭐️
Frank Ocean
2/5
I find this album overall…fine. It doesn't sound bad, but you can compare it to any prefer Pharrell-produced album from 2012. His voice is at times interesting between tenor and falsetto but I just don't find it exciting. I think I don't have nostalgia related to this album which makes my enjoyment less intense. The Andre 3000 feature was awesome!
2.5⭐️
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
One of those defining classics that exists at a very particular time and place. It's an extremely well-performed, well-written album deserving of a place on this list for its historical importance.
4⭐️
B.B. King
3/5
I admit blues isn’t really my thing, but it was enjoyable regardless.
3.5⭐️
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Nostalgia definitely influenced my rating, but to me this is one of the greatest alternative rock albums of the 90s. It is quite a feat to have an album this long that somehow doesn't feel bloated.
5⭐️
The Dictators
2/5
Fun and silly proto-punk, but lacking some substance (that might kinda be the point of the album, though). Not sure it deserves a spot on this list…
2.5⭐️
5/5
Proof that a person can hold two opposite ideas in their head at the same time:
1. There’s too much Bowie on this list.
2. This one of the best albums of all time…full stop.
5⭐️
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
This is one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time from possibly the most talented rapper of all time. Nobody comes close to Biggie for having it all - lyrical dexterity, brilliant, intricate word play, ingenuity and the smoothest flow imaginable.
My only advice - skip the skits…
5⭐️
2/5
ABC has more sophisticated lyrics and arrangements than some other 80s bands. I still really like The Look of Live and Poison Arrow as songs, but not sure the whole album hits. Another questionable inclusion as 1001 albums to listen to before I die…
2.5⭐️
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
The album was considered a breakthrough in bridging generational and musical differences between the old guard of Nashville, Tennessee, and the younger country rock movement (of the 1970s). So important historically, but herp-de-derp country music doesn’t make my 1001 albums!
2⭐️ (for historical reasons)
The Killers
4/5
This album was massive when it was released, and I played the heck out of it. I believe that as time goes on and the band is less oversaturated in the popular culture, appreciation for this album will grow. Best track: Mr. Brightside
4⭐️
Thundercat
3/5
[Insert Thundercats cartoon reference here]
I like a lot of the ideas on this album, and Thundercat’s mix of funk/jazz/soul/hip hop is cool. There were a lot of tracks (23 in total!!) that had a kernel of a something good but somehow didn’t seem to gel and come together for me. Some more editing might have helped.
3⭐️
The Charlatans
2/5
You can really tell that the list has too much of a slant towards Britpop. So many bands that were one hit wonders in the US are presented here as if they were more well-known.
This is more of that 90s era Britpop/alternative - like “we have Oasis as home.” A tad on the generic side but overall decent album that I enjoyed.
2.5⭐️
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Some nice background music but all kind of blended into one.
Not one of the 1001 albums I needed to listen to before I die.
2⭐️
Digital Underground
4/5
One of my favorite rap albums of all time. Uniquely entertaining with a funny flow. Responsible for The Humpty Dance and Doowhuchyalike, both bangers that got played all the time at dances and parties.
Great use of jazz and samples from before everything got locked down in copyright wars. Yes, it objectifies women (and sometimes men) so perhaps has not aged well, but at least it’s part of the theme on this science fiction concept album.
Also responsible for helping to launch the career of Tupac. RIP Tupac and Shock G!
4⭐️
Skepta
2/5
I dislike all modern mumble rap and UK hip hop is bollocks (with the sole exception being Slick Rick). This album is a great example of both. Some of the beats were good.
2⭐️
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Great to hear something other than US/UK rock. This is the exact kind of thing I am looking for from this project. It’s an interesting sample of music from another country that puts a 70s spin on traditional indian music. engaging and really fun to listen to.
3.5⭐️
The Young Rascals
3/5
Groovin’ is a great song and I knew a few others on here as well. A fun trip down memory lane with mildly psychedelic influences it really straight ahead 60s pop. Can definitely hear the Beatles influence throughout.
3.5⭐️
Simple Minds
4/5
Big 80s fan, and some huge nostalgia around a few of the songs. Still a great example of sophisticated, smooth, intellectual pop songwriting.
4⭐️
1/5
I really tried to want to like this because it is an “important” album, but as a musical project it’s absolute garbage and noise. 1 star for being a record, 1 star for “importance” and -1 star for quality.
1⭐️
Laura Nyro
3/5
I went in not knowing Laura Nyro at all. Surprisingly enjoyed this album. I was not expecting 60s/70s singer-songwriter with a heavy dash of Broadway. Maybe it’s just me but there’s a bit of old school Sesame Street/Electric Company vibe going on with some of the songs. It was all over the place in a very good way.
3.5⭐️
Nick Drake
4/5
When I saw a third Nick Drake album I thought, 'No!' I wasn’t a fan of either prior efforts...and then I pressed play. Beautiful, haunting, intimate 28 minutes where he lets the listener into his tortured mind. However, it really makes me ask why the other two albums are on the list!
4⭐️
Robbie Williams
2/5
This is another example of the UK-centric nature of Mr. Dimery’s list. Take That was unknown, and Robbie Williams never made it in the U.S., so I have no none of the baggage listening to this that I’m seeing from others in their reviews.
This album feels like it has one genuinely great song - Angels - and a bunch of other generically fine pop music. It’s studio-polished, radio-ready quasi-Britpop from a singer who thought he was George Michael…but was just a bubblegum bad boy.
2⭐️
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I do not have any nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen. I think they fall into the category of bands that are talented and make fine music, whose influence I recognize and appreciate, yet have absolutely no interest in listening to regularly.
3⭐️
Morrissey
2/5
I confirmed what I have always suspected - I do not care for Morrissey or his solo work. One additional star because I know several people who do like it, so it’s got to be a subjective thing for me.
2⭐️
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
First, let me say that I don’t like Eric Clapton as a person or endorse his views. But…
"Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton" stands as a seminal album in the history of British blues, showcasing the virtuosic talents of Eric Clapton during his tenure with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. The album not only propelled Clapton to iconic status but also solidified Mayall's reputation as a preeminent figure in the blues revival of the 1960s. That’s why it is on the list.
3.5⭐️
Sugar
3/5
This album is on the list because it’s Bob Mould. Should have just put Hüsker Dü on instead, his earlier and more raw and experimental group.
It’s sound is SO 90s alt-rock. But it's not exactly the best example of that genre. In fact, one could argue that it's kind of riding the coat tails of much better bands and albums. It was enjoyable in a nostalgic way, though.
3⭐️
Gene Clark
3/5
Another one of *those* albums that's probably really good if you grew up with it, but today just give me Neil Young instead.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Great Jazz album. Loved the electric organ and sax especially. Simple yet complex album (like a lot of excellent jazz)!
4⭐️
Beastie Boys
5/5
This album is both a nostalgia 5⭐️ for me and a classic of hip hop deserving a 5⭐️ review.
To channel Stefan from SNL - this album has everything: extremely creative and hard-hitting funky jazzy beats, a nice variety of headbangers and funny satire of frat culture, and an edgy raw energy that is rarely seen from a contemporary hip hop outfit. Even after having listened to it many times, I never stop bopping my head and tapping my feet to Rhymin & Stealin, Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Slow and Low and Brass Monkey, and I don't think I ever will.
5⭐️
Tears For Fears
5/5
A perfect jewel of the 80s! I love this album. So many hits, but they were also doing more interesting things with synth pop than their peers. The way Broken goes right into Head Over Heels is fantastic!
5⭐️
Tom Waits
1/5
There is altogether too much Tom Waits on this list. The man may be considered a poet by some, but he sings like a muppet that is on a three day bender. That ruins everything else for me.
1⭐️
Supertramp
3/5
This is prog rock with the edges sanded off for mass media consumption and radio plays. That said, they are talented musicians and some of the songs are honestly classics.
Favorite songs: School, Bloody Well Right and Crime of the Century
3.5⭐️
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyable and nicely varied for a punk album. I didn't feel like I was listening to the same slurred song for thirty-five minutes like I often do with bad punk. There's also just a lot of great songs on here. 'Kill the Poor,' 'California Uber Alles,' 'Holiday in Cambodia,' I could go on. This was a great introduction to the Dead Kennedys!
4⭐️
Raekwon
4/5
I love finding old school hip hop gems on the list. If you love the Wu and the 90s East Coast style, then this album is just straight bangers from front to back. I can’t believe it’s trending below 3⭐️, so giving 4⭐️ to make up for for that.
Air
3/5
Oh man I loved this movie. The album really fits the vibe and mood of the movie extremely well. Not my favorite genre, but in connection with the movie it works well. On its own, not something I would choose to listen to again.
3⭐️
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Good music but I can really only handle Bruce's voice in small doses. I guess that makes me not a Springsteen fan. I like this era more than the radio-popular 1980s Springsteen.
4⭐️
Big Star
4/5
I only knew Big Star as the band that made the song on That 70s Show, but now I can see why they are considered a cult classic.
This is an early power pop record characterized by emphasis on vocal melody and harmony. There are elements of glam rock juxtaposed with folk rock. The influence of the Beatles and the Byrds still remain the foundation. This music is a clear progenitor of college rock groups like R.E.M. with their emphasis on vocals and jangly guitars.
4⭐️
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
I guess if Mick Jagger likes it then it must be good, right?
Meh. Not sure how this made the list.
2⭐️
The Verve
2/5
I've always found The Verve to be SUPER forgettable, with Bitter Sweet Symphony being the only track that is remotely memorable.
2⭐️
Sparks
3/5
An incredible, fun, campy, glam rock sound. Sparks’ Kimono My House is a cult classic, but you can hear how they influenced many later, more well known acts.
3.5⭐️
Scritti Politti
2/5
One decent song - Perfect Way - that sounds like it was written for Wham! but they passed. Everything else might as well be the noodling of a fifteen year old whose balls haven’t dropped yet, and just got his first Casio keyboard for Christmas.
1.5⭐️
Brian Eno
3/5
This is experimental music from a composer that established ambient as a genre. It’s interesting and easy to listen to, especially while working on something else. It sets the mood and the environment (hence the name). I enjoyed it, but would probably pick other works by Brian Eno for a repeat listen.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Overall a great album. I'd never heard of Joan Armatrading before this, but I will certainly remember her name. I think I'll be going through her full catalogue.
3.5⭐️
Elbow
2/5
Not heard this before. Largely comes off as Radiohead-lite to me with some Coldplay mixed in for good measure. Derivative of both.
2⭐️
The Rolling Stones
2/5
The Rolling Stones are a talented group that contributed greatly to rock music. I understand the desire look back with rose colored glasses on their first work, but that said, there is no reason for this album to be on the list. One original song (which isn’t even in their top 20 hits) and a bunch of blues covers is not required listening.
Do yourself a favor and listen to the original R&B artists that made these songs great.
2⭐️
Brian Eno
5/5
Brian Eno is a musical genius. Fresh off his time with Roxy Music but before he worked with Bowie, Genesis, Devo, and the Talking Heads, he released Here Come The Warm Jets. Also notably before his ambient works, this leans more into the art/glam rock that he would also help produce with Bowie. It’s an amazing and experimental piece of work, all the better for the laundry list of excellent musicians, including Robert Fripp.
5⭐️
Patti Smith
3/5
This is one of those albums that you're SUPPOSED to love, but I don't. It's just not enjoyable to listen to. I appreciate Patti Smith and her lyrics and voice and that she was groundbreaking in the punk scene, so I feel like I must give it a 3, but all I really want to hear from her is Because the Night and Dancing Barefoot.
3⭐️
Wilco
3/5
Very average album No songs particularly memorable. Flow of the album feels like the band cannot decide on a genre.
2.5⭐️
Isaac Hayes
4/5
This album was better than I expected it to be. I was scared by the track lengths, but I really liked listening to this album. I do agree with others that the intro to By The Time I Get To Phoenix is longer than it needed to be. It's weird to hear his voice, because I'm so used to him voicing Chef on South Park, but I got past that pretty quickly. He definitely has a nice, soothing voice. It's perfect for this style of music. To think that this was 1969 is crazy. My favourite song was Walk On By.
4⭐️
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I like Marvin Gaye for the cultural relevance, the emotion and depth of the lyrics and his fantastic voice. This is a great album, but I just don’t see myself listening to it very often.
4⭐️
Pavement
3/5
I was very into music in 1994 and I remember the Haircut song, but nothing else from this album. It’s very indie in the best and the worst way.
2.5⭐️
Culture Club
4/5
This album has a hugely popular single, but I forgot that there were several other good songs that were radio staples back in the 1980s. It was a worthy addition to the list.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
On its face, this doesn’t sound like it’s for me. And then I started listening…
It’s a lot. The voice, the melodrama, the threadbare arrangements… However, it is certainly an artistic vision captured as an album. So it’s successful on that front, but it wasn’t a listening experience that I wanted.
I understand that this album was removed from subsequent editions of the book, so I’m not feeling too bad about bailing on this record early. Another example of why I am of the opinion that an album should be 10-20 years old before it is added to the list.
2⭐️
Happy Mondays
2/5
It’s not even close to Pills and Thrills and Bellyaches, but I guess there are some bands that only have one good record in them. Have to agree with others that this sounds like one drawn out “stiff funk psychedelic” episode. Happy Mondays did not make for a wonderful Wednesday…
2⭐️
Cream
5/5
I am a huge fan of Cream. This is the album that got me to consider older rock as worthwhile art and music (along with In the Court of the Crimson King).
Yes, it's possible to separate Clapton's current tendencies to be an A-hole from the genius of Cream. This album is a good reason. Nevermind the genius of Clapton's playing but listening to one of the greatest drummers Ginger Baker and the masterful bass playing of Jack Bruce makes this album such a sonic explosion that they only needed three members to do it. Perhaps the most talented rock trio until Rush came along later.
5⭐️
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
There’s a Riot Goin’ On is a harder turn from the optimistic, psychedelic 1960s as Sly and the U.S. crash and burn in the early 70’s - a comedown in the literal and metaphorical sense. It’s dense and dark and druggy, funky but downtrodden with an experimental, home recorded/DIY feel. “Riot” definitely earned its place on this list.
4⭐️
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I'll still give it a 3 for the lyricism but I don't like this album. Don't like the weird jazz, which I don't think meshes with her style. It detracts from it.
3⭐️
2/5
I understand the historical significance of Loretta Lynn to country music. But pre-rock-infused, weepy, hate your man, hate your life, sorry for yourself doesn’t make for an album I want to hear.
2⭐️
Spacemen 3
1/5
Warmed over new age bullcrap backed by droning synthesizer notes. Sounds like they a middle schooler that got a Casio keyboard for Christmas and this was their first recording trying out the sound effects.
I cannot fathom a single reason for this album to be included on the list.
1⭐️
Ramones
5/5
To me, the Ramones embodied what “punk” is. Each track overflows with the sheer, joyful, nihilistic abandon that makes punk so great. This is peak punk perfection. Full stop.
5⭐️
The Streets
1/5
I love hip hop, but that's not what this is. This has no flow and the storytelling on this "concept album" is sad and ridiculous.
Do yourself a favor and listen to Prince Paul’s A Prince Among Thieves if you want to hear a “day in the life” hip hop concept album executed and performed 1000 times better. And that came out in 1999. Any chance The Streets heard it and was “inspired”…?
For the life of me, I can't see why this is on the list...
1⭐️
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
I don't know how to feel about liking this. But I do. It's extremely innovative and experimental, especially for 1966! Frank Zappa was truly a trendsetter!
4⭐️
KISS
3/5
A classic that I have some nostalgia for - Kiss Dynasty was the first album I bought with my own money. It’s a bit dated and cheesy, and there are some clunkers but I think it’s still enjoyable and Kiss belongs on the list for their "rock and roll superheroes" shtick.
3.5⭐️
Sabu
2/5
Look, conga-forward afro-cuban rhythms are probably not my vibe, but
I love when things like this come up that are completely unique and plethora of countless mediocre British 80s/indie bands that have no business being on the list…
2.5⭐️
Ravi Shankar
3/5
The historical importance of this album cannot be overstated. It is also incredibly useful as an introduction to Indian musical theory and instruments.
I honestly appreciated and enjoyed the spoken explanations throughout the album. It helps to understand the interplay of the percussion, drones, and soloing sitar. But the chances of me putting this album on to listen to for pleasure are near 0.
3⭐️
Hot Chip
4/5
I found myself enjoying this more than I thought I would (like, way more), so I went back for another listen and it sounds like they're deliberately echoing some rather famous songs to get you to pay attention and then switching up the formula. It's actually kind of clever in a couple of spots. Unfortunately, there are also way too many moments that are just generic dance music, which is a shame, because I started off wanting to hate this album, and then after some time I really wanted to love it, but I couldn't quite get there. I've settled on "I'm glad somebody made me listen to this because I never would have chosen it."
4⭐️
Steve Winwood
2/5
Why are people on the site comparing this album to Peter Gabriel's solo work? If you're looking for a Genesis comparison it's clearly solo Phil Collins. To be clear, that is not a compliment. Souless, "yacht pop" easy listening that's just a step up from elevator music. At least it was short at 7 songs in 39 minutes.
2⭐️
The Electric Prunes
3/5
This was better than I was expecting from a 1960s psychedelic rock band I had never heard of before. There’s a Strawberry Alarm Clock “Incense and Peppermints” meets the Doors thing going on in the good songs. An interesting find!
3⭐️
LTJ Bukem
2/5
I like 8-bit chip tune, so had some hopes when this started. Those who compared it to Mario Kart music are spot on. Not terrible, but as an album too long and repetitive. I can see this being for someone, but not worth being on this list.
2⭐️
Brian Wilson
3/5
The story behind this album is what makes the album. If you listened to it in a vacuum, you would never give it the flowers that critics do. It's extremely experimental, but at the same time cartoonish. After hearing this I can definitely say that Pet Sounds is my favorite work by Brian Wilson.
3⭐️
Aerosmith
3/5
Aerosmith Rocks, bit they are definitely not deep lyricists. Enjoyed this as a throwback, but not their best work.
3⭐️
Orbital
2/5
Ambient, physhedelic bleep bloops are not actually a music genre, right? And these guys have two albums on the list? But no Phish? Come on!!!
2⭐️
Roni Size
3/5
UK drum & bass album from 1997 is super-niche and shows the bias of the list(maker). It was fun and interesting in short amounts, but not for 2+ hours. Plus one star for winning the Mercury.
2.5⭐️
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Echo and the Bunnymen has always felt like a weirder Cure and Smiths hybrid. Love the Cure, hate the Smiths. Leaves this right in the middle. A couple of great songs but not an amazing full album.
2.75⭐️
Liz Phair
4/5
I was in college when this album came out, and it was all over the college radio station (late at night) and in every one of my girl friend’s 3-CD Aiwa bookshelf stereos. The low-fi guitar, mixed with funny yet biting lyrics does what feminism does best…make sure that everyone knows that anything a guy can do, a girl can do as good, if not better. Though this album is very much a product of the 90’s, it is timeless and forward thinking. You can hear the roots of a lot of what female artists today are doing on this album.
4.5⭐️
Jacques Brel
3/5
I enjoyed this as an experience, but it’s hard to appreciate explicitly lyric-driven music in a language you don't speak. One extra star for the cultural significance in France.
3.5⭐️
The Stooges
5/5
Pure punk! The Stooges are some of the originals and deserve to be on the list. Not great lyrics, but that’s not what punk is about. The energy makes this album!
5⭐️
Roxy Music
4/5
The first few songs have a bit of a Grateful Dead meets David Bowie feel before the prog/art rock really takes hold. Brian Eno’s contribution is immense and hints at his ambient music aspirations. Frankly this album absolutely blew me away. The suite like nature of the album plays best as a whole and the genre fluidity works very well for them. This album is way ahead of its time and parts of it sound like it could have been released by contemporary independent artists.
4⭐️
Brian Eno
4/5
Oddly enough, I got Roxy Music’s debut album and then this one. Brian Eno is a musical genius and the landscape of modern rock, ambient, electronic and even hip-hop (sampling) would be entirely different without his influence. Separately, David Byrne through his solo career and with the Talking Heads has broken down doors and introduced genres to Western audiences. They are both amazing artists.
But a couple of musical geniuses creating together doesn't automatically make it enjoyable listening. -1⭐️ for that.
4⭐️
John Lennon
4/5
Discordant and self-absorbed, with raw, introspective lyrics and experimental, sparse instrumentation. Seems designed to separate Lennon from his Beatles career (although Ringo does play drums). Not sure I liked it, but it was well worth the experience.
4⭐️
Soft Cell
2/5
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - one great song does not make an album good. This version of Tainted Love is absolutely an 80s classic, but the rest of the album is pretty bad. But kudos to Soft Cell for having a song called Sex Dwarf.
2.5⭐️ (1.5⭐️ of which is for Tainted Love)
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
A English Supergroup with a concept album about life in London? OK, it’s good, but for the life of me, I did not and will not remember this.
3⭐️
Supergrass
3/5
I recall enjoying a lot of Supergrass in college. My favorite song wasn't on this album - Pumpin On Your Stereo - but Alright is also a classic. Still fun occasionally as an adult to dip back into this one!
3⭐️
Aimee Mann
4/5
I’ve been obsessed with Aimee Mann since she was the lead singer of ‘Til Tuesday and featured on the Rush song Time Stand Still in 1987. Aimee Mann is one of the great but underrated pop songwriters of the late 20th/early 21st centuries and this is a wonderful solo debut. But it is not her best work. For that, please check out the Magnolia soundtrack and Bachelor, No. 2 released in 1999-2000.
4⭐️
Femi Kuti
3/5
Clearly talented but totally not my thing.
3⭐️
Cypress Hill
4/5
Cypress Hill’s debut record is pretty great and ahead of its time for 1991. You get a good blend of rock and funk samples flipped to hip-hop, with at least one P-Funk sample, which was a pre-requisite of the era. It’s a bit psychedelic and the flow, particularly going between the nasal sing-song of B Real and Sen Dog’s hard attack, is great. Still enjoyable, even if nostalgia plays a factor in it for me. Still, their follow up album Black Sunday is more worthy of a spot on the list.
4⭐️
Baaba Maal
3/5
I enjoyed listening to this and it was interesting, but lacking the language or any real cultural basis in the music, I think my ability to appreciate it is pretty limited.
2.5⭐️
The Monks
3/5
Points for being unique and ahead of its time in 1966, and some songs that I liked. However, as is often the case with the experimental amateurish groups, there were some songs that just weren’t very good.
3⭐️
Hüsker Dü
2/5
Welp, that’s a Hüsker dön’t!
I knew Bob Mould from later work with Sugar and as the writer of The Daily Show theme song. Seems he got better with age…
2⭐️
2Pac
4/5
This is not the first album I think of when I think of 2pac, but it is perhaps his most personal and reflective album.
He reflects on the cycle of gangster life, the prison system, and the hopelessness of the situation when one is simply trying to survive with the cards they've been dealt.
Beyond being interesting lyrically, a good album has to be good musically, and I think this is high up there in the hip hop genre. Shock G of Digital Underground was an amazing producer and artist in his own right.
4⭐️
The B-52's
5/5
The B-52s are iconic, and come through fully formed on their debut album, which is equally weird as it is awesome. A melding of punk, surf, and emerging new wave, held together by the insane lyrics and delivery. The arrangement is perfect with driving bass and drums and guitar and synth lines that are instantly memorable and clear.
You either love Rock Lobster or you hate it, and I’ve always loved it!
5⭐️
Turbonegro
3/5
Some of it was definitely catchy and fun, but throughout the whole album the only vibe I could get through the whole thing was "This is what a group of writers for a Disney Channel sitcom would create as punk music" lol. Gets 3 stars, but only just barely.
3⭐️
Guided By Voices
3/5
Sounds like a weird demo tape. 17 second songs, many of them sounding unfinished. But there is a kernel of truth or greatness in a lot (not all) of them. Makes me wish they edited and refined their work more, and what was an interesting sonic experience could have been a great album.
3⭐️
Bill Evans Trio
5/5
One of the first albums I listened to when getting into jazz. Amazing brassless jazz album. Just a piano, drums and bass and it sounds great.
The playing is top notch. You can listen closely and be floored by this trio, or you can put it on as background music for a laid back vibe. That is not an easy accomplishment. I keep this in regular rotation for killer laid back jazz.
5⭐️
David Bowie
4/5
There are some great Bowie songs on this album that get a huge amount of radio exposure, but I don’t think this album is representative of Bowie at his best or most creative as an original artist.
3.5⭐️
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Screamo, thrash post-punk hardcore is not my vibe. I do love the intricacy to their playing, but don't love when it gets all smashed together in a ball of noise. On this album, the vocals and scratch/grating effects on guitar are off putting. +1 for naming a song Hand Over Fist but -1 for it not being a cover of the Rush song.
2⭐️
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
I can see why Hanoi Rocks is on the list. This record marked a pivotal moment in their career, blending elements of punk, glam rock, and 70s pop into a unique sound that influenced future Sunset Strip metal bands like Guns N’ Roses and Poison.
A guilty pleasure that brings me back to the 1980s!
4⭐️
Joanna Newsom
4/5
I’m so conflicted on this one! Someone here said she sings like Wish.com Bjork and now I can't unsee/unhear it. After spending more time listening, I still hear Bjork, but also some Tori Amos, Jewel, Paula Cole and even Kate Bush influences.
On the other hand, the instrumentation, especially the harp, and orchestration is ethereal and hauntingly beautiful. I didn’t know Progressive Folk was a genre, but as a fan of prog rock I am going to have to go deeper.
This is exactly what I was hoping for when I started doing the 1001 albums listening project! Not at all a type of music or artist I would choose on my own, and challenges me on what I would consider “good,” but something about it just grabs me and makes me want to listen more…
4⭐️
Jane's Addiction
4/5
As a college student in the US in the ‘90s who listened to the alternative rock radio stations, I heard “Stop” and “Been Caught Stealing” many times before. Frankly, Been Caught Stealing was massively overplayed, especially the video on MTV.
But this whole album is really innovative and Jane’s is a talented band with a unique voice and perspective. Very deserving of a place on the list.
4⭐️
The Sonics
3/5
A lot of these songs are covers, but the Sonics were very influential to garage and punk rock, so I guess are deserving of their place on the list.
3⭐️
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Thoughts before listening: I've never heard of this before. Must be British. Review: Yep...it's British. Over the top, theatrical Brit pop to be more precise. I don't really like it.
2⭐️
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Someone else described this as:
Doctor Who backing music made by some dude in his kitchen. No thanks.
And to that I say, "Yes, please!!!" This taps into something deep in my psyche, giving me nostalgia for a 1970s retrofuturistic life I'll never experience.
4⭐️
Arrested Development
4/5
Mr. Wendell, People Everyday, and Tennessee are great. And there are other good songs. The delivery is purposefully earnest and comes off as corny, but the issues that they were addressing were/are serious and this was new to hip hop. They didn’t have a playbook - they were pioneering a new direction. Also, unlike some other early 90s bangers this has aged better with its anti-misogyny messaging.
But not enough to get this past the 3.5 star hump that is dividing line between good and great. However, I think that I’ll round up:
4⭐️
Pink Floyd
5/5
I saw the cover and I went "okay, easy 5 stars", but then I decided that that wasn't fair. Does one of the go-to greatest rock albums of all time deserve a pass? Absolutely not. I decided to listen to it with a critical ear, as if I had never heard it before.
Result? I’m more than 500 albums into the list and this is still one of the best I’ve heard.
5+⭐️
Shack
2/5
I understand that the list (and the list maker) has preferences in choosing what to include. Chalk this one up to the Britpop obsession. Bland and uninspired. Wished I was listening to something else almost the entire time. 1999 had so many better albums and artists that could have been included. For example - Fanmail by TLC, First Love by Utada Hikaru, A Prince Among Thieves by Prince Paul, or The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner by Ben Folds Five?
Or if you’re looking for something that was insanely popular in 1999, but not so much now, how about Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Live at Luther College?
Anyway:
2⭐️
Skunk Anansie
3/5
This is a band I completely missed in the 90s, but it sounds like they weren’t as popular outside the UK. Unique, technically proficient, interesting message. A big surprise for me.
3.5⭐️
Björk
2/5
Avant-garde is certainly accurate for this album. I don't dislike it but I have a hard time enjoying the vocals throughout all of it. If this was an instrumental album or even a limited vocal performance album I would enjoy it more. I'm confused as to how to rate this album. At times I get it and love the artistry and at other times I just feel like I'm about to be possessed.
2⭐️
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Dusty Springfield is a good singer, but this album consists of incredibly generic early 60s covers. I have no idea why this album should be included in the list.
2⭐️
Soft Machine
3/5
A little noise, a little jazz, a little avant garde minimalism, all prog. Though I like their first two albums a bit more, this is bold stuff, and holds up well alongside other prog rock and jazz fusion of the era.
3.5⭐️
Bauhaus
3/5
Bauhaus were early in the Goth scene and creation of the sound and esthetic. Shows on this album where it is very raw and spooky. Liked a lot of the bass and shearing guitars. But I find myself wishing it was more similar to The Cure, and left cold by comparison.
3⭐️
The Pretty Things
4/5
This album walked so Tommy and The Wall could run! It’s a shame that it isn’t as well known and respected as those later works. Psychedelic and catchy and the first rock opera. That’s my jam. The stereo panning is a bit much but that's my only real complaint.
4⭐️
Johnny Cash
5/5
This is the classic live album! “I shot a man in Reno just to see him die” & they cheer… Amazing!
5⭐️
Common
4/5
This album showcases classic soul and R&B as the bedrock of the production, some of J-Dilla’s best chopped beats, and Common’s smooth delivery. They all work in perfect harmony. More spoken word slam poetry than rap at times, Common manages to cover similar themes to other hip-hop artists, but delivers them in a more, intelligent subtle way.
Can
3/5
Now this is the weird shit I've been waiting for. Never heard of Can before but I love this type of music. It feels very ahead of it's time. I span this a couple of times today and will do so again as it was a trip. Keep this stuff coming.
3.5⭐️
Beatles
4/5
Later Beatles are definitely what I prefer, and this is a bridge between the rock n roll of the early Beatles, and the psychedelia they would be dipping their toes into just one album later. Favorite tracks: "All My Life", "I'm Looking Through You", "Drive My Car”
4⭐️
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Sometimes a homage comes off poorly. This album feels like a corporate approved plagiarism of a New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Talkimg Heads synth vibe that it just fails to rise to the level of its influences. I like 8-bit video game soundtracks but not when it passes for influential disco electro pop.
2⭐️
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
Brilliant, perfect, moving album by Echo and the Bunnymen. Killing Moon of course the classic track that’s now overused in movies and TV. Much of the music of then now is outdated, but this one is still fresh to my ears!
5⭐️
The Jam
4/5
The Jam has been one of my favorite discoveries of this list project. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve heard from them. They exist in that sweet spot between the Clash and the Police, but with a fun mod/punk vibe that’s all their own.
4⭐️
New Order
2/5
I like earlier New Order more, before this Ibiza acid house side trip. Not sure this album deserves to be on the list when there are more deserving albums by this group.
2⭐️
Merle Haggard
3/5
I'm not sure I've heard much (or possibly anything) by Merle Haggard, so it's nice to get a full album of a name I know I should have listened to before now. And weird album cover aside, it's a good collection of country tracks.
3⭐️
Dr. John
1/5
I always learn something listening to the albums on the list. Today’s lesson:
New Orleans zydeco/jazz/swamp rock through a voodoo/psychedlic 1960s drug haze is not my bag.
Can totally hear where this was an influence on Tom Waits (that’s not a compliment).
1⭐️
Pretenders
4/5
One of the greatest debut albums of all time! A true classic; Chrissy Hynde is a unique and raw talent.
4.5⭐️
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
It's OK, but it's definitely one of those albums that is on the list because of historical context. I enjoyed reading about it more than listening to it.
2⭐️
Radiohead
5/5
The whole album is great from start to finish. A true classic. Also for me the first Radiohead album I bought and listened to on repeat for forever. In many ways I like this more than later Radiohead where they got more electronic and experimental.
5⭐️
The Adverts
3/5
My first time listening to or hearing of the Adverts, and I was pleasantly impressed. I'm not entirely sure how much 1970s UK punk needs to be listened to once you get outside of the main contenders. Crossing the Red Sea sounds like typical punk and shouts the same message, but a good listen.
3⭐️
The Beta Band
2/5
Yet another Brit band whose music never really crossed the Atlantic, other than as a punchline in the terribly pretentious High Fidelity TV show. I thought this was fine but nothing special. Too many like this are on the list (and I understand this got dropped from the most recent print edition).
2⭐️
The Cardigans
4/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
This is an album whose cultural impact and significance, style and aura are unmatched. In many ways it was trailblazing and represents a bright line between the musical sensibilities that came before and after it. And, if I’m being honest, is a VERY challenging listen. It’s not “good” in the sense of a pop album of its day and that was purposeful. It’s still not “good” by today’s standards, but much more acceptable given how many carbon copy iterations have existed over the years (each one just a little bit less with each new version). So instead of giving this 5 based on its cultural context, or 1 based on how easily enjoyable the experience is, I am splitting the difference and rounding up:
3.5⭐️ (giving it a 4 rating)
The Stranglers
2/5
Punk rock polka. The lyrics may have been “ok” in 1977 but definitely didn’t age well. The Stranglers don’t stand out for me.
2⭐️
King Crimson
4/5
King Crimson is the best of experimental music. Ever-changing, ever-evolving, and always original and creative. Robert Fripp to this day seems to me to possess such an interesting and curious mind. And, of course, what a guitarist. I love the way he uses the instrument; very much on his own path. This version of King Crimson might be the most talented with John Wetton, Bill Bruford and Jamie Muir in the lineup.
4.5⭐️
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Really pleasant surprise as I don't normally listen to anything like this. Loved her voice and the blues influences in here. Super cool to hear 'Mbube' and to get some context for 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' (even though Miriam's version is a cover).
4⭐️
Taylor Swift
3/5
Taylor Swift is a machine and an industry. It’s hard to separate the person and the artist from that. Ultimately, this is Swedish super-producer pop. It's fine, but I couldn't find anything distinctive about it, and people wouldn’t be so in love with it if someone else’s name was on the album cover.
3⭐️
Jerry Lee Lewis
1/5
Ah yes, the racist, pedophillic, incestual, music stealing piece of shit. And this is a live album to boot. Go listen to Little Richard Is Back (And There's a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!) (1964) instead for an album you must hear before you die.
1⭐️
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Musically this was great, and I am sure based on the wiki that this tells a great story, however partly due to the language barrier it wasn't for me.
3⭐️
Madonna
3/5
This album feels like it is desperately trying to re-capture former pop-star glory with mixed results. A couple of memorable tracks, one real turd, and some formulaic dance pop electronica. Otherwise known as everything Madonna has done since the 1980s.
2.5⭐️
Pulp
3/5
I think to give this a 5 you had to grow up with this album in the UK. Hearing it for the first time, and not as a Britpop fan, brought nothing to me beyond another whisper-sung album about sexual misadventures.
3⭐️
Bert Jansch
2/5
The album sounds like the lack of production is a choice, but really just a marker of the time it was recorded. Intimate, simple, and unpolished which compliments the artist-and-their-guitar format well. But it also feels like going to a café to hear a local musician trying out their original songs for the first time. You can hear something good, but clearly needs more input from others.
2.5⭐️
Buck Owens
2/5
A lot of this sounded like a parody of a country album. Not for me I'm afraid. I understand that the covers of these songs are all better than the originals. So maybe a great songwriter, but not a fantastic album.
2⭐️
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
If you want to listen to 45 minutes of a dude playing with an effects pedal while people moan incoherently, this is the album for you.
1⭐️
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Anything less than five stars for this album would be a travesty. The sound; the lyrics; the message is timeless and is the perfect snapshot of the feelings of America at the time of release, and even more so right now. Perhaps even more telling that some of RATM is now part of the machine. Time grinds us all down…
5⭐️
Joy Division
4/5
So dark, moody, angular, minimalistic, and yet it remains danceable. Started a revolution in music. The genius is in Hannett taking the very good punk songs the band had written and then twisting them in to a different shape, thus creating the future (and, tangentially, New Order).
4⭐️
Fugazi
5/5
Fugazi is a band I’ve always known about but not listed to - so cool!! Jazz punk! Such creative musicians breaking the “rules” of how a band should sound and act.
5⭐️
Foo Fighters
5/5
This is really a Dave Grohl solo album, in the truest sense in that this was done almost entirely solo by Grohl, and really shows how instrumental he was to 90s rock. Not only was he drummer of the most iconic band in grunge, but shows he is a multi-instrumentalist and a class act songwriter. As a true band The Color and the Shape is a better representation (also on the list).
5⭐️
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Not bad, but annoying because this took a spot on the list away from so many albums that are much better than this. It's not even like this is revolutionary or different in one way or another, it just sounds like every other generic English/Scottish pop album in the 80s-90s. Shows that the list is really one person’s opinion. So many other bands and genres that should be represented.
2.5⭐️
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
This is an album that is included for its historical worth and not because it is enjoyable to listen to. One of those sneer at the world message albums. Only got away with making it because of the Sex Pistols. That said, I do like Jah Wobbles bass.
2⭐️
Al Green
4/5
Soul isn’t my go-to genre, but this is a classic. Funky, groovy, soulful. Enjoyable from start to finish. Highlights: Let's Stay Together and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.
4⭐️
3/5
I can see why Zeppelin wanted to rip them off…
3⭐️
Common
3/5
Common generally doesn't do much for me. The whole conscious rap thing is as much of an act as gangsta rap was at the time, particularly when you’re still pretty homophobic. Overlong, but saved by great production of J Dilla and Questlove.
3⭐️
Stephen Stills
3/5
I didn't necessary dislike it, but it was a little boring. Felt like a decent departure from CSN, so good for him on that.
2.5⭐️
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
A lot of fun to listen to. Upbeat dancey pop with a bit of camp and a dash of melancholy. Go West was played nonstop back in 1993-1994.
3.5⭐️
Weather Report
5/5
This is a landmark album and group in Jazz Fusion. The compositions, instrumentation, and performances are absolutely outstanding. This was cutting edge in the 70s and still holds up. Sure the synths sound a little cheesy thanks to getting overused in the 80s, but man, you got Jaco Pastorious ripping it up on bass, Shorter on sax, and Zawinul on synth- these dudes are literally legends of jazz.
5⭐️
Madonna
4/5
This is potentially the high water mark of Madonna's entire career. There are plenty of more well known singles from other eras of Madonna, but this might be the best entire album. She’s more of an artist on Ray of Light than the previous pop princess, or the sad weird quasi-Brit she transformed into later.
4.5⭐️
Cornershop
3/5
Very good album. Expected to only enjoy brimful of asha but, some very eclectic songs, great variety of sounds and rhythms mixing electronic, bass and Indian instruments to great effect.
3.5⭐️
Eagles
3/5
This album seemed to be one of five that my dad had on 8-track, so it makes me think of road trips. It’s the embodiment of a classic rock album. On some days that’s good, but most of the time I’ll pass.
3⭐️
The Zombies
4/5
One of the best 60s psych rock albums of all time.
4⭐️
The Libertines
3/5
Better than I expected, given the track record of British indie records from the early aughts on this list, but inessential nonetheless.
3⭐️
Scott Walker
2/5
Feels like the best and the worst of the 1960s in a blender. Overly theatrical voice, schmaltzy arrangements. At best, tracks are like mediocre Bond theme songs ('Best of Both Worlds') or unconvincing country pastiche ('Black Sheep Boy'). While the music is cheesy and cliched, the lyrics are often strange and unfiltered ('Next'). Weirdly honest, yet highly artificial.
2.5⭐️
Jungle Brothers
4/5
This was a good album from that golden age of hip-hop before gangsta rap dominated the scene. Groovy, funky and very danceable. The lyricism is great, and it's refreshing to hear some hip-hop that takes a more light-hearted stance. Some of the songs sound a little cheesy now, but maybe it's just where everybody got so jaded by the gangsta rap juggernaut. Wonder what would be different in the world today if this was the hip-hop subgenre that persisted?
4⭐️
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Wow that's a lot of iconic pop in one place. The level of creative originality is incredible. This band and this album particularly set the stage for basically all funk that followed.
5⭐️
The Kinks
4/5
The Kinks are real story tellers on this album. The lyrics are just as important as the musicianship, and all together makes a excellent listen. There is only one well known track on this album but you won't be disappointed with any of the songs. Great stuff from the mid-60's!
4⭐️
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
Albums like this are the reason I love this project so much. I had absolutely no clue what to expect and had never heard of the artist or album, but both the naked penguin man and the fact that Brian Eno was the producer had me feeling hopeful. This just hit right today. Slightly bizarre and utterly beautiful, I've got nothing to complain about.
4⭐️
Randy Newman
2/5
Hearing Randy Newman say the N word is just way too weird. I truly only know him from Disney work (and I Love L.A.), so it's interesting to hear how that's really HIS sound that Disney 100% just latched onto.
This is as satirical and “punk” as piano driven singer-songwriter music gets, but not my style or vibe. Plus one star for having the balls to debut it at the ASO.
2.5⭐️
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Tarkus may be the most indulgent and most “Emersonian” of all ELP albums. It was widely hailed as a progressive rock masterpiece, and I’m very pleased to see it on the list when prog tends to get short shrift here and by critics generally. That said, ELP has other 20-minute plus song cycles that I like more for the storytelling (Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman) and many more popular short songs. So it’s not ELP’s best album, but it is undoubtedly their best album cover.
4⭐️