This is one of my all-time favourite albums and the soundtrack to high school and university. When I was you young I would argue this was the best album of the 90s. I actually don’t even want to deconstruct why I like it- I just want to let it wash over me when I listen to it. Inthe proceeding years, Billy corgan has started to become more grating but this album is preserved in my memory as a time before all of that, a time when I could listen to this with my whole heart and feel so much joy

Haven’t heard this album in over 10 years. The reverb and mixing always felt claustrophobic which turned me off. Once I got through that this time, I actually found myself enjoying most of it. I would give it a 3.5 if I could.

The first half finally clicked with me after years of trying of trying to get into this album and I listened to it 5 times through. The second half is interesting but can’t see myself revisiting too often.

One of my favourite Zappa albums. Peaches en regalia is one of the best album openers of all time! I really appreciated the back half of this album more on recent listenings. Classic Zappa

I’ve been listening to this for the last 6 years and admittedly it took me a while to get into it, but again once it clicked, I really enjoyed most of it. Love pyramids, crack rock, pilot jones, and thinking about you. Most of it is very feel good and reminds me of being young and at the start of a relationship. Can hear Stevie, prince, and Marvin all throughout this album. Would have loved to listen to this in my mid 20s!

Love this album. Started listening to this 20 years ago and still revisit often. I think it’s Isaac Hayes at his best. Lush production and prototype soul album that allowed for evolution of ‘soul sound’ from Motown into a looser more expressive sound. Walk on and Phoenix are so great.

This album soundtracked my mid 20s so I have a soft spot for it. Having said that, it is not their best album and I am worried you will judge this group poorly based of an album that is bloated, even though it has 5 or 6 killer tracks. Andre 3000 is one of the best mcs ever- he broke the mould for what an mc can be and how they are represented. OutKast also put southern rap on the map and and paved the way for the south to dominate hip hop in the 2000s (for good or bad). Fresh and clean, Ms Jackson, gasoline dreams, and bombs over Baghdad still sound so fresh today. Pitchfork ranked b.o.b as the best song from the 90s. I don’t think the album works as a whole but there is still so much of value in amongst the mess

I’d only heard one other Willie album before (stardust) and really liked this one. I imagine everyone on the Burlington hall would know how to play every song on this album- had a very Al vibe for me and reminded me of playing at Mike’s house. Loved the sparse instrumentation.

I’ve never heard this entire alb but remember hearing the singles all the time from my youth. Definitely had a late 80s vibe- I don’t mind the new jack sound, it just become background for me after a while. It’s like eating candy-good at the start but leaves you wanting something more substantial. Definitely important in the evolution and scale of pop - for good or bad.

The sweet spot for sound garden- I liked parts of their previous album but the production was muddier and darker. This album was released at the perfect stage in my life when I was just picking up a bass and a guitar for the first time. Biking around somerset listening to this on a walkman in August of 94 are some of the happiest memories of my teenage years.Almost all of the songs hold up and Cornell’s voice is on fire throughout.

One of the best debut albums of all time- zeppelin were pretty much fully formed out of the gate. Dazed and confused is unreal!

I can see why this album is considered important and I was surprised by the release date as it does sound ahead of its time. However, as I listened I found it slipping into the background often. The title track was my favourite - you could almost draw a direct line from it to 80s synth pop. I think I need time to let this album grow on me but for now I will not be revisiting- although I can imagine other dimensions being unlocked in the barn while under the influence…

I had never heard of this album or guy before. He sounds so much like a Ryan Adams on some tracks (the shining hour, you just have to be crazy). I think I need more time for this album to grow on me- at some points I wanted to shut it off but there was something that prevented me from dismissing it completely. The fact that Michael Stipe called it the best album of 1993 means there is something there.

I really wanted to like this album as it theoretically has all of the elements I love. I did love ‘eclipse’ and wish the rest of the album was as interesting. I found most of the vocals to be almost farcical and off putting (flight of the conchordsish). I appreciate that this probably paved the way for artists like Nitin Sawhney who I love and for that reason alone I can show this album some love.

Literally the first time I’ve ever heard Maiden(I know) and I was pleasantly surprised. I can see how they influenced so many, and were spoofed in countless ways ( spinal tap, school Of rock, the darkness). This album is Actually more punk than I thought they’d be (probably because it’s their first and only one with that singer). I listened to the number of the beast after this and that seems to be their more classic sound but I did find myself enjoying this more than I thought I would.

This is one of my all-time favourite albums and the soundtrack to high school and university. When I was you young I would argue this was the best album of the 90s. I actually don’t even want to deconstruct why I like it- I just want to let it wash over me when I listen to it. Inthe proceeding years, Billy corgan has started to become more grating but this album is preserved in my memory as a time before all of that, a time when I could listen to this with my whole heart and feel so much joy

I love so many Van Morrison albums (astral weeks, moon dance, Tupelo Honey (thanks Mike!), Veedon Fleece) so thought I would love this. His voice is great but I didn’t enjoy the music- was almost too straight and loungey at times. Hard to believe he started recording version fleece a few weeks after these shows. Immediately after listening to this I put on Astral weeks to clean my palette.

I had never listened to this album even though it was just released when I moved back to the uk. When back in black was released, I fell in love with her voice (as everyone else did) and loved the Motown infused songs combined with her London grit. This album isn’t as gritty and at some points feels almost like a Sarah Vaughan album. But the seeds are there that would germinate into what she would later become, which ultimately led to her downfall. If she had stayed at this level, who knows where she’d be. Loved the song ‘in my bed’ and that they sampled Apache. The bass drum sounds deep and almost like massive attack. A good album but whenever I feel like listening to Amy, I’ll always choose back in black.

Always heard of this, never listened to it. Have to admit it grew on me over past 24 hours. This quote stuck with though: The problem with coming in late on an artwork lauded as 'influential' is that you've probably encountered the work it influenced first, so its truly innovative qualities are lost. Thus, if you are hearing Big Star's debut album for the first time decades after its release (as, inevitably, most people must), you may be reminded of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers or R.E.M., who came after—that is, if you don't think of The Byrds and The Beatles circa 1965. What was remarkable about #1 Record in 1972 was that nobody except Big Star (and maybe Badfinger and The Raspberries) wanted to sound like this—simple, light pop with sweet harmonies and jangly guitars." I didn’t find the album exciting but it was pleasant and some of the songs were great (but the India song reminded me of Cups and Cakes by spinal Tap). My big nitpick with this album is the production - it felt thin and tinny and I would have loved more warmth.

Great album. Don’t think I can truly appreciate how much influence it actually had having listened to it decades after its release. So ahead of its time in lots of ways and love the punk feel on some of the tracks. When I first heard this in university wasn’t a fan of nicos voice but that has grown on me over the years. Really got into Venus in Furs this time. So many bands and whole genres are indebted to this for breaking new ground in a very fertile time for music.

One of my all-time favourite albums, and one of the best albums of the last 20 years. Is the soundtrack to my early adulthood. Listen to this with the kids in the car so much they know every song off by heart. I love the orchestration- lush at times and then cartoonish and then sombre and then joyful. Amazing that there is a song about Wayne gacy on the same album as a song like Predatory wasp but the whole album is still cohesive and works. I think it’s Sufjan Stevens masterpiece although there’s still several other of his albums that are phenomenal. Every time I listen to this I am blown away by the songwriting. Casinos Pulaski day still gets me every time.. and he takes and he takes and takes.

When this was released I did t even give it a chance- why would I listen to a guy from nsync? One of my friends in Calgary who I played guitar with told me I schools really check it out and said the neptunes and timbaland produced it and they were songs meant for Michael Jackson. When I did finally listen, I secretly enjoyed a lot of it. Senorita, like I love you, what I got, rock your body. The songs were catchy, light, and on in every club on London. Takes me right back to being 24-25. Love the production on it. I don’t listen to the whole album often but will revisit a few tracks. Was actually learning Senorita on piano last weekend cause I thought the intro would be a great way to open a show.

An album and artist i’ve never heard of before. It took me a while to find on Apple Music until I realized it’s not really a true album but a mixture of two and was then released in the early 80s and 1978. Her voice is great and weirdly reminded me a little bit of feist for some reason. The music was good, but it really didn’t really grab me. I don’t think it would be album that I’ve ever revisit again but nice to have exposure to music I normally would listen to.

If I was on e in Manchester 35 years ago I might have loved this album. But listening to this as a middle aged man sitting in traffic in new Minas did nothing for me.

This album is excellent start to finish. It really is bittersweet as the level of fame it propelled her to was her undoing. Every day when I was taking the train to work there’d by another story tearing her down. Believe people when they tell you who they are - and on Rehab she told everyone clearly. But after its release, Amy was a force and you can see this in her performances at the time- her voice was strong and her lyrics were direct and representative of a subculture in London at the time. I love Motown and I think it was a stroke of genius to combine the wide eyed happiness and innocence of Motown with her lyrics about infidelity and drugs. Both balance each other out to keep me going back for more and it is one of the most relistenable albums for me. The production is rich and voice is powerful. I’ll go to bat for this album every day

I have never heard an entire album by the cure before this. Admittedly they never grabbed my attention and part of me really wanted to enjoy this, to finally ‘get’ them. Alas, that did not happen and I am firmly in the ‘not a cure fan’ camp.

Unreal- immediately put a smile on my face and the energy and attitude was so unexpected. I would have immediately dismissed a Jerry Lee Lewis album before this and so glad I have it a chance. Such a great time capsule of rock. Just have to forget that he married his 13 year old cousin. But I’m reviewing the music not the man…

Listened to this quite a bit when it first came out and is an album that I always forget about. When I remember and put it on I always enjoy it- just positive sounding, upbeat great songs. Definitely captures the 2007 vibe.

Had never heard of these guys before. Solid album, loved the music, although did t love all of the vocals. I’m definitely going to delve more into their music.

I’ve always really wanted to like the pixies and know I should like the pixies but after listening to this I realize I still don’t really like the pixies. All of the songs were fine but none grabbed me. Maybe one day but not now.

Definitely a solid monk album but not my favourite (monk’s mood if you’re asking). The title track was the highlight for me and I was fascinated by the recording process for it- 25 takes, frustration with monk which eventually led to them having to splice takes together to get a final track. I love that for one take they thought there was something wrong with the bass set up as there wasn’t a signal until they realized he was just pretending to play because he totally couldn’t follow monk!

I’m always surprised at how unpolished and raw this album is at times and I mean that in a totally good way. When I first heard this over 20 years ago I loved it- over time I find myself revisiting less and less but I can still appreciate it and it allowed to understand why the stones were/are so huge.

I can totally appreciate this album but I have to admit it didn’t grab me and kept sliding into the background. I think this is a band that would be amazing live.

Such a great voice. It must have been amazing to hear this album when it first came out, to hear Otis Redding’s Respect as the opening track and reimagined with such energy. Listening to it now, I didn’t feel excitement although I could appreciate her voice and arrangements. Over the years I’ve started to prefer to singers who have more grit/character in their voice. Otis Redding and Esther Phillips sing some of these songs and those are the ones to which I keep returning.

I really want to like this album. I remember watching her speech at the 97 VMA awards. And I find the albums she has done with Jon Brion are far better. I know she was young when this was released and some of the lyrics are great; however, i can’t stop zoning out or letting this album slip into the background. I really try and then after 5 minutes I’m itching to change the channel. Maybe I’m not in the right frame of mind but I still cannot get into this album- lord knows I’ve tried.

Fuck yeah!

I found this a painful listen. It is stereotypical 60s psychedelic at its cheesiest. Never been a Byrds fan and I am definitely not one after this album.

Soundtrack to me moving back to London in 2003. Grime/garage mainly underground before Dizzee released this album. Then it exploded. I love the energy and rawness of the music and of his voice. He put London mcs back on the map. I love u is one of my favourite tracks and brings me right back to living there…oh welw

Excellent album- one of my favourites and seeing some of these songs performed live in Stop Making Sense makes me love this album even more

Because it was out of print at a time when I was discovering music and getting into Neil young, this album was always mythical to me. I had heard the couple of tracks on decade but nothing else. When it was finally released I didn’t give it the time it deserved. Listening now, I realize how beautiful it is and found myself returning to it yesterday. The back half is hazy and reeks of honey slides. What a line up on revolution blues! Definitely will be in regular rotation from now on

I first heard this in 1996 during my first year of university. I met a drummer from BC and we quickly became friends and started playing music together. He loved music and opened my eyes to a lot of albums I had never given a chance. He was the first guy to introduce me to led zeppelin’s first album. He was also a passionate about Deep Purple, a band I had always dismissed. He loved Ian Paice! Seeing his enthusiasm for it made me appreciate it so much more. Listening now, I can still appreciate it and know the musicians are on fire - I just know I won’t listen to this again for another 28 years.

What can I say- one of my favourite Tom Waits albums. I still remember discovering this in the 90s - it felt strange, harsh, and beautiful all at the same time. Just listen to Going Out West. I remember downloading the mp3 of Dirt in the Ground on my parents computer on their dial up internet and listening to this on repeat for days. The ultimate memento mori. So beautiful and sad and urgent. I also love ‘A little rain’ and ‘who are you’ - both are incredible songwriting. As I get older, ‘I don’t wanna grow up’ hits so hard. When I’m in my car by myself I sing this at the top of my lungs and I always find it difficult to get through without getting a lump in my throat. How do you move in a word of fog that’s always changing things? The only thing to live for is today.

Reminds me so much of being on my mid 20s. I love the production on this album. I don’t want to like 50 cent but a lot of the songs are so catchy and transport me right back to 2003!

I haven’t listened to this album in years. I remember really loving this album whenever I put it on and worried that I would fee differently after so much time having passed. I played it on my phone speakers and listened to the first couple of songs and felt indifferent. Then I got a pair of headphones and listened to the album again and it almost put me in an altered state. So beautiful. I read about this album on Reddit this morning and somebody said they put this album on headphones and lie on their trampoline and look at the stars. I’m now waiting for a clear night. Tju

One of the best albums of all time. It’s been almost 30 years since I first heard this and i find the music is still fresh and exciting now. It took me a while to ‘get’ it but once it clicked I was hooked. The first jazz album that I truly loved.

I had never heard this album until now. It started to grow on me but I think I need more time to sit with it and really absorb it. So it’s a 3 right now but am assuming it will click at some point as most of her other albums have.

To quote one of my favourite Mel Brooks movies…’Nice. Not thrilling. But Nice.’

First time hearing and actually really got into it. Had energy and didn’t take itself too seriously. I could totally trace the sound back to The Stooges and Raw Power. I will definitely be listening to this again.

I’d never heard this album in into entirety. I knew the two huge songs but not the other same it’s pretty good. Not my favourite but definitely enjoyed it. Crazy how fully formed Tom was out of the gate. breakdown and American girl are two of his best and for that alone this has to get 3 stars. Breakdown is also the first in a long line of songs where Tom tells us to listen.

Beautiful beautiful album. These songs are so familiar but this must have been a revelation to people who heard it for the first time.

Not going to dignify this with a response

I actually enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. I few like I’ve heard all of these songs at some point but had never heard them all together. The lyrics are definitely dated and spinal Tappy but the album still has a freshness to it and sounds great. People must have reacted to it the same way they reacted when the darkness released their first album- it amidst plays like a greatest hits album.

Beautiful album. Warm, smooth production and her voice is perfect. I put this record on often and it’s one of the only ones that my entire family agrees on.

Listening to this hen it was released must have been a revelation. Growing up, my understating of Bob Marley was mainly based on Legend. When I heard the live album I got a glimpse of him that wasn’t so refined and this album furthered that. After some digging I realized there was a Jamaican version of the album that wasn’t mastered in London and that was the one I listened to. Stir it up feels fresh and new as does Kinky Reggae. Love it.

This album still sounds beautiful. Not a huge U2 fan but can appreciate this for sure. I’m a fan of Daniel Lanois and you can’t underestimate his contribution to this sound. This album is the sound of a band hitting their peak.

I can’t believe this album came out in 69- completely changes my idea of the timeline of music’s evolution in the 60s and 70s. So ahead of its time and full of so much energy and so different from most albums being released then. I am now a stooges fan.

After reading an out this album I really wanted to like it and here were moments that were beautiful but overall it faded into the background. It could be because I tried to listen to it at a time when I was on a Bon Iver kick and this was more straight or something. Good to know this exists and I’ll revisit one day.

Definitely a classic album. Have to admit that I’ve never been passionate about Lennon’s solo stuff although admittedly there is a lot of great stuff. I’ve always found the music lacked a lightness or something. I was surprised by how biting he was about McCartney on ‘how do you sleep?’ so soon after the Beatles broke up.

Such a classic and my favourite talking heads album. Polyrhythmic and influenced by fela. The lyrics are insightful (‘lost my shape trying to act casual’). I could go on but I’m going back to listen again.

An overflowing, beautiful, messy album created by two artists at their peak. Not everything is gold but overall it is an album I keep returning to as it has aged very well.

A album that catches waits in a transition - a couple of years later swordfish trombone is released and the rest is history. This album has a couple of my favourite Tom waits songs- jersey girl and rubys arms. Overall not one of my favourites but any tom waits album always has some gems.

Was prepared to not like this as I haven’t really been into the eno I’ve heard, although I appreciate him as a producer. Wasn’t really impressed and then I heard the solo on st Elmo’s fire. That drew me in and there were nuggets sprinkled throughout. Not a huge fan of the vocals but I have a feeling this will grow on me. I need to give this time to percolate. Can trace the impact of this on bands like bon over, talk talk, and Radiohead.

Classic early 2000s New York album. You can almost trace a direct line back 30 years to the stooges. At times sounded a bit like vampire weekend to me as well. Don’t listen to this often but when it’s on I enjoy it.

So beautiful. I first listened to it this album over twenty years ago and have to admit I wasn’t initially that impressed. But over the years I fell in love with this album and can see its influence on so many artists and albums. Stevie at his finest. Hard to believe how young he was and how he was able to completely reinvent himself and soul music at the same time.

Such a snapshot of music of the early 2000s- hooky songs that were played in every club, bar, and school dance. I’ve seen countless people sing these songs at karaoke. Have never listened to this entire album and probably won’t again though.

Anothwr band I know I’m supposed to love and who are supposed to be so influential but their albums too often slip into the background. Maybe that’s the point- they are supposed to be hypnotic like modern day electronica. A few tracks get like old Nintendo game soundtracks which isn’t a bad thing. I did enjoy some of it and it did feel tongue in cheek a lot of the time. Need a deeper dive or somebody to explain why they were so revolutionary as I can’t see it yet.

So difficult to rate an album as influential as this over 60 years later. It’s almost impossible to listen to this with fresh ears as the template it laid has been used in rock ever since. I can almost imagine what it would have been like to drop the needle and hear ‘oh boy’ for the first time as a teenager. Can appreciate the songs on here even if they are a little dated.

As close to a perfect album from the 90s as you can get and the soundtrack to my teenage years and beyond. A wall of energy- gritty and beautiful. The sound of a band at their peak and about to implode. Hearing the different mixes released a few years ago was interesting although I think the original sounds fantastic. I think that in the next 50 years, only a few 90s albums will still be played regularly and this is one of them. Has aged beautifully and gets all the kudos and recognition it deserves. The drop in Frances Farmer still makes me want yell out in joy jump into the pit.

Confession: any smiths I have heard thus far I have not liked. Not to mention that current day morissey is an ass. So was not expecting much from this album. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t hate this album. It was pleasant enough and I enjoyed a few tracks. I’m still not a smiths fan but I can now see why somebody might be.

One of my favourite albums of all time. I listen to this weekly. The production on this is excellent and I think it is one of the best sounding albums ever. Although the songs are generally about loss and loneliness, I find there is a beauty and wistfulness that o keep returning to.

Couldn’t get into this on first listen. Then I put on a lot of good headphones and could hear the bass properly and could see why this is heralded as a great live album. Three musicians just killing it live. I think this will be another grower for me- nothing really grabbed me although I could definitely appreciate it.

Knew some songs but never listened to entire album. Have to say I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Great production and songs had a lightness to them. Will definitely be listening to this again.

I’ve tried so many times to get into this album over the past 20 years and it just hasn’t clicked. I know the songwriting is supposed to be great but the production puts me off. One day but not today.

There were times as I was listening that I thought this might be an album I couldn’t into but then a song would come on that would erase that feeling.

Picture it. Summer 98 living in Halifax in an apartment in park Vic, taking classes by day and working at Wendy’s with a murderer by night. I had just bought my first beater acoustic guitar and listened to this album constantly, trying to learn the songs by ear. The last great zeppelin album. The solo on rover is magnificent.

One of the greatest- so much has been said about this album over the last almost 50 years. Just beautiful. It really does contain multitudes. So rich and warm and laid the template for so much music that proceeded it.

Didn’t know this album well at all. Was actually pretty good- loved supernaut and snowblind. Still very much sabbath although more nuanced in a way than other albums I had heard. Not my favourite but solid.

How can this be any less than a 5? And it stoned me takes me right back to being a teenager myself and is one of my all time favourites. Almost a perfect album start to finish that I have revisited at every stage in my life.

I have argued for a long time that this is one of the greatest albums of the 90s and definitely the best chilli peppers album. It seems in fashion now to dismiss the chilli peppers but when this was released it was fresh. Messy, and exciting- each song full of energy. The songs were all so different- I could have lied is so different from suck my kiss. And the title track still sound phenomenal. A band that were at their peak and who had found a perfect blend of punk, funk, and melodies. A solid 5.

I have given this a lot of thought and I think may be the greatest piece of art produced in the 20th century. A fully realized spiritual vision of an artist at his prime. I have so many interpretations and ideas about what the songs, and even some of the individual phrases represent. When o first heard this years ago I enjoyed it; but about 10 years ago I listed again and it brought me to tears. Without a doubt in my top 3 albums of all time and one I revisit weekly.

90s classic. This album sounded so fresh when it was released and although it has lost some of that excitement I had when I first heard it, I still think this is an excellent album front to back. The production is rich and the songs sound fantastic. High Five

Bought this on vinyl a few years ago and it’s grown on my every year since. Was the first Willie album I heard and I could see why he’s so popular. His interpretation of these standards are subtle and warm. Perfect vinyl to put on on a Saturday afternoon.

I think this album is excellent. When I first heard it I just listened to it as a straight album but on subsequent listening realized that the songs were loosely connected and my appreciation grew. Don’t know how Kendrick has the ability to write meaningful, personal songs that still sound fresh and fresh exciting. This is the album that propelled him to superstardom and for good reason.

Eminem is definitely one of the great mcs of all time. Maybe i’m getting old, but I find myself bristling more at a lot of his lyrics nowadays. If I was 18, I may find them edgy and pushing boundaries but more often than not they just sound angry. With Dre at the helm, the beats sound great but not my favourite of his albums.

I like the idea of this album but found it a little bland. It has the promise of North African music but without the energy and fun that makes people get up and dance.

Beautiful, beautiful album. Songwriting is outstanding and his guitar playing and voice are almost transcendent. ‘Lover you should have come over’ takes me right back to being a 20 something year old guy trying to figure things out. An album that I will always revisit.

Some great moments and undoubtedly one of the greatest blues players of all time. I just didn’t (and dont) find straight forward blues that enjoyable at the moment. So great that this moment in history was captured and a perfect t example of blues, just not one I’ll be revisiting any time soon.

The temps meets Isaac Hayes meets Marvin Gaye. Better than I thought it would be. I love Motown and I love 60s temptations but this was a pretty soulful album.

Obviously know Girl from Ipanema but haven’t heard the entire alb. It’s one of the best selling jazz albums and I’m sure it was important to bring it and bossa nova to the masses- I just don’t find it very exciting. Pleasant but not exciting. Great dinner party in the background music.

This reaffirmed that I am still not a pet shop boys fan. The vocals put me off (although their earlier song west end girls is awesome). Sorry pet shop boys. Not today.

I agree with Mike -I can appreciate how influential this was at the time and its influence can be heard everywhere now. But I appreciate this more as a historical document rather than as a an album.

Great album. I prefer their follow up (demon days) but I remember this feeling so fresh and new when it was released and still love it. Doesn’t take itself too seriously but still sounds fantastic on good speakers.

Went into this with no expectations but was pleasantly surprised. His voice sounds a lot like Gord Downie to me and there was a darker Hip sound there at times. I always have to be in the right mood for Joy Division but when the mood hits I’ll definitely reach for this album.

A great sprawling album that showcases George Harrison’s potential post Beatles. So many great songs. Sometimes the length puts me off (that’s what she said) but I can definitely appreciate how inspired and beautiful the song writing is.