Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
336
Albums Rated
3.11
Avg Rating
33
5-Star Albums
31%
Complete
753 albums remaining
Rating Speed
5
Per Week
470
Days Active
Reviews
310
Written
92%
Review Rate
vs Global
-0.24
Avg Diff
3.11
Avg Rating
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Post-punk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
19
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floodland | 5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
| Vespertine | 5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
| Deloused in the Comatorium | 5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
| Melodrama | 5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
| Channel Orange | 5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
| Meat Is Murder | 5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
| xx | 5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
| Garbage | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| The Fat Of The Land | 5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Marshall Mathers LP | 1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
| Bitches Brew | 1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
| Homework | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| 461 Ocean Boulevard | 1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
| The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn | 1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water | 2 | 3.97 | -1.97 |
| More Specials | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| A Date With The Everly Brothers | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| The Gilded Palace Of Sin | 1 | 2.93 | -1.93 |
| Smokers Delight | 1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talking Heads | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
| Radiohead | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and low weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Specials | 2 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
5-Star Albums (33)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Couple of decent songs but generally I found it quite annoying
1 likes
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Without You and Coconut back to back in the track order is hilarious. Overall decent album with a mix of styles.
1 likes
Sparks
3/5
Very theatrical and idiosyncratic. Seems like they inspired a lot of bands to follow.
1 likes
The Avalanches
4/5
The way this was constructed is really impressive and it sounds so unique
1 likes
1-Star Albums (19)
All Ratings
The Smiths
5/5
Fave tracks:
Headmaster Ritual
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
Barbarianism Begins at Home - that bassline
Meat is Murder - cow go moo
AC/DC
3/5
This could be the school of rock soundtrack I wouldn’t know
Fave tracks:
Hells Bells
Shoot to Thrill
Back in black - absolute classic, first riff I ever learnt on guitar
Let Me Put My Love Into You made me feel a bit sick
4/5
Good vibe for walking to work on a sunny morning slightly hungover
Fave tracks:
Where the Streets have no name
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Exit - unexpectedly rips
A bit front-loaded
U2
4/5
Back to back u2 albums - not complaining though
Fave tracks:
Sunday Bloody Sunday - narrowly beats Zombie by the Cranberries as my favorite song from the fairly niche genre of ‘songs about the troubles’
New Year’s Day - sounds like The Cure
The Drowning Man
A more interesting album than Joshua Tree but maybe less consistent
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Not sure this is the genre for me
1h20 of jam session over the same 3 chord progressions
Nice vibe I guess
Actually second half was better
Def Leppard
2/5
Could it really be a hard rock album from the 80s if the only 2 lyrical themes weren’t:
a) rock
b) sex
That said, this album is a least more instrumentally interesting than Back In Black
Fave tracks:
Photograph
Foolin’
Robbie Williams
3/5
Had no idea what to expect with this
Did not expect some pop punk tho lol (title track)
Range of genres on this
Fave tracks:
Lazy Day
Angels - actually can’t unhear the big ange version anymore
South of the Border
Let Me entertain you
Queen
4/5
Never actually listened to a queen album in full but was exactly as I’d hoped, fun and theatrical
Fave tracks:
Killer Queen
Tenement Funster>Flick Of The Wrist>Lily of the Valley - absolutely love when songs seamlessly transition to the next on an album so this 3 song run is amazing
In the lap of the gods (+ revisited)
Garbage
5/5
One of those bands/albums I’m very surprised not to have ever listened to considering they sound like a mix of 90s artists/bands that I love (PJ Harvey, smashing pumpkins, portishead, the breeders)
Vocals are great
Some very cool riffs
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Scarborough fair takes me back to group singing in music class at secondary school
Snoozefest
Really don’t have much else to say about the album
Aretha Franklin
3/5
When you start an album with a song as strong as respect it’s inevitable that the songs after won’t reach the same heights. That said, enjoyable album with amazing vocals.
Wilco
3/5
I’ve been meaning to listen to another album by Wilco ever since I discovered their 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which I absolutely love. So I had high hopes for this.
Safe to say it didn’t live up to my expectations, sounded like YHF in parts but a lot simpler and even more of an alt-country sound, which can get tiring. It also did not need to be 80 mins long. Without comparing to YHF though, it was a fun album with a good mix of slow and fast pacing and loud and quiet within songs.
Highlights:
Misunderstood
Hotel Arizona
Sunken Treasure
The Prodigy
5/5
Absolutely love the album cover, the crab is me listening to this album. I haven’t listened to many albums that match the energy of this album. It also feels so much more intricately produced than I expected and there were so many moments and sounds where I was like whoa (the singing in the middle of Smack My Bitch Up, sword fighting sound effects in Breathe)
Fave tracks:
Smack My Bitch Up
Breathe
Firestarter
Climbatize
King Crimson
5/5
Amazing jazzy prog rock.
I guess it’s not surprising as the genre is progressive rock but this album really sounds ahead of its time to me. Such varied songs and structures.
Album cover is iconic too.
Maybe I just don’t get it, but that middle section of moonchild kinda just sounded like a bunch of toddlers hitting random instruments for a bit. That is really one of the only negatives of the album for me.
Living Colour
3/5
When the album started I my initial thought was: oh no not another 80s hard rock album. But actually after the first 3/4 tracks this was so much more than that, infusing funk into the mix and having more interesting lyrical themes. Was NOT expecting a talking heads cover which was very cool. However I’m giving only a 3 because it was a little bit bland
Tim Buckley
3/5
Nice bit of medieval folk but whilst I appreciate the commitment to the bit, it can get a bit too much at times (on Knight-Errant for example). Overall the album has quite a lot of filler, whilst certain tracks such as Pleasant street are really really good. If all the album was that good it would easily be a 4 and possibly a 5/5. Also want to mention Goodbye and Hello, which has an amazing brass section.
Based on this album I have to say Jeff is the better Buckley
2/5
Some alright songs but I found it a bit boring to listen to tbh. Never been much into punk though.
Talking Heads
5/5
*disclaimer - multiple listen bias as I already knew this album*
Whilst not my favourite talking heads album it has some of their best songs on (cities, memories can’t wait, heaven) and it’s really cool to hear as a transitional album between first 2 more straightforward post punk/art rock albums and the experimental and very hard to define Remain In Light. As with most talking heads albums it is really not much like anything else. My one critism is that slightly trails of in quality right at the end.
The Police
3/5
Shack
2/5
Pleasant bit of scouse britpop.
Some more standout songs - due to quality or being different from the standard britpop formula - but generally quite a background album
Not quite sure why this is one of the 1001 albums you must hear before you die
The Stone Roses
4/5
Going into this I really thought stone roses were a britpop band similar to oasis or something. But I was very much proven wrong. The album is an amazing fusion of sixties pop and eighties jangle pop with shoegaze and britpop - genres that would become a lot bigger in the 90s. The percussion on some songs is so amazing, and that extended outro to I am the resurrection is sick. The album starts and ends really strong but sags a bit in the middle.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
So this is the best album of all time according to the users of rateyourmusic.com and albumoftheyear.com (2 popular music rating sites). As you can imagine this album would have to be very very very good for me to not think it’s overrated. After this single listen, I am not convinced, but it definitely seems like an album worthy of multiple focused listens. I found quite a few songs didn’t really stand out but the others were really cool. The jazz influenced instrumentation is very nice and some of the bass playing is ridiculously good. I found his vocals a little bit annoying sometimes. Overall, although I’m not that into hip hop or rap, I can completely understand the hype this album gets and I definitely want to get into it more through repeated listens.
Radiohead
5/5
Nothing less than the best album ever recorded.
And yes, I have listened to every album ever recorded.
The Black Keys
3/5
Pretty nice bluesy rock - their next album El Camino is much better and more consistent. This was quite front-loaded.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
The issue with folk music for me is that I nearly always prefer it with more instruments/layers. The singer has to have amazing vocals and guitar playing for me to really like it stripped back (Elliott Smith for example). This album is a great example of that problem, his vocals are pretty good, guitar playing okay, but when there’s some backing vocals or more instruments involved it is really good. Therefore certain songs did stand out to me, e.g. So Long, Marianne.
However the rest I found quite boring and repetitive at times.
Ute Lemper
2/5
😬 not for me
Ramones
3/5
Perfect example of an album that was probably pretty revolutionary at the time (I think it was one of the first true punk albums) but has not aged well at all. There is so much post punk music that is miles ahead of this nowadays. It would be cool to be able to erase all memory of any music newer than an album to be able listen to older albums as if they were new
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Yeah I don’t really get this at all. Supposedly one of the most influential albums ever and I just thought it was boring, incohesive and kind of annoying at times. Also, not sure you should have equal credit on an album in which you sung 3 songs (referring to Nico ofc). I did find some tracks quite pleasant (Sunday morning, Venus in Furs) but overall this is pretty damn overrated.
The Smiths
4/5
I had this cd when I was younger so know it quite well but definitely had not listened in a long time. It’s probably the worst of the smiths 4 albums, but is by no means bad. You can tell it was later in their career by the variety of instrumentation and song types, which works well on certain songs but makes some songs sound a bit silly.
Goldie
2/5
Couldn’t be bothered with this album, first song was good to run to but then listening to the rest got boring very quickly. It’s nearly 2hr long wtf
Billy Bragg
2/5
Mostly solo electric guitar, not the best vocals with quite political sounding lyrics. Nothing special
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Strongest album opener ever? Gimme Shelter is one of the most powerful songs, with lyrics that are unfortunately just as relevant 55 years later. The guest vocals by Merry Clayton (I had to look that up) are absolutely insane and really the song would not be nearly as amazing without them.
The rest of the album is pretty decent but it would be impossible to keep up the quality after that opener.
You can’t always get what you want is a very strong closing song. Overall this album suffers a little from a lack of consistency but the highs outweigh the lows.
Jethro Tull
4/5
A very enjoyable prog/folk album. Felt like it was transported to a fantasy world. Flute playing was killer. Some of the longer heavier songs like Aqualung and My God are top-tier prog songs.
Nas
3/5
Enjoyable hip hop album, cool instrumentals and sampling. I just can’t get into the genre enough.
Nirvana
4/5
Better than Nevermind. Feels like they did what they wanted to do on this album, when they could have easily followed up nevermind with an even more accessible album to appeal to the masses. Instead they created a very raw and actually quite disturbing album.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Was listening thinking: this sounds kinda unfinished? Then I read the book entry that says it’s literally demos so makes sense
Coldplay
5/5
UCL represent!
Wtf Coldplay actually used to be really good. To me this sounds like an alternative reality where after releasing The Bends Radiohead decided - instead of getting all weird - to go really accessible and try to get chart success. It may be a really safe album but there’s some really great songwriting on here.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Some nice songwriting but not that exciting
Jimmy Smith
2/5
🥱
Otis Redding
3/5
Pretty nice, but the fact that only 2 songs are original takes away from it a bit.
Supertramp
4/5
Really nice mix of prog and pop. Fun and engaging listen! Will definitely be returning to this in the future
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Really like the sound of this. Like a British Elliott Smith. Quite long but I like the lo-fi collage of different styles.
Carole King
3/5
Pleasant album, good songwriting and singing. But just didn’t engage me that much :/
Taylor Swift
3/5
One of the better albums by Taylor Swift that I’ve heard. You have to admire the ability to write essentially an albums worth of singles. But there is some quite uninspired instrumentals and cringy lyrics in there too.
Sparks
3/5
Very theatrical and idiosyncratic. Seems like they inspired a lot of bands to follow.
The Specials
1/5
Ngl I just thought this was kinda bad
The Pogues
2/5
It’s so Irish
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
I like the instrumentals and his flow, but I found the songs blended into one a little bit. Also that skit in the middle was unbearable.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Starts off with some amazing songs (otherside in particular) but the second half is a bit hit and miss. Overall though, I think they have quite a recognisable and addictive sound on this album. And of course, top notch bass playing by flea.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Nice jazzy folk, some really nice and unusual chord progressions. However, it is a bit too easy-listening at times and just breezes by.
Mj Cole
2/5
That album cover lol
In all fairness this is not the kind of music I’ve ever been into but still, could not listen to over an hour of this. Does every song have the same beat?
Willie Nelson
2/5
Really don’t have much to say about this album. Pleasant listen but pretty boring.
Common
3/5
I appreciate it but just not my thing
Aretha Franklin
3/5
A fun listen. She sure can sing
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
I’m sure it’s very culturally significant but it just didn’t really grab my attention for much of the fairly long runtime. The first song was great though.
Charles Mingus
3/5
Considering I don’t really like jazz this was pretty nice. Especially liked the end of track C and the repeated motifs throughout the album.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
This was really quite bland and too long.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
If there’s anything I’ve learnt from listening to this record, it’s that I must never stop chooglin’.
Sister Sledge
5/5
WOW. This is great.
Perfect for a Monday morning walk to work cos of the feel good vibes and perfect brisk walking speed tempo.
Maybe lags slightly at the end if I had to find a negative.
Hole
4/5
X-Ray Spex
3/5
I found this slightly annoying. And as with other punk records I’m sure it was so cool at the time but just feels dated now. Pretty good songwriting in general though. ‘Identity’ in particular is a great song. I also appreciate the use of saxophone throughout.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
I really assumed Buffalo Springfield was a country singer for so long.
This album does a lot in its short runtime. Whilst it is a bit of a mixed bag, there are some great songs (expecting to fly, hung upside down)
Lauryn Hill
4/5
The production on this is immense. Also there are surely very few people as good at both rapping and singing. This album earns its long runtime more than some previous albums on this list but still drags a bit. The first 4-5 songs were absolutely flawless though, especially Ex-factor, that might be the best r&b song I’ve ever heard.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
fuck yeah.
The pure aggression of this record is unmatched.
Green Day
3/5
Pretty good. Felt a bit repetitive at times though. Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams is an all-timer
Simple Minds
4/5
Great bit of early 80s new wave. Title track was a standout. Not much more to say.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Listening to this album feels very sophisticated. But also really fun. I like it.
AC/DC
3/5
Glad that’s both the AC/DC albums out of the way now. To be honest I did prefer this slightly to Back in Black, probably because Brian Johnson’s vocals just sound like a bad impersonation of Bon Scott. I also thought Walk All Over You was a pretty good track.
The Temptations
2/5
Found this kinda boring tbf
Jeff Buckley
5/5
My guy could fuckin sing
Also some really inventive guitar playing
All the instruments just sound so perfect on this
Can only imagine how good a follow up album could have been
RIP
Primal Scream
3/5
Cool album cover
Really don’t understand why Movin On Up is on this, it sounds nothing like the rest of the album
That said, it is by far my favourite song and made this generally quite boring album a decent amount better.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Dunno what exactly it is about this album but really enjoyed it.
I think it’s their unique brand of Britpop that mixes in a bit of punk and grunge but also string sections.
I especially enjoyed the last song.
Another band I had heard of but never knew what their music was like until now.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
First half: 🥱
Second half: kinda cool, why wasn’t the whole album like this ??
The White Stripes
2/5
Too simplistic at times
Fela Kuti
3/5
Entertaining album! A genre I need to listen to more
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
I think this is my favourite hip hop album
The Soft Boys
3/5
Really nice bit of jangly post punk. The sound is pretty ahead of its time too. Let down a bit by songwriting.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
cool sound, a genre I should listen to more
Meat Loaf
2/5
I’m sure this is the exact intention but this album sounds like it was written for a musical and I don’t like that.
Grateful Dead
2/5
No necessarily a bad album, but it left no lasting impression at all
MGMT
5/5
Absolutely GOATED album.
Such a vibrant mix of genres and sounds and so many weird but catchy songs.
So many standout tracks but have to mention ‘Of Moons, Birds and Monsters’ as they’ve somehow crammed like 5 songs in 5 mins with that one.
Khaled
3/5
Was actually kinda nice but way too long. Definitely the first Algerian artist I’ve ever listened to. I never thought I’d ever get to hear imagine sung in Arabic.
Michael Jackson
4/5
An album of hits and one awful miss (The girl is mine)
Nick Drake
4/5
The guitar playing on this is so captivating. It’s both intricate and sparse, neat and rough around the edges. Also the use of unorthodox tunings gives it an addictive eerie vibe.
Eric Clapton
1/5
Feel bad giving this a 1/5 but it honestly bored me to death. Maybe would be better if I was high or something.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Just such an iconic sound. No wonder they were my favourite band when I was 10.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
Love me some microtones but this is quite repetitive.
T. Rex
4/5
Really enjoyed this album, feels like a good mix of many different early 70s sounds. Cosmic Dancer and Monolith were definite standouts for me. Both had some amazing guitar effects. If it was a bit more consistent I would give this a 5/5.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Very fun listen, even better than the last one, it is a bit short thought with only 2 songs on the original release.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
How’s your debut album just gonna be a bunch of mid covers. The worst part is that the only original song was my favourite one.
New York Dolls
2/5
Jamiroquai
4/5
Gonna have to agree with the majority of reviews and say this sounds a lot like stevie wonder. But that’s never a bad thing and I think it’s a much more maximalist approach. Also didgeridoo.
OutKast
4/5
Somehow this album doesn’t really get boring over its 2+ hour runtime. Part of that is the fact it’s actually 2 albums combined, but also it’s just insanely inventive and unique. Speakerboxxx is a really solid hip hop album with some amazing instrumentation. The Love Below is hard to define and kinda fucking weird, but enjoyable. Definitely the less consistent of the 2 but has the best single tracks. Hey Ya is probably up there with my all time fave songs.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Liked the overall sound of this album, but it is a bit bloated and self-indulgent.
Various Artists
2/5
It’s a Christmas album
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Impressive and varied debut album. Ends up a bit of a mixed bag but still a nice listen
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
Alright as background music
Frank Zappa
4/5
This shit is wild
Public Enemy
3/5
Sick beats n all but gets a lil repetitive
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Definitely better than the previous Clapton album. However it is 76 minutes of self-indulgent noodling. The title track is that good that it single handedly bumps this up from a 2/5 to a 3/5
Prince
3/5
This is for sure a unique album by an extremely creative artist. However it’s a bit hit or miss for me.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Way funkier than Californication, and also less consistent.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Without You and Coconut back to back in the track order is hilarious. Overall decent album with a mix of styles.
Morrissey
2/5
The smiths but without any of the qualities brought by the other members and all the controversy remaining. Why are there 4 morrissey solo albums on this list
The Verve
4/5
All the singles are so good but I already knew that, what surprised me was the quality of some of the other tracks.
John Cale
3/5
An interesting and unique album but didn’t capture my attention much
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
This is probably one of very few albums on this site that I have known since its release. It’s just a very solid record, simple yet effective songwriting and production and a really convincing old sound.
Talking Heads
5/5
Although this is only my 2nd favourite Talking Heads album (Speaking In Tongues not being included in the book is an appalling decision), it is by far their most unique. There’s really not anything else much like this and the level of creativity on display is incredible. Only David Byrne and Brian Eno could produce something this, over 40 years ago! The run of tracks 1-5 is possibly the best 5 song run I’ve ever heard. The one negative about this album is the next 3 songs, which aren’t quite as good. But it’s still a solid 5/5.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Well that was pretentious as fuck
The Specials
2/5
Not another one?
Joan Baez
3/5
Simple but effective. Great voice, great guitar playing.
The xx
5/5
This album has been stripped back to its simplest sound in the best way possible. Every note and beat feels like its inclusion was considered in depth. The resulting sound is spacey and eerie and the vocals are amazing.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Can’t go wrong with a bit of Stevie. Not as consistently good as the other album I know by him (Innervisions) but the funkier songs (maybe your baby, superstition) are insanely good.
The Byrds
2/5
What a load of boring country covers
Steely Dan
5/5
It’s crazy to me that this was a debut album. It’s crammed full of catchy hooks and sounds so effortless and complex at the same time. Already knew this album but its reminded me I need to listen to more steely dan.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
That first song was extremely annoying, but things did get slightly better afterwards. I’ll give this 2 stars rather than 1 purely because this seems like it was pretty unique and experimental at the time (and still now tbf).
Gorillaz
3/5
I like this album because you never know what’s coming next. Granted some songs miss the mark, but it kept me interested the whole time. Overall it’s not as consistently good as either of the next 2 gorillaz albums.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
The best thing about this album is that it made me appreciate how far music has come since.
Sisters Of Mercy
5/5
When I was 14/15 and getting more into music my dad gave me his old record player and records, so most of the stuff I was listening to was his collection. This was a particular favourite of mine at the time so it’s quite nostalgic to come back to 10 years later. It’s so gothic and so 80s I love it.
King Crimson
3/5
Suffers from the classic prog album curse of trying so hard to be weird and ‘progressive’ that good songwriting is sacrificed. There were some great moments though, and I did enjoy the twists and turns of the title tracks. Overall not as good as their debut.
The Mars Volta
5/5
Weird that I just happened to have already been listening to this album a lot recently.
It sounds like Led Zeppelin + Muse but on acid and I’m so here for it. Insanely technical instrumentation, powerful vocals and the some of the most surreal lyrics I’ve ever heard. Not only does it have all of the above qualities, but also some really catchy and accessible songwriting which is seriously impressive.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Bit boring at times. First and last song were strong though
Dr. Dre
3/5
Fun album but gets a bit samey
The Avalanches
4/5
The way this was constructed is really impressive and it sounds so unique
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
I didn’t have high hopes when I saw the band name and album cover. And yes, it was definitely dated and cringy, but overall I thought the songwriting was actually pretty good.
Eminem
1/5
A lot of homophobia in the lyrics. Also I stopped listening during the song ‘Kim’ because that was a horrible experience.
Björk
4/5
What a unique artist. Whilst her next 3 albums improve on this sequentially, it’s impressive as a debut and her vocals are as good as ever.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Solid debut album, can see what all the fuss is about. That said, some of the popular songs are overplayed and therefore a bit annoying.
Paul Simon
2/5
Pleasantly boring
M.I.A.
2/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Why is this in the book
The Strokes
5/5
This is it.
Joy Division
4/5
Although it could be more consistent, the atmosphere this album creates is immense and it was massively influential on gothic rock and post-punk to follow.
Van Morrison
4/5
Lush would be the most fitting single word to describe this album
Brian Eno
3/5
Like Remain in Light but less accessible
Dennis Wilson
3/5
This has crazy high production value
Louis Prima
3/5
Went into this one with low expectations as I’ve never really enjoyed an album that is older than the 60s. It wasn’t bad though, a fun listen and I liked his vocals.
The Doors
2/5
Boring
Sonic Youth
4/5
A noisy guitar-driven sprawl of an album, ahead of its time and very influential on modern post-punk/indie rock.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
It had its moments but they were few and far between.
Van Halen
2/5
Beck
3/5
Difficult to compare this to anything I’ve heard before. So many different ideas and genres brought together, yielding fascinating but inconsistent results.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Easy listening, but not really my thing
Megadeth
4/5
One of the best metal albums I’ve listened to. Although that’s not particularly saying much as I don’t listen to much metal. It was also surprisingly melodic for a thrash metal album. The guitar solos were insane and just generally the lead guitar work was on another level.
Orbital
3/5
Would of given it 2 stars but that second-to-last song single-handedly bumps it up to a 3
Elvis Presley
2/5
The Clash
4/5
Usually I’m not that into classic punk but this was actually great. Unlike the other bands from this time like the sex pistols and ramones I think it holds up pretty well today.
Nina Simone
3/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
From the cover and the description in the book I was prepared for this album to be awful. Whilst that may have been true for the latter half of the album, I did quite enjoy some of the first few tracks.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Pretty good, reminds me of television but not as interesting guitar playing
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Slightly better than the other g-funk album we’ve had so far (the chronic) but still can be annoying and a bit repetitive. There are some really good standout tracks on here though, Murder was the case is a particular favourite.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Don’t really get why he’s so popular, I feel like there’s artists nowadays doing this genre better. Also I heard him singing about a ‘little girl’ on 2 different songs and any more than 1 is too much.
Dire Straits
3/5
A bit all over the shop this. If only every song was as good as Money for Nothing.
Funkadelic
4/5
It was all going so well until the fart noises at the end
Supergrass
3/5
As britbop albums go I thought this had quite a unique sound but just didn’t really stick with me
B.B. King
2/5
I’m not a fan of live albums at the best of times, so it doesn’t help that the audience is way too loud in the mix here.
Tears For Fears
5/5
Anyone who doesn’t gives this 5 stars is incorrect
Love
3/5
Maybe I would’ve enjoyed more on another day but it wasn’t the vibe I wanted for cycling to work.
Meat Puppets
3/5
I thought this album had a great alt-country sound that is 10 years ahead of its time. However, except for a couple great songs the writing was mediocre.
Pink Floyd
4/5
So yeah this album is great n all but it is just a bit overrated. On the run is a pointless track and actually quite annoying.
Public Enemy
3/5
Better than the last public enemy album but a bit long
The Rolling Stones
3/5
They are definitely a singles band. This and gimme shelter have quite a bit of filler and then 2-3 amazing songs.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is so weird and I like it. Also the last song is amazing.
The Beach Boys
4/5
The contrast between the album title and its cover is hilarious. Never properly listened to beach boys but had heard a few of their hits before. This is very different to those and I think I prefer this slightly darker sound.
Holger Czukay
1/5
tf is this shit
Nirvana
3/5
I prefer them plugged
3/5
Some great songs on here but not that consistent.
Beth Orton
3/5
It should be illegal to put a song that good as the opening track and then follow it up with an hour of music that is not nearly as good and also very different in style.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Maybe would’ve enjoyed this more if it was actually set to a film
Syd Barrett
1/5
Very boring
Van Halen
2/5
What an awful album cover. The music itself doesn’t redeem it.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
It’s like if tori Amos made poppier music but it was also grungier
The Young Rascals
2/5
Had me yawning
Pixies
5/5
Massively influential for alt rock and massively influential on my music taste ever since I heard the song Debaser on skate 3. I love how unhinged it is, it’s impossible to predict how the next song will sound.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Solsbury Hill is great, the rest is overcooked
Lorde
5/5
Not yet heard a better mainstream pop album. It really is flawless. Also a very important album to me in making my teenage self realise you could like Radiohead and pop music at the same time.
John Coltrane
2/5
I just don’t really like jazz that much
The Crusaders
2/5
Sorry I got bored
The Dictators
2/5
First song was decent, downhill from there
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Had to turn it off after like 4 songs
Eagles
3/5
Another not great album to cap off a week of not great albums. Only 3 stars cos of the title track.
Kate Bush
4/5
This would be one of my all time fave albums if the end half was as good as the first.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Great energy and great sampling
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Was never gonna get through the whole thing
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Put me to sleep
Depeche Mode
4/5
Been meaning to listen to more depeche mode since hearing their most popular album ‘violator’ recently. Whilst this isn’t quite as good as that, it has a similar fusion of goth and synthpop.
5/5
It speaks to the influence and importance of this album that despite never actually listening to it in full I knew most of the songs. It’s one that I don’t think anyone can not like. Also Five Years is a criminally underrated song.
Steely Dan
4/5
Crazy production quality for a 50 year old album. Such a smooth sound but can get a lil boring at times.
Crowded House
4/5
Very nostalgic for me as my mum has all their cds and used to play them in the car a lot. While it isn’t their best album I’m glad they have one on the list. Great songwriting, does maybe run out of steam a bit at the end though.
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
Well she can sing. That’s all the praise I have though. Pretty boring even to listen to the best of version so I wo old never had got through the whole thing
Billy Joel
3/5
American Elton John. Some great songs on here but found some really boring.
Iron Maiden
4/5
My first iron maiden album and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it
Rush
3/5
Nice bit of prog. Think they have better albums though.
Wire
4/5
One of the best uk punk albums. Love the quickfire song style and some of the longer songs (ex-lion tamer, mannequin) are just amazing
The Prodigy
3/5
This is outrageous, this is contagious
Beastie Boys
4/5
Like the other beastie boys album we have very recently: great energy and sampling. This one maybe a bit more rock influenced. Also special mention to the use of the drums from When the Levee Breaks in the first song.
Moby
3/5
Good album but too long and quite formulaic.
3/5
Started off strong with the first song but not very memorable after that
Green Day
2/5
I don’t get get why this is so popular
Tina Turner
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Used to listen to this a lot when I was younger so very nostalgic. Some absolute top tier songs on it (changes, oh you pretty things, life on mars) but lacks consistency sometimes, especially when compared to ziggy stardust.
The Police
3/5
Message in a bottle is so good. The rest is alright.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
It’s not the kind of genre I typically like, yet I have to give it 5 stars and that is a testament to just how good the songwriting is. I think any song could be a single on this.
Oasis
4/5
Pretty good, better than I expected
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Ain’t nothing’ like a gangbang to blow away the blues
Johnny Cash
4/5
Actually one of the best live albums I ever heard, adds so much to the music. I means it’s basically a stand-up set in between. The bleeped swears are so funny.
R.E.M.
3/5
I want to like this more but it just lacks edge.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Exceeded my expectations. A great little collection of catchy hooks.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
The banana one was annoying, this one was boring. So far a highly overrated band in my opinion.
Radiohead
5/5
Very hard to put into words the importance of this album to me. Probably the most influential album in opening my eyes to other genres than indie/alt rock. After absolutely replaying the shit out of all Radiohead albums in my teens this is the one which still feels the most fresh to come back to. It is texturally perfect and every song feels a necessary part of the whole. Special mention to ‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’ which is still the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard.
John Lennon
2/5
I don’t even really like the title track
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Saw them live once and it was amazing
Motörhead
3/5
If you only heard the talking in between you’d think the singer was an 80 year old lol
Love
2/5
Immediately forgettable
Brian Wilson
3/5
Not bad, I really liked the song Heroes and Villains.
Soundgarden
4/5
Great grunge album, a bit too long tho
Metallica
3/5
Some absolute classics on here but it’s quite bloated and their older stuff is better.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Although this is not my favourite LCD album (last 2 songs could’ve been cut), it’s got some of their very best songs on. The 4 song run from how do you sleep to American dream is perfect.
Madonna
3/5
Very interesting production choices but not a bad album
The Who
3/5
I respect that this is the first if it’s kind so is pretty important, but it kinda sounds like they wrote the song pinball wizard (fucking brilliant song btw) and then for some reason decided to write an entire 75 minute rock opera around it
Metallica
3/5
2 Metallica albums in one week! This one is slightly better than the self-titled but still not as good as earlier albums. Seriously where tf is the bass?
Jack White
3/5
Not a bad album by any means, but completely undeserving of a place in this list
Sebadoh
3/5
Like the raw energy of it, but it’s just too rough around the edges sometimes
Talking Heads
4/5
Love the nervous, anxious energy this album has. Not the best talking heads album but still great, opening and closing songs are amazing.
Pulp
3/5
Kinda overrated
Bob Dylan
3/5
It’s decent, but I just don’t get why people like his music so much
Pixies
4/5
Lacks the crazy energy of their previous album but still sounds great.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
Sorry I just find jazz boring
The Band
2/5
The Weight is such a great song, but the rest was very mid.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
Yawnathon
Beatles
5/5
Impossible not to enjoy this album.
Pink Floyd
5/5
The best pink Floyd album for me
Björk
5/5
3 5/5 albums in a row! I haven’t heard this album in a while and forgot just how amazing it is. It sounds so alien yet so natural at the same time and Björk’s voice is unreal as usual.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Somehow this was the first time listening to a nick cave album and it was great. Looking forward to his other 3 albums in the book.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
The first song gave me false hope, this was pretty naff
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Great album
Stan Getz
2/5
Pleasant background music, but I have to rate the album as an active listening experience.
Nightmares On Wax
1/5
Incredibly boring and unnecessarily long
Bob Dylan
4/5
The best bob dylan album so far on the list. It helped that a lot of these songs were in a complete unknown.
Calexico
4/5
This has a really cool sound. So many different influences. Album cover could have been better though.
Kanye West
4/5
Although its very bloated and you do really have to separate the art from the artist here, I enjoyed quite a lot.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Would’ve made way more sense to have 10 songs.
2/5
I respect the uniqueness but its just a bit too much
Black Sabbath
5/5
Could be the most iconic rock band. Not their greatest album but still 5 stars. Opening and closing songs are crazy good and Changes deserves a mention because of how completely different yet amazing it is. RIP Ozzy, not sure how he managed to live that long tbf.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Shocked and appalled at the global score for this one. This is a flawless no skips album, a cornerstone of modern indie rock and definitely a huge inspiration for many bands since. It’s also been one of my all time favourite albums for 10 years so no bias there at all. Also possibly the best live band I’ve ever seen.
OutKast
4/5
So creative and varied
Black Sabbath
5/5
Best and most influential metal album ever
Faith No More
4/5
A cross between rage against the machine, RHCP and Metallica. Would defo listen again
Norah Jones
2/5
Christ that was boring
Elvis Costello
3/5
Better than Imperial Bedroom but not as good as This Year’s Model.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
First time listening to A Tribe Called Quest and I liked it. Smoothest hip hop I’ve ever heard.
Deep Purple
4/5
My only prior exposure to Deep Purple was the song Smoke on the Water so I didn’t really know what to expect with this. It was pretty great if I’m honest, especially Child in Time that was epic.
Scott Walker
3/5
Quite liked this, could be a film soundtrack
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Wow very good
Fiona Apple
4/5
Big fan of Fiona Apples music. This might not be her best one but it’s pretty unique. Love the heavily percussive homemade sound.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Bit random
Guns N' Roses
2/5
The big songs are good, but the rest was difficult to listen to
The Youngbloods
3/5
Completely average
George Michael
2/5
Started off strong but went downhill quickly
Patti Smith
2/5
Maybe influential but i found it kinda annoying
The White Stripes
3/5
Another white stripes album and again I don’t really get the appeal
3/5
Found out that Liam only wrote very few songs and when Noel sung live he would just leave the stage for a bit hahah what a useless twat
The Pharcyde
3/5
Paul McCartney
3/5
Maybe I’m Amazed is a great song - rest is nice but not seeing why it’s on this list
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Even better than the last Tribe Called Quest album but still not a 5 cos it’s a little repetitive
3/5
Pretty overrated album I think. Obviously has some amazing and super influential songs - mainly at the start and end. But there’s a fair few duds through the middle.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Jurassic 5
3/5
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Not on Spotify but from the couple songs I listened to on YouTube I’m okay with that
Violent Femmes
3/5
His voice is a bit annoying
Duke Ellington
2/5
The Go-Go's
3/5
Started off well but got a bit samey
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
So reggae is not a genre I am really interested in at all. So when I say that this album is really good I mean it. We used to sing three little birds in primary school assembly and I can never get sick of it.
R.E.M.
4/5
One the earliest indie rock records and holds up well today considering its 40+ years old.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
One of the only albums so far short enough for me to be able to finish before getting to work. That said if I went to a gig and they finished after 20 mins I would want money back.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Paul Simon
3/5
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Couple of decent songs but generally I found it quite annoying
The Kinks
3/5
Waterloo sunset is 10x better than all other tracks
The Beach Boys
2/5
eh
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Started off not great but got much better. Though I think to pimp a butterfly is better. Enjoyed the beach house sample in money trees.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Might be a controversial opinion but I think 95% of stones songs are filler at best. This album is a great example of that. Going Home is possibly the worst 10+ minute song I’ve ever heard.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
This is why I do the 1001 albums generator. If all the songs were as good as the first would’ve been 5/5 too.
Kanye West
4/5
Have to separate the art from the artist for this one. The definition of a big album. Very ambitious and tons of features. The sampling is amazing too. My only issue is some songs overstay a bit.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
The War On Drugs
4/5
Makes me wanna go on a road trip across the states.
5/5
Haven’t listened to this in a while, forgot just how good it is. I mean it has 2 Thom Yorke features!
k.d. lang
1/5
Dreadful
Suede
3/5
Like if Bowie did britpop
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
Coldplay
4/5
Old Coldplay is so much better than new Coldplay
Miles Davis
1/5
Nope
The Beach Boys
3/5
The Everly Brothers
1/5
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
1/5
I have heard a great deal of dusty old 50s/60s records on this list - particularly this week. But this is by far the dustiest of all and the recording quality is so bad. Thank god for artists like bob dylan for modernising the folk genre.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
I liked this a lot, will be listening again
Ray Charles
2/5
Laibach
1/5
Sounds like a parody
The Damned
4/5
I thought this would be a straightforward 70s punk album but I was very wrong - so many unexpected elements and well written songs.
Justice
4/5
All the sounds on this are so well textured. Especially the bass, the bass is great. Also I love albums where the songs transition into each other.
Television
4/5
Such an influential album and the guitar playing is epic
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
There’s something about old school hip hop that just sounds gimmicky to me
Joy Division
4/5
A truly depressing album. Not quite as good as unknown pleasures but the atmosphere it generates is strong.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Red alert is miles above every other song
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Elvis Presley
2/5
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected
Roni Size
1/5
This album, which I could barely get through 2 songs of, won the mercury prize in 1997. Other nominated albums included OK Computer and The Fat of the Land. Absolutely shocking decision.
The Auteurs
2/5
Not sure why this is on the list
The Cure
4/5
The cure have been one of my favourite bands for at least 10 years now, but I’ll be first to admit their discography is not consistently good. This is the first one of what I would call their early 80s goth trilogy, followed up by faith and then pornography (which is one of the best albums of all time and is thankfully also in the book). You can tell that they were trying out a new sound with this as some songs are a bit half-baked. However, the song ‘a forest’ is one of their best and a sign of things to come. Overall, very good album for the Halloween season. Real spooky vibes.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Following up rumours with another rumours would have been an impossible task. I’m glad they did something quite different because this album has so much to uncover with every listen and much more variety in song type.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I think this is now the 5th Rolling Stones album on the list. From the previous 4 I had been coming to the conclusion that they are really just a singles band and most of their songs are filler. So imagine my surprise when their most consistent one is a double album with none of their biggest songs on.
Daft Punk
1/5
It’s crazy how much worse this is than their next album. Borderline unlistenable at times.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Prefer the full band albums but this wasn’t bad. Nice songwriting but some drag on.
Steve Earle
2/5
Rootin tootin
Hugh Masekela
2/5
‘One thing I’ve learnt from 1001 is that I can’t really handle Jazz in most forms.’
This is the most liked review for this and I think it reflects my opinions exactly.
Rush
4/5
Listened to this on a flight to Thailand - literally a Passage to Bangkok
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
George Jones
2/5
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Nick Drake
4/5
This was great. Quite different from Pink Moon with more full band and strings. Think it might be better. Definitely inspired a lot of later singer-songwriters.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
Would give 6 stars if I could. Absolutely flawless which is impressive for an album so long. Have known and loved this album since its release as my dad played the cd in his car.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Not bad not bad - on a rope is a definite highlight
The Byrds
3/5
Well it’s much better than the other byrds album we had
2Pac
2/5
Quite boring
The Doors
3/5
I preferred this to LA Woman but still a bit overrated imo
Depeche Mode
5/5
Synthpop meets goth and it’s really really good
Miles Davis
3/5
I must have been in the mood for it because that’s the first jazz album I’ve listened to and not thought it was a waste of time.
Slipknot
3/5
I was expecting worse tbf - the song snuff was a nice surprise too
Pink Floyd
1/5
That was so much worse than I thought it would be - I’m glad they moved away from this sound
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Not as consistently good as some other led zep albums but stairway to heaven and when the levee breaks are 2 of the greatest songs of all time.
Frank Ocean
5/5
Extremely talented artist
Isaac Hayes
3/5
James Taylor
2/5
Really dull
Donovan
3/5
Had a couple moments