493
Albums Rated
2.7
Average Rating
45%
Complete
596 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
43
5-Star Albums
74
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
|
5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
|
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
|
5 | 3.21 | +1.79 |
|
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
|
5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
Kenya
Machito
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Metallica
Metallica
|
1 | 3.79 | -2.79 |
|
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
|
1 | 3.67 | -2.67 |
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.62 | -2.62 |
|
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
|
1 | 3.62 | -2.62 |
|
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
|
1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
|
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
|
1 | 3.57 | -2.57 |
|
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
|
1 | 3.54 | -2.54 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
|
Tidal
Fiona Apple
|
1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
|
Blunderbuss
Jack White
|
1 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 3 | 5 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 1.33 |
| Metallica | 3 | 1.33 |
| Tom Waits | 2 | 1 |
| Morrissey | 2 | 1 |
| Leonard Cohen | 3 | 1.67 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 1.67 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 3 | 1.67 |
| The Byrds | 2 | 1.5 |
| Neil Young | 2 | 1.5 |
| Rush | 2 | 1.5 |
| Eagles | 2 | 1.5 |
| Iron Maiden | 2 | 1.5 |
| Spiritualized | 2 | 1.5 |
| Suede | 2 | 1.5 |
| Brian Eno | 2 | 1.5 |
| U2 | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Grateful Dead | 4, 1 |
| Nirvana | 3, 5, 2 |
| David Bowie | 5, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (43)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Adele · 2 likes
2/5
Once you’ve heard one Adele song you’ve heard all her back catalogue and anything she’ll produce in the future. The uniformity would be something Ford would be proud of.
Machito · 2 likes
5/5
Really, really enjoyed this. I’ve had to endure U2, Metallica, Suede and Tom Waits to get to this. It’s almost been worth it. Almost.
Metallica · 1 likes
1/5
Never understood the appeal of Metallica. This shit wouldn’t be out of place at Eurovision.
Prince · 1 likes
2/5
Like getting to like Guinness. I like Guinness, I don’t like Prince despite repeated attempts to do so. I’m always left thinking ‘right, so it’s five minutes to the song in and I’m ready for something to happen’.
Wilco · 1 likes
1/5
Urgh. Too dull to care about.
1-Star Albums (74)
All Ratings
Blondie
5/5
Outstanding album. Perhaps a little lull (drop in tempo) in the mid-tracks, but overall an absolute belter
Nirvana
3/5
Beatles
5/5
Really liked this. Full of various styles and sounds. Short.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
A solid 4. Not really my kind of music, but I can appreciate it for what it is.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Not their best album. Some interesting songs in there, but didn’t really do enough to elevate itself from background noise to something I was actively listening to.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Again, I can appreciate the music for what it is and the massive Nile Rodgers influence, but I’m just not a huge fan of disco.
The Temptations
3/5
Could be mistaken for thinking you are listening to an extended play of one song they are so similar. Not unpleasant, just not really anything to get excited about.
Blur
1/5
Dislike this Blur album. Much prefer Blur (1997).
Ash
3/5
Better than I remember. Faded in the second half. Seeing a lot of comparisons to Weezer’s Blue Album. This is far inferior.
Hole
1/5
Not for me this one. First I’ve not finished.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Great album. Hadn’t listened to it in a fair few years, but didn’t seem as long once played. Very familiar.
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
Country Pop. No, no, no. Not even the best example of the genre.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
Absolutely stunning. Wonderfully witty lyrics. Have fleetingly listened to some Belle and Sebastian before but they were big before my time. This is fabulous!
Elton John
5/5
Not an Elton John fan, but enjoyed this album.
Gang Of Four
3/5
Enjoyable enough. Don’t think I’d actively seek it out to listen to again.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Funky. Filled with classics. Doesn’t have any weaker songs and oft sampled, which again shows its quality.
The Pharcyde
1/5
Really didn’t like this. Passin’ me by is alright. Of its time. Misogyny writ large.
Radiohead
5/5
Great album, but not as great at Kid A.
Megadeth
1/5
Not for me.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Knew of this band, but never listened to them. Was expecting something different from ‘hard rock’. This was eclectic and I liked it.
Beck
3/5
Meh. Nothing really distinguishes one track from the next.
Pixies
5/5
Great album. Can see how it influenced a lot of bands in the 90s/00s.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Didn’t enjoy this. Can’t really see the reason why people hype them.
Dion
1/5
How this is one of the 1001 albums is baffling.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Bought this on release. Come on! Feel the Illinoise Part 1 is a particular favourite. Lots going on. Lovely
The Rolling Stones
4/5
System Of A Down
5/5
SOAD passed me by in the 1990s/2000s. Like this. Will seek out the rest of their back catalogue.
Paul Simon
3/5
Middling. Never really got going and all I could think when I was listening was that I’d much rather be listening to Nick Drake.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Great music. Love it.
Big Black
2/5
This washed over me.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
5/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Cream
4/5
Beck
2/5
Enough Beck already!!!!!
Cypress Hill
3/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Dire Straits
3/5
Air
3/5
The Doors
3/5
Eels
4/5
Bought this when it was released, but never really thought much of it at the time. Relistening now, I’m appreciating it more. Nice lyrics and melody.
The Who
2/5
Not a huge fan of The Who. This album has done nothing to shift my opinion. Always feel like if the world wasn’t mad for British music at the time then this band wouldn’t have got anywhere.
The Damned
2/5
John Martyn
3/5
Mixed. Solid air is an excellent track, but the movement between genres means that as an album it’s not very coherent.
Aimee Mann
2/5
Not for me
Foo Fighters
3/5
Middling. Not any standout tracks, partly because they all sound the same. Will I listen to it again? No.
Joan Baez
2/5
Not for me.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Dated. Lacks any variation in the songs so became tedious.
Steely Dan
3/5
Johnny Cash
5/5
Great live album
Butthole Surfers
1/5
Fucking awful! First three songs are incoherent. Gave up after that. Life is too short to spend it on this.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Prince
2/5
Clearly one of the few who cannot stand Prince’s music.
Björk
2/5
Björk, innit. Lots of plodding along and never really getting anywhere.
Pulp
4/5
Never liked Pulp in my youth. Re listening to them again through this makes me appreciate them a lot more. This was a good album.
Paul Simon
2/5
The music was fine. His voice and lyrics less so. Less Paul Simon the better.
Sebadoh
1/5
Utter, utter shite! Everything about this is utter shite! If I could give it zero stars I would.
Grateful Dead
4/5
Quite liked this.
Traffic
4/5
Never heard of Traffic before. Really liked Freedom Rider. The rest were pleasant background music.
Green Day
4/5
Played REPEATEDLY EVERYWHERE when it was released. Nevertheless, it’s a polished album full of relevance even sadly 20 years after release. Like it.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1/5
It’s a shame bluegrass music has travelled beyond the region where people chose to listen to it.
Goldie
1/5
Pffft. Starting with a 20 minute extended play of Inner City Life is certainly a statement. Sadly, it gets worse as you progress through the album. By the end you’ll need a lie down in a darkened room. Awful.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
The B-52's
1/5
That guys voice can do one!
The Thrills
1/5
This albums inclusion is laughable. This was rubbish and overplayed/over-promoted at the time of release. Cannot believe there aren’t better albums than this to be included. Twee rubbish.
Sparks
1/5
Nope.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Wasn’t expecting to like this as it’s not really a genre I like. However, was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it in the end.
The Young Gods
3/5
Confusing album. Some of it was very, very French and in no way rock, let alone industrial rock. However, every second track was a banger of industrial rock. No idea what they were saying though.
Funkadelic
3/5
Heard songs from this many, many times on 6Music. It’s ok. Nothing more than that. I’d have liked it to be funkier.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
Urgh. This was a tough listen. Not much variation in the music.
Lou Reed
4/5
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Singer has a funny accent put on for a few songs at the start, which isn’t great. Beige.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
T. Rex
2/5
Culture Club
3/5
Nothing particularly differentiates this from any other 80s pop. Mediocre.
Tom Waits
1/5
44 minutes in a dive bar.
Dire Straits
5/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
The Cure
3/5
Don McLean
3/5
The Police
4/5
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Not for me this.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Some thrillers. Some fillers.
The Black Keys
3/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
A truly terrible record. Crooning pub karaoke.
Madonna
3/5
Some good, some bad. Overall, better than I expected. Definitely can tell William Orbit had involvement.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
Middling.
Magazine
3/5
Norah Jones
2/5
Not for me. Yawn.
The xx
2/5
Like The XX and Jamie XX, but this album was underwhelming.
Supertramp
2/5
70s. Enough said.
The Human League
4/5
Liked it.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Giant Sand
1/5
What a chore it was listening to this.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Loooooonnnnnggggg last track.
Radiohead
5/5
A complete change from previous Radiohead albums. I bought this at the time and was shocked at how different it was. Now solidly one of my favourite albums of all time. It’s easy to mock this album. Haters are going to hate.
Janet Jackson
2/5
Long. Samey.
Various Artists
5/5
Great Christmas album.
Stereolab
2/5
Very of its time. Wouldn’t listen to it again
Boston
5/5
Muddy Waters
4/5
Parliament
3/5
Alice In Chains
4/5
Dark, but enjoyable album.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
My enjoyment of the Manics is tainted by their ever-presence in the late 90s on the radio. Can’t quite bring myself to like the singers shouty singing either. Sadly I can’t look past either of these.
Orange Juice
5/5
2/5
Not an easy listen overall, but it’s better that some of the other more experimental stuff on the list. Only just though!
The Who
3/5
I don’t like The Who. This doesn’t change it. It’s not ground breaking. All the songs sound the same. It’s average at best.
Nirvana
5/5
Love this album. Awesome talents. Haters are gonna hate.
The Byrds
1/5
Short songs. All sound the same. None ever go anywhere. Trudgery.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Meh.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Liked this .
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Love it. Every song is a banger!
The Beta Band
4/5
Not my favourite Beta Band album. It’s good, but not great.
Moby
3/5
Ever present part of 1999-2000. Some good tunes in here. Quite eclectic. Some are quite poor though.
The Adverts
2/5
Not for me.
Al Green
3/5
Background music in a Tarantino film.
Ray Charles
3/5
Not for me, but can appreciate why people like it.
Elton John
3/5
Sugar
1/5
Vocals had annoying effects. Music by numbers. Forgettable
Def Leppard
2/5
Forgettable. Not a fan of this genre and this hasn’t changed my mind. None of the songs had any distinguishing variation from any other.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
Really enjoyed this. Doesn’t sound like an album from 1981.
Bad Brains
3/5
Was ok. Didn’t dislike it, but wouldn’t seek it out to listen to again any time soon.
3/5
Ok. A sign of the future output from Blur.
The White Stripes
1/5
40 minutes shouldn't be daunting, but this 40 minutes was. Found this difficult to listen to. Lackadaisical drumming and guitar playing throughout. Very few albums have I stopped, but only got half way through this before I felt I’d heard enough and wonder how they managed to become as big as they did. The musical version of Napoleon Dynamite.
Aerosmith
1/5
Nope.
Queen Latifah
3/5
Fine. Dates, but important.
Björk
2/5
Didn’t warm to this. Quite a difficult listen.
Van Halen
3/5
Roxy Music
4/5
Liked this. Some 6Music favourites here made this album familiar. Overall, doesn’t sound like an album that’s nearly 50 years old. Sounds quite modern.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Refreshingly different. More of this and less repetition of bands and artists with several albums would be welcome.
Jack White
1/5
Down with this sort of thing! A White Stripes and now this! Stop making me feel bad.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Ok
Stephen Stills
3/5
Fine. Nothing more. Wouldn’t actively seek it out to listen to again.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Dated.
OutKast
5/5
All thrilla
Alice Cooper
2/5
Generic 70s rock. It’s a shame that so much of this is part of the 1001 albums as it all sounds the same.
3/5
Slipknot
2/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
The Hives
3/5
Energy. Energy. Energy. Wiggle. Wiggle. Wiggle. Wiggle.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Neil Young
2/5
Never heard any Neil Young before. Quickly realised that this is music to avoid.
Destiny's Child
1/5
How dare you.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
The Youngbloods
2/5
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Enjoyed, but can’t tell whether this is good or not because the amount of world music is so limited on this list. Perhaps a bit less repeated albums and more artists would have been better
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Noise. First half of the album is awful. Second half is marginally better. Mixing of the tracks is terrible. They bleed into one another.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Awful. Have never understood the hype this man lives off.
Santana
2/5
Some good tracks, but some weaker ones too.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
In my mind I see blue skies with a Concorde being tracked through it a dazzling vision of a near-future France. This is the soundtrack to that vision.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
It’s a CCR album. They all sound the same. Excellent, but once you’ve heard one you’ve heard them all. Not surprising given the rate of output over a short time period. My bugbear is why so many of them if they sound the same. Get some other artists in the mix instead.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Meh
Soul II Soul
2/5
Dated
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Good background music, but it’s all the same. Gets a bit doom loopy about half way through when you realise you’ve been listening to effectively the same track 6 times already and there’s more to go.
Adele
2/5
Not the demographic for thid
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Enjoyed this. Dark and mesmerising. Searching out the back catalogue.
Frank Black
2/5
Loooong! Not as good as anything he did with the Pixies. Very of its time. Wouldn’t listen to it again.
Funkadelic
2/5
Some funk. Not enough.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Metallica
1/5
I’ve never understood Metallica. Generic metal with a guy who sounds like he is yodelling on vocals. The addition of a fawning crowd woooing at every chord change is unnecessary. The only saving grace of this album is the orchestra, which stops us from being a pile of shite that steams for two whole hours.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
Three tracks were enough to have listened to the whole thing. This sort of stuff doesn’t deserve to spread beyond dive bars in the dustbowl.
The Stone Roses
3/5
It’s ok. Never really understood the hype. Meandering. The backwards track (if that’s what it was) was unnecessary.
Faith No More
2/5
Judas Priest
3/5
It’s obviously good, but not my cup of tea.
The Doors
3/5
Listened to this a lot during my university years. I liked it then. I like it now. Not something I’d play a lot nowadays though. Has that student vibe to it and I’m far from a student these days.
Nick Drake
3/5
Not my favourite Nick Drake album, but it’s still good.
Metallica
1/5
Never understood the appeal of Metallica. This shit wouldn’t be out of place at Eurovision.
Mj Cole
1/5
This is garage, not electronic. It’s therefore instantly shit!
Leonard Cohen
2/5
One long play song. Dreary.
10cc
3/5
Kept me interested, mainly because it was all over the place. More of a concept album and probably the reason why it’s been sampled by others. Liked the worst band in the world sonically.
The Vines
2/5
Having heard it I’m not going to listen to it again. Nothing special or interesting here.
Elliott Smith
1/5
Feels like I’ve been living an early 2000s indie American film star life listening to this. It’s good background music, but only that. Ultimately, quite dull and plodding, like all early 2000s indie American films.
Stan Getz
3/5
Softens jazz and takes the shrill edge of by adding the samba beat. Liked this. Wouldn’t actively listen to it, but would make some great background music for a dinner party were I to have friends or want to host a dinner party.
De La Soul
5/5
This is what all hip hop should have aspired to and be the benchmark for any comparisons within the genre. Lyrics are witty and tightly woven, but more importantly, don’t lower themselves to the misogynistic drivel that is pumped out and hailed as being outstanding (looking at you Mr Lamar).
Klaxons
3/5
Bought this on release. This is fine. Nothing more. It’s a bit scatter fun and ‘noise’ to be anything more than fine.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Never been a huge fan. Tried many times to listen to this band and see what others do, but can’t.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Not my favourite Chemical Brothers album. Sunshine Underground is far, far better than this. It’s ok.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Decent pop. Flashbacks on primary school discos in the 80s.
Wilco
1/5
Urgh. Too dull to care about.
Portishead
4/5
Refreshingly different
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Felt I’d heard the whole album after the third song. Great vocals, but repetitive.
Drive-By Truckers
1/5
Any time I see a double album I weep a little for the time I’ll never get back. Brevity in an album is an art form within itself. This isn’t music that travels well. Dull, repetitive and closed lyrics about the south mean nothing to me.
Yes
3/5
Better than I expected it to be from the cover.
Red Snapper
2/5
New band to me. Shit name though. First track had lots of promise and reminded me of DJ Shadow/UNKLE/RJD2 etc. and also made me think the first track belonged in a Guy Ritchie film. However, quality and my interest declined markedly after first track.
The Monks
2/5
Only had two songs from the album on Spotify. Both were forgettable.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
Great start. Lost interest about 5 songs in. Same as every Arcade Fire album.
Tina Turner
2/5
I can get behind a Tina Turner album that is brash and in your face, but this isn’t. The bland, tepid music is really holding the vocals back. A few decent songs, but overall quite poor.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
This was very, very middling. Listened to it whilst doing various tasks about the house. Nothing caught my attention, but the didn’t stop listening either.
King Crimson
3/5
It was fine.
The Yardbirds
2/5
Femi Kuti
3/5
Didn’t enjoy this as much as Fela Kuti.
Sabu
1/5
Really wanted to like this as a sparse example of non-western music on the list. However, it’s just not up to it. 6 minutes of percussion not really my thing.
Fiona Apple
1/5
Not my thing.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Easy listening. Inoffensive
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Three hours. Listened to the first hour then left the party as they’d run out of vol-au-vents. Great music though, but knocked down a star each as it’s not an album and it’s THREE HOURS LONG!
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Album cover didn’t fill me with much hope.m. How wrong was I? Good album with some songs I recognised but didn’t know the artist. Now I do. Eclectic.
Eminem
1/5
Second track 30 seconds in is enough to know this is shit. Probably what Andrew Tate listens to.
Method Man
1/5
This wasn’t floating around at the time on tape. Never heard it. There’s a reason. It’s not very good.
Stadium pop.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Varied. Enjoyed listening to it. Even the fillers are thrillers.
Adele
2/5
Once you’ve heard one Adele song you’ve heard all her back catalogue and anything she’ll produce in the future. The uniformity would be something Ford would be proud of.
Little Richard
3/5
Enjoyed this. Short and snappy.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
I was taken in by the hype for LCD in the mid 2000s, but quickly jumped off. Now firmly a fan. Really liked this album.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Two LCD Soundsystem albums in a row. This is certainly toned down by comparison to the others, but is excellent in its own way. The 13 minute track at the end made me think I’d been transported into the Minecraft universe though.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
After the first three songs this got very ‘samey’.
Brian Wilson
1/5
I’ve never seen the appeal of the Beach Boys. Good vibrations is maybe good for about a minute then it becomes tedious. Same can be said for all other songs, but the tedium sets in sooner.
R.E.M.
3/5
Fine. Some nostalgic songs on there, but there’s quite a few sub-par tracks on there. Haven’t sought out any REM album to listen to again, perhaps this is why.
Can
2/5
Elvis Presley
2/5
Gets dull quickly
George Harrison
3/5
David Bowie
2/5
Another Bowie album….
MGMT
3/5
Probably on the better side of good.
Donovan
3/5
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Better than the majority of the genre from this time, but the bar isn’t particularly high.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Nice voice, but every track is effectively a carbon-copy of the one that came before it. Good to have on in the background when cooking the dinner, but beyond that I wouldn’t actively listen to it.
PJ Harvey
3/5
It was ok. Of its time. Couldn’t listen to it frequently.
Sex Pistols
3/5
Fine. Musicianship is better than I remember it being. Lyrics are a bit meh now, but that’s society for you.
Rush
1/5
No. No. No. 19 minute opening track. Takes the piss.
Van Morrison
2/5
Separating the man from the album this is still as consistently boring as I suspected it would be.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Deep Purple
2/5
Organs, organs everywhere. Middling.
Love
3/5
Fine
Tim Buckley
2/5
Quite dull
Alanis Morissette
4/5
It’s very 90s, but it’s also very good. Something of a rarity from the period.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
A mad album. At times I was listening and thinking this is a real 70s album, but at times it was music that you could quite imagine being made now with someone like Andre 3000. That said, all of it has clearly been made under the influence of copious amount of psychedelics.
Mudhoney
3/5
TWO HOURS AND FIFTEEN MINUTES?!?!?!?
Grateful Dead
1/5
This is what I would imagine my band would sound like if I started one with no musical skill or ability.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
Not for me.
Screaming Trees
2/5
As beige as beige can be. Little wonder I’d never heard of them.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Pleasant surprise. There’s quite a lot of punk on this list. This was one of the better ones.
David Bowie
3/5
How many Bowie albums are on this list?!?!
Prince
2/5
Like getting to like Guinness. I like Guinness, I don’t like Prince despite repeated attempts to do so. I’m always left thinking ‘right, so it’s five minutes to the song in and I’m ready for something to happen’.
Yes
2/5
Another where one album from the band would be sufficient. It’s a yes album, like the others. Fine, but nothing more.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Liked this. Didn’t understand a word of it.
Eagles
2/5
I could insert the Big Lewbowski quote here, but I’ve been beaten to it by many other middle aged men.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Too much CSN and their offshoots on here. It’s all the same!
Simply Red
1/5
The inclusion of this is an insult to music.
Nick Drake
5/5
Great album. More accomplished than his subsequent releases.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Not even the best Pet Shop Boys album.
Buck Owens
1/5
Dislike country in any guise. If I were Skynet wouldn’t have bothered about John Connor, but instead sent a terminator back so stop the genesis of this genre.
Orbital
2/5
Very of its time. I like later orbital stuff, but wasn’t a huge fan of this. Always waiting for something to happen. It didn’t.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Fine, but nothing more.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I can’t keep listening to this.
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
This sort of music explains why real men go to church with a semi-automatic under their jacket. Awful!
Guns N' Roses
5/5
A great album. No fillers. Some nostalgia is influencing my opinion here, but who cares. It’s ace. Makes listening to all the Metallica albums on this list an absolute kick in the teeth.
The Waterboys
4/5
I liked this and would happily listen to this very long double album several times before listening to any more country music. The music still seems fresh today. Whoever said it’s like being at a ceilidh hasn’t ever been to a ceilidh. It’s like being in an Irish pub with a warm fire. Lovely.
Tears For Fears
3/5
Mixed. Some really strong tracks that don’t sound dated in there, but fades towards the end where some do sound dated.
The Clash
2/5
I’m clearly in the minority here, but this isn’t very good punk music. It’s boring. It’s also too long. It’s also repetitive.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I’m generally of the opinion that country music is shit. I started this expecting my opinion not to be changed. However, I liked this album. Don’t get me wrong. Country music is still shit, but if all country music was like this then my general opinion might well have been different.
The Zombies
3/5
As middle of the road as it can get. Plods along. Nothing bad, but nothing great either. If I had synethesia I’d be seeing a sea of beige.
Kelela
2/5
This is the sort of album that would be played in a ‘high end apparel store’. So generic and soulless that no one realises how long they’ve been in the store. The production is fine, but the lyrics are incomprehensible. It’s the next decade version of that MJ Cole album on here. Both equally terrible and makes you question the whole point of the list. Is this really something that I needed to listen to before I died.
The Clash
2/5
I had the same band three days ago. I like punk as much as I like country, which isn’t very much. This is music equivalent of something, in my view, of a book on a bookshelf that you put there to show your eclectic taste but have no genuine interest in. There’s probably a word for it in German. Ultimately, this isn’t very good because it’s a punk album.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
I’m not really a fan of Damon Albarn. And I’m not really a fan of supergroups. Every project seems to become quite monotonous very quickly. This album fits that. It was dull and about supposedly about London, where I don’t live, so care even less.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Repetitive. In his later stadium stuff you can’t really tell how gravelly (bad) his voice is, but you can hear. I can see why people like this though, I’m just not one of them. Fine, but only a superfan could give this a 5/5.
Patti Smith
3/5
Fine.
Metallica
2/5
This is better than the live album on here, but only just.
Primal Scream
3/5
This is fine. Screamadelica and XTRMNTR are better albums. You can see where they would eventually end up with this album. Ultimately, the songs are overlong and the majority plod along. Suitable for a cult 90s movie, but beyond that, not really memorable.
Lou Reed
2/5
At least Transformer had some reasonably uplifting music to accompany the dark lyrics. This is just total and absolute darkness, like a black hole of music. Sucking all the enjoyment out of life track after track. I like The Velvet Underground and I like Lou Reed, but this is just soul destroying listening to this.
Beatles
4/5
Great album. 30 minutes. Signalled pop musics arrival as a genre.
B.B. King
3/5
Fine, but I wouldn’t seek it out to listen to again.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
t h i s i s s h i t
Seriously. Two albums from this group of people who claim to be a band. This makes country music look good.
The Beach Boys
3/5
This was given to me the day after Brian Wilson died. Not what I’d have expected, but enjoyable. Topical themes.
1/5
The debut album from Muse was good. Everything after that was parodying glam rock. This album received so much air play in the year of release, which indicates the quality of music that year. Overall, this is quite shit.
Public Enemy
3/5
It’s ok. Like most 90s rap the music is pretty monotonous sampling throughout. However, what really carries it is Chuck D. That raises it at least a star from what I would have given it.
Billy Joel
2/5
This just didn’t do anything for me. Every song just kept putting images of Cheers in my minds eye.
The Prodigy
4/5
Overall, some great songs and a solid part of the late 90s music scene. It’s got an overplayed Christmas number one. It’s got a song from The Matrix. A few fillers, but mostly killers.
Rush
2/5
I bet the drummer in this band was a right fanny! One Rush album is enough.
JAY Z
2/5
I hadn’t listened to this before and have managed to avoid listening to any Jay-Z albums. Having listened to this my decision has been shown to be a good one. The music is good, which isn’t surprising given who produced it. The rapping isn’t. H to the Izzo. Who the fuck cares?
Simple Minds
4/5
Enjoyed this. Some familiar songs, especially if you listen to 6Music.
The Offspring
3/5
I can take or leave The Offspring. Some decent songs, some poor. Nothing great though.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
I just don’t get jazz. I’m sure there’s some great musicianship on show here, but I can’t really tell. I also can’t get Garfield or any other 70s/80s cartoon out of my minds eye when listening to this genre. I now fancy some lasagne!
Happy Mondays
1/5
Don’t believe the hype! A few good bands does not make a scene. The Happy Mondays are not even a band you should listen to on an average day where there is nothing left to do let alone listen to before you die.
CHIC
3/5
The music is great. Production values are so high. So many artists have samples from this band that you feel like you’ve heard these songs even if you haven’t before. Overall, a good album, but a bit of pace could be added here and there. Base plods along quite a bit. Not great, but good.
The Smiths
2/5
I was expecting to hate this. I detest Morrisey’s voice and ridiculous style. However, the music saved it. Some decent tracks. Some poor tracks. Ultimately, if Morrisey wasn’t singing it would have been rated higher.
Raekwon
2/5
Listened to the first three tracks of incoherent noise. The rap was ok, but I couldn’t bring myself to listen to the rest.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Enjoyed this. Never heard of this band, but the first song was familiar. Different and definitely something that deserves to be on the list.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
1/5
Didn’t enjoy this.
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
Firstly, WTF is that album cover all about!?! Secondly, French electronica, on the whole, isn’t very good. You can tell whether electronic music is French in the first few seconds of listening to it because it has one short continuously operative sequence of twangy, nonsense sounds. They all do. It’s like The Gorillaz of electronic music. This is no different. At least Daft Punk managed to elevate their twangy French electronica beyond twangy French electronica. This did not. It’s just twangy French electronica.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
So, a double album that isn’t absolute Shite. Finally! This is superb. So varied. Some of the songs were a bit weaker - not a surprise given his output - but even the worst song on the album is far above some of the other guff that’s on this list.
Kate Bush
4/5
Never listened to this album before. Very familiar with the singles, but not beyond that. I can see why now. They’re a bit bonkers. Conceptual pop?
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Fine, but nothing more than that.
New Order
4/5
Liked the mix of guitars and synths.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Not listened to much soul music. Liked this, but probably would find many opportunities or situations to listen to it. The music itself was really good. Well produced. Lyrics were good too. Only gripe is that the songs were a bit too long.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
It’s CCR.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Different, which is nice. However, it played in the background when I was doing work around the house. I couldn’t distinguish one song from the next. Quite ‘samey’.
Eagles
1/5
I’ve already listened to an Eagles album on here and didn’t think much of it. This is no different. So, so, so beige and pedestrian.
Marty Robbins
2/5
I don’t play video games nor do I live in the Mid-West USA. This album doesn’t have anything to appeal to me. Country music is not for me, but this isn’t the worst example of the many, many country artists on this list. So this raises it from what would be a one to a two star review. It’s better than the other shit country music, but that’s it.
Gillian Welch
1/5
Yee haw, let those gee tars play. This is a solid no from me. Why this list has so, so much country music on it is beyond me. Utter, utter pish.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
This is the third My Bloody Valentine album I’ve needed to listen to on this list. Hopefully the last. This is the most coherent of the three, both in terms of the vocals being audible words and the music being actual music (to an extent), but it’s still not very good.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Neil Young
1/5
I don’t like Neil Young. Songs are dull. He can’t sing.
Common
4/5
I’ve not been a fan of the rap/hip-hop offered up so far for two reasons. Firstly, the rampant misogyny can’t be given the tagline of ‘it was decades ago’. Secondly, some of the rap (I’m mainly thinking Jay-Z so far) is the sort of rhyme that you’d get laughed at by your primary school teacher for - H to the Izzo! This is better. The lyrics are interesting and offer something that it’s the two above. The music is also far more interesting too.
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
Music that is remarkably sanitised and uniform. You can walk into a room and after a second you can recognise its ELO from any of the tracks in this album or any other.
Louis Prima
2/5
This was ok, but only ok.
Iron Maiden
1/5
Pretty poor stuff.
Spiritualized
2/5
Really, really boring. It’s Doves, but without the character or energy.
Mercury Rev
3/5
There are a few decent tracks on this album. Not good, but decent. The kind that you could happily have on in the background and not interfere with what you are doing. However, there is quite a lot of filler in between those few decent tracks.
The Smiths
3/5
Wasn’t expecting to like this as I don’t like Morrisey and the other Smiths album I’ve listened to so far didn’t impress much. However, there were a few good tracks on here. Lots of variation as well, which was nice. Meat is Murder was odd though.
2/5
Found it on YouTube. It’s ok. Nothing more.
Anthrax
2/5
Never listened to anything by Anthrax before. It’s not really my sort of music, but my barometer for this type of music is ‘is it better than Metallica?’. This is, so it gets 2 starts.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Enjoyed this. Don’t think I would, but I did.
The Cure
2/5
I like The Cure, but this never got out of first gear. It only really got out of first gear when the seventh song on the album started, but then quickly decided that first gear was where it was going to stay for the rest.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Enjoyed this. This is the second album I’ve been given where the day before someone in the band has died. In this case Ozzy himself. Is this random? Seems a bit to coincidental. I’d have given it 3 stars, but because I’m a stickler for my own principles I have given any metal band that is better than Metallica (which is all of them) an extra star. 4 stars, which even with my +1 for being better than Metallica, which all metal bands are, is more than fair.
Supergrass
1/5
I didn’t like Supergrass when they were desperately trying to be part of Britpop in the 90s. Not helped by ‘Alright’ being played on every radio station, which wasn’t many back then, on repeat. There youthful energy annoyed me, their voices annoyed me and Gaz Coombes sideburns annoyed me. Nothing has changed. I still don’t like them and am surprised by the average rating and the number of 4&5 star reviews for this. Solid 2 for me. It’s not Metallica levels of shit, but it’s close.
Johnny Cash
3/5
A country singer singing non-country songs. I don’t like country music. It doesn’t resonate with me, both culturally or geographically. However, there are some songs I like elsewhere covered well here. I like NIN and I like Hurt. I like this cover. I like Depeche Mode and I like Personal Jesus. I like this cover. However, there are other covers that simply don’t work, with Danny Boy being a prime example. This was therefore a mixed album for me. It’s not Fulsom Prison, but it’s ok. 3 stars.
Incubus
2/5
I didn’t warm to this album with the first few songs. However, it had grown on me by the time it got to the song that I can remember hearing on MTV at the time, Stellar. Overall, there are a few decent songs on it, but it is quite ‘samey’ and there is overuse of the scratchy DJ sound. I’d probably agree with the decent number of people reviewing it that suggest it shouldn’t be on this list. 2/5 stars.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
A foundational album that seems to draw love it or lothe it opinions on here. I’m in the middle. I can appreciate the shortness of the album at 25 minutes. I can also appreciate that this is the foundational rock and roll album. However, that doesn’t get away from the fact that the it is quite pedestrian. Whilst it’s 25 minutes it could easily be an extended play of one track as they all sound the same. 3/5 stars.
Franz Ferdinand
1/5
I hate Franz Ferdinand. I’d rather listen to every country album or every Metallica album on this list again than listen to this again. Franz Ferdinand (and others like The Kaizer Chiefs) was everything that was wrong with British music in the 2000s wrapped up in 38 minutes. A big warning sign is that it won the Mercury Music Prize, which seems to pick more losers than winners over time. It’s not a very good album. It is high tempo, but jettisons any sense of quality and longevity in the pursuit of what in the 2020s would be referred to as ‘vibes’. The band seems talentless other than having the ability to make noise and, most irritatingly, it was overplayed, which in itself shows you the quality of the music available to radio stations at the time. The band, and in particular the lead singer, were deeply irritating and smug. Who is listening to this now? No-one digs out a Franz Ferdinand album to have a listen to 20 odd years after it was made. No-one is that stupid. If I could give this 0 stars then I would. Makes a mockery of the list.
Steve Earle
1/5
It’s a country album. The fact that any nominations it achieved for any awards were in specifically country sections suggests the cross-over of this, of much of the genre, is non-existent. I wouldn’t listen to this again, but then I wouldn’t have listened to it in the first place had it not been on this list as it’s country music. I didn’t think I’d need to listen to this before I died and I was proved right. 1 star.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
This was better than I expected, though I’m not a fan of the singing style that has since become the ‘done way’ on any talent show. Well produced, though I could have done without it being over an hour long and the interludes were unnecessary. 2 stars.
George Jones
2/5
As country albums go, this was better than most. I’ll qualify that by saying that I don’t like country music and mummy ratings reflect that with most being awarded 1 star. It just doesn’t mean anything to me. The lyrics are I’m singing about a lifestyle and landscape I don’t live in. This was marginally better. I was stripping my shower of sealant when listening to it and it flew my. I don’t know whether that was because I was needing to use a Stanley knife in close proximity to myself or whether the music was good. I’ll be generous and say the music was good and give it 100% more stars that I usually award country music on the list. 2 stars.
Arcade Fire
4/5
A good album and a sign of what was to come later in suburbs.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I liked the opening titular track. In keeping with his other albums on here I wasn’t a fan of the remaining tracks.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
I like Talk, Talk, Talk and I like this album. Some frequent fliers from 6Music if you are a music loving Brit.
Michael Jackson
5/5
I remember watching a tape of Thriller at my mates house in what must have been the late 80s. I liked this album then and I still like it now. The only track I thought was weaker was the Paul McCartney one. Everything else was excellent.
The Pretty Things
2/5
Entirely unremarkable. 2 stars.
U2
3/5
It’s hard to look past what U2, but mainly Bono, has become in the 21st Century. However, there are some songs on this that are good. There are also some that aren’t good. The ones that are good are sadly the blueprint for what U2 would become and churn out in ever-reducing quality for years to come. It’s no more than 3 stars, though if I could award decimal places I would have scored it 2.6/5.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Lovely voice, but I don’t think I’d listen to it again.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Enjoyed this as a break from the seemingly endless like of country music I’ve been getting from the list. Nice synths. Great vocals. Some cracking tracks. 4 stars.
Suede
1/5
I wasn’t a fan of Suede at the time. The singing that could easily be that of a choir boy who had yet to reach puberty. The effete styling. The fact that they all looked like their hair could be done with either a good wash or a lot less Brylcream. The desperate nod and winks to Morrisey. I’m still not a fan now. I’ve only managed to get half way through. The lack of variation in the songs hasn’t managed to shift my pre-listening view that I don’t like Suede.
Kraftwerk
5/5
A great album. Trail-blazing. You can see where so many contemporary artists and bands get their inspiration from with this album, such as LCD Soundsystem. I’d happily listen to this over and over again.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
It’s not awful, but it’s a Simon and Garfunkel album. They’re all the same. All easily allow you to gloss over the whole thing.
Taylor Swift
3/5
It’s not generally my thing and I can’t relate to anything she sings about, but musically it’s fine. I wouldn’t listen to it again, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve listened to on this list by a long way.
Iron Maiden
2/5
I liked the earlier album on the list. This felt quite restrained by comparison. It also feels quite dull in comparison to a lot of metal music. It washed over me.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Not generally a fan of folk, but I liked this.
David Bowie
2/5
I’ve never really warmed to any of David Bowie’s music. This is no different. It’s a pleasingly short duration. Sadly, this is balanced by fewer, longer songs.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Hmm. Is this better than country, the worst type of music to exist on this list? I’m not too sure whether it’s better. At least with country I don’t relate to anything they’re on about, but at least I can appreciate the music to an extent. This, however, was just noise and a shouting German. I like industrial music and have appreciated the other industrial bands that have been on the list so far, but I won’t be listening to this again.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Having had an awful German industrial rock album where the instruments were made from scraps from the tip the day before this sounded really, really good by comparison. I’m taking that into account with my review here, but I genuinely liked this. I’ve never listened to Sonic Youth before, but they were big with some of my mates at school in the late 90s. Given this album was late 80s it’s pointing at where much music was going to be taken in the 90s and even early 2000s. Yip, I liked it, but knocking a star off because I think I might still be rebounding from the German industrial rock yesterday. 3 stars.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
I only know of one Joan Armatrading song, which I like. This was more of the same. I liked this. The only criticism I would have is that it’s quite ‘samey’.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I don’t really like the Manics. Never have. A bit pretentious and shouty. There are a few decent songs on this album, but the majority are not good. 2 stars.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I have no idea about Jazz. This was ok to my philistinic ears.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
I like dance music, but I’ve never really liked Basement Jaxx. I’ve always just thought of them as ‘noise merchants’ and this album reinforces this. It’s just noise. There is no flow. It’s all just noise!
The Strokes
5/5
A great album. In as much as every song my is punchy and takes the total listening to just beyond 35 mins, but also in that it did help revive interest guitar based music in the UK after so many years of pop shite.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Some great songs, but some middling songs too. There is no cohesion to the album either. Some mad faux-country for example. Not good. I can never quite put my finger on why I’ve never really liked the Stones, but this probably sums it up.
Van Morrison
3/5
This is the sort of music that I could happily have on in the background when doing something because it really doesn’t offer anything fantastically interesting but trots along. Something that annoys me about Van Morrison though is that you spend 10-15% of the album listening to him simply making noises. 3 stars.
AC/DC
2/5
It’s AC/DC. Same as it ever was.
Hookworms
1/5
Never heard of the band. Was really, really boring.
Television
3/5
Enjoyed this. Could see the influences it had elsewhere.
Wilco
3/5
This was fine, but only fine. It was better that the other Wilco alumni I have listened to so far. The lyrics are quite dull, but it is made up for by the good instrumentation. I can’t say I’ll hold my breath for any improvement in the inexplicable third Wilco album to be included on the list.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
This was everywhere when it came out. I liked it, but with time I liked it less and less as I wanted to hear something else. Listening back, I like it less now than I did then. I think this is slightly tainted by the absolute guff that they’ve released since and the gushing praise that comes there way when they do anything from the media. It’s not great. It’s not bad. It’s of its time. 3 stars, but only just.
Orbital
3/5
I liked this better that the other Orbital album I’ve listened to on this list so far. Having said that, the first half of the album is better than the second half. 3 stars.
David Bowie
4/5
I’m not a huge fan of David Bowie, but I liked this album. My only annoyance was the huge amount of saxophone throughout the album. Truly an awful instrument.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
Awesome
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
If you like bongos then this is the album for you. 1 hour 17 minutes of unadulterated bongoism. I have never really listened to much bongo music before. Apache was good. After that, it was fine, but I was very conscious of the amount of bongos and nothing else.
4/5
Never heard of this band before. Really liked this.
Tom Waits
1/5
Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum. Was this intended to be a parody of pirates and their shit shanties? I just don’t get the appeal of this man and what he inflicts upon peoples ears.
Radiohead
5/5
Not as good as Kid A, but thats being picky. Great album. Haters are going to hate.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
The songs released as singles from this album give you the impression it should be a belter. It’s not really. It’s too long and a lot of the other songs on it don’t hit nearly the same level. Pity, as she has a lovely voice and it’s clearly well produced.
The Stooges
3/5
This was ok. Nothing more than that. In that lies my lack of understanding about the adulation and mystique surrounding Iggy Pop. I don’t think there’s anything at the sharp edge of rock or punk on display here. It’s fine and nothing more than that.
Van Halen
2/5
Short, but not very enjoyable.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Entirely unremarkable.
Pretenders
2/5
Lots of love for this. I wasn’t feeling it. It’s not Butthole Surfers level of shit, but it’s not great.
Venom
2/5
This isn’t a genre of music I’d normally listen to. It’s not great. It’s very repetitive and the lyrics are poor. Hasn’t convinced me that this is something I should be listening to.
Coldplay
4/5
This is a good album. It’s not great, but it’s good. Doesn’t deserve the hate. Sure, later albums do, but this doesn’t.
Britney Spears
2/5
The hits are excellent examples of 90s American pop. The rest of just filler. Apart from Sofa Pop - WTF?
2Pac
2/5
Most 90s rap is awful. I wasn’t a fan then. Not a fan now. None of it has aged well. The overly aggressive and toxic lyrics just don’t make it pleasant to listen to. This doesn’t break that mould. The backing music is fine. The rapping isn’t. So whilst Doggystyle falls into the same bracket, at least the introduction of G Funk was stylistically different so makes the listening experience slightly less uncomfortable. This isn’t. No moulds have been broken in the making of this entirely generic 90s rap album.
Frank Zappa
2/5
This just merged into one constant guitar solo for me. Nothing I’d listen to again.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Jeff Beck is new to me. It’s ok. Rod Stewart isn’t new to me. That wasn’t great. Didn’t really sound like something from the 60s. Overall, not something I’d listen to again.
OutKast
3/5
I bought this at the time of release. The double album, released to placate both artists I believe, allows for some songs and skits that wouldn’t have made it into a cleaner, shorter album. As a result there are some tough listens interspersed with some quality songs. Both albums are very different in style and have some real gems, such as Speakerboxxx & Happy Valentines Day, but both have stinkers too. What it certainly doesn’t lack is creativity. Overall, 3 stars.
Robbie Williams
1/5
I didn’t listen to it because I’ve been to a pub where a man with his shirt unbuttoned was banging out Angels on the karaoke machine. I don’t want the memory of that shit night to be worsened by this.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Great album. This and Halfway between the gutter and the stars are the peak of Fatboy Slims sampling powers.
Queen
2/5
Queen to me is like listening to a musical and a secondary school. The school band are all trying to outdo each other and as a result the music turns into bombastic nonsense. This is no different, apart from where Freddy Mercury takes a backseat where the band, understandably, takes a break. It’s hard work being 100% bombastic. The Brian May songs are just odd. A weird homage to country music just doesn’t fit, nor does a song where carburettors are mentioned either.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
This is very of its time. A middling album from the low-fi, indie music of the 2010s. The first two or three songs are fine, but after that you realise that nothing is going to change. It doesn’t.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Liked this. Many familiar tracks.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I liked it less than the other Stevie Wonder albums I’ve listened to on this list. Some bangers on there.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
Short. Not awful. That’s about it.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I like Pet Shop Boys early music. I don’t like this. Plods along.
Ramones
4/5
Liked this. It’s good that I liked the first song because the rest were no different really.
Tom Tom Club
5/5
This is why I’m persevering with this project. One year in and many, many country albums later I am rewarded with this. Hadn’t heard the name of this band before, but instantly recognised the first and second songs. The first because it’s a regular on 6Music and the second because it having been sampled. It’s a wonderfully eclectic, fresh and exciting album from start to finish. 5 stars without question!
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Musically, this is excellent. Lyrically, it’s poor. It’s also far too long.
Iggy Pop
3/5
List for Life and The Passenger are great songs. The others are effectively Bowie b-sides that I’m not fussed about.
Shack
1/5
Never heard of this band. I can see why. The ragged end of Britpop just not wanting to give up the ghost. I won’t remember this album because it doesn’t deserve to be remembered.
Killing Joke
4/5
Never heard of this band. Liked it.
The Band
2/5
Meh. Nothing more to add.
Nirvana
2/5
Abrasive. Didn’t like listening to the majority of this. All Apologies saves it from one star.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
I just don’t get drum and bass. I don’t understand the appeal. Nothing changes, either within or between songs. It’s not pleasant to listen to at all.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Never heard of this band before. It’s not good, but it’s not awful. I don’t think I’d listen to it again.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Great album. I know the key Led Zepplin tracks, but going through their back catalogue through this project is great. So many good tracks.
Dr. Dre
2/5
Musically, this is very good. Lyrically, it’s poor and dated.
ZZ Top
2/5
I found this repetitive. Even within songs, once you’d heard the first 20 seconds of the song, you’d effectively heard the whole thing.
Carpenters
3/5
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Like the last Cocteau Twins album this was entirely different from anything else on the list and equally as pleasant.
The Who
2/5
Not a fan of The Who.
Rod Stewart
2/5
It’s Rod Stewart. You know what you get. It’s fine, but nothing more. Did I need to listen to this before I die? I’m not convinced.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
I won’t listen to this again.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Music is fine. Can’t really say anything about the lyrics.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Liked this. High production values. Good harmonies. It works. Digital folk.
Brian Eno
2/5
I didn’t warm to this. It wasn’t awful, but not something I’d play again.
David Ackles
1/5
Hmmmm. There are few albums on this list where I am baffled as to how they were included, but this is one of them. It’s terrible in every possible way.
ABBA
3/5
I’m indifferent to ABBA, but I’ve heard the majority of the songs on this album enough for a thousand and one lifetimes.
Traffic
2/5
I’ve had a series of 60s and 70s albums in recent weeks that I would not usually listen to and haven’t added any songs to my playlists. This hasn’t changed that. It was on in the background and it didn’t capture my attention once.
Waylon Jennings
2/5
This was ok. For country music. I liked the first song. The rest not so much.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
Great album. So in your face.
Fred Neil
3/5
Pink Floyd
4/5
Liked this, but it’s not 5 stars. There’s not enough there and some of the tracks are poor in comparison to others.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
I started listening to this with trepidation. I’ve heard Hallelujah enough for a 1001 lives to have been lived. It’s a great, but vastly overplayed. The rest of the album is mixed. Some really great songs on it, but some where his voice just becomes silly (and one wonders whether Muse listened to this album a lot in their formative years). Overall, 3 stars.
The Jam
2/5
I don’t really like The Jam. If you like bass then this is for you. The middle of the album is stronger than the rest. That’s Entertainment is a good song. Many on here are just not very good.
CHVRCHES
3/5
I have no strong opinions either way on this album. Cocteau Twins for millennials.
Nas
2/5
Welcome to the hype train! The number of gushing reviews of this album is phenomenal. I’ve tried to listen to this album and appreciate it a number of times, such as when it was the soundtrack to The Force by Don Winslow. Sure, it’s not as offensive as most other rap from the time and therefore that makes the lyrics more engaging, but musically it’s shocking. I can’t think of a rap album where the backing music is worse than this. It’s insipid.
Kid Rock
1/5
404 albums in and this is by far and away the worst and most undeserving album on here. In the 90s, Kid Rock didn’t make much of a splash outside the US of A, whereas his contemporaries, such as Limp Bizkit etc did (with hindsight they had some talent compare to this shite). All I knew of him was that he used to pop up on MTV Video montages as the odd fella in stupid oversized clothing thinking he was a pimp. Anyway, I never listened to any of his music because his image suggested it would be dogshite. Well, I’ve listened to the first song and the beginnings of rapping that makes Vanilla Ice look good and can confirm my suspicions were sound. This is dogshite music for people who grill music off the back of their vans. It’s a shame he never decided to be that cowboy who found a nest in the hills and chill like flint (WTF?!?) and put this shite to bed.
2/5
70s prog/psychedelic rock. It’s fine, but nothing more. Would I listen to it again. Probably not, but then I wouldn’t listen to any of this genre again.
Black Flag
2/5
This seems to draw out those who critique British punk with effusive praise. Americans? Anyway, it’s punk. It’s fine, but nothing more. Would I choose to listen to it again? No.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Not my cup of tea. The music is fine. Lyrics less so, though I don’t like Nick Cave or The Divine Comedy, so that’s probably got something to do with it.
The Byrds
2/5
The is was ok. Nothing more.
Soft Machine
1/5
When the first three minutes of the first song, which lasts for nearly 19 minutes sounds like a toddler learning music by the discovery method then I’m out. Didn’t bother with the other 3 songs or the rest of the first. Didn’t have 1 hour 50 minutes to burn away today. I don’t feel bad about it in any way.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
Hmmmm. Not much variation in the songs here. Lots of lyrics too. Sometimes less is more and this is certainly one of those instances.
The Kinks
3/5
This was ok. Some good songs, some average songs.
Napalm Death
2/5
I expected to hate this, but I didn’t. I found it oddly captivating. The anti-MNC/TNC stuff was ahead of the game. Maybe this was the genesis of the riots that used to happen when the WTO used to have an annual high-five fest at different cities around the world? Granted, I needed to have the lyrics alongside me so I could at least read what was in the minds eye of the vocalist rather than his output. Would I listen to it again? Absolutely not. It seemed longer than 33 minutes and I don’t think I have the mental resilience to subject myself to it again. Did I hate it? No.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
I remember being bored listening to this in the 80s. Nothing has changed.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I’ve never understood the appeal of Bruce Springsteen. He can’t sing. The songs are dull. It’s all a bit YOO ESS AAE for my liking.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
I’m not generally a fan of jazz, but this is my kind of jazz. It’s laid back and unobtrusive.
Bon Jovi
2/5
Well known songs. Doesn’t mean I like them. It’s not the sort of music you can listen to and expect your family to respect you any longer.
DJ Shadow
5/5
This album was by entry into the world of sampling by the likes if of UNKLE, Burial, RJD2 etc. I can understand why it might not be to everyone’s taste, but I think it’s great. Just loads of samples spliced together in a simply sublime way.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
This is what The Rolling Stones would have sounded like if they were from the west coast of the USA. I don’t really like The Rolling Stones.
Q-Tip
4/5
I’m not a massive fan of rap, but I like Q-Tip. His lyricism is beyond most other rappers. The variation was good. I didn’t find myself getting board or annoyed with listening to the same old tropes from lazy rappers.
The Killers
4/5
I was swept away in the zeitgeist when this came out in 2004. Always thought the first half of the album was far better than the second half. Never bought any more of their albums after that and jumped off the bandwagon. This, overall though, is a good record.
Finley Quaye
2/5
There are some songs on this that are fine, but I just can’t get past the put on accents and the fact that he spent the vast majority of his time after this record getting into scrapes all over the shop.
The Undertones
4/5
I have a huge amount of respect for Fergal Sharkey and his work in cleaning in forcing the government to make the water companies in England do their job properly and stop pumping shite into rivers. This was good. I’m not a fan of Teenage Kicks, but there were more songs on this album that I was familiar with than I thought I would be.
Iggy Pop
1/5
I didn’t warm to this. Not a single track that I didn’t want to skip.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Never bought any of his albums as I got the feeling from the reviews at the time that they were a bit too eclectic. After listening to the opening track then the second I thought I might have been right. However, everything after the opening track is the same. I got bored of listening to this. The only thing that peaked my interest every so often was forgetting I was listening to this and thinking ‘oh, is Thom Yorke on this track?’
Brian Eno
1/5
I didn’t enjoy listening to this. Much as I didn’t enjoy the artwork. I found the repeating sounds too frequent to be enjoyable and the random sounds off-putting.
Aphex Twin
5/5
Really liked this. Sounds like it could have been made yesterday.
Gene Clark
4/5
Awful artwork, but I liked this. I don’t go into anything that is described as ‘country’ music thinking I’ll like it, but I did like this. Easy listening. Not too ‘country’.
David Bowie
2/5
I’ve heard enough of Bowie’s back catalogue and this (which was massively overplayed on release) to not need to care too much when this was playing. It was on. I’ve listened to it, but didn’t really need to. I’ve heard enough Bowie on this list already.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
I found this really, really boring.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Liked this.
Beth Orton
2/5
A flatmate of mine at uni loved Beth Orton and would play her frequently. He was a prick so it taints my view of this album. Beyond that it is inherently average. I find her singing voice quite nasal and grating, which means it moves beyond background music. After the fourth song I nearly turned it off, but persevered. Wished I hadn’t. It’s not the worst thing I’ve listened to so far as the electronica lifts it’s somewhat, but beyond that it’s not something I would seek out to listen to again.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Five! FIVE! That’s how many Nick Cave albums are on this list. Why?! It’s not as bad as the soul destroyingly depressing others. That’s the only positive.
Massive Attack
5/5
Great album
UB40
3/5
This was ok. Nothing more. Nothing less. Would I listen to it again? No.
Roxy Music
3/5
Not as good as For Your Pleasure, but still decent enough.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I never listened to this on release. Don’t know why. I like it.
White Denim
4/5
Never heard of this band before and wasn’t expecting much when I looked at the genre. However, I was surprised by how much I liked it.
The Blue Nile
4/5
Never heard of this band before. Two days in a row. Again, didn’t expect much. Was pleasantly surprised. I liked the odd timing and style. Easy listening.
Wire
2/5
I didn’t warm to this. Never heard of this band before. Won’t be seeking it out again to listen to.
The Charlatans
2/5
I was indifferent to this when it was out. Indifferent now too. Some good, some bad. Would I listen to it again? Probably not. Why? Because the 90s were generally a shit time for British music.
Suede
2/5
I like the music. Everything is alright when it’s just the music. The singing though! I can’t stand the singers voice. It’s the fly in the ointment.
Air
2/5
When Moon Safari first came out I enjoyed some of the songs, but some were just a bit too French Electronica for me. The base is always a bit bouncy in French electronica, so even when it’s a dark song the base lifts it to a place where it shouldn’t be. In comparison, any of the soundtracks done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have the same dark undertones, but the base reflects this. It’s not whimsy. Overall, this was just about fine. I can listen to a whole Air album because the whimsy air just does my head in. I listened to all of this and as a result my head was done in.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
This was ok. Apart from Come on Aileen. Overplayed.
American Music Club
2/5
Never heard of this band before. Didn’t warm to it. The country style guitar sounds didn’t help convince me that this was an indie record.
Pantera
2/5
The music was good. The lyrics were bad. Odd track at the end.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Liked this. Like a big band.
The Shamen
1/5
Urgh. I disliked the Shamen in the 90s. I dislike them still. Utter shite!
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Wasn’t the worst thing I’ve heard so far, but will I ever seek this out to listen to again? No!
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
Very of its time.
Julian Cope
2/5
The bad side of average.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
Not for me.
Turbonegro
2/5
Meh. I neither disliked or liked this. Would I listen to it again? No.
Spiritualized
1/5
I really didn’t like this. What’s the point of it? Plodding, overlong tracks that don’t ever go anywhere. I’d imagine the lead singer thinks his vocals are psychedelic, but he just sounds like a breathless, incoherent fool. Begs belief that this is on the list where more coherent and interesting groups like Gomez aren’t.
The Cardigans
3/5
This was ok, but only ok. It’s a bit poppy for my liking. Gran Turismo was better, but only marginally, as an album.
The Stranglers
4/5
Liked this. Polished for a punk album.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
FFS! 5 albums of the same dreary shite! Down with this sort of thing!
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Meh. That’s all I can muster for this.
U2
2/5
I was listening to this and everything was going ok. Sure, this was a change from the U2 of previous towards their Omnishite music of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t particularly engaging or exciting either. This all changed when One Love came on and I instantly recalled that fucking awful moment in 2020 when thousands of people were dying every day from Covid and a bunch of self-important thespians though that singing this together over the internet would make everyone feel better. Changed the game after that. Fucking Hollywood!
Daft Punk
3/5
I bought this album on the strength of ‘Around the World’, back in the days of MTV2 being swarmed by Indie music it was something that perked my interest. However, like all Daft Punk albums, there is a lot of filler. Bangers held together my mediocrity.
Calexico
3/5
Never heard of this band before. It was a tad pedestrian overall. When I saw reviews with Mariachi bands etc I thought it would have been a lot more punchy than it was sadly.
808 State
4/5
I’ve always liked but never loved Pacific 202 as a song, but hearing it within this album made me love it. This is a very good album.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Liked this, though the female singers voice deducts one star.
Fugees
4/5
As rap/hip-hop goes this is a good album.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Bored. Bored. Bored. I’m not a fan of Springsteen’s early album, but at least they had some get-up. This was miserable.
Weather Report
2/5
Felt like I should’ve been watching Colombo throughout.
Madonna
4/5
Great pop! Sadly, some fillers on here, but even the fillers are better than some of the stuff I’ve listened to on this journey through sound so far.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Urgh. Messages within the album are relevant, but instead of elevating the genre above the misogynistictic shite that talentless trope-hustler Kendrick Lamar pumps out this album flips it to heaux’s and inches instead. I’m saddened that this album exists let alone had a place on this list.
The Auteurs
4/5
Never heard of this band before. Liked it enough for it to keep my interest. It’s funny how the likes of Suede and Blur can rise to the top and a band like this, which to my ears is better, doesn’t.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I don’t have any foundational knowledge to pass judgement on this album. Did I enjoy it? Mostly. Would I listen to it again? Probably not.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Some outstanding tracks on this album. Some others that wash over you.
Goldfrapp
3/5
I bought Goldfrapp’s first album on release and really liked it. The in-your-face electronica was great. This is pared back quite a bit. Meandering, but not unpleasant.
Machito
5/5
Really, really enjoyed this. I’ve had to endure U2, Metallica, Suede and Tom Waits to get to this. It’s almost been worth it. Almost.
John Martyn
3/5
Preferred solid air
The Kinks
3/5
I’m indifferent to The Kinks. It’s ok, but nothing more. Small doses are fine. Sadly, this was a bonus edition, which was longer. That was not ok.
Germs
3/5
I don’t really know what to make of punk. Is it good? Is it bad? This wasn’t as bad as some of the other punk on her, but equally wasn’t as good as some of the other punk on here. Middle of a very bumpy, pot hole-ridden road.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Full disclosure. I’m Scottish and will listen with greater attention to try and find something to like within anything from my kin. Orange Juice and Cocteau Twins are two examples where active listening has brought unexpected delight. Teenage Fanclub were always floating about in recommendations from magazines and friends in my youth, but I could never get into them. Every song, to my ears, always seems like it gets up to the desired speed as quick as possibly then whacks on cruise control, which ultimately makes the majority of songs never get beyond the mundane. Quite a few reviews I’ve read on here whilst listening cite Oasis as a similar, earlier, sound. I can hear this. Overall, fine, but nothing I’d return to.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
I’ve never really liked Thin Lizzy. 70s rock isn’t really a genre that holds its own these days. A live version at over an hour has not made me change my mind.
Def Leppard
3/5
I don’t mind this, but I wouldn’t seek it out to listen to.
Morrissey
1/5
I don’t like Morrissey. I thought it was mainly because he’s a twat, but you now realise it’s not. I realised that I liked listening to the music. I like Jonny Marr et al. Morrissey is however a twat. He clearly always has been. He can simply go away, but sadly I see I have another 5 albums to listen to. I’ve always wondered as well how much his music travels. I’m Scottish and can never remember hearing Morrissey until I moved to England. It’s like the musical equivalent of Monty Python.
Morrissey
1/5
Urgh! I had my first solo album from Morrissey yesterday and it became quickly apparent that the talent lay elsewhere and not with Morrissey himself. This is the second (of 4!) of his solo albums. They just aren’t good enough. I’ve started to wondered as well how much his music travels. I’m Scottish and can never remember hearing Morrissey until I moved to England and, granted, there is a live/hate thing about him here, but he doesn’t get a look in elsewhere. It’s like the musical equivalent of Monty Python.
King Crimson
3/5
I like this. Full disclosure, I was doing work and it was playing in the background.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Some Fatboy Slim tunes I love, some I don’t. I’m probably more of a fan of his ambient stuff, e.g. Song for Shelter, than I am of his Gangsta Trippin’ stuff. Sadly, some have been massively overplayed on the radio so I don’t love them anymore. This album is different to the Fatboy Slim that was everywhere in the late 90s and early 00s. It’s more house music than I suppose what could be referred to as EDM these days. Some tracks are good, some are not. Overall, fine, but not probably his best album overall.
The White Stripes
3/5
A criticism I have of doing this project so far is the number of repeat artists on the list. Too much Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bowie, too much Metallica, far too much Morrissey etc. Some, I’m sure, can probably be included more than once as their sound changes, but some, like Morrissey are shitter as a solo artist so what’s the point. I like the White Stripes. I like this album. It’s quirky. But I’ve already listened to two other White Stripe albums (and a solo Jack White album) that are not that discernible from this. Even the album covers look similar FFS! I get it. I get their sound. Sadly, this means other artists, who in the name of eclecticism, should more likely be included on here, but are sadly omitted. This was fine, but could have told you that from listening to one album.
Cornershop
3/5
Upon refreshing today I was filled with dread. This week I’ve had two Morrissey albums back to back then this. Enough to sap the soul from even the most ardent fan of British music, which I’m not. Being a teenager in the 90s in the UK wasn’t great musically. The radio played a limited number of songs on what seemed like constant repeat - Brimful of Asha was one of them. I really don’t like the radio edit because I’ve heard it enough for several lifetimes. However, the album version is fa superior. It’s slowed down, which makes it work better. The rest of the album is mixed. I’m familiar with the first song as it’s been used a lot in adverts. There are some good songs on here. However, there are also some conceptual stuff that does work, but also some that doesn’t work. Overall, I can say I’ve come away from this album more positive than I thought I would and it’s a shame that Brimfull of Asha was ultimately their downfall.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
This was fine, though I think listening to it at a latitude where it’s dark at 4 in the afternoon in January doesn’t help. Would I listen to it again? Probably not.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
This was fine. It’s not really my kind of thing, but I can see equally why people like it or loathe it.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Hmmm. I think I’ve had enough of punk and post-punk now. I think you need to be aligned with this genre and a real fa to appreciate this. I’m neither, so didn’t.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Good lyrics, which is at odds with most other rap/hip hop music. The music let it down. The sampling wasn’t crisp enough. It sounded like an early rap/hip-hop album sadly.
Nick Drake
5/5
I first heard of Nick Drake at university when I was listening, bizarrely, to a BBC R4 programme by Brad Pitt on how much he liked Nick Drake’s music. I’ve been a fan ever since and have all his albums. His guitar playing is outstanding and his voice is wonderful. His second album is more polished and I suppose more bombastic and less folksy than his first, but each is a delight in their own ways. Sad that he passed away so young
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
7 Neil Young albums! 7! The first song is fine, but then, as soon as the second song starts, you are reminded that everything this man produces is exactly the same. After that it gets tedious.