Own it. Love it.

Clearly a classic. I know videos aren't part of the challenge, per se, but because So came out in a time when videos carried weight, this album has even more magic in that context. Plus, Kate Bush is enough to immediately give anything 5 stars.

Having given LCD Soundsystem a 5, I couldn't very well give Talking Heads anything less. Even if this isn't your type of music, you have to appreciate that this was released in 1980. Groundbreaking.

Kinda torn on this one. As far as reggae goes, Bob Marley nails it. Great merger of uplifting music with heavy subjects. However, without much variety from one song to the next, it felt like the album overstayed its welcome. Would have been a better experience in smaller doses.

Uh... What is this? I am loath to hate on anyone's art, but this was positively grating. Salt in the wound: I endured the bonus tracks edition.

Ahh... just the ear bleach I needed after that Fairport Convention nightmare. Seriously though, the first time I heard this album I was much younger, and I didn't get it. But after seeing the movie and letting the music sit with me a while, I've come to appreciate it more.

First two tracks are great, but there's only so much falsetto and horns I can take in one sitting.

¡Ay, caramba!

Before today, I had actually never listened to this album. Sure, I was familiar with the title track, but everything else was new to me. Sitting here in 2024, I can see the importance of this album, insofar as Madonna using her brand to bring electronica into the mainstream, but this confirms what I assumed when I heard the title track back in 1998: she was headed in a direction I was unwilling to follow. In fact, knowing what I know now, I'd say this "ray of darkness" is the very harbinger of the overproduced garbage that has been the Top 40 ever since the turn of the century. In that "light", Madonna is responsible for the destruction of modern music. I jest, of course, but this album DOES kick off what I dislike most about today's music. At any rate, there were a few nice moments on here (i.e. the ones without the clubby drum machines), but I, personally, didn't care much for it. Still, I'll give her credit for being the trailblazing queen she is.

I do love that this challenge is introducing me to music I've never heard before! This was nice. Light. Melodic. Simple. It gives more to its listener than it asks of him. No, it didn't change my world, nor will it make its way into my playlist, but I'm happy to have spent a short and pleasant time with it on this journey called life. Perhaps we'll meet again someday :)

Welp... didn't think we'd be dethroning Fairpoint Convention so quickly, but here we are... Before today, I had never been so relieved by YouTube's intrusive ad practices. I almost quit this one several times, but the challenge IS to listen to these albums before you die... even when they try their categorical best to kill you before you can... Everything from the vocals to the guitars seemed to be pathetically and PAINFULLY whining "boo friggin' hoo". It's as if someone managed to harness the dark acoustic energy of Fran Drescher and channeled it into an album. Unnecessary.

A very Paul Simony album. Peaceful and toe-tapping at times, but largely background music.

SERIOUSLY?! Someone needs to audit the algorithm! I'm fairly sure two Clapton albums within three days is a violation of the Geneva Convention. That said, this one wasn't nearly as terrible as the last (largely due to their comparative lengths), but in the end, trash is still trash.

I know I'm supposed to like Nirvana and all... but I just never have... Some would assert they should be respected, if not merely for their importance in music history... OK, but I'd argue the Huns were pretty important in European history - does that mean they deserve respect for it? Still, I'll give it a 2 since Eric Clapton didn't have anything to do with its production.

A twofer... or possibly threefer... Glad I had the day off! Some hits and misses here. A few tracks would definitely benefit from a radio edit, but overall, I do appreciate the eclectic nature of the album.

On a different day, I might have been more open to this... but today was not that day...

Ah... finally... an album I don't have to set aside half my day to get through... There are some enjoyable nuggets in here (mostly the songs written by Sting), but there are an equal number of tracks that feel kinda throwaway to me...

I could imagine hearing a few of these tracks at The Bronze... and that pleases me... Overall, however, this felt more like mood music than active listening... which would likely be fine if that were your aim, but the repetition does wear a bit if you're fully present. I guess I neither love nor hate it.

Even chicks in tight shorts couldn't save this album... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WADa5ItkV6o It's simply beyond the limits of good taste... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X9x9VqtciA

After recently reviewing a number of extremely long entries, I was relieved to see that this had only 9-tracks of mostly reasonable lengths. Unfortunately, it FELT just as long as those double albums. Seriously. This POS shouldn't even exist, let alone be on ANY requisite listening list.

Classic arrangements. Flawless vocals (obviously). It took me back to riding in the car with my grandparents. Though it's not really my thing, I'm giving it a 5 because, as an artform, it's on point. Plus, several of these tracks were featured on the Golden Girls, so that's pretty much an automatic win.

Beyond the three singles, I was unfamiliar with the other eight songs - so it was nice getting to hear these for the first time. I wouldn't say they're overly strong tracks, with the side A four being noticeably better than the side B four, but I still dug the experience.

I'm really not sure what to make of this... I'm pretty sure I don't like it, but I could be wrong... No, I'm positive I don't like it... But on second thought... Wait, does this mean I hate Love? Ah, the 60s were such a confusing time...

Beck is sorta hit-or-miss with me... He offers flashes of brilliance but then muddles it all up with what can only be described as noise... I can appreciate an artist wanting to mashup genres, but it's always seemed to me that Beck mixes in one part glorious with two parts laborious... I'll give it a 2 because I do enjoy the singles, The New Pollution and Where It's At, but I really must flush the rest of this rackety rot...

Diet Beatles. For when you want to listen to British pop without all of the catchy hooks. Completely neutral to this. Nothing amazing; nothing offensive. Next.

Timeless.

Not enough drugs in the world...

The very definition of "death by a thousand (two-minute or less) cuts". While I didn't find anything of particular value on this MULTI-album, I did pick up vibes here and there of other bands I do like... ones that have a more structured approach to actual song writing. So, in that regard, I'll give it a 2 for having the right ingredients set out on the counter... just wish they had bothered to bake the damn cake.

Phil Spector's extreme creep factor and criminally murderous behavior aside, this was a great Christmas album. Full props to all of the talented performing artists.

Unequivocally awful. Why was this even made? I refuse to believe that anyone would listen to this under their own free will... let alone pay money for the displeasure...

Nice! An actual standard studio album to review! And it's a fairly good one! Despite some unnecessary meanderings and questionable noise (particularly within the title track), I enjoyed most of this. I'm still not willing to venture forth into the swamp of jazz, but I thank Steely Dan for showing me that there are some fringe elements that don't completely suck.

Meh... other than the two singles, I hadn't heard any of these songs before... and based on those two singles, I had always (correctly) assumed I didn't really need to, either... If I were a young girl hearing this for the first time in 1981, it probably would have hit harder... but I'm not, and it isn't, so it doesn't...

Garage rock? More like garbage schlock.

I know this was a critically acclaimed event and got tons of coverage back in the day... but I just don't like live albums... nor Nirvana... That said, compared to the other live albums I've had to endure on this list (and Nirvana's In Utero), this is slightly more tolerable... so I'll be generous and give it a 2...

Wow... This was really quite good... I have the cover of Thirteen by Garbage, but otherwise this was all new to me - which after reading up on the history of the album, I understand why... Too bad... They really could have been Big Stars...

Oof... that voice, tho... seriously... Thankfully, none of these tracks had particularly outrageous runtimes, though they did all seem VERY long...

W. T. F. I guess yesterday's review fell on deaf algorithms... And now I wish I were deaf...

Meh... Other than the two (rather weak) singles, I had never heard any of this, and I don't know how I ever really would have, either... There's certainly nothing even close to radio worthy here... More-or-less, it's just a boring, longer-than-necessary, story-telling experience... But it didn't outright assault my senses, so I'll give it a disappointed 2...

This was a tough review to write... On the one hand, I greatly appreciate experimentation with sounds, and without pioneers in the field, we wouldn't have the greatness we have today. On the other hand, this particular album just isn't landing with me. I listened to it three times just to be sure, but it failed to trigger that internal magic that sparks when you've found something special. While it does have its moments, it ultimately hits more like noise than music. As a contemporary comparison, put this up against Kraftwerk's 1978 Die Mensch-Maschine. One is CLEARLY more polished. I'm still going to give this a 3, though - not quite for what it is, but rather for what it was at the time, and for what it no doubt helped inspire afterwards.

This is of a genre I usually enjoy, but there isn't enough variety here. It felt like one 40-minute song. I listened to this twice, and I think the issue has less to do with the musical arrangements and more with her voice. Ethereal falsetto is nice in small doses - just not for an entire album. The electronic mix was decent, though. I was reminded of The Range at times; so, I'll give it a 3 for evoking some of that energy.