Its always impressive when an artist makes an album where you can't tell when one song ends and the other begins. Usually it means the transitions are seamless. Paul McCartney does it by sneaking 3 completely distinct mostly-finished songs into the title track "band on the run". No shade, I love it. The end of this album is walking perfection
Frequently rocked and was often strange. Excellent beginning to end
An excellent album, made more poignant by the fact that it was his last album released before he died (prehumously?) Leonard Cohen has always struck me as an unhappy dude, trying to find peace in religion or a near religious fervor of love & coitus, and ultimately stuggling with how both are deeply human. What I love in 'You Want it Darker" is how the love of his muse, his troubled mentor (whom he later describes as a 'filthy beggar, guessing), and the capital G God are intertwined almost inseparably. The OG Tortured poet. Fav: Treaty, for the verse "I heard the snake was baffled by his sin... The poison enters everything". I fear I still don't quite get the titular track, You Want It Darker, which I am assuming is on me considering it is the most well known of the album.
I spent too much of this album thinking " these boys ain't destroying anything" before I thought about this genre, the vibesn for real. I don't think they're taking about the western ideal of destruction, as in something is there, then it's gone. I think it's Shiva, God of Destruction style. These samples aren't gone, they're dismantled, reshaped, and made into something completely new. And hey that's pretty cool.
fine for grilling burgers , a little samey. i do like simple man
Best one yet Liked that it was international, the story, familiar musical elements but also different
quite good! i wish the french version was listed first
timeless classic sound, which comes with it never sounding terribly adventurous
If the coffee shop is playing this, you know it’s gonna be good
An excellent album, made more poignant by the fact that it was his last album released before he died (prehumously?) Leonard Cohen has always struck me as an unhappy dude, trying to find peace in religion or a near religious fervor of love & coitus, and ultimately stuggling with how both are deeply human. What I love in 'You Want it Darker" is how the love of his muse, his troubled mentor (whom he later describes as a 'filthy beggar, guessing), and the capital G God are intertwined almost inseparably. The OG Tortured poet. Fav: Treaty, for the verse "I heard the snake was baffled by his sin... The poison enters everything". I fear I still don't quite get the titular track, You Want It Darker, which I am assuming is on me considering it is the most well known of the album.
pretty alright, no complaints. I enjoyed the album but I'd Love to know some context from the guy who made 1001 must listen albums about why this one in particular. My main takeaway is how usually when I say an album doesn't sound like it was made the year it was made, I am talking about how an old album sounds like it could have been made very recently. This didn't sound like a 2010 album because I would have assumed it was a good bit older. Whether that makes it stale or an homage to the Zombies is a matter of taste
Hell yeah 4/5
If this were just a little bit less about men, is want it playing at the old school lesbian cruiser bar
For the longest time I never gave Radiohead a fair chance. I had always assumed Radiohead was too angst, too sad for my taste. (Of course, the few songs I happened to hear I invariably love, as well as some of the members’ later projects) But this is the first album on my list that made me say “oh shoot, why hadn’t I heard this earlier?” 10/10, I’m hooked
pretty good. I haven't listened to this since I was a kid, and I think I was holding a little too much U2 resentment since they put an album on my iPod touch without my consent, burrowing their way into my shuffle. That album wasn't great. This one is solid.
I've got a theory that "imagine" is ironic. He asks "why can't we all be nice? no war, no fighting, not that hard guys!" and then every other song answers his own question, seemingly without him realizing. 'just a jealous guy', 'how do you sleep', ' i frickin hate hypocrites'... its a budding theory, i haven't ironed out the kinks. Maybe I just think it would be funny if the universal "give peace a chance" anthem were written as a joke, and he never got the chance to lift the veil. Maybe that's nihilistic Great album, 4/5
he said it himself- he makes music for high school kids. this did bring me back to freshman year (In the worst way). tough one to finish, but its not for lack of skill
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" is a standout track, I love the loving intro. I thought it was a pure instrumental track and was satisfied, but it only got better halfway through. Bit jarring to follow it with Unhappy Birthday, which was... not my favorite. Overall a pretty fine record, not the Smiths album I would have chosen but not bad
Pop sellout garbage. I was in a wannabe-joy-division punk band in college. I was excited for this one, really! Someone needs to bonk this guy on the head and remind him he's a terrible singer, and that was OK in previous albums. This is a must-listen as far as it is a warning for any artist getting too big for their britches and think they're hot stuff.
Hell yeah
Pleasantly surprised by how much I actually knew off this album. Not my genre, but I grew up with a lot of these. I was also impressed by the range of style of both Aguilera and the production . It was dreadfully long, though. I made it through ‘soar’, thought that Must be the end, and realized there were 6 more songs. 1 hr 17 minutes? Have mercy please.
Quite good. Monty Python would describe it a good woody album, not tinny at all
Hell yeah brother What else can I even say here
Pretty great stuff, definitely influential. there's a bassline in here that 100% must have inspired DEVO. I'm surprised I never heard of this, glad to have had the chance. My punk history isn't as good as I would like
I don’t understand enough of anything to quantify how good this album is, but I was hooked line and sinker. How he can put together so many concepts, so many genres so cleanly is remarkable. Big winner here
Apparently there’s a lot of history going on here, and it was indeed good enough for me to want to delve into it.
lmao. for real? Planet Rock was alright, it was the best of the bunch by far. the PerfectBeat was the least compelling beat of the album. Where were these guys at? i spent most of this album wishing it were the Digital Underground.
Hell yeah man
wildly good, i just wish when he said 'no one man should have all that power' he wasnt talking about jews. everyone wanted to be on a kanye track until ... they didnt. 5/5, and also 1/5
Going to go against the grain here and say It's just good. I think I prefer when they're plugged
Thematically, there are two songs: baby I love you, and baby I miss you. No points docked for that, I think it's a plus. A modern "I'll cry if I want to" by Lesley Gore, which I know realize might be an apt description as this album apparently revamped the teen pop genre. I recommend the deluxe edition for the club edits of ... Baby one more time, they're a time capsule of what remixes wanted to sound like in 1999
Give me more of this
Is it Kid A? no. Is that a really high bar? certainly yes. I was in less of a constant fugue-like dream for this one compared to Kid A, which is a minus, but I suppose the plus is it's easier to listen to with company.
You hear half this album and you've heard all of CCR
I groove with this, I rock with this. Most undoubtedly I fuck with this
The first half of this album is a 5/5 for “raising kids” music. My mom loves U2, and I heard every track on here so many times growing up. The sappy lyrics, the spacey wailing vocals, the instrumentation, all as familiar and to me as the color of my bedroom or my childhood dog. I’m almost now my mom’s age when she first had kids, and this is hitting in a way I can’t say I expected. Stepping back from sentiment , the second half kind of dawdles
It’s pretty good, but I honestly can’t stand the cover of Across the Universe
If these guys were contemporary with their genre, they would be 60% as interesting as anyone else. But they're not, and that's worse. Instead, it sounds like a 40th anni reunion tour that lost its spark, but without any original. It sounds like they were familiar enough with Americana to know that Mark Knopfler could jam on an intro/outro for 4+ minutes, but not enough to know that Mark Knopfler could do that because he had chops.
Guy has some really interesting melodies and chord progressions. Its irresistable (and markedly difficult) to whistle along
Yeah, I like this. Great album for babies - he likes to sing about animals and places
I foolishly went into this wondering “isn’t a-ha the quintessential one-hit-wonder band? Does the album with Take On Me really warrant a must listen?” I was immediately corrected. This is excellent, genuine, dramatic and sincere stuff. Have you heard Manhattan Skyline?
I came in skeptical for another old rock album that for it's way here on some guy's nostalgia. There's no playing around though- this is some tasty stuff. I was fully in it, head rocking, all that jazz, until Smoke on the Water. Maybe it's because it's all anyone could 'play' in middle school music class when they got out the guitars, but I couldnt seriously enjoy the song. Which is a shame, considering its probably more interesting than I ever realized.
I get it, they did that one song about Vietnam. I can see maybe one Creedence album on this list, but just cause 2 albums have 1 song worthwhile each doesn't make them both a 'must-listen'
This is a hit. Big fan here, glad I heard it
Surprised by this. I expected more junk nostalgia mix, as I’ve come to expect from the list. What I forgot was that these guys are nerds for music theory and technique, and that makes the best rock/metal. Good stuff
Smooth operator? 10/10 The rest? Absolute snore. I thought “hey, maybe it’s just the genre that’s not for me.” No, every song that came on recommended after was a banger. This was just so same after Smooth Operator
This album would have been great about 4 years ago after my last hard breakup. As it is, it's not my favorite Sinead O'Connor album, but still pretty good stuff
Somehow I never realized these were all on one album. This is like a greatest hits
Quality stuff. Interesting that this kicked off the US craze for bossa nova, but of course it had to be the white guys' rendition. I wonder if there are any Brazilian bossa nova albums on here. If this is music I "must hear," I think it should be the music that Stan Gets heard, no? I'm sure he would think so
They're having a good time, I'm having a good time, everyone's happy. Real good stuff
I feel like this is the missing link between 80's Elvis Costello and 90's rock. Fantastic piece
I can't decide if this is a 2 or a 5. It's a 5 because this is really excellent, top notch. It makes me think I'm in a dirty basement in a college town, fog machine running, cheap lights. In the corner, a couple on something- who knows what- is getting a little too handsy and a little too undressed. Between sets I dropped my earplugs case while passing around a joint and a cig, and when I go back up to get it they ask me what are the pills inside. Estrogen and Adderall, I have class in the morning. It's only a 2 because deep in my heart I don't believe people listen to ~albums~ of this music. The subgenres are hyperlocal and niche because the artists know everyone that plays around here, and the variation in the gene pool is from those two guys from Worcester who come around every once in a while. I'm hitting 5 because I know the low scores here probably just don't get it, but I think you had to be there
4/5 for the vibe, minus 2 for "jailbait."
Big fan of Björk and the Sugarcubes, I was actually not wowed by this. There were some real winners here (Venus as a boy, Come to me, Anchor Song--a brilliant outro) , I was here for the Weird. I just don't feel like its very cohesive sonically for a debut album. Björk's vocals remain Björk, but the everything else can't decide what it's going for.
I wish I could quantify what separates Good trancy electronica from bad. It really is an ineffable groove, or something. Whatever it is, this has it in spades
Some good fortune that the US release has watching the detectives. Great album
I love when British bands get a little "pish-posh queen of England", and dont realize how weird they are for it
I can't remember if I first heard these songs in Twisted Metal or ATV Off-road Fury on the PS1 & PS2, but goddamn does it bring me back
I can understand the significance but it didn't really do it for me
Its exactly what it says on the tin
A relentless display of skill
Man, what a drag. The mix and instrumentation suggest that these ballads are carried by the lyrics, but they're just not that great. She keeps threatening to do something interesting and then backing off. Way too long. "Precious Things" was ... almost good
Quite good. I made the mistake of listening to this when I was late for work and thought I'd hated it. On second listen (casually doing some bike cleaning on my own time) I love it
Dreamy sleepy sappy
Great Beats
Peter Gabriel is capable of doing some epic shit. Peter Gabriel 3 and 4 are non-stop tour de forces of very cohesive sound, and some of my favorite albums . PG1 is... Interesting, because it's incohesive. I feel like it's his first foray finding his own sound after Genesis, and so its all of his experimental pistons firing at once. It's not my favorite, but I still really do like it. In between a 3 and a 4 star
Undeniably good, a little long
This list is trying to make me metalhead, and it's so working. This rips the whole way through,starting strong and only getting better.
I can certainly see how it was so influential. The lisp is iconic. Also, I know it's supposed to be ironic but a TV party does sound pretty fun
Really liked this, I didn't know the stone roses were so good. There's a surprising out of variety in their songwriting for such a long album
Ginger Baker may not smell, but that last track drum duo was stanky. I will definitely be returning to Fela Kuti and the Africa 70
The negative reviews for this one are so dramatic. They say they are in it for the weird and new, but I bet they mean they listened to "Revolution 9" and decided, while it wasn't for them it wasn't the worst Beatles song. This really isn't all that weird, the diarrhea noises in "just a second" notwithstanding. Influential, big yes. Interesting, big yes. Some of you haven't been in a sketchy basement show and it shows.
Not interested
Excellent debut. Leonard Cohen got wiser, and more haunting, with age but that doesn't mean he was a fool to start. I'm sure he'd call himself a fool to the end, though
The Drama! The Power! The Lights! The Rain! My Goodness!
I didn't expect to hear this guitar tone over generic surf rock lyrics, so that was a cool way to start. I kinda dig it, interesting historically but I probably won't put it back on
I spent too much of this album thinking " these boys ain't destroying anything" before I thought about this genre, the vibesn for real. I don't think they're taking about the western ideal of destruction, as in something is there, then it's gone. I think it's Shiva, God of Destruction style. These samples aren't gone, they're dismantled, reshaped, and made into something completely new. And hey that's pretty cool.
Pretty interesting post punk with "world music" fusion. I really don't like that term world music, and I think what complaints you could levee against it's blanket-encompassing nature of every non-white style, you might be able to throw at this album to some extent.
This came at a perfect time because I was just wondering if REM was actually not that good and if it was just my family who liked them when I was growing up. Turns out they ARE pretty good, they're popular outside my family, and really its just not my cup of tea
Breaks zero ground
Already a 5/5 , then I read the wiki and wished I could raise it.intentonally choosing a sound that wouldn't lose fidelity over Napster downloads is a fascinating piece of history, and it makes me wonder about all the musical choices catered to the most likely medium it was to be played. Tom Sawyer by Rush sucks on Spotify, but is an otherworldly experience on an imperfect cassette
Was surprised here. I never really gave Beyoncé a chance, but people seem to love her or hate her. The album may be produced, but you can’t deny its good production. I kinda felt like she wasn’t the most interesting part of her own album. Anyway, I was getting into it for sure, but 1.5 hours is far too long
Yeah, cool.
Sigh.... Yeah, this rips. Alright.
It just doesn't hit the way it really wants to
Good album, I never listened to it before. I was surprised that it didn't have any of the Echo and the Bunnymen hits , but it was still a cohesive piece
This is the first I'm really noticing how metal screams use overtones. Sounds really cool with the harmonics on the bass and guitar Good album, The second half blows the first out of the water in my opinion
I mean, he's That Guy for a reason
I wasn't sure going in that an album of standards should be a must listen, but hearing them without the big band, Broadway singer style is a necessity. Each of these tracks is fantastic. Keeping this one in the back pocket for if I ever do need to lullaby a baby
It's like her whole brand is the worst Michael Jackson songs. She's been demoted to Macy's in December, and that's ok
She's lovely
Holy Lord
Frequently rocked and was often strange. Excellent beginning to end
This strikes me as a couple of dudes just kinda messing around, doing weird stuff and experimenting with their sound. Maybe that's the lo-fi talking. I dig it a lot. Is it a must listen, maybe not, but am I glad I listened to it definitely yes. I'll put this on again
Was about to give this a 4.5 because I had a headache going in, then Slide Away comes on. What was I thinking?
Big fan. It was consistently interesting, I'm actually quite glad it was a full hour. I'm surprised I never heard of this
Thanks sarcastic country man for reminding me that our problems aren't new, just often worse
It’s nice
Oh hell yeah man
I like this. It said "don't dream too hard, just dance" and then laid out some nice beats
It's alright. Light Flight sounds like 1400's King Gizzard and Thee Lizard Wizard. I'll keep this in the back pocket for a Dungeons & Dragons campaign I guess
I'll never forget my hippie farm coworker Dave who played Pet Sounds for the plants, saying it helped them grow. I was in high school, and it helped me grow at the least
I don't really get this. Did "Country and Western Music" used to mean big band pops? Cause no shade to Ray Charles, it's a lovely record, but there's No Way a cowboy would be singing any of this
GOOD
Blues like this is like baseball - it's cool live at a bar sometimes, no one cares about re-runs. If you can get a group of friends together and play, it's quite fun! But the only people who watch religiously are old dudes who haven't realized there's something more interesting. Also, that was the weakest drum solo I've ever heard. I'm glad we've come a long way from that
It's hard to pinpoint exactly why this didn't wow me. It might be because the wall of sound was so dense that even the breakdowns were drowning in reverb. It may be because some of the songs sounded like Discount Oasis from a small fishing town whose main exports are tinned anchovies and 2 weeks of tourism. The more folky bits were good
The one-two punch of "the man comes around" and "hurt" was a certain killer. The rest of the album was great, too, but that's the standout. I unfortunately cannot give a single hoot about Beatles covers, it's so hard to do well. I think he does... Better than most
I dig this. They're some peculiar fellows
It rocks
I feel like the nexus of this album was Ozzie finding a dope guitar tone and basing the whole album off it. Which is fair! It’s fascinating how technically simple it is, but it comes together so well
This does rock. The Who were strange guys with their operas and affinity for writing about 'dumb and blind kids', but you can't say they didn't back it up. I like the bass prominent in the mix, it's more present than the studio albums
I know it's a meme to make fun of anyone who like the Peppers, but they really did kill this. It's unfortunate that I'm far too much of a New Englander to get any of the California Commentary
Great work. Some parts were definitely trancier than others, but the bar was high
Man, this sucks. You can tell from the beginning it's going to have a borderline pedophilic song and --op, there it is , gudbuy t'jane. I'm glad I didn't read the song titles beforehand because it would have biased me even further against this band. He's worse at screaming than he thinks he is. What a chore to listen to
I've always wondered what the deal with Wilco is, but I hadn't gotten around to it. I knew OF them, but only really knew Jesus, etc, and I feel like I've heard so much of them from who knows where. But I Get It. This influenced probably every indie band I listened to in college. I love how sloppy it is at times. 10/10
Seem like cool guys
They really defined a sound that for years everyone tried (and failed) to follow up on
I prefer the later albums where they get double weird, but there's no denying this album slaps. There'd be no Rob Thomas without this album. Thats not like a huge thing, but it's interesting at least
Listen, the pet shop boys are iconic of ... something. This was a weird period for music. I do like it, but this isn't even the album with Wild Boys. What gives?
PROG This album is fundamental to the modern understanding of wizards
Actually quite interesting, could be 5 star. Unfortunately "Electric Feel" made it's way onto my coffee shop's playlist, and I heard it hundreds of times in a year. I simply can't stand that one
It's definitely early psych for sure
Iconic. The harmonica had an iron grip on the 90’s, an unshakable hold
At first I tried to like this and it didn't work. But then I tried to dislike it and that DEFINITELY didn't work. Secretly, I loved it the whole time
Constant 10/10, no skips. The gateway drug into not only Peter Gabriel, but Laurie Anderson as well. The bassist in me always dreamed of being a fraction of Tony Levin.
Quick aside: people who claim an album sounds "too 80s" to the albums detriment are fools. Who do you think defined the 80s? These are the definitive albums and you get that! Show some respect. Anyways this is great. I knew a lot of the songs before and expected a solid 4/5 but the song transitions really bump this bad boy up
Absolutely excellent solos. Altered State is 11/10
This sound drills right into my ear snail, thanks. I was surprised by all of the range in this album, absolutely excellent. RIP
1% scream, 99% adelica While this is frequently The Vibe, there is an equal number of instances where it is Distinctly Not. Equal and opposite, Yin and Yang.
Look, I get it. It's influential, its important to hear. I'm just not that kind of punk kid anymore, and that's ok
This album surprises me with how dialed-back his guitar playing is. With everything I know about Jimi Hendrix, I assumed it would be lightning solos the whole album, but instead it's always perfectly paired to the music. Really excellent stuff
New wave could not exist in a post-internet world. Call it self-awareness, call it irony, but all media now is dripping in something that these synths refuse to take part of. It's pure, it's genuine. That said, I don't think this is the best new wave album
What a lovely voice. Unfortunately I’ve decided I will drop at least one point for instances of “little girl” or anything creepier in a romantic song
Papa was a rolling stone is great , couldn't get into the rest
It is a shame about the mixing, because I feel that this is just one special sauce from being truly bone-shattering
Every one of these songs is some alt kids dream "last song" in an 80's prom, but they never played it. It was always simple minds there
I like a groove track, I do. But I want them to at least pretend there's a stronger concept than "I'm gonna make music that's for smoking weeeeed bro". That said, it's alright , nothing special
Its exactly as good as any other 70s classic album. This has the benefit of being relatively lesser known, so the songs haven't been played to hell. 3.5 if I could
Its always impressive when an artist makes an album where you can't tell when one song ends and the other begins. Usually it means the transitions are seamless. Paul McCartney does it by sneaking 3 completely distinct mostly-finished songs into the title track "band on the run". No shade, I love it. The end of this album is walking perfection
Look, it's alright. I'd rather listen to The Who
This is after his early jazz period, but just before he became the Devil in later albums. Its pure beat poetry, unfiltered Americanah. He really saw it all happening in front of him
Tusk the song is excellent . I couldn't find myself getting into the rest
It grew on me as it went. I think the crowd got less annoying as the show went on
Eternally bores Maybe I'm asking too much of punk as a genre, but do all of the apparent "must listens" have to sound exactly the same? I know there's better stuff out there, I've heard it
It's nice
I thought this album would surprise me because I'd never given it a 'full album' listen. It actually doesn't, because I knew every song and they're pretty much in the order I'd expect. Pretty cool
This is not a hi-fi album. If you listen on good headphones, it's pretty flat and uninteresting mix-wise. But that's ok, because they weren't mixing for 2025 audiophiles. This is mixed for radios with a physical tuning knob so you're never quite on the right spot. For tape decks, and best case scenario your buddy's sick aftermarket speakers his uncle helped him put in. You listen to this on tape, and it's a 10/10 iconic album. Otherwise sorry, but you're missing out
The Zombies are endlessly charming and have n irrefutable control of music theory. Putting "The Butcher" after "This Will Be Our Year" is the most dastardly move in album order I think I've ever heard
Really interesting excellent stuff. Hilda up better than most psychedelia
10/10 intro song, perfectly captured vibe. I do wish it went straight into the next song from it instead of a fade out, it would be electric. The ending was kinda weak, Jane Says feels like, dare I say, the least interesting song on the album