404
Albums Rated
3.05
Average Rating
37%
Complete
685 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
38
5-Star Albums
41
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Porcupine
Echo And The Bunnymen
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
1989
Taylor Swift
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
The Slider
T. Rex
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
British Steel
Judas Priest
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Tommy
The Who
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
|
4 | 2.37 | +1.63 |
|
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
|
Blackstar
David Bowie
|
1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
|
1 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
|
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
|
1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
|
Me Against The World
2Pac
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 4 | 4.75 |
| T. Rex | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.25 |
| The Who | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kanye West | 3 | 1 |
| Morrissey | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Lou Reed | 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (38)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Prodigy · 4 likes
1/5
I turned this shit off after about 4 songs. It sucks and I hated it
Justin Timberlake · 3 likes
1/5
Yeah this wasn’t great. Justin feels like that frat boy that’s going to put something in your drink. It’s just the vibe he gave off this whole album. I can definitely hear the attempts to replicate Michael Jackson in this and unfortunately Justin just can’t pull that off.
Guns N' Roses · 1 likes
5/5
A banger debut album and one of my favourites. Got this on vinyl for Christmas and had it pumping! It has so many hits and bangers on it, an easy 5 star!
Marvin Gaye · 1 likes
4/5
Obviously I’d heard of this album and its title track before. I did not realise that I had never actually heard the title track the whole way through. Everyone knows that iconic intro but I didn’t know much else beyond that. Overall the album is as smooth as you’d expect from Marvin Gaye and was a wonderful listen.
Ravi Shankar · 1 likes
4/5
Thanks to George Harrison and Brian Jones, I’m a sucker for a sitar and Ravi Shankar is one of (if not the) greatest. I enjoyed his little bits of info before the songs and the playing of the instrument itself is so lovely to listen to!
1-Star Albums (41)
All Ratings
Tracy Chapman
4/5
This album is nice and sounds great. The themes it touches on are powerful. I went in having only heard Fast Car and it’s still a great song. Overall this album wasn’t for me but can I still say it’s a good album, just probably not one I’d listen to again.
N.W.A.
4/5
Some powerful statements in this album and a real insight into Compton. Another album that wasn’t for me as I’m not massively into rap but can understand it’s significance.
Billy Bragg
2/5
Got a couple of songs in and just wasn’t me for. Didn’t really like this one
Cream
4/5
Really enjoyed this one, was more my style. It was nice to explore a bit more of Cream having only previously heard Sunshine of Your Love
Metallica
2/5
I was excited to get a Metallica album. I’ve listened to Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning and quite enjoyed both. I did not enjoy this one. All the songs just felt unnecessarily long and I found myself checking to see how long the song had left. They really dragged this one out and it didn’t really hit for me.
Beck
3/5
Pretty solid album for me. Some nice songs but nothing really stood out to me. Overall it was fine
The Sabres Of Paradise
4/5
Surprisingly good, really grew on me as the album went on. I went in expecting something new and different and it was very much what I got! Definitely one to listen to with good headphones to get the true effect of the various sounds that play throughout.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Another experimental album. Was relatively enjoyable but sometimes felt like background noise cause I tuned it out a bit. Solid album though
Coldplay
3/5
Pretty solid album. Nothing too exceptional for me, Clocks is one of their biggest songs and it’s the highlight of the album for me
k.d. lang
4/5
A surprise to be sure but a welcome one. Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected, really enjoyed the vibe of this album, I really enjoy good classic country and this feels like a great example of that genre.
Miles Davis
4/5
A very nice, chill Jazz record. Feels perfect chucking on whilst you're working or having it in the background. Miles Davis is great and this is a solid album!
Michael Jackson
4/5
Love a bit of Michael Jackson. This has some absolute bangers on it but it’s probably not quite my favourite MJ album. Still a great listen though!
David Holmes
2/5
Didn’t think this one was anything special, got a bit bored halfway through so not the greatest album on this list
Various Artists
3/5
Solid Christmas album, loses a star for Phil Spector because I don’t like him
The Residents
3/5
Very different and interesting album. Some of the songs would’ve been right at home on a later Beatles album, really give a vibe of the Beatles at their most experimental or the Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. Interesting stuff!
The Smiths
3/5
Pretty nice sounding album, I do like The Smiths and their sound. Nothing really stood out to me, the title track is as preachy as you'd expect and grated me a bit.
Morrissey
2/5
It's fine, Morrissey sounds pretty good but the album itself doesn't feel all that special. Interesting that I got the Smiths and then Morrissey straight after. Whilst the Smiths album doesn't lose a star for containing Morrissey, his solo album will.
Orbital
2/5
Eh, pretty bland tbh. Another experimental noise album, another one that I tuned out of about halfway through. Nothing too impressive tbh
Johnny Cash
4/5
This was a fun one, I love a bit of Johnny Cash though most of my favourite songs by him weren't actually on this one except for Folsom Prison Blues. This was a really fun listen, I greatly enjoyed Johnny's banter with his unruly audience and the fun he was having. You could definitely tell this was live with his voice cracking and breaking at various points.
Nico
1/5
Yeah this one wasn’t it. Boring, uninteresting and Nico sounds awful. The backing music was okay but this is not an album anyone needs to hear before they die. In fact, if I had died before listening to this album, that would’ve actually been preferable.
Beastie Boys
3/5
The album grew on me as I went on. It initally felt a bit comical but after doing some research that was the roots of the Beastie Boys so that makes sense. Wasn't really for me this one tbh but I didn't think it was terrible.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Really nice sounding album, quite enjoyed this one. Nothing really stood out to me but it was a nice listen
The Who
5/5
I really liked this, only know a little about The Who which is mostly just their big hits including Pinball Wizard which is from this album. I'm a sucker for a good concept album and this album telling the life of Tommy was such a fun listen. Incredible album!
Air
4/5
Surprisingly good. A lot of the instrumental songs reminded me of Pink Floyd which was a big plus. Overall, quite enjoyed this one!
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Wow this album was incredibly good. I really liked Somebody to Love. The whole vibe of this album was great and I can see why it's in this list!
The Kinks
3/5
Wasn’t too bad, sounded pretty good. I like the Kinks but I felt there was nothing special about this album.
Lou Reed
2/5
I do enjoy a good concept album telling a story but just couldn't really get into this one. Just felt really dreary and nothing really stood out to me.
John Martyn
3/5
I think for me this album falls into the same category as a fair few albums on this list. It didn’t blow me away but I didn’t hate it. It was just fine.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
This felt very “I’m 14 and this is deep”.
The messages were strong but I couldn’t stand the delivery. This isn’t really my genre so didn’t really enjoy it.
The Who
5/5
And I thought Tommy was good. This was even better, wow! I’d never much of the Who outside the two big songs on this album (Baba O’Reilly and Won’t Get Fooled Again) but the rest of the album is so good! A truly great album!
The Young Gods
1/5
Nah this one wasn’t for me, could not wait for it to end. Genuinely one of the worst albums I’ve encountered so far.
The Byrds
4/5
Actually really enjoyed this. When I saw the album, I did get them confused with the Yardbirds but quickly realised they were a different band. This album sounded great and you can really their influence from the Beatles. Some of the guitar work would’ve fit right in on Beatles for Sale or Rubber Soul. Overall a very enjoyable album!
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This has been the best album I’ve been given so far. I actually went and listened to it again I enjoyed it so much. It has three of my favourite Led Zeppelin songs on it being Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker and Ramble On. Of my top 5 Led Zeppelin songs, those three are all there. The rest of the album was just as good and felt like it had little to no lulls! A great album!
3/5
I thought it was okay. Was a solid live album but didn’t think it was all that good. Should really be 2 stars but they were sounded like a solid live band and had some good Hendrix vibes which bought them up a Star
Jamiroquai
4/5
Actually quite enjoyed this. Really gave me vibes of George Michael, Scissor Sisters and Robbie Williams. There was another artist this reminded me of and it took a bit for me to get it. I had the song in my head and eventually it clicked. Canned Heat which I then discovered was by Jamiroquai so turns out I had heard them before. This album was fun and funky, solid 4 stars from me!
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Had Led Zeppelin II two days ago so wasn’t expecting Led Zeppelin III so soon. Led Zeppelin II blew me away but this one was a bit underwhelming. Immigrant Song is a banger way to start an album but it wasn’t quite as entertaining as Led Zeppelin II. It was still a solid album but probably because I had LZII so recently, it was hard to get that one out of my mind and I kept comparing it to that
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
This was a really solid album. Great vibe and it sounded great as well. I quite enjoyed thrasher, I love a good harmonica!
The Birthday Party
2/5
Immediately from the album cover I didn’t think I’d like it that much. Discovering it was Nick Cave gave me a bit more interest but overall not his best work. It sounds okay in parts but otherwise it’s just noise.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
I’ve never listened to Marilyn Manson before. It took me 1 and a half songs to discover I never wanted to again. I left the album there and will not come back to it.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Was excited for Stones album. My dad is a massive fan but I’ve always been more of a Beatles guy. This was a great album, didn’t blow me away like the 5 star albums I’ve had so far but thoroughly enjoyed it. The opening and closing tracks are really good. Overall, a great listen!
Alice In Chains
5/5
I’m a massive Nirvana fan so you’d think I’d have checked out the other grunge bands making waves in the 90s. I know a little bit of Pearl Jam and one Soundgarden song but never listened to AIC before. They sound great and I can’t believe I’ve never checked them out. They’re a great mix of Nirvana and Pearl Jam and I’m a new fan! This was a really great listen, some really interesting lyrics and some great grunge sound!
Wire
4/5
This was a really fun listen, sounded great. They gave me vibes of stuff like The Clash which might be a cliche to say but they’re in that vain. Great album!
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
A god to guitar fans around the world, it’s surprise that Jimi Hendrix is someone I don’t really listen to much. This album was a lot of fun, Jimi was great on it and that meant his guitar playing was brilliant. Great album!
George Harrison
5/5
This album was never going to get less than 5 stars from me. George Harrison is my favourite Beatle and this is my favourite solo Beatle album (first one on the list so far that I’ve listened to before!). I maintain that this is the best solo Beatle album as well. It has so many great songs like My Sweet Lord, All Things Must Pass, What Is Life and Behind That Locked Door. You can see how many ideas George had had during his time with the Fab Four and this album really shows how far he had come as both a musician and songwriter, he was getting too good to not be taken seriously by John and Paul. A phenomenal album and my favourite so far!
Aimee Mann
3/5
Some nice 90s rock in this album. It was nothing special though, like it was just fine. Don’t know if there’s any outside history that warrants its being in this list, because it just sounds like an average 90s rock album. Overall, it’s another smack bang in the middle album.
1/5
Yeah nah this sucks. It’s just noise for 40 odd minutes, half of it doesn’t even really sound like music. Feet Music was okay but it’s very difficult to get through all the songs before it. Everything else was pretty much utter crap.
Otis Redding
4/5
This was a great listen, it’s Otis Redding so it was a given before even going in. A lovely blues album this one, not much else to say really!
LTJ Bukem
2/5
I had to find this one on YouTube and some of the songs were muted so I didn’t get the full experience. I did like it more than I expected as some it would make decent ambient music and honestly some good headphones, lying in the dark on my bed with this album would probably be pretty solid. Still though, seeing as the album is over 2 hours long this only boosts it from 1 star to 2.
Talvin Singh
1/5
I like the eastern instruments used in the album but the rest of it sucked
Mariah Carey
2/5
Mariah as expected sounds great, she has a phenomenal voice but unfortunately most of this album is pretty bland. There’s nothing exceptional about it except her voice which is being wasted on these tracks that all sound the same.
Queen
3/5
Like probably a lot of people, I only really know the Queen hits and whilst there are a couple on this album (including their biggest one), I was a bit let down by this. It was fine, Bohemian Rhapsody, You’re My Best Friend and Love of My Life were all great but most of it was just mid.
Pixies
4/5
As a huge Nirvana fan, I know that Kurt was a big fan of the Pixies and they were influential on the band. This album was a lot of fun and it sounded great. Outside of track 2, which I didn’t really vibe with, I thoroughly every track on this album. Nothing was super special but as a whole it worked!
Sex Pistols
3/5
My dad loves this album so I was excited to see it pop up. I’ve never actually listened to it before and only know Anarchy in the UK. I gotta say, I was whelmed. It sounds good but it just didn’t blow me away
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
This was great fun. No idea what was being said but the tracks were bangers. Love a good bit of world music!
David Bowie
3/5
Try as I might, I’ve never really been able to get into Bowie. I like a handful of his songs but most of it just doesn’t appeal to me. Not to say this album is bad, Changes is great (though I think the cover for Shrek 2 that he appears on is better). Solid album but not for me
Everything But The Girl
5/5
Surprisingly good. Really enjoyed the vibe to this one and would happily listen to it again! Wrong is a great song!
Deep Purple
3/5
Yeah pretty solid rock album. Smoke on the Water is iconic but the rest of the album is mostly just solid but doesn’t really stand out.
Neil Young
4/5
With this being my second Neil Young album, I've come to the conclusion that he's a bit like Bob Dylan. Brilliant song writer but his voice can be kind of annoying. He sounds good on some songs but not so much on others. Overall, a good album that occassionally was let down by Neil's voice being a bit annoying
Baaba Maal
3/5
Album was better than expected but it did drag. Instrumental stuff was good but the singing gets a bit repetitive. Overall a fun new experience but probably not one I’ll listen to again.
Klaxons
3/5
Liked it more than I thought it would, it had me tapping my foot along as I listened. It is just another album where you go, what exactly is special enough about this album that it warrants a place on this list?
Arcade Fire
3/5
This sounded fine, it was nothing special to me. A pretty bang average album.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Yeah look I got two songs in and it just wasn’t hitting for me, really couldn’t around this
Ride
3/5
Better than I expected but just another not noteworthy album. It just felt like nothing special and honestly, just listen to the Cure or the Smiths instead of this because this is just a mix of the two and isn’t as good as either of those bands.
Love
3/5
This was nice, very chill hippy style music and I quite liked just tapping my foot along to it.
Beatles
5/5
I could listen to this a million times. This is my favourite Beatles album and has many of my favourite songs such as In My Life, If I Needed Someone, Michelle, Girl. Honestly I could name 90% of the album in that list. The album does have a couple of flaws, namely the track that ends the album. You could say it hasn’t aged well but it wasn’t good when it came out. This is still the easiest 5 stars for me.
Motörhead
3/5
I liked pretty much everything except for Lemmy, he sounded terrible. The rest of the band absolutely rocked though so that saved the album. Jailbait though, dunno about that one Lemmy, seems a bit dodgy mate
Adele
4/5
Pretty solid album. Adele has a phenomenal voice and it’s on full display here. Hello is a great song and a great start to the album. I think my biggest issue is it just gets kinda repetitive. Every song is some desperate goodbye to a lover or plea to get them back. This alone is fine but they’re all done in the same sad, ballad style. Still a good album though
Funkadelic
4/5
Didn’t really know what to expect with this one. I thought it’d be a funky, disco type thing, similar to say Earth, Wind and Fire or Kool and the Gang. I was not expecting the opening track to blow me away like it did, that was genuinely transcendental. Idk if I used that word right but it’s the closest word I think of for it. The album got a little worse as it went on but it was still very solid!
Beck
4/5
Surprisingly good. Bounced around genres and styles but overall a really solid album. I liked this one!
Portishead
2/5
It wasn’t too bad, I can’t really see the hype that the reviews seem to give it. Nothing special to me but maybe just because it’s not for me.
Napalm Death
1/5
Lasted about 5 songs in, this was not for me. I hate the vocal style and just couldn’t get into it.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
It’s always a joy to listen to Bob Marley, though I’m only really familiar with his hits. This was a nice album, I quite enjoyed it!
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I am starting to see why the reviews complain about how much Britpop is on this list. This is yet another Britpop album but honestly it falls into the same category as every other one so far; Meh. Enola/alone was pretty good, but everything else was just average, nothing really stood out.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Not what I expected tbh. Really solid album with some chill vibes, enjoyed it more than I thought. I don’t know a whole lot about the Pet Shop Boys and this wasn’t what I’d associate with them!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
Another album that just fine. As far as punk rock goes, it was a bit weak but the lead singer had a great voice. Just felt a bit lacklustre in parts.
Steve Earle
3/5
Pretty solid country rock, got me tapping my feet along as good country does. Wasn’t anything exceptional though, just another fine album in a growing list of albums that were just fine.
SAULT
3/5
This album has a powerful message and I think it gets that across reasonably well. It can be a bit meh at times, but I think I also have to keep in mind that the core focus of this album is black empowerment and the words of affirmation are not for me.
The Doors
4/5
This was a great album, The Doors just know how to make good music. Light My Fire is a phenomenal track but I do think some of the other tracks meander on too long.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
This was fun and something I’d have never listened to on my own. A surprising variety of genres across the album and an all round good listen!
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This album was okay. It’s a decent blues album in the vein of someone like Bob Dylan, even down to the sometimes hard to listen to voice!
Tangerine Dream
1/5
Felt like this had been going forever and I was only on song 2. As a big Pink Floyd fan, I’m no stranger to songs that go on for a long time but at least those songs have David Gilmour’s guitar to keep things interesting. This was just a lot nothing tbh.
3/5
This was pretty interesting, a little strange though. A fun listen overall!
Mudhoney
4/5
It’s always interesting to listen to an artist that influenced an artist you love. As a big Nirvana fan, I can hear so much of where their sound came from in Mudhoney, especially given Kurt listed this as one of his favourite albums. It was a really good listen and I may have to check out more of Mudhoney!
Turbonegro
3/5
I liked it more than I expected. Everything but the vocals sounded great. Just couldn’t really get into it because of that but at least it was better than I thought it would be!
Ramones
4/5
This album was a blast the whole way through. Practically nonstop punk rock for half an hour straight! Blitzkrieg Bop is iconic and a great start to this album and it just keeps that energy going. I can agree that the songs kind of blend together but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. For a debut album this is pretty good!
Miles Davis
3/5
This was a really lovely jazz album. It was a bit too much of background music and I did kinda tune it out a little over time. Great for study/working to though!
Elton John
5/5
I only really know Elton’s hits and tbh most of the ones I knew were on this album. It was an incredible journey from start to finish and I had a blast. It’s clear why Elton John is considered one of the greats and this album is him at his best
M.I.A.
1/5
I got 2.5 songs in and I just couldn’t do it. This album isn’t for me. Maybe it has some cultural significance or something because I just doesn’t feel like it should be on this list.
Beastie Boys
1/5
I tried. I really did, got to Sabrosa and I couldn’t do it anymore. The Beastie Boys just aren’t for me and I couldn’t listen to them anymore. I’m sure this album is good to some people but not to me.
Santana
4/5
Not much else to say except Santana rocks. I love the style of Carlos Santana and this album was great
Green Day
5/5
I’ve recently gotten really into Green Day so a couple of months ago I listened to this in its entirety for the first time. I didn’t get the hype, the mega hits from it were good but the rest of the album felt kinda meh. I felt Dookie and (perhaps controversially, idk) 21st Century Breakdown were better.
Flash forward to Saturday, March 1 2025. I saw Green Day live for the first time ever for their Saviours tour. The set list for this show had both Dookie and American Idiot being played in their entirety for the 30th and 20th anniversaries of each album respectively. I was blown away and suddenly, I got it. Hearing this album, live and in full, changed my perspective.
This album fucking rocks and I suddenly found myself enjoying some of the lesser known tracks (I still think Jesus of Suburbia is a bit overrated and too long). Suddenly Whatsername was part of my regular rotation, Homecoming hit different. This album was a 3/5 when I listened to it for the first time a few months ago. Now? It’s a solid 5/5, I fucking love this album. I still think Dookie is better but I view this album much more favourably than I did before!
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
this was nice. Did blend together a bit and got stuck a little cause it sometimes sounds like background music. Overall though, I enjoyed this!
Black Sabbath
4/5
I don’t really listen to a whole lot of Black Sabbath. I only really know the couple of big hits that came from Paranoid. This was great, definitely need to check out more of them!
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
This is not usually my kind of music but I really enjoyed this. This is the type of hip-hop/rap kinda stuff I prefer. I really like the vibes of the 80s/90s hip hop over the more modern rap we have now and this is a great example of it. Fun samples (always a pleasure to hear the Beatles, even if it was about 5 seconds as an intro) and great delivery. Fun album!
Genesis
3/5
This was fine. It was a bit long and I kinda tuned it out after a while. Bits and pieces of it were good and the rest just felt forgettable.
The White Stripes
3/5
This wasn’t too bad. I went in with high expectations and I didn’t feel they were all met. Seven Nation Army is a banger and a 5 star song but the rest of the album just didn’t really hit for me. In The Cold, Cold Night was a wonderful surprise and it had me wishing Meg sang on more songs cause her voice is beautiful. Overall a solid rock album but not as good as I thought it’d be.
The Monks
2/5
I had to find this one on YouTube as it didn’t seem to be on Spotify anymore. Safe to say, wasn’t really a fan. Some parts of it sounded okay but to me, it was mostly just noise
Justin Timberlake
1/5
Yeah this wasn’t great. Justin feels like that frat boy that’s going to put something in your drink. It’s just the vibe he gave off this whole album. I can definitely hear the attempts to replicate Michael Jackson in this and unfortunately Justin just can’t pull that off.
k.d. lang
4/5
This was quite nice, found it be just a real lovely and easy listen. Save Me was a great song and is one that I've actually gone and added to my playlist. Overall, another great country, blues album from k.d. lang!
Johnny Cash
5/5
Wow. Just wow. I’d heard a couple of Johnny’s covers from this album before being The Man Comes Around and Hurt and I enjoyed both of them. The rest of this album is just as good, you can feel the weight of Johnny’s life being poured through his voice. This a man who knows he’s near the end and he’s reflecting on everything he’s lived through, the mistakes he has made and everything in between. It’s both solemn and beautiful, plus as a massive Beatles fan I could listen his cover of In My Life forever. He does a such a good job with it!
The Smiths
3/5
Like the other Smiths albums I’ve had so far, this is fine. The Smiths sound great, their songs are pretty solid but they all have on glaring issue. He has a solid and unique voice and The Smiths wouldn’t be the same without him. If you haven’t figured out the problem is Morrissey. He’s such a dickhead and he drags this album down to a 3 just because he is on this album. It’s a shame because I do like The Smiths but Morrissey just makes that so difficult.
Carole King
3/5
This was a nice little toe tapper but most of it wasn’t super memorable. I Feel the Earth Move is a great song though, really enjoyed that one!
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Having already had both Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin III, it’s about time I got their debut album! This was really solid, wasn’t quite as good LZII but I liked it more than LZIII. Led Zeppelin are a great band and so far none of thee albums they have on this list have been bad
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
This was different-ish. It was another alt British album that just don’t really do much for me. Just very boring tbh
New Order
3/5
I like a bit of New Order, Blue Monday is a great song but unfortunately it’s not on this album. Elegia is though and it’s great. Overall it’s a pretty unique album and quite a lovely listen.
The Prodigy
3/5
I liked this more than expected. Had some really solid beats. Voodoo People’s riff being inspired by Very Ape was quite cool. Solid album!
5/5
Probably Oasis’ best album and full of great songs. Some smash hits and a couple of hidden gems too. I really enjoyed this one. Their love of the Beatles shows in some of their lyrics is such a treat!
Arcade Fire
3/5
I think this was better than the other Arcade Fire album I had but this one also didn’t much for me. Just didn’t feel like anything special, I did quite enjoy Wasted Hours though, that was a fun bop.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
This was a strange one but weirdly enjoyable. I’d certainly listen to it again!
Guns N' Roses
5/5
A banger debut album and one of my favourites. Got this on vinyl for Christmas and had it pumping! It has so many hits and bangers on it, an easy 5 star!
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
This grew on me as I listened but most of it wasn’t great. Take A Little Time was quite nice, had a bit of an 80s vibe about it. Unfortunately this album wasn’t much more than repetitive beats. Not sure why it’s here tbh.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
This was brilliant. Springsteen at his best with quite a few hits. This is a stone-cold classic and deserves it's place on this list!
The Cardigans
4/5
This was such a surprise. Going in, I’d never heard of the album or the artist though I later found out that Lovefool was a song I’d heard before but didn’t know the name of nor the artist! This was so much fun and I will definitely listen to it again. The cover of Iron Man was a surprise but I really liked their spin on it!
Paul Simon
3/5
I'd heard so many great things about this album so went in expecting to be blown away. It was just fine. You Can Call Me Al is such a bop and is definitely my favourite from the album. Overall, it just didn't really do much for me.
Carpenters
4/5
This was a lovely album. Karen Carpenter sounds amazing and the cover of Help! was really good. This album contains their iconic hit (They Long To Be) Close To You and it’s just a beautiful song! Great album!
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
This album was fantastic. I’d already listened to half of it before because half this album are some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits but even the stuff that don’t make the greatest hits collection are still great. Truely one of the greatest albums of all time!
David Bowie
2/5
I think Bowie was a great artist but after listening to a few of his albums, I just don’t think Bowie is for me. I like a couple of his song but I just can’t get into the rest. This album was pretty average tbh and I wasn’t the biggest fan.
The Streets
1/5
I could’ve gone the rest of my life without listening to this album and I wouldn’t be missing out on anything. No idea why this is on the list, it’s shit.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
This wasn’t great. There was some nice guitar work in the there but the vocals didn’t work at all.
CHIC
3/5
This was good fun. Idk if it’s a theme for disco but it’s only downside was the songs went on too long. They were pretty funky though!
Stan Getz
3/5
It was nice. A little bit too background music but it would be right home if you were chilling in a jazz lounge or something. Nice to listen to but it all kinda blended together
Shack
2/5
This was just another bang average Britpop album and it doesn’t really deserve a place on the list. It’s just nothing really, it’s so bland.
The Cramps
3/5
I’d heard Teenage Werewolf before as it was in the soundtrack to Stranger Things (don’t remember which season) so I expected this album to be two things. Weird and raw. It was. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
This should be right up my alley. Maybe it’s because I’m a bit sick, I’m a bit tired but I just couldn’t get into this. I don’t really care for a live album full of songs I’ve never heard (except for The Boys Are Back In Town). Thin Lizzy just didn’t really appeal to me I guess.
The Pharcyde
2/5
This had some good beats and pretty good vocals/rapping. It was super goofy too but by the end I was getting kinda sick of it.
1/5
When I started this journey, I wanted to make it a point to listen to the whole album. Unfortunately, every now and then, I get an album that I just can’t do that with. This was one of them. I never cared for Limp Bizkit and having now listened to the first three songs on this album, I realised I fucking hate them.
Depeche Mode
4/5
This was really solid. I know a little of Depeche Mode and this certainly was what I was expecting it to be. Moody, synthy and just plain good!
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
This was an interesting listen. Pretty funky with some nice beats and the vocals were great! Got a little preachy for me at times but I enjoyed the overall message of the record
Simply Red
2/5
This is another bang average album that I really didn’t need to hear before I died. My life is unchanged from hearing this album, I’m not sure why it’s here tbh.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Smashing Pumpkins is another 90s alt/grunge band I really should have listened to prior to this. This was really solid stuff, I love the guitar throughout most of this album and Billy Corgan sounds great! I’ll also forever like the Smashing Pumpkins for the Simpsons moment where Homer meets Billy Corgan.
“Hi Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins.”
“Homer Simpson, smiling politely.”
Peter Gabriel
3/5
This was quite nice but it did get a little boring. Kate Bush appearing was a nice little surprise and I enjoyed her contribution, overall a nice album
Tim Buckley
3/5
This was a nice little album but it didn’t feel that revolutionary. Got a bit bored with it but I didn’t hate it
Waylon Jennings
3/5
This a nice little country album. Sounded great but wasn’t really interesting to me. Like it didn’t feel all that special but I still liked it!
Tori Amos
4/5
This was a beautiful album. Tori has a lovely voice and the instrumental elements are all amazing, especially her piano work. Favourite was definitely Crucify!
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Wow. That was hauntingly beautiful. In a similar vein to Johnny Cash’s American IV, this a dying legend reflecting. It’s beautiful and Cohen’s rough voice sounds perfect.
The Dictators
3/5
Decent album. Solid instrument work, guitars were great! The album is silly and juvenile but it’s fun in its own way. My last album was You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen and it’s certainly a trip going from that to this!
Yes
3/5
I like a bit of Yes but they aren’t really my favourites. This is a decent album but sometimes it drags. The songs go on for a while and they just aren’t interesting enough to do so
The Police
3/5
I expected more from this album. It was weird and different but it wasn’t the banger I expected. Every Breath You Take is a great song and its popularity (though often misguided) is warranted but this album was just very underwhelming.
Richard Hawley
4/5
I liked this a lot more than I expected. It was a nice mix of Sinatra and a bit of Johnny Cash. I liked his voice and thought it all came together nicely. Maybe it’s just because I’m a fan of those old times crooners that this is trying to emulate but I quite enjoyed it!
The Roots
2/5
This was not for me at all. I’m really not that into rap and this just did nothing for me. All I wanted was for it to end. Find it kinda wild that these guys are now the house band for the one of the whitest guys alive in Jimmy Fallon.
Paul McCartney
4/5
I love the Beatles, they’re quite possibly my favourite band. I enjoy Paul McCartney but I think (like most people) I prefer his contributions with the Fab Four rather than solo. I like some of his songs (and this album has my favourite in Junk) but his solo career doesn’t always do a lot for me. Having said all that, I do like this album. It’s simple and almost stripped back in parts, it’s Paul and no one else. This idea I think works in parts but sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes Paul could’ve benefited from outside help. Overall a solid album from one of the all time greats.
Foo Fighters
4/5
As a big Nirvana fan, I’ve tried to get into the Foo Fighters. Obviously they both make different types of rock music but I like Dave Grohl. Something about the Foo Fighters has just never clicked with me so I was surprised to find myself enjoying this album. Although this album is mostly Grohl, it has a raw almost grunginess to it that I find a lot of later Foo Fighters albums lack and that made this a lot more enjoyable!
Gang Starr
3/5
Hip-Hop and rap just aren’t really my type of my music. Having said that, I didn’t hate this album, I found the beats to be good even if I didn’t care much for most of the rapping. Better than expected!
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
I was excited for this album, I like a few ELO songs and I think they sound great. Maybe I’d built it up too much but it didn’t hit the way I’d hoped. The album sounded great and everything was well done but the songs on it just didn’t feel special. Mr Blue Sky is a banger though, I love that song!
The Killers
2/5
I’m gonna preface this review with the fact that I do not care for The Killers. I’d go as far as to say that Mr Brightside is probably my most hated song, I’m so sick of hearing it. With that out of the way, I didn’t mind this album. I didn’t hate it like I thought it would and tbh, Somebody Told Me is a banger. I saw a review on here saying that the second half of the album is filler and it certainly felt that way.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I was excited for this. I like a bit of Bob Dylan but ultimately it wasn’t great. Like A Rolling Stone is a great start to the album but I felt it got weaker as it went on. I’m not someone who hates Bob’s voice and I still quite enjoyed it on this album, the folksiness of it and the of course his harmonica are all great. I just felt that it didn’t come together as good as I wanted it to.
The Go-Go's
4/5
This was a surprising bop. Good fun old fashioned 80s girl pop and I loved it! Our lips are sealed was so much fun and the album just kept that vibe the whole way through!
T. Rex
5/5
Holy crap this album rocked! I didn’t know what to expect going in, I’d heard of T. Rex and knew I’d definitely heard a song from them before (It was Get It One) so I dove in. Wow, this album was just a jam from start to finish. Bit Bowie like but I honestly it’s better!
Sigur Rós
4/5
This was unexpectedly good. I really enjoyed the soft, ambientness of it though I couldn’t understand a word of what was being said. I felt it though, the emotion was evident despite the language barrier. My only real issue is does a drag on just a fraction too long.
Madonna
2/5
Pretty standard pop album. Some of the songs were catchy, others sucked. I feel like it liked more than the others on here but it wasn’t anything special.
Talking Heads
4/5
Pretty good, as I expected it to be! Once In A Lifetime is such a banger and overall the album is really solid.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This was lovely. I’ve not listened to much Stevie Wonder but Smile Please set the tone for this album perfectly!
The Zombies
4/5
Surprisingly good. Really nice 60s vibes and I quite liked it. It has flavours of the post Revolver Beatles and was just all round fun!
Ice T
2/5
This okay. Not the biggest fan of gangsta rap so it wasn’t really for me
The Undertones
2/5
Solid punk album. Good strong driving riffs and drumming, just wasn’t overly interesting. Short and sharp which was a plus because I was already waiting for it to be over halfway through
Alanis Morissette
3/5
I was expecting a bit more of this as I’d heard a lot of good things about it. It was good but outside of some of the hits, it was a little underwhelming. Solid 90s album though.
The Beach Boys
3/5
This is a nice album and it deserves its place in history. Inspired by Revolver, Brian Wilson created this which then in turn inspired Sgt Peppers so it’s an icon of rock history. It’s just not as good as the album it was inspired by nor the album it inspired. The highs of this album are great and the Beach Boys always harmonise well but I’m just always underwhelmed by this album.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1/5
Yeah look I got maybe 30 minutes in and I couldn’t do anymore. The instrumental aspects were nice but the vocals didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t do another hour and a half of this.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I knew this was a banger when it popped up. Paranoid, Iron Man, War Pigs are all bangers and the rest of the album keeps that hype.
2Pac
1/5
Gangsta rap is just not for me. I don’t care about it and I don’t connect with it. 2pac spends most of the album bitching and moaning. The song about his mother was nice though
The Specials
2/5
Didn’t think there was anything too special about The Specials. Pretty average tbh
Michael Jackson
3/5
I used to love Michael Jackson, he was one of my favourite artists growing up and I was devastated when he died as I was only about 8. I didn’t know anything about his allegations but I did as I got older and as a result, his music played less in my rotations.
Having said that, I still love his music so I was expecting to thoroughly enjoy this album. I liked it but as the album went on, there’s a reason the hits are popular and the rest isn’t. Most of it is kinda mid but it also has some of my favourite MJ songs on it being The Way You Make Me Feel and I Just Can’t Stop Loving You. So a mixed bag really.
Queen
3/5
I’m not the biggest Queen fan, I like their hits but never really got into anything deeper than that. This album doesn’t really have any of their hits on but I’d heard good things. It was good. Queen are a very good band and it showed in this. I’m not a technical music guy so most of my reviews are did I like it and not really about the specifics of why. Basically, I liked it
The Auteurs
2/5
Eh. Nothing special, don’t know if deserves to be here.
John Cale
3/5
This was nice but nothing amazing. Fun fact, the version of Hallelujah from Shrek is John Cale but the album version is not the John Cale. The cover isn’t on this album but I just thought it was fun to point out.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
This was surprisingly nice, fairly chill stuff.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
This is the kind of hip hop I enjoy. I like that bouncier, fun hip hop. Gangsta rap, it turns out, is what I thoroughly dislike and this isn’t gangsta rap. It’s good!
Queen
4/5
This album has possibly my favourite Queen song in Killer Queen and the rest of the album is solid too. Queen are an iconic band for a reason, and whilst this probably isn’t their best album, it’s still good.
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
Wow. Just wow. I love Indian music, not the Bollywood type stuff but this classical stuff. Thanks to George Harrison, I’ve listened to a bit of Ravi Shankar and this guy is just as pleasant to listen to. Indian instruments are so beautiful and sound so incredible, I basically had this on repeat for about 3 hours!
David Bowie
3/5
I’ve said it before on this list and I’ll say it again, outside of a couple of songs, Bowie isn’t really for me. I’ve tried to like his stuff but I just can’t get into it. That being said, I liked this more than the other stuff I’ve had but it’s fine. His cover of Across the Universe was interesting but I don’t think it competes with The Beatles original.
Lou Reed
5/5
This was lovely. I really enjoyed the whole vibe of the album and it did contain the one Lou Reed song I know which is Walk on the Wild Side. Overall beautifully crafted album!
Ryan Adams
1/5
I listened to about 30 minutes of this album. Like it was fine but I was getting bored. I could not believe my shock when I discovered there was still like an hour left. I stopped there. Also reading the reviews and his potential allegations put me off wanting to finish this one
3/5
I like bits and pieces of U2. I think can say the same for this album, the hits are good but I didn’t care much for the rest of it.
Elbow
3/5
Not too bad actually, liked it more than I expected. Is my life forever changed after listening? No but there are worse albums on here.
Bobby Womack
4/5
This was great. Expected it be funky, have a bit of soul and good vibes. Delivered on all fronts.
Supertramp
4/5
This was actually quite good. I’ve listened to very little supertramp but I quite enjoyed this. Very Pink Floyd which wasn’t what I was expecting
Radiohead
4/5
Yeah I can really see why depressed people listen to Radiohead. This album made me feel sad but I liked it
Beatles
5/5
It’s always a joy on this website when you get an album you know you’ll love. I fucking love this album. It’s the best of the Beatlemania era and probably my 3rd favourite Beatles album (behind Rubber Soul and Abbey Road). Every track slaps, there’s no skips here for me. So many classics on here from the title track to Can’t Buy Me Love, If I Fell and And I Love Her to name a few! Also watch the movie, it’s actually quite fun!
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
I didn’t mind this at first. Listening to it early morning at work after a long weekend, it was the chill kinda vibe I needed. Then it just kept going and I realised it went for over an hour. It’s not that good, very much just background music. The name feels so misleading but maybe it’s good if you’re high? Idk.
Rush
3/5
This was cool. I’d never really listened to Rush before so it was cool giving them a listen. Some really cool stuff but sometimes it felt like it dragged a bit.
Frank Zappa
4/5
I’ve never listened to much Frank Zappa but I knew this album would be pretty out there. It was a strange mix of different genres but I didn’t mind it.
I gotta stop doing these reviews days after listening because I forget half the album… anyway this was good!
Faith No More
2/5
Apparently these guys are kinda the godfathers of Numetal? I can certainly hear that and I hate it. Numetal is not for me and these guys didn’t do much for me. Woodpecker from Mars was good though and I didn’t mind the cover of War Pigs. Didn’t really care for the rest though.
Brian Wilson
4/5
It’s apt that I got this on the day Brian Wilson died. I assume that it was by design, though maybe because I’d already had Pet Sounds? Who knows. Either way, this review will probably a little biased in light of his passing. I’d never heard this one before but I knew a little about the story of Smile, the Beach Boys album that never was. This was a lovely listen and I particularly enjoying the new version of Good Vibrations. The original is one of my favourite songs and this rework was just as beautiful. Rest in Peace Brian and thanks for all the Good Vibrations, God Only Knows how much we’ll miss you.
Nirvana
5/5
Nirvana was my first favourite band. I was 14 when I first really got into them and I bought all their albums on CD, including the live ones and the best of the box. I struggle to pick between Nevermind and this as my favourite Nirvana album though I usually lean towards Nevermind.
I still love this album though. It’s rawer and more emotional. If you don’t like Nirvana you will certainly struggle with some of these tracks, it even took me a bit to get into Scentless Apprentice and even still I’m not its biggest fan. One of the easiest 5 stars for me and even though he died before I was born, I still miss Kurt.
System Of A Down
3/5
Liked this more than expected but it was a lot of just loud noise at point. Still, listened to worse on this list
Supergrass
3/5
Despite this being another British band on this list, I actually didn’t hate this one. It does have British comedy theme vibes (like this gives me vibes of Peep Show or the Inbetweeners). I like that though, the opening song was solid and so was the rest of the album!
3/5
This was pretty nice. PJ Harvey is someone I’ve heard of but never really listened to. She has a great voice and this is album is pretty good
Hot Chip
3/5
This was pretty average. I really liked I Have Always Been Your Love but didn’t care much for the rest of it
ZZ Top
4/5
This was very solid. There was a dirtiness to this record, raw and almost grungy. La Grange is a timeless banger and the rest of the album doesn’t quite reach that high but it’s still solid
Joni Mitchell
4/5
This was a nice listen. Joni has a great voice and I found myself really vibing to this. Will happily listen to this again!
Iggy Pop
3/5
A solid thundering album that doesn’t really relent. The title track was quite solid and the Passenger is a good song. I could take or leave the rest though the I enjoyed Bowie influence
The Cure
4/5
I’m a simple man. I like The Cure and I like this. It didn’t have any of Cure songs I’m familiar with but I still over it. They’re such a great band and this album is no exception!
Beatles
5/5
I love The Beatles and Revolver is in my top 5. This era of The Beatles is probably my favourite and it really shows their transformation from poppy rock boy band to the experimental geniuses they would become. Some of the stuff on here is insanely revolutionary for its time and it’s all so good.
King Crimson
5/5
This is an album I have heard before and I thought it was alright. This time, listening to it again, I really enjoyed it! It’s loud, chaotic but at times it’s also beautiful. It’s just such a fascinating album and deserves its place in history!
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
It started off a bit more disco than I expected but I enjoyed the slice of samba and Latin music this gave. Will I listen to it again? Probably not.
4/5
Only really know this artist through Low Rider (probably like many). I actually liked this one. I don’t know why I expected gangsta rap, this is too early for that but it ended up being kinda funky. Solid stuff
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I thought I was going to hate this album but I was pleasantly surprised. There were elements of New Order, Talking Heads and other bands in this and it was a pleasant surprise. It drags a bit though. Is my life forever changed by listening to this? No. Did I hate it? Nah
Dolly Parton
3/5
Whilst I probably didn’t care for most of the songs on this album, I adore Dolly’s voice. It’s so unique and amazing to listen to. I don’t care what she’s singing, I’ll listen to it. As for the actual album, it’s mostly kinda meh country but it gets 3 stars because I could listen to Dolly sing mediocre country songs all day
Nina Simone
3/5
Nina Simone’s voice is great in this and backing instrumentals are all lovely. I don’t know but I just didn’t click with it. I think objectively it’s a really good album but subjectively, it was okay you know?
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
This was generally just noise tbh. Don’t physically hurt my ears.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
This album sounded fine but god I was just so bored. Not really into Neil Young and every album from him I’ve had from this listen hasn’t really done much for me.
Ghostface Killah
2/5
I went in expecting to hate this because I assumed it was more gangsta rap. It was and it certainly wasn’t for me, but I could recognise the quality of it. I didn’t care for the skits throughout it and it went for too long but I didn’t hate it.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
I had a feeling that an album by a band named “Butthole Surfers” would be weird and I was right. Did I enjoy that weirdness? More than I thought but I probably wouldn’t listen to it again.
Mudhoney
3/5
This was solid. Very Nirvana-esque and I’m pretty sure Kurt was a big fan. Overall I enjoyed it but idk if I’d listen to it again
Meat Loaf
3/5
Yeah this was very solid. Had a couple of songs I was familiar with but it did feel like it dragged a little. Beautifully put together though!
Massive Attack
3/5
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but was pleasantly surprised. Whenever they had Tracey Thorn on vocals I enjoyed it but rest was mid at best. I was excited for the cover of Light My Fire but holy shit that sounded so bad. I would’ve cut that from the album.
Beyoncé
1/5
This was just pretty bland pop tbh. Nothing special and I got very bored before I even finished disc 1. So I didn’t finish the album because I just didn’t want to listen to an hour and a half of Beyoncé
The Stooges
3/5
Pretty solid album, nothing I hated. Only know one song from The Stooges and it’s not on this album so. Overall, it was pretty good
ABBA
4/5
I’m not one of those people that adore ABBA. I can appreciate them but I do sometimes find them overplayed. That being said, I still enjoyed this album. The hits are all bangers and Knowing Me, Knowing You is probably my favourite ABBA song so yeah, quality album.
PJ Harvey
4/5
This was very solid. Angst and amazingly feminist. You could feel every emotion she put into each song. A great album!
Crowded House
4/5
I grew up on Aussie pub rock thanks to my dad. Crowded House aren’t quite Aussie pub rock I grew up with, I was more The Angels, Australian Crawl, Cold Chisel, Hoodoo Gurus, etc but I know a little bit of them. This was great, turns out I did recognise Weather With You which is a lovely song. This album was right up my alley and I loved it!
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Aretha Franklin is one the best vocalists to ever do it and this record just shows that. She sounds spectacular throughout and it’s just a beautiful listen!
Tom Waits
3/5
I haven’t really listened to Tom Waits outside of A Little Drop Of Poison which is in Shrek 2. His voice is certainly unique and musically it all sounds great, I think I just sick of his voice a while.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This was pretty interesting. It’s Nick Cave so you have a decent idea of what it’s going to be going in. It’s long but other than that I liked it
The Pogues
3/5
I didn’t know what to expect with this one. I ended up quite liking it. It’s full on Irish folk with punk elements. Felt like I was in a tavern during the golden age of piracy or something like that. It’s quite fun but gets grating toward the end
Roxy Music
3/5
Better than expected, not sure what I expected though. The album cover is hot as fuck though, let’s not kid ourselves.
Manu Chao
3/5
Not too bad actually. I do like a bit of Latin music and this is pretty good. Weirdly gave me Breaking Bad vibes with like the Heisenberg song that was in the show. Overall pretty fun and I liked it
Fela Kuti
3/5
This was actually kinda fun. No idea who these guys were but the tempo was upbeat and it got me tapping along. Will I listen again though? Probably not.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Cool jazzy album, did greatly enjoy the vibe and it was quite fun!
Björk
4/5
This was really, really good. It’s fascinating how tortured Björk sounds at points on this album. Stonemilker was probably my favourite and it opens the album so strongly. Loved this one!
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
This was alright, did feel like it went on forever at times but the fact that half(?) this album is live is pretty fun. Nothing special though
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Not familiar with a lot of Creedence outside of their big hits but this had their classic sound and was pretty solid.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I’d heard many good things about this album but had never listened to it. They were all true, this album is great!
Black Sabbath
4/5
Another sad generation today. Like when Brian Wilson passed and I got smile, the world just lost Ozzy Osbourne so I get Black Sabbath’s eponymous album. This is likely because I’ve already their biggest album in Paranoid though. I’ll start off by saying I liked Paranoid more but this still goes hard. Often considered the birth of heavy metal, this album must have been insane when it first dropped. Heavy and strange, this is a great album!
Q-Tip
3/5
Surprisingly good, given it’s not my major area of interest. Solid album but I probably won’t listen to it again.
Al Green
4/5
Good and funky, had some fun with this one!
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
This was okay, probably won’t listen to it again but it was interesting
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
This was an interesting fusion of sounds. Some eastern, middle eastern and French vibes. Went for too long but I liked most of it
Led Zeppelin
5/5
If I thought Led Zeppelin II was good (it is) then I was not surprised that this was just as good. With iconic songs like Black Dog and Stairway to Heaven (yes, it is not denied when listening to this album), this one is a sure fire classic. A 5 if ever there was one.
Aerosmith
3/5
I don’t mind a bit of Aerosmith but I didn’t recognise anything from this one. I don’t think it’s their best tbh
David Bowie
3/5
Yeah I don’t know, Bowie’s music still just isn’t for me. I’ve never really been able to get into it and this album isn’t really an exception. He sounds great though, vocally he’s superb and the instrumentation is really good too, I just didn’t care for it.
Brian Eno
3/5
I didn’t hate it. It was weird in parts and a little bit like Bowie on steroids. It was fun and the opening track was really enjoyable. Sometimes got too weird for my tastes but often found its way back too.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
This was lovely. I love this style of 60s music, it’s just so nice to listen to. California Dreamin’ is such a great song and is up there in my top 25 I’d say. Overall, a really solid album!
Doves
3/5
More generic British alt rock from the late 90s/early 2000s. I don’t understand this lists obsession with the most mid British bands, like do I really need to listen to this before I die?
Having said that, this is one of the better ones I’ve had but it was still nothing special. Reminiscent of early Coldplay, specifically reminding me of Yellow, it’s not terrible but it’s not amazing.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
This was a lot of fun. Going in I knew of Harry Nilsson but the only song I knew was his cover of Without You (which I only just learned was a cover). Anyway, he’s a great musician and this album is very good
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Obviously I’d heard of this album and its title track before. I did not realise that I had never actually heard the title track the whole way through. Everyone knows that iconic intro but I didn’t know much else beyond that. Overall the album is as smooth as you’d expect from Marvin Gaye and was a wonderful listen.
The Fall
1/5
I spent most of this album waiting for the singer to shut the fuck up.
Moby Grape
3/5
This is one of my favourite era vibe albums. Like it’s a solid 60s album but I don’t think was anything special which is probably why it’s more lost to time unlike the other albums of the era. Idk, it was fine
The Specials
2/5
Better than the first The Specials album I got from this. Nothing I’d listen to again and still don’t really think The Specials are anything special
Elvis Costello
3/5
This was fairly solid. I’m not super familiar with Elvis Costello but I did enjoy this. It dragged a little but it was an enjoyable listen
The Rolling Stones
3/5
For a debut album this is pretty solid, you can tell the Stones have potential however it’s entirely covers and that brings it down. The Stones have better albums but to see their start is still interesting.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
I don’t really know what I thought of this album. It was very 2000s indie Brit alt rock which was fine. Idk, nothing special I guess
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
This feels like a “You just had to be there” live album. I’m sure if you were in the audience (and maybe partaking in the substances of the time) this would’ve been mind blowing. Just listening to this in an office many years later just doesn’t hit and they noodle on for too long.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
Thanks to George Harrison and Brian Jones, I’m a sucker for a sitar and Ravi Shankar is one of (if not the) greatest. I enjoyed his little bits of info before the songs and the playing of the instrument itself is so lovely to listen to!
The Chemical Brothers
1/5
I’m not usually the biggest fan of “robot music” and this was no exception. It wasn’t good robot music like Daft Punk, it sounded more like the shitty techno beats I made using loops in year 8. I think my one song was better than this whole album (I am definitely biased).
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
I went in expecting some real Latin style music with maybe beach vibes. It wasn’t really that. It was more just jazzy stuff which wasn’t terrible but it was pretty generic.
The White Stripes
3/5
I liked this one more than Elephant but it didn’t feel all that special. Meg White really is everything to this duo, she’s so good. I prefer In The Cold, Cold Night as her song but I was glad to see she got a little bit of vocals on this too.
Talk Talk
3/5
This wasn’t op bad. Not sure what I expected but it had a nice vibe to it!
The Cure
5/5
Robert Smith will always love you and I will always love this album, especially lovesong. The Cure feel so criminally underrated yet are consistent so good. This is certainly one of their best albums and it contains my second favourite Cure song in Lovesong. Perfect for me!
Metallica
4/5
I’ve had one Metallica album so far and that was And Justice For All. Was not a fan of that one. This one though, a straight banger. It might help that I have listened to it before but its title track is so good. Overall, loved this one
Rod Stewart
2/5
Didn’t care much for this. Like it was fine but nothing special
UB40
3/5
This was a reasonably enjoyable listen. I enjoyed the reggae, Casanova vibes of the tracks but it gets very repetitive and drags on. If this was like 30-40 minutes instead of over an hour, would’ve been great!
Beth Orton
3/5
She sounded fine and the album itself was fine. Reminded me a lot of stuff like Alanis Morissette and stuff like that. Just got a bit boring towards the end.
Common
3/5
This album isn’t for me and I’m certainly not the target audience. Having said that, it grew on me as it went along. I really liked It’s Your World and its message.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
This was okay. RHCP are decent enough band but I’ve never really thought they made great albums. They have some good hits but I don’t think they have enough depth to fill an album with truly great songs.
It’s very true for this because this album is way too long and full of stuff that just isn’t that great. It’s carried heavily by its instrumentation (I adore Frusciante’s playing and Flea is one of the funkiest bass players around), Keidis just isn’t that great. Under the Bridge is a great song and probably put this album higher than it should be.
Bee Gees
2/5
I expected a poppy, disco album given that’s where the Bee Gees hits lie. I couldn’t have been more wrong and I’m not sure I liked what I discovered. It was okay but it went forever. Some of the instrumentation was good and the Bee Gees are great vocalists with great harmonies but this just wasn’t their best stuff.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This was an experience but one I would’ve enjoyed more in the context of its release. It’s still great and Jimi is just such a phenomenal guitar player but it was maybe a fraction too long for me
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This was pretty cool. I only know Nocturnal Me by these guys (though it’s not on this record). That song seems to be a pretty good depiction of what the band is like and I enjoyed it.
Elastica
3/5
This was actually pretty cool. Nothing super special but I enjoyed it. Solid alt-rock album and I’m a sucker for female vocals. Guitar work in this was great too, it just got a bit generic too be on here
Julian Cope
1/5
I didn’t even make it through disc 1. This goes for 2 and a half hours and it just isn’t interesting enough to justify that length. Some decent little bits here and there and I’m sure there are more as it goes on but I just don’t care enough to find out.
The White Stripes
3/5
I don’t hate The White Stripes, they’re a pretty unique band and make solid music. I just don’t think they’ve made 3 albums worthy of this list. There’s been songs I really like here and there, my fav from this one being We’re Going To Be Friends but nothing else really stood out to me. I once again make my case that Meg should sing more though
The Blue Nile
1/5
This was boring tbh. It’s a bit like U2, Nick Cave, Peter Gabriel stuff like that but just nowhere near as interesting. The wiki article for this basically says this album got little to know attention when it released and it’s not hard to see why, it’s just not that interesting.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Wow, what a trio. They all sound fantastic and this is a lovely, chill (if somewhat depressing) country album. I think this is country music at its best and I could listen to them sing with a steel guitar backing all day!
2/5
Yeah I don’t know, I thought I’d like this but that’s purely because I like Supermassive Black Hole. The rest of the album just isn’t that great. Pretty bang average electronic rock. Probably the reason why I just never fully got into Muse.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Do you like Jazz?
Cause if you don’t then you probably won’t enjoy this. I love a good bit of jazz and this just a gorgeous listen. It did get a bit background music at times but that’s probably cause I do most of my listening to these at work. Very nice!
Pavement
1/5
I hated this tbh. The vocals are whiny and put through some filter, I couldn’t stand them. The instrumentation was better but this a solid 1 star for me.
50 Cent
1/5
Not my thing and I didn’t really like it. In Da Club is iconic I guess but not enough to save this
Dire Straits
3/5
Sultans of Swing is a timeless classic and it goes so hard. The rest of the album is pretty solid too but I didn’t love it like I thought I would
LL Cool J
2/5
My main exposure to LL Cool J is his role in NCIS: LA because my brother loved that show. It’s kinda funny to imagine he’s probably more well known nowadays as a cop. Anyway this album is okay, his lyrics are pretty shit but the beats aren’t too bad. Milky Cereal was fucking atrocious though and the line in Mr Cool Bar where he says “I sure wouldn’t rape you” is wild, like Mr Cool J that is the absolute bare minimum.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Beautiful and haunting at times, Sinead has just got a fantastic voice and her Irish accent is so lovely. This album was a beautiful listen, the title track was probably my favourite.
James Brown
4/5
What more can I say than James Brown goes hard. The man is talented and this sounded like an awesome live show to have witnessed!
Peter Tosh
2/5
Some solid reggae here but it wasn’t really that interesting to me.
Tortoise
3/5
This was different but I kinda liked it. I feel like this album with great headphones would sound amazing. Interesting instrumentals but a strangely nice listen.
AC/DC
5/5
Some good, old-fashioned, turn your brain off rock and roll. As an Aussie, I was raised by a dad big into Aussie rock and AC/DC was one of the bands he had on pretty regularly. This album has some of my favourite songs by them and is just all round a loud, fun rock album. The fact that they lost Bon Scott and immediately picked up where they left off is amazing!
OutKast
2/5
I didn’t know what to expect from this album and given its length, I listened to each “album” separately and not the whole thing in one go. For a start, it’s long. Even breaking it up, the seperate albums themselves are still long. However it has Hey Ya on it so it’s pretty good.
The first album was probably more typical rap and I didn’t hate it. It’s just not for me. The second album felt more experimental and aside from Hey Ya, I wasn’t a big fan of it either.
Goldfrapp
2/5
This was interesting but weird. It kinda went between mournful melancholy to just outright strange. Idk I liked parts of it but toward the end it started to get too weird for me
Slayer
2/5
This was hard, fast and unrelenting. Was it good though? Technically yes, the playing was really good but there was no melody to it. It was just how hard and fast can we play/sing every song. I guess that’s what thrash metal is but after a while it just becomes noise that blends into each song. I couldn’t tell you where one song ended and the other began half the time.
Blur
3/5
The album starts off strongly and after a few tracks it feels like it goes downhill. The opening track and the title track are both good and this is a solid album, it just doesn’t maintain the quality it starts with the whole way through
Frank Ocean
1/5
I’ve thought about getting into Frank Ocean. I’ve heard he makes great music that is really emotional. I’m guessing that’s not about this album because I felt no emotion listening to it and it didn’t sound that great either tbh. Maybe it’s just not my thing but I didn’t really care for this one.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
I just can’t quite get into Lana’s music. She’s like the blandest parts of stuff like Lorde or Taylor Swift (that may be decisive, idk). Her voice is great but I just found the album so boring and uninteresting.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I love a bit of swing music and Sinatra is just that guy. He sounds so good even if all the songs start to sound the same. I’ve Got You Under My Skin is phenomenal and a major highlight of the album! Great stuff!
The Who
3/5
Pretty solid album, I’ve always liked the title track but it was nice to hear the rest of the album for the first time. For a debut album it’s pretty solid but nothing extraordinary for me.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
Beats are pretty funky but I didn’t care for much else with this one. I’m guessing it was fairly groundbreaking when it came out but now it just sounds like pretty basic 80s rap. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer this type of rap to what rap music is now but this album just isn’t that interesting to me
T. Rex
5/5
This was amazing, oh my god. I’d heard the biggest track from this in Get It On before and I love that song. The rest of the album is just as good. The vocals, instrumentation and just the whole vibe was so good!
B.B. King
4/5
This was fun and upbeat, something you don’t always expect to say about the blues. I loved King’s little dialogues to the audience and the crowd seemed like it was absolutely buzzing! It’s pretty good!
Bob Dylan
2/5
I don’t hate Bob Dylan but I think a whole album of him can get grating after a while. I can enjoy his hits but I didn’t really like this one as it went on
The Black Keys
2/5
This wasn’t too bad but I don’t think it was anything special
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Leonard Cohen really was a master with words. The songs are simple yet they’re so emotive. He’s not the greatest singer (and in the same vein of Bob Dylan, often covers of his songs are better) but honestly his voice works for what this is. He’s not singing as much as speaking over words but it sounds lovely
Radiohead
3/5
I didn’t really know what to expect from this. It’s not one of the Radiohead albums I’m familiar with but for the most part I liked it. I mean, it’s pretty typical Radiohead but it sounded fine
2/5
It was fine, nothing special. Felt very background music, I felt myself tuning out a bit during it
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
This was cool, smooth and kinda jazzy. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine foreign language songs and this ticks that box nicely. Is it one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard? Nah not really but it was pretty nice
Blondie
3/5
Went into this really excited. I like Blondie’s hit and there’s a couple of them on here but it was just fine? Like a solid album but I guess I expected more. One Way Or Another though is such a fucking good song, that riff permeating through the whole thing is so good!
Hüsker Dü
2/5
This is just noise. Like the odd thing here and there is okay but genuinely I found that very little about this album warrants it being here. It’s not even fine, it’s mediocre
Mekons
1/5
It kinda reminds of some of my favourite aussie pub rock bands but like, not as good. It’s weird but not the good weird. I got about 5 songs in before I’d decided I’d had enough tbh
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Don’t think there was anything too sensational about the Alex Harvey Band. It was okay, the instruments were well played and I enjoyed that aspect but the vocals were a bit hit and miss. Idk, it’s pretty average tbh.
Fela Kuti
4/5
A fun jazzy little album with a surprising and fascinating history. What this album caused is terrifying and genuinely horrific, the perpetrators living up to the scathing criticism levelled at them in this album. Powerful and political yet bouncy and fun, an incredible combo!
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I thought this was nice. Joni’s lyrics are pretty good and it’s overall a really nice album to vibe to. It’s not mind blowing though, it’s just fine.
Khaled
4/5
This was unexpectedly cool. Sort of modern Arabic music which was really cool. I really vibe with listening to people sing in Arabic, it just sounds so interesting. I really liked pretty much everything about this except it’s possibly 20 or minutes too long
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I think this was better than the last Yeah Yeah Yeahs album I had but I’m still unsure if they deserve a place on this list. I liked this more and it had a cool alt, poppy, synthy vibe and I reiterate that the lead singer has an incredible voice. Overall, it’s still a fairly average album.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
Yeah this had cool and interesting moments. It was a strange blend of like Atom Heart Mother with a touch of LSD Beatles. The opening track started strongly then it got shit then you realise you still have like 15 or minutes or so of it to go. That encapsulates the album really.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
I liked this more than expected. When it started I rolled my eyes and was expecting to turn it off within 3-4 songs but I’m glad I stuck it out. It sounded really good. Bluesy and dirty, it was a fun time!
Van Morrison
2/5
I like a few Van Morrison songs but tbh this whole album got a bit grating as it went along. I liked it at the start but the end I just wanted him to shut up
Van Halen
4/5
Some classic glam rock. Eddie Van Halen is brilliant and this is a good album!
Talking Heads
5/5
I didn’t realise this was the Talking Heads debut album. It has all the quirky weirdness of the their later stuff and it’s still a solid listen. Psycho Killer is such a fantastic song from start to finish and it is definitely the highlight of the album. I’m a big fan of this one!
Sepultura
1/5
This was another album I just couldn’t finish. Instrumentally it sounded really good but I can’t do screamo vocals. They become so grating and hard to listen to, I just can’t do it.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Wow that was exactly what the title described. Hot Butter Soul music and it’s amazing to listen to. It’s smooth, it’s beautiful and it’s heartfelt!
Roxy Music
4/5
This was pretty fun. Vibes of The Talking Heads and The Cars. It was a fun bop tbh
Culture Club
2/5
I was intrigued by this. My mum adores Culture Club and Boy George to the point she even dressed up as him for a school thing back when she was a kid! Outside of Karma Chameleon though, I don’t really know anything else by them. I think album kinda sums up why, there’s just not much else on here except for their biggest hit. I found myself quite bored with it and just wanting it to be over.
Traffic
3/5
I’ve been sick this week so this review is short and sharp. I thought it was okay.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
This was really good, got almost hypnotic at parts. I really liked the instrumentals and he’s got a really calming voice. I could listen to this for hours tbh
Shuggie Otis
3/5
This was fairly nice and chill, sounded fine. I just didn’t think it was anything too special and I kind of zoned out of it after a while.
Stephen Stills
2/5
The balls to make your debut album a double album is crazy. Too crazy because this was too long and I just didn’t care. Fairly average southern rock that didn’t warrant being a double album. Fuck off
R.E.M.
4/5
I haven’t listened to much R.E.M. in my life, aside from their major classics like Losing My Religion and Everybody Hurts but I really liked this. The opening song in particularly was really good and the lyricism is fanatic throughout. My life is better having listened to this album!
The Associates
1/5
It sounds like a combo of David Bowie and The Cure but like you got them from Wish. This is epitome of “We Have David Bowie At Home”, this just sucks
Sugar
2/5
One of the lesser alt bands of the 90s I guess. There’s a reason Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden etc have stood the test of time and Sugar haven’t. Pretty average.
Japan
3/5
Being released in 1979, I assume this is a precursor to what became the 80s synth pop and you can see the foundations of that genre in this album. It just starts to drag after while and I kinda lost interest. It’s fine
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
It was certainly different. There’s some cool elements to this but it just didn’t click with me. It’s probably a bit longer than I’d have liked as well. The original version of hurt is an interesting listen after being so familiar with Johnny Cash’s version. They’re both great in their own unique ways
Fred Neil
3/5
This was fine. It was a nice, folly chill album that I enjoyed well enough. Just didn’t really feel like essential listening.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
Yeah this was a strange one. Lyrically she’s great but my god does she drone on. Her voice is a unique one and I feel like it’s a you love or it hate it situation. For me, I definitely leant more to that hate it side.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Some brilliant blues music. This a man who you sense has lived every single thing he’s singing about and it still pains him. Muddy Waters is a legend for a reason!
James Taylor
4/5
That was a very chill listen. I’ve heard Fire and Rain before and I really like that song. The rest of the album is pretty similar in tone and vibe but I liked that. Maybe because it’s the end of my work day and a chill vibe album was what I needed but I loved this!
The Slits
2/5
I liked bits and pieces here and there but most of this just sucked. Poor musicianship (which I guess is pretty punk?) and grating to listen to. The cover of Heard It Through The Grapevine is really solid but the rest of the album is mostly misses
Hookworms
3/5
When the album started I thought I might hate this but I actually kinda liked it. Big fifa menu music energy but it was a fun, interesting listen.
Shame the lead singer seems like a POS cause I would’ve checked out more of them and they loss a star because of him.
Elton John
4/5
This was beautiful. It’s Elton so of course it is but I think this is the best Elton album I’ve had so far (though I think I’ve only had Goodbye Yellow Brick Road). Tiny Dancer is a fantastic song and Elton just sounds amazing throughout. Beautiful instrumentals, great voice and it comes together as a great album worthy of a place here!
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
I don’t mind the Arctic Monkeys and this was fairly solid. Don’t know if it’s their best album, based on Spotify listens it looks like it’s AM (I definitely know more songs off AM). For a debut it’s pretty good and showcases Arctic Monkeys’ unique sound, particularly their unique vocals. Fookin ‘ell.
Radiohead
2/5
This is definitely not Radiohead’s best work. I feel like I’ve heard of a solid amount of their albums and I haven’t heard of this one. Given its proximity to big albums like OK Computer and Kid A, you’d think I would have.
Listening to this album, I can see why. It’s just not very memorable. It goes on and on and it kinda sucks.
Prince
3/5
I don’t hate Prince but I don’t love him. I also am not a huge fan of double albums because unless I really like the artist, I find them too long (hell even if I do like the artist, I don’t always like double albums as I’m not a huge fan of the White Album).
Anyway, this was nothing super special and I feel Prince has better music. Nothing really stood out. It sounded fine because Prince is a good musician who knows what he’s doing.
Taylor Swift
5/5
Taylor Swift is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I love just letting out my inner teen girl and blasting some TSwizzle. Although I tend to prefer the earlier Taylor Swift stuff where she a bit more country and a bit less modern pop.
Having said that, this pops off. I didn’t realise just how many songs from this I’d heard but it was over half the album. It’s albums like this where you truly understand why she is the pop powerhouse she is!
The Avalanches
3/5
That was interesting and I didn’t mind it. Old school hip hop vibes in the beats, wasn’t really a rap album though. I liked it, can’t quite explain why
Queen Latifah
4/5
Wasn’t sure what to expect from this. I know Queen Latifah is considered one of (if not the) biggest names in rap and considering this is her debut, I can see why. It’s not my kind of music but I found myself bumping along to the beats. Her flow is great, she sounds great, overall a great album.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Try as I might, I’ve just never fully gotten into the Stones. I like their big hits but most of the lesser known songs haven’t done much for me. I know this is one of their best albums but I just didn’t do it for me. I like the bluesy nature of it, Mick Jagger is a solid vocalist and Keith Richards masterfully plays on this but idk, I’ve always preferred the Beatles to the Stones.
Fiona Apple
3/5
This was pretty cool. I enjoyed the vibe and it sounded great, Fiona’s vocal performances were sublime!
John Lennon
5/5
I may be biased because I’m a massive Beatles fan, however John isn’t necessarily high on my favourite Beatles list (he was last for a while). I went through a phase late 2024 of listening to John’s solo work because I’d only really listened to George’s (because he’s my favourite). I used to think it was a load of overly political crap but some of it grew on me. This album in particular became one of my favourite Beatles solo albums (its second only to ATMP).
I love practically every song on here from its overly played title track to the lovely Oh My Love to the scathing How Do You Sleep. I think it’s post-Beatles John at his best. Oh My Love is probably my favourite solo John song as well which helps.
Tina Turner
3/5
Pretty good but I don’t think I can listen to that much Tina Turner. She sounds great and, not sure if it was on the original album but that cover of Help! was fantastic!
Judas Priest
5/5
This surprised me as I’m not usually a huge metal fan. This leant more in the Black Sabbath direction and I liked that aspect of it. I can’t stand thrash/screamo type metal and this, thankfully, wasn’t that. I’d heard Breaking the Law before and it’s a great song but the rest of the album was just as good! Great guitars, great drums, great bass and great vocals, a banging album!
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
I loved most of this. It starts so strongly, I really loved the first track but as it goes on it starts to drag. Masterful musicianship though, phenomenal stuff!
For U2s hits have been great but I’ve never really cared for the rest of it. This album is no exception. I love Beautiful Day and the rest was pretty meh
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Pretty solid album, I think this has been my favourite Stones album so far but I still just can’t get into them. It was solid the whole way through.
Silver Jews
1/5
It feels a bit like I ordered off brand Nick Cave or Tom Waits. Listen to those guys and skip this.
Brian Eno
2/5
I mean it’s great ambient music but like, there is nothing more to it than that. Great for work or study but I didn’t really need to hear this before I died
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
It was pretty average for me. Not bad but not exceptional either. I liked the opening track though.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
The message of the album is great but it’s just not for me. I hate this kind of music and so I didn’t care for the album itself
Public Enemy
4/5
This was great. Like a lot of rap albums around this time, it’s a scathing attack on racism and the white man. It’s great and full of valid criticism of the way black people were (and sadly still are 35 years later) treated. I’m not a huge rap guy but I really liked this.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Look, the story behind this is sensational and the album definitely needs that story to be interesting. The problem is as it’s just an hour of various piano instrumentals it just becomes background music. He’s clearly a phenomenal player to just improvise a whole concert on a shit piano though, like I want that to be clear
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Everyone knows this album cover (probably because every knows the Warhol painting but still). The album itself is interesting. I enjoy Lou Reed’s vocals but it the album tapers off the further you go
Faust
4/5
This grew on me as I listened. It’s like a German Pink Floyd (early Floyd rather than DSOTM onwards Floyd). I liked it, instruments were cool and though I couldn’t understand them, I liked the vocals when they were there.
Minor Threat
3/5
Cool punk but honestly most of it just become a guy yelling over some loud guitars and drums. I suppose that’s what punk is but I guess I would’ve liked a bit more melody to it.
The Prodigy
1/5
I turned this shit off after about 4 songs. It sucks and I hated it
Anita Baker
3/5
This pretty decent. Very reminiscent of stuff like Whitney Houston and Tina Turner. She sounded great but it just got a bit bland
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Not entirely my thing but I didn’t hate it. It gets an extra star for the random reference to Mr Myxlplyx in My Mind Spray.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Pretty great blue rock but I didn’t think it was anything incredible. Jeff Beck sounds amazing though and this band really kickstarted some amazing careers but yeah, I thought this album was fine.
Pink Floyd
5/5
It took me 351 albums but I finally got a Pink Floyd album! Pink Floyd is probably my favourite band of all time. I’ve listened to all their albums countless times (yes, even The Endless River) and I love pretty much all of them.
This album was never going to get less than 5 stars from me, it’s just incredible. They set an insane standard with Dark Side of the Moon and to follow it up with this, just wow! Interestingly, of the famous four album run of Dark Side, WYWH, Animals and the Wall, this one is possibly last for me. It’s a phenomenal album though and everyone shines on it(no pun intended).
David Bowie
1/5
I can’t do prime Bowie and I certainly can’t do end of his life Bowie. I did not like this, I couldn’t get into it at all. There’s the added weight of the proximity of this albums release and his death but that’s the only thing that makes this album relevant. If this was his 3rd or 4th last album, no one would care that much.
Stan Getz
2/5
It was nice and smooth but maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it. It feels like I should like this more than I did but it just felt fine
Bauhaus
3/5
Not what I expected and it was certainly an interesting listen.
R.E.M.
4/5
Yeah a really solid R.E.M. album. They have such a unique sound and I enjoyed it immensely. Everybody Hurts is just one of those quintessential sad songs and it’s one of my faves.
Grateful Dead
1/5
I’ve heard that Grateful Desd are one of the all time greats. I feel lied to because this album was the most middle of the road country album I’ve ever heard. It was boring tbh. The reviews say that the Dead are a better live band and maybe that’s true, I’ll never experience them high off my mind in the 60s so maybe I’ve just missed out.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Wow these guys really are raging against the machine. I’m not huge fan of this style of rock where it’s a bit more hip hop vocally. Everything sounded great but the vocal style didn’t hit. Obviously Killing in the Name is the huge song off this and it’s a great song. A really solid album even if the vocal stylings didn’t really hit for me.
The Stone Roses
4/5
This was such a cool vibe and genuinely it feels a bit timeless. It genuinely feels this could’ve been released in the last 10 years or so, it sounds that good. I loved the mellow vibes of it, solid stuff!
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
This was a cool album. Empowering but beautiful
The Doors
5/5
Yeah this kicked ass. Everything sounded great and I really loved it
Finley Quaye
2/5
This wasn’t too bad, didn’t feel like it was anything special though.
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
I really need to listen to more Echo and the Bunnymen. They’re so good. I absolutely love Nocturnal Me (though it’s not on this album) and I enjoyed pretty much every minute of this album!
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
This was really nice but it became quite background musicky. Idk I didn’t hate it but I just kinda tuned it out after a while
Kanye West
1/5
I’m sure it probably deserves a place here but fuck Kanye and everything he has said. Not listening to this, no streaming revenue for this cunt.
KISS
3/5
I feel like I’m in the minority here as I actually like KISS. I saw them live in 2022 and it was genuinely one of the best shows I’ve been to. I will say however, KISS don’t have a lot of substance to them. Their hits are bangers but the rest is pretty shit. Having said that, I liked about half the album and those were the ones they played during the show I saw. The rest were pretty average.
Elis Regina
2/5
Even though I had no idea what they were saying, it was pretty funky and sounded nice. Won’t listen to it again though.
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
Yeah this was a lot of fun. Cyndi Lauper is quintessential 80s pop and it’s perfect. Time After Time is probably one of my all time favourite songs, just a straight up banger!
Gary Numan
4/5
Surprisingly cool
The Damned
4/5
This was everything you’d expect a punk album to be and it was a really solid listen!
Death In Vegas
2/5
Nothin exceptional. Had its moments where it was great and just as many where it wasn’t. Not sure it really deserves to be here but it’s not the worst album on this list.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Stevie Wonder is always a joy to listen to, he’s always just having so much fun and it’s infectious!
Elliott Smith
4/5
This was surprisingly good, I found myself hopping along to a fair few songs in the end!
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
This was really solid. It reminds of an artist but I can’t quite place it. Kinda sounds a bit like some of the classic Aussie pub bands but there’s also some Nirvana in the guitar (obviously this was before Nirvana but it’s more of a comparison). Great album, solid the whole way through!
Dr. Dre
1/5
Yeah I hated this. This is pretty much everything about rap that I hate and struggled to get through. They say mother fucker about every 3 words, half the album is about his cock and everything else just isn’t for me
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Cool idea but I am not listening to nearly 3 hours of this. I listened to roughly 30-40 minutes and that was enough.
Holger Czukay
3/5
This was certainly interesting and it was fairly solid. Fairly experimental and I think most of it paid off, didn’t overstay its welcome either!
3/5
I don’t Bob Dylan but I can get tired of him quickly. This was a lot of Bob Dylan and it did eventually get grating. Everything else was solid, especially when the band kicks in.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I can’t do the Beastie Boys, they just grate on me too much. Everything on this album slaps except for the Beastie Boys rapping, it does my head in.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Wow this was phenomenal. I always assumed Iron Maiden were lot more scream metal or like death metal with that real guttural vocals. This was not that at all. It was melodic, it had a tune and it sounded fucking awesome!
10cc
2/5
This was a real mixed bag. Very experimental and it was either to its detriment or it was good. Very hit and miss I guess
The Replacements
3/5
Obviously not the Let It Be everyone is familiar with but it’s a cool album
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
Jesus Christ, shut up.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Wow, what an unexpected delight. It’s not really my thing but it was so good that didn’t really matter! The opening track is a bit misleading and I genuinely would’ve loved more of that but the rest of the album is still really good!
The Temptations
4/5
This was an interesting album. The funky stuff is always great and it gets surprisingly deep. Run Charlie Run was an unexpected song but it was a fascinating listen. The Temptations are a great group!
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
I, like most people, are probably only really familiar with Rufus Wainwright through his accidental inclusion on the first Shrek’s soundtrack. For those that didn’t know, the Hallelujah in the movie is actually perform by John Cale but someone made an error and licensed Rufus’s version on the soundtrack album, not John’s which was in the movie.
Anyway, I think there’s a reason his Hallelujah is the only song people really know by him. He has a fine voice and he’s a solid singer, his songs are just incredibly bland. This whole album was very inoffensive and I just got bored and tuned out after a while.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Eh, this was pretty mid. Nothing wrong with it but it just wasn’t that interesting to me either
Beatles
4/5
I love The Beatles, they’re constantly fighting with Pink Floyd for my favourite artist. I listen to them relentlessly every year.
Having said that, I am firmly in the camp that the White Album would perfect if they just trimmed the fat off it. This album has some great songs on it: Blackbird, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Julia but Jesus Christ there is some shit here too. Obviously a big part of this album is just how fractured this band of near-brothers had become. Some parts of the White Album just feel like solo work, there’s a bit of the Beatles charm missing (and half the time it’s because the rest of the Beatles are missing such as on Back in the USSR which has no Ringo, Blackbird is purely Paul and Julia is purely John). It’s such a strange album and that’s certainly an interesting part of it, it just feels like when you finally reach a good part of the album you get hit with shit like Wild Honey Pie. Probably the only Beatles album I can’t give a perfect score to.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
This was great, I just didn’t really connect with it. There’s obviously the strong racial messages in this and these kind of albums are very important for that. It’s good!
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Dusty sounds amazing but like, the album itself is pretty unremarkable. Outside of You Don’t Own Me, I forgot most of them immediately after listening to them.
ZZ Top
3/5
The hits from this album are great, especially Gimme All Your Livin’ but the rest is just fine.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Yeah that was certainly something. I didn’t hate but I’m not sure if I liked it either. It just kinda is, y’know?
Christine and the Queens
3/5
This was surprisingly good. Gave me vibes of Lorde who I’m a big fan of and there felt like even a little bit of modern Taylor Swift in there too. My only real gripe with this is that it’s an 1h32m long and it’s just not good enough to warrant that. Double albums are rarely good enough to justify their length. Hell, I’m a massive Beatles fan and even I struggle with their double album (The White Album). So it would’ve got a higher rating if it was just half the length.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Just some of the most mid music you’ll ever hear. It’s not amazing but it’s not terrible, it just is.
Kanye West
1/5
I’m not listening to this Nazi, fuck right off. Don’t care how great his albums are they aren’t getting any listens from me.
The Undertones
3/5
A solid punky album, I enjoyed it for the most part but it didn’t blow me away
The Verve
2/5
There’s a reason you can only name one song by The Verve. Bittersweet Symphony is a great start and the rest is just long and forgettable
The Jam
3/5
Some more solid Brit punk, didn’t hate it but didn’t love it. Another one that’s just in the middle
Pearl Jam
5/5
Fucking fantastic, incredible listen from start to finish. I haven’t listened to a lot of Pearl Jam but I have listened to this album and I love it. Eddie Vedder’s voice is so unique and I love it! The opening three tracks are an incredible start and it just keeps going!
Kanye West
1/5
Nope, fuck off Kanye. I don’t care how much of a genius you supposedly are, I’m not rewarding your actions. All Kanye albums on this list are a 1 for me.
The Zutons
1/5
Who cares? More bland, generic alt British music that just isn’t that interesting
Morrissey
1/5
I like the smiths and that has little to do with Morrissey. I certainly cannot stand him on his own. I got three songs in before I got sick of Morrissey whining. For the love of god shut the fuck up
Eminem
1/5
Got a few songs in and that was enough. Crass and edgy in a way that is only cool to 12 year olds, I’m sure Eminem has good albums but it certainly isn’t this one
Grateful Dead
3/5
This wasn’t too bar. Honestly there were good parts and bad parts but I think it was better than the other Grateful Dead album I had. I felt like I got a better idea of why people like them from this one