321
Albums Rated
3.39
Average Rating
29%
Complete
768 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
43
5-Star Albums
11
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
|
5 | 2.73 | +2.27 |
|
The Who Sell Out
The Who
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Goo
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
Let It Be
The Replacements
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Live At Leeds
The Who
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
xx
The xx
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
|
1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
|
Pelican West
Haircut 100
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
The Doors
The Doors
|
2 | 3.94 | -1.94 |
|
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
|
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
|
1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
|
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
|
1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 6 | 4.33 |
| David Bowie | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.67 |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Cure | 3 | 4.33 |
| Radiohead | 3 | 4.33 |
| Sonic Youth | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Rolling Stones | 2 | 1.5 |
| Eminem | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 2, 5 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 2, 2, 5 |
| The Who | 5, 4, 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (43)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Jam · 3 likes
3/5
3.5
David Bowie · 2 likes
5/5
What is there to say that hasn't been said? It's pretty much perfect.
Kings of Leon · 1 likes
1/5
it really doesnt get much worse than this. is he doing a jamaican accent?
1-Star Albums (11)
All Ratings
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
The Clash
3/5
The Stooges
3/5
John Coltrane
5/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
i was excited to listen to this one but the further i got into it the more i just wanted it to end. ugh. maybe i just dont like the smashing pumpkins that much.
MGMT
4/5
3.5
Madonna
4/5
Patti Smith
4/5
The Pogues
3/5
Queen
3/5
White Denim
2/5
meh
The Monks
2/5
no idea how to rate this one. its kinda brilliant but also i definitely didnt enjoy listening to it again
The xx
1/5
snorkkkkkkkkk mimimimimi
Dolly Parton
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
The Yardbirds
2/5
Kanye West
4/5
Haircut 100
1/5
why the hell is this on this list
The Doors
2/5
groan
The Jam
3/5
3.5
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
not a fan
Sabu
2/5
mostly percussion, wish there was more melody
The Rolling Stones
2/5
2.5
Pink Floyd
5/5
The White Stripes
2/5
Blur
4/5
PAHK LIFE
3.5
A little bloated
Mercury Rev
4/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
The Cure
5/5
Julian Cope
2/5
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Merle Haggard
2/5
The The
3/5
Frank Zappa
4/5
Crowded House
3/5
Charles Mingus
5/5
still the best jazz album ever...nothing quite like it
Iron Maiden
3/5
3.5
Way better than I thought it would be
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
The Smiths
5/5
The Smiths have a reputation for being a quite miserable band, which they definitely are at times, but it's easy to forget how funny they can be. That said, even in the funny or sentimental tracks on this record there's an unshakable feeling of bitterness that stays with the listener. I think this is why it's resonated with people for so long - or, in Morrissey's own words, "behind the hatred there lies a plunderous desire for love".
Also, very funny album to get on Valentine's Day .
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
im not sure why this is here but damn the torpedoes isnt
Eminem
2/5
"im robbing a bank tomorrow and when the cops come for me imma tell them it was my alter ego countess boochie flagrante" - tumblr user hoebutmadefashion, 2014
eminem is a talented rapper but this is an album made for 13 year old boys in 1999. its so cringe
The Go-Go's
3/5
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Mudhoney
4/5
Awesome album cover. Pretty good album.
The Fall
3/5
It's kind of like seeing where all my favorite bands came from. Not everything on this album hit but I still respect it a lot. 3.5
Beatles
4/5
I liked it less than I remember, though that might be because I listened to it in the car while my parents talked about god knows what the whole time
Beatles
5/5
It's a photograph of four friends going their own ways, some more willingly than others.
It's also an album, a damn good one, the first Beatles album I fell in love with and the first record I bought on my own. It's a total mess. I love it.
N.W.A.
3/5
I think my mom said something in her review comparing the offensive lyrics to Motley Crue, which I agree with (though I definitely prefer this to Crue any day) in that both are exaggerated performances of masculinity in music. The main difference is in how NWA influenced the popular image of gangsters despite most members not having any actual gang ties and how that lead to a specific type of masculinity being played up in a lot of the mainstream rap of the time...but that's its own conversation. This still stands as one of hip-hop's most important and influential records, whether you think that's a good thing or not.
3.5
Jacques Brel
3/5
Nice and short. Reminded me of Scott Walker - in fact, he covered "Amsterdam" (so did Bowie!)
Parliament
4/5
I'm not even joking I had a migraine this morning and this made it better
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Cat Stevens
3/5
Eh. It's pleasant
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Let the record show that I tried to listen to this album!! I just didnt want to finish it. I thought I had a high prog tolerance. Guess I was wrong!
Björk
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
a-ha
3/5
3.5
i dont think it needs to be on this list but it has some bangers
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Disc one was good. Disc two felt like filler. All these songs would be better if they were half as long, but I feel that way about 90% of zeppelin songs
The Adverts
3/5
If I were a teenager in 1978, Id probably love this. Either way, it's pretty good.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
dream pop perfection
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
still not entirely my thing but also its just undeniable
CHIC
2/5
2.5
The Killers
3/5
Fantastic first half. Not as good second half. I think it deserves to be here, though. It's like a time capsule
Fishbone
3/5
3.5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
it's kind of shameful to say, but i've never been a huge fan of amy winehouse...but i admit that i liked this album. 3.5
Sugar
3/5
It's fine, but I feel like I'm missing something here...I don't know. Sorry, mom. Why is this here but zen arcade isn't?
The Strokes
5/5
is this the most important record of the early 2000s? it's possible! it spawned so many imitators that it's hard to listen without hearing those (everybody talks by neon trees, a truly terrible song that i completely forgot existed until i heard it on the radio a few days ago, is such a blatant ripoff of the modern age that it's crazy) I hate most of those bands and yet I still love this album. It's just a bunch of unbelievably solid tunes. so good
Peter Frampton
2/5
Madonna
4/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Slipknot
2/5
https://youtu.be/at2BufPf6bo?feature=shared
Beastie Boys
5/5
King Crimson
4/5
The amount of people I went to high school with who were obsessed with this album put me off of listening to it for years. It's good. It's best parts are REALLY good. A bit excessive, but that's prog for you.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Certified Divorce Classic
Aphex Twin
3/5
IDM is such a funny genre name. Intelligent Dance Music. Yeah im dancing...in a smart way. Are they dancing to this at the book club or something?
Sorry got a little distracted. Yeah it's okay. I don't really understand the hype though
Leonard Cohen
4/5
David Bowie
5/5
Sorry I haven't listened to one of the albums in a while I've been busy. But I listened to this one! Id already heard it but I liked it a lot more this time around. Dare I say this is top 5 Bowie? Maybe even top 3?
Kings of Leon
1/5
it really doesnt get much worse than this. is he doing a jamaican accent?
Elvis Costello
3/5
I'm guessing mom's review is gonna say something similar, but the music here isn't as good as his later work, but the lyrics are really incredible.
Linkin Park
4/5
probably not gonna be a very popular album among the people in this group, but i really liked this
Bert Jansch
3/5
Wire
4/5
Sam Cooke
4/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Beatles
5/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
I don't really get it
2.5
4/5
Too much Paul. It needs balance. A day in the life is maybe the best song they ever did though. I'm giving it four stars but it's a very high four stars
Nirvana
4/5
Frank Ocean
3/5
John Lennon
2/5
Imagine nos feratu...its scary if you try...
FKA twigs
3/5
3.5
I really liked twigs' album from earlier this year, but I had never heard anything else from her. This was good! She's definitely improved since though
Blur
4/5
This is blur's "post-success" album. Their previous record, 1995's The Great Escape, was a huge hit, but it really wasn't that great. The band members, particularly Graham Coxon, were miserable with the direction they had taken, and that shows in this album. Coxon's love for American indie rock like Sonic Youth and Pavement is apparent in his guitar work, while you can hear the outline of what would someday become Gorillaz in tracks like On Your Own, I'm Just a Killer for Your Love, and Death of a Party.
I would say this is Blur's most cohesive record, thematically messy and miserable, with hints of their past and future mixed together. Unfortunately, it does suffer from the bloat that all blur albums seem to have, but the good tracks are absolutely killer. My favorites are beetlebum (possibly their best song), song 2, death of a party, and you're so great.
(Side note that I will expand upon when Modern Life is Rubbish comes up: Graham Coxon is, in my opinion, one of the all time great guitarists and he really doesn't get the appreciation he deserves. But, like I said, I'll come back to it. This review is long enough already. Also, 13 should probably be on this list.)
Pixies
4/5
Radiohead
5/5
Genuinely flawless record. Not a single bad song. In my top 10 of all time.
Os Mutantes
4/5
David Bowie
4/5
Dusty Springfield
3/5
pretty good, though not as good as dusty in memphis
Brian Eno
2/5
Reminded me more of an art museum than an airport. It succeeds as a work of ambient music, but I didn't really enjoy it.
OutKast
3/5
its difficult to average the scores of these two pretty different albums
Air
4/5
hall of fame nap album
dad says it falls apart in the second half but i wouldnt know on account the aforementioned napping
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I like my bloody valentine but this really shouldn't be here. considering both loveless and m b v are on the list, i have no clue why this is here too. 2.5
The Soft Boys
3/5
i dont really get it. sorry mom
Carpenters
2/5
The Black Crowes
1/5
You'd think that by 1990 white blues rock musicians would have figured out how to do something new instead of sounding like malformed led zeppelin homunculi
Nirvana
3/5
Nirvana successfully sanded down the edges of noise/punk rock enough to be widely popular but still sharp enough to be edgy. I can see why this had such a following. But I really prefer the more raw and ugly sound of In Utero. 3.5
Grateful Dead
3/5
Eh, it's alright. Standard hippie music.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
OutKast
4/5
Pixies
4/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
paul should be in jail for the girl is mine
The Band
3/5
The Mars Volta
3/5
as much as I enjoy insane sci-fi prog that makes rush look like the carpenters, I'd take At The Drive-In over it any day. Why Relationship of Command isn't on this list is beyond me. Also, does anyone else think Cedric Bixler-Zavala kinda sounds like Gerard Way or is it just me?
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Isaac Hayes
4/5
3/5
The Rolling Stones
1/5
I don't even like the good Rolling Stones albums. I just really hate Mick Jagger's voice.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
pretty cool that this album exists, but i doubt ill ever come back to it. except maybe that first track
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Beatles
5/5
best beatles album*
*depending on what day you ask me. its this or revolver
Def Leppard
2/5
2.5
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Title track + It's Nasty are pretty good. The rest are fine.
The Beach Boys
4/5
aside from the dreadful "student demonstration time", this is pretty great. the best songs are the brian ones of course, plus disney girls (1957).
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Sebadoh
3/5
I'll probably revisit it some day
Green Day
4/5
this is probably the best album ever if you're like 14
Sonic Youth
4/5
Sister, along with their previous album EVOL, shows Sonic Youth starting to make actual songs (seriously, if you think this is abrasive and tuneless, check out their early stuff). The first half is great. The second half, not as much. 4.5
Prince
4/5
Steely Dan
2/5
Duke Ellington
3/5
3.5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
i feel bad not giving this a 5, but its really not his best. his guitar is incredible of course but the songs arent really there
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Stan Getz
3/5
One of the all time great nap albums. The LeBron of nap albums. The Abbey Road of shutting your eyes for 30-40 minutes.
Mylo
2/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
this guys voice pisses me off
Duran Duran
3/5
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
it's fine. not his best. i can only handle so much jesus talk
The Pogues
2/5
2.5
i liked the other album of theirs i heard more
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Eminem
1/5
didnt make it all the way through. i thought it would be a little better than the slim shady lp, but it wasnt. same issue - it's edgy rap for 13 year old boys.
Rod Stewart
3/5
The Doors
2/5
why so many people are so fond of this band, I'll never know. I can't help but find them tedious and self-obsessed. groan.
The Temptations
4/5
Joanna Newsom
4/5
Gorillaz
2/5
2.5
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Madonna
3/5
3.5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
i remembered this as the weakest of stevie's big three albums, but it's really killer. just hit after hit after hit
Black Sabbath
4/5
The Cure
4/5
Not their best, but pretty solid. A Forest is great.
U2
2/5
what a drag
The Cure
4/5
cant fully give it a 5 but its great if youre miserable
Janet Jackson
4/5
Little Richard
4/5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Beatles
3/5
3.5
Alice Cooper
3/5
The Smiths
4/5
not the best smiths album, but it's got some great tunes. unsure why it's on this list but whatever i like it fine
Aerosmith
2/5
Can
4/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Marty Robbins
4/5
Morrissey
2/5
like the smiths without johnny marr. I have a pretty high morrissey tolerance but this wore on me
Common
4/5
Genesis
3/5
jesus fucking christ this thing is long. It's pretty good but it just keeps going.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
kind of like Loveless, but if it was only the songs i don't like. surprisingly dull.
Pixies
3/5
B.B. King
3/5
The Who
5/5
I feel like I'd be betraying my younger self if I didn't give this a 5. It was a really foundational album for me (and for my dad, apparently). It's pop art!
ABBA
3/5
3.5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
The Jam
4/5
Devendra Banhart
2/5
2.5
its fine
Soft Cell
2/5
it wasn't non-stop, wasn't particularly erotic, and was only kind of cabaret.
5/5
What is there to say that hasn't been said? It's pretty much perfect.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Massive Attack
3/5
4/5
Thelonious Monk
3/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
they just didn't really have it yet
Massive Attack
4/5
hell yeah
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Some of the reviews for this album are completely insane. How can you not love this? 4.5
The Prodigy
4/5
hell yeah
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
its tough to come up with a rating for this one, cause I think upon relisten it would probably become a 5. I dunno. 4.5
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
First 4 songs are killer. The rest are fine. 3.5
Minor Threat
3/5
fugazi better
3.5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
ABBA
3/5
To be honest everything that wasnt a hit on this album sucks. The hits are good enough to bring it up to 3 stars tho
Gang Of Four
3/5
Black Flag
3/5
3.5
Talking Heads
5/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I love The Killing Moon, but the rest of the album wasn't my thing. A bit of a letdown.
Cream
4/5
T. Rex
3/5
The Specials
3/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
i love sonic youth. i dont think this a 5 star record. ill give it 4.5. I can't justify giving it anything lower.
Wilco
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
2/5
2.5
Suede
3/5
Supergrass
3/5
3.5
Soft Machine
1/5
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
IM NOT A BIG FAN OF THE GOVERNMENT wreeeoweoworwowwowoawoaaow
Radiohead
3/5
of all the radiohead albums I think this is the one you need to hear the least before you die. kid a but less good
Miles Davis
3/5
not my thing, but im glad i listened to it.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Id like this more if the tunes were less repetitive.
David Bowie
4/5
Carole King
5/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
1/5
fuck off
Bauhaus
3/5
Peter Gabriel
3/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Inspired pretty much all the music that I like so I have to give it 4 stars for that alone
Billie Holiday
3/5
Wilco
5/5
yeah ok this is great
The Who
4/5
Little Simz
4/5
Joy Division
5/5
The Clash
5/5
Gang Starr
3/5
The Cars
4/5
certified kitchen music
Michael Jackson
5/5
best MJ album
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
James Brown
3/5
Sigur Rós
4/5
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Beach House
3/5
Caetano Veloso
3/5
sick album cover
Steely Dan
4/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
Oasis
4/5
The banger-to-stinker ratio here is very clean. The good songs are very good. I'm still a blur loyal though
The Who
2/5
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
The Charlatans
2/5
obligatory oasis mention
Lou Reed
3/5
4/5
the first time I listened to this album I thought it was kind of irritating. Upon relisten I have no idea what the fuck I was thinking because this thing rules. I bet hearing this in 1978 was fucking crazy.
The Stone Roses
5/5
The Smiths
5/5
best smiths album (not really but it's still great)
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
yet another Pretty Good Simon & Garfunkel Record. I'm not as sick of these guys as my parents are, so I think I'm a bit less hard on them. And it's short. That's always good. 3.5
King Crimson
3/5
The Who
5/5
Fatboy Slim
2/5
its fine. its a dance album. i get it. 2.5
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
4.5 but im rounding up this time. so good. why isnt midnight marauders on this list though? that one's also great. go listen to it.
4/5
Bon Jovi
2/5
mom is going to use this to spread the gospel of saint bongiovi. he seems lovely. i just wish he made better music. it's mass market radio rock. its fine. 2.5
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
good shit
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Neil Young
3/5
The Band
4/5
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
the second best band to ever come out of sheffield
Small Faces
2/5
I am so tired of british people
Bob Dylan
4/5
Dylan at his most Dylan. I've always been more of a Highway 61 guy myself. 4.5
TV On The Radio
3/5
Iron Butterfly
2/5
it gets to a point
Radiohead
5/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
2.5
The Damned
4/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
that damn harmonica
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I'm not usually a big zeppelin guy but I can't deny that this one rules
Nas
4/5
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
extremely three star album. the fact that this is on the list is amusing to me. this is one of those albums I remember liking in high school but seemingly forgot all about the moment that I graduated. standing next to me is still a tune though
Pink Floyd
3/5
IF YOU DONT EAT YER MEAT YOU CANT HAVE ANY PUDDING
I feel kinda bad giving this a 3 because I'm very much influenced by my parents and their anti-pink floyd biases and also I didn't pay a ton of attention to the lyrics or story or whatnot but I just don't really like rock operas. sorry. 3.5 cause I can appreciate how objectively important it is
Anita Baker
3/5
3.5
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
electric
Ash
4/5
Neneh Cherry
4/5
Undeniably dated, and a bit ridiculous, but I kind of love it. And Buffalo Stance is a 10/10 song.
Blondie
5/5
The Incredible String Band
1/5
the unlistenable string band
Solange
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Beck
3/5
Started strong but petered out near the end. 3.5
Depeche Mode
3/5
Soundgarden
3/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
Hot Chip
3/5
Tom Waits
3/5
sure. whatever
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
A few years ago I took this class on American pop music & jazz, where the professor would take us through the history of American music each week. I remember when we got to this stuff, swing and big band, I loved it in class because it was such an exciting departure from the lame, stuffy, boring music hall stuff we had heard before. When I got home and listened to it again, it wasn't as good, because I was listening to it in between listening to more modern music. All of this is to say, context is important here - records that were mind-blowing then aren't always mind-blowing now. Or something like that.
Laibach
2/5
Meat Puppets
4/5
much twangier than I expected. also, I'm issuing an apology to my mother for that one time she couldn't go to a meat puppets concert because my sister and I were fighting. sorry, mom. I'm sure she started it.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I would have assumed you needed to be high to understand this, but I was stoned out of my mind when I listened to it and I found it annoying, and it wasn't much better when I revisited it sober. Once again applying what I said in my Basie review that you have to take into account that nothing sounded like this at the time...but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Sonic Youth
5/5
Despite a few duds, this album rules. I think I have to give it a 5 on principle because those first 5 tracks are so good
Jurassic 5
4/5
The Byrds
4/5
Love
4/5
Brian Eno
4/5
Taylor Swift
3/5
I know a couple of these songs from when Claire forced us to watch the eras tour movie. I liked this album. Ive listened to her last two albums when they came out and they were truly dreadful, so this was a pleasant surprise. It's nice to hear her sing songs that actually work for her voice. A lot of the time it sounds like she's trying too hard, but here she sounds like she's in her element. Shame it didn't stick. 3.5
Joan Armatrading
3/5
3.5...or, 3.6 I guess, cause I liked it slightly more than the last album
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
It has its moments, but it's very long, especially for an album from 1955
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
it's always fun to see an album with the post-hardcore tag, even though this wasn't really my bag. A little too jaunty for my tastes.
The Monkees
3/5
Maybe it's because the culture I grew up in was much more accepting of "inauthentic" music artists than they were in the 60s, but I never saw the fact that The Monkees were manufactured as that big of a deal. Of course it's manufactured! It's pop music! In fact, if anything, it made them even more interesting: a group put together in a cynical attempt to capture the attention of young people, made up of genuine artists (Well, three artists. My apologies to Davy Jones, but he was pretty undeniably the "cute one" and the weakest link musically.) who fought for creative control of their music. That said, I don't know if this is the best showcase of them as a band. It's a lot of songs that sound like The Beatles. I would have put The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (the one with Daydream Believer) or the soundtrack from HEAD...but I'm not the one writing the list. This record is a 3.5.
The Replacements
5/5
what can you say
Drive Like Jehu
5/5
a personal favorite of mine
Talking Heads
4/5
not my favorite talking heads record, but still pretty damn good.
Funkadelic
4/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
Talking Heads
5/5
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Lightning Bolt
2/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Unfortunately, as good as the good songs on this record are, I think the level of absolute stinkers on it bring it down from a 4 to a 3.
Van Halen
3/5
I don't feel...wait, that isn't on this one
PJ Harvey
4/5
Paul McCartney
3/5
I would take less offense to this if Ram (the infinitely superior Paul solo album) was on the list
The Kinks
5/5
one of the best to ever do it. an absolute tour de force of songwriting from front to back. a tribute to nostalgia and how you can look back as much as you want, but you can never go back to the past. The Kinks knew how to write a good pop song and no album of theirs showcases this better.
Silver Jews
3/5
4/5
Hole
4/5
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Kate Bush
4/5
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Fairport Convention
3/5
Elton John
2/5