245
Albums Rated
3.36
Average Rating
22%
Complete
844 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Blues
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
35
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
|
5 | 2.81 | +2.19 |
|
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
|
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Sea Change
Beck
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
|
5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
|
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
|
5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
|
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dirt
Alice In Chains
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
|
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
|
1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
|
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
Electric
The Cult
|
1 | 3.02 | -2.02 |
|
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Reign In Blood
Slayer
|
1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
|
Ten
Pearl Jam
|
2 | 3.91 | -1.91 |
|
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
|
1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
|
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
|
1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
|
Metallica
Metallica
|
2 | 3.78 | -1.78 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Stan Getz | 2 | 5 |
| Beastie Boys | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 2 | 5 |
| The Prodigy | 2 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Primal Scream | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (35)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
10cc · 3 likes
4/5
I dig this. It's fun, kind of wacky, but kept my interest. It feels like some of the music I was listening to in the mid-2000s was inspired by 10cc - bands like Of Montreal, or The Shins. I get bored by all the 70s classic rock on this list, so anything that deviates from that is exciting for me.
Nas · 2 likes
5/5
Another album I can safely claim as one of the best hip hop albums of all time. I had the pleasure of watching him perform this front to back at Coachella forever ago. He’s one of the best story tellers, so many iconic lyrics on this record. “I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.”
Stephen Stills · 1 likes
4/5
This is the album you play driving down a country dirt road, which is great because I live down a country dirt road. It's Americana, just enough country. I could have done without the Jesus song though.
The Prodigy · 1 likes
5/5
Much like the last album I just rated - I listen to The Prodigy much differently now than I did as a child in the 90’s. As a fan of electronic music, I actually really dig this. I can’t tell what genre it is, but it’s dirty and dark and meant for a warehouse and too many BPMs.
Carole King · 1 likes
5/5
My Mom and Dad loved Carole King. This album sounds like home. It’s comforting and beautiful. I can sing along to almost the entire album, and I feel like I’ve never actually sat and listened straight through.
4-Star Albums (73)
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
Snoop Dogg
4/5
An absolute West Coast hip hop classic. This sound defined an era. Wacky intros/outros, Dre beats, rapping about bitches, drugs, and the streets. A lot of lyrics that'll make you cringe, but man, "Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)" is my favorite Snoop song and I'll sing along with my whole heart forever lol
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I smoke way too much weed to not be more in to Bob Marley than I am, but reggae just never quite grabs me. I respect the hell out of him, his music, his message, his legend, though. I gave this album a couple listens today too, the few stand out repeat listens: "No Woman No Cry," "Them Belly Full," and "Natty Dread."
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
That sweet sound of 80s synth pop music. She was way more punk than Madonna - but Cyndi was just as much a Queen of Pop. An iconic female vocalist - one I can only dream of being able to sing a long with (those high notes are no joke!) Not the kind of record I'd sit and listen to front to back again, it kind of gets weird at the end...or maybe it's just that there's too many hits at the front of this one. When Cyndi comes on the radio, I'll never change it. I forgot what a jam "All Through The Night" is.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This is the kind of album you put on in the late afternoon in the Springtime, when it's still bright out, everyone is outside, but before you have to start making dinner. Funky, groovy, easy listening. Not a song on here will bring down the vibes. Low key stand out "I Believe."
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is what *my* soul music sounds like - the piercing harmonica notes, guitar strumming, with his troubled voice, and thoughtful, smart lyrics. This album reminds me of my Dad, it reminds me of being in college and finally being ready to get schooled on some of music's all-time greats. A front-to-back listen makes me feel sad, melancholy, but somehow hopeful. An American Classic.
The Killers
5/5
I liked this album when it came out, even though all my friends thought they were too cool to like The Killers. 20 years later and this album still holds up, certified millennial bangers start to finish. Haters gonna hate.
Radiohead
3/5
The first time I heard "Fake Plastic Trees" was in the movie Clueless. "Yuck! The maudlin music of the university station. What is it about college and cry baby music?" This song made 10 year old me feel emo before I even knew what emo was. When I later heard Radiohead's more electronic music I was shocked, because this acoustic Thom Yorke is what I knew. That soundtrack is still my all time favorite, too.
That being said, this was a really great listen. I think it's definitely overlooked when selecting a Radiohead album. I've overlooked it, and it might be one of their best. Thom's voice really hits me in these songs. I feel them deeply...or maybe that's just the 10 year old emo in me. Other favorites: "(Nice Dream)" "High And Dry"
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
At a loss for words with this one. I need to beef up my musical vocabulary so I can speak more eloquently about my musical tastes. It's a good album, I know it's an absolute classic. Iconic album cover as well. The recognizable hits on here are all total jams. Giving it a solid middle-of-the-road rating, I look forward to listening to more Elvis Costello - I know in this project there's plenty more to come.
Björk
4/5
I’m familiar with Björk, but have never really sat to listen to any of her full albums. I wasn’t aware how many club bangers were tucked in to this album. I’m a big fan of “There’s More To Life Than This”, “Violently Happy,” “Crying” and “Big Time Sensuality.”
For me, I think it’s Björk’s vocal melodies that make certain songs feel uncomfortable. She’s such a powerful vocalist, so she can pull it off, but I’m definitely a bigger fan of the poppier, dance stuff.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Funky, groovy, jazzy. "Sly" got a bit overwhelming/uncomfortable, but just about any good jazz will do that to me. Solid 20 minute start to this album, no notes, just vibes.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Something about Cat Stevens voice that makes every song sound like a memory from a time or a place that may not even be my own. It's like a soundtrack to an old familiar movie. Uplifting, energizing, but also sad and somber.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
This reminds me of the early days of shopping for vinyl records, desperately trying to beef up the small collection. I feel like it was a first-purchase for many indie, young, millennial college students - probably because you could find it at almost any thrift store, or because there was a song on the Garden State soundtrack, and we all felt hip for knowing it from its original album. That being said, it's one of the greats for a reason. The whole album feels like a soft, nostalgic lullaby, with appropriate hand-clapping and foot-tapping breaks. The kind of album you know all the words to without even trying. "The Boxer" will get an instant repeat listen almost anytime I hear it in the car.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
First time listening to this full album. McCartney's voice will always be so recognizable. After JUST finishing the album "Bridge Over Troubled Water" I can't help but hear a Simon & Garfunkel influence (very specifically in "Mamunia") - but maybe that's just the sound of the early 70s. Solid listen, McCartney proving he's going to make catchy sing-a-long rock'n'roll with or without The Beatles.
The Stone Roses
4/5
This was a new discovery/listen for me, so that's exciting. I'm surprised I've never heard of The Stone Roses before, as a lot of the indie music I was in to in the early 2000s sounds like they took inspiration from them - bands like The Shins, Animal Collective, come to mind. I'm also surprised this came out in 1989, because I can also hear heavy influence from late 60s/70s rock'n'roll. At times trippy, not too heavy, with some euphoric vocals.
Cornershop
2/5
Another first time listen here. I went in not knowing what genre, what to expect, or anything about the artist...and TBH, I'm still not really sure. Is this Bollywood? Rock? Folk? Funk? Whatever genre it was, it didn't really land any of them for me. Felt like background music that just kind of stayed in the background, which is too bad because there's some unique influence in there. There were a few tracks that could have been edited out of the final track list, but I did appreciate the "Norwegian Wood" cover at the end.
Stan Getz
5/5
I love this album. Like many, this is what got me in to Brazilian jazz, bossanova nova. I still don’t listen to much, but it’s such pleasant, easy listening. There’s almost no other soundtrack I’d want when I’m sitting poolside with a cocktail. It sounds like vacation.
The Band
2/5
The Band sounds like the music I grew up listening to with my Dad. Back then, nothing really stood out to me as super catchy, no lyrics stuck with me to sing along with, it was just kind of generic “Dad music” that I tolerated. Decades later, I feel exactly the same about this. I really tried to give this a couple listens, give myself the time to sit with this classic and appreciate it - but I kept finding myself slightly bored, and reaching for the skip next track button. It’s not unlistenable music, just falls flat for Rock n Roll.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Some real electro-pop. It’s 90s, it’s gay, it’s beautiful. “A Different Point Of View” is the kind of song that makes me want to stand in the center of the dance floor and sway around with my eyes closed and arms above my head.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
4/5
This album made me sad. As I’m making my way through the list, there are so many albums I wish I could talk to my Dad about - this was definitely one of them. It sounds like something he would have liked, and maybe even something his dad would have liked too (especially the yodeling in there.) And it’s because they’d love, I love it. I know he’d have all the good back stories and tidbits on his influence and collaborators throughout his career. Jack sure is ramblin’ but I can appreciate it. It’s Americana, simple, but the songs will stick with you and pierce ya right in the heart. It did for me.
Fugazi
3/5
This was never really my thing, and even when it kind of was - I was more in to pop punk, than punk rock. But I can appreciate this album, and what Fugazi did for the scene. I was actually happy to give this a listen, because it’s not an album I would have played on my own. It’s hardcore rock and screaming lyrics, but it’s dialed and tight - what many many bands after them were influenced to do, and just didn’t do as well.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
These are the kinds of albums that make me most excited to get through this project. I know there is so much music out there I've never heard, and wouldn't know where to look. The language barrier isn't an issue for me, as I can barely understand or retain the lyrics for most English songs. I go off melodies, vibes...it's a feeling. Solid groovy, funky, rock. The vibes here are strong, and I respect the hell out of artists who make music out of protest and defiance. These songs needed to be made, and I'm glad they did, despite the laws they were fleeing.
Prince
5/5
This is when I learned TLC’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend” was actually a Prince cover. So that’s cool. This album is eclectic and smart. Prince is a powerhouse musician and vocalist. My Dad was a big fan of Prince, so I grew up with his music on - I wish I could talk to him about this album, especially compared to his others. I always knew Prince was cool, and this album feels cool to listen to.
Santana
3/5
Sexy and groovy, but it also rips and wails. Santana is a guitar legend. This was a solid listen, and at under 40 mins it's honestly the perfect length album.
CHIC
4/5
A bunch of hits on here that I recognized, but was never aware of CHIC. The first couple of songs had “chic” in the lyrics and I was kind of hoping they’d keep that going through the whole thing. This is solid disco. Put this on the dance floor and you’ve got me grooving and moving. Great sound, great beats, great production.
Björk
3/5
Powerful, weird, whimsy, dark, and breathy. I can’t tell where one song ends and the next begins in this Icelandic fairytale.
Pearl Jam
2/5
I think people either love Pearl Jam, or they're indifferent. I'm of the later. That being said, I don't know anyone who *hates* Pearl Jam. This album was fine. It just sounds like the kind of music I'd hear playing loudly out of some white-dude's garage. Big room rock. Big room vocals. I know there was something revolutionary about the band when this album came out, but 30 years later it just feels kind of whatever.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Give me a martini, a cigarette, and drop me at a round table in the back of a smokey back alley downtown bar. Surrounded by a bunch of fellow music heads, we all scrunch our faces, and shake our heads at the hard blues and big feelings. This is the place to be, and the music to be listening to.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Raw, gritty, filthy, punk rock. Love to see a female front-woman fucking rocking out and screaming, even if the music doesn't speak to me. Sounds like it was recorded in someone's garage.
Talk Talk
2/5
“Hey Siri, what does the 1980’s sound like?” *queues up this album*
There couldn’t be more cliché mid-80’s power ballad pop rock. It’s neither good nor bad, just a decent of-the-time-period background soundtrack. There weren’t any recognizable stand-out hits from this album.
Soft Machine
2/5
A few minutes into the first track and I was ready to give this album a 1, but after making my way through it - solid 2. Will I ever rate an album a 1?! This was listenable, and a 1 IMO is not.
Wandering, nonsensical jazz is not my thing. I'm itching for more structure and melody. The vocals don't add much at all here either, would possibly prefer just the music. Flute goes hard at times.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
She’s an icon, she’s a legend. We know this. I knew this album would be good, but I’m so thankful to have given it a listen - multiple listens. This one is going to stay in rotation for a while. I want to keep feeling her voice and the music. She sounds so young here, but so powerful and commanding. I want to learn all the lyrics and belt them out in my car. An important album and artist.
5/5
I'm ashamed to admit I have not familiarized myself with The Kinks discography like I should have. I assumed they'd be more hard rock, less pop. I also wasn't aware they were comparable to The Beatles, which is silly of me - now I know, and I feel there is room for all on the scene. This was a great listen. Whimsy, playful, catchy British rock n roll. It's fun, I was engaged. This is another one I'll have to keep on repeat for a while.
Muddy Waters
5/5
I'm not typically a big fan of live albums, they always feel like "best of" albums - something that's great for the people who were there, but whatever for the at-home listener. Because of that, I felt surprised there was a live album on this list - considering he has so many other studio albums. However, this was one steller at-home listen. (And since listening to his studio album "Hard Again," I actually prefer this.)
This album was apparently considered the FIRST live blues album - so that's great, and worthy of making the list. This album sounds way ahead of it's time, I can't believe this was 1960. Way more rockin' than what you'd think when you're hear "blues music," but became its own iconic sound. Harmonica like I've never heard it before.
* Edit: Coming back to this album to change my rating from a 4 to a 5, especially considering what I said about live albums before. This album is excellent, and the fact that it was recorded live makes it that much cooler. THIS is the blues I want to listen to. It's raw, soulful, and pretty damn perfect.
Tears For Fears
4/5
I'm way more in to the power synth rock versus the power saxophone ballads. But the vocals are like creamy butter throughout. There are too many hits on here to handle. I love the sound of the 80s, and this is really it.
Beastie Boys
5/5
What’s to say. I grew up listening to the Beastie Boys. My Dad was a huge fan. It wasn’t until I was older that I got in to them on my own - specifically their older stuff, this stuff. It’s iconic. Nobody sounds like this, and if they did they’d be told they’re just ripping off the Beastie Boys. Instant 5 stars, no questions. I had a great time listening to this a couple times today, even though it’s a regular record pull in our household. “Shadrach” is one of my all time favorite Beasties song.
Alice In Chains
1/5
I listened, talked about, and thought about this album all weekend long. I've been saying that I think I spend more time listening to the albums I don't like, than I do listening to the albums I know are an instant 5 stars for me. I need to listen enough to figure out why I don't like it, or if I can really justify a low rating.
I've decided, after much consideration, to give this a 1. The curve has to bend somewhere, and I do not like this album.
Wailing guitar, screaming, whining vocals. It's loud, it's all too much. Too much drum, too much guitar, too much vocal, not enough melody.
When this music was popular I was still listening to my parent’s cassette tapes, and stuff like Boys II Men and En Vogue on the radio. Grunge wasn’t around me growing up, and I never journeyed myself that direction later in life. It’s hard for me to get in to this now, and without any 90s nostalgia it really is a miss for me.
It's not a bad album, it's not unlistenable. This is just not my kind of rock n roll.
The White Stripes
3/5
This record was on repeat in our household when it came out. Likely because it was one of the few newer vinyl records we owned. These were my indie sleaze good ol days, and listening to this will always make me think of that time. It has some stand out tracks, certified bangers, but there’s a lot more filler on this album that I had forgotten about.
Norah Jones
3/5
This album feels soft, sultry, bluesy, nostalgic. 2002 was still riding the Lilith Fair train with female powerhouse singer/songwriters. I loved it then, but it’s not something I’d pick to put on. Very pleasant rainy day listen.
Khaled
2/5
I enjoy listening to more music from around the world. I wish this project wasn't so heavily focused Western artists. That being said, this was a good album - but didn't stand out as fantastic. The songs I enjoyed the most were the more traditional sounds of Rai/Middle Eastern/Arabic music - less 90's pop. Some good beats and melodies in there, but also a lot of filler.
Supergrass
3/5
I've been listening to so much 60s/70s rock n roll with this project that I quickly assumed this was another from that era - but after listening, it's absolutely a 90s rock/alt/grunge album. I actually became aware of Supergrass in the 90s, right around when their first album was released - because, again, they had a song on the Clueless soundtrack. Turns out that soundtrack was extremely influential to music listening in my Tweens.
This record grew on me more after a couple listens. After the first I wasn't really catching a vibe. I'm just a pop girly, and this was loud and eclectic. But there were some catchy moments in here, which brought me around.
Charles Mingus
4/5
You know I love a 40 minute album. I feel like I'll give any album a listen if it's under an hour.
Without any vocals, when I listen to Jazz, my brain always places it as a soundtrack for something. This album takes you on a journey from a sunny Sunday afternoon brunch kind of sound, to a stressful, murder mystery in a dark alleyway. Some real peaks and valleys here - making it hard for me to pick the right mood to be in to put something like this on. There's a lot going on, I saw someone call it "organized chaos," and I think that perfectly describes how I feel about good Jazz music - organized being the key word here for me to enjoy it. This is quality jazz though, and I can appreciate that.
I was actually surprised to recognize some of it: "Track C" is so familiar and I'm not sure where I know it from.
Sigur Rós
4/5
This album is the soundtrack for coming out of a long, cold winter and feeling the sunshine for the first time in months. It's dark, yet uplifting. A beautiful, sad lullaby.
Stephen Stills
4/5
This is the album you play driving down a country dirt road, which is great because I live down a country dirt road. It's Americana, just enough country. I could have done without the Jesus song though.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
You know what? Hell yeah. Why not make 69 love songs? The songs are cute, whimsy, charming - even if sometimes you have to sing lyrics like, “I can keep it up all night, I can keep it up all day” (in Let’s Pretend We’re Bunny Rabbits).
I was pleasantly surprised with how many of these songs I recognized and could sing along with. The vocalists are all fantastic.
Sure, maybe didn’t need 2 hours and 45 minutes of this, but I appreciate the commitment. It didn’t blow me away, but I’m giving it 4 stars because I definitely want to return for repeat listens…all 3 hours of it.
Beyoncé
3/5
This is Beyoncé's horny bad bitch era, and I honestly love it. She's singing, she's rapping. She left the pop category, and started making her own. I, admittedly, didn't dive in to listening to this full album until after her Coachella performance (years after this released), but "Drunk in Love" was inescapable. I was also late to Lemonade, but once I went there then I began to dig more in to her discography, and have kept up with her new releases since. This isn't my favorite Beyoncé album, we'll get to that one later here I'm sure. It's actually not even my second favorite - but she produces hits and banging tracks. Tempted to rate this higher just to contradict all the 1-star haters of the Global Reviews here.
My fave track: "Partition"
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I've never been the biggest Stones fan, but "Wild Horses" might be one of my favorite songs from their discography. This album feels raw, polished and tight. There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said about them for decades. Being familiar with their songs, but not necessarily each album, it's hard to place where this one will compare against their others on the list - so I look forward to hearing more. We listen to this one a lot in our household.
The Pogues
4/5
This is fun, folk, punk, Celtic rock. It's in my blood that I have to like this, and I do! It's for yelling in a crowded pub, beers spilling everywhere, someone is probably going to get in a fight. Plus he's an excellent storyteller, every song reads like a journey over green rolling Irish hills.
And as a lover of Christmas music, I can't deny what an all-time classic "Fairytale of New York" is. One of my favorites.
R.E.M.
5/5
R.E.M. was one of those bands I grew up listening to, but not on purpose. I feel like they were all over the radio and MTV, and their sound is so specific to my 90's memories. I've always loved Michael Stipe's voice and passion when performing. I feel like they get lumped in to a category with U2 Counting Crows - but somehow they feel less cheesy? This was a quality listen, and I'm looking forward to diving more in to the discography. I may not always be in the mood for this kind of music, but it definitely has its place.
** Changing my 4 star rating to 5 because I've had this album on repeat all weekend. Can't stop, and it gets better with each listen. "Man On The Moon" is a stand out highlight, it is so fun to sing a long with. Might need to add it to my Karaoke repertoire. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight" is another great one.
So, to change my review...I am always in the mood for this, and it'll have it's place as one of my newly considered all-time favorite albums.
Adele
3/5
I can’t tell if I like this because it’s good or if I just recognize every song on here and I like listening to music I’m familiar with. I think Adele is great and can’t deny her talent.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
This is the perfect album for sitting down and getting shit done. I put this on in my car and paused it after a few tracks because this is productivity music. Great beats, easy to concentrate to, non-distracting. Not for roadtrip sing-a-longs. I instantly recognized a sample from the first track. This feels like a classic, and I admit I had never listened before, though I've been familiar. I'll come back to this one in my work-from-home days in the future.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This is another album I wish I could talk to my Dad about. It came out the year after he graduated high school, I know he was in to this. I want to know his favorite songs. He always told the story about how he went to Bob Dylan's "last tour ever," and then felt like he deserved compensation because he went on to keep touring for decades after that.
All that being said, I really enjoyed this album. It doesn't have the nostalgia/sentimentality that 'Freewheelin' has for me, probably because I haven't listened to it nearly as much. It feels a bit more polished, more rock, but still just as soulful...and bluesy? His voice, paired with the harmonica feels like blues music to me. He's another incredible story teller. I tend to overlook lyrics and go off vibes and melodies, but it's hard not to get pulled in to the words he's saying. It's like he's teaching you something you need to learn.
AC/DC
3/5
I listened to this a couple times so I could pick out my favorite songs, but they all kind of start to sound the same. Wailing guitar, screeching vocals. This music almost feels like a caricature of itself now, but this was the OG, the real shit. I actually enjoy it though. I’d put this album on in the Summer by the lake when I’m trying to make friends and score free beers from the Gen X bros next to me.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
The first song on this album my Dad had on an iPod playlist he made called “Chilloungica.” His music interests were so vast, and I’ll forever credit him for my own love for all kinds of music. It pleases me imaging him grooving to these tunes.
Being only familiar with the mega hit “Missing” from these artists, this album was a new listen for me. I dig the mid-90s house/DnB music vibes - something I didn’t call it then, but as I got older I realized I’ve been into electronic music well before I got in to “raving.” That hit single was so popular, and so engrained in my brain, that at least once in every song here I thought she was going to start singing those lyrics.
I always appreciate when I get something other than rock-n-roll on this list.
50 Cent
5/5
So, I did not expect to give this album a 5 star rating. 50 Cent has never been one of my all time favorite artists, and I frankly had never consider this one of the greatest hip hop albums either. However, after making my way through this whole album for the first time in probably 20 years I'll go ahead and say that it absolutely holds up. This came out my Senior year of high school and pretty much defines the sound of prom for my graduating class, and our first-year college parties. I knew I'd enjoy it for pure nostalgia reasons, but there wasn't a single track on this album that made me want to reach for the skip button. It's pretty much banger after banger, with "21 Questions" being one of my favorite rap songs. There are just so many catchy hooks, so many catchy beats. Is this album as good as Aretha's or Simon and Garfunkel's, which I've already rated 5 stars? No, but I saw another review saying "not all 5s are equal," and while I didn't consider 50 Cent as the same legend like they are - I believe it to be one of the best rap albums of the 2000s, and absolutely worth of a top spot on my own personal Best Of lists.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
I am shocked I wasn't aware of this album or artist. This classic underground hip hop was my jam for a lot of years. I wasn't listening to this in 1994, but high school in to college. It's exciting to discover something new. Good beats, excellent rhymes.
The Who
3/5
I'm familiar with The Who as a band, but have never given them a listen. I went in with no expectations. It's so theatrical! Am I listening to a musical?! Yes, apparently I am...a "rock opera," in fact. I actually dig it, but it was a tad long. So many songs felt like an intro, or like it was building up to something that never quite got there. Are there choruses in these songs, or is it just verse, verse, verse, next song? Also, the story of Tommy is actually quite dark.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Perfect, sleepy little album. Great for a late afternoon nap outside in the hammock.
Patti Smith
2/5
If I'm being honest, I really wanted to like this a whole lot more than I did. I know she's a legend. I much prefer her singing voice to her talking, screaming, wailing...or whatever she's doing in "Birdland." There's a consensus amongst my low rated rock/punk albums and it's screeching vocals, I'm just not a fan. It's uncomfortable to listen to, and it's just really not my vibe. "Gloria," "Free Money," and "Kimberly" were all great tracks, and she's definitely a good lyricist. I'm not sure where this lands on a scale of 1-5. I like it more than most of my 2 star ratings so far, but less than my 3 stars. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If this is her first album, I hope we get a few more from her discography, because I'd love to hear how she progresses. Maybe I'll like it, maybe I won't, but happy to listen.
Elastica
2/5
This was fine. I liked some songs, I didn't really care for others, but nothing was really fantastic or distinguishable from any other 90s alt/grunge/rock. I feel like I heard one of these songs in an episode of some 30-minute sitcom in 1996. I'd throw one or two songs on a playlist in the future and enjoy it, but I don't need to listen to the full album again.
Elvis Costello
4/5
I don't know why it takes me longer to rate these Elvis Costello albums than others. I'm not as familiar with his music as other legends on this list, and I know I like it, I know I should like it, and I know I want to like it more. I preferred this album to "This Year's Model." His discography feels like something I want to spend some time with...longer than a day, and I could see this sliding up higher on the scale. I need to dig through my Dad's records, I feel like I remember seeing this album cover in there and that would be the best way to give this repeat listens. One of my favorite album covers yet, actually.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
This is peak hip hop for me. This is the good good stuff. Q-Tip might possibly be my favorite rapper. His flow is unmatched - he sounds cool as hell, and so smooth...like butter, baby. Then him, alongside Phife, and it's just undeniably great. They're all legends, and this album is legendary. Every song has my head bopping along to the beat. I didn't have to listen to this one to know I was giving it 5 stars, but of course I did! I'd listen to this one any day, any time. It's THE vibe, and stuff.
The Who
3/5
I liked this album more than "Tommy." Unlike the last rock opera, these songs felt complete with versus and choruses and hooks. They each had something that grabbed me. "Baba O'Riley" is an undeniable classic, and a strong start to the album, set the tone moving through the rest for me.
The Undertones
3/5
Fun little punk rock album. Songs were quick, album was an easy listen. Grab a beer, and put this one on at a house party for a good time.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
This is the perfect album for a Spring day - outside doing yard work, or cleaning the house with all the windows open. Neither of which I did while listening to this, but it would be perfect for that. I can definitely hear some Beatles influence, and Queen at times. I love their vocals and harmonies.
The Cult
1/5
It's just not for me. I am not The Cult's target demographic. Album cover is wicked, songs on the album are not. Generic hard rock, wailing guitar, kind-of-bad vocals, especially on the cover of "Born To Be Wild." I was surprised to see Rick Rubin produced this, but that's probably why someone felt like it was worthy of being on this list.
Steely Dan
3/5
I listened to this driving down a 2 lane road at sunset, surrounded by Joshua Trees, pink sky, orange hills. The vibes were right. Some interesting and unique arrangements. I like the country rock more than the jam band stuff.
Radiohead
2/5
I put off listening to this one for over a week, and I'm rating it because I'm sick of this generator site telling me I haven't rated it yet. Let's move on.
Radiohead is such a specific vibe and sound, that I feel like I've really got to be in the mood to digest it. I'm also aware I'm not the biggest Radiohead fan, but the thing that excites me about this project is making myself listen to full albums of artists I respect, but never really got in to.
I dig their sound. It's different, uniquely them. It's the hypnotic, whining vocals that I get hung up on. That along with the sleepy, ominous music that feels too cinematic to put on for some casual listening.
Tracks like "Pulk/Pull" are hardly a song. I'm just trying to have a nice time here with my listening. Maybe I'm not experimental enough for this band.
John Grant
2/5
I'm surprised I haven't heard of John Grant before. In 2010, this was exactly the kind of music I was in to. Which is maybe why I can't get in to this now...it sounds like everything else I was already listening to. I do not hate this, I'm just kind of bored by it? I hate to use the word "derivative," but that's what came to mind. He's got a great voice, the music is good and even kind of catchy at times, and I respect a musician who is delivering a message or statement with their lyrics. I could see myself giving this a higher rating after spending more time listening to it, but with so much other music out there that excites me...I don't really care to?
The Darkness
3/5
"I Believe In A Thing Called Love" is such an undeniable top hit. Yeah, it was absolutely everywhere when it came out, but it's a fun earworm and I'll sing along with those high notes anytime it's on. The rest of the album sounds like any other glam/hair/rock, but I guess the interesting thing about The Darkness is they were doing this a good 20? 30? years after it's prime. Good for them, I'm sure they had fun making the album.
The National
3/5
Love the music, love his voice. I never quite got in to The National, like many of my peers did. Not really sure why, but this album didn't grab me like I was expecting it to. It's kind of a one-note album, and while that note is solid...I think maybe I'd enjoy some of their others more than this one.
Neil Young
4/5
It's so hard for me not to be nostalgic for this album. It reminds me of my Dad, it reminds me of listening to classic records in college. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a sucker for a soulful harmonica and crooning voice. It's beautiful, and full of heart - a heart of GOLD, in fact.
Jethro Tull
3/5
This was different than I expected, in a good way. I assumed butt rock, and it was more folky/prog rock. The flute was an interesting touch, yet there's probably a reason we don't hear more of it in rock n roll. I'd listen to this again, but I'm still sticking it with my 3's because it didn't knock my socks off or anything.
Madness
2/5
If it weren't for "Our House" this album would be a dud, but that song really is a jam. I do enjoy the whimsy sounds, it's different and kept my interest, but the majority of the songs are just okay. Was able to give the entire album a listen on YouTube.
Beatles
5/5
Probably the most quintessential Beatles album. I knew this would be a 5 for me, but it was fun to listen again after rating a bunch of other classics from the same era. Nobody else sounded like this- this polished, this whimsy, this rock n rolling. Each song feels unique and that's exciting, especially for repeat listens - and boy, has this one been repeated. It's fun, but not kitschy. It's actually not even my favorite Beatles record, but it's probably their best.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
I loved this. If at any moment someone says, "Hey, let me put on an album," and this is what they play - I'd enjoy it. It's pleasant, it's easy listening, it feels casual, but also makes me want a cigarette and martini.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I was excited to listen to this, it was a new one for me. Right off the bat I recognized “Sunday Morning,” great song. I expected this to be more hard rock, but they were actually kinda pleasant easy listening pop rock songs. They still got weird there at the end with the more experimental instrumentation cacophony sounds. And hey, cool album cover.
Marty Robbins
5/5
Once again, I love this. It sounds like my Gramps singing songs and sharing stories around the campfire. It sounds nostalgic and familiar, it sounds like home. My Dad's side of the family always loved this Western music, and I'll continue to love it too.
The Byrds
3/5
I'm a sucker for that 1960's vocal harmonizing. Pleasant tunes, interesting arrangements and instruments. So much music from this era sounds so Beatles-esque. I have a hard time remembering who influenced who or who was collaborating with who.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Surprisingly good soul album from this white lady in Memphis...I actually don't know if she's from Memphis. "Son Of A Preacher Man" feels like one of those songs you'd know if you weren't trying to - but the rest of this album is actually great too. Sexy, soulful, and lovely.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Happy to listen to anything that’s not US/UK rock, I wish this list had more music from around the world. Unique sounds and arrangements, but overall an enjoyable listen. Perfect for a late Summer afternoon.
Miles Davis
5/5
Now this is the kind of jazz I can get behind. 32 minutes of quality, pleasant listening. When it was over I was ready for more.
Metallica
2/5
This isn't bad, I just don't like it. Or maybe it is bad, but I've grown up skipping past this stuff on the radio so I'm just used to it. His singing/screaming just sounds so cheesy. Metal sucks.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Whimsy, ethereal indie pop rock - perfect for a slow, peaceful morning. I’ve heard some of these songs in my life, never listened to the complete album. Will listen again!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
This album reminds me of the movie "Almost Famous." I don't know if CCR is on that soundtrack, but that's the vibe here. Just a bunch of traveling free-spirits. His vocals are energizing and exciting. Singing to good-time tunes. "Bad Moon Rising" is one of the all time greats.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
This was fun, I was just getting in to it and then the album was over! So I listened to it straight through again. Lots of recognizable hits, many of which are covers I think? I find it strange to add live albums to this list, but I guess they’re important?
*Edit: apparently Spotify doesn’t have the full album, so that’s why it was short. I’ll find the full length and give that a listen eventually. Probably won’t change my rating.
Television
3/5
Cool guitar riffs, sexy vocals. I can hear the influence of this band on music that came from my generation.
Van Halen
4/5
It's butt rock, but less butt and better rock. I need to remember this album when I'm trying to get pumped up for something. I'm not a marathon runner, but if I were, this would be a good one to run to. "Jump" is a damn good track.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Easy listening. I actually prefer the funkier tracks to the more smooth R&B. Only really familiar with Marvin Gaye’s hits, so it was nice to hear something new.
Missy Elliott
4/5
This album was a peak high school listen for me, and I honestly don’t remember the last time I listened to the entire thing. Missy is one of the greatest female rappers, and hell, one of the greatest of our generation. Coming off watching her Coachella performance this year, I was excited to get some of her albums in this generator. There’s some obvious bangers and notorious hit, but “Slide” came in as an understated B-Side and now I’ve got that on repeat for the day.
10cc
4/5
I dig this. It's fun, kind of wacky, but kept my interest. It feels like some of the music I was listening to in the mid-2000s was inspired by 10cc - bands like Of Montreal, or The Shins. I get bored by all the 70s classic rock on this list, so anything that deviates from that is exciting for me.
R.E.M.
4/5
The first REM album I got on this generator was on repeat for over a week. I was so excited to see another in their discography…since I’m a new FAN! I didn’t initially love this as much as “Automatic For The People,” but knowing this was their debut record is pretty astounding. They were already dialed in to their sound. I, once again, absolutely love Micheal Stipe’s voice. It’s good, in a bad way, or it’s kind of bad for a good voice? I dig it, and I dig this band. I will definitely be listening to more.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I'm not currently on enough psychedelics to fully appreciate this record. It's groovin, rockin, trippy, and sexy. I know my Dad was in to this, and for him I enjoyed the listen. Maybe I'll go smoke some weed now.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Everything I thought I knew about Goldfrapp was a lie. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was different than that. I was hoping for something a bit more dancey, less moody spy music. Her meowing voice reminded me of the Björk songs I'm not in to.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I keep trying to like Elvis Costello more than I do. I’m not sure what I’m reaching for here. The album cover is awesome. The first two songs are great, then the rest of the record didn’t really grab me. I enjoyed it more upon repeat listens, but I’m not sure this one will stay in heavy rotation.
Public Enemy
4/5
I love their rap style/flow, great beats, absolute legends. I "grew up" with the hip hop from the 90s and early 2000s, but the rap from the 80s really is my jam.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
I'll be honest, I liked this more than I expected to. It kept my interest, it was exciting, and I was surprised how many of these songs I already recognized. I never got in to this music, and frankly, I don't think I ever really will be "in to it," but was a good listen. I was on a roadtrip to Vegas, and actually gave this a couple repeat listens over the weekend.
Blur
3/5
Ohhhh, it’s THAT song. I recognize that song. Such an iconic “WOO HOO.” I’m actually surprised to see this album came out in ‘97 - but after listening to it, it definitely sounds like the 90s. A lot of sleeper songs in between the cool songs.
Pantera
1/5
I got this album served to me on a Monday, and I've put off listening to it all week. Decided to just get it over with, and I hate it just as much as I expected. I don't like metal, I don't like screaming, it's all just too much and overwhelming. It's not enjoyable, and my ratings are purely based on my own personal listenability. This is literally not fun. I don't even want to give this a repeat listen, like I did with my other 1-star hard rock album. It's just a no for me, I got through it, and never need to again. I DID listen front to back though. I’ll give every album an honest listen.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Sensual, soulful, perfect for a quiet slow morning...or a sexy evening with some wine.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Okay, so I dig 80s goth music. Based on the band name, and all the rest of the music I’ve been served this week, I was expecting this to be metal or hard rock. I was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t. It’s dark, breathy vocals, synths and some kind of wave…new wave, dark wave, goth wave.
Massive Attack
3/5
Good album to work to, catch a vibe in the background. Different than what I expected from the band name, and after listening to metal this week.
John Lennon
4/5
I’m more of a Paul-person than a John-person, and if you put the cheese-factor aside for the title track, this is actually a very pleasant album. His political lyrics and messaging are masked by lovely tunes and vocals.
Kraftwerk
4/5
I am shocked this came out in 1978. True pioneers of this sound, and it’s even more impressive that they’re still keeping at it and just as relevant today. This sounds like a couple of smart nerds making cool sounds on machines, and I love it.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Pretty good post punk new wave brit pop rock 80's record.
The Police
3/5
Lots of sounds and influences happening here. I was surprised, and I was ready to give it a full extra point just for “Every Breath You Take” all on its own. By surprised, I don’t mean that in a good way. What the hell were they doing with “Mother” on that poor track?! I much prefer all the songs with big cheesy Sting vocals, like I was expecting.
Nas
5/5
Another album I can safely claim as one of the best hip hop albums of all time. I had the pleasure of watching him perform this front to back at Coachella forever ago. He’s one of the best story tellers, so many iconic lyrics on this record. “I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.”
David Bowie
4/5
I have not listened to much Bowie, and I'm excited for that to change. I'm familiar with his hits, but have never given his albums a full listen. This was good, didn't initially grab me, but I didn't expect it to. We listened to this on a roadtrip, and I actually fell asleep during the orchestral last portion of the album...which is a good thing, not a negative! It was lovely. I'm giving this a 4 for now so I can spend a bit more time listening to it.
5/5
I almost tried to pull a real music critic move and not give this an automatic 5 stars. Then I had my headphones in, walking down the street, turned up the volume and when the chorus hit in “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” I literally got chills and couldn’t help but sing out loud. If a song and album can still do that to me, after hundreds of listens, then it’s worth all the stars.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
First of all, “Hot Buttered Soul” is an incredible album name. +1 star for that album title alone. Some song I know, but can’t place, sampled vocals from the first song “Walk On By,” I always love coming across the original like this. Next time I hear it, I’ll know where it from!
This was soulful, groovy, and another album I’m shocked came out in the 60’s. I may not have ever listened to this in its entirety if it weren’t for this project, it was a good one.
Tim Buckley
2/5
In the same vein as music like Peter Paul & Mary…I’m just not in to it. Hippy, free spirit, but somehow kind of churchy folk rock?
Depeche Mode
4/5
Is this album full of hits? Not necessarily, but the vibes are right. I always knew I’d like Depeche Mode, was happy to finally give them an honest listen.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Man, this lady comes with the hits. Yea, they’re cover songs, but done so well, in to a pleasant, cohesive sound. I was unfamiliar with her name last time her album was generated, so I was excited to get another from her.
Buck Owens
5/5
This is my favorite kind of country western music. It reminds me of my Dad, and that right there is enough to give it 5 stars. I’ll croon along to these tunes around a campfire anytime.
Brian Eno
2/5
The songs that were actual songs were good. The ones that were just weird experimental noises were not that good.
The Beach Boys
5/5
I love The Beach Boys. I think my Dad had one of their greatest hits albums when I was a kid, because I know these songs so deeply. “Kokomo” was probably my favorite song growing up, which I later learned is considered the worst Beach Boys song ever. Pet Sounds is obviously incredible, but I still love me just their good ol’ beach songs like this album. Incredible vocals, beautiful productions, good vibes.
Beck
5/5
Fun loser Beck is good, but I love sad melancholy Beck too. This is actually one of my favorite Beck albums. It felt like such a hard turn from his other stuff. “Lost Cause” is such a beautiful song.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
I was at Tom Petty’s very last show ever. We sat in the very back row of the Hollywood Bowl. He put on an incredible performance, one of the best. As we were leaving I made a comment about how next time I’d be willing to spend the big bucks to be closer. I’m just thankful I got to see him at all. He’s a legend. He’s the coolest.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I wanted to like this more than I did. Frankly, there was just too many songs and they all kind of sounded the same. I love his voice though, and love the vibes.
John Martyn
3/5
Every song felt like it took me through a different genre. Went from jazzy, to folky, to kinda psychedelic, to Americana, and a little blues?
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Another album with loud distorted guitar, yipping and yelling vocals, and kinda shitty drum tones. “Voodoo Dolly” was scary.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I liked this more than I thought I would. Maybe I’ve never actually listened to The Flaming Lips. They went on some weird tangents, but overall a pretty pleasant listen.
Elliott Smith
3/5
The epitome of coffee shop music.
Primal Scream
2/5
First of all, I think this band name is terrible, because if I'm going off first impressions then the vibes are already off. Wasn't sure what I was getting myself in to, and it was better than I expected...but still not good? Too dark, too many weird noises, didn't like the vocals, dark alley trash can drums, and windy whispering synth sounds.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
A very pleasant listen. Giving this a high rating because I don’t know enough jazz or classical piano, so if I’m in the mood for that - this is what I want to put on. I feel a lot of classical music sounds very heavy, emotional, sad - while the majority of this actually felt very positive, or uplifting. I love hearing him throughout the recording as well.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
This is what I imagine the coffee shop on the show Friends sounds like.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Good ol’ Neil. He’s just having a Crazy Horse time.
John Coltrane
3/5
I respect the jazz, but I do not love the jazz. I know this is good, but it’s a lot to listen to as a casual listener.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Other than her hits, I’m not sure I’ve ever listened to a full Dolly album - and this one was perfect to start with. She’s so prolific, I didn’t know where to dive in. Big fan of this early 70s country. It’s western, but it’s soulful.
Carpenters
3/5
It’s like Peter, Paul & Mary…but better and kind of cooler? I grew up hearing “(They Long To Be) Close To You” on some late night infomercial. Do the Carpenters have a Christmas album, going off vibes here but I feel like I’d be in to it. The last song of the album takes a surprising psychedelic rock jazz turn.
Talking Heads
4/5
I saw someone call this album “boring,” and I’m here to say the exact opposite: this was so exciting. There is so much music out there thah sounds like everything else, and this is so distinctly Talking Heads and David Byrne, it’s exciting! He might not have the best voice, but he sure is cool and weird.
Frank Zappa
4/5
I may not listen to much jazz, but this was an experience, and I dug it. My Dad fucking loved Zappa, so extra points for him. It was groovin, it was jazzin, it was rock n roll. I can picture my Dad with his eyes closed, smile on his face, arms out, moving to this. What a time. Hell yeah.
The Zombies
3/5
Hippy, dippy, trippy. Sounds like every other good album that came out in this decade. If I were judging this based on the band name, I would have been wrong.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
This is party music. It's not meant to be listened to and critiqued like this generator requires. You're supposed to be jumping with your arms in the air, bumping in to the people you just met 10 minutes ago, who are now your dance floor best friends. He's a legend, and I didn't appreciate Fat Boy Slim when I was a child in the 90's like I do as an adult who loves a good DJ set. So many DJs are influenced by him, Girl Talk specifically came to mind as I listened. This man exclusively DJs barefoot, so while he's not taking anything too seriously, neither should his listeners.
Kanye West
2/5
Found an old mp3 copy of this so I didn’t have to fuck up my algorithm with a listen.
The Prodigy
5/5
Much like the last album I just rated - I listen to The Prodigy much differently now than I did as a child in the 90’s. As a fan of electronic music, I actually really dig this. I can’t tell what genre it is, but it’s dirty and dark and meant for a warehouse and too many BPMs.
AC/DC
3/5
I feel like I can’t take this seriously. I said this with their last album - but they sound like a caricature of themselves. It’s not even bad, I actually kind of like it. I just think this sounds like some cliche hard rock band playing metal music in some concert scene in a tv show.
The Who
2/5
It’s weird to me when a live album makes this kind of list. This one in particular felt like nothing super fantastic.
Jack White
3/5
A fine album that I gave multiple listens to because nothing really grabbed me and I kept forgetting what I was listening to and if I liked it or not.
The Style Council
2/5
This was interesting. The first song sounded like the opening credits of an 80's sitcom. Then every song after that was...unexpected, and frankly, not that great. I thought the instrumental jazz songs were okay, but the pop rock was all over the place, and then when I got to the rap song I just had to laugh.
Def Leppard
3/5
Oh yes just what I’m always wanting to listen to…more butt rock.
Blondie
5/5
Really good album. Debbie Harry is an amazing lead vocalist, she’s a force. I knew all the hits, but never listened to this in full before. I’m not surprised I loved it, but I’m surprised I didn’t listen to it sooner.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Maybe may be my favorite Beastie Boys record. While the lyrics are juvenile, their beats and rhymes were ahead of their time. I grew up listening to this with my Dad. I always knew it was cool.
Barry Adamson
1/5
Another album where at no point did I know what would come next. The elevator music was alright but then they’d go in to a monologue about a therapist followed by haunted house music. Who listens to this? What was this made for?!
I realized half way through that I was listening to this on shuffle. I understand as a soundtrack to a made up film, the order was probably important. However, I don't think it would have made a difference. It was just weird, and I didn't want to have to sit and listen to all the songs all over again.
Black Sabbath
4/5
If I'm going to have to listen to metal, this is what I want to listen to. Hell of a voice, great guitar tone, surprising highs and lows. Ozzy is a legend. RIP
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Everytime I listen to a Velvet Underground album I’m surprised by what The Velvet Underground sounds like. Weird lullaby rock.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I felt societal pressure to give this more listens and change my rating. It’s a great album, I jumped the gun and was riding the wave of rating everything I listened to either a 5 or a 2. No more middle of the curve ratings, I said.
But then I just listened to some thrash metal, hated it, and realized this was a far superior listen and deserved more.
It’s theatrical and dramatic, a bit too much wailing, surprising blues, and a little more rock than I tend to want to listen to. I still stand by my original review though: “It’s just not for me, and that’s okay.”
Joan Armatrading
4/5
I loved this. I think my Dad would have loved this - I wonder if he had heard of her. It sounds like so many female vocalists I grew up listening to in the 90s were inspired by Joan. I couldn’t stop hearing Tracy Chapman in her voice. It was beautiful and powerful.
Slayer
1/5
Coming in at whopping 28 minute long album, this was about 25 minutes too long. I can thrash for a couple minutes, and give it a good laugh, but then I’m good on all the BPMs and chaos rhythm.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Hell yeah to punk. I’m all for this band having a message. 🖕
Kate Bush
3/5
Kind of like if early 80's Madonna and Björk were mashed in to one.
Public Enemy
3/5
A classic rap album, absolute legends. Unfortunately, their message is still relevant and just as powerful today.
The Cure
4/5
The Cure was one of the bands I was most excited to listen to in this project. I’ve always been a fan of the hits I’ve heard, but admittedly never listened to any of their albums in full.
It was just as I expected it to sound.
Tina Turner
4/5
I like doing this project because I get to hear all the songs my Dad referenced when he was trying to school me about the origins of music I was in to. Now I’m looking up all the artists who sang “I can’t stand the rain” before Missy did it in the 90s.
Tina is an icon. I love her strong deep voice. “Whats Love Got To Do With It” is such a banger.
Motörhead
1/5
I don’t know, I think this might be the first album on this list that I don’t care to finish. I made it almost all the way through and I guarantee there’s nothing in the last 5 songs that’s going to change how I feel about this.
I can’t understand a word this man is saying. It’s all noise. It’s too fast. And frankly, it’s not even a great sounding live recording.
Radiohead
4/5
Radiohead is definitely a “controversial artists” for me. They’re really hit or miss. I like this album more than some of their others we’ve rated, but I still don’t love it like I feel I’m supposed to. A few stand out tracks for sure, others are still a bit too droning and whining for me.
Little Richard
5/5
This was so fun. I loved Little Richard as a child and I’ve come to realize I have not continued to listen to enough Little Richard as an adult. He’s got an incredible voice, and makes music you’ll want to snap along with.
Neil Young
3/5
I love Neil. His voice feels comforting and familiar. This was a brand new listen for me, I should put on more of his albums in the background on a casual afternoon.
Femi Kuti
4/5
A refreshing, funky listen. Great music to play by the pool, or in the backyard when it’s warm outside. There’s been a few albums on this list that fall in to that category, maybe I’ll make a playlist.
The Offspring
2/5
I probably shouldn’t have listened to this when I had a headache.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
This was cute. Sounds like it could be the Garden State soundtrack.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Karen O. is one of my favorite female vocalists. She’s the voice of indiesleaze. I should probably listen to more of their albums. This shit rocks.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Listen, it’s undoubtedly really fucking good rock n roll. It’s just that I don’t really love rock n roll.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Casually listened to this in the car, didn’t love it and was ready to give it a 2 but Greyson called me out for not finishing it. I said “there’s nothing I could hear that would change my rating.” Then the next day I started it over again and gave it a solid headphone listening, so now I’m rating it a 3.
Maybe the singer’s bad voice is better appreciated with headphones versus a casual background soundtrack.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Cheesy 80s stuff.
Heaven 17
3/5
More wacky 80s stuff. There were a lot of sounds on this album and I’m not sure if any of them were that good but I know I liked them more than some other sounds on this list.
David Bowie
4/5
Hi, someone out there has said “man, I really wish I could listen to my favorite album for the first time again” about this album…and I’m that first time listener. I’m as surprised as you are. I’ve always been a fan of Bowie as a person, he’s cool and revolutionary. While this isn’t what I quite expected on first listen, giving it a 4 so I can make it a point to come back to it. I’ve already enjoyed it more upon instant repeat listen. There’s something about music in the 70s that sounds so theatrical, like it’s all a rock opera, a soundtrack to a grungy, alt-live stage show. Maybe I’m jaded by contemporary pop music, which feels like it all fits in a clear radio hit formula. These songs are unique, more complex, and kind of weird? I dig it, but I’m also surprised by it and need longer to digest.
The Verve
2/5
Bitter Sweet Symphony is a great one hit wonder track. The rest of this album? My 2 and 3 ratings are blending in to one. Do I even like music anymore?
Wild Beasts
2/5
Ah yes…the music of my people! My people being white, millennial hipsters. Some songs I liked, others I didn’t. I’m not sure I would have liked it anymore in my peak hipster days either though.
Slade
3/5
Anytime I hear any music like this I assume it's AC/DC, and frankly, I cannot distinguish if this is any better or worse than their music...so I'm rating it the same.
De La Soul
5/5
A 5 star album to me is one I get through without any skips. For this one, I’m going to ignore the urge I felt to skip through the few too many skits. I can appreciate them for their place in time. “Eye Know” is probably in my list of top 10 best hip hop songs of all time. Of course this entire album is just as good of a listen. Rhymes and flow smooth like butter, beats and music cool like a Saturday afternoon.
Stan Getz
5/5
I love this kind of jazz because it sounds like vacation versus a smokey downtown bar.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
I’m a Millennial hipster, this albums tickled all the right nostalgia strings. I didn’t realize I was a Fleet Foxes fan, but I knew every song on this album. “White Winter Hymnal” is on all my best Christmas playlists.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
A perfectly fine country rock album. I don’t really feel any type of way ahout it and I don’t care enough to give it another listen.
Hookworms
3/5
I liked this! I don’t remember a single song, but I remember I liked it.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Came out in 1990 but sounds like peak 80s to me. A bit sleepier than I hoped it would be.
The Cure
3/5
When someone says “The Cure” the song “A Forest” is exactly what pops in my head. Now I can say I’ve actually listened to the full album. Dark, spooky, and moody. A perfect October album…even though it’s not October yet.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I loved the song “What’s Going On” as a kid. I remember my Dad explaining what he was singing about to me, and learning that music could be political and have important messaging.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Pleasant, soothing, easy listening soul music.
Miles Davis
4/5
Perfect soundtrack for a sunny Saturday at home with all the windows open, with a fresh post-rain breeze blowing through.
The Yardbirds
4/5
I actually kind of dig this. I think I’ve heard of The Yardbirds, but I’ve never listened to this album and I wasn’t familiar. Fun, weird, catchy, definitely from the 60s.
Lorde
3/5
I feel conflicted because this is a 3 star album to me, but Lorde’s first album “Pure Heroine” is one of my favorite albums, an absolute fantastic pop album. However, that album isn’t on the list, and this one is. Sure, on Melodrama she worked with an all-star producer (Jack Antonoff) and it definitely sounds like it, but that’s the problem - it sounds like a well-produced pop star album. To me, what drew me to Lorde’s first album was her minimal production, interesting beats, and unique lyric melodies. What Jack did was come in and turn everything up a bit, and make the songs all kind of sound the same? I like this more than some of my other 3-star albums, but it just doesn’t hit like “Pure Heroine” and I keep trying to like it more than I do. I believe this album made the cut on this list because she was still riding the success of her first album, the general public was ready to give her her flowers and call her a star.
The Prodigy
5/5
Maturing is realizing you like The Prodigy a lot more as an adult than you thought you did in 1997 when you were 12 years old. To be fair, I always thought “Firestarter” was a cool song.
David Gray
3/5
I think my Mom loved this music when I was in middle school.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
This is soul music for outlaws.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
This sounds exactly like what I'd expect music by someone named Shuggie Otis would sound like. Smooth, jazzy, elevator grooves. There are far too many albums on this list though, and just because a record had 1 hit on it does not mean the whole album is good.
2/5
Cheesy mid-2000s stuff. I liked it less the more I listened.
The Clash
2/5
What is the psychology behind me always loving the first song on an album, and then it seems to all go down hill for me after that? In this case, maybe I can only really enjoy 1 punk rock song before it's just a bunch of yelling and chanting.
David Bowie
4/5
I'm not in the best place to be listening to the album a profound man made while he knew he was dying. This was hard to get through, I knew it would be. It's a heavy listen, you can actually feel the weight of it. Maybe I'll revisit it again years from now, when I'm ready to digest this kind of work. Or maybe I won't, and I'm glad to have listened when I did.
The Byrds
4/5
I’m just a country gal, and this is a lovely country record. Sweet songs, cool album cover. Easy listening.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Whimsy witch music.
Green Day
4/5
The “pop” is really doing a lot here for me in this pop punk album. I liked this, and I’m laughing because just this week I gave The Clash a low rating because I said “maybe I can only listen to 1 punk rock song before it’s just a bunch of yelling and changing.” It might be a generational thing, but I just don’t find Billy Joe Armstrong to be annoying at all.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This wasn’t my favorite album from them, but I just love their sound. It’s big, it feels cinematic, it’s fun to sing along with in my car.
Ministry
2/5
It actually could be worse. 2 stars
Hugh Masekela
3/5
This is what jazz music sounds like.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
What I'm learning is oftentimes I have an idea of what one of these classic rock bands from the 60s/70s sounds like, but upon listening...they do not sound like what I thought they sounded like. "Somebody To Love" is a hit, and now I'll know it's Jefferson Airplane next time I hear it.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Yeah, serve me up some Meat Loaf with a side of ketchup. I liked this more than I thought, it was less butt rock and more theater rock.
Jurassic 5
4/5
I feel like hip hop just doesn't sound like this anymore.
The Mars Volta
2/5
I wasn’t in to this band back then and I don’t think I can get in to them now either. Sounds like tight black pants and swooping haircuts.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Parts of this album had me psychedelic grooving, and the other parts had me questioning if any of this music was any good.
Slipknot
1/5
I once had a Slipknot CD. Some dude must have left it in my car or something. There was one song on that album I think I liked. This was not that album.
James Brown
3/5
This was a quick, easy listen. All albums should be a consumable 30 minutes. Live performances, however, should be longer, and a lot of live performances don't need to be on this list.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I was actually kind of digging this early Rolling Stones blues-rock a lot more than their later stuff, then I read it was a lot of covers, so I should probably just go find their originals.
Crowded House
2/5
Undistinguishable 90s alt rock.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Cool butt.
The Black Keys
4/5
The first song “Everlasting Light” is on just about every single playlist I made from 2010 to 2015. It’s a song that kind of just sounds like an era in time for me now.
That being said, I don’t remember the last time I listened to this entire album, and I liked it. Cool voice, good guitar sound. I honestly don’t think I ever really got in to the full album, but it’s good to know it holds up with the first song in my book.
Manu Chao
3/5
Pretty sure I have the song “Bongo Bong” on my poolside playlist. I laughed when I realized this was the full album to that song, but I enjoyed it! This album would sound better in a bathing suit with a piña colada.
Primal Scream
1/5
Nothing was what I expected. Then each song was weirder than the last.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Sounds like a soundtrack, because it is a soundtrack.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Another example of a name I recognized but apparently had no idea what he sounded like, because I was pleasantly surprised by this smooth, sexy, funky soul music.
ZZ Top
3/5
A bunch of hits on here that I’d enjoy a lot more if I liked this genre of rock.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
1/5
This sounds like an album by the fake band Adam Sandler sang in on the movie The Wedding Singer.
Talvin Singh
3/5
One of these songs mixed in to a DJ set would probably be good, a whole album? Not so much.
The Doors
3/5
Another dramatic rock album from the theatrical 70s.
Metallica
2/5
These guys, and everyone who listens to them, think they’re a lot cooler than they are.
DJ Shadow
4/5
General chill, funky vibe. Sounds like it’s playing in a natural wine bar in Brooklyn.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Very Echoey, the knob was turned high on all the vocals. I love the song on the Donnie Darko soundtrack, and the rest of the album is just as dark and moody.
Pulp
3/5
It’s not really that hardcore. Kind of dramatic and whiney, actually.
Tito Puente
4/5
I wish there were more albums like this on the list. More Latin, more from the 50s, less UK/US one-hit-wonders. I had a great time listening to this, and I got through the entire 2+ hour Legacy Edition. It’s fun, it’s lively and emotive - but most of all, it was new to me, and I’m better off now that I’ve got this to play out of my library.
Louis Prima
5/5
I listen to music to feel good. This is that.
Fun fact: last year I thrifted a framed B&W photograph of some musicians in a recording studio that had a “license from RIAA” sticker on the back. After some research, discovered it was Louis Prima. I went down a musical rabbit hole after that and found out I’m a big fan. Was thrilled to get this album and give it a full listen.
Iron Maiden
3/5
I'll admit I liked this more than I thought I would. It's not screaming metal...he actually sings, and doesn't sound half bad! I struggle to enjoy or even appreciate the vocalists who just yell words over loud guitars. These are proper songs, worth listening to! Still not my jam, but I get it.
a-ha
3/5
Quintessential 80’s sounds. From the vocals to the music. The dance tracks are good, the slow songs were skipable.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I don’t think live albums need to be on this list, there ARE a few exceptions - I’ll admit that. This is not one of those exceptions.
Ripping, noodling, bluesy guitar riffs.
Venom
1/5
I just laughed my way through this. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just so freakin corny. Guttural screams, singing about satan and hell and sacrificing Luther or something. lol
* After skipping through the album again, I'm changing my rating from 2 to 1
Carole King
5/5
My Mom and Dad loved Carole King. This album sounds like home. It’s comforting and beautiful. I can sing along to almost the entire album, and I feel like I’ve never actually sat and listened straight through.
David Bowie
4/5
Some recognizable songs on here for sure. Bowie is one of those artists I want to like so much more than I do. He’s the coolest, but after listening to this album I was struggling with anything to say about it. I’m chalking that up as it’s a fine album, but nothing really pulled me one way or the other. Will need to revisit this one again.
* I revisted the album, it's better than I remembered. Changing my rating from 3 to 4.
3/5
Some cool punk rock. Another album, though, that I liked less the further I got through the album. If this was a tightly curated EP, it would be great.
Fever Ray
3/5
Moody, kinda spooky and weird. “When I Grow Up” is definitely on some of my playlists from the last 15 years.
fIREHOSE
2/5
So, whatever one-hit-wonder came from this album, I don’t believe justifies its place on this list. Or maybe the band is related to one of tue book editors, and they were like “you know, Jeff and Bill have been out in the garage practicing those songs so much. They deserve to have everyone listen to this album before they die.” It wasn’t very good, it wasn’t very exciting, and it wasn’t very unique.
Bob Dylan
4/5
The Dylan album I know the most. I actually dig electrified Dylan, as opposed to acoustic Dylan. The harmonica and his voice sound so Americana to me, giving me a real sense of nostalgia.
Pink Floyd
3/5
The first time I listened to Pink Floyd, I ate a pretty large amount of mushrooms and listened to "Dark Side Of The Moon" while watching The Wizard of Oz. Well, it turns out all Pink Floyd albums feel exactly like that.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I haven’t loved a lot of Zeppelin so far, but I think I enjoyed this more than the others. Definitely a lot of recognizable hits on here.
Suede
3/5
Very typical Brit-Pop-Rock, very Smiths-like, though I'm not sure which came first. Maybe The Smiths are very Suede-like.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
A few albums I listened to and rated this week were better than I thought they’d be. This was not one of those albums. Loud, grungy, garage yelling rock.
Al Green
4/5
Sexy wine drinking music.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
We watched the documentary on Sly & The Family Stone, and I thoroughly enjoyed it - even without being super familiar with all their songs and albums. It was a great watch for a music lover. Funky riffs, smooth grooves, a defining sound for the 60's in to the 70s.
Mike Ladd
2/5
I don't know, I feel like I would appreciate this album more if it wasn't on this list. What merits this hip album to be on here over the countless other hip hop records I can think of in the last couple of decade that aren't on this list and deserve to be? It's not that it's bad, it's that there's plenty that is much much better, and frankly, more significant to the underground genre.
The Charlatans
3/5
This was a decent listen. If I were a 12 year old in the UK instead of the US in 1997, I'm sure I would have been real in to this and real nostalgic about it now.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
It's loud and punk rock, after a certain point it kind of just became noise to me.
Duran Duran
4/5
Absolutely iconic album cover. Solid 80’s synth pop. Obvious recognizable hits, but even the b-sides are good and danceable.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
It’s funny to me that the perception I have of Guns n Roses listeners are biker dudes and tough guys, because this album is actually quite flamboyant. So maybe I’m feeling generous but I did enjoy this - with its cheesy lyrics and fabulous moans and screams. Glam Rock is the kind of spectacle I can get behind.
Pink Floyd
5/5
If my justification for giving an album 5 stars is no skips, this is a 5 star album. It feels wrong skipping any of these tracks, it flows so perfectly from the front to the back of the album. I've never been a huge Pink Floyd fan, and I haven't listened to this nearly as much as a lot of other classics, but it's a damn good album. The first time I listened to it was after eating mushrooms, watching Wizard of Oz - and honestly, the visuals of that experience have stuck with me since, and it serves as a pretty perfect music video with these songs. Plus, one of the best album covers of all time.
Mariah Carey
4/5
When I was in 7th grade my boyfriend gifted me this CD for Christmas. We barely saw each other in person between classes, we definitely hadn't kissed, I don't even think we held hands in the halls...but we talked a LOT on the phone every night. He really knocked it out of the park with that gift, and 30 years later, I still think of him when I put this album on lol
This is my second favorite Mariah Carey album, after Daydream. I was discovering music on my own, requesting songs on the radio, obsessed with MTV. I'm pretty sure I had some sort of sexual awakening to this album cover. For me, this album is a classic. Maybe not one of the very best, but represents a very important time in my own music discovery journey. 1997 was really a formative year of music for me.
The Waterboys
3/5
Pretty decent Irish folk rock. I liked a lot of the different instrumentation. Never heard of them before, so extra points for something new and pleasant.
Frank Ocean
5/5
A perfect mix of RnB and Hip Hop. His voice is so pleasant on the ears. I feel lucky to have witnessed his iconic Grammy’s performance live in person - granted from the nosebleeds, but it was a standout that night!
Dire Straits
3/5
Some jams and then some filler making this a solid 3 album for me. “Walk of Life” is one of those tracks I’ve sung along to on the radio for years and, frankly, never knew it was Dire Straits. Now I know!