346
Albums Rated
3.26
Average Rating
32%
Complete
743 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010
Favorite Decade
Hip-hop
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
32
5-Star Albums
12
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
m b v
My Bloody Valentine
|
5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
|
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
|
5 | 3.21 | +1.79 |
|
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
Sea Change
Beck
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
|
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
|
1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
|
...And Justice For All
Metallica
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
S&M
Metallica
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
|
1 | 3.19 | -2.19 |
|
Permission to Land
The Darkness
|
1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
|
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 4.1 | -2.1 |
|
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
The Man Who
Travis
|
1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
|
Dog Man Star
Suede
|
1 | 3 | -2 |
|
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.67 |
| David Bowie | 8 | 4.13 |
| Fleetwood Mac | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Waits | 2 | 1.5 |
| Metallica | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Metallica | 1, 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (32)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Blur · 6 likes
4/5
I preferred Oasis as a kid, but time has definitely been kinder to Blur. (PARKLIFE!!!) Noel is a tosser and Liam is a git. (PARKLIFE!!!) A few of the songs are a bit too whimsical, but the highs are high. (PARKLIFE!!!)
Stevie Wonder · 3 likes
5/5
Tracks 1–4: This is pretty good!
Tracks 5–21: OH SHIIIIIII
M.I.A. · 2 likes
4/5
Young, dumb and full of fun
Mekons · 1 likes
2/5
The '80s country punk thing is almost cool, but the singer sounds shitfaced drunk
Common · 1 likes
4/5
This is closest I can get to listening to Kanye these days without feeling icky
1-Star Albums (12)
All Ratings
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
I feel like I'm sipping a cappuccino while eating a bran muffin in a coffee shop in the '90s
Beatles
4/5
How dare John Lennon criticize "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" when he wrote the trash that is "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill." One star automatically deducted for that one.
4/5
Catchy and fun, dark and intense, and way weirder than your average alt-rock album
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Hooks on hooks on hooks! It's on the shortlist of "great post-Beatles solo albums."
Bob Dylan
3/5
I love Dylan when he's sad. Unfortunately, it sounds like he had a lot of fun making this one.
Van Halen
2/5
Macho music for bullies and jocks
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Beautifully produced, as expected with Danger Mouse behind the boards, with lush and stylistically diverse arrangements. The melodies don't really stick and I doubt I'll ever revisit.
Kate Bush
3/5
So long as she isn't doing Tom Waits-ass poverty cosplay ("There Goes a Tenner"), braying like a donkey ("Get Out of My House") or doing whatever the title track is supposed to be (is that a bad Australian accent?), it's pretty great
Def Leppard
2/5
Maximalist production and minimalist intelligence
Neneh Cherry
3/5
"Buffalo Stance" and then some songs that sound exactly the same but not quite as good
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
When this album first came out, I was disappointed that the YYYs had made a new wavey synth album, because everyone was doing that at the time. Karen O's voice really saves the day here.
The White Stripes
4/5
I saw Jack White live twice this week!! Even his weirder albums (like this one) are great.
Tito Puente
3/5
It's a fun party album, and, like many a real-life party, gets a little repetitive by the end
Blur
4/5
I preferred Oasis as a kid, but time has definitely been kinder to Blur. (PARKLIFE!!!) Noel is a tosser and Liam is a git. (PARKLIFE!!!) A few of the songs are a bit too whimsical, but the highs are high. (PARKLIFE!!!)
Jethro Tull
2/5
Comedy music, although I'm not sure if the members of Jethro Tull are in on the joke
Elvis Presley
3/5
Very appropriate that I got this during my weekend in Las Vegas, yes indeed uh-huh-huh thankyouverymuch
The Who
2/5
Sorry, dad! No album should have this many songs that exist solely for plot exposition.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I considered giving it four stars, but then Spotify autoplayed a song from The Idiot right after, and it was so much better than anything on Lust for Life
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Honka honka burnin' luv 🎺
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Joni's jazz era is the best. Super weird arrangement choices (loud bass, distorted drum loops, etc.) but it's also really pretty.
David Bowie
4/5
David Bowie's 12th best album is still pretty great 💫
The White Stripes
5/5
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back from giving this five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
1/5
Radiohead: The Musical!
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Maybe you had to be there (and on drugs)
R.E.M.
5/5
The most gothic music ever written in a major key. They wrote bigger hits later in their career, but this one is pure vibe.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
"In Your Eyes" inspired me to hold my Samsung Galaxy over my head outside my girl's window
David Bowie
5/5
I'll never get to visit space, but at least I've got Low 🚀
Paul Weller
1/5
When people say "boomer" as an insult, this dusty-ass dad rock is what they're talking about
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
Janis Joplin's voice makes me want to clear my throat. Difficult to listen to, but a bonus star for "Piece of My Heart."
Tom Tom Club
3/5
They funny voices they do on every song get a little tiring, but the funk is strong
Deep Purple
2/5
A time machine that transports me to my aunt's high school boyfriend's basement in the 1970s in London, Ontario
Raekwon
4/5
The Chef serves up the whole menu
Jeff Beck
2/5
Bravo to Jeff Beck for playing some cool guitar parts, and bravo to Rod Stewart for sounding so confident while singing absolute garbage
Radiohead
5/5
The golden ratio ️🌈
KISS
1/5
The Disney version of Satanism
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Dreary boho ballads for pretentious English lit undergrads, and I kinda dig it
Joanna Newsom
4/5
Who am I to criticize a mystical harp faerie woodnymph 🧚
Blur
4/5
WOO-HOO 💥
Cornershop
2/5
Noodly, under-written half songs that sound like demos to be finished later
4/5
The most front-loaded album of all time, but when it hits, it hits hard
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Captures the vibe of the shitty English town where my mom's from with piercing accuracy
Mekons
2/5
The '80s country punk thing is almost cool, but the singer sounds shitfaced drunk
Bon Jovi
3/5
Trashy neon spandex cock rock that I reasonably enjoyed in spite of myself
Justice
3/5
Love those digi-funk grooves where it sounds like my Bluetooth is struggling to connect
The Temptations
3/5
Neither the funk grooves nor the vocal hooks fully stand out, but it's a nice listen
Brian Eno
5/5
Music for airports, answering emails, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, walking to the gym, cooking and folding laundry — everything becomes more beautiful with this on
Richard Hawley
3/5
It's a pastiche of '50s/'60s crooners, and it's very nice
Common
4/5
This is closest I can get to listening to Kanye these days without feeling icky
T. Rex
3/5
Surprisingly meek and pleasant for an album called Electric Warrior in a genre associated with flamboyance
Destiny's Child
2/5
Destiny's Child: "I'm a baddie with a sexy booty and you can't handle all this jelly" 😏
Also Destiny's Child: "Sluts are gross" 🤮
The Stone Roses
4/5
This is the one I've waited for!!!
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
It can't quite take five (stars), but these are some catchy dinner party songs so it can take four
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
The only thing better than Neil Young playing rock is Neil Young playing folk
Frank Black
4/5
It's my top post-Pixies pick, see? There's 22 songs and they're all good.
Adele
3/5
The affected "soulfulness" of the cursive singing grates on me, even when the pop hooks are undeniable
Gang Of Four
3/5
It's amazing how every new post-punk band still sounds like this. The only snag is that I'm kinda sick of those bands, even though this version of it is obviously very good.
The Icarus Line
2/5
I can't imagine why I'd want to listen to 54 minutes of this when the White Stripes, the Hives, DFA 1979 and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs all exist
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I always knew Bob Marley was chill and pleasant. I perhaps didn't account for just how chill and pleasant he truly is.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
I'M CANADIAN!!!!!
Scissor Sisters
2/5
The disco cover of "Comfortably Numb" reinforces the way this feels like a gimmicky album of '70s knockoff novelty pop. "Take Your Mama" slaps, though.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Years ago at a party, I smoked weed and listened to this album and thought it was amazing. Weed makes me anxious now, but this album still rules.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
New Yawk City, baybee! Ayy I'm walkin' here!! Fuggaddaboudit!!!
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Knowing that Songs in the Key of Life followed it, I expected a little more
White Denim
3/5
People keep calling White Denim a "jam band" because of the Wikipedia extract, but they don't jam at all and absolutely aren't a jam band in any way. The album has that funny conundrum of having sweet pop melodies but no actual hooks. Nice but forgettable.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I love Joni's early stripped-down folk and her later jazzy experimentation. This was right in the middle and a little less distinctive.
Public Enemy
4/5
Angry, funny and hard as fuck
Mudhoney
3/5
The guitars are sick as hell, and they would sound even better with proper songwriting
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
It's definitely one of the jazz albums of all time
Talking Heads
4/5
To quote my dad when he found out my ex was a fan, "Talking Heads are a band of taste"
Big Star
3/5
I enjoyed the arrangements/production a lot, but it seems like a classic pop album should have some more memorable hooks than this
The Fall
3/5
It's absolutely hilarious how rinky-dink the keyboard sounds. I liked it when they found some more melodic grooves in the second half and it wasn't purely atonal skronk.
Alice Cooper
3/5
I was fully ready to hate this Disney version of shock rock. Turns out the tunes are pretty fun!
James Brown
3/5
Imagine being there?! Damn.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Plinky plink plonk plank!!
Tim Buckley
3/5
It's my second consecutive vibraphone jazz album — what are the chances? Being a deadbeat dad has rarely sounded so good.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!!!
MOTHER FUCKERRRRRR!!!
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Surprisingly sweet for mafiosa rap <3 Great old-school beats, fantastic flows, and skits I could probably do without.
Primal Scream
3/5
Sounds more like a movie soundtrack than a proper album, but I wasn't mad about the trippy psych grooves. Another situation where I'm enjoying an album, but the second it ends and Spotify auto-plays something from a different album, I immediately enjoy that next one more.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Obviously Nick Cave's whole vibe is to sing like a vampiric crypt keeper, but this was a gimmick
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
The worst skits and the best rapping — the latter outweighs the former
Queen Latifah
3/5
It's helpful that she frequently reminds listeners what her name is and how rap music works. Impossible to get confused! It's charmingly dated and quite repetitive.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
The White Lotus theme song inspiration discovered
LOO-LOO-LOO-LOO-LOO
Charles Mingus
3/5
I wouldn't want to see a ballet set to this, but that's more an issue with ballet than jazz
Elvis Costello
4/5
Short 'n' sweet, featuring "Alison," the greatest incel anthem of all time. I loved this album a couple decades ago but hadn't listened in years, and I was surprised how much stuck with me.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
It's a vibe. Nothing really stands out, but I enjoyed working to the hypnotic mood.
Better than a kick in the ass with a frozen boot
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Sounds like building mode on the origins Sims game, and I mean that as a compliment
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
22 years since I bought this CD on release day, I'm still not sure if I'm scared or horny
Elton John
2/5
I was introduced to this album through that scene in Almost Famous where everybody is mad at each other, but then they listen to "Tiny Dancer" and by the chorus they've made up. Lazy screenwriting, but a great song. The rest of the album wouldn't inspire such character development.
Norah Jones
2/5
People who don't care about music also need a soundtrack for their dinner parties, and that's okay
The Band
3/5
It's ironic they all hated each other so much, because this album sounds like they're having fun
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Perfect boom bap beats, gorgeously soulful melodies from an incredible singer, and a few too many vocal runs
Radiohead
4/5
Free Palestine
The White Stripes
5/5
The first 30 seconds of "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" permanently altered my brain chemistry
Ray Charles
3/5
The song choices were kinda whatever, but the he's got that voice like butter
Funkadelic
3/5
No one has ever accused Funkadelic of false advertising
Elliott Smith
4/5
The first time I ever listened to Either/Or, it was the summer of 2005. I was walking through downtown Vancouver with my head down, feeling a bit depressed on account of the music. Suddenly, just beside me, a car leaned on its horn. I looked up to see that a car had been pulling out of a parking space just as a cyclist was coming up the street, and the car had nearly sideswiped the cyclist. The cyclist was a tall guy with a Chicago Blackhawks jersey tied around his waist, and he turned his head and waved to acknowledge the car. I saw the man's face — it was John Cusack.
Tom Waits
1/5
Community theatre ass album
Rod Stewart
3/5
Not his best songs, but Rod Stewart always sounds pretty good doing Americana cosplay
Depeche Mode
3/5
If by "the masses" they mean drunk Gen Xers with their nipples exposed through mesh shirts, the title is spot on
Adele
2/5
Rolling in the deeeeep, putting me to sleeeeep
Iron Maiden
2/5
More cheese and corn than a Taco Bell, but the lead guitars are cool
De La Soul
4/5
Sounds like a summer's day 😎
Al Green
4/5
Oooh boy that's smoooooth
SZA
4/5
Great pop songs, even if she sings like a seductive baby
Scritti Politti
2/5
Sounds like fake music specifically made for after school specials and corporate training videos
Dennis Wilson
3/5
For a guy associated with two of the craziest families ever (Wilson, Manson), Dennis made some nice-sounding rock music
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Very easy to listen to. Almost too easy?
GZA
4/5
Grimy and menacing, and then such a beautiful final track
The Shamen
2/5
Sounds very quaint in 2025. It's cute that artists used to rap like this, and that people used to dance to it.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
The ultimate "ta-tsss, ta-tsss" jazz album
Songhoy Blues
4/5
I am not a cool guy, but listening to this album makes me feel like I am
Traffic
2/5
Honestly, I'm starting to understand why people in the '60s found hippies annoying
John Prine
3/5
A little hokey, a little honky — pretty fun
Joan Armatrading
3/5
It's not the most exciting thing ever, but it's impressive that such a '90s-sounding album came out in 1976
Cypress Hill
3/5
Fun to listen to, but smoking weed isn't a personality
Jeff Buckley
2/5
I guess I'm just not dramatic enough to enjoy this
Bauhaus
3/5
Spooky ooky fun that makes me wanna go trick or treating
Johnny Cash
3/5
Johnny Cash's amazing voice elevates the boring concept of "imagine if these well-known songs were performed on...ACOUSTIC GUITAR?!?"
Dion
4/5
So THIS is where Father John Misty got it from. My toxic trait is that I love Phil Spector's production.
LL Cool J
3/5
Any time I paid attention to the lyrics they were SO cheesy, but the music makes me feel like I'm strutting down the street with a boombox on my shoulder, so overall I had a good time
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The trouble with putting one of the greatest rock songs ever as the opening track is that the rest of the album struggles to live up
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
These boys sure do love twiddlin' and diddlin' and noodlin' and doodlin'
Soft Machine
3/5
I wasn't sold until the last song, which fully blasts off into the cosmos
The Beach Boys
3/5
R.I.P. Brian Wilson! Pet Sounds is my favourite album ever, which gives any of their other albums a lot to live up to. I love "Help Me, Rhonda," and the rest of the album is fun but flimsy.
Talking Heads
5/5
And you may find you yourself working your way through the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. And you find yourself listening to Talking Heads' Remain in Light. And you may ask yourself, how many stars should I give this? FIVE STARS!!!
Steve Winwood
3/5
He sounds like the third member of Hall & Oates, which is fun in a dated, corny way
M.I.A.
4/5
Young, dumb and full of fun
George Harrison
5/5
By far the best Beatles solo album. If this had been a Beatles album, it would have been one of their best — maybe top 3.
Green Day
5/5
My first favourite album from when I was nine years old. I knew every word, even if I only understood half of them. The perfect pop-punk album.
Mj Cole
2/5
Sadly not a collaboration between MJ Lenderman and J. Cole, but rather a stock electronic album with generic R&B singers
3/5
It's certainly not RUBBISH, but it's not as good as the other Blur albums on this list
David Bowie
4/5
It exists in the shadow of Ziggy Stardust, which is fair when it's the follow-up to one of the best rock albums ever. The fucked up jazz piano really elevates this one beyond mere immitation.
David Bowie
3/5
A few classic songs, but it's too inconsistent, cute and kooky to fully work as an album
Little Simz
4/5
Some very Kanye-coded production (especially those bass-driven tracks), which is awesome because Little Simz isn't a Nazi. Tight album that's smart, thoughtful, swaggering and maybe just a little preachy.
Metallica
1/5
I'm just not enough of an alpha male gigachad jock to tolerate music this macho
Eminem
2/5
Great talent used for evil!
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
The guy at the ren faire who takes it a bit too seriously
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
YESTERDAY I HAD WANT TWO!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO DO THIS AGAIN!!!! Thankfully enjoyed this one more than Want Two, since it has catchier baroque pop songs, even though the ballads are dreary and directionless.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
A few really great songs interspersed amidst filler that can't quite overcome the cloyingly cutesy concept
Bob Dylan
5/5
It's June 30, I'm at a cottage, and here I am listening to the greatest rainy day album of all time. I'm not usually that much of a Dylan fan, but this one is just perfect.
Merle Haggard
3/5
If we were to blast a country album into space to show the aliens what it's like, this would be a fine choice. The guitar playing makes this album stand out, even when the songwriting doesn't.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Medieval rock cosplay that's kinda giving Spinal Tap's "Stonehenge." Is it 1969 or 1669?
The Specials
3/5
Was this a fun, summery album that I enjoyed listening to? Yes. Was my favourite song just a straight-up Toots & the Maytals cover? Also yes.
David Bowie
3/5
This isn't my favourite Bowie album, but it sets the blueprint for artists who completely reinvent themselves with each new album. The true "eras" artist. Shame about the awful Beatles cover.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Me: "I'm busy visiting my family, but why not turn the 'weekend albums' setting back on? I'm sure I'll find some time."
1001 Albums Generator: "Here's a two-hour live album of hepcat jazz."
Magazine
2/5
Gothic circus punk that sounds really good, but eventually started to annoy me with the lack of memorable melodies, hooks, lyrics, or anything about the songwriting that suck with me
Moby
4/5
I put this album on during a family Yahtzee game and everyone had a nice time
Tim Buckley
2/5
I dunno about this ren faire prog folk
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
If you were to tell someone, "Imagine a psychedelic rock album from San Francisco in 1969," Happy Trails is what they would imagine
Skunk Anansie
2/5
I'm not a melodramatic goth, so this one isn't for me
Nick Drake
4/5
He certainly doesn't NEED all that extra instrumentation, but it still sounds very nice
Madonna
3/5
The first two songs are enormous bangers, but I can't image why it seemed like a good idea to make deep cuts that dabble in classical music and Spanish guitar
Röyksopp
4/5
Lots of different vibes — dance music, Blade Runner, Boards of Canada, Air — all of which they do well. A perfect album to listen to while working.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
I literally have a chili pepper tattooed on my butt, what do you want me to say? Five peps 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Cocteau Twins
5/5
Not to be gross, but I've listened to the album a lot during sex, so it was nice to finally hear the second half of it 😜
Love
2/5
Turns out I hate Love
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Patient zero for every jock rock cliché involving a British pervert playing blues riffs and a guy singing about hobbits in a voice like a goblin guarding a bridge. Still pretty fun to listen to, at least for the first half.
U2
3/5
Some pretty big hits that almost make up for Bono's over-the-top wailing
Black Sabbath
4/5
It sounds tame in 2025, which isn't to say it's bad, because it totally rips
Yes
3/5
Complex but tuneful, with lots of playful and melodic moments that didn't exactly grab my attention but were fun to listen to
Pretenders
3/5
Any time the Pretenders are mentioned, my dad starts talking about how much of a crush he had on Chrissie Hynde. She's got swagger, but most of the songs are just okay.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
I'm not sure I trust his medical degree, but this was a fun, goofy listen. Brutally bad skits prevent any chance of this being five stars.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
The '90s rap album your parents might like. Hooky and fun hip-hop that sounds like it was made by extremely talented dorks.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
I quite like it when they do sentimental prom rock! Not so much when they do redneck Confederate rock.
Pixies
5/5
This album is five stars, and the devil is six, and GOD IS SEVEN!!!!
Venom
2/5
Venom in the closing seconds of "Teacher's Pet": Oh, wow, that was good! That was real good!
Narrator: It wasn't.
Heaven 17
3/5
Preachy lyrics for generic songs that sound like what other artists have done better — but it was short and upbeat, so not unpleasant to listen to
Black Sabbath
4/5
The doom-y stoner metal blueprint with lots of variety as well. Ozzy's voice sounds amazing.
Madness
2/5
I decently liked the new wave pop songs in the first half, but it turned into wacky circus music toward the end, which is pretty much what I expected from a blackface ska album.
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
Damn, it sounds like she's seen some shit
The Go-Go's
3/5
I think the word "skidmark" means something different to the Go-Go's than it does to me. Very fun and catchy, but unlikely to stick with me — maybe because so many other artists have copied this sound since.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Hello there children, Chef has cooked up a psychedelic meal worthy of a Michelin star
Goldfrapp
3/5
One of those albums that reminds you this book was written by a British guy, because no one outside of the UK has ever listened to Goldfrapp willingly. Neither weird enough to work as experimental music nor catchy enough to be pop music — with the notable exception of the excellent Air/Portishead knockoff "Utopia."
Richard Thompson
3/5
Top heavy, with great folk rock tunes in the first half and dorky ren faire ballads lumped together at the end
The Temptations
3/5
Some great grooves and pitchy-ass falsetto made this one fun but inessential. I had Isaac Hayes's Hot Buttered Soul just a couple of days ago, and that was a much better psych-R&B album from the same period.
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
I'm going to put as much effort into this review as G. Love put into these songs..............................................................
Megadeth
3/5
The Flanderized version of spooky heavy metal. Impossible to take seriously, but a pretty good time to listen to.
Fats Domino
3/5
This might have been exciting as hell in 1957, but now it registers mostly as background music. Pretty nice background music, though!
Brian Wilson
2/5
This much whimsy makes me FRoWN
John Martyn
3/5
Get stoned, hit record. These jazz-folk mood pieces don't really go anywhere or give me much to grab on to, but they're nice nonetheless.
Motörhead
2/5
Music for gimps and leather daddies, of which I am neither
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Some huge anthems, but the impact of them is slightly blunted by the way he starts every song at 100% energy, so there's nowhere else to go
Underworld
4/5
I don't go to raves or take ecstasy, but I was running late to meet a friend, and this helped me get there a little faster 🏃♂️
Sebadoh
4/5
It's rough around the edges, but Lou Barlow has a great voice and amazing chord voicings, which bring a beauty to even the harsher tunes
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Mick Jagger's vocal charisma saves this from simply being Rubber Soulless
5/5
Ziggy played guitarrrrr ⚡️
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
This racist, murdering, piece-of-shit cousin-fucker could sure play
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Tom Petty's music is a fun experiment in "imagine if the American heartland was good, actually"
The Police
3/5
Some good tunes and some very weird decisions (Sting singing every song in a key too high for his voice, using fake patois, whatever the hell "Mother" is)
Marty Robbins
3/5
Absurd Wild West fantasies about evil Mexicans and gun-slingin' vigilantes, but he sure can sing
Louis Prima
3/5
That's some primo Prima 🎺
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Patient zero for affected cursive vocals. Some great hooks that feel a bit like '60s cosplay.
The Pretty Things
3/5
The 3-est album that ever 3-ed. It's fine!
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Strong production and decent songs, but it's not my favourite of his
Madonna
2/5
Huge singles, but way too many dreary deep cuts and Auto-Tune ballads to make this hold together as an album
David Bowie
4/5
Drugs are a hell of a drug
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Voice like honey, beautiful arrangements, and lyrics so vague as to be meaningless. Maybe this hit harder in 1971, but in 2025 it's too broad to work as protest music.
Travis
1/5
A staggering lack of sauce
The Smiths
4/5
Skiffle, but make it jangly
Faust
3/5
Freaky soundscapes that I definitely preferred to the quirky circus songs
Sister Sledge
4/5
Amazing to see some boomers are still mad about disco. Grow up, nerds! These are well-written songs, sung by great vocalists.
a-ha
3/5
Starting with one of the best synthpop songs of all time means that it can only go downhill from there, even if the rest of the album is pretty fun
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
The way these pretty folk songs are kinda fucked up by distortion and moments of sloppiness brings an edge to the softness
The Undertones
3/5
Nice-sounding garage-y rock, well-performed and perfectly recorded. The songs didn't really get under my skin, but it's a fun listen, if a bit repetitive by the end.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Worth getting thrown in prison for
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
A Bob Marley album is always a good time, but this one is a touch rough around the edges
Fugazi
3/5
I don't love the songs, but this definitely feels like a workshop in cool-sounding bass tone
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Britpop: The Musical!
The Byrds
4/5
From jangle to twangle, they're great at everything
Massive Attack
2/5
A little too sexy for my tastes
The Hives
3/5
As far as early-aughts garage rock throwback "the" bands go, the Hives are a distant third place. This album is "Hate to Say I Told You So" (which is fantastic) plus a bunch of songs that sound similar but aren't as good.
Air
3/5
I love early Air, but this feels a little piecemeal, and I would never listen to it when Moon Safari and Talkie Walkie exist
Nina Simone
4/5
A little uneven, but the highs really hit, with beautiful piano chords and unbelievably dynamic vocal performances
Pink Floyd
3/5
Enjoyed the druggy psych jams, less so the children's circus music
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I like the production, but the singer has a really stiff, uptight, nasal way of hitting high notes that began to grate on me after a few songs, especially when this album has none of the PSB songs I've heard of and enjoy
Rush
3/5
Very silly boys with a love for charming prog goofiness (fun!) and, unfortunately, Ayn Rand (yuck!)
Carole King
4/5
Cozy and domestic. I was a little bored at first, but it's so inviting that I ended up having a nice, mellow time.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Good vibes and fun beats, but didn't hit quite as hard as Missy's subsequent work
R.E.M.
4/5
This historically hasn't been my favourite R.E.M. album, but I had forgotten how many great songs there are on here beyond the well-known hits, as well as how amazing Michael Stipe's voice sounds. I'm giving it four stars, but it's a narrow miss for five, only because the album's final run isn't quite as good as the start.
The Kinks
3/5
Why is it that '60s psych bands can't resist putting a couple terrible children's circus songs on otherwise good albums?
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Bossa nova is supposed to evoke Las Vegas, right?
Sparks
3/5
I've always considered Sparks a little too wacky, which is still true, but there were some great instrumental moments here
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Cool experimental psych weirdness, and then one absolutely perfect pop song, and so on and so on, scooby-dooby-dooby
The Beach Boys
4/5
It's a bit of an uneven mess, but the highs are so high ("Feel Flows" and "Surf's Up" especially) that I can't help but love it overall
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Gorgeous folk rock ballads interspersed with Lindsey Buckingham in full manic meltdown mode
Throwing Muses
3/5
The top comment is the wrong album — here's the right one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_5G-bBTpX4
It's tense, jittery and pretty fun
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Bruce can be a bit MUCH sometimes
Prince
4/5
A hell of a product demonstration for the LinnDrum
Suede
1/5
The ass-end of Britpop
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Vibey, jittery background music that I'm more likely to use for getting work done than dancing
Beck
5/5
All-time heartbreak classic
Boston
3/5
Corn drenched in cheese goes down easy
Blondie
4/5
Great singing, solid pop songs, big attitude, absolute classic single
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
I decently liked the tunes until the singer started wailing, gasping, hiccuping and convulsing all over every song
Ice Cube
4/5
The beats and delivery are so exciting that it's easy to vibe along with even the sketchiest lyrics
Funkadelic
4/5
Not gonna give five stars to an album with fart sounds, even if it's a psychedelic classic
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Will this shrill-voiced child please stop yelling at me about how The Lord of the Rings makes him horny?
Small Faces
1/5
When I feel sad about the state of culture in 2025, it's helpful to remember that the '60s also had annoying junk that got popular
David Bowie
5/5
Hell of a way to go out
Living Colour
3/5
What if '80s cock rock weren't completely douchey?
Bob Dylan
4/5
Bob Dylan was 20 when he wrote "Blowin' in the Wind," and now I'm 40 and writing on the internet, "Yeah it's good, but not QUITE five stars"
The Rolling Stones
3/5
As usual with a Rolling Stones album, there's a bunch of throwaway filler, some sloppy production, and at least a couple absolute classic singles
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
If we're going to get one turn-of-the-millennium DIY indie folk album, it should definitely be The Glow, Pt. 2 by the Microphones, but this is fine too
Dusty Springfield
4/5
My cat is named Dusty! My sweet little boy made some really classic girl group songs here!
The Beta Band
3/5
Cool vibes that never quite paid off
Air
4/5
I am but a simple man who prefers Talkie Walkie
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Nice guitarmonies and some sweet tunes, although an hour's worth of pump-up jams got a little tiring
Everything But The Girl
4/5
A nice mix of trip-hoppy vibe dance music and classic songwriting
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Drive Like Jehu rock really hard, perhaps for slightly too long
Sonic Youth
4/5
More like Goo in my pants
The Black Keys
3/5
EA Sports ass album
Willie Nelson
3/5
One of the best voices ever, even if the songs didn't grab me
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Woulda enjoyed some of the songs if not for the strained, pitchy, nasal singing
The Prodigy
4/5
Had a day rave at my desk
k.d. lang
4/5
I once interviewed k.d. lang for the local paper, and she called me from a private number, so I still have the audio clip of her saying, "Hi, Alex? This is k.d. lang." Anyway, this album is really and her voice sounds amazing.
CHIC
4/5
The bassist is a beast, and I love fun
Violent Femmes
4/5
Hooky songs that sound like they could have come out yesterday, because there's still nothing quite like it
Aphex Twin
5/5
The standard that every "chill beats to study/relax to" playlist is trying reach
Saint Etienne
3/5
Beginning the album with two interludes and a Neil Young cover reduces the impact of what's otherwise a dreamy, pretty album
Big Black
4/5
Pure treble has never sounded so grimy
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
The Beatles are great because Paul McCartney is the gas and John Lennon is the brakes, whereas Jeff Lynne doesn't have anyone to keep the cheerfulness in check 🤪
The Clash
5/5
Of all the double albums on this list, this is a rare one that isn't too long
Orbital
4/5
It's either the chillest dance floor or the hypest chill-out tent
Bad Company
3/5
There's dad rock and there's uncle rock. This is uncle rock. I will not be taking questions.
The Streets
4/5
I'm Canadian, but my mom comes from the British working class, so this album makes me feel very connected to my ancestors' culture
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Have you ever been experienced? I have. Just so sick.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
My name is Alex and I'm here to say, these rap songs sound kind of quaint
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Lots of '80s pop albums on this list have a hit or two, but few of them are this consistent
Lambchop
3/5
The weird lyrics really elevated the slightly ignorable baroque folk arrangements
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Twang a ding dong dang, not very distinctive
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I didn't know they were so weird! Cameron Crowe's mom was right.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Certainly not unpleasant, but the title of "Rinky Dink" is maybe a bit too accurate
The Roots
3/5
Uncool people need rap albums too
Sepultura
3/5
Drums: chopsticks played on a damp pizza box
Vocals: recorded while straining on the toilet
Bass: what bass?
Guitar: pretty sick
Eurythmics
3/5
The bangers of the first half got a little directionless after the title track, but Annie Lennox's voice really elevated it
Kanye West
5/5
How do I rate one of the greatest albums of a generation after its maker becomes a Nazi?
B.B. King
3/5
It's not exactly an attention-grabber in the year 2025
Linkin Park
2/5
The theoretical hybrid of Ed Hardy and Hot Topic
Ravi Shankar
2/5
Explaining music theory while you play feels a bit like a comedian explaining why a joke is funny
Various Artists
5/5
Even before committing murder, he should have been put in jail for that voiceover on the final song
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Rumours? Nope — all true
Patti Smith
4/5
My favourite thing she's ever done is the book Just Kids, but this is a close second, and a perfect example of the ole "abrasive singer + beautiful arrangements" formula
Nas
5/5
Hardcore rap but make it fun and welcoming
Laura Nyro
2/5
Generic and nonsensical at the same time, where songs that sounded like sitcom jingles would randomly speed up and slow down while the singer wailed way outside of her vocal range
Bad Brains
2/5
Not aggressive enough to make up for how tuneless the songs are, even though the reverb-y shredding was pretty sick
Eagles
3/5
I found this hotel on Groupon. It was comfy and clean, not that memorable, and the concierge Don was a bit of an asshole.
Frank Zappa
3/5
Wonky and honky and skronky and pretty fun
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
I'm not sure this is really intended to be listened to as one album, because it sounded great but was way, way too much whimsical wordplay for a single sitting
The Pogues
3/5
January is an absolutely diabolical time to assign me an album with the best Christmas song ever
TV On The Radio
3/5
This band has one great EP and one great album and this one is neither of those, so it was a nice throwback to the days when I wore skinny jeans but clearly a lesser work
Duran Duran
3/5
Just-okay synthpop gets overshadowed by a couple of great singles, with amazing bass playing and a couple grating high frequencies
Pulp
4/5
It's not the most consistent album, but it does include two of the best songs ever (you know which ones I mean)
Roxy Music
3/5
Not my favourite Roxy Music album, but they're always a quirky good time
Thundercat
4/5
It's fun to hear someone so talented not take himself seriously at all
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Way more low key than the PSB bangers I've come to expect, and it was surprisingly sweet and pretty
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Tracks 1–4: This is pretty good!
Tracks 5–21: OH SHIIIIIII
Coldplay
4/5
So sweet that it's easy to overlook how gnarly a couple of those distorted guitar tones are
Steve Earle
3/5
The trad country stuff was fine, but I preferred songs like "Hillbilly Highway" and "Fearless Heart" that embraced more heavily produced '80s sounds
The Blue Nile
4/5
As a big Destroyer fan, I feel like I just discovered a foundational text
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Fun teen goth vibes, plus an absolutely horrendous Beatles cover that is very unpleasant to listen to
The Band
3/5
If I'm looking for something raw and rustic, this will get the job done nicely
Lou Reed
4/5
Some of the lyrics are a bit silly, but the gigantic anthems make up for it
Elvis Costello
2/5
I'm generally pro-Costello, but this was an hour of harsh vocal performances mixed super and high and dry for maximum unpleasantness
Burning Spear
4/5
Playful and political — love in Canada ❤️
Parliament
3/5
"We will return it to you as soon as you are grooving" — okay fine, I'm grooving
MGMT
4/5
The dudes from your dorm accidentally defined the synthpop sound of an entire generation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNC1W2m4Uug
Soundgarden
3/5
It rocks pretty hard for way too long
Metallica
1/5
Aptly named, since listening to all of this did indeed feel sadomasochistic
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Does it sound "good" in the traditional sense? No. But I can I nevertheless appreciate its free-spirted, bold, adacious experimentation? Also no.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
It has a manic quality that attempts to make up for a lack of hooks with frenzied enthusiasm and annoying chants
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Wikipedia says this came out 17 days before Leonard Cohen's death, but that can't be right, because I'm pretty sure he recorded these vocals AFTER he died
John Coltrane
4/5
I feel sophisticated as fuck listening to this
The Cardigans
3/5
They almost veer into a psych-lounge exotica thing, but they hold back — like they walked so Stereolab could run
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
So vibey and atmospheric that I almost forgot to party
Tom Waits
2/5
This album could have been quite beautiful if he didn't sing like a constipated antelope
Sex Pistols
3/5
More interesting as a historical document than an enjoyable listen beyond the two big hits, even if the songs are much more competently played than the band's reputation would suggest
Black Sabbath
3/5
The sinister vibes are strong, the playing is fantastic, and the medleys are a bit of disjointed mess, making this my least favourite of the three Sabbath albums I've gotten here
Liz Phair
4/5
Manages to embody classic rock tropes while being super weird and abstract at the same time
The Black Crowes
2/5
Blooze clichés for rock dads
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
The cartoonish vibrato ever so slightly undermines the sophisticated cool of the performance
AC/DC
2/5
Obviously the title track rocks, but most of this album is both boring (the riffs, lyrics and melodies) and unpleasantly harsh (the vocals) at the same time
Coldplay
4/5
The first half has all the big singles, but the deep cuts in the second half are just as good
Jungle Brothers
4/5
This album is funky and fun, so why does every review here consist of puritanical pearl-clutching about gangsta rap? Grow up, nerds!
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Some of the most high school bars I've ever heard in my life, but the naive blues rap charmed me with its simplicity
Steely Dan
3/5
I'm ready and willing to become one of those pretentious Steely Dan snobs, but no amount of great playing and perfect engineering can make up for a lack of great tunes
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
I am the son of a Rock Dad, so a couple of these songs reached into my soul, even as I repeated "Fuck Eric Clapton" under my breath like a mantra while slogging through the filler blooze jams
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
I'm not totally sold on the idea of political porno music
Bob Dylan
4/5
The sweet spot between his "folk troubadour boy genius" era and his "irony poisoned rock 'n' roll surrealist" era
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Charmingly era-specific production and strong vocal performances for unmemorable songs
Kate Bush
5/5
Still the absolute gold standard for weird, experimental pop
Ramones
3/5
Criticizing the Ramones for being repetitive feels like criticizing the ocean for being wet
Paul Simon
3/5
Overly cutesy compared to his best work
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
We're literally in the future and it still doesnt sound as futuristic as this album from 1976
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
I've never noticed before that the album cover somehow appears 3D on my phone screen, which is exactly how this album sounds
The Lemonheads
3/5
It's a Shame About Evan Dando Masturbating in Front of That Poor Woman
Jack White
4/5
I was a huge White Stripes fan, so it was so cool to hear him break out of the box with a bigger sound — and it still is
Cream
4/5
Fuck Eric Clapton, but the Summer of Love vibes are undeniable here
The Who
2/5
The Who have this reputation as a loud, rebellious rock band, so I don't understand why they sound so damn whimsical all the time
Billy Joel
3/5
There's dad rock and there's grandma rock; this is grandma rock, but that's okay, because grandmas need music too
The Yardbirds
3/5
I had a nice time listening to it, although maybe it doesn't reflect all that well on the songwriting that my favourite things about it are the extreme panning and the sound of the reverb
Metallica
4/5
There's so much texture and atmosphere that I overcame my aversion to James Hetfield's yarling
The Rolling Stones
3/5
They wrote two all-time classic songs, stuck them on either end of the album, and put any old shit in between
The Who
3/5
The Who: "Hope I die before I get old"
Narrator: "They didn't"
The Darkness
1/5
If this is a rock album then Scary Movie is horror
Jimmy Smith
3/5
A white noise machine — I couldn't have noticed it any less