280
Albums Rated
3.11
Average Rating
26%
Complete
809 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Indie
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
33
5-Star Albums
27
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Phrenology
The Roots
|
5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
|
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Be
Common
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
|
Either Or
Elliott Smith
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Amnesiac
Radiohead
|
5 | 3.41 | +1.59 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
|
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
|
1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
|
Repeater
Fugazi
|
1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
|
Dirty
Sonic Youth
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kanye West | 2 | 5 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
| Leonard Cohen | 2 | 1 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Fleetwood Mac | 1, 5 |
5-Star Albums (33)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Neil Diamond...meets Belle & Sebastian...with a sprinkle of Rocky Horror Picture Show? I don't know quite how to describe it. Crooner Campy?
I actually like good chunks of this. Would I ever listen to it around anyone else? Absolutely not. But when it's in my earbuds and I'm driving and I can absorb all the ridiculousness of it, I'm good with it. So much good instrumentation.
Hits: Something for the Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie, and Songs of Love - which feels like B&S are singing - a different style/voice than the bombast of the rest of the album.
2 likes
The Beach Boys
4/5
Really enjoy the surf rock tracks, less inclined to go for the ballads, but all in all, this is pretty classic.
2 likes
B.B. King
5/5
This is not 'guy-sitting-on-a-chair-playing-the-same-riff-on-guitar-that-everyone-associates-with-blues' blues. This is big band coming at you rattling the plates on the table while everyone around you cheers along. This is definitely worth the listen.
Side note to say that I loved recognizing the original sample that Primitive Radio Gods used for 'Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in my Hand' - it comes from 'How Blue Can You Get?'.
2 likes
Santana
4/5
I didn't go into this with an open mind - I'm not a jam band listener, and that's what I was expecting this to be.
It's not that!
It's tight, it's rhythmic, it's coherent as a full album but also as independent songs and feels like a true piece of art. I listened through once and realized that I want to hear it again to see what I wasn't paying attention to. It's really great all the way through. Only track that I'd probably be tempted to skip is 2nd to last.
2 likes
The Youngbloods
2/5
First time I read the reviews of an album to understand why it made the list. I get that in context it helped bridge between psychedelic and the country-folk movements...but as a standalone without that context in 2025, it was kind of just...there. Nothing really to note. I think the B side picks it up from a 1 to a 2 star for me, but barely.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (27)
All Ratings
T. Rex
3/5
Good production for an old rock album. Probably would have listened to this in high school during the era when I was listening to classic rock more. Fits right in. Some slower almost Velvet Underground sound on one or a couple tracks, but mostly just standard pretty good rock. Last song (Rip Off) was distracting and was really the only miss.
Fleetwood Mac
1/5
Blah. Not for me. Double album of suck.
The Prodigy
3/5
Went from 1 to probably 3.5ish. It's like I've just left a FIFA menu screen open for an hour. Actually pretty good for work background - there's a chaos to it, but it's driving not distracting. I don't think I want to put it on 'just to listen to' though. I don't need to be in a Mission Impossible movie soundtrack.
Supergrass
3/5
One banger (Alright), and a number of tracks on the B side that remind of White Album Beatles or something like that. A good mid-90's alt/punk/indie and makes sense that they were contemporaries of Green Day.
The Police
2/5
I feel like I'm supposed to like the Police...but I don't really think I do. I don't get pumped up by their frantic movement. It's not something that I ever find myself wanting to put on, and in fact, most of the time, would rather turn it off.
Al Green
4/5
I mean. Good stuff. If it was on I wouldn't change it. It's probably a 3.5 in my book - not quite a 4, but 3 feels too low.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Unfortunately I feel like the Boss never quite hits for me unless it's one of his big hits. Title track is a 5 star banger. Everything else I would probably turn off.
Queen
3/5
Really rock opera. A familiar sound but unfamiliar songs. Hard for me to get into because if I wanted this sound, I'd pick the familiar.
Edit - coming back to this several months later. On several relistens, my ranking comes up to a 3.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Didn't connect with the majority of the album. Like the 2 songs I know, was quite bored with the ones I didn't.
Pretenders
4/5
Surprisingly good to just leave on and let roll.
De La Soul
4/5
So many great tracks on this. Can put it on and just let it spin, although have to take a break between the orgy and Me Myself and I, but then it's back to hitting.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
So overplayed at the time, but listening to it intentionally after [a long] time away from it, man, this is solid. One of those 'this is the sound of a time in my life' albums, even if I didn't listen to it on purpose - and couldn't even escape it - at the time.
Ash
2/5
It's fine. I could imagine myself listening to a couple tracks off this maybe in early college thinking I had found an obscure band and convincing people to like it, but in the end...it's just fine.
The Youngbloods
2/5
First time I read the reviews of an album to understand why it made the list. I get that in context it helped bridge between psychedelic and the country-folk movements...but as a standalone without that context in 2025, it was kind of just...there. Nothing really to note. I think the B side picks it up from a 1 to a 2 star for me, but barely.
Talking Heads
1/5
Fugees
4/5
Very much a moment in time album for me. Tons of great songs, but when listening to the album straight through, the outros can be distracting or sometimes unnecessary. Still so solid all the way through.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Nope.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
So much excellence - pretty close to 5 stars.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Some great songs, would be easy to put on and just have on in general, but not always something I'm super drawn to.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Some nice new finds on this beyond the hits. My Best Friend, How Do You Feel, JPP McStep B Blues - shockingly Mamas and the Papas sounding. But several slow dribblers kind of bring the album down on the whole for me.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Some iconic stuff on here. A couple skips for me though which brings it down from a 5.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I mean. I'm fine with it. It's a beat poet time capsule of late 60's New York, which is really cool, but it's also not the music I'd put on just to listen to. I'd put it on because I'm supposed to and because it's important - but obligation doesn't make me fall head over heels for it beyond the couple of songs that I already knew.
Crowded House
4/5
20 albums in and this is my first pleasant surprise.
This feels like a tv show that you have to watch the first couple episodes that aren't that great before you start getting into and you're like, 'yeah, actually, i'm going to keep watching' and it grows on you.
Ends up being a really familiar without ever having heard a song before. Really enjoyed the majority of it.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
I don't know when I would put this on. It's not compelling enough for me to want to listen to intently, but it's also not driving enough for me to want as ambient background. It's like - if I want to zone out I could put this on and not pay attention to anything around me, including the music.
That may be a little harsh - a couple tracks do light up a little bit, but just not enough throughout the album as a whole.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Easy to listen to all the way through. Love the history and thinking about the guys cheering and jeering along. Think I enjoy San Quentin a shade more though.
Kanye West
5/5
From a forgotten era before we knew he was batshit crazy.
Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips.
This album is undeniable.
Dr. Octagon
1/5
Ok 90’s beats but not ok enough to hold this up as something I’d be inclined to put on again.
Stan Getz
5/5
This. Is. So. Good.
I could put this on any time and just de-stress.
Relax.
I need more of this.
New York Dolls
2/5
It started out ok - pretty fun in fact. But it wore on me as the album went on and ended up being pretty tiring.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
I feel like this is kind of unremarkable R&B. I’m amazed that this was album of the year for NPR in 2021. I perked up when I heard Anderson Paak come in, but that was about it.
Gram Parsons
4/5
Classic country, easy listening, lovely harmonies, and a nice discovery in general.
Public Enemy
2/5
Listened twice fully through. Their are a number of moments where I think, ok, it's gonna kick in here and be great. But then it just...doesn't. Samples are good. Messages are good. But as a complete musical package, it feels underwhelming and overly repetitive, with many tracks that don't go anywhere.
The Birthday Party
1/5
Good grief.
Coldplay
5/5
Didn't even have to listen to know it's a 5...but I listened anyway because it's so good. Personal connections to music can easily outweigh the quality itself, but in this case, it's just so solid. What a way to announce yourselves to the world.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Doesn't quite connect with me. It's kind of a 'if I'm not paying attention and it's playing I wouldn't turn it off' but it's not something I can see ever actively putting on beyond a track or two. Horns and strings are nice backing on some of the songs. I'm probably a 2.5 on this. 3 feels generous, but 2 feels harsh.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
If Game of Thrones had a spinoff series that followed Tyrion Lannister around as a bard, this might be the result.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I mean. I guess it's fine. It's still Joni and her lovely voice, but I don't think I'd ever really be in the mood to put this on over something else by her.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Doesn't hit me the way the critical acclaim made me think it would.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Definitely feels like an 'album you should listen to before you die' - and I hadn't beyond knowing the hits from this. I am definitely not a psychedelic guitar fan at this point, but this is really quite good even when it's not my everyday taste.
Portishead
3/5
Chill. If it was a shade more chill, I'd probably bump to a 4, but as it stands, I'm in the 3.5 range. I like her voice sometimes, but other times it gets a little to piercing and takes away from the vibe.
Richard Thompson
3/5
It's albums like this where I wish we had 1/2 stars. For me there are some fantastic tracks - Withered and Died is an all time favorite, but I only knew a modern cover (Kate Rusby). The original is marvelous as are a number of other of Linda's songs. That said, I get a little underwhelmed by Richard Thompson's solo songs. In the end, I'm at a 3, but I wish I could give that extra half star up to 3.5 just for Withered and Died on it's own.
Nirvana
3/5
Some huge hits and some huge misses. I can't deny the power of the first 3 tracks, and several others on the album are great compliments. I feel like it would at least be a 4, but the misses really miss - so, wanting to skip close to half the album feels like it brings it down.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
So easy to listen to the whole thing straight through and then feel like you should do it again. B&S was one of my very first introductions into 'indie' music in the late 90's and these tracks were literally some of the very first that opened my ears to what else there is beyond radio. Glorious.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Not super plussed by any of it - nothing really stood out at all during the listen. I enjoyed the last track, but only because Bill Murray sang it in Lost in Translation.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Surprisingly good - some real bangers - good production and beats for '92. Just had Fear of a Black Planet (Public Enemy) from '90 a couple days ago and this feels like night and day better - fuller sound, more complete tracks, just more fun in general. Enough stuff to listen to that if it's on, I'd usually be good to leave it on.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Some great stuff, some a bit more forgettable. That said, some really timeless and compelling social statements that feel all too relevant today. I'm probably at a 3.5 on it, but the social commentary bumps to 4.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
There is a LOT of good stuff on this. Blending R&B, Disco, Jazz, Pop, Soul, Gospel...big boppers to iconic ballads.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
There are times when I might like an album like this. Today doesn't feel like one of those days. A great vocalist who I've never listened to, but I'm not connected with any of the songs - they seem like they should be nostalgic like Barry Manilow, but they are unknowns to me and really fall into the background. Hard to identify anything noteworthy or memorable.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Hadn't heard this album. Didn't look at the tracklist before putting it on and figured it was time to listen to some lesser known Creedence. Track 1 was new to me - so, it seemed par for the course - it was fine. And then...the rest of the album is literally just a CCR Greatest Hits album - I literally couldn't believe that hit after hit after hit just kept playing. It's shocking that you can have this many great songs on a single regular release album.
System Of A Down
1/5
As with every album in this project, I listened all the way through. I don't connect with this on any level - the rage, the deep dark frenzy, the music (or lack thereof). It's an assault. Hard pass, never again.
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
Some of the lyrics are quite powerful - relevant - timeless, but too often everything feels a little aimless and ambling. I guess spoken word doesn't really draw me in enough to have the content overcome the approach.
Soft Machine
1/5
There are moments of relief while listening to this, but that's not what I'm putting an album on for. 90% of the time I'd rather take this off than keep listening.
Cream
2/5
The only tracks I'd actively be happy to put on are Sushine of your Love and Take It Back. Beyond that, it doesn't feel like it's worth the time.
White Denim
3/5
Felt run of the mill all the way through but I didn’t mind.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
On first listen, I was struggling to give this as high as a 2, mostly because I wasn't paying attention, and I would only cue in on the distracting chaos that occasionally happens (and that really happens at the end for the last 3 tracks - so that's the taste I had in my mouth after chewing on this album).
But then I started it again...and again...3 full listens. I kept hearing those first couple seconds of track 1 thinking this is bound to be great. But I kept having to convince myself to get over the talk-singing as soon as the vocals enter - I found it really unappealing.
But as I pushed through and forced myself to pay more attention to the songs...the music, it's actually pretty smooth sailing. A classic mid-60's sound that somehow reminds me of They Might Be Giants - surprising musicianship with occasionally (or not so occasionally) ridiculous or far-reaching lyrics.
If this were a 12-track album, it might even approach 4 star territory for me, which, on first listen I would have though was ludicrous. It's really a lesson in listening intentionally, and not boxing something in based on preconceived notions ('oh great...a Frank Zappa album...not gonna like this').
Overall, I think I'm at a 3.5 falling to a 3. But I'd listen to the majority of this again and it would probably continue to grow on me.
Duran Duran
3/5
I can hear the appeal on more than just the hits. I may not reach to put it on, but I can leave it on if it's already spinning.
Orbital
3/5
There are times when I like this, there are other times when it makes me anxious.
The last track feels like the intro for a band walking on stage, and the intro music stops right when the band hits the first chord of their first song and the crowd goes wild...but...no one was that interested in the intro walk-up music - it was just there as filler to create a little bit of energy and anticipation.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Art Garfunkel barricaded himself into a honeymoon suite in Hutchinson, KS in May 2004. He dislocated the fire alarms and smoked his brains out and wouldn't leave. I know this because my cousin got married and had that very suite booked, which, was to be used for a bridesmaid 'getting ready' room, and ultimately for my cousin and his new bride to spend their wedding night. However, upon prying Art from the room, the hotel staff had considerable work to do to make it habitable and were forced to put my bridesmaids elsewhere to prep for the wedding while they aerated the room. Thankfully, my cousin and his new wife were able to stay in the suite, so all was not lost...except for maybe a little dignity for good ole Art.
All that said, this album is a 5 every day of the week.
Frank Black
3/5
Listened a couple times before I felt like I could actually put some thoughts down. It feels completely familiar without ever having heard it before. A good chunk of the album is an easy listen - if I had known this at the time, mid-90's teenage me would have been happy blasting this in my '85 Honda Civic.
I was never into the Pixies - never even explored them, but in looking Frank Black up, realize that he's their lead. I don't know if that plays into this album or not, but just an interesting tidbit.
Probably a 3.5 for me - would listen again.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I was going to give this a blind 5 - objectivity out the window. But then I was like, no. I need to listen to this intentionally and critically. I think I'm at a 4.5. Side A is a 5 without at doubt, but I feel like the B side falls off a bit and lands me in the 4 range if I have to pick whole stars.
Marty Robbins
5/5
Perfect example of what this project is all about. Likely never would have found this on my own and now I have a new favorite record of classic cowboy songs.
Mylo
4/5
Great vibe pretty much all the way through.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
This was fine to have on - I don't feel strongly either way about it - would be as happy to leave it on as I would to pick something else.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
An album of bookend bangers. A bunch of flyover states in between. I'm fine to leave it on after the opening track - don't need to put it on particularly - but as it gets going through, may as well leave it on for the closer.
Dr. John
2/5
A drum circle singalong in the bayou with chaotic instrumentation at times and growly vocals. Oh - and flute. A little to gritty, dark room, late night 'hey what if we did this?' and the stoned guy in the corner is like 'yeeeaaahhh mannnn!'. A couple tracks are listenable and a little more organized.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
This is terrible. Old man whispersinging. I really feel like there is nothing redeeming about this album. Why is this here?
Jurassic 5
4/5
Would be a solid 5 if the stopped at 12 tracks but it kind of wanders after that and I get a little tired.
Raekwon
3/5
I'd have to be in the mood to put it on, but if I am, I'm happy to let the majority of it ride. While admittedly not being into Wu Tang at the time, this is a nice dose of nostalgia.
The Cars
4/5
Really hooky and lots of fun riffs. It's an easy 3.5, but I'm rounding up just for so many great songs.
Pearl Jam
2/5
There's not a ton on here that excites me. There's stuff I know - and know well - but do I really ever want to reach for it and put it on? Eh, kinda not at this point, beyond just a kick of nostalgia.
Ian Dury
3/5
What a strange ambling tour inside this guy's mind. It's like you're just listening to the inner monologue of a guy walking home from a pub. Great instrumentation.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Horny guy in the 70's makes album. Good music. Too bad there's vocals.
Brian Eno
3/5
When I feel like I *HAVE* to listen to something, and I can tell I'm forcing myself to get through it because I'm supposed to, I know the rating isn't going to be that great. As much as I've heard about Brian Eno, I've never explored him, so no idea if this is a good representation or not. Some of this is a 2 for me, some is a 3. I think in the end, I can get to a 3.
To me this sounds like what the Beatles might have sounded like if they were still together in '74 - occasional hooks to draw you in, but long stretches of experimental droning and crowing and instrumentation. Very White Album vol 2. But there's no nostalgia tied to this like there is for the Beatles for me, so it can get a little tiring.
Beatles
5/5
Yep. An album everyone should hear before they die.
Brian Wilson
3/5
Compositions are incredible - Abbey Road/White Album come to mind. But too many of them are a little too odd to get me really excited about the album as a whole. The big hits are great, but beyond those, I didn't connect with as much of the cute/weirdness of it as it's clear other people do.
Suicide
2/5
Feels like it could be a good backdrop to a current indie album - at least at the beginning. But the reverb talking vocals and the vacancy of many of the tracks were just...bad. Track 1 (Ghost Rider) is kinda interesting. Track 2 (Rocket USA) you realize, oh, we're just gonna talk for most of this, but the drums and synths still kind of keep things going. Track 3 (Cheree) feels like it really is just a mid-2010's indie band instrumental track where the vocals haven't been laid down yet. And it kind of deteriorates from there. Frankie Teardrop is a complete mess - pretty useless from a music standpoint, and with it being Track 6, you're already pretty tired of what you've been listening to.
Radiohead
4/5
4.5. Some absolutely spectacular tracks on here, but a couple that wander too aimlessly and get either boring or abrasive...or both. This is the first time I've really listened to this critically even though I've been reasonably familiar with most of it for years.
Aerosmith
3/5
2 absolutely iconic tracks in between a lot of standard 70's rock that I won't take off if it was on, but I might not reach for if it wasn't.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
They have another one on this list?! Good lord. The first one was murder to my ears...this one isn't much better.
Wilco
5/5
I could put this on just about any time and enjoy it. Listened through 3 times before landing on that, and enjoyed it every time.
MGMT
3/5
3 absolutely top of the heap tracks packed amongst, unfortunately, some really unremarkable filler. I listened through several times to see if I was missing something about the other tracks, and I can’t even recall the songs as soon as they have ended.
I remember listening to some of this back when it first came out and thinking, guess I’ll stick with the hits. It still holds true now that I’m listening to it almost 20 years later with intention. That said, Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, and Kids are in a league of their own.
Hugh Masekela
2/5
I don't know what to do with this. Sometimes jazz hits, and sometimes it doesn't for me. Too often throughout this album, the sax and/or trumpet are too chaotic - too much noodling.
Highlights - Maseru really kicks in nicely, Nomali, and then Maesha takes me somewhere and I'm happy to go.
But overall, there's too much that I would want to actively push stop on.
The Stranglers
3/5
A little bit rock a little bit punk. It's fine. A couple listens warms me up to it being kind of middle of the road. Driving rock with some nice organ.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Middle of the road Stones for me. Not tons to reflect on. It's fine to put on and it's fine to not put on.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Only knew the hits previously, but just listened to this through about 4 times over the course of the weekend and can't get enough of it.
The Pogues
3/5
Feels very standard Irish bar music. Perfectly serviceable if that’s what the evening calls for.
Love
3/5
Sounds fine. Good enough music. Not particularly remarkable to my ears.
Moby
4/5
Side A is 5 stars all the way. Side B really lets off and becomes overly repetitive. But I can't deny the catchiness of so much of this album.
Spacemen 3
2/5
I guess I'm ok with some of this, but not enough to want to put it on, and most likely would probably take it off once it got past the first couple tracks. It goes on for a loonnng time. Probably a 1.5 for me.
The Fall
2/5
So much of this goes absolutely nowhere. Unknown to me, and probably won't revisit. There's some musicianship that I'm occasionally appreciating, but overall, not really connecting with it - particularly the lead singer.
Santana
4/5
I didn't go into this with an open mind - I'm not a jam band listener, and that's what I was expecting this to be.
It's not that!
It's tight, it's rhythmic, it's coherent as a full album but also as independent songs and feels like a true piece of art. I listened through once and realized that I want to hear it again to see what I wasn't paying attention to. It's really great all the way through. Only track that I'd probably be tempted to skip is 2nd to last.
The La's
4/5
Pretty classic 4-piece Brit sound. Think I must be a sucker for it. I skipped 'There She Goes' every listen because it's the only song by the La's I knew. The rest of their sound keeps growing on me. Great find despite already knowing their one big hit.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
The musicianship is excellent, an undeniable voice, and an incredible opening track. So good they reprised it on track 4 with an equally good (better??) version. However, literally everything else on the album doesn't do anything for me - to the point of boredom. I've listened through 3 times, and will probably listen again, but I just can get excited about anything but the title track and it's reprise.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
Some people like 'precious' music, some people don't - and I get why they don't. But I LOVE it.
Muddy Waters
3/5
This feels like something I'm supposed to really like. I think it's fine. It can get repetitive and long - especially if it's meant to be in the foreground. If it's a sideshow to drive the background, it works really well. It's as classic as classic gets on blues riffs, but that doesn't mean I want to dive into the deep end of it for the whole time. I think live would be a different story.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
It twangs like '67, but nothing really draws me in to want to listen more. And there's too much to listen to on this already.
Metallica
2/5
I can listen to this if someone I’m with really wants to, but I don’t think I’d put it on for myself.
Underworld
2/5
This is get-shit-done music. Turn on the drone techno and just get in the flow. That said, it's not something that I find myself thinking I'll seek out when I want to actively listen to something. And if I'm really wanting some vibe driving background tracks, there's a lot of other stuff I'd put on first.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
At least it was short. This really doesn't go anywhere for me.
The Beach Boys
4/5
I know this is a 'should be 5 stars' album based on what so many people say, but there are a couple tracks that are just kind of there. I'm comfortably at a 4.5, but just can't quite give it the 5 that it seems like it's supposed to have.
The Beta Band
4/5
This is fun. Happy to have this discovery purely based on this project - will probably listen to this many times again.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Great vibe all day long.
Bon Jovi
4/5
For what it is, it's pretty undeniable. Plenty of songs beyond the hits (which are plenty) to rock out to. Guitars, drums, synths, screamy melodies and I'm pretty sure I can hear the hair as well.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Some faves, some skips, but overall pretty fantastic.
Morrissey
2/5
I don't know. I didn't really connect with the Smiths and this feels more of the same. It's a very quintessential 80's sound but...I'm just bored.
Genesis
3/5
This is a journey of a double album. I really like the first half - I came into this album thinking I'd be in the 2 territory, but the first half is an easy 4 for me. But the 2nd half gets pretty long, without as many of the melodic hooks. So I land on a 3, but man, this definitely surprised me. Need to pocket my preconceived notions.
Pink Floyd
3/5
First time ever listening all the way through. Feels like variations on a theme. 3 great songs (Another Brick in the Wall, Comfortably Numb, Run Like Hell) and the rest is all just kind of...there. I get it - groundbreaking, monumental, etc. etc. - but I still have to want to listen to it today.
Os Mutantes
4/5
On first listen I think this kind of passed me by - it was fine but not much more. On second listen it really clicked much more - so many similar sounds from the time, this time it just happens to be in Portuguese (and French).
Lorde
3/5
There are some nice moments, and if it’s already on I’d probably leave it on, but there isn’t enough that would make me reach to put it on. The album cover might be more iconic than any of the songs outside of Supercut.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Really enjoy the surf rock tracks, less inclined to go for the ballads, but all in all, this is pretty classic.
Sade
2/5
I'm one of the 'I don't get this' listeners. I know people love Sade. But this just passes me by and I feel no connection or draw to it. It's fine at best.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Started out ok but I think I just got a little tired of it
Billie Holiday
4/5
This is so sad. What a wandering journey through loss and longing. You have to be in the right mood for this, but if you are, there isn't much better.
I listened to Madeleine Peyroux's album Careless Love on repeat when it came out. I knew her vocal style was very much Holliday-esque, but I never actually went back and paid heed to the original. I'm glad I've finally spent time with the Billie - I'll happily listen to more.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I like Joni but this passed me by a bit. Dont love it, don’t hate it, just a little indifferent.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Back to back Joni and consecutive releases - what are the odds!? That said, this one passed me by a bit like yesterday’s did - probably a 2.5.
The Kinks
3/5
A great representation of a couple years into the British invasion. Never heard any of it but it all felt familiar. 3.5
Beastie Boys
5/5
This is one of the biggest 180’s I’ve done on an album - this project or otherwise. Came into this knowing their hits and maybe an additional track or two, but never actually gave them a listen, and didn’t know anything off this album.
What a blast! Like - I can’t hardly believe how much I enjoyed it - I remember not ‘getting’ Beastie Boys appeal when they were coming up, but listening now, I could rock this just about anytime anywhere. Sounds of Science is a new favorite track, but man, just let this whole thing ride - all the samples, the back and forth lyrical interplay, the beats - so much fun.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Really pleasant - can definitely have this on in the foreground or background. 3.5.
Roxy Music
1/5
This is not for my pleasure. It does nothing for me. The seemingly forced vibrato, the corny crooner style.
To be fair, I'm surprised this was from '73. 10 years ahead in terms of sound, but that doesn't necessarily make me like it. Grey Lagoons is great to my ears, but it doesn't save the rest of the album.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
I don’t know when I would ever want to listen to this - he has a great voice, the music is perfectly pleasant, but I couldn’t really get excited about any of it.
The instrumental break in Is That Enough feels like the soundtrack to a grainy mid-70’s movie scene where a guy is walking in the city on a damp dark evening. Seems like MJ took a lot of his spoken word style from something like this.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This is excellent all the way through. Sing along to the ones you know, marvel at the ones you don't.
The Roots
5/5
So much good here. I actually hadn't given it a proper listen in quite a while, and really hadn't given credit to the non-hit songs. Some weirdness in some of the latter half of the album, but not enough to bring it down for me.
The Gun Club
2/5
After a couple listens, I do like the instrumentation, but the vocals aren't really for me. Feels like it must be a punk standard. 2.5
Justice
4/5
Grungy clubby party beats. Remember this album cover being pretty ubiquitous, but never gave it a listen. Good stuff.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
C'mon. I'll admit - there are a couple of skips of this - Songbird and Oh Daddy do absolutely nothing for me. But everything else is just monumental.
Randy Newman
2/5
Ehhhhhhhhhhh...pretty underwhelmed. I didn't go in expecting a lot, and that's what I got.
Eminem
1/5
Kinda bummed that this really sucks so much. I remember not being as into this as others when it came out, but man, no wonder. Feel like there's very little redeeming qualities across the entire album.
TV On The Radio
4/5
A perfect example of noughties indie. I remember seeing this album all around, but just never latched onto any of it - must not have downloaded any tracks at the time, and therefore it was always 'somebody else's' band, so I never got into them.
It definitely would have been up my alley. Starts off so strong, then slides into some falsetto groove taunts. Feels like it has all kinds of influences - contemporaries like Arcade Fire and some of Beck's funkier side, to a clear Prince vibe at times.
Surprise fave is Dancing Choose, but also really like Halfway Home and Golden Age.
John Prine
4/5
John Prine always felt like someone else’s artist. I didn’t know him growing up, And when you hear a name enough times as if I should have known him (and he should already be a favorite), it kind of feels like - welp, I missed that boat so why even try?
Well I’m glad I finally was forced to listen. This is great. Super approachable, common man storytelling, Nice picking, nice slide - just comfortable music to really listen to or have in the background. 4.5.
Goldie
2/5
I thought I was 4-5 tracks in before realizing it was still the first track. I would probably take this off most of the time. It's not terrible, it's just that I don't need this much drum and bass in my life at this point. It's really really really long and doesn't really change. 1.5.
The Cure
2/5
After just having heard a new-to-me Cure song a couple days ago (that I loved), I was pumped to see this pop up on the generator. Unfortunately, I left feeling pretty underwhelmed with the listen as only Play for Today and A Forest give me anything to really come back to on this.
The Monkees
3/5
Feels middle of the road. Nothing notable but all perfectly easy listening to my ears.
Definitely notable that they took more control over the songwriting and instrumentation vs the first two albums where it was more professional songwriters and session musicians playing in support of the TV show. They went from a fake TV band to an actual real band on this album.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Feels like about as Classic Rock as the 90's could get. Harkens back to about 20 years earlier with a Stones/Zep vibe. While I won't choose to put it on all that much, this is pretty great all the way through.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Have seen the cover for years, never put it on before. Definitely wasn't expecting the synth and crash at the beginning of 'Save the Life of My Child', but everything after that pretty much eased into standard S&G sound. I'm good with it, and don't have the complaints that others seem to have about the concept album A side and the inclusion of Mrs Robinson on the B side - this was the first full length album after it was in the Graduate - why wouldn't they include it?
William Orbit
2/5
Moments that I really enjoyed, but not enough of them. I could see this influencing Faithless and others, but that doesn't mean I necessarily need to have it on. Track 4 sounds like I'm walking around a village in Dragon Warrior IV or something.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
1/5
Not bad, just boring. Late 60's psychedelic jam session.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
This is a pretty low bar album. I feel like Breakdown is verrrry mid-tier at best, even though it's a familiar tune. And then American Girl hits. And it HITS. One of my favorite songs of all time. How that is the last track instead of the first, I'll never know. This lingers in the 2/5 range until track 10, at which point it jumps a full star up to a 3.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Supremely listenable for a live album - such a pleasure to relax with. Easy 4.
R.E.M.
4/5
First listen a 3, probably because it was unfamiliar after the opener Radio Free Europe. Second listen a 4. Super easy to listen to - I've always enjoyed Michael Stipe's voice, so that made it quickly familiar even with only one listen under my belt.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
The more I listen the more I like it. First listen was ok at best, but then it keeps getting better and better. And unlike many, I dont even mind the 8 minute story at the beginning of the last track!
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Enjoyed this a good bit more than I expected. Feels way ahead of its time. I started the album a number of times and really enjoy it at the beginning, but it really wears on me and by track 6 or 7 I'm ready to be done. If it stayed at the level of the first couple tracks I'd be at a 4, but as it goes on it drops for me.
The Killers
5/5
Locked in. What a blast to listen to. Is it perfect? No. Is it a 5-star joyride? Absolutely. One of my favorite albums from the early- to mid-2000's.
The Police
3/5
I've never listened to this album, despite it being one of the seemingly most recognizable covers for 40 years. It was in every BMG/Columbia House catalog in the 90's, every used CD section in the 2000's, and seems like it's on every important/must listen list, etc. etc.
A little underwhelmed by the first 5 tracks. Mother sounds like a direct lift from Pink Floyd's Wall from just a couple years earlier. Listening a couple times helps me gain appreciation for the others, but not really that one.
But then Synchronicity II wraps up the A-side on a high note and launches us into a B-side that is CLASS. King of Pain, Every Breath You Take, and Wrapped Around Your Finger all in a row - c'mon. So good. But to be fair, they were also the tracks I already knew because they were hits. I enjoyed Tea in the Sahara as well, but could do without the CD bonus track Murder by Numbers.
I feel like 3 is a shade to low, but I feel like 4 is too high for my own personal taste. 3.5 falling to 3 because I'm still mostly just drawn to the hits.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
This is pretty great. I've enjoyed West African music in the past, but had never heard of Ali Farka Touré - glad to have the chance to be introduced.
I'll admit it's just a shade slow for me - I love the sonic landscape of the songs, but I've associated a similar sound with a slightly faster pace previously, so this can feel a little lagging at times. That said, still something I'd be happy to have on pretty much any time.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Ozzy passed yesterday so we all get Black Sabbath today. As much as I can appreciate some of their stuff, I can also get a bit weary of it. This is fine. I can listen to it. But I can tell I also get tired of it at times. If I am happy when it's over...how many stars is that? But I kind of enjoyed some of it along the way. It's probably 2.5 stars from me, but rounding up because I do appreciate certain sections and moments to make it worth it.
Brian Eno
2/5
Sounds for an art installation? I understand that it's important, but it's not something I'm going to want to put on. There are moments of enjoyable rhythmic musicality, but for the most part, it just feels like sounds.
Elton John
3/5
Kicking off with potentially his best ever song (almost feel like it should have been a closer). Rolls into Zevon (never heard before - also great), and then fades into oblivion for me even after multiple listens.
Prince
3/5
I've owned this record for years. It's actually 2 records. I can honestly say I've never listened to the 2nd record.
Side A is some of the best music in history. Side B first track is really fun...but it just keeps going maybe a little too long. 2nd track starts to fall away, becomes overly repetitive...and is even longer. And thanks to this project, I can confirm now that there's no need to listen to Side C or Side D again.
Caetano Veloso
4/5
I enjoyed this, and tend to quickly get drawn in to this style, but it wasn't quite the pinnacle that I thought it would be. I can't put a finger on what's missing for me - maybe a shade too slow too often?
I'm happy to have learned the genre - Tropicalia - so that I can find more from it. This is feel good music, often without knowing what is being said.
Think I'm at a 3.5, but leaning higher than lower.
N.W.A.
4/5
Not for the faint of heart. Never listened through before, but man this hits. I didn't realize it was '88 - I would have pegged it more in '90-'92 range. Definitely not something that I would have listened to as a kid at that time, but I certainly knew about it.
More than 35 years later I'm finally listening to it - anger, violence, misogyny - none of that makes me feel good about listening, and even worse about liking it. But the beats, the voices, the the soundscape is inescapable. Dre, Cube, and Easy E's voices are so iconic, it's hard not to like their verses even when I haven't heard it before.
Hot Chip
4/5
A little surprised that this makes the list, but at the same time, it was a great discovery for me. A great electro-synth vibe throughout.
Particularly enjoy: Motion Sickness (that raspy bass synth), These Chains, Flutes, and Let Me Be Him
The Dictators
3/5
Do I need this? Not really. Did I enjoy listening to it? Kind of. How much? Um...medium? Like - it was good - but I feel like I've heard a lot that sounds like this before. I can see why this would make the list as early as it is.
But that doesn't mean I really want to listen to it. It's fine. It's ridiculous. It's fine. Is that a 3? A 2? A 2.5? It's good enough...for a 3.
I feel like the 'take it or leave it' albums cause the most ranking strife, because I don't have a strong opinion.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Neil Diamond...meets Belle & Sebastian...with a sprinkle of Rocky Horror Picture Show? I don't know quite how to describe it. Crooner Campy?
I actually like good chunks of this. Would I ever listen to it around anyone else? Absolutely not. But when it's in my earbuds and I'm driving and I can absorb all the ridiculousness of it, I'm good with it. So much good instrumentation.
Hits: Something for the Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie, and Songs of Love - which feels like B&S are singing - a different style/voice than the bombast of the rest of the album.
Soundgarden
2/5
The first half of this album almost felt like easy listening grunge. I guess I'm fine with it. I probably would never reach to put this on.
It feels incredibly familiar without ever having heard any of it (except Black Hole Sun). Probably because I can't differentiate grunge from itself very well. Is this Nirvana? Alice in Chains? Silverchair? Today years old learning that Temple of the Dog and Audioslave are also Chris Cornell bands.
I will say I loved the shit out of the rhythm on Spoonman. That said, after that track, the sound really started to wear on me and still had half the album to go. It feels pretty long. Great it you love it, not so great if it's not your thing.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Listening back to this now, I remember how different it felt when it came out - it was so stylish and accessible. Even the skits are really cool to listen through as the album progresses. Everything the Fugees did in the mid- to late-90's couldn't be touched, and L Boogie definitely had it goin on.
4.5 falling to 4 just because there are a lot of 5 minute songs that feel like they go on for a long time.
Muddy Waters
5/5
So glad to have been introduced to this album (and Muddy Waters in general). I knew his name, and probably would have had a sense of his style, but this forced me to sit down and listen to it. This would be easy to put on any time.
Little Richard
4/5
Kind of shocking what 3 and 4 chord progressions did to music in the 50's. The power, the energy, the flair. That said, it gets really repetitive in 2025 for my taste.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Not much to say. Rocks like few albums can rock, but there's enough lulls that I can't give it a 5.
Björk
4/5
I remember this coming out very clearly. It felt like a measure of your musical superiority to enjoy it beyond a track or two. For that reason, I never listened to it, because I hate when something becomes a perceived barrier to entry - you're not really 'into' music if you don't think this is the greatest album/accomplishment of the 21st century.
And that brings me to today. On first listen, it felt like an art installation made out of sound that, while you're curious to look/listen, you'd never hang it on a wall in your house. It can be a little hard to digest. Confusing.
On second listen, it starts to grow on you...tracks beyond the more pop-sensible songs start connecting. You start opening up to soundscapes that you aren't used to.
On third listen, you think, 'I probably want to come back to this exhibit - but I still don't want to bring any friends - I still need to figure this out for myself.'
On fourth listen, it feels complete. You don't quite know why. If you listen too closely, it falls apart. It's a confusing delicacy that you still wouldn't hang in your house, serve at your table, or dare challenge someone else to consume. But you've been through it, and you no longer turn away.
On the more practical side - Rahzel on the beats was always my favorite part of this album (even 20 years ago when I didn't want to listen to the whole thing). It's so cool to hear the percussive sounds he provides and know...that's a dude doing THAT.
Who Is It, Where is the Line, Desired Constellation, and Triumph of the Heart all stand out to me, but the whole thing is a strange and wonderful journey.
Klaxons
2/5
...how is this any different (or better) than the same sound that had already been out for a couple years? Bloc Party (2005), The Bravery (2005), etc. I don't really see why this makes the list.
That said, it's ok noughties indie rock. Neither great nor poor. If I had any connection to it at all, I'd probably score it higher. As it stands, I'm underwhelmed.
Radiohead
5/5
Hard to be objective on this. Vivid memories of the first listen of Packt Like Sardines, and pretty much everything on this album was a hook for me from then on.
Hawkwind
1/5
Maybe I don't like psychedelic rock...especially live.
Ute Lemper
1/5
Oof. This strange cabaret lounge overly theatrical crooner style is really not for me.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Yup. Good stuff. Could listen to this almost any time.
Black Flag
1/5
Music without melody does nothing for me. At least it was short.
Kings of Leon
4/5
This particular album has always been a bit tarnished for me due to my roommate's significant overplaying of it, but man I've loved KoL for a long time so even with that, it's hard for me to be objective. It took their subsequent releases (Aha Shake Heartbreak & Because of the Times) to get me to go back and grow into what's going on here with their debut.
It's the grittiest, least accessible - and I get it, Caleb's voice is a lot to deal with in their early albums. You connect with it, or you don't. No judgement here. That was actually what pushed me back early on, but as you get used to it, you start to embrace it. Once you're in, there's so much fun to be had on this.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
First album by the Stones - 1964. Had never heard any songs off this. It helps me understand why the Beatles were the face of the British Invasion in the US in early '64.
There's always been a 'plant your flag' argument whether you're a Stones fan or a Beatles fan, but that is clearly based on the more comprehensive catalog. I'm imagining hearing this album for the first time in April or May of '64 after you've already had the Beatles on air for months (holding the #1 spot on Billboard with 3 different songs from February 1 through early May), and it might have just sounded like a bit of a knockoff. But that could also easily just be my imagination - this record hit #1 for 12 weeks in the UK, but only reached as high as #11 in the US.
All that said, the Stones grew to monumental status like few bands ever have, and you gotta start somewhere. This is their somewhere - it just didn't have a radio single to compete with what was already happening in the US with the Beatles.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Very low key. I feel like I should like the Boss - I feel like I want to - but this isn’t getting me there.
Mercury Rev
4/5
If you would have told me this was a side project by Wayne Coyne, I would have said 'of course it is - it's obvious.' But it's not. But it's still pretty great. The more I listen to it the more I enjoy it. Really happy to have been introduced to this one.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
This album really should be listened straight through. Not a ton of singles, but as a complete piece, a well-articulated narrative on gangs, drugs, violence, and consequences. There's a lot to unpack with this one, so I'll be glad to put it on again in the future.
Radiohead
5/5
Just had Amnesiac about a week ago. Seeing another Radiohead album pop up is a very welcome start to my day - especially this one. I'm all in.
Sister Sledge
3/5
I'm game for disco. When it slides into the R&B side of things, I start to lose interest. He's the Greatest Dancer is fantastic.
Tom Waits
1/5
This...felt like a waste of time.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
This sound was everywhere at the time - for a good reason. I had actually never listened fully through this particular album, but it didn't disappoint.
The Beach Boys
4/5
I grew up with a Beach Boys Greatest Hits tape. I loved it. I still do. But that was almost the entirety of my knowledge of the Beach Boys. Then Almost Famous came out and introduced me to Feel Flows which became an instant favorite. But I still never looked into any other Beach Boys beyond what I knew to that point.
The cover of Surf's Up doesn't look it would be anything related to fun and sun and surfing. It looks dark, ominous and brooding. And so it goes with the album - this isn't the polish pep I was expecting - even with the cover casting a shadow.
Other than Student Demonstration Time - which catches my attention for being kind of ridiculous in a bad way - once I can separate myself from my summer sun expectations, this ends up being a pretty great record.
Pavement
4/5
Pavement has ALWAYS been someone else's band. Someone who was cooler, hipper, wiser, and just a little more 'in' than me, just a little more ahead of the curve and once I arrived I was way too late. They always felt exclusive to a group that didn't include me, so I never listened.
Screw those guys. I like this - quite a lot! I wish I would have swallowed my melodramatic self-pity sooner. The only person blocking the door was me.
Deee-Lite
3/5
This is a vibe. I'd have to be in the mood for it, but man it takes me back to the early 90's like Technotronic, C&C Music Factory, and so many others. As a complete album it doesn't hit quite as well as some of those contemporaries, but if it's on, I'm happy to let it ride.
Lou Reed
4/5
His sleepy voice has grown on me considerably after multiple listens. Perfect Day and Wild Side were already solid listens, but everything else was new to me and all but NY Telephone Conversation treat me well. I’m at a solid 3.5.
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
I’m ok not really liking this. Little Babies was kinda fun.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
I mean, the comparisons to Tracey Chapman are inescapable. Joan is a totally new artist to me, and while I still don't find anything that gets me super excited after several listens, it's still a perfectly comfortable listen all the way through. [3.5]
Moby Grape
4/5
Really easy to listen to all the way through. Great 60's rock sound. Can't believe I never put them. While the genre isn't what I tend to reach for much these days and for never having heard them, this really feels like an instant classic to my ears.
Common
5/5
Iconic Kanye 2k production sound - you can hear it in an instant on The Corner. Super smooth album, easy to listen to - background or foreground. Listening to this now, I realize how much of it I know, but at the same time, am fully aware that I never gave it an intentional listen at the time.
Fugazi
1/5
I understand that people like this. I also understand that I don't.
The Who
4/5
I listened to this a couple times and then waited several days (just because I didn’t feel like I was ready to rate it yet). When I came back I found myself enjoying nearly all of it. This ends up being a really enjoyable album beyond ‘I Can See for Miles’.
B.B. King
5/5
This is not 'guy-sitting-on-a-chair-playing-the-same-riff-on-guitar-that-everyone-associates-with-blues' blues. This is big band coming at you rattling the plates on the table while everyone around you cheers along. This is definitely worth the listen.
Side note to say that I loved recognizing the original sample that Primitive Radio Gods used for 'Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in my Hand' - it comes from 'How Blue Can You Get?'.
Motörhead
1/5
I thought I was about 4 tracks in when I looked and realized I was only halfway through song 2. This wears on me.
Tina Turner
4/5
Have never listened to Tina Turner other than the inescapable hits (of which a couple live on this album).
I'm guessing when the editors put this in the list, they were referring to the original 9-track US release (maybe the 10-track international release that adds 'Help!'). I'm guessing they weren't referring to the 25-track 30th anniversary edition, nor the 5(!) disc 40th anniversary edition. So I feel like all judgement should be reserved for that original release.
So with that context out of the way...I kind of think this is really great. Flavors of Fleetwood Mac and Prince. Hints of Disco and Yacht Rock. New-to-me faves are I Might Have Been Queen and Steel Claw.
Madonna
3/5
This better than I was expecting. Trip-hop and techno vibe rather than just straight pop. That said, I kind of lost interest by the time it got to Shanti / Ashtangi. So that means I can handle about 7 songs before I check out. Felt forced to listen to the back half - Frozen was really overplayed when this came out, so no real desire to revisit it - it's not a bad song, just a little underwhelming compared to its popularity.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Never listened to a Willie album before - perfect for a Sunday morning mow.
The Smiths
3/5
I think if I had a previous connection with the Smiths, I would rank this higher, but I don't - this was a first (and second) listen for me. I'm fine with it - may not ever think to put it on, but can let it ride if it's already playing.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Feels very campfire/bunkhouse. Not as clean and composed as others, but I can get with it.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Wow. WOW. This album takes me places. This is the first I've ever listened to anything by Michael Kiwanuka, even though I've been aware of him by name for some time.
The opening track 'You Ain't the Problem' was instantly an all-time favorite. I literally haven't been able to stop listening to it. What an incredible throwback sound. I actually had to give myself a number of listens to the rest of the album to get over the fact that the rest of it slows way down and doesn't sound like the opening. But once I did get over it, the ride was so smooth.
I'm coming up on about 200 albums rated, and this is the 5th to go instantly on my want list without having been exposed to it before this project.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
About as classic as it gets.
The xx
3/5
Not clear why this makes the list. That said I can listen to it if someone wants to.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
This is SHOCKINGLY good.
I have never listened to a Peter Gabriel album, and could have only named Solsbury Hill as his. I would have said In Your Eyes was Phil Collins, and Sledgehammer could have been any number of yacht rockers. Hell, if you had put this album on without telling me, the majority of the time I would have thought I was listening to Sting.
All that to say, what a nice surprise! 2 big hits with Sledgehammer as track 2 and In Your Eyes kicking off the B side. Kate Bush shows up on track 3 which was so pleasant. So many of the unknown-to-me tracks are such a soundscape. Again. I am shocked. This is great.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Elliott Smith is wonderful.
Yes
4/5
Really surprised how much I liked this. Great musicians, great voices. 4.5 dropping to a 4 just because I’m rarely if ever going to put it on myself, but definitely enjoyed it all the way through.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Feels like something to listen to privately - so that you can really sit with it. This is art. This is human emotion. This is how music stretches you.
Paul Simon
5/5
Yep. I'm good with this.
Ice Cube
3/5
Pretty solid for early 90’s rap. If that’s what I was in the mood for, I’d probably reach for several other albums first, but this would still serve the purpose.
Nanci Griffith
5/5
Sometimes music sounds like what comfort food feels like. This is that music. So comfortable.
Ozomatli
4/5
Sorry I never gave these guys a chance at the time - even saw them live as one of the the openers for DMB at Soldier Field in 2000. I remember they had fun energy, but it wasn't something I was going to run home to buy.
This is a fun bounce. It's trapped in early 2000's pop/rap/latin that was super popular at the time - J Lo, Enrique Iglesias mashed with Jurassic 5 (cue Chalie 2na on Who's To Blame), Black Eyed Peas, etc. That makes it feel a little generic listening to it for the first time, but it also still makes it an enjoyable, familiar listen.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
I've owned this album for over 30 years and can guarantee I've never listened to the whole thing. To me, this was always a 3 song album. The first listen through confirmed why I felt that way so long ago, and while it feels harsh, I rated it 3 stars. Listening through again, I can bump it up to a 3.5ish, but in the end it keeps falling to a 3 because so much of the album doesn't do much for me. And this project is 'Albums' to hear before you die, not just 'listen to the hits off of an album'. And while I laud GNR's ability to drop some literally timeless tracks on their debut album, as a whole, it's hits and misses for me.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Appreciate the introduction. Recognized Wishing Well when it came on - likely never would have come across this otherwise. Probably a 3.5 for me - better than average though I doubt I’d reach to put it on.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
Ehhh. I'm not mad. I just don't really need most of this. There are some nice moments, but generally speaking, I don't have a reason to spend more time with it.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This has been a hard one to rate. There's stuff on here that I never would feel the need to put on (Sway, You Gotta Move, Sister Morphine).
There's stuff on here that's totally new to me that's perfectly enjoyable (Can't You Hear Me Knocking, Dead Flowers, Moonlight Mile).
There's a couple classic tracks on here that are absolutely fantastic (Brown Sugar, Wild Horses).
Is that a 3? That feels low. Is it a 4? That feels high. I have the hardest time rating albums that I am waffling on - especially when they are iconic bands like, you know, that pesky little startup called the Rolling Stones. I think there's enough good stuff on here to get it to a 4, even though I'm not likely to reach for this to put on.
Elliott Smith
5/5
There are some voices that I'll never get tired of, and Elliott Smith's is one of them.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Someone just got back from study abroad and had some ideas! In all seriousness, there are some ok sounds on this, but it feels very appropriated and not authentic - or at least feels very like a dated sampler from a course in ethnomusicology. And it's a much better output than his former band Public Image Ltd.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Part of me feels 'token global music entry', but the other part of me is really happy it's here. A big reason for this project for me is to discover things that are important, meaningful, and hopefully good in some context. This is one of those where I never would have come across it, and even if I had, I doubt I would have been curious enough to put it on and give it an honest listen. That said, after a listen, it's not something that I'll necessarily reach to put on, but I'm happy with what I hear along the way.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Does it feel a bit appropriated from the 60’s? Yes. Is it still really great music front to back? Also yes. I never gave this a chance when it came out because it was too hyped, but it’s pretty great now and I’m glad I got around to it.
David Crosby
2/5
Eh. CSNY but without any actual good songs? I enjoy the harmonies that are ubiquitous amongst their music, but that’s about it. This solo effort seems like it rode the wave of success of previous group efforts, but doesn’t hit the mark of quality for me.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
A hint of spiciness, a little hint of soy sauce, a little hint of a tomato - you know - a little hint of the spice.
This album is all over the place. I don't know what preconceived notion I had of Todd Rundgren going into this, but it wasn't this. Actually - I do know - it was Bang the Drum All Day - and this was not that.
From Yacht Rock to Elton John to Queen to possible video game soundtrack inspiration - I don't quite know where to put this in my head. It feels a bit 'Pinball Wizard' without the storyline. I could swear that the Mario 3 theme pops up on Breathless at about 1:32 into the track. And that same track kicks off with a play on the OG Rainbow Road theme...20 years before you find yourself falling off the edges.
I think individual songs are in the 4 category for me - I Saw the Light, Wolfman Jack, Breathless, Couldn't I Just Tell You, and Slut, but there's a lot of stuff that's a little bit too middle of the road to give the entire double album that rating. So I settle with a 3 - knowing that this was a lot to take in, but also developing a whole new appreciation for the artist.
Steely Dan
1/5
The first 10 seconds of track 1 are the only thing I'd ever want to hear from this, and that's only because it was the sample for Uptown Baby - a song 1000x better than anything that would follow on this album. Beyond that, get it off, throw it far far away from me. I don't want to listen to music because it was technically engineered at the highest level - ooo! I bet you'd love to read a math textbook next! I want to listen to music because it's good music, and this is not that.
Traffic
2/5
I can't give this a 1 because 1's are reserved for things that I actively want to never have wasted time on to begin with. So that means this can only ever be a 2. It's not BAD bad, but the noodling jazz flute organ sax psych fusion just isn't for me. Good musicians that bore me to tears. This is what Ron Burgundy listens to, but not in a fun way.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
COME ON. I had Traffic yesterday with it's jazz flute organ psych fusion and now I'm IMMEDIATELY met with jazz flute electric guitar psych fusion from Santana.
Ok. Now that I've calmed down, once I get into the album a little bit, it's not half bad. The back half of the album is quite good, but the early collaborations in general just don't do it for me.
OutKast
5/5
Some absolute classics. Some hidden gems if you've only been exposed to the singles. Only a couple skips. I wish more albums on the list could be like this one - a fantastic representation of the scope of an artists' sound across the spectrum of their work - before and after. This is quintessential Outkast.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Much better than I was prepared for. If I'm not paying super close attention, I'm pretty happy with it from beginning to end. If I am paying attention, some of the tracks can get a little long and/or pedobear. [4]
Small Faces
4/5
This fits so well between Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine. I'm sorry I never knew of this before. Loved the music from side A, loved the Cockney narrated journey on side B. This was a great discovery!
Jeff Buckley
2/5
I didn't like almost all of this. I can see how it would be influential to people at certain times in their life if they were exposed to it at that time, but outside of that context, I'm left wondering what the fuss is. He has a good voice. There's good instrumentation. But I was mostly bored and/or put off by the majority of the tracks.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
This was the lift I needed after Jeff Buckley yesterday. This would be easy to put on and feel good about at any time. I feel like I've tried finding big band all in one place in the past and it has felt hit and miss - this feels like it's all hits no skips.
Kanye West
5/5
This can't not be a 5. It's too good.
The Blue Nile
2/5
Man. This is the brand of 80's that I'm not a fan of. I listened a couple times through and forgot to actually review it and here I am a couple weeks later listening again to remind myself what it was. It's not offensive, it's just blah. Gets an extra star for Stay.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
I feel about as indifferent about this album as it seems Lana does. If I put this on as a background soundscape and treat her voice as an instrument, it's great. If I pay close attention to it, I'm as bored as she is.
Rage Against The Machine
2/5
I understand that people like this - it’s the same sound over and over, and if that sound doesn’t connect with you, it’s just not something you’ll ever put on. A couple palatable tracks even though this isn’t really for me, but that may just be because I’ve heard it so many times before.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
This is really fun. All over the place. Moments where it takes a big turn and sounds completely different. Moments of calm, moments of frenzy. Whips around to different genres. Would make for good road trip tunes for sure.
Don McLean
4/5
Only ever knew 2 songs by Don and I'm glad this project forced me to listen to the whole album. I've never heard someone sound so much like Paul Simon (in a good way). This was really an enjoyable listen.
David Bowie
2/5
Starts and ends strong. Everything in the middle is a hard pass.
FKA twigs
2/5
I don’t know what feels like it’s missing on this, but it definitely feels it’s missing something - action? Motion? The sounds seem like they should add up to something more than they do.
Coldcut
2/5
This felt longer than it was, and that's probably not a great sign. It's not baaaaaaaad, but it's not that great to my ears either. I can take late-80's early-90's dance music/samples/rhythmic beats in doses, and this was too big a dose.
3/5
Every college band at a liberal arts school in the 90's? To be fair, I didn't hate it - and in fact - at the time when I was at a liberal arts school in the 90's I probably would have absolutely loved this if I had discovered it then. But as it stands, I'm listening to this for the first time in 2025 and it's fine. Take it or leave it.
The Who
3/5
The Who are to the British Invasion as Kenwood is to vintage audio. They've got some really good stuff, but a lot of pretty middling stuff as well, and people just like other bands/brands better.
Ministry
1/5
Wow. No.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Most of this I actively don't want on and would take it off if it was. I was good with Sugar Kane and Personality Crisis, but as a whole, I really didn't like this.
Judas Priest
2/5
Ministry 2 days ago. This today. I just don't connect with hard rock and metal. At least there is some music on this. Jumps up to a 2 for Livin After Midnight.
The Verve
3/5
Middle of the road. Drones through a rainy Tuesday morning. I'd be fine with it on, but there isn't much to remember about it other than Bittersweet Symphony which is incredible.
Donovan
2/5
Beyond a couple singles, this ended up being a little too much barding for my liking.
Beyoncé
3/5
There's some good stuff, but quite a few misses. The fact that this is specified as the re-released Platinum version (with the 6 extra tracks) helps because all the remixes are a level up.
King Crimson
3/5
I understand that the ‘first’ makes this have weight, but I don’t understand the hype of the actual music. It’s fine. A nice riff and a nice refrain that both come back throughout. But beyond that, there’s a lot of waiting.
The Beta Band
3/5
I liked Hot Shots II that I got earlier in this project, but this one doesn't strike me nearly as well. It's...fine? Multiple Beta Band albums that I need to hear before I die probably isn't true. It starts off strong with Assessment, goes into the very Beck-sounding Space, but fades away after 4-5 tracks into ambiguity and becomes pretty repetitive as you go through the 2nd half. That said, still a pleasant sound throughout.
Gotan Project
2/5
Somebody said DVD menu music. Yep. That's it. It's not bad, it just goes nowhere.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
First time listening to a Bob Marley album other than Legend. This was great. So easy to listen to.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
First EW&F album I've ever listened to. Took it through 4 spins. Some of this is really fun, some of this I kind of fall asleep to. It kept growing on me with subsequent listens though - even the slower tracks. It's probably a 3.5 for me, but the positivity and good vibes push it to 4.
Gang Of Four
2/5
Completely unknown to me. I don't think I'll come back to it. This project continues to reiterate that I don't find joy in punk and post punk.
Method Man
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Had a couple of these tracks on a mix tape, but had never heard the full album. Would happily add this to my collection if I came across it.
Public Enemy
4/5
I only knew Bring The Noise (which I love), but hadn't listened to anything else. Just a consistent iconic sound. I can't believe this came out in 1988.
The Verve
2/5
This really shouldn't be on the list considering the album with Bittersweet Symphony is already here. These songs go literally nowhere. They are fine. They are background Oasis filler tracks. The sound is fine - not offensive, and I probably wouldn't even take it off if it was on because it sounds fine. But there's so much other music worth putting on in the first place.
The Human League
2/5
Eh, not that excited about this - even the hit at the end.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This is...ok. Is it music? Sure. I don't know how to articulate what I don't like about a lot of this - is it really just his voice and delivery? The talk-singing? It might be. But sometimes it's pretty good. There She Goes My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Let the Bells Ring, Breathless. A lot of the music is pretty great. Had to look up why on earth O Children has 200M plays as of this review. Harry Potter. -shrug- I feel like there are too many skips for me to call this a 3. It's a 2.5, but falls to a 2 just because I get too annoyed at too many tracks.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
I really hate albums like this in the project. They tend to be things that I wouldn't really want to put on, but after listening through I can't think of anything interesting to say about them. So then I have to listen to them again and try to figure out what I must have missed and it feels like a time suck.
This isn't terrible. Dog Eat Dog is a fun opener. Antmusic has a nice rollick and roll to it. But I think I just quickly get bored after that - the talk-singing on Ants Invasion - that breed of 80's just doesn't do it for me.
Skepta
4/5
This was pretty fun. Had to look up the genre of hip hop - grime - not something I'd say I'm particularly drawn to, but spinning this several times didn't get old. It's hard not to take off a star for him being a Sp*rs fan, but I've gotta let the music speak for itself.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Radio in the early 90's. I didn't love it, but I lived it.
James Brown
4/5
Really enjoyable 30 mins. So much energy.
Randy Newman
2/5
His campy delivery has never made me want to listen to him. There's music here, I just don't really care for it.
The Cramps
3/5
The first punk album I haven't wanted to throw across the room. Fun grungy listening.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Solid all the way through. Grungy rock that I wouldn't have associated with Neil before listening - just because I don't really ever listen to him.
King Crimson
1/5
Sorry. Don't want this. This project continues to reinforce that prog rock doesn't do it for me. Despite the occasional friendly-to-the-ear riff in this, too much of it makes me want to throw it across the room.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
I'm right in the middle on this - do I want to listen to it over and over? No. Does it have it's place on this list? Absolutely. While I appreciated the instructions/commentary a couple times, it actually interrupts the album where I'd be less likely to put this on, and might rather pick something different from him where it's just the music straight through. It's still cool to have a brief lesson though.
The Black Keys
3/5
Easy to put on - several in the front half that are super well known. It definitely blends together in the back half - to the point that it's like, why am I still listening to this. If it had kept some of the energy of the earlier tracks, it would be higher, but as it stands, it falls to a 3 with it's ambling nature.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
I...don't think this is for me. The southern rock that I've been introduced to in the past has been the 'greatest hits' - and this doesn't really come close to that. It has the same sound - but not the pep - nothing to make me remember any of it. And with it being a double album, there's a lot of songs that I don't remember as soon as they are done. The one that stood out was Three Great Alabama Icons - that was the only one that actually made me stop and pay attention.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Can't really be objective on this. All I hear is magic.
Pixies
2/5
This? This is the Pixies? I feel like they have a huge following and I've never given them a chance, and I feel pretty let down by what I hear. There's a number of very different sounds on the album - but too many of them turn me off. I was good with Allison, and I liked Havalina, but those are a couple lesser-streamed tracks on this album, so it seems like that's not what Pixie fans are excited about from them. Feels a little like a 'guess you had to be there' album.
Pere Ubu
1/5
I'm pretty good without this. Purposefully harsh sounds.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
This is great to put on when you want to concentrate - it doesn't go anywhere specific and when you catch on to where it might be going, he changes - with long spells of skilled improvisation but more new age than jazz to me. Piano for piano's sake.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
A couple absolute classics here - the first 2 tracks are excellent. That said, for only 7 tracks in total, it feels like a really long album due to the repetitive nature of the songs and sounds. Epic for the time it was released, however, at this point, just something that I value for the importance of it, but not because I want to give it a daily spin.
The Young Gods
1/5
French circus grunge growling? I can't believe I listened to the whole thing.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
I was only vaguely familiar with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their first release or two - which were fine to my ears, but nothing I was yearning for. So by the time this would have come out in 2009, I had already made up my mind that it wasn't really for me and didn't pay attention.
Well seems like I should have paid attention. I really enjoyed this - much more musical than what my preconceived notions of the band were. The front half is really great - almost 5 territory for me, but I definitely got a little bored in the back half. That said, a really nice discovery thanks to this project.
Fiona Apple
2/5
I get why people like her...but when this came out, and almost 30 years later, I still am just kind of bored with it.
The Stooges
3/5
If I'm in the mood for a little angst, this probably fits the bill. I know that it will be very rare that I reach for it, but I enjoyed it more than most early punk that has come up on the list. You can tell the influence this had on modern bands. If someone else was into it and wanted it on, I can let it ride.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Eh. Nah. Don't get me wrong. There's music here. It's just generally not what I want to be listening to.
Big Star
3/5
Surprisingly enjoyable listen. Traditional 70's rock - more pop than hard rock. Some slower stuff as well including a cover of Velvet Underground's Femme Fatale.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Kind of a hard one - supreme talent and something I'd basically never want to listen to. Add to that, very vanilla songs in general. Huge hits on the radio everywhere in '97? Absolutely. But the full album really sucks the life out of me.
Green Day
4/5
This really is a blast if you're in the mood for the genre. Probably a 4.5 for me, rounding down because I'm just not often in the mood for the genre.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
Fantastic tapestry of traditional Latin/Cuban sounds.
The Clash
4/5
This was great. Shockingly accessible. One of those albums I never listened to because I thought I knew what it would be. So glad to have finally given it a chance, and will be happy to spin it in the future.
The Byrds
4/5
Iconic sounds in both the twang of the guitar and the harmonies in the voices. Easy to listen to anytime.
Björk
4/5
So much more accessible than I was mentally prepared for. Really enjoyed it all the way through.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I mean...River and Case of You almost make this 5 stars by themselves - add to that other songs like Carey and California and it almost seems a sure thing. But I get a little lost in all the wandering of the other songs. It's not that I don't enjoy them, they are just a little too ambling for me. So I land on a 4, but this is still an album to own and cherish.
Van Halen
4/5
Would have no qualms adding this to my collection. Never listened straight through before, but enjoyed it all the way. Nice that it's not so long that it might start to wear on you if this weren't your thing.
Baaba Maal
4/5
Really nice West African sounds - sometimes more concrete songs, other times, more atmosphere. Not necessarily going to put it on to listen to, more to feel.
Elastica
4/5
Feels like this would have been on the Empire Records soundtrack. Enjoyed it more than I was expecting - not really abrasive - easy-listening femme punk?