Very flat for me on the first listen—way too long as well. I just have to accept that I’m not hippie enough to endure this endless parade of songs in a state of ecstasy … and to enjoy the album cover. That said, a few tracks do stand out fairly quickly (Beware of Darkness, Let It Down, Wah-Wah, or Hear Me Lord). It goes down easy, with a blissful smile—like honey: smooth, a little syrupy, maybe even a bit sappy. More often than not, this sounds like The Beatles… just, well, not as good. And Harrison is no Lennon nor even McCartney when it comes to singing. I get the context on why people might give it 5 stars - the shadow of The Beatles, Harrison’s songwriting talents finally recognized, Clapton and Dylan in the mix—but honestly, I’ll save my high scores for albums from the same era that actually shook me. As one reviewer put it, … and that perfectly sums up how I feel : “There’s probably a 4 or 5 stars album buried in here, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna spend another 2 hours trying to find it.”

There you go, another thing that excites nostalgics from Rolling Stone magazine and maybe old campfire enthusiasts. Even George Harrison feels punk in comparison to this. I can’t tell one track from another—at best, it works as background music for a nap. Since I don’t give a damn about Paul Simon’s sexual awakening or road trips, I also find the lyrics boring. Same for his voice.

I like its darkness and creativity, even if it still carries a lot of what I used to hold against Dummy back in the day : it rarely takes off and tends to stay locked in the same mood. Still, there are some nice guitar touches, and the atmosphere manages to move beyond the band’s original trip-hop roots, which keeps it from being just background music. Despite that evolution — and the 14 years between the two albums — you immediately know it’s Portishead. That’s one of the marks of the greats.

A beautifully haunting classic from one of the most influential band ever…. but personally, I lean more toward Wish You Were Here.

On m’a toujours vendu Revolver comme l’album qui a sorti les Beatles de la pop à fifilles. Dans le contexte de l’époque, sûrement novateur, il y a un avant et un après. Mais la je le réécoute sans grand engouement malgré les 2/3 hits qui sortent clairement du lot, sans pour autant souffrir. J’attends Sgt. Pepper…

Malgré une vibe country/folk que j’apprécie généralement peu, je considère cet album comme une belle réussite du style. La chaleur du son, la voix limitée mais pleine d’émotion de Young, la guitare parfois brouillon qui laisse entrevoir la facette rock du canadien, quelques harmonies vocales avec les potes,…. Ça sent la liberté, la route, un peu la nostalgie aussi. C’est simple, sincère, et ça touche comme un bon blues. Un classique que n’a pas cherché à l’être.

Un album de pop rap qui participe à signer la fin de l’âge d’or du style, entre autres avec cette reprise de killing me softly - succès énorme qui m’avait tellement saoulé à l’époque - ou celle de Bob Marley alors à nouveau hype. Le rap entre définitivement dans le domaine de la musique populaire. Reste la pâte caribeenne de Wyclef Jean et la voix de Lauryn Hill (qui, après Queen Latifah, a eu le mérite d’être l’une des toutes premières femmes à s’imposer dans le rap), mais tous 2 feront, selon moi, bien mieux par la suite et chacun de leur côté. Perso, Cowboys et Fu-gee-la en principaux highlights, le reste m’ennuie un peu et les textes ne sont franchement pas dingues.

A lot less “garage” than I expected, based on what I know of the band. Less energy too, and fewer killer riffs to mask the minimalism. On the plus side, the lyrics are nice, and the whole thing is easy enough to listen to. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that a real drummer and a solid bass wouldn’t have hurt—and that Jack White could have made the same record alone in his bedroom. In the end, meh.

Neil Young has always interested me because despite being a successivement folk veteran in the ’60s, he later chose to embrace a dusty, rugged rock sound, going against the grain of most of his peers. Both sides of him are present on this album, but being more « into the Black » than « out of the Blue » myself, I’m left frustrated—especially since the acoustic parts are disappointing. The whole “better to burn out than to rust” spirit comes through more clearly in latest parts of his discography. This record, however, feels unbalanced and rather unremarkable to me.

The only song I know from this album is Back to Life. It embodies everything I don’t like about ’80s music. Here, everything is a lie, jazzie’s Groove doesn’t sound groovy or jazzy, African Dance doesn’t sound African (though I do like the flute), and the rap is depressingly bad. Despite good videos showing drums, piano or guitars, it relies heavily on machines, only to prove how huge tech progress have been since 1989. The beats are repetitive, and the vocals are unbearable to me. I get why this album is on the list—its sales, its role as the dance music of the time—but I gain absolutely nothing from listening to it, and I find it particularly painful. As a teenager in ’89, I have depressing memories of all those kind of hits which were absolutely everywhere … and the result for me was to dive more deeply into alternative music. I understand that this era had to happen to pave the way for more mature movements. If we have to talk about soul, De La Soul released their debut the same year—and it was in my opinion much better.

« Drop peace, baby baby, yeah, Yeah! Baby!!» ! Haaaa!! Born to be wild… No!!! Come on guys…you just lost a point because of that. I don’t know The Cult at all, only by name. Not the only band to have lost its guts in this decades. But this album is less glam rock than expected (which is good), and I kind of like the voice - lyrics are useless though and 70s rock bands influence is too obvious in the music - this is absolutely unoriginal. Nevertheless, after reading about them and listening to this album, I feel kind of motivated to dig in their previous Goth work which is supposed to be more ambitious.

I hadn’t listened to anything from Beck since Odelay in ’96, and I’d been telling myself for a while that I should catch up, especially since his albums generally still get good reviews. Well, I finally did it—and it’s cool. So, it’s from 2005, but it sounds like the ’90s, and in the end, it’s quite similar to Beck’s albums from that era. Still offbeat, sometimes haunting, original… but logically no longer groundbreaking. That said, the influences are varied enough that you never really know what to expect from one track to the next, and that’s something I appreciate. Overall, it’s an easy and nice listen, and I enjoyed the experience— some songs are a bit weak but some are also surprisingly good in my opinion : « Rental Car » has been stuck in my head ever since.

Raised on alternative rock, I completely snubbed The Strokes when they came to fame. To me, everything had already been done in the genre, and the essential quality of this band was that they played a part in ending the Britpop movement. And yet, I was never objectively indifferent to The Stroke’s sound, so this is exactly the kind of album that this project allows me to revisit with a fresh perspective. Well, I think I preferred their next album, especially the excellent « The End Has No End ». While some moments are exciting, « Is This It » as a whole feels more flat to me, lacking the intensity I was hoping for. Their sound, though, really stands out and really makes me want to like them. But throughout the album, I keep waiting for something to click, and it rarely does. All in all, I feel more disappointed than really negative.

Very flat for me on the first listen—way too long as well. I just have to accept that I’m not hippie enough to endure this endless parade of songs in a state of ecstasy … and to enjoy the album cover. That said, a few tracks do stand out fairly quickly (Beware of Darkness, Let It Down, Wah-Wah, or Hear Me Lord). It goes down easy, with a blissful smile—like honey: smooth, a little syrupy, maybe even a bit sappy. More often than not, this sounds like The Beatles… just, well, not as good. And Harrison is no Lennon nor even McCartney when it comes to singing. I get the context on why people might give it 5 stars - the shadow of The Beatles, Harrison’s songwriting talents finally recognized, Clapton and Dylan in the mix—but honestly, I’ll save my high scores for albums from the same era that actually shook me. As one reviewer put it, … and that perfectly sums up how I feel : “There’s probably a 4 or 5 stars album buried in here, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna spend another 2 hours trying to find it.”

There you go, another thing that excites nostalgics from Rolling Stone magazine and maybe old campfire enthusiasts. Even George Harrison feels punk in comparison to this. I can’t tell one track from another—at best, it works as background music for a nap. Since I don’t give a damn about Paul Simon’s sexual awakening or road trips, I also find the lyrics boring. Same for his voice.

I’m familiar with the previous Ziggie Stardust album, but from this one, I had only listened to The Jean Genie, which I really like. It’s still avant-garde and sometimes chaotic, but what a chaos! ! (the piano on Aladdin Sane is brilliant). Finally, some challenge, some eccentricity—I enjoyed it, even though I prefer some of Bowie’s other work.

One of Aretha Franklin’s finest. Aside from the somewhat average production quality, everything is flawless. This album - among few others from her - blows away all the pale imitations up to today—who, by the way, readily acknowledge that Aretha was and remains THE queen. On top of that, blues and soul fuse in a way rarely heard since in soul music. An ode to love set against a backdrop of resistance to racial and gender oppression. To me, a landmark of the genre and I really enjoy it.

Morrison, the perfect poster boy for every teenage crisis—the “tortured poet” (“back door man” is an example he wasn’t) who flew too close to the sun. Theoretically not my cup of tea, but this debut album is clearly more than just Morrison. From the first listen, it transports you straight to the late ’60s while still feeling quite relevant today. The keyboards are blending seamlessly with the guitar, a sound that is instantly recognizable. But The Doors always seemed a bit overrated to me … and they are quite bad when they try their hand at blues. Yet it is the band at their best, an exceptional debut and a great classic when it comes to the few really amazing songs.

I took a vague interest in Elvis Costello after seeing him perform in the series “Treme”—a show centered on the New Orleans music scene, where he plays himself with great enthusiasm. At the time, I downloaded a good portion of his work, but not a single track has stayed with me from that experience. My feelings have not changed since then: no song stands out, it is too polished. While not unpleasant, his music just washes over me without leaving any impact.

Drowned in the early ‘90s alternative rock wave, Teenage Fanclub only popped onto my radar when I first heard “Fallin’” (a cool collab with De La Soul) in ‘93. I’m now diving into this album that’s jam-packed with all the retro goodies I love from that era—including this touch of melancholy and even plaid shirts. It’s straightforward, heartfelt rock with some pretty neat vocal harmonies. That said, it doesn’t hit me quite as hard as it might have back when I was into bands like Pavement or Dinosaur Jr. Still, despite the album being a bit inconsistent, I kind of dig it! Alcoholiday yeah!

Being quite unreceptive to reggae, approaching UB40 is somewhat akin to listening to Pierpoljak, especially knowing the height of UB40’s career was into the reggae-pop of “I got you babe”. The social dimension of their first album might have appealed to me, but the saxophone, the vocals, this damn reggae rhythm, the ultra-naive denunciations set against music made for smoking spliffs… It might be good within its genre, but I’m not even sure, especially when compared to more authentic works. It lacks of magnitude, listener is never surprised or impress. I just can’t get into it… except “Food for thought, the only tune I kind of like, but only because it reminds me childhood times.

CCR were Leftist Southerners from the US—just for that, they’re exceptional. The band’s music is easy to listen to, surprisingly groovy, socially conscious, and warm like a good wood fire in winter. They didn’t invent anything new and this might also not be their finest work but what they do, they do wel,l it rocks and it is soulful.

I only know Cash’s later period—dark, even haunted—which I kind of like. Here, it’s about lighthearted tunes, relatively basic country music. Still, it’s hard not to be impressed by the charisma and voice of Johnny Cash, his humor, and the surprisingly fluid rhymes. I usually don’t enjoy this type of music, but I had pleasure listening to this live recording, punctuated by “beeps” for every swear word, where Cash holds the prison audience in the palm of his hand.

I laughed a lot just by listening the intro and the following song since it is a hell of a cliché. If I understand correctly, the guy divorces and releases a 14-track emotional outlet. This isn’t exactly what I like the most from Marvin, but there’s some kind of emotion if you relate to Marvin’s romantic troubles and If you’re not already tired of hearing the word “love” every ten seconds. It’s vaguely suitable as a soundtrack for sex. Yes, there are few good grooves, but this album mainly left me with a sense of fatigue after so much sentimental outpouring

Another British album on this list that seems to have reach success only in Great Britain. I was completely unfamiliar with them, but this is finally an interesting discovery. Once you get past the surprise of the vocals, the music sounds mostly pleasant, and the patterns are well-constructed and relatively rich. Listening with headphones, one can discern the folk-jazz mix, the medieval influence, as well as occasional Indian and Oriental touches. At first, I could hear some Cranberries, Alan Stivell, or Dead Can Dance in it, but it progressively switched to more uninteresting folky stuff. Whatever, I understand that the drummer has performed with Bowie or Aznavour, and It’s likely I’ll give The Pentangle another try.

No sensation, not even rejection. This thing only worked in England. Total emptiness to me

Being yet another classic from the master Hancock, this album is, without a doubt, a definitive work—not just in jazz-funk, but in music as a whole—owing to its vast and enduring influence. It’s not only fun and unpretentious, but also creative and fiercely groovy. At just 40 minutes and 4 tracks, with Chameleon and Sly both stretching past 10 minutes, each could have easily been 30 minutes long, and I would have still wanted more. Transcending genres and eras, Head Hunters remains one of my all-time favorite albums.

Reggae has always been too slow and repetitive for my taste. Also, the emotions it conveys feel almost otherworldly, as if they come from a place where men preach peace and tolerance while shooting each other and father 28 children with 28 different women. It’s just not something I relate to. Maybe I would if I lived under palm trees, spent my days barbecuing, and having sex while smoking pot. That said, Bob Marley is undeniably a legend who always struck me as someone who could transcend the genre, giving it a pop sensibility while remaining true to Jah, football and freedom. Listening to this album for the first time… well, ...except for few tracks, it doesn’t make it the expected way. Not unpleasant, but still mostly good as a song track for a backyard BBQ. The lyrics have a certain philosophical quality if you are high— ex : “Their minds are confused with confusion.” Still, there are some solid grooves here and there.

The first of only two albums, a band that barely plays on its own recordings, lyrics about gay sex which I hardly relate to. The hits are, however, fun to revisit, and there is an iconic voice, but beyond that, it’s not exactly groundbreaking except in the fact it came out in a conservative British era with outrageous lyrics. The whole thing is a well-packaged marketing product - a symbol of its time, but ultimately, a very artificial one. One of the worst overproduced excess of the 80s with “The power of love” sounding very delicate comparing to any other songs.

A unique work of dark, hardcore garage rap, where each member of the collective had to earn their right to rap through battles, giving it a very special raw spontaneity and yes, it’s fun. Only Onyx, emerging at the same moment and on the same scene, gave me similar chills. A definitive reference, one of the top album ever made in rap. Absolute fire.

Coldplay’s radical shift towards dance-pop is shit, but it literally highlights their two first albums. These were highly accessible yet imbued with an alternative sensibility and a dark, ethereal quality. Among others songs, “A rush of blood to the head“ ‘s fierce intensity and introspective spirit struck a deep chord with me back then. Clearly not a revolution in music, it has been overplayed and it sometimes also carries an annoying, whiny dimension, but it remains a good album that I enjoyed revisiting.

Yes is exactly the kind of prog band I want to dive into, but their music demands attentive listening so it’s perfect that this album dropped on a Friday! The sound is more rock-oriented than expected; it took me some times to get used to the vocals, but I immediately loved the instrumentation. If you take the time to truly get into it, the experience is rich. I truly enjoyed it, and I am pretty sure I’ll enjoy it more and more.

Two back-to-back prog albums aren’t easy to digest! I’m kind of discovering Rush—I only really knew Tom Sawyer before. And funnily enough, it’s the song I like the least on the album with the last one. The whole thing flirts with FM rock at times, but never enough to be off-putting and some riffs are actually very good. I really like it… but man, that voice is horrible! So much so that my favorite track is the instrumental YYZ. It’s such a shame… How did they end up with that voice? The guy’s an amazing bassist, but why, oh why, did he have to sing??

So yeah, it had a huge influence on metal, yeah, it was shocking, and yeah, it hasn’t aged all that well. Some solid thrash and hardcore punk dynamics, for sure, but not that many, and the over-the-top cliché satanism—probably a reaction to the conservative climate of the ’80s—can (and should) now make us smile. “Sacrifice, oh so nice!” Take it with about fifteen layers of irony—unlike our Norwegian friends— and, at the end, it is quite funny.

There’s definitely talent behind this, and the production is solid, but no matter how hard I try, I just can’t find a soul in it. Feels like a homework made by top-of-the-class students, a boring soundtrack, with, however, a few surprisingly modern highlights (the Daft Punk-esque The Big Ship, or Golden hours for example). Overall, I didn’t like it.

Only know the band by their song « do it again ». Cool music to start the workday—light, upbeat, and easy on the ears, maybe too easy as it seems quite forgettable at the end. Kinda gives me Chicago (the band) vibes because of voices harmonizing. Could use a bit more intensity and atmosphere, but there’s some good technical work and a nice jazzy, groovy touch.

The “incredible” Jimmy Smith—just in case any skeptics need reassurance. I liked it a lot. A laid-back Blue Note album with a nice touch of Soul and the distinctive sound of a Hammond B-3 organ (if Wikipedia is to be believed), which I love for its warm tone (Minor Chant solo, case in point). But… the double bass is quite discreet, I even didn’t hear it through headphones, only with good loudspeakers. Drums are also extremely discreet and that rhythmic void is hard to ignore for me. Bam! One star down!

It seems to me that they’re one of the few bands from the ‘80s synth-pop wave to have had a lasting influence. Some of their tracks are brilliant, but the second half of the album is rather forgettable. Overall, they bring a semblance of soul to a decade I find pretty dull musically, but this album is a bit too inconsistent for me.

After the major shake-up in rock during the early ‘90s, I never really get the hype around Britpop in general and more specifically around Oasis. Apart from their working class bad-boy attitude, musically, it’s honestly not good or ambitious. Production with added violins cannot hide the monotonous and annoying voice of Liam and the songs structures and the technical complexity are those of a local pub’s band. This is easy, risk-free, and hollow rock. To me, it’s a big scam, almost an affront to the Beatles and to rock. But I guess you had to be English and to read tabloids to really grasp their impact. In 95, I was embracing The Bends from Radiohead instead.

Henry Rollins, it’s 4 straight stars!! Maximum subjectivity, but I’ll give it a shot explaining. The man is inspiring to me … and as it must be the only Black Flag record on this list, I got no choice (even though ‘My war’ is better in my opinion). Coming from a troubled childhood marked by abuse, Rollins has become an iconic symbol of sobriety and maybe of wisdom in the US—he became stand-up comic, radio host, publisher, anti-racist and pro-LGBT/human rights activist, author, actor, spoken-word artist, and the champion of reason. None of this would have been possible without his wild stint as frontman (I cannot say singer :)) with Black Flag, the hardcore punk powerhouse, where his stage presence was legendary, like a rising psychopath in the making. Five years of raw violence with Black Flag that earned Rollins his punk cred and gave his later initiatives a unique touch. ‘Damaged’ can never quite capture the band’s fury; and the lyrics mostly tell stupid tales of drunken escapades and brawls, but this is a wildly cathartic outlet. Mayhem!!!

I had never heard of this band, and I just found out that Manchester, in 1990, could give birth to a group that sounds like it’s from 1985. I understand that they make sense because it vaguely contributed to the early days of the local electronic scene.Their most prominent member is a dancer/maracas player who can neither dance nor play the maracas. This album is supposed to be the peak of their short career.

When Led Zep tones down the epic stuff just a little, it’s still nothing short of phenomenal. Some songs here perfectly embodies their roots and the direction taken : a direct link in between blues and hard rock. A blues which stays heavy thanks to John Bonham - you don’t just hold back the man, you can bring out all your acoustic side, he’ll still lay down rock-solid grooves on top of it. Just 4 stars only because Led Zeppelin managed to top this on a handful of other albums.

More fun to listen to than ‘Get Behind Me Satan’, their other album we’ve been previously exposed to. Surprisingly, the rhythmic shortcomings don’t drag it down as much here. When this album goes garage, it really goes garage — the riffs stick with you way more, and there’s just enough bluesy nuance to make the whole thing an acceptable ride. Still their sound is a bit tiring at the end.

I like its darkness and creativity, even if it still carries a lot of what I used to hold against Dummy back in the day : it rarely takes off and tends to stay locked in the same mood. Still, there are some nice guitar touches, and the atmosphere manages to move beyond the band’s original trip-hop roots, which keeps it from being just background music. Despite that evolution — and the 14 years between the two albums — you immediately know it’s Portishead. That’s one of the marks of the greats.

I just don’t get what’s supposed to be so special about this album. It’s like being stuck in a Tennessee steakhouse listening to the house band. Sure, there are a few glimmers of greatness (very few), but the country vibe and that ultra-slick ‘80s production are like a brick wall for me. And don’t even get me started on that lady’s haircut.

At first I thought this album was a total miss. That wannabe Lou Reed / Bowie voice really threw me off, especially on the slower tracks where it just sounds awkward. But as the album went on, it really won me over. It’s sharp, well put together, and often delivers some proper post-punk energy while keeping a raw, punk edge. A really solid find in the end … but with an unpleasant voice.

Great listen. Loved it!

The icon who, for some reason, represents boomer’s pinnacle of musical poetry. Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Only two octaves to his name and a damn harmonica he somehow manages to play without using his hands. Where most hear the “rock era” of the master, for me only “Stuck Inside of Mobile…”, “Obviously Five Believers”, and “I Want You” (which my hippie aunt used to blast on loop when I was a kid) ever managed to break the weak blues and folk monotony. I’ve managed to reach the end of Blonde on blonde without too much suffering.

A pleasant surprise. I only knew one pop track (Summertime sadness) by Lana Del Rey, and here comes this slow, melancholic alternative pop album with hints of Lorde or even Agnès Obel, and it’s actually going down pretty well, … but now I want to return to something more energetic.

A bit too long. Tracks 2, 6, 8 and clearly 11 (with some French for the latest) stood out for me. When she sings softer songs, Ute’s voice reminds me a bit of Patricia Kaas. The vibrato gets a bit tiring after a while, but when she pushes it, it’s actually quite nice. The musical foundation is interesting — you can clearly hear the signature style of the artists involved. It’s a well-produced mix between jazz and film music, an interesting experience, but honestly, it got a bit monotonous in the end. I really wish the lyrics were available on Deezer. Maybe with more time, I could have appreciated it more.

Never listened to this before, but I did know Dr. Dooom from the same Kool Keith. With a talented and open-minded producer like Dan the Automator who’s worked with everyone from Gorillaz to Mike Patton, RZA or the Black Keys, I was at least expecting something original and off the beaten path. And yep, this is definitely the opposite of commercial rap. I’m really into this psychedelic, jazzy production. That said, even though there are some real gems in there, it’s a bit long, uneven, and not always the easiest to get into. Also, Kool Keith’s flow often feels a little too dated for my taste.

« Rolling in the Deep” was a massive hype when it came out, so I gave the rest of the album a shot, but I think it often drowns in too much drama for me. I get tired of those big-voiced singers pretty quickly, can’t help it. You can feel the vocal talent, but the songs sometimes feel a bit too polished. It clearly speaks to a wide audience—girls especially—it’s inclusive, smooth, and radio-friendly enough to please pretty much everyone, myself included… up to a point.

This is so far from In Utero, a bit too cheesy to me. An ok follow-up to Nirvana with some really good songwriting. Foo Fighters (actually Grohl alone) have proved they could last 30 years and keep winning people over long after the grunge era faded away… and that’s already saying something. Seen them live back in the 90s and it was really boring, so I am not very enthusiastic.

Some parts of the album feel like a blend of classical and jazz, sometimes it makes me think of Gershwin with a ’50s twist. That’s probably why the funky edge of hard bop, which was all the rage at that time, is pretty much absent. It’s simply a “white jazz” kind of vibe. That said, some of the tracks are absolute classics, and even if I’m not qualified to judge their technical merit, it’s a real treat to rediscover them in this setting. A very nice album to me.

What a good surprise to see this album in this list! Back in 1988 came Surfer Rosa, this total UFO of an album that totally flopped when it first dropped… but which has since proved to have been a game-changer in music. To this day, this unique, proudly weird, wildly inspired…and even occasionally gorgeous album rivals anything garage rock has produced since. However, it isn’t their most accessible work.

Damn… They really must have taken some seriously hard and illegal stuff to come up with something like that. I understand this is a very technical work but “Dali’s Car” and those a capella vocal horn noises are still hurting me too bad. In an attempt to stay mentally safe, I didn’t go through the whole 80’ of this trip. 2 stars just for the experience of listening something really unconventional which sounds like the thoughts of a drugged schizophrenic mind.

It’s pretty and sweet, and after Trout and the Captain it sounds like honey, but unlike its follow-up, I kinda struggle to listen to it without getting fed up.

My mom’s favorite album right up there with Claude François and Sheila, and probably the only time Ringo Starr ever looked halfway decent in photos. Not a single ball hanging out … after a hard day, no smashing things, just a hug and it’s all better. With lyrics the same level than 2be3, it somehow ended up shaping rock history more than the Kinks ever did. I guess it was just easier to twist to this while screaming in a plaid skirt and a turtleneck. Simple and efficiently crafted.

Hardcore punk skater messed-up kids turning to rap couldn’t drop anything less than a wild, ironic, and eclectic gem. The lyrics are hilarious, and the high pitched flows are iconic. Great stuff to me, especially for the 80s. « Looking down the barrel of a gun » or « Shadrach » for exemple are far ahead of their time.

Nice surprise! I barely knew the name, and I was expecting some 60s rock’n’roll vibe but instead I got bouncy Supertramp-like grooves and Elton John-style mid-tempos. Super clean and maybe a bit too polished, but honestly, there are some really good tracks. Totally works for me today!

Often (but not always) more exciting than its predecessor, and less cheesy, it’s still an easy and enjoyable listen. That said, the ultra-short 2-minute ‘hit’ format gets frustrating, it feels like a bunch of underdeveloped melodic ideas. Ttracks like “What Goes On” really could’ve been left out. Still waiting for the post-Revolver albums…

It’s greasy, it’s stereotypical rock, it’s rock for bars. Sure, they were racist rednecks pricks, but damn did they knew how to crank out some killer boogie, and it is surprisingly good for a first album. “Free Bird” is my personal “headbanging in car” gem with Jas a few years back. Hell of a 9 mn long track which instantly made me forget all about those damn two-minute ditties we just had Thursday. I’m a simple man.

Deep Purple was my first rock live show ever with @Jerou back in 91 and before that, In Rock simply blew my mind at 13. Nothing as Fierce as an opener as Speed King has been done before. Maybe the best hard rock album up to the end of the 70s. “Child in Time” is an all-time anti-war classic. Ian Gillian is the greatest rock singer ever, Ian Paice the greatest drummer, John Lord and Ritchie Blackmore the best solo duets ever, … Best cover and lyrics ever. Sabbath and Led Zep made lullabies compared to this. The Beatles couldn’t ever dream about being that good. Am I going a bit too far? Yes I am biaised, so what?

I first discovered DJ Shadow with its work in UNKLE’s Psyence Fiction. That album played a significant role in shaping my musical journey toward atmospheric rap. I hadn’t listened to this particular record before, but I can definitely recognize UNKLE’s vib, especially in the drums and the saturated bass. And what a surprise, Dan the Automator is once again involved. It’s alternative rap, and it really resonates with me. If some tracks are not that creative, I globally enjoy it.

Surely already heard in the afternoon or evening, at some rooftop or beach bar, somewhere. Wouldn’t even make the cut for my elevator if I had one.

Not as exciting as Pentangle. The few songs I have tried to listen were repetitive, without the jazzy touch I actually liked in Pentagle. Totally forgettable but not that bad comparing to Dylan.

Musically, it might not set the world on fire, but this album definitely shaked things up a bit at a time when no one else was even trying, and it did it while going full mainstream. The song American idiot is still used as an anti-Trump song these days. That being said, I don’t really like pop punk.

In the flood of ’80s pop, this album stands out for being more polished and eclectic, even with its slick, synthetic sound. Like it or not, I ended up absorbing half the tracks and I’ve got to admit, some still hit hard these days (Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal…).

It was love at first listen with Jamiroquai when my sister came back from her Erasmus in Brighton with this album. A truly unique band that brought jazz-funk back to life right in the middle of the grunge wave and even sparked a whole new generation of didgeridoo fans. A little rough around the edges, sure, but the album’s organic vibe was a great breath of fresh air after the synthetic sounds of the 80s. Great music all around, both technical and danceable, with even the non-charting tracks shining. The first two albums by the band are totally my jam.

Nas lyrics, which I’m reading for the first time, flow smoothly and are full of images. But still, my first feelings about Illmatic back in the 90s haven’t really changed. To me, it often feels like he’s just talking over beats that sound kind of flat and lifeless. His voice stays on the same tone, there’s no real anger here, no humor like in West Coast rap. It feels more like a well written documentary about his hood in NYC than a full, exciting piece of music.

After Nas came the laid-back West Coast vibes. This album is supposed to have helped shape the local funky sound but less than a year before Dre’s The Chronic, and after De La Soul, it already feels pretty dated. And it drags on… way too long, and with weird lyrics. Kinda boring despite few good grooves.

I really cannot stand the voice and the lack of originality.

Easy to listen to thanks to its warm voice and cozy production. In fact, I think the real strength of the album is the voice and all the emotion it carries. Van Morrison sings like a rock or soul artist, and even a folk song that might seem bland at first suddenly feels powerful. His voice also ties everything together, even though the influences are pretty mixed. A very pleasant listen, a welcome laid-back break, especially with this lovely weather!

This is heavy stuff, the peak of commercial and pop rap. But it still has real qualities. The production is excellent (Kanye West is involved, so that makes sense). Some tracks have surprising and original mixes, like D.O.A., which is eclectic but works. The lyrics are good, like with Nas, there’s some irony behind all the talk about money. But Jay-Z’s voice is flat and emotionless, which is a total letdown to me. Still, it’s a much better album than I expected, with nice surprises in terms of the features. Too bad it’s Jay-Z doing the rapping…

That’s the beauty of this exercise, I start putting things into perspective. After Captain Beefheart, the other wild project Zappa was involved in, this album feels surprisingly accessible. It playfully runs through all the phases of rock from that era, with sharp, irreverent humor. But unlike Beefheart, it’s clean, tight, and much easier to follow. It also really helps to get some understanding about Zappa’s talent and why he has such a cult following. The talent is obvious, and I find it just as interesting, maybe even more, than other albums from the same time, because it is very well written and has that extra dose of irony.

I had no clue who they were, Rod Stewart is somehow related. But what a nice surprise in between funny talks! The music is quite exciting, it makes me think of a mix of the Toy Dolls and The Who, a few tracks really hit hard for that time. Without major hits, it still really puts the whole British scene of that era into perspective again. Loved it.

Without the surprise of the first album, I find this one super bland and boring. It’s not bad, it just feels one more time like the kind of music I’d play in my elevator… if I had one.

Happy music isn’t really my thing. But if I had to choose, I’d probably go for this kind of swing which is packed with good vibes and warmth. Sure, in this album, the exaggerated joy can get a bit tiring after a while and it’s hard not to picture an orangutan in his quest for fire, but the music and the groove are strong enough to totally make up for it.

After a German artist, Koffi is only the second non-English-speaking artist we had. Congolese rumba fits surprisingly well under this grey sky, but I would have preferred a more organic sound. The tracks are long, and listening to the whole album in one go gets tiring, though I’m not very familiar with the style and I am pretty sure I could get used to it. I especially enjoy the more nuanced songs like “Conte de fées.”

I really like Elton John’s music from the 70s, and even after that. His songs have a great sense of melody and are easy to enjoy, which makes them seem simpler than they really are. But his music hits harder during that 70s period. I realize that what I really look for are the buildups, often very well done, between the slower, quieter parts. I love that clear, warm sound and the little bouncy groove he often has.

Sometimes noisy and offbeat, with occasional similarities to the Velvet Underground’s use of distortion. It sits somewhere between glam and pop, with just the right touch of experimentation. Unfortunately, it’s not always successful, despite some strong moments. Very close to Bowie, perhaps too close, but ultimately less compelling.

Even though I prefer Communiqué, I also really like Dire Straits’ first album. It’s hard to explain or justify, and I know they didn’t invent anything, but this band helped me at a young age, while I was growing up with Miles Davis only, not to fear guitar bands. It was a brilliant debut album, totally anachronistic in the middle of the punk wave. However, to me, both of those first albums feel very close to very good blues. They’re laid-back and still have enough variety and surprises to keep me interested, and of course, there’s a unique, soulful touch in the guitar playing. A simple track like Six blade knife still sounds like honey to me.

Good vibes but a bit boring old rock ’n’ roll. Too bad the production sucks, the sharp sound makes it tougher to really enjoy.

Underwhelming… it feels a bit lifeless. His next album is much stronger, as are the ones the Chemical Brothers made before this one.

A typical example of a pivotal album from the early ’90s transition period, but when hairy chests were still a thing :). Quite innovative on tracks like “Mama Knock You Out” and “Eat ’Em Up L Chill,” where the flows finally start to loosen up. Clearly not my favorite from that era, but still a solid and influential record.

Some Bowie stuff, written by Bowie, sung by Iggy “Lou Reed” Pop during their little redemption trip together. Sure, you can hear the influence it had on bands like Joy Division. But honestly, even “China Girl” sounds much better when Bowie sings it. Most of the tracks are just slow variations on the same little tune. It gets boring. What’s left is the vibe of the time, a haunted sound and a few scraps of genius Bowie was kind enough to toss to his friend.

I’m one of those people who had a hard time accepting the big shift in artistic direction that started with this album. And yet, I have to admit the production on Achtung Baby was really innovative for 1991. This album is still incredibly relevant today, and overall, I think it’s a very solid record and one of the best U2’s effort. Paradoxically, at the time it came out, it’s also the album where Bono’s voice finally wore me out and pushed me to stop following the band.

Clearly not my favorite one from the band … but yet. It’s one of the landmark rock albums of the ’90s, which helped bring metal into the mainstream by taking Metallica to an unprecedented level. Saw them twice on that tour: unforgettable live memories with my buddy Jerou in 91, …and 1,6 million Russians awakened to freedom with this album when Metallica played live in Moscou. Wherever I may roam is a personal favorite and Nothing else matters is one of the best song ever written according to Elton John. Not trash anymore, but quite a rough rock gem.

No matter how hard I try, I just can’t get into it. More than ever, I feel Dylan’s strength has always been much more literary than musical. But musically, it does nothing for me, except maybe give off this vague sense that the guy and his songs were supposed to mean something in the US back then, but even that’s probably just the result of the constant, forced idealization of Dylan. I might feel differently if I had grown up in the US and in the 60s, …but I didn’t.

There’s a lot to take in, some Beck vibes, a bit of Air, psych phases that flow nicely into solid little grooves, with a touch of art rock… At first, I got a bit carried away after randomly landing on some much cooler tracks by the band … but they weren’t from Hot Shots II. The album itself isn’t exactly groundbreaking. It ends up feeling a bit too smooth for my taste. Yet, an interesting discovery.

I don’t find the whole thing consistently strong or inspired, but it clearly feels more ambitious than their previous pop formats. Nevertheless, from them, I mostly like the surf rock hits and those pop vocal harmonies that sounded so definitive : I wanted “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”’s energy across all 13 tracks! Here, unfortunately, the attempts to intellectualize only work on a few tracks, like God Only Knows. It’s certainly an influential concept album I probably needed more time to fully absorb, but this isn’t my first attempt since childhood. To me, Pet Sounds ultimately stands as an inspiration but also a proof of the greatness of Sgt. Pepper.

Muse is a paradox that both attracts and repels me.I admire their epic ambition, the way they brought the urgency and intensity of metal into pop music, and their image. At the same time, I can’t stand their grandiloquence or Tom York style’s voice for too long. As often with Muse, this album is too dense and overwhelming, a sonic and overproduced deluge that ends up working against them. Few nice tracks.

A beautifully haunting classic from one of the most influential band ever…. but personally, I lean more toward Wish You Were Here.

I’ve only listened to Rumours, so I don’t know any of the 20 tracks on this album. Nothing really stands out or explains why it’s considered special. From Rumours, I only find a few rock elements in Sisters of the Moon. The rest bores me deeply. It feels like plain American pop music.

Nick Cave like I never imagined him : wild, punk, and chaotic. Super interesting, and honestly, pretty listenable as long as you’re not allergic to garage rock. It’s not exactly groundbreaking (it’s basically Joy Division mixed with Killing Joke), but definitely surprising and fun! I see it’s in the top 10 of the lowest-rated albums here. That’s not really fair, even if it’s not something I’d play every day, it is still better than some other post-punk stuff we’ve faced till now.

Folk with a modern twist, the kind of melodies you could easily imagine turned into electric versions, and they would probably sound better. Suzanne Vega has often had that subtle alt-rock vibe, a bit edgier than she first lets on. Still, this first album is super easy listening, the kind of stuff you would hear in cozy coffee shops before Norah Jones or Dido came along. Pleasant, sure, but not exactly what you would call innovative. Why is it here?

I think I’ve only listened to compilations from the band before. It’s not easy diving into such a legendary group with so much music, some of it a bit hit or miss. And let’s be honest, their album covers aren’t always exactly inviting. But yeah, this one’s really good and I’m loving every bit of it (except « All about love » which sounds too Marvin). You can totally hear the lasting influence this band has had and still has. Prod and vibe are excellent.

Listening to this feels a bit like watching a football match from the 50s on TV. You can tell there was talent, but this is not that watchable anymore. “Maybe Baby” is basically “Love Me Do” before “Love Me Do” so credit where it’s due: Buddy helped invent pop and 2 mn long tracks. And those sweet little backing vocals? Valalala, vala, valalala… kind of charming, really! From the same era, Halley, Richard, Berry sound better to me. Good music for Christmas though.

It’s full of love-love vibes, super sweet, but there’s some serious groove going on, and it totally works. The real surprise for me? The release date. With such slick, modern production and rich instrumentation, I would have bet anything this album came out in the late ‘70s… certainly not 73! Nice one!

When I saw “alternative country,” I freaked out a bit. Luckily, the band seems to have moved on from that. Some tracks like « Grumpus » or « Up with People » are actually really cool and have real soul. That said, the singer doesn’t really have a voice even though he’s trying unsuccessfully high pitched singing, and I find it hard to believe this is considered top-tier music as this is quite unoriginal. To me, it sounds like one of those albums by aging stars who have lost their spark and, in a desperate search for credibility, end up making bland music that’s easier to pull off on tour.

Not without interest and maybe influential, but not as obviously influential as some other bands from that era. Solid guitar work, no real duds, but nothing that truly stands out either. Kind of a letdown after everything I’d read about them because, to my ears, the Stooges in 69 and a bunch of other artists from the earlier New York punk/rock scene just sounded better.

Count Basie and Sidney Bechet were always playing at my parents place when I was a kid, and back then I saw them as old-fashioned and a bit dull. Listening to this album now is a surprise and it changes my perspective. It’s a solid swing record, full of life, with a few quieter, more intimate moments that add a nice balance. Still, it started to bothered me a bit at second listen, mainly because I never been so much into big band stuff, and it will not become a favorite of mine in that style of music. An overall nice experience though.

I’m skipping over the cold digital vibe that defines pop this decade because the songs just don’t hold up. This album feels like a snapshot of a very specific moment in British culture that I just can’t connect with. Listening to it leaves me totally empty. If anything, it makes me respect The Smiths or The Cure even more.

Massive electro-blues album that took the world by storm back then. I still remember every single track, and it still holds up beautifully, but that old sense of fatigue from the radio and movie overexposure creeps back in quickly, though. Funny thing: I saw Moby live just before this album dropped, fronting a punk band opening for Soundgarden. Says a lot about the guy’s range and open-mindedness.

The first female rapper to get massive exposure (with support of huge names like KRS One ou De La Soul). It’s still got that very 80s vibe, but personally, I think it still works really well, those warm jazzy or reggae samples are super smooth and she’s able to mix very well with various styles. The dancey mixes, with tracks like Come Into My House, sound way better than Soul II Soul, in my opinion. A major album, totally feminist, and a real milestone. Wrath of My Madness inspired every female rapper who came after. Big up even though that’s not a favorite of mine.

Chrissie Hynde is another strong figure of female empowerment in music and I’ve always loved her voice which I consider both feminine and mature, punk yet sensitive. The instrumentation on the album is solid (the build-up on “The Wait” is excellent and shows the band could go beyond the usual pop structure). The moods shift naturally, from punk vibe to “Lovers of Today.” A great debut album, especially mature, and one that has aged quite well.

I’m not a big fan of this album as a whole. To me, it feels way less warm than Harvest. Neil Young’s voice here is higher-pitched, even kind of screechy at times, and the songs are often pretty mellow, which doesn’t really do it for me. The two more rock-ish tracks are really nice, but that’s not enough to make the album a success in my eyes.

The horns are unexpected, the sound is a bit too polished, but the punk attitude is there. It’s not groundbreaking, but I dig it.

Too polished, and often too soft, the album loses impact even though the bass is solid and even though Nile Rodgers sometimes shine. But it feels like funk taking a wrong turn to me. The choruses just repeat, there are no surprise or so few. It’s basically the dance music from that era and I struggled to find excitement in it.

It’s like the best of the worst of the Beatles after Revolver. Apart from a few rare good vibes and riffs (quickly drowned in hippie nonsense with bloody sitars, boring vocal harmonies, and LSD inspired structures) It’s tough for me. Really tough. And the mix is absolutely terrible, making the whole experience being a bit painful. Do we have listen to every single British band just because they started a thing?

Back in the 80s, at the height of glam and a decade drenched in glitter and shine, thrash metal dragged music back to its punk roots, with raw and primal rage. It’s violent, no doubt, but it’s not glorifying violence, it’s calling it out. And beneath all the fury of this album aimed at war and injustice lies a celebration of meaningful lyrics, sharp precision, and masterful composition which make it one of the few gems of the 80s and a relevant album up to today (see the incredible youth reaction to Master of puppets after it was featured 38 years later in the TV series Stranger things). Even tracks that might seem secondary hide killer riffs and solos that still hit hard. Nevertheless, and to be honest, Master of Puppets isn’t my top pick from the thrash era, nor from Metallica. Yet, it blew me away back then and I still enjoy it today. It is easily one of the few Metal albums everyone agrees on, a true cornerstone of the genre, its influence unquestioned, and still the most popular of them all.

Another Young again ??? This one’s better produced, Neil’s whinny voice works well and the electric blues tracks like Revolution Blues and Walk On are really cool. The ending gets a bit too emotional for my taste, though I enjoyed a lot Vampires blues and On the beach. Nice overall, deep, not necessarily a masterpiece, but Young never really tried to make one,

What if Frodo had started a band after a mushroom trip with his Shire buddies? Well, the wild Scottish lads of The “Incredible” String Band have tried to answer that tricky question with the help of happy pills. The result is an amateurish album that sounds like shit, something Castle Old Fart Preservation Society might perform dressed as medieval serfs in front of a handful of puzzled locals to raise funds. Today, my open-mindedness reached its limits. So far, the “worst album” to me, hands down.

We already got our dose of elevator music from Eno, so why put us through this again? That ambient music wasn’t really made to be listened to, but to be played in the background while doing something else. With that in mind, I’m not sure why this album deserves a spot in the “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” list. Yes, it’s the first album that defined ambient, but it’s probably only here for that reason because nobody actually bought it except maybe some SPAs. After the first album of medieval junkie folk we just had, I’m starting to suspect this list is an excuse to include every “first” in music history. In short, things aren’t looking good.

Just discovered the track Ramble Tamble and it’s awesome. Overall, that’s not my favorite CCR album, but it goes down easy, like always with them. Just the right mix of blues, soul, and rock, with a bit of Marvin.

God knows how much I hate synth-pop. But Depeche Mode represents its darker side, deeper, more refined, blending alternative and gothic vibes, and still hugely influential today. One of the best albums of popular music to come out of that damn decade. Some tracks give off a cold, dark atmosphere that is truly unique. But Violator did it even better, seamlessly bringing in the sound of the 90s.

The opposite of gangsta rap, it is warm, jazzy, light, and funny. A classic of the genre and great memories for me. Their next album is much better though.

This album is packed with high profile features (but no Jaco yet)! The influences go way beyond her early folk stuff, one track even has a Björk vibe (The Jungle Line). A lot of it leans into that smooth jazz bar sound that became her musical future. What a voice! The production is beautiful, though too smooth. The songs tell stories, often painting pretty pictures like she’s singing about fancy neighborhoods in San Francisco. It’s lovely, artsy… kinda feels like music for upscale hipsters. All around a bit too flat.

Overall, I prefer this album to Paranoid. I really like its sludge/stoner edge and some grooves are impressive for 72, thanks to Tony Iommi. A miracle since the band was deeply into drugs at that time. But Ozzy’s nasal, limited voice is just awful and somehow ruins what could have been a great album. Now that he’s gone, I can say that his personal success has always been a mystery to me. Was it pity? Was it confusion? The guy had been funny sounding, unintelligible and off-key for decades, and honestly came across more like a tragic pathetic junky clown than a rock icon to me.

I never heard of him, but this Scott Walker’s fourth album feels totally out of place at the end of 69, especially when you think about how exciting and fast-moving the music scene was back then. It might be his best solo work but it kind of feels like it’s only in this list because his previous band was a hit in the UK. It is super boring most of the time, except for a couple of slightly more lively tracks (like Get Behind Me).