Jan 02 2025
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Classic rock album. I do enjoy John Fogerty's voice, and it's hard not to tap your toe along to the music. While not an album I would pick out to play on my own, I'm never sorry to hear their hits played. There's not a whole lot of variation from song to song, but they do have a distinct sound.
3
Jan 03 2025
The Clash
The Clash
I know it's a culturally relevant album, but I could never get into it. It was difficult for me to sit and listen to it in its entirety. Joe Strummer's voice is awful...he just yells with no variation in tone through every song. All the songs sound the same to me. If you want to listen to the Clash, Combat Rock is the way to go...much more evolved in style and vocals.
2
Jan 04 2025
Raw Power
The Stooges
Search and Destroy is the only really good song on this album. It has that cool glam-punk vibe. The rest are meh and very rough. And honestly, Iggy is a terrible vocalist.
2
Jan 05 2025
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
It's torture for me to listen to any kind of free form or bebop jazz. However, I know objectively that this is a masterpiece of the genre...so it gets a 5.
5
Jan 06 2025
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
I thought I'd be giving this a solid three, but an album with 28 songs should have more than 4 bangers. Most of it is pleasant but not memorable. I saw this tour and they only played 16 songs for the show including the encores. That should have been the max number for the album as well.
2
Jan 07 2025
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
Toyed with giving this a 5 because I do think it's one of the top ten albums of the aughts...but 3 of the songs on the second side are forgettable, so 4 it is. Still a favorite of mine though.
4
Jan 08 2025
Ray Of Light
Madonna
Very bland. I love The Power of Goodbye, but one good song cannot save this snoozefest.
2
Jan 09 2025
Horses
Patti Smith
This is one of those albums that you're SUPPOSED to love, but I don't. It's just not enjoyable to listen to. I appreciate Patti Smith and her lyrics and voice and that she was groundbreaking in the punk scene, so I feel like I must give it a 3, but all I really want to hear from her is Because the Night and Dancing Barefoot.
3
Jan 10 2025
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
He's a great songwriter/storyteller, and the emotion in his voice makes up for it's roughness. I normally don't listen to this much Pogues at once except on St. Patrick's Day but Rainy Night in Soho is a sentimental personal favorite of mine.
3
Jan 11 2025
A Night At The Opera
Queen
I'm a bit torn on this one. I love Queen, I love their sound and Freddie's voice. Brian May is one of the greatest guitarist's of all time. But honestly, when I listen to Queen it's almost always the greatest hits. A lot of the songs on this album are downright silly. I would like to give it a 3.5 but I can't so I guess I'll have to bump it to a 4 because it's so progressive and well...Bohemian Rhapsody.
4
Jan 12 2025
D
White Denim
I seriously question how this band got on this list. I've never heard of them...maybe they're only knowni in Texas? Dreadful jamming. They don't know if they want to be psychedic or a jam band a la The Dead. Really boring anyway.
1
Jan 13 2025
Black Monk Time
The Monks
What the Hell.
No.
1
Jan 14 2025
xx
The xx
Eek. Okay...3rd on the list that I've never heard of and that shouldn't be here. 1001 is really not that many albums when you think about how much great music has been produced in the last 70 years...and this is not among those.
Boring, monotonous, amateur vocals and instrumentation.
1
Jan 15 2025
Trio
Dolly Parton
These ladies are icons. Amazing harmonies...their voices are all quite different but mesh together so well.
Instrumentation is masterful.
Some of the song choices are a little to hokey. I'd love to hear what they could have done with a few more modern pieces.
4
Jan 16 2025
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
It's Simon & Garfunkel so you can't really go wrong. Not their best album, but still great stuff. My favorite on this one is The Boxer. Not really a Bridge fan.
4
Jan 17 2025
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
Meh.
Wants to be psychedelic but there's too much jamming. Wants to be rock but there's too much jazz drumming.
Wants to be blues but it's too folky.
It's all over the place...pick a damn lane.
2
Jan 18 2025
The College Dropout
Kanye West
Jesus...that was awful.
Worse than I anticipated.
It gave me an anxiety attack.
I try to be objective with the genres I dislike...but I just Do. Not. Get. It.
1
Jan 19 2025
Pelican West
Haircut 100
I question why this would have made the 1001 cut. There's no way this is an important album. I'm about the biggest 80s music fan around and this is just really awful, bland, boring. They never even had a single hit here.
1
Jan 20 2025
Microshift
Hookworms
Again, questioning the validity of this being on a list of "must hear" albums. Really? It's just overly synth-heavy bland techno pop, and it's too new to be an influence on much of anything. The freneticism of most of the tracks is also anxiety inducing.
1
Jan 21 2025
The Doors
The Doors
High drama, unique sound, powerful vocals, dark and moody, sexy psychedelic rock. It's kind of cliche now but when I was young it was a staple of every party. Light My Fire and This is the End should have both been whittled down to three minutes though.
4
Jan 22 2025
All Mod Cons
The Jam
I'd never heard this album before and I loved it! I was familiar with the band's name but I hadn't really heard anything by them...I don't think they were very popular around here. I'm amazed though...this is great stuff. I think they're considered punk, but this is not punk. I would say Post-punk. Great melodies and songwriting. I can definitely hear their influence on lots of other later 80s music.
5
Jan 23 2025
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
Hate it. I think he only half raps because he has a shitty voice. Again, I question this as an "influential" album. I know this list is put together but music critics...and I don't think much of the title "critic".
1
Jan 24 2025
Palo Congo
Sabu
It's just drums. Hmm. I don't know how anyone can just sit and listen to that. I always thought being in a drum circle was the worst kind of torture.
1
Jan 25 2025
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
This album is a real letdown after so many greater earlier albums. Not much variation in sound from song to song. Boring.
2
Jan 26 2025
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
Unless you just really don't like Pink Floyd, this album is universally loved. Fantastic.
5
Jan 27 2025
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
I never liked it in the 80s...mostly just loud synthy club music. Still don't care for it. But props for the openness in sexuality.
2
Jan 28 2025
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
They're one of those bands that you think you SHOULD like because they're cool....but whenever I try to listen to them I'm bored. It's a sloppy album, and they are not strong vocalists. I can hear other artists' influence on THEM but I fail to hear their influence on others.
2
Jan 29 2025
Parklife
Blur
I really like Blur but honestly hadn't heard this album all the way through before...now I like them even more. I hear Damon is kind of a jerk, but I think he's musically brilliant. Really enjoyable catchy tunes.
4
Jan 30 2025
Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
I'd never even heard of this band but I quite like this album...lovely, romantic, melancholy. I haven't heard anything quite like it, although there are hints of Polyphonic Spree, who arrived a couple of years later.
4
Jan 31 2025
The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
A lot of really unpleasant noise there. They get a one for sure just for Track 3...so dissonant that it physically hurt my eardrums.
1
Feb 01 2025
Disintegration
The Cure
It's a whole dreamy atmosphere to float in.
5
Feb 02 2025
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
Horrible. Boring. No substance.
1
Feb 02 2025
Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
Meh.
Started out kind of catchy but I got very bored.
WAY too long.
2
Feb 03 2025
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
Charlie Brown style. Not offensive but not enjoyable. The freneticism of jazz gives me anxiety. My ex was a jazz musician, upright bass, usually playing this style...and while I appreciate the musicianship, I've never enjoyed it, which probably in large part lead to our relationship's demise.
3
Feb 04 2025
I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
Old school country. Talented guitar picking. Mundane lyrics....not written for the intellectually minded.
Very twangy.
2
Feb 05 2025
Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
Influential? Hmmm. I don't know about that.
Country with a little indie singer/songwriter.
A little more palatable than some country, but not terribly interesting.
3
Feb 06 2025
Soul Mining
The The
I never found them to be very interesting. They've only got the one hit. I find the music pretty forgettable. I love the post-punk genre but this is not the best of it. It's catchy but it doesn't stay with me.
2
Feb 07 2025
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
Masterful musicians and I know it was important for the fusion of rock, jazz, blues, etc. But it's a lot of just jamming. I don't want to ever listen to it again.
3
Feb 08 2025
Woodface
Crowded House
This album is a particular favorite of mine. I love Neil and Tim Finn...you cannot go wrong with anything by them. Love their voices. Love their writing. Two of these songs are on several playlists of mine...Weather with You and Fall at Your Feet. Love all of it. I think they're highly UNDERrated here in the U.S.
5
Feb 09 2025
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
I don't get the freeform parts, but I recognize the artistry of the musicians. There is quite a lot of variation between these four pieces which made it more enjoyable than a lot of jazz records.
4
Feb 10 2025
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Classic Old School Metal. Pretty cool. Great guitars. And his vocals are really enjoyable. I wish I'd been posting my favorite track from each album all along...I think I'll start doing that from here on out.
Favorite track: Strange World
4
Feb 11 2025
Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
Highly underrated.
I think this might be my favorite punk album.
Also, it could be released today and still sound equally relevant.
4
Feb 12 2025
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
Oddly, I was never a huge fan. I think they're just too frenetic for me...gives me an agitated feeling, and I don't love her voice...it's too harsh. But definitely an influential album in the post punk and goth rock world.
Favorite track: Into the Light
4
Feb 13 2025
Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
I read that this is their most "accessible" album. Eek.
Just being weird is not enough. And bad vocals.
Oh, and the name makes me fill ill.
1
Feb 15 2025
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Sublime. Best Smiths album and one of the best albums of the 80s with two of my all-time favorite songs...There is a Light that Never Goes Out & Bigmouth Strikes again. Lyrics, vocals, instrumentation...all brilliant.
5
Feb 16 2025
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I love Tom Petty. This is not is best work overall, but Breakdown IS one of his best songs...so for that, American Girl, and the fact that he's so dang pretty, I'll still give it a 3.
3
Feb 17 2025
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Listened to parts of every "song" but had to skip through them. Offensively trashy. Nothing with such poor grammar is going to get more than a one from me. Just can't.
1
Feb 18 2025
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
Probably the best all girl band ever. They are highly underrated. Two absolute bangers here but every song is good. Great musicians, great vocals. They are synonymous with summer for me...partly maybe because I saw them play in July of 1984 (INXS opened...great show!)
5
Feb 19 2025
Immigrés
Youssou N'Dour
I don't know enough about African music to rate it properly, but it was interesting to listen to. Varied and complicated instrumentation.
3
Feb 20 2025
Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
I only knew this band by name...actually thought they were from the 70s, so I had no idea what I was in for. Pretty satisfying loud grungy rock with some sick guitars and drumming.
3
Feb 21 2025
Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
I was digging the sound of many of the tunes, but it's too bad they're so repetitive. You can definitely hear their influence on many alternative bands. I just wish the songs went somewhere instead of repeating the same handful of notes over and over and over.
3
Feb 22 2025
Rubber Soul
Beatles
Arguably the most important Beatles album IMO. More mature, more experimental, a lot of variation in style between songs. Just great songwriting. A personal favorite of mine.
5
Feb 23 2025
The White Album
Beatles
Not just an album...an art event. Seems like it might be too long...but if you tried to eliminate anything, it wouldn't be the same. Just amazing songwriting.
5
Feb 24 2025
I See You
The xx
My heart sank when I saw another album from this lame band on the list. Just awful. Singing and playing both sound amateur. No life to the music. They're quite recent to...what have they influenced??? I cannot for the life of me figure out why they are on the list at all, and certainly not twice.
1
Feb 26 2025
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
Hard to rate because I don't even know what you would call this. I'm sure it's supposed to be good for what it is, but I didn't care for it and wouldn't ever listen to it again.
2
Feb 27 2025
Arise
Sepultura
The same guitar sound in every track (notice I didn't call them songs). That and bellowing.
Made me wish we'd gotten a rap album today...which is saying a lot.
Just awful.
1
Feb 28 2025
Mothership Connection
Parliament
The standard for funk.
4
Mar 01 2025
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
3
Mar 02 2025
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
Queen
5
Mar 03 2025
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
3
Mar 04 2025
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
Unparalelled songwriting and one of the purest voices to ever grace the world. I always forget how much I love Cat Stevens in between listenings.
5
Mar 05 2025
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Really full of themselves and must have smoked WAY too much weed.
1
Mar 06 2025
Medúlla
Björk
I would call this experimental sound art.
I like a lot of music by Bjork...but not this.
Kind of interesting, but also largely unpleasant.
Experimental and weird, but not sure about influential.
2
Mar 07 2025
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This album disappointed me. I've liked the song Hysteric for a long time and was happy to see the album show up on the list, but I was bored by most of it. A couple of memorable songs. The rest is pleasant enough background noise.
3
Mar 08 2025
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
I love Today and Disarm, but other than that the songs all sound the same.
Good live band, bad listening band.
2
Mar 09 2025
Hunting High And Low
a-ha
Funny, I never really loved Take on Me in the 80s, although the video is iconic. BUT if you listen to the acoustic version recorded in 2017 you will see just how beautiful a song it is and also what a great voice he has....still. From this album though, my favorite is The Sun Always Shines on TV. Overall, the other songs are mostly forgettable. One thing to note however is that I've never seen a song on Spotify have over a billion views before....but Take on Me has 2,240,938,654....as of this viewing!
3
Mar 10 2025
What's That Noise?
Coldcut
Title kind of says it all.
It's a bunch of samples.
1
Mar 11 2025
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
I could almost give any album with Jimmy Page playing on it a 5.
And I could almost give this one a 5 just for Kashmir.
But it really should NOT have been a double album.
Too much filler with songs that hadn't made the cut from previous albums.
4
Mar 12 2025
The New Tango
Astor Piazzolla
I usually like tango music.
And it's usually quite sexy and sensual.
This had WAY too much xylophone...and the xylophone took all the sexiness away.
2
Mar 13 2025
The White Room
The KLF
Feels just like background music to me...nothing that stands out. Very homogenous.
I'd never heard of them...and I guess you might not have if you weren't into raves.
They don't have the original on Spotify but I'm guessing it wouldn't matter to much to me.
2
Mar 14 2025
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
I'd never heard of them...which is a shame because I would have LOVED them back in the day. More interesting than any other punk band I can think of...much more variation in sound. Some definite shades of Adam Ant...who's one of my favorites. I'll be adding this to my permanent playlist and looking for it on vinyl.
4
Mar 15 2025
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
One of my favorites.
Best of dream pop and pioneer of shoegaze.
5
Mar 16 2025
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
I would put this in the top five albums ever made.
We need more than five stars for this one.
I can't even pick a favorite song because there are too many. It's a tie betweeen Never Going Back Again, The Chain, and I Don't Want to Know.
5
Mar 17 2025
Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Kind of an average hippie band, but not bad.
3
Mar 18 2025
C'est Chic
CHIC
Le Freak is, of course, on every disco playlist. The album is pretty solid, although Savoir Faire makes me feel like I'm shopping for gloves at Porteous. Nile Rodgers went on to write huge hit songs for David Bowie, Duran Duran, Madonna, INXS, Diana Ross...just to name a few. I actually saw them in concert about 18 months ago when they opened for Duran Duran in Boston and they played a whole list of famous songs they'd written for other people, which blew my mind. And they sounded fantastic. I wouldn't have known how vast their influence was if not for that show...so I'm going to bump this up to a four.
4
Mar 19 2025
Hot Fuss
The Killers
This is one of my top five albums from the aughts. Five of the songs are in my regular rotation on a couple of different playlists. I'd never heard anything but Mr. Brightside back in the day though...so didn't fall in love with it until more than 15 years after it was released.
Favorite track: Change Your Mind
5
Mar 20 2025
Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
I've heard other Indian music in film that I've enjoyed much more than this, which seemed incredibly hokey. I started to say it sounded like an Indian James Bond soundtrack...but really it's more like an Indian Austin Powers soundtrack. But from what I read, this composer is legendary and very influential in the genre so I guess I'll have to give it a 3.
3
Mar 21 2025
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
They just sound like a mess to me...too much going on and anxiety inducing,.
2
Mar 22 2025
Frank
Amy Winehouse
I was actually going to hit did-not-listen even though I DID listen, but I don't see the option now. Must have waited to long? Anyway. Against popular opinion I loathe and have always loathed her music. Apart from the fact that I hate this style of music, I find her voice nasally and grating. But I feel I have to give her at least a 2 just because she's so popular.
2
Mar 23 2025
Very
Pet Shop Boys
I love the Pet Shop Boys but this is not their best album. It's pleasant to listen to but not terribly interesting. Their newer albums are their best.
3
Mar 24 2025
Copper Blue
Sugar
I had never heard this album before, vaguely remembered one song but not the name of the band. I had to read up on them to know it was Bob Mould. Great album...I wish I had heard it back in the day, but at least it will go on my play list now!
4
Mar 25 2025
Is This It
The Strokes
The Strokes is one of those bands that I always think I should like more but for some reason I don't. They're fine. I enjoyed the album. But nothing stays with me. Nothing makes me want to listen over and over again. There's nothing particularly special. I think they're overrated.
3
Mar 26 2025
Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton
This album should not be here.
Dude got an inexplicable amount of mileage off those two songs. They're catchy, but the rest is fluff.
2
Mar 27 2025
Like A Prayer
Madonna
I'm rather reluctantly giving it a 4, and mostly because I do love Like a Prayer, and because it is her best overall album. I honestly think she's a weak vocalist but she's worked her flamboyance well.
4
Mar 28 2025
Murmur
R.E.M.
This is pretty much the beginning of the entire college band/indie rock scene...and the influence on every indie rock band since. Also the soundtrack of my late high school and early college years.
Favorite track: We Walk
5
Mar 29 2025
Play
Moby
I think we used to have this cd but I have no idea why. It's dreadful. Really boring. And ambient music was around before Moby so I'm not sure why it would be considered influential.
2
Mar 30 2025
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
Tried to be objective, but this is just really bad.
Again, I fail to see how it's influential when they weren't doing anything new.
1
Mar 31 2025
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
Not my thing musically, but important to the social justice movement, and therefore more important today than ever.
4
Apr 01 2025
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
4
Apr 02 2025
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
I have a great fondness for this album because I used to listen to it with my college boyfriend while properly tripping. It's not quite the same without hallucinogens, but I can still conjure up the delight of hearing it for the first time while watching the birds from his tapestry dance across the wall. They are the Kings of prog rock for sure.
4
Apr 03 2025
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
One of my favorite albums. I find it flawless and Dylan's best. I once went as Shelter from the Storm to one of our friend group's infamous theme parties...this was come as a Bob Dylan song.
5
Apr 04 2025
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
Mind-numbingly boring.
1
Apr 05 2025
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
I'm sure I'll never listen to this again because it's too slow and depressing, but as always, Leonard Cohen is a great poet and songwriter.
4
Apr 06 2025
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
Hmm. I mean they're fine? But boring. Kind of run of the mill generic 80s music (and I say that as a huge fan of 80s music). I had never heard of them, and I question them being influential. This album came out in 84 and what they were doing was nothing new at that point.
2
Apr 07 2025
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
I hate Chicago and this is a bloated pretentious album.
1
Apr 08 2025
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
Just NO
1
Apr 09 2025
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
Never heard of them before, but it's pretty decent psychedelic rock. Evidently they invented the rock opera...which I'm not sure the world needed.
3
Apr 10 2025
Station To Station
David Bowie
I'm a huge Bowie fan but this is not his best. Some critics say "transitional". I think I'd agree with others that it was coke-fueled aimlessness.
But it does have Golden Years and TVC15, which are fun.
Favorite track: Wild is the Wind...and I know it's probably a travesty to say, but I much prefer this version to Nina Simone's.
Still pretty impressive that you could make this album when on so much coke that you don't remember what city you recorded it in.
I would give it a 3.5 if that were an option.
4
Apr 11 2025
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
Abysmal.
Guy has the worst singing voice I've ever heard.
1
Apr 12 2025
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
I've never been a big fan but I recognize the talent. I had an old boyfriend that listened to him too much and it put me off it forever. But this is an iconic album. Favorite track: Watching the Detectives
4
Apr 13 2025
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
I do think the guy has a nice voice when he's straight up singing instead of yelling...but other than that, nope. I always try to read up on why someone thinks these bands are influential...and for this one it said because they combined rock, metal, hiphop and electronica. To that I say...Pick a Lane.
1
Apr 14 2025
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
It's all yelling.
1
Apr 15 2025
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
Nope
1
Apr 16 2025
Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Fantastic guitarist although I found the vocal parts and lyrics a bit bland. Definitely looks like he influenced many many other artists.
3
Apr 17 2025
Pink Flag
Wire
Wish I'd heard of this one when I was in my teens and 20s!
4
Apr 18 2025
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
I didn't need to hear it live, but I do love his music.
4
Apr 19 2025
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
Fun and recognizable but as an album it's very monotonous.
3
Apr 20 2025
You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
I'm very fond of them...they remind me of a specific set of people at a specific time in my history that I'm most nostalgic about. I hadn't listened to this album straight through before...I'm more familiar with Bug....but I loved it. Favorite tracks: Little Fury Things, Raisans, and their cover of Just Like Heaven, which I already had on a couple of playlists.
4
Apr 21 2025
Revolver
Beatles
Revolver and Rubber Soul were always my two favorite Beatles albums. So many great songs.
Favorite tracks: He Said She Said and Here, There and Everywhere
5
Apr 22 2025
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
2
Apr 23 2025
Histoire De Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
I quite enjoyed some of the instrumentation....but I don't like talking over music. Either sing or just leave it as instrumental music.
2
Apr 24 2025
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
Sooo many great songs...and A Day in the Life is my all-time favorite Beatles song.
5
Apr 25 2025
In Utero
Nirvana
Not nearly as good as Nevermind. If I didn't know it was released later I'd think it was an earlier album. It's kind of a mess except for a couple of songs.
3
Apr 26 2025
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
Nope. Never liked them.
1
Apr 27 2025
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
I'm not buying that this, in 2004, was influential.
1
Apr 28 2025
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Bores me to tears.
1
Apr 29 2025
Imagine
John Lennon
John was a deeply flawed man, but a great songwriter, and I love the sincerity and honesty in his music. I think Imagine has become too familiar and is easily written off as trite, but I personally can't ever hear it without tearing up. It's a vision for a better world that could be if everyone cared.
4
Apr 30 2025
LP1
FKA twigs
A bit of a snoozefest. I don't like the breathy weak vocals. She might have a great voice but it's hard to tell since it's all autotuned and synthesized to death.
2
May 01 2025
Street Life
The Crusaders
Elevator music from my childhood....one thing I'm not nostalgic about.
2
May 02 2025
Blur
Blur
I was latecomer to Blur's music, except for the big hits, but then really got into them over the last few years. Now they're one of my favorites. If I were to hear one of their albums without knowing the release date, I would have a hard time figuring out what decade they were from...which is one of the best things about them. Favorite tracks: You're So Great, Beetlebum, Song 2
4
May 03 2025
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
One of my top ten favorite albums of all time, from one of my top 5 favorite bands. I fell in love with the Pixies the moment I heard them....and this album, for me, is perfection. Fave tracks: Where Is My Mind? (one of my theme songs), Cactus, and Tony's Theme (because it always reminds me of my friend Tony who's one of my favorite people on the planet)
5
May 04 2025
OK Computer
Radiohead
Makes me sad that I haven't managed to see them in concert...
5
May 05 2025
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
I had no idea Brazilian psychedelia was a thing, and I had never heard of the Tropicalia movement. Very interesting...and I admire any artists working under a fascist regime.
3
May 06 2025
Low
David Bowie
Probably my least favorite Bowie album.
3
May 07 2025
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
No doubt she has a great voice, although I don't care for this older pop music. A lot of hits here....covers, but she made them her own.
3
May 08 2025
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
I know I've heard it before...but I can see why I'd forgotten it. Wow that was boring.
1
May 09 2025
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
I'd never listened to the whole of either of them....and didn't like either of them equally.
I'm sending Hey Ya a special 5 all on its own because it's one of my all time favorite songs...but the rest gets a 2.
2
May 10 2025
Moon Safari
Air
I think it's safe to say that ambient electronic music has no place in my record collection.
1
May 11 2025
Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
I hadn't heard this album of theirs before and liked it so much I listened to it three times! Definitely paved the way to Loveless (and a lot of other music) and I actually liked some of it better.
4
May 12 2025
Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
Robyn Hitchcock is a brilliant songwriter and storyteller. There's no one like him and he's unapologetically himself. I like his later stuff, solo and with the Egyptians better, but that may be because I heard it first and loved it before I heard The Soft Boys...but this is obviously the basis for that and indie psychedelia.
4
May 13 2025
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
Boring. Not offensive, but very bland.
And this is one of those albums on the list that I don't agree is influential because there's nothing new in it.
2
May 14 2025
Close To You
Carpenters
Corny but classic, and they really were incredibly talented. I'd like to think that if she'd lived and been well that she would have become better known for her drumming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVBtjaHxR7Y&ab_channel=OloapsVL
4
May 15 2025
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
I like Hard to Handle...but I don't go out of my way to listen to it, and the rest is kind of forgettable generic "American" rock. I don't see how it's influential at all since they didn't invent anything and are clearly the ones influenced by others.
2
May 16 2025
The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell
I'll still give it a 3 for the lyricism but I don't like this album. Don't like the weird jazz, which I don't think meshes with her style. It detracts from it. I'll stick with her pre-1975 albums.
3
May 17 2025
Nevermind
Nirvana
I still love this album. Solid straight through. And there's no denying its influence in pushing grunge into mainstream popularity.
5
May 18 2025
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
Although it's not my favorite Lenny album, it was an impressive debut and cemented his style...seamless blend of rock, funk, soul. And that voice.....
P.S. Just have to add that he's even hotter now than he was then, which is a feat unto itself.
4
May 19 2025
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
Let me start by saying that I cannot stand the Dead, that whole scene, and all their hippy dippy jamming (shudder). However, it's impossible to deny the influence of this album, as inexplicable as it is to me. I'm objectively giving them a 4 for that reason.
I will add that even though I loathe pretty much every other song by them, I have a strange fondness for Friend of the Devil.
4
May 20 2025
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
I don't enjoy it at all...but again, being objective because I see that it's important in its focusing attention on racial injustice and systemic racism, as well as blending genres.
4
May 21 2025
Dare!
The Human League
It's mostly pretty fluff. Of course Don't You Want Me, is still one of my favorite fun 80s songs. But I'd forgotten how much I love Seconds, which was the B side on the 45 single of Don't You Want Me that I bought at K-Mart in 1981. Excuse me now while I listen to it for the rest of the day.
3
May 22 2025
Stankonia
OutKast
3
May 23 2025
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
Snoozefest. And another that I question as truly influential. So many of these albums I think are chosen just because some hipster wants to look cool by picking something obscure.
2
May 24 2025
Doolittle
Pixies
Also in my personal top ten, along with Surfer Rosa.
A perfect album, and certainly one of the most influential indie bands.
I could gush about it all day.
Top tracks: No. 13 Baby and Gouge Away
5
May 25 2025
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
1
May 26 2025
Thriller
Michael Jackson
I don't see how any album that has Thriller, Beat It, AND Billie Jean can't be given a 5. Even with the four dud songs, it still is undeniably one of the most influential albums of all time both on the music and video scene.
5
May 27 2025
The Band
The Band
3
May 28 2025
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
I really like the Pet Shop Boys, but I wasn't familiar with this album and found it very bland compared to others.
2
May 29 2025
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
It's like if Borderline Personality Disorder was an album.
2
May 30 2025
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
Likeable but I wouldn't say influential.
3
May 31 2025
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
Not my thing but I can't deny the talent or influence.
4
Jun 01 2025
Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
2
Jun 02 2025
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
Nope
1
Jun 03 2025
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
I have tried to like her a few times over the years...but I don't. Maybe you like either PJ or Liz Phair? I'm definitley in the Liz Phair camp. Harvey's music is boring and well...just boring.
2
Jun 04 2025
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
I like the Stones, but not this. This is just a lot of copying.
2
Jun 05 2025
Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
2
Jun 06 2025
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
2
Jun 07 2025
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
3
Jun 08 2025
Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
Release and Burning the Heather are their best albums. So far the two on this list have been blander ones.
3
Jun 09 2025
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
Meh. Average white girl 90s music.
Pretty boring.
I have always liked Strong Enough though.
3
Jun 10 2025
Abbey Road
Beatles
Not my personal favorite but definitely a great one
5
Jun 11 2025
Hysteria
Def Leppard
Pop hair metal is not my genre, however I've had a fondness for Def Leppard since Bringin' On the Heartbreak from High n' Dry. Then I saw them in 1983 after the release of Pyromania (opening for Billy Squier...hilarious). Hysteria only has maybe four songs that I listen to, but one of them is an all time favorite for pure fun....Pour Some Sugar On Me. So for that song alone I'd have to give this album a 4.
4
Jun 12 2025
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3
Jun 13 2025
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
I feel like I should be grading on a curve just because it's the Beach Boys and because of Brian Wilson's death...but I really did not like this at all. Weird.
2
Jun 14 2025
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
5
Jun 15 2025
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
This is exactly the kind of thing I was listening to in the early 90s. Wondering why I've never heard of them! i really liked most of it and will be listening again.
3
Jun 16 2025
Urban Hymns
The Verve
I've always hated this album...especially Bittersweet Symphony. Annoying AF.
2
Jun 17 2025
American Idiot
Green Day
They get an extra point from me for continuousy calling out the fascist regime at their shows. That's punk.
I do like them though.
4
Jun 18 2025
Sister
Sonic Youth
I saw Sonic Youth in a small club in Boston in 1990 and have long enjoyed Daydream Nation and Goo when I'm in the right mood for it, but I'd never listened to Sister before. Some good stuff.
3
Jun 19 2025
Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
I liked the first song and I was hoping it was all going to be in that style, but it wasn't. I like his voice but there's nothing grabbing me enough to listen again.
3
Jun 20 2025
1999
Prince
Fantastic album.
Little Red Corvette is just plain sexy, and the song that first got me listening to Prince.
I have a special fondness for International Lover because it cracks me up.
5
Jun 21 2025
Aja
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is in my category of "bands that make you immediately change the radio station if they come on"....along with Bob Seger and The Doobie Brothers.
Worst Dad Yacht Soft Rock.
Ick.
1
Jun 22 2025
Connected
Stereo MC's
Meh.
Not buying it as "influential".
1
Jun 23 2025
Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
I'm sure generally he deserves a 5 but I had to take off a point for it being a live album that was way too long with all the extra talking and stuff.
4
Jun 24 2025
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
It's honestly not really my thing but no denying the talent or influence. My favorite song of his is not on this album...Crosstown Traffic.
4
Jun 25 2025
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
That is some fine guitar playing and beautiful vocals. I'll definitely listen again.
4
Jun 26 2025
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
Meh.
Never was a fan and it's extremely dated.
2
Jun 27 2025
Signing Off
UB40
Nope.
1
Jun 28 2025
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
I really enjoy this...in fact we have some of these tracks on a cocktail lounge mix cd from the 90s.
I feel like to thoroughly enjoy it though, you need to be sipping a cocktail in a dark corner with your lover.
4
Jun 29 2025
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Nope.
1
Jun 30 2025
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
Good grief.
It's like musak from a mall clothing store.
Of course I assumed from the title that I would hate it.
1
Jul 01 2025
Tidal
Fiona Apple
I think she has a great voice but her music is too sleepy for me.
3
Jul 02 2025
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
Never heard of them before.
It was okay.
Not sure I'm buying the "influential" part.
2
Jul 03 2025
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
Oddly, I know this band, because ONE of their songs is a favorite of mine, on several of my playlists.
But it's not on this album, and the album it is on doesn't have any other tracks that I like very much.
The name of it is Songs of Love, from the album Casanova, which came out a year before this one.
Most of his stuff is just, frankly, weird. I thought they were a one hit wonder and only now am learning they (really mainly one guy though) made 12 albums, the most recent just this year!
2
Jul 04 2025
Rio
Duran Duran
Automatic 5.
One of the best.
Hard to even pick a favorite track....Hungry Like the Wolf, Hold Back the Rain, Save a Prayer, The Chauffeur.
Saw them twice....1984 and 2023. They may have been even better the second time.
5
Jul 05 2025
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
3 for cultural relevance but overall quite bland.
3
Jul 06 2025
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
I love Tom Waits as an actor and human. I do really love a few of his songs. But none of them are on this album.
He has a really lovely voice when he's not trying NOT to. My favorite songs by him are old ones like Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You, In Between Love, and I Want You.
2
Jul 07 2025
Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
A favorite when it came out, and it was definitely her best. I hadn't listened to it in years...still loved it. Great voice, great writing, and no doubt influenced countless female singer songwriters.
4
Jul 08 2025
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
Fairytale of New York is one of my all time favorites.
Love them.
4
Jul 09 2025
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
Very good...although not as good as The Velvet Underground & Nico.
I am particularly fond of After Hours.
4
Jul 10 2025
Dub Housing
Pere Ubu
I can see how much it influenced a lot of bands I love, although I find it painful to listen to. I read one read one review that referred to it as "assaultive" and I'd have to agree, but it also said they had the vision to push boundaries, which I also agree with. I don't want to hear it again but I appreciate that it paved the way for others.
3
Jul 11 2025
Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
Monotonous
2
Jul 12 2025
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
No.
1
Jul 13 2025
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
I was a big Rod fan in high school. I saw the Tonight I'm Yours tour....it was one of my first concerts when I was a freshman. Great musicianship on this album. I prefer his later 70s stuff although I always like Maggie May.
4
Jul 14 2025
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
Other than Roadhouse Blues, I find this album quite tiresome. But I burned out on the Doors many decade ago.
2
Jul 15 2025
All Directions
The Temptations
3
Jul 16 2025
Ys
Joanna Newsom
I'd never heard of her but found it quite good...unique with hints of Bjork. Some tracks better than others but I'll be listening again.
3
Jul 17 2025
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Boring
2
Jul 18 2025
The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
She's very talented, although I don't like this album and her voice is a bit too Twee for me.
3
Jul 19 2025
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
Meh
2
Jul 20 2025
Music
Madonna
Autotuned to death. Most of her music bores me and I prefer the 80s stuff.
I liked I Deserve It and Gone best, and they're among the lowest rated songs on the album...but I think her slow thoughtful stuff is better than the dancy stuff.
2
Jul 21 2025
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
Songs are WAY too long and I don't really care for live recordings anyway.
1
Jul 22 2025
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
When I hear the White Stripes I always think "this is pretty good stuff"...but then I never go back for more.
I don't dislike it but it just doesn't draw me in. I couldn't tell you a single song by them except for Seven Nation Army because everyone knows that one.
2