1001 Albums Summary

Surprising range, country, jazz, latin influences. Slow songs remind me of Floyd Best track - Can't you hear me knocking Last track Moonlight Mile a good closer

Rap/hip-hop with ambient jazz/other conceptual elements. In places breathless and claustrophobic. Builds up to quite intense thematically by the end Reminded me of Floyd's The Wall (trip in hotel room, track called Momma). Not my cup of tea but interesting Best track - The Blacker the Berry Another fun track is 'i'

Folksy soft rock with synthy/ambient orchestration, ahead of its time (considering Mumford and Sons and Lumineers coming some years later). Springsteen-esque in places (Intervention). Killers-like too Not enjoying much in particular though.. Best track - No cars go

R&B/ hip hop with soul influence I don't really get it - better on a second listen! Interesting instrumentation - brass, latin guitar, harps and harpsichord? Best track - Forgive them father, lost ones

Instrumental jazz album, sounds like standard jazz to my ears? Best track - Pt. II - Resolution

At first sounds boring and standard 60s rock. Not much to note until My Generation. Then I notice different influences more: surfer rock, rock and roll, ragtime pianos, funk, barbershop style vocal harmonies. Some good guitar work, reminiscent of the Shadows Best track - The Kids Are Alright

Hard rock/punk/metal mix. Introspective personal lyrics, more reminiscent of later post-punk and even nu metal Best track - TV Party

Interesting pop/soft rock. Sounds kinda 80s without the electro sounds Best track - I dont want to go to chelsea

Another early folksy rock preempting Mumford and Sons, Lumineers. This time with pseudo medieval elements. Better than Arcade Fire Best track - White Winter Hymnal

Country/western but really good actually. Am I crazy or does surfer rock have some similarities? Slides and harmonicas? Best track - Honky Tonk Heroes/Omaha

Just awful. Reverb-heavy, sequenced drums, synthy, clean guitar instrumentation, with the breathy bright clean vocals. Terrible naive lyrics, the whole album seemingly about a relationship? Awful cringey rhymes, like written by a child. It's like Ed Sheeran's Shape of You but a whole album and worse. 1 star Best track - Dangerous/Replica

Rap/jazz/soul fusion. Not for me and not much standing out. Some commentary on feminism and women in African American culture Best track - Payback is a Grandmother

What's to say, it's Sinatra. Classic big band with crooning. Not really my cup of tea, most tracks sound the same to me.. Best track - Anything Goes

Such an important album. Pioneering electro work. Can hear the legacy in everything from club music, Rammstein, Owl City. In some places reminds me of 8-bit/chiptune. Sounds a bit naive by modern standards and the vocal performances are a bit choppy. Best track - The Model clearly, but will choose Neon Lights for playlist as it's a great new track for me.

Bit slow/repetitive. First track full of energy then it falls off a cliff. Kind of jazzy big-band in places, can see the progression from Sinatra yesterday. But still, I find it quite boring... expected more upbeat exciting stuff from Ray Charles Best track(s) - Bye Bye Love, Hey Good Lookin, Oh Lonesome Me.

Instrumental Indian music. Spotify version is not right one! Needed to re-listen! Indian classical music, very relaxing. Can see the influence in works to come! Best track - can't choose since all blend to together and not on spotify Added another version of Ahir Bhairav

Rock/pop. In some places I'm reminded of much later stuff - It's Alright for You reminds me of QOTSA. Also, Caribbean/latin/reggae influences - c.f. Walking on the Moon Some post-punk in there too Best track (ignoring previously known) - The Bed's too Big Without You

Okay, this is 'heavier' than I expected. Definitely metal. Can see link between this and thrash and glam to come afterwards Cowboy Song sounds like metal Springsteen Pretty good really, and a live album too! With super tight performances Best track - Emerald?

Funky/rocky/souly. Incredible wah on e.g. Dont Call Me N*****, Whitey 13 min mainly instrumental funky jam on Sex Machine Pretty interesting album

Generic country... pretty dirgey. Not much for me to enjoy here. Best track - Our Private Life (at least it's upbeat!)

Feminist themes, something about Fred Durst? Latin infused hip hop/neo soul pop Bit of gospel too Funky elements on Underappreciated Source of Fighter, which is a banger! A bit warbly at times.. Best track (previous unknown) - Cant Hold Us Down

80s rock, bit glammy, bit hard, country elements. Bit too Aerosmithy in places for me Best track - TV Dinners/ Sharp Dressed Man

Mellow indie rock - Don't Panic is a great opener! Britpop style vocals in places (Shiver) following up from Oasis/Pulp/Blur tradition Yellow reminds me of the Snow Patrol slow indie to come Best track - Don't Panic

50s rock n roll. Some good tracks, fairly standard otherwise. Lots of 12 bar blues Vocals are pretty impressive. Precursor to James Brown and that style Best track (other than Tutti Frutti) - Rip it Up

Grungey post-punk with some 80s new wave and goth (a la The Cure) sensitivities. Also lots of dissonance and shouty vocals. Mr Grieves even seems to pre-empt later indie a la Libertines/Franz Ferdinand Gets better throughout! Crackity Jones has a cool frantic energy! Best track - Here Comes Your Man/ Mr Grieves/Crackity Jones/Gouge Away

What is this? Light rock, some tinges of psychedelia. Bit of electronic. Britpop ish. Kind of bland, ambient almost. Really starting to drag around the halfway mark Reminds me in parts of Tubular Bells Best track - Angel Sigh

It's Bob Marley, classic reggae sound. Lyrics range from 'political' about typical rastafarian topics to love songs Best track - Baby We've Got a Date (but maybe i just recognise the riff, Ring of Fire?, similar but not)

Rock of course. Lots of country/western influence in this one Some rock n roll and even gospel bits (you cant always get what you want) Best track - let it bleed/ midnight rambler is fun

Country style, (or maybe more folksy?), but more laid-back in places, almost Velvet Underground/Lou Reed style of almost spoken word vocals (She Belongs to Me) Maggie's Farm is a Bob Dylan song??? Famous poetic lyrics, bordering on surreal. Musically not doing much for me. Best track - It's Okay Ma, I'm Only Bleeding

Funky rock, interesting industrial sound on Breaking the Girl! I could have lied is nice, reminds me of Zephyr Song in arpeggios Can see how this came out of left field! Even with funk influences there's nothing else that sounds like RHCP Give it away is a masterpiece Best track (new to me): The Greeting Song? Breaking the Girl? Does start to drag, at 1hr 20

Folksy, hippie rock. Beach Boys meets Simon and Garfunkel. Not a huge fan.. Also country style (Mr Spaceman) Trying to be the Beatles in places? Or does it precede? Interesting dissonant end to I See You Best Track - 8 Miles High, a moody, atnospheric track Picks up from 8 Miles High John Riley is nice

How to describe this? Is it funky? A bit country? Psychedlic? How can it be be all? (Post note: Blues is word I was looking for rather than country) Fuzzy sound, mid tempo funky rock. In some places singer sounds like generic 60s crooner (World of Pain) What is Mother's Lament? Some cockney pub piano song? Weird Best track - Outside Woman Blues

This fun, very quirky experimental songs going on. Housequake is nice and funky, fun It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night is funky and fun too! Best track - Housequake or Sign o the Times or It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

Interesting mix of styles. E.g. Dear Prudence is half traditional 60s ballad, half psychedelic, drone(sitar) inspired prog rock And self referential too (Glass Onions)! Something unsettling/unhinged abouy this album. Like a subversive parody of pop Rocky Raccoon is a funny parody of country Helter Skelter pretty heavy I like Mother Nature's Son Best track - Blackbird or Mother Natures Son

Indie, with psychedelic sound. Nice atmosphere. Reminds me of Beatles in places but more psychedelic. Some folk elements. Some places sounds like KGLW Oddments with slow reverb heavy psych songs (Helicopter) Best Track - Helicopter/He Would Have Laughed

House/trance, but more laid-back with indie elements. Pretty good! Best track - Poor Leno or So Easy or Eple

Synthy electro. First track reminds me of OMD but with that modern closeup breathy vocals. Kraftwerk a clear influence. Very 80s in sound and feel. Ooh I like the end of I Used To, with the guitar! Some indie elements too, like Change Yr Mind Some of the synth lines are so good (back half of How Do You Sleep), but they're too sparsely placed for my taste. Vocals are reminiscent of The Cure Best track: I Used To or How Do You Sleep or Oh Baby

Eminem, you know what it is. Fast, high quality rhymes. Commentaries on fame, causes of violence in children, accusations of stealing black music, other traditional rap topics. Mummy/women issues. Best track (other than Stan/ Real Slim Shady) - Amityville or Criminal?

Indie rock, soul/rnb inspired vocals. Bluesy guitar lines. Funky influence too, wah and fuzz heavy tracks etc. Slower tempo with big basslines remind me of White Stripes. Not very exciting for me. Best track - Black Mud?

Piano vocals solo, a la Regina Spektor. Bit of neo soul style too, say Florence Welch. Industrial/dark sounds incorporated. Not my cup of tea but it's fine Best track - Cosmonauts

Rocky, proggy mid tempo funk? Interesting. Could be influence to RHCP or even RATM? Chunky nice basslines Best track - You and Your Folks, Super Stupid, Back in Our Minds 4 stars

Poppy rocky, bit like the Beatles? Nothing else much to say? Best track - A Rose for Emily or Butcher's Tale

A real collage of an album. Mainly soft slow rock, kinda 70s psychedelic style, Queen style guitar solos in Sigourney Weaver Semi-nonsense lyrics Also reminds me of softer Opeth parts Synthy bits That's the Good News is a Kraftwerk homage and fun Best track - Marz or Chicken Bones 4 stars

Psychedelic country? Not doing much for me Even sounds like early funk in places The Masked Marauder sounds like The Doors Best track - Section 43 or The Masked Marauder 3 stars

Folksy, semi psychedelic. Almost medieval in places. Harpischord too. Multi layered A Simple Desultory Philippic sounds like Bob Dylan Best new track (other than Scarborough Fair)- Cloudy/Patterns 3 stars

First real metal album. Properly metal, can hear influence in thrash, melodic metal, metalcore to come later Best track - Phantom of the Opera/ Prowler Borderline 3/4 stars

Hip hop/rap. Stripped back/jazzy instrumentals. Lots of real instrumentation. Bass on Buggin Out sounds likes double bass, in the jazz tradition, interesting. Political side about blackness and black origins and Africa Verses from the Abstract has instrumentation reminding me of Ice Cube It Was a Good Day Some parts remind me of Crooklyn Clan Best track - Verses from the Abstract/What? 3 stars

Country music, slides abound in first track. Not keen if all is like this! Sara is more like their later stuff, more shimmery and layered That's all for everyone has a nice feel Gets better throughout Best track - Sara/ That's all for Everyone/Sisters of the Moon/Not That Funny 3 stars

First track - Funeral for a Friend - interesting instrumental! Kinda proggy, rocky, synthy, operatic, almost even metal at one point Quite samey throughout otherwise, rock with piano lead Production is nice and guitar tone sounds very modern for 1973 Back end is quite country/western Best track - All the girls love Alice/Funeral for a Friend would be best if it were separate 3 stars

Generic rock, with some blues too. Twice as Hard sounds like an early harder Nickelback. Definitely sounds later than it is (1990). Could I've Been So Blind reminds me of Slade etc in places. Not that impressed overall, mix of Slade and Nickelback! Quite mediocre, except for the era it was recorded when glam, grunge were dominating rock scene Like a more polished version of KGLW Flight B741 Best track - doesnt matter at all, call it Struttin' Blues 2 stars

Post punk, rock, hardcore. Very ahead of it's time! Got a QOTSA feel in places Also reminds me of early Blink 182 with more melodic elements Production is great Although it's very interesting, not many standout songs And a Cure cover, showing influences Ooh that distorted tone on Just Like Heaven reminds me of early Slipknot (MFKR) tone. Bit OTT and clippy Best track - Sludgefeast or Little Fury Things 4 stars

Neo soul, pop. References back to older soul, rnb and funk. Lots of caterwauling gets tiring Bit more experimental/jazz influenced, e.g. Still Dirty Lots of gimmick tracks Disc 2 more orchestral, showy Best track - Slow Down Baby

Classic rock n roll/rockabilly. Already know a few tracks Prefer the faster tracks to the ballad style songs Best new track - Not Fade Away 3 stars

Experimental, proggy rock. Not sure what to say. Think Supertramp vs the Beatles with some more experimental bits. Pretty good, borderline 3-4 stars Best track - A Venture, Your Move

Generic rock, with some questionable lyrics (It's A Plain Shame) Nothing special here. Precedes glam, and glam revival. Vocoder guitar on Do You Feel Like We Do is fun Best track - I Wanna Go to the Sun 2 stars

Disco and funk. None of the big hits on the track list.. are there any hidden gems? Some soul and ballads too. Not exciting me much Jazz mixed with funk on instrumental Africano Best track - Africano 3 stard

First track Do You Wanna Dance sounds familiar! Chorus I've heard before and the verses have the naivety and voicing of a Blink song.. Otherwise sounds like Beach Boys - surfer rock/rock n roll with the characteristic multi-vocal parts and harmonies All tracks in the first half seem pretty solid but nothing jumping out at me. Back half is too ballad heavy, not a big fan. In The Back Of My Mind has some interesting elements - brass, slightly psychedelic Best track - Do You Wanna Dance 3 stars

What to say, the concept is one of the most famous concerts of all time. Cash and his classic outlaw country. Best track - A Boy Named Sue/ I Walk The Line

Classic Stevie Wonder sound, album with Superstition on it. Maybe Your Baby has a similar funk sound. Interspersed with slower ballady songs, like You and I Best track (other than Superstition) - Maybe Your Baby

Already know Reward and Treason from this album. Alt rock with post punk influences from early 80s. Also some experimental instrumentation (synth brass and organish). Some similarities with The Cure (guitar line on Poppies) When I Dream has a nice synth line Strange House in the Snow has a nice creepy industrial feel Solid album overall - 4 stars Best track (not Treason or Reward) - Went Crazy or Books or When I Dream or Strange House in the Snow

Atmospheric, ambient almost synthy electro. Some guitar/folk jazz elements on Hjartad hamast Actually, soft rock elements throughout. Is this shoegaze? Title track reminds me of Coldplay, so soft indie?' Not too bad Best track - Flugufrelsarinn, title track, Olsen Olsen

Indie rock, quite bluesy. Not much for me otherwise Best track (I hate Seven Nation Army) - Ball and Biscuit? Hypnotize 3 stars

Neo soul with jazz elements and in places hip hop beats. No doubt about AW's vocal skills. And the stripped back instrumentation is nice. Not really a AW fan but I can appreciate this Best track - Stronger than Me, Fuck Me Pumps, What is is About Men, Amy Amy Amy Almost 4 stars but not quite my taste

On first track already appreciate this album more than Elephant. Dead Leaves and Dirty Ground has good riffs. More garage-y than Elephant. Also more variety, seems more memorable to me. Best track - Dead Leaves and Dirty Ground or We're Going to be Friends or I Think I Smell a Rat 4 stars

I am not keen on this. Ambient/atmospheric slow tempo piano plus vocal pads for 50mins. What is the point?? Best track - 2/1 (shortest, otherwise they all sound the same!). No, 2/2 is slightly more tolerable and just slightly longer 2 stars

Soft rock/psychedelic, with folk elements. Reminds me of Jefferson Airplane or The Byrds, also a bit Simon and Garfunkel. Better than expected so far (track 3) Hallucinations has a lovely sound, sitars etc. Goodbye and Hello is a crazy collage of songs. Best track - No Man Can Find the War or Pleasant Street or Hallucinations or Phantasmagoria in Two

Moody folksy soft rock. Same poetic vibes as Lou Reed or Bob Dylan. Interesting at first but it does grate after a while. Best track - You Know Who I Am 3 stars

Psychelesic rock. Bit disappointing, expected more from the two songs already known (Somebody to Love and White Rabbit). Nothing else standing out far. Best track - Go To Her or 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds 3 stars

Soft rock. Do i hear mild latin/caribbean influences? Quite easy listening. Not as bad as I expected, but not stellar either. Best track - Only a Fool Would Say That or Do It Again 3 stars but it's almost 4.

Very experimental, funk and jazz elements (basslines, vocal harmonies, jazzy pianos in Uh Uh). With synthy/electro elements. Some chord progressions remind me of Animals as Leaders, so quite unusual keys? Weird lyrics. Is quite draining to listen to the whole album Best track - Uh Uh, Lava Lamp, Them Changes, Where I'm Going 4 stars

Pop/soft rock. First track sounds like Phil Collins but not as good. Second Hand Woman has that sound famous in Valerie. Is is a guitar with heavy FX or a synth with bends? There's not much else here of interest though Best track - Second Hand Woman 2 stars

Punk and post-punk rock. Clear precursor to later alt rock/post punk - Hateful sounds like proto-Pixies! Some ska influence too (Rudie Can't Fail), seems to presage pop punk/3rd wave ska (e.g. Offspring) Actually more variation and interest than I expected. Some Cure-like parts too. Does start to sound samey after a point Best track - Hateful or Rudie Can't Fail Bit samey but still 4 stars for quality of standout tracks

Had big hopes knowing Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me and All Apologies Some faster tempo tracks (Very Ape) and Dumb was pretty good It's a shame I knew the three best tracks already, rest feels not as good Best new track - Dumb

Can immediately hear that 50s rock and roll/doo-wop influence. But why such aggressive panning on track 1? Very distracting Otherwise not very groundbreaking Some covers as well Nothing special at all Best track - Money (That's What I Want) but is it a cover? I Wanna Be Your Man 2 stars

Instrumental, gentle rock/funk/pop/electro. Nice basslines. First track reminds me of Changes by KGLW. I recognise Sexy Boy, but not sure where from Getting some Daft Punk energy from vocoders (also French!), but also reminiscent of Mylo. Best track - Femme de l'argent, Kelly Watch the Stars, You Make it Easy, Ce Matin-la 4 stars

Half is as expected - britpop (which itself is blues inflected post-punk?). Other half is more experimental, sounds like Gorillaz. Best tracks are singles, otherwise have - London Loves and Trouble in the Message Centre

Stripped back house/dance with acoustic instruments and soulful vocals Like the piano on Introduction Nice easy listening throughout Strung Out reminds me of Thinking it Over by Liberty X 2 years later... Some bits are more experimental (Rough Out Here) Disk 2 is just remixes Best track - You're Mine/Introduction/Sincere/Slum King 4 stars for general mood

Ah so this is what Limp Bizkit ripped off more than a decade later. Those sampled beats and the high-pitched whistles/brass with the rap. C.f. Beastie Boys It gets grating quickly, but rhymes are good. Too many 'Yeaah Boy!'s! What?? A Slayer sample in She Watch Channel Zero?! Best track - She Watch Channel Zero 3 stars

60s folk/soft rock. Not much special here other than the singles. What to pick as best..? Best track - You Baby 2 stars? Or 3?'

Already don't like the first song, weak lyrics on a cliche topic. Musically not very interesting. Not a fan of this trap/dream pop and the lyrics are too distracting. Best track - Drew Barrymore Outro synths to Garden (Say it Like Dat) are quite nice 2 stars

Soft, folk rock and soul solo C.f. P.P. Arnold Quite a nice chilled out sound (It's Too Late instrumental). Does get old quite quickly Best track - It's Too Late 3 stars

Country and Western of course. First track is title track, quite a feminist track! And catchy too! Lyrics alternate between female empowerment and love songs - which isn't fully contradictory. Otherwise it's not too bad. Easyish listening. Best track - title track 3 stars

Punk rock, not bad for 1976/77. But not as good as London Calling album Still some reggae/ska influence (Police and Thieves) Best track - White Riot, Janie Jones 3 stars

Rock with blues inflection, with a dark, moody sound. Nice vocals too. I like this sound. Strong opener but rest of album is more of the same? Best track - Big Exit, This Mess We're In, Kamimkaze 4 stars just for the 1st impression. Not the albums fault it's too much of a good recipe

Blue eyed soul with some indie rock, with Babylon and This Years Love. Is anything else as good as these singles? Recognise Sail Away. It's easy listening but nothing inspiring really. Best track (other than those known) - Silver Lining 3 stars (2.5 but I'll round it up)

Early metal. I know I should like it, but compared to what was to come in metal it just sounds a bit weak and flat. Nice vocals though, and it's good to let the bass have space. Interesting how the lyrics have that fantastical/morbid side, probably quite unlike what anyone else was singing about then. Production is good too (yes this is a remaster but the tracks must have been well separated to remaster this well) Actually, with 4/8 songs very good, with others just not my style, I'm appreciating this more. Best track (other than Paranoid and Iron Man) - Electric Funeral, Fairies Wear Boots 4 stars

Early Pink Floyd. It's a bit out there. Totally crazy, too much so. Oh the panning and levels are so distracting.. Best track - Lucifer Sam (it's short and structured like a real song!) 3 stars

Blues rock, standard Stones stuff with country and gospel vibes in places. Didnt do much for me Best track - Torn and Frayed, Shine A Light 3 stars

Slow soul. Political compared to previous popular soul music. Some jazz elements too in Save the Children. Not my cup of tea but okay. Not many hooks, mostly ballady. Tracks flow together which is nice Best track - Mercy Mercy Me, Right On 3 stars

Quite impressive for 1994. Has the neo-soul sound of much later. But in places also has that late 80s/early 90s hip hop sound. Some funk elements in there too. Best track - Creep, Sumthin Wicked This Way Comes Gonna say 4 stars as it's still a refreshing sound and would have been moreso when released

Some kind of post-punk, proto-emo? Also has some grungey and indie elements, even Cure-like? This album is like a missing link, quite interesting Shame it's more interesting than catchy or fun... Silence Kid has vocal melody similar to Everyday by Buddy Holly? Best track - Silence Kid, Cut Your Hair, Gold Soundz 3 stars? Bump up to 4 for 3 songs I actually really like

80s post-punk. Ramones/Clash with some pop sensibilities. Can almost hear pop-punk coming through. Also like Black Flag in places. Androgynous is a nice little LBQT+ piano ballad. Ooh, also got some rock/glam sounds on Black Diamond. Sixteen Blue is almost like Springsteen. This band is very versatile and executes all this perfectly! Best track - We're Coming Out (very punky), Androgynous, Black Diamond Post-note - Black Diamond is a cover of Kiss, so I'll disregard it for best track even though it is very good Gotta be a 4 star album, maybe even 5 stars, yeah call it 5

Funk concept album. Solid album, all tracks are consistent and pretty good. Best track - Unfunky UFO, Supergroovalistic..., Give Up The Funk 3 stars

This is pretty dross. Generic high school rock with some country aspects. Not doing much for me. And Freefallin isnt even here! And nearly every track ends with a fade-out... And a song about a murderous black guy... jeez Best track - Luna? 2 stars

Mix of rock, post-punk, indie/garage. Not a bad sound, but not hugely distinctive. By the end it was quite a lot of noise.. Best track - Kool Thing, Titanium Expose 3 stars

New wave with post punk. I like this! Really punky in places. I like the bass sound. Have I heard Peaches before? Go Buddy Go is a send up of rockabilly/50s rock n roll Best track - Sometimes, Hanging Around, Peaches, Go Buddy Go 4 stars

Rap/hip hop with jazz backing. Similar to A Tribe Called Quest but more explicit. NY State of Mind has nice chill backing with good rhymes - quite a few tracks like this Michael Jackson samples in It Aint Hard to Tell Best track - NY State of Mind, One Time for Your Mind Quite good in places, but overall 3 stars

First album on the list I've already listened to in full. Classic album, definitive pop with the disco roots. On a revisit are there any relatively hidden gems? Best track (not known before) - Workin Day and Night Some real bangers, 4.5 stars. Round it down to 4 for the few slower numbers I'm not a fan of

Indie/garage rock? Hip hop elements in Que Onda Guero Electro in Girl, so very eclectic! Country elsewhere too, with slide guitar like in Farewell Ride This sound (bouncy garage with semi-spoken lyrics) does get tiring quickly. Doesnt seem so special for the year either? Best track - Que Onda Guero, Hell Yes, Scarecrow, Rental Car 3 stars

Ah, first album on the list I regularly listen to already. Classic instrumental, weaving its way through so many moods. Best track - can't put a 25min track on the playlist, and know it inside out already, so let's just say the single version of Tubular Bells 5 stars

Down-tempo electro + strings. Think trap with a string quartet and bjork's trademark vocals. On paper I should hate it but it's so well done it's okay. Kinda like a movie soundtrack Best track - History of Touches, Atom Dance, Quicksand (at least it's short) 3 stars

Soundtrack album, havent had one before! Funk/soul with big band/orchestral arrangements. Best track (not all on spotify) - Cafe Regio, Walk from Regio's, No Name Bar 3 stars

3rd White Stripes album!? It'll have to be special Blue Orchid is strong, Nurse has an African feel? Actually interesting Okay, all songs are decent. This is probably the best of the White Stripes albums on the list (so far!) White Moon and Instinct Blues bit more boring, typical Stripes Best track - Nurse, The Denial Twist 3 or 4 stars? Call it 3 in the end

Industrial tinged synthy new wave. Smiths style singing in The Things You Said It's a good sound, but I could use some more variety or hooks Bit disappointed, had higher expectations. It is well produced and written, just a bit samey. Aggro mix of Never Let Me Down Again is good Best track - Strangelove, Nothing 3 stars

It's just The Who live.. what's so special? Doesnt even sound good... Best track - Substitute 2 stars

Hip hop with electro, with medical/scifi imagery. Seems to straddle a space between Beastie Boy/Public Enemy and Eminem, but also foreshadowing Gorillaz. Lots of scratching like nu metal used soon after. Some other house/dnb/jungle influences in there too. Overall quite impressive. Rock/metal crossover in I'm Destructive Best track - Earth People, Real Raw, I'm Destructive 4 stars

Pop, with the funk/soul/disco roots, similar to later MJ. With heavily political/social justice lyrics. It's okay, but the pounding drums and heavy handed subject matter is a bit relentless. With the interludes and seamless transitions, I guess it counts as a concept album? Livin in a World has a powerful ending Escapade has a classic pop feel, could be Madonna or something Lonely is interesting, latin infused pop/neo soul, about 10 years before it became huge! Second half of the album is generally more pop/love songs. Best track - Livin in a World (They Didn't Make), Escapade 3 stars

Standard Elton - soft rock driven by the piano. Not much else to say. I don't even like Tiny Dancer... Nice and concise album though, doesn't overstay its welcome. Best track - Madman Across the Water 3 stars

Soft 80s pop, with soul background. Sax-heavy, latin-inspired rhythms on When Am I Going to.... It's alright, not mind-blowing. Jazzy sax solo in Sally. Why Can't We Live Together is a nice slow track with inclusive aspirational lyrics. Best track - Cherry Pie (not for any reason), Why Can't We Live Together, When Am I Going to Make a Living 3 stars

Bluesy rock with psychedelia and country elements (Maggie M'Gill) That classic Doors sound without the organ so much front and centre. Not as good as their classic album. Morrison sounds old and gravelly in places. Best track - Peace Frog 3 stars

Okay this is pretty awesome. Folk witb a punky edge. I knew I liked folk metal, but I really just like a good celtic folk song. Has Fairytale of New York too which is one of the best xmas songs. Eastern influence in Turkish Song of the Damned Metropolis is a crazy instrumental track, from celtic folk to big band/jazz? Halfway through and no bad tracks Even Mariachi in Fiesta?! The Broad Majestic Shannon is like a prototype Fairytale of New York 2nd half definitely feels 'safer', less crazy energy and fusion of genres. Musicianship and songwriting is insanely good. Best track - Metropolis, Bottle of Smoke, Turkish Song of the Damned 4 or 5 stars. First half is so good! 5!

Blues rock. Again... with country elements too? It's really boring.. not even unique or special for the era Trampled Under Foot has a funky feeling, reminds me of Franz Ferdinand indie style Kashmir has a good tense strings riff, feel like I've heard it sampled somewhere before.. Bron-Yr-Aur is a nice instrumental 1hr 22 though... way too long Best track - Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir 2 stars

Hip hop style rap vocals with sampled rock/funk instrumentals. Tongue in cheek. Can hear suggestions of e.g. Fatboy Slim rock/soul/funk remix aesthetic. Unique technique of multiple vocalists panned wide apart with different/complementary roles. Some decent riffs and rhymes in here. Best track - Johnnu Ryall, Egg Man, Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun 3 stars

Soft smooth soul/rock (easy listening?), with jazz elements. In places sax solos get quite jazzy indeed. Aja end with long improv section? Some latin elements again. Harmonies/chord progressions are notable, not typical sounding. Not sure I like though. Reminds me of KG's Changes or Sketches, but without so many hooks. Some instrumental bits are good but vocals are meh. Josie is good funk riff, then ruined by those ambiguous/jazz chords. Decent length album too. Best track - Home At Last, Aja, Josie 3 stars

Psychedelic rock blues, with fuzz - sound reminds me of Cream. With some newer (what must have been cutting-edge) electric guitar techniques. Experimental compositions with extended/improv sections. It's quite avant-garde. Sounds like a drunken mess at times in Doctor Please. Best track - Parchment Farm (nothing stands out really) 3 stars

Sample-heavy hip hop/rap. Seems more sample-heavy than It Takes A Nation of Millions. Funk/soul/rock samples predominantly over fat beats. Actual singing on I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga! Better than It Takes A Nation of Millions! Seems more cohesive with a set style and aesthetic. Also more political? See intro to By The Time I Get To Arizona. Which also has some gospel, just to add to the musical breadth! How To Kill A Radio Consultant has that Gorillaz style trumpet sample. Quite nice! 2nd half is a bit dull, not so many hooks. Another metal track, with Anthrax. Interesting. Best track - Can't Truss It, I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga, How To Kill A Radio Consultant. 3/4 stars - go for 3 based on disappointing 2nd half

Soft indie rock with bluesy parts. Kinda Coldplay-ish in places. More folksy in others. Not much jumping out early in the album. Punk sound on Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line Semi-spoken word on Safesurfer. I guess quite unique for a solo effort in 1990 but not much overwhelming today. Still has potential for a great track somewhere in the 2.5hr double album length. You... is interesting - it's like new-wave/ska/blues/jazz. Fun marimba in Not Raving but Drowning. Truly a multi-instrumental/multi-genre album Beautiful Love has nice trumpet pieces. The American Lite sounds like a very 80s new wave song. Who is Julian Cope? Sounds like The Stranglers? Disc 2 is 2009 deluxe edition only, so will not listen. Best track - Hanging Out, You..., Not Raving, Beautiful Love 4 stars, definitely a grower

You know Meatloaf. Operatic hard rock, with blues influences. Like Springsteen/Elton John meets glam rock. Some gospel/choir in there too. It's less hard rock overall than Meatloaf is stereotyped as. Really sounds like Springsteen with a whammy bar in places. Even some funky bit in Paradise By The Dashboard Light Each track is a mini album in it's own right, which makes it hard to love any of them.. Great Boleros of Fire is a nice instrumental interlude. Overall it feels a bit too manufactured, not much authenticity. But it's clear showmanship and basically set the standard for a genre so it deserves respect for that. Best track - All Revved Up, Paradise 3 stars

Big band/jazz do-wop. Nothing special here for the 50s? Banana Split For My Baby has some humour! Unexpected! Best track - I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, Banana Split for My Baby 2 stars

How to describe the sound? Like blues rock melded with grunge. Overall result sounds kinda generic. Spoonman is like QOTSA meets Pearl Jam. Best track - Superunknown, Spoonman, Half 3 stars

Moody atmospheric electro-indie. Some eastern influences on Sour Times. Hints of later trap and dream pop? Female vocals quite soulful. Scratching/samples in Wandering Star Really not a fan, but I can't fault it technically. Best track - Biscuit, Glory Box 3 stars

First 15 seconds, a jazz-country mix?? Interesting.. Otherwise it seems to be mid-tempo folk-indie. Bit of light garage psychedelia in Cheerleader Not for me really. Could use some more upbeat moments. Best track - Southern Point, Fine For Now 3 stars

Old school female crooning. Decent voice, inspiration for Winehouse? It gets old so quickly Spotify version has bonus tracks.. not listening to those thanks! Best track - any, they all sound the same... picking Glad to Be Unhappy since that's how this album makes me feel. 2 stars

Immediate dancehall x rnb vibes. Quite like it. Female empowerment themes. Other hip hop/reggae blending. Best track - Put Him Out 3 stars - wanted to love it, but didnt live up to its potential given its stylistic origins.

Folk indie. Reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel, in places like Beatles. Some post-grunge inflections (guitar tones in places)? Cupids Trick definitely grunge! Don't know why this is needed when S+G already existed. Don't mind the music, but the vocals are a bit annoying Good musicianship. Seems like a timeless style (in that it doesnt feel dated) Best track - No Name No. 5, Rose Parade 3 stars

Early new wave. Great use of synths with post-punk basslines and hooks. Even some avant-garde sounds in there. It's pretty good! XTC vibes from 2nd track (Fall In Love With Me) Hooks do seem to get losf halfway... in favour of vibey tracks Did not listen beyond track 8 (original album tracklist) Fall In Love With Me also has a Nirvana feel in the bridge? Best track (other than Quiet Life) - Fall In Love With Me, Alien 3 stars - wanted to like it more (almost 4)

You know American Pie. But what is it? Rock with a folksy side. AP known so well it's hard to listen critically. 2nd track - definitely folk. Oh, I've heard Vincent before but didnt know it was Don McLean Nothing special for me here. Decent folk, but a bit uninspiring. Actually Vincent and The Grave are very good songs. Babylon has good instrumentals and a nice round. Best track - Vincent, The Grave, Babylon 3.5 stars, call it 3

Blues/hard rock, but with an unexpectedly avant garde side. Sounds like a concept album or rock opera? Elected sounds like Sedated? Not as interesting throughout as I'd hoped. More Pink Floyd than Alice Cooper a la Poison or School's Out Best track - Billion Dollor Babies, Unfinished Sweet, Sick Things 3 stars

You know REM... indie rock style dominated by Stipe's unique vocals. Folk elements too. Almost grungey in places (I Remember California) 2nd listen You Are The Everything is a very sweet song. Best track (not Stand or Orange Crush) - You Are The Everything, The Wrong Child, Hairshirt Fuck it, 4 stars for a great band with some great tracks

Soulful vocals over various genres of piano-based music (some jazz, rock, soul). Like a better version of Adele. Or older version of Regina Spector. Some hip-hop style beats. Much better than the other of her albums I listened to. Criminal is a good song, great ending section. Latin elements on The First Taste. Album is much more varied than other one on this list. Best track - Shadowboxer, Criminal 3.5 stars, almost 4 but it's just not my style

Bluesy rock, with some country elements. Very multi-layered, with clean and mildly overdriven guitars in there. Harmonies and lines interweaving nicely. Not bad. Some gospel influences here and there, seems more 90s in places. Lady Day makes me actually enjoy country/slide guitar. Lots of nice little embellishments. Best track - Gasoline Alley 3 stars

Country/western with blues and even jazz/big band elements. Some rock n roll too. Quite interesting (Cornbread Moon) Interesting fuzzy electro sustain sound on Boxcars Generally nice instrumentals/transitions between songs As album progresses I'm seeing less of interest. Best track - Cornbread Moon 3 stars

Soft post-punk/indie rock. I like the distinctive vocals. More folk/country by the end? Some Spanish horns in The Marriage. Lyrics are quite on the nose. Honky tonk style in Honey... Other country on Sin City Best track - Greetings to the new Brunette, Help Save the Youth of America 3 stars, almost 2

Sigh, more Stones... 60s rock and roll/blues rock with more edgy lyrics than contempories (Stupid Girl) Harpsichord on Lady Jane is an interesting choice for the time. And marimba on Under My Thumb. But lyrics are scary! Hopefully tongue-in-cheek! Quite mature for a young band. Flight 505! Out of Time is a fun cover. Wait, it's not a cover! Best track - Under My Thumb, Going Home, Think, Out Of Time 4 stars, borderline. I can appreciate a d actually enjoy a fair amount of this

Operatic/multi instrumental rock/glam. Nice guitar work/solo on Brighton Rock. Generally hard rock (like Zep) but with psych folksy/vocal harmony parts Eastern influence on Flick of the Wrist Nice rock riffs in general Stone Cold Crazy nice metal riffs. Actually a decent variety and well-executed. Best track - Flick of the Wrist, Stone Cold Crazy 4 stars

Soft folk/country rock. Quite nice really. Lyrical themes of American indigenous peoples. 2nd half is much more rock styled. Prefer the 1st half. Best track - Pocahontas 3 stars, but had potential

Another country/western album. *sigh* not even fun outlaw country. Middle of the road stuff. Bit of humour in I Can't Dance Otherwise nothing to note at all. Best track - I Can't Dance 2 stars

Funk/soul slow tempo. Instrumentals on Walk On By are nice. Fuzz, orchestral. Hyperbolic... has great instrumentals and funky beat Best track - Walk On By, Hyperbolic... 3 stars, but Hyperbolic... is great

80s thrash metal, with the acoustic interludes that make Metallica Metallica. Some bits with clear blues influence. Some bits sound like a precursor to metalcore. The thing that should not me seems to give the link between e.g. Sabbath and Metallica First two tracks are best by far Heavy tracks are a nice blend of harmonic/melodic and chromatic Best track (other than title) - Battery 4 stars (just for title track alone!)

As expected for Metallica, decent riffs, guitar harmonies, solos. Solo on Blackened is quite melodic in places, reminds me of Dragonforce. More reminiscent of Black album (Enter Sandman) in places (And Justice for All). More emphasis on rhythms (Eye of the Beholder) Not as much raw enery as MoP The Frayed Ends of Sanity starting with that chant! Also has some metalcore style harmonies towards the end. Rhythm riff on To Live Is To Die feels like if could be on a Rammstein album. Best track (other than One) - Blackened, The Shortest Straw, Harvester of Sorrow 3 stars - except for One, other tracks aren't so memorable

Not sure what to expect. First track is a pseudo-country song (aptly called Country Song) Moving In With is indie/britpop style. Some new-wave feeling in there too. Fat Lady Wrestlers is almost Cure-like. Nice soundscapes but not much in terms of hooks or standout melodies More obviously new wave post-punk than i expected (XTC-like in places), but you can hear the britpop/madchester that will come later. Best track - Mad Cyril 3 stars

Funk/reggae. Very nice unique sound! Rest seems to be more standard funk/soul. Interesting to have a long instrumental on track 3. Four Cornered Room is slow and atmospheric. Jazz jams in title track. Nice. Best track - The Cisco Kid 3 or 4 stars, first track was an eye-opener. 3 overall but a strong 3

Standard C+W... what's so special? Streets of Bakersfield has some Mariachi/folk in there. Best track - Streets of Bakersfield 2 stars

Soft rock/blues rock. Like KGLW Flight B741. I am yours has some world music elements too. Nice. Otherwise nice enough but not outstanding. Quite easy listening. Best track - I Am Yours, Anyday 3 stars

Smooth soul, mix of love and religious themes. Not my kind of thing but you have to respect Wonder. Bit more of a groove on Boogie On Reggae Woman You Havent Done Nothin has that trademark SW sound Nice piano on start of They Wont Go Bird of Beauty has a nice sound. Overall very good objectively, but not my style. Best track - Boogie On Reggae Woman, You Havent Done Nothin 3 stars, but with 4 star moments.

Very interesting. Intersection of rock/punk and new wave. Riff in Venus reminds of Sweet Child of Mine. Some parts even sound post or even pop punk/emo. Marquee Moon has indie/bluesy feel. Album does feel ahead of its time! Jam section on Marquee Moon is incredible. Every song is decent in its own right! Best track - Venus, Marquee Moon 4/5 stars

Unexpected sound on Save the Life of My Child. More instruments, with fuzz bass than expected. Otherwise the usual folk with hints of psychedelia. Voices of Old People is just literally old people talking Best track - Fakin It, A Hazy Shade of Winter, At The Zoo 3 stars

Prog rock with jazz. Tight performance and meandering tracks. I'd heard good things... Epitaph and Moonchild remind me of clean Opeth, but Moonchild has meandering outro, not a big fan Impressive prog for 69 but not as mind-blowing as I had hoped Best track - Epitaph 3 stars

Hip-hop/rap with soul and jazz samples, political lyrics. Nice hooks and samples, nice flow, mellow sound. The effect does wear off a bit but the premise is solid. Rhymes are tight throughout. Is that Quest in there? Thin Line is a nice conventional track about relationships One of Them is homophobic, but tongue-in-cheek I hope? Similar to Gorillaz in places. I guess because of funk/soul samples with rap. Fun eastern sample on Acetate Prophets Best track - Freedom, If You Only Knew 4 stars

New wave/post-punk meets indie. Some REM style in there too with prominent basslines and jangly guitars. Every track is pretty good in its own right. Thought I didnt like Stone Roses but this is decent. Elizabeth My Dear is a cover of Scarborough Fair? I Am The Resurrection has some nice instrumentals halfway through Best track - I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs the Drums, Waterfall (but did I know it?), This Is The One 4 stars?

I've heard of Skunk Anansie but what is it? First track is like nu metal instrumentals with a decent singer (soul vocals). Ooh, some proggy jazz chords too! Nice 2nd track follows the same formula, but more funk rock. Some grungey (Black Hole Sun) style guitars. I quite like it, surprisingly. But not much is totally standout catchy. Strong start but the effect wears off. Best track - Charlie Big Potato 3 stars

Not sure what you call this.. ambient electro? With hip-hop/rap influences? Mid-tempo electro elements (e.g. sequenced synths) with acoustic (pianos, strings). First track isn't doing much for me. Karmacoma has a decent beat but vocals/lyrics aren't all that. Whatever it is, it's done well. Just not my scene at all. Instrumentals are generally good. Best track - Karmacoma, Euro Child 3 stars

Garage/indie rock. Angular chord progessions amidst more standard power chord riffs. And characteristic vocals. Not bad actually. The style is decent and doesnt get old, but not overwhelmingly good. Best track - The View From The Afternoon, Fake Tales of San Francisco, Red Lights..., When The Sun Goes Down 3-4 stars

You know Korn, nu metal with themes of childhood, abuse, and trauma. Hadn't appreciated before that this album dropped even before Slipknot self-titled, and yet the sound is so well-developed already. On a close critical listen am I getting influences from funk and even disco? Ice Cube on Children of the Korn is cool! And then you have All In The Family, clearly the apex of nu metal My Gift To You sounds like a Slipknot track in places Best track (other than Freak On A Leash, Dead Bodies Everywhere and All In The Family) - It's On! 4 stars

Hmm, actually decent for C&W. Coat of Many Colours is sweet story, Traveling Man is a humourous track. Oh, falls off a cliff after track 2 - generic C&W dirges. Best track - Traveling Man 3 stars for 2 decent tracks

Early new-wave, with plenty of do-wop/50s rocknroll influences. It's almost a complete 50s revival! Interesting sound, but not grabbing my attention. Waiting for the end of the world is proper post-punk/new wave Best track - Welcome to The Working Week, Mystery Dance, Waiting for the End Of The World 3 stars

Blues rock with African language vocals. First track just grabs your attention, instruments so crisp and well-mixed and the vocals fit amazingly! Are there non-standard time signatures in Al Tchere Bele? 2nd half seems more traditional, folksy, with an acoustic, clean sound. Excellent technical playing and mix is so clear. Best track - Soubour, Irganda, Al Hassidi Terei, Jolie 4-5 stars, brilliant album with some amazing standout tracks. Fuck it, give it 5!

What is this? A 70s prog rock/new-wave/britpop mashup? Sounds like Bowie in places. Don't know why, but I get pretentious vibes.. It's so 70s in vibe, not sure in a good way? Not sure what I'm meant to be impressed by? The Asphalt World is like prog meets grunge, not bad. Still Life is a bit overblown! Sounds like it's from a stage show! Best track - Daddy's Speeding, The Asphalt World 3 stars - I get what it is but it doesn't resonate with me

Experimental/art rock/pop. Interesting instrument choices and fx. Early use of synths, but in a more naturalistic, less robotic context than Kraftwerk. Many instrumental/atmospheric pieces. Some tracks (The Big Ship) has Mike Oldfield vibes. It's actually quite a nice album to let wash over you. Best track - In Dark Trees, The Big Ship, Golden Hours 4 stars, it grows on you

Later Depeche Mode, synth pop/new wave as expected with that darker sound. More experimental, more polished, accomplished, better production. Some guitars too, adding balance to the sound. Still sounds great, not dated at all! Despite this and some great ideas, standout tracks are not forthcoming. Best track (other than Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence) - Policy of Truth 4 stars (mainly for incredible ideas and production rather than wow factor on any given song)

Old-school blues. Sounds old-fashioned until guitar solos come in, then you can hear the influence on later, harder blues rock. Not much to say, I guess production is decent for a live album from 1965? Best track - Please Love Me, Woke Up This Mornin 3 stars

UB40 classic style, moody reggae/ska if that's fair to say. None of the big hits on this album. Nice sound, but no standout tracks really... Reefer Madness is more like 2-tone ska, a la Specials Listening again to my picks for best track I get quite a great run of tracks, so there is good stuff in amongst the 1hr record. Best track - Food for Thought, Signing Off, Madam Medusa, Reefer Madness 3 stars, pushing 4 in all honesty

Arena rock. On a closer listen, Beautiful Day is actually a cool song, with hints of indie to come (reminds me of Killers and Coldplay). Also maybe even the indie-adjacent emo (instrumentals could be straight from The Used or AFI!) 2 tracks in, 2 very good. Exceeding expectations! Elevation is similar to Muse? After Elevation, seems to get stuck in a rut Peace On Earth is a mawkish attempt at a Christmas song? Shame, it starts so strongly, and then peters out in a stream of ballads. Best track - Stuck in a Moment..., Elevation 3 stars

As expected, theatrical rock, with country elements. Despite its predictability the tracks are still catchy and compelling. Country elements are more pronounced here than other Springsteen albums..? Second half is almost grungey in places. Effect definitely gets old... Best track - Lonesome Day, The Rising 3 stars

Piano concert, as you might expect, with jazz passages. I suppose it's all live, maybe even improv, so quite impressive. Some really lovely phrases and passages. Best track - Part I, even though it's long! 3 stars

Blues rock, only so much I can take.. Thank You has some vestige of Stairway to Heaven Moby Dick is a relatively fun instrumental - oh it descends into a drum solo... Bring It On Home is remarkably similar to KGLW's Daily Blues Best track (other than Whole Lotta Love) - Thank You, Bring It On Home 3 stars

Multi-genre, experimental rock concept album. Moonage Daydream has nice instrumental interlude. Hang On To Yourself is punky. I did expect a bit more of this album.. Best track (other than Starman) - Moonage Daydream 3 stars

Mix of sample/electro/indie/punk. Bit like intersection of Blur and Gorillaz. Some pop-punk in there too (Drawing Rings Around the World), which also seems to have some inspiration from Status Quo Rockin All Over the World?? Ooh... Receptacle for the Respectable goes a bit metal!! No Sympathy has proper synthy, almost jungle/dub Very accomplished album Best track - Drawing Rings Around the World, Receptacle for the Respectable, No Sympathy 4 stars

60s psych-rock. Doors/Jefferson Airplane adjacent. Not bad Shut Up even has some punk attitude in there. Garage too. Compilation is also very proto-punk Best track - Monk Time, Higgle-Dy Only We Do Wie Du available on Spotify 4 stars

More Beatles... 60s pop rock. Maybe it broke ground then, but it's just boring today... Best track - I'm Happy Just to Dance With You, And I Love Her, Tell My Why 3 stars

Atmospheric, vibey proggy. Like Pink Floyd with a synth.. Not a fan of the consistent slow vocal delivery.. Vocals also reminiscent of pop-punk in places. Ugh, Daily Routine is such dirge... Guys Eyes is like The Beach Boys on drugs.. Best track - Summertime Clothes, Bluish, Brother Sport 2 stars

African music. Jazz, funk, soul, ska/reggae elements in there. Pretty good! Nothing absolutely grabs the attention, but great hooks, riffs and basslines throughout with a great danceable energy. Best track - Survival, Nawa 4 stars

Jazz x tango?? Not sure how to describe this. All inatrumental, sounds interesting enough. Nice if you like this kind of thing, but doesn't wow me personally. I can appreciate the musicality and skill though. Best track - Vibraphonissimo, Operation Tango 3 stars

Eclectic mix of experimental pop with orchestral/country/jazz flourishes. Soft vocals are a bit grating though, like it was recorded in a bedroom trying not to wake up the rest of the house. Seems a bit self-indulgent/opaque. Not sure what it's about or what the point is. Best track - Jacksonville, Decatur 3 stars

Another Zepp album... The Battle of Evermore has that Stairway feel I prefer to their 'harder' stuff. Oh, Stairway is actually here. Going To California has a nice sound, reminiscent of much later soft folk indie. Best track (other than Stairway) - The Battle of Evermore, Going To California 3 stars

Indie alt rock/post punk with Morrisey's distinctive vocals. A Rush and a Push has a good rhythm. Paint a Vulgar Picture is interesting, about selling out, but who is it about? Overall it's kind of fun, but a bit overhyped as it's just an album for teenage contrarians in the 80s.. Best track - A Rush and a Push, Death at One's Elbow 3 stars

Folk/neo-folk with classical/orchestral/synth elements. Some interesting chord progressions, but those breathy vocals aren't good for me.. Little Bird has a 70s prog/experimental feel. Ooh, also breaks out into almost psychedelic. Instrumentals are actually really good. Halfway it gets a bit boring. Not sure if the music gets less interesting of if I got bored of it. Really cool in places, boring in others. Could have been great, but on average it's average.. Best track - Little Bird, Happiness 3 stars

Poppy post-punk with DH's classic vocal delivery. Some rock n roll in there too. Already knew 4 tracks so can anything here surprise me? Ah well it seems the best tracks are the ones I already know. Still those ones are great! I'm Gonna Love You Too is a nice rock n roll diversion! Best track - I'm Gonna Love You Too 3 stars, but with some 5 star tracks.

Moody/experimental indie(?) Detuned instruments in Let England Shake. Lyrics deal with war/WWI It's not bad but not blowing me away. Shame as first track is very interesting. Best track - Let England Shake, In The Dark Places 3 stars

Atmospheric indie rock with electro/synth elements. Jazz influence in there too with some chord choices? Drum n bass drums in Sit Down. Stand Up Go To Sleep has that style of finger picked/arpeggiated chord progression I love For me it's at its best with a decent beat, not so aimlessly atmospheric. And I can't forgive Thom Yorke for making so many people copy this vocal style. A Punch Up at a Wedding has a nice funky bluesy soul feel. Myxomatrosis has great fuzzy bassline. 2nd half of album definitely picks up! Best track - Go To Sleep, There There, A Punch Up At A Wedding, Myxomatosis 4 stars, just about enough interest and good songs to bring it up

Alternative rock/punk/post punk. It's pretty good but it's generally too much on the punky side and less melodic/hook driven than I would prefer. Nice riff on Total Trash, almost presaging pop-punk. Best track - Cross the Breeze, Eric's Trip 3 stars

Famous sound: rock n roll with 12 bar blues base. With ballads too. Not much else to say, obviously important at the time, but dated today. Some tracks more country than 12BB, e.g. Just Because Best track (not already known) - One-Sided Love Affair 3 stars

Ah, 80s electro new wave. Classic songs Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World. How can it get less than 4 stars? Listen has similar initial melody to Talking Loud and Clear by OMD Actually beyond the big singles the rest here is more of a vibe than a collection of songs. Best (new) track - Broken 4 stars

Instrumental organ-driven blues with jazz saxophone. Track 1 mainly blues (reminds me of The Doors), track 2 mainly jazz (a la Coltrane)! Minor Chant is nicely in between the two extremes! Few passages/transitions raise my eyebrows and a smile! At it's extremes the jazz is too opaque, and the blues too predictable. But when balanced well it's magic. Best track - Back at the Chicken Shack, Minor Chant 4 stars

Eclectic rock mix. Sympathy for the Devil still sounds fresh today with interesting percussion, backing vocals and piano driven groove. Mix is good. Other tracks have deep south/delta blues style. Style does get predictable after a few tracks.. Lyrics of Stray Cat Blues are pretty nasty.. Factory Girl has nice almost folksy instrumentals. Album ends on a gospel inspired section which is nice. Best track - Sympathy for the Devil, Prodigal Son, Factory Girl 3 stars

Experimental/psychedelic/low-fi pop/folk/rock? Sunday Morning has a 50s/60s ballad feel in the flow and instrumentation. I'm Waiting for the Man also has an old-fashioned feel for the time, but with almost spoken word lyrics brings it the 70s feel. But it is 60s! Ahead of its time then! Ah, moving through we keep seeing that 60s instrumental with subversive, punky vocal delivery/lyrics. Venus in Furs comes from left field as a psychedelic experimental folk song, which I'm a sucker for. Run Run Run is like a standard 60s song but with that psych/dissonant/low-fi edge. All Tomorrow's Parties is a nice balance of folk/psych. Instrumental Interlude is very nice. Heroin is also great, changes in tempo and dynamics with great effect. Oof end is hard to listen to though, with screeching/feedback sounds. There She Goes Again is another great subversion of the standard 60s pop rock song. Best track - Sunday Morning, Venus in Furs, All Tomorrow's Parties, Heroin, There She Goes Again 4 stars, actually much better than I expected

Grungey pop-punk. REM in places, Alice In Chains in others, but also like Blink or Sum 41 (or even Smash Mouth!) to come later. Quite impressive for the time, but the sheer number of copycats means the sound doesnt hit the same way in 2026. Ooh, If I Can't Change Your Mind has a gorgeous, explosive starting hook! Best track - A Good Idea, The Slim, If I Cant Change Your Mind Pretty special, even without a lot of mind-blowing moments. Still 4 stars

80s synth-pop/new wave, with an avant garde flavour. But I've never heard of The Associates before! Start sounds strong for the genre! 2 mins in and no vocals, is this an instrumental album? Ooh, No has a nice moody feel. Feels a bit 'naive' musically but I like it. Vocals come in like a proto-Radiohead! Experimental side, derived from XTC style indie? Gloomy Sunday has nice synth hooks, with live piano. Nice combo. It is interesting, but for me it's pushed just a little bit too far to the avant garde. I would have liked a few ideas to be properly worked through; the elements of classics are present. Party Fears Two has a Cure-like bounciness which is very nice. Best track - Arrogance Gave Him Up, No, Gloomy Sunday, Skipping, Party Fears Two, Club Country 4 stars - just about, it has enough of interest to enjoy and I'd listen again!

Indie/garage rock with a punk bent. Not much special on Rich Not much throughout to blow me away in fact Y Control has a disco-ish drums, track is like an anti-Blondie! Modern Romance is a nice slower number. Best track - any.. say Maps, Y Control 3 stars

More obviously post-punk than their later stuff. Some Celtic influences too? I recognise New Years Day as sampled in later dance track! Also some glam rock elements in here too. Interesting use of harmonics in Drowning Man Two Hearts Beat As One has great energy! Surrender has some of that 'shimmery' sound that became U2 signature. Best track - New Years Day, Two Hearts Beat As One 3 stars - better than I expected but still not quite my thing

First track starts as a funk with semi-spoken word. Nice solo/instrumental interlude, electric/heavy fx. Rest is similar. Nice unique sound of funk rock. Once In a Lifetime is actually a decent song Didn't expect this to be so funky throughout. Listening Wind is a departure, almost Kraftwerk levels of robotic synth and beats. Ooh, seems to stay this way, The Overload is quite a dark moody track. Fela's Riff shows good mix of tight beats, synth sequences and improv/solos In general even the bonus outtake tracks are great too! Choosing best track is so hard as the best tracks are all so different! As usual in the best albums Right Start outtake just hits differently, with those ascending and descending slides. Best track - Born Under Punches, Listening Wind, Houses In Motion 4 stars, close to a 5 actually

Reggae of course. Fairly standard fare. Whatcha Gonna Do has a pleasing basic progression like a lullaby. I normally like reggae but there's not much here to excite me. Bit samey and preachy. Best track - Whatcha Gonna Do 2 or 3 stars? It is listenable and nothing has actively annoyed me, so 3

Thrash metal. Arise sounds like a Metallica/Slayer copycat. It's decent but not groundbreaking? There is a bit of the industrial in there too, but very little. Altered State has a nice atmospheric intro. Shame it just ends and isnt incorporated into the main track. Best track - Desperate Cry, Altered State 3 stars

Soft/acoustic folk music. Decent chord progressions and vocals. Wild World sounds familiar.. Sad Lisa has fantastic instrumentals Miles From Nowhere is more bluesy with even gospel elements. These are repeated on later tracks too. Later tracks do tend to blend into one, but strong start carries it through. Best track - Where Do The Children Play, Wild World, Sad Lisa 4 stars, nice overall effect

Classic rock/country rock album. Already know 4 tracks! Born in the USA is such a good song Ooh, Cover Me has a good hook and rythym. Darlington County so similar in feel to Born In The US it's a bit underwhelming Working On The Highway is a bit kitsch, more Meatloaf than The Boss Gets samey around mid-way Music is generally lacklustre - production? Only really hits you when Springsteen gives it his all like in Born in the USA Best (new) track - Cover Me 3 stars, sorry but a lot is dross and a few good tracks carry it.

Folk rock. 1st track, The Golden Age is a bit too slow and melancholy for me. Paper Tiger has interesting instrumentals that complement the vocal delivery Rather than getting old, the slow melancholy style gets nicer and easier to listen to Some very nice moments and I like the overall feel, but it doesn't grip me. Best track - Paper Tiger, End Of The Day 3 stars, but a high 3

Post-punk/new-wave with funk elements and political lyrics. Even some jazz (and beat) elements when tempo is allowed to wander and chromaticity reigns. Songs are all very short (1:30ish) and there are 43 of them!! Interesting sound, can see similarities with RHCP. Shit from an Old Notebook is like RHCP meetd SOAD lyrics Overall effect of so many short songs is exhausting and head-spinning, but this was presumably intentional. Decent riffs and hooks in there to hold the interest. You Need the Glory is a freeform beat track? Dr Wu has a kind of SOAD duet going on which is fun. Best track - Do You Want New Wave..., Political Song for Michael Jackson..., Toadies, The Big Foist, The Glory of Man, Dr Wu 3 stars - high 3 stars, it's good for what it is but it's a bit out-there for me

Interesting sound. 'Missing link' between classic 60s pop sound and punk. What Goes On is a good example of proto-punk. Some Kinda Love is fun, Lou Reed gets his classic delivery style, must have been very controversial at the time Pale Blue Eyes is quite a beautiful tender son From Jesus we see a drop in quality.. The Murder Mystery has an increase in quality with an avant-garde, psychedelic sound. Best track - What Goes On, Some Kinda Love, The Murder Mystery 4 stars - just enough to bring it up from a 3

No idea what this is. Experimental - into track is just ambient. Rest is experimental multi-genre fusion. Jazz, blues, classical, electro, big strings and stabs. Sounds like a post-modern noir film soundtrack. Very cool effect, is like watching a film with no visuals! Best track - Under Wraps, Sounds From The Big House, The Man with the Golden Arm 4 stars, overall it's a great effect, brilliantly written and performed

What's to say.. nothing surprising or revolutionary here... Actually, more humour than San Quentin, see Dirty Old Egg-Suckin Dog, and Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart Best track - Cocaine Blues 3 stars - despite the humour still not wowing me

Organ-driven blues. Very cool and decent production for the time (61-62). Title track is by far the best and most original work on here. Best track (other than title) - Mo' Onions, Lonely Avenue 3 stars - title track is a classic but not much else here to blow my mind

Classic punk. Blitzkrieg Bop is such an iconic track. Punk with poppy melodies/structure. I Dont Wanna Go is pretty good as a not-so-good BB. Best track (other than BB) - Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue, I Dont Wanna Go Down To The Basement, Today Your Love 3 stars - sound is distinctive and some tracks are great but it's all too samey

More garage-y/indie rock than their more famous later work. Initially sounds fairly standard indie for the time. With some blues like White Stripes. Happy Alone has some nice progressions and vocal melodies Quite like the sound, It is indie done very well. California Waiting has a wistful quality. Dusty is a nice slow track Talihina Sky reminds me of Androgenous by The Replacements Best track - Red Morning Light, Happy Alone, Joe's Head, California Waiting, Dusty 4 stars - plenty of actually decent tracks to bring it from 3

Running Up That Hill is already a favourite of mine. Can any other track come close? Ah Cloudbusting hits hard too, nice vocals and a folksy pop sound. Crescendo is a bit more lacklustre than RUTH, but still good Waking the Witch is very avant-garde, cinematic. The layering and chromaticism on Jig Of Life are very cool, bringing to mind female solo acts from much later. Plus the celtic folk, makes it very unique. Best track - The Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Under Ice, Waking The Witch, Jig Of Life 4 stars - some great tracks and even the 'filler' is good enough to keep up interest

Ugh, More Than a Feeling is so overplayed I don't like hearing it. Rock, almost glam in places. Blues rock in others (Smokin') Wow, so generic I barely heard tracks changing.. Best track - Smokin 2 stars - nothing particularly memorable, and the style gets old so fast

Standard-ish 60s folk/psychedelia. Lyrics of Minotaur Song are so bad they must be an attempt at parody, it's like Monty Python Argh what a drag.. A Very Cellular Song! Actually painful to listen to with multiple instruments seemingly doing their own thing. Best track - The Water Song 2 stars

Sample/sampledelia. With funk/rock/hip hop samples. Like halfway between Fatboy Slim and The Prodigy Sounds like a PS1 game title screen or The Matrix soundtrack. It's a fine sound but today I find it hard work. Probably works much better for a party/rave. Best track - Dig Your Own Hole, Setting Sun 3 stars - decent album but it didn't have tracks on a par with Fatboy Slim

Avant-garde multi-genre. Reminiscent of movie soundtrack. Quite weird, I don't really get it on 1st listen. Hollywood Symphony has a lot of variation and quite nice sections 2nd listen is more fun once you're in the right mood Best track - Persion Love, Hollywood Symphony 3 stars - I don't love it but it doesn't offend me

Hard rock/proto metal. Child in Time is a Stairway-style epic track Hard Lovin Man has a good energy and a fun chromatic organ(?) solo Best track - Child in Time 3 stars - historically and technically interesting but it doesn't excite me at all.

Acoustic combo of folk/soul/country. First song reminds me of Tracey Chapman? Playing is skillful and lyrics are nice. But to me it's just nice, nothing exciting. Best track - Love and Affection, People 3 stars

Typical bjork madness (see Where is the Line), complex rythyms, harmonies, strong vocals, avant garde electro/sampling/looping. Best track - Where is the Line, Mouths Cradle 3 stars - I can appreciate the complexity and skill but I find it heavy going

Ah, interesting. First track is actually quite proggy with an unusual structure and plenty of variety in instrumentation. Some folk influence, rock, even some hard rock, psychedelia. Sitar in I Know What I Like, and other world influences. The Battle of Epping Forest is too much for me - too proggy, too folky, too long. Overblown. Instrumental at end of The Cinema Show is nice Best track - Dancing With the Moonlit Knight, After The Ordeal, Aisle of Plenty 3 stars - 4 star moments, but it's generally overdone

Shimmery, reverby indie, with dance/rave influences and plenty of swagger. Precursor to britpop. Still sounds pretty fresh considering it's from 1990. Few tracks in the indie side comes out more. Best track - God's Cop, Loose Fit, Bob's Yer Uncle 3.5 stars - pretty good, great in places, but not overwhelmingly so

Jazz of course. More Coltrane-y than I expected (he did perform on this album) This and A Love Supreme would make a great double-bill. Not much else to say, but it's an easy listen, not as challenging as ALS. Hard to choose best track.. Maybe All Blues Flamenco Sketches shows off the trumpet skills nicely, goes from screeching to sounding as gentle as a woodwind in a breath. Best track - So What, All Blues 3 stars

Soul with AF's famous vocals. Some latin influence on Dont Let Me Lose This Dream. Lyrically veers from empowerment (Respect) to hopeless devotion to a toxic relationship (I Never Loved a Man) Respect is very energetic, but from there on it's a series of ballads, a format I'm not a fan of. Best track - Dont Let Me Lose This Dream, Save Me 3 stars

Country/folk, intersecting with indie/new wave. Certainly quirky. It's weird, my favourite genres on this list have been new wave/alt rock and folk. But this just doesn't hit the spot for me. It's too polished/docile, doesn't have any bite. Oh jeez, Sweet Thing quotes Blackbird by The Beatles.. quite cheesy and not needed on album already 1hr42min long. You in the Sky is Springsteen-esque. Best track - We Will Not Be Lovers, World Party, And A Bang on the Ear, When Will Be Married 3.5 stars - shame as it should be right up my street but there's too much filler here and not enough cohesiveness

What is this? Krautrock? Industrial rock? Some militaristic feel there too. Ooh Geburt Einer Nation has dark feel with strings and horns. Oh also it's a cover of Queen's One Vision! But subversive callback to Nazism?, eine volk, eine blut etc. Clearly influential on later bands like Rammstein. Dramatic strings and drums in FIAT Album has some WWII theme with quoting Churchill etc Trans-National is a bit too avant-garde for me but still interesting. Ah, it gets more avant-garde from there. Trans-national is then a transition from old (military, industrial) to new (avant-garde) Germany? Best track - Geburt Einer Nation, Leben - Tod 4 stars - 2nd half is heavy going, but the genre-defining 1st half makes up for it.

Folk pop, maybe with some country there too. Nice enough sound. So this is 60s folk without the psychedelia. Not much to be said. I like the instrumental section in Crazy Man Michael Best track - Matty Groves 3 stars

Electro-indie mix with big vocals. Not really my bag, and you can hear here the beginning of the genre-muddying, middle-of-the road sound that defined pop music from about 2010 onwards. House of Cards is nice chill track. Best track - Weird Fishes 3 stars - sorry Radiohead, I just don't get it

New wave with some post-punk feel. Bit like a less edgy Blondie or Kirsty MacColl. Also feel some pop-punk in there too. How Much More has a fun riff. Lust to Love has unexpectedly moody verses, not out of place in metal until the big chorus hits. Can definitely hear a link from this to other 80s alt rock. Listen to the riff from Automatic and you can almost hear Pixies or grunge. Wow, Can't Stop The World sounds like Green Day or something. Best track - How Much More, Lust to Love, Automatic, Can't Stop The World 4 stars

Indie rock, more anthemic/stadium than garage. I know A Design for Life, but I don't love it. The whole sound is a bit limp and lacklustre. Enola / Alone is pushing into pop-punk, but without a decent hook it's nothing-y. Best track - Small Black Flowers... 3 stars - almost a 2 but it is just about tolerable

Reverby, fun mix of indie/grunge/post-punk with low-fi sound and some pop sensibilities. Bit like britpop in places but clearly American. Also like Pavement. I'm sure I've heard What You Do to Me Best track - December, Star Sign, Metal Baby, Guiding Star, Is This Music 4 stars - can't say why but I found it compelling!

Ugh I already don't like this after one track. Piano, folksy, bluesy, with a crooning vocal delivery. Sounds like it's from a musical. Intolerable. Actually intolerable, I'm desperate for this to end. Best track - Blues for Billy Whitecloud 1 star

Soul with some funk. Lovely smooth sound. Great mix and production. Really nice groove. More ballad-y tracks like Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight not for me. Best track - That Lady 3 stars, doesn't really reach the levels of That Lady again for me

You know Dire Straits. Bluesy-rock. So Far Away is almost Springsteen-y. Money for Nothing is such a classic and album version is even longer! And I've always loved Walk of Life. Not a fan of Your Latest Trick. This album is at it's best when it's really rocking out. Oh the rest of the album seems to be a mellow bluesy rock. Not doing much for me which is a shame. Best track (new to me) - The Man's Too Strong 3 stars - mainly for the big hitting classics

Heavy blues rock, bit like Led Zepellin. Just a dash of punk feel in there too. It doesnt grab me. Why is the mix so low on 1970?? It's alright stuff and pretty hard for 1970. Descends into noise by the end. Best track - TV Eye, Dirt 3 stars

Hip-hop rap with samples/loops. Concept album? Almost.. Some funk influence in I'll Call B4 I Cum. First full track (Gasoline Dreams) reminds me of Public Enemy. Also Dr Octagonacologist but that was actually fun. Apart from Ms Jackson there's almost nothing melodic here. And at 1hr 13mins it's pushing it. Ah BOB is what we're here for. Dense rhymes and political lyrics, and even a hook! On another level to what came before on the album. Best track - Spaghetti Junction, BOB 3 stars - I expected more based on the Outkast I'd already heard

Early-ish West Coast gangsta rap. Mellow soul/funk loops with dense rhymes. And those glissando wide range synth sounds. Even some actual singing in choruses. Odd key changes or something in Tha Shiznit. Quite disorienting the first listen. Snoop doesn't have the tightest rhymes but is it deliberate or just early-ish rap. Kurupt has very good flow. Strong female vocals in Lodi Dodi. Ain't No Fun is interesting. It's built like a classic funk song but lyrics are classic explicit gangsta rap. I still don't understand if this stuff is documentary, tongue-in-cheek, aspirational. Doesn't matter too much as the final project is so well-crafted. Gz and Hustlas has fun bassy funk piano hook. Best track - Gin and Juice, Murder Was The Case, Serial Killa, Who Am I, Ain't No Fun, Gz and Hustlas 4 stars - classic sound done to perfection

Eclectic mix of genres - folk, blues, honky-tonk? Just a bit odd. Oh this has Without You ("Can't live if living is without you") and Coconut ("put the lime in the coconut"). Such famous tracks, very different, and sequential in the album! Otherwise nothing much is grabbing my attention. Best track - Gotta Get Up, Early in the Morning 3 stars, but a low 3

50s jazzy big band/ballads. Double bass with strings and trumpet, woodwind etc. Seems kinda dated for 59! Rock n roll existed and the 60s were imminent. Doing nothing at all for me. And there's 3hrs of this... Can't decide if Let's Call the Whole Thing Off is sweet or just annoying. Just Another Rhumba - did she rhyme September with Rhumba?? Other rhymes are equally tortuous. The Real American Folk Song breaks out into ragtime. Kinda fun, but have to wait half the song for it. I'm flip-flopping between annoyance at the twee-ness and awful rhymes to respect for the classy vocal performance and sentiment in some songs. Vocals on Treat Me Rough do get a bit modern, with something approaching rock n roll. And scatting on I Got Rhythm. Best track - (I've Got) Beginner's Luck, Stiff Upper Lip, Of Thee I Sing 3 stars - which is high praise for a 3hr album!

First track is a neo-folky ballad thing. Hmm. A hint of asian/indian influence? And so it continues. It's not bad.. nice guitar playing and singing. But not world-changing. And never upbeat.. You do get into it as the album progresses. It's a calming listen. Almost hypnotic Best track - The Body Breaks, Tit Smoking.., Rejoicing in the Hands, When the Sun Shone on Vetiver 3 or 4 stars? Wasn't impressed at first but by the end I wanted to listen again! Call it 4!

First thing that hits me is those compressed drums, in 1980 this was surely ahead of the curve. Ooh, I have heard Wordy Rappinghood before but never knew what it was called or who it was by. So, we're 80s new wave with full embrace of synths, and a notable funk/disco influence. Also some art/experimental later on in the album. Super wide panning on Genius Of Love is fun. From The Tom Tom Theme onwards it's a bit avant-garde and self-indulgent. A bit of a tease really, you can see they could write strong hooks but they choose not to to wallow in experimental pop. Great cover of Under The Boardwalk, but not on the original LP according to Wiki. Best track - Genius of Love, On On On On 3 stars - but so much potential wasted.. and I normally love this genre.

Folk/soft rock, with an impressive vocal range. Can hear the DNA of later solo female vocalists here. Still, not my cup of tea. Best track - Little Green, Carey, California 3 stars - technically nice but it doesn't resonate with me at all

Blues (delta blues?) Some decent upbeat tracks here. Classic sound. Best track - Baby Please Dont Go, Tiger in your Tank, I've Got My Mojo Working 3 stars

Some kind of metal? Never heard of it before though. Bit thrashy, bit post-punky. Really interesting sound. Technically proficient but with that punk DIY sound. I guess hard alt rock? Is this a precursor to metalcore?? Secret 77 has some new wave feel to it as well. Some grunge feel in Hired Gun Best track - House of Suffering, Sacred Love 4 stars for a completely new sound/genre for me

Classic two-tone ska album, already familiar with at least 7 songs. And the album version of Too Much Too Young is far superior! Best track (allowing previously known as already know so many) - A Message to You Rudy, Monkey Man, Dawning of a New Era, You're Wondering Now, Stupid Marriage, Too Much Too Young 4.5 stars (4) - their compilation album is really the 5 star album with all their best tracks

Skeezy hard/glam rock with bluesy licks. Can there be anything unexpected or interesting here? 3rd track and nope, it's all innuendo and machisimo. Love in an Elevator has some decent riffs at least but already knew the song. Intro to Dulcimer Stomp is pretty but it goes nowhere... Best track - Janie's Got a Gun 2 or 3 stars - half the album is generic guff. Call it 2

C&W. Standard classic sound. Why the repeated Time of the Preacher theme? Best track - I Couldn't Believe..., Down Yonder, Remember Me 3 stars - nothing to write home about but fine for C&W

2nd WN album in a row, what are the chances! First thing that hits me is the Stairway to Heaven callback. Also immediately it's more folksy, soft rock than traditional C&W. But is that half the fun gone? Also more bluesy/jazzy and soulful, even with swing rhythms and brass sections, so a big departure from Red Headed Stranger Blue Skies sounds very familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. All of Me also has a familiar melody. Is this whole album covers/samples and callbacks? Then Unchained Melody comes up! There's some context I'm not getting here.. September Song reminds me of Sound of Silence by S&G Best track - Blue Skies 3.5 stars - intriguing but not enough to regularly re-listen

Earlier ZZ Top. Not so heavy or pounding. More bluesy with a swing beat and homages to Muddy Waters. Nice stepping stone from Muddy Waters era blues rock to later hard rock. Surprisingly I quite like the sound. It's not too obnoxious or over-the-top. Nice and fun. There's also some funk DNA in there too (e.g. Precious and Grace) Starts strong, but does peter out. Best track - Waiting for the Bus, Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers, 3 stars, initially fun but it does wear off by the end of the album

Ah, first hit of folk is nice. This is what I'm here for. Gets quite bluesy and rocky too which is cool. Even some country influence? And jazz in On Sir Francis Drake. Fun hooks in Smug Funk/soul on Beautiful! Really a genre-spanning album. Instrumental sections are excellent, I'd like to hear them stretched out into longer jams! Oooh Trillium answers this beautifully Middle instrumental section on Ride the Wind is amazing. Generally instrumentals are amazing, vocals and string section date it a bit but not too much. Best track - Darkness, Darkness, Sunlight, Beautiful, Trillium, Quicksand 4 or 5 stars - constantly surprising and decent songwriting, with some great standout tracks. Call it 4, some great tracks and some amazing passages in others.

Indie/garage rock, with an atmospheric, bluesy bent. Nice noodling sound around good baselines in Burnished. But not mind-blowing. Burnished into Back at the Farm is a good transition. Nice instrumentals and improvs in Back at the Farm Ooh, the experimental and improv ramps up, c.f. River to Consider Best track - Burnished, Back at the Farm, Anvil Everything, River to Consider 4 stars - it's a grower but there's plenty here to come back to

Punk, pushing into post-punk. Gimme Danger is a move into the more subdued and melodic. Quite nice. Your Pretty Face is Going To Hell is back to a more classic punk sound. Mix is good, can hear nice and clear the guitar licks. Penetration has some kind of xylophone/glockenspiel/synth which is a welcome introduction Oof Raw Power. All I can hear is that right-panned single high piano note. It's too distracting. I Need Somebody is a diversion to almost delta blues. Can see that there is a good variety of tracks here. But it's just not incredible is is? Best track - Gimme Danger, Penetration 3 stars

Light funky pop. You know 1999, it is a good song. What's interesting is that this draws together a lot of genres and sounds and sounds like late 80s pop. But it's from only 1982, which is surprising! What's up with production on Little Red Corvette, I'm sure I'm hearing clipping and distortion. Ooh, explicit lyrics on Let's Pretend We're Married, didn't expect that from a pop song. Definitely a lyrical theme: partying and sex. But in that oddball Prince way And each track is a long version which is nice. Time for each to settle in and explore. Overall you can see the vision and song-writing skill, but it doesn't resonate with me. Best track - Let's Pretend We're Married, Lady Can Driver 3 stars

Slow, reverby chamber pop. First track doesn't excite me. Sounds like late 2010s pop so I guess it was ahead of its time, but it's not a sound I like. 2nd track is more 80s, new wave. Bit better. Iceblink Luck has the Cure-like guitar with chamber pop vocals. Ah I'd heard good things abour Cocteau Twins but this is a little boring. I do like the reverby instrumentals but I prefer a strong vocal to cut through, not meld into the mix. A touch of folk in the final track which I do like Best track - Heaven or Las Vegas, Frou Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires 3 stars

Post punk/new wave/alt rock. Already know and like Pretty in Pink. Nothing mind-blowing here. Seems quite middle-of-the-road. Dumb Waiters was the only track of interest with that detuned riff. Best track - Dumb Waiters 3 stars

Indie with a 60s folk/psych twist. Arctic Monkeys meets Jefferson Airplane and I'm loving it. Oh, it actually is Alex Turner singing! Epic/cinematic in places, like a 60s Bond film. Best track - The Age of the Understatement, Calm Like You, Separate and Ever Deadly 4 stars

Soft folksy/country rock. Parts of Everybody Knows sounds like proto-REM. It's not bad. But it does get old too. Best track - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere 3 stars - probably quite important for 1969, but today it sounds a bit samey

Psychedelic rock with a funky side and heavy wah. First track talks about UFOs and aliens, is this a concept album? Brilliant guitar work as expected. Shames Frusciate and RHCP 2 decades earlier. Best track - Wait Until Tomorrow 3 stars - as technically good as it is, it doesn't rock my world

Live album of old school RnB and soul. Love Chain Gang already, live version is fun too, with audience getting into it too! Sam Cooke can really rock it, not the vision I had of him beforehand! And his voice is very strong live. It does become standard 12 bar blues after a point, first few tracks definitely hit hardest. Best track - Chain Gang, Cupid Going with Chain Gang - even though I know the song, the live version is electric with the crowd 3 stars in the end, despite some great tracks

Soft indie rock with electronic and psychedelic elements. Very layered sound, e.g. multiple layers, synth strings, with reverb. Sounds like a progression of the BritPop sound (almost Gorillaz adjacent, but less trip hop, more ambient/trip hop) Concept album, story as per title, but who is Yoshimi? I feel like I should love this, but it's a bit too ambient, not enough drive to engage me throughout. Probably worth listening to again one day. Best track - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt 2, Ego Tripping, Are You A Hypnotist, Do You Realize 3.5 stars, so a 3

Ooh, Squares is Daydream in Blue? Oh both sample the same older track... Laid-back trip-hop. With some indie rock too. Best track - Squares, Quiet 3 stars - not heard much like it before but still not mind-blowing

Soft piano-driven rock, with those piano ballads Billy Joel is known for. Quite easy listening, solid song-writing throughout. Just the Way You Are is a bit too smooth and cliche for me. If you think about it, Billy Joel is kinda parallel to Elton John with the soft rock piano vibe. But I do think Billy is the better songwriter. Ah, ending the album on a gospel track.. not so original Best track - Movin' Out, The Stranger Torn between 3 or 4 stars. It's straightforward high quality soft rock. It doesn't blow my mind but it is such a polished project and an easy listen.. I'm not in a rush to listen to it again, so it will have to be a 3. Sorry Billy

Grungey alt rock with some punk DNA. Spoken word vocals hit first. Ooh, I like when singing actually starts. Moody and dissonant, reminds me of Pixies which I loved. Oh yes, that screechy guitar sound in Nosferatu Man. That chaos and tension is what I'm here for. Bit like later Korn, or SOAD. Just wish the vocals were more audible in the mix. Don, Aman is a bit slow and takes some of the momentum out of things. Nice weird Opeth style/semi folk arpeggios on Washer Big crescendo on final track - nice way to end a slow burner of an album. Best track - Breadcrumb Trail, Nosferatu Man, Washer, Good Morning Captain 4 stars - a new fun alt rock band for me! If it were all as good as the best tracks it would be a 5, but roughly a third is filler, rest is amazing

Punk/post-punk with a bit of grunge. Strong vocals, control even during distortion. Can you call it feminist? Definitely a statement on the treatment of women in society. Definitely aggressive, powerful, self-assured. I respect it and can see how people would love it, but it doesn't resonate with me. Best track - Plump, Jennifer's Body, Gutless 3 stars

Probably one of the most famous albums on this list and in the world. Jackson's disco/soul/funk vibe hits peak 80s instrumentation and production. Drum pads, sequenced basslines and synth strings abound. Also some rock, as in Beat It beforehand. First new track to me, Speed Demon perfectly exemplifies this. That sequenced slap bass is interesting, even sounds a bit like something from a retro video game! Sound does get a bit repetetive, bit of a lull from Speed Demon until Man in the Mirror. Longer outro to Man in the Mirror is interesting to hear - I'd only heard radio version before. Just Can't Stop Lovin You is too overwrought and sentimental Overall verdict, trying to be objective about such a famous album: some tracks are clearly masterpieces of pop, and deserve their fame. But there is filler here, making it unable to get 5 stars. But is it 3 or 4 from me? Best (new to me) track - Speed Demon 4 stars for the cultural touchstone. There is a reason it is so huge.

So it's indie rock and roll for me. With dance inspired beats and a few synth lines. Already know 6 or 7 tracks from this album. Of which 3 I would consider bangers. Honestly, the songwriting is incredible for a band this early in their career. And the synth is used carefully and sparingly mainly for texture and to evoke nostalgia. 4 tracks in and still not a new track for me! All These Things That I've Done sounds a bit more funky/soul Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll is also very well written, with key changes and little style changes throughout. Best track (new to me?) - Change Your Mind, Midnight Show 3 or 4 stars - torn because the good tracks are iconic, the less good are just fine. Give it a 4 for the huge impact the good songs have had

Gangsta rap - specifically hip hop beats with soul samples/loops and dense raps. I've never heard 2pac before. Seems decent for the genre. Compared to say Snoop Dogg, this takes itself more seriously, less humour. It's fine, but hearing about, early death, dead homies and glocks for so long is a bit of a buzzkill. The electro/synth instrumentation in e.g. Young Niggaz is interesting, I would have thought it from 5-10 years later. I guess many people replicated this sound later on (I think I know the style from comedy rap tracks). Can U Get Away.. am I imagining it or is it a love song mixed with escaping domestic abuse? Best track - If I Die Tonight, Young Niggaz 3 stars - good sound and good rhymes, but the focus on killing and dying is a real downer over 1hr5min

2 mins in, what is this - some avant garde noise recording. Low fi, widely panned. Please let it turn into music.. Nearly 6 minutes to reach something musical in any sense. I do like it now it's started but why sit through so much noise before starting. Style is hard to describe, it's somewhat atonal/out of tune. Ah then it gets to a jazzy/funky section, bit like a 70s action film score. Levels are so low I'm at full volume and can barely hear it. I guess the best way to describe this is an avant garde improv jazz album Ooh, singing comes in in Moon In June It is all quite skillful, and pleasant in places but it's just too out there for me I like the end (16:00 onwards of Out-Bloody-Rageous). Polymetric, arpeggios, like Animals As Leaders or something Best track - Slightly All The Time 3 stars

Immediately more upbeat and poppy than Remain In Light. Still has that light funk feel. Ah New Feeling has that new wave feel (pun intended?) I was missing. It's all fine funky new wave, but it doesn't have the edge or bite of Remain In Light Love Goes to a Building On Fire has a proto-Right Start feel, so a proto-proto-Once In A Lifetime Best track - New Feeling, The Book I Read, Pulled Up, Love Goes to a Building On Fire 3 or 4 stars? If I hadn't heard Remain In Light first would I have rated this higher? 3 stars

Live jazz album. Did they have to include the intros of all the musicians?? Sorry this is bog-standard jazz (by today's standards) with way too much speaking included. I'm sure it's historical, but it's not very fun to listen to. Diminuendo In Blue is a nice track, but far too long. Crowd love it, it's positively a riot for the 50s Ooh Skin Deep goes hard with the drums Best track - Black and Tan Fantasy, Tulip or Turnip, Skin Deep 3 stars - spoken sections are annoying but get less and less throughout and the musical skill and crowd enjoyment also grows

Decent britpop. That is, upbeat, danceable shimmery confident indie rock with British vocal delivery. More middle-of-the road than Blur but more listenable for it. On Columbia you can hear the Happy Mondays influence. Reverby wall of sound guitar chords over a dance-style drumbeat. Best track - Live Forever, Columbia, Supersonic 3 or 4 stars. 3.5, rounded down to 3 It is what it is, but it is done very well.

Latin rythyms, portuguese language, acoustic guitar. It's fine, but I don't know why I should be particularly impressed. There must be a context I'm missing. Bananeira is really nice, catchy, relaxed. Best track - Summer Samba, Bananeira, Close Your Eyes 3 stars - but Bananeira nearly brings it up on its own!

How to descibe their sound? Acoustic new-wave (in that it is piano, brass and strings heavy)? Like new-wave/post punk meets pub singalong? Political on One Of Those Things, talking about other pop music and Ireland Spoken word sections are a bit lame Volume is all over the place though Best track - This is What She's Like, One Of Those Things 3 stars

Ah, Amy Winehouse was good wasn't she. Exquisite vocals, decent soul/jazz/rnb backings just lightly inflected with big hip hop beats but played acoustic. It just works, like a 60s revival with edge and bite. Some ska/reggae feel on Just Friends Bit of a bitter taste from tracks like Rehab and Addicted knowing what was to happen. Best track (new to me) - Some Unholy War 3 stars - it's a polished product, but apart from the overplayed singles it didnt do much for me

What they now call 'dad rock', i.e. a middle-of-the-road blues rock. With that trebly almost buzzing lead guitar. Not too offensive in track 1. It's all fine and decent enough. Not offensive, mildly catchy. Better than I had braced myself for. Now I hated Boston, why is this okay to me? Because it's more laid back, not so serious? (Except for Raw Ramp which is a terrible song) The more I listen the more I like it.. I am a dad though! Best track - Mambo Sun, Rip Off 3.5 stars

Very angsty energetc punk/post-punk/alt-rock. Love the guitar work early in Call Me. Vocal delivery is reminding me of later alt rock (SOAD). Interesting rythyms. Ooh Fear has a crazy moody 80s feel, like from a Terminator film. I really like Call Me, and I love the style, but the rest of the album does sound a bit samey Best track - Call Me, Fear 3 stars

What is this? Piano/acoustic soft rock, not bluesy though, more of a new wave/indie songwriting structure and feel. It also gets folksy in places like Wish You Well I quite like it. Jupiter and Teardrop has subtle grungey feel, like Pearl Jam in places. Stars N Stripes is an interesting track, atmospheric, little bit tense, extra instrumentation Really hard to choose a best track from the 3. Sign of a good album! Best track - The Shining Hour, Wish You Well, Stars N Stripes 3 or 4 stars? Just enough to pique my interest enough for a 4. Not like much else I've heard and solid song writing

I'm no expert on EDM, so a genre plump would be post-house, verging on DNB? Also presaging trance possibly? Decent beats, decent synth sounds. And vocals too which I wasn't ready for. So far loving it. First real dance album on the list and it's pumping. But consider also that the first track moves through various sections, doesn't rely for 16min on the same hooks. Interesting, EDM but in Banstyle there are some passages that have a jazz-like feel in terms of phrasing and an improv feel. It even gets a bit electro psych folksy feel towards the end. Reverb heavy, looped guitar riff. Ooh, Blueski goes back to the guitar again! But used as in loops to still keep that tight and artificial feel. Last two tracks are really low-key to bow out on a melancholy note. It is good, those textures and drums give me goosebumps Best track - Juanita, Banstyle 4 stars - great beats, hooks, song structures

Queen, operatic rock. Bit glammy, mixed with a pub knees-up. Plus the multi-layered vocal harmonies. What's up with 39? Doesn't even sound like Freddie? The Prophet's Song is cool, almost epic metal-y. And then there's a crazy acapella Freddie harmony section. It's really impressive but does break the flow of the song a bit. Best track - Death on Two Legs, Seaside Rendezvous, The Prophet's Song 4 stars - it doesn't blow me away but I'm sure that's just because Queen's style is so so famous that it's hard to appreciate the utter skill and vision it took to make this.

I guess Intro is literally the 'birth' of Notorious BIG, a life story and the music that shaped him First impressions are that compared to other Gangsta Rap, this has much more stripped back instrumentals - also lower in the mix so the raps are front and centre. Different rapping style too, more like Public Enemy meets West Coast g-funk. More sample/loop driven than say Tupac Ready to Die reminds me of Ice Cube, with that gentle higher register funk guitar riff and the slower tempo Some of the beats here also remind me of Gorillaz later, why? Use of simple, perhaps even preset beats with short samples and loops on top? Two references to Tina Turner and Ike? What's the obsession? Best track - Ready to Die, Juicy 3 stars - it does sit in an interesting intersection of many styles but it's not technically mind-blowing or well-crafted

Smooth soul/funk. The instrumentation is pretty decent Sparkle City sounds like it could have been a Prince track a decade later (with some extra punch). Aht Uh Mi Hed has a nice folksy psychedlia side too Happy House also has an eclectic energy, with semi-spoken on the funky background. Really reminding me of Prince. Then a few very laid back instrumentals.. Freedom City has a jazzy feel with the improv and freeform sections Yeah then it kind of peters out.. Best track - Sparkle City, Aht Uh Mi Hed, Not Available 3 stars - there are some 4 star moments here but it just loses momentum and focus

1st track is smooth new wave with some world music influence. It's nice but I could use a hook or a groove. Something approaching this at the end of the last track, but otherwise it's quite inaccessible. Best track - Happiness is Easy 3 stars - it's fine but it feels self-indulgent. It doesn't give much easily

Dance meets new wave. If you ignore the vocals you could imagine a lot here on later dance tracks. It's all fine, but not a lot stands out. But it's almost all worth it for Go West, even if it is a cover. Best track (other than Go West) - Can You Forgive Her, One and One Make Five 3 stars

Country/soft folk rock. There's really not much more to say... Deja Vu has a more proggy feel to it, which I like. Ooh, I know Our House and like it too It ends up a bit eclectic, but I suppose an album with so many songwriters will do that Best track - Helpless, Deja Vu, Our House 3 stars

Starts interesting, Come Together has a quiet funky feel on the blues, the walking bassline reminds me of Cream or something. What's that instrument on Maxwell's Silver Hammer? Sounds like a synth but it can't be in 1969! I Want You sounds like it's trying to be Rolling Stones. Towards the end it's genuinely grungey - sounds like Soundgarden! And then cuts off straight into Here Comes the Sun, what strange sequencing. Overall it's eclectic, but strongly written. Best track (other than Here Comes the Sun) - I Want You 3 stars - I think I get why it's important, but it doesn't blow my mind in 2026

Proggy rock with psychedlia in places. Roundabout is fun - noodly bassline, harmonics played on the guitar, and is that a moog? It does drag on a bit though Lots more instrumental work here than the previous Yes album on this list, e.g. harpsichord. Not sure it's better for it - does it want to be prog rock or an orchestral piece? Vocals are also not strong enough.. maybe a better singer or stronger in the mix would elevate things. The Fish starts nicely, bringing together the rock and some alt instruments. Bit short though, doesn't build into anything. Best track - The Fish 3 stars - it's fine, but doesn't evoke much feeling in me. Feels too technical but not fun.

Sigh - breathy vocals, reverb heavy, trap-style drums. Not for me. Let's try to be critical - it's like Kate Bush with no oomph and crap trap beats. Oh jeez it just doesn't stop. Numbers starts interesting... it's probably the least painful track so far Best track - Numbers 1 or 2 stars - stuttering, painful, over produced. Okay a 1 for the horrible drum in Video Girl which is like water torture or someone tapping on the inside of my skull.

Station to Station track is a slow burner but I like it - nice hook building up elements until Bowie comes in. Golden Years is familiar to me.. TVC15 is a bluesy piano number passed through the Bowie filter. And the oddly timed 'chorus' around halfway through is compelling Bit of genre hopping - piano and clean guitar rock shifting to funk in Golden Years Best track - Station to Station, Golden Years, TVC15 4 stars - not much to be blown away by on a first listen, but the quality is undeniable and it's so re-listenable

I never understand Jump - a guitar led rock band known for out there solos goes for a synth-pop tune with hardly any rock DNA at all. Bit more business as usual on Panama. Classic 80s rock, made for stadiums. I can imagine the 'band on tour' montage music video just listening to it. Bit bland, except for when the shredding starts, like the start of Hot for Teacher. It's just all a bit samey - dated sound and superseded by a lot of rock and metal that came after (e.g. I can hear similarities between Girl Gone Bad and Trivium) House of Pain has a chugging metal riff borrowed from Metallica and glammed up but then the verses have no focus. The chugging riff is good, but it can't hold a whole song. Ah, then we're back to a kind of melodic metal before the classic EVH solo. Best track - Panama, House of Pain 3 stars - there is some decent variety here from synth pop to stadium rock to a bit of thrash and essentially melodic metal. It's just none of it stands out today