295
Albums Rated
3.66
Average Rating
27%
Complete
794 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Singer-songwriter
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
62
5-Star Albums
4
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yeezus
Kanye West
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
Sail Away
Randy Newman
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Another Green World
Brian Eno
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
|
5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
|
Being There
Wilco
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
John Prine
John Prine
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Blur
Blur
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Urban Hymns
The Verve
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
|
1 | 2.99 | -1.99 |
|
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
|
2 | 3.83 | -1.83 |
|
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
|
2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
|
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
2 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
|
1 | 2.47 | -1.47 |
|
Dirt
Alice In Chains
|
2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
|
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
|
1 | 2.46 | -1.46 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 5 |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 5 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beatles | 3 | 4.67 |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 2 | 5 |
| The White Stripes | 2 | 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 2 | 5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (62)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Ramones · 2 likes
4/5
1234!!
Some groundbreaking motherfuckers right here. It's a simple formula, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Feel like these songs would sound even better live, seeing these guys in NYC in the 70s must have been an absolute blast. That fun 2000s indie sleaze new york scene led by The Strokes owes everything to this band, down to the penchant for leather
Grateful Dead · 2 likes
4/5
I have a healthy respect for The Dead, but cant say I'm a Deadhead. So a true Deadhead might disagree, but this has to be their best studio album. It's smooth as hell, grooving, a tall glass of iced tea on a scorching day. Ripple especially is such a salve for the soul, what a beautiful song both lyrically and melodically. A couple snoozers but overall, a lovely, breezy acoustic album
Sam Cooke · 2 likes
5/5
Apparently RCA shelved this for two decades for being too raucous and raw. Thats exactly what I love about it. Sam Cooke's voice is beautiful, one of the best I've ever heard, and A Change is Gonna Come gives me chills every time I hear it, but his studio stuff is super polished. This is a totally different side of him. Feels like you're in the middle of the room where it happened. I love the banter with the crowd, and the band sounds terrific. An amazing living document from an era lost to time
Boards of Canada · 1 likes
4/5
Hypnotic, stunning, eerie. Really opens up in a beautiful way when you listen closely to the subtleties. Especially liked sixtyten, roygbiv, Aquarius. As good of a headphones album as this is, it would be at its peak piped through the speakers of a dead mall
David Bowie · 1 likes
4/5
Exceedingly rare for an artist to continue to make such compelling, inventive music at the end of their career. Doesn't reach the heights of Blackstar but some really good tracks here, I even liked it more than some 80s Bowie albums (and of course more than all the 90s stuff). Love is Lost is a standout track
4-Star Albums (116)
1-Star Albums (4)
All Ratings
Otis Redding
4/5
Pixies
5/5
Santana
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Merle Haggard
3/5
The Sonics
4/5
To my shame I'd never heard of the sonics. Some great classic rock and roll, I hear a direct line to The Stooges at the very least, can definitely see the protopunk vibe. Reminds me of "with the Beatles" but with sharper edges
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
Billy corgans voice is an acquired taste that I can't seem to acquire
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
The Isley Brothers
4/5
3/5
Another childhood favorite. Some great songs on here (starlight, assassin, knights of cydonia) but too often overwrought/forgettable/both to make this more than 3 stars
The Hives
2/5
One dimensional and annoying
Bob Dylan
5/5
Favorite Dylan, and one of the best of all time
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Rapist scum
Beastie Boys
4/5
Britney Spears
2/5
Some catchy stuff on here (title track, soda pop), but too much filler/dull ballads to get over the two star mark
Beatles
4/5
Charles Mingus
4/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
Jacques Brel
3/5
Not my jam but interesting, can see how this influenced artists like Bowie and Leonard Cohen
Iggy Pop
4/5
Important album in the history of punk and rock, some absolute bangers and way ahead of it's time
The Smiths
4/5
Deee-Lite
3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Janet Jackson
1/5
Forgettable at best, cringy and fake deep at worst
Spiritualized
3/5
Slint
2/5
Sade
3/5
Suicide
4/5
We do not get Nebraska without this shit. That being said, I do understand why they got their asses beat on stage. Imagine hearing Frankie teardrop live
Ray Price
3/5
Pleasurable listen, a bit tiresome at times. Title track rules. Would be a good one to have on vinyl
Deep Purple
3/5
Alice Cooper
3/5
Fun album, had never really gotten beyond schools out with Alice Cooper. Elected especially stood out as an absolute banger
The United States Of America
3/5
Def Leppard
2/5
Felt like Johnny Lawrence listening to this.. fun in small doses but unbelievably overwrought and corny. Photograph is a fantastic song though
Joy Division
4/5
So many cool albums and even artists probably could not exist without this one. Drums and bass are killer. RIP Ian Curtis
Fugazi
3/5
Pretty glorious at its heights, especially enjoyed repeater and greed.
Jefferson Airplane
5/5
Simultaneously the quintessential 60s album and ahead of its time. Sounds like the best elements of diverse contemporaries like the zombies, Fairport convention, flying burrito brothers, all rolled into one brilliant record. All killer no filler
Pink Floyd
5/5
Favorite pink Floyd and not even really close. Five stars for five masterful, cohesive, terrific songs
Buzzcocks
4/5
Great record. These guys are like the sex pistols if the sex pistols were less political, more horny (love battery, goddamn), and way more musically talented. Punchy, surprising guitar riffs and phenomenal drums
Wilco
5/5
Impossible to be unbiased since Wilco has been my favorite band for years. One of four albums of theirs that's worthy of 5 stars, in my opinion. Some absolutely classic wilco tracks, from misunderstood' to 'outtasite' to 'Monday'. Some of Tweedy's most poignant lyrics ever. Some excellent deeper cuts, like 'forget the flowers' and 'what's the world got in store'. They could've maybe cut out a few tracks towards the end of the record that drag a bit and made them bonus tracks but, nonetheless, an amazing album. Early enough in the band's career, but more than any other album, feels like the perfect crossroads between where they were coming from and where they were headed.
The Fall
3/5
Mixed feelings on this. Some cool tracks and experimentation but all together, pretty forgettable. Rounding up to 3 stars but probably a 2.5 for me. Not super familiar with The Fall but from what I've heard by them, this seems pretty far from their creative peak
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Hell yeah. Great classic jazz album. Take Five is definitely the soaring masterpiece of the record but the whole thing is silky smooth, love strange meadow lark and kathy's waltz. Vince Guaraldi, Bill Evans, and Brubeck are the holy trinity of pretty-fly-for-a-white-guy jazz (sorry Chet Baker, please don't haunt me, your ghost would be terrifying)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
A stark, often beautiful, sometimes plodding acoustic album from the man, the myth, the legend. First three tracks are stellar and some of the best songwriting in Cave's discography. It does drag somewhat in the middle for me, but ends strong with "Far From Me" and channeling Tom Waits on "Green Eyes." Overall, I do prefer nick cave when he's freaking the fuck out, but there are some gems here.
Steely Dan
3/5
Any major dude will tell you that this is a pretty solid, entertaining, and musically impressive 70s rock record. Kudos to the hell of a gong player (gongist?) on "East St Louis Toodle-Oo"
Ray Charles
3/5
Wanted to love this since it is undeniably groundbreaking and Ray Charles is an indisputable legend. Some lovely arrangements and beautiful vocals, especially on "Born to Lose" and "Worried Mind." Also love the rearrangements of some classic country tunes like "Your Cheatin' Heart." But this thing is so damn long, and to my ears it gets very samey, with the big band vocals growing reaally tiresome. Pleasant enough but probably an overrated record.
Dire Straits
5/5
I mean, cmon. Gotta be one of the best classic rock records ever, almost on the strength of the first three tracks alone. "Money For Nothing" is a certified banger and the keys in "Walk of Life" give it a shiny nostaglic feel. Mark Knopfler is a terrific songwriter and even better guitarist, just such a fun listen every time. "Why Worry?" is an underrated song. The title track makes me want to rewatch The Americans
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
This one's got everything: smash hits, poignant stories about working class despair, smash hits with poignant stories about working class despair. Yet, like most of Bruce's discography, theres always an unshakeable sense of optimism threaded through. Times are tough and getting tougher but Born in the USA makes things better for 45 minutes every time. Favorite songs this time around: cover me, Darlington county, my hometown.
Boards of Canada
4/5
Hypnotic, stunning, eerie. Really opens up in a beautiful way when you listen closely to the subtleties. Especially liked sixtyten, roygbiv, Aquarius. As good of a headphones album as this is, it would be at its peak piped through the speakers of a dead mall
Rush
4/5
This album fuckin roooockkks. Favorite Rush record by far. Play it loud
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
I really enjoyed this. Interesting lyrics from someone whos clearly seen some shit, genre bending tracks, and a really cool john Lennon cover. Love how the last track just keeps going. Had only vaguely heard of Marianne Faithfull but I'll definitely listen to this again and check out more of her stuff
Elis Regina
3/5
Feel pretty neutral about this. Some interesting percussion, impressive vocals, cool jazz guitar. Would probably not seek this out, but it was a decent listen
Pulp
2/5
Not a big fan of the old Pulp. As far as britpop bands go, I put them squarely under Blur and somewhat under Oasis and Supergrass (don't know enough Suede to add them to the rankings - why do all Britpop bands have one word names?) I will admit that common people is an incredible song and maybe the Britpop anthem. Something about Jarvis Cocker and his Robert Smith-esque, whiny and precious delivery, really grates on me though. Some pretty cringy lyrics too. Outside of common people, disco 2000, and the last track, not one I care too much for
Anthrax
4/5
Iron Maiden meets Black Flag. Love the face melting solos, driving drums, intense bass and rhythm guitar. Vocals and lyrics are occasionally goofy but still technically impressive, appreciate the Stephen king references too. Surprised how much I enjoyed this
ABBA
4/5
Great 70s pop album. Already knew the big hits, and a couple of their best are on this (Knowing Me, Knowing You and Fernando.) Enjoyed the deep cuts, like Dum Dum Diddle and Tiger, and the super random celtic vibes of the title track are great. Still will probably just throw on ABBA Gold if I'm in the mood for ABBA, but this was fun
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Thought Michael Franti was just a one hit wonder with that awful song from like 2007, so this was compelling. Overall I liked this. As much as I agree with the politics here, it does come across as sanctimonious sometimes, but at its best there's some great socially conscious lyrics. It's too damn long, but I did enjoy that Dead Kennedys tribute/remix. Altogether a cool 90s hip hop project I'm glad to have heard, depressing that the US is way more fucking bleak than described in 1992
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Great classic rock here. Houses of the holy - trampled - kashmir is an elite run. It does drag for me towards the end and the last side is really weak. But overall, awesome listen, sits below Led Zeppelin IV for me but still one of the band's best. Will round up from 3.5 to 4
T. Rex
4/5
Love some T Rex. Experts at toeing the line between Bowie-esque glam and classic rock n roll a la Elvis and Chuck Berry. Gets a bit samey but this has the best songs they ever did
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Big meh. Not much here is noteworthy, it's perfectly listenable, very 2002, overproduced. Some decent songs, some snoozers, nothing that's outright bad, all pretty forgettable. Overall just an aggressively dull listening experience
Eminem
2/5
Soo edgy and hateful for no reason. It's a shame because Marshall Mathers was a generational talent but in his prime he loved to waste it on trying to be as shocking as possible, to often really embarrassing results. A soundtrack for an angry suburban white kid who hates his mom and is weird about women. Give me the real slim shady and Stan and the rest can go fuck its mother, as Eminem circa 2000 would probably say. He also sounds like Linda Belcher when he sings on the godawful Kim
UB40
2/5
Had never heard any UB40 beyond Red Red Wine. I'm all for some good reggae, but goddamn this thing bored me to tears. Appreciate the lyrical content, but about as interesting as elevator music. Only exceptions are the title track, which is a cool reggae soundscape, and burden of shame.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Sweet 60s soul record. What a voice she had, really phenomenal. Nothing negative to say about this one, stone cold classic and will seek it out to own on vinyl.
LL Cool J
4/5
East coast classic. Some great boom bap, creative samples and a nice flow throughout. Maybe hasn't aged as well as stuff from his contemporaries like Tribe and Public Enemy, and occasionally cringy lyrics, but still a fun listen and a highlight of the golden age of hip hop. Title track is an all time great
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
God this shit is boring. Just absolutely drags. Clapton: a confessed rapist, a loudmouth racist who made millions off of distinctly black music, a phenom guitarist, and a severely overrated artist. Harder to separate the art from the artist when the art is also mostly dull and soulless, and his guitar chops don't make up for it. First couple songs and layla are alright (not great), the rest makes for a sleepy listen. An hour and fifteen mins, could you love yourself any more? Boomer through and through.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
Masterful guitar work from Slash, impressive vocals from Axl Rose. Brilliant hard rock album. First half is perfect, a couple stinkers in the second but mostly consistent. Icy and unrelenting, a snarling sonic kick in the teeth
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Poetry, plain and simple. Evocative and eerie and beautiful. One of Cohen's best for sure, and on every listen I pick up on a new thing to love about it in the lyrics and arrangements. People may trash his vocals but I've always found his voice soothing, and the backing singers are exquisite. A stirring record with no skips
Muddy Waters
4/5
Could hardly believe this is a live album, the band sounds so tight. Enjoyed the hell out of this, especially loved Tiger in your tank and I've got my mojo working. There's a reason Muddy Waters is considered a blues legend, and just this alone can tell you why
Bert Jansch
3/5
Had never heard of this guy before. Given the year this came out I wonder if it was overshadowed by Dylan going electric. Just a man and his guitar, a pretty cool acoustic bluesy folk album. Nothing super special lyrically or vocally, but I love this guy's style of fingerpicking, really enjoyed the instrumental tracks especially. Might have to try to learn to play a few of these myself, although most of them are completely beyond me. Crisp and lovely acoustic guitar
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
I love Tom Petty, one of the best rock vocalists ever, and this is a great debut album. Starts super strong, a few forgettable tracks in the middle, but American Girl is a phenomenal finale, an amazing song. Petty was also a brilliant songwriter and that shines through on here. Only complaint is I wish some of the songs were longer, would love an instrumental freakout on Breakdown. A legend, gone too soon
Orbital
2/5
This is that beep boop beep music. Only track I actually stopped and thought, 'this is cool', was philosophy by numbers. For the rest, might as well have been listening to white noise. I guess I prefer more ambient electronic stuff and less ravey. But to be fair to Orbital, my living room at 9 AM is neither the time nor place for this kinda music
The White Stripes
5/5
Aw hell yeah. I'm convinced Jack White would rise to the top in any era of rock music. One of the best guitarists ever and I love his strange, warbly vocals. I also dont stand for Meg White slander, her percussion is perfect on this, and her lead performance on the atmospheric "In the cold cold night" is a highlight. They created an international anthem that's still chanted in stadiums around the world with Seven Nation Army and that's not even the peak of the album. Ball and Biscuit into Hardest Button goes incredibly hard. I also really enjoyed the deep cuts like Little Acorns. I think White Blood Cells is still my favorite White Stripes release, but this is probably their all-around best
Beck
4/5
Beck is a man who can't pick a lane, to glorious results on this one. Love that I can hear the influence of both The Beastie Boys and Hank Williams on this, mixing country and hip hop before it was cool. He hasn't made an album I've cared about in over a decade, but this is prime Beck and its a lot of fun.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Man, this is such a hard one to rate. Biggie Smalls was, or at least presented himself, as a misogynistic, violent bully, and that makes a lot of this a bleak and difficult listen. But, Ready To Die has top tier production and beats, and Biggie was fantastic at what he did. On a bunch of these songs, you're right there looking over his shoulder. He was a master of the craft, a storyteller, and his flow and technical skill is basically unmatched. Where Eminem is edgy for the sake of outrage, Biggie was at least honest, laying out his nihilistic and hateful worldview and seeming to mean every word. To be fair he grew up working class in 80s NYC, height of the crack epidemic, and that could darken anyone's perspective. As cringy as One More Chance and Me and my Bitch are, songs like Machine Gun Funk, Juicy, and Who Shot Ya are all time rap greats. He lived by the gun and died by it far too young, and I dont know how anyone could've been shocked if they'd heard this heavy, cold, cruel gangsta rap classic.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Was looking forward to this one, I love Everybody's talkin but had never heard much else from Nilsson. Way more Beatleesque than I expected. Serious shades of McCartney especially on Down and Jump into the Fire (fantastic tune), which were by far my favorites. Was taken aback by the schmaltz of Without You and the irritating Coconut, so that knocks it down a few pegs for me. Overall, a pleasant and tasteful 70s record, but dont think everything on here is essential.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
So has everything.. gigantic pop hooks on Sledgehammer and Big Time, evocative lyrics, percussion and vocals from Brazil to West Africa, Kate Bush. Pretty easy 5 stars, sound is very 80s but in the best way
Skepta
4/5
I'd never really given much UK hip hop or grime a chance for some reason, but wow, this is great. Propulsive beats, clever samples (queens of the stone age, nice), high energy delivery. Perfect soundtrack for my run. I even enjoyed some of the little skits which I rarely do on rap albums, the one with the American gamer edgelord was kinda funny. The two track run of Man into Shutdown made me a Skepta fan, goes hard. Wish it went a little deeper lyrically, a bit heavy on the bravado, and theres one or two flops, especially Ladies Hit Squad, but he's clearly a serious talent
The Beach Boys
5/5
Holy shit. What the hell is this? Had only ever heard Pet Sounds, and while I think its a great record, always felt like it was a bit overrated. But this is something else. They go full psychadelic on this, and I love it. Listening to this felt like watching a David Lynch movie, with the sunny, clean cut American pop veneer and layers of gloom and darkness underneath. The juxtaposition of the amazing album cover with a title like Surfs Up really sums that up.
Definitely planning on repeat listens. RIP to the original king of pop
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This has superstition on it, so basically an automatic five stars. One of the best songs of all time, and the best sesame street performance of all time (look it up, its awesome.) First half is great, but I absolutely love the second half of Talking Book, every song is essential. I would put Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life ahead of this one personally, but its a super strong beginning to a triumphant decade for Stevie Wonder
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
I liked this, but honestly thought it would be more interesting. Family affair is a great tune, love some of the instrumentals like the bass line on brave & strong, enjoyed the experimental funk country of spaced cowboy, but a good few of these songs kind of meander to nowhere rather than build into something special. Does get better in the second half, maybe needs more listens for better appreciation
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Starting with the positives - kudos to the bassist, some really great, creative basslines throughout the whole thing. I also enjoyed the punky, offkilter drums. But oh my God, john lydon wailing rubbish like an alleycat made this damn near unlistenable at times. The prick couldn't hold a note with a gun to his head, and it just grates. If they had a different vocalist and written more interesting lyrics, would probably have really enjoyed this, but was a fairly insufferable Sunday afternoon soundtrack thanks to johnny rotten. Best tracks are graveyard, socialist, and radio 4 because he doesn't utter a word
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Tribe is one of my favorite hip hop acts ever, and easily my favorite hip hop group, so was psyched to get this one. I always have listened to Low End Theory and Midnight Maurauders more, but this is an insane debut.
These guys just loved listening to music and making music, and its all so vibrant. The joy of creating this record shines through. The witty lyricism of Q Tip, unique flow of Phife Dawg, and production skills of Shaheed are on full display. Fun samples throughout the whole thing. Even on the goofier tracks like El Segundo and Ham N Eggs, the precision and skill is unmatched. Foundational album right here
Hole
4/5
The stuff I can remember people saying and writing about Courtney Love is just unhinged misogyny. Any male punk/alt artist with bad behavior is glorified, but I've seen her name dragged through the mud way too often. Hole is a great band, and this is a great, pop-tinged grungy rock album. Some songs are kinda samey, but plenty of cool stuff. Liked Malibu and Boys on the radio especially, pure 90s alternative
David Bowie
4/5
Exceedingly rare for an artist to continue to make such compelling, inventive music at the end of their career. Doesn't reach the heights of Blackstar but some really good tracks here, I even liked it more than some 80s Bowie albums (and of course more than all the 90s stuff). Love is Lost is a standout track
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Fun at times but cringey, annoying, and unlistenable more often
Yo yo yo yo yo yo no
Stan Getz
3/5
Very pleasant on the ears. I had only heard girl from Ipanema, so most was new to me. Bossa nova is soothing as hell, and I can appreciate this, but I struggled to really distinguish between songs at times, didn't find it super interesting. Would not go so far as to dismiss it as muzak though.
Lambchop
4/5
Very sonically interesting in a subtle way, definitely warrants more than one listen. Had only heard individual songs by Lambchop and liked them, so great to listen through an album. Pretty cool stuff, hooked by the various instruments and strange directions the songs would take that I barely could focus on any lyrics, but the ones I caught were weird and intriguing
Pretenders
4/5
Love this. You can just hear how great the band's chemistry is on almost every song. Kind of confused why Brass in pocket is considered one of their best songs, its alright but far from my favorite here. Think the energy they bring on songs like tattooed love Boys and the wait is brilliant
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
This is fine. Whirly-bird is a cool track. Can picture a guy born in like 1930 listening to this on an old timey phonograph, telling me they dont make music like they used to, snapping his fingers along to the beat and hollering "Hot damn these cats are cookin". Nothing against it, I guess I just prefer other forms of jazz to big band/swing, so I'm glad I listened to at least realise that.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I forget how good this band's output in the 90s and early 2000s is. Great debut, low budget but you'd never really know it, gorgeous arrangements and harmonies. Standout tracks for me are Shes Losing It and I Could Be Dreaming. Call them twee, call them precious, but its hard to deny their continued influence on indie pop/folk. Also clearly influenced by some groups i love, from Simon and garfunkel to Yo La Tengo
The Verve
1/5
Hate this. Bittersweet Symphony's a good tune, but its been so co-opted by car and credit card commercials that its lost its shine for me. The whole album otherwise is just aggressively generic. They sound like Driveshaft, the fictional band from Lost, but worse. Lyrically ranges from bad to medicore, musically bland. Singer oscillates between weak Bono and Thom Yorke impressions. These guys aren't unique enough to be taking themselves so seriously. I give 1 stars sparingly, and if it were interesting or had real spirit behind it but still bad, I'd give it two. But the combo of soulless and bad is just too much. Outrageous that this is on the list when groups like Modest Mouse (for a great 1997 release see: The Lonesome Crowded West), and even all time legends like Louis Armstrong and Chuck Berry are omitted.
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
Its flamin', its groovy, it delivers. Is it just The Stones but less effective? Is it occasionally creepy? Maybe, but i can still dig it man, a fun new-to-me listen. The title track is great, Shakin All Over has a killer solo, love the Louie Louie cover. Often so raw, like you're just listening to these guys jam in their garage
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Probably my fourth or fifth favorite Springsteen album, and an easy five stars. Title track and 10th Avenue Freezeout are two of the best rock songs ever. Also feels like the most cohesive Bruce record as a full unit, the keys and Clarence Clemons sax shine throughout the whole thing
Korn
2/5
Freak On A Leash brought me back to my ten year old self, shredding those weird off kilter riffs on guitar hero and attempting to sing along to the raving meth-addled madness. A decent track still, and I dont hate a lot of the album instrumentally, the drums in particular are impressive. But over an hour of this guy snarling nonsense at me definitely got old. Ice Cube feature was unexpected, what an awful song, and ditto for the Fred Durst one, hilariously bad and the worst song on the album. Pretty Korny, pretty shitty, but not quite as bad as I expected i guess
Pixies
5/5
Pixies move away from the punkier edges of their 80s stuff for poppier hooks on this masterpiece, while still absolutely shredding. Probably their last five star worthy record, although there's definitely a case to be made for Trompe Le Monde. Feels like the pinnacle of the sound they're now chasing with their more characterless recent output
Sam Cooke
5/5
Apparently RCA shelved this for two decades for being too raucous and raw. Thats exactly what I love about it. Sam Cooke's voice is beautiful, one of the best I've ever heard, and A Change is Gonna Come gives me chills every time I hear it, but his studio stuff is super polished. This is a totally different side of him. Feels like you're in the middle of the room where it happened. I love the banter with the crowd, and the band sounds terrific. An amazing living document from an era lost to time
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Musicianship on this is insane. From the lead guitar interplay between Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, to the organ solos of Gregg Allman, to the constantly riffing bass and jazzy percussion, just a masterclass. I've barely listened to The Allman brothers studio stuff, so this is maybe a weird entry point, and the sheer length of a couple of the jams took me out of it a bit, but still absolutely rocks.
Thundercat
3/5
Listened to this in 2017 and didnt get the hype, and I still don't. There are definitely some good songs here, with funny lyrics and funky bass lines, that are generally a good time. I like the Kendrick feature. But so much of this is just filler to me, its fine, not essential or enough to make the whole album worthwhile really.
The Prodigy
4/5
Not gonna lie, I saw this and thought oh boy, another 90s English electronica album. But pleasantly surprised, this is a very cool project. Love the punkiness, aggressive beats, and overall energy of the thing. I always liked Sleaford Mods and these guys seem like a clear inspiration for them. Misogyny on first track is out of pocket, but the album is still banger after banger. Overall definitely a fan of this
Al Green
4/5
Exactly what you'd expect, beautiful voice, singing sweet soul melodies, perfect instrumentals to complement, very much in the vein of the great Otis Redding. Nothing groundbreaking other than maybe the title track, but a lovely listen
Talking Heads
5/5
Everyone wants to talk about Fear of Music, More Songs, Remain in Light, for good reason - but this is one of the best debuts in rock history. I love every single song, and it has some of their very best stuff. Don't Worry About the Government is top five Talking Heads for me, the energy of psycho killer into pulled up is just electric, easy five stars
The White Stripes
5/5
My favorite White Stripes record. While Elephant may be more consistently great, it doesn't reach the staggering heights of this one. From the absolutely grimy guitar on Dead Leaves to the Citizen Kane-inspired freakout of The Union Forever, from the pure joyful innocence of We're Going to be Friends to the unhinged paranoia of Smell a Rat, this is the duo at their most versatile and thrilling
John Lennon
5/5
Lennon keeps things simple on this, and it works so well. The title track has been so widely covered and used in so many campaigns that its become almost trite, but its message really is radical and powerful at its core, even if John never lived up to his activism. Love the countryish vibes of crippled inside, with its ragtime keys. Jealous guy is confessional and raw. Gimme Some Truth is a snarling, fantastic rock song. Oh Yoko is one of my favorite love songs, such minimalist lyrics with the jangly, melodic instrumentals doing the heavy lifting in conveying so much emotion. One of the best solo Beatles releases
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Remember loving this one when I was a kid, thank god I grew out of it. Anthony Kiedis, in addition to being a creepy, douchey pedophile by his own admission, is just really fuckin annoying. He pretty much ruins the very good instrumentals with his shitty lyrics ("cock my brain to shoot my load") and aggravating vocal style on a ton of these songs. Suck my Kiss sucks, and is even grosser with the knowledge that he's a sex pest. A Greatest hits RHCP would be an ok listen, and I remember liking Californication more, but they basically parody themselves on so much of this, and it's way too long, didnt know if it would ever end
LTJ Bukem
2/5
I actually do enjoy this kind of stuff, as an ambient soundscape in the background while working. But definitely feel like I dont know or care enough about the genre to know what makes this special or essential listening. Also the apple music version is 3.5 hours, which is just insanity if you're not listening passively
The Coral
3/5
Another discovery courtesy of the generator, had never heard of this band. Enjoyed this overall, appreciate the vintage Doors vibes. Nothing blew my mind but not a bad listen
Sigur Rós
4/5
Between Bjork and Sigur Ros, Iceland is the tiny world capital of freaks making ethereal, otherworldly tunes. This demands more than one listen. Its undeniably pretentious with the band even inventing their own language for a song or two, but whatever, they have
created an absolutely immersive listening experience. Like youre vibing along to an alien soundtrack which randomly incorporates some classical music and other popular music genres that they overheard on earth. Truly one of a kind and deserves a spot on this list.
John Martyn
4/5
Probably the best thing I'd never heard that the generator has introduced me to so far. Expert guitar work, intriguing folky forays into jazz and blues, really cool collection of songs
Eminem
3/5
I enjoy this more than the Marshall Mathers LP. It's got punchier, better production, it's more tongue in cheek, and (god forgive me) pretty funny at times, where Marshall mathers is just bleak. I really do struggle to stomach the insane misogyny though. Either Eminem has a psychopathic-level hatred of women or was just doing it for pure shock value, and idk which is more reprehensible. Like fuck dude, women throughout history and today have been through enough at the hands of shitty violent men. Wonder how his daughter feels now about the sheer hatred he spewed about her mother
Nick Drake
4/5
I love Nick Drake's music, and he's one of my favorite acoustic guitarists. Always remarkable to me that someone who was in such a dark headspace most of the time created such comforting, beautiful, soulful music. The first four tracks on this are absolutely perfect, I love his unique tunings and picking style and the poetic lyrics. Does fall off for me somewhat in the second half with less memorable tunes, but still some gorgeous playing all the way through, and finishes strong with one of his best, From the Morning. Love the weird album art too
Syd Barrett
2/5
It's psychedelic, sure, but in the waaaay too many tabs of acid and shrooms kinda way, not really the fun way. Lyrically and musically very amateurish, but i do like a couple songs here, namely No Good Trying and No Mans Land. Maybe obvious to say but definitely a good move for Pink Floyd to go a different direction when they did, unfortunately Barrett really lost it by this point
PJ Harvey
3/5
PJ Harvey is one of those artists where, I recognise her influence over a generation of artists and appreciate her, but the music has never clicked. Had only heard Sheela Na Gig before and what a tune, any song that deftly references Carrie and obscure Irish paganism is great in my book. But overall to me this is a good, not great album. Ends strong with Water, but a lot of this I wouldn't necessarily seek out again.
4/5
Been seeing headlines lately about AI bands and how they're starting to fool people into thinking they're real. I hope I'm right anyway, but i dont think AI could ever emulate something like this. This is a courageously creative album with surprising, baroque-ish instrumentation and bizarro lyrics. The world needs more arty pop along these lines. Fave tracks - River of Orchids, Green Man, Fruit Nut, Harvest Festival
R.E.M.
5/5
Automatic for the people is a gloomy, brooding, cohesive masterpiece. This opens strong and closes stronger, theres not a weak track here. Love Stipe's disbelief regarding the state of the nation on Ignoreland, Man on the Moon is a pure classic, and Nightswimming might be one of the most beautiful songs ever made. The production is really incredible too, sound is phenomenal
Garbage
4/5
Only had heard a few tracks from this band, was not expecting to enjoy the album as much as I did. I love Shirley Manson's vocal style where you're hanging on every word, and the washed out, almost shoegazy tone of the guitars. My favorites here are As Heaven is Wide and Vow, which is kinda funny because they're probably the most melodramatic lyrically, but it works for me. Not everything feels essential, but a great album nonetheless
Brian Eno
5/5
This is an album I find myself returning to often. I think it's Brian Eno's best work outside of his strictly ambient stuff. The wonder that St Elmo's fire evokes, the palpable emotion and epic feel of The Big Ship, and its tranquil sequel in Becalmed, the weird whimsy of I'll Come Running, just pick a track and there's something remarkable. Its a record that makes me feel something every time I hear it. Eno is a composer more than a musician at the core, and these songs are all wonderfully composed
The Band
5/5
The quintessential Americana album. Really hard to think of another album that threads together rock and roll, country, folk, blues, soul, and gospel so comprehensively. Phenomenal, I could listen to The Weight on a constant loop, but the whole record is just terrific, Caledonia Mission and Chest Fever are underrated.
Morrissey
3/5
Does anyone love Morrissey more than Morrissey? What is with the smolder into the camera on every single one of his solo album covers? And how can the son of working class Irish immigrants in Britain be such a far right, racist wanker? But alas, gotta separate the art from the artist. I like this album. The first half is a solid four, with the musicians really giving the songs the Smiths treatment. Second half to me is two stars, a lot of dreary, precious vocals and forgettable songs, although the last track is pretty good. So even though I give a 1 star to the man behind the tunes, this one is a solid 3
Black Sabbath
4/5
Was anybody, with the exception of maybe Zeppelin, making anything that sounded like Supernaut in 1971? These guys are the true pioneers of metal. Don't know if I admire Ozzy's killer vocals or the electrifying riffs and solos of Tony Iommi more. Also appreciate their ability to mix it up, like with the great ballad Changes and the lovely instrumentals on Laguna Sunrise. Would say rest in peace Ozzy, but I prefer to imagine him in some far off celestial space, still living a chaotic, creative existence
David Bowie
5/5
First time I've been able to break out the vinyl on this project. My favorite Bowie album. Not as flawless as Ziggy Stardust, but I would argue more fun in its flamboyance, with super compelling lyrics and bold strides in his sound. Has some of his very best with Changes, Life on Mars, Oh You Pretty Things, and my personal favorite, Queen Bitch. Also, screw the Kooks haters, it's a lovely little ditty. Hunky Dory pays homage to Bowie's contemporaries like Dylan and Lou Reed, but the sound is singular
Queen
3/5
Didn't realise how nerdy early Queen is, damn! I'm here for it for the most part, but the ogre one started to grate when they reenacted the battle. I'd be more of a Queen Greatest Hits guy honestly, had never heard any of this but love the glossy 80s hits like Radio Ga Ga and Under Pressure. A lot of this isnt really my thing but I do think its cool to hear them fully embrace anthemic 70s rock, Brian May could always shred. I like Father to Son and The March of the Black Queen a lot
Public Enemy
4/5
I love political rap, and Chuck D is the high priest of the genre. Some terrific samples on this, love the James Brown on Nighttrain. Really hits its stride in the middle of the record with By the Time I Get to Arizona and Move. Today I learned from this that Arizona and NH voted against MLK day being a holiday, fucking insane. Bring The Noise with Anthrax is such a fantastic, ballsy move by a group that clearly loves all kinds of music. It doesn't quite stand up to their two masterpieces in Fear of a Black Planet and It Takes A Nation, more filler, but still a great one
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Have to say I love the concept here, take a long dead composer's music and play it like gremlins who stumbled across a bunch of meth and a synthesiser. Wasn't too sure about it at first, first few songs are lackluster, but from Blues Variation on I was into it, a lot of fun to listen to. Will be checking out more ELP and Modest Mussorgsky, who I'd never heard of.
Tears For Fears
5/5
Hell yeah. Production on this entire thing is just insane, can't believe it's 40 years old with the quality of the sound, even if its the 80s at its campiest at times. Would probably give 4.5 if it was an option, but screw it, five stars for Everybody Wants To Rule the World and Head over Heels/Broken
Hawkwind
3/5
I think this is pretty interesting, but a two hour live album with visual effects seems like an awful jumping-in point to a band I've never heard of. I like the sound, gotta love the theremin, but the sci fi slam poetry is goofy. One that certainly must get slated as pretentious, and doesn't always work, but has intrigued me. I can see how this inspired some great modern bands like King Gizzard, Orgone Accumulator is awesome psych nonsense and sounds like it could be one of theirs. Praise be to the generator for the introduction, even if its a weird one.
Kanye West
5/5
Kanye West is currently a Nazi piece of shit
It has to be said. But in my head, Kanye West died sometime between 2016/17 and is now lost. Honestly I do listen to his music almost never because of who he has become, and have not listened to anything new since 2017 or purchased any music.
I wouldn't be surprised if the time around Yeezus was the start of his mental unraveling. This thing is grim, ugly, narcisstic, profane. On I am A God, as ridiculous as the song's lyrical content can be, you can hear the isolation and desperation, almost like he's trying to convince himself rather than listeners that he's a god.
I do think this is an incredible album, I can't lie. From a production point of view, its a feast of funk, punk, industrial, dancehall and rock samples that just works on every track. The beat drop on Blood on the Leaves is transcendent. New Slaves is one of his best songs. Bound 2 is a pathetic attempt at a love song by someone who I'm not sure is capable of love, but its also weirdly honest, and love the sample. No rapper is or was making anything that sounds like Hold My Liquor. So just like with Morrissey, it's one star for the person, I refuse to defend him, but I'll die on the hill that this is one of the best rap albums this century
The Who
3/5
I feel the same way about The Who as I do about Queen, i love the hits and maybe one album but never done a deep dive, so i didnt know a good few of these. I did do a project about Tommy being the first rock opera when I was in middle school, but the reason why really escapes me. Anyway. Always blown away by Keith Moon's percussion. I'd never thought this before, but it seems that Roger Daltry is a huge vocal inspiration for Robert Pollard, its uncanny on some songs, like Tattoo. Honestly would prefer a studio recording, some live albums really work for me but this one often doesnt. Occasionally a very entertaining listen, but i found it uneven and not very engaging, felt more like you had to be there
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Mixed feelings on this one. Absolutely love California Dreamin, has to be one of the best 60s songs and spawned some great covers. Also like it when they get doo-woppy, like on Go Where you Wanna Go. I enjoy the vocals of Mama Cass and Michelle Phillips alot more than the guys, so i like the ones where they take the lead more. But, so much of this is so sanitized and clearly just churned out to make money on pop radio that it brings it down. Didn't go in expecting edge from the Mamas and Papas but they play it so safe that a lot of these tunes just utterly lack soul and are dull listens (looking at you, Spanish Harlem)
Ash
4/5
Totally new-to-me band, hadn't even heard of them. Really unique, sounds kinda like if young Rivers Cuomo fronted Dinosaur Jr. Enjoyed most it a lot, especially the songs that end with fuzzy guitar freakouts.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Much better to my ears than Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Kiedis is still pretty annoying, dont know what the hell he's saying half the time, but when I do understand him he's not always singing about his sexual prowess, and Californication is a lot more nuanced and interesting. Used to listen to this one a lot and a bunch of these songs hold up for me, especially Scar Tissue, Otherside, and the title track. It does fall off in the second half into more of a samey, bland sound, but ends strong with Road Trippin. If not for this album I would kind of hate RHCP, but its a pretty good one
U2
4/5
Never been a big U2 fan, but credit where it's due, this is a great album. Probably my favorite of theirs, and definitely think it's their most creative. Every song sounds like it could be on a different album, which keeps it really engaging. The three song run of One - Until the end of the world (great guitar work by The Edge) - Who's gonna ride is elite. Also love The Fly. Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno on production makes up for Bono and his often mediocre lyrics, it sounds terrific
Mylo
4/5
Enjoyed this quite a bit. Tasteful sampling, bouncy as hell, often pretty Daft Punk-esque. My kind of electronica. Liked In My Arms and Paris Four Hundred especially. Title track is funny, I mean sure Huey Lewis probably deserves hellfire for what he's wrought, but what's that preacher got against Weird Al? 3.5 rounded up
5/5
Really nothing to say about this that hasn't been said. It is a straight up masterpiece, a perfect album, Ive listened to it countless times from a young age. I imagine listening to this in 1967 was akin to whiplash, ending side 1 with Mr Kite, probably thinking "what the hell was that" and then flipping it over to Within you Without You. Wish that's how I first experienced it. It fires on all cylinders, contains their best creative impulses, and even though the loose chaos collage of the White Album is my favorite, I love the tightly constructed madness of Sgt Pepper, pushing so many boundaries in a clean 45 minutes
Frank Sinatra
3/5
So many of these are essentially the same song, but its a perfectly pleasant, silky smooth song. Would never typically listen to an entire sinatra record for that reason, but I enjoyed it fine, especially You Make Me Feel So Young, Too Marvelous for Words and Pennies from Heaven. Also enjoyed hearing ol' blue eyes crooning the words 'silly gigolos'
The Police
4/5
Another one from the record collection. My copy is used and sounds pretty bad, previous owner must have played the shit out of it in the 80s. Starts with a bang on the title track, absolutely rips. I think Sting is in pretty top form on this one but the other guys bring it down. I just can't in good conscience give 5 stars to an album with Mother on it, that song is so bad. If this wasnt their last album Andy Summers shouldve been kicked out of the band for that monstrosity. Also maybe its just because I've heard it so much, but I think Every Breath you Take is overrated.
On the other hand, this has some of their best, absolutely love King of Pain, both Synchronicity I and II, and the dub sound of Wrapped Around Your Finger. I prefer Zenyatta Mondatta but this is still a great one
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Sensational is a real stretch. Reminds me of Alice Cooper but less fun, less interesting, and a lot creepier. Above all just boring with a lot of repetition of verses that did nothing for me in the first place. This might have been subversive when it came out but has aged like milk, found it lame
Metallica
3/5
Good album. Always liked Metallica but never heard this one all the way through. The mixing is a bit off, its kind of flat and I feel like it could be more dynamic, but still nice to sit back and listen to some virtuoso percussion and lead guitar. Title track hits too close to home in 2025. One is one of their best songs, love the
iconic opening riff/solo and the
song's progression. I did find a few songs boring though, its definitely not as consistently good as Master of Puppets
Cocteau Twins
5/5
A foundational album in the realm of dream pop, a genre I really enjoy. Like most people i dont understand a goddamn thing Elizabeth Fraser sings but it doesn't matter - her Kate Bush-esque vocals are stunning and perfect for the music. It's truly heavenly, so swirly and soothing. Impressive to me that only three people can achieve this sound. I love the title track and Fotzepolitic the most, but every song is fantastic, no filler for me. Feels timeless too, an album that continues to influence and I'm sure will for a long time. Enchanting listen
Eagles
3/5
Maybe its cool to hate on Eagles ever since The Big Lebowski, as so many of the reviews here show, but frankly I think thats pretty overblown and dismissive. This is a solid dad rock album. A lot of stuff on here is cheesy for sure, the ballads (with the exception of Peaceful Easy Feeling) bore the hell out of me, but Take It Easy is one of the best country rock songs ever, makes me wanna just hit the open road. I like Witchy Woman too, and ends strong with the rockin Tryin'. A mixed bag for me personally, they're really a greatest hits band, but this is definitely worthy of this list for that nice 70s laurel canyon-style sound
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I listened to loveless before this for context, since I know this is the band's big comeback but hadn't heard either. It didn't grab me at first like loveless did, but the latter half of this really grew interesting fast.
Wonder 2 sounds like someone spinning the AM dial on a broken radio, with a distant station playing some kind of 50s pop cropping up amid the droney chaos. Super cool and unique sonic experience. A really hard one to rate, feels like an album and band thats very dependent on mood, sometimes might go 4 and other days 2 even, today I'll go down the middle with a 3
Christina Aguilera
2/5
There's a good 35 minute album in here, but it's unfortunately bloated beyond belief. Aguilera is an undeniable talent, great voice. The middle section is the peak for sure, i liked Make Over, and maybe I'm a sap, but Beautiful is a lovely song. Lil Kim feature is good too, and Dirrty is kind of a banger. But a lot of this is absolutely forgettable and could've been cut, really brings it down for me.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Probably my favorite live album, i spin this pretty much every month at least once. Showcases the two sides of Neil with some excellent acoustic songwriting on the first side; I love the poetry of Thrasher and the wistfulness of Pocahontas especially. Then flip it over and you've got some incredible proto-grunge, Powderfinger is my favorite Neil Young song from a lyrical and musical standpoint, that chorus riff is just awesome, and it tells such a vivid, great story in so few words. And concluding the show with Hey Hey, My My, raucously inverting the intro in a way that matches the song's message perfectly. Old Neil decided to rust instead of burn out and I'm glad he did, saw his show last month and he's still got it
Sugar
3/5
Pretty enjoyable, guitar-driven and super melodic alt rock. Some of the songs here felt a little generic and lacking flavor. It sounds really like Pixies lite on a couple songs like A Good Idea, I know husker du really influenced Pixies but in turn Mould was definitely going for that sound here. On the other hand, Hoover Dam and If I Can't Change Your Mind are great songs.
Death In Vegas
4/5
Listened to this in absolute darkness late at night, which elevated the experience for sure. Dirge is stellar, I'm a sucker for a good looped track and I love the slow build with the piled-on layers. Iggy Pop's manic vocals on Aisha are bizarre in the best way. Every song on this is interesting in some aspect, and just as things are getting increasingly grimy and sinister they throw a lighter curveball. One of my favorite new-to-me albums I've heard on this project so far, love how defiant of genre it is
The Smiths
2/5
Learned something from listening to this - I only really like the Smiths when the songs are tight, melodic indie pop songs. Really did not enjoy most of this at all, just a meandering, sullen, whiney Morrissey overpowering most songs. I like the funky bass riff on Barbarism Begins At Home, Marr's guitar work, and not much else. And I'd be sympathetic to vegetarianism, I've attempted it myself and I think factory farming is messed up. But Morrissey's sanctimonious bullshit on the title track is not convincing, I'm sure its just made people crave a big steak for dinner to spite him
The Monks
4/5
Punk as fuck, in every sense of the word. Says on Wikipedia that this has been cited as an influence on artists as diverse as Yo La Tengo, the Dead Kennedys, and the White Stripes, can definitely hear it and I love that
Adele
3/5
13 year old me might have been appalled at this take, but sometimes there's a reason why music is popular. Despite hearing these songs in every dentist office and department store and getting sick of them for like a five year period, its a pretty decent album. I'll give my edgy teenage self one point of agreement that Someone Like You kind of sucks, I wish she ended on the Cure cover. The rest is a well-produced, if not a tad bland, pop soul album, with impressive vocals. Its not to my taste but still good on a technical level
Miriam Makeba
4/5
That voice! Absolutely gorgeous. I'm somewhat skeptical of the term Afropop, since Africa is a whole damn continent, but I've always loved that genre and most of the music I've heard out of West and especially Southern Africa. Such a warm, breezy quality to it, and this record perfectly encapsulates that style with some American flourishes. Don't know how anyone can walk away from this one not in a better mood than when they went in
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I'm a big fan of Joni Mitchell's early folk stuff and had never heard this.. not sure how i feel about it. Was enjoyable enough but I think I just prefer the sparse sounds of her unique guitar playing accompanied by great lyrics, like on Blue. I don't think the extra instrumentals add much to her music. Raised on Robbery is a great tune but I didn't find a whole lot else compelling. And I find the jazzier tracks, especially Twisted, kind of cringy in the context of Mitchell using blackface throughout her career and defending it as recently as 2017. You're a white woman from Canada, Joni, no matter if you say you feel like a black man in your soul (yikes). Its not a bad record but probably overrated, and doesn't have shit on Blue or even Ladies of the Canyon.
Cream
4/5
Plenty of fuzzy guitar goodness and I love the percussion section with so many fun fills. Cream had that psych blues sound down, really cool record thats very of the era
Traffic
3/5
Some songs sound like if The Kinks went in a psychedelic direction, which is cool, but a lot of this is pretty generic 60s rock. It does improve in the second half. Not bad, but didnt move me, kinda doubting the essentiality of it
Arcade Fire
5/5
God I love this one, so nostalgic. Can't decide if this or The Suburbs is my favorite Arcade Fire. I love the creeping, propulsive darkness of so many of these songs, starting on the excellent opener. At the same time they maintain their signature punky/chamber pop/heartland rock mashup sound. I could write a paragraph about every track. Keep The Car Running is a truly Bruce-esque banger. I can't think of another song by any artist that utilises the organ better than Intervention, and then they do it again on the theatrical My Body is a Cage. Its a shame what's become of the band, but every good thing must end, and they were a great thing in their day.
Madonna
3/5
Some of this is great, you can hear the Prince influence, and I love the baroque flourishes on tracks like Dear Jessie. Like A Prayer is a real earworm. Some of this bored me quite a bit. Pray For Spanish Eyes, for example, is just not a good song whatever way you cut it. Still, overall its not bad for super mainstream 80s pop.
Ride
4/5
This project has taught me that I'm actually into shoegaze, this is definitely my kind of thing. Transportive is the word that comes to mind, it demands your attention from the beginning, almost felt like I was fading into the noise. I love the spacey sound of the drums and the basic quiet-loud-quiet pattern that works so well here. Pretty damn near a 5 for me, probably would be on a few more listens. Starts strong on Seagull and ends stronger with Vapour Trail
Pavement
4/5
Love me some Pavement. In some ways they're the perfect example of an indie band with the DIY ethos. Malkmus just can't sing, or at least he doesn't care about doing it "well", and the band is adequate but nothing special, and somehow they still make interesting, catchy, endlessly replayable stuff. Range Life is such a good song, I also love Gold Soundz. Pavement has a strong cult following but I still think they're underrated.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Two Arcade Fire albums in like four days, not complaining. There was a time when this was an easy five stars for me, but in Win Butler's words, now that I'm older my heart's colder. I still love a lot of tracks here, there isnt a bad song on Funeral. Neighborhood 1 and 3 are phenomenal, Haiti is beautiful, and Rebellion (Lies) is a contender for their best song in my book. But there is more throwaway, I dont really care for Laika, and Crown of Love and In the Backseat are just ok. Even Wake Up, it just isnt as impactful on the 1500th listen. I do still love this one, I've listened countless times, and it's a fantastic debut, but it misses the heights of Neon Bible and The Suburbs
Grateful Dead
4/5
I have a healthy respect for The Dead, but cant say I'm a Deadhead. So a true Deadhead might disagree, but this has to be their best studio album. It's smooth as hell, grooving, a tall glass of iced tea on a scorching day. Ripple especially is such a salve for the soul, what a beautiful song both lyrically and melodically. A couple snoozers but overall, a lovely, breezy acoustic album
Steely Dan
4/5
Four stars for the rhythm section alone, this thing kicks. I dont love the song structure and choruses that Steely Dan so often go for, but the instrumentals alone make this album worthwhile
MGMT
5/5
Probably the best indie pop album of all time. Throwing together funk and psych and pop and surf and indie rock and even disco, what a sonic stew. Listened to it on repeat as a teenager and it's still in frequent rotation for me. Oracular Spectacular was MGMT's big break and has their biggest songs, they could have easily rested on their laurels after it or kept trying to make hits, but theyre true creatives and continue to make compelling stuff into 2025. Honestly think Congratulations is an even better record, but its hard to beat the hooks of Kids or Electric Feel, and the deep cuts on here also rule.
Jack White
4/5
One of Jack White's best solo albums for sure, only surpassed by his most recent for me. Remember really liking it when it came out and it still holds up. Idk if it really warrants a place as a must-listen of all time, when there are so many deserving candidates left off the list. The compilers must be big Jack White fans, which is understandable. A very enjoyable album nonetheless, and has bangers like Sixteen Saltines and I'm Shakin
The The
4/5
Gotta be one of the worst band names, but really good collection of songs. I love the playfulness of the instrumentals, you've obviously got the synth throughout but then they do the extended piano solo on Uncertain Smile, the funky percussion at the end of Giant, just entertaining the whole way. I also like songs with dreary lyrics and upbeat instrumentals for some reason, singer having an existential crisis over some grooves is just amusing to me, and theres a lot of that here. Talking about walking past a graveyard and the crushed hopes and dreams of the dead over the downright bouncy sound of steel drums? Cmon, thats funny
Elvis Costello
2/5
I'm pretty lukewarm on Elvis Costello as a whole, I like his singles, but did not like this, it felt really uninspired. I'd rather listen to something a lot rougher around the edges but interesting than something this technically sound and boring. Virtually nothing grabbed me in 51 minutes of music, rough going. And I read that theres six total Costello albums on this list..what the hell. Was the deciding panel literally just a bunch of middle aged white english blokes? My Aim is True is a great one but even big fans cant think hes THAT important
Keith Jarrett
2/5
First one i feel bad about giving two stars. The man can tickle the ivories, I just dont think i have a trained enough ear to enjoy it. I like jazz piano mixed in with other instrumentals quite a bit, but just having the piano for over an hour, i really didnt engage with it at all
4/5
Loretta Lynn is a true queen of country music. That voice with the pedal steel is simply stunning. Also to be recording some of these songs about double standards and how shit life was for women was quietly subversive. The devil Gets his due is an absolute tune, almost punk in spirit
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
As much as I enjoy his contemporaries like Gaye, Redding, and Cooke, theres no soul singer like Curtis Mayfield for me. That falsetto is just perfect. Love the convergence of gospel and funk on this one. Billy Jack is a funky slow burn opener. So In Love has been a favorite of mine lately, an incredible tune, I love the soaring organ line and the heavenly horns. All of this one kills for me
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Listened to this behemoth over the course of a few days. Like a lot of classic American jazz/crooning, its a good song, but a lot of is the same song. I did appreciate and enjoy a lot of it, but it is hard to get through and repetitive as hell
T. Rex
3/5
Always enjoy some T Rex, but I'd still probably throw on Electric Warrior rather than this one if I'm in the mood, this is just more of the same with a few more mid tracks.
Kings of Leon
3/5
The hatred for these guys is overblown. Are they kind of a discount My Morning Jacket? Sure, but they're decent at making really atmospheric, catchy rock songs. Haven't listened to this in a long time and it's about how I remember it. The vocals do start to wear, and lyrics arent always great, but there are enjoyable songs here, thanks mostly to their ear for melody. A good-not-great record that's very 2008. But why the hell KOL is on the list three times and My Morning Jacket not at all, when MMJ is a much better Southern rock band of the same era, thats a real head-scratcher
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Man I love the country blues side of the Stones. The whole band really cuts loose on this one, so many fun songs, and it features some of Jagger's best vocal performances. I love the horn parts on songs like Rocks Off and Loving Cup, and the keys are great throughout. Tumbling Dice is simply one of their best. Crazy how American they sound here too, nothing discernably British about it. Probably their last truly great release, just a honky tonkin good time.
Talking Heads
5/5
A perfect album, zero missteps, and one of my favorites of all time. One common theme thats hard to miss in David Byrne's songwriting is the narrator's fascination with human behavior, but complete inability to understand or relate to it. That's all over this one, and that sense of alienation contributes to the tense yet wonderfully cathartic release of energy in the music. I love pretty much all Talking Heads releases, but this one and Fear of Music have that incredible punkiness to them that just elevate them for me. And Take Me To The River is maybe the best cover ever. This is the one I'd recommend to new fans
The Doors
3/5
I've never really liked The Doors. I think they're really overrated in rock history, dont see the huge appeal in Jim Morrison's cringy poetry or their pretty standard blues rock arrangements, it all just kind of bores me. But this is an alright album, i like the title track, and Riders On The Storm is cool, I like its trippy grooves and keyboard
Black Sabbath
3/5
It's pioneering for sure, but I didnt love it. A great start for the band but they definitely improve on and hone their sound in the following couple albums, this one is a bit less focused and engaging
Bob Dylan
5/5
A stone cold, timeless classic, one of the best records of the 20th century. From the first few organ notes on Like A Rolling Stone to the last lines of surrealist poetry on Desolation Row, it just holds my attention so well every time. Ballad of a Thin Man is the most cryptic diss track of all time, one of my favorite Dylan songs. Queen Jane, Rolling Stone, and the title track are also favorites, but every song is a gem. It's one of his most enjoyable from an instrumental POV, he doesnt have such a great sounding backing band again until Desire. Completes the pivot taken on Bringing it all Back Home; a total artistic reinvention like this is just plain inspiring. Those who aren't busy being born are busy dying.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
In the world of country/Americana, Emmylou Harris is simply one of the best to ever do it. This is a great debut. I love Bluebird Wine, Boulder to Birmingham, Queen of the Silver Dollar. She also does justice to Dolly Parton and especially the Beatles with those covers. For No One is an underrated Beatles song and it works perfectly as a country ballad, Emmylou's golden voice nails it
Kings of Leon
3/5
Decent album. Some good songs here, especially liked Trani and Joe's Head. I thought Talihina Sky was a good piece of songwriting and a nice closer. Lead singers voice does start to grate though, the bad Vedder impression and terrible enunciation is intense on some songs. Pretty okay overall, but a little generic, I do fail to see the huge appeal of these guys.
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
Wow.. maybe its because I listened on a rainy September morning and the first track synced up perfectly, but this hits different. My kind of jazz, just piano, percussion, upright bass, and a truly otherworldly voice. Even when Vaughan forgets the lyrics, she pulls it off so well and nails the scatting. Absolutely gorgeous, provides a warm feeling for the whole 35 minutes, love this one
Oasis
4/5
Wouldn't consider myself an Oasis fan past Morning Glory, the Gallaghers' arrogance, greed, and self seriousness repels me and I think they ran out of ideas quick. But this is a great debut record, some call it muddy but I love how washed out the production sounds. Wasn't as familiar with this one and theres some really cool deep cuts, liked Bring It On Down and Digsy's Diner especially. And Live Forever deserves a place on any best of Britpop compilation
The La's
3/5
Having heard only There She Goes, was surprised at how the rest sounded. At times it almost felt like I was listening to a British REM. Some good jangle pop, albeit a little plain at times. Seems like a good lesson against perfectionism, this was a nice start but if the band hadn't tortured themselves trying to make the perfect record they probably would have had a career with increasingly good albums
Beatles
5/5
Not my favorite Beatles record pre- Rubber Soul, I'd give that to Help, but I love this one. Starts off with a bang with the first three tracks, All My Loving especially is one of my favorite Beatles songs. Yes, no one's favorite Beatles song is The Devil In Her Heart, but the covers don't detract from what's so good about this album. It doesnt feature the insanely creative songwriting that Lennon/McCartney show off later (although theres damn good pop songs here), but With The Beatles demonstrates on every track how incredible the band's chemistry is. A showcase in melodies and harmonies, and just having fun playing together. It will never not blow my mind that four lads from one city in the UK got together and just played so well off each other from the getgo. Makes you want to believe in fate
Ramones
4/5
1234!!
Some groundbreaking motherfuckers right here. It's a simple formula, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Feel like these songs would sound even better live, seeing these guys in NYC in the 70s must have been an absolute blast. That fun 2000s indie sleaze new york scene led by The Strokes owes everything to this band, down to the penchant for leather
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
I can find at least ten other albums from 2021 alone that are more deserving of a spot on the list than this one.. its not altogether bad, the vocals are quite good most of the time, but it lacks real emotion, and the lyrics are pretty mediocre. I just cant see how this is essential. Its not like its the first album to be about empowering women, and even then, the empowerment is twisted..to be a strong woman you need to find a millionaire rapper? Not exactly a feminist take. Inclusion of this one is a head scratcher
White Denim
4/5
Not sure how I've completely missed these guys, I'm always on board for some good neopsych stuff. They sound like a lot of other bands I really enjoy that started in the same era, King Gizzard and The Districts just to name a couple, but also sound like entirely their own thing. Love the diversity of the tracks, the unusual rhythms and song structures, the noodly guitars. All very cool, want to check out more of the discography.
The Beta Band
3/5
The Beta Band are a very different kind of group, this is another difficult one for me to rate. Ive been into the kind of kraut rock-inspired repetitive loops that layer lately, some of these do that very well. I really like the opening track and Human Being. Other songs are really forgettable though and kind of meander until they end. I respect what they were doing and appreciate the diverse range of influences, but an inconsistent one for me
Prince
4/5
I'm not a huge Prince fan, but he deserved all the credit for always being on the cutting edge. He brought sounds from funk, R&B, pop, even old school hip hop together and made music that appealed to everyone, from diehard fans of those genres to snobby classic rock folks. Plenty of great stuff on this, as a producer he was pretty unmatched. Take the song It - lyrically its literally just about getting laid, like a lot of Prince songs, but it ascends into a futuristic, scifi-esque romp at the end with the drum machines and synths. And then two songs later he's doing a 50s-style crooning thing with the sax on Slow Love (surprise, another song about getting laid). Something entertaining on every track here, you can tell how widely he listened. One of his best for sure, it can be corny, but its fun as hell
Kanye West
4/5
This changed rap. There's no denying that. Kanye came out of virtually nowhere as a producer and took from the best elements of 90s hip hop, with sweet soul samples and insanely clever mixing. So much of this sounds fresh, like it could've been released two years ago instead of two decades ago, and it was huge in taking hip hop out of the 90s-hangover, exceedingly dull malaise of the bling era.
But for me, every other Kanye album through Life of Pablo is basically no-skip. This is a great debut, but the second half pales in comparison to the first. We Dont Care, All Falls Down, Spaceship, those are quintessential Kanye. But New Workout Plan is fucking lame, the attempt at R&B is pretty embarrassing on Slow Jamz, etc. There's some gems on the second half like Through the Wire, but it doesnt hold a candle to the first. Still, a pretty fantastic debut.
Queen Latifah
4/5
Everyone should put respect on Queen Latifah's name. Excellent flow, and she was a super important part of The Native Tongues collective with Tribe and De La Soul. Ive always much preferred this kind of alt hip hop as opposed to gangsta rap, and Queen Latifahs a pioneer of it. Great album, the songs that go for the kinda House sound are dated, but tracks like Dance For Me and Latifah's Law go hard
Paul Simon
5/5
Many would view this as Paul Simon's magnum opus and I have to agree. I love a lot of Simon's work, from every part of his career, but on this one he's not just the folky artist of Simon and garfunkel or the "adult contemporary" artist. He is these things still, and more, layering on the African rhythms and vocals, the jazzy brass, the powerful lyrical imagery. I think the accusations of appropriation are unfair, its clearly a collaboration with black South African artists like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who got royalties and wider recognition from audiences at a time when South Africa was under a fascist, racist regime. It says a lot when You Can Call Me Al, an absolute banger, is one of the weakest tracks. Title track is so emotionally resonant and beautiful, but I think my favorite is Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes, never get tired of it.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Duke Ellington was the man, you can tell he had the best stories. And a legendary composer, these songs are snappy and alive, I love the blend of classic swing with some New Orleans-style jazz. Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue is the soaring center, he and the band deliver on what's promised in the title. Great set of tunes
Air
3/5
I saw The Virgin Suicides for the first time this year. Its an atmospheric film, technically very well done, but it just kind of washed over me and didnt make an impact. This soundtrack here provokes basically the same reaction. Its fine, but not sure why its here. Highschool Lover is pretty iconic, or maybe its not and the movies just fresh in my mind, i dont know, its the only song i remembered anyway. I like the soundtrack but will almost surely never listen again. If we're doing soundtracks, throw some Angelo Badalamenti on there for his work on Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, or the Straight Story, that guy was a legend
The Cramps
3/5
Great selection for the beginning of October with the spooky vibes. This is good, I dig the anarchic spirit and the demented elvis style, but i got the gist with five or six songs, too much filler to make this great for me. Id make a shortlist album with Garbageman, teenage werewolf, mad daddy, their cover of Strychnine, and I'm cramped. The rest is fine but too samey
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Nice to hear some Marley deep cuts, only one I knew here was Stir It Up. Which is a perfect song, beautiful melody and harmonies and vibes, and that bassline is bliss. I feel like the sanitized, commercial image of Bob Marley is merely the happy stoner guy, and the song I most often hear played is three little birds. Good song, but he also made protest bangers like Stand Up For Your Rights and often sang in support of the poor and marginalised too. a lot of these songs showcase that. A super pleasant listen
CHIC
3/5
I wasn't around in the late 70s, but the whole "Disco Sucks" moment just seems really stupid, and likely straight up racist. Disco kind of rules, actually. The slow numbers do nothing for me, but the upbeat dance songs are a familiar formula, find a great groove and stick to it. You can hear clearly how much this sound influenced acts like Daft Punk. A full record is probably not the best way to listen, a disco club 50 years ago obviously is, but overall i liked it
The Byrds
4/5
Goddamn, I need to listen to more of the Byrds' stuff. Definitely my cup of tea, they sound like if Simon and Garfunkel misbehaved and just dropped copious amounts of acid. But also love the swinging country on so many songs, i didnt realise how unique these guys were
Dire Straits
4/5
Not quite on the level of Brothers in Arms for me, that ones an atmospheric, epic masterpiece, but this is still a great listen. Knopfler kills it as always as a songwriter and musician, feel like I'm fucking levitating when the guitars kick in on Sultans of Swing, and theres some excellent bluesy pub rock tunes here, Setting Me Up rocks. Another one on this list that is just a super impressive debut
The Youngbloods
4/5
Maybe I'm easily impressed by tasteful 60s folk rock, but i enjoyed the hell out of this. A new-to-me band and they definitely seem like they were underappreciated. Maybe not as creative as guys of the era like The Byrds, they weren't reinventing the wheel, but they're like a more focused Allman Brothers, just some tight, grooving tunes. Picked up some Grateful Dead and maybe even Steely Dan vibes here too. Especially liked Smug and Sham
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
This shit supposed to be funny? All I hear is a cynical little bitch thats bad at satire and acts just so cool and above it all. Zappa's just soo different and quirky, hes not like the other freaks. Maybe the time we're living through taints my view on this one, but relentlessly mocking people for caring about stuff or standing for something, even if they are stinky hippies, is pretty lame and depressing. In mocking others for taking themselves too seriously, he takes himself way too seriously. Some hot poop for sure, had to be there I guess.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I loved this album when I was a kid, but definitely didnt understand it. I remember it being spooky, chilling at times, and I of course loved the classic rock hits and guitar solos. Listening in full as an adult, even though the grand metaphor of The Wall is anything but subtle, it hits super hard. You see people fall into viscious cycles of addiction all the time, and building that wall brick by brick until theyre totally closed off and isolated from others, just seeking release in all the wrong places. The Wall takes you through step by step; its "Tommy" with sharper teeth, a Tommy who's also traumatised as a youngster but discovers booze and meaningless sex and heroin and fascism instead of pinball, a pitch-fucking-black rock opera. Its a simple but incredibly powerful metaphor, and it also just rules as a classic rock album. The solos on Comfortably Numb and Hey You are all timers, and I love Young Lust and Run Like Hell, and all the musical motifs like the recurring brick in the wall riff, and the top tier vocals. Every song is worthwhile. The Wall is best at its most sinister, so not one I reach for often, and undeniably over the top at times, but its a masterpiece.
R.E.M.
5/5
I only fairly recently have really realised how great REM were. I know people who were there love the earlier 80s stuff, and i certainly like it, but this is the one where Michael Stipe really spat the marbles out of his mouth and you can actually understand and appreciate the lyrics. As much as I love Automatic For The People and a few other albums, this is the band's pinnacle. The first three tracks, especially Finest Worksong and Exhuming McCarthy, start off the record with such a bang, and then you have the twin titans of End of The World and The One I Love, and it just doesnt let up. It's political (fuck you Reagan and all you've wrought), it's punk, it's fundamental to the history of alternative rock
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
No disrespect to Cyndi Lauper herself, she's a great singer, and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is an all timer pop hit. (Although screw that weird accent thing she does towards the end). But the production on this is at times just godawful and annoyed the hell out of me. The overreliance on the snare and electric drums, the wholly unnecessary synths, just the worst of the 80s sound is all over it, really brings down the listening experience
Joe Ely
3/5
Not familiar with Joe Ely but I am with his fellow Texans and contemporaries Guy Clark and the incomparable Townes Van Zandt, and theres flashes of both here. The Texas country sound is so much better than the sleek corporate Nashville one, Ill always prefer it. Not every song here is the most original or interesting, but if I happened upon a band playing stuff like this in some old honky tonk I'd be happy
Fugees
5/5
One of the most inventive hip hop albums of the 90s, and really by extension, ever. Elite lyricism, always entertaining fusions with pop and reggae. And Lauryn Hill absolutely is the star of the show, with her seamless flow and silky R&B chops, no need to hire singers or pay for chorus samples. Not many groups out there repping north Jersey outside of organised crime but these guys did it so well, a shame they only put out two albums
Koffi Olomide
3/5
One of the more unique albums listened to so far.. the percussion rocks throughout, and i love how Afropop acts often use instruments like the electric guitar in a much different way to rock or western styles. Its a breezy, airy sound thats more about the rhythm, with repetitive but joyful and bouncy little riffs and noodling. But then on the other hand, this record has some songs that repeat the same phrase for like five mins that wasnt that interesting to begin with. On the songs that I was feeling the groove, i really enjoyed listening, but others dragged
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Only one I was familiar with here is This Corrosion, which is a great song. I went in intrigued, and it started out pretty strong. But I got tired pretty quickly of essentially seven minute long Gregorian chants. I like the atmosphere of these but theres some serious dynamism missing. I could pick out a ton of other bands from the same era that have overlapping similarities in the sound - The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen, even friggin Duran Duran a little bit - that just do it better with tighter arrangements and stronger hooks. This is fine but Im not goth enough to know what makes it special i guess
Radiohead
5/5
Like a lot of people, I didnt really "get" Kid A when I first heard it. Then around 19 or 20 I started struggling with anxiety and it hit so much harder. This is in a lot of ways, just a soundtrack to mental illness. The National Anthem is panic disorder, How To Disappear is someone experiencing depersonalization, Motion Picture Soundtrack is deep depression. There's a stark and cold beauty to all of these songs; treefingers sounds like an Eno invention, and so many, like Idioteque, have this hypnotic quality. For me The National Anthem is the best here and one of the band's best songs. Everything from the off kilter brass to that driving riff, and the agoraphobic lyrics, just screams disunity and the fabric of any collective reality coming apart at the seams. Fucking relatable and prescient at the turn of the century
The Flaming Lips
4/5
This is a great album, probably my favorite by the Flaming Lips. A bit too much filler for me to give it 5 stars, but has some of their very best tracks with fight test, Yoshimi, are you a hypnotist, do you realise??. Funny having this one after Kid A, both terrific albums released around the same time but while Yorke and co are freaking out, Wayne Coyne is entering the 21st century, probably blissed out on shrooms, happy to be alive, just making creative and catchy shit. You need both kinds of bands, this is such a warm and vibrant record. Getting to see the Lips live was incredible, anyone should go if they get the chance
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This one ticks all the boxes for me for what I want from the Stones. Ive heard detractors call these guys a British blues pub band, which would put them on the same level as like, Clapton and Rod Stewart. Jagger and the band deserve a lot more respect than that, those other guys could not have written something as lovely as Wild Horses. Two other country gems on here are Moonlight Mile and Dead Flowers, then you've got the burn-the-house-down blues rock of Brown Sugar (problematic but so fuckin good), and Bitch is the most danceable thing they ever did. But no song on here isnt great - Its just a terrific classic rock record, one of the best you'll ever hear
Digital Underground
3/5
Cringy lyrics on songs like Gutfest notwithstanding, I liked this overall. The goofy spirit is just fun, Humpty Dance is absolutely stupid and iconic and catchy, and songs like Underwater Rimes are just refreshing in a weird way, guys are not taking themselves seriously at all. Its just got a loose feel that I appreciate, even if its too silly for its own good at times. Songs are way too long too, but that was the style of the time and early hip hop so I guess it gets a pass there
Billy Joel
5/5
Billy Joel's magnum opus. Piano Man is a great song but for me, Joel is a one-album wonder, and this thing goes incredibly hard. He nails the soft rock sound on songs like Just The Way You Are without being sappy like he definitely comes across more later in his career. And the hooks of Movin Out, Vienna, Italian Restaurant, are all-timer hooks that I belt out every time. As overly sentimental or corny as some of Billy Joel's stuff is, he made one of the best albums of the 70s, I absolutely love this one
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Another fantastic album from Stevie's golden era. It has everything you'd want, the gospel songs, funk jams, soulful ballads. Also, I'm a big Dylan fan, but absolutely no one plays the harmonica like Stevie Wonder. He makes that shrill instrument sound silky somehow. I especially loved Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away, the Nixon takedown You Haven't Done Nothin, and the almost creepy with its rapture vibes, but super mesmerising, They Won't Go When I Go. A 4.5 for me but its Stevie Wonder, gotta round up
George Michael
3/5
Mixed bag for me. Faith is a brilliant pop song, always liked that one. Father Figure is also good, if not a bit creepy, but then it ranges from boring to insufferable for a while. I Want Your Sex is a brutal listen. But just as I was ready to dish out a 2, it picked up again. I really enjoyed Hand To Mouth, Look at your Hands, and Monkey. Kind of a whiplash album, fine overall.
Django Django
3/5
Wanted to like this more than I did, and another review here nailed it - the band has no songwriter (or compelling vocalist). The instrumentals are cool, something different for sure, but the hooks are often dull, if there are any. Some of these meander too much and it takes me out of the song.
The Temptations
4/5
A fantastic blend of classic motown and 70s funk. Got so into the groove of Papa Was a Rolling Stone I had no idea it was 12 minutes
The Jam
4/5
Really liked this one. Reminiscent of The Clash, but also see how its almost surely an inspiration for artists like Guided By Voices and The Replacements. Definitely want to check out more
Louis Prima
4/5
I love New Orleans style jazz. There's such a vibrancy here, every song is just fun and joyful and its a pleasure to listen to, even if most songs follow the same formula.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Indulgent as hell, in the best way. Some incredible creative expression here, i wasn't familiar with a couple psychadelic deep cuts like 1983 and Burning of The Midnight Lamp, which sounds kinda Beatle-esque even. And then to finish with Watchtower and Voodoo Child, doesnt get better there. Doesnt need to be said either but some of the best rock guitar you'll hear anywhere ever
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Amy Winehouse was a generational talent, who paid respect to the legends of jazz and soul while doing her own thing. This is one of the best albums of this century I think, the first half especially is completely flawless. Ronson's production also has to be credited, and the band sounds so tight throughout
Taylor Swift
2/5
Taylor Swift is and always has been the sonic equivalent of boiled chicken and unsalted white rice. More than any pop star, I'm baffled by the scale of her success. I may be biased reviewing this because I think of the billionaire cosplaying as an indie folk artist as almost insulting, in an age when only massively popular acts can get by in the music industry. The paycheck must have been good for Bon Iver and The National to provide their services. Beyond all that, she's just a heavy-handed, mediocre lyricist. "Dirtier than the mud on your car tires"? Ok.. the title track is the only one I found enjoyable, the rest was bland as hell and samey
Prince
4/5
Terrific album and my favorite from Prince. A few of the deeper cuts are a bit overwrought for my liking, but most of this is almost a greatest hits album. I especially love the title track and think its probably his best song
Frank Ocean
5/5
Being a Frank Ocean fan is so frustrating. Ive loved his two albums since I was a young teenager and doubt we'll see a third. Frank has an almost Brian Wilson-like ear for melody, and his voice is just incredible. Channel Orange is banger after banger; most of the songs here have a dreamlike quality, whether its a sweet one (Pink Matter), a fever dream (Pyramids), or a nightmare (Crack Rock). He also is a brilliant lyricist, the lyrics alone of Bad Religion give me chills, and Super Rich Kids is so deftly written. Listened to this one many times and will listen many more times, a favorite
Madonna
2/5
Oof. The second half was tolerable, I didnt mind the mellower tracks as much, but the more ravey electropop sound, really was feeling close to a 1 star. Sounds like late career Cher fronting the Black Eyed Peas, hot garbage. And that American Pie cover hurts
The Triffids
2/5
Never heard of these guys. I found this really middling, if not straight up annoying at times. A couple tracks like Holy Water with the almost tropical vibes and Jerdacuttup Man are a bit interesting. A lot of forgettable stuff though. At times they sounded too much like The Waterboys, a band I like the hits from but get easily tired of. Really dont see a reason for this to be on here
The Go-Go's
4/5
I knew that We Got The Beat was a great song, but this whole thing is just an excellent, punchy, high energy New Wave record. Thoroughly enjoyed and was entertained by the whole thing, and I cant believe its their debut, the band sounds so cohesive.
Common
4/5
Common has always been one of the more underrated rappers out there, he's a fantastic and cerebral lyricist with a smooth flow. This is the best album ive heard from him, with lush production from vintage Kanye (only production misfire is maybe Testify, with the distracting vocal sample, but the rich samples and mixing on almost every other track makes up for that one). On Be, Common channels progressive hip hop from the greats like Talib Kweli and Mos Def, very effectively
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Gotta admit I came i to this one a snob, thinking there must be a reason that the world only knows Come On Eileen. But then that brass kicked in, whoa. Did not expect this to basically be a rocksteady/ska record, and most of it sounded pretty great. Definitely want to listen again
M.I.A.
2/5
Had high hopes for this one because Paper Planes is a great song and only one I really knew by MIA. But her not really rapping, not really singing thing, and the extensive use of repetition, just didnt work for me at all for the length of an entire album, got super annoying. I cant say i absolutely hated it, some of the actual music was kinda good, but i also really wanted it to be over sooner and had a headache after listening
Beck
3/5
I feel like I remember enjoying this one a lot more than I actually do now. There's plenty to appreciate here, some really strong lyricism, and I love the orchestral arrangements, which kind of remind me of Radiohead. It's just really top-heavy to me. First five songs are great, topped off with the brilliant Lost Cause, then it just kinda meanders and a lot of the songs enter a sort of dreary saminess. I do like Sunday Sun and the ultra bleak country instrumentals on Side of the Road though. Overall a good album but not one for regular listening for me
Depeche Mode
4/5
Some certified bangers on this one. Enjoy The Silence especially is just so good. I dont often go for melodrama in music but I love how melodramatic Depeche Mode is both lyrically and musically, like a gothic Tears for Fears. Idk if people thought this sounded ahead of its time, but i can think of plenty of talented young groups like Nation of Language now who are super inspired by these guys, and probably this album in particular
Duran Duran
4/5
Overproduced, dated, cheesy at times, but somehow this album still fuckin rules. Title track is a top tier new wave song, it has Hungry Like the Wolf, and some great deep cuts like Last Chance on the Stairway. Also kudos to the bassist, some insanely funky riffs throughout
Queen
4/5
Starting your album off by doing a multi-gendered duet with yourself is such a ballsy move, thats Freddie Mercury for you. This one is a lot of fun, a high octane fusion of precise classic rock with pure musical theater. Doesnt always work for me but when it hits, it really hits. Brighton Rock, Killer Queen, Stone Cold Crazy, Flick of the Wrist, and the finale here, all terrific tracks. A big improvement on Queen II, they didnt get rid of the bombastic antics but they stopped fighting goblins
Nanci Griffith
4/5
Wonderful folk/country/bluegrass record, really encompasses the best things about those genres. Love the clarity of Griffith's voice. Helps the listener focus in on the terric Prine-esque songwriting, that tells small town stories without the political toxicity of modern country. I liked the bluegrass tinged tracks especially, St Olavs Gate and The Banks of the Pontchartrain stood out.
Blur
5/5
Not to rekindle a silly manufactured beef, but the answer to the question "Liam or Noel?" is Damon fucking Albarn. The man has more creative ability and vision than either in his pinky finger alone, and this one is proof. Starting with Beetlebum is one of the best ways you could start an album, and it goes full throttle from there. The sonic variety on this, compared to a lot of Britpop acts at the time, is really impressive, from punk to slacker rock to foreshadowing of modern indie. The transition from Strange News to Movin On is one of the highlights of the whole thing for me. Its not perfect, definitely can be self indulgent like with the closing track, but I love it, probably my favorite Blur album
Eels
4/5
I like Shrek as much as the next guy, but Mark Everett deserves to be known as much more than the Shrek guy. Eels are great, and this is one of their best, behind only Blinking Lights for me. The fuzzy and explosive guitar complements his voice so well, but the lyrics are the highlight here. He's a terrific lyricist, writing songs that are vivid, sometimes humorous, sometimes just bleak, but also really down to earth, accessible and human.
Alice In Chains
2/5
I don't like Alice In Chains. I just don't. I understand why people might; if i was a 50 year old divorced dad who used to crush cans with the boys in the 90s while this was blasting, and now listens to it when they're in their feels about limited custody of the kids, I can see the appeal. But to me, every song basically sounds the same, the vocals are annoying most of the time, and every song is so overdramatic. I cant imagine finding this emotionally resonant, and God help anybody who does, thats a lot of weight to carry. If i wanted this kind of grungy sound from that era, I'd throw on Soundgarden or especially Nirvana any day. Concession: Rooster kind of fucking rocks.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
I'd like to read the description in the book about why this was included.. not that its bad, i enjoyed some of the songs here, like Ballad of a Useless Man and Get It On. But it just seemed like pretty run of the mill 60s rock and roll, nothing groundbreaking or memorable
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Very cool background to these guys and a very cool record. Felt Kuti/ Talking Heads vibes on some tracks, then you've got the electric blues and the traditional Malian music, makes for an engaging listening experience, really the kind of thing i like to hear on the list
Ray Charles
4/5
I'd rather listen to Ray Charles' soulful croon over a killer big band than Sinatra's any day. I also love that he lets the band cook on so many tracks with some really skillful solos. I like the first half more than the second but ends on a great note with Come Rain or Come Shine.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Really unique falsetto that he passed on to his son, but I largely did not enjoy this one. Once I Was is a really nice song, very Nick Drake-esque. But theres way too much annoying psych-folk bullshit thats so dated sounding. Folk rock does not have to be so full of silly medieval references, like a lot of 60s singer songwriters for some reason thought it did. Just for the most part found it a really tedious listen. Clearly Tim Buckley was a talent, but I dont like the bardic style of this one at all.
Throwing Muses
2/5
Ok, who put dollar store Sleater Kinney fronted by a dolphin on here, and why? Someone has to answer for this
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Phenomenal album. Reggae is one of the few genres for me at least, where repetition actually enhances the listening, you get into the groove with the subtle differences folding in. There's so much political statement on here to appreciate, Them Belly Full feels especially poignant now. I'd never heard this version of No Woman No Cry and I actually like it more, it's a lot more raw. Also loved Bend Down Low and Talkin Blues especially, the brass throughout the whole thing is divine. Maybe Marley's finest and definitely five star worthy
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Cant be objective here because I've listened to this one countless times and the hooks are burned onto my subconscious. One of the finest indie rock albums of the 21st century. Alex Turner and co bringing the Strokes-esque swagger, before they went massive with AM or faded back into obscurity with the current lounge lizard act (which actually is kind of good.) Just incredibly punchy tunes, sleazy Yorkshire delivery, super memorable lyrics. Remember seeing these guys opening for the Black Keys in like 2012 and the Monkeys made much more of an impression on me. The percussion on this record particularly deserves a lot of credit, driving beats and excellent fills
Miles Davis
4/5
Definitely don't have anything to say about this that hasn't been said, especially since I'm no jazz aficionado. Venus de milo and Godchild especially were a delight to listen to. This is a lot more straightforward than his later experimentation on stuff like Bitch's Brew. I think overall I'm more of a Coltrane guy, but Davis is undeniably one of the best to ever do it
Jeff Beck
4/5
Liked this one more than I thought I would. I think thats down mostly to Jeff Beck, unlike his contemporaries like Clapton , recognising he cant sing for shit and recruiting Rod Stewart. Stewart's pipes are perfect for the British white boy blues style and elevate most of the songs here. But also the musicianship is pretty insane, Beck's Bolero alone proves that. More like a 3.5 rounded
Bob Dylan
5/5
Its a desert island disc for me. So many deeply profound songs here, definitely his least abstract of the big 60s-70s run lyrically, but also his most emotionally impactful. Idiot Wind is a devastating diss track, Simple Twist of Fate and Tangled up In Blue are pure poetry, and my favorite here has to be Shelter From the Storm. Buckets of Rain deserves more credit too with its lovely guitar work. And cant forget about Rosemary, I love trying to figure out what the fuck is going on with the plot of that one, while that chugging Johnny Cash-style rhythm carries it
Talking Heads
5/5
One of those albums i could just listen to forever. Unlike a lot of Talking Heads albums, I struggle to remember/mix up some of the names of songs on this album, and i think thats down to how fantastic the continuity is. The songs blend together in the best way, listening is like being in a flow state, with the hypnotic grooves and odd guitar tones. My favorites are probably Born Under Punches and the very underrated, spooky, Listening Wind, but almost everything is essential. Ive never been too crazy about The Overload but even that one starts to grow on you after awhile
fIREHOSE
3/5
Didnt know this project existed.. you can see the clear line from the Minutemen to this for sure, its pretty cool. A bit hit or miss for me though, while some songs like Time With You and Some Things were great, the kind of formlessness of a lot of the songs kind of took me out of it. Some great basslines and percussion especially, but it left me wanting a bit more. Maybe i just need repeat listens
The Clash
5/5
No disrespect to the Ramones, they made some great pop music, but what they were doing was kid shit compared to The Clash. Guys from the OG heartland of unfettered capitalism, brutal empire, and rigid elitism making anticapitalist, anti-imperialist, pro working class songs that absolutely slap. Cant start a debut more strongly than with the first four songs here and the deep cuts are also so good, Career Opportunities is one of my favorite Clash songs. One of the best and most important punk records of all time right here, songs that resonate probably more now than they did when they came out
Cat Stevens
4/5
Really nice folk album. I dont absolutely love every song, but theres plenty to pick out and enjoy beyond Wild World. Father and Son gives me chills every single time, the emotion in his voice, the complexity of the feelings towards one another, it's just a really powerful song. Cat Stevens reminds me a lot of Labi Siffre, one of his contemporaries that should definitely be on this list. There's a super warm quality to this kind of folk stuff
Pentangle
2/5
Cant believe i was shitting on Tim Buckley for the renaissance vibes, this is a lot worse. Just tedious, the vocals are nice and musicianship is impressive but the songs just plod on and theres just something sterile and performative about it. So precious at times, almost feels like a Spinal Tap-level parody of a 60s folk band. Sally Go Round the Roses is probably the best song, but three versions, wtf? Maybe let this material stay in the 1500s unless youre gonna do something interesting with it, like groups like The Fairpoint Convention have done
Radiohead
5/5
It has the eerie, dark beauty of the Kid A/Hail to the Thief era and the thrashy punkiness that a lot of Ok Computer has, but In Rainbows is also a new thing entirely. Feel like every time I hear this one I home in on something new to me; this time its just how much Yorke's voice is a proper instrument, not just delivering some great hooks but fading in and out of so many tracks and enhancing the incredibly atmospheric instrumentals. Every song is great here. Today I especially was feeling Reckoner, All I Need, Bodysnatchers, guess I was embracing the November darkness. A colorful masterpiece that lives up to its name
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Great vocals as you'd expect, from Dusty and the backup singers too. I liked a good few songs here, like You Don't Own Me and I Only Want to be With You. But every damn song is just about how lovesick the narrator is, i get that that was just the 60s pop style but it gets really tiresome on a 20 track record. Was really ready for it to be finished a lot earlier
Fairport Convention
4/5
Like dropping acid and hitting up the ren faire. Love Sandy Denny's voice, would listen to her sing anything. Unlike some contemporaries who just wanted to do the lame medieval folk band thing, these guys built on that really rich tradition by imbuing it with a bunch of 60s psych rock tendencies. I love the sound of electric guitar blending with the fiddle on folk stuff like this. Also lyrically, a lot of the songs are pretty engaging, which is cool considering theyre centuries-old ballads.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Clapton's shredding still does not make this anything more than a snoozefest. Bluesbreakers is right if they mean theyre breaking everything that makes the blues good. British whiteboy blues almost always lacks any real soul, and that's the case here. And Little Girl, yikes. Not an old blues standard, just Mayall being a fucking creep. Steppin Out is fun, the rest of it was a slog
John Prine
5/5
An all-timer for me. I love most of John Prine's albums, but this one is quintessential and captures the essence of who he was - funny, empathetic, and talented. He wasn't overly flowery with language or as artsy (and let's be honest, pretentious) as Dylan, but he's one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He was an everyman Dylan. Jason Isbell, a great songwriter in his own right, said the difference between a good songwriter and great one is whether they can write about subjects beyond themselves without being vague. I think thats true, and Prine exemplified that, going deep and vivid here through a range of subjects, from people growing old alone, to a veteran heroin addict, to a yearning Alabaman housewife with dead dreams. But some of the best songs here are deeply personal. Paradise is a favorite of mine, describing the ecological and economic destruction of coal country through a place that meant a lot to him. Pretty much a perfect debut
Fatboy Slim
3/5
My experience listening to this was like whiplash. Every song felt like it started with a cool sample or a funky beat, but the more it went on, the more i started to resent the repetition, especially the fucking annoying vocal bits. Wouldnt revist the whole thing but some good songs for sure, Praise You is a banger
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Listened to this while reading some sci fi and definitely enhanced the experience. I love really good ambient music, the spaciousness of it. This felt almost infinite, like it would just go on slowly morphing forever. Both meditative and pretty unsettling at times. Amazing the sonic universe that one guy with not much equipment can create
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
John Fogerty and co dont have a lot of range, but what they lack in that department they just make up for in kickass rock and roll. This one doesnt overstay its welcome, just 34 minutes of good ol fashioned CCR. Its not as good as Green River but theres a lot to like
Leonard Cohen
5/5
There are great songs on pretty much every Cohen album, but I'd pick this as his finest full collection. This released when he was 33, but he might as well have been 333 in some ways. There's so much evocative religious imagery, and strange ancient-feeling poetry, you really wouldn't know a lot of these songs were of the 20th century just from reading the lyrics. Cohen never thought he was a good guitarist either, but I love his fingerstyle guitar here, that has more in common with classical than folk. Suzanne is perfect, I've always loved Stranger Song and Sisters of Mercy, and you've got two incredible farewell/breakup songs back to back. And the backup singers kill it, elevating his sleepy voice to create some really beautiful harmonies. An excellent record from a singular talent in folk and poetry
The Byrds
3/5
Maybe I'm just a bit fatigued with 60s psych folk since the generator seems to be churning them out a lot lately, but this one kind of washed over me. I didnt dislike anything, and it was cool to hear the Eight Miles High instrumentals, feel like they were definitely ahead of their time. As a whole though, didnt enjoy as much as the Notorious Byrd Brothers record
Portishead
3/5
Kind of a frustrating listen. Id heard Dummy before and liked it, and I like the atmosphere that a lot of the songs here build. But alot of them just feel pretty aimless and uninteresting, and they go nowhere. Its fine but a real head scratcher as to why its taking up a spot on the list when Portishead already have another one on here, doesnt feel essential at all, and the fact that it ranked in NMEs top 500 of all time frankly baffles me
Calexico
4/5
Cant believe ive never heard much of Calexico's stuff. Kinda sounds like if you threw Iron and Wine and The Jayhawks in a blender with a touch of wilco and a southwestern flavor. I especially liked the numerous instrumental tracks and how varied they were
Tracy Chapman
5/5
Not many notes for this one, just a gorgeous and singular album through and through. Every song gets to the heart, whether its a love song, or reflection on economic and racial injustice, or both
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
A cinematic masterpiece. Kendrick brings West Coast hip hop and G Funk fully into the new millennium on this one. From a lyrical standpoint this one kinda reminds me of the film boogie nights. The first half kind of glamorizes the subject matter, like a lot of classic hip hop does, and then theres suddenly a vibe switch with Good Kid, and it really highlights the grim reality and pressures for a lot of people growing up in Compton. With this one he emerged as one of the best to ever do it. Where my fuckin Dominoes at
Tina Turner
4/5
Some very silly 80s production choices on some tracks not withstanding, this is a great album. Turner's powerhouse vocals carry it, and she puts on a compelling performance on every song. Loved I Cant Stand the Rain, the title track, and the rockin Steel Claw especially. Really unique cover of Help! too. She was a legend
AC/DC
2/5
Every song here is approximately like this:
*Drums kick in, a persistent, steady, unadventurous beat*
*really pedestrian power chords with intermittent shredding*
*Bon Scott yowls something horny, or depicts himself as a badass, or both*
Tons of white dudes 60 years old and up - "Holy fuuuuuuck ACDC is the best rock band ever, they just dont make music like they used to."
Rinse, repeat
Hard to take the boomers who shit on modern hip hop or pop seriously if they fail to recognize that this, too, was cringy posturing emptiness that was massively popular in its day. They were technically skilled for sure but made just deeply uninteresting stuff, Bud Light rock
Björk
4/5
I tried listening to this in the car and it wasn't clicking much at all, quickly realised that similarly to Kid A,its the definition of a headphones album. Switched to headphones and the lush, weird arrangements here really sprung to life. Makes it way easier to focus on the strange beauty here, like the choral conclusion to Undo or the folktronica feel of Unison. Pagan Poetry is stunning too. Feel like I need repeat listens to appreciate this fully, but that just speaks to how carefully constructed it is. Bjork is one of a kind
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Never heard of these guys before. Lyrically its not very good (want some cheese with your whine) but I liked it fine otherwise. Maybe a bit derivative and unremarkable but I like the energy and you can hear the influences of some great punk bands on here. Then, in typical 90s fashion, they threw in the ska-style horns, always down for some tastefully placed horns. Solid enough stuff
SZA
3/5
SZA is always a mixed bag for me. I like the production a lot- the lazy electric guitars on some tracks, trip hop vibes, boom bap kinda beats. And her vocals are good too, at her best she reminds me of Frank Ocean. Drew Barrymore is a great song. On the other hand a lot of this album feels really one-note, especially lyrically, and songs feel almost unfinished half the time. I think her more recent album SOS is a more complete and better effort, but theres flashes of brilliance here
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Pretty crazy to me how much more I prefer this to Siamese Dream. I guess theres a lot more here, and the range of styles they explore allows for a more interesting listen. And I don't find Corgan's voice as annoying. 1979 is a perfect song, such an atmospheric track with so much emotion, and I like the metal-ish freakouts. Have to appreciate the ambition and scope on display here
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Some good classic east coast boom bap, only really familiar with You Cant Stop the Prophet but I liked a few others too like Jungle Music. Still, its a bit run of the mill, definitely representative of the time period but there's better examples of the style that could be on the list instead
Faith No More
2/5
Like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but worse, with a touch of Korn and Limp Bizkit. On the other hand, I guess they have some pretty profound lyrics. "So HUG me, and KISS me, then WIPE my BUTT and PISS me" in what seems to be a protest song against.. babies?
This shit sucks so bad, maybe not musically the worst but I hate the main style they're going for here. The War Pigs cover is probably the highlight because its not their own
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Its the kind of jazz I always get behind. Vibrant, atmospheric, always shifting enough to stay interesting, with some great worldbeat rhythms. Maseru in particular is an awesome song. Mr Masekela knew his way around the horn, and i had to look up who played piano/keyboard on here - shout out Larry Willis, some of the best jazz keys ive heard. Would love to add this one to the vinyl collection
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
They played the shit outta the bandoneon and vibrophone, gotta say. Its definitely unique, but I'd be lying if I said I focused closely in on it the whole time
Venom
3/5
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Hail Satan, I guess? If this were twenty mins shorter, its a four. Its campy as hell, but if you just embrace it and go with the thrash, there are rewards to be had.
Various Artists
4/5
Y'know what, hell yeah. I think that 60s Christmas music was the peak of the genre, its only declined since, and you cant ask for a much better sampling than this collection, even if it does get a bit one-note. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is easily one of the best secular Christmas songs ever
Kraftwerk
4/5
A made-for-headphones, protoelectronic gem by masters of the genre. Still sounds like the future to me
Magazine
4/5
A really different record. Was thinking to myself "this sounds like a bizarro Buzzcocks" until I looked more into them and learned it was a couple of the same guys. Seems they kept the Buzzcocks energy and combined with some artsier American influences, like Television and Talking Heads. I'm into it, would definitely listen again
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
This album was a tale of two halves for me, first half made very little impression but I found the second to have a more interesting, Dino Jr kinda sound. Still, I've now heard all of MBV's albums and they just dont do it for me. I get how influential they are but I find myself barely remembering any specific songs or anything, they're just fine in my book and I'd never put them on spontaneously.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Love me some ELO. For some white guys from England who are famous for blending classical music and classic rock, they could be funky as hell - the way they use strings sometimes is closer to disco than classical. I could see a lot of the stuff on here making great hip hop samples even. This one is so long that it's bound to have a couple duds, but it's still so good. Some fantastic deep cuts too, I especially loved Sweet Is the Night. Jeff Lynne deserves more credit than I think he gets for his innovation and his vocal skills. Not quite the five stars I'd give A New World Record, but not far off
King Crimson
5/5
Absolutely batshit in the best way. There's no better way to open an album than with 21st Century Schizoid Man. With that percussion and those vocals, theres an argument to be made that this one is the first 'heavy metal' song. And at the tail end of the 60s, they perfected that bardic psych folk sound that so many groups were lamely attempting, while also just fucking with the listening audience with the jazz noodling and classical flourishes. Court of the Crimson King ties it all together to conclude, bringing it back sonically closer to the opener. Proggy perfection from King Crimson
Randy Newman
5/5
This one is not getting the flowers it deserves, on here at least, so I'm gonna rave about it. Ive loved this record since I first stumbled across it five or six years ago. It's a pretty bizarre one, with no unifying feel or theme, but it showcases Newman's brilliance as a lyricist and composer. Songs run the emotional gamut, from sad (Old Man) to touching (Memo to my Son) to just fucking funny (Political Science, Leave Your Hat On). He also explores deeper themes, like America's filthy slavery origins, and the outlandishness of an omnipotent loving God. He always walks a razor thin line between irony and sincerity, which takes a lot of skill. Whether he's doing serious or pure goofy vaudeville, Randy Newman always does what he wants. He's a consistently unique creator and Sail Away is a gem, one of my favorites
Scott Walker
2/5
Not sure what to make of this one.. that Glenn Campbell/Elvis act grows tiring pretty quickly. And whats up with the first song, literally just describing the plot of The Seventh Seal? Did he think he was making like a Bond theme? Lyrically unique but just didnt enjoy at all really
Michael Jackson
5/5
Almost all killer, no filler here on Thriller. The one low point for me is the Paul McCartney duet, which is just cringe-inducing and dumb. This starts with one of my favorite MJ songs though, with Wanna Be Startin Something. With its swirling, gradually building disco/funk instrumentals, it's irresistibly catchy. And I dont think theres really any three song run greater than Thriller-Beat It-Billy Jean. Quincy Jones deserves a ton of credit for how big of a hit this was and still is, it sounds absolutely terrific forty years later.
Air
3/5
This grew on me as it went on, around Kelly Watch the Stars it got more interesting to me. Probably the kind of thing I'd put on while I'm doing something else, but i like the relaxed vibe of it, prefer this kind of electronica to others
Kanye West
5/5
Lush is the word that comes to mind when I think of this album. Production-wise, it's Kanye's finest work, with so many creative samples, pulling from 70s funk, 60s psych rock, R&B, pop, indie folk. Basically whatever he could get his hands on. It's just a classic, sprawling, indulgent, super fun listen for hip hop fans, despite the insane narcissist that Kanye is now and really always has been.
Blondie
4/5
There's definitely some filler here, but the peaks are fantastic, with Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, and especially Heart of Glass. A really enjoyable poppy New Wave record
Pixies
4/5
The chemistry between Black Francis and Kim Deal shines through especially on Surfer Rosa, where either can take the lead and kill it while the other provides fun, chaotic harmony. Its not as cohesive as Doolittle and not as polished as Trompe le Monde or Bossanova. Gigantic and Where is my Mind are two of their best songs, and others here kind of pale in comparison, while i think some of their other records are more balanced and consistently fantastic. But still, this album is a ton of anarchic fun that represents what Pixies were all about.
KISS
2/5
Cant get off to a much better start than Detroit Rock City, whatever way you cut it, that's just a great song. Still though, I found myself bored listening to this whole thing, which isn't great considering its only about 30 minutes long. It's just far too samey, and the only ballad, Beth, doesnt work for me at all. Could take it or leave it, but mostly would leave it
Slipknot
3/5
Not nearly as bad as I expected. Lyrically its not at all what I'd call good, and often can be very stupid, but does anyone really listen to this stuff for how good the lyrics are? Gotta admire the musicality, there's real talent here, especially percussion-wise - the drumming on title track is insane. Definitely over the top and I'm never gonna love Slipknot, but it has its moments.
The Smiths
3/5
A pretty middle of the road Smiths album for me. I liked it better than Meat is Murder but less than The Queen is Dead. Like pretty much all of their stuff, Marr's compositions impress and entertain me a lot more here than Morrissey's vocals and lyrics.
Richard Thompson
4/5
A really nice listen, between Richard Thompson's guitar work and Linda Thompson's stunning vocals. Some really dark subject matter on some of the songs here handled beautifully, and i love the title track.
The Pogues
4/5
The Pogues are terrific. This one isnt quite the masterpiece that is Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, but it has a lot going for it. The band would not be exceptional without Shane MacGowan. His roguish, punk energy is all over this on songs like Bottle of Smoke, and he's a great songwriter too, telling stories of people falling through the cracks. This has maybe the best modern Christmas song ever with Fairytale of New York, and the expanded edition is worth it too for the Irish Rover alone, great trad song with The Dubliners.
R.E.M.
4/5
A foundational record of American indie music. The jangle pop is jangling on this one. Radio Free Europe has to be the best song here but I also love ones like Talk About the Passion and Sitting Still. My one gripe would be Stipe's awful enunciation, the album title is not a misnomer, and it makes a lot of these songs less memorable for me. Glad he went away from that vocal style on later REM stuff, because he has a hell of a voice
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
This is meh, kinda fun and I get that its on here for what a novelty it must have been, especially in the UK in the early 80s. But its got to lose at least a star for me for how irrelevant it feels. Is anyone who's not doing this generator listening to this in 2026? And the fact that he gave no credit to a lot of the artists he threw on here sucks too.
Love
4/5
I dont know a ton of Love's stuff, but i went in expecting just another of the million 60s psychedelic albums that are on the list. Was pleasantly surprised, its hard to go from sounding like Donovan to the Who to a hibernating Bach who woke up in the 60s in the span of three songs. The baroque stuff especially was interesting, only other rock band I've heard do that is Vampire Weekend, and I wonder if this helped inspire that part of their sound. The last track is really over-indulgent and goofy and the only downside of this for me, otherwise i enjoyed it thoroughly.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
This is such a nighttime album, feel like i could never listen to it in the day. So atmospheric, and opens on a great note with the weird and singular Mojo Pin. Hallelujah deserves all the praise it gets as one of the best covers of all time, Buckley seriously honored one of Leonard Cohen's more poetic songs by lending it vocals that Cohen simply couldn't. I also love Lilac Wine and the rocking Eternal Life. This guy was almost as good of a guitarist as he was a singer, which is saying something. Gotta be one of the more tragic passings in music history, so much talent gone suddenly