325
Albums Rated
3.45
Average Rating
30%
Complete
764 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1990
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
19
5-Star Albums
1
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Beautiful Freak
Eels
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
|
5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
|
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
|
4 | 2.46 | +1.54 |
|
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
|
5 | 3.48 | +1.52 |
|
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
|
4 | 2.5 | +1.5 |
|
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
|
5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
|
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
|
5 | 3.65 | +1.35 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
|
2 | 3.94 | -1.94 |
|
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
|
2 | 3.78 | -1.78 |
|
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
|
1 | 2.58 | -1.58 |
|
Blackstar
David Bowie
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
Stardust
Willie Nelson
|
2 | 3.39 | -1.39 |
|
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
|
2 | 3.37 | -1.37 |
|
Music From Big Pink
The Band
|
2 | 3.36 | -1.36 |
|
The Band
The Band
|
2 | 3.35 | -1.35 |
|
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
|
2 | 3.33 | -1.33 |
|
In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
|
2 | 3.27 | -1.27 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.25 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.25 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (19)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Johnny Cash · 1 likes
3/5
I don't like country music on the whole but there is something about Johnny Cash that I make an exception for. He's both serious and fun at the same time.
David Crosby · 1 likes
4/5
I feared this was going to be country but in the end it was early 70s, somewhat experimental, rock. A good listen.
1-Star Albums (1)
All Ratings
Beastie Boys
4/5
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Stars to recognise the quality of his musicianship but this style of music doesn't do it for me.
David Bowie
3/5
Funkadelic
4/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
More hillbilly than expected.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Soporific
The Specials
4/5
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Le Tigre
3/5
Marvin Gaye
2/5
The Thrills
2/5
Bit of a nostalgia trip for me. I recall it coming out and not long after I visited California myself. I've not listened to it since though and today I find it bland and soporific. Not sure how it made it into this list - was it that influential?
Britney Spears
2/5
Rush
3/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Short and sweet.
David Gray
2/5
Zzzzz
Duke Ellington
3/5
Liz Phair
3/5
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Talking Heads
3/5
That they went to art school is the least surprising fact about this band.
Radiohead
4/5
The Stooges
3/5
Silver Jews
3/5
Supertramp
3/5
Gene Clark
2/5
Critically and commercial successful in the Netherlands.
What are they smoking?
Thundercat
2/5
Queen
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Manu Chao
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
50 Cent
3/5
David Bowie
3/5
Dr. Dre
4/5
Frank Zappa
3/5
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Al Green
3/5
System Of A Down
5/5
Supergrass
4/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The Libertines
3/5
The Band
2/5
Gorillaz
3/5
The Specials
3/5
The The
3/5
Joy Division
5/5
Moby Grape
3/5
TV On The Radio
3/5
Paul McCartney
3/5
Marty Robbins
2/5
Mekons
3/5
Aerosmith
4/5
The Cure
5/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
The Icarus Line
4/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
Love
3/5
The Zombies
3/5
Kate Bush
4/5
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Anthrax
4/5
Radiohead
4/5
Buck Owens
2/5
The Killers
4/5
Blur
4/5
The Temptations
4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
The Pretty Things
3/5
The Darkness
4/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
Soul II Soul
3/5
Metallica
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
The Smiths
4/5
Morrissey is problematic but I love the sound.
Fever Ray
4/5
Had no expectations - pleasantly surprised. Dark, electronic, very atmospheric. The artist is one half of The Knife who made Heartbeats.
Paul Simon
3/5
Prefer his work with Garfunkel. Julio is a highlight but quite middle of the road otherwise.
Mudhoney
4/5
Pretty decent grunge-like sound. Need to listen to again really.
Marilyn Manson
4/5
Tough one - there are too many artists that fit into the category where I like the music but not the artist (grim allegations against him). Rating based on the music. It was good, albeit a tad long.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Not my style but I liked her attitude.
Definitely not background music.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
One of my favourite albums. The themes still feel depressing relevant today.
Justice
3/5
Very decent electronic dance music. Some great bass lines. Suffers in this challenge from hearing it at home rather than out at the discotheque.
Johnny Cash
3/5
I don't like country music on the whole but there is something about Johnny Cash that I make an exception for. He's both serious and fun at the same time.
The White Stripes
4/5
I know Jack White is not the most technically gifted guitarist and that the band is hardly doing anything that original, but I like the songs and the sound.
Madonna
2/5
I still recall a lot of the words from the hit singles on this album over twenty years later. It's a pretty decent pop album but of its time and doesn't feel like it was much more than a commercial endeavour.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I usually like the post punk sound but I wasn't really feeling this one so much. I felt it would do well with repeat listens. The songs didn't feel distinctive enough from each other with the result that seemed like sets of noises giving way to other noises.
Television
3/5
Listened to this a few days ago and can't recall it at all which hardly speaks volumes.
New wave in style?
Oasis
4/5
Great opener. Great close. Some songs in the middle don't do very much but I enjoy the overall sound.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Started strongly. You can hear their clear influence on 1990s pop punk. Around song five (Ice Cold Ice) you could also hear similarities with REM. Was going to be four stars initially but it's far too long an album. Over an hour. The album lost any sense of coherency as it went on and the energy dwindled.
The United States Of America
3/5
Relatively enjoyable late 60s psychedelic rock. Looking album though. Would get a higher rating if listened to while on acid.
Nina Simone
3/5
Beautiful voice and music although I found it quite slow overall without much variation.
Sade
3/5
I don't like jazz. I don't really know why, it just doesn't appeal to me. I get the impression that these are all talented people. Her voice is good. The songs are well crafted and performed. It's just not my thing.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Great album. More bluesy than one might expect.
Faith No More
4/5
I've never liked the main single from this album (Epic). I find the vocal can be hard to listen to at times and sometimes the music is ... silly?
However, there were some songs that I really liked, especially towards the end of the album. Woodpecker from Mars I really enjoyed as an instrumental, middle Eastern influenced metal piece. The War Pigs cover is very competent and Edge of the World had a chill vibe.
Coldplay
4/5
This is one of those albums I grew up listening to. I still remember all the notes and lyrics. I was really into Coldplay as a teenager and bought each of their first four albums. After Viva la Vida I stopped. Never really gave much thought to why. My tastes became heavier in general and Coldplay didn't feel particularly interesting anymore.
Parachutes brings back a lot of teenage memories. Don't Panic was one of the first songs I learnt on the guitar and it's one of the few songs I still remember how to play all the way through. Shiver was one of my favourite songs, speaking to my teenage angst about girls I liked. Mostly it's a slow and chilled out album and if I came to it fresh today I might dismiss it as lacking in energy but in the end it was pleasant to hum along to familiar tunes and this album at least holds up well I think.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Has a few recognisable tunes but is quite dated. One of the issues with simply listening to albums is that they end up removed from their context. This is especially the case with dance music I think but I felt that was the case here too. You can hear how it was made for 1950s dance halls and it doesn't have quite the same impact almost 70 years later when at home. You can also hear how the early elements of rock and roll and developing - there are short guitar solos for instance, but compared to what happens in the 1960s it lacks the technical skill and imagination of what comes later. Not his/their fault of course but in the end it's like listening to a museum piece.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
It's a long album, being a double. Perhaps too long. A real epic. I don't find it drags though as it's quite experimental and there is quite a lot of variety - from heavy songs with distorted vocals to ballad-style pieces with piano and strings.
This is the album that got me into the Smashing Pumpkins. I prefer their earlier offering (Siamese Dream) but I think it gets five star for vision alone. I think the second side (Twilight to Starlight) is better, but there's not much in it. It's also one of those albums where I think many of the album tracks are as good if not better than the singles that came out of it.
Alice In Chains
4/5
Love this sound. Metal/grunge. I'm not sure what would get it a five. Listening to the album a bit more might help but as it is a strong four.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Lots of hit singles. Strong three or low four. Bit samey overall but a nice smattering of soul, reggae, jazz, pop.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Didn't hate it. Didn't love it.
Very jazz. Occasionally I enjoyed a little passage of music. Mostly out felt like an extended jam session and directionless. At one point I thought I'd accidentally turned the kettle on but it was just an unusual instrument being introduced on the second song.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
I'm not that familiar with their work but this album was very much in keeping with the little I do know. I generally enjoy the wall of sound approach although given that this album was released in 2013 I do question how this adds anything to their catalogue.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Loved the first song. Turns out I do want it darker.
Will need to listen to again but I liked what I heard. I don't generally get on with singer-songwriters. I tend to find them slow and a bit boring but there are a few who buck that trend. There's just something else about them that elevates the music. I've not listened much to Leonard Cohen but he seems like that kind of musician. I wanted to know what he was saying and it felt important.
Also, lots of dark sounds riffing with religious themes is something that appeals to me.
TV On The Radio
4/5
Seems like the kind of music cool people listen to.
I also quite enjoyed it to be fair. Not sure how I'd describe it but experimental indie pop?
Happy Mondays
3/5
Both more 80s sounding and more punk sounding than I was expecting. It was okay. Would probably grow on me but I much prefer The Stone Roses.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
There's a fuzzy boundary between blues, rock, and country. This falls the right side of all three for me.
The Fall
3/5
Really enjoyed the opening track but didn't feel much grabbed me strongly after that. Had a lot that I could get into (post punk sound, Manchester accents, and so on) but I think it would take a few listens to really appreciate.
OutKast
3/5
Some great tracks on here but a very long album. Would need to listen to again to judge the consistency.
Wire
4/5
First wave punk. Art school. Short songs. Short album. I liked it.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Great voice and lots of great songs.
Animal Collective
3/5
Okay. Indie music that feels of it's time. On the more Avant Garde end though so not many songs in a typical sense. More musical notes in a void.
Minutemen
4/5
Long. Eclectic. Listened to this one shortly after Pink Flag by Wire and there are similarities but there's a greater range here. Would benefit from repeat listens.
John Coltrane
3/5
Jazz.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Some excellent songs. Tad too long though.
The Verve
4/5
Another long album. On the whole I liked it, some classic songs. Got that Manchester (adjacent) sound.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Not familiar with the genre but it seemed to be somewhat experimental African blues. I enjoyed it.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I preferred the album after this one as this one seemed to be more straightforward gangsta rap. There were some tracks that sounded good and from what I read it seems to be a satire of culture that I grew up in. Worth listening to again.
Underworld
3/5
It's okay. 90s dance music. A bit of a hard edge at points which I like but felt like there was little variation. Around halfway through I couldn't see how anything was going to change and most songs had sounded the same to that point.
Simply Red
4/5
Much derided but I really enjoyed it. A couple of very famous songs that I remember hearing growing up and a lot of good songs on the rest of the album.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Quite enjoyable if you like the sound. I think I do. Hard to describe offhand.
Radiohead
4/5
Combines elements of their career to date, both the rockier sounds and the electronic experimentation. Not perfect by a long shot, some dirgy parts but usually interesting and inviting of further listens.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Need to listen to again. Liked the opener a lot, didn't seem to do that much afterwards but I wasn't paying full attention. Kind of soul funk I guess.
Genesis
3/5
A 1970s prog rock album that sounds like ... a 1970s prog rock album. Very long. Whale noises. Lots of other noises too. It went on and on.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Used to listen to this a lot in my late teens. Take Me Out was a huge hit of course but there's a lot of either fun or good songs on here.
Pink Floyd
4/5
A long, double album. Felt self indulgent at times. A couple of excellent songs that really stand out but unless you're following the concept closely a lot of the rest of the songs feel a bit like filler. Another Brick in the Wall, Pt 2 and Comfortably Numb elevate the whole affair.
David Bowie
4/5
Pretty decent all throughout, with a few standout songs (mostly the singles which are mostly famous).
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Okay. Lots of very 60s sounding pop songs.
U2
4/5
I used to like this more than I do now. Joshua Tree feels like such a complete album and every song fits into a cohesive whole. Achtung Baby feels more like a collection of songs made at the same time with little that links them. There's a few very good ones on the album, and some others. A generous four.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Curious album. Hard to describe. I liked elements of it. Some interfering songs, a unique sound, however his voice sounds like he's not trying and about halfway through I found it getting to be too much. He literally drones on and on.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Pretty decent. A couple of famous songs on it. Not exactly pop but on that spectrum. Probably between a three and a four for me.
Parliament
4/5
Fun and funky
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
Didn't know them and thought they were going to be a completely different genre than what they were, which was a 90s pop punk band with less of the pop and emphasis on the punk.
DJ Shadow
4/5
I had low expectations of this and was very pleasantly surprised. I thought it was going to be one of those 90s dance albums but it was something entirely else. I'm not exactly sure what, mind, but something else. A bit hip hop, a bit experimental, a bit ... sounds. Some tracks wouldn't feel out of place on the soundtrack to Alien, and to me that's a good thing, so this album was a good thing.
Miles Davis
3/5
One of the best jazz albums I've listened to, but then I don't like jazz. Two songs, 40 minutes, very relaxed. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. 3+
Elliott Smith
4/5
I don't generally like acoustic singer-songwriter music as it tends to be a bit dull and soporific but you can't level that criticism at Elliott Smith. He's more interesting musically and lyrically than most and has a unique quality and sound that sets him apart.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Another album on the longer side. The famous song Mr Blue Sky stands out and the rest felt very similar so going for a generous four which could stick or go down with subsequent listens.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Wasn't sure what to expect. Quite liked the sound initially, but felt too samey over the course of the album. 80s alt rock with ethereal female vocal.
Beck
4/5
More eclectic than I was expecting. There's some rocky numbers, of course, but some more experimental pieces too and even rap/hip hop elements in places.
3/5
I've generally been finding Bowie underwhelming in this challenge. Ziggy is a great song but a lot of the others felt very forgettable.
Scott Walker
3/5
A crooner. Not generally what I'm into but some of the songs were really well done.
The Stone Roses
5/5
So many great songs.
AC/DC
4/5
Just a lot of fun. It's almost all the same song over and over again. But what a song it is.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
If I was sitting in a café in Paris, drinking wine and talking about Sartre then this would be the perfect accompaniment.
But I'm not.
I quite liked the first two songs. After that everything trailed off a bit. I'm sure the lyrics are very deep but the music is very meandering and the vocals are almost identical to Thom Yorke of Radiohead. At least with Radiohead the music is interesting so there's more to balance out the whiney sound of his voice.
Eels
5/5
One of my favourite albums. There's musical variety but centred around a unified theme of ostracism. There's a lot of sadness in the music and being an outsider to society amplifies it but it's beautifully executed. There's hope shining through.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
I enjoyed this. Fun and upbeat. The guitar work was very good. Malian blues.
Van Morrison
3/5
Okay. Bit dull. Man and guitar singing softly.
Slayer
4/5
Lots of energy. Short songs for a short album. No excess.
The Doors
4/5
Some classic tunes.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Very eclectic. I'm still not sure what to have made of it all. One moment he's a crooner, the next he's shredding his guitar like the best of them. A very long album.
Neil Young
4/5
Pretty decent. Some songs sounded a bit country but overall enjoyed the vibe.
The Stranglers
4/5
Punk.
Blondie
5/5
So many hits. Such good tunes. Wasn't expecting to give a 5, but here we are.
The Gun Club
4/5
Had not heard of this band. A very early 80s punk sound but elements of country/Americana showing up on some songs.
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
First 1 star review after 159 albums. I find the music dull. The singing irritates me. For a change I decided to look into the lyrics to see if I was missing something, but it's all prayers to god and beating up women. I will happily never listen to this again.
The Pogues
4/5
Energetic. Rousing choruses for drinking.
Fugazi
4/5
People who I know who aren't keen on punk rate this band which I find curious as it sounded very punk to me. Which I'm fine with.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Found this a bit dull to listen to. Probably need to listen to the lyrics more.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Eclectic. Some Bollywood numbers on her but a fair few western songs with an Indian twist too. Not sure what to make of it really. I think it's the soundtrack to a film so watching it might help.
Yes
3/5
Quite proggy. Jazz rock to some extent. I find it hard to take seriously but this was more enjoyable than some of the others I've heard in this genre.
Nick Drake
3/5
Okay. Didn't make much of an impression on me. Wasn't quite what I expected either.
R.E.M.
4/5
Long been a fan of R.E.M. but only through their most famous songs via compilation and greatest hits albums. I had Monster on CD, which was the only album I'd fully heard and even then only in passing. I was interested to find that this was their debut album, back in 1983. Several songs were familiar, the opener (Radio Free Europe) is great. The rest, well it varied. On the whole I enjoyed it, some songs had some interesting aspects however it was a bit drab overall.
Air
3/5
I suppose you could call this chill out music. Sexy Boy is a very famous tune although not necessarily reflective of the rest of the album. Probably a bit slow for me. Four stars for it's quality but three for enjoyment.
The Coral
4/5
I like the Coral. Dreaming of You is one of my favourite songs. I wouldn't say the rest of the album was quite on the same level but it had something about it. More ska influence than I was expecting.
Eminem
3/5
I remember when this came out. I wasn't into it at the time but "My Name Is" was a huge hit that you just couldn't escape from.
I kind of liked the album. He's got a lot of skill and there are interesting references to pop culture being used but the Slim Shady persona is very puerile one. The sexism and misogyny may be part of the image but it's an unpleasant one and he doesn't do much to undermine or subvert it that I could tell.
He seems to revel in the outsider status, coming along and wrecking the way things are done. A four for impact and importance (maybe even a five) but a three for enjoyment.
The Sonics
4/5
Lots of famous tunes on here although the audio quality wasn't great. Enjoyably 60s pop rock I guess.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Really enjoyed this. Liked every song. Going with five although that might be too generous. Will need to listen to again.
Grateful Dead
3/5
It was okay. A bit too country adjacent for me. Friend of the Devil was familiar and good. The rest was a bit middle of the road for me.
Dire Straits
4/5
Sultans of Swing is a classic. The whole album is pretty good.
Pulp
4/5
Potential five. Will need to re-listen. Four for now.
Garbage
4/5
Enjoyed this. Quite a few hits on it.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
What's Going On and Let's Get It On sound similar. I had Let's Get it On a few months back but listened to What's Going On instead. A bit embarrassing, but there we are.
Listening to What's Going On at least assured me that I didn't like it very much on a second listen either. On the contrary, Let's Get It On was more enjoyable.
I think it ultimately came down to the songs. I like the songs when they are distinct songs with structure, I do not enjoy his music when he goes in a more free-flowing, unstructured direction. After the first couple of songs, this is what happens on What's Going On and I just found it hard to get into. It meanders and feels like an extended jamming session that would be fine if you were watching it live or just into the music but it didn't do it for me.
Nirvana
4/5
Classic album. The sound of Cobain's voice on some of the tracks is so emotive.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Decent album. Not stand out but very solid.
Gary Numan
3/5
I kind of like this but it's hard to tell. It's very repetitive and electronic. I can enjoy this sound but I think I prefer other artists who do similar things but with something else going on.
Richard Hawley
3/5
It's okay. A bit retro. 1950s kind of style but with a modern twist.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Good album. Some songs I did not expect on it.
Elvis Costello
3/5
This was the first time I had ever listened to Elvis Costello. I have yet to make up my mind on him. I think he could grow on me, but I am not there yet.
Ray Price
2/5
Generic country music?
Nas
3/5
Seemed decent. I have listened to this album once before (30 year anniversary in 2024). Would listen to again.
The Who
4/5
Quite a cohesive concept album. Pinball Wizard is famous and was the best song on the album. The song before was unpleasant. Leaning to Four, but maybe too generous.
Joe Ely
2/5
More country.
Neu!
3/5
It was okay. Mostly electronic. It would probably grow on me with repeated listens.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Enjoyable. A few classics songs.
4/5
I enjoyed this. She was not at all what I expected. For whatever reason, I thought she was a 90s hip hop artist, not low-fi rock. It's exactly the kind of sound I like
TLC
3/5
It was okay. I'm not really the target market for this kind of music I think. It didn't do anything to change my mind on this but I can see the value of has. Waterfalls is a song I remember from my youth.
Foo Fighters
3/5
To be honest, very generic. Having recently had Nirvana's MTV Unplugged album, the contrast is huge and shows how much of their creative distinctiveness was via Cobain. For me this just doesn't have that special thing that sets it apart.
Lorde
3/5
Okay. One of the first times that I've felt a generational divide. I have liked previous songs of hers but these all felt a bit more generic, modern pop. Breathy, mumbly lyrics about being a 20-something woman living life.
The Prodigy
2/5
I thought I would like this. There are several Prodigy songs I like but it turns out they are grim the next album. This was proper mid 90s rave music. It went on and on and didn't do anything positive for me.
M.I.A.
4/5
I liked this. It had energy and felt a bit different. Interesting sounds.
R.E.M.
5/5
Packed with REM hits. Five might be a bit generous but I like the band and pretty much all the songs.
The Police
3/5
Alright. One song called "Mother" stood out from the rest of the album, but not necessarily in a good way. "Every Breath You Take" is the standout song. Might be a four but I am writing a few days later and realising it did not make a big impression.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Fairly generic. "Under My Thumb" stands out but little else does.
Tim Buckley
4/5
Probably a three-and-a-half for me but I will go with four. There's some nice songs on here. A bit folky, a bit singer-songwriter. A bit slow for me overall but some lovely melodies and slightly ethereal quality.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Of the three Rolling Stones albums I have had so far (Aftermath 1966 and Beggars Banquet 1968), Let It Bleed (1969) has been the best. It's got a lot of the American blues influences coming through but the previous albums felt a bit generic. Gimme Shelter stands out but I am not that much of a fan of the other hit, You Can't Always Get What You Want. Overall a decent listening experience.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Set in the context of a post-9/11 New York, which gives a lot more meaning to the lyrics of the songs. This adds historic depth to the album but there are also plenty of good tunes as well.
William Orbit
3/5
It was okay. A 90s dance album so not my thing really. Some bits were enjoyable. Got atmospheric towards the end.
Ray Charles
3/5
Okay. He's a good musician. Longish album (a double). Not sure all the songs exactly fit together, felt like a collection of random pieces.
ABBA
4/5
Full of hits. Fun. First song a weird listen given my job.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Enjoyed this. It was released the same year as Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys and there's a lot of crossover in the sound. Looking at the overall chronology I assume Run-D.M.C. influenced Beastie Boys, although I listened to the latter first on this challenge.
David Bowie
2/5
To call a Bowie album a bit weird could be considered to be stating the obvious. This one was weird in a way I wasn't expecting and didn't particularly enjoy. The songs felt very meandering and somewhat I cohesive. The first couple were oddly long too. Not a fan.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Short and sweet. A very American-rock sound, if that makes sense (fitting for the final song).
Roxy Music
4/5
Bowie-esque in a good way. I enjoyed it on first listen. Would listen to again but not sure if I ever will.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Kind of fun and funky. A harsh three. Would need to listen to a few more times to get a better sense of it.
Lou Reed
4/5
Some fantastic songs. Elements of others throwback to the Velvet Underground who I also like.
Taylor Swift
3/5
It was okay. A chill, folk/soft rock album. Certainly not bad but I don't know what makes it great.
The Undertones
3/5
Generally enjoyable although it's an hour long and almost all the songs sound the same. I like Teenage Kicks but I don't like it 26 times in a row.
Ray Charles
3/5
It was okay. Not really my thing. A bit jazzy and meandering. Enjoyment two stars but it's clearly better than that.
Soundgarden
5/5
Love the sound. Five might be generous but I could listen to this on any day at any time.
Kelela
2/5
Not my thing. Most of it sounds like it would work in a club for those who are into that kind of thing. It's quite chill, too much for my taste. Floaty club music that I found very boring.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Enjoyed this. Early 90s hip hop.
Sister Sledge
4/5
Some very famous songs. Enjoyable, although by song four the sound was getting very samey.
Tori Amos
4/5
I really liked some of these songs. Considered five stars initially but didn't feel like it kept up the same level throughout. Finished strongly.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Not for me. Incredibly boring. Every song is the same gentle crooning, which I could maybe get the appeal of for a song or two but 16 is far too many, even though the album is not that long.
Cream
3/5
Okay. Some good songs. 1960s psychedelic rock. Some of the cockney bits were a little odd.
R.E.M.
4/5
Lots of great songs.
Mike Ladd
3/5
Torn between a three and a four. Had a very 90s hip hop feel, perhaps too much given the year it came out. There were a few other elements that gave it something extra but it didn't feel like it did much more than earlier artists had already done.
D'Angelo
3/5
Very smooth.
Solomon Burke
4/5
As the title says.
Beastie Boys
3/5
My least favourite Beastie Boys so far. I like a couple of songs but this one did not do it for me, unlike some of the others.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
Bit a drag this. Some sort of dance, chill-out music that went on and on.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
It started off decent enough but I found this a bit generic over the course of a very long album. Pop rock?
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I wasn't as keen on this as I had hoped. There were some very cool, funky songs at the end. The start I found underwhelming.
Brian Wilson
2/5
Effectively the music of the Beach Boys but in 2004 instead of the 1960s. Also an hour long. This did not feel like it worked. A bit of a nostalgia trip that went too far.
Germs
2/5
Growling punk. Not my favourite really.
Common
3/5
Pretty good. Strong 3 or weak 4 for me.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
I was not keen on this album at first but I got into it. I quite liked the group discussion on love threaded through the album. Some cool guitar in places too.
Motörhead
4/5
Fast and fun.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Okay, I think. I imagine I could get into this.
David Bowie
3/5
Okay. Some good songs. Some so so.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Did not enjoy this. I am sure it is good in its own way but not for me. A lot of dance/electronic aspects.
Billy Joel
3/5
I don't know how to understand Billy Joel. He doesn't really fit into any category I can think of. That can be a good thing, but sometimes not. I was not keen on this album. I recognised a few of the songs but they were a bit plinky plonky.
Coldplay
3/5
Used to listen to this a lot in my youth. There are a couple of songs which have elements that I still like but for the most part it's a nostalgic listen. Today I find it a bit of a dirge. It's a bit more radio friendly than their first album and all the more boring for it.
The Auteurs
4/5
I quite liked elements of this and it was another band that I had never heard of despite being somewhat into acts associated with them. I subsequently read that they became lumped in with the Britpop movement, the links to which are clearer at the start of the album. Over the course of the tracks the songs get a bit more "rocky", which I preferred. The start has more of a Pulp/Blur sound. I am not sure I will seek them out but it was perfectly listenable.
David Bowie
3/5
One or two justifiably famous songs and a lot of background noise.
John Grant
3/5
Reminded me of Rufus Wainwright. A few decent songs. The lyrical style is very casual and almost conversational. A bit obvious at times, with the themes (religion = bad), although I understand that this is a topic he has a personal and negative association with. The album became more eclectic in its style towards the end, but I wasn't too keen on this. Finally, some of the songs came across like parodies.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Fun. A couple of big hits here. Very 80s.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
It's alright. I recognised one song. Not a massive fan of his vocal style.
Gang Of Four
4/5
I liked this. Reminded me of various post punk acts from the late 70s and early 80s, like the the first couple of Cure albums. Especially enjoyed the final song.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Quite good. Some of the music from this era is very dated now, and that is true of some of the songs on this album, but his infectious energy and the samples and covers of later artists display what a pioneer he was.
4/5
I've only listened to greatest hits of the Kinks before. The album was good. More experimental than I expected. Aspects of the sound quality and music are a little of the era, but there's a lot going on.
The Fall
3/5
I suspect that this album could grow on me. I had not listened to The Fall before this but they are adjacent to a lot of music I enjoy. A bit punkier than a group like Gang of Four but there's crossover.
The White Stripes
3/5
A couple of songs that stand out but overall not as strong as some of their other work.
Kanye West
4/5
I didn't want to like this because of all the recent issues but I thought it was quite good.
Carole King
3/5
She's got many more famous songs than I initially would have thought. They are classics in their own right but not really my thing.
The Youngbloods
3/5
I enjoyed elements of this. Some of the songs in the first half went down a "rock-jazz" direction, which I am not keen on, while the latter half was a bit more folksy-rock and was nice to have in the background
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Not his most famous songs for the most part. Enjoyed.
Big Star
3/5
Seemed like generic early 1970s rock to me. Maybe there's more to it.
American Music Club
3/5
Was okay. I feel like I should be more into this than I actually was. Late 80s (1988) indie style rock. Had to go to YouTube to listen to it.
Various Artists
4/5
Proper Christmas classics here (1963 release).
Fats Domino
2/5
Um...
The Human League
3/5
Very early 80s (1981) but sets that iconic sound for the decade to follow.
Deep Purple
4/5
Could be a five. Classic rock.
Elvis Costello
3/5
It's okay. There's a lot more Elvis Costello in this challenge than I think there should be.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Okay. I didn't recognise any of the songs.
The Band
2/5
I just can't get into this. I knew the song "The Weight", which is okay. It's a bit folky, a bit country, and it comes down on the wrong side of that divide for me. I find it hard to take their music seriously.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
I quite enjoyed a lot of this. 1989 rap/hip hop, and it sounded exactly like that period.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Mid 90s hip hop. I like elements of it but it was quite a long album and not all of it spoke to me.
Minor Threat
4/5
Enjoyed this. Very fast, loud punk.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Okay - a bit ethereal. Kind of indie pop I guess.
Pretenders
4/5
Pretty good. Quite punky at the start. Got a bit more mainstream rock-pop towards the end, but not in a bad way.
Skunk Anansie
5/5
I really enjoyed this. I love that 90s alt rock sound.
Tortoise
4/5
Seemed a bit post-rock, which in general I like. Some of it strayed into prog/jazz sounds, which I am less keen on. Overall positive though.
The Who
4/5
The opening song and the closing two songs are rightly lauded. The middle kind of blurred together.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I found this a bit smug.
Röyksopp
3/5
I recall hearing the first track a lot, around and about. An atmospheric, electronic, dance kind of album. This is EDM I guess. Not my thing. Not bad. But not my thing.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
This is a rather long, instrumental album. Their skill at playing the bongos cannot be doubted. I recognised the opening track but I was indifferent overall.
5/5
A classic of my youth.
808 State
3/5
Three stars is my default for albums where I'm not that familiar or interested in the genre but assume that it must be competent or influential by it's inclusion in the list.
I'm sure if I was high at a rave in the 90s this would be great to listen to.
Judas Priest
4/5
Enjoyed.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Supergrass
4/5
I used to have a notion that these guys were Britpop, but having listened to a couple of albums now, Britrock is more accurate. There's a noisier, punkier aspect to this than I would have expected from the few singles I know.
3/5
I'm not into country music but this was okay. A lot of the same themes being repeated as elsewhere, mostly around infidelity. I felt the songs were more interesting coming from a woman instead of the usual parade of unfaithful men that make this music.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
What style is this, exactly? It feels 80s but made in 1993. Disco pop, perhaps, with electronic elements. I know it's important in its own right but I don't particularly like the vocals and found the overall sound boring.
Talking Heads
4/5
Seemed less obviously arty than other music I've heard from them. Towards the end it was quite atmospheric and had that post punk sound that I quite like from the late 70s/early 80s. A generous four.
Daft Punk
3/5
I am not sure who listens to Daft Punk. They are referenced in other songs and in the media more generally but I don't think I have ever met anyone who just sits down and listens to them.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
I had no expectations of this and even then they were not met. I am not even sure what this was, a blend of hip hop, Latin music, and general world sounds I think.
Kanye West
4/5
I haven't listened to this since around the time it came out. There's some great songs on it and some interesting experiments with the music and lyrics going on, even if I didn't enjoy all of it.
T. Rex
4/5
Enjoyed this. I haven't listened to much T. Rex beyond the hit songs, and this time around I heard quite a lot of the late 50s early 60s influences.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
1950s jazz. I don't know what else to say.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Ethereal.
Violent Femmes
4/5
I knew the opening song. I didn't realise these guys were from the early 80s, I assumed they were late 90s/early 00s. I think I detected elements of a Velvet Underground sound here too.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I like the 90s alt rock sound.
Shack
3/5
I assume this is what people mean by shoegazing Brit rock. Seemed like generic background noise most of the time.
R.E.M.
4/5
Some great singles on here, which were the songs that I already knew, but little else exciting.
Circle Jerks
4/5
Fast and furious punk.
Talking Heads
3/5
Okay, I guess. Nothing stand out. The final track, Drugs, certainly sounded like they were on them.
Common
2/5
Slow hip hop. I was not so keen.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
It's good. There are some exceptional songs. Arguably, a bit too long.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I can recognise his ability but I find his songs a bit slow for me.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Enjoyable, bluesy and African.
James Brown
4/5
Sounds like it would have been fun to be there.
The Offspring
4/5
Early 90s punk rock.
Queen Latifah
3/5
Late 80s, some good messages I think.
Janet Jackson
3/5
Quite eclectic. Mostly 80s sounding pop, but Black Cat has some great guitar on it. That was my favourite song.
Linkin Park
5/5
It's a bit of its time. It's a bit teenage angst. And yet...
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Kind of funk soul, I think. Enjoyable.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I can see why it's influential but it is dated now. None of the especially famous songs either.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I love the title track. It's up there with my favourite songs. The rest was good but not quite at the same level.
Tricky
4/5
Mixed feelings. I am going four rather than three. There was a lot on this album that I quite liked, most of it Martina Topley-Bird's vocals. Black Steel and Hell is Round the Corner stood out to me. I was less keen on the parts where Tricky is performing his vocals but I quite liked the overall sound, which was experimental, atmospheric, chilled hip hop.
Hot Chip
3/5
Having heard a song of Hot Chip's from an earlier album, my main question going into this album was whether it would be style over substance. The short answer, as I was to discover, was yes.
This album is essential electropop made by urban-dwelling people in their 20s who wear glasses and want to get laid for other urban-dwelling people in their 20s who wear glasses and want to get laid.
Being more into guitar music, the only song that stood out to me was Look At Where We Are. It had a catchier chorus and a slightly different sound than the generic techno beats but also that annoying squeaky voice that musical artists sometimes use. I've never quite understood the appeal of having Alvin and his chipmunk friends as backing vocalists but maybe something out there enjoys it. Perhaps those urban-dwelling people in their 20s who wear glasses and want to get laid.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
A bit more country sounding than I thought it would be, at least at the start. I don't know much about Neil Young. I have heard a few tracks of his from other albums and like them well enough but nothing stood out to me here. His voice isn't very good and the music isn't especially interesting so I assume you need to listen to the lyrics closely to get much out of his work.
Sonic Youth
4/5
The opener, Teen Age Riot, I was familiar with. It's a noisy album, which I like. I heard elements of early 80s post-punk influence on the sound, despite it being late 80s, including some Cure-like elements. I suppose my main criticism is that the overall sound gets quite samey. A solid four.
Metallica
4/5
Van Morrison
3/5
I find Van Morrison a bit on the boring side. Nice songs, voice, etc, but not that engaging.
Michael Jackson
4/5
The hit singles really are hits but the rest of the album was not quite at the same level for me.
Kate Bush
3/5
Not as stand out as the other album of hers I listened to.
Radiohead
5/5
XTC
3/5
Did not especially enjoy. Vocals a bit annoying, music a bit boring. What was this? 80s indie pop perhaps.
David Crosby
4/5
I feared this was going to be country but in the end it was early 70s, somewhat experimental, rock. A good listen.
Miles Davis
3/5
I know he is meant to be one of the greats but I cannot get into jazz.
4/5
Got a bit confused as on Spotify the version I listened to was from 1993 and it had a very late 70s/early 80s punk/post-punk style. Sure enough, a little reading later, the album was originally released in 1978.
Bert Jansch
4/5
Folky, acoustic. Very good really. Needle of Death stood out to me but I enjoyed a lot of this.
Depeche Mode
5/5
Loved this. A bit later than I thought it was (1990, not the 80s). Perhaps not quite five stars as it was not perfect, but more than four for me so here we are.
Paul Simon
4/5
It was okay. Some of my friends love this but I was not as into it.
Burning Spear
3/5
Reggae. There's not a huge variety in the pacing or sound, so I didn't get into this that much. My memory of Bob Marley is that there is much more dynamism in his music, which I prefer.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
It was okay. Just country.
Van Halen
4/5
It's fun. Very technically proficient guitar (goes without saying). Overall felt a bit empty though. A generous four from me.
Public Enemy
4/5
Quite a long album but a lot of good material.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Country pop. To me, this was very bland and uninspiring. The album has won many awards though so I clearly don't get the genre.
Michael Jackson
3/5
A few classics songs but not as good as Thriller. There was less variety as well on what seemed to me like a fairly standard pop album.