279
Albums Rated
2.91
Average Rating
26%
Complete
810 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010
Favorite Decade
Hard-rock
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
30
5-Star Albums
32
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Pelican West
Haircut 100
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Ray Of Light
Madonna
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
|
5 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
|
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
|
Eliminator
ZZ Top
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
...And Justice For All
Metallica
|
5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
|
Parachutes
Coldplay
|
5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
|
1 | 3.62 | -2.62 |
|
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Debut
Björk
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
The Band
The Band
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
Horses
Patti Smith
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
|
1 | 3.19 | -2.19 |
|
Solid Air
John Martyn
|
1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
|
Vespertine
Björk
|
1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Davis | 2 | 5 |
| Steely Dan | 3 | 4.33 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Björk | 2 | 1 |
| XTC | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Rolling Stones | 1, 5, 1 |
| The Who | 4, 1 |
5-Star Albums (30)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Streets · 13 likes
1/5
UK rappers be like
she suck on my willy it’s quite delightful if I catch you in west Gloucestershire you’ll catch the rifle
Cee Lo Green · 1 likes
1/5
Some undeniably cool beats completely ruined whenever CeeLo opened his mouth. Unfortunately I found myself hating this more and more as the album went on.
Elis Regina · 1 likes
3/5
Was actually really vibing for the first few songs and then it fell off really hard after those first few songs. Fine overall.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs · 1 likes
2/5
It makes me think of an opening band for someone that you actually wanna see, and then halfway through the concert you’re like “wow these guys are actually kind of fun!” and then the real concert starts, and you forget about the opener and never think about them ever again.
I don’t really think they were polished enough at this stage. Maps is good but none of the other songs on the album are anywhere similar to it. Also enjoyed Black Tongue and Y Control, but there were a lot of just plain annoying songs.
I actually really like her voice so it sucks that this album wasn’t one where she was surrounded by enough greatness to fit it.
Wu-Tang Clan · 1 likes
3/5
Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin to fuck with
1-Star Albums (32)
All Ratings
Louis Prima
3/5
Not my favorite overall, but the band was PLAYIN’
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Overall solid. Started off with a couple really good songs and then sort of lost steam in the back half of the album, but still solid
Björk
1/5
I understand that Bjork is popular for some reason but her voice annoyed me to no end and the music didn’t vibe with me either. I’m not sure how people sit down and listen to this and enjoy it.
Steely Dan
5/5
I loved the overall vibe. Kinda chill jazzy dad rock. There were some parts that didn’t connect with me, but especially considering I have never listened to Steely Dan before, I can really appreciate the production and understand why people like it.
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
The lady can obviously sing extremely well. It just wasn’t anything I could see myself listening to. Great for being in a jazz club in the middle of the 20th century or walking around Disney World but that’s about it. It’s fine, but 59 songs and 3+ hours of a bunch of songs that sound nearly exactly the same also seemed a bit unnecessary.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
This would probably be cool at a nighttime jazz club or bar. I probably shouldn’t have listened at 1am when I was half asleep.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
It was a little hit or miss for me, with the misses being wild pitches off the plate that hit the batter. I liked a few songs, particularly the opening and closing ones, even though some of the better songs overstayed their welcome. Again, liked some, but others were extremely annoying noise that made me want to rip out my ears.
I wanted to give it a 2.5 but I rounded up to 3.
Cornershop
2/5
There was a big variety of songs, and unfortunately most of them were incredibly weird. I suppose I could get why someone would like it, especially considering my wife was vibing to it. But it wasn’t for me.
Candyman slaps tho
Soundgarden
4/5
I had only ever previously heard Black Hole Sun, which is an all timer. Really solid overall album. Chris Cornell’s voice was sometimes overpowering, but at the same time, I love it. Some really great guitar riffs (specifically Spoonman, which was a fantastic song), and Like Suicide, which was a great way to close out the album.
I didn’t like it *as* much on second listen as I did on the first. But I’m still giving it a 4 because it had some really good songs.
1/5
Absolutely not for me. I can’t believe people heard this album and then wanted to listen to it on purpose.
Fever Ray
2/5
It was okay I guess. Nothing really stood out in my mind at all. I could tell they were probably doing something cool but it sort of wasn’t executed amazingly well. Will not be going back to this one.
N.W.A.
2/5
Good beats, obviously an extremely influential album, especially covering the topics it did at the time when it did. Just not for me.
Santana
5/5
It took almost two weeks of album listening, but we finally have my first 5-star!
Santana has always been one of my dad’s favorites, and so I grew to appreciate them as well and it’s a very important band to me. Saw them live in 2023 and it was one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen.
This album has two songs I already knew, Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen and Oye Como Va (which are both bangers), and I think you kind of get the whole Santana experience in those two, between the keyboard playing, drums, and guitar. Certainly helped by Carlos Santana being one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
But I enjoyed the rest of the album too (Mother’s Daughter stood out to me), and there weren’t any songs I hated and wanted to immediately skip. Great album.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I’m glad that some modern rock made it on the list, and Arctic Monkeys definitely have some bangers. It’s a good album overall. It’s only brought down by the fact that most of it all sounds the same (plus some unnecessary filler songs that contribute to the sameness), and the singing style occasionally is annoying. Overall though, it’s good. I’d say a 4 or 4.5.
Suede
2/5
Apologies to Suede but it just didn’t click with me.
Fats Domino
4/5
Overall, this is a very fun album that just puts you in a good mood and makes you want to get up and dance. It’s simple, but simple isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Simple, but fun, and it left me wanting more. Fats is not only a New Orleans legend but a music legend in general and I was lucky to see him play a few times at Jazzfest as a kid even if I don’t really remember it.
New York Dolls
2/5
I understand why it was influential but that’s the last of the compliments I have. Nothing really made an impression on me.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
A really fun listen overall!
The Who
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. A good bit of it sounded like early Beatles, but the back half of the album had a lot of old blues-rock influence and it had a strong finish.
3.5/5, rounded up to a 4.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I’m conflicted about this one. The run from Around the World to Californication is superb. Scar Tissue and Otherside, specifically, are great. After the title track, though, it severely falls off and includes too many stinkers. But I can’t let the back half bring down the overall enjoyment THAT much because of those other four songs being on it.
3.5/5, rounded down to a 3.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Most of it was ok, but I had to skip too many of the more annoying for it to be highly rated.
Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) slaps though.
2/5
Obviously influential for reasons, and I get the appeal if you’re seeing it live; seems like it’d be one hell of a party. Outside of that, it was kind of incredibly annoying to listen to. The singer was dreadful.
The Rolling Stones
1/5
Sympathy for the Devil is an all-time great song and I was excited to hear the rest of the album led off with that!
Unfortunately, the entire rest of the album sucks, with little to no redeeming qualities on any of the songs. Why was Sympathy for the Devil even on this album? It was nothing like any of the other songs on it.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
I think this album made the list only because of the story behind it because the music itself sucks.
Pink Floyd
3/5
That was quite an experience. I think to be able to fully appreciate this album, I had to especially focus on viewing it as the whole concept and piece of art, essentially becoming a theatre performance, instead of just a collection of individual tracks to vibe to.
Unfortunately, I’m not the biggest fan of musical theatre, and many themes may have been lost on me. I shouldn’t have to read a whole Wikipedia article to understand what’s going on or why it matters. And unfortunately for a good bit of it, I found myself incredibly bored, as I would be at a musical. Still one hell of an experience, with some really good tracks individually as well.
Hey You stood out to me as really good. I had heard of Comfortably Numb but it never really stuck with me until I listened a few times in this album.
I respect the overall production enough to bring the rating up to a 3.5 or 4, but I don’t know if I necessarily would seek it out again as a whole.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Super enjoyable album! Keith Richards’s guitar in this is really some of the best it’s ever been.
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking is one of the greatest songs ever, especially considering the giant instrumental jam that takes up most of the song was completely improvisational!
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
It was fine. Good, even. Very funky. Unquestionably influential in the 70s, and I can’t help but imagine people dancing to this in that era when listening. I’m not sure it’s aged particularly well outside of that era, though.
No song really stood out in my mind except the 13-minute long Sex Machine, which really overstayed its welcome.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
The title track brings the album from mostly forgettable to good. An overall enjoyable experience.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
It makes me think of an opening band for someone that you actually wanna see, and then halfway through the concert you’re like “wow these guys are actually kind of fun!” and then the real concert starts, and you forget about the opener and never think about them ever again.
I don’t really think they were polished enough at this stage. Maps is good but none of the other songs on the album are anywhere similar to it. Also enjoyed Black Tongue and Y Control, but there were a lot of just plain annoying songs.
I actually really like her voice so it sucks that this album wasn’t one where she was surrounded by enough greatness to fit it.
The Rolling Stones
1/5
The singles were on the lower tier as far as popular Rolling Stones singles go. Certainly not enough to bring up the rest of the album, which was painful to listen to.
Ramones
3/5
I think many people, including myself, will hear Blitzkrieg Bop and go “THAT’S what that’s called?!” It is appropriately named, because it’s a bop.
It’s 29 minutes of a bunch of 2-minute songs that all sound the same. Really fun overall and because of the length, didn’t overstay its welcome.
The Hives
2/5
Wild coincidence that this album came right after the Ramones debut album in the challenge. I found myself enjoying the Ramones one more. This somehow overstayed its welcome, despite also being less than 30 minutes. I appreciate the energy but the songs just felt annoying after a point. I also am honestly not sure if I’d be able to tell the difference between The Hives and The Vines.
Hate To Say I Told You So is awesome. I also liked the last song on the album, probably because the singer stopped screaming and i enjoyed his silence lmao
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Really enjoyable listen overall, with some unquestionable hits and lesser known jams. Jimi Hendrix is an absolute magician on the guitar.
The best part of the album was the last four songs, basically. Really strong ending. All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Child (Slight Return) are all timers. Never heard Crosstown Traffic before but loved that. Also liked Rainy Day, Dream Away.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
It was perfectly fine. Not really sure why it was on the must-listen list.
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
We’ve already had a Mali blues album, Music in Exile by Songhoy Blues. I found that a lot better than this one. This just kinda put me to sleep. It was fine, but I wouldn’t listen normally.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
Meh. Not my thing.
Miles Davis
5/5
Fantastic listen that I was surprised by. I also was genuinely sad whenever each song ended. I think that qualifies as a 5-star album.
John Martyn
1/5
I don’t think weird ass albums like this are must-listens at all. Felt like a waste of time. There were some slightly interesting parts of very few songs but nothing made me want to ever listen to it again.
2/5
This might have caught me on the wrong day, but so much of it felt annoying that I can’t say I enjoyed it. Nearly every song on the album started okay, then ran way too long and overstayed its welcome and eventually got annoying. Not a good album to listen to when extremely tired.
Fatboy Slim
5/5
I feel like this kind of music is extremely polarizing and might get annoying in certain contexts. Super simple stuff, lot of the same samples over and over and over again. But… idk, I found myself movin’. Great beats and it never felt too samey to me. I can’t help but love it. I’ll call it a guilty pleasure.
I knew a few before listening to the album. The Rockafeller Skank has an extremely nostalgic connection for me, but it’s good regardless (maybe a little too long). Praise You is awesome. Gangster Trippin was a new one to me and it slaps. Found myself bopping along to most of the middle of the album too. I’ll definitely be revisiting this one.
Madonna
5/5
I rolled my eyes whenever I saw that today’s album would be Madonna but it was actually really good! If I didn’t know who it was, I would’ve thought it was a random chill indie artists. It surprisingly went by really fast considering it was an hour long. Really enjoyable listen with good vibes.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
Something branded as a country/folk album with the word “cowboy” in the title is obviously not gonna be for me, but I didn’t hate it at least. The singer’s voice was incredibly soothing and thankfully not twangy at all. But the whole thing was painfully slow and almost put me to sleep. There were technically separate songs but they all kind of blended into each other.
Big Star
3/5
This was a weird one. The style completely shifted after a few songs. Overall it was fine I guess.
The Cure
4/5
Went back and forth on how to rate this for a while. I think the music (instrumental composition) is fantastic. I also felt myself completely taken out of songs by the singer’s voice, which was fine on some songs, but whiny and grating on others. I think I liked enough songs to give it a 3.5, but I’m still conflicted.
(Side note, Lovesong is incredible)
Meat Puppets
2/5
This album had no idea what it wanted to be. So many genres and it does almost none of them well. Any halfway good instrumentals were overshadowed by how awful the singer is. The best songs were the ones where he didn’t open his mouth.
The Who
1/5
Terrible execution on an already dumb concept album idea. This came out after their debut album but somehow sounds even older than it. The commercials were stupid. The only song off of it that I’ve heard before was I Can See For Miles, but even that one wears out its welcome. Actively hated listening to nearly every part of this.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
This was awesome. I’m not sure I could pick out any songs that stuck out in my mind that I want to immediately go back and listen to, and that’s the only reason why I’m not giving it a 5, but it was a very enjoyable experience overall.
It was also incredibly fun learning that Sufjan Stevens just kinda decided to learn every instrument known to man in order to produce this album. Flawless execution. What a guy.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
The music behind him was solid but unmemorable. His voice overpowered nearly every song and took me out of what would’ve been an enjoyable experience otherwise. Not only that, but why did it sound like crappy early 60s music with more expensive production equipment? Leave that era behind! I don’t think I enjoyed any song on the album.
Method Man
2/5
I think I’m too white to rate this. Didn’t resonate with me at all.
The Triffids
1/5
No idea why this was on this list. It certainly didn’t make any impact on me. I feel like the only way someone could love this is if they had a nostalgic connection to it. And judging by the l number of listens, I don’t think anyone does.
David Bowie
2/5
It was fine. I think the only people who would love this were people who already were Bowie fans because it’s not really doing anything special. And I don’t think any musicians are doing anything special on their 25th album. (Though I’ve heard his last one is better)
From what I’ve read, there are nearly double-digit Bowie albums on this list. Not only does that seem completely unnecessary, but I also think it’s especially unnecessary to have a Bowie album from 2013 on the list when his prime was before the turn of the century.
Not only that, but this was from the expanded version of the list. That means they had 1001 albums already, many of which were Bowie albums, and then they decided to add YET ANOTHER ONE. Because of that, artists who were doing cool stuff in the 21st century were left off the list.
2.5 rounded down to 2 because of everything I just mentioned.
David Bowie
4/5
The randomizer graced us with back-to-back Bowie albums, which had me less than enthused for today considering I didn’t love the last one. This was a lot different. I was surprised to really enjoy the A side, which had some legitimately great songs.
The B side was a complete vibe shift and I would enjoy it under a different setting, but it kinda makes no sense while attached to what the album had previously going on. Completely jarring, and the only thing that takes it down to a 4 instead of a 5.
Drive Like Jehu
1/5
I don’t think I was angry enough to listen to this. It just ended up being annoying and loud.
Garbage
4/5
It wasn’t perfect, but it was really, really good. Great guitar, and I love love love Shirley Manson’s voice. Didn’t have to skip any songs, and I loved the overall style that wasn’t really all in your face. Really surprised I hadn’t heard of them before today’s album. It’s Garbage, but it’s definitely not garbage!
The Everly Brothers
3/5
It was about as ok as a 1960 album could be. A lot of the bands from that era just kinda blend together in my mind and sound the same. At least it was under 30 minutes.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Solsbury Hill was very good. The rest was ehhhhhhh as he was experimenting through many different genres for his first album and none of them were really my thing. This is like a 1.5 in my mind but I’ll round to a 2 because it probably appeals to someone I guess.
Brian Wilson
2/5
This is one of those albums where half of everyone’s glowing reviews mention the big long complicated backstory for its production as a major part of the reason why it’s good or important.
I tried to go in with an open mind, but I just didn’t “get it,” I guess. Even after learning about its whole history it didn’t click with me.
RIP Brian Wilson
Black Sabbath
5/5
Prior to this album popping up, my only connection to Black Sabbath outside of the big hits was my stoner uncle who loved them so much that they ended up being the soundtrack to his funeral.
Honestly, I kinda get it now. This album kicked all kinds of ass. It’s less metal and more hard rock, and peppier than some of their other stuff, which made it fun. From what I’m reading in some other reviews, that might be related to unprecedented amounts of cocaine. I’m fine with it.
It started great and ended great, with some great stuff in between. FX was weird but I just kinda consider it an interlude and it doesn’t take away from the kickassness of the rest of the album. Supernaut was an instant like. What a fun time!
The Lemonheads
3/5
No idea why this was on here. Not great, not terrible, just blah. It was fine.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Another entry in “why on earth was this included in the list?” Some good parts, some incredibly weird and annoying parts. Won’t be revisiting.
Shoutout to whoever put “Stillness Is The Move” on the NBA 2K13 soundtrack though
Frank Ocean
4/5
I knew about Frank Ocean before but had never heard a single song. Really enjoyed this. It kinda fell off toward the end, but for most of it, the vibes were immaculate.
Sugar
3/5
Really starting to wonder why way too many of these are on this list. It was fine. Extremely generic 90s pop rock. Definitely not a necessary listen.
Baaba Maal
3/5
It didn’t click with me like I had hoped. Some kinda fun songs in there, but most either didn’t resonate with me or went on too long. It wasn’t *bad* though. I just probably wouldn’t listen to any of it regularly.
Neil Young
2/5
At first it had good vibes, then it almost put me to sleep. Blah.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Probably not something I’d ever listen to again, but it was kinda a fun time (the robot voice in the first song annoyed me tho)
Mudhoney
3/5
There was some good stuff in here and you can definitely see where it influenced others. But overall it was a little all over the place so I’ll label it just decent.
The Pharcyde
1/5
I could barely get through half of it and I didn’t enjoy any of that. So dumb.
Van Halen
5/5
The B side doesn’t live up to the ridiculously high bar set by the four consecutive bangers on the A side, but it certainly wasn’t bad. Some all-time great guitar and just fun, high-energy rock tracks that kick ass. I can’t give this any less than 5 stars. One hell of a debut.
The Zutons
4/5
This album had a lot of interesting things going on and was an overall enjoyable listen.
3.5 rounded up to 4
The Fall
2/5
I didn’t hate the entire thing I guess. But god some of it was just annoying and extremely repetitive.
The Specials
3/5
Had more fun with this than I thought I would, though I don’t think I’d listen again
Charles Mingus
3/5
This was some HEAVY ass jazz. A lot of good stuff going on, but also just a lot going on in general.
Kraftwerk
3/5
The first song was really fun! And Franz Schubert sticks out in my mind as being really good. Unfortunately the rest of it I wasn’t vibing as much.
Iron Maiden
4/5
I don’t think I had ever listened to Iron Maiden before. This was a fun time. Liked it a lot better than I thought I would, but maybe their earlier stuff was closer to just rock than heavy metal? Some awesome guitar work in nearly every song. Really the only one I didn’t like at all was the title track.
DJ Shadow
4/5
This is definitely something I want to keep going back to. Great background music. Bass was poppin’
The Byrds
1/5
woooo more 60s slop
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I already knew the mega-hits of Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary (which I didn’t realize was originally a CCR song), but I enjoyed the other songs I didn’t know a lot! I don’t think there was a single bad song on this album.
Wild Beasts
2/5
The voice was unbearable for half of it and the music behind it wasn’t good enough for me to ignore that.
Elvis Presley
2/5
It’s a classic for a reason, but I’m docking points for how most of it sounds old as hell and the fact that Elvis didn’t write a single song on the album.
(Blue Suede Shoes is always great tho)
4/5
I’ve heard several of these songs but the context really elevates all of them. I didn’t enjoy the back half as much, but man what an album.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Not something I’d ever listen to again, but it had some great beats.
Shoutout to Michael Franti
Beck
3/5
Echoing what the rest of the group said. Fine overall, first few songs were cool, but after Lonesome Tears it all kinda blends together
Muddy Waters
3/5
Well, my dad was thrilled that this was on the list. Some good tunes, a bit raw, and you can see the influence everywhere.
Queen
4/5
Enjoyable overall, with some all-timer songs to elevate it.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it I guess. 2.5
Alice In Chains
4/5
I was expecting a lot worse given how a lot of reviews thought it was awful. I really liked a lot of it! A lot of sameyness, but that’s not necessarily bad. Lot of good guitar work too.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
It’s gonna be hard to find many albums on this list better than this one.
Nearly every song is phenomenal for different reasons. Black Dog and When the Levee Breaks are iconic. Misty Mountain Hop into Four Sticks is fantastic. Rock and Roll is also fantastic. And of course, Stairway to Heaven is one of the greatest songs of all time.
I didn’t even have to listen to know it’s a 5, but I listened twice today cuz they’re that good.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Was expecting to hate it from reviews but I was jammin’! Really enjoyed almost all of it (except Girlfriend). The dude’s voice wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, maybe because sounding kinda drunk works well for rock music? Some awesome guitar parts.
Miles Davis
5/5
After first experiencing In A Silent Way, this is obviously a little different of an experience, and I didn’t get it upon first listen. But then… it clicked upon second listen and I realized I could just listen forever and not get bored. Fantastic jazz album.
The Cure
2/5
It wasn’t like completely terrible or anything but I just did not vibe with it at all.
Elis Regina
3/5
Was actually really vibing for the first few songs and then it fell off really hard after those first few songs. Fine overall.
Joy Division
2/5
Some really interesting musical things happening which were unfortunately ruined by the singer’s voice
(RIP tho)
Pretenders
4/5
Really enjoyed this! I can see myself going back and listening to a lot of the tracks which just had good, fun vibes.
More importantly OH MY GOD I FINALLY KNOW THE NAME OF BRASS IN POCKET AFTER HEARING IT FOR YEARS AS A CHILD
Gene Clark
1/5
Lol absolutely not
The Beta Band
3/5
There were some interesting things happening here but overall it was pretty middle of the road.
Johnny Cash
3/5
I obviously don’t completely vibe with country, but you can’t hate Johnny Cash. Great storyteller, and the atmosphere of this is really fun.
Slade
3/5
Every song that mentioned the word “crazee” was godawful. The rest of it was fine to good!
Black Sabbath
3/5
This is not as great as their other stuff, but obviously influential and still good overall. I can only imagine what people in 1970 must have thought upon hearing that first track.
RIP Ozzy
Depeche Mode
4/5
I don’t think there was a bad track on here. Personal Jesus is kind of incredible.
Also, after getting two Kraftwerk albums on this list, it’s hard not seeing the influence.
The Police
2/5
I had to skip almost every song on the first half of it because Sting’s voice was unbearable. Some decent songs on the back half but also Every Breath You Take is not that good considering how popular it is.
Björk
1/5
The second Bjork album that’s been forced upon me on this album challenge so far.
Weirdly I actually enjoyed a lot of the musical arrangements and can tell there’s some beautiful stuff going on. Pagan Poetry, for example, sounded damn near ethereal. AND THEN BJORK DID HER WEIRD SINGING AND RUINED IT LIKE SHE HAS DONE FOR NEARLY EVERY SONG SHE’S ON.
There are songs where she sings halfway normally and it sounds fine, so I know the weird singing style on certain songs is on purpose! And it ruins everything! How can people listen to this and want more?! How do they not rip out their headphones in disgust?!
Slipknot
1/5
I tried my best to get as far as I could with this one, got nine songs in, and couldn’t take it anymore. 49 minutes of the same “I’m 14 and this is edgy” screaming bullshit over and over. Ugh
U2
3/5
Especially being that this was my first U2 album, this was pretty good overall, with my only complaint being that Bono was definitely doing too much on some songs. Sunday Bloody Sunday has been stuck in my head all day.
Fiona Apple
1/5
This is the musical equivalent of the “art” with the banana taped to the wall.
A lot of notes about it being “experimental.” What was she experimenting with? How to sound worse than all of her older music? She’s barely even singing for most of this album. Just kinda drawn-out talking over some weird percussion that isn’t even good. No catchy melodies, no good vocals, and I couldn’t even pick out anybody playing good instrumentals behind her. Nothing special about any part of this.
By far the worst thing I’ve been subjected to on this challenge. Why is this a must-listen? Especially considering how few albums we get on this list from the current decade. THIS is one of just three albums from 2020 on this list. There are so many more important artists and albums that could’ve been included but we get this tryhard bullshit instead.
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
A bit repetitive, a bit long, but I didn’t mind those things. Some chill ass jams. Enjoyed it.
Goldie
4/5
This was cool as hell and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Neat to see something that essentially started a genre. The only reason I’m docking points is because no normal album needs to be nearly 2 hours long.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin to fuck with
Pavement
2/5
I like alt rock, so I was kinda excited to see what this had in store. But… ehhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Started off good ish with Summer Babe (Winter Version), then quickly fell off a cliff. Kinda sorta picked it back up with Zurich Is Stained. But then fell off again, and I found myself wondering several times when it would be over, but each time, I still had several songs left. Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era (what a weird song title) was good. Then it was finally over after a mostly forgettable final song.
It’s a debut album and you can tell because it’s a little all over the place and doesn’t really sound like anything but some guys playing noisily in their garage. This might have been revolutionary in the 90s if I had literally nothing else to listen to, but I don’t think it’s aged well at all. So many things that probably could’ve replaced this.
Hole
3/5
I wanted to give this a high ranking because there are a lot of good things happening. To say that it’s Nirvana except with Courtney Love as the lead would do both bands a disservice, because it’s clearly its own thing, despite being the same genre. It’s raw, maybe too raw, and her seemingly random screams took me out of enjoying it as much as I wanted to. But good overall.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Black Sabbath at their absolute peak. Best listened to at max volume while speeding down the highway.
The RIFFS. War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man are all iconic. But the rest of the album is awesome too. This is certainly one of the best albums on this list.
Skepta
1/5
UK rappers be like she suck on my willy it’s quite delightful if I catch you in west Gloucestershire you’ll catch the rifle
Common
3/5
The production on this was really good (ignoring the homophobia since he apparently spoke out against it later)
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
Another addition to the “why the hell is this on the list?” list. No catchy tunes, no good beats or rhythms, no standout instrumentals. Certainly not unique or innovative, just a dude with an acoustic guitar and harmonica, which is something that can be found on most college campuses in America. He’s apparently telling good stories? Which is something I could get from reading a book instead. If they wanted me to like Bruce Springsteen, this was a terrible introduction.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
I liked a lot of this. Some crisp sounding rock. But my brain goes back and forth on whether I really loved it. Jaqueline was a great start. Take Me Out is awesome but half the time it annoys me. Most of the time I think the dude’s voice works really well with this, and other times I find it annoying. Really surprised by how much I liked 40’ also.
I’m giving it a 4 I guess. Like a 3.5 rounded up.
Patti Smith
1/5
I really wanted to like this, I did. Especially because of the absolute killer of an opening line. But this is just Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters in the 70s with slightly more of a band behind her. Why is she singing like that?
The Band
2/5
My dad has informed me that stoners in the 60s were absolutely vibing to this and I should probably smoke a joint before listening.
I understand that some people probably enjoy this. I was bored and thinking about how glad I was that we left this stuff in the 60s.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Incredibly annoyed guy has Murphy’s Law happening repeatedly to him over the course of a few days, shows up to a concert in Germany to find out he has to use a much worse rehearsal piano than the one he wanted, absolutely crushes the performance anyway, leaves.
Brian Eno
3/5
As someone who listens to a lot of music as background noise, I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would, but it’s still pretty good overall. Part of me thought it ended too soon and I wanted more, so maybe I did like it. I’ll give it a 3.5.
(Side note: the first track gave me intense Miles Davis - In a Silent Way vibes and stood out as the best of the four tracks)
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I wanted to like this, cuz I was actually getting into a lot of these songs and then for some of them, a massive noise wall would destroy my poor earbuds and my ears along with them. It was only a few songs like that, but yikes DO NOT listen to this album with earbuds.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
What a neat surprise! I dreaded this seeing the singer-songwriter tag but there were some really cool instrumental things happening as well.
I particularly liked the first two songs, and the last three. It got to be kind of boring in the middle but still beautiful. Trouble Child into Twisted was kinda incredible.
Van Morrison
3/5
It wasn’t bad but I didn’t love it. Moondance (the song) was kinda good and jazzy but the rest of it all blended together as just old people music.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
bulululu
(this wasn’t very good. the production was also really low quality even in the remaster)
Jane Weaver
5/5
WE GOT DREAMPOP CHILL INDIE ON THE ALBUM LIST!!! THIS WHOLE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN WORTH IT!!!
Talking Heads
3/5
I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, some cool instrumental things going on. On the other hand, the singer annoyed me quite a bit. I think it really hit its stride in side two, with I’m Not In Love being my fav.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Had to tap out after like 6 songs. I get it, it’s fine, but it’s not for me.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
I thought it was just fine at first but I kept going back to it throughout the day and vibing and ya know what? That makes it a 4.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Infinitely better than any other rap album we’ve gotten on here. The production was fantastic and I appreciate Kendrick’s variety in styles throughout.
Eminem
2/5
The album generator blessed us with Kendrick’s To Pimp a Butterfly the day before this came up and I can’t even pretend it’s in the same stratosphere sorry. Eminem has some good stuff but this isn’t really it.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Anytime I see a British artist I’ve never heard of on this list, I cringe at knowing it probably shouldn’t be on the list. But I liked this more than I thought I would! Not life changing, but not bad at all.
American Music Club
2/5
It was fine. Nothing special and no reason for it to be on this list.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Not a single bad song on here tbh.
Crazy that this was the first time he was allowed creative direction.
David Bowie
3/5
I just don’t really get Bowie. Not why he deserves 9 albums on this list at least. None of these songs deserved to be 6-7 minutes long, and yet they all were. Like they were okay, not terrible, but why is everyone acting like this is something of the best shit they’ve ever heard?*
*the song Stay kicked all sorts of ass and is not counted in the above chiding remarks
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I can’t even pretend that I’d listen to this on a regular basis but I gotta commend the man for making a whole sex album be this damn smooth. I mean this dude is a real yearner. They don’t make em like this anymore.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
This legitimately sounded like a bunch of 60s stoner friends got together in their mom’s garage and started fucking around and being silly instead of actually trying to make good music. What the hell was this?
Also, Trouble Every Day was a pretty good blues rock song that did not fit in with anything else on it, but it certainly got me to listen to two more songs in a desperate moment of hopium before officially tapping out.
Blondie
4/5
This album was a lot of fun! The hits are timeless but I enjoyed a lot of the rest too. Some really good guitar work throughout it too.
Stan Getz
4/5
This grew on me as the album went on. Really good as background chill vibes.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
I was originally not open-minded at all because this was literally a movie soundtrack and not a normal album… HOWEVER. It grew on me immensely. What a cool experience.
Radiohead
5/5
I have been putting off listening to Radiohead for way too long. This was awesome from back to front. Literally every song was really good, no skips. GREAT guitar throughout, especially on Just. Fake Plastic Trees is incredible. I could go on and on but you get it. By far one of the best albums on here.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Respect is a classic. I don’t think I’d listen again, but it’s a fun time overall! Just feel good music for the soul.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I didn’t like it as much as the other Joni Mitchell album I’ve gotten (Court and Spark) but it was good! I really enjoy her voice. Specifically liked the title track and the guitar magic on the opener.
Moby
3/5
After the first two songs, my thought was that this was basically fatboy slim but significantly worse.
Thankfully it got a little better after that, with a lot of variety (maybe too much variety?) Porcelain was great but none of the rest of the album sounded close to it.
I probably need a second listen but I didn’t really like it enough to warrant one honestly. But I really liked some parts of it a lot??? But I had to skip a lot of it after some songs droned on annoyingly and repeatingly for too long.
ZZ Top
5/5
This might be a slightly biased review because ZZ Top is one of my dad’s favorites and, while listening to them, I can’t help but think about how my dad loves this shit.
But I can absolutely see why he loves them. Sure, a lot of the lyrics are silly, and most of the songs sound similar. But they all have incredible guitar and cool grooves.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Started off fantastic with That Lady. That guitar was so good! The album sort of went downhill after that, but still smooth and funky as hell. Also enjoyed the little unexpected Doobie Brothers cover.
U2
3/5
It was fine but I still don’t get the U2 hype.
Prince
2/5
I’ve heard Prince’s better stuff and this isn’t it.
Bee Gees
2/5
I’m gonna try to be nice here but this is just old people music. Like my grandparents (born in the literal 1920s) would listen to this.
If someone under the age of like 65 is listening to this on purpose with no nostalgic connections then I have some concerns.
Beatles
5/5
These guys were just better at this shit than anyone else at the time. Extremely lukewarm take here but they were absolute masters at their craft and listening to this album just makes you appreciate that fact. And a lot of it was experimental!
The Streets
1/5
UK rappers be like
she suck on my willy it’s quite delightful if I catch you in west Gloucestershire you’ll catch the rifle
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Pretty good stuff, especially for mid-60s! Unfortunately all the comments were correct that said how the songs with Grace Slick on vocals were miles better than the others.
She Has Funny Cars was a good opener and had some cool guitar at the end. Somebody to Love is a classic. I hadn’t heard White Rabbit before but it grew on me after a few listens. Also really enjoyed D. C. B. A.-25.
(In The Morning was a bonus track but it also was very good)
This is like a 4.5, rounded down to a 4 just because like half the songs were forgettable, but some really good stuff on here!
Eels
2/5
I have a lot of thoughts about this one.
I wish it were better. I do not think the guy had a good voice at all, but it at least works for this specific album and what it’s trying to do I guess. His tone barely changed at all throughout (except on the song Mental, which was pretty good).
It feels like being a teenager again and having your friend show you this album, promising that it’s soooo good, but then it’s just kinda okay and you have to hide the fact that you don’t super love it from them or else they’ll crash out.
It’s just nothing I’d listen to normally despite me liking some parts of it.
Also, dreamworks had a record label?? No wonder Eels got a song in Shrek. Is this just an industry plant album? It sorta failed at being relevant then. The only reason people care about Eels now seems to be Shrek and the 1001 albums list, which I am not really sure it should be on.
Air
5/5
I don’t have a ton of commentary on this. Just some really good shit. Would listen again.
Steely Dan
3/5
Certainly not Steely Dan’s best stuff and not my favorite, but still some good stuff in here! And nothing bad at least. The title track was incredible, and I enjoyed the guitar on Night by Night, but not much else stood out to me.
The La's
2/5
A bunch of songs from some guys who grew up listening to the Beatles so the entire album sounds like the Beatles but not as good. Culturally irrelevant outside of being a one hit wonder. Does not belong on the list.
Adele
4/5
Some of the most insane 1-star reviews I’ve ever read exist for this album. Some people are so incredibly hateful.
Some catchy songs, some heartfelt ones, and an amazing voice. It’s obvious why these songs were everywhere at the start of the decade. And not just young people either, I mean EVERYONE knew Adele. Absolutely crazy that pretty much all her most popular songs were from a record that came out when she was 21.
Minus points for dating Rich Paul tho.
Wire
2/5
Thirty-five minutes of the exact same song repeated many times in intervals of less than 2 minutes. Nothing remarkable about this at all.
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
I am really trying not to be a hater here because there are some undeniable bops on here but good lord her voice annoyed me for too much of this album for me to give it any sort of decent rating.
King Crimson
3/5
Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, wouldn’t listen again as I’m not one for longer prog rock songs and this could’ve basically been one long song, but it was a pretty interesting listen!
The The
3/5
I wanted to like this more, because the instrumental sections of nearly every song are pretty awesome. If this were just a collection of jams then I’d probably like it more.
Unfortunately the dude’s voice was … not great. But the jams were good enough to keep it at a 3.
Rush
4/5
I like this more and more with every listen. It may end up being a 5 soon.
Heaven 17
2/5
This album started out actually pretty cool with the first two songs being pretty fun! And then OH GOD IT GOT SO MUCH WORSE WITH EVERY SUCCESSIVE SONG
Taylor Swift
2/5
At the risk of pissing off Taylor Swift superfans, I think they are the only demographic for a lot of her recent stuff. She can sing well and write songs but that doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily super enjoyable to listen to. I was thoroughly bored though most of this, which was disappointing.
(A bright spot that I hadn’t heard before was long story short. That one was kinda fun!)
The Pogues
3/5
This was a really interesting album and I had fun listening to it.
The Stooges
2/5
One of the reviews on this very website said that this was a top 10 album *of all time*
Whatever that guy was smoking, I would like a sample.
Some rocking guitar throughout the album but the overall production value was so low that even the guitar was not pleasing to the ears. The melodies themselves didn’t make me interested enough to go look up the Bowie version either.
I’m sure this is a fine album for someone who has only heard like 5 other albums in their life
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
I knew who Buddy Holly was but I had never actually heard any music he’s been a part of until now.
I went into this in a grumpy mood, made even grumpier that I’d have to sit through more “old people music,” and I realized halfway through that there’s no way I could be grumpy while listening to this. What a pleasant surprise of an album! Just fun vibes throughout.
You can definitely hear how so many acts were heavily influenced by him, namely the Beatles and The Beach Boys.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Not bad, not bad
Beatles
3/5
Not as good as Revolver and Sgt Pepper…
… but still, Beatles good. Like I didn’t find myself hating any of it and the quality was excellent for 1965. But still nothing amazing popping out at you. Would have probably been elevated if Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out (which was recorded at the same time as the album) was a part of the album instead of being released as a single alongside it?
The Cars
5/5
I really enjoyed this! Just some classic, good rock all the way around. And it was their debut?!
I knew Just What I Needed, which is an all-timer, but I was surprised to learn I recognized a good number of songs on here also. And the ones I didn’t recognize, I still enjoyed.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Not something I’d listen to again, but it wasn’t bad! Some good vibes overall. They sounded like they had fun making it.
Ozomatli
3/5
Not something I’d probably listen to on my own, but shoutout to this album list for producing a pretty fun one. A cool mix of styles. Like something I’d see at a festival.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Great voice, cool atmosphere. Nothing overly remarkable.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
This had some pretty cool stuff on it, from the very first song! Worked really well as plane listening!
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Some solid rock, though no songs really jumped out at me as being amazing
David Bowie
3/5
The fourth Bowie album I’ve gotten. Almost halfway through this list’s absurdly high nine Bowie albums!
I was sort of expecting more from something with that album cover because it is obviously iconic. Nothing super memorable about the music itself, but it was good overall.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Overall fine, some good easy listening, but I do not need an entire hour and 11 minutes of it
Doves
3/5
This was really solid. Weirdly very backloaded though. But I don’t think I’d listen to anything on it again, so a 3 it gets. Probably more like a 3.5 but this website doesn’t do half ratings.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Really cool album
Dire Straits
3/5
Sultans of Swing is good. The rest… I probably didn’t really need to hear.
Some cool guitar jams. Those were unfortunately the only times I thought the album did anything noteworthy. It’s like music for dads but not even the kind of music for dads that I really love.
The Jam
2/5
This was not completely godawful, but it certainly didn’t give me any positive emotions. I kept wondering when it would be over. Somehow a 37-minute album felt like an hour and a half. The whole time, my only thought was “mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh.” Can’t believe I wasted my morning drive on this shit.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Sounded like a bunch of drunk vikings in a mead hall badly attempting to sing and make sounds out of various objects around them. No thank you.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Loved this. Even the longer tracks didn’t overstay their welcome.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
I was genuinely feeling on edge after several songs of this. Clearly talented musicians who are just doing entirely too much.
Cee Lo Green
1/5
Some undeniably cool beats completely ruined whenever CeeLo opened his mouth. Unfortunately I found myself hating this more and more as the album went on.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Kinda fun, kinda all over the place. Better than most 60s albums I’ve been subjected to
Duran Duran
3/5
So undeniably 80s. Everything was pretty good. I knew Hungry Like the Wolf and that’s about it, but some other gems as well. The bass also FUCKS
Arcade Fire
2/5
Incredible how nearly every song overstayed its welcome. Even the kinda interesting songs, I eventually just got tired of. Blah. Not for me.
Neil Young
2/5
Very obviously talented musician whose songs I don’t really care for
Talking Heads
3/5
Same as it ever was
Talking Heads
3/5
About on par with the other Talking Heads albums we’ve had. Maybe I liked this a little more? Idk
R.E.M.
2/5
Accessible, inoffensive, milquetoast alt rock that I liked less and less as the album went on. Blah
Sepultura
3/5
I certainly did not expect something like this on here. Fun time though. Made excellent driving to work music.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Booooooring
Like their solo projects, I can tell these are obviously talented musicians who make music I just do not care to listen to.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Really enjoyed a lot of this. Jeff Beck is obviously a wizard on the guitar, and I loved a lot of the piano too. Super crisp on all the instruments. Like from a pure production standpoint, this was awesome, especially for 1968.
Unfortunately, Rod Stewart
The Band
1/5
I get that The Band (stupid name) is influential and that explains why they are on the list. But even still I wonder why they have TWO albums on this list, both of which are such a massive waste of time. I hated this more than the other one, whose name I can’t even remember at this point. I did not enjoy the singing, which sounded out of tune sometimes. I did not enjoy the cacophony of instruments. I did not enjoy the style of music. Once again, PLEASE let’s leave this behind in the 60s.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
When an album is so good that it even got me to like folk music for a bit, I gotta give it at least a 4.
Shoutout Mrs. Robinson
System Of A Down
3/5
Absolutely in-your-face crazy (complimentary)
Impossible to not have fun while listening to this. I am only docking points because 1) you have to be in a certain mood to listen to this and 2) it’s not as good as Toxicity (but that’s hard to beat)
Haircut 100
5/5
Half the people in the reviews were calling this generic new wave, whatever the hell that means, and it seemed like it’d be another uninteresting britslop contribution from the list makers
This was actually cool as hell. Generally great vibes, a singer who kinda took a back seat and let the music shine, and some awesome instrumentals with the horns doing their thang and some nifty rhythm guitar. Loved so much of this that I even started listening to the bonus tracks!
Radiohead
3/5
On paper, this is something I should probably like. And it was overall good, with some great production quality that you’re probably missing out on if you listen on old car speakers instead of good headphones.
That said, I just didn’t overly *love* the album unfortunately. Especially after hearing The Bends and knowing not all their songs sound like this. A lot of it sort of blended together in my mind. I listened to this three different times and still didn’t “get it” so I don’t think it’s gonna click unfortunately.
The Specials
2/5
I’m not going to give this a 1 because I did enjoy a lot of the instrumental jams but hoo boy this was pretty bad
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Rap with an actual band behind it was kinda cool. Not enough for me to regularly listen to, but kinda cool. A lot of the reviews mention lyrics that are less than stellar buuuut I suck at hearing lyrics anyway so it gets a 3 from me!
Primal Scream
2/5
I feel like this wanted to be chill background music but too often the chill vibe was interrupted by some strange noises. Idk. Did not enjoy
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
At the very least this album was interesting. Very angry but in a well-produced kinda way. I don’t think I will seek this out again but I can appreciate it.
Elbow
2/5
Another entry into the list of things the Brits like but I do not (sorry)
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Struggled to rate this because while I really just did not enjoy a lot of it, there are some undeniable BANGERS, especially in the back half.
John Coltrane
4/5
We’ve gotten some good ass jazz albums on this list I tell you hwat
Nas
3/5
I know Nas is one of the greats but it didn’t completely click with me. Not bad though. Maybe didn’t age super well.
Shoutout to The World Is Yours being on the NBA 2K13 soundtrack tho
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
I have so many thoughts and none of them are positive. Stephin Merritt is now my enemy.
Why did he want 100 songs? Why is this on the list? Why does he sing like that?
I got 34 songs in. Almost halfway. I got progressively angrier as I listened to it. What a massive waste of time. No album should demand this much of my time.
I liked one or two songs maybe. Every song Merritt sang on, I had to skip. It was a mix of his voice and some of the music behind it. Due to so many factors, this might be my least favorite album on the list. If I ever see Stephin, it’s on SIGHT.
The Undertones
3/5
Do you want 16 of the exact same song all packed into a short album? Then this is for you!
(It was fine. Not a must-listen)
Elliott Smith
4/5
All I knew about Elliot Smith previously was that he was extremely depressed, dealt with addiction, made very depressing music, etc. so this surprised me! I really enjoyed the album overall.
TV On The Radio
2/5
I was annoyed the entire time
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I just do not get Bruce Springsteen, I’m sorry
R.E.M.
3/5
Not a single song stood out to me as being a 5/5 HOWEVER this was some very good listening and I certainly didn’t dislike any of it.
I’m thinking a 3.5 for now. Might go back and listen one day and bump it up to 4.
Donald Fagen
3/5
i think I enjoyed this overall, but after listening to other Steely Dan stuff, I know it was just missing *something*
TLC
3/5
A really cool album brought down by some incredibly stupid skits. Waterfalls was stuck in my head all day.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
There are many other reviewers on here who can more eloquently put how important Rage Against the Machine is lyrically, so I’ll let those reviews do the talking there.
My review: banger after banger after banger. Tom Morello’s guitar is incredible for a variety of reasons. I arrived at work today about 5 minutes earlier than normal and I’m attributing that to this album.
Def Leppard
4/5
Def Leppard suffers from the problem a lot of music of the 80s has: a lot of it sounds extremely similar! For some, that might not deter them from rocking out, and I respect that. This album is full of absolute classics and a lot of mush that sounded like every other generic 80s rock song.
I tried to put myself in the context of the time period. Crazy haired, glammed out rockstars putting on a wild show. This kind of music defined the 80s, for better or worse, and I think seeing a Def Leppard concert at their peak would’ve probably blown my mind. I’ll be nice and round my 3.5 up to a 4.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Under normal circumstances, I would’ve given this album a 2, but it has The Passenger, so into the 3 pile it goes
Yes
3/5
Going into this, all I knew about Yes is the fact that they are a prog rock band, and the only song I knew was I’ve Seen All Good People because it used to play all the time on the local classic rock radio station.
Weirdly, that song was kind of the low point for the album. Overall it was a lot better than I expected. Some really good jams happening.
Elliott Smith
2/5
While I can appreciate his songwriting talent and mourn his loss, this is just too depressing for me to want to listen to. Like I get it, but it’s not for me.
(I did enjoy Ballad of Big Nothing tho)
XTC
2/5
The one compliment I can give is that it was a better overall listen than Apple Bullshit Volume One. But I still didn’t like basically any of it.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Good stuff! A lot of very similar stuff but I didn’t mind it. Lot of cool beats. On the upper tier of hip hop this list has given us. Would give a 3.5 if I could
Judas Priest
3/5
I wanted to like this more than I did. It had a solid start that transitioned into a middle that made me want to quit, then some of the last few songs (The Rage, Steeler) finally had some bite.
A lot of it sounded like generic 80s music to me. Which, after finding out it was actually from the start of the decade, made me realize that meant they’re pretty influential to what came after. Still, nothing wowed me that much, especially knowing there was stuff like Black Sabbath that came years before and still holds up to this day.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
No thank you
If this was “1001 stories you must read before you die” then maybe it would qualify for this list
However… it’s not
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
I try my best to not let my personal feelings on an album’s inclusion influence how I feel about the music itself. Just because something wasn’t super important, popular, or critically acclaimed doesn’t mean it can’t be good!
However. This album sucks so much ass that I feel fine ripping on its place among the 1001. I felt insulted listening to it; progressively angrier as it went along. I didn’t even think the music was that bad, but the singing style was so genuinely awful that it pissed me off. What a waste of everyone’s time.
This might not even make 10,001 albums I must hear before I die. Dexys Midnight Runners is known throughout the globe for one song. They’re the epitome of a one-hit wonder. This album does not contain that song. Not only that, but there are two OTHER albums from this band on the list. Meaning that one of those two albums ALSO doesn’t contain the only song.
There is nothing important or influential about it. What really drives the point home is that even the Wikipedia article mentions how everyone hated it so much that it broke up the band. The only notable thing about the album is that it made the 1001 list. Garbage.
Doves
3/5
Fine to good. Nothing super remarkable. Some songs way too long without doing anything interesting. I did like Words, Satellites, and Caught By The River best.
Portishead
4/5
Ethereal female vocals backed by some cool ass chill beats? Sign me up!
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Carpenters
3/5
Very soothing. Maybe too soothing cuz I almost fell asleep while driving.
Carole King
5/5
I can’t exactly be impartial on this album because it’s my mom’s favorite artist and album, and it includes the song we danced to at my wedding (You’ve Got a Friend).
That said, I get why it’s thought of as one of the best of all time. Some really great and beautiful songs throughout. Memorable, heartfelt, with some great piano playing and guitar. Good easy listening. Hard to hate. It’s a 5, folks.
Arcade Fire
3/5
If Win Butler didn’t have such a whiny voice for half the album then this would probably be better. Alas.
Rod Stewart
2/5
I honestly didn’t find him as bad here as the Jeff Beck Truth album but Rod Stewart just does not do it for me.
Metallica
5/5
One is one of my all-time faves, but that’s about all I knew from this album (shoutout to Guitar Hero). The rest of the album was similarly awesome.
It’s rare for an album to be over an hour long without me complaining about how long it is. But this achieved that feat. Awesome guitar riffs and solos throughout.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Oh boy. Pet Sounds. Something I’ve never listened to all the way through, but I’ve very often heard it talked about as one of the best albums of all time, if not THE best. By the end of the day I had listened to it three times all the way through.
On first listen, it’s certainly not something that stands out as something with a ton of catchy bops (other than Wouldn’t It Be Nice), despite it often being considered a great pop album. I do think it’s something that needs to be listened to all the way through. As a whole experience of an album, it’s pretty dang good. I thought there was some technically really impressive stuff in there, with the layers of instrumentals and intertwining vocals. On the second and third listens, nothing really drastically changed for me. It’s good, but I don’t think it’s the best album of all time that many people see it is.
I can see why it was popular, and I understand its importance and influence. But I’m struggling to see that importance as anything but a product of its time. Is it the “greatest rock album ever made” as Brian Wilson (may he rest in peace) wanted it to be? Ehhhh. I don’t know about that. Especially not the original mono version, which sounded like it was being played on an old toaster despite being in my pretty decent headphones.
It helped to change the entire music landscape in the mid-60s, making the Beatles up their game and everyone else along with that. But taken out of that context, it just sounds like many of the 60s albums we’ve gotten on the 1001 albums list to me, though with fewer faults than most of them. It’s good, but also possibly the most overrated album ever.
Steely Dan
5/5
I really wanted to give this album a 5 due to how many times I went back to it throughout the day. But I think 90% of that was just wanting to listen to Bodhisattva and Your Gold Teeth a bunch of times.
Idk. It’s still really good. Really fun album with some awesome jams. Giving it a tentative 4.
Edit two weeks later: these songs have entered my brain and have no plans on leaving. IT’S A 5
Sonic Youth
2/5
This was not a very enjoyable experience. I liked Sugar Kane and that’s about it.
George Harrison
3/5
I often had a thought throughout the album that this basically sounded like the Beatles but with slightly less sauce (that’ll happen without Paul and John). There are a lot of good songs in here, most of which are on disc 1. And I’m glad I trudged through disc 2, which was mostly blaaahhhhh, because the jams at the end were actually pretty cool. But I can’t support putting out a whole ass 2-hour long album. A good bit of it could have been cut easily. Respect my time plz
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
This wasn’t some generic 80s album like some of the reviews were calling it. I actually enjoyed it more than I expected, though I do think you have to kinda be in a certain mood to really love it.
Khaled
3/5
I enjoyed a lot more of this than I thought I would! Like a lot of it sounded like songs that would be playing when movie protagonists get off a plane in a middle eastern desert town, but then a lot of it was fun pop vibes.
Richard Thompson
2/5
Fine, a little slow and boring, not important or influential or anything else. There’s just so much else I’d rather listen to.
T. Rex
3/5
Well I can see why T. Rex was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. Get It On is a bop. The rest? It’s fine. Just… fine.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I felt superfly listening to this
David Bowie
2/5
I know Bowie has 9 albums on this list, and I know he’s obviously a popular and important artist. Of the five I’ve heard so far, I feel like I can safely say that his music just does not do it for me. I guess it’s his voice and overall style of music because I did enjoy certain elements, like the great piano playing. I am praying that the Ziggy Stardust can lift my opinion of him when we get there, but since that was released the year after this one, I’m growing less hopeful.
Of the songs I knew already, Changes and Life on Mars? certainly aren’t my favorite Bowie songs. Andy Warhol was dreadful. Most of the songs either were ok or I straight up didn’t like. Blah. Sorry.
Coldplay
5/5
The back half of this album did not live up to the overly high expectations I had after the first five songs. But none of it was bad. That front half just brought some HEAT.
And I mean come on. Yellow is an all timer.
You caught me on a good day Coldplay. This is more like a 4.5 that I am rounding up to a 5.
Big Star
3/5
Decent I guess. Has all the makings of something I probably should like but it just didn’t hold my interest at all.
John Lennon
2/5
After getting both this and George Harrison’s solo debut within the last two weeks, I’m realizing maybe George WAS the real magician behind the Beatles. I did not enjoy this at all.
Röyksopp
4/5
None of the songs really stood out among the rest, but based on vibes alone, it’s a 4.
… at least that’s what I said before hearing THE SONG FROM THE GEICO CAVEMAN COMMERCIAL. Remind Me is SUCH a bop.
I’m still giving it a 4 tho.
The Smiths
3/5
It’s fine. Nothing special. Definitely not one of MY greatest albums of all time. Probably not in my top 500. I will forget everything about this in a few weeks except that other people like it a lot for some reason.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
This was fun! High energy the whole time. Similar fun vibes compared to Fats Domino.
Rocket From The Crypt
1/5
I was exhausted after just a couple songs of this album. Then it kept going. Why is this a must listen? Why would anyone else listen to an entire album of this?
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Smooth as hell, definitely no *bad* songs, and a good album overall, but I just do not understand its ranking as the best album of all time.
Right On, however, is an awesome song.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
My country wife loved this. I did not.
The Mars Volta
4/5
I flirted with giving this a 3 for a while because I probably won’t add any songs off this to my regular listening but ya know what? It was cool as hell.
Various Artists
4/5
I don’t think I’d like an entire album of 12 straight Christmas songs from one singer, cuz I feel like that would get old, but I like how it was a collection from different singers, all of whom I enjoyed. A lot of them I knew already, but some I didn’t and they were still solid! This would probably be like a 4.5 without the final, completely unnecessary addition from Phil Spector.
*reads closer*
wait, he KILLED SOMEONE?
Bob Dylan
1/5
Obviously he can write songs pretty well but I would prefer other people to perform them. His voice ruined at least half the songs on here.
Beatles
4/5
For some reason this didn’t click with me as much as other Beatles albums, but I still enjoyed it a good bit after two listens. Really crisp production, which I appreciate. I also appreciated how musically, all four lads got their moments to shine.
Come Together and Here Comes the Sun obviously stand out, but I Want You (She’s So Heavy) was really interesting and stuck with me, and Oh! Darling as well. The only low point was Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, which was kinda a silly addition to an otherwise great album.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Overall this was pretty cool, and worked well as background music. That is, until the wild cacophony of noises appeared halfway through part 2. Why? Why include that?
Still good enough for a 3.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
A lot of very pleasant, enjoyable songs. And the title track was an interesting surprise!
I was thinking about giving this a 4 but the album was way too long and also every song with Lindsey Buckingham on vocals was dogshit
Slayer
3/5
Metallica on x1.5 speed!!!!!
Listening to this is kind of exhausting. But ya know what, it has its place.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
What the fuck. This is definitely up there for worst album of the entire list.
James Brown
3/5
This wasn’t as good as I was hoping from the first couple songs. He brought the energy, the band sounded fantastic, but by the song I Don’t Mind, I felt like the whole thing lost steam and I had grown somewhat tired of his constant interjections that were 10x louder than anything else that was going on.
That said, as far as a relic of history, it’s really interesting. Dude absolutely had the ladies going buck wild throughout the entire thing. Putting aside his obviously problematic personal life, he had one hell of a stage presence. The album does a great job of making you almost feel like you were there, or can at least vividly imagine it. Especially the early 60s, James Brown was some revolutionary stuff. For the modern day though, I’m not overly impressed.
Rush
5/5
Excellent stuff start to finish. I can’t believe there are so many haters in the review section. This has been one of the highlights of the challenge for me. Awesome start with Tom Sawyer and it never really dropped in quality afterward.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
This album sent me into a 2am rant after hearing the first 5 songs and declaring that it is completely unimpressive and certainly not unique, boring bullshit that should not be a must listen. I had flashbacks of Nebraska with Bruce Springsteen essentially sitting around a fire with an acoustic guitar telling stories in a singing voice I am not fond of. Thankfully things picked up after the first five songs and everything starting with Powderfinger was actually pretty decent with some pretty good guitar.
I don’t take back what I said about the first five songs though. At least he sings better than Springsteen.
MC Solaar
5/5
Went into this not knowing WHAT to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A decent amount of variety with his flow, as well as with the backing instruments which often took the drivers seat. Apparently it was 52 minutes long but it didn’t feel long at all. What a fun experience!
Radiohead
3/5
There seems to be traditional rock music Radiohead (The Bends) and more experimental, abstract concept music Radiohead. I apparently don’t love the latter, though i can obviously see they are talented musicians doing their thing. Most of the songs don’t seem to go anywhere, like sort of building up to something that never happens. I enjoyed some parts but most of the album passed me by without making an impression. Meh, sorry.
The Pretty Things
2/5
Yikes. Not for me.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Listening to this while shaking my head the whole time so people in public know I disagree with Ryan Adams’s personal life.
Pretty easy listening for the most part. Nothing really stood out as being amazing; more good songs than bad. Some catchy riffs here and there. But it had no business being as long as it was.
The Cardigans
3/5
One of the most bewildering listens of the album challenge so far. Knowing only Lovefool going in, I was surprised by all the different directions and twists and turns this album took. I still have no idea if I like that Iron Man cover or not.
Less one hit wonders on the album list plz
The White Stripes
3/5
I love the White Stripes but I don’t think this is their best work unfortunately. Still fine overall with some solid tracks but I could forget a lot of them.
4/5
Many Bowie albums into this list, I’ve seen his highs and not-so-highs. This is one of the highs. Obviously there’s a story going on, and there’s a lot of context that helps to elevate the album once you know it, but even as a collection of songs without context, it’s super well done.
TV On The Radio
2/5
I just don’t think this was very good, sorry.
Metallica
3/5
The way this was mixed or something made it so low. I had to turn my volume up to max to hear anything. Also I don’t think this is some of their best stuff. Loved the Orion instrumental though.
Mekons
1/5
Man what the hell was this
Frank Zappa
4/5
This is an interesting one. Other than Captain Beefheart ruining the first minute or so of Willie the Pimp, it was pretty much all instrumentals. Some cool jazzy vibes intertwined with lengthy rock solos. On paper, that is right up my alley.
It wasn’t my favorite thing in the world. Felt super disjointed at times with various musicians doing their thang but maybe for too long? I was surprised a the length of some songs, though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Idk. It’s above average as far as albums we’ve been subjected to on this list.
Maybe a 3.5 rounded up to a 4.
5/5
The first three songs worked extremely well together. Starlight is probably my favorite Muse song and I used to not like Supermassive Black Hole but it goes harder than I remembered. The last three songs also had a great run, with Knights of Cydonia capping the album off wonderfully. Some solid tracks in between as well, with no bad songs on the album really.
5 stars for somehow the only Muse album on the list (that was later taken off the list 😔)
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Overall this was pretty solid. Not something I’d seek out and listen to on my own, but solid. Worked well as background music, though I’m sure there’s a lot I’m missing. I enjoyed their singing. Definitely can’t understand how it made so many people in the reviews so extremely angry.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, some good solos and his voice wasn’t as grating as usual (for most of it at least). Like… not bad, but not good enough to make me want to listen to Springsteen again.
Death In Vegas
3/5
This was interesting. Some really cool sounds with some vocal tracks that distracted from the cool sounds. Still cool tho.
B.B. King
4/5
This man was goin’ THROUGH it.
Really fun album overall. The band kept surprising me because I was expecting solo old guy with a guitar playing blues progressions. Crowd seemed to be having a blast too! (Also shoutout to Mr. King for advocating against domestic abuse!)
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Interestingly I liked the tracks with other artists more than the slower solo traditional blues ones at the end. It started off probably giving me unrealistic expectations with the Santana feature, then had some good songs but eventually lost steam. Given that I just heard B.B. King’s Live at the Regal the day before this, I wasn’t suuuper impressed, but it was fine, and given that he’s one of my dad’s favorite artists I’m going no lower than a 3.