194
Albums Rated
3.78
Average Rating
18%
Complete
895 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
46
5-Star Albums
2
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Whatever
Aimee Mann
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Sheet Music
10cc
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Wild Gift
X
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Future Days
Can
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
Close To The Edge
Yes
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
|
5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
|
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
|
5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
|
In It For The Money
Supergrass
|
5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
|
1 | 3.55 | -2.55 |
|
Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
|
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
|
2 | 3.68 | -1.68 |
|
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
|
2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
|
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
|
2 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
|
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
|
2 | 3.44 | -1.44 |
|
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
|
2 | 3.44 | -1.44 |
|
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
|
2 | 3.4 | -1.4 |
|
xx
The xx
|
2 | 3.37 | -1.37 |
|
American Pie
Don McLean
|
2 | 3.28 | -1.28 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| U2 | 3 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kate Bush | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 2 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 2 | 5 |
| Yes | 2 | 5 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (46)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Julian Cope
4/5
Sprawling, shambolic, and varied - this is the classic statement double album that veers experimentally all over the road. Grounded principally in a merger of 60s art rock (Velvets, Leonard Cohen) and the dance grooves of the Madchester scene (Inspiral Carpets, Happy Mondays), it’s an album that is of some distance from Julian Cope’s more new-waveish work with The Teardrop Explodes and on his earlier solo records like Saint Julian. The backing band here is truly terrific, and as a whole while there are some inevitable missteps (Pristeen is a bit of a limp opener, and East Easy Rider is just groove without much behind it), it’s a truly masterful creative work and probably the best thing Cope has done.
1 likes
Morrissey
4/5
While not a manic fan, I've always enjoyed the music and lyrical approach of The Smiths. I have, however, had only passing familiarity with Morrissey solo and this is the first record I've really deep dived into.
On the whole it's surprisingly strong, though also very un-Smiths like. It rocks a little harder than The Smiths and lacks the melodic subtleties and textures that Johnny Marr was able to bring. But it's still a really strong collection of pop tunes and consistently engaging from top to bottom. I understand there will be more Morrissey on this list and I'm looking forward to hearing where he goes.
1 likes
Bob Dylan
5/5
Dylan is an acquired taste. But few artists provide quite the rewards of making the effort to acquire it as Dylan. This album stands out as it is the bridge between folk and electric Dylan, and you can still hear how side one of this record must have had the same impact as early punk rock. It’s got great tunes - both blues rockers and folk - but the added context of how it shaped music make it an essential album IMO.
1 likes
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
The guitar tone is irritating. The vocals are irritating. The 90s alterna-rock cliches are irritating. But Billy Corgan could write a good pop tune and there are some gems here as well. That said, its almost never worth the effort to find them.
1 likes
Black Sabbath
5/5
And with that, heavy metal - complete with all its durable tropes - is born. Killer riffs abound - a template for this band and much of heavy metal, emphasizing the riff over pure melody.The energetic if not yet overly tight rhythm section showing the bloom of its potential, and Ozzys distinctive vocals and ridiculously theatrical lyrics on top of all of it. Sabbath would go on to produce better albums, but they come out of the gates hot, and while the record loses a bit of steam toward the end it opens with a series of blistering tracks. There are some unusual flourishes here - in particular the blues orientation - that would not be repeated in future records. Any of Sabbath’s first five albums are 5 star affairs for me, and this one is memorable for establishing the template, both for themselves and for metal in general.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (2)
All Ratings
Fleet Foxes
2/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Great, edgy pop.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Funky, sexy, grimy, and vivid.
The Pogues
3/5
A fun evening out in a seedy Irish pub in a bad part of town. Fun for a while, but ultimately fatiguing and not a place you necessarily want to revisit often.
Parliament
3/5
Funky fun and a party on record. Would be a great live experience, but as a studio recording it can get a bit repetitive.
3/5
Anthemic Beatleesque Britpop that it’s hard to truly dislike, but it’s too simple and derivative to truly be great. Blur kicks their ass.
Stan Getz
4/5
Silky smooth and sexy. Makes one thirst for a martini. Strengthens with every listen. Does have a certain samey-ness throughout
The Velvet Underground
4/5
An album that is more important than enjoyable, but it does retain its ability to jar even after 50 years and you can hear a lot of the future of music in it.
King Crimson
4/5
Jazz, rock, psychedelia and inspired musicianship with a few great melodies to boot. A prog classic with all the occasional interludes of indulgent noodling.
Maxwell
3/5
The smoothest of smooth R&B and a full albums of tracks to smash to. Overlong in parts, but the highs are truly outstanding.
Beastie Boys
1/5
I detest this album. Admittedly not a big fan of hip-hop to begin with, now add on top a bunch of whiney sub-par cultural appropriators and take the one interesting thing about hip-hop - poetic lyricism - and remove it and replace it with brain-dead hair metal party anthem chants. You officially have created the worst musical abomination possible.
Neil Young
5/5
A shambolic masterpiece, with terrific songwriting enhanced by emotionally resonant performances complete with mistakes, tempo problems, and Young missing notes left and right. A truly great album.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
I hope you like “Who Do You Love” by Bo Diddley because it’s half the record. This is classic 60s era live psychedelic noodling in the same vein as The Dead’s Live/Dead. If you like that, this is a masterpiece. If not, you might find this a self-indulgent bore. I’m in the middle.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
An artist I was not at all familiar with prior to this book. A world music fusion of funk, samba, and rock. Terrific songwriting and orchestration. Maybe a little less cuica on some tunes? If you want to know what created David Byrne, this is it.
Van Halen
5/5
Van Halen's debut album. That seems about enough.
Ian Dury
4/5
A fun and often funny hyper-British proto-punk romp. Kinks meets Madness with a touch of Gary Glitter. Good times.
The Stooges
4/5
The definitive proton-punk album and one that still sounds fresh and fun decades later. It almost excuses the mind-numbing stupidity of the lyrics. The Stooges would put out better albums, but this one clearly helped set the direction for the future of rock.
The Saints
4/5
A really fun album, remarkably early punk album that combines great tunes, solid musicianship, punk attitude and sneer, and a bit of spice with horns. I had never heard this album before and I'm now going whole hog into the Saints catalog. If you like early punk (Ramones, Damned), you will surely like this.
Green Day
4/5
A punk rock opera, complete with progressive rock staples like multi-part suites. It sounds ridiculous, and it would be if the songs weren’t so damn good.
Jane Weaver
3/5
It has its moments, but on the whole seems inconsequential and a curious inclusion on this list. Numerous artists from which it is derivative would seem to have been better choices.
Ash
3/5
This is where it becomes obvious that this book was written by British music critics, because this is essentially a UK version of Weezer, but with worse songs, singing, and guitar playing. There are at least three Weezer albums that should have made the list ahead of this. All that said, this is fuzzed-out Power Pop with a Britpop flair, so what’s not to like?
Dire Straits
4/5
It’s got an unmistakable ‘Dad rock’ vibe, and the under-developed songwriting can give the tunes a bit of sameness. But the band is tight, the guitar playing awesome, and it washes over you in a pleasant, warm bath kind of way that can make for an enjoyable listen.
John Coltrane
4/5
Rewarding repeated listens, what comes across initially as self-indulgent chaos reveals itself over time as a lyrical, emotionally rich, and vivid musical experience.
Calexico
3/5
A mostly enjoyable record with some real 5-star highlights, including the moody James Bond stylings of standout track “Black Heart.” But the album ultimately trips over itself with its broad eclecticism - moving from Americana to Latin to Country. As a result it feels less coherent than it otherwise could have been.
Hawkwind
4/5
Overly long, but a trippy psychedelic journey executed by a tight band of true believers. Great entry point into a rewarding deep dive into the phenomenon of Hawkins.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
A Dylanssqur collection of folk tinged short stories that is unlike most of Springsteen’s catalog. Delivered with a stripped down authenticity that fits the material
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
The guitar tone is irritating. The vocals are irritating. The 90s alterna-rock cliches are irritating. But Billy Corgan could write a good pop tune and there are some gems here as well. That said, its almost never worth the effort to find them.
Heaven 17
3/5
B-minus grade 80s synth pop that pales relative to peers like Human League, New Order, and Depeche Mode, but still mostly fun and listenable if you are a fan of the genre. A more funky and danceable variation that at times sound like a combo of Chic and Kraftwerk
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Fantastic album that combines great melodies, ragged and crunchy performances, and a couple of Young’s best tunes.
Lou Reed
4/5
A harrowing and depressing concept album about drug addiction, domestic violence, and suicide that’s not the kind of record you want to spin that often. But it mostly works because of a strong set of tunes and a great backing band, even if it sometimes devolves into maudlin theatricality. Lou Reed sometimes gives off the vibe he’s phoning it in, but this remains one of the most ambitious statements in his catalog.
The Police
4/5
I love The Police, but the criticism that they are more of a singles band and that their albums are replete with filler is valid. There are also some elements, like the white reggae and Sting's self-importance, that can get cloying. But man what a tight, talented band with a gifted songwriter in Sting. Synchronicity is when they just began to jump the shark, and it's probably fortunate they broke up shortly thereafter. That said, there's plenty here to like - highlighted by Synchronicity II and a slew of hits. Not quite a 5-star record, but a damn fine one.
Don McLean
2/5
The fun novelty song "American Pie" dominates most of this record, and is nothing like the rest of it - a bunch of 70s era California folk singer-songwriter stuff in the vein, if not the quality, of Jackson Browne. Few of the tunes are all that memorable, and they can run together with a certain mopey sameness. It makes for an erratic listening experience, and not a particularly great album.
Björk
4/5
Bjork arrives with a major statement record and establishes herself as a creative force to be reckoned with. An incredibly visual and emotional record, brought most to life by the visceral sense of being inside a dance club. It’s less cohesive than some of her subsequent albums, but is nevertheless an astonishing debut.
Donovan
3/5
An LSD soaked, naively childlike musical experience in the style of Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, some killer tunes (title track, “Season of The Witch”, “The Fat Angel”, “Celeste”) are interspersed amongst overly long hippy-dippy workouts (most egregiously, “Legend of a Girl Child Linda”. Most of the songs are simple and repetitive, which gives their 4+ minute running time an overlong feeling. An interesting exploration with some good tunes, but not a great album.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
“Frownland”, the opening track, is so jarring and incomprehensible that it helps make most of the rest of the record actually seem a bit accessible. A free jazz style freakout that introduces the further complication of competing time signatures that come in and out of phase with each other, this album ends up being more interesting than actually enjoyable. I have heard it clicks after 8 or so listens. Not sure I will get there.
The xx
2/5
A record that feels more about style than substance, it’s a slick distillation of dub, R&B, and early 2000 indie pop. The songs are minimalist, and the tempos and melodies sort of morph into one another into a background music soundtrack. It’s perfectly listenable, but a bit boring. Seems a bit too cool for school.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Solid blues oriented jazz workouts by a terrific set of musicians.
The Cardigans
4/5
90s power pop, but with some wonderfully crafted arrangements that recall the pop sophistication and songcraft of Burt Bacharach. And the “hey I know that song” moment of hearing “Lovefool.” Overall a strong album from a band I wasn’t familiar with.
Television
5/5
An inexplicable mashup between Dad guitar rock histrionics, punk attitude, and post-punk / new wave orchestration that somehow works spectacularly. There is no other album quite like it, including the rest of Televisions’ catalog.
Paul Simon
3/5
“You Can Call Me Al” is a banger, but on the whole this world music exploration by Paul Simon feels like the work of an artist who is running short on original ideas. Whether it amounts to “cultural appropriation” or homage, getting Simon’s watered down interpretation is a pretty safe and suburban way in which to scratch the world music itch. Simon is a tier one songwriter and that shines through on more than one occasion, but in the end the gimmick wears a bit thin.
Kate Bush
5/5
Each Kate Bush album is an artistic experience. I wasn’t familiar with this one, but it’s no exception. A bit more adult in theme and sometimes wearied and even cynical in message, this is fantastic art pop that stands just a hair below the quality of her very best work, which makes it an absolutely terrific album.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Probably peak pre-Pet Sounds Beach Boys, this a catchy collection of simple, hummable summer beach songs, a few of which add minor elements of sophistication that hint at what’s to come. This is not high art and the lyrics can tend toward the sophomoric. But in the right mood this can pair well with a Corona and a sunny day.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Music that is eerily effective at evoking mood and image, but unlike earlier Kraftwerk outings these tunes also bring the pop goods. Repetitiveness is part of the recipe in creating the hypnotic visual state, and that can grate if not fully dialed into the experience. This ranks with the best electronic records of all time, and is certainly among Kraftwerk’s best.
10cc
5/5
I love 10cc - a collision between two pop songwriters and and two art rock songwriters creating sn explosive combination that reflects the push/pull tension of both directions. The result is simultaneously bewildering and exhilarating. Sheet Music is peak 10cc - within a few short years they would tear themselves apart, creating one of the great “what if” stories in rock history.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Immaculately produced and orchestrated, the layers upon layers of instrumentation benefit from listening on a high-end system or with a good set of headphones. It’s a demanding listen, as the album is well over an hour and all of the songs sit in the 6-7 minute range and develop in a slow, progressive fashion in the now classic post-rock model. An impressive achievement, but one that rewards attentive listening and the right mood to maximize its impact.
Talking Heads
3/5
This album is widely regarded as Talking Heads’ best. It represents a major shift from the nervy post-punk of the early albums, and if I’m completely honest, I prefer that version of Talking Heads. This album combines funky dance rhythms with Brian Eno’s sound experimentation and some tasty guitar licks from Adrian Belew. The songs lack the conciseness of the earlier albums, and the rhythmic centricity and light melodies can make them feel repetitive. All that said, there are some truly terrific songs on here (Once In A Lifetime, Crosseyed and Painless, Listening Wind). But it’s not in my core stylistic wheelhouse. Give me “Fear Of Music” any day.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I consider myself an Elvis Costello fan, and consider his run of early albums as consistently great a run as any artist in popular music has ever produced. Brutal Youth is the first Costello album I’ve been served up from the 1001 list, and it’s not one I’ve heard before. After three listens, I’m confused as to why it’s on the list. It’s fine, but it simply does not approach either the songwriting consistency or fiery impact of his earlier albums despite being in largely the same style. There are a handful of good songs - Kinder Murder, 13 Steps Down, Sulky Girl - that would have fit just fine on earlier albums, but that’s half the record at best.
On top of all of that, the production - which shoves Elvis’ voice super high in the mix - is annoying and robs the record of the propulsive energy that the Attractions can bring.
There is nothing wrong with this record, but this is the first album I’ve listened to whose inclusion on the list is inexplicable.
Fela Kuti
4/5
This is afrobeat - jazz over African polyrhythms creating a jazzy but funky, hypnotic, jam band aesthetic which one could imagine as an amazing live experience, preferably outdoors. Others have touched on the protest nature of the music and the retribution and cost in brought to Kuti, and that context brought to the music takes it to even greater heights. Want to know where the Talking Heads "Remain In Light" came from? This is it.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Dirty puts the RAWK in noise rock, bringing Sonic Youth closer to their alt-rock contemporaries. It’s not as interesting to me as EVOL or Daydream Nation, and maybe an odd choice for this list, but a totally solid record
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Something of a “Pet Sounds” of Motown, with incredibly rich orchestration and a fantastic vocal performance from Gaye. It’s also an unavoidably “important” record, dealing with a variety of political themes that still resonate today. The big three of “What’s Going On”, “Mercy Mercy Me”, and “Inner City Blues” are tremendous, and “Right On” is a great groove. Some of the other songs, notably “Save The Children” fall a bit flat and feel dated. But on the whole, it’s the real deal.
Beatles
5/5
Prince
5/5
Peak Prince and one of his best albums - showcasing his talent as a songwriter, guitarist, and arranger across a blistering fusion of styles including funk, R&D, hard rock, and pop. This record made Prince a tier one star, and deservedly so.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I admit to loving Pink Floyd, and I find this to be one of their best albums. There are great songs on here like “Wish You Were Here” and “Have A Cigar”, but what makes this record work is the atmosphere and resulting hypnotic vibe it creates. A mesmerizing and enthralling listening experience that was a seminal one as a young person and still hits home to this day.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Sam Cooke cooks.
Bad Company
3/5
The prototypical classic rock band, complete with bland arena rock interpretation of blues rock with all the edges sanded off. It’s pleasant enough in a backyard BBQ dad rock sort of way, and a number of the tunes on here have been staples of FM radio for so long its hard to listen to them with an objective ear. This album is completely fine, which is its biggest problem.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Dylan is an acquired taste. But few artists provide quite the rewards of making the effort to acquire it as Dylan. This album stands out as it is the bridge between folk and electric Dylan, and you can still hear how side one of this record must have had the same impact as early punk rock. It’s got great tunes - both blues rockers and folk - but the added context of how it shaped music make it an essential album IMO.
TV On The Radio
4/5
An incredibly creative amalgam of funk, soul, post punk, doo wop, and noise rock - this proved to be one of the most original and exciting discoveries I’ve run across on this list. Not everything completely works, but this is an endlessly fascinating album that rewards multiple listens.
The Cure
4/5
Seventeen Seconds is emblematic of “phase 2” of the Cure which would extend from this album into the following album “Faith”. This is the pure post-punk phase, before the tempos slow, the mood completely darkens, and the song lengths extend. I probably slightly prefer Pornography-era Cure to this, but if they never left this phase and reveled in it forever they would still be one of the great bands of the era. “A Forest”, “M”, “Secrets”, and “In Your House” are all essential.
The Waterboys
5/5
Sort of an Irish “Darkness On The Edge of Town”, this album combines anthemic rock with traditional Irish music touches, merging the two in some places but also adeptly drifting between the two styles from track to track. Remarkably, it all works and is aided by strong songwriting and fantastic and emotionally rich performances that pop off the record. The album and many of its tracks are overly long - 57 minutes overall and a few individual tracks in the 7-9 minute range. That overindulgence aside, this is a remarkably affecting and well-crafted record.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
It’s 60s style blues rock performed in a studio with a fake live audience piped in. The band is remarkably raw, and often off, for a studio performance. It feels like they are a live phenomenon that was trying to capture that energy in the studio to mixed results. Janis, of course, is an otherworldly talent, and she often delivers here - though there are moments, such as an “Summertime”, where her whiskey and nicotine infected delivery are distracting. Overall, it’s a fine 60s blues rock record, but mostly memorable because of Joplin.
The Doors
4/5
A strong debut that probably was more impactful at the time then it is hearing it today. A mix of blues, jazz elements, psychedelic rock, and Jim Morrison's sophomoric poetry but electric presence, it is unique and fresh compared to much of the music of the time. Today it seems less so, but it comes out of the gate hot and only contains a few outright misses ("Alabama Song"). A legendary debut.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
What do you do after scoring a surprise hit that has you all over MTV? Career reinvention / self-destruction in the Paul Wellee mode. An album of over-long and sometimes aimless pieces of sophista -pop with pointless conversational overlays. But, when it works it works (“This is What She’s Like”) and the album ends up being more enjoyable than it has any right to be. So is it a pretentious abomination or a lost masterpiece? Right smack dab in the middle.
The Smiths
3/5
A strange entry. As at least a peripheral Smiths fan I have always considered this both their weakest album and the point at which it became clear that Morrissey was pompous tool. Nevertheless the Smiths don’t really have a bad album, and I take its inclusion to mean there are more Smiths albums to come …
The Crusaders
2/5
“Street Life” is a terrific if overly long Jazz/Funk/R&B groove. The rest of the album is easy listening jazz, with the best tracks (“Carnival Of The Night”) retaining some of those funk stylings. The weakest tracks are the definition of elevator music - pleasantly inoffensive but offering nothing.
Garbage
3/5
An immaculately manufactured product that takes the Nirvana sound and molds it into a somewhat safer pop sheen, sanding down the edges and filling out the production to create an irresistible confection for the time. And it works, with the quick surface appeal of junk food. But something substantial is missing, and while it’s enjoyable it’s not something i feel compelled to ever come back to
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
This albums has some undeniable all-time great bangers on it, including "America", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Hazy Shade Of Winter". But it also has some truly trash filler, and it's a strange record in that it starts as what appears to be a high concept album ("Bookends") complete with a narrative, opening, and symphonic orchestration - but it bails on that midway through and then simply pastes a bunch of (admittedly great) singles on the back end. As such, it's a bit of an incoherent listen, and doesn't strike me as a fully realized album.
Simply Red
2/5
While the performances and grooves are strong, over the course of an album this fades into a pleasant but ultimately unmemorable set of easy listening jazzy R&B tunes. That background music feel makes it a rather dull active listening experience.
The Band
4/5
Along with CCR, this is the birth of Americana music - an amalgam of folk, country, and rock performed by world-class, if perpetually stoned, musicians. Some of it drags (in particular the ballads), but overall its an enjoyable listen that fits certain moods like a glove.
Duke Ellington
4/5
A big band party! Electrifying individual and collective performances, built around the core track ‘Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue’, are further enhanced by a live audience that is seriously dialed in (the studio retrofits on some tracks notwithstanding). As energizing and ‘rock and roll’ as jazz gets.
R.E.M.
5/5
Inescapable bias here as this was on heavy rotation during those music formative college years, but I consider this peak R.E.M. as part of the period that includes the last years on IRS and the early years on Warner. This is definitely the band stretching for pop commercial appeal, and the sunny sheen stands in stark contrast to the more morose feel of the earlier (and then later) records. But the songs are absolutely first rate (the novelty hit "Stand" aside), and the band is on the absolute top of their powers.
Burning Spear
3/5
I’m not a fan of reggae, and that colors this review. On first listen I found this repetitive and boring, but on subsequent listens it clicks, and the hypnotic nature of the grooves coupled with the incendiary lyrics make their mark. Add in the subtle touches such as the flute in “Give Deep” and it becomes slyly captivating. It’s never going to be my thing, and it's unlikely this will be on regular rotation, but full respect for moving my opinion on a genre I’m not fond of just a little bit.
Kate Bush
5/5
If there is one artist for whom my appreciation has been markedly elevated as a result of this list so far, it is Kate Bush. This is pop music as uncompromising art, but is no less accessible because of it. I'm not sure this is my favorite Kate Bush album, but its in the running. And that distinction puts it on par with the best records on this list.
5/5
This is an album I’ve heard so many times that it’s difficult to objectively evaluate - I don’t need to hear “Where The Streets Have No Name” ever again. That said, it’s an undeniable anthemic statement, taking the proto-stadium rock of “War” and amping it up another level. The tunes are universally strong with zero filler, but you can also see hints of what would eventually make U2 annoying with the cloying and preachy rock star posturing. Still, this is an undeniable classic.
Black Sabbath
5/5
And with that, heavy metal - complete with all its durable tropes - is born. Killer riffs abound - a template for this band and much of heavy metal, emphasizing the riff over pure melody.The energetic if not yet overly tight rhythm section showing the bloom of its potential, and Ozzys distinctive vocals and ridiculously theatrical lyrics on top of all of it. Sabbath would go on to produce better albums, but they come out of the gates hot, and while the record loses a bit of steam toward the end it opens with a series of blistering tracks. There are some unusual flourishes here - in particular the blues orientation - that would not be repeated in future records. Any of Sabbath’s first five albums are 5 star affairs for me, and this one is memorable for establishing the template, both for themselves and for metal in general.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
A surprising selection, and a band that is probably most well known for having one of its members killed in a drunk driving accident with Motley Crue's Vince Neil. I had heard a prior album before - "Self Destruction Blues" - so didn't come in completely blind. But this record is a bit different - sort of a mash-up between the New York Dolls and Cheap Trick. As such its undeniably fun, and you can see how these guys would be a compelling live act. But it also all sort of reads as derivative and inconsequential. A perfectly fine and fun record, but not something anyone "needs to hear before they die."
Sade
3/5
Smooth, smoky, jazzy R&B with pop hooks, a tight band, and a sultry singer. The genre is not really my jam as I find the overall effect a bit sleepy, but it is well crafted sophisticated pop that is an easy listen.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
I was quite familiar with Loveless, an album I always felt was more interesting and innovative than a truly compelling and enjoyable listen. This record is quite different - a pre-shoegaze version of the band that hints at what's to come on songs link "All I Need". But this MBV is a post-punk band, and a damn good one at that. My new favorite MBV album.
Metallica
5/5
An album that blew my mind when I first heard it in high school, and one that credibly stands as perhaps the best album by the best metal band of all time - and by extension a good case can be made that its the best metal album of all time. Killer riffs, sophisticated and often prog-like songs structures, and surprising melodic touches. The leaps Metallica was making during this period is extraordinary. A landmark record.
Alice Cooper
4/5
An often strange record where Alice Cooper's theatricality comes to the fore - most spectacularly in "Gutter Cat vs The Jets". But that's not to say it's short of more traditional rockers - beyond the title track there's also "Luney Tune", "My Stars", and "Public Animal #9". There even a lounge-y jazz tune on this record with "Blue Turk". Overall a creative and adventurous record that's a ton of fun.
John Lennon
4/5
I have found the reverence for solo John Lennon somewhat perplexing. His three solo records prior to the breakup of the Beatles are universally unlistenable. "Plastic Ono Band", because of its raw confessionalism, overrates what is a fairly weak set of songs. And then there is this record, where Lennon's self-importance and insecurity wrestle with each other. I generally preferred Lennon's Beatles material to McCartney's, but as solo artists I have the opposite opinion. All that said, this is probably front-to-back the strongest and most consistent of Lennon's solo output, with strong rockers ("Gimme Some Truth") and ballads ("Jealous Guy"). Things mostly went downhill from here, so this is Lennon at his solo peak.
Frank Black
5/5
A sprawling double album exploring a range of musical styles from ska to punk to pop to indie rock. It’s a record that shares both the rewards and downsides of other noteworthy double albums in rock history such as The White Album, Exile On Main Street, London Calling, and Tusk - and that is an unfocused quality where the music veers all over the road and one can make the tired argument that it would benefit from single disc consolidation. But that unfocused nature is part of its unique charm, and this record does indeed angle for inclusion with those other greats listed above - warts and all. A terrific double album just short of a masterpiece.
Al Green
4/5
Terrific period soul that is well executed and delivers a chill vibe throughout, but is brought over the top by a handful of truly terrific tunes. This includes the title track, of course, but also “La-La For You”, “I’ve Never Found A Girl (That Loves Me Like You Do)”, and the blues workout “It Ain’t No Fun To Me.” There are a number of records on this list where the silky smooth delivery is most of the story. Not so with this record - this one also brings the tunes.
Queen
4/5
This is peak early queen - vestiges of their prog-rock origins remain but have been streamlined and tightened, the operatic pop song craft is there in its early nascent form, and the killer crunching guitar riffs as on “Now I’m Here” are present throughout. Queen would go on to produce more acclaimed albums, but none that rocked quite like this one.
Taylor Swift
4/5
Have never listened to a Taylor Swift album front to back, this despite the fact that my daughter is a huge fan. This record was assuredly not what I was expecting. This is modern pop folk wiith great melodies merged with a literal storytelling lyrical style - sort of a latter day Suzanne Vega. I don’t know that this has sufficient originality to warrant inclusion on this list (Suzanne Vega’s first or second album would probably have been a more thoughtful choice), but this is entirely pleasant and something I would listen to again. Solid, strong even, if not groundbreaking.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Joni is an acquired taste, and I can honestly say the first time I heard this album I was bewildered by it. The vocal stylings can be abrasive, and the melodies are not straightforward and sometimes difficult to track. But with repeated listening, and broader exploration of her catalog, it starts to click. Blue is one of the most accessible records in her more mature period, and while not my favorite it is undeniably brilliant and among the most emotionally resonant pop music ever produced. Worthy of all the accolades.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Simply extraordinary and one of the greatest albums of all time
The Blue Nile
4/5
As new wave started to get long in the tooth, some of its more ambitious adherent began incorporating broader influences into the sound, including jazz, R&B, soul, electronica, and even classical touches. This traces the same development of progressive rock in the 70s, and it introduces both the same pitfalls and same possibilities. The Blue Nile fall squarely into this camp - this is classic 80s “sophists-pop” in the same vein as bands like The Style Council and Prefab Sprout. If you enjoy the ambition and creativity as I do, this is an enjoyable listen (and a fantastic sounding record because of its odd origins). If you don’t, this will come across as pretentious pablum. To each his own.
Soft Machine
4/5
Yikes. Music to frustrate and exhaust. I typically like to listen to records suggested by this list that I haven’t heard at least twice. The thought of enduring this sometimes interminable 75 minute experience twice had me in something of a cold sweat. But repeated listening does help - and what feels initially like random indulgent exploration reveals itself as more intentional songcraft. This is progressive rock/jazz and it is pulled off in impressive fashion. Admittedly, the record can come across as something more to be admired than enjoyed, and its overall length - both individual tracks and as a whole - tends to pulverize the listener into submission. When it’s over, there is a feeling of relief. But as a performative achievement it is truly something astonishing. And that alone warrants recognition.
The Youngbloods
3/5
An album that starts out strong as a lost Buffalo Springfield or Neil Young record with “Darkness, Darkness”, but then jumps from there and springs out into several disconnected directions from pop to bluegrass to country to lounge jazz. The musicians are talented, but few of the songs are truly memorable, creating a sometimes interesting and diverse musical journey but one that is inconsistently executed. In the end this is a perfectly fine record that that isn’t party noteworthy.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Maiden! One of the great metal bands of all-time and, along with Judas Priest, among the most durable of the original NWOBHM heavyweights. Their harmonized dual guitar attack, increasingly progressive song structure (only hinted at here), operatic vocal delivery, and completely ridiculous lyrics left an indelible mark on the genre. An argument can be made that this is their best album, and as the first with new lead singer Bruce Dickinson it would set the template for the string of strong albums to come. A classic of the genre, and a great album overall.
Beyoncé
2/5
This record is not without it’s moments - the Prince send-up “Blow” or the slow burn R&B of “Rocket” are both real high points, but on the whole it feels like antiseptic, manufactured pop carefully assembled for mainstream success (perhaps its the 44 writers, directors, and producers that were involved in its production). Just not my jam, even if I can appreciate the spectacle of it. But on the whole it leaves me cold.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
A seminal album in the folk-pop revival that emerged in the mid to late 80s with strong melodies and thoughtful lyrics that touch on the full array of topics in the folk tradition - including protest songs. “Fast Car” remains the album’s highlight, but there are others nearly as good. And it all wraps up in a tight package of less than 40 minutes.
David Ackles
2/5
Take the theatricality of Scott Walker, the vocal stylings of Neil Diamond, the lyrical storytelling of Randy Newman stripped of all its humor and charm, and stir it all up and amp up the campy melodrama to 11 and you have some idea of what you will encounter with this album. Listening to this record is more akin to hearing a Broadway soundtrack, and because of that it gets points for originality as I can't recall hearing anything quite like it. It succeeds best on the ballads where it is more traditional - tunes like "Another Friday Night" or "Waiting For The Moving Van." On the other hand, the talk-sung stories and ragtime sendups border too close to the ridiculous. I give it 2 stars for interesting, but can't see revisiting it.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
A innovative band that arguably ushered in both dream pop and shoegaze, the Twins have never been my favorite flag carriers of either genre. More atmospheric mood music than performative pop, the indecipherable lyrics, wailing vocal delivery, and irritatingly artificial electronic drums all drenched in excessive reverb don’t create for me the mesmerizing, “ethereal” vibe that other reviewers cite - it’s just a style that seems alternately pompous and unnecessary. The songwriting is hit or miss - it would improve markedly on the subsequent “Heaven or Las Vegas” - but here for every “Lorelei” there’s an “Otterlay”. At their greatest heights this band approaches, grandeur, but this album is not that.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Never listened to this band before, and while the genre isn’t really in my wheelhouse, this is so exceptionally executed that it gets a solid thumbs up even if I’m unlikely to ever spin it again. This is arena filling electronic pop with huge melodies and hooks it’s impossible not to have worm their way into your brain. Fun record
Elvis Costello
4/5
Fun, catchy, bar band roots rock - it’s a collection of mostly simple but catchy rock songs that boogie, swing, twang, and groove. It is for sure not high art, and Elvis Costello’s songwriting would get substantially more sophisticated in the albums that would follow, and the performance would have more bite with the addition of the Attractions. But this is a great and fun introduction to one of the great songwriters of the late 70s and 80s.
Supertramp
4/5
Not Breakfast In America, but the album that captures Supertramp in the midst of their evolution from a prog band to a pop band. It’s something of a transitional album, making it perhaps their most interesting even if it’s not their best. Hodgson’s tunes, like “Dreamer”, lean more pop, while Davies’ songs like “Asylum” retain the prog explorations. But this is really the album where Supertramp came into their own, and as a mix of progressive, art pop, and arena rock - it’s a fun listen.
Alice In Chains
3/5
On the surface, this should be an album I love. I'm a fan of metal and hard rock, and like quite a bit of grunge. And this record does have some absolute bangers with great riffs - among them "Down In A Hole" and "Rain When I Die". But there is something about some of the stylistic choice - among them the odd interval harmonies - that just grates. A poster child for everything I hate about this band is "Rooster", which is both ponderous and annoying. If you like this style of music, this is unequivocally a 5* record. But for me it just misses the mark.
Julian Cope
4/5
Sprawling, shambolic, and varied - this is the classic statement double album that veers experimentally all over the road. Grounded principally in a merger of 60s art rock (Velvets, Leonard Cohen) and the dance grooves of the Madchester scene (Inspiral Carpets, Happy Mondays), it’s an album that is of some distance from Julian Cope’s more new-waveish work with The Teardrop Explodes and on his earlier solo records like Saint Julian. The backing band here is truly terrific, and as a whole while there are some inevitable missteps (Pristeen is a bit of a limp opener, and East Easy Rider is just groove without much behind it), it’s a truly masterful creative work and probably the best thing Cope has done.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
A Hammond organ led collection of instrumental covers, a number of them blues standards. “Green Onions” is the clear standout track, but there are a number of others that work well including “I Got A Woman” and “I Can’t Sit Down”. The band is tight and the performances are solid, but ultimately a collection of instrumental covers can only inspire so much passion. This is good background music for the right vibe, but outside of “Green Onions” its hard to get too worked up.
The Who
4/5
Ah, the rock opera. There is no denying the singular ambition of this record. Unlike other concept albums that preceded it - SF Sorrow and Sgt Peppers as noteworthy examples - “Tommy” has a plot that (sort of) holds together via a narrative flow throughout the whole album, though it is an oddly bizarre story. There are also some great musical moments spread across the record - including “Pinball Wizard”, “The Acid Queen”, and “Go To The Mirror.” The problem lies in reconciling the plot with the music. It sometimes feels like songs are inserted for plot purposes, which weakens the record as they can come across as filler musically.
Because of that, the albums doesn’t quite reach the heights it aspires to, particularly when compared to the much tighter “Who’s Next” which was relieved of the narrative constraints when the Lifehouse project was flushed. But Tommy is still both a unique artistic achievement and a (mostly) solid collection of songs, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights it sought to.
Doves
3/5
I’m an unabashed Britpop fan, and I had three Doves albums I hadn’t listened to in decades bouncing around in my collection, so it was with some curiosity this one popped up on the listen list. Doves follow in the late Britpop style that was inspired by early Radiohead and have a sound that is reminiscent of Coldplay and to a slightly lesser extent Muse. The neutered, safe, adult contemporary stylings that are irritating in Coldplay are present here, but to a much lesser degree. The record is far too sterile to inspire much passion, but it is a solid ‘down the fairway’ mix of pop and light art rock. If you like Coldplay, you will probably love this.
Johnny Cash
4/5
An incredible live album that has that rare ability to transport you to a time and place. Cash is in peak form, with terrific performances in front of a raucous crowd, including the inaugural performance of “A Boy Name Sue”. Outlaw Country never felt so outlaw, and Cash’s ability to connect and empathize with the prisoners without instigating a riot is impressive. On the short list of great live, country, and Johnny Cash albums.
Robert Wyatt
4/5
An odd, creative, and periodically challenging amalgam of British folk, Syd Barrett era Floyd, and Jazz, this is the definition of a record that requires multiple listens to fully reveal itself. There are more traditional pop songs like the Eno-esque “Heaps of Sheeps”, profoundly odd nursery rhyme reinventions like “The Duchess”, a reworking of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” on “Blues in Bob Minor”, and jazzy explorations like “A Sunday In Madrid”. Adventurous and exploratory, it’s the rare late 90s albums by a sixties artist that is still pushing boundaries.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I am not a huge fan of reggae; I find the genre a bit claustrophobic musically. But if there is one reggae album I can unreservedly tip my hat to, this is the one. Even within the narrow confines of the form, this is a strong collection of songs with stellar songwriting enhancing the message Marley is trying to deliver. It’s not something I will listen to that often, but I acknowledge the strength and impact of this record.
System Of A Down
4/5
Combine the political orientation of the Dead Kennedys complete with the vocal gymnastics of Jello Biafra, and add to it a stew of different metal genres including thrash, doom, and hard rock - and you have produced the most innovative metal band in recent memory and one that completely shook up a staid genre setting it off in an entirely new direction - unfortunately, one that was bastardized by other bands into the frequently irritating nu-metal genre. This is SOAD at their rawest, most punk, and least melodic, with highlights including the single "Sugar" and the searing commentary on the Armenian genocide "P.L.U.C.K.". They would produce better albums, but none that made a bigger statement.
Michael Jackson
5/5
It’s candidly difficult to rate this album; the array of singles means that anyone who was around when this album was released has heard many of these songs dozens and dozens of times. That overexposure at this point tends to make listening to this album an uninteresting and redundant experience.
But, stepping back from that and attempting to appreciate this record and how it must have been experienced at first listen, it is a remarkable collection of funky dance pop performed by one of our greatest showmen at the peak of his powers.
So while history has been unkind to both the album and the artist, it’s simply not credible to consider this record anything but a masterpiece.
Dire Straits
3/5
The album that broke Dire Straits via the MTV sendup “Money For Nothing”, it’s aged markedly worse than the other albums in their catalog. The production drips with the squeaky clean digital sound that was all the rage during the early years of compact discs. And many of the songs, even the good ones, have a heavy 80s feel such as the poppy jazz lite of “Your Latest Trick”. It gives the whole record a certain nostalgic feel which is listenable, if not overly involving.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Bands that have multiple songwriters - The Beatles, The Clash, Teenage Fanclub, Sloan, and the Buckingham/Nicks era of Fleetwood Mac, enjoy a distinct advantage in that filler and lesser material gets squeezed out in the competitive jockeying for vinyl space. And Rumours is that point at which all the major songwriters of the Mac were both clicking and emotionally inspired by the romantic turmoil that was roiling the band at the time. The result is a magnificent pop album enhanced by Buckingham’s exacting production. Masterpiece.
David Crosby
2/5
A trippy hippy dippy California folk album with cult leader David Crosby leading his band of stoner friends through a set of meandering, disconnected and randomly assembled jams. A few of them don't even bother to have lyrics. There are moments - like "Cowboy Movie" and "Laughing", where the vibe, Crosby's songwriting, and the crack team of ace musicians all click, but those moments are too few and far between.
Van Morrison
2/5
This album is consistently hailed as one of the greatest of all time. Consequently, I have forced myself to endure it multiple times, hoping that it would ultimately “click” and I would get it. This project game me yet another shot on goal for this purpose.
Nope.
There are things I can appreciate. The backing band, complete with cool instruments like stand-up bass, is top notch. The lyricism is poetic. The mood some of the songs elicit - particularly Cypress Avenue, Madame George and the title track - can be trance inducing.
But Morrison’s shrill distorted wail is grating, often pulling you out of the vibe. Most of the song are ill-formed and incomplete - little more than basic chord progressions - and they are almost all too long. You can see what people must appreciate about the record, but the negatives overwhelm the positives for me. I’ll keep trying, but I continue not to get it.
MGMT
2/5
Perfectly fine electronic Bowie-esque pop, though I’d prefer to listen to both Bowie and/or less derivative electronic music.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Leonard Cohen, perhaps more than any other pop artist, is lyric first. This is poetry that is then subsequently put to music, and it is often quite good poetry. But a result of this construction is that the songs themselves can often be quite thin; many of the most arresting poetic statements (such as the suicide ideation “Dress Rehearsal Rag”) have the least developed song structure. Where they come together powerfully - like “Famous Blue Raincoat” - you have some of the best material in his catalog. As a music first guy, though, there just aren’t enough of these moments on this record.
Brian Eno
4/5
A funky, world music infused tour peppered with novel vocal samplings (at the time), awesome percussive grooves, and Eno's trademark sound explorations. These aren't songs in the traditional sense - they are grooves supporting a wide ranging palette of sonic discovery. You can hear the influences of both Eno and Byrne throughout - making it a really effective and evenly balanced collaboration. This is music at its most creative, interesting, and challenging.
Violent Femmes
2/5
It’s the Ramones if they went acoustic and hired the bass player from Primus. I like all that stuff, so I should like this more than I do. Perhaps it’s the fact that this was so overplayed in the mid 80s that it has created a multi-decade hangover I can’t seem to recover from (evidence of this - some of the album tracks like “Promise” I find vastly more appealing than the beat to death “Blister In The Sun”). Unequivocally original, but just something I ever want to listen to ever again.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
The Cocteau’s most fully realized album with great pop tunes, their trademark atmospherics and nonsense lyrics, and substantially improved use of electronic drums which often sounded like B-rate Casio effects on previous albums. At times, it almost sounds like ABBA’s lost ethereal album. Highlights abound - “Cherry Coloured Funk”, “Iceblink Luck”, and especially “Fotzepolitic”. My favorite Cocteau album by a mile.
Billy Bragg
3/5
A strange selection. This is ostensibly a collaboration between Billy Bragg and Wilco, but it doesn't much sound like one. Rather, it is a bunch of Billy Bragg tunes and a bunch of Wilco tunes jammed together onto a single record, giving it a disconnected and weirdly uneven feel. The songs themselves are fine - sometimes quite strong as with Wilco's "California Stars" and Bragg's "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key." But, on the whole, it amounts to a mediocre Wilco album randomly mashed with a mediocre Bragg album - each of these two artists has produced much better work.
I imagine part of the appeal is the fact that these songs were built around discarded ideas from Woody Guthrie's archive. This makes it a bit more interesting, but one can't help wondering if the constraints of this format are part of the problem with the album.
Kings of Leon
1/5
This is the first I’ve listen to this album - the first by a band that would briefly dominate the airwaves in the early 2000s. I do think this is better than their hit chasing, conflicted later period - but I still hate it. Generic country rock riffs, limp performances, and the incessantly annoying, disaffected, mumbled vocals make for a truly irritating listen. There are a few songs on here that I consider salvageable … “Red Morning Light” and “California Waiting” or two examples - but the cumulative impact of this is soul crushing.
The Who
5/5
The Who’s statement album where everything came together. The songwriting is strong, the band is tight and energetic, and unlike the albums that precede and follow it this album has a streamlined economy that enables it to never dip or lag. Quite simply one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
I am a rock fan more than a jazz fan, and this is the jazz album for rock fans. Funky and tight, the band just cooks. The first two songs lean heavily into funk, creating durable grooves to solo over. The third track, “Sly”, leans more free jazz-centric, with the fusion elements playing second fiddle. The final track, “Vein Melter”, is a mesmerizing slow burn. If this isn’t my favorite jazz album of all time, it’s damn close.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
The sound of vacation. A salsa celebration that includes a surprising amount of musical variation within the relatively tight-knit constraints of the genre. Even if it’s not your thing, it’s hard not to both appreciate and enjoy what’s been put together here.
Billy Bragg
4/5
Punky, heavily British folk. Oddly, the love songs work much better than the political songs which often come across as goofy, such as “There Is Power In A Union.” But “Greetings To the New Brunette”, “The Marriage”, and “Levi Stubbs’ Tears” are all terrific and affecting character studies. An imperfect album, but with some real high points that carry it.
Elton John
3/5
Like a lot of Elton John albums, this one has a few absolutely killer tracks (including the huge hits “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon”) surrounded by uneven, long, and overly theatrical filler like “All The Nasties” and “Indian Summer”. Few artists benefit from a greatest hits collection quite like Elton John, and that is a better way to go than this record.
The Beach Boys
5/5
I have only passing familiarity with The Beach Boys ‘70s catalog, and this is the first time I’ve heard this album. In contrast to the often slight albums that came before it, this one has remarkable weight. And while the creative leadership has shifted from Brian (now engulfed in mental illness) to Carl, that shift seems to have reinvigorated the band. Carl’s numbers like “Feel Flows” and “Long Promised Road” are quite strong and affecting, Brian does not no-show, though, as he delivers two of the strongest songs on the album with “TIl I Die” and the brilliant title track left over from the aborted Smile sessions. These are surrounded by oddly curious and eccentric oddities that mostly work (Mike Love’s “Student Demonstration Time” is the notable exception). Pet Sounds is the Beach Boys masterpiece, but this album comes closer to those rarefied heights than I would have expected was possible.
Morrissey
4/5
While not a manic fan, I've always enjoyed the music and lyrical approach of The Smiths. I have, however, had only passing familiarity with Morrissey solo and this is the first record I've really deep dived into.
On the whole it's surprisingly strong, though also very un-Smiths like. It rocks a little harder than The Smiths and lacks the melodic subtleties and textures that Johnny Marr was able to bring. But it's still a really strong collection of pop tunes and consistently engaging from top to bottom. I understand there will be more Morrissey on this list and I'm looking forward to hearing where he goes.
ZZ Top
4/5
Nothing extraordinary here, just solid boogie blues rock doused in old beer and grease. A consistently sold set of tunes with great guitar riffs and a rhythm section that keeps the whole thing chugging along. It’s not art of the highest order, but it is relentlessly fun.
Pearl Jam
5/5
A stunning debut that took some of the raw ingredients of grunge - punk infused hard rock - and mixed it with a more classic blues rock aesthetic to create this generation’s Led Zeppelin. It is remarkable how mature this record is for a debut - you can tell the various members have slogged for years in different bands in the Seattle scene. The singles are well known and overplayed, but album tracks like “Once” and “Black” also sparkle. A stone cold classic.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
A highly listenable gateway drug into jazz, with strong melodies and artful playing belying the sophistication underneath. The definition of 'cool jazz', it lacks the bite of Davis and Coltrane, and some of the tunes can come off a bit light. But on the whole its a great and accessible jazz classic.
5/5
Unequivocally the greatest progressive rock album of all time and a massive triumph of musicianship, songwriting, and orchestration. Even if not your thing, you have to be impressed by the sheer ambition of it all. One of the great albums in rock music history.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
The quintessential rock double album, with all of the random excess and meandering that such a project inevitably entails. The Rolling Stones have much tighter and focused albums like "Sticky Fingers", but nothing as fun, rollicking, sleazy, and authentic. Not every song is a winner, but that's part of the adventure. For me, this trails only "London Calling" as the greatest double album of all time, and if its not my favorite Rolling Stones albums its damn close.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Dylan's full electric debut, including one of his best (perhaps his best) song in "Like A Rolling Stone." It is mostly folk songs converted into into blues, but what it lacks in musical variety it makes up for in execution and powerful lyricism.
The Birthday Party
3/5
Noise rock at its noisiest. The record has its moments - “She’s Hit” and “Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow) among them - but just lacks something, whether hooks, melodic moments, or on the other end of the spectrum adequate batshit weirdness. “Prayers On Fire” is a better record, and of course Nick Cave would go on to produce magnificent art. Far from a fail, but not quite scaling the heights of artistic greatness.
Butthole Surfers
4/5
Spectacularly weird and wildly unpredictable, an album that is vaguely centered in sludge metal but veers into all kinds of different territories, including southeast Asian / Indian. Incredible use of production techniques to augment and alter sounds and vocals, as in “Graveyard” and “Kuntz”. And “22 Going On 23” is one of the most unsettling things I’ve ever heard. Not for everyone, for sure, but an aggressively creative exploration of where music can go.
Blur
5/5
The definitive Britpop album, overflowing with sunny and infectious melodies and unabashed in its pure Britishness - from the accents to hanging out at parks and drinking tea. Blur is one of my favorite bands - something of a latter-day Kinks - and while this isn’t my favorite Blur album it is in many ways their signature statement. A classic.
Yes
5/5
Perhaps the premiere song-oriented Yes album of their early period, just before they began stretching their wings into prog excess which proved initially brilliant (Close To The Edge) but started to lead to a creative cul-de-sac. There’s some filler here, but the pillar tracks (Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, Heart of the Sunrise) are all excellent. This is peak Yes in pre prog-excess form. And its terrific.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
A sprawling pop masterpiece, this album is all over the map in the best sense, and the indulgences reflect a gifted pop songwriter operating at the top of his powers with high confidence and few record company shackles. Could this have been a more concise and focused single album? Maybe, but it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as fun.
Steely Dan
4/5
This is Steely Dan before their identity had fully solidified into the jazz / pop fusion best exemplified by the album “Aja”. If you love that style, you might find this album a bit transitional or underdeveloped, but for me it is an interesting alternative universe where soft rock and pop take center stage and the jazz accessorizes the sound. Because of this and depending on your taste, you could make a reasonable case that this is the Dan’s best album. I will not make that case, but I do think this is a fun record because of its distinctiveness in their catalog. An early 70s Laurel Canyon style classic.
Miles Davis
4/5
Now this is jazz-rock fusion. A spectacular group of musicians build endlessly interesting musical explorations over grooves, with an overall aesthetic that is slightly sinister. This is music that requires deep focus and concentration; there are rarely repeated melodic phrases to hold on to. But if you can orient to the grooves and surrender to the wild musical adventure, it is a thrilling listen.
Megadeth
4/5
While it ranks a hair below thrash classics like “Ride The Lightning”, “Master of Puppets”, or “Reign In Blood”, this is an undeniable thrash classic with great riffs and exceptional guitar work on brilliant pieces like “Hanger 18” and “Tornado of Souls".
Supergrass
5/5
I am an American who loves Britpop and the most British of British rock (Kinks, Jam, Blur). I count albums by Suede, The Stone Roses, Elastica, and The La’s as my favorite of all time. And yet, somehow, someway, I had never heard this record before. I knew Supergrass of course - “Alright” and other cuts from their debut. But I had somehow missed this release. It’s Britpop - leaning into the psychedelic “Magic Mystery Tour” in particular. But it also draws on American power pop influences as well - like a British Cheap Trick. I can count on one hand the number of 5* albums I’ve heard on this journey that I hadn’t heard before. This is one of them.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
What if David Bowie and Prince had a baby at a dance club? Why you'd get this of course. Hooky if derivative, this is a bit too dance forward to be my cup of tea. But its got several strong songs ("North American Scum", "Someone Great", "All My Friends"), even if they sometimes stretch on a hair too long. If you wanna rage, this is the album for you.
5/5
One of the greatest punk bands of all time, combining the attitude and energy of punk but mixing it with musicianship, songwriting, and classic rock 'n roll influences. One can debate whether "Wild Gift" or their debut album "Los Angeles" is the more inspired choice (perhaps they are both on this list?), but that's quibbling. This is a great rock album and one of the best punk records of all time.
Björk
3/5
I’m a huge Bjork fan who has admired her creative and uncompromising approach from her time with the Sugarcubes through her solo career. I consider albums such as “Post” to be absolute classics. I had never heard this album before, and it only takes a few tracks before you becomes aware of the central conceit - this album is composed almost exclusively of vocals. And while a brave and interesting artistic choice, in practice it doesn’t hold together very well for an entire album. There are certainly great songs here - “Pleasure Is All Mine”, “Oceania”, and “Where Is the Line” are examples - but they work best as standalone songs rather than as part of a vocal-only statement. So while I applaud Bjork’s singular vision here, I don’t really jive with the end result.
Coldplay
2/5
Oh Coldplay. You stalwarts of adult contemporary hipsterhood. Take Radiohead, strip the artistic ambition, and infuse it with a safe and radio friendly aesthetic. Whenever I listen to this album, I think to myself “I don’t hate this” but, at the same time, I never ever have the desire to actually put it on. And that, really, is Coldplay. It’s fine and listenable. But it’s so unrelentingly antiseptic and uninspired. Music for people who don’t really like music.
Iggy Pop
4/5
A terrific, punk infused rock album with great tunes and great attitude. Iggy Pop's "raw power" is channeled through David Bowie's songwriting and production magic when he could do absolutely no wrong. The combination works magic.
The Specials
3/5
I'm not sure what was going on with the UK and its sudden and brief appropriation of ska in the late 70s and early 80s - but this is probably the poster child album from that period. It's fun and you can certainly imagine this would be an incredibly engaging live act. That said, I prefer my ska as icing to the cake (as in Madness or The Police) rather than as the cake itself.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Sonic Youth's magnum opus captures the band at arguably the perfect time in their transition from pure (and sometimes nearly unlistenable) noise rock ("Bad Moon Rising") to alternative rock megastars ("Dirty"). This record gets a bit sprawling and might have been served by a bit of tightening - I'm not sure the 14 minutes "Trilogy" was a necessary end to the record - but the highlights here are among Sonic Youth's best work - led by the terrific "Teen Age Riot". A great album worth the effort to appreciate.
Aphex Twin
4/5
Quite unlike electronic music that came before it, this collection of pieces by Aphex Twin is a melodic and atmospheric dreamscape that one can listen to actively or simply allow to wash over you passively. Beyond Eno, I haven’t given ambient all that much attention in my record collection, so this was really my first deep dive into how the genre has developed. I have to say that initial skepticism morphed into solid appreciation over repeated listenings. A masterpiece of the style.
Eagles
4/5
Alot of people on the comment thread have mentioned how they hate the Eagles. And they are quite hateable - in their pompous, Dad rocking, money grubbing, California hippie boomerism. That said, if they had a moment - ever - this is probably it. Joe Walsh gives the band some edge, Don Henley take center stage to productive effect, and the theme of the record adds some substance and heft, exemplified by the title track. Never will be a big fan, but willing to give them their brief due.
Beatles
5/5
This is peak early Beatles - simple, jangly guitar pop song with tight harmonies and punchy melodies. They would go on to create much more interesting albums, and listening to this record with modern ears it can sound a bit simplistic. But the songs are so unrelentingly strong that simple can be forgiven. A template that many bands would leverage, but few if any have matched.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Along with The White Stripes, The Black Keys and a few other bands, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's helped bring rock 'n roll back from near death with their garage-y, noise rock, post-punk infused debut. A fun, energetic record that starts strong with "Rich" and "Date With The Night" a rarely relents. Nice to have music in the 2000s that gets the pulse racing again.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
A remarkably impressive debut from one of the premiere, and most tragic, vocal talents of our time. While it lacks the edge and assured confidence of “Back To Black”, the R&B influenced cocktail jazz rhythms have their own unique appeal, and Winehouse’s potential as a songwriter is evident. Standout original tracks include “F Me Pumps”, “In My Bed”, and “Take The Box.” Back To Black is probably a stronger album altogether, but this is an astounding statement from someone so young.
Saint Etienne
2/5
When the best song on the album is a cover, that's probably a sign that you are missing creative inspiration. Most of the tracks on here are dull dance grooves with under-developed melodies. There are a few exceptions - notably "Girl VII" and "Nothing Can Stop Us" - but far too few. The general conceit has promise - 60s girl pop over a dance beat - but the songs simply aren't strong enough.
Nirvana
5/5
An astounding album - perhaps even moreso because it was the follow-up to a breakthrough classic - marrying punk and hard rock into a perfect confection. “Pennyroyal Tea”, “Dumb”, “Heart Shaped Box”, and “All Apologies” are all quite different and all genuinely great. What is perhaps most impressive about this album is that the pressure from the label to make Nevermind II must have been immense, and they resisted it. This is fiercely original and more adventurous than Nevermind, but every bit as affecting.
Deep Purple
4/5
An absolutely stellar group of musicians - headlined by Ritchie Blackmore's shredding - plow through an uncompromising set of progressive hard rock jams. This is the album where Deep Purple really settles in and RAWKS, and it includes their anthemic "Child In Time" - but everyone song on the record is a thrill ride. I knock off one star for a curiously tinny production that robs the record of some of its power.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
I vividly remember when this albums was first released and how incredibly novel and refreshing it was. Combining the anthemic stomp of classic rock godfathers like Led Zeppelin, add in a bit of funk, some psychedelia, and sprinkle it with some of the alternative rock influences of the time, and you have a fiercely original creative force with musicians that attack it with uncommon fervor. This is, in my humble opinion, their creative peak - including both their anthem in "The Mountain Song" and their pop cross-over hit in "Jane Says". Great hard rock that holds up to this day.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This is peak folk Dylan, before he sold his soul to rock ‘n roll. Much of the album is highly political - “Masters of War” is a prime example - and the record contains folk songs that are among the best in the history of the genre, including my personal favorite “Girl From The North Country.” There’s a surprising amount of variety here including songs that lean toward the blues. Not everything works perfectly, but its an ambitious folk statement that is miles more creative than anything that had come before.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
I’m not generally a fan of hip hop, but Lauryn Hill’s enormous talent, including her ability to morph from gritty street rap to smooth R&B, is mesmerizing. Not something I’ll pull out often if ever, but it’s impossible not to be impressed by the sheer talent.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
A collection of slow, piano-driven spiritual love songs. Many of these songs, including the affecting "Into My Arms", are brilliant and among Nick Cave's best work. But overall I find the albums suffers a bit from lack of variety. The pace never quickens and the style barely alters. This dilutes the overall impact of some truly wonderful tracks as they can get lost in a deluge of sameness.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
I had only heard the Yeah Yeah Yeah's lauded debut before, so was curious when I saw there was actually a second album chosen for this list. Released in 2009, a scant six years after the debut, this record shows considerable evolution. No longer an angry post-punk guitar band, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's have developed into an electronic indie dance band in the style of Metric (a band I also adore). There is sharp songwriting here - "Zero", "Heads Will Roll", "Dull Life" and the meditative "Skeletons". I loved the original sound of the band, but also love how they've grown and developed on "It's Blitz!"
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Springsteen's sweeping, cinematic, and somewhat melodramatic masterpiece. An incredible leap in ambition from his prior album, and never again would he pepper a single record with so many anthemic statements. The title track, "Backstreets", "Jungleland", "Thunder Road" - all of them here. It's not my favorite Springsteen, but a strong argument can be made its his best - and its definitely a worthy add to this list.
The Beach Boys
5/5
The Beach Boys best albums, and one of the greatest and most ambitious musical statements of all time. Brian Wilson is in peak form as a songwriter, producer, and orchestrator, and the top flight musicians deliver a perfectly executed and restrained performance, highlighted by The Beach Boys at their harmonic best. These songs and melodies are more sophisticated than anything The Beach Boys had done before, or would do since. It is a clear illustration of the vast possibilities inherent in pop music.
Radiohead
4/5
A jarring departure from the anthemic guitar masterpiece that is "OK Computer", "Kid A" took some time to digest when I first heard it many years ago. But now, in retrospect and hear with fresh ears, it's brilliance is as clear as the left turn Radiohead took, having taken guitar-based rock to its logical conclusion. This is electronic-infused music that relies on that genre's emphasis on themes and moods over deeply structured verse/chorus melodies. It all works, and Radiohead here creates an electronic album as good as anything done by the masters of that form.
Bert Jansch
4/5
A dark folk style that is a template for the the spare, brooding, and introspective approach of Nick Drake a decade later. Bert Jansch is an exceptional acoustic guitar player, incorporating diverse influences including Spanish, folk, and even some blues. Some of the more interesting tunes are those without words - such is the strength of his playing - like "Angie" and "Alice's Wonderland". A great folk record that is many years ahead of its time.
Barry Adamson
2/5
I love Magazine - and I sure as shit hope they end up on this list if this record is here - so I was intrigued to see what this is all about. After listening to it twice, I'm still not sure. It's not really all that coherent as an album, incorporating different elements from trip-hop to lounge-y jazz. The conceit is that its a soundtrack to a fake film, and there are definitely some tracks that pull that off such as the extremely creepy "It's Business As Usual" or the opening "Set The Controls For the Heart of The Pelvis." But on the whole its not really a connected album, and too many of the tracks don't really work.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Sandwiched between two albums which rightly hold legendary status in the annals of rock history - "Led Zeppelin II" and "Led Zeppelin IV / Zoso" - this record is arguably underrated and sometimes overlooked. But it is every bit as strong as its predecessor and successor, and there are very few of its songs you couldn't recognize as stone cold classics. Smack dab in the middle of a truly astounding run of albums by one of the greatest, if not the greatest, rock bands of all time.
Motörhead
5/5
As with AC/DC, Motorhead has a formulaic sound. There isn't much album-to-album deviation from that sound - a mix of thrashy metal and punk. But just as with AC/DC the formula is awesome, and on their best records - like this one - it is irresistible fun. The four track run to start the album is terrific. A classic of the genre.
Janis Joplin
4/5
A massive advance from the promising but ultimately flawed "Cheap Thrills", this is boozy blues with solid melodies, tight performances, and of course Janis' incomparable voice - now developed with more personality and richer styling than in the earlier record. Like Amy Winehouse decades later, it suggests so much promise that would go unfulfilled.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
First listen of this earlier Bob Marley album and I think it's stronger than Exodus. Reggae isn't my favorite genre, but this record overcomes the genre's limitations with tremendous grooves, a super tight band, and slick melodies. One of the best reggae records I've heard.
Tom Waits
4/5
Percussive and sinister, mixing old-style blues with traditional styles and some beautiful ballads, all delivered with a bourbon and cigarette ravaged vocal delivery. I can understand how this wouldn't be for everyone, but I find this era of Tom Waits unendingly interesting and the records excitingly adventurous. There are some misses, and sometimes the overall effect seems a bit too contrived, but overall the style works and this album is one of the best examples.
Fred Neil
4/5
An artist I was completely unfamiliar with. Country-tinged folk with a oh so slight psychedelic vibe. Did not know "Everybody's Talkin'" was a Fred Neil original. Good stuff for the right mood.
Queen
3/5
Proggy Queen, before their ability to construct tight pop songs was fully developed. It is an interesting listen, with multiple tracks jamming tons of different ideas together which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But the potential of the band is obvious, and its an interesting window into the development of a band even if the end product is a bit mixed.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Weird album that mashes up nu-metal, electronica, and pop. It's interesting and adventurous, but while I'm not familiar with the band the overall impression is one of a transitional album. A band with an creative vision, but one that really doesn't resonate with me.
Grateful Dead
2/5
The album that arguably legitimized pointless noodling and inspired dozens of copycat jammers. Unlike the tight, focused performance of albums like "Workingman's Dead" or "American Beauty", this is The Grateful Dead at their most meandering and unfocused. There are moments of interest, and the live feel is captured well, but on the whole this just seems unfocused and often boring.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Part of Sabbath's early run of magnificent albums, Vol. 4 invents the entire genre of sludge-infused doom metal. Filled with terrific riffs and Ozzy at his arguable finest, it's a great listen from start to finish and one of the greatest hard rock / metal albums of all time.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
80s R&B based pop in the style (if not the achievement) of Michael Jackson, this record has some clear highlights - mostly the overplayed hits such as "Wishing Well" and "Sign Your Name". The album tracks are a bit uneven, and the production throughout is extremely dated. Overall, it comes across as a record that doesn't successfully transcend where it came from, and as such remains an occasionally interesting and modestly engaging curio from the period.
Can
5/5
The third of three magnificent albums by the Krautrock pioneers, "Future Days" is a hypnotic, rhythmically centered musical masterwork built around the title track and the closing "Bel Air." Few bands are able to create tracks of double digit minute length that hold your attention, but Can is one. A great album that may be Can's best.
The Jam
5/5
The Jam is among my favorite bands of all time, and Paul Weller among my favorite songwriters, so it’s difficult to approach this album objectively. The combination of awesome pop songwriting, great/tight musicianship, and a punk edginess makes this band irresistible to me. I’m not sure if Sound Affects is their best album but its certainly in the running. Paul Weller would break this band up for the highly unfortunate Style Council a few years later. But here he and the band are on top of the world.
ABBA
4/5
ABBA in a lot of ways took up the mantle that the Beach Boys surrendered in the 60s - incredible pop songcraft, rich harmonies, and a certain naïveté that is both cheesy and endearing. This album announces ABBA’s “Arrival”, and of course includes their magnus opus “Dancing Queen.” But there’s fun light pop all over the place, and the entire record is an enchanting listen in the same vein as the Beach Boys “Today”. Great pop never gets old.
Love
3/5
A kind of psychedelic folk with baroque pop and orchestral flourishes bringing to life often sophisticated songwriting. The record has a mournful feel that can be a bit overbearing after a while. Not in the center of my wheelhouse, but can appreciate the artistry and ambition.
King Crimson
4/5
It’s hard to believe this is the same band that made “In The Court of the Crimson King.” This is the proggiest of prog, with exceptional musicianship delivering challenging multi-part compositions. I’m looking forward to exploring more of this iteration of Crimson.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
A highly regarded Neil Young album that was (supposedly) his raw response to the emergence of punk rock. The acoustic songs work better for this purpose, and there are some great ones including “Thrasher” and “Pocohontas”. The electric Crazy Horse second half is a bit weaker, mostly because the songs are weaker. All in all, it’s a fine effort but pales into comparison to Young’s best work, almost all of which preceded this record. And things went a bit off the rails after this one …
The Icarus Line
3/5
RAWK! One gets the immediate sense that this band needs to be seen live. It's an amalgam of Stooges attitude and energy with notes of grunge and early 2000s stoner rock. Overall a fun and engaging record that I'm glad I was exposed to. But not something I would put on any "great records" list, including this one.
Holger Czukay
3/5
It's sort of like Can, but not quite. The percussive core of that band isn't quite replicated here, and the grooves are replaced by sampling and electronica. The overall presentation is also a bit dancier - in particular in the disco send-up "Cool In The Pool." The last track, "Hollywood Symphony", is the closest Holger comes to hitting the bar that he achieves with his Krautrock bandmates. It's an interesting record, but not a great one.
U2
5/5
An argument can be made that this is U2's best album, and it is an astonishing reinvention of a band who had just rode their anthemic sound to its peak and logical conclusion with "The Joshua Tree." A more experimental and dance-oriented sound than that and prior records, the pop songwriting remains every bit as strong, and there are very few missteps across its twelve track. A damn near perfect album.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Simultaneously accessible and adventurous jazz, with great performances across its often demanding material.
Aimee Mann
5/5
This is a remarkably accomplished debut album that introduces the world to an incredible singer-songwriting talent in former Til Tuesday lead singer Aimee Mann. Because this is her debut, it still hangs on to some of the new wave stylings of her former band, interspersing those with the adult alternative ballideering that would become her calling card. It's not groundbreaking, but its hard not to marvel at the terrific songwriting and incisive lyrics.
Pixies
5/5
A shambolic amalgam of noise rock and irresistible pop that veers back and forth seemingly at random between the two, this is arguably the high point for The Pixies. Great pop like "Here Comes Your Man" side by side with noise rock invectives like "Dead." A masterpiece that The Pixies would approach but never top in subsequent albums.
U2
5/5
The culmination of U2s trajectory toward anthemic rock, War is the albums where U2's ridiculousness fades into the background, overwhelmed by terrific songwriting, assured performance, and lyrics by Bono that have not yet tipped over into pedantry. They would go on to hit an even higher note with "Achtung Baby", but this is the high point of early U2.
The Yardbirds
3/5
The strength of this album is principally Beck, who is in top form. And by this point The Yardbirds had moved beyond blues standards into a combination of blues, pop, and psychedelia, making the record interesting if uneven. There aer some great track and some mindless blues filler, but on the whole its enjoyable and hints at the adventurous and boundary pushing theatrics in Jeff Beck’s future.
Screaming Trees
4/5
In an alternative universe, it is Screaming Trees that take some of the raw ingredients of grunge and become a monumental arena rock band around them. This is a very strong rock record with several great tracks - "All I Know", "Dying Days", and "Witness" to name a few. There are traces of grunge underlying the style, but this is not really a grunge album - it's a little too languorous and measured. But what it is is a great rock record, and what that was unfairly buried at the time.
Brian Eno
4/5
The debut by Brian Eno borrows heavily from the art-pop stylings of Roxy Music, but layers on additional electronic soundscapes creating an intensely interesting pop record that rewards repeated listenings. But despite the artistry and sonic explorations, this is at core still a pop album, and a fairly accessible one at that. An impressive introduction to the wonderful world of Enzo.
Japan
3/5
As proto-Duran Duran, Sylvian and company largely invented dance-pop new wave. But others, including them on later albums, would do it better. More a historic curio than a great record.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
CCR is a band that I have never appreciated quite at the level of their critical reception. This record is solid - several memorable if overplayed hits surrounded by well executed if pedestrian swampy blues rock. Not my cup of tea, but entirely listenable.