In summary, this album is too popular for its own good, and too short when you remove the massively popular songs. Looking forward to more MJ though! 4 stars, would enjoy another listen - Holy 80s! - This is fun! Feels more timeless than Prince, despite the 80s instrumentation (especially bass) - A bit flat for me. I think it's just overplayed. But wild how huge these songs are - 2nd half is much stronger. Less overplayed (somehow Billie Jean sounds like a new song to me). Human Nature is good too.

3 stars. So mid. Hard to believe this made the list, it's just so average and cliche. - *sigh* more rock. Not a terrible opening but so plain - That punk-rock thing where the chorus is just the same line over and over gets pretty old - 'Junk Shop Clothes' is a nice sound, but the lyrics are a bit... off I guess? They just don't connect. - Repetitiveness is causing skips in the 2nd half of the album

Not a big fan of the genre (80s funk pop), but I can get what people loved about it. Beyond genre, solid songs that made me move! And able to slow things down. A cohesive album. Might have been 4 stars in a different genre (or later on in this list)

In the end, this album just doesn't do it for me. Where Purple Rain got the 'novelty' aspect, this sound is just too much like all the other rock bands, and I don't love it. Obviously Radiohead's later albums are all better as they get away from this sound and the 'cliches' of it. While the best parts of the album are easily 5-stars, none of the songs are 5-stars from start to finish. Ultimately, that and the 'cliche' sound are enough to make it 3-stars for me. - A couple of 'noise' moments, but generally a pleasant album. A bit too much 'rock band' for my liking, but the highs are high. The okay songs here are really just okay though. - Intro is fantastic, though the rest of the first song is only okay. - A lot of songs with great moments, but that turn into something not as enjoyable later on in the song

This is clearly an artistic concept album and I respect that, but it doesn't hit for me. The best of the album is fine, and the lows aren't too low. I'm just left feeling very neutral about it all. It's a 2.5 star, rounded down to 2. I enjoyed the effort of putting a narrative into the album. Silver lining is that the 2nd listen-through was more enjoyable. - I can hear how this album has influenced pop music today (big, bouncy drums underlining the vocals), but it's just a little too busy. Lots of moving pieces in each song. - I guess I just don't 'get' it. Even when stripped down, I'm struggling to engage with the songs - 'Cloudbusting' is a better song. Not as busy, more of a traditional band instrumentation. More accessible to the ear. - 'And Dream of Sheep' is nice too. Not my style in general, but it's nice! - 'Waking The Witch' - just when I'm warming up to the album, it gets all 80s pop and wacky again!

Understanding the era this came out during, I can appreciate that it was pioneering for its time (they were Led Zeppelin contemporaries), but compared to Zep there is just something missing. Comes off feeling loud for the sake of noise at times. It is totally fine music (the highs are great, the misses are big), there is just nothing to me that sets this apart from the music it inspired later on. It also leaves me feeling emotionally flat overall. - Intro is fine, up-tempo rock. It does have me tapping my foot... - A few of the songs are pretty annoying tbh - 'Child in Time' is quite the rock ballad. In a different mood I would really enjoy it. Annoying rock noise at the end though - Kinda reminds me of CCR mixed with Zep. The hard rock sound of Zep but the 'tight' rhythm of a CCR song

This album grabbed my attention from the start. While it lost a bit of momentum in the second half, this was a great find. I love the acoustic folk + accompaniments (strings, horns, wind instruments) and the lyrics + delivery are fantastic. This is a 4.5-star album rounded down because I'm still early in this journey and am reserving 5-stars for the "perfect" album that holds my attention cover-to-cover. - This album has the best intro of the journey so far, and the moment that his voice comes in for the first time is SO rewarding after the instrumental intro

Maybe this could be 3 stars if I was in a better mood, but I was just annoyed by the end of the album. The lead singer doesn’t impress, the backing music is fine but bland. Some songs required skipping, and I don’t think there was a song I would want to listen to again. 1.25 hour album is LONG and maybe a tighter song list would have warranted a 3 - I like the artistic freedom expressed in the album, it feels like "new age blues". I'm not sure I really love the end product but I recognize what it's going for - long album at 1.25 hours. I don't think this really warrants the length - another streaky album. The good parts are good, but the bad is hard to listen to. - I like 'Messiah Ward' - The middle of the album is agreeable enough, maybe 3 stars through the middle -I’m not sure this counts as a 3-star for all the songs I’ve actively had to skip. -I’m so tired of this album by the end. Too long, not impressive

Annoying hard rock noise. Apparently this band helped make this genre popular, but it got overplayed and has never been a sound I like. I just don't want to listen to this album again, so it's 2 stars for that reason - 2nd song isn't quite as terrible. Still reminds me of the music in my motocross game back in the day. Lots of noise. But 2nd song has earned a slightly longer listen - "In'n'Out of Grace" solidified this as a 2-star album. Had to skip it

Reeks of debut album, Rolling Stone wannabes. The hits are decent and I enjoy the instrumentals, but boy does this feel like a rushed album and the lead singer/lyrics are really weak to the point of wanting to skip some songs. This is the first album here where I'm surprised it made the list since it's only okay and there's (apparently) so much more to come from them. A more thought-out polished product *might* have earned 4 stars. I'm looking forward to their later albums.

I really wanted a clear-cut 5-star album for my first 5-star, but alas that's not quite what this is. While entertaining, surprising, and generally a very fun album, there are some low points that made me have to think really hard about giving it 5 stars. In the first two-thirds, every song has a new surprise and it doesn't miss. There wasn't a specific song that was jaw-dropping, but on aggregate the album is just such a cohesive journey. Unfortunately, the last third of the album starts to wander and the quality slips. Ultimately, it's better than Bryter Layter at 4.5 stars due to its variety in sound while maintaining cohesion, so it deserves the 5 star label in that regard. An imperfect but nearly-there 4.75-star album, meaning we have our first 5 star album! - Despite having a Beatles sound at times, they have their own contemporary twist. Even when similar, it's distinguishable from the Beatles - Even the artistic dissonant-sounding moments feel whimsical and lighthearted (not noise for the sake of noise or pretentious 'artsyness'). This band just sound like they're fun to be around - 'Standing in the Rain' is another example of an entirely new-sounding song that grabs your attention, without feeling out-of-place on the album as a whole - The last 1/3 of the album in general is a bit weaker, up-and-down - 'Mr. Blue Sky' is one of those songs you've heard a million times without even realizing it (1 billion streams)

This is a fine album. The opening was the worst of the journey so far. The better songs are palatable though (one or two are good). Ultimately, this is probably a 3-star at the start of the journey, but I've skipped so many songs since I'm just so tired of rock music at this point. I was relieved to finish the album even though I didn't even hate it that much. I think it has to be 2-star for all the songs that got skipped. - Brutal opening. Whiny lyrics, uninteresting guitar. First opening song I've skipped - Not so garbage after the first song. Not really engaged with it but it's fine - Lol the best song is the one with the Radiohead lead singer

First album 'in the future'. Some bug let me skip forward a day and listen to tomorrow's album. Listening on 5/6 I didn't finish this on the first sitting and don't have much interest in going back to finish it. It was fine, but I just feel really meh and want to move on to something new. 2 stars simply because I have no enthusiasm for it. Probably harsh and I would have felt different if I listened for longer - Well I wanted different... I definitely got it with this one - I have a hard time believing this is the "must hear" rap album of 2005. I don't think this is gonna rate well globally - I can't articulate what I'm struggling with here. Maybe it's too genre-bendy and overproduced.

It's a 4. I enjoy it, but it's not perfect. There are weird moments that don't jive, excessively slow moments, etc. But I liked it more than The Bends, and overall enjoyed it enough that I would want to listen again. - I'm excited. Haven't given this a good, focused listen yet - Ethereal. I like the sound so far, though 'Kid A' vocals are a bit overprocessed. - Hard to have an objective opinion when I'm so deep in Radiohead right now

2 stars. Way better than expected, but too disturbed for me. Exhausted by the end from the noise and vibe. I'm glad I listened to it, but not something I would want to do again. - Hesitant with that album cover... - Actually don't hate it after the first song, surprisingly. More classic ' hard rock' than I was expecting - 2 songs in... I'm tired of all the energy already. Will I be shouted at the whole album? - Refreshed after putting it down for a day, and I feel like it's decent again! But I'll probably be tired of it soon - I think I had to skip every one of the last 5 songs... It's just too much for me

Easy 3 stars. Completely fine, overplayed, too loud, would rather not listen again. Just not my genre no matter how badly I want to like it. I don't really connect with shout-singing - Nirvana! This is gonna be interesting - First song: Shouty vocals - This feels like a sound that was copied so much that it's not interesting anymore, even if it was pioneering. It's perfectly agreeable music, but not wowing me - My goodness the hits on this album have been way overplayed through the years. I know them without ever actually having listened to them myself - Yeah sorry this genre is just not for me. I wish I could see what everyone else loves about Nirvana.

Incredibly middle-middle 3 star album. I think if I listened to the lyrics I would appreciate it more, but music is music, not poetry! It's pleasant to listen to, but nothing special in my opinion. - Joni Mitchell! Another one I'm really curious about - First impression: Female Bob Dylan but a better musician - A little too much sunshine-and-roses to start. I also struggle to connect with lyricists on the first listen, it's hard to catch on a passive listen - I'm sure this is a great album, but I keep missing it... It's just blended mush to me - 2 songs left, I'm bored. Ready for the next album

Way better than I expected it to be. It was an enjoyable album that I would happily listen to again. A little too repetitive for my tastes, but at least it wasn't all noise. 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. - Punk rock... Carrying a lot of judgement going into this - First song: Not as bad as I expected! It's not just noise - It's a bit of an eyeroll, but it's fun

A bit wandering, a bit of added filler, but a fun album. I think Prog Rock in general is going to rank well with me, and I'm curious how this stacks up with other Prog Rock on the list - Lost my notes from before... I was halfway through. TLDR I'm enjoying, but there is definitely filler in the album. Leaning 4 stars

In summary, this album is too popular for its own good, and too short when you remove the massively popular songs. Looking forward to more MJ though! 4 stars, would enjoy another listen - Holy 80s! - This is fun! Feels more timeless than Prince, despite the 80s instrumentation (especially bass) - A bit flat for me. I think it's just overplayed. But wild how huge these songs are - 2nd half is much stronger. Less overplayed (somehow Billie Jean sounds like a new song to me). Human Nature is good too.

3 stars. So mid. Hard to believe this made the list, it's just so average and cliche. - *sigh* more rock. Not a terrible opening but so plain - That punk-rock thing where the chorus is just the same line over and over gets pretty old - 'Junk Shop Clothes' is a nice sound, but the lyrics are a bit... off I guess? They just don't connect. - Repetitiveness is causing skips in the 2nd half of the album

A fine Aerosmith album. I don't think it's their best, and it's too much standard pop rock to fully appreciate it. I like the better songs, but it just doesn't connect. A quality 3 star album, but not deserving of 4 stars - Noisy! But also upbeat - Fun first song, lets see where it goes from here. I don't think this is their best album so idk - Not quite shouting, but not my favorite vocals so far - "Love in an Elevator" is more like it! good song. What I want to be hearing in rock music - Feels like he's singing to a stadium. I've never really heard that in a studio album before - More poppy than I was expecting honestly. Doesn't fully connect with me

Strong rock songs, but lacking the consistency to merit a 4. There are many songs I would want to listen to again, but not the whole album. - Whoa! Strong start. This is my kind of rock - Kinda jam rock, kinda 60s CCR stuff. Hard to place. - Middle of the album is repetitive dad-rock. Might be too much kludge to justify a 4, but I'm looking forward to their other albums on this list.

A nice change of pace (still within the rock genre of course). A varied album, a bit repetitive in lyrics but the emotion packed into them makes up for it. Very fun, 4.5 stars rounded. down. Close to 5, but lacking some of the emotional oomph for this genre - More rock :( at least it's more like pop-rock - Actually, this isn't like the rock we've heard. More like 'band music'. I'm enjoying it! - Easily 3 stars, probably needs a deeper listen to earn more - On second listen, I like it more! A little too simple, but short enough to get away with it. I would listen to this again - Honestly, lyrically reminds me of Sabrina Carpenter. Big breakups, hookups culture, dumb boys, etc

This might be the kind of music I would have enjoyed at the start of this project, but completely not interested at this point. Just fine, 3 stars - Boy oh boy... classic rock - Kinda just background noise. Not really connecting with it

Maybe it's just not pop enough for me, but I felt pretty neutral. The lyrics don't hit, but I guess I get what people like about them. 3 stars - jazzy. Interested - Rhythmically challenging, jarring to listen to so far. Also if you're gonna be a lyricist you have to enunciate... (enunciation got better) - Enjoying this, I think I'm going to give it a 2nd listen and focus on lyrics

Honestly what in the world is this. Pushes the boundary of what you can call music. I'm glad I saved the 1 star rating for junk like this. I made it 3 songs and had to stop - Well... this one isn't going to rate well globally

I feel like they write great riffs and hooks, but the songs don't move me. Like it's amazing pop, but doesn't hit deep in any way. Maybe if there was a Dissect series about this, I would 'get' it, but until then it's just 4 stars. - Strong opening. Spacious sound, hard to describe. This album is apparently 'legendary', so we'll see... - Idk, it's fun and unique but missing something. Easily 3.5, maybe a 4 but it's a long album - I can see how this is the music Radiohead was listening to in their early days - Droned on at the end, but not in a painful way. Going around for a 2nd listen (noted by *) * Intro is STRONG. Points for that. Though the actual song itself is just fine

Lost my notes :( but I think I said this gets 5 stars for the novelty. I like the genre and it kept my attention throughout. Hoping for more oldies like this.

Yawn. More of the same. Mediocre/bad lead singer, rock band. Kinda noisy. Had to skip some songs due to terrible vocals. 2 stars. - 'No Bones': God these vocals are TERRIBLE

Apparently this was like the first country-rock album, which is cool. I think that's why I struggle with it. Pioneers rarely age well, once they've been copied a million times. It's also a weird blend of hippie rock and country rock. Totally fine, lacking oomph, 3 stars - Not in the mood for this, we'll see - Background music. Country influences is fun, just not noteworthy

Meh. Better than the same old rock, but Common is a bit wordy trying to say what he wants to say. Lyrics aren't very profound or emotional. Some songs were good, this deserves 3.5 stars rounded down. - Hard to rank rap against all the rock that came before - Most popular song 'Go!' is majorly underwhelming - Kinda corny by modern standards, does feel like of course a couple white guys liked this rap album

This music is so familiar that it's difficult to rate. I enjoy it, it's full of emotion, and catchy. I like the story being told. But some of the songs miss, I just don't LOVE it. A strong 4 star album - Modern pop! Very Jack Antonoff - A little bit too plain for 5 stars I think, but strong album, probably earns a 2nd listen - I hear a lot of Taylor Swift in this, but there's a distinct roughness/blurriness to this, where TS is so polished and clean. Gives a different vibe - On 2nd listen and looking at lyrics, I appreciate it more. Still not 5 stars unfortunately.

This one falls in the category of albums I'm glad I listened to, but wouldn't listen to outside of this project. Just not my genre. If there was less noise guitar reverb and shouting, I would love this. But every song has to climax with noise and that's not enjoyable to me. TLDR; enjoyed it, don't need to hear it again - Motocross noise rock. Yay. Vocals are clear at least, even if he's not actually singing... - Wait, maybe this is actually decent

Seems like "industrial metal" is real heavy metal mixed with extra noise and shouting that pushes the boundary of what music is. Maybe I will enjoy the heavy metal on this list because the better parts of this album are fine... But the 'industrial' stuff don't make any sense to me. Didn't bother to finish the album. - Disturbing... Repetitive... - "TV II" isn't a song. It's noise and shouting

Yawn. Couldn't finish. Maybe it would have gotten 3 stars if it didn't come right after some awful industrial metal - I can't do wacky vocals. So annoying, just sing normal!!! - On a short leash after the last album (industrial metal). They're gonna have to cut the wacky stuff if they want me to finish this album. - Maybe it's pioneering but I don't hear it. Just sounds like more of the same rock music I've been hearing

I liked the change of pace. This is a good album, it just gets too full at times and repeats the same climax a few times. The lows are pretty bland and there just wasn't enough there to earn 4 stars, but it was close. - Modern rock! Doesn't suck from the start. Very indie - First song is fun, has life. Got a bit dumb at the end - 2nd song: Hey, I've heard this one! v popular, decent

Good enough for a 3, nowhere close to being a 4. Common People makes the playlist - Funky start, not much intro. I think my preference is a slow, spacious crescendo-ing intro - First 30 seconds - this sounds like more bland rock that makes no sense why it's on the list - "Common People": Okay, I see why this is on the list. It's a limitation of the album framework of this list though, if an album like this makes the list because of a few huge hits - Brit pop rock is so dumb. If you can make a hit like this, why waste my time with all the 'artsy' (annoying) other songs on the album? Just make 5 great songs and call it a day

What's the point of all this rock? Surely, there are other genres with intricate and nuanced sub-genres that deserve to get some attention? Unspectacular album, didn't feel the need to finish

Pleasant lyricist. Not sure the music matches the emotions of the lyrics though. Doesn't hit. Not entirely sure what makes this a must-listen album. Mid.

Totally fine 3 stars. Fun listen, don't need to listen again. - Lovely! Not rock. Interest is piqued. - Background noise so far. A bit eclectic in genre

Solid 3.5 stars, just doesn't have much depth. - Now THIS is the 80s! - Two songs in, this is quality and I'm enjoying it

3 stars. Kinda sounds like a great album, but I'm not sure any of it is about anything. Just some jammers jamming and a guy singing - Dad rock. But not in a bad way I guess... - I feel like this has all the pieces of a good album, but underneath the surface it's actually pretty garbage

Hilarious, ridiculous punk. Not my cup of tea. Not upset I listened to it once though. - 21 songs, 35 minutes. 1 2/3 minutes per song. This will be interesting

Listened a few times, enjoyed it lots! I think it's a soft 4 star album, but it makes me feel FOMO to leave it as a 3 so... here we are (notes lost)

Lighthearted, feels like a passion project. Not sure how it made the list, it feels overall amateur. It's very unpredictable, but in a good way! Just fine musically though. - Unusual. Not many listens on Spotify. Curious - Gentle, sweet. Enjoyable. But also very wonky

Another flat Deep Purple album. Despite loving Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones, I just can't get behind Deep Purple. I think what makes Led Zeppelin stand out is the quality of the vocals. Every member of that band could get everything out of their instrument. Rolling Stones is just SO pop, they knew how to keep a song to the right length. Deep Purple... not so much. They rely more on catchy riffs and repetition rather than skill. Not a bad album, I just struggle to understand what I don't like about it. Spiteful 2 stars, skipped the 2nd half of too many songs and just didn't want to listen anymore by the end - More rock :( not in the mood. At least it's a short album - Okay I'm warming up. Clearly willing to take a step in another direction from their last album I listened to - Strong riffs, annoying rock.

Wanted to love this so much. I get that it was hugely influential on rap. It just doesn't age all that well. Rough on the edges by modern standards, but it is great laid-back rap. Lyrically dense, definitely need to be in the right mood for it but it has highlights. Still enjoyed it though, 3 stars would feel unfair. - A bit exhausting to listen to the whole album, it’s just so much vocals.

I bet the music is great but I can't stand her voice for a whole album - Oh boy. 80s vocals. This might be tough

Enjoyable. Strong start had it on a 5 star path, but lost energy around the midway point. 4 stars for the strong opening stretch. Good lyricist knows how to sing within his range with a fun production sound. - oof white guy saying the n-word. Pretty sure it's sarcasm but OOF. Did some research, sounds like Randy Newman is very self-aware of the optics - Truly enjoying this album. It's got a groove, it's not just rock cliches, it's got a digestable message, and I like his voice! - Starting with 'Every Man a King', there's a quality change. Lyrics get wonkier, sound gets more jarring

I think this has to be a 5! Up there in quality with Led Zeppelin, very impressed and very pleased. Wish I had listened to them sooner, can't wait for more of their albums on this list. FWIW, this is WAY better than where heavy metal went in later decades, though maybe that will be proven wrong later in this list. - Intriguing intro. Not as 'heavy' as I was expecting - This bangs. Clear contemporary of Led Zeppelin but have their own sound - Weird how multiple songs are tracked together. Would have added some to the playlist but not all 9 minutes of the track... - Drags on at the end but not enough to knock it from a 5. Hope their later albums are more concise.

2.5 stars. Coulda been 3, but it's a little bit annoying. Don't really want to hear this album again - noise :( . Feels like noise to create dissonance though, not just noise for making noise. We'll see... - Everything is just so distorted, it's like listening through a layer of sonic fog. Disorienting - I appreciate the noise as part of the art. But it still makes the music REALLY annoying - Yeahhh I like it more when it's not so noisy. I don't mind the distortion as much. That said, it's kinda just 90s rock so.... yawn

Perfectly fine. Didn't breakthrough, just background noise. Probably would have been more digestible with more listens. Tbh didn't finish, got bored

This is gonna be a hot take, but I feel like I've been shouted at musically for 37 minutes. I enjoyed it, but I'm exhausted. I love the concept but the production is just a lot. Doesn't really make me want to listen to it again. - Opener: whimsical dad rock. Don't think I will rank this as well as the 'crowd' but we'll see - All I hear is rock ballad after rock ballad. Is every song going to be this over the top? - I want to enjoy it. It's just too busy for me :(