275
Albums Rated
2.86
Average Rating
25%
Complete
814 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
26
5-Star Albums
24
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1989
Taylor Swift
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Dirt
Alice In Chains
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
|
5 | 3.51 | +1.49 |
|
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
|
5 | 3.52 | +1.48 |
|
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
|
5 | 3.54 | +1.46 |
|
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
|
5 | 3.56 | +1.44 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
|
1 | 3.65 | -2.65 |
|
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
Murmur
R.E.M.
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
Amnesiac
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
|
OK Computer
Radiohead
|
2 | 4.11 | -2.11 |
|
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
|
1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Drake | 3 | 1.33 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 2 |
| The Cure | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (26)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Arcade Fire · 1 likes
2/5
I don't know if the album was named Funeral in an attempt at irony or in ignorance, but this is the funeral soundtrack to "indie rock." These bands outsmarted themselves into irrelevance. And for the love of all that is good an holy - enough with the 2* albums!
Brian Eno · 1 likes
2/5
JFC, I just literally begged for no more new wave/prog/art rock/experimental British shyte! I'm a completionist by nature, but the editors' obsession with this drivel is seriously testing my will. Oh, as for the album, don't waste your time. Listen to the first two songs to say you did; the rest is the same crap.
Influence 2. Quality 3. Hits 1. Intangibles (I can't believe I'm giving Brian stupid Eno a bump; Devo did all the same things better) 2. God I hate this 1.
Butthole Surfers · 1 likes
3/5
This is a toughie for me. I get it for what it is. It's just really, really not my thing. Absolutely belongs on the list. Keep keeping Austin weird, guys. And to the list makers, calling this grunge is a stretch.
Influence 3. Hits 1. Quality 3. It's not bad, it's just not my thing 3.
Harry Nilsson · 1 likes
2/5
He's a one-hit wonder. Another perfectly good album with no influence, nothing substantive musically. And it's pop rock. Yawn.
The Rolling Stones · 1 likes
4/5
Solid album, but Eminem was neither the first nor only artist to do black music so selfishly and use it to make himself wealthy. What we do have here is probably the beginings of blues rock, and that alone gets points for influence.
Influence 4. Quality 3. Hits 2. Guys, it's the Stones' first album 4.
1-Star Albums (24)
All Ratings
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Excellent on vinyl. Very consistent all through the album. Amy's voice is a throw back dream. The pace was great for me; not super slow.
R.E.M.
1/5
So, the best of indie pop? This is terrible. Michael Stipe's voice, while technically good, is worse than a prepubecent teens. Grating is an understatement. The music - every song - is now one of the 8 default settings on a Casio keyboard. I award it no stars, and may God have mercy on its soul.
AC/DC
3/5
Look, they have like 2, super maybe 3, different songs. The most common is really good. The other on is really bad. But the ratio of good to bad is like 10:1. Two duds on this album (the last 2). But the really good aren't great, so in the end, it's a 3.
Santana
4/5
So, I'm a fool: I had no idea this was a Latin jam record. Love the concept and the execution was phenomenal. Probably a 3.5.
Neil Young
3/5
One of, if not the, first grunge albums. Dark and heavy - especially the lyrics. Would be insanely better on vinyl. Still, not even Uncle Niel's best work. 2.5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Widely regarded as Bob's best album, so I'll leave that as that. Not my personal favorite, so just a 4.
Now, as to all the bitching about Bob's voice/singing. It's not great - everyone gets it. But, it's also not bad. He's technically point; it's style and ability that lacks. And despite his voice, he's still one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever. And that's him - he's been covered by better signers with only limited success. So you don't like it? Cool. But you cannot reasonably argue he's bad.
Def Leppard
3/5
Oasis
2/5
I don't get the appeal. It pop rock. It's modern Beatles which means it's not innovative like the Beatles. It's also not as good. Oasis is to the Beatles as Greta Van Fleet is to Led Zeppelin, but Oasis is serious.
The Temptations
3/5
Motown was amazing. Really, no notes. Just not enough of the hits.
Aphex Twin
2/5
Not my thing.I barely feel qualified to review it
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
He's got a very nice voice. And points for uniqueness. But it's pretty boring pop, and the lyrics can be cringe or just bad (way more composition issues than content).
The Isley Brothers
2/5
There're great. Smooth vocals. Rich soulful sound. But this isn't thier best album. One hit and a popular cover.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Harmonies. Hits. Lyrics. Just a great time.
Stephen Stills
3/5
His solo hits. Blusier than I would have given him credit for. Nothing to complain about. Nothing to rave about.
Rush
2/5
I mean. They're technically brilliant, and I like and respect their sound. And while it's their breakthrough album, this one just isn't very good. The only acceptable 20+ minute song is Alice's Restaurant.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
Underworld
1/5
Is this good electronica? No clue. Has electronica contributed meaningfully to misic? Hard maybe. Is there a reasonable argument that digital recording has actually damaged music over time? Yup. Is it one of the 1,001 albums that everyone should listen to? Fuck no.
Björk
2/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Prince
2/5
Prince is great guitar player, and that's about all I have to say about him. This is synth crap.
Sex Pistols
5/5
Greatest punk rock album of all time. Boom.
Sigur Rós
1/5
It's because I wrote that I had respect for Bjork, isn't it. That's why I'm being punished with this? The recording is obviously purposefully poor. They seem to think it's a good effect to jump in and out of quality. I see what we're doing with the strings, but at the end of the day this is way too far towards "art" and away from "music."
Khaled
3/5
Couldn't find it to rate it.
The Hives
3/5
Nice little modern punk album. 3.5
Brian Wilson
3/5
It's a musical score? This is tough. It's technically brilliant but not terribly enjoyable.
Steely Dan
2/5
I mean. Again, I get it. I just don't really like it.
Tim Buckley
1/5
Why? This raised so many questions. Why include this album? Why not Jeff instead? Why is the word happy involved when it's all so depressing? Why make this album? Why not showcase an artist that is capable of saying something interesting about feeling sad instead of this dude? Why did you make me listen to this? Why is this anything other than a footnote on Jeff Buckly's Wikipedia page?
Queens Of The Stone Age
2/5
First half is great. Acid rock/stoner rock/whatever you want to call it. Second half drags a bit.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Again?
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Solid samba album. As it's apparently THE samba album, it gets the bump.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
First hip-hop album, a solid political one, nothing special.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Nice, happy little hip hop album.
Radiohead
2/5
This is quite possibly the most overrated album of all time. Minimal hits (one). It's mid Radiohead, which is not bad, but not great. I'm also past the age where I want to hear you whine about your existential crisis.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Genesis
2/5
Three chords and the truth in 3 minutes or less is admittedly restrictive, and music often needs more to do what its creator intends. BUT, 147 chords and a fever dream over 9+ minutes is so much worse. Gabriel simply does not know how to write effectively. He's good, but he can't get it out well enough for most to enjoy.
Musically 🎼 this is a completely different story. Collins could be top 10. Hackett is super underrated, and the compositions are very high quality, if disjointed. This version of b-team Rush made a great prog album. But, in true prog fashion, it's the pseudointellectual ravings of a proper wanker.
The White Stripes
4/5
Only not a 5 because it isn't Jack White's best work.
Scott Walker
1/5
Happy birthday, Matt, here's a turd. This list is becoming a showcase of the B-Team. I mean the album is fine. There's nothing wrong with it. But there's also nothing great about it. Walker is a fine (like my wife uses the word) troubadour with absolutely nothing special about him.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Sigh. This isn't MBV's best album, just thier first. This isn't the best, most iconic, nor most influential shoegaze album. Just the first. Shoegaze isn't the best, most original, nor particularly influential rock sub-genre. Just - wait, no, just nothing. Shoegaze is an interesting footnote.
So why does this abbum get a spot on this list?
Isaac Hayes
2/5
This is tough. Isaac is amazing, but tgus album isn't. The first two tracks a good. The other 3 are meh. And I have to say again, only Alice's Restaurant pulls off the super long song. End of day, sorry Isaac, it's not your, it's this album.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
An influential classic that I can enjoy (I may be biased by Mr. VanDeusen's influence). I mean, there wouldn't be a Beatles without Buddy.
Mekons
1/5
Flogging Molly is a great, great band. Totally unique, there is really only room for one Flogging Molly in musical history (proof of concept, I once saw FM, Gogol Bodello, and Mariachi El Bronx - an ethnic punk show that was top 5 concerts I've ever been to). I respect that the Mekons made FM and that ilk possible, but this is not good.
Duran Duran
3/5
They belong on the list. It's fine.
De La Soul
4/5
This was just plain fun. Remember when hip hop was fun? Like, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince silly, but Dre/Snoop serious and quality? That's De La Soul, and I am here for it.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Who has anything bad to say about Cyndi Lauper? Great bubble gum pop.
The Jam
2/5
I only needed 2 songs to appreciate this band. It's not bad, It's also just below mid.
Blur
2/5
2
Dr. Dre
5/5
It's one of the greatest rap albums of all time.
Ice T
3/5
Ice T's best for sure. He has his place. There are several highlights (New Jack Hustler, Body Count, others), but it does feel a bit long. End of day, this album is the epitome of Ice T's place in rap and music generally: a bubble artist. Just on the cusp of a greatest list, but not quite on a greatest list.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Meh
Radiohead
2/5
In order to be one of my 1001 albums, the album has to have something more, something extra, something special. This is a fine Radiohead album. But that's all. It's not their first, best, or most influential. It's just a fine album. Meh.
King Crimson
1/5
I do not care for prog rock. Like, it's pretty annoying to me. Pretentious theater kids acting like their better that everyone and just telling critics that they don't "get it." That means you aren't conveying anything in a meaningful way; you're just self-grandeurizing.
Thundercat
2/5
Wildly talented, and one of the more random characters in music history (he has a small niche place there for sure), Thundercat is . . . something. Not sure what. This sounds like he got really, really high and recorded an album on a Casio keyboard. That's not exactly praise. Mild reprieve from King Crimson (emphasis on mild) and we're back in solid 2-star land. This might actually be a one.
OutKast
5/5
I generally find concept albums to be bloviated artistic self-aggrandizing. But OutKast does it right; you don't need to know about or get into the concept to enjoy it. This was the album with the mega-hits, OutKast is one of the top 5 or 10 rap duos/groups of all time, they're influential, and I like it. It's a 5 from me, dog.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Willie, you're great. You're also super depressing and really not my thing.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Obviously one of - if not the - greatest rock bands of all time. This isn't their best work, but that doesn't mean that it's bad by any stretch. The number of different genres that the band includes on this double album alone is impressive. And while The Wonton Song, Boogie with Stu, and Black Country Woman are favorites of mine, end of day, this is a mid Led Zepplin Album. That's great for most bands, but here they're the victims of their own greatness. 3.5
The Prodigy
2/5
Why is it so hard to only include certain band's best albums here? If this was The Fat of the Land, it would be a 4.
Ramones
5/5
14 songs, 29:16. Perfect. Three chords and the truth is all you need for a great song, and The Ramones did it first and best.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Finally! We've actually hit a streak of quality. Stevie is just a font of creative talent - this is album number 18 (let that sink in for a moment) and a double at that. Influence 5, Quality 5, Intagibles 4 (it could have easily been albums 18 and 19), personal taste 4. Why can't we have 1/2 stars again?
Muddy Waters
4/5
Ladies and gentlemen, Muddy Waters gives you the blues. Starts off with the kick in the ass Mannish Boy and just keeps hitting you with classic guitar blues. Why does this album sound so good? Well, because it's not just the legendary Waters. Producing and lending additional guitar is Johnny Winters. Top five all-time harmonica player James Cotton features prominently. Influence 5, Quality 4, Intagibles 4, personal taste 4.
The United States Of America
1/5
I do not like prog. I also don't like the American version of prog (no idea why these are separate categories) - avant-garde.
The Cure
1/5
Again, no hits. I get it; this is the breakthrough (sort of) album that is the godfather of emo/goth rock. But it's neither the best of emo/goth rock nor the best of the Cure.
The Zombies
2/5
Elton John
2/5
We get Tiny Dancer and Levon right out of the gate. After that, things get a little self-indulgent and extra. Long songs, overproduced; not his best. But those two songs are great. It's a 2.5 with a rounding error.
Jack White
4/5
Jack White is a national treasure.
The Band
3/5
Well, it has the hit.
Black Sabbath
3/5
First, Sabbath is the first heavy metal band and gets all the credit for that. Second, this is a solid album. Third, I'm getting it on July 23, 2025 - the day after Ozzy passed.
BUT, give me the band's seminal album (Paranoid)! Or the breakout first album (Black Sabbath). Stop with the filler. If this is the 1,001 albums everyone should listen to, include the big deal important albums from these bands!
Queen
2/5
I think this is the weakest Queen album. Love Queen; don't love this.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Joni Mitchell's magnum opus. Tough rate. As far as influence, Mitchell deserves a place on this list, and this is obviously considered her greatest album. But it doesn't contain her greatest hits (like, none of them), and while she was very influential and paved the way for some really great singer-songwriter women, this is just a super blah album. If it wasn't Joni Mitchell, it'd be a 1. But even her name can't get it to a 3.
MC Solaar
3/5
Whelp. I don't speak French, so I can't comment on the lyrics. But the music was good, and he's a skilled rapper. Apparently he's THE French rapper and this his big album. 3
Stan Getz
4/5
We don't get the Girl from Ipanema, but we get everything else. Very solid.
David Bowie
2/5
Bowie is good, but not my favorite. This album is very mid Bowie.
The Cardigans
2/5
Interesting that the rest of the album is a bit different than the One Hit this band is a wonder for. Her voice is great, but that's about it.
Eminem
5/5
One of my personal top 5 rap albums. Probably top ten all-time rap albums.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Stevie is one of the most prolific artists of all time. We're talking 23 studio albums. They are all solid - which is a helluva feat - but no one can make 23 great albums. This is simply not Stevie's best work, but that makes it better than most albums. I hate being put in the position where Stevie doesn't get a 4 or 5. But there are zero real hits on this one.
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
Sorry Balin, Grace Slick is the star here. Her songs are infinitely better, her voice is more powerful, and the songs she doesn't feature on are copycat Brit-folk. Maybe a touch of Mod influence. Regardless, Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are obvious all-time classics. There is virtually nothing else here. It's disjointed as an album because of the conflicting styles of Slick and Balin. Sorry, but I have to round down from 2.5
Turbonegro
3/5
Holy crap; I actually discovered something that I like that I would never have heard before. It's the garage punkiness of The White Stripes or The Strokes, but fun like The Darkness.
Britney Spears
3/5
Okay, I'll give one to the pop princess. 3
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
What a great little album from a great little rock band. As the band says about its name: it's music; it's just supposed to sound good. 3.5
The Specials
2/5
The first ska band? I get it, but it's not great. I imagine this is what a live band poolside at a Florida resort sounded like in the '50's. Interesting concept, but not something I'm listening to voluntarily.
Nick Drake
1/5
The best part of this album is that it is 28 minutes long. If Nick Drake were around now, he would be a Conan Grey knock-off. One of the unmemorable, soft-voiced singers that all sound the same. He is a gifted acoustic guitar player, but each song sounds nearly identical and is just sad and boring. 1
The Human League
2/5
A third of the Holy Trinity of Synth Pop. We definitely get the hits on this album, and between those two factors, it's earned its place on the list. I just can't get behind synth pop. Your record should not be able to be reproduced by a teenager and her Casio keyboard. Digital just sounds worse than analogue, and while that can be corrected for with songwriting, actual instrumentation, and other factors, neither The Human League nor any of its progeny manages to do it. 2
Nick Drake
1/5
Two Nick Drake Albums in three days!?! Murder me. This guy scuks; see below. 1
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Very solid CCR outing. 3.5
Roxy Music
2/5
Bryan Ferry's wrabble is one of the more unique and annoying vocals that I've heard on this list. The album is tolerable new wave, but the problem is that Ziggy Stardust was literally released on the exact same day (June 16). One of those albums is legend, the other forgotten. I didn't hate it, but I can't love it, either.
Radiohead
1/5
I'll be magnanimous and give Radiohead 2 albums on this list (the correct answers are OK Computer and Kid A). I've had OK Computer and Rainbows and now this. Combine that with TWO Nick Drake albums, TIM Buckley, and other dreck, and im starting to be concerned about the list maker's mental health. I mean we're clearly clinically depressed, right? 1
Living Colour
3/5
Vernon Reid is underrated as a guitar player. This album was released in 1988, and I actually think it was a few years ahead of its time; Cult of Personality certainly rode a wave into the late '90's. Open Letter is a personal favorite.
Living Colour is also a terrific example of making a statement with your music in a good way. 3.5 - 4
Django Django
2/5
Another reviewer commented that there is a clearly gifted producer in or around the band, but it's a shame that there's no songwriter. It's not unpleasant, but it's also not really enjoyable.
The Doors
5/5
Potentially the best debut album of all time. Of 11 songs, three are massive hits, three more are widely recognized b-sides, and two more are fan favorites. Love him or hate him, Mr. Mojo Risin is a rock icon. 5
Kraftwerk
2/5
Electronica has it's place, and there are a few influential electronica artists that put together a few hits and can be called influential. A precious few, and this album ain't one of them. That said, there's nothing objectionable here, it's just one of several dozen electronica albums that the editor has included. The only reason I can imagine for the inclusion is that the editor likes electronica. Well, I don't, and this album is not "must listen before you die."
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Now we're rolling. Undisputed best album from the undisputed greatest guitar player ever.
Otis Redding
4/5
Arcade Fire
2/5
Woof. Why do I absolutely need to listen to this album, again? First, listen to the first two songs - there, now you've heard the entire Arcade Fire catalogue. It really all sounds the same. Zero influence, a minor hit, and I find it super boring.
Slayer
2/5
In this relentless 34 minutes there is no variance of tempo, no recognizable riffs or remarkable solos, and neither melody nor rhythm to any of the lyrics. I couldn't tell you which song is which upon hearing a sample. Yes, Slayer is one of the Big 4 thrash bands - but they are 4th, and there's a whole lot of room between them and Anthrax. Slayer is just fast, and just because you can doesn't mean you should. I mean, even Metallica evolved.
Nirvana
5/5
Top 10 album of all time and for great reason. It's actually surprisingly diverse on a later listen. Every song in here is a classic.
Nirvana
5/5
Nevermind is a 5. Bleach is 4.5. Compared to most of the dreck on this list, In Utero is a 6. But how can I give it a 5 when it's really great, but not as great as Nevermind or Bleach? The answer was to read the other reviews. For reasons that I cannot comprehend, the British don't like grunge (but they LOVE prog rock, so apparently there's no accounting for taste).
Had this not been Nirvana's final studio album, would we have considered it a sophomore slump or the beginning of the end?
N.W.A.
5/5
Break through album of one of the top 5 greatest rap groups of all time? Of course. N.W.A. is as great and influential as the Beatles.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Could be called early grunge, but the didn't hit with the others for some reason. Having heard Nevermind so recently, my theory is that The J&MC is too monolithic and distorted. All these songs sound similar and ...thin.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Dear Great Britain: Just because your indie rock/shoegaze scene hit fiveish years before grunge does not make it superior to grunge in any way. One surprising lesson I've learned (sorry, is it "learnt"?) from this project is that the British feel a particular way about prog rock, synth rock, and whatever category you put the Cocteau Twins in, and a very, very different way about grunge. While I preach to my children that "an opinion cannot be wrong," please don't tell them that in this instance, the British opinion is wrong.
When this album was released, hair metal was peaking in the U.S. Hair metal is wild, debaucherous fun with a hint of feeling and underappreciated skill behind it. Then grunge came and ended the party, but kept the emotional undertone, skill, and music appreciation. Meanwhile, across the pond, we had stuff like this: one-note, boring, zero depth.
No hits, no influence, I didn't actually hate it.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Here is the jazz album that you have to listen to before you die. Heard. Enjoyed. That's all I really know about jazz.
Justice
3/5
Um. It's decent electronica. I don't personally find it to be the big deal it's made out to be, but I don't really know squat about electronica. I'd listen to it in the background, so that's good for a star.
Björk
3/5
Human Behavior kicks it off, which may be the best song in Bjork's catalogue. This is clearly her best album, and I for one am here for her voice. Definitely deserves the place on the list as the most mainstream experimental artist (if that's possible). 3
William Orbit
2/5
It's mid electronica. Even with over 1,000 albums, I don't think you get past Chemical Brothers, Moby, and Daft Punk.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Bruce Springsteen is musical pizza. 90% of the time it's fine. Nothing objectionable, nothing exciting, gets the job done. 5% of the time it's painfully bad (see, e.g., Bruce's vocal on Something in the Night), and 5% of the time it's really, really good. An exciting experience that you tell all your friends about.
To all those who sing the praises of the music itself (here's looking at you New Jersey), I think that opinion tells far more about the people singing the praises than the singer himself. The theme is blue collar worker. And that's it. It's stereotypically me-and-my-whole-family-work-hard-don't-like-change-and-won't-address-the-reasons-everything-pisses-us-off (look, it's like a 90% male audience we're talking about here).
This album specifically (and apparently Bruce gets 5 on the list) has none of his big hits, was not terribly influential, and is virtually identical to all of his others musically. 2
Moby
4/5
As someone who publicly admitted to liking Moby way back in the '90's, I'm highly entertained by the global reviews of this album. The most representative is a 4* review that simply reads, "Do . . . Do I like Moby?"
For reasons I don't understand, most folks want to crush the guy for his use of samples. The thing is, even if you don't like the use of samples, it is highly prolific, and Moby not only arguably does it best, he was absolutely the first to do it really well.
All the hits, big on influence, and I really like it. This has got to be the closest to a 5* without actually being a 5*.
The KLF
1/5
What the Eurodance trash is this.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Sam Cooke is the undisputed King of Soul. Here we have undeniable influence, indisputable hits, and I love it. Why is the average global rating sub 4? I have to assume it's because this is a live album (and one recorded in 1963 with 1963-quality equipment), so the recording quality isn't great.
But what better genre to highlight with a live recording than soul? Mr. Cooke had a true vibe at his shows. That this one was in Harlem, a one-night stand, and while Cooke was at the height of his popularity and powers overcomes any technical issues for me. I love live music; I love experiencing the vibe the artist intends while listening to their music. This album shined in that regard.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
1/5
What is the British fascination with mediocre new wave/electronica? At least prog rock bands can play instruments (not that it makes their self-grandurizing noise more pleasant to listen to, but they have put effort into it). Many others, far more articulate than me (glances at Neil Young), have explained how the shift from analogue to digital and the proliferation of the synthesizer and keyboard have done more damage to music and music culture than about anything else in history, so that's all I'll say on that here.
This album itself is just so damn boring. The entire pooled musical "talent" of this band amounts to a dude that sounds like Robert Smith. That's it; that's the highlight. I honestly couldn't tell when one song ended and the next began. I get that this was recorded when synthesizers and the like were new and exciting, but just because you can doesn't mean you should.
No hits, negative influence, and it bored me to tears.
The Roots
4/5
This is the type of thing I had hoped for with 1,001 albums: an album that isn't in my personal jukebox but is high quality and influential for other artists. Something that I wouldn't have listened to but for the book but should.
That said, this isn't The Roots' best album (there is room on the list for another), but it does contain arguably their biggest hit. End of the day, I got something I like, something influential, some new-to-me songs that are good, and a hit.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
I swear I've heard this album before (despite its nearly non-existent sales). Couldn't put my finger on it until I went to a local Asian grocery. This is the album that plays over the speakers of shops that sell little pre-packed curry spices in small tourist towns for suburbanites who are too scared to go to an actual Indian grocery. I wouldn't go so far as to call it cultural appropriation, but that the artist is a Brit doesn't help that cause.
Anywho. I consider this the highest-end elevator music I think I've ever heard. It is poignant and artistic without being pretentious - take notes prog rockers; it can be done. I get the message - nukes are bad - but he didn't have to beat me over the head with it, and the music is high quality. Not my bag, but if there's room in 1,001 albums for one near-classical elevator music example, I'm happy with this choice. Now if I come across a second elevator music album later . . .
Zero influence, zero hits, but I didn't hate it. Great background music for a professional dinner party that I need to be average in every way. 2.5
2/5
For my money, U2 is one of the top five most overrated bands of all time (and they ain't five). Even so, I cannot argue with the influence or hits on this album. The first three songs were monster hits and are still fairly ubiquitous almost 40 years later. We all know all the words to each chorus - even if we don't want to. And they are nearly indistinguishable from each other.
U2 is really just very high quality pop-rock. Which, at least to me, means there's nothing here to complain about, but there's also nothing here to get excited about. I mean, seriously, if you ask a random group of people, "what is U2 known for? What makes then unique?" I think you'd get a long pause followed by several several vague answers that have little or nothing to do with music. It's just really very mid. 3
The Prodigy
4/5
When I was given another The Prodigy album earlier, I decried that it wasn't their smash hit The Fat of the Land, and said I'd give this a 4*. So, it's a 4*.
But it earns it. Starts off with the smash hits and keeps the party moving through the run time. This was the peak of electronica in the late 90's.
Big time influence, all the hits, and I like it. Sorry, The Prodigy, you lose the 5th star for the lyrics of Smack My Bitch Up and being a hare to monocromatic. 4
David Bowie
2/5
Look, I love and respect the Thin White Duke. He deserves to have a couple of albums on this list. His later work is perfectly good music. It's just not iconic. It's not influential, no hits, and I think it's fine. If you have to listen to 1,001 abulms, this just ain't one of them.
So if I want to be consistent, I'm now in the position of giving Halloween Jack a goddamn 2! A 2! I swear if the Goblin King comes for my kid I'm coming for the editors.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
I am literally here for this. Something I never would have found on my own but wonderful. I was today years old when I discovered that desert blues was a thing, but man is it a thing! Mixing American blues with what are African beats is genius.
That said, these guys hooked me with the first couple of songs, but then lost me a bit towards the end. Easily could have cut a few songs. Otherwise a really great experience. Influence, I don't know. Hits, not that I'm aware of. Quality is sky high, and I really enjoyed it. 3.5
Van Halen
5/5
If you don't like this album, you don't like fun. As for the rest, what's known need not be said.
Harry Nilsson
2/5
He's a one-hit wonder. Another perfectly good album with no influence, nothing substantive musically. And it's pop rock. Yawn.
2/5
Apparently, I have to again question the editors' and Brits' fascination with '80's synth pop. I'll give you two albums for this list in that category (three if that's what you call Devo), but there seems to be at least a dozen here. This album was just mind-numbingly boring. Despite my guidelines for reviewing, every album in this category after this one is getting a 1*. Please stop the madness.
Zero influence, zero hits, quality was nothing to complain about (nor to compliment), and I fell asleep listening to it.
Talking Heads
2/5
Sigh. I admit that this album is obligatory. I admit that Once in a Lifetime is a good song and a smash hit. I admit that the album is creative, unique, and influential. Now, can the rest of you please admit that this era of new wave/post-punk "rock" (just threw up in my mouth a little calling this rock) was akin to an actor audibly farting during a performance of Romeo & Juliet. It's interesting, kinda funny, but generally contributes nothing positive and probably actually hurts the overall performance.
Influence, sure. Quality, yeah, that's its best argument. Hits, you got one. While it's the only new wave album that I think I respect, that doesn't mean I like. it. 2? 1.5?
Dolly Parton
3/5
I generally do not like country, and this 1,001 experiment has taught me that I generally don't like singer-songwriter/folksy music. I also hold a general distain for a vibrato. And here we are with what is basically a combination of those genres featuring a vibrato. But it's Dolly Freakin' Parton, y'all. And it's Dolly Freakin' Parton's favorite song.
So, while I don't particularly enjoy it, it is undeniably really, really good. Influence 4.5, hits 3, quality 4.5, I just can't do better than a 2. God, this thing needs half stars.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
*** gentle snoring *** Huh? Wha? Is it over? I fell asleep about three songs in. Joni Mitchell is a one-trick pony. It's a fine trick, but we're talking about, what, 19 albums? That. All. Sound. Exactly. The. Same.
Influence 2 (it ain't this album), hits 1, quality 4, it's . . . it's so, so boring 1.
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie's hat tip to soul. He described it not as a soul album but an ode to soul (or something), and if you judge it based on that, I think it holds up. That it was such an abrupt but quality pivot from Ziggy Stardust is impressive. Proves that Bowie was master of several genres. End of day, though, it's not his best work. But Bowie deserves more than one album here, and I'm happy with the inclusion of this one.
2/5
I knew what I was getting myself into the moment I saw the album cover pop up, so I steeled myself as best as I could. I have tremendous respect for Loretta Lynn (and Dolly, and Tammy, et al). But this has to be my absolute least favorite genre of music. This specific whiny (vocally, lyrically, and musically), vibrato-laden subset of country. I just cannot stand it.
I'm not taking the seconds to break it down. If her name wasn't Loretta Lynn, it'd be a 1.
Little Simz
2/5
Listening to a rapper with a London accent is wild. She rhymes words that wouldn't in an American accent. I'm also going to give her props for using largely instruments as opposed to sampling, et cetera. End of day, this was very interesting, quality recorded, mid rap/hip-hop album. I certainly didn't need to hear it before I die. Influence 0, quality 3, hits 0, I enjoyed it. 1.5
Baaba Maal
3/5
Couldn't find it to hear it.
Cream
3/5
Eric Clapton is a trash human. Okay, that's out of the way.
Much like its cover, while this album is rather psychedelic with a lot going on, it's also surprisingly monochromatic. Each track is a pleasant tinkling guitar over Ginger Baker's perfect drumming. It can produce some odd dynamics. For example, We're Going Wrong contains exceptions drumming throughout, a burst of quality guitar at the end, but the vocal and overall vibe of the track is mind-numbingly boring. Outside Woman Blues is the standout guitar track for my money, but is simply not a blues track (and the lyrics suck). Take It Back flexes the blues muscles, but is generally unremarkable.
Influence 4, hits 3, quality 4, and I don't hate it 3. 3.5
Butthole Surfers
3/5
This is a toughie for me. I get it for what it is. It's just really, really not my thing. Absolutely belongs on the list. Keep keeping Austin weird, guys. And to the list makers, calling this grunge is a stretch.
Influence 3. Hits 1. Quality 3. It's not bad, it's just not my thing 3.
John Grant
1/5
Despite being released in 2010, what we have here is a '70s singer-songwriter pop-folk self-indulgent depressive episode that is indistinguishable from roughly 4.2 million other albums. I may get the 1,001 book just to see if it explains its selection criteria because I'm increasingly feeling like it's about 50% albums everyone should listen to and 50% the editor's God-awful personal taste.
Influence 1. Quality 2. Hits 1. I hate depressing music 1.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Second only to Nevermind, this album was an integral part of grunge. The opening songs are in consideration for all-time great 3-song runs, and there's really only one hit single in there.
For me, what really stands out about AIC is only teased on this album (but paid in full at their live shows): the insane harmonization between Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. Coupled with the driving, sludgy guitar parts, this album is a masterpiece, whether you call it grunge, rock, sludge, metal, or anything else.
Influence 4. Quality 5. Hits 4. Really good, but a tick heavy and monothematic 4. 4.25
Coldplay
2/5
Every Coldplay song could be played over the bittersweet epilog of an Oscar-bait movie. You know the ones. The main character is looking out the window of the bus/plane/car/train on thier way to an ambiguous person/place with an expression that can interpreted as almost any emotion. Every. Single. Song.
Influence 1. Quality 2. Hits 4. Meh 2.
Mj Cole
1/5
Every month or so I have to ask: what is the British fascination with mid to bad electronica? I do not get it. You get one album here, and you've taken like 20.
Influence 0. Quality 0. Hits 0. The thing is I don't hate this kind of music. It's just that you get the Chemical Brothers, Moby, and The Progidy. And that's it. 0
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
This album is 3 hours long. It literally contains 69 songs. It's "indie" because any record company employee who approved this album's making would have been summarily executed.
And some of the lyrics. Oof. It sounds written for - maybe by? - middle school kids. The exemplar for me is "Like a Chicken with Its Head Cut Off" which contains an uncomfortably graphic description of the titular chicken. In a "love song." This might be the worst album on the list.
Sade
3/5
I mean, it's fine. Way too one-note, but it's a pleasant note.
Influence 3. Quality 3. Hits 3. Don't love it; don't hate it. 3
Solange
2/5
Super generic '90's r&b into pop r&b.
Influence 1. Quality 3. Hits 1. So mid 2.
Funkadelic
4/5
Oh they got the funk.
Influence 5. Hits 3. Quality 4. I dig it, baby 4.
Michael Kiwanuka
2/5
I wanted to rate this higher, but there is just so much fat that needs to be trimmed. One song has about 17 seconds of silence as an intro. Other than that, it's pretty mid.
Influence 2. Hits 1. Quality 3. Super meh 2.
Madonna
2/5
Remember when Madonna moved to England, faked an accent, and released a Moby knock-off album? I forgot all about it until today. Look, this isn't a bad album. But it certainly isn't good, and I have no idea why I would NEED to listen to it before I die.
Influence 1 (album-specific). Hits 2. Quality 3 (surprisingly high). Blending musical genres is typically a great idea. Blending anything with pop is typically a terrible idea. 2
Gotan Project
3/5
This is fascinating. I love it - it's absolutely perfect background music to work by. No vocals, excellent vibe. Also the perfect level of pretentiousness for a dinner party. I certainly didn't need to hear it before I die, but I'm just as certainly glad that I did.
Influence 1. Hits 1. Quality 4. I really kind of liked it 4. 3
UB40
2/5
Sigh. This is getting tedious, 1,001. Here we have yet another album from a British one-hit wonder that is conspicuously missing the hit(s). I'm all for including one (1) album that is the best representation of a subgenre of music. Is UB40 the best representation of Reggae-Dub? Is Reggae-Dub a legit subgenre that we should be including here? See what I mean? Tedious.
Influence 2. Quality 2. Hits 1. It's actually good background music with a nice vibe, but it's nothing more than that 3. 2
The Beach Boys
3/5
The Beach Boys are consistently overrated. This is not their best work by a far shot. But it's not a terrible album. I'm glad I listened to it before I died, I just don't know that I needed to.
Influence 3. Quality 3. Hits 1. I wasn't mad at it, but I really just didn't care 3.
Frank Black
3/5
Look, The Pixies are great. They absolutely belong on the list. But does Frank Black solo? This list is rife with examples like this: Roxy Music, yes. Brian Eno, no. Talking Heads, yes. David Bryne, no. Et cetera. Do you have to be at the Rock Hall level of a solo career to make this project? No, but you have to have some kind of additional contribution.
All that said, this is a totally decent rock album on its own. Nothing exceptional, but solid throughout. Could have been a few songs lighter.
Influence 2. Quality 4. Hits 1. I'll give it a 3.
Billy Bragg
1/5
The 80's were a realtively down decade for music. This project's continued propogation of British singer-songwriters is wearing really, really thin. Here we have an early British Tom Morello prototype. He's a little political (I'm not complaining), and he cannot sign at all. I don't expect to see a Nightwatchman album here for the same reasons I didn't want to see this album.
And the production is crap. Tinny and thin-sounding, he needs to actually put pressure on the guitar strings. We also have a double album - this time literally containing multiple recordings of the same song. Cut it down, dude. Almost every song sounds the same. And it's clearly Bragg that's the problem, as his cover of a great song - Tracks of My Tears - is hot garbage.
Influence 1. Quality 1. Hits 1. I want to bump him to a 2 for the political statements, but it's just so, so bad. 1
Lauryn Hill
4/5
No idea why this album gets so much hate. Independent of the hype at the time, it's a solid R&B/rap album from a female star. Everything about it is good: lyrics, beats, production - everything.
Influence 5. Hits 4. Quality 5. I love it 4.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Solid album, but Eminem was neither the first nor only artist to do black music so selfishly and use it to make himself wealthy. What we do have here is probably the beginings of blues rock, and that alone gets points for influence.
Influence 4. Quality 3. Hits 2. Guys, it's the Stones' first album 4.
John Lee Hooker
4/5
It's blues legend John Lee Hooker with other great artists. They make each other better. Great classic blues made a little more digestible for the masses. Good stuff.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
This was just very pleasant. Not really my cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Green Day
5/5
Green Day - the seminal California punk band - wrote a musical that has a message and kicks ass. I am here for this. Any more review by me would just feel like completely unnecessary defense. Jesus of Suburbia might be my favorite Green Day song; for sure top 5.
Influence 5. Hits 5. Quality 5. Controvertial opnion: I got to see them perform Dookie and American Idiot in their entirties back-to-back in 2025. I think I like this one better than Dookie 5.
David Bowie
3/5
David Bowies is great. We all like Davis Bowie. Not every single one of his albums needs to be on this list. This one has Heroes and a collection of perfectly mid Bowie songs.
Method Man
3/5
Wu Tang Forever! That said, this isn't the best solo album from a Wu (although Method is arguably the best MC). This one's mid all over.
The Black Keys
5/5
Love everything about this. The Black Keys are modern blues rock and belong here. I would be surprised if the Keys get more than one album here (although they are more deserving than a half-dozen duel or even triple album artists I've come across, they are objectively only deserving of one album), so my criticism is that it should be El Camino. An argument could be made for Thickfreakness over Brothers as well. Still, I love me some blues rock, these guys are it, and the live shows are awesome.
Influencec 4. Hits 5. Quality 4. I love this shit 5.
The Undertones
1/5
Why is this here? Moderately successful British pseudo punk? I'd give it a 2 for just not being abjectly horrid, but the warble is just too cringe. And the lyrics? This sounds written by my tweenager.
Beatles
5/5
Easy top 5 Beatles album - and it ain't 5. This album has more than its fair share of the hits, and is effectively the Fab Four at the height of their powers.
Influence 5. Hits 5. Quality 5. Probably my second favorite Beatles album 5.
Metallica
5/5
The greatest thrash metal album of all time. Master of Puppets is top 5 Metallica song, and it ain't 5th. I'm personally a bigger fan of Ride the Lightning, but I recognize that this is the better album. This is absolutely must listen to before you die (now Metallica and S&M better be here, too).
Guns N' Roses
5/5
This is THE hair metal album. Even if you hate rock, you know at least three songs on the album. Even if you're 15 years younger than this album, you know at least three songs.
Influence 5. Hits 5. Quality 5. Welcome to the jungle, baby! 5
Talking Heads
3/5
Pleasant surprise for me; I thought it would be a 1 star for sure. Psycho Killer gets a star by itself.
Influence 3. Hits 3. Quality 2. I love Psycho Killer and didn't hate the rest 3.
2/5
Experimental jazz. Whoo boy.
Van Halen
4/5
I've said it before here, and I'll say it again (for what should be the last time in this process): if you don't like VH, you don't like fun.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I was fully prepared to hate this album, recognize its musical brilliance and insane influence, and stumble through a bs 3* rating. But damn if I didn't dig it. Twenty-eight minutes helps immensely. I was peacefully grooving along, and then A Simple Desultory Philippic hit. I thought Spotify slipped into a Dylan record. I'm a fan, who knew?
Influence 5. Hits 4. Quality 4. I'm here for it, man 4.
Tom Waits
2/5
Dude, this guy is nowhere near as good or important as his platoon of fans seems to think. And I know that the editor isn't responsible for the categorization, but just vanilla rock? Seriously?
Influence 4 (inexplicably). Hits 1 (sure, several people covered some of these songs and did well). Quality 2 (dude is a technically worse singer than Dylan). It's a no from me, dog 1.
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
Obscure European electronica? Of course the editor thinks you have to listen to this! When I reach the end of the list and realize all the great and influential albums that were left off, I'm going to be furious about the inclusion of so much mid electronica and mediocre '80s Brit pop.
Linkin Park
3/5
Sigh. Objectively, this is over-produced pop. Really, really good over-produced pop. It belongs on the list. It is the best example of rap-rock pop which was huge in the early 00's and influential on today's artists (whether those artists are respectable or not). I'm probably giving a full star because my son loves it.
Influence 4. Quality 2. Hits 4. I won't complain when it comes on, but I'm not seeking it out 2.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Jazz? Sure. Tell me you don't know how to categorize a legend without saying you don't know. And Frank is a legend, and this is a really great Sinatra album. No notes.
Influence 5. Hits 5. Quality 5. Love it.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
An English new wave/post-punk album on the list? No way. About 1/3 of the way through, this is one of at least 10 such albums I allegedly must listen to. I'm over it.
The gimmick is the symphony, and Echo honestly does a decent job with it. The symphony is a nice complementary piece to Echo's music. But Metallica's S&M better be on this list. That's how a band makes a record with a symphony. Equal parts partnership and battle. S&M is the exemplar that deserves inclusion.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Okay. Not bad. Just a solid little rap album. Don't know if it should be on the list, but I'm not mad that it's here.
Beatles
4/5
Beatles albums are like pizza: even when they aren't the best, they're still good. This might be the worst Beatles album, but it's still pretty good. We have covers that add nothing, but we also have some upbeat Beatles pop rock. So, I'm not going to a restaurant for it, but I'll consume it if it's there.
Influence 5. Quality 4. Hits 3. I don't hate it 3.
John Lennon
2/5
Not his best work. Two stars because John Lennon. Best I can do.
The Pogues
3/5
Pioneers of one of my favorite subgenres, what I call ethnic punk rock. Yes, the Irish are most people's favorite (Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys), but there are many others (Gogol Bordello, Mariachi el Bronx). In true punk style, the winning formula is very simple: infuse a pop-punk band with traditional instruments and the lyrics with your ethnic group's tales of oppression.
All that said, this is hardly the Pogues' magnum opus. It's a tic long and lacks any of their bangers. Hopefully, this isn't their only entry on the list; they certainly deserve another.
Influence 4. Quality 4. Hits 1. I still love this shit 4.
Radiohead
3/5
I try very, very hard to respect Radiohead; I'll never like them. I just cannot understand what all the fuss is about. They were a mid indie-rock band that went full prog-rock, pompous pouters. I'm probably more upset at what this album did as vanguard of the late 90's Brit pop shitstorm than anything else.
But end of day, this has all the Radiohead hits that I don't immediately switch off, is the seminal representative of the aforementioned shitstorm, and there should be a Radiohead album on the list even if they're just the seccond-most pretentious charactitures of Brit-pop (***literally everyone side-eyes Oasis***).
Influence 4. Quality 3. Hits 3. Seriously, if they weren't billed as the seccond coming I would be able to relax and actually enjoy it 2.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
The single best thing about this album is the band's name. Shoegaze is for people who want to be in a band but cannot play guitar.
JAY Z
4/5
Jay Z's magnum opus, and I am here for it. For me, Jay's mastery is in production. The sampling is masterful; he uses the original songs in fresh ways that contribute to his lyrics. He's a good rapper, but not great. This is exemplified by Renegade, where Eminem flat shows him up. But this is still a top 10 MC at his peak.
My only criticisms are Jay's grunting (I just can't - it's way too much) and overuse of no-r N. Listen, I'm a fan of NWA and Ice T, but Jay's use feels more like a crutch than a statement.
Influence 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Hits 5. I'm here for it 4.
Talking Heads
2/5
The Talking Heads are nowhere near as important as the editor seems to think. Like, not even close, and that says way more about the editor's opinion than the Talking Heads.
Influence (this album) 2. Hits 2. Quality 2. Just under a "meh" from me, dawg 2.
2/5
I liked this a lot more than I expected to. I wanted to give it a 3. But the lyrics are just. so. damn. bad. "Your Dictionary" is an actual crime against lyrics.
Megadeth
4/5
Aretha Franklin
5/5
The Queen of Soul at the height of her powers. Chef's kiss. Perfection. No notes. Influence 5. Hits 4. Quality 5. Intangibles 5. This is amazing 5.
Elton John
4/5
I like Sir Elton, many of these songs are objectively good, but it's just a pop album. End of the day, it's not much to write home about. Not even a real message. He gets a star for this being Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - i.e. yes, you absolute must listen to it before you die.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
What!?! A post-punk Britpop album? Who would have dreamt there would be a dozen or more of these on this list! This one's even a "super" group comprised of members of various other post-punk Britpop groups that are super mid. I can roll with the Arctic Monkeys, and I'll give them a place on this list. The is 14 steps too far, though.
Blur
2/5
Well, well here's yet another post-punk Britpop album that sounds exactly like all the others. Sleepy go night-night.
Influence 2. Hits 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 2. I do not like boring post-punk Britpop, but if I must choose one, I guess it would be Blur. 3.
The Cure
2/5
Admittedly, there should be a Cure album in here, and I am not qualified to pick the appropriate turd. It's influential, depressing as hell, and offers just the tiniest spark of originality to the new wave/post-punk onslaught from the 80's.
Inspiration 3? Hits 2. Quality 2. Intangibles 2. This sucks 1.
John Prine
2/5
Country music is not my bag. Generally, to be tolerable to me, it has to be a subgenre like country-blues or pop-country, and I prefer when the country elements are the flavor and not the base. That said, I would say this is old-school story country which I can deal with. Add into the equation that this guy is actually pretty funny, and I can hang. He's like a country Arlo Guthrie, but I can't figure out his message.
Influence (because he's cited by Bob Dylan) 3. Hits 1. Quality 3. Intangibles 2. Sure 2.
Don McLean
3/5
This one strikes a very personal note for me. As an undergrad, I wrote a very detailed analysis of the song American Pie for a sociology class. It was a unique and somewhat rebellious interpretation of the assignment, and the first straight A I earned in any college class. So, I really love that song.
Unfortunately, the remainder of the album is not great 70's singer-songwriter fare. Don captured lightning in a bottle, but that's about it.
Influence 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 4. Hits 4. Personal taste 4.
American Music Club
2/5
This is nothing more than list filler.
Influence 1. Quality 3. Intangibles 1. Hits 1. It's not objectionable? 3.
Round to 2?
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
The debate is unavoidable, so here's my take: McCartney and Lennon produced roughly equal music post-Beatles. It was just really, really different music. McCartney was less serious and vastly more commercially successful, but Lennon produced a few true classics. Flip a coin, but my personal preference is McCartney.
This is likely McCartney's best contribution post-Beatles. Two certified smash hits, but only about three or four good songs on the album. I'm also not sure how influential Sir Paul's solo(ish) work was. A perfectly fine, light pop rock album.
Influence 2. Quality 4. Intangibles 3. Hits 4. Not even my favorite Wings album 2.
The Streets
1/5
Can anyone explain to me why British males can sing - well - in a perfect American accent, but when they rap, they trip over their own accent and word vomit all over themselves? And yes, it's the men. There have been a couple really good British women on here that do interesting things (to my American ears) with the British accent. This is objectively bad.
Wild Beasts
2/5
Further evidence that the person assigning genres to these albums is a raging alcoholic who dabbles with mushrooms - the only thing "rock" about this album is . . . nothing. Nothing at all about this has anything to do with rock. Not much of a review, is it? That's because even though the album is playing while I type, I can't remember anything about it. Good or bad; this might be the most forgettable album I've come across.
Influence 1. Hits 1. Quality 2. Intangibles 2. It's fine, just totally forgettable 2.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Another album that's not for me, but I can recognize. Without Puffy, this could be a 5*. I have long felt that Puffy is a mid producer at best. Biggy was not my favorite, but he had crazy flow, and he could adapt to different styles and beats. All the extra crap Puffy put in here made the album too long and just takes away from Biggie's flow.
Influence 5. Hits 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Give me old school West Coast and its progeny and Jay Z if I have to pick a New Yorker. 2.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
It's Jimmi Hendrix. Little Wing is a certified all-time classic. This album has some of his best ballads, but overall not his best work.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
There is absolutely room for a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, I'm just not sure that this is the one. It starts off with two hit bangers including their biggest hit "Heads Will Roll," but the rest of the album falls rather flat.
Influence 2. Quality 4. Hits 4. Intangibles 2. Not my favorite album, but I doubt there's room for two on the list 3.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
This album is just a good time. It's not the best hip hop album, but it's certainly not bad. It's fun. I feel like the reviewers here generally disfavor unserious music. Things that are just fun.
Influence 2. Hits 3. Quality 4. Intangables 4. I'm here for fun 4.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Yeah, not my favorite Dylan album. I know it's a lot of people's, but this one is a bit too tedious for me. I get the import of going electric and the development of The Band, but other than Like a Rolling Stone, the title track, and maybe Tombstone Blues, these are some really forgettable Dylan tracks.
Influence 4. Hits 3. Intangibles 3. Quality 4. Just not my jam 3.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Elvis Costello is another artist that is just plain fun. He doesn't have the biggest hits, he isn't the most influential artist, but he is a great time. Perfect artist for this list and the perfect album of Elvis's to include.
Influence 3. Hits 4. Intangibles 4. Quality 4. I can dig it 3.
ABBA
3/5
This was an actual rock opera (light on "rock"). It's pleasant, but not extraordinary in any way. Not one of the big hitters from Abba's collection, but a decent change of pace. End of day, this is about as mediocre as it gets.
Influence 2. Quality 4. Intangibles 3. Hits 2. I mean, I listened to the whole thing 3.
Yes
2/5
Nine songs, 53 minutes. Oye. This is going to be painful. Yup, there are three 9 minute songs here. British prog rock is becoming the bane of my existence. Y'all can have Rush (yes, I know they're Canadian), and King Crimson, and then let's call the genre fully represented on this list. Yes, this has Yes's biggest hit, All Good People. I swear until today, I thought it was by some iteration of CSNY. So, that's about what that's worth to me.
Influence 3? Quality 2. Intangibles (this category isn't supposed to hurt albums, FYI. But here the proginess of it all is killing my soul) 1. Hits 3. I. Hate. Prog. Rock. 1
Elvis Presley
2/5
Not his best work. Sure, it's Elvis, but this is not a great album.
Joy Division
2/5
I didn't get it before, I don't get it now, and I can't imagine getting it in the future. I understand that Joy Division is like this religious thing, but the lyrics are depressing, the synths are annoying, and . . . well, there isn't much to redeem it. I guess it's kind of cool to hear another precursor to grunge?
Influence 4. Hits 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 3. I do not like this Sam I Am 1.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
What the pop country fuck is this doing here? Let's see, better artists that scratch the Kacey Musgraves itch (like an STD) but are significantly better and far more deserving of a spot on the list: Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood. I don't even like country and I did that off the top of my head.
Influence 1. Hits 2. Quality 2. Intangibles 1. Pop country might be the worst country 1.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
A while ago I wrote that this project can have The Chemical Brothers, Moby, The Prodigy, and Fatboy Slim as the techno representation, so I'm happy to see this album. The songs on this album were placed in movies, tv shows, and commercials, so there is a lot of familiarity and general ear worminess to it. But the songs were chosen for those purposes for a reason. Electronica that rocks a little.
Influence 3. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Hits 4. Right here, right now 5.
Madonna
2/5
This was the Madonna album that literally no one wanted. Zero hits, super blah pop. Pretty much the poster album for "wait for the artist to write something rather than forcing them to pump out albums."
Influence 2. Hits 1. Intangibles 2. Quality 3. Hard pass 2.
The Gun Club
3/5
I don't buy into the hype of this band, but it's a perfectly good punk album. I'd say a little blues-punk if there has to be a sub-genre.
Influence 4. Quality 3. Hits 1. Intangibles 3. This is fine 3.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
My understanding is that this is super high-quality modern folk. Technically, I get that: we have good production, decent arrangements, and relatively skilled musicians. It's just so boring, though. Any yes, folk is generally boring, but none of CSNY would recognize this as folk. This band has nothing to say (to a non-WASP, suburbanite audience at least). It's kind of as if a Stepford wife made a folk album. Just really boring.
Influence 3. Quality 3. Intangibles 1. Sleepy go night-night 1. I'm giving it 3* because this album is so middle-of-the-road in every way imaginable.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Easily one of the top 5 albums of the '90s, and it ain't 5th. While the rest of the women in music were singing Kumbaya at Lilith Fair, Alanis was pioneering bitch rock. The strength here is very obviously the lyrics, but the music was by the likes of Glenn Ballard and some weirdos named Dave Navarro and Flea. Never has a woman scorned been so eloquently conveyed through music. That's not hyperbolic: name one other female artist to lay all the emotions of a bad relationship so bare before Alanis did it. Now, check your list - weren't they all after this album? You don't get Adele or Taylor Swift without Alanis. And I still don't know of anyone waxing poetic about a bj in a movie theater.
To the detractors in this project (and there are a frightening number of you): go eat a bag of dicks. I'm dismissing the children that can't be bothered to use capitalization and the incels who feel threatened by . . . well, everything. I'm mostly surprised by and disappointed in the Brits. There is a ton of hate in many of the review sections here for '90s American music (especially grunge); you call it whiny, depressing, and somehow both over- and under-produced. This hate is matched in volume only by the stains on your pants when reviewing bands like Radiohead, Oasis, and The Cure - which are exceptionally whiny, depressing, and somehow both over- and under-produced.
Influence 5. Hits 5. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. I freaking loved and love this album 5.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Okay Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I see you. Opens with a bang bang, coasts for a few tracks, then hits you with the hits. The band has said repeatedly that it wants to be fun and uplifting; a counter-punch to the '90s heroin seriousness, and I think this delivers on that.
Influence 3. Hits 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 3. This is fun punk and I love it 4.
Big Star
2/5
This band has no hits (at all - on any of their 3 albums), and I am very skeptical of bands with "cult followings" and little to no commercial success. This is the project for such things, so I gave it an honest try.
And I was terribly disappointed. This is a fine late '70s pop rock album by a fine late '70s pop rock band. And that's very simply all there is to say about it.
Influence 3 (for reasons?). Hits 1. Quality 3. Intangibles 3. It's fine, I'll probably just never listen to a Big Star song again in my life 2.
Beck
3/5
Man, Beck is so talented. This album is unlike any of his others and is - as advertised - his lament for a lost relationship. As such, it is far slower and sadder than my personal tastes. But it is just so well done.
Influence 3. Quality 4. Intangibles 3. Hits 2. Not my cup of tea, but a nice, mellow listen if you're in to that sort of a thing 3.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
I forgot these guys had so many minor hits. I also didn't realize that "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" wasn't first recorded by the Monkees. This album, and this band, are fun. It's a pretty typical '60s pop-rock production.
Influence 3. Quality 4. Hits 4. Intangibles 3. It's fun 3.
3/5
Knowing that Yes is prog rock, and that all their hits are on other albums, I was dreading this one. Started with great news: this album is only 37 minutes and change. Immediately hit with bad news: there are only 3 songs on this album. Hoo boy. It's not terrible. It's nowhere near as pretentious or annoying as say Genesis or King Crimson. But if grunge was the stoner kids starting a band in their parents' basements and garages, prog was the theater kids doing it, and theater kids are really weird, man.
Influence 3, I guess. Quality 3. Intangibles (I hate where this is going) 3. Hits: the album charted with no single - wild 2. Again, I didn't hate it 3.
The Smiths
3/5
What I knew about The Smiths before listening to this album was that they were an early grunge band without the punk influence with a very talented singer and lyricist - so basically The Cure. My understanding was that they were champions of loneliness, shyness, and outsider status, but also, at least Morrissey, very musically talented. I was not looking forward to this as, while I appreciate and sympathize with all of that, without the angsty, punk-rock edge, I find such music boring and depressing. I also understood that most of England feels Morrissey is a "wanker," "tosser," and/or "twat," but I didn't really know why. I've since learned it's because he's now a hard-right, racist nationalist that has betrayed virtually every person and ideal that he sang about while in The Smiths.
This album was pretty much exactly what I had expected. I'm not a huge fan of whatever effect they ran on Morrissey's vocals on most tracks - it's annoyingly distracting. I believe he has the chops, so it's also totally unnecessary. Maybe he's just a victim of '80s over-production and digitalization.
Influence 4. Quality 3. Hits 3. Intangibles 4. Not my bag 2.
Talvin Singh
2/5
I'm struggling to think of a good reason to have a 2:19 double album, and I'm thoroughly convinced that your debut album should never be two hours or a double. But that's what we have here. This is long, tedious, and kinda weird. It's fine for what it is, and if it were the first thirty minutes or so, I can justify it's place on a list like this. But dear, sweet Lord this is so, so much mediocrity. I just can't.
Influence 1. Quality 3. Intangibles 2. Hits 1. It didn't annoy me in the background? I kind of forgot about it 2.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
THE avant-garde art-rock album. Look, it's objectively terrible. Just because it's difficult to have several musicians play consistently at slightly different beats doesn't mean such things should be recorded. This is worse than prog rock. All of the pretentiousness, none of the songwriting talent. They're an okay jam band, but they are completely unrelatable. Nothing is conveyed, no emotion, no fun, no point. And of course, as though we wouldn't have believed that someone who recorded and sold this was jarringly arrogant, it's a double album.
Influence 1. Quality 1. Intangibles 3 (it'sTHE albumfor this, but no one shouldsufferthroughthe double). Hits 1. Captain Beefheart can eat a big bag of trout dicks 1.
Massive Attack
3/5
The debut album of the original trip hop group. It get's points for that, but it does sound quite dated. Not terrible by any stretch, trip hop just isn't my thing. This is a clear 3.5.
Johnny Cash
3/5
What are you doing to me here? Johnny's prison tour was an unheard of - before or since - statement through music. But the albums were largely trash. The correct answer is to put Folsom on here and leave the rest to the dustbin of history. But no, you want me to honestly rate this album not knowing if you're going to give me all 4 (please no) or just this one. And I'll have to drag The Man In Black. Diabolical.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
It's a very pleasant note, but it is only one note. The songs sound way too similar. The album is short, and Ms. Chapman does a great job of saying something (about the working-class poor) without bludgeoning the listener with it. Great voice, great, guitar, great production - just not enough variety to make it a great album.
Influence 3. Quality 3. Intangibles 3. Hits 3. Md in a good way, if that's possible 3.
Carpenters
3/5
Sigh. This is painful for me because I hate it. I am one of the whitest white boys on Earth, but this is just too white for me. Totally vanilla, zero flavor, no fun to be had. It was a huge deal, but I'm not into evangelical revivals or conservative rallies. Okay, maybe I do have some soul for a white dude.
Influence 4. Quality 3. Intangibles 4. Hits 5. It's not for me 1.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This album has two of the Stones' top ten songs of all time sandwiched between seven of the most forgettable Stones songs of all time. Now, they are also the blues kind of Stones songs that I love, so I'm hear for it, but they are objectively not the Stones' best work.
Influence 4. Quality 5. Intangibles 4. Hits 3. I'm not a Stones guy, but this is the type of Stones guy I would be if I was 4.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
This is a very clear 3.5 for me. The production, flow, and lyrics are all very dated. But this was the first album of the first intellectual rap group. Without Run-D.M.C., you don't get Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, or even something like Rage. They were so influential and ground-breaking it totally overcomes everything else.
Influence 5. Quality 2. Intangibles 5. Hits 2. I respect my elders 4.
Sugar
2/5
Do we need a Husker Du album on this list? Absolutely (the correct answer is Zen Arcade). Do we need albums from solo projects/spin-offs of commercially unsuccessful bands that were culturally or musically influential? Hell no. With all due respect to Bob Mould (and there is a great deal of respect due to the man), this album has no business here, isn't very good, and no one needs to listen to it before they die.
Influence 2. Quality (this is surprisingly poorly produced) 1. Hits 1. Intangibles 2. I used to really like this kind of grunge-adjacent rock 2.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Here we have THE psychedelic folk album that showcases . . . oh, fuck it. This is objectively terrible. I thought I listened to 6 or 7 songs, but when I looked, song 4 was 13 minutes long and I just can't any more.
Nas
4/5
Nas has all rap album skills and none of the crutches.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Another post-punk/indie rock album from between 1980 and 2000. It's the definition of mid. I think I've seen a dozen of these albums in this project where one was plenty representative. Yawn.
Morrissey
2/5
And here we have a mid album (Morrissey himself included 0 songs from this on his own greatest hits album) from the most famously closeted right-wing nutter on Earth. He has a really, really great singing voice. He's a hypocrite trash-human. Two things can be true at the same time.
Influence 3. Quality 3. Hits 1. Intangibles 1. Fuck this guy like he clearly wants it 2.
Air
4/5
A very pleasant surprise. Turns out the French know what they're doing. This is downtempo late-'90s electronica in a good way. I wish I had known about it in college - perfect studying music.
Influence 3. Hits 2. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Mikey, I think he likes it 4.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
Interesting. Another band that we're all familiar with the hits, few of us know much more about them. Somewhere I saw them billed as jazz-rock, and I get that. I've always thought of them and Chicago as brass-rock. BS&T problem for me is the inconsistency caused by the fairly constant lineup change. This is THE BS&T album, though, and it definitely should be heard before you die.
Influence 4. Quality 4. Hits 4. Intangibles 4. I love horns in a rock band. 4.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Maybe weirdly, I think of ELO as British Van Halen. Both are very talented musicians producing very palatable sub-genres of rock, and both are fun. If you don't believe me, ask Dr. Who. This is something original, quality, and fun.
Influence 4. Hits 4. Intangibles 4. I like fun 4.
Various Artists
4/5
A Very Special Christmas 3 is my personal favorite Christmas album, but this one's in the top 5 for sure. Did Phil Spector murder a woman 40 years later? You betcha. Does that make this any less of an album? Nope.
Influence 5 (pretty sure this was the first big various artists holiday album). Hits 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 3 (I'll dock him a point for the murder here). I really like non-traditional Christmas music 5.
The Who
3/5
Let me start with I love The Who, Keith Moon is a top 5 drummer of all time (and he ain't 5), Roger Daltrey is a top 5 front man of all time, and (evidently unlike many of my fellow reviewers) I'm not mad at a live album. All that said, this isn't great. I know it was recorded at Leeds specifically for a live album and sound quality - and it still sucks in that category. The between-song banter is effectively inaudible, and it's very short for a concert at only 6 songs and 30+ minutes.
On the bright side, it's The Who and we get five of their absolute bangers. It's the first post-Tommy release, and it must have been reassuring at the time to know that The Who was still The Who.
Influence 3. Hits 4. Quality 2. Intangibles 3. It's still The Who 3.
Little Richard
5/5
Debut smash hit album of one of the unsung heroes of early rock 'n' roll. Yes, please.
Influence 5. Hits 5. Intangibles 5. Quality 4. Little Richard has to be a 5.
The La's
2/5
This is a one-hit wonder. WTF? So I now understand that the listmakers are middle-aged Brit la's (see what I did there? What I did there is far more interesting than anything on this album) who had pretty mediocre taste in music while growing up in the late-'80s/early-'90s. That's it. That's the only magic. I still have a long way to go, but this might have to be the last album on the list in this category for the numbers to work out.
Influence 1. Hits 4. Intangibles 1. Quality 3. Oh yeah, I remember that song. 2
MGMT
3/5
Rock. Electronica. Pop. Again. Rock is a real stretch for me, but they (okay, more likely their parents) were obviously big Bowie fans, and it shows. I give them a little extra credit because the duo composed all of the tunes, played all of the instruments, and did all of the arrangements - which is very impressive post-2000. But at the end of the day, they're a one-album wonder with pop hits. It's very good music, but has all the soul and emotion of a Brittney Spears greatest hits album.
Influence 2. Hits 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 2. Liked it more than I thought I would 3.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Who knew that bayou blues rock could be a thing? Even though I could not name you a single other band that picked up and ran with this sound, CCR were so masterful and original that they earned a spot on this list. This is their biggest album by far (Willy and the Poor Boys may have their two most iconic songs, but this is like a greatest hits album). Now excuse me, I have to go six on my porch with a sixer.
Influence 4. Hits 5. Quality 4. Intangibles 5. Love this album 4.5.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I don't like Springsteen, but I can respect what he does and why he's great (and Tom Morello is awesome for all the reasons). I'm having a hard time with this one, though. No hits, nothing new, he has like four other albums that should be here in this one's stead . . . ugh.
The Beta Band
2/5
This is a total nothing burger. You listen to the whole album and completely forget it in the time it takes to open the app and review it. Can the editor just please mark his personal favorites or make an honorable mention list? Is it that hard to come up with 1,001 albums?
Black Sabbath
5/5
Top 5 hard rock/metal album of all time, and likely not 5. Here we have Sabbath's 3 biggest hits. The band just said to the world, "oh yeah, here's this thing called heavy metal. Enjoy. Or fuck off; we really don't care."
Influence 5. Hits 5. Quality 5. Intangibles 5. I prefer a little more nuance in my rock, but this is really great 4.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
It's a nice, chill vibe for over an hour. And that's it. There is nothing special about this album, and there are at least two others on here that are indistinguishable from this one. This is simply filler, which is terribly disappointing.
Influence 1. Hits 1. Quality 4. Intangibles 1. It's fine; this is fine 3.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Kings of Leon is a bubble band for this list at best. I don't know if including their debut over the breakout album with the big hits is pandering or insightful. It's less whiny, and I can respect the sound the band is developing, but is anyone really influenced by Kings of Leon?
Influence 1. Hits 2. Quality 4. Intangibles 2. I liked it more than I thought I would 4.
The War On Drugs
2/5
Why is this here? It's filler. Friendly advice: if you are going to make a list of 1,001 things that something, and you struggle to get to 1,001 of those things, change the name of the list.
Influence 1. Hits 1. Quality 3. Intangibles 1. It's not offensive, but it may be the definition of mediocre 2.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
According to Wikipedia, this album "saw Gabriel embracing post-punk and new wave with an art rock sensibility." That might be the most effective statement to predispose me to hating an album. And Mr. Gabriel did not disappoint! I don't understand the British obsession with prog rock (call it art house, new wave, post-punk, whatever - that's what this is); maybe it appeals to their natural arrogance or self-grandizing (for the Empire!). But I find it absolutely irritating. This album is an absolute assault on the very concept of melody, it's terribly over-produced, and the lyrics are nearly nonsensical ("we're kissing balloons in the jungle").
And then we get Biko. A lovely and powerful tribute to the slain anti-apartheid activist, Steve Biko. Can it salvage this album? No, nothing can do that. But it helped me not completely evicerate it.
Influence 4. Hits 2. Intangibles 3. Quality 2. Nope 2.
PJ Harvey
3/5
There better be another PJ Harvey album on here. I'm going to be seriously pissed if this is it (although British, so probably). This might be her weakest album, but she's a perfect artist for a project like this.
Influence 4. Hits 2. Intangibles 3. Quality 4. Ooh, there better be at least two other PJ Harvey albums here 2.
Richard Thompson
2/5
As someone whose knowledge of folk music from this era comes from Tom Morello's advocacy for it on his radio shows and my mother's love of Arlo Guthrie, I wanted to give this the benefit of the doubt. But as this was not released outside of the UK for NINE YEARS, didn't sell, was largely ignored by critics, and nearly put me to sleep, I just can't. I mean, it's fine. There is nothing necessarily wrong with it. It's just another filler album on the list that seems to be promoting British musicians that the editors personally like. Zero reason to hear this before you die.
Influence 1. Hits 1. Quality 4. Intangibles 1. So, so many 2's on this list.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Is this great jazz? I wish I knew. I liked it.
Influence 5. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Hits 3. I liked it 4.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Leonard Cohen was a writer (poet if you must) - not a musician. That alone is not disqualifying for me, it could even bolster his place on the list. The problem for me is that rather than producing what may have been the first audiobook of Cohen poetry, we're given what everyone claims is a music album. If I review it as a music album, it is unadulterated trash. As a novel poetry concept, not for me, but actually fairly brilliant.
Influence 4. Quality 3. Intangibles 3. Hits 3. No thanks, I choose life 1.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I like jazz even though I know basically nothing about it. This is fine. Evidently, he is THE Cape jazz guy. He played with Duke Ellington and has very serious credentials. So, I can't say if this is good jazz, but I liked it enough, and the guy's CV is unquestionable.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The problem with Stevie Wonder for projects like this is that he made so damn many great albums. Each has a hit or three, each is just so much better than most other albums, but he has something like 30 albums. For me, this one is certainly top 5, and likely not 5. I'll hold "Songs in the Key of Life" for #1.
Influence 5. Quality 4. Intangibles 3. Hits 4. What are we talking about here? This is Stevie. 5.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
This is a Seinfeld album - it's an album about nothing. It's not great, not offensive, not imaginative, not bland - it's really not anything. I imagine the band looks like an SNL skit about a hipster/indie pop band that never made it but still somehow continued into their 40's. So many f'ing 2's on this list.
Doves
3/5
I could literally cut and paste a review of one of the (way too many) other 90's - 10's Brit pop indie bands in this project. What I cannot fathom is why the editors - who must clearly love this type of music - would want to make a list of 1,001 albums to listen to before you die. Do they think they have great taste? Do they think that if everyone gave this drivel a chance, it would be great? I seriously don't understand the motivation here.
Influence 1. Hits 2. Quality 4. Intangibles 3. It's not offensive 3.
The Byrds
2/5
So. Many. 2*. I'm not one much for country, and this is pretty much the worst kind of country as far as I'm concerned. I'm only giving it a 28 because it's the Byrds. But I also think I'm being generous because it's the Byrds.
2/5
I avoided this review for a long time. Oasis nearly perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with Britpop. It's boring, exceptionally unoriginal, devoid of memorable musical talent, and sounds just like about 100 other British bands. Oasis answers the question: what if the Beatles made more songs and let Ringo them? Not what if they made better songs or continued their evolution post Let It Be or reunited in 1980. Just what if they made more songs with their worst singer? That's Oasis. Coldplay with worse singing and better songwriting.
Influence 4 (and I'll never understand it). Quality 3. Hits 5. Intangibles 3 (honestly, this and A Rush of Blood to the Head should be on this list - but none of the other 50 or so Britpop trash piles that are). I so want to bomb this album, but it IS a big deal 1.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Folks, it's Janice. It's the early days of blues rock. It's so, so good. Obviously not her best work, but you can hear it in there.
Influence 4. Quality 4. Hits 3. Intangibles 4. I love Janice 5.
Rod Stewart
4/5
Holy shit, I like Rod Stewart. Seriously, I never disliked the guy, but I was today years old when I realized I genuinely like the guy's music. A little pop-rocky, but also a hint of blues-rock. Obviously a unique vocal that makes the songs undeniably his. Yeah, I'm here for Rod Stewart. Huh.
Influence 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Hits 5. Who knew? 4
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
Just do us all a favor and go check out the other reviews. There are some real gems there. "If yogurt made a sound, this would be it." "If a Wes Anderson movie was an album." "Christian rock for people who buy artisan maple syrup." There is comedic gold there.
Influence 2. Hits 1. Intangibles 2. Quality 4. So vanilla 3.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
I should really hate this. I just can't, though. Turns out that while I deplore prog rock, prog punk is kinda alright with me.
Influence 4 (seriously, look at some of their collaborators). Hits 1. Quality 4. Intangibles 3. I listened to the whole thing without really noticing 3.
Taylor Swift
5/5
Haters gonna hate! Despite two teenage daughters (maybe becuase two teenage daughters?), I'm no Swifty. BUT, I'm also no idiot. This music is good. It's simple and pop, but it's very well written, and she's an icon. This is her biggest album, so it's a no-brainer 5*.
Influence 4. Hits 5. Quality 5. Intangibles 5. Not my cup of tea, but I caught my toe tappin' a few times 3.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Hoo boy. It is exceptionally easy to just blast this album and one-star it. I'm tempted. Art house rock/prog rock/Brit post-punk/et cetera is my least favorite trash in the world. If I have to say something nice, it's that even Trent Reznor credits them with pioneering industrial rock, and they were doing this analog, which is admittedly impressive. It's just so deeply weird in an unpleasant way.
Influence 3. Quality 1. Hits 1. Intangibles 2. Never again 1.
Muddy Waters
5/5
This is just wonderful.
Influence 5. Hits 5. Intangibles 5. Quality (1960 live!?!) 4. Perfection 5.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
This album was described as New Wave/Post Punk/Art Rock/Experimental. Tell me I'm going to hate your album without saying I'm going to hate your album. This is album 252 of this project for me, and it feels like album 52 of New Wave/Post Punk/Art Rock/Experimental (oh, and 48 of 52 are British). Then you're going to lead off with 9+ minutes of something and follow that up with spoken word poetry. Ugh. And yes, I know it's Johnny Rotten and Keith Levene; I just wish I didn't know that.
Influence 3. Quality 2. Intangibles 3. Hits 1. Please. No more New Wave/Post Punk/Art Rock. Please. 1.
Janet Jackson
4/5
Full disclosure, this was one of the first CDs I owned (stolen from Columbia House), and nostalgia is really big with me. Not a lot of love on here for Janet. Not sure why. This album has her best songs, was a smash hit, and while similar to her brother, she clearly has her own sound.
Influence 2. Quality 4. Hits 4. Intangibles 5. I've always liked Janet 4.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Dare I say it, we're on a roll now. Sir Sly brings the FUNK
Influence 5. Hits 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Oh I can dig it, baby 4.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Pseudo-stream of conscious review: this is so '80s - in the worst possible way. Synths and a drum machine? Woof. Why does the editor love Brit pop so damn much? Oh, hey, I know this song (Wishing Well). Okay, the guy has pipes, but the production . . . it's physically painful. All of the actual musicians in the '80s must have been strung out on coke. They were certainly not recording. Songs from this album were definitely in movies. Like the weird jazzercise scenes from the likes of Running Man. I'm not listening to any more of this.
Influence 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 2. Hits 4. Meh. I'm actually bored with giving 2* - it's 70% of this list 3.
Arcade Fire
2/5
I don't know if the album was named Funeral in an attempt at irony or in ignorance, but this is the funeral soundtrack to "indie rock." These bands outsmarted themselves into irrelevance. And for the love of all that is good an holy - enough with the 2* albums!
Brian Eno
2/5
JFC, I just literally begged for no more new wave/prog/art rock/experimental British shyte! I'm a completionist by nature, but the editors' obsession with this drivel is seriously testing my will. Oh, as for the album, don't waste your time. Listen to the first two songs to say you did; the rest is the same crap.
Influence 2. Quality 3. Hits 1. Intangibles (I can't believe I'm giving Brian stupid Eno a bump; Devo did all the same things better) 2. God I hate this 1.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Pioneering soul album. Solomon has everything you want from a soul singer right here on this one album. I'm here for it.
Influence 4. Hits 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. I don't always listen to soul music, but when I do, I like the masters 4.
Al Green
4/5
To my shame, this genre isn't something that I would purposefully put on, but I would never turn it off. Mr. Green is easily one of the top 5 American singers of all time, and this album contains his magnum opus. I just can't give it that 5th star as after Let's Stay Together, everything else pales.
Influence 4. Hits 4. Quality 5. Intangibles 5. I was singing it to my wife for three days after I listened to it 4.
Radiohead
2/5
Radiohead's prog rock album. Whoopie. I need to go live in England for six months or so just to figure out what the hell they see in Radiohead/Eno/King Crimson and the 52 other effective-duplicate acts on this list. How about an artist who can play guitar? Or maybe one that uses actual drums? You know, musicians. That play instruments. Just sayin'.
Influence - you know what, nope. I don't care enough anymore. This is (yet another) 2*.
Pixies
4/5
Good Lord, I needed the Pixies on this list. Are the Pixies (especially their debut) raw and unrefined? Yup, and in a great way. This is garage rock/baby grunge at its finest.
Influence 5. Hits 2. Quality 4. Intangibles 5. Just really good, raw stuff from people who are clearly passionate about music without being pretentious asshats 4.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Another British new wave/pop/indie rock?!? What a surprise! I'm so tired of these nothingburgers that I can't even come up with a creative way to take a shot at - yet another - 2* album from what is obviously the editor's very favorite genre (okay, he might like prog rock better; it's a 1 and 1A situation).
This 2* should be replaced by the Goo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up the Girl . . . which, let's see, Influence 1. Hits 5. Quality 3. Intangibles 3. I've never been a big fan 2. Well, that only gets us to a 3*, but it's still an improvement, and I'm sure many more people would give the Goos a 4*, so good enough.
The Specials
4/5
Another "pioneer" of a subgenre of rock - ska rock - the Specials were the ska rock band. Third bunch of white dudes on this list to do black music so selfishly and use it to make themselves wealthy, but the second to admit it and these guys ultimately broke up to pursue political activism, so I'm going to give them a bit of a pass.
Overall, ska is a bit one-note for me, but definitely a valid subgenre, and I absolutely took a few swing dance lessons in college and had buddies in ska bands.
Influence 5. Hits 3. Quality 4. Intangibles 5. Like it, don't love it 3.
Faust
2/5
"Art Rock, Experimental, Industrial, Krautrock, Prog Rock" typically means dumpster fire to me, but Krautrock - which I'd never heard of before - gave me pause. And we have an hour+ double-album that starts with an 11:48 song. Not great, guys. That first song, an instrumental, was not offensive, and I thought we had a real shot at 3* for a change. And then, nope. End of day, a pioneer of krautrock is the only reason this isn't a 1*.
This 2* should be replaced by Metallica's S&M, which is an easy 4* and somewhat experimental.
Gorillaz
3/5
This was such a strange thing back in the early 00's. A virtual band? The guy from Blur doing hip hop? But it was all very pleasant at the end of it. A very rare instance of the experiment being successful.
Influence 3. Hits 4. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Close but not quite for me 3.
Digital Underground
3/5
Digital Underground (and especially Shock G) was everything right about music. Never taking themselves too seriously, quality beats, great flow, and development of community. Y'all know this is where 2Pac started, right? You know that Shock G was famous for taking in and helping young artists? Just good, fun stuff. Yes, we could easily cut three songs and be better, and yes, the back half of the album has not aged well from a feminist perspective. It was, however, the early '90s. I'm not excusing that, but evaluating it in the context of the time, this was not even close to offensive.
Influence 5. Quality 3. Hits 4. Intangibles 3. The Humpty Dance is my dance 4.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
This is fine and all, but not the album of hers that would matter. Here on out, instead of trying to justify all the 2* albums on this list, I'm going to suggest an album that should replace them instead. This one's easy.
This is a 2*; its spot should go to Poe's Hello, which would be a 4*.
David Bowie
3/5
So I'm starting to believe that Bowie was formulaic. Most of his albums have one smash hit and are then filled with a bunch of good songs that are thematically similar (although often have a different general theme than the smash hit, which is interesting over a catalogue but not necessarily an album). Here it's obviously Golden Years (although Stay can make its argument; it's a better song) and '70s glam rock. I actually enjoyed this album over the several others I've encountered in the project, and I'm just so surprised that the Thin White Duke full of thin white lines produced this, but I'm left not really knowing what to do with Bowie for the purposes of the project.
Influence (like, overall Bowie's a 5, but this album in a vacuum is what, 2?) 3. Quality 4. Intangibles 2. Hits 3. I liked it more than I expected to even though Golden Years is a top 5 Bowie song for me 3.
The Cult
3/5
The Cult! Awesome! She Sells Sanctuary, Rain, this is going to be great cheesy rock fun. . . . It's not Love? Okay, okay, I can understand that. Then it must be Sonic Temple. Fire Woman, Sweet Soul Sister - the fuck you mean Electric? Because reasons? Because Rick Rubin? Did the editor actually listen to these albums or just pick shit he likes, bands he has to include to be relevant, and things that sound important to him (i.e. the one album from an uber-popular band that was produced by a famous guy)? FML, now I have to rate an album with no business on the list from a band that absolutely should be on the list. And I have no idea if Love or Sonic Temple will appear later. Sigh.
Influence 2. Hits 3. Quality 2. Intangibles 4. It's still The Cult, but I'd skip this one in the rotation. Ugh. 3.
Suede
2/5
Another day, another 2* with no business here. Honestly, I pretty much tuned out after a couple of songs.
Instead of this 2* album, the list should include The Crow Soundtrack, which would be a 4*. I don't know if there was a discussion or rule that there are no soundtracks in the project, but there should be. If we're talking albums (distinguished from bands/artists), then soundtracks have a place.
Deee-Lite
2/5
Another one-hit wonder. Groove is in the Heart was a smash and a great song, but do I need to listen to the album before I die? There really isn't anything else here to write home about. I gave several of the other one'rs a 2*, but now I have to come up with a 4*. Hmm.
This is a 2* album that should be replaced with Rusted Root's When I Woke, which is a 4*. In addition to the smash hit, RR keeps the vibe going throughout the album, and there are a couple more hits (or at least songs you'd recognize) on there. Plus, Send Me On My Way is far more ubiquitous than Groove, and I like the album much more.
The Temptations
4/5
I was today years old when I learned that the Temptations were so funky! The harmonies and production here are out of this world, of course. Just a great record from one of the all-time great R&B groups.
Influence 5. Quality 5. Hits 4. Intangibles 5. Not my preferred genre, but I can dig it, baby 4.
3/5
Sigh. Here we go again. Another band that clearly deserves a place with an album that clearly does not. This is the most boring and vanilla Kinks album. It's a British invasion album that no one remembers. It's fine. But it's not good. I just don't even know what to do with this.
Influence (Kinks? 4. This album? 2). Quality 3. Intangibles 3. Hits 1. This is the most meh thing I can imagine 2.
Meat Loaf
4/5
This is (somehow) one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. Holy crap. It's not terrible; it's a true rock opera. Very theatrical. Very straight coke addict Elton John. This was my first actual listen, and it's everything you would expect if you've heard Paradise by the Dashboard Light.
Influence 3. Quality 3. Intangibles 4. Hits 5. I like Paradise, and I respect this for what it is 4.
Nick Drake
2/5
I think this is my last Nick Drake album. I definitely had Pink Moon, which is easily one of the worst albums in this project. Bryter Layter is much better. What I found interesting is that it is very stereotypical 70's singer-songwriter/folk that sounds like it was made in the 90's or later. His voice is pleasant and unique, but the lyrics are boring, and the whole record is very monotone. Much better than a dumpster fire isn't exactly good.
Influence (sigh. I feel compelled to give a bump here, but similarly compelled to note that the influenced artists are REM and the Cure) 2. Quality 3. Hits 2. Intangibles 1. Hardcore meh 3.