317
Albums Rated
2.98
Average Rating
29%
Complete
772 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1990
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Curator
Rater Style ?
37
5-Star Albums
41
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
|
5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
|
So Much For The City
The Thrills
|
5 | 2.81 | +2.19 |
|
The Coral
The Coral
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
The Last Broadcast
Doves
|
5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
|
...The Dandy Warhols Come Down
The Dandy Warhols
|
5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
|
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
The La's
The La's
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
|
5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
|
The Specials
The Specials
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
|
1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
|
1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
|
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
Melodrama
Lorde
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 4.6 |
| Arcade Fire | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Farka Touré | 2 | 1.5 |
| Willie Nelson | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Who | 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (37)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The La's · 2 likes
5/5
Absolute belter of an album
The Who · 1 likes
5/5
I’ve never given The Who the time they clearly deserve. This is an excellent, brilliantly structured album.
FKA twigs · 1 likes
1/5
Annoying distorted crap
Prince · 1 likes
2/5
Camp and overblown
Gillian Welch · 1 likes
2/5
I guess they need to pander to the country music religious nut jobs and include something like this in the list
1-Star Albums (41)
All Ratings
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Few redeeming features here. Meaningless songs, uninteresting guitar. Finished the album with a flute FFS.
Elton John
3/5
Thankfully not too much of his cheesy shit on this one
Arcade Fire
5/5
Superb. Still superb.
Green Day
4/5
Normally hate a theme album but this is very well put together. Some cracking tunes but as always with Green Day a bit overblown
De La Soul
1/5
Not for me this. The three famous ones are all decent but the rest is a load of rubbish.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Happy Dad memories
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
Absolute French art school nonsense
The Beach Boys
3/5
Beatles rip off in places. Less cringe than some of their stuff but overall not too bad.
Duran Duran
3/5
CLOLassic
Ray Charles
2/5
Too much trumpet
Pantera
2/5
A challenging listen. Not terrible
Arcade Fire
5/5
Still great
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Decent drum n bass, not too heavy, listenable
Terence Trent D'Arby
1/5
Crap 80s soul
Chicago
3/5
Classic 60s guitar wankery
Kanye West
1/5
No no no. NO
Black Sabbath
5/5
Superb this. Only knew 2 songs but whole album very good
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Quite enjoyable, a little self indulgent in places
Yes
2/5
Uninteresting prog
R.E.M.
4/5
A classic but a little cheesier than I remembered
Billy Bragg
3/5
Trying a bit hard with the folky sing alongs. Ok in places
Solange
1/5
Awful bland soul
Bob Dylan
4/5
Some weird rambling stories but generally very good
Method Man
1/5
The shittest kind of rap. Just samples heavily looped with unimaginative talking and random sound effects. There’s so much original hip hop on the list, this is not that
Joanna Newsom
1/5
Not on Spotify. Not interested.
Johnny Cash
2/5
Over rated. Boring songs, very samey, annoying crowd interaction
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Wall of noise. Not very tuneful
Tom Waits
4/5
Classic blues
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Very good. Such a unique voice. Couple of belters on here and no bad ones
Nina Simone
3/5
Quite enjoyed this although lacking in the well known ones. Love this version of lilac wine (better than Buckley)
Stan Getz
4/5
Nice!
The Specials
5/5
First listen to a full Specials album - outstanding. Great fun.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Trying so hard to recreate Beatles magic. Fails
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Average and samey
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
A real surprise. Very influential
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Never heard of the band or any of these songs. Very average 60s guitar
Kraftwerk
4/5
Knew more than I expected. Genre busting
Muddy Waters
3/5
Probably a classic of the blues genre but not really my bag
Sam Cooke
4/5
Would have liked to be there
The White Stripes
3/5
Still a bit annoying
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Some classics on here
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Some classics on here but album ruined by self indulgent no sense
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Overly weird for the sake of it. Ok when he sings like a norm
The Police
3/5
The ska filler tracks can do one. Bit disappointed by this really as the singles are clearly classics
Elis Regina
2/5
Assuming this is the 1979 album it’s not on Spotify and hard to track down. Not for me this. Very chilled and laid back and she has quite the voice, but it’s all a bit cheesy and all over the place.
The Stooges
3/5
Great apart from the random 10 minute chanting track
Adele
2/5
I’ve gone through a good chunk of life actively not listening to Adele. Lovely voice yes but this first ever listen to ‘21’ confirmed my suspicions of an overly produced faux sentimental pop creation with next to no originality. The cover of my favourite Cure song really pissed me off.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Much better than I expected
Black Sabbath
4/5
Didn’t know any of these songs, but very decent album
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Very very flamingo
B.B. King
3/5
Decent blues. Not sure a live album should really make the cut for this list
Bad Brains
3/5
Never heard of this lot. Vocals a bit FNM. Guitars more hair metal
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Annoying vocals. Bit bland. A couple of tunes stand out though
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Very laid back and mellow, a little dull in places
Al Green
2/5
First half repetitive trumpet. Second half repetitive miserable ballads
Ali Farka Touré
1/5
Repetitive chanting nonsense
Beck
3/5
Not even in Beck’s top 1001 albums
Julian Cope
2/5
Surprised this made the cut. Nothing memorable here
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Very non offensive
Stan Getz
3/5
Nice!
Fela Kuti
2/5
Surprised this was controversial. Just afrobeat jazz
Prince
2/5
Camp and overblown
The Doors
3/5
Didn’t recognise much of this but very decent
U2
3/5
Definitely U2 at their most credible
Louis Prima
2/5
One of the weaker jazz albums on here. Quirky vocals, derivative music
Björk
2/5
Yeah still as annoying as I remember
The Band
3/5
A bit bland and generic
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Classic
Beatles
5/5
Would be best album of all time if Yellow Submarine wasn’t on there
Spacemen 3
1/5
Very disappointing. Just ambient noise in places
Tears For Fears
4/5
80s tastic
The Blue Nile
4/5
Don’t know any of these songs but really like it. Can see where Gang of Youths got their inspiration
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
A mixed bag. Would listen again (and need to)
Funkadelic
2/5
Good guitarist but the funk puns are beyond tiring
Primal Scream
5/5
Superb, their best output by a long way
Culture Club
1/5
Rubbish
Soft Cell
3/5
Absolute filth
Bob Dylan
3/5
His voice grates on me across a full album. Also some of the tunes way too whimsy. Having said that, have to recognise him as a pioneer of the style and there are a couple of amazing tracks on this one
The Slits
3/5
Patchy. In no way a classic. Bad singer
Pulp
5/5
One of my favourites. Works together seamlessly, part seedy part uplifting.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Classic blues
Sabu
1/5
Awful tuneless nonsense
D'Angelo
1/5
Not good. Generic slimy RnB
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Really great, much more mature sound than earlier stuff, lots of classics on here
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
All good
FKA twigs
1/5
Annoying distorted crap
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
A bit bland by their standards
David Bowie
3/5
This is more highly thought of than it should be purely down to timing
Anita Baker
2/5
Dull generic soul/pop
Def Leppard
3/5
Hair
3/5
Some classic big hit pop singles. And some less classic filler
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Decent. Voice can get a bit annoying
Sugar
4/5
Never heard of band or album. Quite good in a very early 90s way
Metallica
3/5
I’m sure it was innovative at the time but just sounds a bit repetitive to me - the same heavy guitar riff and drums for an hour
Depeche Mode
4/5
80s classic. A bit weird outside of the well known ones
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Great mix of rock, blues and country
Sonic Youth
4/5
First time I’ve heard this - unsure how/why because it’s right up my street
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Very good! Had no idea they were a credible rock band, I assumed it was parody
Pixies
5/5
Brilliant
David Bowie
4/5
A classic, albeit with a couple of weak ones which stop it being a 5
Nirvana
5/5
Amazing, created a whole genre
Funkadelic
3/5
Feared the worst from the title and album cover. But actually pretty good. Much better than their other one on here that was just puns on the word funk.
Mike Ladd
1/5
Random collection of noises and some shouty rap
Thelonious Monk
2/5
Jazz. Didn’t strike me as particularly special or groundbreaking
Talking Heads
3/5
A bit weirder than I remember
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Some sort of classical/prog crossover. Bit weird. Not sure why the crowd goes so bananas
John Lennon
4/5
Difficult listen in many ways but still genius
The Zombies
4/5
Less high profile than Beach Boys but a very similar sound. Very catchy in places
Black Flag
3/5
Not really my thing but gets a 3 for being the original thrashy punk album that has been copied thousands of times through four decades
Gillian Welch
2/5
I guess they need to pander to the country music religious nut jobs and include something like this in the list
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
Actually painful to listen to. The worst kind of R&B/soul. Awful
Willie Nelson
1/5
Pandering to the country music weirdos
Wild Beasts
5/5
So pleased this on here. An under rated gem
Baaba Maal
1/5
I don’t get it. African chanting, he doesn’t have a good voice and there is no musical ability demonstrated. A real slog
Van Halen
2/5
Unsure how this made the cut. Fine but hardly ground breaking
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Quite enjoyable though does get a bit repetitive
George Harrison
3/5
A bit unnecessary in places but some moments of genius
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
Never heard of them but quite like it. Shades of Jurassic 5 and FLC
4/5
Good listen. He’s less of a weirdo on full albums than I expected
Khaled
1/5
Background music in a Middle Eastern restaurant. Rubbish.
James Taylor
2/5
Boooooooooooring. But inoffensive
Steely Dan
3/5
Solid 70s guitar.
Blur
5/5
Think the 90s might be taking the lead
R.E.M.
5/5
Less well known and less obvious than some of their others. A great listen
Beastie Boys
2/5
One trick ponies. Every song sounds the same. Disappointing
The La's
5/5
Absolute belter of an album
The Clash
5/5
One of at least 3 five star albums by The Clash
David Bowie
3/5
Way too many sax solos and overblown gospel choruses. Not one of his best
SZA
1/5
Knowing this shit headlined Glasto makes me very sad
The Police
4/5
A couple of odd tracks but generally pretty good
Eurythmics
3/5
Decent 80s electro
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Fine, nothing really stands out but quite pleasant
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Almost a 5/5 but nothing else on here is as amazing as the killing moon
The Beach Boys
4/5
Very good, worthy of a place on the list although it’s not a 5 star in my eyes
CHIC
2/5
Cheesy naff disco. Not for me
Michael Jackson
2/5
Never seen the appeal. Annoying voice, bland pop tunes
The Charlatans
4/5
Decent late stage Britpop
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Bit of a mixed bag. Some pop naff in there. Sledge Hammer holds the whole thing up
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Lovely. Just lovely.
Talking Heads
3/5
Decent, less batshit than I expected. Psycho Killer easily the standout
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Pleasant 70s soul. Summer breeze obvs a fine tune
Aretha Franklin
3/5
1967! Wow. A good listen. Had no idea this was nearly 60 years old
Sade
2/5
Perfectly pleasant. A must-listen? Absolutely not.
Radiohead
5/5
Absolute classic, never gets tired
Justin Timberlake
1/5
Pop garbage
David Bowie
3/5
Pretty average by his very high standards
Common
2/5
Better than the usual wannabe gangster shit from Wu-Tang but having said that I’m never going to play this again.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
Pretty generic guitar wibbling. No standouts on this album
Sarah Vaughan
1/5
Awful lounge easy listening jazz rubbish
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Did this entire genre get killed by Will Smith? I quite enjoyed it but every track just sounds a little like Gettin Jiggy Wit It
Gene Clark
3/5
Reasonably pleasant if forgettable
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Better than I remember. Should have got into this more at the time
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Should have include Chocolate Salty Balls on this one
Fairport Convention
3/5
Hard to categorise this. A bit folky a bit rocky a bit bluesy. Nicely different
The Icarus Line
3/5
No idea how this band passed me by at the time. It is fairly forgettable I guess so maybe they just disappeared from my memory
Beck
4/5
Some classics on here. Goes a bit experimental and almost improv sounding with the beastie boys rip offs
SAULT
1/5
The way to get on this list is clearly to be wildly eclectic and a little batshit
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Very good, a little experimental at the end but enjoyed the listen
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
Not unpleasant. Bit samey
Kate Bush
3/5
Prefer the Futureheads
Peter Tosh
2/5
Really repetitive and simple reggae. Bob Marley this is not.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Definitely at the cheesier end of the beach boys spectrum.
The Who
5/5
I’ve never given The Who the time they clearly deserve. This is an excellent, brilliantly structured album.
The Coral
5/5
Unfairly lumped in with landfill indie. This is a great album
Waylon Jennings
2/5
Predictable and basic country music for idiots
Rush
2/5
Lyrics written by a small child. Sounds like a parody of wigout guitar music. Almost spinal tap in places
Beatles
5/5
Absolute classic, not a bad song on here.
Mekons
3/5
Don’t like the singers voice. Weird musical mix of country and punk. Different
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
The two singles still brilliant but let down by the rest of the album
The Killers
5/5
A bit overplayed but no denying it’s a classic
Neneh Cherry
3/5
One of a kind. Very original and never been copied.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Never heard any of this before but really rate it. Great guitar as well as the obvious songwriting and singing talent
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Decent in places but generally a bit bizarre and experimental for me
Dire Straits
3/5
Don’t get the hype. Fine easy listening fare
The Go-Go's
4/5
Never heard any of this before but very good and clearly very influential as I could hear lots of others bands in this.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
Probably their finest moment
John Coltrane
2/5
Slightly tedious jazz
Tangerine Dream
1/5
Boring trippy ambient nonsense
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Never heard any of these before but solid album
Christine and the Queens
1/5
Bland predictable French pop
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Maybe it’s just too overplayed but this felt very repetitive
Os Mutantes
4/5
Bizarre, so bizarre. But enjoyable throughout and discovering a Minha Menina is the highlight of this whole exercise
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Every song was either Barry Norman or The Naked Gun. Pleasant
AC/DC
3/5
Always have been a one-trick parody band.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
I guess it’s more positive than gangster shit. Catchy in places, downright cringey in others
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Red alert is still a tune but the rest of the album is largely random noises
Pink Floyd
3/5
Quirky and very strange in places, like a lot of this list! Decent but I do prefer their later stuff
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Pretty basic soul
Meat Loaf
1/5
Wow, worse than I ever imagined. A real slog to get through this cheesy overblown nonsense
The Who
2/5
Trying to be funny/clever but it’s just annoying. No decent tunes on this one either to make up for it
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Never played this in full before - yet overly familiar. Very good
Radiohead
4/5
Certainly more of an acquired taste than their other albums but still a classic
PJ Harvey
2/5
Hated this at the time. It’s better with hindsight but still a bit annoying, the concept is shit and so is her voice.
Ministry
1/5
Intense death metal. Won’t be listening again
John Lennon
5/5
Nearly gave it a 4 because of “Oh Yoko” but I’m feeling generous as he got shot
The Adverts
2/5
Pretty bland generic punk
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Classic blues. Decent listen but can’t believe it blows anyone away
Iggy Pop
4/5
Better than expectations, enjoyed this
Supergrass
5/5
Love it. Entertaining, silly, and musically brilliant in places
Leftfield
3/5
Good housey dance
Otis Redding
4/5
Need to be in the right mood for this. Which I was. Perfect Boxing Day morning music
Soundgarden
5/5
Have loved this album for over 30 years now
Ice T
4/5
Enjoyed this a surprising amount. Makes sense he went into act as all of this feels very performative, but entertaining if you don’t take it seriously. Enjoyed the hardcore crossover and am now listening to Body Count
Steely Dan
3/5
Didn’t enjoy as much as Pretzel Logic. The only one I recognised was because it was sampled by De La Soul!
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
This is forgettable I ended up playing it twice to come up with a review. Still can’t remember anything about it. So bland.
King Crimson
2/5
Definitely “out there”. Psychedelic stuff. Flat out weird in places
Guns N' Roses
3/5
His voice still grates but have to admit the quality of this album. Paradise City waaaaay too overplayed but there were better tracks on here I’ve not heard before.
Herbie Hancock
2/5
Instrumental 70s soundtrack stuff
The Saints
4/5
This lot have passed me by, never heard of them, but really like. The first Aussie punks apparently
Astor Piazzolla
1/5
Classical. Real mix of instruments but not my bag at all, very boring and a slog to get through
Sex Pistols
2/5
Assume this is so hyped because it was controversial. Musically it’s very samey, they manage to rip off themselves three times on one album. Tiresome.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Classic old school R&B/soul with elements of late 60s wigout guitar
Elliott Smith
3/5
Decent background music, nothing groundbreaking
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
No idea how this made the cut. It’s fairly predictable pop
Santana
3/5
More recognisable than I expected. Pleasant and easy listening
The Darkness
3/5
Not as cringe as I expected. Should give them more credit
Roni Size
2/5
Drum and bass gets a bit tiring. Hard to listen to the full thing
MGMT
5/5
Improves with every listen and always has done
Jeff Beck
3/5
Clearly of the Hendrix era. Had no idea he used Rod Stewart for vocals. Good guitar, lyrics appalling and no standout tracks.
The Byrds
4/5
Another good Byrds album - could have done without the psych instrumental at the end. Obviously taking the same stuff as The Beatles by this stage.
Ozomatli
1/5
Not on Spotify. The few tracks I could locate were terrible
Fats Domino
3/5
Decent. All sounds bit like Blueberry Hill
Jane Weaver
3/5
This is strange. I’ve never heard of her, the album doesn’t have a wiki page and it barely gets a passing mention on the artist’s page. How did it make this list? It’s actually a pretty good electro/indie/folk album but nothing groundbreaking so it’s just a weird inclusion.
The Undertones
4/5
Excellent album, nothing too clever just simple punky rock and roll
Beatles
4/5
Wow they were horny. Such cringey lyrics compared to later stuff. But still, some classics on here, and the covers are fun.
The Dandy Warhols
5/5
Haven’t played this in years. Still love it. The wigout at the end a little unnecessary but doesn’t detract from a 5 star rating
Mott The Hoople
4/5
This is a surprising ride. Vocals sound very very Bowie (from a pre Bowie era) and the songwriting goes Elton John like at points. Need to re-listen. Scoring a 4 as I suspect this was very innovative and influenced a lot of artists who went on to be much bigger than they were.
Moby Grape
3/5
Decent 60s rock and roll blues, this album feels a little cobbled together after the event
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Backs up what I’ve always thought of them. Great in places but generally a bit repetitive and unnecessary. There’s a decent 45 minute album in here somewhere
Nick Drake
3/5
Fairly pleasant. Reminded me of Belle & Sebastian in places.
Brian Eno
2/5
Ummm… clearly innovative and well composed/produced. But it’s very deliberately background music. Only really needs to be played at Zen yoga retreats or old peoples’ homes. Don’t really think it would work at the airport!
Metallica
5/5
I need to listen to this more. Great album from start to finish.
Donovan
2/5
Sunshine superman is a fun song but it’s the only standout. The rest fairly dull folk music. Unlikely to play again
Iron Maiden
4/5
Very good album, not immediately obvious but helped define a genre
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
He really has an incredible and unique voice. Some of the songs though… seriously depressing. Album goes on a bit.
The Strokes
5/5
Have always loved this album. Short, sharp tunes, well constructed album. Five stars all day
The Black Keys
3/5
Think I prefer El Camino. Not quite sure this is groundbreaking. Don’t accidentally listen to the remastered version, it has some rubbish at the end.
Blondie
3/5
Some classics on here yes, but everyone seems to ignore the pop filler crap, see “I know but I don’t know” and “I’m gonna love you too”. Probably won’t play this in its entirety again.
Very very average.
Ride
4/5
Without doubt a pioneer of shoegaze and some great tracks on here especially Vapour Trail. However shoegaze always comes back to the same problem… it all sounds a little samey
Eminem
1/5
Whole album seems to revolve around what a prick he is. Deeply unpleasant listen. And such a whiny rap voice. Amazed people like this
James Brown
3/5
The screaming crowd is really annoying. Don’t get why it needs to be a live album for this list, JB recorded enough classic stuff in his time. Takes it down from a 4/5 to a 3
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2/5
Well I would certainly have died without hearing this if it wasn’t for this list. Once is probably enough though. Mad samba.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
A bit lighter and poppier than the first album, a nice progression and set the scene for their eventual direction into pure pop. Album is littered with ‘singles’ and no real filler.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
So many tracks, most of which sound exactly the same. The most harmless of background music
The Auteurs
4/5
Completely passed me by at the time so I’m glad the list has helped me find this band. Sounds like bridge the gap nicely between the shoegazey stuff of the early 90s and Britpop
Moby
5/5
Loved this album when it came out, as did most people - a real genre cross over which seemed to hit the mark commercially. Quite surprising now playing it back.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Normally roll my eyes at a covers album. But he has such a unique voice and style this is a fascinating listen. Such a diverse range of genres he’s able to cover and make into his own.
Van Morrison
3/5
The most average of all the average albums on this list
Circle Jerks
1/5
Why can’t all terrible punk albums be only 15 minutes long, would make this list much more tolerable
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
It seems every Bruce album gets added to this automatically. This is not one of his best. Sounds designed for an acoustic show, very slow and not very memorable.
Dr. John
2/5
Bit weird. Is this jazz? Felt like jazz in places. Gilded Splinters is a great tune and leaves me feeling a strong 2, where for much of this album it was a weak 1.
The Waterboys
3/5
Far more folk than I expected. A bit cringe in places but fine to listen to
Adele
2/5
As a devout avoider of pop music, I was shocked how much of ‘21’ I recognised and didn’t hate. Can’t say the same here. A load of poorly written depressing dirges and nothing recognisable. I’ll give it a 2 because I can’t deny she has a great voice but the song writing (whoever does it) fell off a cliff for this one.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Commercial folk, who knew that could be a thing. I should hate this but never have, and was a nice blast from the past.
Aphex Twin
1/5
I wish they had selected fewer ambient works for this album. Goes on far too long. No obvious flow, which was always gonna happen with this kind of project. Weird inclusion on the list.
Frank Black
2/5
A bit chaotic, random mix of styles and structures. At least a quarter of the 22 (!) tracks sound like demos that add nothing to the album
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Decent 70s guitar, enjoyable. Didn’t last long in the memory though
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Fairly pleasant but nothing groundbreaking- once again seems to be on the list for his reputation only
4/5
Can’t believe how many people think this is the best Beatles album. Too much novelty shit like When I’m 64 and Good Morning Good Morning. Does however say a lot for The Beatles that this is only their 5th best album and it still scores a 4/5
The Stooges
2/5
36 minutes of noisy chaos
Traffic
2/5
Fairly generic 60s folk-rock guitar. Presumably innovative at the time because of random additions like pan pipe and organ on most tracks. Didn’t do it for me.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Country singer doing covers, perfectly pleasant and all that but seriously how did this sell so many copies? It’s just the pop effect of people buying familiarity. Nothing remotely clever or original about this.
Queen
3/5
Quite nice hearing Queen stuff that hasn’t been massacred to death by radio and the mass market. Far more grown up album than the novelty shite they became famous for.
Hookworms
4/5
Can’t believe this is 8 years old. I remember it getting some votes in the end of year polls and thinking “I really should listen to that again” but not sure I ever did. Really good album
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Pleasant but unmemorable compared to the CSNY stuff which has some classics
Little Richard
4/5
Every song is a variation of 12 bar blues and a little predicable, but it was the 50s so we’ll give him some leeway. Fantastic tunes and incredible voice. Loads of fun.
Slade
2/5
Too associated with that Christmas nonsense. Every song sounds like it. Noddy Bellend.
AC/DC
4/5
I find it hard to take seriously any band that perform in fancy dress and have “trademark” moves. But I had to admit there are some bangers on here
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I’m a little cynical of EVERY Bruce album making this list, but this one is actually very good. Might have been a 4 if it wasn’t the third Bruce album I’ve had on here in the space of 20 days
Nico
1/5
Absolutely awful. Terrible voice, boring songs, horrific random flute throughout. Worst album on this list so far
2/5
There are so many similar sounding punk albums from the 70s and 80s they can’t ALL be innovative. This one has little in the way of memorable or redeeming features.
Earth, Wind & Fire
1/5
Disco but totally unmemorable. Nothing fun or pop about this.
Motörhead
2/5
Why a live album?? Seems they have a big back catalogue and some good tunes. Were they just bad at albums? Crowd noise and inane chat between songs is just annoying, not endearing.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Quite pleasant jazz. Have obviously heard ‘Take Five’ many times but never knew who it was by or that it was from the 1950s. Would happily play again, more as background music so can’t score more generously than a 3
Doves
5/5
One of my favourites. Looking forward to reading reviews from Americans saying “who the hell is this band”. Still love every track here especially Pounding.
Foo Fighters
5/5
Glad this made it on here as it’s often overlooked in favour of bigger more commercial Foo Fighters albums. Incredible really that Grohl created a unique and distinctive style for the band on this album which persists to this day.
Miles Davis
3/5
Some black jazz! Makes a change from your Getzs and your Brubecks. Enjoyed this, not usually my thing but this was pretty mellow and accessible.
Simply Red
1/5
Someone needs to walk me through how the hell this ended up on the list. It has one stand out moment that everyone knows, ‘holding back the years’ is a great song and showcases an admittedly great voice. But the rest is utter pap. The cover of ‘Heaven’ is laughably bad. The vocals on ‘Jericho’ and ‘Moneys Too Tight To Mention’ are painful and gimmicky. This needs immediate deletion from this list.
David Bowie
2/5
Never heard this before other than the title track, which bears no resemblance to the rest of it. Feels like a 70s psychedelic album with the occasional vocals of Bowie which sound almost sampled, like he wasn’t really part of it. Album tails off into literally nothingness towards the end.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Well this was a wild Tuesday morning commute. Absolutely bonkers, more so than any Zappa or Beefheart stuff. Frequently descends into sped up samples of random talking. May have been inspiration for the Chipmunks. Too surreal for me I’m afraid.
Tom Waits
4/5
Such a unique and distinctive voice. Possibly a bit too much on this album, think it would have been more engaging if stripped down to 12-13 tracks. The original Downtown Train is a classic.
Ghostface Killah
1/5
And so it goes that every member of Wu-Tang must have a solo album on the 1001 albums list. Unsure why. Nothing of interest to hear on this.
Nirvana
5/5
I’m not normally fan of live album on here, but this is one of a kind. Incredible performance. Brilliantly thought out covers alongside Nirvana classics reimagined for an acoustic show.
Spiritualized
5/5
One of my all time favourites and album I was glued to in 1998. First listen for a while, appreciated the lyrics and themes much more nearly 30 years later. Highly emotional music charged with more energy than any other album I can remember from the 90s. Brilliant.
2/5
Utterly pointless live submission to the list. There is nothing about this lot as performers that warrants a live album here, and the songs themselves were very generic.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Didn’t expect jazz for some reason. Quite enjoyed this. Authentic, no bullshit classic jazz.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Not what I expected at all. Very, um, “eclectic”. An interesting listen.
Beatles
5/5
Much better than I remembered. It’s still their simple early stuff and the lyrics are seriously cringey, but wow they could write. Just a great fun listen.
4/5
Don’t think I’ve ever listened to this. Really good. I was coloured by “Let England Shake” which I really don’t rate at all. This one really demonstrates her unique voice and writing style.
Steely Dan
4/5
Can’t believe this exercise is turning me into a Steely Dan fan. Loved this. Recognised much more than I expected and will play again for sure.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
I enjoyed reading about this album more than I did listening to it. Had no idea about this part of the Clapton history. Cheeky sod stealing George Harrison’s wife!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
First time I’ve played this in full, don’t know why but I always assumed I’d dislike it. Her voice has annoyed me in the past. BUT, very good, once again I’ve been proved wrong by the list.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Weirdly I quite like the way this threatens to be a house/drum and bass album in places but never quite gets there. Can see why they became easy pickings for DJs to turn their songs into dancey classics.
Hole
4/5
Spotify has just done its annoying thing of starting an album over again once it’s reached the end. Fuck it, this is getting a second whirl. Never gave this the time or respect it deserved when it came out. Violet is one of the best songs of the grunge era.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
File under “easy listening”. Absolutely fine. Standout is obviously “All I Wanna Do” but I still think that’s only because of the hook she nicked off Stealers Wheel
The xx
4/5
Surprised I seemed to know every song on this album. Then I remembered - I really liked them until I went into a tent at Reading Festival with a shocking hangover. They were playing and nearly sent to me into a lethargy coma. Haven’t thought about them or played the album since. Enjoyed it so my tip is play the album only when you’re in the right mood and don’t ever go to see them live.
Soul II Soul
3/5
I like the way this flowed, like an actual DJ set with the tracks mixing and callbacks to songs within songs. Far less pop/commercial than I expected, given like most people I only knew “back to life”.
808 State
3/5
Decent electro, quite enjoyed this but probably more as a background thing
Buck Owens
1/5
Predictable and repetitive country nonsense. Going for the nursery rhyme approach of repeated lyrics and childish hooks, which is presumably why many of these songs became famous despite their dire simplicity.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Absolute cliche redneck cowboy rock and roll
Lorde
1/5
There isn’t too much out-and-out pop cack on this list, but this definitely falls into that category. Not sure what the critics are thinking with this one.
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
Can’t believe he’s on the list again. This is exactly the same as his previous album. Tedious, dreary, gay opera.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Never heard this before but really enjoyed it. I loved a bit of doom in the late 90s and can see how this inspired bands like Paradise Lost, Anathema etc
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Darker and deeper, what a unique voice. Quite enjoyed this although with that voice a whole album does tend to blur into one a little as there’s not much, shall we say, “range”.
Coldplay
5/5
Can’t wait for the reviews of this one that will entirely be based on Coldplay becoming unfathomably massive. There is plenty to criticise about their later career but this stands up as a fantastic debut album. Haven’t revisited this in years so thoroughly enjoyed it
Steve Earle
2/5
Really generic country album. Didn’t hate it, but it didn’t have any standout qualities. Pandering to an American audience here with this inclusion
Linkin Park
4/5
Really enjoyed this, I kind of wrote off this scene at the time, but this has stood the test of time well.
The Psychedelic Furs
2/5
Nothing really stood out on here. Always thought Pretty in Pink was a bit cheesy. The rest on here just sound like inferior versions of the same thing
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Took two listens to get into this. Didn’t know anything from it previously. I like the RATM style guitars in places but otherwise softer tone. Singer a little gruff/shouty but well suited to the style. Will defo play again
The Cardigans
1/5
Can’t believe this sappy pop nonsense made it on here. Bollocks.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1/5
If I ever get captured at war and subjected to intensive interrogation techniques, I’d quite enjoy the default playlist of continuous, extremely loud death metal.
If however, my captors put headphones on me and played 10 minutes of this album, I’d tell them ANYTHING. And I mean anything.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A double album rock opera would normally fill me with dread, but this is really good. A little pretentious without going full blown wanky. It has a song as good as Comfortably Numb buried halfway into disc two, for that alone it needs to be a 5/5. The rest is bloody good too.
Carpenters
2/5
About as twee as I expected. Songs for mums
The Thrills
5/5
Just the best album for a holiday road trip. Will always remind of California holiday 2012. So for personal reasons it’s a vibe based 5/5 for me
Tim Buckley
2/5
Overly long songs, a couple are quite pleasant but it’s generally a bit dull and meandering.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Well this is an eclectic mix. Obviously knew he did “without you” but wasn’t expecting the limey coconut one right after. Very random compilation of styles. Quite enjoyable if a bit bizarre