Not bad, but not my preferred genre. Fine enough to play in the background while working, but I don't see myself going back to this one.
Favorite tracks:
- Requiem
I’d heard of Nick Cave, but was expecting a more folk style, which might be why I didn’t quite enjoy this. His voice started to annoy me by the halfway point of this album.
Favorite tracks:
- Babe, You Turn Me On
- O Children
Worst tracks:
- Fable of the Brown Ape
A lot of people consider this to be one of the greatest albums (and bands), so I went in with high expectations and... it’s kind of a banger? This was the perfect chill vibe to listen to while maximizing shareholder value. At times, Thom Yorke's vocals reminded me of Matt Bellamy in Muse's more subdued ballads.
Favorite tracks:
- Nude
- Weird Fishes / Arpeggi
- Reckoner
I have a feeling soul and jazz albums are going to consistently rank high for me on this list. I’ve always loved the title track, but this was a good opportunity to listen through the rest of the album for the first time. The other tracks don’t quite reach the same highs as Let’s Stay Together, but still an enjoyable listen.
Favorite tracks:
- Let’s Stay Together
- How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
I never really gave Amy Winehouse a proper listen back in the day – mostly because Rehab was so overplayed on the radio (it's still a good song though). But damn, she had a great voice and her blending of pop and soul music makes this a standout album for me. Next on my to-do list is to watch the 'Amy' documentary.
Favorite tracks:
- Back To Black
- Tears Dry On Their Own
- He Can Only Hold Her
- Valerie (Deluxe Edition)
When he started talking in my headphones on the opening track, I had a legit jumpscare. Overall, I enjoyed the album. It feels like the perfect soundtrack for the next time I play Fallout. These sad, crooning songs with slide guitar make me nostalgic for an era I never lived in.
Favorite tracks:
- Night Life
- Are You Sure
I hadn’t heard of this band before, but recognized “Alright” when it came on. Really solid British pop/rock album to play throughout the weekend. The album cover kind of reminds me of the old Western Hills O’Charley’s mural… IYKYK.
Favorite tracks:
- I’d Like To Know
- Alright
- Strange Ones
While an enjoyable album to listen to, not too much stood out for me other than the classics “Monday, Monday” and “California Dreamin”. Some nice harmonies throughout, but maybe I just wasn’t in the right mindset for this vibe today.
Favorite tracks:
- Monday, Monday
- California Dreamin’
I mean… it’s Queen. Listening to this album front to back made me realize how versatile their sound could be — from hard rock and ballads to vaudeville. I had a fun time discovering some new tracks on this album, with ‘39 being the standout.
Favorite tracks:
- You’re My Best Friend
- ‘39
- Love of My Life
- Bohemian Rhapsody
I discovered The Smiths last year, and they are definitely a band I had to listen to a few times to mesh with. Morrisey's voice can be pretty divisive, but I've come around to liking a lot of their music. Most of my favorite songs by them aren't on this album, but still solid.
Favorite tracks:
- Girlfriend in a Coma
- Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
- Unhappy Birthday
The B-52s are such an interesting band. Their songs are quirky and fun on their own, but a whole album can get a little grating. Also, Rock Lobster is like two minutes too long. Still, you’ve got to respect how unapologetically unique they are.
Favorite tracks:
- Rock Lobster
I had a good time listening to this album over the weekend. I really enjoyed a lot of the sampling and beats — particularly on “Eye Know”. The skits and short tracks were fun, though I probably won’t revisit those as often… although I did Google the answers to the game show questions. On the borderline of a 4/5.
Favorite tracks:
- (3 Is) The Magic Number
- Eye Know
- Me Myself and I
This is another artist I’ve heard of, but envisioned a completely different sound before listening (not necessarily in a bad way). The album is upbeat and easy to listen to, though it didn’t leave a super lasting impression after a few playthroughs. Overall, solid and inoffensive.
Favorite tracks:
- Pump It Up
- Living in Paradise
I had no idea who this band was, but this immediately brought me back to the era of early 2010s hipster-pop that I have a soft spot for. The male singer has a sound that reminds me a lot of Passion Pit, but I found myself more drawn to the songs led by the female vocalists. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something missing here that bands like Passion Pit or MGMT seem to do a bit better.
Favorite tracks:
- Stillness Is The Move
- Two Doves
This is my first Black Sabbath album and I enjoyed it way more than I was expecting. I thought I would get tired of his voice or the heavy sound, but this album does a nice job breaking things up with calmer, melodic tracks like "Changes" and "Laguna Sunrise". RIP, I’m gonna snort a line tonight in honor of the Prince of Darkness.
Favorite tracks:
- Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener
- Changes
- Supernaut
This was a fun lil mambo album. It was nice to enjoy in the background, but I don’t see myself going back to it unless it’s playing while I’m at a Cuban restaurant. No favorite track this time, as they all kind of blended together for me. But it was still a nice change of pace!
This is going to be a recurring sentence, but this was my first full album for this artist. A few more songs, and I might have started getting annoyed with his gravelly voice, but overall this was solid. I’m also always a sucker for saxophone.
Favorite tracks:
- Thunder Road
- Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
- Born to Run
This was a very unmemorable album. Nothing was particularly offensive with the sound, but it just didn’t resonate with me. Even the song I recognized, “Coconut”, is one I kind of find annoying. I’ll chalk this one up to me having a case of the Monday’s.
Favorite tracks:
- Gotta Get Up
- Without You
This album is a mixed bag. I dig the more psychedelic rock songs that appear throughout, but tracks like “The King Is in the Counting House” and “The Toonerville Trolley” veer off into a more theatrical, vaudeville sound that didn’t quite land for me. Overall, I had a decent time listening to this, plus the name Electric Prunes is dope.
Favorite tracks:
- I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
- Onie
It’s about time we got another female artist. Shoutout to Bon Iver for introducing me to Bonnie Raitt with his cover of I Can’t Make You Love Me/Nick of Time. She’s got a nice voice that helps elevate even the more generic songs. And “Thing Called Love” was giving me Shania Twain vibes, in a good way.
Favorite tracks:
- Nick of Time
- Thing Called Love
I have no clue why I always mix up Van Halen with Led Zeppelin, but this was a fun album anyway. There are a lot of songs I knew that I didn’t realize were Van Halen. The electric guitar on this album felt so crispy and pure rock n’ roll.
Favorite tracks:
- Runnin’ with the Devil
- You Really Got Me
- Jamie’s Cryin’
I was ready to give this 1 star after the first song, but this album slowly hypnotized me. This mix of blues and African music works much better than I’d expect. This isn’t something I’m going to regularly come back to, but appreciate the introduction to a unique sound that I wouldn’t have otherwise listened to.
I didn’t listen enough times through to establish favorite tracks.
I’ll start off by saying that the album cover is way too metal looking for their sound. But this is a solid 80s rock album that I enjoyed front to back. I had a hard time not picturing their one armed drummer absolutely mashing throughout the entire album. (3.5/5)
Favorite tracks:
- Animal
- Pour Some Sugar On Me
- Hysteria (Muse?!)
I didn’t have much time to focus on this album yesterday, but enjoyed what I heard playing in the background. Not too much stood out to me that will keep me coming back, but it was a nice change of pace from some of the hard rock albums we’ve been getting.
Favorite tracks:
- The Shining Hour
- Fuzzy
It feels good to give an high score again. I’ve always had a soft spot for The Smashing Pumpkins — shoutout to Jelli Radio for the consistent airtime — and this was the perfect album to get over the weekend. I’m bias to their biggest hits on this that I’ve known for a long time, but there aren’t really any skips here.
Favorite tracks:
- Cherub Rock
- Today
- Disarm
- Mayonaise
This was an enjoyable swing/jazz album that is perfect for listening in the background while working. I’ve now discovered two albums from this list that are great to listen to the next time I play Fallout. Good vibes, not much more to say.
Favorite tracks:
- The Kid from Red Bank
- Splanky
What a powerhouse Nina Simone was — both musically and as an activist. Her voice is so distinct, with such raw emotion that make many of her songs feel like poetry set to music. She continues to have influence, as I actually first discovered some of her work through modern samples, like Jay-Z’s use of “Four Women” in “The Story of O.J.”
Favorite tracks:
- Four Women
- What More Can I Say?
- Why Keep On Breaking My Heart
- Wild is the Wind
I was never able to get totally bought into Public Enemy. They have some great songs in their discography and perform with politically-fueled fire, but many of their songs utilize repeating samples that get grating to me over time. That said, we all need a hype man like Flavor Flav in our life. I’m leaning toward a 2.5/5 here.
Favorite tracks:
- Don’t Believe the Hype
- Louder than a Bomb
- She Watch Channel Zero?!
This was an interesting album, with a mix of African, Caribbean, and hip-hip sounds. At first I wasn’t bought in, but I kept catching myself bopping to some of the tracks. Not sure if I’ll come back to this often, but enjoyed the ride.
Favorite tracks:
- Double Dutch
- Punk It Up
- Soweto
I’m not sure what the general consensus is on Bon Jovi, but this album has a bunch of bangers. I had a good time throughout the playthrough, even if a few of their songs started to blend together.
Favorite tracks:
- You Give Love A Bad Name
- Livin’ On A Prayer
- Wanted Dead Or Alive
- I’d Die For You
Given how strange David Bowie seems, I always envisioned his music being less accessible than it actually is. This was a solid album with a few classics that I recognized on it. I have a feeling there are going to be a bunch of Bowie albums on this list, but I’m okay with that if his others are like this one.
Favorite tracks:
- Changes
- Oh! you Pretty Things
- Life on Mars?
I’m thinking this style of blues-rock is up my alley. Having only heard La Grange before, this album was a pleasant surprise and super easy to listen through a few times while working. Time to grow out my ZZ Top beard, I guess.
Favorite tracks:
- Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
- La Grange
- Sheik
It’s hard denying this as a five star album. I didn’t realize just how many bangers were on this record until playing it though. MJ must've had a chokehold on the radio in 1982. Also, wild that this contains a track beefing with Paul McCartney over banging the same girl??
Favorite tracks:
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
- Beat It
- Billie Jean
- P.Y.T
