Overall, a really solid album. Of course there are the well-known hits like "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes," but "Don't Give Up" (with the incredible Kate Bush) and "Mercy Street" bring a quieter, softer feel, and the album is rounded out nicely with some synth pop/electronic fun stuff. Great listen start to finish.

To be fair, this album literally made up part of the soundtrack of my childhood, as my mom was a big Billy Joel fan and played it front to back often. These songs are very familiar to me, and in fact, when I was probably three or four years old and my mom came home from the salon with Ash blonde hair while I was used to her brown hair, I reminded her of "Just the Way You Are" when I said "Don't change the color of your hair, just like the song says!" Still, it was a wonderful journey to the past, and I enjoyed listening again today. It's got so many well-known hits.

Fun, peppy pop - lots of fluff, not a ton of substance.

I could listen to this album while hosting a dinner party, taking a good drive, or even just relaxing and reading a book while it plays in the background. Chapman's voice is hypnotic, and these are solid, very listenable songs. Very enjoyable overall.

Although I'm not a huge hip-hop fan, there's no denying that this group and this album features a powerhouse of talent. There are fun, recognizable, and infectious hooks, and intelligent word play in the lyrics.

I played this album so much in college and throughout my early 20s, I practically have it memorized. Amos' powerful lyrics tell great stories - not all with happy endings, but that certainly does mirror what happens in real life. It's a powerhouse of an album considering it's just Amos, a piano, and some backing vocals & instruments... not a full band in the true sense. The focus is always, as it should be, on her skillful piano playing chops and her hypnotizing voice. The first album I've rated as five stars, but for me, it deserves it.

Well, I was disappointed with this. Most of the songs are so stripped down and bare, and sound as if they were recorded in someone's basement. I got the sense while listening that this is what it must be like when your friends tell you, their son is starting a band and they want you to come listen to some of his songs. You'd smile politely and say, "Wow, that's great!" and then go home and think to yourself "meh." Nothing makes me want to listen to these songs again.

Wow! I was instantly fascinated by the classical orchestration in the opening track, and then equal parts captivated and impressed by the rest of the album. I knew I had heard Monáe's name before and it wasn't until I read more about her that I realized it's as an actress from the movie "Hidden Figures," but I don't know that I was aware that she was a singer as well. This entire album was so much fun with its poppy, experimental vibes and its concept album feel. "War of the Roses" sounds like a track ready for the Broadway stage and "Wondaland" and its poppy, upbeat self sounds like something Katy Perry or Janet Jackson, or a contemporary could easily have recorded. "57821" features wickedly gorgeous layered harmonies and reminds me of a 60s folk group. "Say You'll Go" has moments where she's channeling a lounge singer in all the best ways, ramping up into something akin to a movie score. Monáe's range of styles is quite different throughout the whole album, but somehow it all works together and I am so thankful to have found this because it is going to be added to my library for future frequent listens. What a great find! Fans of big voices like Janet Jackson, Adele, Diana Ross, or Whitney Houston, will no doubt enjoy this.

I listened to this album two times in a row, back to back. I was painting our outdoor bench on my patio and it provided a pleasant soundtrack for this task. Did I enjoy the music? Sure, as I tend to like Indie and folk music. Was there anything truly remarkable that stuck out to me on this album and made me say wow? Not really. It was nice background music and I can see myself listening to this album again in the background as I am studying or reading or cooking… But it will not be one that I will seek out all the Time if I'm looking for up-tempo or high energy stuff. It was mellow, it was pleasant enough to listen to, but as for being one of the 1001 albums, I must hear before I die, I was a bit underwhelmed.

There were only two or three songs on here that were familiar to me, but the whole album was really great! No surprise that Black Sabbath enjoyed the popularity it did for so long, and even listening to this album from 1970 in 2025, it's easy to see what solid rockers they were. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a few more "mellow" tracks from these gods of rock 'n' roll. A great rock album!! RIP Ozzy.

Well, I really wanted to like this. I mean, I really did. Electronica, scrappy West Germans trying to make a name for themselves in the 70s new music scene, ("Now is the time on Sprockets when we DAHNCE!") but honestly, I just found this to be rather redundant/repetitive and a bit of a snoozefest if I'm honest. Listening to other late 70s albums like those by The Police make this seem like a weak effort, and parts of this remind me of the demo tracks that came on a Casio keyboard.

I was in college when this album dropped. I listened to it a fair amount, but haven't heard it in many years until now. I think I had forgotten what an overall strong album this is. It's not something I want to put on all of the time… I would definitely need to be in the right mood for this one, but there's no doubt that Björk was a trendsetter, and if this is an incredibly strong debut album. Is her voice a little bit weird? Yes, but pleasantly weird, if that's a thing.