Goddamn, Quincy Jones could make some hits, man. Half of this album is bangers. I actually thought the title track was the weakest offering. The King of Pop isn't someone I listen to with any regularity, but this is very good. Big time problematic legal troubles aside, MJ's musical talent is undeniable. 4/5
Sad white boi hours over here. It was ok, but then they used a similar drum beat for damn near every song. 2/5, did not enjoy all the bland sadness.
This is like if Alanis Morrisette and Noah Kahan had an English baby. Her voice reminds me a little of Dolores O'Riordan. It was solid! Scratches my 90s itch.
Very solid classic rock, but nothing to write home about. Heavy on the organ, but that's kinda Deep Purple's signature anyway. Child In Time is the obvious standout, but don't sleep on Speed King or Hard Lovin' Man. It's the wonder of nature, baby!
A couple good songs, but too much big band accompaniment for my taste. Not exactly what I think of when I think of Ray Charles. 2.5/5, perfectly average album.
First dud for me on the list. The vocal style of Morrissey is dogshit, the lyrics are heavy-handed, and most of the songs sound the same and drag on too long. The guitar work was good, but not enough to save this album. Not for me. 1/5
Goddamn, Quincy Jones could make some hits, man. Half of this album is bangers. I actually thought the title track was the weakest offering. The King of Pop isn't someone I listen to with any regularity, but this is very good. Big time problematic legal troubles aside, MJ's musical talent is undeniable. 4/5
If you're an angsty teenager or 20-something going through a phase, I bet this album hits like crack. If you have more mainstream tastes, this probably doesn't mean much. The sound mixing was good, and I liked a couple songs, but listening to this entire album was a bit of a slog. I can appreciate it for what it is, but to a guy like me it's just average. 2.5/5
A very nice listen, perfect for a sunny, quiet morning.
This one was a lot of fun! High energy, good beats, nice mix of instruments and styles. Plus, I recognized one of the songs from playing Madden 05, so that was a nice throwback. 4/5
Easily one of my top 20 albums of all time. Huge hit songs, powerful riffs, and Ozzy's haunting vocals all contribute to perhaps the perfect heavy metal album. My dad gifted me his original pressing from 1970 that I still cherish and play to this day. I love this album, I'm gonna listen to it again. 5/5
An incredible debut from one of the greatest bands to ever do it. More bluesy than I remembered it being, but it works so well. Not much else to say, just a fantastic piece of music. 5/5
I'm pretty meh on this. "Hippie doo-wop" would be the most apt description of the album. California Dreamin' is good. Not a bad listen, but not something I'm likely to ever listen to again. 3/5
A very relaxing listen. Very good instrumentation and melodies. Language barrier is what it is, but I enjoyed this. A lot of blues influence in a lot of the songs. 3.5/5
Felt like the soundtrack to a Tarantino movie or Red Dead Redemption 2 in parts, then Mexican jazz in others. An eclectic blend of styles, but it's very smooth and easy to listen to. I like it! 4/5
Just on the strength of the three hits alone, this is a 4/5 for me. The album trails off after the first half, but I enjoyed most of the songs, all but two. A seminal albums for Millennials that continues to hold up.
Fantastic piece of music, no notes other than it's great. I love it and will be listening again. 5/5
Some good beats, and a couple of them had me bobbing my head. The last few songs weren't good, but the first two thirds of the album I could dig! Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. 3/5
This is nothing special. A few good guitar songs, but the vocals are so off-putting, I can't give this more than a 2. Disco is more relevant to music than whatever this is. 2/5
Fantastic album, but the two 15-minute each noodling tracks bring it down to a 4/5. Jimi was at his best when he melted your face for 3-5 minutes, not letting his drummer ting on his set for minutes at a time without hearing a guitar. Also, Dylan sucks and Jimi rules; AATWT is made 1000% better by Hendrix.
I don't go deep with Oasis, but the hits are good. Solid 3/5, above average album.
Like Coldplay, but worse. Lots of slow, monotone singing. I enjoyed one song, but the opening song was so bad I think it tainted the rest of the listen for me. A generous 2/5
This is the kind of album I want playing in a dimly lit dive bar that still allows smoking. And you know what, I will have a couple of those cigs because this shit rocks. Heavy, hard rock blues is how I'd describe it. A few of the songs meander a bit, and the closing song is such a bummer after the title track, but it's still a solid 4/5 for me
Sad white boi hours over here. It was ok, but then they used a similar drum beat for damn near every song. 2/5, did not enjoy all the bland sadness.
9 songs, 21 minutes, the perfect punk album. I fucking loved this. Raw anger, killer guitars, really gets you going. It was so short, this was the first album on this list that left me wanting more. I will be purchasing this on vinyl. Was a tad bit one-note musically, but it's still a high end 4/5 for me.
In the running for best album cover, look at that! This album is all industrial rock with a medieval flair. Lots of gravelly vocals in German, chanting, and trumpets. Good music to March to. I commented to my wife that this sounds like it should be in a warfare video game, and lo and behold, one of the songs was in Command and Conquer: Red Alert. I didn't want to skip anything, as a few of the songs had me giggling for unknown reasons. If you dig industrial Rock, this is for you. If not, it's still an interesting and somewhat entertaining listen. 3/5
I love their sound, prog rock gatekeeper dickheads can fuck off. These Canucks rock. 4/5
I enjoyed some songs, but it was mostly just OK. Kind of an underwhelming pick to be part of the 1001 best albums ever. 3/5
Vocals were nearly spoken word poems. I hated it. 1/5
Listen, I completely understand Dylan's impact on music and the cultural zeitgeist of the 1960s. I think he's a great songwriter who can put together very impactful lyrics. That said, his voice and performance style are just awful, so whiny, grating, and unpleasant. I like A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall. This is a 2/5 for me.
Such a beautiful, pleasant listen. Perfect calming effect on your mood. The harmonies just wash over your brain. 4/5
It's a lot of noise with a handful of decent arrangements and harmonies. Only weirdo boomers and true music snobs will appreciate this. 2/5
It's alright. It's nothing groundbreaking or really special. It's just a woman with an OK voice singing over some mildly interesting 1970s beats. She's the lady in the background of Metallica's 'The Memory Remains.' 3/5 I guess.
Fuck kanye West, die slow Nazi motherfucker. Not listening to his bullshit. 0/5 Instead, I listened to The Fame Monster (2009) by Lady Gaga. This should have been on the list anyway, so let's dance on Kanye's grave, baby. Essentially a deluxe edition of The Fame with an EP attached, there are an insane amount of hits: Just Dance, LoveGame, Paparazzi, Poker Face, Bad Romance, Alejandro, Dance in the Dark, Telephone. What more do you need from a debut?! There are a few superfluous tracks towards the end of The Fame that could have been cut that are holding it back from being perfect, but that's the only minor note I have. I love this album, I love Lady Gaga, and cannot wait to see her next weekend at MSG. 4.5/5
Well, Eno wasn't lying when he said it wasn't meant to be listened to. Just some soft sounds and piano on a loop. Nothing bad persay, but it's not good either. 2/5
Just a chill listen that kinda blends together. All the beats are very similar, but still fun. Smoke trees, baby! 3/5
Come for the Bohemian Rhapsody, stay for Brian May singing like a quarter of the songs? BR being on this album puts the floor at a high 3/5. There’s definitely some filler, but there’s also some really solid deep cuts on here, too. “I’m in Love with My Car”, “Sweet Lady”, and “Love of my Life” are all good. Queen was sneaky good at creating beautiful harmonies, but a few too many jaunty, circusy tunes keep this at a 4/5 for me.
An eclectic mix of Brazilian soft rock, jazz, and folk. I thought it was solid! Give it a chance! 3/5
I think this is the most annoyed I’ve been by the list author’s choice in the 45ish albums I’ve listened to so far. I have not seen the film, so without the context of the movie it was composed for, this is just a bunch of electronic xylophone noises over simple bass lines. Also, if film scores were eligible, where the hell are the likes of John Williams or Hans Zimmer? The scores for A New Hope & Interstellar are way more influential and important than whatever this electronic schlock is. 1/5
I am growing weary, as this is my third electronica album in the last five. One of the things I’ve discovered that I didn’t know about my music tastes is that I genuinely dislike electronica/techno. I’m sure it’s technically brilliant and all that, but it’s just not a pleasant listen for me with all the beeps and boops; it just all sounds too fake to me. It was better than yesterday’s abomination of a film score, but a low 2/5 is the best I can do. Please give me something with real instruments tomorrow.
This is the audio equivalent of shoving those nerd electronica albums into a locker. Kind of the perfect album to start your Friday morning if you are a hard rock/metal aficionado like me. Nine of the twelve songs are hits, a crazy rate for any album, let alone a debut. Listening to this is like eating a greasy cheeseburger: you know it's not good for you and it's not particularly complex, but goddamn is it tasty and fun. 5/5, this is THE hair metal album.
Not really my cup of tea, but there were some good songs on this one. Slightly above average for me, 3/5.
That's some good heavy metal. Halford can really belt out a tune. 4/5
Really enjoyed this one, never really listened to any of Jack White's solo stuff before, but this has got me listening to his others. Very cool! 4/5
I am not the biggest fan of folky, singer-songwriter stuff, but this is an exception; I thought this great. Simon is very talented at both the songwriting AND the singing parts (looking at you, Bobby Dylan). A couple of meh tracks keep it from a 5, but I've already added more Paul Simon stuff to my listening list. Solid 4/5 for Mr Simon!
I would describe this as proto-Ska, with a bit of teenagers mashing on a bunch of instruments. Our House is a decent song, but the rest of it waivers between alright and god-awful. It's borderline experimental in parts, and doesn't sound good. 2/5
This is not good punk like Minor Threat, this is quite shitty punk music made by some English weirdos. This album was a chore to get through. The vocals are grating and the song structure was all over the place, to the point of being spoken word in some spots. Some interesting instrumentation saves it from a 1, but it's still a low-end 2/5 for me.
It's ethereal, college indie folk crap. Music for day traders who think they are interesting people. Did not like this, will not explain further. 2/5
This was pretty good! Very high-energy swing/big band record with a couple nice slower songs mixed in. Kinda like the last gasp for big band music before it was relegated to the dustbin of history. An enjoyable listen! 4/5
If you like 90s hip hop like me, this is your jam. Really smooth flow, good lyrical composition. Docked a point for the simplicity of the beats, but a great album nonetheless. 4/5
It's got Breakdown and American Girl, but the rest of the album is really forgettable. Lots of filler, but it's still Petty, so it's not bad. 3/5
Sounded kind of like alternative punk, I dunno it was hard to pin down, especially on the songs that just droned on. I enjoyed a few songs, but most of the album was just OK. 3/5
It had some promise at the outset, the first few songs were a mixture of electric rock and folk with cool arrangements and lyrics, but then it all went downhill and devolved into standard acoustic folk music. 3/5, mainly on the strength of the first three songs.
Meh. I don't have feelings one way or the other about The Police (the band, not law enforcement, ACAB always). Their sound is just so milquetoast. 3/5, slightly above average is fine for me, as I did like Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon.
A buttery smooth blend of R&B, rap, and soul, this album deserves all the praise. Found myself bobbing my head during every song, even during Killing Me Softly (although I prefer the Roberta Flack version). These guys were at the top of their game in 96, there isn’t a bad song on here. I gotta get this one on vinyl. A rare 5/5 from me, it’s great and probably a top-10 album from the 1990s.
29 minutes of mostly bad music with a guy doing a Bob Dylan impression. 2/5
I really dig Deep Purple, and this is basically a greatest hits concert when they were at their peak in the mid-70s. Absolutely ripping it up during this show, great guitar solos and psychedelic sound. Only detriment is a couple of the songs are pushing 20 minutes with unnecessary noodling. A solid 4/5
This is peak dad rock. It's not overly complicated or interesting, just lots of classic rock hits (like, a ton of hits for a debut). I wavered between a 3 and a 4, but I'll go with a low end 4/5. There's just too many jams to deny.