259
Albums Rated
3.27
Average Rating
24%
Complete
830 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
27
5-Star Albums
15
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Butterfly
Mariah Carey
|
5 | 2.48 | +2.52 |
|
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
|
5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
|
B-52's
The B-52's
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
Raw Power
The Stooges
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
...And Justice For All
Metallica
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Tidal
Fiona Apple
|
5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
|
Blue
Joni Mitchell
|
5 | 3.49 | +1.51 |
|
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
|
5 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.75 | -2.75 |
|
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.66 | -2.66 |
|
Achtung Baby
U2
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
|
The Rise & Fall
Madness
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
|
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
|
1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
|
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 2.95 | -1.95 |
|
New Wave
The Auteurs
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Apple Venus Volume 1
XTC
|
1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 3 | 4.67 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Arcade Fire | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 1.25 |
| U2 | 3 | 1.67 |
| Kings of Leon | 2 | 1.5 |
| Bee Gees | 2 | 1.5 |
| XTC | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (27)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Judas Priest · 1 likes
4/5
I liked this! It was fun, not too cheesy/corny, with great vocals. Really enjoyable the whole way through.
The Beach Boys · 1 likes
4/5
Definitely a darker, more morose vibe than I would expect from The Beach Boys. I really enjoyed this album.
U2 · 1 likes
1/5
It was a beautiful day before I turned this dogshit on. Easily the blandest, most inane drivel I’ve ever had the displeasure of listening to. Some of the most shallow, unoriginal lyrics to receive this much acclaim. I think the worst part is some songs have the potential to actually be good, like Elevation, if it wasn’t for Bono wailing like a cat in heat intermittently throughout the song. I seriously do not get the hype.
Erykah Badu · 1 likes
5/5
This album flows so so SO well. Erykah Badu’s voice seems to be polarizing, but I find it suits her neo-soul style and overall vibe very very well. The final track probably could have been cut a bit, but otherwise, a totally gorgeous album. 5/5
Van Morrison · 1 likes
5/5
Was not expecting to fall in love with this album tbh. I worked at a kind of shitty yacht club during summers whilst in college and Moondance played over the radio literally every single shift I worked, somehow it still retains a soothing quality untouched by food service PTSD.
The whole album (minus maybe Everyone) was cohesive without being boring or stale for me. Perfect to listen to to be lulled to sleep (not derogatory)
1-Star Albums (15)
All Ratings
David Crosby
4/5
LOVED the harmonies on this album. Otherwise, sounds like standard laurel canyon-esque folk rock (not a bad thing)
The Band
2/5
why does the lead vocalist sound on the verge of tears??? I like The Weight but otherwise, meh.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Pretty fun, I liked the beaT(s)
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This was a beautiful album, and although I find Leonard Cohen’s voice to definitely be an acquired taste, it suited this album and its mood as a whole perfectly.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Not at all what I would normally listen to, but a great listen nonetheless!
Black Sabbath
5/5
Literally a groundbreaking album, a masterpiece and the foundation of a whole genre. Iconic, 5 stars. RIP Ozzy 🖤
John Lennon
2/5
Found it to be a bit pretentious and self indulgent. Obviously taking more risks post-Beatles, but it kind of fell flat for me.
MGMT
4/5
Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but this is such a wonderful album. The production is very reminiscent of 2007 but somehow doesn’t sound dated in 2025. Time to Pretend is my favorite track, it just gives such a youthful, exuberant vibe.
The Clash
4/5
I, too, don’t want to know what the rich are doing
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Songs were fine, but jfc this was possibly the most disjointed album I’ve ever heard. Finding out they broke up the band a year later was not at all shocking
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Would never have listened to this otherwise, super glad I did!
Kraftwerk
3/5
Pretty cool that this was released so early. that being said, this was just ok for me
The xx
2/5
Very meh. Found the lyrics to be dull and uninspired. Sounds too much like other indie-pop albums from that era but doesn’t really measure up.
Jurassic 5
4/5
I enjoyed this album! Interesting beats and samples, I particularly liked the one of “Les Fleurs” in Thin Line.
U2
1/5
Incredibly tedious to get through. Lyrics seemed (to me, at least) surface level and cringy. Not to mention, overall boring as SHIT
I already can’t stand U2, so I tried to keep an open mind, but this album encapsulates all the things that irritate me about this band (mostly Bono tbh). They try too hard to sound deep, but it doesn’t seem like they actually know what that entails.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
I have heard this before and did not remember liking it as much as I do now! Maybe it grew on me, but either way, it feels ahead of its time in some respects. ETA: the more I listen to this, the more I love it. Bumping this up to 5/5
fIREHOSE
3/5
Sounded like a jam session between friends, which was charming in a way. It was fine, I enjoyed it but didn’t love it
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
Pretty ahead of its time and pleasant to listen to.
De La Soul
4/5
This album showed me that I like hip hop more than I thought I did. I love the creativity in the beats, sampling, etc.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
I enjoyed this. I tend to enjoy the type of music where you could tell they were heavily abusing drugs while making it. Overall good sound.
Erykah Badu
5/5
This album flows so so SO well. Erykah Badu’s voice seems to be polarizing, but I find it suits her neo-soul style and overall vibe very very well. The final track probably could have been cut a bit, but otherwise, a totally gorgeous album. 5/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Very good and so influential for so many bands/artists I love. Loses points bc Hong Kong garden aged like milk.
Nirvana
5/5
Incredible, a true classic at this point. A literal game changer. Kurt Cobain was the breath of fresh air the rock scene needed in the midst of hair metal hell. True king shit
Koffi Olomide
2/5
It’s fun and different, but not something I would particularly gravitate to. I thought some of the songs dragged on a bit too long.
Adele
4/5
This album was super popular when I was in high school so I associate this heavily with that time. Better than I remember it being. Obviously Adele has an amazing voice, so it’s a very easy listen. Some songs in the middle of the album did kind of blend together for me. Overall, a very good album.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Starts off strong with Immigrant Song, then kind of loses steam right after. Just ok.
Bad Company
3/5
Paul Rodgers has a nice voice, and I enjoyed most of the songs on this album. I liked the sultry tones throughout, and it suited the Rodgers’s voice well. A good listen, albeit a bit generic.
It was a beautiful day before I turned this dogshit on. Easily the blandest, most inane drivel I’ve ever had the displeasure of listening to. Some of the most shallow, unoriginal lyrics to receive this much acclaim. I think the worst part is some songs have the potential to actually be good, like Elevation, if it wasn’t for Bono wailing like a cat in heat intermittently throughout the song. I seriously do not get the hype.
Joe Ely
3/5
I thought this was pretty fun and a bit different as far as typical country music. Might listen to it again in the future.
The Zombies
4/5
Psychedelic rock tends to blend together for me, but this is a standout. The harmonies were reminiscent of The Beach Boys, but less cheesy. I’ve only heard Time of the Season prior to this, but I’d definitely listen to this again! Also the lore to this one is crazy
Van Morrison
5/5
Was not expecting to fall in love with this album tbh. I worked at a kind of shitty yacht club during summers whilst in college and Moondance played over the radio literally every single shift I worked, somehow it still retains a soothing quality untouched by food service PTSD.
The whole album (minus maybe Everyone) was cohesive without being boring or stale for me. Perfect to listen to to be lulled to sleep (not derogatory)
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Halloween/video game space music. Songs were not very distinguishable from each other, overall kinda of blah.
ZZ Top
4/5
First half of the album was full of the hits/bangers. Started to drag a bit for the last few songs. Overall enjoyable and fun.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Pretty hit or miss, some songs I liked a lot, others not so much. Solid 3/5.
Kings of Leon
1/5
My first thought upon seeing this album this morning was “wow, I didn’t realize that Kings of Leon were around as early as 2004!” I quickly learned that there was good reason for that. Not only does the vocalist have an awful, grating voice, it doesn’t even sound like he’s singing in English half the time.
Also, while I recognize that it can be hard to write horny music without being completely cringy, this band did NOT stick that landing at all. Yikes
Brian Wilson
4/5
As one who loves a little bit of whimsy, I enjoyed this quite a bit. Brian Wilson talent and dedication to his craft is evident throughout. Just a great work of art.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Good lord his voice is like nails on a chalkboard. I’d really like bob Dylan’s songs if he didn’t insist on singing them.
The Dictators
4/5
Sarcastic, irreverent, fun. A pretty good early punk record.
The Who
4/5
This was clearly a very ambitious project, and pretty ahead of its time when it was released. A little lengthy, but otherwise a good album. Pinball Wizard is obviously a standout.
Janis Joplin
5/5
Janis Joplin had such a unique, electrifying voice, so glad to have gotten this album today. Some absolute classics in here. Easy 5/5 stars.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Lovely sound and lyrics throughout, albeit very short. Bonus points for having a song where they just make fun of bob dylan the entire time lol
The Vines
2/5
Meh. I liked one or two songs but the rest fell kind of flat. Too much repetition on a couple of tracks (sounded like they just needed to fill time) and an incredibly grating voice didn’t help.
While I can definitely hear the Nirvana influence, calling this band “the next Nirvana” is suchhhh a reach.
Sebadoh
4/5
This is the reason why I started this project, because I genuinely had never heard of this before, but this was such a good listen! Most of the songs had a pretty fresh sound (at least for the time I suppose) and everything flowed pretty well. Except for the end of No Way Out, not sure what was going on there…
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Enjoyable with one or two standout tracks.
Neil Young
4/5
A haunting album dealing with themes of death, grief, and loss. One of the more cohesive albums overall thus far in this project. One I plan to revisit.
2/5
Very noisy…not the worst thing I’ve heard but not particularly enjoyable either.
Bob Dylan
1/5
The more I’m subjected to Bob Dylan’s music, the more I dislike it. As much as I try to find the appeal, I simply can’t. His voice is terribly grating and I cannot get past it. His writing/lyricism also has the tendency to be too pretentious.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
The first song was pretty good, and then the rest of the tracks started to blend together and the album became kind of boring. I was going to give this a 3 because it was overall easy/pleasant to listen to, but Green Eyes was bafflingly bad and cringy. So now it’s a 2/5.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
While the lyrics are interesting (the ones I can understand, anyway) and the actual music is good, I can’t get past how grating and whiny the vocals are. The horns were an interesting touch and it was fun to listen to (for the most part), but I doubt I’ll listen much again.
Orbital
3/5
Electronic music never really resonated much with me. I never really “got” it. That being said, I thought it was cool how tracks got increasingly more intense/up tempo as the album progressed. It was relatively enjoyable to listen to, but ultimately not really my thing.
Radiohead
5/5
Cited as one of the best albums of all time for a reason. Never was super into Radiohead but this album is a classic. Incredibly beautiful, haunting, overall amazing music. Paranoid Andriod was a standout for sure.
The Gun Club
3/5
Meh. Vocals weren’t insufferable, didn’t hate the sounds, but probably won’t listen to again. Little too “pretentious Tisch student” for my liking.
Def Leppard
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Not a favorite but it was a fun listen.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Kendrick Lamar is an incredible lyricist, and this album may be his magnum opus. The elements of jazz, funk, and soul mixed with contemporary hip-hop/rap are wonderful to listen to. I would recommend this to anyone to listen to at least once for those reasons alone, as well as for the story/narrative told throughout this album.
Beatles
5/5
It’s the white album, obviously I’m giving it a 5/5
Silver Jews
2/5
I wanted to like this one, because I was excited to listen to something totally new. But it just did not click for me, at ALL. I saw a lot of praise for the lyrics but they fell pretty flat. Both the music and the vocals felt dull and honestly, kind of boring and monotonous. Pretty fitting for the dreary, rainy morning commute though.
Orange Juice
3/5
Fun, almost reggae/ska vibe? I enjoyed it enough, pretty decent discovery.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
A really strong album with some classics and truly wonderful tracks. Paul McCartney’s willingness to take risk and creativity really worked here. Strong 4-4.5
Madness
1/5
Our House is a decent enough song (only one of theirs I knew prior to today) but not enough to salvage this mess. Goofy ass circus music. Would’ve been a 2 but the brown/black face and fake Indian accent on one of the tracks was atrocious.
3/5
Unlike the other two U2 albums I’ve gotten already, there were actually a couple of songs I liked on this one! The first half of the album was, for the most part, pretty decent, but fell off and became the kind of boring and flat U2 that I’m used to in the second half. Higher rating because it isn’t as corny, bland, and unoriginal as Achtung Baby and all that you can’t leave behind, but it’s still pretty overrated.
Judas Priest
4/5
I liked this! It was fun, not too cheesy/corny, with great vocals. Really enjoyable the whole way through.
Germs
2/5
While I appreciate how novel this must have been for the time, this was not easy on my ears. A pretty tough listen.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Great storytelling and lyricism, not super my thing but I do have a lot of appreciation for the wonderful writing and vocals. Makes me miss what country music used to be before 9/11.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Definitely a darker, more morose vibe than I would expect from The Beach Boys. I really enjoyed this album.
Dr. Dre
2/5
I get that this is some sort of fundamental rap/hip-hop album, and I respect that. However, this clearly wasn’t for me, and I probably won’t listen to this again.
OutKast
3/5
Pretty good, but this was way too long and while I get its a double album, each one could have and should have easily been cut in half. If all the filler/fluff was removed, I would rate this a lot higher. I did prefer The Love Below to Speakerboxxx (although The Way You Move does fuck heavily). The hits were amazing, and some others were just meh.
Michael Jackson
4/5
A classic pop album. While there were a couple of songs that were pretty meh, this was overall a super fun listen!
The Stooges
5/5
A punk classic. Everything else (from this era, at least) pales in comparison. The actual blueprint for punk rock.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Pretty solid punk/post punk! Wasn’t loving the last track or two, but I really enjoyed this overall!
1/5
I thought Bob Dylan could not sound worse until I heard him sing for a live performance. Holy shit, few people sound worse singing live. I should not have to hear his mouth sounds right in my ear as he practically swallows the mic. An absolutely unbearable hour and a half.
Ride
4/5
Not unlike the shoegaze I’ve listened to already, I really enjoyed this! Such a great discovery, one album I’ll definitely have to revisit!
David Bowie
4/5
I enjoyed this album! Lots of elements that made this sound pretty ahead of its time. Sounds more 80s than 70s for sure. Pretty solid.
Boards of Canada
2/5
Kind of boring and didn’t really resonate with me at all. Made decent background music though I suppose.
The Beach Boys
4/5
This is a great album, with interesting production choices. Obviously more novel at the time of its release, it’s still a fun listen. God Only Knows is one of the best songs ever written, so this is a strong 4 stars.
Beatles
5/5
At the risk of sounding like a boomer/my dad, this album is the definition of a true classic. Absolutely iconic. Easy 5.
Green Day
5/5
Maybe it’s the childhood nostalgia setting in, but I’m not gonna lie, this is absolute fire. It holds up pretty well imo. If I could pick one album to define the (dubya) Bush era, this would be it. Pretty incredible album tbh.
4/5
A pretty solid album with a couple of standout tracks.
Turbonegro
3/5
A funny and overall enjoyable listen.
Steely Dan
4/5
Groovy and fun! Some of the songs dragged a little but overall great. Peg absolutely slaps.
Gram Parsons
4/5
Pretty solid, really great harmonies between Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Sympathy for the Devil is a classic, the rest of the album was alright but kind of the same blues rock sound back to back.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I love Fleetwood Mac but I had never listened to this album before. Very glad I did! It’s a little different in a lot of ways than Rumours, but a lot of their creative risks (to me) paid off. Stevie’s songs in particular stand out to me, along with the title track.
Frank Zappa
3/5
I definitely was not in the right state of mind to fully give this a fair shot today. The first half I could appreciate, but the latter half aggravated my pounding headache. Will definitely have to revisit and revise my review later on.
The KLF
2/5
Nothing special. Don’t really have much else to say about this.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
Songs range from amazing (Nick of Time) to incredibly corny (Have a Heart). Some were just kind of there, seemingly just to fill time.
Jack White
3/5
I thought this was fine, nothing too out of this world or remarkable though tbh
Supergrass
4/5
I really enjoyed this! I liked the sound a lot, happy to have discovered this!
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I really enjoyed this album, the whole sound and vibe of this album still feels fresh and not that dated. Very cool find.
Tears For Fears
4/5
A wonderful, classic 80s album. Some absolute bangers on here. Head Over Heels has been in my rotation for years. Easily one of the best of the new wave bands from this era.
Doves
3/5
Pretty generic 2000s indie. Not bad at all, but not great either.
Paul Simon
3/5
Decent, Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard is catchy, but no other real standouts.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
I’m so conflicted by this…on one hand, the actual music/instrumentals are so interesting and.ahead of its time. On the other hand, the vocals are just so bad and pretentious sounding. I don’t think I can get past the vocals tbh
Otis Redding
4/5
Wonderful voice, great covers of already great songs. I enjoyed this a lot.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
This is such a great folk rock album! I found this really enjoyable, it makes for easy listening
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Kind of grating. Why does he insist on singing like that?
Radiohead
4/5
I enjoyed OK Computer a bit more, but this is still pretty good! A bit different from most of what I’ve listened to from Radiohead, but the sound is still great. Really enjoyed Idioteque and Everything In Its Right Place in particular.
Deep Purple
3/5
Sounds ahead of its time for sure. Pretty cool, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to listen to it again.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
I can recognize that this is different and maybe ahead of its time, but it’s definitely not for me. Very odd imo
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
While the music sounds nice enough, I can’t in good conscience give an album that glorifies pedophilia anything other than a 1 star. This is fucking gross.
Rush
5/5
Wonderful album front to back. An absolute classic.
The Hives
2/5
Not terrible but nothing stood out to me. Loses a star for being a compilation/greatest hits album, which feels lazy to include in this list.
Kid Rock
1/5
This truly is the worst shit I’ve ever subjected myself to. The awful rapping, shitty autotune, and rampant misogyny and bars that only 14 year old boys would find clever was incredibly hard to get though. Not even the Eminem feature could save this steaming pile of dogshit.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Really wonderful covers, I really enjoyed this album and found it very relaxing.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Not as bad as their other album on this list, but not great by any stretch of the imagination. Loses a star for the creepy ass sing about underage girls.
Coldplay
3/5
A few pretty solid tracks, the rest of the album was nice too but didn’t stand out as much to me.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Great albums with a few classics! Short and sweet.
Television
4/5
This was such a great discovery, and felt pretty ahead of its time.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I never really cared for Springsteen’s voice, and this album is no different. Plus it was pretty boring. Not a fan.
Eagles
3/5
The singles from this album are amazing, iconic even….the rest not so much (or at all really). Earlybirds in particular was very odd and I didn’t care for that one at all. Overall decent, but not great.
Fela Kuti
4/5
This was such a cool discovery, and this guys biography was fascinating. I genuinely enjoyed the afrobeat type of music here and loved the change of pace!
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Absolutely incredible album. The pinnacle of that 90s post-grunge sound. So many wonderful songs here. The instrumentals and the composition of every song is brilliant. I absolutely loved this.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Pretty cool, would not have ever listened to this otherwise! Probably wouldn’t listen again because it’s ultimately not my thing, but I’m still glad I listened!
Johnny Cash
5/5
Undeniably great. Loved the little asides and interruptions from Johnny Cash. This album was just cool as hell.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Instant 5 stars. Such a gorgeous voice with such catchy songs, there was no way I could rate this anything other than 5 stars.
The Police
3/5
Kinda mid tbh…king of pain is good, every breath you take is a classic ofc. Other than that…eh. That Mother song was pretty weird too ngl.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
One of my favorite albums of all time. Joni’s pen is LEGENDARY and this is some of her best work. I will not be taking criticism at this time.
Queen
3/5
Not my favorite from Queen tbh. The rock opera element was cool, but their later work is definitely stronger. Still a nice listen.
David Bowie
4/5
Pretty good, I enjoyed the funk sort of style of this album.
Bee Gees
1/5
I had no idea that The Bee Gees had a pre-disco era. Apparently that’s for good reason, bc this was pretty difficult to get through. The vocals were sappy at best, and borderline unlistenable at worst. Feel like I could have died without listening to this and I would not have missed much.
Lambchop
2/5
Getting Belle & Sebastian vibes from a lot of this. Which is fine, but the vocalist is also trying to do this higher pitched voice which really does not work for him. He should’ve stuck to a lower register tbh. Also, a lot of these songs sound very similar. 2 stars.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
I really enjoyed this! Aretha truly had one of the best singing voices ever. And this album has one of the most iconic sings ever, so this is just shy of 5 stars (only bc I thought her voice really shines in Lady Soul).
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Not totally objectionable, but I really don’t think this needed to be on the list tbh.
Doves
3/5
Aggressively fine. Nothing too good or too bad, just fine.
The Specials
3/5
I enjoyed the political messaging, but I find ska incredibly irritating. 3 stars bc I’m feeling generous
Funkadelic
4/5
What a wonderful listen. I think this project is slowly making me more of a fan of funk/soul. It’s an actual crime this gem isn’t on Spotify.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Decent 90s hip hop.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Kind of obnoxious, but a bit campy and fun too. Not too keen on coming back to this one ever.
Talking Heads
4/5
A great album from one of my favorites. Life during Wartime is a classic and obviously the standout on this album.
Arcade Fire
5/5
I am an absolute sucker for indie music from this era, and this is such a great concept album from that period. This has some of the best songs from Arcade Fire imo. I absolutely loved this.
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
Never heard of this band/album before, but I enjoyed this! I really enjoy a lot of albums with this post-punk ish sound from this era. I would give this another listen for sure.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Sounds like something that would play at a swanky dinner on the upper east side. Liza Minnelli background vibes (not in a bad way). Feels sophisticated if that makes sense.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Great background music, wasn’t too exciting. Didn’t really grab my attention much.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Very comforting, and has a nostalgic vibe to it. Enjoyable, but get a little boring after a while.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Pretty funky and fun, has some solid classics throughout. A 13 minute long mostly instrumental track wasn’t too necessary though, in my opinion. Would round this up to a 4/5
The War On Drugs
2/5
One song was pretty good, but the whole album sounded like the same song 10 times. Sounds pretty, but way too monotonous for my liking.
Motörhead
2/5
I want to like this but I didn’t love the lyrics (especially those from Jailbait…ew), and Lenny’s voice just isn’t too pleasant to listen to. So, needless to say I’m a bit disappointed.
Aerosmith
2/5
Pretty underwhelming aside from the singles. A little too corny/cheesy for me.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I’ve always liked Sinatra’s voice, so this was very enjoyable to listen to! The songs, however, don’t sound all that different from each other and all kind of blend together. So not the most exciting, but pleasant nonetheless.
Pentangle
2/5
Renaissance Faire ass type of music.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
This was genuinely painful to get through. The constant shrieking was unbearable. I can’t put into words just how unpleasant of an experience listening to this album was.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Pretty solid psychedelic rock. Ran a little long, but overall enjoyable
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
This was so fun to listen to, and Cyndi Lauper has such a unique and powerful voice. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Bee Gees
2/5
This wasn’t very good at all, but it wasn’t as awful as Trafalgar, at least.
The Only Ones
2/5
Sounded pretty cool aside from the vocalist’s voice. Honestly, this would be probably 4 stars if this band had a singer that could actually sing.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
This was really fun and enjoyable to listen to. I feel like I would've enjoyed this much more if I understood the lyrics. Still, I liked this band's sound.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Most songs were enjoyable, although there were a handful that I found to be not as good or even cringy. Solid 3/5.
Gotan Project
3/5
It was some fun background music, and that’s about it!
Justice
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would! I probably wouldn’t have liked this so much had I not listened to it at the gym, which turned out to be the perfect time and place for this! I thought one or two songs could have been left out, but this was still a fun/energetic listen.
Charles Mingus
3/5
Not the biggest fan of jazz, but this was ok I guess. If nothing else, it fit with the frenetic energy of my 45-minute prep period today.
Os Mutantes
4/5
I enjoyed how wacky and whimsical this was. Not like anything I’ve heard before, which was pretty refreshing tbh.
Tom Waits
1/5
I thought I couldn’t hate anyone’s voice more than Bob Dylan’s until I listened to this. Which is a shame because some of these tracks could be pretty cool and fun to listen to if not for Tom Wait’s horrible, grating voice.
Ray Charles
3/5
This was ok, but I don’t have very strong feelings about it. Found myself getting a bit bored by the end of I’m being honest.
Dire Straits
3/5
Sounded like pretty standard dad rock to me. Nice to listen to, but aside from Sultans of Swing, nothing particularly stood out to me.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Very mellow vibes, definitely made sitting in traffic a little more peaceful. I enjoyed this quite a bit, and normally I don’t care for jazz. Didn’t love whatever scatting number was at the end of the album, though.
Deee-Lite
3/5
The only song I knew going into this was Groove is in the Heart, which I like, but it led me to expect a bit more out of this album. Other than the aforementioned track, the rest of the album kinda fell flat for me.
Bob Dylan
1/5
Just as I was beginning to think this album might be the tiniest bit bearable, Idiot Wind starts and godddddd what an absolute slog of a song. The rest of the album followed suit.
White Denim
4/5
Never heard of this prior, I enjoyed it! Fairly unique, haven’t heard a fusion like this too often, especially not from 2011. Pretty cool find.
Traffic
3/5
Don’t really have a strong opinion on this one. It was fine, but I have no desire to listen to this again.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Incredible, 2000s indie at its absolute best. Very nostalgic but not in a way that feels dated at all. This holds up incredibly well. Beautiful album.
Mariah Carey
5/5
This was amazing. Mariah’s voice is incredible and I’m fond of her lyricism. You can tell a lot of care went into making this.
Mike Ladd
2/5
I really wasn’t feeling this album at all. His style of hip hop just isn’t for me.
Various Artists
4/5
A classic. Perfect album to celebrate a very merry Christmas :)
Santana
4/5
This was a really fun album to listen to, I really enjoyed the more instrumental songs more than I normally do. Really great pick for today.
Tim Buckley
3/5
This wasn't the worst thing I’ve listened to by any means. Vocal style was interesting (not great or terrible, but definitely different), but I'm not exactly itching to listen to this again.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
There’s no reason this needs to be so long, other than self indulgence I guess. Eric Clapton ruins perfectly good songs by dragging them out way too long. Layla is a perfect example of this. It starts out so well and just devolves. This whole album is pretty much that over and over again.
David Bowie
5/5
Changes and Life on Mars are so incredible that the rest of the album could be blah and I’d still rate this high, but there’s no filler on this whatsoever. A certified classic.
Sepultura
3/5
Didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I do. Not totally for me, but I didn’t hate this and wouldn’t mind hearing this again! Don’t know much about the genre, but this sounds like pretty solid metal to me.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Way too damn long. This has like a few good songs and then the rest is kinda meh. Also the last song was???? Weird and bad. A rapid tone shift tbh. Would be lower if I didn’t like Hello It’s Me and I Saw The Light so much.
David Bowie
3/5
Not my favorite Bowie album tbh. This was just ok, I didn’t mind it but nothing stood out to me.
Massive Attack
3/5
I kinda liked most of this album, with the exception of the last track. This was fine, some interesting beats, not in a hurry to listen to it again.
Muddy Waters
4/5
I’ve never been a huge blues/jazz fan, but this kinda slapped! I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this album.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
This is a great album with some truly fresh (at the time) riffs and sounds. Loved how the album was bookended by similar songs, and I loved the cohesion. One of my favorites from Neil young I think.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
This was such a great album for going back to work for the first time in 2 weeks! Shining star is such a great intro to this album, and it was such a fun experience the whole way through!
Johnny Cash
4/5
A classic, easy 4 stars. I enjoyed the music as well as the banter throughout the album.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
This was fine. Just incredibly, incredibly mid.
Dion
3/5
Very easy listening, incredibly inoffensive. Pleasant enough to listen to tbh.
Jethro Tull
4/5
I actually didn’t mind the flutes so this was quite an enjoyable experience for me
Wilco
5/5
I loved this album! I found the lyrics to be sensitive and introspective, and the production is interesting and a joy to listen to. Though a lot of indie from this era can sound kinda same-y (some of it even a little whiny?), I think this still holds up to this day as a classic indie album.
Pulp
3/5
I really loved "Common People," and the rest of the album was fine, but nothing else really stood out too much (maybe Disco 2000). Loses a star for some weird, rapey lyrics.
Talking Heads
4/5
Great production and completely original. Once in a Lifetime is a classic, obviously. All around great record.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
It was nice background music I guess. I feel like this project is trying to make me a fan of jazz and I can’t get anything more than just passive enjoyment out of it. It’s just all kinda noisy.
The Zutons
2/5
I really didn’t care for this too much. I found the vocals a bit grating, didn’t care for the ska type of instrumentation (were the horns necessary?) and I was pretty over this album 3 songs in. Not the worst album I’ve heard, but I could have died without listening to it.
Incubus
4/5
This is perfect music for when life just sucks at the moment. The lyrics are angsty with a few glimmers of hope and optimism, and thus they really resonated with me. There were only one or two songs that wasn’t really feeling, but this was an overall great album. Idk maybe that’s lame, but I really enjoyed this album and will definitely listen again.
Coldplay
3/5
Lovely background music, but nothing really stood out to me.
Method Man
3/5
This sounded like pretty solid rap, with some good rhymes/bars. Not really my thing though.
Adele
2/5
This album was frustrating for me to listen to, because as talented as Adele is, her music lately is just SO dull and not compelling to me. I enjoyed 21 (though that might have more to do with my associations with it), but many songs from 25 fell flat for me, or were a bit irritating (the chorus of Send my Love has always irked me).
Gorillaz
3/5
Interesting concept and very fresh for the time. Good but not polished.
The B-52's
5/5
One of the most fun and interesting listening experiences I’ve had since the start of this project. This is just on the cusp between a 4 and a 5 for me. I loved how wonderfully weird this is. Truly an innovative and novel album, will definitely be in my regular rotation going forward.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Pretty much what I think of when I think of psychedelic rock. A little long but I enjoyed it overall.
3/5
Pretty eclectic and fun. A bit too campy and (for lack of a better term) too much at times.
Miles Davis
3/5
Sounded very pretty, but I just can’t get on the jazz train. For a genre I don’t care for, this sounds pretty good I guess?
Barry Adamson
2/5
Points for originality, but the concept really fell flat for me. Boring and not really all that intriguing in practice.
1/5
Pretty weird and off putting with some of the dumbest lyrics I’ve ever heard in my life. I never want to hear this again.
R.E.M.
4/5
Pretty solid album that has held up pretty well over almost 40 years. I only knew the two hits prior to today but the rest of the album was really good as well!
XTC
2/5
While this wasn't as shitty and stupid as their other album, I still didn't find this too interesting or compelling at all. Or all that good, for that matter.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Solid blues album. Thought some songs dragged on a bit too long.
Stereolab
3/5
I found a lot of elements here very interesting and different, but not enough to really want to engage with this much more.
Dire Straits
4/5
Great singles (f slur notwithstanding [like I get the context but it was still jarring]), and not quite as great filler. Solid listen!
Fiona Apple
5/5
Absolutely incredible. Fiona’s voice is incredible and her songwriting is unmatched. This isn’t even her strongest or best album and it’s still an easy 5 stars.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
A pretty good listen, but they were killing me with the 20 minute songs .
Willie Nelson
4/5
Now this is what I’m talking about when I say I like *some* country music. Great writing/storytelling, and great vocals. Willie Nelson’s voice has always been so soothing to me. Lovely album.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
I like Tom Petty, but the fact that this is the one and ONLY album of his on this list bothers me. I’d expect someone with such a prolific catalog to have more than their debut album on this list (considering that there’s THREE godforsaken Kings of Leon albums here…).
Anyway, there’s great singles on this, but I feel this lacks the polish and the power of other albums of his. I’d rate this a 3.5, rounding up to 4.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Iconic, a little long but pretty much every song was great (a few skips ngl). Loved the features and the overall vibe of this.
Mekons
2/5
This was really not good at all. That’s kind of all I have to say about this.
Nirvana
5/5
Absolutely incredible, one of the best live albums ever. Nirvana really shines through an acoustic arrangement like in Unplugged. Where Did You Sleep Last Night is hauntingly beautiful, so glad I got this album today.
Lorde
4/5
This came out when I was in college and it had my corner of twitter and tumblr in an absolute chokehold. Really good and super nostalgic for me.
Sabu
3/5
This was kinda fun, whole album was just giving me the vibe of this emoji: 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I don’t think it’s possible to be in a bad mood while listening to this album. This whole work is just so full of passion and joy that it’s infectious. Just so uplifting and lovely.
R.E.M.
4/5
Really solid album, great music and great lyrics that I feel I need a couple more listens of to properly ponder.
Stereo MC's
3/5
This was fine enough, but pretty unremarkable and I definitely could have died without having heard this.
Norah Jones
4/5
Sooooo relaxing, so nostalgic, and so peaceful. It’s nice to have some music you can just relax to.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Solid singles, overall pretty solid album.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Didn’t care for this, sounded like a cheap muddy waters rip-off. Plus I can’t stand Eric Clapton so that certainly didn’t help.
Jamiroquai
4/5
I enjoyed the funky, jazzy tone of this album. I thought this was pretty fun to listen to. Some interesting instrumentation throughout made this all the more enjoyable.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Really fun, cohesive, and consistently upbeat.
David Bowie
3/5
I think I like the imagery of this album more than the album itself. Wasn’t bad, just didn’t quite live up to this vibe for me.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Inoffensive to the point of being a bit boring.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Repetitive and annoying.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Great rhymes and flow I guess, but the skits and the sexism soured this for me.
Sepultura
4/5
Really enjoyed the music and the interesting techniques and sounds from indigenous Brazilian music. A great work of art.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Meh. Really don’t believe I needed to hear this before I die.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Really fun, enjoyed the dramatic, almost operatic vibe.
Robbie Williams
3/5
A fine pop album I guess, but truly nothing really special about it. Maybe this would mean more to me if I was British, but alas!
Depeche Mode
4/5
I really enjoyed listening to this! Doesn’t sound as dated or as stale as other new wave music from that era.
Madonna
3/5
A couple good, catchy hits, and rest just kinda flopped.
Beatles
4/5
A classic for me. More songs that were just ok than I remember, but a good amount of great songs.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
I liked this album a lot. Really odd and weird but in a fun, well executed way.
Brian Eno
2/5
Wasn’t really feeling this at all.
Nick Drake
3/5
Very nice, mellow sound. Not my favorite, but pleasant to listen to.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
As far as the the endless new wave in this list goes, this wasn’t too bad I guess.
The Avalanches
2/5
I enjoyed the production, not so much the repetitive samples. They got old very quickly for me. I appreciated the seamless transitions between songs, though, but overall I didn't enjoy this too much.
Stan Getz
4/5
This project has made me aware of the bossa nova genre, which I’m very grateful for. This was so mellow and soothing, very nice to have on in the background.
Pixies
4/5
This is a great album, an awesome follow up to Surfer Rosa and Doolittle
Spiritualized
4/5
This was a lovely discovery, exactly why I started this project in the first place! I thoroughly enjoyed every track, would definitely give another listen.
Sigur Rós
2/5
A slog to get through, pretty boring.
Kanye West
4/5
As much as I wanted to not like this album, I can’t deny that the production is incredible. Some incredible verses even if many of the people involved are absolute garbage. Reluctantly I must say that I really enjoyed this and I do, unfortunately, get the hype.
T. Rex
3/5
Definitely getting Bowie vibes from this. Pretty good songs on their own, but not too exciting or standout as an album.
Paul McCartney
3/5
Pretty mid with the exception of Maybe I’m Amazed. For a Paul McCartney album, I didn’t find it too interesting. Nice background music though.
50 Cent
3/5
I’ve listened to way too many suburban white boys try to look hard by listening to this around when this was released to have a true unbiased opinion of this. Some classics, but just not my favorite style of music.
Metallica
5/5
Really loved the lyrical themes and the technical skill throughout this album. Both are excellent, this album is acclaimed for a reason. Loved this.
JAY Z
2/5
This was a chore to get through, being that I don’t care for Jay-Z or his corny ass lyrics. The beats and sampling were fine, though.
Manu Chao
3/5
Like how seamlessly the tracks ran together. Dislike the weird high pitched noise that appeared in almost every single track.
Kanye West
4/5
I don’t care for Kanye at all, but this was pretty great, I can’t even lie.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
This was very pleasant, easy listening. Great to have on in the background while working. I have a newfound appreciation for traditional Indian instruments and musical traditions.
Mylo
2/5
A few songs were decent, but I found that a majority of them were annoying and repetitive. And I fell asleep while listening to it.
Sonic Youth
4/5
First half was definitely much stronger than the second, but overall a fun listen.
Dolly Parton
4/5
A little one note, but still lovely. This album being so short helps, any longer and I’d have gotten bored. Dolly is so pure of heart and it shows in her music.
The Crusaders
3/5
Pleasant, easy listening.
The Auteurs
1/5
Pretentious with no real reason to be. The singing was irritating and wasn’t doing it for me at all. And reading more about this bands lead singer just makes me go from a passive dislike of this to more of a feeling of hatred. I never need to hear this bullshit again.
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
Slow, kind of boring jazz. Inoffensive. Don’t need to hear again.
Nina Simone
3/5
I like Nina Simone and all, but this was just ok.
The Streets
1/5
Oh hell nah…why on gods green earth would anyone want or need to hear this?? Complete dogshit. British people shouldn’t be allowed to rap.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
A little weird, but not terrible. Not terribly unique though either.
ABBA
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot! It’s just so fun and lively, hard to be in a bad mood with this album playing.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Just banger after banger after banger. Incredible run of tracks from thriller to PYT. A true classic.
Magazine
4/5
Better than I expected tbh, I was pleasantly surprised!
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Mostly pretty good, but losing a star for that date rape song.
Steely Dan
4/5
Really enjoyed this, very chill and great vibes overall.
Love
3/5
Pretty standard psychedelic rock, nothing too unique or outstanding tbh.