214
Albums Rated
3.44
Average Rating
20%
Complete
875 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2000
Favorite Decade
Folk
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
28
5-Star Albums
8
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
|
5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
|
NEU! 75
Neu!
|
5 | 3.09 | +1.91 |
|
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Achtung Baby
U2
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Sea Change
Beck
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
|
5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
|
Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
|
5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
School's Out
Alice Cooper
|
1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
|
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
Among The Living
Anthrax
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Roots
Sepultura
|
1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
|
1999
Prince
|
2 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
|
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
|
1 | 2.46 | -1.46 |
|
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
|
2 | 3.45 | -1.45 |
|
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
|
2 | 3.39 | -1.39 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| David Bowie | 3 | 5 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Smiths | 2 | 5 |
| Beck | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Purple | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 1, 5 |
5-Star Albums (28)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Lauryn Hill · 2 likes
4/5
Great album. Nice mix of hip hop, r&b, and soul. Lauryn has a great voice and delivery. Every song is good. I could do without the skit interludes attached to end of most songs - I don’t want to hear that in a shuffle - would be nice if those were separate tracks. Favorite tracks include Ex-Factor, Doo Wop, When It Hurts So Bad, Nothing Even Matters, Everything is Everything, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Tell Him.
Solomon Burke · 1 likes
3/5
Motown sound. Burke has a powerful voice, and some of the songs really showcase how emotive he can be. There’s definitely some late 50’s/early 60’s garbage pop songs here too. The notables are Cry To Me, Goodbye Baby, If You Need Me, Someone To Love Me, He’ll Have To Go.
Tom Waits · 1 likes
4/5
Cool album. It’s recorded as if its live in a jazz club even though it is a studio. Makes for an enjoyable straight through listen. Really captures an atmosphere. This is from his crooner period. Notables tracks include most of the non-intros for regular listening purposes.
Beck · 1 likes
5/5
Can’t find a fault with this album. Every song is good. I like the mix of classic Beck sounds mixed with post Sea Change instrumentations.
1-Star Albums (8)
All Ratings
Talking Heads
4/5
Very experimental with instrumentation already on this album which is their debut. Very funk sounding guitars and syncopation. Lyrics don’t seem as heightened as Byrne will become as a lyricist but the themes are still present. Musically the album has a stripped back sound, even with the experimental instrumentation the album doesn’t feel over produced, but almost diy it lofi in character. Reminds me of David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane album. Psycho Killer is the hit on this album. Other notables include Uh Oh Love Comes To Town, No Compassion, The Book I Read, First Week/Last Week, and Pulled Up.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Quintessential 80’s synth/power pop. Major chord sounds. Energetic. Displays Cyndi Lauper’s tremendous vocals. Some of the songs that would otherwise be very good suffer from too much synth over production - see All Through The Night and Witness. Girls Just Want To Have Fun is the smash hit as well as Time After Time. Other notables include Money Changes Everything and She Bop.
Fugazi
4/5
DS-1/Big Muff powered, grungy, hard alt rock. Vocal delivery derived more from punk rock presentation as opposed to more melodic vocal styles of popular grunge and alt rock bands of the late eighties/early nineties. Turnover is a strong start to the album. Repeater (the song) reminds of Rage Against The Machine, although several years earlier. Tom Morello definitely heard this song. Other notables include Brendan #1, Merchandise, Blueprint, Two Beats Off, and Shut The Door. Honestly the whole album is pretty good, not a bad song really - probably helped by the fact that some songs are only a couple minutes long and lead into one another well. Really enjoyed this one.
Green Day
5/5
Real banger here. One of my favorites from the early nineties. Every song is good. This is an excellent start to finish listen. Pop-punk masterpiece. Welcome to Paradise, When I Come Around, and Basket Case were all huge hit singles. My other favorites include Burnout, Longview, Sassafras Roots, F.O.D. Again, every song is good and this is a great album to listen straight through.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Stir It Up is the hit on this album. Filled with songs I hadn’t heard before. Definitely has a familiar Bob Marley sound and songwriting themes. Many songs feel a bit repetitive. Besides Stir It Up no other songs really stand out. The album is an easy listen, but not a lot of stellar songs. Not the first Bob Marley album I’d introduce a new listener to.
Blur
3/5
Song 2 is the hit of the album. Huge late nineties hit. The first half of the album has that late nineties alt/indie pop rock sound - a notable shift from the early to mid nineties as we transition into more Britpop influenced radio songs. The second half of the album is a little harder sounding - more like Godsmack-ish - heavier distortion effects on guitar, more use of noise. There’s a lot of influences on this album - Sex Pistols, Oasis, Velvet Underground/Lou Reed all come to mind. Other notables include Country Sad Ballad Man, Death of a Party, Look Inside America, Movin’ On.
Black Sabbath
4/5
5 songs, including some multi-part long sets. Black Sabbath is the hit, The Wizard I was also familiar with. Interestingly they released a second album this same year, Paranoid, featuring many of their biggest hits. This had to be shockingly different from anything releasing at the time, 1970. Apparently the album was critically panned, but very commercially successful. Considered to be the first heavy metal album. Beside Black Sabbath and The Wizard the only other radio length song (although Black Sabbath is >6 minutes) is Wicked World. The guitar tones are excellent and Tommy Iommi shines throughout along with Ozzy’s powerful vocal ability. Led Zeppelin influence possibly - they were contemporary so hard to say but this is some overlap with Zeppelin’s harder songs. Not surprising considering these tones were achieved mostly with the same gear - super cranked Marshall amps (because Fender amps were not available in the UK - an interesting history in the tones coming out of the UK in this period) and Les Paul guitars. Solid album.
ZZ Top
3/5
Chugging kind of hard clipping overdrive is the predominant tone. Several hits on the album including Gimme All Your Lovin’, Got Me Under Pressure, Sharp Dressed Man, and Legs. Lyrically pretty shallow material. Feels like a cross between southern rock and Van Halen tonally. 80’s upped with synths and big reverb. Otherwise, very bluesy and a bit repetitive. Other notable songs include I Need You Tonight.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Early 70’s R&B with some funk thrown in too. That Lady is the biggest hit from the album. Some of the funkier songs feature heavy use of phaser and/or envelope filter style guitar effects. The lead singer is good. He’s not Marvin Gaye or Al Green, but he’s solid. There’s some Temptations influence for sure. Pretty much think of the post-Motown Temptations, KC and the Sunshine Band, Grand Funk, Curtis Mayfield - the Isley Brothers are minding of touching all of those sounds. Other notable songs include Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, You Walk Your Way, What It Comes Down To, Summer Breeze, The Highways of My Life and the Sunshine (Go Away) (SQ-Quad Mix). A lot of the remixes at the end of the album are better than the original recordings.
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
Enjoyable listen. All in French. Apparently the album is about a middle aged man in love with a 14 year old girl? Probably doesn’t land as hard today lol. The sound of the album is great and singer has an entertaining delivery. Parts of the album felt like they could be a Radiohead song even. I enjoyed the whole album, would have to listen through it again to pick any particular songs, but they do all flow easily into each other.
Steely Dan
2/5
Has that early 70’s easy listening vibe, think Eagles or Jackson Browne of the era. Chicago may be the best comparison - bigger band with horns, piano driven etc. Has some 70’s colloquial language in the lyrics that feels corny today. Honestly I think all the lyrics are pretty saccharine. I’m not sure why this album would be in the list, it doesn’t feel special to me. Ricki Don’t Lose That Number is the hit in the album. Other notables include Parker’s Band - only due to the guitar solo at the beginning.
Paul Simon
5/5
Paul Simon is an all time great songwriter, so this album is a treat. Graceland, Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Feet, and You Can Call Me Al are some of my favorite Paul Simon tracks. Just listen to any Paul Simon you can - a master of lyrics and tempo. Other notables from the album include The Boy In The Bubble, I Know What I Know…at this point I’m just going to list every song on the album. The whole album is great. Every song is great. This is the kind of album that makes you thankful to be alive and in awe of human creativity.
Goldie
3/5
Nice music to listen to while working. Reminds me of the YouTube lofi music craze of today. Has some R&B vibes and obviously electronica. Reminded of some Radiohead productions. Inner City Life makes me think of Flight of the Conchords. Notable songs include Saint Angel, State of Mind, This Is A Bad, Sea Of Tears, A Sense Of Rage, Adrift, You And Me.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Billy’s voice and vocal delivery remind me of Elvis Costello. Has a modern folk rock/alternative sound that I appreciate. Some of the songs are political commentary in nature, but the lyrics are a little too on the nose to be inspirational - they come across as a little trite. The album also contains covers of old folk songs. Notable songs include Greetings to the New Brunette, Levi Stubbs’ Tears, Sin City, Deportees, The Tracks of My Tears, A Nurse’s Life is Full of Woe.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Very Beatles-y. Ranges from 70s pop - think Neil Diamond - to pretty straight blues. Again, stays very Beatles-y throughout. Nilsson has a very nice voice and delivery. Coconut is the only song I was really familiar with due to its use in liquor ads recently, although that usage doesn’t do the song justice. Without You is the hit from the album - I can hear Paul McCartney performing this ha. Other notables include Gotta Get Up, Driving Along, Early in the Morning, Coconut, Let The Good Times Roll, Jump Into The Fire.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Stevie Nicks is one of the most expressive vocalists of her generation. I gravitate immediately to every song she’s the lead on, the other songs not so much. A lot of the songs have a Fleetwood Mac sound, there’s some that feel almost like a song the Band would produce. Notable songs include Over And Over, Sara, What Makes You Think You’re The One, Storms, Sisters of the Moon, Angel, Brown Eyes, I Know I’m Not Wrong, Hi Honey, Beautiful Child, Walk A Thin Line, Never Forget.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
5/5
New Wave sounds. Reminds of other bands like The The, The Smiths, New Order. Great arrangements, feels big but not over-produced - meaning the production makes sense, there’s nothing jarring. I need to give another listen to pick out particularly notable songs from the album, but I enjoyed two full play throughs. One of my top genres, so I’m excited to find this album for this first time!
Television
5/5
Great album. I wasn’t super familiar with Television, but this inspired a deeper dive. Every song is good. Probably closest to define the album as Punk based on the vocal delivery, riffs and hooks in a lot songs harkening back to 50’s and 60’s rock, but the album is even more than that. My favorite songs from the album are Venus, Marquee Moon, Elevation, and Guiding Light, but again every song is good.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Classic blues rock. Guitar has a horn-like quality on some songs and I’m not sure how it was achieved, but is probably just a cranked amp and a vintage Les Paul. Definitely an album that SRV listened to on repeat. Kind of amazing recording for being a live album from 1971. Really good album. My favorite songs from the album are Stormy Monday and Whipping Post.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Purely digital music. Reminds of Kanye West mixed with Dr. Dre. Lyrically more advanced. Really interesting concept album about gang violence, black poverty, material success fantasy - has a point of view and the lyrics and rhythms work well to advance the themes. Notables include Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe, The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees, good kid, m.A.A.d city, Swimming Pools (Drank), Sing About Me I’m Dying of Thirst, Compton.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Great album. Contains most of their biggest hits. Really displays the mix of talents and perspectives of the four members. Ranges from soft and sweet folk harmonies to Young fueled heavy blues guitar rock. Hit songs include Carry On, Teach Your Children, Helpless, Woodstock, Our House. Other notables include Almost Cut My Hair (for classic Young guitar).
Sparks
2/5
Very theatrical, especially in the vocal delivery. Makes me think of Rocky Horror Picture Show for some reason. Musically interesting, but a lot of songs don’t land for me at all. There’s definitely some David Bowie influence here. Would I seek any of these songs out? No, not really.
Nirvana
5/5
Definitely one of my top albums from this decade, possibly all time for me. Every song is good whether a cover or a Nirvana original. Most of the Nirvana originals actually hit harder for me in this presentation than the original release album versions. Hard to pick favorites here, every song is worth consideration. Of the covers Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam and Man Who Sold The World really stand out.
The Stooges
4/5
Good album, interesting production - it has a live album feel even though it’s in studio. It’s like the Rolling Stones turned up a notch or two on the hardness scale. Iggy has a real Mick Jagger vibe at times. Down The Street, Loose, and Dirt are all great. All the songs are listenable, but the three mentioned above stand out to me.
The Mars Volta
2/5
Modern prog rock? I like Rush as much as the next guy, but this sounds a lot more like 80’s heavy metal guitar tones. Honestly not my thing. I don’t particularly enjoy the vocal delivery either. I’m not saying it’s objectively bad, this just isn’t for me. All the songs sound samey to me as well - hard to distinguish from each other because they all have the same energy. Kind of has that early 2000’s emo vibe. Would I listen to any of these songs again? No, probably not.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Great album. The first four songs are real bangers. The whole album is a good listen and has plenty to offer at 16 tracks. The Suburbs, Ready to Start, Modern Man, Rococo, City With No Children, Suburban War, Month of May, Wasted Hours, We Used to Wait are my favorites.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Industrial alt rock. Dissonant. Schizophrenia, Catholic Block, Pipeline/Kill Time, Tuff Gnarl, Cotton Crown sounds the best to me. Pretty good album, clearly influential to a lot of bands that would come after.
James Brown
3/5
Interesting live album kind of shows off James Brown’s vocal chops and showmanship. The last three tracks are the only real song length takes in the album, the rest of the album is kind of live show filler type material. I’d rather just listen to a studio album.
The Offspring
3/5
Has more in common with Metallica than the Sex Pistols, Ramones, or the Clash. Motörhead comes to mind. Has that hard chugging guitar riff sound. Gotta Get Away, Come Out And Play, and Self Esteem were all big hits, especially the latter. Something To Believe In, It’ll Be A Long Time are ok songs. Generally, the lyrics are pretty sparse and trite for most songs. Self Esteem and Come Out And Play are kind of outliers in that way.
Radiohead
5/5
Great album. I was less familiar with the b sides on this album than any of their other albums after this, so it was a good opportunity to dive in. This feels kind of like the first “real” Radiohead album. Planet Telex, The Bends, High And Dry, and Fake Plastic Trees start the album off with a bang. Other notables have include Just, My Iron Lung, Black Star and Street Spirit(Fade Out). Every song is good and the album is a great straight through listen.
Def Leppard
2/5
Glam Rock/Hair Metal. This is what Spinal Tap is spoofing. One of the worst crimes perpetrated by the music industry in the 1980’s? Probably not the worst, but it’s up there. The lyrics have no coherent purpose, they’re as shallow as you can get. The music is energetic - I could see some of these songs on a workout playlist. The songs are super overproduced, the vocals are mostly indecipherable, the singer’s voice is not my cup of tea. Notable songs include Animal, Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Hysteria, Love and Affection.
The Cramps
2/5
Punk Rock that has a rockabilly vibe. Every song on the album pretty much sounds the same. The lyrics are sparse and fairly trite. The singer’s voice has an affectation that makes it seem theatrical in a way. Fever is ok, the rest of the songs didn’t really do much for me.
Marty Robbins
2/5
A mix of Texas Swing and the worst of 40s and 50s pre-rock n roll pop music. Marty has a great voice and that helps carry some otherwise truly horrible songs - saccharine, little doggy in the window type stuff. Still connected to folk music traditions of storytelling through song. Also, from a time when all things were regional. Notable songs include Big Iron, The Master’s Call, El Paso.
Magazine
3/5
Very Punk sounding but explores more production and instrumentation. Some places refer to this album as New Wave - I’d say it bridges a gap between 70’s Punk and 80’s New Wave. Notable songs include My Tulpa, Shot By Both Sides, Burst, Motorcade, The Light Pours Out of Me.
Hot Chip
4/5
Electronic music - all the instrumentation sounds digital. Has a nice upbeat energy throughout most of the album. Pleasant and fun to listen to in the background. I enjoyed the album. Notable songs include Motion Sickness, How Do You Do, Don’t Deny Your Heart, Look At Where We Are, Flutes, Now There Is Nothing, Let Me Be Him, Always Been Your Love.
The Strokes
5/5
Debut album from The Strokes. Great album. Has a driving alt/indie guitar sound and interesting lofi vocal filter. All the songs are good. Enjoyed a straight through listen. Favorite songs The Modern Age, Soma, Barely Legal, Someday, Last Nite, Hard to Explain.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Great album. Born in the USA, Cover Me, I’m on Fire, No Surrender, Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark, My Hometown are my favorites from the album. Solid listen through - most songs are great, everything is listenable.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Motown sound. Burke has a powerful voice, and some of the songs really showcase how emotive he can be. There’s definitely some late 50’s/early 60’s garbage pop songs here too. The notables are Cry To Me, Goodbye Baby, If You Need Me, Someone To Love Me, He’ll Have To Go.
Oasis
4/5
Early 90’s indie/alt rock. Theres a bit of a punk sensibility mixed in here too with the vocal delivery at times and the call backs to classic 60’s rock. Notables songs include Rock N Roll Star, Live Forever, Up in the Sky, Columbia, Supersonic, Cigarettes and Alcohol, Slide Away, Married With Children.
Otis Redding
4/5
Classic Otis Redding album. He did write a few of these tracks, the others are popular R&B covers (except the Stones song). Displays his powerful and emotive voice. One of the best R&B singers of his era. The room reverb on albums of this era really adds to the overall sound. Notables songs include Change Gonna Come, Down In The Valley, I’ve Been Loving You Too Long, My Girl, You Don’t Miss Your Water.
Richard Hawley
4/5
Hawley has a very smooth, low voice that sounds great. This sounds like a pop album from the 60’s - think Burt Bacharach or even Neil Diamond or Tom Jones. Notable songs include Cole’s Corner, Just Like The Rain, The Ocean, I Sleep Alone.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Folk/Folk Rock. Lead singer Has kind of a Janis Joplin mixed with Joan Baez sound. The band as a whole has kind of a Byrds or CSNY feel. Enjoyable album. There’s a couple Dylan covers here. Notable songs include Who Knows Where The Time Goes, Dear Landlord, The Ballad of Easy Rider.
Barry Adamson
4/5
Kind of a contemporary jazz album? Enjoyable listen. Apparently conceived as a concept album for a film. Notable songs include Set The Controls For The Heart of the Pelvis, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Vibes Ain’t Nothing But The Vibes, Miles, The Big Bamboozle, The Sweetest Embrace.
John Lennon
4/5
Great album, one his best post-Beatles efforts. Imagine, Jealous Guy, Gimme Some Truth, Oh Yoko are big hits. Other notable songs include Crippled Inside, Oh My Love, How.
5/5
Famous live performance, especially since the Martin Scorsese documentary. Dylan is commanding on the microphone. He hammers the harmonica in the acoustic set with abandon. Interesting concession on this European tour where he did the first half of the show acoustic and the second half electric with backing band (the Hawks who would go on to become the Band). It’s a good live performance. Pretty much all of these songs are Dylan classics.
Tina Turner
3/5
Has a lot of 80’s overproduction that at times interferes with the vocal delivery. Huge hall reverbs dominate everything. What’s Love Got To Do With It is the huge hit from the album. Album also has Private Dancer, Let’s Stay Together, and Better Be Good To Me which are well known songs. Other notables include Steel Claw and Rock N Roll Widow.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Great album full of some of their best songs. The album has the energy of a first album - it has desperation in the delivery. Tuesday’s Gone, Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man, and Free Bird are all classics. I Ain’t The One, Things Goin On, Mississippi Kid, and Poison Whiskey aren’t at the same level, but they are solid songs, well recorded and entertaining.
D'Angelo
3/5
Early-mid nineties R&B music. Kind of has an Usher vibe - pretty similar to that 90’s r&b sound - Boyz II Men comes to mind too. Brown Sugar, Me and Those Dreamin Eyes of Mine, Lady, Higher are probably my favorites.
U2
4/5
U2’s breakthrough album. The overall sound and guitar work are great - Edge is already a master at using ambient reverbs and stacking guitar parts in an engaging way. Bono has an incredible voice. The album sounds rich and full without sounding overproduced and without any of the instrumentation crowding other parts out. Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year’s Day, Two Hearts Beat As One, and Surrender are probably the best songs on the album. Other notables include Like A Song and 40.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Shoegaze from the source. Heavy, rhythmic fuzz driving the melodies. The vocal mix is quiet, it sits underneath the fuzz-fueled guitar rhythm. The album is really enjoyable to listen to straight through, each songs blends naturally into the next. Favorites include Only Shallow, Loomer, When You Sleep, I Only Said, Come In Alone, Sometimes, What You Want, Soon. Enjoyable listen.
Beatles
4/5
Interesting album. I find a lot of Beatles albums lack cohesiveness or have big ups and downs as far as material goes and that is definitely the case here. On the other hand, it’s because they continually experimented with music and production in the studio. I’ll leave it up to you whether that makes for a good or bad album experience. Several hits on this one including Back in the USSR, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Blackbird, Birthday, Helter Skelter, Long Long Long, Revolution 1.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Electronic music. Has a good vibe, easy to listen to while driving or doing any activity. The first track reminds me of an underwater scene, maybe even underwater Mario levels for some reason. I enjoyed the listen. Good to listen straight through as the tracks are like movements in one piece of music. I wasn’t familiar with this artist at all, but he’s apparently quite famous and pioneering in this genre. This is one of the best things of the 1001 albums list - finding gems like this that I would never have come across on my own.
3/5
I’m not a person who would have thought that Blur had two albums on this list - mostly because I’m unfamiliar with any of their work besides the eponymous 1997 album featuring Song 2. This album sounds more British if that makes sense - it seems made for that audience. Not unenjoyable as a whole - some songs are fairly pedestrian, but there are several worthwhile tracks. The melodies are good, the overall sound of alt rock distortion is there. Theres a lot of tremolo. Notable songs include Advert, Blue Jeans, Chemical World, Miss America, Resigned.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Dolly has a great voice and it shows on these songs. Having said that, the album is pretty samey - there’s a lot of steel guitar and fiddle going on. A lot of the songs are even in the same key and most are pretty simple 1-4-5 structures. Notables include Coat of Many Colors, My Blue Tears, The Way I See You, Here I Am.
Justice
4/5
Electronic music, reminds a lot of Daft Punk. Enjoyable listen. Favorites include Genesis, DANCE, Phantom II, The Party, DVNO, One Minute To Midnight.
Grateful Dead
2/5
I’m a big fan of the Grateful Dead. Do I need a 23 minute long version of Dark Star with several minutes of droning feedback in the middle? No. I understand the point of freeform improvisation, but an album delivers a song in a clear and concise way that gets the point across. Generally that’s my preference as a listener. There’s no song in here that I would rather listen to over the studio recording.
Röyksopp
3/5
Electronic dance/pop music. I enjoyed the album overall. Favorite songs were Sparks, In Space, Remind Me.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Fun hip hop with catchy hooks. I enjoy the delivery of the main vocalists. Lyrical content is good, not super trite the way a lot of rap/hip hop of the era was directed. Notable tracks are Freedom, If Only You Knew, Break, A Day At The Races, What’s Golden, Thin Line, High Fidelity, Sum of Us, Hey.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
Hip-hop with electronic music vibes. Solid delivery, good hooks and riffs. Seems to be a concept album about the character Dr Octagon - an alien gynecologist? Kind of humorous lyrically. Makes me think of MC Chris and MC Frontalot as well. Definitely some Beastie Boys influence. Also reminds of early Beck. Notable tracks include 3000, Earth Power, Bear Witness, Dr Octagon, Girl Let Me Touch You, Wild And Crazy, Blue Flowers (Revisited).
Duran Duran
3/5
Dance/Pop/New Wave - kind of hitting all these genres. There’s a lot of synthesizers chirping in the background of these songs - sometimes it’s additive, sometimes subtractive. Rio, Hungry Like The Wolf, Save A Prayer are hits off this album. Other notables include My Own Way, Last Chance on the Stairway.
Fats Domino
3/5
Boogie/Do-wop/50’s big band pop music. Not a lot of original content here. Bob Dylan hadn’t happened yet, so the musical landscape was a real mixed bag in the 50’s. Most songs are hitting around the 2 minute mark. I don’t know that any of these are real standouts. Some ok background music.
Doves
3/5
Indie rock with a pop sensibility. Nice use of guitar delay and reverb to create ambient soundscapes. Notable songs include Words, There Goes The Fear, N.Y., Last Broadcast. Easy to get lost to while listening.
Pink Floyd
1/5
I’m guessing this album is here because of the experimental recording techniques used to produce it. If I was being harsh I’d say there’s really no other conceivable reason. This album bears somewhat little resemblance to the post-Barret Pink Floyd led by Roger Waters and David Gilmour. The album ranges from full of experimental psychedelic rambling songs to Donovan-esque British folk inspired songs.
Burning Spear
3/5
Standard reggae fare of the period, but pretty enjoyable. Lead vocalist has a nice delivery and strong voice. If you’re familiar with Bob Marley, this has the same vibe. Notable songs include Marcus Garvey, Slavery Days, Old Marcus Garvey, Tradition.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Upbeat, pleasant Cuban music. Bossa nova style. Enjoyable listen. Nice to have on in the background. I enjoyed pretty much every song on the album. Would I seek this out for casual listening? No, it’s not in my preferred genres, but I do think it’s worth listening to and enjoying.
Miles Davis
4/5
If peeing your pants is cool… Great cool jazz album. I didn’t realize this was a compilation album out together by Capitol Records from multiple sessions Miles Davis recorded over the course of a year or so. My favorites tracks are Move, Jeru, Venus de Milo, Budo, Boplicity. Every song is good though, and this album is a great straight through listen.
Fugees
4/5
Hip hop with a mix a musical genres and sampling. Lyrics are good and all vocalists have a good delivery and flow. Lot of mid 90’s political commentary mixed in here, so if you’re from that decade it’s kind of a nice hit to get. Favorites include Ready or Not, Zealots, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song, Manifest/Outro.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Joan has a great, strong voice. Her voice makes me sometimes think of Janis Joplin, sometimes Tracey Chapman, sometimes Brittany Howard. At times this album sounds like it’s from the mid 90’s not the mid 70’s. Favorite songs include Down to Zero, Help Yourself, Love and Affection, Save Me. All of the songs are enjoyable and the album is a good straight through listen. The second half of the album is definitely more 70’s grounded with a lot of funk styling.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Fun, energetic electronic album. Favorites include Sonf for Lindy, Santa Cruz, Going Out of My Head. Enjoyable listen, the second half of the album starts a slightly different vibe with more repeated, rhythmic electronic beeps and bops.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
Main vocalist (Stephin Merritt I think) has a nice deep voice. There are several other vocalists mixed throughout. Musically the album is indie popish/British folk rock/country adjacent. I dig it. Songs range lyrically from more serious love songs and concepts to humorous. There are 69 tracks in this album so strap in. Having said that, none of the songs overstay their welcome - most tracks are under 3 minutes. Notable tracks include I Don’t Believe in the Sun, All My Little Words, A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off, I Don’t Want to Get Over You, I Think I Need A New Heart, The Book of Love, Grand Canyon, No One Will Ever Love You, World Love, Epitaph for My Heart, Asleep and Dreaming, The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure, I Can’t Touch You Anymore.
CHIC
3/5
Disco. Le Freak, I Want Your Love, and Chic Cheer are all hits of the era. This is classic disco music - syncopated rhythms, funk sensibilities. Savoir Faire is a nice instrumental guitar piece. Niles Rodgers brings a lot to the table on this album. Other notables include Happy Man.
David Bowie
5/5
Stellar. Hunky Dory is the beginning of a 12-13 year period for Bowie that is as good as any artist’s pinnacle. Listen straight through, every song is good. There are obvious huge hits on this album, but don’t sleep on the non-singles - everything here is worth your time. Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Eight Line Poem, Life on Mars?, Quicksand, Queen Bitch, The Bewlay Brothers are my favorites.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Mix of mostly rock and jazz influences. Has a familiar sounding voice that’s smooth. Musically the compositions are good. 6 tracks, most of which are 5 - 10 minutes in length. Lyrically somewhat sparse songwriting style. Not groundbreaking lyrically. Notable tracks include Buzzin’ Fly, Love From Room 109, Dream Letter.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Fun glam rock album. Only song I didn’t care for was the Comfortably Numb cover, otherwise, I enjoyed the rest of the album. Humorous, sexual lyrics. Again, a fun listen.
Beatles
4/5
Pretty solid overall album from the Beatles. Still has some of their early 60’s feel, but it’s mixed with a slightly changing direction as they move to the mid to late 60’s sound and experimentation. Feels transitional. Favorites tracks include Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, Michelle, In My Life, Wait.
David Bowie
5/5
Great album from Bowie’s peak years 1969 - 1983. Heroes is obviously a huge hit and great song. There’s a few instrumental tracks here too - V-2 Schneider and Moss Garden are my favorites of those. Other notables include Sons of the Silent Age, The Secret Life of Arabia, Beauty and the Beast.
The Kinks
3/5
Has a jangly, circus-like sound. I think what they call baroque pop/music hall British music of the period. It’s not my taste. Most songs are short - around the 3 minute mark or less. The album is unoffensive - a pleasant listen in the background. Waterloo Sunset is the standout track.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Rock based R&B. Shuggie’s voice reminds me of Daryl Hall - high, smooth, emotive. Musically this has a Hall and Oates vibe too - same genre. Enjoyable listen. Notable tracks include Inspiration Information, Island Letter, Sparkle City, Aht Uh Mi Hed, Rainy Day, Pling!
Linkin Park
3/5
The Rage Against the Mahcine influence is clear, but Linkin Park isn’t political, anthemic music - it’s basically emo. This is a good album, not my taste, but a solid album. Notable tracks include One Step Closer, Points of Authority, Crawling, In the End, A Place For My Head, Forgotten.
Cornershop
4/5
Loved this album back in the day. Nice 90’s alt/indie rock. Favorites include Sleep on the Left Side, Brimful of Asha, Butter the Soul, Funky Days Are Back Again, Good Shit, Good to be on the Road Back Home Again. Really enjoyable straight through listen.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
60’s psychedelic rock. Musically somewhat interesting, but lyrically pretty shallow/straight forward. Reminds at times of The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, but never come close to that peak. They’re not bad, but they don’t rise to the level of notable contemporaries who did it better. Seems like they’re kind of a one hit wonder. Not sure why this would make the list honestly. Notable tracks include I Had Too Much to Dream, Onie, Train for Tomorrow, The Toonerville Trolley.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
Great album, great straight through listen. Folk/indie rock with a lot of vocal harmonies. Favorite tracks include Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood, He Doesn’t Know Why, Your Protector, Meadowlarks, Blue Ridge Mountains.
Nina Simone
3/5
Nina has a powerful voice, sometimes with a flutter, sometimes more crooning, but it always fills up the space. Several nice arrangements on this album. Notable tracks include What More Can I Say, Lilac Wine, That’s All I Ask, Wild is the Wind, If I Should Lose You.
k.d. lang
3/5
Classic 80’s country sounds mixed with Texas swing and light jazzy country. Makes me think of Lyle Lovett and Patsy Cline at times. This is a solid album, not necessarily a showstopper, but clearly displays k.d. lang’s talent. Notable tracks include Western Star, Lock, Stock and Teardrops, I Wish I Didn’t Love You So. All the songs are listenable and well performed.
Spiritualized
4/5
Great listening experience. The band is listed as Space Rock - I’ve never heard of that before lol. I’d say this has an indie/alternative rock sound. Shoegaze mixed in too. Has a pop sensibility - major chords. Nice layering of ambient sounds, doesn’t feel excessive or overproduced. Has that DI to a Neve console sound at times too. Every song is good.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Has a lofi, somewhat industrial sound. Makes me think of a lot of music from the late 90’s/early 00’s like Wilco, Sufjan Stevens, Jeff Buckley, etc. Think of the movie Garden State ha. Solid album. Vocals are sometimes hard to hear. Notable tracks include Speed Trials, Between the Bars, Rose Parade, Angeles, Cupid’s Trick, Say Yes.
Alice Cooper
1/5
Wildly random album. Musical genre changes every song. Lyrics are generally terrible. One of these songs has something to do with being a cat and fighting the Jets from West Side Story? A lot of weird nonsense stuff. Some of the songs are interesting musically. Notable tracks include School’s Out, Blue Turk…..maybe My Stars. This album definitely should not be on this list.
Brian Wilson
2/5
Basically sounds like a Beach Boys album. Not my thing ultimately. I understand the backstory to the album, but that’s not enough of a reason for it to be on the list. Ok, not great.
Van Morrison
5/5
Great album. Every song is good. Van Morrison at his peak. Favorites are And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Crazy Love, Into The Mystic, Brand New Day.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Atmospheric, ambient synth music. Interesting movements. Album kind of flowed together and many of the songs were in the 15 - 20 minute range. Definitely need a long drive or something to listen to this album or any individual song. Had an orchestral quality - except all synths.
The Byrds
3/5
Not a bad album if you like country rock and/or Gram Parsons. He’s definitely the defining sound of the album. I’ve always thought the Byrds were kind of so-so, most of their hits are covers of other people’s songs. Notable tracks include You Ain’t Goin Nowhere, You Don’t Miss Your Water, Hickory Wind, Nothing Was Delivered, You Got A Reputation, and Lazy Days.
The Thrills
4/5
Reminds me of late 90’s/early 00’s Wilco. Lead singer sounds a bit like Jeff Tweedy mixed with J Mascis - soft, airy vocal delivery. Enjoyable album. Indie rock with a lot of folk rock/country rock influence. Favorite songs include Santa Cruz, Deckchairs and Cigarettes, One Horse Town, Old Friends New Lovers, Say It Ain’t So, Just Traveling Through. Honestly every song is good.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A real treat. Great album. Every song is worth your time and the album is an excellent straight through listen. Favorite tracks include Breathe, Time, The Great Gig In The Sky, Money, Us And Them, Brain Damage, Eclipse.
The Byrds
2/5
The Byrds is a band that might have a ok greatest hits album, but I doubt any of their actual albums should be on the list. Musically this album is interesting and good, but lyrically it’s one of the worst things from the decade. All of the sins of cheap, trite 60’s songwriting. Notable tracks include Wild Mountain Thyme, What’s Happening, Eight Miles High, I Know My Rider.
Madonna
3/5
Some good songs here, but it’s also kind of a weird album. The hits have that 80’s pop ballad sound, but the rest of the album is a mix - some of it is Disney-ish. Notable tracks include Like A Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish, Oh Father, Spanish Eyes.
The Verve
4/5
Never listened to this album even though the first track is such a huge hit from the late 90’s. Album is very good - not a one hit wonder. Had that late 90’s alt/indie vibe - a little ambient, a little pop. Notable tracks include Bitter Sweet Symphony, Sonnet, Catching The Butterfly, Space And Time, Weeping Willow, Lucky Man, Velvet Morning, Come On.
Prince
2/5
Kind of a weird album, mixed genres and all over the place. For some reason I can’t stop thinking about Kong about the movie Revenge of the Nerds II - the concert scene…IYKYK. Some songs are pure 80’s synth pop, most are funk based, a couple have that 80’s nostalgia for the 50’s. Lyrically pretty trite for the most part. I’d never listened to a Prince album before and this doesn’t excite me for the inevitable next one on this list. Also, a lot of the songs overstay their welcome - of the were 4 minutes instead of 8 I might be ok. Notable tracks include Little Red Corvette, Let’s Pretend We’re Married.
Kanye West
3/5
Classic Kanye before he went batshit crazy and lost his creativity. The crazy is starting to show up though, a lot of the lyrics are about feeling slighted and the ensuing egomania. Solid album though. Notable tracks include Dark Fantasy, Power, All of the Lights, So Appalled.
Q-Tip
4/5
Great album. Soulful hip hop style, a little funk, lots of R&B. Smooth. Liked almost every track. Favorite tracks include Johnny is Dead, Gettin Up, We Fight/We Love, ManWomanBoogie, Believe, Shaka.
Beatles
3/5
Rooted in early 60’s rock and roll with vocal harmonies, but introduces some jangle pop sounds that would dominate the mid 60’s. Apparently the first album to feature all original material. Notable tracks include A Hard Day’s Night, I Should Have Known Better, If I Fell, Can’t Buy Me Love, Any Time At All, Things We Said Today.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
Good album. Hadn’t heard of the band before but really enjoyed the album. 80’s alt pop/new wave styles. Good straight thru listen. Favorite tracks include Faron Young, Bonny, Appetite, When Love Breaks Down, Hallelujah, Horsin Around, Desire As.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Great album. Early 90’s alt pop sounds with a lot of reverbs mixed with traditional vocal deliveries give this a unique vibe. Sinead has an excellent voice. Every song is good. Favorite tracks include Three Babies, The Emperors New Clothes, Nothing Compares 2 U, You Cause As Much Sorrow, Last Day of Our Acquaintance, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.
3/5
Sounds kind of Radiohead adjacent. Darker sounding. Late 90’s alt/indie vibes. I’m not sold on most of the lyrics - a little too basic on some level. Notable tracks include Good Fortune, A Place Called Home, Beautiful Feeling, This Mess We’re In, This Is Love, We Float.
The Temptations
3/5
Pretty good album. Some of the songs are classic Motown, but there are a few darker sounding, more psychedelic sounding songs like Cloud Nine. Notables tracks include Cloud Nine, Runaway Child, Love is a Hurtin Thing, Hey Girl, I Need Your Lovin. Enjoyable listen, all the songs are listenable.
The Byrds
3/5
Better album than the previous one I listened to. Musically this album is very good. Lyrically it is a much better effort. Lyrics are kept more simple and atmospheric. Good use of studio effects like phasing and flanging. Album really has a groove. Tracks don’t overstay their welcome; most are under the 3 minute mark. Notable songs include Goin Back, Natural Harmony, Wasn’t Born to Follow, Get To You, Change is Now. The phasing effects get out of hand toward the end of the album - knocked off a star for that.
Method Man
3/5
Favorite tracks are Bring the Pain and All I Need. Method Man has a great flow, the lyrics are pretty good here too. It’s not my favorite style of hip hop, but all in all I think this is a good album.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Great album, probably Wings’ best album. Favorite tracks are Band on the Run, Jet, Bluebird, Let Me Roll It, Mamunia, Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five.
Nico
3/5
There’s a couple good songs here, but the delivery is sometimes in the way. Nico doesn’t exactly sing in tune - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. These Days is the best song on the album. Other notables include The Fairest of the Seasons, I’ll Keep It With Mine
3/5
Punk that reminds at times of Ramones, Talking Heads even. I’m not sure there’s something special here to be honest, but it’s not bad either. Most tracks are less than 2.5 minutes - many are under 2. Notable tracks include The Once Over Twice, Universal Corner, In This House That I Call Home.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Great album. His first with Quincy Jones, and it’s proven to be a great collaboration. Mix of rock/pop/funk/r&b styles. Still sounds good in 2025. Notable songs include Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Get On The Floor, Off the Wall, Girlfriend, She’s Out of My Life, I Can’t Help It.
Deep Purple
2/5
I’m not a huge fan of live albums and I’m not a huge fan of this band, however, this isn’t bad as far as all that goes. Songs tend to overstay their welcome because it’s a live album. Highway star, Child in Time, Smoke on the Water.
Sepultura
1/5
Not my cup of tea, but probably not a bad representation of this genre. This kind of screaming hard metal vocal delivery doesn’t appeal to me at all. Wouldn’t search it out, wouldn’t listen again. Again, I don’t think this sucks per se, it’s just not for me.
Ash
3/5
There’s a lot of Nirvana and Green Day vibes here. Overall the album has a good sound, but it’s not quite there compared to its genre contemporaries. I think the songs are decent, but mostly held back lyrically - pretty generic in that regard. Favorites include Lost in You, Goldfinger, Gone the Dream, Let It Flow, Angel Interceptor. If this was a Japanese band and I couldn’t understand the lyrics, I’d probably like it better.
Lou Reed
4/5
Solid album with some great songs. Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson and you can tell. Has a similar sound to Bowie’s albums at the time (Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane). Favorite tracks include Vicious, Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, Satellite of Love, Wagon Wheel, I’m So Free.
Neu!
5/5
Great album. Kind of hard to believe it’s from 1975. Sounds thoroughly modern to me. Every track is good. It’s mostly instrumental, but has great grooves and ambient textures. This definitely was inspirational to everything from 80’s New Wave, 90’s alternative, pop-punk, 2000’s alt rock - The Smiths, Radiohead, David Bowie…the list goes on. Definitely will check out the other albums from NEU.
Throwing Muses
3/5
Musically interesting - alt rock sounds. Lyrically sometimes a little trite, but it’s not awful even at its worst - trite in the way that a lot of 80’s punk lyrics are intentionally crude. Kind of reminds of bands like Sonic Youth or the Pixies - a little harder on the scale of alt rock sounds. Notable tracks include Call Me, Green, Soul Soldier.
Beatles
5/5
If Rubber Soul marks a transition point for the Beatles in terms of musicality and studio techniques, then Revolver shows them fully committed to the change. Excellent album. Every song is good - kind of rare on a Beatles album as they generally have a few weird experimental offshoots of mixed success. Not such here. This is definitely one to listen to straight through.
De La Soul
3/5
Kind of a definitive sound of hip-hop in the early 90’s. Fresh Prince vibes ha. Good beats, good flow. Upbeat, energetic. There’s a lot of comedic lyrics and skit tracks interspersed on the album. Notable tracks include The Magic Number, Ghetto Thang, Eye Know, Say No Go, Me Myself and I.
William Orbit
4/5
Good album, really enjoyed it. Electronic with pop/rock sensibilities. Notable tracks include Water from a Vine Leaf, Into the Paradise, Tome to get Wize, Harry Flowers, The Story of Light, A Hazy Shade of Random, Water Babies.
Deep Purple
1/5
Flight of the Rat has some very good guitar work on it. I’ve now heard two Deep Purple albums where before I was only familiar with the song Smoke on the Water. I’d say overall they are not in my interest - lyrically the songs are of low value and musically a lot of songs are hard rock into heavy metal territory in a way that it’s to my taste. I’d say there are several contemporaries who “did it better.” Having said that, I can’t fault the guitar skill of Ritchie Blackmore - it’s the only saving grace for this band in my opinion. Notable tracks include Flight of the Rat (again only for the guitar playing).
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Kind of an indie/alt rock lofi sound. Has some funk rhythms too. Great album. Every song is engaging. My favorites are Get Innocuous, Tome to Get Away, North American Scum, Someone Great, All My Friends, New York I Love You.
The Smiths
5/5
Great album, great band. I’m a huge Johnny Marr fan so…every song is good. Classic Smiths sounds, but more instrumental variety on this album. Good straight through listen - I did three times in a row on a long drive.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Dance pop album. It’s not necessarily my taste, but I think this is a good album for that genre. This is the sort of thing you’d hear in a DDR game. Notable songs include Can You Forgive Her, Liberation, The Theatre, One in a Million.
The B-52's
2/5
Weird album. Classified as a new wave album - definitely has a punk sensibility. The male singer’s delivery grates a little bit during a full album play through. Notable songs include 52 Girls, Dance This Mess Around, Rock Lobster, Hero Worship.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
The covers of the Stones and the Doors aren’t that interesting, but the original material and traditional songs are solid. It’s sitar music through and through - if you find that sound annoying or grating, this album will not be for you. Notable tracks include Mamata, Metamorphosis, Raghupati.
3/5
Good album. Kind of soft R&B meets Latin music. Enjoyed the listen through. Favorite tracks include Tantos Desejos, Segredo, Antropofagos, Um Dia Comum. Every single is good though and the straight play through is a nice listen on a long drive or at work.
Anthrax
1/5
It’s not the worst, but I didn’t really enjoy it. Lyrically pretty juvenile. Musically, all the songs sound the same - like, exactly the same. I’m not a fan of the genre, so I don’t know if this is a particularly strong example? I think there’s probably bands that do this thing better. I could see comparison to Metallica perhaps, but Metallica’s music is much more melodic and dimensional than anything on this album. No notables for me.
The Smiths
5/5
Great album. I’m a fan so maybe biased ha. Favorite songs are The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore, Well I Wonder, Barbarism Begins at Home. Every song is good, it’s a good straight through listen.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Good album. Good melodies and I like the genre. This album is better for me than the last Elliott Smith album to which I listened. His voice is better in the mix here. Has some Beatles-y things going on, especially in the second half. Notables include Junk Bond Trader, LA, In the Lost and Found, Stupidity Tries, Easy Way Out, Happiness/The Gondola Man, Pretty Mary Kay, Better Be Quiet Now, Can’t Make A Sound.
The White Stripes
4/5
Great album. Mix of hard rock and softer rock sounds, even some country and bluegrass styles mixed in. Notable tracks include Blue Orchid, My Doorbell, Little Ghost, Forever For Her, The Denial Twist, Take Take Take, As Ugly As I Seem, Red Rain.
Funkadelic
3/5
The title track is basically a ten minute guitar solo by Eddie Hazel and it’s great. It’s mire rock inspired than funky. From the second track on we’re fully in the funk landscape. Notable tracks include Maggot Brain, Can You Get to That, Hit It and Quit It, Super Stupid. Solid album overall.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Nice hip hop flow and musically interesting. Not as revolutionary as some other hip hop albums on the list, but there’s some musical variation here that sets it apart. Lyrically kind of meh. Notable tracks include D. Original, You Can’t Stop the Prophet, Ain’t the Devil Happy, Come Clean.
Boards of Canada
3/5
Overall a cool album. Electronic ambient music. Favorite tracks are Turquoise Hexagon Sun, Olson, Pete Standing Alone, Open the Light, Happy Cycling.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Great album. There’s a real mix of mid to late 60’s sounds here. Sometimes it’s straight blues in the vein of The Rolling Stones or the Animals, there’s a Motown song on here, there psychedelic rock, there’s some country rock too. The album has a frenetic energy - the playing is loose, on the verge of out of control. It reminds me of the Stooges in that way. I enjoyed basically every song.
King Crimson
4/5
Good album. I’d never heard a King Crimson album before, but I am familiar with Robert Fripp. This album surprised me. It’s apparently considered the first prog rock album, and it’s definitely in that genre. There’s a lot of instrumentation here outside the normal guitar/drums/bass ensembles of rock music. It’s very jazzy at times, and there’s a lot long instrumental, free-form jazz interludes. Having said that, most of the tracks don’t feel like they overstay their welcome. Short album, every song is worthwhile, although, some I’d prefer not to hit on shuffle on my drive to work.
Steely Dan
2/5
Disco/yacht rock/light jazz. Think other bands like ABBA, Hall and Oates. Not my style, I don’t really understand the Steely Dan love going on in this list. Musically it’s good, just not to my interest, but lyrically it’s as trite as can be. It’s be better served as instrumental music.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Dance music. Makes me think k of C+C Music Factory. Same vibes. Not a bad album, all the songs are listenable. Notable tracks include Good Beat, Smile On, What is Love, World Clique, Groove is in the Heart.
The White Stripes
5/5
Great album, one of Jack White’s best. Drenched in fuzz tones. Seven Nation Army is obviously one of the top songs of the decade and still seems ubiquitous today. Favorite tracks include Seven Nation Army, There’s No Home For You Here, I Just Don’t Know What to do with Myself, I Want to be the Biy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart, You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket, Ball and Biscuit, The Hardest Button to Button, The Air Near My Fingers, Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine.
Tom Waits
4/5
Cool album. It’s recorded as if its live in a jazz club even though it is a studio. Makes for an enjoyable straight through listen. Really captures an atmosphere. This is from his crooner period. Notables tracks include most of the non-intros for regular listening purposes.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Great album. Best as a straight through listen - it was conceived that way. Works really well, feels like movements instead of separate tracks. Feels like that up until the medley of soul/motown songs. Still good after, but those tracks feel more singular. There’s a lot going on here - different genres, different instrumentations. There’s some synth stuff happening that reminds me of video game music from the 90s. Fun listen. Just One Victory may be the best candidate for a single. All the other tracks are best served together.
The Roots
3/5
Hip hop album with a lot of R&B, some electronic, and other influences. Nice mix. Overall enjoyed most of the tracks. Notables include Rolling With Heat, The Seed, Break You Off, Complexity, Rhymes and Ammo.
T. Rex
4/5
Very good album. I’m honestly surprised at how good it is, I did not know much about T.Rex prior to this listen except for Bang A Gong. This album has a great guitar tone. It vibes. Notable tracks include Mambo Sun, Monolith, Bang A Gong, Planet Queen, The Motivator, Life’s a Gas.
Mj Cole
3/5
Electronic dance music. It bad, mostly not for me for some reason. I think it’s a little more dance-pop than I like. Notable tracks include Bandelero Desperado, Crazy Love, You’re Mine, Slum King.
Stan Getz
4/5
Jazz pop from the 60’s. Quintessential. You’ve heard these songs even if you don’t know it. Great album, solid listen through.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Great album. Nice mix of hip hop, r&b, and soul. Lauryn has a great voice and delivery. Every song is good. I could do without the skit interludes attached to end of most songs - I don’t want to hear that in a shuffle - would be nice if those were separate tracks. Favorite tracks include Ex-Factor, Doo Wop, When It Hurts So Bad, Nothing Even Matters, Everything is Everything, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Tell Him.
Madonna
3/5
Electronic dance pop. Not a bad album, some very good songs and some that are meh. Some tracks remind me of a Sheryl Crow song more than a Madonna song? Notable tracks include Music, I Deserve It, Nobody’s Perfect, Don’t Tell Me, What It Feels Like For A Girl.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Truly awful. Confirms my suspicions about people who are really into original, underscore, Frank Zappa albums, not rereleases! There’s nothing on this album worth listening to. Thankfully many of the tracks are short. Even so, they overstay their welcome.
Gary Numan
4/5
Synth heavy new wave. Very good album, but the synths could wear you out over time. Favorite tracks include Complex, M.E., Conversation, Cars, Me I Disconnect From You.
Moby
4/5
Notable tracks include Honey, Porcelain, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad, South Side, Bodyrock, Natural Blues, Run On, Everloving, Flower, Memory Gospel. Kind of electronic pop/rock album. Lot of ambient sounds, lot of refrain based lyrical presentation. Solid album.
Le Tigre
3/5
Sometimes pop punk, sometimes B52’s vibes, sometimes indie/alt rock. I prefer the indie rock sounds more than anything else. Notable tracks include Deceptacon, Hot Topic, Phanta, Eau D’ Bedroom Dancing, Friendship Station, Les and Ray.
Metallica
3/5
Solid album even if it isn’t my thing. Favorite songs are Master of Puppets and Orion.
Neil Young
5/5
I’m a Neil Young fan, but I’d never heard this album. Glad to hear it. The album has a different feel and tonal quality to his other albums, especially Harvest which this came after. It feels stripped down, garage, raw. It reminds me of the Basement Tapes from Bob Dylan. Great guitar tones of course. Notable songs include Walk On, See The Sky About to Rain, Revolution Blues, Vampire Blues, On The Beach, Motion Pictures, Ambulance Blues. Basically the entire album - every song is good.
Billy Joel
4/5
Good album. Every song is good. Haas a piano rock/light jazz/E&E vibe and Joel has a smooth crooner’s voice. Favorite tracks include Movin’ Out, Just The Way You Are, Only The Good Die Young, She’s always a Woman, Everybody Has A Dream.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Basically awful? This is literally just noises; no melodic qualities for the most part. I wouldn’t say this is a musical album - what I’m saying is this isn’t music per se so I wouldn’t market this as a musical album. An interesting experiment? Perhaps. Something I’ll never listen to again? Yes, definitely. AB/7A is the only track that resembles a musical composition.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Good album. Classic Stones album and sounds. Notable tracks include Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, Bitch, I Got The Blues, Moonlight Mile.
Ramones
3/5
Fun album with energy. A lot of short songs and many sound basically identical. You could easily look up and have listened to 5 tracks without knowing it. Blitzkrieg Bop and Beat on the Brat are the real standouts on the album. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend also.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
The highs are super high, incredible. There’s a lot of so-so filler material though. Notable tracks include Wait Until Tomorrow, Little Wing, Castles Made of Sand, One Rainy Wish, Bold As Love.
Wild Beasts
3/5
Solid Indie Rock album. There’s a falsetto vocal presentation in some songs that I don’t particularly like, but even those songs are good otherwise. Notable tracks include Hooting & Howling, All The King’s Men, Two Dancers, This Is Our Lot, Empty Nest, Through the Iron Gate.
Coldplay
4/5
Piano driven pop rock. Solid album. Hugely popular in the early 2000’s. Notable tracks include In My Place, The Scientist, God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, Clocks, Green Eyes, Warning Sign, Amsterdam.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
A few somethings, mostly nothings. A lot of the material seems jokey. Reminds me of a Zappa album - and that’s a bad thing - in that there’s a lot of just dicking around in the studio. Notable tracks include I Saw The Light, Couldn’t I Just Tell You, Dust In The Wind, Hello It’s Me.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Enjoyable. Listed as hip-hop but is more of an electronic album to me. Notable tracks include Building Steam With A Grain of Salt, What Does Your Soul Look Like, Midnight in a Perfect World.
Various Artists
3/5
Christmas classics from the 60’s. Lots of Ronettes takes. Some of these are definitely on your Christmas playlist.
Alice In Chains
4/5
Probably THE Alice In Chains album. They are often grouped into the grunge category from the early 90’s, but they definitely have more of a background influence shared with a lot of metal bands. Notable tracks include Them Bones, Dam That River, Rain When I Die, Down In A Hole, Rooster, Would.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
80’s pop. Notable tracks include Relax, Two Tribes, Wish, The Only Star in Heaven, The Power of Love.
Eagles
4/5
Great album. Classic Eagles. The best songs are the slower folk/country rock, softer sounds. Notable tracks include Take It Easy, Nightingale, Witchy Woman, Train Leaves Here This Morning, Peaceful Easy Feeling.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Solid 90’s hip hop album. I’m sure very influential in its time. Notable tracks include After Hours, Footprints, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Can I Kick It, Youthful Expression, Rhythm, Description of a Fool.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Really good album. Shows their combined creative genius and starts with a bang with the first track. Notable tracks include Judy Blue Eyes, Guinnevere, Wooden Ships, Helplessly Hoping, Long Time Gone.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Great album. My first introduction to Nick Cave, an artist I’ve been curious about for a while. It did not disappoint. Has a Tom Waits sensibility. Has a nice baritone voice and delivery that remind of other artists like Leonard Cohen and John Hiatt. Favorite tracks include Into My Arms, Lime Tree Arbour, People Ain’t No Good, Brompton Oratory, There is a Kingdom, Are You The One I’ve Been Waiting For, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere, Idiot Prayer, Far From Me.
The Stooges
4/5
Great album, every song is engaging. Proto punk energy fueled by Iggy Pop’s vocal delivery. Great raunchy guitar tones. Favorite tracks are Search and Destroy, Gimme Danger, Raw Power.
Blondie
4/5
Really solid album. Theres some 50’s throwback rock n roll undercurrent in a lot of songs, others are fully moving into the 80’s rock/glam scene. Notable tracks include Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, Picture This, Fade Away and Radiate, Pretty Babe, I Know But I Don’t Know, 11:59, Sunday Girl, Heart of Glass.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Voice and delivery are ok, music isn’t bad, lyrics are horribly trite. Alanis Morissette definitely was influenced by this. Notable tracks include Marlene on the Wall, Straight Lines.
Carole King
4/5
Great album, lots of classic hits. Notables include I Feel The Earth Move, So Far Away, It’s Too Late, You’ve Got A Friend, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Tapestry, A Natural Woman. First Carole King album for me and it didn’t disappoint. Really solid songwriting.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Alternative mixed with dance pop. Notable tracks include Zero, Soft Shock, Skeletons, Hysteric, Little Shadow. Overall a good album, every song is pretty good.
3/5
Very Beatles-y. Tough around the edges in a good way. Notable tracks include Victoria, Yes Sir No Sir, Mt Churchill Says, Young and Innocent Days.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
Not a bad album if you like sitar music. I enjoyed the listen but probably won’t revisit. I appreciate the composition and musicianship, but not something I’m going to drive down the road listening to.
2/5
Interesting but not really my thing. I’m surprised that this seems to have been a super popular album when it came out. Notables tracks include Cisco Kid.
U2
5/5
Great album, every song is good, most are bangers. Can basically play tracks 1-10 with no real drops. The last two songs are good, but have a slightly different feel. One and Mysterious Ways are huge hits, but absolutely don’t sleep on the other tracks - they are all great production.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
There’s some Beach Boys in here, but the album does move away from those sounds too. There’s a lot of ambient textures going on. Notable tracks include Dreamer, Thoughts of You, Time, You and I.
Megadeth
2/5
This has all the hallmarks that I don’t like about the genre: juvenile lyrics, a childish fascination with satanic imagery, lead singer doing a bad impersonation of Ozzy. I will say that I think the band is technically proficient. It’s not as bad as Anthrax, but far worse and more unpolished than Metallica. The track Peace Sells is a good premise carried out unskillfully. Good Morning/Black Friday is probably the best song to me.
5/5
Every song is good. Theres some real hit classic on the record too, but don’t sleep on the b sides. This is a masterpiece.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Really good album, every song is listenable. Arena rock that has a U2 influence. I missed this band completely at the time, enjoyed finding them here. Notable tracks include Closer, Crawl, Sex on Fire, Use Somebody, Notion, I Want You, Be Somebody.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Has an energy. Reminds me of Eric Burden and the Animals. The first track, You’re Gonna Miss Me, is the only song I was familiar with. Solid song. The whole album is pretty good I think, it’s listenable for sure. I wouldn’t say there’s another track that particularly stands out, but I can’t say they’re bad.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Nice background music. No particular tracks stood out to me, but I mostly enjoyed the listen. It’s not impossible that I’d revisit.
Prince
2/5
Most of the album is awful. The end of the album is the only saving grace. Notable tracks include Sogn O The Times, Strange Relationship, I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man, The Cross, Adore. These songs save it and make it a better listen for me than the previous Prince album I’ve had. So far, Prince is not my thing.
The Who
4/5
I’m not a huge fan of live albums, but this one is great especially from track 9 to the end. All the tracks are too long for car okay unless you’re on a road trip, but still a great listen if you have the time. Makes sense why The Who had such a reputation as a live act. Guitar tone is excellent.
Crowded House
3/5
Solid album. Has that early-mid 90’s pop/folk/alt rock feel. Reminds of BNL and Blues Traveller. Notable tracks include Chocolate Cake, It’s Only Natural, Fall At Your Feet, Weather With You, Four Seasons In One Day, All I Ask.
R.E.M.
4/5
Good album. Classic REM sounds - sounds like a 90’s album already. Notable songs include Get Up, You Are The Everything, Stand, World Leader Pretend, Orange Crush, Turn You Inside Out, Untitled.
Bon Jovi
3/5
Really good album. Contains most of their biggest hits. More hair metal than I remember them - mostly the b sides. Eddie Van Halen influence for sure. Notable tracks include You Give Love A Bad Name, Livin’ On A Prayer, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Raise your Hands, Never Say Goodbye.
Ministry
2/5
This isn’t my genre, but I think this album is probably a good representation of the genre, meaning fans of this genre probably think this is a great album. While I personally don’t enjoy the sound or lyrical content much, I recognize that this is a solid creative endeavor.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Great blues album, every song is good and makes for a good straight through listen. Kind of crazy this is a live album from 1960 because the recording quality is good.
The Police
4/5
Kind of a mixed album. Some great songs here and some weirder experiments. Seems like the first half is more experimental and the second half is more pop/rock oriented. Second half is definitely better and saves the album. Notable tracks include Walking In Your Footsteps, Synchronicity II, Every Breath You Take, King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Tea In The Sahara, Murder By Numbers.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Really good album. Nice energy. New Wave rock album. Lead singer has a great presentation and the music is tight and energetic. Notable tracks include Our Lips Are Sealed, How Much More, Lust to Love, We Got The Beat, You Can’t Walk in Your Sleep, Can’t Stop The World.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
I like it, but something about it is not quite hitting for me. It’s one toe outside the line somewhere of a bunch of music that I like from bands like OMD, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, and others in the genre. This is more gothic. I think I need another listen through to make my mind up.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Great album. Has a stripped down sound. Works well with Bruce’s vocal delivery. Notable tracks include Nebraska, Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper, Used Cars.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
I enjoyed the tracks Roadrunner, Old World, She Cracked, Modern World, Dignified and Old. A lot of the other songs didn’t make an impression. This is a little bit of a kiss for me, but it’s close to a lot of things I like. Has a velvet underground influence for sure.
Pixies
4/5
Solid album. Surprised me. Notable tracks include Velouria, Allison, Ana, All Over the World, Dig For Fire, Down to the Well, Stormy Weather, Havalina.
Slipknot
2/5
Not my genre hinestly. For what it is, this is penalty a good representation of the genre. I remember some of these songs from the radio in high school. I’m not into the screamo thing.
Talking Heads
4/5
Great album, big fan of the band. Notable tracks include Mind, Paper, Cities, Life During Wartime, Memories Can’t Wait, Heaven.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
A Very Cellular Song has a good first 5 minutes, but it’s too long at 13 minutes. Mercy I Cry City has a good chorus, but the lyrics are otherwise trite. Overall there’s a little too much sitar and 60’s psychedelic folk stuff happening to of much worth. A lot of contemporaries did it better.
Lou Reed
4/5
Great album. Reeds voice is at once melodic, cutting, and vulnerable. Notable tracks include Men of Good Fortune, How Do You Think It Feels, Caroline Say II. The album is a really good straight thru listen.
Beck
5/5
Can’t find a fault with this album. Every song is good. I like the mix of classic Beck sounds mixed with post Sea Change instrumentations.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Not bad, not my favorite. There’s a lot going on in the background and it sometimes distracts from the tracks. Notable tracks include Sittin’ Here, Fix Up Look Sharp, Jezebel.
The Young Gods
3/5
Reminds me of some Tom Waits albums. Not bad overall. It’s in French so hard to judge lyrically. I probably wouldn’t seek this out again, however, I did enjoy the listen for the most part.
The Residents
1/5
Basically dissonant, piercing noises in the background of every song. Not my favorite. Totally experimental. It’s honestly the sort of thing I hate.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Good album. Blues, country, rock. Janis has a powerful and emotive voice. Some of the songs are a little bland, but there are some real highs. Notable tracks include Cry Baby, A Woman Left Lonely, Half Moon, Me and Bobby McGee, Get It While You Can.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Great album. Reminds me of 60’s French pop rock. Good energy, solid lyrics. I’ve never really listened to Belle and Sebastian, but this album makes me want to explore more. Every song is good.
The Stranglers
3/5
Punk album, kind of reminds of early Clash. Enjoyed it, probably look into the band more. Notable tracks include Goodbye Toulouse, Princess of the Streets, Hanging Around, Get A Grip On Yourself, Choosey Susie, Go Buddy Go.
Beck
5/5
Love this album, one of my favorites and probably my favorite Beck album. Every song is good. The album has a stripped down feel compared to most Beck albums. The lyrics are emotional, lonely and starkly sad. Again, every song is notable.
The Pharcyde
4/5
Solid hip hop album from the early 90’s. I’ve found through this project that I really like this genre. Notable tracks include Oh Shit, 4 Better Or 4 Worse, I’m That Type of Nigga, Ya Mama, Passin’ Me By, Otha Fish, Return of the B-Boy.
Love
3/5
Surprisingly good album. Mixed of 60 rock styles - blues, French pop, jangle, some jazz influence. Some tracks are even proto-punk. I like the singers voice. I’ve never heard of this band, but this isn’t just more mid 60’s slop. This is a solid album. Notable tracks include Orange Skies, Que Vida, Seven and Seven Is, The Castle, She Comes in Colors.
Maxwell
4/5
Really good R&B album from the 90’s. Maxwell has a great voice - smooth with a nice falsetto. Notable tracks include Sumthin Sumthin, Ascension, Dancewitme, Whenever Wherever Whatever, Reunion.
The White Stripes
5/5
Great album. One of their best. Every song is good. Has a stripped down, garage rock sound. The production really works to capture their energy. This was my first White Stripes album back when it released and it holds up well today.
Tom Waits
5/5
Great album. My favorite track are Time, Downtown Train, Rain Dogs, Clap Hands, Hang Down Your Head, Blind Love, Gun Street Girl.
3/5
Solid new wave album. Notable tracks include Uncontrollable Urge, Praying Hands, Mongoloid, Jocko Homo, Gut Feeling, Come Back Jonee.