I don’t typically listen to jazz, but when I do… Just doesn’t get any cooler.

I forgot how much the Foo Fighters tried to sound like Nirvana at the beginning. This is a good record for sure, but I couldn’t help thinking they were desperately trying to continue Nirvana… except it’s poppier and lacks the raw emotion and angst of Nirvana’s music. Torn between 3&4. 4 for listenability, but 3 for musical quality/originality.

Smooth. Stevie Wonder defined easy listening. That synth/organy sound is awful though. Is that the clarinet? Not a fan. Total elevator music sound. Am I ever going to consciously choose this? No. Is Stevie Wonder classic? Sure. And everyone knows the hits. But it’s really not all that great.

Interesting. Jay-Z ish

Nice listen. Hear this band’s influence in a lot of other later stuff I’ve heard. Reminds me how much good music has come out of Scotland.

Need to listen to more Bowie to gain a better appreciation. Nothing boring about this album, but didn’t move me. Probably need to listen again and more intently. I know Bowie and this album was groundbreaking, but, with some exceptions, I don’t love this record. Recognize the great musicianship though.

Really nice listen. Adele has a remarkable voice and it’s just a pleasure the ears. Some catchy melodies too. Not the genre I’m typically drawn too, but in all honesty I just like this record.

Like me this more than I expected. Ozzy could actually sing! Some sweet bass lines and the guitar isn’t just noise. Sabbath really did rock. And there are quite beautiful interludes too. Great record.

Not for me. Elvis’s music grates on me and I don’t think this album is all that good. Maybe earlier Elvis would move me more but this is crap.

Phenomenal album. Top to bottom. Absolute classic. Musically, lyrically… Neal Peart was a genius. This is an all-time great.

Hadn’t heard this one straight through before, but of course had a song or two. Neil Young is always Neal Young… just is what he is. Some bluesy numbers. Solid, but not the pinnacle of Neil Young.

Appreciate learning about this pioneering band in the NYC 70s punk scene. But NOT my jam. In fact I couldn’t get through the whole record. Really grating and irritating. Sounds like they are trying to be funny, but it’s not. Maybe just really dated and hasn’t stood up.

Less pop, more maturity than I expected. Lourde clearly struggling with her stardom on this one. Still has some good beats and hookiness, but a very different album than Pure Heroine. Brooding and introspective and darker. As far as my take… surprisingly good with decent depth. Solid record.

Had never really listened to MIA (other than Paper Planes just through pop culture). Gotta say, I’m impressed, especially since this is the debut album. I’m not a hip-hop connoisseur, and while I like some hip-hop, it’s not my go to music. But this album is good! Groovy, makes you want to move, and feels like something unique. Might have to do a deeper dive in M.I.A.

I saw Brian Eno pop up and got excited. But what a disappointment. This album SUCKS. Annoying sounds, hand claps, and dumb lyrics. Spare me from this one.

Wasn’t familiar with Eels, so was glad for the introduction. Not bad at all. A little vanilla in spots, but a good listen. I’d revisit it. Made me think of Blink 182 for some reason.

It’s the Rolling Stones. What can you say? They’ve never been my personal favorite but hard to argue with the quality. Don’t think this is their best work though.

So I get that this was a big album with big hits that have had staying power. I just don’t like ABBA. Respect though.

Average hip hop. Not bad, not anything special though.

Great record! Somewhere between Oasis and the Beatles in sonic landscape. I’ll listen to this one again.

This band just knows how to do it. Not always in the mood for CCR, but the band is just so tight and to me is quintessential Americana bluesy rock and roll.

Dark subject matters dealt with here. Post-punk sound, and influences of Clash to GnR are audible. Vocals tend to get a little to glam for my taste, but the songs are great and this album is very strong straight through. Torn between 3 & 4 stars.

Moody, sonically beautiful, and lyrically outstanding. Maybe not S&G’s greatest, but still an excellent record. Hear the Dylan influence overtly on A Simply Desultory Phillic. Almost too overt. For Emily… is such a gem.

Just a classic. Not much more to say and hard to argue with the quality of the songs on this one. The music is soothing and pleasant and fusion of musical traditions results in a masterpiece. I’m not gonna give this one 5 stars, but only because it’s not my personal favorite kind of music. But can’t give it less than 4… and wouldn’t argue with 5.

Hmm. Some really good (‘Til I Die and Surf’s Up), and some really really bad (opening track, the one about feet, and the Tree song). Never really understood the critical love for The Beach Boys, but did a bit of deep dive once this album popped up and now I understand better the musical genius of Brian Wilson, even if I don’t love all of the music. There were spots on this record that were sonically beautiful, but some of the lyrics are just putrid. So this one for me was a mixed bag. At times during the listen, I was thinking a “2” at best, but then there was some truly genius tracks, and I was thinking 4. Guess I’ll have to settle in the middle. The 2-3 great songs save this for me and I’ll give it a 3, bordering on a 2 for a third, bordering on a 4 for a third.

Really not sure how to rate this. Are they pioneering musicians or just a bunch of dicks making noise? Kuntz is bizarre bit also weirdly likeable. Definitely hear the foundations for grunge. But is this something I’d ever want to just put on to listen to? Sorry, but I think this is mostly just a bunch of moderately talented douchebags who were screwing around and got lucky here and there. Album is also incoherent in my view. Lot of interesting experimentation, but is there a vision? I guess I appreciate that they were pioneers, but seems accidental. Maybe that’s just punk. Not for me though.

Blah. Nothing much to say about this one. Couple of good hits and a decent listen, but nothing special to me about this album. Definition of average.

Some great classics on this record. And a lot of interesting psychedelic music. Definitely belongs on this list. Highlights are all the Grace Slick songs. Embryonic Journey also good. But the other songs aren’t quite as impactful. Strong record that could’ve been a lot better with more Grace Slick. I give the Grace songs a 4 or 5, the rest of the album a 3.

I actually like some of Missy Elliott’s work and I think some of her stuff is really great groundbreaking hip hop. But not this record.

So fusion of jazz and tango. Not much of a jazz guy and don’t even really now what tango is other than a dance. Gave this a try. Certainly wouldn’t have picked to listen to this on my own and probably won’t ever listen again. Kuddos to these guys for doing there thing… and if it’s spontaneous live, then that’s impressive. But it’s their thing, not mine. Zzzz. No thanks on this one.

I mean the record swings and bops and rocks. But do I really like it? Not really. It’s not bad (with the exception of Tutti Frutti which makes me want to smash the music player), it’s just not my thing.

First thought was Nick Drake. Little dodo I know that the album was written for Drake and he and Martyn were friends. Also picked up on on fusion of varieties of genres… folk, jazz, blues, rock. This is a really good record that I’d never heard of and probably wouldn’t have listened to but for this project.

What a phenomenal album. Beautiful and layered and rich and expansive. In my mind I always think of Gish and Siamese Dream as the great Pumpkins albums, but maybe because I hadn’t spent as much time with this one. Glad I relistened. The Smashing Pumpkins are a helluva band.

Flavor fuckin’ Flav! In his prime! Lyrics are sharp, incredible sampling, great hooks and bone rattling beats. Ear worms all over the place and some classics.

Didn’t know this group. And didn’t need to. WTF is this doing on this list? Trying to bring the curve down? Just absolute trash, especially lyrics. Maybe worst record I’ve heard on this list so far.

Avant garde for sure. Lots of experimental sounds. Not really pleasurable to listen too although it has some interesting moments. Also too goofy and absurd for my taste.

Decent record. Doesn’t stand out for me though. Just Ok.

It’s good. Some great… like Imagine.

Schlock

Motörhead knows how to rock.

I don’t typically listen to jazz, but when I do… Just doesn’t get any cooler.

First track “The Stars of Track & Field” starts a little slow, and I was about to write this one off, but then it hits its stride. It’s followed by “Seeing Other People” which is super catchy. From there it’s a little up and down. Has some very “Smiths” moments and the last couple of tracks are totally Nick Drake inspired. I’m willing to bet these guys influenced Vampire Weekend too. Overall, it’s a good record. Wouldn’t call it GREAT, but I liked most of it.

Bring on the synths. I used to really love OMD. My first concert, I saw them open for the Thompson Twins. Listening with a more mature ear, I find the synthesizer music a little flat and soulless (despite the religious overtones). The vocals are also more melodramatic than I recall. It’s not a bad record, but not a great one either. And for the period, I feel like there were electronic pop bands that did it better and had more of a lasting impact. Glad to see this one pop up and glad to give it a listen after all these years, but it hasn’t aged all that well. Also, there are other OMD records I connected better with. Feel like this is a 2 even though sentimentally I want to give it a 3.

Well, it's an average pop rock record with the exception of a couple of catchy rockers. But for those, I'd give it a 2.

I have a hard time with Dylan. Music great, lyrics great, but the voice and the intonation annoys me. Leaving that aside, I understand what this man did for music, and this album was a turning point. Just can't give it less than a 4. If only Bobby could sing prettier. Haha.

Another one of those records I wouldn't have thought to put on. Some really catchy funky stuff on here I found myself grooving to. Clearly hear the 70's coming (so maybe this album was a bit ahead of its time?) Not generally into Motown, although I appreciate it. On whole, I'm giving it a 3, but I think there were some moments when I coulda gone 4 on this one. I'd definitely listen again, and it seems like a good record to put on in the background while doing stuff around the house to put you in a good mood.

Pumpkins at their finest. Rich, layered, filled with emotion. The guitars are masterful. Actually, all the musicianship is elite. This record has a little more polish than Gish, but it feels just as raw and fresh. Decade-defining for sure. People talk about Nirvana and Pearl Jam as grunge-defining bands, but the Smashing Pumpkins were right there too, and arguably, the music is more complex and creative. For me, it's the balance of the raw grungy emotion and the artistic precision of the writing and music. This album sounds sooo good, and incidentally it ROCKS! A true masterpiece. 5 of 5.

Listening to albums like this is part of the reason I'm doing this project. I wouldn't have thought to listen to this record and I certainly didn't expect to like it. Thought I knew what Iron Maiden was all about, but I was wrong... at least with respect to this album. It's pretty damn good! Much more melodic than I would've expected and less screaming than I anticipated. In fact, the guy can actually sing. That said, I'm generally not a fan of the heavy metal genre, lyrically it's not exactly poetry, and it's just not really music that moves me personally, so I'm not going to rank it that highly for ME. But that said, objectively, it's definitely a good album. 3 stars.

WTF is this?! First thought based on first song was "Portishead wannabees." the whistle, the snare, the sultry vocals. Then I thought, "are they gonna break into 'Goldfinger'?" Totally 1970s James Bond vibe going on. Is that a theremin I hear? I kinda liked the first song, "Lovely Head." Then "Paper Bag" comes on and I picture a dude in a ruffly shirt plucking a guitar standing next to a lounge singer, and then the strings kick in. Not liking it so much there. Then "Human" comes on and I hear this 70s vibe again and it's got this cool funky horn section popping in and out. I'm liking that one! Then we slow down to the lounge singer jazz + theremin again. And from there on it out it loses me and gets really weird and slow and it drags and then gets annoyingly weird and unpleasant ("Oompa Radar"... just hideously awful). Can't decide whether to give this an A for effort on the uniqueness scale, or an F for being weird just to be weird and for copying Portishead but mostly failing to achieve anything close to the musical greatness of Portishead's best work. Other than a couple of moments (most of "Lovely Head," all of "Human," and I couple of other spots which I found myself being strangely attracted to, on whole I don't really like the album.

Record showcases what a great band the Stones were. Serious blue on this one. Sympathy and Jigsaw are fantastic. The beats in Jigsaw are captivating.

Cheesy. This is no for me.

The guitar

Pretty cool. Funky and jazzy and a little psychedelic. I’ve heard some other Herbie Hancock I like better (Cantalope Island for example), but this was pretty good. Not my regular jam though.

I’m not the biggest Beatles fan, but this album is filled with gems. Incredibly expansive and really runs the gamut. Some real all time greats (“Dear Prudence”, “Blackbird”, “Helter Skelter”, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” “Revolution” to name a few) Couple of silly clunkers (“Piggies” for example) that I don’t love, but on whole objectively hard to give this less than a 5. Glad to have listened to this one all the way the through.

Oh that voice. Hard to believe Fiona Apple was just a teen when she made this album. The first roughly half the album is absolutely masterful… vocally, lyrically, and musically. That sultry rich soulful voice just pierces right through you. The second half of the album starts to drag a bit and I found myself getting a little bored with the music… although her voice is still amazing. If the second half had matched the first, this would’ve easily been a 5.

Another Belle and Sebastian record? Really? I just heard one from the list. There are thousands of great bands out there yet Belle and Sebastian get multiple albums on this list?! This record was fine… maybe better than fine. Good. Kinda catchy in places and mostly pleasant (despite some dark lyrics). And maybe if I spent more time with it, it would grow on me more. But it just wasn’t anything special to warrant more than a 3.

U2’s crowning achievement. This album is a masterpiece. No one part is greater than the whole on this record. The opening to the record on “Where the Streets Have No Names” is just awesome. The building wave of sound. The crescendo of the Edge’s signature guitars. Add in Clayton’s driving bass, and then the Mullen’s beat comes in. Finally, Bono’s vocals come… soulful and powerful and filled with passion. The band is just so perfect together on this album. “With or Without” has always been a favorite… beautiful song. Top to bottom, there is not a low point on this record. Even the album cover is iconic. May be a “desert island disc” for me.

Started really really well with the first song “Soul and Fire” (conjured Pearl Jam ). “Two Years…” also good. Then downhill for a stretch. But then some gems in the last half. “Homemade” another highlight. It’s raw garage rock, and I appreciate and enjoy a chunk of this album. But some of it just doesn’t sound great to me. Hear the Dinosaur Jr overlap for sure. I do think maybe if I spent more time with it, it could grow on me more. I listened once and was leaning toward a 2. On second and third listen I’m easily a 3 and maybe a high one at that.

I like a few tracks. Not the best not the worst.

Who knew Cookie Monster songs in German? Weird, unique, and interesting for sure. But not for me.

Dated. Repetitive. Lacks depth. And I don’t appreciate dance music.

Absolute classic masterpiece. So good front to back. Bowie was a true artist. This record is the gold standard for concept albums.

Booooooring. Snoozefest.

No thanks.

Don’t think I knew of Raekwon. Nothing special. Average gangster rap.

Classic Americana. So many great songs on this album.

Shockingly good. I saw this pop up and was initially disappointed because I assumed I’d hate it. But listened to it (twice) while working out and it was pretty good. Powerful, rageful but also melodic and ear wormy in spots. Not saying this is the best metal I’ve heard, but not bad at all. I’m not a metal connoisseur though, so maybe it’s not as decent as I think it is. But I’m giving this a 3 for a solid good album for the genre.

Disjointed amalgam of genres and sounds. Doesn’t seem like this band knows what its voice is. Some of it works better than other parts, but on whole, it loses me. Need a sense of mood or sonic theme for an album and this one lacks either. A miss for me.

I forgot how much the Foo Fighters tried to sound like Nirvana at the beginning. This is a good record for sure, but I couldn’t help thinking they were desperately trying to continue Nirvana… except it’s poppier and lacks the raw emotion and angst of Nirvana’s music. Torn between 3&4. 4 for listenability, but 3 for musical quality/originality.

Nope. Just nope.

“Skip” isn’t just the name of the artist, it’s what I shoulda done with this album when it showed up for my daily listen. Diana is particularly putrid. Dylan wannabe? War in Peace is kinda cool and psychedelic. There were a few Ok tracks in the back half. Otherwise, lame.

This one was interesting. I can hear how the album influenced a lot of artists. The mix of echoing vocals with the repetitive music is at times captivating, or maybe mesmerizing is a better word. But, at other times, I found the repetition… well… repetitive. I’d like to listen to this one stoned. I think it would enhance the record. I note that REM covered Ghostrider. That was cool to hear the original because I had no idea whose song it was. On whole, glad I got to hear this, but not something I’d likely just pick up to listen to.

Quintessential folk Dylan. Despite not loving his voice, hard to deny that this is clearly a classic. I think probably also my favorite Dylan album (or maybe Blood on the Tracks)

Delicious hip hop. Never heard this album before. So groovy and funky smooth. Loved it.

It’s fine. Chrissie Hynde is cool though.

Good stuff. Just doesn’t get me excited enough for anything more than good.

So I really like a lot of the Byrds stuff. They were an influence on my favorite band, R.E.M. While I recognized a few cuts, I don’t think I’d listened to this album in its entirety before. I hate the first song, “So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star.” Totally grates on me. Then you get some more psychedelic and experimental stuff than I was expecting, and at first didn’t sound like the Byrds sound I think of … jangly folky pop rock with a 60s vibe. But I stuck with it and there are some absolute gems on this record. My Back Pages is amazing.

Oh Shit! Fun listen. Reminiscent of De La Soul in some ways, but edgier. Lot of humor, but serious messaging underneath. The music is good too!

Ugh. More Elvis. I just don’t get it. He didn’t even write the songs. I tried. I really did. Just absolute saccharin. Lacks substance.

Brilliant. The quiet chimes and then the crash first notes of Plainsong get me every time. The music is rich, mournful, and sometimes even foreboding. The sound of the whole album is seamless. The lyrics are poetry. Nothing else I’ve ever listened to sounds like this masterpiece from the Cure.

Really like this album. Not your everyday reggae. Groovy, chill, and cool. Something I’d never heard of and probably would never have listened to. This is one of those hidden gems I was hoping to find by doing this project.

Neil Young’s best in my opinion. So many classics on one record. Harvest, Heart of Gold, Old Man, Needle & the Damage Done… brilliant music, lyrics. And his unique voice is at its best on this album. This one is a 5.

It’s fine.

Not really my thing

Always thought of KD Lang as country but she’s really not, despite the country western music influence which is noticeable. I couldn’t help but think of the classic crooners like Frank Sinatra when listening to this one. Her vocals are fantastic. Don’t love this kind of music, but it’s a quality record for sure.

Angry, somewhat offensive, raw, and completely badass. Some fun old style raps in there too. The social commentary mixed with the dope beats… just great. These guys were the gold standard.

Billy Joel could write a song! Scenes from an Italian Restaurant showcases it all- one of my favorite Billy Joel songs. She’s Always a Women is another highlight. Packed with hits and songs everybody knows. Fantastic record.

Sinead’s voice. So emotionally powerful, haunting and beautiful. I hadn’t listened to this album in many years (& not sure I ever really sat down and listened to it straight through), so I’d forgotten what a powerful and gorgeous record it is. Listening to Black Boys on Mopeds made me sad to think that all these years later, the world is dealing with the same issues, and sadly, perhaps things are even worse now. But leaving aside existential human problems, and also leaving aside what I think about Sinead O’Connor’s actions and statements, the music is undeniably special, and this album is a gem.

I love this record… mostly. Mark Knopfler is one of the most underrated virtuoso guitarists of all time. The guy’s playing is incredible. Money for Nothing (except the guitar riffs which are beyond cool), So Far Away, and Walk of Life (the first 3 tracks) are the low points for me on this record. The back row-thirds of it is awesome. I used to listen to the last 6 tracks of this record to calm myself at night in high school and college. It’s beautiful and the guitar is otherworldly.

Björk is absolutely one of a kind. The soundscapes she creates in this album are so interesting and beautiful… sometimes strange, sometimes warm, sometimes unsettling. And then her voice… oh that instrument. It is wild and passionate and incredibly unique. And I love it.

Visions of You is a cool start to the record. Stirring backing vocals by Sinead O’Connor. Base lines are signature Wobble and are definitely the star of the record. I liked it. Nothing mind-blowing, but mostly good tunes and well worth the listen.

I vacillate between annoying & genius when I listen to the Talking Heads. What is going on inside David Byrne’s head? Can music be both repetitive and surprising? That’s my reaction listening to this one. Some gems for sure. The beats mixed the droning unmistakable Byrne vocals. The music sure is interesting. Some moments I’m tempted to hit skip, some moments are mesmerizing, and sometimes I’m just bobbing my head and wanting to dance around in an oversized suit. Mixed reaction summarizes my view of this record, but it’s an impressive work of musical art one way or the other.

This was the beginning of the downturn for me with U2. Maybe a couple of good songs, with “One” being the best, but overall this album is not breaking any new ground, and it lacks the passion of U2’s earlier music. Almost feels like they are going through the motions… & beginning the shmaltzy cheesy phase. Nothing really terribly bad about it, just not great.

Now I remember why I don’t listen to Megadeath. It sucks.

Started off big thumbs down for me, but I stuck with it. “Drew Barrymore” and “Prom” were smooth. The record nicely blends r&b, rap, electronic and her voice is rich and lovely. But the music doesn’t move me in any particular way, and I’m not connecting with it. The lyrics are… uh… Want to give this a 2, but feel like it at least deserves a 3. But it’s my list. So I listened to Drew Barrymore and Prom again, and those are good songs. So I’m bumping it up.

Smooth. Stevie Wonder defined easy listening. That synth/organy sound is awful though. Is that the clarinet? Not a fan. Total elevator music sound. Am I ever going to consciously choose this? No. Is Stevie Wonder classic? Sure. And everyone knows the hits. But it’s really not all that great.

Too theatrical for my taste. I appreciate some of Queen’s work, but this record is much of what I don’t like about them.

Bluesy. Overall…. Eh. I’m mean I guess it was better than I expected. I do like La Grange though. Probably deserves a 3, but I don’t really like it

WTF!!! What a surprise! This is kinda awesome! No idea something like this existed. Sonically rich and powerful. Always respected what Metallica does, but this is a new level. Genius to pair their music with a symphony orchestra. Result is a musical experience like none other. Started to drag a little in second half… it’s looong. But interesting listen!

Beautiful.

Interesting, especially his spoken explanations. Glad I heard this. Shankar is obviously a maestro in his genre. I’d heard Indian and sitar music but never really spent as much time really listening. I do think this record absolutely belongs on this list. But after a few tracks, the music got very repetitive.

The music is fine. Maybe even good. But why did I need to listen to this? It’s absolutely nothing special. It’s like a poor man’s western Elvis. And I don’t like Elvis.

F*** yeah! Pixies! How to describe this? It’s just so good! I

If you have to say you are sensational, you probably aren’t. And this band is definitively not. They sound like a joke. Absolutely horrid.