A great album, even if there could be a bit more variety in places, the track listing separates most of the similar songs and the album’s short length keeps it from becoming stale. The title track is one of the greatest pieces of rock ‘n’ roll ever and there are a good few great songs elsewhere on the record. “The Grave” is an amazing track and really shows the horrors of being faced with death in war. The softness of Don McLean’s voice is lovely and lends great emotions to the songs throughout the album. 4/5

Amazing album, especially from track 3 onwards. The playing is great throughout, my only complaint is that some of the bass solos sound more like scales being played really fast rather than a solo, but then again, I haven’t listened to too much jazz before, so maybe it’s normal. The music keeps you engaged throughout the album with all that’s going on. The piano playing is flawless. 4/5

This album was great, nonstop punk for 39 minutes. It’s an amazing debut album, even just the title gets across the essence of the band and their music. The whole album is a shot of adrenaline, and much of that comes from the great guitar playing. Johnny Rotten has a perfect voice and delivery for the music. Every song is great, but an issue I have is that you could put the tracks in any order and it wouldn’t really make much of a difference as many of the songs are very similar, but after a second listen, this didn’t feel as big a deal. Even so, the album delivers everything it promises. 4/5

Amazing from start to end, not a weak track. Every band member adds so much, Tony Iommi has an incredible talent for writing great riffs and licks, nearly every series of notes played on the guitar is genius, Bill Ward’s drumming lends so much energy and power to the music, Geezer Butler’s bass adds a lot of depth and heaviness, and Ozzy Osbourne’s amazing vocals are so powerful and really sell the messages the songs are sending. Incredible songwriting and the long songs are very much worthy of their length. 5/5

Incredible album, I was not expecting to love it as much as I ended up. The production and songwriting was amazing and it still holds up today. I loved the instrumentation, it felt very deliberate in the way all these different sounds came together to convey the music in a unique way. This album is pretty much perfect, no weak tracks. 5/5

This album is great. Dylan’s lyrics tell very compelling stories and the music is all great, both electric and acoustic. Even though I have no clue what Subterranean Homesick Blues is about, it works as a great opener. The album also balances faster and slower songs really well. Dylan’s guitar work on the acoustic side is very strong. His voice may not be the greatest, but it works very well for this album, I’d say. 4/5

This album was…certainly something. The opening moments are pretty good, but like most songs on this album, it goes on too long. The only songs that I feel don’t go on too long are In Heaven and Praise You, which are also my favorites on the record. There was a section of this album in the middle where I wanted nothing more than for it to end. This lasted about 15 minutes, but Praise You swooped in to save the day. This album was meant to have individual songs played at parties and in clubs, not a full listen through. I honestly have no clue why it’s on this list. That being said, there are a few interesting moments. 2/5

Pure genius, pure magic. The arrangements on this album are fantastic, and the vocals are nothing short of amazing. All 4 tracks are incredible pieces of music and the first and last tracks are some of the greatest covers ever performed. I know some don’t like it, but the monologue on By the Time I Get To Phoenix adds so much more emotional impact than you would get from just the song, and it provides an amazing end to an amazing album. 5/5

This album is lovely. It’s a great selection of songs that range from haunting and melancholy to warm and hopeful. Joan Baez’s voice and guitar work is are wonderful and her arrangements all work very well. The album never feels boring because Baez’s voice tells the stories in very compelling ways. 4/5

A perfect album of funk and soul. It’s concise and it gets across its messages successfully. Every song on the album is a work of musical genius. The lyrics provide a look at the struggles of the poor and drug addiction and selling. The album is tied together with recurring lyrical themes such as the title character, the “Pusherman”, “junkies”, and “The Man”. The last 3 tracks do so much to tie everything up, with No Thing on Me functioning as a sort of thesis statement, followed by Think, an instrumental that allows you do what the title tells you to, think. Finally, the title track lends a nice wrap-up to the album. 5/5

Very boring. I was extremely bored for most of this album. There’s very little interesting stuff going on, and the little bits of interesting musical moments rarely last and are often overshadowed by the mediocrity surrounding it. I felt nothing most of the time, as I spaced out from sheer boredom and didn’t feel any emotions that should have been invoked. It’s hard to call it a bad album, it’s just really bland. 2/5

This album has a lot of atmosphere and pretty great compositions. The instrumentation creates much of this atmosphere, the guitar riffs and bass lines are great throughout, with the synths working to complement them and the drums, though simple, work really well. Many of the instrumental tracks are piano-led, but they still maintain the same atmosphere. 4/5

Very ahead of its time. The lyrics aren’t great in places, but the music and arrangements are all fantastic and have aged very well. I love the very obvious influence that David Bowie had on this album. The album’s energy is infectious on most tracks, and the slower moments are all effective. 4/5

An example of great songwriting and production. Bono’s voice is incredible throughout, very powerful. These songs all have great soundscapes. The album does feel a bit long, but I don’t know what I’d cut because every track is strong. 4/5

A genius album. Extremely creative compositions all throughout with great variety. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in, but I ended up loving this album. Though one issue is the fake Indian accent at the end of New Delhi and the brownface on the album cover have aged very poorly. Even so, I’m not sure if that overall minor aspect fully knocks down to a 4, so it remains a 5. 5/5

This album is decent. It’s not bad, but I don’t see why it’s on this list. It has some great moments, the first track especially, but I don’t think this album really has much going for it, there are probably much better disco albums that could have been on this list. However, I do understand why this album is important, I just don’t think it’s for me. 3/5

A great psychedelic blues album. One of the most stacked bands in history, where every member is considered an all-time great. Something I did notice though, is that it sounds like Clapton is restraining himself in a few songs, but it still sounds great. Though much of the material on the record is great, both sides end on very weak songs, side 1 with Blue Condition and side 2 with Mother’s Lament. 4/5

An excellent composition played with excellent musicianship. I find it funny the difference in opinions on this album, as some people would dread a live album of a prog rock adaptation of a classical piano suite, but I, as a massive nerd, was actually excited. I was not disappointed. All the playing was spectacular and the material was strong. The synths sound cheesy and dated, just the way I like them. It is amazing hearing the audience going wild for Nut Rocker of all things. 4/5

Incredible album. Some of the best instrumental work I’ve heard on a punk album. Not a weak track, and many of their best parts are instrumental sections. Captain Sensible’s guitar work really shines throughout. Smash It Up is one of the best punk songs I’ve ever heard. 5/5

Thoroughly great double album. It manages to maintain a wide variety while also still feeling like a cohesive work. I’d say that everything included is deserving of being on the album. The compositions are fantastic and the lyrics are pretty good with a few exceptions. The singing could be better in places, but the main draw is the amazing music. 4/5

An example of a great album with bad production. All the music is great, powerful punk rock with no weak tracks. However, David Bowie’s mixing holds it back. This wasn’t his fault, as he was working on a low budget with extremely outdated technology and had to get the whole album mixed in a day. This knocks it down a bit, but it’s still a very strong record. 3/5

Amazing lyrics with amazing music. The songs are very narrative and packed with imagery, it really accomplishes Springsteen’s goal of making an album where all the songs take place over a long summer day. Impeccable songwriting and arrangements, played by great musicians.

Excellent and energetic hard rock played by very talented musicians. The whole album is very strong and one of the best debut albums, the band’s sound was already defined very well. Eddie Van Halen’s playing is spectacular as it always is and the energy is infectious. 4/5

A great variety of very interesting music. David Byrne is a fantastic songwriter and the album shows these talents very well. The experimentation on the album can be quirky but also be taken seriously, as it shows a lot of creativity. Byrne’s vocals are full of personality and Tina Weymouth supplies great bass playing throughout. 4/5

An all-time great. Packed with great songs from beginning to end. The album has two main types of songs, hard rockers and slower, beautiful songs. They surprisingly don’t clash too much, and Stairway to Heaven combines both styles masterfully. Even though Stairway is overplayed and overrated, that doesn’t stop it from being amazing. My only complaint about Stairway is the penultimate line, “to be a rock and not to roll”, apparently it’s an ancient proverb, but it’s obviously because Zeppelin is a rock and roll band and they were trying to make it sound profound, but to me it just sounds stupid. Robert Plant’s delivery saves it, however. All 4 members play incredibly and the songwriting is consistently strong throughout. 5/5

I was not expecting to love this album as much as I did. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but I didn’t think it would be one of the most creative albums I’ve ever heard. The music is amazing and the lyrics pull off both humor and vulnerability extremely well, with all the features being great. My only complaint is that some songs can blend together a bit, but this was right on the border of being a 5. 4/5

Even if you don’t like AC/DC, you have to admit they do what they do well. It’s a great album full of dirty hard rock songs played by great musicians, what more could you ask from AC/DC? It’s not anything life changing, but it’s a good time.

A great album. The band pulls off the folkier tracks and the psychedelic tracks both equally great. The harmonies sound beautiful throughout, and though Grace Slick is definitely the best singer in the band, the others are still very good. I do wish that Plastic Fantastic Lover was earlier in the album to allow White Rabbit to be the closer, as it feels so climactic. 4/5

An album with some great moments, but it does get bogged down by a few recurring issues. Many of the tracks on the record are around 6-8 minutes, and I feel that many of them aren’t musically interesting enough to warrant that length. I will say though, tracks 7-9 are amazing, but the rest is just okay. 3/5

A delightful album. The reviews of this on this website really made me lower my expectations, but I ended up really loving the record. It’s full of very warm sounding songs, country and folk with a few experimental elements. Some of the songs can get a little too repetitive for my liking, but it isn’t annoying. It’s definitely something I’ll be coming back to.

Full of genius compositions and unique sounds. It’s a very cohesive work, it’s very much sonically unified, but the tracks remain mostly unique to each other. This is the first Radiohead album I’ve heard in full, and I’m definitely looking forward to the others featured on this list. 4/5

All I knew about The Smiths beforehand was that Morrissey is a terrible person. I ended up loving this album, it’s just too good in my opinion to disregard it. Andy Rourke’s bass playing is amazing throughout and the songwriting is extremely strong. I’ve thought about the nature of consuming art made by bad people, and what I currently think is this, though it may change: You know your own morals and enjoying art by problematic artists doesn’t mean anything about you as long as you can acknowledge the artist did wrong. Some art is too good for me to not enjoy, and this album is an example of that. 4/5

This album is weird and I love it. The songs are all so great and the sampling is extremely creative. All four songs on the record are very unique pieces of music. 4/5

It’s very long and I don’t think it really earns that length. Party albums typically are long and don’t make great listening experiences when listened to from front to back and are full of very long songs to dance to for a long amount of time. There are a few great moments, but the album’s length knocks it down from a 3 to a 2 for me. I have heard great things about later Daft Punk albums, so maybe I’ll check those out. 2/5

Led Zeppelin was a unit. They sound extremely tight on this album, as if they were all made to play with each other. The songs on the album are all great, especially on side 2. What’s insane to me is that this isn’t even their best album, at least in my opinion. I hadn’t listened to the album in a bit, and had forgotten how beautiful a song Thank You is, it’s one of my favorites now. I could be mistaken, but I believe that Ramble On includes Zeppelin’s first Lord of the Rings references, with it mentioning Mordor and Gollum. 4/5

A very atmospheric album. Every song does a great job at portraying its vibe with its instrumentation and melodies. I really love the vocals, they work really well with the music. It has a sort of quality to it I really like. 4/5

This album definitely accomplished what it wanted to, but I just didn’t enjoy it. I love weird stuff in music, and this album was very weird and definitely very creative, I just don’t like the sound of clanging metal underneath a German guy screaming into an extremely low quality mic. I would have loved to love this album, my goal with starting this project was to broaden my music taste, but all I got out of this was a headache. 1/5

One of the best early heavy metal records. Even though Deep Purple had moved on to more “standard” hard rock, their prog rock roots are still very clear with their musicianship. Ian Gillan may just be my favorite rock singer ever, he can do amazing things with his voice. The material is very strong and is full of energetic hard rockers. 5/5

This album was a bore. There were interesting moments here and there, but the beginning is just such a slog that it’s hard for me to recover from it. Also the vocals are almost exclusively whispered. Why? There are two different singers, why do both of them do this? I will admit that there were some very unique and creative ideas in the second half, I would have loved to hear that throughout. However, they didn’t stop this album from feeling like a chore to listen to. 2/5

I should clarify that Kanye’s a horrible person, and I think we all know that. This was the first Kanye album I’ve ever heard, and I’m pretty surprised by how much I like it. In fact, if the quality of the lyrics were more consistently good, it would probably have gotten a 5. I love the creativity present throughout the album, the samples and instrumentation create such unique sounds throughout the album, and I really like Kanye’s passionate delivery, even if some of the lyrics aren’t great in places. I do have to wonder how much of those lyrics were written with the intention of being funny or were meant to be taken seriously. 4/5

I was surprised by this album. Two days ago, I got my bloody valentine’s m b v, and I did not like that record very much, so when I got this album, I was kind of dreading listening to it. I ended up really liking it. I think the noise elements are pretty interesting sonically. Some of the songs feel like they drag a bit, but that doesn’t come up too much. I still don’t like the fact that so much of the vocals are whispered and they’re still mixed very quietly when they aren’t, but on the whole it felt like there was more to sink my teeth into on this album than on m b v. 4/5

One of the best written albums I’ve heard. The songwriting is extremely strong throughout and I’m now looking forward to the other Neil Young albums on this list. The different styles on the album, country, blues, and folk, all work very well together. The record has an aesthetic or vibe that I’m not quite sure how to describe but I really like whenever I hear in music. 4/5

Many of the reviews for this album are way too harsh. This album is actually pretty good. The songwriting is very good, the “stars and stripes and swastikas” line really surprised me, it reminded me that many of the problems people have today have been around for decades. The album does sound pretty 90s in a few places, but sounding of its time isn’t always a bad thing. 4/5

A genius album that manages to be great pop music of its day while simultaneously aging perfectly. Much of the music is played on synth, but very little feels dated like some other music of the 80s. Tony Levin’s bass playing on is some of the best. Though Peter Gabriel no longer wrote prog rock, the creativity and uniqueness from his time in Genesis is still present. 5/5

It’s a solid punk album. Maybe I just need to listen to the album a bit more, but it just sounds like Diet Sex Pistols to me. This record was made well before The Clash would develop their signature sound, or at least the sound I know from the hits, as I will admit that those are really all I know. The album isn’t bad, it just doesn’t feel all that special to me. 3/5

A pretty solid album, some good parts, some more mediocre parts, but nothing I’d call bad. It’s got some really great moments, I would probably rate it higher if it was a bit more streamlined. 3/5

This album was a pleasant surprise. I’d previously gotten Chic’s Risqué from this website and didn’t care for it too much, so I expected something similar from this album, but I feel like the songwriting is much better here, and the musicianship, which was an aspect I really liked from Risqué, was also great. The album doesn’t get too repetitive and it doesn’t fall too far into the disco trap of making any otherwise good songs go on for way too long. 4/5

There’s definitely a good amount of creativity and uniqueness in the sounds on this album, but for some reason it just feels kinda so-so for me. I can’t quite tell what it is, but much of the material doesn’t interest me very much. It definitely does have some great stuff going on, though.

One of the greatest debut albums of all time. Some of the greatest music of the 60’s played by the greatest guitarist of all time. The stereo panning is pretty extreme, but the playing shines through. I’d also like to shout out Mitch Mitchell on this album, he is often considered one of the greatest drummers of all time, and that’s pretty impressive when you’re in a band with Jimi Hendrix. Noel Redding does a great job too, though I admittedly didn’t listen very close to the bass parts, it is a Jimi Hendrix album after all. To anyone who hasn’t heard them, I’d highly recommend watching and listening to the Experience’s live shows, Jimi’s playing is insane and the songs sound way better live than on the album. 5/5

I don’t care what anybody on this website says, Rod Stewart is great. His voice was made for singing soul. I really like the combination of styles on this album, especially the folky bits, it lends a lot of warmth. The bass playing is really good, and I don’t think I’ve seen anybody mention that. Maggie May is one of my favorite songs ever, and I think it’s really funny how many people don’t understand that the relationship described in the song is completely unhealthy. Go in the comments of any upload of the song on YouTube, you’ll see comments from people saying their wife’s like Maggie, I even saw one comment saying they named their daughter Maggie May. 4/5

It’s a very fun album. It’s really obvious that the boys had a lot of fun writing and recording these songs, and I had a lot of fun listening. I was pretty surprised by the Led Zeppelin samples in multiple songs, and the line about Jimmy Page caught me extremely off guard. 4/5

This album is really fun. There are some misogynistic lyrics and the album can go on a bit long, but it’s always very enjoyable. The songs are all strong and Snoop Dog is a pretty great rapper. I really liked the samples from Super Fly, one of my favorite albums that I’ve gotten from this website. 4/5

A lovely album. The songwriting is very strong, and really my only complaint is Suzanne Vega’s voice isn’t very strong. This list has definitely helped me realize how much I love folk music. 4/5

Completely unbridled creativity. I love insane and weird music because that’s where you always find the musicians with the biggest imaginations. I see the left-wing lyrics often get praised, but one of the most evocative political statements on the album is wordless. The record opens with traditional patriotic American songs playing over each other, creating a hellish soundscape. 4/5

Some of the best pop of the 80s. All great tracks with some unique experimentation that keeps things fresh. The bass lines on the album are terrific and funky. 4/5

One of the most 60s albums ever. Everything from the melodies, to the arrangements, to the production, to the lyrics are all firmly planted in 1966. Some don’t like that, but I definitely do. The vocal harmonies are all amazing and the arrangements are great. The songwriting is very strong, even if it is very much of its time. 4/5

Amazing funk. Whenever I got up to do something while listening to the album, I had to suppress the urge to dance. The groove is irresistible. Bobby Womack has an incredible voice, if I hadn’t read the reviews beforehand, I likely wouldn’t have noticed some of the bad lyrics because of his great delivery. 4/5

Extremely creative all around. The sampling work is genius and really shows that sampling is a transformative art form. This album would probably have been perfect if some of the fat had been trimmed off of some of the songs. I haven’t heard too much music like this, and the music like this I have heard came after. I can’t imagine how revolutionary this must’ve been at the time. 4/5

On my first listen, the first few songs sounded pretty boring to my ears, but on my second listening, I enjoyed those first few songs much more. Parts of the album do sound kind of thin because of how quiet the bass is. Muddy Waters’s vocals are powerful and legendary. You can hear the influence that Waters’s music would have on popular music throughout the record. 4/5

One of the best live albums ever. The band is great and Cash’s voice is iconic. The prisoners’ cheering and reactions are some of the best parts, it’s one of the few live albums of the time to give focus to the audience. Even though it’s not a perfect performance, Cash’s comments and chuckles as well as the crowd reactions make the album sound so alive. 5/5