Not great. A lot of this is noisy noise, like a group of 14 year olds playing in their first punk band. It’s better than The Germs though, so I can’t award 1 star. It’s nowhere near good enough for 3 stars, which leaves only one option.
One amazing track. The rest is meh.
Pretty good stuff.
Overrated. His next album is better.
It sounds just like every other Bruce Springsteen album, but somehow slightly worse. Dull, pretentious and unoriginal.
Awful. Just awful. Weird music, terrible vocals and bad lyrics. Avoid like the plague.
The music is technically sound, but the mood is so depressing. This album is a slog and it doesn't offer sufficient reward for the effort of listening to it. It's not awful, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Pretty good stuff. I had not listened to this in more than 20 years and I had some nice moments of deja vu. “Dummy” was so different to anything coming out of the UK at the time. It was fresh, the music is technically proficient, the rhythms and beats are perfect and the mood is hypnotic. I understand even more why this was so influential. A few tracks on the second half of the album are a bit boring, but the highlights are excellent. Well worth a listen 👍
All the “songs” sound the same: incoherent noise on top of comical snarling vocals. There is no attempt to make anything close to a melody. It seems that their plan (if you can call it that) was to play as fast and as rushed as possible, make up cliched lyrics on the spot and see what happens. An embarrassment to music.
Some of the tracks are repetitive and annoying, but the rhythms are generally decent. The first track is particularly grating, “Dry Your Eyes” is corny rubbish and the closer is meh. “Fit But You Know It” and “Could Well Be In” are fun, but despite these highlights, it’s difficult to rate this album too highly.
Some of the guitar work is very good and the music is nice and heavy. However, almost all of this good work is undone and buried by the comedy vocals. It sounds like a cartoon character having a meltdown. This would be good as an instrumental album, but in this form, the album is difficult to listen to, let alone take seriously. Their desperation for attention deems this a wasted opportunity.
"Under The Bridge" is excellent, but the rest of the album sounds like a teenage funk band playing the third concert.
This album boasts one of the best opening tracks you will ever hear. There is reason these guys were so influential.
The title is apt because musically, this album is very good, but Bono’s histrionic vocals are sometimes at odds with what his band mates are doing. The first half is very solid, but the album loses its way around halfway though; track 6 “The Refugee” is still one of U2’s worst songs. Fortunately, “War” finishes really strongly with “Surrender” and “40”. One of U2’s best albums, only let down by a few moments of pretentious self indulgence. It’s U2 though; it’s what they do.
I often respect bands for trying something different. This album offers a completely new sound compared to their iconic debut, but it often fails to hit the mark. Quite a few of these songs are just straight up boring. “Fall” and “Down On Me” are pretty good, but they probably would not make a Jesus And Mary Chain top 10. The singles are passable, but not too memorable. Nothing here is terrible per se; it’s just a bit dull. A few half decent tracks, an honest attempt to shake things up and some decent rhythms make this an okay album. Thankfully, the Reid boys transform their sound again on the follow up “Automatic”, easily one of the best British rock albums ever recorded, so I can forgive this misstep.
A mixed bag. The opening track is weird, boring and redundant as a mood setter, but it is promptly followed by some catchy pop hits. Not bad, but not essential listening. Lose the Hendrix style self-indulgence and it could have been better.
Some of the lyrics are interesting, thought provoking even, but musically this is all a bit safe. A lot of the songs sound the same and it does get a bit boring after a while. I could get through it because nothing here is bad, but nothing is that exciting either. It’s…fine.
If you take “Higher Ground” off this album, it sounds like any generic lounge band, not one of Apple’s “Top 100” albums. That’s a big stretch, in my opinion. It sounds like a hipster’s opinion which you kinda “have to” think or other hipsters will think you’re an idiot. It’s not your fault. Track 2 is one of Stevie’s most boring songs and several others are nothing to write home about. “Golden Lady” and the closing track are okay and of course the vocals are excellent, bringing it up to a 3/5, but musically, I found this a little underwhelming. Stevie Wonder has far better music than this.
There are far better Radiohead albums than this. Musically, it is intricate and sophisticated, but at times it is too self indulgent for its own good. “Sit Down. Stand Up”, “Myxomatosis” and “There There” are the highlights. “We Suck Young Blood” and “I Will” are the lowest points. A strange analogy: during the scene in Parks & Recreation where Ben plays Cones Of Dunshire with the internet people, he compliments their advanced moves and clever strategy, but just before he delivers the final blow in his victory, one line he speaks is very profound: “You forgot the essence of the game. It’s about the cones.” I feel this way about “Hail To The Thief”. Sure, it’s sophisticated and technically proficient, but they forgot one essence of music: to entertain. Tom Yorke’s vocals are grating at times; he sounds like a banshee who has just stepped on a Lego brick with his bare foot. It’s difficult to listen to and annoying enough to distract from the excellent backing music. Hail To The Thief is pretty good, but it’s too much. I would rather listen to The Bends, OK Computer or Amnesiac.
If you have talent (which I don’t!), music is not complicated. Find some good songwriters, make some catchy songs and release an album. So many bands get caught up trying too hard to make something “epic” and they end up sounding pretentious and ultimately, boring. These guys simplified the process and the result is excellent. Simple, effective, enjoyable, still holds up 35 years later. A job well done 👍
Nothing special.
Not bad.
This was disappointing. A lot of the songs sounded the same and not in a good way. I felt that this was a bit safe, a bit meh and a bit pretentious. There is much better Marvin Gaye stuff out there.
A few really solid tracks here. One or two duds (“Weekend Wars” and 4th Dimensional Transition”), but they are the exception. The sound and vibe is more original than I thought. Not an all time classic, but I would listen again.
Silly music. Imagine if AC/DC had a musical love child with Bowling For Soup and the Rugrats. Throw in some early Blink 182 immaturity and about sex and naughty words and you get this. The joke wears thin very quickly.
Dull.
This album is 60 years old and it shows. It’s old fashioned, dated and passé. The vocals are kinda annoying and the melodies are all pretty similar. Other more forgettable albums on this list got a 3 because they were merely fine, but “A Hard Day’s Night” actively bothered me. It’s not awful, but it deserves no more than 2/5.
Catchy songs
Some catchy melodies and beats here, but my god, the songs go on too long. Shave three or four minutes off some of the songs and it would be far more tolerable. It’s almost like a Prince parody album. The title track is one of the worst songs on the album; overplayed. If you ask AI to create a bland, overly pretentious, self indulgent Prince song, it would create something like “Lady Cab Driver”. That’s over 8 minutes long! I didn’t hate it, in fact, at times I enjoyed it, but it’s too much. After “Dirty Mind” and “Controversy”, this is a disappointment. It’s nowhere near as bad as the awful “Purple Rain”, so it gets 3/5
Boring and pretentious. It doesn’t deserve any more of my time, so this review is short.
Not bad. Paul’s voice is as good as ever on this record, but some of the songs are forgettable. “Cars Are Cars” is not forgettable. It’s one of the most lyrically tortured songs I have ever heard. A 5 year old could have written something more profound. Anyway, good guitar work and pleasant vocals make up for some of the lyrical shortcomings. It’s okay. I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen again, but I wouldn’t say it’s a record to avoid like the plague.
Inoffensive elevator music. This sounds like the same song played ten times in a row. I found it quite bland.
The irony of this album is that despite Eric Clapton’s undeserved reputation as a guitar genius, it is the drummer who really shines. That is the only reason this album gets a second star. The guitar work is self indulgent, pretentious guff which gets old fast. A few tracks in and your heart sinks when you realise that Clapton is going to pleasure himself again. With his guitar. For several unnecessary minutes. There is one good track on this album and it isn’t “Layla”. This entire record is a shameless rip-off of the black American soul movement, exploited and monetised by a group of white dudes, of whom the most famous is a known racist, a sexual predator and an all round slug of the lowest order. Love Songs? I suppose that’s another irony. It’s all so unoriginal, predictable, boring and far too long. Even the title is uninspired. Did I mention the w@nky guitar solos? It’s like he was having an early mid life crisis and he wanted attention. That’s 76 minutes of my life I can’t get back and I’m annoyed by that. I definitely won’t be listening to this again.
A bit safe. Not bad. Meh.
A lot better than I thought. I went in with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear catchy rock anthems. These guys don’t take themselves too seriously, the album is only 36 minutes long and it’s catchy. Good job.
Safe, bland, boring. Not worth my time.
This album has aged so badly that it’s almost funny. The misogyny is pretty cringy and the lyrics are partly nonsensical. It’s pretty boring. There are far better rap albums from that era than this.
Elevator music. Not bad, but totally forgettable.
Well written songs, good length, very engaging. The opening track is fantastic. “Shiver”. It sets the tone. “Shiver” keeps it going. The only dud track is “We Never Change”; it’s a mood killer. Then the album closes with one of Coldplay’s best tracks. Quick redemption. Easily one of the better albums this experience has provided recently.
So overrated. The vocals are sometimes great, sometimes grating and the rhythms are mostly the same in each song. The guitar work is skilful of course, but it is attention seeking to an unnecessary degree. It blows my mind that generic twaddle like this can gain so much respect. It’s not awful, so I can’t award 1 start but I have absolutely no desire to listen again because nothing here impressed me.
Annoying, stupid and painfully pretentious. Avoid.
It’s okay. You can see where Weezer and Foo Fighters got their ideas. Nothing really stands out on this album. For this genre, “Diary” by Sunny Day Real Estate is a classic. I assume it’s on this list. It should be.
A boring, pretentious Bowie rip off. Songs are too long and repetitive. I won’t listen again.
Recently, I gave a Talk Talk album 2/5 because it was boring and pretentious. It wasn’t exciting enough to annoy me, but at least it was inoffensive.. This Crosby, Stills & Nash guff actively irked me, so I am obliged to award a lower score. Seriously, It’s bad. It’s like that scene in Family Guy when Peter says that The Godfather “insists upon itself”. This record insists upon itself. The music on this album is annoying, outdated and far too pleased with itself. It is just not relevant in 2025. A desperate imitation of The Beatles (also irrelevant in 2025), this album has no place on this list.
Better than I remembered, but still nowhere near worthy of the hype. The most famous singles (Last Nite and Someday) are pretty bland. However, there are a few bangers on here (Barely Legal, Hard To Explain, Take It Or Leave It). It's not overly long, the songs are short and most are catchy enough, but there is not much variety here. The follow up "Room On Fire" is far better. Not great, not bad. A 3/5 seems fair to me.
Fine.
This is the worst album yet in this project, without doubt. I feel bad for the other albums to which I previously awarded 1 star because they are not as bad as this. I may have to rethink my star system in future. It really is that bad. I don’t even know how to describe the experience, but I will try. Imagine that David Lynch (RIP) was looking for a soundtrack for a short film about dead animals and this was one of the suggestions that he thought was too “out there”. The music and lyrics are weird, annoying and downright stupid. I’m annoyed that this album is included on this list because nobody needs to hear this.
Not for me
The first track is pretty good. The second track sounds similar. Then track 3 sounds kinda the same too. Not much variety here. Some of the lyrics are just downright nonsensical. It’s fine, nothing special.
Some good guitar work, but a lot of it sounds the same. It’s fine, but no better than fine.
Painfully boring. I never want to hear this again.
This was not as bad as I thought it would be. There are a few catchy beats and some interesting melodies to be found on this album. The title track is pretty annoying, but the album starts well overall. The occasional dud track is not a surprise. It’s a bit safe, but it’s a lot better than some of the albums I have been presented with recently. However, Madonna has better albums than this, so it’s hard to be too generous.
Neil Young has better albums than this. It was not that exciting.
Nothing special here. Grating vocals, predictable beats, annoying vibe. The bad side of 80s music which you have heard a thousand times before. This was not relevant even in 1995, let alone 2025. Has no place on this list. Blah.
This album is awful. It’s weird, pretentious and irritating. The vocals are terrible, the lyrics are nonsensical are the music is basic. This list has been a mixed bag. Some good albums, some not so good. Sometimes I can appreciate the talent of the songwriters, but it’s not my style. In those cases, I don’t like to be too harsh with my reviews, but “The Dreaming” is just downright rubbish and I’m irked that someone added it to this list.
This overhyped drivel is way too far up its own backside. Nowhere near worthy of the reputation it enjoys. The band is trying so hard to sound epic, but a lot of it results in indistinct noise which goes on far too long. It’s boring. There, I said it. I have to commend a few of the bass lines. Some really good rhythm work gives an extra star, but the vocals are never more than average. “The Great Gig In The Sky” is hard to listen to; although the backing music is solid at times (not as intricate as it seem though), the only vocals on offer are random voice clips of men saying random statements and a histrionic woman who shrieks wildly for 3 minutes, like she is being stabbed over and over. It’s not enjoyable. You will know after you listen that these guys were talented musicians, but they forgot the essence of music: to entertain. They are so caught up in sounding epic that the songs are not songs, it’s just a series of loud, pretentious sounds with no structure and no purpose. I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t. There is much better music out there; I don’t feel the desire to ever listen again and I probably won’t.
Pretty good. A few catchy songs, well written. I’m surprised that I had never heard of this band before, but now I have checked out some of their other albums too. The style and vibe are very similar to the Foo Fighters’ first album; Dave Grohl must have listened to a lot of Sebadoh before writing and recording. It’s not an all time classic, but it’s a solid effort.
I was pleasantly surprised with this album. Good flow, good beats, good songs. Okay, the idea and the concept are a bit out there, but the result is pretty good. Some of the spoken word skit style songs are a bit pointless musically and purists may skip them, but it all adds to the vibe and the story, so it’s not the worst thing in the world. A couple of songs are not quite as good, but this album packs in several bangers. It’s fun, it’s well produced and it’s entertaining. Discovering slightly more obscure music like this is a perfect example of why I wanted to work through this list 👍
A good effort. The album starts with the weakest tracks. “Queer” and “Only Happy When It Rains” are a bit boring, but then things step up a gear. I can’t award 5 stars because despite the consistency from track 4 onwards, the album does lack that X-factor, that final ingredient which would make it a classic. It does feel a bit safe at times and it lacks a raw edge, a bit of raw nastiness. Professional production, the beats are consistent, the guitar work is solid, the vocals are (mostly) good, so it’s a very respectable 4/5 from me.
Truly a mixed bag. The album is bookended by decent songs, which are the bread around garbage filling. Tracks 1 and 2 are fun. 3 and 4 are instantly forgettable. Track 5 is just weird; it’s an homage to Stevie Wonder which is an okay idea, but it seems that they are actually in love with Stevie in a creepy stalky way. Track 6 is just boring, slow crap. Tracks 7 and 8 end the record strong. You will notice a pattern. When the songs are built around funky hip hop beats, they are often good. When the songs are R&B ballad style, they are awful. These guys should have stuck to what they did well. Despite some strong moments, this album is as clear a good/bad mix as you will experience on this list, so it gets a middling grade.
Frampton Comes Alive is awful for many reasons. - The title and album cover are weird and creepy. - The songs are really boring. Stale, old fashioned dad rock, not relevant in the 21st century. Name a good song on this album. I’ll wait… - The fact that this is a live album doesn’t help (not a dealbreaker though). - The sound quality is awful. You can barely hear his voice. - Far too long. Frampton spends a lot of time pleasuring himself with his guitar. Nearly as bad as Derek and The Dominos. It could have been half as long. - How on earth did this album shift 8 million copies? A lot of music fans in America must have had low standards in the 70s (I think they did!) or they were seriously disappointed. This was crushingly dull, annoying inane, completely pointless and just downright annoying on occasion. Sometimes I think this list is trolling us.
I had not listened to this album in more than 20 years. I didn’t care much for it then and after listening again, nothing has changed. It sounds outdated and old fashioned now. It simply does not hold up 30 years later. Personally, I would not call Supergrass a Britpop band. They were just a rock band who happened to be around during the Britpop era. It’s like calling REM a grunge band, just because they were contemporaries of Screaming Trees and Nirvana. It’s not accurate. In fact, this album is an insult to the memory of Britpop. The singer overdoes the British accent to such a comic degree that the System Of A Down shouter would tell him to cool it with the exaggerations. His voice really is annoying. Musically, there is some good stuff here, but it’s mostly undone by the histrionic chaos of the record. “Alright” is one of the most irritating songs ever recorded, “Caught By The Fuzz” is a bad rip off of late 70s punk, “We’re Not Supposed To” literally made me say out loud “What the f*ck is this?” and “Time” is so boring that even Dave Matthews would reject it. The only bright spot on this album is “Lenny”. People will give this a 5/5 review just because of the nostalgia, but it’s not a good record. At least I know that I was right all those years ago.
A very well respected journalist once said that Bob Dylan “was a busker who got lucky”. That journalist was correct. This is the most overrated album yet (excluding The Dark Side Of The Moon) on this list. Let’s break down why this album is rubbish. Dylan’s voice is among the worst I have heard on this list; it’s grating and whiny. It’s almost as unlistenable as Thom Yorke on Hail To The Thief. I made it to the last song on this record, but I had to bail after 2 minutes. The vocals made me quit. When he raises his voice, it makes me flinch. It sounds like somebody is strangling a goat. Musically, it sounds sophisticated on the surface but it’s not really. There are three songs on this album which Dylan plays over and over, with different vocals on top. Mediocre, at best. Lyrically, it’s nothing special. At times, the lyrics make no sense. At other times the lyrics are inane and boring. Despite what gullible music fans will say, Bob Dylan is not a wordsmith. People will give this 4 or 5 stars because NME or Rolling Stone told them it’s a classic. I ask: based on what? It’s old fashioned dross which is not relevant in the 21st century, culturally or musically. It doesn’t hold up. It’s 60 years old and it shows. I was going to give this 2/5 because despite its limitations and repetitive nature, there is a semblance of musical talent (not vocal ability), but I found myself feeling annoyed and imposed upon while I listened, so I’m afraid I have to give it 1/5. I don’t want to listen to this again
This is one of the most disgusting albums I have ever heard. It is crass, obnoxious and lacking in even the smallest shred of integrity. The sexual references are crude enough, but the societal and cultural message this sends to young women and girls is appalling. The writers and producers should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Sadly, such morally bankrupt individuals won’t feel an ounce of shame. Unsurprisingly, this album won a Grammy Award. We all know they have been worthless for years now, but Heaux Tales must be the final nail in the coffin for the credibility of that award ceremony. Money can buy trophies, but it clearly can’t buy class. The lyrics exacerbate the myth that if a man is unable or unwilling to pay for his vapid girlfriend’s wannabe lifestyle, he is worthless and she should give him the boot. If he is stupid enough, able and most importantly, willing to pay for her wannabe lifestyle, he should be rewarded. Not with love and commitment, but with a sexually submissive life partner who openly admits that they are giving up their bodies, souls and happiness to settle for a comfortable life with a few material perks. But they will call it love. Even though it’s not and everyone involved knows it. You see the problem. In what universe is this a feminist message? It’s not just destructive for women though. In what universe is this not incredibly damaging for the mental health of young men who are naive enough to fall for this abhorrent rhetoric? In the social media age, it could cripple their sense of self worth beyond repair, and for what? So that a third rate singer can make a few dollars and think she’s special. Trust me fellas, she isn’t special in any way, inside or outside (just look at the album cover!). Any woman worth even a second look (let alone a second date) would never even think these thoughts, much less record an album of them. Faux feminism aside, let’s look at the music aspect. It’s awful. The songs are mundane, like you’ve heard a thousand times before on brain rotting reality TV. The vocals are uninspired, insipid and bland. The spoken word skits serve no purpose whatsoever; they are not funny or interesting in the slightest. I have had 24 hours to consider my feelings after listening to this drivel. I don’t use the word lightly, but I am not exaggerating when I say that I hate this album. I hate the decline in modern music of which it is a symbol and I hate what it stands for culturally. Only a sick person with emotional problems could find any value in Heaux Tales. Everything about it is repulsive and listening to it was one of the most depressing experience of my life.
I was going to give 3/5, but I listened for a second time. The intricacy of the music is more sophisticated than I first thought. Like a few albums on this list from early 90s (Sebadoh and Pavement come to mind), you can see where Weezer and Foo Fighters got their ideas. This is like Dinosaur Jr, but more consistent. Okay, the vocals could be better at times, but I’m feeling generous and awarding a fourth star.
Outdated and a tad boring
It’s inoffensive, but not particularly memorable. I couldn’t hum one of the songs for you, if I were asked to do so. It didn’t annoy me, it didn’t impress me; it’s the epitome of “fine”.
Some of the bass work during the first few tracks is decent, but there are several negatives on this record. The lyrics are repetitive. Track 5 provides weird orgasm sounds which are pretty creepy, “Frankie Teardrop” is utter rubbish (10 minutes of monotonous guitars and random screaming) and the closing track is poor too. I like the 70s vibe of the first few tracks and the vocalist has a good voice when he does something close to, you know, singing. All the positives from the early moments are undone and outweighed by the trash of the last three songs. They are really bad. I wouldn’t bother listening again anytime soon.
Imagine if Stephen Fry were a music album. That’s Paris 1919 by John Cale. It’s so far up its own backside and so pleased with itself that at times you can literally (not figuratively) hear the smugness. A combination of fancy words, weird baroque style music and an unspectacular voice, I won’t be revisiting this again. The only positive is this: This project is to listen to 1001 albums you must hear; at no point are we told that it is the 1001 best albums (that’s subjective anyway) and sometimes the album of the day is something out there, something unorthodox. It’s always interesting to hear something different. That doesn’t justify a second star though because this was not an enjoyable listen.
It gets boring really quickly.
Catchy pop rock tunes, varied in style. The mood is equally as vulnerable as the better songs on “Heartbreaker”, but the tempo is slightly more upbeat. Some will prefer that and some won’t, but Adams is on good form here. The standard does dip towards the end; a few of the tracks are a bit boring. However, it’s a solid effort and I will definitely revisit this at some point.
Utterly forgettable. It didn’t grab me at all. I realised during track 7 that I hadn’t been listening since track 4. It’s not bad in a musical sense, but it’s pretty dull.
It’s so much better than the first album, but it still is not great. The odd highlight here and there, dotted among filler. “Cheapskate” is their best song. A short burst of poppy energy. It really is a great track. The final few tracks simply can’t live up to that standard.
This album is a lot of fun. Lots of short, poppy songs. The good thing is that even if a song is annoying (Monkey Gone To Heaven, Silver, Crackity Jones), they are only a few minutes long!
A couple of nice melodies, but it’s so forgettable. Too may instrumental only tracks here. Bowie’s voice was wonderful and this did not showcase that godt enough. It’s the epitome of “fine”.
“Whatever” is a very apt title. It is inoffensive pop. A bit bland at times, nothing is too exciting. It’s clear that Aimee Mann is a good songwriter and a talented musician, but this album lacks edge. She plays it very safe here. My first girlfriend loved Aimee Mann, so I was familiar with this album. I remember thinking that it was just “okay” then and my opinion hasn’t changed all these years later. She does have far better albums than this though. After my first time getting laid, my then girlfriend put on an Aimee Mann record, so I suppose I associate Aimee’s voice with happy times. I think it’s okay to allow personal feelings and experiences to impact the rating I give to these records, so I think 3/5 is fair.
A bit depressing in places (obviously!) but that there are a few catchy tracks. The first track is a drag, as are the last two. At least the album doesn’t contain the awful “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. That song is an abomination. “Closer” is a real mixed bag, so a 3/5 seems fair.
Not great. A lot of this is noisy noise, like a group of 14 year olds playing in their first punk band. It’s better than The Germs though, so I can’t award 1 star. It’s nowhere near good enough for 3 stars, which leaves only one option.
Narcissistic and pretentious. Far too impressed with itself. Nothing special. The screaming during track 1 gets really annoying. It seems that MaCartney and Harrison were the real talent in The Beatles.
Offensive and exploitative. This album was worse than boring; it was irritating. Randy Newman does not actually sound like that. He changed his vocal style to sound more like black American jazz artists who actually had talent. A shameless rip off which has no place on this list. I know it’s not the 1001 best albums; it’s a list of albums which influenced and inspired. The presence of this album on the list is a travesty and an insult to the music he is copying. A disgrace.
Silly comedy music. Clearly these guys watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show and decided to form a band, despite a lack of talent and ideas.
To use Taylor’s own lyrics against her: it’s so bad, but she does it so well. First off, let’s address the fact that singles are supposed to promote and sell an album. Most of the singles from 1989 are either irritating or bland. Either way, they are the worst songs on the album. “Blank Space” is dull, corny pop which hopes that one single hook line (“go down in fla-ames”) will disguise the fact that it’s a nothing song. “Shake It Off” is straight up annoying and has been played to death. “Wildest Dreams” is slow and blah. Not a good sign. However, the worst of the singles by a country mile is “Bad Blood”. My God, it falls into the irritating and boring categories (borritating?) at the same time. A seven year old could write the music and lyrics. Just listen to the melody. It’s awful...and so basic. One of the most overhyped pop songs of the generation. It’s an abomination of music. Whenever I hear a Taylor Swift diss track, I’m reminded of a line by Harvey Keitel’s character in From Dusk Till Dawn. He asks George Clooney “are you such a loser, you can’t tell when you’ve won? You’ve won. Enjoy it”. Why does TayTay concern herself with these never ending feuds with other celebs? The pettiness is off the charts She is still doing it in 2025. It’s like she is obsessed with conflict. I think she should enjoy the fact that she has ascended to the top of Pop Mountain. She is as famous as Madonna was, maybe even more famous. It’s clearly what you want, Taylor, so enjoy it. Now onto the positives. It’s clear, even to those who are not fans, that Taylor is (or could be) a good songwriter. There are some decent tunes here. The album starts off fairly strong. “Welcome To New York”, “Style” and “Out Of The Woods” are catchy and fun. They show that when she tries, she can indeed entertain. Unfortunately though, a lot of this album is middle of the road guff. The only truly bad song is “Bad Blood”; the rest is fine. Just fine. It’s very safe and risk averse. Taylor Swift is so famous that you cannot realistically expect to avoid her music. She has spawned countless imitators (Sabrina Carpenter is the most notable clone) and I guess there is a reason for that. People see this as passion filled, artistic release and a way to “know” the artist, but it really isn’t. It’s a damning indictment of modern pop that something so “okay” can be so successful and profitable. This kind of thing sells and the Swift team knows how to capitalise on that. To use that same lyric again: it’s so bad, but they do it so well.
Easily among the worst vocals I have had to endure on this list. It’s pretty much unlistenable. Musically, it’s not that great. “Okay” albums get an 3. Boring, but inoffensive albums get a 2. This was actively annoying, so it earns the lowest rating. Awful. I never want to hear this again.