233
Albums Rated
3.64
Average Rating
21%
Complete
856 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Jazz
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
65
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
|
5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
|
Copper Blue
Sugar
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
|
5 | 3.21 | +1.79 |
|
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
Horses
Patti Smith
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
|
The Specials
The Specials
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Slipknot
Slipknot
|
1 | 2.68 | -1.68 |
|
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
|
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
|
2 | 3.62 | -1.62 |
|
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
|
2 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
|
Don't Stand Me Down
Dexys Midnight Runners
|
1 | 2.6 | -1.6 |
|
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
|
2 | 3.55 | -1.55 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.67 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.67 |
| Funkadelic | 2 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 5 |
| Joni Mitchell | 2 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Coldplay | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Who | 3, 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (65)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Joni Mitchell · 2 likes
5/5
Carey, Blue, California, River, and A Case of You are all on this album. Any one of those would be someone’s entire career, if they were incredibly lucky. Joni wrote those all, and five others just slightly less brilliant, for one album. And it's not even her best album
The Beau Brummels · 2 likes
2/5
Most albums on the list, even the ones I hate, I can understand why someone thinks we should all hear it once. This one? Not a clue. A guy with a Dylan-ish voice, but completely uninteresting delivery, and music that sounds like every generic 60s band trying to cash in on the “hippy movement”. I can hear the record execs now: “Get me a Buffalo Springfield band with a Dylan singer!” They probably played this on the bus that brought normies to the Haight for sightseeing. Maybe you had to be there but this record was rightfully ignored and forgotten. The only thing that would be more perfect would be if some other hack name checked it in one of his shitty songs for coolness points. Oh wait….
Slipknot · 2 likes
1/5
Is this the worst album on the list? Sweet merciful Jesus please tell me this is the worst album on the list. I can’t give it a zero so I’ll say it here. O/5
Roxy Music · 1 likes
4/5
Already a big fan of Roxy Music, this is my second favorite after Country Life. If only Eno and Ferry could have coexisted for a few more albums. Do The Strand and Editions of You are an incredible blend of pop and weirdness.
Beatles · 1 likes
5/5
Not my favorite Beatles record but it is still tough to find many flaws here, just an absolutely wonderful work of art.
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
Doves
2/5
Not terrible, but also not good. Heavily Coldplay influenced and generically new wave/alternative. Only interesting song for me was NY. Everything else is background at best and annoyingly reminiscent of Chris Martin at worst
Joy Division
5/5
Absolutely brilliant album, created the Blueprint for 80s and 90s alternative, not a wasted minute anywhere. Ian Curtis was a great vocalist and the band is incredible. One of the best ever
Sade
4/5
A slow jams classic, incredible vocals and a top notch band execute an all time sexy R&B record. Drops off a bit at the end, but very strong, rewards multiple listens. This one really sticks with you
Marvin Gaye
5/5
One of my favorite albums of all time and the greatest protest/socially conscious record ever. Still completely relevant, every song, every lyric, not a thing has changed since Marvin first sang these songs. And of course, the music is incredible and Marvin’s vocals are impeccable. A desert island disc for me.
Paul Simon
4/5
My second ever concert was Paul Simon on this tour, so it’s a sentimental favorite. It’s also a terrific record that introduced me (and many others) to several new musical styles. Great set of songs and incredible musicianship.
Prince
4/5
I’m a big fan of Prince but I’ve never thought this was his best work and never understood why it’s generally accepted that it is. Disc 2 is absolutely a 5, banger after banger. But disc 1? A bunch of songs that either should have been left as B sides or work much better live (Housequake is the primary example of this, crushed live, flat here imo). The Sign O The Times lyrics sound like MAGA propaganda in 2025 and even in 87 they were cringe. This would have been an absolutely all timer as a single album. As a double, it’s very good but flawed.
Prince
5/5
If Sign O The Times is the White Album, the sprawling eclectic experimental brilliant but flawed sketchbook of a genius, 1999 is Abbey Road, 70 minutes of absolute perfection. Landmark of pop, rock, funk, and R&B, this is the album where it all came together for Prince after several excellent records. The first side is stacked with absolute classics, but everything that follows is on the same level of genius.
Stereolab
3/5
This is a fun listen, not my usual genre but really enjoyed most of it, great catchy pop mixed with electronica and rock and more. Some of the tracks on the back half of the album get a bit tedious and repetitive for me, but overall really good and will definitely return to hear this again.
The Specials
1/5
I didn’t enjoy this at all. I can’t stand ska. I never need to hear a single note of this ever again.
Kate Bush
4/5
I fully expected to struggle through this album. Before today, I’d heard Running (liked it) and Wuthering Heights (did not like it). Three listens in and I am absolutely in awe of this record.
The first side is pretty close to perfect. Just outstanding pop music that sounds like nothing that came before. And obviously influenced a LOT of what came after.
Side 2 is an interesting cycle, and I enjoy it overall, but it doesn’t hold my interest quite as much, esp the jig, but whatever, step up to the plate and take a big swing. Kate connects way more than she whiffs here.
This should have been massive here in the States but apparently we preferred Bananarama.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
I didn’t enjoy this at all. Not bad, just aggressively dull.
The Who
3/5
Ive been a fan of the Who my whole life but never liked this album on the past. This time around, I enjoyed it! The concept is still not my favorite and I find the ads pretty annoying. Still, there are a number of strong songs and overall I enjoyed it through several listens
The Prodigy
3/5
This is good dance music, and would surely be really fun to hear in a club, set and setting, but just sitting at my desk and hearing thunk thunk thunk is just kinda, ok, cool. Anyway, for what it is, heavy industrial dance with a social bent, it’s good. Would never again just sit and listen to it but in the right context, good stuff
Pink Floyd
5/5
What more is there to say about this masterpiece? Either you get it or you don’t I suppose. Absolutely one of the greatest all time works of western music.
Primal Scream
4/5
This was completely new to me, which is wild given my love for this era of British pop and rock. I really enjoyed this, some of the more Stones influenced stuff was just ok (Movin On Up, Damaged) but a lot of great tunes here.
Roxy Music
4/5
Already a big fan of Roxy Music, this is my second favorite after Country Life. If only Eno and Ferry could have coexisted for a few more albums. Do The Strand and Editions of You are an incredible blend of pop and weirdness.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Back at it with the albums. First catch up, Surfs Up, Beach Boys. I really tried, I’m a BB fan, but think one isn’t good. The production is very good and every thing sounds great but the actual songs, a bunch of stinkers. And then, suddenly, we reach the end and Til I Die and Surfs Up are right there with Brian’s best work. Surfs Up in particular is brilliant. This is the end of the classic BB period and almost falls completely flat but for the end. Good enough to earn this one a 3/5
Beastie Boys
2/5
Beastie Boys, License to ill. Ok, I love the Beasties and I think Paul’s Boutique is the Mona Lisa of hip hop sampling and Gen X white guy rapping (Eminem is another category entirely). LTI otoh is kind of a rough listen. I think the two records from my generation that are way more important than they are good are Licensed to I’ll and Becks Mellow Gold, they both laid down the blueprint for a very Gen X style of music but neither one of them holds up next to the rest of their respective catalogs. I have a ton of nostalgia for Fight for Your Right and Girls and No Sleep Til Brooklyn but this is all so juvenile and stupid. If Rick Rubin has any genius at all, and I’m not sure he does, but here is his best case, as he’s really the guy that fused metal and hip hop together with all of the Zep and Sabbath samples here. Not to mention Walk This Way
Stan Getz
5/5
There aren’t many albums that can boast producing as many standards as this one has: Girl From Ipanema, Doralice, Desafinado, Corcovado, So Danco Samba, just an incredible record, beautiful composition and brilliant musicianship. An all time great record.
New Order
3/5
Pretty solid 80s dance pop record. Enjoyed it overall, pretty nostalgic as everything sounded like this for a minute when I was a kid. Love Vigilantes, Perfect Kiss and Sunrise are great tracks.
The War On Drugs
2/5
I will never understand all of the love this band and this particular album get. Have any of you ever heard Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, or Tom Petty? They shamelsssly steal from those three, yet somehow makes it all less interesting, more vanilla, and incredibly bland. Imagine a CD created to play in a Starbucks that will be familiar enough to get the white people tapping their toes but also inoffensive enough that no one objects. That is this album.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
I don’t typically listen to hardcore or punk, but enjoyed this one. Some great tracks and some others that weren’t for me. Even a bit of prog thrown in for good measure. Enjoyable listen
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I have loved this album for 40 years, so I was pretty happy to see it pop up. Ok, maybe “happy” and Nebraska don’t naturally go together. One of Bruce’s finest sets of songs and I love that they went with the demos over a full E Street album that would have taken some of the magic and pathos out of these beautifully tragic songs. It’s tough to make solo acoustic interesting across an entire album, Bruce shows us how it’s done.
Talking Heads
5/5
This is one of my all time favorites. Side 1 may be my favorite side of any album. Absolute perfection. Side 2 gets weird in the best ways. I like every TH record but they really crushed this one. I imagine if one had read an article about Talking Heads working on an album with Brian Eno that was heavily influenced by Fela Kuti, one might have be justifiably skeptical. But goddammit they pulled it off.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
This is an interesting record, but I’m not sure it rises to the level of “must hear”. The music is great, love the beats and Keith’s flow, but the lyrics/concept are basically what you’d get if you locked 10 12 year olds in a room and told them to write dirty jokes. I’m not offended by the content, just by the lack of humor or originality. Great beats, great flow, puerile rhymes.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Quite simply one of the greatest records by anyone in any genre. Stevie is one of the GOATs and I honestly can’t believe that this isn’t a 5 here. People listen to this and think, nah, I’d rather hear (insert tepid garbage)? JFC.
Liz Phair
4/5
One of the greatest records albums of the 90s, incredible song after incredible song. Liz rode an incredible wave of inspiration that populated her first three records with great songs, but most of the best ones are here. Everything after that is garbage and it honestly one of the most shocking drop offs of any artist I can think of. Anyway, she gets a free pass for this record alone. I guess if you weren’t around in the 90s, you can’t understand what this record meant to people and how revolutionary it was. Read a book, y’all
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I like this record, it’s fun. I love a rock band that plays dance music. Rock and roll is supposed to be fun and these guys get the party started. They are solid live. Is there anything earth shattering or even slightly original here? No there is not. Is it a fun listen anyway? Yes it is
The Fall
4/5
Mark E Smith isn’t really here for casual listening. But whenever I hear The Fall, I like it. Never heard this one, their first, but it is very very good. I can see how they aren’t for everyone but if you enjoy a belligerent drunken Englishman shouting at you over the sound of a killer post punk band playing their asses off, have I got a record for you.
CHIC
4/5
All time dance record, with incredible composition and performance from Nile Rogers and Bernard Edward’s. The only track here I didn’t enjoy was At Last I Am Free
Television
5/5
The best album of the post punk era and a huge influence on new wave and so much of what followed.
Cream
3/5
When I was younger I thought I loved Cream but really just liked their hits. Every time I try a Cream album, I’m left with the same meh feeling. There are the great tracks and then there’s the rest. Same here. Strange Brew, Sunshine of Your Love, Ulysses, and SWLABR are great. The rest runs from huh to meh to wha?
Suicide
2/5
This one is definitely not for me. The music is anxiety inducing at best and the vocal is either spoken word or screeching. OTOH, it is utterly unlike anything I’ve ever heard before and I have to give them credit for that
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Here is some more British synth pop for your (my, actually) ear holes. I enjoyed it, some good tracks, especially Its A Sin and What Have I Done To Deserve This. Bonus points for the commentary on Thatcher’s 80s England
The Beach Boys
5/5
One of the actual greatest albums of all time that you really do need to hear before you die. Brilliant from start to finish. Just a flawless record and easily 5 stars. I wish I had more stars to give
Arcade Fire
2/5
Yet another album that nobody needed to hear before they died. Utterly derivative music without bringing anything new to the table paired with insipid lyrics. Keep The Car Running and No Cars Go are ok. The rest is anywhere from dull to irritating
PJ Harvey
4/5
PJ is one of the great artists of her (my!) generation, and she is great right out of the gate on her debut here. No duds, not even a bit of filler. Strong vocals, great songs, killer band.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
CCR was a great singles band but imo they don’t have a truly great album. And if they do, it is definitely not this one. Bootleg, Graveyard Train, Good Golly Miss Molly (Little Richard should have sued them for this abomination), and Keep On Chooglin are bad. Then there is Born on The Bayou (solid) and Proud Mary (one of the greatest rock songs ever). I don’t get it either. But go listen to Chronicle, you do not need to hear this before you die, because it may kill you
ABBA
3/5
This is a fun album, no question. Dancing Queen is a classic. There’s some other good tracks and a few duds. Not an all time great, but I’m glad I heard it
R.E.M.
4/5
I’ve loved this album since it came out, but haven’t listened in ages. A few duds, Sidewinder and Star Me Kitten, meh. NO Instrumental and Monty are filler-ish. But every other track is not just good, they are great great songs. 8 great songs on a record, if it were vinyl that would be the whole record. The CD era hurt a lot of classic albums by making artists think they had to fill every minute of available space
Tricky
3/5
This is new to me but I do listen to a bit of Massive Attack, Tricky was a former member. So it’s an enjoyable listen overall, I like Trip Hop but it’s kind of background music for me. If I’m listening intently, I get bored after a few songs. Solid but once again, questioning why I needed to hear THIS before I died instead of just hearing MAs Blue Lines or Mezzanine
5/5
Not my favorite Beatles record but it is still tough to find many flaws here, just an absolutely wonderful work of art.
Buzzcocks
3/5
I’m not much of a punk fan, but a huge fan of what came out of it, so always interested to hear OG punk bands. I knew these guys by rep but hadn’t listened to an album. Pretty solid and, to me, more interesting than the Pistols or Ramones. A bit more melodic, perhaps. I Don’t Mind and Autonomy are very good songs. The rest is solid
Cocteau Twins
3/5
This one is more interesting that enjoyable for me. Elizabeth Fraser is a terrific singer but really prefer her with Massive Attack. Clearly an influence on Dream Pop and shoegaze, but again prefer what came in its wake. Kind of a less interesting Kate Bush. Still, good stuff here, esp Ivo and Lorelai
Sonic Youth
5/5
This has been one of my all time favorite albums for decades now and the most amazing thing to me is how fresh it sounds. Highly influential but still utterly unique and impossible to replicate, this is Sonic Yourh at its absolute best, Thurston, Kim. And Lee peaking as song writers and the band at its absolute noise rock finest. A rare double album without an ounce of fat or filler. I can’t wait to see what other SY records made the list
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
one of you folks who was around for this has to explain to me why I needed to hear this album before I died. standard 60s pop that mainly alternates between mediocre Beach Boys impressions and mediocre Beatles impressions. Kicks and Stepping Stone are better here than their more famous Monkees renditions. Otherwise, this is not that interesting. But it’s pleasant enough.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
The record that introduced me to Bruce but not nearly his best. A great collection of songs, a few duds as well. How did I’m Goin Down make this record with all of the great tracks left out? Also, the production is pretty dated. Still, a great record with some of his best material
Traffic
3/5
Traffic is a great band, but this one falls somewhere in the middle of their discography for me. John Barleycorn and Low Spark are far better records, hopefully those are here too. Overall, it’s decent with some great songs, and a lot of filler.
Johnny Cash
5/5
One of the greatest albums ever, period
Kanye West
4/5
I’ve been a fan of his since I heard this record and continue to enjoy his first 5 records to varying degrees (but honestly don’t listen much at all these days, for obvious reasons). Anyway, this is one of the all time great hip hop debuts, and there was a LOT of expectation and anticipation and haters ready to shit on this record, and he came through. I hate hate hate skits, and there’s some filler here but it’s an audacious and auspicious debut. Rob Mitchum nailed it: a flawed, overlong, hypocritical, egotistical, and altogether terrific album
Queen
4/5
Queen is a great singles band that also made albums. But this one comes closest to greatness. Of course, Bohemian Rhapsody and You’re My Best Friend and Love of My Life. Death on Two Legs and ‘39 are also great. I’m in Love With My Car otoh is truly awful. This one feels heavily influenced by Sgt Pepper in the sense of smashing together a bunch of disparate British music styles, which works and doesn’t at the same time. It’s probably a 3.5 but I’ll round up because the best stuff here is truly excellent
Bob Dylan
4/5
Bob Dylan was the artist that opened my eyes to what music could be and how transformative and transportive it could be. I gravitate towards the electric material but this record has a stack of stone cold classics: Blowin In the Wind, Girl from the North Country, Masters of War, A Hard Rains A Gonna Fall, Don’t Think twice It’s Alright, I Shall Be Free. A great career for anyone else. For Mr Bob Dylan, its maybe his tenth best record
The Doors
4/5
The Doors somehow became cool to hate but they produced a lot of great material. And a fair amount of less than great tracks too. But this is one of their strongest efforts for me. There are hits and oddities aplenty here but for me it’s interesting all the way through.
Sugar
5/5
One of the greatest album of the era by one of its finest innovators. Takes me back to the early 90s instantly, and while it does sound very of its era production wise, who cares. It’s a classic
Fela Kuti
5/5
One of the strongest albums by one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century
Adele
4/5
This is an excellent mainstream pop album. Great vocals, great songs, great production. If you don’t like this, do you even like music? Or are you just here to be a snarky hipster?
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
This is a decent record. The band is good, and the songs are fine. I don’t know what it is, but it just doesn’t connect with me at all. I love Skynyrd and southern rock in general. This kind of sounds like paint by numbers southern rock. Insert Ronnie Van Sant and Bear Bryant reference there, Alabama song here, three guitars simultaneously soloing…everywhere. It’s all fine but it’s so long and so much of the same thing. Nothing bad but also nothing I would have regretted dying without hearing.
Japan
3/5
New to me, but very familiar with the bands that apparently followed in their footsteps. Starts strong and loses steam in the last few songs, but the best tracks here are synth pop at its finest
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Not my favorite Zeppelin record but every track is incredible. The soundtrack of my high school years
Napalm Death
1/5
TBH it feels unfair to rate this, it’s just utterly miles from anything I’d choose to listen to, but it’s unfair to say it’s bad. I just absolutely hated it. But you know, I’ve heard all the British Invasion albums a million times and never heard anything like this before. So, mission accomplished 1001 Albums project. Still gonna give it one star though. Sorry not sorry
Circle Jerks
2/5
Punk is one of those genres I respect for its influence and the bomb it set off in rock music, but really don’t love very much. This record has 14 songs and is 15 minutes long. It’s punk AF. I could see being into this when I was 13. Now it’s just a historic curiosity. But after Napalm Death, it is positively pastoral
Queen
3/5
Another Queen album. Again, I like Queen but they were a singles band. The albums are very hit or miss. Lots of both hits and misses here. Solid but a notch below Night At The Opera
5/5
This record came out when I was 14. I’m 52 now so I’ve loved it for almost 40 years. I’ve never gotten sick of it, never ebbed on any individual track. This is as close to a favorite album as I’ll probably ever have. I saw them on the original tour in 87 and again in 2017 when they did it again. Loved both shows, but they were right the first time to leave out Red Hill Mining Town, plodding in a live set. TBH I’m not entirely sure this is better than Achtung Baby but it doesn’t matter. Bury it with me when I die. Wish I had more thumbs
Slipknot
1/5
Is this the worst album on the list? Sweet merciful Jesus please tell me this is the worst album on the list. I can’t give it a zero so I’ll say it here. O/5
Nirvana
5/5
I haven’t listened to this straight through in many years and tbh it held up much better than expected. Side A is really incredible with Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Come As You Are, Lithium all right out the gate. There are a few throwaways but it still gets maximum points for being the album that spoke for my generation
John Coltrane
5/5
An absolute work of genius, a gorgeous composition executed to perfection. I don’t know how many of these actually need to be heard before one dies, but if any of them do, it is this record. I’ve heard it hundreds of times and it’s still as fresh as the first time
David Bowie
3/5
Bowie is one of my favorite artists. He’s a bona fide genius with an incredible catalog of diverse and fascinating music. This record, however, is not one of his better ones and I’m honestly shocked someone thinks this is essential. Young Americans is a decent track, some solid blue eyed soul. Fame is excellent. The rest is pretty tepid warmed over R&B from an artist who did not excel in that genre. Frankly, some of his worst songwriting on display here. A vanity project that never should have been on this list.
Motörhead
4/5
One of the great live albums of rock and absolutely one of the greatest metal albums of all time, essentially a greatest hits on steroids, the best material played at breakneck speed and with relentless power. A landmark of rock that unfortunately launched a lot of awful bands.
King Crimson
2/5
I just can’t with this record. 21st Century Schizoid Man is by far the best track here, but of course it goes down a pointless alley for a few minutes, just to make sure it never gets played anywhere. The rest is just the most insufferable over composed nonsense. Like a good solid 5 minutes of keyboard noodles in Moonchild. Why? And then for good measure, more beeps and boops in TCotCK. Why not. I’ve never understood the appeal of prog for the most part and this really just leaves me shaking my head. For the record, I know it’s me. I just don’t get it
R.E.M.
5/5
One of my all Time favorite bands and my favorite album of theirs. This one is just exactly perfect and does NOT sound like it came from 1987 like so many other records of that era do (hell even In The Dark sounds more 80s than Document). Anyway, there’s hits, actual hits for the first time for them, and there’s an entire side A of killer rocking album cuts and weird shit like King of Birds and Oddfellows on B. I love every second of it, even if it’s what my REM obsessed friend calls “The Safe Choice”
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Here is a genuinely good CCR record, unlike Born on the Bayou. Great side A and no clunkers on side B, including a few enjoyable if slight instrumentals. Solid record with killer singles, especially Bad Moon Rising, which is just flat out one of the great songs of the decade.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
ah yes, the hipsters’ white album. The album every record store nerd in the early 2000s used to test your indie bona fides. Well, friends, I have always failed because I have always hated this record. You hear the concept and wow, what a cool idea. Then you listen to Stephen Merritt’s awful voice mumbling boring sketches of songs for three hours and you say, ah that’s why no one ever did this before. It’s a terrible fucking idea. He recently toured this and you had to sit through two nights to get all 69 songs. I can’t imagine paying for that torment. Anyway, this album is my musical Gravity’s Rainbow. I don’t get it and no matter how many times I try, I can’t finish it.
The Go-Go's
4/5
This takes me instantly back to 4th grade when every girl in my class was singing these songs (and the ones from Vacation). At the time I liked the singles but didn’t think too much of it, I was 10. Anyway, this is an excellent album of new wave pop, the singles are absolutely killer and there are several strong album tracks. A few duds but overall, this is very good. I wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t hit it so big on this album, would they have lasted longer and stayed on the new wave track? We’ll never know, but this album is a tantalizing tease of what could have been.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
This is a pleasant listen. Marlene on the Wall is a very good song. Neighborhood Girls is solid. The rest ranges from pretty good to fine to meh
Incubus
2/5
I fully expected to hate this album. I didn’t which is nice, but also didn’t like it that much either. It’s extremely 90s and it’s a fine example of late 90s nu metal. Which is a genre I really don’t like at all. But if I had to listen to nu metal, this album would be fine. The best song here is Drive which is basically Dollar Store Alice In Chains
Caetano Veloso
5/5
An artist that only recently (last 5 years) came into my consciousness, thrilled to see this here. A sprawling work of genius, helping to create and define a genre and give voice to a political movement, this record got CV banished to London for years. Good luck trying to describe the contents using familiar American/British artists. Traditional Brazilian music meets pop meets psychedelia
Pearl Jam
5/5
This album has been in my life since I was 19 and I love it as much now as I did then. Pearl Jam became a much better band in many ways over the years, and this isn’t their best album or maybe even top 3. But it’s still a marvel of 90s guitar riffs, when Stone was the primary songwriter and he churned out classic riff after classic riff for McCready to shred over and Eddie the wail over. One of the best albums of the decade in a decade that has a lot of my favorites.
Joan Baez
2/5
Joan is a legend. So this is a me problem, but I just don’t like vibrato in vocals. That’s not her fault, but I really hate it and it’s her whole schtick, at least here (and pretty much everything else I’ve heard). Lovely tone but when that vibrato is vibrato-ing I just can’t. Sorry Joan
Milton Nascimento
5/5
Funny this came up so soon after Caetano Veloso. One of my pandemic diversions was getting into some of this incredible Brazilian music from the 60s and 70s. This one tops the list, maybe alongside Jorge Ben’s Africa Brasil. A sprawling work from a group of incredible musicians, it’s a veritable Brazilian White Album, and honestly it’s more consistent than the actual White Album.
Coldplay
1/5
Ever wonder what would happen if someone combined the blandest rock of 2000s U2 with the blandest pop of early Radiohead and had an utter no talent both write and sing lyrics over it? Have I got an album for you! Of course these idiots play stadiums. People have shit taste
Barry Adamson
2/5
This is interesting, and it’s not bad. But I really don’t enjoy listening to soundtracks, it has always confused me as to why someone would listen to music that was literally not made to be heard on its own. Without the visual component, what is the point here? And this one didn’t even have a visual, it’s for a film that doesn’t exist. Interesting exercise but ultimately who cares.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
As a dyed in the wool Gen Xer, I have a soft spot for 80s hair metal and these guys are basically the big brothers of that scene, at least until Vince Neal killed their drummer. I wouldn’t say I liked it but it’s a solid record for the era and entirely responsible for the career of Poison, who basically just took these songs and changed the words. Demerits for that, but overall, a solid C+
The Stone Roses
5/5
In a better timeline than this one, The Stone Roses are headlining stadia around the world and the Gallagher brothers are passed out in a Manchester pub mumbling to each other about Pep Guardiola. This is easily one of the all time great British rock records and it’s a shame they didn’t make more of a go of it after this. Though I think Second Coming is also very good. If you are any kind of fan of British rock pop and alternative music from the 80s and 90s, you probably already know and love this record but if not, highly highly recommended
Stan Getz
4/5
This is a gorgeous record, and single handedly responsible for the US bossa craze. That said, it’s ultimately just very pretty and brilliantly performed background music. There’s no real innovation or originality, nothing here moves beyond the four corners of the compositions, which are all written by Brazilian artists save one Byrd original. Maybe a bit harsh here, but I’ll take Getz Gilberto over this every time
Alice In Chains
4/5
Another classic from my college years. For me, this record has some of the very best songs to come out of the grunge scene. Rooster, Would, Them Bones, Down In A Hole. There’s some filler here too, and if it was an LP vs CD, probably a 5 star record with those saved for B sides. Also should note that I have an odd affinity for heroin inspired rock. If you did some smack and sang about it, I probably love it. With more mature ears, it’s a little too much of a Sabbath tribute, and Jerry Cantrell listened to too much Randy Rhoads, but still really enjoy this one
Billie Holiday
4/5
This is a long way from Billie’s best work, which for me is the incredible collection of recordings she mad at Decca. Here is Billie in her Dylan era, using all of her experience and genius to overcome a voice absolutely destroyed by drugs and alcohol, and let’s face it, an absolutely brutal life. It’s a tough listen and incredible all at the same time. You’ve Changed is truly incredible. Hard to recommend when she has so much better material, but for a fan, it’s indispensable
DJ Shadow
3/5
Here is an album that fits the spirit of the list perfectly. I’ve never heard it, never would have bothered to listen without this list, and I’m glad I heard it before I died. Did I love it? No, but it’s pretty interesting to me how much creativity one can have making audio collages of other material. Aka sampling. Every sound here is sampled. Some very good tracks, some irritating ones, some that left no impression whatsoever. It’s fine, I’ll never listen again, but it’s unique and worth hearing once for sure
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Most of my favorite hip hop is from the 80s and 90s because I’m old. I don’t get into a lot of modern HH but Kendrick is an outlier, not just in this era but in any. His flow is great, but his lyrics are better. Outside of Nas in what is maybe the greatest hip hop record ever, Illmatic, few mcs have more eloquently captured life in their neighborhood that wasn’t a bunch of gangsta braggadocio. This one is his first, and I think To Pimp a Butterfly and Damn are both superior, but this is an insanely good debut. Again, up there with Illmatic in the debut category. If you love HH you already known Kendrick, and if you don’t then you won’t like him at all. But if you are HH curious, this might be a good place to start.
Brian Wilson
4/5
This was intended to be the ultimate version of Smile, but for me it will always be the Smile Sessions version that we finally got in 2011. A lot to love here, this was close to the end of BW as a functional artist. I saw him on this tour and it was great, but sadly each time I saw him after, it was a little worse until the last time when he was fully checked out and the killer band he had here was replaced by BB hangers on and children. Anyway, this record has some of his best work. Heroes and Villains is just stunning, that descending vocal line is brilliant. Surfs Up, Good Vibrations, Child is the Father of the Man, Wind Chimes, Cabin Essence. A wealth of great songs. Then there’s nonsense like Barnyard, Vega-Tables, In Blue Hawaii. It’s flawed but great.
The Who
5/5
When I was in high school, I thought that this was the greatest album ever recorded in the history of mankind. In retrospect, there may be a few other good ones. Nevertheless, 16 year old me was not entirely wrong. This album is relentless, every song is great, even the Entwhistle song! Top that, Quadrophenia
Funkadelic
5/5
The first of many classics from the genius George Clinton and an incredible cast of musicians. Another record stacked top to bottom with classics. Can You Get To That is one of the greatest lyrics of all time
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This is a challenging listen to say the least. An hour plus of Nick mainly speaking, sometimes barely singing, over minimal ambient music. About the death of his son. It’s gorgeous but also not really enjoyable. How to rate this? It’s a beautiful piece of work that I never care to hear again. But it is ceriay worth hearing before you die. I’ll split the baby and give it 3 stars
Fugazi
4/5
Slightly embarrassed to note that I’ve never listened to Fugazi before. It’s not really my genre, but I enjoyed it more than expected. Not a huge fan of Ian’s vocals but the band is killer, esp Brendan Canty on drums. Much more musically interesting to me than most punk/hardcore. Very solid record that had a big influence on what came later in this genre
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
In some ways, this is Janis presented at her best, and sharp but loose band ripping behind her and the chains released, she is free to cut as loose as she can. Then again, some of the more refined takes of the Pearl era are also essential Janis. Some of the usual Bay Area jam band nonsense here, including the dude singing, imagine the audacity. Anyway, a great record and a much more to come in a short life.
Wilco
5/5
I was there when it leaked and when they toured it and played monster shows at 930 club so how can I be objective when I listen to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The pinnacle of Tweedy’s electronica via Americana period, classic after Wilco classic here. Tens across the board
Frank Black
3/5
Solo Black Francis is kinda like new Pixies music. It’s not bad, it’s just not as good as that other band. The one with Kim Deal. Anyway, this is ok.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
This is the pinnacle of Crazy Horse in the studio, followed by Live Rust, their true apex, though they did still kick ads live to the bitter end. I love every song, but Pocahontas and Powderfinger and both of the Hey Hey My Mys and ffs everything here is peak Neil in every way
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Do you have a steady boyfriend
Cause honey I've been watching you
I hear you're mad about Brubeck
I like your eyes I like him too
He's an artist, a pioneer
We've got to have some music on the new frontier
Jeff Beck
3/5
Quite an assembly of talent here, Beck, Rod, Ronnie Wood, Keith Moon, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Nicky Hopkins. This gets credit for being the first “heavy metal” album which is, in a word, wrong. It certainly seems to have inspired Page to form Zeppelin, and it follows the Hendrix and Cream formula of heavy blues. Metal? Not for me. Not until Black Sabbath arrived. Anyway, this is good, but not great imo. Beck is ridiculous. And I like Rod’s lead vocals a lot. But overall, and I generally feel this way about JB, including when I saw him, he can play anything but he doesn’t move me. I’d take a one note Neil Young solo over a plodding Crazy Horse every day over this pack of virtuosos. Good music, but not great music. Beck’s Bolero is the one killer track. Miles more interesting than the white boy blues everywhere else on this record
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
I’m not sure what Rick Rubin does, some say not a damned thing. Yet he keeps getting high profile producing gigs and is considered a genius. If I had to defend him, this would be Exhibit A. He didn’t make Run or DMC better mcs, didn’t make Jay a better DJ. But he apparently is the guy who brought in all the rock samples. It’s a stroke of genius, and you can draw a straight line from this to sampling masterpieces like Paul’s Boutique, Nation of Millions, 3 Feet High and Rising, and many other classics. They weren’t the best of the era (for me, it’s Erik B and Rakim, who didn’t even make this dopey list) but have to be credited for taking hip hop off the Bronx street corners and schools and onto MTV and the mainstream. Also, I had this cassette in 1986, 8th grade, and still love it
Jimmy Smith
5/5
Interesting to listen to this on the same day as the Jeff Beck record. A couple of albums filled with brilliant musicians playing blues music. The difference is light years for me. Smith, Burrell, Turrentine, and Bailey take the simplest changes and weave gold. Just incredible grooves that I could ride all day long. An early soul jazz classic and a huge influence in anyone who ever tried to play a B3, most of whom fell well short of being Jimmy Smith
David Bowie
5/5
Bowie has 9 albums on this list. If anyone deserves 9, it might be Bowie but honestly that’s too much. The first one I got was Young Americans and that is not a Bowie album anyone needs to hear before they die. “Heroes” otoh is a stone cold classic and belongs here without question. This is my favorite of the Berlin trio, but imo the Berlin era came together perfectly on Scary Monsters, even if it’s technically post Berlin. Anyway, this is the pinnacle of Bowie and Eno, with Fripp taking things over the top with his insane playing throughout. I think this one has the strongest ambient tracks but will revisit that when Low comes up on the list. One of the great works of art from one of rock’s greatest artists
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
This one is new to me, apparently the first Indian Classical record to break through in the west, inspiring George Harrison and others. It’s a gorgeous record, really beautiful and peaceful (sometimes highly energized) music. Apparently it’s the musical story of a shepherd’s day in Kashmir. Recommended
The Kinks
4/5
This is the first great Kinks record, a giant leap forward from Kontroversy, which was the first glimmers of where Ray’s writing would go. I don’t think there is a weak song here, but also it’s not quite at the level of Village Green, which is the perfected version of this record, and imo the pinnacle of The Kinks. One thing that leapt out at me was Holiday in Waikiki, which sounds a little like a first draft of Heroes and Villains. I’m sure BW heard this and was inspired. But also Ray really nails the vibe of touristy places and how fake it all is. Another thought is that Damon Albarn must have listened to this 1000 times because it sounds like a lost Blur record
Judas Priest
4/5
When I was a teenager, I loved metal and heavy rock. These days, I don’t really listen but once in a while I hear a song like Living After Midnight, and it takes me right back. JP is one of the great bands of the era, esp with Rob Halford on the microphone, and this record put them in the mainstream and had a big part in the popularity of metal through the 80s and 90s. There’s some clunkers here but more great tracks than not. There are straight forward rockers like a Breakin the Law and more prog metal offerings like The Rage. Listening now, I wish I had seen them back in the day
James Taylor
3/5
This is a very pleasant record and it’s nostalgic for me as JT was one of my Dad’s favorites. There are three excellent songs here, Fire and Rain, SBJ, and Country Road. Then there’s the “blues” songs lol, and the random cover of Oh Susannah, and a few other filler tracks. I dunno if it’s worthy of the list but it certainly helped define the sound of mainstream 70s radio
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
For me, this is peak Bruce. His best set of songs, top notch E Street Band performances, and overall a more raw and real sound than Born To Run, which is great but you can hear how much he slaved over it to achieve “perfection”. No more Dylan pretensions, no white boy Motown, and the Bruceisms that kind of became part of the act in later years were all for real here. Bruce is certainly not for everyone and that’s fine. But if you asked me what you should hear to get why people love this guy so much, this album would be the first recommendation every time
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Two of my favorite artists back to back and boy these records could not be more different. This one is the Tribe’s first and it has the blueprint but the tracks are not quite there yet. For me, they peaked with the next record, which I’ll also get to review here at some point. In 1990, mainstream hip hop was already moving towards gangsta as the dominant form, two years post Straight Outta Compton and months before The Chronic would turn the genre on its head. Then there is the alternative lane, first cut by De La Soul and soon after perfected by Tribe. As I said, this is a great first record but very much a first record. Close but not quite there. That said, Can I Kick It is in the running for greatest hip hop track of all time. Perfect sample perfectly used (Walk on the Wild Side) and some killer verses from both Q and Phife. There are several other great tracks here as well, but Can I Kick It is perfection
Iron Maiden
5/5
Pretty sure I haven’t heard this one since middle school when my IM obsessed friend listened to it all the time. Not a record I’m ever gonna reach for but it’s definitely a great record and an absolute classic of metal. Run for the Hills is one of the all time great metal tracks, Bruce Dickinson is maybe the best metal lead vocalist, and the songs and lyrics are all really strong. It’s not my taste anymore but it’s a great record and defined a certain kind of metal, and a certain kind of metal satire as well. Bonus points for Eddie and the various great covers over the years
Santana
5/5
I’m not sure that this is my favorite of the classic Santana records but it’s probably objectively the best. They really nail the Latin jazz pop rock mix, to perfection. Santana would go hard in all of those directions later, but never struck the balance so sweetly before or after. There isn’t an ounce of flab here among the lengthy jams and instrumentals. Black Magic Woman>Gypsy Queen>Oye Como Va>Incident at Neshabur is an album run of greatness I’d put up against anything from the era
Rush
3/5
There is no band that I loved at some point that has dropped off more in terms of my enjoyment of their music at almost age 53 vs age 23. I loved these guys and saw them multiple times in the 90s. Then I just stopped. So I was curious what I would think of one of my formerly favorite Rush albums in 2025. Sadly, I just don’t get it anymore. The title track is as absurd as any Crimson journey across the musical scale. And the Ayn Rand sci fi lyrics. Ugh. Side two has some ok tracks,
something for nothing, passage to Bangkok . The rest is fine. Obviously the musicianship is top notch, these guys were among the best. But it’s just so much wankery and I’m not into it
Miles Davis
5/5
One of my favorite things about this record is that it opens with a minor train wreck and it just doesn’t matter. Herbie hits the wrong chord, Miles incorporates it and it sounds like a total clam. Jimmy crashes his cymbal right at the start of the solo. Did they stop? Did they edit it out? Did they use another take. Hell no. This is perfect in its imperfection and part of what makes this so damned good. I don’t think one can choose a “best record” of a genre. It’s too broad to represent in 5 songs and 45 minutes. But if someone asked you “What is the deal with Jazz anyway?” you’d be hard pressed to find a better or more accessible yet still deeply complex and brilliant record than this one. Everything came together perfectly fora few magical hours in 1959 and we haven’t stopped listening since. #1 on the albums you must hear before you die list
Joni Mitchell
5/5
This is an interesting era for fans of Joni to grapple with. Musically, she was at her best, writing incredible songs and stretching the bounds of pop with her jazz pretensions. For me, the peak is Court and Spark, but this is a close second. Her persona, however, became increasingly problematic as she inhabited her Art Nouveau persona and did some straight up blackface on a regular basis, even appearing as Art on the cover of the record after this one. To be fair, none of that permeates the songs, not lyrically at least, and her appropriation of jazz musicians for a pop album is nothing that Steely Dan didn’t later steal from her and make a career of. Her use of the Burundi drums sample in Jungle Line predates the widespread use of sampling by a decade. The world music vibe of that track was also a decade ahead of Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel. And just pick any other song here for some of her most incisive writing. Edith and the Kingpin is my favorite but you could name any other track and I’d nod in agreement. So, I can tut tut at her very offensive public appearances and her interviews about having a black man’s soul while enjoying some of her very best work. Art not the artist and all that. But still, wtf Joni?
Fiona Apple
4/5
Fiona is one of the great songwriters of my generation. Unfortunately, like many great artists, she struggles with severe mental illness. She’s more or less a shut in these days. So it was fortuitous that she emerged right at the start of the pandemic with this record made essentially alone in her home, on garage band, with just voice, piano, and a range of traditional and non traditional percussion instruments. It’s the sound of isolation, but also of craving connection and the mixed bag that is dealing with other humans, romantically and otherwise. It’s not her best work, imo, but it is very very good and unique. This is from 2020, so this wasn’t in the original book, but fan sourced for the list. Do you need to hear it before you die? Nah, but it is very good and you probably haven’t ever heard a release from a “major” artist (at least an established artist who had mainstream success) quite like this one
Duke Ellington
5/5
America’s greatest composer performs a career retrospective with some of the finest musicians of all time. Absolutely essential listening
Don McLean
3/5
Now here is an interesting choice for the list. Obviously this is here for the title track. The rest of the record is fine, decent but unspectacular 70s singer songwriter stuff. And then there is AP. Is this a great song? Is it terrible? Is his viewpoint kind of weirdly conservative? Smartly, DM kept it just vague enough that you could fill in your own beliefs using his words. The song has been in my ears as long as I've had ears, so I can't really be objective. It's just part of the fabric of my life. I hear it, I sing along. I still don't know if I like it
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Most albums on the list, even the ones I hate, I can understand why someone thinks we should all hear it once. This one? Not a clue. A guy with a Dylan-ish voice, but completely uninteresting delivery, and music that sounds like every generic 60s band trying to cash in on the “hippy movement”. I can hear the record execs now: “Get me a Buffalo Springfield band with a Dylan singer!” They probably played this on the bus that brought normies to the Haight for sightseeing. Maybe you had to be there but this record was rightfully ignored and forgotten. The only thing that would be more perfect would be if some other hack name checked it in one of his shitty songs for coolness points. Oh wait….
Rod Stewart
3/5
I'm generally a fan of Rod Stewart, and this one has some of my favorites. Gasoline Alley, It's All Over Now, Only A Hobo, Cut Across Shorty, all gems. A few others are kinda mid but overall it's a fun listen.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Some albums are really hard to write about, because what hasn't been said about the LZ debut? It's part of my DNA, I still remember listening to this when I was 14 and just playing it over and over again. It's not my favorite of theirs, but there isn't a second here that I don't love. One of the great debuts and one of the albums that had such a massive effect on what came after it that you forget it doesn't sound like everything else, everything else sounds like it
Elis Regina
3/5
Another record associated with the Clube de Esquina crew of Brazilian artists. This one has its moments but ultimately is too slick and top of the pops oriented for my taste. She's an incredible vocalist and there are some gems here, including O Trem Azul, a cover of the Lo Borges tune on the original CdE record, and some enjoyable, if slight, discofied sambas like O Medo de Amar and Saudade Eterna. Nota Bene that this record is actually a compilation made for an international audience, and against the rules of the list, so some sloppy research here by the 1001 gang
Willie Nelson
5/5
Willie Nelson is one of the finest songwriters of all time and this album contains some of his very best work. He’s also in his prime vocally and his delivery is perfect. Just a great way to spend 33 minutes
Nick Drake
4/5
I love Nick Drake but this one is subtraction by addition for me. Some truly overproduced tracks here, Poor Boy, dear god, make it stop. Nicks songwriting and voice are enough to over come the negatives and there’s some gorgeous songs here. A far cry from Pink Moon for me but still very good
Gillian Welch
4/5
This is probably Gil and Dave’s best record, every song is great…until we reach I Dream A Highway which is one long boring repetitive dream. Sorry, it’s a big drop off from the rest for me. One demerit.
Fishbone
4/5
Here's a blast from the past. Saw these guys at some dive in the early 90s and haven't heard them since. It's a good record, not mind blowing, but it's a fun listen and music is supposed to be fun, right? In a more just (not racist) world, Fishbone would have been massive stars and the RHCP would have been a niche cult band
Lorde
3/5
I like Lorde, and could understand Pure Heroine being on the list. But this one? A few good tracks but otherwise, pretty run of the mill 2010s pop.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
EWF is a great band but, imo, they didn’t make great albums. Killer singles, no doubt. This is one of those cases where the hits collection should have been considered, as theirs is absolutely impeccable. This record? Good but not great
William Orbit
3/5
This electronica record is fine, starts pretty strong but quickly becomes repetitive and fades into the background. Far less interesting than Eno or Hosono/YMO (who isn't even represented on the list, for shame)
Funkadelic
5/5
Although they are hardly unknown, Funkadelic is certainly one of the all time under-recognized great bands. I had a Fishbone record recently and referred to Fishbone and RHCP and safe to say both are likely more widely known than Funkadelic, even though both owe their existence to Clinton and crew and neither should be mentioned in the same sentence. This record is one of their strongest, but I can't think of a weak one. It falls short of Maggot Brain and maybe Cosmic Slop, but it's still in stacked with great tracks and killer performances
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
The last great moment of the big band era from its greatest band
Gary Numan
4/5
Here is one that really fits the bill, a unique and truly influential record that most folks have never heard outside of the single. I enjoyed this more than I expected to but it does get a bit repetitive. There are three other tracks that are Cars adjacent. The synths get pretty repetitive, probably because they were still figuring out what could be done. All in all, an enjoyable listen to a record that launched a new genre of pop music
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
I'm not a soundtrack guy, I don't get the appeal of listening to music that is completely out of context. Obviously, there are exceptions. The Harder They Come leaps to mind. Superfly occupies its own realm, not so much a soundtrack as it is a concept album inspired by a movie with a completely different ethos. The film is cool with what's happening but Curtis is here to tell you they're wrong, and why. He turned an exploitive piece of garbage film into a staggering work of genius. Superfly is not just the best ever soundtrack, it's one of the best albums ever made by anyone in any genre. 10/5
The Darkness
2/5
Expected to hate this and I didn't hate it. I didn't really love it either. The singer is irritating. Every guitar part sounds like it was already played by either Angus Young or CC Deville. I don't mind a revival or tribute but this is just hair metal cosplay. They bring nothing new to the party, but they execute it well. Mainly, I'm wondering why this was included. Nothing here hasn't been done 100 times before in a better format
Iggy Pop
5/5
Bowie and Iggy at the peak of their Berlin powers, producing two stone cold classic tracks and an album full of gems.
The Pharcyde
4/5
Sometimes I wonder why there are no more hip hop groups. It was such a thing in the 80s and 90s but now? Just solo MCs. Why? One of those great groups was/is The Pharcyde, the west coast answer to the Native Tongues movement (De La Soul, Tribe, etc). This album is a LOT of fun. Maybe a little too much, as it's all jokes (Oops! all Jokes!) I mean, there is a 4 minute track that is just mama jokes. And they're good but cmon man. It's the same beef I have with Zappa at times. Does humor belong in music? Sure but can't we be serious some of the time? Anyway, this is still a great record and one of the great 90s alternative hip hop records. A notch below some of the eras best like Low End Theory and Three Feet High and Rising, but in the same conversation for sure
The Streets
1/5
Technically hip hop, but imagine the narrator of Parklife doing a hip hop record about his daily life. That is this insanely bad record. A man with a thick British accent raps poorly about his boring life over some truly boring beats. I’m not sure if it's intended to be comedy or performance art or they’re just taking the piss. It doesn't work on any of those levels for me, and I'm clearly missing what makes this such a must hear record. I can only surmise that the Brits who wrote the book felt bad that their hip hop is such shit and they included this to irritate Americans. I didn't think anything could be worse than Slipknot but there I go tempting fate again. I'm sure there is something worse than this on the list. I just hope I don't have to hear it. 0/5
Harry Nilsson
5/5
Ah, sweet relief. After the Streets debacle, it's a genuine pleasure to listen to this one. The best title. The best cover. The best songs. It’s kind of maddening that HN didn't give us more music, but he gave what he had to give I suppose. This is maybe the ultimate “he wrote that?” album for casuals as there are three classics here that everyone knows but maybe 1 in 1000 know Harry Nilsson’s name in 2025
Pink Floyd
3/5
This is a perfect example of an album I agree you should hear before you die, but I really don't love it. I'm mainly a Meddle>>>Animals PF fan, but I dig ummagumma and some of the jammier stuff here is in that vein. Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive primarily. Some of Syd’s poppier oddities are solid, like Lucifer Sam. It's definitely one of the more batshit albums of the mainstream, and I admire that
Love
3/5
This is one of those bands where I feel you had to be there to get them, and I wasn't there. From here, it's just mediocre 60s psychedelia. The side long track is…fine? It goes pretty much nowhere. The side A tracks range from great (Seven and Seven Is) to decent (She Comes In Colors) to irritatingly overcooked (Stephanie Knows Who). Anyway, I don't get Love. I feel the same about Forever Changes, which is on the list as well. How tf did these guys get two albums on this list?
Fats Domino
4/5
Good stuff here, 30 minutes of the music that helped create rock and roll. Blueberry Hill and Blue Monday are the standout tracks for me. Fun listen
The Stooges
5/5
I love that this followed Fats Domino, because rock started there and somehow ended up here in just about 15 years and thank goodness it did. I'll never understand why people bothered with the Sex Pistols when the Stooges had already done it so much better. RIP Ron Asheton
Herbie Hancock
5/5
I love jazz but I hate I hate fusion. It's a genre that is completely lost of me. That said, there's fusion and then there's Herbie Hancock. I haven't heard many (any?) Herbie records I don't like, but Headhunters is truly magical. Musical virtuosity that never sounds pretentious or overly complicated. Chameleon gets the attention but every track is essential. All of the stars. 10/5
Hole
3/5
This is a perfect example of why each artist should get one record on the list. Celebrity Skin is a very good 90s pop record. It’s also a fraction as good as Live Through This, an exceptional 90s rock album. So why do we have multiple albums by so many artists? It speaks to the narrow view of the authors imo. These are the artists we like and we must include every one of their good records. Sigh. It’s a good record but it doesn’t belong on this list
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
The strongest start to finish McCartney record, though I also think Ram should have been included in the book. Tbh, Ram is more a “must hear” album in the sense of its influence and uniqueness in his catalog. Anyway, BotR is a blockbuster record that lives up to the hype, probably the only other post Beatles record that did (alongside All Things Must Pass)
The White Stripes
5/5
Jack at his Page/Plant worshipping peak, one of the greatest rock records of the aughts. SNA being adopted by football fans all over the world has ensured their immortality, but for me they are already one of the best of my generation. To say neither is a virtuoso would be hilariously understated, but I love them both, Jack with his Neil Young-esque just exactly perfect style of louder is always better guitar and Meg, a wild card of a drummer if there ever was one who had a singular connection with JWs right hand (not for that, you filthy animals). Their live shows are where she really shined as the only accompanist who could follow his adhd fueled insanity. Anyway, I like them, ok?
Queen
2/5
145 albums and THREE have been Queen. Sorry Queen you don't deserve three albums on a list of things to hear before I die. This is the weakest of the three and I wonder if Brian May was on the committee. This is their prog era and it's just songs about Ogres and other bullshit. Unfortunately, I don't think they were all that good at prog. It’s all technique and nothing else. Freddy’s range! May’s layered guitar parts! Words about fantasy worlds! Prog!
Various Artists
3/5
I'm not much of a fan of Christmas music, but if you must, have Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector sing it. Some gems, esp Baby Please Come Home and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. There's also a charming message of peace and love from a convicted murderer and all around abusive dickhead. Merry Christmas!
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Rap Metal/Nu Metal is my least favorite genre other than doo wop. I hate it and I hate the bands that inflicted it on the world. But there are always exceptions! RATM is the only palatable rap metal and some of their best work is here on this record. Killing In The Name has both one of the all time great protest lines (some of those who work forces are the same who burn crosses) AND the motto of my generation (fuck you I won’t do what you tell me). And that last one makes me a bit sad because we were always raging against the machine but never doing anything about it. Just fu. Sigh. Anyway, I love this record while also recognizing that ZDR is a bit cartoonish at times and Morello’s beeps and bloops are sometimes irritating. But both really bring it most of the time here.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Carey, Blue, California, River, and A Case of You are all on this album. Any one of those would be someone’s entire career, if they were incredibly lucky. Joni wrote those all, and five others just slightly less brilliant, for one album. And it's not even her best album
Fever Ray
2/5
This is one of those records that I just didn't get at all. The one person and a laptop/synth model is already fraught with peril and imo most such projects find the creator disappearing up their own asshole. That's what this sounds like to me. Is this influential, or beloved, or somehow notable? Based on a little reading and my own ears, no, it is not. Just someone bored at home and without a collaborator to rein them in. A lot of uninteresting beats and vocals like dollar store Bjork. Meh
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This is Aretha in her prime, in the early years of a ten year run of great records. This is one of the best, but I think I Have Never Loved… edges this one out. Chain of Fools and Natural Woman are the hits and everything else is on par with those. One of the greatest ever vocalists in any/every genre.
Metallica
4/5
One of the worst sounding great albums of all time. Out of some misguided sense of loyalty and grief and hazing the new guy, James and Lars just mixed Jason’s bass right out of the mix. So we have power trio (power trip?) Metallica and sadly Lars is just not good enough for that. Fortunately for him, he met a generational talent in James Hetfield, a great songwriter and singer with a jack hammer right hand. This is the world’s greatest metal band at their Prog Metal finest, a stacked hour plus of pummeling but melodic metal. This album has kind of been relegated to the dustbin of history by the band, really only playing One these days. I saw them three times on the Black Album tour (the one after this one) and they played One and a fucking AJFA medley. Sigh. Anyway, they learned their lesson and actually included Jason on the Black Album and even though the songs were half as good, the album sounds amazing and sold ten bazillion copies. Look at that, boys, not being petty assholes is a good thing! Y'all lose a point for the worst ever mix. How has this one not been remixed yet?
Butthole Surfers
3/5
How does one review a BS album? It defies description. Truly one of the most oddball records I've ever heard, and I say that with great respect. This one is one wild bad trip of an album. 32 minutes of the weirdest shit they could come up with. Some of it it crazy making and some is funny and some is actually pretty damned catchy. Glad I heard it before I died
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
In the mid 90s, with grunge already running on fumes, record execs apparently decided we needed a return to folk rock, but with more emphasis on the rock. REM went folky and exploded, so obviously that is what everyone wants rn. So we got some good stuff, for sure. Most of it was bland bullshit like Grant Lee Buffalo. This isn't bad, but it's also not good. It's the album that was played on repeat at Starbucks when they got tired of Soul Asylum. It was designed to blend into the background and not offend. It's as if GLB heard an advanced copy of Jeff Buckley’s Grace and said “I can do that!” But he didn't have the voice or the song writing skills, just the cowboy chords
Tears For Fears
4/5
This record came out when I was 13 and the singles were ubiquitous. Unlike a lot of other 80s pop hits, the tunes here never got old for me. Shout, Head Over Heels, and Everybody Wants To Rule The World are some of the best pop songs of the era, and despite sounding VERY much of their time, they hold up. The rest is pretty strong, I enjoyed everything other than the last track, which drags on and on and goes nowhere. Easily forgiven when the rest is so good
Black Sabbath
4/5
Maybe the most polarizing BS record, so was surprised when this popped up. It's probably their most diverse record, veering from riff heavy rocking to sludge metal to piano ballad to acoustic instrumental and back again to heavy riffage and sludge. It's not their best record but even at the height of their LA coke binge excess, they still produced magic
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
This is a fun one, apparently one of the best selling samba records of all time. The music is great and the musicianship is top notch. That said, and I've said it before, I don't understand sitting around and listening to dance music. I suppose I could have gotten up and samba’ed. Anyway, it's very good but I’ll probably never listen again
Iron Maiden
3/5
Second IM record of two, and this one is not as good as Number of the Beast. The OG lead singer was no Bruce Dickinson, who puts his pants on one leg at a time, then makes gold records He's kind of a weak lead esp in front of the great band behind him. This likely lands here as an influencer, esp on early Metallica. All in all, it's a solid record and definitely informed what followed, but Maiden surpassed this with all of the Dickinson records and I'd say it's non-essential unless you are a metal fanatic
Prefab Sprout
4/5
This one is completely new to me. These guys never broke in the US at all, but it's a shame. Imagine if the Gershwins were transported to mid 80s England, given a studio and a handful of current pop records and told to make their own. A lot of very good catchy pop songs, pretty strong lyrically, and a real feeling of being both of its time and completely out of time. This is the kind of album that keep me slogging through this project. Recommended if you are a fan of 1980s (or 1920s!) pop music
Dusty Springfield
4/5
I'm not much for blue eyed soul generally but this is the greatest BES record by far imo. Son of a Preacherman is one of the absolute best singles of the 60s. The rest holds up pretty well. Dusty’s voice is gorgeous and soothing, like a warm fuzzy blanket. The arrangements are largely schmaltz free. It's a gem if you dig the torch singer thing, and I do
Genesis
2/5
As much as I love PG (tbh, from face melt forward, tho obviously some great songs in the first two solos) I just don't resonate with this Genesis era at all. None of it is even “ok” for me. I dunno why, it's just all so self indulgent. Was there no producer in the studio to be like, hey guys, do we really need 23 tracks of this? Obviously the musicianship is top notch, PG is a great vocalist, but the songs just do not resonate. At all.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
KJ is my favorite musician of all time and the KJT Blue Note box will be buried with me. I'm more partial to his work with his bands, but his solo work is incredible and this is probably the pinnacle of his solo records. If it were composed note for note, it would be an incredible, if scattered, achievement. That it was completely improvised elevates it to the stratosphere. I was blessed to see the Trio several times and KJ solo several times, and each time was unique and wonderful (and frustrating, for those of you who know his famous temper and the way it derailed some sets). This one would be high on the Time Machine list.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
More BritPop and for me, these guys were among the also rans of the era. Some good tunes here, but it's so heavily influenced by Blur that some tracks here sound like outtakes from The Great Escape. Enjoyable but nonessential
2/5
Half of this list seems to be prog and britpop. Anyway, I fully expected to enjoy this one, certainly more than I did Lamb, but I'm walking away with the same feeling. Incredible musicianship but just leaves me cold. There are some parts I enjoyed more than others but it's just not my genre. I'm officially that guy who only likes The Yes Album and Fragile (ok 90125 too)
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Funny that this came up after CTTE. The most excessive bombastic over the top style of rock music vs the most sparse and thoughtful. I'm sure many will be horrified but I'd take this TC record over CTTE every day of the week. Really incredible songwriting here, I was only familiar with Revolution and Fast Car before but this record is stacked with great songs. Needless to say, these songs from the mid 80s all address social issues that are still issues, without a hint of improvement or resolution. Talkin’ bout a revolution indeed
Marilyn Manson
1/5
I got about 5 songs in before I had to stop. I don't think anyone will be shocked when I tell you that this album sucks. Nine Inch Nails but replace Trent with a talentless sociopath
The Hives
2/5
This is fine, one of the lesser bands from the garage revival of the aughts. A few catchy tunes but ultimately very repetitive. Also, this is a compilation, so against the list’s own rule
Patti Smith
5/5
“Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine” No notes
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
I like Sufjan, he has a couple of albums I think are excellent, and some others that are solid and a few I don't care for at all. This one is considered his best, but not even close for me. Some incredible songs (Casimir Pulaski Day is excellent) and some pretty good ones and a whole lot of filler and excessively fussy orchestration. Those excellent SS records I mentioned? Seven Swans and Carrie and Lowell, both very stripped down, which really showcases his songwriting and avoids his tendency towards MORE. This is the height of Sufjan excess and sometimes it works but most of the time it's just a hat on a hat
Sex Pistols
4/5
I've always struggled with the Pistols. Undeniably influential, but also a PR stunt. An inorganically formed boy band of “punks” but also an insanely original front man commenting on post Empire Britain in a way no one else dared backed by a pretty solid group of musicians for a punk band (no, not Sid). There are undeniable classics like Holidays in the Sun, God Save The Queen, and Pretty Vacant, but also a fair amount of filler. In the end, it’s undeniably a classic, everyone should hear it before they die, and it's a flawed gem
The Byrds
3/5
This list really should have allowed hits collections, some are absolutely essential and iconic. The Byrds Greatest Hits is one of those. A prime example of a band best represented by a collection, not any one record. And certainly not this one. Eight Miles High is the standout and it really does stand out. It's a phenomenal track amongst a lot of middling psychedelia and folk rock. It's all fine, hey I love the Byrds, so even their meh stuff is fun listening. But this is decidedly inessential
Miles Davis
5/5
Sometimes I shake my head at the reviews on this page and wonder how someone who loves music enough to tackle this project couldn’t appreciate some classic album or another. Not this one. This is a challenging record, even by jazz standards and I understand why so many find it unlistenable.
I’m not one of those people. This is, without question, both brilliant in and of itself and incredibly influential on so much of what followed, way beyond the world of jazz. It’s an incredible achievement for a guy whose entire catalog is full of incredible achievements.
That said, of the Miles fusion albums, it’s the one I’d put on last. I prefer Tribute to Jack Johnson, In A Silent Way, and On The Corner (in that order) to Bitches Brew. Those works are more focused while this one sprawls over nearly two hours. It’s a big bite and you might need to come back to finish it later. But it’s worth it. The guys in the room making this music were among the greatest ever on their respective instruments, under the direction of the greatest band leader in jazz history and the final product is thanks to the incredible editing by Miles and Teo Macero of the lengthy jams into, well, slightly less lengthy jams, but also an absolutely incredible collage of sound.
The Soft Boys
4/5
This was new to me and I really enjoyed it. Post punk via the Byrds, as imagined by Robyn Hitchcock. Really strong top to bottom with a couple of killer tracks. I'd even go so far as to say it's more consistent start to finish than any Byrds record. This one feels like it came out too early, as the Stone Roses had clearly heard this and hit pretty big with their own version just a few years later
Barry Adamson
2/5
Here we go again, another record from this guy who can't get hired to make movie scores, so he makes his own for movies that don't exist. Just as in the other record of his on the list, it's fine with some good moments, but I don't even like real soundtracks, let alone imaginary ones
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
CCRs best by a mile, and it certainly deserves to be here with more than half of the record being among their biggest hits and best material. Personally could do without their Ooby Dooby and Before You Accuse Me covers, and it would have been a stronger album without those covers, which are just filler imo
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I had forgotten how much weaker the second half of this one is compared to the first. It goes from their best record to nearly their worst, but In Through The Out Door exists, so PG is spared that indignity. Anyway, sides 1 and 2 are perfection. Side 3 is really terrible outside of 10 Years Gone. Side 4 is just ok. I'm tempted to slap a 3 on it but Kashmir alone makes it a 4
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Imagine Public Enemy crossed with Gil Scott Heron, and you have the basis of this group. Sadly, the MC here is Michael Franti and his style of hip hop is about as good as his reggae. Which is to say fine but forgettable and utterly unnecessary. I generally love socially conscious hip hop but this album amounts to a recitation of issues in a near monotone over the most generic beats imaginable. I admire the messages but the delivery is seriously lacking. None of the poetry and humor of either GSH or Chuck D, none of the killer beats and production of Terminator X. Basically the window dressing is here but none of the actual goods
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Gonna say it every time. I don't understand sitting at home and listening to music deigned to be played in dance clubs. This would be great in a dark club on a head full. At home on a dreary January Saturday, it's just irritating
MGMT
2/5
what the actual fuck is this doing on this list. A couple of novelty hits and now I have to hear it before I die? Well, I had already heard it, saw them at a festival, and now hearing it again, I can definitively say that you don't need to hear it before you die
Talvin Singh
3/5
I love a good genre mashup. This one has classical instruments, mainly Indian, some Japanese as well, with electronic music. Some of it works really well. Some of it does not. Some others don't work much in either direction. But it's an interesting listen and the kind of thing you'd enjoy hearing at that new hot restaurant downtown
Django Django
4/5
This was completely new to me, hadn't ever heard of this band. Really really enjoyed it, maybe adjacent to Beta Band with a little more of a pop influence and some nice Fleet Foxes elements. A lot of good songs here. Recommended if you are a fan of late aughts/early 10s indie music
The Cure
4/5
I've been a Cure fan since I was 13 so yeah I loved this record. This was the record where they started to coalesce around what would be the signature heavy goth pop sound that is the Cure. A couple of key songs, 100 Years, Hanging Garden, A Strange Day and mostly solid album tracks. Not a fan of the title track, but this is the sound of Robert Smith coming into his own. A few years later they perfected the sound with the incredible trio of Head on the Door, Kiss Me, and Disintegration, all of which should be here before Pornography (but only one of which is actually on the list)
Pixies
5/5
I don't have enough superlatives for this record. It is without question one of the best and most influential records released in the 80s. The landscape of popular (and not so popular) 90s and aughts rock music is completely different without Doolittle. It is also an amazingly diverse collection of songs that always sound like Pixies music. It's nice that they have gotten their laurels in recent years, but I'm constantly amazed that most people my age still don't know who they are or what they did. I saw them with Weezer a few years ago and the place was half empty for Pixies. My friends asked me who the opener was and I couldn't ever respond. Long live Frank Black and Kim Deal
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Of the great alternative bands of the 90s, I think JA may be the most under appreciated. In the years following their untimely demise, both Perry and Dave have become weird sideshows, and their recent on stage handbags probably sealed the deal on them in the court of public opinion as a couple of drug addled casualties of rock and roll. Setting the circus aside, they made two of the best ever alternative rock albums of any era and were poised to explode when they called it quits. Everything changes everything, but with grunge and metal having a huge moment in the first half of the 90s, it seems likely that JA could have been as massive as Nirvana or Metallica. I'd argue that they are far better than both (and I like both of those bands quite a lot). They were great on record and they were great live. IMO, there are few better guitarists in alternative music than Dave Navarro, and the trio of Navarro, Avery, and Perkins is as good as any band from the era. Anyway, this record is fantastic, but imo not quite as great as its predecessor, which is also on the list
Frank Ocean
1/5
Let's start here: I'm over 50. Which is to say that I acknowledge that pop music since, say 2005 at least, is not made for me. But I think of myself as pretty open minded and I enjoy a number of modern pop artists. This, though? This guy? Does Gen Z actually think this guy belongs in the same sentence as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Teddy Pendergrass, and other male R&B legends? First, his voice is bad. Yes, he can falsetto, but everything sounds so nasal and flat. Second, his songs are also bad. Oh, wait, he's written hits for other people? Do tell! Ah, Justin Bieber, Brandy, John Legend, Alicia Keys, James Blake. A veritable murderers row of blandness. Anyway, he famously bombed so badly at Coachella that his second show was cancelled. So he can't perform live, can't write, can't sing. But he's totally better than Stevie!
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Another group that would have been best served with a hits collection. 20th Century Masters is a good one. Anyway, there are two all time killer tracks here, Monday Monday and California Dreamin’. Perfection. The rest? Great harmonies and so so songs
Bob Dylan
5/5
I came to Dylan in the 80s, but didn't really get around to what he was actually doing in the 80s until Oh Mercy. I was 16 and thought this was probably it for him and was glad he lived to do one more great record. Yes, I was a moronic child. But the next decade gave us Red Sky and covers records. There was no sign of a revival. TOOM arrived and the buzz was deafening, but I figured it was PR. Until I heard it. At 24, I thought it was gorgeous and appreciated the lyrics as much as a child could. Now I sit listening to this record in 2026 and I'm essentially the same age BD was when he wrote and recorded it and I don't know if I'll ever be able to express how thoroughly and brilliantly he documented what it's like to be alive at this age. As another Midwestern songwriter noted, long after the thrill of living is gone. I don't need to tell any of you how good this is. For me, the songwriting is up there with his BOTT broken hearted best. But this time the heartbreak is from life, not a romantic partner. Trying to Get To Heaven, Not Dark Yet, Cold Irons Bound, and Highlands all nail it from differing perspectives. Which is not to underestimate the remainder, because every track is perfect and perfectly placed, which I rarely say about a 72 minute record. This was not a late career peak, it was the peak, in a sense. It's a lock for his top 5, which is amazing enough considering his catalog, but to produce it 35 years into his career is staggering
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I love FM, but I'll be the first to say that you probably don't need to hear this one before you die. But it's a fascinating record. Lindsay set out to do anything but replicate the previous two albums, which sold a collective billion records, give or take. The White Album is the usual reference but I don't think it's apt. Yes you have several songwriters throwing out a lot of different songs that don't flow together all that well. But there's little in the way of experimentation. It’s mainly Lindsay, Stevie, and Christine engaging in an exercise of how not to write like themselves. And it weirdly works. That is, if you already love those three as songwriters
4/5
I'll start with the obvious: WTF is this here ahead of Parklife? Anyway, this is a very good Blur album, the first where they sound like the Blur some of us know and love. Also, there are entirely too many BritPop albums on this list, many of which are very good and most of which you didn't need to hear before you died
Bob Dylan
5/5
I'm not much for “desert island” lists, a, where are you getting power from and b, I'd get sick of the same 10 records. That said, I've never gotten sick of this one. Tangled Up In Blue is not just my intro to Dylan back when I was 12 and listening to the radio through shitty headphones, but really the track that led me here and a million other cool musical spaces. This album is the best divorce/break up album, and the best Bob Dylan album and who knows maybe it's the best album of all
time. I can't name one I definitely like more than this one. Every track would be any other artist’s best song and it's only one of two amazing records he produced in 1975. 10000/5
Air
3/5
This is a soundtrack, and a pretty good one. The essential Air record is Moon Safari, and it's also on the list. But this one is quite interesting, and most of it works as an album, not just color for a visual medium. If you are a Pink Floyd fan, you'd probably love this because it is a barely disguised homage to 70s PF. Enjoyable but inessential
PJ Harvey
4/5
This is, for me, one of the best ever lo fi records. Steve Albini produced (same year he did In Utero) and did an incredible job of seemingly staying out of the way and just capturing Polly Jean and her band at their rawest and best. Not my favorite PJ record, but probably #2
The Cure
5/5
This is widely considered the best Cure record, though I was always partial to its predecessor Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me for sentimental reasons. For a long time I kinda didn't love this record, obviously a lot of classic tracks but on the whole I found it to be a bit too much of the same color. In retrospect, I was wildly wrong. This is their best album and there isn't a weak or even mediocre track. This is their best album, the pinnacle of Robert’s songwriting and great performances start to finish
Lou Reed
5/5
As much as I love Lou, it's hard to ignore that this record is as much a Bowie/Ronson achievement as it is a great Lou record. Still, he wrote these songs and they are some of his best. No shame in getting outside help to make them their best selves. But we also have to note that Lou probably never did another record quite as good as this one. Maybe New York? Too bad they didn't work together again
Randy Newman
3/5
I admire Randy Newman as a songwriter a great deal more than I enjoy him. He's smart, and funny, and good with a melody. And for his era, he was a bold and brave lyricist. I'm old enough to get what he's doing but young enough to still cringe at it. He couldn't, and shouldn't, do it in 2026, and it makes it tough to enjoy some of these tunes. That's a me thing, I wholeheartedly acknowledge. As good as he is, I just don't enjoy Randy Newman records all that much
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Pretty hip music for a dentist’s waiting room. Nonessential
Steely Dan
5/5
By far my favorite SD record. I've loved this music since I was a child, and it never gets old for me. But I can see how they'd be polarizing
The The
3/5
This is a pleasant listen, solid pop from the early 80s. Nonessential
The Avalanches
3/5
Time to eat a little crow. I have repeatedly complained about dance records on this list, stating that it's boring to sit on your couch and listen to music intended for a club. But really, that just means it's not very good music (at least for me). The Avalanches prove me wrong with an eclectic collection of beats and samples and generally fun dance tracks. It goes on a bit too long and some tracks are not quite as good as others, but overall, I enjoyed this one
The Who
2/5
Pete Townshend has written some of my favorite music, but none of that is here. The title track and The Kids Are Alright are excellent singles. The Ox is a fun but inessential proto-Moby Dick instrumental. The rest could pass as a Dave Clark Five tribute act. Really poor songwriting and mediocre execution. I note that this is one of five Who records on the list, and definitely the worst
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
This is the follow-up to the one with Come On Eileen. On release, it was universally panned and was such a flop that DMR broke up. That was the right decision as this is by far the most boring and pointless album on the list so far. There are been absolutely awful albums but they were at least interesting enough to hate. This is the aural equivalent of watching primer dry. It’s not even colorful paint, just a neutral on a neutral. For some reason, the English music press belatedly decided no, actually this is a masterpiece. Of what? The most inoffensive sounds ever committed to tape? This is the saddest, limpest, whitest version of black music since Pat Boone covered Tutti Frutti. But you know what, that's unfair to Pat because at least he could sing
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Stand, I Want To Take You Higher, Somebody’s Watching You, Sing A Simple Song, Everyday People, and You Can Make It If You Try. Not the track list of a greatest hits. All on this record. And then there's Don’t Call Me… and Sex Machine, those songs are the “filler”. Absolutely one of the greatest records of all time
The Beta Band
4/5
this is the one that came out after they “blew up” (by indie standards) when Dry The Rain got an unexpected feature in High Fidelity, and somehow they delivered an album that surpassed expectations. Somewhere between early Pink Floyd psychedelia and trip hop, it's an album that sounds familiar and fresh at the same time. It's a fairly languid affair, easing into the opener until it becomes clear that they've taken “Daydream” and made it funky. The fun continues, with few tracks really standing out but the entire album lays down a vibe that I really enjoy. One that works equally well whether it's on in the background or you are intensely listening, recommended
The Clash
4/5
We are reviewing the British version here, which is a shame because this is one of the few records where the American release is far superior, including White Man in Hammersmith Palais, Clash City Rockers, I Fought the Law and others. Even in its lesser state, it's an audacious debut that is far more interesting to me than the Pistols. The Clash would quickly move away from punk and broaden their musical palette greatly. In American form, it's a 5 but the original UK version is a strong 4
The Velvet Underground
5/5
First listen in a few years and the first thing that struck me was: this must have been Steve Malkmus’ favorite record. The blueprint of Pavement (and yes, 1000 other bands) is here in many of its facets. Anyway, I love this record and on any given day it's my favorite VU record. The title track and Sister Ray, The Gift (!!!) Here She Comes Now, I Heard Her Call My Name. It's loaded (PI)
Coldplay
2/5
Second of two Coldplay records and this is the less offensive of the two. It's far from good, it's not even in the same country as good. But it's not as irritating as Rush of Blood so there is that. The hit song here is called Yellow but really it should have been Beige
Hole
4/5
Anything Courtney related is sure to attract a level of irrational hatred. She's the Yoko of Gen X, which is to say an immensely talented and complex woman who was dismissed as some real life succubus because of misogyny and Stan-dom. Meanwhile, Love Through This is every bit as good as Nevermind. Yeah, I said it. Which is to say that Nevermind is slightly overrated (but great) and Live Through This is underrated and unfairly painted as the work of Kurt, which has been thoroughly disputed by everyone involved in making the record
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
It's nearly impossible for me to write about this record without sounding like a fanatic. There is simply no other album quite like this one, a perfect marriage of volume and delicateness, of melody and distortion, of beauty and, well honestly it's just fucking beautiful. I'm sure Bob can name 10 others just like it, but for me, in shoegaze, and frankly in 90s alternative, MBV stands head and shoulders above the pack. And this is their undisputed masterpiece
Fairport Convention
2/5
Even though I thoroughly hated this, I have to concede that English folk is not anywhere on any list of music I enjoy. So, I'll just say it's a me problem and move on
Billy Bragg
3/5
More than Dylan, Billy Bragg is the true heir to Woody Guthrie, and he shows it here with a solid selection of both protest songs and love songs. Dylan may have felt some kind of way about the Mermaid Avenue records, but I don't think he would have done as well with the material as Bragg (and Wilco). He excels as a writer in both areas, and delivers his performances as if he were the world’s greatest busker. It gets a bit samey after a while, and this record probably would have benefitted musically from a full band, but that would kill the busking spirit at its core. A solid record that I will probably never revisit
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I've complained a lot about artists with multiple albums here. For Nick Cave, I won't do that, for purely selfish reasons. I've been interested in Nick’s music for a while but clueless where to start. And Lo and behold, 5 albums to check out! Ghosteen was gorgeous but too long and too depressing to enjoy. This one hit the spot though. The first half is some of the most unique rock music I've heard in a long time. Kind of a punk/gospel mashup, which is oversimplifying and selling it short, but it's not wrong. It's a wild record, so much so that all three cats vacated the room as soon as it started. They did come back eventually, but I think they hated “Get Ready for Love”. Record two is much more conventional, more ballad driven. The title track drags on, but most of the other tracks were very good. Overall, a really enjoyable record. I think I finally get this guy
The Associates
1/5
Imagine if David Bowie and Sparks were given severe head injuries, then locked in a recording studio with a mountain of cocaine. You'd likely get something similar to Sulk. It's not good. It's quite irritating, in fact, and I have to believe that the people who voted this onto the list also had severe head injuries. There is a lot of synth pop on the list, and this is surely the worst of it (he says while whistling past the graveyard)
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Listening to this record, I can't believe I wasn't a huge fan in HS. TBH I only had passing familiarity with JMC, a few college radio singles here and there. Listening now, it's an excellent record and a clear influence on their immediate contemporaries and close followers, especially in shoegaze. Also notable, second band of Scots in a row, and this one is miles better than the last one
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
Let's start with the basics. Ella Fitzgerald is the greatest American singer of the recorded music era. Her project to record the “great American songbook” covers the greatest American composers of the first half of the 20th Century. In my estimation, any other versions of the songs presented in her songbook series are superfluous. Ella is the standard. For me personally, my favorite is her Cole Porter set, as he is imo the greatest American song writer. But the Gershwins are the popular choice, and the 50 or so songs presented here are well representative of the best of American music for that period. I'd have personally chosen someone other than Nelson Riddle for the arrangements but this isn't among his schmaltziest work to be fair, and to paraphrase a song, you can take anything anyway from Ella, she is impeccable, always capturing the right mood and tone. The truly remarkable thing is that this is Ella in respectable mode, which isn't even her best mode. Check out Ella In Berlin for her in Jazz club mode
Goldfrapp
2/5
This is a perfect example of the over emphasis on English music in this list. This album sounds like the worst outtakes of Massive Attack, Portishead, and Bjork. And the Brits tried to give it a Mercury Prize ffs
Leftfield
3/5
Oh, hey look, it's another electronic album that no one outside of England has ever heard! This one is slightly better than the last because it has some life. A decent listen for a dance record
Mercury Rev
3/5
Let's keep it rolling with little known English alternative bands. I'm a big fan of Mercury Rev’s “All Is Dream” and I'm honestly baffled why they chose DS over AID. This album is fine but mainly sounds like Flaming Lips b-sides. It has some interesting moments but is so inferior to AID, I have to wonder if whomever voted for this has ever heard AID
Fleet Foxes
3/5
When this was released in 2008, I was obsessed with it. It seemed to come out of nowhere and took a lot of very familiar sounds and packaged them in an interesting way. Nearly 20 years later, it's still quite enjoyable but doesn't hold the same power for me. A lot of the songs are just ok. There are a few real gems, Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymnal, Blue Ridge Mountains. The rest is fine. Of the 2010s pop folk revival acts, they were the best by far
Mudhoney
2/5
As a Gen Xer, I'm probably contractually obligated to rave about every Seattle band from the 80s and 90s, but I just can't with this one. I've never been a fan and am still not a fan. I don't understand the conventional wisdom that Mudhoney is somehow the best band of the era and was unfairly left for dead in Nirvana’s wake. Sorry, kids, but no one in Mudhoney could write a song a fraction as good as any Cobain original, and I'm hardly the world’s biggest fan of that band. Anyway, this isn't quite metal, isn't quite punk, isn't quite grunge, it's just kind of annoying music. Sorry not sorry
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
When it comes to reggae, there is Bob Marley and Peter Tosh and then there is everyone else. Add Bunny Wailer and the Barrett brothers locking down the loosest and tightest rhythm section you've ever heard and you have the greatest reggae album ever recorded. And easily one of my all time favorites in any genre. Marley out of the gate in his first record with several classics, Concrete Jungle, Stir It Up, No More Trouble, High Tide or Low Tide. Tosh parries back with 400 Years and Stop That Train. The Barretts slink and skank their way through it all. I could listen to this record forever and never get sick of it. Bob hit many heights from here but this is the purest and best form of the Wailers and anyone who saw them in 1973 was incredibly blessed
Arcade Fire
3/5
This record came out in 2010 and I was obsessed with it for about a month. I really loved it, especially the title track. To be honest, I wasn't much of an Arcade Fire fan before or since. And listening again, I see why. There’s just not very much “there” there. It’s kind of a hollow shell that sounds generically like late aughts/early 10s music. Not bad but not anything special. They went downhill pretty rapidly from here and are now essentially done because the singer is a POS and his wife was an essential part of the band. Kinda like Sonic Youth, but a mediocre boring Canadian version
Blur
5/5
This record is eccentric, weird, and easily accessible at the same time. And that's about the highest compliment I can offer to an album that is one of my favorites of the 90s and is the best record of the BritPop era. I never understood the Oasis v Blur debate. Oasis excelled at big dumb stadium anthems while Blur excelled at pretty much every other form of rock and pop music, and have a generational talent as their primary songwriter vs a guy who knows three chords. Guess who I'm picking in that debate
FKA twigs
4/5
Completely new to me, I was so uninformed that I thought FKA Twigs was an American hip hop artist. In fact she is a British electronic artist. And a very talented one. This is not really my thing, but I enjoyed it and it sounds like nothing I've heard before. Maybe a bit of Petra Haden with electronic beats and R&B influences. Interesting record, glad I heard it before I died
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Sisters of Mercy are a musical Frankenstein’s monster made up of parts of The Cure, Dépêche Mode, and Echo and the Bunnymen. Unfortunately, they got the Abby Normal parts of each and end up just being very 80s goth. A few pretty good songs and a few dull ones. Took me right back to high school. Fine but ultimately non essential
Dolly Parton
4/5
Dolly is a great songwriter, and this collection features some of her best. It's a notch below Jolene as an album, but every song is good, the band is top notch, and Dolly is in her performing prime. I'm not a huge fan of her vibrato, but I can hang with it to hear these great songs
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Interesting coincidence to get a second straight legendary lady of country music and another album with Coat of Many Colors. I'm an admirer of Dolly but a fan of Emmylou, and this is one of her best. The Hot Band is still in the future, but the Nashville ringers are top notch and EL delivers some stunning performances, especially her take on For No One. Not my favorite of hers, but a top notch solo debut
Robert Wyatt
3/5
I learned that this was the Soft Machine drummer who sadly became paralyzed in the 70s and launched a long running and quirky solo career. I don't know exactly how to describe this. Some sort of baroque art pop jazz prog melange. I didn't hate it, even enjoyed some tunes quite a bit. Others could have used a more judicious edit, but it was never boring. Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera are heavy contributors here and Paul Weller makes an appearance. Definitely an album that fits the spirit of the list
Metallica
3/5
This was released when I was 19, which is in the ideal range for loving music that is relentlessly huge and loud. I saw them three times on this tour. Listening back, there are a few solid tracks, but overall it is a tough slog. Essentially the same tempo and vibe for an hour straight, with a couple of “ballads” tossed in to try to catch that “One” lightning in a bottle again. Not to mention that this stab at the early 90s grunge zeitgeist was a huge step down from Metallica’s early years of thrash and prog metal. The record that made them a global phenomenon to the point where they haven't released a listenable album in 30 years and still fill football stadiums around the world
The Cramps
4/5
This was a nice surprise. My previous familiarity with the Cramps was the kid in high school with the Dead Kennedies jacket and the Cramps T-shirt. Psychobilly is apparently a genre I enjoy. A couple of great tracks like TV Set, Garbageman, and I Was A Teenage Werewolf. The rest is solid. Somehow this was produced by Alex Chilton. Go figure
Sigur Rós
3/5
I've been an admirer, if not exactly a fan, since this album was released. They make some absolutely gorgeous music, and they are certainly unique. But they also tend to go on and on, and overly complicate arrangements to the point of being overwhelmed by the instrumentation. I'm also hot and cold on Jonsi’s vocals. Sometimes really lovely, other times grating. But in the end, the world is a better place with Sigur Ros making its own music and letting us listen in. I saw them in 2005 and the first hour was absolutely stunning. And the last 30 minutes dragged. That's just SR and me
Sepultura
3/5
This is a very good thrash metal record. A genre I'm not particularly into but know enough to appreciate. That said, it's really just a straight up tribute to early Metallica, Slayer and Maiden. So why did I need to hear this particular record on top of the ones from those seminal acts? Because these guys are Brazilian? Sadly, not one iota of Brazilian influence here. Solid record, though
Gorillaz
3/5
I'm a fan of Damon Albarn, so of course I'm a Gorillaz fan. That said, this was the first attempt but they didn't quite get there on this record. Clint Eastwood is one of the great tracks of the Aughts, and 19-2000 is another gem. The rest is a bit scattered, if interesting and at times very good but often just messy. It all came together on album #2, but that one wasn't selected
Spacemen 3
3/5
I'm a Spiritualized fan but never got into Spacemen 3. I have definitely heard this before but tbh I didn't remember it at all. I enjoyed it, in parts sounding like rough sketches of later Spiritualized tracks and other times sounding like a fully formed unit of its own, especially on the more shoegazey material like Suicide. I need to go back and listen to their other records again
Pavement
4/5
Stephen Malkmus may be the unofficial songwriter of Gen X. So it's hard for me to be objective about Pavement, a band I've loved for decades. This is one of their strongest records, but I must admit I hear a lot of filler here, as there is on all of their records. Still, this has a lot of great tracks and was probably the record that launched a million indie bands in the 90s and 00s. I think they'd have stronger material on both Wowee Zowee and Brighten the Corners, but as a time capsule of the early 90s, it's CRCR