I have no clue how someone could conceptualize this album in 2006 as a 24 year old because it sounds like it's from the 1500's and we're on a pirate ship sailing the seas. There is such an incredible whimsical approach with lyrics that are more similar to Ye Olde English than anything we typically hear today. Her metaphors and analogies are so unusual that it makes it difficult to keep up with what the heck is going on in any of the 10+minute songs. Use of vocabulary is exceptional because it's just so out of place for today. This really is musical poetry and each time I hear an unusual analogy, I have to go back and try and figure it out. Like in Monkey & Bear, when the bear is frolicking in the sea and the bear's shedding it's clothes, which "fell off as easy as if sloughed from boiled tomatoes". Ok it's easy when it's written, but when you randomly hear her talking about boiled tomatoes in a song, you wonder how we got here. Also, she plays the harp. WHAT?! Honestly it seems unfair to have this album on a list with some of the more vapid, well known singers. Popular singers certainly have more public sway, but in terms of true artistic ability and value, I find this album on a completely higher plane.

One of the reasons for doing this list is because I have never been able to have any really contextual relationship with music from previous generations. Household names that I know, and i've heard some of their songs, but never really knew. Or songs that I know, but no clue who sings it. Starting off...I didn't know Ziggy Stardust was a David Bowie song. I didn't know about this whole alter-ego thing either. Apparently I just didn't know anything about Bowie at all and it's hard to separate some of these legends that you just know as old men decades past their prime. This definitely has a rock opera feel and it's a shame that it was never realized as a proper rock opera. Rocky Horror Picture Show came out a few years after this album, and there are some definite similarities. The concept is that Ziggy Stardust is basically an alien that comes to save Earth from destruction. Each song more or less follows Ziggy Stardust through his journey. It's a bit hard to follow, which makes sense since the concept was decided after the fact. Overall the album is great. It's an original idea, with creative lyrics and great sound. Five Years, Starman, Moonage Daydream, Ziggy Stardust. This is an iconic album without the concept part, but the Ziggy Stardust alterego ties it together.

Difficult to really know/hear the importance or significance of this album. We all hear about the Rolling Stones as this legendary band, but difficult to hear it here. Music is decent, but really feels like context is missing.

Not a fan of the old school back and forth and echoing style of rap from the 80's/early 90's, but you can't deny some of the hits from this record that carry into today IE It's Tricky and Walk This Way with Aerosmith. Easy to hear some of the early samples that are still used and today, which is fun. I'm glad we have evolved beyond all the just completely unnecessary filler that is plaguing some of these lyrical tracks - with "Now listen up here cause i'm here to say..." elementary school rhymes, which I guess pretty much started because of Run DMC and early rappers. I find all of the filler and useless intro-sentences really take away from the song Proud to Be Black, which would have a lot stronger of a message if it were better written without so many bars wasted on leading up to the point.

wow Pastime Paradise. No idea Gangsta's Paradise had direct inspiration from this song. Overall this album is incredibly soulful and funky. The lyrics are powerful and significant, but at times hidden behind music that feels upbeat and positive. It's a very interesting juxtaposition. Not to mention the obvious hits Sir Duke, I Wish, Isn't She Lovely; Pasttime Paradise and Village Ghetto Land were very interesting songs that made me stop and reflect for a bit. Disc 2 was a bit exhausting and difficult to get through. With the exception of Isn't She Lovely, I just got tired of it. There were so many parts where there was some dialogue or dramatic scenes in Black Man and Isn't She Lovely specifically that seemed so out of place and distorted that it was difficult to enjoy the song and in Black Man specifically, lost meaning. I understand the point of Black Man is to shine light on the achievements of people of color throughout history, but the part with the teachers and children regurgitating facts was more annoying than powerful since you couldn't really hear what they were saying other than the......color of the skin of the person they were shouting about. Is it about the accomplishment, the person, or are we just reducing them to the color of their skin? I think we could think of a better way to highlight the achievements of black or indigenous individuals in the past. Overall, If we put Isn't She Lovely on Disc 1 and just removed Disc 2......it would be a better experience.

This feels like David Bowie's existential dread album. 66 years old, just had a major heart attack, dark, seems like there's a lot of anxiety, dread and despair. For someone not familiar with Bowie's music, this album does not reflect him in his prime. I just feel sorry for him. I agree with others that said it was probably included assuming that it would be his last album. Just because it's their last album, doesn't mean everyone should listen to it. But maybe I would feel different about this album if I was a bit closer to the end of my own life.

Steve Huey said that this album is the first "artistic punk" album and I couldn't agree more. The album is exactly a blend of poetry and punk. Each song is a story with a specific purpose in mind, but some of the songs have so much going on (Land) that it needs to be analyzed. Elegie is straight up a poem set to music. There's one part in Break It Up when you can hear her obviously pounding on her chest while she sings.....which I have never heard before from a studio album. I can really understand why this album was so important as it is very unique and really needs to be analyzed. I completely get why Patti Smith has been such a huge influence on a lot of female artists even to today. There's definitely punk vibes, but the music perfectly accompanies the story that's being told, ranging from smooth to chaotic.

This entire album is 30 minutes long, so I guess within the span of my life, I can find 30 minutes to listen to it. This isn't what I think about when I think of rock music, but I can imagine myself cruising down Route 66 with it on while i'm not really thinking about anything. It feels like default easy listening. Not threatening, not controversial, very safe, the kind of rock music your Christian grandmother probably likes because she saw it on Good Morning America. Nothing groundbreaking here. I think this album was included simply because the author thought people should know who Tom Petty was.

Having never actually listened to Sinatra or the other crooners, I guess this is my chance. I only really appreciated the album on my second listen. The first listen, everything just kinda blended together. Second listen everything came together. Pull up the lyrics and digest what he's saying as even if they kinda sound similar, the nuances of each song are just perfect. I wasn't ready for this so early in the morning. This is a concept album mostly about loneliness and losing/lacking love. I think this type of music really hits different for expressing this feeling as it just seems to stop you in your tracks. He doesn't say much in the songs, but what he does say is incredibly impactful and perfectly encapsulates the emotion and there's nothing else to say. Everyone that's gone through it gets it. I like the little jazz sprinklings that you can hear in the album. In sections of Mood Indigo, it just sprinkles lightly in the background, just teasing you, in stark contrast to the absolute despair of the lyrics. I Get Along Without You Very Well is so comical. The whole song about him saying how great he's doing without her, except he's constantly thinking about her and reminded of her. Deep in a Dream is genius. A quick snapshot of him smoking in bed, falling asleep and dreaming of the girl he lost, startling himself awake and just being like......damn....... it perfectly follows up I Get Along Without You Very Well because even when we convinces ourselves we're doing great, there are these moments where memories just force it upon us to reflect and it almost starts the cycle over again. Can't We be Friends? Classic Friendzone. Love the jazzy vibe of this song and again, absolutely relatable. Timeless. These songs are just so relatable for anyone that has gone through a breakup and Frank did a fantastic job of covering so many nuances of what we go through. One particular note is that he doesn't seem to particularly disdain or hate the women who broke his heart, he's just heartbroken. At least the album ends on a hopeful note as I'll Never Be the Same and This Love of Mine are both decidedly hopeful. I learned after the fact that Frank didn't write this stuff, which is a same. But everyone that worked on it did a phenomenal job.

I have no clue how someone could conceptualize this album in 2006 as a 24 year old because it sounds like it's from the 1500's and we're on a pirate ship sailing the seas. There is such an incredible whimsical approach with lyrics that are more similar to Ye Olde English than anything we typically hear today. Her metaphors and analogies are so unusual that it makes it difficult to keep up with what the heck is going on in any of the 10+minute songs. Use of vocabulary is exceptional because it's just so out of place for today. This really is musical poetry and each time I hear an unusual analogy, I have to go back and try and figure it out. Like in Monkey & Bear, when the bear is frolicking in the sea and the bear's shedding it's clothes, which "fell off as easy as if sloughed from boiled tomatoes". Ok it's easy when it's written, but when you randomly hear her talking about boiled tomatoes in a song, you wonder how we got here. Also, she plays the harp. WHAT?! Honestly it seems unfair to have this album on a list with some of the more vapid, well known singers. Popular singers certainly have more public sway, but in terms of true artistic ability and value, I find this album on a completely higher plane.

This is my first time listening to Elvis Costello. Caught off-guard right from the first note with how bad this record sounded from an audio quality perspective. It made sense when I read that the entire album was basically recorded "live" in a studio and in one take because everyone hated each other. So they just set up the band as if it were on a stage and recorded it, so none of the audio was isolated. I feel the acclaim that it receives due to its sound is a bit unmerited because it was done completely by accident simply because everyone hated each other and wanted to get it done as soon as possible. It's not attributed to any genius or forecasting for future grunge, it was thrown together to push an album out. It is unique in that it does sound like a live performance, which is cool. Other than that, I think saying you should listen to 6 Elvis Costello albums before you die is a bit.......insane. The album is good, the music is good. That's about it.

First Beatles album i've ever listened to. What strikes me right off the bat is that it's a bit more rock and roll than I expected. Honestly my only other experience with the Beatles is slow songs like Yesterday and Hey Jude, which although are classics in their own right, i'm sick of hearing. So something with a bit more tempo is appreciated. This album is basically the result of The Beatles getting sick of everything and everyone, including they're psychotic fans, going out to "find themselves" and evolving....with the help of drugs. I love that they started trolling their fans with this and there's almost a mocking tone of "This is how we are now, deal with it." that really pushed peoples perception of The Beatles and pop music in general. I can see how it connected with the youth. This is definitely the catalyst to the free spirit "Peace and love" era of the 70's. Completely revolutionary, and LSD experimentation seems obvious in the tracks. From the India influences that show up in Getting Better and Within You Without You; and the weird little twangy alien voices they use in Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds. This album probably hits different while on acid. There's a couple songs that stand out in Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite with it's carnival sound, and When I'm Sixty Four with it's weird old school Mickey Mouse up and down plodding around sound. Within You and Without You as well, just incredibly unique due to it's Indian sound since one of the members went to India to study the Sitar during their sabbatical. Within You Without You is transcendental in meaning and sound with it's Indian mantras. Just really cool hearing a band push the boundaries of peoples expectations and then see how it really impacted people with the 70's hippy movement. Lyrically, there's nothing super revolutionary as they seemed to get inspiration for songs from just random stuff anywhere from a parking meter attendant to stories they saw in the tabloids. The musical choices made to accompany these humdrum lyrics is what's really interesting.......which I guess still rings true today. Doesn't really matter what you sing about as long as the music works. Within You Without You and A Day In The Life have the most powerful overall message. A Day In the Life gave me goosebumps.

One of the reasons for doing this list is because I have never been able to have any really contextual relationship with music from previous generations. Household names that I know, and i've heard some of their songs, but never really knew. Or songs that I know, but no clue who sings it. Starting off...I didn't know Ziggy Stardust was a David Bowie song. I didn't know about this whole alter-ego thing either. Apparently I just didn't know anything about Bowie at all and it's hard to separate some of these legends that you just know as old men decades past their prime. This definitely has a rock opera feel and it's a shame that it was never realized as a proper rock opera. Rocky Horror Picture Show came out a few years after this album, and there are some definite similarities. The concept is that Ziggy Stardust is basically an alien that comes to save Earth from destruction. Each song more or less follows Ziggy Stardust through his journey. It's a bit hard to follow, which makes sense since the concept was decided after the fact. Overall the album is great. It's an original idea, with creative lyrics and great sound. Five Years, Starman, Moonage Daydream, Ziggy Stardust. This is an iconic album without the concept part, but the Ziggy Stardust alterego ties it together.

There is still something about how solemn and passionate his voice is that is incredibly impactful......and yes I know that is Johnny Cash in a nutshell. His voice just kinda affects you even though it sounds like an old man singing to himself in the corner of your living room on a lazy-e-boy. Cash lived a lot of life in his 71 years and this album does seem to be the culmination of that. Just bearing his soul here. Of course, The Man Comes Around, Hurt, Give My Love to Rose, I Hung My Head are incredibly powerful songs, especially with Cash singing. I'm not a huge fan of an album of covers and re-recordings being on this list, but after finishing, something about it feels ok. Obviously Cash's swan song before he died (let's just ignore that he's still releasing albums from beyond the grave). I think what makes this album special is the fact that it is his last album while he was still alive, the massive amount of collaboration with other artists that went into it, and the sheer emotion at which he was singing these songs knowing the end was coming.

This is a rare album that gets better as it goes on. It starts off very punk, but as it progresses, the lo-fi elements really come into play. A ton of female empowerment and reality from a woman's perspective that is really important even in situations relatively innocuous. Soap Star Joe - great song mocking the typical local idiots that think they're hot shit. Divorce Song - Great song about Shatter - wow, there's that lo-fi sound. Very entrancing. Flower - another great sound, really letting loose, basically objectifying some guy she wants to sleep with. It's funny how much this one sticks out but there are so many songs with rock stars saying the same type of stuff about young ladies. I'm fine with it, and think it's great to have a song that shows these thoughts go both ways sometimes. Expressing these inner thoughts is great. I'm a bit surprised with how uneasy I was during the first couple of tracks, and then how much I was enjoying it as it progressed. It's an hour long album and it was an awesome album with a lot of depth and nuance. Really stands on its own in terms of sound and expression. I can only imagine that many people try to compare this to No Doubt, but this album is much deeper and intricate than No Doubt, who is more of your proper punk band.

So this album popularlized the "Bakersville Sound" combination of rock and honky tonk country, which influenced more modern country sounds. You can really hear that guitar electric twang that is associated with this sound and at this point is considered synonymous with country music. It's why this album sounds like the most cliche country album of all time; but this album created what we know today to be the cliche. I like the Streets of Laredo with it's deep bass chorus that really sticks out. Surprised this song isn't bigger. Overall i'm not really a fan, but I can appreciate how this album has influenced an entire genre 60 years later - for better or worse.

This album was difficult. I've already heard Songs in the Key of Life, which imo was a much better album, but I guess this was the album that allowed Stevie to transition into "Stevie Wonder". So it's interesting to hear Innervisions after Key of Life because IMO it's not as good......BUT once again, most of the albums on here are about context. This album was so revolutionary because 1) the TONTO synthesizer allowed Stevie to just mess around and do all kinds of weird stuff, and thankfully he was able to put that weird stuff into an album. Use of the synthesizer revolutionized pop music. 2) He basically did everything on the record himself. Played all the instruments with the exception of a couple guitar parts. 3) Right after the album dropped he survived a major car accident where he basically took a tree log to the face. Kind of a divine inspiration moment. I will say the music is incredibly well composed and is very complex. Seems like he had trouble just stopping and not adding another layer. Higher Ground is THE song on the album, and while some other songs do have a strong overall message, he's not very direct with it which is disappointing. This was a tough album to get through for me. I'm not a fan of R&B or soul, but there is no denying Stevie Wonder is absolutely a legendary talent.

Quintessentially 80's, but at least The Smiths have something to say. Quite a few songs seem to be critical of various people or types of people. Some of them are quite funny, particularly Cemetry Gates and Vicar in a Tutu, which I think are my favorites on this album. Funny how nothing seems to change in this world. Now more than ever are there religious charlatans seeking the spotlight for money while being the most deplorable sinners out of the spotlight. Vicar in a Tutu is expressing exactly that. Other songs are quite angsty. 80's emo music for sure, but it's a nice balance between edgy teenage angst woe is me and a valid commentary on the world. I tend to be a bit more drawn to their commentary than the angsty part, but it may also depend on my mood. I wasn't sold at first as The Queen is Dead was just way too 80's for me, but I liked the album further we went.

Never heard of this collab and it was so much fun. Not a country fan by any means, but this is way better than your classic country......because it's real country. Banjo, strings, harmonica, definitely your local barn hootenanny. This album is such a great idea, bringing together the old gen and the new gen to jam out, collab and bond for music. Kind of like the We Are The World collab. I really enjoyed hearing the bits before the tracks of how they approach the song as a way to connect the listener, because this album is about connecting the generations through music. I was scared of the 2 hour duration of both CD's, but this isn't an album you have to really analyze, it's importance is the collaboration of these great artists playing together and nailing all the songs in 1 or 2 takes.

This album was revolutionary in the earlyish days of the internet and the struggle artists have with the balance of physical and digital media and how it combats piracy. In the wake of the Napster outcry that artists had with people pirating music, Radiohead releases a digital album with the option for fans to pay what they want for it. People still pirated it, but many people also still bought the physical albums. This argument continues to this day with consumers and artists. Consumers still want to own media and support artists; but digital options mean both that you don't actually own what you buy AND does not do a great job in supporting artists in the least. We're still trying to figure it out, but in 2007 Radiohead at least attempted a new approach. That said, they could have released a complete dud with this pay-what-you-want format, but they didn't. The album is this great experimental, euphoric rock album that kind of takes you to a new world. I don't even care what they're saying, I just like being entranced by their sound. Like the music or not, the album and method used to distribute it was revolutionary in it's own right and the fact that it was a great album musically makes it an important one. There's also a Disk 2 that has been released which is.......straying a bit further from "rock" and is a bit too experimental for my tastes.

I'm really liking this album because of the trance/glitch hop/trap elements. This album was produced in 2017, and there's a lot of similarities with the modern KPOP that has crossed over into the west recently (2025) and focuses a lot on hard catchy beats as a foundation. Was Kelela the first to do this? Definitely not and songs like Truth or Dare or Altadena sounds exactly like it could be a Janet Jackson song from the 80's. I think the album is a good progression for R&B music that has, in my opinion, completely fallen flat as a genre in the last 20 years. It's cool to see how Kelela set herself apart in 2017 and I think she did so successfully. I'm really torn on this one because although I really like the album, i'm trying to justify it as being an album that you should listen to before you die vs just being an album that I like. The lyrics frankly are uninspired and follow the same R&B cliches of failed relationships and love. There's really no historical or cultural context, but I acknowledge there is historical bias. It's difficult to judge a contemporary album and it's impact unless there is an immediate cultural shift....but i've never even heard of this album or artist. I listened to it like 4 or 5 times today during work trying to figure out how I feel about it. 1001 albums is a lot and they can't all be life changing and sometimes it's just about hearing something new, which is part of why i'm working through this list. I'm glad I listened to this album for it's progressive take on R&B and mixing in electronic/Trap elements and I guess i'll leave it at that.

One of the greatest and most recognizable songs of all time in Song 2. Absolutely legendary and almost 30 years later, the song is still fantastic and you can't help but rock out to it....which apparently immediately outs me as an American. I had no idea they were this huge in the UK. For other confused Americans out there, the lead singer and chief song writer for Blur, Damon Albarn, also created The Gorillaz. This self-titled album was basically a rebirth after they almost broke up. They wanted to evolve from the Britpop scene and this album was a huge risk that paid off. It's harder, more experimental, and often times quite dark like in Death of a Party. Overall it's a great rock album and a great example of a already popular band reinventing themselves and ascending to new heights.....which we have seen so many times and is what separates legendary artists from the the status quo. It's a big risk. Much easier for a solo artist than a band.

First Springsteen album i've ever heard. I appreciate the album more on 2nd listen when looking at the lyrics. First listen, I was impressed with how great the band was, and very mixed on Bruce. Lyrics are a bit hard to follow without reading them. Band is just awesome. Back before the days of synth and digital mixes, it's awesome to hear proper full band rock out. Harmonica, Sax solos, very different from rock today. I'm not sure how I feel about Bruce. On some tracks his voice is ok, but others it just sticks out way too much and doesn't fit. Like Randy Newman doing rock. Anyway this album was I guess Springsteen's real "coming out" album and I can see how it would connect with a younger generation from it's storytelling. I like that the album doesn't focus so much on success with money and relationships, but more so on taking chances, and with that there is success and failure. In this regard I liked Thunder Road, Backstreets and Meeting Across the River, and Night. Thunder Road - Asking the girl to take a chance and go make their own lives together elsewhere. Backstreets - 2 friends that just kind of lost their friendship over time and missing that old connection. Meeting Across the River - Down on his luck criminal just wanting the chance for that big score to make it. Just a cool perspective. Night - Work sucks. We're all just working away for that bit of time to enjoy our lives. Overall it's a great album, but something about Springsteen bothers me and I can't quite pinpoint it. It almost feels like a curated album to brute force Springsteen into success. Maybe because i'm not a huge fan of his singing (yelling?) and the E Street Band is awesome and overshadows Springsteen...in my opinion.

Tribe was one of the most influential original rap groups and this album still stands up today easily. What sets Tribe apart is their beats almost have this loFi, African, hypnotic chill vibe. It's not overly aggressive, especially when you compare with the rap albums that gained a lot of attention in the 80's/90's. QTip made a lot of these beats as a high school kid, experimenting with sampling other songs, which you can hear clearly in some of the songs like Can I Kick It? There are some beats that don't "work" or a bit off, but overall they are fun beats like you would make for your friends, which is what original rap was all about. Hanging with your friends, trying some rhymes and talking about just the little things in a young kids life. No drugs, drive-bys; just chilling with your friends.

This is the Kings of Leons' first album. I've never listened to them and tbh I don't find that this album has any songs that really stick out individually for me. Overall, the entire album is very catchy and fun and has a real garage band vibe that is great and would probably be great live. I think the album is a great representation of garage rock that isn't common anymore. KOL would be awesome at a smaller venue where you can have that real hometown, local show experience instead of a sold out MSG type experience which is completely impersonal.

This album is quintessentially 90's. There's a lot going on, transcendental guitar rifts, random influences from Arabic, Indian, Spanish, as well as some "tribal" elements......whatever that means. It's got a cool vibe and this is definitely on this list as a "this is some weird cultural fusion music". It was just what I wanted for today to be honest, just a nice vibe that I don't have to think too much about. There's a transcendental and spiritual feeling to it that are catchy and each track has it's own "cultural element" to it. It's not bad, but i'm struggling to think of a situation where I would sit and listen to this kind of music.......other than because i'm doing this list. It's it's own thing, which is cool.

Put the lime in the coconut! Another song that I had no idea who sings this and if I ever did look, i'd say "Who the heck is Harry Nilsson?" and move on. Pleasantly surprised when it came on while listening to this album. This album is all over the place and it was difficult to peg just what type of music I was listening to. From pop to jazz to emotional ballads to the humorous "Coconut", it had a bit of everything. Hard to believe Without You and Coconut are on the same album......let alone consecutive tracks. It's grown on me after a few listens and the album cover gives Marc Rebillet vibes.....so i'm going to imagine that Harry Nilsson is just as playful and goofy.

Hard to believe this is The Doors debut album with Break on Through, Light My Fire, The End. The Doors have always borderlined "eerie" for me. Their weird psychedelic sound just feels like Halloween for me. Great album. Can't imagine what Vietnam war movies would be like without The Doors.

Some clear jazz and reggae/funk elements which make it a bit unique and the music is very solid. Becker on the guitar is awesome, which is what stands out the most for me. I am not familiar with Steely Dan and they kinda feel like the Coldplay of the 70's: huge following but meme'd on by everyone else. I've read a lot of opinions from Steely Dan fans on why they love this band, and I can hear both sides, although it's starting to parallel Rick and Morty fans when they start talking about you need a "higher intellect" to understand Steely Dan. You don't, you just need to get passed the overall bland music to get the points....which is why people often refer to this as "dad rock" or boring. As musicians, they're great; but it just feels out of balance to me. Like it's missing attitude or an edge that forces you into it. Maybe that's soft rock as a genre in general. All this to say that I am acknowledging their talent and that many people love them, and that it isn't for me.

What the heck am I listening to? It really feels like the result of the puppet Dracula rock opera that Jason Segel's character was working on in Forgetting Sarah Marshall....except every scene is an uncomfortable sex scene. Although I do like Middle-Class Heroes where it starts off being a fedora tipping weirdo and then basically predicts that the girl is just going to be a complete loser after finishing school, popping out kids and not really doing anything; which of course, is a commentary on the struggling middle class in general. The album grows on me the more I listen to it. I can see why Neil Hannon has been involved in TV and musicals because he's a good storyteller and writer in a way that translates well to visual media. The orchestral addition to the album really adds to the fantasy, which is what makes it feel like a rock opera. Through a Long & Sleepless Night has great imagery and captures the depraved insanity of this insomniac........then the transition into the Casanova Theme which is just pleasant and reminds me of the MASH theme song for some reason. I dunno, there's something about this album that I really enjoy and is similar to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust in that it's such a visual album that it would be great on stage. I think it's easy to get the wrong impression about this album and the lyrics because you're hearing snippets that are quite.......questionable; but the actual song

Syd Barrett's debut album after getting kicked out of Pink Floyd after he completely shut down mentally. Seems like this album was completed with much difficulty as well. I got to say, I am really not a fan of the 60's style, muffled, echo'd vocals. There are moments in many of the songs where he's just sitting there strumming with no vocals, which is so weird. I'm not sure if that's a stylistic choice or not, but it's really noticeable and makes it feel like there's something missing or he completely spaced out and they just didn't edit it. Golden Hair really stands out with a definitive psychedelic sound. Best song on the album for me. B Side......wow, why was this included? 《If It's In You》He is completely out of his mind and incoherent. Very hard to listen to. It's tough to grade this. It feels like we are looking back and almost romanticizing a man going through a several mental health crisis and being driving by the studio to complete an album. The other problem is the more I listen to it, the more it grows on me. At least side A does. I think if you're going lose your mind, there is something strangely poetic about losing it with psychedelic music.

I wonder who named the Ray Charles albums? He debuted in 1957 and this album released in 1959....and was his 7th album. 7 albums in 2 years is a bit ridiculous. I do like the jazzy blues that they have with the big band. There's a huge difference between A Side and B Side since it's big band brass vs strings and i'm a bigger fan of the A Side. B Side is just too slow and too Bluesy for me. I wish Ray's piano was more of a spotlight instead of more of an accompanying piece. Am I Blue? really stands out as a very emotional piece. Ray has a perfect voice for the blues.

Springsteen again. I think in terms of "shut your mind off and enjoy the music" it's ok. E Street Band is still awesome and i'm still not sold on Bruce. Can't understand him at all, and he's either mumbling or screaming and it just doesn't do it for me. He still just seems fake to me. Like he was intentionally writing songs with the purpose of resonating with "working class people" when he's never been anything of the sort. Pandering. The politician of music. Not a shocker when Born to Run was the hail mary "succeed at all costs", marketed out the wazoo album. Don't get me wrong, the music is good enough, just not a fan of Bruce's singing or his writing. BUT if I just shut my brain off and don't think how much of a blue collar poser Bruce is, it's enjoyable. Maybe i'm missing something, but I've never listened to Bruce before this list and i've had the same feeling on both this album and Born to Run.

Interesting album. Never listened to The Cure outside of some hits (Friday, I'm in Love), and what an interesting contrast. This album is very minimalist and dark. Not a whole lot of singing and the tracks are so eerie. A couple of tracks with lyrics that had to have been singles, but they really stand out in an album of creepy dark ominous tones. I respect it as it's pretty unique, but it's a bit difficult to casually listen to outside of the singles.

Although i'm not a huge fan of the blues, I can really appreciate what Tom Waits is doing here. "Contemporary" blues that still has that "everything sucks" feel and he's a great storyteller for these downtrodden scenes. In the Neighborhood is so upbeat as he sings about how much everything sucks in the neighborhood. There is a bit of dark humor in a lot of the songs and the way-too-much-detail poetic style is part of that. It's also in Shore Leave and Frank's Wild Years. Such a good voice for this style of music as well. I can't imagine him doing any other style of music really. His voice is just THE blues voice.

I've only heard Howlin' for You from this band, I think from MLB The Show. Sometimes I'm looking at the critical acclaim for albums on here and see "Was named one of Spin's top 40 albums of 2010." So this wasn't even the best album of 2010 according to Spin....it was #30....soooo what about all those albums more acclaimed than this one from 2010? Are those albums on here too? It's a good rock album, but sometimes I'd like a bit more explanation on why this album specifically was chosen because i'm missing something. There is a bluesy vibe, but I don't think this sound is super unique at this point. Maybe it was more unique in 2010? The music is pretty good, but i'm not really finding anything beyond that. In terms of albums you should listen to before you die, I'm sure I could find a better one not on the list that might give a more unique perspective to music.

While listening to this album, Don't Stop just kind of caught me. It's such a weird style of psychedelic rock that sounds like they're playing backwards. It's the type of thing that sounds super cool in conversation but is incredibly hard to pull off, and it works in this song. The Stone Roses I guess pioneered the "Madchester" sound, which is like raving, psychedelic rock which was prominent out of Manchester UK. It does have a late Beatles, 60's hippie movement sound. No surprise people like to get high, party and listen to weird music. Really sounds like something from the 60's, early 70's. There are still a few songs that are traditionally BritPop, which are also the weaker songs on the album in my opinion. Britpop is just.....not for me..... Overall a solid album and really cool. Doesn't feel like 1989 when listening to it.

Adele's 21, what a huge album. Rolling in the Deep, Set Fire to the Rain, Someone Like You, Rumour Has It, are HUGE and were all on this album. Adele has such a great "lower range" voice makes her sound so much more powerful and emotional, which perfectly suites her ballads. Of course it's a breakup album, but she is so much more fiery than the typical "woe is me, i'm so sad" style of breakup albums. Musically, there's a lot of going on as she transcends genres, ranging from almost like a doo-wop in Rumour Has It to a country (Don't You Remember) to almost like a musical sound in One and Only. A lot of range. If you're alive, it's basically impossible to have not heard the singles on this album, but it just kinda cements how insane this album is in terms of power, relateability, and reach. Great album.

Ok ok Aussie Punk. Finally something that's not US or UK based. This album seems way before it's time, with the ska-punk elements of the brass band, and is this the first punk album with a harmonica? Very interesting but I dig it and I think somehow fits somehow. Audio quality of this album is really bad though. A bigger fuller sound would be so great, so that's a bit disappointing. Overall, this is pretty much as punk as you can get. Hard sound, anti-establishment lyrics, and the addition of the brass/harmonica is great. It's even more special since they're from Australia. Not sure how known they were at the time in the US/UK, but they would have fit right in with the punk scene. Is the first reference of "crashing out" in No, Your Product? Kidding, but I do enjoy hearing phrases that have come around and are prevalent again.

Another really unique, revolutionary punk album. The Gun Club blends punk rock with a really traditional blues lyrical sound which is really cool. Similar to The Saints - Eternally Yours, these sounds just go together really well and you can hear their influence in The White Stripes. This isn't one of those albums with subtle blues....it's very overtly blues punk. Promise Me has this really cool sound that includes shaking some coins, which I haven't heard before and is interesting. Just a great punk sound and I love how they stayed true to the blues. Love the train snare on Black Train.

This album was a breath of fresh air. "Ocean music" is exactly how I would describe it. The first track is quite funky but then quickly evolves into a more experimental ambiance type ride. I found Backwater to be a really funny song. It's so upbeat and happy and positive......as they're stranded in a raft in the ocean and dying trying to keep their minds off things. Some of the tracks are so unusual and just interesting. Experimenting with some really weird sounds/tones/notes that is almost offputting but strangely enjoyable. Such as in King's Lead Hat when it sounds like he's just slamming on the piano. Hard to describe really because this album has so many different elements. It's smooth, it's ambient, there's some rock/pop elements but overall just a really fun, relaxing album to listen to. Spider and I is probably my favorite track on here, it's so chill.

The Temptations are obviously legendary for their awesome vocals, great motown and funk sounds. For people unaware, The Temptations were pioneers in creating a sound that transcended race and help bring black artists to mainstream radio during segregation. Their sound inspired the Jackson 5, The Beatles, Rolling Stones.....basically everyone. Not saying these guys are copycats or lack originality, but it's the nature of art. You hear something new/different and want to incorporate parts of it. Like the funk in this BUT just not a fan of the falsetto wailing. I know that's kind of a part of it in this time period, but there's something grating about it. I do, however, love the deep bass vocal interjections and the bass guitar riffs. Psychedelic funk though? I'm not sure. I hear the funk. I'm not really hearing the psychedelic parts. This album was The Temptations starting to transition from Motown to something new, but it definitely feels like a WIP here for sure. B Side for example feels just like straight Motown still. I'm also not a fan of Runaway Child........it's just not for me. Idiot kid shouldn't have ran away. Listen to Psychedelic Shack or their stuff post 1970 and it's way better imo. I was looking for their connection to Funkadelic because I love their album Maggot Brain....and it's post 1970. So this album is a catalyst to their transition to something more. Personally, I prefer what they evolved into over where they started. Cloud Nine isn't my cup of tea exactly, but I recognize this was an important fork in the road for The Temptations. All the elements I really like from this album are featured more prominently in their later work, and it's disappointing if people listening to this don't explore what came after. Honestly, listen to this album and then listen to Psychedelic Shack or Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind and it's shocking it's the same Temptations just ONE YEAR later.

So this is the album that helped REM blow up and of course It's The End of the World as We Know It and The One I Love are songs that everyone has heard before. And their other best known songs came on albums after. The album is very upbeat and just feels optimistic. Michael Stipe has such a iconic and recognizable voice that it's almost a detriment. It sticks out and there isn't much of a vocal range. It's like a kazoo playing in every song, you can always hear the kazoo and no matter what you do, a kazoo sounds like a kazoo. It's a good album, but a couple run-throughs is enough.

Never heard of PJ Harvey, but this album was a pretty good indie rock album. I actually have no idea how to classify all these rock sub-genres. It's not very heavy, but it's a pretty chill rock album. Very melodic and heavenly euphoric. Q Magazine had it as the top album for their Women Who Rock list...which seems....a little extreme, but it is a solid album. I like The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore and We Float the best. Not a fan of the Thom Yorke songs.

If you don't recognize Carole King, you recognize her songs. She wrote or co-wrote over 100 songs that charted on the Billboard 100. This album still has the record for consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 by a female solo artist. Huge songs on this record with I Feel the Earth Move, It's Too Late, You've Got a Friend and You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman. This album was Carole King stepping out and getting recognition for her incredible song writing ability, and of course, she's an incredible singer as well. Down to Earth and relatable singer.....with freaking Joni Mitchell as a background singer. To me, this is your classic 70's pop album. Slow paced, actually has something to say, great storytelling, sax solos. In terms of a daily listen, it's too slow for me, but it's a powerful album. Smackwater Jack is probably my favorite song on here because it really strikes you as real, especially in 2025. About a guy that buys a shotgun and goes on a shooting spree. He's caught after a statewide manhunt and killed by the police. The theme of the song is that you can't reason with someone that's in a rage. Could be an allegory for domestic abuse, but the point is true in general "You can't talk to a man with a shotgun in his hand. You can't talk to a man when he don't wanna understand." Not sure if it was meant to feel so heavy, but this one really stood out for me. Also crazy how You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman doesn't have more listens on Spotify.

This is a 15 minute album, but it feels like 45. So the Circle Jerks are basically THE hardcore punk band that had an incredible influence down the road. This album is from 1980, so it was pretty revolutionary for representing this underground hardcore punk youth. I'm sure their shows must have been absolutely wild. The members have gone on to be in other huge bands like Bad Religion and Black Flag and Queen of the Stone Age, so obviously they are musically talented and it shows with this album. Their playing is really solid so no complaints there. Musically, I think I am passed this phase of my life. Punk is such a great musical representation of youth rebellion and this album is pretty much right in line with that. Hating the mainstream, hating the establishment and basic people...and of course, drinking and partying. Honestly it's a pretty great album for the hardcore punk genre. I wish it was longer for the sake of it even though I don't really want to listen for 45 minutes. Can't take anything away from it, it's a great album for the hardcore punk scene and everything it represents.

I dunno, this album didn't really hit for me. Bad Moon Rising has over a billion listens on Spotify, but it just felt bland to me. They call it rock, or Swamp Rock, but it just feels more like country to me. I can see this album being a reflection of everyday life back in the 60's/70's and I can hear it, but it just doesn't hit. They had 3 albums in 1969. That's a bit much. They have a solid sound so it's not hard to imagine being able to churn out music, but it all just feels so safe. They found their comfort zone and they just kinda sit there. Might come across as blasphemy, but it feels like CCR is the old version of Coldplay or Imagine Dragons. Very vanilla, very solid bands that play to their strengths and produce great music, but don't expect any surprises. It's no wonder so many people still love them after so many years: because they're safe and familiar. Feels like i'm being overly harsh, but when I hear about people's love for CCR, I expect a bit more. So safe. No risks. Just easy strumming. Pretty sure someone with no guitar experience could learn any CCR song in a day.

This album is just incredible and I wasn't prepared for the range. The mix of funk and jazz elements makes for incredibly unique beats and the Beastie Boys do an awesome job of at times taking the backseat to the beat and letting it play. I really like the beat for B-Boys Makin With the Freak Freak. That weird little goat/sheep baaaah sound with the beat is weird and I like it. Not sure how else to describe it. I love that this beat is just all over the place, but it's perfect for the Beastie Boys only somehow. I loved the transition from Shambala to Bodhisattva Vow. Shambala is basically an instrumental introduction and Bodhisattva Vow starts the vocal track. Really cool idea and I loved that we got to enjoy Shambala in this state. Heart Attack Man caught me off-guard as well as it's just pure punk. I love that they made this a "live instrument" album rather than traditional looping. I enjoyed the regular tracks more than any of the singles. The Singles are 100% Beastie Boys, but the album tracks really allowed them to explore a really cool hip hop sound using live instruments and it's just awesome. Makes me wish there was a Wu Tang and Beastie Boys collab album.

Happy to see some House music on here. Basement Jaxx is a staple in the genre and while I haven't listened to this album specifically, many of the songs I instantly recognize as they've been remixed and included in sets for a long time. Most people have probably heard Red Alert. What I love about EDM is that you can just shut your brain off and just feel the music. Escape from what you're doing and go somewhere else in your mind and "the music keeps playing on and on".

Never heard of Goldfrapp before, but this is such a beautiful album. The pop/orchestral music combined with the hypnotic vocals of Alison Goldenfrapp is just mesmerizing. There's really almost an other-worldly alien feel to it - especially in Deer Stop where they're using a weird alien voice that is slightly offputting. Oompah Radar and Horse Tears both give me vibes that i'm stuck in an abandoned haunted carnival; then other songs sound like the intro to a James Bond movie.

2nd REM album in 10 days. It got almost perfect ratings, probably because everyone thought the lead singer was dying of AIDS at the time and critics started connecting dots that didn't exist. Of course, Michael Stipe is still alive today and doesn't have AIDS. Overall it's a good album and IMO better than Document. I can't help but think the overall rating is inflated due to the rumors that he was dying. Obviously, it's an emotional album, and a great album, but let's not get carried away. Their singles are still simply iconic, there's no debate about that. Everybody Hurts is an incredibly emotional and relatable song and probably still resonates with new listeners. Favorite songs are New Orleans Instrumental No 1 and Sweetness Follows.

I don't think there's a band out there that has a more iconic cover art and title style. One of the most influential heavy metal bands and you know you've made it when sensitive Christians start burning your albums for reasons they just conjured up. They first started burning albums in 1966 when the Beatles said they're more popular than Jesus, and the Christians had so much fun buying albums to burn that they kept looking for excuses to do it afterwards. I do like that this was back when there was an actual singing element for metal compared to now which is mostly incomprehensible throat wailing. There's a nice melodic progression to the songs that is very heavy, but still very musical. Make sure that you listen to Sanctuary as well as it's left off the 2015 remaster on Spotify. Although Iron Maiden wasn't the first heavy metal band, they are quite possibly the most influential on the metal genre as a whole, inspiring bands like Metallica, In Flames, Anthrax, Alice in Chains etc.

The Special Edition version's sound quality really sucks. The Steven Wilson Stereo Remix from 2011 is much better. The Yazz Flute scene in Anchorman when he screams out "Hey Aqualung!" finally makes sense. There are also flute solos galore on this album for any flute aficionados. The big thing with this album is that I guess it was assumed to be a concept album and everyone said it was a concept album.......except the people who made the album. Whatever though as it caused the band to blow up so I guess they can't be too mad about this. Love the artwork of the album as it tells a great story in it of itself. The music is great, very folk Rock and the flute solos are something else. Worth it for the rock mixed with flute alone.

I've only heard the Sgt Peppers album from the Beatles, and it makes me a bit fuzzy on the timeline when bands release albums every year and limited stuff can happen during this time. So this was before Sgt Peppers and after The Beatles pretty much got sick of the status quo and started to rediscover themselves. A lot of LSD, but before Paul McCartney tried it - He tried it for Sgt Peppers. This is the "Beatles are bigger than Jesus" album. It seems like more of the beginning of reinvention and self-discovery. Testing the waters for what can be accomplished in music from the use of non-traditional instruments to studio production techniques to the straight up invention of ADT (Artificial Doubling Technique) by Ken Townsend for this album specifically. And the ADT was without hyperbole completely revolutionary and changed music forever. A good prolific example of ADT in the world is in the song Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds on the Sgt Peppers album or I Want To Tell You on this album. The alien warbling of his voice is the effect of ADT, which is applied to a lot of instruments on Revolver. So people that don't understand or like the album need to understand that this album without exaggeration revolutionized the direction of music. It's ok to not like the music, but the technical impact of the album is undeniable. Personally, I prefer the Sgt Peppers album, but this one, of course, is excellent as well. I like I'm Only Sleeping and Love You To.

This is why I like doing this list, learning about a lot of unique artists that were revolutionary but lesser known today. T. Rex, the first real Glam Rock band. I hear a lot of similarities between T. Rex and David Bowie, and no surprise Bowie and Marc Bolan were friends. Honestly this album was a real ride and I can't help but feel their live shows would have been amazing. T.Rex was an inspiration for people like Boy George, Duran Duran, Bowie and created the glam rock genre. The songs are super catchy and there's often an element of weirdness that makes it feel unique. Weirdness such as "Spaceball Ricochet" or the way Marc sings "Metal Guru" or that are just....different. Different perspectives are what drives innovation.

The solo album from co-founder of the Beach Boys Dennis Wilson. Another tragic story with a tragic end. It was interesting reading about Dennis' life, connection with Charles Manson, and downward spiral. The album seems to switch between very emotional melodic pieces and upbeat funk. The drop in Time really caught me offguard. The song is two minutes of emotional wailing and then there's this really funky beat drop for the final minute with no vocals. Overall, I can't help but think this album was "critically acclaimed" because of his tragic death. If Dennis Wilson's death wasn't so tragic, how would this album be seen? While it is beautifully composed, there's almost this "cry for help i'm literally drowning" feel; which is almost ironic since he died after diving in the ocean in December while completely drunk and drowning.