173
Albums Rated
2.99
Average Rating
16%
Complete
916 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Electronica
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
3
5-Star Albums
13
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
|
5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
|
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
|
4 | 2.78 | +1.22 |
|
Ingenue
k.d. lang
|
4 | 2.94 | +1.06 |
|
Viva Hate
Morrissey
|
4 | 2.96 | +1.04 |
|
Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
|
4 | 2.97 | +1.03 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Moving Pictures
Rush
|
1 | 3.57 | -2.57 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
|
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
|
1 | 3 | -2 |
|
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
|
1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
|
Tical
Method Man
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
|
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
|
1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
|
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
|
1 | 2.7 | -1.7 |
5-Star Albums (3)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
G. Love & Special Sauce · 1 likes
1/5
If you wanted to stereotype early 90s, American college life, this would be your soundtrack. Overly self-important and not a standout song. Boring and as annoying as Dave Matthews.
R.E.M. · 1 likes
3/5
This album was way too prevalent on the radio in 1992, to the extent that when I hear Everybody Hurts and Man on the Moon, I have to turn off. They may have been decent enough songs once, but constant repetition does not improve them. Overall the album is pretty good, Drive and Night Swimming are decent tunes. A good album for occasional listening so it doesn't get too annoying.
1-Star Albums (13)
All Ratings
Mercury Rev
3/5
Goddess on a Hiway
R.E.M.
3/5
New sound for the time, but all a bit dull
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Not quite Dr Dre but entertaining gangsta rap
Jeff Buckley
3/5
REM meets Manic Street Preachers without any charisma.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Still sounds fun, original and not dated.
The Who
2/5
Live music doesn't always sound good on an album. Prime example. Great memories if you were there, just a mis-aligned noise if you weren't.
The Police
4/5
Sting is an enigma and made for best ofs. He writes some wonderful songs with insightful lyrics, and then every album has a couple of dross tracks.
SZA
2/5
nice voice, some heart-felt soulful tunes. Some overly processed sounds, some unnecessary "duets" and some dodgy lyrics.
The Kinks
3/5
entertaining, with their cocky cockney lyrics.
Kate Bush
4/5
3 of her best songs on one album! Worth a good review, just for that
Alice In Chains
2/5
Not appeal to me. Don't get all the fuss; doesn't sound any different from any late-80s heavy metal band, other than they take themselves too seriously. Poor man's Metallica? Nirvana it ain't.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Last of peak Pet Shop Boys? Being Boring is a great reflective song. Chilled pop album. 3 songs make their greatest hits collection, so decent return?
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
Initially loving the in your face '80s glam at its finest. But the album seems a bit like stuff was added as filler around their big four songs. Some filler is good, some not. An EP of their big four would have made for a top record.
Cypress Hill
2/5
They all start like Insane in the Membrane will kick in, even When the Sh** Goes Down, but wrong album. Mah. Funky Hip Hop, but all sounds the same.
Fela Kuti
3/5
I bet Andy Kershaw likes it. Could get a couple of decent deep house /trance tracks out of the album.
Beatles
4/5
It's alright. I'll listen to it. People like it. I get it's ahead of it's time. Who am I to judge?
Wilco
3/5
Better than expected. Not just bog-standard American 90s rock. Some nuance and different styles. Not bad.
William Orbit
3/5
Early 90s ambient was my jam. William Orbit never did it for me then nor now. Decent enough, but if you're dipping into the genre, there are better examples to choose.
The Smiths
5/5
Genius of a band. Would love to have seen them in their pomp, having to settle for seeing Marr and Morrisey separately. I hope this list also contains other albums of theirs, especially The Smiths. Their Singles is one of the best compilation albums
Moby
4/5
When Moby got trendy. Decent, but prefer the raw trance /ambient stuff of his earlier days. (Nothing beats Go).
Violent Femmes
4/5
Blister in the Sun! Will carry any album on its own, but the other tunes and lyrics are infinitely catchy and quotable, though end up with the jitters and Gordon Gano's screech messing with your head by the end.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Some tunes not bad. Needs a smoother voice a la Gregory Alan Isakov or Bon Iver. Not sure its an album you must hear.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I feel cooler for listening.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Honestly, disappointed really. California Dreamin' is a top record and The M&Ps come with a reputation for being 60s influencers. Beyond California Dreamin' and Monday, Monday, there's not a lot on here. The kind of band for which a best of album does the trick. Extra rating on the strength of California Dreamin'
The Cars
4/5
A Great album! Never realized I knew this many Cars songs. Would not have picked this as being made in 1978 either - definite trend setter of an album, copied by many during the '80s.
Dire Straits
4/5
Proper Dad rock. Mark Knopfler a genius with a guitar. Not their best album, but a great debut.
The Lemonheads
4/5
Quintessential for this group! Better than I remember the album too. Fondly remember watching Evan Dando live.
The Auteurs
3/5
Unfortunately read general reviews on this and to class the album as Britpop is just lazy categorization of non-American early 90s indie/rock. The album itself is mostly unmemorable, with a couple of lively tunes that had potential. Giving it extra stars just to counteract they're-British-so-therefore-BritPop-and-inferior-to-US-rock.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
A non-funny Monty Python album. Without Monty Python. Will never listen to again. People liked this?
"Finland, Finland, Finland; the country where I want to be..."
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Quality Rock and Roll. The originator of pop music. So much better than Elvis.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Can appreciate the musical talent and musical variety on the album. Thoughtful lyrics if unnecessarily crass. Not sure the rapping is all that, and definitely not my scene.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
90s Chillpop. College studying. Served a purpose, good for the day, wasn't the best of its genre, pleasant enough. Wrong and Walking Wounded are decent and had great mixes - not the ones included here - the rest is nothing memorable 30 years later.
Jeez, that was 30 years ago.
Dr. Dre
3/5
Give credit for genre-defining. Nuthin but a G Thang is class and brought Snoop to the masses. Cool music on some tunes when the funky bassline is allowed to breathe. Angry rapping about record labels is amusing. The rest of the gangsta rap bravado gets tired very quickly.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Nice voices, but cliched, repetitive and whiney.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
The songs with Grace Slick as the lead are much stronger than others and the rock numbers better than the acoustic folk stuff. White Rabbit and Someone to Love are seminal psychedelic rock songs. Extra star for the influence they had on others to follow.
The Beach Boys
4/5
It's got some hype this album. Give it 5 stars for its influence. Some good tunes, some very 50s pop sounding Beach Boys songs.
The Roots
3/5
It was alright. The music better than the rapping. Would have thought with the intelligent, diverse music they could be a bit more sophisticated with the rapping, more like Something in the Way of Things. N word needed in every song?
Radiohead
4/5
Remember not being fussed at the time. In retrospect, its a good album: not just another grunge album and more accessible than their later experimental albums. Forgot how good High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, and Street Spirit are.
Heaven 17
2/5
Dated rubbish. Sounds like a couple of teenagers and a casio keyboard. Not as good as Human League, OMD, Kraftwerk or the like. One extra star purely for the Fascist Groove Thang, which is ok and has been sampled successfully elsewhere, and has a good message.
The Who
4/5
Rock and Roll! With its feet in the 60s, it definitely sounds like it could be a later era or in a smoke filled blues bar. Trend-setting rock and catchy guitar songs. Not as good as Who's Next, though.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Their best album. Some great tunes on the album (Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication) but some filler too, especially the ones sounding like a noisy Level 42.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
I only knew Nilsson for the cheesy ironic-karaoke Without You. The rest of this stuff was way better. Surprisingly enjoyed the album. Its sound like he enjoyed making it too. And drinking buddies with John Lennon. Extra star for that.
Louis Prima
4/5
Christmas shopping and Italian restaurants. Nothing I'd actively choose, but enjoyable background tunes for a change of pace and mood setting.
Sinead O'Connor
2/5
Have avoided Sinead O'Connor (except via her collaboration with Jah Wobble) because of the most annoyingly, over played song in the history of music, in an era where you had to listen to what was on a limited number of radio stations. With the ability to skip NC2U, the rest of the album had a couple of decent Celtic-tinged tracks, some dreary ballads, and some forgettable numbers. Overall, listenable. Lose one star for the awful, whiney elevator ballad. (Not Prince's finest moment, though his version is palatable-ish).
Rush
1/5
Aware of Rush but not listened to the album before. Maybe I don't like prog rock after all. Alternating between boring and screechy, the synths and guitars seemed to be in a direct fight for supremacy of a load of disjointed noise.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Tortured soul. Recklessness comes through in some of the lyrics, but a great voice and some good tunes. Not as polished as Back to Black, but that adds some authentic appeal.
Method Man
1/5
Trying to open my musical tastes with these albums, but still struggling with rap. This one doesn't change that. With the same drum machine beat on all tracks, they all just merge into one, with an angry dude giving off bravado. Nothing deep in those lyrics, and not much from a musical perspective.
The Sonics
4/5
Definitely garage sound. Hi energy rock and roll with lots of 'Waaa'-ing. Too much Waaa-ing. Would be fun to listen to live. Really a top 1001 albums? I guess if they were influential on the punk and grunge scene, then fair play. I feel enlightened, though done with hearing WAAAA so much, which loses them a star rating.
Motörhead
3/5
Not a huge fan of live albums. Disc one was pretty tight however, and gives as good a noisy energy as a studio album would. Alright for an occasional listen. Heavy metal before it got pretentious and/or commercially slick. Give the album credit for that. Bonus star for Lemmy's facial hair.
The Stooges
4/5
Iggy mix for the win. Hadn't realized What's the Story is basically a rip off of this album. Really doing the history of punk with The Sonics and then this album. Bonus star for the trend-setting influence of this album.
T. Rex
4/5
The Start of Glam. Credit to Marc Bolan for creating a genre. A band where they needed a 'best of' to feature in this list. Too many of their best songs not on this album - Ride a White Swan, Metal Guru, 20th Century Boy, etc - but still a good, gentle intro to Glam Rock.
Van Halen
2/5
Eddie Van Halen can play the guitar really well. That's about it from an album substance point of view. Maybe because this is a retrospective listen and I'm influenced by all 80s metal that came after, but it all sounds formulaic and lacking any tune, just some chorus wailing harmony and heavy guitars. All a bit boring.
Elvis Costello
3/5
It was alright. Not sure why this album is on the list? Neither earth moving, revolutionary nor trend setting. I realize I'm not cool enough to like Costello. Beyond Oliver's Army, Watching the Detectives and Alison, everything else of his sounds alright, but nothing I 'appreciate'.
David Bowie
3/5
Dark. Bowie has changed a lot over the years, and done other experimental albums. Guess this is on the list because this was his last and he knew this was his last. Fair play to him. Don't like the music much, but there are some poignant lyrics given the timing. Bonus points for being Bowie and the significance of the album.
Talking Heads
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Talking Heads have produced some excellent songs (This Must Be the Place, Road to Nowhere as two absolute classics) but hadn't listened to this album before. Was half expecting something very arty and pretentious. Instead we get a great accessible, rhythmical, funky album. Worthy inclusion.
Wu-Tang Clan
2/5
If this is one of the greatest hip hop albums ever, then I don't like hip hop. Congrats on the influence, but don't want to listen to it again.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Not what I thought Alice Cooper sounded like. Entertaining, some amusing lyrics, and discovered 'I wanna be Sedated' was modeled on 'Elected'.
Brian Eno
3/5
Not what I was expecting from Brian Eno. Definite 70s rock, with a hint to his more ambient future. It was alright, enjoyed the listen. Nothing to make a point of coming back to listen again.
N.W.A.
3/5
Gangsta, gangsta. So badass, its become a parody of itself (Straight Outta Compton Dando). Influenced many a non-musical, white bro. If you take the lyrics with a pinch of salt (and not listen to them much), its entertaining enough album.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Dinner party background music. Like the story of how they formed. Nice music to have on in the background and feel somewhat sophisticated.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Sounds like a Christmas album, without the Christmas lyrics. Was Elvis still relevant in 1969? I do have In the Ghetto stuck in my head, though.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
They had fun with this. Not my cup of tea, but energetic, well produced, and a good sense of fun in the record.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
That electronic jug gets annoying in the background of every song. Maybe they were pioneers, but every song sounds like it has a better version done by someone else.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I think this is going to take more listening in the appropriate settings. Its a listen for a lazy, wintery Sunday morning. Can't say I'm a huge fan, but admire Springsteen and he has done some great tunes. I see the merit in this album, even if I don't immediately get it.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
I have not found Kiwanuka in mainstream music channels in the US, so was not aware of him or his success. Decent album. Nothing stand out, but no duds either. Solid listen.
Deep Purple
3/5
Smashy and Nicey, let's rock! Good for it's time, a couple of good, famous guitar riffs, but now sounds dated and a bit tedious to listen to.
Love
4/5
That was alright. A darker version of the Byrds. Some weird lyrics, but wasn't too '60s kitchy.
Deep Purple
1/5
Two Deep Purple albums in one week. Bad algorithm. Machine Head sounded over-indulgent and not very interesting. Live albums are generally over-indulgent and never sound great, unless you were there to bring back memories. Combine over-indulgent with over-indulgent and you get two hours of instrumental solos and intermittent screeching. An album for Deep Purple fans, not one that should be on a list for everyone else to listen to.
John Cale
3/5
I understand why Lou Reed did the singing for Velvet Underground. Interesting lyrics, ok songs, wrong voice. I understand that Cale was eclectic with his musical style in his solo career - not sure why the bland 70s pop album is picked for this list. Though I didn't realize I knew and liked the earworm that is Paris 1919. Thought it was a Rufus Wainwright song.
Adele
4/5
I'll admit I'm not cool. I'll also admit, a bit more sheepishly, I quite like Adele. Maybe a 'best of' would work best as some of these songs run into each other a little much. 21 her best album?
Prince
3/5
Two bangers and a lot of filler.
Happy Mondays
5/5
Class. Strong enough to generate a 'genre' of music. Now go watch 24-Hour Party People.
Hole
4/5
More entertaining than I was expecting. Classic Grunge with some good melodies going on.
Iggy Pop
3/5
It's David Bowie! Actually a decent collaboration, but sounds much more Bowie than Iggy.
Massive Attack
5/5
I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me, to see me looking back at you. 50s country lyrics wrapped into dark beats about possession and paranoia, in a genre of its own. One of the best albums of my teenage years, from one of the darkest, influential and genre-defining groups.
Queen
3/5
70s rock took itself very seriously. This album fits right in to all the different sub-genres of 70s rock; and tries to cram all of them into each song. You can hear the roots of a mature Queen in there, but overall it seems they are trying to follow along with their contemporary crowd. I wonder if any of these old bands cringe at their lyrics 50 years later?
System Of A Down
2/5
It's not Tony Bennet elevator music, is it? Amongst the roaring there's a couple of alright tunes trying to get out. If this is your jam I can see the appeal, I on the other hand need a lie down and an ear rinse after that. "Why do birds suddenly appear..."
Britney Spears
1/5
I go from Systems of a Down to Britney. Be careful what you ask for. The contrast with every element of the music is vast. This is just sickly, processed saccharine. The synthesized clap beat in every song is annoying. The lyrics are as dull and whiney as much as SOAD, if for opposite reasons. And Britney's warbling is as bad as SOAD roaring. Maybe it was a good juxtaposition algorithm to show there is lots of average music being made at the forefront of their genre.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I want to like Belle and Sebastian, I really do. Having listened to a lot of their music, they just flatter to deceive. Everything just seems a little uninspiring and bland. If You're Feeling Sinister was a grower, but nothing on it stood out as being a great tune. Not even sure a 'best of' would do it for B&S
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Really enjoyable album. Not any hits of Velvet Underground that I knew, but a collection of good tunes.
AC/DC
3/5
ACDC - you know what you're getting. High energy Bluesy rock. All much of a muchness.
Bee Gees
1/5
Why was this album included? It's not prime Bee Gees, it's not their hits, it's just bland, middle-of-the-road, easy listening ballads. What's its significance?
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
A couple of belters and some filler. Another candidate for a best of album to be included?
Khaled
2/5
Not listened to any Rai before. A couple of the more traditional sounding tunes sounded quite good, the pop stuff was too cheesy. Tellingly, the tunes that Spotify played from other similar artists after the album ended, sounded much better.
Prince
3/5
Disc 2 is much better than disc 1. Disappointing if this is his best album. A couple of really good songs - Sign O'The Times and the catchy I Could Never..., some alright numbers and a couple of dross.
Stan Getz
3/5
So very 60s lounge music. Cocktails and Mrs Robinson.
Cool chilled vibe, enjoyable short listen. Not playing every day, but for a change of scenery, its a good album. The Girl From Ipanema is always a catchy earworm, in its many different renditions.
k.d. lang
4/5
Better than I expected. Very early 90s sound. Never really made any effort to listen to kd lang. Constant Craving was a big radio hit, and with age, its a decent tune and the rest of the album is a decent, chilled cabaret-style listen. Lang does have a good voice too.
Mekons
3/5
Never heard of them before. A punkier, wackier version of Pulp. Had potential, a bit too pub-band-esque. The homemade punk feel is fine, but they've gone a bit too amateurish on a few tracks. The fiddle led tracks are much better, e.g. Last Dance.
The Cramps
3/5
Every song sounds like a Tarantino soundtrack. Was aware of the Cramps and stumbled into some of their tunes going down various rabbit holes and in random movies /tv shows. Never sat down and listened to a complete album of theirs. Its entertaining. Fair play to them. I think my issue is that I'm not a fan of rockabilly rather than The Cramps perverse take on it.
Funkadelic
3/5
There's some weird pot smoking stuff going on here. All very funky. Is it any good? I really don't know!
Led Zeppelin
3/5
More bluesy than I was expecting. Very Led Zeppelin though. Couple of classics, and some bluesy numbers. How many orgasms did Robert Plant have in the making of this album?
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
If you wanted to stereotype early 90s, American college life, this would be your soundtrack. Overly self-important and not a standout song. Boring and as annoying as Dave Matthews.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Had not actually listened to the album before. Though it was obviously made in the 80s, I didn't think it was overly dated. A stripped down, more modern approach to the album would be good, though. Some of his big songs make for a decent album.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Cocteau Twins are a pleasant listen. The music just drifts unassumingly over you. The shoegaze, wallflower in the corner. Not their best album - would rather have picked Heaven or Las Vegas.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Green Onions is a monster of a tune. Never realized they were an album kind of a group. But where's Soul Limbo?! Missing their second best tune, but dare anyone to not pull off some random twisty dance moves while listening. Don't forget to tip your waiter.
Boston
3/5
Got bored after More Than a Feeling. All very formulaic classic rock. 1 if you don't like that style, 5 if you do, big fat middle of the road 3 for those ambivalent to middle of the road rock. Listen for a song and then move on.
Bob Dylan
4/5
His rocky, blues half better than his folky half. He did well to move in that direction ahead of the curve.
Jamiroquai
2/5
My ignorant youth never thought of the Jamiroquai attempt to be Stevie Wonder. Nor how the lyrics were easily parodied by Flight of the Conchords. Nor how they just decided to appropriate a Native American nation. Lose points for all of the above. And the fact that this album is a bit lame. Jamiroquai did some catchy tunes over their first 3 albums - there's not many on here (Too Young to Die the only decent one), and the rest of the tracks aren't up to much. Your time is better spent listening to Stevie Wonder and Flight of the Conchords while reading about the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
You could argue somewhat self-indulgent, but who can blame him and its hauntingly beautiful. Not sure how often this is something you chose to listen to, but well done Leonard, a good send off.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Can I kick it? Not this one, but not bad. Good jazzy grooves and funky drum beat, but a bit uninspiring overall.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
That was weird, in a better way than your usual macho bravado rap, way. Some good scratching, but most tunes weren't up to much though.
Slipknot
1/5
Are they taking advantage of their listener's teenage angst, or are they really that whiney and self-absorbed? Go do yoga or take some herbal stuff and get over yourself. Credit to the drummer's skill but the noisy whining is like dealing with a toddler.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Good bit of teenage nostalgia. Step it Up and Connected are good tunes. The rest not up to much. I join others in querying why the album is on the list though. Not sure many people have listened to it much since 1993, nor is there any reason to do so.
Nick Drake
4/5
I have heard some Nick Drake tunes popping up on acoustic playlist, in film soundtracks - where his melancholy does the work for the director - but had not sat down to listen to an album of his. Glad I have. Beautifully bare and melancholy, appreciation increased after learning about his life. His sound is often copied now that I thought he was a modern artist - no idea this was written in 1972 and he died 2 years later. Glad he is getting posthumous recognition, but so very sad.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Not usually a fan of live albums, but it's the location and the live aspect of these songs that make this album.
Buck Owens
2/5
Mate, get the hint - she doesn't like you anymore. Move on. A couple of stars for the influence but the same song, with slightly different lyrics, in slightly different time, 14 times over, gets a bit tedious.
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
More angry gangsta rap bravado. Bored after one song. I think rap albums need to be turned into drinking bingo. Mother F, N word, female dog, and assorted shooting phrases - gets you very drunk. Maybe you can then enjoy the music?
Solomon Burke
3/5
Pleasant listening. Nice voice. Extra star for influence.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Interesting. Listened to twice and can't get my head around what it is. how do you describe the music? How do you describe the story? Is the album saying anything? Neither negative nor positive, just confused. Solid 3.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Well that was quick. Over in a flash. Another band where their best of /greatest hits would be the best entry for this list. Not their best songs on this album, but decent enough rootsy swamp rock. Just very short.
Shack
2/5
Surprised I hadn't heard of a band from 1999. 'Comedy' came on and I realized I knew that song. And then listened to the rest of the album and realized why I don't remember the band. Nothing of any significance. Pull Together is decent tune, but lame lyrics. No reason for this album to be on the list - influenced nobody and no outstanding songs.
Fugees
4/5
Maybe I do like some hip-hop. Accessible, and doesn't have the dull bravado of most rap albums. Some great pop songs on the album too - forgot how good a song Fu-Gee-La is. Could be even better but for some pointless drivel and filler in between some good tunes.
David Bowie
3/5
I don't get it. I think Bowie did better stuff before and after. It's a transition album that feels like a transition, setting up what comes later. A segue album?
Duke Ellington
2/5
Nope. Don't like jazz. Will give it 2 stars as it seems influential
Kanye West
3/5
Better than gangsta rap. Some ok tunes and good variety of music. Goes on a bit, though. What's with hip hop and middle school quality skits on albums?
Charles Mingus
4/5
How do you rate that? How can you rate that? That's way too pigeon hol-ing. I give it a carrot as my rating. Or yellow. I think I need a shower or a cigarette - it felt like we were sinning with the sinner lady.
AC/DC
3/5
Rock. Man rock. Winning formula. Repeat. Roar.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Its a live album. Rarely good. Got half way before getting bored. Not a lot stands out on the album, and Neil Young's voice recorded live is just not good. Thankfully mostly guitar rock rather than singing, but all much of a much ness
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
For jazz, that wasn't bad. Actually appreciated the live aspect. Great voice. Cold rainy coffee morning kind of an album.
Foo Fighters
3/5
We're supposed to rave about the Foo Fighters, but they don't do it for me. This album better than I expected, a couple of ok tunes, but it doesn't go anywhere. Just gets a bit dull after a while.
Def Leppard
2/5
What a terrible album cover. Music for A-Team fans. Give it a star for the start of '80s glam-metal and Photograph is a classic '80s rock song, but anyone liking this is pure nostalgia. ACDC's softer little brother. Hysteria the better album for full on cheesy '80s accessible-manly-glam-pop-rock-metal-roar-ness.
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
When Florence Welch shouts at me, I could listen all day. When Corin Tucker shouts at me, it reminds me of Alanis Morrisette and I want to run away.
Marty Robbins
3/5
"He's about the worst bucker I've seen on the range."
Do you happen to have any bad ones to tame?
Said he's got one, a bad one to buck,
-next line ends with luck, of course.
Shootin' and a killin' and a ridin' and gettin' by, has never been so polite. He's got a nice voice and some catchy little ditties. Some Irish folk song derivatives in there.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Honestly a bit disappointed. It was epic, but not in a good way. Was expecting more of a musical story or musical journey, but it was just a lot of songs put together in one giant album. The big hits are good - 1979, Tonight, Tonight, but then a lot of meh. Was not into The Smashing Pumpkins at the time, but have broadened my musical tastes to like a decent amount of their stuff. Was hoping for something good from this album, but will stick with just listening to their handful of big hits and nothing deeper.
Steely Dan
2/5
The name of a good Scottish band, a sample for a 90s hip-hop track and the music they played at closing time at my local pub as a teenager. The only things interesting from a band of supermarket music with lyrics.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Groove is in the Heart is a banger. The rest of the album is meh, but credit for being on the cutting edge of the dance culture, as the sound is reminiscent of house music that comes out in the next couple of years.
Billie Holiday
3/5
There's a lot of artist's final albums in this list. A little morbid? Is it hindsight, or does she sound pained in her singing on this album? Another talented artist abused and used by others. Sad that it takes posthumous reflection to get recognized. Not really a jazz album this, and not really a jazz fan, but I bet she sounds better singing in a small, dark club with a piano and a bass and not all the orchestra strings. Crossed between an album of Christmas-sounding songs and James Bond theme tunes.
Muddy Waters
3/5
I randomly went to watch Johnny Winter not knowing who he was. Good show. Relevant because he produced this album. Didn't do the same with Muddy Waters, but bet he would have been fun to see. His music is tainted by association with the restaurant Red Hot and Blue, so I now need to go eat some barbeque after listening to that.
De La Soul
3/5
Happy hip-hop. So much better than gangsta rap. Some great samples - especially having listened to Steely Dan a couple of days ago on this list. Beyond the big tunes, the rest a bit filler, but the album flows well.
Blur
4/5
Some great memories and a couple of bangers. Some lesser tunes not aged well, but the album is all about the attitude and swagger, (vibe as the kids say) and deliberately pulpy songs. The album also gets an extra star to wind up the American reviewers on here.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Not buying that this is their best album. Some good tunes - particularly the singles on side two, but overall, a lot of their best work is not here.
The Who
2/5
With every Who album on the list, their stature as rock gods diminishes
Genesis
2/5
Early Spinal Tap. That film didn't half get 70s and 80 rock music. Now I can't take albums like this seriously. I'm sure it was on the edge in 1973, just sounds a bit cheesy 50 years later. The Cinema Show is cringeworthy 70s synths.
Deep Purple
3/5
Not my cup of tea, but give them credit for how they influenced the metal scene to come, spoofed warts and all. Impressive to think this was recorded in 1970.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
I buck the popular trend - I just don't like the Arctic Monkeys. I get they're popular, but they just come across as cocky smart-arses and are generally annoying.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I thought Sonic Youth were a grunge band, not one that laid the groundwork during the 80s. Elements of a less tuneful Pixies in the sound. Give them credit for influencing grunge scene to come, but I didn't love the album.
Van Morrison
4/5
Some lively and catchy easy listening tunes; easy to enjoy and move on. Brightened up a grey afternoon.
The Kinks
4/5
Pleasantly Kinks, pleasantly '60s and no right-wing undertones with the English nostalgia. Disappointed 'Days' didn't make it on the remastered album, though I'll let Kirsty MacColl's version stand out instead.
MGMT
4/5
Three bangers and a good one on the album, but the rest isn't as magical as I remembered. Still solid and a good listen.
Ray Charles
2/5
Nice voice, nice concept, but the big band approach is slow and very saccharine. Sounds like a home furnishing store soundtrack.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Boring.
Beatles
3/5
Remastered stereo with vocals in one channel, instruments in the other is a bit annoying. They sound like early Beatles. No surprises here. I guess their talent grows later, because of the cover versions on the album, others versions of those songs sound much better.
Muddy Waters
2/5
If you like blues, I'm sure its great. Muddy Waters is cool, and the live aspect of the album actually adds something in this case, but its all a bit same-old, same-old: I got my tiger in your meanest woman, soon forgotten
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
I appreciate it's place on the list, but not my cup of tea. Best song on the album is done better by Johnny Cash.
Lorde
3/5
Sounds like your average modern pop album. A bit darker to make it cooler. Ticks a box.
Miles Davis
2/5
Johnny hates jazz. I don't like it much either, but I appreciated the underlying repetitive nature of this and not the improv jazz that just goes off on one with no rhythm. Early jazz trance music? If you squint a lot maybe.
Donovan
2/5
Very cool and nouveau in 1966. Quaint and dated in 2026.
Megadeth
1/5
Lots of death references. Please put this album six feet under. So dated, so bad. Wyld Stallyns, but worse.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Old school! Some entertaining retro hip-hop. Better than a lot of the modern stuff. A one and done listen, but liked the two big numbers.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
I did it! I listened to the whole lot! Not my cup of tea, but actually a whole lot better than I was expecting. Disc 4 a bit slow and stringy; Disc 6 sounded like a '30s Christmas comedy movie soundtrack, but most of the Fitzgerald singing songs were alright. Did we need the 3 hour version, though? 'Best of' might have been better.
GZA
3/5
More poetry reading style than a lot of rap, but still gangsta rap even if more palatable. I quite liked the Shogon film references throughout.
Pink Floyd
3/5
That was it? After all the hype, it's 5 tracks and only one of them stands out? Does nostalgia and familiarity cloud prog rockers minds? The drugs still kicking in? I was expecting better from what is meant to be one of the best albums ever. A very average 3.
2/5
I listened to it, so I hope that appeased some witches. A bit of a high school art project. Do I feel enlightened by listening to it? Not really. Best bit was the bird song at the end of the last track.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Flight of the Conchords are geniuses. I couldn't listen to this album without thinking about junkies with monkeys diseases. Sorry Marvin, lovely album, very soulful, just too well spoofed. Preferred Think About It by FOTC.
R.E.M.
3/5
This album was way too prevalent on the radio in 1992, to the extent that when I hear Everybody Hurts and Man on the Moon, I have to turn off. They may have been decent enough songs once, but constant repetition does not improve them. Overall the album is pretty good, Drive and Night Swimming are decent tunes. A good album for occasional listening so it doesn't get too annoying.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
Very early '90s rock sounding. The album had some potential, but didn't go anywhere. Wasn't even one standout. Disappointingly bland.
Lucinda Williams
1/5
Concrete and barbed wire. The album is as exciting as that. Monotonous droning with little redeeming features. Can't Let Go the only song with any excitement, and that blends in to generic country-blues-pop.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
The Thom Yorke comparisons are funny. I've liked a couple of his tunes, one a cover, but nothing on this album was any good. Agree with comments that it comes across a bit pretentious.
Fats Domino
4/5
That was alright. Does what is says on the tin.
Elton John
3/5
Have to love Tiny Dancer. Levon is decent too. The rest? Not quite sure what he's on about.
Baaba Maal
4/5
A couple of tunes were quite catchy. The rest was a pleasant listen. Last tune was a bit rubbish, but overall something I would never have chosen to listen to, but glad that I did.
Eminem
1/5
I have a 13 year old son. He loves Eminem. Target audience. For the rest of us, this album is lame. Didn't like My Name Is when it was all over the radio in 1999. Still don't and nothing better on the rest of the album. Take the rapping out, and some of the tunes might be alright, but the lyrics are so lame. Being a horror fantasy doesn't make an excuse for it being lame.
Morrissey
4/5
Separating the music from the person, the album has two absolute Smith-esque bangers and then a lot of Morrisey trying to find a new direction that doesn't work as well as the standard he had set in the Smiths. Bengali in Platform lyrics sadly allude to the racist old man he has become, and yet the same album has a very anti-Thatcher message.
The White Stripes
4/5
Seven Nation Army is legendary. The rest is an interesting mix of rock n roll. Overall, decent
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Have generally thought Nick Cave is overhyped - I've not connected with any of his stuff. That said, I thought the album was decent. Some good, genuine honest rock tunes. I liked the addition of the gospel choir - added something different. But it was too long. 17 songs of Nick Cave in one sitting is a bit much.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Given this was from 1968, impressive stuff. Proto Led Zepplin. Can see the influence Jeff Beck and this album had on rock to come, but found it dull.
Television
3/5
I had listened to Marquee Moon before, but not the whole album. Its a grower, and can definitely see the influence it had on post-punk /new wave bands of the early 80s.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Was not looking forward to a second Sonic Youth album. That said, this one was alright. Couple of tunes sounded decent and only a couple of WTF was that tracks.
Iron Maiden
4/5
I enjoyed that more than I was expecting. It's like heavy prog rock with some good melodies. I think Bruce Dickinson's voice was better suited for what the band would become.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Much more accessible Bob Dylan than some of his other albums. Agree with many that too much Dylan can get grating, but he lets the melodies do more of the talking on this album. Tangled up in Blue and Shelter from the Storm are great songs. Solid 4, and pretty close to a 5.
Hookworms
3/5
It was alright. A couple of interesting tunes, and a lot of non-descript. Others in the genre have higher profiles and maybe better tunes. Nothing fancy, nothing crap, nothing revolutionary, nothing especially interesting.
ZZ Top
2/5
Poor man's Dire Straits. Without the variety. Or decent lyrics. But with plenty of overhyped '80s 'Merca.
Lana Del Rey
1/5
Lorde Olivia Del Swift.