Great music, but not exactly my cup of tea.

This album has stayed with me for years.

I love PJ Harvey, but I prefer Dry over this album.

Basket Case, When I Come Around....Always bring back memories.

At first, I only saw Pornography as a gothic rock classic and wasn’t interested. But “A Strange Day” really got to me — its floating feel felt strangely nostalgic and reminded me of The Killers, even though The Cure came first. I also felt that Robert Smith and Brandon Flowers’ high notes sometimes sound a little similar.

Green felt more experimental than I expected. Orange Crush has that raw drive that feels almost grunge before grunge. World Leader Pretend reminded me of Come As You Are with its looping riff and that mix of dark vocals over brighter backing.

I knew the name but hadn’t really listened much. Now I’ve realized I really like “L.A.”.

Why didn’t I listen to The Scream sooner? Glad I found out I love McKay’s guitar—so sharp and clear, every chord note distinct, perfectly balanced with the vocals.

Acoustic but punky, bright but uneasy. Why didn’t I know this band? Blister in the sun got me hooked—time to check their albums.

Knew the name but had never listened before. Classic, authentic folk songs—definitely not my usual taste, but a reminder that I should keep my ears open beyond my comfort zone.

Strange how the voice feels familiar, like it reminds me of someone, even though I’ve never heard her before—there’s a kind of nostalgia in it.

I only knew "Save Me," and I love her voice and guitar sound, though I found it a bit boring.

Not exactly my taste, though I can understand its appeal.

Most of the songs are under two minutes, and the whole album is less than half an hour. It doesn’t stop on each track—it just rushes by like a whirlwind, fast and exciting. Simple and pure punk.

I like the album, but it’s hard to imagine myself being blown away by this in 1977. I do like ‘Ugly,’ though.

ELO’s Out of the Blue is a pop-oriented symphonic rock album. It generally lacks the raw rock energy I prefer, though they were probably a band that helped shape their era.

UK punk energy! Also prefigures 80s–90s American punk? Love "Ex Lion Tamer"—intro guitar riff rough, jagged, and simple. Just realized, Wire sound reminds me of early White Stripes—rough, garage-y, and somewhat sparse.

Similar to Radiohead’s electronic era, but without the gloom or heaviness—lighter instead. Some tracks had basslines I really liked.

Simply put, Clapton’s guitar shines, especially the bluesy “crying” in the All Your Love interlude. I enjoy the sound itself, but I wonder whether ignoring the cultural context and Clapton’s later statements is appropriate.

I always had the image of Santana as mainly Latin rock, but Hope You’re Feeling Better is straight-up hard rock. The guitar tone on this track is just raw and powerful — pure hard rock. I like it.

I’ve hardly listened to hip hop, so I can’t really judge how good the songs are. But I liked the bass in “She’s Fresh.” The bass really drives the rhythm, and the track is punchy.

Overall, the album felt like a teen movie soundtrack to me. I didn’t really feel like listening to most of the tracks again, but I could listen to “Cowboy” more than once, even though it’s a bit long. I can see why this album sold well, but for a “must-hear before you die” list, I feel there are many others that deserve a spot first.

I think this album is often judged with bias because it’s too famous, but I really like Kurt Cobain’s guitar tone. At first listen, his guitar might sound like it’s played roughly, but when I pay closer attention, it feels to me that the guitar and the vocals as well as the other parts are almost obsessively balanced. Some tracks grow on me the more I listen, like Breed. Maybe, since I’m not a native English speaker, I might not grasp the lyrics directly, so my interpretation could be different. Anyway I envy anyone who got to see them perform live. 有名過ぎてバイアスのかかった評価がされがちだと思うけど、私はカートコバーンのギターの音作りは素晴らしいと思う。パッと聞くとどの曲も適当に弾いているかのようだが、よく聴くとボーカルや各パートとのバランスが神経質に工夫されている気がして、聴けば聴くほど気になっていく曲が多い。Breedとか。私は非英語ネイティブなので歌詞の意味をダイレクトに理解できないから解釈が異なるかもしれない。演奏を目の前で観たことがある人たちが羨ましい。

Both her music and her voice are utterly unique — she has essentially created her own genre, “Björk.” People I know tend to be split between loving her and not at all. Out of her albums, I personally prefer Post because it reflects a slightly darker side of Björk in a meaningful way. I’d give Debut 3/5 and Post 4/5.

Since I had the impression that shoegaze was difficult to get into, Darklands was my first real listen, and it turned out to be much more to my taste than I expected. The famous “April Skies” stood out, but I also like “Nine Million Rainy Days.” Then I listened to Psychocandy, and it was a real shock—truly noisy. I prefer Psychocandy and can understand why Darklands might not leave as strong an impression. It’s interesting how it is so noisy yet still strangely nostalgic. I’d give Darklands 3/5 and Psychocandy 5/5.

This isn’t really my taste at all, but the one thing that really caught my attention was the basslines—they’re genuinely awesome. I wish I could extract just the bass.

Rather than a band, it comes across almost like Shirley Manson’s solo project, with the other members staying in the background, focusing on sound design and contributing to the album’s distinctive ’90s atmosphere. For all its calculated coolness, it lacks the raw spontaneity and universal hooks that come from chance or impulse. I get drawn in while listening, but afterward many of the songs curiously fail to leave a lasting impression — maybe that’s why.

I can’t really tell if it’s a good album or not, since country isn’t my taste and I can’t properly engage with it. I liked the guitar on the opening track, but the slide guitar sound on the second track—the stereotypical “country twang”—isn’t for me

When this album came out, I was living in Japan, and even there it was everywhere. A friend of mine actually became a Lauryn Hill fan because of it. I do like her voice, and for some reason To Zion, which was played a lot in Japan at the time, is a track I quite liked. The guitar that comes in during the interlude of Ex-Factor is also surprisingly cool. Listening to this album made me realize that I’m not really into hip-hop, but I do quite like soul.

I have no real connection to England, yet I can sing Scarborough Fair only because my mother often played this album when I was a kid. For me it’s a mix of nostalgia and boredom. Paul Simon’s guitar sounds great, so I’d feel differently if I heard these songs live. I kind of like A Simple Desultory Philippic.

I love this album! In the spring of 2025, Iggy Pop came to Japan and I got to see Lust for Life live! A 77-year-old living punk! It felt like witnessing a legendary creature. Absolutely amazing!

It’s classic rock, though many songs felt a bit draggy to me, making the whole album feel longer than it is. The one track I really enjoyed was Till the End of the Day—ironically a Kinks cover. The riff arrangement is great, which makes me think I might actually like Big Star’s guitarist.

It’s not really my kind of music, but it feels like something that could only exist in a very specific moment in time. Even for someone like me, who wasn’t there to hear it in real time, the album strongly conveys the sense of its era—and that in itself is quite interesting.

Wow!!! I can’t believe this album came up just before seeing Smashing Pumpkins live in Osaka on September 21, 2025! Siamese Dream has been one of those albums I’ve kept coming back to over the years. Heavy, metallic riffs crash against melodies that stick in my head forever. I especially love “Quiet” and “Mayonaise.” Timeless.

I had always known Al Green’s name, but I had barely listened to his music until now. Even though I don’t have any real knowledge of soul, I could simply enjoy this album. I also realized that I love soulful bass lines while listening to this album. My favorite track is It Ain’t No Fun to Me.

I’ve been listening to The White Stripes for about 25 years, and they’re still my favorite band. On Get Behind Me Satan, I love the raw garage rock energy in songs like Blue Orchid and Instinct Blues—that buzzing Jack White guitar sound always gets me. But at the same time, tracks like Forever For Her (Is Over For Me) really blow me away. Even when the electric guitar disappears and the piano takes center stage, Jack’s unique rock spirit still shines through.

I don’t know much about soul, but this was so unmistakably Motown that even I could tell. I don’t dislike it, but it feels like the kind of music that loses some of its appeal when heard as a recording rather than live. The title track, “Cloud Nine,” is genuinely exciting though.

I’ve never really seen anyone praise The Smiths without reservation. I’ve also tried many times to really get into them, but usually gave up along the way. This time I finally listened more carefully, and Johnny Marr’s guitar and Andy Rourke’s bass completely grabbed my attention. Even the gloomy atmosphere isn’t bad at all. And songs like I Know It’s Over and Never Had No One Ever get more addictive the more I listen.

There are some good songs, but overall I found this album a bit boring for me. Without You is so famous that even I knew it, but I didn’t realize it became well-known because of his cover. That’s quite a contribution

I don’t usually listen to bossa nova or jazz and don’t know much about them, but I was drawn in by Stan Getz’s saxophone—the lightness coming from his distinct breathy tone. Honestly, the vocals didn’t grab me, so I found myself wanting to just follow the sax all the way through. For the sax alone, it’s 5 out of 5.

Kind of Blue really feels like the king of jazz, the album everyone thinks of. But to me, it still feels too sophisticated for me, and I end up listening with a kind of tension. I just hope one day I can enjoy it more effortlessly. By chance, I listened to a Stan Getz album the day before, and honestly, just comparing the saxophone sound, I might actually prefer Getz over Davis.

I had no idea this band even existed, but I kind of like the very British vibe. I especially liked Forest Fire, and a lot of the guitar lines stuck with me.　Honestly, if this album is on the 1001 list, there must be plenty of others that could have made it instead.

I’d known Pet Sounds was hailed as one of the greatest rock albums of all time, but I had never actually listened to it until now. I gave it three tries, hoping to understand what makes it so great, but it just isn’t my taste. Once again, I realized I’m drawn to guitar-driven rock, and since guitars are almost absent here, maybe that’s why it didn’t click with me.

I had never even heard of the band’s name before! I read on Wikipedia that they’re known for bringing the flute into rock, and indeed, the interplay of flute and electric guitar on Cross-Eyed Mary, Up To Me, and My God is really cool. Experimental sounds can sometimes feel overcomplicated or hard to grasp, but this album also has a straightforward kind of coolness that I really enjoy. Some tracks even gave me a Led Zeppelin-like vibe, which I loved. I wish I could have seen them live!

The whole album had a similar tone, a bit too sweet for me, and I’m just not the audience for it. Maybe the lyrics are good, but I didn’t feel like digging into them.

Baaba Maal is a completely new artist to me. I can’t say I disliked this album, but it’s not really my taste. Still, I imagine it would be fun to hear live.

I had never really listened to Wings before. According to Wikipedia, Band on the Run is regarded as the most commercially successful album Paul released after the Beatles. I can’t help but wonder what impression I would have had if I hadn’t known it was made by “Paul of the Beatles.” It certainly feels like a very well-crafted album, and I even caught a slight resemblance to the atmosphere of Japanese pop songs from the same era, which I found interesting. “Mamunia” in particular struck me as having a touch of Beatles-like sound. Even so, the album as a whole didn’t resonate with me on a very deep level.

I’m always struck by how balanced Jimmy Page’s guitar playing feels. Sometimes his guitar stays close to Robert Plant’s voice, gently supporting it; other times, it bursts forward with raw energy and takes the spotlight. But no matter what role he plays, the sense of balance in the whole song is always there. His guitar never feels out of place — it always fits into the bigger picture. In the Lemon Song, I really feel that his playing becomes a kind of conversation with Plant’s vocals. And underneath it all, I’m completely drawn in by John Paul Jones’s bass lines — groovy, fluid, and full of life. The way they all interact makes the whole track feel spontaneous yet so carefully built.

I only knew 2Pac as someone who died in a gang conflict I never really understood, and I’d never listened to his music before. Without thinking about all that, this album wasn’t as bad as I expected. It’s actually better than a lot of slow hip-hop for me. But still, it’s not really my thing overall, and I don’t think I’d listen to it again.