1001 Albums Summary

How do you turn a 3 minute song into a 21 minute song? Pad it out with 85% self indulgent drivel. I thought the album would never end and was so exhausted by the end of it I stopped listening to music altogether.

Amazing talent but pure junk food, cheese pizza with extra cheese.

Immigrant Song is a strong opener from which it fizzles out and never recovers. If I wanted twangy mandolins and folksy ballads I wouldn't be listening to Led Zeppelin.

Such an upbeat mellow mood

If I had to name 1001 albums I'd probably be clutching at straws, too. But not this straw; never this straw. Is doing the opposite of making enjoyable music creative genius? Or is it just choosing to make mistakes everyone else is aware of and avoided?

Even if I was listening full blast with headphones and my eyes shut this would still be background music. It's fine just not something I'd listen to again

An imperfect album only because one song is more perfect than the others, but if this doesn't get a 5 I'm not sure anything will! Love how you can hear their influences and who they influenced, despite having a clear and recognisable sound, even with so much variety on the album.

It's Aretha. It feels like someone took half of a best-of and added some filler but let's face it, it wasn't written as an album, it's just recording a bunch of songs. But who else could record a disparate collection of covers and make it sound like a best-of?

Amazing but not something I'd listen to again.

Thought it was alright at the time but 10 minutes later I certainly couldn't humm a single track. Generally forgettable angst-rock

Grew on me the more I played it, but its way too long. The middle segment turns into one long drone before Régine takes over the vocals and saves us with the most energetic, dynamic and unique track on the album. After a couple of listens I put on arcade fire radio and loved everything I heard, so their influence is obvious, perhaps I just don't like Win's nasal whine.

I don't always listen to reggae, but when I do I'll probably start with this again

I enjoy Buddy Holly but the more you listen the more it sounds the same.

I do try to seperate the artist - so I won't deduct points for him being a physically violent cocaine addict - but its impossible to disregard that the art in question is itself two hours of rich white London kid, doing a poor Stevie wonder impersonation, singing about a climate crisis while collecting hundreds of exotic cars, wearing sacred headdresses from the other side of the world, and backed by yidaki.

George puts the p in funk

James Bond in space

Aggressively normal rock, but you can hear the smiles.

Mediocre monotone mumbling. 28 songs and can't remember any of them.

Can't say I've ever felt the need to be transported to Clapham in 1992, but I imagine there's no better album to take you there!

They describe their sound as "adjusted and refined to take into account the new musical environment in which we found ourselves operating, and also to reflect our belated understanding of the aesthetic shortcomings of some of our less-than-accessible, more doggedly surrealist effort." I'll settle for "boring and pretentious."

Yes, this was Music by Madonna. Though if you asked someone to sing a song by her I can't imagine any of these would be among them.

Yes, it's too much Hammond. But it's still a solid 5

The Indy rock bits are good, but then it goes straight back to weird electro

Bookended by masterpieces, but after a couple of re-listens even the ones in the middle were really enjoyable

Love the pared-back production, headphones on and it feels like they're playing in front of you.

Some of its ok but you can't escape the sheer insanity of the "artist"

Pretty boring - Dylan with a banjo

A reluctant 4 only because it's not something I'd have to be in the mood to put on. But if you are in the mood, boy is it a rewarding listen, and the more attention you give it the more impressive it gets.

Aka that time Robert Smith felt emo about his commercial success so recorded his most commercially successful record. Word is he's still emo to this day...

Sounds like someone brought some coke and a casio and started trying to sell raps to sesame street. There may be a reason I'd never heard of them.

This Quincy Jones guy is pretty good, hey?

I will never understand why there were so big. The first half of the record with their songs are bright and spangly and fun, but not unlike what you'd expect from any 60's pop record. The second half with the covers is extremely underwhelming and lacking in the soul and intensity of the originals. At least they had Ringo to stop it being boring!

Bland company more like

Gave up after 10 mins. Then checked reviews, found out I'd been listening to the wrong thing, found a playlist of the right album, gave up after 10 (slightly better?) mins. But given the entire genre seems to be defined by the one bar of drums being on repeat, 20 mins was a lot.

It's The Who, but it ain't Who's Next. Also could only find Deluxe version which was a bit long and had some chaff

Definitely starts strong, but very quickly starts to drag

Sounds like someone put someone in a studio for a week with no supervision, recorded everything and have no notes

Less poppy Ben Folds. I don't dislike it but I wouldn't necessarily put it on or remember the name

Britpop's weird cousin - frantic, slightly confused, and charmingly chaotic.

Yeah its alright

Why does every hiphop album need to be an hour long? Is it just too easy to produce compared to other styles, so you may as well add more songs while you're in the studio? Is it too many bedroom producers not getting notes? Because the result is albums like this, and its ok, but I feel like if it was half as long, it would be twice as interesting and its commentary would hit twice as hard.

Duran Duran, Roxy, Depeche... They all wish they had a bassist like Mick Karn!

As sparkley 80's pop as it gets. If you can name a single Cyndi Lauper song you've heard this album.

The voice grates but the bop is boppin'

I wanted to like it, I tried to like it, but the ambivalence is overwhelming. In parts you know it might be really good, but the singer just sounds bored, the sound effects are irritating, and its all sort of dull

I know it's an assortment of covers, but every song is a banger and she owned each one, and that's kinda more fun to listen to than a mixed bag of originals with a few standouts like a couple of the other 5-stars I've handed out...

A powerful, bleak wall of sound, but very droning and repetitive

No.

Exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to discover! Jangly psyc pop from the guy who wrote "Walking on Sunshine" mixed with surrealist poet and Dylan aficionado who wrote the folk music for a film I saw a couple of weeks ago. Annoying that streaming always seems to only offer the longest possible versions of albums packed with bonuses; but the structure, variety, and pacing of the original 10 tracks is great, and the extra tracks are still a vibe

💙💙💙💙💙

All OMD sounds about the same, really. As someone who is used to The OMD Singles, this is a big more bland than the best-of

Gotta get me some African drums...

Sad boy with an acoustic sings background music.

On hold music. I actually forgot it was playing at one point.

Nick Cave is just private school Kanye

Surprisingly little umph, might just be hope clean the mix is but thought they'd hit harder

One of these lines was made up by AI, but you'll need to listen carefully to work out which! "Swung from a chandelier, my planet sweet on a silver salver" "You think you're a vegetable, never come out of the fridge." "A clockwork swan on a silver tray, its feathers cast in concrete blue" "C-c-c-cucumber. C-c-c-cabbage. C-c-c-cauliflower. Men on Mars. April showers." ...but I think the albums more enjoyable if you try not to hear the words

There's a lot of live albums on this list aren't there? You can close your eyes and put yourself in the room, but that doesn't mean its particularly memorable.

Good fun blues rock, amazing cast of backing band

Solid fast fun punk. Lot of variety but no cohesion, just a mish-mash of songs. Apparently they had an album then threw together some more just to beat Husker on play length, then ordered them by band member, and 'chaff,' neither of which helped. But that bass is amazing, you can hear why Flea loved them

I'm clearly missing something but this feels very self-important and melodramatic. Like the very concept of basing an album on the battle of trafalgar, with ye olde time lettering, then singing about having a broken heart? What am I missing? And how is this their 9th album? Who was buying this? Naval aficionados? It's like yacht rock without the rock. Why did everyone try to sound like the Beatles most boring stuff? Was honestly surprised to discover it was nearly half the length of yesterdays, felt like forever.

Peak Zeppelin, back when they were a rock band, before Plant's weird folk nonsense. At no point could anyone else listen to this and think "hmm, now maybe slow it down and add some mandolin."

Took me a couple of listens but as into it but I still don't enjoy shoegaze

Nothing to write home about, its a pleasant enough listen but not quite getting what the significance behind it might be

I gotta go, but you keep on having a party. When you go home, keep on having that party. No matter where you're at, remember I told you; keep on having that party.

The title kinda gives it away; it's Dusty, in Memphis.

The lyrics change every few minutes but its still the same song. Except when it isn't, and then it's worse.

It's Elton at his best

Raw Power, and a bunch of songs that sound like Raw Power.

I don't hate it, I just wouldn't listen to it. Best electric / dance pop type record thus far, just not my music

I didn't know I liked Prog-folk-blues-rock either

Maybe I'm just old, but maybe I just never got into the club scene because there's music you don't need to take pills to enjoy?

I'm surprised I'm rating a Hip Hop album so highly too, maybe I'm just in a good mood today. But I can't fault it.

The poetry, the imagery, the storytelling, but then the grating voice, and the harmonica...

So background you'd forget you were listening to it

Starting to think I need an acronym for "yeah its ok, but I wouldn't listen to it/not my genre." Perhaps "glad to have heard it once, but ready for the next"

Funky! Lost points for being a bit short and very "live," but can appreciate why, being self-funded and capturing the raw energy of the godfather of funk, this was an important album.

Excellent production but KISS are just pretty bland. They're significant for putting commerciality above creativity and marketing above music, but that doesn't make it an amazing listen, they just sound like watered down versions of other bands.

I'm clearly missing something that makes it special. Not offensively bad, just offensively bland if you interpret the lyrics as "drugs" rather than "deep?"

A big theatrical rock opera. Long, but glorious. Pretentious, but you know about it beforehand. If I was going in blind I imagine I'd have had a very different score

It's alright, like shoegaze but with a bit more going on. Just not enough to be memorable.

It's Ella. It's Gershwin. It's great. It's also really long. If you want to put on background music, or dip and out of, amazing. But waaay too much to just actively listen to in a sitting.

Nice to sit down and listen to an album you only know the hits from. But the rest of it does sound the same, and synth pop becomes background drone very fast

Kinda funny how much the American reviewers complain that its not hard enough, given how much its poking fun at their poser culture, but ultimately while I enjoyed it I dunno if I'd listen again

Not the worst electropop or whatever, but thats not a high bar for me.

Haven't I heard this one before? Pretty sure this is my third Nick Drake and the repetition is probably hurting how much I enjoyed it.

Meg is such a vibe. Opens strong, ebs and flows, solid album

Pretty good ambient, sets a mood, but is it an album?

A solid reminder how blues is the basis of all rock music.

Excellent crash course. I should get some tabla.

More fun than I was expecting. Its theatric but musically sound and great drum and bass riffs.

Enjoyed much more than I thought I would

Maybe you have to be in the mood for it, but I found it very draining and very repetitive

Sounded a lot like the other one

Why do Americans love vibrato so much? Just sounds like the poor girl is trying to sing with a massage gun to her throat

Thought I must've clicked the wrong thing when I only saw 4 songs, but this is a solid album. Slow burn, mellow grooves. Title is perfect.

Nü Metal? What's wrong with Öld Metal? Another one of those "someone did something bad so that someone later could expand on it more tastefully" entries.

Slow groove, should look up their other stuff. A couple of BPM from being a 4

Nice voice but the whole thing just feels like a checklist of "add drama" production cliches. And girl does not need more drama; this is her celebrating her 25th birthday by whining for an hour about "how mad I am at getting old" and her high school crushes not working out. Gotta wonder how she feels listening back ten years on, for an album about being old she's probably the thing thats aged the best.

Loses points for sax

Given how much variety there is and how fresh it feels at the start, its amazing how fatigued I feel by the end. Could've been a banging 40 mins, especially if they cut Imagine.

Aggressively normal vocal jazz

Might be unfairly upvoting as a familiar fave, but name a better synth rock album about pink robots and the meaning of life, love and caring the weight of the world

It sure is pretty country but I don't know enough about to genre to see what makes its a standout or what influence it had

Can see how neatly this fits between Souxie and The Pixies. Loved it

Bad poetry, excellent drums and organ

Lost a point for having saxaphone, but despite falling into that generic 80's new wave sound it evokes sticky bandroom floors and dark laneways more than bright neon.

I can appreciate how they were doing something different, countering the typical machismo and violence of rap lyrics with yo mamma jokes, but still not something I'd come back to

"Omg look at me, I'm like soo random!"

Because I guess why does politically charged music have to be punk rock? What if its dance fusion?

Never fails to disappoint when seeing the other reviews how many Beatles fanboys downvote everyone band from the period who isn't the Beatles. Who, of course, did not hit the studio until the year after they listened to this. It's almost as though they weren't the only band in the world, and had a greater appreciation for what was happening in the music scene then their fans...

Just couldn't get into it

As a Christmas present, Spector surprised Ronnie Bennet (the singer he used on this album, whom he had an affair with during his first marriage) by adopting twins Louis Phillip Spector and Gary Phillip Spector. Who the ₣ʉ¢₭ thinks kids are a Christmas gift? Exactly the kind of person you'd guess. Spector imprisoned Ronnie and subjected her to years of psychological torment, sabotaged her career, and forbid her to perform until she escaped barefoot with the help of her mother. In their divorce settlement, she forfeited all future earnings and custody of their children because Spector threatened to kill her. With his second wife out the way, Spector decided to re-gift his "Christmas Gift" and in their words, Donté and Gary were "kept captive as children" and were "forced to perform simulated intercourse" with Spector's then-girlfriend. "I was blindfolded and sexually molested. Dad would say, 'You're going to meet someone,' and it would be a 'learning experience'." "He was not a people person… [but] he shows in his own way that he cares." On February 3, 2003, Spector shot actress Lana Clarkson in the mouth while in his mansion. He claimed it had been suicide then as evidence piled up against him attempted to use parkinsons as a defense, blaming a tremor for the trigger-pull, which did little to explain why she was forced down in a chair while he stood above her with a gun in her mouth. That's the sort of person who'd give kids as a "Christmas Gift." So no, I do not want a Christmas Gift from Phil Spector. ...And if all that wasn't bad enough, this album is full of Christmas music. Gross.

Excellent example of how wonderful the world would be without saxophones.

I feel like they may have drifted off after Girl from Ipanema, and you might too!

Haven't seen the movie, but such a mood-setting album I don't think I have to!

Ian Paice does some amazing things, occasionally joined by the band. However a disappointing live recording devoid of atmosphere

You can take Morrissey out of The Smiths but you can't take The Smiths out of Morrissey. Obvious parallels aside, its rockier and grittier, dark wit delivered with teeth rather than melancholy. It's a bit emo, but actually a fun listen

Take 5 plus some other Brubeck

Actually enjoyed despite his voice, but the harmonica at the end...

Whole new appreciation for The Juggle Book

Lou Reed samples and stuff about eating apples

I did know Randy Newman, and when I recognised the voice I was not expecting some punk level societal takedowns. Maybe the scathing social commentary hit harder because I didn't see it coming, and it may not be much of a bop, but this is some damn fine satire.

Forgettable background yehaw

It's simultaneously angry and joyous, dirty yet clean. But it's unmistakably the blues. It'll remove you that rock came from blues, but this is the blues.

A boo de-ba, ba de-ba ba bar! Something like that... A lot less annoying that some of the other psyc rock I've listened to, but just as forgettable. A fun listen, just don't expect any earworms

Bunch o songs about how funky they are. And no denying how funky they are, but there's nothing that jumps out as particularly special or interesting.

Bland country with a distortion pedal with awful singing and worse vocalisations

Shine on you crazy diamond!

It's obviously brilliant, but not something I'd put into rotation. If anything it might be too smooth, and without some more edges it kinda all blends together.

On the one hand, it's Jimmy. If this was a list of 1001 artists to listen to he's right up there. But this album? There's no escaping it's a disjointed mess. It feels like rehearsals and jam sessions picked up off a cutting room floor. There's some gold, but it's not a great album. It might not even be good. Go listen to Axis again then tell me what this does better or how it was more influential.

Quirky, frantic and fun dub-punk. A lot of energy and excitement held back by some solid grooves

Just gives me pictures of a weird guy mumbling to himself at the end of the bar. Very repetitive, very mumbly, and makes you want to cover your drink. Like cool, you worked out minor chords sound sad. What else you got? And this is his third album? Without subtitles, how can you tell?

Iggy croons dark lyrics with his typical raw punk attitude, while Bowie adds an unmistakable richness and accessibility. You can hear both artists clearly, and easily place where this fits within both their careers.

American beer tastes watered down. American Zepelin sounds watered down. But it made me smile and bob my head during work, so 4 stars

Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, and Picture This are an amazing opening sequence, only to be followed by Heart of Glass and Sunday Girl towards the end. Which isn't to say it lags in between, but three songs in they've already covered more breadth and versatility than most albums, and just warming up. Its anything but parallel lines, it's a twisty turny rollercoaster and Debbie, Clem et al are gleefully squeezing your hands as you ride along.

Why play a 2.5 minute song when you could play a 25.5 minute song? On the one hand I guess this is how classical music works? You have motifs and build and manoeuvre and shift mood within an extended suite of work. I've also had listened to many albums on this list that have had less variety than this one side. And some people like soundtracks because they offer length and mood over rhythm and melody. So there's that. But on the other hand, I myself will never ever listen to this again because it's boring and drags on forever. When I think "Who do you love?" I think of Bo Diddley barking a command, over gravel and guitar. It's a catchy hook. You heard it in your head just reading it. What you didn't hear is 25 minutes of self-indulgent phrasing, mindless meandering and generally beating a dead horse around a bush.

Moody alt rock with mellow drawl and interesting instrumentation. Should remember to look up their other stuff

Thank you Muddy for giving us the Stones, Hendrix, ACDC and Zeppelin. Pity about Clapton, though.

Love a funky bit of Nu Prince. Tightrope is an obvious standout but the whole thing is an impressive soundscape/cyberpunk opera/work in 18 movements

House of Fun, Our House, and Baggy Trousers are the three songs that spring to mind when I think of Madness, and two of them are on this album. There's a seriousness and melancholy that weaves through the other tracks which makes it stand out from their other albums, but while different I don't know if I enjoyed it any more. And there's only so much ska I can listen to in a sitting.

Kinda sound like an uptempo The Doors, but if Jim's mouth was full of cotton wool balls. And without anyone pretended the lyrics are deep. Which as boring and horny as they are, is kind of refreshing

Sometimes dark and visceral, sometimes bright and poppy, but always energetic and constantly walking a tightrope between subdued and chaotic. And so many hooks!

Warm and jangly meditations on watching other peoples lives from your bedroom. There's a dry wit and charm that protects it from being emo, and the pared back melodies are just interesting enough to stop it growing dull

Fast loud and dirty. Who knew they had this many songs? But an excellent live recording of what must've been a hell of a show.

Don't try to pretend this is anything but a room of arseholes trying to fart over the top of each other.

Peak Metallica

Enjoyed, but didn't feel the same impact I did from "it takes a nation," so if I were to listen again it wouldn't be this album

Oh yeah, I know Girl From Mars! Not sure about the "britpop" label though, are Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth or Weezer britpop? Can't some Irish lads partake in a bit of garage rock without being reduced to just a country of origin?

When the band name contains "so and so and ..." you know you're about to get some self-indulgent prick who'll respond to any feedback with "who the f do you think you're talking to?" No wonder half the band quit on the way to the studio. And so you end up with this, where every song seem schizophrenic, going too long and squeezing in too many ideas. Or just randomly switching back to choruses from earlier songs when the ideas ran out. I'm sure a half decent producer could've distilled something great out of this, but who was going to tell Paul without him cancelling them?

I forget how short this album is. Four of the six tracks are absolute bangers, and the other two while less memorable offer much needed release in the context of the album. Takes you on such a raw emotional journey you don't realise you've only been gone half an hour.

If "I totally have a girlfriend, she just goes to another school. In Canada." was an album. Hopefully they passed their creative writing class.

- Wait, when was this released? - I have never wanted to learn bass more - And just when you think they can't rock or any harder, out comes... A xylophone?

It's a classic, but I prefer the Red Hot Party Peppers than the Orange Meditative Repetitive Peppers. And when all your hits are on one side you probably don't need to pad it out to 15 songs, just make them count.

Whining into a tin can while installing enough effects plugins to give your computer a migraine

Brilliant, but so clearly incomplete. Glad I took the time but not something I'd ever listen to again. And as many other comments suggest, listen to The Smile Sessions instead.

What if you take rock songs, and remove just a little bit of attitude? Westerns with a little less twang? Country with a bit less drawl? A merging of genres watered down just enough to be accessible to those on the other side of the fence. And of course, drown it in Christian whitewash.

Electric moods more melancholy than emo. Despite having such a distinctive thumping and stripped back sound, album is really well structured to provide variety and give space/relief to the bigger tracks. Equally effective as background or pumping the bass.

Not everything you'd label "experimental" is a success, but this has clear intent and well executed. As a concept album about a fall into despair you really feel it, but you'd probably have to be in a certain mood to want to listen to it

Yeah its clever, a) but has anyone doubted Elvis is a smart a tasteful gent, or b) said this is their favourite of his albums? No? Quite.

The sound of rum and coffee from an old rocking chair

What's worse, a bad album or a boring one? Alright background vibes, just don't try to listen or you'll put yourself to sleep

It's like Neil Young if he could sing and wasn't a ****

If Lars can be the 5th most successful drummer of all time, you can do anything <3

The more I listened the more I liked. It's a very cohesive album with great delivery. I don't get up and think "oh yeah, lets pump some neosoul" but perhaps I should?

Not a fan of ambient, but its very unannoying. There's nothing to hate. If I wanted music already playing in the background quietly while I decided what to put on, this would fit the bill, but its not something I'd put on

The list said "country" but it ain't. It's more like less theatric Leonard Cohen or Nick Drake if he drank too much coffee and knew a backing band instead of settling for three chords. I didn't think I'd be into it but the more I listen the more it draws me in.

Like a longer slower Greta Van Fleet

Very clean jazzy brass leading exactly the sort of percussive party you'd expect

You can’t just mumble ‘bout a one-legged clown in a rainstorm And call it symphony cause the city cascades when wet A growl is just a cough looking for a melody to call home, And noise don't get soul just ‘cause you scraped it from a shoe Now I just need to down a bottle and throw a box of instruments down the stairs, right?

Growley emo cotton wool mouth gunna sing ya about ddruuggs

The more I listen to Elvis the more apparent it is that he's a just product and his success and influence represents the birth of manufactured pop stars and nothing to do with his creativity or ability. And while you can't deny his ability to land some of these songs, it's just disappointing that at his best, he's still just imitating the original artists.

Make you feel my love is the best of the bunch, and the shortest, which I don't think is a coincidence. It also finishes with a fade-out, because Bob had run out of ideas, or had too many and didn't want to stop and finish one before jumping onto the next. And that's the album; unfinished, unrefined. Had this shortly after Rain Dogs and really hits that this is just a watered-down rush-job parody of Waits.

Every song sounded amazing until the discordant nasal whines of Dinosaur Snr kick in. If this had any other singer it could be a 5

Two amazing openers give way to a rapid deceleration. A few songs in and it's background, by the end it's actively frustrating that it's still going

Fun Finnish proto-Poison

Beautiful storytelling even if it is a bleak story

As much as I enjoyed a couple of songs, as an album it becomes a bit of a strain. Would listen to singles again.

Melodramatic moaning meets mirthful melodies. It's The Smiths.

At its best, very moody and textured. At its worst, completely inoffensive. Blues-inspired electronica that refuses to be ambient, though wouldn't be out of place in the background. Of anywhere. Especially car ads.

You hear one of these come on and you know there's no post-credits scene and you can safely leave the cinema now

How to turn soul into pop.

Amazed and disappointed by all the negative reviews. What others have labeled as "barely being able to play" and "bad production" I would consider "raw and engaging." There's an urgency, energy and deep personal connection to the poetry of the album, none of which would be present if it was overproduced and overpolished. But if it sounds like a chaotic mess with two people barely holding together as they struggle with the disillusionment of addiction and fallen dreams, that means it worked. The production here is Mick Jones asking them to play a song a few times, then picking a take. It's a band in a room playing music together. So yes, it sounds quite different to say - the top US charting single of 2004, "Yeah," which credits zero instruments but seven writers and somehow required three studios to record two people saying "yeah" a few dozen times. That's manufactured pop. Not to say its not a banger in its own right, but in contrast this is real people playing real instruments and singing real songs about things real to them. Apologies if it doesn't sound fake enough.

Yeah I imagine they probably do love fun. Good for them.

Motown's answer to psychedelia - if you can't beat 'em join 'em.

A dark comedic take on life being too good on the surface. In jangley new-wave. With Björk. I mean it tracks, right?

A commercial failure hated by the artist, producer, and audience? This is a particularly strange definition of "must-listen."

These keys definitely have a level of pretentious "look-at-me-ness" usually reserved for saxophone. And to be fair, prog is inherently pretentious - you don't pick up an instrument and declare you're about to try to redefine music unless you're an insufferable wanker - but I couldn't work out what they were trying to do besides showing off and stroking their own egos. As interesting as the suite is, it doesn't say anything and doesn't make you feel anything. And if a conventional pop song can do both in a sixth of the time, maybe prog as a concept just fails. Also definitely losing marks for lyrics.

As much as they pack their lyrics with misogyny and violence, they really can't help but fixating on their fantasies of fellating one another... That, and the childishly over-offensive lyricism aside, it's obviously well produced, and has an extensive cast, but to someone who doesn't even like rap, Snoop is an obvious standout and it may as well be his album. As a side note, there's also major obsession with advertising the label, which is sort of funny to me. Obviously Dre was more interested in setting up a media empire than writing songs, and the genre is all about posturing, but can you imagine if Sabrina Carpenter kept throwing in verses about Island Records or AC/DC had a record about how much they love Sony music?

Haven't I heard this before? This time the album does not include Girl from Ipanema, and is all the worse for it. But more chill bossa nova grooves, so natural and flowing its hard to pay attention to.

A mixed bag of covers. Some are completely reimagined, with the weight of age and depth of maturity and level of nuance only a lifetime of making music can bring, but then there's a few that just sound like someone's grandad at karaoke.

Enjoyable listen with no obvious standouts. Half big band, half piano ballad, all good vibes.

Their ability to seamlessly jump around styles does make them sound like a pub cover band (and indeed the extended version is mainly covers) but some solid guitar rock fun in here.

Definitely creative, definitely funky, definitely weird. While it wouldn't be a rap record without juvenile and offensive lyrics, everything from the subject matter to the rhymes to the mellow off-kilter delivery reassures you that in no way does it take any of itself seriously.

It's good, every track is good, lovely moody ethereal sound, but it's all the same. If a picture tells a thousand words, this is a thousand words to describe a picture. Not a story, not a scene, just an picture. It's a beautiful picture with intricate details and textures, but it ain't Norman Fucking Rockwell.

Hard shoegaze? Lo-fi pop rock? When you want something that looks a bit like a pink band, but also that you can have a nap during?

Just bland and boring. Monotonous autotuned mumble-rap over reverb. The plus side was any time I looked down I'd progressed 3 tracks without noticing them change.

I'm not sure what for, but "Punishing" is right. Hilariously bad lyrics but agree with the champ who wrote "soundtrack to a musical I don't want to watch"

I can only guess the nasal drawl comes from having a stick so far up his arse its exiting a nostril?

Nu Smiths. Picking up the influence they had over Libs, Manic, et. al. A little bit of psyc pop, a little bit of punk, a tiny dash of ye olde folk?

Grew on me very fast, like Oasis with shoegaze guitars

Ever wondered what Tool would sound like as an acoustic outfit that can't keep down a drummer and can't work out how to add movement or drama to their songwriting besides "what if we add an orchestral swill?"

Radiohead if Thom was trying to squeeze into Barry Gibb's pants.

Saxophone solos, so much maraca, and a bald 30 year old trying to do his best Paul McCartney impression while whinge-singing both cynically and insincerely about Italian-Americans.

It may not be the most sophisticated but its a 26 year old processing grief by themselves. Does it sound generic? Yes. Does it sound generic because Dave's sound was so pervasive that it redefined popular rock for a generation?

If Nick Cave or Tom Waits sung about miscreants and misogyny like this nobody would confuse them for being genuine. This is basically an essay on the importance of media literacy.

Is it possible to rap in French over acid jazz and not just sound effortlessly cool?

As you'd expect lyrics are so sharp and witty its impossible to tell if the production is a joke at our expense or just some bad 80s, but can't really rate them separately...

90s electro

The blistering speed of Tré, the dancing basslines of Dirnt, the nihilistic drawl of Billy... A perfect combination for taking themes of loneliness, boredom and anxiety everyone feels growing up, and owning them.

Beautifully background

The Beach Boys, if the beach is Coco Cabana and the boys are pre-gaming hard while getting ready for carnival

Weird theatre kid does art funk. Byrne expertly navigates the tightrope between intelligent and unhinged.

Ok some of it drags, but if Niles and Bern can't get you moving you're dead inside

Sounds like an Irish version of the Spongebob Squarepants theme

Just when is it people are sitting down and thinking "you know what I feel like listening to? Some pretentious kids saying blood over some sound effects. Yeah, that'll set the mood." I've heard worse, but it's just such a big "why." Why did they make it. Why would anyone want to listen to it. Why should I care. Why does this album exist and why is it on the list

They definitely got better once they discovered hooks and song structure, wanted to like it more but this debut is just one long drone sound.

Immediately transported to a caribbean beach. There's heavy cigar smoke in the air, cold rum in my hand, and these dudes playing nearby. Not right in front of you, maybe behind you? The mix is a little off, but you can still enjoy it just fine.

Still not my genre, but this is very different, very fresh, very English

Didn't realise Chicken Shack meant "smooth organ jazz groove" but was a pleasant surprise

I can't deduct marks for saxophone when it's played this poorly; it's just so punk

Absolutely nothing to fault, beautiful flowing reggae. Strong words softly sung, great accompaniments

The sound of respect

Stevie's 15th album. I challenge you to name 15 of his songs. For every fantastic masterpiece of a song, there's another 38.5 minutes of forgettable generic background lounge.

Like if Arcade Fire were happy. With all the "experimental" labels in the comments I was expecting something more, well, experimental; this is just a band who have a sound and nail it. More variety might have been interesting but if you like the sound, don't worry about them experimenting away from it!

Only a 4 because I know Paranoid is on the list. But oof, what an angry sounding jazz quartet!

Took a couple of listens to enjoy, but still quite slow and droney. Even within the constraint of 90s Britpop, I certainly can't see myself reaching for this over Supergrass or the La's

Lacks the structure and clean simple arc of Maggot Brain, but more ideas, more sounds, more cray-cray, and while not more Funk, possibly more P? It feels long, but it's hella groovy.

Off-key choir does improv on acid.

The social commentary is, unfortunately, timeless. The overall sound is, unfortunately, dated. But its solid and well produced, if a little long. I don't like a lot of hip hop because so much of it is just wanker posers glorifying violence and misogyny to try to sound controversial. But this wasn't controversial because it was saying to beat down on others, it was controversial because its black people saying they're being treated unfairly. There's nothing scarier to white America than black people singing about treating your fellow man and woman with respect.

His voice grates a bit, but I challenge you to name a harder-rocking doctor of molecular biology.

Oh Willy, won't you sing that song? 'bout Ragtime Billy in ol' Virginny... What the hell is this ye-haw nonsense? And why do they sound like they're auditioning for muppets voices? And how much moonshine did they boof before coming up with the name for their little club? I mean, "moonshine boof and the muppets" was right there! Back to the shack, boys. Bessie's waiting. And I hope to god you weren't singing about a cow...

Man, Quincy Jones and Eddie Van Halen were great. No idea how they squeezed so many singles out of this, even the title track seems to drag without the video to prop it up. The second half just goes on and on and feels creepier and creepier.

Just when I was wondering if I should've rated Big Brother and the Holding Company higher (lost marks from the cringey fake live production), along comes this crisp clean fresh explosion of energy and emotion.

Mellow but mild. Was worried it was going to be country, but its not. But its also not really rock. Or folk. Or glam. Just generally a guy singing ok with an ok guitar and background rhythm.

Oftentimes cheesy and bad, definately overplayed, but hard not to feel those drums in the title track

21st Century Queen

I like that you can actually hear the words, but otherwise just moody noise rock

Interesting! Not bad, just different? Sort of folk punk? Somewhere between "Clash with fiddles" and "if the Pogues could sing instead of shouting and weren't entirely a novelty act (but for who's novelty?)"

A funky anxiety attack

Sounds like one of those mail order catalogues that gets sent to old folks homes.

The La's psychedelic cousin

Starts strong but so consistent, really well defined.

Not as fast and furious as some, not as creative as others, but a solid indication of things to come

I guess the quickest route to your 13th album is to pick a song name and go "that'll make a good album name" and just keep droning until you've filled a disk. And despite them being good names for albums, I cannot tell you what the title tracks sounded like a minute after finishing said album, beyond Lyre feeling incredibly long

Thematically, emotionally, and creatively dense exploration into American race relations, cultural history and legacy.

The delivery and storytelling is great, but it is essentially just a guy glorifying violence (before getting murdered) while his producer brags about how much sex they get (before being convicted for sex trafficking).

I knew Beyonce's branding was heavily focused on "girl power," so was surprised to find how much of her content is actually all "Except for the girls we don't like! Especially the girls who like us!" and "Lets simp men!" Good vocals but terrible and disjointed messaging and hated the electronic ADHD backing "music"

Such great drumming

The album itself sounds like a half-finished demo tape of what could all become amazing songs. I'd love to hear a non "lo-fi" version of this band, and indeed, putting my player on radio mix produced an awesome playlist where I loved every song. But this album itself? It's a sum of parts, waiting to be greater.

If I hear the words "uptight, short sided, narrow minded hypocrite, tight-lipped, condescending, mama's little chauvinist" I certainly imagine John. I'd rather not listen to him excusing that "I began to lose control" because "I didn't mean to hurt you," but hey, "my love will turn you on" so I guess it's all good? At least he admitted she'd written Imagine once he was on his deathbed.

Folsky woodsy banal drivel about peasants and mountains as performed by some Seattle city-slickers. No feeling no meaning just the sound of bored suits buying different instruments and effects libraries.

"Let's boogie to some Bossa Nova, grab that Sinatra album!" said no-one ever. Worst rendition of Girl from Ipanema on this list thus far, and that's the best of the genre. Plus two more, just in case you forget what you were listening to!

The best Beatles album

Repetitive enough to fade away but changes enough to prevent itself from becoming boring. No real bangers, but sets a mood

Groovy soundtrack jazz

Remove the distortion and that's some pretty sweet jazz riffs going on. And the drums! Not my usual order but that was pretty fun

People who were 18 when this came out must be almost 40 now, but it still feels like "young people music," even if "almost 40" doesn't sound young. So I guess that's a tribute to how fresh and optimistic this album is?

Faces, ey? Never heard of them, let's take a listen... Cool blues guitar riff... Hang on, that's Rod Stewart! Its fun. They sound fun. They sound like they're having fun. But nothing says dad rock like Englishmen singing the blues.

Fun, but busy

Vibrant colourful blues

RHCP cover band tries to sing metal through their nose.

I mean the title says it all, it's Fela and Ginger, playing live with the Africa '70. If I had to add anything, it would be that: Rhythm is gonna get ya/ Rhythm is gonna get you/ Rhythm is gonna get you/ The rhythm is gonna get you tonight

Fun mix of ska, funk and punk

Imagine how good she'd sound if she could hold a note for more than .2s without changing key and breaking into a wobbley warble. Love her lyrics, just cannot stand her delivery. She can't sing. She can't hold a note and just flails around hoping to hit roughly the right sound. She can't breathe properly so switches to sing-gasping or out-of-breath mumbling. Even when she does manage to hit a note, she confuses range for musicality. Also worst cover of Jingle Bells.

Middle-of-the-alley, more like!

Desert noir vibes too dark alt country for a Mexican restaurant but too Mariachi for dive bar.

Always refreshing to hear something other than the singles from the world's most overrated and overplayed glam prog band, but it's a shame when the "highlights" are limited to the forgettable or downright silly. If I'd never heard Queen before it would probably score higher.

Proto post punk, but with jazzy call-and-response, jangly jingles, and New York swagger

"Everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band" Crazy this came out before Hendrix or Sgt Peppers, when the top charting artist was The Monkees. Everything with rougher edges than "I'm a believer" came from this.

People who listen to folk music probably think this is what rock sounds like

Starts with a mirror ball, ends with a mirrored ceiling. Yaoww

Hey its that abusive coercive pedophile that gets his rocks off getting others addicted to heroin! I'd love to say I hated his album but honestly it's just too dang boring to register any emotional response whatsoever.

Still not sure why hiphop albums are so long, this could've been two pop albums, and both would've been pretty solid. I imagine it might be a little too pop for a lot of hiphop fans, and too hiphop for white Americans, but it bops, and is remarkably consistent.

Has anyone ever sung so dispassionately about the things they care about? Phrases like "you know I love you so" and "we live in a beautiful world" could only sound sad coming from Chris.

On the one hand, an impressive document of musical heritage going to great lengths to honor and respect the traditions of their forebears. On the other hand its 2 hours of twangy yeehaw about riding horses, shooting families, abducting daughters, courting teenagers, and how much god loves them by some crotchety old gatekeepers and confederates.

Compared to the other prog I've been subjected to thus far, this sounds more like they're trying to do a lot of things at once, rather than just trying to overplay. I didn't dislike it, but I'd certainly much rather listen to someone playing one genre with clarity than indecisively cycling between four.

You can hate bubblegum pop, but you can't deny Max Martin's ability to craft an earworm!

I feel like I understand Bob Dylan now. Which is to say, it sounds a lot more Woody Guthrie. Only, y'know, mumblier.

One does not simply rock into Mordor

Ever listen to Bob Dylan and think "this guy isn't political enough?" Ever listen to the Ramones and think "these guys need to trash more?" Ever listen to Dick Dale and think "hell yeah surf rock for life!" Well, boy do I have the album for you!

Fun and frolocking from them posh lads. Add Song 2 and this would be Best of Blur

There's Old Wave. There's New Wave. And there's David Bowie.

Recorded as demos in a garage and sounds like it. Sets the scene, then just goes nowhere. Every song sounds the same, no instruments to deliver energy or flesh out the passages, then each song just fades out because he hadn't worked out how to end them. Probably should've re-recorded with the band, boss.

Soul, pop, garage, psyc, and none of it feels out of place. Very 60s pop but varied enough to stay interesting

A versitile voice belts out banger after banger.

There’s “hard and fast” and there’s Circle Jerks

Ever wonder if the reason he obsesses so much about hair, twinkling cunts, and violence against women isn't because he's deep and poetic, but because he's actually just a total creep?

Charlie Murphy may have been reviewing this album when he said "Prince was the only guy who could show up at your party, in frills, and steal your girlfriend. Then steal her clothes, then steal someone else's girl in your girlfriends clothes."

Someone asked the question "what do the Beach Boys, Gospel, the Buzzcocks and E have in common?" and created this to try to answer it. And it's actually really fun

I didn’t dislike it, but every time I thought I was getting into it, the album had finished and I was listening to something else

I don't know how to review Björk. I give it... Four puffins wearing tutus and a magical shell that knows the favourite colour of everyone who's seen you naked?

Mumble mumb oh yea, ah yeaa cotton wool fills mah mouth, oh yea-ea-eyeh

Angry, sentimental, soft, hard, yet seamlessly flows from track to track. Fantastic sound design, great track list, some obvious standouts but not a bad song among them.

Now go listen to Shawn Lee's Incredible Tabla Band

Better than The Chronic. Very George Clinton inspired.

Prog for people who enjoy building synths more than piano practise

Amazing that an album can sound so experimental and meticulously crafted but, at the same time, so "generic 80s"

One day I'll have to look up the difference between "post-hardcore" and "punk"

After a while all that breathless beseeching, fiery indignation and BIG guitar heroics grows a tad wearisome; a bit like being shouted at by someone who means well but doesn’t know when to turn the volume down -- Sid Smith, BBC

You need a high degree of both clarity of vision and commitment to concept to do short songs well, and not just sound like a snippet, sample, or segment of the same. This is pure efficiency, fully formed original sounding songs, delivered rapid fire, but each is entirely complete.

Cabaret Costello sings New Yorker cartoons

It's either really good or kinda sad that almost all the classics are on this debut. Rock, tinged with poetry. Rather than his later poetry, tinged with rock.

Despite having electric, acoustic, steel, pedal steel and lap steel guitars, mandolin, viola, violin, pizzicato violin, cello, acoustic, electric and fretless basses, santur, tma, tamboura, tambourine, drums, tympani, percussion, marimba, vibraphone, keyboards, piano, accordion, clarinet and beatboxing, three producers, 11 assorted engineers, two programmers, an art director and two designers on this album, somehow this comes across as bloated, overproduced, bland and with almost every instrument distracting from the singer. Not the biggest singer-songwriter fan, but even I can't help but feel I'd rather listen to just kd in a room with a single mic and guitar.

Music to get you into the bedroom. For a long nap.

No real strong impression, just solid grungy rock with a slightly-grating singer. Not much variety besides a cover of Umbrella, which presents the thought "would they sound more fun if they did pop it up a bit more?"

Interesting academically, but not quite the enjoyable listen of Kind of Blue

Very chill

2-Tone, ska, reggae, avant-pop, lounge, muzak, what a ride!

This could be a great rock album if you cut out the half that isn't, but in its defence, when you do look at the track list, it isn't always clear which you'd cut. Besides the bluesgrass piano one, that was a bit random.

Looking at the album cover I was worried I was in for more 90s techno, but phew! It's actually just Paramore in disguise. Or NiN. NoFX. Fooeys? Evanescence... It's fun but not memorable

Should've let him blow his nose before they started recording

Ha, what fun. This is the Sensible Chuckle of Heavy Metal

Their debut may have ushered in Heavy Metal, but this opens the door to every subgenre therein. Super explorative but never losing where they are.

Not that I didn't enjoy a bit of silly fun, but nothing really stood out. Except the poor mix and lack of low end.

Familiar but different. Like BB King, but twice as long. Length and repetition of tracks renders virtuosa guitar into background noise.

It upsets me when people say we have 11 albums that all sound the same. We have 12 albums that all sound the same.” - Angus Young This is one of those albums. And yes, it sounds like AC/DC

Sittar screamo

Cheery and playful training montage metal. Very 80's, but can see how they sit nicely between Sabbath and Priest

We are Family is a song my daughter asks to sing before bed. Like the other contender - Jolene - it hasn't gotten old yet. Even more upbeat and fun than most of Chic

Dark, melodic, hypnotic without being repetitive, lush without losing it's raw edge

Keep searching, Eileen.

Best when it gets a little weird, but a fun vibe throughout

That surprised-looking chap from Harry Potter singer whispering creepily about sex and class, somehow, translates into spectacular party pop. If Morrissey and Costello co-wrote for The Jam

Rush put the Rock in Prog Rock, which makes them simultaneously too prog and not enough prog, depending if you're asking someone who likes rock or prog.

Gross. I just gave Morrissey 4 stars

Tales of young love, heartbreak, and self-reckoning, told with vivid imagery and sharp wit. May not be relatable to grumpy old white men on this site, but I was young once and being well produced isn't actually as much of a dig as you think

80s new wave meets post punk. Bit weak in the middle but opens with such killer hooks that they redefined the radio landscape. Became so huge that people who grew up listening to Duran Duran and Depeche Mode decided they must decry them as being style over substance, unlike... Hang on...

So its just a band doing singer-songwriter type stuff? It's a bit slow and low energy

Solid bit of noise pop, and only dated by the electronic drums.

I know every song but don't know when I last listened to the album in entirety. It holds up.

Melancholic baroque pop richer in sonics than substance, but a solid debut and influential sound

So generic I couldn't work out when the album stopped and the radio kicked in.