I got bored after listening to the first 7 songs. After those, I decided to just listen to the remaining famous songs ("Beautiful" and "Dirrty"). It really gave the vibe of the early 2000's, but there was no nostalgia for me here, so I just got bored. There were also parts that just did not agree with my ears (e.g., Lil Kim's part in "Can't Hold Us Down" and a lot of "Dirrty"). Other than that, it was a decent pop album. The best songs that I listened to were "Walk Away" and "Beautiful". 3/5
Very interesting, but it just doesn't captivate me. There were several places where her voice, her accent, or some of the discordant sounds rubbed me the wrong way and prevented me from fully getting into the music. Still a very fun and intriguing album, especially considering it was released in 1993. I need to do a deep-dive on Bjork and listen to her other projects. I have a feeling that the more time I spend listening to her music the more I'll appreciate it. 4/5
They consistently get into a good flow/groove, break it with some discordant noises or shouting, and then get right back into the flow. It can be cool, but almost every song had parts that I found so grating and off-putting that I didn't completely like any of the songs except for "Show 'Em Whatcha Got", which isn't even a fully fledged song. I appreciate the beats and the edge of this album. I wish it were more musical. I also find Flavor Flav very cringe. It's still an interesting listen. 3/5
Didn't really do anything for me. The instrumentals are cool, but this guy gives off creepy old man energy. I'm hoping that his earlier albums are better. 2/5
This album must've gone crazy in the 80's. Michael Jackson really is the king of pop. I really liked "Thriller" and "Beat it", and the rest of the songs are pretty good too. 4/5
Funky. "Stand!" is my favorite song off this album. 3/5
This album is exactly what I imagine the 80's sounded like. Nothing special from my 21st century perspective, but I'm sure this was cool when it was released. 3/5
In this album, PJ Harvey provides us with yet another reason not to go to England. She doesn't go for the easy targets, like the people or the food; instead, the album is about war. I went into this album expecting the typical indie singer-songwriter slop, but I was pleasantly surprised with the interesting melodies and PJ Harvey's unique voice. There's some cool, Björk-y stuff in here, but not much of the music really captivates me. I think I might like her other projects better, so I should listen to those in the future. 3/5
Favorite song: "Let England Shake"
Least favorite song: "The Words That Maketh Murder" ("-eth" is a third-person *singular* verb ending smh)
A lot of weird stuff, some interesting stuff. Just nothing I would listen to on my own. 2/5
I normally don't like soul/jazz music, so I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this album. I thought her voice, her singing style, and the backing music were good on most of the songs. This is a pretty good debut album, but I'm hoping for more in Back to Black. My favorite songs from this album are "Stronger Than Me" and "In My Bed". 4/5
Edit: I've been consistently listening to a bunch of songs from this album, so I feel like it should probably be a 5.
Mildly pleasant, but this is just jazzy background music. 2/5
I couldn't make it through this one. 2 hours of folk music and conversation in between the songs. 1/5
He has a nice voice, but the tracks are pretty tame and not very produced. 2/5
The album's OK. I don't really like his voice though.
I was always a Beatles hater, even though I had never intentionally sat down and listened to their music, because of the type of people that rave about the Beatles. I find that the two types of people that are really big fans of the Beatles are (1) old people who were teenagers in the 60s and 70s and the music is nostalgic for them and (2) people my age who think they're better than other people because they have an "old-school taste in music" and put down people like me who listen to modern pop music. These people telling me how great the Beatles are annoyed me into avoiding the Beatles and assuming that I wouldn't like their music.
Goddamn I was wrong. I was so surprised how much I liked this album. It definitely holds up compared to 21st century music and is a solid 5/5 for me. My favorite songs off the album are "I'm Only Sleeping" and "Eleanor Rigby". My least favorite songs are "Yellow Submarine" and "Good Day Sunshine".
There's some cool stuff in this album, but this guy's voice annoys me. I didn't really like any of the songs on this album.
Stevie Wonder has a nice voice, but the album is just OK. Favorite songs: "Maybe Your Baby", "You've Got It Bad Girl", "Superstition"
One thing about Christina Aguilera is that she can consistently make decent pop songs. Every song on this album was either OK or good. I don't think there was a single song on this album that I thought was bad. I was also surprised by the her range in this album. She incorporates a lot of elements from genres that I was not expecting, like cabaret and jazz. The people who say that the whole album sounds the same clearly have not listened to it. 4/5
Favorite song: "Still Dirrty"
I read about this album before listening to it, so I was able to strategically skip the >10-minute instrumental songs and just listen to the popular songs from the album. I guess that means that I didn't get the full experience of the album, but I'm perfectly fine with that. As a collection of rejected Beatles songs, this album isn't bad, but it does not hit like the Beatles albums do. I should get high one day and listen to this album from front to back to see if that makes me like it any better. 3/5
This album is mostly covers of other people's songs, sung in an annoying, raspy voice. Why is this album even on the list? 1/5
It was probably so fun to go to a Little Richard concert in the 50's, and I probably would've been a fan of the guy if I had been alive then. I just don't think this album holds up compared to more modern music. Still an interesting listen though, especially considering how pioneering this album was. 3/5
This album is a series of 1-minute long songs filled with fast drums, a blaring guitar, and grunting. The guitar work probably could've been cool somewhere else, but the sound of this band all together is very abrasive, heavy, and unpleasant. Whatever the singer (grunter?) is saying is completely unintelligible. On a positive note, listening to this album expanded my musical horizons, because I never would've listened to it on my own. And isn't that what this website is all about? Also I like the cover art. This is still a 1/5 album though.
This is background music, not to set the vibe or anything, but the kind you put on just so that the room isn't so awkward. This is forgettable, mild music with no special qualities as far as I can tell. I am legitimately curious why the writers thought this album was good/influential enough to merit being in this book. 1/5
I'm begging this website to stop giving me shitty British alt-rock music 🙏. This album was not the worst British alt-rock album this website has given to me so far, but it wasn't good. 2/5
Favorite song: "Alright"
Least favorite song: "Caught by the Fuzz"
This took me back to when I was in my high school's jazz band and we played music like this.
2/5 overall - 1 for the memories = 1/5
In all seriousness, this album made me remember why I don't like jazz. I understand that the musicians here must have technical expertise in their playing, but it doesn't sound like it. But who am I to critique their musical prowess? I just can't believe the music sound so disorganized and badly executed.
This album is probably great for someone who is really into rap, but for me it's just OK. It's definitely iconic though. 3/5
Ew
Background music. 2/5
I saw "rock/folk" and instantly assumed I would hate this album. But it was not as bad as I thought it'd be! It was actually pretty interesting. I'm going to tentatively rate this 4/5, and I’ll listen to it again later for a more in-depth listening.
Not bad, but not particularly good. Not what I would want to listen to normally. 3/5
Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber did it better. 2/5
Not a great listen, but definitely an interesting one. 2/5
I like many Beyoncé songs, but I had never listened to a full album before this. When I first looked up this album, I didn't recognize any of the songs. Now I understand why. I like many parts of many songs, but I don't think there's a single song that I really liked as a whole. Her singing style occasionally annoys me and I could do without all of those random vocal runs. 3/5
I find it wild that I gave a Christina Aguilera album a 4 but a Beyoncé album only a 3. Favorite song off the album: the remix of Flawless with Nicki Minaj (mostly for Nicki)
This is a very relaxing album, contrary to the subject matter of most of the songs. Just not the type of music I'd want to relisten to. 2/5
There's some cool stuff in here, but not enough to merit more than a 3. I love the fashion -- very west coast hippie. The music is just ok. 3/5
3.5/5
If I had been alive when this album came out, I probably would've gone crazy for Le Freak. I agree with other people that the songs are twice as long as they should be. There's only a solid 20 minutes of material in here and then another 20 minutes of either drawn out instrumentals or simple repetition.
Le Freak - 4.5/5
The rest of the album - 3/5
Overall - 3.5/5
I don't mind his voice or the storytelling. Nothing remarkable though. This album would be much better with more instruments, backing vocals, really anything... 3/5
Favorite song: Stories of the Street
My previous album was by Leonard Cohen, and this album was the perfect antidote to that one. I didn't even listen to the album. I just looked up this band's music videos on YouTube, and I totally get the vibe. I don't think I'd listen to this stuff in my normal music listening, but I will definitely be revisiting this band in the future. Favorite so far: the video of The Salmon Dance. 4/5
I wasn't expecting to like this band, but the sleazy 70's bass is a vibe. Nothing that special though. 3.5/5
"I always get chocolate stains on my pants." - Dancing in the Moonlight
Insufferable. 1/5
I went into this album expecting not to like it, but it pleasantly surprised me. There are some aspects of the album I didn't enjoy -- for example, I'm not a huge fan of Lou Reed's singing voice -- but it is a solid album that I'll definitely listen to again. I'm not sure yet how many of these songs I will want to listen to on their own. Some of these songs (like The Kids - the one with the sounds of crying children) only work in the context of the album. My favorite song so far is Lady Day. 4/5
Separately, I haven't given an album a 5 in a long time. Since I gave this album a 4, I'm hoping that Lou Reed's more popular album, Transformer, will get a 5.
The best of 80's synth pop. Favorite songs: "Shout", "Broken", "Head Over Heels". 4/5
Edit: I've been consistently listening to a bunch of songs from this album, so I feel like it should probably be a 5.
He's obviously talented, but I would never listen to an hour-long improvised piano session by my own accord. I audibly laughed every time he grunted. How could this be one of the best albums of all time? 1/5
A relic of its time. Every song is so 70's, which isn't necessarily bad, but I don't think this album holds up as well as some other ones. A solid 3.5/5
Norah Jones has a nice voice, but this album just feels like coffee shop music. 2/5
Doesn't come close to the Beatles. 3/5
Nothing remarkable. 2/5
I got most of the way through the first song (Tiny Dancer), found out that that song is considered to be the best from the album, and immediately shut it off. I cannot stand this guy's voice and singing style. 1/5
Not exactly my thing, but at least it's fun and interesting.
Background music. 2/5
Decent alt-rock. 3/5
Decent. I don't think this album holds up as well as some other albums from the 60s. 3/5
Didn't really do anything for me. 2/5
Very talented, but not for me
Finally something interesting. I was honestly just happy to listen to something different and not the same crappy alt-rock that is pervasive in these best-of music lists. The more industrial tracks were cool, but I could've done without the songs that were just speaking. I'm not going to bring this album into my regular music listening, but I'm glad to have listened to this album once. 4/5
Solid album, but many of the songs are not memorable or just longer than they should be. Also none of the songs are as good as Roxanne. 3.5/5
What did I just listen to?
Not my thing. 2/5
I couldn't tell if this was bad or if I just couldn't appreciate it because I don't know any of the original music. 2/5??
Jesus Christ. Did anyone listen to this shit before publishing it? 1/5
Way too much conga. 1/5
The album starts with "Gotta Get Up", a great song that I had no idea was by this guy. After that, the album becomes a lot less remarkable. I can see why he is called the American Beatle, but I don't think his music deserves a full album like the Beatles' do. 3/5
I'm not normally a big fan of country music, but I tried to give this album a fair chance. I don't think it's interesting enough to warrant more than a 3. I understand that the more stripped-down style is intentional, but I just don't vibe with it. This album isn't bad; it's just ... not that good. Maybe I'll listen to this when I'm in a different headspace and I'll enjoy it then. For now 3/5
I'm honestly confused as to why I liked this... But I did? 4/5
Corny in an 80's way. 3/5
It seems like they specifically designed these songs to be played in a suburban mall. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. I prefer this type of generic pop music over the generic rock music from the 70s and 80s that somehow made it onto this list. 3/5
Solid hiphop album. I like how goofy it is sometimes, especially with their incorporation of sword fighting sounds.
Not my thing. 2/5
Pretty good folk pop. I wouldn't listen to this on my own, but I wouldn't complain if someone else played some of these songs. 3/5
Not my thing. Also too much falsetto and vibrato for my taste. 2/5
There's something about Bono's voice that I find very annoying. Listening to this brought me back to when Apple forced everyone with an iPhone to have a crappy U2 album in our iTunes libraries. And if I remember correctly, that album was better than this one. 2/5
Didn't really do anything for me. Is this it? 3/5
What is this? It feels like a weird combination of thoughtful, trite, and juvenile. 1/5
"Did Frederica ever mention a man named Jamie Gumb or a Jame Gumb? How about John Grant?"
I'm disappointed. I thought I would like this album more, but it really did nothing for me. Hopefully Purple Rain will be better. 2/5
A lot is happening and yet not much is happening. This guy's vocals are pretty humdrum and sometimes it feels like he's singing about nothing. But the music is interesting and changes often, sometimes in a chaotic and weirdly overlapping way, but I'm not mad about it. 3.5/5
New wave album with a good amount of chaotic sounds and experimental noise, which made for an interesting listen. Intruder really hooked me in, and I was sat for the rest of the album. 5/5
I was expecting more from an album that most people rate 5 stars. I didn't really connect with the music, and sometimes Bowie's vocals go places that make me cringe. Still a decent album though. 3/5
Trash blues rock. 2/5
Historically significant, but not good.
I have no idea why anyone would choose this album for the list. The music is occasionally interesting, but not interesting enough to merit being here. 2/5
I just don't get it. I don't think Bowie's that bad, but I guess I don't see what every one else sees in his music. 3/5
Catchy pop punk. The music videos are fun too (although the way the members of the band look/act is a little cringe 20 years later). 5/5
Fun listen. It's weird and juvenile, but also innovative and refreshing. 4/5
This album does not hold up well. I don't know exactly what kind of affectation he's putting on his voice (for a good example listen to One-Sided Love Affair), but I did not enjoy it. I know this album was revolutionary at the time, so I'll give it a 3.
Nothing special. Catchy though. 3.5/5
Fine. Sounds dated. 3/5
Eh
There's something off-putting about the way Joni Mitchell alternates between speaking and singing. I just could not get into this album. 2/5
I have never really enjoyed folk music, but I woke up in a really good mood today and I'm having fun with this album. Rating this a 4 for now and I'll revisit later.
Good indie rock. Nothing groundbreaking, but I had a good time listening to it. 4/5
I'm just tired of this type of music. 2/5
I don't know when I'll ever listen to this again, but it was a nice experience. 4/5
The best soul album I've heard so far. Still not great. 3/5
Finally something interesting! I don't like the vocals at all, and I'll never listen to any of these songs on my own, but I still appreciate the music. 3/5
I don't know how to accurately describe the sound of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The album is quite interesting while at the same time, quite boring. The soft-spoken lead singer's voice is monotone and, at times, whiny. I appreciated the distorted, industrial sounds and experimental aspects of the album, but I didn't particularly like any of the songs as a whole. I'll re-listen to this album at some point in the future, and maybe then I'll feel more confident in giving it a rating. For now, 3/5
Non-offensive soft rock. Personally a little too jazzy for me to really get into, but not bad. 4/5
I previously enjoyed one of Lou Reed's solo albums, Berlin, so I was excited to listen to my first Velvet Underground album. This album contains a mixture of noisy, experimental songs with songs that I can only describe as basic pop-rock. I was underwhelmed by most of the songs, which made me wonder what was considered so revolutionary about this album. I'm guessing it was the subject matters, ranging from BDSM to drug use. The darkest, dirtiest songs were the ones that I enjoyed the most, namely Venus In Furs and Heroin. 3.5/5
