Indie pop electro punk. Had some cool grooves.
Few can stand with Stevie. A master. I don’t know the entirety of his catalog but this would appear to be a downbeat in mood for his oeuvre. Melancholic but uplifting. Boogie on Reggae Woman was a nice funky reprieve with a bitching harmonica solo. They Won’t Go When I Go was the highlight for me. I’ll keep this album in mind should I ever get divorced.
Apparently Dusty is British. The golden age of Brits stealing American soul and selling it right back to us.
But they do it pretty well. This is a solid debut solo album. A lot of hits. The tracklist has several covers and Dusty’s version of some of these might very well be the definitive one. Do Re Mi really showed off a low timbre that I like about her voice. Wishin’ and Hopin’ was a bop in its day. I didn’t really care for the b-side but the final track, Summer is Over, was probably my favorite.
The tribute to Syd Barrett’s plunge in to and out of rock stardom and sanity. My favorite Floyd album and arguably one of the best ever. I can’t hear Pink Floyd without smelling Lindquist’s basement.
“Which one’s Floyd?”
It’s interesting to hear the 80’s synth/electronica shift at the end of the decade. This album showcases all these new wave dorks plugging away at their synthesizers for the better part of the 80’s and finding an edge to their bleep boops. Personal Jesus always gets me pumped, one I always confuse with Nick Cave for some reason. Enjoy the Silence is a great tune, very cool ending that you don’t get to hear on radio play. I just can’t shake the feeling of being in some dark 32 bit Genesis game while listening to this. I appreciate the album but don’t think I’d revisit except the aforementioned.
The name is more famous to me than the actual art and after reading the backstory on the album and the tragedy that followed it, I can see why it may be a well regarded album. Lyrically provoking but the music doesn’t do it for me. Devoid of melody. Drum and bass dominates the mix. Post-punk deconstructed all the good things about its predecessor.
What’s there to say? All roads lead to Zeppelin. Killer album that kicks the door open with “Whole Lotta Love” where Robert Plant lets you know of his desire to fuck you in the ass. Jimmy Page has been accused of lifting riffs off the blues pioneers before him but so what? Those old Delta fellas didn’t think to crank them through high voltage tube amps. John Bonham is your favorite drummer’s favorite drummer and he showcases why in “Moby Dick”. I dig it. All of it. Listened to it twice. Great album.
Psychedelia man. Far out.
Blue condition caught my ear. Lackadaisical music meandering.
I actually like it when Clapton tones down his playing and doesn’t riff over everything. Ginger Baker’s drums are the more interesting piece of the group.
Enjoyable album but not something I’d put in rotation.
Delightful. “Take Five” is undoubtedly recognizable though this would be the first time I ever learned or cared to look into its origin. Which is unfortunate because I do enjoy it but jazz is an esoteric world where musicians play for other musicians. Though this album feels very accessible.
I’d love to have a physical vinyl copy of this on hand to play while cooking or reading as the music doesn’t demand your attention and allows you to slip freely on and off the wild trip they’re taking you on.
Synth-pop is pretty hard to hate. Well-crafted bops with an absolute angel of a voice by Lauren Mayberry’s which I fell in love with. Something about the soft, fragile, little singer fronting such a wall of sound that works really well. I liked the album. It was fun, upbeat, introspective and well crafted.
Neil Young speaks my language. The shaky Canadian croon puts me at peace knowing I’m in good musical hands. This album sounds live. A one take of the band jamming off each other. I can smell the cigarettes and feel the stickiness of a dark roadhouse club listening to this.
Interesting start to a double album. The subdued “over and over” transitions to a frenetic “the ledge” which is a hyper kinetic muffled buzz into “think about me” that feels like some safe listening, more true to previous Mac form. This album threw me. A goulash of the many songwriters present in Fleetwood, it’s disjointed. Lindsey Buckingham was on something. The sheer volume would ensure there’s something for everyone, I guess. “Tusk” was interesting. It was tough to get through it. A testament to a band in flux and they missed whatever hell mark they were aiming for.
Not what I was expecting from Abdullah. Big swing jazz. I enjoyed it. I really love being exposed to this type of music that I don’t know much about. There was some really good songs on here. I feel like this a solitary listen though. Something to use to escape into one’s self. Meditative. I could keep this in rotation.
I know this record well. In the Judd Apatow film “ Funny People” it’s quoted that the voice of god would sound like James Taylor. Great collection of songs that showcases the man’s talent. Underrated guitar player. Great poet with a voice to match. Horn section in “Steamroller” was divine. James even gets a little funky towards the end of the album. I love this album.
Ol’ Blue Eyes. Crazy how charismatic this man was. As big as Elvis. As big as The Beatles. The archetype of the 1950’s class and style.
The music was easy to digest and 40 minutes flew by. The style of music relies heavily on the same tricks of start, stop crescendos but each song sounds distinctive of the next.
I’ve heard the hits and never bothered looking into his discography but this album is nearly perfect and will definitely seek out a physical copy as it is a must-have. Consider me a fan.
Hard to put my finger on it which I think is the point. Experimental post grunge alternative punk with pop elements. Creative and interesting production decisions which Alban would go to throw into high gear with the gorillaz.
This particular album had eluded me. I picked up the one with their more popular hit “song #2” at a garage sale at a formative age but never bothered to listen to anything beyond that.
I dig it. As an album, it works very well. Individual tracks would seem out of place in a playlist. But it kept me interested. I’m going to run this again sometime in the future as there is a lot going on.
Our first rap album on the list. I am not familiar with Common at all. Mr. Common? I liked the instrumentation of the tracks. I don’t have a good ear for rhymes, I’m always amazed and befuddled when I hear someone rap their favorite song because I seem to always have a hard time understanding what they’re saying. That is to say I’m not a very good rap critic. I just don’t like the flashy bravado rap which I didn’t hear much of here.
This album was ok. It was chill and not tough to listen to though I don’t think I’d revisit it.
Classic. This album is dunked and dripping with the blues. Balls to the wall rock n’roll.
Stray cat blues was one I’ve never heard before and blown away by it. This is the vintage stuff that requires preserving and sharing. “Salt of the Earth” is my new drinking song.
I know the stones have gone through periods of experimentation that was required of the time to stay relevant but I love this album for how hard hitting and raw it is. No gimmicks, just licks. Like a love letter to Robert Johnson and those who influenced these English lads. Fucking great.
Off kilter. Television is different. I like that. Like the love child of the Ramones and the talking heads. But they can riff too, like the stooges.
These type of albums push creativity forward. It is so uniquely themselves that anyone who hears it must question their own originality. It’s musically complex and calls for a few listens to hear everything going on. “Marquee Moon” is a new favorite. I was never bored. Loved it.
I didn’t get it at first. I thought it was mid techno but too mellow to dance to. But it grew on me. Midway through the album on “Poor Leno” I think I caught the Röyksopp vibe. The mellowness seeped into me and I grooved. “A Higher Place” was a cool track, great outro. “Röyksopp’s Night Out” put me in a trance with a funky flange guitar. Who knew Norwegians could be weird too? I’m glad to have listened to this album.
This apparently blew some damn minds in the ‘90’s judging by what I’ve read, ranking this album as top in the last century. I guess it’s a “you had to be there” kind of thing because the music didn’t do much for me. There was a nice “Fidler on the Roof” reference in “Daydreaming”. “Hymn of the Big Wheel” I liked but too little, too late. That’s about all. Not one I’ll revisit.
“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”! Great opener to the album that goes in a lot of different directions. What it lacks in cohesiveness it makes up for in songwriting. What a strange release in the heyday of rock n’ roll where money could be made off of album sales alone. I liked it but it’s a little too yacht rock for me. I feel like there’s an inherent lameness that gives me the “ick” as the kids say.
This was a fun album. Like a deranged, feral B-52’s. It’s not fully punk as I hear like rockabilly and other elements but it comes across as in your face. They must’ve had some fun live shows. Very cool.
I only listened to disc 1. These guys were whacked and I fully support it. Electric jug anyone? Groovy.
I can hear the hours of drugged droning and jamming with one another. These guys liked to explore. And I’ve heard of them before but now know them and would consider this to be the pre-eminent psychedelic experience. Eat your heart out Cream.
Goddamn do I love some CCR. The quintessential American band made up of two brothers who hated each other. And what musical dividends that divisiveness produced for us all!
This is a damn near perfect album. God bless John Fogerty.
The Cocteau Twins only recently came to my attention while reading an article of Robert Smith’s favorite underrated bands. Opening track was gorgeous. Love the falsetto singing. The lyrics are interesting in all the tracks. I like how the Twins see the world and craft their music. There’s some lulls on here but short lived and not an entire song. They appear to have been very prolific in the ‘80’s. I’ll have to dig deeper.
Updated: listened to it twice and kind of obsessed. Ethereal soundscapes with heavenly voices. Consider me a fan.
A little too edgy for me. I didn’t enjoy this. At all. And I wonder how this was selected to be included in such a list.
I first heard this album when I was maybe 10 or 11. I was told the music was supposed to make me evil. Much like the album before, Skunk Anansie, this is a little too edgy for me. Manson’s gimmick is shock and that’s really run its course as there is nothing shocking in the age of the internet. But there’s some good songs here. “Beautiful People” is objectively a good song and Manson’s calling card. I attribute a lot of his success to the guitarist John 5 who really shines here. This album certainly had a cultural moment and it was pretty significant.
Fuck yeah! Perfect pop album.
Unfortunately not available in my region through Apple Music but I’ve heard it many times over since its release in 1995 when I was 8 years old. She had an acoustic tour a couple years ago that I was bummed to have miss. God save Alanis.
I’m familiar with some Pavement. This is great lo-fi, independent garage band music. Lots of Weezer vibes or maybe it’s the other way around. Great bass chug chugging in most of the tracks. I dig this.
Very biased. Bob Dylan is the man. Perfect album.
That was an experience. Like a time warp to the 80’s. I didn’t like it but I enjoyed it.
I recognized the groove on the first song as the intro to the cult classic and utterly hilarious YouTube series “yacht rock”. Donald Fagen is a card carrying member of the smooth music creators that create the genre.
I applaud the creativity and songwriting of the album. I’m not sure I followed the story telling much but I still feel like I entered the world of Fagen. It was a good listen. I might even give it a relisten just because I did find it interesting.
Not available in Apple Music in my region. But I’ve heard it before and well aware of its significance.
I dig it. New wave seems to be my wheelhouse the older I get. Or maybe it’s just how I’m feeling at the moment. But I liked it.
A masterpiece. And I’m not just talking about the boss’s backside adorning the album cover. Bruce and the E Street Band deliver an epoch. Bruce’s poetry and declaration of being “Born in the USA” has confused faux patriots into utilizing an anti imperialist, anti-American war machine song as a backdrop for campaign rallies many times over. The artist has swindled those to sing along about shooting the “yellow man” down with a sense of nationalistic pride that they ought to be ashamed of. And that’s a beautiful thing.
There’s so many great songs here and the boss is dear to my heart. Perfect.
Experimental. Droning psychedelia. Jammy. My kind of stuff. I was really glad to have been introduced to this and surprised it’s taken this long. I dig it, tremendously. It just oozes “cool”.
Bonafide banger. Multiple classics. What’s more to say?
I love the economy of punk music. 16 songs clocking in at 35 minutes. Get to the point!
This album feels familiar though it’s my first introduction to The Undertones. That’s probably why this album gave me the epiphany that there isn’t anything new. Just rehashed and repackaged. Solid songwriting. I didn’t hate it but it didn’t make me jump out of chair either.
A lovely day for a Beatles album. The production on this album is fantastic for 1966. Heralded as pioneers for experimental recording, “Revolver” proves why.
The Beatles hold a mystique in my mind and are untouchable though Revolver falls short of perfection. Solid, solid 4.
This album has purpose. You can feel and hear the passion, the urgency and need of the Preachers to get these songs out. I was surprised to learn this was released in 1994. Very pivotal time for the public’s musical taste to turn.
This is good garage band music that I will forever vibe with. There’s some good guitar riffs here. It’s got me curious as to what else this particular scene in the UK during that time had to offer.
Great listen.
I had a friend in college who was hip to the purple one before I understood how prolific and down right badass he was. We were in Target and Prince had a book out, wherein the cover was him with beautifully coiffed hair, wearing makeup and an open blouse of some sort. My friend holding it in his hands and reviewing the cover said “can you believe people think he’s gay?”
1999 is downright funky. Besides the radio hits we all know, every track is pretty fucking stellar. I found a new favorite while listening to this “lady cab driver”. “All the critics love you in New York” put me in a trance.
I loved this. I do believe it’s perfect. RIP you purple majesty.
I was adjacent the target audience of this album when it came out. Its release corresponded with the movie “Charlie’s Angels” which used a few of the songs. One of the last instances of the partnership between music and film that had artists release blockbuster singles. The album was huge. Apart from the opening tracks (3 to be exact) the rest of the album did not sit well with me. It often repeats itself verbatim. I was also a bit confused by a track that was calling a woman trash for leaving the house without clothes only a few tracks previously praising the independence of their womanhood. I feel like the messaging was mixed.
I felt like the beats were lacking in this album. Dudes flow was good. He dropped “doo-doo” a couple of times and I really enjoyed it. I couldn’t fully vibe with this though.
Very much enjoyed this album. Layla is quite possibly one of the best songs ever written. I have mixed feelings about Clapton but here with the Dominos is where he shines brightest and most authentic.
This is a melancholy album. I mean, Bowie has an album about his death that is definitely more morose but Alladin Sane struck me as a sad one. I don’t know if that’s right but just my initial feeling. I want to revisit this and think about it.
Billion Dollar Babies was an enjoyable album. Cooper is know for his theatrical live shows but he does have enough hits to compilaré a greatest hits album. A few of those coming from here. Billion dollar babies was a good song. As well as the Uber famous no more Mr Nice Guy. This album was experimental too.
Ray Charles is such a joy. Very few musicians can radiate soul the way he does. Although I do prefer the bluesier side of Ray this compilation was very enjoyable. The big band sound applied to classic songs works and works well. I hope to see Ray on this list again.
I bought this album when it came out and listened to it quite often. This would be peak Black Keys in my opinion. Very commercial and pop oriented album as compared to its predecessor.
Wow! This was awesome! Droney drug music. There’s something to be said about getting lost in a chord repeated over and over. New favorite band.
British reggae. Competent and had its own flavor. I heard a harpsichord or something or other on a few tracks. There were some good singles here and I believe this is a must have for the genre.
Frenetic. High energy. This was a fun album. “Alright” I recognized immediately. The music doesn’t demand your attention and can be enjoyed as a backdrop in the background.
Dr. John fascinates me to no end. Purportedly a shaman who’s dabbled in voodoo, the man personifies the magic of New Orleans from which he hails. This album was awesome and interesting. The cadence and pronunciation of the Dr.’s singing is something I could listen to alone. I love it.
Miss Mitchell delivers an experimental mishmash collection of songs here. Her thoughtful lyrics and sweet voice carries across the album. Listening to Joni makes me forlong for intellectualism in pop music. This album was fantastic and impressive as it would appear she is reaching outside her comfort zone and succeeds all the same.
The album kicked off in a shanty like tune where I think our main character eviscerates occupants of a whorehouse because he woke up with a dick on his cheek. That’s some great storytelling. I’ve always been aware of the genius of Nick Cave but never had the opportunity to dive into the discography. I mentally organize Mr. Cave into the category of poet storyteller alongside Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits for some reason but the exception is that the Bad Seeds absolutely rock. Fuck this was good. A great, complete album.
I’ve been crushing on Norah Jones since the release of this album. Her whispery voice puts me ease. An accomplished musician in her own right, this album is stacked with session players that make her songs shine and run the gamut from jazz to Americana. This album is easy and accessible to all. Great listen
I fucks with Sade. This album makes me want to dance in a downtown high rise at night with the blinds open in a bathrobe with a flute of champagne showing the city just how damn groovy I am. Four stars and favorited.
Brit pop. Reminded me of coldplay
Three unique talents combined to create something special here. CSN were at the forefront of the cultural revolution during the Haight Asbury days in San Fran. Sadly, I think this group will be lost for new generations who won’t understand their cultural significance or even “vibe” with their tunes. Poetry and musicianship at its finest. This is before they added Mr. Neil Young who upped up the ante. Great album.
This was quite an ambitious project. Reminds of Sufjan Steven”s goal to write an album for every state. I made it through half of disc 2 and I prefer the first to the second. I’m really impressed with the lyrical output. The overall topic is love and it’s quite impressive what they’re able to squeeze out of it though the effort shines a light on how complex the subject is. I liked this. The instrumentation alone reeled me in.
Killing Joke is a great name for starters. This album was ahead of itself. Favorited.
I’ve personally had a tumultuous relationship with G N’ R. I feel like pop culture has made me revere them for this particular album that shifted the paradigm of popular music at a time when most of our rock bands were dressing like women and singing ballads. But Guns, at their core, are a hair metal band. And appetite for destruction is a continuation of that genre but with less makeup. Some great songs but I’ve personally checked out on this band long ago.
Heaux Tales indeed. Jazmine tells us she wants to ride it and spit on it. I guess the overt sexual theme wore thin immediately for myself. I just didn’t find it interesting. Standard r&b tracks with vocal runs amock is the only thing that I got from this.
Dope album. Love his flow. Track with Norah Jones was great. Her voice is perfect for hip hop.
In light of the Queen biopic being released, I’ve had real Queen fatigue. This was refreshing, getting to dig into the b-sides and hear a complete work. There’s no doubt Queen rocks and are rife with talent but this has made me realize how well they use the studio. Their music has tricks and gimmicks that pull the listener in. Despite all that praise, I can only muster a three for this album. Good, not great.
Godamn those boys can play. The bassist stole the show. I was captivated during the whole performance. And a live album too! I don’t know much about jazz but this felt like a benchmark.
Didn’t understand a damn word but still grooved to it. Upbeat tunes. Danceable. Good shot of balky.
Damn. That’s an album. It’s apparent why Lamar is a Pulitzer Prize winner. To Pimp a Butterfly was an experience. There’s so much to unpack. The interludes with the dialogue was captivating.
Jeff Buckley is an interesting figure for those unaware. His untimely and unlikely demise of drowning in a river only adds to the mystique of and brilliance of the young artist. Buckley has arguably the best version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” on this album. The musical stylings are interesting as well. A mix of early 90’s rock with sequences of what I believe is pre nu-metal riffs and break downs. I enjoyed the album but could see that it might lack mass appeal. Solid four.
I believe this is the second Pavement album we’ve encountered. I’m a fan. They’re a fun band.
Rock and roll. The Who are just straight good fun.
“A man needs a maid”. Fuck yeah Neil! This probably Young’s masterpiece. The man can write such beautiful songs. I feel whisked away to wherever he takes me. Five stars.
Of course we know the big hit but this was actually surprising. Fun pop music and well out together.
This was a comforting album. The Temptations span generations and this particular outing seems like a hipper one. Something laid back and cool about begging your lady to stay. Maybe it’s the humility of it all.
I dug this a lot. Ethereal indie music but I get E-street band vibes from them. I support The War on Drugs.
Fantastic album. Arguably one of the best lost-Beatles releases. I still hear “what is life” regularly in the bars.
Despite my Queen fatigue in the last decade, Queen II still hits hard. They produced the shit out of this album. Brian May’s guitar tone is all his own and it sounds so damn good. I think he mimicked a sitar at one point. This album is theatrical and all over the place. Great listen.
I don’t know hip hop well but this spoke to me. Bass hits right right and the rap punctuates well. Love these dude’s low voices too. “What’s Golden” seems very familiar to me. I do remember an older burnout in high school who loved these guys. Maybe that’s why it’s so familiar.
THE Band. My go to answer when asked which band is your favorite. The Band.
Music from big pink captures what makes The Band. This collection of songs spans genres and decades all presented with the tight musicianship of a road tested band. The band. Levon Helm is a personal hero of mine and is the highlight for me whenever he sings. I feel tempted to write a four page essay on this album but I’ll leave it at four stars. God bless anyone who stumbles on and explores these guys.
Nothing like starting a Tuesday morning with “Immigrant Song”. Zep really is the quintessential rock band. Zep III seems to be more subdued than their previous albums notwithstanding the first track (possibly the hardest track in their discography). Celebration Day and Tangerine being my two favorite.
This would be my first introduction to the Go-betweens and I enjoyed them. Formed nearly 50 years ago, the music sounds relevant still. This sounds like new wave albeit a little more commercial. Their names is lifted from an eponymous novel and it shows as their lyrics read like literature. Solid music though a bit forgettable. Three stars on the precipice of a fourth.
Fucking fun. This was a good does of high I twin, balls to the wall punk rock. I will definitely be spinning this during my next meth binge.
The kind of music that makes you want to crack a beer and cheers it in the sky to no one in particular. This album makes me want to spin shitties in a field and cause mild public destruction. Rock n fucking roll. 🤘
This album started off strong but veered off towards the latter part. The metal hits hard especially with the insane drumming but I really dislike the experimental stuff in the latter part. It seems painfully angsty like a hormonal teenager staring in a mirror holding a flame from a lighter with lights off.
Interesting album that I think leans on the groove immensely. Much credit to the bass that carries each song. David Byrne is a weird cat, but in a good way. Good listen but not their greatest output.
Wow what a packed album! Every song is a bonafide banger. The Cars kick ass!
Art Garfunkel might possibly have the most beautiful, angelic male voice ever. Their harmonies are second to none. I’m currently a week away from Christmas and silent night ends the album with a back track of civil violations headlines. Not much has changed. At least S&G can provide a little solace during troubling times.
This drips of shoulder pads and member’s only jackets. This is the 80’s incarnate. Miss Turner is the consummate performer even having a residency at Las Vegas. And a crazy talent, her early days were bluesier and every move mandated by her ex spouse/manager/former abuser. This album was her rising from the tumultuous domestic life she’d previously lived and coming into her own. The glaring achievement and eternal earworm of “What’s Love Got to do with it” earns this album a 3 regardless. There are other good tunes here like “I can’t stand the rain” and “private dance” but it’s so inundated with Casio keyboards, synthesizers and beat machines that this album will remain a “you had to be there” kind of thing.
I’m pretty lukewarm on Krabitz. The dudes talented and honors rock with his songs but they aren’t particularly adventurous or new. He’s competent.
That being said, this was an enjoyable album I’ll probably not revisit. “I’ll build this garden for us” was a nice surprise. The chorus, repeated, emboles something eerie when he drops the note on the repeated us.
I will give him credit in that he seems t have created a classic rock, funk, punk fusion of some sorts but it ultimately still feels like a borrowed novelty.
The American Beatle. Harry Nilsson is the unsung hero of American pop music. He wrote so many songs that everyone has heard and others have won awards covering. Famously the maestro of the Popeye soundtrack. Harry’s voice and arrangements are so uniquely his that his talent and albums are a treasure to whom ever goes down the rabbit hole. Damn near perfect album
I love Radiohead and am completely biased.
I know Ravi to be the foremost sitarist in history, famously mentoring the Beatles and acting as their tour guide during a stint in India and psycadelics. I also know him to be the estranged father of former reviewer artist, Nora Jones. I have, however, never listened to his music. This was a nice experience. Calming and meditative. I don’t know that I fully understand eastern music but I enjoy it nonetheless. This would be a nice album to have I. The record collection.
