First one - giving straight up 3 stars as a benchmark to the rest. This is about me, not Radiohead

I respect this whole concept. Of all things you can do post stadium sellout superstardom, creating a cartoon experimental band is up there with the best possible outcomes. Three notes: 1) The alternative youff of Australia wear Gorillaz merch. I never would have picked this band to have cultural relevance in 2025 2) They terrify Willem (four years old at the time of writing). I whisper “that it’s all in your head” and he completely loses his shit 3) Three stars seems harsh, but it’s in context of the list and also because I don’t really like listening to this album anymore

I have been passively exposed to this album my whole life, without ever once consenting to it being put in my ears. It is like reviewing dogs barking in the distance or engines idling in gridlocked traffic - something ubiquitous and vaguely annoying thrust upon us all

This album unites people. Anyone - regardless of age, class, nationality - can agree that this is a masterpiece and Van Morrison is a raging dickhead.

It’s so good I can’t even think of a pithy joke. Actually I wish I could rate U2 lower

My personal favourite Tom Waits album. Have thrashed and will continue to thrash into old age

The voices startle me when listening to this with headphones. Sounds like a sleep paralysis demon whispering in your ear

Probably should’ve been three stars, but the following pushed it up: 1) The 1994 sega mega drive game ‘Rock n Roll Racing’ had a 16 bit version of Highway Star, complete with the extended solo (pure genius). The solo was like an Easter egg. One only heard it when the race was well and truely over, and you were driving around the track backwards to collect the remaining bonus items. 2) The local speedway - Woodford Glen - had a local broadcast ad with Smoke on the Water blaring way too loud (also genius). It wasn’t until high school that I realised the song was not named Woodford Glen

Three stars feels unfair, four feels generous in the context of this list. If in doubt, bump it up

Nothing but respect for an eleven (11) minute song on a 35 minute album

I love Ash and was stoked to see them on this list. It was like walking into a fine-dining restaurant and seeing a dirty ol’ hotdog on the menu.

This brought on an existential crisis. How to review Alanis? Do I like it (no)? Does it hold up (no)? Is it meant to hold up (no)? Does it have the cultural significance to be on this list (yes)? Does it nail what it’s trying to do (yes)? Is it brave or clever to rip the shit out of it (no)? Is it better than Radiohead’s Amnesiac (no)?

Nostalgic album that I heard a lot growing up. Extra points for Yusaf coming to Chch after the terror attack - all round good guy

Some of the delivery is a bit dated, but the beats and general content are still fckn awesome. Driving round stoned with your mates music

I really tried with this. It felt to me like music by committee - a whole bunch of different Producers chipping in to leave one big puddle of soulless compromise