Some prime late 80s alternative / jangle rock right here. Everyone knows “It’s the End Of the World As We Know It”, but the rest of the album fits in quite nicely. I personally love the dulcimer on “King of Birds” and horns on “Fireplace”. To some this might sound like dad rock, but if that’s the vibe you’re looking for, you can’t do much better than this.

I enjoy both ambient and art rock and am obviously familiar with Brian Eno, so I thought this was a fitting first choice considering I hadn’t yet heard this album of his yet. There’s a lot of sounds here and it goes in many different directions. I was thrown off by the first track, but the album settled in nicely and offered an entertaining journey of rock and ambient sounds intertwined.

Some prime late 80s alternative / jangle rock right here. Everyone knows “It’s the End Of the World As We Know It”, but the rest of the album fits in quite nicely. I personally love the dulcimer on “King of Birds” and horns on “Fireplace”. To some this might sound like dad rock, but if that’s the vibe you’re looking for, you can’t do much better than this.

Hard to believe this is their debut, it sounds so polished and groovy. It’s Steely Dan, so you’re going to get clever yet philosophical lyrics, guitar and piano solos, interesting chord progressions, catchy hooks and melodies that will definitely put you in a good mood. While I prefer their later albums, this is surely a classic debut from a fun and interesting band with a very solid discography.

Classic 70s R&B soul music. Marvin Gaye is a top three singer of all time for me and this not a bad album at all. The baby making vibe can make it a difficult one to randomly throw on in certain situations, and the songs can blend together. It’s a solid album but nothing blew me away. 3/5

Never could get into Guns N’ Roses. With that said, you won’t find many more explosive debut albums with hits that even non rock fans are familiar with. From the moment the guitar comes in on “Welcome to the Jungle”, you know you’re in for a ride. I recognize the impact this album had for many listeners, but it just doesn’t do it for me.

I love this album, I was singing every word and I’ll listen again at work. Such good vibes throughout (mostly) and each song could be a single on their own. This had to be a pop giant at the time and started the album era. And I’ve always loved the “Rubber Soul” title, comedically acknowledging the elephant in the room and moving forward with their own sound. While the album is huge and sort of started their legendary run, I can’t give it a 5 because then what are Sgt Peppers, The White Album, Abbey Road? 7s? I feel their music continued to evolve on later albums.

I initially was going to give this a 3 as soon as it popped up just based off nostalgia. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I remembered. The songs are a little bland but they can be catchy enough. The singles are really the only high points for me.

This was my first experience really listening to The White Stripes. Not bad garage/alt rock music, definitely heard worse. 16 songs at 40 minutes is very listenable and packs a punch, but can get redundant. It’s an ok album and adequate rock music, but nothing blew me away and I most likely won’t listen again aside from some songs. I think a 2.5 rounded up to a 3 is appropriate.

This was an interesting album I had trouble rating. Probably one of the more enjoyable thus far. The guitars were mesmerizing, vocals intriguing (especially Kim Gordon), and there were plenty of odd instrumental moments to get lost in. The whole album flows together well but also sounds different. This is that anxious, dark, moody indie/alt rock that’s addicting to some and feels like lightning in a bottle. I was not aware of Sonic Youth before and I can’t tell you any other music by them, but discovering an album like this is the reason I did this project. To be fair, I can see how other listeners may feel the vocals can get annoying, or the art/prog sounds too unappealing. Will it be a permanent staple in my rotation? Ehh - hard to say. Will be it my album of the month? Possibly. An easy 3.5 boosted to a 4.

I can understand the appeal: catchy pop/punk songs, glossy production, tight instruments, harmonizing vocals. Definitely some feel good tunes with an 80s summer vibe. That said, I felt it was underwhelming and generic pop music. I didn’t hate it, but likely won’t listen again. 2.5

I’m familiar with this album, heard it many times and am usually underwhelmed. This is a laid back, whitewashed blues cover album. As uninspiring as this album is, it has its moments: Motherless Child, Get Ready, Let It Grow are all tolerable. Not a fan of the I Shot the Sheriff cover, seemed random and out of place. If you want blues, there’s better out there. If you want Clapton, there’s better out there. If you want cover music, there’s better out there. This is ehh, a 2.

More derivative 70s blues hard rock by a bunch of white guys. I’m not sure what’s supposed to set this super-band apart from the rest of the scene back then. Amazing and technically sound musicians, Paul Rodgers has a great voice and the production is polished yet they still managed to somehow churn out forgettable music that I’ll most likely never play again outside of mainstream classic rock playlists.

My dad played this album a lot when I was young so there’s a sense of nostalgia: albeit, not necessarily a good one. This album always made me feel uneasy but I chalked it up to me being young, so I went into it with an open mind thinking I would understand it as an adult. Nope, still feels like I’m in a horror movie. The percussion sounds are like something out of a torture chamber, vocals like an insane patient, guitars distorted like a bad acid trip. Anytime this album goes on it feels like all the positivity in my life has been undone. But I guess the album did its job causing intense feeling, as opposed to my previous rated album that felt hollow and boring. Can’t say this is boring - not many other albums sound like this; it’s just a little morbid for me. With that said, I’ll give it a 2 based on acclaim and individuality. This is either you love it or hate it.

This was ok - solid enough but nothing to write home about. It became background music at one point but it was background music I could tolerate. I was more interested in the fact that this was produced by Brian Eno. I know this is a masterpiece to many but I start to lose interest after the first 3-4 tracks. I’m not sure I’d listen again outside of a few songs.

This was a fun discovery; it was my first time hearing it and there’s a lot to digest. A unique sound that sort of reminded me of The Doors. While it has some of that 60s psych jangle, there’s many other styles to explore here - a lot of variety on this album that makes it difficult to box into a single genre of rock. I’ll be giving this more listens. A 3 rating seems fair and I’m not surprised to read this was bumped off the list in later editions, but it’s a strong 3 for me.

2/5 Classic and polished folk rock with catchy harmonies and melodies. Songs like “Almost Cut My Hair”, “Woodstock”, “Everybody I Love You” offer some soulful and blues rock as well. Also, ten songs for about a half hour is always doable. As great as the personnel is there’s still an element about the music that’s forgettable and bland as it doesn’t standout to me aside from maybe a few songs. Not a fan of Neil Young’s voice either.

There’s something nostalgic about that 80s rap flow and beat. I grew up on hiphop but never got into the Beastie Boys as I used to think white rappers were all hype (yes, I’m white) and I wasn’t into the rock/rap/yelling mashup. And I’ll admit 80s rap has rough replay value as beat technology and flows advanced over the decades. But putting rock and rap together like this with a group of Jewish kids was obviously a multi-million dollar idea. Their bravado on the mic is unquestionable, their flows are tough and the samples spot on. Opening with Led Zeppelin’s drums from When the Levee Breaks was a great touch. With all that said, as an adult, rap doesn’t interest me anymore and the album can get noisy (I’m an old person yelling at the sky), and I’ll likely never listen again so I’m tempted to give this a 2.

More 70s artsy fartsy pop rock by a nasally white guy. This was my first time listening to Elvis Costello, though, I understand he has many more albums on this list so I guess I’ll get more acquainted with him. My biggest complaint is his voice. Otherwise, it’s decent pop rock. Catchy and tight music with clear and visual lyrics mainly about relationships, women, growing up and angst in general. The album’s good enough but not exactly memorable and I probably won’t return to it much. But yes, I understand this is near the apex of songwriting for many listeners.

Interesting choice to be on this list, but they rocked the fuck out with Gerry Roslie’s singing and yelling over guitars, pianos, saxes, drums, etc… very pleased hearing the saxophone throughout. Lots of high energy and raw music. My gripes are the low quality, only four original songs, short songs that remind me of 50s dance music, and I can’t help but feel they’re doing Little Richard or Chuck Berry impressions. Overall not bad, but the quality makes it unlikely to be replayed.

This was a nice way to start the morning. Some laid back country folk music (but really felt more like straight up folk) that made for a smooth and enjoyable listen. Emmylou Harris has a very pretty voice; you know it’s good when it evokes feelings and memories you didn’t know you had. Nothing stands out here - it’s decent, polished folk music with a good voice, but can get dull. I most likely won’t go out of my way to listen, but if it comes on I probably won’t turn it off.

I love this album. Opening with that saxophone on “Smooth Operator” is amazing and sets a great tone for the rest of the album. Sade is a beautiful singer whose soft voice perfectly complements the laid back jazz/rnb/pop music played by her smooth backing band. Top tier and polished 80s soul. 3.5

A little boring for me, but decent upbeat disco & funk music. We’re all familiar with “Good Times”, you can expect a similar vibe throughout the rest of the album. Some of the songs are on the long side. Pretty typical 70s-80s dance music.

I guess we can get these soul/pop cover albums out of the way. It’s sung well enough but sounds dated even by 60s standards. I can’t imagine I’ll revisit this album. Not sure it belongs on this list over other albums that have been removed. It’s still listenable, especially the jazz music.

“We are the robots” - Interesting music, my first time hearing this band. Unique in a good way. A lot of synths that have a bit of a chilling vibe to them. Can be very catchy too. Distorted and robotic voices everywhere. This is strictly electronic music. I can see how some may be turned off by this while others are addicted. I’m somewhere in the middle.

Folk & pop acoustic singer/songwriter vibes with decent singing. There’s also some soft synths, laid back electronic guitars, pianos, violin among others. Great to get lost in the hypnotizing guitars, soundscapes and lyrics. The chords and arrangements can be catchy. I’m not a fan of the spoken word type singing. While enjoyable, the music as a whole doesn’t totally pop for me.

This album is not easy to listen to. Track one is over 9 minutes of loud, static guitars with a voice that sounds like someone’s screaming in a cold basement; Religion 1 and Religion 2 have the same lyrics, one’s just acapella and two has music; the final track is nearly an hour long radio show. Just not very appealing at all. But you do get raw music with loud guitars, funky bass lines, and vocals that are very anti-establishment. Though, I thought the vocals were off putting and I couldn’t vibe with it…I couldn’t vibe with this album in general. I just don’t think I’m much of a punk fan.

Yeah, no, this is not happening to my ears and soul. I’m good on industrial and thrash metal.

4.5 Man the memories - I had this CD over 20 years ago, it’s still here somewhere. I played the hell out of it and am so happy to see it’s on this list, especially after two days in a row of 1 rating albums. The Low End Theory is so smooth and funky, I love the jazz samples and drums throughout that Q-Tip and Phife Dawg flow over with laid back ease using conscious lyrics regarding the entertainment industry, relationships, partying, society, etc. Their contrasting styles on the mic complement each other very well (the Abstract and the Concrete). Also shoutout to them for producing and writing most of the album themselves. And these beats are a little darker and harder than you’d expect, making them even more magnetic. This whole album of prime 90s east coast boom bap flows perfectly with not one skippable song. You can leave this on in the background all day and never get sick of it. Another perk of this project: it brings old classics and favorites back into your rotation. I guess the only thing keeping this from a pure 5/5 is the low fi, dated, muffled quality of sound.

3.5 This was a very exciting album, especially for 60s, and it still sounds pretty fresh today. I’ve always liked The Byrds and their psych folk rock style. They were a little experimental on this with reverse sounds and other electronic effects which fitted the album nicely. But nothing really sets this album apart from the rest of the decade - sort of above average.

4.5 This is probably Elton John’s masterpiece, and a masterpiece it is. Over an hour of pop rock ballads, and while not all may hit, there’s plenty here to enjoy. This may be long for some, but it’s enthralling and almost runs like a greatest hits album. He certainly has a lot of bravado in his voice and the music is so vast, clear and well played. Could probably trim a song or two off the track list to really make this special.

Brit pop based around ska, reggae, new wave, punk all produced by Elvis Costello. It’s an interesting listen and I’ll give it many more listens throughout the day, but my first few impressions were underwhelming, especially the vocals. The music wasn’t bad. I didn’t mind it, but I also found myself looking forward to it ending and was relived these 14 songs were only 45 min.

Entire album has catchy, loud, hardcore guitar riffs that can be enjoyable and get you hyped and in the zone. The lyrics and singing bring this down a bit for me, which is unfortunate because the music can be hypnotic and is very polished in general.

It’s ok, typical 90s rock that can get boring. Not terrible but not memorable. Close your eyes, pick a 90s alt/progressive band and it’ll probably sound like this. Nothing here moves me.

The music is great. The Spanish singing leaves something to be desired as an American listener. But the Afro-Latin based music is so fresh it’s hard to believe this is 1957.

3.5 Some raw, hardcore, electric blues, roots and psych rock with early Janis Joplin on the mic. Not the most polished album, but that’s sort of its appeal. This is a pretty good time capsule of that period. I’m such a sucker for the fuzzy/funky guitars, vibes and Joplin’s singing that I want to give this a 4, but I realize that’s a bit overrated; 3.5 is perfect. I also understand her voice isn’t for everyone.

Personal favorite of mine. Love the laid back, neo-soul, 90s RnB sound - a lot of gospel, blues, jazz and hiphop mixed together. There’s not a bad song on here. Very warm, relaxing, groovy and has a lot of depth compared to some other RnB.