Fantastic album with a few songs that didn't grab me as much. Elton John can write a hell of a hook. 3.5-4 stars
Absolute banger after banger! The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is so I can give In Utero a higher score.
The opening track of this album is perfect. From it's groovy bassline to the jazzy keyboard it sets the bar for the record enormously high. Unfortunately the rest of the album then fails to reach that bar. While the closing track is strong is well, most of the middle of the album felt like it was trying to put me to sleep. There were moments that stood out, but overall I found the repetitive vocals weak and most of the instrumentation just became background noise.
Overall 3, maybe 3.5. There was enough there I may have to give it a relisten though.
Definitely one of those albums that I can imagine was absolutely mind-blowing at the time. Janis definitely has a unique and impressive voice.
3.5/5
I can see why this album made the list, I can really hear the influence it had on singer/songwriter and indie music, especially among the Jack Johnson's of the world. The most striking thing about the album was how modern it sounded, it wouldn't sound out of place if I stumbled upon it on a random Tiny Desk concert or heard it on modern college radio.
I found the instrumentation on the album really pleasant. The way the piano, strings, flute, etc. play off the guitar is really cool, and Nick Drake is an impressive guitar player.
Unfortunately, that vocal style is nails-on-a-chalkboard to me. It sounds like he invented the "indie accent" so many artists today copy, and those whispery soft-spoken vocals drive me insane (in a bad way). I also found the "cute" lyrics grating. I really wanted to like this album, but unfortunately the vocals bring it down to a 2-2.5/5 for me.
I thought the hits on this album were decent (Sunday, New Year's), but the rest were forgettable to downright bad. I must say, The Refugee was impressively bad, the worst song I've heard in a while. I busted out laughing when Bono starting doing his "Uh, HUAHs". I actually relistened to this song after I finished the album to see if it was as bad as my initial impression, and it was even more hilariously awful the second time. 1.5/5.
Aerosmith is just simply not for me. While I can recognize the talent of the bandmembers and see that this is a very competently made record, to my ears it's just vapid lyrics interspersed with impressive guitar solos. The album lacks any substance underneath the surface (that I can detect at least). It's not actively bad, so I can't give it a 1/5, but after the first couple songs it just became a chore to get through. 1.5/5 ->2/5.
While Moby may overuse his gimmick of finding old samples of soulful vocals, I do think this album holds up quite well. I really enjoy the classic hits from the album like Honey and South Side, while also finding joy in some of the softer passages. I thought most of the songs had a good amount of depth to them and liked the layered instrumentation throughout. That said, there were a number of forgettable tracks in the mix as well. I'm not big into the electronic music scene, but it does seem this album continues to have a large influence on this style of music.
Also, I somehow didn't realize (or forgot) that South Side is a Moby track!
3.5 -> 4
Definitely my least favorite of the major Hendrix records. While still full of some great tracks and amazing guitar playing, I never felt it reaches the soring heights his first and last records do. 3.5 -> 3/5
I don't have a whole lot to say about this album, it is clearly very competently made and full of talent. That said, it's just not really my thing. I did like some of the more atmospheric instrumentals.
3.5 -> 3/5
I really wasn't excited to listen an out-of-context soundtrack to a movie I've never seen, especially given how underwhelming I found Moon Safari, but I was pleasantly surprised! I really liked this album. It creates a really nice, often disconcerting atmosophere, and I found that it went to some more interesting places than Moon Safari did. I especially liked the track Dirty Trip. Definitely one I'll be throwing on again while working or studying. I just listed in my car, so I'm excited to revisit it with a solid pair of headphones.
4/5.
Contemporary country definitely isn't my thing. I actually recognized one of the songs from the album though! It wasn't absolutely terrible, but definitely won't be revisiting. Did a couple of interesting things musically here and there. Lyrics were generic and god-awful throughout -> "I'm not wonder woman, I can't lasso the truth out of you". 2/5
When I was in high school, I had a few friends who were way into Ska. They would try and convert me, often playing records by bands like Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish. To me, these songs were always a bit too much, featuring constant aggressive use of horns over upbeat raggae-inspired rhythms that I would find exhuasting to listen to. It always just sounded like punk with a gimmick to me. Because of that, I wasn't at all excited when I looked this album up and saw it was classified as "ska". To make it worse, I couldn't find it on streaming so had to rely on a fairly low-quality Youtube playlist to listen to it.
I quickly found myself pleasantly surprised. I found this record to be an interesting blend of many genres and influences, and I found the horns and other less conventional instrumentation was used in a way that complemented the music as opposed to overpowered it like on the previously mentioned ska albums. This made it so when they did take centerstage, like at the end of "Primrose Hill," it made for interesting and powerful moments. I didn't expect to recognize any tracks, so was surprised to hear "Our House," a track that I've heard probably thousands of times before but never knew the origin of.
There were still a few misses on the album. I found Blue Skinned Beast kind of irritating, and New Delhi, while an interesting idea, felt a bit out of place.
Overall, definitely an interesting and ambitious record that I'll likely return to. I'd say a 3.5 or 4/5.
While I can see how this album could have been absolutely life-changing hearing it for the first time in the 60s, to my modern ears I found it to be a small handful of amazing tracks interspersed between a lot of very forgettable ones. I find Venus in Furs and Heroin brilliant tracks that still hold up very well. I thought European Son was a unique and ambitious closing track as well. I otherwise found the album to be fairly dull and forgettable, and I've never really been able to get too into Lou Reed or Nico's vocals.
3/5.
I understand it's unfair to judge artists from the 50s with modern sensitivities, but to me this album sounds like shallow hits about love all just engineered to be commercial hit with very little under the surface. While I realize Buddy Holly had a massive influence on rock music, I feel like other artists were doing much more interesting things during this time period. 2/5
It's actually a pretty bold move to essentially open the album with a 13-minute, genre-spanning Opus like "Welcome to the Pleasuredome," and I think they mostly pulled it off with that song. I was then surprised to hear a number of familiar tracks on the record such as "Relax" and "War." Unfortunately, the remainder of the album threw away the good will it had earned as it slowly descended into mediocrity. Songs like "San Jose" sounded lackluster and out-of-place, and I found the random Springsteen cover completely pointless and inferior to the original. The rest of the tracks were completely forgettable as well. After the first quarter of the album I wanted to like it, but unfortunately the remainder fell flat.
2.5->2/5.
Decent enough parody of the music at the time, but far from Zappa's best in my opinion. Still some decent tracks though.
I've never been able to get into the Beastie Boys. I find their voices annoying, and they always seem to use the same basic rhyme scheme with the exact same flow in every song. I definitely feel there is much better early hip hop out there. 2/5
Very good album full of beautiful soundscapes and soaring heights. My only complaint is the last two songs are the weakest in my opinion, so it doesn't quite stick the landing. Still breathtaking though.
4.5 -> 5
A solid album with a few stand-out tracks.
Growing up, my parents would regularly play this album as we took long rides. I probably heard every song on it a hundred times by the time I turned 10, so notalgia undeniably plays a role in my love for this album. That said, I believe it still completely holds up. The only low point on the album is Electioneering, and that that is far from a bad song. It just happens to be the only song that isn't nearly perfect (not counting Fitter Happier). Even after all these years, I never tire of playing it all the way through. Easy 5/5.
A very listenable album that didn't have a lot of stand-out tracks, but also didn't have any bad tracks. I did like the dense instrumentation throughout. 3.5/5
I liked the first instrumental song on the album, but found the rest of the album disappointing. I couldn't stand the vocals, and found even the other instrumental tracks grating. Not a great introduction to Kraut Rock.
I'm not a big Simon and Garfunkel fan, I can only take so much whisper-singing over soft guitar. This is probably my least-favorite of their albums I've heard as well. That said, I realize they are undeniably influencial.
2.5 -> 2
Southern rock isn't my favorite subgenre, but I can't deny "Tuesday's Gone," "Simple Man," and "Free Bird" are classics. I generally found the rest to be failry forgettable though, and don't care for the ever-present southern twang.
3/5
I was nervous when I saw the label "Celtic," because I'm really not a fan of modern "Celtic rock." This ended up being an interesting enough blending of genres though. Also anyone who's not moving at least a little to "Come on Eileen" is made of stone.
It's amazing how an album with such a spectrum of impressive contributors can somehow sound so stale and lacking in variety. About two songs in I was already counting down the tracks waiting for it end.
1.5 -> 2/5
Jeff Beck is undeniably a talented guitarist, but the songs on this record just felt like they were full of uninspired blues riffs and incredibly generic lyrics and vocals.
So many familiar voices on this record, even coming from someone who isn't particularly well-versed in hip-hop. Sure, not all of it aged perfectly, but still full of memorable lines and beats througout.
Every soft song on this album sounded the same to me, granted it was a pretty good song. "The Way Young Lovers Do" was solid, I wish there were more like that on here.
Not my favorite jazz album, was a little soft for my tastes. Still not bad though. And Abdullah definitely has an interesting story!
To me this just feels like a horny 90lb man with emphysema rasping out vocals about how badass he is over power chords.
One of the better 60s rock albums I've heard on here so far, but definitely prefer later The Who records.
A decent enough chill modern hip-hop record, but didn't feel like anything groundbreaking to me. I generally enjoyed the lyrics and vocals, felt very personal.
3.5/5
This is a really haunting and atmospheric album. I read up on the backstory while listening, then was having a really hard time holding tears back while I was trying to lift weights. These songs just ooze with loss and mourning, while also remaining hopeful. That said, the songs do kind of run together and the album really lacks variety. Even still I feel it deserves a 4 with how much it affected me.
A solid jammy rock album, but I think I prefer Joplin's solo albums. 3.5 ->3
Not sure we need multiple live Johnny Cash recordings on the list, but it's a solid album none-the-less. The banter on it is fun as well.
3/5
Not really my type of music, but this album is undeniably fun and well-crafted with a few stand-out moments. 3.5 -> 3
The very definition of mid in my opinion. A few stand out moments, but mostly average tracks, most of which I found pretty forgettable. Was ready for it to be over by the end. 2.5 ->2
I somehow ended up with two Blur albums in a row (the nature of randomness). I wasn't a big fan of Parklife, but this was a step down in every way. Just generally bland and forgettable, I genuinely don't understand why this album would be considered an all-time top 1000. It's also crazy to me that Damon would go on to write such interesting music with the Gorillaz!
Wasn't my favorite Tom Waits album, but not bad by any means. Had a few stand-out tracks like Jersey Girl, but also a handful of forgettable ones.
This album makes me want to change my other 1-star reviews, because this is so much worse. Just full of gross lyrics and uninteresting music. The only good thing I have to say about it is it's fairly short.
There are some songs I really enjoy on here, mostly the well known ones like Lust for Life and The Passenger. Also the influence that this record continues to have on modern music is absolutely undeniable. That said, I found probably half the tracks to be pretty forgettable with uninspired lyrics. 3/5
Although it does have a pretty big handful of forgettable tracks, The White Album also has the highest concentration of great Beatles' songs in my opinion. More than any other, it seems to really explore a wide range of sounds and genres with each song being unique. It's really close between this and Sgt. Pepper for my favorite Beatles' records, although I'm definitely not the biggest fan.
Not a bad kind of spacy, psychedelic record, but most of the songs ultimately didn't really go anywhere except Revolution that I thought had a good build-up. I've heard Spiritualized before, so was kind of cool to hear their origin.
Solid album, but a little rough around the edges. You can really hear MBV laying the foundation for future albums like Loveless, which I consider to be an easy 5/5.
Bruce definitely has his formula that he sticks to to make hits, but it undeniably works. I appreciate the working-class themes present on the album, and still get a thrill whenever his songs are used in "patriotic" rallies. The lyrics aren't exactly subtle. Still, I find this album sounds a bit repetitive and gets pretty stale near the end.
On an unrelated note, artists need to stop using ass-in-jeans album covers, it's very overplayed at this point.
Probably my all-time favorite live recording. There's not a song on here that I could listen to daily and get sick of. Kurt delivers his best vocal performance during the tracks, ending with his all-time great cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". Between songs, his personality really shines through as he banters and cracks jokes with the audience. Overall just an incredible performance that has stood the test of time.
An all around solid early hip-hop record full of memorable tracks.
Joy Division is one of those bands that countless of my favorite artists have cited as an influence. Listening to this album I can tell why, it's very interesting and unique, I imagine that was especially true when it came out. At the end of the day, however, it just really isn't my thing, not one I'll be revisiting much. Gets points for originality though! 3.5 -> 3/5
Wilco was the first band I ever saw live when they opened for REM when I was around 10 years old. Unfortunately they still sound as boring as I remember. Some decent lyrics though!
2.5 -> 2/5
Not normally my thing, but a pretty solid and fun album overall. Also Waterfalls is an unqualified banger. 3/5
Overall a pretty solid album, but I think it suffers a bit from being released after the more ambitious Sgt. Pepper and the White Album, as I feel it's a pretty big step back. The songs are generally more straightforward in my opinion, and it seems to have less variation overall, playing it more safe and familiar instead of exploring different genres. Still, a well put-together record though. 3/5.
I liked this one! It really stood out among the neverending sea of Classic Rock and Britpop as something unique. It wasn't perfect, the vocals were a bit underwhelming and some of the songs didn't really go anywhere, but there were a lot of interesting soundscapes on this one.
Just an all-around really solid album from start to finish, really not a bad song in here. Carole King has an incredible voice.
Although not as groundbreaking as the top-tier Radiohead albums, this is still a very solid record with some amazing songs on it (2+2=5, There, There, etc). That said, it does also have a couple uncharacteristic duds IMO like We Suck Young Blood and The Gloaming.
Given all the mediocre British alt-rock bands the author likes to throw on here, I expected this album to be the same. I only know The Verve for Bittersweet Symphony and The Drugs Don't Work. This album actually surprised me though, as I found the more psychedelic elements to be really interesting and enjoyable. Still, there were a handful of forgettable tracks on here, and they largely started to sound the same by the end. 3.5 -> 3/5
This has some interesting songs and soundscapes on it. I particularly liked "Bloodsport" and "The Wake". That said, overall I wasn't blown away by it, and there were a number of tracks that didn't do much for me. 3/5
This has some interesting songs and soundscapes on it. I particularly liked "Bloodsport" and "The Wake". That said, overall I wasn't blown away by it, and there were a number of tracks that didn't do much for me. 3/5
Whenever I listen to the Strokes I feel like I'm listening to the same song over and over again. To be fair it is a pretty good song. 2.5 -> 3/5
An extremely well crafted hip-hop record front-to-back full of memorable lines and beats. Definitely a classic for a reason.
This was really good! I just got Sea Change the other day which I thought was solid. This one has more variety to it though, and overall thought it was more interesting artistically. 4/5
I really like Jack White, but have always found The White Stripes fairly underwhelming. Still, this record does have some interesting moments on it, and I like the heavy blues vibe that a lot of the songs have. 3/5.
A solid album overall, but older Beatles just doesn't do a whole lot for me. 3/5
A decent enough standard alt-rock album overall. Given the bands name and that album cover I was expecting something a lot weirder, so was a bit disappointed, but was still worth a listen. 3/5
This is a really solid album overall! A few duds, but also many great tracks on here like Supermassive Black Hole and Knight of Cydonia. This is not only Muse's peak in my opinion, but also the last good album they ever made.
I do like Gimme Shelter and You Can't Always Get What You Want, but other than Monkey Man I really thought the other tracks were weak and forgettable. 2.5 -> 2/5
I was ready to hate this album because I can't stand "Heads Will Roll" and the band name is easily one of their worst in all of music. That said, I begrudgingly admit there were some solid songs on here, particularly "Zero" and "Runaway". 3/5
I really liked the first song, which got my hopes up for the rest of the album, but otherwise I found it to be a pretty typical albeit solid punk record.
Undeniably an all-time great pop record with so many memorable hits. It's not really my type of music, but even I can't help but find myself getting way into most of the tracks on here. The only thing keeping it from being a 5 are some of the slower tracks, particularly "The Girl is Mine" which I found pretty bad. 4/5
This is a generally solid album with a lot of great songs on it, however it ultimately overstays its welcome and could have really used some trimming down. The highs are on par with Siamese Dream, but I feel that album is much more cohesive and complete. Still an enjoyable listen overall though.
I don't know why, but I have a built-in aversion to New Wave. It has just never done anything for me. That said, this is undeniably a well put-together record, and the production really elevates it especially when played through a good set of headphones. 3/5.
Amazing album front-to-back. Alice in Chains was one of the first bands I really got into as a young teenager, so I'm definitely biased, but I really feel this album holds up well. There's not a bad song on here and I feel Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell are both at the tops of their crafts. I also really enjoy the exploration of addiction, from Junkhead's self-assured confidence to the low points like Down in a Hold. 4.5 -> 5/5
This album really wasn't for me, just found it to be boring alt-rock without a ton of variety. I respect Michael Stipe, but I guess even he can be wrong!
Probably my least favorite Zeppelin album, but of course the worst Zep album is better than the vast majority of albums out there. I feel it opens really strong with Immigrant Song, but then never quite reaches those highs again. Also doesn't include any of my personal all-time favorite Zeppelin songs.
This album was really interesting! The only Arcade Fire record I've previously listened all the way through is The Suburbs, and I honestly found this to be far superior. "Black Mirror" was a really strong opening track. I thought the organs and strings throughout the record almost gave it a "dark gospel" feel, and I found many of the lyrics really compelling. It is then closed with "My Body is a Cage," which is a phenomonal closing track. Unfortunately it did have a small handful of weak tracks on it as well like "Black Wave" and Windowsill," preventing it from being a 5/5.
It's not a terrible record, but I find the whole Raggae thing gets tiring really quickly, and I don't think there was a ton of variety on the record. Overall just really not for me.
This is easily the best pre-1960s rock album I've listened to from the list so far (~115 in). This album is a really interesting blend of early rock, blues, and jazz and personally I feel it sounds miles ahead of some of Fats' rock contemporaries like Buddy Holly.
Competently made record, but just really not my thing. Don't have much else to say about it. 2/5
Although it may not have the hits that Queen is known for, I think Queen II is their most interesting album, musically. There's a lot of interesting and complex instrumental work on this album, and Freddie's vocals sound fantastic on it. 4/5
Overall this seems like pretty by-the-books, inoffensive classic rock, but I really don't have a bad thing to say about the record. Just nice, easy listening with very few faults. 4/5
Adele undeniably has an incredible voice, but it takes more than that to produce a great album, and I just don't think this gets there. It has couple good songs, particularly Set Fire to the Rain, but overall I feel it follows to close to its influences and sounds pretty cookie-cutter overall. Also Rumor Has It was easily one of the most annoying songs of its time, being beaten only by Moves Like Jagger. 2.5 -> 2/5
This is a tough one for me. The opening track of this album is incredible, and there are a few killer tracks sprinkled throughout like The Spark That Bled, but for every great track there's 1 or 2 medicore to bad tracks as well (Waiting for Superman, etc.) I'm right between a 3 and a 4 on this one, so need to decide if I'm going to round up or down.
I thought this album started really strong, but I found myself checking in toward the middle and end of the album. I really enjoyed the guitar work, the solos almost sound Gilmore-esque to me. I wasn't crazy about the vocals though. Not bad overall. CERTAINLY shouldn't be in contention for 1991 AOTY over Nevermind, but I won't hold it against the band.
I've never listened to ELO before apart from their radio hits, but was actually really impressed. I enjoyed the wide variety of instrumentation and also enjoyed the unconventional song structures they used. 4/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Usually when bands try to blend this many genres together, I feel it often sounds disjointed. I think EW&F pull it off nicely though and create an enjoyable listen all the way through.
I really feel like if this album didn't have Lennon's name attached to it, it really wouldn't have gotten any attention. It wasn't terrible, but just really wasn't memorable. The only track that stuck out to me was Well Well Well. 2/5
Like most supergroups, this album is ultimately less than the sum of its parts. It does have a lot of dense, layered instrumentation, and the production is fantastic. That said, most of the songs are pretty forgettable and don't really go anywhere in my opinion. Was hard to keep my attention after the first few. Still, is a pleasure to listen to on good headphones with that production! 2.5 -> 3/5
Also, crazy that I'm not even 1/5 of the way through the list and have already had 3 Damon albums (and zero Neil Young, amazingly).
This album both opens and closes incredibly strongly, with Death on Two Legs and Bohemian Rhapsody. I would stay the album generally stays strong throughout the middle as well, but not quite to the same level. I listened to the remastered version and it sounded amazing through good heaphones! Overall I would say I prefer Queen II by a hair, but I do think Freddie sounds at his absolute best here. 4/5.
My thoughts are pretty much the same as "More Songs About Buildings and Food" which I listened to before this. The album sounds way ahead of its time and its influence is still felt today. That said, their music just really doesn't connect with me on a personal level.
It blows my mind that this album came out of 1978, it really sounds like it could be directly from the 90s or 00s. Like many other records on this list, it clearly had an immense impact on music, especially indie. That said, their music just really doesn't connect with me on a personal level for whatever reason. 3.5 -> 3
The Pixies are one of those bands that all of my favorite bands cite as a major influence. Listening through this album, I can definitely understand why. They may not be a personal favorite of mine, but their influence on 90s and 00s rock is undeniable.
Humanity hasn't learned a damn thing since this record came out.
Miles creates some incredible soundscapes on this album. It's unique and chaotic but still maintains a strong sense of identity throughout and really doesn't have a weak moment. Easy 5/5.
Also one of the greatest album covers of all time.
My eyes rolled when I saw this was another 90s European alt-rock album, but it was a very pleasant surprise! A really solid atmospheric, shoegazey indie record.
4/5
I used to love this album back in high school! While I don't think it holds up perfectly, it is still a generally well put together record. While the rage and angst are definitely a bit excessive at times, Trent still manages to create some incredible sounds on this album, and the industrial instrumentation is absolutely filled with emotion. Still, I feel The Fragile was an all-around better execution of this type of album.
I was ready to dislike this as soon as I saw it was a rock opera, but it really pleasantly suprised me. There's a ton of musical diversity on this record, and the production was very interesting for an album from the 60s. Sure, it was a bit self-indulgent and full of itself, but overall it landed pretty well with me. Easily one of the more interesting records from this time period I've come across on this list.
4/5.
While this album does go down easy, I found it to be an entirely forgettable experience. Upon finishing my listen, no songs or hooks have really stuck with me. It's not terrible by any means, but I really can't fathom how it makes this list, it doesn't seem particularly bold or influential. Surely there are more deserving indie rock albums from the early 2000s.
A really cool heavy bluesy record, way ahead of its time.
