151
Albums Rated
3.19
Average Rating
14%
Complete
938 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1980
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
14
5-Star Albums
6
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
|
4 | 2.38 | +1.62 |
|
Marquee Moon
Television
|
5 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
|
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
Snivilisation
Orbital
|
4 | 2.7 | +1.3 |
|
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
|
5 | 3.75 | +1.25 |
|
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
|
4 | 2.75 | +1.25 |
|
Faust IV
Faust
|
4 | 2.78 | +1.22 |
|
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
|
5 | 3.81 | +1.19 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
|
Night Life
Ray Price
|
1 | 2.8 | -1.8 |
|
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
|
2 | 3.76 | -1.76 |
|
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
|
2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
|
Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
|
1 | 2.74 | -1.74 |
|
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
|
1 | 2.74 | -1.74 |
|
With The Beatles
Beatles
|
2 | 3.65 | -1.65 |
|
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
|
1 | 2.64 | -1.64 |
|
Trafalgar
Bee Gees
|
1 | 2.63 | -1.63 |
|
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
|
2 | 3.52 | -1.52 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (14)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Kate Bush · 1 likes
5/5
Rating: 10/10
An original work of wild and eccentric genius, Kate Bush's most experimental and avant-garde album challenges the listener's attempts to even try to define and solve the puzzle that makes up the world of The Dreaming. It's completely understandable how this album will confuse and alienate on first listen, and maybe even second and third and beyond, but if these weird songs with all their chaotic progressions and their unique and varied vocal stylings resonate and speak to you in any way, if you feel this or that song was really cool and you're itching to listen to it again, do it and you will be rewarded more and more each time.
I'm barely scratching the surface of what makes The Dreaming so cool. From a modern perspective, it feels like an album that redefined what pop and rock can be even though Kate really still doesn't get the recognition she deserves compared to her male contemporaries.
The Band · 1 likes
2/5
4/10
60's bluesy Americana that I just found boring and unremarkable on my listen. Even if I'm in the mood for this sound I would like to reach for other stuff. I thought Across the Great Divide was the best, so after the first track I was losing interest
4-Star Albums (45)
1-Star Albums (6)
All Ratings
Small Faces
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Never actually heard of Small Faces or this album before but it’s just some pretty solid brits late 60’s psych, and the songs still make for some good pop. The mono mix actually makes for a nice fuzzy sound. Interestingly the back half of the album introduces a narrator who starts to tell a strange story that I don’t really remember, across the tracks with some experimental and diverse sounds.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Rating: 6/10
An album that may be on this essential list for its cultural significance rather than being a ‘top 1000 albums ever’ kinda thing. These Afro-blues rock songs are definitely not bad but the genre isn’t really my thing and this probably isn’t something I’m going to return to ever
Lou Reed
3/5
Rating: 6/10
We get our first rock classic in our project and it’s one I haven’t personally listened to in full. Of course we probably all know at least of the big ones, Walk on the Wild Side, Perfect Day, Satellite of Love, Vicious. But it’s also inconsistent to me outside of the highlight tracks, and I’m really not much of a glam rock person. Even all of my favorite Bowie albums are after his glam era. Adding this to my library tho
Bob Dylan
4/5
Rating: 9/10
Ahead of its time in just about every way, from the implementation of electric instrumentation in folk music, to it being pretty much the birth of the concept of the singer-songwriter and modern style double album, and those aren’t the only reasons why it’s so good and endures through time. You can continue to listen to Dylan’s strange lyrics in his unique vocal style and come away with something new each time 60 years after it was revolutionary because it is pure poetry. Top quality
The Police
4/5
Rating: 7/10
Solid collection of tunes. Has a couple of skips but also some real highlights. Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon among others. The only really annoying song is the one where they tell you they’re about to play a corny one and they do not lie. Sting’s reggae voice is almost never too grating and the whole album has this hypnotic feel, the tracks mostly sound distinct and each has this melodic repetition that I enjoy.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Rating: 6/10
I really don’t care much for the Stones, and after Gimme Shelter, the album doesn’t do a lot for me until the second half comes along to pick it up more
N.W.A.
2/5
Rating: 5/10
An early blueprint, but one that doesn’t fully hold up as a quality album experience. Express Yourself really is a good song, but even the first few major hits, while great tracks, don’t really age too well compared to the stacked collection of classic 90’s hip hop albums that will follow this and pop up on our list
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Rating: 4/10
Doesn’t exactly get grouped into r&b slop, it’s technically proficient enough, but I still find it forgettable. And I don’t think anyone outside of a specific group of British r&b fans from the early 2000’s really knows or remembers who Ms. Dynamite is.
SZA
4/5
Rating: 8/10
one of the best and influential modern r&b albums imo, the songs are emotional and longing as they cover everything about a young woman’s experience with relationships, SZA’s lyrics for someone who is at the top of the charts in her genre are SAD, veering towards insecurity and self-loathing rather than hedonism. It’s a nice touch that she has her mom’s calls recorded throughout to guide her through this period and these experiences
Miles Davis
4/5
Rating: 9/10
Really cool shit throughout, every track is like its own crazy journey and it’s definitely one of those pieces of music that can’t just be digested understood and loved immediately, you really cannot brute force something so titanic. Favorite song was Spanish Key.
Beatles
5/5
rating: 10/10
Ask me what the greatest album ever made is on a given day and it’s probably Abbey Road. It’s not my #1 favorite but definitely near the very top, and honestly could be one day, who knows. It’s just the Beatles at their consistent best after what was already the best generational run for a band ever, this is the synthesis of that. Their true artistic crowning achievement at their collective heights before dipping out after dropping Let It Be which is…an album. This had to break brains in 1969. I can’t imagine anything other than fans flipping the vinyl over and over all day long.
A side is pretty much perfection. I won’t even hear any shit talking about Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, which I concede might the thing keeping me from concluding that is actually perfect, but I still love the song regardless. It ends with the absolutely monstrous She’s So Heavy, which is my absolutely favorite Beatles song. I would have a tough time of ordering a favorite 20 Beatles songs but I know for sure that She’s So Heavy would be #1. I’m pretty sure the band literally invented like 5 different genres with this one.
Side B continues with some great early highlights (every song) and then flows into some great quirky little songs and ends triumphantly with the medley at the end. You literally feel uplifted by the mood of these tracks at the end of Abbey Road. The warmth of the Beatles is nearly unmatched, can’t wait for the 4 other albums that will eventually pop up here
Eurythmics
4/5
Rating: 7/10
I was really into this Eurythmics album as an interesting take on fun and weird early 80’s synthpop. Its dark and mechanical tone combined with singer Annie Lennox’s great vocals worked for me. Love is a Stanger and Sweet Dreams are highlights but also the last track is awesome. Tracks 3 & 8 were the only lower points and are skippable.
Donovan
4/5
Rating: 8/10
A nice little collection of eclectic folk pop songs, which is my shit. I don’t care as much for the straightforward stuff. Another one of these albums to keep in mind that this guy wrote these songs when he was basically a young kid 60 years ago. I’m just impressed when people make cool art, like I could never conceive of writing any songs this good even now
Black Sabbath
5/5
Rating: 10/10
The grandfathers of metal were so good that still almost nothing compares to the collective talents that this band had during this run. Ozzy isn’t the only legend here, because Tony Iommi is one of the best metal guitarists ever, Geezer played incredibly groovy bass lines and his political and dark lyrics hold relevance to this day, and Bill Ward is easily one of the most underrated drummers. Paranoid is absolutely sick all the way through with its classic metal tracks and deep cuts both. Impossibly heavy for its time
U2
3/5
Rating: 7/10
A good attempt from the band still in its post-punk flavor, I usually like the sound with more edge to it. I enjoyed it but would have to go back to War to delve more into the lyrics here, and I probably should because it’s cool to have Irish music about politics and history. In the 6 7 range
The Zutons
2/5
Rating: 5/10
The only thing I knew about the Zutons before this is that Pressure Point is one of the banger songs on the soundtrack of the GOAT sports game, MVP Baseball 2005. Otherwise, the rest of the album just started to get pretty boring for me as it went on.
I think the album is another example of a clear recency bias the author of the book has for new albums released in Britain, as if he’s predicting these artists’ legacy rather than fitting in a deserving and proven essential album. Basically I’m asking this list to stop making me listen to 2000’s albums that no one has heard of or remembers just cause the author was completely wrong about them being fundamental or important
Tim Buckley
2/5
Rating: 4/10
Out of all the Tim Buckley records to choose….whyyy this one? It may be representative of his personality but not his sound, this album is a huge departure from his usual Avant folk sound where he is weird and inaccessible but much more adept
Bob Dylan
5/5
Rating: 9/10
Probably was the greatest album ever recorded when it came out 60 years ago right? From a Buick 6 is maybe the only lull for me but I still can’t say it’s anything less than a good song. So highly consistent over a satisfying runtime. I would say the best of his 60’s output and one of the best aging pieces of music made
Laura Nyro
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Turns out this has been in my listen list for almost 3 years. I see how it got there, with just the kind of influence I think it might have had on the modern sphere of art pop artists who I like now, who have some of the most exciting songwriting and production around. Will be needing to dive into this more and the rest of her songs
Scott Walker
2/5
Rating: 4/10
Songs are fine and well made enough I guess but I don’t care and don’t want to spend my time listening to this
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Rating: 5/10
I like it less than Let It Bleed, which at least had some extra highlights for me outside of the main big songs. Maybe the next one will get me, hopefully it’s next year instead of next week
Mylo
2/5
Rating: 5/10
some decent inessential house tunes
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Nice collection of interesting folk tunes from this era of pitchfork-core indie music, a really solid example of this iteration of the genre. Check out Grizzly Bear member Daniel Rossen’s album from 2022 “You Belong There” it’s cool stuff
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Good noisy grungy shit from the late 80’s when alternative rock really started to take root, and bands like Dinosaur were part of growing non-commericial scenes of punk, DIY, distortion and fuzz and raw sounds. I love the bookends of the big standout Freak Scene and the pure noise rock closer Don’t. Lead vocalist isn’t always the best but it’s part of the charm that makes this album
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Never heard Led Zeppelin III before (I’m sure we will get every album they’ve ever made on this list). These are decent songs and the album length doesn’t overstay, but I think the band is just a touch overrated for how much they’re revered. Still much better though than all of the classic rock of the next 15 years that they influenced
Kraftwerk
4/5
Rating: 9/10
I really like synthy progressive electronic music and as the prototype this is still really fun and holds up against the modern stuff it influenced. I think the the concept and themes behind “The Man-Machine” with its artificial futurism sound is really cool. Basically the Blade Runner of music if that makes sense
Tom Waits
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Sorry Tom Waits I wasn’t familiar with your game
Really did not expect this because I thought Waits was just a guy with a guitar or something, but this is the kind of completely unique rock unlike anything I’ve heard. My closest comparison I’ve listened to is Nick Cave and now I’m pretty sure he was just influenced by Waits. If anything this album was a little long but not a big deal. I should check out more of Tom Waits’ experimental work, and could see myself really loving this years down the road
George Harrison
5/5
Rating: 9/10
Actually peak, thank you Mr. Harrison. Is this lowkey the best solo Beatles material? The first disc is literally a perfect collection of songs I think, and from there it just keeps going on and on and on and I'm just jamming the whole time. Great stuff
ZZ Top
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Perfectly fine and listenable, and something I may never listen to in full again
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Rating: 8/10
after some big stinkers for 2000’s albums in my opinion, I didn’t expect ANOHNI to be featured and this is a really cool and unique piece of music. Born from painful personal experiences but also filled with hope
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Rating : 4/10
This is not the worst thing ever, it's a weird and interesting attempt at a satire of the hippie psych sound and culture permeating the times and made as a comedy album. But it's not very enjoyable and I would really rather just listen to some quality classic psychedelic pop, rock tunes. Might just have an interesting place in the discussion of 60's music history though. And it's probably better than a lot of copycats of the sounds of the era
4/5
Rating: 7/10
Not bad at all! Fun and weird, political lyrics in classic albums like this are usually a plus. Fun highlights early like Victoria and Some Mother's Son along with the more progressively driven Australia and Shangri-La. Starts to fall off for me a bit in the last few tracks until Arthur finishes off strong
Holger Czukay
3/5
Rating: 7/10
I thought this was pretty cool, Holger definitely succeeds at making his own type of rock album with experimental sounds, just enjoying the grooves
Can
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Future Days is technically great but something isn’t clicking for me to really love it after two listens. Hypnotically flowing passages that can be played pleasantly in the background but also can be listened to closely for its intricacies. And of course, definitely made to trip to.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Rating: 7/10
It’s a good debut by a really young person, who of course has a great voice front and center with a good jazzy backing instrumentation. I think the album starts to get better towards the second half
Bad Brains
4/5
Review Rating: 8/10
Bad Brains might be more known for their first two albums in the early 80’s, during which the band was maybe the most prominent emerging live act in hardcore punk in D.C. and out of the East Coast. But a few years later, Bad Brains swapped the raggae style of their early works for a funk + metal sound while keeping the elements of hardcore ethos that defined them. The result is something that influenced genres to come and is a damn fun time in its own right. As usual, the band brings an infectious energy, unique vocals, thrashy riffs and funky grooves.
I'm actually happily surprised that this is the album in this book, even thought I think Bad Brains S/T also probably should be. But I Against I is maybe the first example we can find of an alternative metal and funk metal album, it is straight up influential alone because of this. These genres and the post-grunge and nu-metal waves that followed can't trace their influence back further than this. I mean, I feel like this thing is even begging for some rap verses to kick in, it seems like it just misses sharing a space with the also emerging hardcore hip-hop sound on the East Coast. I don't think Bad Brains gets the credit they deserve for pioneering alt and funk metal sounds, compared to some bands with a grungier hard rock style. Here they are in 1986 on I Against I literally doing it first.
Extremely underrated and underappreciated now, and the only reason I don't rate it even higher is because I don't think it's perfect, just a very solid alt metal and post-hardcore classic. Absolute highlight for me is House of Suffering into Re-Ignition. If I actually could recommend a definitive Bad Brains release, it would be The Youth Are Getting Restless, a live album at the peak of their powers. And to add a recommendation for a mandatory listen if you like this style of music, check out the modern classic Diaspora Problems by Soul Glo. It might just be the ultimate evolution of the sonic ideas presented on this album.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Rating: 7/10
It's a solid album, and maybe the perfect recommendation for a Beach Boys record in the winter, moodier rather than sunnier. I'm not the biggest fan of this band but literally can't be anything other than a good listen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Rating: 6/10
The first Nick Cave album that is fully piano driven and more overtly Christian (I think). it’s good, the first song is really great, but I don’t love this one
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Good and consistent even though that consistency doesn’t ever reach great heights to me after the first track. And then they tried to tack on the news broadcasts juxtaposed with the Silent Night rendition at the end, I wish they did more with that idea
Simple Minds
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Some lush New Wave goodness. I feel like a lot of these bands might be considered ‘singles bands’ and it kinda checks out here, the first track on each side with Someone Somewhere in Summertime and the title track are beautiful, with some other good tracks around them. Pretty decent stuff for a band coming off the Joy Division post-punk wave and being part of the turn of the 80’s synthpop sound in the UK
Duke Ellington
4/5
Rating: 8/10
What can I say, this is a great lively and energetic jazz performance by Duke and the boys. Love some good crowd cheers in a live album. Diminuendo was awesome and an insane finale
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Technically good and not without its merits. But I don't care about this band. At least they saved the best for last
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Definitely a cool result from this list, I hadn’t even heard of Joan and if I had to guess what year it was made it wouldn’t be 1976. Some really good instrumentation to go along with Joan’s songwriting. I wasn’t able to dive in lyrically too much in one listen, and I’ll need to listen more to feel more firmly about the album as a whole.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Rating: 10/10
now THAT is a SKIPLESS record. I truly didn’t realize just how effortlessly Stevie makes this 1hr45min album feel like not a single moment is wasted, it’s divine and uplifting and inspired the entire way through. We all know who Stevie Wonder is. He’s a blind black man. Who created this work of art 50 years ago. This is a guy who knows he can do absolutely anything he sets his mind to and wants you to feel the same while listening to his soulful rhythms. A really cool album cover as well, and probably the most perfectly apt album title ever conceived. I have to seriously consider if this is the greatest musical achievement ever, it honestly still feels like the future.
The Sonics
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Maybe The Sonics is exactly the kind of music I should like as a 60’s rock band with a raw and abrasive sound before that was really a thing. But I find it kind of annoying at times and the production (something that isn’t often a barrier for me) sounds like it was recorded through a tin can. Despite that, some raw infectious energy straight out of 1965 is interesting to hear
The Temptations
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Pretty alright as I probably listened to it in the best way possible, on the speaker while doing some Saturday morning kitchen chores. I think I might have actually liked the second half songs better.
Morrissey
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Rating: 10/10
Maybe the perfect classic pop rock record, an obvious classic with a collection of hits that would be the #1 song most bands have ever made, along with deeper cuts that almost never miss. If there was any weak point on the album, maybe Oh Daddy? And Silver Springs is a must listen when you play Rumours. A lot of songs that are basically impossible to get out of your head once they become stuck in it after listening
Michael Jackson
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Michael's post-Thriller album that he and Quincy put together was surprisingly just...fine? Outside of the big hits there wasn't very much for me to love. It's more like reaching some pretty decent heights with Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, and Smooth Criminal, none of which come close to Thriller's best songs in my opinion, with some average lows scattered through the rest of the album. I did like Dirty Diana though, I think that's a pretty good song.
The Cure
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Maybe my 4th or 5th favorite album by The Cure. It's great. Recorded and released right at the birth of the British post-punk wave that would become gothic rock, 17s is a pretty damn accomplished effort for the young band. It's sometimes a little bit different sounding than more of the dream pop and alt rock style of the band that would begin to develop later in the decade, but it's something I really love about the Cure is that a lot of their albums are actually pretty distinct in progressing with different genres. This is one of their early records that incorporates the coldwave sounds of cold and metallic synths. As always the bass lines are one of the coolest prominent features of what makes The Cure so good, this band IS Simon Gallup as much as it is Robert Smith. Another trademark of the band that you see on this early album is how instrumental they actually are, with Smith often not vocalizing on the track until minutes in. And damn are the instrumentals great. This album is a vibe, it's one of their most mysterious and atmospheric and is very rewarding when you can settle in and really let it wash over you in the headphones.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Rating: 4/10
It's pretty fine, I would rather hear this kind of music in some sort of soundtrack for an appropriate movie or show or Fallout game but not just listening to an album. Sorry to the brothers but I will not be coming back
Various Artists
2/5
Rating: 5/10
A collection of rockin’ classic Christmas song renditions. Heard these version of the big hits too many times to count on Christmas radio. 1001 Essential albums, nah.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Incredibly top notch 80’s production plus some great pop rock songwriting makes this a really fun listen. It’s just got a great atmosphere. Starts and ends really well with Red Rain/Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes but the rest maintains a pretty high quality
Faust
4/5
Rating: 9/10
Another day, another 70's experimental German rock album on 1001albumsgenerator.com. Faust was absolutely cooking here. As a fan of droning and vibey metal and rock these guys are some of the pioneers. Krautrock is absolutely massive, Jennifer must have defied all classification when it was first released. They also get a little silly with it, like on Giggy Smile (great track). Also these Krautrock albums never overstay their welcome, they always just deliver 45 minutes of great psych jams.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Rating: 6/10
It’s not bad, and even something I might think is pretty cool given more time with it. It’s weird and trippy and I’ll have to keep this one mind if I go through some 60’s psych some time in the future
Radiohead
5/5
Rating: 9/10
The pinnacle of 90’s artsy alt rock and all that and it is exceptional all the way through, has so many different tracks that you could argue is the best and maybe change your answer for a lot, but then again I always want it give it some award for the best album that is almost somehow the most overrated. Because as quality as it is from front to back, it’s not perfect and I could definitely say frontloaded is an accurate descriptor. Tracks 1-6 still feels like a perfect run for me while 7-12 (besides the amazing highlight No Surprises) kinda grow off of me over time. In conclusion Kid A better
Finley Quaye
1/5
Rating: 3/10
Assigning my first 1. Completely unenjoyable to me
CHVRCHES
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Obviously a lot has changed in the realms of synthpop since the release of the CVHRCHES debut so this album really serves as a time capsule to this moment when this particular sound was the sauce. Truly the mid 2010's millennial pop rock band in style that just uses electronics and drum machines. Almost every song hits for me until the last 3 tracks or so start to lose some steam. The first track is probably the best but my deep cut favorite is Recover
Television
5/5
Rating: 10/10
Deserves to be more widely known as one of the great American rock records. So inventive and fun packed with melodic rhythms. The whole album has an improvisational feel and yet it’s clear the whole band is exactly on the same page. Each instrument is so clear and the mix and you can spend listen after listen exploring each element individually. Guitar passages so good it makes you want to learn yourself in the hopes you could one day be even a fraction as good. Most art punk and rock records today can still only aspire to make something as awesome as Marquee Moon is 50 years later.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Feel like this doesn’t deserve a 2 even though I don’t want to give it a 3 either, it’s a perfectly fine listen that I continually didn’t necessarily want to finish as I got closer to the end. Just good and pleasant enough and doesn’t stir too much in me besides Track 1. Probably underrating it but that’s just my opinion
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Rating: 8/10
It’s short and very sweet, just a consistent quality experience all the way through. Let’s Get It On is an all timer and I think the best song here but there’s a bunch of solid cuts through the next seven tracks. How many people made albums fully about fuckin before Marvin Gaye?
Beatles
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Putting this album on 1001 You must listen to before being deceased is silly, it’s not like the ENTIRE Beatles catalogue needs to be present. This one is not essential, it is forgettable, even if you’re a fan of the early Beatles era which I am not really. I’m sure it was some really cool stuff in 1963. What they built on from this and the evolution they would have in just a couple short years though is simply insane
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Rating: 5/10
The most 5/10 for me ever. Perfectly fine and not something I would choose to play as background music but it would suffice. One of the most iconic recognizable soundtrack songs ever and then a bunch more instrumental chill jams
The Gun Club
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Never heard of these guys before. Pretty cool. Punkabilly? Didn’t get much of a chance to dive into the lyrics and all around will have to give this one another listen
Beyoncé
3/5
Rating: 7/10
The self-titled Beyonce album is kinda a weird one in her discography. It doesn't really have any smashing hits you would find in her 2000's output, and as far as artistic statement goes, she would follow this one up with two even better albums, her magnum opuses in my opinion. But nonetheless still a great mid-career release for her. Amazing bombastic production as always with Be. A great few tracks in the opening only leading to a bit of a lull in the middle before finishing stronger again. I don't think the album ever gets as good as it starts with Pretty Hurts and Haunted but that's because I really like those songs
The Crusaders
2/5
Rating: 4/10
Really didn’t care for this I was pretty bored
Talking Heads
4/5
Rating: 8/10
I don’t think it’s peak Talking Heads but it’s pretty close. Eclectic tunes produced by Brian Eno (the 🐐) that continue to push the band in a more experimental direction, feeling like a stepping stone towards Remain in Light but still very strong on its own merits. I love Stop Making Sense so much that my favorite moments on this album are really just when I’m reminded of their live rendition, like when Tina Weymouth first joins the stage to play Heaven and just the perfect Life During Wartime
The Monks
3/5
Rating: 7/10
So weird and out there but I respect the shit out of it. Very punk and I love how they made this album and then peaced out forever
Kanye West
4/5
Rating: 9/10
I didn't listen to this nor will I but since I have at least a couple dozen times in the past and it being one of the first CD's I owned, I'll give my unbiased MBDTF thoughts here. Feels like it's fully the end of the conscious outsider rapper Ye was on The College Dropout and the start of the truly manic and narcissistic version of him that would lead to Nazi Kanye who huffs his own farts and doesn't have any semblance of songwriting ability anymore. It's maximalist and bombastic and was in danger of being his most unwieldy project to date with all of its ideas, progression, and collaborations, but instead it all came together as a cohesive concept, despite its complex and almost surreal nature. Has a few of Kanye's best songs ever easily. I think after the one-two punch of Devil in a New Dress and Runaway though, the album continues on with almost 20 minutes of its weaker material before it's all over.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Rating: 7/10
All around enjoyable and pleasant listen, I like the arrangements and such
The White Stripes
2/5
Rating: 5/10
So weird and unnecessary that this White Stripes album is here. This has to be their worst one, it’s like they forgot the songwriting on this collection, they drag on and don’t really do much interesting stuff, and typically don’t even rock too hard with more of a focus on bluesy piano and softer songs. It’s ok at best. Highlights are opening track Blue Orchid and The Denial Twist, if the rest of the songs were fun like this I would have enjoyed it quite a bit more
Kate Bush
5/5
Rating: 10/10
An original work of wild and eccentric genius, Kate Bush's most experimental and avant-garde album challenges the listener's attempts to even try to define and solve the puzzle that makes up the world of The Dreaming. It's completely understandable how this album will confuse and alienate on first listen, and maybe even second and third and beyond, but if these weird songs with all their chaotic progressions and their unique and varied vocal stylings resonate and speak to you in any way, if you feel this or that song was really cool and you're itching to listen to it again, do it and you will be rewarded more and more each time.
I'm barely scratching the surface of what makes The Dreaming so cool. From a modern perspective, it feels like an album that redefined what pop and rock can be even though Kate really still doesn't get the recognition she deserves compared to her male contemporaries.
Prince
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Really an album’s album. When you think of a solid popular 80’s album this could probably be it. Doesn’t mean as much to me as it does to a lot of other people so it’s not some classic 5 stars in my eyes but it’s undeniably great music
Pretenders
4/5
Rating: 7/10
Turns out I really like this New Wave stuff. Doesn't feel wholly original for the year it came out but it's just so many solid rock songs with a punk edge. This might firmly be considered this a classic for the genre in this period, a clear staple of the sound. Lots of fun and Chrissie Hynde's voice is great
Beatles
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Definitely one of my favorite Beatles albums as hard as it is to rank and rate a top 5 of this band. The A side is incredibly good, with lots of absolute classics, and What Goes On might be the only weak song on the album for me.
Bee Gees
1/5
Rating: 3/10
boring shit, even though it's not technically the worst thing ever I can't say I enjoyed a single moment really. let's actually give it the 1 treatment because I was on a really good run on the site and this ruined it.
The Zombies
3/5
Rating: 6/10
I think it’s decent. More like The Beach Boys than I was expecting and some good tunes. Mono remaster mix was nice and I’ll try to give this one another listen at some point
Fugees
4/5
Rating: 8/10
A great album experience beyond the certified classics it contains. Feels pretty distinct from other records in the pantheon of 90’s east coast hip hop. Great production. Some radically political lyricism. One thing about Fugees though is that whenever Lauryn Hill isn’t currently present on the track…you just want her to come back. She can sing and she’s got bars. I think the best song on here has to be Fu-Gee-La. While it’s not a personal 5 I still think it’s great and I’m not sure how you could rate it low!
Elbow
2/5
Rating: 5/10
I'm usually a fan of the kind of acclaimed posh alt rock that Elbow inhabits but I just found this boring. This album won the UK's Mercury Prize for some reason. I really tried with the album and stuck with it in my headphones on the bus full concentration and wasn't having any fun with it. There was really no clear highlight to me until at the very end One Day Like This finally sounded interesting. Very meh and doesn't deserve to go in my 3 bucket at the moment
David Bowie
5/5
Rating: 9/10
One of David Bowie’s many incredible classics. When I think of the start of the modern music era, it’s the late 60’s and it feels like this came along to just be so refreshing and unique. Great lyrics and delivery here, the A Side is just full of amazing songs, I love Queen Bitch, and The Bewlay Brothers might be arguably my favorite song here. Works so well as a closer and the mixing and layering of the instrumentation are great. He even has a song for our guy Bob Dylan. 4.5 is the accurate rating but let’s make it a 5 here
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Really glad I didn’t miss this one before I died
Orbital
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Orbital goes hard. Some of the best 90’s techno if you’re into that sort of thing, just an hour+ of beautifully constructed rhythmic club beats. If there are weak points for me, it’s Philosophy by Numbers for the annoying vocal sampling and the quick interlude Quality Seconds (ironic). The last two tracks make up nearly half an hour and are very rewarding for the time investment because they’re the best ones. This album is sick
The Stooges
4/5
Rating: 8/10
As a piece of rock history, I have to say this album is just really good. As far as the 2023 remasters go, Iggy mix is actually superior I think because it brings the raw punk sound a lot better. Vulgar, sexual, and rebellious lyrics present with all these early hard rock bands would be a lot cooler if it wasn’t for the fact that they were definitely all doing horrible shit during drug benders with underage groupies. Well, as far as a piece of music goes it’s really quite good and influential.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Rating: 7/10
A consistently good collection of soulful songs from one of the most well regarded singers of all time and so I am probably definitely underrating it. I enjoy it, but I don’t know if this is necessarily a favorite at the moment. But yet I really think I could get into Aretha.
Talk Talk
5/5
Rating: 10/10
Long been a 9/10 for me but I fully realize there’s nothing stopping The Colour of Spring from being a 10. Lush and intelligently composed progressive pop songs that create a beautiful soundscape. I love every song, the A and B sides are equally fantastic with the slight exception of Chameleon Day which just atmospherically leads into the closer. Life’s What You Make It is literally one of the greatest rock songs ever made and I never want it to end when it’s on. I love every little piece of instrumentation from the addicting bass line to the keyboard, soaring guitar riffs, and shakers that make a really cool percussion. Oh, and a gorgeous album cover art also
Al Green
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Never even got more than a resounding ‘meh’ from me as the album carried on this Al guy is extremely overrated.
Supergrass
3/5
Rating: 7/10
It's some pretty good Britpop with a raw garage sound from this time. The first half is fast paced and fun, then the stretch of tracks 7-9 weren't my favorite. And then really slowed down in the last few tracks but I thought they were decent too
I was having enough fun with it, maybe not something I would return to all that often. I'm sure a lot of us have heard 'Alright' which is a good song and really feels like a true influence on a style to come around the turn of the century with the post-Britpop indie sound. The album cover art is cursed
Muddy Waters
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Really solid live blues set full of originals which is what I really like. A big turn off for me in 50’s and 60’s music is the heavy prevalence of covers and it makes it far more fresh to have a guy like this just play some good original compositions. It’s also well produced for its time and stands as a good listen to this day. Really no complaints even though I’m not particularly passionate about its genre
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Rating: 7/10
I’m not even close to a reggae expert but I expect it doesn’t get much better than Bob Marley. I should continue to dive into his deep discography despite a career cut short because this later record of his and the Wailers is quite good. Good rhythms and amazing lyrics, I really like the background vocal singers as well
Machito
3/5
Rating: 6/10
This is an artistic and creative ass album from this time that I can appreciate. Got a little tiring for me to finish as it went on, so my highlights would be the first couple of tracks. Will I be going back and playing Machito in my off time, probably not, but it was a pretty good listen
Iron Maiden
4/5
Rating: 9/10
Simply put, an iconic staple of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and the true start of Iron Maiden’s legendary 80’s run, with Bruce’s excellent vocals, dual guitars going crazy and bass (love Steve Harris) and drums carrying sick grooves. These elements would continue to get better but what a great time. Title track->run for the hills is the best
The KLF
2/5
Rating: 5/10
The album and this duo have a really interesting story and history and they're British so their inclusion here makes sense. As far as the music goes I don't really know how to feel about this one and don't have much of an opinion after my one listen. I will give it a very fine middle of the road rating and move on for now, and maybe check out their other album 'Chill Out' one day to see if my opinion of the group is swayed
The Cure
5/5
Rating: 10/10
Not a bad middle of the winter album but really serves best as one for autumn or spring on a dreary, rainy day. One immediate thing I feel about Disintegration is that it evokes so many bittersweet emotions, as it can be romantic, loving, longing, melancholic, lonely, cold and sad throughout. It’s not just a depressing album. One thing that’s actually awesome is Robert writing Lovesong for his fiancé/wife who he is still with 4 decades later and will die with.
The beautiful, lush, dreamy and rainy atmosphere this album creates is pretty much unmatched. It’s pretty long, yes, but it really takes its time in establishing this tone and then building it up, which works nicely when the first part of the album is filled with some really melodic poppier moments, and then the latter half has these sprawling tracks filled with amazing bassy grooves. Lullaby, Fascination Street, Prayers for Rain, Disintegration, Untitled are just flawless and keep continuing to bask in unmatched atmosphere.
The band really capped off the 1980’s by releasing the pinnacle of Gothic Rock paving the way to a dream pop future, and it’s easily a front running contender for the best album of the decade. It is to me. It’s not my favorite album of all time but it’s definitely top 5.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Rating: 8/10
The Amherst guys are back. Some raw lo-fi noisy indie rock is the best way to describe Dinosaur Jr., and they definitely influenced the bands of the 90’s who did all this type of stuff. This one stands strongly as a genre staple, especially for the run of the first few tracks, SludgeFeast being the highlight. It’s abrasive and chaotic and so good at being those things
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Rating: 10/10
Of all the psychedelic rock albums made in the 1960’s, this is the one that most genuinely feels *groovy* and *far out* literally like it’s from another time and dimension. The most revolutionary thing ever when it was released and still rocks to this day. The use of fuzz and distortion was just amazing. And the fact that these songs were created by a 3 piece band is just unreal. Jimi’s inhuman guitar abilities alone make that fact seem crazy.
There’s a UK release version that’s short and is missing some key classic songs, and the double length American deluxe version is pretty much just perfect all the way through. If you have the time for it I don’t think I would ever purposefully play a shorter and less complete version of this album.
Specific highlights for me are Purple Haze, Hey Joe, I Don’t Live Today, The Wind Cries Mary, Fire, Foxey Lady, Are You Experienced?, Red House. Third Stone from the Sun is so fucking great I just want to call it my favorite. Worst song if there has to be one is definitely Remember.
A while ago I mentioned that Stevie Wonder’s album title is one of the most apt ones ever, and this is right up there at the top too. Are You Experienced? Yes, yes I am
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Certainly a bit of a controversial choice for the essential album list, since even among the LCD Soundsystem fanbase it's divisive. Probably due to a mixture of being a reunion album that arrived so soon after their hiatus, and that it still couldn't possibly live up to their "final" album This Is Happening and their mega epic sendoff with their "final" live show/live album at MSG. And it's true, it can't really live up to the band's pre-hiatus output, but now about a decade removed from that reunion and new album drama I will say this album american dream still has some pretty good stuff.
In my opinion, the highs are not really up there to the best moments of Sound of Silver and This Is Happening, and the sonic palette shifts from bouncy and rhythmic electronic punk stylings to moodier, darker pieces. It's basically like James Murphy's electronic worship of post-punk music at its least dancey.
I definitely don't think I ever gave this album much of a fair shot. But I would still call it all around 'consistently pretty good' at worst, with my highlights being Oh Baby and the title track.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Rating: 4/10
Really started to veer the line of irritating to me as I was just not getting into the songwriting. I think at the point of Star Sign and Metal Baby I had decided that this record just wasn’t going to work for me at the moment, which is a shame because some sweet power pop tunes with a little bit of noisy feedback isn’t theoretically something I should be turned off from. Extra shame that I was actually really into that first track and nothing hit the same at all the further into Bandwagonesque I got. Maybe I can get more into this band one day but for now I’ve got plenty of other indie rock I can reach for.
The Smiths
3/5
Rating: 7/10
A great Smiths album, Strangeways has a lot of dense and layered instrumentation which is probably my favorite aspect of it. Would have been interesting where they had gone from here. I honestly don't know how I would rank their 4 albums and might just prefer to have a best songs list. Tracks 1-6 is a really great run but I like Death of a Disco Dancer and Last Night I Dreamt best.
The Byrds
3/5
Rating: 7/10
It’s a fine 60’s folky rock album, would go as far as saying it’s “pretty good”. Wait, these guys were doing this in 1965? You know what, this is great! The A side is an all around good time, the opening track being the highlight, an Eight Miles High should go into 60’s playlists for sure. Then we get to hear Hey Joe again, and I was into the groove of Captain Soul. Maybe it’s not quite a 4 for me right now, but this could be an actually cool Beatles-esque band to get into
Mekons
2/5
Rating: 4/10
I like modern alt country but I found this to be a mediocre release that is most notable for being a niche sound at this time. Crazy that a British band tried to do this. And of course that means the arbiters of this book thought it meant that I should listen to it. The alt country sound really develops into the 90's, in the US, and those records are not ones with a punk edge. I will forget this one exists for sure
Elton John
4/5
Rating: 8/10
No less than a great piano-driven pop rock/glam classic packed with hits. The first six track run is really excellent until Jamaica Jerk-Off, worst song on the album by far, comes along. I actually just looked and it turns out that is LITERALLY the only song Bernie Taupin isn't credited for writing lyrics, but given to "Toots Taupin" which seems to be a pseudonym for the pair of them, which is pretty amusing. It's like they wouldn't put their name on that one yet still included it to have one shit song on the album.
There is rarely a miss on disc two, even though the best highlights have passed by on the first disc. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting is definitely my favorite on the back half, but there's some other strong songs like Sweet Painted Lady, All the Girls Love Alice, Harmony. This is consistently wonderful and fun record, split between 8 and 9 for this one at the moment but what I know is that I really enjoyed it.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Rating: 6/10
A trimmed down track list would have really served this Fatboy Slim album because when it hits the tracks can be infectiously energetic and dancey and overall lots of fun. Absolutely mix this shit into DJ sets and party playlists because a few minutes of these funky beats would slap. I really don't mind sampled repetitions in electronic dance because that's sort of the point, there's just a balance. And even here it's fine for me. This veers a bit into the "too much" range where a 40 minute album of the best hits would have made an all-timer because I honestly think this ages well. It's fun. Looking back at the track list though I already don't remember its moments outside of the ones I really enjoyed. First two tracks are obviously awesome, along with Gangster Tripping, Praise You, and the appropriately named Acid 8000 would have made the bulk of a good project as it is. This is dangerously close to 7 as it is for me.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Rating: 5/10
It's really not bad, 90's British DnB fused with traditional Indian sounds. Seems unique in this regard and I enjoyed some of the beats. It's likely I'll never return to this album again and forget it ever existed but that is not the same for me as saying I don't think it has good qualities and artistic merits.
Daft Punk
4/5
Rating: 8/10
The debut for the masters of French House has the duo finding their footing with their "signature" sound, if they could have one considering Daft Punk actually has so much sonic variety in the progression of their career. While there are only a few songs that stand up to the all time greats that they would release later on, Homework must still be one of the best and most revelatory electronic records of the decade. The Revolution 909-Around the World run is excellent, and the repetitive length of the album only, just barely, starts to drag a little because a few of the songs in the back half aren't quite as good.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Rating: 7/10
I think Fleet Foxes’ following two albums, Helplessness Blues and Crack-Up, are modern folk masterpieces, but as it stands their debut is definitely the best introduction to the band as their least complex, most familiar and straightforward, and ushers in the indie folk sound of the era that many lesser bands would follow. Really good debut effort that’s always good to return to.
Frank Black
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Some songs are good, some are annoying, as a whole package it leads to a pretty alright geeky 90’s alt rock album and there’s many other options of artists similar to solo Frank Black that I would prefer to listen to. The length and track list weren’t too bloated considering it has 22 songs but only 63 minutes long, not the worst average double album that one has to sit through.
Duran Duran
4/5
Rating: 8/10
I'm not really a big fan of Duran Duran but Rio is pretty much gold. With only 9 tracks and two hits, that leaves some good deep cuts with only a couple lesser moments. Loved My Own Way, The Chauffeur, and especially New Religion and Save A Prayer. The album has the beautiful lush sound with melodies and groovy bass that you expect from the 80's new wave, and does it particularly well for the poppier side of things. Still though, I honestly really don't know if the music here would feel a fraction as good without its addictingly cool bass lines.
System Of A Down
4/5
Rating: 9/10
Amazingly innovative metal that does not deserve to be lumped in with shitty 90’s nu-metal, because SOAD manages to have so much crazy off the wall songwriting that also holds up as quality extreme heavy music to this day. It breaks so many conventions of metal and rock music to create insanely memorable moments by the minute. Sick riffs throughout, and the band has obviously so well defined themselves already at this point with their lyrics, which are politically hard-hitting and also come across like the ravings of a man writing a manifesto, and Serj’s completely unique vocal delivery with wild range. And also with the help of Rick Rubin’s production it still sounds so tight through the chaos and rawness.
I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this album, only really that some of the tracks don’t reach the heights of the best the album has to offer. An insane debut and a defining alt metal classic
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
Rating: ?/10
I don't even know what score to truly give this collection of music at the moment, which is over 3 hours of this legendary vocalist singing to part of her career long project of playing the entire canon of 'The Complete American Songbook'. It was best group background music which gave me the chance to listen to it in full in the background but not enough of a chance to really take it in and give a firm opinion on. Looking at some of her other released albums of her singing to standards, I definitely think they could have just added any of the other ones that are much, much shorter instead.
Scott Walker
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Now this Scott Walker album is definitely a lot more accessible and simultaneously a good amount better than the last one I got, Scott 2. It actually made me go back and listen to a few Scott 2 songs which I thought were both interesting and strange in its theatrics, that is one that will be due a re-evaluation down the line. As far as Scott 4 goes, it's a good collection of nicely composed traditional pop songs. Not much to complain about at all, and honestly feels very influential to a lot of modern stuff of this variety.
Wild Beasts
1/5
Rating: 3/10
Sorry but I find this to be the caliber of mediocre 2000’s indie pop that the British music press raves about and gobbles up in which I find myself having absolutely nothing to latch onto. This one feels a little different as an atmospheric artsy vibe rather than hitting you with any upbeat melodies or poppy hooks. Which is great if I were enjoying the vocals and arrangements and not being sounds that go in one ear and out the other, never to be remembered again.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Marty Robbins cosplaying as a cowboy and crooning over a guitar, telling outlaw stories of the old west. This storytelling aspect is probably the best part of the album. It's not a bad listen at all but it gets a bit samey through the whole of the album as I felt some of the tracks were like lesser versions of the best ones. Big Iron is easily the best one in my opinion, there's a reason it's a country classic and still actually holds pop cultural relevance in ways.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Rating: 4/10
Funny how I'll say that I usually really like any New Wave that pops up but in the case of this early influential release, I almost can't stand it. I just find this to be annoying grating pop rock, pretty good playing, I almost could have enjoyed it but I really just didn't. If I had to choose a best song it would just be Pump It Up, that one sounds pretty good
Doves
3/5
Rating: 5/10
I'm comprising a list of mid in the 1001 Albums book and it's all 2000's rock Mercury Prize nominees. My beating of a dead horse aside, it's fine, it's not bad. It's got a sleepy and dreamy night time atmosphere and feels very closely aligned with Coldplay's music when they were developing at the exact same time. Doves feels distinctly different enough here with more of an indie rock sound and a touch of psychedelia. It has a bit of a warmth and coldness to it. All around this feels like a commercialized radio friendly version of lots of better dream pop and indie that was made before the turn of the century. I definitely like N.Y. the most and really wasn't into The Sulpher Man.
Crazy how this hit #1 on the UK Chart. Times really were different even 25 years ago when rock music could still chart.
Malcolm McLaren
1/5
Rating: 1/10
Fuck this guy! He didn't write or compose or produce any of the music created on this record and as a super early example of turntablism this thing might have been influential to Beastie Boys and whatever else after it, but the whole story of this album is lame as fuck. True turntablists and plunderphonics artists put in such heavy work to transform the art they're using into something unique and interesting. This dude just appropriated international sounds and styles and didn't pay any of them for the work they, not he, actually put into this album. And I really don't think anyone gives a shit about this album anymore, if they ever did
Beatles
4/5
Rating: 8/10
A fantastic double album and send off for The Beatles' peak creativity, really not bloated at all and excellent pretty much the whole way through. Removing my least favorites, like Wild Honey Pie and Why don't we do it in the road, really wouldn't even change this album much because they're such a short part of the runtime. I don't really care for Piggies Me and My Monkey but I would never take them away because I'm sure there someone out there's favorite Beatles songs. So many great songs, Revolution 9 is some cool weird experimental noisy shit that sounds like the end of the world
Moby Grape
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Decent collection of bluesy rock tunes from the 60's. Nothing more nothing less to me really. Favorite song was Omaha
Ray Price
1/5
Rating: 3/10
Simply not my thing. A record for listening to in a seedy country bar or nightclub in the 50's except this was even made in the 60's. I was really waiting for it to end, the samey songs never sparked any semblance of joy
Nina Simone
4/5
Rating: 9/10
Beautiful music. Her gorgeous soulful voice is a beautiful instrument in and of itself, her piano playing is excellent, and she's got some good band instrumentation backing her. There's really no point where any of these songs are anything less than great, probably a high point of 60's recorded music. If I'm choosing a favorite song it's Four Women, that's pure poetry, reminds me a lot of Toni Morrison (or would more accurately be, she reminds me of Nina Simone). Really the whole thing does though.
Living Colour
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Fun,cheesy, and funky late 80's hard rock and protest music that just barely veers the line of metal. Not my favorite thing cause it never hits the heights of the first song and starts to overstay its welcome a bit, feeling a bit samey. But it's not bad. Cult of Personality got stuck in my head the rest of the day and now it's stuck in my head again writing about it.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Rating: 7/10
This is honestly my type of shit. An album that's definitely on the early side of this kinda sound that I really enjoy, the folky and dreamy country that you really need to be in a type of mood and setting to properly enjoy. And you need to really like the slow, melancholic stuff. The biggest issue with the album for me is the slightly long runtime and its lack of total standouts, it's more of a good experience throughout. Reminds me a lot of bands I like who would follow this up, like Low.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Rating: 9/10
An early gothic rock achievement and an album I love a lot, the first song is a good indication of the kind of sound Juju provides, which is spellbinding. The band gives a dark and haunting performance in these songs led by Siouxsie's vocals, a highlight of the record, singing a lot of really strange lyrics. I think almost every song on here is great, my least favorite being Head Cut. Voodoo Dolly is a weird one but gets pretty interesting at the end making for a good closer. All around the B side is little weaker than A, that first few tracks run is fantastic. Spellbound is absolutely an all-timer for punk/rock hits but my favorite is actually Monitor.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Another Bobby D classic. 1963 is crazy. Lots of good tunes on this one, it might not be technically his best on a hit to hit basis, especially as the album progresses, but it's the best choice if you just want your Bob Dylan a little simpler, just playing his acoustic guitar and harmonica and talkin about war and stuff. I also love the album cover to the point where it's my favorite of his
Frank Zappa
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Get me off of Frank Zappa's wild ride. This was really interesting and wacky experimental shit though, just super out there. He's a lot better when he's just jamming out and seeing where he progresses these wild songs than when he's being making comedy music
R.E.M.
3/5
Rating: 7/10
R.E.M. is a surprising blind spot for me as I really haven’t gotten into them before, and Document is an interesting one for me. The songs can really verge on annoying sometimes but can also be really enjoyable. I didn’t really especially like the last few tracks of the album, which didn’t help with the length of them. There’s some bangers though. This is clearly a very influential band, they have their own brand of the post-post derived jangly sound of the 80’s while also having aspects, good and bad, that really influenced some 90’s stuff in the pop/rock field that I don’t enjoy.
it’s the end of the world as we know it it’s the end of the world as we know it it’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine it’s the end of the world as we know it it’s the end of the world as we know it it’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine it’s the end of the world as we know it it’s the end of the world as we know it it’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine
Funkadelic
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Ehhhh I don't know, I'm very likely underrating this but as funky and creative and well crafted the music that this collective makes together is, I don't love listening to the whole album in one chunk. It can be pretty cool though. I believe the best song is Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Cool punk feminist political music that feels way ahead of its time. Like it must have influenced a lot of riot grrrl and later women’s indie punk, and sax in punk way before people thought that was cool for a bit. I’m sure I would like this band the more I listened because a grating voice can grow on me and the first listen is always hardest in that aspect. Identity was really cool
Guided By Voices
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Guided By Voices really is Beatles worship if it were raw and lo-fi 90's Midwestern slacker shit. They pack 28 tracks into 41 minutes that move along chaotically and the results are mostly great. Lot of cool tracks here, but the longer ones turn out to be the most effective, like Motor Away and My Valuable Hunting Knife. The only tracks I really don't like are Hit and Gold Hit they kinda suck. This band is right up my alley so of course I like this. 2.75 average on this site is a bit of a joke, but I can tell the community here does not like noise and lo-fi production.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Well made stuff but I won’t pretend to be the biggest fan of this Janis Joplin record, there just weren’t many highlights that stood out to me. Country blues that sounds distinct from a lot of the American rock that was popular at this time, just never amounted to anything more than mild enjoyment. She only has one other album, maybe I’ll find something more in that one
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Rating: 9/10
Rightfully considered the proto-everything album, because it really does sound like the future of all rock music as we know it through its run of bold experimental tracks. Still hard to beat the strange feelings and reactions this album evokes. Lou Reed is a great songwriter and has excellent pop sensibilities through all the weirdness. He and Nico both make great leading and backing vocals. The droning guitars and piano with the drums all come together with arrangements that somehow work. Like the weirdest garage band ever assembled. My favorites are Sunday Morning, just classic and timeless, Venus In Furs, in which that guitar tone and the viola strings really are haunting, and Heroin, for making such a great poetic tune about the experience of doing hard drugs. It might just verge on a 10 for me because the more I think about it the more I think there’s only one lesser track in my eyes as I listened to it a couple more times again. At the very least I’ll round up to 5
MC Solaar
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Hard to judge this very fairly. It's French boom bap where the lyricism can't be understood or fully appreciated if you don't speak it, and it seems like the lyrics are a prominent feature of the album where the jazzy beats flow along taking a backseat to the poetic rhymes. Some turntablism in the mix. Overall it sounds nice and and be kinda fire sometimes, and as I listened the run of good tracks just kept going.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Hmm...I didn't really end up liking this one much. Interesting sonic ideas, cool vocal and lyrical presentation, but I'm not into the songs so much. I liked a few songs like the promising opener Charlie Big Potato, and then a couple like Secretly and You'll Follow Me Down, otherwise it's a bit of a slog where this metal-esque band playing with rock and pop synthesis doesn't fully work for me
U2
3/5
Rating: 7/10
Perfectly pleasant enough, the era of the U2 that starts to go almost full pop rock is upon us. The first song I really enjoy is One, and then it moves along fine until the great back to back The Fly and Mysterious Ways, really like those ones. Tracks 9-12 don't have highlights that reach those levels to me. All around it's pretty good.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Rating: 3/10
God I hate this guy. Maybe I don't get why he's so brilliant or something but I don't want to. I don't even understand the argument that this album might have good melodies because to me it just sounds so annoying. It gets a single bonus point for political concept that Elvis sticks to compared to the shit he sang about in the previous album but I still hate his voice and I don't care about the lyrics themselves either. The album honestly just keeps getting worse in the last few tracks. A personal 1
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Rating: 6/10
Definitely not a bad hip hop album that came before the 90’s and clearly had some influence on the genre to come, and an album I hadn’t heard of before. The beats are pretty cool, and has good lyrics that albums which highlight Afrocentric pride often do. Maybe it’s a little dated and the rapping could be a lot more standout, and does start to run long, so it’s a good but not great album for me.
The xx
2/5
Rating: 3/10
Known mostly for the intro song on their debut album, I’m not really sure what The xx’s third output is on this list for, besides what I think is massively undeserved critical hype for the band. This is a real case of boring uninteresting textures for me here with the songwriting just not being there and I have no positive opinion on the vocals, with lyrics that amount to nothing much. It’s not the worst thing ever but really just a whole lot of boringness
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Easily one of the best pop rock albums of the 80’s, the people got this one right when they made it and all the songs on it the most popular thing ever. Bruce crafts great melodies from all variety of rock instruments and even synthesizers, and creates an incredibly consistent and satisfying album which found him at his undeniable peak. The only lower point of the tracklist is Darlington County-Working on the Highway which are the two more annoying songs on the album, even though they’re still not bad. But from Downbound Train on it’s all just great, with the two incredible hits I’m On Fire and Dancing in the Dark being the highlights. Every song is such an anthem but there is still a great depth on the lyrical end.
Röyksopp
3/5
Rating: 6/10
A decent entry in the genre of electronic that follows the mellow and calming sound and atmosphere which 90's Downtempo and trip hop influences perfected. It's good, but doesn't hold up to the giants of albums that preceded it. Reminds me most of Boards of Canada but almost with this synthpoppy feel, and clear smooth vocals in the songs
Ramones
4/5
Rating: 8/10
It’s the fucking Ramones, not much more can be said about how seminal and influential the debut self-titled album is. A whole bunch of punk pop songs that rock hard through their raw energetic nature, simple repetitive song structures, and just a few chords
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Rating: 5/10
Sort of in the genre of the annoying theatrical Scott 2 school of music, this was not the kind of thing I want to listen to even though it's adequately made eclectic stuff that is surely for some people.
Robert Wyatt
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Wow, what a low rating for a piece of art that is actually so inspired and unique. You obviously don't put this on for some fun and easy background listening, it's a strange record that breaks many conventions of rock music that was firmly established by that point. Rock Bottom is an actually experimental and insane effort with a somber feel and a psychedelic touch. I've really been sleeping on this, in my first time listening I don't understand much of it but I am really intrigued and believe there is such a depth here that can be uncovered with more time spent. That's usually the first sign of great and touching art. Has a mad genius kind of feel. The album honestly kept getting better as it went on, with the closing track being my favorite. And it sounds like it was actually supremely influential to art rock that has been made in the many following decades. 4 for now, could be higher one day honestly.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Rating: 6/10
I always appreciate when pop music shows up on the list, but I've never been a big fan of Xtina. But despite the bloat in album length and the weaker production, this is a pretty decent pop album, I definitely wouldn't be surprised if it's the best Christina Aguilera album. Cool that she has writing and production credits throughout the tracks. Maybe a case where the singles are the best songs; Fighter, Beautiful, and Dirrty are all memorable hits from the era, even though she can feel really like a lesser version of better Pop RnB stars at the time. But also the run after Fighter, with Infatuation between the interludes and Loving Me 4 Me was good too. Definitely fun enough to say I enjoyed it.
Soundgarden
4/5
Rating: 9/10
One of the titans of grunge that needs no introduction. Really seeping in this masculine dark, brooding, drugged out vibe, the production hits hard, the guitar tone is absolutely perfect, and it's a stellar run of tracks from beginning to end. Not a personal top favorite but an excellent 90's album
The Band
2/5
4/10
60's bluesy Americana that I just found boring and unremarkable on my listen. Even if I'm in the mood for this sound I would like to reach for other stuff. I thought Across the Great Divide was the best, so after the first track I was losing interest
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Rating: 7/10
A late, late career and life album by Leonard Cohen with some dark poetry and spoken world style lyricism. It's sparse and minimal, with his vocals driving the songs. I need to give it more listens for it to grow on me and have a firmer opinion where it could well deserve a 4
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Rating: 8/10
Absolute banger! Psychedelic funky beats with the classic Woodstock feel. Lots of great performances with all these instruments led by Mr. Sly himself. Short and sweet, lots of good tracks and just a well made album. I've definitely heard I Want To Take You Higher before, the long jam Sex Machine was fun. All around one of the best albums from 1969.
The Youngbloods
2/5
Rating: 4/10
Pretty boring, just kinda noodling along and nothing memorable really stuck out. Forgetting this one
4/5
Rating: 7/10
Arguably U2 at their best, though I'm not sure if I would wind up liking Achtung Baby more. This one probably has higher highs, and it might be very frontloaded. Beautifully produced by Brian Eno, that guy knows how to make great atmospheric music. Nicely mixed, strong sense of dynamics, all the buzzwords. They have good singles for sure. While they're pretty boring on the surface, they still have this almost undeniable enjoyment to them.
U2 is the definition of a 7/10 band for me. Turns out they were a pretty good band, but I never find them spectacular. I'll keep the same score for this one but I'll also bump it up to 4 stars, why not
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Rating: 6/10
It’s alright. Liked the first three songs, Shining Star being one of their downright iconic songs and the title track being a great one too. After that, it’s fine and pleasant
Fats Domino
2/5
Rating: 5/10
I'm not even sure I listened to the right thing. Whatever the collection of songs I listened to actually is, he's a talented old timey guy. Don't think I'll become a of Fats
The Pharcyde
3/5
Rating: 7/10
This is pretty cool, always went under my radar so I'm happy for its inclusion. With a collection of good emcees, and a fun lighthearted and comedy angle, the group feels kinda ahead of its time in the world of west coast hip hop. I could go back to this more and appreciate it more over time.