Electro-pop. A complete project in terms of cohesiveness, but that cohesiveness also made it difficult to distinguish between songs, when not paying full attention. 3/5
Solid album that brings mw back to high school. A tight album with iconic guitar riffs, that distant but intense vocal tone, and drums that give a sense of urgency. Overall, a great album, but a few cuts short of perfect. 4/5
Solid work from the hardest working man in show biz.
Minus one star for the length of the performance (only 30 minutes) and a single track that takes up 1/3 of the runtime.
A handful of radio hits from the mid 90s sandwiched between forgettable rock riffs. I see why this was popular at that point in time and why Oasis won the battle at this point in the BritPop wars vs. Blur, but at the same time the unoriginal tunes reminds me of Blur’s first album, which is to say, this album feels like it came out in 1990, not 1995, which makes most of the non-single tracks feel stale even 30 years later.
Yes, the singles are iconic, yet, cliche for the most part. The one song that saved this album from 2 stars is Don’t Look Back in Anger.
Anyways, here’s Wonderwall.
A seminal heavy metal album, turning a page on the genre and etching a sound that is still recognizable today. Make no mistakes. I don’t like it. It’s not my cup of tea at all but there are still some gems on this album.
Honestly the hardest part for me to swallow is that people take this seriously. Couple the vocals with the lyrics and it reads to me as ‘I am sooo badass. I’m a step-dad from Jersey, who slams Monsters, and is overly protective of his daughter from his first marriage, and if you mess with me I’ll pull out the national gaurd training I received at Fort Benning in 1991.’
After Metallica’s self titled album, this was honestly, refreshing. Still in the metal genre, but the talent and musicianship kept the album fresh.
I’m surprised the band is not classified as heavy metal/prog rock, as it seems apparent in their bass lines, changing melodies, drum fills, and vocals.
After the slog that was Metallica’s Metallica, I was honestly reluctant to press play on the album, but it flew by quickly, I was entertained and I’m looking forward to a new (hopefully not metal) album tomorrow.
Was pleasantly surprised by this album. Especially the Jazz cut near the end. Was also intrigued by the blues cut near the end of the album.
Not something I’d normally listen to, but above average!
This is not my type of album, but it was a good listen. Probably won’t go back to it, but still not a terrible listen by any means.
The opening track was quite promising, I was hoping the rest of the album would follow suit, and in some ways it did. I totally see why Damon Albarn collabed with the group. But I just can’t see myself coming back to this album.
I would have loved this when I was 17, but I’m not 17 anymore, so I found the no stop energy and shouting vocals quite tiresome. For an album with an average song runtime of just over a minute, I found myself frequently checking how much time was left in every song. Mercifully, the album was just 15 minutes, but I felt as though I felt every second of thise 15 minutes.
Partly classic 90s hip hop before more complex rhyme patterns were introduced with a heavy dose of social/political criticism splashed in that both rings true today, but also laughably shows the album’s age given the current political climate.
This is a good album for anyone who is into Public Enemy, Rage, The Coup, NWA, Mos Def, Talib Kwali, even Deltron 3030.
This is a good album for say a vinyl library to give you some cred with the socialist liberals, to say I’m down with the cause, but beyond its virtue signaling value, this record isn’t really getting any spins. Did I enjoy it? Sure. Was there a single song I want to listen to again? Not really.
Despite the fact that there is some filler on this album, there are 3 certifiable classics that have lasted decades as culturally relevant.
The style of the album is indie but leaning more towards traditional comercial pop. Overall a good album, probably wouldn’t revisit it in it’s entirety, but it’s still solid.
A nice dive into neo psychedelic/indie. Brings me back to being a teenager. Definitely above average but also far from perfect.
Fun, pop-y, etherial, jazzy, bouncy, haunting. Not a perfect album, but above average.
Obviously a foundational piece Rock n Roll history.
Not particularly mind blowing by any means by 2025’s standards, but journey back ~70 years, and you’ll realize this album was revolutionary. And there are still songs I recognize today.
Holy generic 80s rock batman!
My non-formed opinion on ZZ TOP dropped with this one.
Ok… so… this album, largely a snoozefest. None of the songs particularly stand out. It’s mostly techno with a few low-fi tracks mixed in, but as I said none of the songs stand out. Like at all. The title track is possibly the worst cut on the album, as it’s just a satanic panic preacher listing off the top names in pop/rock from the 60s through the 90s while the techno beat drones on in the background. As an album on it’s own, 2 stars. Its inexplicable inclusion on this list lands it at a 1.
With the last few 2 star albums I’ve had, Metallica, Circle Jerks, ZZ Top, I at least found some redemption in seeing the artist’s and album’s place in musical history. Each album largely had a stand out single, or in not at least a song that stood out.
This album had basically no redeeming qualities. As a fan of Lo-Fi, there are artists who did it much better, and as someone who basically has no interest in techno, I know there is better out there.
Really not sure why this made the list, at all.
A decent album. A bit of what is this doing on the list but not nearly as egregious as ‘Destroy Rock’.
Easy background music and fun to play Balatro to. Nothing too revolutionary or catchy that I’m going back to it.
So I was surprised to like this album as much as I did. I’m not an 80s fan, nor do I have much love for Morissey. But here I can see the influences on Blur, Oasis, Superfurry Animals, even Radiohead.
Yes, there was some 80s pop on here but there was one track in particular-Last Night I Dreampt Somebody Loved Me- that made it onto my favorites list. For that, I’m bumping this up to a 4.
A nice change of pace/genre. Nothing particularly stood out to me and nothing is going in the daily rotation from this album, but I didn’t actively dislike anything either.
Classic britpop through and through. This should probably be a 4/5, as it is a solid album, but not my favorite from their discography, but because of my own personal bias, and the fact that I’ve been listening to this album for ~20 years it’s my first 5/5.
The music itself is actually quite good and the singing is soulful and powerful.
My issue is, I don’t understand French so the lyricism and wit are fully lost on me.
Really a great album with 2-3 timeless jazz melodies. I wish we had .5 as an option because this would get 4.5, but instead I’m going to round down to 4.
Mostly boring. Odd to choose Spanish lyrics and put it over Indian/Middle Eastern/Northern African themed music.
Pretty generic surf/Garage rock the would do well as background music for a surf shop in Nor Cal/ PNW.
Then Toonerville Trolly came on and the album lost a star.
The official soundtrack to the entrance to the restroom at Red Lobster, Bubba Gump, and Papadeauxs around the world.
Jokes aside, this album is iconic. Was feeling a 4 star until I went back in for more.
Not a bad album. Unfortunate about who the artist is as a person, but I’m not going to dock points because that would be hypocritical, because of how I will be rating future Beatles/Michael Jackson/name any artist with a controversy.
Anyways, the album features laid back but still upbeat African beats and rhythms.
Unfortunately, I don’t speak French, so I can’t evaluate lyrical content.
Now, THIS is the reason I’m doing this challenge. I’ve never heard of Beta Band, but I can hear their influences in bands I do live, like Radiohead and Gorillaz.
I downloaded this album for future listens, but at this point it’s a 4.5/5, rounded down to a 4.
Got this on Christmas. Thought ‘OMG what are the odds’, posted it to reddit, felt dumb when everyone told me first year users all get a Christmas album.
This could be a 5/5, but it’s a Christmas album, so it loses a star
Foundational disco, not my thing but not terrible and contains some classic samples.
The album is ok, but really R.E.M. never felt like a band that made music that was made for me.
The one song that struck home was the one about California.
Not sure how/why this ended up on the list as I can’t really see this as being influencial, there’s no hit songs/singles.
It’s better than Mylo’s Destroy Rock and Roll though, so spared from a 1 star.
Good album with lyrics hitting on both societal and personal issues. She hits race, poverty, substance abuse, interpersonal relationships, ect.
It’s a strong album, deserves to be on the list but doesn’t quite make it to a 5 star.
I like old country, but not this old country.
The trope of the battered woman who returns to her husband despite the bruises is strong here.
Despite the fact that she sounds like Dolly, she lacks any inkling of empowerment, which makes this album a bust for me.
A decent mix of garage rock/psychedelic/rock-a-billy, that may have bridged those gaps back in the day. Makes for an interesting experience but overall not my cup of tea.
A classic G-Funk album to start the new year. You can pick out just about any track on the record to be a single.
Good 50s style music. Unfortunate that most are covers, that may or may not be as good as the originals.
Would be a hood playlist for a retro diner or bakery
I thought I didn’t like Steely Dan, but then I hear this album and the yacht rock vibes wash over me like jorts, a pair of grass stained new balances, the aroma of gasoline and a freshly manicured lawn. TL;DR? The Dad vibes are strong.
A much slower and more subdued Beck than I’m used to. It sounds and feels like he’s struggling under the weight of his relationship loss.
I tend to prefer the more sample heavy, cryptic, chaotic Beck, but this is still a great album.
With all of the super recognizable singles on here, plus some good deep tracks on here, a 3.5 is getting rounded up to a 4
Not unlistenable by any means, smooth R&B that did at times feel like my ears and mind were being violated. Unlike R&B of the 60s and 70s, this doesn’t seem super sample-able, and the music just sort of blends together into a big ol pile of meh.
Wasn’t super motivated to listen to this album, and from the minute the album begins with the grating harmonica, to its final screeching note, the only thoughts I could have were, ‘Fuck Bruce Springsteen and fuck this album.’
Its major theme is about white despair, an America and a life that has moved on. Sad themes with no reprieve or even glimmer of hope.
I’m not typically an 80s fan in terms of production/style, but goddamn did this album blow me away.
The production is tight layered complex, and Anita Baker’s vocals reign supreme through the synths, keyboards, basslines, ect.
This was a pleasant surprise and just when I was going to check in with how much more listening I had left, it turns out I was halfway through the last track
It’s Ok Computer, what can I say about this album that hasn’t been said over the last 25 years. All killer no filler.
Despite the fact that this is a foundational hip hop album, the rhymes are super dated and the beats are quite basic.
Sucka MCs is the first diss track ever, but the lyrics are so generic that it feels corny.
Foundational yet dated. A lot of the songs just kind of blended together.
Yeah. I knew about Arcade Fire but never listened to Arcade Fire. Not too much missed, and I think it was included because it was a good album when it released, but it never really reached any kind of legacy/staying power outside of fans of the band.
Was excited to get an album by one of the best female rappers to do it. Instead the whole album, minus two tracks are all just forgettable R&B trash. Why did this album make the list?
Over produced 90s pop. Ok, not unlistenable, but not the Madonna album I would expect to be on the list. Maybe it has to do with the ‘club’/ techno vibes on some of the tracks and that being somewhat ground breaking for a commercial artist at the time.
Either way, kinda boring but not anger inducing.
Rock isn’t dead as of 2013, but this also isn’t at all close to Bowie’s most prolific work
Much better than Metallica’s self titled. Still metal though, which is just not my genre.
Classic Coldplay before they sold out and went full pop. Not as good as Parachutes.
Probably need more Lou Reed in my life. Solid album.
There’s two, maybe three tracks on the whole album that is tolerable. The rest, would be acceptable as background noise at a dive bar in East Atlanta Village, but for listening with headphones, it’s just a monotonous assault on the ears and frontal lobe.
No standouts. Perfectly listenable.
Hood metal album. Surprising audio quality for a live album.
Classic 50s big band with some bangers. Sounds like the Fallout soundtrack.
Actually surprised by this. Not a bad album at all. Truly a 3.5 but bumping it up to 4 as it is higher than most 3 albums I’ve reviewed.
It’s cool that someone made a duo-lingual double album. Sucks that it’s late 20 teen girl pop trying to sound like the 80s. Not unlistenable, not worthy of the list either.
I thought I might like this more than I did, but this is some folksy hippy dippy shit. Heavy on the folksy.
Doesn’t seem like her style evolves much album to album, as a different song from a different album came on after and I couldn’t even tell.
Would have been 3 stars but ‘My Old Man’ bumped it down with it’s dissonant key changes, and lyrics referencing coffee percolators and washing machines.
Great solo album post break- up from Paul. I was unfamiliar with most of these songs going in, but it’s exactly what you would expect.
Excellent album, although I may prefer Guerolito more. Gives me flashbacks to highschool, riding in the car with my sister driving me to school. Pretty sure she blew out the bass in one of the Maxima soeakers listening to this. Nostalgia glasses on, it’s a 5. Realistically, it’s a 4.
Great energy, but very soda-pop counter rock, especially for 1964. Short, sweet, but man was Jerry Lee Louis a piece of shit.
Bob Dylan, you whiny bastard. Some of the lyrics were good, but goddamn, I will never get past your terrible voice, or egregious use of harmonica.
Decent listen, the title track and final track are the gems here. Although the final track is shockingly explicit for a song released in 79.
Otherwise, chill background music.
Ohhhh Bobby D. I nearly gave you stars, three, but the album dragged on and the last song is 15 fucking minutes of just rambling.
I never was a fan of yours, but I did find this more tolerable than the other Dylan album I got 2 days ago.
It’s Elvis, iconic, classic, but so many of these covers aren’t as good as the OG songs.
Overall enjoyable album, and with the unlikely backstory about how Billy Joel became the artist he is, I enjoyed the album even more.
Listenable, and if I picture some games as video game sound tracks, it really slaps. As a live performance it was also quite impressive, but listening to it in my apartment with no context had me frequently looking at how much time was left in the album
Excellent 3 track run with Tricky, My Adidas, and Walk this Way. You be Illin and Peter Piper are also gems on this album. The Rick Ruben touch shines through, with more intricate beats and the group comes through with more intricate rhyme schemes as compared to their first album. There are some filler tracks in the middle of the album which bumps this down to 4 stars, but overall it is a great early hip hop album
