8/10
Best songs: Ready to Start, Empty Room, Half Light II (No Celebration), Month of May, We Used to Wait
The album propels the listener forward with forceful bass and drums. The album is largely medium tempo, and feels a little long. The highs are very high.
Best songs: Building Steam with a Grain of Salt, The Number Song, Stem/Long Stem - Melody, Midnight in a Perfect World
Somewhere between instrumental hip hop and trip hop. Very subversive album - I'm not sure what to think of it because it doesn't sound like one thing or another. This is why I started this project. A good album to listen to in the morning.
3/10
Best songs: Wearin' That Loved On Look, Power of My Love, Kentucky Rain
Late-era Elvis. A little too down-tempo for me - the ballads are almost universally dull. Honestly outstays its welcome.
6.5/10
Best songs: Heresy, I Do Not Want This, Piggy, Mr. Self Destruct
The kind of album you'd want from this project - so clearly experimental and creative that it transcends time. That being said, it isn't as good as some of Reznor's later albums, and it's lyrically a bit dull/obvious (at least by modern ears). Starts great but fades in strength by the end. It's very much an album for a very specific type of person, and at some points I find that I am that person. On that note, the lyric "I wanna know everything
I wanna be everywhere
I wanna fuck everyone in the world
I wanna do something that matters" speaks to me (sigh).
And, for the record, the original version of Hurt is superior to Johnny Cash's version. Sorry.
8.5/10
Best songs: Big Exit, A Place Called Home, This Mess We're In, This Is Love
The first album I actually own/have listened to before. Some of the songs are absolute must-listens (This Mess We're In and This Is Love are both still on my playlists today). A couple of the songs drag a bit (Horses in My Dreams). Overall a really, really solid album.
6/10
Best songs: Human Behaviour, Crying, Violently Happy, Play Dead
Another album I listened to before! It's such a breath of fresh air, both compared to contemporary albums and music released today. That being said, I don't think I actually like it that much - the slower songs drag and although Bjork treats her voice like an instrument no different from a drum or a guitar, sometimes it just doesn't work.
6/10
Best songs: Help Yourself, Join the Boys, Like Fire
I'd literally never heard of Joan Armatrading before getting this album today. The album is like if Tracy Chapman met Ani DiFranco - very Lilith Fair, singer/songwriter-with-a-guitar type music. Interestingly, it doesn't feel THAT dated, with the exception of some slightly groovy bass lines and beats. Overall a strong album, just not my kind of album.
7/10
Best songs: Allergies, Train in the Distance, Think Too Much (b), The Late Great Johnny Ace (Demo)
This album honestly wasn't what I was expecting, but it was pretty good. There were some flashes of brilliance, namely in the occasional brilliant line or harmony, but they were hobbled by some questionable choices (Cars and Cars????). I think that the album never quite took off - it felt a little one-note, lacking any truly climactic songs, although Train in the Distance may be the best song I've heard while doing this project.
6/10
Best songs: Take on Me, Hunting High and Low, Here I Stand and Face the Rain
This album has a very healthy sense of drama - so many songs are about the yearning, desperate kind of love that can only be expressed through judicious use of falsetto. Some songs are absolute bangers, while others sort of fail to take off. Perhaps a little short/shallow for what it's trying to accomplish?
6/10
A perfectly fine 60s Christmas album.
4/10
Best songs: Panama, I'll Wait
Exactly what I expected from an '80s rock album: lots of sex, huge numbers of guitar riffs, and overly long tracks. Not my type of music. How would I fix it? Shorten each song, drop a guitar riff or two, and be more interesting.
8.5/10
Best songs: Little Earthquakes, Precious Things, Happy Phantom, Crucify, Leather, Silent All These Years
What a coincidence that one of my all-time most-listened-to albums should pop up. Tori was my teenage obsession and I still have a soft-spot for her 25 years later. This is a terrific album and an excellent debut. My only complaint with it is that it loses steam towards the second half (and then the final track, the titular Little Earthquakes, rocks out and proceeds to be one of my top 5 Tori songs...). A great album but not a perfect album.
5/10
Best songs: Girl, Scarecrow, Go It Alone, Farewell Ride
A slow- to medium-tempo album the whole way through that relies heavily on (admittedly interesting) beats and less on lyrics or singing. Though the second half is pretty good, I find the album conceptually interesting but just not very appealing. I've never really gotten into Beck, and I think this album is emblematic as to why.
3/10
Best songs: Bring on the Night, The Bed's Too Big Without You, Contact
What's with the Jamaican accent in several of the tracks? Why does On Any Other Day have homophobic lyrics (don't give me that "it's representative of contemporary suburbia BS")? Why is this album so boring? I feel like this album could be really good, but instead it's really one-dimensional.
8/10
Best songs: Green, Vicky's Box, Rabbits Dying
Difficult album to find - the full original album is available on YouTube under the title "Throwing Muses First Album 1986 Full."
A very rock precursor to woman-led/riot grrl bands of the '90s - I could easily see Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, or Le Tigre finding inspiration in this album. Personally, it's right up my alley. It has that ultra-indie rock-band sound to it; experimental yet derivative (although that may be my own 2025 bias), with some extreme bursts of genius peaking out from behind the chaff. I will definitely be looking into other albums by Throwing Muses, which is exactly what I wanted from this project.
6/10
Best songs: Something So Clear, Broken Hands, Who You Drivin' Now?, Check-Out Time
I feel like I've heard of this band, but I know nothing about them and have never listened to them before. This album has a grunge-y rock vibe. I do enjoy it - the guitars are quite brilliant - but the droning singing gets a bit old.
6/10
Best songs: Sex on Fire, Closer, Use Somebody
To my knowledge I'd only ever heard Sex on Fire and Use Somebody before listening to this album. What's interesting is that I knew next to nothing about the band before starting the album, and almost instantly wondered if they were a Christian band (ugh). They aren't, as it turns out; but they are heavily influenced by their pentecostal upbringing (but not in the rah-rah-god kind of way). It's kind of interesting that that influence is so apparent. That being said... Outside of the singles, the album is kind of dull. I like the production and I appreciate that the band was (is?) doing rock music during a period when rock really isn't that popular, but it's just not my thing.
7/10
Best songs: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, You Don't Have to Cry, 49 Bye-Byes
I actually really like a lot about this album - the harmonies are excellent and each song has its own identity. However, it does get a bit dull after a while; I'd be interested in seeing what the band would do with a slightly faster tempo. Good stuff though - I'll look into more music by them later.
7/10
Best songs: Eleanor Rigby, Got to Get You into My Life, Tomorrow Never Knows
Such an interesting album, yet not a particularly good album, if that makes sense? Every song is very different from one another which messes with its cohesiveness, and often makes me feel confused about where it's going (and what it's doing). Although there are a few clunkers, there are some classic tracks here, and Eleanor Rigby is instantly one of my all-time favorite songs. It's funny that people deride TikTok songs for being so short when the Beatles were doing the same thing back in the 60s - so many of these songs are so short that I barely get an impression of them before we're off to the next one. One thing I do really appreciate is the sheer breadth of musical instruments used - someone in this band was very, very interested in trying new sounds, which I can never fault.
4/10
Best songs: El Harba Wire, Derwiche Tourneur
My first non-English album during this project! My thoughts? Uh, it's fine. It gets very samey at some points (most points), and a lot of the songs drag a little too long for my liking. The cover of Imagine was a choice. I appreciate the mixture of traditional and western instrumentation and styles.
9/10
Best songs: Freedom, A Day at the Races, Remember His Name, What's Golden, Thin Line
Great storytelling, voices complement each other very nicely. Enthralling. One of the best albums I've listened to during this project. Chali 2na's bass voice is probably the standout for me - it stands out and has this almost businessman-does-rap vibe to it? Idk. The mid-album stretch from A Day st the Races ro Thin Line is just perfection. Homophobic lyrics are not cute, but I guess it's accurate to the sociocultural context of this group, so sure, whatever.
7.5/10
Best songs: (Well) Dusted, Wolfy, Satellite
Although I've never heard of this band before (unusual since I'm fairly well-versed in music from this genre and time), apparently they later turned into Calexico, who I AM familiar with. The album has a very toned-down, nearly but not quite acoustic vibe, with heavy country/folk influence. Music and lyrics alike are quite understated. I understand how people could find this album dull - it lacks very many peaks and valleys and overstays its welcome, but I quite like it.
10/10
Best songs: Sure 'Nuff 'n' Yes, I Do, Zig Zag Wanderer, I'm Glad, Abba Zaba
What a fascinating album. It's somewhere between rock, blues, and avant-garde/psychedelica, pushing the boundaries between music and sound at some points (Dropout Boogie, Electricity). Every song is radically different, showing a real grasp of music and an interest in experimentation. This really can't be considered an "easy" album, but in terms of art, it's really, really good. Based on the surprisingly low rating on this site, I'd guess that most listeners aren't very interested in experimental or "weird" music. If you have an open mind, then this album is definitely for you. Personally? I love it.
5/10
Best songs: Gasoline Alley, Cut Across Shorty
Some songs are catchy, but I don't think I really like his voice, and I feel like he never pushes the boundaries very much. Like, if he really rocked tf out at the climax of some of the songs, I could see this album being outstanding. As is stands, it's just okay.
8.5/10
Best songs: The Perfect Kiss, This Time of Night, Sunrise, Elegia
Kind of like a less-depressing and more synth-heavy Depeche Mode. I am VERY into the music - but man, the singer's voice is... not the best. I think the first half of the album (through Elegia) is genius, more than deserving of 5 stars, but I was thinking the last few songs are a bit weak. Overall a great discovery and a band I'll revisit in the future, but not a perfect album.
5/10
Best songs: Wild Flower, Outlaw
A perfectly fine album. Very '80s rock vibes: heavy bass, lots of drums, yelling/forceful singing. There really aren't any standout songs. It's just kind of... average, honestly.
5/10
Best songs: Panic in Detroit, Cracked Actor
Creative, experimental, but like, not really my style of music. I think I like later David Bowie a lot better.
5/10
Best songs: Welcome to the Terrordome
I always enjoy political rap/hiphop so I'm happy to hear this album. This album is very loud: deep bass, loud drums, shrill whistles, forceful vocals, samples and lyrics that very clearly scream "this album is about the Black experience." It becomes overwhelming, which is honestly the entire point: one can argue that much of the Black experience is tied to anger and fury, and this album makes that very clear. That being said, a little bit goes a long way, and this level of anger for over an hour is waaay too much for me. I also don't really like some of the gender views expressed, but y'know, time and place matters, I guess. I understand the significance of the album, but I think a little tightening (particularly in the second half) would have made it stronger. Overall it's not for me.
7/10
Best songs: I Should've Known, Stupid Thing, Say Anything, Jacob Marley's Chains, I Could Hurt You Now
A singer-songwriter from slightly before Lilith Fair who I've heard of before but never listened to. Located somewhere between folk, country, and alt rock, but done well - not just guitar, but a great backup band. That being said, the album kind of sounds like every other album from this period, albeit a bit stronger and with some really great moments here and there (harmonies & guitar solo in Say Anything, etc). I wonder if Mann is attributed to be a founding member of this type of music? Hmm. Anyways, I do think this is a very solid debut.
8/10
Best songs: ???
Not the "heavy metal" I was expecting, but I am pleased with what I got. The music is far and away the strongest part of the album. The vocals aren't very good, and the lyrics are honestly really lame, but the musicality of the album (almost?) makes up for it. Interestingly, I've kind of had difficulty identifying a "best song" - not sure why. The songs are all pretty strong, none are offensive to the ear, so why can't I pick out one or two that stand out?
8/10
Best songs: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), Bangles, Train for Tomorrow, Sold to the Highest Bidder, Get Me to the World on Time, Try Me on for Size
Mid-60s early psychedelic rock/electric rock - very garage band vibes, but like, a couple generations earlier than the garage bands I grew up with. As one might expect from 60s music, each song is quite short, but the tone and lyrics are unexpectedly dark (melancholic? I'm not sure of the right word). Somewhere in the final third of the album the music shifts from being experimental/psychedelic to almost story-telling/folk, and then back again. It's a weird tonal shift that doesn't seem to fit the rest of the (imo) very strong album. I do really like this album overall and I'm really happy with its place on this list.
8/10
Best songs: Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Crack Rock, Pyramids, Lost
A rather melancholic album about youth and the Black experience - or, at least, a very specific portion of it. In general I find the album quite strong (the Crack Rock-Pyramids-Lost stretch is great) but most of the songs are a little too slow for me - feeling kind of like background music.
6/10
Best songs: Now's the Only Time I Know, I'm Not Done
You know, considering how into indie music I was in the late 2000s, I'm kind of shocked that Fever Ray never came onto my radar - especially considering that singer Karin Dreijer was once part of The Knife (!). That being said, I'm not really sure I understand why this album is on this list. Don't get me wrong: it's not bad by any means, and I enjoy it, but like... What is it doing that The Knife didn't already do? Or Bjork (who very clearly influenced Dreijer's style of singing, which I only realized just now and I'm shocked I didn't notice years ago)? My big criticism of the album is that it's a little too down-tempo for my liking, with a sparse, almost cold musical landscape. Few of the songs ever push the envelope or move out of that same zone, which makes it a bit one-note. That being said, the songs that do are pretty great. I feel like this is a case of an album that critics hyped tf up because of the insane popularity of The Knife and not for its own merits.
6/10
Best songs: Yellow, Everything's Not Lost
My opinion about this album is the same as my opinion about every Coldplay song I've ever heard: well-done music, but waaay too slow and one-note for me. It shouldn't be a surprise that I find songs like Yellow, where harmonies add some interest, to be the strongest on the album.
7/10
Best songs: Do It Again, Dirty Work, Kings
It's funny that I first discovered this group through a Tori Amos cover of Do It Again. I was obsessed with that cover so I gave the original version a listen... and was summarily disappointed. 20 years later, I actually really enjoy that song, as well as most of this album. The storytelling lyrical style and the diversity of songs (particularly in the first half) make this quite successful. A great use of harmonies and unusually good instrumental solos (for the time) really strengthen this album. I do think it could use a bit of tonal variation - more downbeat songs for example - and the album sort of peters out in the second half (this was very clearly an album where the A Side was head and shoulders above the B Side), but overall it's pretty good.
8/10
Best songs: Ponta Da Lança Africana, Meus Filhos, Meu Tesouro, Taj Mahal
'70s Brazilian samba meets African beats. As someone who doesn't really listen to any of this (and has little prior experience with it), I'm surprised by how much I like it. It's a good album.
8/10
Best songs: The Battle of Evermore, Stairway to Heaven, When the Levee Breaks
You know, this album does something that I really wish more albums in general do, particularly those from the early 70s: it has peaks and valleys, sometimes in the same song. Instead of stagnating with the same sound, the album goes from screaming, brash, and loud to low-key story songs. I really like that approach because I don't end up bored by the end. Stairway to Heaven is a good example of this encompassed in one song: calm story with almost sn acoustic vibe to the band kicking in to the vocals fading away and heavy metal taking hold to the earlier screaming vocals. Compare that to Four Sticks (also on this album) - one heavy bass line and screaming the whole way through; no variation makes for a very tedious experience. All of that being said, this album annoys me because its highs are extremely high and its lows are in the basement. Not sure how to rate this one.
And one last note: man, they really gave anyone a microphone in the 70s, didn't they?
3/10
Best songs: Shakin' All Over
Live albums should never be on an "essentials" list - they are inherently on a different playing field than studio albums, which makes it pointless to compare. I listened only to the 6 original tracks on this album: later versions were expanded to 2x longer than the original. Typical 70s rock music; lots of drums, bass, and guitar, not great vocals. The solos are just excessively long and get quite dull (My Generation, I'm looking at you). I just don't see the point in this album on this list.
8/10
Best songs: You're My Best Friend, The Prophet's Song, Bohemian Rhapsody
A boundary-pushing, extraordinarily creative album. In some ways I don't quite understand how Bohemian Rhapsody came from this album, in some ways I do (it's even more out there than the rest of the album). I really appreciate all the peaks and valleys - this album never gets mired in the same sound. There are a couple reasons the album misses out on a perfect score. First, the songs leading up to Bohemian Rhapsody are either reheating its nachos (Love of My Life) or just really dull (Good Company). Second, something just doesn't quite click... There's a lack of emotion, maybe? I'm not sure. The album is an almost-but-not-quite kind of situation.
8/10
Best songs: On a Rope, Ball Lightning
An album by a group I've literally never heard of before. It's kind of a mix of rock, punk, and metal, but I saw some definite influences by other genres in there (Used has '60s girl group vibes, of all things). One of my big critiques of the album is that on occasion it feels like the lyrics and vocals are ignored with all the emphasis put on the outstanding music (including harmonies and outstanding guitar/bass/drums). Like, sorry, but "would you like some cheese with your wine?" was just as dumb of a lyric in the 90s as it is today. (Doesn't stop me from loving that song though!) The album also goes a bit too long, with the second half being a bit of a drag. What I find particularly interesting is that the album has a very clear garage rock sound to much of it, which is sort of characteristic of this kind of heavy rock from the 90s - even in music that was not by any means garage rock. Overall it's a really, really good, enjoyable album.
2/10
This album has a lot going against it. First of all, I do not think live albums should be on this list. Second, this is a progressive rock (opera) adaptation of the titular opera by Mussorgsky, and it's... kind of boring? The prog rock aspects are simultaneously barely there and also painful to listen to. The singing (what little there is) is... fine. It just sounds like a midi version of classical music. Not great.
5/10
Best songs: Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, Here Today
I was looking forward to this album based entirely on the enduring strength of God Only Knows and Wouldn't It Be Nice. Unfortunately those are the only songs that I particularly enjoyed. There's nothing egregiously wrong with the album; it's just very typical '60s music, and nothing stands out.
1/10
Tldr; at its worst this album grates like nails on a chalkboard, at its best it's inoffensive but dull.
I really, really don't like his voice - in some points it's too husky and rough, obvious that he's forcing it; at other times he's so restrained that it just doesn't sound good. I understand what he's going for - that Martin Gaye satiny "makin' love" kind of music - but I just don't really like it, but man, at times his voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Also, "Big Muff"? Ugh.
4/10
Best songs: John Barleycorn
I have to admit, based on the album title I was expecting something folk or Irish. Instead I got yet another early 70s progressive rock/jazz (rock?) album. It's like... fine. Boring, honestly. Some of the songs are in a minor key which just doesn't work here. It's telling that the strongest song on the album isn't particularly prog rock/jazz.
7/10
Best songs: Hidden Place, It's Not Up to You, Undo
It's funny how the first repeat musician I encountered in this project is Bjork of all people - and an album I'm (pretty sure) I listened to before. At its best the songs are angelic, beautiful; at its worst its slow, overly quiet, and dull (particularly in the second half of the album). Do I like Bjork's strand of avant garde? Eh... depends on my mood, and the song.
6/10
Best songs: What's My Name, Deny
Genre-defining, wildly creative, incredibly influential, but like... honestly... I'm just not a huge fan of punk music. Not a fan of the punk "voice" or the brash music. I do, however, really appreciate how this is ridiculously different from other music from this time.
7/10
Best songs: Pusherman, Superfly
Politically aware 70s music. This album is deceptive: the music is a whole vibe, very chill, very easygoing, yet the lyrics tackle social issues affecting socioeconomically disadvantaged and Black communities. Overall really good stuff.
1/10
I'm a big fan of electronica/dance music, especially from the late 90s/early 2000s, but let's be real - dance albums never really work, at least not at this time. This is just not a very interesting album - and not particularly good dance music. It's overly long, repetitive, and wasn't all that relevant at the time, let alone now. Why is this on the list?
8/10
Best songs: Atlantic City, Johnny 99, State Trooper
What I find fascinating about this album is how restrained Springsteen is. He never goes hard with his singing; he never uses obscenities; his music very very rarely reaches a huge, bombastic crescendo. He's quite talented. His music doesn't entirely work for me for this reason - I like my music to have more extremes; because of this, State Trooper is probably the best song on this album because he marries his restraint to something "more." Overall pretty good. I won't make my mom (a Bruce Springsteen fan since the 70s) angry after all!
9/10
Best songs: Two Receivers, Atlantis to Interzone, Golden Skans, Magick, Gravity's Rainbow
Man I was OBSESSED with this band circa 2007-2008. The album sounds exactly like the cover (highly unusual, I know) - spacey, futuristic, electronic, energetic, new. It just feels like this typical British indie rock band has new and exciting influences that their contemporaries didn't. Even now, 20 years later, the album feels unexpected and exciting. Just good stuff.
7/10
Best songs: Clap Hands, Big Black Mariah, Anywhere I Lay My Head
I've always been conflicted about my feelings towards Tom Waits. I find half of his music absolutely brilliant, and the other half nigh on unlistenable. And... that's exactly how I feel about this album. It's definitely something that everyone should listen to at least once, but I'm not totally sure they'd like it. I'm of the opinion that the second half (the B side) is a bit of a bore. All of that being said, I do sort of wonder if I'd be able to turn myself into a Tom Waits fanboy if I listened to his stuff on repeat - I could plausibly see myself becoming obsessed with enough listens.
5/10
Literally the definition of French chanson. Live album (ugh) but it does work better here than on some of the other albums on this list. It feels like the kind of music you'd hear in the background of some movie where they're trying to be all sophisticated and shit. Good but just not my kind of music.
5/10
When I think of country music, Willie Nelson is the kind of stuff I'm thinking about - not the pop country stuff that pops up on the Billboard 100. That being said... This is good country, but I don't really find it very interesting. Nothing really grabbed me. It's a little too stripped down. His voice is terrific though, pure country. Good for what it is, but not for me.
5/10
Best songs: Fistful of Love
For some reason I always thought this band was much older (from the 80s, which I've never really had an interest in), so I never gave them a listen. The album is much slower/down tempo than I'd expected - for some reason I was thinking it was dance? The constant vibratto in every single song gets a bit old. The lyrics are very, very queer: a desperate yearning for another body, for another self. I don't know if Anohni was aware of her gender at this time, but the lyrics are basically the experience of an "egg," which would be really interesting to study more closely.
7/10
Best songs: We Carry On, Magic Doors, Threads
There is a lot to like about this album, but one thing that I have a lot of issues with is the fact that as an album it isn't particularly successful. You have these really vibey songs that have a terrific, ever-onward-pushing beat, and then... they abruptly end, and a new song begins. The whiplash just doesn't work for me. This is an album that very much should have been connected through short interstitial tracks, or by rearranging songs to match beats or instruments. But yeah, I do actually enjoy the album overall; the beats and music are excellent, and I appreciate the singer's ethereal voice (although it definitely worked better on Dummy than here). Where the band was doing trip hop during the 90s, in the 00s they shifted to a heavy bass/drum/house/almost industrial kind of feel (sort of Skinny Puppy/pre-Skrillex vibes). Does this album belong on this list? Ehhhh, probably not, but I like it so sure, why not.
4/10
I appreciate how ahead-of-the-times this album is - very electronic, futuristic, industrial. I just don't particularly have an interest in it. I'm sick and have a headache so I may not be in the right head space for this album, so I'll give it a relisten at a later time.
8/10
Best songs: Me and Julio Down by the School Yard, Peace Like a River, Paranoid Blues
Second Paul Simon album I've come across on this list, and I like it even more than the other. It's funny that the first time I ever came across his music was a remake? adaptation? of Me and Julio Down by the School Yard by Chk Chk Chk from the early 2000s called "Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story)." I like this album, it's very chill folk.
7/10
Best songs: Xtal, Ptolemy
This is a timeless, extremely vibey electronica album. No lyrics, just pleasant beats that make you nod your head and melodies with a futuristic sound. I find it really impressive that this album sounds so modern for being from this time period - Aphex Twin is a tremendous producer. I will say this however: this is very much a "background music" kind of album. You can turn it on in the background and it won't mess with your concentration, and much of it could easily have a vocal track added and nothing would change.
8/10
Best songs: Sunshine Superman, Bert's Blues, Season of the Witch
This album is sort of schizophrenic - some songs have such a mid-60s groovy vibe that is kind of psychedelic, kind of singer-songwriter; other songs are folk songs with medieval themes that don't really seem to belong in the same realm as songs with lyrics about "trans-love airways." I definitely like the psychedelic tracks more than the rest, but it's all pretty good. I'd like to hear more by this musician; I appreciate experimental acts.
7/10
Best songs: New Dawn Fades
Somewhere between rock and punk (leaning more rock). Pretty good album, I just think the vocals let it down a bit.
7/10
Best songs: Muudo Hormo
A timeless Senegalese album. It avoids a lot of the tropes inherent to western music, starting with the need to have short, focused tracks with a climax. In this case it's not a bad thing: each song is different from one another and I find them all quite compelling, almost hypnotic in their focus on beats and seemingly improvised (but probably not) variations of the same melodies. I enjoyed this album as pleasant background music.
9/10
Best songs: I Love Your Lovin' Ways, Four Women
Now THIS is what I call an album. At times fun, affective, passionate, socially conscious - just good stuff. This isn't ordinarily my type of music but it's genuinely just good, from the very beginning.
8/10
My mother has been a Rolling Stones fan since the 70s, so I would forever shame her if I didn't like this album. Luckily I do. It's among the strongest of the 70s rock albums I've heard; every song is distinct, with rising action and appropriate climaxes; and nowhere do they fall prey to hubris by focusing too much on guitar solos or the music over vocals or what-have-you. It even flows nicely, working well as an album. My only complaint is that I don't think there's really a stand-out track - everything is on the same (strong) level, but there isn't anything I particularly want to relisten to. I'm curious about whether other albums by this band are any better (by my standards). Luckily this list likely has 57 albums by the band, so I'm sure I'll find out in a few hundred albums...
8/10
Best songs: Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymnal, Your Protector
Someone in another review states it quite nicely: "mainstream Appalachian affectation." The album is choral folk music - lots of vocal harmonies, country influence, sounds like it could be played by a group of camp counselors around the campfire. That's not to say that I don't like this album - because I do, it's great. I never listened to Fleet Foxes at the time, despite being very into indie music, but they've stood the test of time.
5/10
No real standout tracks, no strong opinions about the album - it just kind of happened. Bland 60s music. The definition of average.
6/10
Pretty good early punk (??). I have no strong feelings about the album, but it doesn't repel me as much as punk usually does, so that's a plus, I guess.
5/10
Best songs: Pastime Paradise, As
There is a very specific easy listening genre from the 90s that I find excruciatingly dull. This album absolutely fits into that genre, with the caveat that it was released 20 years prior. I guess the album is quite ahead of its time in that regard. Unfortunately I just find it pretty boring. I appreciate that he touches on social issues, and there are no stand out bad songs, but it's so average.
4/10
Best songs: Innocent Smile
Very typical rock for this time period. Sometimes the vocals are not the most pleasing to the ear, and by the end it gets dull. I feel as if the reason this album was included on the list is because Ash is a Northern Irish band releasing music during the Troubles. Which - don't get me wrong - is interesting, but that seems like a pretty weak reason to include the album on this list, particularly since they don't even sing about anything political.
5/10
Best songs: A Gospel, Strength Of Your Nature
This is such a confusing album. It starts as sort of jazzy easy listening - mainly instrumentals with a few random vocals. Then suddenly A Gospel comes on and it's early rap/hip hop; then you have typical synth-y 80s music... It's a sort of schizophrenic album. Some parts are good, some are bad, some are dull... I'm not sure what to think about it honestly, but I like how experimental it is.
6/10
Best songs: A Hard Day's Night, Can't Buy Me Love
This album takes me back to those halcyon days of youth in the 60s: riding bicycles on sidewalks under clear blue skies, fathers going to work to have affairs with their secretaries while mothers day-drank to stave off their existential angst and depression. Now, I never said that was my youth, ofc. This album is the exact music that has played in the background of period pieces for decades now. It's very much of the time, building the archetype of 60s rock music, but as a whole it's kinda boring. Sorry, but like, not really.
7/10
Best songs: Back in the Day, Ain't No Other Man, Welcome (after the weird beginning), Nasty Naughty Boy, I Got Trouble, Hurt
There is no denying that Christina Aguilera has a fantastic voice. The album is meant to go "back to basics" by drawing on musicians like Etta James and Otis Redding, but also by referencing songs from her own archives, either lyrically or musically. I find the former interesting but sometimes the 2000s pop vibes overwhelm it (the burlesque Nasty Naughty Boy and the bluesy I Got Trouble are probably the strongest in this genre, and the second disc is far and away the stronger of the two in this regard), whereas the latter is sort of meh (I find self-referencing kind of tacky tbh). One criticism I have is that this album frankly lacks nuance. I know that's not the point of this style of pop music, but singing "he took it out on her face" is very... low-level-of-entry kind of lyrics, you know? That being said, it's actually a pretty interesting album overall, but at times it's not very successful, and it never should have been more than one disc - they seriously needed to cut the wheat from the chaff. Worth listening to.
Also, having looked at other reviews... Good lord you people are a bunch of misogynists.
5/10
This is not exactly a bad album. Strong music (heavy guitars, overwhelming bass and drums), varied vocals, sort of lame lyrics but whatever. It's just not my kind of music. I was bored the whole way through. How do I rate something like this?
5/10
This is not a bad album, but it's really, really, really not my kind of music. Every song is twice as long as it should be; for as elaborate and over-the-top each song is, they're all pretty dull; and I just don't like it tbqh.
8/10
Outside of this project I am very into indie music, and I have been for a couple decades now. I'm shocked that I've never listened to this band before - they are very solid indie rock. They're a few years before my listening prime so I guess that's a reason why. You know the theme song to the original Boy Meets World TV show? Like half of these songs sound exactly like that, which is not a bad thing by any means. It's not my favorite version of indie (this is sort of garage rock), but there is no denying that every song is its own thing, and the album itself flows terrifically. Good stuff.
9/10
Best songs: Here It Comes, Rise, Catch the Sun, The Man Who Told Everything
I'm trying to figure out if I've ever listened to any music by Doves before. I've definitely heard of them - I was a very avid indie music connoisseur starting in the mid-late 2000s l - but I can't remember if I ever got around to listening to them. If not: shame on me! This is an EXCELLENT album. Indie rock at its finest. Distorted guitars, terrific swelling melodies, great beats - it's everything I want in my indie music.
7/10
Best songs: Oh! Darling, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Polythene Pam
My third Beatles album in less than 75 albums, and my second in a week. Figures that'd happen to someone who's not a particularly big fan. I understand how insanely influential the band is, and some of their songs are absolute bops, but I just don't find their albums especially interesting. It says something that my favorite songs from this album are the ones that aren't popular and where the singing/music is a little more out there. Much of this album oscillates between being overly low key and overly quirky (like "hurdy gurdy I'm a goofy circus performer"). While better than their other albums I've heard, and while it has some flashes of brilliance, and while it's highly influential... it's not amazing by any means.
8/10
Best songs: The Denial Twist, Little Ghost
While this album probably never should have been on this list (it was later dropped, and the first two White Stripes albums are certainly better than this), it's good rock. Nothing really stands out, but it's solid all around.
8/10
Best songs: Chain of Fools, People Get Ready
Not much to say - Aretha is a great singer, these are sort of pre-Motown/jazzy/blues-y songs, and it's just a very chill, cohesive album. Good stuff.
5/10
Best songs: Clocks
I've never been a fan of Coldplay, and this album does nothing to change my mind. Their music is so incredibly dull. With one or two exceptions (generally but not always their singles), it's background music at best. Well done background music, sure, but it's something you'd hear in the background of an episode of some TV show or a coffee shop. And that's fine - clearly this type of music has its fans - but I like music that's actually interesting.
Oh, and proof of my point: once the album finished, Spotify played several other Coldplay songs before I realized the album was over. It's all literally variations on a theme. Background music.
