If Jim Morrison didn't die young, the Doors would be remembered as average at best.
starts falling apart whenever the "rapping" happens. when it moves away from that and leans into the house/techno stuff it's much better. 2.5
Muse makes big dumb arena music. I remember liking this record when it came out but revisiting it 20 years later, it's pretty terrible. Some of the songs here would indeed sound good live, but the lyrics are horrible across the board and anyone with a basic knowledge of arena rock or heavier music can tell that the songs here just don't hold up. The only thing saving this from a 1 is really Knights of Cydonia, that song slaps. There are also some good riffs sprinkled throughout the album, though those are generally ruined by poor song structure. How they got to be so big is a mystery.
Sounds very 90s, but there's not really a bad track on here. She's pissed off and it shows, at times it's almost riot grrl music for the masses. There is a reason this was such a cultural moment and this still holds up today. 4.5/5
Oddly enough, the first track, the very famous You Are My Sunshine, is by far the weakest song on this LP. Maybe I've been to one too many weddings, but that song does not represent what Mr. Wonder is actually capable of doing. Fortunately the record becomes much more interesting immediately, and while there are fleeting moments of self indulgence, me being bored with the opener isn't enough to ding this project.
I don't take enough LSD to fully enjoy this. Do people even still do LSD? Maybe it should make a comeback.
3.5/5. Essential for Bowie fans but maybe not for this list. If you are going to listen to one album from this era of his I would recommend Low. Outside of Heroes the vocal tracks here do sound a bit dated, unlike on Low.
The production is on point, but I spent the entire record wishing that literally anyone else was rapping. As a fan of the genre and early 00's hip hop, this is anything but essential. Listen to MF Doom or Aesop Rock instead.
A fun album where the deep cuts are better than the singles. Falls off a little at the end but not enough to drag the experience down too much. 3.5
I'm not the person to be rating jazz. He is clearly a proficient musician, and it was a pleasant listen, but i couldn't tell you if this is good jazz or not. Nice to listen to, don't think I will be revisiting.
I can appreciate the musicianship of Rush, but I cannot listen to Geddy Lee for an extended period of time. +1 for them to release an 20 minute track on a record after their labe lwas about to drop them, -1 for it being based on an Ayn Rand story.
I do think that experimental Beatles are their best form, but any record with Yellow Submarine on it cannot be a 5.
Obviously technically proficient, but ultimately soulless, I really don't understand how the Eagles became so popular. There were plenty of more interesting acts making music in the 70s, that Hotel California of all records became this mammoth myabe just speaks to the taste of the average person more than I'd care to admit. Boring music for people whose rebel days were behind them.
I've tried here folks. I've listened to this record while sad, when it's raining, when it's sunny, while high. You get the idea. No matter what my mood, I just don't get this. He has songs on his other projects that I am into, but this one just doesn't do it for me. On the bright side, at least I can tell my therapist that I guess I'm no longer a sad boy.
I'm not mad that I heard this record, but it's very much something that is put on in the background while you are entertaining or doing something else, at least the first half. Not something you need to pay particularly close attention to which is unfortunate. They are clearly talented musicians. Unfortunately the vocals are terrible. And I do not say that lightly, I think I would rather listen to a toddler scream over this than what we got here. Fortunately that's only on one (20 minute!) track and there's almost 40 minutes of music until they kick in. So it seems they knew better, which is nice.
Technically proficient, but very much of it's time. It kind of bores me. It is odd to me that they are getting some some of reevauluation these days. Shrug.
I've listened to this a handful of times, trying to understand why people consider this his best record. And each time I come away from it feeling like it's fine, but I wouldn't really choose to put it on. Guess I'm not a music nerd after all. 3.5
On one hand, this record has some of the best music the Chilis have ever written. On the other, it is too long for its own good. I also find Anthony Keidis' lyrics to be very hit and miss, he has always been my least favorite part of the band. Shave 10-15 minutes off of this and this would be remembered alongside the likes of Pearl Jam's Ten as on of the seminal rock albums of the 90s. As it is, it's just a step below. 3.5
This was fine, not really my thing. I do appreciate the cover of Iron Man. If you are going to take on a classic like that, you had better make it your own, and they certainly did.
There are some obvious classics on here, but a 9 track album should not have any filler. Definitely two or three tracks on here, where if played live, would be time for a bathroom break.
You can tell the talent is there, but a lot of these songs go on too long for what they are and need better structure.
Listened to the UK version, didn't realize Paint it Black was on the US release. A couple musical highlights, one song that goes on way to long, and some lyrics that can best be described as questionable. This is not yet the band firing on all cylindars, but they are getting there.
I can understand why people may not like the vocals, and some songs to go on to long, but musically this is some top tier post punk.
Can't really find much to fault this record for, other than nothing really stuck out to me as something extraordinarily special. A solid, easy listen. 3.5
This is a bit more uneven than Elephant, but a solid listen all around. 3.5
The only negative I have about this record is the length. I know that it's a concept album, and as such is meant to be listened to in a single sitting, but once I get about halfway though here I just tap out. Nice vocals, great production, and a couple of catchy songs, but a front to back listen for me is exhausting.
Started off well enough but then quickly devolved into pretty generic 60's folk. Put me to sleep, not my thing. Nice Dylan impression though
Somehow perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being on a train ride through Europe while also being explicitly German. An influential classic that doesn't sound dated, something you can put on in the background and just chill.
This is my third favorite Hendrix record, where some of the deep cuts hit harder for me than the big songs. Hendrix is always a good listen, but this is not on the same level as Electric Ladyland or Are You Experienced. 3.5, rounded down just because I like the fore mentioned two better.
This is perfectly acceptable 90's Brit rock. With a name like theirs, you would expect something exceptional, however nothing really stands out here, maybe they should change their name from The Auteurs to The Average. Less than a day after listening and I've already forgotten about it. I have literally no idea why it is on this list.
Very musically talented, however I was hoping there would be a bit more social commentary here given the album's title and cover. This isn't my usual style of music, but can see it on in the background when there is company over. 3.5
This is one of Radiohead's best, hard to believe it's ben almost twenty years since its release. Weird Fishes is one of my all time favorites. The only middling track here is Faust Arp, but even then it's not a horrid listen. Easy five stars.
Maybe if they changed their name to something les stupid than Mott the Hoople more people would remember them. Nothing particularly terrible here, but they are trying so hard to sound like Bowie, why not just listen to him instead?
Obviously a very talented storyteller and lyricist, but musically this puts me to sleep. I can respect the talent but I won't be putting this on again.
Obligatory note about the mixing, they did Jason dirty here. Wild how they went from this to the best mixed album of their catalogue on their next project. Not their best, but solid thrash here before they went and changed their sound over the next few records.
What an album of incredible highs and very middling everything else. If you're not big on U2, this one won't change your mind. The big singles here are probably enough for most listeners.
While there are a few iconic songs on here, the deeper cuts are fairly average at best. I also can only take the Beasties in small doses, and even though this record is well under an hour, their rap style starts to grate on me during loner listening sessions. Still, for a debut album, the sound and style they would go on to perfect is on full display here.
Arguably Billy's creative peak, many of his classic songs can be found on this record. Not a bad song out of the bunch, but the last two (the only tracks here that a casual fan wouldn't know) don't hit as hard as the rest of the album. And if I never hear Just the Way You are again, I will be very okay with that. Four out of five Ack-ack-ack-acks.
This gets better the further you make it into the record, but I doubt most people will give it the chance. Abrasive post punk, and certainly an interesting chapter in Nick Cave's career. I was unaware that he did something like this, so I do think it merits an inclusion here, but there are better post punk/noise rock albums out there. 2.5, rounded up as there a few tracks here I would come back to
Mommy, I want to listen to A Tribe Called Quest.
We have A tribe Called Quest at home.
The bands first with Bruce Dickinson, and oh boy is it a killer. This is the record that made the band who they are and started to cement themselves as heavy metal royalty. Oddly here, the second half of the album is much stronger than the first, with three of the last four tracks being Maiden classics. It's not my favorite record of theirs but its still a very solid listen today.
This is tied for my favorite Stripes record. While I generally skip around on their albums, there's not really a bad song here, just ones that I need to be in a certain mood to enjoy. Come on, do the twist.
One of the great debuts of the 90s, noisy, angry, and powerful without feeling angsty, Polly Jean came out of the gate swinging. It is pretty insane to watch her artistic journey begin here with her most extreme record (her words, not mine), and ending up basically doing a spoken word folk album. Usually I would suggest starting with a more mainstream album to get into an artist, but her journey is very much worth starting from the beginning.
This is the kind of album I am here for. An artist I have not heard of before and the project turns out to be really solid. While this may be kind of no frills punk, and other than a few questionable lyrics, it is a solid listen front to back. Albums like this make me wish we had less representation from the big artists we all know and more like this.
What else can even be said about this record that hasn't already been said before? Classic.
Possibly Metallica'a magnum opus. One of the best thrash albums ever released.
I have tried for years to really get into Depeche Mode, but they have never really taken. Some tracks here and there really do it for me (Enjoy the Silence is excellent), but for the most part i find most of their music to be just fine. And upon listening to Violator again, my opinion hasn't really changed. Maybe it sounds too 80's, or not as dark as I think they should be, but this band is just not for me.
Still can't believe Morning Glory wasn't the opening track. I like to believe that a fight over this was a big part of the brothers falling out.
Teenage me loved this. Adult me has outgrown it. If I want angsty nu metal I'll just listen to Slipknot.
I actually like this more than I thought I would. Couple of bops in here, surrounded by some fine coffee shop music. Favorite tracks: Little Bird and Caravan Girl.
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on jazz, and his is name that I have heard, but after hearing a few jazz albums on this list, this doesn't do it for me. Most jazz records I have come across I could see just having on in the background, but this doesn't reach that threshold. It seems disjointed at times at the sake of any real melody, which as a fan of noise rock and post punk I would normally be into, but it doesn't work for me here. I can see some talent here, but there is nothing I would come back to.
It's Talking Heads for those who think Talking Heads weren't experimental enough. Or if you just really hate David Byrne. Not as good as their main project, but interesting enough.
I generally like the production on this record, though it's not nearly as experimental in 2026 as it was at the turn of the century. Some tracks are very trip hop coded, which is nice. However, some of the lyrics here are pretty basic and cringe worthy in places, holding this back from being something better. Three Madonna albums on this list, and this isn't in her top three so not really sure why it's here.
This felt way longer than it actually was. Songs started bleeding into each other and sound pretty much the same after a while. I think the Black Keys are fine in small doses, but almost an hour of them is just too much.
If you were around in 1999, this album was inescapable, mainly because Moby licensed it everywhere. If you weren't you probably know these songs from car commercials. Regardless of how this got to be a part of the turn of the century culture, there is no denying the music here. The first half of the album is banger after banger, and while the second half is more mellow in comparison, it doesn't slow down enough to hinder the whole experience. Techno may not have lasted long as a mainstream force, but this is one of its quintisential records.
I am one of those that enjoys certain Wu solo projects over the whole crew together, but there is no denying how important this record is. As a mission statement, this does exactly what it's meant to and plays heavily into their musical and entertainment inspirations. This was the 90's, so there is a bit more spoken word "skits" than I'd really like (though some will say the storytelling there is just as important as what's in the actual music). Also not al Wu members are created equal, but that's to be expected. All in all this is a pillar of 90's hip hop which launched the careers of many talented individuals. Throw those W's up.
Ambitious, but like many concept albums, suffers from bloat that drags down the overall listening experience. There are many songs here that while they may work narratively, are generally forgettable and just serve the purpose of progressing the story, not being an interesting piece of music in their own right. While there are certainly some classics on here, I've always felt that Floyd bit off a bit more than they could chew with The Wall and this listen doesn't do much to change my mind. 3.5
If M83 albums are the nostalgic soundtracks for movies that never existed, the Suburbs is that same nostalgia and frustration for kids who grew up in the cultural dead zones of the US suburbs. This one hits hard, though perhaps not as potent as it was fifteen years ago. This is the band at their creative peak, perfecting the sound they championed on Funeral, while stripping it back a bit from the more anthemic Neon Bible. The band may have lost their relevance in recent years, but The Suburbs remains a testament to the power they once had.
One of those records where I wish we'd get half stars here. Personal 9/10, and we'll round up because an 8 feels just a bit too low. Congrats Fleetwood, people like your drug filled, incestual band break up album
This is fine. Honestly not much I'll remember about this one. Macbeth was really the only track that made my ears perk up. I much prefer the Velvets.
I do not like country music.
Willie Nelson is fine.
Thanks for listening.
They had me in the first half, but then this record just didn't end. For me this is a just play the highlights type of album.
Deerhunter were an important part of the mid aughts/early 2010s indie explosion and this is probably their opus. I feel like Deerhunter blurred the line between melodic and dreamy shoegaze pretty well and I consider them a gateway band into some of the more experimental acts of the era. 9/10
If one of Elton John's outfits became sentient and wrote an album.
Missy is an important figure, but this album isn' it. This record is notable for her being a woman in a (at the time) very male dominated space. Otherwise, this is a fairly generic 90's rap album, with Missy's talents not being fully realized until later in her career.
Arcade Fire's first three albums really changed the course of indie music, and it started here. Lush and romantic, I can see why this this the favorite of many fans. The highs are incredible, and while I do prefer the "just decent" tracks more on their next two records, Funeral is too important to ignore.
Shout out to Scott Skiles for being immortalized in hip hop history. This is one of those records where I wish this site gave half stars. A very strong 4.
I imagine if I was in my twenties, in a crowded pub or small venue, the energy here would be amazing. However, listening to this sober with headphones on, there isn't enough variety here to keep me invested.
One third of this record is classic, anther third is pretty solid, and the last third has you asking what the heck he is doing. I Guess that's Lou Reed for you.
I haven't listened to this in probably over a decade, and I was ready to give it a four and move on, but this hit me this time around. It's powerful, in your face hip hop that some may find abrasive, but is exactly what's needed to convey the anger in the lyrics. This is another one of those charged sociopolitical records that you'd hope would age poorly, because things have changed for the better. So sad that the themes here still are applicable over 35 years later.
Not so low key the best Nirvana album. Tried to stick it to fame and came out with a classic.
Despite how much I love Trans Europe Express, this was the first time I have listened to this record in full. This listen just confirms that I love Kraftwerk's pioneering sound, despite not being a huge fan of electronic music in general. Nothing on here that stands out as bad, though I do prefer the aforementioned Trans Europe, so 4 stars it is.
This brings me back to my time in Brooklyn in the late aughts. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. I probably saw dozens of bands doing something similar, but these were the ones that "made it." And by made it I mean got Pitchfork's blessing. Those were weird times man.
