1001 Albums Summary

I listened to this album while playing SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide, and I finished the final frustrating task needed to get the Platinum just as The End was finishing up. The Beatles really are that good, huh? And weird as hell too. Despite having heard these things for years, I never really internalized or understood it; I just kind of assumed people oversold them a little bit on account of nostalgia, but this album is really damn good, most especially within the deep cuts and the weirder moments that flow together like one continuous suite. And their vocal harmonies really are impeccable, my word. What a hell of a start to this project. Highlights: Come Together, Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Oh! Darling, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Here Comes The Sun, You Never Give Me Your Money, She Came In Through The Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, Her Majesty

I first listened to this album driving around the suburbs of Glendale, and I scarfed down an entire Sonic Double Smasher in the parking lot of a Fry's in the time it took me to listen to Watermelon Man. The second time, I was driving around at night. As is usually the experience with jazz, clicking with the music is all about falling into the right groove with it. That second listen is where it really started to fall into place for me. I had an incredible amount of respect for the composition right off the bat, but I grew to connect with the individual songs over time (except Sly, that one immediately hooked me). The strange production on Watermelon Man in particular is a standout, and while I'm not always in the mood for it, nothing hits quite like it when I am. Just some truly incredible and funky jazz here, and a strong showcase for a genre which I am still relatively unfamiliar with. Highlights: Chameleon, Watermelon Man, Sly

I listened to this album while patrolling around GRPSTC, a training center for firefighters and police officers, and while driving around the desert roads surrounding it. I looked at pictures of firefighters on the walls and I thought about my father. While I don't have enough experience with metal to make any declarative statement on my feelings towards it, I can at least feel pretty comfortable saying that this Metallica album just represents a version of metal which doesn't do much for me personally. There are of course some incredible songs here, and I can respect and appreciate the power and atmosphere of this entire album, but I still find myself feeling a little left out by metal as a genre. We'll see how that relationship changes throughout this list. It also seems to be a coin flip as to whether or not I'll find the lyrics of any given song endearing and catchy or kinda hokey, and while that doesn't completely make or break songs for me, it definitely doesn't help. Though with all that said, Enter Sandman is still an all-time song. Highlights: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Of Wolf And Man

I started listened to this album driving in the early morning before the Sun was up, and I finished it sitting at my desk watching the sky turn blue. I tried to watch the Sun come up, but I couldn't see it from where I was. Well this was not the vibe I was expecting from this album; I suppose it makes sense in hindsight if I really stop and think about Message In A Bottle, but the heavy Caribbean and reggae influences were not even remotely on my radar this morning. The Police's version of "white reggae" hits my ears in a way that just doesn't click or feel comfortable most of the time, and on average, the further away the vocals get from their imitation of Caribbean accents, the more I like the songs. With that said, when the songs hit for me, they really hit: On Any Other Day has the sarcastic energy I love in bands like Viagra Boys, and Does Everyone Stare is is some overly vulnerable anxious sadboy music a la Geordie Greep (these are both compliments). I would have loved more of that on this album, and if The Police show up again on the list, I hope it leans more into some different sounds like these songs or their other major singles. Highlights: Message In A Bottle, It's Alright For You, On Any Other Day, Does Everyone Stare

When I first looked over the tracklist, I was convinced I had heard this album at least once before and it just hadn't stuck with me; when I began listening to it on my morning drive, however, I realized I was very wrong. If I had heard this album before, I damn sure would have remembered it. This album rocks. I recently saw The White Stripes mentioned as an example of this rare yet classic band format: one person who plays drums, and one person who does everything else (this is not meant to be disparaging, Meg White contribute more than enough on the the drums to prove her significance to the band). Within this esteemed subgenre, The White Stripes may very well be the best of the bunch, and this albums represents a raw and rough-aroumd-the-edges version of their sound which I absolutely vibe with. Highlights: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Hotel Yorba, I'm Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman, Fell In Love With a Girl, Little Room, The Union Forever, The Same Boy You've Always Known, We're Going To Be Friends, This Protector

I had a slight headache every time I listened to this album, and I couldn't tell if focusing on the music was alleviating or making it worse. This is a significantly more interesting project than I was anticipating from a 70's band just called Yes. There are quite a few parts of this album that I enjoy a lot, especially the third section of the title track; I would listen to that particular section a lot more often if it was its own track rather than packed into the middle of one 18-minute long recording. With that being said, that 18-minute journey is very well-structured for such an epic undertaking, flowing together as one compelling buildup to a satisfying payoff that feels earned and justifies the length, even if it's a hurdle to replayability or easier listening. The lyrics feel compelling if a little esoteric and heady; they're clearly getting at something a lot more detailed than I can fully wrap my head around on first go. I really like what's here, but this is one of the first times in music where I feel like I'm not enough drugs to enjoy this to its fullest potential. Highlights: Close To The Edge (I. The Solid Time of Change, III. I Get up I Get Down, IV. Seasons of Man), And You And I

I listened to this album while I was organizing my books; I got into a flow state and couldn't stop bobbing my head. Immigrant Song was way shorter than I was anticipating, I expected it to be the kind of classic rock song that goes on for ages, but it was short and to the point. This album was also way more varied than I had been expecting, with a lot of weird production moments I admired; the strange artificial percussion to start Immigrant Song caught me completely off-guard, and I love how roughly Hats off To (Roy) Harper is mixed. I'm staring to realize that my perceptions of many of these classic bands are solely shaped by their big hits which pervade pop culture, and thus I keep getting surprised when their deeper cuts display a lot more variety and new ideas than I thought they would. Even just the cover of this album threw off my expectations of Led Zeppelin, but it perfectly captured the bright energy throughout this album. A fantastic bit of classic country-tinged rock; turns out there's a reason why so many of these classic bands are so acclaimed, who woulda thunk it? Highlights: Immigrant Song, Celebration Day, Since I've Been Loving You, Out on the Tiles, Gallows Pole, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Hats Off to (Roy) Harper

My first listen of this album soundtracked the cleaning of my bathroom, I occasionally interrupted my tasks to dance in the mirror. Between this album and my continued playthrough of Clair Obscur, it was a very French day for me today. This is the first proper pop album on the list so far, and it's a relatively surprising pick! Seeing Christine and the Queens here reframes my idea of this post and what kind of albums can make it on here, which excited me. After so many rock-leaning albums, it took a second to get acclimated to this sound, but once I was in, it was a vibe. Both the English and French versions of this album have their charms, and the exclusive songs on each side are wonderful. Rahim's voice is distinctively powerful, and I'm glad to be hearing him in his natural habitat (as opposed to the various Charli XCX features which have been my exposure to him so far). The English lyrics occasionally feel a little stilted in their delivery, which can interfere in my connection with them from time to time, but looking into them deeper, they're beautifully poetic. Alongside Rahim, the drum machine is absolutely the star of this album, with so many of these beats packing incredibly funky grooves that I can't help but bob my head to. Highlights: Comme si, The walker, Doesn't matter, Damn (what must a woman do), Feel so good, Make some sense, Le G

I zoned out getting groceries while listening to this album; between this and Percy's review, apparently Jamiroquai makes some damn good music for being productive. So far it's been Big Seth Hours on this list, and that trend has not died here; yet another Certified Seth Classic. Comparison was the their of joy on my first listen; while this album was a hell of a continuous vibe, I didn't find it to have any highs as high as the big Jamiroquai hits I've been exposed to over the last few years (Canned Heat, Virtual Insanity, Automaton). But once I got over that unfair standard, I found a lot of joy here. The instrumentation is reliably funky and incredible, with some of the best (and only) didgeridoo implementation I've ever heard in contemporary music. Some of the lyrics felt very on-the-nose and obvious, with calls for peace and unity and other such messages, which wound up sounding a little preachy to me on first listen; while I did get used to them eventually, it's just not a style of lyric-writing I'm typically drawn to. Yhis album feels like the first step towards Jamiroquai becoming the version of themselves that I'm imagining in my head... which still makes it an incredible listen. Highlights: When You Gonna Learn?, Too Young to Die, Hooked Up, Blow Your Mind, Revolution 1993

I listened to this album off-and-on with Hunter and Isaiah crashing out over Marble Hornets Season 3 on CreepCast. Another group I've been familiar with before this list, but hadn't done a proper deep dive on. Talking Heads were batting 1000 for me in terms of full projects so far, having previously watched Stop Making Sense and listened to Speaking in Tongues (as well as a handful of other singles). The pressure was on for this album to deliver... And it absolutely did. There is a manic energy to Talking Heads that I can not get enough of, and it will always set them apart in a way that scratches an itch in my brain. Their bland of rock and dance is so singularly "them" that I can never get enough of them doing the sound they do best. I only knew Take Me to the River going in, and unlike other albums where the single I knew prior is easily the best song here, most of the record is fighting for first place here. I only gain more and more respect for David Byrne and the rest of the band the more of them I intake, and I hope that pattern continues into future. Highlights: Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, The Good Thing, Warning Sign, Found a Job, Artists Only, I'm Not in Love, Take Me to the River, The Big Country

I put this album on right as I was about to start building a bookshelf. I immediately realized it was actually a dresser, and not a bookshelf, which makes it useless. I respect the craft on display here, and the music is very pretty; it just also doesn't do a whole lot for me. Strictly instrumental ambient electronic music can be a mixed bag for me sometimes, and this album just sits in a bit of a difficult space for me personally: it sounds like if someone puts Animusic on .25 speed (this is not really a critique, Animusic is rad). I appreciate it as a bit of dramatic ambient music, and it certainly is a really compelling and ethereal vibe, but there are simply other albums in a similar realm to this one which I latch onto more than Oxygène. Certain bits of this album click for me really well, when more instrumentation kicks in and the songs progress a bit more, but certain parts just go on a bit longer than I would like. I'm sure I will like this more the familiar I get with it, but for now it's a pretty solid vibe. Highlights: Oxygène Pt. 2, Oxygène Pt. 4

It was dark when I started listening to this album. The sunrise was burnt orange, and by the end of it the morning was a pale blue. Before this album, all I knew of Leonard Cohen were the song Hallelujah and the album You Want It Darker; from these two impressions, I had preconceived notions of an album with a dark tone, and those expectations were handedly met. Cohen has a knack for writing lyrics balanced between poetic flourish and brutal sincerity that cuts right through to your heart, and his unique voice sells that writing incredibly well. The instrumentation, while often simple, fills the space with a deep and guttural sound lying just beneath Cohen's guitar, feeling almost like his acoustic performances are haunted by their subjects. The more I went about my day, the more verses from this album I found myself absent-mindedly singing, which is usually a pretty dang good stamp of approval from me. This is an incredibly well-written album, and it makes me want to check out so much more of Leonard Cohen's work. Highlights: Bird on the Wire, Story of Isaac, Seems So Long Ago, Nancy, The Old Revolution, The Butcher, You Know Who I Am, Lady Midnight, Tonight Will Be Fine

I listened to Behind the Wall on my way to guard a police training facility. Of everything on the list, this album has given me the most difficulty so far in terms of trying to summarize my thoughts or justify a rating, and I eventually just had to talk and process my thoughts out loud until I worked my way back to a conclusion that felt right. I have an incredible amount of respect for Tracy Chapman, whose songwriting and musicianship are both beautiful. Her voice is unmistakable with restrained power, and she has a knack for lyrics that touch on societal issues with a specificity that keeps them grounded. There are many songs on here which are absolutely incredible to me, most notably the simple acapella track Behind the Wall (I am always a sucker for a good spoken word / acapella piece). However, there were a couple which just didn't grab me as much; usually these were songs where the instrumentals had a little less power and energy to them, or where the lyrics leant a little more general. These songs weren't bad by any means, and they had all the ingredients of the great Tracy Chapman songs I loved, they just got the formula out-of-balance for my personal tastes. These songs happened to come at just the wrong moments in the flow of the album, or at least in the flow of my first interrupted listening experience, to really throw off my perception of the album in a way that didn't feel right. But with another listen or two for everything to settle in, I came back around. This list is going to be a very illuminating experience in terms of how I form thoughts and opinions on art, trying to balance subjectivity with my own sense that I've given something a fair shot; and for my troubles today in grappling with my own perceptions, I was able to appreciate the work of a truly powerful artist. Highlights: Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Fast Car, Behind the Wall, Baby Can I Hold You, For My Lover, For You

I listened to this album while building a shelf, hammer and drill in hand. I wore a Jane Remover crewneck covered in bones. My only exposure to The Cure before this album were the songs Boys Don't Cry and Friday I'm In Love, both of which are very different vibes from Pornography; I had this described to me as "the goth album", and I now understand what that meant. The vibe and aesthetic curated by this album is unrelenting, a total commitment to this anguished sound, mixed super rough and heavy with layers upon layers of reverbed sound. Picking out individual songs was hard on a first listen, not because the transitions are particularly hard to notice, but rather because this album hits you with an unrelenting and all-encompassing atmosphere that completely washes over you. Even if this album is not necessarily a vibe I am always seeking out in my music, I can absolutely appreciate the maximal effort on display here, achieving this gothic rock sound at its furthest possible extents. If ever I find myself in search of something goth and heavy, then this is the album I will come back to. Highlights: One Hundred Years, A Short Term Effect, The Hanging Garden, Pornography

I listened to this album lounging around the living room playing Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. I knew going on that this album was going to be a lot less ambitious than The Rolling Stones' later projects; they're an early British rock band, that's just the arc those groups followed. But even with those expectations, this album underwhelmed. I spent most of the runtime feeling some underlying inauthenticity from the songs, and while the knowledge that most early rock is built on the music of black people is always on my mind when listening to music from this time, that uneasiness was uniquely strong for this album and I couldn't quite place why... until I looked into the album and realized it was quite literally almost exclusively cover songs. I love a good cover, especially when a musician can really make a song their own, but if I can tell something is off in a song without even knowing it's a cover, that's not a good sign to me. There's also a little bit of a creepy and gross vibe to some of the performances here that feels uneasy; something about these love songs coming out of Mick Jagger's mouth makes them feel skeevy, like a drunk guy who keeps trying to hit on you at a bar. The Rolling Stones will go on to write a lot of interesting music, I'm sure a lot of which will appear on this list and I will love, but their great writing did not start here; for a list designed to highlight notable songwriters, it feels strange to include an album on which the artists didn't do a whole lot of original songwriting. Highlights: Route 66, Now I've Got A Witness, Carol

I spent this entire album trying and failing over and over again to get an S Rank on Mystic Jungle at Super Sonic Speed. Having some reservations and thoughts about the bosses which may be present throughout this lost, it was a relief to encounter a third woman within the first 15 albums (following on from Tracy Chapman and Meg White). Joni Mitchell is a name I have long heard good things about without every listening myself, and I am kicking myself for that now, as this album is absolutely incredible for me. Her songwriting is relatable and vulnerable in a way that reminds me of Fiona Apple, but the instrumentation behind her blends these energetic blues and jazz sounds into this incredibly captivating singer-songwriter aesthetic. So much of this album revolves around love and romance, but Mitchell tackles the topic from different angles with so much layered and nuanced lyricism that it paints vivid vignettes in my mind of these situations. There is a creativity to her lyricism that I find compelling, finding these unique new ways and metaphors through which to examine the various topics she tackles. Everything about this album clicks for me, from the vocal melodies to the rhythm of the vocals to the percussive groove of so many of these songs: I'm getting the familiar gut feeling that I may have just discovered a new favorite artist of mine. Highlights: Court and Spark, Help Me, People's Parties, The Same Situation, Down To You, Just Like This Train, Raised On Robbery, Twisted

My coworker didn't show up for work today; I found out partway through this album that her father is close to passing and she took the week off to be with him. The second time I was listening to this album, one of my best friends was existentially contemplating the mortality of his mother. My first proper Bear Trap of the list; just a day or two before, I had predicted this album's presence on this list, and here it is! I had heard Helplessness Blues before, but I don't remember it much, and most of my knowledge of Fleet Foxes can unfortunately be boiled down to "the band that Father John Misty played drums for once." Listening to this album, I think Fleet Foxes are one of many bands which end up becoming victims of that which came after them; the twangy indie folk sound Fleet Foxes are doing so well on this album has been ground down by countless bands in the near-two decades since. This is not to discount the band, however; their nature-focused poetry combined with these near-choral folk instrumentals make me feel like I'm standing in the middle of a meadow. The album is beautiful from top-to-bottom, with a lot of memorable songs that stick with me; it just takes a second for me to get back into the vibe this album is dealing in. But if I'm ever walking through a forest with sunlight filtering in through the leaves, this is the album I'm playing. Highlights: White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, He Doesn't Know Why, Your Protector, Meadowlarks, Oliver James

I spent this album feeling sick to my stomach, on the verge of a nervous breakdown over the state of the country. This might be the quickest the lyrics to an album have ever made me viscerally cringe; hearing Robert Plant sing about making a child burn and sting for the way they "shake that thing" made me physically recoil from my car speaker. I also kept wanting to hear one of the riffs in Black Dog as the build-up intro The End by The Beatles; altogether a very weird experience with that song. Excepting that intro, however, this album has a generally pretty good groove to it, though I don't find it as compelling as Led Zeppelin III. That album just seemed more varied and adventurous to me, whereas this one just doesn't excite me all that much. The notable exception is Going to California, which is an incredible song and stands head-and-shoulders above the rest of this album; I also find When the Levee Breaks to be a very groovy and worthwhile cover, which is refreshing to hear after my experience with The Rolling Stones' self-titled debut a few days ago. The familiar hits like Rock and Roll and Stairway to Heaven are obviously quite good, and I completely understand their acclaim, even if the entire experience doesn't come together as more than the sum of it's parts for me. Highlights: Rock and Roll, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, When the Levee Breaks

I listened to this album first thing in the morning at my desk, struggling not to doze off. To put my thoughts bluntly, this is the least exciting album I've encountered so far on this list. My only knowledge of Van Morrison prior to this was Brown Eyed Girl, and I found myself craving some of that higher energy throughout this album. While I can appreciate that this project is more contemplative, the instrumentation tends to feel a little toothless and flat. A lot of the songs tend to flow together in a way that feels a little repetitive and hard to parse; there are some songs and moments which stick out, but much of this album becomes difficult to distinguish for me. I also don't know how much I feel like Van Morrison's voice fits this slower, more ethereal pace; there's definitely a groove here with this album, but it's not one I particularly feel that strongly. Highlights: Beside You, Slim Slow Slider

While listening to this album, I started doing full morning stretches again for the first time since high school. It's fun to see what patterns are already emerging this early into this; this is my 20th album, and it's already the third prominent instance of the French language. Aside from that observation though, I went into this album a little skeptical; a 60s English folk band was not an immediately exciting followup to the somewhat low-key albums I've listened to recently, and my initial surface-level research into the album gave me the impression that I was in for another album of mostly covers, the principle of which would annoy me on a list such as this. However, once I actually listened to the album, I found myself very pleasantly surprised. More of the work was original material than I had mistakenly assumed, and Fairport Convention takes the few unreleased Bon Dylan songs present here and really makes them their own; they even performed one of them in French! Sandy Denny's vocals seamlessly fit over both the quiet and loud moments throughout this album, and there is a lot of good variety in the energy and sound throughout this album. Considering this is one of only two artists at this point in the list who I had never heard of prior, Unhalfbricking easily takes the cake as my most pleasantly surprising album thus far. Highlights: Genesis Hall, Si tu dois partir, Autopsy, A Sailor's Life, Cajun Woman, Percy's Song, Million Dollar Bash

I listened to this album on my way to and back from a dentist appointment. My teeth ached for half an hour afterwards. The first of many Beatles side projects which will inevitably appear on this list, I knew very little of Wings going on, only being familiar with the song Arrow. However, I have a lot of respect for McCartney as a songwriter, and I was excited to see what his work would sound like without the rest of The Beatles around him. As this list familiarizes me more and more with The Beatles as both a unit and as individuals, I'm curious to see how much the band in totality represents a coming-together of their respective voices; I can hear traces of Abbey Road in Band On The Run, especially in the use of repeating refrains between different songs on the album (a simple musical trick which I am always a sucker for). While I generally don't find this individual album quite as compelling as the sum of parts represented by The Beatles, Wings is still a talented and enjoyable band in their own right. My favorite moments here are the songs which embrace a higher energy and catchier lyricism, something which McCartney can clearly deliver in spades, and I can not wait to become even more appreciative of his talents as this list carries on. Highlights: Band On The Run, Jet, Mrs. Vandebilt, Mamunia, Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me), Nineteen Hundred And Eighthy Five

The first time I listened to this album, I was grinding out an A-Rank on Colorful Mall; the second time, I was walking around the mall in a leather jacket. The presence of this album was a big surprise to me: I'm a big fan of Don't You Want Me, but I never would have assumed The Human League to have been a band with the notoriety or acclaim to appear on this list. The surprise was a pleasant one, however; this brand of deep-voiced alternative electropop a la The Dare is exactly up my alley. I know most of this list is gonna be more rock- or folk-leaning, so any album that represents a break from that status quo is always a welcome breath of fresh air. I imagine this is an album which I am in the minority for liking as much as I do, but all of its strengths play right into sounds and genres I have a deep love for. I still can't get a gauge on how serious Don't You Want Me is, though; I think it's deliberately creepy, but it could also just sound like that, in the same way that many "romance" songs of this era do. Highlights: The Things That Dreams Are Made Of, The Sound Of The Crowd, Get Carter, I Am The Law, Seconds, Don't You Want Me

I listened to this album while cleaning up a few trophies in A Little To The Left. Jazz has always been a bit of a blind spot for me as a genre; I have always loved what bits of jazz I have heard, especially when other genres take influence from it, but my exposure to the genre by itself has been lacking. Thus, I am very glad that this list has already gotten me to listen to two great jazz albums. Where Head Hunters was more experimental, this is just some nice, classic jazz! This is the kind of album which feels designed to be pressed on a vinyl record and played during a dinner party, and I mean in that in the most complimentary of ways. I don't yet have enough experience with jazz to start differentiating between projects much, but I know that I vibe with this album a lot and I shall keep it in my rotation. Highlights: Desafinado, Samba Dees Days, Samba Triste, Samba De Uma Nota So

I listened to this album while sitting in a series of different parking lots. I've heard features and verses from many of the members of Wu-Tang over the years, but this album is my first major exposure to Ol' Dirty Bastard, and damn is his energy and charisma immediately evident. His verse on Da Mystery of Chessboxin' might be my single most-listened-to section of any album on the list so far. The production across the entire project, courtesy of RZA, is also incredible; there's a grimy simplicity to it that keeps it feeling raw and mean, buoying the variety of different flows and tones that each member of Wu-Tang brings to the group. I also love the skits and intermissions throughout the album; they manage to maintain and enhance the energy of the album while being both funny and genuinely cool, which can be a difficult bar to clear. I hear the influences of this group in many of the rap artists I know and love; I get why this group has the notoriety and acclaim that they do, they absolutely deserve it. Highlights: Shame On a N***a, Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber, Can It Be All So Simple / Intermission, Da Mystery of Chessboxin', Method Man, Protect Ya Neck, Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II - Conclusion

While listening to this album, I sorted through hundreds of security profiles in a freezing cold room, and then I took a long walk in the warming sunlight. I had pretty solid expectations going into this album, based solely on the varied vibe of the tracklist and my familiarity with Losing My Religion, and I was not disappointed! There is a very tongue-in-cheek energy to this album which I absolutely love. There is an almost-punk sensibility in its sarcasm, with many of these songs playing up their sincerity to the same ironic degree which I find captivating in plenty of my favorite modern bands. Much of this time might also be atttinited to the voice of the lead singer Michael Stipe, which is nasally and warbly in the best possible way. There will always be a place in my heart for whimsical rock bands with silly and surprisingly resonant lyrics on top of catchy grooves, and R.E.M. is joining that lineup. Highlights: Pop Song 89, You Are The Everything, Stand, World Leader Pretend, The Wrong Child, Hairshirt, I Remember California

I listened to this album while enjoying a chicken Caesar salad and a frozen strawberry lemonade. I was already and intimidated by this album before I even started listening to it: 42 songs, over two hours of music, is just too damn long. But I'll be, this album came about as close to being a 5 as a project this long can physically come. I have enough highlights here to fill out multiple albums worth of music, but there are a few runs of songs that don't click for me as much. But this album reminded he just how much I love bluegrass; it's a genre which I have never really sought out and merely find myself stumbling across (shout-out to The Bedquilt Ramblers, the fictional band from Kentucky Route Zero), but every time I hear it I become obsessed. Something about the bluegrass formula itches exactly the right part of my brain, with simple, meaningful, and percussively satisfying lyrics on top of instrumentals full of forward momentum and grooves that I have to stomp along with. The cherry on top of this album is just how simply lovely it is; the discussions between the band and the various legends working with them give each song even more personality, and the fact that the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band organized all these collaborators as a love letter to a genre which the zeitgeist was leaving behind is incredibly heartwarming. Few albums on the list have made me feel as much genuine joy as this album has, and it says a lot that I will happily listen to this album again and again despite its formidable length. Highlights: Grand Ole Opry Song, Keep On The Sunny Side, The Precious Jewel, Dark As A Dungeon, Tennessee Stud, Wreck On The Highway, Sunny Side Of The Mountain, Nine Pound Hammer, Losin' You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet), You Don't Know My Mind, My Walkin' Shoes, Lonesome Fiddle Blues, Lost Highway, Way Downtown, Down Yonder, Pins And Needles (In My Heart), Honky Tonk Blues, I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes, I Am A Pilgrim, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Warming Up For "The Opry", Sunny Side Talk, Remember Me (When The Candle Lights Are Gleaming)

I tried to take a warm walk in the sun while listening to this album, but it was too early in the morning and the weather was still cold. Despite knowing and liking a handful of Kings Of Leon songs prior to this album, this album was a trepidatious listen for me. I love singers with distinctive, unmistakable voices, but the often unintelligible twang of the lead singer's voice here just left me with a frustrated listening experience most of the time. A little ways into the album, a couple songs suddenly clicked for me, where the loose vocals now felt like they were focused and playing with the instrumentals in an engaging way. I figured that I had adjusted to their sound, and would now like the earlier songs on a relisten, but as I carried on even further into the album, I found myself at odds with it again. This is one of the strangest album experiences I've ever had, where every new song was a coin flip as to whether or not I would enjoy it, despite the general soundscape not changing significantly from track to track. The instrumentals are almost always pleasant and powerful, delivering a sound typical of folk-adjacent rock bands like Rainbow Kitten Surprise (who it would not surprise me if they were inspired by Kings Of Leon). I think it just comes down to how understandable the words are to me on each individual song, and what side of the grating-to-distinctive fence they fall on each time. Highlights: Slow Night, So Long, Milk, The Bucket, Soft, Razz, Rememo, Where Nobody Knows

I listened to the first half of this album as I was folding laundry, and the second half as I was resting on the couch, in a suburban apartment in the United States of America in the year 2026. This is one of the first albums I inherently knew would be on this list without a doubt; it is THE rock opera concept album, it was a almost guaranteed. I had seen glimpses of the performances which accompanies this album, and was under the impression it was strictly about fascism and/or rebellion against authoritarianism (hearing lyrics about somebody running for president and insisting they need to "build a wall" set off a lot of unfortunate alarm bells in my head), only to be pleasantly surprised by the incredibly personal and introspective reality of the project. The Wall wound up being right up alley, as an analysis of the struggles and turmoil of a performer in the public eye, which is a topic I often find to be incredibly compelling in any form of art. Capturing this idea through a very compelling metaphor, catchy hooks and lyrics, and instrumentation that gets stuck in your head and smoothly moves from one track to the next, The Wall has me completely bought in; if disc one were its own album, I'd give it a 5. However, the final quarter of the album does lose me; from Run Like Hell on, I feel like the songwriting loses a lot of the personal emotion and introspection which I found so compelling, and The Trial leans a little too theatrical for it to feel like a fitting conclusion to me. While the ending does feel a little dull, the highs here are still incredibly high, and I completely agree that The Wall deserves all of the acclaim that it receives. Highlights: In The Flesh?, The Thin Ice, Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1, Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2, Mother, Goodbye Blue Sky, Young Lust, One of My Turns, Don't Leave Me Now, Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 3, Goodbye Cruel World, Hey You, Is There Anybody Out There?, Nobody Home, Vera, Comfortably Numb, The Show Must Go On, In the Flesh

I listened to this album standing on a street corner and monitoring a traffic light. A quick glance at Simply Red's discography prior to starting this album has me expecting another Van Morrison-style singer-songwriter album, so imagine my amazed surprise at the immediately funky groove of Come to My Aid. This album just kept catching me off-guard in the best ways, with surprisingly layered lyrics like on Jericho, powerful message songs like Money's Too Tight, and weird artistic swings like Sad Old Red (adding crowd cheers to an introspective song about depression is an inspired choice which makes it that much more effective). I still know next to nothing about Simply Red, and while I will look more into them, it doesn't even feel like I need to; this album feels like it said everything which needed to be said in their favor. When I can't stop grimacing at just how funky a groove is, you're doing something right. Highlights: Come to My Aid, Sad Old Red, Heaven, Jericho, Money's Too Tight (To Mention), Red Book, Picture Book

I listened to this album with Percy while chilling on the couch of my apartment. This album was a pleasant listening experience, though not one which I found particularly engaging all the way through. The instrumentation is good, and the album mostly serves to highlight the guitar-playing throughout, but there is not much in the way of hooks which actively keep my attention. A handful of songs do cut through the flow of the album and stick out to me more than the others, with the 13-minute Calvary being a surprising highlight, but for the most part this album breezes on by. Which is not to say it was an unpleasant experience, of course, just one that doesn't particularly stick with me. Highlights: Who Do You Love - Pt. 2, Mona, Calvary, Happy Trails

I listened to this album while taking a slow walk around the campus where I work, losing track of time. I listened again while laying on the couch, waiting to go out for the night with friends. Yet another artist I had absolutely no familiarity with, I was surprised when Seth not only knew Norah Jones quite well, but in fact knew this album very well. I went in expecting the slow, guitar-or-piano driven pop music of the early 2000s, and I was mostly correct, though Nora sounds far jazzier than I expected. The slow and sparse instrumentation took me some time to appreciate; on a first listen, I kept thinking I was closer to the end of the album than I actually was, feeling like it was taking a long time to get there. But even then, I was appreciating Jones' smoky voice, which complimented and accentuated the gruffer bits of the instrumentals, grounding them in jazz sounds and preventimg them from feeling as weightless as a lot of other pop girls sounded in the 2000s. By the second listen I was on board, fully appreciating the beauty and sensuality of this album and the ease of Jones' performance, making such a laser-focused and and precise album sound effortless in execution. Highlights: Don't Know Why, Feelin' The Same Way, Come Away With Me, Turn Me On, I've Got To See You Again, One Flight Down, The Nearness Of You

I listened to this album in a few different sittings throughout my workday, from walking the facility with a skip in my step to swaying my chair back and forth in my chair at my desk. Now this is the kind of energy I wanted from Van Morrison when I was getting ready to listen to Astral Weeks! I hadn't considered whether or not any live albums would make their way onto this list; I would have assumed not, seeing as such albums tend to be excluded from such conversations, but I am pleasantly surprised to see that these projects are still up for consideration on a list such as this one, as I believe there are many different live albums which could warrant a placement (At Folsom Prison, Stop Making Sense, and Alive 2007 as examples). This album does give me the same hesitance I have with most live albums though, as I wonder whether I would be getting more out of the experience if I knew more of Van Morrison's songs going in. Don't get me wrong, this album is still incredible; Van Morrison's skill and charisma as a showman is clear as day, and I'm always a sucker for full-band instrumentation with a horn section. The cover songs here all work incredibly well too, in exactly the ways which The Rolling Stones' self-titled album did not; both albums even feature covers of the same exact song (I Just Want to Make Love to You), and Vam Morrison makes it his own in a way that the Stones just didn't manage to. While I absolutely loved listening to this album, I wish I got to experience it with enough knowledge of his work to allow me to hear the variations in performance which he brought to these live versions of his songs. One day I'll come back to this album when I've finally taken a deeper dive into Van the Man, and I can only imagine how gratifying that experience will be. Highlights: Ain't Nothin' You Can Do, Into the Mystic, I Believe to My Soul, I've Been Working, Help Me, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Bring It on Home to Me, Saint Dominic's Preview, Take Your Hand Out of My Pocket, Here Comes the Night, Caravan, Cyprus Avenue

While listening to this album, I kept overhearing other noises through my headphones: birdsong, construction equipment, and what sounded like a helicopter, though I could not see one. This album is evil. I'm tempted to leave my review at that one sentence. When I say it's evil, I mean it as a high compliment: Gentlemen explored a toxic, abusive relationship powered by manipulative behavior and substance abuse, from the point of view of the abusive partner. Listening to the state of mind expressed in the lyrics is uncomfortable and off-putting in an artistically perfect way, and the instrumentation itself is dark and aggressive to match. I have a particular fondness for art which explores the worst inner thoughts and impulses of people; in terms of musicians, one of my favorite artists of the sort is Alex Cameron, but where he uses these caricatures with a satirical, tongue-in-cheek tone, The Afghan Whigs push it to a raw and painful place which is so viscerally upsetting I felt obliged to give my fellow listeners a trigger warning just in case. This is a compelling artistic statement with ear-catching hooks on every song, with a seamless flow of narrative and energy from beginning to end; I went into this album completely blind, and I came out a huge fan. What an emotionally potent piece of art. Highlights: If I Were Going, Gentlemen, Be Sweet, Debonair, When We Two Parted, Fountain and Fairfax, What Jail Is Like, My Curse, Now You Know, I Keep Coming Back, Brother Woodrow / Closing Prayer

I spent this album doing stretches on a walk around my work and standing at my desk. While I had heard many good things about Sinéad O'Connor going into this project, the only song I knew was Nothing Compares 2 U, and as luck would have it, that song is present on this album! While I already knew I would love that song, the rest of the album was a nice surprise! A handful of the slower, sparser songs don't grab me as much, but the more energetic songs consistently caught me off-guard in a great way with just how hard the drums went. Every time the percussion kicked in, I couldn't help but nod my head along the entire time. Sinéad's songwriting consists of artful, eloquent prose, which manages to be elegant without feeling pretentious or losing impact. This album is beautiful and captivating, and the final song falls into my favorite niche of songs: simple spoken word / slam poetry acapella vocals in the midst of otherwise conventional albums. I'm glad O'Connor has so much more music for me to dive into later on, because this album was lovely. Highlights: I Am Stretched on Your Grave, The Emperor's New Clothes, Nothing Compares 2 U, You Cause as Much Sorrow, Last Day of Our Acquaintance, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

This album was the soundtrack to me struggling my way through a series of frustratingly obtuse puzzles in A Little To The Left. I'd previously listened to a later Queens of the Stone Age album, ...Like Clockwork, for a different album-listening project, and despite the constant praise I see for this band, I found that album to be only alright. This was a second chance for me to connect with Queens of the Stone Age, but once again, I found myself coming away pretty neutral. I can appreciate the groove here, and nothing on this album actively throws me off or turns me away; it just doesn't particularly grab me, and I find a lot of the songs to be a little indistinguishable, morphing into one big wall of noise and distorted guitars. Honestly, even without my prior experience with Queens of the Stone Age, this album has an uphill battle from the cover art alone. Highlights: Regular John, If Only, You Would Know, How to Handle a Rope (A Lesson in the Lariat), You Can't Quit Me Baby, Spiders and Vinegaroons, I Was a Teenage Hand Model

I listened to this album as I was driving across Glendale to track down some Valentine's Day flowers for my partner. This is easily one of my most unexpected albums on the lost so far on the best way possible; what do you mean this late 80's experimental narrative industrial jazz concept album made it onto this list!? The soundscape of this album is so unique that in attempting to contextualize it within music I was more familiar with, I started pulling on albums and artists I rarely ever think about: the abstract narrative experimentation of Karma Fields' New Age | Dark Age, the seamless piano movements of Analogue Dear's small gestures, the disgustingly heavy and metallic bass of Against All Logic's 2012-2017, and the haunting dissonance of Perfume Genius' Ugly Season. The cover, title, tagline, and song names all gave me the impression of a noir film, and that assumption was reinforced by the music; this albums sounds like the soundtrack to the coolest movie I've never seen. With only a small handful of spoken word sections, the entire story here is told through experimental heavy noise, and I find that incredibly compelling and impressive. Highlights: On The Wrong Side Of Relaxation, Under Wraps, Sounds From The Big House, Suck On The Honey Of Love, Everything Happens To Me, The Swinging Detective, Auto Destruction, The Man With The Golden Arm

I listened to this album as I collected the final DLC trophies in A Little To The Left. I came into this album with a lot preconceived notions about Coldplay, specifically their reputation for being a pretty boring band. I left my first listen feeling pretty unimpressed aside from the big singles like The Scientist and Clocks, but once it was over, I felt like I hadn't given the album an actual proper chance, so I listened to it one more time, and well... This feels like my least justifiable opinion so far on this list, but I actually quite like this album. It might be my exposure to, and love for, standard radio pop music when I was younger, but despite much of this album not being particularly innovative or ambitious at first glance, I just can't help but find it compelling. I tend to like the lyricism and songwriting on the album (I'm always a sucker for repeated lyrical motifs bringing an album together), and many of the instrumentals, while simple, scratch an itch in my brain and I find them to be catchy and powerful. The sparseness of the instrumentals also helps sell the lonely and despondent tone of the album in a really strong way for me. We don't get to choose what music resonates with us, and though I would never have guessed it beforehand, this album does speak to me; how dare you do this to me, Coldplay? How will I ever recover from this? Highlights: Politik, In My Place, God Put a Smile upon Your Face, The Scientist, Clocks, Green Eyes, A Rush of Blood to the Head

I listened to this album as I ventured to the grocery store to buy trash bags. The sky was overcast and light gray. Here we have our second repeat artist in only just over a month: first Led Zeppelin, and now R.E.M.! Despite reminding myself of R.E.M.'s big singles back when I was listening to Green, I somehow managed to forget about Everybody Hurts, leading to a pleasant surprise of recognition as it began playing in the middle of the album. Automatic For The People still has all the traits I liked in Green, though it takes from the endearingly dorky tone of that album to a darker, more serious one here; Michael Stipe's vocals manage to fit this soundscape just as well as they did the previous one despite the thematic shift. The band still has a knack for catchy hooks and songwriting that gets stuck in your head while simultaneously conveying incredibly personal ideas with endearing lyricism that keeps them unique amidst similar bands. While I think I still prefer Green as a more consistent project, the highs on this album feels higher. Highlights: Drive, Try Not To Breathe, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Everybody Hurts, Ignoreland, Man On The Moon, Find The River

I listened to this album as I walked around a police training facility, struggling keep myself awake on too little sleep. I continue to be pleasantly surprised at the variety of albums presented by this list; the presence of a prominent black hip-hop artist like Ice Cube is incredibly promising to me, and I'm glad to see this album make the list. This album has some of the qualities which I run into with a lot of older rap albums,.which is that some of the hooks and choruses just don't do a lot for me. However, aside from that small nitpick (which is mostly just down to the ways rap has evolved over the last few decades), this album is incredibly powerful. The production hits like a truck, sounding like a horror movie soundtrack and often mixed so high it nearly sounds like it's peaking the channels, which contributes to the chaotic vibe of the project. This album is also unabashedly politically charged, with interstitial inserts driving home the political messaging of the work. There are some lyrical moments which feel a little dated to me personally, but for the most part, Ice Cube is performing provocative and attention-grabbing lyrics with an infectious and aggressive energy, all of which combined to create an album which refuses to be ignored. Highlights: When Will They Shoot?, I'm Scared (Insert), Wicked, It Was A Good Day, We Had To Tear This Mothafucka Up, Don't Trust 'Em, Who Got The Camera?, Integration (Insert), Say Hi To The Bad Guy

Just as I started my walk to listen to this album, the Sun disappeared behind the clouds and the wind picked up: it was cold. While on paper, I should like this album, something about it just doesn't gold my attention as much. I have long heard of Echo & The Bunnymen, but this is my first proper introduction to them, and I think their version of rock and new wave feels a little too psychedelic for me at points, or at least too psychedelic for otherwise feels like a rock album. While I find some songs quite attention-grabbing, and I especially like the suddenly electronic-leaning closer, Into Bluer Skies, the others just breeze past me. I can hear in this album sounds and ideas that will go onto inspire bands I love, such as MGMT, but something in the way these pieces come together here just doesn't work for me beyond passive enjoyment. It might just be the vocal tones and songwriting cleansing with the instrumentation for me sometimes, not creating any particular strong hooks or moments of satisfaction in my brain. Highlights: Clay, Porcupine, Heads Will Roll, Gods Will Be Gods, In Bluer Skies

I listened to this album while I was sick and resting at home, passing the time between bouts of sleep with Sonic Racing: Crossworlds. Having only ever listened to the final album by A Tribe Called Quest, it was refreshing to come back to their first album here! The lyrical jazz-rap style pushed forward here by Tribe would go on to influence many artists and albums which I love, and it's been enlightening to hear this early step on that artistic trajectory. The lyricism across the album runs from silly to uplifting, and there is a light-hearted and breezy energy to the performances here which can uplift you even at your lowest moments; they are indeed masters at the art of moving butts. Highlights: Push It Along, Luck of Lucien, After Hours, Footprints, Pubic Enemy, Can I Kick It?, Youthful Expression, Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts), Mr. Muhammad, Ham 'N' Eggs, Go Ahead In the Rain, Description of a Fool

I listened to this album in the dark of night, after a day of rest and recovery from sickness. I played a handful of different games to pass the time. The nature of this randomized list will never cease to entertain me: Bob Dylan is one of the lost acclaimed songwriters of all time, an artist who I am all but guaranteed to live the work of, and yet, before I ever get the chance to listen to his work properly, I am first made to listen to his former backing band. This is not meant as a slight against The Band, however; in listening to this album, I can't help but feel that the group has earned that simple name. This album feels like the platonic ideal of a band; there is a warm, communal energy to the music that feels like it's lifting my soul. As I become more exposed to bluesy, Americana folk-rock, the more it reveals itself as a particularly favorite genre of mine. The gruff, weathered vocals lend a sense of maturity and gravitas to these songs, and the harmonies they pull off throughout the album have were so catchy that I found myself singing along with them before I'd even finished the song. Highlights: Tears Of Rage, In A Station, Caledonia Mission, The Weight, We Can Talk, Long Black Veil, Chest Fever, Lonesome Suzie, This Wheel's On Fire, I Shall Be Released

I first listened to this album as I struggled to get A Ranks in Sonic Racing: Crossworlds. I listened again on a walk around my apartment complex. With the prominently black and red cover art, heavily distorted rock sound, and youthfully emotive male vocals, I can't help but compare this album to the work of another early 2000s rock band, The White Stripes. To be clear, The Icarus Line are doing more here than merely being clones of The White Stripes, leaning into a further level of distortion and heaviness than I would expect from Jack and Meg. This is also the first time on this list where the device on which I listened to this album drastically changed my perception of it; while I appreciated many of the grating and distorted soundscapes they created throughout this album on my first listen, sometimes they pushed the limits just too far to the point that I lost track of what I was hearing or it started to sting my ears. However, when I relistened to the album on headphones as opposed to our bluetooth speakers, it clarified some of the experience for me and allowed me to gain a better appreciation for the flow and atmosphere of the album. I really respect the chaotic energy and consistent sound curated across the album, and while some moments still don't grab me too strongly, the songwriting elsewhere is incredibly compelling and keeps me deeply invested in the experience of this album... when I could properly hear it. Highlights: Spit On It, On the Lash, Spike Island, Getting Bright At Night, Big Sleep, Seasick, Party the Baby Off

I listened to this album as I messed around in Sonic Racing: Crossworlds, tackling my first ever online races. My head was foggy and I had a minor headache the whole time. I listened again on headphones as I did laundry and made the bed. I love how expressive and full of raw emotion Joplin's voice is throughout this album, I have a tendency towards appreciating those kinds of gruffer singing styles. There is something about the instrumentals across this album that I just find a little busy; I often found myself feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of conflicting sounds coming at me at once to the point that I started losing my grip on the music in totality. I tended to prefer the songs which had simpler, less busy instrumentation, allowing Joplin's personal, honest, and often witty songwriting to shine through. Highlights: Cry Baby, A Woman Left Lonely, Me and Bobby McGee, Mercedes Benz, Trust Me

I listened to this album on my most productive morning in awhile; I woke up well-rested at my first alarm with enough time to eat breakfast at home before work. The temperature outside for my walk around the public safety facility was warm, but not too hot. As the third Led Zeppelin album I have come across on this list, I can not help but view this album in comparison with III and IV, the two albums I am familiar with at this point. So far, III remains my favorite by far; this first album doesn't match the versatility or songwriting of the third installment, and it feels like it lacks the power of the fourth. The flow of this album is also very strange and inconsistent; some songs end rather suddenly, fading out in what feels like the middle of the track, while some songs seem to flow together seamlessly with well-crafted transitions, and then some others crash into each other haphazardly, with a new song playing over the end of the previous one in a way that just feels messy. Maybe I'm burnt out on hearing so much Led Zeppelin in such a comparatively short amount of time (three of their albums withing a month and a half out of a 1089 album list!), but nothing here is as interesting to me as their later albums, and some of the bitterness towards women and ex-girlfriends in the lyrics makes me feel even more disconnected than I already felt. Highlights: Good Times Bad Times

I've never been to Graceland, but I've been to Memphis. I thought of my time there as I stood in the sun listening to this album. I only knew Paul Simon in abstract going into this album; I couldn't name any Simon & Garfunkel song off the top of my head despite knowing I've heard them before, and I could only recognize You Can Call Me Al among his solo work. But before the first song was even over, I fell in love with Simon's songwriting, approaching his lyricism with a freewheeling focus on narrative and storytelling over strict adherence to a traditional vocal style. This style of writing and singing is the exact one which I am drawn to in many of my favorite modern artists, and I can hear that DNA in Simon's work. The biggest surprise of this album, however, was the prominent inclusion of local African music styles. The album leans into this sound more and more over the course of the record, almost taking a "boil the frog" approach to introducing listeners to a new culture through music alone. The various credited artists are given plenty of spotlight and prominence, blending rather seamlessly into Simon's singer-songwriter aesthetic. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I've heard praise generally for this album, existing in the periphery of my mind as a significant work for reasons I could not remember; having now heard the album, I completely understand the quality and cultural significance captured within it, and it is completely deserving of its praise. Highlights: The Boy In the Bubble, Graceland, I Know What I Know, Gumboots, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al, Under African Skies, Homeless, Crazy Love, Vol. II, All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints

The morning I listened to this album was the lost creatively inspired I've felt in weeks. I spent this album thinking of stories and projects I wanted to write. I had heard much praise for the somewhat anonymous music collective known as SAULT, but had little experience with their music. Having finally taken a listen, I wish I had jumped on this bandwagon so much sooner, because this project is right up my alley. The blend of smooth, beautiful R&B vocals and rhythms with house and dance beats reminds me of some of my favorite electronic music projects growing up, mixed in with traditional African musical elements and steel drums. It is very fitting to see this album come directly after Paul Simon's Graceland on my list; where that album saw a prominent white artist of the time utilizing African music and bringing it to a new audience, Untitled (Black Is) sees a group of black musicians prominently showing off and celebrating that culture themselves. The music by committee approach to SAULT's music allows this album to sound like collectivism and community in sonic form, a celebration of black excellence and culture through powerful spoken word and fist-pumping electronic beats that I could listen to forever. Highlights: Out The Lies, Stop Dem, Hard Life, Wildfires, X, Sorry Ain't Enough, Black Is, Bow, This Generation, Why We Cry Why We Die, Black, Us, Eternal Life, Only Synth In Church, Monsters, June Child, Miracles, Hold Me, Pray up Stay Up

I used this album to drown out the sound of police trainees running through the same simulated confrontation scenarios over and over again in the lobby conference room. Something about The Humpty Dance pulls off some kind of musical alchemy for me; it's just the perfect blend of beat and flow to scratch every itch in my brain. It took me forever to finally move onto the rest of the album because I kept replaying just the beginning of this song. Every beat on this album is infectious, and the Underground know it too, because most songs end with one or two uninterrupted minutes where they simply let the beats ride out with no words, and these sections are still just as good and worthwhile as the verses. Speaking of the verses, the lyricism across the project is outlandish, meaningless, and nonsensical, and it only remotely works because they play their ridiculousness so straight and with such conviction that you can't help but get on board, even as they're seriously singing to you about Gutfest and the titular sex packets. That is, with the exception of a handful of lines through the entire project so vulgar and out-of-pocket that they can't help but derail the entire momentum of the album. I also didn't expect the album to suddenly become a concept album about sex packets halfway through, with nearly half of the tracklist dedicated to an idea that probably doesn't have the legs to support that many songs, and the concept starts to become less silly and more off-putting the more detailed it gets. In fact, these offending lines and odd concepts color the experience so much that relistening to the project almost feels like a different album; maybe the jokes don't land as well a second time around, or maybe those few lines just make the rest of the album harder to laugh at. Either way, it is a testament to the sheer power of this album's insanely good production that these lines and lyrical sensibilities don't completely tank the experience of the album. And even then, some parts of the album still work really well, and I can see the potential deeper moral the Digital Underground might be getting at, even if they go at it in a pretty meat-headed and sloppy way. And again, I've barely even touched on the music itself, which is incredible throughout: beautifully chopped up hip-hop beats with funk guitars and uninterrupted piano solos, with meta spoken word moments and a constant tongue-in-cheek self-awareness tying everything together. Never has my potential rating for an album wavered this much, but there's a surprising amount of layers and depth to digest for an album called Sex Packets. Highlights: The Humpty Dance, The Way We Swing, Rhymin' on the Funk, The New Jazz (One), Underwater Rimes - Remix, Freaks of the Industry, Doowutchyalike, Packet Prelude, Sex Packets, Packet Reprise

I listened to this album as I got ready for the day, pushing through my post-late night exhaustion to go see my sister and her family. While I was very familiar with Song 2 prior to this album, almost all of my familiarity with Damon Albarn comes from his work as Gorillaz, so I was excited to hear his wispy voice and trademark songwriting in a new context. Without the grand worldbuilding and whimsy of that project, Albarn instead leans into an ironic approach to songwriting typical of English rock bands, especially around this time. Knowing that Song 2 was written as a pastiche of meaningless pop songs, I can't help but interpret many of that tracks here as satirical as well, taking the piss out of other musical movements or cliches (most especially in a song like Country Sad Ballad Man), but this is far from being a critique. Rather, the sarcasm dripping through the lyrics provides a personality to the album that helps it stand out from similar sounding bands. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that the music itself is well-written and tightly performed, each song hitting you with countless hooks between the vocals, riffs, and fills, keeping you engaged from one earworm to the next. While I enjoy the more varied and maximalist approach to music which Gorillaz represents, it is refreshing and to hear Albarn sounding so good in this different form; I need to listen to more Blur. Highlights: Beetlebum, Song 2, Country Sad Ballad Man, M.O.R., On Your Own, You're so Great, Death of a Party, I'm Just a Killer for Your Love, Look Inside America, Strange News from Another Star, Movin' On, Essex Dogs

I sang along to this album as I worked on chores around the house and kept trophy hunting in Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic. I listened to it again as I was driving down the freeway in the middle of the night to go dancing at a queer bar. For the first time on this list, we have come across an album which I was already incredibly familiar with; while I prefer Blonde as an album, and I am quite surprised that it missed out on being included here, channel ORANGE still more than deserves it's spot. Ocean proves himself as an incredible songwriter and storyteller on this album, capturing such a wide array of perspectives and voices across each song. In this album, you can hear the wave of R&B and indie pop artists which would come to follow in Frank Ocean's footsteps, with his sparse yet carefully crafted instrumentals and expressive vocal style which stays technically beautiful while still bringing in spoken flourishes like a theatrical performance. Every song here gets stuck in my head immediately, and the beats have worked their way into my being; plus, André 3000 gets to show off his knack for showing up as a feature on an album and completely stealing the show. Unsurprisingly, this album is still incredible. Highlights: Thinkin Bout You, Fertilizer, Sierra Leone, Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Pilot Jones, Crack Rock, Pyramids, Lost, Bad Religion, Pink Matter, Forrest Gump, End

I tried setting aside time to listen to his album on the proper day, but various circumstances kept coming up at home which pushed it back until the next morning at work. There is a saying I often think about it when it comes to early or influential albums (I do not know who first spoke it, but I heard it from Todd in the Shadows' review of Pop Muzik): being right too early is often indistinguishable from being wrong. I definitely agree with that sentiment in the context of this debut album from The Dictators. Cited as an early example of punk movements to come, I can definitely hear these musical qualities in the bands' oddball songwriting sensibilities, full of sarcastic and irreverent lyrics with occasionally deliberately non-melodic shouted sections which remind of Sleaford Mods. While those seeds of punk sensibility are definitely planted here, they just don't fully sprout on this album, leaving it feeling a little unsatisfying and not fully realized. The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! is a fun listen, and it deserves the recognition it has received in retrospect, but countless bands will go on to this style more effectively than The Dictators do. Highlights: The Next Big Thing, Teengenerate, California Sun, Two Tub Man, Weekend

Firefighters came through the lobby of my work with a stretcher right as I finished listening to Someone Great. I nervously watched a young man, clearly out of it but otherwise alright, be loaded into an ambulance and escorted away. A couple trainers set his bags on the side of my front desk to search through them for his car keys. From the opening moments, I felt pretty sure that I would enjoy this album; Get Innocuous! begins the album with a slow electronic buildup a la Dance Yrself Clean, the intro to their next album which I am already a big fan of. The blend of indie Rock, electropop, and electronic house music, plus whatever other musical influences or random instruments the band wants to incorporate, come together to make LCD Soundsystem the exact right amount of eclectic for my brain. I also the way James Murphy uses his voice, balancing a passable amount of melodic performance with a relatable near-spoken dialect, occasionally broken up with moments of high-pitched breaks that land on account of the sheer energy he puts into them. The band also has a knack for writing lyrics that capture the specific experience of living in America as a disenchanted youth struggling to grow up and make a life for yourself despite the world around us, in a way that still retains an element of wit and humor. I am always a sucker for art which conveys sincerity through a mask of irreverence, and LCD Soundsystem seems to have that emotion tightly dialed in at exactly the right level for me. Highlights: Get Innocuous!, Time to Get Away, North American Scum, Someone Great, All My Friends, Us V Them, Watch the Tapes, Sound of Silver, New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down

This album is unavailable on Spotify, soci finally bit the bullet and transferred my music library to YouTube Music, something I've been wanting to do for awhile now. Based solely on the vibes of this album, including the cover and titles, I was honestly expecting something a little bit darker. This is not to say that I See A Darkness isn't dark at all, of course; there are plenty of heavy themes and subject matter across this album, all sung over sparse and haunting instrumentals that drive home the feeling of existential dread. This is likely just a result of my own personal exposure to albums; when I hear that an album is a dark, I start expecting Mount Eerie or Leonard Cohen, and this album maintains a slightly more bright and open sound to it that keeps it from diving white to those depths emotionally. I think that helps keep it accessible though, and the dichotomy of how lively Billy can sound throughout the album compared to the topics he's discussing lends it a unique sense of disquiet. That balance is hard to strike while staying both emotionally resonant and catchy, so I give all my respect to Bonnie "Prince" Billy for crafting some incredible earworms about death and our own mortality. Highlights: A Minor Place, Nomadic Revelry (All Around), I See A Darkness, Knockturne, Madeleine-Mary, Today I Was An Evil One, Raining In Darling

Someone saw me with my headphones in as I was listening to Steady Rollin' Man and said "He's listening to some good music right now", and I had to stifle my reaction so as to stay professional. When I told Seth that this was today's album, he warned me I was in for 39 minutes of Eric Clapton guitar solos; aside from being only two minutes off the runtime, he nailed it. Much of this album is Clapton noodling on his guitar in ways that are technically skilled but ultimately uninteresting to me. I want to say for the record that I do enjoy some cover songs, and am not entirely opposed to the idea of an album being filled with a lot of covers so long as they are performed in a way which shows artistic intent and authorial voice on the part of the coverer; however, this is now the third or fourth time where I've come away from an album on this list disconnected from the songs, only to find out after the fact that it was mostly covers. Why was this what music was like in this era? Nowadays, to refer to something as a covers album is to denote it as lesser than a standard album, but that was just the way the music industry worked back then. The instances on this list so far, I I have found frankly toothless more often than not. I try to avoid reading a lot of other reviews of these albums before I write my own, so I can write about my own thoughts as much as possible without borrowing the thoughts of others: this album is exactly an example of why, because ever since reading some of the blurbs about it, I can't help but borrow the word "sleepy" as one of the most apt descriptions I could give. Clapton is renowned primarily as a guitarist, and I can fully acknowledge that his work there is incredibly solid and impressive; I just wished that led to some more interesting songs. Highlights: Motherless Children, I Shot The Sheriff, I Can't Hold Out

I listened to this album for the first time while locked in and zoning out at my desk at work. The second time, I was lying in bed with the lights out and my eyes closed. I've been curious just how diverse this list would end up being, and how much representation there would be of non-English speaking musical cultures. Technically Christine and the Queens' album Chris was partially in French, but it also had an English version, so that leaves this album from Sigur Rós as the first fully foreign language album I've encountered in this list, and what a powerful first impression it is. Hearing this band described as a rock band did little to prepare me for the grand, operatic sense of scale in this album. There is an epic tranquility to this album, as if I'm floating in space or setting off on an unknown voyage. The gorgeous orchestration (which is apparently partially accomplished with a bowed guitar, a style of guitar playing I was completely unfamiliar with) is not where the story ends though, as it serves as a foundation upon which are laid ethereal and mysterious vocals, stabs of distorted soundscapes, and booming metal drum hits, keeping the album fresh and engaging the entire time despite the daunting song lengths. This is one of the most atmospheric and transportive albums I can remember experiencing, and I consider that a great compliment. Highlights: Svefn-g-englar, Starálfur, Flugufrelsarinn, Ný batterí, Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm), Viðrar vel til loftárása, Olsen olsen

I listened to this album as I ventured out to get gas and groceries on behalf of my partner, resting at home in recovery from a new sternum tattoo. Crosby, Stills & Nash is a group I have long been curious about; their reputation as an acclaimed folk supergroup has always intrigued me, and I patiently awaited the day when they would show up on this list. On a first listen to this album, however, while I understand their appeal and foud many songs to be beautiful and/or catchy, the album as a whole fell slightly short of the buildup I gave it. Part of this response was likely on account of how I first chose to listen to the album: on headphones, some of the mixing is very strange, with certain instruments panned entirely to one side and the vocals being buried in the mix. This choice really threw me off on that first go-around, but on a second run on speakers instead, I felt better able to appreciate the music. This was closer to the reaction I figured I would have, as someone who has been slowly discovering my love for folk music more and more over the course of this list: these three guys sure can write some songs! Having three different songwriters and primary vocalists across the project helps keep up the variety of the album while still feeling unified, on account of these three all having authorial voices in line with one another; one side effect of this list is my newfound tendency to look into the writers of individual songs on albums and seeing how many different voices can come together to craft a cohesive piece of art. Aside from just the lyricism, the vocals are also constantly engaging in their choices of unique melodies with gorgeous harmonies to match, and unsurprisingly, the guitar work throughout this album floats between gentle and driving depending on the mood of the moment, always keeping your attention. While a handful of songs just don't quite resonate with me (which often seemed to be some of those written by Stills or Cosby), that is not to knock their quality, as the entire album is a strong statement of purpose from a trio of acclaimed and talented folk songwriters. Highlights: Marrakesh Express, Guinnevere, You Don't Have To Cry, Pre-Road Downs, Lady of the Island, Helplessly Hoping

I listened to this album on the two hour desert drive to Tucson for AEW Collision. This is the second ____ Samba album I have come across on this list so far, and if these two albums represent different approaches to the genre, I definitely have a slight preference for Jazz over Beach. I think this is more of a reflection on my genre familiarity than anything else, as I have been a fan of jazz music for awhile and have had very little exposure to samba by comparison. But even then, this album is still beautiful, and beach is a perfect descriptor; it sounds like I'm sitting on a folding chair and looking out over the ocean with a mocktail in my hand from a beachside bar (I have never been in this situation, but it feels right). I tend to have an easier time getting on board with the slower tempo, more lyrically-focused songs which particularly highlight Gilberto's warm and inviting voice. This album is simply quite pleasant to listen to, which feels like exactly the vibe it's looking for. Highlights: Misty Roses, Parade (A Banda), I Had The Craziest Dream, My Foolish Heart, I Think Of You, You Didn't Have To Be So Nice, Nao Bate O Corocao

I listened to this album the morning after I wrote and submitted for publication my first poem in years; I kept thinking about it throughout the day. In retrospect, my standards for this album might have been a little high. September is an all-time classic song, and I immediately recognized Shining Star as another gem. It may have been unfair to this album to expect every single song to hit those same levels of funk, leading me to feel a little disheartened when first listening to the rest of the album. But once I cleared my head a bit and came back at these songs again, I found myself falling right into the groove of them with no problem. The various vocalists across the album all have incredible voices which punch through the beats in a way that you can't help but bob your head along with, and the instrumentation constantly carries the fun-loving vibe of this project with tight rhythms and horn sections and bass lines. Earth, Wind & Fire simply have unprecedented amounts of undeniably cool energy that goes a long way in carrying their music to being a rad time, and I'm all here for it. Highlights: Shining Star, That's the Way of the World, Reasons, Africano, See the Light

I listened to this album after my mom had stopped by my work today; I helped her load a few tables and dozens of chairs into the back of a truck. Partway through this album, I suddenly had the realization that this sounded a lot like a song my mom was briefly obsessed with after seeing it performed on American Idol; sure enough, that song was Uprising by Muse. I think overexposure to that song, and my main memory of it being an over-the-top American Idol performance, has left me with an impression of it as being a little corny, which is a sentiment that has somewhat extended to this album. This is not entirely meant as a knock, and I am incredibly compelled by much of his album, especially the first few songs which blend electronic synths and elements into rock music in a way that I was completely caught off-guard by bur absolutely loved: Take A Bow is a powerful intro that made me want to punch through a wall, and I was already a huge fan of Supermassive Black Hole. There continue to be a lot of strong elements throughout the project, but I do find myself disconnecting a little bit when the electronic instrumentation fades out or when the songs lean heavier into grand and epic declarations of purpose; it is these moments which, maybe unfairly, lean a little close to that corny preconception for my current tastes. I can't help but feel like there's a deeper theme and overarching narrative beneath the surface of this album which I haven't fully clocked yet, but I thoroughly enjoy what is here, and I'm incredibly glad to have reconnected with an old childhood memory through the power of Muse. Highlights: Take A Bow, Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, Soldier's Poem, Invincible, Exo-Politics, Hoodoo, Knights of Cydonia

I listened to this album on a refreshingly cool morning, with a gentle breeze and a bright grey cloudy sky. This album is such a wild, out-of-left-field pick that I am left in complete awe: an electronic and breakbeat-filled tango album. Where the hell did this come from!? Regardless, I'm incredibly glad it found its way here, because this kind of bizarre stylistic blend is exactly up my alley. Supplementing the beautiful instrumentation of tango with driving hip-hop drums creates such a unique blend of emotions, where I simultaneously want to bang my head and sway my hips. The songs here stuck to such a unique and singular atmosphere and aesthetic that I can't help but respect; Gotan Project had a very specific goal in mind when it came to refreshing tango music, and they approached that goal with laser precision. Sometimes I love albums because of some incredibly deep or complex reason, and sometimes they're just a vibe: La revancha del tango is an incredible vibe. Highlights: Queremos paz, Época, Chunga's revenge, Tríptico, Santa María (del Buen Ayre), Una música brutal

I listened to this album at the security desk as my coworker listened to political podcasts very loudly right next to me. Based solely on Where Is My Mind?, I had a very different expectation as to what kind of band the Pixies were. I had been envisioning a lighter and lower tempo sound, only for Doolittle to lean heavily into screaming punk aesthetics that absolutely floored me. The sound of the Pixies varies from one song to the next, hitting different facets of this gruff and fuzzy rock sound they're doing for, and while certain songs connect with me more, the entire album flows together like one chaotic mass of energy. Typically it is the choruses and hooks which pull me out of certain songs, as some of these moments don't quite hit the songwriting highs that I experienced across the rest of the album; however, everything around these moments is still more than enough to buoy the entire album and keep it afloat. Like a lot of punk rock, it suffers from the natural conclusion of complete creative freedom: some of your weird creative swings get really really weird to the point of being a little inaccessible. There is a looseness to all the songs here, moving back and forth between emotional rawness and silly lyrical concepts, united by a clear ethos to create whatever the band wanted to create no matter what; this tracklist will shift from a heavy near-emo moment like I Bleed to an almost-pastiche of early surf rock with Here Comes Your Man. Through all these different, sounds Doolittle is a beautiful and varied sampler of what magic the Pixies are capable of. Highlights: Debaser, Tame, Here Comes Your Man, Dead, Mr. Grieves, La La Love You, No 13 Baby, Hey, Gouge Away

Shortly after finishing this album, a bedraggled man walked into my work and asked if he could leave a backpack at the security desk. We asked where he was going, and he told us, "To hell if I don't change my ways", before turning around and walking out the front door. I had been excitedly awaiting the arrival of George Michael on this list, and I was not disappointed. An incredibly talented pop and R&B songwriter with a strong voice and incredible charisma, all wrapped up in one of the gayest men to ever be gay; I already loved countless songs from him and heard his praises from Seth (and in the aftermath of listening to the album, I discovered that my mom absolutely loved George Michael as well). I will start by saying there are a few elements of this album which bring it down a bit for me: there are a few lyrical moments across the album that don't sit exactly right, from one or two pushy lines in I Want Your Sex to the entire concept of Look at Your Hands, and while I respect the sentiment of it, I just can't bring myself to take Monkey seriously. However, it is a testament to the sheer strength of the songwriting on display that these moments hit me only as roadblocks on the album and not complete derailments. Many of the other lyrical moments which could have been corny uncool in other hands are made suave and seductive by Michael; the album oozes raw sex appeal from beginning to end, both in his slightly gruff yet still emotive singing or the bright instrumentation full of synth stabs, horns, and backing choirs. I also always have respect for a musician like George Michael who is able to tackle nearly every aspect of their music with their own hands, as he played most instruments and handled most of the production himself. The worst songs here are still at least catchy in some way, and the best songs here are some of the most powerful pop ballads I've heard in a long time. It comes just shy of a 5 for me, but I know I'll find another album in his discography just waiting for that score. Highlights: Faith, Father Figure, I Want Your Sex (Pts. 1 & 2), One More Try, Hand to Mouth, Look at Your Hands, Kissing a Fool

I listened to this album on a night-time drive, taking the freeway home from Tempe. One of the things which has always most excited me about this list is the chance to hear how the influence of different musical genres and styles and cultures gets passed down from one generation of artists to the next. Most of that has come from hearing older albums and recognizing pieces of them in the modern music I already know and love, but today is something different; now being more familiar with early rock and soul, KIWANUKA allows me to do the reverse, and hear a modern album which is actively in conversation with these earlier styles in powerful and innovative ways. Michael Kiwanuka has a knack for gorgeous and powerful songwriting with universal messages of hope and love that manage to come inspiring rather than preachy, and it's all supported my an instrumental palette which pulls on soul and early Black rock music, with some elements of modern drums and production techniques courtesy of Danger Mouse. All of this makes KIWANUKA sound timeless and evergreen, a marriage between countless generations of musical evolution and progression, bridging a gap between decades in order to deliver an album which feels like the complete realization of an artistic vision. It seems clear to me why Kiwanuka would choose to self-titled this album, as it sounds like a forward-facing statement of purpose and a recognition of tradition simultaneously. Highlights: You Ain't The Problem, I've Been Dazed, Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love) (Intro), Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love), Another Human Being, Living In Denial, Hero (Intro), Hero, Hard To Say Goodbye, Final Days, Interlude (Loving The People), Solid Ground

I came to this album two days late after a busy weekend. I spent the morning listening to this album focused yet tired. This album comes as a particularly noteworthy moment for me within this list, as it proves that soundtrack albums are up for consideration, a question I had been curious about the entire time. It was still a surprise to me for the Shaft soundtrack to appear as that first example, but it was a pleasant one. I have been aware of Shaft solely through cultural impact and reputation, but knowing what I know about the culture of the US at the time and the trends of blaxploitation films like Shaft, I can hear the major funk and soul influences which would have designated this album as a culturally significant work. I had expected the music to sound a bit more aggressive in line with high-energy action soundtracks I'm more used to, but I love the choice for it to take a more laidback and funky approach most of the time. By virtue of being a soundtrack, there are a handful of spots which get a bit repetitive, but that's also judging these songs on a different scale than they were designed for; I'm supposed to be watching John Shaft kick ass or explore the streets of Harlem to this music, not sitting at a security desk in Glendale. But still, even as an album designed to enhance another artistic project, it still holds up incredibly well on its own with some incredibly catchy guitar lines and horns; it is a testament to its strength that I enjoyed the entirety of the near-20-minute-long Do Your Thing. Now I feel like I need to watch Shaft. Highlights: Theme From Shaft, Walk From Regio's, Ellie's Love Theme, Shaft's Cab Ride, Café Regio's, Be Yourself, Soulsville, No Name Bar, Do Your Thing

As I was listening to this album on my walk, I pulled out my phone to write down a few notes of praise and rolled my ankle stepping off a curb. When I first saw this album show up, I thought it was a neat coincidence that another artist present on this list would share their last name with Jeff Buckley. After getting twenty seconds into the first song and hearing Tim's voice, I immediately had to do more research into whether or not they were actually related, only to find out this is indeed Jeff's father, who also passed away tragically young. Apparently, great songwriting and musicianship runs in the family, as this album is right up my alley. The blend of folk rock and jazz instrumentation suits Buckley's gruff yet powerful voice perfectly, accentuating the emotion and vulnerability in his songwriting. For all of these songs being as long as they are, they stay captivating the entire time, managing to hold your attention with relatively simple yet incredibly catchy instrumentation. The lyricism is exactly the level of poetic vulnerability I have come to expect of my favorite folk-leaning projects, and it gets even more surreal and emotional thinking about the fact that the child being sung about throughout the project will grow up to release music considered to be even more powerful and raw than his father's. I can not wait for the day when Grace shows up on this list. Highlights: Strange Feelin', Buzzin' Fly, Love from Room 109 at the Islander (On Pacific Coast Highway), Dream Letter, Gypsy Woman, Sing a Song for You

I did a few laps on my morning walk at work to get a little more time with this album out in the sunshine. This kind of project, an artist and album which I have constantly heard recommended as the peak of their artform and yet I have never listened to personally, is exactly why I wanted to do this project in the first place. Nas is often regarded as one of the best rappers of all time, with Illmatic being considered his masterpiece, and countless artists I already love have directly pulled on Nas as an influence, so it comes as no surprise to me that I was a huge fan of this album. What is most remarkable about it to me is it's consistency: even many of my favorite rap albums of all time have a song or two which I find a little less compelling than the others. However, Illmatic never dips below great, managing to stay compelling and varied without ever straying from the fundamentals of its east coast sound. While the beats do a great job of keeping the energy moving forward, it's clearly Nas' flow and lyricism which steaks the show here. He absolutely deserves his acclaim in rap, balancing incredibly catchy flows and dense rhymes with personal stories and powerful imagery, managing to avoid dipping into the more nonsensical lyrical content that a lot of other rappers jump into when the focus strictly becomes complexity over message (there is absolutely a place for this style of rap, but Nas striking a best-of-both-worlds balance is incredibly impressive). In the street level storytelling throughout this album, I can hear the mix of musical priorities which will go on to influence some of my favorite artists like Kendrick Lamar; however, unlike other artists who serve as early inspirations of later sounds, Illmatic has not been supplanted as a classic. If this album were to release today, it would still be an incredible and modern piece of art. Highlights: N.Y. State of Mind, Life's a Bitch, The World Is Yours, Halftime, Memory Lane (Sitting' in da Park), One Love, One Time 4 Your Mind, Represent, It Ain't Hard to Tell

This album is one of a dozen or so cassettes that my partner was gifted by their father. I was tempted to listen to the album in that format, but our cassette player runs fast. My awareness of Jane's Addiction has been entirely secondhand, with my partner having inherited a mild interest in them from their father via the multiple Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros cassettes which now sit on our shelves. Their general vibe, and my understanding of my partner's father, had led me to assume they were something akin to a punk band, and it was a bit of an adjustment period to realize I had been wrong. I've realized over time that his music taste is older and more focused on early rock than I had assumed, and Ritual De Lo Habitual is, in turn, an alternative rock album which takes far more cues from classic rock sensibilities than I had anticipated. Once I got used to this unexpected sound though, I found myself quite enjoying the near-manix vocal energy and at times near-psychedlic rock instrumentation. Some songs here go a bit long or lean a little more spacey than I would like, but I respect the bones of these ideas and have heard many later bands build on them into songs and albums which I enjoyed more thoroughly (this album most reminds me of MGMT's Congratulations, a project which I absolutely love). I can hear the free spirit of Jane's Addiction in these songs and understand why people would be drawn into their sound, cultivating a well-deserved status as a cult favorite band. Highlights: Stop!, No One's Leaving, Obvious, Been Caught Stealing, Three Days, Then She Did..., Classic Girl

I listened to this album as I was dropping off my mom's car, finishing up some errands, and slaughtering low-level Nevrons in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This album is so close to being something I would love, but something about it just missed the mark for me. My favorite songs are the ones where Drive Like Jehu slow down a little bit and let the beautiful guitar riffs breathe; when the songs get busier and muddled, I start losing traction with them, and finding the somewhat simple instrumentation choices somewhat uninteresting, especially considering the intimidating song lengths found throughout this project. When all the elements hit for me, with powerfully screamed vocals coming in clear over heavy and rocking instrumentals, they create incredible moments; I just wish more of this album held my attention in that way. Highlights: Do You Compute, Super Unison, New Intro, Sinews (Hand Over Fist, Sinews)

I listened to this album once while fighting my way towards The Reacher in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I listened again while standing on a closed roadway directing traffic. What stand out most to me about Tigermilk is the almost fairytale, ethereal feeling it creates: partially through its instrumentation, but mostly through the light and higher-pitched voice of the lead singer. Every song feels like a mystical bedtime story being told to me as I'm drifting off into dreams. There is a poking-fun playfulness in the lyrics which brings a levity to the serious or mature topics discussed across the album. The instrumentals bend around the vocals expertly, giving them quite moments to shine and kicking in with strong catchy hooks when the moment calls for it; there's even a sudden burst of saxophone and horns which punches in at just the right time to boost the experience even higher. Belle & Sebastian which I am surprised I have not heard more about, and I am looking forward to exploring them further as an expansion of this specific subgenre of folksy pop which I am already a fan of, and surely came in the wake of projected like this. Highlights: The State I Am In, Expectations, She's Losing It, You're Just a Baby, I Could Be Dreaming, We Rule the School, My Wandering Days Are Over, I Don't Love Anyone, Mary Jo

I listened to this album on my morning walk at work; a yellow Palo Verde tree had fallen over in the middle of the sidewalk and the ground was littered with dead grasshoppers. CCR is one of the bands I've been most excited to see pop up on this list, given just how good their big singles are that I'm familiar with. Upon listening to Cosmo's Factory, however, my first impression was a little underwhelming; not that anything was wrong with the album, it was well-played and performed, it just didn't reach the (admittedly incredibly high) highs of songs like Fortunate Son or Have You Ever Seen The Rain. However, this felt unfair to Cosmo's Factory; very few projects could stand up to that measuring stick, and there were still plenty of recognizable highlights which I didn't realize I knew going in, but immediately jumped back out as classics (Travelin' Band and Up Around The Bend). I listened again to appreciate the rest of the album better, understanding that there are plenty kf good songs here, with the typical quality of CCR's southern-leaning rock sound. Even many of the covers here break through my usual aversion, as the band gives them a character and personality all their own while still paying respectful homage to those original artists. While it comes a little short of their best work, this album still contains John Fogerty's incredible songwriting and the band's rocking musicianship; there's only so low that quality can ever truly go. Highlights: Ramble Tamble, Before You Accuse Me (Take A Look At Yourself), Travelin' Band, Up Around The Bend, Who'll Stop The Rain, Long As I Can See The Light

I immediately recognized the beginning of That Lady as a sample in Kendrick Lamar's i, and then I recognized the song itself once the chorus hit. This double-dose of nostalgia had me dancing my way through my morning walk. Very often on this list, I have encountered albums which contained one great song I was very familiar with, only for the rest of the album to fall short of that bar. When the first song on the album was That Lady, a song I adore, I was worried the same fate would befall 3+3; luckily, my fears were wildly unfounded. I have come to realize that funk and soul music are some of my favorite genres when executed well (which they almost always are), and 3+3 just might be my single favorite album yet in these genres. The vocals of the Isley Brothers are captivating throughout, with constant displays of skilled vocal runs and gorgeous blood harmonies (the slightly unique sound when siblings sing together). The instrumentation around the vocals holds up as well, maintaining a driving funk rhythm the whole time; my particular highlights throughout the project are the prominent synths and the guitar solos I couldn't help but grimace at in the best way. There is nothing particularly deep or layered about the content of the music here, with many of the songs being relatively straightforward looks at love and emotion, but art doesn't always need to be complicated: sometimes it's just one of the funkiest thing I've ever heard. This album slaps. Highlights: That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2, Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, If You Were There, You Walk Your Way, Listen to the Music, What It Comes Down To, Sunshine (Go Away Today), Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2, The Highways of My Life

For the walk I listened to this album on, I kept my hands in my pockets and did a jaunty little shuffle most of the way around. I know an album of country ballads is well-written when I find myself singing along to songs I've never heard before: this was my experience with Trio. Though I am unfamiliar with Emmylou Harris, the reputations of Linda Ronstadt and especially Dolly Parton built up much anticipation for this album, which I imagine is an odd entry point for the music of any of these women; without the prior context of their solo work, I have nothing to compare this album to, so instead of listening for each woman's individual sound or style, I just experienced it as one cohesive vision (funnily enough, this is the same way I experienced boygenius' album: without first listening to Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, or Lucy Dacus). As such, this entire album comes together as a collective expression of country heartbreak, sadness, and hope, a pure distillation of what makes these types of female country ballads so powerful and resonant. Even if this album serves as an unconventional on-ramp to the music of these three women, it has nonetheless done its job in drawing me in, making me excited to further explore their music and hear how the sounds of Trio can be broken down into their three distinct artistic voices. Highlights: The Pain of Loving You, Making Plans, Hobo's Meditation, Wildflowers, Those Memories of You, I've Had Enough, Farther Along

As I listened to this album, I stared out at the yellow Palo Verde trees and thought about my dad. I don't think it was possible for me to listen to this album in anywhere close to an unbiased fashion. Now to be clear, all taste in art is subjective and based on some level of personal bias, and there are plenty of albums I rate highly partially because they came into my life at pivotal moments. But it's different with Jimi Hendrix; I partially grew up in a household which sanctified Hendrix. Even beyond the songs of his I actively knew, a few of which were on this album (Purple Haze and Foxey Lady specifically), Hendrix's psychedelic take on classic rock and blues sounds burrowed into my subconscious, serving as a building block for my very understanding of what rock can sound like. Where I can appreciate the influence and impact of other albums on this list in abstract, it is often hard to truly understand them from the perspective of the time period; but with Are You Experienced, I feel like I can hear the classic rock bedrock at the foundation of these songs, especially in Hendrix's vocals and song structures, and then I can hear the wild detours Hendrix is taking, breaking off into a new branch of the genre all its own. Even knowing that the Jimi Hendrix Experience will go on to take this sound to higher highs, this album already sounds to me like a fundamental piece of music, as if it's always been somewhere in my heart without me realizing... Or maybe that's how everyone feels and it's just genuinely that good. Highlights: Purple Haze, Manic Depression, Hey Joe, Love Or Confusion, May This Be Love, I Don't Live Today, Fire, Third Stone From The Sun, Foxey Lady, Are You Experienced? (Stone Free, 51st Anniversary, Highway Chile, Can You See Me, Remember, Red House)

I listened to this album a second time to fight through my heavy-lidded exhaustion, navigating around police and fire simulation drills. I stood outside for a moment during the instrumental bridge of Far, Far Away, warmed by the hot sun and appreciating two vibrsnt green trees in the midst of a poorly landscaped desert campus. One of my best friends introduced me to the song Heavy Metal Drummer off one of Wilco's albums. He has a knack for showing me smaller artists, so I had assumed Wilco was a little under-the-radar and underappreciated indie band; I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were both older and bigger than I had imagined, and in fact are deservedly acclaimed. Being There sounds like a slightly earlier step on the trajectory that will get them to Heavy Metal Drummer, particularly featuring the disrinctive gentle vocals of Jeff Tweedy, one of my favorite aspects of that song. The instrumentation blends between alt rock and a slight folksy influence, either kicking up the energy under the lyricism or meeting it with its own delicate beauty. The split between a heavier first half and a more acoustic second half, exemplified in the twin songs Outtasite (Outta Mind) and Outta Mind (Outta Sight), helps keep the album interesting and full of identity across a significant runtime, and even though I find myself preferring the first half, the entire project still coheres together as one beautiful experience. Highlights: Misunderstood, Far, Far Away, Monday, Outtasite (Outta Mind), Forget the Flowers, Red-Eyed and Blue, What's the World Got in Store, Sunken Treasure, Someday Soon, Outta Mind (Outta Sight), Someone Else's Song, Kingpin, (Was I) In Your Dreams, Why Would You Wanna Live, The Lonely 1, Dreamer in My Dreams

I listened to this album as a 23-year-old man in the United States of America, grappling with the optimism of teenage nostalgia and the existential pessimism of the current day. I am writing this in 2026. This album released in 1971, 55 years ago. American Pie is just the kind of song that I was sure nothing could come close to. It's such a gargantuan and singular piece of culture, in terms of both impact and length, topped off with one of the best and most iconic choruses ever written: how could it possibly fit in amidst comfortably amidst nine other songs? Apparently, the answer to that question is the poetic Americana sensibilities of Don McLean's songwriting. I assumed the title track would be the most potent reflection on American identity and the struggles which come with it, but I was very wrong, blindsided by equally potent pieces of commentary in Everybody Loves Me, Baby and The Grave. Of course, not every song is so grand in scope; Empty Chairs is heartbreakingly mundane and intimate, while Crossroads is more generally introspective. Primarily grounded in McLean's everyman American voice and his plucky guitar, the album knows when to kick in with other bits of prominent instrumentation, bringing in the sounds of a big band exactly when the energy is called for. It is somewhat sobering to realize that an album written 55 years ago can still be so resonant today, but rather than seeing that solely as an indictment on a lack of social progress, I can instead recognize it as a reflection of McLean's evergreen songwriting. What better showcase of that quality than the title track itself; Dom is writing very specifically about a childhood I did not experience, but the emotions at the heart of his writing, the mix of nostalgia and melancholy that come with realizing an innocent time in your life has ended, are universally relatable. A product of it's time which continues to ring true long after it's creation, American Pie is simply a showcase of incredible songwriting and poetic sensibilities. Highlights: American Pie, Till Tomorrow, Vincent, Crossroads, Empty Chairs, Everybody Loves Me, Baby, Sister Fatima, The Grave, Babylon

As I was getting ready to listen to this album, I came across an announcement that Paul McCartney is releasing a new album this year, 2026, at the age of 83 years old. One of the biggest realizations I've had so far within this project is just how good of a musician and a songwriter Paul McCartney is. And that's an obvious statement, clearly, but I simply had no personal experience with him or his work, so it can still come as a shock to me when I hear how consistently talented and artful he is. I have heard his work three times so far within this list, all three from different projects (the Beatles, Wings, and this solo album), and all three have had their own identities while still clearly containing a clear throughline of Paul McCartney. This album feels like someone desperate to express themselves creatively, with many of the songs being short, to the point, and mixed a little rough. Especially knowing the timing and context of this album's recording, it sounds like an artist frustrated with their output trying to let loose every bit of expression they had been stifling. It's rare to hear an album which sounds like it's throwing everything at the wall and making it all stick, but that is the case with McCartney. The instrumentals are engaging enough to hold their own, and his lyricism continues to be impressionistic and emotional, packing heavy punches into as few words as possible. It is quickly becoming clear to me that Paul McCartney is in fact the best of the Beatles, or at least he is to me, and the race isn't even that close. This looser style of album is right up my alley, and it's refreshing to hear an artist as big and acclaimed as McCartney taking artistic swings like this, something he has clearly never showed away from him throughout the rest of his career and even to today. Highlights: That Would Be Something, Valentine Day, Every Night, Hot As Sun / Glasses, Junk, Man We Was Lonely, Momma Miss America, Teddy Boy, Maybe I'm Amazed, Kreen-Akrore

I listened to this album as I went about an incredibly productive Sunday afternoon: doing chores, running errands, and spending time with my mom. For some reason, I had gone into this album with the impression that the Black Keys were a sellout band; that's vaguely the talking point I remember reading about time in passing. On one hand, I could see where such a feeling would come from: the sound captured by the Black Keys, at least on this album, is not too dissimilar from the coproratized brand of pop rock that would soundtrack truck commercials throughout the 2010s. I'm even fairly certain I recognize the song Howlin' For You from an advertisement. However, I have two rebuttals to this idea. The first: I will never hold the typical associations of a genre against individual albums within it, as music can be worth more than the reputation its peers have acquired. And the second: I've always kinda liked that corporate brand of rock anyway. And even then, I still believe the Black Keys have much more character and quality instrumentation than those artists typically do. This album brings electronic flourishes to early soul-tinged rock, with lyricism which would fit right at home in the Delta blues; early every guitar riff or piano run is an earworm that I couldn't help but hum along too. Only after listening to this album did I look back into what other big hits the band had, and I realized I've already been a huge fan of their work without realizing it; I'm incredibly glad to have officially been made a fan. Highlights: Everlasting Light, Next Girl, Tighten Up, Howlin' For You, She's Long Gone, Black Mud, The Only One, Too Afraid to Love You, Sinister Kid, The Go Getter, I'm Not the One, Unknown Brother, These Days

I listened to this album on an overcast day. I was alone on shift, and I stepped away from the desk to catch the retirement ceremony of a long time family friend. Queen Latifah has existed to me for so long as a public figure and actor that I sometimes forget she began as a musician; boy, I will never make that mistake again. This album caught me completely off-guard immediately, with the production being creative, unique, and incredibly funny; odd samples, beat switch-ups, and an energetic, near-cartoonish level of energy kept the album constantly engaging the entire time. There's even some clear house music influences, like the entire song Come into My House, which is an incredible surprise. But of course good production can't be the only selling point; I've heard plenty of hip-hop albums that still couldn't command the same level of attention as All Hail the Queen, and the clear difference is Queen Latifah herself. While her approach to lyricism and flow is not obviously unique (I've heard many artists of the time deliver similar songwriting), Queen Latifah simply possesses a confidence which few others can match up to; her features here are a handful of people who could manage to match her energy, with De La Soul's presence being a particularly pleasant surprise for me. She also has a knock for writing lyrics which manage to stay simple while still being varied enough to maintain interest, a feat which many other dance rap songs fail to accomplish. There's just an infectious sense of self-empowerment that bleeds through this whole album, and I was very pleasantly surprised that this stood out to me as much as it did. Highlights: Dance For Me, Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children, Come into My House, Latifah's Law, Wrath of My Madness, The Pros, Ladies First, Queen of Royal Badness, Princess of the Possee

Spring is a short season in Arizona; as I listen to this album, the Yellow Palo Verdes have already lost most of their blooms, but last night's rain has cooled the temperature down closer to the warmth of spring rather than the heat of summer. It feels fitting to be hearing this album so early into Spring, as it gives off a very bright and energetic vibe which matches the season (with some slow and somber exceptions). There is an off-kilter sense of momentum throughout The Colour of Spring which sends the album careening into new melodies and structures, and I mean this as a compliment. It is always satisfying to hear a couple seemingly disparate elements get introduced early on, only for them to be suddenly united with the introduction of one more instrument, like the final piece being slotted into a jigsaw puzzle. I also enjoy the balance of vocals from Talk Talk, managing to being a lot of power while maintaining a very wispy and dream-like delivery. Even if this album doesn't keep me coming back, it is still a beautiful piece of music which feels very fitting of the season. Highlights: Happiness Is Easy, I Don't Believe in You, Chameleon Day

I spent yesterday writing a poem about the Moon. It was dark and introspective. That work was still on my mind today as I listened to this album. It's sometimes rare for an album to sound exactly like I expected it to based on title and cover art alone:Siouxsie and the Banshees' Juju is one of those albums. I was painted a picture of something heavy, feminine, and sprawling; I would say I got exactly what was advertised, and then some. This album builds a strong emo atmosphere, though with a touch more levity and whimsy than something like The Cure's Pornography did. The drums sound massive and hollow, reverberating through the mix, alongside a droning ambience which sounds like a distorted guitar tone. These elements combine with Siouxsie's expressive alto-range vocals to create a singular atmosphere which is the strongest appeal of this album. While I strongly prefer the moments where the songs kick into a bit of a heavier gear, finding less to grab into with the lighter tracks, I still appreciate the dark expression which is Juju. Highlights: Spellbound, Into The Light, Monitor, Night Shift, Sin In My Heart, Voodoo Dolly

I had been writing and editing a visceral and gross piece of poetry all day; I listened to this album to take a break from that work. The Message immediately puts it's best foot forward, hitting me with incredinly funky horn sections and basslines, with group chant vocals characteristic of similar disco-tinged hip-hop groups. The production and sample work is a main highlight, especially the prominent sample of Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love (which I primarily recognized from its other use in Mariah Carey's Fantasy). By the time the robot vocals kick in during Scorpio, it's clear that the production was willing to take whatever risks it wanted to ins service of an even greater level of funk. There is a bit of a dip in the middle, with Dreamin' being a little too schlocky and saccharine for my taste, and the sudden turn into Jesus praise during You Are completely floored me; another album might have been more heavily dragged down by this lull, but the rest of the album is so damn infectious that it managed to keep itself afloat, ending on the incredibly strong closer, The Message. (Plus, while I don't consider it part of the album proper, the sample-heavy bonus song is incredibly experimental in a way I've never heard in a studio recording; it sounds like someone recorded a DJ set, and I mean that as high praise). Despite some hiccups, the highs of this album have burrowed into my brain; I wish I got even more of that sound throughout the rest of this project. Highlights: She's Fresh, It's Nasty, Scorpio, The Message (The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheel of Steel)

I listened to this album as I picked up last minute cookies on my way to an Easter Sunday lunch. In yet another instance of an album cover completely capturing its sound, Face to Face is just as bright, whimsical, and mildly psychedelic as the art implies. All of the instrumentation is tight and groovy, cresting these infectious tracks which drive you to boogie down. The vocal harmonies also lend a lot of depth to the singing, creating some really beautiful moments. Some songs lack the catchy songwriting that makes the rest of the album stick so well in your brain, but when this album hits, it hits. The sillier song topics are played with enough over-the-top self-awareness to be endearing rather than grating, and there are some true moments of emotional depth as well. This album I nothing too crazy, it's just some really well done pop-leaning rock, and that's good enough for me! Highlights: Party Line, Rosy Won't You Please Come Home, Dandy, Too Much On My Mind, Session Man, Sunny Afternoon, I'll Remember

I listened to this album as I wandered a Fry's, aimlessly picking up groceries after having left a distant family lunch which drained my social battery. My first thought while listening to Kilimanjaro was that The Tesrdrop Explodes is an incredible band name; my second thought was that this album rocks. It takes the sound I associate with some of my favorite moddern English indie rock bands and spices them up with some new wave aesthetics, nailing the slightly dystopian vibe that I find compelling in those songs. The raw and esoteric lyrics were also a surprise, sounding like the kind of writing I would hear from an indie darling band nowadays (the title "Ha Ha I'm Drowning" would be right at home on Bandcamp). The band aren't afraid to let themselves have fun and be loose, and leaning into the slight camp of the genre makes it easier to buy into the album as a whole; that, and the constant earworm riffs don't hurt. This was a sleeper hit for me that I'm incredibly happy to have comes across! Highlights: Ha Ha I'm Drowning, Sleeping Gas, Treason, Went Crazy, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises, Bouncing Babies, Books, Thief Of Baghdad, When I Dream (Reward, Kilimanjaro)

I took a break from copyediting a book about the video game Doom to go on a cool, overcast walk and listen to this album. Discovering a strong passion and respect for R.E.M. has been one of my favorite revelations of the list so far, which left me feeling a little deflated after listening to Murmur. By Allison accounts this is still a very good album, with goodnsongwritinf and technically proficient instrumentals. There's just ot a lot of movement during the songs; some of them wins up feeling a little stuck in place by the time they end. This is bolstered by the fact that Murmur is a lot ofter than the later R.E.M. albums I've enjoyed so much, and it has less of their distinctive character too. While there are certainly highlights, this album sounds a like first step towards something greater. Highlights: Talk About The Passion, Catapult, We Walk

I tried to start this album yesterday, but I was too focused on an impending copyediting deadline to focus. Once I finally submitted those notes this morning, I came back to this album with fresh ears. These kinds of group hip-hop projects like Jurassic 5 have long been a blindspot for me when it comes to rap, and I'm very glad this list has exposed me more to them. The short funky sample loops and soul basslines combine with classic-sounding flows, making this album feel like a chiller and more mellow A Tribe Called Quest. I also ended up recognizing Chali 2na by his incredibly distinctive, low-pitched voice, knowing him from a Monstercat feature of all places. What starts as a more laidback project picks up momentum as it goes on, with a series of great features helping carry it along (Nelly Furtado in particular carries her song). The album becomes deeper and more serious as it goes on, and then still ends on an incredibly funky jungle house best. This project only gets better the longer it goes on. Highlights: This Is, Freedom, If You Only Knew, Break, A Day At The Races, Remember His Name, What's Golden, Thin Line, After School Special, High Fidelity, Sum Of Us, DDT, One Of Them, Hey, I Am Somebody

Just before I hit play on this album, I was brainstorming ideas for a poem about youth, and being young. While I have technicslly heard this album before, I remembered next to nothing about it, and having now been more exposed to Leonard Cohen through Songs From A Room, I was eagerly anticipating the chance to get a better impression of this album. I immediately clicked with it so much more than last time, especially Cohen's deep and bassy voice; it sounds like smoke, as if he's sometimes being possessed by a darker force, which highlights the moments where his proper singing voice shines through. The instrumentation is an even darker take on Cohen's usual soundscape, bolstered by new grand flourishes like the backing choir which supports him throughout the album. Many of these songs were published over a decade prior tonthis album as poems, but they are given new meaning when Cohen performs them this late in his life. With Cohen passing on mere weeks after this album released, it's near-impossible to hear these songs without the reality around them bleeding through, making these reflections on mortality and life even more poignant and powerful. Highlights: You Want It Darker, Treaty, On the Level, Leaving the Table, If I Didn't Have Your Love, Traveling Light, It Seemed the Better Way, String Reprise / Treaty

I started listening to this album late into my shift, having ready listened to two albums straight; I figured I would have to break this one into a few session, starting it on my walk and finishing it on my drive home. I listened to it in one go. Bob Dylan was one of my most anticipated artists on this list, as I have heard two things about him: he's one of the greatest folk artists of all time, and his voice can be incredibly polarizing. I was incredibly happy to discover that the first point was very true, and as for the second, his voice was way less weird than I anticipated; I would never behave even thought to criticize it personally, it's so full of character and energy. There is a looseness to the vocal rhythm which compliments the busy and chaotic energy, blending folk sensibilities with shredding guitars; I particularly love the prominent feature of the harmonica. This album sounds like I'm sitting around a campfire with a jug band in a movie, and I have so much respect for Dylan's ability to boil important issues down into such succinct and poetic lyricism. For an artist who can be as musically divisive as Dylan is, I'm incredibly glad to land on the side of being a huge fan. Highlights: Like a Rolling Stone, Tombstone Blues, It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry, From a Buick 6, Ballad of a Thin Man, Highway 61 Revisited, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Desolation Row