As soon as it started I knew this was a production. Which now makes sense as I know how big Muse got/ how much of a production their gigs are/were.
I bet people that are into Sci-fi love this.
I never think of myself as a Muse fan, I do love Plug in baby but that’s it, however, as soon as Starlight kicked in I was reminded I quite like this one too.
Okay as soon as Supermassive Black Hole kicked in I was bopping, this definitely hits different now I’ve come to understand the majesty of Twilight. And YES I only watched it last year GIVE ME A BREAK, #iwasateenagefilmsnob
Don’t love ‘Map of Problematique’, already the lyrics are too fantasy for me, I don’t love the over saturated production of this one and the actual bones of the song just aren’t interesting to me. There’s nothing there to keep my attention. In the words of David Byrne, you’re talking a lot.. but you’re not saying anything!
Oh it’s all lyrically and musically a bit basic for me, nowt to write home about. And I think I’m getting a headache from the overproduced music along with his whiny drawl.
Assassin drew me in with the interesting intro but then just became too overwhelming to keep my interest. I think I just don’t gel at all with the juvenile sci-fi lyrics and his layered breathy vocals are fingernails on a chalk board to me.
God it just all feels like I’m sitting through the end credits of a Final Fantasy game on PS1 trying to hold out for some extra info or something.
Wow I can’t believe I got through that in one piece.
I’ve listened to New Order before of course, think I even have a vinyl of theirs somewhere. But this ain’t my bag. I almost liked Elegia but it just felt like it didn’t go anywhere? I’m not here for middle of the road non-committal weekend-dad Rock.
In the end, I could manage with sub-culture and Face Up but this won’t be an album I reach for again, and certainly wouldn’t be in my personal list of must-be-heards!
You can’t say this is bad, because it’s not. But when side by side with his other albums it simply can’t compare. It’s apples and oranges. It’s just that this is an orange, and I’m an apple kinda gal.
This is one of my favourite albums of all time, so I was very pleased this popped up and it was an easy 5/5 for me.
Wow, I loved this. Shockingly I’d never heard of King Crimson until now, let alone heard this album so this was an unexpected delight and I look forward to delving into the rest of their discography. I’ve only stuck to 4* because I could have happily listened to double the length of this album.
Oh no… do i like prog rock now?!
I’d really hoped there would be something redeeming here and it would maybe challenge my lifelong hatred for this band, but alas, it was not to be. Unfortunately, I still feel the same - which is that oasis is simply the Beatles, vommed on by the smiths and slowed right down to a painfully repetitive middle of the road ramble through lazy lyricism and the combined frontman charisma of a windswept empty crisp packet. Let’s put it this way; my estranged ex-addict older half-sister’s ex husband is a huge oasis fan with their logo tattooed proudly on his anaemic bicep in keeping with the rest of his tattoos and he exemplifies their average fan to me and after giving them a (truly, honestly!!) good go by listening to the whole album I remain on my high horse with this one. If you enjoy this, unfortunately to me you are an uninteresting idiot.
This is what oasis fans think oasis are capable of. But having these albums back to back the space between the two skill levels was vast. This still isn’t my kind of music so not something I’d reach for, but it’s still objectively good straight out the gate. Several songs are standouts and whilst it isn’t something I’ll likely reach for again, I’m glad I gave it a go and know a little more about the band and the album now.
I was so pleased to see this appear and even more pleased to find I loved this album as much at 33 as I did when I was 9 - and still remembered most of the words!! I would have given this 5* but after hearing ‘Apple Pie À La Mode’ again I knew that would be a lie.
I had never heard of Scott Walker and I don’t think I ever would have decided to listen to his work but I’m so glad I did. From the second it kicked off it really reminded me of Nick Cave and then it became Nick Cave crossed with an old crooner and turns out I really like that!! Thoroughly enjoyed the whole album in particular ‘Rhymes of Goodbye’ which seemed like a pretty lose to perfect way to end a record. I’ve since listened to his album ‘Scott Walker sings Jacques Brel’ (who I’d also not heard of) and adored that album too.
I’ve loved Fiona Apple since seeing the ‘Not about love’ video on an obscure music video channel as a young teen and I savour any opportunity to revisit her work. This time this album soundtracked a particularly difficult morning and was just what I needed. It’s not my favourite record of hers but it is brilliant. Kicking off with powerful ‘Sleep to dream’ you know you’re in for a fun ride. My particular favourites were ‘Slow like honey’ and ‘Never is a promise’. She really shows up for all the sullen girls out there and this sullen girl felt inspired, as always, by listening from my bed on a rainy Friday morning.
I’m definitely a Kate Bush fan so I knew this would be a good time. I thought she was gonna lose me in the second half but it was just a couple of songs I didn’t vibe with that knocked it down a bit for me, particularly ‘Waking the witch’. I didn’t skip, I persevered but I really didn’t enjoy that one or the following track. But she reeled me right back in with ‘Jig of life’ which I thoroughly enjoyed.
There is simply no way anyone considers this a must listen, I won’t have it. Even if country music is your thing, this is the low-fat natural yoghurt of country music. Have a word.
I will be honest, I was so un-enthused by the prospect of listening to Beck I put it off so much I had to listen to it early doors the following day. Anyway i don’t know why because im yet to hear a Beck song i don’t like. This album didn’t include anything I didn’t like but it was nothing groundbreaking. There were a couple that just pipped the others to the post like Girl - which I think in hindsight I liked the first 30 seconds of more than anything else, and the chorus was a little early Nirvana in a different font, Broken Drum and Farewell Ride which were maybe my joint favourites. Ultimately, I was disappointed to find Chain Reaction wasn’t a Diana Ross/Steps cover but hey, we can’t have it all.
This album was exactly what I needed exactly when I needed it. I’d heard the odd song by them before, probably in films and liked it but never revisited. But this blew me away, truly. The first album I’ve had which I hadn’t heard before that I wholeheartedly agree is a must listen. I’ve already been exploring more of their discography and it’s made a fan out of me, that’s for sure.
This was such a lot of fun, I don’t know a huge amount about this genre of music so can neither confirm nor deny if this is the best of it - but I had a good time. Felt like I was in an episode of Dexter. (Compliment)
I’m lucky enough to have seen this album performed live for the 25th anniversary, well a little later as it was delayed due to Covid - what a time, ey? Anyway, this album holds a place in my heart for sure. I always think of it as a 5* album with no skips but actually there are a couple of songs I’m less obsessed with. However due to the restrictive nature of no .5*s, the INSANE amount of iconic singles on this album plus the gorgeous hidden track I always forget about (can we bring that back pls???) I had to go 5* and I think I’m okay with that.
Obviously, like every other lesbian, I love Dusty Springfield. And there are of course stand outs on this album, and the cover is iconic…but this isn’t an album you MUST hear, it’s just not. I had to rate it 3* because of the quality of the singles otherwise I fear it would have been a 1*!
Generally I love this genre and I hadn’t listened to this album before but unfortunately I was having a horrendous day so I didn’t appreciate this the way I would maybe have usually done so I’m giving it 3* and will revisit when it doesn’t feel like the world is ending.
I would say this is a must listen for sure, simply for the sheer amount of iconic singles and how they have in turn been sampled, interpolated or inspired music that came after it. Kinda sad that it seems they had a whole battle over the trademark amongst the sisters though.
This was fine, and I enjoyed the live element of it. But even for this genre I wouldn’t say this was a must listen so it didn’t do much for me.
I thought I liked Cat Stevens but I don’t think I do actually. This was a tough listen. The Wind kicked in and I was like oh I like this one however I thought I’d heard a sound bite of it but that is simply the whole song so it felt more like a jingle than a record and I didn’t care for any of the other tracks any more than that. I found it lyrically basic and musically forgettable. I love folk music, I love acoustic guitars , I love singer songwriters… I did not love this.
This was fun, something tells me there’ll be more in his discography more worthy of being here. And god I hate that everything comes back to Scientology, gimme a break.
This was a hard one to get through, I can’t lie.
This is one of the few Bowie albums I’d never sat down and listened to in its entirety and I’m so glad I did. A favourite would be the cover of Across the Universe especially as it led me to discover John Lennon did the backing vocals for Fame! Definitely a fun listen.
Wow I enjoyed this so much. I would never have picked up a Cardigans album but I’m so glad I did and I already think I’m gonna be listening to more of them and that I’ve overlooked their stuff in the past! That’s why this is such a fun thing to do because I’m finding things I love that old wouldn’t otherwise have given the time of day.
I really enjoyed this but I’ve been so busy it took me a really long time to get through this album, as in the best part of a week. I think it saw me through a lot of emotions which is the sign of a good album, that it can speak to multiple parts of your psyche and be relevant to each stage of your life. So I guess that means I liked it.
I never think of this as a favourite Beatles album of mine but it does have some of my faves like Michelle, Drive my Car, In my Life. But I think this made me realise the gap between good Beatles songs and bad Beatles songs is SO vast. The definitely feel like a band that just threw everything at the wall in the hopes some stuff stuck. As people I think I prefer the Beatles, but musically I think I’m a Stones kinda gal.
I thought I’d never heard of this but I recognised ‘Passin’ me by’ straight away. Definitely a fun album I just wasn’t having a fun day when I listened so may need a revisit.
I didn’t think I’d ever listened to a full Dexy’s album but the second this started I was immediately transported back to weekend mornings in my childhood home and this being blasted from downstairs by my mam/ stepdad all windows open cookin/cleaning. A very fun trip down memory lane and certainly something that I like! But I’m not convinced it’s a must listen. Nonetheless it’s one I’ve enjoyed!
This was actually the first white stripes album I remember owning, I think I asked for it for my birthday and I owned it on copied CD! It still slaps, I love it so much. Some tracks I still listen to semi-regularly like denial twist and so many others I love that I’d forgotten about. I love this album because it feels experimental in that it plays with so many genres but (imho) does it expertly. And as a lover of talented freaky lil dudes™️ I’m probably always gonna make time for Jack White. Definitely one you’ve gotta hear in my view.
No qualms about this one, definitely a must listen.
I was warned there was as a lot of Van Morrison. A love album will never be a must listen for me, although this isn’t a bad one at all.
Okay so I’m a renowned queen hater and this didn’t change my mind but there were a couple of tracks I enjoyed and hadn’t heard before plus pfc the well known single. I’m hoping more Queen albums will appear and will test my long held opinion of them, we shall see!
This was so dull I feel like it’s a prank that it’s even on here. The most interesting thing about it is the album art and even that feels derivative.
I was already a Fela Kuti fan so although I’m not a lover of a live album, I did enjoy this. They were playing near me not long ago and I didn’t get around to going, don’t think I’ll miss that opportunity again!
I hadn’t listened to this album by Kendrick before and as expected it was very good with some standouts for sure, but not my favourite of his.
Oh I loved this. I hadn’t listened to Mudhoney since being a Nirvana obsessed teen and literally just listening to whatever an already long dead Kurt Cobain thought was cool, but this was great. Particularly liked ‘In ‘n’ Out of grace’, ‘Hate the Police’ and the cover of ‘The Rose’ .
I love Kate Bush, but this isn’t a must listen. It’s just not.
Including this really felt like some sort of sick joke.
This was a bit of fun but it didn’t feel groundbreaking. But it’s 2026, maybe it did feel groundbreaking in 1958. But for me it would need to be influential to be special and I can’t specifically pinpoint things this has influenced so it isn’t more than mid for me.
It’s really hard to be a smiths fan and have to contend with Morrissey’s solo work let alone his abhorrent personality! This was a tough one. Even the singles, which I’m vaguely familiar with, aren’t great. Like I bet ‘Irish blood, English Heart’ pops off in a stadium or festival setting but why is it so short?? I wasn’t mad at ‘You know I couldn’t last’ but in general this was not my cup of tea and I don’t see how this is something anyone needs to hear.
As soon as the first track started I knew I was in for something good! I certainly wasn’t listening to this in 2005 but clearly I was missing out as this was golden from start to finish. Like ending with ‘my mother gave birth but she never really had me’… are you kidding??? This is exactly why I’m doing this, to discover new things I love that I truly never would have picked up otherwise. We’re so back.
Reading up about this, people seem to really rate it. I, however, do not.
This was like a lil 00s time capsule, what a dose of nostalgia. It did make me reflect on whether I actually like U2 and don’t think I do! I just don’t get on with Bono’s voice and the music isn’t enough to carry it for me. Nonetheless this had some cracking singles. If only to bring me back to the trailer for tomb raider or a matrix movie, something with someone abseiling down into a building…
I was quietly pleased to see this pop up until I remembered a podcast I listened to a few years ago (can’t for the life of me remember the name of it!!) with some guy basically saying he lent Moby this tape of old songs and he then used that tape to sample for this album which ofc blew up and made him huge. No thanks to this guy. And worse yet no thanks to the countless black artists whose samples he took. To add insult to injury I expected the album would be no skips but frankly it was 80% filler. White men continue to disappoint.
I remember the first time I heard Bob Dylan and I angrily exclaimed ‘but he can’t even sing??!’. Anyway, I love Dylan but I don’t listen to him regularly coz I didn’t have a ‘go to’ album. I do now.
My brother warned me about the sitar albums and I naively said I liked sitars but this has really pushed me to my limit. How can an album so short be simultaneously so long?! It took me three tries to get this finished. The last track truly felt like some sort of endurance test!!
I love the specials but I had only listened to their debut as it turns out - and who can blame me? That is simply a no skip album. All killer no filler. Not sure I’d say the same for this one but it certainly still has some real gems! And I’m never gonna be upset at having them on. And what it did illustrate to me is something my entire family have been saying as long as I remember is in fact from a song from this album! When we were tiny we changed the words to rubbish but as we got older we’ve all continued to say ‘it’s all a load of bollocks’ in that exact tune from ‘Pearl Cafe’ so that definitely brought a smile to my face.
I was thrilled to see this pop up as this is an album I really love and return to often. I’ve gone for 4/5 simply because I know another of their albums which is a 5/5 for me - hoping that crops up too! I think coming out the gate with Message in a bottle is an incredibly impressive start to a record. Another highlight for me is Bring on the Night, god I love that song! I love the Police because they both challenge and humble me vocally. I do skip singing along to ‘On any other day’ though because not only did I grow up to be the gay sibling but I’m also a former teenage runaway so that one always makes me sick in my mouth a lil bit but we move 😂
I didn’t think I’d listened to this before but I actually had it’s just painfully forgettable. When I saw ‘On hold’ in the track listing that rang a bell and I was looking forward to getting to it but it was a dud. I thought maybe it was the Jamie XX remix of it I like but nope, that was dull too. I remembered enjoying ‘I dare you’ also but I guess I just had worse taste in 2017! Their debut is without a doubt a must listen, this one can certainly be skipped.
This felt like another endurance task at first. There were moments I didn’t entirely hate but overall I’m baffled by his prestige. This is nothing music to me. Muzak even!!! I like house music!! I did not like this. In fact there was one song I recognised from a house music playlist I listen to semi-regularly and I recognised it because I hate it and always skip it!
I’ll never be mad at listening to Frank Sinatra, this was always going to be a fun one. I think when I first applied to uni I used a quote from Sinatra to begin my personal statement. God knows what it was, I think I just watched High Society one too many times. Anyway I think that there should be a Frank Sinatra record on here, whether it’s this one remains to be determined for me I think.
I don’t know enough of Muddy Water’s back catalogue to know if this is the best offering but I know as an artist in general he’s a must listen, for sure.
I know Raekwon is super influential in hip-hop but I wasn’t vibing with this - I did however thoroughly enjoy ‘Wu-Gambinos’ and ‘Heaven & Hell’.
I thought this was my favourite Roxy Music record but I actually think I prefer their debut. Nonetheless I would agree this is a must listen for ‘In every dream home a heartache’ alone - what a tune!!
Well this one has me truly torn. Although my taste in everything is pretty eclectic I would always consider myself punk but this isn’t my punk, yano? Anyway I hadn’t listened to this since being a teenager probably. There’s the obvious singles and then I was actually really pleasantly surprised by ‘Bodies’ which screams film score to me. Unfortunately I was brought right back down to earth and to remembering what a monumental cunt John Lyndon is by the F-slur which I could have massively lived without so that took it right back down. If you wanna listen to punk, you can do a hell of a lot better than this.
This was not much to write home about, but it did lead me down a wormhole which ended with ‘Mermaid Avenue’ by Billy Bragg and Wilco which I don’t think will be on this list, but really ought to be.
I can imagine a lot of people really hate this but I thoroughly enjoyed it tbh. I don’t know enough about this genre to confirm/deny if it’s a ‘must’ hear, but im glad I’ve listened to it.
I really like Funkadelic and it surprised me this was their most commercially successful album, I think they have other albums that are more impactful but maybe I’m just swayed by the song ‘can you get to that?’ being like the best song ever.
Definitely a must listen, for her song writing alone. I always remember this album fondly and know that i love ‘fuck me pumps’ but there are so many other bangers on this album, it’s really pretty wonderful.
I saw a vintage badge yesterday that said ‘I hate Elvis’ and I thought that’s crazy who hates Elvis? But then I was faced with this album, and the only song I was familiar with was the droning cover of ‘Fever’ and suddenly I thought, maybe I hate Elvis? TBD.
I had somehow managed to never listen to any of Frank Black’s solo offering but within the first few seconds I fell in love with this. I’m already looking forward to another listen and to exploring more of his back catalogue.
I’d got this far without ever listening to Arcade Fire and frankly, I wish I’d got further. It’s like The Strokes if they were shite.
I found myself being generally underwhelmed but whenever I was enjoying myself it was a Lô Borges track - so I don’t think this is a must listen album but I reckon they’re a must listen artist. So I will exploring more of their back catalogue and who knows, more of their stuff might pop up here along the way!
I assumed I would love this but it made truly no impression at all.
I knew I loved this album but I hadn’t listened to it in years. I sat, washing the pots, waving at the birds and as Gloria kicked in, it was a transcendental experience. I love this album. I love Patti Smith. And this is without a doubt a must listen.
I wasn’t loving this until ‘Hanging out and hung up on the line’ and then I really started to enjoy myself. Not sure it’s a must listen but there were some bright moments.
I love ABBA as much as the next gay bastard, but I’m yet to be convinced an album will give me more than a greatest hits would. I hope to be proved wrong. But for now, other than the songs I already knew which are obviously amazing, my highlight was ‘Happy Hawaii’ which says it all. Other than that, It’s a lot of hooting and hollering for not a lot of payoff.
This was so much fun. What a way to kick off a debut album and what an album; just banger after banger! So glad I was the right age for this to be on regular rotation in my teenage clubbing years. Definitely a must listen! And led me back to Alex Turner’s soundtrack for Submarine which I will truly never tire of.
I literally went ‘yay!’ out loud when I saw this was my album for the day. One of my favourites that I return to often. Just a brilliant record with hit after hit. Absolutely a must listen, no question.
