Iconic, monumental. Hard driving blues songs (mostly) but tend to blend together.
Wouldn't be my pick for when I want to listen to Willie, but wonderful arrangements, and his unique voice adds great color to these pop standards.
Still can't quite get on board with calling this my favorite Beatles record, but damn, it's good. and Tomorrow Never Knows still rips.
Some pretty talented people making some lizard brain music. The hits are good but the rest are forgettable. Will always have fond memories chugging beers to this in college but that's about it.
The album that basically started roots rock as a commercial genre. Deeply influential, great record to listen to on the porch, the highs are incredibly high, but they're not all winners.
Maybe Bowie's strongest album back to front, but also maybe not my favorite Bowie, if that makes sense? An irresistible marriage of iconography and music that really cemented glam rock as a genre.
Joy Division was never my favorite early post punk band, some good tunes but never could hold up in a full album. This record is a vibe... but it's only a vibe and only one vibe. Any particular moment is great, but it's the same moment the whole time, and other bands would take this sound to further and greater heights.
She had talent, that's for certain, and I would have loved to see her songwriting mature. But the production is so airless. You have the players... let them breathe!
I just love his growl here. What a note to go out on. Spare, beautiful, haunting, and those words. Words that only he could write. A perfect note to check out on.
Never been a huge reggae guy. This is fine but tends to all blend together at a point, like reggae tends to do for me. Nice vibes though and I like the politically charged tunes.
I grew up with this record and the songs are embedded into my bones, so I can't pretend to be subjective about it. But fuck, it's fantastic. Still my favorite Radiohead, no skips, perfect album, etc. etc.
I always felt like you had to grow up with Springsteen to really embrace him and buy into the myth. And, well, that just wasn't me. It's funny, I love a lot of bands and songwriters who are deeply influenced by Bruce (and this record in particular), and I can see how, if I had encountered these songs at just the right time, I probably would have been bowled over. But not having first listened this until well past the age of being a wavering youth looking for truth in the American Myth, I just find this to be a maybe slightly above average singer-songwriter record. And I see how this was striking coming from Springsteen at this point in his career, but others have done this type of thing much better, both before and after. I guess I just had to be there.
Impossible to rate, and borderline unethical to reduce to such a thing as a "star rating". As a historical record and document of music history, the "American Songbook" records by Ella are indelible, iconic, monumental. Listening to this all at once though is overwhelming and near impossible to digest. Some of the songs, obviously, are better than others, but I wouldn't lose a thing. As for Ella herself, I love her, of course, but I do prefer my jazz singers to have a bit more grit in their voices. She's almost TOO perfect. This (and the rest of her American Songbook records) are all but required listening for anyone interested in the history of American song. Fuck it, five stars, not because it's a perfect "album" per se but because is, without reservation, an album you need to listen to before you die.
The first five Zep records are canonical, but this has to be my least favorite of the bunch. But that also means this is purely very good instead of excellent. I just don't tend to want to pull this one when I want to listen to them. Maybe a bit too acoustic for my tastes, at least for what I'm looking for out of this band.
The edgelord tendencies haven't aged particularly well, but Keith's flow is exceptional, the scratching is sublime, and the production is a treat across the board. Always good to be reminded what hip hop can do when not tied to trap beats. And while the stream-of-consciousness lyrics combined with the pulp/sci-fi/kitsch backstory would go on to influence some of my favorite rappers of all time, I just wish Keith's consciousness wasn't so juvenile and, well, gross (tongue in cheek though it may be). A keystone of underground rap and a refreshing counterpoint to the gangster rap that was dominating the scene at the time, but others would take this concept to more satisfying places.
Uneven, probably because they were pumping out jams literally 6 months after their last release, but man, Jimi's playing is inimitable and still sounds so fresh. Probably their weakest release, but still a nice, groovy listen.
Not my space, not my area, but didn't hate it as much as maybe I thought I would. Dig the percussion, although it kinda wears out its welcome well before the album is over. It's a pretty silly/shallow record, and I don't know if the music provides enough depth to cover for it. Noisy enough for me to dig on some level, though.
80s pop is decidedly not for me, but as far as those things go, you can do a lot worse than this. Money Changes Everything and Time After Time are fantastic tunes. Girls and She Bop are decent bubblegum pop songs that I probably don't ever need to hear again. When You Were Mine does itself no favors by being an inferior cover that goes on forever. And the rest? Well, they needed to fill out the album somehow. Lauper has a powerful and idiosyncratic voice (and she was 30 when this came out!), and I do miss how those were allowed to be pop singers too. 2 stars but probably more of a 2.5
She has such a great voice, and the arrangements are smartly (and beautifully) spare to let it shine. Unfairly gets a bad rap as Starbucks music, but this is a very nice easy listening record. It's one-note, sure, but that one note is cozy and warm.
Much respect to Tina and that powerhouse of a voice, but the 80s production and sound is not my cup of tea to say the least. An incredible singer singing along to what sounds like midi backing tracks.
Nice vibes (haha, get it). Fantastic musicianship, lovely music, don't know how much I'll return to this, but this was a good listen out of my usual wheelhouse.
As stadium rock goes, it's hard to beat this. It's big, it's loud, it's catchy, it's got a ballad or two, it's got just enough grit to keep it "authentic". Is it better than Definitely, Maybe? Definitely not, but Oasis always wanted to go mainstream and this is one of the better mainstream rock records you'll ever get. Anyway, here's Wonderwall.
I mean, it's prime Stevie. What do you need, a roadmap? Maybe not as strong as some other records of this period in his career, but still funky and soulful. I maybe wish it was a little more fun. Also lol at this being his 17th album at the age of 24.
Considering he was just dumping all the songs he had kicking around that The Beatles rejected, it's not the most succinct statement, or particularly structured/paced all that well. But the highs are so high, and even the other songs are really good listens, really demonstrating the songwriting range he had that he never got to with the band.
Historical importance very high here, and good to have a less mainstream entry from the American folk music revival era. Which, of course, needs plenty of representation on a list like this, but not much to differentiate from Woody or Bob or Pete, etc., etc. Nice listen, makes me want to watch Inside Llewyn Davis again
Definitely not in the realm of my normal listens, but this was very nice. It's good music, what can I say. Not sure how much I'll return to this, but felt good to step into this world for a moment.
Been a while since I listened to this album (or Calexico at all) and damn, this was awash with nostalgia for me. Saw them open for Yo La Tengo once upon a time and was blown away. This record is very good and I'm pleasantly surprised to see it on this list. Love the range of sounds and influences, so happy to be reminded to listen to this again.
I'm sorry, Marty, I don't know if I ever need to hear Gimme Shelter again, as good as it is. Maybe it'll sound fresh if I take like a ten year break. Not my favorite Stones record of this hot run of theirs in the late 60s/early 70s. Just not as deep, but very enjoyable all the same.
Is this a bad time to reveal that I was VERY into Coldplay for the first half and change of high school. This CD was in heavy rotation when I first started driving, so it brings back a lot of memories. Of all kinds. But these seasoned ears don't find much besides nostalgia in this record, which mostly asks, "What if Radiohead, but boring?" I dislike the moments where they try to take themselves seriously but the moments when they lean into big, broad, sentimental feelings are hard to deny. The Scientist is a good song! Clocks, less so. I'm glad I had Coldplay at that time in my life but like most things from early teenhood, I have moved on.
Finally get a metal record on this thing. Shout out to my middle school friend Stuart who was a big Sepultura fan and held fast in calling most other non-metal music shit. Hope you're doing alright, man.
The theme doesn't really do anything for me, but I love the sound of this record. Love the samples, love the flow. Of course Ghostface gets great guests, of course he gets some of the best producers. You got DOOM, you got J Dilla, you got early Kanye, you got Pete Rock... it's almost unfair. Easily one of the best rap records of the '00s.
Never really got into Mudhoney for whatever reason. This EP is probably the longest sustained time I've given to them. I understand that this was key to the development of grunge and the establishment of Sub Pop but kinda just sounds like a standard punk record. I think their second album is on this list, so I'm looking forward to giving them another look.
Starts off strong with the first two tracks, but then City, Country, City is way too long and repetitive, a jam that doesn't really go anywhere. And then it follows up with Four Cornered Room which is just kind of a drudge. Then it ends strong with the final two tracks. I mean, these cats can obviously play, but what is the word for this record.... uneven.
Grunge was never really my thing, though one would think it would be. Cornell has a fantastic voice and this is a very solid hard rock record, I don't ever really have a bad time listening to it, but none of it particularly grabs me. My bad.
Iconic Big Beat record. Just an absolute slab. Love the blown out basslines and pummeling breakbeats. None of it is subtle, but sometimes music is meant to just rattle your bones. If you don't like this one at first, try playing it painfully loud.
Somehow, this never was on my radar, and I'm not sure how. A lovely little indie pop record that falls right into place among a bunch of other bands that I love. Nothing revolutionary here, just some good tunes that are nice to listen to. Glad I was turned on to this.
I've said this before and I'll say it again. The OG Allman Bros. lineup is one of the few bands that can lay serious claim to being the best band of all time. Never could get into jam band stuff but the Allmans are the exception. RIP Duane, your fingers could bring the voice of God out of the guitar.
Hard to mess up blues rock, and the The Black Keys don't exactly do that, but they do make it boring. It's music made for boomers who think it's rare for bands that make "real music" to still exist. I just need something more from these guys, something they have been unwilling to provide now 14 albums into their career. And so, for now, I must write them off as not for me.
Ohhhhhh man, to say how many times I listened to this in high school would be embarrassing. I know this thing in and out, front to back to front again. It's the pinnacle of overblown, overwrought, 70s rock bloat and it works despite itself. Not even close to my favorite Floyd record but, to me, it's just so undeniable. I know why someone might hate it, but I love it. Movie's cool, too.
My only knowledge of this record is from Yo La Tengo's fantastic covers of Hanky Panky Nohow and Andalucia. And, well, they have good taste. This was a lovely record with some gorgeous songwriting. Wasn't really expecting something this straightforward from Cale, but why should I be surprised that he can cut a pop tune with the best of them. Good stuff.
This being on the list over S/T or This Is Happening is a joke. A joke! At least Sound of Silver is on here. I had my time with LCD Soundsystem, I went to a show on their farewell tour, I made my peace with their brief run and their three very solid albums. I don't know that they needed to come back and this record didn't really dispel that notion. It's ok, I guess, but just not as many peaks as the other records (or as high), and it's just way too bloated. It all sounds a bit tired. This band could have gone down as legends if they stayed gone, but money talks I guess.
Call me basic, but this is a perfect album. Sometimes the boomers are right! Shoutout to my college friend who wrote a paper on "Time" for his freshman writing seminar. Floyd is forever, baby.
Never spent much time with Dusty outside of the big hits. What a talent! Love the voice, great arrangements. I'm sure the moms go crazy over this one.
Seems like Alice in Chains has been getting a lot of reappraisal lately, so I was looking forward to giving them a full look. Again, the hard rock side of grunge is just not for me. Layne has good voice for the genre but this doesn't do much for me. Instrumentation kind of just flattens out into a sludge and the tone is a little too aggressively dour to me. A very fitting album cover for what you're hearing, just kind of flat brown-ness.
Nice to listen to but gets kinda same-y. Made me sleepy but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.
Really don't like how this album is mixed, especially the drums, but Eddie Vedder's, let's say, unique timbre and cadence, combined with some pretty gnarly guitar solos and strong, tuneful songwriting make for one of the stronger hit records of this era when grunge took over the charts. Is it something I return to often? No, but I'll jam out to it when I come across it.
The Dandy Warhols are fine, and this album is solid, but would I include it on a list like this? Probably not. Victim to the CD bloat of the era, and I would probably pick quite a few other records from the 90s psych rock revival scene over this. (Please note no Elephant Six bands are represented on this list....) DIG! is great though, go watch that. I wonder if Anton is mad that the Dandys are on here and not BJM.
Hello, Bruce, we meet again. Again, this is the wrong type of record to encounter for the first time in a manner such as this. Bruce is one of those guys who make music you have to inhabit to really appreciate. I don't know if I will ever get there. For now, I must respect The Boss from a distance and wait for the day he grabs me.
Don't think I've ever listened to this all the way through, so wanted to see if there were any hidden gems in here. Not really. Bad is corny, Smooth Criminal is great, I kinda like The Way You Make Me Feel, and despite everything in my body rejecting what I'm hearing, The Man in the Mirror is over-the-top 80's pablum at its best. The deeper cuts are blah.
Hard to approach this without any consideration to its complicated history, but I've never been a huge Beach Boys guy so the circuitous path and alternate versions and original recordings and Brian Wilson losing his mind and slowly getting to a place where he could make this doesn't mean a whole lot to me. The music itself is nice. It definitely feels like Brian Wilson and a bunch of people standing in as the Beach Boys. There's some sparks of the old magic, and the compositions are nicely baroque and ever-changing. Words are mostly nonsense. It's a neat glimpse into Wilson's skewed vision of American pop music and where it might've gone, but a glimpse is all I need.
The reggae/post-punk intersection doesn't always work for me, outside of the Clash, but this is so raw, real, AND accomplished. Sounds like anyone could have made it this, but they didn't. The Slits did. Which, to me, is punk in a nutshell.
Not my favorite REM record, but this would also be 99% of bands' magnum opus so.... I must remember to not grade on a curve. REM is just so cool, man. They became one of the biggest bands on the planet but never lost what made them who they were. One of the rare acts that even the mainstream couldn't deny because they were so singular. This is a near perfect record (Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite is a goof that doesn't belong though sure is catchy). It's crazy that they were even better than this.
Kinda wish they took the best tracks from each record and intermixed them to make a proper Outkast record, but damn, this thing is so absolutely bursting with ideas, sounds, hooks, rhymes, and beats that there is always something new to discover. I really miss hip hop production like this. It just sounds incredible. There are better Outkast records, both because they are more concise and nothing quite beats Andre and Big Boi bouncing off each other, but if you are going to put out a 2+ hour rap record, this is how you do it.
Maybe the best double album ever made? Doesn't have one below average (or even average song), and even The Beatles couldn't do that. This just straight up rules, so many places for Joe Strummer and the boys to stretch out on, and they kill em all. Also maybe the best album cover of all time.
Somehow never listened to this despite being a big fan of noise music and the more abstract corners of industrial music. This rules so much. Can't imagine how it felt throwing this on in 1981. Still feels raw and transgressive. So much of this was shaved down and shaped to build a ton of more successful mainstream acts, but give me the uncut stuff baby. Do I want to listen to this all the time? No. But when I'm feeling a certain way, only stuff like this can scratch the itch.
Never gave The Strangers much of a listen outside of the "hits" (of which Peaches is one, shout out SEXY BEAST)... this is definitely more new wave than punk. Maybe even just regular ol' classic rock. Good bass lines, keyboards reminded me of The Doors. Goofy, more than a little kitschy, and fun. Good bar music, decent record.
I'm old enough to remember being disappointed when this came out because I was sad Beach House was abandoning their lo-fi bedroom pop sound for something more polished. I'm pretty stupid sometimes. This IS a bit of a transitional record, with the band working their way to the more cinematic, widescreen dream pop they would perfect in Bloom. Still great, though. Look, are there bands and records not on this list that I would put before Beach House? Yes. But are there other bands I would take off this list before I took off Beach House? Also yes. This is a lot of words to say, I love this band, I love this record, five stars.
Never been a CSN, CSNY, or even just a Y guy. Idk, just never came up in my classic rock education for some reason. Blame my dad. Maybe a little bit too much in the hippie scene for me to fully embrace. Helpless is great (though how much of that is because of my love of its performance in THE LAST WALTZ and Neil Young's coke booger)! The rest is pretty good! Maybe one day I'll really dive in to these guys and all their separate oeuvres.
I usually find "boring" to be a very lazy criticism of art, but........... this does next to nothing for me. She's got a good voice, but in the same way that someone in a karaoke bar on Broadway wanting to be discovered has a good voice. I wish she had more control over her instrument, though, it's essentially always the same timbre and volume which is tiresome. The music.... blech. It's just not for me. Music for moms, I'm afraid to say.
Best enjoyed while bumming cigs and drinking a case of beer in a parking lot somewhere. A key text in garage rock, indie rock, college rock, etc. Where would we be without the 'Mats? Maybe some other kids in a garage in Minnesota would have sprung up in their place. But that's not the world we're in. I'm alright with that.
Inspired one of my favorite songs ever, so how bad could it be. Perfectly pleasant, highly literate jangle pop. I can imagine Stuart Murdoch listened to this nonstop as a wee lad. I would have probably fallen head over heels for this if I had encountered it at a certain point in my life, but I came to the bands it influenced first so I can't see much further than my own nose at this moment. But it was really nice to go back to where it started.
Damn, this just sounds so good. Hasn't aged a day really. So many artists trying to recapture these sounds. The tunes are funky and soulful, arranged perfectly, and played so well. And of course the vocals are a stand out. I really can't find any nits to pick, honestly.
Never was on board the Eagles hate train even though Henley and Frey have done themselves no favors, but I've never thought of them as an album band. And my dad, a huge Eagles fan, even thought Hotel California (the song) was overplayed. I agree! But it's still easy to see why it was such a huge hit. Anyway, the Eagles are fine even though they have no edge and the boomer radio rock culture they embody has curdled into something that, maybe, the Eagles get unfairly/overly blamed for.
Maybe one of the strongest Side Ones of all time. I remember the first time hearing the title track and feeling something unlock in my brain. All of the other songs on this side rule in their own, specific way. It's incredible shit. And then you flip the record and "Super Stupid" kicks it off with a strong, but basic rocker, maybe a little too much cribbing from Hendrix, still super fun though and that guitar solo is superb. Then it's "Back in Our Minds", and it seems like a silly goof before the record gets back on track, but then "Wars of Armageddon" comes, which is a repetitive funk riff and some (literal) farting around. I'm not one to be completely down on experimental uses of fart noises in music, but there is a promise this record establishes that it doesn't quite execute on in the back half. Alas. But that Side One though....
The first album so far that I was truly baffled by it being on this list. It's fine... but entirely inessential. Everyone involved has done better work. And while it's never bad, it also never does anything to stand out. Only "Three Changes" really delivers on the promise of putting these players together. The most middle of the road 3 stars you can imagine.
Not the biggest fan of live albums, but I have to admit Thin Lizzy works best in this format. This is pretty much the perfect encapsulation of what made them special (although I would have included Whiskey in a Jar in the setlist, but I ain't Phil). Anyway, Thin Lizzy rules, love the dueling lead guitars and Phil Lynott's singular vocal delivery, and to this day, no one has written a better song about the boys and their being back in town.
It's too bad M.I.A. met a Bronfman and then went insane. Those first two records were really special. And I see Arular is on this list too so excited to get there. Ignoring the unfortunate baggage (which, to be fair, is nothing new when listening to a lot of artists on this list), this still sounds as exciting as it did when it first came out. I can not emphasize the impact that first Pineapple Express trailer that used "Paper Planes" had on my college dorm. Not all the tracks are winners, but damn, the ideas are bursting at the seams. I miss when music like this wasn't chasing streams and feeding the algorithm.
It's funny he calls this a "a short film" because he does really remind me of Scorsese here. A nerdy, overachieving kid watching the gangsters from his doorstep, at once horrified and enticed by everything happening around him. And then making art that some people see as glorifying that lifestyle, but really are just ways to process their complicated feelings on the milieu of their upbringings. Anyway this is fantastic, and will probably always be my favorite of his. It just feels rawer than his other work in a way that I prefer, as good as TPaB is.
Never been a Doors guy (I can not sanction Jim Morrison's buffoonery), but I do love Ray Manzarek's work on the keys. Iconic. Highs are high on this record but the lows are pretty bad/forgettable. Just not for me. Maybe not enough drugs on my part.
I respect Anohni far more than I particularly love her music (the voice can grate sometimes, I'm afraid), but when she hits, she hits hard. This is probably her and her band's most cohesive work. Some truly lovely tracks here, but would love to see them change up the tempo a little more (more tracks like Fistful of Love, please). Anywho, go look up her cover of Candy Says, it's great!
I mean, come on. You could put this out today and it would blow people away. Absolutely pristine sounds, incredibly songwriting, bewitching vocals. I'm always blown away by how fully formed they were from the jump. I'd put all 5 of their I.R.S. records on this list if I could. Murmur is perfect but somehow not the only perfect record they made.
Better albums that showcase Shankar's virtuosity, but this is a cool little artifact. Maybe less essential now that all the world's music is at our fingertips on demand but picking this up in 1957 definitely opened up some music-loving minds, especially some goofy lads out of Liverpool.
Perfect.
"Yeah, I hated him. I thought he betrayed us. I was a fucking idiot." - my screenwriting professor who was at Newport Folk in 1965
Can not join the increasingly loud group of the oh so edgy music nerds that call this better than Nevermind or Bleach, but at least they did not try to do more of the same. They were a good band with real artistry! Who knew. I do think "written as a reaction to" records have a ceiling but I'm not feisty enough to really test out that hypothesis.
Another favorite of my middle school metalhead friend! Although his favorite band at the time, Nevermore, is notably unrepresented on this list. Sad. Never been the biggest Pantera guy myself, I feel like their take on Groove Metal is the middle road between Thrash and Doom/Stoner that doesn't do much for me. Thrash is fast and exhilarating, feeling like it's about to go off the rails if not for the control of the players, Doom/Stoner slows the riffs down enough to be pummeling and atmospheric, placing the emphasis on the "heavy" in heavy metal. Groove kinda does neither, so it leaves me wanting. Either speed it up or slow it down, guys! Of course this record had a huge hand in influencing other acts that would take the idea of slowing down Thrash to its most extreme ends so.... I don't disagree with this record being on here. Influence/importance to the genre is high, my want to come back to it is low. That 1-2 punch of Walk and Fucking Hostile is pretty sick though. And credit to Phil Anselmo, his lyrics are surprisingly progressive and are a nice counterbalance to the meathead metal music that frames them.
Kings of Leon have become a joke, so hard to remember how exciting they were as a kind of Southern rock rejoinder to the NYC scene that was dominating indie rock at the time. "Hey, look, The Black Crowes are back!" essentially. Solid record, was a promise that they could not/would not deliver on, don't know how crucial it is for anyone to listen to this, but boy did my college roommate LOVE this record.
Queen might be the best band to not make a great album. While this has some interesting moments, it's just too much. Too much production shenanigans, too much overwrought instrumentation, too much aping of Led Zeppelin, too much cheese. Well, Queen is a band for theater kids, and I was never one of those. They work best in small doses for me, a full album of their overly ornate grandiosity gets wearisome.
Did we need a rock opera from a band that made their trade on hooky pop-punk tunes that would rarely even touch the 3 minute mark? I would say no, but the world disagreed. This just doesn't work for me, the whole idea of it turns me off, I guess. I'll always appreciate Green Day for their run from Kerplunk to Nimrod, and I still return to those records for a nice hit of nostalgia and songs that get in and out without wearing out their welcome. These songs do not do that for me. 16 year old me had already moved on from Green Day, imagine how 38 year old me feels.
Yeah makes sense this guy became a film score guy and Soderbergh's go to guy. This sounds like a soundtrack in search of a movie. It's fine but hardly memorable, and I got the idea about 3 tracks in.
Never been a huge goth guy, but will always appreciate the scene and always appreciate Bauhaus. Massive influences, flawless aesthetic, and a singular sound. It may not always be what I turn to, but I'm very glad it's out there.
Nah, not for me. Her voice is super grating on this record, so bad that I was kinda shocked. Not surprised she essentially disowned it.
Neil is a huge blindspot for me. I need to do a deep dive on him one day. This is a very nice record that I think one listen doesn't quite do justice. My thoughts are similar to Christgau's review: I'm not all the way in to Neil yet but I certainly see the appeal.
In contention for best country album ever made, which means it's in contention for best album ever made period. The country mythos meets the man in a perfect blend of songwriting, storytelling, and mythmaking. My only problem is I wish some of the songs were longer.
Definitely not my scene. I suppose it's alright for what it is, but it's definitely not for me.
I didn't particularly dislike any of this but only The Hook really grabbed me. Which is apt, I guess. It's nice music, solid early 90s alt. A good listen, not particularly revelatory, but happy to have checked it out.
Pulp is a big blindspot for me, but plenty of people whose music opinions I respect really love them. This was pretty good, but didn't particularly win me over. But I can see how they could. I know this isn't considered their best so look forward to checking out Different Class to see how they are at their peak.
Also boy do I hate CD era bloat. 70 minutes??? You kidding me?? Say what you will about what truly has the best audio quality, but at least LPs made bands be ruthless in their editing.
'77 was good but this is when the Heads truly became a band, started plugging away at the sound that truly interested them, and established Tina and Chris as a force. This is an incredible sounding record. Warning Sign honestly sounds like it came out today. May not reach the peaks of their next two records (which is crazy to say), but this is very good.
Super raw... but that's the appeal. The throughline from this to The Stooges to countless garage/punk bands is immediately apparent. Townshend is doing some wild things with his guitar tone and Keith Moon absolutely pounding on the tubs is always fun to hear. The Who would certainly think bigger, but I don't know if they would think better. Certainly one of the most influential records in popular music, but also still a bracing listen. Surprise, it's good!
The exact kind of political music that ineffectual libs can embrace. Which, if you are going to pick a record to represent 2020 on this list, that's pretty much exactly what you need. That this can be legitimately taken seriously as a radical polemic shows how neutered political art has become. Surface level observations, tired and stale aphorisms, boring and inoffensive music that prioritize vibes over everything else. The only people this music could possibly challenge are not going to be listening to this anyway, and that means we are left with a bunch of well-meaning listeners falling over themselves to praise this for fear of looking like they are not allies. When you can't even be as radical and challenging as a song like "Strange Fruit" over 80 years later, that says it all.
Nothing quite hits like Debbie Harry's voice. New Wave before it got polished and sanded down in the 80s. A fantastic record with a few weak spots (or are they only weak because they couldn't possibly match the peaks of the big hits?).
River Song is so good that I was shocked I somehow had missed out on this record my entire life, but then it kinda sinks into agreeable 70s soft rock for a bit. Nice sounding, but a little bland. Picks back up near the end, with "You and I" and "Rainbows" as highlights. Don't quite think it is a hidden masterpiece, but still tragic that he wasn't able to do much more as a solo artist.
It's what everybody in this car needs is some good ol' worthwhile visceral experience.
Blur goes "indie" and it's... fine. The music is listenable but they do lose a bit of their identity. Song 2 is undeniable though... but it's hardly a Blur song if that makes sense.
90s soft rock. Nothing about it is particularly bad, but not exactly the sound I'm drawn to. Fall At Your Feet is a lovely song but it sounds like The Police. The rest... well I've already forgotten as I'm writing this.
I don't think I've heard any of these songs. While the 80's production and synth everything grate my nerves, I have to admit I really enjoyed the mood of this record. In fact, I hear a lot of Kaputt era Destroyer in this, and that's essentially what I'm looking for from this type of record. Keep the songwriting, keep the sad disco vibes, but use more live instruments and less gated reverb. So this comes very close to a record I can fully embrace, but rather I see and appreciate what they're going for, and I'm glad others could build off it.
Perfectly lovely singer-songwriter record. Some nice lyrics and simple, clean accompaniment to go with the intimate vocal performance. Seems like a record that one could get lost in, if I were so inclined. Could see how this was a welcome antidote to the pop trends of the mid 80s. Not floored by any means, but I liked this.
Mixed feelings on Rick Rubin, but he really did something special with these American recordings for Johnny Cash. All culminating here in a powerful musical statement that is impossible to divorce from the context of Cash's image, stature, and point in his life. The curation of covers and old Cash tunes is incredibly strong, the instrumentation does just the right amount of embellishment, and everything is in service of that voice that only seemed more powerful with the grit and the waver that age brings. Sign offs don't get much better than this.
Well, this introduced the concept of the rock opera to the public imagination so it certainly belongs on here. And while some of the songs on here are undeniably fantastic, I don't think this particularly plays to the strengths of The Who, at least as I see them. It's bloated, uneven, narratively weak, and doesn't have enough ideas to carry the full 74 minutes. But it's a big ol' swing that influenced the course of popular music in the 20th century and cracked open the possibilities of what rock music could do. I guess this is a lot of words to say... it's aiight
A key text in west coast/latin american/gangsta rap. Some music just sounds exactly like a time and a place, and this record transports you there. Every individual song is good, but it just gets kinnnnd of overbearing at record length. DJ Muggs certainly had a sonic signature and the samples are great, but the beats get kind of samey, and I've never really liked the group's vocal delivery. This is a vital record in hip hop history, I just don't ever really find myself wanting to listen to it.
Never got into The Fall, although Mark E. Smith's (RIP) persona kind of loomed larger than the music, at least in my world. I'll always appreciate an unabashed pure hater, and boy was Mr. Smith ever a hater. This is some snotty, angry post punk, checks off all the post-punk signifiers I dig. Discordant, jabbing guitars, pummeling drums, snarling vocals, danceable but not in the pretty way. Ugly music... but purposefully so. I like it.
It's fine, but yeah... this being immediately taken off the list after one edition makes sense. I don't think it's even a particularly essential album in the context of The xx. It's ok though, I just don't ever really come back to this over their debut or Coexist. So.... glad I had a reason to give this another listen but yeah. Excited to hear their new stuff whenever that's out, though!
Heroes is one of the greatest songs ever made. The rest is alright. That guitar solo in Blackout is pretty sweet. In fact, all of Fripp's guitar work in this is very good. But side two doesn't do much for me, even though I'm an Eno fan. There are nice sounds (especially in Moss Garden), but it's just not what I want from a Bowie record.
In my continuing journey to like Neil, I'm realizing I like rocker Neil more than acoustic Neil. So I loved side two of this record, and side one was more of a pleasant nod. Of course, Powderfinger is a fantastic song, and the rest of side two is not far behind.
I mean, Paul can write a catchy melody in his sleep, and this record is mostly him just spinning them out without developing them into full songs. He reuses some stuff (the riff from You Never Give Me Your Money, for example). So... while this is never an unpleasant listen, it never feels essential (outside of Maybe I'm Amazed). Can see how this could feel like a major stepdown coming out of The Beatles, but from this distance, it just seems like a standard spin-off solo record. Sketches that weren't good enough for the band but he still wanted to get out there. If only they had the precedent to follow to let them all do their thing for a bit while keeping the band together. Oh well.
Well these guys certainly look cool as hell. Pretty sure I saw them hanging out at Silent Barn circa 2013 (lol Brooklyn joke). As far as new wave goes, I don't hate this. The Afrobeat tinged songs are cool. I don't get the hate, this was fine!
The Eagles are not an album band, but a heck of a greatest hits band. The hits are good! The deep cuts range from forgettable to embarrassing. Chug All Night suuuucks. I think a lot of problems people have with this band (aside from them being a band of assholes) is that they came out of the gate so pristine. There's absolutely no grit or rawness. It's almost too polished. But is that their fault? May not be to your taste but a weird reason to hate the band. But yeah, this album isn't great outside of the three singles.
Fuck yeah Sarah Vaughan. I really don't listen to her enough. She's got close to exactly what I look for in the voice of a jazz singer. Personality, timbre, not Perfect.... but perfect. I mean, cigarettes are bad, of course, but just listen to that smoky voice. Anyway, live records... not always my jam, but this one is unique in leaving in the ad-libs and mistakes that show what a consummate performer her and her band were. This is as close as you're gonna get being in the room, and what a room to be in.
What perfect timing. Just saw Wilco last weekend. To me, this is a perfect record. It hit at just the right time in my life where I was first getting into independent music and this was the perfect mix of light experimentation and pristine songwriting that cracked open a new world of music for me. I can hardly put on a critical lens for this album, it's just... part of my life, and always will be. I still love it as much as when I first heard it.
These guys seem pretty good!
I usually save The Last Waltz for Thanksgiving viewing, but maybe I should cheat a little this year. Anyway, this album is like a warm hug. Deeply important to the course of 20th century popular music, but also sounds so good. I love you, Levon.
Ballad Neil is still not entirely for me, even though the strength of songwriting is apparent. I guess his voice just bothers me more when he's the focus more than the music. Southern Man is fine, if reductive, and I do find it funny that so many people on here misread the lyrics/meaning of Sweet Home Alabama and the supposed "feud". They both liked each other's music! Would have loved to see Skynyrd's version of Powderfinger. Anyway, this is a fine record, maybe would have liked to see some more changes in tempo but it's alright. I see the appeal if I do not yet have the outright devotion.
Not too shabby!
I think(?) this is my favorite Bowie record, definitely of his classic period. The piano suits him very well, lends very well into the whole freaky cabaret thing he always chased. Easily the best collection of songs of any of his records, even though some of his other records had higher peaks.
Sits uncomfortably on the edge of post punk and new wave in a good way. Love the noisier bits. Influence on college radio and the alt wave of the late 80s/early 90s is very apparent. This album is a bit one note, but it's a good note.
Transitional record for Paul Simon, bridging his traditional folk sounds with some of the more global influences he would ply to better effect later on in his career. Some good tunes here, of course Me and Julio being a huge highlight, and no real bum tracks, just some not terribly exciting. A fine record with some great lyrics.
Always respect Kate Bush more than appreciate her. Her artistry can't be denied, a true and rare visionary in the popular music space. But rarely do I actively want to sit down and listen to a Kate Bush record for some reason. However, I am always thankful when I'm given an excuse to and live in her world a little while. Do wish her artistic peak came in an era that was so beholden to the production trends of the time. But what can you do.
So far my favorite Neil outside of side 2 of Rust Never Sleeps! Am I coming around? Maybe! Even the downtempo numbers worked for me here, I think cause he works within the confine of his voice instead of trying to do things it wasn't meant to do.
Maybe the first time I've listened to a full Elton John record front to back. It's fun! This is very agreeable music. Strong, straightforward, populist songwriting. Goofy arrangements, nice playing, good mix of styles. Solid!
I think Mother is a real good song, but most of the rest is kinda undercooked. If only John went to a real therapist, he had a lot of shit to work through but this music that came out of it is about has half-baked as primal scream therapy is, lyrically speaking. It sounds good though, he didn't forget to write a tune.
Not super memorable but not unpleasant. It sounds good, Dion has a good voice, something something Phil Spector and so on. It's fine!
Nothing wrong with a piece of art trying to get into the mind of a shitty person and holding up a mirror to the worst parts of ourselves. Depiction does not equal endorsement, people. Anywho, never really listened to the Afghan Whigs for whatever reason, even though they were operating in the scene and sound of so many other bands I've taken the time to dig into. It's a pretty good alt/grunge sound, nothing too revelatory, the appeal of this one is really all about the storytelling. If you bounce off it, fine, but let's not pretend you've never been a piece of shit. This is a good album about being a piece of shit.
I do prefer Astral Weeks but this is right up there. One of the best voices ever, fantastic arrangements, and I can never listen to Caravan without seeing his failed attempts at high kicks. I find this album to be.... most satisfactory.
Pretty monumental, about as good as "conscious rap" can get. I slightly prefer Good Kid for its relative focus, but this is still fantastic. Sad to see Kendrick rest on his laurels a bit and retreat to tired hip hop feuds, but he'll always have his first 3 records.
Shame that Singles Going Steady isn't on this list (though makes sense why) as that is definitive proof that the Cocks are the best UK punk band ever. This is a great record though, just doesn't have the banger after banger aspect of Singles Going Steady. I also slightly prefer Love Bites. But The Buzzcocks rule, that is all.
It's solid, but britpop doesn't really move the needle for me in either direction and Oasis was a bigger deal in my household growing up, so this doesn't have the nostalgia factor.
The band that launched a thousand hair metal wannabes. It's not Machine Head but it's pretty solid. Love the propulsive chuggers way more than the proggier tracks, but when Child in Time takes off, it's hard to deny. They are one of the all time great bands for driving on the highway. Throw this on and watch that speedometer creep up.
It's Sade, you either vibe with it or you don't, but it's basically the pinnacle of this type of music.
Green Onions... one of the greatest songs ever. Otherwise, some pretty fun instrumental covers. Funky jams, Booker T killing it on the organ at the tender age of 17. We may have not had Stax Records without this, soooo let's give credit where it is due.
Don't @ me. In this house, we appreciate Stuart Murdoch and his vast influence on indie pop.
I quite enjoyed this very gentle modernization of the old bossa nova sound. Why am I not listening to this while sweating my ass off on a beach somewhere, sipping from an extremely alcoholic fruity cocktail? I'm sitting at my desk doing work like a big dumb idiot.
The birth of cock rock. So much shit music sprang from this, but the ur text is solid lizard brain music and you can't deny Eddie's playing. I won't say I ever particularly WANT to listen to this, but throw a coors banquet in my hand and I won't hate if any of these tunes came on the jukebox.
Joan Armatrading is a key figure in the singer-songwriter scene that I never got around to, for whatever reason. What a talent. Some great songwriting here, a wide range of styles, a unique a powerful voice. That said, it didn't really dig its hooks into me, and I don't have the time to give it the chance to do so... so that's on me.
One of the great "what could have been" stories in hip hop, and pop music at large. This is a great record, a bit bloated and uneven (did we really need all those extended outros/skits?), but so much talent on display, and a deep interest in a wide variety of sounds. Would have loved to see how she evolved as styles, moods, and recording techniques changed. I wish this was more part of a living body of work and less a time capsule, but alas...
It's a Very Good record, just not as much variety as I'd like to justify the length. But the songs are so agreeable, I don't mind they gave us a whole bunch of them to chug through. If you're going to say farewell to the bluesy roots rock style that made you famous, it's hard to do it better than this.
Love any excuse to listen to Polly Jean. What a consummate artist. I really don't listen to her enough, to be honest. This is a fantastic record, by far her most accessible, and she loses little by going a little more tuneful, a little more direct. Thought I may prefer, her noisier, artier outings, this fits right into her discography. Not quite a masterpiece, but PJ can do little wrong in my eyes.
I've been an unabashed Lizzy Grant hater from day one but haven't checked in with her since Ultraviolence, so I was willing to give this one some due diligence knowing that artists evolve and can start pretty bad and then later put out good work. Nah, this shit sucks. Good on her for giving the last word to Weyes Blood though, as a reminder of who you should be listening to instead.
As much as I love the Zep, they don't really have the stylistic variation to sustain a double LP. Some really good tracks on here, but the project as a whole kinds just wears on and too much Robert Plant can kinda get to be a bad thing. I like my more concentrated doses of Led Zeppelin, thank you.
This album kicks so much ass, and it's somehow not the best Kinks record (in my opinion, of course)??? May Sir Ray Davies live forever.
Pavement may not be the best band of the 90s (although a strong argument could be made), but they are definitely the most 90s band, at least of guitar based music. They still sound great though, and their first three records are unimpeachable masterpieces.
Haven't ever dug into Captain Beefheart beyond Trout Mask Replica and kinds just wrote him off as a avant garde weirdo in the Zappa sphere. You know, appreciate what he's doing but it's not for me. But... this is fantastic. The right mix of experimentalism and just good, solid tunes. What a fun listen! Quite the revelation for me.
Motorhead makes one song, and it's a great song, and I do suppose it's either best listened to live or in a live recording. But the recording quality isn't great here and I don't think I've once wanted to sit down to listen to 45 minutes of Motorhead. Maybe when I'm driving. But bless em, sprinkle in one of these songs in a hard rock playlist, and I'll be head banging with the rest of you. Great band, Lemmy RIP, they don't make rockstars like you anymore.
