Day 1 — Metallica — Metallica (Black Album) (1991)
Listened: Feb 23, 2026
Genre: Heavy Metal / Hard Rock
Vibe: Haunting, aggressive, melodic
Highlights:
• Enter Sandman
• The Unforgiven
• Nothing Else Matters
Impression: Giant sound. Very melodic for how heavy it is. Good balance for my tastes and makes heavy metal palatable for me.
Rating: 3.0/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 2 — Norah Jones — Come Away With Me (2002)
Listened: Feb 24, 2026
Genre: Jazz-Pop / Soft Soul / Adult Contemporary
Vibe: Bluesy, jazzy, dreamy, soothing soul with a little country
Highlights:
• Don’t Know Why
• Cold Cold Heart
• Feelin’ The Same Way
• Turn Me On
Impression: Very dreamy, soothing vibe combining many favorite genres with the perfect voice for the overall vibe.
Rating: 2.9/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 3 — Willie Colón & Rubén Blades — Siembra (1978)
Listened: Feb 25, 2026
Genre: Salsa / Latin Soul
Vibe: Fun, Latin dancing, energetic
Highlights:
• Plástico
• Pedro Navaja
• María Lionza
Impression: I enjoyed it for not having listened to Salsa music much.
Rating: 2.8/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Probably
Day 4 — Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Listened: Feb 26, 2026
Genre: Blues Rock / Hard Rock
Vibe: Bluesy hard rock
Highlights:
• Whole Lotta Love
• What Is and What Should Never Be
• The Lemon Song
• Thank You
• Heartbreaker
• Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)
• Ramble On
• Moby Dick
• Bring It On Home
Impression: Great album from start to finish. Love the blues inspired rock, huge guitar riffs, epic rhythm section and perfect voice for it all.
Rating: 4.6/5
Keep songs? Yes — all added to favorites
Revisit album? Absolutely
Day 5 — Pixies — Bossanova (1990)
Listened: Feb 27, 2026
Genre: Alternative Rock / Surf Punk
Vibe: Spacey, distorted, dynamic alternative rock
Highlights:
• Velouria
• All Over the World
• Dig for Fire
Impression: Fun, fast-paced spacey surf rock. Appreciate its cultural significance even if not fully in my lane.
Rating: 2.4/5
Keep songs? Favorites only
Revisit album? Maybe
Day 5/6 — Willie Nelson — Stardust (1978)
Listened: Feb 27–28, 2026
Genre: Country Jazz / Torch & Twang
Vibe: Chill country music with a little jazz
Highlights:
• Georgia On My Mind
• Blue Skies
• All of Me
• Unchained Melody
• Someone to Watch Over Me
Impression: Nice album of covers fusing country and jazz. Really grew on me by the third listen.
Rating: 3.7/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 6/7/8 — Neil Young & Crazy Horse — Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Listened: Feb 28 – Mar 2, 2026
Genre: Folk Rock / Heartland Punk
Vibe: Chill acoustic to start with heavy lyrics leading to harder electric punk-influenced rock
Highlights:
• My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)
• Thrasher
• Pocahontas
• Powderfinger
• Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
Impression: Took more listens to start digesting this album. Lyrics need attention — once they land the album opens up completely.
Rating: 3.4/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 8/9 — Erykah Badu — Mama’s Gun (2000)
Listened: Mar 2–3, 2026
Genre: Neo-Soul / Funk Soul
Vibe: Chill funky R&B and soul
Highlights:
• Didn’t Cha Know
• My Life
• … & On
• In Love With You (feat. Stephen Marley)
• Bag Lady
• Green Eyes
Impression: Love the mix of R&B and soul with funk. Beautiful voice and great album top to bottom.
Rating: 3.2/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 9 — Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath (1970)
Listened: Mar 3, 2026
Genre: Proto-Metal / Doom Metal
Vibe: Dark horror heavy metal
Highlights:
• The Wizard
• Wasp / Behind the Wall of Sleep / Bassically / N.I.B.
• A Bit of Finger / Sleeping Village / Warning
Impression: Great from start to finish. Great riffs and dark lyrics create an epically haunting vibe that defined the genre.
Rating: 3.5/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 10 — Goldfrapp — Felt Mountain (2000)
Listened: Mar 4, 2026
Genre: Electronica / Art Pop (Cinematic)
Vibe: Dreamy, cinematic, haunting electronic
Highlights:
• Human
Impression: Very cinematic and atmospheric with haunting vocals and unique electronic production. Feels almost like a dark movie soundtrack.
Rating: 1.0/5
Keep songs? Human only
Revisit album? No
Day 11 — David Bowie — Station to Station (1976)
Listened: Mar 6–7, 2026
Genre: Art Rock / Glam Rock / Proto-New Wave
Vibe: Cold, hypnotic, theatrical — cocaine-fueled late-night Berlin energy with soul influences
Highlights:
• Station to Station
• Golden Years
• Word on a Wing
Impression: Not necessarily my style of rock but I was able to enjoy it after a few listens. Enjoyed Golden Years right away while others grew on me.
Rating: 3.1/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 12 — Lorde — Melodrama (2017)
Listened: Mar 7, 2026
Genre: Indie Pop / Art Pop / Electropop
Vibe: Heartbreak driven and emotionally raw, empowering, melancholic theatrical pop
Highlights:
• Green Light
• Sober
• The Louvre
• Hard Feelings/Loveless
• Writer in the Dark
• Supercut
• Perfect Places
Impression: Great album from top to bottom. This is my type of pop. Great energy and lyrics.
Rating: 3.5/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 13/14 — Gillian Welch — Time (The Revelator) (2001)
Listened: Mar 8–9, 2026
Genre: Americana / Folk / Alternative Country
Vibe: Stark, sparse, literary — two guitars and two voices painting dark American portraits
Highlights:
• Revelator
• I Dream a Highway
Impression: Lyric driven folk that grows each listen. Not my favorite.
Rating: 2.2/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Maybe
Day 14/15 — Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
Listened: Mar 9, 2026
Genre: Hip-Hop / Rap
Vibe: Angry, playful lyrical deep wordplay with perfect production for his groundbreaking style
Highlights:
• Kill You
• Stan (feat. Dido)
• Who Knew
• The Way I Am
• The Real Slim Shady
• I’m Back
• Marshall Mathers
• Drug Ballad
• Amityville (feat. Bizarre)
• Bitch Please II (feat. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Alvin Joiner & Nate Dogg)
• Under the Influence (feat. D12)
• Criminal
Impression: Loved this album as a 9th grader when it came out and love it now. Top to bottom great album.
Rating: 4.7/5
Keep songs? Absolutely
Revisit album? For sure
Day 15 — Korn — Follow The Leader (1998)
Listened: Mar 9, 2026
Genre: Nu-Metal / Alternative Metal / Rap-Metal
Vibe: Aggressive, angsty nu-metal being formed with metal and hip-hop being fused
Highlights:
• Freak On a Leash
• Children of the Korn (feat. Ice Cube)
• All In the Family (feat. Fred Durst)
Impression: Childhood classic and one of my first albums owned. Holds up better than expected as a defining document of the nu-metal era — the hip-hop and metal fusion was genuinely innovative for 1998. Nostalgia aside, the groove and energy still hit.
Rating: 2.9/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Probably
Day 16 — Scott Walker — Scott 2 (1968)
Listened: Mar 10, 2026
Genre: Orchestral Pop / Baroque Pop / Sunshine Pop
Vibe: Lush, cinematic late-60s orchestral pop — sweeping strings, a velvet baritone voice, and surprisingly witty, darkly comic lyrics beneath the glamour
Highlights:
• Jackie
• The Black Sheep Boy
• The Amorous Humphrey Plugg
• Next
• Plastic Palace People
• The Girls and the Dogs
Impression: Fun late 60s pop. Good voice and funny, engaging lyrics beneath the lavish orchestral production. More depth than the polished surface suggests.
Rating: 3.7/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 17 — Bruce Springsteen — Nebraska (1982)
Listened: Mar 11–16, 2026
Genre: Folk Rock / Heartland Rock / Americana
Vibe: Raw, desolate acoustic Springsteen — home-recorded demos that became a masterpiece, painting bleak portraits of working-class American desperation
Highlights:
• Atlantic City
• State Trooper
• Open All Night
Impression: Took a while to grow on me but ended up enjoying it. The home-recorded quality gives it an intimacy that polished production never could — feels like eavesdropping on someone’s darkest thoughts.
Rating: 3.4/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Probably
Day 18 — The White Stripes — White Blood Cells (2001)
Listened: Mar 16, 2026
Genre: Garage Rock / Blues Rock / Alternative Rock
Vibe: Raw, stripped-down blues-driven garage rock — just guitar and drums creating a sound bigger than it has any right to be, classic rock energy filtered through lo-fi punk attitude
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
• We’re Going to Be Friends
• I Think I Smell a Rat
• I Can’t Wait
• I Can Learn
Impression: Great classic rock sound with great guitar riffs from top to bottom. Jack White nails the melodic guitar riffs alongside the vocals and Meg White is a perfect minimalist foil on drums. Remarkable that two people make this much noise and this much melody simultaneously.
Rating: 4.3/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Definitely
Day 19 — Ravi Shankar — The Sounds of India (1957)
Listened: Mar 16–17, 2026
Genre: Indian Classical / Hindustani Classical / World Music
Vibe: Meditative and educational — a guided journey through Indian classical music, building from individual sitar and tabla lessons into energetic, spiritual raga performances
Highlights:
• Máry-Bihág
• Bhimpalasi
Impression: Enjoyed learning how the sitar and percussion work individually and together. The narrated structure made it genuinely interesting as both a listening and educational experience.
Rating: 2.1/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Maybe
Day 20 — Drive-By Truckers — Southern Rock Opera (2002)
Listened: Mar 18–19, 2026
Genre: Southern Rock / Heartland Rock / Alternative Country
Vibe: Fun, badass double album — scorching guitar riffs and solos carrying deeply literary lyrics about Southern identity, pride, contradiction and the mythology of Lynyrd Skynyrd
Highlights:
• Ronnie and Neil
• 72 (This Highway’s Mean)
• Dead, Drunk, and Naked
• Guitar Man Upstairs
• Birmingham
• The Southern Thing
• Let There Be Rock
• Plastic Flowers On the Highway
• Cassie’s Brother
• Life In the Factory
• Shut Up and Get On the Plane
• Greenville to Baton Rouge
• Angels and Fuselage
Impression: Really fun badass double album. Had heard of Drive-By Truckers because of becoming a big Jason Isbell fan but this exceeded expectations. Great lyrics and the guitars rip throughout. A love letter to the South that doesn’t flinch from its contradictions.
Rating: 4.5/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Probably regularly
Day 21 — Jorge Ben Jor — África Brasil (1976)
Listened: Mar 19, 2026
Genre: Brazilian Funk / Samba-Soul / Afrobeat-influenced Pop
Vibe: Fun Latin music infused with funk and pop
Highlights:
• Ponta de Lança Africano
• Taj Mahal
• Xica da Silva
Impression: I enjoyed it despite not understanding the lyrics because of the relentless energy and funk infused into the music.
Rating: 2.7/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Probably
Day 22 — Ella Fitzgerald — Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book (1959)
Listened: Mar 20–22, 2026
Genre: Vocal Jazz / Great American Songbook / Traditional Pop
Vibe: Jazzy vocals and a lush orchestral big band make for a beautifully epic catalog of timeless American songs
Highlights:
• Sam and Delilah
• Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off
• Things Are Looking Up
• That Certain Feeling
• Someone to Watch Over Me
• Clap Yo’ Hands
• Stiff Upper Lip
• Strike Up the Band
• He Loves and She Loves
• Treat Me Rough
• Slap That Bass
• I Got Rhythm
• They Can’t Take That Away From Me
Impression: Really grew on me the more I listened. Ella’s voice is so perfect and pristine, complemented by an epic orchestra throughout.
Rating: 3.2/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 23 — Fleetwood Mac — Rumours (1977)
Listened: Mar 23–24, 2026
Genre: Soft Rock / Pop Rock / Classic Rock
Vibe: Energetic pop rock with dramatic relationship vocals and lyrics that are raw and relatable, fueled by a strong rhythm section, melodic guitar riffs and solos
Highlights:
• Second Hand News
• Dreams
• Never Going Back Again
• Don’t Stop
• Go Your Own Way
• The Chain
• You Make Loving Fun
• I Don’t Want to Know
• Gold Dust Woman
Impression: Loved the entire album except for a couple of songs. Grew up on this album as a kid because my mom loved Fleetwood Mac and I definitely inherited that love for Stevie Nicks and the band.
Rating: 4.6/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Absolutely
Day 24 — Michael Jackson — Off the Wall (1979)
Listened: Mar 24–25, 2026
Genre: Funk / Soul / Disco / R&B
Vibe: Late 70s disco energy with classic Jackson funk, soul and R&B touches
Highlights:
• Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
• Rock With You
• Off the Wall
• Girlfriend
• I Can’t Help It
• It’s the Falling in Love
Impression: Not a big fan of pop and disco but Michael Jackson’s natural R&B, soul and funk make this an enjoyable album for me.
Rating: 4.0/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 25 — Buena Vista Social Club — Buena Vista Social Club (1997)
Listened: Mar 25–27, 2026
Genre: Cuban Son / Bolero / Afro-Cuban / World Music
Vibe: Warm, nostalgic Cuban son and bolero — elderly masters playing timeless Havana street music with effortless charm
Highlights:
• Chan Chan
Impression: Couldn’t connect with it despite the warmth and charm. The language barrier and unfamiliar genre kept it from landing. Chan Chan was the clear standout.
Rating: 1.4/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Likely not
Day 26 — Mercury Rev — Deserter's Songs (1998)
Listened: April 2026
Genre: Psychedelic Rock / Orchestral Indie Rock
Vibe: Lush and cinematic but deeply strange — orchestral arrangements wrapped around songs that feel like they're drifting in and out of a dream.
Highlights:
★ Opus 40
Impression: Hard to connect with. Weird and slow-moving, and even after four or five listens I never found solid footing. A couple of moments broke through but mostly felt like work. Not my world.
Rating: 1.2/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? No
Day 27 — The Clash — London Calling (1979)
Listened: April 16–17, 2026
Genre: Punk Rock / New Wave / Reggae-Punk / Rockabilly
Vibe: Fun and exploratory punk music dabbling in different genres — restless energy that never stays in one place.
Highlights:
• London Calling
• Hateful
• Rudie Can't Fail
★ Spanish Bombs
• Lost in the Supermarket
• Death or Glory
• Train in Vain (Stand By Me)
Impression: Enjoyed more than I expected with Green Day being my favorite band. First time listening to the whole album — longer than expected — and enjoyed it from top to bottom.
Rating: 4.0/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Definitely
Day 28 — Skepta — Konnichiwa (2016)
Listened: April 18–19, 2026
Genre: Grime / UK Hip-Hop
Vibe: Cold, confrontational, stripped-back UK street rap with heavy bass and sharp edges.
Highlights:
★ Crime Riddim
• It Ain't Safe (feat. Young Lord)
• Numbers
• Detox (feat. BBK)
Impression: First UK rap album and I enjoyed it. Good beats and lyrics. Dug it as background music while I did chores and work.
Rating: 3.1/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 29 — Dwight Yoakam — Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room (1988)
Listened: April 19, 2026
Genre: Bakersfield Sound / Honky-Tonk Country
Vibe: A blend of country, honky-tonk, and Spanish influence with raw lyrics and a distinctively lonesome voice.
Highlights:
• I Got You
• Home of the Blues
★ Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses)
• I Hear You Knockin'
• I Sang Dixie
• Streets of Bakersfield (feat. Buck Owens)
Impression: Very enjoyable album from top to bottom. Never heard of Dwight Yoakam or the Bakersfield sound and as a California native, I'm proud to have discovered this new favorite corner of country music.
Rating: 3.6/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? For sure
Day 30 — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1976)
Listened: April 21–24, 2026
Genre: Heartland Rock / Classic Rock / Roots Rock
Vibe: Stripped-back, hook-driven American rock with effortless cool — punchy, melodic, and built to last.
Highlights:
• Rockin' Around (With You)
• Breakdown
• Hometown Blues
• The Wild One, Forever
• Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll
• Strangered in the Night
• Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)
• Mystery Man
• Luna
★ American Girl
Impression: First focused listens to this album and loved every song. Grew up cleaning the house with my mom to Tom Petty and it is ingrained in my soul. This debut album was perfect.
Rating: 4.8/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Always
Day 31 — Robbie Williams — Life Thru a Lens (1997)
Listened: April 25–26, 2026
Genre: Brit-Pop / Adult Contemporary Pop
Vibe: Glossy, hook-driven British pop with real swagger — more layered than it first appears, rewarding patience.
Highlights:
• Ego Agogo
★ Angels
• Clean
Impression: Couldn't connect on the first four listens during a busy, stressful week. Gave it one more focused listen and it opened up. Ego Agogo is fun and honest, Clean hit personally with sobriety, and Angels has an Elton John grandeur that earns it. Better than most pop I've heard.
Rating: 2.9/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes
Day 32 — Scott Walker — Scott 4 (1969)
Listened: April 26–28, 2026
Genre: Baroque Pop / Chamber Pop / Orchestral Art Song
Vibe: Dark and cinematic but never without warmth — Scott's own lyrics bring a restless intelligence to the grand orchestral sound, balancing existential weight with flashes of playfulness and humor.
Highlights:
• The Seventh Seal
• On Your Own Again
• The World's Strongest Man
• Boy Child
• Hero of the War
★ The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime)
• Duchess
• Get Behind Me
• Rhymes of Goodbye
Impression: Took a few listens to find solid footing but the lyrics pulled me in the more I focused. Darker than Scott 2 but with a balance of grandeur, humor, and real feeling that rewards patience. Need ten more listens to fully appreciate it but already know it's something special.
Rating: 3.8/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Absolutely
Day 33 — Dire Straits — Dire Straits (1978)
Listened: April 29–May 2, 2026
Genre: Blues Rock / Pub Rock / Classic Rock
Vibe: Relaxed and confident blues-driven rock with a quiet snarl — Knopfler's fingerpicked guitar does more with less than almost anyone.
Highlights:
• Water of Love
• Setting Me Up
• Six Blade Knife
★ Sultans of Swing
• In the Gallery
• Lions
Impression: Enjoyed it from top to bottom. Only knew Sultans of Swing before this and the rest of the album makes complete sense around it. Great background music with enough groove and chill energy to work or clean to. Knopfler's guitar musicianship is the whole story.
Rating: 3.7/5
Keep songs? Yes
Revisit album? Yes