I appreciate the compositional skills of the song writers, I just don’t like the compositions. I would have liked this album if they actually “hit the gas” a few more times. The parts of Paranoid Android and Electioneering that got fired up were good. The rest of it was, for me, a melodramatic slog.
I loved the dramatic sound of the album. At several moments it sounded like something that could have been made for a Bond movie. It’s self-aware of its bombast but not ashamed. It’s ironic how it sounds so elegant but thematically a little sleazy. A fun and compelling record.
This is a glowing 3 star review. I am so happy that Eliminator exists. I don’t think it does anything unique or interesting, but dang it it’s fun. Just some dudes ripping sick riffs.
Like listening your sexed up weirdo buddy tell stories for a while. Can’t say I liked it very much. I appreciate the jams but my goodness this dude was a freak.
Just a cool record. It’s amazing that you don’t even need an attuned ear to hear the influence Green Onions had on rock music.
I say 1 star but in reality this album did nothing for me. It’s not hatred, it’s no feelings. These songs never vied for my attention so they never got it.
I think it’s dated-ness makes it difficult for me to enjoy. Paint it Black is one of the best songs ever written though. Also really enjoyed Going Home.
I liked this more than I expected. Euro electronic music isn’t really my thing, but honestly I felt this one. 3 stars, solid “I like it.”
Pretty cool. I really liked Mermaid Smiled. I think it pulled off being playful in a “reminiscing youth” kind of way.
Definitely not for me. My favorite parts of the album were when they were sampling a piece of music I liked and not what they were doing with it. My rating is a reflection of my taste and I am just not a hip hop head.
I love 2000’s Kanye beats. Common is also a great storyteller. I enjoyed way more than I expected.
My favorite song was the Junior Mervin cover. To my 2026 ears this record sounds like bog standard punk rock, but then you see it was released in the 1970s. Makes you wonder what innovative things we’re doing today that will sound vanilla in 50 years.
The lilting melodies used on every song is an effect that should be used sparingly, but Sparks elects to assault my ears for all of the albums runtime with it. About half way through I had to drop the volume to about half what I normally listen at because the entire tone of the album is grating. I hate this and it makes me angry.
I like this one more than Eliminator I think. Cool riffs and grooves abound. They didn’t do anything revolutionary or particularly innovative, but it’s just cool rock music.
I didn’t hate it, but most of the tracks outstayed their welcome. He introduces a sample, does some pretty cool layering and atmosphere around it for a *little bit* too long, then moves on. A little concision would have boosted the score.
Such beautiful songs performed so tightly. The band performing with Brown is very precise. I don’t usually love live albums but I think maybe the energy of the crowd is necessary to understanding James Brown. I enjoyed listening to this a lot.
Liked this a lot. So full of emotion, well performed, and on top of all that still fun. I’ve been on a lackluster streak of albums so this was a breath of fresh air.
I came into this album expecting to give it a 1 or 2 because I was really only familiar with Light My Fire, which I am not a fan of. Some of the bluesier tracks I found quite enjoyable.
I honestly feel like these songs would sound better if they weren’t trying so hard to sound like rock and roll. It’s adult contemporary music in a leather jacket. It has moments, but I overall didn’t like it.
I already know I love King Crimson. While this isn’t my favorite album of theirs, I appreciate its experimental nature. I think the experiment was a success, there is an outline of a style that would be done better later.
The Beatles just had the sauce. Extremely well written songs, and very progressive and experimental for its time. I love this album, though it does sound dated. There’s been nearly 60 years of evolution in the rock and roll genre, so it’s not the album’s fault.
I think Aimee Mann is a good song writer, I just can’t latch onto the style here. The style sounds like if you asked AI to generate an adult alternative song with female vocals.
Good record, Billy Bragg is awesome. This isn’t my favorite but it was a nice listen on a Sunday.
A rare “all bangers no skips.” The songs are well written, fun, and catchy. The production is great. Michael Jackson’s voice is iconic.
I like the opening track. The rest of the album seems to drone on a bit. Strongly disliked the Across the Universe cover. Generally well crafted, perhaps just not to my taste.
I’ve seen it happen recently, an artist dies and some of their lackluster work gets praised as a hidden gem. Everyone’s gut reaction to this was correct when it came out. It’s not very good. There’s so much better Marvin Gaye in the world.
Lemme start by forgetting what a POS this guy is. The sonic style of the album is quite good to my ears. I love Nine Inch Nails and Rage Against the Machine so the industrial funk metal sound is up my alley. The lyrical content is extremely cringe, and the songwriting is a bit shit.
Pile on top of this that Marilyn Manson isn’t just putting on “creepy weirdo” as a character, he really is one!
This album is not good and I would not recommend, but if I’m being honest I did vibe with it.
My favorite part about this was the parts that felt like a jam session. Cool record, Bowie ruled.
This one is just fun and good. It’s a classic for a reason.
Pretty cool. I know the most popular rating on this site for this record pokes fun at people saying it all sounds the same, but I think that’s a valid critique. X-Ray Spex was doing cool things on these songs, but I’m welcoming the end as I feel I’ve heard enough.
Rip to the legend Ozzy. These songs are so foundational to so much of the music I love today. War Pigs rules. Paranoid rules. Love Hand of Doom.
I want to like this. I think the songs and arrangements themselves contain beauty. I think that Newsom explores new territory. There are two monumental problems this record has though: first, the tracks don’t need to be that long; second, the vocals.
The length issue is easy to explain, a little editing would have gone a long way. My issue with the vocals is where I’m at a little bit of a loss. She squeaks occasionally, and when she does it pierces through the whole mix. I found myself messing with eq so that the squeak in her voice wasn’t so irritating. I couldn’t fix it.
This album’s a 2 verging on a 3. Good idea but half baked and needs tweaking in the vocals department.
Like others have said, I’m not really sure I have the cultural context to enjoy this. I give it credit for making me want to dance. Otherwise it felt meandering and way too long. Also the Imagine cover is that bad.
This stinks. U2 speaks solely in the language of cliche. The songs and their structures are predictable, the lyrics are corny and unoriginal. I’m not asking for rock and roll to always be innovative and groundbreaking, but I feel like these songs were copied out of the textbook.
These songs are immaculately crafted, emotive, and creative. All while remaining so lowkey. Beth Gibbon’s vocal performance is near perfect. I loved this and will be returning to it.
I liked it a little. I don’t have a lot to say about it. He was clearly angry about things the government was doing, which I can relate to.
I liked the extended jam sessions. There’s a brooding attitude underneath the country rock sound. Young wrote some good songs.
Undeniably extreme talent, undeniably cool. Please don’t take my reviews as a measure of quality I’m ranking based on how much I like it. The chords and harmonies are carefully chosen to be evocative and unsettling. I’m very impressed but I’m probably not coming back to this.
It’s cool, glad I heard it. Not the kind of thing I’m going to put on for myself.
I’m so used to constantly hearing Queen’s hits on the radio, but I’ve never sat to listen to an album. This one rocks. The band are extremely talented, Freddy Mercury had an amazing voice. The songs are cool.
I like this a lot. I think the songs get better as it goes. In some of the first tracks it’s a little repetitive (Shameika, Under the Table, Relay). Later in the album, the songs get much stronger, more creative (Heavy Balloon, Cosmonauts, On I Go). I think Fetch the Bolt Cutters is very good, but it is worth asking if it’s too recent to fully contextualize historically.
I think this is a very good album, but its status being lauded as one of the all time greatest albums has been a head scratcher for me. It deserves its high praise and even a Grammy too. I guess maybe it made an impact on the right people at the right time.
Anyway I really enjoyed To Zion, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, and When it Hurts So Bad.
The music gives me the impression of exploring an urban environment on foot. I thought it was pretty cool.
I suppose it’s really impressive how new and innovative this was. The reason it hasn’t had the cultural impact its contemporaries had is because the songs are mid.
I liked it, despite the fact that their style was dated even for the time it came out. The track featuring Nelly Furtado was a standout.
I’ve never been a punk fan, and this list is exposing me to a lot of it. I can tell this band is good at what they do, I just think what they do sounds a bit shit.
Dusty Memphis was a phenomenal singer, the songwriting leaves something to be desired though. I would put 2 stars, but Son of a Preacher Man is so good it bumps the whole album up a star.
I like the musical style of this album, but it is extremely one note. Also, the total lack of energy in the vocal department turns this into a snoozefest.
A criticism that is wholly personal to me: I grew up in the 2000s, and was formed by 90s and 00s rock music. I’ve never heard of Giant Sand before. I have to conclude that it’s because it’s boring and not that good. Why is it on this list?
This album was big when I was in high school. I do really enjoy the neo soul sound. Medium rating is just a reflection of the fact that I don’t really connect with it.
It’s aggressively ok. Like, the most extremely “it’s fine” album I’ve heard from the list yet. First track is easily the best. The rest of it is just regular ass 60s pop with some neat tricks hidden in the background. I don’t really like it but I can’t be bothered to pin down why.
I like this a whole lot. The guitar tones were so crisp and played so elegantly. The songwriting managed to be so pretty and vivid and emotional. My biggest criticism is that the back half of the album is so much less energetic than the first half. It feels like running out of steam as it goes.
Don’t really like it, not for me. I don’t even love Radiohead and they do this style way better. I think High Speed is my favorite track.
I assumed I would like it less than I did because I’m not a huge fan of the big singles from the album. But tracks like Fade Away and Radiate and 11:59 were quite good. There’s something extra nostalgic about Blondie’s sound.
Now, I actually really like this. It’s the kind of music that fits my default taste. When I listen to an album I try to do a little online research about the artist and the album. Why is this album in the list? The Zutons are not a groundbreaking act, and this album isn’t doing anything really progressive.
Idk I like it, just a little confused as to why it’s here.
I like a good extended jam sesh. Clearly some cool shit, much of it foreign to my ears.
I dig it. Wish I was more of a jazz head because I feel like I’m missing something whenever I listen to it.
I don’t hate it, but I don’t think the songs are that interesting or unique. My biggest gripe is that the mix sounds like garbage. It’s so muddy and unfocused. It’s what music sounds like in a dream, shapeless and repetitive.
There are plenty of great songs on this album. It suffers from the perennial double album problem: too much filler. In my opinion double albums only work as concept or live albums. A studio album that’s presenting your current work? Edit that shit dog.
The songs are not interesting. What’s more, I think the song writing is just fine. Listening to this felt like waiting 45 minutes for something to happen and it never does.
This is a great album. It’s got the dark moody atmosphere driven by an excellent rhythm section. I do have to deduct a star for the vocal performance. I find it quite tiresome when singers don’t even try to sound good. Otherwise these are beautiful pieces of music coming from a place of real pain.
It’s pretty good. John Lennon was an amazing songwriter. This album feels threadbare. It sounds like he’s laying his cards on the table regarding how he felt about the Beatles, his own issues, and the state of the world.
There’s really no universe where I would have liked this. I see the artistic merit in the lyrics. Everything else is quite drab and thin.
This album has flaws, so don’t take my 5/5 to mean it’s perfect. It has the classic double album problem of having far too much filler material. This album is always a massive emotional kick in the balls for me though. I know what it feels like to be traumatized and made to feel distant and estranged from everything that matters to me. The moments that work here, leading up to Comfortably Numb (which makes me embarrassingly emotional) hit like a train. 5 stars for being the only album to make me feel this way.
It’s fine. Not a huge The Who fan as it is, this a decent live performance.
This sounds like drinking yourself to death. I appreciate the layered composition, but the songs feel like nothing. Like eating a well baked wafer, but depressedly.
The songs have such a melancholy quality to them, but remain energetic. Good writing and composition, guitar playing is a highlight.
If I were in a different mood I might rate higher. Very well written songs. I know that I was craving more energy so I’ll come back and re rate another time I think.
Honestly I think this is pretty good. This is a divisive album, but that’s kind of the point. I found myself grooving with the rhythm in the dark atmospheres. If you’re asking “why do I need to hear this before I die?” I think the answer is so that you can see if you like this kind of thing. I didn’t love it, it did get a little boring after a while.
The experience of listening was enjoyable, hearing grunge in an early state is very cool too. No particular track grabbed me here though. Straight up the middle kinda feeling about an album.
I liked it. My personal favorite think about Pixies is that they influenced Nirvana. If the day ever comes when I want to explore this genre and era more I’ll remember to come back to Pixies.
If you like rock and roll, you have to give the old blues men their flowers. You can hear Muddy Waters raw energy and the crowd having fun with it too. Many of these songs are standards now.
Some very pretty songs. I know it’s good but it didn’t move me very much.
I liked this a whole lot, this might be another case of missing the cultural and lingual context required to fully appreciate it though.
I liked listening to it. I’m not a big hip hop guy but I really enjoyed the soul influenced beats. Speech also had some good observations about the world. I was a little tired by the end, feel like it could have used some trimming.
Man Black Sabbath ruled. This is an exceptionally cool album that sounds so huge. Tony Iommi’s guitar playing and tone hits like a truck.
This album suffers from a lack of unity of thought. Obviously these songs were written by several Motown legends, and the songs by themselves are great. This album just feels like a collection of great songs performed excellently. Not to be overly negative though, the songs and the vocal performances are great.
I strongly dislike Young’s voice. He sure can write a good song, I just don’t want to hear him sing it.
I liked the lush production and the ethereal vibes. Not really my kind of thing though.
Supremely cool. Loved the extended solos. This may be the best example of jazz/rock fusion from this era.
This album is loaded front to back with all time classics.
Not for me. Thought this one was a snoozer. I don’t find the compositions very interesting and I don’t think I share Cave’s sense of humor sufficiently to appreciate his lyrics.
I appreciate how much this album rips, despite the fact that I think the song writing is mid.
I have to give this album its due respect for inspiring so much other amazing work that I love. It also has moments where I hear the vision. As a whole I don’t really like it. Heroin is a highlight for sure.
I like this a good bit. Didn’t really move me but I’m not a jazz guy.
I mean it’s alright. Kinda sounds like a million other albums I’ve already listened to on this list. Nothing here moved me, but appreciate the vibe.
Very slick. I like the jazz rock feeling present here. Nothing in particular grabbed me but the compositions are nicely done.
