45 minutes of fantastic, piano led ballads rounded out by Elton's sweet vocals, thought provoking lyrics, and sweeping orchestral sections. The album kicks down the door with Tiny Dancer and then settles on the couch, inviting the listener to sit and stay awhile. While you could sing all of the choruses a few beers deep with arms around your mates at a pub, there's a lot to dig into here. A cover to cover listen might leave you wanting a change of pace, but the songs are begging you to give each of them their own dance.
Van Halen's debut album is one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and is still melting faces nearly 50 years later. One of the few albums on this website where I am lucky enough to enjoy my Dad's original copy on vinyl.
Snoozefest of beige music that could have been made in the 60s. I'd tap my foot to this while stuck in a waiting room, given I forgot my headphones.
Clocking it at nearly 2 hours of experimental jazz, this album is a tough inclusion on a daily listening list. It's difficult to approach music like this inorganically, but this record deserves the accolades its earned over the years and I'll need to find time to sit down with it again. From what I was able to digest I really enjoyed.
My first experience with U2 was the appearance of their album on my iTouch, and generally I've considered them a band that only middle aged dads listen to while working on a car. I won't say my opinion has been swayed much, but I did find The Joshua Tree to be an ok listen. The album kicks off with a great three song run and then peters out as it goes.
A touching album towards the end of a legend's life. At face value, it's a somber collection of acoustic tracks, mostly covers, and there's not much here to come back to for me. I question this inclusion on this list, to be blunt, but I look forward to getting an album from a younger Johnny.
This listen was a lot of fun and I'll be scalping some songs for this year's Halloween party. I can see the cult appeal of this one.
Quintessential Blues Rock.
Approachable, piano led jazz you could have playing in the background or be the main event. Will be looking to pick this up on vinyl.
Lively and funky jazz that demands you give it the attention it deserves.
I don't personally reach for punk often, but was pleasantly surprised with this album. The lyrics give you something to chew on and the music is interesting. Would sit down with again.
Raw Paul from near the end of the Beatle's run. I would say this album offers more in terms of the lore surrounding it than the music itself, but there's some decent cuts in here.
Velvety indie rock that flows together into a nice soundscape. This isn't a flavor of music I reach for often, but I can appreciate it.
Rock on, dads.
Some bands only had one good track in them, and that's ok. Why is this on the list?
I warmed up to this album as it played, but I still can't really embrace U2's sound.
Album full of tradition and heart.
Excellent piece of Brazilian psych rock in the trippy late 60s with a flair of supernatural vibes.
Refined, polished Stevie slinging some love songs. I'm more familiar and a bigger fan of some of his other work, but there's nothing to dislike here.
Screamer of a debut album.
Strong opening that tapers out to a weak finish. It's no Freedom Flight, but there's a few songs worth your time.
An album full of the beige, milquetoast palette of the 90s Americana/Folk/Indie scene. I'll leave this one for the older generations.
Noisey, punkey, shoegazey. I can appreciate the roots of other genres here, but don't particularly care for this album.
Treat of an album from some cats living in the pocket.
Fantastic songwriting and performance. Begs you to listen on repeat and sing along. Absolute rock of an album and instantly became a classic for me.
While the singles here are real showstoppers, an album under 40 minutes can't afford two 7+ minute clunkers. Keep on chooglin.
A big, bubbling pot of gumbo with a dash of voodoo.
About as self indulgent as it gets. This record has crossed over from extravagant to bizarre, but has enough musicianship to not be a total flop.
One of the greatest albums of all time. The music is deliberate. It conveys raw emotion in a way few other artists have managed to capture. The lyrics mean a little something different each listen; sometimes it's a harsh critique of the music industry and the modern world, other times you can feel the longing for a lost friend, lover, or the hopes and dreams you once sought after. It's a showstopper each time, however. While I sometimes struggle to justify why this book has me listening to some sloppy album put out by a one-hit-wonder band, this record would have been one of the first names I scribbled down when writing my own list.
A performance bursting at the seams with energy and soul from fairly early in his career.
A mixture of R&B singing, conscious rap, and some "men-ain't-shit' style pop; there's a little something here for everybody. I'd listen to a few cuts again, but this isn't really my jam.
Institution of the Funkadelic era. The album kicks down the door with That Lady and keeps delivering hit after hit. Keeping it in the family helped the band strike gold on this project.
Pretty cut and dry blues rock following closely behind the Beatles, Zeppelin and CCR. It's pretty difficult for me to look at this in a more favorable light than "it's decent" aside from the house that is Stay With Me. Something about this particular brand of rock feels positioned for easy listening and radio play to me, and my ears have completely gone numb by the end. It's like they tried to slide into the gap the Beatles left behind when they began going more psychedelic, but stopped before they reached something unique.
Leonard stands tall on this debut, weaving poems as songs over dynamic, purposeful instrumentation. These songs are dense, evocative, and beautifully put together.
Easy listening snapshot of the cultural climate of the mid 70's. Curtis was a powerful songwriter and vocalist, would definitely throw this on again and chew on the lyrics further.
Easy listening, soulful, and intimate R&B dissecting the different aspects of love and marriage.
THE rock opera, with a host of solid B-sides to accompany it. The namesake song is a journey to a dystopian future and an exploration of what it means to be human and how art affects one's identity. It's always relevant, and always a great listen, given you have 20 minutes.
Trippy collection of psych rock. You can hear some of the roots of acts to follow.
I have a hard time comparing this to other studio albums. There's a human element you get from seeing a live performance or musical theater show that is lacking here, and I can't help but lose some of the enjoyment of this album. This isn't music you'd casually listen to without some sort of emotional connection, and I don't think that will come to me from hitting the play button. This is Opera Rock, compared to Rock Opera. Go listen to The Wall, 2112, or Tommy.
Noisy, talk-singing indie that permeated the 2000s shopping mall experience. This album rests heavily on Maps and has no place on this list.
Quirky, contemplative songs with a flair of showmanship. This is my first real Bowie experience and I don't find myself captivated, but there's some good stuff here and I look forward to more.
Do you like the hit single "There She Goes"? Do you have 53 minutes of nothing else to do? Check it out.
This album is a perfectly fine collection of British Folk-Rock songs, though they aren't breaking any ground vs acts from the 60s. One hit wonder's albums should be removed from this list.
I've been absolutely sleeping on Black Sabbath. If I had listened to this in high school, I think my life's trajectory would have shifted. There's so much to love here, between evocative lyrics, heavy chords, and a healthy dash of blues rock. Each performer is playing like their lives depended on it, together forming an unholy harmony of sound. This is the type of album this list should be highlighting.
Cool production, great samples, and a style that straddles the line of not-taking-themselves-too-seriously and dropping bombs. This album had a lot to like on it and I'd love to get more from the Boys.
It would be difficult to overstate the quality of this record. It's a collection of psych, pop and rock cuts that's a masterclass in songwriting, tasteful arrangement and production. Not only boasting several of the band's biggest singles, the cracks are filled together with tracks that deserve your attention. Cover to cover, this album has held up beautifully and demands a spin on my turntable several times a year. I don't know that every Beatles album needs to be on this list, but this one certainly does.
This was a good first real impression of Beck, though I would say he walked straight down the middle of the road on this project. I enjoyed the Latin additions on the album towards the beginning, but it petered out a bit towards the end.
I find myself sitting back in a leather chair in a hazy, dimly lit room, sipping brandy while the whole room stares, transfixed at the spotlit performer. I'm enchanted by this album. The music is positioned in a strange place, with hints of showtune, western, pop, and everything in between, but always feels intentional, controlled, and beautiful. It playfully toes the lines of many genres, never fully crossing further than it can reel itself back. k.d.'s voice grounds the experience, rising and falling to match the musical performance. This is the type of stuff we should have been getting from the 90s, not most of the beige dad rock, and I can hear the influences on modern artists like Weyes Blood and Laufey.
This is a balanced, restrained amount of genre blending and showtune influence that albums like Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell lacked.
This is music created by Elvis Presley. I don't have much love or hate for the King. I recognize the talent and influence, but I don't know how well the music holds up outside of the occasional appreciation revisit.
I find myself sitting back in a leather chair in a hazy, dimly lit room, sipping brandy while the whole room stares, transfixed at the spotlit performer. I'm enchanted by this album. The music is positioned in a strange place, with hints of showtune, western, pop, and everything in between, but always feels intentional, controlled, and beautiful. It playfully toes the lines of many genres, never fully crossing further than it can reel itself back. k.d.'s voice grounds the experience, rising and falling to match the musical performance. This is the type of stuff we should have been getting from the 90s, not most of the beige dad rock, and I can hear the influences on modern artists like Weyes Blood and Laufey.
This is a balanced, restrained amount of genre blending and showtune influence that albums like Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell lacked.
This is music created by Elvis Presley. Checking back in after almost a decade with the King to find his sound a little more polished, songs a little more refined, and a couple of tracks that caught my ear.
Forgettable, noisy grunge.
Sandwiched between two of Stevie's strongest albums, this record offers a docket of slightly down tempo, easy listening tracks. There's some lyrics to chew on here and there, but overall the album doesn't stand out as much as some of his other entries. That being said, this still has a lot of great cuts, and any fan should take the time to listen. Stevie's worst album is better than some artist's discographies, and this is nowhere near the bottom.
Very disappointing first taste of the Talking Heads. I've heard a lot about the iconic band and have been recommended them before, but I found myself really grasping for anything palatable passed the singles. I Zimbra, Life During Wartime, and Drugs were the only songs on here that held my attention. I don't find myself drawn to David Byrne's vocals, and I don't think the musical performance brings much to the table. I'll try them again at a later date.
Perfectly fine British punk/indie. Sounds like something you'd hear playing a Tony Hawk game on your cousin's PS2.
Dated, hit or miss opening cuts are followed up by a strong showing to the end. This album hasn't aged as gracefully as it could but it's well worth a listen.
As someone who existed in the nu-metal/metalcore/screamo world for a bit in high school, I had already heard this album but hadn't sat down with it for a solid 15 years. The riffs are heavy, the musicians are talented, and there's some good ideas here. Slipknot produced a few half-palatable cuts over the years.
That being said, even the top dogs of the genre do not hold up. This album is pessimistic, edgy, and aggressive to a fault. Sure, I heard them say something critical about America or something in there, but why are you shopping for good lyrics in the screamo aisle? Some decent breakdowns and fast paced drums are entertaining for a moment, but overall the album isn't substantial enough for any serious listening. This music is for pissed off teenagers, the occasional nostalgic chuckle, or an aggressive gym playlist. If you find this in heavy rotation it's time to shave the goatee and go outside.
I was intimately familiar with the singles of this album, but wow have I been missing out on the full picture. Polished, dreamy extended cuts meet with tight, nerdy jams and contemplative lyrics that glue together a really wonderful 42 minutes. Tears for Fears drew directly from the prog-rock formula of the 70s and transformed it into something new, shiny, and addictive. Having only heard the single version of Head Over Heels, I had a mind blowing experience listening through the full suite with Broken. This album sets an impossibly high standard for 80s New Wave/Rock/Pop. Instant classic.
I still don't have a lot of love for Post Punk or Britrock. I found this album pretty rough around the edges and don't really understand the hype. The vocal performance felt lazy and offbeat, the drums overplayed and barely kept time, and overall I didn't find much here I liked.
Gritty, grungy, slightly psychedelic rock that's a little rough around the edges and samey throughout, but is solid enough for a listen.
Two brothers oozing with talent harmonizing over a small bluegrass string arrangement. I believe most of the tracks are covers or heavily influenced by other's works/traditional songs, and most of the central themes are pretty bleak. All in all it's a decent listen, unclear if I would reach for this again.
Hit or miss album landing somewhere between psych, prog, and folk. There's a few extended cuts that were fine but this one was pretty out there.
A creative album with a mix of alternative, grunge, and noise rock. There's a little here for everyone, and I could see myself sitting back down with this one.
Cover to cover this album is jammed full of powerful, well written folk songs that entice you to sing along. You could keep a CD of it in your car for family road trips.
While Leonard's debut was a refreshing take on standard folk, with his meandering lyrics and flamenco inspired guitars, this album finds itself too far down the path. The songwriting hasn't evolved much, and I'm not very blown away with the vocal performance or lyrics. I'll hold onto Avalanche and Famous Blue Raincoat and leave the rest.
Get the fuck out of here
Pained, heartfelt lyrics set over dissonant but well performed tracks. There's a lot of purpose and intent to this album that kept me listening, even if it wasn't exactly my taste. I can see how this record impacted a generation of emotional songwriters and would give this another spin on a rainy day.
Fantastic record and a quintessential listening for any fans of this era of energetic, big band style soul/R&B.
More Opera than Rock, Tommy leans heavily on storytelling, painting an expressive mental image for listeners to follow along a young boy's tragic tale. Each song is very intentionally crafted to give you a small vignette of the story while not sacrificing musical performance. Sprawling rock ballads, cut and dry singles, and theatrical elements blend together over the 75 minute runtime. An astute listener will pick out various repeated motifs that reinforce the themes and ideas of the album, though there are plenty of singles here for casual listening. The main story is fabricated, but there's a lot of reflection over faith, human nature, religion, etc. If you've only heard Pinball Wizard, you are missing out on one hell of an album.
Dad rock you can listen to, if you'd like.
Channeling the best of 90s/00s rock with a splash of electronic, this album was an excellent listen. It manages to briefly touch on a few heavy topics of love, life, and existentialism while keeping it light and not forcing conclusions upon the listeners. I'm choosing to approach the album as a complete concept: a doomed love story between an emotionally stunted narrator and a bleeding heart woman. Narrative aside, what will also keep me coming back for more is the Pink Floyd level of musicianship, with each band member fully understanding their piece of the whole. Very happy this list finally made me sit down and give this one a spin.
Talented vocal performance over some simple guitar arrangements.
Solid listen with a lot of fun ideas, along with some breakaway singles. Would revisit and dig in further.
Record full of sprawling cuts that stick to a Ye Olde Times theme. There's some good stuff here but it comes off as more novelty than anything to me.
I found it hard to take this album very seriously. The vocal performance leaves me feeling like this music was made to be some sort of mockery of the rock scene, but I think it's likely just very British. A few cuts were fine but I've already forgotten the rest.
Pure political anger distilled into audio format. This album is raw, aggressive, and pointed. Zack climbs onto his soapbox and screams at you for 52 minutes with a phenomenal musical performance backing him up. It's a fantastic ride through and through.
I'm not the target audience for this album, and I don't typically find showtune elements attractive outside of rock opera or live shows. If this album means something to someone, then rock on.
Solid but mostly solemn psych rock. There's a lot of fleeting soul in this record, and reading about the band and Alex Chilton was interesting. I would sit back down with this again.
Get ready to be transported back to the roots of modern electronic music. The sound on this album is acutely 90s but still holds up well. At the lowest points, the album is a touch repetitive/ambient, but most of this record soars high. If the studio versions of these cuts are great, I can only imagine what a live performance would be like. Overall, there's a few skips here, and the album isn't perfect, but there's a lot to like and revere as a debut and inspirational record.
Well rounded, easy listening electronic-jazzy-pop. This album is a bit of an enigma but I find it quite approachable and enjoyable. Sexy Boy is kind of a red-headed stepchild here and kinda detracts from the project as a whole. Minus the aforementioned, this record is worth your time and I can see how this was an influence to a host of later acts.
A sprawling, approachable jazz record. I'd say 40 minutes is about right for instrumental jazz; this was much more palatable than Bitches Brew. Track 1 is a little more upbeat and bright, but even through the more melancholy notes of In A Silent Way, this album is very pleasant.
Taylor hits her stride on this album with a tight collection of pop cuts that deliver over and over.
Quality performance of mostly another artist's music. I have a hard time believing albums like this are truly worth making this list, though I didn't have a bad time listening.
Fantastic performance. Ella has a legendary voice and this is surely a lovely body of work. I cruised through Disc 1 and would revisit for more, but I just don't really see how an album this sprawling belongs on this list. Does Ella have no other record more concise? I have no way to digest this much music in a single day while working. I'm giving it a 1 in protest.
