This is the first album I get to listen to? What an opener! There is a lot to be said here but, yes, 5 stars.
Obviously a classic
An album I didn't get anywhere near during the 90s because I *HATED* bittersweet symphony. But this album was actually good! This is drug music, don't get it twisted, but its a solid album.
If you actually like music, not just pop/rock/hip-hop you will love this album.
I'm stunned by the number of non-5 star reviews this gets. But then again, it's their first "transition" album, moving from Cliff's pounding bass, to 90s alternative soaked Load. There are two people that don't give this 5 stars: non-metallica fans, and the purity testers of Metallica's original fan base. Stop the virtue signally, and embrace their best work.
Their first of 4 perfect albums. There is a reason why they sold a BILLION records. This is one of them.
Not everyone likes country, I get it. But Dwight doing a concept album should be celebrated. But then again.... it's Dwight doing a concept album. Mid artist, Mid album idea.
What a snoozer. This album sounded like John Denver had a concert, but he had to cancel so his roadie tried to play for the crowd.
Not his best work but ground breaking.
Fantastic classic R&B album
"Dad what were the 70s"
I get why it's on here. It's just not my style white girl Soul is an oxymoron.
Idk. I think EDM is good, and sure this is a pioneering album...but "must listen to?" Maybe I missed something. It's not Orbitals best work. It's not the best EDM for the time. It's not the first EDM record ever. It's simply not something I can figure out why it was invited.
Fun album, not all his songs. He is problematic.
THIS IS HOLD MUSIC
Awww baby stones
This one time in the 90s I was at a gay club. This album was heavily featured. It's not their best album but if you were wanting to get the vibe of what 80s/90s gays were like...listen to this
EXCELLENT Jazz album
Crosby stills Nash and Young did not invent the four-part Harmony
They just did it correctly. Every band who is attempted to do four part harmony ever since has to compare themselves to CSNY.
And no, folk music isn't for everyone, but this music is consumable by almost everyone. It's approachable and completely belongs on this list because it's iconic.
"Mom, where did Black Sabbath come from?"
Well, son... one day Daddy Blues met Mother Metal. One time they felt like they were made for one another. And when two musical genres really like one another enough they can make a beautiful album. They called it Black Sabbath.
"But Mom, *why* did they think they were made for one another."
Well, son, they did drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.
"Wow, so we all should do lots of drugs"
Now you are reading directly from the gospel. Osborn 3:33: Doeth all the drugs and don't let anyone stop you.
"Is Ozzy a messenger angel from God?"
Oh honey, he isn't from that direction.....
THIS ALBUM is what i came here for. I never ever listened to a full Pretenders album. I only knew like 4 songs. This album absolutely rocked the socks. Why is it here? Because *you* probably skipped over it thinking the pretenders only have 4 good songs. Wrong. So underrated.
Ok, listen so the Beatles and the whole story of Yoko Ono aside lets talk about the reason why this could be on this list: John Lennon's skill set. The fact is, his best work (and Paul's best work) were with one another. It's simply a fact, except for "Imagine". This is a mediocre album that has a supernova as an opening song. It really is one the greatest songs ever written. Take that song off this album and...well.... John Lennon is clowned for leaving Paul. There are other decent John Lennon songs without Paul or the other Beatles, they just aren't on this album. If he was alive today, and this album was considered- they would never ever put the album out. It would be a digital single, with maybe a digital EP of some of the better moments on here (which no one would listen to). It gets 3 starts strictly because Imagine is one of the greatest songs ever written. Without it, it's two stars at best. Even then if John Lennon's name wasn't on this album, and Imagine wasn't on it, it's not on this list and would get a 1 star for even being suggested. Now, you put all of John's best solo work together... that is probably a 5 star album. But that could be said about George and Paul.
TL:DR this album is on here for the first song, totally MEH after.
What a fun album!!! All it is missing is....quality songs. I think they have it in here for its novelty quality, but really this isn't great.
So like you listen to this album and you'll find yourself muttering things like wait a minute that sounds like the cranberries hold on that part Sounds like it's from a Foo Fighters song play that again. That sounds like sublime. It's almost as if AI created some generic 90s band and then sent it back in time and here we are. It's a fun ride. It really is but definitely no hits on this. It's just like you're living the 90s through some tribute band that only plays deep cuts. For a band that I can't name a single song from this was a decent album. I probably will never listen to it again, but it wasn't a miserable experience.
You can smell the stale Schiltz beer that's been spilled on the floor when you listen to this album closely.
This is Black excellence
What a fantastic album
Anything less than five stars for this album is absolute heresy. It has high replayability, the quality of music, the writing, the talent everything about this is fantastic unless you hate funk you're going to like this album.
It could be good driving music it could be doing drugs music. It could be hangout music it could be homework music this album can fit all of those things if there's any knock against this album, I'd say that it only has seven songs.
This sounds like katatonia meets arcade fire meets new order. It's better than you may think. Chvrches is VERY underrated. They aren't EDM enough for the Dead Maus crowd, but they are too dancy for the Billie Ellish fans. Almost REM-esq in the "what ARE they" classification discussion.
Have you heard of oasis
Have you listened to everything oasis has ever put out?
Have you listened to so much oasis that you think yourself I need more oasis?
Look no further than this album
The charlatans sound exactly like an oasis cover band. They sound like a band that was inspired directly by oasis... and if you go to iTunes and you look up oasis and click on their inspired by playlist, sure enough there is a song from this album on that playlist
But to be clear, this is not oasis
This is the charlatans and I can hear Liam Gallagher saying dryly "charlatans, that's a fitting name"
Shut up and listen to this.
Kermit the Frog had a duet with Willie Nelson back in 2024. Prior to that they never have met. Despite knowing this, you will believe that both Kermit and Willie appear on this album. They do not. This is a knock off Bob Dylan.... I guess? It's on here because he is supposively a good writer. Didn't hear that. You can listen to it twice without throwing yourself into traffic. Thus, 2 stars.
Hey, do you like the Sex Pistols? Do you think the Sex Pistols would sound better if they tried to be a little more pop?
This album is for you. Its good. It's only great if you *love* 2nd wave punk.
Lemonheads *are* underrated. Toad the wet sprocket absolutely took their sound from them. Coil doesn't happen without this album. But it's known for its cover of Mrs. Robinson even though it doesn't sound like the rest of the album. It's weird. Good 90s album coming in with the same vibe as the Gin Blossoms and Tonic.
It's not everyone's cup of tea but it's vintage. Perhaps the first concept album ever. Johnny Cash and Elvis vibes here. If you hate proto country music then you will hate this. Quality of music though, is high. Writing is higher.
Pulp is the band I miss most often on song quiz. Simply put it's just good 90s alternative. I'm sure it's huge overseas but here in the United States they definitely went under the radar. I don't know. I feel like it's almost as if somebody decided to take with the pixies were doing but apply to late 90s pulp fiction/fear and loathing vibes. You should listen to it. It's good. I may actually check out more of what they did.
Computers. Music. Now they are intertwined like lines of code. Back when this album came out, this was cutting edge and futuristic. This is NOT EDM, there is no "Dancing" here. It's electronic music with the focus on electronic.
One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time? Yes please.
It's hard to say the black crowes are underrated. Considering they had a significant drop off after this album, and an even further drop after their sophomore jinx, this album still makes them superstars all by itself.
This album is so big, so powerful, that if they dropped the today, 6/17/26, it would win a Grammy. It's timeless. Rock that never dies? Here it is. On the album they said they were trying to sound like the stones and Dylan. Instead they ended up sounding like the black crowes.
The Wall may be the last great concept album. It was the end of band and era. Perfect album.
It's not his first. It's not his best. It's not his most innovative. Honestly it's mundane.
It's hard to judge a nirvana album against any other album that's not a nirvana album. As such, this is simply their 3rd best effort. Peak grunge, but not peak nirvana. First 5 songs- a masterpiece. The rest of the album gets as bipolar as a gen xer on lithium.
Sooo that was a thing. He's like Meatloaf but instead of rock opera it's rock porn.
Damn this album was bad. Some rich dude had kids, and let those kids think everything they did was good art. This album took 9 songs to get anything that would earn more than 1 star. And really it had 2 songs i didn't want to forget. I bet those kids paid a membership fee to get their album on this list.
It's their "break through" album. It's not night at the opera. Queen isn't some monolithic band that could do no wrong, this album was ok. Killer Queen is a supernova for sure, but take that away and its operatic rock. Freddy's lyrics and vocals still hadn't found their way yet, even if the rest of the band was well underway. He would, of course, overtake them to be one of the most iconic front men ever.... it just didn't happen here.
If you're gonna listen to one kiss album...this is it
Listening to this album, you understand who Justin Timberlake wanted to be, in part (MJ, we will see you later). It's a relatively easy listen. With 4 absolute nukes to open the album you realize why folks were ushering in the 90s with this man's music. It does cool off, and the second half is pretty pedestrian. I can't give it 4 stars on quality but it would be a crime to give it 3 stars with 3 iconic songs opening.
This album is AGGRESSIVE.
Neil young is apparently prominent on here with good reason- this great album is an example. It's complex enough for the musicologist and audiophile but simple enough to cover in your garage... or where this album was made, a basement
The Smiths are one of those bands that everyone seems to know of, but don't know a lot about. This album definitely points me directly into the evolution of public affection, which would later become live. So I understand firmly why this album is on here. I wanna love it, but I don't. I know I like some Smith songs just none of these.
She has a wonderful voice and i never thought I would listen to a whole album.... but 3 hours later I am totally burned out
A vintage classic album definitely demonstrates their sound and produce to the most recognizable songs of all time
It's filth, but i love it. A classier version of WAP.
There is a lot to love here. Her voice obviously. The writing. Her legacy of being one taken too soon.
Perfect album!
Name two velvet underground songs. Bet you can't. Listen to this album. You still can't. Do some drugs. Now try. Still can't? Ok, but now you're high and listening to the velvet underground, which is the correct way to listen to this.
