Michael Jackson really set the bar for how to make a good pop song. The middle section of this tracklist is just hit after hit. Classic album
9/10
Arcade Fire are one of those fairly overlooked bands that make really solid music and this album is no exception. Really easy to listen to without being boring or basic.
8/10
This was my first time listening to this album and from the first track it already became my favourite of Bowie's. Very few albums can make you love it this much on a first listen where you instantly give it a perfect score. Masterpiece.
10/10
The Radiohead fanboy bias has definitely bumped the score up a bit here with the tracks featuring Thom Yorke. Overall a really good album.
8/10
Depeche Mode proving why they were one of the best New Wave bands in the 80s.
8/10
I used to be obsessed with Blur when I was 16; they were in my top 3 favourite bands ever. Parklife is definitely one of their best with some real standout tracks. Some people might find Blur, and maybe the Britpop movement as a whole, to be a bit cheesy or overly poppy, but I think that's part of their charm and what makes them so enjoyable.
My biggest issue with this album is that there's a couple of filler tracks which bloat the tracklist. Not sure why something like 'The Debt Collector' needed to be included.
7/10
I had never heard of these before. A pretty forgettable 80s New Wave record. Not bad but when you go from Depeche Mode a couple days ago to this... The jazz elements were pretty interesting at least.
6/10
Not particularly keen on this teenage angst post grunge stuff that was going on in the mid to late 90s.
6/10
A great indie rock/pop album. 'Kids' will never stop being a nostalgic tune from the days of playing FIFA 09.
8/10
Still not sure how I feel about this album. It starts off really experimental and tricky to listen to but as it goes on it gets more prog rock/jazz sounding, which I was a fan of.
6/10
Pretty corny dance music that has not aged all that well. Every track feels like a repeat of the last. 'Groove is in the Heart' was a song I recognised and sticks out like a sore thumb because it's actually quite good.
4/10
'21st Century Schizoid Man' is a banger. Enough said.
9/10
This will go down as a legendary album in hip hop. It tells the story of a young Kendrick Lamar growing up in Compton and the struggles with it. The mix of storytelling and the ability for him to make trendy rap songs with mainstream appeal is what makes this truly special album.
9/10
Pink Floyd are undoubtedly one of the best bands of all time and this album is what most would consider their Magnum Opus. The fact that someone could not only come up with the ideas on here but also execute them is mental to me. The lyrics, atmosphere and David Gilmour's guitar solos are all reasons why this is a perfect album.
10/10
Not big into funk music but this was a fun listen.
7/10
I had no idea what this was when it came up but to be fair it impressed me. Some of the beats and melodies on here slap.
7/10
A solid rock/new wave album which to be honest is carried by the final and by far most recognisable track 'Come on Eileen'. Such a tune.
7/10
Yeah Springsteen might be a bit cheesy and over the top for some but that doesn't take away from the fact he has made great music. It doesn't need to be super boundary pushing or innovative to be good; all it needed was some great lyricism and a big grandiose sound.
8/10
Beastie Boys' energy is unmatched. This is a rap-rock fusion album done right.
8/10
Arcade Fire are the first artist to appear on here for a second time 🎉 Another solid output from them. Great album.
8/10
Why the hell is there a live album on here? This just sounds like a jam session that goes on way too long. I appreciate the technical ability but it does not make for a fun listen.
5/10
I understand why Frank Sinatra is on here considering he's one of the most important artists of the 20th century but his music has not aged well like at all. Probably would've sounded better if I was sat in a dimly lit jazz bar instead of at my desk working with headphones in. Definitely the most boring listen so far.
4/10
Never heard of this band before and now I know why. This was so uneventful and boring. Definitely not an album I needed to listen to before I die.
Nigel Godrich should stick to producing Radiohead albums.
5/10
Hardcore punk is not a genre I've listened to much but my god it goes hard. And if this isn't your thing, no need to worry as this is only 15 minutes long.
7/10
Another soul/funk record which was a real joy to listen to.
7/10
I'm going through a bit of a folk rock phase at the moment so this came at the right time. 'Cowboy Movie' was a stand out favourite of mine.
8/10
Pornography is the final album in The Cure's dark, gloomy gothic period and easily the best in said period. This is such a great atmospheric record. The highlight for me is the echoing guitar on the opener 'One Hundred Years'.
9/10
Judging by the album art and the opening track, I was expecting a much darker dream pop/shoegaze sound. The rest of the album has a more mainstream indie rock sound with the occasional shoegaze element thrown in. Really good album though.
7/10
There's clearly some good guitar riffs and instrumentals on here but his voice kills it for me. I'm really not a fan of his voice.
6/10
A pretty interesting electronic album that fuses a lot of different sounds, but it's not something I'm itching to revisit. I did like the continuing theme of nuclear warfare and the Oppenheimer sample at the end.
6/10
I was expecting a little more considering Run-D.M.C's influence and importance within early hip hop. This didn't really capture me as I think it should've outside the popular singles.
6/10
My introduction to Meat Puppets and honestly I'm keen on listening to more of them. A very good alternative rock album. I especially liked recognising 'Plateau' and 'Lake of Fire' as Nirvana covered them on their MTV Unplugged album.
8/10
Such a talented singer, holy shit. There's so much soul packed into this album which hit even harder on a second listen.
8/10
In the context of Pink Floyd's discography, I think The Wall doesn't get the credit it deserves. This is some of the best storytelling in music and despite its super long runtime, there isn't a single track out of the 26 on here that doesn't contribute to the narrative or character building in some way. Perfect album.
10/10
The Bee Gees fucking suck, even before their dogshit disco era. This album is so bad it's just them trying to copy what every other rock band was doing at the time. It's bad enough that there is a song about how much they love the state of Israel. No thanks.
3/10
My first time listening to Nick Cave and I'm kind of disappointed. I feel like he's going to be an artist I should like but just can't get into. A lot of this sounded like a desperate attempt to sound edgy whilst he strums his guitar as hard as he can. The repetition of the lyrics also gets tiresome really fast. This wasn't bad as there were moments I liked, it just feels a tad bit pretentious.
5/10
Nu-metal is one of those subgenres I find to be very obnoxious and insufferable outside a small handful of bands. SOAD (along side Deftones who I love) are one of those nu-metal bands I can tolerate. This is a pretty good record, not something I'd listen to all the time, but there is a lot of great tracks here. Personal favourite is 'Spiders' probably for its more lowkey sound.
7/10
The second Nick Cave album I've got in 3 days. I was not ready for this considering how I felt about the last one and the fact it was 82 minutes long! I was pleasantly surprised to find it is a much easier listen despite it's long runtime. There's no desperate attempt to sound edgy and some of the songs were really catchy. 'Nature Boy' was a stand out for me.
7/10
I thought I was gonna hate this a lot more than I did. Country mixed with 2010s pop music is my idea of hell in music form. Some of the tracks here are pretty enjoyable and she's clearly a good vocalist, but the album overall is just a bit bland and uninspired.
5/10
Another country album? Damn. It's a covers album so I wasn't sure on how to judge this. The songs were pretty good not many complaints but it did get a bit boring. Still better than 99% of modern country garbage that comes out today.
6/10
I recently discovered that Cocteau Twins are my go to hangover artist (yeah, seriously). I think it's their dreamy and lethargic tone that feels right when I'm hanging out my arse, especially during the summer when the weather is hot. This album is amazing and probably their best.
9/10
I had heard 'Teenage Kicks' before and thought it was from the 2000s/2010s, not 1979. A simple and fun punk rock with songs that are short and sweet. It was also ahead of it's time as every landfill indie band from the 2000s basically copied this sound.
8/10
A good album to put on to chill and zone out to, maybe whilst stoned. I think Exodus would have gotten a higher score from me if it was that that had came up.
6/10
