Smooth old school Jazz. Not a genre that I’ve listened to much so this was a nice discovery.
Happened to have just heard it for the first time a few weeks back. Hit even better on a second listen. Playlisted.
Couldn’t find it streaming but got to hear most. Impressive and super catchy. More of singles than an album,
Masterpiece that I know very well.
I knew of this one mostly because of the Hurt cover, which is a great song and worth the acclaim. That said I’ve heard it a lot now and think it overshadows the better original version. I hadn’t heard the remainder of the album. Most of it is just bland covers. Completely respect Johnny Cash’s earlier work but this era and album is not for me.
Hard to evaluate and review such a short EP. It does what it intends to do, and no surprise that Minor Threat gained a following.
This is an album I know well. Listened more critically this time and it’s still a 5/5 because I can’t give a 4.5 or 4.75. The title track is among my favorite songs ever. There are a few others that are slightly behind but still tremendous songs. There are a couple weak spots, like the repetition on Elevation. But those are quibbles. I love this album.
Very much out of my wheelhouse. I was not expecting Cuban big band music. Enjoyed it.
Completely new to me. Never heard of the artist, the genre, and I’ve probably never even heard an Algerian musician. What I liked about this was all of the linguistic variety. The music was interesting and intriguing, but somewhat simple. The John Lennon Imagine cover was a surprise and also trite. This is an album where the experience exceeds the music. I’m giving it a low(ish) rating but glad I heard it.
This is an album I’m familiar with, although it’s been a very long time since I’ve listened from beginning to end. The high points are extremely high and it has soundscape elements that feel like what became Shoegaze and noise rock, including stuff like Spacemen 3 and Sonic Youth which defy categorization. There are some occasions that don’t work as well, which is to be expected with nearly an 80 minute album. There’s some filler. I’m rounding down to a 4/5 but it’s closer to 4.5.
All the respect to the Boss. He’s a great entertainer. The band is great. The songs are great. I get why this album is so revered, but it’s not for me. Listening once was enough and I have no desire to hear it again. Just not my thing. 3 stars out of respect.
I’ve enjoyed some of the early hits from The Pet Shop Boys, but the dividing line is the You’re Always On My Mind cover, which has been overplayed just generally. I’ve always hated it and that has impacted my opinion of this band. I remember when this came out, and I ignored it completely. After listening, I see that it has some merit. I see why it works for some. But I can’t get past my bias. This is the worse album I’ve encountered on this journey.
This is quite an album, and I’m amazed that I hadn’t heard it before. Its reputation as an ambitious and indulgent album are deserved, but it’s also kind of great? It would take far more than 24 hours to really digest thing album, but given how pop-oriented the rest of Mac’s catalog is, it was refreshing to hear something less catchy. Even singles like Sara and Tusk are non-traditional. This might be my favorite Fleetwood Mac. Playlisted and I’ll decide in a year.
Classic album, but I think of it as the mega hit, the lesser hit, and a few country songs. This isn’t the Stones album that speaks to me, but I’m sure the other will show up eventually.
Remember them as a Pitchfork praised band in the early to mid-2000s. I’ve heard this album before and it didn’t grab me at the time. That hasn’t changed, but I respect the experimental swings that they took.
This album popped up the day that we lost Dolly Parton. I’m sure that was intentional so kudos to the app creator for facilitating a way to pay tribute. This was completely new to me. I’m familiar with the work of all three, but haven’t spent much time with either of them aside from their hits.
Trio is a lovely project that I’m glad existed. This isn’t a genre that usually appeals to me, but these three voices together were absolutely breathtaking.
Tough one. I’ve heard it before, and I’ve heard Brass in Pocket more times than I can count. Mixed feelings about this album because the high points are very high. I like the post-punk edge. Precious is quite a career opener. Lovers of Today is a terrific song. In fact the latter half of the album is excellent. But the hit is the path in which they went as a band, and that song while being catchy and memorable, doesn’t measure up to the rest imo. 3/5
I’ve known Marley well throughout my decades, and half of the songs here are legendary (as curated for the Legend LP). These songs I know well and have a fondness for them. For someone my age, Marley songs occupy some personal nostalgia. But the hits aren’t what’s best about this album. We get some deeper album tracks that, while not likely to get play as a single, are fine tunes and sometimes show sides of Marley that aren’t seen in his hits. We’re Jamming to some great songs here.
4/5
Did not realize this was the daughter of João Gilberto. It’s very pleasant in a way. I could see it being nice evening background music. Hard to form an opinion without a close listen. I’m not as familiar with her father’s work but expect that some of his music (maybe with Getz) will be on this list. From what I remember his/their music is more innovative and has a little bit more spark. Of course it was a different time and is not a fair comparison for his daughter. The music was fine but ultimately not for me, and not something I’ll come back to.
Very happy to get a Kate Bush album today. This is one I’ve heard before, but not as much as The Dreaming or Hounds of Love, and I’d rate it comfortably below those two. That’s not to say it isn’t a gorgeous album. The title track and This Woman’s Work are the two I was most familiar with. 24 hours isn’t enough time to rediscover an album. This one is playlisted and will get its due. For now 4 stars.
This was just okay. Maybe in the not for me category, but I’m also glad it exists. It’s a little repetitive but also has a blues and post-punk influenced sound where that’s more expected.
This album is atrocious. It’s hard to imagine finding a worse album on this journey. There’s no redeeming value. The riffs are bland. The song structure is basically lowest common denominator pop. The lyrics are infantile. I had to search for a good album as a palate cleanser after this nightmare.
This is an album that I know. I actually prefer the earlier stuff, which aren’t as well known as being major innovations when it came to synth pop. Revisiting today, I found myself surprised by the strength of the synths in the songs leading up to the hit. They remind me to some degree of the earlier stuff, although more polished and produced. The hit holds up decades later. Overall the album is excellent even if it has aged a little bit. The synths are impressive for 1980 but not 2026. Still comfortably a four star album.
Completely new to me. I probably heard about it from Arctic Monkeys fans, but I’ve never been big on them. Not a hater and like quite a few songs. They just haven’t been a band where I’ve felt the need to visit their albums. Alex Turner seems to be a respectable musician but his voice doesn’t entirely work for me. That was the case here, although I appreciated this more than the Monkeys. Unlike the indie/alt music that Alex otherwise channels, this seems inspired by baroque pop and even film scores. There’s specifically an Ennio Morricone type of sound on some songs. The album is fun. I won’t revisit and that’s okay.
Absolute, unadulterated joy. Can’t help but move to this music.
Stereolab is a band I’ve struggled with. I’ve heard many of their albums before, including this one. I’ve seen them live and didn’t enjoy it. This time I realized it’s the voice. Everything else is great but the vocal tone just doesn’t agree with me. Still giving it a positive rating because it’s an accomplished album that I’d recommend to others.
Already finding that there are a few albums where I go against the grain. This is one of them even though I like White Stripes quite a bit. Elephant will get a high rating if it’s on the list (I figure it has to be.) There’s no denying their ability to deliver hits. There are some banger songs beginning with Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, which I’d put up at the top of Jack White’s entire career. The album tracks didn’t do as much for me on this re-listen.
I was so happy this album turned up, and this is what I love about this project. It spans multiple popular genres and so far I’ve re-discovered some gems. I’m not really a metal guy. There are some bands I can take and many more I can leave, but I can always appreciate an innovative, groundbreaking, classic album.
That’s what this is. Hard to believe this was the debut album with Bruce Dickinson as lead singer, which he immediately made his own (with all respect to Di'Anno, may be rest in peace.) Dickinson took the band to a new level with the title track, Invaders, The Prisoner, and 22 Acacia Avenue. He also continued progressing the slowly building songs like Children of the Damned and Hallowed Be Thy Name. This is not just an important Maiden album, but it’s an important album for the genre of metal. It’s one of my favorite metal bands, and fortunately still finds new audiences. This year’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a great example of how this music can stay relevant in pop culture.
This is less of an album as it is an experience. I’ve heard it before, and on this listen I grooved to the early songs and endured the later, longer ones. The impact and influence of this band and album deserves respect. Many of my favorite artists and genres trace their origins from listening to music like this. Post rock seems to be greatly indebted to this. It’s an amazing album, one that despite having known for years, I rarely listen to again. But I’ve listened to a lot of other Can songs and albums. It’s a big ask to digest this in a 24-hour period, so 4 stars I guess.
This is a complete blind spot and pleasant surprise for me. Never even heard the artist before, and as I was listening, I heard the influence of many singers and songwriters that I admire. Great discovery, added to playlist, and if I had to pick a top track right now, it would be the closer Angie.
Easy one. In the mix for favorite album of all time.
Another masterpiece. This has been a terrific week. I didn’t need to listen to this again in order to give it 5 stars, but I’m glad I did. Helpless always hits just right.
Tough one. This is an album that I’ve known and have tried because the band has influenced many of my favorite bands. They haven’t been for me. After trying again, they still aren’t, but I respect that they pushed boundaries.
Tough one to rate because Funeral for a Friend is an easy ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ and there some heaters to follow. The album tracks aren’t all up to snuff. What was the deal with Jamaica Jerk Off? I’ve heard the album before but maybe blocked that one out of my memory. Overall it’s an important and ambitious album, but feels like too much was crammed in to fit as a double album.
Dookie is not only great in terms of moving punk (or post-punk or whatever) as a genre but it nails the feelings of inadequacy and alienation of early adulthood. No weak moments. Even the hits are so much better within the flow of the album.
I would have far preferred a studio album from Hawkind, although this was an experience. But it’s messy, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not. The songs can get repetitive which isn’t a surprise for anyone that knows Hawkwind, but the longer songs can really drone. The spoken word doesn’t work for me at all. Probably a great live album for fans and I like the band, but this wasn’t for me.
Interesting album. I think of The Byrds as being among the grandfathers of anything jangle such as Paisley Underground. They feel more like a band with hits than albums, and that’s what I discovered with this one. There are some great songs here. Classic songs. Those are what I added to the playlist instead of the album.
You can’t go wrong with this band, but like most people, I know the hits and not the albums. Shining Star is always welcome, with the slow initial build and then the explosion of sound. The rest of the album was more exotic, more intricate with fewer hooks. Even though their pop songs are top-tier, it’s nice to hear compositions that weren’t intended for the radio. If I’m not mistaken Shining Star was their first big hit, so this album is a nice snapshot of their transition.
Hard one to rate. It’s far from the commercial sound they’d develop later in the 70s and 80s. In fact it sounds strange to hear the operatic flourishes with such fantasy and science fiction themed songs. It doesn’t entirely work for me, but I’m also not a rabid Queen fan. Ogre Battle and Seven Seas of Rhyme are the standouts.
I’m not a massive hip-hop head, but Q-Tip is a legend. I’m a Tribe fan but hadn’t heard this album. Glad I did. Playlisted and I could see it growing with more listens because the rapping skill sounds amazing.
I’m a GbV fan and there are a couple of songs on this album that are absolute classics. Game of Pricks is power pop perfection. I’m not sure if Bee Thousand is on this list. That’s what I’ve considered their/his essential album while Alien Lanes is uneven and sometimes messy but the highs are extremely high. This isn’t an album that I’ve gone back to much, and this listen won’t change that.
Elton John is universal, appealing to both music aficionados (i.e. snobs like us) and also casual fans. It’s harder to find any type of genre fanbase that dislikes him. This album is a good example why. Tiny Dancer and Levon are two masterpieces to start out an album with. The remainder of the album is full of wonderful tunes, well written occasionally with lovely symphonic accompaniment. Compared with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which is more of a mixed bag, this feels like a cohesive quality album from beginning to end.
I’ll reveal my bias. Aside from a couple songs, I don’t like the Arctic Monkeys. There are a lot of reasons not worth getting into here. But I remember very clearly when this came out. I gave it another shot with an open mind, and my opinion hasn’t changed much. There are some songs that work better than others. When the Sun Goes Down got me moving. Otherwise this just isn’t a band for me.
I’d choose dental surgery over hearing this album again.
Inject this into my veins! This was a complete blind spot, and without question the best discovery I’ve made through this project. I’m rating it a 4 out of 5 primarily because the second volume doesn’t hold up as well as the first. Still quite good.
Easiest 5 star I’ve given out. This is a classic album that I’ve heard countless times before.
Some 70s and 80s jazz is a struggle for me. The musicianship is great and they deserve credit for that, but the music is inert. The live tracks worked a lot better, but mostly this didn’t land with me.
I missed this when it was released, mostly due to struggling with Cohen’s work in the 80s and 90s, notably the gravelly vocals. With this album I was apprehensive because they are even more gravelly, as they should be. The turnoff didn’t last as this is a beautiful and haunting album, albeit one that’ll be tough to revisit.
I’m finding that I’m less of a Queen fan than I realized. When looking at this track list, I thought this could be my favorite Queen album. It lines up with my tastes the best and there are well known songs with the most notable being Killer Queen. Stone Cold Crazy is another big one. The first half of the album is pretty decent, but otherwise it’s a mixed bag and tonally all over the place. The second half is atrocious and I couldn’t wait for it to end. I’m hoping to be done with Queen outside of this project.
This has been my unpopular opinion album. I like a lot of the early U2 post-punk(ish) stuff, and think that The Joshua Tree is a masterpiece. This was the critically acclaimed darling that never clicked with me. As always with this list, giving it another chance with an open mind. My mind isn’t completely changed but I’ve warmed up to it a little bit. The Fly really stood out on this listen, and the production is excellent across the entire album. My opinion didn’t change about songs I don’t like (looking at you One & Mysterious Ways.) If I go back to U2 it won’t be this album but at least after this close listen I get why it’s adored.
Feels weird to qualify my review and rating, but this is the legend, Ella Fitzgerald. This is a tremendous achievement for her and the Gershwins. It’s also 3+ hours of beautiful if slight songs that don’t do much for me. This isn’t an album I’d choose to listen to on my own, but if it played, I’d appreciate her greatness. If not for this project I’d never have attempted this album. It is objectively great. Subjectively it’s not for me.
There were a lot of times I thought songs sounded familiar. That’s because they sound like every AC/DC song ever.
When I got this album, I knew the biggest question is whether it’ll still be 5 stars. It’s pretty great. Common People is the popular highlight and at this point in my life I’ve heard it so much that it could make the album a tougher revisit. It’s definitely not my favorite song on the album, but it still hits. The remainder of the album is mostly strong and the deeper cuts especially rise to top. This is a great pop album. It’s not quite perfect as I’ve found it lags at times and due to rounding, it’s not 5 stars for this project, but it’s not too far away.
Wild Beasts is not for me. Usually the 2000s indie rock/pop is something I enjoy. Vocals tend to make a difference. These are some of the most unpleasant vocals I’ve heard.
I go back a ways with this one. Ministry was a formative band for me, but I prefer The Land of Rape and Honey and The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste. There was a time when I played all of these albums a lot, but I’ve rarely gone back to this one. It’s fine. Enjoyed this revisit for nostalgia but unlikely to ever listen to it again.
So far this is the closest to a perfect album that I’ve encountered.
It’s clear that The Pet Shop Boys just aren’t my thing. The best indicator was what autoplayed afterward. That’s about as far from my algorithm as possible. This album was a little better than the last one, but I can’t give it a high rating. Sorry synth pop fans.
Mad respect for Vega as a songwriter and musician but simply not for me.
This is an album that I owned and played a good bit. Stolen Car was a huge song and my gateway to Beth’s music. What was interesting about this listen is what I didn’t remember about the album. Quite a few tracks don’t hold up, but there are other beautiful songs like the title track, Pass in Time, and Fool to Believe. Overall it’s a strong if uneven album but doesn’t maintain the momentum set by that intro.
The Band is so important to us that we actually named our cat Levon, after Levon Helm. This is among the easiest 5 star albums so far. It’s a favorite of all time record.
I love exposure to new cultures and their music. Never would have expected Sufi devotional music. Sadly I don’t care for the music and that is frustrating to be locked in my cultural barrier, but this was being thrown too far in the deep end to appreciate.
This entry is less about the album and more about how it has aged with me. Dark Side’s enduring popularity speaks for itself. Like many, I discovered this when my music tastes were establishing. It impacted how I listened to other music. It grew up with me.
Decades later and I seldom if ever listen to it. Like many selections it’s like revisiting an old friend. No surprise that it still holds up, but it isn’t nearly as wondrous. The deep cuts are what still register. The Great Gig in the Sky, Any Colour You Like, and the ending with Brain Damage/Eclipse are the standouts. Money is a great song that I didn’t need to hear again. I’ve grown out of the album but it still speaks to me. Other albums like Meddle or Animals speak to me more.
As it happened I’d done a recent deep dive into this album a few weeks back. Good timing with it coming back. Gabriel is a treasure and one of the best “art” rock transitions to a popular solo career. This isn’t a perfect album but it’s pretty close. It’s actually the deeper tracks that stand out today, although Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Big Time, and In Your Eyes are great songs. Don’t Give Up is my favorite song on the album. Mercy Street is also strong.
This is a question of rounding and could be a 4 or a 5 depending on the day.
I’m generally lukewarm on Clapton with some exceptions. My favorite project of his is Cream, but what I like isn’t necessarily him. I’d never heard this album although like most, I know the hits all too well. Expected to hate this one and was pleasantly surprised. There are some nice grooves and jams. It’s way too long and I still don’t care as much for the hits. It’s 5/10 that I’ll round down to two stars. I’d recommend it to fans of Clapton and thus style.
Classic album. Influential on metal but I’d call it a “heavy rock” album, but would rate it among best of genre. Highway Star is still a banger and one of my favorite driving songs. Smoke on the Water is a great song even if it doesn’t have the lasting power of others. The deep tracks are what really makes this album great. I’m always happy when Lazy comes on random play.
