1001 Albums Summary

Favourite Neil album. Recorded live, this is a fuzzy and chugging folk rock record that feels like a precursor to grunge.

Although rightfully overshadowed by the iconic eight minute title track, the other 75% of this album certainly has it high moments such as the Van Gogh tribute track 'Vincent' and the haunting 'The Grave'. An enjoyable time overall even when it falls into pleasant background music.

I don't think I'm ever going to 'get' jazz. This is a cool record with tons of swagger. It's just not for me though. I've heard the bass line of 'So What' countless times when I have tried to get myself into jazz before. The playing is immaculate and it has it's rightful place in music history, it's just not my cup of tea.

I've had a healthy fix of Sabbath and Zeppelin over the years, so I've never felt the need to check out Deep Purple and it looks like I've missed out on a classic! Mixing prog and blues with a dash of Hendrix, In Rock is an early heavy metal classic. I love the way epic organ playing compliments Blackmore's guitar work. Some parts may go on too long and there are some questionable lyrics on here there, robbing this from a perfect score.

My first Sinatra record and this was exactly what I expected from him. Sinatra sure can croon and the instrumentation is lush, but I found myself wishing for this to wrap up. All the songs sound similar and there is no variety. This felt dated and of its time. Compared to the rock and roll records coming out around this time, this has no edge to it whatsoever. Not for me.

Growing up in the UK when we this band blew up, it was uncool to like this band. Leaving my biases at the door, I had a good time with this. You can see why they blew up. 'Yellow' is still an absolute belter of a track, and I was impressed with some of the non-singles too. It's like if Radiohead focused on putting out hits instead of experimenting after releasing The Bends, which doesn't have to be a bad thing! They play it safe and there is a hint of blandness creeping up as you approach the end of the record, but it finishes up just before it detracted from my enjoyment too much.

Every twee indie record of the past 30 years needs to give this record its flowers. This is my go-to Velvets record when I'm not in the mood for the chaotic noise of the debut album. 'Candy Says' and 'Pale Blue Eyes' are two of the most beautiful songs ever. 'After Hours' is a delightfully innocent closer that features drummer Moe Tucker on lead. This is one of the best albums of the 60s for sure.

Dull dad indie. It is very hard to separate the tracks as they sound all so similar. Most of them sound like they are building up towards something before they end out of nowhere. The vocalist sounds like he's bored of his own songs. Sure, the instrumentation on here can be lush, but they doesn't mean much when everything else is so uninspiring.

I only have previously listened to the title track and I loved it, so I was pleasantly surprised when I listened to the full record. Harvey's voice is unique and the guitar playing is almost hypnotic during certain parts. There isn't a bad track on here, although the closing song 'The Colour Of The Earth' does feel like an unclimatic ending for such a great album. This will definitely be one that I will return to as I feel that I will need more than a handful of listens to fully digest everything.

A flawed thrash metal classic. The band evolved their sound by bringing in prog elements into the mix. My sole gripe with this record is that the production leaves a lot to be desired. The bass is non-existent and the album has a thin and metallic sound that robs the album of some of its punch. Every song is crafted masterfully, with Hammett's shredding and Ulrich's drumming stealing the show. Despite its 65 minute duration, the album never drags and I was hooked throughout.

I was expecting a complete cheesefest, but this was a trashy rock record that's very self aware with how schlocky the whole thing is. Some elements do veer into the goofy territory, such as the dual vocals on the title track and some of the lyrics will have you rolling your eyes The shock factor may have worn off in the past five decades, but that doesn't stop it from being a fun listen. 'Unfinished Sweet' has a neat extended instrumental outro that shows off the band's technical chops and that there is talent behind the shock antics. This is worth your time if you are in the mood for some silly yet theatrical glam rock.

There's nothing offensive about this. I admire how unapologetically English it is. Most songs are decent, but go on for far too long. You know what you are getting with this within the first handful of tracks. 'Everything' picks up the pace. You can tell that 'Creation' is going to be a single as soon as you hear it. This might have felt fresh in 1992, but it feels incredibly dated now. I imagine it would have felt dated within a decade of releasing. I'm not sure why this is on the list.

This was a lot less smug than I though it would be given my preconceptions about the band. Much more accessible than anything else I've heard by the band, its loud and noisy yet it still feels like good alternative rock that is a steps ahead of a lot of the grunge bands that they got lumped in with. It's able to be both radio friendly whilst still feeling experimental. Take 'Drunken Butterfly' for example. Starting out as loud anthem with a lot of attitude due to Gordon 's breathey vocals, the song takes a turn when Moore' s wailing guitar brings the noise in the second half. The biggest downfall to this record is its length. 58 minutes might not be a particularly lengthy album, but this would be an easy 4 stars if they trimmed the fat. It feels like they ran out of ideas 3 quarters way through.

On par with their debut. Some lyrics do fall into cock-rock territory ('Lemon Song' being the main offender), but the music is so good you can give it a pass. Page's wailing solo during 'Whole Lotta Love' still sounds as incredible as when I was first left awestruck by it as a child. Bonzo pounds the drums like a lunatic. Even the allegations of plagiarism can't make me hate this band as they can play so damn well.

This is a tough one to rate as it is a film soundtrack to a non-existent film. I'm sure this would pair well enough as a score to a good neo-noir picture, but I've certainly heard better movie soundtracks. This ain't Halloween or Jaws, basically. Although there are some moments of dread on here brought on by the industrial synths, a lot of the production feels dated. Listening to this as a full album, it's a bit of a chore to be honest. This is another one why I'm baffled that it even made the list.

I just can't deal with that voice. Costello's strained and whiny vocals are like nails on a chalkboard to me. The songs on here aren't much to write home about either. You might a nice guitar tone or melody here or there, but the song will outstay their welcome, either because of the length, meandering lyrics, Costello's delivery or a combination of the three. From what I know about Costello, this isn't the best starting point so I will try to keep my mind open when his other albums pop up next.

The warm and smooth production is top notch, with that popping bass tone being a particular highlight. The minimalistic intro 'Chic Cheer' kicks the record off with style before jumping into the disco anthem 'Le Freak'. The 7 minute 'At Last I Am Free' may serve as the record's slow jam, but it goes on far too long and dampens the fun vibe a tad. This is a damn fine record that uses repetition to its advantage to get those funky grooves burnt into your brain and to get your butt moving

Due to the energy and urgency that these guys play live, this is just as much of a hard rock album as it is a power pop one. The crowd reaction is immense, with it feeling like Beatlemania with all the screaming girls. The crowd vocalising on the chorus of 'I Want You To Want Me' take it to the next level and it is truimphs the album version. The yet-to-be released 'Need Your Love' is another highlight, with them showcasing their talent during the extended instrumental section. 'Surrender' might be their biggest song and it sounds so anthemic on here. This is such a stellar live album that I'd say you can skip the studio albums and dive straight into this record if you want to give these guys a try. The studio versions of these tracks lack the energy and edge that the frantic live atmosphere of At Budokan brings

What is with the UK's obsession dull men with duller names that churn out soulless singer-songwriter stuff that couldn't offend your gran? This was dreadfully boring. I knew 'Babylon' as it was huge chart hit at the time, but I didn't know the artist. It was just one of those songs you heard on the radio, but didn't know who sung it and never felt any urge to find out the singer. This is the type of non-offensive music that they play in a supermarket. This is what I worry people think Elliott Smith will sound like when I recommend him to them.

With song titles like 'Death To Everyone' and 'Another Day Full Of Dread', this is a sad album. I wouldn't chastise anyone for being turned off by how bleak it is. There's nothing performative about the sadness here. Oldham's vocals are so fragile and haunting. The instrumentation is kept fairly simple. I feel like this would comfort me when I'm feeling low. Thankfully I don't feel like that today, but I will keep this album in hand for when things get tough. If you enjoy wallowing in the hopelessness that you find in the music of Mount Eerie or Sparklehorse, this would be right up your street.

This was my first ever Flaming Lips album and it was a pleasant experience. Super psychedelic and dreamy, this is an album full of sunshine and good vibes. The alien synths do feel rather one-note and causes this album to become background listening at times. The only track I downright didn't like is the instrumental cut 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt 2'. The screaming and synths started to actively annoy me here. I don't think I'll be rushing back to the whole album much, but tracks like 'Fight Time', 'Are You A Hypnotist??' and 'So You Realize??' would be welcome additions to any chillout playlist. I can see why this is on the list as you can see how this sound influenced the indie scene during the decade to come.

It is impossible to listen to this without thinking of Syd Barrett. Both left their bands due to drug misuse and severe mental health issues and ended up making wacky yet brilliant music. Spence's take on psychedelic folk and country is very far removed from the summery songs of Donovan. His voice is strained and haggard, but this only adds character to his ramshackle music. He plays all the instruments and it feels very amateur in a charming way. 'Broken Heart' and 'Weighted Down (The Prison Song)' drip with loneliness like all great country songs should. The album's closer is definitely the most experimental part of the album, with the near 10 minute track hypnotising you with its repetition, whilst the drums do their own thing in their background. Its not too far removed from krautrock! I wish the book had more odd gems like this instead of rehashing your dad's old record collection.

Oxygène feels both futuristic and retro. It is incredibly innovative to both the electronic and ambient music scene, while also feeling of its time. Its not too dissimilar to watching an old sci-fi movie and seeing how the past generations would imagine the world we live in today. That's not meant to discredit Oxygène, I actually think that might be part of the album's charm. The tone is very relaxing and you could easily use this album as background music or you could give it your full focus and get lost in all the sonic textures. There's always something going on to stop any of the six chapters from getting stale. Most people will know 'Oxygène, Pt. 6', even if they couldn't name the artist or song, but the entire album is worth your time.

It baffles the mind that an 18 year old could make this record. It all sounds very mature. Apple's voice is phenomenal. She has sultry voice that can convey fury and ire when needed. The melodies feel quite Beatleseque. This is a front-loaded album. The first half is perfect and loaded with hits, whilst the second half has slight dip in quality. There's nothing bad on here, just weaker songs that go on a minute longer than they needed too. Thankfully the final song 'Carrion' pulls everything together and is one of the best songs on the album. Starting out restrained, the song builds up to a thrilling climax when the wailing guitars and strings come in and let the record finish off in style.

This is certainly a strange album. Anyone going into this expecting cheery songs about surfing and girls is going to be very confused. I became obsessed with this album after Brian Wilson passed. I was lured in by the dark cover that you wouldn't expect from the Beach Boys. With the top-notch production and gorgeous harmonies, this still sounds like the band, but there is something darker lurking under the surface. The songs are mostly about pollution. 'A Day In The Life Of A Tree' is sung from the perspective of a dying tree. Although that may sound corny, there's something about the combination of the pained vocals and the organ that makes me feel so incredibly sad. 'Disney Girls (1957)' and 'Student Demonstration Time' are by far the worst tracks here, with the former song being a tacky Disney endorsement and the latter being a dated take on the civil unrest of the time. Post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys are such an interesting band. They continued to experiment and got varying results, but this album is a winner despite the weak cuts.

This has a lot of dated 80s production, with weak drums and uninspired synth parts. The two instrumental tracks that bookend the original UK album track listing do absolutely nothing for me. Mackenzie's vocals has the same theatrical flair that Morrisey has, but he's a much worse singer. Whilst Morrisey can croon, this guy yaps! By the time I got to the band's biggest song 'Party Fears Two', I was actively annoyed by all his vocal theatrics. I'm not completely negative on this. 'Country Club' is a catchy pop track. This is inoffensive yet largely forgettable, sounding like a much weaker version of bands like Duran Duran and Depeche Mode.

Live At Leeds shows The Who as a thunderous juggernaut of a live act. If the purpose of this release was to convince listeners to go out and catch the band when they come to their town, then I'm sure this album was a roaring success. This is a fairly faithful document of the band's live show at the time, with only minimal studio touch-ups. The band play fantastically on here. Full of bluesy energy, the band storm through three covers and three original songs on the original release (including a 15 minute extended version of 'My Generation'). I do question if this is an essential listen to all music fans, although it is essential to Who fans. While this set the standard to how good live records could sound, I think I would always pick the original studio versions over the frantic live renditions found on here.

I've always known and loved 'Fast Car'. I was surprised to find out it was released in 1988 as it sounds much more modern. Chapman's poverty anthems are brought to life by her powerful voice and show that very little has changed since this album hit shelves. This record is a reminder that poverty is cycle and things aren't always going to get better. This album is strongest when the production is stripped back and just focuses on Chapman's strong voice. There's times when things get too busy and distracting, with the synths aging an otherwise timeless record. The cheesy 'Baby Can I Hold You' and the reggae-infused 'She's Got Her Ticket' are a few tracks that show their age. Chapman can sing acapella and still demand your attention, as seen on the harrowing 'Behind The Wall'. If every song on this was even a fraction as great as 'Fast Car', this would be an easy 5.

This album is produced to sound like a live record. Whilst that gimmick might seem strange at first, the loose playing of the band and the feeling that everything could come off the rails at any given moment makes the concept work. The whole record feels like a party. Most of the tracks are covers, but they make them their own. 'Piece Of My Heart', 'Summertime' and 'Ball And Chain' are all essentially Big Brother & The Holding Company songs despite them not being written by them. If Janis Joplin's gravelly vocals aren't your cup of tea, then Cheap Thrills might not be a great time for you. Joplin's screams makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and the distorted guitar parts are loud and sleazy. These guys channel the blues better than Led Zeppelin ever could (I say that as a big Zeppelin fan!).

This is my first Stevie Wonder record and I had an excellent time with it. As soon as the buttery smooth 'Smile Please' kicked off the album, I was immediately charmed by the warmth and the soulful voice of Wonder. The production on here is sublime, with the harmonies of backing singers helping to create such a rich and dense sound throughout the entirety of the runtime. There's not a bad song here and everything feels varied. Wonder can turn down the pace with a slow jam like 'Too Shy To Say' before bringing you immediately bring you back to to life with the funky Moog-driven 'Boogie On Reggae Woman'. Wonders tackles a number of important topics here, from attacking then-president Richard Nixon on 'You Haven't Done Nothin' ' and reflecting on his own mortality on the haunting' They Won't Go When I Go'. If this is considered the weakest Stevie inclusion in the book, then I am absolutely buzzing to see what else this immensely talented man has to offer.

I definitely think I will need more than a day to allow this one to sink in. My first listen started out strong, but I found the record to feel over indulgent as it went on. Both 'Australia' and 'Arthur' started out great, but I felt resentment set in towards them as they went past the five minute mark with repeating choruses. The choruses on 'Victoria' and 'Shangri-La' are so big and infectious. There's lots of fun guitar parts and big sections peppered although out the record. This feels like a lost Beatles album filled with McCartney cuts that were too weird for the rest of the band, but this is a lot heavier on the biting social critiquing than anything Beatles ever put out. I feel like my rating could go up if I had more time with this.

Like Bowie did with Blackstar, Cohen turns his impending death into art. With his husky and worn voice, Cohen explores his complicated relationship with his faith and reflecting on his life. The instrumentation is sparse, with Cohen's intelligent lyrics getting all the attention they deserve. Cohen can write as well any great poet can. We get some gospel choirs, which further the religious themes found here. Being released so close to his death, songs like 'Leaving The Table' hit just that little bit harder. With the menacing bass line leading the song in, the title track is another favourite of mine. think you will struggle to find many late-career albums better than You Want It Darker.

I'm baffled why this isn't clicking with me. I've never been a Springsteen guy, but I would struggle to tell you why. A lot of artists I love find him massively influential to their sound (shoutout to the Gaslight Anthem!). I didn't grow up with Springsteen's music and I'm very far from New Jersey, so I have no nostalgic connection to him or his songs about growing up in the Garden State. The working-class anthems here sound massive, with a variety of instruments adding to the big sound. His voice is unique. It is filled to the rim with passion and that's all I need out of a vocalist. Not everyone has to be Jeff Buckley in the vocals department for me to enjoy their music. Its only during 'Something In The Night' that I find his vocal quirks irritating. I've given this a few listens and I'm not pulled in. I don't hate it, but I'm not emotionally moved by this at all. 'Badlands' and 'Prove It All Night' are the best tracks here, but there's nothing here that I'll be rushing back to.

At just 27 minutes, this was a delight to listen to and didn't out stay its welcome. Incorporating a more rock sound without going full country rock, Jennings brings some much needed edge to the country genre. There's a lot of sadness in this album and Jenning's deep voice conveys that incredibly well. Whoever said that country music was just emo with fancy hats must have been talking about this LP. With the exception of the strings-heavy ballad 'We Had It All', there isn't a whole lot of variety to be found here, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It sticks to a formula and does what it does exceptionally well. It doesn't have a chance to get old due to the brief running time. I think a lot of people write off country as dumb music for hicks (I have been guilty of that mindset when I was younger), but albums like this that can turn those people into believers and show that the genre can be incredibly soulful.

I've always had a complicated relationship with Dylan. I'm not one of those people who thinks he's been vastly overrated and can't sing, but I have never been one who thinks he's the best songwriter of the 21st century. I enjoy the odd song and I'm intrigued by the legend of Dylan. On his most celebrated work here, I've always enjoyed my time with it but I have never walked away thinking it was one of the best albums of all time like many others do. With the messy organ playing, 'Like A Rolling Stone' is a stomper of a song and I would rate this album higher if we got more tracks like that. I love the loose playing of his band. Its almost amateurish, but adds to the charm and feels like you're watching an energetic bar band. Dylan is fine when it comes to his voice and his lyrics. There's a few good lines here, but I always found his writing style to be pretentious and vague. A lot of the songs go on for longer than needed, with the 11 minute 'Desolation Row' taking the absolute biscuit. Outside of the iconic opener, the bluesy 'From A Buick 6' and the cutting bite of 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' were two other strong cuts. I doubt I'll ever be won over by Dylan, but I'll be keeping an open mind when his other records pop up over the course of this project.

I find that a lot of rap in the early years hasn't aged the best and sounds dated rather quickly. Thankfully I didn't have that issue with today's album. It sounds fairly fresh and the things they rap about are still sadly relevant as it was back in 1991. The line about KKK now wearing three-piece suits knocked me back as how well its aged in today's messed up political climate. Chuck's vocals are demanding and he has a great flow. Flav serves well as the group's hypeman and even gets time to shine on 'I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo N***', one of the strongest tracks here. I was aware of 'By The Time I Get To Arizona' and 'Bring The Noize' due to my time with the Tony Hawk video games and they hold up from my childhood. Although the latter song is drilled into my brain at this point, it must be weird to see how a band like Anthrax collaborating with Public Enemy must have been when this released. There is a fair bit of filler on here that brings down my overall rating. Despite the bloat, I had a good time and I'm intrigued to hear more from these guys.

Not always an easy listen, you can hear how this chaotic and discordant record was a massive influence on the emerging post-punk scene. The loud drone of the synthesizers can make this challenging to listen to. The unhinged vocals are certainly an acquired taste. Dude sounds like he's having a severe mental health episode. I can hear a lot Geordie Greep in the vocals actually. The guitar and bass work here is top notch. When they get locked in a groove, its easy to forgive the more challenging aspects of this and you can roll with the chaos that these guys bring to the table. In these moments, everything come together in an ugly little package and you realise the album wouldn't be the same without the schizophrenic vocals and droning of the synthesisers. With its big chorus, 'Modern Dance' is the closest thing you'd find to a radio single here. 'Sentimental Journey' is the most inaccessible track, with the six minute track featuring smashing glasses and disturbing instrumentation. Although it may be a touch too weird for regular rotation, but I will always admire this for creating something so unique.

I won't waste much time exploring 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Everyone knows it and the majority of people rightfully love it. It may be overplayed, but that doesn't detract from the fact that its a killer song and its impressive that it was able to reach so many people despite being a prog song with operatic elements. 'You're My Best Friend' is a sweet and sincere hit and 'Death On Two Legs' show the band at their most venomous. At eight minutes and change, 'The Prophet's Song' is the longest song here and you can feel the length due to extended vocal segment. As talented as everyone in the band is, this is rather overindulgent and some of the more theatrical moments can read as goofy. The old-timey cuts 'Good Company' and 'Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon' are oddities that I wouldn't miss if they were cut from the album. For an album that contains one of rock's most known and celebrated songs, there is a lot of filler on here.

The way everyone has been talking about this made me think that ABBA released a goth album. As great as that would be, this is quite a while away from Sisters Of Mercy. The lyrics are darker than what you would expect from them, this is still polished pop music - not that there is anything wrong with that! These guys know how to craft a pop hook. 'Head Over Heels' will be stuck in your head after listening to it. They do take a few creative U-turns. The slow build up and use of synths gives the opening track a spacey vibe and 'I Let The Music Speak' is straight up musical theatre. They sure can sing, but the emotion in their voices give the feeling that they are tired and just a bit fed up despite the upbeat music. This all gives the album a darker edge. There isn't a bad song here and I even ended up listening to the bonus tracks, which is something that I rarely do.

This is a perfectly fine punk record that came out of the cusp of the grunge movement blowing up. Where it falls short is when you hold it up to its contemporaries. This is noisy, but nowhere near as experimental as Sonic Youth. It may sound like Nirvana, but lacks the pop sensibilities and Cobain's passionate yell. I enjoyed how they incorporated harmonica into their sound on several songs, with 'Move Out' standing out. I don't recall other grunge bands using the instrument like they did here. 'Fuzz Gun' 91' is an instrumental piece that brings the fuzz as the name implies. 'Thorn' is the catchiest tune you'd find on here. Outside of these moments, there really isn't anything particular standout here. There's a reason this band isn't as well remembered as other bands of the genre.

Before The Stooges even released their debut album, these guys put out their first album where they play garage rock so intensely and raw that they practically invent punk rock. Recorded live, this album sounds like a great time. The recording quality isn't the best and the band aren't exactly virtuosos on their instruments (the high pitch vocals on the first track make this abundantly clear early on). What they lack in ability, they make up for in sheer energy and drive. The second side is definitely the weaker side of the album, with a lot of extended jams that don't justify their length. This album is at its best when they are pushing out no-filler rockers like the title track. I'll always admire this album for its influence, even if it may not be something I'll come back to in full a lot.

I'm disappointed that I don't love this as much as I should. Album opener 'Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town' kicks the album off in style and sets the mood for the rest of the record. We get a whole lot of weirdo funk that doesn't alternate that much. There was a calypso vibe at the end of the first track and I wish they explored their world music influences further throughout the rest of the record more throughly. I found a lot of the tracks blend into each. They have good sound, driven by a killer rhythm section and David Byrne's anxious vocals. With its iconic bass line, 'Psycho Killer' is the obvious highlight. Most bands don't put out debut albums this well put together, but this is held back knowing that they are capable of.

Sophisticated without going all sophisti-pop and getting trapped in the clichés of 80s pop music, Talk Talk's third record is an absolute gem that features a layered sound that is both rich and dense. With a sound that feels rather modern, The Colour Of Spring doesn't rely on heavy synths and instead features jazz instrumentation that gives the album a lot of texture. Although this is an easy record to unwind to, there is also something interesting coming around the corner to keep you engaged. You get organs, harmonica and even a children's choir contributing to the sound. I'm baffled that this list decided against including the two albums that followed this one, as they would continue to experiment their sound to much critical success.

This feels like a John Ford cowboy movie - a touch corny and lacking the raw grit that Sergio Leone would bring to the genre, but there's still a great time to be had to be here. Both homely and comforting, Robbins is a phenomenal storyteller with a voice that demands your attention. I was already familiar with 'Big Iron' due to the internet memes and the album is more of the same. Robbins is completely committed to the cowboy concept. There is a mix of fast songs and slow ballads to add variety to a record with the same lyrical themes. There's a reason why both the Fallout series and Breaking Bad have both gone back to this record to evoke feelings of the Wild West.

The album opens with 'Cisco Kid' - a swaggering yet repetitive number that will have you singing along to the chorus on the first listen. Things get a touch proggy with 'City, Country, City' begins. It is a funky 13 minute instrumental piece that feels like it could soundtrack a police chase scene in a blaxplitation flick. The progressive elements continue into the the next track, with 'Four Cornered Room' featuring trippy vocals phasing in and out and repeative instrumentation that almost feels tribal. I admire how this record can balance being experimental and being commercial so well. You've got 3 minute singles sitting alongside extended jams seamlessly. The album is a melting pot of funk, soul and Latin music. The vibes are immaculate here, with the mood always focusing on good times.

Hotel Yorba' and 'Fell In Love With A Girl' were the big singles that I remember the most from this album and they show off the range of the band, with the first song being a jaunty country track and the latter being a catchy garage song that doesn't even break the two minute mark. 'The Union Forever' was another favourite of mine. The track is an ode to Citizen Kane, and features quotes from the movie and an organ that gives the feeling of underlying dread. Critics have given Meg White grief since the Stripes blew up because of her rough drum playing style and I think the hate is largely unwarranted. Her ramshackle way of playing compliments the fuzz of Jack White's guitar and his yappy vocals. There is a decent amount of filler on here, and I wouldn't mind if 'Little Room', 'Expecting' and maybe a few other tracks were dropped to make this record a tight 30 minutes. When this album is good, it is exceptional. I still find it crazy how a band with such a unique retro sound became so big when that style was far from being in fashion.

A highly influential record, with everyone from Elastica to Minor Threat taking something from this album. Packing 21 songs into a tight 35 minute package, some of the more brief songs pass without being able to make much of an impression. The angry cuts 'Surgeon's Girl' and 'Mr Suit' work best in this format, with the influence on hardcore punk being very clear. The vocals here are at their best when they are shouty and snarling. We do get a glimpse of their poppier side with 'Fragile' and 'Mannequin' both having catchy melodies without jeopardising their punk sound completely. The album gets at its most chaotic on the title track, with an lengthy breakdown to close off the first side of the album. The burst fire delivery of the riffs are loud and the bass grooves pop. Released only a year after punk broke, these lads released an intense fully formed album which built upon everything that first wave of punk bands laid out.

This feels like an attempt to make their own Sgt. Pepper's. It is obviously isn't as polished and they do not have the budget to compete with The Beatles, they more than make up with passion and creativity. It is even more impressive to note that this was made by teenagers who were being oppressed by their government. This is certainly a lot more interesting than a lot of the more dull psych acts that came out once the hippie scene was in full swing. Mixing their own Brazilian tropicalla sound with psychedelica, they create an oddball record that is filled with texture and melodies. I'm also hearing elements of Beach Boys in their sound due to the harmonies they use. I'm most moved by the music when Rita Lee is on lead vocals. I have no idea what she is saying, but she has such a beautiful voice. They cover both The Mamas And The Papas and François Hardy here. I went back to listen to both the original versions of 'Once Was A Time I Thought' (listed here as 'Tempo No Tempo') and 'Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour' and I think that Os Mutantes have the better versions. This is a great discovery, this project has taught me how great Latin music can be.

I first have to give The Who credit for somehow making a rock opera about a mute pinball wizard and not making it feel like a pretentious mess. I admire their ambition, even if I'm unsure how often I will return to this as a full album. I am curious to check out the movie after spending time with this today. They pull the concept off well and I didn't feel like this double album dragged at all during its 74 minute runtime. There's a lot of dark themes to be found here, with the protagonist getting abused throughout the story. 'Cousin Kevin' is a song sung from the perspective of a particularly mean school bully and it handles the premise well. On the other hand, you have 'Fiddle About', which is a song about sexual abuse and it is tackled so clumsily that it almost feels like a joke. 'Tommy's Holiday Camp' is another song that is too damn goofy for its own good. Whilst we do get some good tracks like 'Pinball Wizard', this record made me realise that I much prefer The Who when they are putting out simplistic rockers instead of grandiose concept records like this.

I audibly groaned when I got another Elvis Costello record today. I'm still put off by his irritating voice, but the songs are so well put together and catchy that I eventually wasn't as bothered by his whiny vocals. Songs are snappy and don't get enough time to stagnate. You get pulled in by the hooks and it's time to move onto the next track. Costello wears his influences on his sleeves and you hear his love for early Beatles mixed into powerpop sound. The bass in particular had many moments that reminded me of Paul McCartney. You can see how new wave bands were influenced by the music found on here. The opening guitar riff of 'Lip Service' lays out the blueprint for great Smiths song. Costello's backing band were another high point for me, with the organ playing being the cherry on top. 'Pump It Up' and 'You Belong To Me' wouldn't be as infectious as they are without the drive that the organ brings to the songs. After having a terrible time with Brutal Youth, I'm very pleased and surprised that I actually enjoyed this.

I don't want to be that guy who is all too quick to dump on feminist art, but I did not enjoy my time with this at all. Heaux Tales is a concept record about conversations about female sexuality. The music here is bog standard R'n'B and the conversational interludes weren't exactly engaging. One of the women interviewed is just complaining that she can't date poor men and I struggle to feel sympathy for them. 'On It' features gloating about their wishes to jump on their partner's genitalia with zero subtlety. On The production is minimalist, so the focus can be on what is said. Sullivan can definitely sing, but there is many moments where her voice is smothered in autotune for no reason at all. Thankfully this was short and I won't be returning to this. As a white man, I acknowledge that this album is not made for me, but I'm ultimately left baffled why this album is considered an essential listen before we shuffle off this earth.

This album shows a band becoming more radio-friendly without compromising their sound. The memorable jangling riffs on 'Pop Song 89' and 'Stand' ensured that their songs gets their hooks into the listener's brain. The mandolin centric sound that the band would become known for is developed on 'You Are The Everything' and 'The Wrong Child'. Despite being known as a band that take themselves seriously, we get to see a playful side of the band with lyrics clowning on bassist Mike Mills for sleeping in during recording time on 'Get Up'. The song's bridge even features music boxes, which adds to the song's light hearted vibe. This is a great record that shows that radio rock doesn't necessarily has to be a bad thing.

3 hours and 15 minutes of easy listening vocal jazz from one of the greats of the genre. Listening to this in one setting treats it like an endurance test, although it doesn't feel like a slog to have on in the background due to how non-offensive the music is. This is a songbook, not a traditional album after all. There is a 45 minute compilation of this songbook that I'd suggest checking out if you don't want to hear the entire collection. I don't think you would miss much by doing that as there is not much in the way of variety here. Whilst I'd argue at its inclusion in a project like this due to this format, it is expertly crafted music. Fitzgerald's voice is buttery smooth and her backing band are fantastic at playing the Gerswin songbook. Although the attention is on Fitzgerald, they do get some time to show during the instrumental breaks. The final disc consists entirely of instrumental overtures, almost like a special feature to make use of the remaining space of the vinyl. This made for pleasant background music. It evokes nostalgia in me, despite having no prior connection to this music. Whilst it is not my cup of tea, I can see why Fitzgerald is so reverred.

The first half of this album contains 5 paint-by-numbers psych rock songs filled with every hippie-dippy cliché you can think of. You've got songs about flowers, beads, being groovy with a smattering of anxiety about Vietnam. The love songs on here are particularly sickly and mushy. There's nothing outright offensive on side one, but there is nothing standout either. The second side consists of one 17 minute track and would be the band's most known and celebrated song. Starting off with a killer psychedelic riff, the band then break out into extended jam where every instrument gets time to strut their stuff. For better or worse, you can blame this song for popularising the extended drum solo in rock music. I'd argue that this album does not belong on the 1001 albums list, but I have no issue on the title track making a list of 1001 songs to hear to hear before you die.

A quirky and daring debut that just happens to contain two of the biggest songs of the eighties. There's a lot of covers on here, but Lauper makes them her own. The way she took 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' from some bozo and turned it into a feminist anthem is very creative. She even tackles Prince on 'When You Were Mine' and delivers an excellent cover that has its own style. The way that Lauper mixes her love of new wave and ska bands into her sound shows that pop records can have a lot of personality and heart poured into them and don't have to be soulless corporate cash grabs. Lauper is able to deliver a heartfelt ballad in 'Time After Time' before immediately going into a bouncy sex-positive song about self-pleasure in 'She Bop' so effortlessly. Packed with bangers, this colourful and vibrant record is so much fun.

Trying to show the world that they weren't just a frat boy one hit wonder, The Beastie Boys knuckle down on their sophomore record. The beats here are immaculate and the final result was probably worth the band getting sued for. They sample everyone from The Beatles to Johnny Cash to Led Zeppelin. The rhymes are yobbish yet clever. They show their love for hardcore punk and heavy metal on 'Looking Down A Barrel Of A Gun' and you a good glimpse of their absurdist humour on 'Egg Man'. The 9-part closer 'B-Boy Bouillabaisse' is crafty way to use the fragments of unfinished songs they had lying around, all combined in a way that feels cohesive. This may be dated in places as most early hip hop tends to be, but you cannot deny the influence that this record had.

As someone who grew up worshiping Nirvana, I had a natural dislike of Guns N' Roses. I hated Axl Rose and saw the band as a misogynistic cock rock band. Whilst I think 'Welcome To The Jungle', 'Paradise City' and 'Sweet Child Of Mine' are overplayed, I knew deep down they're good tracks and know they were better than a lot of the much you got on rock radio at the time. Most bands don't have hits that strong on their debut album! When I finally listened to the album, I discovered that 'Nighttrain', 'Mr. Brownstone' and 'My Michelle' were the real bangers. They have hooks with an edge to them. 'It's So Easy' sounds like an Alice In Chains song if they were around in the eighties. Axl and crew are so much more dangerous than the glam metal bands came before them. Not every song is a hit single though. 'Think About You' is rather generic outside of the colorful jangle riff that colours the chorus. I find myself dipping after we are done with 'Paradise City'. The last handful of songs feel like filler, but the first half is so good that I can forgive it.

There's something about the noodling on here that just pulls you under its hypnotic grasp. The sounds found here are spacy and ambient, but refuses to fall into the background. Clocking in at just over 3 minutes, 'Moonshake' is the shortest and most radio-friendly song here due to its funky reggae-infused groove. The three other songs on this album are lengthy, with 'Bel Air' running just shy of 20 minutes and taking the entirety of the second side. The way that the drumming creeps in on that track is absolutely masterful and its one of those moments that had the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Damo Suzuki doesn't have the best singing voice, but the vocals aren't the main attraction and they add atmosphere to the overall sound. He's never front and center so its never abrasive. This was a total trip and you hear how this influenced many future artists. I can definitely see what post-Kid A Radiohead took from Can by listening to this album for example. It may be over 50 years old, but this sounds a lot more modern than it actually is.

I can see why this band had the men of this generation in a vice grip. These are meat and potatoes anthems for the working class. They're loud, brass and the Gallagher brothers bring buckets of attitude to the table. Even the non-single tracks here have massive potential to be chart-toppers. 'Don't Look Back In Anger' and 'Champagne Supernova' stand out due to slower pace and the strings that make the songs soar. You can hear their Beatles influence the strongest on the chorus of 'She's Electric'. They may be lacking the intelligence that you will find in music of the other Britpop bands like Pulp and Suede, but these songs are are much more digestible to the masses. That being said, I could do without ever hearing 'Wonderwall' ever again due to how overplayed it is and 'Roll With It' was certainly a choice to be selected as the single for them to go into a chart war with Blur. It's a very generic Oasis song and I would have picked almost any other song on the record. Whilst I ultimately think that Oasis are overrated and that they never followed up on the success of this album, I can admit that this record (along with the debut and accompanying b-sides) are a great time and they take me right back to my childhood.

Both poppy and heavy as hell, Pixies laid out out the formula for every big alternative hit that would come out in the decade after Doolittle's release. The heaviest cut on here is 'Tame' which sounds like a Nirvana song, with Black Francis' pained howls mirroring Cobain's. The most radio-friendly song is 'Here Comes Your Man', which features a surf guitar riff combined with a happy melody that made the song a hit. The bass playing throughout the album is sublime, even if it isn't all that technical. Kim Deal's basslines are memorable and I'm sure she encouraged many kids to pick up the instrument. 'Debaser' wouldn't be as much of a earworm if it didn't feature Deal's bassline leading the song. This record isn't afraid to get a bit weird, with Francis' yowling delivery and all the surreal lyrics and themes you can find here. Alternative music wouldn't be the same without this album.

The artwork is laughably bad and feels like a jab at flashy hip-hop album art. If that is intentional, none of that humour shows up on the actual album. On first listen, this failed to make much of an impression on me. This is a laid-back affair, with characterless and wimpy vocals. 'Squares' was the big single from this album and it sounded like they're trying to be the next Portishead, but they do not have the vocal chops to make the music engaging and they bring anything new to that trip-hop flavoured sound. There are moments of greatness with the instrumentation, but all good stuff happens as the song reaches its crescendo and you already stopped caring by that point. I wasn't offended by anything on here, but I certainly wasn't engrossed at any point nor do I think I will ever return to this.

This genre is very much not my cup of tea, so I went into this expecting not to like it and I heard nothing that would change my opinion on the genre. Both uninteresting and repetitive, there's a spy motif throughout the album that's not handled particularly well. It reminds me of the music that you find in a PlayStation 1 game rather than a snazzy spy flick. The album was most enjoyable when more famous works were sampled. The James Bond theme is sampled on 'Radio 7' and some Serge Gainsbourg tracks are sampled on 'Don't Die Just Yet'. I'm not an expert on electronic music, but I know sure as hell that this is not as cutting edge as Aphex Twin. It all feels very nineties and not in a good way.

This was an hour and change of an immensely talented man getting so much out of a battered out of tune piano. The story of how this live performance came to be is remarkable and I was weary that it might overshadow the music found on here, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. Basically a tired and worn out Keith Jarrett turned up to a Cologne concert hall and was furious that they only had this rehearsal piano that was in dire need of a repair and tune-up for him to play on during that night's performance. He reluctantly agrees to perform and makes the most with what he's been given. He avoids the weak bass notes, uses the broken pedals as makeshift percussion and improvises music that feels so full despite it just coming from one man and a piano. He does these weird vocal tics that could have been left out, as he just sounds like he's grunting over his beautiful piano playing. Aside from that, this was a lovely time.

Not even reaching the half hour mark, this album passes by without having the chance to wear thin on the listener. You would really have to hate country to struggle to get through this. The songs all follow a similar structure and there isn't much variation in the sound. He clearly wasn't trying to make a Sgt. Pepper's and this is just a collection of old-time country songs with no overarching narrative. Jones has a strong handsome voice and the production is slick. With lyrical themes such as drinking and girls, all the country clichés are here. I usually like my country music to have more grit than the polished sound that you would find on here, but this is clearly well-made. This won't convert anyone who already can't stand the genre, but this made for pleasant listening as I started my weekend.

As someone who has been a casual fan of Roxy Music for many years, I don't think I've ever listened to their debut album before today. This isn't exactly packed with the big hits from the band. I've known and enjoyed 'Virginia Plain' for many years, even though that song wasn't included on the initial UK release. What surprised me here was how futuristic this was. This was glam rock masquerading as pop music from the future. Although he certainly had that frontman charisma that made Roxy Music a household name, Ferry's shaky vocals are the weak link here and the album is at its best when you get Brian Eno doing Brian Eno stuff. I can see why the Eno/Ferry partnership clashed as the pop side of the record feels like its fighting the experimental parts. The sax-lead stomper 'Would You Believe?' could have been a chart topper once glam rock was popular. On the other side of the coin, you have some otherworldly sounds coming from Eno's synth and Manzanera's guitar on 'Ladytron'. The art-rock found on here occasionally falls into artsy-fartsy territory, see the last two songs for example. Despite some identity and teething issues, this is an exceptional strong debut from one of the most influential bands of its era.

I love band names that tell you exactly what you are going to get with their music. Funkadelic might be the best example out there. This is so goddamn funky. Most of the songs on here are rather long and feel like a jam session. Sometimes the songs can go on a smingen too long. 'Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers)' is a prime example of this, clocking in at a colossal 11 minutes. The amusing spoken word passages and guitar playing keep the song enjoyable enough. They embrace the blending of genres with their cool as a cucumber fusion of funk and rock that had to influence the soulful shredding of Prince. They own this mixing of styles openly on 'Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!'. Its an utter travesty that when your average person on the street hears the words 'funk rock', that they're probably going to think of Red Hot Chili Peppers instead of a pioneering band like Funkadelic. You may not be able to find this record on streaming, but it is well worth going out your way to find it as it will blow your mind and get your ass shaking.

If these were the ideas that Greg Lake brought to the table, I can see why Robert Fripp fired him from King Crimson so early on. This was nonsensical technical noodling. The album starts out all whimsical and wimpy, before the organ starts and things get noisy and chaotic. The horrendous sounds Keith Emerson gets out of the organ will make you want to time travel back to Newcastle in 1971 with a baseball bat so you can go to town on his instrument to stop this being released into the world. 'The Great Gates Of Kiev' is a take on the song that is used as the theme song of Jerry 'The King' Lawler. This got a pop out of me, but this version is tarnished by Lake's irritating vocals and the indulgent middle section that was harsh on the ears. Even as someone who does enjoy a bit of progressive rock, this was hard to listen to.

Sexy, seductive and intoxicating, the beats on Tricky's debut make it an incredibly easy record to get lost in. I found this especially to be true on the longer cuts like 'Aftermath' and 'Strugglin''. It feels wrong to referring to a solo album as guest vocalist Martina Topley-Bird adds so much to the moody atmosphere. Her voice has a Bjork-like quality at times to it. Whilst its a mostly chilled-out record, we get some rock instrumentation on tracks like' Black Steel' and Tricky shows some aggro on 'Brand New You're Retro'. Since leaving Massive Attack in an attempt break out on his own, Tricky further develops the sound that can be found on those albums with his own unique flair. A very morish listen, I wasn't expecting myself to like this as much as I did.

This feels like one of those old-school records where the opening title track is the main event and everything else is filler. As iconic as the title track is, everything after the first track is still delightful listening due to Green's soulful crooning and the immaculate production. It feels like Green is carrying the touch that Otis Redding left behind. I enjoyed Green's take on the Bee Gees 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart'. This is soul music with a gospel twist. Green will steal your girl and praise the lord above in one swoop. I'm in no way religious, but I can still enjoy this style of music as long as it is not overly preachy, which Green rarely is on this album. Classic soul always makes for easy listening and this was no different.

Containing some of the best rap tracks of all time, this is a document of Biggie's talents despite the bloat and bigotry. There is a lot of misogyny and homophobia on here, and it is more direct and in your face than the sexism that you would find in most dated classic rock songs. Biggie wants to use up every second available on the CD, so he includes forgettable filler like 'Friend Of Mine' and 'Unbelievable' and unerotic skits of him having sex. No one needed to hear that! When this album is good, it is impeccable. Biggie had an unreal flow and a knack for storytelling. 'Juicy' is a perfect party song about Biggie's rise to the top and the boastful sexual lyrics are the most tolerable on 'Big Poppa' due to the sensual sampling. We get an insight into Biggie's psyche on the dark 'Suicidal Thoughts'. Listening to this made me wonder what music Biggie would put once he was able to lessen the bravado and mature a little if his life wasn't tragically cut so short.

Even though I enjoyed their big hit 'Over And Over' during what I perceived as their peak during the big landfill indie boom of the 2000s, I'm not sure who Hot Chip influenced in the grand scheme of things and I'm baffled by the inclusion. That being said, this was some damn catchy synth-pop. On an album full of earworms, 'Night And Day' might be the most infectious. With his weedy voice, the vocalist does get a touch irritating. This band doesn't sound like they stand for anything and their music doesn't have a lot to say, but it just wants to gets the listener moving and it does this rather successfully.

Mixing 60's girl group production with their love of The Velvet Underground, their fuzzed out production is frequently considered the birth of shoegaze. There is beauty and melody to be found throughout all that fuzz and noise. Whilst this album can feel rather one-note with its thunderous pop songs, it doesn't feel too indifferent to the Ramones self-titled. They have an established sound and they get in and out without much variation on that sound. Others have even pointed out that the songs on here sound like Ramones tracks all reverbed up and slowed down. The other time when this repetitive style doesn't work in the record's favour is on 'Sowing Seeds' where the introductory drum pattern mirrors opening track 'Just Like Honey' and you might be left confused that the album is repeating itself. As one record store clerk famously stated, these guys picked up where Echo and The Bunnymen left off.

The band continue to experiment and evolve their vintage sound to the point that it sounds cutting edge. Just listen to the guitar tone on opener 'Blue Orchid' for proof of this. The burst of aggressive drumming paired alongside the haunting use of a marimba on 'The Nurse' is another example of their experimentation paying off. The more blues-flavoured tracks don't sound derivative due to Jack White's guitar tone sounding more loud and raunchous than ever compared to previous White Stripes records. Songs like the piano-led 'My Doorbell' and the folksy 'Little Ghost' show a band that aren't afraid to embrace retro styles, even if they are way out of fashion. This is a band that is simultaneously both old and new.

The story of this band is much more interesting than anything they put out. I listened to the director's cut and followed it up with the tracks not featured on that to try and get a complete picture of this record as tracking down the original record was a nightmare. Regardless of what version I could listen to, this music wasn't going to be for me. I'll doubt I'll get on board with this type of music. Mixing an MC5 sample with pulsating music that sounds right out of a Mortal Kombat movie, 'What Time Is Love?' is probably my favourite song on here, but the song is soon tarnished with rap vocals that instantly age the track. Any good beat is dampered soon enough. It is relaxing enough to have on in the background whilst working, but nothing pulled me in. Maybe this hits better if you were off your face in a club back in the day, but if you need drugs for music to transcend you, then its not good music on its own merits.

Morrissey might be an absolute tit, but records like this show why we tolerated his behaviour for so long. Fresh off The Smiths breaking up, Morrissey must have put this album out to show his detractors that he will be absolutely fine without his former band. The dramatic lyrics from those Smiths records can still be found here. On 'Alsatain Cousin' and 'I Don't Mind If You Forget Me', the jangling riffs of Johnny Marr are traded for something more loud and fierce. The instrumentation throughout the record is lush and we even some strings backing up Morrissey, allowing him to feel like a crooner from days gone by and not the frontman of a hyped-up indie band. 'Late Night, Mauldin Street' has Morrissey serenading at his emotional and vulnerable. Initial single 'Suedehand' might just be the perfect song to introduce the audience to his solo work as it sounds both familiar yet also like it is doing something different to what he was doing the last time you heard his voice on an album. By the time the guillotine comes down to round out delicate ballad 'Margaret On The Gullotine', Moz has certainly made a statement that he can put out music that might even be better than what his former band churned out.

M.I.A. literally travels the world to refine her sound on her second album. Drawing influences from all over the world, her approach celebrates those different styles in a respectable manner and giving them the spotlight instead of picking at them and discarding them like a vulture for her own advantage. She blends her electropop style with an old Bollywood number on 'Jimmy' and the result is an infectious track that in filled to the brim with energy. I was left in a trance by the rhythmic and pulsating Indian percussion found throughout the record. She even travels down under on 'Mango Pickle Down River', a track complete with didgeridoo and a gang of indigenous child rapping over the beat. She shines a light on the African mindset and struggle on Hussel, while infusing some music of that continent into her style. This album is political yet never forgets that it wants the listener to have fun. The pros and cons of masculinity are tackled playfully on 'Boyz'. The whole record feels like a fusion of world music in the best way possible.

What else needs to be said about this? All killer and no filler, this is essentially ground zero for punk rock. Ramones mix their love for The Stooges and 60's girl groups on their debut and you have a winning formula. Everyone and their nan knows 'Blitzkreig Bop' and as overplayed as it is, it is insane to think it is the very first song on their first album. What a mission statement! This is bone-headed and proud, poor Joey can't even pronounce the word 'basement'!. We get a rare tender moment on the longing 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend'. The guitar work and basslines are beyond simplistic, but sound amazing. Dee-Dee's bass pops in the mix and Johnny's down stroking guitar playing resembles a chainsaw. I can't imagine how the last 50 years of rock music would look if these guys didn't come along.

Tina Turner's comeback record may have been a huge success back in the day, this album hasn't exactly aged well. The production here feels dated and artificial. Turner has an objectively good voice, but her constant vocalisations do get grating. As impressive as some of those notes are, hearing her strain her vocal cords to the limit every other songs gets old quick. The covers are a mixed bag. While her Al Green cover of 'Let's Stay Together' is a serviceable attempt at bringing that song into the next decade, her take on 'Help!' is rotten. She strips the urgency away from the Beatles original and turns it into a soppy piano ballad with zero bite. The big singles such as 'What's Love Got To Do With It?' and the title track are enjoyable slices of pop cheese. Good for her for getting out of Ike's shadow, but I don't think I will ever feel the need to revisit this.

Shelved for 2 decades, this might be Sam Cooke's greatest achievement. During Cooke's lifetime, the image the suits wanted to believe was that Cooke was a polite crooner that you could take to church and meet your family. That was very far from the truth and this live record shines a spotlight on what a raw and sexual performer he was. Adding some much needed grit onto Cooke's clean music, his voice is so soulful, rugged and demanding here. His band are phenomenal at backing him up, with them matching Sam's energy. As great as a song that 'Bring It On Home To Me' already is, the live cut here with the slow introduction is the superior version. I've never heard a live album that can paint a such vivid image of being there during the recording. From Sam's constant banter with audience to the sound of the audience conversing and responding back to Sam, I feel like I'm in a sweaty and smoky club in 1963 Miami watching one of the greats whenever I put this album on.

The title track is so good that even a hard-to-please John Lennon admitted it was a banger. It's hard to disagree with Lennon, as the cinematic quality it has makes it a real gem. Paul knew how to pen a stomper and with its shouty chorus, 'Jet' might be one of his best. The album quietens down after that. The laid-back stuff is still enjoyable, just a step below the rockier cuts. I'd make exceptions for 'Mrs. Vandebilt' and 'Mamunia' as they both have excellent melodies that only a Beatle could pull out. The album closes with a real top-tapper. 'Nighteen Hundred And Eighty Five' is an infectious piano-led closer that builds up to a blistering and cinematic finale. At this point, McCartney had completely come into his own. I'm not saying his prior solo work was bad, it just didn't feel as complete as it all feels on here.

A funky oddity by some of the Talking Heads lot. 'Wordy Rappinghood' is influenced by early hip-hop. Tina Weymouth's rapping vocals have aged as well as one might expect a white person rapping on a 40+ year old song, but the instrumentation is quirky and alien enough that you can overlook the sup-par rapping. Weymouth's playful vocals are a delight when she's not rapping. As soon as the guitar comes in on 'L'éléphant', I immediately noticed the roaring tone of one Adrian Belew and his playing is very similar to what you can find on the King Crimson records he contributed to around this time. I'm not sure how often I'll return to this, but this was a weird and unique listen that I wouldn't have heard of if not for this project.

As colorful and ahead of his time as Boy George looked when this album came out, that colour did translate to the music he made. The music found here is dated and cheesy. 'Karma Chameleon' is a guilty pleasure. Everything else is forgettable. The opening melody of 'It's A Miracle' sounds like something you would find on a Kunt and the Gang song. The saxophones on this album sets the instrument back years as something you would associate with tacky eighties pop music. Adding soul singers does not mean your music has soul. This is vapid pop music. The hooks are repetitive, and Boy George isn't a compelling vocalist or lyricist. This is mercyfuly short and it is inoffensive enough to not get irritating. The band lack both the bite and innovation that you could find in other new wave bands.

Blues-adjacent radio rock that was easier enough on the ears, but didn't stir anything inside me for the most part. They sound like a lot of bands I like. Being a two piece rock band who are influenced by blues music, the White Stripes are an easy comparison to make. They do not have the energy and passion that you can find on those albums. I can't imagine these guys geeking out over long-dead forgotten musicians like Jack White does. I can also hear some Queens Of The Age too, but lacking the swagger. The big single here is 'Howlin For You' and it is a decent stomper with a chorus you chant along with. I was disappointed to find out that 'Never Going To Give You Up' was not a Rick Astley cover, but instead a cover of an old soul song. These guys do soul pretty well, more so than the blues-driven sound that dominates the album. I never checked these guys when they were in their prime, but it doesn't appear that I missed out on a lot here.

This is a one-note album with no variety. Ultra macho at best and misogynistic at its worst, these lot took the worst parts of Led Zeppelin and ran with it. Brian Johnson is a grating vocalist. He shows no range and is straining throughout the record. The lyrics are unintelligent. Just when you think that they will vary the formula when you hear the slow start of 'Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution', the song properly kicks in and you are back to the same old slop. The title track and 'You Shook Me All Night Long' are tolerable as dumb rock radio anthems, but there is where my faint praise ends. There's nothing wrong with dumb music. Ramones are one of my favourite bands. Those guys had charm, range and a hint of self-awareness to their stupidity. AC/DC do not have any of those qualities.

These songs sound huge and anthemic. The infectious bass grooves adds a funk flavour to their metal sound and Tom Morello gets some unique sounds out of his guitar whenever he isn't delivering crushing riffs. The most impressive thing about this album is how Zach de la Rocha can deliver his politically charged lyrics without ever sounding preachy - the man is simply pissed off! The influence of this record can't be denied and I'd argue that they were just as influential as Nirvana were. You can hear the seeds of nu-metal being planted here to hearing elements of modern bands like La Dispute on the spoken word delivery on 'Settle For Nothing' and I can hear a chugging Turnstile-esque riff on the pre-chorus of 'Know Your Enemy'. This debut outing by the band sounds as fresh as it did when it hit shelves in 1992 and unfortunately the lyrics are still as relevant.

Mayfield has a gorgeous soulful voice and while the music may sound laid-back, the messages of the songs are anything but. Both subdued and funky, this album flew by and left me wanting more. We open with a funky guitar riff on the groovy 'Billy Jack' about struggling to navigate the current climate while being black. The song has a symphony of saxophones leading the song to a euphoric conclusion. 'Jesus' is the weakest song on here. Its not that I found the music offensive, as I enjoyed how the organ gave the song a gospel feel. I just didn't like how preachy the religious themes were. 'So In Love' is a sweet song about finding love within hard times. On the subject of 'Hard Times', that song is yet another smooth jam about the state of the world. With only seven songs on this 35 minute album, this is a very easy listen about not-so-easy times.

Often lumped in with the grunge label, Smashing Pumpkins have more in common with My Bloody Valentine than Pearl Jam. The guitar tone on this so clearly influenced by the shoegaze movement. These are still rock songs though, as emphasised by the ripping guitar solos and the hard drumming style of Jimmy Chamberlain. I wouldn't blame anyone for not liking the band due to Billy Corgan's nasally voice, but I believe his voice further adds to the unique sound the group has. This record has such a sonically diverse palate, and they built upon Pixies' quiet-loud formula that much of the alternative rock scene followed. Fuzzy melodic rockers like 'Today' and 'Cherub Rock' blew the band up and pigeonholed the band alongside other rock bands of the time, even though the Pumpkins were much more interesting and innovative than many of their contemporaries. We get mellotron enhancing an already beautiful acoustic cut on 'Space Boy' and the strings-laden track about childhood trauma on 'Disarm'. 'Mayonaise' might be the most enchanting song ever named after a condiment. Both noisy, euphonious and delicate, this is the Pumpkins at their absolute best.

This didn't do all that much for me, despite recognising the talent of the musicians. The rappers featured here have a good flow. The vocals from the backing singers were soulful when we got them. For the most part, this just sounds like a lot of rap from the era. This was most interesting when they weren't afraid to get experimental. On the 10 minute 'Water', there's a trippy instrumental middle section that gripped me more so than any of the rapping that preceding it. 'Something in the Way of Things (In Town' is a reading of a poem set to an interesting beat and '!!!!!!!' is a straight up hardcore punk interlude. Despite all these little interesting moments popping up throughout the hour-plus runtime, the whole project feels unfocused. This is one of those middle of the road albums that I'm sure we all get throughout this project.

The album opens with 'Bird On A Wire', a brilliant song that Cohen himself wrote off as a simple country song. 'The Partisan' is Cohen's take on a French resistance song from the second world war. With French backing singers and an accordion coming in as the song reaches its conclusion, this might be one of the most bleak songs Cohen ever put out - something that covers a lot of ground! Other great songs include 'Story Of Isaac' and 'Seems So Long Ago, Nancy'. The album is certainly front-loaded, with all the best songs appearing in the first half of the album. The instrumentation is rather stripped back. Cohen's words are the main event here, and they are backed by an acoustic guitar and a Jew's harp giving the record a unique sound. We sometimes get a smattering of strings throughout the record. 'The Butcher' is the most bare-bones song on here and it feels like it is missing something. I've always thought of Leonard Cohen as Bob Dylan for the goths and this dark collection of songs does a lot to make me further believe that! Like Dylan, Cohen doesn't have a pretty singing voice. These men are poets first and foremost.

I went into this expecting to hate this. I've been burnt too many times throughout this project by dated synth-pop that should have been left in the eighties. I'm happy to say that this record was weird and quirky enough that I could enjoy my time with it. One glance at the cover art and you can see that there is a sense of self awareness with these lads. They are riffing on the corporate culture of the time and it almost feels like they are satirizing how safe and commercial this style of music would become. That's pretty impressive when you consider that this album came out at the start of the decade! The goofiness of opener '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' won me over with its absurdity. The bass and synths on this record are very funky and the vocalist has a strong deep voice that drives the songs forward. There's a sick bass line on 'Soul Warfare' that made the track stand out amongst the rest. I'm not saying this is a classic album by any means, the quirkiness wears thin eventually and the band does feel like a poor man's Talking Heads, but this is still better than a lot of their contemporaries.

Backed by lush strings, this is as hopeful as Nick Drake ever sounded. This is a lot more busy than the other two albums released by Drake. Drake wanted to have a record that had instrumentation similar to Pet Sounds and even hired session musicians from that album to help realise his vision. The instrumental compositions 'Introduction', 'Bryter Layter' and 'Sunday' are gorgeous and I could see Nick making more of this style of music if his life wasn't cut so tragically short. We get a bossa-nova flavor on 'Poor Boy'. 'Fly' is one of my favourite songs from him and it his most positive too due to how he yearns at the listener. I can't quite put it into words, but Drake's voice is so comforting and it will soothe your soul. This might be my least favourite album made by Drake within his lifetime, but it is still a classic and one of my favourite folk records.

This was an hour and change of relaxing dub from a group that I wasn't expecting much out of. The music here is easy to vibe to, but it is politically charged and very punk in that manner. One look at that cover art and you can hazard a guess at their opinion on the Tories! No song particularly stood out to me, but the band has a consistent reggae sound with an unmistakably British working-class tinge. Even the covers didn't immediately jump out to me. I'm unsure if I will revisit this, but this album was enjoyable and didn't drag despite its length. I've always wrote UB40 off as a soft pop act that you constantly see on the bill of nostalgia-driven eighties festivals nowadays, but I'm glad to see that they had some edge to them at some point.

This was a surprise. Sounding both eccentric and eclectic, these guys blend funk, rock and hip-hop in a way that I haven't come across before. Lenny Kravitz plays guitar on selected tracks and the guitar work is as funky as you can expect. On other tracks, the band play instruments that they've only recently started playing. This gives the album a raw element on an otherwise polished record. On 'Jump' they enlist the brothers from Good Charlotte and get something that's more interesting than the majority of that band's discography! I only really know of Pharrell Williams for the big pop hits and I never really cared for them, but this record showed me what a talent he is. He has an excellent voice that can be both playful and soulful. Don't let the atrocious album art fool you, this is actually quite good!

I find it impossible to hate these old soul records. The vocalists are always excellent singers and the albums are short enough to not outstay their welcome. With his husky voice, today's Solomon Burke LP was no exception to the rule . Like many albums of this ilk, the record sticks to formula and doesn't shake up anything. This album is at its best when Burke belts his heart out and you can hear him strain to land that perfect note. His backing singers keep the album sounding busy. Packed with a staggering 7 top 100 hits, I was only previously aware of 'Cry To Me' as IDLES covered it. Burke's version is excellent, albeit very different to punky version I was familiar with! The rock and roll influence isn't as strong as I hoped. Burke's booming voice does feel somewhat inspired by rock music, but this is just good southern soul music for the most part.

I think this might be the most I've ever enjoyed a Miles album. The blending of rock and jazz made it easily digestible to my uncultured ears! This was filled to the brim with atmosphere. The first song would feel like it would be right at home soundtracking a tense stakeout scene in a crime drama. Miles was inspired by the psychedelic rock movement going on at the time and you can hear that in the guitar work. This may have divided critics at the time in the same way that Bob Dylan was crucified for going electric, but this willingness to experiment shows why these guys are so timeless. I don't think we would still be talking about Miles the same way if he wasn't willing to move out on from the stuff he put out in the fifties.

The Dandy Warhols are a band that I've been aware of the name for years, but couldn't tell you a single thing about them. It turns out that they put out some excellent music that's both accessible yet weird. Their major-label debut features a variety of styles as you can hear elements of shoegaze blended with psychedelica. I can also hear a sprinkling of britpop in their sound, despite them being from the US. This feels very nineties in a positive way. This is mainly due to their ironic sense of humour and having a song crushing on Kim Deal - you can't get more nineties than that! This may be too long for its own good and the vocalist doesn't have a lot of character once you really focus on them. The last two tracks are noisy and experimental instrumentals that have a lot of drive to them. It is certainly a bizarre way to close the record, but it works!

This is politically charged music that will also get your ass shaking. The songs are all very long, but you won't notice as they are so funky and you will get lost within the rhythm. Fela sounds so impassioned here about his country's struggles. The album is rather one note, but it creates such a joyful and vibrant vibe that its tough to fault it. I was initially concerned that I was got this album before experiencing his more famous father or any afrobeat in general, but Femi more than stands out on his own. I immediately put on a Fela Kuti record after finishing with this one. Maybe nepotism isn't all bad, eh?

Influencing everyone from Elvis to the Beatles, I was looking forward to spending some time with Fats for the very first time time this morning. As scandalous as I'm sure this would have sounded to the general population seventy years ago, time has removed a lot of edge from Domino's music. What you are left with here is a collection of old school rock and roll that is still pleasant enough to enjoy for this LP's very brief runtime, even though it is ultimately forgettable. I was expecting this to be more fiery and energetic, but its a laid-back affair with Domino's warm voice and piano leading the songs. The influence of Fats may be undeniable, I'm in no rush to check out any more of his stuff.

I remember this coming out and the reaction to it online was controversial as the man himself has become. I was and still am a fan of 'Black Skinhead' and think it is one of Kanye's strongest tracks due to the infectious, pulsating beat. I wasn't a fan of this album initially, but listening to it over a decade after its release, you can see the influence it had. Instantly unsettling the listener with a confrontational sample, 'On Sight' starts the album and lets you know what they are in for. Taking an industrial and abrasive turn from his previous album, West sounds like he heard a Death Grips record and wanted to clean it up so it could be played on the radio. It feels ahead of the curve. West's braggadocious attitude may drain on the listener and it does detract from the listening experience, but the beats are so brave that its hard not to respect the balls of Kayne for coming out with this.

Overblown, overproduced and overly dramatic, the 100th album that I end up rating here is a big fat miss. Whilst I was hoping for something special for the landmark, like my first Beatles record for example. Instead of that, I get an album desperately trying to sound like the Beatles and failing at everything that made that band so iconic. The high-pitched vocals are irritating and unpleasant. On 'Lion On Winter' the vocals are so insufferable, they sound like nails on chalkboards. When you're average person on the street thinks of the Bee Gees, they think of their disco hits. Listening to this made me wish they included an album of those tracks instead of these sorry songs.

I don't doubt Adele's sincerity as she bellows her heart out and she does have a powerful voice, but the music here is so safe and dull. The ballads are soppy and overly sentimental. Adele is inspired by many iconic singers yet she doesn't get daring with any of her influences. Its modern pop music with a surface level soul flavor. Amy Winehouse helped this type of music break the mainstream again, and Adele cut away all of the edge and soul and leaves you with a very safe album that you could get your nan for Christmas. It will remind her of all those old singers she used to like and will definitely not cause any offence! Its hard to hate as there is clearly a lot of talent on show here, even if I didn't feel inspired or moved one iota. No other album released this century has sold more copies than this record, but that certainly doesn't translate to quality.

This laid-back record trends dangerously close to falling into boring territory, but the vast sonic palette pulled me into its ambiance and atmosphere. Even on more subdued tracks like 'Sailing', the ringing reverb of the electric guitar and the ambient sounds kept the relatively simple song interesting. The distorted vocals reminded me of Mark Linkous and I would best describe the music here as sounding like a more upbeat and hopeful Sparklehorse. There are psychedelic pop songs on here like 'Revival' and 'Memory Boy' that are dripping with melancholy and feel much sadder than anything that came out of the sixties due to the sleepy vocals. This is certainly an album that I'd like to come back to on a late night to fully grasp its atmosphere.

The homophobic and misogynistic elements can be hard to swallow, even when you view this as a product of the time. Some of the lines he drops here would rightfully get him clowned on if released today. The line about being 'heterophobic' is particularly embarrassing and its a shame it happens at the end of the record to ensure it leaves a bad taste on the listener as the album concludes. When the album isn't being bigoted, the rhymes are quite funny and witty. Eminem has a great flow and delivers his rhymes with a shed load of intensity. He can get dark and is not afraid to rap about some ugly stuff, even when some of it may just be shocking for shock value's sake. The aggression he brings on 'Kim' is actually rather frightening and he shows his talent for storytelling on the mega-hit 'Stan'. The album might be a bit bloated for me to return to in full anytime soon, but there is enough strong tracks on here like 'The Way I Am', 'The Real Slim Shady' and 'Marshall Mathers' here to say that I enjoyed my time with this overall.

I remember listening to this band way back in the day, but was not still following them by the time this record dropped. I had moved on from their breathy alt pop. I started to feel like they were trying too hard to be sensual and ended up sounding boring. Listening to today's album made me realise that I was right in having those feelings. This is music that desperately wants to add itself onto your sex playlist. To the band's credit, they do try and build upon their minimalist style. You get hit with horns right out of the gate on 'Dangerous'. The beats might be occasionally interesting when they take more cues from dance music, but its hard to get excited with those uninterested vocals bringing the whole project down. Album closer 'Test Me' features a Brian Eno style soundscape, but the album is too far gone to win me back over. Never outwardly offensive, this is just dull and drab.

Taking inspiration from the dance music that was coming out at the time, Bjork's debut record sounds like nothing that came out before it, even if it is reasonably accessible. Some of the more dance leaning songs such as 'Big Time Sensuality' almost feel dated due to their beat, but they are saved by Bjork 's voice keeping them interesting. Her voice is unmistakably her and she channels so much emotion when she vocalises. The blending of electronic music with Indian music is the key to how Bjork got such a unique sound on here, but I'd argue that the highlight of this entire record is Bjork's take on jazz standard 'Like Someone In Love'. Her rendition is so powerful, even if it is largely carried by her gorgeous voice and the whimsical plucking of a harp. I know Bjork wasn't a newcomer to music when she popped out her debut solo record, but this is an exceptional record to introduce the world to her solo offerings.

I will always admire any artist who blatantly disregard commercial success in order to release the music they want. With song titles like 'Rock & Roll Pussy' and 'Just Another Onionhead', Rundgren must of had the suits both confused and furious when he turned in this oddity of an album to be released. Rundgren was making enough money producing music that if didn't matter to him if his albums sold well. Nevertheless the album is still a schizophrenic and psychedelic experience that I'm very happy to have discovered. Rundgren sounds like he has tried to make his own version of the medley on Abbey Road. I'm reminded of Beach Boys and The Beatles when I listen to this and it has a similar sense of humour that you can find on most Frank Zappa albums. The album is undoubtedly a bit of a mess, with Rundgren pushing how much music you can fit on a single LP. Maybe someone could have told Todd to cut a few tracks as the quirkiness wears thin by the time the album and the audio quality does suffer on the vinyl release due to the how much music they stuffed onto the grooves, but Rundgren doesn't strike me as a man who likes to be told what to do based on the story of the making of this album and the music featured on it!

This is carried by the pure sauce that George Michael had. Outside of maybe Prince and Michael Jackson, I don't think any other man had more of that superstar quality than George Michael had at this time. The guy had charisma pouring out of him and it rubs off on his music, even if it has all the potential to be dated eighties cheese. It just works. Everyone knows and should rightfully love the title track. 'I Want Your Sex' is such a bop that you don't even notice that it is approaching the ten minute mark as you are too busy shaking your ass. 'Kissing A Fool' sounds like it could have been a old jazz standard, but I was shocked to see it was an original. This record is packed with sexed-up bangers. If its uncool to like this man, then I'll happily be uncool.

I never used to like U2. I visited the Rock And Roll Museum in Dublin where they had a room dedicated to the band. The tour guide admitted that it is easy to clown on the band due to how Bono acts, but recalled how seeing them on the news during their rise would be some of the only positive news they would get during those hard times for the people of Ireland. That put the band into a new perspective and I remember giving this album a go on my way home and I was officially converted. These songs are made with the intention of being stadium anthems. You can trace the roots of their sound to how they got to this point. There's touches of traditional Irish music peppered throughout, sitting alongside elements from the post-punk that were so clearly influenced by. The result is a record that is meant to be sung to tens of thousands of people in a stadium and not just a few hundred at a club gig. When the conversation comes up of what album has the best 3 song run, I'd happily nominate this record for the first 3 tracks. I'd argue that this record is certainly front-loaded and ends on a bit of a whimper with 'Mothers Of The Disappeared' being a bit of a wet blanket song to end an energetic record with. Bono's voice can be great, but there are times when he's trying to force songs to sound bigger than they need to be - look at the end of 'One Tree Hill'. Despite these nitpicks, this is a great record and I'm excited to hear what else these lads can come out with.

Imagine in your head what reggae sounds like and you have this album. You have that introductory drum fill that most reggae songs seem to have and lyrics about weed and god. I agree with the album's pro-cannabis message, but the subject matter does get tiresome. Apparently this is one of the first reggae album to use a synthesiser, and gives otherwise forgettable songs a unique flair. I'm impartial when it comes to the genre and this made for easy enough listening. If you hate reggae, this album isn't going to be one that will change your mind.

Nonce or not, I don't envy the task of any person who has to release the follow-up to Thriller! Commercially speaking, this album was a massive success with 9 of the 11 tracks being released as singles. There's some absolute gems on here, some guilty pleasures and some tracks that have not aged well at all. Any record that has both 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Bad' on it can't be too bad. 'Dirty Diana' is MJ doing his best Prince impression and he pulls it off well enough, even if it is nowhere as dirty as Prince's most scandalous moments. Jackson trying his hardest to showcase his badboy image is certainly laughable, as are some of his juvenile save-the-world lyrics. 'Man In The Mirror' is a song I loved as a child, but is beyond corny when listened as an adult. This hasn't aged as a complete package as much as I'd hope.

Mitchell continues to evolve from just being another folkie with a guitar and embraces a more jazzy sound. Unfortunately I found this record dull as dishwater. Mitchell's voice is not particularly strong or memorable and I wasn't pulled in by her words. The random flourishes of jazz instrumentation are the strongest parts of the album. Album closer 'Shadows And Light' is the best song on here. Mitchell's usage of a synthesiser gave the song a choral feel. The sampling of African music on the 'Jungle Line' just reminded me of how Mitchell would dress up in blackface for her bizarre alter-ego. I'd recommend googling that story as it is way more interesting than anything you will find on here. This is the type of folk music that I can't vibe with.

This is a bridging gap between punk and new wave. The band cut their teeth in the punk scene, but you can hear them gearing up for the mainstream here. The album is very varied and features a mix of styles. The Kinks cover 'Stop Your Sobbing' and hit single 'Kid' feel like old school rock and roll throwbacks, whilst the jangle pop 'Tattooed Love Boys' feels like it is ahead of its time with a riff that sounds like something the Smiths would cook up. Its not all a roaring success - instrumental 'Space Invader' does an excellent job of aging this record to a certain time and could have been left off. Chrissie Hyde is an excellent front person and has tons of swagger and attitude. She channels Lou Reed with her cool and cocky demeanor. If you only know this band for 'Brass In Pocket' and never checked them out further than that, you're seriously missing out.

This feels so out of time. I struggle to name many other confessional singer-songwriter records that came out during this decade. Accompanied by electric guitar and synths, the production combined with Vega's hauntedly beautiful voice gives this album a dream-like quality. I disagree with the criticisms that the production dates this record - it just gives it a unique profile as synthesisers and singer-songwriters rarely go together. This reminds me of Elliott Smith in how it is melancholy folk-adjacent music that feels like a big warm hug. Even though it may not have been in vogue to release music like this during this time, I'm so glad that Vega decided to do so!

Marvin Gaye looked at the ugly state of the world and channelled his feelings into something so beautiful. Gaye doesn't have the answers to fix the issues. His message doesn't feel hippie-dippy nor does Gaye feel like he has a messiah complex - he just wants everyone to live in peace. Gaye delivers his words via his smooth as silk voice and he is backed up by lush strings and sax. Even though this album spawn many singles, I wouldn't class it as a singles album as this is an LP that you will switch on and immediately get pulled into the world it creates for you.

Young's nasally falsetto might turn people off, but it works for the music he puts out. It has an honest and raw feel to it. The music here is a blend of folk, country and rock and I believe anyone who has the slightest interest in any of those genres will get something out of this record. The majority of the tracks are laid back, but there's a few rockers in the mix. 'Southern Man' is Young's take on southern hypocrisy features a lot of bite and drive. The quieter songs that are just driven by Young's vocals and a guitar or piano evoke a sense of nostalgia in me for a time and place that I wasn't around for. Young is a phenomenal songwriter and this record goes to show that pretty voices aren't everything.

Calling this elevator music feels dismissive and harsh, even though I wasn't a fan of this. This is inoffensive bossa nova music that I couldn't imagine anyone hating too passionately. The two tracks that stuck out to me are 'Parade (A Banda)' and 'You Didn't Have To Be So Nice'. I don't mean that they stick out as a compliment. The first track I mentioned is an uncharacteristically busy song with childish lyrics which has Gilberto naming different times of parades. The latter track is Gilberto doing a duet with a literal child. It is just a bit weird. The arrangement of strings and flutes on this record are pleasant and Gilberto has a cute voice, but this doesn't do all that much for me.

Making their fans wait 22 years after dropping one of the most important and innovative records of all time certainly set My Bloody Valentine up for failure. I don't think any band can match those expectations. You can break this record into three segments. The first three songs feel like outtakes from Loveless. They're decent - they just don't feel like their breaking new ground, which is disappointing for a band who are so pioneering. The second third features songs that are more laid back, but they do tend to drag a little. The final third is the most noisy and experimental part of the record, and it is the most interesting. You can lost in symphony of noise, with guitars featuring so many effects that they no longer sound like guitars. The experimentation is what I want out of MBV and not just rehashing their old sound. 'nothing is' is the one track that doesn't work as it is too avant-garde for its own good featuring a repetitous beat pounding the listener over the head. This is a mixed bag, but there's enough great ideas here to make it worth your time.

This went by without leaving much of an impression on me. Chamber pop with an alt-country flair sounds interesting enough on paper. The orchestral arrangements are lush and they are the highlight of the record, it's just a shame that they have nothing to latch onto. The vocals are a mixed bag. Kurt Wagner has a husky, whiskey-soaked voice that serves the music well, its just whenever he does that awful falsetto that I was left wondering what the hell he was trying to achieve here. Apparently this was a breakthrough release for the band in my home country, but I can't say I've ever heard any of these songs before. I doubt I will remember them after listening to them as they just are not memorable in the slightest.

Despite being a casual Blur fan and how popular this band were in my school growing up, I had never sat down with a full Gorillaz record until today. It was impossible to avoid heavyweight hits like 'Clint Eastwood' and '19-2000' and as excellent as those singles are, I was doing myself a disservice by not checking out the entire record as it is such a diverse record, even if not everything lands perfect. This is a smorgasbord of genres, featuring everything from trip-hop to Latin music to reggae to punk rock. The wide variety of sounds does stop the record from feeling cohesive. It feels like Damon just threw everything at the wall here! Even if not every track is a hit, I tip my hat for the willingness to experiment. Dude could have just half-arsed another Blur record and made millions!

I was tempted to rate this a 4 as I thought this was quite simplistic to what they put out later in their career, but that's selling this record short. Their first record to feature zero cover songs showcases their ability to effortlessly churn out 13 catchy pop songs. The melodies on this thing are so infectious and the harmonies are glorious. The title track and 'Can't Buy Me Love' are the most celebrated songs here, but I'll argue that the 'I'll Be Back' is one of the most underrated songs from their catalogue and George composition 'I'm Happy Just To Dance With You' doesn't even clock past 2 minutes but still manages to be a delight. Not a single song on here passes the 3 minute mark. Sometimes all you need is cute little love songs and you are going to struggle to find a better collection of them that what you can find on here.

Based on the band name and cover, I was expecting some old-fashioned rock and roll. I was half right on that assumption, as they drag classic rock and roll from the fifties into the sixties by taking influence from bands like the Beatles and the Byrds. The guitars are jangly and the bass pops in the mix. They take aim on drug use on 'Kicks'. Whilst it may have been bold move to make an anti-drug song when so much innovative music was coming out in part by people experimenting with psychedelics, the song is good enough that you overlook the preachy message. They stick to their sound and don't stray from it too much, but the added grit that they add to their take on 'I'm Not Your Stepping Stone' is welcome and I can see why future punk bands like Sex Pistols and Minor Threat would make that a staple. This is nothing ground-breaking, but it is enjoyable for it was and the short running time doesn't allow the record to stagnante.

'Perfect Day' is one of my all time favourite songs and Lou would really have to screw up for me to give this record a bad score. Thankfully this record is stacked. Reed sings about people he rubbed shoulders with at Andy Warhol's Factory and it makes for a colourful cast of characters to write songs around. Reed might not have the greatest vocal range, but his deadpan delivery makes his songs all feel uniquely his own. If you wished Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie had more snark and bite, then this glam rock masterpiece is the record for you.

There is a sense of serendipity that I got this record today after having a Lou Reed album yesterday. This record feels like the rest stop on the journey from the Velvet Underground to the punk movement. It was produced by Velvets member John Cale after all. It is not aggressive by any means, but the back to basics approach to the music is simplistic and frontman Jonathan Richman's vocals were clearly a big influence on the upcoming punk bands. Richman's lyrics are honest and raw, even if it makes him look like the bad guy. It is rather refreshing to hear Richman's willingness to be seen as a geek instead of the usual rockstar bravado. Leaving an imprint on everyone from the Pistols to the Pixies, this is an incredible important record, even if Richman's snotty talk-singing may turn off some listeners.

It was always takes a bit of time before a new decade gets its own identity. The nineties didn't feel like the nineties until Nirvana blew up a year and a half into the decade and the same can be said about the 2000s and the Strokes debut record dropping. Despite being influenced by other iconic New York acts, the Strokes felt like a breath of fresh air and you can see the group's influence on any up and coming band who were tarred with that dreaded indie label. The production is raw and rough around the edges, but the pop sensibilities are all there. Songs like 'Last Nite', 'Someday' and 'Hard To Explain' all have sugary pop hooks beneath all the grit. Effortlessly cool, Casablancas and Co put out an impressive debut. This bunch of nepobabies managed to exceed the lofty expectations that the world had set for them.

I don't think I would have explored noisy and aggressive music as comfortably if I didn't have this record to ease me into the chaos as angsty teenager. I was suckered in by the melodic hooks on opener 'Serve The Servants' and hit single 'Heart Shaped Box'. More tender moments like 'Dumb' and 'All Apologies' acted as the sugar to help the abrasive side of the record go down smoothly with my innocent ears. Nostalgia aside, I still think this is a masterpiece. Putting something harsh after having such a massive hit album is admirable. It is an utter shame that Kurt's life ended so abruptly as it left us fans wondering where else he could have went sonically.

Some good folk rock, with a touch of country influence. Sometimes it may fall into background music, but the music is well crafted and the layered harmonies are gorgeous. 'Carry On' starts off the record and it is a stomping folk rocker before turns all psychedelic when it gets to the bridge. I was there was more surprises like that on here. 'Our House' is the only song I knew before diving into this and it makes me feel rather emotional, even if it is just about the simple satisfaction of having a place to call your own with the person you love. Sometimes songs don't have to be complex musically or lyrically to stir some emotion out of me. Having only been acquainted with Neil Young before pressing play, this album has made me interested in hearing from the rest of this supergroup.

Some solid old school thrash with rather intelligent politically charged lyrics, even if the way the words are delivered can feel bone-headed at time. Albums like this kill any argument that heavy metal is for the dumb. The riffs on this thing are exceptional and you can tell within minutes into opener 'Among The Living' that the band are not going to let the sound stagnante by how often they charge things up. It almost makes you think you are going to be hearing a heavier prog album before those vocals kick in. Considering that I have never quite gelled with Megadeth, I'm very pleased at how much fun I had with this today.

Fortunately this isn't overly vulgar or bamboozled with unfunny skits like a lot of rap albums from this era have. Missy is quite a pioneer in the hip-hop game. She doesn't feel overly sexualized and just wants to be treated with the level of respect that her male peers would get. She has a great voice that can both rap and sing. Rap with a heavy soul and R&B influence isn't what I would usually listen to, but I enjoyed this and can recognise the talent and reasoning for this being on the list.

Nirvana may be my all time favourite band, but I don't need to hear 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' for the umpteenth time unless I'm putting on this album. Thankfully that track is only the first track and this thing is crammed with hits and non-single tracks that had potential to be massive singles (look how 'Something In The Way' blew up some 30 years after this album first hit shelves!). 'Territorial Pissings' may have been to aggressive to be an individual single, but it is one of my favourite Nirvana tracks and is a refreshing blast of punk rock energy. Recruiting Dave Grohl was a much needed step to perfect the line-up as the drums on here are absolutely devastating. Although I may prefer the follow-up record, there is no denying the impact this had on music as a whole when it dropped. This record is the stake that drove through the heart of hair metal and influenced millions of kids to pick up guitars.

Starting an album off with a 10 minute song that is essentially built around one guitar solo sounds like it could be incredibly indulgent and my own idea of hell, but Funkadelic manage to pull it off and craft one of the finest songs that I have ever heard. That guitar is being played as if it is wailing its non-existent eyes out. The rest of the album is excellent too, with everything sounding so cool and funky. 'Super Stupid' sounds like they resurrected Hendrix to play on this stomping hard rock jam. There's so much swagger and charisma to this LP. I don't think Funkadelic will ever get enough credit.

Much like how Blur took their love for The Kinks and made something contemporary sounding a decade prior, Franz Ferdinand looked into their Gang Of Four record collection and made something palatable for the masses. They fuse danceable post-punk grooves and angular Wire-esque guitar riffs with singalong choruses and the result is a record that was a smash hit when it hit shelves. The record does stick to its sound and it does feel rather samey, but it is a debut album where the band is clearly finding their feet. For a debut record, the songwriting is exceptionally tight. 'Take Me Out' was absolutely everywhere when this dropped and they influenced a countless amount of indie bands.

I wish I had more time to digest this colossal 94 minute double album. Because of my busy day, I had to listen to this in fragments and I didn't even have time to put in any thought into the overarching narrative that can be found on here. There is so much talent on the music here, even if the whole package can feel both bloated and pretentious at times. This got both spacey and ambient in places. Gabriel's voice occasionally gets irritating. I will definitely need to revisit this to fully flesh out my thoughts.

You might be labelled a hipster to think that Metallica were better in the eighties before they blew up, but I think the hipsters might be right on this one. After putting out 4 landmark metal albums, Metallica drop the thrash and dumb down their sound for the masses so that even the most inbred hick can get plastered to 'Enter Sandman' and not feel left out! Perhaps I'm being too harsh, 'The Unforgiven', 'Sad But True' and a selection of other tracks are great hard rock staples. I just wish we got more experimentation seeing as they were incorporating progressive rock elements on their previous record and nothing like that is found here. The hardcore Metallica elitists treat this record like the plague and it does not deserve that type of bashing, but I was certainly underwhelmed after listening to this for the very first time in full today.

I never cared for this band, but most of my distaste came for when they blew up with the proceeding album. I always felt indifferent when the videos for "Four Kicks" and "The Bucket" would pop up on Kerrang back in the day. The album shifts between a bluesy southern rock sound to a more meat and potatoes garage rock style that was popular at the time. They don't do any of these genres particularly well and the result is an uninteresting record brought down even further by an intolerable frontman with a one-note voice. On "Milk", the instrumentation is stripped right back and you are left with the vocalist's wails right at the front of the mix and it doesn't make for a pleasant experience. This was most enjoyable when they stick to the garage rock sound, but they don't do anything interesting with it and their playing lack the urgency that better garage bands had. I can't say I'm looking forward to hearing the other two albums that these guys have on the list.

The choice of singles on this thing are baffling. Mellow songs like "Breathless" and "Nature Boy" do not do this album justice. Some of my favourite Cave cuts like "Hiding All The Way" and "Get Ready For Love" are from this record and feature a gospel choir bringing energy to Cave's already chaotic band. I usually like my Nick Cave to have a bit of a bite, which I feel like the second half of this double album lacks when compared to the excellent first part. The first half is a 4.5, whilst the more relaxed second half is a 3.5, so we will call this a 4. A great outing from Cave and his band, but there's atleast 4 other Bad Seeds records that I would easily put higher than this.

The fact that this stuff had American conservatives in such a panic when it was released is hilarious - it's goofy in the best way possible. I never quite got into Maiden when I was younger like many people do, but I've come to appreciate this band just by how campy the whole thing is. While the band rock a gimmick like Kiss did, these guys have the songwriting chops to back everything up. They bring the riffs in spades and Dickinson makes for a very theatrical frontman. Side one is excellent, but side two is godly as it features massive hits like the title track and "Run To The Hill" before concluding with fan favourite epic "Hallowed Be Thy Name". I had so much fun with this and it is a stern reminder for me to check out more of their stuff.

While you aren't going to get a lot of edge from a Simon and Garfunkel LP, you will get a pleasant folk record. Clocking in at under half hour, this record is somewhat of a concept album about the journey of life. The concept is abandoned on the second side and just features songs that were already recorded. Despite the concept of the record not having enough time to breathe, the songs here are gentle folk tunes that feature great harmonies. Not wanting to be left behind, some of the songs feature psychedelic elements and this caught me by surprise when I first heard the record. Outside of the track "Voices Of Old People" (which is exactly what it describes), this was a treat to listen to.

Taking influence from slacker band Pavement, there is a lo-fi sleepy feeling pulsing throughout the album. Album opener "Beetlebum" may not have the energy of their previous singles, but it more than makes up for it in melody. The songwriting is much more personal than the character studies you will find on other Blur songs. Despite being one of their best known songs, I have never cared for the satirical "Song 2", and it does feel odd sitting next to these mellow tunes. Coming out once the band was fully established and opening with two of their biggest songs, I went into this expecting a hits album with maximum mainstream appeal. I was pleasantly surprised by the relaxed vibe of this album.

Not another Bee Gees album! To make matters worse, this is a double album! This suffers from the same issues that their other record on the list has. They are still trying to sound like the Beatles, but miss out on what made that group so timeless. This is soppy and indulgent. Robin Gibb's voice is so irritating to my ears. The overarching story revolves around a lost fictional ship and it is not compelling in anyway whatsoever. They have grand ideas for this concept, but this is proof that being ambitious is not always a good thing. Their non-disco output is just not any good and it is baffling why the stuff that they are known for is left off in favour for this inoffensive guff.

I'm so glad I got this so soon after getting the self-titled record and feeling underwhelmed. Hearing this today was a reminder of why Metallica are so beloved. This is loaded with muscular riffs and lightning quick beats that help the songs build up to their crescendos masterfully. The album peaks by the time the second track concludes. That might sound like a big criticism, but the second track is "Masters Of Puppets", which is a perfect thrash metal epic. Everything that follows the title track is still excellent, so it is only a minor gripe. I'm not entirely sure if this is my favourite Metallica record (Ride The Lightning would potentially take that crown), but this is a damn fine album for sure.

I've heard my fair share of messed up and disturbing music and I didn't find this all that unsettling. Aided by Alan Vega's sudden screams, "Frankie Teardrop" is only a dash more peturbing than your standard Nick Cave murder ballad. Banishing the traditional instruments you would find in a punk band, the sound of Suicide is achieved by mixing Vega's poetry with Martin Rev's minimalist synth. They have a decent sound and I found some of the electronic instrumentation to be hypnotic at times. I could see myself adding "Ghost Rider" to my goth playlist as it fits the mood and isn't too inaccessible. I certainly admire the influence this had on so many people, even if I may not return to this record all that much.

You can hear Joy Division in the music and you can hear Nico in Siouxsie Sioux's vocals. This is one of those debut records where the band sounds so fully formed that you could believe that they spent a decade touring and fine tuning before stepping foot into a studio. Whether it be a commanding drum beat or bass line, the rhythm section creeps into the forefront of the songs at the exact right time. Sioux makes for such a compelling frontperson, with her vocal gymnastics adding to the music instead of distracting from it. I went into this with massively high expectations due to already loving the band's later album Juju, and I am happy to say that I was not let down with their debut.

N.W.A.'s message of black struggle and systematic racism within the US still hits like a ton of bricks nearly 40 years later. While the homophobia and misogyny may be an unfortunate product of its time, I'd still recommend any music fan to give this thing a try. I gave this album my first full listen today and I enjoyed the hour I spent with it and I didn't think it dragged at all. The beats can be funky and serve as a suitable background for the rhymes that always delivered with swagger and gusto. There are rare occasions where the beats sound dated, but these moments don't detract from the highs this landmark record has.

While Dizzee Rascal put grime on the map over a decade earlier, Skepta's Konnichiwa felt like the first time that it truly hit the mainstream. Skepta sounds full of bravado but he is likeable and you're left rooting for him. Some of the references feel dated already. Seeing as this record has only recently passed its 10 year anniversary, I imagine those references will continue to age this record. The beats are danceable enough. "Shutdown" and "That's Not Me" are catchy and anthemic and its easy to see why they were big hits. Not sure how often I'll put the full album on, but this was enjoyable and it is refreshing to hear a voice that is unapologetic British as a lot of rap on here always feels so US focused.

Mixing blues with the psychedelica that was taking the world by storm, Cream's sophomore record feels like a product of its time. Cream's brand of blues is a prime example of white artists taking a black artform and sucking the life out of it. Vocalist Jack Bruce sounds so uninspired and bored. Thankfully Eric Clapton is a more serviceable frontman when he takes the lead on "Strange Brew" and helps out on other songs. Clapton's guitar playing isn't as impressive as his reputation would lead me to believe. I don't hear many people talk about this band as much as other classic rock bands of this era and I think there's a reason for that. I can see why this hit the way it did in 1967, but it doesn't feel like an essential listen nowadays. This style of hard rock became redundant as soon as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin hit the scene.

Whilst the uninformed may just see Devo as a novelty act, Devo are so much more than that. Although they may appear silly on a surface level, their songwriting skills are seriously impressive. Even when you strip away all the goofy hats, songs like "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge" and "Jocko Homo" all hold up on their own. Producer Brian Eno added his synths to many songs and it furthers the futuristic vision. This record is only a little over half hour and it is an important stop gap between punk and the soon to be emerging new wave. I was a fool to not check it out until today!

Does anything more need to be said about this album? Every instrument is played masterfully, Zeppelin combine their love of blues, folk and Tolkien and end up with one of the most beloved albums of all time. There's not a wasted second on here and there isn't anything that I would changed. It might get tiring to hear this get mentioned in the greatest album ever conversation along with other records like Dark Side Of The Moon, Abbey Road and Rumours, but it is really that good.

Suede looked to the glam scene of the past to create something original for their debut record. This album feels like it is building on what the Smiths put out. Bernard Butler's guitar playing is a lot more driving and sleazy than anything Johnny Marr ever did and works well against Brett Anderson's dramatic Morrissey impression. Anderson is a lot more likeable than Moz ever has been, even if he still feels like a total rockstar. "Animal Nitrate" is my most streamed song ever, so it hurts not being able to give this the full five rating as there is too much filler on here for me to hail this as a perfect album. The next two records that they put out are better than this, but this is still a very impressive debut.

This has a unique sound, but doesn't do all that much else with it. All the songs feel similar and it is hard to differentiate between them. Thankfully the cosmic vibe of that sound they crafted feels so different to anything else I have heard before. The closest band that I could compare this to is Radiohead, but even that is a massive stretch. Featuring intoxicating falsetto vocals alongside ambient soundscapes, this record feels other-worldly. The usage of strings allows the songs to build up to a triumphant crescendo. The record feeling one-note throughout its hour-plus runtime does drag it down, but I definitely think everyone should give this a try.

There is a sense of self-awareness in the jock characters that the lads play. I admire their usage of Zeppelin samples, even if they must have known that it would land them in hot water. The incorporation of rock and metal on this must as helped this record land with fans and critics who were yet to be sold on hip-hop. "Fight For Your Right" is basically a rock song with rapping gang vocals. The playfulness of this album makes it an extremely fun time. As this approaches its 40th anniversary later this year, this album does show its age in places. One listen to the beats and you can tell that this came out during the foundational years of hip hop. That doesn't hold this record back too much as this is so packed with energy and personality.

If I was Anthony Kiedis, I too would hate Mike Patton for taking my band's sound, improving on it in every conceivable way and taking it to places that the Red Hot Chili Peppers wouldn't dare to go. Patton is charismatic and talented weirdo that this band needed. On top of the excellent fusion of funk and metal, this record touches on other genres and you can even hear the seeds of nu-metal being planted. The bass on this thing absolutely slaps. You even get an excellent cover of "War Pigs" that may even rival the original. While I don't think this is the Faith No More record that should have been included in this book if we could pick one, its still an important record that foreshadowed where rock music would go in the the next decade.

With the orchestral arrangements giving the music a cinematic and sweeping feeling, the Scott Walker influence on this thing cannot be understated. Alex Turner's and Miles Kane's youthful and working class voices add an interesting and modern twist on the classic baroque pop sound. Sticking to tradition of those albums, the album has a brief runtime and doesn't differentiate from the sound all that much. This is much better than the previous two Arctic Monkeys albums. Those records tried and failed to capture a vintage and smoky feeling, which is executed much better on here.

Kicking off with the funky heavyweight hit "Good Times" before segueing into a chilled out soul mood with "A Warm Summer Night", this is packed with good vibes to get dancing too. The album starts out incredibly strong, but isn't quite able to keep that high mark of quality. That's the issue with opening an album with one of your best tracks - sometimes you need to make the listener earn that high! After immensely enjoying their previous record 100-something albums ago doing this project, I was delighted to discover Chic's next record was more of the same, even if I wasn't wowed the entirety of the runtime.

Doolittle's older brother from the wrong side of the tracks. Outside of poppier cuts "Where Is My Mind?" and "Gigantic", this is much more of an abrasive affair with Black Francis howling his lungs out delivering absurd lyrics. This feels more explosive than any Pixies record that came out after this. I prefer Doolittle more, but this is still an immensely important record that helped shape alternative music in the decade following its release.

Moving away completely from the jangling guitars for a more acoustic and strings-laden instrumentation, R. E. M.'s eighth album might be their most accessible. Everything sounds so big on here. The vocals delivered by Michael Stipe are fantastic, but backing vocalist Mike Mills steal the show due to what they bring to the band' s already massive sound. "Everybody Hurts" is so timeless and sounds like it could have been record anytime in the last 50 years. It feels like the band's eighties stuff is more celebrated nowadays, but I believe this might be the band's greatest work. Starting my weekend off with this album made for a serene experience

Springsteen gets stripped back to basics and the resulting album is easily the best time I've had with The Boss! There are no big instrumental flourishes. Recorded on a 4 track recorder, this is just Bruce armed with his guitar and harmonica, with occasional backing vocals peppered throughout. He's able to create an album with such atmosphere. This record sounds like every lonesome feeling you've ever had when you come home from the bar and you're left all alone to ponder in your thoughts. "Open All Night" is one of the sole upbeat tracks on here, but it sounds like a man trying cheer himself up and stop himself from spiralling into a depression. There's some excellent songwriting to be found on here and this has finally made me appreciate Springsteen after struggling with his more hopeful and commercial works.

Opening with the punchy two minute "Janie Jones" and calling time with the anthemic "Garageland", The Clash sound a lot more ambitious on their debut record than the other first wave punk bands. They even incorporate their love of reggae on here, with an excellent cover of "Police And Theives". Despite being one of the first punk bands, they can still have a knack to write poppy hooks and a lot of the melodies on here will get stuck in your head. They would go on to become even more ambitious with future releases, but this is one strong debut.

With Flea slapping the bass like no other and John Frusciante playing some funky guitar riffs, RHCP could be a decent band if they hurled Anthony Kiedis into the sun. Partially due to all the heinous stuff he has done over the years, but also for being a bad frontman. His lyrics are juvenile and his scatty rap-like delivery of them distract from a lot of the excellent playing of his band mates. This could have been a solid 3 if they didn't bloat this thing with so many throwaway songs. Most of them are inoffensive enough, but "If You Have To Ask" is the worst of the bunch. The song sounds vaguely like Parliament and Funkadelic if they were awful. Both "Give It Away" and "Under The Bridge" are excellent songs, they aren't worth sitting through the 70+ minutes you need to put aside to finish this album.

Using this album as a way to help him get over the breakdown of a long-term relationship, Beck drops his goofy persona and releases an album that is full of sincerity. You can hear Beck taking influence from folk artists like Nick Drake. Beck sounds heartbroken, but this isn't a sad sack record. The strings are beautiful here and gives the sings a sense of hope as they build up. They feel like the light at the end of the tunnel as Beck works through the aftermath of the relationship ending. On "Paper Tigers", the instrumentation sounds so lush and cinematic that it reminded me of the music that you would find in a Serge Gainsbourg album. "Lonesome Tears" is my favourite song on here as the soaring strings build up to a euphoric crescendo. This is one of my favourite discoveries so far whilst doing this project and I will definitely be diving in to Beck's other albums.

Hell, this was actually a more of an enjoyable time than that RHCP record I got a few days ago. This album is so proud of its weirdness and that it makes it impossible for me to hate it, even when it becomes very challenging to listen to. Filled with eccentric rhythms and absurdist poetry, this record will never sound conventional no matter how much time passes. You can't say that for most music. The most 'normal' moments on this record are on songs like "China Pig", which is just Beefheart singing a blues song with bizarre lyrics backed by just one guitar. Beefheart's gritty voice is perfect for blues music and he sounds quite similar to Tom Waits. I'm glad this project forced my hand to sit down with this after hearing if its reputation for years. You can call Trout Mask Replica a lot of things, but you can never call it boring.

Joel's piano-rock melodies remind me of McCartney-led Beatles tracks. "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" feels like his take on the second side of Abbey Road in how built different songs into one complete package. These songs are well-produced and Joel's lyrics paint a picture. Joel's lyrics aren't as complex as Bob Dylan's, but they don't need to be. He tells everyday stories about everyday people and it becomes clear why he became such a huge deal. I'm sure that love song "Just The Way We Are" found its way onto many mixtapes back in the day. This song and other moments on the record tread dangerously close to feeling corny, but Joel's earnestness saves the day. I've always known of Billy Joel, but had no desire to listen to him as I was only aware of the dreadfully cheesy "Uptown Girl". I can now say that I'm a fan after hearing today's record.

Morrissey has his fangs out for everyone on his comeback record. Even when Morrissey takes a political stance that I agree with (something that's unfathomable these days!), he delivers it in such an unlikeable way that it is hard to get behind him fully. Some of the songs here are good, whilst others feel like post-Britpop hangovers, with Morrissey being a decade too late to the party. I've never been one to wish for an artist to not be political, but this album is at its strongest when Moz solely focuses on putting out catchy bangers. See "First Of The Gang To Die" for example. "Irish Heart, English Blood" is another highlight, with the guitars giving the song a James Bond flavour and Morrissey coming across more tolerable as he delivers his musings. This is a frustrating record, despite its high points. I can see myself coming back to individual tracks, but not the full record anytime soon as Morrissey here makes it too damn hard to spend more than 15 minutes with him.

This is the type of indie music that I just don't gel with. It relies too much on having a 'vibe' than any hooks and I found this album to be completely forgettable, even after I gave it two full listens. Boasting layered harmonies, "Two Weeks" sounded like a group of hipsters trying to reimagine the Beach Boys, but with limited success. It is still my favourite cut on here though. Some of the more busier and noisy parts of songs show a lot of potential, but everything goes on for far longer than it needs to be here. Technically everything sounds decent, so I can't hate on this too much. For a band called Grizzly Bear, these guys don't have a lot of bite.

One of the most influential records of all time, this is still an absolute treat to listen to. Every song is short and snappy yet no song sounds the same. You can trace the origins of powerpop to the infectious "And Your Bird Can Sing". One could argue that psychedelica began as soon as the trippy "Tomorrow Never Knows" was released into the word. Even Ringo's children's song "Yellow Submarine" sounds like nothing that came before it. This is the first record where the Beatles fully embraced experimenting with their sound after dipping their toes in with Rubber Soul. We get sitars, reversed guitar solos and tape loops. They threw everything at the wall to see what would stick. Miraculously everything stuck.

You aren't going to get a lot of hooks on this, but you are going to get a lot of atmosphere. Sounding like that feeling you experience before you drift off into a deep sleep, the repetitive music that can put you into a trance. It's not quite shoegaze, but has elements of that sound. "Symphony Space" is straight up relaxing ambient music. Unfortunately it does drag on longer than it needed to. This didn't need to be an hour long. I got what I needed out of this 40 minutes in and I did groan a bit at getting handed a 6-7 minute song so late into the record. I don't think I would put this on again to pay deep attention to every track, but it works well for spacey background music.

I usually like my music to have some level of grit (there's exceptions to this rule, see Fleetwood Mac), and you are not going to find that with the music of Steely Dan. The edges have been smoothed over completely by the glossy, pristine production. Don't get me wrong, these guys are very talented. They incorporate jazz into their sound and know their stuff, but I didn't need to hear their overly polished take on Duke Ellington oldie "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo". "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is an enjoyable bit of soft rock cheese, but this record as a whole doesn't speak to me. Whilst I could stomach this style of music if it was quietly playing as I sipped a cocktail in the sun, this ultimately sounds like music that your dad would use to test his new hi-fi.

Prince is incredibly ambitious here and is a great guitarist, but this record favours style over substance and feels like an amusement park ride. An incredibly horny and sexed-up amusement park ride, but an amusement park ride nonetheless. This struggles in the same way as a lot of other eighties pop records do on this list. It feels dated now due to certain production choices such as the over usage of synths. I may not be as high as other people are on this, but the final track is absolute bliss. Prince wailing his heart out as the title track reaches its epic crescendo warrants this record making the list.

This was a very easy listen, even if I wasn't blown away. The closest I came to that feeling was when the nostalgic and homely "Homeward Bound" came on. The melodies and harmonies are gorgeous all throughout the brief running time. The playful Bob Dylan pisstake "A Simple Desultory Philippic" shows a group that doesn't take itself too seriously. Things can feel overly cutesy and precious at times, look at the wimpy "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" for example. Despite a slight undercurrent of hippie stink, this breezy folk record holds up quite well.

Considering vocalist Greg Lake also provided the lead vocals to arguably my favourite prog record in King Crimson's debut offering, I tried to like this but I'm ultimately left cold on this. The showboat organ noodling of Keith Palmer drove me up the wall. The meat of this album is the 20 minute opening suite that takes up the entire first side of the record. While there are some interesting parts and all the players are extremely talented at their respective instrument, this isn't something that I would rush to sit through again. The second side is full of filler. The album ends on a hokey old school rock 'n' roll track that doesn't fit in with the vibe of the rest of the record. Well I enjoyed this a lot more than the ELP live record I got from this project, but I'm still not a fan of their style of prog.

There is a reason why Johnny Cash transcends country music and is beloved even by people who wouldn't even touch the genre. Cash singing about being a wanted man as a crowd of convicts cheers on is one of the most metal things you'll ever hear on a country album. Cash's unflattering song about the prison gets such a great reaction, they scream at Cash to play it again! Cash's strong bass-baritone vocals demands attention and his humour and relatability wins over the crowd. The music here is admittedly rather basic, but this record is all about the rowdy atmosphere it creates.

I can't say I know anything about swing music. This isn't the type of music that I seek out, but I can tell that today's record is very well made. There is so much energy on here and it sounds explosive as the bold artwork implies. Those drum fills are magnificent. It never felt overly indulgent and was easy to digest to someone who doesn't listen to a lot of jazz. I'm less keen on the quieter parts and just wanted to hear the band really go for it. I'm sure this record soundtracked many great nights of a long forgotten era before rock music took over.

For their final album, it sounds like Husker Du went into the studio and didn't leave a single scrap for the vaults and crafted a double album that didn't need to be. Excluding London Calling, Punk should be short and sweet for the most part. The music you can find on here sounds if early R.E.M. got blended with the scrappiness of the Replacements. I am a fan of the sound, but they do not mix the sound up enough and their songwriting isn't strong enough to warrant the length. Cut this record in half and I'm sure I would have a much better time with it. I wouldn't be offended if any track here popped up if I was listening to sn eighties alternative playlist, but I wouldn't ever feel the urge to revisit this in full.

Kiwanuka is clearly inspired by all those excellent soul records from the seventies that I'm sure we've all become accustomed to while completing this project. I hear some Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye in his sound. The psychedelic guitar playing gives me Funkadelic vibes. The album blasts off with "You Ain't The Problem" - an ass-shaker of an opener that has a strong afrobeat influence all over it. This record isn't just rehashing old artists, Kiwanuka moulds them all into a sound that sounds very modern and fresh. I can see why many other users have been floored when they pick up this record. My only criticism of this album is that the album peters on a little longer than it should have. "Final Days" sounds like a perfect closer to an album and I don't think much is added by the next three songs that follow it. Outside of that, this was a delightful discovery.

This is the type of pop music from this era that I can get behind. There is darkness lurking underneath those danceable beats. Neil Tennant sings about his experiences as a gay man in Thatcher's Britain. On "Shopping", he shows off the group's self awareness as they attack the privatisation of Britain under the guise of a pop song that sounds like a celebration of capitalism. Dumping on Catholicism has never sounded as good as it does on earworm "It's A Sin". The synth-driven music found on here is digestible for the masses, but the messages delivered throughout the record are intelligent without ever coming off as pretentious. I can't wait to see what these two are capable of with the other two records they have on the list.

Ground zero for heavy metal, Black Sabbath's debut sounds like nothing that came before it. They took their love for bluesy hard rock and slowed it down and birthed an entire genre. The riffs here still sound dirty and sinister over half a century later despite being in standard tuning! This was recorded in a single session and this adds grit to the already menacing music. Bill Ward hits the drums like they owe him money and Geezer Butler's bass work in phenomenal. Ozzy Osborne's pained wailing adds to horror the record conveys. I can understand why this record was received poorly initially, as it must have scared the listeners back in 1970 shitless! Although the follow up record may contain more of the hits from the band's catalogue, this record deserves credit for being first.

Named after a local street corner where couples would meet for a first date, this record from the Britpop bit player sounds like an old man looking back on his life. Boasting a vintage feel that sounds very reminiscent of crooner records from the fifties, Hawley does the style remarkably well and adds some pizzazz to it to stop it feeling like a complete nostalgia act. As "The Ocean" reaches its soaring conclusion, Hawley adds some modern guitar parts that makes the song sound contemporary. Some songs do blend into each other, but there is enough variety to keep me interested. "(Wading Through) The Waters Of My Time" sounds like an old country western song that Elvis could have sung and the album wraps up with" Last Orders", which is an instrumental ambient piece that wraps up the album perfectly. Hawley has a voice that feels out of time and his music makes me feel nostalgic for a time that I wasn't around for.

For their third album, the Clash released an incredibly breezy double album that goes by quicker than a lot of single disc albums. Granted that may be because it is still shorter than a lot of bloated single CD albums, but that doesn't change the fact that there is very little in the way of filler on this and the band tackles a wide variety of genres. There is reggae, rockabilly and ska found on here. They may not be the most technically impressive players of those styles, but I'm won over by the band's sheer ambition and the love they show for the genres that they're playing. I wouldn't say that every song on here is as equally as strong as each other, but there isn't a single miss. The title track shunning Beatleamania opens the album and sets the stage, while the anthemic "Death Or Glory" is my all time favourite Clash track. Unlike most punk bands, they bring out a piano for "The Card Cheat" and it is yet another high point. I'm struggling to name a double record that I like more than this.

Instantly giving the listening a sense of dread as air raid sirens kick off the record, I'd argue that the first side of this album is strongest side of any record period. You get three early heavy metal hits in "War Pigs", "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" with the trippy "Planet Caravan" providing a brief respite. The second side is also excellent, boasting fan favourites "Electric Funeral" and "Fairies Wear Boots". This is one of those records that feel like a greatest hits compilation as it is so stacked. I can't believe that this came out so soon after the debut. They created heavy metal on that record, and perfected the formula here. The playing is still exceptional and they smoothed out some of the edges without compromising their art.

I wasn't aware of Manu Chao before today, but he seems like a decent guy who is driven by sticking up for fellow migrants. The songs are all political, but they create a joyous atmosphere despite some of the heavier subject matters tackled on here. Chao can speak multiple languages and this is showcased on this record. The addition of voices being added onto Chao's music is a welcome production choice that makes it feel like you are strolling through a small but bustling community somewhere in Latin America. This record isn't something that I would choose to put on, but I bet it sounds perfect paired with sipping a cold beer in a warm climate.

The jazz band that Van Morrison brought in for his sophomore album gives the music a rich and relaxing sound. A lot of the songs here are quite lengthy, but don't feel it. My favourite song on here is actually the shortest. On "The Way Young Lovers Do", the band are at their most busiest and bustling. Morrison's voice is a sticking point for me. When he strains, he distracts from the otherwise pleasant music. This is most noticeable on "Beside You". I'd like this album more if it had someone like Nick Drake singing over these tracks. The folk-jazz hybrid instrumentation actually reminded me a lot of Drake's Bryter Layter, but this is nowhere near as excellent as that record is though.

This is a rather unique record that went places that I was not expecting a folk record of this time to go. The album doesn't start strong and I thought I was going to have a tough time when John Martyn's mumbled singing kicked in on the title track. While his voice never becomes one that I can fully get behind, the instrumentation here is so unique and interesting that I can ignore my issues with his singing. Martyn experiments with blues and jazz in a way that gives this album tons of atmosphere and texture. His take on the delta blues standard "I'd Rather Be The Devil" starts off as busy and eventually quiets down. The song has a fuzzy electric guitar part bubbling underneath the surface and gives the rendition a spacey feel once the song gets stripped back. "May You Never" and "Go Down Easy" are more straightforward folk ballads, but they are still solid (if you would forgive the pun!). This is a great record that feels ahead of its time. You just need to be able to get used to that voice.

Linkin Park's debut is packed with so many bangers that dominated the radio when I was a youth. "In The End", "Papercut", "One Step Closer", "Crawling" and "Points Of Authority" all take me back to my childhood and I can still have a great time with them today. The choruses are all anthemic. The lyrics are full of angst and are rather juvenile, but vocalist Chester Bennington has a strong voice and can deliver his words powerfully enough that you can be distracted from how juvenile they really are. A weaker frontperson delivering those lyrics would expose them for how childish they are. The record sounds too clean for a heavy album, as if it was scrubbed off any grit to ensure that it can be enjoyed by listeners who have yet to dip their toes in heavier music. This strategy clearly worked as I remember Linkin Park being loved by people who wouldn't dare touch anything rock-adjacent. I find it incredibly hard to look at this record objectively. This was released around the same time I started getting into music. While I can admit that a lot of those nu-metal bands haven't stood the test of time, I have a fondness for Linkin Park despite its flaws.

Alanis might not know the meaning of irony, but she certainly knows how to pen a memorable song! I have never willingly listened to Alanis Morrissette, but I already knew a good portion of this already just by how many big singles this album is crammed with. They are all well constructed pop rock songs that are built from the embers of the alternative rock scene. Outside of all the big hits, I was particularly enthralled by the infectious melody of "Forgiven". Morrissette is bitter about her ex, and her barbed jabs about her former lover are cutting and humorous. This warts-and-all approach to songwriting isn't something you would expect to hear from a woman on such a mainstream album at the time of release. This does start to drag as it reaches the latter parts of the album and it couldn't hurt to trim off a song or two, but I had a great time checking this out.

Like Dylan, only much better. The lyrics are still mysterious, but Cohen's words hit much harder for me personally. The meat of this record is Cohen delivering his poetry in speak-sing manner with some acoustic guitar and some minimal strings yet it is so haunting and beautiful. "Sisters Of Mercy" inspired the band of the same name, so I'm going to consider this an early goth record. I'm only half-joking with that statement, as the dark feeling this record creates clearly influenced that movement despite the genre differences. There isn't much variety on here, but the vibe it creates is immaculate. Don't let the album cover that makes Cohen look like a math teacher fool you, this record is brilliant!

Sometimes the most boring comparisons are the most apt. This sounds like the Beatles survived well into the seventies and were able to take inspiration from genres that blew up during the decade. You can influence from prog, disco and futuristic electronic music. While it may have been cutting edge at the time, I'd argue that the electronic elements have aged the worst. What doesn't age is good songwriting and Jeff Lynne's Beatles obsession has also given him McCartney's golden touch to create memorable pop hooks. This thing is very catchy and left me grinning from ear to ear with how happy it all sounds. Being a double album, you expect some bloat and while there is definitely some, I was never left wishing that this was a single album. I don't think many younger people listen to ELO when compared to the Beatles and other classic bands and that's a shame.

I was underwhelmed by listening to this after knowing of this album's reputation. "Family Affair" is the only song that I knew before pressing play, and while I enjoyed that song's relaxed vibe, I was hoping that the rest of the album would pick up the pace. I've been impressed by the funk albums that I have come across by doing this project, but this felt rather laid back and nowhere as near exciting and explosive as what you would find on a Funkadelic LP. The focus on this feel like it is on the politically charged lyrics and they seem to forget to make a record that will make you want to get your hips moving. "Spaced Cowboy" might have an excellent title, but the yodeling by Sly Stone is anything but. Album closer "Thank You For Talkin' To Me, Africa" is a repetitous tune that has been called one of the first dub tracks, but I found it most interesting that Turnstile seemed to have lifted their uplifting chant from the lyrics of this song over 50 years later. I understand how influential this was to the genre, but I felt it fell into background rather quickly.

Coming out at the start of a new decade, Depeche Mode takes everything we learnt in the eighties about synth pop and meld it into something that feels both suited for the goth clubs and the pop charts. The production is incredibly strong, with the synths and electronic drums hitting hard. The music never sounds wimpy, even in the quieter moments. Some of the instrumental parts could easily be on ambient record. The melodies go places you wouldn't expect and stops the album from ever falling into the background. This album has aged like a fine wine. Everyone knows "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy The Silence", but the entire record deserves to be heard.

On their fourth album, The Kinks attempted to move away from just being a singles band. While this album feels very cohesive, it is ironic that the main highlight is the hit single "Sunny Afternoon" and nothing comes close to the heights on that song. If this album was full of songs as strong as that, then this would be an all-time classic for me. The songs have personality, but are ultimately forgettable. Moving away from being a Beatles clone, they embraced baroque pop with full force. I can see how bands such as Blur took influence from this. I'm a bit fan of the follow-up record, and this just sounds like a weaker take on that album.

I fully went into this expecting to hate it. I absolutely loathed hearing "Supermassive Black Hole" come on Kerrang when I just wanted to get my whiny emo fix as an adolescent. While I still don't care for that song due to Matt Bellamy's irritating falsetto, I actually had a good time with this and was surprised by some of the risks they took. Muse on here sounds like they took all the bombastic elements of classic prog and dragged it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. "Take A Bow" makes for a killer intergalactic intro that shows how interesting this mainstream band can be. I actually think that the non-single tracks are more interesting than the big hits. "Knights Of Cydonia" is the strongest of all the singles on here and it is anthem that is fit for stadiums. I went back and listened to this album twice, and while the second listen did make the album lose some lustre, I'm still surprised that I actually enjoyed a Muse record.

The lyrics might be dumb, so the guitar playing is good enough to distract you. This was some solid thrash metal with a scattering of interesting sections, but felt rather one note. "I Ain't Superstitious" is an old blues song remade through a thrash metal lens, so that immediately stuck out when compared to the other songs. Dave shuts up for enough time during the instrumental introductions of both "Good Mourning / Black Friday" and album closer "My Last Words" that you can appreciate the musicianship of the band. If you enjoy this style of music , then you would have a good time with it. I doubt it will convert anyone who already has made their mind up on the genre.

Only knowing the excellent "Money For Nothing" beforehand, I wasn't expecting this to be so relaxing and laid-back. Mark Knopfler is a guitar virtuoso, but does not showboat with ripping solos like many of his contemporaries. His style is a crucial part on why this album works. His playing combined with the synths, adds so much texture to the music and I can see how Knopfler he got involved with creating film scores. Front-loaded with big singles, the album is still enjoyable to unwind to throughout the entirety of the runtime due to the silky-smooth soulful atmosphere that it creates. It's always great when the generator churns out a massive record that I have not listened to before. This brand of yuppie soft-rock isn't my usual jam, but its impossible to deny that they do the style remarkably well.

Before today I ignorantly assumed that the Temptations put out safe Motown music that didn't dare mess with the formula. While they have the Motown style down perfectly, it was the experimenting that wowed me the most. They were clearly inspired by the sounds that were coming out of the psychedelic movement. The album kicks off with the title track, which sounds so funky that you could be mistaken that you were listening to Parliament. The bravest cut on here is the near 10 minute "Runaway Child, Running Wild", which has a cool groove throughout that made it feel like it was from a blaxplitation movie. The second side of the record is filled with your standard Motown songs about heartbreak. They are very well done though, with pleasant strings and gorgeous harmonies. Even when this record plays it safe, it still makes for music that is very easy to listen to.

I'll admit that I'm not very familiar with the work of CCR, so I can't comment on how stacked or how this record sounds like a best of compilation like other users have mentioned. What I can talk you is that this record is a stomping good time. They are clearly influenced by early rock and roll, but the music sounds as if it has dragged violently through the deep south. The band's playing is loose and ramshackle and John Fogerty's husky voice sounds as if he mouthwashes with bourbon and razorblades in the morning. The country-tinged rockers open up the album with the seven minute "Ramble Tamble", which starts off as driving rock song with an extended psych-influenced interlude. Most of the other songs are short and sweet, and you are left hungry for more. I'm looking forward to seeing what else these guys are capable of.