Excited to see you as well! See you in a couple weeks!!

I’ll see you there! It’s been too long. We will have to squeeze in some cribbage!

Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails is next up. I’ve owned this album for more than 30 years and never made it to the back half. I’m so glad I finally did!! This is brilliant music and shows the genius of Trent Reznor. Such a fantastic listen. My rating: 4.5 stars. Favorite song: The Only Time.

At 454 is Ege Bamyasi by Can. Ever listen to something that you can tell is influential but is also confusing? Yeah, that was this one for me. Very psychedelic, very 70’s, very German. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: Vitamin C.

Bo Diddley’s up next with Go Bo Diddley. It’s always interesting when you hear music that influences entire genres. Bo Diddley generated a a sound that was immediately imitated and still inspires music to this day. My rating: 3 stars. Favorite song: Crackin’ Up.

After a break, we are back with Al Green’s Greatest Hits. While I have some thoughts about greatest hits albums being on this list, there’s no doubt this is a great one. A master class in soul and funk. My rating: 4 stars. Favorite song: Let’s Stay Together.

It’s been over 30 years since I’ve heard this album and I wasn’t crazy about it back then. Revisiting this, Sinéad O’Connor’s singing was never the problem - the songs are just too personal and raw. I appreciate this more now than I did. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: Nothing Compares 2 U

Southeastern, by Jason Isbell, blew me right away. I grew up in a rural area where Americana music was fairly prevalent and this is some of the best I’ve heard, and I can’t stop listening. The gravity of these songs is unreal and his voice is amazing. My rating: 5 stars. Favorite song: Elephant.

I've always loved a good concept album, and Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of Day is no exception. The listener will journey through an array of emotions while listening to this, and all the while a story is being told. Good stuff. My rating: 4 stars. Favorite song: Soundtrack 2 My Life.

Lorde is up next with Melodrama. I've always liked Lorde, and the progression in style from her first album is evident here. It's still her, but there's more maturity to the songs and Jack Antonoff's collaboration brings a lot to the album. My rating: 4.5 stars. Favorite song: Homemade Dynamite.

I wasn't sure what to expect with Bon Iver's For Emma, but what I got was a mix of folk and pop that showcases Justin Vernon's voice to maximum effect. The album felt a little melancholy for my current mood, but was good overall. My rating: 3.5 stars. Favorite song: The Wolves

The Gilded Palace of Sin by The Flying Burrito Brothers was a very early example of "country rock" and from what I've read this album was a major influence on many bands to come. This didn't really land for me, but had some decent bits. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: Sin City.

Laura Nyro’s Eli and the Thirteenth Confession is an album I would struggle to put into a single genre. Her singing mixes jazz and pop while being almost operatic and the music flirts with both pop and soul. Very unique and ethereal at times. My rating: 3.5 stars. Favorite song: Stoned Soul Picnic

3 + 3 by The Isley Brothers features a mix of originals and cover songs, and they all showcase the wonderful blend of funk, soul, rock, and R&B. Great stuff here! My rating: 3.5 stars. Favorite song: That Lady.

King Sunny Ade is a name I hadn’t heard of, but The Best of the Classic Years was an interesting treat. Mixing the sounds of Nigeria with rhythms that clearly influenced late 70’s rock and jam bands, this album was a joy to listen to. My rating: 3 stars. Favorite song: Synchro System.

Black Uhuru’s Red is next up and this reggae album was a bit peculiar to me. It’s certainly good, but at the same time nothing truly stood out. The songs blended together and while there are some unique sounds here it was overall unremarkable. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: Utterance

Really good R&B just hits different, and Maxwell’s BLACKsummers’night is some of the best I’ve ever heard. He effortlessly mixes soul, R&B, and funk over beats inspired by blues and jazz. Fantastic stuff. My rating: 4.5 stars. Favorite song: Pretty Wings

The Rolling Stones make their first appearance on the list with Some Girls. Perhaps their most important album (it literally saved the band), this is filled with irreverent rock that fuses with punk and disco. Amazing. My rating: 5 stars. Favorite song: Beast of Burden.

Manu Chao’s Clandestino is at 469. This reggae rock album has a lot of fun songs, but I was very distracted by the recurring Space Invaders sample. Good overall though, with some infectious grooves. My rating: 3.5 stars. Favorite song: Bongo Bong.

Juvenile is up next at 470 with 400 Degreez. While I can appreciate some of the songs here few stood out as noteworthy, at least to me. But I don’t have a deep knowledge of rap to suggest an alternative so here we are. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: Back That Azz Up.

Slow going lately, but moving along to 471 we find Jefferson Airplane with Surrealistic Pillow. This was psychedelic rock at its finest, although the songs with Grace Slick on vocals far outshined the rest. My rating: 3.5 stars. Favorite song: White Rabbit.

At 472 is Sza with Ctrl - I enjoyed sections of this one and the lyrics reminded me of early 90s rap with a strong focus on self-esteem and empowerment. While not my favorite album, I am glad to have given this a listen. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: The Weekend.

At #473 we have Daddy Yankee’s Barrio Fino. This was apparently one of the first big reggaeton hits, and this is a genre I’m not all that familiar with. I enjoyed it, could tell why many loved it, but probably won’t revisit. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: Gasolina.

Big Star’s #1 Record is at 474 and this 70s rock group had a clear influence on many groups that followed in the 80s and 90s. This album celebrates the best of 70s rock and was a great listen. My rating: 3.5 stars. Favorite song: Don’t Lie to Me.

Sheryl Crow’s self-titled second album is at 475. I originally found it to be a departure from “her sound” but 30 years later I find myself enjoying this a lot. This is HER sound and you can hear the difference from her first album. My rating: 4 stars. Favorite song: A Change Would Do You Good

At 476 is Sparks with Kimono My House. I’ve seen this described as both prog and glam rock, and it fits in both. This was a ton of fun to listen to and I will be checking out more of their catalog! My rating: 4 stars. Favorite song: Amateur Hour

Howling’ Wolf is up next with Moanin’ in the Moonlight (477). His vocals are so primal and fantastic on this one, and the music plays so well with his low tones. A lot of blues artists have him to thank for bringing electric sound into the music. My rating: 3.5 stars. Favorite song: Evil.

At 478 we find The Kinks with Something Else by the Kinks. While I appreciate the legacy of The Kinks this one was just fine. Nothing negative here, but nothing overwhelmingly amazing either. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: Two Sisters

Amor Prohibido comes in at 479, and this album was a surprise…but not in a good way. With one or two exceptions this album was hard to listen to - the compression on the music was probably intended to make her vocals stand out but it just sounded rough. My rating: 2 stars. Favorite song: Ya No.

Miranda Lambert’s The Weight of These Wings (480) feels like an odd addition to this list. The music was a mix of modern country, old country, and alt-rock. It was fine, but felt a bit disjointed. It was a breakup album, so that had to play a part. My rating: 2.5 stars. Favorite song: Vice.