Tier 3 - 1 Star Albums

** This list is a work-in-progress. Some of these albums might get UPGRADED, DOWNGRADED, or REMOVED entirely **

Very good albums where most of the album is good songs. In order to be a Major Classic the vast majority of the songs on the album need to stand out to me every time I play them. To search by decade press "Ctrl + F" and if you want the 1980s, for example, type 198 in the search bar or, if you want the 2010s, type 201, etc.

Country:

Dwight Yoakam - "Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room" (1988)

Dwight Yoakam - "Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc." (1984)

K.D. Lang - "Shadowland" (1988)

Kris Kristofferson - "Kristofferson" (1970)

Rodney Crowell - "The Houston Kid" (2001)

Electronic:

Air - "Moon Safari" (1998)

Aphex Twin - "Selected Ambient Works 85-92" (1992)

Autechre - "Tri Repetae" (1995)

Biosphere - "Microgravity" (1992)

The Caretaker - "An Empty Bliss Beyond This World" (2011)

Mouse On Mars - "Iaora Tahiti" (1995) [SKIP THE LAST SONG. IT SUCKS]

Jazz/Fusion:

Yussef Dayes - "The Yussef Dayes Experience (Live from Malibu)" (2024)

Metal/Hardcore:

Entombed - "Clandestine" (1991)

Grave - "Into the Grave" (1991)

Immolation - "Close to a World Below" (2000)

In Flames - "The Jester Race" (1996)

Judas Priest - "British Steel" (1980)

Metallica - "Ride the Lightning" (1984)

Pestilence - "Consuming Impulse" (1989)

Slayer - "Reign in Blood" (1986)

Pop/R&B:

Bill Withers - "Still Bill" (1972)

Bjork - "Debut" (1993)

Bjork - "Homogenic" (1997)

Michael Jackson - "Bad" (1987)

Prince - "Sign O' the Times" (1987)

Sam Cooke - "Night Beat" (1963)

SZA - "CTRL" (2017)

Wild Beasts - "Smother" (2011)

Rap:

2pac - "All Eyez On You [Disc 1]" (1996)

50 Cent - "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" (2003)

Clipse - "Hell Hath No Fury" (2006)

Deltron 3030 - "Deltron 3030" (2000)

Digable Planets - "Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)" (1993)

Gravediggaz - "6 Feet Deep" (1994)

Ice Cube - "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" (1990)

Main Source - "Breaking Atoms" (1991)

Nas - "Illmatic" (1994)

Pete Rock & CL Smooth - "Mecca & the Soul Brother" (1992)

Public Enemy - "Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black" (1991)

The Streets - "Original Pirate Material" (2002)

Wu-Tang Clan - "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" (1993)

Reggae:

The Wailers - "Burnin'" (1973)

Rock/Folk:

AC/DC - "Back In Black" (1980)

The Adverts - "Crossing the Red Sea" (1978)

Aerosmith - "Rocks" (1976)

Aerosmith - "Toys in the Attic" (1975)

Albert King - "Born Under a Bad Sign" (1967)

Allman Brothers Band - "The Allman Brothers Band" (1969)

Allman Brothers Band - "Idlewild South" (1970)

Andrew Bird - "Weather Systems" (2003)

Animal Collective - "Merriweather Post Pavilion" (2009)

The Animals - "Animalism" (1966)

Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs" (2010)

B.B. King - “Live in Cook County Jail” (1971)

The Beach Boys - "Pet Sounds" (1966)

Beach House - "Teen Dream" (2010)

The Beatles - "Beatles for Sale" (1964)

The Beatles - "Revolver" (1966)

Beck - “Guero” (2005)

Beck - "Odelay" (1996)

Beulah - "The Coast is Never Clear" (2001)

Big Brother & The Holding Company - "Cheap Thrills" (1968)

Big Star - "Radio City" (1974)

Bill Callahan - "Dream River" (2013)

Black Flag - “Damaged” (1981)

The Black Keys - "Brothers" (2010)

The Black Watch - "The End of When" (2013)

Bloc Party - "Silent Alarm" (2005)

Blondie - "The Best of Blondie" (1981)

Bob Mould - "Silver Age" (2012)

Bob Seger - "Live Bullet" (1976)

Brian Eno - "Another Green World" (1975)

Brian Eno - "Before and After Science" (1977)

Brian Eno - "Here Come the Warm Jets" (1973)

Brian Eno - "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)" (1974)

Broken Social Scene - "You Forgot It In People" (2003)

Built to Spill - "Live" (2000)

The Byrds - "Younger Than Yesterday" (1967)

The Cars - "The Cars" (1978)

Cat Stevens - "Teaser and the Firecat" (1971)

Cheap Trick - "Cheap Trick" (1977)

Cheap Trick - "Heaven Tonight" (1978)

The Church - "The Blurred Crusade" (1982)

The Clash - "London Calling" (1979)

Collective Soul - "Collective Soul" (1995)

The Cool Greenhouse - "The Cool Greenhouse" (2020)

The Cool Greenhouse - "Sod's Toastie" (2022)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Willy & the Poor Boys" (1969)

The Crickets - "The Chirping Crickets" (1957)

David Bowie - "Low" (1977)

David Bowie - "The Singles Collection" (1993)

Death Cab for Cutie - "Plans" (2005)

Death Cab for Cutie - "Transatlanticism" (2003)

The Decemberists - "Picaresque" (2005)

Def Leppard - "Pyromania" (1983)

Depeche Mode - "Violator" (1990)

Dire Straits - "Dire Straits" (1978)

Dismemberment Plan - "Change" (2001)

The Dream Syndicate - "The Days of Wine & Roses" (1982)

Drive-By Truckers - "A Blessing and a Curse" (2006)

Dry Cleaning - "New Long Leg" (2021)

Ducks Ltd. - "Modern Fiction" (2021)

The Eagles - "Their Greatest Hits" (1976)

Echo & the Bunnymen - "Heaven Up Here" (1981)

Editors - "The Back Room" (2005)

Elf Power - “Creatures” (2002)

Elliott Smith - "Elliott Smith" (1995)

Elliott Smith - "Roman Candle" (1994)

Elton John - "Honky Chateau" (1972)

The English Beat - "I Just Can't Stop It" (1980)

Faces - "A Nod is As Good As a Wink..." (1971)

Fiona Apple - "Extraordinary Machine" (2005)

Fleetwood Mac - "Fleetwood Mac" (1975)

Frank Zappa - "Hot Rats" (1969)

Future Islands - "Singles" (2014)

Gang of Four - "Solid Gold" (1981)

Garbage - "Garbage" (1995)

Geese - "Projector" (2021)

Goo Goo Dolls - "A Boy Named Goo" (1995)

Gospel - "The Loser" (2022)

Graham Parker - "Howlin' Wind" (1976)

Graham Parker - "Squeezing Out Sparks" (1979)

The Guess Who - “Canned Wheat” (1969)

Happy Mondays - "Pills 'N' Thrills and Bellyaches" (1990)

The Hives - “Veni Vidi Vicious” (2000)

Hot Water Music - "No Division" (1999)

Husker Du - "Zen Arcade" (1984)

Jackson Browne - "Late for the Sky" (1974)

Jane's Addiction - "Nothing's Shocking" (1988)

Jeff Beck - "Blow By Blow" (1975)

Jefferson Airplane - "Surrealistic Pillow" (1967)

John Lee Hooker - "The Real Folk Blues" (1966)

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers - "Blues Breakers" (1966)

John Prine - "John Prine" (1971)

Joni Mitchell - "Blue" (1971)

The Killers - "Hot Fuss" (2004)

Killing Joke - "Killing Joke" (1980)

LCD Soundsystem - "Sound of Silver" (2007)

The Left Banke - "Walk Away Renee / Pretty Ballerina" (1967)

The Lemonheads - "It's a Shame About Ray" (1992)

Low - "I Could Live In Hope" (1994)

Luna - "Lunapark" (1992)

The Lurkers - "Fulham Fallout" (1978)

Lush - “Split” (1994)

Mac DeMarco - "Salad Days" (2014)

Matthew Sweet - "Girlfriend" (1991)

Meat Puppets - "Meat Puppets II" (1984)

Men At Work - "Business As Usual" (1981)

Michael Chapman - "Fully Qualified Survivor" (1970)

Moby Grape - "Moby Grape" (1967)

Modest Mouse - "Good News for People Who Love Bad News" (2004)

Modest Mouse - "The Lonesome Crowded West" (1997)

The Mooney Suzuki - "Electric Sweat" (2002)

Mott the Hoople - "All the Young Dudes" (1972)

Muse - "Origin of Symmetry" (2001)

My Morning Jacket - "Z" (2005)

Neil Young - "After the Gold Rush" (1970)

Neil Young - "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" (1969)

Neil Young - "Tonight's the Night" (1975)

Neutral Milk Hotel - "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" (1998)

The New York Dolls - "Too Much Too Soon" (1974)

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - "Let Love In" (1994)

Nick Drake - "Bryter Layter" (1970)

Nine Inch Nails - "The Downward Spiral" (1994)

Nirvana - "In Utero" (1993)

NRBQ - "Tiddly Winks" (1980)

The Ocean Blue - "The Ocean Blue" (1989)

Otis Spann - "Walking the Blues" (1960)

Parquet Courts - "Wide Awake" (2018)

Paul Simon - "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" (1973)

Pavement - "Slanted & Enchanted" (1992)

Pearl Jam - "Ten" (1991)

Phil Collins - "Face Value" (1981)

Pink Floyd - "Dark Side of the Moon" (1973)

Pixies - "Doolittle" (1989)

Pixies - "Surfer Rosa" (1988)

The Police - "Synchronicity" (1983)

The Police - "Zenyatta Mandatta" (1980)

Pretenders - "Learning to Crawl" (1984)

The Psychedelic Furs - "Talk Talk Talk" (1981)

Pulp - "Hits" (2002)

Radiohead - "In Rainbows" (2007)

Rage Against the Machine - "Rage Against the Machine" (1992)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (1991)

R.E.M. - "Document" (1987)

Rockpile - "Seconds of Pleasure" (1980)

Rod Stewart - "Every Picture Tells A Story" (1971)

The Rolling Stones - "Beggar's Banquet" (1968)

The Rolling Stones - “Exile On Main St.” (1972)

The Rolling Stones - "Let It Bleed" (1969)

Roxy Music - "Country Life" (1974)

Roxy Music - "Siren" (1975)

Santana - "Santana" (1969)

Sebadoh - "Bakesale" (1994)

The Shins - "Chutes Too Narrow" (2003)

Simple Minds - "New Gold Dream" (1982)

Sleater-Kinney - "The Woods" (2005)

Small Faces - "There Are But Four Small Faces" (1968)

The Smiths - "Singles" (1980s)

The Soft Boys - "Underwater Moonlight" (1980)

Son Volt - "Trace" (1995)

Speed, Glue & Shinki - "Eve" (1971)

Spoon - "Gimme Fiction" (2005)

Spoon - "Girls Can Tell" (2001)

Squeeze - "Argybargy" (1980)

Squeeze - “East Side Story” (1981)

Steely Dan - "Can't Buy A Thrill" (1972)

Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Texas Flood" (1983)

The Stooges - "Raw Power" [2023 Iggy Pop Mix]

The Stooges - "The Stooges" (1969)

Suicidal Tendencies - "Suicidal Tendencies" (1983)

Sun Kil Moon - "April" (2008)

Sunny Day Real Estate - "The Rising Tide" (2000)

Superdrag - "Regretfully Yours" (1996)

Supergrass - "Supergrass is 10: The Best of 94-04" (2004)

Talking Heads - "More Songs About Buildings & Food" (1978)

Tame Impala - "Innerspeaker" (2010)

The Teardrop Explodes - "Kilimanjaro" (1980)

Tom Waits - "Rain Dogs" (1985)

Tom Waits - "Swordfishtrombones" (1983)

Tom Petty - "Damn the Torpedoes" (1979)

Traffic - “Traffic” (1968)

T. Rex - "Electric Warrior" (1971)

U2 - "Achtung Baby" (1991)

Urge Overkill - "Saturation" (1993)

Vampire Weekend - "Contra" (2010)

Vashti Bunyan - "Just Another Diamond Day" (1970)

Veronica Falls - "Veronica Falls" (2011)

The War On Drugs - "A Deeper Understanding" (2017)

Wipers - "Is This Real?" (1980)

X - "Los Angeles" (1980)