Tier 2 - 2 Star Albums

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

Great albums that came very close to being full-blown 3 STAR amazing records were it not for a few problem songs. 9s and 10s though really are the holy grail of albums. 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 - "If There Was a Way" (1990)

Randy Travis - "Storms of Life" (1986)

Rodney Crowell - "Diamonds & Dirt" (1988)

Steve Earle - "Guitar Town" (1986)

Electronic:

4hero - "Parallel Universe" (1994) 

Air - "Talkie Walkie" (2004)

The Art of Noise - "Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise?" (1984)

As One - "Planetary Folklore" (1997) [Not Streamable]

LTJ Bukem - "Producer 01" (2000)

Plug - "Drum N Bass for Papa" (1997) [Youtube only]

Jazz/Fusion:

Al Di Meola - "Elegant Gypsy" (1977)

Mahavishnu Orchestra - "The Inner Mounting Flame" (1971)

Wes Montgomery - "The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of" (1960)

Metal/Hardcore:

Cryptopsy - "None So Vile" (1996)

Dismember - "Like An Everflowing Stream" (1991)

Emperor - "In the Nightside Eclipse" (1994)

Krallice - "Diotima" (2011)

Origin - "Entity" (2011)

Raw Power - "Screams from the Gutter" (1985)

Pop/R&B:

Bjork - "Vespertine" (2001)

Madonna - "The Immaculate Collection" (1990)

Massive Attack - "Blue Lines" (1991)

Massive Attack - "Mezzanine" (1998)

Prince - "Purple Rain" (1984)

Rap:

2pac - "Me Against the World" (1995)

Big L - "Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous" (1995)

Gang Starr - "Daily Operation" (1992)

Ice-T - "O.G. Original Gangster" (1991)

Jay Z - "Reasonable Doubt" (1996)

P.M. Dawn - "Of the Heart, Of the Soul, and of the Cross" (1991)

Reggae:

Bob Marley - "Catch a Fire" (1973)

Rock/Folk:

ABC - "The Lexicon of Love" (1982)

Allman Brothers Band - "At Fillmore East" (1971)

And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead... - "Source Tags & Codes" (2002)

Arcade Fire - "Funeral" (2004)

Arctic Monkeys - “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” (2006)

Aztec Camera - "High Land, Hard Rain" (1983)

The Band - "The Band" (1969)

The Band - "Music from Big Pink" (1968)

Beach House - "7" (2018)

Beach House - "Bloom" (2012)

The Beatles - "A Hard Day's Night" (1964)

The Beatles - "Please Please Me" (1963)

The Beatles - "Rubber Soul" (1965)

Beck - "Mutations" (1998)

Belle & Sebastian - “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” (2003)

Ben Folds - "Rockin' the Suburbs" (2001)

Big Star - "#1 Record" (1972)

Big Thief - "Two Hands" (2019)

Bill Haley & His Comets - "Rock Around the Clock" (1955)

Bob Dylan - "Blonde On Blonde" (1966)

Bob Dylan - "The Freewheelin Bob Dylan" (1963)

Bob Dylan - "Nashville Skyline" (1969)

Bob Seger - "Night Moves" (1976)

Bob Seger - "Seven" (1974)

Broadcast - "The Noise Made by People" (2000)

Bruce Springsteen - "Tunnel of Love" (1987)

Buddy Holly - "Buddy Holly" (1958)

Buffalo Springfield - "Buffalo Springfield Again" (1967)

Built to Spill - "There's Nothing Wrong with Love" (1994)

Buzzcocks - "Singles Going Steady" (1979)

The Byrds - "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" (1968)

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - "Safe as Milk" (1967)

Cat Stevens - "Tea for the Tillerman" (1970)

Champion Jack Dupree - “Blues from the Gutter” (1959)

Cheap Trick - "At Budokan" (1978)

Chuck Berry - “St. Louis to Liverpool” (1964)

The Clash - "The Clash [UK Version]" (1977)

Cloud Nothings - "Attack On Memory" (2012) [If you don't mind the singer's voice]

Coldplay - "A Rush of Blood to the Head" (2002)

Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - "Lotta Sea Lice" (2017)

The Cure - "Disintegration" (1989)

The Cure - "Staring at the Sea: The Singles" (1980s)

Def Leppard - "Hysteria" (1987)

Dinosaur Jr. - "Green Mind" (1991)

Donovan - "Greatest Hits" (1960s)

The Doors - "Legacy: The Absolute Best" (2003)

Elf Power - "A Dream In Sound" (1999)

Elf Power - "Walking with the Beggar Boys" (2004)

Elvis Costello - "Armed Forces" (1979)

Elvis Costello - "My Aim is True" (1977)

Eternal Summers - “Gold & Stone” (2015)

The Exploding Hearts - "Guitar Romantic" (2003)

The Fall - "458489 A Sides" (1990)

Fenton Robinson - "Somebody Loan Me A Dime" (1974)

Ferron - "Phantom Center" (1990)

Fine Young Cannibals - "The Raw & the Cooked" (1989)

The Flaming Lips - "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" (2002)

Fleetwood Mac - "Rumours" (1977)

Fountains of Wayne - "Fountains of Wayne" (1996)

Gang of Four - "Entertainment!" (1979)

Hall & Oates - "The Very Best of Hall & Oates" (70s/80s)

The Hives - "Tyrannosaurus Hives" (2004)

The Jam - “In the City” (1977)

James Booker - "Classified" (1982)

James Taylor - "Sweet Baby James" (1970)

Jane's Addiction - "Ritual De Lo Habitual" (1990)

Jeff Buckley - "Grace" (1994)

The Jesus & Mary Chain - "Psychocandy" (1985)

Jimi Hendrix - "Electric Ladyland" (1968)

Joni Mitchell - "Court & Spark" (1974)

Joy Division - "Closer" (1980)

King Crimson - "In the Court of the Crimson King" (1969)

Kings of Convenience - "Riot On An Empty Street" (2004)

The Kinks - "The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society" (1968)

Leonard Cohen - "Songs of Leonard Cohen" (1967)

The Libertines - "The Libertines" (2004)

The Libertines - "Up the Bracket" (2002)

Little Richard - "Here's Little Richard" (1957)

Liz Phair - "Exile in Guyville" (1993)

Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - "Rattlesnakes" (1984)

Luna - "Penthouse" (1995)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Pronounced Leh-'Nerd Skin-'Nerd" (1973)

Magic Sam - "West Side Soul" (1967)

My Bloody Valentine - "Loveless" (1991)

Nada Surf - "Let Go" (2003)

Neil Young - "Rust Never Sleeps" (1979)

The New York Dolls - "New York Dolls" (1973)

Nine Inch Nails - "Pretty Hate Machine" (1989)

Nirvana - "MTV Unplugged in New York" (1994)

Oasis - "Definitely Maybe" (1994)

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "The Best of OMD [Custom Best Of Mix]" (1988)

Paul Siebel - "Woodsmoke & Oranges" (1970)

Paul Simon - "Graceland" (1986)

Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here" (1975)

The Plimsouls - "The Plimsouls" (1981)

Pretenders - "Pretenders" (1980)

Pretenders - "The Singles" (1980s)

Radiohead - "The Bends" (1995)

Radiohead - "Kid A" (2000)

Radiohead - "OK Computer" (1997)

Randy Newman - "12 Songs" (1970)

Randy Newman - "Good Old Boys" (1974)

Randy Newman - "Sail Away" (1972)

Real Estate - "Atlas" (2014)

R.E.M. - "Automatic for the People" (1992)

The Replacements - "For Sale: Live at Maxwell's" (1986)

The Replacements - "Let It Be" (1984)

The Replacements - "Pleased to Meet Me" (1987)

The Replacements - "Tim" (1985)

The Rolling Stones - "Between the Buttons" (1967)

The Rolling Stones - "Sticky Fingers" (1971)

Santana - "Abraxas" (1970)

Skin Alley - "To Pagham & Beyond" (1970)

The Smashing Pumpkins - "Gish" (1991)

Soft Cell - "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" (1981)

Soft Machine - "The Soft Machine" (1968)

Sonic Youth - "Daydream Nation" (1988)

The Sound - “Jeopardy” (1980)

Squeeze - "Singles: 45's and Under" (1989)

Steely Dan - "Katy Lied" (1975)

Steely Dan - "Pretzel Logic" (1974)

Stevie Ray Vaughan - "In Step" (1989)

The Stone Roses - "The Stone Roses" (1989)

The Strokes - "Room On Fire" (2003)

Suede - "Suede" (1993)

Taj Mahal - "The Natch'l Blues" (1968)

Talk Talk - "The Colour of Spring" (1986)

Talking Heads - "Fear of Music" (1979)

Talking Heads - "Remain In Light" (1980)

Todd Rundgren - "Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" (1971)

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - "Greatest Hits" (2008)

Van Halen - "1984" (1984)

Van Halen - "Van Halen" (1978)

Van Morrison - "Moondance" (1970)

The Vapors - "New Clear Days" (1980)

Various Artists - "Millennium Funk Party" (1970s)

The Velvet Underground - "The Velvet Underground" (1969)

The Velvet Underground - "The Velvet Underground & Nico" (1967)

The Velvet Underground - "VU" (1970)

The Verve - "Urban Hymns" (1997)

Violent Femmes - "Violent Femmes" (1983)

The War On Drugs - "I Don't Live Here Anymore" (2021)

Weezer - "Pinkerton" (1996)

Weezer - "The Blue Album" (1994)

The White Stripes - "De Stijl" (2000)

The White Stripes - "The White Stripes" (1999)

The Who - "My Generation [Shel Talmy Stereo Mix]" (1965)

Wilco - “A.M.” (1995)

Wilco - "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (2002)

X - "More Fun in the New World" (1983)

X - "Under the Big Black Sun" (1982)

Yo La Tengo - "I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One" (1997)

The Zombies - "Odessey and Oracle" (1968)