What My Students Like! (High School Album Review Thread)

I'm a teacher and my school year is winding down. I teach a journalism class and we're getting into reviews/criticism and I thought it would be fun to give them a song project.

The basic idea I have in mind is to create some sort of spreadsheet/Google Doc, separated by decades in which I have 10-15 albums listed by Artist, Album Name and Genre. I'm going to make the kids pick at least 3 albums from different decades (or different genres or genres that they don't tend to listen to or something like that, I haven't fleshed this part out yet) and write a review about the album. My hope is that I can open it up to all of my students as a fun way to spark discussion and earn some extra credit points.

Since I'm a selfish jerk, I'm going to take first shots at the slots for each decade. I also don't want it to turn into an argument over what bands fall into what specific genres, so I'm going to try to be as basic as possible with how I label shit (Rock/Hip Hop/R&B/Pop/Alternative or something like that, 99% of the kids won't give a shit anyway). If I can think of enough/you guys have a ton of suggestions, I can obviously raise the list to more than 15 albums. I'm thinking a mix of classics that they may not have gotten around to yet (most of my kids aren't too into music/searching out music past the 00s, so anything is fair game) as well as some more obscure albums/albums that made you fall in love with music in high school.

What I'm asking of the thread/what I think this could turn into:
-Suggestions for albums/artists from specific decades. I'd prefer to have it organized "Artist - Album, 19**, Genre" to make it easier on myself
-A place for me to post reviews of what my kids think of seminal albums that they probably have never heard of before
-A place for rankings and arguments and all the other dumb stuff that usually takes place on this site to happen as discussion takes place

 

@cshadows2887 I feel like you'd be into this. I also don't feel like tagging everyone else on this site I talk to

 

Off the top of my head

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead, 1986, pop/rock
Radiohead - Ok Computer, 1997, rock
A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory, 1991, hip hop
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, 1998, rock
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours, 1977, pop
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run, 1975, rock

 

this sounds really cool. what age are the kids that you teach if I can ask? id imagine fairly older since Journalism sounds like a class for young adults or older.

 

Death Cab for Cutie-Transatlanticism-2003-Indie Rock
Yellowcard-Southern Air-2012-Pop punk
Grateful Dead-American Beauty-1970-americana/folk rock
The Dark Side of the Moon-1973-rock

In high school, listening to Transatlanticism was around the time I really started to listen to albums as a whole and appreciate albums in general. Also opened me up to indie/softer music after listening to heavier stuff in grade school. Southern Air just hit me at the right time as well and is a great summer album for this time of year.

 

Journalism is my 11th/12th grade elective class but I'm going to open it up to my 10th graders as extra credit

 

Funny, I had my kids look up reviews for albums that they enjoy today and one of my kids was looking up reviews for Transatlanticism. Awesome to see young people still getting into it!

 

Yea sophomore/junior year is when that album said every word I felt haha

 

ok cool, that opens up because I was hesitant to suggest something like Pinkerton since it has themes of sex and mental illness haha. this is really cool though. ill think up some more and post them in the morning

 

I'm trying to figure out how to deal with explicit albums. Maybe like code them as "red" or something with a warning that these albums contain explicit lyrics? I haven't had any issues so far but idk what the deal would be if a kid/parent gets offended by the content of an album

 

Ken handled Rumours and Born to Run, so my services are clearly not required here.

 

i thought youd appreciate that haha. every student in america needs to hear "Thunder Road" and "Dont Stop"

 

No doubt about that.

 

Nirvana - In Utero, 1993, rock
Jimmy Eat World - Clarity, 1999, rock
Sigur Rós - Agætis Byrjun, 1999, rock
Deftones - White Pony, 2000, metal

Just some off the top of my head right now without looking into my library

 

Steely Dan - Aja 1977 Rock
Simon and Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence 1966 pop/rock
The Beatles - Revolver 1966 pop/rock

Awesome idea!

 

wow i didnt mention Clarity or White Pony im a fraud

 

I hesitated to include White Pony since it came out in 2000, but figured I could fit it in as an important album to metal

 

Bjork - Debut, 1995, pop
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love, 1985, pop
Feist - The Reminder, 2007, pop
Hole - Live Through This, 1994, rock
Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out, 1997, rock

 

Sleater-Kinney is a real good one

 

Rush - Moving Pictures, 1981, rock
Queen - A Night At The Opera, 1975, rock
The National - Boxer, 2007, indie rock
Bon Iver - S/T, 2011, indie folk

 

Here's some that I think are less likely to be posted than some traditional AP favs:

Van Morrison - Moondance, 1970, rock/pop (although if this and Astral aren't on there I don't know you anymore)
Talking Heads - Remain in Light, 1980, rock
Patti Smith - Horses, 1975, rock
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks, 1975, rock/folk
R.E.M. - Reckoning, 1984, rock
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation, 1988, rock
Big Star - Radio City, 1974, rock/pop
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, 1998, folk/country
The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Radio, 1968, folk/country
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers, 1971, rock
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne, 1993, rock/country
Pavement - Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, 1994, rock

 

Pixies- Doolittle 1989
Green Day-Dookie-1994

I'll think of more I'm just blanking now

 

s/t - Crosby, Stills, & Nash (1969)
#1 Record - Big Star (1972)
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys (1980)
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy (1988)
Mezmerize/Hypnotize - System of a Down (2005)
Telefone - Noname (2016)

 

hell yeah giving big star some love

 

Also, if you're gonna have them listen to Born to Run you gotta have them listen to Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River and Nebraska as well. Only fair that after experiencing the exhilarating romantic wonder of adolescence they are warned about the bone-crushing reality of adulthood.