200 Greatest Underrated Music Recordings Part 7

176. Renaldo and the Loaf - Songs For Swinging Larvae (1981)

One of the Lesser known associated acts to The Residents. This album was an insane industrial experimental piece of work, including songs with backmasked lyrics. About 2 albums later, they called it quits due to their loss of interest in recording music, but in 2016 they are releasing their 1st album in over 2 decades. Hoorah!

Favorite song "Ted's Reverie"

175. Homeboy Sandman - Actual Factual Pterodactyl (2008)



An unusual release from an unusual rap act, Homeboy Sandman's second album has helped him gain recognition, even getting a notice from XXL Magazine. His lyrics, flow, and unique voice helps him stand out from every other rapper.

Favorite song "Eyes on Vinyl"

174.The Cadillac Grainer String Band - If Ya Ain't Right, Get Right (2013)

 

Your watching a TV show where a particular episode takes place in the south and you hear that upbeat "toe tappin" music at some point. This is that type of music, and it's pretty good when you start listening to it. This band brings Bluegrass back to it's glory days with this 2013 release.

Favorite Song "Walkin' Cane"

173. Kool Keith & Godfather Don - Cenobite (1993)



The name of this album fits it's history. Cenobite are basically monks who shelter themselves away from the outside life to live in recluse, and for an entire week thats what Godfather Don and Kool Keith have done while recording this album. Yes, it took only a week to do this.

Favorite Song "How the Fuck You Get A Deal?"

200 Greatest Underrated Music Recordings Part 6

180. Laïs - Laïs (1998)

This is a trio of 3 lovely ladies from Belgium. Their name Laïs is a Celtic word meaning "voice", and they use them amazingly throughout this album Sometimes acapella, sometimes with instruments, it's an awesome listen all the way through.

Favorite song " 't Smidje"

179. Brian Green - One Stop Carnival (1996)

Yes, THE Brian Austin Green made a rap album. Panned by critics due to his acting career prior to this release. It's a shame because this album was pretty smooth, produced by Slimkid3 from The Pharcyde and featuring a pre-Fergie and Taboo Black Eyed Peas.

Favorite song "That's Right" featuring Black Eyed Peas

178. The Party - Free (1992)



How does a Pop act from Disney record an album with production from Dr. Dre, Teddy Riley, and Pharrell Williams go unheard of? This album had different styles to add to it's greatness.
PS: One of the members of this group went on to voice Pearl from Steven Universe.

Favorite song "Life Aint Nothin' but a Party"

177.  Tex Williams - Smoke Smoke Smoke (1960)



Tex had a Blues Country style was of singing on Swing Ragtime instrumentals. This album was different from many country albums at the time. He had a western style of talk/singing while coming from the midwest. Smoke Smoke Smoke was his most well-known song.

Favorite Song "The Ballad of Thunder Road"

200 Greatest Underrated Music Recordings Part 5

184. Sean Paul - Stage One (2000)



The first in Sean Paul's discography, This album was recorded from 1998 up until about 2000. He got his start around the time as his collaborator on this album Mr. Vegas did both performing at Sting years before releasing albums. Sean Paul would eventually become huge internationally with songs like "Temperature", but at this time, he was a moderate success.

Favorite song "Check it Deeply"

183. Damian  Dame - Damian Dame (1991)




This R&B duo was a tragic story. They were the 1st act signed to LaFace Records a part of the LaFace Cartel alongside Toni Braxton and the early TLC. This album has great New Jack Swing songs to it alongside beautiful Ballads. Before they could ever release another album together Debra Jean Hurd was killed in a car accident and 2 years later on the same day of the same month Hurd passed, Bruce Edward Broadus died of colon cancer. Little known, but not forgotten.

Favorite song "Exclusively"


182. CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn (2007)




CocoRosie is an Art Pop duo consisting of twin sisters Bianca "Coco" and Sierra "Rosie",  known infamously for their strange image, also bad album artworks, which is refreshing on this one because this album's artwork is beautiful. They tend to blend Folk with Opera and Hip Hop among other genres, which this album has done gracefully.

Favorite song "Japan"

181. Questionmark Asylum - The Album (1995)



When it comes to Hip Hop in Washington D.C., it's like no one could get their big break, they were close with Nonchalant. But before her, there was the Questionmark Astlum.They caught flack for sounding like and resembling West Coast rap group The Pharcyde, which is probably  why they didn't break through.

Favorite song "Curse of the Q"

200 Greatest Underrated Music Recordings Part 4

188. Twink - Twink (2002)

This Experimental album by Composer Twink was an interesting journey. Recorded with Xylophones and Toy Pianos, Twink recorded for Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. At first listen, it's creepy, but it grows on you.

Favorite song "Plink Plinka Plunk"

187. Raw Breed - Lune Tunz(1993)

This album sounds like every song either samples or referenced a cartoon from the Golden Era of cartoons (ex. Looney Tunes, Droopy, Tom and Jerry, Popeye), which makes this album that much more fun to listen to. It's too bad their next album got banned while they started to gain attention, this group had potential.

Favorite song "Rabbit Stew" featuring Shawnie Ranks

186. Back To The World - Tevin Campbell (1996)

After two large albums and recording music for Disney, it's hard to follow up successfully with a major album. This album was smooth with pretty backup vocals, but most of P Diddy's production magic went to Biggie Smalls & Total at this time. Did I mention He sang as Powerline in A Goofy Movie Before this?

Favorite song "Back To The World"

185. David Wise - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest Original Soundtrack (1995)

Video game soundtracks are generally underrated, and might need their own list, but this one gets a special mention. Composed by David Wise, this was a great album to listen to if you like instrumentals. It's like actually being in the environments the video game stages had.

Favorite song "Lost World Anthem"

200 Greatest Underrated Music Recordings Part 3

192. Raven-Symoné - Here's To New Dreams (1993)

Some know her from The View, some know her from The Cosby Show, some know her from The Cheetah Girls. My introduction to her was from That's So Raven, so I never knew her before The Disney Channel. When I found this album I was shocked, so young with so much talent, plus Missy Elliot got a couple features on this album years before she had her own album.

Favorite song "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of"

191. Beck - Golden Feelings (1992)

You don't always need to take your art too serious, that's how we got this anti-fold/blues album by the "Loser" himself. He would later expand his music to Pop, Hip Hop, Electroic, Funk, and more.

Favorite song "People Gettin' Busy"

190. Smoosh - She Like Electric (2004)

Did you hear that song "Do You Feel It?" by Chaos Chaos in Rick and Morty? This was the group back when they were much younger and went under a different name, Smoosh. At their age, they were very talented, playing their own instruments and writing their own music. Something a lot of musicians can't do on their own.

Favorite song "It's Cold"

189. Burning Farm - Shonen Knife (1983)

This is the first album released by this Japanese Pop Punk Rock band, with almost every song being in Japanese. This band collaborated with Bis (which is kinda funny knowing they both had songs on Cartoon Network) and even got praise from Nirvana, being an opening act for them.

Favorite song "Animal Song"

200 Greatest Underrated Music Recordings Part 2

196. Sheena Easton - What Comes Naturally (1991)

Sheena Easton is one of the only musicians of the Pop genre in the 70's/80's to come out with a New Jack Swing album in the 90's and chart the top 40 with "What Comes Naturally". 

Favorite song "You Can Swing it"

195. Fishbone - Truth and Soul (1988)

Coming with mixed reviews, this album mixes Punk, Ska, Funk, and Alternative Rock. I personally love when an album mixes genres. Also the fact that it's a black rock band is a plus considering how rare it is for the genre (in America at least).

Favorite song "Ma and Pa"

194. East End X Yuri - Denim-ed Soul 2 (1995)

The rap group that made people realize Japanese Hip Hop is legit. East End was a rap group that featured the Pop Idol singer Yuri. Their biggest hit "Da.Yo.Ne." was the first major hit for Japanese Hip Hop with many variations of the song like So.Ya.Na and Da.Be.Sa.

Favorite song "So Lonely"

193. Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle (1967)



After his contributions to The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks released this classical pop album mixing genres. Randy Newman had a hand in this album on the song "Vine Street". Deffinately an underrated piece.

Favorite song "The Attic"

200 Greatest Underrated Music Recordings Part 1

As a music lover, I thought I'd give you all my thoughts on what I thought were underrated recordings.This list is in no particular order so there is no "this album is better" mentality due to music's subjective nature.

*EDIT*  I know some albums might not be underrated in their circles, but this is in comparison to the masses.

200. that dog. - Self Titled (1993)

This alternative rock band has harmonizing female vocalists with a violin included in their music, and this album (originally an EP) was the beginning of a 3 album discography run. The songs themselves are short, but catchy, but if I had to choose "Old Timer" would be my favorite song, going with a video Directed by the Spike Jonze.



199. The Residents - Commercial Album (1980)

40 songs, 1 minute each  by the anonymous Avante Garde band themselves. They purchased 40 1 minute advertising slots on a popular top 40 radio station with this album, which confused listeners. This album included aid from Fred Frith of Henry Cow and vocals from Snakefinger and Lene Lovich.

My favorite song off the album "The Coming of the Crow"



198. Coolio - It Takes a Thief (1994)

Before Gangsta's Paradise made him a superstar, Coolio released his solo debut album after being in the Maad Circle with WC. It was a lighter side to the hardcore gangsta rap that got west coast hip hop mainstream exposure in the mid 90's with tracks like the hilarious "Ugly Bitches". It did give him his breakout ingle "Fantastic Voyage".

My favorite song off this album "Smokin' Sticks"



197. Bette Midler - Bathhouse Betty (1998)

After "Bette of Roses" Bette released this album referring to a time where she use to perform in a Bathhouse, which is a place gay men would usually go to for... sex. This got her a larger following within the LGBT community.

My favorite song off this album "Big Socks"