These Albums Are IMPOSSIBLE To Listen To | Off Beat 

Some fun records on this list. I enjoy the Scott Walker, Peter Brötzmann, and Swans quite a bit

"Easy listening for the hard-of-hearing" Frank Tovey ( Fad Gadget) and Boyd Rice well done musique concrète

Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk. A totally unexpected offering from a previously pop oriented band.

lol i knew Captain Beefheart would be here, heard a quote once saying "They sound like a band falling down flight of stairs"

Fascinating exercise, and I have to think one that is actually 'impossible' to compile... all Art is subjective and therefore anything goes... Personally I would find an Oasis album impossible to listen to. I would not put Captain Beefheart on this list... I thought the man was crazy and the music jarring and clunky... However Beefheart toured the UK once and I persuaded myself to go and see him perform. I was surprised ! Although obviously not comfortably headnodding rock music, I found the strange music hypnotic and compelling - also the Captain himself was a jolly personality, and his enthusiasm was infectious - I liked it!

Some certified Jackapots hood classics in here

I love Bish Bosch, those last 3 solo Scott records were him flying out into the limits of the darkness of his final Walker Brothers songs from Nite Flights. Climate of Hunter is insanely underrated, great mix of his rock side and his darker side. Would have loved if he leaned into that approach but those last 3 albums are definitely what he truly wanted to achieve with his art. Man having seen Swans recently I feel the same as with Scott Walker, love what they became but I'd have loved to have been around for their earlier stuff when they were playing it live.

I was working in records when Metal Machine Music was released, so was among the first to hear it on the street. Scuttlebutt at the time said Reed wanted *out* of his RCA contract, but still owed two discs of material. Can’t recall the precipitating event, but Reed booked a studio, turned everything on, leaned the guitars against the speakers…and left for a two-hour lunch. The next day or so, he delivered four sides to RCA: here’s my new album, contract is fulfilled, go unmentionable yourself. Signed shortly after w/ Arista, when I met him Not exactly an artistic statement, except about RCA: they were very old-school & not supportive of Reed

For the most part, this list should have been titled "Top Ten Album List Of Noise Masquerading as Music". --Although I have come to appreciate Trout Mask Replica.

Metal Machine Music was what Monty Python coined as, with their own album, "The Contractual Obligation Record". Reed was contracted to release a Double Album, MMM was it. He Trolled the Record Company. PS: The Residents - Eskimo (although I have listened to it and found it interesting) Black Mass - Black Mass Barbra Streisand - Color Me Barbra Karlheinz Stockhausen - most of his work is unlistenable

Pat Metheny's Endangered Species

I had 2 albums I used to clear parties in the late ‘70s. Pink fairies album, and frippertronics. Pink fairies was most effective. First track was a cover of walk dont run, which was nearly listenable.

Surprised that along with "Metalmachinemusic" you didn't include the similar discs "Electronic Sound" by George Harrison, the "Unfinished Music" series by John & Yoko, and Neil Young's feedback fest "Arc". Some people might include Kraftwerk's self-titled 1970 debut in there too...

Good list but not impossible

Trout Mask Replica

Lots of unlistenable albums I was not familiar with! I was listening to see if The Shaggs would make the list.

Lulu by Lou Reed and Metallica is very much unlistenable. 🤢

I'm surprised you didn't listen to Mike Patton's albums of ALL vocal sounds. No music.

1980's music is the same

It's just interesting to see, that what's seemingly "impossible to listen to" for some, is actually a collection of absolute "classics" to others. haha Either you're unaware, you just don't care, or can't even respect the fact, that there are certain circles of people, who treasure some of the albums mentioned here, in the very same way, how you treasure the artists you listen to. Just know that there has been entire underground scenes, of countless artists for decades, who dedicate their lives to sounds that you publicly mock.

You probably know nothing about important music!

Wildlife by the Tony Williams lifetime is the worst album I’ve ever heard hands down. Has some of the greatest jazz and fusion pioneers coming together to make the worst garbage the world has ever seen.

Everything except bull of heaven is such low hang fruit, this video solely appeals to the lowest common denominator. They won’t watch this, they’ll watch Vice. Dig further back in the bin enough to excite people next time. Edit: for example, you know about tropacalia, so why not talk about the shitty Caetano Veloso album?

None of that noise should have ever been recorded or released! Not music just annoying noise!