Black Market Music - Placebo
Black Market Music Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 39 Ratings

  • Summary: This is the third album from London glam-rockers Placebo. The U.S. release adds two bonus tracks: a new version of "Without You I'm Nothing" with David Bowie guesting on vocals, and a cover of Depeche Mode's "I Feel You."
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 12
  2. Negative: 2 out of 12
  1. 100
    This is an awesome album, almost certainly Placebo's pinnacle, although I'd love to be proved wrong.
  2. While Placebo's latest, Black Market Music, doesn't have any single track as galvanizing as "Pure Morning," Molko, Swedish bassist Stefan Olsdal, and English drummer Steve Hewitt have again crafted a hip-hop-laced collection of hard-driving rock that effectively mixes clever wordplay with solid musicianship.
  3. 60
    Placebo's indie-glam rock fusion still sounds on CD like a good idea, and little more.
  4. Unfortunately, this is not only their weakest album, it's their most confused.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. anna*
    10
    This album is so much better than the reviewers would have you think. I love its style - it is darker than the previous two (excellent) records, and Brian, Stef & Steve continue to make fantastic music whilst experimenting and pushing the boundaries. Spite & Malice is a dazzling example of what Nu-Metal ought to have been (yet with a good message), while Commercial For Levi is a twisted little acid lullaby which fully exhibits Molko's highly individual (and pleasant) singing voice and an unusually wiity way with words. Excellent stuff. Expand
  2. my favourite band and my favourite album of all time.Yes even better than without you i'm nothing. Glam rockers placebo emerged back in the mid nineties at the height of britpop era.Whilst there were many copy bands of the likes of oasis and blur,placebo were totally unique.Influenced by bands such as sonic youth,brian molko and the gang made unique angsty songs that people could relate to. A band of outsiders for outsiders i believe Molko quoted and this is true.If you are angsty you are likely to relate to this band. I also think molko is an underated guitarist and uses some weird kind of tunings at times.That coupled with a unique high pitch voice and poetic lyrics,the band is vastly underated.Loved and loathed in equal measure,placebo aren't likely to appear on the front cover of NME again.But who needs NME?.They get it wrong a lot and there top 100 lists are predictable. I will continue to love this band till i die and never forget 'peeping tom' off this record. Expand
  3. MichaelL.
    10
    hahahahaha 52!! this is the best cd of all time!! all cd of placebo is a masterpiece(and i include single) but the biggest joke in this is that black market music have 52 but the great eminem(i will to say in the same time that eminem is one of the worst in music) have 73!! Expand
  4. 8
    The follow up to their masterpiece Without You I'm Nothing. Black Market Music, although it is a good record, just doesn't have the magic or charm of it's predecessor. In fariness, I do think Placebo tried to branch out their style a bit on this. It's a much darker album, "Taste In Men" dabbles in Industrial Rock while the unfairly maligned "Spite and Malice" has a rap verse in it. Two of the more upbeat tracks on the album "Blackeyed" and the blistering "Slave to the Wage" are up with Placebos best work. There are a number of other good tunes on here as well. Musically it stands up well but the main problem with it is the lyrics are a bit cringe worthy and the mood of the album in general is a bit miserable. It could have done with a few more upbeat or up tempo tracks. It misses a "You Don't Care About Us" or a "Scared of Girls". Expand

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