User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info

Black Market Music
by
Black Market Music Image
Metascore
65

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

User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 66 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."

Top Track

Special K
Coming up beyond belief On this coronary thief More than just a leitmotif More chaotic, no relief I'll describe the way I feel Weeping wounds that... See the rest of the song lyrics
See Full Track List ยป
Powered by

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 12
  3. Negative: 2 out of 12
  1. Dot Music
    100
    This is an awesome album, almost certainly Placebo's pinnacle, although I'd love to be proved wrong.
  2. AllMusic
    80
    The album's consistency easily outmatches even the highest watermarks of either predecessor.
  3. Alternative Press
    80
    Charging rock songs and austere balladry make this album resonate more than the morass of bad music currently plaguing us. [#155, p.80]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. HOB.com
    60
    Placebo's indie-glam rock fusion still sounds on CD like a good idea, and little more.
  5. Q Magazine
    60
    Black Market Music feels like a watershed, a merely good record after a great one, and that in itself is disappointing.
  6. Rolling Stone
    50
    Black Market Music loses its sparkle and its melodic sense whenever it grows a conscience.
  7. Pitchfork
    24
    I suppose that the backstreet Black Market Music will endear itself to gender-exploring teenagers who find the girl-on-girl action in Buffy the Vampire Slayer "fucking awesome."

See all 12 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Xmen
    Mar 6, 2003
    10
    excellent CD! à réécouter chaque fois qu'on le désire sans lassitude!! Bravo Placebo!
  2. placebomad
    Mar 4, 2013
    10
    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 themy 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
  4. WarrenS
    Oct 2, 2003
    10
    Critics be damned! This is a great cd!
  5. shinian
    Sep 16, 2013
    10
    I'm not surprised that this album gets unfavorable reviews from critics (65/100 on metacritic, while user score is 95/100) because this albumI'm not surprised that this album gets unfavorable reviews from critics (65/100 on metacritic, while user score is 95/100) because this album don't need too much time to entertain, but needs some time to appreciate it in the way it should be appreciated. It's very melancholic album about human behavior, social maladjustment, social exclusion and it needs time to understand and interpret it... this is not for guys sitting and listening to music all day only to create as much reviews as they can.

    With "Without you I'm nothing" this is the best Placebo album and one of my personal favorites.
    Molko and his crew did some experiments to expand their music with new sounds and even more mysterious lyrics and as a result we received album with 12 little drugs that just can't get out from my head.

    Atmosphere and confusing lyrics mixed with catchy sounds made this album a little phenomenon for me, literally a drug that makes me high or makes me sail away if I'm already high.    … Expand
  6. MichaelL.
    Jun 14, 2002
    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 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
  7. MarcoM
    Nov 15, 2005
    9
    This album is a masterpiece; it has influenced my taste in music (MUSIC not men) in various ways. Simply genius.
  8. paulb
    Jan 29, 2009
    8
    Great album, made me feel ok.

See all 22 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Most Discussed Album of 2001
46
#46 Most Shared Album of 2001