One of the greatest albums of all time. A perfect mix of electronic and indie made completely by sending burned CD-Rs in the mail across the west coast of the US between Dntel and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie). This album IS my college years and I probably listened to this album a few times per week for nearly 4 years. "Natural Anthem" is chaotic beauty. "Nothing Better" is a heart breaking break-up song between 2 people who used to love each other, but now unrequited by the female narrator. "Sleeping In" is my favorite song on the album; a song about dreaming and here in Texas, we can swim any day in November. "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" and "Such Great Heights" are pop classics. If you like this, I recommend listening to the 10th Anniversary Edition from 2013; it has a great collection of extra songs like "Be Still My Heart", a cover of John Lennon's "Grow Old With Me" and "Suddenly Everything Has Changed". Just a masterpiece. Instant 5/5; 6 out of 5, really.

Exceptionally funky. Grooved a lot to this while doing yard work.

Ok this is a tough one. On one hand I really dug the vibe and I looooved the singer's voice. But on the other, it was submitted by someone who I vehemently disagree with musically. I mean, look at their worst rated artists! What??? Hooow? But it’s not about that, it’s about the album. And I hate to say it, but I agree with the submitter. This was a great album and I’ll listen to their other stuff. I really wanted to hate it though. I do hate the album art though. Ugh.

One of my all-time favorite bands. Whoever submitted this, thanks! Haven't listened to this particular album in a couple of years, but it's as great as I remember. I Miss You is my favorite Blink song of all time. This album immediately takes me back to the Summer after HS graduation; the unknown excitement of getting ready to move to a new city for college, saying goodbye to friends in hindsight you likely will never see again. Wow, what a time capsule of emotions. Fate fell short this time!

Well this certainly takes me back to middle school! Quite possibly the best alternative album of all time. It's a shame what Weezer turned into, because at one point (well, at 2 points) they were the best alt band in the world. This is certainly a Gen X/Older Millennial must-listen.

Really liked this one. I like the singers voice and I remember this band from the Beautiful Freak album that was on the list. Will check out more of their stuff.

Exceptionally funky. Grooved a lot to this while doing yard work.

Ok this is a tough one. On one hand I really dug the vibe and I looooved the singer's voice. But on the other, it was submitted by someone who I vehemently disagree with musically. I mean, look at their worst rated artists! What??? Hooow? But it’s not about that, it’s about the album. And I hate to say it, but I agree with the submitter. This was a great album and I’ll listen to their other stuff. I really wanted to hate it though. I do hate the album art though. Ugh.

I love concept albums! This had a very early Death Cab for Cutie sound (musically, not vocals), which I dig. Makes sense since he has connections to the Seattle indie band scene. These lyrics hit HARD in the opening song: "But for now, I need you But it was only in my head Because no one ever says What they really mean to say When there's so much at stake So I told her I loved her And she told me she loved me And I mostly believed her And she mostly believed me" Oof, man. That hits hard.

I actually really liked this album; loved the orchestral nature of it. I was all set to give it a 3, then the album ended with Brighter Day, which I loved. Bumped up to 4 stars. Never heard of Jellyfish before and I thought I knew most alternative from the 90s.

One of the greatest albums of all time. A perfect mix of electronic and indie made completely by sending burned CD-Rs in the mail across the west coast of the US between Dntel and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie). This album IS my college years and I probably listened to this album a few times per week for nearly 4 years. "Natural Anthem" is chaotic beauty. "Nothing Better" is a heart breaking break-up song between 2 people who used to love each other, but now unrequited by the female narrator. "Sleeping In" is my favorite song on the album; a song about dreaming and here in Texas, we can swim any day in November. "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" and "Such Great Heights" are pop classics. If you like this, I recommend listening to the 10th Anniversary Edition from 2013; it has a great collection of extra songs like "Be Still My Heart", a cover of John Lennon's "Grow Old With Me" and "Suddenly Everything Has Changed". Just a masterpiece. Instant 5/5; 6 out of 5, really.

I really wanted to dislike this album. I really did. It's a 3/5 easy but Blinding Lights and Save Your Tears and legit pop bangers worthy of an extra star. 4/5.

Well this certainly takes me back to middle school! Quite possibly the best alternative album of all time. It's a shame what Weezer turned into, because at one point (well, at 2 points) they were the best alt band in the world. This is certainly a Gen X/Older Millennial must-listen.

It's...fine I guess. Nothing remarkable, and I don't think I'll ever re-listen to this ever again. Phish just does nothing for me. Very talented and the recording is super crisp for a live album. Just not into their music or jam bands in general. I found myself skipping around the 15+ minute tracks searching for interesting licks and sections. My favorite tracks were the "normal" (5 min) tracks, but I couldn't name them if I tried because this album was forgettable to me. Not hating if you like this band or genre. I totally understand why they're relatively popular (although I imagine their core audience is rapidly approaching retirement age). Super talented musicians.

One of my all-time favorite bands. Whoever submitted this, thanks! Haven't listened to this particular album in a couple of years, but it's as great as I remember. I Miss You is my favorite Blink song of all time. This album immediately takes me back to the Summer after HS graduation; the unknown excitement of getting ready to move to a new city for college, saying goodbye to friends in hindsight you likely will never see again. Wow, what a time capsule of emotions. Fate fell short this time!

I remember this band and album growing up. I don't remember them being all that remarkable to me. I really do like some of their stuff, especially Dare You To Move and Meant To Live. That's top tier early 2000s pop rock right there. But the rest of the album left me slightly bored. Honestly, they all kind of sound the same to me. Psuedo-Christian rock hiding in pop clothing. As far as Christian rock goes, it's up there with the best of the best. However, musically, it's just lacking something that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's the singer's voice, which to me gets grating more and more after each track? The fact it can't decide if it's Christian rock or general pop rock? Sort-of generic early 2000s easy to play rock sound? I don't know. Far from the worst album in the book or user-submitted. 3.5/5, but rounding down to 3 stars because I wish it would decide what it wants to be.

Enjoyable from this Yank, but not super memorable. Never heard of this band or any of the songs before. Kind of dug "Hit Single" and "Who Listens to the Radio".

This was unexpected. Honestly, I was a little bored in the first half, but the second half really caught my interest until the finale. I believe, if there is an afterlife, the last track on the album, "Mountaineers" with John Grant (who I love), will be playing as you ascend into Heaven. What a wonderful song that almost had me in tears it was so beautiful. Was a 3.5 for me at first, but easy 4. Great album.

Not my kind of music at all, but I did sort of enjoy parts of it. 3.5/5, but lowered to 3 since its re-listenability is low for me. Thanks for sharing; was an experience for sure and way better than a lot of albums on the actual 1,001 list!

Oh it's tight like that Louis. No it ain't tight like that either. What a baller. Dude was straight killing it in the 20s-30s. Some awesome playing all around.

I was totally surprised by this album. Never heard of the artist, but I was hooked just from the Wikipedia article about the album and the trail it led me down about the inspiration of the characters in this album. Such a tragedy that befell Joyce Vincent. I think its re-listenability is hindered due to its concept nature, but I really enjoyed this album and glad for the submitter to have shared it with us. 4.5/5, but downgraded to 4 stars based on re-listenability.

One of the few Zappa albums I actually somewhat like. He's generally not my thing, but some catchy stuff here and the talent is undeniable.

Not gonna lie, not really my style at all. But generally dig concept/theme albums. The theme of breakups are pretty much universal and we can all relate. Understand why someone would really like this album, but the soft-spoken folksie-ness of it is a turn off for me.

Pretty nostalgic. My parents used to always blast classic Jimmy. Reminds me of my childhood.

Kind of dug this a lot. Never heard of any of the musicians or the bands, but I understand this is a Spanish supergroup of sorts. I wish I understood what they were saying, but still enjoyed it nonetheless.

This is a great album, but not his best work. I remember when this album came out. This was back when he was "that actor trying to rap". Honestly, out of his four studio albums, this is mildly better than his debut album, and far behind Awaken, My Love. But the songs are catchy and memorable. Well written, too. Pretty much every song gets my toe tapping and my head bobbing. No denying Donald's talent. Sad that he says that he's done making music. Hope that's not true. He said back in 2020 that his next "musical project" would be huge. Hoping that's another CG album. 4.5/5, but rounding down to 4 because only because Awaken, My Love! is better at a 5/5.

I absolutely HATE the cover art. I mean, absolutely horrible. Mostly just dissonant noise with a hint of melody with no hook, which is not my bag. No hate if this is your thing, I can see musicality in it. It's just not what I enjoy listening to.

I had no expectations of this. I've never heard of this band, and in my research, they are a college band from Ann Arbor, MI. Quirky and well produced. The lead singer made that Shia LeBeouf cannibal video from 10+ years ago. Nothing super memorable but it was enjoyable. Little to no re-listenability for me though. Still, enjoyable listen. 3.5/5, but rounding down to 3 because I rated many better albums than this as 4/5.

Cool ambient music to work to. Dug it a lot.

This was nearly impossible for me to find (YouTube Music or Apple Music). Was able to piece together YouTube videos in a makeshift playlist to be able to listen to the songs, and even 1 or 2 was only able to find live versions. In any event, it was fine. Typical blues rock of the early '70s. I would have rated this much higher in my youth when I "discovered" my dad's Led Zeppelin LPs and went down that rabbit hole. But for now, it's no longer my favorite genre, but was still decent. 3.5/5, but rounding down for the difficulty and time spend finding the songs (for me).

Not bad at all. I'm not familiar with this band at all. At times the bass lines were killer. However, for the most part, it was sort of familiar pseudo-psychedelic Britpop that this book was already full of. Cool to be introduced to, though.

Oh boy, this is a choice...for sure. I am far and away NOT the target audience of this one. This is so not my genre of choice that it's almost not fair for me to rate it. I really want to hate it, but it seems to be well produced, at least. There are so many worse albums in the book than this one, too, so it's far from a 1/5 to me. Respect if this is your jam; it's just not mine. Sad to hear about the artist's death and I do remember hearing about it when it happened.

If there is any other album that came out that spoke directly to 15 year old me, I don’t know what it is. I spun this album so many times in my discman (parents wouldn’t approve if I played in my stereo) that I swear I was going to burn a hole through the CD. The greatest pop punk album of all time. They mastered the genre.

Caress Me Down, What I Got, and Doin' Time are some of the best songs of the '90s, no doubt. This CD made the rounds in my middle school when it came out. I remember having a taped copy of it because my friend let me borrow his CD. All-time great and takes me back right to my friends in middle school and the memories of adolescence (and not truly understanding all the lyrics back then) :D

Pleasant; not an artist I'm familiar with, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Enjoyable to work to.

Until I read the Wikipedia article for this, I had no idea what was going on in this album. Avant-garde folk music is not really my jam. I was ready to give this a 2 until I understood that each song is from a different perspective/narrator. Sort of neat, so bumped it up to a 3, but I definitely have heard better 3/5 albums in this list (to me).

Really catchy! Never heard of this band before, but I really dug it.

Oh man, I'm not particularly proud of this, but I straight up LOVE this album. It takes me right back to middle school and thinking this was the edgiest stuff in existence. Brings back a flood of memories and sort of holds up 30 years later. 5/5 for me.

Soft spot for classic TMBG, but this is not their best album, although it is really really good. Quirky lyrics and deliver coupled with engaging musicianship (pretty much the story of their careers). I was entertained for sure. 4.5/5 but since it's TMBG, I feel compelled to round up to 5.

I have no idea what I just listened to but I LOVED it. It’s pure chaos and I’m here for it. I did NOT expect to like this as much as I did. I’m questioning everything I know. Lyrically, it’s pedestrian; amateur at best. But that’s not the point. It’s anarchy in 28 minutes. Almost mocking every aspect of pop to borderline parody levels. 4.5/5 but rounding to 5. 5 stars for this is insanity. I’m embarrassed but also don’t care. I don’t even know who I am anymore. Do I think it’s as good as Sgt. Pepper? No. Not even close. But i just can’t give this a 4 as I enjoyed it way more than most 4 stars I give out. This is coming from an older Millennial (Xennial) who gave pretty much every 70s rock and folk album 5 stars.

Super relaxing and serene. Enjoyed it.

I really want to like post-punk, but I just can't. It was fine, but totally forgettable. The over-vibratto of her voice (like Gwen Stefani but an octave lower) was really grating after all the tracks were done; I wanted it to be over. Although I kinda liked Husbands.

The greatest indie album from the greatest indie band of all time. Instant 5/5.

What a weird album. I didn't hate it, but didn't love it. Neat to listen to, but probably never again.

Grime music does nothing for me, but I liked it a little more than the disaster that was the Dizzee Rascal album included in the book.

I'm a sucker for interesting cover art. Added a half star just for that. Neat noise rock artists from Austin, TX. I had heard of them, but never listened to an entire album of theirs. This was pretty good, I must admit. 3.5/5, but rounding up to a 4 due to solid cover art.

I didn't hate it, but didn't really love it. Some really neat operatic elements that I dug, but overall it's likely something I'll never listen to again. Cool to discover, though.

Super chill; great working music.

Orchestral arrangement were really nice, but it was just too long. 3.5/5 but rounding down because I was slightly fatigued by the end of it. Still a good listen.

This is a classic indie-pop album. Instant 5/5. Should be in the book.

Early 2000's sound in 2006; not my thing, but I can see why someone would dig it.

I really wanted to give this a four as I like Graham Parker for the most part, but this was a little on boring side to me. Boring as in it was 10 tracks (not including the live versions that were way better) that were more or less a continuation of the same exact style. Almost like 1 song with different movements. 3.5/5 for me, but downgrading to 3. The live songs on the "Live Sparks" version of the album are way better, but grading on the album versions only.

What a neat album and cool that it's a Danny Elfman project. I never knew that! Really enjoyed this album.

Interesting. Not something I'd ever listen to again, most likely, but it wasn't unenjoyable.

Singer/songwriter is one of my least favorite genres. She has talent, for sure, but it's not my jam. Worth a listen though.

Thought this was pretty enjoyable. I grew up listening to Alanis, not sure how I missed this. Female, semi-angry singer/songwriter is a guilty pleasure of mine. Every song was enjoyable, except for Amazing Grace, that was likely one of my least favorite renditions ever, but was probably pretty original in the mid-90s.

Awesome album. Really set the mood. Love Chet.

Hard to rate this one as I couldn't find it anywhere. I have Youtube Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. I did find a video on Youtube with samples from all the songs, but not the actual album itself. It sounds like it would be rather peaceful. Hard to rate, so I'll go 3/5.

Really good. Best track for me was Strangest Thing. Good stuff.

Really dug the lo-fi recording of this. Being from north Texas, liked the several references to areas around me. Cool album from someone I'd never heard of.

A little too repetitive and ambient for my taste, but I see why people like it. 2.5/5, but rounding down.

Really enjoyed this. Quite melodic and epic. I wish I knew what was being said, but I'd give this album another spin.

It was fine. It felt...I don't know...pretentious? But I didn't hate it. Harmonies were nice. It's not something I'd ever listen to again, but it wasn't bad at all. I guess indie folk isn't my genre. Inkpot Gods was nice, though.

Sort of liked it, but man, my ears were TIRED by the last few tracks. I could take a song or two of them, but a full album, all at once, was a bit much.

Generally enjoyable. I remember hearing some of these signs on the radio in the 90s.

Really liked this! Never heard of the artists, but the Wiki page is incredible. Music slaps hard. Really cool find. Thanks for sharing.

Really hard not giving this a 5. Lots of memories with this album: college years. Relistening after all these years does bring back some college memories, but Bleed American just doesn't hold up as much as I thought it would. Easily a 4, but really thought I was going to give this a 5.