Journey Complete!
Finisher #546 to complete the list
1089
Albums Rated
2.9
Average Rating
100%
Complete
The Joshua Tree
U2
Favorite Album
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Samba
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
132
5-Star Albums
140
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
|
5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
|
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
|
5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
|
Pump
Aerosmith
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
|
In Our Heads
Hot Chip
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
|
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
The Bones Of What You Believe
CHVRCHES
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kid A
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
|
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
All Directions
The Temptations
|
1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
|
Amnesiac
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Bossanova
Pixies
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Garbage
Garbage
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Debut
Björk
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| U2 | 4 | 5 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.43 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4.4 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.4 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.5 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.67 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.67 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | 2 | 5 |
| Adele | 2 | 5 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Eminem | 2 | 5 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 5 |
| Metallica | 4 | 4.25 |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.33 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 4.33 |
| Paul Simon | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Waits | 5 | 1 |
| Björk | 4 | 1 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 1.2 |
| Brian Eno | 5 | 1.4 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 1.6 |
| Roxy Music | 3 | 1.33 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 1.33 |
| The Mothers Of Invention | 2 | 1 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1 |
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 1.67 |
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 2 |
| The Jesus And Mary Chain | 2 | 1.5 |
| Portishead | 2 | 1.5 |
| Fiona Apple | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 1.5 |
| Mudhoney | 2 | 1.5 |
| Super Furry Animals | 2 | 1.5 |
| Can | 2 | 1.5 |
| New Order | 2 | 1.5 |
| Orbital | 2 | 1.5 |
| Fairport Convention | 2 | 1.5 |
| TV On The Radio | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Divine Comedy | 2 | 1.5 |
| Everything But The Girl | 2 | 1.5 |
| Barry Adamson | 2 | 1.5 |
| Wilco | 2 | 1.5 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Kinks | 4 | 2 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 2.17 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 2 |
| Tim Buckley | 3 | 2 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 2 |
| The Fall | 3 | 2 |
| Beck | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 5, 5, 1, 5 |
| Dusty Springfield | 2, 5 |
| Doves | 1, 4 |
| Fleetwood Mac | 2, 5 |
| The Cure | 1, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (132)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Coldplay
5/5
This album would be graded higher if people stopped hating on Coldplay for just being Coldplay; people are far too critical of them. Anyway, this was an excellent album, great vocals, lyrics, and instrumentals. They sound very unique and alot of the songs on the album are great. 10/10.
11 likes
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Garbage. Just shitty electronic music like this is the 70s. No music, just random sounds. Imagine paying for this. 1/10.
9 likes
Tom Waits
1/5
If only they shut off Tom Waits' mic it'd be much better. Good musicians; terrible "singer". It's shocking that one of Waits' albums made it on the list, two is crazy, but this is now the third one! How!? 2/10.
6 likes
1/5
This was so laughably bad I'm not sure how it snuck onto this 1001 list. 1/10.
4 likes
1-Star Albums (140)
All Ratings
The Smiths
3/5
The first song, The Headmaster Ritual, was very, very good. Rest of album's alright.
5/10
Leonard Cohen
1/5
Very folky. Not really my thing. 2/10.
Neil Young
2/5
Old Man is the best song and there's more rock in the album than I was expecting. 4/10.
The Cure
1/5
Crazy disappointing album. Half the thing is basically crappy instrumentals and the other has lyrics but whenever there are lyrics you can't even hear them. Was looking forward to this one too... 1/10.
Radiohead
1/5
This is just weird. Not good at all. 1/10
Solomon Burke
1/5
Forgettable album. Bad singing from Solomon Burke to his backup singers. 1/10.
Fela Kuti
2/5
Groovy and sounds African-Jazzy. Last song was great. 5/10.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Not bad. Protest rock it seems. 4/10.
The White Stripes
2/5
Seven Nation Army is on the album. Mostly alright though I never cared for Jack White. 5/10.
Gary Numan
1/5
Let's be real: the reason this was on the list is because it pioneered the ensuing electronic music movement. This isn't very good except for "Cars," which is the most known song. Bad singing and annoying repetition across every song. 2/10
George Jones
2/5
Classic country with a classic country voice. Short album. 4/10.
The Stooges
2/5
Crazy punk music. 4/10
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Not bad it's like the UK style band type music. 6/10.
James Taylor
3/5
Fire & Rain on this album. Easy listening album. 6/10.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Atlantic City is the best song on the album. Very artsy album - no rock - all lyrics and guitar/harmonica. 7/10.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Just mindless singing (and it's not even good singing) but mostly jamming. Has early electric piano. All songs blend from one into another so who can tell anything apart. 1/10.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Doo-wop sounding and Mockingbird is in this lol. Good singing but not my thing. 3/10.
Bad Company
2/5
Bad Company was the best song on the album, Bad Company by the band, Bad Company. Just seems like generic rock music. 5/10.
Beatles
4/5
Mostly good and second half is like one long song across multiple tracks. 7/10.
Brian Eno
1/5
It's literally just ambient music. Sounds like it could be part of a movie as background music during a dramatic scene or explanation of something at best. 2/10.
Tom Waits
1/5
Horrible. Skipped all throughout. Would give 0 stars if I could. Worst album yet. 1/10.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
More 80s sound but he doesn't do a great deal of singing. It's more like speaking into the mic. 3/10.
Little Richard
2/5
Pioneering Rock n Roll. Not my thing but popular songs on album (Tutti Frutti; Long Tall Sally.) 5/10.
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Garbage. Just shitty electronic music like this is the 70s. No music, just random sounds. Imagine paying for this. 1/10.
Leftfield
1/5
More electronic garbage. 1/10.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Alternative; not bad. Been Caught Stealing was the best song on the album. 6/10.
Steely Dan
3/5
Do it again was the best song on the album + most familiar. Dirty Work is what Tony sings in that scene of the Sopranos. Reeling in the Years also very popular for classic rock. Whole album is soft rock. 7/10.
Al Green
4/5
Smooth AF album all throughout. 8/10
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Great album and lots of known songs & didn't know it was this old. Came out in '75. 9/10.
David Gray
3/5
Easy listening folky 90s tunes. I remembered Babylon from movies. Most played song on the album has like 162m listens at the time of writing and it's not even that good. 6/10.
The Offspring
4/5
90s punk. Pretty good; I never really cared for The Offspring but this album is better than I expected. Couple familiar songs on this album (Come Out and Play, Self Esteem). 8/10.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Some familiar songs on this Fever, which is has been covered by other artists. Has a bit of old, classic country but mostly typical 50's music. Didn't realize how good Elvis' voice actually is all throughout. 6/10.
AC/DC
4/5
Bunch of popular songs on here. They're good and I like their catalog but just in general it's just constant screaming and the songs often sound the same. 8/10.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Old heavy metal. It's alright. Short album with one long song at the end. 6/10.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Kind of disappointing album. Lots of blues across many songs but seems generic rock across the album. 4/10.
The Icarus Line
1/5
Garbage. Alternative rock but boring, screaming, noisy, etc. 2/10.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Classic Beach Boys/60s sounds. God Only Knows and Wouldn't It be Nice are the best tracks on the album. 6/10.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Lots of soul and funk. 5/10.
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
Just typical Trent Reznor/NIN music. Never my thing. Closer was the best song on this. Hurt was also on this. 3/10.
Youssou N'Dour
2/5
This is straight up Senegalese music. Lots of percussion/African band sound. 4/10.
Metallica
3/5
Live album with an orchestra backing them up. They sound pretty good but some of the songs of the album (if not all) are from other albums so it's not a new song album. 6/10.
The Smiths
3/5
Not as good as Meat is Murder but alright so far. Some songs have more of a typical 80s vibe. 6/10.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Classic Sinatra. "You make me feel so young" is the best song. 8/10.
The Specials
2/5
Old ska sounds. Not that great. 3/10.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
1/5
This isn't really all that good. Just dark and everything sounds the same. 3/10.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Fast Car was the most popular song on this album. The rest is alright. Easy listening. 6/10.
George Michael
4/5
Faith is the most popular song on this album by far in terms of plays but Father Figure is very good and probably the best song on this album. 8/10.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Mrs. Robinson is on this. Folky and easy to listen to. 6/10.
4/5
Really great album though starts off excellent but then the rest of the songs aren't eye popping except for the last song, A Day in the Life. 9/10.
Portishead
1/5
Straight up garbage. Experimental electronic/rock. One of the worst if not the worst. 1/10.
Dire Straits
4/5
Pretty good all around. I didn't know that Walk of Life was theirs. 8/10.
Stereo MC's
2/5
First song, "Connect", is not bad. "Step it Up" is also good. Acid jazz/hip hop kind of sound. 5/10.
Willie Nelson
4/5
The whole album is Willie doing a cover of his favorite songs. Excellent country voice. 8/10.
Prince
5/5
Excellent album. Bunch of known songs. 10/10
Randy Newman
2/5
It's ok, just not my thing. 5/10.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Lighthearted early 90s rap but explicit. It's not bad at all. Passin' Me By is the most popular song by far. 6/10.
Arrested Development
1/5
This is a long album of group rapping that isn't particularly good. 3/10.
Lou Reed
1/5
Meh - Lou isn't even singing. He's speaking along with the music. 3/10.
Carpenters
3/5
"We've only just begun" and "(They long to be) close to you" are by far the most popular songs. Super soft album. 6/10.
Tori Amos
1/5
What a snooze. Just generic singing. 2/10.
Fiona Apple
2/5
Never heard Fiona's music before. It's alright but seems very emotional. 5/10.
The Doors
3/5
It's alright - it's surprisingly more country than I was expecting. 6/10.
The Waterboys
2/5
Just generic Scottish pop rock. 5/10.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Just generic English pop rock. "Angels" is familiar, haven't heard it in years. 5/10.
The Charlatans
2/5
More gerneric British alt rock. 4/10.
Kate Bush
1/5
Absolute garbage. 1/10. Horrible singing, trash songs.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Really great album all around. Strong and well known albums all throughout. 10/10.
The Verve
3/5
Bittersweet symphony is most known track. It's not bad, just not my thing. 6/10.
Sabu
2/5
Classic 50s Cuban music with some afro vibes.
4/10.
The Cramps
2/5
Early punk music. It's alright, not that great. Song with most plays was a cover. 5/10.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I didn't know Lou Reed was the lead singer. It's alright - almost like rock folk music. 6/10.
Maxwell
3/5
Funky music all throughout but kind of sounds like clothing store music. 6/10.
Country Joe & The Fish
1/5
'60's Psychedelic rock - not really my thing at all. 2/10.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Classic 80s music. Not bad. 6/10.
R.E.M.
3/5
"It's the end of the world as we know it" & "The one I live" is on this album. 7/10.
The Doors
4/5
Love Her Madly and Riders on the Storm on the album. Great all all around. Lots of blues. 8/10.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Typical Neil Young type rock. Not my thing but not bad. 6/10.
Deep Purple
3/5
Not a bad live album. 6/10.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
Just mindless playing an inaudible lyrics. Horrible. Great band name tho. 1/10.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Great album for the time period. 7/10.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Classic 80's type music. "relax" by far the most popular song on the album and didn't know it was by them - thought it was Duran Duran. Lots of electronica and a few covers. 6/10.
Eagles
4/5
Take It Easy is the most popular song on this album but Peaceful Easy Feeling is notable too. Not a bad album, just easy going, typical of Eagles. 8/10.
Elliott Smith
1/5
Sounds like British 2000s rock. Just bland and boring and hard to listen to. Totally forgettable. 1/10.
Ryan Adams
1/5
Just a forgettable album, nothing really special about it. 3/10.
PJ Harvey
1/5
Like ice picks in my ears. Big yikes all throughout. 1/10.
The Cure
4/5
"Lovesong" is on this and I had no idea this was the original compared to the cover by 311. "Pictures Of You" was great. Good album all around. 8/10.
Nina Simone
2/5
It's a nice album but Nina's work isn't really my thing. She's talented. 5/10.
Roxy Music
1/5
Just boring nonsense. 2/10.
Mudhoney
1/5
Remarkably bad. 1/10.
Fever Ray
1/5
Just artsy electronic music that's not really good. 1/10.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
1/5
Just boring ambient sounds. 2/10.
Mike Oldfield
1/5
The opening song on the album is the theme to The Exorcist lol. The rest is just random music. 2/10.
Pixies
1/5
Just mindless hard rock playing. It's not really my thing. 3/10.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Beautiful album all throughout. Excellent voice and songs. 9/10.
Ice Cube
3/5
Really gritty album but great. Love Ice Cube. 7/10.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Without You is the most notable song on the album alongside Coconut & Jump Into the Fire. Not a bad album and was pleasantly surprised as it progressed. Easy to listen to and it goes quick. Really solid 7/10.
The Undertones
2/5
Classic 70s punk music. It's alright. 4/10.
T. Rex
3/5
Bang a Gong the most notable song. Nice album, T Rex just isn't my thing because it sounds like generic 70s rock. 6/10.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Not a bad album. "Changes" is the best song on the album and it's great. 6/10.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Bluesy punk music. Not really my thing. 4/10.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
"Respect" opens the album - a classic. "Drown in my own tears" (Ray Charles) and "A Change is Gonna Come" covers are great too. So many great songs - very underrated. 9/10.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
"Layla" the most known and best song on the album. Bluesy/Eric Clapton type music. 5/10.
Randy Newman
2/5
Easy listening typical Randy Newman. Not really my thing but was nice though almost every song sounds the same. Quick album to get through. 5/10.
Depeche Mode
2/5
I never really got Depeche Mode. Just weird singing but I understand how they helped pioneer electronic music. 4/10.
Super Furry Animals
1/5
Sounds like generic British pop rock. Bland all around. 2/10.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
Folk is just so very boring. Senseless talking over guitars 1/10.
1/5
Honkytonk classic country. Not my thing. 3/10.
The Temptations
1/5
"Papa was a Rolling Stone" is the most known song on album but otherwise underwhelming. Classic Motown music but didn't really care for it. 3/10.
Brian Eno
1/5
Just alot of experimental music it sounds like. Don't really care for it. 2/10.
Sleater-Kinney
1/5
Just laughably bad. Shreiking voice, mediocre playing. 2/10.
Femi Kuti
4/5
Very fun African jazz - great listen and surprised there weren't more listens on Spotify. 7/10.
Elis Regina
3/5
Classic Brazilian music - I generally like the genre and this was alright. 6/10.
Goldfrapp
1/5
Just plain bad. Weird singing and background music. 1/10.
DJ Shadow
2/5
Midnight In a Perfect World is probably the best song on the album. Like a rock/rap remix kind of instrumental album. Was alright, nothing crazy. 5/10.
Yes
3/5
Roundabout is the best song and most played by far on the album. Incredible bassline. The rest of the songs were almost like experimental jams - some good and some not so much. South Side of the Sky was the second best on the album. 6/10.
Doves
1/5
Just an all-around forgettable album. Mediocre singing. 3/10.
The Pogues
1/5
This is either pirate music or Irish pub music (what's the difference?). Hard to listen to in a normal setting - probably need to get loaded to hear it and enjoy it. 2/10.
Tom Waits
1/5
This is the second Tom Waits album I've had the misfortune of listening to. 0 stars if I could. 1/10.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Classic live rock but it's not really my thing. 4/10.
Chicago
2/5
Not sure I really care for this album. Nice music but it reminds me of music they used to play at the super market while you shop. 5/10.
Björk
1/5
Don't really understand Bjork's music - just experimental, really weird stuff. And no, she does not have a great voice, she's just the artsy chick in class that paints and is into horses. 3/10.
Cat Stevens
3/5
"Wild Word" by far the best and most popular song. Rest of the album is alright - nothing crazy. 6/10.
Simply Red
2/5
This kind of reminds of department store music. Not really my thing and the singer kind of sounds like a poor man's Nina Simone. 4/10.
Elvis Presley
5/5
Surprisingly great album and think it's strong all around. In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds are most popular song but others are great too. 9/10.
Tina Turner
3/5
Not a bad album. "What's Love Got to Do with it" is the most popular song by far. Rest is alright. 6/10.
Can
1/5
Kind of sounds like weird 90s rock music. Either way - it's bad. Just almost grungy with bad singing and playing. 2/10.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
Just a boring album and the singing is way overrated. 4/10.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Dolly's nice and old but I can't get into this classic country. 4/10.
Kraftwerk
1/5
I get it's pioneering but these seem more like experimental recordings over something you'd want to listen to just to listen to. 2/10.
Ice Cube
4/5
"It Was a Good Day" obviously the best song on the album but the rest was pretty typical aggressive Ice Cube. Lots of social injustice all throughout the album. 7/10.
Sugar
1/5
A really forgettable rock album - nothing really much else to say. 3/10.
Paul Weller
3/5
It was enjoyable - not bad but not great. Seemed like middle-of-the-road kind of album. 6/10.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Excellent early Michael before he really hit his stride. 9/10.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Very funky, "That Lady" is familiar and heard it in some movies. Rest of album is alright. 6/10.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Gimme Shelter and You Can't Always Get What You Want are by far the best/most popular songs on the album but the other songs are alright. 7/10.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
Alexander Spence has to be the luckiest man to ever live for two reasons: 1) He stumbled across someone that thought his music was worth a record deal and 2) this album slipped through the cracks when someone was making the list of 1001 greatest albums. 1/10.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Pioneering 50s rock music. It's alright, all music from this era sounds pretty much the same. 6/10
Motörhead
3/5
Eh It's ok. Don't really care for this though they sound great on the album. Not my cup of tea. 6/10.
1/5
I like Jazz but this was too off the wall. 3/10.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
80s honky tonk country that I don't really care for. 4/10.
Brian Eno
1/5
I mean I guess that Brian's a pioneer for electronic music and all but his stuff is just always weird. At least this album was better than Music For Airports. 3/10.
B.B. King
3/5
I thought it was a solid live album - BB sounded great. 7/10.
David Bowie
4/5
"Life on Mars?" is my favorite Bowie song. Easy album to listen to. Don't go crazy with David Bowie but I thought it was a solid album all throughout. 8/10.
Björk
1/5
I will never understand her music. Just utter garbage. Remember: Just because someone tries really hard at their craft doesn't mean its good. 1/10.
Talking Heads
3/5
"Once in a Lifetime" by far the most popular but the rest of the album is alright. It generally all sounds the same. 6/10.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Really soulful album. So in Love is the best song on the album. 7/10.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Great sounding live album, considering it's from 1964 JLL sounds great, as does the band. Quick and easy to get through. 7/10.
Jane Weaver
1/5
This is like someone singing at a coffee house and they just aren't very good. 3/10.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
The album is not as good as expected to be honest. At least the US version of the album had Paint it Black which isn't on this one and takes away from it TBH. 5/10.
AC/DC
4/5
This album's energy is high AF and fun. If "You Want Blood" is super underrated. 8/10.
The Youngbloods
2/5
Easy and quick album to get through - also has a ton of Beatles influence but obviously not as good. Somewhat forgettable. 5/10.
The Strokes
4/5
Great album and two really great songs, (Someday & Last Nite). 8/10.
Miles Davis
4/5
Weird but in a good way - not quite the classic jazz. 7/10.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
First song is good, the rest is alright. Kind of this weird dark pop. 6/10.
Kanye West
5/5
Such a great 2000s album with a bunch of great songs on it. 9/10.
Sinead O'Connor
1/5
"Nothing Compares 2 U" is the best song on the album and it's not even hers (shoutout to Prince). The rest of the album is just garbage. 3/10.
N.W.A.
5/5
Just an excellent album that's hard hitting and peak west coast rap of the era. Obviously there's a bunch of known songs but "Ain't it Ruff" is very underrated. 10/10.
Moby Grape
1/5
This is just awful. Head scratching how this even got on this list. 2/10.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
1/5
Early punk and I'm not so sure I really care for it. 3/10.
The Pogues
3/5
A fun, celtic punk album that was fun to listen to. Kind of reminds me of songs you'd play at a pub/bar with your best friends. 7/10.
Motörhead
2/5
Early metal, not really my thing though the first song isn't bad. By far the most popular song on the album. All else sounds pretty much the same. 5/10.
New Order
1/5
Just a laughably bad album. No notable songs and better singing could be found in the NYC subway. Also, sounded like the album was jumped around genres? 2/10.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Immigrant Song obviously the most popular but I guess I was expecting something a bit more. This one was quite bluesy/acoustic/folk, probably more than what I would've liked. 7/10.
1/5
This was so laughably bad I'm not sure how it snuck onto this 1001 list. 1/10.
Ramones
5/5
Quick album to get through. Classic punk rock, what's not to love about the album? Bunch of known songs on it too. 8/10.
The Birthday Party
1/5
The album cover art was already the first warning that this was going to be garbage. Horrendous singing and mashing of instruments. 1/10.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
The opening lyrics of "The Book of Love" is "The book of love is long and boring"... kind of like this album. Imagine writing 69 songs and every one of them misses. 3/10.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
Just not really my thing. Dated and not particularly good. 4/10.
10cc
1/5
This is just straight up bad. Don't even know what genre of music this is. 2/10.
The Byrds
2/5
This album is alright - very 60s type music and mostly not my thing. 5/10.
Julian Cope
2/5
This is just alright. Not really special, don't understand how some of these albums get on this 1001 list but then again it is 1001 so they've got to fill it with something. Also this is a deluxe album but the extra songs aren't any better. 4/10.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
I mean this was alright. Some parts of some songs were good but this was way out there. 6/10.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Nice quick album to listen to. Funky at times, great singing and music. 7/10.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
American Girl at the very end of the album was by far the best song on the album. Never really cared for Tom Petty but the album's respectable and easy to listen to. Breakdown also isn't bad. 7/10.
Adam & The Ants
1/5
This is just forgettable and bad. 3/10.
Culture Club
4/5
This album is better than the total listens given on Spotify. "Its A Miracle" is the best song on the album, IMHO. "Miss Me Blind" is also great. 7/10.
2/5
This was kind of like below average 80s music. It's not horrible, but just blah - there's nothing special about it. 5/10.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
This is a great album to listen to if you suffer from insomnia. 2/10.
New Order
2/5
Just blah 80s type music but it's not bad nor good. Really as average as it comes, lifeless but hey at least they're trying. 5/10.
Suede
2/5
I honestly don't know what to make of this. It's just an average band playing their songs... nothing special about it. Somewhat like something out of a rock competition. 5/10.
Eurythmics
4/5
This is a pretty good techy sounding album. Obviously the popular song for which the album takes its namesake but it has a number of other good ones. 7/10.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This really isn't it for me. Kind of surprised how many track plays some songs have too on Spotify to be honest. 4/10.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
I mean it's an alright listen. Has a bunch of listens on Spotify but I've never heard of him (not saying that I should've, just looks like he has a bigger audience). Light rock mixed with pseudo-folk. Has a cover of Hallelujah that's good and uses his range in it. 6/10.
Kanye West
5/5
The GOAT Kanye album and one of the best rap albums of all time. So many strong songs all throughout. 9/10.
Travis
3/5
This is just generic rock. Not really special at all and as average as it comes. 6/10.
Ministry
2/5
Industrial metal that's not quite my cup of tea. Just One Fix was good and the rest are meh. 5/10.
Korn
2/5
Really never have been a fan of the genre or Korn but it's not bad, just not my thing. Like that they mixed in Ice Cube and Fred Durst in a couple songs though. 5/10
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Great album with a bunch of known songs. Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, Sweet Child O'Mine. 9/10.
Taylor Swift
4/5
I actually hated the "Welcome to New York". Just came off incredibly lazy/meaningless song (and I'm from just outside of NYC) and shouldn't have opened the album with it but Swift really flexes her songwriting ability on this album. Tons of songs and hit after hit. Not my kind of music but I respect it. 8/10.
Air
3/5
The first song was relaxing to listen to. The rest are alright, lot of electronic stuff, aligned to the period this came out in. 6/10.
Orbital
1/5
This is just not good. Like experimental techno music. 3/10.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Only 6 songs but the songs are long. Easy listening and I wouldn't have guessed it was from 1969. Nothing crazy though it's like almost like a folk/country, and easy listening though a bit boring. 5/10.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
Absolutely love "Jane Says" and some other songs on this album were really great. Didn't know how much I'd really like Jane's Addiction since this is the second album I've listen to since I started this 1001 albums. Also doesn't really sound very 80s, absolutely more early to mid 90s sound so call the album ahead of it's time. Strong power all throughout, incredible bass, guitar, drumming, and vocals. 9/10.
5/5
This is my favorite album of all time with my favorite song of all time, "Where The Streets Have No Name." It's excellent in every way and all songs, save for Exit and Mothers of the Disappeared" are absolutely excellent. Incredible start to the album and the middle through the near-end parts are massively underrated compared to the rest of U2's catalog. 10/10.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Really nice classic vocal jazz and super easy to listen to. Calming in a way. 7/10.
Richard Thompson
4/5
This was a nice vocal jazz album to listen to. Wasn't mind blowing but calming. 7/10.
The United States Of America
1/5
You'd think that if you named your band "The United States of America" it'd call some attention but yikes this is not great. Mediocre singing and playing. Kind of reminds me of a high school band. Couldn't even finish it because it's just so bad. 1/10.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Listen I get that it's pioneering and all that but I don't really care for it. At least it was over quick. 5/10.
Beach House
3/5
It's not bad but doesn't jump out at me. Like indie rock of the time but not really memorable. 6/10.
Talking Heads
3/5
I'm not a real big fan of Talking Heads and this album continues to prove it. Not a fan of the style of music though I understand the appeal others may have. 6/10.
Roni Size
2/5
Drum & Bass genre album that sounds very typical late 90s. The album is quite long and sounds somewhat experimental. Not really my thing. 4/10.
Carole King
4/5
This is actually a great album. Lots of known songs all throughout with It's Too Late the most known song. 7/10.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
The album wasn't bad and I love "Let Me Roll It" and personally think it's the best song on the album. 7/10.
Massive Attack
2/5
Nice beats and all but not really my thing. Almost like 90s experimental techno hip hop. 4/10.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
This isn't all that great. Even the most played songs aren't good - not sure how they get tens of millions plays. 4/10.
D'Angelo
3/5
I'm pretty indifferent about this album. Nice singing and funky or jazzy at times with splashes of R&B but not really my thing. Nothing really stood out as far as the songs go. 6/10.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Quick album to listen to. Not a bad listen - Hendrix was def a pioneer and sounded great. Can only imagine getting stoned to this in the late 60s lol 7/10.
5/5
This was actually a strong album from start to finish. Lots of great songs. 9/10.
The Zombies
3/5
The last song on the album, "Time of the Season" was the best song on the album by far. It's pretty easy to get through though the previous songs were somewhat forgettable. 6/10.
Garbage
1/5
Huh look at that - Garbage band name, Garbage album name, garbage music. 3/10.
Talk Talk
1/5
What a snoozer of an album. Every song sounds the same and isn't really unique in any way. 3/10.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
Such an excellent album. Starts off well and tapers off a bit in the second half but still a great listen. 9/10.
David Bowie
2/5
I thought this album was alright in the beginning but then started getting really instrumental. Not spectacular and why I feel David Bowie is very hit or miss. 4/10.
Bon Jovi
5/5
Fantastic album - lots of great hits on this and an easy listen. 9/10.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
The album goes hard AF! Obviously very political but was excellent throughout. 9/10.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
This was a fine listen old punk album. Not crazy good but not bad. 6/10.
Erykah Badu
2/5
Eh I'm not a fan of it - just typical 90s R&B - it all just kind of sounds the same. 4/10.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Not a bad album - easy to listen to. Very 80s sound still. 6/10.
Cypress Hill
3/5
I don't really care for CH's jokey-style of hip hop but that's just me. I can appreciate their work though. 6/10.
Common
4/5
This is actually a nice album - thought "GO!" and "The Food" with Kanye providing supporting vocals was great and the best songs on the album. 8/10.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
"Come on Eileen" by far the best and most popular song but it was a fun album to listen to. Lead singer almost kind of sounds like Brandon Flowers from The Killers... well, Brandon sounds like him since he came later. 7/10.
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
"Sara" is the best song on the album, sung by Stevie Nicks. The rest of the album is pretty meh - nothing really stands out. 5/10.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Sounds like lots of Kuti's stuff - enjoyable African jazz. 7/10.
The Roots
3/5
"The Seed" is by far the best and most popular song on the album. I'm not sure I really cared for the album outside of this song and was maybe a little disappointed. 6/10.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Fun album to listen to like many Brazilian samba albums. 7/10.
The Sugarcubes
1/5
This is just more Bjork garbage. Yeesh bad singing - I don't understand how anyone could like her music. 3/10.
Fairport Convention
1/5
This is really great if you have insomnia. What a snoozefest. Horrible late 60s typical folk singing. 2/10.
Aphex Twin
1/5
I mean it's literally ambient music - I don't get it. 2/10.
The Cardigans
3/5
I think it's ok - nothing really special to be honest save for "Lovefool", their by-far greatest hit. 6/10.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
This is laughably bad. 1/10.
Hawkwind
1/5
I imagine everyone at this concert was high as a kite. Just typical bad sounding 70s metal. 3/10.
Nick Drake
2/5
This was a bit of a snooze - I just don't really care for folk music like this. 4/10.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
"Right Here, Right Now", "The Rockafeller Skank", "Praise You", are quite popular obviously and very late 90s sound. Almost sounds experimental electronica. 6/10.
The White Stripes
3/5
I don't really care for their music and I'm a rock guy. Idk, none of the songs are really catchy or stand out, despite their listens on Spotify. Can respect it though. 6/10.
Turbonegro
5/5
This was actually a great album. Goes hard AF and lots of the songs are catchy. Love that the first one, "The Age of Pamarius", is the opening theme for Wildboyz lol. 8/10.
TV On The Radio
1/5
This just kind of sucks. Can't tell what kind of genre it's supposed to be. Bad singing all around. 3/10.
Germs
1/5
This is peak punk. Can't understand anything the singer is saying though. 3/10.
Megadeth
3/5
This was a really solid metal album and enjoyed it. 7/10.
Machito
4/5
This is actually nice classic Cuban jazz. 8/10.
The Soft Boys
2/5
Eh nothing special, in fact it's kind of bland. Has some pretty late 60s rock sound to it compared to when it was released. 5/10.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Classic country that's not horrible but definitely not my thing at all though I understand the appeal if you're from this part of the world. 5/10.
Pulp
1/5
What an awful album. Just sad, mediocre singing and uninspiring music. Yeesh. 2/10.
Various Artists
5/5
This is one of the best albums that I've ever heard, despite the Christmas theme. Just about every song is recognizable and excellent. This has got to be the GOAT Christmas album. 10/10.
James Brown
4/5
Totally incredible voice and fun sounding performance. 7/10.
Gene Clark
2/5
This was a bit boring. Just regular country music I suppose. 5/10.
Björk
1/5
Just more Bjork garbage. I will never understand how anyone could like her stuff. Such a shame how there's so many more talented people who don't even get a tenth of the recognition she does. 2/10.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Old blues album but not really my thing. Not a huge Clapton fan since he's a mediocre singer. Has Ray Charles cover in it too. 6/10.
Brian Wilson
1/5
Yeesh I mean the Beach Boys def get their sound from Brian but I am just not a fan of this album. It's almost like an experimental album. Ironically, the best song was "Good Vibrations", a song originally released in the 60s. Really? 3/10.
Radiohead
2/5
I want to like Radiohead but I'm just not into their music - idk it just seems kind of boring. Can appreciate their work and why others like it, though. 5/10.
1/5
What a struggle this was to listen to. Just plain bad singing, forgettable songs, and instruments. 3/10.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
"Blue Rondo a la Turk" right off the bat is known from a bunch of movies but "Take Five" is excellent and a Jazz staple. 8/10.
Funkadelic
1/5
This album just sucked. Was maybe like a funk jam album with the occasional random sounds. 2/10.
It's a nice album and can appreciate it. 7/10.
Ray Charles
4/5
This was a very nice album honestly. Wouldn't say many recognized hits though, save maybe for "I Can't Stop Loving You". 7/10.
The Streets
1/5
This album belongs on the worst 1001 albums list. Yeesh. 1/10.
David Bowie
3/5
I struggle with Bowie's music. I like some of it but it often seems experimental and ahead of it's time, in a way. I thought this album was alright. 6/10.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Good pop album for the time but I never cared for Cyndi Lauper. Can't stand the shrill voice but at least this album has three huge hits and can respect the work. 7/10.
Neil Young
2/5
Never been a fan of folk, especially of this era. It's not all bad, it just doesn't catch my attention. 5/10.
T. Rex
2/5
This is just a boring album. Songs all sound the same and are so simplistic. No good drumming, singing, or guitar play. Kind of disappointing. 4/10.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
A very bland album. Listened to it, had to do something, and already kind of forgot what it sounded like. 4/10.
Primal Scream
2/5
This album is just so bland and uninteresting. Sounds very late 90s too, if anything. 3/10.
Parliament
3/5
Very funky album. Interesting to hear the sample for Dr Dre's "Let Me Ride" in "Mothership Connection (Star Child)". "Give Up The Funk" also very popular. 6/10.
Public Enemy
4/5
Not a bad album, generally don't care for Public Enemy but this was good. 7/10.
The Stooges
2/5
Just not really a fan. Somewhat boring even by '69 standards. No songs really jumped out at me. 5/10.
George Michael
4/5
"Freedom" is def the biggest hit on the album. Nice album to listen to, to be honest. 7/10.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
One of the best rap/hip hop albums of all time, maybe the best. My personal favorite. Every song is just incredible - one of the rare perfect albums and that can be appreciated even if you do not like rap/hip hop. Easy 10/10.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Excellent album all throughout with tons of great songs and probably peak Bruce, at least from a general popularity perspective. Tons of hits. 10/10.
Adele
5/5
I can certainly appreciate Adele's incredible voice and respect her hit songs, which this album has plenty of. I have two favorites: her cover of "Lovesong" by The Clash and the very underrated "He Won't Go". 9/10.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
This was hilariously bad. Horrid singing, no songs worth enjoying, just boring. Somehow "The Killing Moon" has 117m plays on Spotify. 3/10.
The Blue Nile
1/5
This sucks. Horrible boring singing, unimaginative music. 2/10.
Eagles
4/5
This is actually a great album. Lots of good songs especially "Hotel California" which everyone knows. 8/10.
LL Cool J
4/5
I thought the album was fine, never really cared for LL but the rhymes are nice. Still has a very 80s sound of hip hop. "Around The Way Girl" is my favorite song on the album. 7/10.
David Bowie
3/5
This is alright - not the biggest Bowie fan but can appreciate this album. 6/10.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
"Crosstown Traffic" my favorite song on the album. Guitar playing throughout obviously fantastic. 7/10.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I'm just not that big of a fan of Janis Joplin's. I want to like the raspy voice and all but I'm just like "meh". "Peice of my Heart" is the most popular song on the album and probably my favorite. 6/10.
Incubus
4/5
This is actually pretty good. Couple pretty popular songs on there but overall a really good listen. 8/10.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Eh nice voice and all but not really crazy about folk music. 6/10.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Not a bad listen - my favorite song was "High Tide or Low Tide". 7/10.
CHIC
3/5
This was alright - obviously they have pretty much the only song they're known for but nothing crazy. 6/10.
Sonic Youth
1/5
This is just so laughably bad. Horrid "singing" and unimaginative songs. 2/10.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Just another bad, boring album. Horrid singing and songs. 3/10.
Donovan
1/5
This is so so so bad. Shrill voice and uninspiring annoying songs. 2/10.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
The band actually sounded really though I don't really care for them. Has a very 70s rock sound. 7/10.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Not a bad album honestly. "Heads Will Roll" is the best song. 7/10
R.E.M.
4/5
Not a bad album - I'm on the fence of whether or not I like REM's music but I think this is really solid. Two big hits with "Man on the Moon" and "Everybody Hurts". 7/10.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
This kind of reminds me of a band of dudes in their 40s who casually get together from time to time and play for a town or state fair. Just pretty textbook bland southern rock lol. 4/10.
The Fall
2/5
This is just bad. 2/5 hours of bad music on this album. Sounds pretty punk for the era though. 4/10.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Good album but I suppose I was expecting something more. Kashmir probably the most known song on the album. 7/10.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Interestingly enough there were tons of solos across the album. Not as much singing as I had expected. Not bad though, typical metal. 7/10.
Rush
5/5
Such a fantastic and easy album to listen to with two huge hits in "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight". 9/10.
The National
2/5
I'm actually shocked this album has this many listens on Spotify considering how boring this is. I suppose people put this on in the background as they're trying to get to sleep? Horrendous singing and unimpressive playing. 3/10.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Good album. "No Woman No Cry" is def the biggest, most recognizable song on this album. 7/10.
Alice Cooper
4/5
I don't think this is all that bad actually. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" was the best song on the album, IMO. 7/10.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Really a masterpiece of an album with the greatest rock song ever written, in "Stairway to Heaven". Fantastic from start to finish. 9/10.
1/5
Bob Dylan's music can kiss my ass. Just droning on and on, I have no idea how anyone could like this snoozer of an artist. And enough with the harmonica, it's not good and actually had to turn down the volume at times cause it pierces right through your ears. I really tried to make it through this album but had to bail for my sanity. I won't give him a 1/10 because at least the guitar playing is pleasant, really the only redeeming thing with this album. 2/10.
Dead Kennedys
2/5
I mean this is fine, not particularly a fan of Dead Kennedys or their style of early punk but can appreciate it. 5/10.
Japan
2/5
This is quite bad. Unimaginative lyrics and singing, nothing really special about it really. 4/10.
Kate Bush
3/5
This album has songs with a ton of plays but I just think this is boring. Not particularly great singing and forgettable songs. 6/10.
The Clash
4/5
Great album from start to finish and a few songs I didn't know were there's, like Train in Vain. 8/10.
Lauryn Hill
5/5
Such a fantastic album with masterful vocals. Long album but tons of great songs - an easy classic. 10/10.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
My Bloody Valentine? More like My Boring Valentine (got'em). I don't get it - they just drone on and on with the same melodies song in and song out, minimal singing and the parts they do sing it's more like background noise. Not even impressive guitar playing or anything, almost like garage band level of music. 4/10.
Killing Joke
2/5
Just boring? A really forgettable album. 4/10.
Van Morrison
3/5
Thought the album was nice, though maybe the songs a bit too long at times. 7/10.
Adele
5/5
Pretty stellar album with incredible vocals and strong songs from start to finish. 9/10.
Spiritualized
2/5
Absolute snooze - merely background noise. 4/10.
Kate Bush
2/5
Not really a fan but can see why people would like it. 5/10.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Just so long and boring. Droning on and on with random music playing and "singing". 3/10.
Metallica
5/5
This is an excellent album with lots of great songs from start to finish and goes hard AF. Excellent instrumentals. 9/10.
CHIC
4/5
This is actually really underrated. Super catchy with "Good Times" being the obvious mega hit but all others are great too. Maybe the easiest album to listen to, 300+ albums into this. 8/10.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Kind of boring; poor singing and a bit of a snoozer. 4/10
King Crimson
3/5
This was alright. Songs are a bit too long for my taste but otherwise forgettable. 6/10.
The Byrds
2/5
A bit tough to get through parts of it. Kind of just an uninteresting album. 4/10.
Miles Davis
4/5
This was pretty good though I didn't really recognize any of the music. 7/10.
John Grant
2/5
This is really great for curing insomnia. 3/10.
Suicide
1/5
Finally! An album and band whose name shares the same sentiment a listener feels after listening to it. How does stuff like this even crack the 1001 list? Horrible, basically just spoken word. 2/10
Living Colour
4/5
This was a pretty good glam album with a unique sound. First song of course is the biggest hit and sounds very arena rock, while some other tracks have kinda of easy going reggae-voice like sound. 7/10.
Janis Joplin
2/5
I actually can't stand Joplin's voice and was not a fan of this album or her music. She sings like an old lady. 5/10.
The Prodigy
2/5
Peak late 90s electronica and though I can appreciate it, it aged poorly. 5/10.
Orbital
2/5
Just an experimental instrumental album. Complete snoozefest. 4/10.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
This was a nice live classic album. Warm and enjoyable. 6/10
Queen
3/5
This was a bit... Disappointing? I guess I expected it to be better, have catchier songs. Not horrible, just not as memorable as I had hoped. 7/10.
Green Day
5/5
Excellent, strong album from start to finish. My one complaint is that there are too many songs that are combined into a single track. 9/10.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Mr. Blue Sky the most known song of the album. Was alright, didn't care for most of it. 6/10.
Brian Eno
2/5
Yeah not really it. Great producer for U2 and can hear some influence among their work, but most of this sounds experimental electronica/rock. 3/10.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Way too long an album but it's funky and very 90s type sound. 6/10
Patti Smith
2/5
I want to like this more but just felt it to be alright and nothing more. 5/10
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Great album and superb vocals, honestly. "You Know I'm No Good" and "Back to Black" were by far my favorites. 9/10
Ash
2/5
Legit sounds like a battle of the bands generic type band, even including the bad singing. Completely forgettable and average. 5/10.
The Cure
2/5
Kind of a disappointing album and pretty dark. I guess I wanted something "poppier". 4/10.
Slipknot
1/5
The album cover and the music are completely in line lol what the hell. I mean I can see how people could get into this but what a ROUGH album to get through. Great drums tho. 2/10
The Who
2/5
Way too long an album and I wasn't particularly impressed. 24 songs and nothing stood out. 5/10.
The B-52's
4/5
Rock Lobster! I actually really like the dynamic the group has, even with the very different sounding voices. A fun album. 7/10
Rod Stewart
4/5
Pretty good album actually. Really nice album from start to finish, great vocals, great instrumentals. "Maggie May" far the best song. 8/10.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Some pretty popular songs on the album but I was never quite the fan of early rap though I can certainly appreciate this. 7/10
Le Tigre
2/5
Not very good. Shrieking voice and uninspiring music, kind of sounds like a Battle of the Bands band. 4/10.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Nice album but kind of boring. More artistic than anything. 6/10
Pretenders
4/5
Great album with "Brass in Pocket" the best most known song. 7/10.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Yeesh this was a rough one to get through. 4/10
Buck Owens
3/5
Old timey honky tonk but surprisingly enjoyable. 6/10
Slipknot
3/5
I mean I can see how some people would like this but this just isn't for me. 6/10
Beatles
5/5
Excellent album from start to finish. Tons of well known songs. 9/10
Joy Division
2/5
This sucked. Annoyingly bad singing, forgettable album. 4/10.
Stan Getz
4/5
This was a nice album actually, very pleasant to listen to. 8/10
The Replacements
4/5
Nothing on this really stood out for me - it was nice, but not memorable. 7/10.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Not an Elvis Costello fan and am just really neutral on this album. 6/10.
Röyksopp
2/5
This is the music you'd hear at a department store or something. Great if you suffer from insomnia. 4/10.
Beck
2/5
I couldn't wait for this to be over. Just sad and boring and depressing and all sounded the same. 3/10
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Pretty dated music, not exactly crazy about it. Typical late 90s electronica. 6/10.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Forgettable album. Nice singing but nothing stands out. 6/10.
Burning Spear
3/5
It was alright. Liked the reggae but nothing jumped out. 7/10
Jeff Beck
4/5
Strong vocals from Rod Stewart throughout and bluesy guitar. "I ain't superstitious" is my favorite song on the album and remember hearing it in movies, I want to say in "Casino*. 7/10.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Really great album throughout and hits hard. "Down in a Hole" is the best song on the album, IMO. 9/10.
The Temptations
3/5
Truthfully, this was just alright. Maybe I need to spend more time listening to it but this was just alright. 7/10.
Iggy Pop
2/5
Not a fan of his music, just not a great album. 4/10.
Genesis
3/5
WAY too long an album. Nice but I lost interest. Liked the mix of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins tho. 6/10
Neu!
3/5
Relaxing at times, sure, but totally forgettable. Just a "whatever" album. 5/10.
The Yardbirds
2/5
I mean it went by quickly but i don't know if that's because I had to tune it out as background noise. Not great. 5/10.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
This was borderline unlistenable. Some music with just screaming or talking over random instrument playing. 2/10.
The xx
3/5
I enjoyed it but it definitely wanted me to keep wanting more, to be honest. The whole thing seemed pretty mellow. 7/10
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Not a bad album, classic country music. 6/10.
Moby
3/5
Some notable songs on this album; Flower (my favorite), Porcelain, and others. Interesting album but way too long. 7/10.
Cheap Trick
4/5
Great live album. Fun to listen to and has the huge hit, "I Want You to Want Me" + "Surrender". 8/10
Alice Cooper
3/5
Album wasn't bad but nothing really stood out either. 7/10.
The Who
5/5
Great strong album all the way through with lots of hits. 8/10.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
This was amateur at best. 4/10.
Otis Redding
4/5
Nice album of what sounds like mostly covers? Great, powerful vocals. 8/10.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Good album, not because it's Elvis, but because it's legitimately a good album. Blue Suede Shoes probably the best, most recognizable song on the album but all else strong. A couple covers I noticed. 8/10.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I can understand the appeal though it's not in my language - and it's certainly better than alot of the nonsense in English I've listened to through this site. 6/10.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Half these songs are annoying covers of really popular songs with the rest maybe original? Who knows; can't imagine willingly wanting to listen to this but here we are. 3/10.
fIREHOSE
2/5
So I listened to the first few songs and had to pause it to do something. As I was about to resume, I didn't remember what the first couple of songs I listened to sounded like and I think that's pretty telling for how the album finishes - totally forgettable. I guess I could give bonus points for it being a short and quick album. 4/10.
MGMT
5/5
Loved this album - really groovy and plenty of great hits. "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel", "Kids" are all great. 8/10.
Billy Joel
5/5
It is blasphemous that this album only has a 3.75 star average at the time of writing (Jun 27, '22). Such an incredibly strong album from start to finish. Almost every song was a hit or recognizable. One of the easiest perfect scores I've give yet. 10/10
Beatles
5/5
Great album though I was expecting maybe more hits or known songs the way everyone talks about this initiative? 9/10.
Nick Drake
2/5
Such a painful listen - so folky with mediocre singing and droning on and on. 4/10.
4/5
Right off the bat, great, known song (Uncontrollable Urge) and in a few movies. Satisfaction is obviously a cover but a great take on it - reminds me of the movie Casino. All else is good too but it does taper off. 8/10.
The Prodigy
2/5
More like "Music for the Deaf". Yeesh it's just kind of this industrial or drum & beat electronica. 3/10.
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
Just completely forgettable with really an annoying singing voice. Almost like whispering or uninspired singing as if it was was a secret album. Not a fan of folk music and boy was this ever. 4/10.
Blondie
4/5
I actually loved it - pretty strong from start to finish with two big hits: "Heart of Glass" and "One Way or Another". 8/10.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Excellent album - lots of hits and the second half of the album is probably better. "Waiting in Vain" is probably my favorite despite the popularity of others. 9/10.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
This was alright. Nice jazzy funk sound but not really for me. 6/10.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Like all Brazilian music from this era, it's quite relaxing to listen to. 7/10.
U2
5/5
One of the easiest 5 stars on this list. Top 2 U2 album alongside The Joshua Tree, and a perfect studio follow-up even with a reinvention of their sound that would usher them through the 90s. My personal favorite is "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" but lots of other excellent songs on there. People getting caught up the unoriginal anti-Bono/U2 trope... it's a shame considering how great this one is. 9/10
Norah Jones
3/5
It's a nice album with a sweet voice and smooth jazzy at times. First song the biggest hit probably. 6/10.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Not that big a fan of Sonic Youth's music and this album didn't really change my opinion. 4/10.
David Bowie
4/5
It was a nice album but I often fail to see the appeal with alot of Bowie's music, I don't know. Love the song "Heroes", though. Biggest hit on the album. But I don't get the nature or "peaceful" music in the second half of the album as it takes alot away from the album. 7/10.
The Stone Roses
4/5
Never heard of these guys before - not a bad album. 7/10.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Great sounding album despite it being recorded live. Lots of his hits from top to bottom and a quick and easy listen. 8/10.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I mean it's ok but I'm not exactly crazy about it. Not a fan of her voice and too folky for my taste.
Talking Heads
3/5
I can appreciate their body of work and sound but I just wasn't that big a fan of their music, save a song or two. This album wasn't really it for me. 7/10.
Napalm Death
1/5
I mean the album cover pretty much personifies the music but holy hell I don't know how someone can listen to this. It's the musical equivalent of bashing my head against the wall. 2/10.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
This came out in 2017 but it sounds dated already - sounds like it is experimental late 70s electronica. Just not great. 3/10.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Just like the previous Leonard Cohen albums I've listened to so far on this: Just not a fan of folk music in general and find it and this album boring. Can appreciate his work, but not for me. 4/10.
Mudhoney
2/5
I can see why people would like this but it's not exactly my cup of tea. No songs really jumped out at me. 5/10
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Pretty folky and I generally don't care for folk. I mean it's alright and pleasant, just not my thing. Has a little bit of a Brandi Carlile sound, just not nearly as good as her. 6/10.
The Byrds
3/5
This is alright - nice album but nothing really stood out. 6/10.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This album has my favorite Stones song - Wild Horses; but has other great songs in Brown Sugar, Can't You Hear Me Knocking, Moonlight Mile. 8/10
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
Just painfully boring - nothing about this is enthusiastic or exciting to listen to. Big snoozefest. 4/10.
4/5
Nice electro-rock sound. "Starlight" and "Supermassive Black Hole" are probably the most known songs. 8/10.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
This sounds just like all the other electronica from the late 90s. Nothing special about this; dime a dozen. 4/10.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Classic country. Wouldn't say I'm exactly into it but I can see why some people would be into it. 5/10.
Pavement
2/5
Laughable singing, uninspired music. Just boring all around. 4/10.
System Of A Down
2/5
I can understand why or how some people like this but I just don't get it. 4/10.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Super quick album which was nice, considering that it wasn't very memorable. Sounds very late 60s which isn't a bad thing, but doesn't really stand out for the era. 4/10
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
Really annoying voice/singing. Droning on and on and the songs aren't all that dissimilar. Nothing about this album is exciting. 4/10.
Justice
3/5
Not bad, kind of sounds like Deadmau5. 6/10.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Never been much a Clapton fan - just not my style of music though I can see why people appreciate it. Great cover of I Shot the Sheriff though. 6/10.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
This is kind of, boring? Just sounds like generic rock. No great singing or instruments. 5/10.
Soft Cell
4/5
Album has the New Wave hits "Tainted Love" and "Where Did Our Love Go?". Long album but great listen. 7/10.
Marty Robbins
4/5
This was a great album actually and the sound is excellent, despite its age. Easy to understand lyrics and good tunes all around and super classic country. 7/10.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
This was alright - kind of generic rock of the era with some influences of The Rolling Stones, just obviously not as good. 6/10.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Why do people pretend that they enjoy Bob Dylan's music? Just droning on and on with his horrible voice and ear piercing harmonica. Who cares? 3/10.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
I actually couldn't wait for this to be over. Just nonsensical speaking into the mic. 3/10.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Not a bad album but I find it hilarious how almost all of these electronica albums that are on this 1001 list are the exact opposite of what everyone needs to listen to before they die. In other words, it's electronica that in almost every case isn't very good, that no one personally seeks to listen to, or is too experimental to carry any sort of melody or want to get you out of your seat. You'd think we'd hear more of the big time artists but I suppose not. Anyway, 6/10.
Guided By Voices
2/5
Let's call it what it is: Just a crappy garage band with way too many songs on their album (really? nearly 30 songs?) 4/10.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Eh this was alright - very early 70s rock sounding. 7/10.
3/5
A bit risky calling modern life rubbish when putting an album like this. I mean it's alright but it's also a bit rubbish - sorry, had to do it. I mean it's not impressive and somehow all British alt rock sounds the same. 6/10.
The Doors
4/5
Great album with a few major hits, "Light my Fire", "Break on Through", "Soul Kitchen". Love Ray Mazarek's synthesizer. 8/10.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Not an Elvis Costello fan and this album didn't change me. Just kind of a forgettable album. 6/10.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Basically department store music.
Anthrax
3/5
Not really a fan but can see why people would like this. 6/10.
The Smiths
5/5
This was actually an excellent album - I thought it was very strong from start to finish. 8/10.
Deep Purple
4/5
Pretty good album actually. "Children in Time" is the best song on the album, especially the middle portion. 7/10.
Love
2/5
Any absolute snoozer of an album. Bad singing, bad songs, and very late 60s sounding. 4/10.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Kicks off perfectly with "Sympathy for the Devil" which is the best, most popular song on the album. Rest of it is pretty bluesy - great album. 8/10.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Great album, especially with "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'". "Somebody Groovy" is pretty underrated, IMO. 8/10.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Who seriously could like this? Just speaking into a microphone with some light repetitive instrumentals. 3/10.
Ray Charles
4/5
Album title doesn't lie - he really is a genius. Great album with a mix of Big Band and Soul styles. 8/10.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I've listened to a few of Elvis Costello's albums and they all sound... the same? Not particularly fond of his voice which I know he can't do anything about, but his music all kind of sounds the same. Not great, but also doesn't make me want to raise the volume, either. 6/10.
Grateful Dead
2/5
This sucks - most songs just aren't great while others are OK at best. These guys should always sing in harmony so to obscure the poor singing quality... totally laughable singing. How on Earth was this band able to amass such a huge following? 3/10.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Thought this was a great album with my two favorites, "Y Control" and "Maps". Doesn't sound from 2003, if anything they were ahead of their time. Great energy from start to finish. 8/10.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
So I got this album on a Friday and I had written a review for it, saying it was forgettable and that nothing really jumped out. I've logged back in on Monday and it's true - this was just totally forgettable and don't remember a thing about it. 5/10.
Depeche Mode
4/5
This was a really great album with a few notable songs in "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy the Silence", and "Policy of Truth". Electronica done right, unlike much of the bullshit electronic music that I've listened to on this 1001 list. 8/10.
Nirvana
5/5
Grunge bands always had the best MTV Unplugged performances and this one is the crown jewel. Excellent and raw. Great mix of covers, too. 9/10.
David Bowie
5/5
Starts off with one of my favorite Bowie songs in "Young Americans" but follows up with other great hits in "Fame" and "Across the Universe". Great album and strong from start to finish. 9/10.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
No big hits I could recognize but one of the most relaxing albums I've ever heard. A nice pleasant listen. 8/10.
Supergrass
4/5
Pretty good band, "Alright" being a somewhat familiar hit. 7/10.
The Go-Go's
5/5
Great album and full of energy. Really unique sound and great vocals. "Our Lips Are Sealed" is my personal favorite despite the other hits like "We Got The Beat" on the album. Love the album cover too. 8/10.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
Surprisingly good album and kinda of sounds like Culture Club at times. "Bonny" was my favorite on the album. 7/10.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
"Bad Moon Rising" was the most popular song on the album. Great vocals and very Americana sounding album. I will say, though, I can't stand the electric guitar a few of the songs. Just kind of ear piercing and almost amateur sounding? 7/10.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Couldn't wait to stop listening. Not a fan of Joni's music or this genre really. Just boring and repetitive. I suppose she's very talent but this is isn't for me. 5/10.
Santana
5/5
Really great album with two monster hits in "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va". Guitar playing across the rest of the album is just as fantastic. 8/10.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Not a big Neil Young fan. Just not crazy abut his music though it's easy to listen to. 6/10.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
"Solsbury Hill" is probably the best, most known song on the album and my personal favorite. Nice album though I suppose I was expecting to hear more known songs but that's probably on his other albums. 7/10.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Not a huge Steely Dan fan and this was alright; sounds very similar to Fagen's band work for obvious reasons. I recognize "New Frontier" and hadn't heard it in many years; love that this 1001 list sometimes gives you little nuggets every now and then of songs you haven't heard in forever. Very easily listen and kinda reminds me of music you'd hear in a department store. 6/10.
Primal Scream
2/5
Not a big fan. Just very dated electronica with some singing. 5/10.
Queen
4/5
Great album and somewhat flamboyant at times, maybe too much? "Bohemian Rhapsody" saves it a little bit but it may be a tad too funky for my taste. 8/10.
Elton John
4/5
It's a nice album with two big hits in "Levan" and "Tiny Dancer". Rest was nice but didn't exactly pop or warrant a 5 star rating. 8/10.
Fishbone
3/5
Kind of a crazy mix of music. Funk, Reggae, Ska, and some Rock. It's a fun album but it's a bit all over the place. 6/10.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Incredible blues album. "Mannish Boy" a killer song to start the album. It does trail off though - the album appears to be top heavy but a great listen all throughout. 8/10.
Elton John
5/5
Incredible album with fantastic singing and catchy tunes. Lots of big hits on this one, "Saturday Night's Alright", "Bennie and the Jets", and has an incredible start with the long opener in "Funeral for a Friend". 9/10.
Beastie Boys
4/5
"Sabotage" the best, most known song on the album and also really loved "Get It Together". Surprised to hear so many instrumental tracks and I do think the album is a bit too long because of it. 8/10.
The War On Drugs
4/5
Surprisingly nice album to listen to; the whole album has a certain vibe that catches you by surprise. I will say thought that most of the songs sounded very similarly, thought. 8/10.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Surely there was another album that could've squeezed into the 1001 list over this bullshit. Horrid late 60s nonsense. Gotta be one of the worst albums on this list. 1/10.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Excellent album with "Time" being my favorite but of course have to include "Money". Lots of melodies with incredible vocals. 8/10.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
It's ok. Nice vocals and all but not really my thing. 4/10.
Van Morrison
4/5
"Moondance", "Crazy Love", "Into the Mystic", and "Glad Tidings" are the most known songs on the album. I thought the album started strong, tapered a bit, and finished well. Great vocals and didn't realize how many great, known songs Van Morrison actually had, especially on a single album. 8/10.
Aerosmith
5/5
This album has tons of energy right from the first second of the first track. Lots of known hits, including "What it Takes", "Love in an Elevator", and "Janie's Got a Gun". "Young Lust" and "F.I.N.E." were nice surprises; love Aerosmith. 9/10.
2/5
This album was a bit of a letdown. I usually get excited whenever I see a samba album come across but the late 90s electronica infusion just doesn't cut it. Just doesn't stand the test of time like all electronic music of this era, IMHO. Would've been way better if they just stuck to the traditional samba sounds. 4/10.
TLC
4/5
"Creep" and "Waterfalls" are the two most known songs on the album. Thought it was pretty good but do think it was a bit too long. 7/10.
Brian Eno
2/5
Just an instrumental album with minor vocals but goes on for way too long. Typical Brian Eno work. 4/10.
The Sonics
2/5
Pioneering garage/grunge rock, just wished the audio was better quality. Half this album were cover songs of other artists which is hardly impressive. Anyone can cover a song but the real talent is writing original music and performing it. It's alright, just very raw sounding and the screaming into the mic gets tiresome with every song. In a unique way it somehow got a bit worse as I got further along into the album; you can thank the unoriginal songs and incessant screaming for that. Fortunately it was a super quick listen albeit disappointing. 4/10.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Incredible album from start to finish. Unique approach with background sounds in between songs. "Hey You", "Comfortably Numb", "Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2" are among the best. 9/10.
Van Halen
5/5
"Hot for Teacher", "Jump", and "Panama", along with incredible Eddie guitar and David Lee Roth vocals all throughout. What's not to love? 9/10.
Faith No More
3/5
Not really a fan. This almost sounds like the band is trying too hard? Difficult to put into words. None of the songs were really catchy. 5/10.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Thanks to this 1001 list, I'm starting to grow convinced that music released in the 90s is either spectacular or horrendous. This album has background/elevator music on one track, nonsensical jibberish on another, and I don't know what else on the next. Guess where this one falls? 3/10.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
One of the best and for good reason - most songs are fantastic from all four band members. 10/10.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Thought it was a nice album to have on in the background but not much more. Also, how this gets on here and not the Bee Gee's Saturday Night Fever is criminal. This is considering that the Saturday Night Fever album was a gigantic commercial success and there's only two other Bee Gee's albums on this 1001 list, none of which have the songs SNF has. 6/10.
Bauhaus
2/5
I kind of couldn't wait for this to be over. Just low tier new wavy and sounds like alot of other new wave of the era, just not as good at all. 4/10.
Common
2/5
Not a big Common fan and this album reinforced my belief. 5/10.
Billy Bragg
2/5
This album sucked ass. Just nonsensical singing, nothing catchy, across 22 songs for 1 hour+. 3/10.
Hole
4/5
I thought this was a great punk album all throughout. Great vocals. 7/10.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Incredible album with a bunch of bangers in "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "Zero", and "Tonight, Tonight". 9/10
Tangerine Dream
1/5
This album can kiss my whole ass. It's not music, it's just electronic sounds. This isn't even pioneering... it's literally just sounds. I'd say that this is the equivalent of splattering paint on a canvas and hanging it up on a modern art museum and calling it art. 1/10.
The Triffids
2/5
This wasn't great. All sounds the same and nothing stood out. Way too long an album for something so mediocre/forgettable. 5/10.
KISS
4/5
Thought that this was a great album with two big hits in "Detroit Rock City" and "Shout It Out Loud". 7/10.
Fiona Apple
1/5
This sucked ass. Never would've thought I would've heard Yoko Ono levels of shrieking on a track but here we are. Also barely any singing, just spoken word. This album is the personification of the weird horse girl everyone had in school. 3/10.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This was alright - nothing jumped out at me. Great vocals and all but no major hits that I could recall. 7/10.
The Black Keys
4/5
Tighten Up and "Howlin' for You" are the two songs I recognized but also really loved "Never Gonna Give You Up". Great album from start to finish. 7/10.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
This was alright - nothing really jumped out at me but the vocals and overall sound are great. 6/10.
The Who
2/5
I didn't think it was very good. Just strange/typical psychedelic 60s music but this was generally annoying. I suppose I was expecting more of a Who sound. Instead, got many soft melodies, strange songs, bad singing, and background sounds/noises. 4/10.
Metallica
4/5
This album went hard AF with "Master of Puppets" being the obvious best song. 8/10.
Spiritualized
2/5
Couldn't wait for this to be over. I presume this is the musical version of going on an acid trip. 3/10.
Charles Mingus
3/5
Didn't think this was all that bad. Really crazy arrangements all throughout but generally enjoyable. 7/10.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
I weirdly have a soft spot for honky tonk Country music and this album truthfully wasn't all that bad. No major songs that I could say I loved, but it wasn't bad. 7/10.
Ice T
3/5
Probably among the last 80s style hip hop. Can't say I'm not a crazy big fan of this if I'm honest. It's good but I wouldn't say it's great. 7/10.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I thought this was an excellent album even though I'm not the biggest CCR fan. Big hits in "Proud Mary" and "Good Golly Miss Molly". Also shoutout for the album being easy and short to listen to - almost 500 albums in on this and I can't tell you how many albums should've been shortened to make it better; I guess people like to think more is better when in many cases it's not. 8/10.
Peter Frampton
5/5
"Show Me The Way", "Baby I Love Your Way", and "Do You Feel Like We Do" are three super hits that I really like. Crazy good live album. 9/10.
John Coltrane
4/5
Really a masterpiece in jazz and it was a nice short album to listen to. 8/10.
The Gun Club
2/5
Not really good. Bad singing and I get it's punky but usually punk songs go harder/have good music. This has neither. 5/10.
Pavement
2/5
Just bad - songs aren't great and singing may be worse. 4/10.
Thundercat
4/5
I actually really liked this album. Really nice vibe to it from start to finish. Funky hip hop jazz. 7/10.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Not exactly my type of tune. Can respect the standards, but not my cup of tea. 6/10.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
What in the hell was this. It was a mix of Merengue, West African-style music, hip hop, etc. It was all over the place and each song was a surprise, and not a particularly good one. Just not good. 3/10.
Madness
4/5
This is super British 80's pop and I kinda liked it, especially their big hit, "Our House". 6/10.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Nice album but can definitely tell that it's a debut. Excellent vocals but no songs really jumped out at me as her later work did. 7/10.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
"Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" were the most popular songs I recognized on the album. Was generally fine; no major opinion of it. 6/10.
Fats Domino
3/5
One of the easiest albums I've listened to since I started this. Really nice Rock pioneering album. 7/10.
The Band
3/5
Just a late 60s/early 70s sounding band. Nothing stood out on the album. In fact, it all sounded the same. 5/10.
David Bowie
3/5
Not a fan at all. Kinda of somber, which I guess makes sense since I believe he had passed before this album was released. At least it was a shorter album. 6/10.
Solange
3/5
Not really my cup of tea and nothing stood out. It kinda sounds like someone had a megastar of a sister and was able to get a record deal as a result. Nice voice at times but don't really care for it. 6/10.
Air
2/5
Damn this just wasn't great - I don't get the appeal. Literally just electronica/instrumentals. 3/10.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Honestly it's way too long an album. Just going on and on. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the instrumentals but I feel like too much of it is a bad thing; songs are unnecessarily long and the music isn't exactly blowing me away. 6/10.
Paul Simon
3/5
Never really a fan of folky kind of music but this was at least a bit pleasant to hear. Nothing crazy but was fine. 7/10.
Peter Tosh
4/5
Actually really nice music and pleasant to jam to. 7/10.
Beth Orton
3/5
This was alright - nothing crazy. Kind of a middle of the road album where nothing stood out; really average. 6/10.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
This was pretty groovy actually. Nice album and short. 8/10.
4/5
This was a pretty unique album; only 3 songs but the first two very long. I'm generally not a fan of these kinds of albums but I thought that the band did a great job, especially with "Close to the Edge". Great all around. 8/10.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Kind of sounds like generic rock background music. 6/10.
Slayer
4/5
This album goes hard AF but it's not really my thing. I certainly can appreciate the work and music though. 7/10.
Kraftwerk
1/5
Listen, I get that these guys pioneered electronica but it's borderline unlistenable. No good songs or catchy tunes. 2/10.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Really a classic with lots of hits. "Girls", "Brass Monkey", "No Sleep Til Brooklyn", and "Paul Revere". I'm not a gigantic fan of the Beastie Boys but can't deny how great this album is. 8/10.
Supertramp
3/5
"Dreamer" is the only song I recognized but I have to say this album was just alright; not a huge fan of some of the bad singing. 7/10.
The Young Gods
1/5
Straight up garbage. Who listens to this bullshit, and how does it get on the top 1001? Somehow the singing sounds like an even worse Tom Waits and he's a talentless hack. 1/10.
Blur
3/5
Outside of "Song 2", which is the most popular song by a mile on the album, I thought it was alright. Not crazy about it. 6/10.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Horrible singing, songs just go on and on and on. Not really impressed and sounds too much like a cheap garage band. 4/10.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
Thought that this was a great album, for someone that has barely listened to the band. I love the vocals and overall sound of the band. I do wish there was at least one known song, though. 8/10.
Frank Ocean
4/5
Album reminded me of college - "Thinkin Bout You" was great and thought the whole album was great too. 8/10.
MC Solaar
4/5
I don't understand a word of it but I found to be really good - nice flow and pretty funky at times. Good, respectable listen, especially since alot of these foreign language albums on this 1001 list are bad listens. 8/10.
ZZ Top
5/5
I actually loved this album. So fully of energy from start to finish with two big hits in "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs", the latter my personal favorite ZZ Top song. I do wish it was a bit stronger in the last few songs but great nevertheless. 9/10.
Eminem
5/5
A pretty violent album containing so many of Em's classic hits, including "Kill You", "The Real Slim Shady", "The Way I Am", and his best song (IMO), "Stan". I guess it's not for everybody but I think it's a great reflection of his difficult upbringing. 10/10.
Pearl Jam
5/5
Absolutely stellar album - one of my all time favorites. Just so fully of energy, grit, and instant classic hits in "Jeremy", "Even Flow", "Alive", and "Black". This album makes you want to crank the speakers up to the max from the get go but I will say that the album does taper a bit towards the end. 10/10
Lorde
3/5
This was just alright - I always found Lorde to be a bit pretentious. First song I've heard before but her music is the stuff teenage girls would listen to and this is, needless to say, not my demo. Plus I can't stop thinking about that CRINGY video of her shushing her audience so she can sing horribly a capella. 6/10.
Fugazi
3/5
This was just boring? No songs stood out and didn't find the singing or music particularly engaging. Just all sounds the same. 5/10.
Koffi Olomide
4/5
This album caught me pleasantly by surprise. Very African good vibes, like classic African sound from the 90s. 7/10.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
A few notable songs on the album, like "Up Around The Bend". Never really was a big fan of CCR but can certainly appreciate their music. Some songs are dopey though, like "Ooby Dooby" is a waste of time. There's a cover or two on the album as well, which I almost never appreciate on studio albums because it's just filler, IMHO. Like we don't need an 11+ minute rendition of "Heard it through the grapevine". 7/10.
Radiohead
3/5
I wanted to like this album more than I did and more than how everyone carries on about it? Some songs are fine, don't get me wrong, but it feels a bit... overrated? 7/10.
Nirvana
5/5
Fantastic album from start to finish - lots of my favorite Nirvana songs on it as well. 9/10.
Can
2/5
Horrible. Bad singing, nothing stood out, and just droning on and on. 3/10.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Never been an Elvis Costello fan and this album didn't change my mind; kinda can't stand his stuffy nose sounding singing. It's alright, nothing special. 6/10.
Digital Underground
2/5
Outside of the popular "The Humpty Dance" this just wasn't very good. Early hip hop that just hasn't aged very well. It's crazy to see how far hip hop would evolve in a handful of years to the mid-90s, knowing what we know now. 4/10.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice album for someone with a very long and successful career, but the whole thing is almost all covers which is disappointing. Album also has his cover of Trent Reznor's "Hurt" which I think may be the most overrated cover ever. I'm not strictly opposed to maybe including a cover in an album but I don't understand how people can grade this any higher than 4 starts considering it's almost all a rehashing of other people's music. 5/10.
The Kinks
2/5
Absolutely horrible, music aged terribly and just about every song was dopey. It's as if the album was made by children or a budget version of The Beatles. Anyone reviewing this as a good album has got to be smoking penis. 3/10.
Gotan Project
2/5
I enjoy some tango but I guess I'm not exactly ecstatic with this modern take on tango. It's fine, but I guess some classics shouldn't be improved on, especially if someone thinks that they can improve by using late 90s, very early 00's poorly aged beats and remixes. Also, the album is way too long given how mediocre the music is. 4/10.
Oasis
4/5
It was nice familiarizing myself with Oasis' music as I always wanted to get into them but never got around to it. I thought the album was pretty good and recognized maybe one of their songs from elsewhere. Nice listen. 8/10.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
I had actually never heard this album from start to finish and there were a couple things that came to mind as I finished: 1) It's quite long and I feel like they could've trimmed some of the fat. 2) Is home to two of some of the most popular songs in "Give it Away" and "Under the Bridge", my personal favorite. It does sound quite modern, though, especially given that it came out in '91; it aged wonderfully, music-wise. Sounds pretty modern. 8/10
Iggy Pop
4/5
Had no idea that "Lust for Life" and "The Passenger" were actually Iggy's. This was a pretty good album and caught me by surprise, especially with the unexpected David Bowie collab. 7/10.
The Kinks
2/5
This wasn't bad overall though some songs are quite bad; I recognized one song in "Picture Book". The overall thing is just pretty dated and didn't find many of the songs to be appealing. 5/10.
3/5
This album reminds me of the music edgy middle schoolers would listen to in the early 2000s. This album is so strange; I kind of want to like it and some songs are alright, but it's just all over the place. Some songs I'm familiar with but for the most part it's a musical version of what I'd guess hot dog water would sound like as music. 5/10.
Wilco
2/5
Good God was this not it... just going on and on and on. Weird mesh between country and acoustic nothingness. Oh, did I mention the horrid singing? I wanted to like it but it's just all over the place and it is way too long, to add insult to injury. I had to bail early. 3/10.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Listen I'm sure people of the culture can appreciate and I can respect Nusrat's devotion to his music and you can hear it in some of the music, but I can't quite get into old Pakistani music. Not his fault, I'm just from the other side of the world. 4/10.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Nice album with "Can I Kick It?" probably being the most known song on the album. I did notice throughout that TCQ sampled a bunch of well known songs; that's not to say that hip hop groups don't do that, but I guess they go with lesser known songs so it flies under the radar and becomes less of a distraction. Overall the album is fine, maybe a little too long. 8/10.
Nas
5/5
Such a hard-hitting, gritty, tough album. Incredible songs throughout and powerful lyrics and one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. What also makes it great is that it was the perfect length at 40 minutes. 9/10.
Raekwon
4/5
I actually enjoyed the album and thought it was great all around; definitely hear Wu Tang samples all around throughout, not to mention many collaborations with Ghostface. 8/10.
Sam Cooke
5/5
Such an incredibly soulful album with outrageously good vocals, especially considering that it's a live album. Man that must've been a hell of a concert to be a part of. 9/10.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
I enjoyed this album, especially "The Dark of the Matineee", "Come on Home", and "Take Me Out". I feel like it's tricky getting this genre right without making the music sound annoying as many British bands of the era seemed to fail to do (and many made this 1001 list somehow). I also love how this was a super quick listen. 8/10.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
I found this album to be quite relaxing, actually. Has a very in-the-era indie sound to it and best of all... it's a quick listen. 8/10.
Manu Chao
3/5
I mean this is fine... just sounds like typical Spanish hippie music. Those dudes you'd see in a botellon with dreads not really drinking but smoking a ton of weed. I thought I recognized the guy from "Me Gustas Tu" on a different album. 6/10.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
So the name is the only good thing about this album. Vocals are laughable at best and songs are all over the place. Pro-tip: screaming constantly is not singing. This band sounded like a battle of the bands entry at best. 3/10.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Killer album with fantastic everything... vocals, percussion, and guitars all come in so crisp. This album has some of their biggest hits of course and it's such a quick and easy list. Easy five stars. 9/10.
The Divine Comedy
1/5
The best part about this was that it was the shortest album I've heard so far on this 1001 list. Good god was this a difficult listen. Crap lyrics and some of the worst singing ever - it reminded me of something who thinks they can sing like Sinatra except they're a 2 time divorcee doing karaoke at his local bar trying to pick up chicks half his age. How did this group win a record contract!? 2/10.
John Lennon
5/5
This was such a great album. Obviously everyone knows "Imagine" but "Jealous Guy" and "Gimme Some Truth" are both excellent too, even "How Do You Sleep". Nice and easy listen and strong all throughout, except maybe "Oh Yoko!" for obvious reasons. 9/10.
Public Enemy
4/5
I mean it's a classic hip hop album and kind of the bridge between 80s style hip hop before the more hard-hitting 90s takeover. Couple classic hits like "911 Is A Joke" and of course, "Fight the Power". 7/10.
Magazine
3/5
Honestly this sounded like generic late 70s punk rock. Didn't find much special with it - wasn't horrible, but nothing jumped out at me. It actually started out ok but seemed to take a weird turn towards the middle before returning to a better sound towards then end. 5/10.
John Prine
3/5
Lyrics are better than the music and singing. I guess I wanted to like it more but having only 1 of the 3 components isn't exactly going to give John Prine a great score. Was alright. 5/10.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Totally horrible. Atrocious singing and all the songs sound the same. Battle of the Bands performance at best. 3/10.
50 Cent
5/5
Classic 2000s hip hop album with two huge bangers in "Many Men", "In Da Club", "P.I.M.P.", and "21 Questions". A bit too long for my taste but went by surprisingly quick; great album. Reviewers leaving poor reviews are indirectly telling everyone their age IMHO. 8/10.
The Hives
2/5
Honestly? Generic 2000s Britpop and nothing else that's special, even though they're Swedish. And it being a compilation album makes it less impressive. 4/10.
Steely Dan
4/5
This was actually a really good listen - absolutely loved the intro instrumental to the album in "Bodhisattva". Pleasant and quick album. 7/10.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I mean it was a nice album, far too long though. Nice vocals and instrumentals though I'm not particularly a fan of some of the music, sounds a little jokey at times? 6/10.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
Very bluesy, obviously, but I was just... bored with it? Maybe I don't get it. Fortunately it was a quicker one. 5/10.
a-ha
4/5
Right off the bat with the megahit "Take on Me" which I love - peak 80's sound. Rest of the album was fine, nothing crazy, nice all around. 7/10.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Spectacular album with tons of megahits. "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Another Part of Me", "Man in the Mirror"... it just goes on. Damn near impossible to follow up the masterpiece that is "Thriller" but this is as close to a perfect follow-up you can get. 9/10.
Joy Division
2/5
What a painful listen right out the gate. Horrendous "singing", dark all around, and droning on and on. Not to mention boring ass instrumentals... next. 3/10.
The Killers
5/5
One of my favorite albums of all time. Such bangers from the get go, including everyone's favorite, "Mr. Brightside". One of the easiest 5 stars I could give. 10/10.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Not exactly in love with this. I mean it's fine, but it didn't blow me away nor did I particularly care for any of their songs and especially the singing. Still has an 80s sound with a 90s fusion, so I guess that's nice. 6/10.
R.E.M.
4/5
What caught me by surprise is how very late 90s they sound despite it being released in 1983... just a very futuristic sound given the era. Really nice album. 8/10.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
It's a nice album - very pleasant voice and songs but reminds me of light country music a teenage girl would listen to. Nevertheless, good listen. 7/10.
Steely Dan
4/5
Nice album, you're dad's smooth rock. I'm not a crazy fan of Steely Dan but you're always going to know what you're going to get with them - smooth, easy listening. 7/10.
ABBA
3/5
Not a big fan of this to be honest. Fine singing, but only one song was memorable/popular in "Slipping Through My Fingers". Outside of that, no songs were very memorable. 6/10.
Elliott Smith
2/5
This is a really great album for anyone suffering from insomnia. What even is this? Just light singing with bland instrumentals. Sometimes I have no idea how some of these albums make it on to this 1001 list. 3/10.
The Who
3/5
"My Generation" clearly the most popular, recognizable song on the album. I didn't particularly care for the rest of the songs; in fact, the album is too long; less can often be more. Otherwise very mid-to-late 60s sound. 7/10.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I didn't really get this album. Was an ok listen but nothing was particularly memorable. 5/10.
Pentangle
1/5
Damn, this hippie shit sucks. All that's missing is my weed/LSD and long hair. Jokes aside, this is just not very good, I don't know how anyone could find this enjoyable. 2/10.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
This music reminds me those biopics of musicians that started in the South and how an unrelated band was playing music on stage but weren't very good and nothing ever happened with them, all while there is dialogue around the main character happened in the foreground. Yeesh, this was a struggle to listen to. 4/10.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Opening track pretty popular, the rest is pretty dated hip hop. Enjoyable album, though not necessarily my thing. 6/10.
Beatles
4/5
Like most Beatles albums, really great. "Can't Buy Me Love" is probably my favorite (and I'd also say the most known song on the album, too). It's interesting... you really don't appreciate how great The Beatles were until you've listened to a ton of different albums from this era. And thanks to this 1001 list (575 albums in at the time of writing), I've listened to stuff from the 60s that (somehow) made it to the list and it's often utter crap when compared to how prolific these guys were. 8/10.
Calexico
3/5
Interesting mix of light mariachi, world, jazz. Was alright, just a general weird fusion. 5/10.
Ray Price
2/5
Only good thing about this is how short the album is. All else is just a snoozefest, and I generally like this era of country. 4/10.
Bee Gees
3/5
I love the Bee Gees but admittedly I am a little unfamiliar with their pre-disco era. I can't say I'm exactly in love with this or preceding albums. In other words, thank god for disco. 5/10.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Didn't exactly love this. Some songs are fine but alot of it is just boring or annoying screaming/nonsensical rambling. Really wanted to get into it but just not my thing. 4/10.
Johnny Cash
4/5
I thought this was an incredibly raw and powerful album. Sounds great despite it's age and the atmosphere comes in perfectly. 8/10.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
I thought this was fantastic - super easy listen. 8/10.
Lou Reed
3/5
"Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day" are the two I recognized the most on the album. Overall I thought it was just alright - never a huge fan of Lou Reed's music and this album is not absolved of having any clunkers... in fact there were a few. 5/10.
Rahul Dev Burman
1/5
I can't stand Indian music to begin with and this doesn't help. Christ almighty what a tough listen. WTF is what the Yoko Ono-esque screeching? 2/10.
1/5
Damn the editors of the 1001 Best Albums book must've been smokin' penis to put this on the list. What. The. Hell. 1/10.
Nirvana
5/5
One of the greatest albums ever made, enough said. Masterpiece. 10/10
Happy Mondays
2/5
Honestly it's just unimpressive rock that has a typical late 70s/early 80s sound to while shifting into the now-known 90s sound. It's kinda harmless and forgettable, though the lead singer has a HORRID voice. 4/10.
The Monks
2/5
This was so irritating to listen to. Just all over the place. 3/10.
Public Enemy
4/5
I thought this was really great actually. Some songs aren't as strong but overall this was fantastic old school hip hop. I will say though that I think the album is a bit too long. 7/10.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
This was a fun album but I wouldn't say that this is super great. Not really very memorable. 6/10
Prince
5/5
Thought the album started very strong but tapered off as it progressed. The only thing I'll take away from it is that the songs can be too long. Otherwise there are a bunch great songs, most notably "1999" and "Little Red Corvette". 8/10
Bob Dylan
2/5
Alright so I'm not a fan of Dylan's music and have listened to a few of his albums prior to this one. This one is not as horrendous as his other nonsense, especially with the megahit of "Blowin' in the Wind" and a couple other songs which I'd consider to be listenable. That said, Bob Dylan is the most overrated musical artist ever and that is not an exaggeration. I saw another review and felt they hit the nail right on the head, "Important? Sure. Historical? Yes. Fun to listen to? No." 4/10.
Elbow
3/5
Lead singer sounds kind of like Sting. Some songs were fine, others were just kind of boring and slow and go on and on. Not horrible, just whatever. 6/10.
The Fall
2/5
Some of the worst singing ever. Imagine being a bandmate and you've practiced your craft playing guitar or drums, and then this shmuck gets on the mic and starts mumbling nonsense. Also a 2 hour album. All that "singing" and nothing to say. 4/10
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
This was literally just background music. 6/10.
Goldie
1/5
Come on man, this was just garbage. 3/10.
The Only Ones
2/5
Icepick-in-the-ear kind of singing on this album. Instrumentals were pretty good but oof that lead singer kills everything else, and not in a good way. 5/10
ZZ Top
3/5
"La Grange" is the best, most popular song on the album by far. I thought the rest of it was just alright. 7/10.
Sigur Rós
3/5
I mean it was pleasant but not really my thing. All in Icelandic, which also doesn't help. 5/10.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I thought the album was pretty nice, though I would say there were definitely a few misses. I also thought the album was a bit too long - definitely could've scrapped a few songs. "The Rising" was absolutely the best song on the album and was a bit more meaningful, considering my proximity to the events of 9/11. 8/10
Slint
2/5
You know, just because 1001 albums is a nice even/catchy number doesn't mean we should force crap albums into a list to get to that 1001 number. And first on the chopping block is this one - good god what a horror. Horrid singing and mundane instrumentals, dare I say garage band-ish. The only saving grace was that it was short. 4/10.
John Martyn
3/5
This was a pretty groovy album and John has a pretty interesting voice, dare I say what that weirdo Tom Waits wishes he could be. 6/10.
The Undertones
3/5
Thought it was a solid punk album - nothing crazy stood out to me though. 7/10.
Death In Vegas
3/5
Honestly I didn't get it - it was just instrumentals. Not good, not bad. 6/10.
Tito Puente
5/5
Just an album of masterful musicianship. Superb and unique vocals with a complete command of the instrumentation. Super fun album and high energy from start to finish. 10/10.
Dire Straits
5/5
"Sultans of Swing" obviously the best, most popular song on the album but having heard the rest of the album, you can get a good feel for the overall sound of the band and why Sultans sounds the way it does. The band really knows how to compliment the instrument to the vocals so easily. Fantastic album, loved it. 9/10.
M.I.A.
2/5
So outside of "Paper Planes" and "Jimmy", the rest of this album is unlistenable. It's funny, I remember "Paper Planes" coming out and wondered for a little while why MIA wasn't releasing more music or appearing with other artists since then. Having listened to the bullshit on this album I understand why. 3/10.
Miles Davis
5/5
There's cool and then there's Miles Davis cool. Not just Davis either, Johnny Coltrane and other Jazz legends all on the album as well. Easy listen to an American classic. 9/10
Weather Report
4/5
70s jazz, was a nice, pleasant listen overall; killer bass guitar all throughout. I think "Palladium" was my favorite. 8/10.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
Honestly this just sounds like generic 60s rock that I've heard a number of times in the last 600+ albums I've heard so far and this one isn't very special. 5/10.
Sebadoh
2/5
This album reinforces a belief I hold where the 1001 author held a list of randomized albums released over the last 70 years on a dart board and threw darts. If it landed on your album, congrats! You're now on the 1001 "greatest" list. That's a long winded way of me saying that this kind of sucked - garage band at best. 4/10.
Cream
3/5
"Sunshine of your life" the best, most popular song on the album. Very psychedelic sound and not bad at all. The album cover art probably matches the sound perfectly. 7/10.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Every once in a while you come across an album so bad it makes you question why you're even doing this 1001 list. But then you realize that the album is pretty short and can give it a terrible rating and move onto the next one, which is great. Swing and a miss by Wyatt - bad singing and instrumentals all over the place. And the songs aren't even songs, they're just random sounds. 2/10.
Sepultura
3/5
This album made me want to run head-first through a brick wall at full speed. Not a fan of metal but thought this was pretty good. Metal artists (outside of probably the singers for the most part) never get a fair shake with their guitar and especially drumming skills. 6/10.
Dr. John
2/5
I honestly don't get it. It almost sounds like a vanity project by some guy who isn't really serious about making (good) music. It sounded like a blend of bad 60's music with some Indian influence. At least it was a short album. Also I don't know if it's a Spotify thing but the recording is such terrible quality. 4/10.
Klaxons
2/5
I just wasn't that big a fan of the album. Didn't find anything too catchy and was almost too experimental for me. Sounds like Two Door Cinema Club but worse. 5/10.
N.E.R.D
3/5
Honestly I thought this was just ok. Not a huge fan of rap-rock as a genre but this was harmless and pretty typical of Pharrell's work, of which I'm not the biggest fan in the world to begin with, outside of some collabs he's done with other artists. 6/10.
The Style Council
2/5
Yeesh more instruments and less singing. Was amateurish at best jazz/pop? Was just all over the place. 4/10
The Human League
4/5
Super synthy and classic new wave 80s sounds. "Don't You Want Me" by far the most popular megahit but the rest wasn't bad either. I liked "Love Action". I've listened to alot of music from this era so far and this is electronica done right, even though it's from '81. 8/10.
Beatles
4/5
Really great album though you can definitely tell that it's still very much early Beatles. Some songs stuck out while others are covers which you have to take points away, of course. Still better than a lot of the crap and imitations that were to follow. If there is one thing the Beatles offer across every album it's that their music/albums are always easy to listen to. 7/10.
Spacemen 3
2/5
Someone else here summarized it perfectly, "Like a garage band of college dropouts tried to make an album inspired by the generic new-age music playlist they heard in the waiting room of the 'discount massage parlor' they frequent." Holy hell really? 2 hours of... this? 3/10.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
Just a masterful album with such incredible all-time classics in "Tuesday's Gone", "Simple Man", and of course, "Free Bird". 9/10
OutKast
4/5
I think this was really great, though I'm not sure I'm crazy about how long it was nor a bunch of the songs on it. Outside of that, killer classics in "B.O.B.", "Ms. Jackson", and "So Fresh, So Clean". I like it alot overall. 8/10.
Traffic
3/5
This music just kind of... exists? It's totally harmless and unremarkable. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. And after giving this an average 3 stars, I'll have forgotten all about it before the day is over. 6/10.
5/5
Really strong album from start to finish with a bunch of hits, most notably in "Wonderwall". Really liked it, shame these brothers couldn't stick together because great music could've been made beyond this. 9/10.
Shack
3/5
Honestly just pretty average and forgetful. Harmless late 90s rock but nothing stood out. As middle-of-the-road as it gets. 6/10.
Van Halen
5/5
Crazy that this album is only 35 minutes long. Super tight with plenty of known songs, especially with "Runnin' with the Devil" and "Eruption". Man David Lee Roth's voice is so iconic next to Eddie's guitar, of course. Van Halen has that magical pairing of an S tier guitar player alongside an S tier frontman. 9/10.
Blue Cheer
2/5
Thank god this album was only 32 minutes because holy hell was that bad. Nonsensical "singing" and instrumentals all over the place. 3/10.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Straight garbage. Nonsensical and going on and on. The more I do this 1001 list, the more I think that the person making the list was just throwing darts on the board. Some songs are decent, but most are unlistenable. 4/10.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Was just ok. Sounded like generic rock. 6/10.
Tortoise
2/5
It's mind boggling how someone, anyone, could ever consider giving this more than 3 stars, let alone 5. I knew I was in trouble when I saw the 20+ minute track and spoiler alert: this wasn't good. All instrumental, which doesn't make it bad, but when it's arranged like it had been here... yeah it's not good. 3/10.
Kings of Leon
3/5
This was just ok. All the songs kind of sound the same and there is little variety. Also I can't stand singers that mumble the whole god damn time and really takes away from the album. He's mumbling now on a studio album... imagine hearing him in concert. 5/10.
Ride
2/5
Battle of the Bands worthy performance at best. Bad singing, bland instrumentals. Really? This is one of the 1001 albums I have to listen to before I die? 4/10.
The Beach Boys
3/5
This was fine. I'm not particularly in love with the Beach Boys' sound but I get it, it's not for everyone. Album was fine overall, at least it was short. 6/10.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
Here's a tip: Don't start off an album screaming into the mic as if you're fighting in the civil war and the medic is sawing your arm off. Having said that, oh good! I'm so happy I was able to listen to this album of 1001 before I died! Now I can go peacefully! /s. I mean WTF was this? 3/10.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
Sounds like part of the soundtrack of a spy movie that takes place in France. Eh... at least it was short. The other kinda creepy thing was that Serge keep whispering into the mic, "Melody" all throughout and thought it was a bit much. Also WTF was that Maria Menounos laughing in "En Melody"? 4/10.
R.E.M.
3/5
Honestly this was just fine. I was never a huge R.E.M. fan; maybe it has to do with the slightly annoying singing. Found the album to be solid from start to finish. 6/10.
The Black Crowes
5/5
I actually loved this album, so fully of energy and superb singing. "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels" are the biggest hits. 9/10.
Blur
3/5
This was just slightly decent Britpop. Too long an album IMO. 6/10.
Destiny's Child
3/5
"Survivor" by far the biggest hit on the album. Overall I thought it was nice; quintessential early 2000s pop and sounds a bit dated/didn't stand the test of time but that's the case for alot of pop music. Starts off strong but peters off as the album progresses, which also is too long IMHO (and I noticed at least one cover in "Emotion". Outstanding vocals all around though. 6/10.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
A few misses but overall I thought it was fine. Not spectacular. 5/10.
Madonna
2/5
This just wasn't great. Felt like the music (no pun intended) was all over the place and nothing was particularly catchy. On a separate note, garbage album art. 4/10.
Aerosmith
4/5
This was really great and fresh for me as I don't think I've listened to much (if any) 70's Aerosmith. Don't recognize any of the music but enjoyed it and they have a great sound and not very 70s sounding, i.e., it's aged really well. 8/10.
Fugees
5/5
This is an absolute masterpiece of an album. Outstanding lyrics, beat, vocals, and huge hits, of which my personal favorite is "Ready or Not". 10/10.
SAULT
2/5
I had read another review while listening to this and that person made a great person - there are so many other albums made by black artists who've shared their struggles through masterfully crafted lyrics and beats. And compared to "Untitled", it kind of... fell flat? Nothing really jumped out at me and the songs all somewhat sounded the same? I don't know, maybe it's me but I thought it was just ok. I wished there was more unique and exciting instrumentals. 5/10.
Silver Jews
1/5
What an excellent album if you are having trouble sleeping. My god what a horrible listen. One of the worst, if not the worst vocals I've yet to hear (and I'm 650+ albums in at the time of writing along with two Tom Waits albums in between) paired with the most basic, middle school-skill instrumentals. I'm so glad I was able to listen to this album before I died [insert sarcasm]. 2/10.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Like running head first at full speed into a brick wall. Can hear Trent Reznor's fingerprints all over this but I can't say I'm exactly a fan of much of this. I mean as far as metal goes this is somewhat listenable compared to the other bullshit I've listen to on this 1001 listen but overall it's a shame you can't really get passed the laundry list of controversies as you listen to this. 4/10.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Such a relaxing album made by one of the all time greats. Wonderful listen. 8/10
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Masterpiece of an album with what is, in my opinion, the greatest singing voice ever. "What's Going On", "Mercy, Mercy, Me" and one of my favorite songs ever, "Inner City Blues" (which is also the theme for what I think is the greatest TV show ever, The Wire). 10/10
Big Star
2/5
Completely and totally forgettable. Just who cares - horrid singing. 4/10
Grateful Dead
2/5
I'm conflicted; on one hand I find that going to a jam band's concert would drive me nuts because they're doing that... just jamming and as a concert goer, I'd want to see them perform actual songs I recognize vs. mindlessly playing their instruments. But on the other hand, I can see the appeal of watching musicians play. That being said, I'm firmly in the first camp; what a load of nonsense this was. 3/10.
Snoop Dogg
5/5
One of the greatest hip hop albums ever. Fantastic debut for Snoop and it's smooth AF from start to finish. Incredible vocals and g funk beats all throughout. "Gin & Juice" among others as well. 10/10.
Björk
1/5
I can't believe this is the 5th god damn Bjork or Bjork collaboration album (The Sugarcubes) I've gotten on this journey. Twice, MAYBE thrice at most but 5 times!? Bjork!? Over other infinitely more talented artists that somehow didn't make this 1001 list!?!? Album sucks as usual. 58 minutes of yelling into the wind off the coast of Iceland. 2/10
Method Man
4/5
I enjoyed the album, dark and gritty similar to that of Wu Tang's (for obvious reasons). "Bring the Pain" was my personal favorite. Generally really like Method Man's stuff. 7/10.
Pulp
3/5
This was just ok - I can't say I fell in love with it or songs jumped out at me. Like most britpop, it sounds all the same. 6/10.
Orange Juice
2/5
If this isn't the precursor to what would eventually become BritPop nonsense I don't know what is. This was just ok, pretty dated with horrid, nonserious singing. 4/10.
The Thrills
3/5
If generic rock music as a genre released an album. 6/10.
Willie Nelson
4/5
A great example of why classic country will almost always be better than today's nonsense. Love Willie, and this is me, someone who strongly dislikes most country music, especially contemporary country. Anyway, thought the album was pleasant and super easy to listen to given the length at only 33min. 7/10
Dennis Wilson
2/5
This album had next to no affect on me, positive or negative. Just ok which given the ton of nonsense that makes up this 1001 list, is a nice compromise. 5/10.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
I happened to catch this album in the middle of a 90s hip hop kick I'm currently on and this has been... disappointing? Maybe I don't get it but I felt like most of the beats and lyrics were subpar compared to the other popular albums being released around this time. Even the supposed best song in "Come Clean" fell flat. I went into this never having heard of Jeru the Damaya and now I know why... Anyway, I liked "Jungle Music" the most despite having a slightly dated style to it as it sounded very late 80s/very early 90s. 6/10.
Black Flag
3/5
If running through a brick wall made an album. Anyway, at least it was nice and short. 5/10.
The Fall
2/5
Damn this album had 16 songs and they still managed to go 0-16 on good music. It's mediocre at best but the whole thing felt aimless and boring. 4/10.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
Fun fact: The album cover was a drawn description of my face having listening to this boring crap. 4/10.
The Byrds
2/5
Wasn't expecting this to be so country as I only really know The Byrds from "Turn Turn Turn" and their psychedelic rock era. Nevertheless... I didn't exactly love this though I guess I understand their importance to country rock and all and why it made it to the list. I'm sorry but I had to bail, just the same stuff over and over. 4/10
Elvis Costello
4/5
I'm not an Elvis Costello fan but enjoyed this album - very easy listen and short. 7/10.
King Crimson
3/5
Wasn't bad though it did feel like I should've smoked a ton of weed before listening to it. Not a huge fan of the jamming parts of the album but the rest was nice. 6/10.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
My favorites are "Alright", "These Walls", "Momma", "Mortal Man". It's a pretty complex album I thought and probably would warrant a number of listens before I could feel like I truly appreciate Kendrick's work. Lots of funk and jazz all throughout. I can see why it was so hyped when it came out and started winning all of those awards. 8/10
Metallica
5/5
I wonder what's more annoying: How people feel about Lars Ulrich's drumming ability or everyone else for having to listen to these babies whine about Lars' drumming ability every chance they get. Either way, this album was really great and so full of energy. Also maybe the most popular/best Metal song ever in "One". I really enjoyed it. 9/10.
2/5
Honestly only one decently good song on the whole album in "I'd Like That", which funny enough reminded me of the movie "Me, Myself, & Irene" since it's part of the soundtrack. Outside of that it wasn't very good and thought the lyrics sucked ass in a few spots but hey, at least it compliments the crappy singing. 4/10
The Kinks
3/5
This was good; classic late 60s sound. No songs immediately jumped out at me but overall good, especially having listened to alot of the crap from this era. 7/10.
The Cars
4/5
Short, catchy songs, and a few big hits in "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Just What I Needed" along with other great songs. Funny enough, I just finished listening to an album from The Kinks in 1968 and it's incredible how much music changed in a short period of time, and for the better. It goes from everyone sounding like The Beatles to everyone having a unique sound. Outside of that, I thought this album started stronger than it finished but enjoyed it nevertheless. 8/10
Def Leppard
5/5
Hit after hit after hit after hit. What a powerhouse of an album. 10/10.
Laura Nyro
2/5
I don't get her voice... one moment it's horribly off key/pitchy like nails on a chalkboard but in other moments she sounds great. It's so incredibly distracting. Music was ok - nice production but singing all over the place and wouldn't call this enjoyable in the least. In fact, kinda sounds like a Carol King knockoff, except everything is worse. 3/10.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Kind of like generic pop music? I don't know, no songs stood out. 6/10.
CHVRCHES
5/5
I actually loved this album - it just makes you feel alive and it's so full of energy. Great, unique, pseudo-futuristic sound. 9/10.
Love
2/5
Honestly? Totally forgettable, especially in the trough of albums of this era where everything sounds the same but hey, at least it was very short. 4/10.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Super funky and surprised to see it was released in 1969 as it sounds very 70s. Great pioneering sound that predated the era of many bands coming out with similar type tunes, most notably on Soul Train. 8/10.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Really nice, especially for something so obscure out of Mali and for being somewhat modern. It's quite the task to be a worthwhile listen since I have found much of the stuff from the 2010s+ to not be very good, especially from abroad. 7/10.
Red Snapper
2/5
Late 90s/early 00's electronic music that is just not good. I have no idea how so much of this crap makes this 1001 list, and I say this as a lover of good house music but either electronica I've listened to here is extremely dated or just downright experimental in nature. Super disappointing. 3/10.
Holger Czukay
1/5
You know how they say that you can't judge a book by its cover? Well I guess that's why they didn't say the same for an album by it's cover. One look at that artwork and I knew this was going to suck and guess what... I was right! Just bad all around. 2/10.
Finley Quaye
2/5
I thought it was a nice pleasant album but when I read that this dude is actually Scottish and has been putting on a Jamaican accent so to fit it into the reggae sound it just felt... weird? Anyway, thought the music was generally positive. 5/10.
M.I.A.
3/5
Wow, not one but two albums on this list? Thought this was better than the other one she had on here but that isn't exactly saying much. I guess she's experimental but I feel like I could've gone to my death without having listened to this one, outside of just confirming my biases after that first album. 5/10.
The xx
4/5
One of the stronger 2010s albums on this list. Really nice unique sound. 8/10.
Gram Parsons
4/5
Really great album and I largely hate Country music (mostly contemporary Country). That it was a nice listen and even more impressive considering he died at 26. 7/10
Stephen Stills
5/5
Man this was really great. Great arrangement, vocals, songs, and not horribly dated like much of the stuff of the era. Very strong from start to finish. 9/10.
The Crusaders
4/5
This was funky and recognize their opening song, "Street Life". 7/10
Mike Ladd
1/5
This album just felt overly complicated. Uninspiring beats, very poor flow. Really wanting you desiring more but given the other hip hop that was out at the time, it's very hard to see why this would even be considered for this 1001 list. 2/10.
Nico
1/5
There was 0 talent in the development of this album. Boring and pretentious and furthers my hypothesis that sometimes the originator of the 1001 list of albums threw a dart on a board to get him to the 1001 count. 2/10.
The Who
3/5
Live albums shouldn't be on this list, in my opinion. That said, I thought it wasn't bad for a live album; they sounded good and all that but not really into the band outside of their hits. 7/10
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
Just a peaceful, relaxing, fun album to listen to. Listening to this just makes you want to be on a beach somewhere relaxing. Great Cuban jazz music and the opening song, "Chan Chan", it's very well known. What I also find interesting is that this has an older sound to it - you wouldn't think this is a mid-90s album. 8/10.
Paul Simon
5/5
People should be beating off to Paul Simon the way they do to Bob Dylan. What a talent. Really pleasant album and better than Dylan in so many more ways. 8/10.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
I listened to this album then saw the reviews and wondered if I listened to the same music as everyone else? Sounded largely experimental and kind of annoying. Was all over the place but hey, at least I got to stumble upon that Mariah Carey song that sampled "Genius of Love". 4/10.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
If Cool was an album, it'd be this one. Strong from start to finish and very easy listen. 8/10.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Pretty relaxing music but couldn't help be distracted with the Hotline Bling sample I had heard on at least one song. 7/10.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
I didn't get it; was pretty much background noise. Poor singing and nothing really jumped out at me. Big "meh" all around. 5/10.
Nick Drake
2/5
This would've been alot better had I understood a single word sung at any point. I wanted to like it but if you mumble the whole time I don't know what to tell you. 4/10.
Fred Neil
2/5
Couldn't help but think this was boring? Like it's a classic country voice but everything else is just "meh"? Also will never award cover songs well in this, since 'Everybody's Talkin'" was covered here, and it's not a great version, either. 4/10.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Tremendous voice and some catchy songs, but ultimately felt that the album was too long. Pretty much quintessential 2000s pop. 6/10.
Funkadelic
3/5
Just another funk album, with all the songs going on way too long. Some parts sound nice, but it's hardly an experience. Ain't no James Brown. 6/10
k.d. lang
3/5
Honestly thought it was a dude on the cover, so you can imagine my surprise when I heard the singing. Jokes aside, I think this had great vocals and was almost Leann Rimes-esque. Didn't resonate with me cause I'm generally not a lover of country music, but thought it was good. 7/10
Foo Fighters
5/5
Very impressive album given Dave doing it so quickly after Kurt's death and doing it all himself. He's the real deal and seems like a good, down-to-Earth person. "Big Me" was my favorite. 9/10.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Hard hitting album and enjoyed it, but can't say I was in love with it. 7/10.
Morrissey
3/5
I think this is a bit of an acquired taste. I don't hate it, but may be too gloomy compared to his Smiths work. It's enjoyable and have also heard alot more nonsense on this journey, but it's not exactly excellent either. 6/10
Elastica
3/5
If a band made generic 90s rock music. Was just ok, maybe too battle-of-the-bands-y. 6/10.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
The people in the reviews rating this 4 or even 5 stars have to be smoking penis and I want the creator of the 1001 list of albums to go to jail for this. This sounds like it's a few guys at a medieval festival throwing a music session for unfortunate kids that were dropped off there by their parents - totally talentless. I've heard some worse garbage on my 700+ album journey so far but near the bottom. And speaking of 700 albums and counting, I can definitively say that the album cover is almost always a tell if the album is going to be decent or not. Turns out you *can* judge an album by its cover. 2/10.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
If there is one thing I've learned about old electronica it's that it took a long while before it got good. Either that, or it ages horribly. This was ok at best but pretty dated and all over the place? 5/10.
Supergrass
4/5
I actually thought this was pretty good. Catchy songs, great singing. 7/10.
Eminem
5/5
One of the darkest, gritty albums I've ever heard, which was a pretty good reflection of who Eminem was up until that point in time. Has it aged? Of course, but I'm a believer of judging talent under the confines of its era. "My Name Is" is an all-timer and one of my favorite Em songs. 8/10.
Neil Young
5/5
Usually not into folky rock but this was really great and impressive and can see why so many people respect his work. Everything that bozo Bob Dillon wishes he could be, that's for sure. 8/10
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I had to check the year this was released because it sounded like a precursor to what would come out 10-15 years later with indie rock bands that dominated the mid '00s to early '10s. Thought it was interesting. 7/10.
Queen
4/5
Lots of fun energy with a crazy unique style of rock. Extremely well rounded and of course, "Killer Queen". 8/10.
The White Stripes
3/5
Honestly never been a fan of The White Stripes but I understand and respect the talent; just not for me. 5/10.
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
Big lover of bossa nova and samba, especially from this era. I thought this was a nice sweet album, though I do wish it was in Portuguese. 8/10.
The Stooges
4/5
Thought it was a good punk though no songs jumped out at me like crazy. I'm hot and cold from this era of punk but otherwise think its fine. 7/10.
Violent Femmes
3/5
First track was super popular; the rest had horrid singing and didn't really care for it, though I can hear how some '00s rock was rooted in this stuff. 6/10.
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
The kind of music that someone with a lobotomy couldn't even have liked. I cannot stress enough the utter garbage this album was. And what's more insulting, yes... insulting, is that this made the 1001 list but not other 90s hip hop classics. I'm seriously thinking that this is the worst album I've heard yet, and I'm 700+ albums deep at the time of writing. 0/10.
Yes
4/5
"I've seen good people" is the most known song. Thought this was pretty good; easy listen. 8/10.
Sade
3/5
I thought this was pleasant but the band really carried Sade here. Her voice is smooth and all but I wouldn't say it blows me away. It almost sounds like that when she pushes her range, it kind of... falls flat and makes me want more? Anyway, Smooth Operator the biggest hit of her career, all other tracks are fine. 6/10.
The Residents
1/5
In today's episode of: "Albums You Know are Going to be Horrible Based on the Cover Art Alone"... yeesh, one of the worst albums in the history of music. This is the kind of music that would be played during Willy Wonka's boat ride where those horrible images were being shown near the start of the movie. And to think that so many more deserving artists could've occupied this spot but no, the author of the 1001 list said, "We must have Duck Stab/Buster & Glen" by The Residents! 1/10.
Cornershop
2/5
This started very 90s and fine, but got worse as it went on. Nothing really jumped out at me; well... except for the part where I had to skip over all the Indian music. 4/10.
Faust
2/5
Just... not very good. Exceptionally boring from start to finish; high school bands could do a better job. 3/10.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
An absolute masterpiece and the RZA is a genius producer. "C.R.E.A.M." and "Protect Ya Neck" are among the best. 10/10.
Michael Jackson
5/5
The greatest album ever made. Absolute masterpiece from Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones from start to finish. In a weird way (and in my opinion) the best songs here aren't the hits. "Baby Be Mine" and "The Lady in my Life" are way better than "Billie Jean" and "Beat It". 11/10.
Radiohead
4/5
I thought this was really great actually; my favorite was probably "Bones". 8/10
TV On The Radio
2/5
I thought this was fine but it wasn't really my style. Started bad, got fine, and then got worse. 5/10.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Starting to formulate the opinion that it's incredibly difficult to make good psych rock. It's either fantastic and very impressive, or horrendous - no in-between. Spoiler alert, this didn't hit the mark but hey, at least it was a short listen. 4/10.
Venom
3/5
I actually didn't think it was all that bad. Like it's the kind of music you'd listen to while jumping out of the back of a plane without a parachute on but overall was fine - and this is coming from someone not really a fan of this genre. 6/10.
Radiohead
2/5
Am I missing something here? Either I'm completely out of touch, or Radiohead is one of the most overrated bands ever. Like I'm 725+ albums deep and this is the 5th one of theirs on here. If the first four didn't do it for me, this one won't either. Album was just meh to ok... kind of like the rest of their music. It's all the same... droning on and on unintelligible lyrics with wonky instrumentals. 3/10.
3/5
Never actually heard of these guys and they aren't that bad. I mean it's still early punk and it very much sounds like it but it's not bad. 6/10
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
The kind of music that could depress one beyond recognition. The voice is actually grating, my god some I have no idea who listens to this or how they even get record deals. 3/10.
The Specials
3/5
Pretty interesting listen. Kind of reminded me of music that I'd hear out of the movie 16 Candles; cool reggae pop sound. 7/10.
Pixies
4/5
This album sounds about 10 years early for their time, thought it was pretty good though there were a few clunkers in there. I recognized "La La Love You" from the movie Stuck On You and "Hey" from Zach & Miri lol. 7/10.
The Associates
2/5
Love New Wave; hated this. Just not good as their contemporaries. The singing alone is something out of nightmares. 3/10.
The Dictators
3/5
Thought this was pretty solid for an old punk album. This is one of the rare terrible album covers where the music that follows is actually interesting. 6/10.
Britney Spears
4/5
Obviously the first two songs were mega hits so that out of the way, I thought it was an interestingly listen. Not sure if there was an album that incapsulates the late 90s pop scene as well as this album does. Are all songs very good? Well... no... and "Soda Pop" is quite something, but overall I thought it was solid. 7/10.
Def Leppard
4/5
Classic hair metal. "Photograph" was the best, most popular song on the album. Not as strong as Hysteria but I'm a sucker for hair metal. 7/10.
Scott Walker
2/5
His voice reminds me of a guy who is trying to do an impression of Tom Jones singing. Not great but hey, at least the torture was over in about 30 minutes. 4/10.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Thought this was a nice instrumental album with "Green Onions" being one of the most recognizable instrumentals ever. Outside of that I thought it was disappointing that it was mostly covers of other popular songs so points have to be docked from that due to lack of originality. 7/10.
Minor Threat
3/5
Nice and quick and harmless. Basically generic early 80s punk, thought it was pretty good. 7/10.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
If 1989 made a clean hip hop album that would be it. Just, eh. 5/10.
Antony and the Johnsons
1/5
An absolute chore of an album. I'm not a singer nor professional but I feel like you shouldn't be in vibrato 99% of the time you sing. So incredibly distracting. 2/10.
Tricky
2/5
If the mid-90s made an album. Was fine, nothing jumped out at me. 4/10.
OutKast
4/5
If Atlanta was an album it'd be this. A few known songs in "The Way You Move", "Hey Ya", and "Roses". Personally I liked it alot despite its length though I'm not fond of all of the interludes. Two very different vibes - I thought The Love Below had higher highs and lower lows while Speakerboxxx was more consistent across the board. Overall good and the best long album on here yet. 7/10.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Damn do I love "Sledgehammer" and also "In Your Eyes". Really great album - strong from start to finish. 8/10.
Bert Jansch
3/5
The more folk I listen to that isn't Bob Dylan, the more I realize that Bob's overrated while all others don't get more respect. Nice, relaxing album. 6/10.
PJ Harvey
3/5
This sounded so much ahead of their time, would've never guessed the release date. Pretty good and reminds me of a few bands from the 2000s... Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Florence + The Machine, etc. 7/10.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
Why does 2000s music always have to be this hipster shit? Like can't we just get regular, good, popular albums of the era instead of this artsy stuff? This was a tough listen - just not my taste. 4/10.
Megadeth
3/5
Classic Metal. Not bad, though not really my thing. 7/10.
Q-Tip
5/5
Went into this not expecting a ton but wow this was really great. Strong from start to finish. What makes it great: Q-Tip is the only artist on the large majority of the album (something I like seeing, particularly in hip hop, where artists feature other artists on the album so to help fill their album) and no interludes. 9/10.
Hookworms
2/5
I'd say that this is like an indie 2000s band but it's too similar to those experimental electronica albums of the late 70s that weren't good at all. This was just ok at best. 5/10.
Laibach
1/5
What a waste of fuckin time. I don't need to know another language to know this is just bullshit thrown on a track. Feel bad for the engineer that had to sit in studio and record this. 1/10.
Wild Beasts
2/5
The German album I just finished listening to was more intelligible than this one. Reminded me of the XX but with a fraction of the talent. The instrumentals weren't bad but the vocalist totally ruins it all. Couldn't wait for it to be over, to be honest. 3/10.
Jimmy Smith
5/5
So wonderful - love jazz from this era. Funny enough reminds me of Hey Arnold. 9/10.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
These guys sound like The Smiths in alot of ways. Anyway, thought this was pretty tame. Can see how people could like it though it's not really my thing. 6/10.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Not my thing at all but I suppose I can respect it. Not really into the whole singer-songwriter folk music genre. 7/10.
Richard Hawley
3/5
An absolute snooze of an album and the guy's hair is horrible in the artwork - I don't care if it was 2005. 5/10.
The Adverts
3/5
Just another 70s punk rock album - nothing really special about it. 6/10
The Damned
3/5
Not bad - one of the better punk albums of the era and it was nice and easy to listen to. Thought "Smash It Up" was the best song on the album. 7/10.
Deep Purple
3/5
I feel like this album should come with some shitty weed or LSD. I'm very much hit or miss on this era of rock; don't usually care for it outside of the hits but thought this was respectable and hey, "Smoke on the Water". 7/10.
William Orbit
2/5
Not a fan of this ambient kind of music. I suppose this having a classic 90s electronica flair helps it a little but meh. Also... how many of these are we going to have on this list? Like there is only so much pioneering you can do. In my opinion it would be much better to have actual dance music that was legitimately fun to listen to and less of this stuff that could be instead played at a clothing department store. 4/10.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
These guys have to be among the most overrated bands of their era. All of their stuff is just average at best; never understood their appeal. This album was no different - sounds like they were just playing their instruments very poorly during portions of it or uttering nonsense into an open mic. The talent in this band is just laughable. 3/10.
Tim Buckley
2/5
This was a little worse than average, at least compared to alot of the nonsense on this 1001 list. Not horrible but not good, nevermind great, either. Felt like the Buckley tried to hard on this album. 5/10.
Coldplay
5/5
This album would be graded higher if people stopped hating on Coldplay for just being Coldplay; people are far too critical of them. Anyway, this was an excellent album, great vocals, lyrics, and instrumentals. They sound very unique and alot of the songs on the album are great. 10/10.
Jethro Tull
5/5
Big respect for incorporating the flute as part of their whole sound. I actually really enjoyed this and one of the diamonds in the rough. 9/10
Big Black
2/5
Just generic punk rock and bad singing. No idea what was said and everything sounded the same. 4/10
The Beau Brummels
2/5
What a crazy annoying voice - I promise you there is nothing special about it, nevermind it being it among the 1001 best albums ever. 4/10.
Don McLean
4/5
Outside of the classic American Pie, the remaining songs are quite different. They're slower and much more crafted. Great lyrics, with my personal favorite in "Vincent". For someone who doesn't particularly care of folk, I thought this was done quite well though I did wish it have some more energy to match the opening song. 8/10.
The Beta Band
2/5
What an annoying album - literally every song sounded the same. Soooo glad I listened to this one before dying. /s 4/10
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
They really didn't think about this album much did they? "We play bongos and make it our whole identity." Jokes aside, this was pretty good. Nice to have something easy listening in the background. 7/10.
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
Truthfully, this was alot better than I'd thought it'd be, especially given the terrible album cover. They sound pretty good and unlike earlier punk bands (granted, this one is from the mid90s) not all of their songs sound the same. 8/10.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
More like "Everything But Good Music". This album had to have been one of the ones they US government used to torture prisoners at Guantanamo. Just so laughably bad. The singing alone reminded me of those hopeful early American Idol contestants who are terrible singers. How did this make the cut!? 2/10.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
So very 90s rock. Thought it was pretty tame, nothing crazy; enjoyable. 7/10.
The La's
4/5
I knew I recognized these guys heading into "There She Goes". Very 90s sound even though the album came out in 1990. Really liked their sound and thought the vocals were unique and sounded great. Kind of sounded like R.E.M. I would say that the album is a bit too long and the last few songs aren't really needed and should've been scrapped. 8/10.
The The
3/5
Kinda sounded like INXS at first. Thought it was fine - not mind-blowingly good but not bad by any measure. 7/10.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Like a shittier Trent Reznor. So very bad - no singing, just speaking/yelling into a mic paired with some horrid instrumentals. 3/10.
Rush
4/5
Thought this was an excellent album but I think I was hoping for a little more. I'm also not a big fan of long overtures; 20 minute songs with multiple songs rolled into one long track. Outside of that, singing, drumming, guitar, bass... it's all so, so great. 8/10.
The KLF
2/5
Another electronica album, another snoozer. Seriously, this genre of music has to be the kind that ages the worst. This wasn't great and screamed 1990 and stayed there. 4/10
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Incredible album, incredible vocals, and with a bunch of known songs too in "Natural Woman" and "Chain of Fools". 9/10.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
Really a fantastic big band album. Not that I know much about it, but this was such an easy, pleasant listen. 9/10
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Great opening song, especially the iconic end. All else (minus the "Song with No Words" and at least one cover in "Everybody's Talkin'") was fine; wouldn't say I'm crazy about CSN but can certainly appreciate their work, especially considering the other music that came out of this era that wasn't very good. 7/10.
3/5
Pretty funky album. Knew the first song; the rest were good too. 6/10.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Horrid guitar playing and everything seems to be overmodulated? Also I can't make out any lyrics; just mumbling around on mic and the reverb is totally out of control. Can't imagine having to listen to this with headphones. This is as if static was music. 3/10.
Paul Simon
5/5
This was such a fun album to listen to. Great vocal and even better instrumentals. Such an easy listen and even has "You Can Call Me Al", which was a nice touch. This album also has a unique element of bringing in historical African music and killing it. 9/10.
Traffic
2/5
If boomer rock made a generic pysch rock album this would be it. Just as bland and inoffensive as it gets. 4/10.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
This album wasn't all that bad actually. Has a very nice 90s sound to it and in a weird way kinda reminds me of a (not as good) Cranberries. I've definitely heard worse. 6/10
Aerosmith
4/5
This album is a little unique in that there are two great songs on it in "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way", both unique and great sounding, while the rest of the album kind of sounds amateurish? It was a good listen but I wanted more. 7/10.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I want the person that made this 1001 list to go to jail. In what universe should this be considered a top album? It's as if a lobotomy made music. I'm glad I could contribute another single star rating to the worst album on this list, at the time of writing. 0/10.
Fairport Convention
2/5
I can't help but notice that just about all female folk singers of this era all sound the same. UK, Canada, US, doesn't matter; it's all the same. Anyway, outside of the ear-gritting singing, this wasn't spectacular. 5/10
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
I can certainly respect it but not my thing. Very bluesy/West African. 6/10.
The Jam
4/5
This was surprisingly pretty solid - never heard of these guys before. Decent songs and good sound. 7/10.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
This isn't even music. It is literally just random noises. Completely talentless and worthless "album" and deserves to be among the lowest rated garbage on this list. 0/10.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Kinda forgettable and bland. It's not bad, but it's also not great. The album was way too long for what it was. 6/10.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
This immediately reminded me of that talentless bum Tom Waits. There is no singing, just talking over bad instrumentals in the background. At least this guy has a normal voice compared to Waits, so there's that. 2/10.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
I really don't get this one - all the songs sound the same and couldn't find anything enjoyable about any one of them. It's fine, but really not my thing. Also, they should've refrained from calling this album "Treasure" because it's anything but. 3/10.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Drum & bass reminded me of a 90s video game pre-game menu. Heard one, you heard them all. 5/10
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Really left me wanting more and honestly. This is comparable to the house band a town hires for their annual summer event at the park, except no one knows the songs and mostly just serves as background music while everyone does their thing. 4/10.
Frank Zappa
4/5
Thought this was a really solid album. Wouldn't say I loved it but was enjoyable. Zappa's pretty talented. 7/10.
John Cale
2/5
Just droning on and on with that terrible voice about nothing. 3/10.
3/5
Just another not very good early 70s rock album. Nothing jumped out at me to be honest. 5/10.
FKA twigs
2/5
There are stretches of this album that are basically unlistenable. I want to like it, but I just don't get it, truthfully, or how anyone could enjoy this. 3/10.
The Lemonheads
4/5
Actually really enjoyed this album - thought they sounded great and a few of their songs were pretty solid. Of course, one of the best covers ever in Mrs. Robinson, too. 7/10.
Coldcut
3/5
Like alot of Electronica of this era, it just ages quite poorly. I suppose it's pioneering of modern electronica and as a lover of electronic music, this just isn't all that great but far from horrible. 6/10.
Joan Baez
2/5
The kind of voice that is like nails on a chalkboard. I never got how people could get into this kind of music - really any folk music of this era. I get it - it's poetic and inoffensive but just not my thing at all and if it wasn't for the grating voice I maybe would've scored it higher. Also detected at least one cover song which is just so lazy to include on a studio album (House of the Rising Sun). 3/10.
Gorillaz
3/5
I like maybe two total songs made by them, one of which was on the album (Clint Eastwood). Otherwise I don't get the appeal of their music. Sure, they have a unique sound and they use cartoon characters to represent themselves but outside of that... this was just... meh? 6/10.
Iron Maiden
5/5
What energy! This was one of the funnest albums I've listened to yet, now 800+ albums deep. Incredible sound, instrumentals, and classic heavy metal voice. Run to the Hills was probably the most notable one but overall was good. Album pacing was also good too; not too long or have filler songs. 9/10.
Meat Loaf
5/5
Fantastic album that stands the test of time. It's so much more than Dashboard and is a great, easy, and fun listen. 9/10.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
This album can kiss my ass. What even was this? Sounded like a very bad off Broadway German play. 2/10.
ABBA
4/5
Nice fun album that includes two of their best hits in Dancing Queen and Fernando. Liked it and can see why they were so popular. 8/10.
Tom Waits
1/5
If only they shut off Tom Waits' mic it'd be much better. Good musicians; terrible "singer". It's shocking that one of Waits' albums made it on the list, two is crazy, but this is now the third one! How!? 2/10.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Surprisingly really great - loved the production and felt that most, if not all, tracks were a really enjoyable listen. 8/10
Sonic Youth
2/5
I really want to like these guys but somehow they snuck a handful of albums on this list and I truthfully don't get their music. Instrumentals aren't particularly great, nevermind the singing. Just trying to find one catchy song but still nothing. This reminds me of angry teenagers making music. 3/10.
Scott Walker
2/5
Kinda like a worse Tom Jones. Sorry, but not sure I can take the singing seriously as it sounds a little silly? Like a bad singer on a cruiseline. 4/10.
Prince
4/5
In my opinion, I think the second disc was better than the first and kind of saved the album. I wanted to like this more in general, honestly. Like its very well produced, don't get me wrong, but I don't think there's a song that is well known, let alone popular. It does make you wonder how Prince's popularity was even obtained; I guess this album reinforces why I think that Michael Jackson is always head and shoulders better than Prince. Other than that, this album has spans that sounded quite similar to the Batman album Prince made which was released a couple years later. 7/10.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Full disclosure - I've listened to enough of Bob Dylan's music on here to know that he's a grossly overrated musician and his music generally sucks. This album is surprisingly different - much more full of life and easy to listen to. Hell... Bob voice is somewhat tolerable here. I guess a broken clock right twice a day after all. 7/10.
808 State
2/5
90s electronica is always going to age poorly and this album is no exception. I guess it's ok, just gets annoying after a (short) while. 4/10.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Nice funky album but far too long. Just pick the best ~dozen songs and plop them on a single album. I've found now 800+ albums deep that double albums seldom are good. 5/10.
The Cult
3/5
I was hoping it'd be a bit better than what it was - it's a nice short album which is fine, but they sound 10 years older than their release date. It all kind of sounded the same and there weren't any tracks that jumped out at me. Also included the cover of "Born to be Wild" which I don't like on albums in general. 5/10
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Sounds US Civil War-ish. It's not bad by any means, but it's absolutely not my thing though I respect their talents. 6/10.
Barry Adamson
1/5
Imagine wasting time and effort in making an instrumental album for a movie that doesn't exist *and* it gets picked as one of the 1001 best albums of all time *AND* no movie was made using this album since it's 1989 release. YIKES. 2/10.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I'm a big Bob Dylan hater and this was tolerable so I guess to the lay person, this was pretty good. 6/10.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
A few songs were pretty solid but it's largely not that great. Just noisy rock and "singing" into a mic whichever which way. Hardly as good as people are making it out to be and rivals some dudes playing with their friends on the weekend. Also gotta deduct for putting a cover on the album from The Cure. 4/10.
The Stranglers
3/5
British punk music: The Album. Jokes aside this was fine. Good listen and it's more than just droning into a microphone like some punk bands tend to do. 6/10.
Buzzcocks
2/5
The whole album sounded exactly the same, from the first song to the last. 4/10.
Dusty Springfield
5/5
What an incredible voice, so much Soul. I love "Son of a Preacher Man" and always think of that Pulp Fiction scene when I hear it but there's alot more to the album than just that one song. Super quick album and right to the point; don't bore us, get to the chorus! 9/10
Throwing Muses
2/5
This was just fine. Instrumentals sound find but I find her voice to be kind of grating, almost witchy. I wanted to enjoy this more but part of me just wanted it to be over. 4/10.
The Pretty Things
2/5
Psychedelic rock hardly ever sounds good and, spoiler alert: this didn't either. It's actually kind of incredible how music from this era was either incredible or downright terrible - no in-between. 4/10.
Mariah Carey
3/5
It's a little bit of a disappointing album because you'd think that for such an incredible voice you'd have better songs. Waited the whole album for something but that never came. Also, gotta deduct for the cover song near the end. 6/10.
Sepultura
2/5
The equivalent of getting a power drill into your forehead. Can't say I'm a fan of heavy metal and this did little to convince me. I respect the craft, but just not for me. 4/10.
Giant Sand
2/5
Oh it's a chore alright. Really great if you suffer from insomnia. Perhaps this could be considered spicy elevator music. Also... 30 songs and nothing to say? 3/10.
The Slits
1/5
The best part about this album was the cover. Absolutely no musical talent, both singing and instrumental and the whole thing sounded like one long song. 2/10.
Frank Black
3/5
I thought the album was solid, though far too many songs; could probably lose half of them and I don't think they'd be missed. Outside of that, it does sound very late 90s indie rock; nothing really jumped out at me. 5/10.
Ryan Adams
3/5
"To be young" reminded me of the opening of Old School. Good song; the rest was just ok and ran out of steam. I've heard much worse folk kind of music on this journey but can't say I was super impressed. 6/10.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
This album is fine, but it reminds me of a guy that's singing at a bar on a Saturday night as background music. 6/10.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
A couple songs were clunkers but overall like Sheryl and her music. Has a great voice and many of her songs are catchy and great. "Strong Enough" is the best song on the album though "No One Said It Would Be Easy" comes pretty close. Also, "All I Wanna Do" is probably her most popular hit. 8/10.
2Pac
5/5
One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time and exceptionally artistic from 2Pac. So many great hits and a smoother, self-reflective listen throughout. This album helps establish him as one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time. 10/10
U2
5/5
Spectacular album; yes, even outside of the huge hits of "New Years Day" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday". Crazy to think that this album doesn't crack in the top 3 (IMO) of their best releases. People will generally hate on U2 but don't realize how deep their work is and this album proves it. 9/10.
Dr. Dre
5/5
The cornerstone of 90s West Coast hip hop; incredible production and one of the best hip hop albums of all time. That said, I do wish it finished as strong as it started. 9/10.
Suede
3/5
I thought this was generally fine but I can't say that it's very unique or new with this sound. Kind of just average early 90s British alternative. 6/10.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
Fantastic album; so much funk, soul, and R&B. Superb instrumentals and even better vocals. 9/10.
Paul McCartney
3/5
Super disappointing album and if you think otherwise you're just clouded by the McCartney name. I love Paul as much as the next guy but it's kind of disappointing that this was released considering how half-baked and experimental it was; I mean, there are stretches where Paul's just messing around behind the mic. I certainly respect Paul and think he's a gifted musician, but I think people should not be afraid of being critical of sub-par work. "Maybe I'm Amazed" definitely saved at the end from me labeling this as a 2 star album. 5/10.
The Vines
3/5
I know these guys are Australian but felt like once you've heard a couple Britpop bands you've heard them all and this one was no exception. Not bad, but also not great. 6/10.
Mercury Rev
2/5
Couldn't wait for it to be over. Horrid singing and nightmare fuel level instrumentals; almost Tim Burton-esque. Anyone liking this is kidding themselves. 4/10.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Great album. It's very long, but after all, it is a live concert. 8/10
The Bees
2/5
Music you'd hear at a hipster coffee shop in Williamsburg, BKN. Was ok, nothing great. 4/10.
The Byrds
3/5
Nice album; very reminiscent of the times and these guys had a pretty unique sound while also sounding very period-correct. No major songs jumped out at me but was a good listen. 6/10.
Justin Timberlake
4/5
Definitely resemblances to MJ here but overall thought it was a really good 2000s pop album with a few big hits in "Cry Me A River" and "Rock Your Body". I will say the album is a bit too long as all the songs after a while start to sound a little too similar. 7/10.
Steve Earle
2/5
Hardly a good voice and the rest of it, lyrics and instrumentals, well... they were there. At best a band you'd hear playing at a bar somewhere in Oklahoma or something like that. Hardly any country on this list and surprised that this one snuck in. 4/10.
Mylo
2/5
I find it remarkable how trash all of the electronica is on this 1001 list despite there being a plethora of great electronic music elsewhere. Maybe this was just before it started getting really good but it's astounding how hard it is to listen to this stuff at times. 4/10.
SZA
3/5
Kind of a disappointing album - feel like she has a great singing voice but it all kinda sounds the same. Wanted to like it more but was just ok. 7/10
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
I'll never understand how some of these albums get on this list. Surely there are better albums that didn't make it that could replace snoozefests like this one was. Weird combination of all sorts of music and none of it was good. 4/10.
New York Dolls
3/5
These guys were pretty good but it sounded pretty generic of the NY rock scene of the era - no songs jumped out at me. The guys kinda looked like the meme, "I want KISS; We have KISS at home". 6/10.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Pretty delightful jazz. Nice coming across these albums every once in a while because the surprising lack of good music on this list; almost like a pallet cleanser. I do prefer other styles of jazz but this was good. 7/10
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Felt kinda bad, even by New Wave standards. Goofy English singing and talking over the track at times - save that for the concert. Then the Werewolves of London song which just... what? I only know these guys from their one hit wonder which wasn't even on this album. 4/10.
Kanye West
3/5
We've reached the experimental era of Kanye's music. I thought this album was ok, too extreme for my taste and thought that it has high highs and low lows. Love "Bound 2" more than anything else though a few others were really solid and reminiscent of what his music was prior to this album. Unfortunately, had to take away a star because in between the good songs is... not good. 7/10
Haircut 100
3/5
This one was ok - I wanted to like it more but it all sounds the same. Interesting New Wave sound with some other fusion. Great instrumentals, though. 7/10.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Bob's gotta be one of the most overrated artists of all time, right? Not sure how other musicians look up to him cause almost all of his music is a slog to get through. "Like a Rolling Stone" was good (though funny enough I'm sure I've heard better covers than this original) but the rest was... Bob Dylan? Also, almost all the sounds are far too long and that harmonica is like sticking an ice pick in your ears. 5/10
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Had to double check when this came out - these guys sound very modern. Overall I really liked the album and one of the better surprises. 8/10.
Liz Phair
2/5
Laughably bad singing - seriously bar-karaoke-level talent on the mic. Whole album is pretty forgetful and probably went on 15 minutes too long. 4/10.
Morrissey
3/5
Pretty solid album and usually a fan of his music, though he kinda (really) sucks as a person. 6/10.
XTC
3/5
Pretty inoffensive album but very forgettable. I mean it was ok; as middle of the road as you can get. 6/10.
Mekons
2/5
It's actually remarkable how similar all of these post punk/new wave English bands of the 80s sound like. I will give it to these guys though, this is unusually bad. It's one of the shortest albums I recall listening to now 860+ deep and yet it still manages to find a way in being too long. Weird violin and "singing" all throughout. 3/10
Stan Getz
5/5
Such a delightful, easy going album. Most peaceful listen so far on this list. Absolutely love classic Brazilian music. 10/10.
Wilco
1/5
These guys can kiss my ass. So painfully boring. Horrid singing and weird instrumentals immediately bum you out from the first song and remind you with each track throughout. Imagine being signed to a record contract and you release this lmao. 2/10.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
What a distractingly annoying voice! It's actually so annoying that I couldn't even take the pleasure of listening to what was otherwise an ok album and had to bail. 4/10.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
One of the most relaxing albums I've listened yet. Love the Sinatra/Bossanova sound this album provides. Girl From Ipanema is fine; I prefer other renditions of it but all else it fantastic. 9/10
David Bowie
3/5
Honestly left me desiring more; overall sounded like an artist that's been over the hill and decided to release new music. Not terrible, but nothing spectacular, either. 5/10.
The Band
4/5
I thought this was a really solid album; favorite song being "The Weight". Can't say that I fell in love with it the way others did, but I do respect The Band's musicianship, just not really my style 7/10.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Man this album left me BUMMED. It's like all of the 80s music stereotypes rolled into one album. 3/10
Talking Heads
3/5
Honestly I've never really gotten Talking Heads' music. Just seems took out of the norm for my liking and the singing sucks. "Psycho Killer" obviously the big hit but the rest was just ok. 5/10.
Stereolab
3/5
Started off quite shaky but got good. Honestly these guys should've stuck to the rock side of the album and less on the experimental electronica. 5/10.
Morrissey
3/5
Good album, thought it was solid as I'm generally not a fan of solo work. 6/10
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Incredibly talented and sounded great. This was recorded in 1975 but the music is timeless. 8/10.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Honestly reminds me of music that would be for kids except in the year 1990. Music was fine, just a very prominent early 90s sound. 5/10.
Sparks
2/5
The interesting thing about doing this 1001 album thing for so long is that you start to develop a good sense of the quality of the music prior to listening solely based on the album art. You know how they say you can't judge a book by its cover? Well... you can with an album most times. This wasn't really great; maybe I didn't get it. 4/10.
Beck
2/5
People that like this honestly have their head too far up Beck's ass to see that this album was crap. Just all over the place and none of it was really all that great. Pretty disappointing considering that he's a really talented musician and has plenty of awards. 4/10.
Crowded House
3/5
I thought this was fine; nothing crazy though there is some subpar singing going on here and is super evident in "All I Ask". Actually had to skip to the next song because of the poor display. 5/10.
Boards of Canada
1/5
Just more electronica nonsense. There's nothing appealing about this. 1/10.
Scritti Politti
3/5
Were they incredible? No, but this was at least listenable compared to alot of the other nonsense on this list. Yeah it's a very reggae-ish 80s sounding poppy kind of sound but it's not bad. Honestly the group sounds kinda fun. 6/10.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
If you want to be bored to tears then this is the album for you! Every song sounds exactly the same: slow, quiet, and little emotion. 3/10.
Tears For Fears
5/5
Fantastic synthpop album with plenty of known songs including one of my all time favorites in "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". Apart from the songs, the production is really great and to top it off, it didn't drag on forever. Quick 41 minute album filled with great songs... don't bore us, get to the chorus! 9/10
Little Simz
2/5
Honestly, I didn't get it large portions of this. I mean it was ok at best, but this was a hard sell; and I say this as someone who likes alot of hip hop. Also given that it's British almost immediately you know the quality is not going to be good. 4/10.
The Everly Brothers
4/5
Great harmonies and classic music of the era - in fact, it's crazy how much music would change less than a decade later. Anyway, very much singing about dating, girls, etc. I thought it was good, though not as good as Motown music of the same era; this was almost a little too Midwestern-y for me. 7/10.
Tim Buckley
2/5
He may be a good songwriter but the singing is ice-pick-in-the-ear worthy... good god. Just another folk singer from the late 60s and IMO not really special. 4/10
The Police
4/5
I don't really know The Police as well outside of their hits and thought it was solid but it did leave me with wanting more. First half was really questionable, ("Mother" wtf??) but after that it really picked up. 8/10.
Deerhunter
3/5
Gotta be one of the most forgettable album on this list. Everything sounds the same, and alike to much of the music from this era. 5/10.
Underworld
2/5
Like just about all electronica from decades prior, this has aged poorly. In fact, thanks to this 1001 album thing, I've found that the worst aging music has always been electronica; almost seems fad-like. 4/10.
Tom Waits
1/5
"Have you ever listen to Tom Waits? If so, fucking shoot yourself." ~Joey Diaz. Tom Waits is the most talentless bum on this list and it's not close. The fact he appears multiple times on this list is legitimately insane. 1/10.
Joe Ely
3/5
Generic honky tonk; not a super big fan as it seemed uninteresting. At least it was short. 5/10
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
If there's one album that screams 1967, this is certainly the one. Singing, guitar sounds, melodies... it has it all. Unfortunately it's my least favorite era of rock, minus a few select bands, of course. And this album didn't swing my opinion; if anything, it made me dig my heels in. 4/10.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Beautiful, sweet voice and thought it was a very pleasant listen. More this, less Tom Waits bullshit. Also, can't believe I heard the original version of Aweembawe" lol. 7/10.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Nothing to Bragg about with this album. It's just expensive coffee shop music, nothing more, nothing less. 5/10.
Os Mutantes
2/5
What a strange combo of music - traditional Brazilian music with psychedelic rock. It wasn't all that great, though I am not a fan of psych rock. I guess they don't call them "The Mutants" for nothing. 4/10
Sex Pistols
5/5
GOAT album name. First time I've heard this all the way through and it surprised me how great it was. Loved it - true punk rock where the music is actually good instead of experimental nonsense. 9/10.
Genesis
2/5
That was... pretty disappointing. Kind of can't stand these long winded concept albums that have these long songs that go on forever. Was hoping to hear some hits and what I got was... this. 4/10.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
It's ok - inoffensive 80s singer-songwriter folk music which dare I say is better than alot of the stuff from the late 60s. 5/10.
The Jam
2/5
Generic 80s UK punk rock that doesn't move me in the slightest. Absolute nonsense. 4/10
Van Morrison
4/5
Super talented guy and unique voice though I'm generally not a fan of live albums, I thought this was engineered quite well. Outside of this this was solid though I detected at least one cover (I Believe to My Soul) which always cheapens the album. 7/10
Kid Rock
1/5
Major douchebag with douchebag music. Honestly, if rich white trash made music. Rap infused with rock but sucks ass. 2/10.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Man all 90s electronica is just terrible, isn't it? Just ages so, so poorly. 4/10
Jack White
3/5
I can appreciate Jack White's talent but I'm not sure I've ever really cared for his music. The first song was great, everything else was fine. 6/10.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Honestly I didn't get it. Like a cross between rock and pop, if that can describe it. Singing wasn't great and instrumentals weren't spectacular either. In other words... not sure how this got on the list. 5/10.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Just modern coffee shop folky nonsense. "Poughkeepsie" was one of the worst songs ever (vavavavavavivalasvegas...) like what even was that. Just another whatever kind of album. 3/10.
White Denim
3/5
This one was solid but I wouldn't say it blew me away. Certainly better than alot of other nonsense on this list. Good talent on this album. 6/10.
Doves
4/5
Very Coldplay-like but not as good, IMO. I enjoyed the album nonetheless and found it to be an interesting listen. My main complaint would be that the songs are too long; don't think we need incessant guitar strumming for another 2 minutes after the lyrics are done. One or two songs ok, but feels like every song was like this. Separately, it would definitely sound better driving a car at night, I feel like. Interestingly enough, the song which the album is named for, "Lost Souls" was the worst track on the album. 7/10.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Average singing at best but man I really dislike psych rock - doesn't matter the language. 4/10.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Masterpiece of an album. My favorite was "Songbird". 10/10.
Meat Puppets
2/5
Man this album sucked. Terrible singing though the instrumentals were fine. 5/10.
John Martyn
2/5
Couldn't wait for it to be over. The singing is so annoying, almost like he's trying to be someone else? I don't know but this is hardly impressive and shouldn't have been considered for the 1001 list. 4/10.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I'm now over 900 albums deep into this process and the large majority of the albums are ok at best. It's not until you get to guys like Stevie that you realize there are levels to this music making business and in their own tier. Incredible vocals, funky, groovy, and contains some of his biggest hits in "Sunshine" and "Superstition". 8/10.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
I think it's fun and all but couldn't get really into it. I think I prefer his Gnarls stuff. This album also reeks of early 2000s R&B; not a bad thing but some music is very stuck in its current time period. 7/10.
Bad Brains
3/5
Great, tight drumming but outside of that it wasn't really my thing. I mean it's fine, but nothing jumped out at me and can't say I fell in love with it. The singing wasn't great and almost as if they have the wrong frontman. 5/10.
Television
3/5
This was fine; kind of like background rock music. Nothing jumped out at me though I thought they were pretty solid. 6/10.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Great voice, shame you can't understand a single thing with all the mumbling going on. Kinda found it to be generic 2000s rock but it wasn't bad, just makes you wanting something better. 6/10.
Massive Attack
2/5
More like "Massive Disappointment" amirite? Honestly did not get the appeal of this or why it's even considered on the 1001 list. This is legit department store music and crappy electronica. 3/10.
De La Soul
4/5
Fun album, really liked "Eye Know". I'm personally a bigger fan of dirtier hip hop which would follow this era of hip hop in a few short years but can certainly respect this work as a pioneer for hip hop. I will say, though: There is no need for there to be 23 songs on this or any album. 8/10
The The
2/5
I feel like this album had plenty of potential but ended up falling short. I do like the classic 80s pop elements but it was kind of ruined with some industrial type stuff. Also, some songs just seem to go on forever which really takes the sparkle out of it. 5/10.
Ms. Dynamite
4/5
Honestly not bad; surprised I've never heard of her. Thought the vocals were really sharp despite this sounding like standard R&B. Honestly pretty respectable work here, shame she never got big though I kind of do understand as none of the songs really jumped out at me. I will say that the album is just a tad too long. 7/10.
Nitin Sawhney
1/5
The album cover is actually me having to listen to this nonsense. 2/10.
Joanna Newsom
1/5
Someone here said she's Wish.com Bjork and now I can't unsee/unhear it. Good god "Y" did this make the list? Horrid singing and just droning on and on about nothing. 2/10.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Anyone that gives this more than a single star needs to get their head checked. Legitimately a candidate for 0 stars if it were possible; why, why, why, is this on the list. It's the most talentless garbage I think I've listened to and I'm 920 albums deep into this project. No singing, no actual playing of instruments, just noise. 0/10.
Morrissey
3/5
Thought this was a respectable album; not bad, but not making me listen stuff on repeat. 7/10
Sister Sledge
4/5
One thing I've come to learn now 920+ albums deep is that this list doesn't have nearly enough disco as it should have. Less bullshit like Captain Beefheart and more this. 8/10
The Rolling Stones
2/5
The Stones are interesting because I feel like there is a huge drop-off between their huge hits that everyone loves and their other stuff. Unfortunately, this album contains all of their other stuff. Also, I think all but three are covers which is not a good thing. Albums should mostly be original work, let alone all but three songs and for that, I have to take points away. 4/10.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
Kinda hard to make it when your lead singer can't sing; I imagine these guys SUCK live. 4/10.
Missy Elliott
2/5
I wished I liked it more than I did. The songs were ok but nothing truthfully stood out to me. Also, I feel like there were far too many featured artists; I think almost every song had a feature. 4/10.
Louis Prima
5/5
One of the funnest albums I've listened to ever. Fantastic singing and catchy songs. 9/10
Muddy Waters
4/5
Very impressive musician; great live album. Classic blues. 8/10
The Zutons
3/5
Somehow these guys made a saxophone out of place the whole album. It had the makings of something pretty solid but kinda felt like it fell flat. Poor drumming, too, though I did like the singing. Who killed the Zutons? Well... themselves. 5/10.
David Holmes
2/5
Great, some more generic 90s electronica. /s. 4/10.
Skepta
2/5
British rap is truly terrible and this does not help their cause. Can't believe this album took a spot over something else more deserving. Here's something to keep in mind: This dopey album is on the list but Mobb Deep's "The Infamous" isn't. Aries Spears was so right when talking about British rap: "That shit sounds ridiculous!" 3/10.
Elvis Costello
2/5
More like Brutal Album. Elvis Costello, I've come to find out, can be quite controversial as far as musical tastes go. I'm not really a fan of his; just can't stand that voice of his (sings like a stuffy nose). Yes, he's quite talented and all that, but man I do not get him. 4/10.
Pantera
3/5
The guys from that one SpongeBob episode!? Jokes aside, this album makes you want to dive head first into a brick wall at full speed. Not a fan of metal but certainly respected it. 7/10.
Judas Priest
4/5
Great album, including the infamous "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight". 7/10
The Avalanches
2/5
Oh look... more 90s/early 2000s electronica. I get maybe 2 or 3 albums but this is getting ridiculous. Nothing special about this in the least. 4/10.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Not sure I really loved this; seemed a bit too experimental for my taste. I wanted to like it more but none of the content jumped at me. Seems a bit overrated based on the other reviews left by others here. 5/10.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Come on man... just a waste of time. Heard one electronica album from the 70s you heard them all. 3/10.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Couldn't understand a word except for Amsterdam. Found it to be pleasant regardless. 6/10.
Minutemen
2/5
Kind of all over the place. Can never get a rhythm because there are 43 friggin songs on this thing and sounds experimental at best. Hardly enjoyable. Pick your best dozen songs or so, work on them, and make an album. Nobody needs to hear your bad bar recording on this thing. 4/10.
David Crosby
3/5
Honestly not that memorable. Was hoping it'd be better considering that it's David Crosby but after a while, it all starts to sound the same. 5/10.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
Man I was really hoping this would've been better than what it ended up being. I wanted to enjoy it but often times it was just droning on and on and not in a jazz kind of way. Was even expecting more traditional tango but I feel like this wasn't it. 4/10.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
Made by a super group? More like super boring. Honestly it's just ok - none of these songs jumped out at me and I'd hardly say this is an album you have to listen to before ya die. Just bad singing all around and stuff that puts you to sleep. 4/10.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Honestly just fine - very 2000s rock sound. None of these tracks jumped out at me like I was hoping it would. "Wake Up" I think was my favorite track. 6/10
Queen Latifah
3/5
Very 1989 hip hop but it's pretty solid given the time. Queen Latifah definitely brought it but I will say the album is too long for what it is; some fluff could've been cut. 7/10
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
Absolutely beautiful singing and maybe the most relaxing album I've come across, now 925+ albums deep. Funny enough, first thing I thought of was the singing at the start of Coming to America. 8/10.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I always wanted to listen to this album and glad it made it on the list. Honestly, it lived up to the hype which very few albums do. There's the obvious "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" and "Swimming Pools" but the songs in between are very, very good too. 10/10.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
I can kinda see why Lana Del Rey has a following; thought it was ok. All of her songs do kinda sound the same, though, but I've heard much worse. 7/10.
Portishead
2/5
As far as 90s electronica goes, this is better, but I'm not sure if it warrants the relatively high score this album got, especially given other albums that were way better. This was tolerable as I've been a big hater of bygone era of electronica. 4/10.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Found this one a little complex. Thought it was very, very good but was hoping for catchier tunes but I understand the context behind the album and the cultural impact it left. 6/10.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Not really my cup of tea but certainly appreciate the talent. 5/10.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
Honestly if your album starts off with an explanation of the music you've already lost. This is nothing but a historical artifact which I kinda get if you're going to include make a list about the albums you should listen to before you die. From an enjoyment perspective... I can appreciate it but will not be listening to it again ever again lol 4/10.
Ute Lemper
1/5
Well... this certainly was punishing. What are we even doing here and what in reality does this deserve top 1000? Like being stuck in a *bad* off broadway show. It's also not even really singing; it's that weird speak-singing thing people sometimes do. 3/10.
Ian Dury
1/5
Just straight stupid. Like a guy trying to make it big and recorded his own album hoping some sucker label would buy it. Unfortunately, it ended up happening, only difference that two more suckers were thrown into the equation: One in the guy that added to the 1001 list of albums you absolutely have to listen to before you die, and two is me, for having to listen to this nonsense. 2/10.
Animal Collective
2/5
This album sucked. The whole thing sounded exactly the same. 4/10.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This was pretty damn good. I will say that it was a tad longer than it probably should've been but lots of hits and famous songs of the era on this. I've heard a bunch of them but never in one shot like this, so, I'm glad to say that I've been experienced. 9/10.
The Saints
3/5
Solid late 70s punk bad. Not incredible, but hardly bad. 6/10.
Talvin Singh
2/5
A cross between drum & bass and Indian music... no thanks. 3/10
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Thought this was a very good album with plenty of big hits. I supposed I did want to love it more than I did, especially outside of the big, known songs. 8/10
Missy Elliott
2/5
Honestly this was just ok. Not really a big fan of her music outside of her hits like "Work It". Don't get me wrong, some songs are pretty solid, like "Back in the Day", but others kinda miss the mark, especially "Hot". 5/10.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I thought it was an enjoyable album. No songs I recognized but found it pleasant to listen to - typical Rod Stewart. 7/10
The Verve
3/5
I thought it was a solid rock album but I wouldn't say it was very memorable and all kinda sounds the same, certainly not enough to put on this list considering other rock works that didn't make the cut. And honestly, why would anyone choose this over some peak grunge that was happening around the time of this album's release? 6/10.
Beck
2/5
I certainly respect Beck but I'm not sure why he always appears on this list. Very talented, but I don't find his music particularly incredible to warrant multiple albums on this list, much less this boring one. 5/10.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Not one, not two, but THREE albums of this goofy ass singing so far on this list. It's kind of enough already. The album wasn't good and no songs really stood out. 4/10
Pixies
2/5
Maybe I just didn't get it but save for the album cover, this just wasn't very good. Droning on and on and the instrumentals weren't very good. I will say that "Where Is My Mind?" was very good, so that kind of saved the album from being a total loss. 3/10.
Bebel Gilberto
4/5
Nice relaxing bossanova. I generally love hearing Brazilian music but I found this one to be a little too slow for my taste. I guess I was expecting something more appealing but this wasn't horrible. "So Nice" was great though. 7/10.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I found this to be an incredibly emotional album and you can clearly hear the pain Marvin had gone through in the divorce coming through in the move. I will say that the music itself is emotional but the songs don't pop out like any of his other hits; respectable though. 7/10.
Slade
2/5
Slayed? Nope. Honestly these dudes just play generic rock from their era and the singer is just yelling into the mic the whole time. Not really a fan. 4/10
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Nice, classic jazz; what's not to love? 7/10
Gang Of Four
2/5
This album kinda sucked. Everything sounded the same and neither the singing nor the instrumentals were particularly good. 4/10.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
This album probably hits super hard if you're smoking cheap 60s weed. Jokes aside, I appreciate this album, even though I'm not a super big fan of this era's folk music (or really any era, now that I think about it). Some bigger hits on this and everyone sounds great. Lots of talent going around. 7/10.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
I thought it was just ok, easy listen. No big songs I recognize and overall harmless. I was expecting country music for some reason. 6/10.
The Coral
3/5
Nice short album but this was just generic rock and I didn't find anything special about it; certainly not 1001 worthy. 6/10
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Funny enough, the album title is just as literal as the lyrics across the album and found it to be far too on-the-nose. It's kind of conscience rap but not really my thing. The fact that it came out in 1992 while sounding 1987 is impressive considering how quickly the sound was evolving in a few short years. 4/10.
The Shamen
2/5
This was more early electronics and to no one's surprise.... was not very good. 3/10.
Mj Cole
1/5
"Sincere"-ly bad. Department store background music AT BEST. Good God how often does crappy electronica have to appear on this list? And it's not even pioneering... this came out in friggin 2000! There are legitimately more talented teenagers with a laptop that can make better music. 2/10.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Super unique sound, especially vocally. I liked it, though I did wish it had bigger hits. 7/10.
Small Faces
2/5
Nice surprise to hear the opening song the same as the GTAV trailer but all else was not that great; generic late 60s psych rock which I'm not too particularly fond of. Somehow got worse as it went on. 4/10.
Heaven 17
1/5
More like Eardrum Warfare. Brother, this album STINKS! Weird lyrics and beats all throughout and, not exaggerating, within 5 seconds of the first track I knew this would be garbage. 1/10.
Hot Chip
5/5
What a nice surprise! Love this era of electronic music. Catchy beats all throughout and a super easy listen. 8/10.
Madonna
4/5
I thought it was very good, including to big hits in "Like A Prayer" and "Cherish", which I kinda liked more. Everything else was mostly good, too. 7/10.
Django Django
2/5
This just isn't good. Mostly electronica with some bad vocals and everything sounds the same. Pretty lame. 4/10.
Roxy Music
1/5
These guys have at least two albums on this list and they both suck just as bad. Only good thing with the other one, though, was that the chick on the album cover had a wet t-shirt. Horrid singing and forgettable instrumentals. 2/10.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Thought this was a great jazz album though it almost feels like it's for "advanced" jazz listeners in that it's pretty rough around the edges, at least compared to some of the other stuff that I've listened to. 7/10.
Aimee Mann
3/5
Thought this was a nice album. Not spectacular, but hardly terrible. Very 90s sounding, in a good way. 7/10.
Radiohead
1/5
What a bad day to have ears. Pretentious gibberish and the most overrated band on this list. The electronica is no different than the decades of electronic bullshit I've had to listen over the last 983 albums. And don't get me started on the droning of this voice. 2/10.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Someone summarized this very old school hip hop perfectly: This is highly influential but too simplistic for modern ears. I appreciate the work and respect it and found it to be solid but it can be a hard listen. 6/10.
Great album and in my opinion their first into what I'd call the "modern sound" considering their 90s work was alot more experimental in nature. This album was great and though quite front heavy, there are still some solid tracks in "In a Little While", among my personal favorite U2 tracks. 8/10.
The Auteurs
2/5
More generic BritPop and there's nothing special about it. 4/10
k.d. lang
3/5
Just harmless singer songwriter music with little that's special about it, let alone 1001 list worthy. 6/10
JAY Z
5/5
My favorite is "Girls, Girls, Girls". Funny enough, I've never been a huge fan of Jay's music as weird as that sounds and I looooove older hip hop. This one was honestly pretty great as it contained lots of songs that I hadn't heard in quite some time. 8/10
The Libertines
2/5
Oh look, more Britpop and... oh look, it sounds just like the last two dozen examples. 4/10.
Ozomatli
2/5
Latin music fusion of... something? Honestly it felt somewhat all over the place and everything sounded the same. It's almost like a worse Enrique Iglesias. 4/10
Tom Waits
1/5
This is now the FIFTH Tom Waits album I've had the misfortunate of listening to. Unbelievable one is on here, let alot FIVE. Just dogshit. The music they give to terrorists in Guantanamo to torture them. 0/10.
Pink Floyd
1/5
Yeesh I much prefer what Pink Floyd ended up becoming in their later work. If there's anything this list taught me it's that I strongly dislike pysch rock; mostly because it all sounds exactly the same and there were so many people doing it. I will say this was especially disappointing... good god. 2/10
The Monkees
2/5
Just ok; I get they're respected but it's not my thing. 5/10.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Incredible vocals. Two big radio hits in "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody" but I liked all else. 7/10
Steely Dan
4/5
Thought this was very enjoyable; the ultimate dad rock. 8/10
Madonna
2/5
Never been a huge fan of Madonna and this didn't really change my mind. Super late 90s sound and it kind of sounds like everything else from this era. Lots of electronic production all throughout that is... not good. 4/10
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Really didn't get this album. It all kinda sounded the same and was just another indie pop album. 4/10
Lightning Bolt
1/5
I want the person that decided to put this on the list to go to jail. 1/10
Linkin Park
5/5
Kind of interesting that this is album #1000 and I would say that this is arguably among the top 3 vocals I've heard yet. Really powerful from start to finish and contains some very well known songs. Of course, very Nu Metal-y but this was super impressive even, especially for a debut album. 9/10
Saint Etienne
2/5
No idea how this one snuck onto this list. Really nothing special about it at all. 4/10.
Green Day
5/5
Fantastic, fantastic album. Loved this; personal favorite is "She" but it's jam packed with lots of hits. 10/10
Bill Callahan
2/5
No idea how this could make it on this list. Just talking into an open mic and some instrumentals in the background; no singing. 3/10
Todd Rundgren
2/5
I didn't really like it; just yelling a portion of the time and the production was generally weird. 3/10.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Like all electronica, just poorly aged and repetitive all throughout. 4/10.
The Clash
4/5
Great album though I found London Calling a little better. Classic punk rock. 7/10.
Eels
3/5
Honestly this was just a big snooze; all sounding the same and way too slow. I guess the Shrek song saved it but honestly.... meh. 5/10.
Taylor Swift
4/5
I found this to be a very subdued album; more so than I was expecting. I very much liked "willow" while all else was solid and can see why all these girls and women love her. I did find some of the stuff a tad weak though. 8/10.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Was just ok. All kind of sounded the same and after a while that saxophone in the background was getting quite annoying. 5/10
The Beach Boys
3/5
Really shining example of great harmonies these guys always possessed. RIP Brian Wilson. No major songs that stuck out but classic early 60s sound. 7/10.
Bee Gees
3/5
I think alot of people don't realize that there was a pre-disco Bee Gees era. Loved the opening song with the rest being quite subdued and relaxing, for the most part. Unfortunately started losing steam towards the end. 6/10
Big Star
3/5
I thought it was solid, but was really hoping they'd take that extra step at some point. Not fantastic - they have the elements - but hardly bad. 7/10
Goldfrapp
3/5
Honestly a major snooze; whole thing sounds the same that it's difficult to differentiate the songs. It's not bad, just predictable. 5/10.
Dr. Octagon
1/5
This album is on this list but not Liquid Swords or The Infamous. What the hell. Terrible rapping and the production is kinda trash too. 2/10.
Simple Minds
2/5
Not a fan of this at all. All literally sounds the same and there were no recognizable songs. 4/10
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Alright so we start off with a singer who can't sing. I hated this fuckin album. Just all over the place and wasn't in the least bit enjoyable. 2/10.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
High school band at best. Just noisy with laughably bad singing; literally noise rock. 4/10
Pere Ubu
1/5
I gotta hand it to this album, I'm 1018 deep now and this may have broken the record for how quickly I hated it. Literally as soon as the singer got on mic I knew I was in for an ear-bashing. 2/10
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
I thought this was just fine. Not fantastic but hardly bad. 6/10
Bob Dylan
2/5
I'm a huge Bob Dylan hater and I think he's the most overrated artist of the last 50+ years but this was surprisingly tolerable. Can't stand the voice though; won't ever understand how anyone likes his music. 5/10
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
It's albums like this one that make people question or regret why they've started this list. Why is this garbage worthy of being an album you must listen to before you die? God good man, there are better albums out there. Absolute waste of time listening to these talentless bums. 1/10.
American Music Club
2/5
Great album to fall asleep to! 4/10
Hole
3/5
Classic grunge album; great opening song. Thought all else was fine. 7/10
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Honestly it's just classic Indian music. It's not really my tea but I respect the art. 6/10.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This is a masterpiece given the very high level of workmanship across a double album; something extremely difficult to do. Lots of big hits across both sides and one thing should be noted here: This was Stevie's 18th (!) album. 10/10.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Oh great, more Brit Pop that isn't much different than anything else. 4/10.
Roxy Music
2/5
These jabronis are not nearly good enough to be listed on here once, let alone 3 times over the wealth of other albums that exist that are not on this list. Just random instruments and poor singing, yet again. 3/10.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Excellent album and caught me by surprise how much I liked it. Handful of very well known songs but not his major hits that everyone knows. Honestly, I prefer this kind of Bruce music: one that's a bit more poppy and more E Street sounding. 9/10
Soft Machine
1/5
Third? More like Turd. This album should be a shining example of how to not start an album. That first track was absolute garbage - it's literally just noise. It's nonsense albums like these that make me wonder if the 1001 albums is actually picked at random because holy hell why would this be on anyone's list to listen. And what in the hell are these 18+ minute tracks?? 2/10.
Boston
5/5
Unbelievable two opening tracks and the rest sounds great; incredible unique vocals and love that the rest of the band harmonizes too. 9/10.
David Ackles
1/5
Laughably bad and in contest for some of the worst singing yet (and I'm 1032 albums deep). What a monumental waste of time. Keep in mind that there is so much content out there and yet this shit got on the list. 2/10
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Nice, quick, and fine listen. 6/10
Christina Aguilera
4/5
One of the better 2000s pop albums. Great vocals, as always, and I recognized "Fighter" and "Beautiful". Reading through some of these comments I've come to learn that the only people more sensitive than baseball hall of famer voters are music fans who illogically refuse to recognize even decent talent just because its pop. 7/10
The Darkness
4/5
Holy falsetto Batman! Honestly thought it was a bit too much but found the album enjoyable nonetheless. Also this is one of those albums where you find a pleasant surprise and this one is discovering that these guys sing, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love". 7/10
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
This was just alright; thought it was going to be worse. I suppose I wanted more for being on this list but they had sparks of good tunes. 6/10
The Beta Band
2/5
These guys are Zeros alright. Just boring and uninspiring. 4/10
Anita Baker
3/5
It's nice to know her music and found this to be pleasant. Does it wow me? No, but it's hardly bad. Just raises the question as to why this was so impactful that it had to be part of this list. 6/10.
Circle Jerks
2/5
Here's a big positive: This album was only 15 minutes long. 5/10
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Finally, the last Joni album. I'm not sure what it is about her but I've come to learn that I really don't like her music. Maybe it's her grating voice but I'm glad to have finished this one. 5/10.
4/5
This was a nice surprise that are unfortunately rare from this list. Thought it was a great solid album all throughout. 7/10
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Who actually listens to this bullshit? And what kind of mental breakdown did the guy who made this list have to include these guys FIVE times?? Horrible and I hope Nick Cave sees this review. 1/10
Gene Clark
3/5
Yet another singer-songwriter album. Nothing special about it. 6/10.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
I thought this was fine. Perhaps too over the top for me. 4/10.
Neil Young
3/5
I kind of struggle with Neil's music. Like I feel that there's something there that could interest me but now a few albums in of his, I'm not sure his stuff is really for me. I can respect it, but I wouldn't say I loved it nor hated it. 6/10
Hüsker Dü
3/5
This kind of reminded me of 90s Farrelly Bros. movie soundtracks. I kinda liked it, but I've gotta, say: after a while it all started to sound the same. 7/10
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Man I wanted to like this more than what I did. Started off well and progressively got worse. 5/10.
Wire
2/5
This album had me waving the white flag (I'm sorry, it was just there). Honestly not that great. It's not special nor different compared to any other punk band from this era. No memorable songs or anything that particularly jumped out at me. 4/10
Beatles
5/5
As always, Beatles music is always so easy to listen to and this one is no different. Lots of super known Beatles songs including my personal favorite on the album, In My Life. 9/10.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
1/5
Honestly I can't imagine willingly wanting to listen to this. On top of a bad recording, it's just all sounding the same and is as old country as you can get. Guitar play isn't even all that great, in my opinion. And we're singing about bugs. Man what are we doing? 2/10
Arcade Fire
3/5
What in the hipster coffee shop was this? Wasn't exactly great but I will hardly miss it. 5/10
UB40
4/5
Always appreciate a little reggae here and there. This was very easy to listen to and hadn't realized how political they can be. 7/10
Miles Davis
5/5
There's cool, and then there's Miles Davis cool. 9/10
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
What a pleasant surprise! Such a fun, energetic album with great vocals and fantastic musicianship. This list should have more albums like this gem and the fact that there are only two Salsa albums (Tito Puente, Dance Mania) while we keep getting beat over the head with talentless bums like Tom Waits and Nick Cave should be criminal. 9/10
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Let me accentuate the only positive: I've come to learn of the subgenre that is "shoegazing" and with the wonderful assistance of My Bloody Valentine, I now know that this and pretty much all shoegazing absolutely fucking sucks. 1/10.
Dion
2/5
This was a rough listen. Slow, poor vocals, and reminiscent of some poor bastard who's trying to make it big so he spends his last dime on studio time and somehow it made it onto this list. 3/10
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Much like alot of the psych rock of this era, this was yet another difficult listen. Hardly memorable, outside of it being not very good. 5/10
Daft Punk
3/5
I struggle mightily with electronica because on one hand I understand its significance to electronic music. But on the other hand, it often ages so, so poorly. This album does have "Around the World" which ended up being a great global hit but unfortunately, lots of other tracks fail to meet the mark. I will say though - this a little better than alot of the other electronica that was on this list. 5/10
George Harrison
5/5
My first thought is that this was alot more instrumental than I was expecting. Loved, "What is Life" and found this album to be excellent. 9/10
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Nice respectable country sound. I respect it, but ultimately not my thing. 6/10
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This was just ok and hardly worth the reason to be on this list. 5/10.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Much like other hip from this era, you can tell it hasn't gotten to have aged well, if that makes sense. Sure, this was good for it's era but I wouldn't say it wow'd me. 6/10.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
I mean it's fine, but am I really glad I got to listen to this before I died? Great voice though, almost like Sheryl Crow and sounds very 90s. 6/10
Syd Barrett
1/5
This must be the voice you hear when you're in hell. Oofa what a chore this was. Honestly it's not shocking that Pink Floyd took off after his departure. 3/10
Coldplay
5/5
What an excellent, excellent album from start to finish. I've generally only really known Coldplay from their bigger hits but all of these other songs are just so great. Just spectacular. 10/10
Dolly Parton
4/5
Great album and fantastic vocals. Not the biggest country fan but respect alot of old Country music from this era. 7/10
Kelela
3/5
I found this to be pleasant but everything literally sounded the same. 7/10
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
This was certainly an 90s rap album made by a bunch of white dudes who are not named Eminem... 4/10.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
One of the best intros to an album that I can recall and an overall fantastic, fantastic album. 10/10
Stevie Wonder
5/5
A relaxing and wonderfully composed album. So, so good. 9/10
Steve Winwood
3/5
I found this to be respectable to be honest. I enjoyed it; hardly bad but I wouldn't say it blew me away. Kinda reminded me of music you'd hear at a department store or something. 6/10.
Soundgarden
5/5
Arguably one of the greatest voices of grunge, if not the greatest. Absolutely loved "Fell on Black Days". 9/10
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
I wanted to like this alot more than I did. Don't get me wrong, it's very good, but I guess I was expecting a little more? Loved "Let Love Rule" the song, though. 7/10
Screaming Trees
3/5
This wasn't bad, but it also didn't impress me, either. Hardly a reason to put this on the 1001 list. Honestly just generic rock music. 6/10.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Supreme album and includes a masterpiece of a song in "Wish You Were Here". Felt like I took a fantastic voyage and now I'm at peace. 9/10
Janet Jackson
4/5
Really great pop album. Somehow sounds very 90s yet has that distinct 80s drum backing on alot of it. I do have to say, though, that not every song needs an interlude; just too distracting. 8/10
John Lennon
4/5
I very much enjoyed this album. Personally speaking, I liked John's solo music the best. Of course I know Working Class Hero and God (one of my favorites) but the stuff in between was very good. Very raw and a sign of things to come with John. 8/10
The Mars Volta
2/5
So lets see... this album somehow makes it on the list but these other 2000s rock classics like Fall Out Boy and Blink-182 and others don't make it on the list. Right. Ok. 4/10.
The Police
5/5
Right out the gate with Message In A Bottle and I really liked the rest of it, particularly Walking On The Moon. Also, this was a great showcase in Copeland's drumming ability - absolutely stellar. 9/10.
Duran Duran
5/5
Fantastic synth pop and quintessential 80s album. Of course they have the three hits but the stuff in between is great. And some of the best bass I've yet to hear. 9/10
Pere Ubu
1/5
Starting off giving your audience tinnitus us certainly a choice. What in the hell; RIP people listening to this with earphones. Also WTF is up with this horrible saxophone everywhere? Lots of this legit isn't even music, just glass breaking and stuff. I hate that this album took a spot on the list away from something good. 1/10
Lambchop
2/5
Boring album with absolutely nothing special about it. 4/10
Stephen Stills
4/5
I found this to be relaxing, pleasant, and talented. Though it's not generally my cup of tea, I certainly appreciate the work here. 7/10.
Gang Starr
4/5
Really great album. You can almost hear the start of the cross between the 80s style of hip hop and what would become peak 90s style. Great vocals and a sign of great things to come for Gang Starr. 8/10
Robert Wyatt
1/5
What are we doing man? This is like the undeserving talentless hack getting a promotion (getting on this 1001 list) over a more talented individual with actual good music (literally any other album you marginally like that is not on this list). 2/10.
Beyoncé
2/5
Alright so it had "Drunk in Love" which was a hit but honest to god I do not understand how Beyonce ended up as famous as she got. Rest of the album was just ok. Alot of is just talking into a mic with some weird music in the back which is... not good. 4/10
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Very pleasant traditional African music. Not fantastic but hardly bad at all. I liked it. 7/10
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Nice insight to hip hop as it was just getting off the grand. Of course, the stuff is dated but respected for what it would eventually become not even 10 short years later. It was also an interesting because it almost seemed like a mix of hip hop and R&B somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed it despite its age. 7/10
GZA
5/5
A masterpiece of a hip hop album and arguably the best solo Wu Tang album. Absolutely love "Shadowboxin'" 9/10
Khaled
2/5
Reminds me of sitting in the back of a cab in NYC. I mean I respect it but I can't imagine listening to this regularly as it's not really part of my culture. Sounds like classic North African music with some minor disco/pop mixed it. 4/10.