1001 Albums Summary

Cool prog rock from the early 70s. Reminiscent of Rush. Phil Colins' performance on this album is unlike any of his solo works.

Eccentric, early-70s fusion jazz/funk with a healthy dose of blues mixed in. Similar to Herbie Handcock with some very abstract solos, but still a good listen if you're in the mood for jazz that doesn't play by the rules. Also has relatively long songs, on average, since the album is 1hr 16min with only 10 songs. Overall a good listen.

The album that defined the modern pop genre. Instant classics such as Thriller, Beat It, Billy Jean, and P.Y.T. all help make this one of the most influential and commercially successful albums of all time. The excellent bass lines and arrangements in many of these tracks are overshadowed by MJ's iconic singing. Truly an album that deserves at least one listen by any music lover.

The album that helped start the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. Powerful vocals, masteful baselines, face-melting guitar solos, and such skilled drumming that a single bass drum peddle is all that was needed. Great album for fans of melodic speed metal and Satan worshipers alike.

This album is heavy on American blues and gospel influence and each song carries a deliberation to it that can only be described as the spirit of rock n roll. At over an hour long, this album contains its fair share of toe-tappers with mediocre songs interspersed throughout. The background singers alone are reason enough to like this album. Listening while under the influence is recommended.

Bjork's unique diction and style of singing sound vaguely like how I'd imagine Lorde would sing if she were Werner Herzog's daughter. The instrumentals and production on this album were most likely a significant early influence on the low-fi alternative genre. Overall a surprisingly enjoyable and original album for anyone who doesn't mind Bjork's unconventional singing style.

This album has a nice, synthesizer-heavy sound to it with slight variations in style from song to song. Some sound more disco and others more psychadelic. Steve Winwood does a good job of keeping each track interesting. Overall a nice slice of the year 1980.

As great as the Beastie Boys are in their production and flow, I had a hard time with the amount of distortion in many of the tracks, and I'm sad to say I only made it halfway through :( maybe I'll revisit this album again someday.

A great melodramatic indie album for anyone in a melancholy mood looking for sad songs. The album is just shy of 37min, making it the shortest album I've listened to on this list so far. Smith's singing and song composition keep each track as interesting as the last, however some of the songs sounded very similar to each other, which made immersion difficult. Overall, I would say that I enjoyed this album and would listen again if the mood was right.

A lively 80s pop album with two great hits: Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf. Perfect for catching some energy.

A very quirky alternative rock album from the early 70s with interesting instrumentals that draw the listener in. My biggest qualm with the album, however, is Lou Reed's style of singing, which is so rhythmically disjointed and melodically faint that it almost resembles spoken word. "The Kids" and "The Bed" are two songs that may have been better off as poems, however "Sad Song" ends the album with a very catchy and memorable, chorus-heavy feeling. Overall, this feels like an early David Bowie album if he had been American with much less energy.

My favorite Led Zeppelin album as well as one of my favorite albums of all time, hands down. The rhythm section of John Bonham and John Paul Jones manages to perfectly meld American blues and gospel influences with the new wave of rock n' roll that was emerging during the British Invasion of the 60s. Jimmie Page, with his legendary guitar riffs and solos, and Robert Plant, with his bombastic vocals, play off of each other with a sense of freedom around the rock-solid rhythm section. Tracks like Heartbreaker, Lemon Song, and Moby Dick all show off the pioneering talents of Page, Jones, and Bonham, respectively. With so many incredible moments on this timeless album, I believe it is deserving of no less than 5 stars, and furthermore I believe every self-proclaimed fan of rock n' roll should listen to this album. How can Zeppelin fans say tjat Physical Graffiti is better than Led Zeppelin II? The world may never know.

Aretha's powerful vocals give buoyancy to the entire band, including the backup singers! Tracks like "Respect", "Drown in My Own Tears", and "A Change is Gonna Come" truly showcase the soul of Aretha Franklin and her ability to sing freely around beat while still landing in time with the band, which allows her to put further inflection on top of her already emotional delivery. It should also be noted that her band that accompanies her on this album does a great job and bring life to the song arrangements, however they are overshadowed by the power that is Aretha's voice. The only thing holding this album back from being 5 stars is a lack of variety in the track listing, but the individual tracks that I previously named are all worthy of 5 stars by themselves.

This is the first album by Simon & Garfunkel that I've ever listened to and it is also the shortest album rated so far on this list at just 29min. The sentimental counterculture movement of the late 60s can be felt within the semi-surreal lyrics that float on the confident melodies of these tracks. The duets and harmonies between Simon and Garfunkel pair well with the chord progressions and accoustic guitar riffs in each song as well as the occasional chorus or string arrangement. Add to this the fact that "Mrs. Robinson" is an undeniable classic in American psychadelic rock and the album sits comfortably within the 4-star category. Perfect for a cloudy afternoon trip or a quiet car ride. I look forward to listening to more of this group's work after hearing this album.

Straight out of the late 60s. Great bass, solid drums and guitar, however I had a hard time getting into the lead vocalist's way of singing. Also the classic rock organ in this album bumps it up to a 3 star.

Much bluesier and a little groovier than expected. Clapton's rendition of "I Shot the Sheriff" is very similar to Bob Marley and the Wailers' version. Overall a very pleasing album with well thought out composition.

A surprisingly excellent album. Amazing vocals and accompaniments.

Some tracks were repetitive in a not-so-good way and were edited with a whole lot of distortion at times. Still, grooves like "Around the World" keep this album at 3 stars.

I understand that late 70s punk rock was just as much about making a political statement as well as an artistic one, and that blurring the line between music and noise was an intentional way of expressing emotion, however it's quite possible that this is the worst album I've heard on this list so far. A substantial portion of this 40-minute album is made up of discordant and over-distorted guitar behind what can barely be described as singing. At some points, the lead vocalist will simply scream as hard as they can into the microphone without any rythym or melody to the point that just listening to this man damage his vocal chords became physically discomforting. The drums were solid throughout and the bassist was pretty much the sole reason this album had any semblance of a melody at all. The last track is particularly annoying. The vocalist just makes noises and adlibs high-pitched voices over a simple disco beat for nearly 8 minutes. It should be said that "Religion I" was an enjoyable spoken word interlude and "Low Life" was a decent tune. Other than that, I am genuinely surprised that I listened to this whole album and wish that I could somehow get those 40 minutes of my life back.

This album comes from a time in place that may never be replicated again. Mitch Mitchell's eccentric drumming brings an unique energy to each track that meshes with Noel Redding's bass and Jimmy's guitar in an ephemeral way that is hard to describe other than pure Rock n' Roll.

Great pop album with synthesizer that set the tone for popular music for many decades to come.