1001 Albums Summary

Nice, but the songs are too similar to one another. Not my kind of thing.

Not bad, mildly boring.

Not even a small album

Classic with a favourite song

Interesting salsa music, but an entire album is too juch

Still original, 20 years later

A classic, but they have better albums

Great voice, some good songs, but not my kind of music...

What is this album doing on this list?

One good song, but - outdated

Never liked this album.

Way worse than I remembered it to be

Kinks have some great songs, but this album is boring.

A proper classic with some really good songs that still kick inside

Not a bad album, but everything Coldplay sounds the same.

Oh Brother music, without the laughs

I used to like this album, but now it sounds so mundane.

I was surprised. This album wasn’t bad at all

Was never able to connect to the genre

Their follow up album is way better

I never liked this album, but I acknowledge some songs are of landmark state.

A proper classic! First 3 songs are incredible, but the album is sort of let down by the subsequent songs.

Country

Nice sound, but it's actually boring.

Boring/meh

Not mesmerising, but nice

Surprisingly good

Not bad, but not a Rush fan

Pretty good jazz!

Too indistinguishable from noise. Never liked that phase of Cure.

Bettered by several other The The albums, this is still a masterpiece. What lyrics!

While I like Orton, I find the album too ordinary.

One great song, the rest - meh.

Not bad, but eclipsed by the band's next release. Since this phenomenon of picking a meh album instead of an artist's piece de resistance seems to be a trend here, I can only conclude this is a deliberate fart-like attempt to make the curator here appear cooler.

Really?!

Amazed that some of the songs weren't too bad (a couple were actually good). But still, not my kind of thing.

Guess it's OK for background music? Otherwise, nothing special.

Mundane, but that’s Alice Cooper

With 1 exception: boringly boring

Problem with Cardigans is, while they have truly great songs, the majority are fluff. Also: they have a better album than this.

I really have a problem with New Order's sound.

I might have liked them if I knew about them at the time.

A masterpiece, the best Beatles album, and - by my reckoning - the third best album ever recorded.

With the notable exception of a couple of songs, I don't really care for a double album of someone taking psychedelics.

Quite refreshing!

Not the worst thing ever, but rap and hip-hop aren’t my thing. Sorry

Probably Hendrix’ best. Many very good songs, surrounded by too much fluff.

Not worth listening to

I acknowledge the quality, but this is not my thing.

One excellent song (Rent) surrounded by a couple of good songs and much fluff. PSB's compilation album is the better choice.

Really?

I liked it when it came out, now all the tracks sound the same.

I already told you I don’t like New Order

Few good songs, much fluff

This is good stuff!

Not bad but too short on tunes

Nice, but far from extraordinary.

Surprisingly good, given my general dislike for the genre. Too much repetition, though: it could have been shorter/better.

Another album that didn't withstand the test of time. I awesome song, another good one, but the rest - meh.

Noise

Meh

Some nice songs interrupted by too many boring ones.

Guess it's nice background music?

What the

That didn’t age well, did it?

Nice, if repetitive

Quite good. Probably ahead of its time.

Of all the Talking Heads albums they could have picked...

A good album, but far from what I consider the best of Miles Davis (which really is "best").

Don’t get this genre, sorry

Good stuffs!

Very, very, close to 5 stars

One ok cover, the rest is indistinguishable from noise

Not my kind of music in general, but so many songs here have transcended time

Other than the title song, the music’s rather mundane

Noise

Liked it at the time, now I can’t listen to it

Old, but not too bad

Part really nice, part meh - quality varies as it goes

A childhood landmark. The Sun Always Shines on TV is grossly under appreciated.

Ok music made by people taking lots of drugs?

I never connected with this album's style, even though I do like some of Dylan's work. This album does feel outdated, though.

Dated; presentations like that don't cut it anymore. Cohen's later albums are way better, IMO, even if they didn't achieve the same cult status.

Awful?

Mature excellence

Apart from one catchy song, rather too mundane

A masterpiece from the peak of one of the most talented bands ever. Also, probably the best double album ever.

One of my favourite jazz albums!

I like Bruce's music, some of it quite a lot, but this one is just boring.

Of all the Neil Young albums to pick…

Great pick! We love Ginger Baker!

Boring!

One good song (because it was in Pulp Fiction), the rest - boring

Second boring Byrds recommendation in a week, clearly the algorithm hates us

I find this music quite uninspiring.

Aged badly, and it wasn’t even that great to begin with

Pink Floyd is my favorite band, yet I never really liked Barrett's music.

Some great, original sounds + music. Encumbered by it being a film soundtrack rather than an independent work of music.

Far from Yes' best, but certainly reflective of its general output.

Nice music, but fails to soar. This is Pet Shop Boys past its prime.

Original, but turns into the tedious the longer it goes.

Too indistinguishable from noise, but Closer

Most of the songs are dull, but when she shines, she shines

My favourite Paul Simon album, which says something given the company it has.

Nice, but fails to rise to the inspirational level.

Meh, except for the last song. Also, what's with the awful sound?

Neil Young has way better stuff than this.

File under "what the"

Just, but just, crosses that threshold into “nice music”

OK background music, but despite its length it fails to rise beyond that.

Too eccentric for my taste.

Never got into Waits' brand of music.

I love the variety of music, I love how songs are interconnected, and I love the music. Especially the lesser known songs (eg Broken).

I like the genre, but this one failed to impress.

Not my kind of music

Found the music quite irritating, actually

I love Kate Bush, but this album is just boring!

Interesting, yet failed to inspire me

Ok, I guess? Nothing special

Awful

Great singing on the title song, the rest errs way too much towards schmaltz

One of the best debut albums, the best guitar solo ever (though I prefer the live Alchemy version), and a great album that's always been there for me

Good music, lyrics way beyond your average, but failed to truly captivate me.

OK for background music. I'd pick other albums by John Grant over this one.

Can't see anything special there

Gimmick idea (69 songs in 3 CDs of 23 songs each), but I found the results rather meh

Generally nice, but at the same time a bit too indistinguishable from noise (probably due to its rather offensive sound).

What a voice! And what a performance!

I like his wits, but bar few exceptions I don’t like Randy Newman’s music.

Not my kind of music

Not my kind of music

Not bad, though not mesmerizing either.

Just, but just, an OK background music piece. But too close to boredom.

Quite uninspiring.

Not the best of Radiohead’s, but nice.

Nice classic blues, but I gravitate towards electric guitar blues.

One of Joel’s best. A personal favourite. Side A is pure excellence, but side B lets it down a bit.

The wailing turned me off.

Angel Dust is way better

I really can’t stand this music

With the exception of Psycho Killer, Talking Heads' albums fail to uplift me. Their "best of" is another story.

Nice, but I'd say there are better representatives of this genre.

I used to love this album, mostly because of Red Alert, but I don't think it aged well.

This is one of those cases where I don't really like the music, but I can appreciate that it's good music.

Guess it’s good enough to serve as quiet background music. But you can’t call me a fan of Drake.

Probably gave the album more than it deserves, on account of not listening to this genre enough. That said, it's hard for me to see how an album like this made this list.

Thumbs up! Good blusey rock!

Ordinary is an understatement

The music isn't that bad, but there's too much of it to the point I got way past fed up.

Mostly dull, but 2 very catchy songs. Never really got in tune with ZZ.

What a voice! Simply Red's best album, by far. It aged, yes, but not too badly.

Sorry, I still can’t stand this genre

Nah

I find it amazing how uninspiring this music is.

Not my kind of thing, but one of those things I can accept as good despite that.

An instant classic when it came out, and an album I still regularly listen to.

Not my vote for best Massive Attack album, but an excellent album nevertheless.

Surprisingly nice

Very nothing special

The Nightfly and I go a long way together! I remember it from when it was first introduced in Ad Pop by Ehud Manor as a new album. Love it, and regularly listen to it.

Quite nice, yet just a tad below excellence.

It's good, I can't deny that, but I never aligned with O'Connor. Other than that one truly excellent song, of course.

Nice to be educated in the fact there's more to the B-52's than Love Shack!

Nice for the background, but not much more.

Articulated noise?

While country music isn't my thing, this is obviously far from Harris' best

Ranges from sheer brilliance to the annoying, probably too much. I'm being rather harsh on this album with my rating, but then again my stars never aligned with Zappa.

I have a bit of an allergy to metal, even if Breaking the Law was a Beavis & Butthead hit.

Seriously?

While I generally think that, theatrics aside, Queen's music is overrated, I do acknowledge they have some pretty good material (though rarely pretty good albums). This one, though, is all theatrics.

Barely makes it to the "OK enough for background music". Generally speaking, I only appreciate Enola Gay, and it's not even from this album of theirs...

Nice!

Alright, but not half as good as the collaboration with Ginger Baker.

Seems to me like Eels' trademark is on an album with one incredibly good song followed by other good but not good enough songs. This album is a bit of an exception: everything is better than average.

A couple of nice songs mired by a collection of what might have once been nice. But most of all, mired by awful sound.

Best Springsteen album by far, and worth 5 stars for its place in personal history. I find it funny how, over the years, the songs I least liked from the album have become my album favourites. But that's just an aside...

A class act, no more words needed

Never got on the Joni Mitchell wavelength, though I can see its appeal (to others)

As much as I think the later Beatles albums are some of the best of humanity's creations, that will still be some of the best potentially in a millennia, I also think their earlier albums are too simple (stylistically speaking) and contain too much fluff amongst the truly good songs.

Proof that not all songs are Stand and Deliver. Truly boring and shrill sounding.

Nothing special. Not bad, but I wouldn't put it in any albums to die for list.

Look, it's nice, and I enjoyed listening to this album, but: is it special? No.

Some nice music there, including some that were stuck in my head for years

Nice, but despite my sensitivity to the genre it failed to rock my foundations.

Never got on the Grateful Dead wavelength. Suspect that requires green stuff.

Noise by any other name. Funny that, though, because I can think of 2 nice System of a Down songs, it's just that they weren't here.

No, I don’t want you. Never did

It's the third time I have to endure Joy Division's drone here. On the positive side, I don't think they any had more albums

My least favourite Dire Straits albums, certainly when compared to its 4 predecessors. Over the years I grew warm to its more mellow, jazzy (?), sound; yet I cannot forgive its original sin.

Funny story, I won this record in a draw but didn't really like it. As the years passed, I learned to appreciate its finer qualities, and - more importantly - learned to recognise Prince for the talent he [sadly] was.

Nice, but with the exception of one song - not that special (hope the band members won't read this)

Definitely not my kind of music, but on the other hand it's not bad at all! I enjoyed this venture into the unknown. Also, the rumours are true: this really is Oh Brother, 20-30 years earlier.

Not the kind of music I'd probably ever ask for, but nice enough to listen to.

We've been through that already: Tom Waits works at a different wavelength to mine.

I like me the occasional Beach Boys song, but frankly, this album is boring

As Homer Simpson said, boring!

I never really liked Madonna’s music, but this one does sound more mature. Still, the album never transcends the level I’d refer to as decent background music.

Some nice stuff in there

Yes, there are a couple of nice songs in there, but overall I don't think this album withstood the test of time.

Nice music, but I got the point of the specific organ jazz sound long before the album was done.

What great music! And what a nice surprise, to find a Miles Davis album I never heard before!

I would have accepted Guitars Cadillacs on account of Terminator 2, but this one?

Some ok music in there, but as is often the case they’re all too similar; as the album went on and on, I was getting sick of it.

I still remember first being introduced to this album by a friend, who left me a very badly produced cassette copy. I listened to it for years. I also remember being reintroduced to the album over another friend's hi-fi. I haven't left Hunky Dory since. As to the album itself, I often argue with myself as to whether it is Bowie's best. And my answer is that this deliberation is pointless; all I should be doing is enjoy the album. And enjoy it I do: while many of the albums featured here are full of fillers, or contain songs that all sound the same, Hunky Dory is an exercise in the exact opposite: a collection of unique songs that coalesce into an album. A great album that's been with me for years and years.

Despite the claim of spiritualisation, I found myself rather bored. The album is good enough as background music while concentrating on other things, but it never gets anywhere.

On one hand, it's the dictionary definition of "classic"; on the other, it fails to deliver as an album. Not that this takes anything away from the awesomeness of the title track.

Some undeniably good music there, but I fail to see a grand vision for an album (as opposed to, say, Ok Computer). Either that or I simply outgrew this album.

An top artist in top form demonstrates what innovation and exploration means. Yet, at the same time, I find I’m unable to connect with the music as much as I can with other Paul Simon stuff.

Are you having a laugh?!

This is not the Bowie album I was looking for (as in: not bad, but Bowie did release some utterly brilliant albums - just not this one)

It's the Gary Numan sound that this album has in its favour (and Cars), but that can only go so far. Which is fine.

There are definitely some excellent songs in this album, but at the same time there are too many fillers. What is undeniable, though, are the qualities of Chapman's voice and singing.

Like a lot of American rock music, I find this a rather uninteresting take on bland noise

Good, but not yellow brick good

Yes, there are some famous songs there, but now I know why you don’t get to hear the other songs

The songs aren't too bad, and I credit the punk, but as an album - too many of the songs sound the same.

Good voice - tick Some good songs - tick But overall, and perhaps (probably!) through my own deficiencies, the album fails to lift me up. Tragedies aside, it needs more noise

While there were some tunes in there, I did find the sound and the vocals rather unpleasing. Sorry

I fail to see why this album made it into this list

I really do like several of MSP’s albums, just not this one; too bland for my taste. Hope that doesn’t mean I lack taste

Far from Beck's best, yet a nice and very melodic (and relaxing) album despite the obvious personal crisis that triggered it. Bit too un-exciting for me, but definitely great for certain moods.

At first I sort of got along with the music, but eventually all the profanities and the demeaning language put me off

I feel there's a lot of promise to this band, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for this young lot. More seriously, this is probably the best debut album ever; musicians do not come more accomplished than this to begin with. Hard to believe this is only Zep's 4th best album (by my reckoning, which is widely regarded as the absolute truth by no one).

I don't know what it is about the sound of contemporary pop, but I just can't stand it. I fully realise I'm at the extreme minority corner, but that does not change my perceptions.

There’s only one Metallica album that’s more than just a collection of songs, and it isn’t this one. Also, I don’t get the shrill sound

Nice surprise!

Nice, yes, but extraordinary? No

Nice, I guess, and not particularly special

Surprisingly good! And quite unlike most of the Elvis music I’m familiar with - less poppy, more serious.

By now it’s obvious this endeavour has listed pretty much anything Tom Waits had ever published. However, this one is a actually good!

Some good songs in there, some good lyrics, but as an album the result is a bit too monotonous. Either that or I just don't dig the sound that much.

It’s obvious they like their distortions and feedbacks much more than I do. Couldn’t stand it by the fourth song

A record breaking album when it comes to blandness and lack of inspiration

Eccentric, but in a nice way

Boring as hell

Noise for noise's sake

I've been very generous with my rating, simply because I love The Clash: while much of the music here is monotonous noise, I cannot deny the allure of some of the lyrics ("Career opportunity, the one that never knocks") and the scattered gems of songs here and there. But yes, The Clash is one of them bands that sounds way better when listened to through a Best Of album rather than its run of the mill albums.

Significantly aged, but despite better songs coming in later albums this is still something special. Chrissie Hynde forever

Boredom incarnate

We like progressive music, but this one is both aged and surpassed. Also, it's not Yes' best.

I do often wonder what passed through the curator's mind when they picked the albums comprising this collection.

Some very good rhythms in there, surrounded by a bit too much fluff to make this a truly great album.

Indistinct generic “alternative” music

Nice music of a genre I don't listen enough to

A bit of a gem that went forgotten over the years. Aged, yes, but there is some good stuff in there - including 2 outright excellent songs.

Instead of joking on this actually being most unwanted, I will say this genre isn't one I normally listen to and point out the excessively profane lyrics as a big turn off.

I like Nina Simone, I like her voice a lot. But at the same time, none of the songs in this particular album truly move me.

Sadly there is no option for 0 stars

Oozes with class

Other than the gimmick of comprising an album full of songs about murder and death, this is a pretty boring album

Yes, there's tons of nostalgia in there, but then again re-listening reminded me why I haven't been listening this whole time

Not too badly aged; some of the tunes, especially the first tracks, are still very catchy. Still, George Michael (RIP way too early!) is better in a "best of" compilation than an individual album; it's not like there's a unifying thread across the tracks here.

Might have been great at the time, but listening to this today I find absolutely nothing of interest in the album.

Guess it's OK background music? Giving it a bit of a credit on account it's not my usual music diet.

Probably REM's best album (and that's saying a lot, given the "competition"). Made even better through John Paul Jones' arrangements on some of the songs, which renders them pure magic.

A bit of a mixed bag: On one hand, excellent tracks that are the very definition of classic rock (see I'm a Man); on the other, what seem to be live recording of wanking with guitars sessions (see Free Form Guitar).

Ok album, but a far cry from the pure excellence of Portishead’s first 2 albums.

I was never a big fan of Talk Talk's, even though I didn't mind its music. This one's not bad at all, yet I can see why, generally speaking, Talk Talk has faded away from public awareness more than some of its eighties compatriots that seem to be back on the public's agenda (for some odd reason or another).

Where do I start? I still remember hunching over the record at the shop, wondering if I should spend all my money on it or not. I chose not to. [Several years later, I bought all The Police on CD.] I still think Synchronicity is the lesser of the better Police albums, with Reggatta de Blanc being significantly superior. But that doesn't mean Synchronicity is a bad album, not in any way; it is clearly the work of mature musicians delivering the goods while also experimenting, which is what stands it apart from the previous Police albums. It's also a story of 2 sides: side 1 is the more experimental affair (Mother stands out in everything, but the two Synchronicity songs as well as Walking in Your Footsteps also stand out for their social statement). Side 2, on the other hand/side, is where magic happens, with songs that are deeply personal and creative. Every Breath You Take was a moment in history, when the whole world listened to the same song for weeks on weeks; such phenomenon doesn't happen anymore, in a world where everyone carries their own personal radio station on them. And can you imagine a song such as Wrapped Around Your Finger charting as well as it did, with all the creativity (here's looking at you, Stewart Copeland) it's bursting with? For side 2, for the history it made, and for the maturity it displays, Synchronicity deserves the perfect score.

Some nice grooves here and there, but they're too camouflaged by noise

I was unable to detect anything particularly special about this album to merit its inclusion to this list

Where do I start with this wonderful parting gift Bowie left us with? What a wonderful fusion of modern electronic, rock, and jazz. How wonderful to hear wind instruments in contemporary pop. How great to listen to lyrics that aren’t afraid of non political correctness yet are also meaningful. Truly original and creative, and probably the best album of its decade. Blackstar the song is easily the best of its decade. Thank you, Bowie. I miss you

I was surprised to find this album to be genuinely good, down to earth, rock music.

It really does sound like a bunch of teenagers masturbating to their guitars and drums. The shrill sound that penetrates the head doesn’t do this album any favours, either. Metallica has released one good studio album, and this one ain’t it.

Other than the name David Sylvian, it doesn’t sound like this album has much to offer. Yes, it’s ok background music, but it never takes off and all the songs sound the same.

Thanks for reminding me why I started detesting what passed for pop music as of the eighties' end. On the other hand, I detest contemporary pop music even more.

Awfully boring

While the music is acceptable for background duties, I found the affair a bit too eccentric for me to seek repeat listening.

So I was thinking, I've been handing out too many 5 stars lately, therefore Moon Safari needs to get 4 stars. But then I started listening to the album again after, admittedly, way too long a break. The bass lines on the first track (La femme d'argent) were all it took to make me shiver and recall taking the chance and buying the CD based on an old friend's recommendation. And then Sexy Boy, and then Beth Hirsch's voice, and on and on - each and every song on this album is something special. I'm sorry to say it, but this is "another" 5 stars album. How I loved Air! But I still need a lot of Air.

TBH, I was probably the last to recognise this album’s greatness. At the time I used to think it paled in comparison with Guns N Roses. But it grew on me, eventually. And while not all of Doolittle is sweet, there are multiple tracks whose place in history has been cemented.

Remarkably boring

Not the worst hip-hop album ever, but also not even close to converting me into the genre

Not the most original of albums, but there’s nothing wrong with adding bongos to familiar tracks!

Not the album that Air should be remembered for (I'd argue there are 3 far better ones). I guess the core difference lies with this one being a movie soundtrack rather than an independent piece of music, but regardless: this is a rather peculiar choice for this list.

They keep sending me stuff I don't like

Sometimes listenable, sometimes just to noisy. Regardless, 40+ years later, it's hard to find it special

A member of the internal core of the very classic of jazz recordings, even if not every track is as good as Take 5

Whiney, all the songs sound the same, redundant

Interesting, because it's so different. I'm old enough to remember when they used to play El Cumbanchero on the radio.

One of those never aging classic albums I can always go back and listen to (which I often do).

I could just give this the 5 stars it deserves and move on, but before I do so I will note there are 3 other Pink Floyd albums I consider superior to this one. Yet Wish You fully deserves 5 stars: For the performances, For successfully doing this themed album (even if I don't necessarily sympathize with the suffering created by the music industry), But most of all for the great music. The title song is, easily, one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Now it's time to sit back, have a cigar, and listen to this great album once more.

I admit I didn't hear of this album before. When it started playing, I thought "great, here's an authentic take on Graceland's themes". However, as songs came and song went, I grew tired of the theme; by the end, I couldn't tell one song from the other.

The cynic is me says this album, that so many folks grovelled over, is more than a bit too eccentric for me

Too repetitive (how many times can a singer use “love” in sentences, line after line) to compensate for the limitations of its recording technology. In other words, this album didn’t age well.

Too close to noise to make this a truly wonderful album, but it has its moments.

Queens of the Stone Age had better albums than this, and while I don't mind it I attribute its inclusion in this list to the "look at me, I knew Queens of the Stone Age would be great way before anybody else noticed its existence" hubris factor.

Try as I may, I couldn't find anything going for this album other than its cover

I recognise the Beastie Boys' originality. I'm well aware of them breaking new grounds in so many areas. But I just don't like their music

For a while, and because of this album, and around the years following its release, the Peppers were probably the "biggest band in the world". I recall recording the album to a cassette. Several months later, when I realised I'm listening to that cassette every day (and despite investing in quality TDK cassettes, these things don't last) I gave up and bought the CD.

Don’t know why, but I was never able to get in sync with Monk’s music, not to the same level I dig many of his compatriots.

Some brilliant songs in there, and I love the orchestral elements of the performance (where did those disappear to over time)? But... ELO is still a band best experienced through "best of" collection albums, on account of the overabundance of fluff between the really good stuff.

Look, I love this pair’s music, but this album errs to much towards folk music for my precious taste. I wonder when I’ll get the opportunity to rate the real thing, Bridge Over Troubled Water.

By now I'm resigned to each and every piece of music having anything to do with Elvis Costello receiving nomination here. However, just like its Elvis Costello predecessors that I've encountered here thus far, Blood and Chocolate offers one good song (though I'd argue The Beatles' I Want You is vastly superior) that sinking in what is otherwise the mediocrity of every other song sounding the same that is the rest of the album. In other words, I'm not sure the person who put so much Elvis Costello in this list would have done so were they to redo this list today.

I get Dylan is/was a genius, that in his time he was some sort of a prophet, and he does have the occasional hit, but generally speaking: I find his music quite boring.

I used to love Deep Purple much more than I do now, a fact I attribute to their simple brand of rock music that got replaced by better stuff since. Still, Child in Time is a great song.

Seriously, out of all the U2 albums, this is what we get? A bland, unoriginal, and uninspiring attempt to recreate former glories that should have been left to rest? Where did the baldness and experimentation of Achtung Baby and Zooropa disappear to, in this failed attempt to rewind time with an inferior Joshua Tree?

Nothing special / not bad I'll probably forget all about this album in a day. Oops, I already did

Define "mixed feelings". On one hand, this really isn't my music. Yes, Girls just want to have fun is catchy is all sorts of ways, but I think I can safely say generic pop music hasn't been my thing back then and certainly isn't my thing today. However, there is a lot of versatility in this album, as well as some undeniable historical impact. So I will err to towards the positive with my rating, if only for the sake of She Bop.

Far from the worst of its kind, but still: I’m not the most suitable person to push hiphop music on

As has been the case before, I fail to see what's so special about this album. At least with this one, it's not from a genre I'm familiar with.

There's a certain quality to Morrissey's voice that I could never stand; it would hit a particular nerve that was just painful. So while there are a couple of OK songs in this album, I cannot rate it favourably.

Dear Mr Wendel, I still don't understand why this list keeps serving me hip hop, I can't stand the genre

Oy Vey, I got 2 hip hop albums in a row. What's next for me, Covid?

By now this is long forgotten music, and as sad as that may be, I can understand why.

Even though this isn’t the kind of music I normally listen to, I loved it! Especially the interesting arrangements for songs that I knew from elsewhere (I guess these are the country and western music songs the title refers to?). I’ll add that It’s gems such as this, about which existence I formerly wasn’t aware of, that brought me here. Pity these are so rare.

I'll start with the usual proviso, "this is not my kind of music, but..." The first but goes out to: I'm calling this purely on the music and the impact that music has had, and not on whether I'd like Jackson to come and babysit. The second one is the main event. There can be no denying of the cultural impact Thriller has had on the world it was released in. First it was Billie Jean, then Beat It with its video, and then the whole world (even those that, at the time, despised Jackson's music) holding its breath and watching the half hour long music video (?) of thriller in a kind of a world premier. These things don't happen anymore, and while the world enjoyed many an improvement over the course of the years I don't know if we're not missing a lot by not having universally shared experiences anymore. So: not my kind of music, but also the music of everyone who lived back then.

A breath of fresh air, as far as versatility is concerned. However, despite some brilliance throughout, a lot of the stuff is also way too much "out there" for me to conclude this is a truly excellent piece of art. No doubt manny would disagree with me in that.

I don’t mine Stevie Wonder at all, but this album is just boring from start to finish

I understand where the anger came from, and I understand the historical importance of this album, but... It's just too close to noise for me. Sorry

For a long while, this won my coveted personal recommendation for "best background music". Not much more than that, but still - being the perfect background for almost everything means a lot. It aged, since, and it has also been overused in too many soundtracks. But it's still good!

Such a soothing voice! Alas, this album doesn't reach half the heights I'm sort of expecting from Gilberto after listening to Girl from Ipanema so many times...

Not the greatest of albums (10cc is yet another band who, these days, is best experienced through a “best of” collection). But I like 10cc and I like their humour enough.

Repetitive, boring, and outright annoying. This may have been clubbers' delight, especially during its decade, but it also helps us understand why said clubbers were always high on drugs - they had to deal with this music.

A bit of a monoculture, and pretty quickly I couldn’t stand the artificial drums, but overall - not too bad, even if Aphex Twin has better stuff out there.

An archeological relic of a genre long gone, and frankly, I'm not in tears.

I'd rather listen to a drill having a go at a concrete wall

First of all, I will mention this album cover is the recipient of my "Best Album Cover Ever" award. I always find it depicts exactly how I feel at any given moment. As for the music... Well, this is as close to 5 stars (but not 5 stars) as an album could get. History wise, this album was with me, then gone from my life, then (through the unforgettable cover) back in my life, rinse and repeat. Music wise, and atmosphere wise, there's a lot of sheer genius in this album. With just a tad of "what drugs were they on".

It’s ok, but not half as special as Born in the USA.

What a fusion of fresh jazz music this album is! I don’t think I need to point out Miles Davis’ genius in creating a new genre of music out of the blue, but I will. One of my all time favourite jazz albums. Thanks for arranging this on Christmas Eve!

As the world’s most famous celebrant of Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us, I’d like to say I’ve been tired of Christmas songs forcibly drilled into my head long before the cheap trick of being pushed on with this album on Christmas Day.

Hooray to my second favourite Radiohead album! I recall a time, during the later nineties, when this album was what you’d play in order to impress others by your sheer coolness.

Not only groundbreaking sound, at the time, but also music that's still very good today.

Is it me or is it the case that anything ever farted by Elvis Costello has made it into this list? So this is a protest vote. Yes, I can see how this music would feel the peak of musicness to many, but I find it boring and repetitive. Especially the fifth time around.

I like BB (not to be confused with a certain ex Israeli prime minister!), but I think that over the years we have received better blues than this.

Nice music, feels like Hendrix took part. Pity they don't do this anymore.

Nice, yes, definitely, but not [half] as good as some of the albums that followed it.

It occurred to me that, while I really like some of Hendrix’ songs, I don’t think they combine into particularly good albums.

Rather boring, other than the 2 hit songs. It was only when Songs of Faith and Devotion came out that I started genuinely gravitating towards Depeche Mode.

Not bad! While there are no standout songs, it's quite a cohesive album. Still, as far as Queen is concerned, call me when you get to News off the World. The stuff before that was just the warmup act.

While I like some of their songs, I found this album failed to set me on fire. It was rather boring…

We’ve been through that already: whether you’re pushing New Order or Joy Division (this is the 4th of those I’m getting here), the music is still annoying. P.S. The awful sound doesn’t improve the experience, either.

Too theatrical to my liking, but there's no denying the singer's presence.

Anything by Creedence is nice, but as far as their albums are concerned, this is one of those that move me less.

I didn't really like the Sugarcubes' music, and therefore wasn't expecting much of this solo debut. Which simply meant the surprise was even more pleasant, with such a variety of music and styles (proving that we should even allow for songs recorded in toilets, while the next song uses harps, and the following song is heavy on the electronics). What an excellent, cohesive, album! And what a voice!

Nice album, no doubt about it, but Massive Attack has done way better since.

A relic of times long gone. Yet, as much as I’m inclined towards much more complex tunes, I will admit it is refreshing to get the occasional dose of some classic Cohen.

Exploding with energy, nice songs (especially the covers...). Ultimately, though, it's hard for "piano driven music" to really get to me.

Nice music, no doubt about it, but ultimately, and especially over the years, this is a forgettable album.

I fail to see much that’s unique about this album.

I wish this list would stop serving me hip hop, because it’s really not my thing. I guess this is a better sample of the genre, but see above.

Way past its expiration date

They sure were angry back then. By today’s standards, they’re mostly noisy.

When they say "they don't make them like they used to", this is what they have in mind. In my humble opinion, Led Zeppelin IV is the second best album of all time. Apart of containing groundbreaking music (which, later, provided some "rejects" to Physical Graffiti) , with songs like Stairway to Heaven, there are plenty of spectacular individual performances here: John Paul Jones on mandolin in Going to California, John Bonham's solo at the start of Rock and Roll, and (of course) his so creatively recorded performance in When the Levee Breaks. Created by four individuals at the top of their craft, this is a masterpiece from start to finish.

Whimsical spirit may improve it a tad, but I still fail to detect any worthy reason for me to listen to this.

While folk music is not my usual cup of coffee, I find one cannot help but be touched by the poignant material in this album. I think we can all agree this is a classic.

Sorry, but no.

I now know what music I'll use for the soundtrack of my next Buck Naked porno. Till then, I know what soundtrack I should use if I want to quickly fall asleep of sheer boredom.

While I never heard of them before, I will admit their music is quite nice. Yet not exceptional enough for me to remember it come tomorrow.

Getting past one’s expiration date is one thing, but this stuff is bland all over. Whiny borefest with tons of feedback.

OK, it's a piece of history, but is it good music with lasting effect?

On one hand, a cutely bizarre and endearing album. An album that's actually original! On the other, I cannot avoid the fact I don't really like the music. Eventually, I found it overstayed its welcome.

Goldfrapp has a way of bypassing my “defences” and getting right through me. And I love it P.S. It’s a pity women are so underrepresented here.

The voice is there, the emotions are there, but… I require more than this from my music. This album might please the masses, but musically it is far too bland and basic for yours truly.

At first I thought “Come On Eileen” is good, but come on... But then I noticed I’m humming the tunes.

A very effective demonstration of why hiphop music doesn’t speak to me.

REM is right up there as one of my favourite bands, but as far as I'm concerned everything they did prior to Green was just a dress rehearsal for the greatness that followed.

I wouldn’t call this anything special, but I will concede it makes for a pleasant afternoon’s soundtrack.

Tons of respect, even if Franklin’s not my preferred flavour of the blues.

One gets the feeling the curators of this list really, but really, love Nick Drake's music. This is the third album of his I'm getting, and as far as I know he had 3 albums released prior to his premature death. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned it's more or less the same as before: music that's OK for a quiet afternoon's background, but nothing that actually "lifts". If anything, I found this album more boring than its siblings.

Listening to the album from the perspective of almost 50 years later, it's hard to find much in the way of special there. There’s not even a single redeeming song.

Not even Been Caught Stealing redeems this album

Passé

Nice, classic, jazz

A classy classic. And I really like the album cover

Nice & melancholy Radiohead recreation that I can listen to in the background for forever while, at the same time, complain it fails to take me places.

Not the most puzzling pick in this list, but surely one of the worst?

Obviously a classic, overflowing with energy, but 65 years later we have to admit it sounds rather basic.

Can't say I'm in love with the album, but it passes - mostly because it doesn't sound like everything else.

A mix of several stupidly famous songs (very deservingly so) mixed with numerous WTF tracks. There has never been a better case for a Best Of album than Abba.

Kraftwerk deserves its place in the history books, but this isn’t its best album. Not that it matters: fine music is made of these.

Always regarded Crosby, Stills & Nash's music rather boring and uninspiring, and guess what? Relistening to this album only made me more confident in my opinions.

Clearly not my kind of music (unless I seek to quickly fall asleep)

This would have definitely not been my pick for a Doors album to include in this list, but I won't go over this list eccentricities again. It's not like this one is a bad album in any shape or form, it's just that, you know, LA woman, you're my woman

Frankly, every other Roxy Music album sounds to me like a rehearsal for Avalon. That said, The Bogus Man is a really good track: I'm a sucker for those repetitive, extra unnecessarily long, tunes.

I know this album comes with credentials as long as eternity, but to these ears this album is on the wrong side of the noise to music continuum. And you can’t accuse me of disliking the genre.

It's not that the music is bad as much as it is so unremarkable!

Growing up, a local radio station used to have an hour of music such as this, but a bit less country, every evening. They called that hour Twilight Time, and I used to hate it but my mother would always have it on. Nostalgia may be dreadful, but one cannot deny the yearning for simpler days, days that now seem free of worries (but, in actuality, were anything but).

It's got that typical American hard rock sound to it, that: I don't like, and Makes too many of these albums sound the same to me.

I quite like Count Basie's big band music, but I noticed that I like contemporary renditions much more than the "real thing". I put that to recording quality: my favourite takes on Basie are audiophile recordings. A well made recording turns the visceral impact of the big band is something else. The originals are, of course, still very good, even if their recording quality cannot compare.

The Rod Stewart cover is nice, the rest pretty ordinary. I know it wasn’t ordinary back then, but what can one do, time renders us all old & ordinary

Classic nineties' electronic music, so identifiable by its decade that it's also quite dated by now. Which brings me to ask: In this day and age, would I choose to listen to this album? And the immediate answer is "probably no".

Cheerful, refreshing background music that probably goes really well with a poolside or beach pub setting. But, other than "that famous track", it's not something that shakes the very foundations of music. Indeed, the entire affair sounds like it's just one song that's about an hour long (and clearly, that had been a deliberate creative choice). Not that there's anything wrong with cheery music for the background.

The thing that stands Arctic Monkeys aside is their unique sound, which - generally speaking - I dislike as too noisy. That said, I prefer and even like the added sophistication of AM so much more, but AM is the exception rather than the rule.

Music's that's not too good, not too bad, and generally feels like it's going nowhere

In many ways, I used to regard this as the perfect album: a sophisticated wrapper around Nirvana's music that allowed me to access said music much more often and in a much more relaxed manner than The Real Thing®. And in many ways, I still do. ...Yet I have to reserve a tiny bit of a star, because it just seems as if this music, which I would listen to over and over again and again during its first decade upon this earth, just doesn't "do it" to me anymore. At least not to the extent it used to. I do miss that feeling of being lifted by The Man Who Sold the World...

Brings back memories of being fed up with all the music on the radio sounding like Coldplay. And it's not like that period lasted a day or two: it took years till we got rid of that Coldplay sound. Anthropologists are even suggesting those times never ended, it's just that we don't listen to the radio anymore.

Music that sounds way too simple to these ears. Maybe I could have grown to appreciate it if I grew up with it, but that is not the case (and, I’d argue, for very audible reasons).

Is it enough to simply point out this is, by far, the reference when it comes to thematic, story conveying, music? Or should I point out that, in the field of personal achievement, this is probably the album most responsible for the shaping of my political views? Lyrics don't come more packed than The Wall's. "Probably" worth mentioning The Wall is filled with excellent music from a band at the peak of its maturity (as its implosion, while recording the album, suggests). From Another Brick in the Wall to Comfortably Numb, The Wall has its share of signature pieces; and tracks such as The Trial indicate there are no limits to the band's creativity. I would argue that, in more ways than one, The Wall was THE album that defined the generation that grew during the eighties.

Most definitely the lesser of the better albums from Led Zeppelin (a distinguished list that includes 1 to 4 + Physical Graffiti). But lesser does not mean that it’s anything less than excellent, brimming as it is with classics (Immigrant Song) and signature blues tracks (Since I’ve Been Loving You).

Nice music that's often even better than its Coldplay template, but is never excellent.

A bit into the opening tracks, I was thinking “mmm… this could be interesting”. 50 minutes later, I’m thinking "this is boring".

An accountant would write this down for having 2 exquisite songs, with the rest ranging from nice down to boring. Probably worth mentioning is the fact they don't do music this plain anymore. Things got way more complicated, and while I prefer this evolution I'm still wondering if we're not missing out on something big.

I think they're angry

Really, but really, far from anything I can tolerate

Always found T. Rex' music uninspiring. I suspect one needs to have lived through the period in order to absorb the alleged "glamour effect" the band's famous for.

What an album! Right from the opening track, PJ Harvey hits off firing on all 12 cylinders. Between this album and To Bring You My Love, I argue Harvey brings forth a damn excellent case for best female vocal performance ever in terms of the emotions it triggers in me (which, in my mind, implies best vocal performance ever, period). The fact this performance is closely tied to recording technique does not hinder, but rather further supports to prowess of this multi talented musician.

I have a problem with John Lennon's solo albums: on one hand, they include hugely potent material (say, Imagine - what a culture bomb!, Jealous Guy, or Watching the Wheels if we're allowed to increase the scope from this particular album). But on the other hand, these albums are also full of very forgettable material, too. Given we're looking at the albums rather than the individual songs here, I will therefore go with the harsher interpretation.

Noisy, boring

Some of the music isn't too bad, but given that I'm judging the album as a whole: There is a significant issue with the shouty-shouty factor ending up on the wrong side of what delicately yours accepts.

A nice blues mix, with some songs definitely rising above the rest (e.g., the Santana collaboration).

I miss Tom Petty. And, I will add, I tend to prefer the extra sophistication that came with later albums (most notably Into the Great Wide Open).

Pretty boring, with the exception of the [famous] final track

The odd nice song is not enough to lift the rest of this album enough for me.