1001 Albums Summary

It's Beck...it's great.

God Save Johnny Rotten, this is the Sex Pistols! Great punk energy, even without the musicality.

The start of the "girl band" in rock, this album is pure pop/rock joy from start to finish.

They're correct, this is my new favourite band. Great garage sound and energy.

Tears For Fears' Songs From The Big Chair is the kind of album that one can go back to again and again and learn new and wonderful things about this great duo.

great voice, classic album sound.

The original punk sound was birthed in Seattle by The Sonics. A very important piece of Seattle's rock & roll history.

My first purchase, this album holds a special place in my musical heart. Terrific Stones from start to finish.

Honest and raw, this album oozes truth.

A particularly gloomy period for Robert Smith and The Cure that resulted in some truly spectacular gothic rock.

Neil Young and the various incarnations of Crazy Horse had been playing together for more than a decade, but this is certainly one of the best expressions of the musical simpatico that these musicians have with each other. A less noisy affair than many other NY & CH efforts, it's no less powerful in the ease with which these tunes are rendered. "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" addresses the rise of punk in the late 70s, and its sound is closely associated with what most fans think of as the sound of the lineup. Ruse Never Sleeps, indeed.

Raw Power is definitely underselling it, this album blows the doors off. The Stooges are full on here, and it's joyous to listen to.

Massive Attack, way ahead of its time.

Terrific Green Day.

Meh.

Geddy Lee, screecher extraordinaire. 3 incredibly talented musicians that exemplify why 3 member rock bands, with the right personnel, can create and perform some of the most powerful rock music.

Nothing to say, it's Deep Damn Purple!

Early James Brown is the best James Brown! A stellar selection of songs and performance.

If you like punk, you must hear the Buzzcocks. More accomplished musicians than most of their punk peers, the Buzzcocks are pure energy.

This is a must-have album from the gentle soul that was Jimi Hendrix. No wonder that Clapton freaked when he first saw Hendrix play, since he was to follow him onstage, which he refused to do.

Mark Knopfler, great guitarist. Dire Straits, great band.

Iggy's best album.

One can see the genesis of Gorillaz in this album. Well done.

Jethro Tull at one of their peaks of creativity.

What a tremendous and soulful mashup of post-punk/new-wave Irish folk music. More accessible than Van Morrison.

The WHO at their very apex.

Moby's ambient expressions that are so hauntingly beautiful. Should be in everyone's library.

Roger Waters' recollections or tales told by his family of London during the Blitz. Pink Floyd's magnum opus.

Dark and ominous.

Dark and ominous.

Slow and plodding.

Wonderful, earthy and moody, beautiful vocals.

Who is The Mars Volta? A greatly under-rated and amazing band.

Wild and smooth, Mingus defines latter-day jazz for Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

Excellent.

Where would Zero 7 or Bob Moses be without Radiohead? Outstanding.

Harry Nilsson was an odd and wonderful artist, this is a great album. You know these songs, even if you've never heard of Harry.

Everyone wanted to be like them, and this is one of those works that changed music forever.

San Francisco psychedelia at its best in the late 60s. Everyone should own this piece of musical history.

Love Fiona's voice. And her music is sultry and powerful.

Vintage, so totally Stones. A must have for any serious collection.

1971, that was it, man. The best 500 albums EVER are from 1971, and this is certainly near the top of that list.

Great voice, tepid material.

One of a kind, she was the oddball who really did have something to say for everyone. Not so oddball, she was a voice of reason.

The quintessential CA pop-punk-rock band. One of their best efforts!

The Who are the best 3 piece that up-ended the rhythm section/lead guitar triad of every other 3 piece up to that time. John Entwhistle is as great a guitar player, not just bassist, as most other lead guitar players of all time. Keith Moon's control over what appears at first listen to be utter chaos is truly spectacular. Pete's guitar is perfection to punctuate this, with stellar songcraft to propel the music. Then serve it all up with the power of Roger Daltrey's vocals, and et voila, say hello to The Who.

And they start to break away from the rest of pop music!

Not too much for teenage angst, tu a talented artist, no doubt.

It's hard to hold two thoughts in one's mind when listening to Manson's music: excellent punk/metal/rage music, but performed by a misogynistic abuser. Hard to keep that out of the listen.

It's Ella, 'nuff said.

There may be more successful albums from Gabriel's catalog, sales-wise or hits-wise, but this is Peter's best album overall. Intruder, No Self Control, I Don't Remember, Not One of Us, and Biko are all brilliant and dark expressions of an artist reaching his pinnacle of artistry. And that cover by Hipgnosis, stunning.

Dave Grohl's 1st Foo Fighters album is a harbinger of what will come later as the band became a multi-player unit. This effort is all Dave as he works to exorcise his grief at the loss of Kurt Cobain. Raw, personal and timeless.

Classic, you can't resist getting up and moving!

Pure power punk! Awesome listen.

Everryone's heard this duo, no one knows who they are! Beautiful, sprightly psychedelic pop with a dark underbelly of words.

Mama Cass, what a voice! CA pop from a bygone era.

Pleasant background music with a mix of jazz and a hint of electronic.

The greatest full on punk, and this is The Clash's best album.

East LA leadup to Los Lobos, this album marries Mexican-American vibes with a bit of Motown and funk.

Along with Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne, one of America's greatest singer/songwriters of the 1970s. Required listening for anyone that loves music.

Wow, nice to hear this for the first time!

Wow!

One of Bruce's better latter-day efforts

Wow!

The greatest goof punk band ever. Rock Lobster!

Syd was already on his way out of his mind here.

C'mon! It's Stevie freakin' Wonder. The man is a musical genius and if you only had this one album, it would be evidence enough of that fact. A must have for anyone who appreciates music.

Nice, great new discovery! Has the distinctive sound of a break-up album, which it was, personally and professionally.

World music comes to Paul Simon. An outstanding showcase album.

Love this album, the Beach Boys were on the path to Pet Sounds, you can hear the genesis of Brian's genius in this collection.

Great first effort as a band member/leader after the Beatles.

Beautiful, just beautiful!

Clive Davis may have the been the genius that discovered this voice, but anyone with half a musical brain would have done the same. Aretha was a force of vocal nature, and the material here suits her talents perfectly.

The archetype of blues/metal! Party on Garth!

Great debut album from what would become a great band of Seattle (via San Diego) musicians.

How did I miss this album? Fantastic, well worth your time and attention.

One could claim this was the first iteration of a supergroup made up of the best of the best players on each of their respective instruments. Yet Cream was more than just that as Ginger, Jack and Eric blended their talents together than most bands could ever muster. Stellar.

Great album by a great band.

Great listen from a truly unique and talented artist.

Great indie sound.

For goodness sakes people! It's The Temptations! If you only listen to one R&B, funk, soul album, this is definitely in the top 10 of what you should consider to hear!

Great first album from a great LA/country/folk/rock band!

Light and beautiful, had no idea Nick Drake was this soulful and thoughtful sounding. Nice entry into his world.

Queen is like no other band from this era of rock. Dig in and enjoy!

Nope. Just nope.

It would have been wonderful to see what Amu might have accomplished if she wasn't such a tragically flawed human being. Beautiful first album.

Blues-based acid rock at its best. Punctuated with the visceral wailing of a banshee possessed, this is Janis Joplin at her best as well!

A fantastic dip into the jazz that was really the heart of Joni's musical vibe. Highly recommend it!

Folk rock was born from country, and here is the evidence.

Siberian Khatru, awesome! A great example of progressive rock from the 70s.

What can one say about the Dan that hasn't already been said? Awesome band, awesome sound, great tunes.

Beyoncé as full-fledged artist, not some pop diva. Beautiful emotional exposure for being one of the top performers in the world, then and now. Well worth the listen.

ZZ Top at their tightest as hitmakers, turned down a bit from the Texas blues/funk. A thoroughly enjoyable ride, as their music videos that were ubiquitous in the 80s proved.

You really don't like music if you don't like this masterpiece of small combo 60s jazz. Brubeck is masterful in his composition of poly-rhythms, and the players are all titans of their time on their instruments. If you have only one jazz album, this is it.

Love this guy, his music is odd, innovative and totally listenable. Give him a quick spin, you will not regret it.

And another Beck album?! Also very worth listening, think Moby with more wit on acid. :^). The man is not a Loser.

When I first heard Declan's first album I was so completely blown away - this was it. And it still is. Elvis' talent is SO completely on display, and the Attractions are a great backing band. A must have album for your collection.

An odd mix of English folk and skiffle music, with a large dose of bawdry humor and lyrics thrown in. Definitely not a mainstream effort, but interesting in its own way.