1001 Albums Summary

This is how we got from the Beatles to Green Day.

This band definitely lives up to its name. Sweet bass work by Bootsy, Skeet, and Boogie (who'd expect anything less from those guys?). Love the grooves, but - just like SNL makes the mistake of turning a two-minute sketch into a two-hour long movie - the grooves become less enjoyable at about the 4-minute mark.

Never heard of Fred Neil (although I was familiar with Everybody's Talkin'), and I'm not a big "folk" fan, but this is a solid album and I enjoyed listening to it. It's simple, not over-produced (or produced at all, really) - just good song writing and solid execution. That's the Bag I'm In - great lyrics, sweet tune Everything Happens and Sweet Cocaine are also great songs.

This album grew on me as I listened, though I hated it at first. Overall, it's a decent album, but I'm not sure how it made this list. The La's are clearly rooted in early-60's rock (I heard the Animals and Yardbirds in there, specifically), but they showed up about 25 years too late and didn't really add anything too it. It just sounds like an album that came out in '64. To their credit, in retrospect "There She Goes" and "The Looking Glass" were a preview of what 90's popular music would become. Kudos for that, but - as an album? It's okay.

This is equal part Louis Armstrong, Randy Newman, and Sesame Street. I half-expected "Daddy Would You Like Some Sausage?" by Tom Green to start playing at some point. Still - this shit is pretty cool. Great lyrics. I laughed a lot. I appreciated the instrumentation and Waits' successful attempt to create something different, yet familiar (at least those who like New Orleans' style jazz/blues). "16 Shells" is cool - I dig it. "Frank" and "Gin-Soaked" are also dope. And watch this - I think I want to be friends with Tom Waits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bQ1cfM13Jg

I set out wanting to hate this album, but I really don't. The instrumental pieces just kinda sound like my kids are playing video games in the next room and sounds (at first) like something I could recreate in Garage Band in about five minutes. But - to my surprise - the vocals actually make these seem more like songs, not just guys playing with the synth buttons on their Casios. And - this clearly influenced a lot of popular 80s music and there are remnants of it in more recent bands (Daft Punk). I don't hate it like I thought it would, but it's still not really my bag. "Showroom Dummies" is cool. Ends on a real weird 0:56 song.

The album is a little weird - not sure I really "like" any of the songs, but it's so cool to hear Pink Floyd's roots - knowing how they would soon after change rock and roll. It's equal parts British Invasion of the 60s and Psychadelic Rock of the 70s. You can hear them inventing something new on this album - something they would eventually perfect.

I have so much to say, but not sure how to articulate it. First of all, great name - I'm a big To Kill a Mockingbird fan. But also - the songs on this album somehow combine all of the musical styles that came in the 20 years before them as well as what would come in the next 20 years. You can hear British Invasion, psychedelic rock, 80s metal, 90s pop/punk (Rivers Cuomo definitely heard this album), techno, indy rock, and on and on. Big fan.

Fun guitar stuff in Ramble Tamble. I've never heard a bad version of Before You Accuse Me - this one didn't disappoint either. It's hard to cover a song, stay so true to the original, and still make it your own. The same thing goes for Grapevine. It's country, folk, blues, rock - uniquely and unmistakably CCR.

Having grown up in the 90s, this just about sums it up. It's somehow depressing to listen to, but leaves me feeling hopeful - not sure how they pulled that off. Great instrumentation, really well-produced. Stipe's vocals are haunting and unmistakable. Everybody Hurts gets played a lot, but - dammit - it's a great song.

This is the album my Dad would have made. Vicious is maybe the best first track I’ve ever heard - just in how it sets up the rest of the album. Blues, rockabilly, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, beatnick poetry - I heard it all in this one. Music a good, lyric are maybe even better. Great album

There is just a hint of the beginning of punk rock in here I guess, but the rest of it is pretty middle of the road - exactly what I expected based on looking at the album cover. The screaming got real old after a bit. Still, some good songs.

It's so odd that, I got "Here's Little Richard" (1956) a day after "Here are the Sonics" (1965). The Sonics pretty poorly covered several R&B songs and apparently decided to even steal the title of their album from an R&B artist as well. It was interesting how similar these albums were in terms of intended style, instrumentation, vocals, etc. - but, by all accounts, Little Richard and his band actually pulled it off. The musicianship is better, the production quality is better, the energy is better - it's just better. Still - it get's a little repetitive. Tutti Fruity, Ready Teddy, Jenny Jenny - I get it.

Never really listened to Morrisey, but I like this album a lot. His lyrics are poetic in a refreshing way. Lots of interesting guitar sounds on this album as well. It’s cool how every song sounds different, but they somehow all fit together. Great stuff all the way through.

If you took a group of good-ole-boys, fed them nothing but Skynyrd, Tom Petty, and the Eagles from the time they were born until they dropped out of high school halfway through their sophomore year, gave them 2 weeks worth of free music lessons, and then locked them in a studio with three half barrels of Busch and a brick of cocaine - this album would be the result. It's trash (a fuckin' hour and a half of trash) - minus Plastic Flowers and Cassie's Brother, which were okay (but still derivative). Oh - and did I mention Skynyrd? Because they did. Like probably 40 times. At least it was 90+ minutes long . . . .

Just the right amount of weird for me. I appreciated all the instrumentation, both real (bass lines were rocking through most of the album) and synthentic. Most of the songs were between 2-3 minutes, which I think was perfect - it was just long enough for me to think "hey, this is pretty cool" and then it would end before I got bored. Last few tracks lost me though. In general, I wish I would have heard more of Bowie's voice - most of the time I felt like I was listening to a movie score.

Nothing really special about this one - sounds like a pretty typical early-90s album. It has a little more of an "indy rock" sound I suppose. It's like they were trying to do something different, but just didn't really pull it off I enjoyed it though. It fits right in with all the other stuff I would have listened to on the radio during this time in my life - shades of Blur, Weezer, Soul Asylum, etc. But it obviously never broke through then, and it doesn't really stand out now.

Fun album. Clearly influenced a lot of what came out in the 80's.

How have a never heard anything from this album before? Most Queen is unmistakably and uniquely Queen. They don't sound like anyone else and no one else has really been able to replicate their sound. But - I felt like I could hear their influences in this "early" Queen (shades of The Who and others). That was cool - hearing them "on their way" to developing their own sound (which this album still very much is). There are some tones, licks, and vocal stylings that they obviously came back to on later, more iconic albums. Also, Queen was a glam rock opera powerhouse. I always felt like they were "one sound" - but, on this album, you can hear all four of them if that makes sense. It's still operatic, but they sound like four guys in a band - and I mean that in a good way. You can hear the work they're putting in individually and it's awesome. Brian May's guitar kicks ass almost the entire album - maybe may favorite work of his now. The only reason it's not a 5 star rating is because I assume there are more Queen albums to come that - still - are better than this. But I love this album.

This is a solid transition album, sitting right in between 80s hair-metal and 90s grunge/emo stuff. I like angry sounding guitars and angsty lyrics. Great listen - not sure it's really all that special, but Jane's Addiction had a unique sound and were clearly influential.

This is the first album where the artist doesn't actually "play" on any of the songs. I'm finding it hard to judge a solo artist who just sings (granted, I know he also wrote most of the songs) - but here I go. I've never listened to an entire MJ album top to bottom. I was excited to, and then disappointed. His songs are much easier to appreciate in single doses. I really enjoyed (and even sang along with) the tracks I knew (Bad, Smooth Criminal, The Way You Make Me Feel), but I hated almost everything else - which made me wonder if my enjoyment of the former was really more nostalgia than appreciation. Still - he is the King of Pop in the sense that he is the mold for how to build a pop star - catchy hooks, lots of energy, swagger/attitude, huge live productions. Clearly, many have followed in his footsteps (Justin Timberlake, Brittney Spears, Bruno Mars, and so on and so on). But, in retrospect, it's like McDonald's - game changing at the time, but then Ray Kroc comes in and makes it all about money - which leads to a shitty product and a million other shitty restaurants all out to make a buck. Does that make sense?

Is this their best album? Maybe. The Beatles are cool. Even people who don't "like" the Beatles have to appreciate them. Those who say they don't at least appreciate them (or acknowledge their greatness) are just trying to be "different" or "cool" - but they aren't. Kickin' bass lines throughout this one Paul - way to go.

I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed to admit that I'd never listened to Buffalo Springfield before (at least not knowingly) - but I dug it. It's like a nice little combo of everything the 60s had to offer - a little British invasion, a little hippie folk, a little country-western, a little jazz/blues. You can definitely pick up the evolving CSNY vibe, and a few of the tracks reminded me of the Allman Brothers a little bit. In that sense, I think I liked every song, but they didn't really seem to fit together. Hung Upside Down was probably my favorite. Good Time Boy gets an honorable mention.

I actually really like Jazz. Jazz musicians understand their craft at a level most people will never appreciate. You have to really know music and your instrument in order to step on stage without knowing what you're going to do - if that makes sense. BUT - to me - Jazz shouldn't really be recorded. It's meant to be listened to live. AND, if you're going to record it, it should be a live recording, in my humble opinion. I like "dirty" jazz - I want to hear mistakes and guys talking to each other while they're playing. Dave and the rest of the quartet are truly talented musicians, but this seemed over-produced for a jazz album - and maybe a little self-indulgent (almost half the songs featured only Dave, not the quartet).

This style of music isn't typically my thing, but I really enjoyed this album. The melodies were really interesting and the instrumentation was cool. I'm not sure if it was spoiled or enhanced by the fact that I can't understand what they were saying. I was initially annoyed seeing so many songs that were 7-10 minutes long, but they really held my attention - which is odd. I actually enjoyed some of the longer songs more than the 3-4 minute ones. In any case, I was leaning towards a "3" through most of this, but I'm giving it a "4" in the context of this list. It really is an album that I think people should listen to, and one that they probably haven't already heard. I'd recommend it.

Rush is cool. Great musicians, real "powerful" songs. I'm not a huge fan of the rock opera genre - but it's hard to listen to Rush and not enjoy it.

I'm lukewarm on this one. I get that he kinda perfected the crooning, angsty folk/rock genre - but it's just not my bag. I spent most of my listening experience waiting for the next song. Highlights: Lover, You Should've Come Over is - by far - the standout track for me. The story, the lyrics, the arrangement, Buckley's vocals - all amazing. This is the first time during this experience that I skipped back to listen to a song again just to see if it held up, and it did. Hallelujah. This is a great version of the song. But, in fairness, as long as you stick close to Cohen's original version, I'm gonna love it. Honorable mentions: Forget Her is a cool song. Eternal Life was also good, but didn't feel like it belonged on the album. Anyway, I'll definitely revisit a few of these tracks, but - as an album - meh.

I feel dumb that Ive never heard of this all-star band, but I’m glad I know about them now. Solid album - like discovering each of these guys again.

I don’t like it. The British punk thing is cool, but it sounds like they were writing these songs while they were recording them. They found a two-bar lick they liked, stuck it on repeat, and mumbled over top of it.

No West End Girls? Still, pretty cool. I feel like I’m in a Delorian on my way to pick up some Ludes after a long day of day trading. Seriously though, this has a Pure 80s vibe and is solid all the way through. There are remnants of lot of what the Pet Shop Boys did here.

Muddy is maybe the best blues vocalist ever. He’s also a solid blues guitarist, and he leans on one, the other, or both in really smart ways throughout this album. He does a good job of leaning in the band (especially the harp player who is phenomenal) and not “sealing the show” - it’s a real nice balance. It’s also perfectly imperfect- if that makes sense. It’s good sloppy blues. I loved hearing them BS with each other after most of the tracks.

Perfect name for this group. I had heard several of these songs but forgotten all about them. I have nothing bad to say about this album, really. It's a fun combination of a lot of my favorite kinds of music.

This was way bluesier than I expected it to be, but still very Sabbath. You can definitely hear the beginnings of the much “heavier” music they would start recording after this. To be honest, the worst part of BS for me was always Ozzys voice - it just kinda rakes on me. This album was much more about the music, and his vocals were less prominent. They sounded much more like an early-70s band. I dug it.

No Chocolate Salty Balls? Bummer. This music is awesome - a nice jazz/funk blend and great arrangements. The whole thing is varying shades of sexy (from corny to porny). I recommend not listening to is while you drop your kid off at the bus stop if you don't want to get weird, judgmental looks for the "good" parents. I could rate this album as high as a 4, but I won't on principle. It's a theatrical score and was never meant to be listened to as an album. As great as the music is, it was created as one piece of a larger puzzle, meant to be enjoyed in the context of the film. No one should have to listen to this album before they die - they should watch the movie with the sound all the way up.

So, I'm not familiar enough (or at all) with traditional Brazilian music to really know whether Os Mutantes successfully incorporated cultural mainstays into this album (like the description indicates) or if the slurping, glass-clinking, random banging noises were just weird. Aside from that though, it was interesting to hear the American (or, more accurately, British Invasion of American) rock and roll throughout. Clearly, the Beatles were a big influence - they straight up ripped off a few guitar tones (a la Revolution) and even the Yellow Submarine "yelling into a can" bit. Baby was cool - not just because I actually understood a few words - I genuinely enjoyed it. The rest? not for me.

If you're going to be a punk band, keep your songs in the 2-4 minute range. There's no need to "explore" these songs and drag them out to 7-8 minutes. Having said that, the ones the fell around 3 minutes, I actually enjoyed. Hey Joni, Candle, Kissability - pretty good stuff. The other songs were mostly great punk songs, just broken up with a bunch of unnecessary nonsense. I can definitely hear how they influenced 90s punk/rock though - I'll give them that.

This album was real good. She has a great voice and a perfect, folksy, singer-songwriter vibe. I'll listen to this again - really, really enjoyed it.

I like the vocal - a real Allison Krause-y thing going on. I was also sucked in by some of the cool bass lines in a few of these songs. Overall, really great musicianship. They did the Irish folk, story-telling thing about as well as you can do it. It's just not really for me. I had a lot of trouble getting into it.

I'll equate this album with Revolver by the Beatles (previously reviewed) in the sense that they're both examples of bands who defined their respective genres really hitting their strides and delivering, perhaps, their best collective works and inspiring decades worth of other music. And, in both cases, it's ALL them - written, performed, and produced by. No real outside influence. Specific to Metallica, they prove that Heavy Metal doesn't have to be yelling over something loud and sloppy. It can be perfected. It can be clean, thoughtful, nuanced, and still make you feel like you got punched in the gut.

I appreciate the attempt to create an album that has "movements" instead of songs in order to tell a story. Free form jazz, as far as I can tell, is just a bunch of really talented musicians each playing their own song, but all at the same time. It just doesn't land right with me. There's too much going on. I loved Alvin Jones's work on the kit in this one though.

I'll admit to pre-judging this album based on the title, the band name, and the cover art. Everything about those three thing made be dread what I was about to listen to - but I actually kinda dug it. It was a real interesting and creative mix of genres. My apologies.

I've been getting a lot of folk-rock from this list lately. I don't normally like that genre very much, but Beth Orton has a great voice - good storytelling voice. It's an interesting take on the genre too, and clearly influential on other artists. Plus - Dr. John and Ben Harper collaboration = pretty cool.

Ironically, Common is not common at all. In fact, he’s uncommon - a special breed of rapper/poet unlike most others. Maybe that’s what he was going for? Seriously though. This is a great rap album. One of my favorite. It’s also nice (and a little weird) to hear Kanye before he was crazy - or before we all knew for sure he was crazy.

Great album. Not much else to say.

I listened to this on a plane with crappy headphones, but I don't think it mattered. I'm not a fan of all the treble and the fact that all the music sounds like it was played on a Casio keyboard. The subject matter also got old after awhile - I get it, George liked to have sex. Still - some good songs. Father Figure (although super creepy) has a nice hook. Faith is a classic pop song. It's not "bad" - it's just not good.

I don't really listen to this type of music often, but there's something about Daft Punk that I like. Because I don't listen to the genre, I can't really critique or assess it. I don't know what Daft Punk does differently or better or whatever - but it's good.

I know there is an art to this type of music, but I never feel comfortable rating it because I don't understand it. Having said that, it was great background music while working. It kept me interested. I appreciated the way the songs built and then died. Decent.

I feel like Neil Young's voice should annoy me, but it's oddly endearing. He's whiny and a little off-key, but somehow that makes the songs better. There's a real folksy, subway-busker kinda vibe that I appreciate. I also liked how the album built. The first few songs feature an acoustic guitar with real "treble-y" effects, then in the middle there were songs with nice, clean acoustic songs. Towards the end, he moved to a clean electric and then a dirty, punk-like electric on Sedan Delivery and the reprise of Hey Hey, My My. I'm not sure if this was on purpose or not, but I dug it.

I obviously did not have the same childhood and adolescent experiences as Biggy did, but he makes me feel like a gangsta. Great rhymes, great beats. I appreciate this “old school” style rap that still incorporated real instruments (guitars and horns and such).

I like the Stones, but not sure I’d ever listened to this album. It’s fun to hear them experiment with some new sounds and instruments - especially in the context of 1966 when this would have seemed a little more “out there” compared to what other bands were doing. Still, it makes the album, as a whole, seem a little disjointed.

Man - I want to vote so fucking bad right now! Morella and de la Roche for President. Seriously though - great music, well-executed and performed. The lyrics are simple, poetic, and poignant. Rage is one of my favorite all time bands. Also enjoyed the cameo by Maynard (Tool is also awesome and better be on this list at some point).

This is good. I think Marley does this type of music about as well as anyone could, but it seems to me a simplistic art form. Not that simple music can’t be great, but there just isn’t much to this in my opinion. The song Jammin’ sums it up. They’re sitting around, jammin, riffing lyrics. It’s good.

Great album. My review is tainted slightly by my own ignorance. I always though of Janis Joplin as a singer/songwriter/musician - come to find out she didn't write any of these songs and only played guitar on one (Me and Bobby McGee). Still - I'm tasked with rating the album, not my preconceived notions of a single artist. To that end - the songs are great, but made great by Joplin's vocals. Sung by anyone else, I don't think they'd land as well. The music is just sloppy enough to match her rough vocal style. Get it While You Can is a standout track - even with the more iconic songs on this album.

The OG Diva - and I mean that in the post positive sense of the term. Aretha is the shit. All "divas" since her (for better or worse - Tina, Whitney, Mariah, Adele, Beyonce, Lizzo) are emulating her - or trying. There may not be a better female (or male?) vocalist. But - let's also talk about the songs as a whole. I was really impressed with the arrangement of almost every track. These can be very simple, straight-forward songs - but they didn't settle for that. The horns, the strings, the little "kicks" and syncopations and chord structures - very well done. And - though I know it wasn't written for me - there may not be a prettier song than Natural Woman. I'm leaning 4 on this, but The Queen is getting a 5 out of respect (that's , r-e-s-p-e-c-t).

I was never a big Alice Cooper fan, but this album is okay. It's odd that he's portrayed as this "shock-rock" icon when most of these songs are kinda goofy, jazz-based tunes. It reminded me of the Stray Cats more than anything else. School's Out is awesome though.

I thought I would dislike this album (not a big Smiths/Patti Smith fan) - but, overall, I enjoyed it. Smith's mumbly, squeeky, talk-singing gets old after a while, but it's definitely unique and (the good parts of it) clearly influenced some female vocalists of the 80s (Pet Benatar, Joan Jett, etc.) - so I'll give her credit there. It was the band that held this together for me. I really liked the music (even when I didn't like the vocals). Redondo Beach was the standout track for me.

Based solely on the fact that all I knew of Crowded House going in to this was "Don't Dream It's Over" (hey now, heeeeeyyy nooowww) - I was pleasantly surprised. I like the vocals/harmonies - not sure what it is about it, but I dig it. They were also smart enough with the arrangement to throw a random "extra" instrument on each track to keep it interesting. I was like "oh, some strings" - "hmm, are those bongos?" - "cool, an accordion" - "cool piano" - stuff like that. "Chocolate Cake" and "Italian Plastic" were standouts. The rest was a little too melancholy for me.

I know it's probably blasphemous to give this a 3, but I think that might even be pushing it. This one may be my least favorite of the Beatles' albums. I get that it's "early Beatles" - but it's still not as good as their first album. Everybody gets a sophomore slump - no love lost, boys.

It's easy to write this off as "hokey" - but these guys basically invented rap, so big props for that. I mean, not only did they popularize a movement and a genre, but Grandmaster Flash is also credited with creating some of the technology that made DJing (as an art form) possible - rewiring shit from Radio Shack so he could hear one record in his headphones while another one was playing in the speakers. Highlights are obviously "The Message" and "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash" - but it's all intriguing.

I wish I could be as "into" this as I feel like I'm supposed to be. Like - is this cool and I'm not cool because I don't think it's cool? Or is the music inherently not cool, and that's what makes it cool - unless I think it's cool, then I'm a loser? What drives a band to never play their most popular song in public again because too many people liked it? It must be that cool = not cool? Regardless, based purely on it's musical merits, I like this album. Admittedly, some of it is too "out there" for me, but a lot of it is quite good. I especially liked Iditoteque and Morning Bell. I at least appreciate the rest of it. Overall, it's pretty cool (or it's not). I don't know.

Rolling Stones? More like Rolling Jones. Brian Jones’ influence (and slide guitar) definitely drive this album. That’s not a horrible thing - the country/western/blues sound is cool and definitely drives the rest of what the Stones would go on to do - it’s just clear they (or, at least most of them) were starting to break away from that sound in this album and it seems a little chaotic at times. Plus - I would have thought the production value on a stones album in 1968 would have been a bit better.

I had never heard of Pulp before. It took me a while to get into this one, but I'm not really sure why. It's like a mix between Blur and U2 (and maybe a little bit of Weezer). I also heard a few flashes of Radiohead, actually - but that may be just because Kid A was just a few days back. I think part of what made it difficult to get into was I wasn't sure if they were trying to be serious or a little tongue-in-cheek. My favorite track was A Little Soul - "I could show you how to do it right I used to practice every night on my wife Now she's gone" Great line. That is still making me laugh for some reason. I'd go as high as a 4 on this, but I think that's partly influenced by hearing it for the first time. The baritone vocals and general weirdness might wear on me in subsequent listens.

I never understood Madonna's popularity. Don't get me wrong. Can she sing? Yes. Has she written, recorded, and produced several hit songs. Sure thing. But she's pretty average in my opinion - and this album is evidence of that. These songs sound like a hundred other songs that came out around this time - there's nothing really innovative or different about it. Every song is 6 minutes long and they could have been 3. In fact, the whole album could have been one 3-minute song. They all sound the exact same. It's like the soundtrack for a Disney movie that was way to sad and weird to make it to theaters. And, even though I'm not a fan of Madonna, this album cannot be her best effort. Not sure why it's on the list.

Pretty cool vibes on this one. I heard a little Prince, a little Stevie Wonder - but overall a pretty unique sounds. I'll be singing "Crack Rock Crack Rock" probably for the rest of my life (just that line).

This is what country/folk music should be. The music is simple, but Prine's lyrics and delivery are awesome. I laughed out loud a few times, but was also impressed at how poignant some of these "stories" still are. It's protest music with a twang. I dug it.

Apparently I’m a fan of British pop punk. I’m also a sucker for female punk singers - they’re somehow more punk. This album has some classic-sounding punk guitar tones and that real “throaty” bass. Solid album. I’m stuck between a 3 and a 4. Not sure it’s quite a 4, so 3.5?

I’m in no position to judge this genre, but I will say that it’s “fun” to listen to (which, I know, is not the intent). Cypress Hill is definitely unique in this space. They developed their own sound, and I can appreciate that. It grinds on my after a while, though.

I only really knew Todd Rungren from Hello - so this was a really nice education for me. I really like the “just stupid enough” lyrics for songs like Piss Aaron and Slut. Even at 90 minutes, the album did t seem to long - quality just about all the way through. Even the other Hello-ish ballads were mostly great. I also really enjoyed all the studio talk before some of the songs - especially the scavenger hunt for hissing and other evidence of “poor engineering” - really fun stuff.

They sound like a bad high school band. I like “sloppy” punk rock - but only when it’s intentional. This seems like just poor execution of mediocre songs.

I love Ray Charles - and kudos for this being the seventh album he put out in three years - but this album is behind it’s time. It sounds like it was recorded in the mid-40s to early 50s. I mean, he’s good - don’t get me wrong. But I don’t think this is near his best work - nor could it have been considered unique in any way at its release in 1959 or at any point since. I’ll consider this a “blip” in an otherwise awesome catalog of albums.

So, this guy wrote, recorded (almost all the instruments), and produced an entire "soundtrack" based the history of people of an entire state? It doesn't get any more indie-folk than that people! It took me a little bit to get into this album - but I eventually did. It does play very much like a movie or Broadway score, though (which I think is the intent), but that makes it feel like it's missing something at times. Still - I really dug a lot of the songs. Jacksonville, Decatur, and Chicago were probably my favorites. On pure listening enjoyment, I'd probably give this a 3, but the feat that Stevens undertook (and pulled off), definitely makes it worthy of this list. People should hear and appreciate this. So - 4.

I'm not sure that I should like this album as much as I do - but I do. It's like a collection of the greatest TV and game show themes from the 70s and 80s, and I mean that as a compliment. It's just fun. Their rendition of Satisfaction is almost (maybe) better than the original. Ironically, the only thing that wore on me was the bongos. Sometimes they were cool, but - at the end of the day - they end up making every song sound like Apache. Every ounce of my being wants to give this a 5, but I'm just not sure I can justify it.

I don't know if I actually never heard the rest of this album (past Blister) or if I just don't remember it. But - either way - I love it. It's so good. I get that it sounds simple - or even "bad" - to a lot of people. They may listen to it and think - "I could write those nonsense lyrics" or "I can play the guitar as good as him" or "I could have come up with that bass riff" - but guess what? They can't. And even if they could, they didn't. So fuck them. Plus, I now realize what an influence the Femmes must have had on Dispatch - another band I'm fond of. So props for that.

Whoever put this list together was really into British punk music. We've had a lot of it lately - most of which I've really like. Not this one. I think if you're going to be in a band like this, they key is not to take yourself too seriously. I feel like these guys take themselves very seriously - something about it just seems like they're trying very hard to make it sound like they aren't trying very hard. You know? Anyhoo, I won't give them the lowest possible rating because - to their credit - this was probably pretty unique in the "post punk" era and I can actually here how this may have influenced some of the British pop-punk that came later. But still. . .

I feel like The Yardbirds lived (unfortunately) in the shadow of the Beatles and Stones and are grossly under-appreciated. To me, they are a near perfect marriage of the aforementioned bands - not to say they are better, just a sold mix of the two. The had the musical talent (song-writing aside) of the Beatles - I mean, Clapton, Page, and Beck all had stints with this group, and I could argue that the Yardbirds' Paul is every bit the bassist as the Beatles' Paul. They also had a similar prowess for incorporating interesting instrumentation and progressions. AND, they had that "dirty" blues/rock, fuck-the-establishment vibe of the Stones. Still, this is not my favorite of their albums. I'm a bigger fan of the Clapton years - no offense to Jeff Beck.

This is another one I never actually listened to. I was actually embarrassed to admit that I never heard it. The way some people talked about it, I thought this was some iconic, Queen at Live-Aid, type of show that I just never experienced. Alas, I am disappointed. Maybe if I had seen the show live - or even on TV - I'd feel differently, but I don't get it. It was good. Just good. I thought Peter Frampton "coming alive" would serve to set him apart somehow. It doesn't. The songs are good "70's rock playlist" material - I don't think I'd ever complain if someone played them at a party. His vocals are okay, but definitely not compared to some of the other singers of the day. Likewise for his guitar playing - he's really good, but probably not even top 10 among others that were touring in the mid-70s. (Although "Penny for Your Thoughts" was technically impressive). Maybe I built it up too much in my head? But I don't think so.

Surprised to find another Jane's Addiction album on here. As I noted in my first review - unique sound, not necessarily special. This one is even a little weirder than the other - but Been Caught Stealing is the saving grace. If they had to produce this whole pile of an album just to deliver that song, then it was worth it. Still, 2.

This was like Bob Marley, Isaac Hayes, and - like - Jason Mraz had a baby. I mean that in a good way. It was funky and fun to listen to, even though I had no idea what he was singing about. I probably won't ever listen to it again, but I enjoyed it and it is well-deserving of a spot on this list. (On a side note - how did this guy not sue the pants off of Rod Stewart for stealing the melody from Taj Mahal and using it to record Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?).

This album should have been called "Disjointed Warm-up Exercises for Small Orchestras" - because that's what it sounds like. Shame on Phil Collins for participating in this.

I like the Talking Heads. They're interesting without being too weird. David Byrne vocals sound like he's recording them from a padded room - in a good way. Also - it was interesting to see that Brian Eno (who's album I just listened to and hated) was a studio musician on this album. I'm close to a 4 on this one, but not quite there.

I was on the second track when I was like - “this sounds like the guy who sang that Cars song” - the I found out I was right a few track later! This isn’t normally my favorite genre, but I really like this one. It’s aged really well, which I think is saying something. Good on you, Gary.

Let's play everything as loud and as fast as we can. Nailed it! Oddly, I enjoyed listening to this in the background while I did the dishes. As background music, I appreciated it and found it weirdly calming. But, I don't think I could ever enjoy it the way it's meant to be enjoyed - live, in the pit, with a bunch of angry bikers. Still, Slayer is Slayer.

I can never tell if I like Neil Young or not. I think I do. I hate his voice, but not as much as I feel like I should. In any case, this album is a little too theatrical and "busy" for me. Play the guitar/harmonica and sing, Neil. That's all I want from you. Heart of Gold, Old Man - stick to that. Also, The Needle and the Damage Done is a stand-out track.

First time listener - new fan of this album. I feel like this album would have held up in any of the decades that followed its release in '86. It sounds very 80s, but - at the same time - very current. If the right bands covered these songs today, they'd be huge commercial success, IMO. Plus, the vocal remind me of Ben Folds.

Living After Midnight is a solid 80s rock anthem, but this whole album is pretty "okay" - and that's it. Nothing about JP really stands out to me. And I hate how the drums were recorded.

Without knowing what I already know about Cohen - or looking at WikiPedia or something - it's really hard to tell what decade he was recording in or what type of genre this is. That's to his credit. He's unique; timeless. Also, kinda boring.

I think Sheryl Crow is under-rated as a singer/songwriter. Vocally, she's like a perfect combination of all 90's female vocalists - Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, that lady from Garbage - but still uniquely her own. On the songwriting front, her stuff is still "poppy" and accessible, but not cookie-cutter or predictable. It's too bad Run, Baby, Run isn't more well-known. It's a great tune. Also, this brought back memories of playing "All I Wanna Do" on my bass guitar - one of the first things I taught myself how to play.

Not bad. I like the mix of weird psychedelic rock with synthesizers and stuff as long as there are also "real" instruments. I feel like I should rate this higher than I'm going to, but there's just been so much of this genre on the list already.

After the first few tracks, I kinda dug this. I was like, "oh, it's the Violent Femmes but with keyboards instead of guitars" - but then it got real, real sketchy. The incessant grunting and screaming felt a bit lazy, lyrically. I'm never getting the 10 minutes I invested in "Frankie Teardrop" back.

Is it still cultural appropriation if you take something super white and make it even whiter? This guy is about as close to being a cowboy as I am to being an Olympic gymnast. Kidding aside, I know a lot of these Marty Robbins songs - so that's saying something. He has a great voice and this is iconic early Country/Western music - classic storytelling. I just can't get over how inauthentic it is. It's like he dressed up in a 6-year-old's Halloween costume and wrote songs about his favorite stories from one of those old radio shows.

Prince is awesome, but (just one critique) this album could have been shorter. Some of the songs get a bit repetitive after minute 6 or so. Still, he's one of the greatest all-around musicians, songwriters, producers, performers, and cool guys ever.

So - like Chicago without the horn section? I never really listened to Steely Dan much (I'm not big into the jazz/rock/fusion stuff), but this was a really solid album. It's really well produced, the arrangements are cool, the melodies are interesting, and there are some really great guitar tones.

This is another album I'm not equipped to judge. But I'll do it. :) Pros: These songs only have percussion, one guitar, and vocals. That's actually an impressive level of simplicity. Also, I do like the "call and answer" vocals on a lot of these songs. It's fun. Cons: I don't get it. I don't really know what I'm listening to, what makes it good, who else performs in the genre, etc.

Mudhoney (and a few others) don't get enough credit for really "inventing" grunge music. Everyone thinks of Nirvana - but this is clearly one of that bands that influenced them. Nirvana's popularity always kinda pissed me off because of that. But - is Nirvana better than Mudhoney? For sure. Is Modhoney "good"? Not really. Still, credit where credit is due.

I think I "appreciate" this album more than I "like" it. I mean, I do like - in the same way I like a lot of bands from the 90s. They created a different sound by adding strings and making it a little more orchestral than, say, Oasis or Robbie Williams or {insert 90s British musicians here} - which I totally respect.

I never really dug deep into Dylan's catalog. My default impression of his music has always been the incoherent, beatnick/hippie, campfire folk vibe. I liked some of his songs, but wouldn't have considered myself a "fan" of his. This album may have changed that. It's actually a really solid dirty blues/folk album and - while he still sounds like he has gauze in his mouth all the time - his vocals are well suited to the genre. He mentions in "Highlands" that he listens to Neil Young - I'd say that influence is evident here, but still 100% Bob Dylan. Standing in the Doorway, Not Dark Yet, Cold Irons Bound, and Can't Wait were standouts for me.

I don't like most country music - from any time period - but I love Dwight. He is, in my opinion, the epitome of country music: Story telling, sweet guitar pickin, cool hat, undeniable "twang" - he's got it all. Still can't say I "love" this album, but it's the best of what it is.

Sade one of those smokey, lounge-singer voices - and the hook in Smooth Operator is classic - but I can't really get into this (despite its heavy leaning on the bass guitar). I'm sure it's popular in elevators, department store playlists, and candle-lit motel rooms - but it ain't for me.

I love Ryan Adams' music. I'm not sure why I don't listen to it more, but it's great. I'm not even really sure why I like it so much - it just seems kinda timeless to me. There is definitely a Neil Young, Bob Dylan vibe, but also like the Stones and a bit of the Beatles. It's blues, but it's folk, but it's also country. He could have performed at Woodstock or at a contemporary music festival and people would dig it. It's somehow genius in its simplicity. I don't know. But - 5.

I feel like I’m supposed to like Joni Mitchell. I know a lot of people really do like her. Not me. She can definitely sing, but her voice irritates me. And I was already irritated when I started listening to this.

Hopefully this is the only time I have to make this joke throughout this entire experience: What has 9 arms and sucks? Def Leppard. Named for the only living thing on the planet that can stand to listen to all 60 minutes of this album, the band is Def Leppard, but their fans are Blind Sheep. Okay - I'm done. In all seriousness, They're pretty cool. I will never really understand what separates them from other bands (like Poison) that did the exact same shit during the 80s. Maybe it's just that their songs are way longer? Not better, just longer? Anyhoo, this is - by far - their best album. The hits just keep coming. Is it "good"? I don't know. Is it fun to listen to? For sure.

She's like the Voltron of all the divas that came before - Aretha, Madonna, Mariah - but also, like, a little Prince, a little R&B, a little gangsta rap. She's bad ass. This is not really my go-to genre of music (and I won't pretend like Beyonce was aiming for the middle-aged, straight, white guy audience) - still, this album is a work of art in many senses. Vocally, she's clearly talented. Even though some of the songs don't really have consistent melodies (they're more stream of consciousness almost), it's still interesting to listen to. And, she was clearly going through some shit in her life while recording this - and I was impressed with the honesty and vulnerability on a lot of the tracks. In summation - I'm not sure I "liked" this album, but I enjoyed listening to it and respect it. Credit where credit is due.

Really liked this one. I've never heard of Ride, but they are right up my musical alley. It's 90s rock/pop, but still pretty indy rock - not too commercial sounding. I like that. At times I heard some Toad the Wet Sprocket in there (although I'm sure that's not what they were going for). Really good. My gut says this is a 4, but I'm wondering if it's just the newness. I reserve the right to amend my rating upon subsequent listens.

This is solid, classic country music. It's not really my cup of tea, but k.d. has a great voice, it's well-suited to the genre, she's believable. I really liked "My Last Cigarette" - if that's not a near-perfect country-western song, I don't know what it. On the whole, I'd put it up there with Patsy Cline, George Jones, etc - well executed, but nothing really mind-blowing.

So, I like ZZ Top, but I don't think they're really that good. I appreciate that it's three guys and they were like, "Hey, let's stick to a shuffle on the drums, eighth notes on the base, a single guitar tone, and write a buncha songs about girls and cars. Oh, also, we'll have cool beards and spin our guitars around." And - to their credit - it worked. They are iconic in the sense that you can play 5 seconds of any of their songs and people will be like, "oh, that's ZZ Top." The part of me that loves this music wants to rate it favorably. The critique in me can't get past the horrible slap-bass on Thug (or the general "okay-ness" of the entire album). Given that I believe ZZ Top has a place on a "top 1001" list, and given my assumption that this is the only one of their albums we'll encounter on the list - 3.

I appreciate Depeche Mode. There's a difference between listening to a song that someone "wrote" and a song that was "composed" - the latter being a much more impressive feat in my mind. Granted, I find the former more entertaining to listen to. This kind of music just always feels like it's missing something (which is a me problem, not the fault of those who record in this genre). It needs a visual element. I always feel like I should also be watching an intense scene in a movie, or a video game cut scene, or a ballet or something. I don't know if that makes sense. At the end of the day, Depeche Mode is really good at something I don't really understand.

I don't know what "krautrock" is, but it sounds offensive. Like, the name is offensive, but it also "sounds" offensive. Overall, I don't like it. But - Jennifer was a cool song.

Oh man, I listened to this a while ago and failed to take good notes. I'll tell you this though - I liked it.

I scoffed at this at first glance. How could something so new (2019) be on the list? I'd think there'd be some grace period - some time required to let it "breathe" before determining if it's great. But - it's great. The instrumentation beautiful. There's a lot going on, but it doesn't seem like it - it all fits. I know this is listed as folk, but it's also blues, R&B, pop, and probably a few other things. It reminded me (at times) of Robert Bradley (without the Blackwater Surprise). It's old-timey and new. It's artsy, but accessible. I really dug it.

I'm skipping this because I'm a week behind, it's now January 3rd, and I can't take anymore Christmas music. Still - I can honestly say that I heard every song on this album at least once over Christmas break. I listened to them individually and mostly on purpose. They are Christmas classics, one and all. White Christmas by Irving Berlin and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love are my favorite on the list. Blue Christmas by Elvis, Please Come Home for Christmas by the Eagles, This Christmas by Donny Hathaway, and Back Door Santa by Clarence Carter are the notable snubs (granted, these wouldn't fit the "classic" genre as well). But - as a "Top 1001" album? No. No compilations. I could make a compilation of the greatest songs ever - it would still have no place on this list.

I love this album. I didn't even realize how much I loved it until I listened to it top to bottom (which I'm not sure I've ever actually done in a single sitting before). It's early hip-hop that's done well. The sampling, scratching, and "hyping" at its finest. But the Beastie Boys are also punk rock. They rap AND play instruments. They're angry and anti-establishment. It's also crazy to think that this was their debut album. It has so many classics on it. Well done, boys.

Overall, this album is okay. Her voice kinda got to me after a while. But- I really dug a couple of the tracks, especially Why'd Ya Do it?. It's cool that she did a Lennon cover and that she used poets' lyrics (including Shel Silverstein), and that Steve Winwood played keyboards. (and that she dated Mick Jagger) Solid album.

This was a nice little surprise. A hidden gem. At first glance, I thought I remembered this band from the 90s, but I didn't. This was a first listen for me. It's what I'd consider more "thoughtful" rock/pop 90s music - not cookie-cutter, hook-driven, slop. It gave me a real Our Lady Peace meets Foo Fighters vibe, even a few hints of Smashing Pumpkins at times. Overall, a solid 3 I thought. BUT - I'm giving this a 4 based on historical context, given that it was recorded and released before any of the aforementioned bands got together. While I wasn't familiar with Sugar, my guess is that some of these other bands were. Also, as far as influence goes, late-90s commercial pop bands like Vertical Horizon and Sister Hazel and (insert one-hit-wonder here) all kinda sound like a watered-down version of this. So, props.

This has to be the best Sabbath album, right? War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man - all the songs that drunk bikers karaoke to. I actually do like this album, but I'm not sure why. I think I was surprised by the simplicity of it. It hits you hard, but it's also really under-produced and stripped down. Guitar, bass, drums, vocals - that's it. No special effects - just point a microphone and go. There's something respectable about that. I'm not sure if this is a "hard 4" - but I gave their last album a 3 and this one is definitely superior.

This will fly in the face of the last Neil Young review I did where I think I said something to the effect that NY should be a one-man show - guitar, harmonica, and vocal. But, turns out I really like this album. It's got a bluesy rock vibe that I dig. Well done, sir.

Of the "not qualified to judge this because it represents a culture of which I am ignorant" genre - this is one of my favorites so far. It's simple. It's happy. Didn't hate it on a Monday morning.

Okay, so - fine. Early 80s hip-hop with a little island vibe - I can dig it. Hearing the source of Eminem's "two trailor park girls" hook was cool. But, overall - whatever. This isn't really my genre, but - even so - it certainly doesn't measure up to Grandmaster Flash and those who (imho) really popularized the genre.

I'm bouncing between a 3 and a 4 here. Musically, the Smiths have always just been kinda okay for me. But, I'm a sucker for the "I sound happy but really these lyrics are pretty dark and morbid" vibe. That's really where the Smiths (or, more accurately, Morrisey) get me. I mean, "Girlfriend in a Coma" - c'mon. Dammit. 4.

I love "One Way or Another" but it is (objectively) not a great song. I could say that about most of the songs on this album. They're fun. They kinda sound like they were written by a band of middle-schoolers - both the music and the lyrics. Blondie seems to me like the No Doubt of the 70s-80s. A female lead singer who is versatile enough (Debbie Harry strikes me as a poor-man's Stevie Nicks - with a little bit of Joan Jett mixed in there), but is definitely the selling point of a mediocre backing band. Everything in me says this is a 2, but I'm going to give it a bump because I can definitely hear how Blondie's sound (especially on this album) likely influenced a lot of 80s pop - as well as several female-fronted bands that would follow. So, Kudos.

At first I wasn't real impressed with this album, but it grew on me a bit. It's a solid mid-90s punk album with a unique-ish sound due to the horns. But, overall, I can't point to anything really intriguing or special about it.

Ok, Brian Eno. I hated you so much after the first album of yours that I had to sit through. But - this album actually sounds like music. Like it has melodies and lyrics and stuff. It's still not my "thing" - but I actually kinda enjoyed this album.

This is okay, but it didn't do much for me. It's pretty run-of-the-mill late-70s punk as far as I can tell. I dug a few of the riffs and melodies, but overall I found it hard to figure out what makes it special.

So, I may have biased myself by digging too far into the liner notes for this one. I noticed that Ringo Starr was credited with the cover art, then learned that he took the photos as part of a documentary he was filming about a poolside concert that John Lennon was throwing at his house featuring, among other bands, T-Rex. This is a great album even if I hadn't known any of that. But, knowing that, it's easy to picture them playing for the Beatles. This definitely sounds like a band they would dig. They're clearly influenced by the Beatles, but also unique and talented in their own right. It actually sounds like an album that the Beatles would have put out had they still been together at the time. The guitar tones, harmonies, and even the lyrics are familiar in that sense - but they also built on it and made it their own. I could go 5 on this, but I'm acknowledging my own bias. I may regret it later, but - high 4.

This list is kind of making me a Bob Dylan fan. I never really was one before this - not sure why exactly. I get it, okay? I get it.

So, you put me in a rough spot here. Previously, I rated Metallica's black album a 5 - and I stand by that. For the genre, there is no better band than Metallica at writing, performing, recording, producing. They are the complete package. Metal perfected. So, yeah, their best album (the black album) deserves to be on this list, and everyone should listen to it. But - I also thought that would be the only Metallica album on the list. This album is long, egregious, pretentious, etc. Unnecessary.

Tiny Dancer is a classic - one of my all time favorites. Levon is also great. So, we were off to a great start. It leveled off a little after that, but this is still a solid album. Great tunes, fun lyrics. No complaints.

I might get some hate for this, but I'm not a huge fan of this album. Let me explain. Obviously, the Beatles are great - and there are enough great songs on this album (some that got plenty of radio play and other lesser-knowns) to warrant a 5-star rating. But - there are a lot of duds on this album too. It sounds like the Beatles were just like, "let's record everything and throw it on there because we're the fucking Beatles and people will go ape-shit no matter what we do." Which, to be fair, is true - but it seems like there was a little lack of quality control. Part of this is likely contextual. Were they really "the Beatles" on this album - or just a bunch of guys recording their own shit and trying to get it included in the final product? There's Paul's songs, and John's songs, and George's songs - shit, even Ringo's songs - but only a handful of "Beatles" songs. Plus - what's with all the animal references? Piggies, and birds, and monkeys, and racoons. I feel like - more than any of their other albums - this one is full of songs where the story behind the song is probably more interesting than the actual song in a lot of cases. There's something to be said for that I suppose. It's a must-hear if you're interested in Beatles history, but if you just came for the music - it's a bit of a roller coaster.

I like the Kinks, but this album seems like a weird "dark ages" thing that happened between the cool punky stuff of the early-mid 60s (like You Really Got Me and All Day) and the less-cool-but-still-cool stuff that came later (like Lola). Maybe they were searching for something here? Maybe they were just trying to make more radio-friendly stuff? I'm not sure, but it left much to be desired.

I love Muddy Waters, but it's really hard for me to "judge" albums like this. In truth, a live blues album from 1960 doesn't sound much different that a studio blues album (outside of the people clapping in between). And, the performance is solid - but I'm not sure it's special in relation to other Muddy Waters albums, or even other blues musicians. Blues is good. Muddy Waters is good at the blues. Good job.

Again, it's amazing how difficult it is to judge music when I know so little about the history, culture, and language from which it was derived. However, this was pretty jammy. It reminded me a lot of when I used to play in the high school jazz band - it has that kind of free-formy vibe. Also, I'm real impressed with the producing and engineering. There is a lot going on, but all the "stuff" came through crisp. Really dug it.

This album lives up to its name. Stan is a good jazz saxophonist and Charlie is good at Samba guitar. Two white guys playing Latin music. It's fine.

I think Hole always got a little less than a fair shake. It's not Courtney's fault that she married a rock icon and he killed himself. Or, maybe it is - I don't know. The fact remains that this is a decent late-90s grunge-pop album (which, isn't saying much). A lot of bands were doing this about as well as Hole was, though, so I'm not sure what makes them different. They're 75% female - which is something, but it doesn't really impact the sound outside of the vocals. But, even in that sense, it's not unique to them (Garbage, anyone?)

I always kinda hated on the Pixies, but I'm not sure why. It probably had more to do with me not really liking the people who liked the Pixies back in the day. But - they're pretty dope. The songs are "out there" enough while still being catchy in a weird way. Plus, I think their influence on a lot of the 90s-2000s bands that I dig is pretty obvious. I'm still not sure I'm a Pixies "fan" - but I respect them. And - I'm giving them a one-star bump for all the hate and shade I used to throw their way.

Elvis Costello is cool, man. Like in a timeless way. Any of his stuff could have been released at just about any point in time and been just far enough outside the mainstream to be recognizable and relevant, but also way different and cooler than everything else.

Though I'm not really a big fan of the gospel/folk/country & western genre - I do like Emmylou Harris. She's got a unique "storyteller" voice that is perfectly suited to the genre. But, this seems misplaced and overproduced in the year 2000. It's like they were trying to make her relevant to a wider audience (queue Dave Matthews as a guest star on one track), but it didn't work. Sorry.

Nope. I mean, I realize there's and "art" to this and probably some transcendental poetic meaning to it all - but it's lost on me.

I'm not quite sure if I'm ashamed to admit this or not, but I really like Adele's music. She is an undeniable, generational talent. And it's not just the voice, but the authenticity. Not sure what else to say really. Any album that has this many hits (even in today's over-commercialized market) is impressive.

Whatever, Motorhead. I never got the draw to you. I feel dirty listening to you.

This is classic Neil Young. I love how sloppy and under-produced it is. How can something so bad be so good? I don’t know, but I dig it.

These ladies are fun. I’m a sucker for female-driven punk - something about it is just MORE punk to me. This was good, sloppy 70s punk, but they were savvy enough to show some flashes of really crafty licks and arrangement that showed like, “yeah, we know how to play we just don’t give a shot because we’re punk. Badass.

This kinda thing isn't normally by bag, but I really, really liked this album. The melodies were cool. It really did feel like they were guided by lasers. I'll admit the bias in my rating, but they get a bump for A) my never having heard of them before, and B) the surprise nature of my enjoyment.

I remember hearing about these "buttholes" (and seeing them a little on MTV) when I was a child. Even then they struck me as dumb. A name like Butthole Surfers is a desperate grab for attention, so I purposely never listened to them. Their music is also a desperate grab for attention. I hate it.

I’ll reiterate this every time I’m presented with a jazz album on this list - jazz should be enjoyed live and in person, imho. Theres just something about it that I want to “see” when I hear it. It should be an experience. That said, this trio is clearly talented. Also, it was recorded live with all the glasses clinking in the background and everything - that was cool. And, admittedly, this is as close as you can get to experiencing these guys live at this point as I assume they’re all dead. So - nice work.

I don’t know that I’ve ever listened to this album all the way through, but it’s pretty great. 70s Aerosmith checks a lot of boxes for the time. It’s still blues-heavy like the Stones (complete with horns and harmonicas), but they also stand right up with other psychedelic/glam rock bands (a la Sweet Emotion). Plus, you can hear the beginnings of 80s hair bands, power ballads, and heavy metal. I love albums like this - you can hear where it came from and where it’s going.

This is actually a pretty cool album for the early 90s. The beats and samples seem "sophisticated" for a hip-hop album in 1991. It's certainly more complex than the beats used by Beastie Boys, Fat Boys, and all the other "boys" of the 80s hip-hop scene. The lyrics rely pretty heavily on cliche - not sure what I expected from British rappers. Still - it vibed pretty good all the way through. It actually reminded me of the Gorillaz, which makes a lot of sense.

Simon > Simon & Garfunkel > Garfunkel. What does Garfunkel even do, anyway? :) On a serious note, this is a good album - deserving of being on the list. They had a unique sound and some deserving commercial success. Still - albums like this make me feel like I don't listen to music right. I always approach an album with a "how many good songs are on here?" attitude, which is - perhaps - unfair to albums like these that are build more like a soundtrack or a movement. It has old people talking and weird interludes in there that make it seem like a story is people told, but I don't know what it is. It's weird.

Two S&G albums in a row. This one is better than the last one, but it's the same review.

This album is wonderfully melancholy. I'm not sure anyone else could pull this kinda thing off without it sounding like a pretentious beatnik poetry wannabe. But, somehow, Cohen's simple melodies and talk/sing vibe is just cool. I can't explain it - which is good.

I tried really hard to hate this album. It's not really in my wheelhouse and - at least early on - the Casio keyboard sound annoyed me at the beginning of each track. But - it really kinda grew on me. I heard a little Beck, a little U2 at times - even some Stones-like vibes in fleeting moments. It kept me interested, and there really isn't a "bad" track on the whole album. I really dug "New York" - granted that was a big departure from the rest of the album. Good stuff, all around.

They're a really talented group of musician's - and I actually enjoy their music to an extent. Still, they seem like the poor-man's Queen. It's decent "orchestral rock" (if that's a thing), but in the context of all the other bands at the time, I'm not sure what makes them special.

Is this "great" music? Objectively, no. But, is it fun? Yep. Is it, perhaps, the quintessential 80s rock album? Maybe. Not much else to say. If you want to understand 80s music, this is a must-listen.

Not sure that I had ever heard this band before - but they're okay. Coming out in 1979 I can see how it would have hit a little different than some other stuff at the time. It seems like a nice little "bridge" from the 70s punk scene to the New Wave 80s. Also - I'm biased, but I love how they relied on the bassist to kinda drive everything.

The Cure was never really my cup of tea - but I get it. They're good. I can appreciate the musicality, but it's just kinda boring to me. I actually lost my in the album and couldn't remember where I left of when searching through the tracks because they all just sound the same to me.

This is okay. I'm not sure what separates it from other "weird" mid-90s bands. They did seems to use an impressive number of effects - seemingly at random. There were a few songs that I really enjoyed, but - as an album - not so much.

I'm glad Incubus is on this list. While I'm not a huge fan of the rock-band-with-a-DJ genre, I always thought Incubus got unfairly shoved in the shadows a bit. Compared to their counterparts (Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, CrazyTown, etc.) - they are, objectively - more talented and just better. They have a better vocalist with a more distinct sound, better musicians, and the lyrics are more thoughtful and poetic than, say "break somebody's face tonight" (Bizkit, L.).

I wish I hadn’t have read his Wikipedia page and found out he killed himself (or was stabbed to death?) in his early thirties. It made a melancholy album even sadder to listen to. But it’s good. Kinda Beatles-esque in a way. It’s cool that he plus all the instruments. I respect that.

This is an unfair (and probably inaccurate) comparison - but, she's like the UK version of Ariana Grade? I know -it's mostly just the voice and the subject matter that makes that connection for me. The "music" is definitely more "indie" that "pop" - but not by that much. It's okay - probably worthy of a better ranking than I'm going to give it.

One of the greatest gangster rap albums of all time. Few albums can make you feel more like a bad ass than this one. The level of talent Dre has discovered and groomed is ridiculous. He doesn’t get as much credit as like JayZ because he didn’t start a clothing line or a make his own cologne. But - he just stuck to rap. For like 40 years. And is awesome at it.

Same as all other jazz albums - I’d love this live. I can’t really enjoy listening to it otherwise. Miles is awesome. Sorry

I actually missed listening to this album on the day it came up because I was at a conference where I got to see DMC talk about his rise to fame and the resulting mental health issues that he suffered. I'm glad I saw him speak before listening to this again. Hearing him talk about how this album came to be, what his life was like at the time, and how it changed him (and, arguably, music) forever really gives some context and credit to an album that could otherwise seem like a typical, cheesy, 80s rap album.

I'm not sure I've ever heard of the "alternative country" genre, but I suppose it's a fitting title for this type of music. This album was pretty cool. It was a nice blend of weird and melancholy and funny and interesting. You know, staples of the alternative country movement. :)

I really like this one. It's like the Animals meets the Talking Heads, but with a little something special mixed in there. Honestly, I can't iterate why I dug this so much. I just did.

So, I know I am overly critical of jazz albums on here, but this one hit me different. It reminded me of the "fun" stuff we used to play in my high school jazz band. It's more structure (and less jazz), but it's good.

Isn't this the girl from Sister Act 2? She made an album? (Just kidding). This is five stars. I don't see how it couldn't be. It's an authentic expression of (what I can only assume is) Lauryn Hill's lived experienced. It's one of those albums that feel like she just made it for herself, but also for everybody. It's gospel, reggae, soul, R&B, and hip-hop all smashed together. She probably could have put out an album an each of those genres and it would have gone to the top, but she combined them in a way that is uniquely hers. You know a Lauryn Hill song within 5 seconds of hearing it.

I shit on Nirvana a lot because I don't think they really "invented" Grunge or "revolutionized" music in the 90s. The fact is that there were plenty of other (and better) Grunge bands - they just got famous early. Still - they are the simplest, most raw, most garage-bandy Grunge band. And they made a lot of kids want to pick up guitars and start creating music. And - I like most of their songs. They are a good band that everyone should hear - just one of many, though. They aren't gods. :)

I love Led Zeppelin, but I really don't know much about them or their discography - which makes it hard to judge this album against their others. But - at the end of the day - they're the Zep, the album rocks. What more do I need to know?

This album is fine - pretty solid 80s new-age, weird stuff. I like it. I just don't really care.

Radiohead is cool. Too cool for me I think, but I get it now.

This album was pretty awesome, actually. I don't think I can give it a 4, but it's real, real close. Some Kinda Love and Pale Blue Eyes are two of my new favorite songs.

Mariah Carey's voice is an amazing instrument. But this album sucks hard. It's boring and lazy on just about every front. Krazie Bone is cool though.

This genre isn't really my bad, but I kinda dug this album. It's nothing special in my book, but it was good background music while I worked on some pretty boring shit.

Never heard of this. Thought I'd hate it. Actually really enjoyed it. I'm not sure why - it was just pleasant to listen to. Nothing earth shattering, just well-executed artsy rock stuff.

Is there anyone who doesn't love this album? I'm not sure if that's possible. This is one of the greatest rock pairings of all time. So many hits came off this album, but somehow the lesser-known stuff is even better.

Bob Dylan is cool. I'm a fan of his for kinda being bad at guitar and singing and harmonica but somehow making it all work to create something unique and interesting. Still, I'm not sure how I feel about all these live albums being on the list. All these songs are on other albums. Am I rating his performance? I don't know. It's fine.

I don't know much about Wilie's catalog or album history, but he's just good, old-fashioned, singer-songwriter awesomeness. Maybe I'm sentimental because I recently toured the Moody Theater (where they film Austin City Limits), but I really, really like this album.

This is okay. I mean, it's really simple and pretty - but I don't necessarily like it. Still, I appreciate it.

I didn’t think I would like this album (minus the opportunity to hear Tainted Love for the first time in a long time), but it was actually pretty fun. Some of it (like Sex Dwarf) made me real uncomfortable, but for the most part - good stuff.

It's funny how many people were scared of this "Gangsta Rap" album back in the day. It's so tame compared to the how it was billed at the time. But, it's a solid early rap album. And it is a transition from the "fun" rap (Beastie Boys, RUN DMC) to more of a direct affront to "the system" - which, unfortunately, hasn't changed much.

Full disclosure - I liked this album. They are not my "new favourite" - but it's a decent punk rock album (by a band with a great punk rock name). The problem is that it's about 30 years after a bunch of other (better) bands did the same thing. I'm not sure the Hives really improved upon the genre or offered anything new to it. So, good album. But, worthy of the list? Meh.

The Byrds are cool. This album is a cool mix of everything that was happening at the time. It's a little British Invasion, a little Country/Blues, and little Experimental/Psychadelic Rock. And they blend it all into something that makes sense. Like I said, it's cool.

I never really cared for the Beach Boys anyway, but I was a little excited to give them another shot in the context of this list. And then - horrible disappointment. Apparently, in the later years, the Beach Boys got away from what at least made them unique - the happy, fun surfing and driving music - and attempted to make an experimental protest album about the environment and civil unrest. That's not their bag, man. This sounds like if the Lorax dropped acid and put his shitty poetry to music.

I was excited about this one. I mean “Fear and Whiskey” is basically my personal mantra. Alas, while it was definitely interesting, I wasn’t a huge fan. Sorry.

When this album first game out, I liked it enough. Then I hated it because it seemed like every song on the radio was Alanis. I think there were like 7 singles off this album? But I’m glad I got a chance to listen to it again and surprised at how well it holds up. Sure, her voice rakes on you after a while, but her sound is unique and her lyrics are oddly hopeful and inspiring. She’s both timid and angry and shy and won’t take any shit - it’s cool. Plus - honestly - how many legit female rockers came out of the 90s? Not many.

This album is real good. It's everything that was actually good about 90s music combined and executed to perfection. It's like you can hear every other 90s rock band in these songs - Nirvana, Our Lady Peace, Soundgarden, even like Tool or Metallica - except they do it better. Plus, every song has arc. It's not the same 3-4 chords in the same progression (or, if it is, they've arranged it in such a way that you can't tell). It's almost operatic. This is also one of the best-produced albums I think I've ever heard. It's just so clean, even though it's so busy.

I mean, okay. It's fine. Solid punk album. One of (too) many solid punk albums on this list.

I appreciate that this band had some longevity it an industry that is notorious for producing one-hit wonders. He is a decent DJ and she is a decent singer. Good for them. But, this is the second of their albums on this list, and I couldn't figure out why the first one made it either, so . . .

I feel like I'm supposed to like this - and her - but I really don't. Her voice is unique and cool, but the music is pure cheese (made cheesier by all the cover songs). I don't care and you can't make me.

I was excited to listen to this album because I remember really liking Tennessee and Mr. Wendell growing up. Turns out, my excitement was mostly for nostalgic reasons. I mean, the reggae/rap sound is fun. The motivational, Christian, political vibe is fine with me. But, the album didn't age well. Mr. Wendell is still a good song, and I'll give them a small bump because my over-excitedness is partially responsible for my disappointment.

I like System of A Down, but I can't really tell why. They're definitely unique - the only band I can think of that can be describe as Heavy Metal Shuffle. It's a weird mix of metal, country, and punk. Serj may also be the first one to put the microphone all the way into his mouth and scream - that's something. I don't think this is their best album (so I assume we'll see another on the list), but it definitely made a splash as their debut and has held up.

This was dumb. I mean, kudos for doing this before GarageBand came out and made it so much easier - but I just can't bring myself to care.

She's the Queen. The Queen of Soul. Queen of MoTown (the genre and the city). The original Diva. Aretha is a goddamn rock star, and this is probably one of the sexiest albums ever recorded. Note 1: I had never heard her version of "A Change Gonna Come" - which was a beautiful tribute. Note 2: I didn't know Whitney Houston's mom sang back up on this. That's cool.

I thought I would hate this, but I really didn't. It was pretty crisp "studio jazz" - which is okay in my book. But, it also encompassed a lot of what made the 80s the 80s (for better or worse). This guy has the stereotypical new wave vocals down, and they even through in a little hip-hop. I'm fine with all of it.

I've said my piece about live albums being on this list. Would I have loved to be at this show? Yes. But, it's still a performance of songs that were part of other albums. I disagree with it being on the list in principle. Which is too bad, because it's actually my favorite Nirvana "album" out of all of them. I'd give it a 4, but - again - under protest.

I'm not real familiar with Johnny's catalog, but I went in to this thinking, "Oh, it's from 2002 - probably a crappy last-ditch grab at relevance" - but I was pleasantly surprised. For the most part, he stayed true to his roots, not straying from the formula. Most of the songs are about killing someone or finding someone about to die. It's odd, but I appreciate that storytelling is a big part of this genre. Also I didn't know that "In My Life" was from this album. It's probably my favorite Man-in-Black song and I assumed it was real old. That speaks to the timelessness of his work I suppose. Still, I'm wavering between a 2-3 only because I suspect some of his earlier (better) work to be on the list as well. Oh, to hell with it.

Dr. John is like the Bayou Bob Dylan. Take some drugs, mumble some shit into the microphone that only makes sense to you, and become a cult music hero. It's fun, but it's weird.

The Doors are cool. I never really got into them. It's sloppy drug rock - but it's like the best sloppy drug rock there is maybe, so . . .

I didn't really like this. Although, it reminded me of Tool at times - which I understand is an odd comparison. But, at times, it sounded like three people trying to recreate Tool's sound in their garage. Like, it was faint and sloppy, but it was there. That was the only interesting part to me though.

I don't even know what makes this so good, but it's so good. It's pure swagger, and they use real instruments. The music itself is much more complex than most rap music, and Jay-Z is just so . . . smooth, I guess is the word. I kinda hate that a lot of the credit goes to Kanye West, but whatever - he knows how to produce an album.

Never realized the Temptations released an "Explicit" song. This album sounds like an "end of career" album. It strays from what made the Temptations cool and tried to hard to incorporate what was commercially cool in the early 70s. Not their best work. Plus, the guy with the high voice has always annoyed me and he's featured a lot on this one.

This was kinda shitty, but I also kinda dug it. It's like a little Talking Heads, and little punk-rock, and a little 80s New Wave all crammed together with some Wesley Willis level psychotic musings.

Never heard of this guy, but I'll listen again. It was simple and sad. I really enjoyed his guitar playing - something about it was just really beautiful. Plus, I like the story of this album - recorded it in his friends living room, sold it to the label for $100, and then sold 150,000 copies. That's bad ass (and bad business).

I always thought U2 was a bit over-rated. I mean, people (still) treat them like they are the collective second coming of Christ. But - I can't deny the greatness of this album. It's enjoyable and unique in a variety of ways. There are only moments of it that left me bored or annoyed (and I'll blame those moments on Brain Eno's involvement). :) Are they a great band? Yes. Is this their best album? Probably. Should everyone hear it "before they die"? For sure.

I feel like the title of this album didn't age well. I also feel like Frank was probably an even bigger asshole/womanizer/alcoholic/mafia pawn that we'll ever realize. But, the dude can croon. He's probably the best at it. I'll rate this album higher than I want to because he certainly made his mark, and because - Sinatra aside - his band kicks ass.

You can tell LB took a back seat on this album. It's still good in the sense that the talent and musicianship is there, but I still find this album mostly boring. It feels lazy (especially after Rumors).

I kinda hate and love Billy Joel at the same time. It’s so cheesy and corny, but I also crank every song and jam to it. Same with Bon Jovi. Plus I think every song on this album charted excepted for like two. That’s impressive.

I’m a sucker for female punk, so I really dig this. I was a tad annoyed that the vocal are so far off in the background, but I also think her voice would have gotten to me of it were any louder - so, nicely done I guess.

This Marley album sounds way happier than I feel like it should. Yeah, he’s still singing about injustices (and some other stuff), but it seemed disingenuous on this album for some reason. Maybe it’s hard to sing about being oppressed when you’ve had several successful albums?

I had heard (and am a fan of) Roadrunner, but I was pessimistic about this album being on the list. But - I liked it. It's a nice "bridge" album. There some 60s Animals vibe (with the guitar tones and organ), a 70s punk-rock feel, and it's a clear pre-cursor to the 80s new wave stuff that would come after. I like it.

You could play me just about any Tom Petty song and ask me to guess what year it came out - and I might be off by as much as 15 years in either direction. This dude basically stayed true to his "vibe" and rode it for 4+ decades. These songs would have been hits whether they were released in the 60s or the early 2000's. They're timeless (most of them). Still, you could hear TP and the HB figuring it out a little bit in this debut album (which isn't a bad thing). It's more eclectic than I remember some of his other albums being. Great stuff.

I'm a fan of Carole King's music, but I never really dug real deep into it. So, I'll put my ignorance on full display here by acknowledging that I had no idea she played the piano (or even how piano-driven these songs really are) - which made me appreciate her (and this album) even more. There are a ton of great songs on here. Way Over Yonder is a beautiful song that I was previously unaware of - one of my new favorites. This recent listen also made me realize how much of an influence King must have been on Grace Potter, who I think is amazing. For all of those reasons, I'm bumping what everything in me says is a "high 4" up to a solid 5.

I mostly hated this entire thing.

I'm not a fan of Disco, but - I suppose - there should be one or two albums representing the genre on this list. I'm still not sure what makes it special. I do like the bass lines and it seems to be well-produced.

I like The Who, but this is not my favorite of their albums. Still, it's pretty classic Who. I enjoyed it, but I found myself less "engaged" with it than their other stuff - it was just kinda on in the background.

This seems like a pretty typical alt/punk album. I'm not sure what makes it special, but I enjoyed most of it. This is the stuff I loved growing up, so my enjoyment of it was probably more nostalgia than anything.

Jeff Beck is good at guitar. And - even after gaining some notoriety with the Yardbirds - it's super impressive to get Rod, Ronnie, and half of Led Zepplin on your debut album. From a technical perspective, it's not his best work, but it's fucking fun. I love the whole album.

I'm not real sure about this one. I don't mind the "sloppy" indie-punk vibe when it's done well, but I can't tell if this is sloppy on purpose or if they really just aren't good musicians. The album seemed disconnected as well. It's like they couldn't decide if they wanted to be Nirvana, or the Cure, or Radiohead. Still, there were some bright spots. I really enjoyed "Happily Divided" and "Think" - so it wasn't a horrible experience.

This was pretty good background music for the work day. I have nothing really to compare it to.

This album (these albums?) are loooooong. It took me three days to get through it. But - I love it. OutKast is like their own genre. It's rap, sure - but it's like everything wrapped into one (funk, gospel, crooner, broadway, rock). The production level and sheer number of people involved in this is impressive. Definitely a must-listen.

I love Stevie. I could listen to any of his music basically all day long. That said, this isn't my favorite of his albums and I'm not real sure why it's on the list (unless ALL of his albums are on the list). This one is more background music for me (except for Higher Ground, which is one of my all time favorites of his).

I always dismissed Zappa as being unnecessarily weird, but I actually kinda dug this album. It was definitely weird, but also had a New Orleans bluesy/jazzy thing that was actually unique and interesting.

It's tough to balance the nostalgia I have for this album with the general disdain I have for present-day Kid Rock. But - objectively - this album did not age well. When the biggest boast on your rap album is that you now have that "fuckin' Matchbox 20 money" - you may not be as bad ass as you thought you were. Most of the album is still "fun" to listen to, but not as much as it used to be. It's full of old (bad) hip-hop cliches and tropes. He reuses rhymes. Each song is the same 2-bar guitar riff repeated for five minutes.

I never listened to this band much when they were putting stuff out, and - honestly - I probably would have hated it at the time. But now, it’s hitting me at the right time. I can’t even explain what I like about it - the music is cool, there is some fun wordplay, but nothing objectively special. Still - I really like it.

This album is okay-enough. She has an interesting voice and overall vibe, but it's really hard to differentiate any of the songs on this album. It all kinda sounds the same. I feel like it would have been better if she either went full-acoustic (instead of a faint electric guitar with lame effects) or leaned all the way in the the electric sound with a full band and really rocked these suckers out. Overall, meh.

I never listened to this band much when they were putting stuff out, and - honestly - I probably would have hated it at the time. But now, it’s hitting me at the right time. I can’t even explain what I like about it - the music is cool, there is some fun wordplay, but nothing objectively special. Still - I really like it.

I never listened to this before, but I like it. It’s kinda Beatles, kinda new. There’s some passive aggressiveness towards Paul. I dig it.

There’s a couple duds on here but overall The Who’s best album. Not sure there’s a better first/last track combo. Wicked.

I listened to this in an airport and it was decent background music while waiting to board the plane. It actually ended right as they announced that the boarding process would start - so that’s cool. Otherwise, I didn’t care.

I’m not a huge fan of this genre, but I like Duran Duran. That has to mean something right? Couple of if their best songs are on this album.

See previous review. I'm not sure one of their albums was worthy of the list. Two is definitely pushing it.

I've already said my piece about how soundtracks shouldn't be on this list. But, I still really enjoyed this music. It was a mix of cultures, styles, genres, and even eras that somehow worked together. I almost want to see the movie now.

This isn't normally my thing, but I really enjoyed this album. Fine for Now and While You Wait for the Others were standout tracks in my opinion. In general, I just liked most of the melodies and the simplistic-sounding recording. It was very pleasant. I can't quite get to 4 stars on this, but it's a solid 3+

This was a good album. I enjoyed it. Not sure what makes it worthy of the list, but it was something I had never heard of before - so it was worth the time.

Another movie soundtrack! That's two in a week! Whatever, it's cool. Pusherman and Superfly - great tunes.

This was a fun album. It kept me interested and "boppin' along" the whole time - which is more than most studio jazz does for me.

It's funny to think of how scared people were of this type of "gangsta rap" when it first came out. Even I remember being scared to listen to it, just based on it's reputations. And I get it - the message is intimidating to assholes trying to stay in power (which is the point), but the music itself is still so early "hip hop" that it's hard to have any real negative reaction to it. Still, this album is real busy. There's too much going on at once through most of it (which I know was innovative in the genre at the time), but it just seemed messy.

Hendrix is the shit. It’s crazy to think that an artist could lock in on their sound in a debut album. It’s quintessential Jimi right from the jump. So many bangers on this one. It’s damn near perfect.

Cathy’s Clown is classic, but this album all kinda sounds the same. It’s a too-clean, watered-down attempt at blues by two white dudes. They have a unique sound, but I’m not really keen on the two-part harmony vibe. There’s a reason only them, Hall and Oates, and Wham have tried it. I guess it’s is what’s sock hop would have sounded like? No thanks.

I’m not sure what makes this special. It’s cool, and they definitely have a different sound than most 90s bands while not straying too far from the formula. It’s a little like Third Eye Blind but sloppy and more punk I guess. It’s fine.

I love the Foo Fighters. IMO, they are one of the greatest rock bands of all time. I also love this album - but more for the story than the music. This album was a therapeutic experience for Dave that he didn’t necessarily mean for anyone to hear. He recorded it in a week and it consists of stuff he wrote prior to or during his time with Nirvana, which raises so many questions about what the future of nirvana may have sounded like. There are some great songs in here and some that are clearly him finding his voice. Whatever it is, I love it.

The Killers are cool. I always talk about how cool they are, but - honestly - I'm not sure I ever really listened to anything other than what's on the radio. So - I was happy to discover that the album lived up to the expectation I had set. It's kinda punky, kinda indie, and just weird enough to keep me interested. Definitely a unique sound. Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll was a standout track for me.

Hey - it's the most recent album on the list, so that's impressive. I wouldn't say I'm a TS fan, but - whatever - I get it. She's a good storyteller, good songwriter, and she comes across as genuine. And this is definitely better than her first few country/pop albums. It seems much less radio friendly and more "artsy" - which I appreciate.

I don't get this "music" - not that it's bad, I just can't get into it. The first song (which appears to be the only one anyone else on Amazon Music ever listened to) was pretty good, then it fell way off for me.

Never heard of this. Read the wikipedia page about how the studio wasted a lot of money on it, it was a commercial failure and overall disappointment, and then - suddenly - was rediscovered and met with acclaim. They should have just left it in storage. It's uninspired. Not special.

When I told someone that there is no such thing as "ambient music" (which, to me, means "background noise"), they responded that "ambient music is ambient sound, but well-organized." I stand by my original statement. The album is appropriately named, however. I've been in airports and heard this same type of thing in the background. I just normally put my headphones in (or hang out at the PF Chang's Airport Bar).

First track caught me a little off guard and I was sure I was going to hate this. But, there's a few Neil Young (and even some Johnny Cash) vibes that I dig. At times it even felt a little "punk folk" - if that's a genre. He's got a unique sound and style. I dig the mostly acoustic, singer-songwriter thing. And, the album art is cool (which should count for something).

Bowie is cool. Probably too cool for me because I don't always get the hype - but this is a good album. He's unique. It's fun. I dig it.

Love this dude's name. I'm not sure if Shuggie is his birthname or a nickname. Or, maybe his first name is Otis and "shuggie" is like a cool adjective that describes him? Like, "Man, you are shuggie, Otis." Either way, that was the most interesting part of this album.

I really liked this album. It's probably getting a higher rating because I had never heard it before and it out-performed my expectations for it. It's simple and authentic. Well done, Mr. Drake.

Again, not sure live albums should be on this list. But, he’s a great singer/performer and this would have been a great fucking show.

Paul Simon is cool. This album has a few of my favorites by him, but - while I appreciate his “discovery” of African music - it feels more like watered-down appropriation at times than it should. It’s one thing to be influenced by other music and another to try to replicate it for commercial gain. I’m not sure which category this falls into. Still, musically, I like it.

He's the most authentic rapper that ever was. It's not posturing or braggadocios. He's just laying out things as he sees them, for better or worse. I don't know that I can compare one of his albums to another. To me, they're all pretty great. Solid all the way through.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think I like this better than License to Ill. Maybe that's just because the former is so familiar and the latter is much less so. But, in many ways, it's better. Not as "raw" as LtI, but thoughtfully-produced I would say. They show some more range on this one.

I fucking love this album. Never heard it before, but it speaks to me in so many ways. Obviously, it's got that British-angsty-goofy (but still melancholy) thing going for it. It's classic British story-telling too. It brought me the same level of joy I get from watching Snatch or Lock Stock and the rest of those brilliant movies. It's just so "every day / nothing special" but conveyed in a way that sucks you in. Plus, having the first song being about losing 1000 pounds and the last one about finding it gave a nice sense of closure - like I just lived through something with this guy. Love it.

"Van Halen, not Van Hagar" - Joe Dirt Eddie is a great guitarist, and Van Halen is a decent 80s rock band. This is probably their best album and they definitely have a distinct sounds - so, therefore, worthy of the list. But - still - it kinda sounds like the opening scene from Back to the Future where Marty cranks up all those amps and, upon striking the first chord, blows them all up in a blaze of feedback and smoke - except it lasts for 30 minutes.

I've always had mixed feelings about the Chili Peppers. I feel like I should like them more than I do, but I find it difficult to care about them at all. I feel the same way about he Eagles - like the the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Like, Anthony is a great front man, Flea's amazing, John (and Navarro before him) are solid rock guitarists - but, still, I get bored listening to them after a while. All that to say, this album is probably their best and deserving of being on the list. Unique, recognizable sound that's solidly executed. Put any one of these songs on and I'm rocking out right along with them. Put 2 or more on in a row and I'll zone out.

Some good stuff on here, but I wouldn't say it's their best work.

The Cure is cool, but I'm not real familiar with their catalog to be honest. I just never really got that into them. Listened to this yesterday, but forgot to take notes. Now I honestly can't even remember what it sounded like. That can't be a great sign.

Oasis tried really hard to be the Beatles of the mid-nineties. I'd argue that they succeeded in many ways. The music is clearly rooted in the Beatles, they blew up fast and ended quickly, they were dysfunctional in all the most interesting ways. Liam and Noel. John and Paul. Which one was the real talent? Who needed who more? Anyway, this band was like the soundtrack of most of my high school career. Love it. "Morning Glory" is better, but this is a solid album. Married with Children is the perfect song to end on.

This would have been a fun show to be at, but it's not an "album" - how many times do I have to say that?

I thought for sure this was gonna be too weird, but it turned out to be just weird enough. I liked it.

This is funk at its finest.

Pretty solid mid-80s album that I'd never heard. Little Talking Heads, little U2, little somthin' unique to them. Kudos, gents.

I thought I was going to hate this, but I actually really enjoyed it. Not typically my cup of tea, but it was quite good.

This album sucks real bad. It's like when you go to a restaurant and the pictures of food on the menu look disgusting. Like, if you can't make it look good for the menu, how shitty will it be when you actually bring it to the table. That's what Cheap Trick live is like. The recording sucks, so it sucks worse live.

Pretty groovy. I had heard a few random things by PJ just in passing, but I liked this album. It's fun and depressing all at the same time. Definitely unique. Well done, Miss Harvey.

Tracy Chapman is boss. So sincere and authentic. Pure soul. I love her.

Queen's a great band, but we don't need to put all of their albums on this list. This one is okay in the grand scheme of things.

I'm a big fan of this guy, but this isn't his best album. I get that it's "Marshal" - not Eminem or Slim Shady - so it's more "real" or whatever. This album's just a little too angry for my taste. But, it's still good.

Never been a big ABBA fan (or even a little ABBA fan), but I get it. Contextually, this would have been fun if I were a child of the 70s.

So, Nick Cave is Australia's sad, less-talented version of Johnny Cash? Joking aside, the lyrics are great - poetic even. But - and I say this genuinely - it would have been more enjoyable as poetry than as music. The music and Cave's vocals left a lot to be desired.

Mellow, folksy awesomeness.

Pretty good. I vibed to this one.

I keep saying that live albums don't belong on this list - and I stand by it. But, I will say, this album doesn't sound live. It's musically simple enough that it sounds "clean" - like it could have been recorded in studio. Also, the audience is completely inaudible except for in between songs - which I think is a testament to the way in which Brel must have had them captivated. He certainly has a classic, crooner voice. He's good. The songs are pretty.

First time listening to this (or really anything by Cope as far as I can remember), but I really dug it. It was fun, but also musically interesting. His vocals are just bad enough that it's endearing. Great album. Will listen again.

The Kinks are cool. They were like a little more "punk" version of the Beatles. Really enjoyed this one.

I never actually listened to this album - despite being well-aware of its existence. It was never really more to me than a pop culture reference that I heard other artists swooning about. It was probably the "I'm too cool to listen to the thing you think is cool" part of me that prevented me from ever caring enough to give it a shot. But, I get it. It's a great punk album. It's different. It's impressive for a debut album. No complaints.

I'm trying not to hate on this being only 15 minutes long. I get it - it's a real punk rock thing to do. So - outside of the brevity - it's a solid, early-80s punk rock album. Exactly what I'd expect. I can definitely hear how this influenced later bands. Good on you, Circle Jerks.

The BOSS! So many bangers on this album. Not sure what more to say. Bruce is a great mix of like Petty, the Stones, Johnny Cash, and everything else that's good about music.

Quintessential punk rock band doing what they do best.

I'm glad that this album fell right after The Clash. I know they weren't released that far apart from each other, but I feel like the Dead Kennedys successfully picked up the torch from 70's-era punk and passed it on to the Green Days and Nirvanas of the 90s. I feel like this album represents a little bit of a fork in the road too. Like, if you make it just a little more radio friendly, it's 90's alt-rock - a little louder and it's 90s metal. For that reason, it gets a small bump in my rating.

I was never a big Bowie fan. I'm still not. He's weird in a cool way, and he definitely took a more artsy approach to composing, recording, and performing this music. I appreciate it, but I just can't bring myself to enjoy it.

This album was fun. I can't say much more about it. I have no real critiques or compliments. It was just fun.

I know he's reportedly a big-league asshole, but I love this guy's music. This is clearly (in my opinion) his best album. There isn't a song on here that I don't love. I listened to the whole album twice. It's so good.

Listening to this "old-school" style is a little comical now that I'm in my 40s. This was such hard-hitting, scary stuff back in the day, but now it sounds so basic. But - it's still awesome, and Latifah did it just as well as her male counterparts.

Finally - a Bowie album I can get behind! This has to be his best album right? I have no complaints.

It's still odd to hear "early" Stones when they were obviously fighting to figure out if they were a rock band or a country band. Ultimately, they made the right choice. Gimme Shelter and You Can't Always Get What You Want are standouts (obviously) - the perfect opener and closer. Hearing "Country Honk" was pretty cool too. The album really give you a sense of who the Stones were and where they were headed (sans Bryan).

Pretty impressive elevator music - but elevator music all the same. I wanted to like this album because - honestly - it's full of really well-written, interesting songs. It's just that they seemed to have recorded them in a way that makes them sound as uninteresting as possible. I feel like if you took these songs and had Queen or Chicago or even REO Speedwagon record them, they'd all be hit songs. Alas, they removed all the guitars, horns, and keys that make those bands cool.

This is probably my favorite Beatles album. I think I like it because, in a sense, you can hear "all" of what the Beatle were throughout their career. It's a little bit "poppy" early 60's Beatles with hints of what their later albums would bring. I also like that most of the songs are about loneliness and heartbreak. It feels like the most authentically-Beatles Beatles album.

I was sure I was going to hate this album by about two songs in, but it actually kinda grew on me. It's a real folksy, melancholy thing that I dig.

What are the odds that I get this album the day after Elizabeth II dies? I'd say not great. Had a buddy of mine who's also going through the list check to see if he got the same one. He didn't, but he did get an album by . . . Queen! Good on you, 1001 Albums Generator team! Anyway, this album is good stuff. I never really got into the Smiths when my friends in high school did. In fairness, I don't think they really liked them - they just thought it was cool to say they liked them. For me, I'm glad I didn't really listen to most of their stuff until I was older. I appreciate it more.

GZA is an OG and a solid rapper, but he was not at the top of my list of favorite Wu Tang alum. This album is okay, but the beat/music is actually pretty "cheap" and distracting on most of these tracks. My favorite parts were not GZA, but the features by other rappers. Just okay.

Had heard of the Lemonheads, but never really paid attention. It's good stuff.

Pretty weird, but I like it. Any band that is “unknown” but can still get Lou Reed and Boy George to guest star is pretty cool in my book!

How many PE albums are on here? I think this is the third one for me. They’re all pretty good but it’s really hard to distinguish between them.

One of my favorite albums. I'll acknowledge my bias as a child of the 90s and admit that it may not be as great as I think it is. There's a fair bit of nostalgia creeping in. Still - I've listened to this album hundreds of times and I still love every song on it. I let out an audible "Yes!" when I saw it pop up on my list. Objectively, I think it holds up as one of the best albums of the 90s. It epitomizes what that decade was.

This genre isn't really my bag, but this was a solid album. Normally, I'd expect to like a song or two on something like this, but there was a consistent quality from start to finish on this. It's still not really my thing, but I'll give them credit for at least keeping my interest the whole way through. Well done.

This is like if Madonna sucked even more than she already does.

Pretty easy to see why this is one of the most popular Salsa albums of all time. It's easily the best one I've ever heard (out of the 3-5 I've heard). Even without knowing much about the genre, I can tell that this is "good" - there's something about it, from start to finish, that sets it apart.

Got some Tool vibes from this one that I really enjoyed. I kinda scoffed at a "prog rock" album at first, but I actually dug this. Flea is cool.

Stevie is awesome. One of my favorite things to watch is people karaoke to Stevie - they never really how difficult it truly is to sing his stuff. He makes it sounds so easy, but it's really on a whole other level. That said, I'm not sure this is his best album. Still, some real bangers on here.

Thought I would hate this. I was expecting it to be like an hour of Sandstorm by Darude. But I was pleasantly surprised. Loved that he samplemteal instruments and not all synths. Some real contemporary beats in here.

I can really appreciate LDR, I just can't decide if I like her music. Objectively, she's a great singer/artist with a unique sound. The whole album was interesting to me, and I enjoyed it in that sense. But, I don't know if I "liked" it. I'm in a weird space with this one. Still - high marks as I do believe the album is deserving of being on the list. It's definitely a must-hear.

I kinda hated this album. I'm not saying that Glam Rock is easy to pull off, but there just wasn't really anything special about this one.

I never really knew what to think about MIA - and I still don’t. In a way, this album is kinda childish and stupid and chaotic, but - at the same time - there’s a structure and some thought and some real artsy uniqueness to it. Definitely worth a listen.

I'll admit that Bowie is maybe starting to grow on me. I also enjoyed this album more than the others I've listened to on this list - some pretty obvious Rolling Stones influence on this one. Still, enough of these albums. Thank you.

I hate Madonna so much. But, she's an icon and ONE of her albums should definitely be on this list for posterity's sake. That ONE album should be this one. It's Madonna in her prime (not teeny-bopper Madonna or old, washed-up Madonna). Giving it a one-star bump out of respect, but it's a 2 at best.

Again, I don't think soundtracks should be on this list. You're only getting half of the artist's intended effect by listening to "songs" that were written to accompany something visual. But, based solely on listening, this is pretty cool. It almost makes me want to watch the movie - even though I won't because I heard it doesn't do justice to the book (which I haven't read). :)

The Verve is so cool. So is the Verve Pipe - though maybe not quite as much. They are, in fact different bands for anyone still wondering. This is like mean, gritty Oasis and I love it.

I'm not sure if this is "music" so much as it is, like, beatnik hip-hop - which is still cool. It's quite interesting (and sad) to listen to an album from so long a go that seems to outline some real current and critical issues (climate, poverty, xenophobia, corporate greed, etc.).

I never understood the hype around ABBA. They aren't really anything special in my opinion. I'm glad a lot of people enjoy them. I don't. But - of the songs/albums I've heard by them, this is (so far) the least annoying. Worthy of a spot on the list - if only to preserve ABBA for posterity's sake.

Love this album. Their best, in my opinion. I have no more words.

Why are the worst albums always so long? This sounds like a garage band that formed hell-bent on becoming the next Black Sabbath but then just got way more in to the drugs part than the rock and roll.

Never heard this before. Love the name, and really dug the music. It probably helps that I'm also a fan of the Byrds. :)

I normally give a 3-star, middle-of-the-road rating to most of these world music albums, simply because I don't feel like I know enough about the genres/cultures to rate it. However, I didn't like this one. Even without speaking the language, I get a real creepy vibe from this guy. Also, the music and his vocals are subpar.

This should be on the 5 albums to listen to before you die list. It epitomized rock and roll. One of the greatest albums ever recorded.

I'm not quite cool enough for The Roots, but I do enjoy them. This album was a little odd with all of the "interludes" - I enjoyed two-thirds of the songs, the rest were just kinda weird. Still, solid album.

Pretty typical 70s drug-rock. Well executed drug-rock, though - the genre at its best.

Pretty classic folk. Dug it.

This is a solid album, but I'm not quite sure I should listen to it before I die. Just okay. Top-to-bottom okay.

I had heard more songs from this album than I realized (without even really knowing they were all by the same band) - so that was a nice surprise. But then, I also really dug all the songs that I hadn't heard before. This is a solid, fun album.

What’s the cure for The Cure? Just kidding. I don’t hate this band, I just never really got into them. This album is good, but I can’t bring myself to care that much.

These dudes have to be one of the tightest, crispest metal bands of all time. It’s not just “trash” metal or “death” metal - there’s an art to it. They are talented musicians who used their skill for evil! Rarrr! Just kidding - but this album is awesome.

Pretty cool punk band.

Elvis Costello is the coolest Elvis.

The songs that were released to the radio are awesome. The rest barely qualify as music. That's not a knock against DL, I think it's just how they did business. They kept recording knowing that roughly every fourth song they wrote would be a hit. Not a bad way to get rich.

Not for me. Thanks.

I wasn't holding out a lot of hope for this based on the name and the cover art, but it's true what they say about assumptions. I really liked this album. It was really ahead of its time given the whole "do you love" theme, connected tracks that bleed together, and the fact that they seem to have beaten everyone to the drug-rock era (clear and obvious influence on the Doors and others). I'm giving it a bump in the rating just for being early to this scene.

Not sure how this made the list, but I am sure why he only made one album.

LC is cool. This isn't my favorite album of his, but it's still solid.

I liked the parts where they weren't singing. They jammed when they were just playing.

I said it before, and I'll say it again - Elvis Costello is a cool cat. This isn't my favorite album of his, but - top to bottom - solid stuff.

Willie! Timeless. Classic. Genius.

This was truly special. I'd say it was a nice blend of reggae and ska. There were 2-3 songs on here that I really enjoyed (married couple was probably my favorite), but they were all solid tracks. Pleasant surprise on a Wednesday.

The Black Keys are cool. Two dudes, rockin' out. Love it.

Moby was on the in-store rotation when I worked at Sam Goody in the late-90s - early 2000s. I actually saw him in concert (he opened for Bush - which was the weirdest combo I've ever seen). A few of these songs are really cool, most of them didn't hold up as well as I had hoped. Still, I respect what the guy did. This form of composition isn't easy and he pulled it off in an interesting way that actually became quite popular - making serious noise among the punk-pop/boy-band era. I respect him for that. Despite Eminem's dig against Moby ("nobody listens to techno!") - he actually did turn a new generation on to this, which is cool.

I never really got the appeal of this group. Definitely some classics on here and (I suppose) an iconic album in some senses. I guess I just prefer the dirty hippie music to the more polished, happy, sunshiny hippies.

This guy likes weed. He's cool enough I guess. I'm not sure what separates him from others in the genre (that's on me, though, not him). Overall, pretty cool

The Clash is so cool. I feel like they're one of those bands that influenced a lot of other genres. Punk rock bands, pop artists, ska groups, even heavy metal thrashers all drew (at least a little bit) from something the Clash did. I also like that they stay true to their version of punk rock, but that the songs still feel varied and unique. Most punk rock albums (especially ones that end up over the hour mark like this one does) end up feeling very repetitive. This doesn't. It's all different, but all very clearly The Clash.

The original JT! So smooth. Iconic.

This is the second Alice Cooper album I've been disappointed in. I had an image of him in my mind as this larger-than-life "shock rocker" growing up, but never really listened to much of his music (outside of what they played on the classic rock stations). In reality, his music seems kinda hollow and gimmicky. This one was better than the last one though. So there's that.

Wilco is weird in the coolest way. They’re hard to pin down. I’m not really sure what genre they’re in or who to compare them to - but that’s probably what makes them cool. Really dig this one.

Elvis Costello is consistently awesome.

Instrumentally, I really dig this - but the vocals (not just his voice but the actually melodies) are annoying. Music 5. Vocals 1. Avg = 3

Not sure I'll be able to finish this one. I mean - good God it's so long. It seems like there's either nothing going on and it's putting me to sleep, or there's too much going on and it's annoying.

I had heard some random Flaming Lips stuff in the late 90s, but never bothered to listen to a whole album. I'm not sure where this one rates in their catalog, but I really enjoyed it. It was fun and trippy, but you could also hear the 90s grunge/rock/pop sound in there. They put a unique spin on the stuff I grew up with.

Flea's cool, but I never really got into the RHCP. Don't get me wrong - there are a few great songs on this album, but I can only take their "style" for about 3 of them and then I'm out. Still, they warrant a spot on the list given how recognizable of a sound they created.

This is probably my favorite Paul Simon album. It's his second, so he had time to shake off the rest of the Garfunkel, but he hadn't yet started appropriating African culture.

Classic country by a classic (and classy) singer/songwriter. Iconic.

Pretty solid English rock.

Yes? No.

I probably still like Revolver and Rubber Soul a little better, but they're all 5 stars in my book. Great album. George was really starting to come into his own and contribute in a meaningful way. I know they took some slack for all of the effects and instrumentation, but they were really pioneers in retrospect.

I like Tom Waits, but this one was just okay for me.

Again, not really my genre, but mad respect for these classic country artists. They were "real" country storytellers and singer/songwriters.

This reminds me of all the songs that Jay and Silent Bob dance to outside the Qwik Stop. I never got much into this scene, but wikipedia says the Germs basically invented hard core punk - so I’ll give them that. Pat Smears is cool.

Clearly a great voice and worthy of the list as it represents an entire genre/era. I don’t really like it though.

I never really followed his discography, but this has to be his best album, right?

Missy is a badass. Even without listening the the album, just reading the liner notes and seeing who is featured on it would tell you how much respect the industry has for her. She can rap, she can sing, the beats are unique and not repetitive. It's just a fun album. I was actually surprised at how well this album held up. I think I actually like it even more now than I did when it came out.

I can't bring myself to care about this one at all.

I didn't expect much from this, but I actually really enjoyed it. These dudes kinda combined all of the 90s bands into one, unique sound. There were shades of Nirvana, Collective Soul, Our Lady Peace, REM, and a few others. Really interesting listen. I didn't know a single song before I hit play but ended up humming or singing along to almost all of them.

I don't like country, but I also think that's an unfair tag for Kacey. She's really invented a unique mashup of country, pop, and folk that I really like. Slow Burn and Rainbow are two standouts and maybe make for one of the best first/last track combos I can think of. Beautiful voice, smart song writing, simple melodies. I dig it.

H20Gate Blues was cool - that's kinda what I thought the whole album would be. Unfortunately, the rest of it was pretty lame.

Thank goodness that's over. I (still) really can't get into Bowie. A few of the songs on every album are really cool, but maybe he should have thrown those songs on like 4 albums and not put out 25 weird-for-the-sake-of-weird albums. I do understand the appeal though. I appreciate it. I just don't like it.

This was really good. I don’t think the “folk” tag is 100% fair - a few of these tracks were real rocky, i.e. the Sailors song. The likely influence of this album on Stevie Nicks, Heart, and others that followed is pretty cool.

This was pretty fun. Nothing special, but pretty fun.

These guys are underrated by a lot of people (including me). I always forget how good of a guitar player Knopfler is. They have a unique and recognizable sound, and this is a better than average debut album.

All of this guys albums deserve to be on the list. However, this is not my favorite album of his. It’s good, but pales in comparison to a few of his others.

The best hip hop group’s best album.

I love Ella - she has a classic, generational voice. Gershwin was a great composer. But - I don’t have 3+ hours to listen to this. I assume it’s awesome.

Lou Read and VU are awesome but this this one was kinda meh for me.

Kanye is a mess but this is an above average hip-hop album and an impressive debut.

This definitely sounded like tubular bells. It was good background music while I painted my kid's room, but not really my cup of tea.

This is the most Bob-Dylany Bob Dylan album I think. It's probably his best (in my opinion). Not sure what else to say.

I wasn't overly excited about another British pop\punk album - but I really enjoyed this one. It's definitely everything I love about 90s music, but with some obvious and interesting cultural and world-music influences that makes it unique. "Cool Shit" was immediately added to my Summer BBQ playlist and was a standout track for me. But, it was all good.

I can hear how this was influential on some other bands - bands that I enjoy listening to more than I did listening to the Cramps.

Solid album by a solid band. I can't say I love it, but I definitely don't hate it either. I mean that in the best possible way. Like, it's good all the way through, but it doesn't "do" much for me either.

Good voice, probably a shit person. Outside of this list, I only ever listen to Frank when I’m eating at weddings - and that’s not by choice.

Great album. Not AS great as License to Ill, but still solid. It's clear that Kid Rock tried (and failed) to emulate this album with a lot of his early stuff, but I won't blame "the Boys" for Kid Rock. He was bound to happen.

Objectively, this is a really good album. She influenced and outlasted artists like Sheryl Crow and KT Tunstall. Good voice, great story-telling. Good shit.

I went back and looked at my review of the last T. Rex. In that review, I admitted my bias having read their story and about their connection to the Beatles. This time, remembering how much I liked that other album maybe got me a little too excited. This album is still great, and of course "Band the Gong" is them (I never knew who sang that song but always loved it). Still, it was a little disappointing based on the high expectations I had for it. That's not their fault. I want to give this a 4 because I think it's deserving. But I also want to give it a 3 because it's not as good as the other one (which I rated a 4). Screw it. Low 4 (not to be confused with the High 4 last time).

She was awesome. Great voice, great attitude, and it comes through on just about every track.

I said no live albums. Especially not this one. It’s sloppy.

Steve Earle is cool. I’d consider him “real” country music. The twang ain’t faked. The drawl is real. The reverb is awesome. There’s a clear influence on artist like Dwight Yokam and others who I’d consider the last real country artists. Great album.

This, objectively, a great album by a talented group of musicians. It’s also worthy of the list given they were one-and-done. Still, my gut tells me it’s still a 4. That might be because Clapton’s style is so familiar at this point that it’s hard to give this the appreciation that a fresh set of ears might have. Also, he kinda turned in to a crazy old man and I can’t get that part out of my head. Still, the album. The album is a 5.

Never really got the appeal of the Pixies. They’re fun, but so what?