”If God had an ipod I would be on his playlist” - John Coltrane, 1965

Post-punk bangerz. I really like the combination of the blunt synths and the jagged rock instruments. Sad that this is in the lowest ranked albums on this site. Shows what the masses know, I suppose

As unique now as it was in 1973, definitely an album you must hear before you die.

With (among much more) the guitar sound of grunge and the brevity of hardcore, it takes a special kind of ingenuity to make a punk album that sounds like this in 1977

Axl Rose's vocals doesn't do this any favors but there are still solid rock songs scattered throughout

Fun and creative. Not something you must listen to before you die, but enjoyable if you do.

Solid, competent soul

Great drumwork, synths and general breadth of sounds.

Made me convert to baduism

Catchy tunes with plenty of depth, assuming you don't mind reggae.

As unique now as it was in 1973, definitely an album you must hear before you die.

Amazing how some people hear a song like "Shut The Door" and think it's nothing more than just punk. Even more amazing is the fact that this isn't even Fugazi's best album

Funky, soulful and keeps it up for the whole double album (though it could be one disc if not for "Do Your Thing"). You can't go wrong with it.

A few musical tricks, competent soloing and "Raise Your Hands" having a good riff saves this from total musical failure. I thought punk had gotten rid of this kind of music

With (among much more) the guitar sound of grunge and the brevity of hardcore, it takes a special kind of ingenuity to make a punk album that sounds like this in 1977

Mostly disparate elements that don't form a cohesive sound, occasionally odd mixing too. I hope the drummer enjoyed himself, at least

Quirky, noisy, artsy rock brimming with ideas whilst still having a pop sensibility underneath.

Good, enjoyable pop songs

Reminiscent of a more reserved Kate Bush, the songs range from starkly intimate to anthemic. A captivating album

Makes you wish that blues and post punk was a more common combination, especially in the hands of musicians who know to use dynamics in rock music

A hazy, groovy, classic debut. Though they went on to do better things, this album still holds up.

Pleasant jazz-laced pop with some musical suprises

Occaisonally poignant tunes with an apreciable sonic variety

Very fun music that keeps up the energy. Great bass playing, too

Plenty to enjoy here if you like R&B

Enjoyable album, nice singing, guitar and drum sound

Nice senegalese sounds mixed with other influences

It's curious how this is counted as a shoegaze album when, with the exception of a song like "Dreams Burn Down", it's mostly just neo-psychedelic britpop with distorted guitars. Great album, great songs and a great rhythm section

Even if you divorce it from the impact it's had on popular music, it's still a brilliant little record

Very soothing country rock, with particularly beautiful vocals. The decievingly simple songs obscure how well realised it is as a whole. This is the album you would show someone who doesn't like country.

You couldn't really grasp an album like this on the first listen, which says something with how well I still liked it

Catchy electronic pop that still holds up

A tight, exciting live set full of energy

If I was a rose I wouldn't be surfing, that sounds scary!

A successful combination of great songwriting, unusual production and a captivating sound.

Genuinely soulful. My mom like Amy Winehouse

Uniquely beautiful, occasionally disturbing

A rich collection of quirky pop songs with a satisfying flow, nice drum sounds too.

Banging

Though reputation and age exceed this album somewhat, the care put into it is still clear. The peaks of it's brutality are what really shine.

Really groovy songs, the Eno hijack on the second side is good too

Nice songs with nice instrumentation.

Rocks, they have better albums

I'm largely skeptical towards extreme metal but this manages to come out the other end. I suppose the earlier an album is within a genre the more it's outside influences show.

I wish they maid mer of these. Oh wait!

Timeless, popular for good reason. Every song is a different flavor of their alluring, melancholic sound.

Sharp reggae with lively instrumentation

Focused rocker. I didn't realize EPs were included in this list

ceelo is a good singer but this was annoying. It's not that bad, I liked the songs toward the end more, but still

Axl Rose's vocals doesn't do this any favors but there are still solid rock songs scattered throughout

vibin

Beautiful, an album uniquely it's own. Yet another reason for why Miles Davis is such a musical icon

A short, fun, whimsical collection of songs

Creative for a 60s pop album

Nice :)

Though a lot of the creative decisions can probably be attributed to John Lydon wanting to troll the mainstream, the dub-influenced post-punk still shows strongly. The brighter tracks "Public Image" and "Low Life" are great too

Nice blues

Nice mix of fun and post-punk sounds

A briskly paced album of varied songs in Queen's own style, thoroughly enjoyable.

Timeless, basically

A somewhat fragmented album, it's pulled together by the unified raw attitude of the band

The Fall is a great band and this is another one of their great albums

Groovy, soulful and musical. Stevie brings the whole package

Considering the year it was released, these tunes have a modern accessibility. Very enjoyable, repetitions and all

Nice singing, strings and drum grooves

Often imitated, never replicated. A rightful classic

Solid, spunky songs with a clear personality

Propa chunes

Very decent with some great songs. I'm also a fan Lindsey Buckingham's voice.

Classic banger

Fun, energetic and musically detailed beneath the poppy surface. I wish I would've listened to this before

Very catchy rhythms and chants, with the additional instrumentation supplementing them well

Murky, sinister and sounds massive. Also rocks

Opens and ends with fury. I like the rest too

Whimsical, dense and very enjoyable. I like the trick where they write two songs and put it into one

Catchy, pretty singing with groovy drums and detailed synths, as expected of the Flaming Lips. Basically? Vibin

Very well rounded power pop

Classic. Every song is in the perfect interstice of Rush's prog and pop.

Bloody decent

Though this is more of a pop record, it has the kind of creative songwriting I wish was more prevalent in prog. Would probably give it a 5 if I was more familiar with it.

Very pretty, in short

The beats are great, the rhymes not as much. Certainly an album you must hear before you die, though

Pretty cool. The fact that it features so many different collaborators probably contributes to the variance in quality between songs.

Solid, not much else to say

A very gentle indie classic

"Beautiful" is an easy word to use for this album. I think the music speaks best for itself

It's good but it would be better if instead of "come on eileen" it was "come on guyleen"

Cool mix of bossa nova and electronics

A lot richer (musically) than they are often derided as being. Rock on brother

Very jolly, fun to listen to, and nicely arranged

It's like Van Halen in the opposite direction if U think about it

Really good, lively and well made. If you’re the best in brazil you know you have something going on

Very quaint. The song "Travelling Man" is really funny

One of the best albums of the 90s

Very solid, obviously a classic

There’s a kind of folky subtlety that really gives the songs a big boost. Very pleasant

Pretty enjoyable, pretty creative, pretty good

Nice rock songs with jazzy and folky elements

I prefer Meat Is Murder but this is arguably their peak.

Very groovy, a nice suprise

Metal sucks, Venom rocks, simple as

Elton John is epiiic

I like The consistency of the album’s energy, very fun

Zappa brings bangers

I accidentally listened with prejudice. Sorry Michael!

Better than I was expecting with a nice swagger, the talent of the musicians also helps

The first side gives an early taste of Buckley’s experimental tendencies, and the second features more ordinary folk. Both sides are great

Chill beats

Pure, distilled funk

Some great songs, some not as great songs. Solid

Great jazz record. Also considerably varied

Well made southern rock with an actually somewhat interesting narrative

Pretty similar to how I feel about their first album except there are synths in this one. I should've probably given yesterday's album a 4 but what can men do

The repetitive simplistic beats serve the uneasy atmosphere well. Maybe a bit prototypical as a whole, but still an album you have you hear (even if most of it is because of Frankie Teardrop)

Varying flavors of hip-hop with a classic feel. Fun

The Soft Boys make a soft album

Just a collection of very solid and enjoyable country ballads. I don’t think Marty really killed and got killed all those times, though

Good ole country yeeharrr. Also a generous amount of lap steel guitar

The compositional endpoint of the two guitars, bass and drums band playing rock & roll. Every instrument is playing exactly what it needs to, and what they’re playing is all brilliant (especially the drums). This could've just as well have been released 10 or even 20 years later. Hard to believe it would come out of the CBGB's scene

Cool new-wave, post-punk, pop-rock bonanza with an especially entertaining singer. A fun listen

Nice r&b with cool murky beats on some tracks. I think this list could have stopped being updated at 2005 though, just a thought

Good album :)

A straightforward, digestible kind of jazz that just sounds good. That might sound dismissive, but it’s really a treat when done well, as it is here

Pleasant

A collection of nice rock tunes. Well done Dave

Awesome album. The varied instrumentation and is rousing during the lively songs and beautiful during the pretty songs, and naturally the singing is also on point.

Pretty folk rock. Not sure how to articulate it but there’s a certain charm that draws me in. Maybe it’s in Stevens’ voice, his words or the instrumentation. Who knows?

The mileage of this album may depend on if you can stomach Thundercat as an artist. I can, so I like this album. Fantastic bassist, too

Groovy. A bit too many instruments that aren’t bongos though, just a bit of constructive criticism

You can take the whiteboy out of the Radiohead, but you can’t take the Radiohead out of the whiteboy

Holiday cheer may have inspired me to give this a more favorable rating, but it _is_ a great album

Christmas songs with Phil Spector’s production. A very pleasant christmas gift

A historically essential record, very groovy if somewhat aged

Rock solid psych, compact with a certain something that ties it all together

Pretty uneven album. About half the cuts are lame and both the production and John Lee Hooker himself sound aged (not in the way that’s good for a blues musician), particularly the first song, and the other half are solid blues numbers with the last song standing out as being truly poignant. It’s not that bad overall but it gets a 2 because 😈

Pretty hard to seperate from his death shortly following the album’s release, obviously by design. His low voice is really captivating here. I wish it went harder on the strings

Not sure what it is about this album that seems to inspire such vitriol in people. I think it’s cool and unique:)

They didn’t lie, they caught a fire…. Album

Not a bad album actually. Solid songs all around

Conpetently made funky 80s pop. Enjoyable, but not too much else. Also very dated, although that didn’t bother me

Just enough instances of beautiful musicality to keep it from being totally generic. Pretty much the exact middle point

Everyone knows the Buddy Holly story yada yada. This is solid rock and roll (the original kind). If I was rating purely on my own enjoyment this wold be a 4. Also an album you have to listen to before you die

This album is cool… I like this album

Come to Brazil!

Pretty much what other people have said. Some nice songs, some songs that could’ve been left out. I like the drums on ”I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama”

Some people hate on Kanye and have never listened to this. Sad!

Really loved this. Very well performed, charming folk rock that is simultaneously consistent and varied .It feels like I could keep listening to this for a long time.

Propa synth chunes yeah

They rock hard basically. I appreciate the intensity. Also quirky instrumentals. Fun!

I realize the innovation doesn’t make up for the polarizing nature of the music. It’s love it or hate it, and I’m more inclined towards the former. Especially with ”Help, I’m A Rock”

I love this album. Just banger after banger

Very cool and unique take on soul. I dig it

Eminem is a talented rapper, if he could’ve trimmed the length and varied his topics this could’ve been epic ftw

The standouts are great but a lot of this is just momrockers. Some parts sound suprisingly similar to indie rock

It’s very cool that Aerosmith regained popularity going into the 90s, Robert, but that doesn’t mean we have to listen to it. The hidden track is the best one also

Quintessentially average pop with just a hint of musicality to let you know that someone working on this had greater ambitions

Fair album, I like the sound of the guitars. I like Speedway too

Vibin

Yo my name is Wu-Tang and I’m rizzety-rappin’ The Armenian genocide didn’t happen

Groovy

Very well realized post-punk gloom. Ian Curtis thought the synths were ”gay”, but what does he know?

Shout out to everyone in the band that isn’t Anthony Keidis… he’s not even that bad

Gnarly

I very much enjoyed the attitude. A treat :)

Smooth like butter

*The* proto-punk album. Pretty awesome

Pleasant soft noise pop tunes

Really pretty. I dig the sound

Once again, propa synth chunes. This album seems to change every time I listen to it, this time there were more outdated synth sounds than I remember

Groovy hip hop with a consistent vibe. Sollid

Uhh, yeah, this one’s 4 the indie boys

If there’s any Grateful Dead album you have to listen to before you die, it would be a concert recording. This is a good album, however

I ain’t finna cap this album is kinda cool. Can’t You Hear Me Knocking is a banger

Thinking about why you would pick this album out of all their albums for this made me really that you could justify picking most any of their albums. Great band, great album

Great sixties album

Come to Brazil pls

Cool post punk et al

I personally prefer the instrumentals but it’s awesome that this is here at all. Go watch Kal Ho Naa Ho

Synth dance with a certain atmospheric sensibility. I does make me wish the orchestral stab preset was never invented

BBB (Big Beat Bangers)

Fantastic, one of a kind, classic etc. etc. ”Miles Runs The Voodoo Down” indeed

Essentially, rock n roll as a double album. I dig it.

Good 👍

One of the most crucial albums you must hear before you die. 1967 really was a loaded year

Might be the only Finnish album on here. Gotta respect it

Chill live jazz improvisations to relax and study to

This album is uhh good (bernie sanders voice)

Some quirked up white boys rock out, you love to see it

I have a confession to make… I like dadrock

An alternative classic. The acoustic instruments give the angsty songs a unique flavor.

Kate Bush = epic, simple as

Elvis is BACK! What it do, baby!

A high point in jazz music

Stylish album. Little Simz is a cool rapper with her own voice and the beats complement her well, making for a satisfying and enjoyable result

Principally this would be 2 but I don’t know how many more albums there will be in this that I’ll dislike more. I appreciate the additional percussion being used, the aggression and the unique sound distinguishing it from other ”nu-metal”, but it wears off towards the end of the album. Also a lot more extreme than I was expecting. An honorable 1 star

Cutesy country-tinged pop :)

Very fun sound and attitude… high 3

A good sounding album that never really goes for any emotional or musical highs, just stays in the middle ground. Pretty cool

Slow, stripped down country songs. Pretty

I really like the sound palette on this, by using more analog electronics (I assume) it avoids the sort of ageing that some synth based albums from the 80s sometimes fall victim to. Also one of my favorite album covers, but I wouldn’t let that influence my score, would I?…;)

Joni be like: brings home the bagel… I like the variety on the album and Car On A Hill is funky

I love this s*** man… shout-out to punk music

Cool, unique & creepy sound. Still recognisable as being Portishead while sounding completely different from Dummy

Personally would not have put this on this list. Not his best album, still cool. Cohen is as poetic as ever, and the prominence of sounds such as the mouth harp gives the album it’s own identity

My preferred Smiths album. I don’t even dislike the title track that much, though it’s still a miss in terms of pacing

Cool and good and fun :)

Sprawling, funky tracks in a satisfyingly short package. Also not the least bit suprised about the subject of the story considering it was made by a frenchman.

Where do you apply for a membership?

Groovy. Would likely tear up the club to these tunes

Playful 90s rock. The way the guitar feedback just turns into a suspended drone in one of the songs was gnarly.

Enjoyable, competent. Not their best, not their worst

Pretty um bouncy nervy 80s post-punk type thing with synths and that yeah

The playful attitude (bar some darker themes) combined with the particular minimal(?) sensibility of the music makes for a memorable whole……. I dig it

Pretty well executed aesthetic. My friend would like this album

This is my kind of music. More like this, Robert

Space rock is what space rock does

Any album that names a whole genre should be listened to before you die, this is no exception. A manifesto for what ambient music could be, expectedly pretty and abstract

Solid old school hip-hop with a somewhat eclectic array of sounds. Upbeat and enjoyable

Nut indeed… also a fairly eclectic range of psychedelia covered on this LP. This week’s word is ”eclectic”

Post-punk bangerz. I really like the combination of the blunt synths and the jagged rock instruments. Sad that this is in the lowest ranked albums on this site. Shows what the masses know, I suppose

Proud of U robert

A higlight in hip-hop, I’d say

A nice combination of sounds: Detached ironic vocals, busy drum machine patterns, various synth textures and lively bass work being a definite highlight

Balanced, well rounded power pop. A seamless blend of alternative sound and mainstream appeal

Rich layerz like Shrek

Grr… mom brought me the wrong dip sauce for my chicken nuggies… she just doesn’t GET me… goth 4 life

The increased musical variety courtesy of being a double album is… cheeelin

Solid folk & country songs complemented by creative production

Hell yeah brother

Honestly? Pleasant

Enjoyable sound albeit repetetive to it’s detriment. The track ”Can’t fade me” sticks out for it’s misogyny but what he says on ”Who’s The Mack?” and the framing of ”It’s a Man’s World” makes me believe that he think he was aware of how it came off when he wrote it. The question then becomes why write it at all?

Effective mix of synths, indie and danceability + bangerz

Confident, well-paced album. Would definitely rock with this if I was a white girl in the 2000s. StronG 3

Veeeerrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy strong four…. I love the sound. Distinct from Loveless while still having their trademarked effects-drenched guitars

Good album

R0ck on brother

Imagine being the guy making the second ever album and having to follow this up 😨

White boy, black boy, they the same

They don’t call him ”The Boss” for nothing 🤟 hahhhaaaa nah but seriously, this is tasteful and well-aged take on hard rock :)

Strange mix of britpop tracks and funk instrumentals. Fine overall

This is a jam… album

If you’re like me and found out about Nick Drake through Pink Moon you’d probably be surprised hearing some of the more lavish arrangements found on this album. For example, Poor Boy features female backing vocals straight out of a soul song. But whereas you might think that such treatment would obscure the songwriting, it instead enhances it. The upbeat “Hazy Jane II”, drifting “One Of These Things First”, sublime “Northern Lights” and leisurely “Sunday” mark some of the best moments in his all too short career, not to mention every other song on the album

One of the highlights of sixties psychedelic baroque pop whathaveyou. Would probably be a 5 if I wasn’t so late to the party

Really like this. Very well executed sound that envelops you. StronG 4

Jangly, spooky post-punk. A successful fusion of different musical elements into one cohesive sound

Easy classic. A quite singular creative vision

Cool album… ehehehehe

Solid disco groove

Don’t like her vocals. Fine otherwise

Something of a musical hodgepodge. I like it

I really like ”Couldn’t Love You More” and ”Small Hours”. Had an interesting sound otherwise, Martyn’s voice was a bit coarse on most of the songs

Bert Jansch was a fantastic guitarist and is a personal inspiration. This album has that certain ”contained experience” which captures me tremendously

^ this guy? Not from the bayou

Good but I prefer what he made after. This is still a bit scattered and prototypical

Claaaaaasic… might’ve been a 5 if this wasn’t the first time I heard it LOL

Why is this the one Qotsa album on here and no Kyuss bruuuhhhh 💀💀💀 give me some of what Rob’s smoking!

I like this…:) Enjoyable if quintessentially average

Ethereal beauty

Fun, easygoing (with some exceptions). The strings arrrangements are well implemented. I especially like the song ”Streets Of Kenny”

Not that unusual, really

My favorite Björk album. From the intimate ”Cocoon” to the sprawling ”Pagan Poetry”, the album combines orchestral strings, choir song, assorted twinkling instruments, electonic production and Björk’s umistakable voice into a cohesive, enveloping and deeply personal expression. The ticking and shuffling electronic percussion used also appeals to me personally.

Who said the oldies can’t rock 💃🕺🧓🏼👴🏻

I don’t even care about the Syd Barrett story man, this is just wacky, totally nutty, absolutely bonkers.

Warm, inviting vocal jazz. Hard to dislike

Prince made bangers. It’s been known

Neu is band whose influence exceed their quality. The music is good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s superceded by the myriads of bands that took what they did and expanded upon it. That being said, it and their debut (which is suprisingly not on here) should certainly be listened before you die. It gets a 3 because 😈

Not sure about this one. I find it difficult to describe the way this album keeps changing it’s sound song for song. The variety produces some great songs like ”Not Ready Yet” and ”Mental”. Also not too fond of the vocals on some songs, although they’re better on others. Idk It also feels strangely long for it’s length. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but it’s worth noting

Great

This is kinda bussin bruh fr

Disco bangers, simple as

Pretty good. Not so original as to make me understand what it’s doing on here though

I don’t know if Spotify’s source is faulty or not but the sound quality of this album was worse than I remembered, particularly the drum machines. They do add a mechanical charm. Anyway, it’s Cocteau Twins.

Cool. I’m always for unique fusions of styles

This is like Revenge of the Nerds but instead of sexual assault they made one of the best (produced) albums of all time

Warm like a campfire

A post-punkulent sound gives these songs a unique effect. I especially like ”Clouds” and how it uses the oboe for added escalation. This is an album you shouldn’t underestimate

Cheeelin

Every song* has at least 2 legendary riffs. Great understated drummer, great bassist, Ozzy Osbourne. It’s a testament to how great the seventies were that one of it’s best albums was released so early and it still didn’t slow down. *not Planet Caravan. Still a great track

Plenty of bangers on here but, blasphemously, this is one of the Led Zeppelin albums that could’ve been cut. Shoutout John Paul Jones

Even if Robert Dimery’s hip-hop choices are fairly questionable, this is a fine album, if a bit stereotypically 2conscious4u as some 90s rap albums are. It’s also tastefully short

As lively as a live album can be. You can’t help but feel the excitement of the prisoners cheering at Johnny Cash singing “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die”. A joy to listen to

This is like their first album but less unique. Switch the score I gave that with ”Slippery When Wet” and it should balance out

Straddling a line between standing the test of time and having aged unfavourably, it’s place is certainly earned on this list

Keep it up Paul

Decent

I probably like this album more than most but it didn’t need to be on here. There’s enough Radiohead already

In keeping with the album being such a breakthrough for dnb, it’s more of a collection of ideas than a cohesive whole. This, in combination with the excessive length (which Goldie somehow managed to surpass for his next album) makes for lopsided whole. The tracks themselves, however, I have no issue with

Jolly. I really like the album cover (with the title)

Doesn’t really work. I like the instrumental of the opener and ”Take This Waltz”, but otherwise it’s mostly different flavors of dated with Cohen reciting his lyrics over it all. It has comical value, though

Freak classic

Dunno if it’s the joy from finding a way to listen to this besides YouTube but I enjoyed listening to this album a bunch… just very solid, direct and stylistically varied across the four sides of the lp

These guys just rock… highway star is an all-time classic… good music

Like a wise man once said: Good album

Very close to giving this a five, It’s just so well executed all around. Even looking past the intriguingly morbid stories being sung (clearly being the focus), each song brings it’s own set of accompanying sounds, like organ, banging drums, strings, choirs, duets and more. A captivating listen

A stellar debut, superbly balancing minimal instrumentation with Cohen’s cryptic writings

Good… not sure if both this and Funeral need to be on the list though… just my 2 cents

Well told, well performed, accompanied by beats that fit like a glove (even when they aren’t to my personal taste). “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst” is the clear winner for me, but the rest of the album isn’t very far behind

I love these lil fellas tbh

The quintessential Kate Bush album: Art-pop bangers, conceptual journeys and an irish jig

Mostly bouncy, concise songs in a mixture of styles that is difficult to describe. It is, however, easy to enjoy

Nice |:)

A Steely Dan is a Steely Dan album, but why choose this over, say, The Royal Scam? Because it has their top-charting single, duh

Clxssic. The pounding drum machine, Albini’s inelegant delivery, and the sound they produce from their metallic guitars is either stunningly ghastly or like you’re being run over with a bulldozer. That being said, there are better noise-rock albums out there… well deserving of being on this list, nonetheless

Cocker is an evocative lyricist. I, however, have never been a lyrics person. The intentionally kitsch sound is charming

Overrated

sOlid, a unique approach to trip-hop

Somehow I’ve avoided being bothered by AC/DC’s music before listening to one of their albums proper. Also, for being one of the best-selling albums of all-time, there are a lot fewer hits on this than I was expecting

Groovy. The cover of ”Heaven” stands out as particularly effective, otherwise the music is very of it’s time

Look, Gang Starr is classic, but you’re gonna include this and not Paid In Full or Road To Riches? U crazy Robert

Some good chunes on here yeah

You can take the whiteboy out of the Radiohead, but you can’t take the Radiohead out of the whiteboy: 2

Almost as nice as going to the beach in person!

Funky, soulful, very solid

Why is it called soft rock when it goes so hard?

Perfectly fine with some standouts (such as the number one single)

I was thinking that these guys were crazy to put Massive Attack’s first three albums on here, but then I found out that Mezzanine isn’t included. Wtf Blobert? Anyways good album

An effective album by a great, heartfelt singer

An awesome blend of contrasting elements. Commonly featured are hip-hop beats, country licks and electric noise. Even classical music appears for a moment, only to be replaced by a wholly different potpourri of sounds. Also, great-sounding drums

Well produced throughout, the occasionally aged sounds are offset by instances of forward-thinking production. Also politics

It’s a testament to the quality of Steely Dan’s music that this is one of their weaker albums

Their best album, groovy tracks with punch and odd sounds baked into them

Prefer folk Dylan to electric Dylan tbqh

Pleasant organ grooves

This is the album that made me falsely expect (and, perhaps, wish) every folk album to just be someone singing with a guitar*. Using this album as any kind of point for comparison is unfair, really. It’s just a one-of-a-kind album *There are about four measures of piano on the first track.

Good album to be earnest… some inspired guitarwork and catchy drums + charming songs

Some great downtrodden, melancholy country songs. Lapsteel guitar features prominently and when Ray Price really breaks out his majestic voice it’s sure to impress

Before I listened to him I thought Neil Young made sentimental music for dads, but I was pleasantly surprised by his balance of heartfelt country and intriguing musicality. Pretty cool :)

Similar to his debut, with some more keyboard thrown in

Fela the type of fella to only release bangers

Like the preceding ”Swordfishtrombones” but better realized

Uhh, yeah, I’m thinking it’s a classic

The usual Common mix of conscious preaching, brag-rap, love songs and storytelling. The Jaydee (pbuh) production gives the album it’s edge over his preceding albums

Good & silly

Obviously a modern classic, essential listening, must hear before you die etc. etc. I personally prefer Room On Fire

69 love songs? More like 59 love songs. Pertaining to this being more of a box-set than an album, it’s massive size makes listening front-to-back an absolute trek. The kicker is that it’s a trek through wonderful versions of timeless tunes Ps. To all the slackers who only listened to best-of version: Your loss

Not his best work, but Elliott Smith is Elliott Smith…

Fela had the winning formula; Half an hour, 2 tracks, all groove

Nice enough albeit underwhelming. Crossing cultures can only do so much legwork. I do particularly enjoy the title track

Underrated second side

Has a serene sound that you can lose yourself in… also, if we’re doing albums from last year, does that mean that next year I’ll have more than 1001 albums to listen to?

I love ”Jazz”. Very pretty and deceptively simple

Just kind of a new wave classic…

If this was 5 albums you must hear before you die this would still be here

Great performances by four talented musicians of unique and well-written jazz compositions… hits a lot of spots for me

A great live album with some truly fantastic moments brought from improvisation

A delightfully rowdy take on irish folk

k.d. stands for “kinda dope”

Stripped-down funk based on Jackson’s jazzy keys and Heron’s social poetry. Very solid!

Being more experienced with his 80s-sound, Waits turns up the country influence, making the music at turns more touching or more demented

Not as great as I remember… but it is as good as I remember 🤘😎

There’s something very punchy about the production on this album… and some real bangers scattered throughout… strong 3

Delightful psychedelia

Playful, eclectic & unpredictable. I dig it

Very pretty. Didn’t stick with me so much beyond that. I’ll probably change my mind later

An obvious classic, though the music never especially impressed me

Better than Bob Dylan 🫢

Bangers with little to no downtime inbetween. This albums reminds of something that I’ve noticed while listening to quite a few classic punk records, that being the music’s suprising sophistication in comparison to it’s stereotype of being simple

Biblical

As important as this album is for hip-hop as a whole, it unfortunately hasn’t aged favourably. The sparse production leaves more to be desired and the slow pace of the back-and-forths between Run and D.M.C. just end up sounding silly and outdated. Not hating btw

Great split release

Nice if largely unremarkable

By some quirk fate ”Free Bird” was the least fulfilling song on this album

Roxy music combines slickness with oddity to great effect

A nice mix of organic pop and indie sounds. Also suprised to learn that Danger Mouse produced this… strong 3

Great album. If every song was as good as the best tracks it would be an easy 5 but unfortunately it’s not quite that inventive the whole way through

They weren’t lying… these hwiteboys have soul!

Pretend soundtracks of varying styles (often jazz) held together by a consistent standard of quality

A prog masterwork. Ever changing songs, brimming with great melodies, creativity and life. Though the players are all incredibly gifted, technicality never overshadows musicality. If you haven’t heard it before you certainly must before you die

”If God had an ipod I would be on his playlist” - John Coltrane, 1965

Not so bad, but considering it’s namesake it’s disappointingly ordinary and sorely lacking the energy of their debut. Also, not sure why but the sound quality felt a bit funky. Maybe it had to do with my mood, but it felt like the album got better towards the end, especially the song ”Black Or Blue”

He kinda funny 3 this one

Stevie ”Bangermaker” Wonder does it again

To me this is just a normal album

Deep Purplr just do hard rock very well. Some may disagree though…

The eponymous opener is divine. The other tracks are great

Respect to Rick Allen but I fell that one Def Leppard album is more than enough before you die

K.D. Lang has a great, emotive voice, and it’s set well against the backdrop of country stylings

Not as crazy about this album as many are but it doubtlessly has many great moments. ”Shot By Both Sides” is also just a banger

One of the tightest albums ever, live or studio. Also, it’s James Brown. Also also the crowd’s enthusiasm is infectious. And a bunch of other things

In an wild turn of events, the Kinks come out with another album of solid baroque pop

Good but not my thing

Not sure what compelled Rob to go back and put this in here… it’s dexent

If you think Bruce makes stupid music, you’re stupid… simple as

I like the drums :)

Pretty nifty… I like the way different genres are emulated and integrated into the instruments’ parts while having a cohesive sound… the songs themselves don’t always form a satisfying whole however… and the singer would be benefit from trying less to sound like Thom Yorke… respectable 3

This is what you love to see, just guys being lads

Daft Punk succeed in what eludes so many electronic artists: Making music that stands the test of time even as it’s technology becomes obsolete

Stoned out hip-hop with guitar-based beats and B-Real’s signature delivery (no shade towards Sen-Dog). I can imagine it’s not for everyone but I couldn’t tell you who.

Tranquil country songs with tasteful accompaniment helping to broaden the soundscape. Something of a forgotten classic

Please… drop a new album…

The importance and/or appeal of this album might be lost on those not familiar with the style of music this band occupied and inspired further. Being an avid fan post-rock and post-hardcore, this album is comparable in influence with something like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Also, brilliant music

Sometimes leaning towards overproduced, while at others having some very inspired production choices. Overall? Cool album

Absolutely funkadelic. Wait, wrong band

Take any one performance from this album; guitar, bass, drums, keys, song; and you would have an excellent album. Together, they result in some of prog rock(if not rock altogether)’s finest offerings, still fresh 50 years on. I could say more but the music should speak for itself and, more importantly, I’m tired

I don’t have much to say about this that I didn’t say about their other albums. Their music aged gracefully because they played to the strengths of the technology rather than using it to try and replace traditional instruments

One of the more notable ”slacker rock” bands. Although, with guitar playing such as this you could hardly call them slackers

Vol. 4/5

Good bearing how aggressively it is of it’s time

A truly experimental album: Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t

A later Beach Boys gem

Honestly? Just an excellent record… gotta give this a 5… don’t @ me

Love this album, fantastic psychedelic music. Strange, groovy and a joy to listen to. I hope Rob doesn’t make me look silly and give me third 5 star album in a row

Nice tunes :) tasteful length

Good songs unfortunately held back by outdated technology, something they’d much improve upon on their following album. Also, Pimpf just sounds silly

Not bad, could’ve been better if it was cut down to just the best tracks

A very important album for rock music and also holds up very well. R.I.P. Roky Erickson

Sinatra is Sinatra, great music

Folk and rock combined a way I haven’t quite heard before: Faithfully sung folk narratives with a solid rock groove underneath. Nifty

Decent dance music. ”Nothing Can Stop Us” is great

I like Talking Heads but this album eludes me. I like the songs(Life During Wartime is a personal favourite) yet the album as a whole doesn’t gel…. Strong 3

☝️☝️☝️ ⚠️Whiteboy on the mic⚠️ Exciting rethinking of rock ideas of both their past and present with inspired playing (particularly the drumming). Could’ve been shorter though

I was ready to rag on this for being inessential Bowie and not needing to be on this list but, as it turns out, it’s actually a good album. Still didn’t need to be on this list

Groovy and fairly varied, strong 3

I rock with this. Musically somewhere between funk and hip-hop, it starts of fun and high energy but moves in quite a few directions throughout it’s mere 36 or so minute runtime. I found that it has aged better than some of the other old-school hip-hop albums on here, but maybe that’s just me

Very impressed with how condensed this album is. There’s some considerable variety packed into just 42 minutes, and that’s with a 7 minute and a 11 minute song. Good music too =)

Good vibes :) it’s enough to make me overlook that this unplugged album is very much plugged in

This didn’t quite click with me the first time but hearing it now the electronic makeover gels well with their signature mellow sound. Just goes to show what repeated listenings can do

Baanger

Nice, the synths and electronic drums haven’t aged too well

Damn… this rox

The great tracks are fantastic, the others are good too. Definitely an album you have to hear b4 you die

Crazy how decent this album is

A lot to digest, espexially on a first listen. The common element of this wide array of songs is it’s glossy, bombastic sound reimagining the Bad Seeds for the 21st century. Might rub some people the wrong way, but I’d say that the music retains it’s strength

Well executed soulful tunes with a well defined atmosphere. Just very solid

Happy Halloween

Kinda rocked with this one… decent 4

Awkward, angular and all the better for it

Haven’t quite caught up to the hype with this album but it’s got great songs yeah. I like ”Do You Remember Walter” a lot

Better than I remember but still not very impressive

These fellows sure are wacky. Good music

Fine album, but was a bit confused as to why it was included. Then when I went to check my copy of the ”1001 albums” book for the section for this album, I was stunned to find that this is the only Hüsker Dü album included, with ”Zen Arcade” having been omitted. So now I’m even more confused

Slapper. Disco rules

Great debut from the group that helped set the stage for alternative hip-hop. It still holds up considersbly well even now 30 years on. Could’ve used more Phife though

Decent music. The last two songs were especially strong

Mellow tunes. I feel too many of them can be boiled down to 60s sample + dance beat + additional piano and/or guitar

Dope

Suprising amount of the band uses regular, non-synthetic instrument for an artist whose image relies so heavily on being robotic. Banger btw

Girlboss

For being their grand statement on fame it’s not very grand. But maybe that’s the ultimate statement to make

This goes hard A Trip To The Moon (1902)

Not bad. The murky grooves sound nice but don’t feel like they reach any real highs, the song ”Safesurfer” being the outlier

Another The Jam certified jam

Very close to a five. Excellent pop in terms of both writing and creativity. Just a liiiittle too 80s

Classic hardcore banger. In and out, 15 minute adventure

Very forward-thinking, setting the stage for the indie rockers and unconvential frontmen of the future. Also great music, like the shifting “No Compassion” and fantastic closer “Pulled Up”

Thanks Elvis:)

Modern? More like timeless

Knowing the backstory to this album affects my view of it. Trying to put that aside however, it’s a delightfully odd album that’s both entertaining and intriguing. It’s place on this list is well deserved.

The awkward raw nervousness of their debut is traded for a more polished stilted nervousness. The quality music remains intact.

Banger. Great band

Not as bad as I thought it would be from the first song, but still a questionable inclusion

Jolly irish sounds with some alternative rock elements. I especially like the songs that have a gradual build-up like ”We Will Not Be Lovers” and ”The Stolen Child”

Solid rockers

How can you blame them for ripping off Fela Kuti when it made for their best album?

Country music is dea-

Jeff Lynne writes consistently solid pop tunes. A lot of them. I was pleased with them. Strong 3/5

Another entry that would make it on the shortlist of these 1001 albums. Works just as well for beginners to jazz as it does for veteran listeners

What more can I say, I wouldn’t be here today if the old school didn’t pave the way

Good emotionally charged alternative rock songs. Didn’t fully click with me unfortunately

Classic of indie classics. Gonna say this one is a banger

This kind of classic gothy post-punk tends to be to my taste. It might have to do with the rhythms. Must investigate further

I find there’s something charming about Eminem’s edginess on this album. Other than that it’s, ironcally, mostly inoffensive

I may dig on The Rolling Stones

Very groovy and absolutely demented. A strong combination

Some nice synth and grooves. Nothing I haven’t heard before, but still pleasant.

Strange that this s the first time I’ve heard of this album. Knowing the mythical status of the original ”Smile”, some might be disappointed by this rendition. I think it’s nice

This guy’s about to rock off… truth

You don’t have to hear this album before you die because in all likelyhood you already have. Even if it’s reputation exceeds it’s quality, it’s still a great album

Cet album c’est chic

I’m a defender of this album but even I don’t think it’s essential. C’mon Bob

Awesome latin-fusion jams

As someone who knew this band solely for Forever Changes this was a suprise. And I’m all for more varied, experimental and complicated songs. Perhaps it doesn’t reach the highs of the previously mentioned album but it’s certainly up my alley

Beautiful :) strong 4

Certified National Recording Registry banger

Not a fan of death metal, but as this is one of the only albums in the style that’s included here, aren’t there more significant albums that could’ve taken it’s place? Not very interesting musically, with the occasional nice guitar line or rhythm. The vocalist’s accent is also a bit amusing

Being the only classic Faust album that was on streaming services for a while I’ve listened to this one quite a few times. Very cool record. Also, don’t call it krautrock

Honestly? Banger. Shoutout to Sly Stone not understanding the title of ”What’s Going On”

Gotta give this a 5. Earnestly beautiful, expertly balancing heartfelt emotions with intricate arrangements to create songs that can truly captivate you. This is aided, in no small part, by the excellent production

100% pure f*uckin rock, R.I.P. Lemmy

Thx for the bangers Bob

Despite being Scandinavian and having heard the song a thousand times, Dancing Queen is a megabanger. The rest of the songs are bangers

Wow, just heard this! Very cool album :)

Always down for some goofy guys just messing around on a record. Unfortunately most of the songs are too short or don’t develop enough to go beyond being musical ideas. I appreciate this being on the list, but there are better records of this scene that could’ve taken it’s place, not least by the same band

The first side is a bit wank (read: experimental) but the record really picks up from “Synchronicity Ⅱ“ onwards. Really a toss up between this being a 3 or 4 but personal enjoyment pushes it over the edge

Nice lo-fi aesthetic and sparse arrangement

Very solid late 70s pop rock. Varied songs, varied moods and well made as a whole

Good pop as expected but the production has not aged as gracefully and the album as a whole is not as strong as his previous two

More of the same as his first prison album… please make even more!

A good example of a record with unmistakeably ”80s” production that makes it work for the music. Very enjoyable

ELP are the quintessential hit-or-miss band. I’m on the hit side. This album is enjoyable and the boys play the arse off as expected, but it doesn’t do anything particularly impressive with it’s structure as a whole

A very pleasant folky/jazzy listen. This is the kind of new find that rewards going through 1001 albums

Enjoyed ever minute

An eclectic mix of grimy jazz atmosphere tracks, dirty funk tracks and an assortment of other styles. Quite cool :)

Didn’t expect this kind of funky 80s music from Steve Winwood. Pleasantly suprised

Conflicted on whether to give this 4 stars or 5, if that that should tell you what I think of this album. Also, a much larger portion of the album has aged gracefully than I’ve previously noticed

Some nice classic funk tunes.

Cozy

Was skeptical at first but warmed up to it towards the middle of the album. If I wanted to listen to whiteboy music sung by a black man I would just listen to Bloc Party though

Zamn! Who would’ve thought an aussie could rock like this?

Pretty decent if u ask me 🤠

Bluesy psych rock with flashes of guitar that hint towards the players’ future career

A fun take on rock music as filtered through an african sound. I especially liked the songs that featured more unusual rhythms. Will be exploring this band further

Catchy tunes performed with heart and a complimenting horn section. Did they end up finding the soul rebels though??

Despite being, or maybe because the album was made as a statement on the music of it’s time it has remained a product of that time. Regardless, the musical (and lyrical) edge is still palpable and the album remains essential to understanding hip-hop history

Just some girls rocking off… you love to see it

One description I’ve often seen of this album is that it sounds like it could’ve been released today. Certainly, there are elements that betray it being a product of the 60s, but it’s no mean feat to still sound fresh more than 50 years on. One reason for this is probably the fact that prog bands are using it as a reference point even to this day. The more relevant reason, however, which is common with every album that transcends time and genre, is great songwriting. And every song on here is a classic, never quite replicated by another band since except maybe King Crimson themselves. This is all without mentioning the massive musical talent within the band: Greg Lake steals the show with his powerful voice, not to overshadow his nimble bass playing providing great counterpoint to the rest of the music. Robert Fripp, who should need no introduction, takes a more subdued role, with hints of his unique melodic approach present in the guitar solos/improvisation. Michael Giles provides a stunning performance on drums, showing off his impressive chops not just in the bombastic moments but also the quiet ones. Not least of all is Ian McDonald, showing faultless multi-instrumental prowess on reeds, woodwinds and keys while also being the principal songwriter. The lyrical contribution of Peter Sinfield also deserve mention, illustrating wondrous fantasy worlds alongside rough depictions of war, solitude and the human condition. This line-up of King Crimson was not to last, as Ian McDonald and Greg Lake would leave the group before the release of their next album less than a year later, with Fripp taking over as band leader and principal writer from then on (even the artist behind the iconic cover art, Barry Godber, would tragically pass away a few months after the albums release at the age of 24). King Crimson then went on to experiment wildly with their style for the rest of their career, leaving behind perhaps the greatest debut album of all time. P.S. The flaw of the album is not Moonchild. That song is wonderful all the way through. The true flaw is the anti-climactic fake out ending of The Court Of The Crimson King. Why they decided to put that one last instead of using the perfect ending that precedes it I will never understand.

Silky smooth soul. Most will of course gravitate to the big songs like ”Smooth Operator”, bit the others aren’t bad either! Very good debut, and she only got better coming out of the 80s

Come to Finland plz

Very solid covers and originals. Better than the last times I’ve heard it

Dexent synth-pop. I like the songs with wind instruments

A refreshingly original version of rock music. I may enjoy the ”sound” more than the songs themselves. Good regardless

Oasis is one of the most revolutionary artist in music. All he has to do is walk and they follow lgx

Before listening to this album, I was actually somewhat looking forward to hearing how the album sounded. The idea of a thrash metal band backed by a symphony orchestra seemed like an interesting concept with lots of potential for something unique to come out of it. The first thing that quelled my enthusiasm was realising that the album was 40 minutes longer than I’d previously thought. The other was hearing the music. What you might cynically suspect a collaboration such as this would sound like, this does. Overblown, with neither party adding much substance to the other. More often than not, they fit so poorly together that they honestly would both sound much better separated. A “teilkunstwerk”, if you will. The only time the fusion is successful is on the slower ballads, which are so few and far between I’d recommend you just listen to them by themselves rather than having to sit through the whole 133 minutes of runtime. One positive I can cite without hesitation is the quality of the live recording. The technical team did a fantastic job capturing each instrument of the orchestra and of Metallica. This makes for yet another thing wasted on what is ultimately a waste of creative potential and my time.

Sex Pistols was always a band whose image eclipsed their music. It’s certainly influential and definitely not bad, just disproportionally unremarkable for their larger-than-life reputation. Still, every music lover has to listen to it sometime

Maybe I’m making a lapse in judgment but I simply cannot remember anything from this album except being underwhelmed. My bad

Not his best work, although Marvin is Marvin so there are plenty great songs throughout

Yeah… kinda rocked with this. No hate. Sucks to hear he was alleged to have committed sexual misconduct though :/

Honestly? Not that bad. The core band can come up with some killer grooves. No comment on Fred Durst’s vocal performance.

Groooovy

Love this album. Great bluesy, soulful and out-there songs that too often get overshadowed by their outrageously out-there subsequent works. I’d like to give this a 5, but I feel that as a whole it doesn’t quite reach that level. It is quite close, however

More like 1002 albums you must hear before you die Regarding ”Speakerboxxx”: Totally fine southern rap album. Good tunes abound. Regarding ”The Love Below”: This half is a bit trickier. I remember really loving André’s eclectic genre fusion experiments, but for all their inventiveness a lot of them end up being somewhat aimless. Of course there are the great hits like ”Hey Ya!” and ”Roses”, but not all the 21 tracks achieve their (artistic) success. The album finishes strongly with the intriguing ”A Life in the Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete)”, showing off that when André wants to rap, he does so with inimitable individuality and skill. Overall, one of the 2 hour+ long albums with the least obtrusive feeling lengths, which could be thanks to the neat seperation in the middle. Still, listening to it makes me think of how it could’ve been realised even better

Fresh songs with an easily digestible sound. Quite nice

Now THIS is what I call pop-punk. Earnest and full of attitude whilst having a sensibility for good melodies and catchy songs. Lovely album

There’s some kind of x-factor to this album I’ve been trying to pin down. The most coherent explanation I’ve come up with is that the combined simple instrumental parts and short lengths of the songs make for these ”miniatures” of sort. It’s fascinating in the way you might be fascinated looking at a snowglobe or something to that effect. This tapers off in the latter half of the album but returns for the last song ”American Girl”. I also believe that this album is a link between the rock music before it and the indie rock that would come after it in the 80s and 90s. Maybe this is just me though

My favourite Nixon. That is to say: It’s decent

Their weakest effort, unfortunately. The songs sound too different to form a cohesive whole, and the songs on their own vary in quality. Still, an enjoyable listen

Ah, finally some music you can dance to. Include more salsa next time, gringo

Crushingly gentle

Some pleasant 60s pop tunes. Nothing that really stands out though, even for a double album

This gets better for every other thrash metal album I listen to.🐐

I was prepared for some more underwhelming 2000s picks from Bob but this is pretty gnarly. Nice one :)

Original sadboy classix

Groovy soul tunes. Strong 3. Also, these guys wrote ”I Heard It Through The Grapevine”? I always though that the song just kind of existed.

This guy seems to like The Beatles. Makes for enjoyable music

Wonderful album. Having Bert Jansch and John Renbourn in the same band makes for some inimitable guitarwork, and interplay between all the band members is captivating the whole way through. Definitely give this album a listen

Having never gotten around to listening to this album, I was pleasantly suprises by it’s quality! The rapping itself is quite good, at least by 1988 standards, but the production is what really stands out. Along with plenty of minor details, the beats adjust to the verses, choruses, bridges, interludes and sometimes change altogether for the latter half of a song. This makes for a much more vibrant and enjoyable listening experience. Although, you definitely don’t need me to tell you to listen to it.

Solid debut laying the grounds to be improved upon only a few months later. 🤟

Only Built 4/5 Cuban Linx

I like Wilco and I like this album, but you don’t need to listen to it before you die. If you had to call any Wilco album ”essential”, it would be Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. But as I said, I like the album. The standard quality of songwriting is good and it foreshadows in some ways where the band was heading. Don’t look up the name of the drummer

Decent. Missy Elliott’s delivery sometimes borders on obnoxious and Timbaland’s production is similarly hit-or-miss, but when they align it’s pretty fun (”Slide” stands out as a good example).

Better than their debut

Psych classic. I have nothing more to add other than the fact that I, controversially, prefer their sophmore release

Kickass

Not my favourite Screaming Trees album, but has solid cuts like ”Sworn and Broken” and ”Traveler”. R.I.P. Mark Lanegan

Fine

Heeeell yeah, tres hombres… wait, who’s playing the second guitar???

Sounds like Disney Channel music (no hate)

Went to Berlin last november and it was pretty swell, not sure what this guy is on about. Some great bass playing on this album though

Vicious precise lyrics, sinister alluring beats, and very relatable (they wish they were east asian, just like me)

I would go to school if this guy was the teacher… also my edition of the book says this album was released 1968… pretty embarrassing… banger btw

This album made me a monarchist

Pretty good classic rock. I feel like they deserve some props for their pop sensibility and having the decency to keep the album under 35 minutes. I’m also pretty sure there was only one guitar solo on the whole album. Who’da thunk it?

Monk the 🐐. More jazz please, Rob

This album is used as a punchline for it’s infamous bass mix. Really though, that isn’t the main issue with the album. The main issue that it isn’t well-written or interesting. Listening this only affirmed my bias that, the longer Metallica went without Dave Mustaine, the worse their writing got. Also, for all the talk of the bass mix, the drums don’t sound good either. The snare lacks most any punch, and the bass drum has this ugly thump that metal bands inexplicably agreed to being how a bass drum should sound. This is not necessary listening, reading about it as a footnote in Metallica’s career is enough. Except Dyers Eve. I like Dyers Eve

Dunno if Sonic Youth needs 5 albums on here but if they’re jams like this then fair enough

Just some lads playing their tunes. Fun!

Thought it was decent when I listened but can’t really remember anything from it now. Also, interesting that Vini Reilly worked on this.

I’ve enjoyed the ”theatricality” of Queen’s music before, but on this album it devolves into excess. The songs tend to get derailed (most egregiously in the indulgent middle section of “The Prophet’s Song”) and good songs like “Love Of My Life” are at a threat of being drowned out by the myriad extra flourishes. Still, there are great moments: The previously mentioned “Love Of My Life” is a personal favourite. “‘39” is a nice tune. “I’m In Love With My Car” is amusing. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is Bohemian Rhapsody. It all balances out to a fairly enjoyable listen

A lot of music to digest. Many bangers, some odd production. Strong 3, will probably get better with repeated listens like with Purple Rain

Solid groovy songs from later career The Doors (with Jim Morrison, at least)

Nice mellow tunes that still have a tangible edge. I like the fuzz on the guitars

Like yesterday’s Neil Young album but with the edge turned down and mellow turned up. Pretty!

Solid. Found it a bit less meaty than some other SY albums but maybe it was just my mood.

Baaanger. Except for the first two tracks of side B (they’re basically one song), those were a little wank

A fair few great tracks (ex. the opener and closer) and others that are alright if unremarkable.

rOOOts, bloody rOOOOOOOts More enjoyable overall than Arise, with the every-so-often occurance of a groove or riff that conveys the energy they were going for. Still, the imrovement is mostly marginal and the long length doesn’t help with picking out the good parts. I also personally would have leaned harder into the south american folk music aspects than they did, although I wouldn’t have been making a metal album in the first place

Shoutout to Duke, just a great artist

He may be badly drawn but he

Zarn! Regina got the grooves💃💃💃💃🕺🕺🕺

This being the first hip-hop record I really listened to probably explains why I like it so much, but man, it’s just such a fantastic record. Timeless beats from Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the signature playful yet pointed lyrics from Q-tip and Phife Dawg, who now has come much more into his own as a sideman compared to their debut, making for a balanced and entertaining trading of rapping styles. I often find certain lines or phrases from the record repeating in my head, sometimes not even realizing where they’re from. From the attention-grabbing bassline and introductory narrative that starts things off to Busta Rhyme’s career-making verse closing things out, it’s a joyride the whole way through

Cool! Pleasantly suprised by this find

The way I see it, this is the Marquee Moon of the 80s. Besides the fact that they sound almost nothing alike, they’re both rock albums that sound(ed) completely new, are incredibly well composed and the band couldn’t repeat a second time.

Solid rock making for an enjoyable listen. Strong 3. P.S. in the book index, Alice Cooper is listed under the letter A

Perhaps the most middle-of-the-road album to have come from this list so far. One might question how it even got here, but I suppose that something needs to fill the spot of ”most mediocre”. (To be clear, it should not be on this list)

Some nice melodic hardcore. I can see why this sold a gajillion bajillion copies. Not my preferred flavour of punk, though

Heeeell yeah. Now this is some clxssic punk. Much love

Great and considerably varied electronic grooves. Some outdated sounds and less interesting tracks crop up here and there, but overall the album holds up quite well

He wasn’t called King for nothing

Delightful album. One of the few picks post-2000 that’s really deserved and not prematurely chosen to fill out the book

Ignore the haters, this is a banger album. The album starts with an incredible run spanning something like the first 8 songs. After that it takes a small dip for a few songs before returning to excellence with the epic “Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans” and capping off the first disc with the quaint “Take Me Down”. The second disk is overall not as strong, though it still has great songs like the iconic “1979”. For some reason they decided to make the last 5 songs all slow songs, which really kills the momentum of the album. That being said, “Farewell and Goodnight” is a very pretty closer. This album gets a strong 4. I almody didn’t notice it was 2 hours long :^)

Honestly?…….. good album

Am I crazy or is this way better than their other albums? A pleasant suprise

Shoutout Aretha

Erm, how come the DJ never plays stuff like this?

Pretty rocking punk and pretty funny. Hells yeahs dudes

Pearl indeed

Great lively swing with timeless appeal

Some nice tracks to discover but mostly you’ll be fine with just Take On Me

Good early 2000s indie rock. It sounds indie at least. ”Maps” is a great track

Great and cozy singer-songwriter album

Some might say this album is too long with not enough variety to fill up it’s runtime. I’d say the quality of songwriting is actually consistently quite good. This may have been affected by me listening to this album in two chunks, but I don’t know. Personally, this is one of my more favourite things Clapton has worked on

Have been mixed on this album before but this time it ended up connecting with me. The great songs are great and the others are good or short enough that they aren’t obtrusive. “Train in Vain” is mega groovy

Not a bad album but one of the least essential of Bowie’s 70s albums. It’s more important as a transitional stage in his career. Overall not as consistent as his great albums

Just some great soul with nice arrangements. Sometimes it doesn’t need to be more than that

A little more than an hour of solid dub reggae, no complaints here. Wubba lubba dub dub

Linkin Park has a uniquely shifting reputation as both a widely beloved and derided band. Some time ago I decided to listen to find out what it was really like for myself. What I found was better than I expected, worse than I hoped. It certainly has more merit and earnest emotion than the typical nu-metal band, but it also suffers many of the same flaws. Ultimately, I still consider it worth listening to if you haven’t heard it, not only for it’s tastefully short length and since it’s such a defining album of it’s era. On a similar note, I find it disappointing that this is one of the albums that has been cut from the revisions of this 1001 albums book since it is a much more essential album than so many of the other post 2000s picks. It’s also another example of the way emo and it’s adjacent genres are ignored

Slick, cool r&b influenced pop. The best tracks are great but as an album it’s a bit too unfocused. Strong 3

There’s something special about the sound of this record. Very fluid with country stylings. I’m a fan

Great singer, as gets showcased throughout this album. Nothing Compares 2 U is classic

Absolute indie classic. Got even better on the latest listen.

This is a hard album for me to rate. I know I enjoy it, but I also know that I don’t remember a large chunk of the songs. Some of Led Zeppelin’s best moments is on here (In My Time Of Dying, Kasmir), but it’s also 82 minutes long. Ultimately, the album’s structure as a whole supercedes my personal enjoyment of the music. Strong 3

Great ”lost” album. Would have loved to hear a whole album with the somber sound of tracks like ”Holocaust” but I can’t really complain about getting more power pop songs from Big Star

Lovely album! Definitely can see myself returning to it many more times

Liked this album! Quite an eclectic mix of songs over it’s 90 minutes, and the studio banter makes for a fun atmosphere. Thumbs up from me :)

Nice african acapella music, harmonious and spacy I hope calling it acapella is appropriate

Decent if average 70s throwback hard rock, the highlight being Lenny’s impassioned vocals where they are featured

I ❤️ bossa

Quite good! Classic post-punk is always a treat

Good r&b album. Do you have to hear it before you die? Probably not. It’s only a little longer than 30 minutes though. Might as well :)

So chill. The songs blend together a bit but “Poor Leno” was a standout.

Fine, I prefer their disco work

More enjoyable than the other U2 album (Joshua Tree) but not as good as it’s made out to be. I’m starting to think U2 isn’t as good as they say

Nina don’t miss

Cool album. A bit on the fence with quite how much I like the music but it’s something like a decent 4

Raw, jangly, groovy

Majestic songs performed with appropriate emotion. Mostly accessible and conventional arrangements, with only hints of the creative vision that would only fully be revealed much later in his career. Still, this is a great album on it’s own

At some point I thought this was Pink Floyd’s best album. Listening to it now I’m not as hot on it compared to their other works. There’s just something I find missing in it. But that’s not to decry this album too much. I still enjoy revisiting it

Not my thing. I think it’s because this is the sound of pop that I was surrounded with growing up, and as such doesn’t appeal to me. Also, she has an album named 21 on the list and one named 25??

Not my favourite album Mike Patton has worked on (which, considering his portfolio, doesn’t really say that much). I have much respect for his vocal abilities but the singing voice he employs on this album is mostly just annoying. Otherwise, besides the cheap keyboard sound, the music is enjoyable.

Fun album that’s fairly varied on top of it’s reggae sound

Prefer this to 25, the sound being more timeless probably being the biggest factor. ”He Won’t Go” bumps

Very enjoyable live album honestly. Both the acoustic portion and the full band portion work well and service the songs well. You probably don’t NEED to listen to it before you die, though.

Classic hardcore, gotta love it. I like how the last song is 9 minutes long

Classic indie rock! They way the short songs blend into each other makes for a uniquely cohesive album, and the songs on their own are quirky yet have a deft pop sensibility. Do listen!

Lovely atmosphere, sounded great listening to it in the morning. Just the right balance of technicality and emotion

Quite decent electronic pop, I won’t complain

Swag album!

Pleasant

Great album! Always a treat to listen to.

Good, funky album. I’m feeling a strong 3

Robert, u right 4 this one

Groovy. Indie electronic dance done right

Baanger

Claaassic rock. And no, it’s not punk rock. Who’re you calling a punk?

Man this shit rocks lol

Very slick. Strong 3

Nice pop album with some great standouts like ”New York City Song”

I rock with this album. Maybe I’m just an alt-rock guy. Also see a lot of people complain about the lyrics but I didn’t notice them so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Bangr. I hadn’t really appreciated Keith Moon before but it’s fun hearing 60s pop-rock with the drummer letting loose

This is like AC/DC but way more swag

Tremendous vocal jazz!! Billie is a singular talent

Slider to her DMs 😂 fine album btw

This is the classic Everything But The Girl. Serene beauty

One of the most perfect albums of all time

Classic debut! A unique combination of being catchy, bombastic, swinging, rocking and quite a bit more.

Another great psych album. Keep them coming Bob

Pretty goofy production. Fun album though

Pretty nice. Did they seriously use the ”Are you from Tennesee? Cause you’re the only ten I see” joke as a chorus though???

Truth be told, this isn’t such a bad album. If it’s anything, it’s okay. There are however two elements that bring down my opinion of the music. Firstly, this static 80 bpm (or slower) continously plodding along kind of rock is incredibly uninteresting. It can work, but for an entire album it makes for a very monotonous listen. This also relates to the second point, that being that this album has no business being 76 minutes long (or, more accurately, around 66 minutes without the silence preceding the hidden track). Again, this style of rock can be nice and I enjoy ”Bitter Sweet Symphony” as a song, but more than an hour of the same style just makes me pray for any sort of increase in tempo. I’m hoping the other Verve album on this list is more stimulating, because otherwise it would make for a real waste of 2 album spots.

Nice enough but doesn’t reach the highs of their better albums

Sorry haters… this is a banger

Very cool album! I think their debut is their best, but as an evolution of those musical ideas and simultaneously a complete left turn this holds it’s own. I like the repetitive choruses used here and there, they’re catchy

Fun and groovy album. Always have to rep punk with wind instruments

Bobby U are alright for this one no lie

Very solid rock with prominent keyboards. Quite forwardly melodic in a few places, silly and dirty in others.

Obviously a classic. Don’t have anything meaningful to add to that except that there may be some Simon & Garfunkel album I prefer as a whole

Lived up to my expectations! Really lovely atmosphere that boosts my enjoyment of the slower music. Not super into Dylan’s voice at this stage of his career but it doesn’t detract from the experience meaningfully. Maybe there did need to be 7 Dylan albums on here, eh? ;)

I’m finding it very difficult to describe this album in any way that isn’t some variation of ”solid”, ”nice” or ”post-Beatles”. But, nonetheless, it is a nice, solid post-Beatles album. Would need to give it more than one listen to really dig deeper into the songs themselves

Such a fun album! Pairs well with a sunny summer day. I’m not as in love with this album as some are, but even leaving aside the amazing technical effort put into this album’s production, the appeal is very easy to understand. The compositions stand strong, separate from the samples from which they’re sourced. Very well deserving of a spot on this list!

Cool post-punk with heavy dub influence

Great violent post-punk, often bordering on noise rock. As much as this album appeals to me though, there are a few clear failings that keep it from true greatness: Firstly, I think the album should lean even harder into the angular, noisy angle than it already does. Secondly, the lo-fi production does the sound a disservice. I don’t mean that in a audiophile purist sense, but the muddy sound of all the instruments really take away from their attack and makes for a much less striking experience overall. Still, it’s a very worthwhile album. I also really like the album cover

Strong 3! Definitely a solid release alm the way through but it’s not my favourite Killing Joke album. There a select few moments of poorly aged effects but overall the album leaves me wanting more.

I used to not think too highly of this album but now I realize it’s a hit. From ”Pull Out The Pin” onwards it’s classic Kate Bush wacko bangers ahoy

Call me basic but this is just top-shelf post-punk. All the musicians are great in their own ways and the songs they play are catchy, groovy, well thought-out and well-written. Maybe Bob is going to lay off the post-punk for a bit because it wouldn’t compare well.

Cool stuff! Maybe a bit long for some but the music is a nice mix of soulful rock tunes and jazzy jams. Maybe I’m just a sucker for this kind of thing

I may have overrated Bryter Later previously. This is yet another great Nick Drake album however. Definitely one of the most deserving artists to have their whole studio discography on here

Quite decent 80s rock of that certain sound I can’t really place right now. Enjoyed it but nothing too special all things considered

I don’t want to compare Femi Kuti too much to his father, because even though this music is entirely owed to Fela’s inventions, it stands well on it’s own. Perhaps the album could be shorter, but then the issue isn’t one of losing interest. It’s more ”too much a good thing”, you know?

Awesome. Like a more palatable version of bands like Mr. Bungle.

Stevie is crazy man. Legendary album for good reason. Absolutely on the shortlist of albums you have to hear

Very solid 60s pop! Would definitely return to it

I 🧤electronic music

Red Alert goes craaazy so I’m pretty sure the rest of the album did too

Enjoyable brit-/ alt-rock that’s a bit more adventurous than contemporaries such as, say, Oasis. Also what the hell was the last track?? I want more of that

Decent post-punk of the less polished variety

This is crazy man. Went in expecting regular alt country and got way more. Awesome

Classic banger? Blassic Blanger?

Sid Vicious died for this

Very deserved spot on this list. Also holds up very well for being such an early experiment with electronic music

I like this album but perhaps I need more time for it to really settle. It’s cool though

Great album. Probably my favourite PJ Harvey thing yet.

Yeehaw… 🕊️

Banger album, even though after half a dozen listen I still can barely recall some of the songs. No offense!

My opinion of this album shifts a fair amount, but I think I can confidently say I like about half of it. ”Disposable Heroes” and ”Damage Inc.” Are the songs I really like, and if the rest of the album was as good I would agree with the hype. ”Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” I remember enjoying, Orion and Battery being decent. The other tracks I don’t care too much for, even the classic title track. The songwriting could of course be improved at quite a few places, but the biggest improvement overall would just be removing 2 minutes of runtime from most of the songs. If Metallica would’ve just cut the fat, the resulting album would be much better for it. Basically? Kill ’Em All is their best album

Not their finest. The sort of inspired moments you’d look for in a The Fall lp appear, however they are offset by less-than-fortunate production choices

My dad prefers this album over Astral Weeks, I’m the other way. Definitely some great tracks on this one though

I looooooove meth 😄 solid album

Very chill for a jam rock album, i appreciate that.

Good olboym ;)

Cool stuff. Much preferable album to what most “guitar gods” come up with

Dope for the indian sounds but it should’ve leaned even harder into them

Great funky songs and playing, especially from the bass. Wholly delivers on having “groove” in it’s title. You also gotta love the 11 minute shit simile song

Pretty :) kinda mad that this was nominated for a Mercury Prize though

Solid punk!

Jolly music :) Great drumming going on too

Pretty average alt rock. Wouldnt be that bothered about it except for the fact that this is on here while Zen Arcade isn’t. Baffling

Whiteboy play the tripped out space gospel

Classic album with some fantastic standout tracks. Jethro Tull have a fair few better albums overall though

Such an excellent folk album I’m just going to give it a 5. Engaging guitar playing, singing and moments of quietude that keep you focused until the end, after which you’ll want to go back for more

Fun late eighties rap with it’s share of goofy musical choices

Lovely atmosphere that carries throughour the whole record. Great album for an early morning

Not a hater but this honestly just hasn’t aged well. Even the best track, Halcyon On & On, suffers because of it. Unfortunate!

What a banger! Thanks Rob

Great alt-rock carrying on the unique Minutemen flavour.

One of the best albums of this whole list and if you give it a low score you are not invited to my birthday party

Inoffensive indie music. A pleasant listen

Not bad

Some bright moments (Farmer John for example) but mostly very lifeless and derivative. Neil most his mojo??

Peter Frampton knows how to have a good time

Keep the country albums coming, they haven’t missed the mark yet!

The country really didn’t stop coming! Lower score overall but still good

As an XTC fan, I feel this list is lacking some key albums (Drums & Wires, for example, would have been an obvious choice for inclusion). I also feel that Skylarking is generally somewhat over-represented in their discography, but man is it an immaculate listen. Jam-packed with great songwriting and little brilliant moments that add up to such a rich whole. As an album experience, it’s probably the most cohesive XTC ever got. I also want to mention that Andy Partridge is one of my favourite lyricists in pop, as someone who usually doesn’t put so much importance into lyrics in music. He uses wit, poetry and humour to make texts that are great in their own right, and combined with his songs elevate eachother even higher. This is not to ignore Colin Moulding’s role, as him getting 5 songs on the album rather than the usual 1-2 per album is another thing that helps to make the album so special. Dave Gregory also needs to be mentioned for his musical contributions, for example his tasteful(ly short) guitar solo on ”That’s Really Super, Supergirl” and impressive string arrangement for ”1000 Umbrellas”. What a great band :)

3 + 3= So much swag

For such a confrontational name, the music sure is inoffensive

What a great find! A meeting of styles that’s both unique and seamless. Will definitely be exploring this further

Fun to see something this demented appear on this list. #residentssweep

Good alternative R&B but doesn’t really speak to me personally

Upbeat and groovy! Some very nice new wave

On the verge of being overblown, but the great hooks keep it focused & grounded. And isn’t it being overblown what’s fun, anyway?

Cute early 2000s indie. I do not have my copy of the 1001 Albums book on hand but I can bet this didn’t last more than one edition

This was supposed to be terrible, why is it so hype? Falls off towards the last third of the album though

Funky stuff! Strong 3

Decent like the other Rod Stewart album on this list. ”Just A Hobo” is a great standout however

About half the tracks are great, half are decent. ”Love from Room 109 at the Islander (On Pacific Coast Highway)” is the standout track here, very beautiful and enveloping. All in all, not his best album but has gems to be discovered

Not too crazy but there were a fair few tracks that had me bobbing my head

Pretty interesting sound, I prefer it to the other TV On The Radio album that was on here. Ultimately it doesn’t really add up to too much besides a decent listen

Swag! Didn’t expect it resonatw as much as it did, but Mark Knopfler knows his way around a song.

Not too crazy about the opening two tracks that take up almost half of the album’s runtime, the other tracks I find more interesting. Beautiful final track too. After some deliberation I’ll say that this is good :-)

I respect the vision of Spacemen 3 but the execution doesn’t fully live up to it. Their debut is better

Classic, always a pleasure to return to.

Not in love with this album as much as it is a classic, but the star studded lineup can’t be denied. Also, the music is just palatable, at worst you’re going to have a pleasant time.

Returning to this album for the first time in some time, I’m glad it’s still as good as I remember! The heavy amount of synthesizer is implemented well and adds variety between the songs. This album is a highlight of it’s time, very solid

Pretty decent hard rock with some cool moments

Once I read someone likening listening to Jacques Brel without speaking french to listening to Morrissey without speaking english. Be that as it may, Brel is still a joy to listen to even when you don’t understand him! Such spirited delivery. The backing music is consistent in matching the energy as well. The music transcends the language barrier. Besides, doesn’t Morrissey himself have a large Mexican fanbase?

Like this a lot! Had a great sound and overall energy

Give me bossa and I’m happy

The 1001 albums book kind of dismisses this album as mostly just being important historically but I’d say it’s pretty great collection of songs! The sparseness of the sound makes for a really peculiar atmosphere, which gives the music an extra layer of interest. A solid start!

Country rock classic 🌯

Nice moody electronic album with a fresh take on the trip-hop sound.

Standard Beck fair. Fine, but not sure why it’s on here

Certified Eno classik

Some songs exceeded my expectations and all around the musicianship was very good, but overall somewhat middling. All respects to Paul Weller, nonetheless

Not impressed

I really like this album and it 100% deserves to be on this list. Still, I can’t give it the full five stars as I thought I would. The album has plenty of fantastic songs like To Zion or Doo Wop (That Thing), but it also has a lot of very similar R&B songs which, for as great as a singer Lauryn Hill is, just isn’t my cup if tea. I guess I just always want the rap when it comes to Lauryn, in opposition to the trajectory of her (all too short) career. All that being said, the positives far outweigh the negatives of this album. Very strong 4

I enjoy listening to this album but can’t really retain any of it afterwards. Strong 3

Pixies is just classic

Pretty eclectic piece of abstract hip-hop. A lot of open space in the songs however. I feel like this could’ve been polished a lot

Fun pop

Decent psych, hadn’t heard of it before. I like the song ”Super Bird”

Pleasant little (not lengthwise) album. I believe this is also one that didn’t last more than one edition, rightfully. Still, the soft palette is nice to listen to

Solid byrds shtuff. Feeling a strong 3 on this one

This is probably the first R.E.M. album I’ve really liked, pleasantly suprised! I guess sometimes a band gets better when they go pop

Kind of a pain to find the right version, but a pleasure once I got to listen to it. The quartet of instrument work well, I’m especially a fan of the tablas and flute.

I remember this album really annoying me but listening to it now I can tolerate it. Still not crazy about the r&b sound. The house song “The First Taste” is very well executed, however, and my favourite cut on here.

Very creative work of classic rock. I’m especially fond of ”Sea Breeze”, but the other tracks are all fun pieces of quirky pop-meets-experimentation in their own right

More than being offensive or otherwise affecting this is just dull. There are moments which, if given to a better artist, could be great. But unfortunately they’re given to Marilyn Manson, and we’re listening to it.

Billy Bragg is swagg

Fun indie rock, I liked it :)

2 many bangers. I will admit I am biased towards this album since Peter Gabriel era Genesis holds a special place in my heart, but this album is such an excellent final effort. The 5 minute wank of ”The Waiting Room” could be cut but everything else is essential. Possibly the briskest 94 minutes of music on tape.

Another Neil Young album with great atmosphere! That’s the thing which makes for his best albums, I find.

I understand the concept behind this album, but the music itself doesn’t do anything special for me

Solid pop. Very well crafted bearing some 80s-isms.

Fun! Strong 3

Good album. I do feel it kind of drifts by but I enjoy the music nonetheless

There’s lots of noisy indie out there. What elevates this one above the rest is partly how early it is, but more importantly how abrasive the noise on this album gets. There were multiple times when I listened to it that I was taken aback by an instance of feedback starting a song. Gnarly!

Nice basswork and some good grooves. This could’ve been left for the 1001 songs book though, if anything

I’ve heard this talked about like some kind of forgotten hip-hop classic, but I’m not so convinced. It’s lacking any real high points, just mostly staying in a middling state. The rhymes (which don’t have much presence on many tracks) are also kind of stuck on the early side of the 90s, in the sense that they’re slightly clunky. Mild 3

Yeah… I was groovin

Funky but not enough to make it great. There is something missing to really bring it together

Honestly can’t recall this at all. All I remember was finding it okay but the degree to which the music evades my memory there must be missing something more than usual. Or maybe it’s just me, whoops

Pretty chill pretty chill

Dug this. Has a lot more sauce than (what I remember of) Imagine.

A fair few great tracks but a lot of mediocre ones as well. Strong 3

Green Day has bangers?? Many such cases

Very of it’s time but fun pop nonetheless