Wibbly wobbly, rhymy wimey. Felt like a 45 minute intro.

Spooky/atmospheric/gothic/moody

Thought this was going to be painful given it's 3 hours long but I absolutely adored every moment of it. Amazing.

It’s a samba party and everyone’s invited!

Ooh Pentangle is a bit cider and Cornish pasties isn’t it. That’s lovely.

Daft but a lot of fun.

Very of its time. Decent listen but nothing that hits you.

This was really nice. Felt like I was sitting on a beanbag, a bit buzzed.

Another pleasant surprise - and more tracks you've heard than you think

I mean, it's an all time classic.

Listened to the original US tracklisting. Good slice of 60s psychedelia

Just the thing for an autumnal day

Very prog, OK if you like that sort of thing but really irritated me. It felt really smug.

Great to listen to on a hot sunny afternoon

Superb from start to finish.

Promising start. Moments of fun. But overall, I just find Roxy Music irritating - purely personal preference, can't quite put my finger on why.

Great turn-of-the-millenium rock album, reminds me of The National

Thought this was going to be painful given it's 3 hours long but I absolutely adored every moment of it. Amazing.

Awesome rowdy fun.

Pop perfection

Excellent, classic rock at its best.

Not quite as standout as Arab Strap but really enjoyed it. Some great moments on there.

Standout album, varied, uplifting, confident. Loved it.

An acerbic indie classic

Takes itself very seriously, after a couple of fun bangers at the front, drifts off into lounge-land quite quickly. I'm sure there's an audience out there that loves it, but I'm not it.

Hits even darker and harder than Doolittle. Really enjoyed that.

Really enjoyed this. Great melodies and very listenable.

Very good at what it does, just not for me

Very cool, very rude.

Spooky/atmospheric/gothic/moody

Way more funky than you'd expect, whips along at a great pace while staying laid back.

Touching, and charming. Soothing!

Cool Latino

Jangling guitars and cool 60s vibes.

You’ll know more than you expect from this, and it’s great fun!

80s, sultry, a little hard to take seriously personally

Accomplished brilliance.

Power pop!

Wibbly wobbly, rhymy wimey. Felt like a 45 minute intro.

It’s a samba party and everyone’s invited!

It’s a whoooooole lot of country.

If you were told to go and write a song that sounded like Echo and the Bunnymen then this is the first thing that would come into your head. You know what you're getting.

An indie classic

Captures what an incredible live blues musician BB King was. Great set.

Full on 90s angst. Perfect for slaying vampires to.

Ooh Pentangle is a bit cider and Cornish pasties isn’t it. That’s lovely.

Awful. Bob Dylan sounds like someone doing a bad impression of Bob Dylan.

All killer, no filler.

A great angry statement of a debut.

Not entirely as awful as I thought it would be, but a pretty painful funk.

Well that was delightful

Their first and best

Really great. Didn’t realise they’d been going for that long but just a great sound.

I'd give then ten stars if I could.

Glam, punk, camp, rock, great

Dodgy start but really settled into it.

If you like that sort of thing, it's probably great, but I don't.

Not entirely sure what to make of this, decent 60s stomper. There's a treat about 3/4 of the way through, if you happen to listen to Marc Riley's show on 6 Music.

A warm autumn's afternoon of a listen

Really enjoyed that.

Enjoyed the music, can't get on with Mark E Smith at all, he just seems a deeply unpleasant man. There's some good bits on there though.

Standard shouty punk. 21 tracks in half an hour makes it feel longer than it is.

More good punk - not many of the "big singles" on this one so a good discovery.

Went in with low expectations but this is a corker. Uplifting, confident, great sound.

So well crafted. They throw everything at this and it sticks. A perfect album.

Feels like I'm 15 again, loved this album then and listened the hell out of it, so it's great to hear again. Loads of musical layers, brilliant lyrics, it's a big noise. What a band.

Atmospheric as fuck

Absolute pish, hated every minute of it.

Takes you on a journey - builds and builds, crashes out, then you come out of the end on a euphoric note. Brilliant.

Not my thing personally. I can see why it's so influential, but probably agree with the original Rolling Stone review - "The relentless profanity grows wearisome, the Bomb Squad beats lose steam, and Cube's attitudes toward women are simply despicable."

A lot more fun than I was expecting, a rip roaring party of an album.

It very much sounds like what would happen if you were in the biggest band in the world then thought you could give it a go yourself. It's a good enough album but doesn't hit like the Beatles.

All time classic. Got played so much it was in danger of being over-exposed but after a while away from it, it's just great.

Honestly not sure if I absolutely adore this or hate it. Can you have both at once?

Alright, very 80's American soul wallpaper.

Surprised me this one, a really lovely, soulful listen.

A hot slice of G-funk. Didn't expect to like this as much as I did but I got right into it.

This was alright. Bit musty.

Great fun, fast paced, cracking tunes.

There's a lot of good in here, but the relentlessness of idea after idea in song after song grates after a while. Should have probably been two albums with half the songs on each. The tunes are good though, with some real variety in the first half.

Kind of passed by in the background - decent enough to work to though.

A great album with a chaotic energy, but that sometimes drifts to being a little too chaotic.

That was really beautiful. Distinctive voice and equally impressive guitar playing.

A definitive Rolling Stones album. Went for the remaster rather than the delux version, which was far too long imo. Remaster sounds tight, and captures the era.

Beautiful album, you forget about how much music was like this around 2010, it was a really good time for music. Surfy/indie/laid-back. Music to sit in a warm field and listen to.

Energetic and fun, absolutely classic breakthrough album

That was a lot better than I remembered it being. Bit lounge-y but still enjoyed it a lot.

Didn’t mind it that much. Found my foot tapping a bit from time to time. Forgettable apart from love in an elevator though, which does go on 2 mins too long.

I liked half of this, but then it would go a little too far... I can see they were trying to push boundaries but it went from interesting ideas to just unpleasant listening. You can hear where this has influenced a lot of other acts though.

A short, sharp, burst of blues, soul, and rock and roll.

I'm fully confident that enough people like and buy enough Norah Jones albums that my opinion will make not one jot of difference, and neither it should, because she's clearly doing what she loves and has made an album she's really proud of. That said, I'd rather stick my head in a bucket of fireworks than go through this again.

Great album, flows from style to style effortlessly smoothly. It goes a touch hard core dance for me at parts which brings down the rating to 4 but it’s still excellent

Beautiful album. Sat listening on a soggy February day and it took me to a warm sunny summer's afternoon.

Quite liked it, bit wobbly in parts though. Can hear lots of other things like pavement/bright eyes/Elliot smith/Decemberists etc in there.

Beck was clearly Going Through Some Stuff when doing this record - it's much more low key and downbeat than some of his other offerings, but a great theme that he works well. Nigel Godrich's production shines, particularly on tracks like Round the Bend which sounds like Radiohead done by Nick Drake. Packs a powerful punch, if a bit gloomy. But a great one to have on if you want a wallow.

I've never been a big fan of White-Men-Do-Ska Madness, and this did little to challenge that, but wasn't as cringeworthy and grating as I normally find them. Our House is of course a standout classic. There are some definite moments when you wince, particularly at the "accents" used at the end of New Delhi, mirrored by the brownface on the cover... A product of its time, I suppose.

A hot chunk slice of 70's funk.

Nice background listen while getting on with work - when you see the tracklist and see 4 tracks, 40 mins, and the last track is half that runtime, you kind of have an expectation of what you're going to get, and you do get that, but I didn't find it as offputting as a lot of that kind of prog. Enjoyed it, would listen again.

I really enjoyed the first half. Punkier than I expected. You can tell it's an album that's designed to be played over two halves of vinyl. Brass in Pocket is still a bit cringe for me, but.

Quite hard to find, this one - but worth it, his voice is wonderful as ever here, bluesy, jazzy, soulful - with some strong things to say about the politics of the day. Makes you sit up and listen.

Absolutely storming from start to finish. I've not been an enormous fan of The Doors but this really nailed it. Well crafted, passionate, tuneful... absolute classic.

I remember this seemed a bit edgy and funny at the time but now I'm a bit older, the constant graphic descriptions of violence towards women seems A Bit Much. But I guess that’s the point. Great songwriting skill but it does become a bit of a grind by the end. Definitely preferred Marshall Mathers LP.

That was really weird. It felt like a sugared up kid distracted by a hundred different things. Every time you think you have a handle on whatever direction it’s taking, it goes somewhere more annoying. Then it just… stops.

Absolutely tremendous talent

I can see the craft that's gone into this - it's not something I'd normally listen to but I did really like it.

Pretty solid churned out 60's funk/groove. Doubt I'll be rushing back to it and tbh I can't really remember most of it. Bounced along OK at the time though.

Superb album. He's an amazing lyricist and musician, and just when you think you know what you're getting, you get so much more in the last third of the album.

I've always found Rod Stewart to be particularly difficult to like, but it works on this early, glam, stomper of an album. It nips along and doesn't outstay its welcome, but feels a bit meat-and-potatoes. It's kind of a steady plod from start to finish.

Wonderful, in turns traditional but modern for the time, acerbic commentary... brilliant.

A slice of 90s psychedelic indie, doesn't really have any standout bangers that grab you, but I'd happily put it on again while I'm working or cooking or something.

Cee-Lo is like a turtle on a fencepost. No-one really knows how he got there. One of those dudes that seemed to come out of nowhere, was everywhere for a couple of years, then immediately went to the "Hey remember when Iw as famous" circuit. (Until he cropped up on Masked Singer). I can't see that this album would have been made or got the number of guest stars on there if his rise hadn't been so meteoric. It's pretty over-produced but I guess it suits that. It goes on about 20 min too long, but it's got some nice beats. It feels like something you'd hear on a Saturday morning radio show (heavily edited of course).

A rip-roaring stomper of blues becoming rock n roll. The energy is off the charts. Keeping it that full-on gets a bit much at times, but the sheer exuberance punches through.

A perfect 90s album. Updated 60's sounds and feelings for a new time, with smart lyrics, and it's a lot of fun!

This would have been a great gig in the early 80s. The album itself is one speed: full pace, top gear. It's a short run time but more than enough to listen to. I'm left a little unsure about what just happened, but I quite like that.

I do like hearing these albums from artists that are now considered a bit cheesy, back before they were officially cheesy, and doing things just as they wanted to, without irony.

I can't believe how much I enjoyed this, firmly going on the guilty pleasure list.

That's a proper party album. Another artist I've grown to be a bigger fan of over time and appreciate what he's done.

A rowdy racket of an album, with musical ideas by the bucketful. Unfortunately, like some other albums on here, this means that it can feel an unfocussed slog, I'd have rather had 2 albums 40 mins long than one at 80, but a great listen for the music all the same.

Meat and potatoes heavy metal - the template for a lot of other metal from the late 80s/early 90s. Never really that into it me'self.

Beautiful soundscape of an album - ebbs and flows.

Not for me, but appreciate what he's doing here. It's all very soft-focussed 90's.

Utter pish from start to finish, couldn't bear it.

I can see why this is on the list, big rhumba album and I do like a lot of the sounds, but looked into the guy and he's a convicted child rapist, so fuck 'im.

Decent rock album. Pretty big, soaring songs. Still love Been Caught Stealing.

Loved this. Some of her best vocal performances, beautiful production.

Another heavy one, but enjoyed this more than I expected. Guilty pleasure. Sets up the scene for a lot of nu-metal/post-punk bands.

Absolutely triumphant - They really were the best of Britpop

This was my first album on the 1001 albums, before I joined a group so its come back around. It was 5* then, it's 5* now.

That's a whole lotta country. Enjoyed it though, quality songwriting throughout.

Interesting album this. Lots of really old influences, merged with what was really up to date trip-hop sounds, it crams a lot into its runtime.

The intro to this album is so iconically linked to smut in the media, that it's hard to disassociate that and take it seriously at least to start with. You can see why it was considered that way though, and after that opener, you know what you're getting throughout this. It's a sexy slice of soul, and although I'd listen to it again, I'm not sure I'd want to in the presence of company. This has a short runtime, which amused me more than it should have.

I do love the pet shop boys, but without the big standout singles, this does tend to merge into the background a little. There are a couple of bits that grab your interest, but it's not one I'll be rushing back to.

It takes an enormous amount of work, dedication, talent and drive to sound this utterly awful. I know it's meant to be a big loud noise, and people pour over the quality of certain guitar riffs/drumming pacing/bass scales, but I just don't care about any of it, because it's painful to listen to. Pretentious shit.

This is an all out celebration of who they are - loved it. The double bill of Bring the Noise and Don't Believe the Hype starts it out strong, and it keeps that level all the way through.

I'd never heard of this band before, but was pleasantly surprised - in turns grungy, rock, metal, melodic, noisy... I could really see myself finding more and more to like about this album if I give it a few more listens.

Some interesting points, and at times pretty unsettling, but a lot of boring noodling about without really going anywhere. Felt more of a chore than something to enjoy.

Really enjoyed this mixture of different styles, all with Latin roots. Great light and shade. Would listen again.

Much more varied and rich than you'd perhaps expect, given this was a few years before the "big hit". A fun indie bop.

It was OK (I bet no-one's done that joke before, and can't wait to go to the global reviews page to confirm this) I was a bit spaced out from the old 'rona when I listened to it so some of the trippier bits freaked my nut out a little, but it is certainly a lovely plinkly plonky trippy album.

I loved this. Lovely tunes, lovely singing, lovely music, lovely album. Lovely.

What a talent, what production, what songs, what heartfelt delivery - flawlessly done.

Another artist I'd heard a lot about but never sat down and listened to an album... And am glad I did, it has a lot of the atmospheric "ambient" sounds you'd expect, but I have to admit I thought it was going to be a lot more boring! Layered, doesn't outstay its welcome, a real pleasure to listen to.

I'm still not much of a jazz fan, but this is on the good side of it.

A curious one this - every time I listen closely, I start to dislike it, but playing it in the background it really loved it. Sounds out of its time. Came out in 1999 but sounds like it's from 20 years before... And sometimes further. The cover of Imagine is a bit weird - I don't think you can sincerely cover that song any more. But I enjoyed it. A 3, but a very solid one.

Sounds like drinking beers in the sun, smoking marlborough lights, cracking on with girls and feeling invincible... All the best bits of being in your late teens in the 90s. Rose tinted, yes, but the best memories are. It's not an unbiased rating, of course. But still.

I've not listened to much of this bit of Bowie and it’s long overdue. This is brilliant.

Really liked this, you can see why she's been so influential. Like a lot of these artists on 1001, the best stuff is the early stuff before they disappear up their own arses.

It's like the angriest most darkly produced folk you can get, I really love this album.

A grungy slice of rock - Didn't really know what to expect and in the first few seconds my heart sank, thinking I was going to get an incomprehensible shouty racket - but was quickly shown to be wrong. This has some great tones and musicality, and a soulful voice. Decent.

It’s a bit like an art installation rather than a bunch of songs, which makes sense - but I didn't expect this from the mentor of the Sex Pistols.

From the start this is wheezy, aimless, painful to listen to. Like an orchestra tuning up for half an hour, yet all seemingly out of key with each other. It's stuff like this that gives Jazz its terrible reputation. Moments of Track B and C almost have a tune but then seem to lose interest like a puppy with ADHD. It's not for me.

Great beats, really well mixed, laid back vocals - a really effortless listen, just one to enjoy!

This was a welcome surprise - I'd been meaning to listen to this album for years but never got round to it. I'm glad I finally did hear it though - that's a soulful slice of funk. At points it veers towards going too jazzy, but then it pulls it back. Any album that can include Kenny Loggins, Kendrick Lamar and Wiz Khalifa, and making it all sound like it should belong together has to be respected. One to listen to next to a pool on a hot day with a cold beer.

Another in the list of "Great early album by a band that went on to be a bit cringe" New-wave/punky short tunes that nip along without sacrificing musicality.

I'm listening to this on a Friday morning, the sun is shining. I made an effort to listen to it as a "new" album, and get past the feeling of being at a wedding or awful corporate away day, or another concert that Nile Rodgers has been wheeled out for (he just turns up to anything these days eh) and I really enjoyed it.

I remember absolutely hating this when it came out in 1997, I was a guitars-and-bucket-hats indie kid and this was just painful, particularly Brown Paper Bag which was *everywhere*. People were raving about this album and I just didn't get it. 25 years on, and my musical horizons have widened, and although I don't hate it quite as much, I don't really get the fuss. It seems to be the same beat all the way through with noodly moogs. I won't turn off Brown Paper Bag in disgust anymore these days, but I don't really want to listen to a whole album of it. Especially one that goes on for 78min.

It was both short and went on for too long - Like an EP stretched out into an album. An "Also ran" in the 1001 albums, there are some great funk-and-soul albums on this list but this isn't elite. It was fine.

I went on a proper journey with this album - hated the start of it but that was turned around with the absolute classic "This is the day" - and by the end of "Giant" I was singing along to it - I think I'll be revisiting this one for another go.

Sounds like a load of Disney movie credit songs. Too cheesy for me. Missing an "All I want for Christmas" banger. Still, she was an early crush of mine, so kudos for that, I guess?

Breath of fresh air, this. Sounds like hot sunny London summer days. Really enjoyed it.

Not really for me. Went on too long, not much light and shade, felt pretty generic rap.

Struggled to know what to make of this one - Everything about it points to me liking it, but I just... don't. Sometimes you have to just accept you're not compatible, but I can't deny what an impact this album has had, there are some solid tracks on there. Maybe I've just heard Come on Eileen too many times.

What an album! Packed with bangers, opening with one of my favourite Prince tunes - Lets go Crazy - and racing through with high energy, none of when he sometimes sneaks towards cringe... which lets him get away with the finale. Loved it.

Went into this fully expecting to find it a real slog, but I really enjoyed it - I do like a concept album, and the exploration of isolation was done well. Definitely verges on self-indulgent at times, but it's a really interesting journey.

A spooky, atmospheric album that flows so well you have to listen to it in one go really - A couple of tracks can be listened to in isolation but really you want to put it on and listen from start to finish. Not my favourite Radiohead, bit more low key, but definitely something to appreciate.

Great fun, this one - some of the best sampling and mixing in any of the rap albums we've had - the lyrics are droll, delivered with bags of energy.

I don't know why I keep thinking of this as a "new" album, it's been out for 15 years! Also thought, for some reason, they were British. Maybe I'm thinking of Metronomy, or Alt-J who came out around the same time. One of the big sounds of the end of the 00's, like an updated talking heads. Great album, but overall not quite as good as Alt-J or Metronomy.

Wow - that was a storming Motown album, far grittier and sharper than I expected. Hats off to them, that's a brilliant set of songs and amazingly delivered.