I was a casual Sonic Youth fan before listening to this. Like, loved pretty much everything I've heard and always intended to dive in deeper, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. This album assignment was the push I needed to finally do that. Now. In my defense, I was very stoned before i hit the play button. But I immediately purchased a Dirty vinyl after one listen. Anyway, to sum up my thoughts, I'm an alt-rock girl at heart (maybe tied with pop at this point for my favorite genre), and listening to this was like letting my angsty soul have a nice long rest at home. Oh, also, as an avid crocheter, I will definitely be creating my own little orange alien to sit on the shelf next to the album.

Another blessing from the album gods to have this generated within my first 50 albums. This is one of my favorite artists of all time; I'm a massive fan. His music has helped me understand myself profoundly. And it's otherworldly, especially his latest release, Paranoia, Angels, True Love, which is an underrated masterpiece. I highly recommend the KEXP performance from 2019, particularly Doesn't Matter, the 4th track on this album. He accesses such raw emotion, it's awe-inspiring. "Run if you stole a shard of sunlight" I was happy to give my vinyl another spin for this one, and Chris is also in my top Spotify artists every year. My favorites are Doesn't matter, The walker, Goya soda, The Stranger, and What's-her-face, but absolutely 0 skips.

I was only familiar with It's My Life, but I love that song and generally most things under the new wave umbrella, so I figured this would be right up my alley. I've listened to this twice now, going on three, and each song roots a little deeper with every listen. His voice is so rich with emotion and the instrumentation compliments it so well. It's interesting he wanted to move away from synths and use more traditional instruments for this album. I wasn't expecting that, but I think they made something really special. After a quick read of the wiki, I'm excited to explore the albums that came after this and hear them move into jazzier, more experimental territory.

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right remains a favorite for me

Read the wiki - this album was made in lieu of a new studio album. Some of the album has been overdubbed with studio recording as well, which was a little controversial among critics, but overall it's still high on many lists of best live albums. I wanted to appreciate it more, but I honestly didn't love it. They sounded great, technically, but I didn't enjoy it on a personal level. I won't stop giving all different genres of metal a try, though.

Ahhh I still love the Who. I've spent too long not listening to them. Quadrophenia remains one of my all time faves, but this was the first live album I've actually listened to. I don't know a lot about mixing/mastering, but my opinion was that it was well done on this album. I felt like I could picture exactly where they all were on the stage and appreciate each voice / instrument individually in a way that isn't usual for live recordings. I read the wiki after listening, and I guess there was no mic pointed toward the audience at all. That explains why they sounded so far away.

I hate myself for never listening to this album before today. I've always appreciated Prince's greatest hits with the intention of listening to full albums at some point. This was his breakthrough album, and the first one with his band the Revolution, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to get into his music. (Fun fact, "and the revolution" is written backwards in the eye of the I in Prince in the album artwork.) Anyway, what have I been doing with my life before this. This album is SUCH a vibe.

I really enjoy Neil Young, but this was my first listen of this album. I'm so glad it got to be one of the first 10 albums assigned to me in this project. I'd like to listen again, but Google each track as I go to see what inspired it. Apparently Vampire Blues is about the oil industry. I'd also like to listen to it again with some honey slides - apparently that's what they called the sauteed marijuana and honey goop they concocted and consumed throughout the making of the album. Another bit of interesting history is that this album was not widely available until 2003. The title was deleted from vinyl in the early 80s, according to Wikipedia. In 2000, fans signed a petition to have it released on CD, and finally in 2003, it was.

I can't say I loved this album but I'm glad I listened to it. I'll come back to a couple of songs, but I don't know how often I'll revisit it in its entirety. I appreciate Queen Latifah so much more after listening to this, though.

I went down a Wiki rabbit hole about the Village Vanguard - it's the oldest jazz club in NYC that's still in operation, and so many big careers were launched. This album was so soothing to listen to. I love the ambiance of everyone dining too. If I ever make it to NYC to visit, I'll make a point of going there to visit the Village Vanguard. Super interesting trio - they made a point to give all three of them equal melodic responsibility, which I think I'm paraphrasing from the Spotify bio. But it was interesting to listen with that in mind.

I think the only Supertramp song I've ever heard is Give a Little Bit. And I like that song, just never listened to them beyond that. This album was playful and engaging - I like the prog-pop-rock thing it's got going. I'm too high to come up with anything better than that. But I dig it, would listen again.

The father of Jeff Buckley. I read that he only met his father Tim once. I usually enjoy psychedelic folk, but this album didn't really hit for me. I liked so many of the ideas, lyrical and musical, but I was left wanting more follow through on some of those ideas. I might need to give this one another try, but first listen didn't stick with me.

SO GOOD. My standout track was The Bottle, and honestly all of side 2 especially . I wish this was on Spotify. For my own note keeping, a blurb I copied from Wikipedia below: Winter in America juxtaposes themes of nostalgic hope to the social problems of the early 1970s, particularly in the African-American community and inner cities.[29][30] Also a prominent theme in Scott-Heron's lyrics is people's faith in their culture in a bleak, impoverished environment.

I thought the only songs I knew from this album were Tuesday's Gone and Free Bird, but I quickly realized I've heard this one many times. A kid I used to work with at the local pizza place had this on repeat every night we closed together. It was nostalgic to hear it again. I still love those two songs the most, but they're all pretty good.

This album is an experience. I listened to the first few songs cold, no previous knowledge of the band or album. I couldn't get into it. So I gave it a day before trying again, but this time I researched a bit beforehand. I also read along with the lyrics as I listened to each song. Both of these things helped me appreciate the ambitious project that is SRO. From a songwriting perspective, there are so many interesting characters and great imagery, and overall I found it to be lyrically thought provoking. Though I get the stylistic choices here (I think), my personal preference would be for a more rhythmic as well as melodic approach to delivering those lyrics. For me, this is less of a casual listening album and more of one that I'll sit and give my full time and attention to from start to finish, like watching a movie. I like any album that can provide that kind of experience. Here's a snippet from a Stereogum article (for my own notes): "Throughout the album, Hood returns repeatedly to a concept he terms “the duality of the Southern thing,” his way of attempting to balance pride in his home with the worst parts of the region’s troubled history. By his own admission, Hood wasn’t always successful in this, which is part of the reason the band now rarely plays Opera track “The Southern Thing” in concert."

I listened to the album before reading about it, just to mix things up (usually I read about it before listening). I enjoyed it musically - I've always been drawn to Afrobeat/ music of Africa. I obviously didn't know what each song was about specifically, but the passion and energy was undeniable throughout. I learned that this is a political album - it's criticism of the Nigerian government likely resulted in Fela's commune being attacked by Nigerian soldiers. His mother was killed in that attack, and Fela was severely beaten. Also, he formed the commune which declared itself independent of the Nigerian government. He played multiple instruments, had multiple wives at once, and is widely regarded as the pioneer of the Afrobeat style.

I was a casual Sonic Youth fan before listening to this. Like, loved pretty much everything I've heard and always intended to dive in deeper, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. This album assignment was the push I needed to finally do that. Now. In my defense, I was very stoned before i hit the play button. But I immediately purchased a Dirty vinyl after one listen. Anyway, to sum up my thoughts, I'm an alt-rock girl at heart (maybe tied with pop at this point for my favorite genre), and listening to this was like letting my angsty soul have a nice long rest at home. Oh, also, as an avid crocheter, I will definitely be creating my own little orange alien to sit on the shelf next to the album.

WHAT okay I pressed play and immediately recognized the title track, Green Onions - and so do you if you've seen/heard even a handful of American movie trailers. Booker T. wrote that riff when he was 17 and later improvised heavily for the recorded version that became a huge hit and shaped the sound of groovy Southern soul. But did you know there's 'Mo where that came from? That's right, 'Mo Onions is track 4! Besides the onion songs, Behave Yourself is the only other original on this instrumental album. The rest are covers of songs you probably already recognize - I was surprised to find out I knew most of them. Also, fun fact, this band and the Beatles had mutual appreciation of one another, and John Lennon affectionately referred to them as "Book a Table and the Maitre D's". This warmed the cockles of my Beatles-loving heart. Anyway. Great album, and glad to have filled in this particular gap in my musical history knowledge.

Oh man. I loved Coldplay in high school. I still do, but I did back then, too. I probably haven't listened to this album since then, so it was nice to revisit it. Though not my favorite Coldplay album (Viva Viva La Vida), it's still good and has some great songs. I read on Wikipedia that It's one of the highest selling records of all time in the UK (45th of all time). The Wiki page also said this: "In fact, a few critics have suggested that the album's commercial success was due in part to a portion of Radiohead's audience being alienated by the band's experimental and more electronic-influenced Kid A album." Eek. Again, I like Parachutes. But I hope everyone gave Kid A another chance, because it's definitely the better album of the two.

SO GOOD. I am ashamed to have never heard this album before, but that's why I'm doing this project. I knew Work It, of course, but the other tracks were all new to my ears. Dedicated to Aaliyah, produced by Timbaland, this Missy Elliot album sounds amazing. Like, if it had come out today instead of nearly 20 years ago (which...how has it been that long??) - it would still be fresh and sound great.

I was familiar with T. Rex in name only prior to this. Well, and I knew the song Bang a Gong (Get It On), but I wouldn't have been able to put a name/artist to the song before. I loved this album! Glam rock perfection. I've already revisited songs, and I'm sure I'll listen to more from them. Marc Bolan WAS T.Rex, and was so influential on many of the artists I grew up listening to (the Smith's being a major one). I listened to the Expanded and Remastered version on Spotify, but did skip about halfway through the interview track. The Wiki page was interesting- almost all the band members died from reasons other than natural causes - Bolan in a car accident (girlfriend driving, she survived) right before he turned 30. Another member died of asphyxiation from a cocktail cherry, another in a car accident. Lots of times, that one song you know from a band is the only good one. But if you're like me and only know Bang a Gong, T. Rex has a lot more to offer. They're worth the listen.

I really didn't want to pile on by adding another 1 star rating, truly, I didn't. I read through the positive reviews hoping to hear it through their ears. Alas. Technically, what the band was able to accomplish together is impressive as hell. But my average daily anxiety is high enough as it is. It's too much, man. It's too much.

This is one of those live albums where you forget it's live until there's talking between songs, and you're like "oh, right!". That's one of the indicators of a great live recording, for me. I was surprised to get another Fela Kuti album after just listening last week, but I'm not mad about it. This was a good listen. Maybe not one I'll play over and over, but it would be good to vibe to while cleaning/cooking.

I liked this album. In the context of the British Invasion, I'd much rather listen to The Beatles or the Who or others, and as a result I just haven't spent as much time with the Stones' discography as some of those others. Sympathy for the Devil is awesome, as always (and - in these covid world music streaming days, I realized it's actually been a long time since I heard it). I had on pretty good headphones, and realized how much I love the piano work in that song. I was drawn to the following track, No Expectations, for the same reason. In my usual Wiki page browsing, I learned that Nicky Hopkins (frequent Stones collaborator/ pianist / organist) did the piano for both of those songs (and he's also one of few musicians to be featured on a Beatles track - Revolution). He also did piano on Nilsson Schmilsson, an album I first listened to this year as well (but independently from this project- no idea of that one is on this 1001 list or not).

Aww. This album was sunshine on this gray, snowy day. My favorite track was Medley: It’s All Right / For Sentimental Reasons. When the audience started singing along at the end, my heart melted. SO, my fun fact about this album is that even though it was recorded in 1963, the record label thought it would be damaging to Cooke's pop image because it was too "gritty and raw", so they archived the recordings. It wasn't actually released until 1985, when an exec found the tapes and made sure they be released asap. And now it's widely regarded as one of the best live albums of all time.

This was the first big miss for me. I honestly did not enjoy any aspect of it. I'm sorry to anyone who has positive feelings about this album, but it just did nothing for me. I listened to it all the way through with good headphones, but it took a lot of willpower to make it to the end.

This is the first full Eminem album I've listened to. I understand why it's on this list, but I'll probably only continue to listen to the hits. This stressed me out.

This was one of my CDs before the days of streaming. I got a lot of mileage out of it back then, but don't find the need to revisit it much now. I think it's a tight record, cohesive, and a mood.

Lovely voice, lovely album. So glad I listened to it. Vincent makes me cry.

I forgot about the song Babylon until being assigned this album. That's a great song. I also like the title track. I vibed with the rest, but didn't find it as memorable.

What a voice. I just wish I loved the songs more. I knew Cry to Me and love that song. I was excited when I heard it as the opening track, but nothing that followed grabbed my attention in the same way. I would have liked a little more variety.

Look, I love experimental music usually. But this was like Sgt. Pepper's listening to itself on a bad acid trip, the kind that takes you on a tour of hell. I welcome music that makes me uncomfortable; I often take away something valuable when that happens. But in this case, I did not.

Scottish band! The album just kind of made me want to listen to Talking Heads instead, but I found joy in several songs here. Mainly the ones with contributions from Zeke Manyika. Found out Kate Bush had him contribute drums to Running Up That Hill. Even though his track didn't make it to the final version, that's still pretty cool.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I remember when I first discovered Losing My Religion and would just keep it on repeat on my iPod. It tugged at something inside me and gave me permission to feel that something. Perfect Circle feels a little like that too. I can't believe this is a debut album.

Haven't put this album on since college. I listened to it twice back to back. My faves are still the title track and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. Those strings after "I can still feel the breeze..." is one of those little magical musical moments. This album is so easy to listen to, and I just love his voice.

This was my first and last listen of this album. I listened to all 2+ hours of both discs. The 20th anniversary version on Spotify has additional content bringing the total time to over 5 hours. There's not enough MDMA in the world. I genuinely gave this a true listen through a good sound system and tried to keep an open mind throughout. I was in a state of discomfort by the time I was a few tracks in, but by the end I was internally screaming. I am clearly not the intended audience here, but wow I hated this. 0 stars.

Smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy. Been a minute since I listened to this. I love Shit, Damn, Motherfucker. The vibes and the lyrics are in such contrast lol.

While I do listen to rap, I probably don't listen to enough to have truly thoughtful commentary on this album. But I understand its place in shaping the genre of gangsta rap. Obviously a lot of the lyrics haven't aged well - the blatant misogyny is hard to stomach, for one. But not so surprising for its time. What's also hard to stomach is how Fuck Tha Police still rings as true today as it did then. That track, Express Yourself, and Something to Dance To are the standouts for me every time I listen to this album.

In my notes for a different live album from this project, I said something about enjoying a live album more when I can't hear the audience. Truly don't know what I was smoking saying that. Maybe it was something I enjoyed about that particular album, finding the mix impressive, idk. But I love hearing the audience usually. It amplifies the frisson. Goosebumps galore. Hearing the women screaming and ow-ing in this recording at the Apollo makes me wish I could use a time machine and be there in person. I'm giving it 3 stars, but only because I don't have a desire to relisten any time soon. For me, 4/5 stars are for albums I want to hear more than once or twice. It would be great to own on vinyl to spin on special occasions though.

I had zero prior knowledge of this group/album. I love going in blind and I ended up really enjoying this. I see some have mentioned it can be corny or preachy at times, and I can understand that takeaway. However, I found the messages uplifting and still relevant today. I was hanging on to every word in Fishin' 4 Religion with its critiques of passivity in the church, of praying to cope instead of taking an active role in making positive changes in the world. I liked the repeated mantra of "Dig your hands in the dirt, children play with earth." (Track 6) It's a metaphorical invitation to get in touch with yourself and shape your own reality. But it's also a literal invitation to get in touch with Mother Earth. It's a fun song that reminds me we all have an inner child. One day I stopped making mud pies in the dirt and became an adult, but how would it feel to connect with that child again? It's far from the best song on the album, but it really resonated with me. Power in something simple. I really like conscious rap/hip-hop and spiritual concepts. If you do too, I think this is an essential listen.

I don't love a lot of 60s retro music. Sometimes throwback artists seem to prioritize perfecting the sound/production and end up with a general imitation of an entire era and nothing distinct enough to make it memorable. Not with Amy. This album would sound fresh no matter what year it was released. Hard to believe it's approaching its 20th anniversary. The live version of Valerie on the deluxe edition is so intimate and sounds incredible. This record is between a 4 and 5 for me so I'll just go ahead and give it 5.

Rush's discography is overwhelming and I didn't know where to start, but they've been on my list a long time. So I don't have any other Rush albums to compare this to, but I thought it was great. I like prog rock - odd time signatures tickle my brain - but the genre doesn't usually hold my attention for much longer than 40 minutes at a time. So the length of this was perfect. Would listen with my morning coffee again.

A few days before this album was generated I was listening to a bunch of The xx for the first time in a while, including most of this album. I am blessed by the album gods. I had this on repeat when it first released. I always listen start to finish - it's a whole mood - but I listen to On Hold by itself a lot. I can't get enough of the way they use the Hall and Oates sample, and it's definitely the most upbeat track. I feel a kind of push-pull dynamic listening to the lyrics throughout. There is pain and loss and vulnerability in expressions of insecurities (Say Something Loving). Performance is heartbreaking and always tugs at my tearducts. I didn't know there was a Deluxe version, so I listened to that. I thought Test Me was a perfect closer, no additions needed, so I'll favor the og in future listens.

Gun to my head, this is my favorite album of all time. No gun to my head and I have time to think, it still makes top 10 at least. Easiest 5 stars I've given so far, and I'm so glad this showed up within my first 50 albums generated. I love African music. I remember in college I bought a CD at Borders that included a sampling of songs of different styles from different countries. I still have that CD, and I recently found as many of the songs on Spotify as I could to add to my playlists. (I recommend the song Love is Just a Dream (Tatazela) by Johnny Clegg and Juluka if you love Graceland too) I think Graceland is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. "The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National guitar"...what a killer opening line. "And I see losing love is like a window in your heart / Everybody sees you're blown apart / Everybody feels the wind blow"...so beautiful. And even when I don't understand the words being sung, that beauty comes through. I would die for this album.

Love this album! One of my favorite moments is the transition from Chump to Longview. My favorites are definitely the hits - Longview, Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case, She, When I Come Around. Volume up for those songs, always. Overall, it's probably between a 4 and a 5 for me, so I'll just round up to 5.

I'm not familiar enough with the Manchester music scene to appreciate this album in that context. Wiki says they were influential to groups such as Oasis and Stone Roses. I did think they vaguely reminded me of someone but didn't figure out who. The first couple of tracks had me thinking maybe I'd be hooked, but I quickly lost steam. I don't think it's a bad album, just not for me, and I wouldn't listen again.

I am not ashamed by my love of 80s music, and because of that, I am ashamed I've never listened to Rio until now. I only knew Hungry Like the Wolf, but now I can't wait to listen to this album again and skip that song as I've heard it a million times (still a great one though). I'll join in the chorus of praise for the bass. What a good album.

First listen of this album, but I generally like Black Sabbath. It's a privilege to listen to genre defining records, and I can only imagine what it must have been like to hear this for the first time in 1970.

Another blessing from the album gods to have this generated within my first 50 albums. This is one of my favorite artists of all time; I'm a massive fan. His music has helped me understand myself profoundly. And it's otherworldly, especially his latest release, Paranoia, Angels, True Love, which is an underrated masterpiece. I highly recommend the KEXP performance from 2019, particularly Doesn't Matter, the 4th track on this album. He accesses such raw emotion, it's awe-inspiring. "Run if you stole a shard of sunlight" I was happy to give my vinyl another spin for this one, and Chris is also in my top Spotify artists every year. My favorites are Doesn't matter, The walker, Goya soda, The Stranger, and What's-her-face, but absolutely 0 skips.

God damn it. I didn't know I'd have to start my day by giving the Bee Gees 1 star. Gutted. My dog's opinion was that he hated the cymbal clashes in With All Nations, and he'd like you to know he's usually very chill about loud sounds in music. I thought the album was over and my auto-play had gone to Danny Elfman for some reason, but that was the last track, The British Opera, so I guess that's my favorite song.

One of the first CDs I ever bought was a greatest hits compilation. Of course, almost all of the songs on this album were included. Not having songs like Behind Blue Eyes, Baba O'Riley, Won't Get Fooled Again, and Bargain in my life would be like having just a little less oxygen to breathe. Actually, Behind Blue Eyes ended up hitting me right in the soul today. It means more to me now than ever before. I've never loved My Wife, but it won't stop me from filling in all 5 of those stars. What a fantastic album.

I'd just listened to tons of The xx a few days before getting I See You, and that was like, 9 albums ago, so I'm amused to be getting this album as well. Listened to it a lot in college, and I still love Intro, Crystalised, and Islands. You know that specific type of nostalgia that's kind of haunting and a little painful? This whole album makes me feel that way. I think I See You is better, which I gave a 4, so I'll give this a 3, but it's probably closer to 3.5.

Paul's Boutique has a new admirer. Holy shit I loved this. The wiki is worth a read. The way the Dust Brothers used sampling - insane. I found a video on YouTube with a clip from every song that was sampled followed by a snippet of how it was used in the song. I recognized the Beatles sample of The End in The Sounds Of Science, but there's other Beatles songs sampled in that track as well. It would be ridiculously expensive to (legally) make this album today. The sample that fades in at the start of the album is the same that fades out at the end - but that's not the only reason I immediately want to play it again. I'm so geeked, that was such a fun listen.

I used to listen to Celtic Woman and watch Riverdance as a kid. Still haven't made it to Ireland for a visit, but I've always been drawn to their music, and have definitely added Pogues songs to my playlists throughout the years. First listen to a full album though, and I'm not surprised I really enjoyed this. Might be a 5 if I spend more time with the lyrics, but I'll go with 4 for now.

I know the hits, and I've always thought Three Little Birds and One Love were good songs. At the same time, I've never really gone out of my way to listen to them. Like, there's tons of classic songs I've heard a million times but still choose to listen again and again. I don't know, this wasn't unpleasant, it just didn't do a whole lot for me. I respect his legend, but that's where it ends for me for now.

Synthy poppy rocky perfection, no skips. I listened to this for the first time a couple years ago and had it on repeat for a while. I listened to it 3 times in a row this time. It sounds great and has a good flow - even I'm in Touch with Your World, kind of a weird (in a good way) song, doesn't sound out of place somehow. Moving in Stereo is one of my favorites but it's hard to choose just one. So happy I got to listen to this today.

I think I went to heaven while listening to this album and so I listened to it a second time. I want to wander around in Joni's world forever. I don't know if it's her best album - I still haven't made it through her entire discography - but it's a 5 star album for me, and one I hadn't listened to yet. I have listened to Blue which is widely regarded as her best, but maybe this one will be a personal favorite. I'll let the recency bias wear off before deciding. I love this jazzy Joni.

I adore Nick Drake. My favorite album is whichever one I just listened to, so today it's Bryter Layter.

The first half of this album is like a pop masterclass. I don't feel the need to revisit the last half so much. 4 stars because of how massive the hits are, but if the whole thing was like the back half, might be a light 3. Can't wait til I get Thriller!

You either love Tom Waits or can't stand him. I fall into the love him camp - there's no one like him. If this album is too out there for you, maybe try his first album, Closing Time, which is a little more classic, not as experimental. Some amazing songwriting. Anyway, I love Swordfishtrombones, 5 stars.

I read through a few of the 5 star comments, and I wish I heard this as they hear it so I can understand. But I was mostly bored. The title track is nice, but I really just felt an overwhelming blah vibe by the time I was through.

I just listened to Armed Forces (Elvis w/ The Attractions) a couple weeks ago and enjoyed it so much more than this. I'd be willing to give this another go, but first impression was underwhelming.

Lovely, start to finish. I'll absolutely be spending more time with this album. A little droplet of a universe in some earthy fairy land of storytelling and singing and exploring forests. It made me feel calm and happy, and I'd like to listen through and read along with the lyrics next time - like isn't this bit from Sweet Thing so good? "And I shall drive my chariot down your streets and cry / Hey, it's me, I'm dynamite and I don't know why / And you shall take me strongly in your arms again / And I will not remember that I even felt the pain We shall walk and talk in gardens all misty wet / All misty wet with rain down / And I will never, never, never grow so old again"

I may not know a lot about mixing, but I was thinking the whole time how poor it sounded for being from 1983. I had the volume all the way up. Then Beating Gets Faster started and I had to scramble to turn it down. That song is probably the best even if only because the mix is so much better. Damn. I was excited for some Finnish glam rock. But this left me disappointed.

I'm so torn between 3 and 4 stars. I love New Order and am a sucker for 80s synth pop. I know this is supposed to be more acid house, but I honestly don't have anything to compare it to in that context. I googled acid house albums and didn't recognize anything in a quick pass. It's 3.5, but I'll round down to 3 because I like the other New Order albums I've heard more. Still really enjoyed this a lot though.

Opening with Them Bones and closing with Would? is just killer. And then you've got songs like Down In A Hole, Rooster and Angry Chair in between. I listened to Alice in Chains a ton in high school. The dark subject matters don't deter me, and there's just never been anyone that sounds like them before or since. I've always been drawn to their unique harmonization and odd time signatures. This is such a solid album musically and lyrically.

I don't like ska, but I didn't hate this. It helps that there were a lot of other genres incorporated. I thought this was interesting and technically good musically, but it didn't make me feel a whole lot, which is important to me. Maybe I'll give it another chance someday.

I like this album. I used to put Red Eyes on while running and go faster whenever it picks up. But their most recent album, I Don't Live Here Anymore, just blows this out of the water. The title track has become one of my all time favorite songs. I recommend that album if you like this even a little bit. Oh, their Tiny Desk is really good too.

I just listened to this album a few weeks ago! This keeps happening. Among the first CDs I ever bought with my own money was a greatest hits of The Doors. I love love love this album.

He wrote this in 3 and a half weeks?? Shit. I actually just listened to my first ELO album a few weeks ago, independent of this project. It was A New World Record, which I enjoyed a bit more than Out Of The Blue. Both albums came out in 1976, wild.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I listen to a bit of Orville Peck sometimes, and now I hear the influence. Glad to have added this to albums I've heard as I've been wanting to familiarize myself with classic country more. It probably deserves better than 3 stars, but I didn't connect with the lyrics as much as I'd wanted to, which is important to me with this genre even more so than others.

I've seen them live and listened to this album countless times. I think The Suburbs is their best and would be an easy 5 stars. Funeral would be 4.5, but I'll round up because of how much this album has meant to me.

I burned someone's copy of this CD for my car when it came out, I think from my sister. Adele has a powerhouse of a voice, and songs like Someone Like You and Rolling in the Deep deserve the popularity they still have to this day. But...the songs outside of the hits are proper boring at times. Particularly the cover of Lovesong, which I'd honestly forgotten about, probably because I usually skipped most of the CD and just practiced my car karaoke skills to the hits. Hopefully I forget about it again. 3 stars because of the classics.

When I got this album, I thought, which song do I know of theirs again? Oh yeah, Low Rider, that song slaps. You won't find a song like Low Rider on this album, but wow I enjoyed this. I'd love to own on vinyl, the cover art is super cool too. The blend of genres is masterful - soul and jazz and funk and reggae, and just a smooth ride the whole way. It wasn't an instant 5 stars for me, but it might be after I listen again, which I definitely will.

Another album I enjoyed far more than I thought I would. I've never listened to any solo material from Stills, and assumed I'd be wishing I was listening to Neil Young or CSN(Y) instead. But nope, I liked this a lot - very enjoyable bluesy singer songwriter southern rock. My only issue is with the length. I love long albums, don't get me wrong. But this is one of those times I might use the word bloated as a descriptor.

Black Hole Sun is one of my favorite 90s rock songs, and I love Fell On Black Days and Spoonman as well. I genuinely love 90s grunge. This will be 4 stars for me because I just had Dirt from Alice in Chains a few albums ago, which was an easy 5, and it's hard not to compare the two. But this is a solid album as well - Chris Cornell was an incredible vocalist.

I wasn't biting my nails waiting for this to end, but when it was over I just thought, huh. And felt nothing. Would not listen again.

Ugh, what a magnificent voice. There were moments I wish he'd let it flourish a little more, but it's powerful and tender all at once, and when it shines, it really shines. I only knew Freedom! '90 before this (Christine and the Queens does a phenomenal cover of this song - the live performance from Global Citizen made me fall in love with the song, actually). I was happy to discover new songs to love as well - my favorite was Waiting for That Day ("My memory serves me far too well") and Waiting (Reprise) ("There ain't no point in moving on 'til you've got somewhere to go"). A couple of songs, such as Soul Free, really didn't do it for me, but I'm rounding my 3.5 up to a 4 anyway.

I've had Vapour Trails in multiple playlists throughout the years, but hadn't gone for the whole album yet, and - whew. I've listened to it like four times now. The official tracklist ends with Vapour Trails, but I listened through the CD bonus tracks. I love how the title track closes with the cries of seagulls in a full circle moment, as the album opens with Seagull. And, by the way, what a first fucking track. Blew my socks off. The harmonies are Alice In Chains-esque, but make it shoegaze. This is a 5 star album for me. It may not be a 10 out of 5 like some of my other 5s, but I hear something new in the lyrics or the guitar layering or the drums (the drums!) with each listen, and that's worth the rating for me. I'm so glad I got to fully discover this one.

I confess my sin of only ever having listened to Rumours (and I'll gladly add to the 5 star ratings when I get to it). I've been excited to listen to more FM, and already listened to Tusk twice. I love that they went in a different direction, though I understand not everyone did. Sure, maybe a few tracks could have been cut. But there's a variety of great songs to choose from, and none that would have me aggressively reaching for the skip button. My favorites right now are Sara, Storms, Sisters of the Moon, & Think About Me.

5 fucking stars. Kate Bush's artistry is unmatched. Her vocals, her production, her concepts, the execution of it all. She is one of my favorite artists of all time, and though I go back and forth on which of her albums is my favorite, HoL is either #1 or #2. I got to play my vinyl for this one, which has the original mix of The Big Sky. I love the way the drums come right out of the gate, and I can hear so many of the details in the backing vocals so much more clearly. Often times I like to just listen to The Ninth Wave tracks. On one such occasion, I was out walking during sunset on a crisp fall evening. I was looking up at the sky, which was a gorgeous pink/purple, and The Jig of Life was playing. Suddenly a red tailed hawk flew toward me and swooped low directly over my head - I could have touched them if I'd jumped - and then flew off high into the sky behind me. I don't know, maybe they thought my hair bun was a mouse and it was a close call, but it felt like a movie moment. I had chills, and I won't ever forget it.

Haunted Dancehall is an awesome title - but nothing on this album really evoked that feeling for me. I've been honing my rating system as I go, and from now on, 3 and above will be albums I'd listen to at least more than once, so this one will be ranked 2. Duke of Earlsfield was the only one of the first 4 tracks I enjoyed, and the 5th track was the Portishead mix, which I enjoyed because...Portishead. I actually got really into the next few tracks, especially Tow Truck. I always choose one song from every album to add to a running playlist, and that's my pick for this one. But the last third of the album left me either irritated or bored, depending on the song. Overall, not for me.

Oh, wow. My first Nina Simone album. As a pianist, I am kicking myself for never listening to any of her work outside of the few songs I was familiar with. Her playing is incredible. Oh, and her voice, the tone, the way she emotes. Four Women left me with tears stinging my eyes; I had to pause and just sit there saying wow over and over and process what I'd just heard. She is the sole songwriter on that one as well. What an incredible artist. I'm going to watch the documentary about her now and explore more of her work.

We can always use more silliness in this world - I couldn't help but smile during some of the goofier moments on this album. However, with my usual love for all things 80s, I was really expecting to like this more. Maybe it's because Whip It was one of my favorite songs as a kid, and nothing here really scratched that itch, even after a second listen. Still, lots of fun moments here, and though I did enjoy it more the second time, I don't know if I'll feel like revisiting.

I saw U2 in concert - a whole stadium singing One together is just goosebump city. That song alone is worth a whole star. For whatever reason, I don't love the last 2 or 3 songs. It's like it loses steam toward the end and could have been shortened up a bit. But overall, great album.

Listen, I know the guy's a twat. But that aside, I did not enjoy this. Okay, but seriously, with that actually aside, I found the Smiths in my formative years, and I do love their music very much. But I don't need Morrissey alone. The song I liked the most was the opener, and I figure there's enough great Arctic Monkeys songs I could listen to instead if I'm in the mood for that style. Still, it wasn't an assault on the ears so I won't go as low as 1 star.

My first introduction to Nick Cave! I've wanted to get into his stuff for a while now, and boy have I been missing out. I've listened 3 times now, I'm just in awe. On my first listen, I preferred the more mellow The Lyre of Orpheus side, but the second time I enjoyed the Abattoir Blues side more. The gospel choir is incredible. On the third listen, I really took the time to read through the lyrics. There She Goes, My Beautiful World is such a beautiful song about the creative process. Let the Bells Ring is a lovely tribute to Johnny Cash. And Nature Boy is so romantic. Ahh, I can't even choose a favorite, they're all so good. My favorite artists are usually songwriters - lyrics really take an album from good to great for me - so I was expecting I'd like Nick Cave, but I wasn't prepared to be so moved. I can't wait to dive into more of Nick / The Bad Seeds.

Respect is such a powerful opening track, I wish I could hear it for the first time again. It's a tough one to follow though, and I honestly can't remember how any of the other songs sound now that it's been a few days. But I know it's a joy to listen to her sing, and I'll plan to give this another listen sometime.

I was only familiar with It's My Life, but I love that song and generally most things under the new wave umbrella, so I figured this would be right up my alley. I've listened to this twice now, going on three, and each song roots a little deeper with every listen. His voice is so rich with emotion and the instrumentation compliments it so well. It's interesting he wanted to move away from synths and use more traditional instruments for this album. I wasn't expecting that, but I think they made something really special. After a quick read of the wiki, I'm excited to explore the albums that came after this and hear them move into jazzier, more experimental territory.

I have strong memory association from my younger days with so many songs on this album. The melancholy atmosphere of their music was pure escapism for me during some really hard times. The Headmaster Ritual, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Nowhere Fast, and Barbarism Begins at Home are my favorites. I don't care for the title track, but other than that, pure perfection. Johnny Marr's guitar playing and Morrissey's vocals are a match made in heaven, and Rourke's bass really ties everything together beautifully.

With some artists, I devour their discography as soon as I discover them. With others, I wait until the timing just feels right and select an album at random, like a treat. It seems the timing was right for Vulnicura, truly. I'm in a stage of life where I can really relate to and absorb the story. It may not be my favorite Bjork album (so far), but her expression of heartbreak is just so visceral I can feel it in my own chest. It's beautiful and difficult and unlike anything else I've ever heard.

Okay, this is so fun. Recognized the E Street Band playing immediately. As a former theater kid who loves camp, I'm into this. RIP dude.

This was rad. Will listen again.

I've been blessed by the album gods so many times in just my first 100 albums. Odyssey And Oracle is one of my favorite albums ever - those first few notes of the harpsichord immediately lift my mood, and I'm in the happiest little buzz by the time I'm through Time of the Season.

Okay, this was a fun listen. Not my usual cup of tea as I'm not a big heavy metal fan, but I bet it would be such a good time listening to this with someone who really loves it. Sometimes someone else's joy is all you need to hear through new ears. Also makes me want to re-watch School of Rock.

Hmm. I usually enjoy Damon Albarn projects, Danger Mouse too. I'd never heard of this, but based on the description, figured I'd really like it. Nope. I listened twice, and both times I felt like a heavy, oppressive fog was settling over me. It made me think of times I just wanted to dissociate, but someone would keep getting my attention and I would have to engage. I know that's a strange way to describe listening to an album, but, man. I just really felt bad listening to this. I listened to the first Broken Bells album after - I like Danger Mouse's production so much more on that one.

I genuinely enjoyed Moving Pictures, but I think it's safe to say I'm not ever going to be a huge Rush fan. Much respect, but this one wasn't for me.

"The British Jefferson Airplane" indeed. Celtic music has been in my rotation since I was a kid; it's always stirred something deep in my soul, so I'm not surprised that I really enjoyed this. I love the song Shady Grove (traditional folk song with Appalachian roots), so Matty Groves was immediately familiar. Cool to find that it originated from this old English ballad.

I've only listened to one Wu-Tang album (and thought it was fantastic), so I'm wondering if I'd appreciate this more if I were more familiar with their discography. I like to let an album marinate a few days before jotting down my thoughts, and this one hasn't been super memorable. I saw another user's comment that really clicked for me: "I like my hip-hop with hooks. Must be the pop guy in me."

Banger after banger. What else to say? It's Purple Rain.

I listened to the 2009 remastered, and it sounds fantastic. I can't imagine hearing this when it was released; it must have sounded so futuristic, and it certainly influenced electronic music for years to come. It's not the type of album I'd play regularly, but it was a fun listen. My least favorite track was The Model. It really took me out of the rest of the album for some reason. I genuinely really love Neon Lights. That will go into my playlist for sure.

Okay, this is getting 5. Is it a 10/5? No, but I just love it so much and have so much nostalgia for it. I played this to death when it came out, and am happy to say it still holds up as some fantastic synth pop. Not a single skip for me. Lauren Mayberry has such a lovely, unique voice. A great album for shaking it out with some cathartic dancing as well, which I definitely did!

I love their hits - Daydream Believer, Last Train to Clarksville, I'm a Believer - and I even used to watch the show on the oldies rerun channel sometimes. But listening to this album just makes me want to listen to the Beatles instead. The songs are well crafted and great at imitating the Beatles, as they intended. And I don't hate this, not at all. But after listening twice, I'm confident that's enough for me.

My third Miles Davis album, first of this project. I very much enjoyed this, though not as much as Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew. I'd love to listen to this out on the porch with some coffee on a drizzly weekend morning.

I listened to this twice and actually liked it less the second time. Guess this one's not for me. I do think the production is good, but the songs themselves just didn't draw me in.

I've listened to a couple Bowie albums, but he's mostly been one of my musical blind spots. I've really wanted to do a deep dive into his work, but it's always been a little intimidating, much as he fascinates me. I knew this project would help remedy the overwhelm. It's been interesting to contextualize Low by reading about how influential it's been on artists I know and love well, like Radiohead. Low certainly doesn't sound like anything else I've ever heard from that era. I understand that the way they processed the drums through a pitch shifting device (the Eventide H910 Harmonizer) is one of the most notable aspects of this album. I listened a second time with this in mind, because it's an effect I definitely take for granted in a lot of the music that followed. I really loved the instrumental back half the most, particularly Warszawa. Haunting stuff.

Imagine having a debut album with a song like Psycho Killer! I love Talking Heads and have listened to most of their albums, but this was my first listen of their first album. They are delightful, genius, goofy, sincere, and out of the box in all the best ways. 77 didn't become my new favorite, but it's still wonderful and brought my the usual dose of joy I've come to expect from their music.

I've always loved the hits, but I'd never put on a full Beastie Boys record until getting Paul's Boutique not so long ago. I was floored. It was such an easy 5 stars. I listened to Ill Communication for the first time a few weeks ago, but I was more than happy to listen again today. Another easy 5. As I did with PB, I found a video on YouTube with clips of each sample used followed by how they were used in each song. Now I know that the dog you hear on the first track is saying "I love you" and, as a dog person, I am charmed. This album features Tibetan monks, jazzy flutes, noisy guitar, groovy bass riffs, haunting violins, and so much more while being a cohesive body of work. I dig the length of the album. It held my attention for every second, keeping me surprised with each new element woven in so seamlessly. Also, I love the Q-Tip feat. His voice is so hypnotic.

Sorry Mr. Winwood, sorry other Traffic members, but I was bored. Maybe some other time this would hit right, but today wasn't that time. I do like Feelin' Alright, but it will never fail to make me think of Friskies cat food. One of their commercials used a version of that song, and, only God knows why, but it's deeply ingrained in my childhood memories, like core memory shit. I hear that song and I immediately want to go find a cat to cuddle.

I listen to a ton of pop these days, but I didn't listen to much back in the early 2000s, and I never ended up getting into Christina beyond the hits. Her voice is incredible, no denying that. And I've always loved Fighter and Beautiful, but I didn't realize how empowering and feminist the rest of the record would be. My gripe is that it's too long and a little all over the place. Maybe I'd enjoy it more with a second listen. Either way, she deserves her status as a pop icon. Oh yeah, and the transition from Walk Away to Fighter was sick.

Whoa, lots of hate for this one! All I can say is I didn't have therapy in high school, but I did have this album, and it's one that helped me process and cope with some complicated emotions. I enjoyed listening to this one again, and I think it still holds up.

I'm so torn between a 3 and a 4. I need more time with it probably. It Takes A Nation of Millions is an easy 5 star album for me, and the only one Public Enemy album I'd listened to before this one, which just didn't hit the same highs for me. By The Time I Get To Arizona and Bring Tha Noize were my favorites tracks. So good.

Spotify was playing some recommended songs based on albums I've been listening to from this project, and it was playing a Brian Eno / John Cale track from their album together. I didn't know who John Cale was, so I looked him up. Then I checked my album for the day and it was this one. That was cool. Unfortunately this album wasn't cool. I just didn't enjoy it at all. I did kind of like that song with Brian Eno though, and I like what I know of the Velvet Underground, so John Cale will get a second chance, but this album won't.

I didn't hate this, didn't love it either. Nothing really grabbed me here, and it was all very samey.

I've never listened to a full Blondie album but love the hits. What the hell, this is so good!? Loved every song, pop rock perfection.

This one's not for me. I couldn't understand a word for the most part. And sometimes that's fine. But then the music itself needs to be interesting, and this wasn't. And I do like some punk stuff too, so it's not that either. The last track, Shut Down (Annihilation Man) was kind of cool, but otherwise I wouldn't revisit anything here.

This isn't my favorite Tribe album, but it's still a 5.

I didn't know this band, but I recognized Common People, and I do like that song. However, though the actual music was agreeable enough, there were too many times where the lyrics just killed it for me. For example, Disco 2000 (which sounds like Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) mixed with Bruce Springstein, but not really anything unique itself) has a good pop rock song structure. But the lyrics make me cringe, and I can't get past it, especially when the music itself isn't anything groundbreaking. Like yeah, this guy would definitely be on r/theredpill. I didn't feel this way with every song. I really like the lyrics for Sorted for E's & Wizz, actually. But overall, it's not a high ranking album for me.

Holy shit. I only ever knew (and loved) Smoke on the Water. I didn't know the whole album was going to melt my face off.

Thinkin Bout You is up there in my favorite songs list. His voice is so mesmerizing, and the way he emotes with his falsetto just serves the song so well. I'm surprised how many of the top ratings mention how he can't sing? Are we listening to the same artist? Anyway, I'm glad I had an excuse to put this one on and get lost in the Channel Orange soundscape for a little while.

I've only listened to Ingénue before after falling in love with Constant Craving back in college. I learned a bit about her story and how she became such an icon in the queer community. I was reading a bit about her after listening to Shadowland, and came across an article in the Guardian where she is described as a "Sapphic North Star." I love that. Her vocals on this album are so lovely, pure, and open. Her voice is a 10/5 stars. I've now listened a few times through, and while I always cozy up to the mood of the album, I find I can't recall what the songs sound like later. I definitely enjoy Ingénue more, and look forward to the day I get it for this project.

Another college favorite - I got to see them live, and they were fantastic. Knights of Cydonia in particular was pretty epic, blew the recorded version out of the water. This album has stood the test of time, it was nice to listen to it again.

Okay, I was prepared for the worst and I...kind of dug it? I listened to my first Nick Cave album just a little while ago through this project, and I've listened to Abbatoir Blues many times since. I believe I've fallen under his spell, because even when the subject was tense or the music wreaking havoc on my nervous system, something about his absolutely feral vocals kept drawing me in. It's not going to be the kind of album I regularly throw on, but yeah, I'd listen again.

This paired so well with the k.d. lang album I just finished (Shadowland). They were both soothing country albums with similarly relaxing, cozy vibes. This was my first Willie Nelson album, and I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to. Some cover albums sound disjointed, each song a different flavor, and don't flow so seamlessly as this. But imagine you didn't know these songs or that they were covers - it's so well produced and cohesive. All the little details are placed so well. Favorite songs are Georgia On My Mind, All of Me, Unchained Melody, and Moonlight in Vermont.

Some days I'm in an Enter The Wu-Tang kind of mood, and others it's an Ariana Grande's thank u, next kind of day - I knew her song fake smile sounded familiar. Found a short piece on Genius talking about the history of the sample usage (After Laughter by Wendy Rene) in rap and hip-hop. Anyway, Wu-Tang did it first, and it's one of my favorite tracks on this great album. (Listen to the source of the C.R.E.A.M sample too if you haven't - it's awe inspiring when an artist can make a brilliant song with parts from other great music.)

I love the two Pet Shop Boys songs I knew before this, so I thought I'd love this. I think I may just not have been in the mood, because I thought I only liked a couple of songs. I was feeling a light 2 stars. But today I'm skipping around songs trying to remember which ones I liked, and they keep adding up as I listen to them again - Rent, Hit Music, It Couldn't Happen Here, It's a Sin, I Want to Wake Up...wait that's a 5 song run, that's half the album. I'll give it a 3 today and another listen another day.

Whoa. Okay, I've listened to this at least a dozen times already. It hypnotized me, and I would just sit and listen 2 or 3 times in a row while working on projects. I'm only familiar with the expanded version that's on Spotify, but I truly love it. Definitely best with headphones.

Stan Getz is too talented of a musician to receive only 2 stars, but this just isn't the type of music I like to actively listen to. In the background of a dinner party? I'm vibing. And Bahia was nice. But otherwise, not my thing.

Janelle Monáe is so talented. I put Tightrope on one of my mix CDs and then kind of fell in love when I saw her dance in the music video. The Electric Lady and Dirty Computer are both excellent as well. My favorite moment is the interpolation of Claire De Lune on Say You'll Go. It's so gorgeous.

One review warned not to be a dummy like them, listen to this at night, not day. It's a night album. I was a dummy. I'll give it another go some night. I really liked Pt. 3, and there were other moments throughout where I'd start to get into it a but more, but I didn't love the album. I respect the influence it has had, though.

I don't listen to much metal, but some days Metallica just hits the spot. Really solid album. I might like Ride The Lightning more, but it's been a while so I'd have to listen again to compare.

Love Dylan, I'm glad I got to listen to this today.

I really enjoyed this. It starts off so strong with Love Is a Stranger. Those high harmonies on "so it's an obsession" surprised me in the best way. Love that track. And Sweet Dreams really is one of the greats. Though none of the other songs hit the same highs for me, it was still a good listen.

I fucking love Tom Waits. This album is so, so good. He's a tremendous storyteller. His lyrics are poetry, a lot of it gritty, but then there's tender songs like Hang Down Your Head. "Hush, a wild violet, hush, a band of gold / Hush, you're in a story I heard somebody told / Tear the promise from my heart, tear my heart today / You have found another, oh baby, I must go away" I mean, come on. No one does it like Tom Waits.

This deserves its place on the list. His version of All Along the Watchtower is one of the greatest songs of all time. I like that these recordings feel like an invitation to an intimate jam session. There were a few times I found myself disengaging during the more meandering songs, though. I think stoned me would love those songs and give the whole thing a 5, but overall it's a 4 for today.

This is my second Neil Young album for this project, and another one I haven't heard before. I think the only ones I knew before were Harvest and Harvest Moon, then On the Beach and now this. He's a helluva songwriter, and I find his music very comforting.

I love introducing new genres into my listening. I think I generally vibe with Cuban music, like when I've heard it in a movie or something like that, and am curious which other Cuban jazz albums might be considered definitive. But I didn't love this album. I'm glad I listened to it once, but some of it was too repetitive to be enjoyable. Rhapsodia del Maravilloso was the best track for me.

What a discovery! I've never heard of them. This album is so easy to listen to, I think I've played it 4 or 5 times already. I was consistently pleasantly surprised by the little twists and turns on each song and how they all weave together so seamlessly. Like, I wasn't expecting the flute to make the appearance it did, but it just works so well. I will definitely be adding this to the rotation.

I knew a few songs from this album, like This Is Love - I mean, what a fucking banger. I love this whole album so much, and I've been making up for lost time since finally listening to it by having it on repeat. The Thom Yorke collabs are incredible. You can really lose yourself in a trance listening to This Mess We're In. I think it's time for a PJ Harvey deep dive.

I really enjoyed Bird on the Wire, The Partisan, and You Know Who I am. The album as a whole didn't blow me away, and there's other Cohen songs I like so much more than most of the ones here.

This is not my favorite album of his, but it's still a beautiful piece of work. Somebody That I Used To Know, Junk Bond Trader, Everything Means Nothing To Me, Easy Way Out, and Pretty Mary Kay are the highlights for me.

My second Kraftwerk album with this project. I liked this more than The Man-Machine, which I rated 3. This one will also get a 3, but it's really 3.5. The first 22 minute track was my favorite. It's such a fun listen with headphones; I love the sensory experience of the zooming from one ear to the other, mimicking the cars on the highway. Parts of it sounded a lot like Oblivion by Grimes. It's nice to recognize a modern example of their influence. I would not dispute anyone's 5 star rating - this sounds phenomenal for an album that came out in 1974. It's just not something I would regularly listen to (but I did listen 3 times already so maybe that's yet to be seen).

This has been one of those rare times I just had to white knuckle through. When I felt I couldn't listen any longer, the hilarious reviews on here kept me going. Technically there isn't anything to critique, really. I mean, she has a good voice, I just don't like it. I love Tom Waits. Nick Cave. Musicals. Cabaret. Why don't I like this? I don't know, but I've earned the right to a little melodrama after that, and I have to say my beautiful sunset walk tonight deserved better.

Ughhh college me would have ate this shit up, like what was I even doing with my life. I mean I'm loving it now, I just remember her and how this would have been the perfect soundtrack for where she was at the time. I've always wanted to actually listen to one of their albums, and this is just more positive reinforcement for why I'm doing this project. I've listened several times already, and my favorite song changes each time. Her vocalizations are spine tingling. This is an easy 5 stars, but another time I wish this were out of 10. Because this 5 doesn't hold as much weight as the one I'll be giving Abbey Road or something like that, but it's certainly one of my favorite discoveries so far.

What an album from a legend. I was really in the mood for the Blues today, which is good because I have an Allman Brothers album next. But Muddy is first, as it should be. The production is so well done on this album. I'm not one who is able to get deep into the specifics, but it was a pleasure to listen to recordings of such quality.

Hey so these guys are really great musicians, and this is the kind of thing I might have on in the background of a BBQ and groove along to while socializing. But this will be the only time I sit down and actively listen to the whole thing. I've never given jam bands a try, maybe they're not for me. It's yet to be seen.

Angels is a good song. And Let Me Entertain You had my attention, sort of. I just couldn't get past the lyrics throughout this whole album. That's my biggest gripe, like they were so bad. I'm not even going to take the time to type out specific examples because I don't want to remember. That hidden bonus track truly had me cringing the most, though. I wasn't familiar with him before this, but I looked up his band Take That, and I definitely know Back for Good. Though I'm not sure I ever had strong feelings about that song, I do strongly feel I did not enjoy this solo effort.

Oh, that magic feeling - it's Abbey Road day! There are worlds built in each song on this album, and it's such a pleasure to lose yourself in exploring them with each listen. This time, I was completely immersed in I Want You (She's So Heavy), thinking how incredibly the arrangement captures this specific emotion. I was so zoned in that my breath caught when it abrubtly ends and transitions into Here Comes the Sun. It was as close as you can get to that "first time" listen again. Such a euphoric transition. I remember being in the Borders browsing CDs, knowing I had to get something by the Beatles. I'd just listened to Rubber Soul and I needed more. A kind woman noticed, we talked for a few minutes, and then she handed me Abbey Road and said "Get this one." I think about her every time I listen and hope she's doing well. This would be an absolute masterpiece even if it ended with Because. But my god, then you have the whole medley after that. One of the best moments on the album is the breathing room between The End and Her Majesty. I'm so glad there's space there to really linger in those last words and ascending ahhhs. *And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make*

Sunday Bloody Sunday is definitely one of the best album openers on this project so far. I remember hearing it on the radio all the time at work. You know how when you hear a song too often, you kind of forget how great it is and how it made you feel when you first heard it? Well, it's been years since I really listened to it, as well as New Year's Day (just two songs later), and both songs just really swept me away today. Those may be the best songs, but the whole album really lingers in the landscape of those first few tracks, with just as much emotional sincerity. Really enjoyed this.

I'm so surprised that Fit but You Know It is listed as the favorite track by several reviewers here. The lyrics were such a massive turnoff. Like maybe our protagonist is not supposed to be the most likeable bloke, and yeah he does get the girl (for a while), but what a creepy incel. That aside, I found most of the hooks massively annoying, wasn't invested in the story whatsoever, and never thought the lines that get repeated as the refrain were really worth repeating. Dry Your Eyes was the one song I thought was alright.

I knew Genius of Love, but the rest of this album is just as fun! Scratches the same kind of itch as a Talking Heads album (though not just quite), while showcasing what the other members bring to the table. Will definitely listen again.

We need to save this dying world from its funkless hell!

This was really interesting. It's very meditative, something good for laying peacefully in a dark, quiet room. I love when Djed starts glitching out around 14 minutes in. I thought the aliens were intercepting for a hot sec.

If I'm at a local festival and there are musicians set up on a stage creating the ambiance for the crowd, I like to stop and listen for a while. I would definitely sit and tap my foot for a bit before moving on if that had been the scene for these songs. But I don't consider this essential.

I wish this whole thing was on Spotify. I really like Sweet Love. Makes me happy. She has a beautiful rich voice. This album put me in a good mood and was not a chore to listen to at all, even if it might not be a regular go-to.

I wish I had the words this album deserves. All I can say is it's one of the greatest albums ever made, and the one that solidified Kendrick as one of my favorite artists of all time. I am consistently awestruck by his artistic vision and and how brilliantly he realizes it. The rhythmic technicalities of his flow on this album blow my mind, and the way he works with his voice, the poem repeated throughout, the fusion of musical styles celebrating black heritage, the complexity of the subject matters covered - again, I really wish I had adequate words. It's a brilliant album that I learn from with every listen. Infinite stars out of 5.

I fell in love with his song Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk years ago and explored a few other songs, but never got around to a full album. This was lovely, theatrical, and vulnerable. His voice is gorgeous and very legato, and I'm a sucker for great storytelling behind a piano. I Don't Know What It Is, Vicious World, Go Or Go Ahead, and 11:11 are my favorite tracks after a couple of listens, but I enjoyed them all.

I listened to this one a while ago but hadn't gotten to the review yet. I remember knowing it would be a 2, but I skipped around the album to refresh myself. Two things - one, his vocal delivery just does not appeal to me. There's some cool lines, actually (as a SK fan, I loved "You're one of the best songs I've ever heard by Stephen King), but I just can't take the quivering, off key talk-singing. Those stylistic choices can be really effective depending on how they are used. But they do nothing for me on this album. Two, I've been amazed by many albums on this list already when I've realized what year they released. Albums so well produced and engineered I can't believe they were from the late 70s or early 80s, and not just the remastered ones. I was surprised to find out this album was from the 90s. There were a lot of elements working together on these songs, but I just kept feeling it was all disjointed and slightly off in a way I don't know how to properly describe. Anyway, all that to say, I have not wavered from 2 stars.

Wow wow wow I love this!! I thought it was really good after my first listen and definitely deserved a second. After listen number 2, I'm addicted. 1989?? How does it sound so good? Pure listening joy from start to finish, and the loop is so satisfying. Resurrection is such a high energy closer, and then you get to reel it back into chill mode with I Wanna Be Adored. Do get the hype. 5/5.

I've listened to this so many times now, and not just because it's short. I love it more each time; it really boosts my mood and energy. What a fun discovery.

I respect their influence in the punk music scene, but I've listened to this more than a couple of times trying to get something out of it, and I've accepted it's just not for me. The tracks I liked best were the two covers. Yesterday's album was Group Sex by Circle Jerks, which I thought was a great punk album, so this was a tough follow-up.

I've already had their self titled for this project, which I didn't really enjoy. This was much better, very easy to listen to. Still not my favorite, but jazzy wind instruments with rock is cool. If the whole album was more English folk like the title track, I think I'd be way more into it. John Barleycorn and Empty Pages were my favorites.

There's nothing I can say that hasn't been said. I've loved this album for many years now. It's not just music you know - it's music that knows you. I love being in total darkness with noise canceling headphones while listening and just fully immersing. This one is truly very special.

R&B is not one of my go-to genres, but I had this album on repeat when it came out. I first fell in love with SZA's voice when I heard her feature on the opening track of Rihanna's ANTI. I had to see what solo work she had, and realized I'd heard her song Julia on my college-town radio station a ton, and while I also really liked that song, her feature on Rihanna's song really showcases her signature vocals that would come to shine through on CTRL. This is probably a 4.5, but I'm giving it a 4. Mainly because - while I love vibing to this album - I can't really remember what any of the songs sound like outside of Love Galore, which is my favorite track. I prefer an album's songs to embed themselves in my brain in the most delightful way. Overall a great album, and I've enjoyed following her deserved success since then.

My first Radiohead of the project! So many of their albums hold a special place in my heart, and The Bends helped me understand and get through some of my lowest lows. The Bends, High and Dry, and Fake Plastic Trees is an insane three track run, but every single song is good if not great.

One of the reasons I'm doing this project is to be introduced to all the great albums of jazz. It's not my go-to genre, but when it hits, it hits. I really enjoyed this. I learned a lot reading some of the most liked reviews on here, for instance, Diminuendo In Blue features the infamous 27 chorus saxophone solo by Paul Gonsalves. And also the fact that parts of this were recreated in the studio. I know there are mixed reactions to this, but to me, they created a final project that really showcases the energy and joy felt by the performers and audience both. However they got there is fine by me. I listened to and am rating the original ~44 minutes, but I want to listen to the complete version sometime as well.

Gimme All Your Lovin' and Sharp Dressed Man are great, I've always liked those songs. The driving guitars / synths and steady drums are kind of addictive. I think I've heard Legs, but I never sought it out. I actively disliked I Got the Six and TV Dinners, and the rest were okay. Love their sound, but yeesh, the lyrics.

Well this was awesome. Glad to have listened to this slice of Detroit music history. I like the fuck the establishment songs the best, like Motor City Is Burning, which is a song about the Detroit Riot that they adapted from John Lee Hooker. I recommend the original song too; it's blues style, with Buddy Guy on guitar, and also very good. Starship is weird in the best way.

I've been so excited to dive deeper into Peter Gabriel - I've been working through all the Genesis albums outside of this project, but I've only heard So from his solo work. (I adore So, and In Your Eyes is one of my all time favorite songs ever ever). This album is the perfect bridge between those two points of his career. It did take me more than one listen to appreciate it as a whole when I only knew Solsbury Hill and was expecting all the songs to be more similar to that. But of course it's much more experimental prog pop, and really good overall. There's a few songs I wouldn't want to listen to all the time, but I still love Solsbury Hill and also really liked Humdrum and Here Comes the Flood.

I really enjoy the Americana sound, so in a historical context, I'm really glad I finally listened to an album by The Band. All I knew of them before was their history with Dylan. Many songs grew on me more with a second listen, but the album just wasn't the whole package to me. Highlights are When You Awake, Whispering Pines, and King Harvest (Has Surely Come).

This was wonderful. Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-Are is my favorite, and when I was listening, it really reminded me of the Cruella de Vil theme from the original animated 101 Dalmations. I remember the character Roger was a jazz pianist, and I figured the composer of the theme Roger plays must have been paying homage to Monk. Wikipedia confirms this is so! Lovely Sunday afternoon relaxation, this.

Bap de la bap, Scottish New Wave band, bap de la bap, wasn't good, wasn't bad.

My second of his for this project, I was glad to know he has more than one on here. Either/Or might be his best, but it's a tough call.

I had 21 not so long ago. 25 is really on here too? I would never argue with anyone that loves Adele. I do think she has an incredible voice. And like, I do enjoy the song Hello, but it's more like I'll sing along when it's on, not something I seek out on my own. For 21, I thought all the non-singles were mostly boring. I think that's even more true on 25, and the singles aren't as strong. I wish there was more going on with the production, like more vocal layering and harmonies, more instrumentals, anything. The landscape of most of these songs is so sparse. I get the choice to highlight her voice over everything else, but there are no surprises musically or lyrically. She makes nice songs and sings her heart out, and I understand why she is loved. But I don't connect with any of it in any meaningful way.

Beautiful album. Perfect for sitting by the window watching the first snow fall. I get the most out of their songs by reading along with the lyrics. "I still owe money to the money, to the money I owe" is such a great way to describe the situation of being under a hopeless mountain of debt. And "It takes an ocean not to break" ugh, gut punch.

This is a perfect album. I've heard many of the songs, but never the whole album before. I'm so glad I have now. I love both the original and his cover of Hurt, and they've both made me cry, but the emotion knocked me off my feet today. I sobbed, like fully broke down. The power of a song, man.

Awesome. This was a good listen. I already loved Peter Piper, It's Tricky, and Walk This Way and definitely think those are the best tracks. But the whole album brings that same high energy and the songs flow together so well.

Hmm. I don't know what to say about this one. I just wasn't feeling it. I listened to the version with 19 tracks, but I don't believe I'd like the shorter tracklist any better. The lyrics cheesed me out far too often. Even on the song I liked best, Nightime, we have "Glanced in your eyes and fell through the skies" which is lovely, but then there's "And when I set my eyes on you, you look like a kitty" which - blech. Enjoyed the uncredited SpongeBob feature at the end of Thank You Friends.

I love African music - I know that's far too broad of a statement; I'm not versed enough to be able to place countries/regions/styles, but I really do enjoy it. Listening to this album, I thought - wow! This really reminds me of the Black Panther soundtrack/score (which I love) - I should see if it's specifically because it's Senegalese, or the types of percussive instruments used, or what is it exactly that sounds so similar? Turns out, the first thing the composer did was spend a month with Babaa Maal, who was one of the main advisers for creating the music of Wakanda, and whose voice is featured in the score. I often struggle to find the words I want, but I always trust my ear. I will absolutely listen to this again.

I really dig Pixies. I love love love Doolittle, and I assume it's also on this list, and I will give it a 5 when I get to it. I know some of their other songs, so I was surprised I didn't recognize any of these ones. This is still a really solid album, even if I do prefer their earlier stuff more. My favorites right now are Is She Weird, Down To The Well, and The Happening.

Damn it. I tried. Listened to all 3 hours and 14 minutes in one go. I could have broken up the listening time, but taking multiple days to get through one album just doesn't interest me. And I don't think I'll be compelled to listen to this again, broken up or not. Obviously Ella Fitzgerald has such a clear, expressive, timeless voice. And I truly respect the effort of this passion project. But I've heard other Ella songs I thought were far more interesting than the ones from this collection, and I hope there's another of her albums in this 1001 project.

I knew Hard To Handle, and while I prefer Otis, it's a good cover. The other song I knew was She Talks To Angels, which is a 5/5 song - beautiful and heartbreaking, and I'll always love it. My favorite song I didnt know was Sister Luck. Overall, this was a really good album, and I really like his voice.

Paul Simon is one of absolute favorite songwriters, and I've listened to every album up until the ones released in the 2000s, which I still plan to get to eventually. Every single one of his records has timeless gems. I think most are probably familiar with Mother and Child Reunion and Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard from this album. Duncan, Peace Like a River and Paranoia Blues are some of the others I love. The demos for Me and Julio and Duncan are a fascinating peek into his creative process. At some point between the demo and the final recording, he made the choice to take the note on Rosie higher, and it just truly elevates the whole song. Is this as strong as Graceland, one of my favorite albums of all time? No, but I'm not giving Mr. Simon less than a 5.

I'm a Nirvana fan so I was more than happy to get to listen to this today, and I'll probably watch it as well with my next morning coffee. I'm having a hard time finding the words to describe how this whole performance makes me feel - but it's the same reverent awe that stunned the whole audience to silence after that final song. This is a snippet from a reviewer highlighted on the Wiki page - it's worth watching or rewatching the video of Where Did You Sleep Last Night after reading this. So many goosebumps. "For the final line, "I would shiver the whole night through," Cobain jumps up an octave, forcing him to strain so far he screams and cracks. He hits the word "shiver" so hard that the band stops, as if a fight broke out at a sitcom wedding. Next he howls the word "whole" and then does something very strange in the brief silence that follows, something that's hard to describe: he opens his piercingly blue eyes so suddenly it feels like someone or something else is looking out under the bleached lank fringe, with a strange clarity."

I love Maps and their other singles, but have never actually listened to one of their albums. This was fun! I would have listened to the shit out of this in college.

I've listened to two Miles Davis albums prior to this project, and Bitches Brew is one of them, though this is only my second listen through with years in between. I remember finding the space in this music to be a really cool place to relax and hang out for a while, to listen to the conversation happen organically between the musicians. I enjoyed it just as much with this second listen. Oh yeah, and the album art is also incredible.

YES great day! Such an amazing album, and I felt like I was discovering it anew today. I had My Life in the Bush of Ghosts not so long ago, which Eno and Byrne recorded prior to recording Remain In Light. I've loved Talking Heads for some time now, but I'm really gaining appreciation for Eno as well through this project, and you can really hear how close together the albums were recorded. I've also had two albums by Fela Kuti, whose music hugely influenced this album. The timing of this album generating after those others has really allowed me to treasure Remain In Light even more. Also, Angélique Kidjo has an absolutely brilliant track by track tribute album that came out in 2018. It's an homage that celebrates the African musical styles which make up the backbone of the original tracks. I can't recommend it enough if you love both this album and African music in general.

I couldn't get into this one. The instrumentals were lush and pretty, but something in the lyrics or his voice took me out of it every time. Not my cup of tea.

So I had never heard of John Grant until last year. I listened to the album that came after this one, Pale Green Ghosts, which is much more electronic (and I love the title track, which has a super cool Rachmaninoff interpolation). I recently had a Rufus Wainwright album, and this reminded me of him a lot. I owe this album another listen; I think it has the potential to grow on me given I like his second album. But for now I'm feeling 3. My favorite track was Sigourney Weaver.

I've never really listened to salsa, but this was enjoyable enough that I let it loop a couple of times through. I really like his voice and the horns and the vibes!

My third Bob Dylan album! So far he's three for three with those 5 stars, but this one is at least a 10/5. What an incredible lyricist. Besides the classic Like a Rolling Stone, my favorites are Tombstone Blues, Ballad of a Thin Man, and Desolation Row, but every song is great. I could spend hours dissecting the songwriting.

This was okay. I did really dig one track, Don't Die Just Yet. Then I read that he reworked songs from Serge Gainsbourg's album Histoire de Melody Nelson for that song. I knew of Gainsbourg, but had never actually listened to him, so I listened to the Melody album and really like it. I also love the way Belfast remixed those songs. I'm sure the album deserves better than a 2, but it's not the type of thing I'd seek out again aside from that one song.

I absolutely loved the first two tracks, When I Get To The Border and The Calvary Cross. A couple of other songs were good, but nothing ever reaches the highs of those first few songs. The End Of The Rainbow is devastating, damn. I've listened twice now, and it sits solidly at a 3.

I don't know enough about the history and world of the DJ to properly appreciate this. I'm giving it a 2 because I probably wouldn't listen again, but I'm sure it deserves better.

I love Cathy's Clown. I remember it from those infomercials for oldies compilation CDs, and I always thought the way they harmonize on that song was so pleasing to the ear. No other songs from this album grabbed my attention the same way, but it was a fun little time machine of a listen.

This album is all over the place genre wise, and none of it worked for me. I wouldn't listen again, not even as a background listen. I just didn't find it musically or lyrically compelling. Like, the track A Gospel has such a cheesy vibe and delivery to go along with the message. The instrumentals were pleasant but not super memorable.

Oh so THAT'S why people love this album. I only knew the title track and Train in Vain (Stand By Me), and maybe one or two others sounded vaguely familiar. I like all the Clash songs I know, but I'd never listened to this classic. I really enjoyed it, and it was a strong listen all the way through, with some of the back half songs being the best. Lost in the Supermarket is my pick for my playlist.

I've never listened to this, but of course Gin and Juice is a classic and I can't help but still love it for the nostalgia. It's such a well produced album and I understand its place on this list, but for me it's a 3. I only go to 4 stars if I'd absolutely listen again, and I don't really want to listen to this again. I always do my best to understand when something is a product of its time, take the good, and leave the bad. I try to analyze how some things were acceptable then that may not be now, and why that is. But these lyrics are just nasty to women and I don't want to hear them again.

I liked this more than I thought I would for a 7am pre-coffee listen. I've been excited to listen to some of the most influential punk albums through this project, but punk is not usually how I ease into my morning, ha. I'm actually listening a second time right now and think this will grow on me more. I liked the first half a lot more than the second, with Rise Above, TV Party, and Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie being the standout tracks as of now.

My appreciation for Brian Eno continues to grow as I make my way through this list. This is incredibly peaceful and calming to the nervous system. My favorite is 1/1, which immediately reminded me of the score for The Social Network (Hand Covers Bruise specifically).

I knew Nile Rodgers by name, but now I know Bernard Edwards by name too. I want to listen to this again and just zone in on that funky bass. I loved loved loved this! Lost in Music is about to become my anthem. And it's such a little thrill when you get to appreciate a classic that you've heard a million times in the context of an all around great record.

I've listened to this album many times. I never really checked the runtime, and was surprised it's well over an hour. It never feels like it. I was going to list the best tracks, but it would be over half the album. Today, In the Light and Ten Years Gone hit the hardest, with the latter being one of my favorite Zeppelin songs. What an incredible run of albums leading up to and including this one.

"If you can hear a piano fall, you can hear me coming down the hall" is such a cool line from an awesome song on a fantastic album. I don't know if this is my favorite White Stripes record, but I love it and I don't know if there are any others on the list, so 5 stars it is.

I found the majority of this album irritating. When I wouldn't even put something on for background music, well, it's a 1, unfortunately. I thought Some Kind of Kink sounded familiar and was kind of into it, so I looked up the sample and yeah, I'd much rather listen to the David Essex song, thanks.

Yay, I like this album. My favorite is still I Wanna Be Your Dog.

This wasn't my favorite start to finish, but there's still a lot to appreciate about it, like the blend of musical influence throughout, and the feel-good upbeat nature of the songs. However, I wish there was something more distinct in the production or themes or other qualities of the album tying it all together more. To me, it felt kind of like a compilation album. I love Latin piano, so my favorite song was Nadie Te Tira with pianist Eddie Palmieri, whose music I'd now like to explore.

I loved this so much more than I was expecting to. His voice is truly lovely, and the backing vocals complement him so nicely. And not only is the storytelling great, the lyrics flow like water, the meter a perfect match for the melody. And the melodies! One of my favorite moments is that climb and fall on the word wind in El Paso. Delightful. This is what I'd been hoping for when I had my Waylon Jennings album, which, while still good, just didn't leave the same impression that this did. When I listen to country music, this belongs in the rotation.

I'm always going to be biased when it's the music that was the soundtrack to my college years. I used to listen to Belle and Sebastian's first 3 albums quite a bit. I might like some of the songs on Tigermilk more, but this one is probably stronger overall. I find the front man's voice soothing, and the band member harmonizing blends so well with him. Very easygoing, good study music.

I'm struggling with this one, and not just because of the timing of the recent allegations. I used to listen to this album a lot. I love it for the production, samples, and hooks. But, just as with the Snoop album I just had, I hate how women are treated by the lyrics. Girls, Girls, Girls is just a disgusting song. And, even ignoring the misogyny, there's nothing really deep here. Even so, I can't deny this album is full of bangers. I still like it and respect its place on this list.

I was introduced to Little Richard as a little one watching his guest appearances on Sesame Street. I absolutely adored him and his infectious energy as a kid, and I'm still all smiles when his songs are on. He's a rock and roll legend, and even if I might not listen to this album often, it's 5 stars.

Holy shit. The wiki for this album is absolutely wild. This dude basically ran a cult, living in a commune with these musicians, abusing them mentally and physically and forcing practice sessions of up to 14 hours, forbidding them from leaving the house, depriving them of food. I'm reminded of J.K. Simmons's character from Whiplash, only worse. I'm surprised these circumstances aren't mentioned more in the discourse for this album. It's a product of abuse. But it's still art, beloved by many. I read the wiki after I'd already listened to the album. I've listened to one Zappa album (not through this project) and thought it was great. I adore Tom Waits. I like weird. And abuse aside, the way this album was developed and created is fascinating. I honestly enjoyed this overall. Yes, it's chaotic, but it there were times it tickled my brain in the best way. I'm not great at dissecting all the polymeter / polyrhythmic strangeness, but I love to try. It's like a nice little puzzle. I could see this growing on me more, but I'm also not ready to listen again and don't know when I will be. So today, it's a 3.

I've never listened to their debut, but I love Toxicity. And though I prefer that album, this was a great listen as well. I will absolutely give it another listen and read all the lyrics, probably exploring them on Genius. This band is worth that effort.