996
Albums Rated
3.15
Average Rating
91%
Complete
93 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
133
5-Star Albums
84
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third | 5 | 2.43 | +2.57 |
| Black Metal | 5 | 2.47 | +2.53 |
| Shleep | 5 | 2.5 | +2.5 |
| The Madcap Laughs | 5 | 2.62 | +2.38 |
| Slipknot | 5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
| Tarkus | 5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
| Scott 4 | 5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
| Ys | 5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
| Freak Out! | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Future Days | 5 | 3 | +2 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Born To Run | 1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
| Beggars Banquet | 1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
| Exile On Main Street | 1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
| Darkness on the Edge of Town | 1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
| Get Behind Me Satan | 1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
| Blunderbuss | 1 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
| Come Away With Me | 1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
| You've Come a Long Way Baby | 1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
| This Year's Model | 1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
| Achtung Baby | 1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 5 | 5 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.71 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4.57 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.75 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| The Cure | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 4.22 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.67 |
| Neil Young | 3 | 4.67 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.67 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 4.67 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 5 |
| Rush | 2 | 5 |
| Yes | 2 | 5 |
| King Crimson | 2 | 5 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 5 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| John Lennon | 2 | 5 |
| Run-D.M.C. | 2 | 5 |
| Portishead | 2 | 5 |
| Genesis | 2 | 5 |
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 4.2 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.25 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.33 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 4.33 |
| Public Enemy | 3 | 4.33 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 3 | 4.33 |
| Brian Eno | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 1.25 |
| Fatboy Slim | 2 | 1 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 1.83 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 1.8 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 1.67 |
| Rod Stewart | 2 | 1.5 |
| Ryan Adams | 2 | 1.5 |
| Happy Mondays | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Pogues | 2 | 1.5 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 2 | 1.5 |
| Bee Gees | 2 | 1.5 |
| Todd Rundgren | 2 | 1.5 |
| Christina Aguilera | 2 | 1.5 |
| Kings of Leon | 2 | 1.5 |
| U2 | 4 | 2 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 2 |
| Morrissey | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Everything But The Girl | 4, 1 |
| Metallica | 1, 3, 5, 4 |
| Tom Waits | 4, 1, 4, 2 |
| Van Morrison | 4, 3, 1 |
5-Star Albums (133)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Shack
1/5
I think that the fact that this album is in the 1001 is the biggest joke so far. I went to dozen of record stores, I'm on Facebook group with more than 15000 music lovers, I'm digging music for more than 15 years now and no one, absolutely no one ever recommended me this. I had never even seen this poor artwork before. And you know why? Because this album is insanely generic and because it is NOT a monument in the history of music AT ALL.
This 1001 thing doesn't even contains albums from artists and bands likes Phil Collins, Gentle Giant, Broadcast or American Football, but of course, SHACK IS HERE! THE QUINTESSENCE OF MUSIC.
Thank you and goodbye.
33 likes
Beck
2/5
Everybody's gonna throw rocks at me, but... I never got into Beck's music.
All the songs seem to me a collage of somewhat haphazard ideas. There's a lot of work and pretty innovative stuff, but unfortunately it never becomes memorable or catchy (at least for me).
It was like 52 minutes of "oh yeah, we're gonna put a tambourine there, oh and a robot voice here... And a sampling of that song at this moment", but it remains irrelevant at each time.
Sorry. :(
22 likes
Muddy Waters
2/5
Listening to this album is like eating 6 day old leftover food for the 4th time in the same week. The first night, it was delicious, but in the end, we eat it out of principle so as not to waste.
21 likes
The Mothers Of Invention
5/5
It's unbelievable that this album was released in 1966. So ahead of its time.
It's a molotove cocktail between psychedelic rock, concrete music and satirical doo-wop. And all of that is just the tip of the iceberg of Frank Zappa's genius. It's not the kind of album I would listen to every day, but I can't help but give it 5 stars. Damn, this was released in 1966... Impossible!
20 likes
Hot Chip
2/5
It wasn't bad nor good, it was like listening to nothing. No feelings at all. I really have nothing to say about it. Seriously, nothing better for the 2010 decade?
14 likes
1-Star Albums (84)
All Ratings
Jethro Tull
5/5
One of Jethro Tull's finest work. Many tracks are instant classics.
Miles Davis
5/5
One of my best jazz album ever. Insane music and totally free music.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Very nice album! I enjoyed it more than I thought, but I honestly don't know if it is really one of the best 1000 albums of all time?
The Young Rascals
2/5
There are some nice passages, but overall I don't get it. Unmemorable album that could be kicked out of the 1000 to make room for a more recent album.
AC/DC
3/5
It is a huge rock classic, but not a timeless one. This album has had its day of glory, but I think it's time to let it go into the "has been" folder and move on. I give it 3 stars because I must admit that there are insane radio hits in that record.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
I didn't expect that, but I loved the album. It's country, but with a slight folk undertone. Honesty and emotion are palpable in the music of Emmylou Harris. A very nice discovery for me, even if I'm not a die-hard fan of country music.
Ray Charles
2/5
This album was probably a big hit when it came out, but I really have a hard time getting attached to it. Neither the voice, nor the compositions, nor the brass arrangements or the texts make me experience anything. I'm sorry, I can't pretend and give a good rating.
Nick Drake
4/5
I have always been in love with his album "Pink Moon", but I had never dug deeper to find out more from this artist. Like everything I've heard from Nick Drake so far, this album is another gem of folk that takes us on a journey deep within ourselves.
Love
4/5
Forever Changes shows brilliant and well-crafted arrangements on well-felt compositions. Also, this is an iconic album cover for an iconic album.
The Kinks
3/5
It's a great album, but the Kinks are capable of better. There are excellent tracks like Harry Rag, Situation Vacant, Love Me Till The Sun Shines and the incredible Waterloo Sunset, but overall, this album suffers from a lack of appealing melodies.
Missy Elliott
3/5
A very nice 90s hip-hop album with Timbaland as a producer. Beats and rendition of Missy Elliott were great! However, it joins me less emotionally and I don't think I will listen to it again in my life.
Massive Attack
3/5
I'm not the biggest trip hop fan, but I have to admit that I really liked this album. It's groovy and put the listener in a nice mood. "Unfinished Sympathy" as a track is a true masterpiece, but I don't think I will come back to this album someday.
Radiohead
5/5
Alternative rock at its best. Strong and catchy songwriting. I love Radiohead. Bye.
R.E.M.
3/5
I understand the influence this album had on 90s music and there's 2 or 3 very good songs, but I know R.E.M. and I think they made way better albums than this one.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
It was like listening at noise rock, shoegaze, electro, indie pop and lofi stuff at the same time. I loved the general feeling that emerges from this record. I will definitely listen to it again.
The Specials
2/5
I've never understand why ska music is so popular. I can't take more than 5 minutes at once, or I became violent. The song "Do Nothing" was nice, at least. "Stereotype" has something special, but was way too long.
Ray Price
4/5
I really the fact that the album has an intro to put the listener in the mood. It was the best beginning of an album of this genre I've ever heard. I'm a fan of this era and this kind of country/crooner singers. They give a strong impression of their time. It's weird to say, but their music is timelessly outdated and that's the best part of it.
Doves
4/5
Wonderful album that surprised me. It could have been shorter to focus on quality, but it's a very nice piece of indie rock/britpop overall.
Fela Kuti
5/5
This album took over my body from start to finish. INSANE grooves and musicianship + the brass are perfect. Furthermore, I think this is the best performance I've ever heard of Ginger Baker, who is amongst my best drummers. It instantly became one of my favorite live recording. I will need to buy this live on vinyl.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
I think this record was quite innovative when it came out and that's why it found itself here in this list. There's some nice songs and guitar tones, but I don't find much interest in the product as a whole.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
"California Dreamin" is one of the best song ever written and recorded.
However, this band recorded other beautifully produced tracks like Got A Feelin', Somebody Groovy or The In Crowd. I am also a complete fan of this era, rich in sound and emotions and this album perfectly renders this vibe.
Nick Drake
4/5
Nick Drake is a master in the category "folk singer-songwriter" and this album wonderfully shows it. He was just one step away from his ultimate masterpiece, Pink Moon.
Air
4/5
Thunderous atmospheres with very beautiful mellotron passages. Emotive and grandiose instrumental music.
Charles Mingus
5/5
I think this is now one of the best jazz album I've ever heard. The arrangements are incredibly brilliant and ahead of their time. The sounds of each instrument are used in an original and unexpected way. I want this album on vinyl now.
The Mothers Of Invention
5/5
It's unbelievable that this album was released in 1966. So ahead of its time.
It's a molotove cocktail between psychedelic rock, concrete music and satirical doo-wop. And all of that is just the tip of the iceberg of Frank Zappa's genius. It's not the kind of album I would listen to every day, but I can't help but give it 5 stars. Damn, this was released in 1966... Impossible!
Metallica
1/5
I can't believe some humans can endure such a level of musical saturation for more than 2 hours long. Wah-wah guitar solos supported by timpani and brass punches, while the strings get excited sprinkled with "YEAAAAHAHHH" by James. All guided by a clumsy drum.
And don't get me wrong, I love Metallica and I'm a fan of their oldschool thrash metal era, but this thing is not listenable. Sorry.
The Beach Boys
4/5
The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson were nearing the peak of their genius, but still churning out a few more naive songs. Regardless, every Beach Boys song is charming, always cleverly arranged, with divine backing vocals. The harpsichord on When I Grow Up or the organ on Please Let Me Wonder... beautiful!
The Stooges
4/5
Real raw and pure rock. Hard to pinpoint why it's so good, but it is.
It must have been an amazing act to see live.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Brilliant and masterful folk pop album. It was a smash hit when it came out and that's totally understandable with great instant classic songs like Father And Son, Wild World or On The Road To Find Out.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
It's strange, I felt inclined to love this album, but... Not so much after all. There are a few good moments, but I feel like it was put together for an american market, or at least an english market, and it felt somehow weird. A sitar album starting with a cover of Jumpin Jack Flash, I think that killed the vibe right at the beginning for me.
Alice Cooper
3/5
This album comes into its own on stage, performed by Alice Cooper, but fails to be as captivating when listening at home. He has much better studio albums and I'm not sure why this one is on this list. Was it perhaps significant at the time?
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
Brilliant synth-pop album. Unlike many albums of this genre, this one goes with more delicacy, subtlety and refinement. I really appreciated it.
Black Sabbath
5/5
To produce instant classics like Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man on one and only album is a miracle, or is it genius? Tony Iommi absolutely deserves the "riff master" title after this one. Every second of this masterpiece is worth it. Black Sabbath will always be one of the best metal act ever.
Pearl Jam
4/5
I'm really not a Pearl Jam fan, but I have to admit that this album is excellent. It's an incredible start for the group (and they will never do better in my opinion), which offers memorable songs like Once, Even Flow, Alive, Black or Porch. These tracks are particularly powerful on stage.
Gotta be honest and give it its due : a good rating.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I really don't know how to rate this album. There are songs that I adore unconditionally like The Passenger, Some Weird Sin or Lust For Life, but others that I don't care about and that I find unmemorable. I guess 3 stars are gonna do it.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I've had a love/hate relationship with Led Zeppelin for a long time. Fortunately, this one is in my favorite albums of the group. The folkish songs on this record are phenomenal and Immigrant Song is a killer opener. Not a perfect album though, maybe the last 3 songs weren't needed. Anyway, it deserves 4 stars for sure.
Can
5/5
I am very happy that this record is in this list. It allowed me to listen to it again and appreciate it at its fair value. An album full of small subtleties and intoxicating details. It's both pop and experimental, charming and relaxing, yet uplifting. A masterpiece.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
Why is Bruce Springsteen screaming all the time? He pushes his voice, but I don't feel many more emotions. It's pop rock, but it's not uplifting or catchy. How could it have been a phenomenal success? No idea. Maybe the lyrics appeal to the average citizen of America and that does not do it for me. But above all, it's sooooooo generic.
Billy Joel
3/5
A nice pop album, with a very punchy, strong and catchy A-side. Unfortunately, along the next part of the ride, there are songs that are rather average and a bit annoying like Only The Good Die Young. Maybe "The Stranger" is an overrated album or I'm just not a fan of Billy Joel? I don't know.
Laibach
4/5
I didn't know this band and this might be my favorite find on this list so far. It was unpredictable, but wow! I'm not a fan of this musical trend, but you can see that Laibach had a strong influence on industrial music. The album is both grandiose and humorous, with catchy songs, but with a rather severe tone. I like contrasts and there are a lot here.
The White Stripes
3/5
A cool indie rock album from the beginning of 2000. However, Jack White's music always left me a little indifferent, I didn't manage to like it at its fair value yet. My two strong points of the album would be: the ultra simplistic and powerful drum of Meg White and the magnificent song "We're Going To Be Friends".
The Byrds
4/5
Listening to this record is both soothing and energizing, it's a positive experience. The Byrds' sound is unique, the perfect symbiosis between well-written folk and pop/rock.
Stan Getz
4/5
I should listen to more Stan Getz. With each album that I discover by him, I am always amazed by his refined, romantic and at the same time catchy music. Moreover, the percussions are subtle, but so effective. Awesome record!
Metallica
3/5
Ah, what to do with this album? It's a phenomenal commercial success and I think you can call it a metal masterpiece. There are sensational guitar riffs and the lyrics can easily be learned and sung by heart, with probably one of James Hetfield's best vocal performances. However, we have heard it so much, but heard it SO MUCH, that I am not even able to listen to the best songs of this record anymore. And the others, you have to admit, are fillers. The album is too long-winded. If I hear Enter Sandman again in life, I'm going to vomit blood, so here's a note that will be fair to me, and to Metallica.
John Prine
4/5
I'm really happy to have discovered this album, thanks to this list. Excellent country/folk with surprising lyrics and very emotional guitar playing. It's a shame I didn't knew this artist before.
Garbage
4/5
I vaguely knew Garbage from a few songs I heard in movie soundtracks. I didn't think I was going to like this album so much, but I did! Shirley Manson offers a beautiful vocal performance and the musical arrangements have something subtly unique. Very happy to have listened to this album.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
A man, a guitar and that's it. With all the modern means of production that we hear on today's albums, a return to basics is often very pleasant. Ramblin' Jack Elliott not particularly hooked me, but I'm happy to know him better now!
Blur
2/5
Badhead, The Debt Collector, Clover Over Dover and This Is A Low. You can only listen to these 4 songs, the rest is rather average and is forgotten very quickly. I'm not sure what this album does on this list, but it would be a good candidate to drop to make way for more modern material.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Unfortunately, I had never heard this Michael Jackson and after just one listen, I think it became my favorite. Incredibly groovy bass, sensational horns and quite sophisticated synthesizer on a few tracks make it a very developed pop album.
Madness
2/5
There's nothing absolutely atrocious about this record, it all fits together, but it never becomes engaging or good. It's even rather boring.
David Bowie
4/5
Not necessarily in my David Bowie top 5, but definitely an iconic album. The juxtaposition between Mike Garson's incredible piano performance and catchy glam rock is quite unique. Always nice to come back to this record.
Taylor Swift
2/5
There is nothing atrocious on this record. Nothing bad, but really nothing interesting either. It was surprisingly boring. I don't get why this music gets so much fame and praise. Who knows!
Justice
5/5
Electro duet from France, Justice broadened my musical horizons with this release, at the time. With the album “Cross”, it was the first time that I appreciated more “heavy” electro music. My last spin on this record was a few years ago and I have to say I'm quite impressed listening to it with my ears today. It’s 2000s electro, but nothing has aged badly. It could have come out yesterday.
Finally, was this album avant-garde? We can detect bass lines and "strings" quite nu-disco. The inclusion of touches of classical music and funk makes it more timeless too, I imagine.
Everything is "toned" to perfection, the drum'n'bass is in reinforced concrete, it's quite arranged and licked while allowing itself to be noisy and without concession.
Nice rediscovery for me.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
I had never heard an album so funky and groovy, but at the same time so smooth and executed with restraint. A very nice discovery for me and I hope to find this one on vinyl.
Norah Jones
1/5
Nothing explicitly bad, but nothing. Nothing. It's probably the most boring album I've heard in my life. Always the same volume, the same tones, the same tempo and somewhat empty & generic lyrics. I can't believe this was a hit and a milestone of the 2000s.
3/5
I especially liked the voice and the interpretation of Loretta Lynn on this album quite appreciable. However, there is nothing that stands out that much. Good album!
The Replacements
4/5
Unfortunately, I did not know this group and it was missing in my musical knowledges. I found The Replacements to have a phenomenal energy, they are punchy and quirky while maintaining a very standard formula for a rock band. I loved it.
JAY Z
2/5
I found the Heart of the City and Blueprint trails to be excellent, the rest was like a long cruise a bit monotonous and waveless.
Supergrass
3/5
I don't really know what to say about this album. Everything is good without being exceptional. It reminds me of Oasis, but without huge songs that lift us up.
Dr. Dre
4/5
"With a producer who can rap and control the maestro at the same time". This line represents Dr. Dre very well. In addition to being, in my opinion, the best hip-hop producer I know, he has his own vibe on the microphone and he knows how to rap. The lyrics on this record have certainly aged badly, and the album might be a little too long, but the tracks are musically mind-blowing. The appearances of Snoop Dog are also excellent.
Joan Baez
3/5
A good folk record, nothing particularly hooked me, but the whole album flows very well and the intimate atmosphere that reigns there is beautiful.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
A good album, but overall, a few very nice moments. The track "Where Does It Lead" was my highlight of this album, it might be the only song that I will listen again in the future.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
Shame on me, I had never taken the time to listen to this band until today. What a wonderful discovery! I really like post-punk, but I really love the "goth rock" style, so I was delighted. Unique vocals and powerful percussion alongside all you need in great gothic and dark 80s music. I will certainly buy this record and listen to it over and over again.
Van Morrison
4/5
I really like the "disjointed but worked" aspect of Astral Weeks. It's full of little instrumental arrangements here and there, but it never seems completely written. Van Morrison seems to have no qualms about expressing himself a bit more eccentrically than other folk singers of the time. I wouldn't listen to this record every day, but I always liked it.
The Byrds
4/5
As usual, The Byrds have produced a soft and well-crafted album, which has the effect of a sunny day where it is good to live peacefully. I love their vibe and would be ready to listen to them at any time.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
I can't.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Well done and nicely produced pop album. I appreciate this material much more than his recent folk album. It's not my type, but it's good. A bit generic though, absolutely nothing stands out from the rest of current pop music. 3 stars will do it.
Billy Bragg
3/5
This is a good album, there's no doubt... But I find it hard to spend 50 minutes at the same tempo, with the same instruments playing the same mood and the voice giving off the same emotion, particularly in folk music. I enjoyed it, but I will not listen again.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I've always enjoyed the soulful playing and creativity of Stevie Wonder, especially in songs like Golden Lady or Visions, on which the guitar is absolutely beautiful and well rendered. Groovy synth tones found on this record are also very nice.
Paul Simon
3/5
It's a very good album, especially the folk songs on it, but... I still wonder why it's on this list. There is nothing very singular, innovative or special on this record. Maybe I didn't get something? Anyway, that was a pleasure to listen to it.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
A good soft rock album with a unique and inexplicable touch that makes it a bit outcast. "Jump Into The Fire" is an insanely great track that I knew before (thanks to the superb Heather Trost cover of that song). However, I don't feel bounded to this record and I don't think I'll listen again.
The Black Crowes
1/5
Half of the songs seem like plagiarism from other rock acts.
The other half is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo generic.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Very nice and groovy album. The instruments, and especially the drums, are intense, fast, efficient and rowdy, in a way... I love it!
A record that lives up to its name!
Beatles
5/5
This is my favorite album from one of my favorite bands. Everything you could want from the Beatles can be found there: pop songs, deeper folk ballads, psychedelic moments, their heaviest piece, experimental material, etc. I could listen to it anytime!
Miles Davis
4/5
A wonderfully flowing jazz album that can be played at any time of the day or the night, it will always be good. For me, it's not a jazz essential, but definitely a must for any Miles Davis fans.
Paul Simon
3/5
Well produced material that has not aged well. This album is like a very pleasant and gentle little cruise, to do once in a lifetime, but without necessarily wanting to go back.
Funkadelic
3/5
It's a good and nice album, very nice vibes in it. However, it misses something special... Maybe a lack of catchy melodies? I don't know. But I appreciated it.
Primal Scream
2/5
There are a few nice ideas here and there, but overall it was boring. Screamadelica doesn't made me feel anything. Sorry. :(
The Who
3/5
Despite the fact that there are 5-6 really excellent songs, Tommy is perhaps the most boring Who album, because it is too long and has a lot of fillers. I'm a Who fan, so it kind of breaks my heart to say it like that... However, I have to admit, it made me want to listen to the film again. I hope the next Who's album will be the killer "My Generation"!
The Doors
5/5
In my opinion, this is not their best, but hey... how can I give under 5 stars to a Doors album?
Marvin Gaye
3/5
An album that is neither excellent nor bad. It is exactly what is expected, without surprise or disappointment.
Anyway, I don't remember it anymore.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Very enjoyable album. The opening massive hit "Respect" puts you in the mood for a 1967 soul music ride. I always loved the sounds and tones from this period, especially the brass sections and drums. Aretha Franklin is a unique and powerful singer. A must listen.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Missy Elliott has a less flashy attitude on this album, the songs are laid back, but solid. The beats are catchy. It's not my type and I'll probably never go back to it, but nice job!
T. Rex
2/5
There are some cool songs here and there, but... Pretty basic rock. It's hard to believe that this artist had a huge success in the early 70s, surrounded by all the other rock legends there were at the time. Maybe I don't understand or it was really on show that the magic happened?
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
An album filled with exciting and extraordinary rhythms, wonderfully well arranged. Stunning and groovy bass lines. I had fun throughout my listening. Strong 4.
Willie Nelson
3/5
A sweet and sad album that hardly changes mood throughout. A complete work of slow and melancholic country can be long. The album ended up losing my interest. But... It was great in a way. 3 stars will do it.
Simply Red
3/5
A love/hate album for me. So many brilliant synthesizer lines and very catchy sounds that defined the 80s, but at the same time, half of the songs make me think Simply Red were trying too hard to be popstars by clumsily borrowing soul music or jazz aesthetics. Glad to know them better anyway!
Arcade Fire
3/5
I don't like this band, nor this album, but apparently it was a very influential work on an unpleasant musical trend of the late 2000s. It's revolutionary and my friends will hate me if I give it the bottom of 3 stars, so here comes 3 stars and I never want to hear about it again.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
A strong 4 for Heaven Or Las Vegas. I loved the very coherent atmosphere that reigns all along the album, there are lots of little gems throughout. It would only lack a little more catchy side overall for it to be perfect. I really need to discover more from Cocteau Twins. Glad it was on this list.
Spacemen 3
2/5
2 or 3 nice songs, but overall, it was as boring as the cover art. As it is described with words like "psych" or "shoegaze", I would have liked to like that so much, but sorry... I can't.
David Crosby
5/5
I've been a Neil Young, Byrds and CSNY fan for so long... I'm almost ashamed that I didn't pay attention to this album before. From the second song, I already felt at home. The nosy, imperfect and magnificent guitar, the divine vocal harmonies, the subtleties brought by each musician.
A very pleasant listen and I hope to find this vinyl record very soon!
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Very interesting album. As always, Bjork is perfect. On the drum side, it feels like Neil Peart playing in a post-punk band and it's really cool. Among the other musicians, I feel a strong desire to innovate. However, it looks like a young group whose best is yet to come, with songs just not yet fully developed or compositions not strong enough. It's hard to rate this album. I feel in a good mood: 4 stars.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
There are a lot of very strong songs on the disc (Sara, Sisters of the Moon, Brown Eyes, Walk A Thin Line, etc). It would have been a good 35-40 minutes of excellent material. Unfortunately, these tracks are drowned in fillers equivalent in duration. So I'm giving this album a 3, but it would have been a strong 4 without the completely useless songs like Not That Funny.
Also, I have to mention... Damn. Stevie Nicks vocal performances are always so spot on!
Super Furry Animals
2/5
The theremin solo was nice, otherwise, it was boring and forgettable.
Joy Division
5/5
Joy Division is a group that does both rock and art. Multiple small sonic details make the album incredibly fascinating. The percussions are powerful and original, the guitar and the bass so dark and well blend. All this crowned by the strong emotions released by the singer and his inimitable voice. The alignment of the last 3 songs is probably one of the strongest moments of post-punk.
Ok, I'll admit it, I listened to the album twice in a row.
Parliament
4/5
George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell are the best funk power trio out there. I discovered them in my long quest of listening to all Buckethead's collaborations and their music stayed with me. What a groovy insane album that had a strong influence on the 80s/90s hip-hop. Really like this one!
Gang Of Four
3/5
Very good post-punk album, but unfortunately, nothing particularly hooked me up and it won't fit into my genre classics.
Coldplay
3/5
Some very strong songs that became timeless hits and some weaker and boring ones. It's kind of "half'n'half" so I'll go with 3 stars.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Sounds like an average soundtrack from an average 90s action movie. I'll tell you, it's not my cup of tea. That said, there are some good ideas and the more downtempo tracks in the second half of the album are very good.
Mike Ladd
4/5
I liked this album a lot more than I thought I would. Conscious and/or abstract hip-hop is always welcome. The groovy double bass throughout the album was very nice and the keyboard sounds were sometimes even reminiscent of Radiohead. The flow of Mike Ladd is varied and perfect. The only flaw of the album is that it was too long.
The Charlatans
2/5
I have no problem with this band, it's not bad at all. But please make room for newer, more alternative bands instead of putting generic stuff like that in the challenge. Looks like a copy of Oasis, but without personality.
Buck Owens
3/5
A very nice country album, very representative of the genre. Pleasant listening. Nothing that stands out either, though.
CHIC
3/5
It's a very good disco album, with strong instrumental moments, nice arrangements and a monumental hit. It's not an album that I would keep with me forever, but I had fun and great time while listening to it.
Nas
5/5
I'm not a big connoisseur of hip-hop, I don't have many references to explain it, but... It's one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, isn't it?
It seems to me that the flow of NAS is varied and perfect. The beats are very easy to listen to, not too flashy, but far from being empty and without interest. The man seems to have a lot of vocabulary and he knows how to use it.
Haircut 100
2/5
Sometimes everything is there to make it work... Energy, variety of instruments, excellent musicians, etc. But, for some reason, there's absolutely nothing on this record that I found uplifting or that I want to listen to again.
The Auteurs
2/5
Again, sometimes almost everything is there to make it work, but in the end, you end up with a quickly forgettable product.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
The album contains nice moments, but it is very long-winded for an album with barely no mood variations. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it either. Glad to know better this group that I only knew by name.
Joy Division
5/5
I listened to this album for the first time when I was a teenager and I hated it. Fortunately, tastes can continually evolve. At the point where I am now, I can say that it is one of the best albums that life can offer us. It's the definition of "dark, but uplifting".
"I've been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand,
Could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man?". It's one of the best album opening line ever, isn't it?
It's also unbelievable that they came with a so mature and accomplished sound/lyrics in their early twenties. Ian Curtis' voice, words and interpretation are so neat and refined.
Unknown Pleasures is a timeless masterpiece without a doubt.
Beck
2/5
Everybody's gonna throw rocks at me, but... I never got into Beck's music.
All the songs seem to me a collage of somewhat haphazard ideas. There's a lot of work and pretty innovative stuff, but unfortunately it never becomes memorable or catchy (at least for me).
It was like 52 minutes of "oh yeah, we're gonna put a tambourine there, oh and a robot voice here... And a sampling of that song at this moment", but it remains irrelevant at each time.
Sorry. :(
Ice T
3/5
It's a very good album that represents well the gangsta rap genre.
I liked the references to rock music and even that Ice-T takes the time to express his opinion on the subject during the record. There are nice tracks and punchlines. The sampling of Black Sabbath or Carpenter were very cool.
That said, why making so long album while all the music is on the same pace? I'll never understand how it can be interesting for so long while being always on the same pace.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Did I listen to this album well? If so, I don't remember anymore.
Ramones
4/5
Breakthrough and iconic album. All of the songs feel the same and that's perfect like it. Short and sweet. I can't say I'm a fan, but this record is engraved in music history forever.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
This is one of the best hard rock album ever. I hate it.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
It's a good album, but no more than that for me. Classic, without taking risks, without innovation, only very conventional rock. I have nothing to say about it. A few arrangements were clever and nice. Ok, next.
Elvis Presley
4/5
A beautiful representation of what Elvis can be apart from his big big hits. The song "Fever" is one of my favorite interpretations of the King. And as always, a flawless voice with his unique mood. Amongst his best albums for sure.
Aimee Mann
1/5
What?
FKA twigs
3/5
Dream pop, glitch hop, whatever it is, it was nice, creative and original. I can't say that I'll come back to it again, but I appreciated it. Glad to see a few more recent albums in this list.
Miles Davis
5/5
How can someone give less than 5 stars to this monument? I don't know and I don't want to know.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
It's hard to rate this album well. It's a major record of the 90s, the intention behind it, to make a concept album so long at that time... It's spectacular and quite off-track.
However, I don't know if in the end, it is totally successful. There are a lot of unmemorable songs. I feel that it could have been an excellent album of about forty minutes, since there are also plenty of good tracks like Tonight Tonight, To Forgive, Cupid De Locke, Where Boys Fear To Tread, 1979, By Starlight... The concept is very good, but extended over two CDs, it's too much, sorry.
Rush
5/5
Very important album for me. I discovered it when I was a young teenager and it marked me for life. I still remember the first time I heard Tom Sawyer... That's when I really became aware of the instrument that is the synthesizer. I was also stunned, inevitably, by the creative and insanely skilled Neil Peart.
I was equally fascinated by Alex Lifeson's badass guitar and Geddy Lee's unique vocals and versatility.
This record opened my mind to music and was an invitation to discover rock in the broadest sense. Damn, let's say it, I love these guys from the bottom of my heart.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
I'm really glad I discovered this album via the 1001 albums generator. I never heard of them before and it's amazing stuff. Post-punk, new wave, psychedelic... Everything is there for me to love this record. The synth tones and layers were perfection.
Randy Newman
2/5
There's a hype around this album that I just can't get. It's not bad, but I just don't get it.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Music of Aretha Franklin is always surprising and I understand better the legacy around her now that I've listened to 2 full albums. Sound, instruments and musical arrangements from this era are always so nice. Really liked it.
Beastie Boys
4/5
An album that became an instant classic. I can't say that I'm deeply attached to it, but I like it, always fun to listen to.
Kanye West
3/5
There are other Kanye West albums that I think are completely awesome, but I don't know why, I'm having a hard time liking this one. That said, it's definitely good stuff.
Yes
5/5
One of the finest albums of Yes, and even one of the best albums of the progressive rock movement. This work strikes the perfect balance between complexity and catchy, interesting music. There is also an excellent contrast between heavy/electric music and classical/acoustic music.
Furthermore, all the musicians here are at their best and especially Jon Anderson. I consider this record as his best vocal performance ever.
Carole King
3/5
A nice and sweet album to listen to.
It doesn't reinvent anything, it's not hurtful or uplifting or breakthrough. In short, it does absolutely nothing other than being a good album. Cool!
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Listening to Sinatra over supper or just a few songs through others is wonderful. I love his voice and his music takes us straight back to the 50s.
However, close listening to a full album quietly becomes torture. The brass punches and somewhat empty phrases he sang become very heavy to bear.
Air
4/5
An album where the tones of all the instruments are perfect, especially the bass. The atmospheres are wonderful. A beautiful offering from Air, music you can easily get joyfully lost in it.
George Jones
2/5
Generic country. Amongst the best albums ever, for real? Sorry, but no one care about The Grand Tour in 2022.
Beck
4/5
I think it's the first Beck album that I love from start to finish. It must be said that I am a fan of Nigel Godrich and that his participation appears enormously on the album. There's a lot of rich and uplifting arrangements. The voice is also very calm and felt. Great record!
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
What a refreshing selection in the 1001 challenge. Finally a bit of samba, where the rhythms are creative and polyphonic and where the arrangements contain plenty of synth and wonderfully well-used brass. Very happy to have discovered this album!
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
Why. Why he's always shouting for absolutely nothing? This combined to annoying saxophone and lifeless piano. I'm sorry, I know he's a legend but I'll never be able to enjoy his music.
Linkin Park
3/5
A great album that turns out to be a classic of my generation. I don't think it aged that well and I'm not sure it will stand the test of time. Who knows?
GZA
5/5
Very happy to have discovered this album via the 1001 challenge. The hip-hop sound of the mid-90s was fantastic and this record is an amazing representation of it. I can't wait to listen to it again and give a better attention to the lyrics and subtleties.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
I found myself liking this album a lot more than I thought. I did not expect such beautiful and rich arrangements of wind instruments. The compositions are generally well felt and honest.
What keeps me from giving it 5 stars is the length of the album. Too long for one and only vibe. I felt lost and a little offset at a few points.
Sabu
2/5
It's a cool album if you're really into cuban rumba and percs, but I don't feel it really uplifting, engaging or catchy. I'll probably even forget I ever listened to that. The guitar parts were great and refreshing, tho.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
It's a great jazz album I had never heard of before. I'm glad I discovered it, it had really strong parts. Sadly, these beautiful moments are distributed sporadically on an album, once again, too long and samey.
Bob Dylan
4/5
To me, Bob Dylan is much more about songs than albums, however Blood on the Tracks is perhaps one of his finest works as a record.
Tangle Up in Blue, Idiot Wind, Simple Twist of Fate and Buckets of Rain are amongst my favorite Dylan songs. There's a unique spirit in those tracks, conscious and honest lyrics, a soulful interpretation and musically, it's just enough catchy.
The Saints
2/5
I don't know.
Suede
2/5
There's a few memorable and nice moments, but really a few. This seems to be a blend of the glam side of David Bowie, The Who and Foxygen, but it never reaches the quality of even one of those three.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Wow! What a surprising album! He might not have the best flow or the most catchy beats, but the lyrics and sincerity make this album outstanding. We can found there more than punchlines, these are literally punch-paragraphs. The title is also absolute gold. Really great one!
Milton Nascimento
4/5
A refined album recorded by outstanding musicians. I loved the subtle and soulful mix of jazz, folk and Latin music, with a little psychedelic and bossa nova touch.
I will come back to this album for sure, even if I found it a little long winded for something that is on the same mood all the way through.
Rod Stewart
1/5
It was so boring and generic. Thank you.
Brian Eno
4/5
It's undeniably an excellent album with great songs. The bass and synthesizer tones and playing are masterpieces on their own.
Even if it's a pop record, I also like that the ambient music side of Eno stands out, like on the tracks "Through Hollow Lands" or "Spider And I".
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
This album is so important that no one cares uploading it properly.
Seriously, there's a few nice moments, like the main title, but it felt more like fragments of songs glued together than a full album.
Gene Clark
4/5
It would seem that the people behind the 1001 challenge are Byrds fans. And that's to our delight. I didn't know this album and now I would like to find it on vinyl... Wow! A very nice mix between folk, country, psychedelic. An engaging album that I want to hear again.
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
I'm more of a fan of what the Wu-Tang Clan members did individually than this album, but it's still an undeniable classic of the genre. If you're into hip-hop, you can't miss that one.
Blur
2/5
With Song 2, Theme From Retro, You're So Great and Death of a Party, we would have had a strong and wonderful EP. Instead, we get a long winded and never ending, boring 1 hour album.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Jacques Brel is a truly amazing French singer and he has several great songs to his credit.
Given that the record present on this list is a live album, I expected that we would feel something special in this live album... Strong emotions, a particular contact with the public or an unusual energy.
Unfortunately, it remains rather cold throughout. As long as that, I would have taken a studio album by Brel instead.
Sex Pistols
4/5
I love this album, because when it came out, it stirred things up and kicked a few elitist ass.
Also, their sound and vibe are distinctive from many other punk bands, which is really great.
OutKast
3/5
Maybe my least favorite album by OutKast, a hip-hop act that I really like. I can't explain why this one made its way to the 1001 and not ATLiens or Aquemini, but here it is.
This one, Stankonia, is half and hour too long. With a duration of 1h15, it completely lost my attention at a certain point.
Still... There's some good beats, catchy hooks and great flow out there. 3 stars.
The Smiths
4/5
Classic album that is musically almost perfect. The songs are so smooth, but uplifting and grandiose at the same time. They sound indescribably refreshing, even to this day.
Morissey's interpretation sometimes seems a little forced out or too much "I want to be special", that's the main point that prevents me from giving it 5 stars. Also, there are maybe 2 songs that seems more to be fillers.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Buddy Holly always had a special place in my musical development. When I was a teenager, I saw the movie "The Buddy Holly Story" and really enjoyed it. It seemed to be a really great guy caring a lot for the music he was doing, and he was delivering with passion and honesty. At least, that's what the movie depicted and it was enough for me to learn from it.
Anyway, this album contains so many hits that transform the futur of rock music. That'll Be The Day, Oh Boy, Maybe Baby and the great Not Fade Away, which was re-interpreted by countless groups. It was released in 1957. Buddy Holly is the definition of a rock'n'roll pioneer.
Fugazi
4/5
Really glad I had a chance to listen to this band for the first time via 1001. In the hardcore/punk world, I'm more into the post-hardcore vibe and this album fits very well into it.
The vocals are violent, raw and emotive and the guitar parts are perfect to support this.
I'll come back to this album again and maybe I would give it 5 stars in the futur?
LL Cool J
3/5
This album is the exact definition of a 3 stars. Tracks are not bad, not solid, just enough to be good and enjoyable. Not a masterpiece, not a bad album. In fact, I have nothing to say about it, positive or negative.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Ok. This album has a few moments that haven't aged well, it's not my favorite of the band, but I would feel dishonest to give it anything other than 5 stars. So much heavy/catchy/fast/efficient moments on this. A recipe mastered by Iron Maiden.
It was Bruce Dickinson's initiation into the band. Imagine the reaction of people the first time they heard this powerful and distinct voice. It must have been insanely overwhelming. A unique voice and strong riffs and songs to support and honor it.
Also, from a personal point of view, I have lots of good memories of my adolescence linked to this album. Meeting metalhead friends, enjoying the music, learning to play it... Playing to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4!
Anyway, a great and outstanding album for sure.
Moby
3/5
Better than expected. I'm not a huge fan of 90s downtempo, but this album has a little something. Moby uses the piano very well and the strings texture are beautiful. A great album to get lost in it. The last few atmospheric tracks were superb. I would have like it a little shorter, with only the best material on it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
CCR... Always nice to listen to them. I like the subtle heaviness of this one. This is not my favorite from them, a few of the songs are pretty ordinary, but at least, it never becomes boring. I expect to see their very first album on the list.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
I really appreciate their exploratory folk rock formula, with a hint of experimentation.
As I'm a huge Neil Young fan, this album inevitably has a special place in my heart, with the magnificent Broken Arrow as its conclusion.
However, I have to admit, the album contains some fillers, so 4 stars.
Neil Young
5/5
A timeless classic of folk music that borders on perfection.
The lyrics, the emotion, the arrangements, the compositions, the interpretation. Everything is there. There are times like this where the magic worked 100%.
Beyoncé
1/5
In the spectrum of hip-hop, this album is on the side that I like the least. How can we offer an honest work that comes from the heart and soul when there are 3 producers and 7 authors per song? It really sounds like pre-formatted music for commercial radio. Maybe it's not... but either way, it's really not for me.
The Specials
2/5
2 great songs and a whole bunch of nothing to care about. I know this is an important album for the genre, but I just can't get it.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Magnificent album by the Beach Boys focused on the arrangements of instruments and voices. Lots of experimental details, but which don't become "too much" like on Pet Sounds, for example.
There are darker songs than usual. It's also more focused on moods than catchy melodies. Amongst my favorite albums from this band. Love it.
The Birthday Party
3/5
It is a cool, angry and edgy album, the singer is very nice, a kind of pissed-off Jim Morrison... but it lacks the "engaging" factor for me. I appreciated it, but I don't remember it and do not want to listen to it again. Glad to know it exists, tho.
The Only Ones
3/5
The vibe on this album is really good, everything fits from start to finish. However, it's not enough catchy or engaging... or it do not contains anything special to makes it a stand-out album. I had a nice moment listening to it, tho. 3 stars for me!
Aerosmith
2/5
I'll give it 2 stars because my favorite Aerosmith song is on it (Sweet Emotion), but otherwise, it would have been 1. This album is so boring and lifeless and generic, it's hard to believe it actually exist. Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion could have been 45 rpm singles and that's it.
The Beach Boys
4/5
It's a really important and historic album. The arrangements and the production are incredible, we feel that Brian Wilson gave everything on this record.
Unfortunately, it's not my favorite of the Beach Boys. Sometimes the overly polished look turns into a tacky mess. But there's no doubt, great album.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Leonard Cohen is a master of words and feelings. It's hard not to be taken away by his music. This album is another proof of his talent and legacy.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Honestly, I have no opinion on this album.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
5/5
I'm really surprised that this album is part of the challenge, I find it very "proghead only".
In any case, it remains a great, complex, but somehow catchy record.
Carl Palmer's drumming has always impressed me on Tarkus. He created a percussive musicality full of creativity.
Keith Emerson's organ is full of virtuosity, as usual, but there is also good research in the sounds. Some have aged badly, but it gives a charm.
On the side of Greg Lake, we find his more tragic singing, which comes to him from his previous group King Crimson. And it feels good. It brings the more personal and emotional aspect through all this musical complexity.
Ok, to me, it's a masterpiece.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
A few nice moments here and there.
I particularly liked the medieval brass which arrive sporadically. The song "The Wold of Velvet Fortune" is the hidden gem of the album.
Unfortunately, most of it was not so engaging.
The The
3/5
It was a really good album with really cool arrangements, but I can't quite put it down. It was dark themed with sympathetic outbursts of brass and marimba? It's like I don't know what to feel listening to it. Which sometimes can be good, but... I don't know, I didn't find myself there on that one.
Elton John
3/5
Good album. Not my favorite from Elton John, there's a few song that I don't care about... But there's nice tracks anyway : Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water, Indian Sunset or All the Nasties, well composed and arranged tracks directly from one of the best pop maker ever.
Traffic
4/5
This album is like a big fondue of folk, psych, prog and jazz-rock. The result is eclectic and rambling, but certainly tasty. Great album!
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Making glam rock without any catchy songs is like making pizza without the dough.
2/5
It's saturday, I don't even remember having listening to this.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Ella Fitzgerald's voice and singing is soulful and certainly legendary, I enjoyed it very much. However, her backing music/band is very common and generic easy listening jazz, which made the overall record a little boring. Without Ella, it would have been an album I don't care about.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
It wouldn't be in my top 5 from Joni Mitchell, but it's still enjoyable as she's always doing quality and music with good vibes.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I'm not a huge fan of Amy Winehouse, but I have to admit this album became a classic of the genre and a part of the music history. A lot of very clever instrumental arrangements on this and Amy is a great singer. What could go wrong?
Def Leppard
2/5
45 minutes of generic and boring rock made with verses only and no hook or chorus. This is a hard ride, not hard rock.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
It's a cool album, the feeling and the vibes are there. However, it's also kind of generic, they sound like The Yardbirds without any distinctive songs or touch.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Has blues rock been that significant in the history of music? Which group was influenced by that afterwards? Oh yes, things like Black Crowes who did the same generic bullshit.
Originally, the blues was the coolest thing to come to North America. A way for people to express themselves and play anywhere, anytime. A liberation. Until it turned into generic blues rock played by musicians with no creativity and no message. It's easy, it sells, so why not?
At least Clapton had the decency not to do like Led Zeppelin by covering (stealing) old blues songs.
Anyway... Damn, give us a Muddy Water, Albert King, Lightnin" Hopkins or a Buddy Guy album, so we can enjoy what the real and felt blues is about.
Ok, so now. I must say I enjoyed the song "Let It Grow" and that it's not a completely bad album. But one of the best album ever? NO.
ZZ Top
3/5
Another generic blues rock album to add to the long list of this challenge, but at least the ZZ Tops have personality and a sound of their own. And, as a bonus, some hits. Nothing special here, but I was happy to listen to it.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
1/5
Seriously, this album is here? No one in 2022 care about this album anymore. Who would? Fans of alternative rock? Of hip-hop? Who? There's only a few nice dub passages, but they were unfortunately destroyed by a bad sounding electric guitar playing emotionless riffs.
Gillian Welch
4/5
I didn't know this artist at all and I had no expectations. Finally, the more I think about my listening, the more I say to myself that I liked the album and that I will certainly return to it. It's emotional, warm and tormented folk like there were few in the early 2000s. Does the album bring something different? Does he belong in the challenge? No idea, but very nice discovery in my case.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
The atmosphere on this album is unique and fantastic. A magnificent cross between their more gothic side and their more dream pop side.
The timbre of the instruments is always particularly well put together to accompany this voice and these distinct words.
This album is a nice breath of fresh air despite being dark. Absolutely love it.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Usually I'm a big fan of 90s hip-hop/gangsta, but this album just doesn't appeal to me.
That said, big classic, undeniable. The flow is excellent, good beats, without being exceptional. I'm not sure where to place myself to rate this album, so... A good old 3 stars will do.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
I always respect and love the strong personality and creativity Cindy Lauper put in her music. Her voice is an instrument.
Sadly, I'm just never in the mood for that and I don't listen to her music.
Depeche Mode
3/5
This album contains very strong moments and others rather average, even that I do not like at all. I think I'd be the kind of person to appreciate a Depeche Mode "Greatest Hits" compilation, but not an album.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
This could be the most boring club I've ever been to. The first track is a little gem and there's a few other nice and catchy moments, but really a few... This material could not stand as a full album, it sounds like a rehearsal of ideas that have not been completed.
Venom
5/5
This album might be difficult to appreciated if you're not into metal, but I swear this one is very important in the history of the genre. Its title even became the name of an evergrowing style of metal, the black metal.
This album is so explosive, energetic, fast and grimy, it was a revelation back in 1982. The lyrics and imagery also had a major influence on the shape of metal to come.
To me, it sounds like an influencial classic, so... 5 stars!
Led Zeppelin
3/5
This one wouldn't have been in my choices for 3 or 4 Zeppelin albums to figure in the 1001, but I can understand that a few of the songs were groundbreakers, like Whole Lotta Love (even if it's plagiarism from The Small Faces interpretation of a Muddy Waters song) with the vocal effects, Ramble On which is very good and catchy or Moby Dick, which shows the incredible talent of John Bonham accompanied by a monster riff.
However, if these 3 songs wouldn't exist, this album would be pretty boring and average. In terms of album, this band did really better than this one.
Pixies
3/5
Anyone who has seen the movies Mr. Nobody or Fight Club has inevitably fallen in love with the song Where Is My Mind. What a powerful and monumental hit!
There are also other very strong moments on the album like Cactus, Bone Machine or Gigantic.
I can't say that the rest of the material encourages me to come back to it often, but it's very good to listen to.
Talking Heads
4/5
From all that I know of Talking Heads, it's always good and different. It's an incredible first album for this innovative formation and the best was yet to come.
Björk
4/5
I really enjoyed this Bjork album and especially the appearances of two artists that I like a lot, Tanya Tagaq and Robert Wyatt. 2 unique voices to join Bjork's string of eccentricities, it's perfect.
Gorillaz
4/5
I really like this Gorillaz, might be my favorite. The grooves and vibes are beautifully crafted and it's an overall very pleasant album to listen to.
ABBA
2/5
The first two tracks are amazing and have a nice creative side to both of them. After that, we fall in classic-average pop songs of the late 70s and I felt a lack of engagement inside me. It's not bad, but I will never listen to it again.
Thundercat
3/5
This is a great album, no doubt. But the fact that it's a good 50 minutes broken up into smaller chunks results in me having a hard time getting attached to this record. It's as if we had no landmarks or huge moments throughout. It's a long flow of little cool songs. It was all nice, tho.
Jamiroquai
3/5
What an outcast sound for 1993. Would have never guessed it was released that year. The album contains great moments, big basslines and tasty strings. However, it sounds a bit the same throughout, with nothing really sticking out. It was enjoyable, but not memorable.
Meat Loaf
4/5
This album is a classic of kitsch pop/rock to me. Powerful intro, catchy songs and lyrics all the way after. I would never say it's a masterpiece, but certainly an album I always enjoy listening. Always loved the delivery of Meat Loaf.
Björk
4/5
Wow! It is without a doubt one of Bjork's finest work. A kind of "gentle Kid A", out-of-this-world electro music accompanied with Bjork's emotional voice and lyrics. Beautiful!
Neil Young
4/5
Borrowed Tune, Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown, Mellow My Mind, Albuquerque, New Mama, Tired Eyes... This is a collection of beautiful songs by one of my favourite singer/songwriter ever. The only thing that prevent me of giving it 5 stars is that this is album is not in my top 5 Neil Young. But this is surely a great one.
Chicago
3/5
It's a very nice prog/jazz-rock and pop album from 1969 with a powerful introduction that might be one of the best instrumental moment of this band. Sadly, too long-winded so we loose interest in it.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Another essential album from our good old Neil Young. Full of feelings, honest and heartfelt playing... Again, I will not rate it 5 stars because it's in my top 5 Neil Young's albums, but it would deserve it? I'm just tryin' not to be the fanboy here.
The Pharcyde
5/5
I had never heard of this album, what a shame! It's excellent! A very nice discovery for me that will certainly end up entering my favorite hip-hop albums.
A flow of thunder, breathtaking beats without being too flashy. I can't wait to listen to it again and read the lyrics more carefully.
The Doors
4/5
This might be my least favorite album of The Doors, because I always had difficulties to appreciate pure blues rock, but... This one is so well made and the delivery of Jim Morrison is dirty and perfect in all the imperfections. And, the song "Riders on the Storm", one of the best song ever, isn't it?
Tricky
3/5
Very nice and smooth listen from start to finish. In the end, nothing remarkable, but everything was good. The 2 last tracks were completely not necessary and the album would have been better a little shorter.
Talking Heads
5/5
A unique sound that will probably never happen again. An album that encourages our body to dance against a background of new-wave that embraces Afrobeat, but locks our head in a secluded closet to anguish and paranoid. Like... What the hell is going on? Brilliant and groundbreaking album, no doubt.
OutKast
2/5
It was ENDLESS.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Very nice vibe and some great songs. The album runs out of steam a lot towards the end. Average stuff.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
This album was released in 1976, but the fact that it was recorded in 1972 makes it all the way more impressive. It's my first time with the Modern Lovers and I'm stunned by the honest delivery of Jonathan Richman. At that time, glam rock and high pitched singers ruled the scene and he's just there, playing it humble and doing his job. Their proto-punk organ/guitar driven sound is also very nice, hard to believe it was made early 70s.
Jefferson Airplane
5/5
This album is a masterpiece for so many reasons. White Rabbit is what I called an "unpredictable hit", sounds like nothing on the radio, but still... It belongs to the radio. Somebody to Love is powerful and catchy, She Has Funny Cars is an insane opener with punchy drums and guitars.
The album even leads the listener to the refined and unexpected classical guitar piece "Embryonic Journey". How Do You Feel and My Best Friend are also solid songs. A landmark album of psychedelic rock and the year 1967.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
It was the first time I heard Jeff Buckley and I must say that I was blown away. We often hear powerful voices, but rarely with so many emotions and nuances. Musically, the compositions are magnificent and extremely well put together and blend perfectly with the voice of Jeff Buckley.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Ok, I definitely can't stand Elvis Costello's music, but this contains 2 nice songs instead of zero like This Year's Model. The artwork is cool.
Raekwon
3/5
It's a good album, but my expectations were maybe too high considering the line-up on this. It's more average hip-hop than innovative or groundbreaking. The biggest concern is that IT'S TOO LONG WINDED.
Hole
3/5
This is really not my type of music, but I must admit there are pretty great songs on this album. From Malibu to Northern Star, I call it strong and engaging pop/rock. However, there's nothing there that really stand out and that could become a huge monument in the history of music.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Kick ass punk album. What else?
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
2 very great songs that became classics and 13 others that I don't care about. The album is pretty boring and it sounds surprisingly bad.
Minutemen
2/5
The problem with this album is not the music, but how it was delivered to us : 43 little songs over 1h15 duration. Damn. How is it possible to enjoy?
M.I.A.
4/5
This is far away from my type of music and I was out of my comfort zone for this one, but... I must admit that there are killer beats and tracks on this. I'll never listen to this again, but this thing kicks ass for sure.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Generic alternative rock at its best. I don't remember anything from this record.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Without a shadow of a doubt, she has a special and unique voice. However, the music is so generic/average easy listening jazz that it spoils all the emotion behind Billie Holiday's interpretation. So, I don't know... 5 stars for her, -2 stars for what's surrounding her.
Television
5/5
An easy one.
Why the song "Marquee Moon" can't last for at least 30min?
It's almost impossible not to fall in love with this album.
Suzanne Vega
4/5
A seriously nice folk pop album with a subtle medieval vibe. Always liked her voice and delivery. The 80s production is also there, but it didn't destroy the vibe and make it age bad. It gives the album a different sound.
Very successful, in the end.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
A nice cool and smooth album. Nothing really stands out, but nothing is bad either.
Slipknot
5/5
Year 1999, Slipknot are ready to drop a bomb in the metal world, bringing an innovative, agressive, angry and energetic sound. Corey Taylor directly proves he was an incredible singer by sometimes blasting raw and growling vocals and other times super clean and emotive ones. Joey Jordison shows his machine skills and the adhesion of members like Shawn Crahan was putting on a hell of a show. It's not a perfect album, but it's certainly an important and outstanding one.
Various Artists
4/5
Phil Spector's style of direction and production is easily recognizable here, which makes it a different, pleasant and truly charming Christmas album.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
I'm going to put 5 stars so I can make up for my weird friend's note of 3 stars.
The Temptations
4/5
Psychedelic soul, what a nice genre! I wasn't aware of this album before and I really enjoyed it. That early 70s brass sound is always so much appreciated. Vocals were something too!
Manu Chao
3/5
I had no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The first half is made of very strong songs with original and creative beats. After that, the album seems a bit too long winded and the quality is slowly turning down. Glad I listened to it.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Smooth, high class and precise jazz. It's incredible to think it has been made live, because the playing of the musicians is an absolute perfection! I do not feel bound to those songs, but it was very well played.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Nothing bad, but nothing really distinctive too. I don't know... Classic and generic for every musicians. Generic blues rock. I didn't need another version of Shapes of Things or You Shook Me. I didn't.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Fiona Apple is certainly a great singer and composer. The orchestral and vibes arrangments were very nice. It's not my kind of music, but I must admit it's a wonderful record.
Julian Cope
3/5
It's seriously great and creative music. There are a few diamonds in this album, unfortunately lost in a too long winded product in which the listener can easily loose interest along the road.
John Martyn
3/5
Cool and smooth album, very pleasing and enjoyable. There's nothing that really stand out here, except maybe the songs Dancing and Certain Surprise. Nothing innovative or amazing, but certainly nice.
King Crimson
5/5
This might be one of the most important album in my musical evolution and journey. I was 15 or 16 years old the first time I heard it. With this album, I discovered a whole other way to play drum. I learned that a strong listening within the musicians can be a game changer for a jam part or even for a written part. I found that an album artwork can be weirdly fascinating. I also gave a more important attention to abstract lyrics and poetry. And most of all, it was my introduction to my favorite instrument ever : the mellotron. I remember the first time I listened to this album, I have rarely felt something so strong on the first try. 5 stars is not enough.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Half of the album is made of very great and strong songs and the other half is incredibly average and poor. By chance, the nice songs are VERY good.
Alice In Chains
4/5
I'm not a grunge fan, but this album is a very great example of the right way to do it, with strong, catchy, loud and emotive songs. It's an album you can easily dive in and live something. There is also nice subtleties in the production and arrangements.
Judas Priest
3/5
This might be one of the Judas Priest less impressive album. Of course, the hit "Breaking The Law" is insane and there are a few great songs like Grinder, Steeler or Rapid Fire, but it's not a strong Judas Priest album overall. Tracks like United or Red, White & Blue are so bad it hurts.
Red Snapper
2/5
Cool nocturnal trip-hop, but a little long-winded and samey overall, but I can't see why it is in the 1001.
John Martyn
4/5
Very great album! Jazzy folk in the style of Nick Drake, how can we not love it?
Machito
2/5
Great grooves, absolutely nothing memorable that I want to listen again in my life.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I don't know. I just can't dive in with this band. The late 80s sound has really aged bad, not like the early and mid 80s sound that is always enjoyable. So what we get here is late 80s pop that is not really catchy. It's not completely bad, but... meh.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Surprisingly great! Trip hop, drum'n'bass and downtempo shit are usually genres that I like a little, but no more. Now, this is a great treasure of this kind of music. The mood is nicely dramatic all the way and the beats are sick.
k.d. lang
1/5
There are some big well done arrangements on this album. And that's the only quality I can find in it. Other else, it's generic, boring, over produced and overheard bullshit.
The Byrds
4/5
Not something that I would listen to everyday, but hey... it's The Byrds, so it's great! A very nice country album fulfilled with strong vocal harmonies, insane guitar licks and powerful production. Is it one of the best 1001 albums of all time? Probably not, but I enjoyed its presence here anyway.
Megadeth
5/5
This is without the shadow of a doubt one of the best thrash metal album ever made and the best that we'll ever get from Megadeth. In Rust in Peace, we can feel another kind of anger, lead by inimitable guitar works, killer drum parts and intoxicating vocals.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
Joan Armatrading is obviously a great artist, passionate and soulful, but also very generic. It's sadly an average album from the 70s and I can't see why it's supposed to be a monument of this era.
Gang Starr
3/5
Smooth conscious boom bap always put you in a very nice mood, but this album lacks a little bit of tork and attack. It was very enjoyable, tho. I don't think I'll get back to it.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Your average generic folk-rock album bought at Wal-Mart because de guy was looking nice and cool on the cover.
4/5
This album is so cool, a monument of its generation. It's a really fun, enjoyable and light journey amongst the punkish new-wave of the late 70s.
The Yardbirds
4/5
Always loved the raw and powerful sound of the Yardbirds. They were incredibly heavy for their times. Also, it's one of the only band that can craft interesting blues-rock music, which is very rare for me.
U2
1/5
This album was incredibly boring to me and the kind-of wannabe emotive vocals of Bono are annoying to a point it completely ruined the album. U2 can be great, especially in their early 80s phase, but... What was that?
Beastie Boys
4/5
The kings of sampling and energic hip-hop, no doubt about it and this album is another monument to prove it.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Southern rock is usually not my type of music, but I must admit Lynyrd Skynyrd give us a treat here by giving one of the best album of this genre. Tuesday's Gone is my favorite of them, Gimme Three Steps and Simple Man are great classic songs and Free Bird might be one of the most iconic rock song ever.
Bobby Womack
2/5
A cool sounding smooth soul album that will hurt absolutely nobody, but that will also be forgotten in... Oh, well, it's already forgotten. Who was I listening to?
Pink Floyd
5/5
This album is of an undeniable perfection from the beginning to the end. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (1-5) begins the album gently and slowly grows in forcefulness and quality. The effect it has on the listener when the guitar riff starts is so insane.
Welcome to the Machine contains one of the most beautiful and powerful synth timbres I know.
Have A Cigar is the cool and moody break to all this intensity, letting the listener tap the foot a little bit, without being meaningless or easy.
Wish You Were Here might be one of the best song ever written, enough said.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (6-9) is like a slow breath of fresh air to conclude the album feeling the best we could.
Talking Heads
4/5
The recipe for the songs that make up this album:
-Find an annoying guitar licks and strum it to death
-Complement this with some goofy or weird sounding synthesizer accents.
-Sing the lyrics with an ironic, crazy and edgy voice tone.
Well, that's a nice recipe.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Generic post-punk, dance-punk exist and that's a great example of it. I can't see why it's here on the 1001.
A few great songs and moments, tho.
Barry Adamson
3/5
It was a pleasant listen, fine dark jazz with very good experimental moments. That said, I would have wished a shorter album. One hour of instrumental crime jazz could become a bit boring.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
The song "Welcome to Pleasuredom" was very nice, we rarely encounter a 13 minutes conceptual song in the new wave/synthpop aesthetic. And after this song? Nothing. It was long, boring and annoying.
Paul Weller
1/5
A flat version of Nickelback? A diet pepsi for the soul?
A lesson on how to produce the most generic album possible?
"You've got the moon on your pyjamas
And the stars in your eyes", are you serious?
3/5
I know this album has been important in the 2000s and is considered a landmark in that decade. Muse really made a huge hit with that one. However, listening back at it now leaves a bittersweet feeling. Too much production, too much arrangements, too much for nothing and in the end, it didn't age so well because of that.
Soft Cell
3/5
A very nice synthpop/new wave album from the early 80s, great hits, synth tones and beats are found on this one. I can't say that I would listen to this everyday, but it was a pleasure to listen to.
Deerhunter
3/5
I have nothing to say about it.
Heaven 17
4/5
It's not an album I would necessarily put in the 1001 challenge, but... Wow, I loved the unusual synthesizer sounds and kind of sarcastic vocals. "Let's All Make A Bomb" is a killer track. I think I loved that album.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
A wonderful blend of folk and jazz, subtly catchy moments, insane vocals... I love this album and I consider it one of the best albums from Joni Mitchell.
Arctic Monkeys
2/5
I found it difficult to hold on to anything on this album. It sounds really samey overall and I can't understand why it is so praised.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
A few nice moments and beats overall, but sadly flooded by too much skits in a long-winded album. I don't understand why it's so much praised.
Common
3/5
Another hip-hop album with great songs, flow and beat in it that are unfortunately drenched in a too long and samey overall work. It's sad, because there were very nice moments in it.
Mekons
1/5
I can't stand this one.
Coldplay
3/5
An overall nice album that I'm not fan of, but that is surely important in this decade. Great pop songs, distinctive singing, a sound of their own.
The Lemonheads
2/5
Generic and boring, still it wasn't hurtful to listen to.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Explosive grooves, tasteful brass, epic singer, great guitar, varied percussions... What do you want more? The best of afrobeat and funk.
Pavement
4/5
The singularity of this album lies in the fact of driving good melodies and contagious emotion through abstract, noisy and fuzzy music. I don't know how you make a such cohesive but chaotic album, but they did it and I enjoyed it.
I didn't fully understand the whole thing as it was my first listen, but I'll certainly come back for more time with Pavement.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
A few great moments, but overall it's boring, generic and will be forgot in one or two generations. I can't understand why it's supposed to be an important album.
The Who
4/5
The Who were one of the greatest live acts of the 60s/70s and this live keeps a nice memory of this statement. Keith Moon's explosive drum playing, John Entwistle's incredibly solid basslines and powerful guitar strumming by Townshend are well felt. Roger Daltrey was also at his peak. A very nice one!
David Gray
2/5
Surprisingly boring for an album in the 1001.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
Angry, raw and noisy music for bad people. I wouldn't listen to this every day, but it surely scared some square people. Loved it.
Madonna
2/5
The music is well made with very nice details in it, but... this album try so bad to Massive Attack and to fit the 90s downtempo vibe that it became a little annoying along the ride, especially with its 1h length. Candy Perfume Girl and Skin are so bad it hurts, it would have fit very well in a 90s Dove soap advertising on television. It might be an important album in Madonna's career, but it's not for me.
Cee Lo Green
1/5
I can't believe that this is amongst the albums you found to give the 2000s a little representation in this book. This is seriously becoming a joke.
Sonic Youth
4/5
A milestone of noise rock and the best part is that they managed to make this album catchy, but still rebellious in sound and approach.
Tori Amos
2/5
Bittersweet piano rock from the 90s can be good for a light hearted movie from that era, but not to stand the test of time. Sorry, it was not bad, but long and boring.
Prince
3/5
There is no doubt that this is a strong and creative pop album. However, it hardly stands the 80 minutes length, it's like great peanut butter spread on a one kilometer toast.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
It was like the good old british canterbury scene of the 70s translated into chamber folk/pop. Very light hearted music. I can't explain why, but I loved it.
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash, Hank Snow, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton, Ray Price, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams... They're great country artists, aren't they?
The Strokes
4/5
The kind of album that in theory, has nothing special to offer, but in practice, is totally magical. I can't say why it's good, but it is!
Elvis Costello
2/5
I find his music so soulless, uninteresting, unattractive. I don't understand how it got so popular.
Shack
1/5
I think that the fact that this album is in the 1001 is the biggest joke so far. I went to dozen of record stores, I'm on Facebook group with more than 15000 music lovers, I'm digging music for more than 15 years now and no one, absolutely no one ever recommended me this. I had never even seen this poor artwork before. And you know why? Because this album is insanely generic and because it is NOT a monument in the history of music AT ALL.
This 1001 thing doesn't even contains albums from artists and bands likes Phil Collins, Gentle Giant, Broadcast or American Football, but of course, SHACK IS HERE! THE QUINTESSENCE OF MUSIC.
Thank you and goodbye.
Boston
4/5
A great classic rock album almost unforgettable in the great portrait of rock music. I can't say that I would listen to it often, but... The hits are there, the legend lives on.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
That's a very good album and a true "3.5 stars" to me. But still... I can't see why it's on this. Is it so good that it would be one of the best 1001 albums of all time? I doubt it. So... 3 stars.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I don't know what to think of this album, honestly. It starts slowly, the first 3 songs are musically boring. After that, it becomes more engaging and the melancholic and sad mood makes its way through us. But I can't find more than a mood in this album, and maybe that's okay? Who knows. I don't.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
This one is also really a 3.5 to me, BUT it deserves its place in the history of music and in this list, so I'll give it a four. There are maybe a few fillers, but the hits are so strong and will be forever remembered.
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
There are 2 or 3 very nice moments, but overall there's really nothing there that I would want to listen again. Doing experimental things can be cool, but the listener must be able to feel something through it, which didn't happens to me here.
Radiohead
5/5
This album could be in the "11 albums generator" list. Seriously, one of the most influential album ever and it's a masterpiece.
I would have liked to experience the release of this album at the time to live the big generalized "what the hell"... Then realize a few years later that it is finally a game changer in the history of music.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
A very nice warm and soothing psychedelic journey. Some tracks like "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell", "Are You a Hypnotist?" or "Do You Realize" will become personal favorites.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
It's a nice album, great mood and sound. I can't understand the reason why it's on this list. Maybe it was a great success at the time, but I'm not sure this one will stand the test of time. It was a little bit generic and samey.
Cheap Trick
3/5
I'm not a Cheap Trick fan, their songs feel a little kitsh and easy to me, but I must admit they had an efficient power pop/rock sound and this live is done right : we feel a contagious energy from the crowd.
Roxy Music
4/5
Early 70s glam is something I always find difficult to listen and to appreciate, but this one did it! Great job! Innovative and sensitive. With Brian Eno behind the synth, it's rarely a miss, always a hit!
Hot Chip
2/5
It wasn't bad nor good, it was like listening to nothing. No feelings at all. I really have nothing to say about it. Seriously, nothing better for the 2010 decade?
Marilyn Manson
3/5
I think it's the kind of album that was really great and innovative when it came out, but that is now unfortunately uninteresting and outdated. A few great songs here and there, but I can't find any fun or emotions listening to that. A fair 3.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
This man had recorded some of the best blues albums between 1959 and 1971, so let's listen to one of his worst from 1989. Is it only because of the featuring from Thorogood, Los Lobos or Santana? What the hell is that choice.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Why 2 Belle And Sebastian albums on the 1001 list? I don't know, but... It was great! The song "Electronic Renaissance" was a huge unexpected surprise and just became my favorite track from them.
The Prodigy
1/5
1h20 of breakbeat and techno jams. Duuuuude, this is sooooo long for having so little to express and to say. What the hell was this?
The Rolling Stones
1/5
Sympathy For The Devil and 9 other boring and generic blues-rock song. Damn, this album is soooo overrated it hurts. How can this band be even compared with the Beatles? There's more genius in McCartney strumming a chord than everything I've heard on this.
Hole
3/5
I really don't think Hole deserves to have 2 albums on this list, the 2 chosen for this list are very samey. However, I like the attitude of Courtney Love on these albums, the guitar sounds, the early grunge spirit.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Definitely, I have a problem with my ability to like this band. This album wasn't bad, but I felt nothing while listening to it. Maybe their sound didn't aged so much well? Anyway, I'll give a 3 stars in proof of my good will, but can't do more.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
I wonder why it's featured here, but it's an overall nice and smooth funk album. Nothing that hurts, nothing noticeable.
The Who
4/5
The 3 first tracks are pretty boring, but after that, the true nature of these insane musicians start to shows off and then we're in for a treat. Keith Moon's explosive playing and Townshend energy are crafting a pretty heavy sound for the year 1965. And damn, they were young! To me, this record is a perfect 4 stars.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
I enjoyed this album as it contains some nice, groovy, well toned sounds, but again, I wonder why it is here, considering all the afrobeat masterpieces that exist in the world.
Sepultura
3/5
I'm glad that there is that kind of metal on the 1001. I do not consider "Arise" as a masterpiece of its kind, it sounds a little samey and lacks variety, but the vibe is overall violent and solid. More metal please!
Talking Heads
4/5
I don't know how relevant it is to have so many Talking Heads albums in the challenge, but for sure, I won't complain. This one is my third favorite of the band and it's still incredible new wave music!
Van Halen
3/5
Some of it aged very bad, some of it are obvious powerful hits, some of it is nice, some of it is cringe. Van Halen are a monument of the 80s for sure.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
There are wonderful tracks in this album, like Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes or The Murder Mystery. It's an obviously influencial band that went lofi when everything was going more and more refined. However, most of the album is boring and uninteresting. I know it's cool to make lofi stuff, but strumming a badly toned guitar without any sense of melody might be not enough.
The Streets
3/5
This album was too long-winded, sometimes bad, sometimes very nice. I loved the atmospheric and introspective vibe and enjoy this listen.
Nightmares On Wax
1/5
It was extremely long and boring.
It is at this point that we realize that the author of 1001 is a die-hard fan of downtempo... To a point where I can no longer follow.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I'll need another listen to confirm that, but I think that's one of the best hip-hop album I've ever heard. The beats are insane, the delivery is unique. It's the third album I discover from Kendrick and I understand now why he's becoming a legend of our times.
Nice feature by Dr. Dre, also!
The Smiths
3/5
The Smiths are always good, but still kind of overrated. This one might be my least favorite (but still good nonetheless).
Saint Etienne
2/5
A few nice moments, but overall it was next-level boring. The song "Kiss And Make Up" might be one of the worst song I've ever heard.
So again : Saint Etienne is in this list, but no Broadcast? This whole thing is a joke.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
I liked it a lot more than my prejudices led me to believe. I'm not a fan of a cappella music, but I must say that I found a certain form of hypnotism, calm and rest in it. I don't think I'll get back to it, nor that it's a major album in history of music, but it was a pleasant listen.
Butthole Surfers
4/5
It seems like the Butthole Surfers just got a new fan!
Stevie Wonder
5/5
It's almost a miracle that Stevie managed to craft a 1h45 album that stay interesting and engaging all along the way. An impressive, luminous, groovy, heartfelt and innovative soul masterpiece.
CHIC
3/5
It's difficult to understand that there is two Chic albums on this list. It's good, but average stuff that no one really cares about right now. I think? Anyway.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Hey, that was a pretty good country album. Nothing really distinctive, but I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. It was peaceful, soothing and wonderfully interpreted by the legendary Willie Nelson.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
A few nice old school hip-hop moments with kick-ass beats, but when I say a few, it's like 2% of the album. Overall, it ages very bad and it's mostly boring to annoying point.
Blondie
2/5
I don't get it. It's like cheap Cheap Trick, so that reaches a high level of boredom. I'm gonna love you too, Sunday Girl and 11:59 are painful to listen to.
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
It is perhaps one of the albums that most demonstrates that Paul McCartney is a master in the art of writing catchy and unique songs. I know this album by heart and I could listen to it anytime.
The Crusaders
2/5
Very great musicianship was used only to make us experience a 40 minutes journey inside an elevator.
Eurythmics
2/5
The song "Sweat Dreams" deserves to be in the list "1001 songs you must listen", but the album... A massive hit doesn't make an album great and legendary. Overall, it was surprisingly boring.
Kanye West
4/5
Well, that's what I call a huge surprise. I didn't even knew that Kanye West made industrial, hardcore and experimental hip-hop of that kind. I wouldn't listen to this all day long, but it was interesting, surprising and outcast. Glad I discovered this one.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I wouldn't listen to this everyday, but it's
an undeniable and powerful classic in terms of pop music.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Light, uplifting, well toned, beautifully constructed and arranged music. Perfect to listen with eyes closed to get lost in it. A must from The Flaming Lips.
Green Day
5/5
Dookie is on my favorite 90s records. Billie Joe Armstrong songwriting is at its best, with incredible punchlines, catchy chorus and verses. Tré Cool's drumming is energetic and wild.
"Burnout" is one of the best intro ever. It gets the listener overwhelmed right from the start. Another peculiarity of the album can be found in the bridges, made up of and focusing on drum'n'bass.
Okay, I'll shut up about it, I just love it.
Bert Jansch
3/5
Nothing so memorable around there, but a nice folk album with an excellent guitar player for sure. I enjoyed it, but won't come back to it.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Some songs were really great, others pretty boring. It's a hard one to rate. 3 stars will do it.
Louis Prima
3/5
Groovy and jazzy swing album. Very well made and executed. I don't really care about it, but I can't say nothing bad about it.
MGMT
5/5
A personal classic that I consider perfect from start to finish. It's an album I can easily totally jump in. The psychedelic, eclectic, electro, pop and introspective sound is perfect. So many great and well produced songs. The Youth, Piece Of What and Of Moons, Birds & Monsters are especially powerful.
Fats Domino
3/5
Old rhythm and blues never gets old! Well, maybe a little bit... but still very enjoyable.
Circle Jerks
3/5
Angry and rebellious 80s shorties. Cool!
3/5
Wow, this is now my favorite (and the only one I like) Blur album. This one contains nice songs, especially For Tomorrow or the beautiful Miss America. I wouldn't say it's one of the best albums ever, but it was worth a listen.
Sister Sledge
3/5
I wouldn't call it a disco masterpiece, but it's a nice and enjoyable album. The ballads are quite boring, but the upbeat and dance songs are A1.
David Bowie
4/5
This one is not even in my top 5 David Bowie's album, but it's still a very great one. Changes, Oh You Pretty Thing, Life On Mars and Quicksand are top-tier songs.
Rush
5/5
This is one of the greatest release by one of the greatest band ever. How could I not love it? 2112 is one of the most epic conceptual track ever made and the side B contains some of Rush finest cuts.
2/5
I'm generally enthusiastic with the stuff more outcast, experimental and noisy, but I can't see why this one is interesting or good. Nice try, tho.
4/5
Very surprising and pleasant. A flourishing album of great and various arrangements and beautiful melodies. The interpretation of the songs is done with so much enthusiasm, it shows in the recording. I smile all the way through.
Daft Punk
1/5
A tech-house album with songs that are far too long is certainly something that can drive me crazy in a negative way.
Beatles
5/5
This is easily one of the most perfect album ever recorded by the greatest rock act on Earth.
Green Day
5/5
Achieving successfully a pop/punk rock opera in 2004 is a master move. This album contains many important hits from the 2000s and one of Green Day's finest cut : Jesus Of Suburbia, an unexpected 8 minutes track with movements, killers riffs and awesome drum parts.
On a personal level, this is one of the most important album from my teenage years. It changes everything.
Little Richard
5/5
This record was so heavy for the time. Imagine putting on that record in 1957. His way of singing was innovative, so energetic and passionate. The band was also very powerful. Amongst the best rock n roll/RNB records of all time.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
This is not even in my top 10 Neil Young's albums, but damn... I had so much fun listening to this. I was singing and playing air guitar all along the ride. Neil Young is a true master of his art.
Beck
3/5
The first 5 songs are awesome and might be one of my favorite Beck moment. After this, the album fall in a smooth and more generic mood. It's nice, but nothing really stand out after that.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
I suddenly want to open a Pabst, buy leather pants and ride a motorcycle until the end of time.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Conscious, Jazz Rap, Boom Bap... Wow! I didn't knew Jurassic 5 was all of that, why nobody told me? Very glad I just discovered this album.
Fever Ray
4/5
Ok, I didn't knew this was related to The Knife, which I love very much. Nice songs with an electro/marimba/kalimba vibe that is pretty unique in electro-pop music. I enjoyed it a lot.
Morrissey
2/5
2 or 3 great songs but very boring overall. I can't understand why this is a part of this challenge.
The Band
3/5
Very good band playing average folk/roots songs. It's nice and enjoyable, but I'll never come back to this in the end.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Energetic and raw garage rock. Great album, but can't really say more about it.
The Who
5/5
One of my favorite hard rock album ever.
All the members of The Who are exceptional musicians and it is on this album that we feel it the most. It's also the best performance by Roger Daltrey ever.
I don't know how someone can listen to Won't Get Fooled Again and not feel a crazy urge to scream and go crazy.
The Stone Roses
4/5
This kind of alternative/jangle british vibe might be one of the only good thing of the late 80s. It was my first listening of this album and I must say that I really enjoyed it. Soothing, creative, luminous and uplifting music.
Erykah Badu
2/5
Once again, very cruelly, the length of this album kills all the charm there could be. There are wonderful neo-soul moments and songs out there, but also many salty fillers so we can fill the CD at its maximum length.
Fugees
3/5
I know this album is important and very much appreciated, but it's just not my kind of music and/or vibe. I'll give it a fair 3, my job is done here.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Johnny Cash at San Quentin might be my favorite live album ever. Can you imagine a crowd of prisoners enjoying a show from their #1 idol after years and years of not seeing a single show. And furthermore, Johnny Cash arriving with the song "San Quentin" for them, playing it twice.
The most responsive crowd I've ever heard. The crowd is overwhelmed and the fun is 100% there.
Radiohead
5/5
This powerful album knows exactly where to pull all the heartstrings in my soul.
Lorde
2/5
Musically speaking, it's okay and Lorde is a great singer. That said, the breakup, nocturnal-romantic-party-teenage themes just won't do it for me.
Faust
4/5
Very happy to return to this Faust album that I had only listened to once, a very long time ago. It's definitely an important work in the krautrock genre. Very adventurous and free music, which is something that I respect a lot.
Mylo
1/5
55 minutes where I totally blacked out and didn't feel anything else than pure nothingness. I almost liked 2 songs, what a deal!
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Classic album that blends garage rock, psych and blues with one of the most iconic singer ever! The guitar parts are insane and most of the songs very catchy.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
When 4 songwriting masters of folk come together to create an album and sing... The vocals are especially beautiful on Déjà Vu. The amount of good stuff these 4 guys produced in the 60s and 70s is totally incredible.
Dire Straits
3/5
Dire Straits have more efficient and great albums than this one, which let go the distinctive sounds of Mark Knopfler to an overproduced 80s thing. Still... It has nice songs on it and it's enjoyable! 3 stars for me.
Basement Jaxx
1/5
dafuq
Joni Mitchell
4/5
The leader of jazz-folk is at the top here with an album rich in textures, artsy tricks and arrangements. Very uplifting overall. Loved it.
Beastie Boys
3/5
For sure, there's an insane work of sampling behind this, but I feel a lack of offering something engaging and catchy to the listener. Great work, tho.
Elliott Smith
4/5
A great heartfelt piece of slacker folk to listen to anywhere, anytime.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Here are the nice folk songs you can find on this album : Both Of Us, So Begins The Task, It Doesn't Matter, Johnny's Garden, Move Around. The other songs are Claptoncore generic blues shit you don't need.
The Sonics
4/5
The songs are not that great, but the raw and heavy intention behind every tracks make it impossible not to have fun and enjoy. Pretty noisy and rebellious stuff for 1965. This goes straight between an early Kinks album and The Monks.
The xx
3/5
I probably will never come back to this album again, but I loved the overall mood on it. A kind of subtle coldwave with a depressive indie rock vibe.
R.E.M.
3/5
I don't get why this album is legendary, but it really seems to be. It's nice, but also very samey all the way through. I don't know... maybe 3 stars?
Miles Davis
5/5
In A Silent Way is one of the best work by Miles Davis and a standout album of 1969. This music is hypnotic and soothing all the way through.
Cream
5/5
One of my favorite album ever. It's the best work of every musician of this group. The drumming of Ginger Baker on this has always been a strong inspiration for me as a drummer.
Janet Jackson
2/5
I always had difficulty to enjoy overproduced pop of the late 80s, especially when it's so samey for a complete hour. Rhythm Nation and Black Cat are great songs, tho.
Crowded House
3/5
This not something stunning and it will surely be forgotten in a few decades, but it's a somehow nice album with great moments on it. 3 stars and... next!
Elvis Presley
3/5
Elvis performing average songs wonderfully. An enjoyable album, but not a personal favorite from the King.
Sonic Youth
5/5
One of the most mindblowing album of the late 80s for sure. Strong and energetic songs infused with noise, raw passion and anger. A personal favorite.
System Of A Down
5/5
When we talk about a band that comes with a brand new sound and destroys everything in its path... System of a Down and their first album comes in my mind automatically. It's pure insane musical violence doubled with sarcasm, political and social criticism, chaos and anger. I'm also a fan of the dark and weird moments found on this album. I don't know if I would have put this one out for the 1001 challenge, but SOAD deserves their place here 100%.
Le Tigre
4/5
I was really surprised by that one. I loved the annoyingly adorable vocals and the power felt within the guitar riffs and tones. A strong intention to kick some asses behind this record and this is a success.
Morrissey
2/5
* sigh *, hey you know what? That was boring. Why so many Morrissey's album on this list? Who knows.
Public Enemy
5/5
The experimental aspect of this album is phenomenal. The songs contain more texture than usual hip-hop. All of this combined with strong political themes and a masterful delivery of the lyrics... Well, I consider this an essential listen.
Ice Cube
4/5
And again... The delivery of Ice Cube is perfect and insane. The beats are also very wild on this album. It's only a little too long-winded to very stand out as a huge hip-hop masterpiece, but it's an important one for sure.
The Stooges
3/5
Innovative record for sure, but with only a few great moments overall. Nothing compared to something like Fun House. I mean... The worst song of the album last 10 minutes out of 30.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
One disc full of hits and powerful songs, another one dominated by fillers. What can we do with that? A real 3.5 case. Okay, it's an important record in the history of rock. Let's go to 4.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
If you want to know how to do fusion jazz and funk the right way, this album might be one of the best example of it. Insane stuff!
Neil Young
5/5
Amongst the best melancholic, sad and depressive albums ever made. It blows me away every time I listen to it.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Amongst my favorite Dylan's albums. This is an exquisite masterpiece of art in folk music. Very ambitious release for year 1966. The fanfare/bigband opener is so memorable, funny and remarquable for that style. In high contrast, the closer of this epic singer-songwriter journey is more of an introspective long poetic piece.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
The Electric Prunes' first album is a nice psyched record that I enjoy a lot, but very far from the best of its genre, especially in 1967. The opener song is a killer, that's for sure.
Tim Buckley
3/5
This album is like eating a sandwich at the Subway. It was good, it was quick, the job is done and you can go on to your next meal.
John Coltrane
4/5
Undoubtedly a jazz classic.
Johnny Cash
4/5
I don't get why there is 2 live albums of Johnny Cash playing in a prison on a chart where you can only list 1001 albums, but anyway, it's Johnny Cash playing in a prison. It's fantastic. As I give a 5 stars to the other, I'll give only 4 to this one. Thank you and good night!
Steely Dan
4/5
Adult oriented rock done right! Exceptional musicianship and feeling on this collection of nicely written and arranged songs.
Motörhead
4/5
Badass metal album with the unique delivery of Lemmy. A true classic.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Your average sophisti-jangle shit.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Catchy, rebellious and wild songs all the way through for the debut album by the legendary Iron Maiden.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Not a personal favorite, but definitely a classic from 1968 filled with hits and exquisite guitar and drum playing.
Slint
4/5
Slowcore, math rock, post-hardcore, emo, post-rock? What is this? I don't know, and that's perfect like this. A lot of feelings and emotions in this record. Brilliant!
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Very cool indie/punk album from the 90s. Very nice guitar works on this. Powerful songs! A true 3.5.
Peter Tosh
4/5
I'm not a big connoisseur of the genre, but it's certainly one of my favorite reggae albums. The warm, tropical-mellow mood is 100% there and the catchy vocal lines are great. Love this one.
The Roots
3/5
I wonder
Magazine
4/5
Now that's GREAT post-punk/new wave! All of this with a subtle glimpse of prog rock. Unique stuff!
Mj Cole
1/5
The fact that this album is present in this list is an insult to all users of the site and proves that it is all just a big charade to plug as many British artists as possible.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Super great soul soundtrack!
The arrangements are funkylicious, you know.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
An unbeatable classic of west coast hip-hop and gangsta sound. Dr Dre did an incredible job on this.
Brian Eno
4/5
Unbelievable ethereal tones and instruments all the way. In 2023, it's still an amazing and surprising record.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
The kind of album you still have your old CD somewhere because everyone bought it and it's fun to come back to it sometimes even if it's not a masterpiece. Feelgood stuff.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
The Everly Brothers are cool, a few hits here and there, nice vocals... but they are so harmless at the same time. It doesn't push anything forward. I think a 3 is a fair rating.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
A nice goth rock album, but that lacks a little something to me to make it stand out from other albums of this specific style. The song "1959" might contains the worst soulless piano tone I've ever heard, so bad, 'cause the song is well written.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
A very nice debut album for the legend My Bloody Valentine, but the best was yet to come with Loveless.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
It's a very important album from a music genre I just can't love.
The Human League
4/5
Wow, I didn't knew about this album before and it's a very good new wave piece!
I like when the 1001 challenge surprises me positively.
Mike Oldfield
5/5
It was the first vinyl record I played on a record player in my life and it changed everything for me. I was fifteen years old and I discovered the power and magic that an instrumental track can have.
I love this album more than I love myself.
The Pogues
1/5
Music for people who like to pour beer on the carpet while screaming-dancing drunk.
Steely Dan
4/5
Outstanding musicianship. The proof that it's possible to blend jazz, pop and rock very well without it seeming the least bit forced.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
An album of covers from artists who didn't want to be covered. It's almost a joke in the case of Dazed And Confused. This album contains a lot of "baby". Still... a legendary album we'll never be able to get rid of. Well interpreted and played, tho.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Modern R&B in which I don't find anything particular or exceptional, but still... It was a pleasant listen.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Wow! This was totally unexpected! A very energetic and rebellious record that I never heard of before. The title is gold!
Sonic Youth
4/5
Another Sonic Youth classic. I feel this one is well balanced between their noisy/chaotic side and their strong compositions skills with more structured arrangements. Again, well played SY.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
This album has a really unique feel into it, but I unfortunately can't dive in that kind of stuff.
Arcade Fire
2/5
This album is like a bad mixture of Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand.
Radiohead
5/5
Undeniably a legendary album, Ok Computer is a game changer for the 90s era and the history of music. It's like space britpop/alt rock that age very, very well. These songs are a perfect example of what mastered songwriting is and how arrangements can boost everything to the top.
The Thrills
2/5
It reminds me of the time when it was cool to support your chorus with a nice little glockenspiel.
The Fall
4/5
My first time listening to this post-punk classic from 1985 and I enjoyed it. The gothic delivery flirting with a garage feel in the music is enough to make this album stand out.
Laura Nyro
3/5
A nice pop/soul/jazz album from 1968. I don't know why it's supposed to be here on this list, I'm not sure this album is so important or influencial, but... It was a pleasant listening.
The Cure
5/5
The Cure's most perfect release every. Dark and engaging as hell!
Kate Bush
4/5
Kate Bush transforms pop music into an exceptional artistic painting! Unique stuff.
The Coral
3/5
This album is very 1001core, by being british, indie and not that important at all in the history of music. That said, it was a nice listen to be honest.
3/5
The last good U2 album just before they took a path I just can't follow. I have a hard time trying to appreciate Bono's singing on this one, but musically speaking, this album is great, catchy and well done.
B.B. King
3/5
Classic blues, well played, nice feeling, nothing really stands out. A pleasant live performance.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
One of the best hip-hop album ever. The music is certified gold and fresh.
Also a huge fan of Kamasi Washington's feat on this.
The Blue Nile
4/5
Very nice art-pop offering with subtle arrangements and texture that gives a glimpse of a progressive electronic aspect. It's a true 3.5 to me, let's give it 4 as I'm glad for this new discovery.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
It sounds like a bad and powerless Justice. Why this album is on the list will forever remains a mystery.
Bono trying so hard to be revelant and deep in the most cringe and awful way. All of it at the top of boring sounds that would be nothing without reverb and delay. The 1001 should have let this one behind.
Ozomatli
1/5
This album seems to be straight out a cheap dance movie from 2004 where there are two enemy dance troupes who end up doing a big dance together at the end of the film.
4/5
Kick ass jazz album that won't let you breath for a second. Love it. Glad that John Zorn is in the 1001, even if it's a tribute album.
William Orbit
1/5
Do you remember the famous cult album Strange Cargo III? Me neither.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
A kind of interesting math/art indie pop that has its own sound. A very unique product for 2009. That said, I'm not so appealed to it.
5/5
An album that I consider in my soul/funk tops.
Catchy songs with an incomparable feeling from the musicians who perform them.
How can you not fall in love with songs like Cisco Kid, City Country City or the incredible The World Is A Ghetto?
An essential.
George Harrison
4/5
Epic album from the a Beatles who had been carrying his unreleased songs around in his suitcase for years. The result is wonderful with some of the best songs of his career. Unfortunately, the third disc is pushing it too far with more pointless stuff that could have become bonus tracks.
James Brown
4/5
James Brown performances are always next level and his band is wonderful, flawless and groovy.
Paul Simon
2/5
This Paul Simon cover looks like a screenshot of a camera that caught him stealing in a convenience store.
Maybe he was trying to steal a good song idea?
And it obviously didn't work.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Generic and pleasant soul music from the 60s. Nothing special, nothing bad.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
I like to listen to hindustani music sometimes, because of its very unconventional sounds and ways of composing and singing compared to the north american/european music I'm used to.
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
Smooth jazz for breakfast restaurants.
4/5
A strong classic from the britpop era. If the band would have been able to do a complete album in the vibe of Don't Look Back in Anger, Champagne Supernova, Morning Glory and Roll With It or even Wonderwall, which is a powerful hit that we just can't hear anymore... this album would have been a 5 stars.
Napalm Death
3/5
This is genius and innovative, but grindcore is suppose to be kind of bad isn't it? There were better albums to come, but thanks to Scum for starting the mess.
Tom Waits
4/5
The blend of folk/americana style with dark and gothic vibe is strangely wonderful. Tom Waits delivery is also unique, emotive and powerful.
Tina Turner
2/5
Tina Turner is a legend, but this album is a average 80s pop record.
Big Star
4/5
At first, I thought it would be an average soft rock album from the mid 70s, but the more I got into the album, the more dark, vulnerable and melancholic it became, the songs were getting better and more evocative. Nice work, Big Star!
Cornershop
1/5
Was this a nightmare?
Kate Bush
3/5
This is a great pop album, but nothing that really stands out like the previous Kate Bush works.
Frank Black
2/5
The first 7 songs were nice and the rest was generic alternative noises from the 90s. 7 songs out of 22 is not enough to reach a 3 stars. Not today. Sorry.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
It's a nice groovy and moody soul jazz output, especially the epic 20 minutes track "Do Your Thing", but it can also becomes very bland by moments, too long winded I guess.
Meat Puppets
4/5
I didn't think I would like this album, but I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought. Punk with excellent songwriting and full of emotion.
The Black Keys
2/5
This might be the most mid/2.5 stars thing I've ever listened too. On one side, you have beautifully toned and well recorded and played instruments, but on the other side, you have the most already-hearded boring and predictable blues rock compositions and lyrics. And you have to go through 55 minutes of it.
Jack White
1/5
This album is the very definition of writing songs for the sake of writing them, without really believing in them or living them. The themes are so generic and the songs so predictable that you have the impression that they have already been recorded before (probably by The Rolling Stones or by Led Zeppelin, who had already ripped off songs before).
Blunderbuss is the third stage of rotten generic white blues rock thrash.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
A solid east coast hip-hop offering by Ghostface Killah, and maybe the best I've heard so far from this Wu-Tang Clan member.
3/5
Generic blues rock played loud with a lot of energy. Nothing bad, nothing so much appealing.
Massive Attack
2/5
Impressively boring for a band that released killer albums like Blue Lines or Mezzanine.
Slade
3/5
A very fun and pleasant hard rock glam output. Nothing special or pushing boundaries, but I always have a good time with Slade.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Yeah, it's obviously dry.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
A wild burst of energy of decent songs. I'm not a fan of his music, but he knows how to play live for sure!
5/5
It’s an album that I really love and that I listen to often. I find it as powerful as it is light. It's like it was full of bad emotions, but PJ Harvey had chosen to uplift us and take us on a journey rather than bring us down.
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea is typically “alternative rock”, but is distinguished by a great sense of tone, emotion and arrangement. The pieces are all catchy without necessarily being excessively pop. My favorite from PJ.
John Lennon
5/5
What is a classic if that album isn't one? What I especially love about Lennon's Imagine album is that he goes to both extremes between the abrasive Lennon (Gimme Some Truth, How, How Do You Sleep, Cripple Inside) and the soft, vulnerable and dreamy Lennon (Oh My Love, Jealous Guy, Imagine, Oh Yoko). But you know, I'm a die-hard fan.
PJ Harvey
4/5
"Rid of Me" is the perfection follow-up for "Dry", being more arranged and crafted overall. This album is the perfect balance between being raw, angry and noisy, but also very well made, catchy and brilliantly interpreted.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Very nice groovy and passionate salsa album. I honestly can't understand the political aspect of it, but that was a pleasant listen.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
This album contains nothing bad at all, but it's so long winded and forgettable that I just can't love it and engage properly. Nice mood, tho.
Blue Cheer
3/5
This album is like going to the McDonald's fast food of psychedelic/garage rock. It does the job, but please, not everyday.
De La Soul
3/5
I can't tell how this formation made its way being surrounded by NWA, Run DMC, Public Enemy and Eric B. & Rakim... Maybe I just don't get it? It's not bad, just not something iconic for me as the others I just named.
Steve Winwood
1/5
The Wish version of Phil Collins... Without a distinct/iconic voice and without interesting drum parts. The synth sounds are bad and cringy. Pop songs without any hooks, barely melodies and feeling uninspired. What the hell? Steve Winwood is a talented musician with an impressive career, but this album is just bad.
Talvin Singh
2/5
The few interesting moments were very nice and I love that Talvin Singh tried many unique things on this record. However, it should never had last 1h long and it's mostly not engaging at all. Also, didn't aged very well.
The Associates
4/5
Dark, atmospheric new wave with a subtle gothic vibe filled with creative ideas and arrangements.
I love when the challenge makes audacious choices like this. A great discovery.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
This album have a some great moments in it, but it's sadly too long winded. It's good to hear post-punk meeting krautrock, tho. The general dark ambiance of Metal Box is also well rendered.
Pantera
3/5
A classic, I guess?
Megadeth
3/5
I used to enjoy this album 10 years ago, but now, the song "I Ain't Superstitions" give me diarrhea.
Janis Joplin
3/5
The voice is great, the songs are okay. Still a legend.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
The definition of how to craft very well a 80s pop album. Peter Gabriel interpretation is always pure genius.
Tim Buckley
4/5
Great baroque/chamnber folk enlightened by rich and creative arrangements of 12 strings guitar, kalimba, bassoon, vibraphone... name it!
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Songs on the first half of the album are insane, songs on the second half are boring. Maybe this was, again, a too long winded album for the content it had to offer. Anyway, I like LCD, just can't understand why this specific album must be one of the best 1001 albums ever.
Soft Machine
5/5
One of my favorite album ever, by which I discovered the incredible Robert Wyatt. Uncompromised and so unique experimental jazz music with a canterbury scene feel. Listening to Robert Wyatt singing Moon In June while drumming is one of the best thing a human can experience.
Faith No More
2/5
It was like Axl Rose singing with an annoying accent and doing rap over alternative metal I already forgot.
Orange Juice
2/5
I think this is the most average sophisti-jangle-pop album I ever listened too.
The Slits
3/5
A nice and pleasant art-punk album with creative and eclectic ideas all the way. Sadly, the songs are kind of not hooking our ears that much. 3 stars all the way!
Britney Spears
1/5
We can all agree that Britney Spears is an iconic and important popstar of the 2000s, however, from a strictly musical standpoint, we can all agree that we don't need to listen to these meaningless, premade,
insignificants songs before we die.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
A pile of garbage spread over an hour long and 2 powerful hit songs.
AC/DC
3/5
Pure rock songs like everything you've heard before, but performed with such energy that the album remains a pleasure to listen to. Nothing important or meaningful, but a great dose of fun and let go.
Brian Eno
4/5
The definition of soft, soothing, atmospheric and minimalist music. It's a blueprint to the genre.
Underworld
2/5
Well... The first half of this album was annoying to death, boringly repetitive and meaningless. AND SO LONG.
The last 4 songs contained nice synth tones, cool beats, cinematic moods and more feelings. Those songs will save the album from a 1 star rating.
Queen
3/5
Killier Queen, Now I'm Here and Stone Cold Crazy are great songs, but the rest of the album is like your average 70s rock songs. Still.. They got their own sound, perfect singer and insane musicians.
Ute Lemper
2/5
All this work, all these collaborators, all this instrumentation, all this deployment... for so little feelings. It's impressive how I felt nothing while listening to this. Really impressive.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
This album hip-hop album has everything to be lovable : jazz, boom bap, conscious, east coast vibes... Not like many albums of the genre, this one is meant to be appreciated as an album, as there are no standout tracks vs fillers. It's just great music all the way through.
Paul McCartney
4/5
This album shows a little more "lofi/slacker" McCartney which is really refreshing from what we always hear from him. The songs are great, so well played and felt. Furthermore, it also gave birth to 2 of his best songs, Junk and Maybe I'm Amazed.
The Soft Boys
5/5
I didn't knew that band before and wow, it's pure genius. Power jangle pop meets post-punk with a little spicy psychedelia here and there. This record is now on my wantlist. Thank you, goodbye!
The War On Drugs
3/5
The blend between americana and dream pop is a very great idea, works well, but I just can't engage to those songs and I don't know why. Too repetitively mellow? Pleasant listen, tho.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
1/5
It's garbage day today. This is also the day I came across this album in the challenge. Coincidence? I don't think so.
The lyrics are awful, of course... but I was expecting a powerful musicianship from a band like that.
I've been disappointed.
King Crimson
5/5
There are more insane musical ideas in this album than you will find in the entire career of most progressive rock bands. Larks' Tongues is unique, creative and abrasive. Only King Crimson can manipulate and control the chaos like that!
The Clash
3/5
I've tried many times to love this album, but I have a hard time understanding why those songs are so great. The reggae/pop/new wave/ska vibe of this album is nice, I guess, but the songs themselves are kind of lame. I'm sorry... I'll give this a 3 stars because of peer pressure.
The Jam
3/5
Nothing that stands out, but an album that flows well. Pleasant listen from the 80s mod revival.
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
This album came out in 1966. Pretty innovative, isn't it? An essential psychedelic rock record.
Nico
4/5
That's how to craft a great dark and melancholic chamber folk album. Love it!
Marty Robbins
5/5
Epic title, epic cover art, epic music. It's amongst my favorite country/western albums ever. Each song feels like a movie, with a beautiful melancholic, bittersweet and mellow vibe.
Dire Straits
4/5
Great catchy and moody songs honored by Mark Knopfler unique playing. Always a pleasure to listen to.
Pixies
3/5
Some great songs, others I don't care about. The Pixies vibe is always cool for sure!
Lana Del Rey
1/5
"Soft contemporary americana music" is now my definition of hell.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
The water drop torture is a method of torture consisting of tying a condemned person immobile to a board. From then on, at regular intervals, a drop of water fell on his forehead. Lack of sleep and repetition wear down the subject's resistance. This results in a psychological alteration of the victim, who ends up going crazy.
Björk
3/5
Although I love Bjork, this is the album I have the hardest time getting into it. The music is more ordinary and samey than her usual work. Don't get me wrong, this is a good album, but not essential to me.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Not only one of the best albums of the last few years or the last decade, but one of the best albums ever recorded. The definition of heartfelt and uplifting music under the banner of psychedelic soul.
I listened to Kiwanuka countless times.
The Pretty Things
4/5
This is how you do a freakbeat psych-rock opera.
This is the recipe!
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
I can't tell how much I love this one. This is where folk exquisite songs meet proto-grunge guitars. The lyrics, the tones, the back vocals, the delivery, the feeling... Everything is on point.
The Style Council
1/5
This is one of the worst album I've ever heard of my life. Not only it was boring, but also annoying, out of place and made with bad taste. What the hell? I can't believe this album was actually made. Lame jazz meets unpleasant pop with their friend, the uncomfortable rap song.
Seriously, I can't believe at what I just listened.
Barry Adamson
3/5
I can't see why there's 2 Barry Adamson on this list, but a little friday spy music never killed anybody! Cool stuff!
The Fall
3/5
To me, the best was yet to come with The Fall, but it was still a pleasant listen full of rebellious sounds and attitude!
Marvin Gaye
4/5
To be honest, I always thought this album was overrated and I still think it's the case. Nevertheless... It's still a great smooth soul/motown album and considered its reputation, a spot on the 1001 is well deserved. I'm not a fan of Marvin's way of singing, but musically speaking, the strings arrangements are brillant here and the percussions are creative, varied and well done.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Baaba Maal is a great singer with a nice delivery, but the songs and their production/artistic direction is killing this album soul to the very core. Very pop, synthetic, fake, no surprises or risks, so easy listening that it becomes boring to death.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Enjoyable indie rock vibes with a few catchy hooks, but I can't see why this is so remarkable and why I would want to listen to it again. This was like easy listening and heavily produced garage/post punk? I don't know.
Next!
Slipknot
3/5
I've been a Slipknot for so long... but I can't find any logical reasons why this album should be on this list. The first Slipknot was a totally breakthrough new sound, Iowa is considered a masterpiece of violence and darkness, Vol. 3 is their most notable album in terms of hits and having mastered their sound. All Hope Is Gone is great, but it wasn't bringing something new or better than their 3 first ones.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Can't see why it's listed here, but enjoyable and catchy alternative garage/punk backed with surprisingly non-annoying brass.
U2
3/5
Great alternative post-punk album which reminds us that they were good back in the days. Still have a hard time with Bono's way of singing, but at least, the music around him is enjoyable.
Mudhoney
2/5
It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it wasn't at all. Too samey, nothing memorable. I don't get it.
Throwing Muses
3/5
A few solid tracks within the album, nice sounding, but the overall product seems a little disjointed. The post-punk and more eclectics moments are great, but the more folkish songs didn't do it for me.
Loved the energy and conviction this band and the singer got, tho.
Fairport Convention
3/5
I don't know. Folk!
Kraftwerk
5/5
Masterpiece of synthpop/progressive electronic. It's almost unbelievable how Kraftwerk can create strong and powerful tracks while being so minimalists at the same time. The beats, the tones, the groove, the sounds... I'm all in for a 5 stars rating.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
The first Cohen's albums are the best melancholic folk around.
Fatboy Slim
1/5
Have you ever lost a bit of life expectancy while listening to an album?
Bob Dylan
5/5
Huge classic from Dylan and without the shadow of a doubt, a folk album that was a game changer for the genre.
The Cardigans
2/5
* sigh *
Stevie Wonder
3/5
A nice Stevie Wonder's collection of songs, but he was still far from his best works like Innervisions or Songs In The Key of Life. Enjoyable stuff, tho!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
A great tortured, depressive, dark and melancholic output from the prolific Nick Cave. I loved the introspective new age/ambiant aspect of this piece of art. The synth tones were so on point. That said, I can't really tell why it finds its way through this list, as this artist have other very important albums within his career.
John Lennon
5/5
Probably the album that made the greatest first impression on me in my entire life. I listened to it 5 times in a row. I was amazed by the power of the songs in relation to their simplicity and such a true and raw interpretation. With their poignant and honest words, those John Lennon songs really go straight to the heart and soul.
Elvis Presley
4/5
This album is not a masterpiece, but damn it must have kicked some ass in 1956!
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
I'm all fine with crafting a noisy and disturbing product, but the industrial aspect was taking place too much over having a dark and scary mood. Not for me.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
That album was kind of pointless and annoying. I've heard worst, tho.
Wild Beasts
3/5
Sounds great, but this is really your average indie rock album from the early 2010s.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
To me, it's not a remarkable or grandiose album, but it still contains some heartfelt and well produced songs that are worth listening to.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Your average contemporary country album no one asked for.
Madonna
2/5
Electropop with a "house" that does not age very well. Do people still listen to this album today?
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Nice playful soul jazz that make your day begins in a good mood!
Björk
3/5
It's great for sure, but nothing really exciting there. Bjork would do really better in the future.
Supertramp
4/5
A classic that deserves its place all the way here, but not a perfect album to me, like Supertramp have done with Breakfast in America. Roger Hodgson songs are there to kick in and uplift the album, but the Davies ones are less for me.
Deee-Lite
1/5
The wind is more interesting to listen to than that.
Bee Gees
2/5
I was full of enthusiasm at the beginning of the album, but ultimately it is a kind of very very light version of The Kinks. It's like easy-listening-baroque-pop. Like... The Carpenters are more brutal than that.
The Beta Band
3/5
Not bad, I enjoyed it more than I thought. The second half of the album, especially. That said, there's nothing to get crazy about. Why does it end on that list? I don't know.
TV On The Radio
2/5
This band tried to aim at 18 different musical styles while reaching absolutely nothing. Impressive.
Tom Waits
1/5
A stand-up comedy with a contrabass. Plot twist : the contrabass was funnier.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
The parts where they sounded like a wish version of Sonic Youth were great! But speaking of 90s post-hardcore, I think we can have really better than that with At The Drive-In, Slint or Fugazi.
James Taylor
2/5
I have nothing to say about this one.
The Pogues
2/5
I hate the Pogues, but this one contains a few pretty interesting instrumental moments. Still can't stand a full album.
Primal Scream
2/5
Nice bass lines, boring everything else.
The The
2/5
The art pop/post-punk sound is great, but the album somehow becomes more and more bland and irritating.
Prince
2/5
The exploded synthesizer passages are really interesting and pretty cool. Except for a few songs, I find it to be quite boring pop music. At least, I haven't been able to get attached to it.
fIREHOSE
1/5
Even the band doesn't remember recording it.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Some of Sonic Youth best tracks out there. A great example of how to master noise rock and slacker music.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
A very strong bold underlined flashing glowing 1.
Beatles
5/5
A very strong bold underlined flashing glowing 5.
Prince
3/5
I tried so many times, but unfortunately, I'll never get into this album. But, at least, that's a true classic that deserves its place in this challenge.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Of all the ELP available, Pictures At An Exhibition was chosen for a reason I don't understand. It's kind of a "proghead only" door to open. I enjoyed it as a fan, but can't see why it's here.
Van Morrison
3/5
To me, this album was a little disappointing, being released after the incredible Astral Weeks. It sounds more like a "normie" Van Morrison. Still, it's enjoyable and worth a listen.
Scritti Politti
1/5
Bland and dull sophisti-funk. The definition of a soulless piece of music.
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
Hey, this album is great! Raw and atmospheric at the same time. Just a nice dose of artsy sounds on a post-punkish new wave. Wasn't prepared for that!
3/5
A very nice and surprising album for XTC, an outcast from 1999. I don't why it's here, but I enjoyed it. Thank you.
Iggy Pop
2/5
It's incredible how this album just doesn't make me feel something. It's like listening to white noise. That said, the man's a legend and this album seems to be to? Who knows.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
When slacker/NOISY sounds meet good songwriting and a singer with feelings. Great stuff.
The Byrds
3/5
I can't say it's a masterpiece, but listening to the Byrds is always a pleasure.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
This 1h30 thing felt so bland and uninspired. What the hell happened there? Who would want to listen to that for 1h30 straight?
Scott Walker
5/5
A dark singer-songwriter epic for the damaged souls.
a-ha
2/5
A very strong single with a long long b-side.
Morrissey
3/5
This Morrissey was closer to the jangle pop vibe and the sound of The Smiths overall. Not essential at all, but still a decent album and enjoyable album.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Listening to this album is like eating 6 day old leftover food for the 4th time in the same week. The first night, it was delicious, but in the end, we eat it out of principle so as not to waste.
Steve Earle
2/5
The 80s synthy production of this bro-alt-neo-trad-honky-tonk thing makes it feel kind of cringy and outdated. A few not-so-bad songs tho, I guess.
The Jam
3/5
Soooooo british it hurts. But there's a lot of good songs, so enjoyable record overall.
The Killers
4/5
A real 3.5, but considering the shit I went through in the last few weeks within the 1001 albums generator, I can give it a 4 without feeling bad.
Great post-punk revival album, strong debut album from The Killers.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
To be fair, there's a few good songs here and there, but like... for an EP. Here, we are trapped in a very samey/bland 1 hour album and it's very hard to bond with the music and overall product.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
The fact that we get ANOTHER british mid new wave album is the proof that this list lacks variety and is only submitted to the taste of its owner. I mean, it's something inevitable, but it's becoming a joke to that point.
For Adam & The Ants, the tribal drums adhesion is their most original (and annoying) take.
David Bowie
5/5
This might be considered a hot-take, but I don't care : this is my favorite David Bowie's album. The music is just another thing, dark and depressive (but uplifting) progressive jazz-rock from outer space. A world apart album.
Don McLean
2/5
1971 may be the greatest year for music releases ever and you're bringing me Don McLean? Seriously?
The Mars Volta
5/5
De-Loused In The Comatorium would be in my “10 albums you must have listened to in your life” list.
It's so unusual to be served progressive rock, Latin music, samba, psychedelic rock, experimental and post-hardcore on one plate that it would have been difficult to imagine such a thing without the existence of this group.
I will always remember my very first listen to this record... I had absolutely no understanding of what had just happened, it was out of this world, I didn't know if I liked it or not, but I I had a great desire to return there to elucidate this mystery. The album quickly turned into fascination. Everything had to be resolved: the powerful singing of Cédric Bixler-Zavala, the chaotic guitar of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the surreal texts, the abstract and captivating atmospheres, the crazy, technical and energetic percussions. Everything was happening at all once and it was brilliantly working.
De-Loused is an album where the duo of Cedric and Omar gave themselves complete creative freedom.
A work that keeps me in a state of violent amazement for a full hour.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
"Enter The Circus" and "Nasty Naughty Boy" are the most cringy things I've ever heard.
This was a DOUBLE CRAPPY program, oh my God. Can't believe it exists.
Khaled
1/5
The Challenge's attempts to include music from outside America and Europe are so bad it seems like a farce.
They serve us western music influenced overproduced cringy pop of a 90s Khaled? Seriously? There are so many great music acts out there, it's almost an insult.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
Released in 1984, but recorded in 1983. Incredibly before it's time. This album opened the door to a lot of hip-hop acts and help define the genre. It's fun and playful, but agressive and political at the same time. A very important album that deserves its place on this list.
Bauhaus
4/5
Who could say no to a good ol' goth rock cold plate?
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
It's a bossa nova/samba album, you know. Couldn't be bad, but that's not one I would put a highlight on. Still... Pleasant listen!
The Monks
4/5
1966 and this band with only one album in career is THAT heavy? Little proto-punk and garage gem here. Always loved that one.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Can't understand why there's 3 albums from them on this challenge, probably because they are british. Anyway, that's a very fine post-punk/gothic rock and I love it. Wild arrangements and dark twisted sounds out there.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
A synth driven album by Leonard Cohen. I'll never be sure if I like it or not. Cheesy arrangements and fake instruments kind of do not always match the vibe. Great poetry from this man as always, tho.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
I can't explain why, but I really loved that one. A melancholic, lofi and honest feel all the way through. It's really a 3.5 to me, but considering the shit I've went through within this list, let's give it a 4. I'm feeling happy today.
Joanna Newsom
5/5
There are these albums that aren't supposed to exist... Well, this is one of them. A mainstream progressive/avant folk album in 2006? Featuring Van Dyke Parks as a musician and conductor? Steve Albini as an engineer and Jim O'Rourke at the mix? How can this be possible? Totally outcast. Well, here we are, and it's exquisite stuff, really.
Gram Parsons
2/5
Average country rock album. Nothing really bad, but nothing stands out neither. It's as feelgood and as it's inoffensive.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Can you imagine living in 1963 and a singer-songwriter drops this? Opening with Blowin' In The Wind?
I mean, it must have created a shift in the head of every songwriters. "Oh shit, we can actually write great, engaged, poetic and philosophical songs! With one guitar only? Damn!"
This album is undoubtedly a game changer in the history of music and fully deserves its place on a list like this.
Yes
5/5
That’s a guaranteed Yes top 5 for me. The first in their discography to have placed the group among the big players of the genre. It's very prog, certainly, but still with a certain restraint that suits them well. The guys focused on composition more than virtuosity and this resulted in powerful and spectacular pieces.
Gary Numan
4/5
So atmospheric, engaging and... Cold! It's like the sound of Kraftwerk given a post-punk twist. I loved this one.
D'Angelo
2/5
Very well crafted neo-soul that is so easy-listening that it becomes almost annoying or useless. I can't explain why this is so much praised or influencial.
But, that's well made for sure.
Elvis Costello
1/5
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA... hahahHAahaHAHAHAAA...AHHHHHHHHH AHAHAHAHAHA HHAAHAHAHA!!! WoooooooHooooOOOOOOOO!!!! HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA AHHHHHHRGGGGGGGGG Heeheheheeeee HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH * hysterical laughter *
Public Enemy
4/5
1988, political and conscious hip-hop was breaking through the scene and Public Enemy makes it explode with this angry and badass album.
And it was only the beginning, because to me, Fear Of A Black Planet and Apocalypse 91 are even better.
2Pac
4/5
I'm glad I can finally discover the great 2Pac. I always like when there's a melancholic/existential feel supported with a boom bap/gangsta rap beat and this album have a lot of tracks doing it very well. 1995 is a blessed year for hip-hop and this album is another proof of this.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
This kind of music is so far from my taste that I can barely rate this. The only way I can enjoy this music is in a 90s action movie like Mortal Kombat.
The Fall
2/5
It would be necessary to produce an ultra-substantial doctoral thesis to convince me that this album has any importance in the history of music.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Longing and pastoral monument of folk music. Always great to dive into Joni Mitchell's introspective music and lyrics.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
Very well produced album, with an impressive attention to details for the genre, nice variations along the way, sometimes being country, other times being groovy pop, soft rock or even dream pop.
Otherwise, this is still your average pop album that nobody will remember a few years later.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Alternative rock for alternative people.
The Monkees
2/5
1967 was one of the most successful years in terms of creativity and artists surpassing themselves, but despite everything, we found ourselves listening a damn generic Monkees.
XTC
4/5
A surprising album with bursting and quite unique arrangements. I loved the overall mood and their solid take on 80s psychedelic music.
Metallica
5/5
It's the kind of album that draws teenagers to a love of music, that makes them want to pick up a guitar and learn. I don't listen to it much anymore, but this kind of work is crucial and important in a young individual's musical development. A true classic.
Hookworms
2/5
Sadly, they forgot to put "hooks" in their Hookworms music. This is a well made album... and that's it.
The Waterboys
3/5
Very frontloaded album, with 3 to 4 powerful and insane tracks, but unfortunately, the more it goes, the weaker it gets. They have a nice sound overall, tho... So, 3 stars will do it.
Eminem
4/5
A true classic from 1999, so much memorable hip-hop lines and beats, with the master Dr. Dre at production. The Slim Shady LP loses a little energy and momentum at the end, but it's a hell of a ride anyway.
New Order
3/5
Nice melancholic and dance mood overall, very easy to listen and move our head to the beat.
It's a cool synthpop take by New Order, but it lacks something catchy. It seems the album can't engage the listener totally.
Eminem
4/5
Another hardcore hip-hop classic given by a very provocative and vulgar Eminem. The album is too long winded and looses power in the end, but fortunately, there's enough hits and strong songs to compensate that.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA... hahahHAahaHAHAHAAA...AHHHHHHHHH AHAHAHAHAHA HHAAHAHAHA!!! WoooooooHooooOOOOOOOO!!!! HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA AHHHHHHRGGGGGGGGG Heeheheheeeee HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH * hysterical laughter *
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
One of my favorite jazz album of all time. I can't believe we can create a music so playful and light, but complex and technical at the same time. Joe Morello might have achieved one the best drum performances ever on this.
Donovan
4/5
A classic for the lovers of psychedelic folk like me. It's also kind of avant-garde, as it was released in 1966. Beautiful fantasy mood, a listen of Sunshine Superman is always a peaceful and mellow moment.
The Cult
4/5
Always loved the goth rock side of The Cult within the world of hard/glam/classic rock. They have that little something the other hard rock acts were missing at that time, being more dark but as punchy and energetic as a rock band should be. Sorry for the "Born To Be Wild" cover... I know it's embarrassing.
1/5
Did I plug my headphones into a trash can without realizing it?
Tom Waits
4/5
Brilliant and fascinating album from Tom Waits where he creates abstract, dark and mysterious cabaret jazz songs. One of a kind stuff.
Grateful Dead
2/5
It took a lot of coffee to finish this one. And when I say a lot, it means A LOT OF COFFEE.
Aerosmith
1/5
Work-shopped, over produced and cliché ridden album from start to finish from a band that as becomes soulless over the years.
The album starts with a song telling that he's hiding from the police to get laid with teenagers. What the hell is going on here? Love In An Elevator is so dumb that I almost had to crack a beer at 8:00 AM. The trumpets parts of The Other Side gave me cancer.
At "My Girl" and "Don't Get Mad", they shoot at you the most awful blues-rock song you can ever think about, just to confirm you are deep down in their bullshit and can't escape.
Good luck to every newcomers that will encounter this album over the course of the 1001 albums generator.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
A few great songs here and there, the Flamingo/Zen Archer/Onionhead is particularly nice. Otherwise, it's still too long-winded and there's too many fillers along the way. I can't tell why it's on this list... It's a very usual 70s album, you know.
Kid Rock
1/5
* burp *
Patti Smith
3/5
That's undoubtedly a classic that deserves its place on this list. However, I have a hard time getting into Patti Smith's music. I love her attitude and delivery, but the music isn't doing anything to me.
Sugar
2/5
2 or 3 nice songs, but mostly generic and pointless. At least, it isn't a second Kid Rock album.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I can't really tell why it's on this list, but... PJ Harvey rarely miss and this is a great album. After listening to Kid Rock, Sugar, Todd Rundgren and Aerosmith, it feels so good. Let's give this a 4!
Dr. John
3/5
As in terms of swamp rock and/or freak folk, that's a pretty great pick to introduce someone to the genre. However, I can't say it's a masterpiece. A pleasant listen, but nothing I will come back to.
Michael Jackson
2/5
This album is waaaaay to clean and produced. It's okay to be pop, but that goes to a point I just can't stand.
Nirvana
5/5
Nevermind is the commercial success, but In Utero is really what the grunge is to the very core : sad, pessimistic, noisy and raw, apathetic, destructive... and so on! A masterpiece of the genre.
Kraftwerk
4/5
The masters at work crafting their whole new sound to offer to the world. The best was yet to come, but it's still a strong 4.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
This album is so boring, it's almost unbelievable that people actually took their time to record it.
The Undertones
2/5
It's supposed to be pop punk. Not enough catchy to be pop, not enough rebellious to be punk. I don't know what it is then.
David Bowie
4/5
When David Bowie enters a studio with Brian Eno, how can it go wrong? A fine cut of art rock/pop with an electro touch.
Queen
3/5
As usual with a Queen album that is not a "greatest hits", there are fillers and songs I don't care about. Still a great powerful sound overall, tho. Legendary band, no matter what.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Not my kind of music, but I must say the b-side of the record saves it for me. The last songs are great and more creative.
Goldfrapp
2/5
I listened to it yesterday. I don't remember anything. It wasn't bad, I think.
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
I don't why this album is here, but I'm always happy to listen to it. A very nice post-hardcore noisy record that kind of fills the gap between 2 bands I really love : Fugazi and At The Drive-In.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
A great starter for Siouxsie and the Banshees and the best was only yet to come. Love that band.
Pulp
2/5
Okay?
Röyksopp
2/5
This was not super good, not super bad... I could have live without listening to this for sure, but it didn't hurt me neither... * sigh *
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Maybe my least favorite from the first 5 CCR albums, but always a pleasant listen nonetheless. Only them can pull out major hits out of swamp rock.
Coldcut
2/5
What's That Choice?
Elbow
3/5
"Good" is the word. A pleasant, but not outstanding listen.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
As we know, a historic album for several reasons. So artsy and different from everything that rock bands were doing in the 60s. I've never been able to appreciate it properly, not my jame maybe? But it deserves a 5 stars without a doubt.
The Clash
2/5
Their lyrics might be cool, but their music feels so redundant and boring. I must admit I'll never be able to love The Clash.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Passionate RnB with a strong delivery, Sam Cooke knows how to put a crowd on fire!
Oasis
4/5
Always loved that album, sometimes more than Morning Glory... There's a feeling of being young, angry and not giving a fuck about anything in it that I crave a lot, even if I hate Noel Gallagher for that exact reason.
Klaxons
2/5
It's fascinating to think this band had a moment of glory somewhere in 2007.
Anthrax
4/5
Energetic thrash metal for angry people!
Roni Size
2/5
Man, that's what I call something endless. "Brown Paper Bag" was interesting, the other songs were not hurting but were not pleasant neither.
Travis
2/5
This album made me feel uneasy a few times, being kind of cringy and bad. I've listened to worst in my life, but my brother in Christ, how can you consider this an essential listen?
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
When these two guys are together, they reach the magic touch for writing amazing folkish/pop songs. How can someone dislike that?
Burning Spear
4/5
Political roots reggae is at its best here with some seriously awesome brass arrangements. It was my first time with Burning Spear and it was a very pleasant listen.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This album changed my life and is everything to me. Fantasy themed catchy psychedelic rock with so much creativity found within the arrangements and the weird chromatic vocals by Syd Barrett. It's just astonishing that someone came up with this in the 60s. This album is everything I love in music and litterature, really.
The Damned
4/5
I loved that album waaaay more than I thought I would. It's like The Clash, but with imagination and creativity, I wouldn't thought it would be possible, but here we are. I had incredible fun listening to Machine Gun Etiquette. What the hell...
Big Black
4/5
Big Black got a unique take on post-hardcore and noise rock and that's why they're so cool. Now I just to throw a brick in the window of a corporate building.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
This album is waving between annoyingly bad and okay songs. This album doesn't even have to be in the top 100 of 1969, so imagine being a part of this list.
Flamin' Groovies
1/5
Can you imagine livin' your life considering this an essential listen?
T. Rex
2/5
This album has a lack of fuel in the engine. I tried many times, but I just don't get it with T. Rex.
Orbital
2/5
Maybe the most interesting techno album from this challenge. Kein Trink Wasser was an insane track. Still a 2, sorry. Too long-winded and boring passages.
Boards of Canada
4/5
Meditative, yet melancholic electronic music to sooth the soul. A top 5 downtempo album to me.
Bad Brains
2/5
This album sounds surprisingly amateurish, especially in terms of the vocal parts. The guitar and drum tones are so awful it becomes fascinating.
The National
3/5
The National is a great band, very instrospective, but the reason why this project is sooooo appreciated is still a mystery to me.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
A country vocalist singing over grungy guitars playing pop songs... Well... It surprisingly works. Not for me, but still, it works.
The Residents
4/5
This record is another world. What the hell was that? So surprising and wild!
Van Morrison
1/5
In terms of being aggressively mid, this album is a top of the category. There's a huge band, spotless playing, but... Nothing happens. It's beige from start to finish, completely boring. I would have give 2 stars, but the length of this album is an insult to me.
M.I.A.
2/5
I guess it's a good album in its genre, but seriously, this list has a lack of knowledges about what happened in the 2000s AND outside the UK. You know, there's a world outside UK. We don't need 2 M.I.A. albums in a list like that.
Tom Waits
2/5
Pretty boring compared to albums like Rain Dogs or Swordfishtrombones. Did we really need to hear this?
Foo Fighters
3/5
This album might be important in a historical point of view, as it's the first move Dave Grohl did after Nirvana, and it's a pretty wild move, but... The album is also not that good and he was going to do much better with the second Foo Fighters. It's a 2.5 to me, but let's give it a 3, has we know the man was going the blow our mind later.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Always in for Stevie Wonder in his golden age.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Music for synth lovers by synth masters. Count me in.
Joe Ely
2/5
I'm sure this man has never urinated on a railway or jumped from a moving train.
Spiritualized
2/5
Well... This album has great arrangements, but seriously lack great and engaging compositions to back it all. It may feels spacey and psych, but it can hardly keep my attention for more than 1 song.
I don't get why it's so appreciated.
Arrested Development
2/5
It's stunning how those beats can stay mid for an hour long. An what about this flat delivery of the lyrics? It was weak.
The Who
3/5
It's a great album, but as part of the challenge I chose to give it a 3, because with The Who there are albums much more important and influential, culturally, than this one.
Mudhoney
4/5
So cool! It was like early kick-ass grunge with a subtle touch of psychedelic rock in it. Maybe in the chords progressions? Anyway, let's FUZZ.
The Prodigy
3/5
One of the few Big Beat/Break album I can stand, and even enjoy a little. Still far from my musical taste, but still a great album with nice tracks.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
I have a hard time with contemporary R&B and pop soul straight out of an 80s production. Too cheesy and gentle for me, sorry.
Queen Latifah
3/5
Glad I finally got a chance to listen to the famous Queen Latifah. I'll never be a fan, as it sometimes goes nowhere and it's become repetitive, but that was a cool and pleasant listen nevertheless.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
By chances they have 2 or 3 huge hits on this one, because after that, we're falling into the great land of the generic blues rock fillers. Man, this band is overrated to a point that is almost unbelievable.
Bonnie Raitt
1/5
"Nick Of Time" more like "Waste Of Time".
This challenge is just like the Grammy Awards, a total joke.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
This is outstandingly generic (and even bad) blues rock, no creativity involved at all. It would have made a perfect 7inches record with Gimme Shelter and You Can't Always Get What You Want.
The Bees
2/5
This list is totally lost when it comes to cult or influencial albums released after 1999.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
tHat'S OkaY, wE hAvE "wOrLd MuSic" oN tHe LiSt!
Beatles
5/5
Imagine living in 1964, dropping the needle on this record and then... "BAAAAM", the wildest chord you've ever heard rings, followed by one of the most energetic catchy song of this year.
There are so many great songs on this one...the haunting vocals of If I Fell, the wonderful Paul's classic ballad And I Love Her, the superhit Can't Buy Me Love, the upbeat and catchy Tell Me Why and Anytime At All and the wonderful closer I'll Be Back.
The Beatles wasn't already at the top of their art, but if you compare to any rock album of 1964, they were on another planet.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Very nice album with great vibe that kind of gets boring past the twentieth songs, because the very same concept is applied over and over again to each songs until it becomes rotten to the core. I like the slacker and rushed ideas concept, but it's pushed a little too far for me.
Skepta
2/5
I don't know. Starts off as a pretty cool gangsta rap album, but the overall album becomes samey and falls of off interest.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
Unmissable monument of its genre that took hip-hop to a whole other level. Run DMC's guys are legends and I pay respect.
Ray Charles
2/5
Your usual R&B big band record. I just can't figure out why this record would be better than other stuff of its category.
Robbie Williams
1/5
This thing just sound like everything else britpop, but more annoying with a strange feeling of ripping off songs all the way through. Extremely mid stuff. A huge joke to find this album here.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
1h15 was way too long for what this album has to offer, but it's an overall pleasant listen and mood. I was surprised by something I thought I wouldn't like.
The Undertones
2/5
Mid 80s punk rock straight in the forgettable field of my mind.
Tito Puente
3/5
I can't say I will listen to this again in my life, but it's surely a nice mambo album with a few wild cuts like Hong Kong Mambo.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This album destroyed my soul and gave me depression even before reaching the adult age. Masterpiece!
Sade
3/5
Not my kind of music at all, but... at least, it deserves its place in this list. A true classic!
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
This is one of the worst album I've ever heard, and considering the shit we've been through with this list, it's really saying something!
Sebadoh
3/5
Hey, this is far from a masterpiece, but they got a couple of pretty great slacker rock songs out there! Maybe it's all a little spoiled by some "joke" or "I don't care" songs. Anyway, I enjoyed it as a pure 3 stars.
Duke Ellington
3/5
A very good, dynamic and fun big band album, but it still sounds very standard to me.
Brian Eno
4/5
This album is full of insanely creative twists and arrangements. A great exemple of going deep down into a new sound and work the things out to 100% capacity.
Roxy Music
3/5
I love the prog rock aspect of this glam rock album!Half of the album is very good, the other is pretty bad. 3 stars.
The Temptations
3/5
The Temptations never delivered a masterpiece, but I'm always happy when it's playing. The 10 minutes song "Runaway Child, Running Wild" is especially a blast!
LTJ Bukem
1/5
It was like listening to 2 hours of total void.
It's ambiant music for your favorite expensive clothing store, but how could someone listen to this at home and live something great?
Imagine writing the list of the 1001 albums you have to listen to in your life and adding this kind of stuff. Or I obviously missed the whole point?
Stereo MC's
2/5
Alternative dance from the 90s that absolutely no one would care about today. It was aggressively bad, tho.
Mercury Rev
2/5
You can have a lot of orchestral arrangements, but that doesn't always help to make a song better. A few nice things here and there, but I already forgot everything about that one. Sorry.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
The best thing about this band is its name. Damn, that's a great band name... Anyway, nice and pleasant album overall, it won't kill anybody to listen to it, but by the standards of 1969, it's also very common music and nothing really stands out.
Mariah Carey
1/5
Lame and superficial music made to hurt nobody that would dare to listen to a commercial radio station.
The Verve
3/5
I would have cut from 15 to 20 minutes to this album to prevent it from becoming uninteresting and repetitive, but I was really surprised by their spaced britpop sound. This band has great songs to deliver after all.
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
Some of the best songs ever recorded are just there.
New York Dolls
3/5
I rarely love early 70s glam rock, but the proto-punk feel behind that one saves the game! Cool and energetic album.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
The overall vibe and sound are really nice and appealing. Unfortunately, I found no stand-out tracks or something I would listen to again. Great and charming album, tho.
Soul II Soul
1/5
If this album was released anywhere else than in the UK, it wouldn't be here. As long as I love UK music with all my heart, it's not the center of the world as the author of this list may believe.
Common
3/5
This was a very good album, but I can't say any tracks was a total stand-out or will stay with me for a long time. Still, a pleasant listen and the beats were nice!
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1/5
I NEVER EVER want to listen to 2 hours straight of the same bluegrass song again. It was like being trapped in a blackhole void filled with banjos and violin.
Frank Zappa
5/5
Hot Rats is a game changer in the music industry for its innovation, but also in my life, because it made me fall in love the creative world of Frank Zappa. I remember listening to Peaches En Regalia for the first time and being completely blown away by how original and unique it was. A top tier album to me.
Sparks
3/5
I have a very hard time with 70s glam rock, but my friends told me it was a good one!
Gotan Project
2/5
I often hear musicians say that they have drawn a lot of influence from the Gotan Project. (not)
This album felt like shopping for clothes I can't afford.
John Cale
2/5
70s easy listening
The Verve
2/5
Outch... This album would have be really decent if the best of it was kept for a 30 to 40 minutes record, but the fillers are killing it. It's too long.
Kraftwerk
5/5
The best robot music in the world! I love Kraftwerk!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I had a hard time with appreciating Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, but I've finally discovered an album that I truly love. This album was beautifully heartbreaking and full of light and shadow at the same time. Brilliant!
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
The average, the decent and the mid
Kings of Leon
2/5
This band would have make a great opening act for Franz Ferdinand!
Rod Stewart
2/5
Rod Stewart doing roots rock. Among the things I didn't need, here's a big one!
Jungle Brothers
2/5
I had never heard of this one, despite being a great old school hip-hop fan. Within the first tracks, I was thinking that it could be a great one, but it slowly became so flat and powerless... It was way too long for the low energy level of the delivery. A few great beats and... That's it for the Jungle Brothers.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
Okay, this album isn't THAT bad, but... I mean, I can't believe the challenge took this album as a candidate for 1969. I mean, it's not even a great choice for Quicksilver Messenger Service itself. That's a live jam album.
Sepultura
4/5
I always had a sweet spot for this album, as I listen to it since my teenage years. But giving it a listen now made realize the strong influences this album had on band like Slipknot and System Of A Down... And on Nu Metal in many ways. The end of the album with the canyon jam is so wild, love it!
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
The track "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" was really nice, but that's the only thing I liked about the whole album. Generic and annoying blues rock jams all the way through.
Death In Vegas
2/5
I'm sure I have listened to it about 10min ago, but I don't remember anything.
Nirvana
5/5
Have you really been a teenager if you didn't loved this album to death? I mean... I learned to play music with it, I cried with it, I celebrated with it. This album is the pure representation of a great rock records : it makes you feel alive.
Doves
5/5
This album is too good for the britpop? Let's call it post-britpop... When strong and melancholic songwriting meets hypnotic atmospheres. A masterpiece of its kind.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
The last Simon & Garfunkel, but not the least! Folk/pop at its best, brillant songwriting with warm and melancholic interpretation.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Your usual 70s funk record that is good enough to have a pleasant listen, but I wouldn't say it's a keeper. Anyway, cool record!
Richard Hawley
2/5
It was a hard one to go through
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
700 albums in, and that's the first time I listen to a good selection outside of Europe or US. Unbelievable. It's worth a 4 stars.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
It wasn't bad at all... That's just too distant from me so I can judge, I think. But looking at the reputation of this one, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill deserves its spot on this list!
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This challenge offers too many Echo And The Bunnymen, but with all the shit we've been through, how can I complain about this?
Awesome post-punk album!
Otis Redding
4/5
A true legend! I don't see how we can dislike this album.
Aphex Twin
4/5
I'm the worst public ever for anything "techno", but... Wow! This album was really good and surprising. I quickly found myself lost (in a good way) in the atmosphere of those tracks and enjoying the whole album. Great stuff!
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I heard many songs from Dusty Springfield here and there, on compilations or soundtracks. I always loved her stuff! First time listening to a full LP of this artist and this was exactly what I expected, nothing mindblowing, but really pleasant songs nevertheless.
Deep Purple
3/5
This might be classic because of Highway Star and Smoke On The Water, but, let's admit it, it's pretty mid overall. Nothing bad, but nothing stands out either. It still deserves its place here, I think!
Dolly Parton
3/5
Hey, this album is great! This is not my jam, far from a masterpiece, but Dolly Parton is a legend and it shows.
The KLF
1/5
This challenge wants me to suffer.
Pretenders
3/5
Great energetic and catchy rock with a few nice hits, but I also fail to find genius in it or completely love the tracks.
The Triffids
2/5
The songs were bad, the tones were awful, but at least, it wasn't UK acid tech house from the 90s.
Def Leppard
2/5
Vinyl record side A : Hits that I can't stand.
Vinyl record side B : Fillers that I can't stand.
The xx
2/5
Average indietronica album. Not bad, but nothing stands out either. And I can't believe The XX are there 2 times on this list while Broadcast and Slowdive have been completely ignored.
Brian Eno
4/5
When glam rock meets art punk and experimental music. That record is so wild, while remaining catchy and very pop to the core. Brian Eno is a magician.
Ride
4/5
Shoegaze at its best! Love that first offering from Ride!
Method Man
4/5
My kind of weirdo's boom bap hip-hop.
Incubus
2/5
This sound like all of the alternative metal fillers of every band from the 90s put together.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
I can't say I would listen to this another time, but it was a cool artsy baroque/cabaret album with creative arrangements.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
The album is too long for what it has to offer, but we can find some excellent blues cuts in there! They were cooking for real.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
It was great to try to hook with this album and ending up in a completely zoned-out corner of my mind, just wondering if I'm trapped in the same song forever and ever.
Calexico
3/5
Except for a few songs, nothing really stands out, but... It's great all the way through. Very pleasant and moody listen!
Carpenters
4/5
I really have a sweet spot for the Carpenters, especially Karen Carpenter, a musician and singer soooo underrated. This album contains the most perfect baroque/sunshine adult pop. The uplifting vocal harmonies, harpsichord touches here and there, heartfelt piano parts, soulful brass, groovy drums and Karen Carpenter's magical voice.
Hanoi Rocks
1/5
"Oh, finally a rock album outside of the UK or the US in this list..."
* Hanoi Rocks *
"ARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHH"
The Adverts
3/5
Glam punk for the glam punk lovers, if there is still glam punk lovers out there over planet Earth.
This album is for you, glam punk heads. You'll like it, I promise. This is glam punk.
David Bowie
4/5
Ok, the "Across The Universe" cover is awful, but if you forget it, this album is fire. Tasty energetic pop/soul with Bowie's unique magic touch. So many catchy hooks and great arrangements in it.
The Youngbloods
2/5
Imagine having the year 1969 at your fingertips and being able to almost fill 100 albums of your challenge with that, only to finally stop at The Youngbloods' Elephant Mountain. This is pure madness.
The Icarus Line
2/5
What the hell is this album doing on this list?
Devendra Banhart
4/5
Nice intimate indie folk album with many great songs in it, well played, Devendra!
Supergrass
4/5
I was really surprised by that one. Powerful, energetic and efficient britpop (and I'm not the #1 fan of that genre, as this challenge may have noticed). I really enjoyed that first Supergrass!
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
A great grungy album that I had a real pleasure to listen to, but one day later, I already forgot everything. Well, next!
Christine and the Queens
2/5
I felt nothing.
Deep Purple
3/5
Deep Purple playing their worst (s)hits with fun, energy and feeling.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
Hey, that album wasn't that bad after all. Instead of being the over-produced country albums from the 80s/90s, it was more slacker filled with a natural and heartfelt sentiment than what I expected. Cool stuff!
Culture Club
1/5
For a band with an image filled with so many colours and eccentricities in, their music is boring to an unbelievable point.
Dion
1/5
The lyrics are pathetic, the music is boring and thousand light years away from any feeling. What the hell is this doing here?
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Well... It's really not my kind of music, the album was too long winded, but to represent Christina Aguilera and her impact on early 2000s pop, it's a good choice I guess.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Elliott Smith with the best instrumentations you could have give to his music. Heartfelt to the core. Total love at first sight for this album.
Weather Report
3/5
Decent and, somehow, classic fusion/Jazz-rock with Pastorius' unique touch. It's good, but aged really bad. Still a 3.
KISS
3/5
That one is a classic to me as I was listening to it when I was a teenager, I saw the band live and had so much fun. Then, I became an adult with a certain taste in music and well... I realize Kiss was more of a brand than a band. Good product, I would say!
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
The Bootsy Collins feat. Run DMC album that shouldn't exist. I guess it was influencial, somehow? It was always so close to be good, but kind of always miss the climax.
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
Beck if he was falling in a staircase.
Portishead
5/5
A top 5 trip-hop album to me. Perfection.
American Music Club
2/5
That one was especially boring and generic and I cannot see people caring about this album in 2025.
Duran Duran
2/5
I just can't stand Duran Duran. I can't say if it's too cheesy or not enough cheesy? I can't get the hype, even for the hit songs. Sorry.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
It could have been great, there's a lot of nice ideas and sounds, but they just can't make it through an album that is so long winded.
Finley Quaye
2/5
Reggae? Yes.
Pop Reggae? Meh.
90s Pop Reggae? No.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
1/5
So, this is on the same list as Abbey Road, Nevermind, The Dark Side Of The Moon, Straight Outta Compton, Paranoid, Kind Of Blue, Illmatic, Kid A, Rust Never Sleeps...
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart is considered good enough to be there among these. I must be really missing something.
Adele
3/5
Piano/vocal oriented contemporary adult music is really not my kind of music, but I must admit this one has something special. I remember a few of these songs playing over and over on the radio, and singer covering them in every TV shows. It's for sure a huge phenomenon of the last decade.
Orbital
2/5
Techno I think I can stand.
R.E.M.
5/5
I have a sweet spot for that one for 2 main reasons :
I love the 90s REM, so fresh, catchy and uplifting.
This album was played a lot at home when I was young.
This music is forever etched in my mind.
Q-Tip
3/5
I can't say I will come back to this album, but that sure is a nice one. Great vibes all the way!
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Can we call this psychedelic experimental blues? A completely outcast album, as the whole career of Captain Beefheart. Really in love with that one!
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Calm yet passionate music, this album is certified gold all the way through, offering a warm and gentle vibe which never runs out of steam. Glad I discovered that one via the challenge!
Richard Thompson
2/5
Sounds great, but already forgotten!
Pavement
4/5
How to be slacker and melodic, how to be poetic and apathetic. I love how these guys can be so powerful while sounding like they don't care about anything.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Always in for a good ole blues made in the golden years of the genre!
Slayer
3/5
It's a classic, but it's far from a top 3 Slayer to me. Their 2 main hits are on it, but as full albums, they can do better : Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits and the masterpieces South Of Heaven and Season In The Abyss.
Still, it deserves its place here, I guess?
The Hives
2/5
What is supposed to be a revival of something? Sounds more like the total death of a genre to my ears.
Goldie
1/5
Painful. Laborious.
Turbonegro
3/5
I wouldn't listen to this all day, but that's what I call a cool hard rock album when you feel to crack a budweiser. I love the overall energy of their music.
David Holmes
1/5
Listening to this again would lead me to madness and despair.
Animal Collective
2/5
A few songs from them is something I can listen to and enjoy, there are great sounds and tones out there, but 54 minutes is enough to realize that the same arrangements and formula are applied to every songs and it becomes boring and predictable.
Caetano Veloso
4/5
I'm surprised but really happy that this album founds its way to this challenge. What a great psychedelia/tropicalia and bossa-nova classic from Brazil!
The United States Of America
4/5
Wild, avant-garde and ethereal stuff! Amongst my favorite albums from the 60s.
The Zutons
2/5
The Zutons?
The Cars
3/5
There are great moments in this album, especially the 2 last songs when the band becomes more uplifting. Enjoyable new wave, but I can't say I would come back to it very often.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Adventurous folk rock with powerful arrangements. The organ leads, the bongo percs and the gospel alike vocal harmonies were especially nice! Songs like Love the One You're With, Old Times Good Times, Go Back Home and We Are Not Helpless will stay with me.
Eels
3/5
While many songs remain forgettable stuff, I really loved the melancholic and introspective aspect of this album, it's overall very cohesive and well done.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Enjoyable hard bop record for sure, but I can't say it's a standout of the genre to me. It sounds like a bridge between easy listening jazz and more hard hitting stuff.
Metallica
4/5
Even if it's not my favorite from Metallica, And Justice For All is the band at the highest peak of their art. It's thrash metal mixed with a touch of prog. It's rebellious, conscious, dark and powerful. A true classic.
Suede
2/5
I don't know why, but their songs and their Bowie infused sound just don't appeal me. I have a hard time with britpop and glam rock, so when they're both together...
Stereolab
5/5
I love Stereolab more than I love myself.
N.E.R.D
2/5
Full of good musical ideas executed in the worst possible way. And it aged very poorly.
Good lyrics and delivery would have also be appreciated.
The best was yet to come for Pharrell Williams.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Heartfelt country/western music that goes straight to the soul. The sining delivery of Waylon Jennings is perfect.
Bee Gees
1/5
Ok, there's soft rock and there's SUPER SOFT rock. It's so focused on being easy to listening that it becomes almost insulting to the power behind every human ears. The lyrics are awful, the music is uninspired to an impossible level.
Django Django
2/5
A fun and pleasant listen that doesn't go beyond that. It really sounds like most of the indie bands from 2012.
Santana
4/5
This album is incredibly catchy and the instrumental parts are insane. The varied and powerful percussions on it are the ultimate delight.
Funkadelic
4/5
The first track is one of the most beautiful thing ever recorded. The next 6 songs are a great ride of fun and groove.
Nirvana
5/5
This album is very special to me. It really introduced me to Nirvana, to Kurt Cobain's voice and unique and passionate performance. I listened to it hundreds of times when I was a teenager. It was a great bridge between my musical world and what my mother listened to; it was universal. We listened to it together in the car or at home; everyone enjoyed it.
This album both hurts and heals the soul. 5 stars.
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
Well, I find myself to be really surprised by that one. Who would have guess that a fantastic alt-country record was lying just there in 1993? It's melancholic, powerful, heartfelt and sounding very well overall. I loved that one!
Black Sabbath
5/5
This album is a bold 5 stars. The band just burned everything surrounding them with that one. How can you be so heavy and groovy at the same time? While listening to it, I want to dance and throw a chair at the wall at the very same time. Ozzy's delivery is out of this world, Bill Ward is playing like he wants to destroy his drum kit, Geezer is more solid than ever and Iommi's guitar is pure evil.
Scissor Sisters
2/5
Music is the victim, indeed.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
Well... It wasn't that bad, but in terms of african/congolese music, there's plenty of better options that could have been on this list.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
It's a warm and charming album, but I can't explain why I'm finding it here. It's still far away from the competition of the 60s and overall country music.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Indie/chamber folk of the last 2 decades rarely gets better than this! Always happy to listen to any Fleet Foxes record.
The Rolling Stones
1/5
A quick look at the titles and you know you're in for one of the most painful moment of your life : Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Shake Your Hips, Casino Boogie, Tumbling Dice, Loving Cup, VENTILATOR BLUES, All Down The Line... How the hell can you go so generic for 1 hour long? I mean, even AC-DC can go more creative and wild than that.
The result is, of course, plain, forgettable, inoffensive and boring blues rock. It feels like an album made with fillers only.
I must admit I enjoyed 2 songs : Sweet Black Angel and Let It Loose were great.
Pere Ubu
2/5
It's usually my kind of stuff, and it's good... I think? But I just can't get the appeal with Pere Ubu.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
I always had a sweet spot for those instrumental retro albums, especially when they're organ focused. A great and pleasant listen, even if I can't call it a masterpiece at all.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
From a historical perspective, this album is very interesting. In a world where the internet didn't exist and access to music was more difficult, this record was intended to introduce hindustani music to Western audiences. It probably created an important bridge between different cultures. Ravi Shankar also goes crazy on this one. A true sitar hero!
The Avalanches
3/5
That one is a real oddity. So much is going on for an hour long. I found myself totally lost in it, but I think it's a good thing. I can't explain, but I enjoyed it!
Robert Wyatt
5/5
Robert Wyatt is one of my all-time favorite artists, and that's largely due to the album Shleep.
The album opens with the line:
"I realized my fists were clenched
I stretched my fingers to relax
Still not sleeping."
And the tone is set for what follows. These are magnificent songs : tormented, poetic, warm, introspective and philosophical.
The music is completely unique, surreal, eclectic, and well-performed.
Robert Wyatt is not a rockstar, a musician, a poet or a singer. He's an artist.
David Bowie
3/5
I'm a Bowie's fanboy, so of course I love that one. But I don't think that it's a top tier of his career that should have ended on this list! Still... I'm always glad to encounter a record from him on this list.
Black Flag
3/5
Black Flag is not for me, the first song was nice but the more you dive in, the more it just sounds the same. This is a cool band tho, and they deserve an album on this list. I'll give a fair 3 stars.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Nothing I could call a masterpiece here, but... Cool band, noisy and chaotic as we love it. 45 minutes of fun and energy!
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
A historic album. If you're even slightly interested in music, you can't miss it!
Eagles
2/5
"Hotel California" or "One Of These Nights", these are the only 2 albums that would have been great for this list. The first Eagles sounds like a parody of boomer-dads-rock.
R.E.M.
5/5
There's something really special to me about "Green" that I can't explain... There's a warm melancholic feel overall, a subtle psychedelic folk savor and I think that it's the greatest performance and delivery of Michael Stipe.
4/5
Dylan seemed a little "off" on the first half of the concert, but the electric/band side is really worth it. The tracklist is filled with a lot of Bob's best songs.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
One of the best ELO to me. This album is a wonderful ride of feelgood magic and space drifting pop. In the 70s, Jeff Lynne gave it all.
Sinead O'Connor
2/5
Sinead O' Connor is undoubtedly a great singer. My favorite songs on this album were mostly vocal focused or a capella. Otherwise, I really hated the music and the production.
David Bowie
5/5
One of my favorite albums by the legendary David Bowie. I love letting myself drift off to this music. A true masterpiece to me!
Iron Butterfly
4/5
This album is so heavy, the farfisa organ goes insane and sounds like pure evil. A psychedelic classic no one should miss!
Japan
2/5
This music left me completely indifferent. I can't find anything to say about it. It wasn't bad, but...
2/5
This band sounds good but they lack having actual great songs. It was ultra samey and nothing is there to hook.
The Cure
5/5
A true masterpiece of darkness that captures the soul from the start to finish. Disintegration kind of gets you in a hypnotic, cold, atmospheric and introspective mood like nothing else.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
A great ride of fun and energetic and groovy boom bap jazzy hip-hop! I loved the overall inexhaustible flow of the album.
Roxy Music
3/5
This band have a few really great songs and many other I can't stand. It's always a love and hate relation with them. 3 stars will be fair enough!
Minor Threat
4/5
I was surprised by how the songs on that one are especially great, catchy and hard hitting.
50 Cent
2/5
The overall album feels really lame while never getting to be aggressively bad.
Genesis
5/5
This album, and many others by the early Genesis era, has the power to transport you to a whole other world.
Wilco
2/5
That one was insanely long and insanely generic. Nothing aggressively bad, but it was hard for me to remember anything about it.
5/5
Usually, I'm more of a glam rock hater. But this is one of my all-time favorite albums, David Bowie gave it his all.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
A "go-to" for me when I'm in the mood for a piano album, and strictly piano.
Keith Jarrett delivers four absolutely magnificent, meditative, and hypnotic improvisations, recorded live.
Kings of Leon
1/5
I hated to listen to this with all my heart.
The Vines
1/5
I can't believe I had to listen to this.
White Denim
3/5
No way this album is in the challenge? Is this a joke? Anyway, by chance, I appreciated the psychedelic and somehow "math rock" moments of this album. It was a pleasant, but uneven listen.
Deep Purple
5/5
This one might be one of my favorite hard rock album of all time, and my best, by far, Deep Purple album. The whole band was on fire with this one.
The Gun Club
3/5
I'm really bad at telling if a punk album is a good one or not, but I this was a pleasant listen overall. I can't say I would come back to it again, tho.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
This album atmosphere is just perfect. A great piece of music to float by in the sky!
Talk Talk
3/5
I really love Talk Talk's 2 last albums, but I enjoyed this one a little less. I really have a hard time with the "new romantic" movement, that said. It was pleasant, but not my cup of tea.
Elton John
4/5
This album is a little too long winded, but there's so much strong moments that it still holds its place as a masterpiece of pop/rock.
N.W.A.
5/5
A monument to hip-hop music, this album is incredibly badass. It's groovy, passionate, playful, filled with humour and full of hype, yet political, raw, rebellious and full of anger. I always had a sweet spot for this kind of music.
TV On The Radio
2/5
What could I say about this one? Nothing. Probably nothing.
Merle Haggard
2/5
It's 1967. There's a musical revolution going on. Absolutely no one gave a fuck about this album, but somehow, it's here on this list.
Wilco
2/5
I just can't put my finger on why this band is so popular and well respected. The songs are well made (thanks to Jim O' Rourke?), but they're still so generic and not creative to the very core. I don't know, maybe I'm the problem for not getting it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I loved that album. It was varied, eclectic, funny and dark at the same time. This album is real adventure to dive in!
Fred Neil
3/5
Nothing that will stay with me, but still a great melancholic folk album that I enjoyed.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
Hey, I didn't knew it, but now that I took time to listen to them... The Dandy Warhols are a really great formation! This album has an overall great and enveloping vibe that just drift you away from start to finish. I can't explain it, I just really felt the music all the way.
The Young Gods
3/5
Interestingly weird. Somehow, I enjoyed it, but I also don't. Cool? Yeah, I think it is. Nice one!
Peter Gabriel
5/5
My best Peter Gabriel solo and amongst my favorite art rock albums of all time. So catchy and well made, and just enough eclectic. I love it all the way.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Cool americana/chamber folk album. I won't come back to this album, but I appreciated the smooth melancholic vibes it have.
Eagles
4/5
A 70s soft rock classic with incredible vocal parts and harmonies and subtle arrangements that makes all the difference from a bland soft rock album.
Sigur Rós
5/5
I follow Sigur Ros since I'm a teenager and this album is one of the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. I'm always blown away by how otherworldly this music is.
The Darkness
1/5
This albums generator is shit. I can't believe I've listened to 868 here so far.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
There's a few very nice songs, that's a nice band, I can't complain, but is it something that was so breakthrough that it will be forever remembered and important? I'm really not sure. The album is a little long-winded (again). 3 stars will do it.
Wire
3/5
That was cool, but a little too "gentle" to me for punk. It's a good release, but I hardly can hear why it's so special.
Depeche Mode
3/5
There's a lot of nice arrangements and artsy stuff going over there, but I can't say that these songs will stay in my mind forever. Enjoyable!
Brian Wilson
5/5
This album is pure soft pop/rock songs, but so whimsical and eclectic at the same time. It sounds divine and comfy, warm and uplifting. A lot of my favorite Brian Wilson's cuts are there, even some lesser known ones like Cabinessence, Vegetables or Wind Chimes. A beautiful album from start to finish.
The Doors
5/5
Easily one of my favorite album ever. Each member of the band gave a top performance here. Jim Morrison was so wild for a first release as a singer, Krieger immediatly had that unique way of playing, Ray Manzarek is just an otherworldly organ player and mastermind, and John Densmore recorded what is, to me, the best drum performance ever made on "The End". An album that I will listen to all of my life.
Happy Mondays
1/5
Was it a joke?
Dennis Wilson
4/5
Pacific Ocean Blue is an album that I carried with me for at least 10 years now. I found this record for 1$ and listened to it every year since. It's beautifully melancholic and spiritual. It feels like having an existential crisis while looking at a very blue and wavy sea. Dennis Wilson really did a tour de force here.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Hey, that album is insanely good and sounds way before it's time. A memorable noisy and energetic experience that doesn't give up on letting the listener enjoy a more melodic and, somehow, pop aspect.
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
A classic acid/psych rock album from 1967. You just can't miss that one!
Beth Orton
2/5
Very very very gentle and mellow folk pop that won't hurt anybody.
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
A cigarette smoker talking over a psychedelic orchestra. 4 stars
The Kinks
5/5
I'm in love with Face To Face, the music, the lyrics, the cover art... it's all there!
A truly landmark album for the Kinks, featuring, for the first time, more mature and less "optimistic" compositions than usual. It's also recognized as one of the first concept albums in rock history, which is no small feat.
Also, two of my favorite songs ever are found here : Too Much On My Mind and Sunny Afternoon.
Soundgarden
4/5
I was surprised by how many great songs can be found on that one... I enjoyed it despised it being a little too long winded. I love the few subtle psychedelic and doomy moments during the album.
George Michael
1/5
I hated every seconds of this thing. What the hell.
Suicide
4/5
Cold, textured and anxious synth punk that makes our brain buzzzzzzz.
A very unique product.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
That's a great album with well written songs! I'm only having a hard time with the 1988 clean and overproduced sound.
Pixies
4/5
The Pixies are truly one of a kind and this album is the perfect demonstration of their talent. They have mastered chaos and noise within well crafted songwriting.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Each song feels 20bpm too slow and 2 minutes too long. The album is 20 minutes too long, also. While it doesn't sound bad, there's no pleasure to have here.
Big Star
4/5
Big Star have a unique way to keep everything simple, short & sweet, yet creating great and memorable songs. Not my favorite of their 3, but it still deserves its four stars!
Cowboy Junkies
1/5
I had to zone-out of the music or I would have fell asleep.
Pere Ubu
3/5
I had a little more fun with that one from Pere Ubu. More catchy, yet more experimental and weird. The ace tone organ always felt right. That said, I don't think I'll ever be a fan of them.
The Go-Go's
3/5
A little too gentle for my taste, but they're certainly catchy and dynamic. I especially liked when their sound get more surf and guitar oriented.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Bruce Springsteen is a cool man, I love that man. I've never been a fan of his music tho, but... I must admit that Born In The USA has its moments! Great one, Bruce!
Pentangle
4/5
I'm surprised to find The Pentangle here, but hey, I'll never complain about having to listen to some 60s baroque folk!
Korn
3/5
This band have found a way to create a unique and quirky sound, they are easily distinguishable from the others and that's a great thing. That said, their vibe doesn't have much appeal to me and their album are way too long winded.
The B-52's
4/5
Even if there's a few fillers out there, this album is an insane dynamic ride of fun and energy! Their sound is lovely.
Nick Drake
5/5
Pink Moon might be the ultimate masterpiece of contemporary folk. A truly essential album. If this is not a 5 stars, I don't know what a 5 stars can be.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
This is not a bad album, it has a great mood and everything, but I like my Bob Marley a little more dynamic, wild and upbeat and Natty Dread is more smooth and mellow. I will listen to Burnin', Rastaman Vibrations and Exodus and even the first Wailers way before that one.
Beatles
5/5
The petals of psychedelic rock opening onto the history of music. This might be one of the most obvious 5 stars on this list.
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
I felt like listening to the same song 9 times in a row. Even if she's singing very well, it just can't save this album from sounding samey and boring.
Beatles
3/5
I don't know why it's on this list as it's not even a top 10 Beatles record. That said, I still love this album so much. It Won't Be Long, All My Loving, Don't Bother Me... There are nice cuts in it.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
My favorite Bruce Springsteen, more heartfelt and relaxed than usual. Still, I can't say I'm fully in love with the album. It misses something catchy... A lack of melody maybe.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Can you imagine putting the needle on that record for the first time in 1970 and "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath comes in. Damn. The world would never be the same.
Billy Bragg
1/5
I'm sorry, I can't.
The Police
3/5
Not their best work, but it's always a pleasure to listen to the magic between them, especially the unbelievable Stewart Copeland on drums!
Radiohead
5/5
I love this album more than I love myself.
Johnny Cash
5/5
A fantastic album where Johnny Cash plays his favorite songs, a beautiful composition from himself (The Man Comes Around) and an unexpected cover of Nine Inch Nails that became a strong moment of his legendary career. The more stripped down arrangements, something typical of Rick Rubin, put the emphasis on his voice, his guitar and his delivery. The only thing I can say is that this album is beautiful, truly.
Ministry
2/5
I rarely appreciate industrial music and the way this album is repetitive makes it very hard for me to enjoy it.
The Cure
5/5
Hey, it's The Cure after all. It's dark, it's cold, it's fantastic.
Kanye West
3/5
The first 6 tracks feel like an intro for the album to finally starts at the 7th song. By chance, everything from then to the end is really good. Moody and creative beat + heartfelt delivery from Kanye. It would be a strong 4 if it wasn't of the 6 first tracks.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
I really love Buena Vista Social Club. Insanely skilled musicians, yet a lot of feelings in their performances. The mood of this album is unmatched. The best glimpse of cuban music one could get.
The Offspring
3/5
Not bad, a few great songs, but can we really say it's a good album overall? Anyway, let's give it a 3 because it's still a famous and nice band after all.
SZA
3/5
This kind of music is really made for someone else than me. It wasn't bad... I'll give it a safe 3. I don't know! Who knows.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
Technically very good and interesting, but nothing that aroused great emotions in me.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Everything is there for me to love it, it's right in my palette, but somehow, Fairport Convention just don't appel me like it should. That said, it's nice, it sounds good, nothing bad here...
UB40
2/5
I really wonder how they thought it would be a great idea to make this thing last 1h06.
Lou Reed
3/5
I love this one more than expected... Dark and creepy vibes were well rendered, but I can't say it was catchy and something I'll go back to. Nice one, tho!
Van Halen
4/5
Unbeatable hard rock classic! Catchy as hell, energetic and perfect for having a great and carefree time!
Genesis
5/5
Genesis accomplished what I consider to be some of the most perfect and complete music ever recorded. Masterpiece.
Morrissey
2/5
The better Morrissey so far.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Too long winded and samey, but great vibe overall and pleasant listen.
Ryan Adams
1/5
This might be one of the most boring and forgettable things I've ever heard. Can't believe he does that 1h10.
Can't say I'm now a fan of the band, but it was a great ride of fun. Careless and feelgood listening.
Alice Cooper
4/5
One of my favorite from the rock legend! I have a hard time with glam rock, but 70s Alice Cooper always works for me.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
Wow! I'm really surprised at how this album can be dark, haunted, nocturnal and depressive, but at the same time pastoral, passionate and full of light and hope. A great one and I'll come back to it for sure.
Goldfrapp
3/5
The vibe and overall atmosphere are very well made and captivating. I would just have hope a little more wild twists and efficient songwriting. Great album, tho!
The Stooges
4/5
This album is pure bomb! Energetic, dark and chaotic, as noisy proto-punk should be.
5/5
The ultimate masterpiece. This album was, and is still, an unprecedented game changer in the history of music.
The La's
4/5
Very nice album! Beatles-infused jangle pop with an incredible delivery from the musicians and singer!
Fiona Apple
3/5
I enjoyed this album more than expected. Some arrangements are crazy and I loved it. That said, it kind of drown itself in artsy and avantgarde twists for too long. The album feels a little samey. 3 stars will do it!
Nina Simone
5/5
I'm not a "vocal jazz" person, but this one hits different. One of the best of this genre for sure and a favorite of mine.
Adele
2/5
Adult contemporary to the very core.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Curtis is a master at crafting progressive soul and funk music.
Tortoise
4/5
This instrumental album feels like a sweet dream, blending krautrock, math rock, post rock and minimalism in the best possible way!
Al Green
5/5
Top 3 of my favorite soul albums. The delivery of Al Green is unmatched.
Kelela
3/5
It's so out of my musical taste and interest, that I just don't know how to rate this one. Nothing disgusted me on this record, but I also felt nothing! I'll just leave 3 stars here, by respect and good faith!
Neu!
4/5
Never enough NEU!
The White Stripes
2/5
Long-winded album of the very same tasteless and boring blues rock vibe. At least, there are 2 or 3 good riffs.
David Bowie
4/5
David Bowie is crafting exquisite art rock like no others!
Bob Dylan
4/5
A surprisingly great and heartfelt album from the master of folk songwriting made in the 90s.
Holger Czukay
3/5
That's not something I would keep listening to all of my life, but the mood was overall enjoyable! Nice one, Holger!
ZZ Top
2/5
Your average blues/southern rock album talking about blues/southern rock topics with a car on the cover.
The first 5 songs are cool, the last 6 are garbage.
Still, it can be enjoyed while cracking a lager beer in the garage.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
This might be one of the most boring, synthetic, over-produced and annoying thing I've ever heard.
Fishbone
2/5
The musicians might be the only one having fun with that record. Not bad, but really no standout here.
4/5
A psychedelic rock essential from 1970! Can't believe it's here in the challenge, but I won't complain!
Grateful Dead
2/5
It's still incredible that they had the courage to release this live performance over two discs. The band might have fun while playing, it's still a poor and tasteless performance to my ears.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Not bad for a 70s country/folk singer which arrives in the 2000s, but it's really too long winded and uneventful to my taste.
Scott Walker
4/5
This might be my least favorite album out of the first 4 by Scott Walker, but I was so happy to listen to it that I'm gonna give it 4, I don't care. And the song Plastic Palace People deserves it all alone.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Peter Gabriel delivers again the best art rock/pop out there, with some nice guests like the unique Robert Fripp! Catchy, eclectic and artsy as I love it.
Public Enemy
4/5
The most angry, rebellious and political Public Enemy ever been. The beats are fantastic, the lyrics are conscious, the delivery is flawless!
The White Stripes
1/5
I'm sorry, but this was annoying to a level I rarely experienced before.
The Incredible String Band
4/5
Now I hate modern society and I just want to live with leprechauns in the woods.
Steely Dan
4/5
Insane musicians, incredible feeling and it sounds incredibly well. Not my favorite from them, but hey, that's still amazing.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
My favorite Leonard Cohen and one of my favorite album ever. So warm, dark and introspective. An album that grabs all my attention from start to finish!
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Micro-waved Scott Walker. Enjoyable and good stuff, but I can't feel the appeal to get back to it!
TLC
2/5
Nothing wrong and strongly bad, but damn... So long winded with nothing to offer.
Bob Dylan
5/5
The ultimate folk-rock album. Released in 1965... A game changer for the history of songwriting and music!
Small Faces
3/5
The Small Faces are a nice band that, without getting incredibly overwhelming, are always delivering good songs and sounds!
The Dictators
3/5
As Paul McCartney would say : "Cool group!"
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
THE MESSAGE
SAULT
2/5
Honestly, a few really great tracks here and there, but spread over an hour of a kind of experimental neo-soul killed those for me. Maybe not just my kind of stuff.
Fatboy Slim
1/5
I've only found torture and pain having to listen to a second Fatboy Slim album in this challenge.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Very well made music with a perfect delivery from Dusty Springfield!
Sonic Youth
4/5
An album that makes me want to break all the windows in my house. Always in for well made chaotic noise rock!
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
1h30 of southern rock with nothing exceptional to be found is a wild choice for this challenge, and not in a good way. I will give it 2 stars because of the very few good tracks and because it wasn't aggressively bad, but I'm deeply insulted to have to listen to this in the 1001 challenge.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Those 3 dudes are awesome and always sound powerful together.
Pulp
2/5
I can't stand this band and I can't really explain why. I'm sorry.
Syd Barrett
5/5
The Madcap Laughs, alongside his second solo album "Barrett", is among my best albums ever. Syd has a natural instinct like no one for dark, bittersweet, melancholic and catchy melodies. Songs are so simples, yet so evocatives and imaginatives. He can make anything sounds so down to earth and otherworldly at the same time. Syd is the best!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I rarely listen to them, but hey... They're so great and enjoyable, I'm gonna give them a bold 4!
The Kinks
4/5
A blend of sunshine/baroque/pop/psychedelic/folk rock that leaves no one indifferent. The Kinks are awesome and this is one of their best!
The Cramps
3/5
Y'a pas à dire, j'étais crampé tout l'long!
Dolly Parton
2/5
Beautiful voices and vocal harmonies, but that's really the only appeal of this album.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Bluesy British Blues Rock that gives me the blues of listening to actually good and original music.
Skunk Anansie
1/5
Putting this album in the challenge is what I call a "strong wrong".
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
A psychedelic soul/funk masterpiece. It's conscious and political, it's energetic and groovy, Sly & The Family Stone give it all!
Peter Frampton
2/5
Mid pop/rock with a huge crowd cheering. I know Peter Frampton is a legend of the 70s, but I just don't get it!
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
A nice try for early polystylism and sampling experimentations, but the result is far from enjoyable, sadly.
Ash
3/5
A great alternative rock album, nice songs and everything, but lacks something special... and a little too long winded. 3 stars!
Sheryl Crow
1/5
Heartland pop/rock from 1993? I'm sorry for Sheryl, but I can't.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Well.. Who knows!
2/5
Soooo much of the same thing. And the thing isn't that great.
Solange
3/5
Hey, that's a great neo-soul/alt RNB record! This is not my kind of stuff, but I enjoyed it all the way.
Portishead
5/5
I can hardly think of a better album in the genre. So cold, sombre and atmospheric... Listening to this in November is dangerous.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
Why this album is here? I don't know, but I'll take it with great joy, as I'm a die-hard Zappa/The Mothers fan. We're Only In It For The Money is amongst my favorite, blending so much chaos and genres, while still giving us catchy hints and brillant, yet satirical lyrics.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Otherworldly, hazy and ethereal (but so catchy) sound that only My Bloody Valentine can do. So unique, a game changer.
Kate Bush
5/5
This might be one of the best pop album ever recorded. I am obsessed with this album... The sounds, the efficiency of each note and melody, I listened to it countless times just to try to understand how Kate Bush was able to achieve that. 5 stars.
Ian Dury
1/5
Boring, annoying and lame, I can't see why this is supposed to be an enjoyable piece of music.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
This album could have been great in other hands than Lenny Kravitz and the producers who worked on this... It lacks power, tone, soul, rhythm, dynamics and other nameless feelings that made something inexplicably awesome or bad.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Well... Everything was well produced and arranged, the songs were not bad at all! I liked it, but it won't be a keeper.
Aerosmith
2/5
This band might have a few outstanding hits, they just can't achieve a consistent, interesting and great album.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Painful listen.
Pink Floyd
5/5
At the beginning of my adolescence, I stumbled upon the track "Us & Them" and it changed my life. It was the first time I'd ever felt something so transcendent while listening to music. I knew from then on, it was a feeling I would constantly seek in my listening.
This album was a game changer for me, and for many others. It's a cliché, sure, but there's no denying it. Perhaps one of the most important albums in history.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Your average indie rock band trying so hard to be relevant and dramatic and grandiose while only just being a parody of his own self.
Lambchop
3/5
Nothing really new or outstanding, but great mellow and enjoyable music!
Os Mutantes
4/5
A brazilian classic of psychedelic energy!
Jane Weaver
3/5
Art Pop meeting neo-kraut psychedelia? Well... It was a nice and smooth journey. I will not come back to it, but I enjoyed it for sure!
Donald Fagen
3/5
Hey, I'm always in for a little Steely Dan related yacht rock album. I can't say it's a keeper, but I was really impressed by the delivery, chords progressions and vocal harmonies. The guy know what he's doing.
Leftfield
2/5
Annoying, but tolerable