1001 Albums Summary

I get why people like The Boss, and I really like a few of his songs ("Streets of Philadelphia") but I don't understand the absolute obsession some people have for his music. This album is ... fine. But not for me.

There are some nice, warm guitar tones throughout this album, and there's no question the songs are full of catchy pop hooks. But otherwise, there's not a lot of meat on this bone, at least to me.

I've only been doing this for a few days and this is the first album I've heard that made me say, "Holy shit, how did I not know about this band?" "Teenage Kicks" is a great song but this album is full of catchy hooks and fun, upbeat pop punk that will make you thing of The Clash, The Ramones, and Dead Kennedys. I love it, and I will definitely be adding The Undertones to my library.

I heard this album when it first came out but never really gave it a second listen. I'm glad I got the opportunity to revisit it. Cohen's voice may not be what it once was but the poetry is as vivid as ever, and the backing music, especially the chorus, is enchanting throughout this wonderful album.

I used to love this album when I was a teenager. Now I hear a pretty run of the mill blues album.

My first real exposure to Elton John came in a fast food drive thru (I think it was Burger King?) in 1994. They were giving away copies of his Greatest Hits CD, and I quickly became infatuated with it. I listened to it on a loop as I drove from Arizona to Alaska that year. Good times. Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road.

"Vincent" is nice.

Delicious and smooth, with a hint of rage.

As I drift in and out of consciousness, with Lana del Ray's sweet and sultry voice weaving a tapestry of love and regret in my peaceful mind, I find myself wondering, "she doesn't believe in the chemtrails conspiracy, does she?"

This band makes me feel like my girlfriend is really, REALLY mad at me.

Man, the 60s were a wild time. So many harpsichords!

If Type O Negative did a Vegas residency.

I've always loved Kate Bush's voice but her music seems so inaccessible to most people. Call it uncompromising, I guess, as she was in her own world and did whatever the hell she felt like doing, but much of this album sounds like a fun house acid trip, at least to me.

I tried. I really tried.

Got this suggestion the day after the Queen died, as did many others, apparently. Cheeky. Great album.

I feel like I got kinda drunk just listening to this album. And then got laid and went off to the war.

Wow, thank you for this. I don't think I've ever listened to a whole Aretha album all the way through before. I got chills during "Good to Me as I am to You." What an amazing talent.

I'm not an expert on hip hop and it's not my preferred genre, but there is a joy in this music that is largely absent from hip hop today.

At first, this sounded like gimmick-y children's music. But it grows on you.

I'm a boy. And I don't feel like having fun right now.

Wow. I am realizing that my appreciation for Bowie does not nearly go deep enough. This is amazing. LOVE "Cracked Actor." Thank you.

Raw and soulful. An absolutely perfect little time capsule of psychadelia-infused blues rock from 1971. Love it.

I did not hate this as much as I thought I would.

"You know what this thrash metal needs? A string section." — no one ever

Brian Wilson's falsetto cuts through this album like a crystal sword through cheesecake.

This is a weird one. Gene Clark has a nice voice, and the backing musicians are terrific, but on first listen (I've never heard this before at all), his songs seem overwrought and wordy. But I also get the impression that this may be one of those records that grows on you over time.

This is the album that ruined Metallica for me.

Wow, what a blast of pure energy this short, rollicking album is.

Haunting and powerful. This is the Bruce Springsteen I really love. His voice is perfect for these songs of longing and regret. Amazing album.

This is a very good album — a classic, even, for it's time. But isn't it kind of weird that none of this music is really memorable? Shouldn't a classic album have songs and melodies that stick with you over time?

A certified hip hop classic.

The house band to the Vietnam War.

Great stuff. "Damaged Goods" is a certified banger. The Clash meets Devo.

Woo Hoo!

Pink Floyd is in my Top 5 bands for sure — Animals, Dark Side of the Moon, and The Wall are all five stars — but I just can't with Sid Barrett. It's like if the Beatles made an album that was nothing but Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds. Sid Barrett going nuts was the best thing that ever happened to Pink Floyd.

Heroin, meet cocaine .

This is the album that finally broke my suburban, white parents — they were absolutely beside themselves when they heard me listening to “Fuck the Police.” It was wonderful. Thank you, NWA. ❤️

Bold, unique, and thought-provoking.

This and “My Aim Is True” are two of the great rock albums of all time.

Holy shit I forgot how much this album rocks. THANK YOU.

I took a day off the project for Christmas. Big mistake! There is nothing worse than being forced to listen to an entire album of Christmas music the day after Christmas. 😂

Damn, I forgot how great this album is.

If aliens landed from the planet Qualtrar and asked to experience Earth music from the 1990s, this is the album I would choose to show them. I would give this six stars if I could.

I used to love this band when I was in middle school but it has not aged well.

Brian Wilson’s magnum opus. An eargasm for the ages.

Warm and whimsical. I love this.

All hail the forefathers of metal. 🤟

And on the seventh day, the Lord said, “Let there be funk.” And there was. And it was good.

When I was twelve years old, I bought my first album — a cassette tape of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that I saw at the Smitty's grocery store in Mesa, Arizona. I think I liked the colorful album cover and the outlandish outfits. I took it home and pressed play, and began a musical journey that has led me in many different directions but always — ALWAYS — back to the Beatles and this glorious, wonderful album. Thank you, lads.

The greatest jazz album of all time.

Wow, the last three days have been “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Kind of Blue,” and now this. I’m running out of stars to give out.

I'm a dad and I rock.

Moody 80s alterna-rock. Before goth was goth.

The Doors at their best.

For a folk-pop album from the early 2000s, this holds up surprisingly well.

If Leonard Cohen did a prison stint.

I don’t often give one-star ratings but when I do, it’s ALWAYS some British electronic garbage.

Damn, now I have FOMO about never seeing Cheap Trick live.

Smart, thoughtful social criticism here, a la Public Enemy and Rage Against the Machine. The music, though, isn't as bold.

Who could’ve guessed Bjork would become a big star without the weird dude talking about toys and bathtubs in the background?

One of the great albums - not just punk - of all time. Influential to so many who came after. America’s definitive punk band. Hey! Ho! Let’s go!

A certified punk classic from start to finish.

They should make a movie out of this album.

Damn, I forgot how many memorable hooks there are on this album.

Incredible. One of the great talents of all time.

I don’t have the right drugs for this album.

Jack White is a top 5 guitarist of all time. Ferocious.

Oh wow, another one that I had all but forgotten about. This holds up amazingly well.

Indie elevator music.

Dear people who like this type of music, Can you explain why you like it? I’m not trying to be a jerk - I love all different types of music but this electronic stuff does absolutely nothing for me. What’s the attraction? What do you feel from it? Thank you.

What a sweet, clear voice Marty Robbins had.

That sweet, sweet Lemmy Rickenbacher bass.

It’s hard to imagine now but there was a time when U2 was a supercool hipster alternative band.

Still as mesmerizing as it was 44 years ago. One of the great rock albums of all time.

Another one I had never heard all the way through before. The most I knew about Harry Nilsson was that he was close friends with John Lennon. I think I never picked up this album because of the stupid name, which is a shame because it’s quite good.

Perhaps the greatest punk album of all time. Chock fulla bangers.

I can really appreciate how complex and challenging this music is, and how talented these dudes are. But I still kinda hate it.

I’ve never listened to this album all the way through before. It came out the year I was born!

Has a lot of the mood and style - if not the catchy hooks - of The Smiths and Bowie.

Corny Danzig.

Nothing but five-star bangers. Is this the best Zeppelin album?

Delightful and weird, moody and cool. Not a huge fan of Nico but this album is still a masterpiece.

This bass player is phenomenal.

Wow. I had not heard this incredible album before. Thank you! I love this so much.

The seminal album of Gen X. We all remember where we were when we first heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and we all knew music had changed forever.

This album reminds me of my ex-girlfriend, who cheated on me numerous times and then, once I finally broke up with her, would show up at my apartment door and sob loudly in the hallway, begging for me to let her in. Good times. Five stars.

British Frank Zappa.

Raw and powerful. It’s easy to hear what all the fuss was about.

An absolutely masterpiece. My favorite of their many great albums.

Wow! At first I was like, "Damn, I've never heard this shit before ... it's like a fever dream of Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, and a generous side of funk." And then I remembered that I listened to this back in the 90s with some friends but we were all high and I forgot.

It was my 11th birthday and nobody came to my birthday party except for my friend Mark, who brought me “Thriller” on cassette tape as a gift. Mark and I spent the afternoon swimming and eating hot dogs and listening to “Thriller.” It was a great birthday. Thanks, Mark.

If the Muppet Band were people. But I happen to love the Muppet Band.

This is my sixth-favorite Zep album but it’s still five stars.

I first came across this album after it was featured in the “Mindhunter” show (great show, btw). It’s got its own delightfully weird vibe. I keep coming back to this music.

Steve Harris.

Aptly named.

Killer album.

I just can’t right now. It was almost 30 years ago when my wife first introduced me to this music. And now we are going through the long and painful process of separation and probably divorce. I want to love this music again someday but I’m not sure infirm going to be able to.

The last two tracks on this album, “As Yet Untitled” and “Who’s Loving You,” are 🔥🔥🔥 vocals performances.

I was prepared to write this album off but then I got hit with a Fistful of Love. ❤️

1992 called and it misses you very much. It wants to get high on the thrift store couch and watch Bob Ross at lunchtime on a Tuesday.

This whole album is raw and powerful but holy shit, Lee Allen’s saxophone really stands out.

How strange that this album is Leonard Cohen’s most commercially successful. The 80s production qualities are quite jarring, especially on tracks like “Jazz Police,” which is something I never need to hear again. But his genius and incredible voice shine through on other tracks, like “Take This Waltz.”

Girls in 1983 loved the shit outta this.

It’s all downhill from here.

Incredible. I had to listen to it a couple times to digest it. Surprising, unique, and delightful albums like this make this project worth it.

U2’s finest hour.

Stuff like this is what keeps me going with this project. I’d heard Miriam Makena’s incredible voice before, but I didn’t know her name and hadn’t listened to an entire album. This is brilliant, playful, happy music sung by a phenomenal talent (the backup singers are amazing, too). I love this so much and I will be listening to it for days.

This album reminds me of multiple ex-girlfriends.

The title track is my new favorite song. Dreamy.

Listening to “Masters of War” on the day Dick Cheney died. Five stars.