1001 Albums Summary

I can’t handle listening to Sparks every day, or even every week. But I love many of their songs.

Forgot how good this band is. Dear Science is my third favorite album of theirs, and I listened to/appreciated it again, and Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and Return To Cookie Mountain.

Great rock album, forgot how solid it is beginning to end

I hadn’t listened to this album all the way through. It’s a sonic odyssey. But not my favorite album of theirs.

Unlistenable…but that’s probably the point.

Each song has more offensive lyrics than the next. The racism and chauvinism age poorly.

I respect him and his music, but the genre isn’t my favorite. He’s one of the best in his space.

I did my jazz phase but this is one I wish I knew about when I was into the genre

Mixed reviews…I had never heard of this band and at the time the album would’ve resonated with me…now, though, the 90s alternative rock genre sounds weak if you’re hearing new music from the time.

What an odd collection of songs…can’t tell what this band wants to sound like because they’ve replicated all the styles of their day.

It’s an ok Smiths album

The London Suede doesn’t age well

Good-sounding early Kinks album. Hadn’t listened to a studio album before this, and didn’t realize across how many decades and albums their hits stretched. No single album sums up their reign, though, so not a high score.

Some really good songs but also some not. The singer’s voice isn’t always up to the task.

Great album all the way through!

I should have known this was garbage before wasting my time verifying every song is unlistenable. I’m so thankful this genre of music was brief.

Never heard of these clowns, but maybe they influenced some musicians and definitely influenced teenage boys to think it was ok to act like jerks. Many offensive lyrics and would never be on my top albums list.

Not my jam

This album and OK Computer would be on my best list

Amazing singer and songwriter. Forgot how good this album is.

Sometimes good and sometimes insane.

Influential and genre defining album, but too long

This is such a good album! I’ve always been curious about her music, but never gotten into it. And now I want to listen to other albums of hers.

Forgot about this group. Hadn’t listened to the entire album, but it’s worth listening.

I used to love music like this, but better, like Duran Duran.

In its time, it was 5 stars and I wore out my cassette tape of it listening over and over. Not a best album of all time, though.

Several hit songs, and some weird but good ones

I can’t take them seriously

If you hadn’t heard the songs or heard of Bobby Womack, and read the lyrics out of that context, you’d wonder if it was a joke.

All good songs, and even a couple hits

It’s not the Thin, White Duke’s best, or even top 5 album.

Glad to be turned on to this artist. Hadn’t heard of him, and his lyrics are clever and music is unique and good.

Decent album with a couple hits. Not their best. Not even sure if it’s top 1,000 of all time.

Really terrible! Couldn’t stand it, and have no idea why someone thinks this is one of the best albums ever.

Great album. Hadn’t listened to it before but knew some songs on it and already liked them. But subtracted a star because there was already another Kinks album recommended fairly recently.

Nowhere near as good as her debut

New to me. Classic soul 1.0

Legendary singer/songwriter and solid album I hadn’t heard before.

This got me to listen to more than just a handful of popular songs of theirs. I can see how influential they were.

I still listen to it regularly

Too much homophobia and hearing the f-word (and I don’t mean f**k), which unfortunately ruins a lot of good songs and great special guests.

Never heard of him, and liked many of the songs

Great album, but deducting one star because it’s the second time an album of theirs has been shown.

Disliked the singer’s voice, but reading about this band I hadn’t heard of, I respect its roots. And it got me to listen to Minutemen!

I know this album well.

A couple hits…just ok

Deducted one star because there are several superior U2 albums

It would be five stars if this list hadn’t already recommended to Rolling Stones albums

Great

There are a couple unlistenable songs but the rest are five stars

Weak sauce

Excellent album that I hadn’t listened to in a while.

Better than any other of his albums I’ve heard

One of the best of all time

What even is this?

I used to be heavy into grunge rock but most of it has dated poorly

Strange as a compilation but a couple good songs. Never listened to him.

For a short time during my teens I would’ve liked this, and it’s good, but it’s not my genre anymore.

Juvenile

I like Air and hadn’t heard this album. Probably because it’s a movie soundtrack and some of the songs have monologues which is reducing its rating by a star.

A good record in its day but not doing it for me today

Stopped listening to hard punk music when I stopped skateboarding

Not his best album, but mostly good songs

Would’ve been just ok in the 80s to me

The homophobic lyrics and use of the F word—and I don’t mean f**k—make this album unlistenable. Many great sounds, songs, and featured artists.

Decent album. I knew one song from Elbow from a later album already and liked it.

Good musicians + poor song writing

This was slightly less challenging to get through than the other album of his recommended by 1001

Unique for its time, and is still brilliant

New artist to me and this album sounds the best since it’s less electronic and more mellow

Yup, good album

A couple original hits a too many covers

Their music has never made me want to binge because it’s milquetoast. But I can listen to a few songs before getting antsy.

A couple decent songs but not a strong album

What a wet blanket of an album…never heard of him, and won’t be listening again.

They were imitating the Ramones and Sex Pistols on a few songs. This is before they got their signature sound. But you can hear it on a few songs.

Not a good album of theirs. But, it got me back into them. I went back and listened to “The Great Migration” which was one of my favorite albums for a couple of years in the mid 2000s. I also tried listening to other albums, but only found that I liked the one.

No longer one of the greatest albums ever, but once was, to me

I thought Iggy Pop was only a punk rocker, but this was more like Bowie or Velvet Underground.

Shit sandwich

I couldn’t find one good song on this or any of their albums. A singer doing a Robert Smith impression doesn’t match this group’s so-so instrumentals.

Fun stuff

This is clown music

One of the all time great albums

Some good hits but not as solid as their first album

I hadn’t listened to this entire album previously, but it’s epic.

No good songs on the entire album

Some very good songs. Had never gotten into him. Great voice.

Yeah, yeah yeah it’s a great album, why is it so long?

Never heard any of his music before or of him, but really good singer-songwriter music.

Gave an extra star out of respect for Iggy, but I can’t listen to a whole album of this music since I stopped being an angry teen

Just terrible

Great

Great album

Great

Guitar dumb diddling

Drippy lame music

A few hits, but you’ve gotta be in the mood

They seem like they’d be no fun at all

Great album and five stars in its day

Some good hits

This is music for a renaissance fair.

Hippy dippy bullcrud

Some fun songs and a hit

Hadn’t listened to any albums, but liked their popular songs. This was great.

Self-indulgent trash-ballads

This can’t be a real band

Great album, several hits

Had only heard 3-4 of the songs but others are good too. Two in the middle are duds.

Legendary vocalist but not my favorite genre

Listening to a Zappa album is always a trip with unexpected moments of brilliance. But a lot of eye rolling too.

Cute

Forgot about this band since I prefer Bjork solo. A few good songs but many nerve-grating ones thanks to the male vocalist.

One of the best albums of all time

The first track uses the most offensive racial slur repeatedly.

Like a cut rate Patti Smith

Her voice is 4 stars but this album’s not her best work.

Very interesting! I would’ve been way more into this artist in 1993. His sound mixes southern soul, 90s jam bands, and folk.

Delusional brassy ear trash

If Parachute wasn’t so good, this would be 5 stars

I didn’t know this band before. They’re like if The Flaming Lips were not good.

Not my jam but great voice and well-respected name

One of the best albums ever

One of the best of the 1990s!

Half a star extra for 2 years of HS French helping me understand a few of the words. Half a star for this guy’s passionate singing. But how could this be listenable more than once every 10 years?

Foppish fake flower power. With two decent hits.

Who knew what a weirdo Peter Gabriel was? The style of this album is all over the place.

Great voice and album

I liked one song from a different album.

I forgot about how popular they were in the 80s and 90s. But listening to an entire album is work. I give them 3 stars because they belong in the pantheon of good music and influenced the ska movement.

One of the best artist’s best albums

Good album

If you give his voice some time, it’s more heartbreaking than just grating, like in the beginning. Definitely a mood

Sounds like they put a bunch of cutting room floor garbage on this album.

Masterpiece

Great album

Forgot how awesome this was

Putting this terrible album as one of the best of all time is some kind of joke.

I used to like their music but never liked their singer’s voice

Some solid hits

Well produced but raw noise

Bad psychedelics

One of my favorite albums of all time

Some big hits but also some whiffs

I wanted to like a couple of the songs but they didn’t ever hit

1-2 moments of good music, and lots of meh

Fat stack of hits

One of the best

This was already shown

Very moving songs - new album to me

I liked them more 20 years ago

Literally any other Stephen Malkmus album is better than this one. He’s one of my all time faves, but this is trash

Was king of its time

Not completely terrible

I’d only heard one song of theirs from a different album, and this was solid mood music.

Excellent album

Never heard of this artist before, but some good songs on here.

I’ve never really been able to like this group

I realize they had future stars and were influential, but their sound is plain silly

Excellent

I used to have this CD

Horrific falsetto ruins decent melodies

This has been on the list before

I was wondering if the Pixies would ever show up on here.

Sappy

I listen to it often

Had only previously heard a few songs from it, but he’s one of my favorites.

Objectively bad singing

Might be pleasing to the ear on some songs if the singer wasn’t so deranged.

Pretty bland except for the one hit

Little to like

The singer’s voice is grating

3 hits and a lot of bleh

Mood

Hadn’t heard their earlier work. Some songs are really good.

Very good album

A great album

Pretty bad! Almost one star. But there was one song that was ok.

Some really great songs I’d never heard.

Some really great songs I’d never heard.

Nice sounding but forgettable songs

Some grooves but also some elevator music

Not their best but solid

Bad

Probably would’ve sounded ok to teenage me 30 years ago

I forgot how happy this band makes me when I listen.

Derivative of Jimi Hendrix

Weak

More studio production and smooth sounds than heart and soul.

I loved it 30 years ago and is still great

Less musical and more of a dirge than their best albums

Too dissonant and experimental to put into my rotation. Pretty at times, though.

Hadn’t heard the album; just a song or two. Really fun and upbeat

The singer’s weird shrieky voice detracts from the original, cool sound

A great album for its time, but the sound gets tiresome fast and never evolved.

Almost every song is familiar

Hot garbage

Pee-you! It stinks

A five star artist who made albums that usually had one or two unlistenable songs on each.

So fun and weird

Terrible sounding voice…a poor Sting impression

Obviously

Not listenable

I used to wear this record out

Great artist, meh album

Good jazz is sometimes an oxymoron

Several good tracks but not their best album

No sexual innuendo, nuance, or seduction in the lyrics. All gas. But a gorgeous voice and musical landscape in every song.

Not as good as their first album

One cool song and a bunch of middling ones

First or second best from this band, all time.

Some clever lyrics

Makes me sad because I listened to it when it came out and then he died. Great album.

Not one of her best, or one of THE best

My favorite Elliott Smith album. The electric guitar seems normal when listening to the album alone. But when listening to his catalogue, it seems aggressive and mad.

Grating yet somehow boring. Later albums are 2 stars

Strange but fun at times

1% of the time, I’m in the mood for jazz. Yesterday was a 99% day

This and his next two albums have some phenomenal songs on them.

I forgot how many duds were on this one

Many great songs

Really cool to learn that an album from 1956 can be good still

Listen to it often

One of the greatest albums of all time

A couple ones I’d heard and liked.

I added a few songs to playlists, but only for certain moods.

Gets boring after a few songs

Dislike the singer’s voice. Overindulgent childish lyrics.

Listening to it chilled me out

Derivative and at times annoying vocals. But a couple of good grooves.

I loved earlier albums but hadn’t heard this one. The music transports me.

Game changing

Too many genres and weird vocal choices by the lead singer

Some awesome songs, but a whiney singer

Great voice, many good songs, somewhat uneven album

Vomit emoticon

There are way better albums of theirs

They sound like if The Offspring and Queen had a baby that nobody wanted.

A couple hits but plenty duds

Transports you back to the 90s

Game changer

Smooth and relaxing

I’ve never liked them…silly lyrics and stolen reggae sounds

You forget that before bands find their sound, many have a terrible first album. They don’t know what they want to be yet.

Classic arena rock album

I’ve listened and liked it many times over the years.

The lead singer sounds unhinged, the chorus of “Gang Bang” made me cringe, and in “Next,” I heard the f-word (not fuck…the other one). How this is one or the 1.001 best albums is confounding.

They’re the mayonnaise of 80s music

Several great songs I already liked.

Superb

Amazin’

It had been a long time since I listened to this fun album

Excellent band. Not my personal favorite Replacements album.

Fun to listen to

Very fine

Woof

I’ve never heard of this band, but apparently they make screamy garbage music.

Bizarre and sometimes brilliant

I didn’t know he was still making albums as of 2016. Some of the songs on this are as good as any he ever made 30 years ago.

Probably the best album of theirs

I’ve listened to this album dozens of times over the years.

Every song is ruined either by their favorite annoying instrument the electric jug or the singer caterwauling.

Raw and romping

I’ve been listening to his album “What Will We Be” for years and hadn’t heard this album. His vocal style isn’t fully fledged yet on it, and it is annoying how inconsistent it is from song to song.

It’s easy for me to rate just about any Elvis album with 5 stars.

Had heard songs from this album but not the album itself. A few new-to-me songs but all good.

Many good grooves but the high concept songs made the album uneven

Awesome band. I had only heard the hit songs on this album but it’s all good.

Something doesn’t add up here

90s alternative nostalgia, but absent the initial popularity

I had only heard a couple of songs off this album, but the whole thing is gold.

Not her best work

Even when I was young, angry, and listening to skater punk, this would’ve been too hard.

That was lots of fun!

I loved the micro phase of music they co-led with Garbage, Courtney Love, and others. Harder than the Breeders, more fleeting than Sleater-Kinney. Just a blink of the eye.

Didn’t need to listen because I’ve heard it 100X

Kind of dreamy but uneven

I’m not listening to this again but it didn’t hurt my ears

A lot of soulful moaning and oohs and lalalas without any choruses

Mouse music

Each song felt like a different class in school, and I’m done with school!

Just the worst sounding voice

This album has a few genre bending tracks I didn’t know about in addition to the hits

The first album was far better

Fun album with two big fat juicy hits

Can’t believe this came out in 1973…it’s still so modern sounding

I would’ve been into this if I’d heard it in the 90s, but sounds dated now

Great licks, pitch perfect singer, bad lyrics

Never heard of them or any of their songs. A few good melodies but uneven vocals and genre contortions.

Vocals were all over the place

Off pitch singing, terrible lyrics, no melody, and broken tempos.

Barely anything

Very ambitious, and took too big of a swing

One hit

Classic Clash

It was kinda fun

Weird but at times good

It really hurt my ears

The lead singer is a goofball but this album does jam

Fun but repetitive

Even the bad Elvis albums are relatively good

The singer sounds like the most boring version in the Evan Dando multiverse

A couple duds but solid

A bunch of lads goofing around

Great voice, but band’s sound was all over the place

Even unpopular Radiohead albums are full of gems

Some real nice songs in there

A couple songs might make good background music. No songs are good foreground music.

Have loved this band since YHF

Every song that I almost added to one of my playlists gave me a reason not to by adding some strange quirk.

Interesting 90s alt rock sound

I had only heard/liked one song on the album besides what I knew from the Hugh Grant movie. This had several good songs I added to my playlists.

It was fast, energetic, and fun

One or two sweet songs. This guy has 100% of Nilsson’s weirdness and 50% of his talent.

A lot of musical/vocal talent that falls short on songwriting/lyrics.

Singer can’t sing, and the songs are no fun

I can see why I went through the entire decade of the 90s never having heard of them. Their music is ear stabbingly bad.

Lots of chill songs

Some good grooves, but some dead spots

I would’ve liked their bad playing and singing more if I’d known them when I was young and angry.

Some bands’ music sounds more important than it is. Their tight playing and sonic experiments with studio sounds don’t save them.

Some pretty groovy jams in addition to the one big hit

I was wondering when this under appreciated band would show up as a recommendation!

Excellent mood music

Many weird and wondrous songs.

Bad is right

Fell in love with this album 20 years ago! Great to hear it again.

They sound effected and self important.

I respect the heck out of this band. But in later years, they got even tighter.

Soulless music that’s easy to ignore.

So many mega hits.

I don’t know who decided this band was good, but it wasn’t me.

All of the songs were different sounding than any other group. But, all of the songs sounded alike. And then one of the songs was 10 minutes and ruined the album.

All over the place musically and a waste of a solid voice.

No hits on the album, and no songs I recognized, yet a gem of a record.

The song selection is schizophrenic. The album has too many moods.

Unintentionally hilarious! Someone should’ve had a tighter leash on the comical use of studio sounds. If that aspect had been more subtle, and the lyrics weren’t so childish, there might be something there since there’s keyboard, beat, and melody talent.

Sometimes melodic, sometimes edgy. The lead singer’s thin, trembly voice can barely keep up sometimes.

Pleasing to the ear at times and a supreme lead vocalist, but incongruous as a whole album.

Absolutely crushed it

Really difficult to rate because they sound familiar (Lou Reed impression) but some of the lyrics are too cute and rhymey.

Dripping with unwanted 90s alternative nostalgia.

A little uneven but ultimately a good album

Psychedelic junk and borrowed soul music

Some good grooves

I didn’t need to listen because I have played it over 100 times and it’s amazing

Horrible. This subgenre popularized in the 90s has never sounded remotely good.

Was expecting my memory of this band being bad to ruin the listen. But a few songs were unexpectedly pleasing and I hummed along to the two radio hits.

Many great tunes and only a couple granny songs.

Just doesn’t do it for me. Too calm and lilty.

Expansive and indulgent, but too rich and deep for my taste

Just mid. I remember liking his solo stuff more, but now I realize only a few songs here and there are decent.

Is this a Stone Roses cover band?

One of their best albums

This sounds like a pirate musical revue at a Renaissance fair.

Respect

Sometimes poppy and sometimes with feeling, but never soulful disposable music.

Gorgeous voice and pretty melodies

More than one time, the shrillness of the song made my ears bleed

This album is a journey. Some beautiful songs and some painful ones.

A few very nice, pleasant songs and a few I never want to hear again.

It puts you in a mood, for sure

This was a weird one that I hadn’t listened to before. I loved her first two albums.

A few poppy hooks and sparse original melodies not supported by an overindulgent lead singer.

Bad singing, bad rapping

GOAT

Strange and barely good at its best

Not one of my 1,000 best albums but epic in scale and execution. The single “Beautiful” is still anthemic after 20+ years.

As an album, it’s perhaps three stars. Mood inducing but still too heavy with score songs. The theme song, however, is an all time classic.

Poppy and satisfying, with many anthems

This has to be a joke with some of the squeals and goofy riffs.

I forgot how great this album is!

Hadn’t heard this one but love many of her songs.

Never heard of them, but wish I had heard of them before

I remember liking them better than I do. But, it was good to remember that they exist, and had influence on the sound from that time.

It had some calm moments and not too much psychedelic nonsense.

I miss listening to this album!

Some great songs on this that I hadn’t heard

They occupy the unenviable position of being between Pop and EDM in the early 2000s. And unlike Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem, they do not nail it.

The Sade knockoff nobody asked for

Powerful pipes, but some of the song tropes aren’t timeless

This is more than I listened to them in the entire decade of the 90s! Good sound; not what I remember.

First or second favorite Beatles album

Delightfully odd! A mashup of TV On The Radio’s singer and Fugazi’s music. A few moments of brilliance.

Fun trip down memory lane with more hits that I remember.

Brilliance, stupidity, weirdness

The lyrics are still important in these songs, despite my taste in music changing since the album’s release.

Too much noodling. But some good jams.

A familiar sound from a band I’ve only learned of through 1001 albums. I don’t miss the sound but there were a couple songs pleasing to the ear.

Excellent album that I hadn’t previously heard

The 2 or 3 good songs are worth the trashy rest of the album

Very cheesy

A unique and neat sound

Nick Cave had a long way to go before becoming a unique vocalist and this album was far from getting there. Had to stop after 3 songs from the guttural groans

Not as grating to my nerves as other albums of theirs, probably because the lead singer was more subdued.

I never much liked the lead singer’s voice but respected and liked the music

I remember discovering them and this album blowing my mind

They have a calm and pleasing sound and hadn’t heard of them before

Their songs can really get you into a groove

Dumb name, dumb sound

Not as good as Electric Warrior

Bjork Light

I’ll admit that I enjoyed some of the musical arrangements and song structure, but Jim Morrison is remembered as a buffoon who wrote children’s book lyrics for the average educated manchild.

Smooth R&B

I couldn’t decide if I liked or hated this group 25 years ago and I still can’t

Had some brilliant moments of harmony and melody only he can think up

Their music transports you, even if you don’t want to go there and even if that place is sometimes meh

I wore out the compact disc already

Hadn’t heard this album before or really heard his live voice. It was great. His studio tracks have an echo effect and it waters down his powerful pipes.

Their songs are weird in a bad way, like they are trying to fail. There could be a good, melodic album here if not for the added sounds and shrieks.

The bad: Lyrics using the word “retarded,” use of a fart sound in a song, and way too long of an album. The good: genre bending, inspired, and original.

Couldn’t get through the whole album…wasn’t feeling it

Overall, an annoying sounding band with one catchy song per album

Great album

Great album

The singer makes my ears bleed for more than one song at a time.

A very thoughtful album that is lost to time if not for this recommendation.

Quaint

One of my favorite Elvis albums and easily one of the greatest 100 of all time.

One of my absolute faves, ever

Had only heard a couple songs by them but hearing an entire album makes me appreciate their contribution. But, many mid songs.

Too jazzy at times. But their hits are recognized and respected.

Slushy ear garbage

I had only heard their two radio songs and already knew I liked the singer’s voice. But listening to the album gave me an appreciation for the musicianship of the rest of the band.

Hard to believe so many hits were on one album

Eh

I forgot about this record! Brings me back to good times while listening to it. This album and band is the best incarnation of Bob Mould.

Some songs are pretty, some try to hard to be country music

Had never heard this album of covers and imitations. Still honing their craft and not a great album.

Dumb drug music

I’ve enjoyed their album “Stiff” for many years but hadn’t dived into their catalogue. This was less polished but still good.

Clever lyrics, crisply and quickly delivered, great singing voice and melodies.

I couldn’t finish the album because I never liked this band

Great group, not their greatest album

Weak and annoying lead singer voice, decent melodies

Many better albums than this but one of the greatest bands

Why would anyone choose to sing in that grating, silly voice?

Their micro genre got lost in time, and I don’t want to be taken back

I can’t imagine ever wanting to listen again, but there were several clever turns of phrase in the lyrics and a consistent vibe.

Lots of beautiful music and great singing which establishes a strong and consistent mood but on the downside, sometimes the gratuitously crass lyrics spoiled the mood.

Solid album all the way through

It’d be average psychedelic rock with a capable singer…but this poor fella’s voice and enunciation…fingernails on a chalkboard.

I can tell this band had fun recording the goofy storytelling songs and singing the LSD lyrics, but does anyone over the age of 20 actually enjoy hearing it?

One good song

I disliked how the album started, but deeper cuts proved to mellow out his sound

When this album originally debuted, I wanted it to be as good as Sound of Silver, and the self titled album. But it wasn’t, and it’s still a dud.

Great arrangements

Didn’t need to listen because I’ve heard it dozens of times and love it

Hadn’t heard it; really great

His voice grates on me after too many songs

So strange that they’re actually good at times.

I had never listened to a Dr. John album and didn’t know the character and music were so complex and developed.

Haven’t heard a bad CCR record yet

Some fun songs I’d never heard

I like their AM gold songs… who knew they could also sound so terrible

Cute

Great and sloppy

Many great songs showing the range of Lennon.

Easily forgettable

I wish the singer felt the words the way the guitarist did, and didn’t just hit the notes.