1001 Albums Summary

Don't Stop is obviously great, but the rest of the album is generic disco. Maybe it was great in the 80s, but it doesn't stand up.

Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B, and God Only Knows makes this a legendary album. 50 years later and we're still listening to these songs. I Know There's an Answer is an under appreciated song. The lyrics are not great, but the music is super interesting.

I like Jazz and Blues influence, but I don't really listen to the core genre. Additionally, I'm not a fan of jam bands, so this album just isn't for me.

I haven't really listened to Alice Cooper, so this is a good exercise. I enjoyed Hello Hooray a lot. No More Mr. Nice Guy is of course, awesome. Generation Landslide should have gotten more radio play time. It's too good for me never to have heard it. This album is some core rock. It's really well done, but it's got a lot of that weirdness Alice Cooper is know for. Really good bass lines.

This is apparently Glam Rock. It's an odd genre since it seems to be more about what you wear than what you perform. That being said, it does seem to feature an almost dead pan singing style. It's rough for a whole album. I can't get behind it. It does have Walk on the Wild Side, which is great. It shows the dead pan approach can work, but it's not enough to save the album.

I do like The Cars. This is a great album with 3 of their best songs. Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, You're All I've Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love, and Just What I Needed are amazing. Damn this album is good.

The intro is a little jarring. The drums and guitar start with a very different sound than the band delivers. This is seems like a folk singer who was given a rock band. This is a good band. The music is enjoyable. However, I also understand why I have never heard them on the radio. There isn't a standout single in here. It also seems to fall apart as you get into it. Not uncommon for an album, but rough considering they don't start amazing.

Incubus is my jam, so I'm biased. Stellar and Pardon Me are excellent. Drive is the major breakout hit. It has a polished radio sound, that is actually not what I think of when listening to incubus. I Miss You captures the band much better.

The Chemical Brothers have made some music that has broken into main stream, but techno has difficulty standing on its own. Similar to jam bands, it's difficult to generate appeal for 8 minute instrumentals. Especially in a world that has been pushing the more popular guitar solo into non-existence. This album does have some real innovations in the techno genres. The sounds they use and the seamless integration does make it stand out from typical EDM. Ultimately, it is modern elevator music. It's something to have on in the background that won't distract you while you work.

This feels like peak 70s rock. It started really well, but the last half of the album is weird opera style. Everyone wants to be Pink Floyd, but it doesn't work for them.

I like the folksy singer songwriter sound. It reminds me of Taylor Swift's Foklore album. Still carries that 70's sound though. Flutes, clarinets and a disregard for rhyming. In any case, it seemed to arrive at the right time. I was ready for this. Feels good to listen to it.

This might be a lyrical masterpiece, but I don't speak French... Also, it's island music the whole way through. Not my favorite.

This is some core Beach Boys. It's nowhere near as good as Pet Sounds. It's still good, but mostly forgettable music. Help Me Ronda stands out a little, but it's one of their weaker hits.

Once again, I cannot understand the language (Portuguese) . However, the music is good. The first couple of songs are carried entirely by the melody. If the lyrics are good, these are probably great songs.

Yes, ska, love this shit. Message to you Rudy is a classic. Ultimately, The Specials is not sustainable for a whole album. It's like a one trick pony that doesn't work after a handful of songs.

I'm not a fan of live albums, but the recording quality of the early 60's isn't generally better than a live album anyway. Also, since I don't know these songs, I can't tell how they have changed in performance versus the studio. Sam Cooke is pretty good. I didn't expect to like 'soul', but I do. It's much better than 'jazz'. It feels like the inspiration for a lot of modern pop music.

Arcade Fire on paper is exactly who I want to listen to. However, this album sucks. I don't understand why it's in the list. The Suburbs is a thousand times better. The best song on here is My Body Is A Cage, and it wasn't even released as a single.

Soundgarden is great. I grew up with this album. My Wave, Fell On Black Days, Black Hole Sun, and The Day I Tried To Live Spoonman, of course. I'm tired of this song, but there is no doubt of its popularity.

Killer Queen is great, and Stone Cold Crazy stands out. However, the album is just pretty good. It's not as good as Night At The Opera.

I had heard of Steely Dan, but I didn't realize it was soft rock. Or as I found out: Historically, Steely Dan has been most often and best described as jazz fusion. This is distinct from progressive rock (another common descriptor of Steely Dan) in that jazz fusion incorporates other musical elements like funk and reggae.

Never heard of PJ Harvey. Has some early grunge vibes which I like. Nothing seems to grab or offend. I would call it a good album, but forgettable.

This is ok R&B. Not my favorite genre, but it's good background music. Rob tells me that R&B should not disappear into the background. That makes this 'not good'.

Elvis is prolific. So many good songs. 149 billboard 100 songs! That being said, this album was produced for the 'Greatest Generation'. It's full of ballads instead of rock. Fever is the only song worth listening to.

He's clearly making a sex album. It's quality, but still basically a joke.

Tom Waits is certainly creative, but I can't handle his voice. I like Step Right Up, but it's not on this album. I think that's all I can listen to of his.

This is pretty good. It's a little dreamy, but enjoyable. Ice Blink Luck was really good.

This is a great album. Tough to compete with Aretha Franklin. Chain of Fools is amazing, and You Make Me Feel is a classic. Groovin and Come Back Baby are surprisingly good.

This is decent 90's brit pop. It's fun to listen to, but I'm not sure there's a song here to call out.

Yes, The Smiths. The Headmaster Ritual is super good. The album as a whole is great. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is on this album. The End. Best Smiths Album. Man, all the songs on this are great.

I wanted to like this album. My brain thinks Rod Stewart is good. This album proves my brain is full of shit. I was able to listen to the whole thing, so it's not 1 star. None of the songs resonated with me, and his voice is not great. Maggie May is supposed to be some amazing single, but it's disappointing.

She has an interesting bar singer voice. It works well for background music, but not much else. It doesn't move me.

This is the album with Money for Nothing on it :D. So far pretty good. Walk of Life is on here too. Solid. Some of these tracks get way off track with some space type jam band sessions.

There are only 3 songs on this album. Apparently it's supposed to be a story. This is an experimental album by Yes. I have a feeling I would like their earlier stuff, but this is too weird for me to get into.

This is a decent album. I'm sure it's great if you miss the 50's. I'm enjoying it, but I wouldn't pick it.

This is a weird one. It feels like 80's pop, but it's unrefined. It's like the most generic 80's pop music you've ever heard. I wonder if this was the inspiration for a lot of artists. It's not very good, but I could see how it might have inspired others.

This was good. It was like a weird version of the Beatles. They enjoyed using dissonance with their voices, which I didn't like, but otherwise good.

This is noise rock... I really hate this experimental crap.

I was resistant to Taylor Swift for quite some time. She felt like the next Britney or Aguilera. She'll make a few good songs then disappear. I did not realize she was the next Madonna/Micheal Jackson. She continues to put out the best pop of the last 20 years. This particular album produced 7 singles. 4 of which are still radio staples. Super good.

This is enjoyable, low key music. I'm surprised at how low key it is. All of the songs are crooners.

42 consecutive weeks on the UK #1... I'm guessing this is a good album. Drive My Car is a classic. Norwegian Wood is something I hadn't heard before, but it's good. The rest is classic Beatles.

Arguably Nirvana's best album. Jesus doesn't want me is excellent, and a cover? Polly is good too. Nirvana has a lot of good music that doesn't get radio play.

Norah Jones is good easy listening jazz. I have her confused with Alicia Keys. I don't like Alicia Keys. Anyway, Don't Know Why is super good. Ultimately, the album is just too much easy listening (Every Noise calls it Contemporary Jazz). It's not my thing. I much prefer a more folk sound.

Indie rock is a good sign. It's starting well. It's still super slow. Starting to feel like Norah Jones. Chicken Bones feels good, but the lyrics are a bit weird. Overall, not that great.

This is a good collection of Michael Jackson songs that are popular, but I don't like. Smooth Criminal is on this album, but it's not enough to save it.

I don't like rap, but this is pretty good. I think it's because they commit to a melody in each song. They are all identifiable without the lyrics. So Fresh, So Clean is just good. I don't care who you are. It does go way too long. I got tired of it.

This is some old school country. It's literally 'hokey'. Old school country has a touch of polka in it.

I really don't like noise rock. It's stressful and distracting. I just stand there confused and angry.

Starting a little too close to old country. The music is good, but the singer is a bit loungy/country. It's labeled as a founder of folk rock, which I can hear. However, it's just a bit too old school for me.

This is a weird album. It's like Beach Boy fan fiction. The story behind it is weird too. Apparently Brian wrote this with the original Beach Boys in the 60's. Something happened that blew everything up. He agreed to come back and continue work on it in the 2000's, and finally released it. It's too over the top for me.

This is an Nigerian funk jam band. The story behind the album is more interesting than the album itself. It's a protest album against the Nigerian military. Its release resulted in the military attacking Kuti's cult compound. This is a weird combination of a brain washing cult actually being right about the government. Anyway, the music is protest music in the vein of funk jam. None of which interests me.

There's no doubt that Frank Zappa is a brilliant musician. The beats he creates are all head bobbing and hip swaying etc. However, his vocals are all 'comedic' in their weirdness. It's not what I like. I'm wondering if there is an album produced by Frank Zappa, but not performed by him. Even still, the songs on this album are way too long.

It's in a different language, which makes it hard, but the music is pretty good. Portuguese funk. I enjoyed the whole album!

Man, it seems cliche to like this album, but it's still really good. Super enjoyed it.

Hey pig... yeah you... So good. I love this album.

Motorhead is great at what they do, but it's too 'basic rock' for me.

UK punk. It's decent. Nothing too controversial. Maybe the worst compliment for a punk band?

This is some hard core rap. A lot of anger that I cannot identify with.

This is pretty good punk rock. It's not amateur hour screaming. It's actually good music. I can hear the basis for a lot of early 2000's alternative here. I wonder if they were inspiration for those musicians. I enjoyed this album.

This is fine. It's a forgettable album. It's also considered avant-noise rock? It's certainly a messier version of rock than I like. Nothing here to get excited about.

The War On Drugs is one of my favorite laid back rock sounds. This album comes from the lead singers battle with depression, so it's VERY laid back. Super good. Enjoyed the whole thing.

It's the Beatles, so it's a good album. However, this was made for a movie. It seems like making things specifically for a movie makes them worse. It was a bit forgettable for a Beatles album. Except for the title song. Ringo coined the term.

Prince is not someone I would listen to. However, there is no denying that I enjoy a few songs on this album. Let's Go Crazy standing out. It's still a good song 40 years later. Little Nikki is a Prince song? I had no idea. It's not super great song, but the remake certainly has had some radio play. Also, the title song is not good :D

This is way better than Harvey's other album, Dry. The music is super compelling. The lyrics are a bit distracting, but overall it's pretty good. It keeps getting better. This is a surprisingly excellent album!

Cuban Jazz? It's an odd orchestral collection. It's fine for what it is, but it's not what I want.

His voice is a bit warbley, and the music features his voice! It feels like well thought out music, but the delivery just misses the mark. It's just too depressing.

No... just no. Christmas music does not rate.

I can see some talent here. I bet some of her other albums are amazing. This one... not so much.

Unbelievable album. I've been listening to this since I was a kid.

House music? It's find background music. Nothing grabbed me.

This is protest music that leans heavy into Jazz and EDM. I'm not really into any of those 3 things. Wildfires is good.

Blues rock with a bit of jam band thrown in. It's fine. I could listen to it, but I get impatient.

This is good. Folk indie rock. It's exactly what I want.

I'm not a big fan of Aerosmith, but there is no denying they have put out some great music. This album has Back in the Saddle, but is otherwise just a precursor to hair music.

This is forgettable 60's rock. It has a 70's feel, so it was probably ground breaking in its day. Now it just sounds derivative.

This is nice. Some indie pop. I've never heard of Beach House, but I'm enjoying it.

Pink Floyd is masterful. They are weird without being distracting. It's recognizable melodies and relatable lyrics. Just super good.

I'm not a big fan of rap, but BIG is very good at what he does. As this album goes on, I'm losing patience. It's still very good rap, but as I said, I don't like rap. Things Done Changed and Big Pappa are standout songs.

60's English Folk? This is surprisingly good. It sounds pretty modern, but the acoustic guitar hasn't changed all that much. Enjoyed the whole album.

Very ambient indie rock. I guess it's called Space Rock? Seems like good background music. Run caught me. I started drumming with my fingers, so maybe not entirely in the background :)

90's house soul. I didn't think I would hate it, but I do.

George Michael is pretty great. This album seems to be limited to some basic music. He's more about pushing a message than creating an innovative sound. Feels a bit like gospel music. It's fine, but not his best work.

This is a country singer doing indie pop. It's pretty good, but gets a bit generic as the album goes on. The first song, Slow Burn is legitimately good.

This feels very 60's... and British. It's a bit too much for me. It's the kind of music I would expect to run into in the corner of a brew festival. Good enough, but not really good.

Alex love Bjork, but I can't listen to her. It's too weird.

Soft Rock? This is cheesy synth heavy. I'm ashamed this made the list.

Portishead is the right kind of weird. It's unusual, but still melodic and interesting. Mysterons and Sour Times are very good. I really like this album. More than when I was in high school.

This is great indie pop. Wiki calls it Scottish pop, but I can't hear much of an accent. "The State I Am In" is quite excellent. The rest is also good, but it doesn't stand out. I enjoyed the whole album.

This is super experimental. It's nowhere near as good as Stories from the Sea. Even Dry is a bit more relatable.

This is some kind of new wave jazz. It has elements of easy listening which makes it sleepy. It's fine for what it is, but it's not what I want.

I don't like jazz.

It's a weird on, since I can't understand it. However, I'm enjoying it for its funky beats. Feels like scat :D

This is supposed to be an amazing rap album, but it doesn't stand out for me. It just sounds like every other 90's rap album. I'm guessing the lyrics are hard hitting etc, but poetry is not why I listen to music.

This is some garage band punk. It's way to raw for my liking, and it's punk.

Arguably my favorite album from the 90's. Super good.

Of course Nevermind is a great album. I'm just mad Nirvana is somehow more famous than Perl Jam.

This was some ok funk. Not good enough to hole my attention though.

This is a pretty legendary album. A lot of these songs are still played at sporting events etc. Not really my mainline music, but still clearly a part of my childhood.

Some late nineties pop electronica. It's better than I thought it would be. I'm not sure I can listen to the singer for very long, but once through the album was good.

Hate To Say I Told You So is a good radio song. The rest of the album is forgettable modern punk. Proving again, that I don't really like punk.

This is good garage pop. It's way better than the hives, but still not super memorable. I can easily listen to this in the background.

Adding funk to jazz does make it better, but it still is not what I want. This is basically easy listening.

Folk rock is a good choice. This is a great album at first. I've actually heard Strange Boat before. As it goes on, it gets a bit further into the weeds. Still interesting, but less folk rock and more generic irish.

I like The National. This album is what brought me around. Not all their songs are catchy, but they are all well done. England in particular is very good.

I remember when this came out. The album art was pretty controversial. Anyway, the music is weird house music. It's too random to be good. I agree with AV Club. It's not revolutionary. It's just meh.

Wow, I did not expect so much classic 70's hippie from Genesis. I guess I think about Genesis from the 80's more than their roots.

Ok, this guy definitely is a terrible singer. Wiki says this is post-punk. I think I just hate everything punk.

I owned this album in college. It's great. The songs are too long for good radio play and it's a live album. These prevent it from being a staple.

This was some fun older songs, but I've never been a Sinatra fan. It's lounge singing, and not as good as Chris Isaak.

I appreciate the musical talent of Iggy Pop, but I just can't tolerate musicians that can't sing.

This is a fun, bright album. It has that little sour flavor that comes with all British music. Nothing really grabbed me or offended me.

The title song Band On The Run is pretty good, but the rest of the album feels a bit generic. It definitely feels like we've had enough Beatles songs at this point.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. It's supposed to be Janis Joplin's most polished album, which helps.

This starts off with Respect, which immediately makes it great. However, the rest of the album is low key crooning. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream is pretty good.

Strong start! This is like a Beatles competitor that I haven't heard. Unfortunately it's a rock opera. It tells a story of SF Sorrow. It means it's going to get weird. This was a fun album. It did get super weird in certain spots, but overall I enjoyed it.

Early ska and funk rock. It's a decent start, but I'm repulsed by the heavy 80's vibe. The ska aspect is really good, but the raw 80's still distracts. I'm sure this album was amazing in 1988.

Ah Bowie, both amazing and ridiculous. Similar to other great artists like Zappa, he makes some really good music that is sometimes too weird to enjoy.

Rap isn't my thing.

Loretta Lynn is some very old country. This feels similar to the Jingles of the 50's. So wholesome it hurts.

I have lost all patience for rap.

Early folk rock. It's very low key. It's not bad, but it doesn't stand out enough for me to want to listen to more. Reminds me of a really good coffee shop live performance.

Air did a good job with making music for the movie. However, it's background music for a movie. Lyrics are far between. The song names are things like 'Bathroom'. It's not what I want.

I've lost my patience of punk as well. I'm coming to realize that your ability to sing is hugely impactful on how much I like your music.

This album reminds me of an American Bjorn. It has some interesting elements, but it's too experimental for me to get into.

This was a bizarre instructional album for indian sitar. I don't really understand why it's here. He's good at what he does, but still a strange choice.

French Electronic House Music? Interesting. Ah, this includes D.A.N.C.E which had some radio play. It's a good song. Overall, I enjoyed this album. The last few songs lost me, but the first part is great.

The Cure is amazing. I probably listened to this album more than any other in High School.

lol, this has the trainspotting theme song. It's a good song. I didn't realize it was Iggy Pop. This is definitely a more melodic Iggy Pop than the last album. I actually kind of like it. He's still a terrible singer though. Oh, it has The Passenger on it. That's pretty key!

This is a French indie rock / rap album? It has a low quality production value that was probably very cool when it came out in the 90's. It's so common place now, that it sounds cheap. It really did not grab me. It wasn't abrasive to my ears, but I can live without it.