This album feels like a greatest hits album to me. There are a couple of weak tracks, but the Young Rascals put their stamp on blue-eyed soul here. Granted, it's like eating cotton candy and there isn't a ton of depth here, but I think that can be said for a lot of bands in the 1960's who were churning out pop hits.

Never listened to this band, but this is stupid glam metal and I am absolutely here for it. This was better than I thought and influenced Poison/Motley Crue and others. Great album as long as you are willing to have fun with it.

Very relaxing album and technically proficient. I don't know if I had to hear this album though.

This album deserves to be listened to simply because the scale of the projected and how the sound Billy Corgan was attempting to create differed from the grunge movement that had almost died at this point. This album showed growth in the Pumpkins sound, but my God, it's long. I can't help but think if it were a single album then it would get a higher rating. The scale is what differs it from other albums, yet also what causes this album to drag a bit in the middle from bloat.

I have listened to a lot of Blur, but never to this album all the way through. It's a very good album and I think it deserves a place in the book because it shows a change in their sound from the previous work. Especially notable for the change in lyrical style that is full fleshed out with "13."

This album is an absolute must-listen for music fans. It has two songs from the "Murder Trilogy" and there is not a bad track on this album. "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" has a fantastic bass line and though 7 of the songs exceed 4 minutes, they never drag.

Really great album and a sort of emotional comedown from "Harvest." This record gets overshadowed a bit by Young's other work, but "See the Sky about to Rain" and "Walk On" are classics. I think this is an album you must hear, as it is a partner album in some ways to "Harvest."

Hard for me to rate this album in some ways. Is it a good album? Yes, it is a good album. Does it contain any classic songs that make this record a must-listen? I don't think so. So while I enjoyed listening to the album, I did wonder if it deserved placement as an album I "must" hear. It drags in the middle. Most of what is done here is done better by the same members of the band (in different musical groups/solo). It's clear Neil Young is the most engaging songwriter (in my opinion), so I would not put this album on the list.

These are two solo albums combined into one under the name "Outkast." As an Outkast fan, I don't think this is essential listen. What they are doing here was done much better on previous albums. Double albums are always hard to find essential and this one is no exception.

I like Grizzly Bear. I don't know why this album would be considered on this list of albums that must be heard, as there are other bands with better albums in this genre.

This is not my favorite Metallica album as that would be "...and Justice for All" but this is an essential album to listen to, as this is the album that helped continue to bring the thrash metal genre more in to the mainstream. This is the album that helped set up "hardcore" Metallica fans to be disappointed with every 90's release. Even if you don't like thrash metal, this album helps set the precedent for other bands to come.

Not much else that can be said about this album. The production is great and the songs are all classics. The weakest song on the album is "Oh Daddy" but it's still a good song. Imagine if "Silver Springs" had replaced "Oh Daddy."

Incredibly influential album. This absolutely deserves a spot on the list.

This album resonated with a lot of people even though it sold poorly. I enjoy the album but it's so dreary and the songs sometimes can outlast my patience. Overall, I think it's an album that deserves to be on the list, though I would not come back to listen to it very often.

Not unlistenable as I anticipated it may be based on the name of the group, the name of the album and the cover art. The album was good background music and better than I anticipated, as it was all instrumentals. I probably would not re-visit this album and struggle a bit to see why it was added to this book as a "must" listen.

It was not offensive music but well before my time and I simply don't understand the draw of this album. I wish I could enjoy it more.

I have never heard this album all the way through and I have been missing out. I've never totally gotten into Bowie but this feels like a gateway for me to listen to each of his albums. Not a bad song on the album.

An absolute classic. "Say hi to the bad guy" is an excellent closing track and this is Ice Cube at the peak of his social observation genius. The Rodney King verdicts has influence all over this album and it is interesting he named the album after a movie about a monster that kills policemen, while the policemen make a knee jerk reaction about the monster's intentions. Maybe there is no symbolism intended there, but I think this album is a must-hear to get the temperate of 1992 Los Angeles.

What in the name of the 1970's Tracy Chapman is this album? I have never heard a single song by this artist but this album feels like the precursor to many 1990's female singer-songwriters. I can't understand how she is not spoken in the same breath as many other singer-songwriters in the 70's. It could be because she never had that huge hit song. Armatrading has a unique voice (both figuratively and literally) and I'm ready to explore some of her back catalog to see if I can see what other artists she influenced. If you had told me this album came out in the late 80's or 90's then I would have believed you. Even if you don't love the music, this album is a must-hear.

I am not a huge jazz fan but this was very entertaining as background music. I do not know how often I would re-visit this album, but the backstory of this album combined with the instrumental parts that go somewhere and progress through the song makes it a worthwhile listen.

The expanded double version of this album is even better than just the original. This album is a must-listen because it shows what a talented and varied artist Dennis Wilson was. It gets a bit dreary towards the end but overall this is the diary of an artist who probably was never going to be able to pump out an album every other year. It's clear he put a lot into this record.

I grew up listening to this album, as it was one of the records that my parents owned. Always has been one of my favorite albums and it is really long. No doubt about that but it is difficult to have a double album that doesn't have some sense of filler. It's hard to differentiate between albums we "must" hear because they have some relevance or significant impact on music in the past or future, with albums that are just really good. It's bananas to me that Elton only has two albums on this list. So based on the limited number of Elton John albums on her, I would absolutely include this album. It perfectly encapsulates what Elton John was about and his music.

I have never heard this album before. It got better as the album went on but it's not my type of music. I don't feel the significance of this album.

The backstory behind this album is sad and tragic. I don't know why this album is considered a "must listen" as I can't imagine at what point would I listen to this album again. I feel Nick Cave's emotions but this is an album that feels "important" so therefore it is considered important. I feel sad for his loss, but there isn't much here to draw me in.

I had never listened to a full Deep Purple album prior to listening to this one. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this album was and how many songs that I knew. The bonus edition with "When a Blind Man Cries" makes me wonder why that song was left off the original album. This album definitely deserves to be on the list, mostly because the song was ahead of its time and there are four classic Deep Purple tracks on here.

As a person fluent in Spanglish I understood just a little bit what these songs were saying, but I had no difficulty understanding the feelings behind these songs. To describe an album as "pleasant" sounds like a criticism or condescending, yet this is a very listenable album and an excellent example of how music can transcend language differences. I would recommend this album because it shows the British pop influence on music throughout the world.

This album belongs on this list because Jack White helped bring back "real" rock. Saying that, I'm not a fan of White or his many bands. I find this album lacks cohesion, as it seems like a group of songs and for some reason I feel like they are a bit incomplete. Maybe it is the short run time of the songs. Overall, not a bad album and worthy of being on the list. Just not my kind of rock, as it really lacks any sort of hook that interests me.

I think this album belongs on the list of albums you must hear before you die, because it is unique in the sound and the scope of what Arcade Fire was attempting to accomplish. Saying that, it is not my favorite Arcade Fire album because it is less concise than "Neon Bible" and "Funeral." For me, what makes this album deserve to be on this list also makes it not my favorite AF album.

Great album. I'm not going to be an old man but this is an album not from when rap had meaning but this is an excellent album that isn't just about partying or the celebration of self. Public Enemy was fighting for the respect on the behalf of rap artists (along with others) and this plus "A Nation of Millions..." are a mission statement that must be listened to.

This album is not my thing. I think this album is on the list due to the way the album was marketed through visual arts. I don't think it is a "must-hear" for fans of music.

This album feels like a greatest hits album to me. There are a couple of weak tracks, but the Young Rascals put their stamp on blue-eyed soul here. Granted, it's like eating cotton candy and there isn't a ton of depth here, but I think that can be said for a lot of bands in the 1960's who were churning out pop hits.

I see quite a few negative reviews for this album and I disagree with them. The complete Budokan concert is even better because it (naturally) includes more songs and removes some of the overdubbing that was present on this version. Robin's voice was cleaned up a little in parts and a synthesizer was added to "Surrender." I recommend the complete concert version. Otherwise, this is one of the best albums of all time. Hello There and Come On Come On are great concert openers and there isn't a bad song on this album. This album introduced me to how good live music can be and to Cheap Trick. Highly recommend.

Really great first album and the Stone Roses influenced so many bands that followed them. This isn't quite the perfect album, but deserves placement in this book because of the musicality and the influence.

Never listened to this band, but this is stupid glam metal and I am absolutely here for it. This was better than I thought and influenced Poison/Motley Crue and others. Great album as long as you are willing to have fun with it.

I always thought I liked some forms of prog-rock. Based on listening to this album, perhaps I do not. This is music for people who make music so they can tell others how good this music is.

I started off disliking this album and it got slightly better as the album went on. While not a BAD album, I don't see any reason this should make the list. It's just soft rock from the Bee Gees and I found nothing on here that justified the inclusion.

This isn't Brit-Pop first off. This is post-punk in the vein of other post-punk bands at the time. I know two members of the band had ties to Brit-Pop through Suede, but this isn't Brit-Pop. I was never a huge Elastica fan but you can hear some Bloc Party in here.

A pretty good album, though it gets a bit slow towards the end. Not sure I would recommend this to others, though the music was inoffensive and enjoyable.

I am in the vast minority on this one. Not a fan of trip-hop, so perhaps ignore me. It's droning and boring to me.

It gets better as you listen to it more. It was a forebearer to the lo-fi movement that tended to grow more popular through the 2000's.

I have never listened to any Stevie Wonder album other than Songs in the Key of Life, but this was an incredible album and I regret not having heard it before. A very well-done album that absolutely deserves a place on this list. Almost every song could be a single.

I knew these songs but did not know I knew these songs. The single version of these songs can tend to be the better song, but this is an excellent album overall. I have never gotten into Isaac Hayes' catalogue so this is a great start to his version of soul.

This does contain most of the Smiths better known songs, but is a really good album. "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" is one of my favorite Smiths songs and you don't hear many songs that are about corporal punishment and vegetarianism that are this catchy. I think this is an album that must be heard, because it does not contain many of the hits and gives a better idea of what Morrissey and gang were trying to do.

This is an album full of pretty songs. I just do not know when I would listen to this album again, as the pace is slow and it can feel like one long song at times. Very talented artist but I do not think this is a must-listen album and I remain confused how it was showered with such adulation. This feels like an album that became popular because rich people liked hearing it in the background of their dinner parties.

I think you need to be informed and understand jazz music to fully appreciate this album. It sounds a lot like other jazz albums to me, so it doesn't necessarily stand out. So for me, it's not an album I would listen to again because it does not feel like a "must" album.

I had not heard this album and it was really great. An incredibly engaging album that gets better with repeat listens.

I've never listened to a Dolly Parton album until now and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. I think this is an album that I believe must be heard, as it's a very good listen.

Probably an album that needs to be heard. I am not a Leonard Cohen fan, as I haven't gotten into it as many times as I have tried.

Never heard this album and enjoyed the changes in tempo and even the instrumentals. Not as good as their first three albums, but still really good.

Bjork isn't my type of music. So this is going to be a "pass" for me.

This is a band that I had heard so much about but never explored their music. I will be going deeper into their discography because it's a great example of early post-punk. Good listen.

This is a landmark album based solely on the sound and it is three white guys rapping for Def Jam. "License to Ill" was something completely different in the world of rap and while I have outgrown some of this frat-rap style (as did they) the number of samples and seemingly creating songs based on those samples creates a place for this album in this book.

This album isn't on the list because it's a fantastic album, though many do love it. It does not speak to me personally, but this album should be heard because it really came out in 1998. This sound and the whole British "emotional singer-songwriter" did not feel as played-out as it does now. "Babylon" is a great track and there are other really good tracks on this album. For those who don't like the sound, this album is like nails on a chalkboard or something that helps lull them to sleep. It cannot be denied this album is the forebearer to many popular and top-selling artists' albums.

I've heard many Marvin Gaye songs but have never delved into his albums and I regret it. Only 8 songs long and not a single one of them is a dud. As much as Gaye dove into social and political themes on his "What's Going on?" album, he made this a romantic, sexy-time album. It's amazing how he can transition so quickly between what each albums was focused on. This is a must-listen.

This is not my type of music. I did pleasantly enjoy the more melodic tracks on the album, as I expected just nu-metal through the whole album. I'm probably not smart enough to understand the inclusion of this album as a "must listen." It feels like there is nothing new here that Slipknot has done other than slightly adjust their sound.

I am not a huge Joni Mitchell fan this album is an important listen as she expands her sound and it is her version of a "road album." I do think it's a must-hear.

This album reminds me of Chicago's sound and I am not sure who came first. There is a variety of sounds on this album and it feels pretty unfocused.

My college roommate played this album all the time and I feel this album belongs on the list because they helped to bring club culture to the forefront in the 90's. So this isn't my type of music or sound, as I do prefer more vocal-oriented club music.

I've liked some of The Jesus and Mary Chain's music, though it can sound like noise to me. Still, this is a seminal album due to the shoegaze and how they were one of the first bands to effectively mix pop and noise. This isn't a perfect album, as it may be a bit long, but it's an album I think a person would need to hear.

Would I characterize this album as "bad?" I would not. Does it sound like Robbie Williams doesn't have his own personality and essentially tries to do karaoke versions of songs that sound like Oasis but were not written by Oasis? Yes, it does. Nothing bad here and there are 2-3 really great tracks that can be found on this album. I don't see anything different or a compelling reason to listen to this album, no matter whether you were a Take That fan or a fan of music. Comparing this album to Harry Styles debut album is like night and day, as Styles challenges himself and doesn't feel like he's creating hits that sound like other hits. Not a bad album, but in no way deserves a spot in this book.

"The Ocean" is a really great song. This is a much different sound than what I would expect from an album by a guy who was briefly in Pulp. I find the music to be fairly slow, but still engaging. While I did enjoy this album, I don't know how it belongs on this list.

This was a really good album and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I would give it five stars but the final track is a bit of a downer and wasn't my favorite. Otherwise, I enjoyed this.

Good music for doing work or just sitting around. Probably not an album I would revisit frequently, but this was very influential and is a good listen.

There are differences in this music and that of Steely Dan, but I can't imagine they are notable enough for a casual fan who hasn't heard this album and would need to hear it may notice. Like Steely Dan albums, this is not a bad album and is perfectly constructed with nary a missed note in the studio. The lyrics are slightly less obtuse than those on Steely Dan albums yet are wry enough to make legions of money managers chuckle silently as they are reminded of how smart this music makes them feel because they get the reference. Every bit of feeling has been wrung out of the music in an effort to ensure the perfect sound has been achieved. I enjoyed the back half of this album more than the front half, as it seems like it is the less sterile side. While I do like Steely Dan, I can't seem to figure out why this album would need to be heard by music listeners. It's well done. It also doesn't feel like as much of a departure from Steely Dan's superior music as it claims to be.

An absolute classic rap album with a sound that is immediately recognizable. I know some people hate rap, but you can't have a book about "must listen" albums without including this one. It's a window into early 90's LA and the start of the West Coast sound.

I listened to "The Chronic" just yesterday for this 1001 album project. This is another album that helped define the 90's West Coast sound and so-called "gangsta rap" as well. I've always enjoyed this album, though there are so many skits that it can break up the flow of the music. Even if you don't like rap, I think this is an album that must be heard due to it being Snoop's debut and how it furthers the 90's West Coast sound.

This is a 90's slacker classic. The Lemonheads were so good at churning out sub-3 minute rock songs that were catchy as hell. This album doesn't even have "Into Your Arms" on it either!

This sounds like two different albums. I would recommend the first half of the album but the second half seems to steer into the parts of Kate Bush's discography that I don't enjoy as much. The first 4-5 albums are great, but the latter half is tougher. Almost great and I would put it on the list just to show what Kate Bush could sound like.

So many make fun of Coldplay now because they have become a bit of a parody of themselves at times. This is a great debut album though and it does tend to bring whiny piano rock to the forefront of radio. The first six songs on this album are classics and the album deserves to be on this list.

I think this album was innovative in the sound and recording style, as it mixed a lot of styles together. Some really good rock songs on this album and I think this is an album that must be heard just for the sound and the fact there are some great songs. Garbage is an underrated band in how many hits they had and the techno-rock/pop sound.

It's not a bad album, I just can't figure out what separates this album from other synth-pop/R&B albums in the 1980's. It's fine and there are good songs, yet it does not belong here.

I've struggled a bit to get into Prince's music and this album will not help. I'll give it a good rating, as I do think it's an important album, but I can't say I have gotten into the music.

This isn't my favorite album from the Rolling Stones peak late-60's/early 70's period. It's probably fourth out of the four "peak" albums. Being a big Rolling Stones fan, I still enjoy this album and love the 180 degree turn after their previous "acid-trip" album in 1967. "Beggar's Banquet" is still a really good album and I think it's a great transitional album where the Stones spread their limits a little bit and tried to figure out what life after Brian Jones may look like.

I don't see the point of this album being on here. It's instrumentals, which is not bad, but it's not for me and the album is a bit dreary.

An absolute classic album that captures the early 2000's indie scene as well as any album could. "Is This It" was such a great album the Strokes following albums, even those that were actually good, seemed to pale in comparison. The Strokes last few albums have been interesting and well done as well, but rock music doesn't come as simple and catchy as this. The worst part of the album is when "NY City Cops" was replaced by "When it Started," which would have been a great song on their follow up album. Of course, after 9/11 "NY City Cops" was not seen as appropriate. What's so great about this album is how the best tracks are hidden towards the end of the album. Pretty much a perfect album.

I've never totally enjoyed this Sly and the Family Stone album. It's a little slower and lacks the enjoyable funk element to many of the tracks that I tend to like in their work.

I have never listened to an entire Queen album and have mostly paid attention to the singles or more popular songs. I am probably going to need to change that, as this is a good album.

This seems to showcase Rod Stewart's talents as a vocalist more than anything else. I've never been a huge Jeff Beck fan, so this goes right past me.

Jazz is a genre that works for me best as background music. This is really great and seminal jazz though. Definitely belongs in the book.

This is two separate albums. Side 1 is a very hardcore sound with ska and punk influences (or a sound that influenced punk and ska, as the case may be). Side 2 feels more a traditional hard rock sound, which I enjoyed more.

Never heard this album and it's really good. Hard to pin down the genre, but it's so interesting to hear and I will be revisiting it.

This is the best album that Cat Stevens ever made. It's where he best combined his gift for a melody and hook with the downplaying of his orchestral (and I would call, overblown) sound. He's at his best when he does folk rock and telling a narrative through song. Some of his earlier albums seemed to meander at times and feel like prog-folk rock, which was not a sound that Cat Stevens really wanted to pursue. This is a must-listen, not only for the hits, but for the album tracks.

This is a really good album and but I tend to prefer the Beatles when they were out of their 2:30 minute semi-boy band phase when they lacked any sort of edge. This album deserves to be on the list.

It's not my type of music. Growing up in the 90's ska and punk-ska was always there, so perhaps this was a forebearer to that sound. The oddest song on the album is by far "Change," which plays like a power ballad without the power. It is an outlier on the album and feels like something Poison would try to do on an acoustic album they do.

Nope, not a fan of it.

It's not "bad" in those certain terms, but I don't know if I see this as post-punk. It's not necessarily a required album, as it is kind of bizarre.

Just a classic rap protest album. It's got explicit lyrics, of course, but the lyrics are well thought out and planned. This isn't lightweight rap about partying and squeezing a message in to the album, as this album is the message. Great one.

This is not my favorite Black Sabbath album, but only because of the standard set for the next three releases. It's good enough and was the gateway to metal. Evil Woman and the title track are classics though.

This sounds like music that I would hear if I walked into Gap. I feel like I should be looking through piles of clothes and wondering how they find models that all look the exact same. It's not bad and is completely blase and unoffensive for me. I will say, these songs sound like they were made in the mid-to-late 90's, so this band seemed to be ahead of the curve a bit. Perhaps that is why the album is in the book, because they created music for clothes shopping. Otherwise, it feels so inoffensive that it may as well not exist.

I've had a bad run so far with these albums. This is better than I imagined, but it plays like reggae elevator music. I was surprised at how passive and non-intrusional these songs were. Seemed like there were a fair amount of instrumentals, but it's reggae without the swag. Perhaps the issue is I am not a fan of UB40's music, but one can see why they needed to file for unemployment benefits if this is their best effort.

It took me a bit of time to come around on this album. It's not that I didn't like the album, but I had heard "Blood on the Tracks" and a lot of his hits before I dove into "Blonde on Blonde." Eventually, I got used to the longer songs and realized this is an all-time classic. Would I trim it by a few songs to make a more concise album? Probably, though I know that is sacrilege. Mostly, this album deserves five stars for his hair on the cover that inspired every other rock star for the next 45 years who wanted "messy, but made up" hair.

I probably wouldn't listen again. This is an album that probably best represents this era of music and is included so the 50's are represented.

Another Dylan classic. There are a few songs that tend to meander along with approximately 20 verses, which Dylan is of course known for, which always tends to drag his albums for me. I've always enjoyed Bob Dylan's music and songs like "Gates of Eden" are not bad, but I am not always in the mood for a song like it. Still, this album has classics all over the place. The first four songs and three of the last four songs are classic Dylan tunes with "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" being one of my favorites.

I can hear Bloc Party all over this album. The Fall was clearly one of their influences, and in fact, a lot of 2000's post-punk was inspired by this band (at least based on this album). So I think the album deserves to be in the book based on how influential it was, but I do wish it were less infotainment and more entertainment.

A classic. I know there is some distaste for Nirvana, but this album is what makes them special. Stripped down songs and they found it too boring to play their hits, instead opting to play covers and lesser-known Nirvana songs. Great songs can get translated acoustically and rather than play the game of "Here is one of the songs you know, except we are using acoustic instruments" they used it as a showcase for how versatile they could be. The stage banter was fun too! I feel like this album is an example of what made Nirvana special, in that they could have simply shown up, played the hits and left. Instead they managed to bring a cello into their sound and play songs few would expect them to play.

I have never heard this album and I am glad I could rectify this. I enjoyed the first half of the album more than the second half of the album, with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" being a highlight for me. "American IV" is a necessary album because it shows how well Johnny Cash can interpret and re-interpret songs to make them his own. "Hurt" is now his song and his voice adds gravitas to so many of these songs. Wonderful.