1001 Albums Summary

This was my first user generated album and I put off listened to it for a while. I'm not sure why, it just didn't call to me much. I finally got around to it and it was great. Really impressive jazz piano interpretations of a wide variety of genres. I liked this one and would listen to it again.

I've often heard of the various "Foetus" projects from JG Thirwell. They were always something of a mystery to me as they were impossible to find in the days before the Internet. Even my music geek friends and the best indie record stores I had around knew nothing about this music. Surely, neither the music nor the titles were very marketable. The only way to experience Thirwell's music was through the very experimental remixes he did for Nine Inch Nails. I can easily see why Trent Reznor was a fan. The core style feels like a pretty well developed kind of industrial rock for its era and was surely very influential on albums like "The Downward Spiral". As an album, "Nail" is fairly eclectic. The variety of styles is more kitsch than talent though and the industrial songs are the ones that stand out the most. This will be a difficult listen for some but as a fan of the genre, I really enjoyed finally getting to hear this beautiful, grating mess. I hope to hear more sometime.

I really judged this one by the cover. A country rock album by a macho (and kind of angry?) looking guy smoking a cigarette. I was fully expecting something more toxic than this. It was a nice surprise to see The Lumineers and Kacey Musgraves making appearances and the music being in a similar vein, as well as songs sounding a bit like Bruce Springsteen. It's not bad.

Ok, so... this really isn't something I'd normally listen to. Soft rock and smooth jazz. Contributions from the likes of Phil Collins, Bonnie Raitt, and Jerry Garcia, among others. Not exactly the edgiest album ever made, is it? So ok, it's not one that I'd play to try to impress anyone but honestly it's ok and had some moments I enjoyed, like "China Doll" and "Passing Through". It has socially conscious lyrics which is always good. And I kind of like the concept that Bruce Hornsby was just inviting people over for dinner, going to walks and recording music. Maybe it is cool, in a middle aged dad sort of way. Abandoning dreams of typical rock stardom for good living and recording with friends. I was initially tempted to make fun of this music but honestly, it kind of sounds like he was living life to the fullest here and I can't fault that.

Right off the bat, this album opens exactly the way I feared, with that sort of strained screaming style that's typical from hardcore/screamo bands, and kind of all sounds the same to me. Thankfully it also features more "clean vocals" to balance it out. I had a lot of friends around this time who absolutely loved Alexisonfire, but I just never saw the appeal. Like a lot of other albums that I'd previously dismissed, I've changed perspectives a bit by really giving the album a chance. I can hear that there's more going on than I'd initially given credit for. The songs are pretty complex and varied when I really spend time thinking about it. But man, I'm really sorry to say, I really can't get behind the "I only have one volume and pitch" style of scream-singing. If that's your thing, that's cool though and I can see how this would be a good example of the genre.

A group of Brits in 90s Brixton mixing Southern Country with acid house really screams gimmicky. And when they start singing about the merits of socialism, it really feels like they're trying to troll the Nashville establishment from an ocean away. Oddly enough, I don't hate this. Does it "work"? Yes. No. Sort of. Somehow it feels like a spiritual sequel to Primal Scream's "Screamadelia". More so than the nods to The Rolling Stones, I'd say. I'm tempted to award 4 stars but the fairer score is 3. Because there are just too many moments where the novelty wears off and becomes borderline cringe. Not quite but too close to ignore. It's still kinda fun though. Side note: how on earth did something like this end up on The Sopranos?

A very interesting modern take on prog rock. At some points, it feels in the same vein as Pink Floyd or King Crimson. At others, it fits more closely with early 2000s hard rock. The marriage of the two is really engaging. I'd definitely listen to more from these guys.

I put this one off for a while after seeing it described as 'post-hardcore'. I was fully expecting the monotone growly scream singing and predictable speed and volume that you sometimes find from hardcore bands (apologies if your fan, but that's been my experience). I was pleasantly surprised to find a band that has more in common with classic punk bands and artists like Pavement. I really liked this one and would listen again.

I have to confess that when I saw it was from NOFX, I braced myself for an hour of 90 second songs that all sounded the same. Imagine my susprise to learn that it's a single 18 minute track criticizing right wing American politics. I'm now interested. The track opens with a line about all of "the idiots" which isn't exactly subtle. NOFX also aren't necessarily making any points that haven't been made a million times, but it's worth remembering that these words are from 1999 and, depressingly, feel like they should have been written in 2026. What really surprised me was how much I liked the music. I think that the format was a healthy challenge for them. Far from feeling like it was the same all the way through, there were some kind twists and turns to keep it fresh throughout. In general, I'm not a big fan of the 'skate punk' subgenre, but there's some refreshing novelty to this release. Yes, yes, I know it's not an 'album'. Sure, a single track EP feels like a stretch for a challenge that's all about albums. But it's here, so I'm going to try to rate it fairly. If that Circle Jerks album counts, surely we can accept this one which is actually longer.

Oh I like this one! It sounds like a British version of Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band and I absolutely mean that as a compliment. It feels like the crossroads between traditional blues rock and anti-war psychedelia. The second half even struck me as kind of proto-grunge, like something that could have indirectly influenced Nirvana. I'm here for all of it. 5 stars might be on the generous side but I really liked this one. Possibly the best discovery I've encountered in my first month of the user submitted albums.

All I kept thinking is that this is a very enjoyable album, albeit not very interesting. That's fine. Some albums are just there to be enjoyed. They don't need to be groundbreaking. But I do question whether this could survive the test of time. How many people will know who John Mayer was 30 years from now? There are surely other artists sound similar but are more noteworthy.

Sometimes I really wish the user submitted albums had a note from the user who submitted it. If I could sit down with that user while listening to this album, I'd say "OK cool. Tell me what you love about this album. Why was it your pick for the generator? What does it mean to you?" Because I genuinely feel like they'd have a good answer that would make me appreciate the music more. In the absence of that, it's still pretty good. As others have said, I can hear bits of Supergrass and early Radiohead. Maybe Beta Band too. All good comparisons. I'm not sure if I would return to this or not but maybe if I was in the right mood. I'd rate 3.5 if I could with potential to grow into a 4.

I kept thinking that this sounds like an indie version of The Killers. And by "indie", I mean properly "indie". Not the "sells out huge worldwide stadium tours but sounds kind of indie" indie rock. For the record, I kinda like The Killers but The Vaccines feel a lot more down to earth. Very good album.

This is one of those albums that's pretty good and really scratches an itch for me sometimes but I'd probably forget it exists most of the time. It reminds me a bit of Ladytron who evoke a similar feeling for me. So while it's not going to be a new favorite any time soon,, thanks to the user who submitted it. Maybe it will make its way into semi-regular rotation.

I don't know what it is about Mogwai that I've never managed to connect with them. I like a good drone album and they seem to tick all of the right boxes, but I find that I only really like them in small doses. I enjoyed giving them another chance and liked the music ok, but I was a bit zoned out of it by the end.

An impressive merger of classic prog rock, post punk and new wave. For my money, this is some of the best work ever recorded by Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew, among their outstanding discographies.

Sometimes you get an album that's doesn't feel particularly unique or noteworthy but it's still pretty fun. As far as hard rock does, there's not much hear that you can't find elsewhere but, you know, it's still pretty damn fun. Best tracks: 'Holy Diver' and 'Rainbow in the Dark'.

It's maybe not the most unique Swedish heavy metal album but Swedish heavy metal is usually pretty fun.

This is one that really makes exploring the user submitted albums worthwhile. I doubt I would have discovered a 70s Argentinian rock album on my own but I really liked it. I can imagine people outside of Latin America finding this one at the time and feeling like they stumbled across a hidden treasure that no one else got to hear. It's funny how the language barrier is often enough to stop people from appreciating music from other countries but I'm glad to have been exposed to this.

I don't think I've ever heard an album sound more like Genesis without having any members of Genesis in the band. This is obviously not a particularly hot take and plenty of critics have said the same of Marillion. It feels like the kind of thing that you need to dig at for a while to see where they're unique, but for the majority of listeners, they're going to hear Genesis-esque poppy prog rock. Which is fine, but a bit too similar to really stand out to me. Not bad though.

It's arguably a weird choice for a Lady Gaga album as it doesn't have any of her well known works and was (I believe) a critical and commercial disappointment. It's also probably a lot more pop than art, apart maybe from some of the lyrical themes, it's mixed with a high level of superficiality (maybe touch in cheek?). Honestly though, I don't hate it and could easily listen again. My only criticism is that she included R Kelly. But to Lady Gaga's credit, that song was removed. I can't say I really have any other notes so, yeah, not bad.

As much as I like bands like Can, NEU!, and Kraftwerk, I just never got into Amon Duul II. Here I feel like I finally hear what I've been missing. "Yeti" feels like a missing link between psychedelia and krautrock. There's a lot of great variety here and I found myself listening on repeat. Definitely a great find!

Slowdive are the kind of band you find when you're on a deep dive into a subgenre. That is to say, it's good, just not as good as the giants of shoegaze. But I see the appeal. They're like My Bloody Valentine but less noisy. Jesus and Mary Chain but lighter. "Souvlaki" (apparently named for a crude joke that the band liked and not the actual food), is a pretty solid album. But it's not quite as good as some of their contemporaries. They come close sometimes though.

I only recently came across the term "filk" for the first time when someone was arguing that it described They Might Be Giants. I have mixed feelings about this because there's arguably a need for a term to describe their style of music. But I also kind of like that there isn't. Anyway, the genre seems to describe a lighthearted style of indie rock characterized by a lot of wordplay and mixing with other genres. Well that's certainly TMBG. But what else is this genre about then? Now I've been exposed to Ookla the Mok and, yeah, the comparisons are unavoidable. Songs like "Curb Your Dogma" (the highlight for me) do almost sound like it was written by TMBG. "Rats Live On nO eviL staR" is a playful songs about palindromes, which TMBG did years before (but better). But there's also a lot of differences here. Ookla the Mok doesn't have the same level of eclecticism that TMBG achieve and feel a lot more grounded in an 80s indie / pop-punk sound. The lyrics can be clever and silly but there's a bizarre obsession with monkeys and other primates on this album, which gets boring fast. At times, these guys reminded me more of the band that the characters in Big Bang Theory created to sing about comic book characters. Which is fine but not really my thing. Overall, this album is not without its charm and I liked some of the songs well enough. But I'm also relieved to now feel like TMBG are more than just a filk band.

This style of pop punk is a genre that I always struggled like. Like Pokemon, it came out when I was just old enough to not care about it, but young enough that I was still exposed to it a lot. As a result, I always found it a bit annoying and thought it all sounded the same. That's probably not fair but I have such a bias against bands like Sum 41 that I really struggle to give it a chance. Objectively though, there's nothing that I specifically hate here. I guess I just feel a bit bored listening to it and remembering all of those (slightly) younger kids who desperately wanted me to see the appeal when I was too focusdd on other music. Having said all of this, I'm trying to be open-minded and it's alright. It's maybe a bit too polished for punk in my opinion but not awful. And there are a couple of tracks that sound a bit different. I don't love the singing style but it reminds me at times of Linkin Park who I did like for a short time. Overall, it's not my cup of tea really and in my heart, it's a 2. But that feels too harsh and part of me wishes I did like it more so let's be generous.

This album just keeps growing on my over the years. I think on first listen I only thought that Bloc Party were ok but the album was really opened up for me with repeat listens. The mix of different styles is so subtle that it's almost unnoticeable and weaves into their unique brand of indie rock. Personally I think this ranks among the best albums of the early 2000s and probably should have had a spot on the original list.

It's entirely possible that I would have never started a challenge like this if it wasn't for Weird Al. As a young kid, I just wasn't into MTV. I didn't get the appeal of the angst, anger, boosting, celebration of drug culture, and exploitation of young women. But I liked humor. I particularly liked humor that was absurdist, caustic, dark, or over the top. Weird Al was there to appeal to that part of me and help me laugh at a ridiculous world that sometimes took itself too seriously. But on top of that, he was like a trojan horse for other music. Like a lot of people, I now associate a good handful of songs with Weird Al's parodies. Either because it was the first version I heard or because I listened to his version nonstop. What worked so well for me is that Weird Al was essentially offering me a massive sampler of so many kinds of music and gave me a way to get into them. Slowly, I found myself seeking out the original songs and the artists from his parodies and patisches. Slowly I moved away from Weird Al as I got into my teenage years and found a wealth of music that I truly loved. But the lessons remained: 1. Music is a lot more than just what's on MTV. 2. Humor is often the best way to make sense of a world gone mad. I'll always have a soft spot for Weird Al. This may not be my favorite album of his but it is where it began and I'm grateful for this starting point on my musical journey.

It's been a very pleasant surprise to see how many albums in the user generated list have been from non-English speaking countries. Auri is a side project from Finnish metal band Nightwish and it sees them move in a more mythical, Celtic, orchestral direction. That description may either excite you or fill you with dread and either way, you're probably getting what you expect. I liked it and glad it was something that I wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to.

I'm so glad this album is on here as it's my favorite Vampire Weekend album by a wide margin. I was first introduced to Vampire Weekend at a festival about a decade ago. Exploring their discography, I really fell in love this one and still think it's a newly perfect album. I can understand why it doesn't click with everyone. It has a very hipster chic Colombia University vibe, and often feels too clever for its own good. But I don't care. These are brilliant songs that really stuck with me. The lyrics are innovative and the music is damn catchy. It feels almost accidentally brilliant, like they just stumbled across something without knowing how good it would come out. I appreciate this may be a minority opinion but I love seeing this one here.

Pretty good, in a Mumford and Sons-esque, huge sound rising above the natural landscapes, kind of way. I liked it and would potentially listen again.

I really like the concept of this album more than the actual music. Exploring bluegrass through a modern lens with an incredible vocalist and a seasoned producer. It has all the makings of a great album. Unfortunately, it was kind of missing something for me. Maybe it's that the production felt a bit flat, or the music just needed a bit more texture or something. There's a lot of potential here and I think it would be worth relistening sometime to see if it click a bit more with time. Alternatively, Valerie June might just be a name to watch because her voice was really great and I think there are some amazing songs in her.

The original list is mostly spot on but with 1001 albums, it's to be expected that there are a handful of questionable choices and glaring omissions. Some of that may be down to limitations in the author's knowledge or personal biases and many are forgivable. But some omissions are just mind boggling. To me, the lack of "Discovery" on the original list is the most unforgivable sin of the entire book. Sure, Daft Punk did get an entry and "Homework" is a good album. But the step between that and "Discovery" was a giant leap for the duo, as well as for electronic music and the entire French music scene (Internationally at least). The album is completely seeped in nostalgia for an older era of music, where disco and soul dominated the clubs, it also feels completely fresh and unique. This is also the point where Daft Punk took on their particular mystique, ditching their cheap dog masks for the iconic robot chic look that they became known for. The style was a perfect reflection of the music that felt partly human and partly mechanical. It felt like an early expression of what artificial intelligence could sound like. Robots making music for humans. Of course behind the helmets were just a couple of French guys but they really knew how to make that effect. Their general reculsiveness only added to the feeling that maybe they weren't human after all. Many thanks to the user who added this one. It absolutely deserved a spot on the original list. If you hadn't added it, I might have.

I've always loved this album. It sits among some of the great concept groups produced by Dan the Automator, alongside Dr Octagon, Handsome Boy Modeling School, and Lovage. For Deltron 3030, he collaborated with Del the Funky Homosapien and Kid Koala to create a hip hop sci fi story about a former mech soldier fighting oppression. Thematically, it reminds me of the sci fi songs of Sun Ra, but firmly rooted in underground hip hop. The album dips a little in quality in the middle but there's more than enough to love here. Aided by guest appearances from Money Mark, Sean Lennon and Dan Albarn, it remains a classic to me. I also consider this album to be the spiritual sibling of the first Gorillaz album, as it marked the first collaborations between Albarn, Automator, Kid Koala and Del. Although Gorillaz would grow into something bigger, that first album really felt like a natural extension of Deltron 3030. Oddly, while listening to this album on headphones, I went into a coffee shop and found that the staff were listening to it as well. A bit of a surreal experience for an old underground hip hop album.

Ok, I know I'm biased but my impression of bands like My Chemical Romance is that it all kind of sounds the same. Which is why I was surprised to read that they were trying to make every song sound distinct on this album. And ok, yeah, when I'm listening more closely it's a bit more diverse than I gave them credit for. Unfortunately I still found a lot of it kind of boring and flat. I appreciate that this is largely subjective and that other people probably think my favorite bands all sound the same too. But this album to me felt a bit like driving very fast on a long, straight road with no traffic. It's exciting at first but then inertia sort of takes over. You need a few curves in the road and some occasional accleration to make interesting. Otherwise, it's just kind of auto-pilot. What the album desperately needs is some dynamics to make the highs feel more high. Or simply put it just needs some space to breath and the gut punches that you get in good rock and roll songs. But that's just me. I did kind of enjoy "The Jetset Life is Going to Kill You" and yes, I concede that it's not *quite* the same song over and over again. I can't say it really made me into a fan though.

What a ridiculous album! It's kind of impossible to classify because it's just kind of a collection of very different genres. The common threads are being energetic, loud, maximal, and childishly humorous. Otherwise, it sort of blends pop, punk, ska, and... gabba? Happy hardcore? One of those silly niche electronic subgenres that produced artists like Kid 606. But then it abruptly shifts to ska or rock or whatever the hell else they felt like. It's hard to take them totally seriously but I kind of love the wrecklessness of it all. Top track by far was "Doritos & Fritos" but I liked every track on some level. As a side note, apparently this music was featured on a Fox News show, which feels like it probably pissed off fans of both 100 gecs and Fox News.

I've always struggled to pin point what distinguishes J-Pop (and K-Pop too for that matter) from other pop music. Obviously the lyrics are largely Japanese and doubtless have some cultural references I wouldn't get even if I understood them. Now that I've been presented with a J-Pop album, I've decided to go in and imagine how it might have been received in the West in the 1980s, ignoring the language barrier. And true enough, it does have a different quality to it. It's sort of bright and sort of minimalist at the same time. It's clearly using better quality synths than what we had 40 years ago. It's poppy enough that they could have had a following but odd enough to appeal to art school kids. It's like Cindy Lauper meets Kate Bush. Being a complete novice in this genre, I don't know how representative Hikaru Utada really is but it was an interesting one to listen to. I'm not sure if I'd listen again but it could possibly grow on me.

Such a great album and one of the best of the grunge era. L7 never quite reached the audiences that they deserved, even with the backing of Butch Vig doing their production. Nirvana are still the peak of the genre, but "Bricks Are Heavy" is not far behind in my opinion. "Pretend We're Dead" and "Shitlist" remain two of my favorites from this era.

I had no idea that the musical had been based on an album. Although I've never seen "Hadestown", I keep hearing good things. What surprised me most about this album is that it really sounds like a cast recording of a fully developed hit musical already, rather than just the basis for one. There's a "cast" of characters, a developed story, and a great flow to the entire album. It's also interesting to hear a musical being so based in folk music. The meeting of two genres works a lot better than I would have expected. This has definitely piqued my interest in the show now!

Very 80s. Very Basque. It's pretty good, but there's maybe not much that's particularly noteworthy. Nice to get representation from another part of the world though.

If we must listen to another Korn album... Ok, I was a little curious to see that this was released in 1994, quite a bit earlier than what I normally think of the nu metal period. And to try to see where they came from. It definitely still sounds like Korn, albeit maybe not quite as MTV-friendly. And I have to admit that compared with some others in their genre (*cough cough* Limp Bizkit *cough cough*), Korn were ok. I liked the heaviness of their sound. The production is pretty clean. "Faget" almost threw me off as a toxic song before I paid some attention to the lyrics about being different. "Follow the Leader" had once been a slight guilty pleasure for me when I was young so maybe there's something I kind of enjoy about their music, even if I hate to admit it.

A fun funk band. It's probably a real stretch to think that this is an album anyone needed to hear, but fun nonetheless. I don't think I've ever heard a song about a tug boat before.

Never heard of these guys before but it was a great find. I appreciate the half-spoken singing style and quirky lyrics won't appeal to everyone, but I really liked it. There's something great about complex storytelling and wordplay in music like this that forces you to pay more attention and let yourself be taken on a journey. The standout track to me was "Barbarians".

A month ago, I'd never heard of Marillion but have since gotten two user-generated albums by them. For the other submission, I thought that they really wanted to sound like Genesis. For this one, I felt like they really wanted to be every 80s band. Given that this was released in 1995, you can see how some people might dismiss them as being out of date and/or derivative. Maybe it's not that original, but really pretty much all music is derivative, some bands just hide it better. And look, they've got a lot of talent, a lot of range, and some very clean production. That's not nothing. After I accepted this album for what it was, I started to really enjoy some tracks, particularly the title track. So is this a significant album? Eh, probably not. Did it survive the test of time? Well, not in my view, but some people seem to still like them. Is it unique? Arguably not. But is it just a good album? Yeah, it's really not bad for what it is.

I definitely wouldn't have minded an extra Tom Petty album being on the list. They're always solid listens and it's nice to hear some 90s era stuff produced by Rick Rubin. My only slight complaint is that he always felt like he had the potential for a really outstanding perfect album and they tend to fall just a little short of that. But there are no bad tracks so I can't really complain.

Music history of the last 50 or so years has plenty of examples exploring the theme of humans becoming machines. There's a continuum that starts with Kraftwerk and goes through Daft Punk, Nine Inch Nails, Erykah Badu, and many others. Robyn's entry into this theme is... fine. It's very poppy. So much so that it feels more like someone wearing a sexy robot costume to a Halloween party than a story of losing humanity to machines. But that's ok, just not super interesting. There a handful of good songs, such as "Dancing on my Own", "Call Your Girlfriend" and "Love Kills" and some good guests like Royksopp, Diplo and (checks notes) Snoop Dogg? I have to admit that it grew on me a bit.

I discovered Frightened Rabbit when I heard them on a playlist of indie Christmas songs. I've liked them ever since, although I never really followed them that closely. The blend of indie and folk reminds me a bit of bands like The National and Mumford & Sons, though at times, I prefer Frightened Rabbit's sound. It's interesting to hear a full album. The vocals start to sound more tortured to me as it goes on, and sadly, that tracks. Lead singer Scott Hutchison had been found dead a decade after this album's release, seemingly after a long period of depression. It's a shame that this band wasn't bigger in the day, though, with depression, that might not have helped. But I hope he knew that people loved his music and still do.

I don't know if the list really needed a third Green Day album, but I sure did. I say this because I used to really dismiss them as just another pop punk band. I knew a handful of singles and never really got interested in them. But I've been a fan of every album I've listened to now. "Nimrod" feels like a more varied and mature outing that sits well between "Dookie" and "American Idiot" in terms of their musical progression and lyrical content. I only knew "Good Ridence" before which I liked ok, but felt it was overplayed. Listening in the context of the album though, I feel renewed appreciation for it. I definitely need more frequent reminders to listen to Green Day and revisit these albums sometime.

In trying to describe this music, my first thought was "neo goth". It's kind of dark and shoegazy like the early 80s goth pioneers. But it's also kind of more brightly coloured, indie and modern. Sometimes it feels a bit Brit Poppy. Or space rock? Honestly the more I try to pin it down, the more it seems to elude me. Which is interesting. I don't know if it will really stick with me much unfortunately but it's kind of cool anyway.

It's nice to see fado music represented here. I don't know too much about the genre, only that it's an important one for Portugal. So for overall representation, I'm glad it's here. Despite not knowing much about it, the music is very pleasant (and at times sorrowful) and Rodrigues clearly has an amazing voice. I imagine there are layers of stories, meaning and cultural significance in the lyrics, though they're sadly lost on me. It's kind of cheating that this is a compilation, which are (generally) not really allowed in the main list. But it's probably fair to say that she wasn't exactly an 'album artist' and you could say the same about people like Nina Simone, right? So fair enough. And it deniably adds something interesting and beautiful to the user list. Thanks to whoever added it!

Not quite as strong as their debut but still great, fun, energetic new wave that you expect from the B-52s. I'm definitely not complaining about this pick.

I remember when genres like Freak Folk and New Weird America were all the rage. It's weird to think that that was about 20 years ago now but there we are. I've always kind of enjoyed these bands and their take on psychedelic music that feels more grounded but less optimistic than their 1960s forefathers. I'd never heard of Espers before but listening brought me back to that scene and the slightly uncomfortable, but intriguing feeling that music inspires.

An ok album, if not particularly memorable. I mean, it's good enough that I can see them have a relatively small but very loyal following. Maybe in their native Sweden, it's actually quite a big following. I get it. They're an solid band and there's really nothing I can criticize. Do you need to hear them before you die? Probably not. But I had fun. "Cheek to Cheek" is a clear highlight for me.

Listening to this album, I had a strong feeling that this is maybe a slow burn kind of album. I went back to see what I had written about their other album from the main list and I see that I wrote pretty much the same thing. So I guess I'm just really on the fence, in general, about Talk Talk. Maybe I'd grow to love them if I really gave them a chance. Or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself that I *should* like them. I'm not sure but two albums in now and I don't think I'd call myself a fan.

Very early 90s alt rock vibe. It reminds me a bit of R.E.M., albeit slightly heavier. It seems to be a very significant one for the Canadian alternative scene. It's cool to hear, but probably not a top choice of the era for me.

Man, there is a lot to love about this album. They set the template for so much of 70s rock, especially the glam rock scene. But they managed to do it in such a quirky, humorous, tongue-in-cheek, and clever take on their music and lyrics. Their other album on the main list, 'Kimono My House' survives the test of time mainly because Sparks were such a weird and wonderful band. 'No.1 in Heaven' saw them go in an extremely different direction, while maintain their charm. Teaming up with Giorgio Moroder, fresh off of his genre defining work with Donna Summer, seems like an odd move for both parties, but it works surprisingly well. I can't think of another rock band who could get away with making a disco album, but Sparks weren't really like any other band. I have to confess that I found bits of this too repetitive, but I still loved it.

It's criminal that this one didn't make the cut on the original list, but I guess it's not too surprising. It had come out only a year before the first edition of the book and remained firmly underground for a while. MF Doom doesn't make a single appearance on the original list and maybe this is because for a while he really was too underground. He bounced around from places to place and project to project. So much so that his reputation took a long time to really build and his legacy is still catching up to this day. Before his untimely death, he was collaborating with the likes of Danger Mouse, Gorillaz and Thom Yorke, among many others. But it was this collaboration with Madlib that remains the stuff of legend. The blend of Doom's lyrics, cutting vocals and Madlib's underground and often jazzy beats is so unique in the genre that still sounds fresh now. But also, this album includes one of the most iconic images of the last couple of decades. Although the album itself is a collaboration, the cover art immortalizes the image of the man in the mask. While other images of MF Doom may have felt lighthearted, this one was dark and deeply mysterious. I have no doubt that it helped save the way we remember him today, along with this incredible album.

I find it really interesting how popular and influential Charles Aznavour seems to be for someone I'd never heard of. Maybe it's my own ignorance, but I'd also imagine the language barrier and time period has left him largely forgotten within the Anglosphere. But clearly that wasn't always the case when you look at the impressive list of artists who praised, covered and collaborated with him. He also just seems like he was a fascinating person. The world's most famous Armenian, the singer who made despair popular, France's Frank Sinatra who protected Jewish people during World War II. I'm honestly glad that this album was added, if only to learn about this interesting person. With due respect though, the music wasn't really for me. I appreciate the talent and significance of this man, but I can't see it being an album that I'd return to often. Despite that, I'm awarding 4 stars simply because I think he deserves to be more well known.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this album. Honestly, if it weren't for the other reviews, I wouldn't even have noticed that the songs were that long, including the 11 minute 'Thinking of a Place'. As with the rest of the album, it flowed really well and the production and songwriting were beautifully done. There feels like a very strong 80s indie rock vibe, particularly from the vocals, but the music still sounds fresh as well. I'd definitely listen to this one again.

A crucial step in the evolution of Modest Mouse. There's a lot of great music on here, as well as the foundation for their later work. Although I wouldn't call it their best album, it's still pretty good.

I often think of Explosions In The Sky as the spiritual siblings of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. You can easily detect a major resemblence, but their personalities are very different. While GY!BE depict hellish post-apocalyptic urban landscapes, Explosions In The Sky manage to make a similar sound into something far more optimistic and powerful. At the moment, we probably could also use a bit more optimism in our lives.

I've been curious about Arca for a while now. The Venezuelan producer has made a name for herself in recent years as one of the leading drivers in the experimental electronic music scene today but I have to confess that I never quite knew where to start with her music. This EP is actually a great introduction as it's very short and digestible with a wide variety of styles. This is definitely not music for everyone as it's pretty out there. It sounds like it's mixed techno, ambient, hip hop and R&B through samplers and adjusted to settings far beyond the recommended methods, twisting and bending sounds in on themselves. It sounds like a bit like a vocal version of Autechre, which is a confusing concept but I respect it for what it is. Sometimes you just need someone to go in and fuck everything up to see what will happen and Arca's done exactly that here.

Of all of Pink Floyd's best albums, I guess this one was the easiest one to cut from the main list. You have to include "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" purely for Syd Barrett's appearance. "Wish You Were Here" shows their best examples of longform songs. "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall" need no explanation. But if you were to allow a fifth album, "Animals" is the obvious choice. It perfectly bridges the gap between "Wish You Were Here" with its epic length songs and "The Wall" with its politically charged story telling. Pink Floyd loosely adapted Orwell's "Animal Farm" albeit centered around capitalism. The three main songs focus on the greed of the pigs on top, the dogs constantly battled one another for their piece of success, and the mindless sheep at the moment (until they rise up). While it lacks any singles, it's a perfectly crafted piece of music that shows just how good Pink Floyd were in between their more famous albums. This also has to be one of the most iconic album covers of all time. It legacy was secured when the 40 foot pig balloon got loose and floated into Heathrow's airspace. You can't ask for better press than that!

I thought that ratings for The 1975 would have been a bit higher than that. Not that they're my favorite band or anything, but they make some decent rock/pop songs in a good mix of styles. Not really groundbreaking but nothing to really hate. I don't know much about them other than a handful of songs, but maybe I'm missing something. It sounded ok.

I don't know what about Tame Impala makes him seem extremely hipstery. Maybe it's the falsetto that seemed like a staple of weird Brooklyn based bands of the 2010s. In any event, he pulls it off in a way that few others can. This album is still great and manages to be really catchy and well made, rather than simply weird for weirdness sake (which I'm kind of ok with too, in small doses). "The Less I Know the Better" is still the best song but the whole album is worth listening to.

If I wanted to be a bit mean, I'd say that Lizzy McAlpine sounds like a knock-off of Taylor Swift's combination of country-influenced singer-songwriter pop. But the truth is that there will always be a place for this kind of music, particularly when it's paired with such beautiful vocals. It's simple and lovely and speaks more directly to the soul, which is why it works. I can't say that this is the best singer-songer album I've ever heard and I don't know that I'd ever listen again, but it was a very pleasant listen.

If the Pogues were Union soldiers during the Civil War this is the album they'd make (ignoring for a moment that concept of an "album" wouldn't have made any sense then). It makes for a pretty fun novelty concept album with some good songs.