Guarantee you anyone born after 1982 is not putting this in their 1001 albums to listen to list

I'd like to think that there are hundreds of subgenres of music, and with this list being only 1001 long, the best 1-10 albums of any subgenre are represented here. If this album isn't right at the bottom of this particular subgenre then god help the rest of the albums. Jesus Christ.

I'm often a fan of experimental music but this was terrible. Experimental albums usually have their high points and their low points, this was just the latter. Just seems to be rambling, directionless, no emotion/soul behind it.

Really? "Hide away in your ivory tower and cover me in your golden shower"... Feel like my ears have just been covered in piss after listening to this one. Awful pop rock from someone trying to come across as a bad boy. Cringe. Angels stops it from being 1*. 1.5*.

Just too early. Shades of what was to come, but R&B/Honky Tonk covers just don't thrill me. Ground breaking at the time I'm sure, but just dull and dated 60 years later sadly.

Just too slow and soft for me

Espantoso vibes... Nice

Obvious great. But heard it too many times

I'd heard this album a few times growing up, but finally 'got it' when I was 22. Then I listened to it daily for about 6 months and totally ruined any future listening experience of it for myself. It's been years now and already after one listen I could easily avoid it for another decade. One of the best debuts of all time, an easy 5*, just wish I didn't rinse it and could still enjoy it.

Took me a while to get into it back in the day but it eventually got me. Very good but not great album. Wouldn't have hurt it to trim the fat and make it a long single album, rather than a double.

So dull. Just no enjoyable features.

Just ok, the honky tonk tracks didn't do it for me, bit some of the rocky ones were alright. Would give it 2.5* if I could. Probably won't listen again so maybe 2* is more fair than 3*

Starting off a bit interesting, dare I say good, but then just got a bit depressing and rambly as it went on. I'd have a couple of the songs on an atmospheric playlist but an entire album was a bit too much. Last track was so bad.

Started off really loving it. Bit of funk. Quickly went downhill though, by the time "will you cry" came on I was praying it would soon end. If they kept the same energy and enjoyment from the first track throughout it would have been a couple stars higher

I think the only Madness album I'd listened to before was a greatest hits, and I couldn't get quite get into the Ska-iness of it. This was quite refreshing however, seemed to go a bit deeper than their main hits. Definitely one to give another listen to

Wow. Rare I hear something that sounds so familiar that I've never listened to before. Shades of Daft Punk, The Avalanches, bit of lo-fi house etc. Definitely one to explore more of.

R&B just isn't my thing. First track I was enjoying, then when the vocals kicked in the second it just made me groan. Some ok tracks, mostly due to backing band. Some great bass lines. But most tracks I was praying for the end. I'm not trying to skip a single song in any listed album but by the end of this one I couldn't resist. Would give it 1.5* if I could purely for some of the decent backing tracks

Really great. Don't think I've ever even listened to Stereolab before. Captivated immediately, could hear shades of them in so many artists I do like. An artist to explore more of for sure

Some good songs, some not so good. Not really my style of music at all but I can see why it's popular. Just doesn't spark anything inside of me to be honest.

Despite being a big metalhead in my younger days, I never gave Priest any attention. Refreshing to listen to now, though I think Maiden took their brand of NWOBHM and perfected it. Probably won't listen to anything else by them, but if it was 10-15 years ago I'd have been a lot more hooked.

Just too early. Shades of what was to come, but R&B/Honky Tonk covers just don't thrill me. Ground breaking at the time I'm sure, but just dull and dated 60 years later sadly.

Interesting album. If I'd have heard this 15 years I'd have been in love. I can hear the effect it had on so many bands/albums I loved in my late teens... Manson's Portrait of an American Family, Offsprings's Smash, bit of Faith No More, early chilli peppers etc. Albums that I still love to this day but probably wouldn't grip me the same way if I heard them afresh. Like this one. Which is a shame. 3* purely because the tunes are actually really great. Can't dig the vocals though, although I definitely would be if I was 17 again. Something inside of me is screaming out to rate it higher, so maybe I'll revise after a few more listens.

The start of the ascent for the Beatles. Not much of a fan of the earlier pop stuff, but what came after was utterly groundbreaking. Revolver and Sgt Peppers are surely up there with the greatest albums (though it's almost a crime they decided not to include Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane on Sgt Peppers. Rubber Soul is the bridge between those two eras. Some great songs with signs of what was to come with some experimentalism, and it starts off strong. There are a few weaker tracks as the album chugs along, before ending with the absolutely terrible Run for Your Life. This one has aged particularly badly, especially once you find out about Lennon's wifebeating past. In isolation, this album is probably 3*, but knowing what was to come, and knowing this was the catalyst, makes me want to uplift it slightly.

Made it half way through. Sorry. Not my style at all. 'Booty' finished it for me. Not sure what I'm meant to be getting from this.

I'm often a fan of experimental music but this was terrible. Experimental albums usually have their high points and their low points, this was just the latter. Just seems to be rambling, directionless, no emotion/soul behind it.

Pretty bland britpop/madchester album. How I expect Oasis would have sounded in the mid 90s if Noel never joined. Some ok songs (title track for example) but the majority is forgettable. Lacking the actual good tunes that Oasis/Stone Roses/Dodgy/Doves had. Maybe one of those had to be there moments.

I'm very selective when it come to hip-hop. Extremely selective probably, thoroughly disliking 99% of it. Only albums I really like anymore are Illmatic and the Infamous, despite regularly listening to NWA, Dre, Snoop, Biggie etc when a teenager. I absolutely detested the hip-hop that came later, which seemed to revolve around how much money and/or how many girls/cars each had, and I realised a lot of that stemmed from the previous named artists, just taken to the next level. Illmatic/Infamous actually spoke about the real, in some way grim, lives a lot of people are tapped in. Onto this album. I've not even bothered with hip-hop artists in the last 15 years, writing them all off as the same. But this album definitely brought me back to the first time hearing Infamous. The beats are honestly incredible. First track floored me with the Aphex Twin vibes; the variety is amazing though, subsequential tracks drifting through jazz, soul, standard hip-hop, ambient, electronics etc. Some of the vocalists don't do it for me, but I only found one song skippable (Hood Politics) which is very good going. Looking forward to giving it another couple of listens to fully digest the lyrics

I've never given Neil Young a chance, despite being one of my dads favourite artists, as country has never done it for me. Four songs in, I felt my decision was justified. Just bland and poor. A man needs a maid was actually laughable, I hope that wasn't a genuine song at the time because that's incredibly sad, but I don't know why he'd be taking the mick. Are you Ready for the Country and Old Man turned my head though, two great songs, why couldn't the album have started like that?? The rest of the album was pretty solid. Needle was enjoyable. First four tracks ruined any chance of it getting 4*, but it's a very strong 3. It's a shame he's no longer on Spotify but I totally get the reason. Fully support him. But my god YouTube is so bad to listen to music on. Ads every two tracks is not my jam.

I'm very familiar with Jimi, but mostly the greatest hits. I remember trying to get into his individual albums years ago but it never gripping me so I never ventured back. The same is true today. There are some amazing, unbelievable tracks on there, but still the ones that I've been listening to for years. The rest are pretty good. What amazes me though as I didn't realise how early this was. 1967! For some reason I always put him in the early 70s. The fact this was out before the White Album, before any Zeppelin, blows my mind. Surely one of the best debuts of all time, to help pioneer a genre and cement yourself as one of the greatest guitarists immediately. A mixture of 3*, 4* and 5* tracks means I have to give this 4* overall.

I can do some bits of folk. I cannot do any country. Sadly here the latter shone through. Absolutely abysmal. Can't take his voice seriously. Some of the songwriting sounded like he was trying to emulate the freewheelin, but failing. So happy I never have to listen to it again.

So bland. Can't believe someone heard this and thought "yes, this has to be one of the 1,001 albums to hear before you die".

Terrible. Simply terrible.

I gave Hounds of Love a couple of listens a good few years back after liking some of her singles but could never get into it so never bothered with anything else. The Sensual World gives me similar vibes. Not particularly bad but not particularly great. Pretty even across the board, some decent tracks, some not so decent. Nothing amazing, nothing terrible. Music very 80's but not in a negative way. Pipes didn't really add anything vital.

Conflicting. Half way through my first listen my interest was thoroughly piqued. Three full listens later and I'm torn between praising the ideas/potential, and lamenting the ramblingness of it. I feel like the last eight tracks could have been clipped and the album actually improved as a result. Feel like this was released six months too early.

First track piqued my attention. New wave-ish with hints of other sounds in there. Bit of queen maybe. Second track I'd heard before but didn't realise how much I disliked it till now. Too poppy in a 'trying to be catchy without being catchy' way. Most of the album followed that path. Not terrible, but forgettable.

I can't do rap normally, but in French made it even more pointless. Background beats simple and uninspiring. Made it half way through most songs waiting for a decent hook before getting bored and skipping next track.

Drivel.

I wish zero stars existed as an option here, because this was by far one of the worst things I've ever heard. I wish I could go back to the person I was 58 minutes ago. I'd now like to sit down for a couple hours with someone who loves this album and try to work out which one of us is completely insane.

For some reason Spotify doesn't have the first three songs available, so I cheated a little and added his top three listened songs in their place. The only Bobby Womack song I know is 110th Street from the Jackie Brown soundtrack, which I do really enjoy, so I went into this with promised hopes. The album starts in earnest with Just my Imagination, which I was digging until about the final two minutes when it started to drag. The rest of the album was disappointing, a cross between accidently going to the wrong gig and feeling too awkward to leave ("this next songs dedicated to all those lovers out there..."), and something my mum would have on a mixed tape when I was growing up in the 90s (if you think you're lonely now). Shame. After a long row of disappointing albums this week this one follows suit.

Sounds like hiphop for 8-12 year olds in the late 80s. Boring, simplistic and nonsensical. Probably included 'De La Orgee" so it wouldn't be placed in the children's aisles at record stodes. Not absolutely atrocious though, so probably doesn't deserve 1*. Not far off though. 1.5*

I'd like to think that there are hundreds of subgenres of music, and with this list being only 1001 long, the best 1-10 albums of any subgenre are represented here. If this album isn't right at the bottom of this particular subgenre then god help the rest of the albums. Jesus Christ.

Refreshing. Not the type of genre I would ever listen to but after the dross of the last 10 days if was nice to hear something talented. First track was the best, but the other were pretty good. 3.5*

I've always viewed Queen as overrated. One of those bands that have a decent greatest hits album but then too many album fillers when you try to actually deep dive into their discography. Queen II was actually alright, surprising given none of the big hits were on here (despite the weak Seven Seas of Rye). I enjoyed the heaviness of Father to Son, something I've not really heard in Queen before. Bit of a Zeppelin vibe in some songs on side 1, The Loser In The End particularly sounded like a range of bands that weren't Queen, so maybe they were still finding themselves at this point. Side 1 was definitely better, side 2 was the reason I'm not a Queen fan, gives off that 'rock opera' vibe that didn't age well, and I'm surprised was even a thing at the time. 4* side one, 2* side two. Funfact: I once had a long chat with Brian May when we worked at the same place. He spoke about Badgers for the majority of the conversation.

My entire knowledge of Isaac Hayes is from watching South Park as a kid. Refreshing to hear that voice again. Great first track. Peters out a bit from there, I know it's a soundtrack, but a large bunch of the tracks sound like they're trying to focus the viewer on what's happening, which doesn't really work in solely audio format. The other two vocal tracks Soulsville and Do Your Thing were disappointing for opposite reasons; the former because it simply wasn't good, the latter because it was good but then ran far too long. I'm a fan of a long jam but 10-12 minutes would have been much better than the actual 19. Might check out some of his other stuff given the vocal tracks were on the whole enjoyable.

I've heard of the Pretenders many times before, but it's only now I've just realised I had them mixed up with the Proclaimers in my head and (rightfully, if that were the case) never gave them the time of day. First track was therefore a bit of a pleasant surprise. First couple of songs in general had me interested, but then it tailed off a bit in the middle. Album wobbled it's way to the end, with a few decent tracks. Reading up on it afterwards I see it's lauded as one of the greatest debuts of all time, and indeed some give it a nod as one of the greatest ever albums. Had to be there I guess. 2.5*.

I've listened to their debut before which was alright. This one was similarly alright. "Hero" let it down a bit, regardless of whether or not it was a catalyst for the punk invasion that was soon to follow. First track was the best, rest were pretty skippable but not offensive. 2.5*

Brilliant. Never heard of these but was instantly into it. Janis' voice is phenomenal. Think it could have done without the bonus tracks, ending where it was meant to. No absolute stand out tracks, one to listen to as an album for sure.

Enjoyed that. Quite LCD-ish (though one track went down the Coldplay route which surprised me. Not sure it's something that'll be on frequently but one to dabble back into every now and then. 3.5*

Probably the best debut album of all time, if not one of the best albums. You Shook Me the only track letting the side down. All the rest are 5* material.

Pretty decent. I'd obviously heard Tuesday's Gone and Free Bird many times before, but the rest were all new to me. Most of the other tracks were alright, couple of honky tonk ones in there which didn't do it for me. Wouldn't listen to again but didn't dislike it. 3.5*

Just a bit dull and uninspiring. Not a fan of the generic 90s hip hop that this seemed to inspire, no heart or soul to it. Feels like his hops version of what Limp Bizkit was to metal. Amazing if you're a kid but changes the course of the genre for the worse for several years.

Really? "Hide away in your ivory tower and cover me in your golden shower"... Feel like my ears have just been covered in piss after listening to this one. Awful pop rock from someone trying to come across as a bad boy. Cringe. Angels stops it from being 1*. 1.5*.

Started off interesting, I was hoping the first track was the intro to a genre-exploring punk album, but it turned out to be more of the same. I can do the crap vocals, but I can't do the reggae-style at all. Bit less of the reggae and it would have scraped a 3*. As it is it slide down towards 2*.

Guarantee you anyone born after 1982 is not putting this in their 1001 albums to listen to list

An amazing album to hear as a pre-teen. All that pent up child/teenage angst released with a nice bit of rap/rock/nu-metal. Then a few years later I turned 16 and never played it again. Listening back as an adult I'm torn between hearing the songs as I heard them then and loving it and hearing it afresh now and realising it's pretty naff. 4* and 2* respectively for those two versions of me.

That was.... Good. Surprisingly good. If you gave me a 1 sentence description of the album before hand I would have immediately written it off. But wow. Great backing tracks. Peaceful but complex in parts. Vocals just on the right side of the line between annoying and modern. I'm learning from this 1001 albums that there are some great rnb/hiphop albums few and far between all the terrible ones.

There was a couple of years when I thought the electro-synth-indie-pop genre was going to take over the world. Once the dust settled I realised that a lot of the albums had very little replayability. At one point Alt Js debut was probably my favourite album... haven't bothered listening to it in the last 5 years. Get much of the same vibes from the xx. Good music but not anything that really excites me. First half of the album was definitely stronger. Was a tad bored by the end.

Some of the punk/post-punk movement brought some unbelievable bands with not so great vocalists, all the way from the Stooges up to the Pixies, where it just *worked*. What they lacked in vocal talent they made up for in spirit, sound, energy, meaning, passion. This album shows what happens when all of those crucial aspects are missing, and it's stripped down to a lazy punk album with terrible vocals. It's very rare I'd rank a rock album as 1 but here we go.

I only discovered Arcade Fire the other year with Funeral. Enjoyed it but didn't venture elsewhere in their discography. Likewise, I really enjoyed this album. Similar veins to Funeral, but the longer runtime resulted in a few more songs that I think could have been cut. Some great tracks though

Got excited at first. Sounded very stooges-esque. Quickly descended into boring rambling nonsense. By the end of Pablo Picasso I'd already written them off.

Music was great, especially the piano. But backing instruments also deserve credit. Some of the vocals though... Couldn't help but picture Vic Reeves doing his club singing. Reading about the album it sounds like Jerry was diddling his 13yo cousin, so there's no way he's getting 4*. Reading

That was strange. I can't recall hearing an album so dull without being able to put my finger on as to why. I don't know what I'm meant to be getting out of it. It wasn't terrible, or offensive to my ears, just so... empty, without the music itself being bland or quiet.

By far the weakest of their first six album imo, which is still pretty decent, more showing the strength of the other albums in potentially one of the best golden ages of any band. Ramble On and Thank You drag this album just about into 4* territory

Kraftwerk make me laugh. I think because I'd have actually liked them at the time, but listening to them 50 years down the line they've aged terribly. Cutting edge electronica music in the day that was shortly made obsolete by the hardware and software available. I feel like it belongs in a museum or something, which is most likely the reason it's on this list. Looking back without nostalgia though it's generally poor. Spacelab the only half decent track. The opener is diabolical. The singer sounds petrified and lacking self confidence when he's going for actual rather than computerised vocals. Not worth a 1*, but not a million miles off.

Second Neil Young album on my list, much preferred that to Harvest. It's a shame it's not on Spotify as I'll never listen to it again if so, can't even give it a second/third listen to pick up which were my favourite tracks as I've had enough with an ad-riddled YouTube sesh. Enjoyable though, first half was better I think, 3.5*

I've never got Simon & Garfunkel, turns out I also don't get it when it's just Simon. How was everyone not bored listening to this back in the day? Surely no one's putting on this LP, lining the needle up just right, thinking "I can't wait until 'when numbers get serious' and 'cars are cars' comes on". Dull as dishwasher.

Half decent soul music. Bit too slow and boring in most parts though. Would flick between 2&3 stars depending on my mood, I'll give it 3 today though. 2.5*

One of those 80s albums where having a great synthesiser (for it's day) meant the album was held in high acclaim, despite the guy apparently not being able to make good use of it for half the album with boring, tepid sequences. Vocals were bad, and not in an interesting, funny, or so-bad-its-good way. Just bad bad. Probably the best tune on this album, sex dwarf, had the worst lyrics, which sums this album up. Constantly missing the mark. 1.5*

Not the biggest fan of ska but that was alright. First half definitely stronger. Could hear a lot of ska-punk elements that bands I used to love borrowed/stolen.

Would have loved to have been around when Velvet Underground were releasing music, must have sounded groundbreaking and unreal at the time. The last 55 years has been relatively kind to it, with it not sounding overly dated, but I still can't deny if it was released today I wouldn't be particularly bothered by it. 3.5*, let down by one or two tracks (Jesus was crap)

Yawn. Not for me Clive. Hoping that's the only van Morrison album on here but I reckon I'll be disappointed

Now this is the kind of thing I was expecting to get from this list. Relatively obscure album that I never would have heard of otherwise (as have most of the population judging by the fact his 5th most listened song has less than 750,000 listens). Started off slow but really peaks in the middle. Can hear the Beach Boys elements but some of it so dark and heavy. Reading up on him afterwards...Jesus. Crazy life. Interesting and enjoyable album anyway. 3.5*

Never listened to Ian Dury, the extent of my knowledge is my dad was a fan. Pretty disappointing overall. First song amused me it, but it was pretty downhill from there. Track 4 onward was terrible, almost hitting 1* territory. I do wonder what Americans would think listening to this, I'd imagine this is heavily lost in translation. 1.5*

Tried getting into this album years back after discovering running up that hill (several years pre-stranger things, I'll hasten to add) but it didn't do it for me. A fresh listen now was much better. I think it helped having heard a lot of the shite that this list has produced from a similar era. It's actually great time for it's time, and her voice sounds great if you allow it to not annoy you. Second half a bit weaker but a decent finisher. Will definitely give it a listen from time to time

Second blaxpoitation soundtrack I've had. Not as good as shaft, but less instrumental tracks and didn't drag on as long which is good. Fairly okish album, not bad but definitely not good. Will probably never put on again, 2.5*

Loved the pixies first two albums but could never get into the last two. Just a bit directionless without the magic that sparked throughout the first two. Never listened to Black Francis' solo stuff as I thought it would be a continuation of the same and it looks like I was right. Bit of a bloated, mediocre album, but not unlistenable

Everytime I've heard the talking heads I've liked them. Kind of band that I think I'd have loved at the time if I was around. Slightly dated now but still good stuff. 3.5*

Never given The Cure the time of day after hearing Boys Don't Cry and Friday I'm in Love years ago and dismissing them as some kind of poppy prototype emo. This was great though. Certainly one to come back to.

Wow. Thoroughly enjoyed that. In another mood I might have found it dull but to work along to was amazing. Bassists in particular stood out, so sad to read that he died straight after in a car crash. What a final bow out. Something to explore more of, genre and artist.

I was always much more Beatles than Stones, with this album cementing some of the reasons why. The faux-americana of tracks like Dead Flowers makes me physically cringe. What were they even thinking. The lyrics of Brown Sugar are just pretty strange as well. It could make for a good sombre, thought provoking track but the music alongside the lyrics makes it sound almost celebratory of the raping of slaves. Wtf Mick. Other than that it's alright. 2.5*

Let's put aside the obvious elephant in the room and focus purely on the music. Cracking stuff. The bass particularly drives this album, the percussion rythmic and perfect throughout. MJ sounds great. Mix of good to amazing tracks, having Smooth Criminal, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Speed Demon, Leave me Alone, etc on one release is insane. The only tracks letting it down are the slow ones (Liberian Girl & I just can't stop loving you), alongside Bad, which for some reason was chosen as the album name/leader. It's one of the worst. Seems to be appealing to prebuscent boys (oops); no adult is hearing that thinking "yeahhh, I'm bad too". So close to being an all time classic but the weak tracks bring it down. A hybrid of Thrillers best tracks alongside this would be one of the best albums ever surely.

All I knew about this album beforehand is it's one of my dad's favourites. Within 2 minutes I thought I was going to hate it. First listen through, I'm not sure whether it's genius or terrible. The sarcasm/juxtaposition of writing a battle ballad about an east end cockney brawl is ridiculous, but in an amazing or awful way? After the second listen through I think it's more the former. Very rarely after a couple of listens am I still utterly conflicted about an album. One to revisit, for absolute certain.

Started off interesting, I was digging the first couple of tracks, then I rapidly got bored from 4 onwards. I think in the right mood I'd be up for exploring this more, but not right now.

Imagine actually liking Frank Sinatra lol.

Probably the best alternative rock album out there. It's influenced can be heard in so many places. One of those rare albums where at 14 tracks not a single one is skippable (Love You comes close but just about escapes). I must have listened to it hundreds of times and not once have I got bored and turned it off. Jumping from genre to genre without seeming erratic. Pixies and Black Francis at their/his very best.

Interesting concept. Started off quite into it but then quickly got bored. Maybe one to revisit again when I'm in a particular mood. Can see why it made the list at least.

Don't really get it. Surprised to read Brian Eno was in the band as I liked a lot of stuff he'd produced. First couple of tracks were grating, got a bit better in the middle and some bits at the end. Singer was a bit crap. One to forget about.

Always find S&G a bit boring. No different here.

Good stuff. Bit Zeppelin-ish with some early NWOBHM thrown in. Really liked Child in Time, reckon Iron Maiden took a lot from that. Some songs were good but just dragged on too long, e.g. Flight of the Rat. Could go back and listen to again at some point. 3.5*

Could never really get into Bowie in my younger days, but I really enjoyed Low when I discovered it a couple years back, and I enjoyed Blackstar after hearing it on this list. Was looking forward to this reading it was the follow up to Low, and in the same vein, but can't help but feeling disappointed it didn't live up to expectation. Thought the instrumental tracks were fairly average, and other than Heroes the rest of the lyrical ones were fairly non gripping. Not a bad album, but not a great one.

Not the biggest Bowie fan, and I generally don't enjoy albums by artists 30 years after they've hit their peak, but this was great. Reading more about it, sounds like there's a bit of inspiration in there by bands I do like, like Boards of Canada, and LCD, so maybe that's no surprise. Definitely going to listen to this one again. Great swansong.

As far as hiphop goes it wasn't terrible. Nothing particularly good about it though. 2.5*

Find blues rock a bit dull. Don't think this really added anything to mankind. Could have been written in the 60s, 70s or 80s. 2.5*

Two Sinatra albums in a week, how unlucky can you get. This time I lasted three songs

Never my fave Zep album, always been between I and III for me. Still a fantastic album, but there's a few too many weak points for it to be one of the best ever. Black Dog is a good opener but gets old after a few too many listens. Rock n Roll is good at best - often it's a bit simplistic and repetitive, which often results in a skip. Evermore actually pleasantly surprised me this playthrough, I've always regarded as the second weakest track but this time I was into it. Perhaps my expectations were so low. Reminded me of some of the stuff from II/III. Stairway, perhaps controversially, I think also gets old after so many listens. Great song the first 50 times but I don't think I've ever searched for it to put it on since my days of streaming music began. Misty Mountain Hop is definitely the low point, the only track on the album that I would say is categorically bad. Four Sticks is a bit better but not by a long way. Finally we arrive at the pinnacle of the album, California and Levee being the perfect album closers, possibly two of Zeps greatest songs. These two are what save the album, and stop it from slipping into 4* territory.

Reading the blurb beforehand I was excited about this. One of the best live bands at the time trying to capture and show that energy? Sounds great. It wasn't. Even focussing on the six tracks initially selected for the first release, just felt a bit flat. Keith's drumming the stand out item. Enjoyed the medley/jam after my generation. But other than that it was pretty mediocre.

I've had a few early protopunk albums so far in this list. After the first two songs I thought it was alright, fairly standard but sounded half decent. Third track turned my head a bit, actually good. Melody Lee and Anti Pop then hit me. Great pyschadelic-infused punk tracks. Definitely something different about this band compared to all the other protopunk stuff.

She cannot sing. Not in a good punk way, just in a bad way. Ruins most songs. Shame as I think with a decent vocalist (or a decent bad vocalist who can pull it off) it would have been a half decent album. 2.5*

Great album. Where he made the clear leap to stardom. So much more consistent and just simply better than previous MJ/J5 albums. 10 tracks, 3 of which are weak (girlfiend, she's out of my life, falling in love). The others are all bangers though, 70% is a great hit rate. If he'd sang less about heartbreak and more about disco dancing this would have broke the 5* barrier

I try to listen to albums on here with fresh ears, but sometimes that proves impossible, like now. From hearing this hundreds of times in my teens to hearing it played live in full in 2013, even after many years away I can still recite every line before it comes up. I'd actually love to know how it would sound from an impartial perspective. 15-year old me would award it an easy 5*, but listening back there's just too many non-bangers that I think it would be unfair on some of the album I've ranked 4*. A few of the tracks towards the end are skippable but thankfully short. I've always disliked the placement of She though, it breaks up such a great run of songs before and after it right when you feel like the album should be hitting its peak. First four tracks amongs the best openers in pop punk though.

Never gave Courtney Love the time of day when I was younger and I stupidly bought into the slander that she was responsible for Kurt's death. Now older and wiser it's nice to give this a chance. Pretty decent. It's hard not to compare it to nirvana, with a lot of similarities but some differences. Bit publish, I like the vocals on most of the tracks. Overall pretty good, need to come back to it I think to make sure

I was heavily into It Takes A Nation.. years ago but never bothered exploring anything else. Similar vibes to that album, some of the Chuck songs are really good, but too many weak intermissions break up a lot of the flow. Less catchy then their previous album on first listen. Still pretty good though, 3.5*

I can actually imagine this being great if you were into the genre. For me though, just a bit depressing and, after a few songs, dull.

My only prior knowledge of Prince is loving the song Purple Rain but trying and failing several times to get into the album of the same name. I was quite excited when this popped up. After a couple of songs I thought there'd been some kind of mistake. The first track was ok, but the second poor. The third, Housequake, was abysmal. I checked the album on wiki to see what was going on and I'm astonished that it's cited as his best work. Really? The music sounds so dated, unlike a good chunk of other 80s stuff that survived the times. The poor drum synthasiser definitely doesn't help proceedings. Got half way through the album and had to stop. Honestly let down. Why was Prince so popular?

I've had a couple of Neil Young albums on here and so far they've been hit and miss. This one was a miss. Bit too countryish, not anything to really grab or turn your head. Not in the right mood for it so not even going to give it a second chance. 2.5*

Enjoyed the first listen through, but the second and third weren't as captiving. Really though it would go the other way. Bit lo-fi, bit pixie-ish, other bands in there also. Might revisit if I'm ever in the right mood for more lo-fi

That was actually pretty dull. I thought I'd like it since I've heard of them being a inspiration to a lot of later rock bands. Not sure if it's aged terribly but it seemed slow, simplistic, and simply not catchy. Metal Guru was the closest they came to being interested, but it turned it out to be a dropping off point rather than a jumping off point. Shame.

Never actually listened to anything from the Eagles before this (depsite hearing Hotel California too many times). Pretty disappointing. First sign was alright, but then quickly got terrible. Chug All Night was embarrassing to listen to. Rest of it pretty terrible except for Take the Devil. Country needs to be resigned to the bin.

First time actually listening to a motorhead album, pretty enjoyable, but I don't reckon I could listen to more than 30 mins at a time normally. Some strong tracks, some not so good, but overall good. 3.5*

Really enjoyed that. One annoying country song on there (Teach Your Children) that spoiled the start but quickly got better. Nice hearing Young's voice but not have it dominate the entire album. I'd love to give it a few more listens but as with most of the Young albums it's been decimated by Spotify signing alt-right conspiracy theorists up. YouTube is insufferable. Ah well. One to explore more of if it ever comes back. 3.5*

Just sounds like a poor-mediocre Smiths album, as per usual with Morrissey. Some good tracks, 2-4 were a nice run. Really goes downhill in thhe second half though, probably scrapes into the 3* bracket

Honestly always found Joy Division overrated. Tried and failed quite a few time to get into them. They're ok, just don't get how they're held in such acclaim. Closer is pretty average. First half definitely the weaker side. Just can't do Ian's voice most of the time. Latter half saves it. Very atmospheric, almost cure-like

I remember we got this when it came out, probably my first introduction to electronic music. Not heard it in years but listening back it's stood the test of time amazingly well. The tracks suffer from a bit of repetitiveness, the motif introduced in the first 10-20s of each song rarely develops into anything new over the course of each 3-4 minute track, which stops it from being an all time classic. Still, thanks to Moby for teaching me that music doesn't have to be rock or pop. Great album to have my eyes opened to.

I really hated most of the Indie-surgence that happened in the mid 2000's, but you can't deny a genuinely amazing album when you hear it. 1000x better than the overly contrived nonsense that a lot of their contemporaries were putting about. One of the only Indie albums I actually enjoy, and I absolutely love it at that. Not a single bad or even mediocre song on there (although New York City Cops is new to me?? Mustnt have been on the UK CD version). My head's going 4* for the Indie, my heart is going for the full 5*

That was pretty disappointing, especially after how good Are You Experienced was. Set the bar way too high. Only track that was an instant repeat was Little Wing. Disappointed in If Six Was Nine, especially given that was the only track I recognised before listening. Still a good album, but nowhere near what it could have been after his first.

Started off alright, a bit new-new-waveish, bit of LCD in there. Not bad but didn't really blow me away. I was a bit fatigued by the end though, got excited when I thought what was the obvious last track was coming to a close but then another one appeared. Probably scrapes 3*

Most likely this album was included on the list to present a snapshot of popular music at a moment in time, rather than for its artistic merit. It's not actually bad, but it's also really not great. Few very skippable tracks, only seemed to reach a good level during the last two.

Surprisingly good! The Simon & Garfunkel, together or solo, albums I've had on here have bored me too death so far. Not my usual type of music but I could still really enjoy this. Great African infusion, some tracks didn't do much for me but didn't really grate. Some others though we're thoroughly enjoyable. One to listen to again for sure.

Only R.E.M album I really know, but I love it. Another 80s band, like Talking Heads, that I think I genuinely would have been very into if I was old enough at the time. First half better than second half, but a lot of catchy lyrics and melodies throughout

Think I just don't like big band stuff. First track was alright, Ray shone through and made it his own. Second track though, along with most of the rest of the album, felt too much like he was being told to try and emulate Sinatra, which is never a good thing. No need to listen to that again.

I actually like a lot of shoegaze stuff but I couldn't really do this. The non-lyrics had the opposite effect, constantly bringing my attention to it rather than letting me get lost in the music. Might have been the prototype which launched a decent genre, but knowing what came since makes this sound very disappointing on reflection

Naff indie

I feel like I should hate it but I also kind of don't. Side A was way better than Side B, which got a bit unbearable and I had to skip a few. Last track brought it back a bit. Don't think I could listen to it over and over, but it was an enjoyable listen for now. 3.5*

Haven't listened to this in at least 15 years, so it's been entertaining going back and rediscovering it. It's held up extremely well. Still think it would have been a perfect album if they'd chopped a couple songs off of it and shortened it - I Like Dirt and Purple Stain can go instantly, possibly Emit also - maybe it's due to being English but it just sounds cringey. Porcelan sounds like an absolute Smashing Pumpkins rip-off but I'll let it slide. Doesn't really suit the rest of the album though. A high number of 5* tracks on there, sadly slightly dragged down by the weaker ones. Arguably 4.5*, which is still a great score

Let's ignore the Swamp Songs. Of the other 10, they were so close to perfection but not quite there. Roll with it and Don't look back in anger are the biggest disappointments to me, what sound like on first to be class tracks quickly fall away on subsequent listens. Almost like Noel was trying too hard to write a catchy Oasis song. She's electric, much like Digsys Dinner before it, tried to provide a comic relief that was neither wanted or needed. The rest are all pretty stellar, finishing off with possibly one of their greatest songs. Solid 4-4.5* album. Have no regrets rinsing it to pieces in the mid-90s such that I can barely listen to it anymore. What an album it was at the time.

Strong disliked the previous Common album I got on here. This one was slightly better. First and Last track both really good. The rest was pretty meh. 2.5*

I've HATED Cecilia for years. Always played at parents parties when I was a little kid and utterly detested it. Never bothered to find out who sung it as I didn't want to associate that anger with a name but here we go. Congratulations Simon & Garfunkel. I've previously accused you of being the dullest artists ever but now you go and double down with infuriating. The only time the album wasn't awful was when they were ripping off the Beatles. Some good stuff in those bits.

I used to rank this way higher than Mellon Collie, as went into this review thinking I'd end up giving it 5*. On reflection though, as I've grown older the gap between the two has almost disappeared. Some amazing tracks on here, Quiet, Hummer and Soma being some of the best in the genre, but other tracks suffer from overrunning (e.g. geek USA, mayonnaise, silverfuck) that take good riffs/hooks and let them play on a minute or two (or 5, in silverfucks case) too long, that makes the album feel bloated, especially as by the end you're just glad the recent run has come to an end. Undeniably great album, but on reflection could have been even better with carefull editing.

Really interesting on first listen. Felt like it was going to be a grower, an album that would take a while to sink in but when it did, wow. Something like Arcade Fire, Alt J, etc. A further 5-6 listens and I'm fully bored. Didn't grow on me at all, in fact the opposite. 2.5*

Saw Herbie Hancock at Glasto 22 not knowing any of his stuff and was thoroughly impressed. First track here was great, think it was even one of the ones he played. Heard a lot of Squarepusher in the latter half. Definitely one to listen to more. 2-4 didn't do much for me though.

Not terrible country. But still country.

I don't know who that album was aimed at. Is it for britpop fans? Smiths fans? Pop fans? Comedy fans? Apart from the Father Ted bit it was painfully aimless.

Really not my thing. I recognised take five from somewhere and it was actually decent, but the rest bring and forgettable.

Probably Led Zep's most consistent album. I and IV probably contain better songs but each have their weak points. This just starts an inch from the top and cruises on from there. Perfect.

Like a lot of jazz albums, seem to start off great before descending into a bit of boredom. The solos in tracks 3 and 4 dragged on far too long. First two were alright. 2.5*

Meandering and uninspiring. I'm glad popular non-gangsta-hiphop existed out there in the early 90s for humanities sake, but this just ain't for me.

I'm really glad the late 60s happened and music evolved. 1.5*

What on earth was that? Sounded like a blend of New Wave and Gothic Rock that I hope never gets repeated again.

Everything by Simon and/or Garfunkel I've heard, except for Graceland, is just dull dull dull

After getting Murmur last week, this was very disappointing. Nothing in there other than the songs i already knew that interested me. Some actively disinterested me. Shame as I thought it was a band I could see myself getting into after Murmur.

The quintessential prog rock album. Everything from the lyrics to the music to the album cover. The only slight negative thing I can say is the post-moonchild element goes on a bit too long, but when it thunders into Court of the Crimson King... Wow. Easy 5*

I really wanted to love this album as a teenager. Tried so hard to get into it but after the first 3 tracks I would skip to the real thing and then end it there. Disappointing. Angel Dust was always my jam. Listening back with a much wider appreciation of music it's actually top notch. Makes much more sense after knowing Mike Pattons range a lot better, there's even hints of Mr Bungle in this despite the music being written before he apparently joined. What turned me off as a teenager was the jump from the thrash Surprise youre dead to soft rock of Zombie Eaters. But this time i was into the floating genres, very Mike Patton and very cool.

One of my favourite discoveries of the last few years is Christian Brothers by Elliott Smith. I listened to this album a few years back but wrote it off after one listen. Listening again a couple times now...I still don't really get it. It's not bad, but it's not particularly good either. Just straight average, but I know it's lauded. I feel like I'm missing something.

Some great tracks, some stinkers. Don't know why, but the "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" always miffed me. Feel like they tried going too big in parts. Walk before you try running. The last track epitomises this. Don't fully get the hype tbh. 2.5*

Almost unlistenable. Like someone taking the mick out of 50s rocknroll, but badly. Thought it was one of those random mistakes you see on the 1001 list, maybe the inclusion of a genre pushing album that really doesn't deserve to be here. But looking at the album on wiki now, "wide critical acclaim", "one of the best rock debuts of all time", "frequently appeared on lists of the greatest albums of all time". Shame on you, human race.

Wow. Love it when my preconceptions are completely wrong. Album cover and year had me thinking it would be some naff Sinatra ripoff, instead some great folk. How was this guy not more famous?!

Pleasant, if a bit uninspiring. Street Life clearly the stand out track but lasted 7 minutes too long. Vocals sorely missing from a couple other songs. 2.5*

Weird one. I've got used to not seeing one of my favourite genres on here as it's not the usual 1001-vibe they go for. So one finally appears and it's a bit lacklustre? I can think of 10 very similar albums that are miles better than this. Good in parts but goes on too long. Some songs just a waste of time. Not terrible though.

First song had me dreading the next 40 minutes. Enjoyed Le Freak but I just thought it was going to be them trying to see how many times that could say "Chic" in one album. After that it was surprisingly alright. Something that my mum would listen to back in the day. Not my kind of music but I could vibe with it. Savoir Faire was an absolute banger. Great guitar.

I remember being blown away by this when it came out. Listening back now, you can hear the anger and emotion in a lot of these tracks, how fame hasn't helped him at all, particularly in The Way I Am, Marshall Mathers and Kim (the latter maybe a bit too much). Massively prefer this rap to the type that just bang on about how amazing/rich they are. Still quite a few weak tracks on the album, all the ones when he gets someone else involved as well as a few others towards the end. But there's 5 or 6 absolute bangers in here. The skits are terrible I should add, why on earth include them. Pointless and detract from the serious issues discussed on the album. 3.5*

I don't care for it, and I won't respond to it.

Slightly on the dull side, but not offensive. I think I could have listened to the whole album without listening to it. 2.5*

Holy 80s. Started off bearable but by track 4 I was praying for the end.

That was difficult to get through. Never been a massive Mac fan but could appreciate Rumours. This felt like their White Album, immediately following up a great album with a maraudering stumble through different sounds that just goes on too long. 2.5*

The first electronica album I ever got into. I used to enjoy the first half but would usually switch off toward the end. I then moved on to much better stuff. Listening back now 15 years later it's actually pretty disappointing given what else is out there. The songs have too little variation and go on far too long. Any catchy hook that appears is then rinsed over and over again. 2.5*

Love the message. I remember being 14 and flicking over to Wildstyle on Vice City every 5-10 minutes waiting for the message to come on (or be on next). Was looking forward to listening to the rest of the album but Jesus that was hard to get through. How can a song as groundbreaking as the message be pre-fixed by utter cross? Why was the message not on first, followed by similar politically conscious tracks, instead of terrible band intros, robotic autotuned samples, Steve ripoffs etc.. very disappointing. 1.5*

Not my jam

Not enjoyable, but I can't put my finger on why. Sounds similar to a number of other bands/artists in that early 90s grunge, soft/hard rock era but without any of the catchy stuff

I actually discovered Jane's Addiction on here with their first album, which I immediately regretted rating 3* as it grew into one of my favourite albums I've heard in a while. Their second is not as good admittedly, but still sounds pretty strong. Between the two album there's 10 or so unbelievable tracks. I can't not rate this a 4 to make up for Nothings Shocking.

First half bearable. Second half not so. Please end. 2.5*

Wrong mood for this today. I think instrumental rock music just doesn't work as well as in other genres. Rock is there to be sung over. I can handle it when it's a mix, Santana for example. Frank's amazing at guitar, but by the end I wasn't even concentrating on the music.

Wow. I know I've always hated Money for Nothing, but I didn't realise all of their songs were that terrible. I feel harsh giving this 1*, given the utter dross that have achieved my 1* rating, but it's really not far off. Lucky escape.

I fell in love with Once in a Lifetime years ago and instantly explored the rest of the album to find myself disappointed. Then about 3 months ago More Songs... came up on this list and I found myself completely hooked. Going back to listening to this album again, I just can't get on board with it. The first half is alright, it leans too heavily into the African theme but has some good hooks. The latter half, specifically the last two songs, are just pretty weak. Disappointing given how good buildings and food was.

Other than Straight Shooter (which was a good Beatles rip off) and California Dreamin (which is a class song in its own right) that was a pretty dull set of poor Beatles/Beach Boys rip offs. Disappointing given how great CD is, the only song I knew going into it. 1.5*

I presumed they would have been a one hit wonder band as you never hear anything else by them, but some tracks on here weren't bad. Most were though. But some good northern soul/early ska-punk in here. 2.5*, probably would not listen again.

That's the kind of album I was hoping to find on here. Took about six listens but I think I get it now. Such a mix and mesh of genres and bands in here. It's like if The Flaming Lips decided to make a tribute album to the Beatles, Squarepusher and Radiohead blended into one.

I don't know why, but I initially thought this was going to be terrible. Why do I have a bad impression of Beck, despite not knowing a single song he has done? Do I have him confused with someone else? Anyway, wow. What a nice surprise. Great voice, few skippable tracks, but mostly solid ones with a few gems in there. How have I never heard him before??

When I was a teenager I really tried getting to this album. I thought you either loved it or you stupidly didn't get it, and I was terrified I was the latter. After maybe 40-50 listens over the years, and caring a lot less about what other people think, I can happily say Joy Division are one of the most overrated bands out there. By far the worst album-rating-per-t-shirt sold ratio in the world. Disorders a great opener. And then it's 35 minutes of shite. 1.5*

Abba's hits make me a die a little inside. So a full album of abba non-hits makes me die a lot inside. One of the worst things to ever happen to music.

Never heard this guy before. First (real) song I was actually quite digging. The rest of the album seemed to phase in and out of semi-interesting to background music. I gave it a day for a refreshed listen the next day but felt the exact same thing happened. Nice to have non-offensive/outrageous hip-hop, but reading the reviews now on wiki I think I'm missing something. Wasn't particularly groundbreaking, wasn't bad. Just alright. Straight down the middle.

Pretty disappointing 80s alternative rock. Took all the bland bits of similar bands and rolled it up into one. Not a single track worth saving down.

I tried getting into Elton before Glastonbury this year but he just didn't do it for me. Crap gig anyway. So it was nice to be forced to a listen to a full album, his magnum opus apparently. I think it hasn't aged that well. There's a lot of 60/70s bands/sounds merged into one on this, but it falls flat apart from a couple of tracks. I think I've made my piece with Elton now.

Really this is two albums, so I'll review both separately. Speakerboxx was pretty generic early 00's hip-hop I thought, despite all the plaudits it got. Grated in parts. 2* The Love Below was an exciting experimental hip-hop/blues/rnb mix. Lack of stand out tracks but numerous good ones scattered throughout. 3.5* to 4*. Would listen to this half again for sure.

After the first few songs I was bored. Sounded a bit like generic early new-wave stuff. Bouncing babies caught my ear though, and then a few tracks later on..gave it a couple listens back in the end. Some of it weak but some catchy tunes. The bonus tracks all pointless, but the actual album is fairly decent. Saved a few tracks down. 3.5*

Second nick cave album on here. Just as depressing and disappointing as the first, but with a whopping 82 minutes in length it wins the rare and coveted 1* award. Congratulations.

First time listening to Elbow. Few great tracks, opener and #3 were great. Dragged on slightly toward the end, whilst The Fix should have been nowhere near this album. Take that away and it would have just tipped into the 4* bucket. As it is, it's an on the fence 3.5*

First time listening to this. Started off really well. Can really hear where the Stooges got their inspiration from, though I must say that I think they perfected it. Was doing great until Alabama song which felt so out of place and almost ruined the vibe. Light my Fire brought it back up before the second half went and ruined it again. By the time The End came on I was completely unenthused. Would have sounded much better if it followed some bangers. First half (excl Alabama) 4* Second half 2* Rounding up to 3.5* considering how early this was. Still pretty groundbreaking despite the second half.

I've never bothered listening to U2 ever, just never seemed like my kind of thing. And I was right, a lot of it just comes across as self-indulgent. Can't quite put my finger on why, but there's no soul to any of these songs. 2.5*

Any album containing Danny Boy has a ceiling of 2* which is a shame. But seriously, what a voice. It's a shame the track selection seemed to often detract from that, with many more misses (personal jesus, first time.., I'm so lonesome..) than hits (hurt). His frailty with age is exposed in a negative way in tracks like In My Life, whereas that same frailty is what makes tracks like hurt sound great. With the correct song selection this could have been 4* minimum

Having just watched Dewey Cox, I could semi enjoy a few tracks by imagining him singing it and believing it to be a pisstake. However, when the realisation dawns that this was an actual album. My god. 1.5*

Really enjoyed that. Nice bit of Dreamwave/shoegaze. Perfect to zone out and work to.

Managed two songs. Given they ran 40 minutes, I think that's fair enough. I don't get jazz tbh. I think it's good? Just not my thing. It wasnt off-putting, just got bored. Feel like I'd need to be stoned to actively enjoy it, and that ain't me anymore. 2.5*

Listened to this years ago after discovering Pixes but couldn't get into it so never bothered with it since. Wrong decision. Only a couple of listens in but I think this is going to be a grower similar to Doolittle. Excited to dive deeper into it.

Feel like REM steadily got less interesting over time. Loved their debut, liked their follow ups, but by now it sounds like they've run out of ideas. Still a good album, just definitely not a great one like their earlier stuff.

Inoffensive 80s pop/rock. Nothing really stands out but wasn't desperate for it to end. Not in the right mood for it but probably won't listen again.

I got about 20 songs in. Tedious. I'm terrible at music so I wouldn't even be able to write one of these songs admittedly, but I can't help but feel any musician who's half decent could knock up a similar set of 69 unfleshed out ideas within 24 hours. How is this even anywhere near the 1001 list.

First two tracks in I was loving this. I was feeling nostalgia for an album in never listened to at a time I would have been too young to appreciate it. However, it then quickly turned into mediocre 90s rock. Few other tracks on here that were enjoyable but a let down from how good it started off

Very disappointing. All I knew about Willie was his love for the green so I was expecting some decent country but nope. So dull. Tracks 2 and 3 the only ones I could possibly listen to again. The rest deserve to get in the bin. 1.5*

Pretty early/raw electronica. Could really hear a lot of early AFX in this but whereas he perfected the genre, this was just... dated and pretty disappointing. 2.5*

I am familiar and fond with the first 3 Sabbath album, so I was excited to see this appear. However, definitely didn't hit me the same way as their earlier stuff. Reading up on it it sounds like this was the first Sabbath album fueled by coke rather than booze and weed, which I think is the perfect summary for the deficiencies of this album.

One of the most overrated albums of all time. This one particularly annoys me as it totally blew apart the run they were on, with the three preceding it being three of the best album of all time. Waters' rock opera nonsense killed what was amazing about the band. Gilmour saved it a bit with Division Bell, but other than that this album marks the death of Pink Floyd. Few good songs that save it, but so much dross it's unreal.

First Metallica album I bought, and I remember quickly getting bored of it. Luckily I went back through their catalogue after and fell in love, rather than forward. This album is terribly overrated. So many more misses rather than hits. And Justice... wasn't amazing admittedly, but this album marked a slight but distinctive change from their earlier stuff that was definitely for the worse rather than the better. Probably sneaks a 3* due to a few of the decent tunes on here

One of those albums where they had one great tune so put it at #1 and hope that will be people's lasting memory. Bloated album with one or two other catchy songs (Sketch) was alright but for the most part just drags on and on. Too many songs and most of those overrun. Glad it's over.

Lasted three songs

Wow. Second Cure album on here and I've loved them both! How have I never gotten into them before!? Honestly blown away. Regretting skipping them at Glasto 2019 now. 4.5*, rounding up to 5* as I rounded Disintegration down

You know in Vice City when they made that fake band "Love Fist" that was a pisstake of 80s hair metal that were funny because of the lyrics and how ridiculous was, but not something you would ever listen to outside of the game? That's how I view The Darkness, but without the funny lyrics. Some of the songs, particularly without the high octave voice, are bearable. The majority aren't.

Strong no