1001 Albums Summary

Not my favourite Bowie album and the original is better than the remaster but still a solid 3.5 stars

Didn't hate it but a bit bland, repetitive, and forgettable. 2.5 stars. Why can't I give half star ratings?!?

Great album, shame about the noncing

I know nostalgia is making me overly generous but I'm sticking with it.

Didn't hate it but very forgettable and no desire to hear it again.

By listening to this, we have deprived an elevator somewhere of its music

Bland and forgettable

Boppity bop bop. Never listened to Sam Cooke before.

Some great tracks, some meh tracks, but musicals just aren't for me.

Some bangers. Some background music. Good, but not his best.

A couple of good songs. A lot of dross. Never understood the hype. Lou Reed was much better as a solo artist.

I heard this album WAY too many new as a young child and now hate every ABBA song. I tried to pretend I was listening to it for the first time, but I couldn't do it, didn't survive the first song.

Some great songs. Some awful ballads.

Some absolute bangers. A few weaker songs, but when it's good, it's REALLY good.

I wanted to like it more. I should get around to listening to the Cure more but I think they may stay as more of a "Greatest hits" band for me.

Meh

Musical tastes are a subjective thing. But this was objectively awful.

Musical tastes are a subjective thing. But this was objectively awful.

Bland

Listened to it twice; both times while working. Found it quite jarring. Think I need to listen to it when I can focus my full attention to it. Not sure if 3 stars is too much or not enough.

Another entry on the "great music, terrible person" list. Spotify's generated playlist was outstanding.

Thought I was going to like it from the first song. Lost its way and sounded like a budget Jethro Tull.

Occasionally threatened to be interesting, but overall, just a bit too out there for me.

I felt like there was something good here under the surface, trying to break free. But it didn't try hard enough and got overwhelmed by the blandness. It's a shame, I almost liked it. But I didn't.

So much better than some of his later work

When it's good, it's very good (Selfish, Venom) but some filler, not as good overall as Sometimes I might be Introvert

Ok but didn't really do anything for me

A few bangers, a lot of filler, and a few songs that belong on the soundtrack of a dodgy 70s porno

Inoffensive but a bit bland and forgettable

Not for me

Two of the greatest songs of the 60s but the rest of the album didn't do much for me

Sounds like the less talented love child of the Foo Fighters and Buck 65

Some great songs, some filler. Dare I say it: I prefer covers of a lot of her songs to the originals

Not particularly memorable but happy, relaxing, vibes to have on in the background

Not really my thing but enjoyed it more than I expected.

Meh. Never understood the hype.

Good, not great

Good, chilled house and an early mover towards lo-fi / chill hop sounds

Relaxing to have on in the background but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it

Meh. Some good songs but mostly bland. With a lot of listening to catch up on, I got bored and gave up part way through.

Some good songs, some whiny, bland forgettable songs

If I never hear Bono's whiny bitch voice again, it'll still be too soon

Good, but too many slow ones. I prefer him when he's more upbeat.

Feel like it could go down or up with more listens but low 3 stars based on first listen

Classic Bowie.

A few classics. A lot of dross.

Surprised me

Started well, lost its way a bit, but good background while I worked

Mixed bag. Enjoyed a couple of Dylanesque tracks. Didn't enjoy the more country / Paul Simonesque tracks. Inoffensive, but no desire to listen again.

Couple of good songs but mostly bland

Sounded like a cross between The Who and Status Quo... but not as good as either of them

Just not for me

Did not enjoy at all. Basic and boring. Listened to the end to see if my opinion would change. Wish I hadn't bothered.

Not his best. Bit depressing.

Didn't get into it. Bad day at work probably led to me not really giving it a chance.

Unsurprisingly, it sounds a bit dated now but was so far ahead of its time and still sounds good to me.

(only listened to the original version, not all of the nonsense repeats on Spotify)

Ok, but not my thing

Didn't expect to enjoy this but I was pleasantly surprised

Inoffensive but bland

Mostly good. Influential but very dated.

One of those artists that I've never got around to listening to. Enjoyable relaxing background music. Reminds me of a cross between Leonard Cohen and Willy Mason.

Very good. Not quite as good or as catchy as Daisies of the Galaxy but just enough to sneak into 5* territory.

Unashamedly cheesy and over the top and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Inoffensive but forgettable

Good in places. Some meh towards the end.

Meh. Forgettable.

Catchy feel good songs. Not groundbreaking, but I enjoy them.

Enjoyed the jazzier Basement Jaxx-esque songs. Could do with another listen to decide whether it deserves bumping up or down a star.

Coldplay's popularity is as great a mystery to me as U2's. That said, I made it to the end of this, so I must have disliked it less.

It's got a few great songs, a few meh songs, and a few rubbish songs. For me, Blur are a very good "greatest hits" band, but not a great "album" band, and this is not Blur's best album either. I never understood how the question was "Blur or Oasis" when the correct answer was clearly always Pulp.

Prefer Sonny Rollins as a solo artist, but still good

I really want to give it 5*s for Fiesta and Fairytale of New York, and for being such strong influence in the Celtic/folk punk world. But there's a bit too much filler. Any normal person would have come away with a serious brain injury after Shane and Spidey's performance of Fiesta when we saw them in Manchester. Just a standard Saturday night for those 2. Rest in Pieces, you crazy, crazy man.

Very good. But at the risk of angering every jazz fan ever, I think Cannonball Adderley was even better when leading his own band.

Much better than the last Frank offering.

Good in places. Meh in others.

It was fine to have on in the background as I worked. But it didn't really do much for me and no particular desire to listen to it again. Like most country.

Light hearted, catchy fun

Not their best

It was fine. Didn't really get into it though.

Tried to vote as if we have just had another Dexys album a few days ago. Added a star for Come on Eileen

It's not as good as London Calling for me, I think The Clash are at their best when mixing in more ska/reggae as well as the pure punk, with Police and Thieves and Hate and War being a sign of things to come. Not as polished musically as their subsequent albums but the energy and lyrics can't be beaten. One of the greatest punk albums.

Awful. Couldn't finish it.

Good to have on in the background but didn't blow me away

Some good songs, some ok songs. One extremely creepy song.

So so

It was fine. Generic 60s sound.

1950s Country music lullabies from...erm... Sheffield in 2005. The musical equivalent of a hug and a cup of cocoa in front of the fire on a cold winter's day.

Fine but forgettable

Eh. Bland, nowhere near as good as some other Beck albums.

Some good songs. A lot of whiny, bland songs. Not their best.

Better than The Scream. But I still thought I would enjoy Siouxsie And The Banshees more than I do.

Couple of bangers, but Bruce is a "greatest hits" artist for me, not someone who I want to listen to whole albums from.

I'd forgotten about this album. Hits the Guthrie vibe well. Wilco and Bragg complement each other nicely.

Some great songs, some ok songs. Overall, not as good as some of his other albums.

Some good songs. A lot of forgettable songs. Nowhere near as good as Funeral or Neon Bible.

Obviously includes some great songs. But also some that I don't enjoy/don't know as much. For me, I prefer the studio versions of many of the songs. The live versions didn't add anything.

Generic 60s

So very beige. Does nothing for me. Never understood the hype.

One banger. Mostly a bit slow and forgettable. Not his best.

A couple of good songs but mostly forgettable generic 80s sound.

Some absolute bangers (New York City Cops, Last Nite, Take It Or Leave It). Some tracks haven't aged as well. So much youthful energy and swagger that could not be replicated in their future albums. Very influential on the next decade of "indie" guitar music (Kings of Leon went on to become probably the most popular band in the world for a few years by basically changing their sound to copy the Strokes). 2001 teenaged me would have hit 5 stars without a second thought. 2023 me agonised for ages over whether it still deserves 5 stars. I have finally got off the fence and decided it still deserves 5 stars (just)

Fine. Some good tracks. Some generic 70s.

Eh. Some good songs, but I found myself bored and struggling to listen to the end. I think The Kinks are a greatest hits band for me, I don't need to listen to whole albums.

I enjoyed his debut album when it came out. Maybe my tastes have evolved since then, maybe hip-hop has moved on since then and I expect more, or maybe I'm no longer willing to separate the person from the music. Whatever the reason, I did not enjoy this. Well produced, but you can't polish a turd.

Didn't get into it at all

Some great songs but the album doesn't live up to the hype for me.

I tried. I didn't last very long. Not for me.

Some very good songs, some weaker songs that bring it down to 3 stars. Much better than the previous Kinks albums we've had on the list.

Enjoyed the classics. Didn't enjoy the generic country tracks

I want to like Elbow more than I do. Some good songs, but too many bland, forgettable songs that are almost good but just don't quite hit for me.

Starts strong, but too many forgettable droney songs in the second half.

Good, but not one of Nina's best for me

I didn't know Fever Ray before. Enjoyed some of it. Should probably give them another listen.

One of my favourite albums of all time. Easily the best thing to come out of the britpop era.

Some good songs but the slow, depressing, whiny songs are not for me

Nowhere near the level of the Holy Bible or Generation Terrorists. It was the beginning of the post-Richie poppier sound but still with a few very Richie-esque tracks like Kevin Carter. RIP

Had forgotten this album (and Want 2) existed. Very relaxing, although I can imagine his voice being a bit marmitey to some.

Juuust crept into 4⭐

Quite enjoyed it

Good. I didn't get into it as much as Conspiracy of One, Americana and Ixnay on the Hombre. Maybe I need to listen to it more.

Fine but not particularly memorable

Enjoyed some of instrumentals. Didn't care for the vocals.

Fine but very generic. Like a Who album but without the bangers to carry it.

Classic. A couple of weaker tracks but Space Truckin, Highway Star, Smoke on the Water and Lazy are good enough to secure its 5* status for me

I've always felt I should like Pixies more than I do. They did a few bangers, but I find most of their songs boring and forgettable. People rave about them and I want to like them but they just don't do it for me.

Eh. Sounds like the filler tracks on a Blur album.

Enjoyed some of it. Seemed to lose its way a bit towards the end. They've made better albums.

I've slept on Skunk Anansie a bit, I knew I liked some of their famous songs but don't think I've listened to a full album of theirs before. Enjoyed it, I should explore them more.

Obviously a few great songs. But a lot of it is meh. Editing exists for a reason, this album did not need to be this long.

I quite liked some of the earlier tracks but overall, it was too out there for me. Couldn't tell if I would appreciate it more after more listens. Not sure I'm willing to give it the chance.

Weird. After listening to it 3 times, I'm still not sure if good weird or awful weird.

I never understood the hype. Takes me back to uni days where you were likely to hear most of this album played at every single bar or club that you went to on a night out. It's not bad, I just didn't need to hear it multiple times a day, every day for a year. 1 star deducted for how sick I am of it, even after 19 years.

Weird, but I quite enjoyed it in the background.

Didn't know them before. From the description, I was hopeful, but I was disappointed. Most of it sounded a bit Phill Collinsey very 80s and very boring. The second half of the Clash cover was the highlight, but over all, not for me

A couple of great songs. The rest is a bit meh. Much better than the previous Pixies album we had

It was fine. Not especially memorable.

Very good in places, but it didn't need to be so long. Sometimes less is more.

Influential but now sounding dated and the bigotry is not ok

Relaxing, but a bit wet

Good. Had a lot of his classics. I prefer Fulsom overall.

I can appreciate the skill, but I'm not likely to choose to listen to a whole album of it.

Forgettable

Already forgotten everything about this album

Boring, overproduced songs with a whiny voice. I don't understand the popularity of this style of R&B at all. I don't hate Stupid Rich Kids. It was the only song that I could tolerate listening to in its entirety.

Can definitely hear the Eno influences. Fine as background music, but nowhere near the level of classic Bowie and I don't see me going out of my way to listen to it.

Dreamy, minimalist, ambient electronica. Ambient music has moved on in the last 25 years so it sounds a bit dated in places. But we probably wouldn't have some of today's ambient sounds without albums like this. Juuuust sneaks into 4 stars, partly due to its influence on other artists that I love.

It's hard to believe that this list could do such a poor job of showcasing punk music. There's so many albums included in the list that are loosely considered "punk". But so many of them are so bland when punk can offer so much more.

The first half was very reminiscent of the more experimental end of Pink Floyd. Struggled to maintain interest in the second half.

It's fine as Christmas albums go... but there's far too many generic Christmas songs out there and I don't need to spend 1 month every year being bombarded with them. I don't listen to sickly sweet songs filled with sleigh bells the rest of the year... because it's not a good sound. The talking at the end was cringey and unnecessary. Waiting until January to listen to it probably didn't help.

Quite enjoyed some of the jazzy beats and the flow. Less misogyny than most hip-hop of it's era, but still more than is acceptable. 2.5 stars.

Some top tier tracks, some mediocre.

Classic Dylan. Half of the album easily deserves 5 stars but some weaker songs dragged it down to 4.

Some great songs, some average

Good, not great

Fine in a relaxing way but not particularly memorable

Very samey. I swear I heard the same track about 5 times.

Ok, bit forgettable

I love the brooding, bluesy gospel sound of the first disc. It's Nick Cave so, of course, the lyrics are excellent. I hadn't listened to it as an album before, although I knew and liked some of the tracks already. I think it would have worked better for me as 2 separate albums, rather than a double album. The first album probably would have earned 5 stars from me. I think I may have appreciated the second album more as a standalone as well, rather than listening to it at the end of a long album.

I've never really listened to Sonic Youth, despite then being so influential for many post punk bands that I enjoy. Raw, discordant, and I really enjoyed it. Will make an effort to listen to some more Sonic Youth.

Generic 60s. And it isn't the album that contains their one great song.

Fine but not really for me

Didn't get into it. I wasn't paying full attention, but I can't remember any of the songs. Not REM's best work for me.

There was a couple of good subs near the start but the rest was just boring.

Sounds like a cross between a Rolling Stones b sides album and an ACDC b sides album. Ok, but all a bit bland and generic. Last track was pretty good.

Ok, but I thought I was going to enjoy it more than I did

A couple of great songs, but I struggle to remember anything about the rest the album

Classic Dylan

Some great songs, some that unsurprisingly sounded like Beatles filler tracks

Particularly wrong with it, I just didn't really get into it.

Quite enjoyed. For some reason, I've never really listened to Fats Domino as much as a lot of the other bands leaders of that era.

Ok as background but forgettable

I thought I was going to enjoy this more from the first track, which reminded me a bit of Laura Nyro and LaBelle. But that was as good as it got, the rest was all very forgettable.

Didn't need to listen to it too know it was 5 stars. But I still listened to it, at work, with my earphones on. And I was surprised to find that I didn't like it as much as I remembered. It was still good, but not AS GOOD as I remembered. It seemed a bit muted, and didn't evoke the same response that it used to. Definitely a 4 star listen, not 5 stars. Listened again at home at the correct volume and on decent speakers. Of course it's 5 stars. Outstanding from start to (almost) finish. The only weak song being Endless, Nameless which I have never enjoyed. TL;DR I was wrong, and my earphones are not good.

It was fine but not many memorable tracks. Think I was hoping for more given how much I've enjoyed some of their recent collaborations and remixes.

Disappointed in the lack of a zero star option. Not so much music as a series of unpleasant noises. I didn't find any of it challenging or interesting, just unpleasant and I hope I never hear it again. I tried to think of something positive to say. All I could come up with was that I didn't hate AB/7A. It wasn't good, but it wasn't painful to listen to.

Bit bland, not really for me

Bland

Fine

I want to like it more than I do. I quite like the classic Talking Heads songs but a whole album doesn't really do anything for me.

Treads the line between good weird and too weird

Other than Blister in the sun, it wasn't very memorable

Other than Hotel California, I can't remember any of the other songs. Very samey.

Enjoyed more than I thought I would.

Reminded me of Lee Scratch Perry. But not as good.

Well that was not what I was expecting at all. I didn't know of John Zorn before, and I didn't even know that thrash/punk jazz was a thing. Wild, chaotic, and unrelenting, and I really enjoyed it. Time to do some more exploring of John Zorn and Ornette Coleman. It's taken over 500 albums, but I've finally given a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating for an album (and indeed artist) that I didn't already know before this list. Sure to be a very polarising album. I expect a lot of people will hate the chaos but it worked for me, even though I hated Coltrane's chaotic albums.

Not their best

A few great songs, but I'm still not a fan of musicals.

I never got into the Hives as much as I thought I should. They do a few very good songs, but a lot of them are very samey to me.

Starts strong but fades in the second half

Clichéd but still a classic and I love it (while also loving Half Man Half Biscuit for mocking those who love it)

I'd forgotten how good this album is. I go back to Toxicity a lot more frequently than this. I should remember to go back to this more often.

Not sure what to make of this. Some of it seemed quite good, but some of it sounded like a bad Simon and Garfunkel tribute act.

Too long. Would have enjoyed it a lot more if half the tracks were cut from it.

So good

Good in places, with one great song

Fine as background music, but I wanted more from it. Just about scrapes a 3.

Fine in the background, but I wouldn't choose to listen to it

The least bad of all of the U2 offerings so far. I gave up on this one because I was bored, not because it felt like listening to fingers scraping down a blackboard. And I lasted more songs before giving up. Surely we're done with U2 albums now on this list, but if not: Who knows, maybe the next U2 album will creep up to a second star?

A couple of good songs, but I'm really not a fan of that generic 80s sound.

Some good songs, didn't need to be that long.

Not my thing

Quite enjoyed this

It's fine as background music. I want to like it a bit more than I do. It goes on longer than it needed to, with a lot of similar songs.

Quite enjoyed the jazzy beats. Need to concentrate more and have a better understanding of French to understand much of what they're saying.

Quite enjoyed. Relaxing, if a little bleak.

Relaxing

Not for me. Wasn't paying though attention to pick up on the lyrics.

Maybe another one that I'm overrating due to nostalgia but I still love the minimalist chilled vibe.

A lot of classics. Much better than some of the other Beatles offerings we've had so far. Could have done with some more ruthless editing towards the end to remove some filler, but good overall.

Good in places. Faded a bit as it went on.

Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. I knew Timeless and Inner City Life but I've never gone out of my way to listen to Goldie. Really enjoyed it as chilled background music. Think it might be a bit too pedestrian for me to want to listen to it as more than background music but a pleasant surprise.

Bopping. I enjoyed this. Although I knew some of the songs, I didn't really know Booker T. & The MG's before.

It's like the Bluetones, but without the one Bluetones song that everyone loves. It's inoffensive, but it might as well be any other 90s indie/britpop album.

Some very good songs, some of it is a bit forgettable.

Generic 80s

Quite enjoyed the jazzier blusier tracks. Solid 3.5 stars.

Enjoyed some of it more than I expected to. Some of it is just bland. 2.5 stars.

Ok, some good songs, some a bit samey.

A few very good songs, but it isn't his best album.

Some good songs, but quite samey

A few bangers but not their best as an overall album.

A couple of classics, but much of it all blurs into one

Dated, but pretty good

Relaxing

Pretty wild for the 50s. Enjoyed the more upbeat songs. Some weaker slower subs but I enjoyed it overall.

Never heard of them before. Pleasantly surprised. Hardly a groundbreaking sound but I quite enjoyed it.

Quite good but they've done better

Shades of Nirvana and Primal Scream, mixed with a generic 90s guitar sound.

Very overplayed when it came out, but it's been long enough that I can enjoy it now. Some very good songs. Bit too much filler towards the end, but still good overall.

Much nostalgia

Some good. Some not good.

Good light hearted fun with some very good tracks. But it loses it's way a bit in the second half and I don't see me choosing to listen to it as a whole album.

Quite relaxing and enjoyable. But is this really a "must hear before you die?"

Some top tier tracks. But it doesn't live up to the hype as one of the greatest ever for me.

I liked OK Computer, but all other Radiohead albums are too slow and whiny for me.

No. I considered adding a star for it supposedly being an inspiration for some of the post punk bands that I do enjoy. But it doesn't deserve it. Feels like the lyrics were written by a thirteen year old who was trying to be edgy after being grounded by their parents.

Not sure if I'm being a bit harsh but I can't really remember any of it. The Spotify playlist that was based on the album was so much better than the album itself.

Some good songs, some meh

Starts very good. Tails off a bit but still good overall.

Not my bag at all, especially the preachy early tracks. Improved enough towards the end to avoid a one star rating.

Some classics, some weaker songs but good overall

Generic britpop sound, not particularly memorable.

A few great tracks. But longer than it needed to be. Would enjoy it more with some of the filler removed.

Just like Bjork's solo work, I struggled to get into it. A few good songs, but overall meh.

This sounds like rock and / or roll. Shades of the Doors and Deep Purple. But a bit too proggy with too many solos for me and the title track overshadows the rest of it.

Ok but a bit bland. Very Flaming Lips-eque

I think I've found this one harder to rate than any other album on the list. Teenaged me listened to this album a lot and would have given it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ no questions. Adult me is a lot more troubled by the misogynistic, homophobic and violent lyrical themes even if they are sometimes slightly tongue in cheek. I ummed and ahhed and considered every rating from ⭐ to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. In the end, I've gone somewhere in between.

I don't hold it in as high regard as some of the other early punk pioneers and it wouldn't be lauded in the same way if they hadn't been one of the first. But it's still got some great songs and energy even if it sounds dated now.

Everyone Knows was a banger and I enjoy the whimsical lyrics. But too many slow songs.

New speedrun record. Think I ran through this one in about 10 minutes. This wet, cheesy, generic 80s pop/R&B sound really isn't for me.

Smooth but a bit pedestrian in places

Bland

Some of their best, but also some filler in the second half

Some ok beats but very dated. I had it on in the background while working so I didn't fully take in some of the lyrical themes. Probably for the best...

A few good songs in the first half. Faded away in the second half.

Good in places. But he's a "greatest hits" artist for me, not someone who I want to listen to whole albums.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Very relaxing to have on in the background while working.

We already had enough Michael Jackson albums on this list without adding in pound shop Michael Jackson knockoffs.

Thought I was going to enjoy this a lot more than I did from the first couple of tracks. Enjoyed the jazzy instrumental tracks. Did not enjoy the cheesy, generic 80s tracks.

Very relaxing. Quite enjoyable.

Some bangers, but too much filler

It's fine. Some good songs but a bit samey, and we've definitely had more records from The Cure than this list needs. 2.5 stars

Not very memorable

Some of my favourite Deep Purple tracks. But having the studio albums on this list is enough. We don't need all of the same songs live as well. Scored as if we hadn't already been overloaded with Deep Purple albums.

A couple of good songs near the beginning. The second half of the album was a real chore.

Some very good songs but some of it goes on a bit.

Loved Hotel Yorba when John Peel played it as a sample from a new unknown band. Some very good songs (Hotel Yorba, Fell in Love with a Girl). Some average songs.

Some very good tracks. Groundbreaking when it came out and some great production. But I'm glad that (some) hip-hop has moved on from all of the glorification of violence, drugs and homophobia.

Don't know if I like this a lot more or if I was just in a better mood than for their previous album.

One of the bands that I've never understood / got into. Everyone else rates them but they don't do anything for me.

Not sure how I felt about this. Enjoyed bits, didn't care for other bits. Maybe need to listen to more from them to really make my mind up.

Generic, did nothing for me

It's got some of my favourite Deep Purple tracks on it. I'm tempted to knock off a star for the excessive number of Deep Purple albums on this list: how many times must we hear different versions of the same songs in a different order before we die?

Some bangers, especially in the first half. Loses it's way a bit towards the end but still probably my second favourite britpop album after Different Class.

Very good in places. A few bangers and some good bluesy sounds. But also a bit too long, and not as good as peak Led Zeppelin.

Some classic tracks, but not a classic album for me. Great flow, great delivery, great rhymes, but sounding dated and the lyrical themes (misogyny, homophobia, glorification of violence and drugs etc) let it down. And the sex noises are not big or clever (unlike Biggie).