1001 Albums Summary

The second half is more rock influenced and stronger than the first half, but overall it's very fun and light-hearted.

Challenging at times but captivating and effortless. A great example of an album I never would have even heard of before this project.

Great laid-back sound and orchestration (especially the brass). However, I'm unable to rate it any higher because of the unintelligible lyrics and the grating falsetto throughout.

Lmao I feel dumb but I never realized that the Talking with T-Bird theme from RHAP is a parody of Free Bird

12-bar blues doesn't do as much for me as free-form jazz does, but this is something special. Love both his vocal tone and the instrumentation. Was kind of limping towards the finish line, but the closing song brought it back to a 4 for me.

I was immediately gripped by the brass section and became more and more disappointed as I realized how little it would be featured on the rest of the album.

Unlike my ranking partner, I think the songs I responded to were the slower ones that showcased the steel guitar (and the instrumental). A lot of the songs ran together and didn't have much of their own identity.

Gimme Shelter is probably the best song I've heard on any album so far, and I have no idea how I've gone almost 25 years without ever hearing it before. Ultimately though, the album as a whole isn't anything I'll be rushing to revisit anytime soon.

Really enjoyed the cover of Mona. The rest was forgettable. At least, I hope I'll be able to forget it.

Wasn't expecting to like this so much. Not sure why it resonated with me so much, but I loved it. Great songwriting and overall sound.

Several songs that I really responded to, but also quite a bit of filler. Loved all of the instrumental breaks/solos.

I think it's too frontloaded to scrape a 5 (other than Paper Planes lmao). But it's so fucking good.

A couple of catchy songs, but it took me probably 8 attempts to make it through the full album. Physically impossible to listen to while sober.

Sacred Attention singlehandedly saving this from being an easy 1. Really like the line "I am here to say what's done is done / Serving shark's fin soup for everyone" though lmao

Stirring, comforting, mysterious, magical. Easily my favorite album so far.

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! Love the literary references (Rebecca is my favorite book and Gatsby is probably top 3) and the overall cozy atmosphere. Will definitely have to check out folklore now.

This one is challenging. It took me about a song and a half to realize I had listened to this album before in a previous album listening project. I had given it a 5.4/10, which at first I thought would be way too low, but may have been just right. The first two songs are easily the most captivating of the whole album, especially the excellent opener. While I am so impressed with her songwriting, there weren't really any songs that emotionally resonated with me or that I would be quick to listen to again. Perhaps part of that is because I tend to like abstract lyrics, but the delivery here was often too quick and incoherent to appreciate. Ultimately, I think this deserves to be on this list, but I can't say I loved it or even *really* liked it. Several good songs and one great track, but most others I found myself waiting eagerly for them to end. Maybe I'm just not smart enough for this.

I'd listen to Down in a Hole and Rooster again. The rest are pretty rough.

Really really really pushing a 5 but just too front-loaded. I absolutely adore the use of the electric piano (higher/lighter) synth taking the melody accompanied by the lower string-like synth on chords. Like around 8:30 of Chameleon.

Thought about giving an extra star because of the Terry Wogan namedrop, but it probably doesn't deserve *that* high praise.

I don't enjoy the majority of songs here, but there's enough solid ones to barely scrape a 3.

I don't really miss God but I sure miss Santa Claus

I saw Janet Jackson at a grocery store in Charlotte yesterday. I told her how cool it was to meet her in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother her and ask her for photos or anything. She said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but she kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing her hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard her chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw her trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in her hands without paying. The guy at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Ma'am, you need to pay for those first.” At first she kept pretending to be tired and not hear him, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter. When he took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, she stopped him and told him to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After he scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, she kept interrupting him by yawning really loudly.

Fucking fantastic

Hated listening to it from the start. Lyrics were fascinating at first but then they just got fucking weird

It was competing for a 5 before the random tribal grunts kicked in. But an excellent listen nonetheless.

High 4 but have to save room on the S tier for other Radiohead albums

Obviously I'm missing something here, but it does absolutely nothing for me. Hopefully the 6 other Bob Dylan albums won't be this excruciating.

Heard this one before. Good concept, good execution, good length. Nothing more, nothing less.

My expectations were kind of high for this one so I may have messed myself up here because it did not meet the mark. At all. I guess Air is alright but. Bleh.

This is a tough one to rate. On one hand, I'm really not a fan of the overall sound and the influence of 12-bar blues. On the other hand, there are so many elements that make it such a solid album that it's hard not to respect. This album utilizes the best organ (both in sound quality and technique) that I've heard so far. I also love the instrumental track and the vibe there. And Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is masterful enough to elevate the album on its own. While I may not be as quick to listen to this again as other albums I put on this tier, the quality is undeniable. And if nothing else, we'll bump it up to a 4 because of the cover art.

Don't we already have like 3 John Lydon albums on this list? Why do we have to be subjected to him on a featured song on an already overly-long album?

I'll start this off by saying that ABBA is my favorite musical artist, so this will be more biased and analytical than any previous review. While I wished there were more than 2 albums on the list, I do admit that ABBA isn't really an album-strong group and is much better when just listening to singles and Best Of collections. As far as The Visitors, their true "last album" before Voyage, I used to avoid it like the plague. Whether it was the album as a whole or the singles off of it, it seemed beneath me as an early ABBA fan. I would relish in the saccharine nature of their older songs and wince at the notion that anything could be dark and moody without being a melodramatic power ballad (The Winner Takes It All). I suppose Arrival is a logical inclusion on the list - after all, it would be hard to pass on the album that birthed Dancing Queen. I do think that Super Trouper is the best representation of the band's hit singles and overall sound, but Arrival is still a decent choice. The disco-laden Voulez-Vous is my personal pick, but I acknowledge that it carries a pretty dated sound. Even then, when I saw that this was one of the sole inclusions for an ABBA album, I was stunned and even confused. How could the album that I had looked down upon for years be one of the most essential for not only the group, but for all of modern music history? And then it hit me. Well, for the most part. It's still not my favorite ABBA album and probably doesn't even scrape top 3, but I have a new appreciation after finally listening to it in full in this setting. The Visitors is the perfect opening track, with such an impressive arrangement. I never paid too much attention to the lyrics and dismissed them with some of ABBA's cheesier excerpts, but they ring clear in a world that is becoming more paranoid and tense. It's still not one of my favorite singles, but the instrumental climax is classic. Frida is also likely my favorite vocalist in the group and her delivery here is impeccable. Head Over Heels is one that I've liked for a long time but has become a guilty pleasure that I often skip on shuffle. Hearing the full synth intro and slick melodic downward progression really made me appreciate it again though. When All Is Said and Done has to be my favorite track on the album. A bit lyrically clunky now and then, but it does what it's supposed to do and excels at it. The bass synth coming back in after the dropout in the third verse gets me every time. Soldiers is..... not good.... don't get me wrong, I appreciate the message here and how timely it was, but it's hard to justify it sonically. This is part of why ABBA is tough to appreciate in album listens - even with hard-hitting tracks, there's always going to be some obvious skips. I will say that I always viewed this at surface level of advocating for soldiers for risking their lives etc., but it's very interesting to view it from a metaphor of a troubled couple (thematic to the album) not being in sync and willing to sacrifice for each other like soldiers are. I don't remember ever hearing I Let the Music Speak before, so I had to pay closer attention than I did to the others. The intro is so dark and glorious and I can't believe I am usually so quick to skip over it. I understand why it hasn't broken through as much, but it's a real treasure and I'm glad I got to relish in it here. It feels more raw in a heavily-produced album and lets Frida's technique shine. The chorus does make it feel a bit too dramatic show-tuney though. One of Us is the biggest hit here, and for good reason. What else is there to say? Two for the Price of One is hilarious, but hard to deny that it's one of the weakest ones here. Similar to Soldiers, though, not quite as cheap as I remembered. Maybe I'd disagree if I was sober. Slipping Through My Fingers isn't my favorite, but I completely understand how it's become a favorite of the masses - it has to hit hard with any parent. Beautiful chord progression too. Looking at the Spotify streams, I'm really surprised that Like an Angel Passing Through My Room is so low. Yes, the production is a bit odd, but it's really special. It's perfect cover material as well, as evidenced by Celtic Women's effort. I listened to the bonus tracks but didn't count them in my review - but I will emphasize to any listener to check out The Day Before You Came. After listening to this, The Visitors still isn't my favorite album, but it has to be ABBA's most consistent. A worthy inclusion, and I appreciate any opportunity to explore their art.

This one's for you, Nick <3

A bit of a grower, but still feels right. A huge relief to hear an actually decent electronic album after several swings and misses.

I really want to like this because it's so interesting, but I can't lie to myself.

I actually really like the production! But the songwriting isn't really memorable at all

I surprise myself sometimes

a little disappointing. but still pleasant and inoffensive

Pretty boring but perfectly fine background music

I didn't think I would actually rate this one so high after a road trip listen, but I guess all it took was a second try, a pair of headphones, and a couple glasses of chocolate liqueur. After listening in the car with my parents yesterday (including my dad who is a Beatles superfan) I was pretty unimpressed, save for the standouts of "Blackbird," "Piggies," and "Mother Nature's Son." There were very few songs that I disliked, but it just felt like a lot of filler. My mom had a rather impassioned review, saying "all these years, I've questioned why everyone loved the Beatles except me and have asked myself 'what's wrong with me?' After this, I'm asking 'what's wrong with them!?'" I was ready to give it a 3 after yesterday for the standouts alone but gave it another attempt today. While those are still by far my three favorites, I found myself smiling along to the goofy lyrics and musical diversity, especially on disk 1. Songs that I thought I disliked, like "Ob-La-Di..." and "Rocky Raccoon" were actually really enjoyable. And of course, that doesn't speak for the great songs like "Dear Prudence" and "Back in the USSR." I'm still not fully convinced to be a Beatles fan, and it may not be my favorite album, but there's definitely something special here.

Ok so obviously the singles are the highlights, but who made Savoir Faire sound like the most nostalgic options menu theme from a video game soundtrack lmao

Really loved the instrumentation and his voice, but I would never listen again unless there was an instrumental version? or just like him scatting for an hour? these lyrics are horrendous

Todd Rundgren will probably be my most-listened-to artist this year solely because of how many attempts it took me too get through this. Around three really solid songs....... but they're literally the first three of a slog of an album.

fuckin cockroaches

Enjoyable and atmospheric, but annoying that the lyrics are unintelligible

I don't get it, sorry

The opening track is absolutely masterful. While the rest of the album is fine, it struggles to match it. The Dangling Conversation and 7 O'Clock News are songs to save as well.

Really interesting, but not particularly enjoyable. Pull out the Pin, Night of the Swallow, and Houdini stood out the most, but I don't think the rest of the album justifies a higher rating.

Fantastic execution

why did adele cross the road? to say "hello" from the other side

Solid. Will definitely revisit several of the singles (Don't Stop, She's Out of My Life) but probably not the whole package.

China Girl is probably his best song

A pleasant surprise.

remarkable

better than expected

I normally can't stand weird and psychedelic shit, but I guess all you need to do is put it in Portuguese and I'm all in.

Strong sound. No idea what any of the lyrics are about.

Don't wanna give too detailed of a review, because it would date the listening time more than usual (based on current headlines vs. lyric content). But it wouldn't have been higher than a 3 regardless so I'm not that pressed.

Heard before, but I liked it a lot more than I remember. (Think I'm preferring Blur so far, but keeping an open mind).

Fantastic singles and production, but a little long. And not as jazzy as TPAB

Started off really promising but became a bit of a chore.

A surprisingly enchanting nine-part epic cushions everything I fucking hate about Pink Floyd. Holds its own. But don't expect any PF scores higher than this.

Really liked Longer Boats and Father and Son. The rest were fine I guess

we are the music makers. and we are the queefers of queefs.

damn he really had a bad life huh

Might change this after I hear his other albums on the list (because surely at least one deserves a 5, right?) but I'll leave this here for now.

Bonus track is great too!

Burning of the Midnight Lamp was the only real standout for me.

Probably the weakest Radiohead album I've heard but still excellent. Could move down later since it's only the 2nd on this list for me, but I'll leave it here for now

master of the genre

i guess i'll have to start distinguishing these bob dylan albums soon enough. but maybe i can start with #3

Boring yet pretentious. History is the only semi-standout for me.

I don't know why anyone legitimately likes listening to this guy, and am even less sure on how I'm gonna make it through 3 more albums

The soundtrack to when you finally decide to tackle a house project that you really didn't want to be doing, but it's better than sitting around and listening to this shit in silence, and then you realize that you're doing the project wrong and it's all going to shit and it's worse than before and at the same time this ABSOLUTE GARBAGE is blaring and stressing you out and wasting your fucking time Not speaking from experience or anything though haha

A bit too much filler, but the hits go HARD

Love the organ. Subject matter often isn't the most relatable but super impressive classical solos. Not a great album but worth it just for Smoke on the Water.

Some really catchy songs here towards the beginning (especially Captain's Table) but teeters too much on the bland side to rate higher. Especially finishing with a song that contains the lyric "I know you love meat"

Yet another artist that I need to start really ranking their albums next time he comes up. But it's tougher to do so without him on Spotify. Fight the good fight I guess.

Oh ok I have heard Walk of Life before... but idk if that's good or bad... Overall it's ok but tainted by some slurs :\

maaaaaaybe a 3, not sure

stronger than Dear Science

A bit same-y towards the end, but having so many organ solos kinda cancels that out for me

Fuck Kanye. And fuck me for liking this. Production, samples, and features are brilliant with some great hooks too.

Not what I expected at all? Maybe I don't hate post punk lmao?

Such an awesome find! So gripping and meaningful.

This one is tough. Really enjoyed the first few songs but it failed to keep my interest throughout. Kind of disappointing. Still loved the nod to Take Five though.

majestic and powerful

I just spent several days in The City but am not sure if I was inspired enough to be moved by the theme of duality. Either way, the songwriting is excellent, and Thom Yorke is never an uninvited guest.

Too bad there wasn't a Heavy Metal tribe on Survivor: Cook Islands (aka Survivor: Race Wars). Maybe Billy could've won. Sleeping Village was interesting I guess?

Making a mental note to relisten and compare this to the Count Basie album when it comes up so I can get a good sense of big band music. I thought I would have liked this style more but it was quite tedious (and felt a little disingenuous to know that so much of it had been “faked”). Definitely disappointed (by jazz standards) but not counting it out yet

Damn the French have disappointed me. Not bad if I didn't know what it was about. Well even then, I maybe would have given a polite 2, but "En Melody" had to fucking ruin that. Yeah whoa I can't believe I'm giving a EUROVISION WINNER and the songwriter of "Poupee de cire, poupee de son" such a low rating but this is rough.

Not quite as good as Licensed to Ill but they seem pretty comparable

Haven't been a fan of any of their albums so far but this was really enjoyable pretty much all the way through. Loved the Bob Dylan-esque song without the annoying voice of Bob Dylan Was gonna start with a 3 but I think I'll need to give a 4 to a Stones album when I'm done with all six and it's probably gonna be this one so

Well the best part of this album were the intermittent YouTube ads offering short relief from the chaos lmao. I might have thrown an extra star out for experimentation/originality if it were short, but damn this is way too long to be so messy. Tbf I didn't really hate anything but I also didn't enjoy absolutely any song so

Absolutely beautiful, if a bit same-y

Absolutely incredible. Fantastic songwriting, vocals, and instrumentalists including several legends. Not a dull moment.

Definitely prefer their Britpop sound but this is a worthwhile listen. I recognize Song 2 from Lego Rock Band lmao

I fucking LOVE Christmas music. I know most musicians hate it (and probably for good reason) but there's just something about it that gets me every time. When I was younger, I was never really interested in the hits from this album when they'd come on the radio. It wasn't until I listened to this with headphones that I could tell the huge power behind the procuction. And any album that originates Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) has to be an easy 5 stars.

Really liked No More Trouble but there's quite a bit of filler for a short album. Could be a 3

Kinda reminds me of The The but more new wave-y. And not as good lol. But the jazz shit is great.

Absolutely incredible, especially the first half. Didn't think at all that it would be better than Post but holy shit. Love the celeste and harp and production.

Really special. Some unexpected covers and classics as well - I think the modern ones are the most effective but will never scoff at anyone paying tribute to the Eagles. A few songs towards the end lost my interest, and Nick Cave’s weird attempt completely took me out of the mood.

Pretty hit or miss. Not big on his voice but the instruments kind of make up for it. Idk, I really like the sound but no one song really seems to work.

actually not bad considering it's apparently my least favorite genre or whatever

Really not into his voice, but the instrumentals are compelling. Definitely benefits from the wall of sound treatment.

Nice Hitchcock shoutout lol

I've had to sit through so much mediocre synth shit on this project so far and this is just leagues ahead of all the others

Not as consistently good as Dookie, but still classic

not very good but at least it's not in english

Therapist: Leonard "synth" Cohen can't hurt you, he's not real

I remember being a little kid and always asking my parents to check out a kids "world music" CD (maybe Putumayo) and it had Three Little Birds on it - that's the only one I remember, but I would always want to listen to that one. Gave up on listening to this a couple of times because of the weaker beginning, but there's a lot of meat in the latter half. Obviously some big hits, but I also really like the more R&B/pop inspired songs too.

Don't fully understand it but there's definitely something here. Will definitely revisit.

I have been so thankful for the countless albums I’ve discovered through this project that I probably never would’ve run into before. Then there’s some discoveries like Iggy Pop that I wish had remained undiscovered

really clever. strong writing but a little inconsistent

Fun and charming. Love the medleys and the Italian bits

I liked it but I feel like it would’ve overstayed its welcome if it was much longer

Definitely gonna be a candidate for my favorite album on the entire list

nice coke jingle reference i guess

Solid sound throughout, but somehow not very memorable. Standouts are Pyramids, Bad Religion, and the Street Fighter startup music

Maybe I should feel guilty for rating them so high but I feel no shame. Guessing that Parachutes will be a 5 for me though, so reserving that slot for now.

i'm not afraid to say that his career as a whole is overrated, but it's impossible to deny how remarkable this is

lyrics have aged like wine... shame about the music

Not as good as Arthur for me, but it's still thematically strong

To be fair, I do really like Surrender, but not enough to save the rest of the album

Not sure if I'll ever want to listen to this again, but I did really enjoy some of the genre fusion & featured instruments

MORE SITAR

The hit single is really strong but that's really the only thing of note

Short but sweet

Gone is really beautiful. The rest is really forgettable.

this is the kind of shit i came here for

might be a 5 bc I don't think there's a miss? (maybe Baby Driver?) - will revisit this

Promising sound, but ultimately feels too cheap

rip chapel hill

Great piano shit. No real standout tracks though except maybe H20gate Blues lmao

Can't believe she wrote Wildest Dreams about Hugh Neutron

actually nothing really wrong with this, but just pales in comparison to the other 3s I've rated recently

mariah carey did Without You better also in 6th grade science one of my friends (gay icon sam thorn) kept singing the coconut song and so another friend finally snapped and said "i'm gonna put your head in a coconut and shake it all up"

i can sexy cure ant cancer

The second half is actually what pushes this over the edge for me. An innovative narrative, an Irish jig, and Gregorian chants lmao? I’m so predictable

I think this is what I want Bob Dylan to be lol. Probably better than Transformer, but I'll have to relisten and compare

oh this generator has had us eating GOOD with all this world music lately hm

Title track is epic, but the rest doesn't do much for me. Was thinking about a 3 until the fucking fart noises at the end. Definitely prefer Parliament

Very, very high 3 - not quite a 4

points for being the first(?) album on the list to reference classic board games

yet another instance of the first song or two being solid and then the rest being a bunch of filler

Zombie is superior, but this is still rad

Not sure if they are genius or cringe. But I was kind of falling asleep towards the end of my listen this morning.

more of a 3 at parts, but marking up in honor of Mikey

I think I would like other albums like them. I generally enjoyed the sound but struggled to connect to this

25 is more consistent, but there's too many hits here to ignore

I love jazz but I’ve really struggled to connect with this one for some reason

Really interesting but also pretty one-note throughout

Might grow on me

Definitely have to make a note to check out Life on Other Planets

Definitely some standout hits but not as consistent imo

Intriguing but a bit one-note. Eager to compare it to their debut album

often forgettable, but the heavy piano songs made me happy

Speakerboxxx - 2 The Love Below - 4

Really more of a 3, but I have a good amount of childhood nostalgia for James Taylor (especially Christmas CDs) and this is the only one we're getting. My favorite tracks are probably the ones with brass instruments throughout

absolutely atrocious

Actually really enjoyed this and was pushing a 4 - until that last song lmao yeah

not sure how this will stack up in the big picture

I hope I made my parents proud

Didn't think too much of this one until the instrumental songs near the end

I think I'm only giving it a 3 for the Sound of Music reference and maybe the last 2 or 3 songs. I really want to like it but it's a little weird

Pretty good for a jam band, but still a jam band. Might be higher if not for the awful monologues

I miss the vocals but still love some fucking bossa nova

powerful

I think I would buy the French version of this album, but I have no idea if I'm supposed to base my review on the English version, French version, or double album

You chose Pong, I chose Kong

Not really any standouts here, but I think I might like some of his other work

worse than expected

Probably a 2 without that last track

noisy

disappointing

I think I want to like this more than I actually do

The traditional songs do it for me

Love the bonus tracks!

Wanted to like this more but it was pretty exhausting by the end

This feels blasphemous but I really wasn’t entertained

Good but not fully sold yet

Probably would be a 3 if it wasn't live

I think I prefer Zeppelin I but this is still a huge standout

I think Countess Bathory saves this from an otherwise easy 1

Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2 is probably my least favorite song of all time, so all things considered, it's not that bad of an album. But the full package just hasn't convinced me yet

Could be a 4 on relisten, but I feel like it's a pretty long listen for just a small payoff of two or three strong songs at the very end 3

probably would be a 1 if not for the harpsichord

Epic

Pretty good but Glory Days ruins it

excellent featured artists

Heard this one before

good but most of the songs kinda sound the same

Need to hear the other Yes albums to fully compare it, but guessing that this will have an edge bc of the Portuguese guitar in I've Seen All Good People

really more of a 2 but bumping it up bc of the Sukiyaki callback

I think this is the best Public Enemy album I've heard, but not fully sure

Thai song saves this one

Good to hear from Beth Orton again, but kind of lame otherwise