1001 Albums Summary

Young americans and fame are classics. Classic Bowie sounds, great album. Interesting across the universe cover (Beatles). The first album I did with this website.

Excellent 70s style metal album. Not really my wheelhouse, but a fun listen. I hadn’t every listened to Iron Maiden before, but I’m a fan now.

Great EJ sound. Three track punch of candle in the wind, Benny and yellow brick road is hard to beat.

I really like this one. Great 60s influenced soul. Missed this when it first came out, but I’m glad I got to it now.

Great one. New wave and punk, combined with brit pop. Never heard of this band before this.

I listened to this when it was new. I really liked her earlier album (Pure Heroine) but this one didn't really hit the spot for me. Not bad, just not my style.

I didn't know much about Yes prior to listening to this. Classic prog rock sound. Pretty enjoyable all the way through. Lots of long jam tracks, no real radio singles, so it's more of a patient listen as it shifts style even within songs. Pretty good stuff.

Not my style. Industrial has value, but it’s a tough listen. I’m sure this was much more innovative in its time when there was less stuff like it.

Sunshine Superman is a classic. I always liked season of the witch, too. I never had listened to the rest of the album before. Huge eastern influence, which was popular at the time. Honestly, it’s not really my thing. Probably written mostly for 60s kids trying out LSD for the first time.

This was really good. I was aware of X before, but hadn’t really listened. This seems ahead of its time. Would have sounded contemporary in late 80s early 90s.

Fun to hear the Who at the height of their powers. I saw them live in 2022 and the still got it.

This is one I have listened to periodically over the years. Many great tracks on this one. Not a classic for my taste, but a pretty good one.

This guy is not a great person. I'm not a fan of this album anyway, so that worked out. Honestly, too whiney/emo for my taste.

I’ve heard this several times before. Fun, jam band sound. Obviously the start of quite a legacy from Chicago. Honestly not something I’d listen to much on my own, but enjoyable to listen every once in awhile.

One of my all time favorites. Over the years, I've had this on tape, CD and now vinyl. I've done the dark side of the rainbow, of course. Total classic.

Fun one. This was a blast from the past.

Pretty interesting concept album. Some good, some not as much.

Classic album. Not my favorite REM album, but essential nonetheless. Great one.

Not bad, but not the best by Herbie. I'm a fan of his older stuff.

Good stuff. Brass in pocket is a classic.

Tremendous album. One of my favorites.

I was hoping to like this one. It’s fine. Some of these lyrics are pretty terrible though: “Oh, the snot has caked against my pants. It has turned into crystal.” Wow, deep stuff!

Great one. Beautiful voice.

Great one. Listened to this a ton during pandemic lockdown.

Never been my favorite. Sting’s super high vocals aren’t the most pleasant. I liked Sting’s later solo stuff better.

Such a great one. I listened to this a ton when it was new. Hurt is one of the all-time great covers.

I had heard of this band, but never listened. Pleasantly surprised. Pretty good 90s sound.

Never heard of this before, but very pleasantly surprised. There are some really solid tracks here.

It’s fine, but not my style. Super sleepy.

All time classic. I've listened to this one since I was a kid and it doesn't get old. Weird cover art though.

Total classic. One of my favorite albums regardless of genre.

Meh, it's fine. Gets old after a few tracks.

Pretty enjoyable. The weight is a classic.

One of my least favorite genres. I understand this was a huge hit in the day, but there's a reason no one makes music like this anymore.

Solid classic. Imagine has to be one of the best songs ever written.

Some good and some meh here. I listened to this a bunch when new. My opinion is the same now as then. Gacy is a super weird track.

Never heard of this when it was new. Surprisingly enjoyable brit-pop influenced sound.

I come and go with this one since it was new. Some of FL's best work for sure.

Never heard this full album, only Karma Chameleon. Pretty good 80s sound.

Fantastic. Ellington is an all-time great.

Good stuff. I knew the hits, but the rest of the album is not bad.

EC just as never really been my style. His voice wears on me after a while, and some of the lyrics here are not great, i.e. "are you straight or are you blind" - ugh. That said, the band sounds really solid.

All time classic. Joni has a tremendous voice.

Obviously some great tracks on here, but they aren't all winners.

Fun disco sound. Some classics on here.

It's OK. Didn't really stand out to me as having anything really distinctive for the era.

Just as catchy and jarring as I remember when it was new. I understand that the shock value was part of the album, but a lot of this hasn't aged well.

Pretty good 80s sound. Never heard of it before now.

Not understanding this one. Just ongoing wailing and general noise.

I liked this better than I expected. Interesting all-vocal concept. Not one I'd listen to much, but it was fun to experience once.

What a classic. Huge number of hits on this album. One of the best albums by one of the greatest ever musicians = 5 stars in my book.

Really enjoyed this one. Great metal sound.

Pretty great album. The hits off this one are total classics. The other tracks are more 50s filler, but still pretty good.

Meh, not really my thing. Some good synth pop moments, but overall seems like wailing over ideas from better bands.

Some enjoyable stuff here. RHCP/Primus/Rage vibes. Had never heard of this album or group before.

Some good stuff here, but Nick Cave just isn't my style. It's fine as background noise for me. I understand there are many superfans that will not enjoy my hot take.

One of my all time favorites. Five stars.

Pretty fun, fast hardcore punk. I hadn't heard it before, but liked it.

I like Dinosaur Jr fine, but the sound gets old after a while. I was ready to shut this one down after about 4 tracks.

I couldn't get access to this album on my streaming service. Bummer, sounded interesting.

One of the all-time great hip hop albums. I have listened to this more times than I can count.

Really solid sound. I didn’t like this originally, but it’s really grown on me over the years.

It was ok. Not even my favorite Mayfield album though.

Some great stuff. No woman no cry is an all time classic.

Fantastic. One of my all time favorite voices and several of her best songs. 5 stars.

Fantastic. One of my all time favorite voices and several of her best songs. 5 stars.

One of the great Christmas albums. I have this on vinyl.

Spinning wheel is really the only highlight, and that’s just ok. Generic jam band stuff otherwise.

Not bad, but feels a little like Kirkland Signature Sgt. Pepper's.

Total classic. 5 stars.

It's crazy how there are 100s of Christmas songs, but only one song about the boys being back in town.

Not bad, but not my favorite Miles.

Kind of a mixed bag. There are some pretty fun tues here, but also some clunkers.

Never been a huge VM fan. There’s some good stuff here, as well as some clunkers. The recording quality is top notch for a live show.

On paper, I feel like I would enjoy this. Man, too many 10 minute atmosphere songs though. I won't knock it for experimentation, which I appreciate. It's just not a top album for me.

The singles off this one are still high rotation classics, 40 years later. That alone is worth 4 stars. It's a bit like an AC/DC album - if you love the sound, you'll love the whole album. If not... then not. Not quite 5 star level for me, but it's a great one.

This is a great one. Sunday Bloody Sunday is an all-time rock classic. Still, I think this isn't even the greatest U2 album.

This was a slog to get through. I’d have given it one star, except the story of its creation is pretty neat. The music itself seems like a first draft that needs a lot more work and production.

I never really listed to Dr. John much, so I was thinking this was going to be like the one song I could think of, "Making Whoopie". Was not excited about an album of that. It couldn't have been more different. I actually really enjoyed it, even if it isn't a classic for me.

Reading the notes, I thought this would be up my alley. I'm a huge Prince/80s/808 fan. This one just didn't grab me though. Sounds like one of Prince's backup singers made an album without his help.

Victoria is a great track. The rest is uneven. A lot of it sounds like a Beatles cover band.

I bought this album when it first was released and listened to it non stop for awhile. It’s really good. She has a tremendous, unique voice. Not to mention excellent songwriting and piano skills.

If you like the sound of any of their radio singles, you'll enjoy this. It's basically one long song, but it's a good one.

If you're into new wave, this is a pretty solid album.

Judy Blue Eyes is a classic, but so much of the rest of this album is pretty sleepy.

I hadn't listened to this one before, but I really enjoyed it. Not every track is a home run, but there are a bunch of great ones. You're either into Talking Heads or you're not, I find. Not many casual fans of this band.

I like Elliott Smith in small doses. Definitely not his best album, but there’s some good stuff here.

This was fine, but I am struggling to figure out why it's included here. Doesn't seem like the best example of the genre.

How could you not like this sound? Basie is always solid.

Seems like this is what happens when you do a ton of drugs and suddenly think you know how jazz works.

Lots of hits on this one. Solid.

I had never heard of this before. There are some fun tracks on this one, but for my taste, this is a "once in a great while" kind of listen. The style gets a bit old after a while.

The opening track is a masterpiece. The rest pretty much sits in the good-great range. Four stars.

I remember when this came out in 99, and I sat through it then. I had friends raving about it. I didn't get it then, and I still don't now. The idiotic title (wink wink, see what we did??) should tell you all you need to know without having to waste over 2 hours(!) on this. Only worth one star because the SF Symphony Orchestra is fantastic and they're doing all they can with the material.

Son of a Preacher Man is a stone cold R&B classic. Virtually all of the rest of it sounds like late 60s/early 70s filler - hard to tell it apart from any other average sound from the era. It's fine, just not special.

Really good all around album.

Rod Stewart is best for my taste on the radio. One good song, then don’t hear from him for a while again. A whole album, especially when many are lesser covers, gets old for me.

I was pretty bored throughout listening to this. Hard to understand why this made the 1001 list.

One of the best new wave albums. Huge number of hits, especially for a debut album. Not an all time classic for my taste, but still really great.

One of my all time favorite bands. There are some really strong tracks on here, but overall, this is not their strongest album - many tracks feel like b-sides or ideas. Radiohead's b-sides are better than most band's singles though.

My favorite album by an all time great band. Classic.

This was pretty brutal. Desperate need of a producer/editor. Chopped down to about 3 minutes for each song and with some serious reworking, there's some good ideas here. Hard to figure out how this album made the list though.

I listened to this a bunch when it was new, hoping for Pet Sounds 2.0. It isn’t that. It’s more just a nostalgia trip about what might have been.

Really fun album. I listened to this a ton when it was new. It’s not a five star in my book, but it’s loud and fun.

Not quite Folsom, but awesome. Cash is a national treasure.

Listened to this a ton when it was new. Some great tracks, but not quite 5 stars for me.

Classic hip hop album. Not my favorite, but undeniable influence in its day.

Just OK - not great, not bad. If you heard this in a waiting room somewhere, it would blend right in. Look elsewhere for a top album of all time however.

I listened to this on constant rotation when it was new. I’m a Seattle area native and huge Sub Pop fan, so this was right in my sweet spot. I saw them live in 2008, not long after this was released- great live band. Brings back many memories. Phenomenal debut album. It’s interesting how “White Winter Hymnal” has started to appear on holiday radio/playlists in recent years. Didn’t think of it as a Christmas season tune when it was new, but it works.

This one changed everything in rock. Five stars.

One of my all time favorites. Listen on vinyl!

This was really uneven from my perspective. Some good, some not so good. The ballads seem like filler, but there are some neat ideas in the other tracks.

Really fun. Great sound.

Pretty solid house-style album, just not really my taste.

Wasn’t available in my music service.

Wasn’t available on my music service.

Hard to beat Ray's sound, especially from this era. I genuinely enjoyed this all the way through.

I enjoyed this when it was new, and again now. Not an all-time great in my book, but Jack's influence on music of this era is undeniable.

Nothing wrong with it, just not my style. I like Young's solo stuff a lot better.

It's pretty tough to figure out why this one is on the list. Hasn't aged well.

I had never heard this one. I liked it much more than expected. Some really good stuff here.

The front half of this one is great. I remember when the single for Faith was released and it was a massive hit. You can hear the strong Prince influence on the front half, which is probably why I like it. Then, the back half hits. Seems like they lost steam and ideas. Also, essentially 14 minutes of this thing is devoted to \"I Want Your Sex\". Catchy tune, but c'mon.

Total classic. This is where the Beatles really started to figure it out, in my book. Not my favorite album of theirs, but better than virtually anything else out there in its day.

One of the all time greats. I’ve been listening to this since I was in 8th grade I bet, and it still hits.

Pretty generic southern rock. I'm sure it's fine if that's your jam, but it isn't mine.

This was up and down for me. A few tracks I really liked, and some that were just not great. That averages to a 3 for my taste.

I really liked the front half of this album. The first track was massive back when it was first released, so that was fun to hear again. Somewhere in the middle of the album, it really loses focus before getting it back again.

There's some interesting stuff here, but it's not my cup of tea exactly.

So great. Maybe the high water mark for the Beastie Boys. One of my all time favorites.

There are some incredible musicians on this, but 70s jazz fusion is not my jam. Weird that this album made the list and not so many other better jazz albums.

Tainted love was, and still is, huge. The rest is up and down, but enjoyable.

This was in heavy rotation at my house for a long time when it came out. Probably #2 in Green Day's catalog (Dookie) for me, but still tremendous. This band is the apex of pop-punk. If you're into that genre, there's virtually no better album than this.

This era of jazz is right in my sweet spot. Love that samba sound.

Hard to give anything but five stars. This album has (possibly) rock’s greatest song in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Classic hip hop album that changed everything. Just never been a top album for my taste though.

GD has just never been my style.

Super sleepy. I like Paul’s later stuff, but this isn’t my thing.

Fantastic album. Makes you wonder what might have been if the Beatles had stayed together, but this is still five stars on its own merits.

This guys voice is good enough, but man, those lyrics take you out of it.

Classic hip hop album. Some of the tracks are not top notch, but it’s all pretty good. I would pay for revised versions of so many hip hop albums that got rid of the skits/intros/interludes. Takes you out of the groove.

This album isn't creative, it's just bad. There's a difference. St. Pepper's is a great example of creative and good. This one just sounds like dudes on drugs trying to play jazz after reading about it, but never hearing it. I’ve heard this album several times over the years, as it often makes lists like this. I think we’re just in an echo chamber with this album though. Just because a so-called expert thinks it’s good doesn’t make it so.

Not hating on Taylor, I understand why it’s so popular. Just not my thing.

Easy 5 stars. They don’t come much better than this.

Lots of hits on this, but it’s not my style.

This wasn’t on my streaming service, but I know many of the songs. It’s fine, but not my style.

Hard to criticize this one. Total classic sound. If you like salsa, this might be the best example out there.

Such a classic. Easy five stars.

Hard to give less than 5, based on cultural impact alone. So many of these songs are still in heavy rotation today.

I had never heard of this, but it was entertaining. Strange sound and some of it is just noise, but I never put it down.

The singles off this one are classics. The other tracks are fine, but feel like filler.

Couldn't stream this one.

I like DM, but violator is their best work. This one was good though.

The opening tracks are classics, but it really trails off after that.

I've listened to this one many times over the years. It's fine, but it just doesn't really grab me.

One of my all time favorites. Virtually every track on here is a sing-along hit. Great live band, too.

I had never heard this album before. It was an interesting listen. Obviously neat to learn more about where the Exorcist theme came from. I doubt I’ll ever listen to it again though, just not my thing.

I had never heard this one. It's great. Wonderful sound, great energy and impressive recording quality. One of the best live albums I've heard.

I wasn't feeling this one. His singing style always sounds forced and/or fake to me. Lyrics get weird at times, too. The band sounds good though.

This is my favorite of Blur’s catalog. Song 2 is one of the great all-time rock songs. Not quite 5 star for my taste, but pretty solid overall.

Several thoughts on this one. 1. Never heard of it before. 2. I quickly judged the album cover and album name and expected that I was in for some bad reggae, like early stuff by the Police. 3. It's not even close to reggae. As another reviewer noted, it sounds like video game loading music. 4. This has no business anywhere near the 1001 best list. There are many far better albums even in this genre. 5. Still, it's ok as background music if you need a change, I guess. There are far worse albums on this 1001 list.

Nothing wrong with this one, but just too much of a downer for me to want to listen to again. You can hear the influence on so many later bands, so it definitely has relevance (see Interpol, The National, et al). Really sad to read about the lead singer as well.

Not my favorite Hendrix album, but still genius. I’ve been listening to this for 30+ years and it’s still incredible. Five stars.

I've listened to this one many times over the years. When it was released, this was a huge deal. This album really helped set the stage for what was to come in the 90s. The singles from this one are good, but it doesn't keep me engaged for the whole album.

This album sounds like the kind of thing that Bluto would have smashed a guitar over.

I had never heard this one. Pretty good sound all the way through. Pretty clearly a Warren Zevon riff used in one of the songs.

I had never heard this one. Pretty good sound, and Frank Ocean has a great voice. I enjoyed it quite a bit. But man, what I wouldn’t give to have a separate version of so many hip hop and R&B albums that removes all of the interludes/intros/outros/skits. You’re just getting into the groove by a master musician, then you have to wait through a skit that sounds like it was written by a middle schooler. Totally takes me out of it. It’s not unique to this album, and these aren’t the worst out there, it’s just a pet peeve of mine.

I'm a Seattle-area native and this album came out right when I was entering middle school, so it definitely had an impact on my musical taste. I'll always have a soft spot for it. That said, other than Rooster and Would, I don't usually seek this out. Jar of Flies was their best work - I can listen to that one on repeat.

Joni is a treasure, but this album doesn't hit the sweet spot like Blue does.

Really fun sound. I had never heard this before, but I love this kind of thing. Great party music.

Bowie is an all-time favorite of mine, but this isn't his best. There are a bunch of great tracks though.

Freedom 90 is a good one, but the rest is a clear step down from Faith.

Gotta love Neil. His albums are never quite 5 star for me, but usually worthy of 4. Southern Man is a classic.

I listened to this in heavy rotation when it was new. My favorite album of Arcade Fire’s catalog, easily. City With No Children is also my favorite Arcade Fire song, so this is 5 stars for my taste.

Serious cuffs of my JNCO baggy jeans are wet from dragging in mud puddles vibes. There’s some excellent technical musicianship here, but nothing that interesting about the music itself.

I had never heard this one before. Enjoyable throughout.

Relax is fun, but the rest wasn’t really my thing.

Tiny Dancer and Levon are fantastic. Pretty standard Elton Stuff after that, so still pretty good.

I hadn't heard this one before. I was drumming the steering wheel and nodding my head all the way through. Great sound, variety and creativity. Janelle has a solid voice, too. All of that equals five stars for me.

This type and era of jazz is right in the sweet spot for me. I hadn't heard this before, but I really enjoyed it. They just don't make em like this anymore, sadly...

Pretty much 'meh' for my taste. Not great, not bad, just OK.

Varied, fun sound. If you’re a ska fan, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Loved this one when it was new, and again now. Jack is a genius.

Classic voice and sound. A bit sleepy for my taste though.

Total classic for my taste. I remember being taken completely off guard by 'We're Going to Be Friends', possibly the most unique and best song on this already great album. Also, look up the video for 'Fell In Love With a Girl'. It might seem quaint in today's age of CGI and AI, but at the time, it was really something, especially for a then more or less indie band.

I remember when this was new - pretty huge hit. I'm a fan of this era of hip hop, but 2Pac just isn't really my flavor.

Not an all time classic, but it's really fun. I Can't Get No Satisfaction has to be one of the best covers of all time.

I'm an ELO fan and this album has much of Jeff's best stuff. Toe tapper all the way through.

Classic, massively influential album.

I was going to give this 4 stars, but the Ph.D. student in mathematics review was so cringeworthy that I'm going with 5 to offset it. Truly a really fun hip hop album on its own merits, either way.

Not really my taste. It's OK, just not one I'd come back to. Pretty noticeable drop-off in quality from their first album.

I had never heard of this band before. Pleasantly surprised. If you're into 80s indie rock sounds, you'll like this one.

I'm an Elvis fan, but this era isn't my favorite. It's better than so many other albums on this list though. Suspicious Minds is a classic.

I've loved this one since I found it in high school. This is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Massive influence on all rock that came afterward.

This was tough. Blue is a five star album. Her voice is great, but I found myself getting bored with this one though. Seems kind of aimless, like a strong editor/producer might have helped.

Solid R&B sound. I don't always love what she does with her vocal inflections, but I was entertained the whole way through.

Sweet Dreams is still a classic. The rest is pretty solid synth-pop. Not five star material, but entertaining.

I like some of Willie’s stuff, but not this one. He didn’t write any of these songs, and none of the covers come close to the originals or other artist versions, for my taste. Willie simply doesn’t hit the notes sometimes either with his singing. I know that’s part of the journeyman country singer charm, but it’s not working for me this time.

One of my all-time favorites. To really appreciate this album, listen to KEXP’s breakdown, here: https://www.kexp.org/breakdown/paulsboutique/

Couldn’t get this one on my streaming service.

Wonderful voice. Not something I’d choose to listen to, but that’s just my taste.

This was peak Smashing Pumpkins for me. I was not a huge fan of most of their stuff before or after, but this one hit the spot for my taste.

VH has never been my taste exactly, but it's hard to argue with the talent and impact they've had. There's excellent technical musicianship throughout, but the songs don't have much emotion or depth. Just great party music. That, and the signature squeal-yell in the vocals gets old.

Like AC-DC, it’s essentially one long song. It’s a great one though. Kept me drumming my steering wheel all the way through.

I’ve heard pavement songs now and again over the years, but never really listened to an album. This style isn’t really my sweet spot, but there are a lot of interesting ideas throughout.

I saw Beach House live the year that this album came out. I'm a huge sub pop fan, and this style is right in my sweet spot. I listened to this frequently when it was new, but hadn't for a few years. It still sounds great to my ear.

I rolled my eyes when the first track started, thinking this was year another 60s era attempt at folk/blues, like so many others on this list. It grew on me as it went along though. One of the better examples I’ve heard on this list so far.

Janis had one of the best voices in rock, no doubt. Piece of my heart is one of the great all-time rock songs. But man, the amateur level production, fake crowd noise and disappointing backing instruments/vocals bum me out. When you had Janis in the studio, her voice should have been front and center with as little in the way as possible. No wonder she went solo after this.

There’s no more important hip hop album than this one. I love the sound from this era.

I hadn't heard of this one. It was fine, but the singer's voice kind of got on my nerves after awhile. They'd probably be a pretty good opening band.

I was at the first show they did as a trio as part of a festival in 2000. I didn’t know who they were at the time, but I remember talking to a friend after their set and saying I thought the woman in the middle was a standout and seemed like she could have a pretty good career in front of her. Seems like I underestimated her a bit.

I had heard Lovefool when it was new, but never listened to the album. Pleasantly surprised. There's some good, creative stuff here.

Fleetwood Mac has a classic sound, but this album feels like a step down from the highs of Rumors.

Fantastic. Higher ground has such an amazing groove.

This band has a really fun sound. As other reviewers have noted, I remember how different this sound was in the landscape of pop in 2004. Maybe doesn't sound that remarkable today, but it was a breath of fresh, and fun, air in its day.

I had never heard this album, but I enjoy Megadeath. Just a good, fun, loud album.

It’s fine, but pretty unremarkable. They would have been a good opening band for the Doors.

Smoke on the water is one of the first riffs every guitar player learns, so that's fun. Otherwise, not really my thing.

This sound is pretty common now, but back when it was released, I remember how different this sounded from what was popular at the time. Recall that 1998 was the same year that Gettin Jiggy Wit It and Tubthumping were two of the top songs. This was a fresh breeze, in comparison.

Pretty fun album. Creative use of rhythm and electronic elements.

Enjoyable throughout. Neat to hear an all female group on this list.

The era and genre is a sweet spot for me.

La Grange is a classic. The rest of this is just ok.

Bowie is a genius. However, this isn't really my taste for what makes him great. Too much jam band/acid jazz going on. That said, there are some interesting moments and top notch musicians here, so it's not bad either.

Really fun sound. Really sad to hear what happened after this album was released.

Pretty interesting, almost atmospheric guitar.

This one probably shouldn't be on this list. I'm a big fan of 80s synth pop, so this should have been in my wheelhouse. However, it seems below average for the era, and hasn't really aged well. No wonder they were worried about a lawsuit from Steve McQueen's estate.

Classic. Lou Reed produced by Bowie is special.

I never listened to this, other than Red Eyes, when it was new. Sleepy at times, but overall pretty solid. Very clear Springsteen influence.

Fun, creative album.

This one never really grabbed me. Something about her singing voice isn't my thing. She's obviously talented, so it's probably just a taste thing on my end.

Kind of fun at first, but it got a bit tiresome after a while.

Bruce has never really been my taste in music, but there's no denying the talent or how influential his early work was.

This was never really my taste, but I was in high school when it came out, so I remember how huge and influential it was. My most distinctive memory of this album is being on a road trip to Mexico in 1995. We were with family friends, riding with the two older daughters (maybe 17 years old) of my parent's friends, while the adults were in a different car. The girls were driving/riding in the front, and my buddy in I were in the back of their Jeep. My buddy and I didn't have drivers licenses yet. The girls brought just this CD, so we pretty much sat in the back and listened to it on repeat for about 3 hours each way, with them belting it out, and me not fully understanding the lyrics yet.

If you’re into Wu Tang, you’ll like this.

Fascinating, tragic background story, but this is a slog to listen through. From the wikipedia link: '...Rubinson chose to stay away from the studio, concerned that Spence's recording activities would be distracted by the presence of a producer.' Sounds like the recording process was Spence just rambling in a studio for hours on end with no input, and it shows. Too bad they didn't give him some help, maybe something interesting could have been made of this.

A few interesting tracks, but this one didn't really grab me. I don't think this would even crack the list of the top 30 best albums of 1991.

Worth 4 stars for Heroes alone.

There’s a soft spot in my heart for this one. I was 13 when it was released, and alt rock was my genre of choice. I hadn’t listened in years, but it still holds up. Great album.

Total classic. Every other song is a single, and the ones in between are great. Easy five stars.

This one got old pretty quickly. Poor audio quality, too.

One of my all time favorites. Even if the music isn't for you, it's worth checking out the recording production techniques that were essentially invented for this album.

There are some classic tunes on this one, worthy of four stars. Holy cow though - mother? What the heck happened there?

It's fine, but I agree with some other reviewers - it's too melancholy for my taste.

Hard not to like Stevie, especially in this era. This isn't the strongest of his albums from this time, but it's still pretty great.

This one was all over the map. Some really good, some not so much. Sometimes it sounds like the Doors, sometimes Velvet underground. 'Girlfriend' is a low point on the album. All that said, there was some pretty enjoyable and interesting stuff overall.

Oof, the front half of this one is not great. Jerky delivery, weak lyrics, generic beats. Later on, ‘Get out of my house’ is fun only because the female rapper is superior. This album peaks with ‘Fit But You Know It’, which is actually pretty solid, relative to the rest of the album. Huge drop off after that again. This album doesn’t belong on the 1001 list - I’m not even sure it’s one of the top 20 hip hop albums of 2004.

I saw this band live in 2003, opening for the White Stripes. Fun show, much like this album. Not quite 5 star material for me, but this was definitely better than most from this era.

Pretty interesting listen, even if I’m unlikely to ever come back to it again.

There are several rock classics on this one, as well as some neat ideas. If this had been edited down to about 10-12 tracks, then it's probably 5 stars. The filler tracks knock it down to a 4 in my book.

Meh, not really my thing. It’s competent, just not my taste.

‘Where is my mind’ is a favorite of mine. Not every track works, but it’s all interesting and creative.

Classic album by an all-time great band. The first four tracks are still huge nearly forty years on.

Definitely on my short list of best hip hop albums of all time. This one settles into a groove a maintains it all the way to the end. Five stars.

I’m a fan of African music, and this is a great one. If these beats don’t get you moving, you might want to get your hearing checked.

I had never heard this before, but wasn't feeling it. Seems pretty dated. Perhaps the most interesting track, even if it is not great, is the Moog instrumental.

Classic. 80 per cent of the songs on this album were, or could have been singles. If you weren't around when this was released, it's hard to overstate how massive it was in its day.

The old saying of love the art, not the artist comes to mind here. I have a huge soft spot for this one, as it was one of the first non-kid music albums I loved while growing up. It's still great. If you weren't around when this was released, it might be hard to describe how this album took over pop culture for a while. Nine singles, seven of which made the top 20 on Billboard. Don't forget about the driving force behind MJ's best albums - Quincy Jones. I think this was their final collaboration, and it shows, as the quality dropped off in MJ's later albums. Stevie Wonder makes an appearance here too, which is never a bad thing.

I love jazz from this era, but hadn’t heard this before. Hard to think of anything but positive vibes from my time with this one.

I had never heard of this band, but I enjoyed this all the way through. If you’re into talking heads, velvet underground, devo and the like, I bet you’ll like this too.

I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. This is easily some of Bjork's best work. If the male vocalist was silenced, this might have even been better.

I enjoyed the band and some of the creative elements. However, the singer seems like he is trying to copy Dylan, which took me out of it.

Classic album. This is AC DC at the height of their powers. Massively influential album, too.

C'mon, it's Abbey Road. Easy five stars.

Wow, my jaw dropped when this album came up for me today. I was in college when this came out. There was a big push at that time from MTV to anoint these guys as the leaders of some kind of nu-metal revolution that would take over from grunge as the 'cool' music. Epic fail. This album was bad then, and it hasn't aged well. The only thing it did was inspire a whole bunch of guys at my college to wear white t-shirts, backwards baseball hats, puka shells and bleach their hair. And that album cover - yikes. You can just imagine Fred D crying while laughing while saying 'do you get it?? chocolate starfish??" Ridiculous.

I had never heard this one before. Pretty solid album, especially considering how it was recorded. This was a pleasant surprise.

Really mixed feelings about this one. I saw these guys a year before this came out, opening for The Strokes. My thought then was that they were just an average opening band, and not even great for that purpose. I saw them again in 2009 at Austin City Limits and was blown away that they had improved greatly, almost to the point of being a different band. You can hear some of the seeds of what would become that better band in this album, but too much of the opening band sound to make it great. If later albums by Kings of Leon are on here, I bet I'll score them higher.

Oh man, this was great. I'd never heard it before, but I sort of felt like I had - I'm pretty sure that this version of 'Bring It On Home to Me' is covered on the soundtrack to the movie Ali, which I had when it was new. You can't help wishing you had been in the audience while listening to this one.

I'd heard of this band, but never listened to it before. Really solid dreamy synth pop. Had me engaged the whole way through.

I've heard Kick Out the Jams many times, but never listened to the whole album. The energy is great, the story is fun to read and the album has solid historical significance, but the music itself... meh.

80s hair metal is definitely not my genre of choice, but there's some undeniably huge tracks on this one, as well as some solid musicianship.

Jerry is one of the all time weirdos in music history, but this album is great. Makes you wish you could have been in the crowd.

The first couple tracks are really solid, maybe 4/5. Wow, this album falls off a cliff after that. Sluggish, wailing vocals, uninspired song writing. Sounds like a bunch of white dudes ripping off the blues. The last track, 'Mother's Lament' is in the running for worst track I've heard from any album on this list. A snippet of the lyrics: 'Oh, your baby has gone down the plug hole...Oh, your baby has gone down the plug...' Seems to be about the lighter side of drowning a baby, so that's a fun way to close out a rock album I guess?

I have listened to 'It Takes a Nation of Millions...' a ton over the years, but never this one, other than the singles. I was really impressed - this is fantastic. I wish I had found this back when it was new. Great flow, energy and beats. Powerful message. What else are you looking for?

Mariah has one of the great voices of her generation, but wow, this music is terrible. This came out around my senior year in high school. Everyone had a copy of this - it was mandatory listening then. I didn't like it then and it somehow got worse with time. Too bad Mariah never really had a crack at music that would have fit her vocal talent.

Loved the opening track, but it's pretty average 60s jam band stuff after that. You can hear how this was an influence on bands that came later, so an interesting listen overall.

Wasn't really feeling this one. Probably a good opening band for REM, but this album doesn't belong on this list. My impression is that indie rock really struggled in the early to mid-80s, until bands like U2 and REM really found their footing.

Loved this one when it was new, and again now. Fantastic groove all the way through. Great backstory, too.

Super fun sound. Hard to be in a bad mood listening to this.

Even Frank’s worst is still great. I like this one, but it’s a bit sleepy for my taste.

Loud, fun, high energy. Not really my genre, but this was a fun listen, at least once.

No doubt this album belongs on this list. You still can't go to a bar without hearing these songs, nearly 40 years later. I just really can't stand the forced singing, paint by numbers songwriting and made for MTV image.

I get that there are huge fans out there, but Metallica is just not my thing. The vocals always feel forced and fake to me.

This one has the first dance song from my wedding, so probably need to give it 5 stars. Every song on this one is solid.

Hard not to like Muddy Waters. Classic blues sound.

Like pretty much all Queen, it's solid.

Oh man, one of my all-time favorites. I'm from the Seattle area, so these guys were already heroes of mine when this was released while I was in high school. I know Nirvana gets all the attention, but I preferred this album to Nevermind back then, and still do. I was lucky enough to see them at a small venue in Seattle (The Showbox). They were an incredible live band. Still sad to think about Chris all these years later.

First time listen for me. I like Funkadelic, but man, 10 min of guitar noodling on the opening track was a weird choice. The quality of the rest of the album didn't make up for having to endure that, in my book.

I had never heard this one before. I only knew Running Up That Hill from the radio. Pretty interesting, solid album. Especially considering this was from 1985, it was a pretty fun listen.

Not my kind of thing at all. I powered through, thinking it would pick up, but no such luck. Still better than plenty of other albums on this list though.

Classic album by an all-time great. What's not to like? Dylan has one of the most distinctive, if not strangest, voices of all time.

I had never heard this album, just the singles. I was entertained all the way through. Not surprising that I liked it, given the Talking Heads association. I’m a fan of that band too.

This may be my favorite of Nirvana's catalog. I bought it on vinyl a few years ago, and it is amazing. It makes you nostalgic for what might have been. Five stars.

Easily one of the most influential groups in all modern music. Am I going to listen to this album much? No. Do I appreciate its impact on modern music? Absolutely.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. Seems ahead of its time for 1980. Some of it gets repetitive at times, but I never wanted to skip a track. It had me engaged the whole way.

Wonderfully weird, varied, fuzzy and a bit inaccurate. All of that adds up to an album that is right in my wheelhouse.

This was tough. It seems like it couldn't pick a lane - not jazz, not psychedelic rock, not folk rock, but trying to be everything at once while succeeding at none of them.

Loved this when it was new and again now. Wonderful atmospheric album. Electronic beats, surf guitar, whispered vocals - I don't know why it works, but it does.

Neil's albums always seem to land in the 3-4 star range for me. Good-great, but not all-time. Cinnamon Girl is a favorite of mine.

Prince at the height of his powers. 10/5.

Some classics on this one. Great overall sound.

Beautiful, haunting album.

I was definitely not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. It’s not my style, but there's clearly some great songwriting work on this one.

I know 'Get it on' all too well from my days playing trumpet in my high school pep band. I had never heard the rest of this album before. Nothing grabbed me - it was fine, just pretty average.

Man, tough for this album to come out in 1992, given what was released that year or the year before it. I don't think it even makes the top 20 most significant albums of 1992, in my book anyway.

Most of Neil's albums on this list are around a 4 for me, but this is one that I'll round up to a 5. The best of his catalog, to my ear. The couple questionable tracks are more than covered by the absolute classics on this one.

Great new wave groove. I was drumming the steering wheel of my car all day to this.

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Lots of interesting work with a diverse set of influences. Some of it might have been good theme music for a Bond film.

Deserves a star for the album title alone. Otherwise, not great, not bad.

I had never heard this before, other than 'No More Mr Nice Guy', which is a classic. I was pleasantly surprised. Not a classic album by any stretch, but competent and fun.

Sonic Youth is just not my taste. Not bad, not great.

No doubt this has some fun moments, but it's still pretty rough. I think a solid producer could have bumped this material up a notch, as there are some great moments dulled by some poor production choices. For instance, there is no song here that should have been over 4 min. Some good foreshadowing of what was to come for this band though.

Hey You what’s that sound was fun, but the rest feels repetitive and pretty dated. Hard to imagine this was all that interesting even in 1999.

Pretty fun album. Makes you wish you could have been there.

I listened to this many years ago, after first hearing Black to Black. I feel the same way now - it's a bummer that I listened to her albums in that order. If I hadn't heard the masterpiece that is Black to Black already, I think this album would have been intriguing and fun. A new artist with lots of potential. Knowing what she is capable of later makes this one feel unfocused and in need of a better producer. Lots of promise, but not an all-time album.

Can’t argue with the massive impact this album had on so many that came after it. Still holds up.

Classic hip hop album. Just a great vibe all the way through. Most of the hits you know from Nas are on this one, too. I remember what a huge hit this was when it was new - feels like it would be again today.

20+ years later, just try to go to a sporting event without singing the chorus of Seven Nation Army. Can't do it.

Massive album. A couple of my favorite Nirvana tracks are on this one. If you weren't around when this was released, internet search 'Waif Me' to see how much controversy this album caused.

On paper, I thought I'd like this one. I like the era, genre and Brian Eno. Plus, pretty epic 70s album art. Just wasn't feeling it though. Seems like a rough draft of something better to come.

This is the best of Metallica in my opinion, but it just never grabs me. The singing feels forced/fake. Also, the shortest song on this album is 5:12, with three clocking in over 8:00. Every time I've listened to this album, it seems like editing all of them down to around 3:00 each would have kept this thing moving and more exciting throughout.

Fantastic album by one of the greatest hip hop groups = 5 stars.

This is a great one. I listened to this a bunch when it was new. Not an all-time great in my book, but still really solid.

Maybe not a 5 star for my taste, but I was entertained all the way through. Definitely some talking heads vibes.

It's great to hear some African music on this list. There are so many great artists and genres there that I don't get enough exposure to. This one was new to me and a really enjoyable ride.

This was one of the early rock albums I had growing up. I have a soft spot for it because of that. It's not an all time classic, but it was fun to spin it again today.

Brilliant album. Thelonious is a genius.

This band is good enough, but Southern Rock just isn't my thing. There are definitely some well known tracks on this one, so it's at least worthy of 3 stars.

There are a few solid tracks on this one. Pearl Jam does a F—kin up cover. Definitely too many Neil Young albums on this list though.

I had this album back when it was new. Really solid mid-90s sound. 'Goldfinger' got some radio play here in Seattle and was a favorite of mine back then. Definitely in the Weezer ballpark.

Solid funk, all the way through... 'The recording was dominated by band frontman Sly Stone during a period of elevated drug use and intra-group tension...' No joke!

This one will instantly put a smile on your face. Keely Smith deserves some praise here too for her vocals.

One of the greatest voices ever singing her greatest song? Easy 5 stars, give me a break. Hilarious quote from the Rolling Stone review in 1967 when this was released, saying the album was weak, due to: '...the lack of versatility on the part of the sidemen. The drums weren't hard enough, the guitar was weak, and the production lacked polish.' That quote has not aged well.

Fun and loud. This was maybe the last hurrah for 80s rock before grunge took over, and you'd never hear this style again. Lots of 80s era Red Hot Chili Pepper influence, to my ear.

Wishing well is elevated by the quirky woodwind breaks, but otherwise this is pretty unremarkable 80s pop R&B. Not great, not bad.

This really felt like two albums. The first three tracks are mellow background, then the second three turn it up. If felt like this album was a producer and competent vocalist away from being a solid four star effort. As it is, there are some interesting ideas and some throw-aways.

Wendy? Yes, Lisa? Is this a 5 star album? Yes, Lisa.

Loud, fun, varied, innovative, sharp lyrics = 5 stars.

Hard to be in a bad mood listening to this absolute funk masterpiece.

Couldn’t get this one on my music service. They had some of his other albums, but I wasn’t wild about what I heard.

Tough one... the highs are great. Boomin system, around the way girl, jingling baby, mama said knock you out. The lows are low - Mr. good bar, milky cereal and others. Hard to deny how popular and important this album was at the time though.

What's Going on and Mercy Mercy Me are two of my all time favorites. The middle of this album (friendly skies, children, god is love) drags a bit though. Still overall a great one.

Loved it. Songs produced by Bowie probably means a high rating from me.

Fun, loud and high energy. Good one.