278
Albums Rated
3.04
Average Rating
26%
Complete
811 albums remaining
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1950s
Favorite Decade
Jazz
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US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
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19
5-Star Albums
15
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaft | 5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
| The College Dropout | 5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
| Fragile | 5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
| The Köln Concert | 5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
| 2112 | 5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
| Pretzel Logic | 5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| American Gothic | 4 | 2.49 | +1.51 |
| Jazz Samba | 5 | 3.56 | +1.44 |
| Black Holes and Revelations | 5 | 3.59 | +1.41 |
| Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room | 4 | 2.6 | +1.4 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blonde On Blonde | 1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
| Violent Femmes | 1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
| Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs | 1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
| Talking Timbuktu | 1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
| Dirty | 1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
| The Doors | 2 | 3.95 | -1.95 |
| Destroy Rock & Roll | 1 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
| Djam Leelii | 1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
| Planet Rock: The Album | 1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Steely Dan | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 1.67 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (19)
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Popular Reviews
Mylo
1/5
Sometimes I think more closely about the idea behind "you have to hear this album before you die". I think it's a pretty crazy premise to say ANY album could be capable of such importance in the grand scheme of things. Is your life wasted because you didn't get a chance to hear a certain record some people deem important? No of course not.
On the other hand, there really are records that carry such an impact that it truly would be a shame to go your whole life not hearing it at least once. I think of records like Dark Side, Abbey Road, Song in the Key of Life, Kind of Blue, Thriller etc. Really do need to be heard by everyone. However, after those handful of truly legendary records, things start to get a little bit silly. Case in point, this record by Mylo.
I don't believe there could be a single soul alive that would put this music up there with the truly legendary albums to listen to before you die. If someone told me: "Before you go - you are required to listen to this last piece of music before you shuffle off from this mortal coil", and then began playing fuckin' DROP THE PRESSURE from Mylo - there would be two people dying that day.
I had more constructive critiques of this album written. But it was mostly pointless and boring. Just like this record. Maybe on a good day I would have given this a 2. But today is not a good day (I blame this record).
45 likes
Primal Scream
2/5
Pretty sleepy album but I didn't hate it. Pretty forgettable. Not sure what qualifies this album to be a must hear. Probably some insane back story that isn't immediately recognizable at face value just from listening to it - which in my opinion should remove a record from qualifying but who am I to say? Ain't my list.
12 likes
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Indescribably boring. This genre as a whole completely flies in the face of what I find fun and engaging when it comes to listening to music. Interesting production, stylistic diversity, instrumental virtuosity, lyrical depth. All of which are not present here. If the goal of this type of music is to put you into a boredom induced sleep, mission achieved. I will never revisit another MBV album in my life. My bloody waste of time.
1 likes
T. Rex
3/5
Decent album. I don't think there was anything here for me that made me say "wow" but also don't think there was anything that annoyed me. Just a generally good album with no offensive bits and no tasty bites. Might just not be for me.
1 likes
XTC
2/5
Terribly boring. Probably was never going to connect with this as 80s British pop isn't exactly my cuppa tea. I'm not convinced I'm hearing 15 distinct songs here. It all kinda blended together with the same sort of ideas but that's probably worsened by me getting bored of attentively listening due to the dullness. Production is good I can tell these guys care about the presentation of their sound but damn is 15 songs probably 10 too many tracks for me.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (15)
All Ratings
Michael Jackson
4/5
Ripper of an album. Loved the lesser known tracks even more than the songs I was very familiar with (which there weren't many of)!
Taylor Swift
2/5
I just don't get it. I will say like Thriller, this album is packed with a bunch of singles I immediately knew. So from that perspective I can see why this would crack a top 1001 list. However, the music itself does absolutely nothing for me but make me feel like I'm in a GAP clothing store.
The Smiths
4/5
I was fairly familiar with The Smiths prior to this listen, but admittedly never understood the "obsession" some people have with them. After revisiting this album however... I still don't get it! That being said, I quite enjoyed this. Definitely going to revisit as there's something here I quite like. The orchestral elements are absolutely great. Would be curious to check out another album of theirs but for now another listen to this is in short order!
The Police
3/5
I had high hopes for this album. There are some good songs but overall every song seems quite similar. Each song sounds like a Police song I've heard before but I definitely haven't heard some of these deeper cuts on this record. I was also hoping for some tastier drum parts from Stewart Copeland after hearing so much about him, but maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Really enjoyed this. Will be revisiting it in the future. This is live!? What a show that must have been. Listening to this while working is an absolutely blissful experience.
Bob Dylan
1/5
Absolutely annoying beyond measure. This is one of my first times actively listening to Dylan on my own volition and I'm not sure I believe any actual adult human could seriously get into this album. If I was there in the 60s? Sure. If I grew up with this music? Maybe. But now that I've lived my whole adult life hearing his voice meme'd and parodied I cannot for the life of me take it seriously. Worse yet it seems like his cliche Dylan vocal melodies are in FULL SWING here. They drive me crazy and I can't help but think of all the people who have since done this joke to death.
The Kinks
3/5
Pretty good. Even more British than The Beatles. Can't see me regularly listening but good for a kind ol' time.
The Doors
2/5
The hits on this album are great, but some of the deeper cuts are total ass. Like Alabama Song? Annoying instruments coupled with some bizarre kinda pedo lyrics?? Not for me. Some of the organ meandering gets pretty boring in spots on this record too. I was hoping the band would make up for my luke-warm interest in Jim Morrison, but unfortunately I don't think they made up for it either.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Crazy to read this was already their 8th album? Many bands would be hopeful to even manage 8 albums across their discography. Let alone the career they had past this.
Overall pretty forgettable. Sympathy For The Devil is sweet but the rest of the tracks kinda pale in comparison.
Mike Ladd
2/5
I tend to listen to the music/beats rather than lyrics so I feel like I tend to be biased on these more lyrically based hip-hop artists. There was definitely some cool production choices I enjoyed throughout this record. But overall wouldn't revisit.
Dwight Yoakam
4/5
Now this is what I love about this app. No way I'm ever on my own accord checking out a 80s country album from an artist I'm not familiar with. Loved most of the songs on here. Still an adjustment to properly enjoy the slow soft country ballads though. Can't shake the feeling that I'm an alcoholic that's lost his family in a bar in some shithole highway town. Other than that though - absolute ripper. Also love that he loved his pants so much he needed the whole pair on the album artwork itself. Props.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This was great! Some of the instrumentation on some of the songs are way more experimental and different than I would have assumed off the bat. I only knew Sabotage off this record and man does it hit when it finally makes an appearance. Songs like Eugene's Lament, Shambala, and Bodhisattva Vow are wild and I would have never been able to guess they came off a Beastie Boys record. Very cool, glad I listened.
Ice Cube
4/5
This ripped. Thought it was going to be a bit too old school for me to really enjoy with it being 92'. But I didn't really get bored even for a second. Chalk it up as a big win for the old school hip hop category that I admittedly was unsure about when I started!
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Indescribably boring. This genre as a whole completely flies in the face of what I find fun and engaging when it comes to listening to music. Interesting production, stylistic diversity, instrumental virtuosity, lyrical depth. All of which are not present here. If the goal of this type of music is to put you into a boredom induced sleep, mission achieved. I will never revisit another MBV album in my life. My bloody waste of time.
Bob Dylan
2/5
After my 1 star review of Blonde on Blonde, I was absolutely not happy about getting another Dylan album so soon after suffering through that terrible, terrible experience. But you know what? I didn't HATE this album! It's clear that after 10 years even Bob himself got sick of his stupid OooOoooO voice.
The songs I already knew on this record were a welcomed high-note, and overall I feel like the songwriting conventions of the 70s helped shape this into a much more listenable piece of music from my modern perspective - again, unlike that trash that was Blonde on Blonde. I'm pleasantly surprised, but also can't help but think that listening to basically back to back Dylan albums is going to convince my Spotify I'm the biggest Dylan fan and start recommending me live versions of these songs from geriatric 2023 Bob.
KISS
3/5
Fun listen! I found that the recording of this record sounded almost as if it was live? Especially on songs like God of Thunder. I had to check to make sure I wasn't listening to a live version but nope! Surprised to hear I recognized a lot of these songs, even though these aren't many of the typical really popular KISS songs. Good album.
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
This listen was a bit more of what I was concerned about when reviewing an older hip-hop record. Just a bit too close to the "hip, hop, a hip hip hop" sound of early early rap that I just don't enjoy even if it does come from the early emerging sounds of a new genre. That being said, I'm happy I can say I've listened to this record, even if it felt like I was visiting a museum.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
A fun album. Probably didn't need to be over an hour long. Had high hopes for this record since Mr. Blue Sky rips - was a little let down but overall a good listen.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
A nice fun listen. Wasn't familiar at all with Milton - or with Brazilian music altogether. But very happy I "discovered" this. Lots of songs were the perfect vibe without a lick of English. Made me feel like I was on vacation in my office.
Stan Getz
5/5
After giving yet another classic jazz album a high score - I've realized I get much more enjoyment out of this genre than I previously anticipated. I frankly didn't/don't know where to start when it comes to jazz from the 50s/60s/70s but WOW. Call it a coincidence but I think this and the last jazz record (Keith Garrett) I got get a perfect score! The musicianship on this record is a perfect combo of technically impressive with wonderfully soothing. Great record. Awesome artwork too!
The Prodigy
2/5
Truthfully I went into this record thinking I'd hate it. And maybe I still do. However there were a few things that were notable about this listen. One - there's a hell of a lot of songs or snippets of songs I immediately recognize from some of my favorite movies of the 90s.
Second, I think this type of music is best (at least for me) when my mind is mostly pre-occupied with other things. Listening while working allowed me to have my mind elsewhere, only to come back to focusing on what I'm hearing and find that it's the same beat, or melody, that I had just heard 5 minutes ago. No doubt I'd have an issue listening to the same exact beat replay over, and over, and over, and over again with my full attention. But at work or with other things to distract me? It works kinda!
Paul Simon
3/5
Enjoyed this. I'm surprised that I actually wasn't familiar with any of the songs off this album, including "Me & Julio" where I only kind of recognized sections of it. Really enjoyed the guitar work on this record, as well as the range of songs that added a ton of diversity from one song to the next.
Fela Kuti
3/5
The artwork made me expect something completely different than what I got. Instead it was just a bunch of funky horns for like an hour straight. Got a little boring after the full length of the record, but damn I love me some horns. I'm getting some political vibes from this but because I know absolutely nothing about where this record comes from - all I heard was horns go beep.
Baaba Maal
1/5
Incredibly difficult listen. In my opinion, it's pretty ridiculous to include albums like this, that fit outside the constructs of western music on a list like this. I think if it were a list of songs - it would be much more appropriate. But for a listener growing up with an ethnocentric (using my anthropology classes here) view of pop music, it's ridiculous to expect someone to connect with over an hours worth of music such as this. I have incredibly limited knowledge of West Africa and their music, don't understand the language, and overall lack any context whatsoever of the content of this album.
To try and look at this record in a positive light, I will say that it is amusing to me that I can confidently say I'm "familiar with" a West African record from the 80s, and will now recognize the name Baaba Maal. But with all that being said, a song or two would have sufficed. I don't need 80 minutes of material for that to be true.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Nice rockin' album. Recognized the single from probably a Tony Hawk's game. Short and sweet, had enough variety to keep me engaged for the 40 mins. Good find.
Mercury Rev
4/5
When this album first got revealed to me I was pretty annoyed that this is now the fourth record in a row in which I've had never heard of the artist. However I'm pleasantly surprised! Loved the orchestral elements running throughout this album, interesting production choices, wild sound effects, intriguing story telling, and all from 98'! What's not to love? Absolutely plan to revisit this album again and probably sooner rather than later.
Adele
4/5
Another one of these albums that probably indisputably belong on here with several of the singles amassing literally billions of plays. What that means for me is feeling absolutely nothing when these songs come on. Instead of transporting me with her lyrics, I'm transported to the shopping mall looking for a crappy overpriced phone case. A shame, really.
On the other hand, there's a run of FIVE of her "lesser known" songs that starts with a funky "He Won't Go" and ends with a sneaky organ riddled "Love Song" - that exclusively rips. The least listened to song on the record happens in this 5 song run, "I'll Be Waiting". Thinking it was going to be a potential slow snore... Instead was surprised with an upbeat, funky, horn-laden track that again - rips! Hell yeah Adele. You got pipes on ya and pipes on the track. In another universe, you won't be playing in the malls, but you'd be playing in my home. The true definition of suffering from success.
Kanye West
5/5
This is only the second album I've gotten since starting this list that I actively listened to prior. The first being Thriller.
Just like Thriller, this is a genre-defining album. One of the few hip-hop albums I would argue that you could say "If you're only going to listen to one hip-hop album..."
I love the majority of Kanye's discography, and his personal life aside - the man makes great records. That's on full display here, as his first album, Kanye alone played a major role in all aspects of the production of this project. He's always been the key creative force behind every one of his records, but as his albums progress, his collaborations with other creatives increases.
I believe this record was a novel at the time due to Kanye's use of mainstream popular rappers, with underground "if you know you know" type rappers all on Kanye's signature sound. This blending of styles makes every song a fresh new experience and I really believe there isn't a boring section of this record. Every song is a different vibe. It weaves through uplifting, dark, political, religious, gangster, humorous tracks one after another without ever skipping a beat.
There are moments on here that are very 2004, but for the large majority - this record is timeless. A hip-hop staple that will be remembered forever.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Quite enjoyable. Love the piano bits and Nick's voice is great. Couple pretty low points on the album but overall an enjoyable listen and something I may even revisit! Definitely can see me playing a few Nick Cave tracks here and there from now on. Thanks Generator!
Amy Winehouse
2/5
I was actually expecting to enjoy this more. Maybe Black on Black will be that. I guess I was expecting more... Jazz? Seemed to be a lot more pop/soul than I really expected. Oh well. Also surprised this came out in 2003? I would have guessed later 00's. She has a line about texting and I thought damn did people even do that in 2003?
Anyway - I expect her other album to be on this list so I'll reserve total judgement of her music for then.
Elbow
4/5
I really enjoyed this record. Surprised I wasn't more familiar with Elbow previously to be honest. Their sound is similar to a lot of bands I already enjoy. I guess I should say, as a progressive rock/art rock band I should at the very least know SOMETHING about them. But that's the beauty of this app! Will definitely revisit this record. Still unsure if it's a full blown 5 - would love to give it a 4.5 as it's a little lower energy than I typically like, but that's what multiple listens are for!
Nick Drake
4/5
I got Nick Drake confused with the earlier Nick Cave record and spent literally this whole listen thinking "This fuckin' guy has been around forever! 1970!?" Wasn't until I went to write this review that I clued in to the fact this is in fact, a completely different artist. Bizarre considering it sounds nothing like Nick Cave but I thought maybe that was this was before the Bad Seeds. Nick Drake and the Bad Seeds LOL.
Anyways. I loved this! The orchestral elements, the flutes! So majestic and gorgeous. I hope to hear the album after this one as I recognize the art work a bit more than I did this one. Overall really enjoyed this listen, maybe even more than Nick Cave!
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Another fun jazz album. This one didn't quite reach the highs of some of the previous older jazz albums I've got, but I definitely enjoyed it more than I expected I would again with an obscure older artist I've never heard of.
Living Colour
2/5
Pretty forgettable to be honest. Vocalist has a pretty killer voice and the guitarists are skilled but I mean is this really an album YOU HAVE TO listen to before you die? Sometimes I wonder if this list is too ambitious with 1001 albums if it's going to extend to albums like this making the cut. Especially considering it probably excludes all sorts of music sub-genres. (Will be surprised to see anything extreme-metal, or avant-garde in here).
All that is to say I don't think this album is bad necessarily. Just utterly forgettable with every song kinda sounding like the guys who wrote Cult of Personality. Surely there isn't a soul out there saying "Vivid" is my favourite album of all time, and I think that's the kind of criteria you should expect from an album you HAVE TO LISTEN TO before you die.
John Martyn
2/5
Wasn't familiar prior to this listen. Started off slow but the album grew on me a bit. Fun singer/songwriter album with some cool guitar licks. Not exactly my tastes but an okay listen.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Enjoyed this way more than I thought I was going to! Both this and the Ice Cube record from 92' have been massive surprises for me. Snoop's voice is so funny to me it's like he's rapping about gangster topics but his voice is so silly and whimsical it's hard not to just smile and enjoy. Dre's production on this is an absolute bop on most songs. Can't wait to re-listen.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Enjoyed this. Not quite as much as previous classic jazz records but for something from the 50s this still rips pretty good.
The Smiths
2/5
Not near as good as the following album, The Queen is Dead. Surprised to see how quickly that album came out, after this record that I really didn't like. Only one year difference but dang. Pretty dreary and boring. Like being rained on in the cold. Not a fun listen like I thought The Queen was.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
Was pretty hopeful with this record upon the first couple songs. Experimental singer songwriter tunes that sounded right up my alley. Half way through - and I was bored to death. Like Weezer with one guitar. Weez. Will not listen again.
Bee Gees
3/5
These were the guys who did Stayin' Alive!? First of all - the album artwork fucking RIPS. Second, how is that shitty single the song that outperformed a deep, varied back-catalogue like this? It's actually such a shame that I'm sure most people out there have the same perspective I had just an hour ago - before I listened to this record. Thinking the Bee-Gees are this weird disco band that had a couple big dance hits and not much else. I had to look up to find this, but Stayin' Alive isn't even an album song, it was just for Saturday Night Fever's soundtrack. That was the most successful thing they ever did.
Imagine in another world Elton John's biggest song wasn't any of the songs you know, and instead was some song called Fast Guy from Smokey and the Bandit soundtrack. You'd miss out on so many good "deep cuts"!
I digress, this isn't as good as Elton John per se. But. I thought it was a fun, completely different listen than the few high-pitched Bee-Gees singles prepared me for.
Pearl Jam
3/5
Providing my quick thoughts on this record song for song as it's a friends favourite of all time. I'll provide my overall thoughts at the end.
Riff on Once is sweet.
I've heard Even Flow so many times I can't pick out anything I want to comment on. It's like asking me to describe the flavour of water.
Alive is a better of the popular tracks. Again Even Flow isn't bad - it's just there.
Why Go has a couple spooky vocal deliveries, rippin' guitar solo. Surprised upon research why I've never heard of Mike McCready. Seems like he should be more famous based on how well known Eddie is.
Black is my fave of the four well-known tracks.
Jeremy is so angsty holy. Still remember the angsty music video from 30 years ago.
Good Bass on Oceans. Wonder if that's why. Because Bass is also in the Ocean.
Porch opening chords kinda remind me of Rush. Probably has nothing to do with them as a grunge band but I mean hey I like it. Sounds like he has a lot to say on this song but I can't really tell. Breaks down into another cool guitar solo part. Wonder if Eddie does any of these or if it's my boy Mike (I know him now).
Garden pretty chill song that ends with another long ass guitar solo. Who would have thought.
Deep sounds like a song they would have extended jam sessions on stage. Not really my thing.
Release has this cool intro thing where the guitar begins and it morphs into EV's voice. That's cool. Little bonus track at the end there. Doesn't really work in Spotify streaming days anymore does it? Anyways, like almost every bonus track, needless, useless.
Overall, I will admit I liked this album more than I'd thought I would. Probably because there's more here musically than just Eddie's voice and lyrics, both which I can do without. As I mentioned in the above, it's clear Eddie gets the claim to fame for Pearl Jam but I think there's just as much to be said (if not more, if you don't care for his voice like me) for the other musicians. Like a fifth of nearly every song the guitar solo's are given space. But maybe most of that is actually Eddie Vedder as I do note that he's rhythm? I'm not sure. I guess after this listen I can say, I get the Pearl Jam love - still don't get the EV love though.
CHIC
4/5
This album ripped. So funny after the Beegees I get this disco banger. These guys must have been the real deal. Imagine my surprise when "FREAK OUT" comes on. No idea this was them but of course it was! Good ol' funky disco time. Absolutely powered through the work I had to do this morning boppin up and down in my office chair I felt like John Travolta.
Steely Dan
5/5
Oh boy was I happy to start my week with some Dan. I'm not sure how anyone could listen to this and not enjoy it. Just some great musicians making some sweet warm tasty tunes. I'm more familiar with some of their earlier albums, and Aja - and honestly I think this ranks up there with the best of them. Absolute banger of an album, and one of the first times since starting this where I felt an album ended too short! Not a second of this record drags on. Loved it from start to finish.
T. Rex
3/5
Decent album. I don't think there was anything here for me that made me say "wow" but also don't think there was anything that annoyed me. Just a generally good album with no offensive bits and no tasty bites. Might just not be for me.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Enjoyed this WAY more than I thought I was going to. Admittedly Tom's voice has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Can't explain it. Like I've heard him my whole life and you know how there's just a few artists that for whatever reason - do that to you? That was Tom. Because of that, I've obviously never given a full album the time of the day. Just knew him from the big singles. Speaking of singles, I recently saw a thread asking - "biggest song that closes out an album?" and surely ending this album with American Girl has got to be up there.
Anyways. Really really enjoyed this record and look forward to exploring his solo stuff in contrast to with "the heartbreakers" as I don't know if there's a consensus on which is better.
The KLF
2/5
Honestly just straight up not my music at all. This sort of electronic music that sounds like you absolutely have to be in a dirty night club somewhere in England drugged out your mind is exclusively unappealing to me. I was pretty primed to give this a 1/5. HOWEVER. I couldn't help myself by looking into this band thinking "Why in god's name is this included in this list". So after a bit of reading found these two guys to be probably quite the legends in the UK. Including them being a part of some art exhibit where they legitimately burned "a million quid" which would be worth like 5 million Canadian dollars now, all from the after tax profits of their record sales. That's pretty bad ass. In that tune they do sound like true artists, combining that with the fact that they have quite a big legacy and inspiration on this genre of music. So - hats off to them. By the end of reading up on them I did find myself vibing to the latter part of this album, so although I'll never listen again, it gets a 2.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Forgetting the significance of Elvis and the legacy he left on rock n roll music - this is incredibly boring. Just how riding around in the first Model T would not be a comfortable auto experience, listening to this record is just as unbearable. Willing to give it a 2 because I feel bad about a 1. But in my opinion even for the 50's there was much more exciting (jazz) music happening that if I went this far back - I'd rather listen to.
OutKast
4/5
Loved it. Was concerned as the record is like two and half hours long but I stayed engaged the whole time. It's always such a trip for me to listen to an album and then out of the blue get hit with one of the most famous songs of all time. I find it interesting to hear what comes before or after the biggest songs ever, in this case Hey Ya! Which is actually followed by Roses which is in itself a really big song. Anyways. Very good. Would revisit.
The Police
2/5
Second Police record I've got since starting this. Honestly? Just boring. There was some weird songs and some not-super Police sounding music on this one which I liked more than the other record - but I just don't get it. One of the biggest rock bands ever and often cited for their musicianship, but I just don't really hear it. Happy to take two records in so far because I now have a better informed opinion when I can tell people they are boring. I guess you can arrest me because I ain't a fan of The Police.
The Kinks
3/5
I listened to the song Harry Rag twice. Not knowing what that is makes this song just insane. I found out later what it was but I'll let you enjoy the mystery yourself.
I think I liked this album more than the previous Kinks album but maybe it's just because I'm more familiar with them now rather than actually thinking this album is better. They kinda remind me of The Strokes if they were in the 60s and I like The Strokes. Gotta imagine they are influenced by these guys in some form. Overall fun listen.
Miles Davis
5/5
An absolute banger from start to finish. I could listen to this record in any mood. I feel like if aliens landed on earth you could show them this album and they'd immediately get it and start boppin'. Was hoping to explore some Miles that I wasn't already familiar with to begin this journey, but I guess we'll start with his strongest (arguably?) first and foremost. Unequivocally a classic.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
First record I've RE-listened to since starting this list. Couldn't tell upon first listen if I liked it - or REALLY liked it. What a cool album. Would have really enjoyed this 15 years ago. It still really resonated with me and I've always heard great things about The Flaming Lips but never dug in. Definitely another case of "Oh wow I've always wanted to listen to this record" and here I am! Great, creative, original musicianship and lyrics. Loved it. Happy to be officially acquainted with The Lips.
Derek & The Dominos
1/5
Unbelievably and excruciatingly unbearable. This record has achieved something special here. Clapton & Co' have managed to come up with all these different musical passages and not a single time is an exciting idea brought forth. Endless jammy wanks with next to no memorable or stand out parts. Even Layla diverges into a deluge of droney sentimental wankery that bores me to tears. All of this is coming from a massive prog rock fan where over-indulgence is served all night and day. This record is the definition of lights on but no one is at home. Not familiar with Clapton in a general sense but thank god he left Derek behind, as I will now do for the rest of my life.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I think 5 years ago I would have hated this. But although still isn't my cup of tea, I enjoyed it enough. There might be better Pet Shop Boys records but I could see myself revisiting this. Songs like So Hard are pretty epic. The sounds they use on that song specifically are pretty cool. Reminds me of the noise you'd get on a character select screen - mashed into a beat. I'll chalk this up as another win for 1001.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Didn't think I'd like this album as I'm familiar with song In-A-Gadda. It's often cited as one of the first prog rock songs ever, and so as a big fan of the genre (or progressive metal) I've heard it a few times before. In my opinion the song itself is pretty boring and it's length is totally unnecessary given the lack of music that happens around the middle droney section. There are much longer songs that have much more filling the space of its 10+ minute track length. That being said - the other five songs before this on the album rip! It makes me wonder now that when I've heard praise for In-A-Gadda before I had wrongfully assumed people are talking about the song, and not the album. Because as an album, I can get behind this! Lots of cool organ, great drum parts, fun guitar riffs, and no lengthy meandering that is heard on the closing track. Really enjoyed this first half of this record, and surprisingly the only low point is the title track itself.
Mylo
1/5
Sometimes I think more closely about the idea behind "you have to hear this album before you die". I think it's a pretty crazy premise to say ANY album could be capable of such importance in the grand scheme of things. Is your life wasted because you didn't get a chance to hear a certain record some people deem important? No of course not.
On the other hand, there really are records that carry such an impact that it truly would be a shame to go your whole life not hearing it at least once. I think of records like Dark Side, Abbey Road, Song in the Key of Life, Kind of Blue, Thriller etc. Really do need to be heard by everyone. However, after those handful of truly legendary records, things start to get a little bit silly. Case in point, this record by Mylo.
I don't believe there could be a single soul alive that would put this music up there with the truly legendary albums to listen to before you die. If someone told me: "Before you go - you are required to listen to this last piece of music before you shuffle off from this mortal coil", and then began playing fuckin' DROP THE PRESSURE from Mylo - there would be two people dying that day.
I had more constructive critiques of this album written. But it was mostly pointless and boring. Just like this record. Maybe on a good day I would have given this a 2. But today is not a good day (I blame this record).
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Something I often forget, but is amplified when running thru albums on this 1001 list is: These Zep albums are fucking OLD.
I've reviewed albums from the 60s and definitely go a hell of a lot easier on them within the context of like "Yeah, this was from the 60s - it was probably crazy back then even if it isn't now".
However this LZ from 69' - like what!? Absolutely rips now and sure as shit must have been a trip back then.
Whole Lotta Love starts the whole thing with insane dive bombing riffs and Plant cumming. What an intro. The album continues with some well paced songs. Bonhams drumming is so tasteful. It's also so forward in the mix on these songs, everyone must have known we just gotta get this guy to the forefront. Even in the more acoustic driven songs Bonhams drums come crashing through. I love it.
The transition from Thank You to Heartbreaker is nuts. Just a thoughtful quiet ending on Thank You runs headfirst into this massive now legendary riff on Heartbreaker. Awesome.
Ramble On rips. The fact that the LotR movies came out much later and became such a huge cultural hit long after this song was released posthumously makes this song even more of a banger. How cool.
Moby Dick is wild. 31 million listens on Spotify of people listening basically to a drum solo. What a legend.
My only gripe with this album is do I give it a 4 or a 5. It's not my favourite LZ album. But it's so much better than most of what I've heard from this decade, it's hard not to give it a 5. It's a true 4.5. I think I'm going to give it a 4 this go around. I expect to have LZ in my top list though. So - see you again soon boys!
Various Artists
4/5
I wish I would have known that this app sends you a Christmas album on Christmas, as I would have popped back in here to see what it was and make it a part of my holiday. Especially when it's going to recommend a classic such as this! Wasn't familiar with this album but I'm always welcoming of classic xmas tracks that aren't annoying new pop-remakes. Will certainly be in rotation next Christmas! Was kinda weird listening to this January 3rd but that's ok.
Ali Farka Touré
1/5
Terribly boring listen. Yet again 1001 includes music that I have zero context or perspective to even begin to appreciate with any sort of seriousness. One hour of what I've perceived as the same sound over and over again because I don't understand the language.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Totally forgot about this band and record. Listened to this quite a bit 10 years ago. The first 3 songs are absolutely beautiful. If they could hold my attention as long as these three tracks do - this album would be a five. Staralfur is pretty enough on it's own to demand this album be on this list. However after it, things start to get a little bland and stale. Might just be the style of music for me, but I don't think this record needed to be over an hour long. Still a great record with some pretty unique songs.
George Michael
3/5
Was looking forward to this album based on what I know about George Michael. The first few songs rip as expected, but man this album gets down in the dumps. The crazy song about how good and natural sex is, just reminds me of some foreign creepy guy trying to convince me to have sex with him because "animals do it". Anyway, I can forgive weirdo tracks like that on a good album, sometimes they even enhance my enjoyment, but it just gets bland after a little while. Fine album.
The Killers
4/5
First album on the start to the new year and it's one I'm familiar with. Went back and listened to Hot Fuss on my own curiosity last year before starting this project and quite enjoyed it. The first 5 songs, including Brightside, absolutely rip. Very very strong start to a record. Last half is kinda forgettable all things considered.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Wow! There's a QotSA album before Rated R? Go figure! Pretty riffy, pretty cool. Kinda reminds me of my cousins band. Not the biggest Queens fan but this was pretty sweet for their first release back in the 90s. Pretty heavy!
The Gun Club
2/5
Not really my thing. Happy to be familiar with this band but mostly seems like an annoying one-trick kinda bluesy rock record.
Lorde
4/5
Album that I was already very familiar with. Loved this record when it came out and still love it today. Always surprising when an album by a 19 year old girl resonates with a 30 something man but here we are.
Talking Heads
2/5
I really want to like the Talking Heads. This is my second album I've received from them. With the first album I was on the fence - and with this being their (maybe?) most acclaimed album, I don't think this band is for me.
I love some of their ideas, some of the goofy bits of their music I enjoy. But it gets boring/old and then borders on annoying to me. Might be mostly the vocals that get on my nerves. I'm not sure. I don't think I'm going to completely give up on them like some bands I've written off after a full album or two. But it definitely hasn't "clicked" yet and I'm sure if it ever will.
MGMT
4/5
Great album. Time to Pretend was my graduation song. In hindsight looking at the lyrics it's absolutely hilarious to me. "I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and fuck with the stars". Woops. This band has just continued to innovate and I think they will go down as one of the great last "rock" bands to come out of the 2000s.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
Sounds like every other old school hip-hop album to me. Not necessarily bad I'm sure I haven't heard anything on this record that I hadn't heard before.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Liked this a bit more than I thought. Reminded me of early Kanye albums and then I found out he used to have a group with Kanye that released a couple singles. Cool. I don't know if I need much more 2000s rap of this style in my repertoire but it was an okay listen.
Beck
2/5
I used to confuse Beck with Jazz Fusion guitarist Jeff Beck. Like I thought they were the same person. Or at least I thought, whenever someone said "Beck" they were saying it in the same way someone would say "Hendrix".
Apparently that isn't the case, and that makes me happy. Because now I know when people are praising the guitar work and writing chops of Jeff Beck - I can safely assume they are talking about the famous Yardbirds guitarist and not this awful shitty Beck.
There was some moments of good moments here. But mostly the cringy nonsensical lyrics for the sake of them being "weird" is such an overplayed boring approach to writing music. Even if this record is 30 years old. At best some songs are boring, at worst they sound like Kid Rock. Not for me.
Yes
4/5
Yes!!! Classic prog rock album that's a total blast to listen to. Already pretty familiar with Yes' early catalogue so this wasn't entirely new but I'm interested to see what the other reviews are saying! Always funny to hear people critique a genre you're very familiar with fresh ears. I'm expecting lots of video game or Mario comparisons, which aren't totally wrong. I've always thought those old games must have been inspired by prog just by the fact although they are old - they still came after albums like this one.
System Of A Down
4/5
Totally blown away by how good this record was. Was not expecting death vocals. Can't say I was familiar with a single song on here which is also surprising. A lot more progressive than I was expecting as well. Very cool. Will probably revisit on my own time.
Neil Young
2/5
Sounds like other famous Neil Young songs but I don't actually know any of these tracks. Overall a fine listen. Not mind blowing, but looking forward to his other more famous records.
Nirvana
4/5
Happy to say I've listened to this. Gotta be one of the most famous live records of all time I'd imagine? Furthermore, if my researching is correct - it looks like the rendition of The Man Who Sold The World that myself, and everyone, knows from Nirvana - is the version that exists here live? Like they didn't release this on an album somewhere? Wow! I wonder how many songs like that exist out there. Major popularity in live form, but don't exist at all as a studio version. Also had no idea that was a Bowie cover which is also cool. Not much of a Nirvana fan or the "unplugged" format, but can totally respect this performance.
Metallica
4/5
Ecstasy of Gold has got to be one of the coolest, heaviest way to start your live show. Very cool. Glad they are still doing this even after 20 years. Metallica with Orchestra is pretty much exactly what I need in there music. Adds a layer beyond the thrash that I'm not a massive fan of. Call of Ktulu sounds epic as all hell. Like a Dream Theater suite. The orchestra carries this song big time!
After finishing this full album I can maybe contend that this might be my favourite Metallica album of all. Big fan of the first 5 albums but the orchestra really adds that extra layer for me. Would love an actual studio version utilizing orchestral elements. So heavy. So epic. Hell yeah.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Perfectly average album. Not sure why it needed to be over an hour long. Yet another candidate for an album that could be argued to appear on the best 1001 SONGS of all time, but the whole thing? You're telling me I needed to hear every song on here? No way.
XTC
2/5
Terribly boring. Probably was never going to connect with this as 80s British pop isn't exactly my cuppa tea. I'm not convinced I'm hearing 15 distinct songs here. It all kinda blended together with the same sort of ideas but that's probably worsened by me getting bored of attentively listening due to the dullness. Production is good I can tell these guys care about the presentation of their sound but damn is 15 songs probably 10 too many tracks for me.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Didn't really care for this album as much as previous Beastie Boys records I've heard. Kind of forgettable with some interesting sample choices.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Terribly difficult listen. Some people may describe some of my favorite albums similarly. I'm no stranger experimental rock, but holy fuck is this terrible.
I knew going in I wasn't going to enjoy this. But boy was I wrong. I HATED this. I could make an argument that literally 50% of the lines on this album, sound like they were either being delivered by a deaf man, or while the singer(s) are taking a violent, no-fibre-in-months, hard, painful, shit.
What kind of shit-hole perspective did the people who made this band famous come from? I might have to skip the next Sonic Youth record because this was fucking unbearable.
Nick Drake
4/5
Just as enjoyable as the previous record, Bryter Layter. Definitely plan on revisiting just as I have with the aforementioned album. Not much else to say about Nick and his work. Pretty songs that make me feel both happy and sad at the same time.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Some good songs on this record. Overall a bit longer than I probably prefer. Biggie's vocal deliveries are so smooth, gotta have one of the most recognizable voices in music. That being said, I did get a bit bored even if this album does end on some bigger songs. The sex and blowjob interludes are bizarre - no idea why anyone would want to hear these parts every time they spin this album. I enjoy Biggie from a singles perspective, not sure about a whole album at this point.
ABBA
4/5
Everything ya want in an album! Musically interesting and diverse, with fun catchy hooks and choruses. Loved reading up more on ABBA as I don't really know there history and was curious once I saw their last album was recorded in 1981 and then they came out with a new one 40 years later in 2021. Wonder if that one's any good? Also didn't know all four members were married at one point? Very cool story. Living legends for sure. Quite enjoyed this record, hoping for more ABBA and if not, I'll definitely be revisiting this record.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would! Was only familiar with like two tracks but the rest of the songs were just good ol' rockin' fun. Also surprised to see how long Alice Cooper has been going at it. He has albums in the 60s??? There's a song on here called Elected that sounds exactly like I wanna be Sedated by the Ramones so I looked into it and apparently both bands have discussed it - but Alice Cooper's version is almost 10 years older than the Ramones - who I already think is an ancient band in their own right.
Anyways long live Alice Cooper what a legend.
U2
2/5
Hate to be that guy but my god I just don't understand the success behind U2. I'm actually very open to hearing more records to better understand what makes this one of the largest bands of all time. It mostly has to be a case of them being super popular and Europe and not fully transitioning as strongly over here in Canada. Similar to our version of Tragically Hip. Like take the song "One" off this album for example. It has 500m streams on Spotify, 10x higher than any other song on this album, and their THIRD mostly played of all. I was ready to hear a banger I already knew and just didn't know the name of. Nope. I honestly do not recognize this song. Which is odd because I'm for sure more familiar with lesser streamed songs, "Beautiful Day", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and "Where the Streets Have No Name" to name a few.
Update: As I'm writing this review, the song "Mysterious Ways" comes on from this record, and I immediately know it, and it "only" has 80 million listens. Now I REALLY don't know what's going on. I'm sure I've heard "One" at some point in my life, but that's my point - so much of this stuff is utterly forgettable that it made no impression on me.
I don't know. I can't tell if my tastes leaning towards favoring rock music over other styles of music are helping or hurting my enjoyment of U2. Like this isn't an 80s hip hop album or some World Music record where I don't really share a perspective on. It's a genre of music I should subjectively like but I can't for the life of me find one redeeming aspect to it. Plainly put - boring. Maybe one day...
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Was an alright listen. Reminded me greatly of the soundtrack to the Brazilian movie City of God. Looked up if any songs from this artist were on there and there isn't! Must just be a staple of Brazilian music, all the "hoo-hoo" noises lol. Probably won't revisit this but it made my Friday work day a little more tropical.
The Strokes
4/5
Familiar with this record in full already but not as much as their other albums. I actually really enjoy their newest record probably the most so going all the way back to their first was a welcomed experience. The songs on this album remind me of a lot of sports video games I used to play when I was younger, like NHL, NFL, all had early Strokes stuff on em. Either way, I could listen to this many times over.
Spiritualized
2/5
The sleepiest album I've ever heard. Not sure what the splooge people on the cover are dancing to - certainly can't be this record. A more apt design would have been cum-people tucked into bed.
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
I think this album showcases the greatness of The Beatles more than listening to one of their own records does.
This album came out in 66' and in my opinion, more or less sounds similar to a lot of the sounds going on in some of the earliest Beatles works. But the thing is, those records came out a few years earlier, and by 1966, the Beatles had released Revolver, and Rubber Soul the year before that.
Just compare a song like Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, or Got to Get You Into My Life, to any of the songs on this record. They sound way more modern and varied than anything on this first Mama Papa record.
I know people hear The Beatles and they don't hear anything innovative. This is what I'd point them to to compare to. What would you rather listen to in 66'?
Primal Scream
2/5
Pretty sleepy album but I didn't hate it. Pretty forgettable. Not sure what qualifies this album to be a must hear. Probably some insane back story that isn't immediately recognizable at face value just from listening to it - which in my opinion should remove a record from qualifying but who am I to say? Ain't my list.
Television
4/5
I enjoyed this! Sounds a little bit silly at times but overall a jam.
Norah Jones
3/5
Enjoyable listen. Love the piano bits. Nice soft jazzy time.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Weirder than I thought it was going to be which I appreciate. Still maybe not enough going on for me to really get into but an interesting listen to be sure.
Donovan
2/5
Had higher hopes for this record. It seems like I haven't got a record that's punched me in the face in a while. Everything is so slow and sleepy. I guess I can't expect anything too crazy from 1964 but I mean c'mon. I guess I can't hold this lull in records against this album specifically, but I don't know. How many singer songwriters does 1001 need? I feel like 500 of these records are just that...
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Took a read through Dennis' wiki once I found out he was one of the Beach Boys brothers. Wow what a short life this guy lived. I didn't read every detail, but he was some how tangled up with Charles Manson? Then died by drowning in his 30s? What in the world.
Music had some real pops of greatness. Some of it reminded me of Pink Floyd surprisingly, mainly his voice. Cool record.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Typical Elvis-fair. Probably has a better voice than Elvis so overall not a terrible listen.
Dire Straits
4/5
Was very ready to give this album a five. The first four songs are absolute bangers start to finish. Money for Nothing intro is like top 5 intro's of all time, Walk of Life is the catchiest most uplifting tracks one can imagine.
The last half of this album DRAGS though. What gives? There's no return to anything we heard in the first half. Such a shame I thought I was ready to give my first 5 in like 50 albums. So close.
Iggy Pop
2/5
Not for me. I enjoyed the weirder more experimental sounds in spots but overall just sounded like Iggy kinda talking over odd instrumentals.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Some cool songs, I like the weirder more theatrical stuff that doesn't seem to be as popular from him. Overall a fun listen.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Pretty decent. Probably didn't have to be over an hour long. But overall a surprise. Never heard of these guys before probably because to me it seems like typical 80s-fair, albeit right at the start of the decade.
Janis Joplin
3/5
More rockin' than I thought it would be. Sometimes her raspy voice gets a little grating on me. But there's some jams on here.
GZA
2/5
I think this album is going to be the record that makes me realize I just really find this type of hip-hop TERRIBLY boring. I think I always kind of knew that lyrically impressive hip-hop artists that rely mostly on their story telling and inventive ways of rhyming never really excited me the way it does others. And while I do appreciate someone like GZA who was doing stuff like this decades before it really hit the mainstream, it just does absolutely nothing for me. There was some cool production choices on this, I really enjoy the old school martial arts film snippets placed throughout. But I just can't pay attention to the lyrics long enough to really say anything too deep about this record.
Neu!
2/5
Fun little jam. Again, not sure how this belongs on a list with albums like Thriller or Kind of Blue but hey not my list.
The Clash
3/5
Really thought I was going to hate this album but it ended up being an okay listen. Although I'm not discovering my favorite new artists with this app regularly, I do like that it's changing some of my preconceived notions I have about some artists (for good and bad in some cases)
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
sleepy gilberto
Deep Purple
4/5
This record rips. Child in Time is one of the most epic classic rock songs ever recorded and should be as famous as some of the other massively popular prog-leaning ballads like Stairway and BoRap. This album surprised me on some of the other tracks with just how heavy it all is for the time. Very cool very fun must listen.
Violent Femmes
1/5
So are we going to be forced to listen to full albums just because they feature a single one-hit-wonder? God awful music made by from what I can gather are incels.
Air
4/5
I really liked this! Definitely something to put on when I can't fully pay attention to what I'm hearing but I think that's ok. Just a nice listen that fills the room with good vibes. What's not to like?
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Really enjoyed this! So cool that music as old as the 50s can be this timeless. Ella's vocals are powerful and controlled, combined over Gershwin (and other classical artists/pianists I'm not sure?) orchestration I think just ensures this will always be a classic. At this point in time it's just two classics colliding which makes for a great listen.
Songhoy Blues
2/5
C'mon man. Like big props to these dudes for resisting oppressors and terror groups in their country and using the power of music to bring light to the injustices happening in a part of the world I know nothing about.
But here's the thing, I don't speak Mali. And therefore actually hear none of that happening on this record. I don't think the instruments or sound of this album carry anything beyond what I think sounds pretty generic. Terribly boring listen. This list has issues.
Lou Reed
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. Lyrics we're kinda weird and not really my thing. But overall I'd check out another Lou Reed album.
Elliott Smith
2/5
Some cool sounds on here but maybe not exactly enough to keep me engaged for the full 36 minute length. Not sure what else to say, pretty subdued melancholic record that probably requires my closer attention to lyrics.
Soundgarden
4/5
Probably my favorite band rom the grunge scene. Heavier than the others I think, too. Can't say I've heard this full album before. Lots of great songs on here. A jam most of the way through. Ends on a bang too!
Marvin Gaye
4/5
It's so funny how much seduction is evoked by the song Let's Get it On. Like it's taken on a life of it's own. An early meme. You hear that song and you either think someone wants to have sex, or is having sex. Not even the full song - just like the first 5 seconds too!
This album is awesome. Wasn't familiar with anything else on here but I loved it. Marvin Gaye rules.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Incredibly not for me.
Like looking back at early civilizations to see how they lived and finding I am thankful I don't have to live that way, Run DMC is that to me for hip hop. Cool to see where the roots of hip-hop started, but holy fuck do people still listen to this now?
Crazy how popular their logo on t-shirts got. No way half those people are seriously going back and listening to this Run DMC.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Kinda sounds like something I'd slowly waste away to. Something that would play when I've fallen into a mountain cave and broke both my legs and couldn't get out. Nothing left for me but my sweet memories and the slow sad tunes of Tim Buckley.
Stan Getz
4/5
Loved this album. Second album I've got from Stan Getz and it just continues to be a vibe. I don't think I enjoyed this one as much as his Samba record earlier. Nonetheless had a great listen to this. Will revisit.
The Cure
2/5
Very annoying to listen to. Took me two days of revisiting. Definitely not for me. I even saw these guys live like 10 years ago and was bored out of my mind then, still am.
The Associates
2/5
I was actually pretty close to giving this a 1 but after a while, I kind of started to respect the bands decision to make annoying, vocally grating new wave music.
I think this might have been another case of "you had to be there", in which case I was certainly not.
Queen
5/5
One of the quintessential albums that is surely not only on everyone's 1001, but guaranteed on a 101 and almost certain in the top 10 of all time.
Queen is dripping with talent. Brian May's guitar is easily one of the most iconic of all time. A sound that's immediately recognizable. His sing-songy leads in songs like You're My Best Friend would have you know you're listening to Queen without hearing any vocals. A song written by their ultra talented bassist John Deacon, creator of many big Queen hits, and creator of one of the most famous bass lines of all time with Under Pressure. I've said that their drummer, Roger Taylor would have been in his full right to be the lead singer of any of the competing 70s rock bands of his era, which you can hear on songs like I'm in Love With my Car - but I guess made the "mistake" of joining a band with fucking Freddie Mercury. What is there to say about Freddie that surely hasn't been drilled into everyone. His singing matched only by his charisma, just about the coolest rock star ever.
I love this album. Imagine listening through a half an hours worth of absolutely GOLDEN songs such as Death on Two Legs, You're My Best Friend, 39', Sweet Lady, Love of My Life, AND THEN - and ONLY THEN! Getting hit with the greatest song ever written - Bohemian Rhapsody.
I'm looking forward to reading these reviews. In full honesty skipping all the well-deserved 5's - and seeing just how anyone could justify anything below a 5. FINALLY an album everyone needs to hear before they die.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
This was a nice listen! Nothing incredibly stand-out but pretty solid listen right through. An hour long of this might be pushing it but overall I enjoyed this.
Justice
4/5
This was awesome. Was familiar with Justice but never really dug in to their music before. Not normally an electronic music guy but I would revisit this for sure.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Sounds like just another grungy type garage band. Not hearing anything here. Borderline 1. Will give it a 2 because it's biggest offense is only that it's incredibly boring.
Beatles
4/5
Pretty awesome. I'm not a big fan of the sitar bits across any of their music and this album has quite a bit of it. Still, lots of really cool ideas on this record that were probably fresh and new in the 60s. Not my favourite Beatles album by any means, but still a really really strong record - especially compared to the likes of some of these other 1001 albums..
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Better than their debut that I reviewed a couple weeks ago, but only marginally. Still not a fan of this really early hip-hop sound.
I'm not lying ya'll, he's the best I know
And if I lie, my nose will grow
Like c'mon. Literal nursery rhymes over DJ scratches to open the record? Incredibly not my thing.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
The only thing worse than this album is knowing I have another Springsteen record to review 2 albums away from this.
Blow my brains out boring. Feels like I could only ever appreciate this music if I was an alcoholic whose family abandoned him.
Björk
4/5
This was awesome. Can't say I've listened to a full Bjork record before but I've been aware that she's been at the forefront of avante-garde type pop for decades. Hoping for more of her discog on here as this was a treat of new and interesting sounds that I've been lacking with this list lately..
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Honest to god so insufferably boring. What wave did this man ride to get to the level of fame he achieved? It's the same god damn song over and over again. I did NOT need to hear a 2000s Springsteen record that runs over an hour long. What a pile of garbage. I'll give this a 2 over the 1 I gave the previous one just due to the additional instruments adding some variety but holy christ. An actual 1.5 Bruce sucks.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Was hoping for a bit more. A little too long, sleepy, and forgettable for me. Overall nothing terribly offensive or annoying so I'll give it an average score. I'm not sure how many other Fleetwood Mac albums I need after being familiar with Rumours. Maybe this list will change my mind but so far I think I'll just stick to revisiting Rumours when I need my FM itch scratched.
Paul McCartney
4/5
An enjoyable listen for McCartney's first solo endeavor. I think I'm probably more of a fan of his solo releases after this record based on what I've heard from some of the more popular tracks, but nonetheless I enjoyed this. May not revisit but look forward to additional records from his solo catalogue.
Boston
5/5
Has to be one of the best rock n' roll debut's of all time. Such a shame they were never able to recapture the magic on this album. It's almost hard to find any albums from any artist anywhere with exclusively bangers for each song. But for a band to do it on their first record and then essentially fall off the face of the earth is so bizarre. Reading up on the wiki and learning about record label fuckery just makes me like this band even more.
As I was familiar with this whole record going in I thought for sure it'd be getting a 4. But after listening, and learning some of the aforementioned info - I gotta give it a 5. Especially considering some of the other 4's I've given on this list, definitely not as strong as this record. Really wish I could do .5 stars but alas here we are - my next five outta five!
a-ha
2/5
Aside from loving the hit single that starts this record, I found this album to drag on a bit. There was definitely some cool musical bits and fun orchestration here and there. But overall I was hoping for more.
Kate Bush
4/5
This was awesome! So many off the wall ideas for what many would call a pop album. Like how did death metal vocals (If I can call them that) make it on a pop record from the 80s?
Very happy to say I'm familiar with this record now. Plan on revisiting many more times and expect to discover something new every time. Such a dense and eclectic record where I'm sure I'll have new things to say each listen.
The War On Drugs
3/5
I thought I was in for a slog getting through this jammy modern version of what sounds like dylan-esque jammy rock. But it started to grow on me! Really love the long atmospheric instrumental passages. Very chill listen.
The White Stripes
3/5
Probably no denying Seven Nation Army has to be the rock anthem of the 21st Century with potentially nothing else coming close. But I don't find the rest of this album to be nearly as appealing. There's some tracks here and there that I enjoyed, but maybe I was hoping for more raw rock sounds than this record delivered. Not necessarily a bad thing but also not as much for me.
Saint Etienne
2/5
I went into this record fully aware that "acid-house" music is not a genre I listen to. But I tried to have an open mind :(
But... Do I actually have to be on acid to enjoy some of these tracks?
The second song, repeating "Would you like some sweets willy" is the most obnoxious god damn thing I've ever heard.
I'm happy to hear some of the other songs rely on some singing and some actual MUSIC beyond the same sample over and over again. But again and again it happens where it's just the same shitty sample replayed ad nauseum. This will never be for me.
The Cars
4/5
I think I've got The Cars confused with an entirely different artist my whole life. I was expecting that album to sound like Roy Orbison or something. Instead they kinda sound like a more rockin' Talking Heads or something.
Anyways, I enjoyed it!
Eagles
3/5
Perfectly inoffensive rock music to the point of bordering boredom.
How else can you describe this band? I enjoy songs here and there but they are truly the vanilla ice cream of rock n roll. Appeals to lots of people at the cost of having no edge whatsoever.
Jurassic 5
3/5
If it's fair to call this classic rap, I'm happy to say I've finally been able to enjoy another album from this timeframe. Lately I've been getting a lot of really old hip-hop albums that don't resonate at all with me. This Jurassic 5 album just hits different though. Might be due to it being 2002 and not the early 90s. As I'm writing this I sort of realize it's probably not even fair to call it classic rap - but it does still have that vibe. I don't know. I enjoyed it.
Love
4/5
I am surprised to say I've literally never heard of this band although the sound seems to be of interest to me as it's classic rock sorta proggy sounding.
Thought it was a little too subdued to begin with but I think things started to pick up half way through the record. An enjoyable listen!
Nina Simone
3/5
Powerful vocals and intensely emotional. Probably too much so for every day listening, but a super intriguing listen for me nonetheless.
Talvin Singh
2/5
And so it goes, another world album that I'd be more than okay listening to a few tracks of. But being subject to over an HOURS worth of what's basically a mashup of electronic & indian music, just so this list can cross off a diversity quota - is nothing other than incredibly annoying. That's what this record is after the one hour mark - annoying.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
A fairly captivating start to the record but unfortunately it's a little too quiet and meditative for my tastes. Not sure when I'd listen to something like this. Even as background music I'd like something with a little bit more going on.
Massive Attack
2/5
Pretty cool for 91' hip-hop. I'm not sure I knew Massive Attack was rap. I thought they were some sort of electronic music.
David Bowie
4/5
My first bowie album and I loved it! Lots of dynamic and varied ideas. Love the proggy songs. No wonder Bowie has achieved such legendary status - how many artists are making this level of music and not just rehashing their old successes at 40+ years in? Crazy.
Motörhead
3/5
Kinda just Ace of Spades over and over again innit?
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Decent album. Like lots of albums on this list that are soaked in genre (in this case blues) it becomes kind-of a challenge to get through near a full hour. Enjoyed the first few tracks then started getting terribly boring.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Enjoyed this record more than his Either/Or album. Seemed to have more going on musically and I found his voice to have more pep to it. Maybe that's it, that it was just a bit more upbeat and less melancholic than the previous. Can see myself revisiting.
Elis Regina
3/5
I enjoyed this. Wasn't familiar with this artist beforehand but I loved the funky and jazzy instrumentation in the background. Neat!
Germs
2/5
Old punk albums like this are hilarious to me. Like okay if you're hearing this in 1979 I can imagine it's a trip. But today? I've heard fast sloppy music like this played in every dive bar across the world. Never once have I thought this is the peak of musical experience. It's just fast one-note shouting. As a fan of metal, this type of music turns me into the people I don't like that say "You can't even understand what they are singing about", but in this case I can't even understand what they are even playing for.
Muddy Waters
2/5
I already find blues to repetitive enough even within the same song, but a whole album of the same blues standards everyone has heard over and over? Holy god damn. I hope there aren't too many more blues records on here. Great musicianship but really not a joy to listen to at lengths.
Tricky
2/5
Way too sleepy for me.
The Youngbloods
3/5
Just a cute lil 60's rock album. Nothing ground breaking but just some nice average jams throughout.
The Black Keys
2/5
Almost as boring as modern rock can get. Not sure how these guys get a pass but Nickelback has been hated forever. Just generic classic rock with absolutely no edge whatsoever. These guys have hints of glory for a minute in each hour of music they produce - which is a terrible ROI. Yeah I'd like to listen to this over some other albums on this list just given the genre. But it's completely and utterly boring.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I thought this record was great! Lots of less obnoxious funky jams with some killer riffs throughout. Songs like Righteous & The Wicked are heavy as hell! Who would have thought? Under the Bridge in the middle to break up some of the fast paced jammers. I really enjoyed this listen and must say it's improved my prior thoughts that this band is entirely overrated (still a bit overrated though).
David Ackles
4/5
Thought this was gunna be another sleepy folky jam but this ripped! Loved the crazy orchestration throughout. Like a Disney movie almost. Pretty unique, happy to now say I'm familiar with David Ackles!
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Legendary album. Maybe not as solid from song to song as some of their other albums. Hard not to overstate just how great Stairway is though. Some of the other really big singles on this record have kinda grown stale with me. Black Dog and Rock and Roll have been overplayed in my lifetime in my opinion, whereas Stairway has probably gotten similar playtime (from radios and such) and yet it hasn't grown old. When it ramps up half way through, is just the heaviest most rocknroll shit ever. Hard not to give this album a 5 based on this song alone. But alas, some of the other tracks don't even come close to the magic on Stairway so for now this sits at a 4 with me.
2/5
Familiar with Low Rider, and that War is a funk band. But I didn't find that this record was overly FUNKY - or at least in the way I'm familiar with. It was more chanting sorta long drawn out sequences that get maybe more jazzy & jammy then anything. Needless to say a little underwhelmed, was hoping for more.
Stereo MC's
2/5
Ugh. Another early hip hop record that sounds just like every other early hip hop record. Boring.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Not a huge fan of Neil Young, but I think I might like him most with Crazy Horse? Not sure who this horse is but I like how it brings a little more rock outta Neil.
Also happy to see that Mr. Young is back on Spotify after that losing tiff with Rogan. Will be super handy as I think he appears on this list 10+ times.
Yes
5/5
Classic Prog at it's finest. Roundabout has to be top 5 songs over 8 minutes ever recorded. Heart of the Sunrise would also be on a best-of list as well. Lots of really great, wacky, prog staples in here that went on to undoubtedly influence thousands of bands to this day. Long live prog!!!
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Second stones album I've got and I enjoyed it! Lots of really good tracks on this record with some pretty decent variety. The singles are all good, popular but not-too-popular tracks. Dare I say this might be my favourite Stones record!
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
This took fucking 3 days to finish. Bloated as fuck. There's no good reason this is two hours long.
I'm giving it a 2 which is such a shame because there's some absolute ripper tracks in here. But those unfortunately represent .01% of the total ruintime. I misspelt runtime there - but my error absolutely adequately describes listening to this full record. It has a ruintime. It strips a very serious amount of time from your day. My time has been ruined.
My algorithm is forever going to think I love Smashing Pumpkins, because I've now got a Lord of The Rings length of listening time with them. Fuck.
The Who
4/5
Absolutely loved this! The new remaster of this album that just came out (done by Steven Wilson!) sounds great. Such a breath of fresh air hearing a succinct rock record in 43 minutes after having to slog through a 2 hour Smashing Pumpkins album. Loved it!
Beck
2/5
Perfectly forgettable. Who is a Beck fan? Is it fans of folk? rock? rap? I guess that's the point? I can appreciate the melding of genres but none are taken to any extreme interesting limits.
Public Enemy
4/5
This was cool. Chuck D's voice is so tough. Closing out the album with a metal song featuring Anthrax is nuts, I'd imagine especially in 91'. Very rad, probably my favourite old school hip hop album so far. Flava Flav is boring - bordering annoying, but whatever.
Killing Joke
2/5
I wonder if there will ever be a time in my life that I'm into music like this. Or just any of the dark 80s synthy type goth bands. This was insufferable for me, but I'd understand why fans of a band like, say, The Cure would like them.
I feel like this list makes the mistake of taking fringe genres and not only giving you the AAA of them, but also the AA, A, and dare I say B, and C's of the genre. That's how this feels anyways. Not for me.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
One of the most legendary debuts of all time, this album is a must-listen. If you're a fan, you've got to check out RATM performing songs from this record before they hit it big. It's insane watching them deliver the songs we all know, with as much, if not more, fire and fury as you hear on the record.
Every track on this album is an absolute banger, something other albums on this list should take note of. Just having one or two good or popular songs shouldn't automatically land your album on this list. My highlight is "Know Your Enemy," an absolutely insane song with an incredible feature from Maynard James Keenan in his prime. Rage has proven over multiple albums that they're more punk than most, if not all, of the punk bands on this list. Rage Against the Machine!
Pink Floyd
3/5
Mostly too psychedelic and jammy for me. Was very happy to see a reason to listen to Pink Floyd's first album with it's inclusion on this list, but it wasn't terribly great. Half of this record is long noisy jammy bits, mixed with a little silly british man telling stories about gnomes and the like.
Roxy Music
2/5
So what do we think here? Is this record included because the album artwork is famous? I've seen this album art countless times in my life - but can confidently say I haven't heard a single song on this record. Boring.
Prince
2/5
I want to like Prince, and I'm still holding out for that to happen. But this record didn't do it for me. Entirely too 80s with a serious lack of any of the guitar intricacies that I hear about often when it comes to Prince's music. Lots of the tracks on here border on annoying. Looking forward to Prince redeeming himself because this wasn't it.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Oh boy - here it is! The Wall is a masterpiece of musical exploration, reaching one of the highest peaks in the genre. It's not an album you can fully absorb in just one listen; its richness and depth demand repeated visits. Yet, it's precisely this complexity that renders it timeless. From its bizarre moments that border on the surreal to its breathtaking beauty and heart-wrenching sadness, The Wall encompasses the full spectrum of human emotion. It's an album that excels in every aspect, making it a quintessential piece of music history.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Enjoyable listen. I saw Respect landed at the no. 1 spot of best songs of all time by Rolling Stone mag. Pretty massive achievement.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Love the music on this record. Singers vocals get terribly annoying after close to an hour, but the music itself it so warm and nice. I want to be on a beach drinking sweet treats with my toes in the sand listening to an instrumental of this record.
The Smiths
2/5
What's with the grrrrrrrrrrrrrowling? Sounds like weird cookie monster or some grumpy baby???
Against my better judgement I enjoyed some earlier Smiths albums I've got from this list. Not too sure about this one though.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
This is awesome! I've always recognized the name but never the music until now. It's like a fusion of Radiohead and Vampire Weekend. What's not to love? The orchestrations are intricate, the themes are dark, and the piano melodies are beautiful. AND he's Canadian?? HELL ya. If he could keep the high points of this record (which there ARE many) this would straight up be a 5. A 4.5 for now... but definitely revisiting!
Grizzly Bear
2/5
Totally bizarre. I spent this whole album waiting for it to reach the highs it does on the song Two Weeks. But it just doesn't! It's so sleepy and BORING, how was the rest of this album written by the same band? Another example of a single giving a full album it's place on this list which otherwise should have been left off. Shame.
Dire Straits
4/5
Again I wanted to give another Dire Straits record a 5. Some of the songs are so strong...and others leave me wanting more. Still really enjoyed the album in it's entirety.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
This was great! High energy live rock n roll. Sounds very similar to the on-record Thin Lizzy I'm familiar with.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
This is, I believe, the third Marvin Gaye record I've gotten so far and it's lead me to the conclusion of something I already had a suspicion of - I LOVE MR. GAYE. How can you not!? Gotta be the smoothest man to ever lay down vocals. Just a good vibing time from start to finish.
Klaxons
4/5
I’m surprised I haven’t heard of this band. Reminds me of Portugal. The Man’s earlier albums. Was a good listen, would come back!
Prince
4/5
Favourite Prince album so far. Elements of funk, pop, rock, prog, all melded into one. Some songs are undoubtedly better than others. Unsure if I like or dislike the wild sexual lyrics. Overall though I enjoyed this.
Afrika Bambaataa
1/5
Alright I'm just going to say it. I don't like classic hip-hop. It's garbage. Full stop. The elementary level rhyme scheme throughout this record makes for the most boring, predictable listen imaginable. I recognize that we needed these albums to get to the legendary albums we have now. But for god sakes this is insufferable, and what's worse is I believe it's across the board unbearable. As in, if it came out in the 80s, and is hiphop - it sucks.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Terribly forgettable psych rock. Not a note worth revisiting. Didn't hate it, but not a thing about it did I like.
Spiritualized
2/5
Even though it seems the first half of this album receives more plays than the last, I think I enjoyed the last half a bit more. At least it wasn't so dull. Not sure when I'd ever put something like this on.
Daft Punk
2/5
Wow I'm amazed by how little enjoyed this. I see in their bio that they shifted from "French House Pioneers" to "Dance Tastemakers", and I gotta imagine it's the latter Daft Punk that probably resonates more with me. House music, or at least this house music, is boring as all hell.
FKA twigs
3/5
I remember this album coming out and all the buzz that was around it. I enjoyed this but was hoping for a bit more. It's a little less upbeat than I was expecting. Oh well. Decent listen.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Surprised to see Iron Maidens first on here. Wonder if that's because the next subsequent 3 or 4 albums after this are also present? If not, very bizarre.
Pretty typical sounding 80s almost-hair-metal on here mixed with some cool riffs and progressive metal sections the band would later be synonymous with. Not my favourite Maiden by a long stretch but still good compared to some of the music on this list.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Not the catchiest CCR has ever been, but it's short and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Some fun songs I haven't heard before.
Billy Bragg
4/5
I have absolutely NO IDEA why I enjoy this. It's almost everything I'd say I have no interest in. Folk singer-songwriter type music about politics in a country I've never been to with a punk flair.
But it's great! I can't put my finger on it. Bizarre. Maybe I'm just in a good mood.
Prince
4/5
Legendary album. I believe this is the third Prince album I've gotten on this list and I definitely enjoy it the most due to more of the guitar driven songs. More ballads present on this album as well which are usually my jam. There's still some songs that are pretty forgettable or at the least, NOT bangers. But overall just a great album that I should become even more familiar with!
David Gray
3/5
Hmm. So David Gray is the name of the guy who sings Babylon. Go figure. This record was okay. idk. Was there groundbreaking ideas in here? Not sure. It's makes me feel a little TOO MUCH like I'm shopping at the mall but not terrible.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
I was hoping to enjoy this more. I know people LOVE this band, and I've liked a few songs here and there over the past decade. But idk - sometimes reminds me of U2 with more bleeps and bloops. Sometimes his singing just straight up sucks. Was hoping for more - maybe his earlier albums will stick better.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Wow. What an amazing listen! From the first note, I was hooked. His voice is great, and his guitar work is awesome. The album offers a perfect mix of folk, rock, and soul.
I had to look further into Jeff's bio while listening. I knew he had passed, but imagine my surprise finding out he drowned. What a damn shame. This adds an even deeper sadness to a record already steeped in emotion.
Another interesting fact I discovered is that he once had a band with TOOL's future drummer Danny Carey. Although they never recorded in a studio, some live tracks exist from their time together.
Buckley's story is absolutely wild, and his debut album is incredible. I don't think I've ever gone from being unfamiliar with an artist (aside from his beautiful "Hallelujah" cover) to giving a 5-star rating so quickly. Grace is an unreal, absolutely awesome discovery, thanks to this hit-or-miss list.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Interesting album for the 70s. Lots of cool electronic elements, can see why this would be an innovative, unique release back then. Still holds up mostly today, not exactly my style of music but a fun listen nonetheless.
Cheap Trick
2/5
What an absolutely bizarre inclusion for this list. I understand the importance of featuring a diverse range of artists from different cultures or spotlighting lesser-known artists that have been lost to time. But Cheap Trick?? And not just that, LIVE Cheap Trick?
It's even more surprising considering the list is periodically revised, making room for new additions and removing previous entries. Yet somehow, this record maintains its place. Are one of the members on the 1001 council?
Barry Adamson
1/5
Okay so film scores are excluded from this list but if the film score is for a movie that doesn't exist - it's allowed? What the fuck kind of rule is that? Why are we being denied the likes of John Williams, Ennio Morricone, and Hans Zimmer but I have to listen to this bullshit?
Bad rule, bad exception, bad album.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
No idea Buddy Holly died at 22. This list loves artists who went before their time. I'm not sure when I'd ever want to hear this again.
Metallica
4/5
Metallica would be lucky to crack my top 50 favourite heavy artists, but this album stands tall above a lot of the other records on this list. I want to give this record a 5 but I think that's just my bias towards heavier music. Lots of great tracks and a great introduction for those unfamiliar with heavier types of music.
Megadeth
2/5
I got a Metallica & Megadeth album back to back. Interesting. When I was a teenager I used to say Megadeth was better than Metallica probably just to be different because I didn't really like Metallica, when in truth, I don't like either bands.
That being said, Dave Mustaine sucks at singing. He should have started another band and stuck to only guitar. Most of the parts on this album are absolutely cringey at best. Again, I used to say "the music is better" on Megadeth vs Metallica, but even that I don't think is true. The shrieking guitar solos that play in every minute of music become grating very quick over a full album-worth. Metallica is certainly the better band and I don't even really think it's close.
Steely Dan
5/5
This album absolutely rips. I will admit I feel hesitant to give Steely Dan their SECOND five (would be my first artist to do this). But I fully expect that to happen to at least a few other artists. So I'm NOT SURE. But it really is such a consistent, solid record, from the popular singles being absolute rippers in their own right, to the lesser known songs. There isn't one snoozer on this album. Fuck it - it gets a 5!
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I liked this much more than Melon Collie. Like twice as much. That being said, I still really don't like Corgan's breathy-ass voice. The music is good though!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
I think at a different age I would have hated this record but today I found myself quite enjoying it. Like a spazzier female led white stripes. Pretty rockin'. Great riffs.
Bee Gees
2/5
If I was a massive Beatles fan, maybe I'd like this more. But if I'm wanting to hear music like this, I'll listen to the real deal. I thought some of the later Bee Gees stuff was cool but this record is just straight up boring Beatles to me. It doesn't help that it looks like this record came out much after Beatlemania - what's new about this?
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This album is arguably the perfect rock masterpiece. Hendrix's guitar playing needs no further praise - it's extraordinary. But the greatness of this record extends beyond his guitar work. The drumming is absolutely top-notch, and even Jimi's singing reaches an exceptional level. Every inch of this album showcases legendary musicianship, all the more impressive considering it was released in 1967. Incredible.
Beatles
4/5
I know lots of peoples favourite Beatles album. Not sure it's mine but I do enjoy it quite a bit. I think what stops this record competing with Abbey Road in my mind is the catchiness factor isn't just quite as up there as AR. This album has a lot of cool and varied ideas on it but I don't find myself singing along to it as much as songs on Abbey. Feels weird giving it a 4 but I need a distinction between how I feel about this record, and Abbey Road so there ya go.
The Style Council
4/5
This was a nice little surprise. Probably a tad generic but I do love some soulful jazz from time to time. This had a little bit more of a rockin' feel to it as well which is maybe why I liked it a bit more.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
I don't hear anything groundbreaking here. Mostly just late 00's indie rock that was played all over the radio at HMV when I worked there as a teenager.
Rush
5/5
I suspect this will be my favorite album on this list of 1001 albums. Rush has introduced several generations, including myself, to the world of progressive rock. As a Canadian, I might have a slightly biased view because everyone here knows Rush. However, it's essential to focus on the cultural power of Rush and the unique progressive rock they brought to the world.
No other progressive rock band has brought this genre of prog to the masses the way Rush did. Sure, there are bands bigger than Rush and bands more 'proggy' than Rush, but name a band that is both more progressive and bigger than Rush. You can't.
Some might argue for Pink Floyd, but is Pink Floyd really more progressive than Rush? They are undoubtedly more psychedelic, but even with 2112 alone, Pink Floyd doesn't reach the prog heights of Rush's opus, not to mention deeper Rush cuts like Natural Science, Xanadu, and La Villa Strangiato to name a few. Others might suggest Yes, which indeed ventured deeper into prog. However, even Yes’s most commercially successful single, but tragically un-prog Owner of a Lonely Heart, pales in comparison to Rush’s iconic tracks like Tom Sawyer, The Spirit of Radio, and Limelight – all of which are progressive in their own right.
For the past 50 years, Rush has been the undisputed king of progressive music. Their influence and mastery of the genre remain unparalleled. Long live Rush!
Judas Priest
4/5
This album ripped! Almost listened to it a second time as it played again right after and it was even more enjoyable. Only familiar with the singles but the deeper cuts were just as strong if not stronger. Will definitely revisit in the future.
Def Leppard
2/5
My dad had this album on cassette. The ultimate dad rock record. Have you listened to a Def Leppard song back to back? It sucks. His voice is interesting when it pops on the radio after hearing Coldplay or something. But the same shrieking over and over and over again is rough.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
I guess this is alright? Hard not to lump a lot of these early 60s bands together. Is this really that different from Buddy Holly or really early Beatles? Not sure.
The Band
2/5
Sounds like music downtrodden alcoholics would order another shot to at an empty pub off the highway somewhere. Not sure I like. Reminds me of Coen brothers or Scorsese movies, which I'm sure I like. I don't know if these guys were THE band but they definitely are A band.
The Byrds
2/5
This is now the third 60s album in a row. I suppose this is the best of the bunch, I enjoyed the more psychedelic elements compared to the more typical beatles-fare from this time. Still pretty boring though.
50 Cent
3/5
This album is hilariously long for how little variety there are between some of these songs. I would have given it a 4 but it's AT LEAST 30 minutes too long. An hour, fifteen? Insane.
Anyways. It's wild to me seeing hip-hop I grew up on now being deemed "classic" hip hop and the younger generations listening to albums like this instead of Tupac/Biggie from my era. Cool!
Harry Nilsson
4/5
This album was awesome. Can't say I've ever heard of Harry Nilsson but he's the coconut song guy! This record is chalk-full of unique and wildly original ideas. Not sure how anyone could hate on something as fun as this, especially for 71'. You can still hear The Beatles influence but it's no where near as derivative as other records following their peak.
Method Man
2/5
Boring. Production is so flat and forgettable. Not for me.
Neil Young
4/5
I enjoyed this. One of my favoruite tracks that doesn't seem to get a lot of attention if Spotify plays count is There's a World. Crazy orchestration out of nowhere. Very cool. Production on this record is leagues better than what I've heard from some of his other stuff. Still not really a Neil Young fan but this was a good listen.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I feel like this is actually really close to being something I like. But unfortunately, it's not very good.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
I guess we needed early 2000s pop star representation on here? It's funny - here we are 20+ years out from this era of music, and none of it has aged terribly well. Are people still listening to these artists in 2024? None of the big 2000s artists really maintained their super-stardom into the 2010s. Christina, Britney, Backstreet Boys, Nsync, all died in under a decade. Sure they are still super famous, but none really had a smash hit after 10 years of being on the scene. Idk. Christina has a good voice.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Sinead seemed like a cool person, a real artist. Not really my music though.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Probably my favourite of the RHCP catalog. I'm not sure how well some of the goofier songs hold up. But some of the more brooding, emotional songs, still rip. Also great musicianship from most of the band. The best RHCP will get.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Probably one of the biggest albums I don't really "get". It's fine, catchy, and fun. But I see it in the top 10 albums of all time list and I don't know. It kind of sticks out like a sore thumb when listening to some of it's neighbors on those lists. Even from records from the same time. Something like Revolver is much more varied and interesting than the same sort of beachy sound that runs through this whole record. I don't know - this is fine.
Billie Holiday
3/5
I enjoyed this but by one hour Billie's voice got a little tiring on me. Still a good record and another win for 50s jazz.
Fiona Apple
4/5
I really enjoyed this! I've been aware of Fiona Apple for some time, but digging into her biography was an interesting read. She's been going at it for a while with a sparsely populated discography, but every time she does drop something it's apparently to critical acclaim. This being her first release I'm hoping to get another album to see how it varies. Otherwise this might be one of the first artists I just check out other albums on my own!
M.I.A.
3/5
I liked this because it was different than a lot of the stuff on this list. Cool production choices. Not entirely my type of music but a fine listen.
Hawkwind
1/5
I cannot describe how terribly difficult this listen was.
When I started this list, I made a goal for myself to TRULY listen to every single second of every record on this list. How can I give anything a true shake if I don't digest the whole thing?
This is record #226 for me and I almost had to break my rule. I really, honestly, don't believe anything will come close to this record in it's unenjoyment. There will be songs I hate more. Artists I hate more. But albums?
WHY IS THIS ALBUM OVER TWO HOURS LONG?
Seriously I would LOVE to have an honest debate with the list makers on their rationale for including live records, and most specific of all, this record on this list.
What an absolute DOG SHIT listen that was. My fucking algorithm on Spotify is going to be boned for MONTHS thinking I love Hawkwind now because I just put it through 2+ hours of this endless jamming wankery. Literally the EXACT same music you'd expect to hear in the garage of some highschoolers for two hours after school.
Get this piece of shit off this list. Fuck this band, fuck this album, fuck live albums, and fuck you 1001 Albums.
Throwing Muses
4/5
I've had a string of unknown, and crappy albums lately. When I saw this band, another that I've never heard of, and found I had to listen on YouTube in order to get the right record - I groaned.
But this was awesome! I'm surprised this band never got bigger. Sounds way ahead of it's time for 1986. Reminds me in part of Black Country New Road which are one of the most beloved modern alternative/indie bands of late. Happy to be acquainted!
Pixies
4/5
My friend Joe in highschool loved this album & band.
I remember them being a bit sleepier but maybe I've just mellowed out since then lol. That is to say, I enjoyed this more than I'd been thinking I would all these years. Good record.
Ash
2/5
This is bullshit. At this point I think this list is just including first 1001 records they picked at random from a music store.
Like this record is just... it's just... music? There isn't anything original on here that every human with ears hasn't heard before. Presently, or even back then. I see they are Irish. Is that why? We don't have enough Irish representation or something?
I think I'd have more respect for this record if it wasn't musically WORSE. At least then it would stick out. Who the hell wants to hear this when they could listen to Weezer, Oasis, or any other 90s alt pop rock band. This list should include the best representation of every sound. Not the 99th "best record" of this sound. (I'm looking at you Beatles rip off bands too!)
Missy Elliott
4/5
This was a fun record. I can see why people consider Missy the queen of hip hop. An honest record filled with all the sexual references you'd hear around this time from the men in the genre. Love it. Also lol at the Donald Trump shout out in the intro. 2002 truly a different time.
Radiohead
4/5
Incredible album. Probably my third favourite from them but still probably deserves a 5. I expect the other two to be on this list so I think I'm going to save the fives for then.
David Bowie
3/5
Probably not the best Bowie album on here. But still somewhat enjoyable.
Weather Report
4/5
This was awesome. Hope I get another record from these dudes. Crazy talented group of guys here. Maybe the most talented group to ever do it. Very rad.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
I enjoyed this. Didn't overstay it's welcome like some of these older soul records do. Could probably have listened to at least another half record of this. Nice.
5/5
This list is quite different from the types of music I usually listen to, and I suspect that's true for many people exploring this experiment. If you're a big fan of a specific genre, you might find a few popular artists from that genre represented, but many hidden gems that you love will likely be missing. This issue is for me is compounded by the absence of new music from the past year or two and the lack of representation of metal music from the last 20 years.
Enter Muse. This album is a prime example of the heavier, alternative, progressive sounds I wish were more prevalent on this list. I love this record and rank it among my personal favorites, especially compared to some of the unfamiliar albums included here. While I'm happy to listen to this record again, I'm most excited about its inclusion so I can read reviews from others who may not be as familiar with it.
An immediate 5 out 5, now if only Dream Theater, Opeth, The Mars Volta, The Dillinger Escape Plan, TOOL, Porcupine Tree, or Between The Buried & Me would make an appearance...
The Residents
3/5
Is this music dogshit? Yes. Is it insane for 1972? Also yes. I probably won't ever listen to this again, but I gotta say I'd take this over another Beatles clone. Absolutely love that these guys ripped off the "With the Beatles" album artwork for their next album. I remember hearing they got sued into oblivion with that.
I expect this record to have the lowest global rating out of everything I've reviewed so far but typically such is avant-garde anything. This is an honest effort to be weird and not give a fuck and it still comes out sounding better than some of the pretentious "genius" critic-bait that exists on this list.
Mj Cole
1/5
I have heard royalty free music with more edge than this record. What kind of music is this so I can avoid it for the rest of my life. God awful.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
This started to grow on me. Not all over the place, but in little spots.
Santana
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Short but punchy. Will likely revisit.
2/5
Another experimental album that is going to have a, probably deserved, low score. Is making a song with the sounds of dial-up internet a cool idea? Sure. Does it sound good or is interesting? Not really.
As a metalhead this stuff kind of drives me crazy. Why does this list dive into the depths of abrasive experimental/avant-garde, but is afraid to bring to light the deep & rich variety of metal? If you're going to include music that pushes the limits of what's music, there are much more extreme examples than whatever THIS is. I guess the people need to hear the 13th best Bowie or Young album instead...
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I feel like I end up saying this often but I think I liked this more than I anticipated. I especially enjoyed the songs from THPS that I haven't heard in 20 years.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Was hopeful for a bit more on this one. I like some of Willie's songs but this album was a tad boring.
The Roots
4/5
I liked this record which isn't usually the case for older hip-hop. I almost exclusively did not like the features though. That's especially true of what appears to be the most popular song on this record featuring this Cody Chesnutt guy. The chorus "I wanna push my seed into your bush"??? Like cmon that's brutal.
Fan of The Roots I'd say, not so much of the rest of it.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
This was fucking awesome. Not sure what else to say other than I really enjoyed this.
Coldplay
3/5
The strong songs on this record are good. Still not sure how Coldplay became one of the biggest pop/rock bands in the world. These songs have almost no edge whatsoever and it only gets worse as their discography goes on, but then again maybe that's what got them their wide appeal.
Public Enemy
2/5
I like Chuck D but this album is almost exclusively incredibly obnoxious beats over even more insufferable ad-libs from the worst to ever do it.
Skepta
4/5
Finally some newer hip-hop. Amazes me how much representation ancient, elementary hip-hop gets on this list, but there's so much more variety in modern stuff like this Skepta record.
Definitely some misses on here, but mostly enjoyed this. Not totally familiar with this genre of rap but as I say, a welcomed change.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
I guess this was okay? Wasn't THAT unusual though.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Nice smooth listen. Short and sweet, would like to revisit.
Scott Walker
4/5
This was fucking awesome. Especially knowing how bonkers Scott gets later on in his career. Still, what a crazy record for 1968. Sounds like Jack Skellington does baroque pop. Very cool.
Pentangle
2/5
Was hoping for a cool psychedelic experience, not folky church hymns. We going to get some Gregorian Chants on here too? Jesus...
Sam Cooke
3/5
This was good. I wonder if this exact live show was the type of shows I've seen referenced in movies where the crowd is dancing all wild and sexually because that's what I wanted to do!
The United States Of America
2/5
These guys got the OG username of USA hey.
Terribly boring with bits of interesting weirdness. Not enough to keep my attention though.
DJ Shadow
2/5
For my birthday I was hoping 1001 was going to pick an album that I already think is an undeniable classic, a staple in my music catalogue.
Not the case here. Background music that's somehow made worse by working with it on in the background.
It makes me feel like I'm in a corporate job circa Y2K. It doesn't make me feel nice. Certainly doesn't make me feel like it's my birthday :(
Van Halen
4/5
One of the routine things that is slowly becoming my favourite thing to do with these 1001 albums is diving into a bands discography to see where the album fits amongst the rest of their work.
Sometimes I'm surprised to see there was a record before or after, sometimes like in the case of the BeeGees, I'm surprised to find they existed as almost an entirely different band for many albums before their most famous work.
I also find it really interesting when a band has their most recognizable work, like in the case of 1984, flanked by albums I either didn't know existed, or aren't very recognizable.
Anyway, this album is good. The singles by now are stale, but I enjoyed the cuts I wasn't familiar with. Back to the discography dive, surprised to see this was their 6th album by this point. Would have guessed second or something.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
In my early 20s I sang the words "Ham on a bun" to the same tune as Wings sing "Band on the run" and it became a hit with my friend group as well as some others. Give it a try next time you have a ham sandwich, it's really fun.
Tears For Fears
3/5
I had higher hopes for this record because I like Everybody Want to Rule the World. Unfortunately a lot of the other songs kinda fell flat. Seems like another record that made this list just because it has one or two massive singles. Not really a full album you need to hear before you die imo.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Terribly boring. Not sure what I'm missing.
The White Stripes
3/5
This was okay. I guess this album being present on this list means I can expect at least another 3 albums by The White Stripes? Seems like too much. Maybe I'm wrong.
Definitely important in that early 2000s radio rock sound, and as far as radio rock I enjoy them, but that's generally where I'm okay with them staying - on the radio, not in my personal listening.
Laibach
2/5
This album really pissed me off, and not just for the reasons I'm sure it's annoyed everyone who's had to listen to it because it's on this list. It's the fact that albums like this exist on the list, while so many amazing metal albums are excluded. This glaring oversight seriously undermines the credibility of what this list is supposed to represent.
Look, I get it—death vocals can be a hard sell for someone without a metal background or context. But then, what the HELL is this? It's like some German industrial metal-adjacent band that, even for someone who enjoys some of the sounds here, found completely GRATING.
It's honestly embarrassing. Either remove music like this or open the gates to include the heavier side of music, you weirdos.
3/5
This was fine. Some cool instrumentation from an otherwise fairly boring band. Probably the record I'll enjoy the most from them.
Radiohead
5/5
Pretty cool to think that the greatest piece of music ever written didn’t come around until 2007.
I'm kidding. But it does seem like most critics and wannabe music snobs routinely place this album in that category. I've read and reviewed so many top 100 lists over the years, and while there are plenty of albums that consistently show up, this record is probably my favorite among them all.
It's not my personal favorite album of all time, but it’s definitely my favorite among the critics' picks, which earns it a pretty high spot on my all-time list.
Louis Prima
4/5
This was enjoyable as hell. Put this on when you're cookin' and HOT DAMN.
Kid Rock
1/5
Garbage cliche elementary lyrics with instrumentation that is 10 years too late to what Rage was doing a decade prior from a brain rotted MAGA sycophant. Fuck this guy and this album.
AC/DC
4/5
Banger of an album. Four massive classic arena rock songs with some great deep cuts. What's not to love?
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Good record. Not exactly my favorite kind of music but a nice, easy listening time.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
The greatest hip-hop album of all time.
Come along for the ride on a deeply personal exploration of Kendrick's upbringing in Compton. Navigating the pressures of gang culture, peer influence, and personal redemption.
The album's cohesiveness, lyrical depth, and innovative sound have cemented this record as a benchmark in hip-hop and Lamar as a musical genius.
Rap doesn't get any better than this.
Rahul Dev Burman
1/5
Incredibly difficult listen.
Elton John
4/5
A rockin' good time. Would look forward to another Elton John album.
The Replacements
3/5
This was fine. I'm starting to get real tired of albums that I have the same opinion on the music on song 1, as I do by the time I get to song 11. Just no variety on this (and many of the 1001) albums.
Like I didn't have to listen to this whole thing to know I was giving it a 3.
Fugees
4/5
Really enjoyed this! I had no idea Lauryn Hill originally started with this band. Also that they only had two albums? Also this band includes Wyclef Jean?
I learned so much!
2/5
Would love someone to explain it to me.
Greatest Hits = Not allowed.
Live versions of an artists greatest hits = Allowed.
Dumb. Just like this album.
The Who
2/5
I like The Who but this album didn't need to be over an hour long.
King Crimson
5/5
As far as this list is concerned, this record is a 5/5. However, as far as prog rock is concerned, or even King Crimson's discography is concerned, this record is a 4 out of 5.
Ten minutes of noodling noises on moonchild eliminate it from being truly a perfect record like a 5 out of 5 would suggest. Always funny when I see people put this record as the greatest of all time and then their #2 record will be like Travis Scott or Kanye West or something. It seems like at one point or another everyone was told that this record is the best that prog rock has to offer but really it will probably only take you a few hours digging in to the genre to find that isn't the case.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I took a half year break from this list in most part due to Bob Dylan.
I was welcomed back to the best and the worst of this list, King Crimson up first to reinforce my decision to come back, and now Bob Dylan to remind me of the annoying depths this list takes me to. Thanks Bob.
3/5
Interesting record. This sounds like it could have come out now on some songs, definitely hear a lot of modern influence. Then other songs, just sounds like an unknown Beatles track, which dates it. Overall enjoyable though.
Röyksopp
2/5
Not going to waste my time on an album review for an album that wasted my time. Terribly boring.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
There's this guy on Spotify that sings poop songs with your name in it. Like he does a song about poop for every name under the sun. There's several of my name, Jared Poops.
Sometimes Neil Young sounds like the Poop guy. I thought this record was decent.