1001 Albums Summary

Listening statistics & highlights

116
Albums Rated
3.02
Average Rating
11%
Complete
973 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1960
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
16
5-Star Albums
13
1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

Top Styles

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
5 3.19 +1.81
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
5 3.34 +1.66
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
5 3.37 +1.63
Either Or
Elliott Smith
5 3.4 +1.6
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
5 3.49 +1.51
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
5 3.57 +1.43
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
5 3.67 +1.33
Abraxas
Santana
5 3.72 +1.28
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
5 3.86 +1.14
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
5 3.91 +1.09

You Love Less Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
Doolittle
Pixies
1 3.74 -2.74
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
1 3.57 -2.57
Ramones
Ramones
1 3.56 -2.56
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
1 3.37 -2.37
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
1 3.36 -2.36
Kimono My House
Sparks
1 3.06 -2.06
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
1 3.02 -2.02
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
2 4.02 -2.02
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
1 2.98 -1.98
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
1 2.89 -1.89

5-Star Albums (16)

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Popular Reviews

Imagine by John Lennon

A cultural landmark, from a flawed man that wrote great songs.

Iron Maiden by Iron Maiden

Not my scene, but it is interesting that I never listened to this before considering how prevalent their fans were in the 1980s. I am told their later stuff is more developed and the singing is better. . . I can see how they influenced later metal genres, but again, this is not my cup of tea. There is a bit of sameness to each song and the tone of the guitars is grating and unpleasant. The singing is British post-punk and pre-hair metal chic. I find it to be unlistenable even as workout music. . .

Amnesiac by Radiohead

This is theoretically interesting, but not great. I just don't get peoples' infatuation and fascination with Radiohead. They are over-estimated - the ultimate navel-gazers. Who listens to this? why? I am not a fan.

1-Star Albums (13)

All Ratings (116)

Blonde On Blonde by Bob Dylan
Oct 23 2023

This is not the best Dylan album of the era. . . which is highway 61 revisited

Green Onions by Booker T. & The MG's
Oct 24 2023

Can't believe this album is from 1962. Classic, groovy blues that defined the Stax label and was so influential on the late 1960's psychedelic sound and the later funk explosion in the 1970s. The album is weak and repetitive after Green Onions. Hammond organ, the late fifties jazz drumming, and dated guitar tone and technique in the solos.

Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
Oct 25 2023

A wonderful album from an immensely talented artist. The album has a few great songs, but most songs a good, under-produced and showcase her style and vocal talent. The songs are intimate and colorful portraits, but the headline is her voice.

Iron Maiden by Iron Maiden
Oct 26 2023

Not my scene, but it is interesting that I never listened to this before considering how prevalent their fans were in the 1980s. I am told their later stuff is more developed and the singing is better. . . I can see how they influenced later metal genres, but again, this is not my cup of tea. There is a bit of sameness to each song and the tone of the guitars is grating and unpleasant. The singing is British post-punk and pre-hair metal chic. I find it to be unlistenable even as workout music. . .

Heroes by David Bowie
Oct 27 2023

A strange album. Heroes stands out on it for sure. It is so different in every way from the other tracks. There are traces of the rough edges from the early-7s Bowie/Ziggy stuff, the obvious influence of the late 70's punk and it's rough edges. But there is mostly an unfulfilled search for a coherent sound. The songwriting is also forgettable here. I would have hoped for more from Bowie. He has such gems in his catalogue. This album is lesser. Why is this on the list? The whole B side is weak and feels experimental in a half-assed way.

Blackstar by David Bowie
Oct 30 2023

Bowie was a serious musician to the end. He continued to innovate and search for a new thing through his entire life. And he managed that feat multiple times, and yet was true to himself, and made music only he could make. He is a legend. And this album is fantastic. But is not my thing either. I am glad to have heard it, but I probably will not listen to it in a regular rotation. "'Tis a pity she was a whore" is a highlight. . . Lazarus is also a timely release considering he died around this release.

Here's Little Richard by Little Richard
Oct 31 2023

1957 man.. . He was the real deal. But it is pretty dated now.

The Specials by The Specials
Nov 01 2023

nothing special about this. . .

1977 by Ash
Nov 02 2023

Odd that I have NEVER heard this before. . . It is mediocre Brit-pop and a little too dated. . . This is an odd inclusion in a finite list of albums. . .

The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths
Nov 03 2023

Fuck yeah. This is classic, and even though not all songs are bangers, the album holds up. I still remember when I borrowed this album from Nicole Lee in 1986 or 1987. It was a revelation. It is funny to think back on it - how I thought it was several years old. I did that with New Order, DM and the Smiths for sure!

1999 by Prince
Nov 04 2023

Interesting. . . The first two tracks 1999 and red corvette are bangers. How does the rest hold up? Answer: not that well. I mean, Prince is obviously a unique and crazy talent. But, the last nine songs on the album are synth pop from 1982, and don't leave an impression on me. "Free" is a good song, but the rest are meh. . .

Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson
Nov 05 2023

Oh Willie. A classic album, which I have never listened to all the way through. Willie is not my cup of tea, but he is great. 15 songs in 33 minutes! The album is a vibe - meaning it is a thematic composition as a whole and evokes thoughtful reverie from earlier tunes with themes between longer tracks. It holds up amazingly well!! Great album and enjoyable listening!!

The Grand Tour by George Jones
Nov 06 2023

New to me. Obviously a famous classic. Not my thing really. Most tracks are the formulaic country of the era. His voice is golden, but the tracks are not the best. lots of 1-4-5 progressions, walking base lines and chorus starting on the 5. Formulaic. I guess this is where the tropes come from. . . But still it is not the best in class of its own genre. Title track is the epitome of 70's country - sad, poignant heartache. "The weatherman" and "Who will I be loving now" are good tracks. But the remaining ones are nothing special.

With The Beatles by Beatles
Nov 07 2023

Early Beatles feels like a time capsule. It is great and dated and showcases the huge potential of great musicians. But it is repackaged versions of American blues riffs and pop sensibilities from the late 1950s. . . with many covers of standards. The lyrics are all puppy love and longing and a bit boring. . . Still. It is a good album. It is just not one I would listen to on a regular rotation. You can hear the seeds of their future brilliance here.

Machine Gun Etiquette by The Damned
Nov 08 2023

The year was 1979. . . Never listened to this before. . . It is punk from Britain in the late 1970s, so yeah, not the best musicianship. Mostly fast beats and aggression and so much angst. Funny that there are guitar solos though, in contrast to the pistols or Ramones. . . Anti Pope is a good track. . . I just don't have any emotional connection to this music. It triggers nothing in me. no nostalgia. No current connection. I find it kind of boring and ugly. It is not challenging or provoking either. Just noise made unrighteously.

Brown Sugar by D'Angelo
Nov 09 2023

Neo-soul from 1995. Never listened to this before. . . Will probably never listen to it again.

Siembra by Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Nov 10 2023

Never listened to this before. . . Oh hell yes. Groovy, funk-infused latin beats from Blades. The best selling Salsa record of all time. I dig it. . . Not gonna make the regular playlist, but it is great music!

The Stooges by The Stooges
Nov 11 2023

Never sat down and listened to this album as a whole. . . Iggy Pop is a legend and the Stooges are so influential! The music is ahead of its time. It feels hard, a little groovy, but with an edge that is in direct opposition to the hippy aesthetic of the time - sign of the decay setting in and an omen of what was to come in the mid-70's. Meh. . . The album is not worth re-listening to, imho.

Parallel Lines by Blondie
Nov 12 2023

New to me. Pretty basic rock, a few hits. Meh.

Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
Nov 13 2023

Classic. My memories of my youth are tied to this.

Raising Hell by Run-D.M.C.
Nov 14 2023

I remember this from around the time it came out. Not my thing, but electrifying at the time. Still a great listen!

Diamond Life by Sade
Nov 16 2023

I am familiar with Sade's music, but I never listened to her albums all the way through. It all sounds the same. Not great.

Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears
Nov 17 2023

I am familiar with this music. Never listened to the album all the way through before. . . It is ok. The hits are the best songs.

Nov 18 2023

Never heard it nor heard of it before. . . Mid-2000s pop with thoughtful lyrics and a good vibe. I just don't have any connection to it.

Closer by Joy Division
Nov 20 2023

This album and Joy Division as a band are always noted for their influence on what was to come for industrial, new wave, and electronica. I never really got it. His vocals are flat and atonal. The innovation is the electronic beat and ambient sounds from guitar. They have a few songs that are great. But this album, like much of their music, is kind of shit.

Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
Nov 21 2023

Never listened to it before. I am aware of their hits, but nothing else. . . What an album! Not one of my top ten, but certainly a great album! Syncopated post-pop with soaring themes and arena-worthy anthems. Every song is strong, and the hooks are many and well-crafted.

Want One by Rufus Wainwright
Nov 22 2023

Never heard the album before. . . Obviously talented, but not that interesting. Melodies are a bit too dramatic and theatrical. Feels cheesy and a little stilted. I don't connect to the music emotionally at all.

Imagine by John Lennon
Nov 25 2023

A cultural landmark, from a flawed man that wrote great songs.

Time Out by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Nov 26 2023

Classic.

The Doors by The Doors
Nov 28 2023

Excellent

White Blood Cells by The White Stripes
Nov 29 2023

Good album. Interesting sound and songwriting, but not my thing, and will not be in my listening rotation.

Nov 30 2023

New to me. . . I have heard some of Muse before, but not listened to this album all the way through. It is a good album and their sound is their own. But I don't connect to the music.

Mask by Bauhaus
Dec 01 2023
Lust For Life by Iggy Pop
Dec 02 2023

This album is 1977 in caricature. Joe Walsh guitar sounds, disco hints, a song about lusting for 16 year olds, a song lusting for a black woman. . . It is amazingly bad. so bad it is almost good?

Sincere by Mj Cole
Dec 03 2023

Never heard of the artist nor the album. . . it's a mix tape. a good one.

Ys by Joanna Newsom
Dec 04 2023

I listened on youtube. It is a complete mystery to me why this album is in the top 1,000. Baffling!

Ramones by Ramones
Dec 06 2023

Simple music. Never enjoyed them really. Feels like a schtick and a stupid one at that.

Actually by Pet Shop Boys
Dec 08 2023

1987 in purest form.

Abraxas by Santana
Dec 09 2023

Amazing listen. Must wear headphones!!! A classic album with great musicians and a fascinating aesthetic.

Hot Rats by Frank Zappa
Dec 10 2023

Good album. . . not sure what the fuss is about Frank.

Amnesiac by Radiohead
Dec 11 2023

This is theoretically interesting, but not great. I just don't get peoples' infatuation and fascination with Radiohead. They are over-estimated - the ultimate navel-gazers. Who listens to this? why? I am not a fan.

1984 by Van Halen
Dec 13 2023
Hms Fable by Shack
Dec 14 2023

Bland, boring brit pop.

Life Thru A Lens by Robbie Williams
Dec 15 2023

This is bad. . . It may prompt me to quit this service and find a different list of albums. What an absolutely awful record.

Paranoid by Black Sabbath
Dec 18 2023

Might be my #1 album. Right up there with the Led Zeppelin classics, Fleetwood Mac Rumors, etc. Not every song is a classic, but the influence and impact of this record on music cannot be overstated. The heaviest hits from Bill Ward and the heavy metal guitar and bass riffs, blending a groovy, syncopation with a dark aesthetic that birthed several genres of music over the next 10 years. War Pigs is probably the best anti-war anthem ever written. . .

The Next Day by David Bowie
Dec 19 2023

This is a decent album, not sure why it is on the list. Early and mid-career Bowie was iconic and generation-defining stuff. This is good music, but doesn't feel that relevant to me. It is just Bowie.

Live At Leeds by The Who
Dec 20 2023

A good live album. But feels dated. Pete Townsend was always a one trick pony, and his style is a little blunt for my tastes. My dad loved them though!

Vincebus Eruptum by Blue Cheer
Dec 22 2023

Who wrote this list? Influential albums are not necessarily the best albums of a genre. They are often the first or early examples of the genre. Later albums and acts evolve the germ of an idea into the hugely popular thing that becomes its own genre. In this case, the genre is heavy metal. This may be the first or one of the first heavy metal albums. But by god, it is not one of the best.

The Bends by Radiohead
Dec 30 2023

Great album. Good lyrics, interesting music.

Dec 31 2023

Good album from a magical time when electronics took over mainstream pop and changed how music was made and conceived.

Next by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Jan 05 2024
Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen
Jan 09 2024

Feels dated to me in way that his other albums do not - Nebraska, Asbury Park, Born to Run, etc. have a timeless character to them. This one feels locked in the early 80's. I still love it.

Frank by Amy Winehouse
Jan 23 2024
Rock 'N Soul by Solomon Burke
Jan 24 2024

Dated. Not unique for its time.

Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth
Jan 25 2024

A time capsule from the late 80's. It is an enjoyable listen, but not something I would put on regular rotation. This album and REM's Eponymous really capture the vibe of 1988 for me.

Madman Across The Water by Elton John
Jan 26 2024

A classic album really, but the first two tracks are heads and tails better than the rest - better songwriting and lyrics.

The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground
Jan 30 2024

I used to really enjoy this album. Now it seems bland and basic. Still like it. . .

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
Feb 02 2024
Feb 10 2024

This album was everywhere, and has some catchy songs. Not sure I would put it on this list.

Joan Baez by Joan Baez
Feb 26 2024

Not my thing. Never got it. There is good folk music, but not this.

Dirty by Sonic Youth
Feb 29 2024
Superunknown by Soundgarden
Mar 08 2024

I didn't get into this at the time it was released. It is a solid album, but I can't shake my opinions formed at the time that Chris Cornell's vision of what his music could be was not quite the right fit for his strengths. It is a great piece of work and contains some epic tracks.

Thriller by Michael Jackson
Mar 09 2024

Amazing time capsule. Michael was a savant and creative genius.

Suzanne Vega by Suzanne Vega
Mar 11 2024

definitely from 1985. . . slow. . . spoken. . . word. . . opening song. oof... she reminds me of radio from 1985-1987, when pop was losing its way and record labels backed the wrong artists and were continuously pushing cheesy shit. I listened through this whole thing and did not find a reason to listen ever again. Maybe "Small Blue Thing" is a decent song, and I can hear the influence o later bands like the Throwing Muses.

At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash
Mar 12 2024

This is one of those that is obviously classic and a massive album, but I don't connect with it at all. I don't love Johnny Cash's music - it just doesn't do it for me.

Group Sex by Circle Jerks
Mar 13 2024

Funny that this made the list. Like the Butthole Surfer's albums of the time, this feels dated and kind of stupid to me now, when it used to feel edgy and dangerous.

Pieces Of The Sky by Emmylou Harris
Mar 22 2024

She is an immense talent, and her harmonies are so perfect. . . and I don't care for the music.

Mar 23 2024

Classic. A window into late 80's music. 80% of the tracks are great songs!

Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye
Mar 24 2024

One great song. . . He has a great voice and magnetic presence. But his sensibilities and taste in songs. . . is of a different time and place. It feels 50 years old.

Cafe Bleu by The Style Council
Mar 25 2024

Never listened to this before. . . Probably never will again, although a few tracks are catchy and interesting, especially considering this came out in 1984.

Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
Mar 26 2024

This is one of the greatest albums ever made. Top to bottom, every song deserves its place on the record. Good songwriting, great execution by the band, and a unique sound that helped shape rock and roll for generations.

Murmur by R.E.M.
Mar 30 2024

Classic. An important soundtrack for me to 8th grade through 9th grade.

Viva Hate by Morrissey
Apr 01 2024

Solid solo effort from him. I remember hearing it for the first time!

Nilsson Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson
Apr 06 2024

A catalogue of what was wrong with the excesses of the late 1970s.

Ten by Pearl Jam
Apr 09 2024

A classic.

Dire Straits by Dire Straits
Apr 13 2024

a good album showcasing Knoplfer's huge talent.

Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel
Apr 19 2024
Electric Music For The Mind And Body by Country Joe & The Fish
Apr 25 2024

a snapshot in time. . . feels like a message from a different world now. Late-60's California was something else.

Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós
May 07 2024

This list is suspect. This is a nice album, but nowhere near the greatest 1000.

Triangle by The Beau Brummels
Jan 08 2026

The album feels dated even when considering it is from1967.

Wordsmith

Reviews written for 71% of albums. Average review length: 162 characters.

Other

Album origins are grouped into three buckets: US, UK, and everything else. “Other” means the artists you rate highest are from outside the US and UK.