1001 Albums Summary

This was pretty nice, and Piece of My Heart is a classic for a reason. It didn't absolutely captivate me, but was enjoyable overall.

Absolute all time classic

This was pretty nice, a good Sunday morning record

Jesus Christ this is beige. So so beige. Beige music for beige people living beige lives. Possibly the worst album.

This is definitely a bit of me. Love the jazz funk fusion, and also whatever the fuck was happening on track two. Best new album of the game so far.

This didn't blow me away, but this kind of jazz is always a nice time

Gil Scott-Heron is a genius and this is another great record from him. Loved it

Completely different to every other Sufjan record I've heard, I'm not sure I took it all in in one listen but what I did get was very good. Will revisit.

Love Björk, this is another absolute classic

Fuck Morrissey

This was a pleasant enough listen, didn’t blow my mind though

A huge influence on so much that I love, and a great record in its own right.

Perfect album. 6/5.

Another absolute classic

Wow this is very 80s. Not really for me - the guys voice is quite off putting

Big dumb fun

There’s better PJ Harvey records, this didn’t move me too much.

Fuccccck Morrissey

A nice listen whilst making Christmas dinner. Knocked off a star coz Phil Spector is a murderer

This was alright, sad Beck isn't what I was expected. Reminded me a bit of the more recent Failure records, which just made me wish I was listening to Failure.

I’ve been on a bit of a folk/Americana kick lately so this hit the spot perfectly for me. What a lovely find.

This is very dated. And the male vocals were a struggle. Back To Life is annoyingly catchy though, and redeems it slightly.

I probably would have loved this at 15 years old, but at 30 pop punk isn't really my thing anymore.

I don’t know what I thought The Doors sounded like but it wasn’t this - I wasn’t expecting a fairly straightforward blues rock record. I don’t mind it though! This worked for me and Riders On The Storm is a classic

This kind of music is just so easy to love. It’s hard not to have a good time listening to these songs.

This was a weird little record, which I really enjoyed. Probably would need a few listens to fully get into, but first impression was intriguing. And anything Kate Bush shows up on is worth re-listening to. Reading the book entry/wikipedia page on this also is well worth doing - loads of cool little details that make it more interesting still.

This isn’t peak Bruce, but it is very good Bruce.

Top 3 albums from the Seattle Scene, an absolute stone cold 6 out of 5 record. Perfect harmonies, perfect riffs, perfect solos, perfectly miserable.

I guess this was pretty fun but it feels very throwaway. Won’t be revisiting.

Another indisputed classic

Not feeling this one

Interesting record, I wish this project threw up a few more like this.

Obviously a classic, easy 5

This was very dull.

Not my usual thing, but this was an enjoyable experience.

This has a great, bleak atmosphere. I think I prefer Closer slightly though. Still really good.

This is the kind of thing I want from this project. I've always wanted to dive into Kate Bush beyond Hounds Of Love, but never have made the time. This was absolutely excellent, and I will definitely go all in on her catalogue now. Such a weird, beautiful record.

Meh

Becky told me to say “this makes me think of the cottage, I picture all the views. I stomp up the hill to Black Dog. 5*”.

Get vaccinated kids

There’s lots of good stuff on this but it’s just way too much. And the quirky, odd, silly bits don’t really work for me.

Really cool, inventive and weird pop record. I think she topped it with Magdalena though!

I love Joni, this one is not quite Blue but it’s pretty great

This is definitely a lesser Miles Davis album, I’m not sure it would even be in his top 10. But lesser Miles is still better than 99.9% of other musicians.

I always suspected I wouldn’t enjoy the Rolling Stones. It’s nice to have that confirmed.

This was inoffensive.

Not sure what to make of this one, bits were cool, bits were awful, bits were weird, bits were boring. Give it a 3 and move on.

This one is an all time classic, loved it

Much like the other Massive Attack record this was inoffensive.

I'm really glad we have done this one the week after Birth Of The Cool. This really showcases how much of a creative tear Miles was on at this period of his career - this is so different from what he was doing on Cool, and is the sound of a true artist doing whatever the fuck he wanted, a journey that reached it's peak a year later with Bitches Brew. truly a once in a lifetime musician, and this record is an absolute joy.

The first Wu-Tang solo record I’ve listened to, this wasn’t surprising but it was fun

4* for God Only Knows alone

Nina Simone is good and this was good Nina Simone

Perfect album

This was quite fun

I’m not opposed to Motörhead, but I am opposed to live albums. Why is this included? It isn’t even all from the same show! The songs are good but this is a very weird pick.

This was fine

I started out feeling like this was a 4 but it fell off pretty hard in the back half. Stopped being bangers and started being a little dull.

We had IV recently, this is good but not as good as that so gets a 4.

I’ve listened to this a million times, but gave it one more playthrough to confirm - yes, this is perfect. Deserves its status as one of the greatest metal albums of all time.

Truly such a dull band

This is very much my vibe, classy weird 80s pop

Twee bollocks

Back to back Kinks is not what I wanted. This one was marginally less twee than the last so I loathed it a bit less. Thats the only reason they aren’t getting another 1

I enjoyed this a lot. I always thought Pink Floyd would be for me, maybe this will motivate me to listen to some more

This is an album I’ve always wanted to listen to but somehow never got round to. It’s cited as a massive influence by loads of bands I love, and deserves its reputation as an essential post-hardcore/emo record. It’s extremely my shit and I’ll definitely be revisiting this a tonne. This is what the club is all about! I’m very excited by this one.

There was lots that I actually enjoyed about this, but it is way too long. I also don't think that the setting I played it in was the best - this isn't a sitting at your desk working album. Could've been much higher rated with some editing though

This is never going to be my favourite, but whilst it is on I had a very nice time.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would - I don't know why but the thought of Bob Dylan fills me with dread. The reality was more enjoyable though.

Yeah this was quite bad. Queen very much just a hits band, and even the big ones on this aren't all that...

This was a vibe. Very into it. Throw up some more cool shit like this please game.

I love Fleetwood Mac, but of the Buckingham/Nicks era this one is slightly weaker - doesn't have the sheer hit power of Rumours, S/T or Tango In The Night. I appreciate the sprawl of it, but it's lows are a bit lower too. Could do with an edit.

I was going to do a hipster review about how I prefer later period weirder Radiohead, and this gets a 4 in comparison. But then I put Planet Telex on and remembered that this is perfect just like all their albums are. God what an unbelievable band.

Fuuuuuuuckkk Morrissey for the third time (but this one is the best Smiths record)

This was fine for a genre of music that I generally don't enjoy, but I will never be revisiting this.

We've had a fair few trip-hop albums come up, probably more than I would consider "essential" enough to make this list, but I think I enjoyed this one the most - it had more variety than the two Massive Attack albums and the Portishead record.

Felt dated and all over the place - not sure what to make of it but I did not enjoy it.

It's the cliche Greatest Jazz Album Of All Time pick for a reason - this is so good. The third Miles album that's come up, each with it's own unique flavour - he is an undeniable genius, and one of the best musicians ever.

The first few tracks on this had me feeling very nostalgic for when I was 10 years old and discovered RHCP. But looking back now, this record is so front loaded, and has an awful lot of filler. 3/5 for the singles and the nostalgia.

Yet another modern pick that is very inessential - this was absolutely inoffensive but why this one out of all the records from 2018?

Yeah this was inoffensive. I feel like Americans would be turned off by this but as a Brit we rarely encounter this kind of country so it was nice as a novelty.

Funky

Another record that I was already very familiar with, but which is unreal so it's nice to be reminded of

This was cool. Not lots to say other than I enjoyed it.

This was an odd little record. Didn't love it as much as some other Eno I have heard, but a cool flavour.

My expectations were low and this exceeded them. A couple of songs on here I knew and they still hit, and there was a pleasant amount of variety - I enjoyed the more chilled abstract songs as much as the bangers.

This was very long. What it did was fine, but could've been cut in half.

I don’t like Amy Winehouse, but I didn’t hate this as much as the singles I knew going in, so it gets a 3.

All time classic and an easy 5.

I've apparently listened to this once before, but I have no recollection of it. It was a very cool vibe for a morning depressed in work though. Highly enjoyed.

I was hoping for a bit less Big Band and a bit more Afro-Cuban, but this was still a nice find.

I didn’t expect to get much out of this one because I don’t love a lot of classic thrash, but this was actually very good. Cool riffs, cool solos, what’s not to like?

How has Jack White come up twice in this? Possibly the most boring musician of the last few decades. I absolutely cannot hack this. Awful.

Not sure how I enjoyed this when I was 13? It turns out to be completely uninspired and boring . I didn't hate Assassin so it can have a 2.

Very much a lesser Cure album. Wouldn't have been my pick.

Just a great pop album with so many bangers

This feels a bit dated, but the vocals are carrying it through. Better than most of the other new wave that have had. The title track is an all timer too. This is probably a 3.5 *

Smooth

The second Pink Floyd album and the second one I've enjoyed. Probably liked it slightly less than Wish You Were Here, but the highs (Time and Great Gig In The Sky) were very high.

God this is so bland. I hate Britpop. How was this ever deemed essential? Maybe the most offensive inclusion so far - this is the opposite of an album you should hear before you die. It was less horrible when I hit the folky middle section, but then straight back to C-Tier Britpop dreck

Nice listen on a sunny morning.

I don't know what to say about this. It wasn't bad but I also didn't love it. I guess it's a 3 and move on.

Love this record, great wide-screen indie rock

I enjoy a bit of late period Elvis, and the highs on this are very enjoyable

Again, fine but nothing more.

This was also fine. A bit of a run of mediocre albums this week

This was pretty fun.

Great record, I particularly love Cecilia. Just classic pop songwriting

Great band great album. Again, so much I love wouldn’t exist without this.

This was very low key. If it has some magic I'm not sure I unlocked it off one listen - would need to really pay attention to the lyrics I think. It was pleasant though.

Yeah this worked for me, very chilled, evocative music. Maybe I should be a cowboy.

Pretty nice sat out in the sun, but it is a bit of a one trick pony, and the constant repetition of the lyrics grates a little towards the end

Mixed feelings on this. Parts sound like the soundtrack to a Mafia movie, parts sounds like the coolest jazz band ripping the vibraphone and then parts feel like being a lift. Torn between a 3 and a 4, but I’m going to be harsher with my marking.

This was exactly as expected, and was entertaining enough whilst also being something I don't want to hear again.

Enjoyed this one a lot, I'm a sucker for folky Americana and pedal steel guitars.

I’ve heard this record before and it is good at what it does - very campy songs about murder. I generally would reach for Tom Waits if I want this style of music though.

I only knew Sultans Of Swing from this, surprised by how much this absolutely slapped. I love all the little guitar leads, it hit the spot so well. Will be revisiting.

Yeah this was a big nope. Hated her voice, hated the music. The last two tracks saved it from a 1.

Very meat and potatoes thrash, pretty silly. By far the worst band in the big 4.

Fair play this has aged horribly.

Absolute snoozer

Another lovely time with Simon and Garfunkel. I think I am a fan. This was lovely for a sunny morning listen.

This was very cool, really hit right on a hot summer evening.

What a little weirdo of a record. Eclectic, poppy and eccentric. I enjoyed this a lot

This has way less wackiness and tweeness than previous Beatles so I enjoyed it more. These were good pop songs

You have to appreciate when bands take swings this big, especially when they come out with material this consistently great.

A nice summery Southern Rock record that worked very well with the sunny weather this week. Enjoyable

This stinks. Why is every song so repetitive and so bastard long? Please make it stop.

This was a pleasant enough listen but a bit too pop-rap to be truly mind-blowing for me.

I loved this when I was young, and loved it today - I kept expecting it to fall off but every song bangs

Stone cold classic, one of my favourite jazz records of all time, easy 5.

Essential, seminal post rock album, so influential on so much amazing shit, another easy 5. The club is on fire this week!

I quite enjoyed the two singles but god there is so much fluff on this

So good, masterclass in sampling.

So much fun, an all time classic hip hop record and the hits are absolutely huge.

This actually surprised me, I expected to hate this. Music of this genre usually sets my teeth on edge but there were lots of good moments on this, and That’s Entertainment is a wicked song.

I enjoyed this more than the other PJ Harvey record we have done - I appreciated a bit more variety, and Thom Yorke lifts any record he is on.

This was very uneventful, didn't get me engaged at any point without ever being offensive. About as middle of the road as I can give.

This was very enjoyable, smooth as fuck.

This was ok, didn’t really grip me and I am generally pro country so that’s surprising.

Hard to really separate this from Paul’s Boutique, both records slapped and are easy 5s.

This is not really my kind of metal, but I appreciate the proggier bits. Overall not my cup of tea but not offensive.

This record was weird as fuck, sometimes enjoyably and sometimes very much not. Balances out at a 3.

As a life-long Bowie skeptic, this was surprisingly not hateful - I enjoyed the jazzy piano bits and the rock and roll songs.

Only one song on the record repeated 12 times, but that song is enjoyable enough!

This was alright but wouldn't be something I'd revisit. Decent quality for what it is though

Absolute easy 5, maybe my fav Radiohead album.

The hits hold up better than I thought they would, and Don't Panic is a good opener. Some lulls though, it's probably closer to a 3.5 but I'm feeling generous

Didn’t like this one very much, my country phase seems to be over.

Great music, not great vocals. Dunno where to score this.

This was interesting as a piece of history but not so much as a music listening experience

This one was less interesting than Stories Of The City. A bit more one dimensional

This was a slog and I only played the first disc. Just not very engaging.

Did not enjoy this - the vocals are very grating and the music is pretty dull dad rock

This is a banger, listening to this after Run DMC just emphasises the point - the genre had come so far in just one decade. This was very cool.

Surprisingly I feel the same about this as I did about Buddy Holly - clearly very important and influential, but also incredibly dated and not actually that fun to listen to. Another 3 for importance

This is an untouchable classic. The whole record is great but imagine having a song as good as Fast Car. That's once in a lifetime shit.

This record is fun, gets in and out quick and makes me feel like I’m in an 80s movie training montage. Good way to start the day.

Another band that I've always thought I should check out but had never gone in on. This was very cool arty punk that was very up my street - I will be investigating them further!

This was pretty bland - just repetitive loops of songs that sound like they would be better as a whole piece rather than a 15 second sample. It also massively gives up in the last 5 or so tracks, and meanders off into almost nothing.

This was a fun summer album, good stuff that I otherwise would never have listened to

This was perfectly pleasant without being life changing

Vacillated between kind of liking this and outright hating it. The silliness is not for me.

I appreciated how odd this was. A cool quirky little record.

What an unreal record, I've gone so deep on REM these last 5 years and this might be the best one

This one had a really rough start, and the Sonny And Cher cover is particularly horrible. It picked up as it went on though, and saved itself from a probable 1.

Probably the second best Foo Fighters record.

I was dreading this one, I expecting to hate it. What I didn’t expect was for it to just be broadly inoffensive, dull music. I couldn’t even muster up hatred for it.

All time classic, one of the most evocative albums ever written with unreal lyrics. Bruce's best

More Dylan, and there really isn’t much to it but it does just work. An artist I feared but that is actually pretty good.

This is horrible. So pretentious and "arty" which just equated to big mess. Even Maps being decent can't save this.

This was pleasant enough but slipped into the background a bit much for me to score higher than this.

This was full of bangers. A fun hour.

This list has a such a bias towards pretty dull 80s indie pop. This was not good - Poppies In The Field was pretty much the only track that actually caught my ear.

How the fuck is this considered an album you have to hear before you die? Genuine bottom of the barrel indie landfill. The epitome of one hit wonder, god this sucks so hard (Take Me Out aside)

This was a more enjoyable version of what the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were going for. I appreciate the early grunge vibes. Not amazing but enjoyable enough

This was fine, enjoyable enough without being life changing.

Pretty fun and clearly super influential, although it did get very repetitive.

I've put this one off for so long, and that is because I know myself. I hated every second of this.

This absolutely slaps. So cool. Love all the weird tangents and how much shit is thrown at this. Mad that it came out in 1969.

This was the first album I ever bought, and I was obsessed with it as an 11 year old. I could still sing every word of it. If I heard it for the first time today I probably wouldn't score it like this but nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

I'm a big fan of Marvin Gaye's classic run of albums, this is just so smooth.

Bigger, dumber fun

This record is unreal. An absolute masterclass in creating an atmosphere and keeping you invested in it the whole way through. This record is its own world and I was completely sucked in. The second half in particular, from Fascination Street onwards is just unbeatable.

This was a bit of me - cheesy 80s pop is very much my thing. The hits are so fucking massive too. Enjoyable record.

This album is really good. The lyrics and the beats are all pretty much as good as it gets. I wouldn't want to be friends with 2pac but his music is great.

This was a bit of a hit factory and the songs I didn't know were a nice time too.

This grabbed me way less than the previous Chic record, every song felt very repetitive and simplistic. Not a fan.

This is fine, some decent pop songs on here. This clearly isn’t the stuff that Beatles are being hyped up for though.

I think I might be a prog rock fan. The only reason this isn't a 5 is because we did King Crimson the other day and that was even better.

I'd never heard of this guy but this was a nice surprise, I enjoyed this a lot. The last track was a bit odd and out of place but the rest a nice vibe.

I love this band and this record, a completely unique flavour of post rock that is just deeply beautiful.

This sounds quite dated, but I honestly don't care - there are bangers on this record

Well this is fucking weird. Parts of it were cool, parts of it were bad. Why is he growling? Why are we naming instruments?

The first 6 Black Sabbath records are as good as music gets. Flawless band.

Another very easily likeable record. Just pleasant to listen to.

What the fuck is this? The only redeeming bits were the trumpets.

Hard to find any justification for this being included.

This album is clearly very influential on the next decade or so of pop music, and it has some great moments - Thinking Bout You and Pyramids stood out to me. I thought Blonde was a bit more coherent as a full album but this was still great.

Like all Prince albums this album has good bits, bad bits and is also very long. I enjoyed the hits on this one so it gets 4.

Some lovely sunny 80s cheese, perfect for listening to in the garden.

This was a bit more my speed, enjoyable grungey indie.

Are Black Sabbath the best band? Where it all started, this is obviously flawless again. Give me the rest of the first 6 please!

Previously I had only heard After The Gold Rush, which I loved. This keeps the quality at exactly the same level, another great record. Heart Of Gold, what a single.

Fine I guess, didn’t do too much for me. Musically interesting but the guys voice is not ideal

God this was a slog, so monotonous.

This started really strong, so I was considering 5, but it sagged a bit in the middle for me. It's borderline 3/4, so I marked down for Kanye being a little Nazi cunt.

Pretty unremarkable funk rock. There are better versions of this type of thing - give me Faith No More any day.

Some good singles and a lot of songs that are also there.

Elton is a master and this is a masterpiece

A frustrating album. High highs but also an awful lot of flavour. Give this an editor and it could be a 4.

This verged between boring me to tears and actively upsetting me. It can take its two and be grateful.

This is a cool vibe throughout.

I really like Simz but haven't been back to this one too often. This is still great stuff though.

I knew a surprising amount of these songs, mostly through covers I think. It was a nice chill album, I don't think improved by listening on the tube - this needed to be a Sunday morning coffee album.

This is a banger, such a quirky little record. Love how obtuse it is. Another hit from This Band Could Be Your Life.

Kind of felt like the midway point between Hendrix and the Beatles, but without hitting the heights of either. Also important to note that Eric Clapton is a colossal prick.

Ironically this did feel like Homework. The other Daft Punk record we did was so funky and fun, this one was repetitive and dull. A chore to finish.

I love the unique flavour of Bruce on this particular record, and Atlantic City is one of my favourite songs of his.

Pretty cool - I would listen to this at a BBQ

This album really tried my patience. Too long and too repetitive.

Very pleasant listen with some bops on it.

I don't come back to this often because it's such an undertaking that requires so much attention. But every time I do I finish it thinking it might be the best album of all time. Kendrick's pinnacle. The poem and the Tupac track have maybe lost a bit of their initial impact but overall this is a masterpiece, and I'm amazed at the level of genius to create something like this, a record which you will never fully unpack.

This is a fun record.

I was expecting an album full of Don't You Forget About Me's, but this was surprisingly enjoyable - lots of dark synthy stuff that I am naturally predisposed to. An unexpected hit.

I think if I listened to this in isolation it would be a 3. However it feels like we've had loads of shitty middle of the road British indie lately so I am not feeling in anyway generous. Take your two and fuck off.

I think I like the idea of Elliott Smith more than the reality. When he gets it right it's perfect (Behind The Bars, Say Yes and especially Angeles) but the whole record doesn't really hit those heights for me.

This is offensively bland. The musical equivalent of watching paint dry. I wanted it to be over from about track 2.

This was all very likeable. It’s a transportive record that I enjoyed for making me feel like I was living in late 50s America for a morning. But it is also not something I will be revisiting in full ever - it’s a huge undertaking.

This was fine I guess, didn't love it. Especially not the piano tracks.

This is so cool. It's really rare to hear music from an 80 year old, and I loved the way his voice sounds now. And the music surrounding it, and the backing singers, are absolutely beautiful.

I love when things like this come up that are completely unique and interesting and wash away the pain of the countless mediocre British indie bands

Fine I guess, but I found this pretty unremarkable.

This was great, really joyous. I loved the Jazzy parts particularly.

More good Joni Mitchell, but not quite at the level of Blue and especially The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

B-Tier Motley Crue. Bad

Lads, you aren’t funny. Ditch the skits and write some actual songs.

This is nice, I saw another reviewer called this comfy which I think suits. Just pleasant, unchallenging folky rock.

She Want's To Move is good, but besides that it's rubbish.

What the fuck (complimentary)

This is very much not what I expected - it's so dissonant and noisy. Clearly hugely influential on lots of stuff I enjoy. The vocals held it back from being a 5 to me.

This was pretty innocuous, was hoping for some more 80s bangers but it was surprisingly chill

Sonic Youth are great, this album is great.

This is not usually the Queens record I would reach for (Songs For The Deaf, Rated R and Like Clockwork would all be above it), but this is still a good time. Less hooks than their later stuff but still lots of very enjoyable hypnotic riffs.

I was between a 4 and a 5, and I've gone 4 because the later albums we did were slightly more diverse. It's really splitting hairs though, this is still great.

I did not like this. All my least fav Brit pop things in one album

I appreciate noisy scratchy rock music, and this is some nice grungey stuff. It is probably objectively bad but I really like the vocals always on Dinosaur Jr. Good band, good album.

This was a pleasant listen until the last track which didn't half go on.

Big nope to this one, just a less interesting version of other things we have done.

This is excellent, I am a firm Thin Lizzy enjoyer - another of their albums popped up on a list and got a very high score from me. I am knocking a point off for two reasons - live albums are essentially greatest hits so don't belong in this game, and in this particular case the record doesn't sound that live - you kind of forget you're listening to a live album until the crowd comes in at the end of each song. On a song by song basis though this is top draw.

This is an oddball little record that I liked a great deal.

This is less exciting than other Talking Heads we have listened to, but is still a good album.

Pretty middle of the road dad rock, a pleasant enough time tho

So this is very enjoyable, but I disagree on principle with live albums being in here.

This is a very pleasant Sunday listen.

The vocalist on this is extremely annoying. Music is alright tho.

Maybe the most boring band in all rock music. I absolutely cannot stand them. Just an awful awful band.

Pretty good old school hip hop. Likeable record.

My Beatles enjoyment seems to inversely correlate with how wacky they are - this one has a fair chunk of wackiness that puts me off, but I do enjoy the Indian influenced moments.

FuUuUcKkK Morrissey

Another album that’s very evocative of another time that was nice for a morning but probably never again

I've played this a few times and always struggled - I dunno why but this feels like purposeless noodling to me for the majority. Captain Beefheart and the saxophone lifted it from a slog that the rest of it felt like. Maybe one day I will grow up and come round to this album but as of today it's a no.

This was deeply boring.

This was nice enough, but then I read his wiki page.... Yikes.

I definitely pre-judged this because he's called Mike Ladd, but damn this is so cool! Exactly the kind of hip hop I like. It has a Company Flow feature FFS. Shocking 5*

I think this is the best Beatles record I've heard. This is actually innovative and boundary pushing without straying into the silly tweeness (almost, Yellow Submarine can fuck off). I genuinely enjoyed which is a surprise to everyone.

Absolutely seminal, one of the most influential albums of all time, absolutely bangs.

Teetering between a 3 and a 4. This was very fun and likeable, like an energetic toddler, but also very throwaway and I probably won’t revisit. Landed 3 in the end.

Bruce is so good. This isn’t my favourite but even his mid ranking albums slap.

I have to be very picky or everything is getting a 5 - this is unbelievable but it doesn't have most of my favourite Hendrix tracks, so scored against his own catalogue it gets a 4.

I see the take psychadelic rock and I wince. This is painful. Why are they doing silly voices and singing about nonsense ffs.

Yeehaw

I do not like David Bowie

This is a diminished version of the Beatles, a band I'm already lukewarm on. All my fav Beatles stuff is Harrison and Lennon, so this was always on to be a loser. Not bad but also not my cup of tea.

This hit the spot when I was looking for some old school hip hop. Exactly what I'd hoped for.

If Neil Young didn't have such a ridiculously large catalogue I would dive in deeper, because everything we have done by him slaps, this included.

Another record that is just flawless

Pretty baffling pick for a Slipknot record, as this is comfortably their worst. Psychosocial is good though.

I liked the bluesy track, and liked the psych tracks less

After 3 Kraftwerk records I can confidently say this is a very important band that I don't enjoy listening to

Pretty fun old school hip hop

This is what I was worried about when playing The United States Of America. This kind of psychedelic stuff is not for me. Pretty meh.

This was a good partner to the Muddy Waters record because it was similar but the added variety made me enjoy it more.

This was all very well done, but was very samey and I was getting bored by half way through.

Mostly walks the line between cheesy and fun expertly, with only a few exceptions (United I’m looking at you).

This was very dated and very repetitive. Not for me.

It’s Metallica, it’s obviously brilliant.

It will never occur to me to put this on again, but whilst I played it I had a nice time.

This pure country singer songwriter stuff probably has a place on this list in that loads of people love it, but it didn't connect with me - I guess you need to hyperfixate on the lyrics which I didn't do.

I’ve moaned about live albums being included, but it’s hard to gripe about this one given it is one of the absolute best of all time.

This is a more consistent than Thriller but with nowhere near as many highs. And like Thriller it has a stinker ballad in the middle. Shakes out as a 4.

There were good moments on this but it was too samey and not high enough quality to justify 2 hours.

I didn’t love this, but after yesterday’s George Harrison one pro is that at least it is short. It did feel like B-tier version of that’s 60s rock and roll sound.

A pleasant enough run through of some classic songs - not sure it's essential though

I enjoyed how this started as a fairly straightforward 60s psych rock thing and descended into madness.

I enjoyed about 20 mins of this and then was bored.

Good mix of country and rock and roll, fun time

A pretty breezy and fun record.

This is such a slog

This is really great, surprisingly proggy but with loads of beautiful bits too.

Wow this was bad. Springsteen if he had never seen a boob.

Comfortably the least interesting of the 3 Stevie Wonder albums we have done. Suffers from being between two great albums.

Fairly inoffensive.

Maybe my favourite album of the whole grunge scene, this is just a great rock record.

I was a bit nervous going into this because psychedelic music is generally a miss for me, but this was surprisingly cool and varied. There were moments that didn't work for me but they were over and done with quick enough that they didn't spoil the album for me.

Becky asked me why I was bothering with this one because I know that I hate Adele. I think it proved a worthwhile exercise though, because whilst the singles suck, a few of the album tracks were decent, in particular He Won't Go. So am album that I thought was nailed on to be a 1 has scraped a 2

I liked how loose this was.

I gave this 4 when it topped the Apple Music list because I don’t think it’s the best of all time. It’s definitely really a 5 tho.

This is on the high side of 3. Perfectly listenable old school hip hop that doesn't really change my life.

I've heard of this band but never listened. This was a very fun version of a genre that can very easily become super cringe worthy. I kind of wish that I'd discovered this at 15 because I would've been obsessed. As I am now this was borderline 3/4 but I will go with a 4 for generosity.

My least favourite of the Led Zepp we have done so far - was lacking the sauce in comparison

There’s too much John Lennon on this list.

Bit dated but not bad, I listened to the real version not whatever was on spotify. Probably would've enjoyed more if I heard on release.

I feel a bit cheated by this. You'd think that when you're presented with 1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die, you will get every flavour of music there is, yet so much of this list has been dreary British post-punk/indie. Here we finally get something that promises to be unique, and it kind of is, but why does it have to be sitar music filtered through the prism of Western rock music? It doesn't sit right with me, and the covers are painful here. But at the same time this feels fresh compared to a lot of what we have had. I'm gonna rate it a 3 but I honestly whatever rating I give it feels wrong.

As expected this was horrible

Clearly this phase of The Beatles is the one I need to explore because this is interesting and creative without being overindulgent and wacky or boring and straight ahead like the early stuff. A hit with me.

Fair play this absolutely goes.

Björk is cool because she takes risks and the nature of taking risks is that sometimes they don't land. I think this is probably my least favourite of hers we have done - there were some tracks that didn't land. Still not bad though and the overall atmosphere is cool and still very Björk-ey.

Green Day in 2024 are an absolute embarrassment, and have been for almost 2 decades. But this album is a fizzy, sugary pop punk masterpiece that is 100% bangers. Just a joyful album.

I can't understand how something this unbelievably dull made it into this book.

Generally I am a prog enjoyer but this was a bit much.

This record is the reason why The Strokes and AM scored so badly on the Apple list. This is quality. Honestly the only reason it isn't a 5 is because I've handed out too many today. This and Silent Alarm are pretty much all that is redeemable from that 00s indie scene. Actually fuck it it gets a 5

This was good but not as exciting as Velvet Underground and Nico which was a bit of a revelation.

This is a really great album with so many bangers. I do think it has a bit of a sequencing issue in that the first 5 full tracks are such 00s metal classics that the rest of the album feels like a dip in comparison - spread those tracks out, keep the energy up all the way through and this would be a full 5 imo.

This is like a really cheesy version of lots of things I actually like. I’m not sure how to articulate why this fails for me, but it feels so formulaic and structured for music that is meant to be fun and loose. I dunno. This was a miss.

I'd be amazed if there's another record as weird as this one on the list, and I really appreciate how singular and unique it is. A true one off.

This was decent enough classic rock sounding stuff, not too much to grab the ear, probably won't return.

I was surprised by how poppy this was, given I have heard another Bad Brains record that was very punk. This was enjoyable varied.

I saw Britpop and was filled with dread but this was actually pretty great! Had enough of an edge to get me invested.

There's not many better when it comes to hard rock - I love how tight this record is, 35 minutes of all killer no filler. Great band.

This one didn't really hit for me. Perfectly fine but not my cup of tea.

This was surprisingly nostalgic, I think my parents must’ve loved this record when it came out because I knew every song. Madonna doing trip hop, surprisingly good.

Radiohead are obviously brilliant, but this one feels pretty inessential to me, you can tell it's an addendum to Kid A. Still a worthy 4.

This is not the kind of hip hop I enjoy. It's listenable but it didn't amaze me.

The best singles on here were good, the ballads were much less enjoyable and the whole thing felt quite dated.

I am generally lukewarm on 60s psych rock, but as that genre goes this was pretty good. And the Time Of The Season deserves the hype, great track.

This is a really hard one because I think that Lady In My Life aside this is perfect. But also he is a wrongun and I don't want to praise him.

This was an enjoyable enough record of fizzy riot grrrl punk rock songs. Not a lot more to say about it.

I listened to the complete 2 hour edition, was a lovely Sunday morning soundtrack

This is the best Eminem but is too horribly intense to get a 5. Lots of tracks on here are difficult to listen to

This is the soundtrack to a car advert. Absolute landfill crap. So inessential.

I really like Jane's Addiction, this is a great hard rock record with enough flavours to keep it really fresh and interesting through the whole run time - kind of an updated Led Zeppelin? Has rockers, has jazz breaks, has Middle Eastern inspired passages, has great acoustic tracks with steel pans - it's a good advert for taking swings and having them pay off. I am only giving it a 4 because I think Ritual De Lo Habitual is a better record

I was very pleasantly surprised by this, 2000s British indie is my kryptonite, yet this was almost completely good and interesting. A few songs strayed the other side of the line for me but they were few and far between. This is a relieved 4.

Disco is just very pleasant isn't it

This is nice if not a little repetitive. Graceland works better for me because the pop songs break things up

Ok. So this is obviously way way way too long to get a 5. I think with some editing though it could've been. I feel similarly about this the way I felt about Ella Fitzgerald's massive record, I thoroughly enjoyed feeling like a cowboy for a morning but equally I will never play this again

Fucking awful album, Fucking awful band, fucking awful music scene. 2000s indie rock is the worst. please let this shit die.

Grunge is great, this is great, Touch Me I'm Sick is an all-timer.

I A/B'ed this one with Emerson Lake and Palmer, and this was more my speed. Still weird and proggy but I liked the way it locks into grooves and becomes a bit funky.

Shit like this is the absolute nadir of this list. Proper C tier The Cure rip offs.

As a certified David Bowie hater, this was the only one of his records I'd heard before doing the game. And in a shocking twist, I think it's very good. I like it when he gets weird.

Tom Waits is so good, this is maybe not his best work but it’s still a great record.

We did Ella Fitzgerald recently and this suffered in comparison - this was good but not great.

Unbeatable. One of the best of all time.

Pretty uneventful.

I knew Drop The Pressure and In Your Arms, as they were both on compilation albums I had when I was a kid. The other tracks were all much of a muchness though. Not my bag, a bit like The Avalanches really.

Not the first Johnny Cash live album we have heard for this game, his personality really carries this. I am still anti-live albums being included though.

About as straightforward as it gets. The same song over and over again, but that song is very very good.

This was fine enough, pleasantly listenable but won’t be revisiting.

This was alright, the final track in particular was good. But didn’t absolutely move me.

Always enjoy some Monk

There were parts of this that felt like an interesting twist on this genre of music. However mostly I was left feeling that this was quite dated. I don't know if that's just a function of electronic music being quite fast paced and this list being older, or whether the stuff they chose is just not that great. Overall mixed feelings shakes out at a 3

Bjork fronting a punky rock band is cool. Does this list have too much Bjork though? Maybe. It's getting a 4 in any case.

I like 80s and I like cheese, but I think even for me this might be too far.

DEATH OR GLORY

This was perfectly fine 60s rock. Nothing really jumped out but it was nice enough whilst it was on

I appreciated how unique and singular this is, and some of the harp arrangements were really cool, but the vocals were a little grating to me by the end.

Meh. This was fine.

Musically this was cool, but I didn’t love the vocals. I think I expected a bit more funk to this, not sure why. As it is the arty rock stuff is pretty interesting.

Mixed feelings on this one. There were bits that were quite atmospheric and then bits where it had a bit of an affected nonchalance that made it drift into boring. Evened out at a 3.

There were bits of this that were good but overall it was a bit meh - I didn't love the vocals and the Iron Man cover wasn't it.

This was a nice listen.

The other one was C tier Cure, this one wasn't even that interesting. Please god don't let this band come up again

This was a pleasant enough blend of country and blues. I had never heard of her before and she has popped up on multiple lists - I can see that this is pretty influential on a lot of the current crop of singer-songwriter country folk stuff that is very popular, but I wasn't blow away by it.

I think this might be my favourite Jazz record - it is almost spiritual. Him or Miles are the GOAT and this is Coltrane at the peak of his powers.

I’ve done so much boring white guy rock lately that this was a breath of fresh air.

I definitely enjoyed this more than the whole album that was full of skits, but this was still pretty mediocre outside of a couple of good hits.

I think this might have positively benefited from being a bit of cleansing fire after Mylo, but this was good. The only critique I have is that its not Nine Inch Nails, who are this but also so much more.

Nice, a bit Bruce Springsteen-ey in the vocals, and I liked the Americana parts being mixed into some RnB.

This was pretty cool, I liked how poppy it was whilst still being a new flavour for the game. Unfortunately the Imagine cover is unforgiveable.

I think this is the third Stooges album we have done, I enjoyed this one, but I don’t think it was quite as good as Fun House, which remains my favourite.

I'm a Tom Petty enjoyed but this very much feels like a debut. When it's good it is very good though. American Girl is undeniable.

Every review of this complaining about how noisy sloppy and out of tune it is - yeah it is, and that's why it's good. Stop being such nerds.

I love this album, perfect for a sunny morning with a coffee.

Besides the singles this was pretty unremarkable

Fun enough but quite 1 dimensional

Pleasant enough blues rock/rockabilly. Probably would’ve gone down better in the summer.

His didn’t grab me. This kind of party electronic stuff isn’t really for me I don’t think.

It's really unfortunate that this is great.

Johnny Cash is the fucking man and this is about as iconic as live albums get. I've knocked off a mark though because should live albums even count? I'm not sure.

We get it, you're cool. Too cool to try, too cool to care, too cool to even lift your head up. Wait, are you dead?

I’m not a massive industrial fan if it isn’t NIN, so this was a bit of a slog.

I am extremely unlikely to ever listen to this again, but it was fun to cosplay as an Irish folk singer for an hour

Nah, you can't get away with this John. This is boring. Without George you're nothing.

I'm not opposed to bleeps and bloods and there was a fair amount of variety here. Some vocals I liked more than others. Could've done with an edit. Overall a mixed bag that shakes out at alright and no better.

This is really good, and the subject matter is still really relevant. It is on ten all the way through, with lunch in the face after punch in the face which is a little exhausting after 65 mins given musically it's not that varied. Still a very strong 4 that could end up as a 5 with more listens.

I've not been very discerning with Neil Young, there's lots of it that we've done and I've liked it all. This is no exception.

This sounds exactly as you would expect, and is perfectly pleasant.

This was interesting because on paper I should've loved this but for some reason it didn't quite hit. Felt a bit old man shouts at cloud in the lyrics. Musically it was good but I wasn't convinced overall.

This is high quality, and she is an excellent singer. My only criticism is that it could've done with an edit, there's a great 50 min album in here.

This was not what I expected based on the cover. Fine enough jammy blues songs, won't be revisiting.

Marvin Gaye is excellent. This is not his best but it’s still a nice time, if a little lengthy.

Yeah this was fine, the hits hit and the others are listenable

This was a really welcome change of pace from the white British indie rock that gets served up so regularly here. Some chilly, sunny vibes

This is pretty good, pleasant all the way through. The funky numbers work more for me than the ballads but it's all listenable.

Pretty great vibes here.

I love the other Peter Gabriel and I loved this one - maybe Peter Gabriel is really great?

I like this one less than the super long one we did because this one was more ear-catching, which is the opposite of what I wanted from ambient music.

I liked this well enough, pretty fizzy and melodic

This one was a bit of a roller coaster. Most of the tracks were really good, like on for a 5* review good, and then there were a couple of ones aiming for something quirky that were absolute 1* stinkers. You can tell this is his first go at a solo album, and he fixed this for the later ones we have done. Interesting but not perfect.

I enjoyed this a lot. Campy Goth 80s fun.

I'd listened to a few other T.Rex albums and been thoroughly underwhelmed so I was scared of this, but it wasn't so bad. Mediocre but I will take it in the circumstances.

The National are great and this is one of my favourites of theirs - maybe controversial but I like their later stuff better, starting here.