1001 Albums Summary

From a 50-years-later perspective, IV is perhaps Led Zeppelin's weakest album. Maybe due to overplay and its heavy influence on all subsequent rock, it's become cliche. I can't help but think of Spinal Tap now when listening to Stairway to Heaven. This album really does go down like a lead balloon. But harsh criticism aside, Jimmy Page is still a guitar god and John Bonham one of the greatest drummers ever. It does end strong though. Going to California and When the Levee Breaks would be the only songs on this album that would make it on my own personal best-of Led Zeppelin album. -JG

Okay I guess, but life is too short to listen to meh music. So I randomly clicked on a band I'd never heard of that the YouTube algorithm fed to me and discovered Polyphia. They turned out to be 1001 times better than this Nora Jones album. So yeah...after Boston yesterday and now this today, I think this 1001 book sucks.

The album overall is decent...3 to 3.5 stars but La Grange was groundbreaking and has withstood the test of time 50 years later, pushing the album to a 4-star rating.

I thought Arcade Fire was okay back then and think about the same of them now...so they've got staying power, if you consider staying at fair-to-middlin' as "power." Definitely not a super power...more like a meh power.

When you name your album "The Genius of Me," you sure as shooting better be able to bring it. Well, he brought it -- big band style. 1959 never sounded so good. Definitely an album better listened to on vinyl as digitally it's a bit harsh. But still 5 stars nonetheless.

Black Sabbath Vol 4 -- still sounds fresh today -- 50+ years later. So fresh, so pure, drug-heavy chaos. One of their top albums and one of the best albums of 1972. Five enthusiastic stars!

Five star band for sure, but not their best album. Probably their weakest, in fact. If this is the only Smiths album in this 1001 list then we have a problem. The Queen is Dead, man. The Queen is Dead.

Pretty awesome. Stands the test of time, but not the best the era has to offer. 4 stars.

Since the point of this list is albums you must hear, not necessarily the *best* albums, I have to give this five stars. Because The KLF is definitely worth knowing about. The album itself consists of hunks of tripe interspersed with tidbits of sweet genius. But dig deeper into the KLF story and you won't be disappointed. And for that I'm giving this s entry 5 stars...5 flaming stars... let's burn this mofo up!

Not awful...just not my cup of tea.

If I'm going to listen to 50s pop/rock, this album wouldn't be it.

Definitely deserves a place in this list. Masters of War is my favorite Dylan song, especially as covered by Eddie Veder. Blowin in the Wind is one of the most iconic 60s songs, a huge hit for Peter Paul & Mary who covered it. 5 stars.

Iconic 80s band. This album has a few hit singles that defined the decade. I wasn't a big fan at the time and I still find most of their music to be meh. Giving 4 stars for the big hits.

Debut album, one of the most influential debut albums of all time. First rap album to hit the Billboard 500, and I think it may still be the top selling rap album of all time. When the Beastie Boys hit the radio in 86-87, they changed music. Fight for Your Right to Party is a GenX anthem. Five enthusiastic stars.

The Beatles are like the jock who peaked in high school and spends the rest of his life basking in the glory of "I used to be a big deal." Abbey Road isn't the best album of 1969. Heck, it wouldn't even make my top 10 for that year, but it's got some catchy tunes and does contain my fave Beatles song. Five begrudging stars.

Good but not groundbreaking.

This is the music they play in hell. Repeating the same words over and over again and short repeating loops is crazy-making.

This debut album by Doves was reportedly recorded over several years. The sound is reminiscent of Radiohead. It came out 7 months before Radiohead's Kid A. Did 1997's OK Computer influence them or is this a case of parallel development?

As a kid, I was absolutely crazy for the song Tusk when it came out. This was one of the very first albums I ever owned. I never cared for the other songs on the album, except for Sara. Now, 40+ years later, the song Tusk is still good but not the anthem it was for me back then. I still love Sara, and love Sisters of the Moon. A couple other songs I like, but the rest are meh to me. I also noted a lot of Led Zeppelin influence that I hadn't realized before. This is not on the whole a five-star album for me, but the strength of the singles make it a must-listen, so I'm pushing it to a five for reasons.

Perfection. Vaughan is in her element live. She sparkles. Five huge stars.

This is not an album I needed to hear before I died.

While American bands like The Kingsmen, The Ventures and The Beach Boys were building heavier and groovier rock, The Beatles opted for a smoother and more pop-inspired sound. For comparison, check out the version of Money on this album versus the version on The Kingsmen album from the same year. 1963 when The Beatles dropped their first two albums was the start of the British Invasion. The Rolling Stones released their first couple singles this year as well. Interestingly, their second single in 1963 was actually a Lennon-McCartney-written song that the Stones managed to record and release before The Beatles did. By 1964, the British scene was ablaze with the heavy hitters we still know and love today, 60 years later -- in addition to The Beatles and The Rollings Stones, The Who, The Kinks and The Animals and The Yardbirds all released recordings in 1964.