1001 Albums Summary

Broken hearts and civil rights. Track to listen to again - Save Me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I own the vinyl cos it was my brother’s. But I’ve never listened to it all the way through. I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed it. Fave track - In God’s Country

Listened to this a lot aged 16/17 (c1985) I can confirm that I still cannot listen to the Stairway guitar solo without being on my feet air guitarist like a badass. I didn’t know what a levee was when I originally listened to this album. Bit more meaningful post Katrina Fave track - Misty Mountain Hop

Appropriately, I listened to this on the train. I never know what to say about Bowie. Words aren’t really enough. It's not an album I've listened to as much as others, hence 4 stars Fave track - Golden Years probably still edges it as it’s so reminiscent of my younger years but Word on a Wing is sad and beautiful.

First track Novocaine for the soul took me straight back to the mid 90s. the rest of the album would benefit from a few more listens as it rather washed over me

Walked around listening to this like I was one of those 60s films with women in pixie hair cuts, white knee high boots and geometric print dresses. The actual music was nice for background but I wasn’t really concentrating. Sorry, Count

Running up that Hill reaching a new audience recently shows how an album that’s nearly 40 years old is utterly current. Kate is a bit of a no words are enough artist for me, like David. Fave track: The Big Sky still makes me cry.

Country music has pretty much passed me by - apart from the times I've been doing road trips in the US midwest when it's been the only genre available on the radio. I do love this game for making me listen to things that I wouldn't otherwise. Track to listen to again - For No One is beautiful.

Suffered a bit from being the day after EmmyLou. “If she’s not with the one she loves, she’ll love the one she’s with.” Painful. Track to listen to again - Nope.

A much-needed ear cleanse after two days of country lovelorn angst which I guess in some small way replicates what this album would have sounded like at the time. Ripping everything up and starting again. All these years later, it sounds like straightforward noisy rock n roll to me. Not so shocking any more. Fave track - Pretty Vacant

I confess to only really knowing Yes from Owner of a Lonely Heart in the 80s. This is more interesting but then I have always enjoyed a bit of prog rock. Listen to again - Starship Trooper A. Life Seeker B. Disillusion C. Würm because actually what on earth *was* that?!

Had never heard of this band so was excited to listen to music that was completely new to me. On New Year’s Day too! A new discovery that I’ll come back to, I reckon. Swirly ambient guitar sounds. I hesitate to be that old timer who says how reminiscent new music is of past music but it does Listen to again - Suffering

Give me the jazz. Give me the electricity. Give me the international influences. Didn’t think I’d know any tracks but straight away was grooving around to Birdland. Listen to again - A remark you made

Ugh it’s so hard listening to Morrissey these days. I was 19 and in my 2nd year at Manchester when this came out so I had a happy reminisce about that era of my life. Queuing in the rain outside the Hacienda. Cheap vodka in the Poly union. Mooching round Affleck’s Palace looking for distressed denim that didn’t make me look like a heifer. Oh was I supposed to be listening to an album? 2.5 stars rounds up to 3 Favourite track - Suedehead

Oh this was such a fresh sound when it came out, that fusion of soul and pop. I didn’t own it myself but it’s so familiar, I think one of my uni mates must have had it. It was so good to hear pop music that was overtly political. “Did the earth move for you, Nancy?” Hucknall’s voice is so distinctive that I suppose it’s inevitable it sounds a bit samey now. Entertained to learn from Wikipedia that “Hucknall was among the people present at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester in June 1976 where the Sex Pistols were playing” Favourite track - Holding Back the Years

Apart from Immigrant Song, I don’t know this one. Gloomy and didn’t really grab me although I feel disloyal saying this. Whats going on in the weird last track? Listen to again (not sure I really will tbh) - Friends

Years ago, a Brazilian colleague of my partner’s gave me every CD released by Tom Jobim. His music has been the sound track to many a London commute ever since. I can report that rainy January streets are much-improved by the sounds of sunny bossa nova. He really was a genius. I went to see Astrud Gilberto at the Jazz Cafe in the early 90s. I drank too much red wine to remember what my ears thought but at least I was there.

I hadn’t heard of this at all but it was an enjoyable listen of its era. Loved the bass. Listen to again - Automobile Noise

I wish I could choose the Did Not Listen button. I wish I could wait and listen to it after I’ve died. Appalling. Less than zero stars.

Apart from the big hits which I don’t particularly need to listen to again, I found this dull. If someone wrote me a song called Oh Lucy along the lines of Oh Yoko, I’d dump them

I can’t have listened to this since the mid-80s. A friend from back then had this album and it was good to hear it again. But sad to think he was singing lyrics “never to grow old”. Most of the tracks aren’t that memorable tho. EXP reminds me of The Carpenters’ “Calling Occupants” Favourite track - Little Wing

Only knew them from Brimful of Asha so was really interested to listen to this. Really enjoyed it! Listen to again - Good ship

An artist I knew of but don’t know. I found it quite difficult to listen to. I doubt I’ll be listening again

Nice to listen to this again

A name I knew but had never listened to. Famous for having a woman, Kim Gordon, in the band. Albums that I listen to while I’m working suffer if they’re noisy and distracting like this as I wanted to get it over with so I could concentrate. Is that fair? Possibly not. Do I care? No. Listen to again (possibly) - The Sprawl

Enjoyed listening to this again. There are other Paul Simon albums I like more though.

My friend Rachel had this album and we listened to it a lot c 1982. Sad that Candle in the Wind got so over-played after Diana’s death. I had to hold my skippy finger back. Favourite track- I’ve seen that movie too

Another album introduced to me by a friend. Fab to listen to it again. Favourite track - Clap Hands

Definitely dark

The problem I’ve realised with this game is that I’d never choose noisy guitar rock to listen to as a whole album so the music suffers as a result.

I love Astrud but I didn't love Parade and the whole album didn't feel like her best work.

One of those albums I’ve always heard of as being on the lists of albums you must listen to so wasn’t surprised to have it pop up on here. I’d never heard it though. Apart from the obvious hits. Not sure I’ll listen to it again but I did like “Let’s go away for a while”. Then it finished and some Stevie Wonder came on my iTunes and that was much better. Sorry, Boys.

Well, this was relaxing. I got the giggles during Leper Messiah which I don’t think was the effect they were after. I thought I was on the home stretch but then Orion went on for over 8 minutes. I can’t imagine a time when I’d choose to listen to this again.

Not doing very well at keeping up with my reviews. Perky was just what I needed on a rainy grey commute to work.

Knew the name but hadn't really listened to them before. I'm sure I'll listen again

enjoyed this so much I listened to it twice back to back and will listen again

I wouldn’t mind some of this if it wasn’t for the vocal and the sheer blurgh of the second guitar. Why do the tracks have to last so long? ”The Frayed Ends of Sanity’ sums it up really.

Really enjoyed this as I navigated the West Midlands conurbation in the February drizzle. Street life!

I think, for me, Elvis has always suffered from being so popular with the generation before mine. Therefore very much not cool. By the time I was even aware of music, he was seeing out his time in Vegas and then dead. I tried to be receptive but it just feels very samey. At least it’s brief. Much prefer the Ray Charles version of I Got a Woman.

I can’t help my foot tapping along and I know this is ground-breaking and technically v clever in an analogue 80s world…but it’s hard to take a whole album of this. Just sounds so samey.

I thought I was going to know this whole album but I confess I only really knew the hits. "Live Forever" always makes me feel really sad. Never understood the Blur/Oasis South/North rivalry - both great in their own very different ways

Wonderful to hear this again! It seems funny now that I knew the Amii Stewart version of Light My Fire first before this one. Hello Metallica, THIS is how to record a 7 minute album track that people want to listen to all the way through. I’ll give it five.

I was a bit daunted going into this but Clare said “it’s sublime”. It is. It’s also very, very moving and I’ll listen to it again.

Found myself bopping along round the kitchen to this. I only knew Ms Jackson before (24 years old, what?!) but I enjoyed listening to the whole album. Track to listen to again: So Fresh, So Clean

Not sure what I was expecting. A lot of banging and thumping. Really enjoyed it. Might even listen to it again 😀

I wonder how many of the people on the train would have looked at this middle-aged woman and guessed that she was listening to tracks called Hamlet (pow pow pow) and Big Jesus Trashcan. I appreciate this for what it is and the undoubted genius of Nick Cave but in 1982 I was following a different path. And I still am tbh

enjoyed this!

Wasn’t at all sure what to expect and it’s a real mix. Some poppy, some more alternative. Liked it and might even listen to it again.

Listened to half of this in the car driving up a rainy motorway and the second half walking through a park in the sunshine. Surprisingly enough my impression of the album shifted dramatically to the positive. I was finding it a bit boring but it perked up. Or maybe I did.

Good old-fashioned rock. Memories of whole pub singalong karaoke

It’s not perfect but I love this album

Felt exhausted before I’d started listening. The first 20 seconds of the first track was promising but then it all felt quite leaden. But then it is heavy metal. Man.

Loved this. Just what I needed.

Parp. Not sure what to say about this. It made me smile but I don’t think I’ll be listening again.

Blueberry Hill reminds me of happy days watching Happy Days as a kid. Enjoyed the whole album.

It’s albums like this that remind me I’m nowhere near as cool as I think I am. Give me blancmange-soft rock any day of the week. Those twiddly Wurlitzer keyboards. Those swing beats. Loved it when I first heard it and, yep, still love it now. “Walk between raindrops” indeed

Enjoyed this

Listened once. Won’t make that mistake again. Noise in French is still noise.

It was ok, not great, but ok. Smoke on the water is a track I remember with fondness from my youth so I’ve rounded up to a three

Good to listen to again. Can’t help chuckling about Duran Duran’s cover of Thank You (and the whole of that covers album tbh) whenever I hear that track though

I was walking through a park listening to it on my headphones and actually felt guilty to be listening to something so ugly in a pretty place. Fortunately it’s not long so I did listen all the way thought but why is it on the list? If I could score zero, I would

I remember this coming out so I was a bit surprised that I didn't know any of the tracks. It was OK. A welcome relief from the heavy, hair, thrash and other kinds of metal we've been exploring in recent days.

Hooray! An album that I didn't know before, that I really enjoyed, and will listen to again. Thank you, 1001 heavy rock-leaning gods.

Really enjoyed this. Now I know why loads of my friends rave about them

I’ve only properly “discovered” Depeche Mode relatively recently and I don’t know what took me so long. Dance music in my late teens, probably. This is excellent. Five stars

I bought this on tape cassette at the time. No idea why because it’s not very good.

I found this really interesting and creative. Reminded me of Paris in 1969 where I was not, rather than Manchester in 1989 where I was. But I will listen again, I reckon

Very relaxing. Enjoyed it

I've never liked Billie Jean and I've heard Thriller far too many times but it was ok to listen to this again. I suppose.

Quite strange and I can’t think of a circumstance when I’d want to listen to it again but I didn’t mind the chance to giggle along to the weirdery.

All new to me but enjoyed it

Enjoyed a trip back to late 60s California. I will listen to this again

enjoyed being whisked back to my youth.

Really enjoyed this journey into another time, another place.

Loved this album then and I love it now. Very happy to give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Straightforward rock and roll. Enjoyable

Oh blimey listening to this. Manchester was so bleak in the 80s. It's hard to realise it now. A fellow uni student I knew was thrown out of the window from the top deck of a bus. Another mate had all his top front teeth punched out for him because he'd dared to stray away from student nights and had gone up to town on a Saturday night. I love that Johnny Marr still plays these tracks and Morrissey is surplus to requirements these days. "Girlfriend in a Coma" has always irritated me but I love "Stop me" which is brilliant live.

Coldplay have annoyed me for a long time. I didn’t mind listening to this though. But I doubt I’ll listen again

Really loved this and will be listening again

All I can say about this is that it sounded like a Monty Python spoof album and I wish it had been.

One of the most wonderful singing voices. A relaxing listen .

I’ve loved every second of this album since I first heard it nearly 40 years ago. Never gets old and nor do I.

Didn’t know this at all apart from Food for Thought. Loved it

Not sure the point of this really. I listened to it and was none the wiser

Wonderful

Most enjoyable

Love this album. Don’t know it very well but looking forward to getting to know it better

Some country music I actually like. And Dolly is a tremendous person. Early Morning Breeze is a song I’ll come back to

Was a joy to listen to this. Perfect

My foot tapped along but nothing really stood out

Shining Star is a wonderful track and I enjoyed the rest of the album

Won’t be bothering with this again. No no no

Sad and beautiful.

I’ll listen to the last track again but I’ve always liked a few more tunes in my dance music

It didn’t offend me but it didn’t excite me either. Disappointing when I know Frank was capable of better

An absolute classic that I owned on tape cassette. 18 again.

I just don’t get it. It’s ok, not terrible, but why so massively popular?

I enjoyed the unexpected creativity of this

A bit long so I didn’t listen to all of it but I liked most of what I heard and enjoyed the sense of fun

I could listen to the title track for ever and it’s a good reminder to floss. The rest was a bit samey but I’m giving her a three because, icon. Also, why on earth wasn’t I in a band in my teens?

Fantastic! Love angry women

Wonderful! Air guitar round the kitchen to Just reminds me of younger days dancing on the platform at Popstarz

Liked the album. Didn’t like the title.

Sang along to the first track and the rest of the album was ok. Giving it a 3 cos Dave Grohl seems like a nice bloke

I liked this, particularly Daydreamin’

This was tremendous. I’d never listened to it before. Loved how Welcome to the Pleasuredome was followed by Relax. 16 whole minutes of dance perfection. And ballads and covers and Liverpool. Brilliant.

Beautiful to listen to again

Deserves its place in the 1001, maybe even the 101, for its influence on popular culture and its creativity. Not an easy listen tho

I understand the significance of it but I can’t get beyond the plodding thumping drum beat in Born in the USA.

This was new to me and I liked listening to it all the way through - while on a train, as it happens. I’ll listen to it again.

She’s an artist other people would say I should like. And I rarely do what other people tell me to do

Fabulously bleak.

Enjoyed what I listened to of this

Surprisingly good!

Bong! Love it

Ok but I’ve heard it before even though I haven’t heard it before

This face was in many a record collection when I was younger but I’d never listened to the album. I really loved some of it and some of it was a bit skippable.

CBA

New one on me. Really enjoyed it

Perfect

Arcade Fire - another of those bands people rave about but I don't get and couldn’t even name a track. Still don’t get.

Five stars for the opening bars alone

Was ok

Having grown up taking the Beatles completely for granted it was good to listen to an album I’d never heard before. My dad had many of their albums but not this one. Enjoyed the tracks I already knew and good to discover some new ones.

Really enjoyed hearing this again

Listening to this all the way through which I hadn’t done for 40 years affected me more than I expected it to. Took me right back and also so appropriate all these decades later. Brilliant

I can’t help viewing New Order through a Blue Monday shaped prism - the least appropriate way to spend 12 minutes on a dance floor. But, of course, I was in Manchester when this album came out and, of course, it’s really very good.

Melancholy, yet soothing. I like it

This is one of my go-to albums for a mood lift. Love it. DD are also one of many bands I love whose name is a repeated word. So there we are

I had heard the name but never listened to an album. Enjoyed it

Why’s it called Pump? That irritated me from the get go. The tunes are ok but the lyrics are not.

I was generally more Blur than Oasis because by then I’d left Manchester for London although I think Noel Gallagher might be more fun to have a beer with. I liked this at the time and still do

Listened to this on a misty early morning walk through a park on my own. It was perfectly melancholy although the occasional cough was a bit disconcerting. Wish I’d actually been there

Brilliant. So proud to be from Coventry and to have grown up in this era

Snooze

Listened to one track and that was more than enough

Pusherman alone would give this five stars but love this album

There are some brilliant tracks on this album and I own it from when it came out in 1977 so I’ve listened to it many many times. If it wasn’t for Dancing Queen which I never want to hear again after it loomed too large during the 70s revival in the early 90s, this would earn a solid five stars

My dad owned it and then I stole it from him when I was a teenager and then someone stole it from me a long time ago. I’ve still got the lyric sheet from inside. Anyway, Piggies has always terrified me because of the link with Charles Manson. I used to be able to play Michelle on the piano and now I’m wondering if I still can. Some amazing tracks: While my guitar gently weeps and Back in the USSR and some are just unlistenable to: Ob La Di 😳 So…it’s complicated. Hence, three stars.

Can’t knock a single second of this. Just sad that Love Cats put me off them for so long 🤦‍♀️

Once I’d got through the shouting on track one I did like a bit of the guitar on track two and then I gave up.

Really enjoyable and will be listening again

So good to listen to this again. I can recommend it for zapping through your to-do list at 140BPM!

Very little earthquakes indeed.

Just wonderful to hear this again

Yeah, so you went on holiday.

Not terrible but I didn’t listen to all of it.

Astonishing to remember a time when 1999 was far off into the future instead of even further off into the past. It doesn’t matter how much times passes, this album is as fresh as it ever was

As fresh as ever. Some of the albums don’t deserve their place in this list but this one really does

Some good tracks and some truly terrible ones. I think if he’d cut the rubbish he’d have had a good album that wasn’t too long to endure

I found this complex and intriguing. think I need to listen to it a few more times

Never tire of listening to this

Wonderful to listen to this again. And astonishing that the first time I heard it was over 40 years ago.

Very soothing and comforting

Bad pun, dull music

One of the many things that make me a proud Cov kid. I was slightly too young to see them live at the time but I saw them at Brixton Academy in 2008 and it was amazing. All the Fred Perry shirts in London in one room for the night! RIP Terry Hall 💔

Seeing as my kaleidoscope eyes and I were born the year after this came out, I’d better give this a 5 🤩

Some of the songs were twice as long as they needed to be and I got a bit bored.

Good but their first album’s better

The backbeat in Superstition alone deserves five stars

This would have got four stars had it not included a track called Feedback which lasts for seven minutes.

Musically I liked it. But too much of the lost love anguish but extra star for giving me a laugh.

Loved this. Not sure how I missed it when it came out but there was a LOT going on

Before there was shoegaze there were the Cocteau Twins.

There are some tinkly tunes in the background that are quite cute but everything else is deeply irritating.

New to me. Really liked it

Apple Music didn’t have this one so I listened to Frampton instead which seemed close enough. In 2025 I have come to love early 70s rock in a way that my 1985 self did not see coming.

Radiohead are one of those bands that are either 1 or 4/5 stars. Serious and and musical and boundary-pushing. I’m in the 4/5 camp but I understand the 1 star people too. They’re the band I want to be in while not-so-secretly adoring Duran Duran.

My dad owned this one. I remember the cover but I don’t remember hearing it till now, apart from the one that was a Halifax advert. I liked it well enough. Probably a 3.5 if that was a thing.

Still trying to perfect my line dancing all these years later. I saw her on this tour and I think she was at her best in this era

Quite possibly my favourite album of all time.

“Big Time Sensuality” = me throwing myself around the dance floor at Popstarz in 1998. Solid 5 stars for a Bjork, fewer stars for 90s Lucy

I love these songs so much. Especially Dindi. But it’s hard to listen to them sung in English which removes the veil a bit. Leave the girl from Ipanema alone, she doesn’t want you, Frank

This should have been my kind of thing but for some reason it wasn’t.

Ah fond memories of 12 year old me trying to look cool gliding across the dance floor to Green Onions in my 1980 mod era.

I can’t do this justice on just one listen but I know I’ll listen again

I really liked this but did Django Django copy some of the tracks?

Totally loved this and will be seeking more

I feel proud of 14 year old me and my friends for listening to music like this at the time. Still feels as fresh and as it ever did. Annoyed i didn’t start learning to play the bass guitar though. Maybe by now I’d be nowhere near as good as Mick Karn RIP

Yep always liked this. Still listen to his Ocean’s 11 soundtrack too.

Dull then. Dull now

Has to be a five star because of the memories 😀

I need to tell you about the time someone did an awesome version of Beautiful at our local karaoke night. I don’t really remember how this happened but she ended up crowd surfing round the whole pub while still singing. One of the best things I’ve ever seen and I’ve given Christina five stars in gratitude.

Ah I’ve always been fond of this album. The melodies and lyrics take me back to a time and a place long ago.

Purely for the memory of hearing Pacific State for the first time on a dance floor in Manchester in 1989/90. Could have been the Hacienda but I remember spending more time in the rain in the queue to get in than actually dancing there. Could have been the Man Alive or the International. A long time ago but the track still reminds me of those carefree times.