The problem is, lots of people now realise that Coldplay are quite dreary. Dreary doesn't mean rubbish, but, to me, they had that thing: a moment of impact when they briefly seemed exciting, but then, a few albums in, it became clear that they were actually always pretty dull (see also James Blunt, Ed Sheeran). It's impossible for me to listen to this now without hearing the inherent dreariness. The most enthusiasm I can muster is that there are a few pleasing, less predictable chord progressions now and again. But I like my rock to have a bit of edginess and swagger. Call me shallow, but Coldplay are a big snooze-fest. 5 out of 10.

I really like UB40, especially their earlier stuff like this. Tbh I love most of the politically conscientious stuff that was coming out of the Midlands around this time. Great album.

I like a heavy riff, and for a while I was into the stompy, backwards-baseball-cap antics of Faith No More etc. Unfortunately, I didn't hear this back then and for whatever reason, this type of thing doesn't do it for me any more. I appreciate the riffs and the funky moments, but there are other ways to express frustration than by shouting. It probably didn't help that I've already had to listen to Raekwon and Kanye this week. Nor that I'm a British, middle-aged woman being stretched in several different directions.

Baffled by some people giving this one star. I don't normally worry about opinions that differ from mine, but... eh? Anyway. I love The Specials. No, the singers don't sound like they could audition for X Factor. Thank goodness! Can people not hear the tight band, the wonderful cross rhythms in the bass and that punchy brass? All fronted by a laconic, grumpy Midlander and his mates, having fun but despairing at what's happening aroung them in Thatcher's Britain (and oh gawd, it got far worse), and/or making wry observations; I chortled more than once. My family are from Coventry, and I was 12 when this came out, so I'm biased. But surely, it's great isn't it? Did I mention I love The Specials? Their debut was maybe better, but this is ace.

Pretty darn perfect. That voice, and some wonderful grooves. And of course, soul, in bucketloads.

Still sounds sweeping and impressive all these years later. (Saying that, I'd be happy never to hear With or Without You and I Still Haven't... ever again; they're so overplayed.) The album was important to me during some upsetting events in 1987, and I'm still moved by most of it. Favourite tracks probably Red Hill Mining Town and Running to Stand Still. Where The Streets... still makes me want to roll down the windows on a freeway somewhere. Overall, it deserves its status; it was everything that the previous 4 albums had been building up to.

Enjoyed listening to this as a whole album. It's the definition of a classic: guitar sound, drum sound, fantastic vocals. Favourites were Misty Mountain Hop and When the Levee Breaks.

It's not possible to encapsulate David Bowie into one album, but if you were limited to, say, five, this one would need to be in there. We get a more eclectic David than on his previous albums, still loving a bit of the soul he explored on Young Americans, but with more complexity (Station to Station, Stay). He's developing songs of a grander nature again (Word on a Wing), full of amazing chord progressions, such as were glimpsed on Space Oddity (Wild-eyed Boy) and Hunky Dory (Life on Mars): to me, WOAW takes this to a new level. There's a perfect pop song (Golden Years) and also Bowie at his most vulnerable (Wild Is The Wind). The only one I'm not mad on is TVC-15 but as usual, even less good David Bowie is still pretty amazing. Literally all the others are amongst my favourite songs of his.

New to me, but I didn't feel a connection (at my advanced age, on a rainy December morning, planning a food shop). Not really my thing. I liked the guitar but I'm not a fan of the vocal style. Well-crafted though and I quite liked Rags to Rags.

Really enjoyed listening to this while cooking, so have no idea which track was which, but it was great. I'm not an aficionado of this type of music but I really liked it and will play again in future, for sure.

A fabulous album which I already knew well. Every track is affecting. The Ninth Wave is a masterpiece of theatre and storytelling. Favourite track probably The Morning Fog.

I listen to this every Christmas and its sound is definitely part of my Christmas, despite the controversies around the man himself. Darlene Love is an amazing artist, and Walking in a Winter Wonderland has long been one of my favourite Christmas songs. I also love The Ronettes' version of Sleigh Ride.

New to me, and I don't know much about country. I looked it up and found that EH only contributed to the writing of one track, Boulder to Birmingham, which was one of my favourites. Actual favourite was Before Believing, which is lovely. Otherwise, it wasn't really my bag but she has a beautiful voice. Oh and it was interesting to hear a Beatles song I didn't know before, and the Dolly track which I did.

Enjoyed this after all these years (used to have a cassette of it in the 80s). Some good tracks I'd forgotten - Problems, No Future. Obviously lacks the shock factor these days and if anything it made me smile fondly, which I'm sure isn't what they were going for!

Inoffensive. I quite enjoyed it.

Had been meaning to listen to this band for a while and I can see why friends like them. I liked the overall sound and vibe very much. Certain songs had a meandering style which I'm not a fan of, but a good album nonetheless. The Springsteen/ Dylan influences were clear as was some Phil Manzanera/ Mark Knopfler guitaring.

I'm not knowledgeable enough to know how this sits within the jazz canon, and so can only judge on its overall sound, which to my ear hasn't aged well. I like the freedom and funkiness, but don't really enjoy synths and electronica in a jazz context; it feels dated and a bit cheesy. Which is doing a disservice to the musicians' prowess. Sorry.

Musically well put-together and a mixture of tempos; a better album than I expected. It didn't sustain my interest for a whole album though. I really liked The Smiths' first couple of albums when they came out, but 40 years later, I was probably never likely to be really moved by what essentially sounded "not as good as The Smiths were".

Good to hear this in its entirety and I think it's stood the test of time. You can see why it had an impact, especially coming out of Manchester which wasn't well-known for smooth soulful sounds. Quality. Would be a 7 out of 10 but I've rounded it up.

I liked it. Quite a bit of the merry peasant sort of stuff alongside some good heavy riffs etc. But I can see why IV got more accolades.

Soulful, classy, relaxing. Made me want a cocktail and some elegant surroundings. Loved the trumpet sound and that infectious bossa nova! It did all blur into one, but I didn't mind. Needs a 7 out if 10 (again).

I enjoyed this overall. It didn't make a massive impact on a first listen, but I appreciated the sound, which took me back to 1983/4: shiny production, tinkly sounds, introspection. Lots of apparent influences: Peter Gabriel, Japan. Overall a bit earnest for me, but I think I'd get more out of another listen, and it would have been interesting to see them live.

Should probably not have been released. One man in his bedroom enjoying lo-fi tech and dumping song ideas (not even fully-formed songs) out of his brain after what must have been a tumultuous few years. So whilst I don't begrudge him taking the time, it's not interesting enough to be on this list in my view. The one actual song is Maybe I'm Amazed, which I do like.

Completely new to me, and I knew nothing about the trip-hop scene in Leeds, which apparently was a big thing. I liked it, but truthfully found it more like background music; if it was on in a bar while I was chatting to mates, I'd probably think it was brilliant, but it didn't sustain my interest in a more focused way. Quality, though.

This one popped up straight after Paul McC's debut so it was interesting to compare. Lennon definitely a more interesting writer imo, but still not really my thing. Knocked a star off for the terrible Yoko song.

A couple of tracks that made me get my groove on, but I think I was waiting for a Purple Haze moment that never came.

Not my bag, but they do it well.

Enjoyed several tracks but a bit too eclectic for me overall. 5 out of 10.

Started listening on my phone only, big mistake as couldn't hear the lush fuller bass sounds. This is a good album I think, but not really "my sort of thing". Interesting

This passed me by at the time. It's clever and groovy but I'm getting a bit frustrated by lots of albums that feel vaguely trippy and just wash over me. Not bad though. A true 6 out of 10.

I always thought that I didn't like Sonic Youth, so I'd avoided them. Turns out, I do like them, up to a point. Unfortunately though, I have an issue with indie bands from New York; there's usually something about them that irritates me. As in this case, it's often the vocals. I blame Lou Reed for starting the drawly/talky thing, but he did it quite well. David Byrne can get away with it, because of Talking Heads' amazing rhythm section. This fella also gets away with it at times, because the guitar sound and song structure is so interesting. But more often than not, the vocals grated on me and there are only two or three songs that I'd go back to. I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the ones fronted by Kim Gordon at all. So why the high score? Because I think it deserves its status for being genuinely very interesting and creative, and my personal "ick" with New Yorkers drawling into the mic doesn't really make it bad.

Used to know this well. Pleased to find it was like revisiting an old friend. (Side note. Another New Yorker who can stray into talking instead of singing, but barely often enough to be annoying.) (Another side note. The modern lens means questioning a wealthy white man increasing his own success by working with African musicians. But it sounds like it was a joyful collaboration, and I'll have to trust that all parties were respected and remuneration was handled appropriately.) I like it, although truthfully by the last two songs I'd had enough. Good to hear it again and I was singing along. 7 out of 10.

Easy to see why this became a classic. Not completely my cup of tea but some great songs. Elton doesn't really sound like anyone else, either, except maybe The Who a bit and obviously they knew each other anyway. Mostly, very strong songs.

Loved it!

I'd never heard much LC and am so glad I was "made" to listen properly. Thought-provoking, moving, beautiful really. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Tom Waits the day before, but it won't be the last time I listen to him.

I like rock and metal up to a point, but couldn't see anything special about this album. By side 2 (as I call it) I was wanting it to end. I guess they were holding their own at the time, but from my own limited knowledge I'd say they weren't as interesting as Nirvana, Soundgarden or Pearl Jam. I can't claim to be an expert but I didn't get it.

Enjoyed all of this album very much, had never heard it in full before. No wonder western musicians were queuing up to collaborate! Will certainly be listening again. I can't think of anything I'd change so in the absence of 9 out of 10 I've rounded up. 5 stars from husband, too.

I thought I'd love this, but didn't find it very cohesive. Some high points. A very laid-back singing style which at times soothed, and at other times maybe needed another "take"!

Disappointingly dreary. Nice harmonies.

A classic, I know, but quite an assault on the ears to just listen to. Not my cup of tea, although I acknowledge the complexity.

Very good.

Not bad, bit punkier than I expected in places. I still don't really like them overall and I'm not sure why. Extra star for great album title.

Ethereal and strange. Made more sense when I read about what she was trying to do, but not very accessible on a first listen. I love her though.

Whilst I "appreciate" this band, I didn't enjoy listening to a whole album. Made me very gloomy. I liked the two singles, and a couple of others.

Really enjoyed this and will re-visit at some point.

Probably my favourite band to hail from New York. Good to hear an earlier album than I'd known previously. Good stuff.

Not my thing overall. Like the track "One" but still find it hard to listen to a whole album!

Enjoyed it. Street Life is a classic and it seems it could go on indefinitely and I'd still like it. If I got to know the rest of it better it would probably go up to 4 stars.

I thought this would have more wow factor, but of course it's not 1956 any more. It must have been so impactful then, but I just found it OK. Sorry, Sun Studios/RCA.

Remember finding this quite fun at the time. Prefer the more guitar-y ones. I had a sense of humour failure over "Girls" - can't be bothered buying into it these days. But it sounds like they had fun and there were some grooves. I think it was always going to be two stars.

Having avoided listening to their songs for quite a while (Manc swagger not being my thing) I actually really enjoyed rediscovering what a good album this is and particularly for a debut. Seven out of ten but I'll be generous as I do love a touch of psychedelia and a great outro. I'm still Team Blur in the scheme of things, though.

Already a favourite. Love almost everything about it: vocals, sound, song construction; just the right mix of freedom and tight playing. It's just cool (it might help that I discovered it aged 15). A pretty astonishing debut, too. Love it!

Profoundly moving. Really quite amazing.

Almost certainly wouldn't have listened to this without this project. I didn't like everything, but managed to groove along with some of it. More thoughtful than I expected if I'm honest. From my very limited knowledge of hip hop, I can see why it's a noticeable album. I'm enjoying learning about where things "sit" in genres that I know nothing about.

I'm not into the slightly formulaic blues (?) structure of 50s rock n roll, but of course this is an important album and still has huge energy and is great fun.

I loved this. Jack White can't do much wrong in my book, he's the perfect mix of classic influences with a twist. He's very cool.

Dark, noisy, great drums and bass. I didn't really like any songs once I was past the first couple, but it's good to hear what NC was up to at that point.

Started off in a pleasing fashion and I liked the ones with the trumpets. Overall though, a bit weedy-sounding and Not Very Good.

Really liked it, will listen again, and seek out their other output. Thought I might find the vocal off-putting, but I didn't mind it. It stayed just dark enough. Reminded me of Ladytron and occasionally LCD Soundsystem, both of whom are even cooler. Probably a 7 out of 10, but I'll be generous as I do love a synth.

Knew little bits of this but good to hear the whole thing. She's definitely very talented but truthfully I only really liked a couple of the tracks.

I remember liking this at the time. I want to say that, looking back, GnR are more than just their big hits, but honestly, if I only ever heard Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child Of Mine and of course November Rain that would probably be enough. They did pack a punch, but the cruder ones are lost on me these days. Extra star for awesome guitar-playing though and Axl weaving around.

Probably a bit long overall and I preferred the women's contributions (unlike the critics at the time, it would seem) - none of the Lindsey Buckingham-led stuff had the impact of, say, Never Going Back Again or Go Your Own Way. I will always be here for Stevie Nicks's voice and lyrics. Didn't really get the title track but I'm told it can be appreciated on a baser level, lol.

At my most objective, I suppose this joins some dots between older UK metal and the kind of more fun rock thing which US bands like Bon Jovi did a bit later on? Maybe? But it's already apparent that whoever picked 1001 albums is a bit too interested in a particular aspect of the route that involves men and guitars. As important and cool as that route has been, I'm not convinced that we need to listen to every single nuanced step along the way. This is a solid rock album, but doesn't feel very important to me.

A really good surprise. Will be listening again.

Nothing to object to but I haven't found it memorable.

Really enjoyed it. An oddly short compilation, so went and listened to a bit more Fats, too. It's a 7 out of 10 but I'll be generous.

Not my thing really. Undoubted skills on the keys, but I'm not a fan of his voice, and it's all a bit pleasant. I did remember the singles, from the time, but found it dull overall.

Enjoyed it

A challenging listen. Bits of cabaret, bits of sampled heavy guitar riffs, a few strings, all led by Killing Joke- style roaring vocals. To be honest, I found it pretentious, but was that because it was in French? Couldn't engage with it so unfortunately I started to laugh at one point. Maybe some dazzling visuals would have helped.

A classic by any standards. Less heavy than I expected, really quite tuneful and even reminded me (just now and again) of the Doors in terms of the arrangements. My brother says it's brilliant, but I'm not quite there, and am unlikely to have it on heavy rotation... I'd feel mean giving three though, for his sake, so four it is.

Riff-tastic. Deserves its classic status.

I read that this features in a number of "best" lists - best metal albums, best of 1986, etc so I really tried to be objective. It's very fast. But I hated the vocals and honestly, you can do much nicer things with guitars. Dreadful. Or to quote another, succinct reviewer: "horreur". 0 stars.

So, unlike some other reviewers who evidently have Elvis Costello fatigue, this was the first of his to pop up for our group, and it came after 4 metal albums in a row. Consequently perhaps I really enjoyed the change. I'm not a huge fan of his, but this reminded me how creative he is and it was gorgeous to hear some piano after all that guitar. (I like guitar! But Slayer has traumatised me for a bit.) By the last two tracks I'd kind of had enough, but I thought some songs were definitely interesting enough to revisit in future.

Not really a fan of their hits so didn't expect to enjoy this, but I was drawn in by the quirkiness and overall vibe, and I found it really satisfying as an album.

My sons were heavily into Muse just after this came out, so I know it well. I think it's peak Muse. Every song is quality; the whole thing's so ambitious. Music from a man who builds his own guitars is always going to be serious, but there's enough swagger and playfulness not to put me off: yes it's intense, but in a theatrical way. He's also an accomplished classical pianist and I enjoy listening to those passages. An excellent album. I don't really need to mention the Radiohead influence on them, it's widely recognised, but I'll acknowledge it for completeness. I need 9 out of 10, and am going to sit here and decide whether to round up or down.

Great album. Since I'm an 80s electro fan, my knowledge of whole albums by DM is shamefully poor. I was glad to begin to rectify that. Loved the whole vibe. More of this, please!

I liked this but it didn't blow me away. Tuneful blues. I can see how they add to the picture, and Free Bird is pretty joyous.

So many "1 star or 5 stars" polar opposite reviews for this. Personally, I just thought it was mediocre overall. He was only ever an ok songwriter imo, and the production on this wasn't as shiny and 80s-tastic as I expected, not enough to elevate the songs, so I'm really not sure why some folks see this is the ultimate 80s pop album (ABC and Duran Duran had already nailed that in 1981 and 1982 respectively, surely). I do like Smooth Criminal, he certainly released the odd banger after Off The Wall but overall... mediocre. I always did like his dancing more than his music, and I'll stop there.

Interesting, and a few really lovely tracks. Definitely didn't make me think of Manchester in the late 80s, but I didn't read the full concept, so I don't really know the story he was telling. I liked it overall.

Great voice, great vibe. Not sure the monologue added much... could have had a couple more songs instead perhaps, Isaac? But good on him for doing his thing. 7 out of 10.

This was, simply, massive at the time. I remember the singles just seemed to keep on coming out. I still rate most of the singles as quality pop songs, but, as then, they're not really my thing. Actually that's being a bit grudging: Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller did have huge impact and are great tracks. Wanna Be Starting Something is probably my favourite these days, as it still sounds quite 70s Jacksons and I like that stuff now. I can't give it five, because the slower "romantic" tracks are so uncomfortable to listen to but I'll give it 4 for its quality and impact.

I found this similarly inaccessible to The Young Gods. Clearly I have a blind spot when it comes to post-industrial stuff being roared at me in another language. Thought I'd be able to get on board with the humour at least, after the two openers, and FIAT was ok but after that I couldn't wait for it to end!

I really liked this. Yes, it's clear that he loved The Doors and The Velvet Underground, but most of this was recorded in 1971 - who better for him to have loved? I'm on record here as saying that the NYC drawl style of singing can drive me a bit mad, but it worked with the overall sound. I liked the sense of urgency and honesty and thought it was cool.

Probably not as good as Cream, or Jimi Hendrix, or The Doors, all of whom had released really good (and not dissimilar) stuff the year before. I therefore dispute how influential this actually was (m'lud). (What do I know though: I wasn't there.) I'd never heard of Iron Butterfly, or this album, before, but now know that it has a famously long song. Truthfully, if you'd told me it was a spoof album recorded last year, I'd have believed you. Saying all that though, it's actually quite good.

A good surprise.

This kind of bouncy, alternating bassline country music really isn't my thing musically, BUT JC had a gorgeous voice and charisma in bucketloads. He tells a fine yarn, both during the songs and between them. It was clearly a memorable day for all.

Prince was a true artist. I saw him live on the Lovesexy tour, which remains probably the best concert I've been to. Swagger and stage presence in spades, and a fantastic singer, dancer and guitarist. I didn't know this album well, and there are admittedly a few songs that didn't do much for me, but I really enjoyed it overall: he can do romance, and he can be funky as hell; he's also very funny, and just cool. You Got the Look and Sign o' the Times are definitely banging 80s singles but I was happy to find myself enjoying this as an album, I loved the overall vibe and sound.

Started well with Ramble Tamble, really liked the middle section, and I was thinking that, hey, maybe if I'd been 17 in California in 1971, I might have found CCR quite cool. Sadly, the three bog-standard blues tracks which followed did nothing for me. No disrespect to anyone's musicianship, I just find that sort of thing boring. The next track to stand out for me was Up Around The Bend, which is a great song, but I already knew it and already preferred Hanoi Rocks version... love rhyming 'bend' with 'wind' though, just so darn Southern. Who'll Stop The Rain was nice, and it was a decent version of HITTG (I was hoping for a guitar solo to nod and frown along to, and certainly got one.) I ended on Long As I Can See The Light (rather than listening to an extended version) but unfortunately found it pretty uninspiring again. So overall, a bit meh.

Was a fan from 84 - 86-ish, but I'd moved on a bit by 87 and didn't listen to this back then, although I remember the singles. As for the songs that were new to me, Morrissey's sad /funny /clever words and singing style no longer have the same impact at my advanced age, so I wasn't always engaged with what he was singing about. What hasn't worn off, though, is everything else. I still adore the sound of Marr, Rourke and Joyce. I like Stop Me. And even my wrinkly heart melted at Last Night. There were some gorgeous instrumental passages. In fact, if you just take the instruments, the Smiths' sound is sublime. I don't think they released a bad album, but I'll remain stuck in the past and say that I still prefer their first two. I wonder if they're on this list. Need a 7/10 but will round up.

A good album. They're not my favourite band, owing to a couple of my personal dislikes around the musical style. But it's good.

The problem is, lots of people now realise that Coldplay are quite dreary. Dreary doesn't mean rubbish, but, to me, they had that thing: a moment of impact when they briefly seemed exciting, but then, a few albums in, it became clear that they were actually always pretty dull (see also James Blunt, Ed Sheeran). It's impossible for me to listen to this now without hearing the inherent dreariness. The most enthusiasm I can muster is that there are a few pleasing, less predictable chord progressions now and again. But I like my rock to have a bit of edginess and swagger. Call me shallow, but Coldplay are a big snooze-fest. 5 out of 10.

Loved the vibe and the sparse arrangements. A good discovery. Has anyone else noticed she sounds like Siobhan Donaghy?

Nope.

Nothing wrong with this, lovely voice of course, great trumpets and keys. I enjoyed it, but had lost a little interest by the end. Frank is one of my mum's favourites, and this would have been released in between her getting married and having her first baby (my big brother) so I enjoyed speculating about her life then.

I so need a 7 out of 10 for this one! I love the Stones but it did just feel a bit long. I've been inconsistent in rounding up or down according to personal preferences, so this time it's up, because I love Mick and Keef; they never compromised having a groove for being too arty or clever, and to me that's a good thing.

Their best album, for me, when this unique blend really produced something very special. I've always thought that Fleetwood Mac shouldn't have worked; they could have been an absolute cheese-fest, musically, with the jolly, folksy elements. I don't know whether Stevie Nicks is an actual witch who weaved magic around this album, but I think she has a lot to do with the fact that it became a thing of wonder. Her own songs will always be my favourites; I adore her voice and her searing lyrics. But it's so good as a whole. People will listen to it forever, and reflect on life and love and heartbreak.

Pleasant

Bon Jovi strike me as being hugely influenced by Van Halen, with a fresher energy and with bigger, anthemic choruses made for the stadiums. This is a mixture of some genuine classics that still fill the dance-floors, a few of the said big choruses, the marvellous Wanted Dead or Alive, and some, er, other rock. I bought this at the time, and even started going to rock discos. All that's far behind me now, and I prefer my music a bit less tight-trousered and in your face. But I can't be too churlish. This still rocks, even if it's only part killer and quite a lot of filler, especially on side 2.

I really like UB40, especially their earlier stuff like this. Tbh I love most of the politically conscientious stuff that was coming out of the Midlands around this time. Great album.

I came at this as someone who liked rock in the late 80s, and Nirvana and Pearl Jam in the early 90s; I also listened to and enjoyed the entire back catalogue of Green Day in the noughties, repeatedly, because my kids loved them. So I actually quite enjoyed some of this, even though I'm unsure if it really leaves much by way of its own legacy. It's very derivative of Nirvana. I probably wouldn't listen again; some tracks weren't very good, and it doesn't have the "remember when" of those other bands for me personally. I've realised that I've no desire to immerse myself in any 90s US grunge-punk that I didn't already know. 'S alright tho, and the drummer's great.

Nice to hear the whole album. The 4 best-known tracks are just absolute classics which I love, so definitely no hardship to listen to this.

Love Numan - seeing him on TOTP in 1979 is an unforgettable musical memory. This is fab.

Not a genre I explore very often, but very enjoyable.

Very enjoyable despite making the mistake of reading up on the singer's life. Can't fault the music, though.

Accomplished and enjoyable.

Brilliant. An immediate hit with me. I hadn't listened to it before. I knew some other chill-out stuff, but these two seem to have had toutes les idées first. Really creative use of all the electronica and some good grooves. Très bon.

No stand-outs for me on this, although I've heard and enjoyed a little of his later album El Corazon. 3 out of 10.

Groovy in parts. Probably needed to listen to it louder and at a different time of day to get into it. Nothing to dislike, love the image and the sound, just didn't seem to be in the right mood!

Excellent, a great surprise, reminded me of the Pogues and the Clash combined.

As mentioned in my other Donald Fagen review, this genre isn't my cup of tea, but that's not to take away from the proficiency of the musicians.

Utterly brilliant. I first heard this properly in about 1990, and I've never got tired of it. As others have said, the sense of drive is incredible. So many interesting cross-rhythms and melodies in the instruments and vocals. It shouldn't be possible to create fascinating songs around a single chord, but TH manage the brilliance of Crosseyed and Painless, then immediately eclipse themselves with The Great Curve: just two of the "one chord" songs on the album. I didn't know until today that Brian Eno was involved, oops, but the production is certainly masterful. I agree with David Byrne, who apparently said it was "joyous and ecstatic and yet it's serious." It's genre-less, fabulous and even better, makes me want to dance, at least until the (still wonderful) darkness of the final track. 11 out of 10.

Oh dear. I feel like I should have liked this. I like mandolins and nice harmonies (and Bruegel). Unfortunately, my sarcastic, flippant, Brit nature won and it just annoyed me. I really wish I could say it was a beautiful thing, but I wanted to do a Jarvis Cocker. Robin, go and swing your pants somewhere else. Meh.

I've always liked Blondie's singles, but was aware the band's lustre didn't seem to last that long, and I'd heard rumours about them not actually being all that good. And, reading the Wiki write-up, it made it sound like recording this was a triumph of production in the face of poor musicianship and the band being a bit, well, rock n roll in their attitude. Well, pah. As far as I'm concerned, this is a collection of really good songs and the playing sounds fine to me. As for the overall sound, whoever was ultimately responsible for it, it encapsulates all the good things about pop in 1978 - edgy guitars, fun, dark enough, synths creeping in there. I'd actually forgotten how much I really, really like Debbie Harry's voice. A properly good album with loads to enjoy, and several classics that people will be singing along to forever.

A decent album. I'm glad she recorded it and enjoyed some acclaim. It didn't set me on fire though and I didn't really get a sense of her as an artist, somehow.

Green Day are such nice guys, and this is full of bangers. Happy memories of car journeys with the family.

How could anyone *not* like Dolly. Truthful songs, quality playing, heart on her sleeve. Humble but sassy. Sincere but funny. She communicates both joy and sadness with such simplicity. Apparently she's incredibly generous, too, and I feel mean giving it four stars. But it's not quite my genre. And I'm not as nice as she is, clearly.

I really enjoyed listening to this.

Ooh, this joined some useful dots on my Jack Black-style, School of Rock, mental blackboard. Definitely a link between nice 60s-style guitar pop and the punk and indie stuff to come. Even a wee bit o' screamo! Who knew. Is it just in the UK they're a bit obscure? Good to hear some boys enjoying making some noise and being innovative. I enjoyed the blend of traditional rock n roll classics with the desire just to be properly noisy. My fave tracks, truthfully, were Gerry Roslie's originals; I shall endeavour to remember his name. (And I now know that Richard Berry wrote Louie Louie, which isn't on here, as well as Have Love Will Travel, which is. Satisfying musical knowledge.) 7 out of 10 but I'm feeling generous

I liked his voice and the sound. Could definitely hear the Prince influence. Smooth and soulful but truthfully not my kind of thing.

Excellent. Understated, impactful funky soul with a message. Deserves all the acclaim. Possibly overdid the falsetto now and again (sorry!)

I'd enjoyed their debut a lot but this wasn't for me.

Great playing, great grooves, great sound overall. Doesn't feature either of my favourite bangers - Fantasy or Boogie Nights - but it was really enjoyable!

There are lots of reviews commenting on a lack of authenticity; why not just listen to actual blues; etc. I don't really know enough about where the Black Keys sit, to judge. It didn't strike me as try-hard or pretentious, as some have said. I did clock the resemblance to the White Stripes, who sound cooler imo. I enjoyed it (it was a bit long) and would go 7 out of 10, but perversely, perhaps, would also comment that I don't think it belongs on this list, because I don't think it particularly adds to or illuminates the story of music. So there you go, I did judge in the end.

I'll admit that the Americans are quite good at this stripped back, heavy, grungy stuff. Now that I'm old and more sedate, I'm less inclined to put this sort of thing on to listen to, but it's exciting, full of energy and it's great to have an unapologetic female lead singer who just wants to stick it to everyone. I had to seek out "Modern Romance" on a different version than the linked one, and concur that it sounds a bit like the Velvet Underground. The whole thing obviously owes a massive debt to the past, but I can't really blame them for that since they're channelling the good bits! I also appreciated the 80s influence (hello keyboards), so have probably rounded up from a solid 7 on that basis.

I've enjoyed the odd S&G track over the years, but for me, this album was a mixture of mainly uninspiring songs interspersed with some nice musical moments. The big Moog moments in track 2 did make me sit up for a minute. Punky's Dilemma made me want to punch someone; were they on drugs? - bit funnier if so. Mrs Robinson is a bit of a tune. I'm boring myself writing this. Meh.

Nice to hear this again; I listened to it quite a bit when it was first out. I never found it a terribly exciting album; it was more just something easy to stick on in the car. (I seem to remember that boyf - now husband - and I were into anything that made us think about driving across the vast expanse of the USA, because we really liked Thelma and Louise, and this fitted that vibe.) It turns out I've forgotten quite a few of the songs, oops. Positives: I love her voice, and the songs are decent. She's actually released a couple of singles that I love, but neither of them is on this album. A solid 6 out of 10.

Really good overall; am not a dance music aficionado and found it a bit same-y to do a whole album, but I do like their sound.

Very late night, very smooth. It did get a bit meandering at times, and I think the first track was probably the best one. Classy though.

In 1986, we had plenty of meh AOR, and to some extent I understand some reviewers thinking this is an example; yes, it's over-produced. But I rate the songs (actual bangers, Kate Bush!) and think it's deeper and has more to say than might first appear. I'm no better informed about him than I was back then, tbh: my impression - Genesis were wacky, then became quite boring, then Peter Gabriel went solo and became edgier again, then he went more mainstream (this album), then he did Biko, which was really impactful at the time. I can't quite explain it, but I somehow know that he's smart and emotionally intelligent and has something to say. He has a great voice. A good album.

The Adele album before this, "21", had some good singles on it, which led to Adele being EVERYWHERE. I was all Adele-d out by the time this came out. I do remember hearing Hello for the first time and thinking it was pretty good. Then I heard it again, and again, about 75000 times. I was soon switching channels to avoid her again. I approached this today as objectively as possible; after all, I've been avoiding her for nearly 10 years, so maybe I'd see something justifying her omnipresence? She undeniably sings really well. I don't feel engaged musically by the songs though; they tend to start well but sound repetitive by the end. As for the emotional journey that she's on, I could relate at times, but the unexciting music meant I wasn't ever, really, drawn in. Two more things: 1) it turned out I knew nearly every song, so I'd clearly been unable to avoid her after all. 2) I will NEVER forgive Adele for inspiring hundreds of young women to copy her bizarre faux-Irish accent. It's a huge ick. Stop it, girls!!

Had to seek it out on YT, so couldn't look at lyrics etc. I'm glad this album exists; it's unusual and appealing. Some tracks did meander off a bit but I enjoyed the overall sound, and would be putting "Green Man" on a playlist if it was on Spotify! Hurrah for British quirkiness.

Not for me. Good to express views on society etc, but the excessive swearing is a big no for me, and meant that any interesting jazzy bits, etc, were lost to my wincing. Sorry. Just personal, not saying it's no good, in fact I get that it's eclectic and interesting.

Lots to enjoy.

Enjoyed this v much and would go for 7 out of 10. Slightly unmemorable perhaps so I'm rounding down rather than up. But I really liked it!

Not at all bad, I prefer their slightly later stuff but the fondness for melody and interest in exploring beyond punk (eg reggae) is here to see amongst the more straightforward noisy stuff. Proper punk and I'm glad to have heard it.

Poly was a trailblazer who should still be out there sticking it to the establishment. Glad this seems to be widely recognised as a significant contribution to the punk catalogue.

This 1001 project had already delivered up Celebrity Skin, which I loved. So my mid-90s media-led prejudices about CL had already been dispelled, and I was eager to listen. This is a great grunge album. I don't actually love grunge, or it would have another star, but it's got some brilliant tracks on it (Violet, Asking for It, Doll Parts). I also loved the cover version, Credit in the Straight World, and am consequently now enjoying Young Marble Giants' Colossal Youth (apparently beloved by both Kurt and Courtney, and I can see why so far). Love Courtney's voice, incidentally.

Ooh, this one was very good. Knew bits and bobs, but hadn't listened to the whole album. Was worried it might go a bit Coldplay at one point, but it soon recaptured my attention. Loved instantly, tbh.

They rock hard. And they groove hard. I liked it.

Call myself a fan? I'd actually never heard this before. And didn't know Dave had done this first Foos album all on his own. It's all there already, isn't it? Those characteristic chord progressions and harmonies. I own a few of the later albums, and imo these songs would fit right in. I read about it first - apparently, a cathartic, hastily-recorded effort after Kurt's death, and I was prepared for it to be pretty bad (I thought it might all be like Weenie Beenie, which wasn't my thing.) But no. Most of it's great! I love Dave. He's a creative, rocking force of nature, and apparently a really nice guy. One of those that makes you think - what else could he possibly be doing? He was put on earth to do rock music. Foos songs are never boring, even when I don't especially like them. I really, really liked most of these.

Well this project has confirmed that rap really isn't for me. I keep trying. I did like some of the backing and instrumentation (Just Might Be OK was really interesting) but I find the vocals get boring after a couple of tracks. Sorry.

The singles were simply huge at the time and haven't gone away. I completely concur with another reviewer's excellent summing up of why it felt so great in 1984 to have queer lads from Liverpool sticking it to Thatcher, but doing it 80s-style, ie with excess. These songs were so good to dance to! Anyway the album was a tad longer than expected and Born to Run was a mis-step for me. But apart from that I loved the basslines and the shininess and all of the "hwaaah!"

Loved it. Listened to some of the back catalogue as well, because I knew I'd neglected them in my youth, oddly, as I've always loved a shimmering guitar. So I had a very happy three hours or so. This particular album didn't disappoint even though I do prefer their earlier stuff (I'm such a cliché). Beautiful stuff.

It's all been said before. Arty. Influenced so much of what has since followed (particularly from NYC). Viewed objectively, a bit odd in places.

This was released when I was about 15, at which point I was emerging from a goth phase (Bauhaus, the Cult) and discovering Bowie and Roxy's back catalogues. For me, men were supposed to be skinny and wear make-up; music needed minor chords, and preferably synths. Consequently, I thought all the singles from this album were dreadful, especially the title track. In 1991, I fell in love with someone who was obsessed with Bruce, and discovered that literally every other Bruce album appealed to me far more than this one. I still don't like this album; the songs are too stompy and cheesy-sounding, and I can't get past that to hear the message (Downtown Train is the only one remotely "me" musically.) Bruce writes some searing lyrics, but I'd rather hear them à la Greetings From Astbury Park, or even Nebraska. (Let's face it, I'm very unlikely ever to like a song called "Bobby Jean". And, if he had 70 songs to choose from, how on earth did "I'm Going Down" make the cut?) Title track still gives me a headache, though I do now appreciate the lyrics. Bruce is great in many ways; this just isn't for me musically. Shout out for the E-Street Band on this though, they're really good at what they do.

I really rate Blur. Yes, they're pointedly quirky and clever, but it's never annoyed me, because in their case, I'm involved and engaged with it. I guess that's down to the fact that I like the songs themselves. And the musicianship; they're really good. Blur are never boring. I do hear Kinks, but I also hear early Roxy (let's all play our instruments loudly and discordantly at odd moments) and post punk. Great! And that'll do for my review. PS woke up singing La, la, la-li-la this morning 👍

I expected to like this, because guitar-led music by angry women is a good thing imo, but truthfully it just didn't speak to or engage me, and I didn't. Sorry. I do like some of her stuff from 2000 onwards but I just didn't think this was great.

It probably didn't help that I listened to this while waiting for an exciting election result, but I failed to enjoy the album's subtleties and undoubted quality, and instead was irked by some slightly out of tune moments and impatient for it to end. I'll maybe revisit it another time but already know it's not really my genre, however cool Leonard is.

Not sure why we needed a 6-disc compilation. She has a lovely voice and sings lovely songs.

Enjoyed it in parts. I think they got better after Bruce D came along, though. I liked that you could hear elements of prog rock in there but also that they were moving things along in an 80s metal direction. Didn't like the last two tracks though, which meant it finished on a bum note for me.

Not sure I'd call it psychedelic; folky, yes. A few nice harmonies for sure; the California side of the country was good at those, as we know. So for me, this started well, but didn't engage my attention all the way through. I liked the Young and also the Stills songs; it felt like Stills was trying to rock a little harder than the others. Not bad but not hugely exciting; overall, I liked it.

Another fab White Stripes album. As I said before - the perfect mix of classic influences with a twist, and very cool. Nice to hear the beginnings of some of the crazy piano which comes into its own on Blunderbuss. Jack White always draws me in both musically and lyrically, and leaves me with a smile on my face, fancying a glass of bourbon.

I would hope everyone likes AC⚡️DC. Fabulous riffs and catchy hooks; metal you can dance to and that doesn't take itself too seriously. Happily, their legacy is assured. Already knew this album from my youth, great to hear it again. They're one band where I happily overlook the daft lyrics, because they feel utterly unthreatening. Sheer entertainment.

Wasn't feeling this today. Not as good as Machine Head.

So famous, and yet I'd never heard it before nor really paid attention to who was in the group. I enjoyed it, and it brought home to me just how much happened in pop music in the 60s - from where it started, to the amount of experimentation that was going on by the end of the decade, is incredible (and nicely set up the 70s, when pretty much every genre we have today seems to have been established). Anyway, I did enjoy this, I can hear that it influenced many others; prog rockers of course but also I thought of early Roxy Music, and also (to my surprise) quite a bit of Bowie's Man Who Sold the World. Of course it's a bit daft but I don't mind that. Can't decide between 3 and 4 but I'll be generous.

I couldn't seem to vibe with this, apart from Jimmy and Paper Planes. Otherwise, I found the rhythms and vocal off-putting.

Great singer, great dancer. Star quality when she performs. But the music really doesn't do much for me, unfortunately. Like other reviewers, I was a bit bored 🤷‍♀️

One that I know well. New Year's Day was the chart single that made me a fan of U2 at the time, and I was soon borrowing War (on vinyl, of course) from my friend, like you did then. I still really love lots of the tracks - Like A Song is my favourite; a burst of pop melody and aggression that would fit in on my now favourite U2 album, October. I prefer the single edits of both Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day: they don't need the extra verses and howls. Maybe all U2 really needed all these years was a critical friend/editor? Either way, they definitely went too far down the "world saviours" route at some point. But that was in the future. Here, they're still pretty heart-rending, and only a tiny bit pretentious. Musically, the band sound great, and this justifiably springboarded them to huge success. I only wish I'd seen them on tour at this point. "40" is a gem, even though it's probably responsible for many Coldplay-like imitations. Will always be fond of this.

Enjoyed this very much.

Probably excellent in its own way, but I struggled to sit through a full double album after having already had two other DP albums quite recently via this app.

Pleasant! And she has a great voice.

Really glad to have discovered this, didn't know it at all, but really enjoyed it. Will definitely be listening again.

Well, I quite liked it at first, but by half-way through, it was sending me to sleep. More Cali 60s-70s folky harmony vibes. I get it, dudes. Edit: I knew they were my eldest brother's favourite band, but hadn't realised Brokedown Palace was his "you'd better play this at my funeral" song. So I listened to it again. Yup - it's a beautiful song. Sometimes, you just need a reason to tune into something.

One of his very best.

They could have done with sneaking a few bottles of wine into the studio. Interesting, but too sombre for me. I could hear some good influences, from singer-songwriter right through to New Order, but they all came out badly in the mix. The Killers did it better; this is too intense and misses the fun.

Powerful, theatrical, tuneful. I'm old enough that Meat has been a figure of awe since this came out. What a nice bloke, too. I'm glad he lived long enough to get involved in the stage show of this, which is also hugely enjoyable. Respect to Jim Steinman for just doing what he did best.

I thought we'd had this already, lol. I must have researched it at an earlier stage, when I was more interested in the story of metal. Little did I know how much nuanced detail we'd be covering it in! Well, I'm glad it exists I suppose (not as glad as Jack Black though). Extra star for Midlands.

I wasn't looking forward to this, as it's not my favourite era of music, but I enjoyed the nice harmonies, and, of course, many tunes that I've been hearing all my life. Looking at his writing contributions to the album, I've also newly thought about how absolutely tragic it is that he died at 22. We can only imagine what a 32 year old Buddy might have been writing by 1969, for instance. How very sad.

I've always been more Team Stones than Team Beatles. Shallow perhaps, but I love the swag and the energy. "Imagine" put me right off John Lennon when I was 12, and Macca has written some right old nonsense. However... I'm re-appraising the songwriting ability and influence of Lennon and Macca in the Beatles days (lol. Not like they needed me to). (I already rated George). There are a few misfires on here: songs that are too twee for me (Macca *cough* and "Girl" was pretty dreary). But it's the chord progressions that you need to appreciate, innit. I'm beginning to realise that collectively, they all did invent quite a lot of Stuff. I'm embarrassed to have to quote from Wiki: "it has been recognised by music critics as an album that opened up the possibilities of pop music in terms of lyrical and musical scope." Yeah, that. I owned this album already, and I stand by George's songs as being the best ones for my taste; I hadn't listened much to the rest, although I knew the hits. But I now concede: it's a good album, and Lennon and Macca are all right I suppose ;)

Pleasing overall. I didn't really have the mental space to give it the attention it deserves.

My first time listening to a whole album by The Jam. I knew it was regarded as a classic, and it contains my two favourite singles, Start and That's Entertainment, so I was interested to see if I'd like the whole thing. I thought it was excellent! Melodic as well as thought-provoking and such a great energy. Paul Weller is ace.

I truly love most 80s electronica, but, for some reason, I've always been lacking the New Order gene. I actually hate Peter Hook's plinky plonky high notes/ melodies on the bass guitar (it's a BASS). I can't engage with Bernard Sumner's understated vocal style. And there are, generally, too many major chords. I find New Order really bland, with the exception of Blue Monday. Despite all that, I went in with an open heart, as I couldn't remember what they sounded like by this late stage and was hopeful. But I haven't changed my mind. If I had to listen to any of this again, it would be the purely synth, dance breaks (ie where I can't hear Peter Hook). I always liked Blue Monday and disliked everything else. Apparently, my taste hasn't changed. Go and plinky plonk somewhere else, Hooky.

Hmm. Well I found disc 1 pretty unlistenable and nearly gave up. Had a break, and listened to disc 2 in headphones, which was much better as I could hear the instruments properly and not only the free-form parping and squeaking. Interesting, is my verdict, and "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" reminded me of Aladdin Sane's crazy piano. Bowie always liked jazz, didn't he. So I should respect its interestingness.

I shouldn't really rate this as I didn't get through the whole thing. But I want to show my approval for the project and the performances.

A beautiful album, much-loved since my teens. Not a bad song on it.

I bought this on iTunes after hearing Hail Bop on 6Music. I basically do really like the sound. I found it surprisingly difficult to get through a whole album though, and never managed it at the time. I still think it's a bit long, but like the vibe. Some really good quirky harmonies and chord progressions; a couple of tracks perhaps tipping into "irritating". I've no idea what their more recent offerings might sound like, as they'd completely dropped off my radar. Oh, and I'd always thought they were American.

I like LCD Soundsystem, and they're definitely cool, but I'm not always in the mood to listen to them, if that makes sense. Before listening to this, I only knew American Dream, so I was late to the party. I do like American Dream more. But this is creative, groovy, and hypnotic in places. The final track was an interesting surprise and roots them firmly in NY, (which I know is where they're from).

Not really very good at all, fun in places I suppose.

Started well but not quite the undiscovered gem I was hoping for. Undiscovered by me, that is, I hadn't heard of him. Some nice Beatles, Blur, Radiohead stuff going on with a bit of his native USA folk. Sorry that he died so young. But it didn't stand out to me.

I don't like rap, but even I can see this is really good.

Yay for synths. Very soothing. Not terribly exciting.

I expected this to be interesting, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Only a 3 because I doubt I'll go back to it as an album.

David very much getting his soulful groove on. Fabulous title track. I also adore Win - it mixes Diamond Dogs disturbia with soulful BVs and floaty gorgeousness. I love Can You Hear Me. Other tracks, eg Fascination and Somebody Up There, have a great groove, but do end up a bit repetitive. I've never really liked Fame, but it's interesting. It's really a 9.5 out of 10 for me, but I refuse not to round up cos BOWIE.

Through this project I've been able to engage with more rap and hip hop than I'd expected to, but not this one, sadly. I can get angry about some of the same stuff as the writers, but it's the genre itself that I can't often click with (Public Enemy being a recent exception, I enjoyed that one). I gave up half way through, so probably shouldn't be rating it.

I absolutely love this album, and have done since I was 15 (41 years ago, gulp). I don't think I'll ever get bored with it. The short tracks on side 1 are delivered in a throwaway manner, as if Bowie's emptying out some pop stuff that's been rattling around in his brain for a bit, perhaps. Except that every one of those short pop tracks has musical depth and complexity, and brings a sense of darkness in the lyrics. The opening and closing instrumentals on side 1 hint at what's to come: side 2 is epic, and beautiful. Having decided to get on board with the synth thing, and assisted by Eno obvs, Bowie was evidently happy to completely run with it, and create long, filmic soundscapes that perfectly describe post-war Europe. I feel as if I could write a book about this album. Did I mention that I absolutely love it? Never mind 1001 albums, this should be in every top 10, surely, for creativity and importance. I wish he was still here.

I like a heavy riff, and for a while I was into the stompy, backwards-baseball-cap antics of Faith No More etc. Unfortunately, I didn't hear this back then and for whatever reason, this type of thing doesn't do it for me any more. I appreciate the riffs and the funky moments, but there are other ways to express frustration than by shouting. It probably didn't help that I've already had to listen to Raekwon and Kanye this week. Nor that I'm a British, middle-aged woman being stretched in several different directions.

Definitely a strong 4. New to me, apart from Games Without Frontiers and Biko, both of which I already really liked. I love Peter Gabriel's creativity and willingness to go into darker places in such a thoughtful way (this is so much more me than shouty rap). I bet he'd write great novels.

New to me; possibly didn't do very well in the UK? Anyway, it's not bad. They were all quite young guys at this point, by the sounds of it, so there's no point being unduly harsh; it's perfectly proficient, and the ska influences were good to hear (there weren't enough of those moments; a lot of it was more like the J Geils Band, or maybe David Lee Roth-lite.) Overall, it was very mainstream - not sure it's very noteworthy, tbh, although they must have been entertaining live. Perhaps they still are. To finish on a positive, I really like the singer's voice, and the trumpety and funky bits were enjoyable.

Not to all LC fans' taste it seems, but it's a clear case of when you've got it, you've got it.

The third by the Velvet Underground to come up in fairly quick succession. Love the grungy backing (especially on Lady Godiva) but not really into the vocal styles (or lyrics) on display here. Whilst not disputing the cool vibe and their influence, it'll have to be a 3, I guess.

Two classics: Sympathy for the Devil, and Street Fighting Man. SFTD is excellent and will be enjoyed eternally. The rest of the album shows the Stones comfortably in their groove, and it's good. I still love Mick and Keef, it'll be a sad day when they put down their instruments.

There is some true beauty here. Beautiful melodies, chord progressions, words and, indeed, production. I love how it sits somewhere amongst psychedelia, blues, prog rock, chill-out 90s and Chris Cornell, but remains its own thing. At this point, I should admit that this is the first Beck I've heard, and I'm well overdue a catch-up with his older stuff. I shall atone. I really liked this.

I like REM but hadn't heard such early stuff before. I wasn't disappointed! All the things I enjoyed about them at the end of the 80s were already in place here; in fact they seem to me to have a very mature sound already. Thanks to this project, I thought I could hear some of the New York alternative influences, and also hear how they, in turn, influenced bands like Nirvana, so thank you Wiki for backing me up on those things. I think I just like the overall blend that makes up REM's sound. Thoughtful without being annoyingly so; melodic and jangly but not twee; enough edge, rockiness and misery to keep things cool.

Jazzy! (Obviously.) Very smooth and melodic. It didn't really get me excited, but had some very beautiful moments. It's not my area of expertise At All, so sadly I can't judge whether this is a stand-out in terms of jazz compositions, but I enjoyed it.

A favourite band whose music takes me back immediately to the atmosphere of the 80s indie disco. As a goth-lite, I always thought Siouxsie was magnificent, and still do. I especially like the guitar sound. Great stuff.

A couple of standouts, but mostly it hasn't left an impression since I heard it on Friday.

Very enjoyable, completely new to me. I read about the concert and wouldn't have known the piano wasn't up to scratch! Although I wasn't listening to it very loudly. Such an accomplished performance.

Baffled by some people giving this one star. I don't normally worry about opinions that differ from mine, but... eh? Anyway. I love The Specials. No, the singers don't sound like they could audition for X Factor. Thank goodness! Can people not hear the tight band, the wonderful cross rhythms in the bass and that punchy brass? All fronted by a laconic, grumpy Midlander and his mates, having fun but despairing at what's happening aroung them in Thatcher's Britain (and oh gawd, it got far worse), and/or making wry observations; I chortled more than once. My family are from Coventry, and I was 12 when this came out, so I'm biased. But surely, it's great isn't it? Did I mention I love The Specials? Their debut was maybe better, but this is ace.

Both Adam Ant and John Taylor named tracks on Country Life as being amongst their favourite songs, which was enough to send me scurrying to the shops for this in the early 80s. Having grown up in the 70s thinking Bryan looked a bit creepy on Top of the Pops, I'd been won over by Avalon in 1982, and a friend and I then lost no time in filling in our knowledge of what had come before by buying half of Roxy's albums each and swapping now and again. (Some home taping may have gone on, ahem.) So, this one was mine, which meant I had to stick a piece of paper over the cover when transporting it to school. Anyway, ever since, Roxy Music have been one of my favourite bands. I never get bored by them, and although there are a few tracks (across their whole catalogue) that I can't get on with, I usually love the melodies, chord structure, instrumentation and of course their style. Phil Manzanera is definitely one of my favourite guitarists. On this album, I particularly like All I Want Is You, Out of the Blue, and A Really Good Time. Their songs are nearly always about people and relationships, but there's always an interesting edge. All of their albums are fantastic.

My husband and son love Bob Dylan. I do not. His voice has never appealed to me, and I've found it too much of a barrier to appreciate his much-revered lyrics or the songs themselves. Consequently, I've never listened to a whole album before. Apparently we get seven in the 1001 - this was the first to come up for our group. Husband thinks there are more than seven Dylan albums better than this one. I guess it's included as it marked a "return" and won lots of Grammys. (And it's got the song that Adele covered, of course.) Anyway. I didn't hate it. It was, at times, bluesy and quite atmospheric. It's not really for me, though, and I was already finding a lot of it boring before I got to the 16 and a half minutes of the final track. Phew.

I like the Who, but they were definitely still finding their way on their earliest albums. Best bit here is the title track, especially it's legendary ffff...ade away lyric, which is definitely a moment. In my opinion, they found their sound around 1967. By the early 70s Roger Daltry had developed one of the best rock voices out there, they'd embraced a bit of theatre, and they were great. But even with this hindsight, I didn't really rate this, it seemed to merge in with much 60s stuff and I can't think of much to say about it.

This was much-needed in 1991. Edgy, visceral, heart-rending at times. Just, really interesting. Gone for me was the brief appeal of hair metal; back were grungy, sensitive boys in cardigans like those I'd dated in the 80s. I'm English, and I also remember thinking this was the first time I was aware of something actually "alternative" coming out of the States. (Which of course may be unfair. Just saying how it felt.) I know there were other bands doing similar things, so I don't know if Nirvana were truly original, but they seemed to be, and definitely had a magic formula. Every track is good, and side 1, in particular has lived long in the memory, with every song still evoking an emotional response. I like the riffs, the harmonies, the drums. Kurt was very beautiful. PS I didn't think I was in the mood to listen to this today. I was wrong. PPS I didn't know the last track, which is apparently because it wouldn't have been on my vinyl? I'm not sure I needed it.

No, thank you. I did sample it, and immediately disagreed that there was any need to listen to the whole thing before I die. So, I didn't listen to a lot. My rating is, therefore, unsound. I'm not disputing how much practice it takes to sound like this, incidentally. I just don't like it, and I'm not in the mood to be objective.

Loved the overall sound, and the idea of women sitting round talking about sex, but some of the lyrics were a bit explicit for me, I'm such a prude! I saw how many writers were involved, and I'm surprised that it felt so cohesive. Very mellow but also quite rude.

Unexpectedly brilliant. I had no idea this sort of thing was coming out of Germany in 1973. Surely Bowie must have heard this, before he got into his own ambient thing. The last few minutes of the final track reminded me strongly of Bauhaus. Talking Heads were clearly fans of track 3. The whole album thrums with the weird and the wonderful, combined with African and Latin rhythms; even jazz-like at times. I did feel as if drugs must have been involved. But what a great result! A good surprise.

Great-sounding album. The only thing that this middle-aged white English woman didn't like was the bad language. I've said it before, I'm a prude! But the samples were cool, funky and stitched together perfectly; I was inspired to check out 'NT' by Kool & the Gang, which is sooo funky and chill and helped me understand more about what inspired hip hop in the first place. The live trumpet (his Dad!) was great when it came in. And yes - he's a great rapper. I don't mind rap when the voice is easy to listen to; it reminded me a bit of Melle Mel, so for me it had an 80s feel as well as harking back to 70s funk. Vocally, some really clever rhythms and cross-rhythms, delivered with laid-back ease. I just would prefer not having to hear the N word, the F word and the MF word Quite A Lot. I know I'm old, and he's no doubt talking in his authentic voice, but truthfully those words add nothing for me, and push me away a little bit. I'm sure he wouldn't be too fussed about that...

People seem to have written a LOT of words about this one. I'll just say that I was surprised that it's not very heavy. I'd assumed all those denim-jacketed fans were listening to something a lot more aggressive, back in the 80s. It's very upbeat. Excellent drumming, melodic bass. They sound very comfortable in what they're doing, and a sense of creative fun comes across. Not really for me; I'd had enough after side 1, but I can see why they inspired such devotion.

Oh, I'm so smug that this came up as an acknowledged classic, because, as a newly qualified teacher back in 1996-7, I got my class (7 and 8 yr olds) to do a dance to Around The World and perform it to their parents. The kids all appeared to love it. I can only hope that, years later, when Get Lucky made Daft Punk even bigger, some of them looked back fondly on how cool their Y3 teacher must have been 😉 So basically, what I'm saying is, this stood out to me at the time as being uber cool and a bit different. It was great to hear it again; it's house music that actually makes me want to dance. It's repetitive, as house music is wont to be, but they have the magic formula and it's very engrossing. Très bien. Now then kids... 5, 6, 7, 8...

Emotion-filled and some lovely acoustic guitar, with a not-unwelcome jazz feel at times. A bit too rambling in places.

My heart initially sank when I saw this, but lifted again when it turned out not to be the one with Firestarter on it - sorry, but I really disliked those 1997 hit singles. I was further relieved that Keith didn't do anything on this; he's pretty scary. This wasn't bad. Not something to get me dancing - I prefer my dance music rooted somewhere in the 70s, even if it's later, if ya get me. Anyway it's way too fast for me nowadays 😆 My favourite bits were when it slowed down and went a bit filmic, which it did fairly frequently. 3 Kilos was a jaunty little tune, but I didn't like the last track at all. I don't know enough to know whether it's ground-breaking or anything like that, but it was clever and, as I say, not bad.

Great to hear this all the way through. Having loved A Forest since hearing it on John Peel some time in 1981, I don't know why I've never delved into the full album. I absolutely love the sound: sparse, just enough pedal to make it ethereal, Robert's faraway vocal relatively low in the mix. (And none of the annoying high note plinky-plonk bass that crept into later, "jollier" singles.) Really gorgeous.

I wanted to like this, but dear lord, the awful soppy singing. Combined with a bit too much plinky guitar, my teeth were on edge and I couldn't get into what I'm sure some people find a moving and affecting album. I wanted to crank everything about this band up by several notches, because I feel sure their musical hearts are actually in the right place.

Some beautiful songs, both in terms of the words and the music. I get that some people prefer the stripped back version of Nick, but apart from on Poor Boy, I liked the fuller, jazzier sound; not too different from what Joni Mitchell was doing around this time or shortly thereafter.

Ooh, what a mish-mash of other artists jumped into my mind listening to this. As was, apparently, said at the time - Led Zep, Santana, King Crimson. If you listen out for Flea, you can hear touches of RHCP. But I also heard Muse and Jack White, and even a little-known British band called The Music (mainly in the vocals, that last one). Plus others I couldn't put my finger on. (Told my brother* to listen to it. He notes similarities with The Pretty Things.) What a wonderfully crazy thing this is; unknown to me beforehand, but definitely one to remember. Obviously completely bonkers in terms of the concept and lyrics, but, musically, I loved it! *thank you, 1001 Gen, for allowing me to introduce an album to my 64 yo rock fan brother, who normally knows Everything about music. He says "magnificent".

I know there are various Byrds albums in the 1001, and, despite being 250+ in, I still haven't heard any of them. The Byrds aren't a band I've ever been particularly inclined to explore, new wave/ art rock/ post punk fan that I am (apparently those are the accepted terms). Anyway the point is, I would have preferred to judge this after hearing Gene Clark's contributions to the Byrds, first. But never mind. For my taste, it's very... conventional. Nothing particularly to dislike, and undoubtedly melodic and well-constructed. But this type of thing doesn't do a lot for me. Should it be more widely regarded as a classic? Other reviewers think so. Maybe. It didn't seem worse than some pretty well-known Americana from the 70s. Just not my thing. 5 out of 10, but I've got to differentiate somehow.

I mostly found this hugely enjoyable. I already knew and loved Oye Como Va, thanks to the Carlito's Way soundtrack, and was vaguely aware of the rest of the album. I knew of Carlos Santana, and his fondness for rendering vocals largely unnecessary, putting the guitar front and centre. The album romps along in a pretty joyful way. I'd have preferred even more Latin content and a bit less of the Cream-style rock, but it was a great listen over the weekend.

Some stand-outs and generally really enjoyable. I think I did prefer Bon Scott's voice, y'know. Slightly same-y by side 2.

Quite hypnotic, really, and I didn't object to a bit of explaining as we went along. Twingly twangly good stuff.

Bought the vinyl at the time, still like it very much today.

Too highbrow for me! Undoubtedly proficient, and a fine example of its genre, but I prefer the sort of jazz that has a nice smoky vocal over the top and/or makes me want to dance/smooch (sorry for that cringey word), rather than just nodding earnestly while Bob* indulges in a drum solo and a sax squawks in random fashion. It has to be a 3 for sheer proficiency, but I didn't enjoy it. *this may not actually be his name

A gorgeous and enthralling album. I enjoyed it WAY more than Rid of Me, which wasn't entirely surprising, as I already had Good Fortune on my master playlist. I'm not sure why I hadn't explored the rest of the album. I loved the sound and the mood. She sounds completely in control and completely authentic. I'll definitely be listening again; it's right up my street. (Shout-out to the drummer, too; they're great.)

Managed to track this down on YouTube and had a slightly cursory listen. Some lovely melodic tracks; I think my favourite was Pale Skinny Girl. Reminded me of what Suzanne Vega was doing (better) on her first two albums. Some tracks drifted a bit too aimlessly for me but overall deserves 3 stars.

I can't give this less than 4, even though Dexys ruined everything by subsequently releasing Come On Eileen which I've always utterly loathed. However. I always loved Geno, so I was very happy to give this a whirl, and I wasn't disappointed. I don't love Kevin Rowland's voice, it's true. But I really like the "brass with attitude and despair" sound. I Couldn't Help It If I Tried is a great track. And Geno is still awesome. I just wish their output had ended here.

I wasn't mad on Cyndi at the time, but now completely get what she brought (and brings) to the picture. Great pop tunes with attitude, and thoughtful lyrics. A satisfying album.

Here is someone who really likes singing. And is really good at it. He didn't write very much of it, so it's harder to judge him as an overall artist, but he's a master of his particular craft if that makes sense. A theatrical, amusing at times, collection.

Like everyone else, I'll use the word "fun". I like a band that doesn't take life too seriously, and I'm glad to have filled in another jigsaw piece (had never heard of them). Not good enough for a fourth star though.

Another band that lots of people-who-like-music-that-I-like really, really rate, but I never liked. I gave it a go. I still don't like them. It's just the wrong combination for me of a drawly vocal, discordant tunes and a sense of everything being vaguely unedifying. I can deal with any of those, but perhaps not together. It's not objectively bad, just very much not for me.

I thought this was going to be a solid 5 stars, then realised it was a double album. I loved it, but it was a bit long and, inevitably perhaps, included a few tracks not quite up to the standard of the others. Ah heck, I'm giving it 5 anyway, because it's basically the perfect blend of many of my favourite things: tunes, energy, fun (but not too much), swag.

I'm not sure the music scene really needed this in 2004, but it was okay overall and in fact good in places. Agree with another reviewer who said it was like Britpop plus AltJ. Some pleasing tunes and sounds, but too many dull moments.

Theatrical, thrilling, thought-provoking.

I love this album.

Really enjoyed it. Brightened up a Monday. Everything from funky to soulful, and always smooth.

Interesting (I use the word loosely) to hear an example of this type of thing and not without merit. Perhaps, even, evocative of the time and place. Also interesting to read about the brothers falling out and the bad behaviour - same old same old, eh? Musically this stuff doesn't move me though.

I neglected this at the time, and wish I hadn't, because I think it would have become a favourite. I liked the atmosphere of spooky, melancholy unease. The rhythms drive it forward, not letting it meander too far into uncertainty. The backing is sparse, but interesting. I did know some tracks, particularly Glory Box. Funnily enough, I saw Beth Gibbons on Jools Holland the other day, and was intrigued enough to look her up. "Oh, she's from Portishead. Must listen to them" I thought (as such was my ignorance, I didn't recognise her name. Or her.) Happily, it wasn't too late, and it's finally in my consciousness properly. I did get that mid-side-two lull, where it all started to get a bit samey, so it's not five stars but it's really good overall I think.

My first time listening to this as an album (I knew the singles) even though I own and love both Cosmic Thing and Good Stuff. Considering how annoying Fred's voice is, it's amazing how much I like the B52s. But I really do. I especially love that Kate Pierson is still going strong, dying her hair bright red, releasing music, and singing in that fantastic "I'm just singing along" voice. I should have listened to this before, it's great!

Didn't get much time to appreciate this, but sounded like they were having a good time.

I don't get much out of this type of music, and I'm afraid I found this as boring as the brown cover. The most positive phrase that came into my head was "quite nice" as in, "That bit was quite nice"; then I'd doze off again. They were probably better live.

I'm very happy that Jacques Brel existed. Sidestepping the rise of blues and rock n roll, he charted a completely different route through into popular music. And as much as I love a bit of blues and noisy guitar, how much richer were the 60s and 70s for having had someone like Jacques to keep alive the theatrical passion of the old cabarets. Because of him, we got artists like Bowie, able to combine the best of all worlds. I knew some cover versions and Brel-style songs given to us by Scott Walker, Bowie and Marc Almond, but had never made time for Brel himself. There's something so enjoyably despairing about French, delivered in a minor key and (often) 3/4 time. Moi, je l' aime.

I'd enjoyed Rain Dogs a lot earlier in the project, but was a bit underwhelmed by this more straightforward blues album. Jersey Girl is a Springsteen staple, so it was good to hear the original. But I do prefer quirkier Tom. I thought On The Nickel was the stand-out, and liked Ruby's Arms.