1001 Albums Summary

Really interesting album.

A classic album with some truly great songs.

Interesting. I liked it more than I thought I would.

A classic. Truly impressive voice and he has an amazing ability to bring his own stylings to a song

Too ethereal for me.

A great album and to my mind some of U2’s best work. Even the less well-known tracks are awesome.

Solid punk performance from Australia. Solid and edgy but listenable.

I really like Beck but don’t love this album.

Not particularly memorable. Some songs were downright sappy. Not sure I needed to listen to this album before I die.

A solid punk offering (even though the album was released in 1981, after punk’s heyday) with some classic lyrics and powerful vocals from Henry Rollins. I especially enjoyed Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie and Rise Above

3.5-4 on my scale. Classic album from my early college days. Acoustic punk is a great way to describe them. Sadly, when I saw them in the 90’s, they were playing folk festivals.

Amazing drum and guitar solos. I could do without some of the screaming- or maybe I am just getting old. I am not usually a big fan of live albums (with some exceptions) but this one is pretty solid and an amazing band

Totally forgettable to me.

Bohemian Rhapsody is a classic and immediately brings me back to my youth. It was cutting edge and truly amazing then and remains so today. The album has a couple of other great tracks and some cuts that are not particularly noteworthy.

Interesting. You can hear elements of country rock and folk rock in many of the cuts. Some interesting orchestral elements as well. Enjoyed it even though I am not a big Neil Young fan.

Some classics and some questions. Clearly some blues influences (though I would’ve stayed away from “I’m a Man” if I were The Who) and mor pop sounds than I expected but the album is a bit all over the place. But I do like The Who.

For the most part I found this album to be completely forgettable. Background or elevator music. Morrissey has an impressive voice. His lyrics could motivate the most stable person to contemplate suicide.

The album is a bit meandering but includes some truly great cuts that demonstrate Hendrix’s guitar virtuosity. And it certainly ends strong.

Started out with a great head-banger but went downhill from there.

While I appreciate its place in the punk — post-punk progression, I don’t love it. Too ethereal and depressing. But even so, She’s Lost Control is a fan favorite of mine.

Thoroughly enjoyed this album. Chapman is a poetic storyteller and observer of the human condition. Her songs resonate and often strike somber emotional chords in a sharp way but portraying scenes you can almost visualize.

Reminded me of the SNL skit featuring the Sprockets. “Do you want to touch my monkey?” Don’t love techno and did not love this. Spent most of my time looking forward to the end of the album.

Totally forgettable. Hit most if not all of the country music stereotypes (though not sure I heard reference to a hound dog).

Ambitious but not my cup of tea.

Totally enjoyable funk. I don’t have enough knowledge to know where this falls on the pantheon of great funk, but it had great musicianship, great grooves, and was a lot of fun to listen to.

I am not a huge Doirs fan, but definitely enjoy and appreciate the band’s music. This is a great album, with lots of blues influences but not limited to the blues. Peace Frog is awesome and Roadhouse Blues is iconic Doors.

There was nothing incredible about the Incredible String Band. I cannot get back the time spent listening to this album. Not sure why it is considered an album you must hear before you die. It might cause some to want to die. My personal hell would involve being required to listen to this album on repeat in perpetuity.

A classic with some of the greatest jazz musicians ever. Hard to believe it is only five tracks.

Eclectic and interesting but not something I am likely to seek out.

Harmless enough and fine as background music but not particularly memorable. Hints of Jackson Browne and Wallflowers but pretty forgettable the minute the album was over.

So good I basically listened to it twice in a row. A classic. Got to see these guys live in 1973 or 84. Didn’t truly appreciate how epic they were at the time.

Really liked this. She has an an amazing, powerful voice and I enjoyed the R&B and funk influences. Thoroughly enjoyed this album.

Thoroughly enjoyable. A bit hipster/electronica and to my mind a bit ahead of its time while drawing from the past.

This album sounds like a collaboration between David Bowie and the Cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Party Fears Two isn’t bad. Too synth-pop for me.

Not my favorite Talking Heads album but has some great songs - Life During Wartime, Cities and Mind among them. I Zimbra is different and interesting as well. Really wanted to give this a 3.5.

A truly fun album.

Interesting. Enjoyable listening. Mood setting music.

Excellent album and great jumping off point for the band. Amazing that Dave Grohl basically played all of the instruments.

Somewhat generic and nondescript with some decent material thrown in. Just not that memorable.

Classic Police. Some great tunes - although I truly don’t understand Mother. Admittedly, this album came out when I was a teenager and was totally overplayed. For the longest time, I could not listen to king of pain as I was so sick and tired of it. Listening to the whole album now, though, you realize what a terrific album it is and how, influential the Police were in their day.

A truly iconic album. And I don’t even like Stevie Nicks.

Wanted to love this as I think of myself as a Genesis fan, but just couldn’t do it. The medieval orchestral folk prog rock is just not my thing. Admittedly, they are an amazing group of musicians, and some of this is quite interesting, but just not approachable from my perspective.

Really enjoyed this album more than I thought I would.

he knows how to tell a story in song, but all of the songs start to sound about the same at some point. He does have an impressive voice.

A truly amazing album by an incredible band. Almost every song is a classic.

I enjoy Bittersweet Symphony and Lucky Man - the rest is pedestrian and fairly forgettable.

Not particularly noteworthy. Not sure why it made this list.

A classic. Otis has an amazing soulful voice and his backing band here was incredible.

Somewhat disappointing album overall. Some great songs, while others feel like they were mailed in. Not great U2.

Fun.

Haunting but impressively so. The story behind the album makes it that much better. His words strike at your heartstrings in a way few lyrics do.

I enjoy an occasional Yes tune but this was a bit overwhelming. Didn’t love it.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. I definitely enjoy some of Kate Bush’s music but a lot of this album was too ethereal and seemed to go nowhere.

Solid 90’s alt rock album. A bit calculated in its production but generally enjoyable all around.

I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. I did not appreciate Black Sabbath’s musicianship. Really enjoyed Changes and Laguna Sunrise.

Classic heavy metal with some truly memorable tunes.

I enjoyed this but didn’t find it particularly memorable. Some solid songs and some less memorable tunes. I like but don’t love trip-hop.

Some great stuff but some rather offbeat material as well. Certainly not my favorite David Bowie album.

Some great songs, but also some rather offbeat stuff as well. Certainly not my favorite David Bowie album.

I am not a huge Neil Young fan but this is a solid album.

A great Beach Boys album with some truly classic songs that represent the era in which they were popular.

A truly amazing album with some absolutely classic songs. Eclectic in many ways but truly great.

Not exactly sure why this is a “must hear” album.

Energetic British punk. Fun album.

Joni has an amazing voice. Solid folk rock.

Some of her best songs.

Solid Brit protest folk rock.

Lik Ed it more than I thought I would.

A really solid album with some classic songs.

A truly great album. Great songs, great musicianship.

A solid rock album epitomizing the 2000’s

I associate this sound with a particular era. Fun but not sureI’d sit down and listen to this ent album start to finish in one sitting ever again.

Not my all-time favorite Siouxsie & The Banshees songs selections, but a salad out nonetheless.

An enjoyable listen, though not my favorite Marley album.

A somewgat edgy sound for their time. I thoroughly enjoyed this blast from the past.

Really interesting album. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Classic 70’s sound.

Very enjoyable. Mellow but well worth listening to.

Eclectic but not particularly noteworthy.

Some great gems here but runs a bit long. Seems like he anticipated dying young or just wanted to demonstrate his deeply philosophical side.

Still a great album, though with some cringe-worthy songs. Not sure what MJ and Paul were thinking on THE GIRL IS MINE. And THE LADY IN MY LIFE was not much better. I think the title song, THRILLER, benefited from the video. But overall an impressive album.

Okay but not particularly memorable. Defines most of this generation of music.

This screams the 80s to me. Drum machines electronic synthesizer and Moody lyrics. Not as good as some of the classic bands, but certainly listenable.

I appreciate Leonard Cohen and love many of his songs but this album doesn’t really do it for me.

Cutting edge for its time with some truly great unforgettable tracks.

She has an impressive voice and a truly interesting jazzy delivery.

I am truly torn about this one. This album has some objectively amazing songs that are true Classics, including some of my favorite songs growing up. However, the racist overtones associated with this band potentially overshadow their art. I scored this for based solely on the music, divorcing that from the larger context, though it gives me more than a little discomfort to do so.

I understand it’s context in music, history and grunge and punk interplay, but I do not connect with this.

I was really hoping to like this album more than I do. It has some good songs but a lot of stuff just blends together.

I am generally not a huge fan of live albums, but this one is certainly an exception. Sam Cooke has an amazing voice and this album just conveyed what an amazing present he must’ve been. Some truly great classic songs.

Forgettable

Not particularly memorable. I was hoping for a little more.

Just what I expected from Joy Division. Not exactly my groove but fine enough in small doses.

Really enjoyed this album.

While I love most jazz, this album was interesting but not really my cup of tea.

I feel like this album starts with a bang and then pretty much declines from there. Sympathy for the devil is awesome, but the rest of the album does not live up to that performance.

Way more jazz oriented than I anticipated. I really like this one a lot and way more than I thought it would.

Not in my wheelhouse. Innocuous but almost modern bubblegum pop with lots of drum machine/techno background.

Didn’t love this album but it has some great tracks. Dylan is not for everyone, but he is an icon in the world of folk rock and the transition of folk from the early 60s to electronic folk rock.

A solid classic Led Zeppelin album with diverse tracks. Kashmir, Trampled Underfoot, Houses of the Holy, The Wanton Song are excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed Boogie with Stu.

Not my thing. I tried, I really did but nope.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Great listening.

A great 60’s rock album with some true classics but lots of great music.

Some interesting songs and some great examples of heavy metal, but I definitely did not need the second desk with alternative versions of all of the songs on the first record.

A fun album.

A fine pop album. Not particularly memorable.

Love Janis’ voice. So raw.

Admittedly, I am not a huge thrash metal fan. Can listen to it in small doses in the right context. Didn’t find this album to stand out from other similar albums.

Fun campy punk with great energy.

Easy 5 here. Every song is a classic. Amazing musicians and incredible music.

Great album.

Not really my jam.

Not a genre I am into.

A solid album

Fine as background music but too repetitive to actually listen to. Not sure I actually needed to listen to this before I die.

Noteworthy jazz album by a phenomenal artist.

Some of these songs still hold up well almost 60 years later. Some truly impressive harmonizing.

Fairly generic - fine for what it is.

Liked most of this way more than I thought I would. Jesus Built My Hotrod is awesome.

Solid album. Not my favorite queen album, but certainly enjoyable.

Still rocks. A great album.

Solid big band.

Some real classics and interesting versions of well-known songs.

Solid Bowie but not one of my favorite Bowie albums

Classic for what it is. Love his energy.

He has a good voice but I don’t really get this music.

Some truly great songs but the back half of this album kind of meanders with odds and ends.

This was a good not great album for me, with some noteworthy songs.

Some truly memorable tunes.

A true classic with truly great songs

Didn’t really get this one. Not approachable for me.

A classic country rock album with some great tunes.

Solid background music.

I understand the allure at some level but just cannot get into it. Not my jam.

I really enjoy Stan Getz. His music is so simply yet so melodic. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

Fine as background music, but not something I’m going to actively listen to for an extended period of time.

When this album first came out, I didn’t love it but it has grown on me, as has Lucinda Williams.

Interesting but not something I’m going to sit and actively listen to. Background music at best.

Not my jam. I think I’m the wrong generation.

Interesting album. Liked it more than I thought I would, especially given the artist and his story and the fact that he is a horrible human being.

Some great songs and some very forgettable songs

Fine as background music, but not really my thing to listen to on its own.

Fine for what it is but not my jam.

Fascinating story behind the album and interesting sound.

This sounds like the background music from TRON - interesting for what it is but not something I am going to sit and actively listen to.

Sounds like the background music from TRON. Interesting for what it is but not some am going to sit down and actively listen to.

Interesting.

Interesting but you need to be in the right mood for this.

A true classic.

I know I’m supposed to love this album, but I am just not there.

A punk classic. Every song is awesome.

Given the hits on this album, it has to be a five.

Liked it more than I thought I would but it got a bit repetitive.

A classic.

While a bit inconsistent this is a true classic with some truly amazing songs.

Like this one more than I thought I would. I want to love it, but some of the language and some of the thieves are cringe worthy to me.

Not bad but not my genre

I love ELO, but this album does become a bit repetitive overtime.

Ridiculously good — every song.

Somewhat innocuous

Some classic folk “rock” songs. Not particularly uplifting but certainly memorable.

Really liked this.

Solid

Really interesting. And you can definitely get a Who/Beatles vibe from this.

Not a huge Neil Young fan and this album did nothing for me.

Not perfect but a great album with some gems.

Too short but otherwise a solid album.

A solid album with a couple of memorable songs but some of the songs are relatively nondescript.

Not a huge fan but this was enjoyable.

This one didn’t do anything for me.

Didn’t love it. Too nondescript.

Provide a bit of background on early country/folk rock. Interesting but not really in my wheelhouse.

I enjoy Randy Newman in small doses. This exceeded my USRDA serving for one sitting.

Such a distinct sound. To me this is a great album.

Some great songs and a solid album.

A great album.

A truly sold album with some awesome bluesy hits.

Some solid songs and some less memorable ones.

Meh. Not particularly memorable and not something I will be going back to.

Meh

Meh

Not my style but Dolly has an impressive voice. I understand why she is an icon.

Not my favorite Michael Jackson album. This is glorified elevator music for the most part.

Some solid songs

Bubblegum pop - not really new wave.

Glad I was in a good mood when I listened to this - and not near an open window. Man it is dark.

I like their music, but this album really didn’t do it for me

Didn’t do it for me, much as I love Bowie

Funky versions of some classics!

Don’t exactly get why this album made the list.

I recognize her status in pop music, but I’m just not a bubblegum pop fan.

Impressive that this was their debut album. Dark but pretty much every song is memorable and sticks with you.

A little too raw for me.

Okay but not my favorite Stoiges songs.

Enjoyed this. Thought it was a great collaboration but way too long to really sit and digest.

When almost any song from this album comes on, you can’t help but tap your fingers or bop up and down to the rhythm.

This album truly show the depth and breath of The Beatles music and the progression of rock ‘n’ roll in the late 60s.

Enjoyable.

I was somewhat familiar with King Crimson but had never listened to an entire album. Enjoyable enough and you can hear a lot of their contemporaries in the songs. Probably not an album I will listen to again.

I appreciate this album’s place and Liz Phair as an artist. Love some songs on this album and find others to drone on a bit.

Not a huge fan of the Smashing Pumpkins but this was enjoyable enough. Not sure I will ever sit through the whole album again.

Enjoyable new wave and edgy for it’s time.

Interesting.

Interesting guitar work but it all seemed to run together after a time.

Generally I don’t love live albums but this was a really good one.

While not perfect this is an eclectic album with a truly memorable opening song.

Fun

It is fine and enjoyable enough but I found myself agreeing with the comments that a lot of the album was generic.

Thoroughly enjoyable. Jack White’s guitar work is truly impressive.

Not particularly memorable. Probably great background music, but not really my thing.

Enjoyable listen.

I have to agree with the comments about the unintelligible singing in some of the songs. I didn’t get it. Some other decent folk songs that would be fine background music.

Bubblegum pop. Innocuous enough.

Epitome of 60’s music. Interesting but not part memorable other than Time of the Season.

70’s schlock but classic 70’s schlock. You know every word to most of the songs and when you hear them, they become earworms for days afterwards.

I don’t love live albums, and found this one to be fairly mundane without any particular draw. Much as love The Who, this one did not do it for me.

It is fine but not particularly noteworthy.

Not my thing. I understand the concept and recognize that they are both musical geniuses but it does nothing for me.

A strong album with a number of really good songs.

Some banging classics.

Fun upbeat ska music.

Interesting but all over the place. Not exactly a coherent theme to the album. Almost felt like a movie soundtrack.

Like this more than I thought I would, but I still cringe at some of the language.

Enjoy the Smiths but not a huge fan. This was solid and definitely the Smiths with their very distinctive sound.

Excellent all around.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Kept me moving.

A fine psychedelic rock album but not particularly memorable.

While I am a big fan of lots of The Cure’s music, this album didn’t do it for me.

Just an amazing voice.

Admittedly I don’t love Bob Dylan’s voice though I acknowledge his talent as a songwriter and his role in the development and growth of folk music. This album had some great songs but a lot I will probably never seek out again.

Really enjoyed this one more than I thought I would.

Not really my thing but someone interesting.

I honestly could not determine whether this was genius parody material, or just incredibly bad poetry addressing sophomoric themes. I ultimately settled on the latter.

Meh.

Lust for Lude and Tge Passenger are bangers. The rest of the album is less memorable.

More interesting and enjoyable than I thought it would be.

Nostalgic but dated. Nothing to make it memorable long-term.

A solid album all around. Every song has its merits.

Pretty much every song brought a smile to my face.

Heroes is great but the rest was not my cup of tea.

Not my thing.

Not as memorable as I hoped it would be.

Easy listening as background music.

Loved this. One of the true jazz masters at his best.

Enjoyable listening and certainly eclectic.

I enjoyed this album though a lot of the songs sounded somewhat the same.

Reminiscent of my youth. It certainly reflects a particular time.

Fine as background music but not particularly compelling.

So many great songs on this and a distinctive sound on most of the songs on this album - different from prior albums.

Enjoyable but other than one or two songs not particularly memorable.

Arguably interesting but not really my thing.

To roughly enjoyed this album.

One memorable but far overplayed song. Otherwise emblematic of an era but not particularly noteworthy.

Enjoyable but not life-changing to me.

Some great songs on this album.

Fine for what it is.

Rumours was one of the first major albums I remember coming out and being a big deal and I really liked that album. I remember being excited about the release of Tusk and being disappointed when I actually heard songs from it for the first time. Having now given it a full listen decades later, my opinion has not changed.

A classic

Not my favorite style of jazz, but certainly enjoyable enough.

Interesting

To my mind a truly great album.

An enjoyable listen.

While this album has its place in time and may have been cutting edge at some point, it is lost on me.

Meh. Not my favorite Queen album.

Elvis - you know what you are getting.

Not a huge Neil Young fan great songwriter, but his voice generally grates on me. With that being said, this was an enjoyable album.

Bernie Hancock’s music just exudes “cool”.

It instantly brings me back to the early 80’s but not necessarily in a good way. Largely forgettable synth-pop.

Enjoyable. Mellow and low-key.

Interesting enough.

I like the White Stripes and definitely enjoyed this album. Admittedly it tails off towards the end but the first few songs include some great tunes.

Solid all around

Some truly amazing and tightly orchestrated songs. Classics in their own right. The album tails off at the end but the first 8 songs are all keepers.

I wanted to like this album more than I did. It is certainly quirky and has some good tunes, but a lot of it was all over the place to me.

Enjoyable enough with some decent tracks, if overly synthesized.

Enjoyable and nostalgic

Decent garage versions of some classic tunes. I see the alleged influences but too many exclamation points and too much screaming “WOW!” to needlessly punctuate a song.

The musical equivalent of white noise. I have no idea why this album made this list. To my mind, it was totally nondescript.

Textured but droning after a short time

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Represents an era but I don’t love it. Eddie can rip on the guitar but with limited exceptions the lyrics and songs are largely forgettable.

Not my thing.

Really liked this - more than I thought I would.

Enjoyable.

A little too minstrely for me. Interesting psychedelia, though.

Definitely a sound I associate with a certain era.

Interesting and different. First soundtrack for me on this list. Glad to see some broader diversity of music here.

Too many people analyze this album in the arc of rock music progression, failing to give it credit for its time in history. Yes, it is a “pop” music album. Yes, it is not the Beatles at their most sophisticated. But it is still an amazing album. Every song inspires emotion. The instrumentation is getting more complicated and the harmonies are amazing. I could listen to this album on repeat for a long time, even though I generally hate pop music.

Liked this way more than I thought I would. Compelling beats and solid lyrics.

His ego clearly exceeds his talent. Mediocre at best. Not sure why it is on this list.

Not my thing. Too old school minstrelly for me.

The sound of a certain time period in my life

Interesting and enjoyable enough.

Really interesting and different. Beach protest music of sorts.

Johnny Cash at his best and one of the best live albums ever. However, i question why we have more than one Johnny Cash live album included on this list if they are going to limit it to the critical albums you need to hear before you die. Seems like a list of this nature should include only one of these albums as this album and San Quentin live are more or less the same, with the same grit, same irreverence and largely the same playlist.

Classic Elvis Costello. Every song was enjoyable.

The sound of a certain early era of “rock and roll”. Not lost on me though I don’t love it. BUT - So You Want to be a Rock and Roll Star is a great song to kick off an album with.

Not really my thing.

Innocuous enough but rather bland. Not memorable at all to my mind.

Not my thing and rather bland. Everything sounded basically the same.

A solid Stones album

The group’s future potential can definitely be seen in this album. Still a bit raw but a fun listen.

I must admit this was better than I expected

A really solid album. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Interesting enough.

Trippy and chill with a couple of salad songs but not really my thing.

Well, I wanted to love it, I found it to be a bit kitchy.

Love her voice. Some memorable tunes on this album as well.

Raw Rod Stewart and some solid songs

Some really good stuff but a lot of things that could have been left on the cutting room floor. This might’ve been better as a single album with some of the fluff cut out. But it does have some great songs.

An enjoyable listen but not particularly remarkable other than Let’s Get It On.

Not really my thing. But some interesting songs mixed in here.

Interesting enough

An Amazing voice lost too early. I can listen to this album on repeat for hours. A great album.

An amazing album. Almost every song is great and most are true classics.

Really solid album. Easy to lose yourself in this one. It does bring you back to a different time and place in the rock spectrum but it is an annota le place.

Not exactly sure why this album is on this list. Not particularly noteworthy and rather boring.

I enjoyed most of this album. Certainly a distinctive sound.

Eclectic but interesting. Liked it more than I thought I would.

A great album. Definitely from a specific point in time but still holds up well. Interesting blending of musical genres and cultures and great, catchy lyrics.

Interesting and more diverse than I thought it would be.

Not particularly memorable but fine enough for what it is.

I can see both sides on this album. Lots of dissonance, noise and whining, but some interesting offbeat material as well. I wanted to like it more than I did. I understand why it is on this list. It is not one of the top thousand best albums ever, but it is something you should be exposed to at some point in your listening career.

This is a guilty pleasure for me. I became a punk fan after the heyday of punk had passed but still enjoy the raw energy and emotion of it and this album epitomizes that.

Fairly forgettable.

Given the reviews, I was concerned I was going to hate this album. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. It is certainly from a long-gone era that I don’t really relate to. But musically, it wasn’t that bad.

Rather innocuous. A couple of somewhat catchy tunes but to me this album was largely nondescript and forgettable.

Given the diverse opinions registered in the global reviews, I was curious about this one and suspected I would hate it, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

Easy to rate - a solid 5 from top to bottom. And I don’t consider myself a huge Rolling Stones fan. But this album is excellent. Some true classics with great instrumentation.

Fine as background music but many of the tracks are boring and many of the lyrics are indecipherable. As others commented, it was often difficult to determine what language it was.

Not exactly sure why two Fatboy Slim albums made this list but this was certainly a fun listen.

Raw but deep and solid.

Interesting mix of music

Classic Dylan. A few classics but all in all solid.

Great - even with the extended drum solo.

Thoroughly enjoyed this album. More than I thought I would pleasantly surprised.

Sour album. Some really good songs, but after while it all starts to sound the same. I do love the songs that kick ass, however.

A solid album with that instantly recognizable sound and some great songs.

Loved this. It is the best non-English language album I have heard so far. Great musicianship and moving tunes.

Dreamy, ethereal but pretty much instantly forgettable. Fine for what it is but won’t be making its way into regular rotation for me.

Enjoyed this one a lot. Some great songs. It is admittedly a bit all over the place but still a fun listen.

Not my thing but interesting enough

Loved the beats but must admit that in some of the songs the lyrics were a bit offputting. It is a generational thing, I am sure.

Other than Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go, I had no familiarity with Soft Cell and did not know what to expect. Now I understand why. This album was all over the place and not in a good way. Also some of the vocals were interesting. Many of them fell flat literally. Can’t give this a one because of the two songs that are noteworthy. But it’s a close call.

Salad beats and a fun album overall. Not particularly memorable with a couple of exceptions.

Interesting enough but not particularly distinctive from other artists in this genre. Not sure why this particular album is a “must listen”.

I did not know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by this album. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I get that it is grunge adjacent and does not epitomize true grunge, but I found it eminently listenable. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.

The first album ever bought as a kid was a Paul Revere and the Raiders album from the discount rack. I honestly don’t remember which album but it possibly could’ve been this one. Given that, I had high expectations for this album, but it fell flat. I found it markedly uninteresting with a couple of exceptions.

Fine for what it is with a couple of noteworthy songs, but this is certainly not my favorite Elvis Costello album. Many of the songs kind of blended together at the same basic background.

Weird. Just weird and sophomoric. Don’t quite understand how this made the list.

While he was a despicable human being on many levels, he could sure as hell perform.

Well, this really isn’t my thing, I found it to be pleasant enough and enjoyable, particularly as background music. I must admit that when I was listening to it, the music had stopped for several minutes before I realized that the album had ended.

Definitely enjoyable with some classics.

I so wanted to like this based on other reviews I read but — nope, just couldn’t get there. A droning often monotonous voice, with lyrics that were a struggle to make sense of and basic instrumentation. Not my jam.

Apparently I am not disenfranchised enough to fully appreciate this album though I found some of it interesting and the comments even more so

An iconic voice range and diverse collection of songs. To my mind, just Awesome.

I suspect this is his most commercially approachable album but it doesn’t really do it for me, with some exceptions. It is fine but not haunting enough for true Leonard Cohen.

More approachable than I expected it was solid for what it was.

Eclectic and fun, drawing from a wide variety of musical genres.

Enjoyable enough, but nothing in particular stood out about this album.

Fine but rather innocuous. Not sure what is so compelling about it that it deserves inclusion on this list.

Well, I am not a fan of German industrial music, I understand that it is appropriate to include in a list like this. With that being said, I did not mind listening to this, but I get both sides of this debate in terms of noise versus cutting edge Music.

Disappointed- I wanted to like it but it fell flat. Not particularly compelling

Fun guilty pleasure

Fine as background or elevator music but relatively innocuous and not particularly noteworthy.

I’m not a big Morrissey fan. I need some more than I thought I would. It’s whiny, more melodic than expected if they enjoyed beyond the classics.

Hit and miss for me much as I wanted to love it.

Enjoyable enough folk rock with some interesting instrumentation. Not exactly sure why it made this list.

Interesting enough with some solid instrumentation and orchestration on some songs but I agree with the comments about a lot of the songs being almost indistinguishable from one another and the whining nature of the singing. Not a huge fan but fine as background music.

Not bad, but not practically know worthy either. Seems like I just wanted to check the box for her rose depressing summer music with that certain woe is me sound.

I did not really get where this one was on this list. It reminded me of a bad 70s soft rock cover band that perhaps one it’s high school talent show thought that maybe they could come up with some of their own music. Totally forgettable and certainly nothing cutting edge warranty, any particular attention.

Didn’t hate it that’s about all I can say. Fine in the background but nothing particularly distinguishing this from anything else in the genre.

Great example of 60’s psychedelic rock. Some great songs with some laggards as well. Some great musicianship too.

Before I started listening to this album, I committed that I would listen all the way through and not give up after a couple of songs or in this case part way through a 22 minutes on. I powered through it, but barely. I understand that Kraftwerk is cutting edge in the electronica space and among the pantheon of music of gods to many, but man it was painful to listen to. I can understand, listening to it in small snippets or simply background music but how many hallucinogens do you have to be on to make this pleasant to listen to for 42 minutes straight?

Don’t know the sound, but he has an interesting voice, not a standard delivery.

I understand and appreciate why this album is included on this list. But it is not my genre. While it was “interesting” I will almost certainly never listen to it again.

I understand why it is on the list, but I am not a big Butthole Surfer fan.

Interesting. A bit long-winded for me but some solid tunes

This was just a fun album to listen to.

While I am not a rap aficionado, this was definitely an approachable album.

Liked it more than I thought I would.

I must admit that I didn’t really love it but understand why it is on this list. It is certainly funky and different.

Just not my thing

Wanted to reach on myself and love this album to its essence but just couldn’t get there. I could hardly wait for it to be over.

I am not a big Neil Young fan. His voice is like fingernails on a blackboard. With that being said, this album is somewhat tolerable. Cinnamon Girl was a great start and then it kind of plateaued.

A classic album with some great tracks. An amazing debut.

I know he is not everyone’s cup of tea, but there is just something about Tom Waits that evokes the dive bar, down on your luck, hardscrabble life that yields intense of emotion from me.

Ethereal and moody. Liked this more than I thought I would.

Not my favorite Talking Heads album. Many of the songs on the first half of the album sound pretty much the same but that changes on the second half. The incessant AYAYAYA gets old fast. Definitely cutting edge in many ways. Some great tracks - Pulled Up and Psycho Killer chief among them.

This album of folks at a certain time and place in music history. He has an interesting voice and his impact on musicians is amazing. This was an enjoyable lesson for what it was and I understand why it is on this list.

Raw open youthful rebellion put to music. I love it.

Not my favorite Tom Waits album. More than a bit grinding.

Ethereal but good for little more than background music.

Fun but starts to sound the same after a while

More than a bit whiny and drones at times. I get it that it is their “sound” but it gets old. Some good tracks though.

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Some solid music.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Listened to it several times.

A true gem. Every song is unique but works and connects. I have been looking forward to to getting to this album on this list for some time

Solid broader than just “punk”

Not my favorite Nanci Griffith album but this is a great album. She has an amazing and distinctive voice. We lost her too soon.

Liked this more than I thought I would.

You need to be in the right mood for this, but when you are, it’s slams.

Fine if not particularly noteworthy. Stay with Me and Memphis were solid and everything else was fine but not memorable to me.

Not really my thing but fine for what it is. Not sure why this is particularly noteworthy.

Fine enough, but more effective as background music than something to actually listen to. It seems like a wild substance to it.

Fun enough.

I enjoy most jazz and I get this but damn it was long and drawn out.

Not my thing but fine for what it is if you leave out his personal history.

Not sure what distinguishes this album or group to make it nowhere worthy enough to be on this list. Unless maybe you’re trying to make sure that as many countries as possible are included with diverse selections from each of them.

Liked it more than I thought I would. A fun album to listen to.

Not my thing but liked some of the more relaxed, jazz-oriented material.

Solid all around

I was looking forward to hearing this album, but it was not as awesome as I was hoping it would be. I prefer earlier New Order material.

I so want to love Bjork but I am clearly not sophisticated enough. In the background or setting a somber mood, it is fine but I can’t force myself to enjoy listening for its own sake.

Absolutely amazing blues. So good.

Unexceptional. Not sure why it is on this list.

Saul is fine for what it is, but I’m not sure why it is on that list. Not particularly cutting edge or interesting or unique.

Interesting kitsch.

Not particularly not worthy to my mind.

Not sure what is so noteworthy about this that it warranted being included to this list.

Don’t really get why this is on this list.

Fine enough background music, but not sure why it makes this list.

Fine enough for what it is, but I don’t really see it as being particularly cutting edge warranty particular attention. But it was a fun enough listen.

Interesting they’re not particularly cohesive.

Rufus has an interesting voice, and it is enjoyable to listen to, but not particularly noteworthy.

Certainly angry and expressive.

Fun and energetic with some solid funk and a lot of bongo. Mostly really enjoyable. And a Grandmaster Flash hook-up as well.

It is fine as electronic background music, but not really my thing.

I understand the album significance and her role in the development and success of folk music, but this album is not particularly compelling to me as a listener. It is lovely in its own right but kind of boring.

All right, this is one that I understand why it is on this list. This is an album that reflect the beginning of American new wave. It is certainly fun, offbeat and kitschy.

Don’t love country but this is tolerable for old school country. You can hear how it influenced other artists.

Wanted to enjoy this one more than I did. With some exceptions, including Virginia Plain and Bitter’s End, I found much of the album to be grating and not a pleasant listen.

Not my thing.

Solid but not the best rendition of JB

Meh.

I think I understand Morrissey’s place in the universe of music and the contributions of The Smiths in particular, but is it my imagination or to all of his songs start to sound the same after a very short while? That seems to be particularly true on this album. And man he is whiny.

Interesting. And worth being exposed to. As everyone seems to note, almost every song screams “soundtrack”.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Fun.

Thoroughly enjoyable

Don’t really consider electronic music as something I would sit and listen to for an entire album but interesting as a collection of beats, rhythms and sounds.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Not sure how an album about pedophilia can make it to a list of albums you must hear before you die. And inevitably, of course, it is an album by a French artist. The music was tolerable, but the low mutterings and whispers in French we’re almost unintelligible

Not my jam in particular, but it seems like every 80s hair band stole at least some element of their sound from Japan.

Musically uninteresting synth pop

Noteworthy satire that belongs on this list but his repeated use if the “n” word made me incredibly uncomfortable from the outset. Surprised that this was a commercial success given its tone.

Insipid shite

A solid album that establishes the band as being ahead of the curve in many respects

To be honest, I could not wait until this album was over.

An iconic album. Dark and brooding any evoking so much emotion.