1001 Albums Summary

Having only been acquainted with the Zombie's hits (which I enjoy) before listening, this was a treat. I started "Care of Cell 44" and immediately thought it sounded like an early 2000's indie record, which threw me a bit. The song has some wonderful vocal harmonies, and they are clearly influenced by both The Beatles and Donovan, who I imagine were contemporaries. Butcher's Tale sounds like it was straight off a Donovan record. No bad songs on this one.

I have an ex that mostly ruined this album for me, along with License to Ill, by overplaying the hits from them when we were together. This one I tolerate more than License, but both Hey Ladies and Brass Monkey have some negative emotional attachment for me. I've come to enjoy the B. Boys later albums more than the early ones, so at least she didn't ruin them completely for me, but I'd much rather listen to Ill Communication or To the 5 Boroughs. These albums just sound so much more juvenile than their later work.

Like many others, I prefer the later work of The Beatles. That said, this record is still pretty great. I've listened to "Meet the Beatles" many times (as that record is in my collection), and I did enjoy the expanded song list on the European release that I don't usually hear.

A well produced album that just isn't really my thing. Admittedly this is my first time listening in it's entirety. Faith is a catchy single, easily the strongest song on the album. Father Figure is a boring and forgettable ballad. I Want Your Sex is trying so hard to be a Prince song, and it falls short. One More Try is a solid 80s ballad and does a good job of showcasing George's voice. Kissing a Fool is decent, and shows what could have been if he hadn't gone the pop route. The rest of the album is pretty bad and forgettable.

I thought this album was going to be completely new to me, but I do remember Sexy Boy from back in the day. I'm much more receptive to atmospheric music than I was then, so I ended up enjoying the album quite a bit.

B side of this album is much better than A side. What else to say, it's the Police. I like them OK. It's a decent album but doesn't really get me excited. Mother is objectively terrible.

Not sure I'd call this essential listening.

First time listening to this one! It's a solid album which I enjoyed. Electric Jug is weird and distinctive, which I can get behind. I added "You're Gonna Miss Me" to my classic rock playlist.

I don't know what I can say about this album. It's amazing. I'd say it's peak Zeppelin, but they have so many other near-perfect albums that I'm not sure I can convince myself that is true. Still, not only are there no bad songs on the album, I'm pretty certain each of them could be a hit single in their own right. Most over-rated song: Stairway to Heaven - Its a brilliant song, but it's success overshadows the rest of this amazing album. Most under-rated song: Battle of Evermore - It's a Tolkien-esque epic in song. I love it. Reminds me of the Battle of Helms-Deep in LOTR.

First LP I ever owned as a kid. It definitely fell out of favor as I grew older. Not as good as Thriller. IMO, this album begins the decline of Michael as an artist. For a pop album it's alright.

Solid live album. Jerry Lee Lewis has never been a favorite, but I like him well enough and it's clear he's a great live performer.

A few good songs on this one. Search and Destroy is a classic, and Gimmie Danger is good. The title track, Raw Power, is alright too. I could probably leave the rest of the album.

OK, so I have traditionally hated Pink Floyd. But I'm going to listen to this and list my thoughts - good and bad. Shine on You Crazy Diamond 1-5: Four minutes of oscillating tone and the song finally starts. Hooray! Some good guitar solos and drum fills in this section. Eight and a half minutes and we have the first verse. Hooray! Lyrics are solid poetry. They seem cliche, but I think that is me being cynical and viewing them thru the lens of hindsight. Saxophone was unexpected and I don't remember this on previous listens. I can dig it. Time signature change is interesting. Why only one at the end of the song. Welcome to the Machine: More long sections of long tones to start the song. At least this song gets moving quicker. "Where have you been? It's alright, we know where you've been" this line is terrible. What's with the redundant questions in this song. It's a mechanism that I don't think really works well. Have a Cigar: A song that doesn't fuck around in the intro and gets straight to it. Refreshing. A self-referential song about sycophants. Seems self-indulgent (Which one is Pink?). The drop to sound like it was playing on the radio was clever. Wish You Were Here: Nice acoustic solo at the beginning. This is the first song that I think isn't particularly pretentious and has something to say. Shine On You Crazy Diamond 6-9: At least this one starts better than 1-8. Bad part about bookending an album with a song is that it feels like you already listened to the song. This is amplified when the combined length of the two is 25 minutes and is half the album. Outro is too long, but at least not as boring as the intro to 1-8. Overall, I have to say this listen didn't really move the needle much for me. It's an album that relies heavily on it's concept, and it seems like it does so to build a story for the title track which is easily the album's best song. However, the other songs are uneven with the exception of Have a Cigar which suffers from being self-indulgent and lacks subtlety IMO. Shine on You Crazy Diamond is overrated and combines for half the total album runtime, which hurts the album tremendously.

I feel bad for not enjoying this, as Patti has been such a huge influence on much of the music I like. Her voice just really turns me off for some reason. She's clearly a good songwriter, and writes interesting lyrics, I just don't like her singing. Free Money was the first song on the album I found tolerable, and I almost turned it off before then.

Had only heard the title track and Step It Up previous to this. Funky little album. Not quite acid jazz, but some nice hip-hop beats mixed with some jazz and synth loops.

First half of the album is pretty good: funky psychedelic rock. Back half of the album falls off hard into deeply experimental noise. Peking O is particularly annoying. Not for me.

Solid jazz record. Some of the Bass solos were a but much for me, and I didn't like that there were multiple back-to-back takes of the same songs. But those are pretty minor quibbles.

A top 3 Beatles album for me.

I just don't get it. I've never been much of a Bruce fan, but his music is so pedestrian and boring. Reading the reviews, it seems that "The Rising" is a popular song, but I just don't get it. It's an anthem with zero meaning other than to be an anthem. It says nothing about anything.

Not my favorite Zeppelin album, but still an essential record.

I used to not care for Janis's tone, but I've grown to like it. This is a solid album.

IMO, this is the second best Judas Priest album behind Screaming For Vengeance. But it's still a bloody good album by one of the bands that defines Heavy Metal. Great stuff, love it.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to electronic music. This was fine, but didn't really stand out to me at all. It all plays like soundscapes to me, which I'm sure some people love. I find it sort of long-winded and boring for the most part. It's fine, but doesn't move me.

Elvis is a mixed bag for me. My mom was a big fan, so I grew up hearing a lot of him. As I aged, I discovered I like his early work that was much more blues influenced rather than his later more country and gospel inspired work. This album is interesting, as it has a strong country influence, but the backing by a soul band gives it a sound that is distinctly different than most country albums.

One of the best 90s EDM albums. While EDM isn't my particular cup of tea, I don't hate it.

Old school hip-hop. Not bad, and very important, but it's like listening to Rock Around the Clock for hip-hop. The genre has grown so much since then and my tastes are more toward early 90's alternative hip-hop like Tribe, De La Soul, Digable Planets, etc. but you've gotta start somewhere.

Very interesting. I never listened to Tropicalia before. I can dig it.

I've never been an Oasis fan. They aren't terrible I guess, but they are kinda derivative and sentimental. It feels like they wrote songs for marketability and broad appeal, which IMO, isn't good art. That coupled with the fact that the Gallagher brothers are insufferable, and even 30 years later I pass for more interesting music.

Not usually a pop fan, but I like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Maps is regularly in my playlists. They do a nice job blending electronic music and loud, fuzzy guitar with a punky dance pop sensibility. It works well for them. Some of the songs on this album are pretty melancholic, but are pretty solid. They disappoint people looking for the entire album to be like Heads Will Roll. Not every song hits for me, but there is plenty of goodness on this record.

Too experimental for my tastes. Some of the songs are nearly unlistenable, while the others were mediocre for me at best.

Solid album with some really great standout songs: Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround are fantastic. Enjoyed this one, especially after my last two album listens, which were duds.

Solid hip-hop album.

This was shitty when it came out, and it's still shitty now. Why do you have to put the shame of my generation on display like this?

Morrissey and the Smiths were never my favorite. Generally too self-loathing for my tastes. But if that's what your into...

My favorite Who album. Love this one.

Haven't listened to too much Avalanches previously. I knew Frontier Psychiatrist off this one, which is a funky and fun song. Title track is pretty good too, but the rest was average IMO. Personal nitpick - Album as a whole suffers from my big issue with a lot of EDM: short loops repeated. I don't need to hear the same single lyric or short 1-2 second clip repeated 20 times in a row. It's repetitive and boring. Okay, off my soap-box now.

This one was okay, but didn't resonate with me much. Kind of an odd pick for must listen records.

This has many qualities from genres I don't really care for much, namely jam-bands and southern rock. That said, it seems to elevate beyond those, especially with complexity and musicianship. It wasn't bad. Not something I think I'll come back to, but I can respect it.

This really must be a band only the British care about. I remember Common People from William Shatner's cover of it. I found the album kinda boring.

Well produced, but not really my thing.

I like Fat Boy Slim well enough, but this isn't my favorite album of his. It's okay at best. Favorite Song: Going Out of My Head.

I hate most country music, but Dolly is one of the exceptions. Her songwriting is so good. While I don't think I'd reach for this album often, I did enjoy it quite a bit. Very few can turn a phrase like Dolly does.

Iron Maiden undeniably rocks. This isn't my favorite Maiden album, but it is far from bad. Hell of a debut album that deserves every bit of praise it gets.

Not my thing. Far too euro-pop for my tastes.

First song is extra terrible. After that it becomes more British 80's pop, like the Cure. Not my thing.

Not one that I would normally listen to, but it is a stellar performance. I usually enjoy piano-bar style jazz, which is very different from this, but his performance here is pretty amazing. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I know people love this album, and it's okay, but it is still sort of average for me. To 80s euro-pop for my tastes. Much better than The Cure however.

I wasn't familiar with any of the songs on this album. I think her big US breakout was after this one. That said, this was a stellar pop/jazz fusion album. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Amy had a great voice.

Decent, although unremarkable, soundtrack.

Its fine I guess. It's the hotel art of rock music. Inoffensive and broadly appealing as possible and boring. Not something I'm going to listen to on purpose.

Pretty good. Can see later influence in the west coast punk scene from this. Love the blues influence, much more melodic than many other punk acts.

Jack's second best solo album IMO, behind Lazaretto. I like his solo work because it is a bit off the wall compared to his bands. Can be really interesting even if it doesn't always hit the mark.

Fantastic blues album.

It was okay. Back end of the album was better than the early songs, which were much more experimental and odd.

This was really great. I enjoyed it a lot.

Hot For Teacher is a great song. From Alex Van Halen's "motorcycle engine" drum opening to the clever snark of the lyrics to the bluesy guitar line, this is easily the best song Van Halen ever made. Just brilliant. The rest of this album doesn't live up to that song. Jump is terrible IMO. Eddie's fascination with synth guitars just doesn't do it for me. I hate that song. Can't stand I'll Wait either. Panama, Top Jimmy and Girl Gone Bad are the other standouts. The rest of the album is okay I guess. One brilliant song, some okay songs, and a few bad songs representing the shift the band was making. It is really no surprise why Roth left after this album as the band was clearly heading in a new direction.

It's not terrible, but it isn't the sort of hip-hop I personally like.

I listened to this album on repeat for years after it came out. It was so different than everything else that was popular when it released, and my adolescent brain just soaked it up like a sponge. It opened the door from pop hits I was hearing on the radio to seeking hard rock, punk and metal elsewhere. I still love the album, but it isn't in my top albums anymore. I can't deny that it left an indelible mark on my taste however. That said, every song on this album hits and it is a near-perfect album. I won't call out the singles, because they've been analyzed to death. My favorite underrated songs on this album are Breed, Drain You and Lounge Act.

I like early Radiohead. This was the point where their sound changed to a much more atmospheric and passive experience, and I don't think that will ever resonate with me as much as other forms of music.

The guy who made this list loves the Pet Shop Boys. Guy on the album cover gets it. Yawn.

Like Neil Diamond singing Leonard Cohen songs.

A bit more funky than I'm used to from The Temptations as they move into the 70s. I like it a lot.

Really enjoyed the first half of this album. The back half drops off, but was still okay.

Not a big country western fan, but Willie is one of those songwriters that is so prolific you have to respect them. So many of these songs have been covered by other artists that familiarity alone makes them enjoyable.

Probably my favorite Garbage album. 2.0 comes pretty close however. Great stuff.

Spotify describes The Birthday Party as one of the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups. Challenging is right. Woof.

Beta Band is always a good listen. Three EPs is still my favorite, but this one is pretty good too.

This one is a little too Bowie for my tastes. It's okay, but not really my jam. Much prefer his second solo album Lust for Life.

Decent album, although it seemed to drag in some places. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

Solid album, pretty classic. Iron Man really solidified it in the public zeitgeist.

Atmospheric indie-like pop music. It's alright for what it is, but I'd have to be in a mood for it.

I don't really like Leonard Cohen's work. Too melancholy, but in a way that I don't really relate to. Just not for me.

It's okay. A little too modern-day R&B for my tastes (I prefer retro-soul and classic R&B), but I didn't hate it.

Definitely not for me.

There is a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in this record for me. For what it is, its fantastic and I like it more than almost all gangsta rap. That said, it's still gangsta rap, which I don't usually like. Not my kind of hip hop. It gets rated higher for standing out for its genre and the nostalgia factor.

Sounds like Bruce Springsteen.

Not as good as Nevermind, but a stellar album none the less.

I really want to like Wilco, but have the hardest time getting into them. They aren't bad by any stretch, just don't hook me. The exception to this is "Heavy Metal Drummer", which is a great song.

Creedence is interesting. They are southern rock (which I don't really care for) mixed with strong Mississippi blues. It works for them, and I get why they'd be a strong political voice of the time. Great stuff.

Two Creedence albums in three days. Random is random. This is a decent album. Not as good as Cosmo's Factory as it is less blues influenced and more southern folk. Still has some classic and essential songs on it.

Not terrible, but I still can't get into The Cure. Just too melancholy for me.

Violent Femmes are great. This album has a ton of their classics and is solid from start to finish. Love it.

While Elephant was the album that fostered my obsession with the White Stripes, White Blood Cells introduced me to their genius. It is a really great album.

This album was the soundtrack of my sophomore year of college. Nu-metal, but stands above most other acts of the genre and may be the best of the genre. Still definitely bro-metal. This is their best work IMO, as their Meteora just didn't resonate the same way for me. RIP Chester.

A solid reggae album. Good stuff.

Mama's and the Papa's aren't the most exciting 60s act, but they have their charm. The hits really bring it and Cass Elliot has a great voice.

Time to crank it up! I love this album so much, but didn't get into it until I was in my 30s. Now it is one of my favorites. The composition and production on this album are all stellar. Favorite Song: Foreplay/Longtime

Sounds like a mix of Pink Floyd and ELO. Okay I guess.

I like Bjork, but I do enjoy her first three albums most. Her music gets more abstract as time goes on, and loses me eventually. This one is a difficult listen, but is okay to my tastes.

It's a solid album, and interesting in the fact that it pretty well created the rock opera. Pinball Wizard certainly stands above.

This is the first time I've listened to a Slipknot album in it's entirety. It didn't change my opinion of them. Musically, they are mix of nu-metal and black metal. Their music isn't great IMO, and could benefit greatly from more dynamism and better song structure. Most songs are just going 100% as loud and fast as they can. The drummer can't resist throwing in fills every chance they get, even when inappropriate. But it's clear they aren't selling music. They sell their image, a character they play. I find the image silly. It's 100% bullshit posturing designed to make them (and their listeners by proxy) feel less insecure about their struggles in life.

This is the third Creedence album I've come across on the list so far, and I would rate it worse than Cosmo's Factory and on par with Green River. Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary are the standout songs, with the rest of the album being solid but not exceptional. Pretty short album as well.

Frank is the king of standards singers, and this is his most well known and celebrated album. It's great and deserves every bit of praise.

Live Through This is a much better album. But given the state of mainstream rock in 1998, I guess you could have done worse than this album. Still, I didn't like it then and it hasn't grown on me since.

Don't know Van Morrison beyond his hits. He's alright, although I don't think a live album is really the best way to expand my appreciation of him. He's a solid live performer, I just think his album work is likely to resonate with me more. Overall, it was an enjoyable if not ground breaking listen for me.

Meh

I want to like it, but it's just a tad too much experimental noise nonsense for my tastes.

Solid album. Get Free is easily better than the rest of the songs (it's really great), but the others are quite listenable even if they aren't stellar.

I love some old-school soulful R&B. Great stuff.

Didn't like it that much.

I knew the Bowie was coming eventually. It's a decent album, although not really my particular taste. I do like Suffragette City however. That song is a banger.

I've always liked REM.

Great album. After listening to their debut earlier, its amazing how much this pushed them to the next level.

Revolutionary for the time it was created, but very much still noise proto-punk. That really isn't my thing. I respect it, but I don't like it.

It's overly dramatic, but that's glam rock for you and this is pretty much peak glam rock. More musically diverse than Ziggy Stardust, but not as impactful. Still not a huge Bowie fan, but he does what he does well. A solid album that I don't enjoy that much on a personal level.

I love Stevie. Of his two most popular albums, I enjoy Talking Book more, but this one is still a tour-de-force. The one-two punch of Sir Duke and I Wish is the strongest on the album, but the rest is still quite the ride.

Started as solid blues-inspired psychedelic rock (great!) which devolved into a long winded jam session. Not my thing.

Better than I remember it being. Southside was overplayed when it was released, so I got sort of sick of it.

Country really isn't my thing.

Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but a pretty good one. A nice easy listen.

Quite the trio indeed. Dolly's songwriting comes thru, even if I'm not one for country music.

Not in love with Dylan's voice, but he's a hell of a songwriter.

A somewhat odd album musically. Nico has an interesting voice. Didn't resonate with me much, but it was different.

I'm not the biggest Billy Joel fan in the world, but this album has some classics and I respect it. There is some really good songwriting on this one, particularly Vienna and She's Always a Woman.

I don't really like the big hits from this one (Teach Your Children and Our House). The rest of the album is alright. The songs where Neil Young takes the lead are my favorites, which isn't a surprise since I like his solo work.

Didn't love it or hate it. It was just sort of there. Atmospheric melodies aren't really my thing, and this has them in spades, but at least it was unoffensive. But it wasn't really remarkable to me either.

I love this album. An essential album in my collection.

Aretha is great. This album doesn't disappoint and has some of the classics.

Solid production and performance, but I didn't care for the songwriting much.

Yet another Stooges/Iggy Pop album. Its fine.

I've absolutely adored this album since shortly after it's release. E does a fantastic job of contrasting the bleak with the beautiful, producing a record that is melancholy yet strangely optimistic in it's own way. It really is a fantastic listen.

I like Neil Young, and this is one of his more enjoyable albums.

Book-ended by two solid songs, one of which is one of their best. The rest of the album is pretty mediocre IMO, but I really don't like country or gospel that was influencing this album.

I like Costello a lot, but this isn't my favorite album of his. Would much rather listen to Armed Forces or Last Year's Model. That said, it's still pretty good.

One of the better RHCP albums.

Decent, melodic 70's punk.

After I got thru the introductory track, I ended up enjoying this more than expected. It's experimental, but still has melody.

Decent album, but I'm not in love with PJ's voice. Overall a pretty good listen.

Basie is a jazz icon, and rightfully so. Not my favorite thing to listen to, but certainly enjoyable.

It's a decent album. Some good songs, some I don't really care for much.

It's okay, but it doesn't really do much for me.

A fantastic jazz album. Monk's music has a quiet cool about it that I love.

Solid post-punk album. Nice and melodic punk without too much aggression.

It was okay, but didn't really stand out to me.

I'm a big Elliot Smith fan, so I was quite delighted to have an excuse to throw this record back on the turntable. This is easily his most popular album, coming out shortly after his big break on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack's Miss Misery, which was nominated for an Oscar. This was his final release on the Kill Rock Stars label before signing with Dreamworks. I feel like it's also had a resurgence recently due to Between the Bars being featured on the show Rick and Morty. It is probably his most consistent album, with every song being pretty spectacular. Rose Parade is probably my favorite song on the album due to sentimental attachment. The fact that this album came up for me on the day of the Grand Floral Parade here in Portland couldn't be more fitting, and is a super odd coincidence.

Ray is always a joy to listen to. Great stuff.

Alice Cooper is okay, but I've never been a huge fan. Listenable, but I wouldn't seek it out. This album seems to have his best known hits. Necrophilia song at the end is pretty creepy, but I suppose that is the point.

Not my particular cup of tea when it comes to hip-hop (a little too old school), but I imagine it was pretty groundbreaking at the time. I don't remember much representation for women in that genre then.

I like the more blues Elvis songs. This one has a distinct late 50's rock feel, which isn't my favorite.

A pretty enjoyable listen. I like jazz singers, so this was a win for me.

I've always been a "greatest hits" guy when it came to Dire Straits. I enjoy them, but really wasn't exposed to much more than the hits. This was a fun listen for me which I enjoyed. I'm a sucker for blues-influenced rock, and they have a great blues/soft rock blend.

Bruce just doesn't do it for me.

White Stripes are great. White Orchid is one of their best.

Reminds me of 2000's indie pop more than punk. Probably not a bad thing.

I can appreciate Cube's skill and talent, but this album was a slog for me.

Surprisingly I enjoyed this record. I was expecting Peter Cetera pop ballads, which isn't really this sound of this one. A shame Chicago didn't stick with this sound.

Never really got on the Prince hype train. Prefer his older work which is much more funky.

A fine album with some good songs on it. Not my favorite kind of music, but it's pretty decent and I like it well enough.

I like rock music. I like soul music. However, this didn't really raise the bar at all for me. It was fine, but didn't grab my attention.

A little too country-western influenced for my tastes, but its a pretty typical Stones album. It's okay.

Never really dug Johnny Rotten (Lydon) much outside of my teenage Sex Pistols phase. This took that vibe to experimental noise-punk. Not really my vibe.

Ugh. Oasis.

Never been a big fan of Daft Punk, particularly their earlier work. I prefer more complex drum rhythms and less repetitive, experimental noise. This listen certainly didn't change my mind.

Didn't recognize the album cover or the names, but certainly knew the hits. Good album with an interesting mix of sounds. Still very 70's.

I was already familiar with "There She Goes", but the rest of the album was new to me. Solid listen.

Elvis is always great. This isn't one of my favorites of his, but it's still pretty good.

Not my favorite Beatles album, but still a masterpiece.

Morrissey is too mopey for my tastes, which is a shame because the music could be good if it weren't for his voice.

Not really my thing.

I usually like The Byrds, but I didn't care for this one at all.

Public Enemy is an interesting group. More political than N.W.A. but with plenty of the same themes. I think it hits in a different way for me.

Odd little 60's act. Reminds me of a lot of the other bands of the time.

An interesting album. Weird for punk songs to be longer than a few minutes :D. The title track is fantastic (although a bit too long IMO), and the rest of the album is good if not remarkable.

Blah.

Ugh, country. Not my cup of tea.

Not the kind of R&B I enjoy.

One of my favorite Elvis albums.

Didn't enjoy this at all. More country.

Love this album. One of the greatest hip-hop records of all time.

Growing up I hated this album (outside of "You Oughta Know"), but I've warmed to it a bit more. Meta commentary wasn't really a thing in the 90s, but a song about irony which contains no irony is pretty ironic and pretty clever.

Lots of The Byrds these past few weeks. This is the best of them IMO, and the album I think defines them.

One of my favorite Beck albums. It's a pretty groovy listen.

One of the best Doors albums. I'm not as into them as I was growing up, but they are still a solid listen.

Country sucks.

A decent listen.

A little more atmospheric than I like, but not horribly so and not in an annoying electronic way. It was okay.

Was okay, but didn't really do too much for me.

Pretty classic and a solid album for sure. Some timeless songs on this one.

Queen is great. Although my favorite songs are not all on this one, it is probably the most essential Queen listen. Bohemian Rhapsody is a force of nature.

As far as Gangsta Rap, this one is a pretty good one. Not something I listen to often, but I can appreciate it now. Not so much when it came out, but we all grow. I would still rather listen to Tribe, J5 or Diggable Planets.

That was a pretty fun listen. Kind of a bridge between late 80's indie like the Pixies to Britpop.

Was a bit wayward and repetitive for my tastes. Didn't really dig it.

Wasn't real tuned into this one when it came out, and I should have been. It's a great album.

Very much like Radiohead. Floaty and experimental noise soundscapes. Not really my jam.

Interesting record. Was better than I thought it was going to be. Sort of The Who meets Alice Cooper.

Old school country music. Some of the more tolerable country to be honest, but still not my thing.

Rush is always a fun listen. This one is good. Not Moving Pictures good, but good.

Front half of the album is great. Back half wasn’t as engaging for me.

At least it wasn’t disco

One of Metallica's good albums. Battery is a banger of an opener.

Zeppelin's first four albums are all stellar and a joy to listen to. Easily 5 stars.

I enjoy Ska and Two-tone quite a bit, so I love this album. It is probably the height of that revival wave. Great debut. Considering the biggest songs of 1979 were mostly disco hits, this would have been a breath of fresh air.

Everyone knows this is a stellar album. Jimi brought guitar distortion to the masses. He's one of the greats.

I like the Pixies a lot. Surfer Rosa and Dolittle are two of my favorite albums. This, as a follow-up, is a little bit of a let down. It is an average album that followed two stellar albums. Clearly there was issues within the band at the time, with Charles and Kim not getting along. But it is still better than Trompe Le Monde, which was the clear sign the band needed to pack it up.

Not a bit fan of pop music or experimental sound, so this was a pretty big miss for me.

Tears for Fears is one of the better pop groups from the 80's in my opinion. This is their most notable album, and it's pretty damn good.

One of the most accomplished Soul musicians. Great stuff.

I can appreciate his talent as a songwriter, but I really don't care for his music. Too dreary.

Decent album and an enjoyable listen. Didn't fall in head-over-heels for it, but I would listen to it again.

Low-key soundscape electronica.

I had heard Pink Moon in passing (movie or something) but was otherwise unfamiliar. The entire album is a nice listen. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Not for me. Did not enjoy.

The Smiths never really resonated with me. It's fine I guess, but I'm not going to listen to it again.

Fun little pop record with some banger hits.

Didn't do it for me.

Better than I expected it to be. Never been a big fan of Crosby, Stills and Nash so I wasn't expecting much from his solo work.

Mostly forgettable British glam rock. It's fine, but it really doesn't do much for me.

A solid listen.

I like Belle & Sebastian. This is not my favorite album, but it is a pretty good one. A nice and comforting listen. An album I'd throw on if I just wanted to chill out for a while.

Never got into Supergrass when they were out. Listening to it now, it was way better than most of the Britt-pop of the time. Good listen.

She has a great voice. Wasn't really turned on by the music. It's a decent listen.

Not really my thing.

It was okay I guess. Didn't really resonate with me.

Didn't enjoy this one much.

Pearl Jam is one of my favorites, so this is an easy 5 for me. Not their best IMO, but still great and likely fits best into the "mandatory listening" spot. The album is full of amazing songs, but Black is probably my standout favorite, followed by Porch and Garden.

Not a big Def Leppard guy. Some of the songs are okay, but most of the time I'd rather be listening to something else.

I like Joshua Tree more, but it's probably U2's second best album.

Not bad. A pretty relaxing listen with good melody.

Back half of the album was better than the front. It was tolerable, but just. I don't think I'd listen to it again.

Pretty eclectic. An interesting variety of styles. Interesting even if I didn't fall in love with it. Would listen again.

I never got into Pavement when this was released. I like Cut Your Hair, just never listened to them much.

Santana is great.

Not really my kind of hip-hop/rap, but it was alright.

An odd album. Wasn't bad for the most, but the theme made it a niche listen. Could have done without the screeching at the end of Stagger Lee.

Johnny Cash's best known live album. It's pretty good, and he's one of the only country acts that I actually like.

Solsbury Hill is a good song. Could do with out the rest of the album.

The Go-Go's are one of the more fun girl-pop post punk bands. This is a fun album.

First time listening to Faces. Much better than Rod Stewart's solo stuff IMO. A reasonably fun listen with some blues and southern rock influences. Reminds me of the Stones southern-rock phases.

Fantastic album. I personally like it more than Songs in the Key of Life, but no shame to disagree with that (it's fantastic as well). Superstition could hold up the album on it's own, but the whole thing is fantastic. Love some Stevie.

A little less rock-oriented Arctic Monkeys. Not super impressed.

Not really my jam, but it's a pretty iconic 80's pop album (and artist). Time After Time is pretty great however.

Love this album. I liked White Blood Cells a lot as well, but I was obsessed with this one for a bit when it came out. Great stuff.

Not a huge fan of this album, but Constant Craving is a pretty good song.

This album got regular play in my car in 2005 during my short commute. A pretty fun album that felt unique when it came out compared the more bluesy and/or Zepplinish rock revival that was going on at the time (Strokes, Jet, White Stripes, Wolfmother). It IS always better on holiday!

It's Neil Young, so pretty good.

Probably Herbie's best. It's a funky album that influenced plenty of acts that I listen to now. Pretty good stuff.

It's alright. Very 80's easy listening type stuff.

I have a copy of this one. It ebbs and flows, and some of the songs are great the rest are okay at best. Its pretty uneven to be honest. But it is the second best Pumpkins record and their last listenable one IMO.

I didn't really enjoy this one at all.

I don't like country.

I don't get the hype for this album. It's not offensive, but it doesn't really do it for me. The best song is easily Peg, and it's a catchy tune. The rest is pretty forgettable IMO.

Really good chill saxophone jazz. A nice relaxing listen.

I didn't really dig it.

I'm pretty picky about the electronic music I like. Back to back 15+ minute songs were not the way to win me over. Works okay as background music, but it's pretty generic techno music.

Decent enough album. I really like "The Only Living Boy in New York".

I have plenty of friends that like Tori, but I've never been able to get into her. She's a good poet, but I don't care for her singing style.

Not one of my favorite Bjork albums. Much more into Debut and Post. I dismissed it on release, but on re-listen I did find some interest in the a cappella of the album.

Not one I've listened to before. It was alright. Pretty low-key just a touch of a hip-hop influence. I'd listen to it again.

It's a good album with nothing but solid hits. A timeless album.

Alice Cooper is okay. I'm not terribly excited by his music. This was the first time I've listened to an album front to back, and it was interesting that it was a concept album even if I didn't find it particularly inspiring.

I prefer Prince's funky stuff rather than the radio pop-friendly songs. Not a huge fan of this or Purple Rain.

Solid 70's rock. Reminds me of roadhouses and dive bars.

A decent blues/psychedelic record that only strays into the weird from time to time. Much easier listen than Trout Mask Replica. It was a reasonably enjoyable listen.

Not my favorite 60's act, but they are tolerable. Definitely trying to capture the style of other popular acts of the time.

I respect Willie and his songwriting talent, but at the end of the day it's still country music and not my cup of tea.

4th or 5th favorite Beatles album. Still great.

More boring techno. Snore.

A fun album. I hadn't heard it before.

Seems well produced, but I don't connect with it on any level.

It's alright I guess. Not my favorite Madonna album, but it's a chill listen.

A very odd album. Interesting, but odd. I really dig some of the songs. Others were strange. None were really bad, which is out of the ordinary for an album like this.

Talking Heads is always a good listen.

It was okay. Didn't super resonate with me, but I didn't hate it.

Didn't care for it much. Too mopey.

It's Dylan, so you know what you're getting. Definitely a top 3-4 album of his. Songwriting on point, singing is passable. The influence on future generations of musicians is priceless.

Decent for sure.

It was fine I guess. Didn't really dig it much.

An interesting listen. Definitively not my normal listen, but was pretty good background music to start my day.

It's fine for a modern pop album, a genre which I am not a fan of. Backing music is pretty basic and uninteresting and people clearly are drawn to Taylor's poetry, which doesn't do too much for me personally but I can respect it. Shake It Off is undeniably a banger.

This was pretty bad. Spoken word poetry masquerading as rap over a mess of backing beats.

Not one of my favorite Beatles records, but still pretty great.

I don't remember ever listening to this one end-to-end. The hits have always been staples and are great and the rest of the album has a cool blues feel that I love. Good stuff.

I liked this more than I expected. I get why it was influential to so many PNW bands later. Honestly, its a pretty good listen.

Elton is alright, although not someone I gravitate to. There are certainly some wonderful songs on this album. However, it is longer than I'd like. I'm sure that is a positive for many, but when you only mildly like the album it starts to drag. Overall, it's an alright album with only one or maybe two misses, four or five straight up bangers, and a whole lot of meh for those who don't love the style.

Not really in the headspace for this one right now, but it seemed okay. Might listen to it again later.

A good album, but has some songs that miss the mark a bit for me. However, I still like it.

I didn't really care for it. BritPop is a struggle for me to enjoy.

I like Missy well enough, but most of the album doesn't rise above average for me.

Happy this is shorter than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. First two songs are the ones to listen to, the rest is good if you like Elton, but meh for me.

I'm not super into psychedelic rock, but it's a decent listen. 17 minutes is a bit much, but since it's a pretty good song it isn't too bad.

Pretty standard proto-punk album. It's cool to see where the influence came from, but I wouldn't listen to it much outside of this once.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. I HATE Hallelujah, and being the most notable track I thought I was in for a rough ride. It ended up being okay, the rest of the songs were listenable even if I didn't love them.

Some decent songs, some weird songs. Mixed bag.

Norah has a great voice, and this is a nice relaxing mellow jazz record. I enjoyed it.

A synth-heavy progressive snore fest. It just isn't my jam.

Didn't really like it.

I can see how this would have been influential for it's time. It was alright.

This was a challenging album. It just missed being an enjoyable album for my ears, but I could see many of the parts that would influence a lot of artists I do like and found the mix of industrial and punk curious and original. Just a little too rough for my tastes. I will always revere Steve Albini for his production work with the Pixies, Nirvana, etc. even if this wasn't my particular cup of tea.

Rise Above has been a mainstay on my punk playlists for ages now. This album is fantastic. I hear it in all the albums I grew up listening to later.

This may arguably be the weakest of their first four albums (for me), but hell if it isn't a masterpiece anyhow. Out of the gate with Immigrant Song is one of the strongest openers in all rock.

Album reminds me of Disco and George Michael. Not really my thing. British bias comes out on this list once again, because few in the US cared about this album when it came out.

Stevie is always a good listen.

I loved Dookie, but then sort looked down on Green Day as "sellouts" (due mostly to the success of "Good Riddance") until this album came out. It really softened my perception of the band. It's a fantastic rock opera, and is enjoyable from end to end.

Life During Wartime is a great song. Rest of the album is pretty solid as well.

I had this album growing up. It's pretty good, but the strength is in the few singles that came from the album.

Wasn't particularly impressed.

I liked this one. Pretty good soul album with a slightly different feel.

Too long, but it was alright otherwise. Bass and drums were the highlight.

Sonic Youth is not my favorite, but still a very interesting (but sometimes challenging listen). I prefer Daydream Nation and Goo as far as albums, but this one is welcome as well.

Decent pop-rock album. Maps is a really good song that I've liked for a long time, but I wasn't really familiar with the rest. Pretty solid stuff.

I like Madonna's earlier stuff, but the electro-pop of this album doesn't do it for me. It's well produced and good for the genre, just not my kind of music. I respect her ability to evolve with the time.

Soulful funk music. What's not to like. Great stuff.

Not a huge fan of gangsta rap, but this one is undeniable and a classic.

Probably not something I'd listen to regularly, but decent post-punk.

A seriously under-rated Seattle grunge band. This is their second best album, but still quite good even if they never reached the heights of the big 4.

British bias showing through again. It's alright, but nothing special. Sounded very Brit-pop meets jangle-pop.

Oh Wings. Not quite as good as the Beatles, but you have your bright spots.

This feels like 1984 the album. Jazz Police! Cohen is a poet, but the music is very lacking on this one.

REM is one of those bands that I've liked but never really 'got into' like other bands. Monster was probably the album I listened to the most for some reason, and Out of Time and Automatic for the People were the ones I think of when thinking about REM. Document has gone underappreciated by me with the exception of the singles. The One I Love is the most jangle-pop song ever. It's great. End of the World is great too and seems appropriate for the times. I had never really listened to the rest of the album all the way through, but there are some other really great songs on here as well. Disturbance at the Heron House was a standout. Strange took me by surprise as well being a blues song.

Foo is great post-grunge hard rock. Love it.

Isaac may have been a Scientologist cult weirdo, but the man can sing. Soul music at it's finest.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It wasn't as challenging as I was expecting. Not sure I'd listen to it again, but it was okay.

I enjoyed this less than expected. I'm familiar with Guru from Jazzmatazz and was expecting this to show more jazz influenced, but it's a pretty straight hip-hop beats. It was alright, but I was hoping for more. I just wanted a bit more fusion from the album.

How do I not own this record yet? This was a force when it was released and developed a change in sound along with the band writing songs that were far more personal (Under the Bridge). If you like funky rock, this is a good one. Favorite under-rated song: Breaking the Girl.

More British bias. You have to ask yourself, what makes an album that has sold 55K copies over a decade essential listening before you die. This was not it.

I don't really like Skynyrd or southern rock. Tuesday's Gone is probably my favorite song on the album, and the solo on Free Bird is very good even if I don't really care for the song itself.

A decent listen. Bodhisattva is a pretty good song. The rest is okay.

Never been the biggest T. Rex fan. I've always found their music pretty pedestrian 70's rock. Bang a Gong is a decent song, but the rest are very meh. Don't hate it, but don't really like it either.

A good album, but falls off a bit on the b-side.

A few good songs, but didn't really like most of it.

Was alright. Kate has a fine voice even if I don't really resonate with her music.

I like Neil Young, and this album is no exception. Harvest always gets the love, but this one is pretty good too.

I like this one. It's a nice relaxing chill listen. Girl from Ipanema is a good song, but honestly I sort of like the rest of the album more. Its got a vibe.

Was okay. Felt more folk than country (as it was labeled as alternative country), which made me like it more.

I'm not a huge Police fan, but this is probably my favorite record of theirs. The ska influence comes out a bit more on this one, which I dig.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this. It's okay but lacks a few different things.

Okay post-punk. Like a not-so-depressing Cure.

Probably Adele's best. Honestly, I like it. It's soulful (but not Soulful) and the songwriting is pretty relatable. The music itself isn't particularly challenging or edgy, but it isn't trying to be and I think there is space for that.

I don't like it as much as Tim or Pleased to Meet Me, but it's a fun album.

Christmas for boomers.

Kinda standard fare euro-pop. Wasn’t super impressed.

It's alright for what it is. He writes clever rhymes, but they are a little too violent for me.

Its fine I guess. Worse than Hotel California. Still the definition of 'meh'.

Yeah, this isn't it. Way too much falsetto, plus hair metal isn't very good to begin with.

Doesn't do it for me.

Country sucks.

While quite good from a technical standpoint, it's not really my thing.

This wasn't enjoyable at all.

Ignoring all the machismo around Metallica (and metal music in general), this is a pretty good thrash album.

A decent album that wanders too much. Seriously, two 20 minute songs with massive solo sections.

Not a bad listen. Sort of a more-folky ELO in my opinion.

It's an okay album with some good songwriting. Doesn't really speak to me however.

Fantastic album. My favorite from The Black Keys. Nice blues riffs and good songwriting make for a fantastic listen.

Sort of half and half on this album. Songs with melody were pretty good, and very forward-thinking for 1977. However the more experimental noise songs didn't do it for me, which seemed to comprise most of the album.

I already struggle with Wilco and their most popular album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". This one is an even bigger struggle with a more country influence (not a fan). Also, it is too long. It's clearly not bad on a technical level, but I just can't get into it.

It's Miles, so 5 stars even if he isn't my favorite. More of a Chet Baker guy, but Miles is still undeniable.

More Britpop. Pretty meh, but better than the last Blur album that I came across on the list. Also, still better than Oasis.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the video for Epic. I didn't have MTV at home, so it was sort of rare to see it. Song is top notch.

I like this album a lot. Pretty solid the whole way through. Money for Nothing is a landmark in music.

It was okay I guess. Not really a fan even though I like industrial metal.

Not the biggest thrash guy, but I can appreciate it. It doesn't have their best songs, but its okay.

This takes the Leonard Cohen formula and adds better singing at the cost of worse songwriting. Not particularly my thing, but I get some people probably like it.

Are you experienced gets all the love, but Little Wing is a killer song.

Didn't really enjoy it. Was all over the place.

It's a fun blues album that doesn't take itself too seriously. I like it.

It's a solid album. I really enjoyed my listen.

A decent garage rock album.

Another album that made the list solely because it's British, but this one is actually pretty good. I enjoyed the listen quite a bit. Pressure Point was the standout track for me.