1001 Albums Summary

Not my jam at all...

Wow!

Beautiful! So happy that I am finally listening to Dolly Parton :)

I appreciate that I'm finally listening to these David Bowie songs, and some of them really are brilliant. But I just think I'm not as enamored as others.

Loved listening to this whole album!

Not bad, but nothing amazing. Some songs really did transport me to a different time though!

Easy listening, I really enjoyed this!

Another easy listening album. I felt transported to a different time.

There are so many gems I haven’t listened to and this is one of them!! Love the voice and passion!

So smooth, completely transported back in time. Must have been amazing to see this live.

There is something that I really don't like about songs that seem chaotic - they don't follow a beat or there are multiple different types of sound within one song.

One of the draws of doing this is to see if I can like some genres that I am just convinced I will never like. I don't think I'm there yet, but I did like This Corrosion!

Nostalgic, transports you to another time :)

My first time listening to a full beastie boys album and I didn't realize their style was so varied! This was fun, but no song blew me away.

Some good songs in this album, but otherwise it's all kind of the same.

Smooth!!! First time listening to more than the one Marvin Gaye song everyone knows. Really great! Particularly like "A funky space reincarnation" and "Falling in love again"

Not really my vibe, but some of the songs that slowed down and just leaned into a relaxed, smooth pace were enjoyable.

This album feels like a blend of different genres - there is rock, country, jazz? Liked "No Expectations" and "Factory Girl", but some of the songs were a miss for me.

What a range, not what I was expecting at all! The visitors song felt like it was straight out of a dark opera, but should I laugh or cry was more what I expect from ABBA. Very interesting! I would say this was a 2.5 for me, but I’m rounding up to 3!

Wow, I absolutely loved this album. Obviously I know Vienna, but this was my first listen to all of those other songs. Love the vocal range and passion.

Smooth, brilliant voice. Big fan!

Feels like spoken word with a beat, and that isn't really my vibe.

Never listened to this full album - but I LOVE the song Pink Moon. The rest of the album was also enjoyable, but didn't have the same draw as Pink Moon.

The first album in this list that I've listened to before! I absolutely love this album, I love her voice, emotion, and depth. Beautiful!

WHAT! This entire album is fire. Skills all over the place.

This is fun, and the skills demonstrated are impressive. There are varied instruments being used, more complex arrangements. Sometimes I feel like I can't listen to a lot of punk rock back to back because it blends together, but I did enjoy a lot of these songs. Untitled, (I'm) Misunderstood, International Robots, The Ballad!

I am finding it so hard to rate these albums. I’ll be jamming out to some songs and then be completely disinterested in others. Really liked We Got The Beat, Can’t Stop The World, and Skidmarks On My Heart.

Okaaayyy, was not expecting the explicit lyrics, but definitely appreciated it. Unfortunately, instrumental heavy electronic music is still not my preferred choice. Respect the work, but didn't love it for myself.

I was vibing the whole time. This album definitely shows why Jack White has the standing that he does. Loved the composition of the album.

I turned around on this album. Started off very skeptical - I find certain country music sounds very whiny. However, the more we got folksy songs, the more I enjoyed it. I like his voice, and I liked the lyrics.

Pleasant surprise until I googled the band… it’s hard to disentangle the accusations from the music (and should I?). The first song made me worried I was going to hate this but when we got harmonization and unique cadence and rhythm in the songs, I really liked it. I would say it’s a 3.5 but I’m rounding down for the other reasons…

One of the reviews for this album said that it's like a soundtrack to Halloween and I completely agree. Not my usual genre, but I did find this hauntingly beautiful.

Beautiful, emotional, soft. Really enjoyed this album, though I do sometimes find the high notes overbearingly sweet. Fav tracks: this flight tonight and river.

Nothing special and something about the songs felt off to me.

Similar to some other British punk, this album was fine. It fades into the background, nothing is really keeping my attention. I liked my white devil, and some of the other songs that showcased unique uses of instruments.

Turns out the songs I know from the albums are also the only songs I like... but I do REALLY love those songs.

Wow everyone really hates on the British bands in this list haha. I'm just 47 albums in so maybe I haven't been inundated to the same extent. I don't love the electronic mix in a lot of the songs, but I was vibing to a few on the album: pure for, rhododendron, and space.

Rush is polarizing? I had no idea. I feel like they had a lot of fun with this album and I think the lead singers voice is fantastic. Songs I liked: Red Barchetta, Limelight, Camera Eye.

LOVE. Passion, fun, excitement. I like the range, both in voice and in style within the album. The live versions showcase how fun their shows must have been.

Creative, original, smooth. Especially sex machine!

The variation! I love the beats, the vocals and harmonies. Absolutely loved this album from a band I've never heard of.

A lot of the sameness through the album. It does transport you though and has a sense of nostalgia.

Wow. I am just so glad I am doing this. I know this is a famous album but I’ve never listened to it. I’m obsessed. I love the gospel collaborations. Every song showcases different skills.

What did I just listen to? People think this is more than random noise?

Very relaxed vibe but there isn’t much creativity.

I actually found this powerful and moving. There is depth to the composition and repetition.

What a range. I listened to the album through several days instead of one sitting, but it felt like it was a different album every time I picked it up again. Really beautiful melodies and beats. What a unique album!

Why do people have such an issue with the flute?? This was a complete surprise of an album to me. I was vibing to every song and was impressed with the lyrics and his voice.

Odd? Experimental? Soothing? Smooth beats? All over the place but they seem to be having a good time.

I read a review saying the rest of us should be reviewing these albums better but I can't think of anything else to say about this album than mid. It's just all over the place. I like swaying songs like Thinking of Ways, dancy songs like Barney (and Me) but some of the other songs are just mindless. What is happening here?

I did not realize how polarizing the Smiths were! I liked this album. Great musicality.

Wow, all the skills demonstrated here are unbelievable but especially the electric guitar!!

Turns out I only really like a select few Lana Del Ray songs. It was a good album to have on while I was cooking, but I wasn’t all that impressed given how much I like some of her songs.

Okay did not realize he held very racist views. Ignoring that, this is another middle of the road album. Sounds like many other British rock bands.

Soulful, full of emotion yet also easy listening. Excellent album!

Techno, heavy metal. Oof, this is not for me. I really dislike music that is designed to make me feel like I'm in a drug spiral.

My kind of easy listening album, but why did this need to be 2 hours long? It also does matter that these songs were essentially not deemed good enough to be played by the Beatles. I liked the upbeat songs - it's Johnny's Birthday was a fun surprise!

I really like Never Said, Shatter, Strange Loop. My favorite genre is indie but the indie albums I’ve heard so far on this list have been very average.

I really love the Foo Fighters. Maybe because I’ve seen them live multiple times and just love their casual energy. They seem like they are talented without ego (whether that is true is unknown).

I will admit I have very basic music tastes. Part of my goal with this challenge is to broaden those tastes. But this album is just so much of what I like. Music that showcases singing, relaxed vibes. I had no idea this artist sang This Year’s Love (a song I love!).

Nice ambient music but not something I want to listen to a full album for. A lot of the songs sounds like they’ve been featured in movie soundtracks!

This was so fun and creative. I had it in my head that I don't like this band, but turns out I was very wrong. I loved it!

I am in love with this album. It’s political and fun and creative and just has such great vibes. I felt like I got something from each song.

I am a sucker for harmonization, and softness in music. This album has quite a range - I enjoyed the first few songs the most (Walt Whitman's Niece, California Stars, Way Over Yonder, Birds and Ships), but still appreciated the rest of the album.

Objectively I understand this is talented, but it was too one tone for me.

A beautiful album, I especially love the more ethereal songs.

Brilliant. Love the tension and build up. Great album to just lose myself in.

What I dislike about post hardcore is that it’s repetitive, heavy, scratchy, and pointless. Also it feels like they take themselves too seriously. It’s so monotone.

Hard to disentangle nostalgia from my review of this album, but I had not listened to many of these songs and I LOVED them - Head Over Feet, Mary Jane? So good! How is this my first time hearing it?? Fantastic voice, emotional. What a great album.

Starts off slow but really builds up. You can feel the emotion and depth as you go through the album. The songs also get more creative in musicality and range of voice. However, there weren't enough great songs for me to rate this album very high.

Started off mediocre and build up to some good songs that highlighted more range and skills.

Talented, relaxing.

I thought a whole album of Sigur Ros would be too repetitive for me, but wow I just get so emotional listening to this music. There is something transcendental about it.

This album has quite the range. Started off bouncy and fun, and then got more introspective and instrumental. Interesting! Definitely started off stronger than it ended for my specific tastes.

Just such a unique voice. You can really feel the passion.

Beautiful, relaxing, impressive compositions.

I was very surprised by this. It is rock with creativity and emotion, and it worked well!

Should this be on a list of 1001 albums to listen to before you die? Probably not. It is like many many other punk rock bands. Songs are forgettable, but I didn't find them bad so I'm giving a 3!

Nothing special but absolutely up my alley. Easy listening, evokes reflection and emotion. New band and album for me to add to my listening!

Clint Eastwood is an excellent song. Latin Simone was so surprising, but lovely. Other than those two songs, I found all the other songs on this album just okay.

Not my kind of music, but I actually enjoyed the melodies for some songs.

Damn, loved this. Her voice is so unique. I love the emotion coming through in all songs. I love the lyrical creativity. Big fan of this :)

Instrumentals on point. Fun vibes. Nostalgia. I can't help but rate this album high.

I think the top review describes this as Halloween music and that is definitely the vibe here. Not for me, but they clearly had fun with it!

Brilliant. What an album. Every song was emotional, the lyricism and range is divine. Just excellent.

I love the mix of French and English, and there are very unique, unusual, and eclectic sounds that worked. It's just not something that I would actively seek to listen to again.

Loved this album. Romantic, nostalgic, fun. Definitely could have been shorter, but I enjoyed myself. I loved that the album ended on Dreamer in My Dreams.

Most of the songs sound the same, but I do like their sound.

Much too intense for my personal tastes, but I was still getting amped up while listening to it.

Bad ass female vocals - this album transported me back to the 90s.

I can never figure out how I feel about music where the vocals are essentially spoken word with music in the background. I started off this album not liking the songs, but when we got to "Into You Like A Train" I changed my mind a little. I like the beat and I was bopping my head along to the music.

I liked the acoustic renditions, but otherwise the album had quite a few songs that just blended together.

I was immediately drawn into this album with the unique voice and composition. And from there I just kept vibing. I love her voice, I loved the featured artists, the range. What a great find! 5/5

Many of these songs feel are grating to me. I just don't think I'll ever enjoy this type of music.

I really love this album. I feel transported to the live performance. The lyrics, the absurdity of what he's singing about, his presence through the performance! The recording being at the prison is just brilliant and novel and adds so much to the experience. The inmates reactions and responses, the announcements in the background - this whole album is an amazing experience.

Brilliant. So smooth.

Beautiful, catchy, and emotional. I've been really enjoying this album, so I was happy to see it on the list. I will say that I didn't enjoy each song consistently, which is why I'm giving it 4/5.

The album was just a bit too long, but I really enjoyed it. The flow, the melodies - it was the gentle start to my morning and work day that I needed. I think you have to be in the right mood to like this kind of album. It feels like you're floating in space.

Just pure joy. It's catchy and relaxed and positive vibes.

What did I just listen to? I think I am missing some key information here. Clearly PJ Harvey can sing because some songs their voice is beautiful, and then others it sounds like she is intentionally trying to sound off key and screechy. Not my jam.

Short and sweet album. You can feel the emotion in each song. I especially liked Androgynous, Unsatisfied, Sixteen Blue. Something about the raw and strained voice is satisfying to me.

Okay, my last two Bowie albums had me worried that I didn't appreciate Bowie as I should. But this album reminded me of why he is brilliant. This album is pure creativity and fun. What a joy.

On the nose given the album name, but this album really was dreamy. I love songs that make me feel like I'm floating.

The drawl, the gentle harmonies, the variation of sadness and calmness - this was an easy and enjoyable listen.

Fine but forgettable.

Immediately transported to another setting and time. Just so much fun! What an easy and fun listen.

Many of the reviews have properly covered this - it is fine. I liked Valet Parking!

Personally don’t get how this isn’t some people’s vibes. It’s lyrical and gentle and I love the harmonica! It’s funny how differently we perceive music and that’s what makes this endeavor fun. I find albums I enjoy, only to read the reviews and read about how much people hate them!

There isn't anything I dislike strongly in this album, but I just couldn't get over how whiny it is. I understand it is supposed to be a sad album, and that Elliott Smith truly struggled in life. I don't mean to undermine that - I might just not have been in the mood for this kind of music. It felt very forgettable and I wasn't able to focus on any song in particular.

That was very fun and an immediate throwback to the era. It is also very cringe and is it good? Hard to discern between fun and amusing lyrics and good music.

Not for me. It feels mindless and purposeless.

Definitely funky and creative, I enjoyed it but not enough to rank it higher.

Knowing that this album documented the band's deterioration allowed me to appreciate the emotion and sentiment more. I liked the later songs in the album more - the slower, tense, and emotional songs. Standouts were Femme Fatale, Kanga Roo, Stroke it Noel, Blue Moon, Take Care.

I can appreciate and respect the skill required to sing/scream like this, but I just do not enjoy this music.

Love the instrumentals, less so the vocals. I had fun!

I just got back to back albums with grating vocals, but good instrumentals (Meat Puppets was the other one). The lyrics are questionable... I wasn't paying close attention until someone mentioned it in the reviews and now I can't stop cringing. The album is supposed to be about a toxic relationship but still comes off very problematic.

Smooth, great vocals, and made me want to move. A great discovery!

Why is this album so long? It is too much. I like the softer and melodic songs on this album, and did not like the dark grungy songs. But also, I would have liked it more if it wasn't this long!!!!

Good vibes, fun. Some odd songs that weren't quite my jam.

Beautiful and gentle.

I loved Zombie so I was excited for another Fela Kuti album. I didn't love the first song on this album so I was worried, but then it just wrapped me up all over again. It's passionate, soulful, and so skillful.

Electronic music, even one that has more chill vibes than other albums, is just not for me. I gave the first few songs a listen to give it a chance, but I dnf.

I love this. Immediate nostalgia (for a time I wasn't alive... ). Smooth, fun, and makes me want to dance. So much fun!

I can’t quite put my finger on what here it is I like and don’t like. It has tension but no release. All the songs sound too similar. But I did enjoy listening to the album.

What talent. They just seem to be having so much fun together. I enjoyed hearing the interview snippets.

It is so hard for me to rate albums like these. The music is just not for me, but I do appreciate the guitar skills and the emotion.

Anything Latin is just so fun and enjoyable. You can't listen to this album and not want to move to it.

They just have such a unique sound and I really do love it.

I find the melodies and lyrics enjoyable, but his voice is so grating and whiny to me.

Very pretty arrangements and calming lyrics. While it isn't an album that holds your attention, it was a lovely listen.

This album right here is why I'm doing this challenge. One of my favorite songs is Annie Lennox's Why, but I have never heard anything else from her. This album is unique, the lyricism interesting, and both of their voices are just awesome.

I'm not sure why this is consider one of the albums to listen to before you die. It is very average. Nothing bad about it, but nothing special either.

I enjoyed this album so much. There is something in the melodies - it is a mix of joy, relaxation, and emotion. I love the instruments used. It was a good time!

Never heard of Calexico, and ended up loving this album. It's laid back, some songs have the gentle tension building that I really enjoy, and the instrumentals are great (e.g., Close Behind). The album is tentative and exploratory in a way that is fun for the listener as well. Sort of like they are trying to find their own sound.

Really skillful guitarist.

Not sure what it is about their tone, but it just feels flat. They have all the pieces that I enjoy and respect, but it feels as if they purposefully never let themselves go all out with feeling.

I am preaching to the choir here clearly - but how can an album be simultaneously creative, original, and complex AND grating and completely wrong. It must be so difficult to purposefully play something that doesn't follow any conventional beats...

Hard to disentangle nostalgia from my love for this album. I just love it. It has feeling, good lyrics, and transports me back to my teenage years.

Excellent! A beautiful range of instruments, creative jumps through the album to keep me engaged. I didn't think very highly of the other album of theirs on this list - Porcupine, but this was a great surprise. The kind of indie rock that I love.

I love his raspy voice, lyrics, and the feeling through this whole album.

I really enjoyed this album. It was creative and there is so much range. A change from the dominating genres on this list.

Gorgeous vocalization. I just love the depth of emotion and harmonization.

So fun! The beats, the instrumentals, the silly lyrics (though I am now reading the reviews and seeing that some of the lyrics are problematic, clearly I wasn't paying close enough attention). I did enjoy listening and vibing to the album.

Ms. Jackson is obviously a 5. There are some other bangers, the lyricism and flow is amazing. But I didn't like the interludes..

This is a big vibes album. You don't pay much attention to the lyrics but there is a general coming of age, summer, exploring vibe to the songs. Then it just gets very repetitive.

Nothing special, just like other British pop around this time. Which is fine, but I'm not sure if it's worth being on this list.

Unclear how to be objective in my assessment of this album. Green day is all nostalgia for me and I love it. I was vibing through the whole album. Is it repetitive? Yes, but I don't mind for some reason!

Fun and easy to shake your head along to, but not especially memorable. There are so so many albums like this on the list!!!

love love love. you can feel the emotion and skill. I love the reverberation in his voice.

Didn't start off very strong for me but it just builds and builds. There is a reason some of these songs are classic.

I thought this was fun and lighthearted. Sometimes what I'm looking for is easy listening, and not some profound creation that was foundational to music history. I enjoyed this album through and through!

Very interesting and one of the first truly unique hearing experiences from me through this project. What an odd and trippy sound, but one that somehow kept me engaged.

Unnecessarily long, but I'm surprised by the hatred of this album. I think it's an interesting concept to depart from other similar musicians.

I didn't love this album. Appreciate his voice, but I don't like the composition of the songs. It all feels very one note to me.

Again, not trying to yuck people's yum, this is just my opinion on this genre - I just don't enjoy this type of angsty music.

I feel uncool, but I just don't understand the psychedelic experimentation in rock. I feel like I'm in an old timey sci fi movie, and it's just not my vibe.

The top review mentions that this album just feels like you're floating and that is absolutely spot on.

What a lovely surprise of an album! There were some moving and beautiful songs, others I could have skipped.

If it wasn't so repetitive, I wouldn't mind the different and unique vibes. It could be interesting, but not for me personally.