1001 Albums Summary

Pleasant, albeit generic beats. Better than the Wiki description had me expecting.

I haven't quite acquired a taste for this type of jazz, but this album helped. Great music to Zen out to on a long highway drive.

My favorite electronica album yet! The negatives outweighed the positives though. Soo much repetition in places. The last few tracks reminded me of getting a massage so that was nice. A 3.5 rounds down to a 3 on this one.

I like Dylan. I like the blues. I like this album. The first track was reminiscent of Leonard Cohen, an inkling of Waiting for the Miracle, I think.

Having such a bit hit of an album that has endured for so long risks the songs becoming less interesting after being overplayed for so many years. But listening to this album in the context of this project, alongside so many mediocre albums, really highlights its strength and how solid it is all the way through. It's Smokin'!

I did not pay a ton of attention to the Pixies before and am glad to be reintroduced. Really enjoy their surfer, punk, indie/alt rock sound and although perhaps not from this album specifically, I appreciate the influence they likely had on some of my favs. I look forward to hearing more of their work.

I liked this album a lot. The range of musical styles and lyrics made it an interesting listen.

"No one sings like you anymore" : ( I love this album today as much as when it first came out. Chris Cornell's voice (!!), the music, the overall sound. Easily one of the best albums of the 90's. I can't count how many times I've listened to Black Hole Sun and it just doesn't get old for me.

I liked this album. Debby Harry has a great voice and I love the expressiveness in her singing. The album is mostly pop rock, but there's still a little bit of edgy punk sound. Fun to hear so many new to me songs beyond the 2 well known tracks. I couldn't help hearing Courtney Love at the beginning of Pretty Baby and wonder if there was some influence there.

I liked a few of the songs and won't argue that Bruce Springsteen has talent and writes good lyrics, but he's just okay for me.

I hoped to like this more but I found most of the songs forgettable.

I am partial to Elliott Smith having listened to him a lot in the 90s. This has some different sounds for him that took me a couple of listens to take in. I still like his earlier work better but enjoyed this album. Easy Way Out and Better Be Quiet Now were reminiscent of what I think of as his classic sound. 3.5 rounds to a 4 on this one.

4.5 rounded up to a 5

I did not expect much from this one so it was a nice surprise. Very hypnotic but also fun tracks with horns. Another 3.5 rounding to a 4.

I liked the first few tracks a lot and thought it was overall a beautiful album. I'm not sure I would like this album everyday, but I liked it today.

Great music. Enjoyed that it had the feeling of a live show.

Another band I didn't pay much attention to outside of the radio songs. I really enjoyed listening to this album. The Police can be really fun and quirky in their sound and lyrics. This was more of a 4+ for me. Solid run of opening tracks and really liked On Any Other Day.

I'd hoped to enjoy this more. Loved the band, but besides a couple of bright spots I found this just okay.

I can't say this is an album I will return to over and over, but it's quite an array of sounds (soft and beautiful, big rock, bluesy) and the sheer emotion of Buckley's version of Hallelujah still leaves me in tears.

I'm a fan. It does take a little priming to get me into the mood for LC and I think I enjoyed You Want it Darker better, but I did really enjoy listening to his debut album, and it got even better on a second listen. Wow, his young voice is so different.

Yes, there are some great songs on here but a double album of Elton John is just too much.

What a fun listen! Latin funk, rap, pop, ballad. Even though they're singing in Spanish, there was something about a couple of the tracks that reminded me of the music in Bollywood films. Love and Hope and Ya Viene el Sol were favs.

I don't know, this is tough the day after Ozomamtli. Nothing terribly special or memorable.

A few double takes with the lyrics and subject matter on this one. I was entertained and appreciated listening, but I can't see myself going back to listen more. Can definitely hear what influenced them (hello Velvet Underground for one; Insanely Jealous of You) and I can understand what people said about it coming out at the wrong time.

Ok, The Smiths. Yet another band I was aware of but never really listened to. I can see that young Lisa would not have been into this sound but older Lisa kind of likes it and definitely appreciates it. Sure the lyrics can be weird, but I still find it more interesting to listen to than when the same lyrics get repeated over and over. I listened to this album 3x and it got better with each listen. I thought of this as a post punk sound. I do find fitting the description I read of Morrissey as "half genius half buffoon". I really liked the first 3 tracks, after which it was hit or miss but still overall listenable.

Only had time to listen once. Would like to go back and listen again to get a better feel for this one. Loved the percussion and rhythm in a number of tracks. His gravelly voice is a rough listen though.

Pretty mediocre alternative rock. I don't have strong opinions. Didn't love it or hate it, it was okay.

Great band, great album. Definitive girls band of the 80s. Love it. It's really a 4+ not *quite* a 5.

Their sound kind of reminds me of the (early) Foo Fighters. I like the music and vocals but I found the lyrics a bit lacking, though I'm not sure how well I heard them.

Perfect rainy day music. Not something I'd necessarily go back to, but it was a pleasant listen and Norah Jones has a lovely voice. 3.5 rounding up to a 4. Not my favorite version of The Nearness of You, though (Steve Buscemi's is still my pick for that).

That was a rocking live album.

I did not like this album to start but it either got better or grew on me. Very chaotic blues at times but the second half settled a bit. I only had time for one listen and would try it again to see how it is on a second listen.

After Back in the Saddle, I wasn't hearing anything particularly memorable on this album. Then things got a little more interesting with Nobody's Fault but not enough to push this 3+ up to a 4.

Although I did not love the lead singer's voice (kind of reminded me of SmashMouth) I liked the rest of the music enough to round 3.5 up to a 4.

Great album. Adele is an incredible singer and these songs are interesting to listen to and show off her range. Must be her best album. Besides the well known songs I also really liked He Won't Go and I'll Be Waiting. Loved her version of Lovesong. It took me a good 1/4 to 1/3 of the song before I even recognized it.

I don't like the Eagles but I have to give props to this album and it's actually mostly not the Eagles sound that I don't like.

Wow, I loved this album. Loved the jazzy soul mix with at times a sprinkling of Broadway-esque sound. Great talent for songwriting (several notable covers of her songs) and vocals. I will listen to this again. Edit: I listened to this at least 3x.

Another one I listened to several times.

It was alright. I liked the harmonica.

My initial thought was her vocals sound so similar to a bunch of other lady singer/songwriters, what makes her stand out and worth listening to, but I am trying not to let that distract me from her talent as a singer and songwriter. This is another 3.5 rounding to 4 and while I appreciate the album, I don't think it's something I would choose to listen to more.

This was a rough listen. Maybe it's really a one star.

Some of the instrumentation was kind of nice, but in general I was ready for this album to be over.

I found it interesting. I would listen again.

Apple Music classifies this as Alternative which is a big fatboy lie. This is electronic music and I do not like it.

A little more than a 3 but not quite a 4.

This was an interesting listen and I would listen again. I liked how the music seemed to be telling a story, with conversations going on. It was interesting to read afterwards that this was written partially as a ballet. I liked it more than I thought I would.

I am not as familiar with this album and didn't remember all the instrumental tracks and liked the funky ones. Sabotage is one of my all time faves.

Haunting and beautiful. Love it.

I remember hearing much praise of John Prine at the time of his death without having ever listened to him myself and was excited to have his album come up on the list. I'm not a country music girl so I can see why I never came across him before, but I liked this album more than I expected to. Great lyricist for sure.

Loved some songs, others not so much. I found the vocals and lyrics rough on a couple of tracks, but Papa (did not feel like a 12 minute song), Run Charlie Run (powerful lyrics, catchy rhythm), and Mother Nature held it together for me.

Okay album. I don't quite understand why Wiki says it's the first album to be recognized as country rock when it sounds like straight up country/folk/bluegrass to me. Though I'm no country music expert. Most songs are covers and the originals I listened to I found more interesting. Appreciate being reminded of William Bell and hearing his version of You Don't Miss Your Water. Also, You're Not Going Nowhere may be stuck in my head for days.

I liked this more than expected. Fun variety of instruments.

Another Smiths album I was happy to listen to.

Not exactly the Elvis sound I am familiar with, but some interesting vocals and instrumentation. 3.5 rounds to 4.

I'm not a Bruce Springsteen fan but I will not argue that this is a solid album with some epic songs. A 4.5 rounded to 5.

Not my favorite Yes album, but And You and I is one of my favorite of their songs. 3.5 rounds to a 4.

I found the vocals mostly boring and monotonous but liked much of the instrumentation, especially the guitar work on several tracks.

Solid rock album. Eddie Van Halen's guitar work alone could earn this a 5 but the songs are good, too, and I enjoyed the extra notch they took it up on the last track.

The good outweighed the boring for me on this one. 3.5 rounded to a 4. There should be more songs like Black Woman.

Flips between being laughable and beautiful and sometimes both at the same time. Was not always sure what they were singing about, but the album held my attention and I found it entertaining nonetheless. Quite an array of instruments and sounds. "Porridge for my porridge bowl" are lyrics I can get behind.

Lovely music, some wacky lyrics. My first thought was omg this is Irish Scott Walker. And then it occurred to me that the Magnetic Fields made a similar concept album (69 Love Songs). This album came out first, though, so maybe the Magnetic Fields took the idea as a challenge (how many songs can *you* write about love?) and dropped the mic with a 3 volume album clocking in at almost 3 hours long . Okay, that's about a different album, but my point is, if this album inspired Stephin Merritt, it gets props from me. Sure, I have never actually listened to the whole 3 hours of 69 Love Songs, but I love what I have heard. Ooh interesting tidbit - I am seeing on the Wiki page that one of this album’s bonus tracks is actually a Magnetic Fields cover. AND 69 Love Songs is on the list so we’ll all get to listen at some point 👏👏👏

Still not loving on the Eagles or country rock in general but I recognize this as competent music, even pleasant at times. The unknown to me track Earlybird was a nice banjo surprise.

Ok, but forgettable.

I like that they were reviving punk in the 00s and like but don't love this album. I'm a little grumpy that this is a compilation with songs from previous albums. Maybe a 3.5 but rounded down.

Radiohead just doesn't do it for me. The music is good but I think I just don't love the lead singer's voice. Maybe I'll like their other albums more.

Poetry set to music. Lovely harmonies and instrumentation. Why does it have to make me feel so sad? 😭

It’s okay. Better than In Rainbows.

Another okay but forgettable album.

I didn't hate this. I would even go as far as to say it was pretty good, though I was expecting a more upbeat honky tonk sound. My first introduction to "outlaw country". 3+

An iconic moment in music history. I cannot disconnect the audio from the visual when listening to this and still see Kurt onstage in his cardigan, remembering the intimacy of the setting. Something about his essence was just so absorbing. Thinking about it now, it's kind of strange to have this as what has become for me a lasting image of him. Still love the more energetic performances, but this performance, what a gift to have this recording.

I can't say I loved this but I didn't mind the listen. Chaotic at times and raw but some interesting sounds. Touted as a psychedelic R&B.

I would not have expected to like an album described as spiking "rock star cliches and acid-induced paranoia with millennial angst and hipster snark" so much but here we are. I definitely remember hearing Electric Feel before. 3.5 rounded up.

Some lovely music interspersed with annoying noise.

Wow, I loved this album. Super performances. The crowd's energy in Diminuendo.. was awesome.

So many interesting sounds on this album - sometimes voice and instrument were indistinguishable. Fun and funky. Great album.

Short versions of sounds I've heard before. Maybe another day I’d give this a 3 but after 2 excellent albums this is sub par.

Oozing with sounds of the 70s, not my favorite sounds, but it's nice and Karen Carpenter has a lovely voice. I actually really enjoyed their versions of the covers and the sound varied more than I expected throughout the album. The light jamming at the end of the album was a surprise.

Solid album. Jet is one of my favorites by Wings. Loved the orchestration in Picasso's Last Words. Paul and Linda did a good job together on this.

Okay music, rough vocals.

I like this album better than The Suburbs, but not quite enough to put it at a 4 (at least what I am thinking after one listen). I may go back and listen again at some point, but for now it's a 3+. Definitely some catchy tunes here.

They took the idea of noise rock but left out the rock.

Maybe anything would have sounded good after the previous album, but the vocals are good and I enjoyed the layered sounds of the instruments. Just wish there were more tracks with the same type of energy as the first one.

Despite being a teenager growing up in Massachusetts in the 80s, I did not listen to Iron Maiden and worship the devil (sorry Rob Corddry) so I did not have many expectations for this album. The first listen started strong but fell from a 4 to 3 towards the end as it got to be a bit too much. I spread out a second listen and was glad I did, easier for me to digest in chunks. Solid, classic heavy metal with almost a rock opera feel.

Great range of styles, sounds, and energy. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is one of my favorites.

Not bad, maybe a 3+.

Really good album with great sampling but longer than it needs to be.

I am usually wary of double albums but this is excellent with some epic tracks. I had never listened to the full version of Voodoo Chile and was not disappointed. 1983... was another standout. Appreciated the in-studio jamming.

Very 90s. Lead vocalist reminded me of Squeeze's and the overall sound was like a bunch of other bands of the era, such as The Rembrandts. It's fine, but nothing stand out.

Great music. Sex funk, another new genre for me.

East coast early grunge. I liked it but not enough to go beyond a 3+.

It's ABBA, what can I say? Dancing Queen is one of the best songs ever recorded.

Loved Cosmic Dancer.

Great swamp blues album.

What fun, live Sam Cooke!

Not my favorite of theirs but pretty solid.

I liked this more than I expected to. Sedan Delivery was a nice surprise.

Solid album. I would listen again.

Despite some sleepy tracks I appreciated a variety of sounds and Me and Julio is one of my favs by him.

One of the many reasons I love David is that he introduced me to The Kinks and this album. Am I biased in my rating? Perhaps, but after countless listens together on many car rides, I still find it a great album from start to finish.

Perhaps if his vocals weren't so grating to my ear, I would find the lyrics interesting, but it's difficult to listen that closely. It's unfortunate because there is some great music here.

Better on a second and third listen. 3.5 rounded to a 4.

I'm really not sure why I haven't listened to more Joni Mitchell. She lives up to the hype.

There was an okay track early on but they really lost me with all the smashing glass.

I tried.

Interesting but not something I'd go back to.

Nice variety of sounds. I would listen again.

Wow

I liked enough tracks to round 3.5 to 4.

The radio hits are not the only good songs on this album.

Okay background music.

Another group reminiscent of the Magentic Fields for me. Here because of the lead singer's deep voice, the melancholy sound and the way they sing about NYC. Oh and because the "I don't want to get over you" line in "Sorrow" is literally the same as a Magentic Fields song.

Great album. Mostly new to me songs except Take Me to the River. I was wavering between a 4 and 5 and went to a 5 when I realized I wanted to listen again immediately after the album finished.

London Calling is my favorite but this one is also great. Rounding 4.5 up.

Intense. Preferred the second half of the album to the first.

Great album, fun variety of sounds. 4 plus, not quite a 5. Will listen again.

Great or the greatest album of all time?

I didn't know what to expect with this one and actually quite liked it. While I found their sound reminiscent of the late 60s, I thought they did it well.

I had the rare opportunity to listen to this album with live accompaniment by a mostly unknown but talented vocalist, making a great album even better.

I just don't love the Beach Boys.

I haven't listened to this album in a while and I appreciate it more in the context of this project.

I remember listening to this over and over at my cousin's when it first came out. Great to revisit it now.

I can see why Coldplay is so popular. I would listen to this again.

I liked it okay.

Another album I would have never listened to without this project and am glad I did. Beautiful. I guess I'm a fan of freak folk! I especially loved the first track. (It didn't hurt that I listened to part of this album during sunset - clouds turning pink with flocks of birds flying by, all set against the vibrant colors of the fall foliage.)

I love this album front to back but will check my bias.

One song had a fun horns part but otherwise I was not impressed.

I did not like this.

I liked a few of the songs quite a bit, but there were many that should not have made the cut. Edited down to half the length could have made for a fairly solid album. Because the few tracks I liked, I liked enough, this is barely eking out a 3.

It was okay.

Scenario was a great blast from the past. Rounding 3.5 up.

I have never paid a ton of attention to Elvis Costello and now kind of wish I did.

The sound clicked for me, not sure it would everyday. 3.5 rounded up.

I would listen to this again. Her voice reminds me of someone and I can’t quite place it.

Great music but his voice hurts my ears.

Between a 4 and a 5 for me. I really enjoyed hearing this in full, having known many of the tracks but not realizing they were off of only his 2nd studio album, the first of which included most of his own writing. Pretty impressive for a 20-22 yo.

I was happy to listen to this once. Enjoyed the music but gets repetitive. I could see enjoying a live show.

I'm as surprised as you are that I am giving this a 4. A little ways into the first track I was unsure I'd even be able to listen to the whole album. Things started turning around with Deacon Blues and Peg and then I Got the News kind of blew me away. Couldn't resist the groove of Josie that called to mind Phish for me.

When a 90 minute double album is this easy to listen to 2 times through, I guess that makes the rating pretty clear. While Van Morrison is great live, it's the accompaniment of the Soul Orchestra that puts this over the top for me.

While I don’t love this, it’s more interesting and creative than other albums of its era. I do really like the 3 hits. Nice to hear the true ending to Head Over Heels/Broken which was cut off on radio play.

I need to listen to this again to take it in more fully.

Really good. Pleasantly surprised by the variety of sounds. It's not all folk pop.

Kind of all over the place with some great tracks and some terrible ones, but interesting enough overall that I wanted to listen a second time.

I was excited to see this come up on the list. It's one of those iconic albums that I really do think I should listen to. I figured I would know at least a few tracks, but I was surprised by how many I knew well. Great dance music and variety of sounds.

The music was pretty good and I didn't mind listening, but nothing really hooked me in. I would be willing to listen again, but right now this is a 3.5 rounded down.

Great start that fell off quickly.

Solid bluegrass collection. 4.5 that I can't quite round up.

Despite being from Phil Spector, I would listen to this again.

Yes, it's too long but there's enough good and great stuff here to make it a 4. Kind of crazy to me that 1979 doesn't come up until almost halfway through the second album.

The music was pretty good and this might have been a 4, but I got exhausted from all the "woahs".

Picked up a bit in the second half with Area 51 but overall a mostly bland 90s album.

Despite the stream of consciousness type lyrics, I enjoyed the music and quirkiness more than I expected to. I found there to be a Queen-esque melodrama to some of the sound. In the end, though, when the album was over I wasn't sure I cared to listen to it again.

The harmonies were really pretty and I especially liked the bluegrass and Americana numbers. But mostly it made me want to listen to Brandi Carlile.

What a voice, I get the hype.

I guess I like Elvis Costello more than I thought.

I enjoyed this listen and fun to see that Julian Cope (another pleasant surprise) was involved here.

There's plenty of noise rock that I do like, what I don't get is the appeal of whatever it is that makes the unpleasant sound like a dirty vinyl album or my cassette tape is about to explode.

Definitely an album worth listening to, multiple times.

Pretty and atmospheric. Enjoyed the title track and Blue Motel Room in particular.

I love this album.

I think I like punk even more when it’s mixed with blues. This is a 3.5 that I can’t quite round up.

I did not have high hopes for this album as I had another LCD Soundsystem that was not good. Perhaps the low expectations and good listening conditions made for an enjoyable listen. I guess I also like punk electronica.

Not catchy radio play songs for the most part. I have listened to this albums dozens of times but it was still like a first listen this time around, hearing things I hadn't noticed before. Interesting, creative and purposeful and I do enjoy a nice village green.

Impressive energy and good rock music. Could do with a bit less of the screaming.

Solid album but I wasn’t wowed by it. Would listen again.

Appreciate the influence it must have had.

Solid blues album.

I don't always know what David Byrne is singing about, but it's the wondering about the lyrics and the complexity of the music that keep each listen interesting, not to mention the album begs you to get up and dance from start to finish.

I still don't really like Steely Dan but I appreciate their music. The Toodle-Oo song was great. I'd listen to them more if they did more songs like that.

Taylor Swift writes catchy tunes, I'll give her that. I don't deny happily singing along to several of these, but I got bored with the album after a while. Given her immense popularity and success it's hard to say she's not talented. She certainly gives her audience what they want and that seems to be a lot of the same sound and content.

Dare I say my favorite hip hop album so far? Great sounds throughout, good lyrics, rapping, and sampling.

This was my introduction to PJ Harvey - an artist I've been wanting to check out. The album really picked up for me in tracks 5-9 (incl. the song with the Radiohead guy) and I ended up really liking it after a somewhat mediocre start. She's a bit of a chameleon with her voice, at times sounding like some of the other 90s era ladies, at other times having a bit of a Chrissie Hynde vibe. The guitar riff on one track reminded me of Nirvana and it was fun to read Kurt Cobain was a fan of hers and she was asked to perform with the remaining members of the band after his death. I definitely want to listen to more of her.

I did not know what to expect here and was pleasantly surprised. I like the mix of folk and jazz. About halfway through I was seriously considering giving this 5 stars but if fell off just slightly. Would listen again.

I don't know what to do with this.

I thought the guitar work was good throughout, covering multiple genres.

For a split second I thought, is this really a 5? Of course it is.

If our project was to listen to all of U2's discography I could understand this album being on the list, but that is not our project. I found this to be just okay and Bono's voice sounded off at times. Elevation and Wild Honey brought this up to a 3.5 but I'm still rounding down. (The best track may be the extra one that I normally wouldn't have listened to but got curious because lyrics were by Salman Rushdie.)

The music grew on me and I appreciated her honesty and transparency.

Underwhelming despite the horns. Could have been sub optimal listening conditions and would be willing to listen again at some point.

Painful in so many ways, but I guess I see that he was a good rapper.

Fun, picked up in the last few tracks. 3+

I'm no rap expert but I thought this was better than Notorious B.I.G. More listenable and I learned stuff about calling people "bitches" and what OG means. Not to mention who all the rap MVPs are. Enlightening. 3+ stars

It's difficult to imagine how this would have sounded to ears in 1983, but I tried. The music is great, but, yes, the lyrics are hard to decipher.

It took a couple of listens to get into this.

This picked up in the second half and I'd be willing to listen again but for now it's a 3+.

Vocalist seemed to be trying to do David Byrne/David Bowie impersonations. I was not impressed.

The music and vocals are fine but I'm not really into his lyrics. Hold on To God was a nice bluegrass tune to end with. 3.5 rounded down.

I don't know if this is good rave music per se, but compared to what we've had recently this sounded good and I'd listen again. 3.5 rounded up.

I didn't mind this as background music.

Great energy and harmonizing. Loved it.

Annoying, repetitive, uninspiring.

The more I listen, the more I appreciate this. 4 plus that I am rounding up.

Alice Cooper is definitely interesting. This got better as the album progressed.

Another album that it helped to listen to more.

I actually didn't mind this.

Another band whose name and influence I am very aware of, but whose discography I have not explored. Enjoyed finally listening to a full album.

For something with Rod Stewart on vocals this was good. Great music.

I'm not a U2 fan in general but this is one hell of an album. From the intro of Where the Streets Have No Name the album pulls you in and and never lets go.

Ok for dream pop. I preferred the tracks with real instruments.

River is one of the most beautiful songs.

4.5

Better than I thought. 3+

Barely a 3.

4.5

4+++ but not *quite* a 5. I love it.