1001 Albums Summary

First album listened to

Amazing energy and vibe, virtuosic drum performances

Can hear a lot of this album's influence on subsequent music genres like grunge and alternative rock. Often messy and raw

I'm surprised by how much I liked this album, given that I know very little about Black Sabbath and associate Ozzy Osbourne with the early-aughts reality TV show about his family more than anything else. Vol. 4 made me feel a lot of different emotions: moody, elated, introspective, hyped, etc. Would listen again.

Hmmmm not sure to make of Malcolm McLaren being the "impresario" of this album. I liked a few of the tracks but didn't understand the whole endeavour – is this not just a white man appropriating black artists' work and putting his name on it?

Poly Styrene was a true original (and one of the few women of colour in the punk scene of the 1970s). For me, the standout is her voice; she was as comfortable roaring over a crowd as she was cajoling listeners on some of the slower tracks. Some flirt with pop (e.g. Germfree Adolescents).

Do Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim have the best singing voices ever? Nope. Does this album have the most sophisticated production? Nope! But that's part of its charm for me; it's all about the vibe and a certain moment in time. The XX will always have a special place in my heart for seeing me through the peak of my early 20s ennui and lack of direction.

"My Beloved Monster" is a classic, but I thought the rest of the album was just OK.

I didn't recognize this band or album, but I realized I'd heard "The Concept" before. Overall an ok listen for me.

What more is there to say? I've loved Bob Marley & the Wailers since discovering them on a "Best of Reggae" compilation CD I got from the discount bin at HMV in high school, and my appreciation for them has only grown after living in Jamaica for a year. Five stars, no notes.

This is a bit embarrassing, but I only really knew \"My Girl\" before listening to this album. It was a pleasant surprise! I wasn't sure what to make of a 10-minute song, but \"Papa Was a Rolling Stone\" ended up being masterful and suspenseful. Overall a wonderful listen.

This was new to me. I feel like I'm barely scratching the surface with both Khan's output and Qawwali, but I liked this (though I wouldn't seek it out). Let's say a 3.

A self-assured debut from a 19-year-old Amy Winehouse. Although it's hard to listen to this album without thinking about all the things to come (the alcoholism, the drug abuse, the bad relationships, the constant paparazzi, the bulimia etc.), I keep returning to her voice. Frank doesn't hit the heights of Back to Black and a lot of the lyrics are about Amy's dysfunctional relationships with men, but it marked the debut of a true original.

I mean, c'mon, it's the Queen of Jazz. A timeless voice that only gets better with more listens.

This wasn't really for me; the songs kind of blended together, except for the inspired Dave Navarro guitar solo on "Three Days."

It wasn't really my thing – the tracks kind of bled together for me.

I love this album! Spent many an afternoon sketching, daydreaming, and navel-gazing to it as a teen.

A different side of Queen than I'm used to! I didn't know a single song off this album; I liked it OK, but it didn't blow me away.

This was deeply weird but also kind of compelling? Some tracks were stuck in my head, like "DUI," "Captain Stupido," and "Them Changes," but others were forgettable. I was new to Thundercat and would give other albums a chance.

Not my favorite of Bowie's, but I appreciate his endless capacity for experimentation and reinvention.

Although I find the messages of this album important, this album felt a bit long and lackluster to me. I enjoyed the production of some songs, but I'm not sure I'd re-listen to the album as a whole.

PJ Harvey is one of those people that I'd always heard of growing up but missed the boat on because I was a bit too young. This is my first listen of a full album and I loved it – this is raw, dark, compelling, inspiring stuff.

Lord help me, I do NOT have the fortitude to listen to a two-hour bluegrass and country album interspersed with snippets from the recording sessions. Although I can appreciate the synthesis of styles and artists that Will the Circle Be Unbroken represents, it's just not my jam.

Although I liked some tracks, I thought this album was average. That said, it's refreshing to hear some new R&B!

OK, I may not care for the Gallagher brothers' antics or the band's later albums, but this one is undoubtedly a banger. Coming up with "Wonderwall," "Don't Look Back in Anger," AND "Champagne Supernova" for one album is nothing short of impressive, and the album as a whole is such a breeze. Five stars for giving us one of the best group karaoke songs of all time.

This is one of those albums that feels like it would be more rewarding upon a re-listen, but my first impressions of it are kind of "eh" despite being a substantial Radiohead fan.

Although I'm somewhat familiar with Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, I'd never listened to a Buffalo Springfield album before this project and was pleasantly surprised by this one. I especially like "Mr. Soul" and "Bluebird."

Hm, although I was glad to learn more about grime, this isn't really my thing.

I mean, it's Thelonious Monk – his work never gets less than five stars from me.

Although I admire many of Bob Dylan's lyrics, I tend to find him a hard listen. His voice and performance style are polarizing, and I fall more on the side of "not really into it."

I love "Rumours," but "Tusk" didn't make me feel much.

Bjork is such an amazing weirdo. I acquired "Medulla" (2004) by happenstance in high school, so that was my blueprint for her particular brand of ethereal, genre-defying music. However, "Vespertine" feels even more complex, innovative, and – sometimes – inaccessible. Although I can understand why this wouldn't be someone's cup of tea, it makes me want to come back to it and discover new layers.

Classic album – it's a shame that Nick Drake passed so young.

No.

I'd never heard of Steve Winwood before, and I'm not sure his music does anything for me. The arrangements and use of synths sounded off to me, and none of the tracks were particularly memorable.

This was catchy! I realized that I knew more than a couple of songs from this album purely from exposure to pop culture.

As a millennial Canadian, I've always been aware of Alanis Morissette and heard her songs on the radio, but I never bought or listened through any of her albums. This one is such a banger! Every time a familiar track came on, I thought, "Wait this one's on here too??" I especially loved her voice and delivery; Alanis sounds so confident and fully-formed here.

Oh woah woah woah! This is fire.

It's hard for this album to escape comparisons to Nevermind, and for me the latter edges it out. There are some good tracks, but I prefer the greater polish of Nevermind (and the clumsy handling of a sensitive subject on "Rape Me" is hard to listen to, even if I understand the band's intentions).

Not my favorite Daft Punk album but a solid one nonetheless.

To me, this is Bob Dylan at his finest, but I can understand why it's not everyone's cup of tea; this isn't exactly in my regular rotation, as it's not "fun" to listen to. Still, there are some all-timers on this album, including "Blowin' in the Wind" and "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall."

Although Billie Holiday has a timeless voice, I just don't really enjoy the experience of listening to multiple songs about a woman pining for an unavailable man; the themes of this album got old pretty quickly.

I liked some of the tracks just fine, but the main issue is that the album is far too long – some editing would've made the songs bleed together less.

I don't really understand the appeal of Robbie Williams. Apart from giving us the karaoke banger "Angel," this album is pretty mediocre.

My friends and I have spent many a lazy afternoon jammin' to this album – a classic.