1001 Albums Summary

Bridge is an amazing song - those vocals are heavenly. Such a complicated relationship between the two of them. But somehow the music was beautiful, having arisen out of both love and contempt. Not so sure about the choice for the closer, but all in all this is a masterpiece.

Everything that Nick Drake did was lovely in its own way. Hopeful to beautifully bleak. Bryter Layter is a wonderful album but for some reason I prefer Nick on his own. Nevertheless, excellent work and highly recommended.

R.E.M. somehow solidified their place in history with this album. True to their roots, innovative, and somehow accessible. I love every song.

I bought this album on cassette when it was released in the USA. It was my first Smiths album. Somehow it resonated with me deeply, and to this day still does. I am likely a bit biased here as this music elicits an emotional and nostalgic feeling in me. Happy and sad. Beautiful lyrics and musicianship.

Excellent. Listening to this album via headphones really highlights the virtuosity of the Police. Second cousins to Rush in this regard. Quirky songs, odd rhythms, this has it all.

A great album. As many have noted, not as breathtaking overall as the cream of the crop in Bowie’s discography, but there are a few standouts. And ‘Heroes’ is a song for the ages.

I have listened to this record for over 40 years. It somehow makes the violent, tragic, and hopeful world of the old west in the US come alive beautifully. I am a fan of Marty, and even enjoy his Hawaiian music. Check it out!

Hearing these jams took me back a few years. I was able to catch Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and crew live a few times in the LA area. The music is infectious and the messages are more relevant than ever. I grew up in the Hawthorne area and worked in Carson, so even this white kid felt the energy around this form of socially conscious rap music. I was a little closer to the west coast sounds of Dr. Dre and Ice-T initially but these guys won me over with their astute assessment of racism in America. Five stars.

I love all three of these amazing singers, but I must say that individually each of them have better albums with better material. I do appreciate the lovely blending of their iconic voices on Trio.

Blech. I didn’t enjoy this one much, but I guess the technical skills are there for playing at a high rate of speed. I can rock but need a bit of melodic beauty to temper the chaos.

Note that this album was not available on Apple Music. Dull, light jazzy kind of filler music for me. The language barrier didn’t help either. Probably a very talented singer but without an emotional connection, I won’t be listening to this again.

Absolute masterpiece. I was engaged with every song despite their dissimilarities is subject matter and musical styles. A classic.

Muddy, silly, heavy, sloppy, awesome! Who could not love this?

It was okay, perhaps good. Was it great? Not sure. Was it unique? Not really. I may need to listen again. Three stars for now.

Amazing album. I never tire of this dark musical journey.

For me this was somewhat dull predictable formula arena rock. Too many long and uninteresting guitar solos. I lost interest after a few songs.

I’ve had a used copy of this record for decades but hadn’t listened in some time. I was blown away! Not only because of Carlos’ guitar playing but also the song craft and amazing rhythm section. A true masterpiece.

Hard to be unbiased about this one. I purchased the album when it came out based mostly on the hit - ABITW part II, plus I was previously familiar with DEOTM. I was 11 years old. This album affected me greatly, and I found parallels between Roger/Pink and myself. The musicianship and songwriting are unparalleled, and the storyline is epic. Probably the best concept album of all time.

Absolutely fantastic and unexpected. I missed this album when it came out. An instant favorite for me.

A few great songs here and plenty of wonderful harmonies. Peaceful and easy.

Incredible and timeless.

This kicks ass!

Zany, unexpectedly cool!

Incredible songs, performances, voices, and vibe. This album has such a country gothic feel to it. True masterpiece.

Amazing that Dave was able to pick up the pieces and record this gem all by himself. Excellent.

A really great album. I feel like it could grow on me over time.

A classic for me. I’ll never forget seeing the Spellbound video on MV3 after school in LA.

Absolute classic. No bad songs here - they are all dumb and awesome.

Seems like a 2 1/2 for me but will be generous and begrudgingly award Blur a 3. I’m hearing something akin to a band that’s trying too hard. Gimmicky, derivative perhaps. Still some decent hooks, though. The good hooks are oftentimes lost in sound effects and such that detracted from my listening experience.

Very enjoyable, musically diverse and creative. Will forgive the Boys for being brats.

If three hours and 27 minutes is considered to be the compilation/summary, I can’t image how long the original tracks must have been. Seems like a nice 45-minute compilation would better suit more normal human attention spans.

Zany, wild man!

The most perfect of perfect albums for me.

I very much want to love this. I like the voices, the quirky beats, the instrumentation, and THAT COVER. But the songs don’t quite grab me. Plodding, not melodic. Heard it through the grapevine was a highlight. I still like this and perhaps with repeated listening it would grow on me.

I’m, Soul II Soul was lacking….in Soul. Sorry, the a cappella songs were okay but those drum machines were monotonous. Give me some Parliament, Commodores, Earth, Wind, & Fire, or Chic for my Soul fix.

I could swear that this was Annibale Giannarelli, the cheesy singer in a few spaghetti westerns, and made popular again by Quentin Tarantino. Anyway, this album and I did not connect in any way. Memories of the Lawrence Welk show minus the accordions.

Pretty cool. I’ve heard a lot of hype about this album for years, and it is very very good. Love the guitar sounds. Not quite a five-star album for me yet, but perhaps with repeated listening it could get there.

Excellent songwriting and production. A really great example of what punk is capable of becoming with a little sophistication. Well, never mind the lyrics. Not so sophisticated.

Wow, this was interesting. I surprisingly liked it. Torn between a 3 and a 4. Will splurge.

Geez, this is great.

A true classic of west coast punk.

Awesome! Such great songs and hooks.

Surprised at how cool this was. I loved the eclectic feel to the music, which has moments of true beauty. I can get annoyed with too much gimmicky sampling but somehow this works great. Had a great headphones experience while working on a writing project.

Some classic songs here along with a few duds. The classics are really good, though. I’ve never been into Billy Joel as he was pretty uncool for me in my punky youth. I’m still not quite sure how he fits in - Dad rock?

Solid but I was never able to fully get sonic youth. I like the cool vibe and sound of the band, but the songwriting was never over the top for me. Anyway, this is an enjoyable listen and I especially enjoy Kim Gordon’s contributions.

I expected to dislike this, as I am not a fan of nu-metal and related. However, I kind of dug this, and not every song was pure thrash, so that’s good. This could grow on me…

Stunning. An absolute masterpiece. Also nostalgic for me and my buds during middle school.

Wonderful! A classic look at British life and change. A very creative, lovely album.

I like this, but I like the Smiths much better. Good effort.

I expected this to suck. It didn’t. In fact, it was a revelation. I learned a lot about a place that has always sounded utterly horrible, but perhaps there is a possible more nuanced view available. Songs were great, everything was great. I’m fucking shocked. Five stars for me.

Oh wow, is this great or what? Rarely does something so unfamiliar hit this deep. So glad I’ve joined this group,

Repetitive, annoying. A few songs were okay.

Really Fantastic! Five stars.

Solid, emotional album. I had not listened to Lorde previously but will do so again.

Excellent, in some ways contrasting with earlier efforts by the Stooges. I hear Bowie’s influence loud and clear.

Beautiful music…

Excellent

This is such a classic. Jimi changed music forever.

Musically strong, some amazing compositions. I am slightly more emotionally connected to their previous works, but this is also a masterpiece.

Oh, this is so good!

Very nice.

Deeply soulful.

Strange but good.

Strange, delicate, but good. Deserves more exploration.

Really great!

A classic

Both sad and beautiful. I can hear Brian’s influence.

A few classics here!

Strange with moments of beauty. Will listen again.

Boring but not good or peaceful enough to put me to sleep.

Um, terrible.

Perfection!

Very odd yet somehow kind of thrilling

Pretty awesome

Beautiful!

Okay

Incredible album of subtlety and beauty.

Excellent.

Funky and cool

Sort of a sad, tired sounding masterpiece.

I was never a fan of formula rock. Props for trying.

Loved this!

It had its moments, but also had periods of excessive noise.

Strange, experimental.

Despite the ham handed, offensive, stupid lyrics and silly rhymes, this thing is still a classic.

Oh so lovely, sweet Willie.

Challenging, lush, interesting.

A masterpiece of songcraft.

I really enjoyed this! In a world of derivative music this somehow sounded original. Lovely arrangements and instrumentation.

Better than what I remembered from the time!

Surprised that this album actually impressed me the way it did.

Lovely.

Timeless

Fantastic!

I’m sure that this type of music has its place among aficionados of the obscure. However, this obscure album probably never should have been included in the 1001 Albums book. I feel like I’ve just spent time in an East German prison.

Beautiful, spiritual.

A difficult listen and I wasn’t in the mood for such unsettling music today.

Nothing left to say that hasn’t been said.

A good Morrissey effort here.

This is almost too fly for this white guy. Love it!

Really great!

I know I should love this, but I just like it. Sometimes a bit dull.

Great glam sound.

Incredible performance, underrated masterpiece. One of the best.

Great but to my ears the 80’s production impacts the potential for five stars.

Hmmm…interesting.

Really good. I somehow missed out on this back in the day.

A few good songs here…

Sublime, beautiful.

Wonderful

Very nice.

Good stuff here from Sweet Willie.

What to say? Don’t play Stairway at the guitar shop?

Excellent

Fabulous!

I really enjoyed this underrated album.

Very nice.

Odd, massive.

Loved this.

Magnificent!

Catchy, jazzy hip hop.

Okay but not notable for me.

Beautiful!

Perhaps the greatest live album of all time.

Salsa is not really my gig. I’m sure that many enjoy this type of music.

unlistenable.

Incredible, vulnerable, powerful, heartwarming.

I had never heard of this album, let alone the band. This is a work of parody, camp, and novelty, aptly named. Though novelty or camp doesn’t connect with my musical soul, this is novelty on the grandest scale. In fact in a way this work seduced me much like its namesake, Casanova himself seduced his patrons and lovers. Rather than feeling ripped off or violated, I feel rather satisfied by the experience of listening to this album.

Excellent!

Pleasant and chill, but not the most compelling jazz I’ve ever heard. Still a very nice listen.

It’s great groovy stuff.

Majestic, brilliant.

Lovely, rich, and textured sounds. Sometimes dark lyrics. Sad fate for this tortured man.

Incredible!

Mysterious rock-gospel-country-soul. I do believe the hype. This is one of my favorite timeless albums of all time.

pretty good, needs another listen

A very good album!

A punky poppy masterpiece!

Pretty good embryonic Who. But oh boy is My Generation a masterpiece, which elevates this album to 4 stars for me.

Silly boys. I’m from the area where this band started. I was too young when the band was playing gigs in the South Bay, and I’m too old now.

Not bad, still wondering why this album is so essential.

Incredible. Listen once, twice, then again.

Kind of stupid, kind of awesome. Good beats but minus one star for ridiculous levels of over the top sexism.

Sweet vocals, great band.

Stunning!

Beautiful

Maybe one of the best recorded albums I’ve ever heard.

Despite comparisons with the Smiths, this didn’t grab me. Meh. Will give it a generous three stars and will listen again sometime.

A boring, jumbled, rambling mess. I’ll skip the cartoons too.

Generic gangsta rap to my ears.

Nice poppy punky music

A really good album, classic tunes and an early 80’s touchstone.

Okay

I like.

I’ve overlooked this album in the past, but wow, just wow!

Some wonderful tunes and sounds, and a precursor of amazing things to come. By no means is this a great album.

No, just no.

Superb.

Lotsa fun with Lemmy !

Damn good! Love the old school arrangements and drums almost as much as Amy’s incredible vocals.

Some great moments here! I miss being exposed to this type of socially aware hip hop.

Obscure for sure, but groovy and cool.

Mamma Mia, this is epic!

Good but not essential for me.

I didn’t like this.

Interesting music.

I could have really hated this, but surprisingly I didn’t. Something interesting going on with the arrangements and instrumentation.

First, since this isn’t streamable I had to hunt it down on YouTube. Second, once I started listening my mind drifted off to some generic 90’s dance dreamscape. The music was neither great nor terrible, but I did not engage. And I sort of listened to several YouTube ads thinking it was part of a song.

Beautiful, especially the ballads.

A classic and a favorite.

Good intellectual synth-pop.

Surprisingly good, excellent arrangements.

A classic.

Wow, how interesting and unusual. After a second listen this is growing on me.

Interesting, diverse.

Cool and catchy.

Incredibly beautiful.

Very, very good!

I miss this style of hip hop.

Truly interesting and innovative for the time.

The Monkees were actually pretty cool

I love Johnny Cash and saw him perform many times. This was a fine album to close out his career. Some 5 star songs but a few that were slightly corny.

All great, no filler!

Actually I sort of tolerated this, strangely.

Great!

Very good, better than expected

I still really like this, some of the 80’s production/sounds sound a bit flat.

Quirky and cool

Yo, Kanye, I'm really happy for your shit career, but Beyoncé and Taylor kick your lame ass.

Cool and dark

Some very cool tunes that I had not heard before.

Incredible

This is a masterpiece, despite the sadness of much of the subject material and ultimately the fate of the artist.

This was excellent; I hadn’t heard it before

Good but not for me. One extra star for the positive messages.

Cool and funky

Dope

Complex, dark and light, textured, diverse.

I didn’t make it through the first few songs. Off to pop a few ibuprofen.

Some lovely moments.

Incredibly boring.

Too violent and dark for my taste.

Just okay, didn’t grab me.

Cool

Kool

Interesting

Very nice

Wow, this is epic. Underrated masterpiece.

Groovy

Excruciatingly terrible.

U2 seems to trigger many people these days, but this album is a sonic and creative triumph.

Sprawling and impressive with a few of the best songs ever written.

Edgy

One of the greatest singers of all time.

I really wanted to give this two stars due to the songs not being all that compelling. After my third listen I will acknowledge this album’s place - influencing other 80’s bands and albums that I do really like. OK, one extra star for being influential.

I want to like this less than I do.

Super cool!

A few excellent songs here, vocals are distinctive.

Exhilarating!

Need to spend more time on this one - challenging subject material.

A great album with a few of the greatest songs ever written.

Good album with a few standout classics.

Pretty kool

I actually liked a few of these songs, and even the worst Butthole Surfers song is better than the best Kid Rock song. Enthusiastic 2 stars.

Meh

Surprisingly awesome!

Stunning!

Good live hippy music.

Very nice music.

Excellent vibe.

Never really a fan of Aerosmith, but this really impressed me and opened my ears.

Pleasant, heartfelt, and good as wimpy background music.

Was kind of a jumble. Need to re-listen when my wife isn’t around. By the way she hated it.

Another gem from Joni.

Funky and cool, but not terribly original.

Groovy hippy easy listening with a few great songs.

Solid album with many fantastic tracks!

I think I want to love this but not quite there.

Excellent Celtic-punk!

The metal album that is Practically Perfect in every way. Damn, those songs are fire.

Good, need to spend more time with this.

Fantastic!

A complete classic from the South Bay!

Incredible

Hard hitting blues by one of the masters.

Huh. I like ambient but this was just dull dredge. Simultaneously boring and painful to endure. Now that I’ve heard it before I die, I will endeavor to do good works, hopefully avoiding being tortured by this album in the afterlife. Haunted Dancehall approaches the horror of a Kid Rock album. Don’t worry Kid, you are still at the bottom of the list, but The Sabres of Paradise are right there in your rear view mirror.

Sorry but only three stars for me. Good, not great. Proto-punk yes. But much of actual punk was so much better.

Good, well produced.

Monotonous wimpy 80’s sounds, while not unpleasant it is not compelling or interesting listening. Maybe there’s some good Marxist or anarchism messages hidden beneath the milquetoast vocals.

A product of its times, with Dylan-like voicing hooking up with The Animals. Oh so extremely cool. The sounds are garage amateurish yet brilliant and timeless.

Amazing album!

This is a good album. Though I am a child of the 80’s I do not recall listening to this album. For me Talk Talk had already peaked a few years before. Giving this a generous 4 stars with intent to listen again.

A great first album for a band that went on to change music.

Cool stuff here.

A joy

Awesome!

I had never heard of this band nor this album. I loved it! Sounded like The Damned meet Cheap Trick!

Invokes a mood that is hard to describe.

NOOOOOOO! What a mistake to include this disaster of an album on this list. It’s in reality an album that the Devil spins on his Crosley turntable over and over for eternity, after you die and are sent to hell.

Strangely, although I didn’t have any memory of hearing this album previously, a few songs jogged my remembrance of being a very young kid listening to KROQ in Los Angeles in the very early 80’s. This is a good one that I’ll have to revisit.

What a classic!

Excellent well produced album!

Solid

Great album

Great album!

Stellar.

A latter day rock classic!

I appreciate the interesting and experimental nature of this album, but it didn’t move me as others in this general genre or era. Will give it another chance.

Dope

Weird and great.

Loved this!

One of the greats.

Excellent, jazzy, need to listen again.

Wonderful! Listened three times and this album really grew on me!

Classic rock radio staple, always a good listen.

Classic rock radio staple, always a good listen.

Surprisingly cool. I enjoyed much of this album.

Based on the small amount of familiarity that I previously had regarding this band, I had pretty low expectations. However, this album had its moments. I appreciate how this early psychedelic experiment may have influenced bands and artists that I really love.

I think there’s something deeper here, but hasn’t quite grabbed me after two listens.

Great energy and vibe! What a voice too.

Nice voice. Song quality varied from silly novelty songs to songs of more substance. Groundbreaking nonetheless.

Some great synth-pop here, also some songs seemed very similar and marginally repetitive.

Still chilling, thrilling, and timeless. How can the Cure tow us all into worlds of gloom and despair one moment, and into light, color, and joy the next?

Not bad.

Absolutely stunning and amazing!

I guess that I should be loving this, but at least I like it, other SD albums do a bit more for me.

Mixed feelings looking back on this album which I appreciated in my youth, despite my disdain for pop at that time. Timeless songs and performances.

Solidly average.