Some cool songs, some really tough ones. And Time After Time is a stone-cold classic, of course, but I still like it better when someone else is singing. Sorry, Cyndi.

Very quickly learning that if there is a UK band I've never heard of on the list, it's for a good reason. There is absolutely no reality in which it was necessary to listen to this, ever. 2 stars for being shit, -1 for wasting my damn time.

I'm not super into rap but this was charming in how much of a throwback it was. I do like that 90's-mid 2000's style a lot more than what is popular now. even when the sound was relatively stripped back, the rap was holding a rhythm you could groove to - not so much the case with today. Obviously this was hugely influential - I could hear Salt N Pepa, Lauryn Hill, Dr Dre's "The Next Episode". Maybe I should check out some more Wu-Tang.

My 4th grade jam - just completely etched into my brain. The hits still hit, You Oughta Know is the banger to end all bangers, but the fillers are pretty filler-y.

Ok I guess. Not sure I'm into 25 minute long improvisational pieces.

Haven't listened to this one in a while. Short and sweet, gets in, rocks your head off, and goes. 4 stars for the album, 5 stars for Maps.

Slower and less fun than I thought it would be

This went down easy. With or Without You still rules.

Is there merit here? Sure. Do I like Billy Joel? No.

it's ok

Like a rock band doing the Wiggles

Another one that I had and haven't listened to in forever. 3.5

Not convinced that this needed to be on the list. Funeral eats Neon Bible's lunch.

neat

Why are you booing me? I'm right.

The fake radio show bit is incredibly annoying. The hip hop is so dated it's hard to take seriously - like the wholesome interstitial music of a nineties educational children's show. I don't understand why the last track was suddenly a hoe-down.

Great Christmas album! Still a Christmas album.

Why is 80s music so fucking tinny?

A little too theatrical for me but pretty good.

kept me bopping along but also didn't really grab me

There is something so goofy about this. A fake rock band for a broadway musical about count from sesame street.

Very quickly learning that if there is a UK band I've never heard of on the list, it's for a good reason. There is absolutely no reality in which it was necessary to listen to this, ever. 2 stars for being shit, -1 for wasting my damn time.

Ok, but I don't see what's really special about this. I thought I didn't know any of these songs but I do know "Alright". I like the singles from the 99 album better.

ok. 2.5

Flashes of something special but it didn't fully come together for me. Bold as Love was my fave by a lot. 3.5 stars.

I liked Explain it To Me the first time I heard it, and I still do. The rest is fine.

Expected to hate this, but it's not bad. Not my taste, though.

Do I hate new wave? Maybe I hate new wave.

Ooh those harmonies.

I don't get it.

3.5 What's with all the fucking skits? Kanye is very talented, shame he's such a shitty person.

2.5 Fine, I guess. Lots of covers of songs done better by other people. The lead's voice is annoying. If this is supposedly better than the Rolling Stones album, why is that also on the list? Why are there also 5 more Rolling Stones albums on the list? 1001 albums to cover the entire breadth of all music released from the beginning of time, and we have to listen to 5-10 albums each of this guy's favorite 15 bands. I'm sure I will get angrier about this as I move forward.

Did they invent 90s rock? This almost rules - like 2 inches away from being actually good. 3.99999

Thought I would like this more than I did. Apparently the good version of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" is by Marvin Gaye. 2.5

I wanted to be blown away by this but mostly found it pleasant and sleepy. Track 2 got a bit too repetitive in the middle, but the end was a whole Explosions in the Sky type vibe.

I don't hate this but I also don't particularly want to listen to it. 2.5

I've listened to this 4 times now and there's still something that's not quite clicking. I want to like this more than I do! I love This Woman's Work! I love all the Kate Bush-inspired girlies! Unfortunately I think it's that 80's production holding it back for me. I'll probably keep trying though.

I liked it, but I had to listen to some of it a few times because it kept slipping through my ears while I was working. I wish it had a little more KAPOW. 3.5

oh yeah

Wow, the first band I knew nothing about that I felt really excited listening to. Track 1 rules, and imagine my surprise to hear a Sleigh Bells riff on track 2. I thought the first half was stronger, though.

That sure was some honky tonk. 2.5

Cheesy but still kind of fun. Felt like the blueprint for a lot of 80s rock.

Could use a little more melody with the noise. 2.5

OK

Some cool songs, some really tough ones. And Time After Time is a stone-cold classic, of course, but I still like it better when someone else is singing. Sorry, Cyndi.

Beatles albums should be here. This? I don't think so. 2.5

Completely makes sense that the wiki entry is 3 sentences. How is this a significant release? 2.5

Fine, but I've heard this done better dozens of times.

Groovy but also much too long. Most of it is missing that particular Beatles twinkle but it's way better than Imagine.

Soooo old-school, the record scratching kind of cracked me up. The beats were pretty great, though. Fun! 3.5

This guy is clearly good at what he does. But it's not for me. 2.5

His voice is not my fave. I like it better when it's more folky and less honky tonk.

A LOT all at once, but so many classics here. All I'm missing is Weapon of Choice.

If you want some jazzy crooning, Sinatra's your guy.

This was kind of a weird one for me. Not really what I expected.

ehhhhh. Isn't Surfer Rosa the one I should be listening to?

Side A rules, Side B not so much. How come nobody told me Isaac Hayes invented trip hop in 1969???

CCR doing what they do.

Pretty mellow, but kind of in one ear out the other.

You know what you need to listen to before you die? A bunch of jackasses vamping on their guitars for twenty minutes at a time. Live!

Well now I know who to blame for that fucking lime in the coconut song. 2.5

Kind of like if Elvis was a country singer. 3.5

The good parts sound like old-school 40s and 50s jazz, so why wouldn't I just listen to that?

Jesus Christ, this and Grateful Dead in one week? At least I made it all the way through this one. 2.5

The opener and closer are the best songs the Stones have ever done. The rest is not that interesting. 3.5

Nick Drake is better.

Pleasant enough, but hookless, and so completely overshadowed by OK Computer it's not even funny. You don't have to put 5 of every band's albums on the list!! You can just do the best one! 3.5

It's good, but I get tired after 2 Bob Marley songs in a row. 3.5

When your lead singer sounds like that you think you'd do a bit more to cover it up but w/e 2.5

let's boogie

Those repetitive horn and whistle sounds are excruciating

not my thing but ok

Maybe this was more interesting in 1993 but I don't think it belongs on this list.

I know this guy from remixes and collabs, but I've never heard his solo work. Chill, but is it special?

Parachutes, they could never make me hate you

fine

The band that dares to ask: what if the Strokes, but worse?