1001 Albums Summary

I had no expectation of enjoying this album so much. The breadth of music genres coexisting throughout this work is brilliant and refreshing. What a treat!

She's a massive talent, incredible voice and vocal range and a great songwriter..The production is just a bit too slick for me. Not my cup of tea.

I don't know how or why I missed this one.

To my mind, this pales in comparison to The Dark Side of the Moon, but still a great album.

Musically simple and uninteresting. Lyrically puerile. Just bored me.

Well constructed. Great rock & roll.

I don't know how this album made it onto the list. His first album after getting out of the Army and all the magic is gone. His voice is still there, but the rawness and passion is gone.

Killer album! Every cut is a classic. So many rockers owe so much to this guy.

Powerful. Loved it.

I think this album defined their sound for the remainder of their career. My five favorite Rolling Stones albums all predated this one, but I still think Exile is genius and it deserves no less than five stars. I could listen to Sweet Black Angel all day long.

Soft pop. Lethargic, boring and uninspired.

What a brilliant and beautiful album! The rich and dense vocals, complex rhythms and overall musicality make this a joyful listening experience. OMG!

I loved this album when it came out. Still love Bohemian Rhapsody. Unfortunately, I no longer get much enjoyment from their music. Brian May is an amazing guitarist and Freddy Mercury was a brilliant singer.

Simple, persistent, heavy rhythms. Minimal harmonic progressions. Ethereal keyboard backgrounds. I assume this is what fans are drawn to. This is not a negative appraisal of the music. It's just not for me.

I guess this is the progenitor of all the great progressive groups that would appear in the next few years. Such talented and inventive musicians would add to the canon of King Crimson and continue to produce great music up to the present day.

I liked a few of the songs, but there were many that just sounded like first take demos. Minimalism has its place, but these tunes just bored me.

Uninteresting Uninspiring Unimaginative Simplistic Boring

I can see why these guys made such a big splash and became so influential. This is some powerful music with a whole lot to say.

I enjoyed this very much. Great songwriting. Interesting melodic lines, harmonies and syncopation. It just had a very unique feel. Love it!

Straight ahead rock. Did not do anything for me. I think it's simple and boring. Not for me.

Not much here for me. Different spin.

Great album. Too bad he threw it all away due to his drug habit. One of the most important things he did was discovering Emmylou Harris.

John Fogerty is very talented and the driving force behind Creedence. Too bad the boys couldn’t get along. He wrote some great songs, but I never felt compelled to buy any of their music. It was/is Ho hum to me.

Quite enjoyed this one.

very funny. Beautiful music.

All these years later and I still find them lacking. Can’t put my finger on it.

Good writing. Great energy. Interesting musically. I’m only 30+ years late in discovering her, but I’m happy I did.

Simple, straightforward, head banging punk. “Let’s Dance” is my favorite. Otherwise, ultimately bores me.

Elvis lost me when he joined the Army. The Colonel sabotaged his career, putting him some mostly awful movies and making other bad career choices for him. Elvis' voice is still powerful here, but the music and arrangements never let him cut loose like he was capable of. The Army robbed Elvis of his "kick ass."

Well done, but too repetitive for me.

Excessive, soulless drivel.

This album is wonderful! Musically sophisticated, lyrically insightful beyond her years. Stellar through and through.

This album has not aged well for me. I remember being ambivalent about it at the time. I enjoyed some of it, but was mostly underwhelmed. I guess I feel the same about his entire oeuvre.

Great blend of hip hop, funk, jazz, electro-pop and more. This is a very interesting and listenable album. I can see why it's rated so high.

Some good to great songwriting. Some good to great rockers. I found it derivative. So much had already been said. It did not captivate me.

I haven't played this for many years, but listening to it now is like hearing from an old friend. Still hear the joy he felt after breaking away from the Beatles and unleashing all the great music he had stored up. I would give this five stars but for the unnecessary and self-indulgent inclusion of the boring jam on the third disc. Oh, well. He'd been anxious to break away from the stifling atmosphere of the Fab Four for a long time. So, a little self-indulgence may have been warranted and, certainly, forgiven.

Not what I expected. Just great balls to the wall rock. If this is death metal, then I like it.

Never liked heavy metal. Musicianship is undeniable, but it doesn't do anything for me.

Great album! I think the Nelson Riddle arranged albums are his best.

Great songwriting and unique and interesting arrangements and aural landscapes. I need to spend more time with album. Love it.

I remember what a big deal this was for a major artist to make a live album at a high security prison. The group played well, but Johnny's acoustic guitar was horribly out of tune when he played solo. Weird someone in his group didn't whisper in his ear. But, his unique voice, songs and performance shine through.

Languid and spiritless.

Pleasant enough album. I like Man On The Moon, but everything else doesn't move me.

Every time I hear Green Onions I feel bliss. This album opened me up to a whole new world of music. Takes me back to the best part of my youth. Thank you Booker T & The MGs.

Noise, Noise, Noise. That about sums it up for me. Didn't like it.

Sloppy, unengaging writing and performance.

The musicianship is good and the music is often funky. But, the insipid string lines floating above are the reason I thought disco was so soulless.

Getz and Byrd nailed it on this one. Every tune is a delight. I was too young to appreciate this in 1962. But, when I started delving into jazz a few years later, this Brazilian influenced jazz really caught my ear. Just brilliant!

Just great, kick ass rock and roll. Sorry I didn't listen to this in its day.

I love Bono's voice and the Edge's atmospheric guitar sound. Great listening.

I've enjoyed some of Coldplay's music, but this didn't impress me.

I didn't pay much attention to the Beau Brummels back in the day. This album just seems dated psychedelia to me now. Interesting contributions from Van Dyke Parks and Randy Newman. The use of French horns and bass trombone is interesting as well. One of the horn players, Gale Robinson, was my teacher for a short time in the early 70s. Who knew?

I loved the Doors. This has some great tunes and performances and some that are fairly weak. I collected all of the Doors albums and, unfortunately, they were all uneven. But, when they shined they were untouchable.

I didn't like CCR then and still don't like them. This first album sounds like a second rate garage band. I've had to suffer through three of their albums so far. I'm sure there's more to come.

Enjoyable album. Lot of great songs, great playing, singing and loads of humor. Love it.

I love Steve Earle's music. I hadn't heard this one before, but I'll be listening to it again. He's a such a great writer and performer.

Just an amazing album. He's a genius.

Great rock'n'roll. Gotta love it!

Great vocals, beautiful and funky songs, incredible productions. Magnificent!!

The first side of this album is great with four very strong Top 40 hits. Turn the record over and it just (imo) peters out. I guess that's the reason I was never a huge fan of the Eagles. I always felt their output to be very inconsistent.

Tight band. Their music just doesn't do anything for me.

This is powerful music. I didn't give it a fair chance when it came out. Which is a real shame because it is so brilliant, insightful and moving. But, I love and appreciate it now.

Doing his full on Anthony Newley voice here. More piano based. I enjoyed it, but not my favorite Bowie.

This iteration of Fleetwood Mac was horrible. Christine McVie was its only saving grace. She could sing and wrote decent tunes. Otherwise, they were rubbish. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac was a brilliant and memorable band. I never understood this band's attraction.

When I started listening to this, I thought it was sounding fairly uninteresting. But, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I love Turner's lyrics and delivery (love his Sheffield accent) and the band kicks. I'm sure their live performances must be exciting and fun.

Great album! Dando writes insightful songs and has a great voice. Too bad he got taken down by substance abuse.

Unfortunately, I've never even heard of these guys. What a pleasant surprise! A collection of really thoughtful, well-written, well-played and engaging tunes. Sometimes psychedelic, grunge, and hard rock played to perfection.

Beautiful album. Nina was such a powerful singer, performer and activist. This album is very moving. Love it.

I get nothing from this music. To me, it is completely lacking in warmth and soul. I acknowledge and appreciate their musicianship, but it just sounds lifeless to me.

The orchestration and lyrics were a bit busy, clunky and disjointed. Nothing seemed to flow. A very talented artist, but this was disappointing effort.

Great artist! Great album! She had some of the top musicians and producers on this date. She kills it, as always. Overcame a hard life and an asshole husband and blessed us all with her gift. Thank you, Tina!

What a great album! Another artist I missed completely. I don't know how to describe his music other than singular. Coming from the British folk tradition of the sixties, he then drew from Jamaican music, jazz, funk, blues and developed a new style of music all his own. Now I'm going to have to explore his entire catalog. What a happy surprise!

I can't deny his talent, but I've never enjoyed his music. It lacks dynamism, depth, tension. Sounds contrived to me.

An amazing album! His classic albums made during 70s are the epitome of creative songwriting, performance and production. I haven't listened to this in ages. I need to get back to his catalog. This music fills my heart with joy. Love you, Stevie.

The original album was issued in 1956 with 12 tracks (6 more than offered here) with the two bonus tracks added in 1957. I love Fats Domino, but this is kind of weak.

Incredible singing with tight harmonies, great production and all-around wonderful performances throughout. A pleasure to listen to, although this type of music is not my go to genre. That being said, "Happy Face" lifts my spirits high. I'll be adding that to my Happy Tunes playlist.

I'm just not a fan of a lot of Southern rock. This just bores me.

Great album! So much more here than I expected. I didn't like punk in general, so didn't even give this a listen at the time. How wrong I was! This is just fantastic rock and roll. It covers so many styles of r'n'r and does them all well. Wish I didn't have such a closed mind.

Great playing. Unfortunately, it’s just noise to me.

Utterly soulless. The Carpenters were very talented, but this music is cringe-worthy.

Drum machines, insipid disco strings, monotonous rhythms and vocals. It's all great and appropriate for dancing and dance clubs. So, it's perfect for that. But, I never went to dance clubs because I don't enjoy dancing. So, this music just bores me.

Generic pop rock. Pleasant enough.

Brother Ray could do no wrong! This is perfection. Love it!

All of Stevie’s albums in the 70s were part of my constant listening during that decade. So much consistently brilliant music from this phenomenal musician. Every song on this album is genius.

This, mostly, sounds to me like incidental soundtrack music. Pleasant enough, but it’s not very interesting.

Great album. I didn't listen to it back then and I don't know why. Probably because it wasn’t given much airplay in the U.S. I was too lazy back then. What a shame.

Sophisticated rap, great writing, wonderful grooves and Ron Carter to boot. Great listening to start my day.

What a wonderful album. Jack's guitar sound is so biting and sensual. It just amazes me the sounds and textures he brings out of his guitar. Meg's minimalist drumming is so solid and vital. The album is a joy to listen to.

Formulaic, bombastic, soulless. Maybe just victim of some of the more excessive progressive rock trends of their time. Brian May’s brilliant guitar chops were wasted here. Plenty of talent throughout this band, but it got lost in marginal music.

Hated this album, and Punk in general, when it came out. Now it strikes me as just great, basic, honest, in your face rock’n’roll.

I liked Isaac Hayes, but this album is kind of ponderous and lackluster. Not a whole lot of excitement here.

Chaotic, intense, loud, repetitive. Ultimately, boring. I enjoyed listening to this once. There will be no repeat listenings.

Great musician, composer, arranger. But, this is mostly tedious. And drum machines are like fingernails on a blackboard to me. A few listenable songs is the most I can say.

This is a beautiful, soulful album. When this was released, I remember being so blown away by her beautiful voice and stunning arrangements. She has continued making great albums through the years and she just keeps getting better.

Very intense throughout. Some of it loud, angry, negative, brutal. Other times introspective, sensitive, beautiful. I could listen to this again to find more. But, mostly, it’s too dark for me.

Back to basics rock. Influences seem to come from early white rock. Very New York attitude and sound. Pleasantly listenable.

I just love Jack's guitar playing, so raw and punchy. This is basic rock and roll at its best.

Interesting, unique orchestrations. Not what I expected at all. I need to listen to more of their work. Nice surprise.

Brilliant album. Brilliant group. The best rock and roll music ever. I love everything they did. In my mind, no one can top them.

The vocals are weak and the musical arrangements are simplistic and unimaginative. Not very engaging. It just strikes me as weak pop. Disappointing.

Beautiful album. Almost forty years after it was first attempted by the Beach Boys, Brian finally finished his masterpiece. Most of these tunes send shivers down my spine.

What a great band! Too bad this first iteration of the group imploded so quickly. Gram Parsons just couldn’t get out of his own way. Chris Hillman never got enough recognition for his contribution to country rock. I’ve closely followed his career from The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers to the Byrds, FBB, The Desert Rose Band and all his solo work.

Johnny’s last album released during his lifetime. A moving recording at the end of his illustrious career. This a heartfelt and beautiful record. His voice and dilivery are still strong and emotive. Love it.

Nice album. Straight rock and roll. Got a little repetitive and mundane for me, but an enjoyable listen.

Repetitive drones, killer guitar riffs, boring drives that morph into decent tunes, uplifting songs about heroin use, sometimes evoking Pink Floyd, but being less clever, ...I like it, but probably won’t listen again.

Another trendsetting album from Bowie. You could never identify him with any particular musical niche. He was forever changing it up. Bringing in Brian Eno and Toni Visconti was just genius.

I hadn't heard this album before. I'm just amazed at the soundscapes Tweedy puts together. Just genius. Love it.

I was all over this album in 1973. Herbie was at the forefront of the jazz/funk/rock fusion movement at the time and Head Hunters was blasting from every turntable. Chameleon and Watermelin Man were ubiquitous. Sounds somewhat dated now, but still an innovative move forward at the time. Herbie is one of my top musical heroes.

What a perfect voice. She nailed every one of these songs. Over three hours of beauty.

A strong voice, but often grating to me. At other times it forceful and adds great emotion and strength to her songwriting. Unfortunately, her music comes off as a bit to self indulgent for my tastes.

Great voice. Very emotive. I just don't like synth-pop.

I've always been a big fan of James Taylor. Great songwriter, guitar player and singer. But, although this is a very good album, I don't think he had hit his stride yet. For me, that wouldn't happen until a few albums later. That being said, this is still a brilliant album.

I like his music and this is a good album. I saw him in concert a few years ago. He puts on a great show and his band can't be beat. That being said, this particular album did not rock my world.

He has a beautiful, powerful voice. The music is simple, but very emotive. The overall soundscape is moving. I liked it to a degree, but not enough for repeated listening.

She was a great musician and songwriter, but her voice was not that good (especially her upper register). Nevertheless, other artists interpreted her songs to great effect. For that alone, she gets 4 stars.

Brilliant! Genius! One of my favorite albums of all time. I get chills every time I listen to this. Sadly, Brian is gone now, but he left us with little slice of Heaven.

I like the music because it’s good rock and roll. I do not care for Morrissey’s voice. It’s just dull.

The music, lyrics, performance are all subpar. Didn’t like it. I can understand why teenage outsiders would strongly relate to this, but it doesn’t move me.

I don’t find anything worthwhile in this music. But, after listening to many albums over the past few months, I’ve come to the realization that the parameters I have set for what’s good music are extremely narrow. I’ll listen to something that I think is completely useless, then ask someone what they think of it and be told that it was a life-altering event for them. I just wish I could be more open to varying types of music. I’m going to try to be more open.

One of my favorite Joni Mitchell albums. Deep, introspective songwriting and stunning musical arrangements are helped along with some of the best musicians around. Jaco Pastorius’ fretless bass playing is always a delight to hear. Beautiful album.

Great rock’n’roll band. Too bad chart success evaded them due to bad decisions on their part. Enjoyed this quite a bit.

Interesting album. Lauryn Hill has such a great voice. “Fuck the sheriff, I shot John Wayne.” Classic. Love it.

This is a classic. Considered one of the best jazz albums ever. I agree. Brilliant from start to finish. Brubeck was a trailblazer and just a very fine person. This album makes me believe there is still hope for us wretched humans. God bless you, Dave Brubecj.

I love this album. Ambient, funky, beautiful music. Eno is always interesting and forward thinking.

The lyrics are juvenile, the musical accompaniment is unchallenging/puerile and her voice isn’t particularly pleasing. This is really boring. It’s kind of like The Carpenters if they’d used a steel guitar. Or like most Nasville country music these days.

Great album! Great rock’n’roll! The songwriting is clever. The band sound really kicks it. I’m surprised they didn’t have a longer career.

Nice songwriting. Just didn’t grab me.

I remember listening to this when it was first released and gaining a new appreciation and admiration for Willie’s talent. He’s not just a great Country star, but a genuinely stellar musician. Five stars!

Lush harmonies, great musicianship and good songwriting are there. Unfortunately, it all started sounding the same after a couple of songs and I lost interest.

Not much to say, except I really enjoyed listening to this. It’s out of my wheelhouse, but it’s interesting musically, intelligent and has a consistent and great groove. Love it.

This album blew my socks off back in 1972. Still does. Such brilliant and unique songwriting and arrangements. Newman’s wicked and biting sense of humor floors me. The best.

I find nothing the least bit interesting or musical about this. I like some prog rock, but this ain't it. Full disclosure, I find giving any acknowledgement or credence to Ayn Rand extremely offensive.

They really switched it up by Jimmy going more acoustic guitar centered on this one. And John Paul Jones shows off his great talent as a multi instrumentalist. Just a brilliant album!

"Hello! This is Mega Company, Inc. Your call is important to us. All of our agents are busy assisting other customers. Your call will be answered in the order it was received. Thank you for your patience." And then this music starts playing. Maybe I could relate to it if I enjoyed dancing. But, I don't. This is just bad elevator music to me. Insipid, boring, uninspired, repetitive, mind-numbing...I could go on. This is the first album I couldn't make it through. Life is too short!

So this is emo. So many music styles I never listened to. This has been a real education for me. This album is very interesting musically with its odd time signatures, polyrhythms, outside melodies and lyrics. Little too intense for my tastes, but intriguing nonetheless. Well played, boys!

Very talented musicians. I just don't care for most heavy metal. The studio album is listenable. But, like a lot of live albums, this one is muddy.

This was Johnny at the height of his popularity. Seems dated to me now, but this is where I began to have a greater appreciation for country music and other types of music. I was just listening to rock and pop. Then I started hearing Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Anton Dvorak and others. My musical palette exploded. Thank you Johnny.

Tragedy that he died so young and needlessly. This is a very good album. He was a very talented musician. Some of these songs are a little too pop oriented for me, but the heavier rock songs are killer.

Another incredible artist and album I totally missed. This is country at its best. Real. Not Nashville. I need to go back and listen to his entire catalog.

Visceral. Intense. Engaging. At times, beautiful. "In the End" is my favorite tune. I can see why they became huge from the beginning. Can't say it won me over, but I'll listen again.

I expected to be more impressed. Didn't do anything for me.

This sure didn't age well. Starts with a couple of great rockers, followed by some horrible psychelia, then a couple of nice blues tunes. An album with four decent tunes and seven stinkers does not belong on this list. Sad.

What a brilliant album! White goes in so many different musical styles and he inhabits them all so effectively. I especially enjoy Little Willie John's "I'm Shakin'".

Springsteen is right up there with Bob Dylan and John Prine in his genius of writing about and for the Everyman. His writing is simple and cuts right to the bone. This album is genius.

I bought this album when it came out in 1970. Didn't like it then. Don't like it now. They did create the template for heavy metal, but this pales to the explosive bombast that the genre became. This is no more than heavy rock. The band members are all very good musicians. But, I just don't find any emotional intensity in any of it. RIP Ozzy.

Fantastic album! A return to form after several years of sub par albums. Dylan reminds me of Miles Davis in his penchant for changing his musical approach and, in so doing, moving music into new and exciting directions. Or some such bullshit.

Nice album. Great writing and musicianship. Just bored me.

What a classic! I forgot there were so many brilliant and well known tunes on this album. A true innovator.

Interesting music and timbres. Excellent musicianship. But, it got a bit repetitive after awhile.

She was a powerhouse singer. This is an iconic album. Every song is perfect. But, until now, I never paid enough attention to Richard Bell’s piano playing. It just fits perfectly and adds as much to the funky feel of the album as Joplin’s singing. The whole band is a monster.

I rejected hip-hop out of hand when it first appeared because I didn’t understand it. My understanding began to change when I heard this music in Spike Lee films. I began to recognize its significance, relevance and beauty as a musical form. Listening to this for the first time free of my former biases made me realize how much I was missing. This is a beautiful album.

This was the first Rolling Stones album that really knocked my socks off. However, this was one instance that I like the U.S. over the UK version. But, I could never understand why the U.S. companies edited the UK versions to make an extra buck. That aside, this had some brilliant tunes-Mother's Little Helper, Lady Jane, Under My Thumb, Paint It Black (on the U.S. version). But, the two tunes that still kill me every time are Flight 505 and High and Dry.

Bottom line-I just don't like Morrissey's voice. It sounds whiney and lacks finesse. The songs are well written, the music is performed well. In the end, I just find them bland.

Decent rock and roll, but her voice is so annoying to me. Don’t like this at all.

Hybrid of rock and electronic music. It works well. Sonically pleasing. Intelligent without being overbearing. I can see why this did so well.

Not what I expected. I thought they would be more heavy metal. Just sounds like high-powered, guitar driven rock’n’roll to me. I’m impressed. Well done.

Pedestrian music. Sophomoric lyrics. Rocks pretty hard, but does not move me at all.

I have so much respect for this guy. Besides being a great musician and musical innovator, he was just a good, selfless human being. Can’t say enough good about this man and his music.

I love this album. Ice-Ts lyrics are so intelligent and thought provoking. And his music is so sophisticated and refreshing. I didn’t know he also does heavy metal. “Body Count” is amazing! His brilliant quote, “I feel sorry for anyone who only listens to one form of music“ is so true. I have to constantly remind myself that every kind of music has meaning and connects with someone. And if I don’t like it, tough shit. If it connects with someone, it’s wonderful and worthwhile music.

She is so incredibly talented. Tying together so many music genres in every outing. She never ceases to amaze me. And her voice just gives me chills and thrills of delight.

It’s just painful noise to me. Medley: A.D.I./Horror of It All began with some subtlety, but descended quickly into bombast. Yuck!

This is the first Springsteen album that got me to start listening seriously to what he was doing. Great music, great writing and seriously great rock’n’roll.

After all these years, I still deeply regret the untimely death of such a great artist. He was just getting started. In this album, he had almost totally moved beyond psychedelia and into blues rock and later into straight blues. Who knows where he would have gone, but I’m sure it would have been earth shattering.

Very slick. Great voice. Great songwriter. She’s a very talented musician. But, the production is just too over-produced for my tastes.

I enjoyed this back in the day, but it’s dated now. Simple, well written tunes. Dated, hippie worldview that I embraced at the time. Seems quaint now. But, he hit the mark for his time. I still enjoy some of the tunes.

I liked some of the music. But not enough to think it deserved to be on this list.

Another great artist lost to substance abuse. She brought together soul, r&b and jazz and made a powerful mix that was brilliant. She left a lot. She could have done do much more. What a shame.

Raw and in your face. Sorta tame compared with what was to follow, but unique and shocking for its time. To me, it’s just simple hard rock’n’roll not played very well.

Their five albums between 1979 and 1983 were some of my favorite rock albums of all time. But, this album was the first that got me hooked. Andy Summers is one of my favorite guitarists. Such brilliant melodic ideas and great finesse.

As innovating as their virtual artistry may be, their music is mind-numbingly boring.

I like this. Great writing and musicianship. Rock ‘n’ roll, electronica, ambient sounds, psychedelia and more. Kept me interested throughout the album.

Wonderful album. Religious songs on Side 1 and love songs on Side 2. Bob's vocals are brilliant and the band smokes. Thoroughly enjoyable listening.

Brilliant horn arrangements, tasty guitar licks (love those wah-wah pedals), great vocals and insightful social commentary all make for a wonderful album.

Electro-pop. Drum machines, mind-numbing repetitiveness. This music has its place. Just not anywhere near me.

One of the greatest live (although some of it was recorded in the studio) Ellington big band albums ever. Ellington, Cat Anderson, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Clark Terry, and more of the biggest names in jazz at the time. This album revitalized Ellington's career and he stayed at the top of his game for the rest of his life. Brilliant!

This is a group of really talented musicians. Synthesis of different styles of music. I understand its appeal, but it is still too repetitive and ambient to hold my interest.

Stripped to the bone rock'n'roll. Enjoyable to listen to for awhile, but then it got a bit boring. Not essential for me.

Their music is a bit more musically complex, avant garde and interesting than a lot of other rock. Unfortunately for me, Thom Yorke's voice is an annoying distraction.

The orchestral accompaniment is saccharine and boring. The lyrics are mundane and the singing is grating. This was a tough one for me to get through. Pretentious rubbish.

A great album that looms large in my listening history. This was a major change in the Stones musical direction and it took a bit of getting used to for me. Pared down to two guitars, bass and drums (mostly) this is a rawer version of the band. Mick Taylor was a perfect foil for Keith. Too bad they weren’t able to keep Mick around. He didn’t fit the bad boy image of the Stones but he was, in my opinion, the best guitarist they ever had. Moonlight Mile sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it.

Tried listening to this with my 1966 ears. I don’t think I would have given it any credence back then. I understand how it could be considered influential. But, all my 2025 ears hear is simplistic, uninteresting music.

Britpop. Another category I totally missed. This is one of the reasons I enjoy this list so much. Without going into specifics, I just enjoyed this album very much. Very refreshing. I look forward to exploring their other albums.

Just great rock’n’roll. That’s all.

If I was going to host a psychedelic party, I’d use this as the soundtrack. Fortunately, I’m never going to host a psychedelic party. This is horrible!

What an epic group. Sly Stone was a genius who never got his due. This band and album were a precursor to so much exciting and innovative music to come. Love it!

It's impossible for me to review Frank Ocean and this album objectively because I don't understand it. I have a friend who insists good popular music ended around the turn of the century. I think he's wrong. Popular music just changed direction radically and many of us just don't understand or accept that change. I'm one of those people. I just don't understand most of this music (except for occasional forays into marginally decent r&b). Therefore, it doesn't affect me. I'll give it three stars as a neutral, non-understanding rating. Popular music has left me behind. I have left it behind.

I never had much use for AC/DC. Brian Johnson's voice really grates on me. Hard rock, arena rock leaves me flat. No subtlety.

Powerful voice, great performances and brilliant songs. The background accompaniments are simple, but effective. It's no wonder he was copied so extensively.

I bought this album when it came out, and I quite enjoyed it. That enjoyment faded pretty quickly. I guess I got bored with the synthetic quality of the music (a widespread sin of many groups during the 1980s). I like Hucknall’s voice, and (at its best) the band can be quite soulful. But the music often sounds synthetic and soulless.

Wow! Totally unexpected. These musicians are so good and the music is so intense. Love it.

Bombastic, boring, uninspired

I appreciated some minimalist music, but not this. There has to be something interesting musically happening and I can’t find it here.

What a great album! Top to bottom, just killer rock’n’roll.

This isn’t bad per se. It's just very lifeless to me. Love Dog is ok.

Trivial pop rock. I never saw the allure of this band.

'Til I Die and Surf's Up are sufficient for this album to qualify as being rated 5.

Just the best selling jazz album of all time. Brilliant music based on brief modal sketches by Miles. Every cut is a masterpiece. So What is the most creative and soulful tunes I have ever heard.

I really enjoyed this album. Great songwriting and interesting melodies. These guys are top-notch musicians. I expected some pretentiousness and, instead, found thoughtfulness and profoundly listenable ballads and biting rock and roll.

I saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert right after this album came out. I didn't know anything about him. I was underwhelmed by the music and walked out. I imagine he played this music that night. It's mostly average rock and roll with the hits standing out (American Girl is my favorite song by him). I love everything that came after this and still kick myself for walking out on him all those years ago. My youthful pretentiousness caused me to miss out on his burgeoning genius.

The first track was long and boring. I thought I was in for a long, annoying slog through some uninspired shit. But, it turned around soon after and began to get interesting. I won't be putting this into my regular listening rotation, but it is an early example of forward looking musicians trying to move on from the mostly boring standard fare of rock and roll at the time. Surprisingly good.

Beautiful voice, brilliant songwriting and musical arrangements. I'm a sucker for smooth, emotive female voices like k.d.'s. Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan, Becca Stevens, Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell and Petra Haden come to mind. This was a treat. Not paying attention to k.d. lang for all these years was a boneheaded move on my part.

Just great music. Whether doing their own songs or interpreting other writers, these guys are so soulful and rocking. Love every second of this album.

I'm sorry I never got to see him live. I had a ticket for a show, but he died before the concert. One of those lost opportunities. His music is so soulful and funky. His band was so tight. This album was a high water mark. Brilliant!

Kudos for being an innovator and creative champion for unrecognized and unrepresented in the art and music community. But, he was self-serving and exploited many of the artists he produced. His nihilism just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I like some of the music on this album, but that is tempered by my negative opinion of the man. The music has good qualities. The man didn't.

"Atypical rhythmic meters, harmonic dissonance and irregular song structures" do not necessarily make for good music. Most people gave this music a rating of 5. It comes across as boring and lifeless to me. I don't get it.

What's not to like about the B-52's?Quirky, clever, fun. I always enjoy hearing their music. They remind not to take myself too seriously.

I love this list because it gives me the opportunity to discover bands/artists that I missed over the years. It's a revelation when I discover I like one of those albums. Unfortunately, too often I find that I was right to dismiss an artist/band/album without a listen. This is one of the latter. This is boring, depressing and just bad music.

Ponderous

I think we might need this sort of thing to keep us from taking ourselves too seriously. Interesting and clever, but I'll never listen to it again. Well, maybe I will.

I can't stand screaming vocalists. It just grates. Otherwise, there's some decent music happening. Great drumming. I'll never be a fan, but there's a modicum of inventiveness here.

I didn't listen to this album back in the day. The only song I'm familiar with is "Victoria". This is in the vein of a lot of concept albums happening (especially in England) at the time. This is unique among them. Kudos to Ray Davies for some brilliant songwriting and a great band performance. I'd give it a 5, but it sounds dated to me and, therefore, not an album I want to listen to on a regular basis.

I know that he was very influential and brought a whole new perspective to rock and roll, but I was never much impressed by his music.

Perfection! I could listen to Monk all day.

Very dated. Didn't do anything for me. Two stars for effort.

This album is flawless. Lot of hits and great performances from Aretha and her stellar backing musicians. What a voice!

I guess this is something if you like to dance. I don't like to dance, probably because I don't like to be subjected to this type monotonous, puerile drivel. I liked Music Is the Victim. I'll give the album 2 stars for that.

I saw later line-ups of this band in concert and they were fantastic. But, the original group could not be touched. Great musicians and music.

I love this album so much. So many great tunes. A Hard Day's Night, If I Fell (Oh, the John/Paul harmonies), And I Love Her, Can't Buy Me Love, You Can't Do That. But, it ends with Lennon's brilliant and complex I'll Be Back (for instance, he employed Picardy thirds to great effect without having any knowledge of music theory) which foreshadowed greater things to come. Sixty one years later and hearing this album still fills me with joy.

Great album. At times it sounds as if they were taking cues from the Sticky Fingers/Exile On Main Street era Rolling Stones. If so, not a bad pedigree. Good stuff.

I don't particularly like Bryan Ferry's voice or songwriting. But, I love Brian Eno. So, I'm sort of 50/50 on this one.

Christina has a brilliant voice, but I just don't like this kind of slickly produced pop.

Bland. Uninteresting music. Not for me.

Love this album. Her writing is so personal and intelligent. Powerful voice, raw emotion, explosive direction changes. She’s a unique artist. We need more like her.

Great rock’n’roll band. A friend tells me they’re exciting in concert, which I can understand. But, it doesn't’t do much for me.

Hauntingly boring. The only tune I find to be vaguely interesting, musically, is Invocation of Ratiocination. Faith/Void is painful to listen to.

Frenetic rock’n’roll doesn't’t do it for me. I did like Edge of the World.

The Let’s Get It On theme permeates the entire album which is, definitely, part of its allure. Gotta love Marvin’s beautiful voice, his soul, songwriting and great mastery of the studio. I especially enjoyed listening to the great bass work of James Jamerson on this recording.

All the Beatles albums (except for Let It Be, maybe) get a 5 rating. I don't have a favorite album, but Abbey Road comes close. It's perfect in so many ways. Songwriting, singing, playing, production. I'll be a happy man if I listen to only Beatles albums for the rest of my life.

Paul Simon is a national treasure. He has produced so much brilliant music. One of the greatest living songwriters.

Kick ass rock'n'roll and I understand the appeal, but just noise to me.

These are some really talented musicians and their compositions are quite sophisticated. I'll have to listen to them and explore their albums more. As good as I think they are, at first listen I didn't hear anything that really grabbed me, although the last couple of minutes of "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" were pretty cool.

Plodding, uninteresting, depressing. Sometimes I think the scope of my musical interests must be incredibly narrow because I find the majority of the albums on this list not to my liking. People have told me I'm a musical snob. Probably true. On the other hand, I'm always listening to music of one sort or another. I listen to rock, jazz, classical, country, bluegrass, and much more. A lot of the music presented here just bores me. Still, it exposes me to music I wouldn't have otherwise paid any attention to. Is it giving me exposure to different types of music or am I just wasting my time? I don't know.

Another group I didn't pay enough attention to when they started out. This is a wonderful rock'n'roll album.

Very eclectic musician. This is a great album. So much going on. Gotta go back and listen to his whole catalog.

Great pop. Well constructed songs. There She Goes is a beautiful tune. I enjoyed this album immensely.

This doesn't reach me at all. The lyrics are clever but, unfortunately, I can't relate. The music is monotonous, overly simple, boring. I'm the wrong audience for this.

Great album. It's still follows the Motown formula a bit too closely to have the brilliance which was to come in his next albums. But, no complaints. This is a brilliant production.

Boring

This album made be a Bowie fan. I liked what he'd done before this, but this album clinched it for me. Perfectly constructed and executed songs on Side 1 and Fripp and Eno's electronics on Side 2 make for a stellar album.

I tried, but I could never get too enthusiastic about Fairport Convention's music. Their music sounds meandering and directionless to me. I never found Sandy Denny to be a very good singer. On the other hand, I think Richard Thompson is a sensational singer/songwriter. I did enjoy Million Dollar Bash, but everything else was lackluster.

I enjoyed the percussion ensemble sections led by Carlinhos Brown and the playing by Sepultura is outstanding. I just don't like the screaming, frenetic onslaught of most metal bands.

Great voice and excellent production. She was just a bit too pop for me. Never did it for me.

This is such a beautiful album. Gary Burton is the finest vibraphonist on the planet. Piazzolla's compositions are mind blowing.

This was a nice surprise for me. She has an amazing voice. The instrumental accompaniment is sparse, but sophisticated. I can't describe it adequately, but it is powerful and moving. I'm anxious to listen to Beth Gibbons' contribution to Gorecki's Symphony No. 3.

Living Colour got me excited about rock'n'roll again. Rockhad lost a lot of its appeal to me frim the late 70's through the 90's. It got too self indulgent for my tastes. Living Colour brought back the excitement. Vernon Reid is the most exciting rock guitarist to come along in years.

I haven't listened to this gem in a long time. All the songs are genius. I was surprised to read that the original album was supposed to include a rock'n'roll tune (Mixed Up Confusion) and some group songs, but Albert Grossman wanted to present Dylan as a solo guitar playing folkie. So, those tunes were left off. Still a great album, but I wish non-musician producers and managers would stop trying to shape the artists' image.

It's amazing that there were so many hits on this one album. Of course, she had already written so many hits for others dating back to the 50's. The backing group on this album were a who's who of rising stars and in-demand studio musicians. Carole King is a treasure. This album is a treasure.

Good musicians, I guess. But, the music is lethargic to my ears. Try as I might, I couldn't keep my attention focused on it. Disappointing.

They sound like second rate Led Zeppelin, Doors and AC/DC. Listen to the real thing and ignore this group.

Quiet, lethargic and I don’t like the lead singer’s voice.

I first heard this album when I was still in high school. I had only been listening to jazz for about a year when this was released in 1969. I didn't understand it at first, but I knew something important had just happened. And it had. A new direction in jazz had been, once again, spearheaded by Miles. He created at least three tectonic shifts in jazz in the course of his career. I love this album more every time I hear it. This album started a love affair I’ve had with Miles’ music for over 55 years.

She had a powerful voice, but I was never much of a fan for blue eyed soul. I liked some of her hits, especially “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”

His first album was used as the soundtrack for McCabe and Mrs. Miller. I liked it as it fit the moodiness and darkness of the film. But, his music on its own just bores me. His poetry is brilliant, but his music is, to me, thin and listless.

I didn’t think I was going to like this when it started. But, the music is “really” good. The guitar playing and drumming are particularly exciting and driving. This is exceedingly thoughtful stuff. What a treat!

I was fairly impressed with Spector’s Wall of Sound back in the day. Now it just sounds dated and irrelevant. Of course, generally, I’m not much of a Christmas music fan. Bah, humbug!

Not a fan of alternative dance. Bernard Sumner’s voice is cringe-worthy.

I love the jingle jangle sound of R.E.M. thanks to the use of the Rickenbacker 360/12. I thought they were unique in a field of boring (imo) and unimaginative music cluttering up the airwaves in the 80s and 90s. Stipe could be a little pretentious and lyrically nonsensical, but that didn’t really matter. The music was/is unique and interesting. I admire the music but can’t say I was ever a real fan. I thought the majority of music at that time was unimaginative, at best, and a waste of time, at worst. So I didn’t listen to much of the current music. I missed some excellent music due to my pompous attitude.

I’m not a big fan of minimalism, but Autobahn was a nice listen. I did not enjoy anything on Side 2. I don’t have any gripe against Kraftwerk, I just think Terry Riley, Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson and Caroline Shaw are much more interesting.

I love the production on this album. Brian Eno brought his ethereal minimalist approach to great effect. Great songwriting. The entire album is a great listen.

I think Justin Timberlake is a very talented and diversified artist, but I think his music is derivative and not that interesting. That said, this was a pleasant enough listen. Just not my kind of music.

I didn’t listen to these guys when they first came out. What a shame. Didn’t understand or relate to it at all. Now it just sounds so good. My unbending mindset strikes again.

Good songwriter. But, a little too dark even for me. A couple of tunes I really enjoyed earning it a 3.

Just uninteresting and boring rock is all I hear. Not for me.

Unimaginative, boring rock. It’s all been said much better before. Not for me.

Never heard this when it came out. What a shame! Skewed view of the world is refreshing and brilliant. I’m going to listen to more of this talented man.

Killer album by B.B. His band is tight and cooking. His guitar lines are minimal and brilliant. This iteration of his band is, to me, more soulful than his later, more popular work. He and his band seem to be working harder and finding a more intense groove.

This was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what trip hop was. And now that I do, I’m impressed. This just some amazing, soulful music!

Beautiful album. I didn’t get solidly into Santans until a few albums later. But, I think this is them at their peak. Brilliant playing and songwriting.

Unfortunately, Country Joe & The Fish (and most other San Francisco psychedelic bands) sounded dated to me when they came out in the 60s. Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag was (is) a great anti-war anthem, the rest of their music is lackluster.

Mostly ponderous, lethargic and listless. I felt that way about it when I first heard it back in 1974. Still sounds the same to me all these years later. I think rock operas were a thing of the past by then.

She’s got a great, soulful voice. A groovin’ band behind her. I mildly enjoyed Smooth Operator, but the rest of the album is a surprising delight. It takes some real musicianship to keep it funky in such a laid back platform.

This is one of my all time favorite albums. I didn’t listen to Stevie much before Music Of My Mind. But, his amazing music throughout the 70s brought me so much pleasure. But, Talking Book was the best. I Believe kills me every time I hear it.

Kind of a nice surprise. I like the writing and the folksy instrumentation and approach. Scott has a Dylanesque vocal sound which I think works well here. In fact, at times, the album reminds me of the Dylan/The Band Basement Tapes era. I shouldn’t read the reviews before I listen. Too many angry listeners out there. Reminds me not to be one. I do agree, however, that the expanded edition songs detract from the thirteen songs of the original.

Just love it! Great band, but Bjork just takes it to a new level. She’s an amazing musician!

Musically it is somewhat interesting. Unfortunately, it got boring to me pretty quickly. Not for me.

Never could get too excited about Elton. He may be just too pop for me. I saw him live once and, although it was a high-powdered show, in the end, I still felt the songs and music to be fairly mundane. And, the whole glam thing was off-putting to me. Also, the Phil Spector-type Wall of Sound background strings and vocal choruses are unnecessary and distracting.

Great songwriter, singer and guitarist. This is simple and beautiful. Go, Willy, go!

I didn’t like or understand this music when it came out. In retrospect, I know I was just clueless and unwilling to accept a thing new. Now I see and appreciate that this wonderful music.

Good psychedelic music. They sound like a bunch of young men on drugs. Not for me.

I didn’t think I was going to like this, but it was surprisingly great! Musique concrete meets Stockhausen meets Miles Davis. A new and happy treat for this old man.

For the most, I think Paul lost his mojo after the Beatles. A brilliant talent, but he needed John, George and Ringo to rein him in. I tried so hard to like this. But, it’s, mostly, just too cute. One exception is “Let Me Roll It”.

I think this album and a couple of his other albums in this period were his best work. Great tunes, arrangements and musical performances were at their peak in this period. This work is sublime. Michael hit his sweet spot.

This was a great band and a very enjoyable album. Stills was at the top of his game. I think his partnership with Chris Hillman was a great addition to this band and gave all involved an extra incentive to put everything into this effort. The short, but brilliant, “Bound To Fall” is my favorite song on this album. It’s unfortunate that the follow-up Manassas album fell flat.

There’s certainly some well-written and well-played music here (the musicians in this album are a who’s who of progressive proponents of genre bending ideas), but it’s not reaching me emotionally. That’s always been the problem I’ve had with Peter Gabriel’s music. But, the song that bumps the album up a star for me is Biko. There’s a tune that moves me.

This music does nothing for me.

Some nice tunes here. Chris Martin’s voice works sometimes, but can become tiresome. That said, on the whole, it’s a decent album. I really enjoy Yellow quite a lot. However, I won’t be putting this album in regular rotation.

When I hear ZZ Top I am reminded of a pool hall in El Centro, CA called the The Ember Glo. Every time I walked into the place, they were blasting ZZ Top. Their music always reminds me of dusty border towns and beer halls. But, it’s not the type of music that holds my attention for long. A little every once in a while is good enough. La Grange is classic!

This absolutely knocked me out when it was released in 1969. It’s still a joy to listen to. Jimmy Page will never get any kudos for being a decent person, but he knew what he was doing when he put together this band and musical direction. The album is perfect.

This was quite novel and exciting when it came out in 1971. I played Pictures in a wind ensemble at about the time of this album's release, so I was excited to hear this progressive rock treatment of the piece. It didn't really hold much interest for me at the time, although their musical prowess was undeniable. I saw them once. Their performance was bombastic and not to my liking. It just seems dated and a bit ridiculous now. Too bad. Amazing musicians who could have made more of an impression if they hadn't gone in this direction. But, who am I?

Mr. Americana. A serviceable rock and roll band. His music just never moves me emotionally. I went to one of his concerts a few years ago and he puts on a great show. Very enjoyable. And I just love the guy. He's a wonderful spokesman for what's good about this country.

I didn't pay any attention to them at the time. One of those I'm sorry I missed. It's identified as alternative rock (whatever that is). It's just great music to my ears.

Sounds monotonous to me. The strings are superfluous. Not for me.

A couple of decent tunes. Too much unnecessary screaming for me. Mostly rubbish.

The first tune made me think this was going to be pop pablum. But, there’s some interesting music here. Interesting rhythms and melodic ideas abound. The only thing I heard from this band was Loverfool which did not pique my interest. Wish I would have explored the band more. There’s more here than first meets the ear.

Great reggae. Unfortunately, never heard this before.

Some great tunes on this album. But, damn this band was sloppy. I guess that was part of the appeal.

I should not read the reviews. Relax folks. This is supposed to be fun. I enjoyed the album. The musicianship is exemplary. Some of the tunes are spectacular. Some are meh.

There’s a lot of raw energy here, but it’s all very monotonous to me. It’s just all so much noise to my ears. I can see how this would be very captivating to a lot of people who had tired of the self-righteous pretentiousness of most 70’s mainstream rock. But, it does nothing for me.

Another unexpected treat. I knew nothing about these guys. Not a lot to say. Just enjoyed the music.

I didn’t like this album. But, I can see why anyone who appreciates punk at all would find this wonderful. This list has given me an appreciation for different genres of music that I never would have to listened to if I didn’t wake up to a new offering every morning.

Didn't like the vocals too much, but the sampling was brilliant.

She wrote a few tunes that I really enjoyed but, for the most part, her music is a little too pop oriented for me. Great songwriter, phenomenal vocalist and tireless humanitarian. You know you're doing something right when Miles Davis covers one of your tunes.

Great music and lyrics. I can see how this hit home with so many people.

Well-constructed songs with a lot of clever melodic and rhythmic ideas. I enjoyed some of the tunes. But, some I found lethargic and lacking in dynamic range. Overall, an ambitious and very listenable work. Reminds me a bit of Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks.

Very ambitious, well written and performed. Most of the tunes worked for me. Some didn't . It grew on me as I progressed through the album. Definitely worth further listenings.

Interesting listen. A lot going on here - hip hop, jazz, funk, soul, social commentary. This is some deep, thoughtful music. I did not understand or appreciate rap and hip hop when they first appeared because I wasn't paying attention. My loss. Kendrick Lamar is an extremely talented musician and I will go back and listen to his catalog.

Brilliant top to bottom. Paul Simon is a musical genius.

I'm not a fan of Britpop. I can appreciate that fans relate to the album's critique of the British social class system. Some of the music was interesting, but didn't hold my attention for about half the album. Liked it more by the time I'd listened to the entire album.

Lovely Irish music. What's all the fuss? This is a happy listen.

I found this music at different junctures to be very soothing, ethereal, dreamy, emotionally powerful and musically interesting throughout. I had no preconceptions which made for interesting listening. More listenings/explorations to follow.

I found most of this album monotonous and lifeless. There some listenable tunes including North American Scum, All My Friends, Us V Them, Watch The Tapes. New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down is just an ugly song (imo).

Competent rock and roll and songwriting. Competent to marginal musicianship. Not enough to grab my interest or give me a reason to listen to them again. I do understand why so many people love them. They brought something new to the game.

I love Gene Clark. Great songwriter and singer. He was the sound of the Byrds for their first couple of albums. Unfortunately, the guy was a tortured soul and a roaring drunk. He couldn't get out his own way. I haven't heard this in years and it holds up well. Jesse Ed Davis' guitar work is, as always, stellar. One In A Hundred is the standout track for me.

Love this album. Love this band. Great songwriting. Great musicians. Andy Summers creates magic with his ethereal guitar soundscapes. He's right up there with masters like Robert Fripp and Bill Frisell. This band was so unique and outside anything that happening. I was unhappy when they broke up. However, in retrospect, it was time. Sometimes it's best to move on when you're at the top of your game.

Punk before punk. Got to give them kudos for coming up with a new approach that, a few years later, would become mainstream. Production is amazing (John Cale no less). I don't like this music, but I understand its appeal. 3 stars for innovation and production.

Great music, great fun. This is so funky, so joyful. Wish I would have listened to this more in its day. But, I'm happy it popped up today. I've got to go back and explore their entire catalog. This is so much better than a lot of rock and roll I was listening to in 1975. But, I had my head stuck in jazz back in those days.

Heaven!

At times, some fairly ripping rock and roll. At others, maddeningly monotonous. Not for me.

Really taken with Siouxsie's powerful voice and McGeoch's interesting guitar playing. Got a bit monotonous, but overall, a pleasant surprise.

A true classic in my book. I didn't have much time for anything Pink Floyd did before or after this album, but this struck a nerve. The songs are beautifully structured and sonically rich. Well done, boys and girls.

They sound like they were on autopilot for this one. No more fire in their bellies by this point in their career. I just couldn't get excited about this album.

I enjoyed this album. The band behind Thom York is stellar. York's vocals are muffled sounding to me. I don't know if his voice is difficult to record or if it's just how he sounds. His voice is pleasant enough. I just wish it sounded more present. Other than that, good stuff.

Repetitive. Boorish. This does not move me on any level. Occasional good ideas get beaten to death.

A pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, I never heard of this. Lot of great musicians on this. Really innovative music. Surprised at the amount of vitriol leveled at Wyatt for stepping out of their comfort zone. This exercise has heled teach me acceptance and tolerance. All of this music is worthwhile whether if is to my liking or not.

Too dark. Musically uninteresting. I couldn't connect.

Never got into grunge at the time, so I ignored this and all similar releases around then. Unfortunate for me. In retrospect, this is just a very powerful rock album. The band and music are intense throughout. Enjoyed it.

I understand that all the albums are here because they have been successful and embraced by a lot of people. This is no exception. The band is raucous and very repetitive. I guess that’s the allure for many. I liked some of the grooves, but they end up going nowhere. The video for “Smash My Bitch Up” was disturbing and misogynistic. Definitely not for me.

Boring, monotonous and lifeless. The songs are very repetitive. His melodic ideas are extremely elemental. I didn't enjoy this at all. I'm told his later works are much more interesting. I'll give them a listen.

I always thought Patti Smith was considered punk rock, but that doesn't seem to fit here at all. Art rock maybe. Another artist I should have paid attention to at the time. This is very good.

Bad garage band music. I don't get it.

What a beautiful album. Other than his first album, I never listened to Cohen much. This is a ballsy statement by Cohen. It's just amazing how he waxes so honestly and eloquently about his impending demise. Expecting and accepting with such grace and courage. What a guy!

1980's funny haircuts. Slick synthetic pop indicative of a lot of 80's popular music. I just don't hear any soulfulness at all. Leaves me flat.

Great rock, great writing and clever political political commentary. What's not to like. Love it!

What a beautiful voice! Carrying on the Bossa nova genius and legacy of her father. This is a delight. Gotta dig deeper into her catalog.

Powerful, beautiful voice. I was not familiar with qawwali, but it is a beautiful music style. I see that he did collaborations with western musicians and was a big part of world music. You can hear it. The type of Indian music that is more appealing to me was that played by the likes of Ravi Shankar or Shakti, but this is brilliant music as well.

Amazing voice and songwriting. She died before she could have been so much more. Here and gone too soon. Too many demons.

I never understood why this album was considered such a big deal. It strikes me as overblown, self indulgent and unnecessarily busy rock and roll. What a waste some of the best players around at the time. Even Duane Altman couldn't rescue this one. It should have been so much more than this. Listening to it now just reinforces how lackluster and disappointing it remains in my opinion. Of course, I have to admit, I never thought much of anything that Clapton did that strayed too far from straight blues (although there were occasional exceptions).

I loved Sam Cooke, but I never heard him being as soulful as he was on this album. He and this band were digging deep. Wow!

I love everything Tom Waits has done. Great musician, songwriter, poet. Some of the most profane and achingly beautiful music I've ever heard. This album, along with Swordfishtrombones and Franks Wild Years, marked a new and welcome direction for Waits. Welcome to the intriguing dark side.

I never listened to the first side of this album back in 1968. Now it sounds dated and unimpressive. I turned off the radio whenever In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida came on. Boring and lifeless. Never made any sense to me that anyone liked it. But, that's just me.

Never followed Beck. No good reason why. So, this is pretty much my introduction to him. The songwriting is excellent and heartfelt. Breakups are painful and he expresses that eloquently. The music and production are are brilliant. Liked it very much.

Nothing grabs me. It's just mediocre rock.

Interesting listening. Novel approach to punk and pre-grunge. Really enjoyed the energy of the music. Great vocals. I slowly grew on me as I listened. Ah, the surprises.

Back in the day, I didn't like this music at all. But, I knew it had relevance to its audience. Now, it almost seems quaint. And, I'm not trying to be condescending. It was powerful and relevant at the time and still is to its fans. As it should be. I still consider it bad music.

Ouch! This started off excruciatingly monotonous and boring and continued non stop for a painful 78 minutes. I do not like it. But, I can understand its appeal for anyone into the electronic music dance club scene.

I wasn't familiar with this particular album, but I know the majority of the tunes. Marley and band were such good musicians, songwriters, singers. Love this so much.

What a great album. Ray's voice is at its best. The big band and orchestra are perfect. Feel so blessed that I got to see Brother Ray.

I always thought Traffic's music was hit or miss. On this album, I liked Feelin' Alright, Forty Thousand Headmen, No Time To Live, Medicated Goo and Shanghai Noodle Factory. The rest of the album, like a lot of their albums, is pretty weak.

Great album! Another artist I haven't listened to enough. The first artist I thought of when I initially heard her was Steve Earle. And, of course, he's on the album. Love this sort of Americana/heartland zeitgeist. I'll listen to her further.

This is much better than I expected it to be from the description in Wikipedia. I expected a cacophony of an overdriven recording desk. Not so. Just great sounding rock. I don't like everything Costello has done, but this is quite nice.

I enjoyed the guitar playing, imperfect as it was at times. There wasn't enough clarity in the recording of his vocals, so I couldn't understand most of what he was singing about. I'm sure he was a brilliant lyricist, but I had to strain too much to hear those lyrics. Sadly, I'm disappointed.

Psycho Killer is killer. Another great group I ignored at the time. Who knows why. Some great tunes here, but some marginal ones as well. I don't think they'd hit their groove yet.

Most Brit Pop does not appeal to me at all. Pulp is no exception. This is lifeless and boring.

Another superb artist and album I never paid attention to. I have to come back and explore this genius talent.

Musically simple and uninteresting to me.

Pleasant melodies, harmonies and tasty instrumental accompaniments. The sadness and melancholy get lost in the pleasant music. That's not a bad thing.

Brilliant album. All the best musicians on the scene at the time. I guess you've made it when Wayne Shorter guests on your album. The production is the best I've ever heard.

Well sung. Well played. But, it started off very mundane and boring. It got better as it moved along, but never really grabbed me. I liked "I Sleep Alone."

Great album. As usual, stellar production. Liked Fagan more without Becker. Reading about the making of the album, it's no wonder he was burned out for several years after this.

This was hard for me to get through. I want to be open to different types of music, but this just annoyed me. Obviously, this appeals to a lot of people. I'm not one of those people. All I hear is mindless, boring repetition.

This is an important, powerful, iconic album. Woke this white man up. The misogyny, violence and racism turns the message ugly. This album needed to happen. It was important. But, the down side only allows me to give it a 3.

Not offensive. But, very derivative and boring. Nothing new or different here.

Now I know what neo soul is. Kinda like it. Not a fan of the talking sections, but that didn’t bother me. The music is well done. I won’t be adding this to my regular rotation, but would enjoy ocassional listens.

The Byrds, along with the Beatles, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones were my favorite groups during the 1960’s Younger Than Yesterday is a great album. Chris Hillman came forward as a singer songwriter, Crosby started moving toward his CSN sound, Clarence White brought his B-Bender country sound into the Byrds sound and McGuinn kept the Dylan influence intact. A couple of clunkers on this album, but mostly great stuff. The Byrds were still moving forward and I was loving it.

This was very innovative, given the rudimentary technology of synthesizers at the time. However, I still think the music is lifeless and uninteresting. I didn't like it then. I don't like it now.

This album is significant in that it heightened my awareness and appreciation of Cuban music and it's great beauty. It also led to an awareness and appreciation of other Caribbean music styles. Ry Cooder did a great job documenting the music for which I am thankful.

Led Zeppelin had lost their appeal to me at this point. Great album. They just weren’t wowing like they did initially. I listened to this years later and wondered why I had lost interest. Still blistering rock. Can’t figure it.

Miles Davis was at the forefront of changing the direction of jazz during his career. Birth Of The Cool was the first big shift…chamber jazz. In the coming years, he lead jazz into hard bop, orchestral jazz, modal jazz, electric jazz and rock/funk jazz. It all blows me away.

Second Beck album I never listened to. This is why I love this list so much. Gets me to listen to music I ignored when it came out. This is such a cool album. It’s even got Petra Haden who I absolutely adore.

Some very good writing on this album with tasty orchestral accompaniment. But, it’s a fairly inconsistent effort. Some tunes just fall flat. I think the turmoil within the band kept them from being huge. Nevertheless, a significant album and one I love to listen to occasionally, if only to wonder what could have been.