I've listened to enough Afro/Soul-Funk to know that I can only really enjoy about 25 minutes of it. But I can see both the inspiration and the novelty of this album. But Suite II Overture was my favorite part and it was obviously the only non-pop-funk song on the album lol

Starts off strong, rocks hard, and then runs on for about an hour too long.

What a pleasant and optimistic lil album

On the first song, I really thought they were saying "Alex I see you" which creeped me out. This album breaks the stereotype of the 80s new wave pop album. Lust to Love is low-key punk? The fact that this album came out in early 1980s and yet boring 80s pop still dominated the decade baffles me.

The songs get a little too repetitive for me, but bonus points because sonically it has that signature Nirvana excitement. Also how does Nirvana have like 2 albums yet they still repeat guitar riffs?

I'm sort of shocked this made it into the top 1000 albums given that it's pretty generic rock. Not that they are perfectly comparable since Kings of Leon has more of a Southern spin, but aren't there like 3 Red Hot Chili Pepper albums better than this?

This album is actually one song too short, I'd love to have a little bit more. Great album artwork, I like to think that I'm the clown in the suit sitting with the pigeons in the gutter. Also listening to some of War's other albums this weekend, I discovered that they are the creators of the George Lopez shoe's theme song. I would've never guessed, the vocal distortion / lack of soulful singing in that song is a total shift from the rest of their work on TWIAG and Why Can't We Be Friends?

I apologize to vaasavi and the vaasavis and Bruce Springsteen and his family for my lack of professionalism. I did not direct my full attention to this album. Unfortunately, I find it far too boring to relisten. Springsteen is one of those artists where Americans are forced to listen to him in many situations, and while he has some really well written songs, listening to full albums can feel like pop-rock torture.

The influence of Joy Division on more modern music is incredible. I don't pick them up often because I think some of the bands they influenced down the line are more interesting, but I always enjoy diving back in. How good is 24 Hours? 4/5

I'm a big jazz fan yet I don't see why this in particular was recommended. There is a nice blend of smooth jazz, a little bit of bop, and a small tad of scooby-doo searching through an old creepy cellar music (Sameeda). I still enjoyed it (3.5 / 5), but I would like an explanation for why this was selected. Can I speak to the manager?

Oasis may be a meme, but they can really rock. Supersonic and a few other songs are just flirting with that same early-90s space rock revival sound that the Verve were perfecting on A Storm In Heaven and A Northern Soul. Oasis just didn't lean into the distortion as much as other bands during this time which is probably why they came out of the decade as the most popular. 4/5

I love Songs in the Key of Life, but this wasn't as enthralling for me. I do wonder if people who use to listen to Stevie Wonder all the time were just happier people. I always picture a group of people smiling and dancing next to the a record player when I listen to his albums. 3.5 / 5 rounded up to a 4 because I REALLY like Songs in the Key of Life

I effing love this album, it has so much excitement, passion, and a big sound. And that isn't just me being a nostalgic millenial because foremost, I am not a millenial. And also because I only started listening to this album in 2019.

I'm not gonna argue that this is in the same realm as All Things Must Pass - but I don't think they need to be compared (though the jab at George's religion in I Found Out is unnecessary). Both John and George are drawing great elements from late Beatles sounds. John has that funk-rock positivity that I love. This album rocks in simplicity. Does anyone else think Remember sounds a lot like I Dig Love?

I can't quite put my finger on it (though the album cover is a big contributing factor), but I find this dude creepy. Him singing about hooking up on moondance gives some serious pervert vibes to me. However, this album is infinitely better than Astral Weeks, I respect how much his sound and lyrics evolved from that garbage can. 4/5

if this inspired Godspeed! then I will acknowledge it's contribution. But listening to this out of context, it has moments of intrigue tempered by moments of blandness. 3.5 rounded to a 3

I don't have much to say, this was just really nice to listen to

This is the only Stones album I listen to because it's got all you'd ever want on it. Gimme Shelter is an all time banger, the twang in Love In Vain, You Can't Always Get What You Want is a Glee Cast classic ... hit after hit 5/5

sergeant pepper wanna be. honestly though, there were some enjoyable songs on this album - when i was ready to move on with my life, Walking Through My Dreams pulled me back in. 3.5 rounded down to 3.

That's one manic cat singing up there, 3/5

Similar to the Killer's, there isn't anything bad here but by the end I'm bored 2/5

This song rocks harder and is more engaging than other rock albums we've listened to imo, plus they bring in that the Doors-era psych spin to their music, so 4/5

What was it about pre-00s male artists that love writing songs about "stupid" or "dumb" girls"? Rolling Stones, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Run-DMC... the only worse trend was referring to sexual partners as "little girl", i.e. in Going Home, he says "touch me one more time ... little girl". The ablum has some good jingles (Doncha Bother Me, Going Home), but some songs are just grinding to listen to (Out Of Time is a 5:30 song that is 4 minutes too long). Yet, I have to give this credit for sounding like the early 70s in the mid 60s. Clearly this album was influential to rock and roll. 3/5

This sounds so much like the late 00s early 10s. You have your chamber pop songs (first few songs), you have your indie pop/rock songs (Grounds for Divorce)... all in the same vein as a band like Local Natives. An Audience With The Pope could be a B side Hozier song. There's something about this era that makes it sound like the lead singer is saying something really profound. Certainly a song from this era of indie music needed to make it on the 1001 list, and this is overall a pretty good listen. Not sure I see what was exceptionally special about this album vs. the rest of the genre, but solid 3.5 / 5 rounded up to 4

Not gonna lie I really enjoyed Gematria. It's a classic white man's account of the hardships of the American experience for so many: the country isn't leaving you behind or oppressing you because you're black, a woman, or any other minority, it's coming for everyone who isn't in power. And if your coping mechanism with the injustices of American imperialism or domestic failures of the American dream is religion, how will you cope if God doesn't even care? While it's an extreme opinion that overlooks actual structural racism or hardships for minorities, the overall sentiment probably resonates more with the working white poor. I also am convinced that a Deftones album is on its way because songs like Gehenna are clearly influenced by Deftones vocals. The album is definitely too long, I think it probably should've ended right before Snuff which just sounds like a A Day to Remember song which has that uninteresting teenage angst sound to me. 3.5/5, probably would've rounded this up to a 4 before Snuff but down to a 3 after because it was just too long to listen to metal.

I understand why this album makes the list because it's a genuinely unique and creative album, but there literally isn't a single song/spoken word poem on this album that I would ever want to hear again. The beats are sub-par and unexciting (somehow it even misses the mark for a simple boom-bap beat), the subject matter is unappealing and comes closes but almost always misses the mark on meaningful introspection. The rhyme schemes are creative but wasted (imo) on bad songs. I seriously struggled to finish this, would've rather kept listening to the Verve. 1/5 as a musical album, 4/5 as an album that is probably worthwhile to make the 1001 list.

This is legitimately one of my favorite albums; I've already listened to it twice this week but am happy to make it a third. Speaking as a relatively uninformed American, I recognize that there is something beautiful about modern artists bringing a fresh twist on classical / traditional music in Latin American countries. I think Natalia Lafourcade is the best modern example, but BVSC's inspiration from the dark yet musically rich days of Batista is beautiful. Now to the actually composition of the songs, I liken it to the rock n' roll days of Neil Young and Crazy Horse where the lyrics are simple but the jams are drawn out, sophisticated, and exciting. El Cuarto de Tula is one of my favorite songs of all time. 5/5

Wow, two of my favorite albums in a row. This album is as close to perfect as an album can get for me. The double tracked vocals over Elliott's complex yet effortless guitar riffs and the expert production of the album makes it seem like he's whispering his poetry directly into your head. The flow between upbeat and uplifting songs and heartbreaking downtempo songs is unrivaled. The fact that he wrote the lyrics and orchestrated the music, sang vocals, and played guitar, drums, piano and bass on this album blows my mind. I wouldn't even say this is his best album, but it's still a 5/5

First off, at first I thought using Jay Z's Public Service Announcement to kick off the album was a cool idea with some cultural context that I don't understand, but doing some research I see no online discussions of the PSA sample, so I guess that's lost to history. Regardless, her voice is out of this world. Also the transition from Walk Away and Fighter is flawless. The album in general dragged on a little too long for me, so it's a 3.5 instead of a 4, and it gets the round up since this was better than a lot of other albums we've had. 4/5

Why is this American dabbling in brit-pop? The highlight of the album was the unexpected entrance of the accordion and brass on the opening track, which was otherwise just a tired and uninspired reflection on growing up. I just didn't find this all that interesting but it's an acceptable 2.5/5 down to a 2

ATCQ is always a good vibe, fun rhymes and good beats. But I tire of it by the end of the album. 3.5 down to a 3.

This album is so fun and rocks hard. I don't listen to many blues-inspired artists but love the ones I do. I'm not sure I would go as far as to say I'm a big Black Keys fan, but I love this album. 5/5

So many great moments in this album that puts it at #1 on rym's top album of all time. It undeniably has the best intro song of all time. It may be a 100-way tie with other incredible albums, but #1 nonetheless. Sonically, the incorporation of jazz into the album and keeping the listener engaged through the funky interludes is masterful. The use of the low strings and horns to build an ominous feeling as the "remember you was conflicted" unravels is so good. The first time I listened to Mortal Man and it's revealed that he's reading the poem to Tupac, my mind was blown. The second verse on Blacker the Berry has to be one of the tightest verses in all of rap, and Assassin's feature verse is unbelievable. The music video for Alright blew my 18 y.o. mind. I also learned that if you leave a voicemail on a rapper's phone, good chance you make the next album or mixed tape. This is also perfect evidence that 60+ min albums don't HAVE to be too long, but only the most perfectly curated albums can be 78 minutes and still capture attention the whole time. The fact that the "single version" of i exists is so depressing. Imagine listening to this album your main takeaway being "wow i don't like how he says the police want to see a black man dead." It's the same energy as watching an episode of Queer Eye and the main take-away being "why is that dude wearing a dress." I hate revealing how white I am, but listening to these conscious rap albums from Kendrick and Vince after watching Menace II Society makes me respect these artists for sharing their art with the world so much more, recognizing that the average listener won't understand their lived experience. It's impossible to pick out a favorite line, but I whimsically love "The devil wanna put me in a bowtie" 5/5 ofc

I'll take L'Orange over this any day of the week, 3/5

This is like a really bad Bombay Bicycle Club

Honestly listening to this album felt like we were just cruising with the top down shooting the breeze with these fellas, talking about rock bottom 3.5 rounded down to 3/5

10 minutes in, I thought "woah, Lynyrd Skynrd has a song on the Happy Gilmore soundtrack! And it's actually really good!" By the end of my second listen through, I realized there is a lot of depth to this album. I love the southern spin and the intentionality of this album. A lot of these classic rock albums we've been listening to sound more carefree and effortless, like it was recorded off the cuff. But this sounds like a well curated final product which is really refreshing. I might have actually dropped the kings of leon album down another star had i listened to this first because this is a guiding star of southern rock. The only pause i have from giving 5/5 is the stupid southern toxic machismo of Mississippi kid, but ill still do it

I love the Doors, but this is a second-tier album from them. That being said, it's still a 4.

This album's lows are way too low, and that's coming from a huge fan of 90's alt and slacker rock. The highs are still there - the edge of the acoustic guitar on Happily Divided perfectly dabbled into a bit of slowcore style drab. But this ranks very low on my list of good alt slacker rock albums from the 90s, especially since it came out at the same time as Pavement's best albums. 2.5 rounded down

I like slacker rock, but slacker pop walks the line between being carefree / fun and being outright annoying. Around 22 min in (My My Metrocard), the novelty of the late 90s/early 00s dance-pop slacker pop had run dry. 2/5

I don't like the actual music but the interludes are dope so I'll throw it a 3.5 rounded down

I really don't know how I feel about this album. Most of the songs were blues bangers, but the album played like a collection of singles more than an album. I'll throw it a 4/5 noting that I really need another listen

This isnt even a top 5 Beatles album for me but it's still a 4

I really didn't find this interesting, the lyrics are corny and sonically I was unimpressed. 2/5

I'm so shocked that I enjoyed this both lyrically and sonically that i'm gonna go crazy and say 4.5 / 5, but then go less crazy and round down to 4.

The beats, production value, and bars blew me away even though it's what Wu-tang is known for. However, I struggle to get past songs like Three Bricks that are quasi-glorifying violence. 4/5

I'm shocked by how much I enjoy this album since I avoided it my whole life. It just rocks, it's a timeless album.

Wow this was BLAND. A few times I thought the album had started over because I was convinced I'd already heard the song. The Time of the Season is the only song that stuck out to me. 2/5

They may be one of the godfathers of slacker rock, but there's a little too little rock and too much terrible singing for me to get behind. More Striped White Jets, Blimps Go 90, and Alright and this gets a stronger consideration from me. 2.5/5 down to 2

While i did perk up a bit after realizing The Band played with Dylan on the Basement Tapes, it didn't overcome the fact that The Band is mostly bland. 2.5/5 rounded down to 2 as I expected more

Lowdown has a great sound to it ... and then a bunch of songs afterwards do too. I can get down to this, probs need a few more listens. If Vaas couldn't catch Elliott Smith's lyrics, not a chance she gets the lyrics from these punks. 4/5

This is such a haunting and rich album. I love that he picked Fiona Apple as a feature, and his song selection is top tier (other than Danny Boy, not a fan of that one). I do wish he had picked a Dylan song, but I can't projection my own wishes on a legend's last album.

Is it just me or do these guys have nothing to say at all? Like, I know it's essentially just pop music mapped to "hard" rock, but how do they have nothing to say at all? At least one or two songs kinda rock, so I guess 1.5 rounded up to 2/5

This is more pop and less rock than I expected. It was actually better than Guns N Roses. Maybe it's being forced to hear these 80s pop songs on soundtracks, in grocery stores, and in commercials my whole life, but I find the sound of this album so tired. It's not 1/5 bad, it's probably 2.5 rounded down bad.

In my opinion, this is a top 5 album we've listened to so far, and remarkably, this isn't even a top 5 Dylan album for me. Maggie's Farm is definitely a top 5 Dylan song though. 5/5

WAY TOO LONG!!! I thought the album was coming to a close around Sparrow, and the album was barely half way finished. Then A Funk Space Reincarnation really sounded like an outro. 2.5 rounded down

Even if I didn't know what soul was, I would still listen to this and think "wow this guy has a lot of soul", so I think it's well classified. The instrumentation supports his soulful vocals so well, I loved the happy trumpet breaking through in Wonderful World. Ironically, I think Wonderful World has basically become a mantra in the US - I don't need to know much as long as I'm happy. The song plays better sung by a world-class musician who dropped out of high school due to economic disparities driven by racism tho. 5/5

Funk always sounds so strange to my ear since I listen to it so rarely. I love the vibes and the intentional care-free style of it. "Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!" is my favorite song with its cheeky lyrics and rocking sonics, "P.E. Squad / Doo Doo Chasers" was also a great jam song. I really liked how I was advertised nutrition bars during it since this album isn't on spotify and therefore requires an ad-filled listening experience. Like every time we listen to an album outside our usual genre, I'm gonna play this safe and give it a 3.5 because I don't have much to compare it to. Since I liked The World is a Ghetto more than this and that was a 4, I'll round this down to a 3.

Finally some Chicago boys! Kanye on the beats and Common on the mic is a killer combo. If only this album could've come out 2 years later, adding Lupe as a collaborator would've completed the Chicago trifecta. The intro is one of the best of the era imo. Plus this album can have goofy verses like those on "The Food" and then drop flawless bars on Real People all supported by a light and breezy jazz beat. It blows me away how Common effortlessly addresses the traumas of living in south side Chicago, acknowledges his own temptation to pass on the trauma, and still challenges himself to humanize his abusers and the abused all in the same song. "I wonder if the spirits of Bob Marley and Haile Selassie Watch me as the cops be tryna pop and lock me They cocky, plus they mentality is Nazi The way they treat blacks, I wanna snap like paparazzi" ... "Told to go beyond the surface, a person's a person When we lessen our women, our conditions seem to worsen" It's Your World is also one of my favorite outros. Rap isn't my go-to genre, but no genre can amaze me lyrically as much as rappers. My dad argues that Sondheim is the best social commentator, but there's nothing that inspires me more than the most abused members of society challenging everyone to be better. 5/5

Seems like Pink Flag > Black Flag. I can see how Billy Joe Armstrong was influenced by these guys, but I'm a strong believer that punk can be more than fatalist or nihilist musings of angsty teams. I look for something a little more tongue-in-cheek and optimism in my punk which is probably why I like pink flag more. Go figure that Rise Above is black flag's most popular song. Not every album can be Dookie, but albums that aren't Dookie aren't getting 5s. This one is getting a 3.

Apparently I listened to this album back in 2021 and rated it 4/5. It gives strong Magnolia Electric Co vibes, just a little less rock-heavy and more folk-heavy, but like all albums on this list, it came out a few years before the album it reminds me of. I'll throw it another 4 despite not having anything more to say on it. It sounds like something I'd like so no reason to dig too much deeper

One of those bands where people think the writing is really deep and get a lot out of the songs, but I definitely don't. Songs like Life in the Fast Lane are just a waste of time for me, where's the intrigue? The writing is slightly more complex than the average pop song, but not by much. The rock songs with boring lyrics are blended in with boring ballads like Wasted Time which makes it that much harder to listen to. Plus you add in the plausibly problematic fact that these guys are consistently judging women "out in those bars" after a breakup. "I could be wrong, but I'm not, no I'm not" is also one of the most obnoxious things I've heard a boy band say after telling a woman how she feels. Even writing a song about environmentalism ain't gonna save this from a 1/5. I'll be curious to see what the rest of the group thinks, because I think the Eagles will be lost to time here in another decade.

I listened to this 3 times and never came away with any discerning thoughts. I think I liked it, so let's give it a 3.5 rounded down to 3. Easily could be a 4.

The album cover is interesting, but I just struggle to get into thrasher music. The guitar sequences all sound the same to me. Why not add some distortions and just be shoegaze smh. 2.5 rounded down(?) because it really wasn't good, bad it isn't super bad

I genuinely don't know what I'm supposed to get from this album. It's quirky pop rock that could've been notable had it come out in the 60s, but it seems like pretty cookie cutter neo-psychedelia rock. 3/5 because it was a fine listen.

Another day, another chance for me to not have an interesting review. The best part of the album is the album artwork. Musically, things are fine and interesting enough. The blues-y guitar is nice, and the vocals are only slightly tainted by that 70s pop jangle. A 3.5 rounded up

Listen, it's going to be really challenging for me to give a Nick Drake album less than a 5. That's just how it is.

She's got such a strange carefree way of singing in general that I struggle to enjoy her music. Like you can't just talk quickly without rhyming and call it singing. However, there were actually a few songs i liked (Raised on robbery, free man in Paris, twisted), so I'll give it a 3.5 rounded down