Wow, stunning in every respect from start to finish. Why did no one tell me?

Call me picky but as a general rule I prefer songs to have some music and singing in them 😐

As an immature, weedy, and timid 17 year-old, just about to go to university and in desperate need of an identity, I happened to read a short review of this album in my father's Guardian (as one did). On impulse, and without having heard any of the tracks, I bought the album in WH Smith in Canterbury while on holiday with my surrogate family. I sneaked off and played it on the record player in the house we were staying at every opportunity - and couldn't believe what I was hearing. Elvis Costello came from nowhere, fully formed. This and his many following albums became the soundtrack to my life, this is no exaggeration. Don't you think that I know that walking on the water won't make me a miracle man. I said this to my boss at the end of my annual appraisal about 20 years later and he just looked up and said 'Elvis Costello'.

I was fully prepared only to award this 4, given it's a double album, and just the one big single, thought there was bound to be some filler. But hell, this is the Stones, the GOLD standard, from their golden period. Jewels everywhere 💪💪💥

This is a joke right?

Outstanding debut, three iffy tracks, otherwise pure genius.

First record someone ever 'taped' for me, played it to death (as you do when you only have one tape), opened my eyes to a whole new world of music. The 4 represents sentimental value for me really, after the first four monsters it's a bit of a mixed bag, apart from the magnificent Your Sister Can't Twist / Saturday Night's Alright obvs...

I tried, I really wanted to like this, but it's just not my thing 🙁

No, just because it's Bowie doesn't make it OK. Sound and Vision might be my favourite Bowie song but the experiment should have started and ended there.

I tried and I failed 😐

Quirky, too arty for me. A few more nice tunes might help.

A big gap in my musical knowledge, pleased to have filled it. Unsure what to make of it though, avant-garde, some of it comes across as a bit pretentious even, especially the second half, but clearly a ground-breaking work.

Not my thing, but does seem pretty thin and repetitive anyway.

Didn't really have time to do this justice, enjoyed what I heard although sound maybe a bit samey.

Crikey, well these tunes set the template for so much that followed of course, but these live versions astonish in their delivery and intensity from the off. Jaw-dropping from start to finish. Old or young I defy anyone not to love it. What a gig this must have been!

Deep soul, laid back instrumentation, beautiful heartfelt tones, what's not to like?! Just a teensy bit meandering at times maybe...

Gorgeous tunes, sombre reflections obviously but that goes with the territory, if only he had been able to sing it could have been wonderful.

Worried it might be terrible and it didn't disappoint.

Much as I loved the Jam (especially) and Style Council, I have always struggled a bit with Weller solo. This album illustrates why, a mixture of real beauty and overwrought sometimes even pretentious filler - I mean what's the point of those weird instrumentals for starters?

Clearly groundbreaking but a bit of a mishmash of songs that do sound pretty hastily thrown together just to get something out there (as I read to be the case). Interesting that the Clash modelled London Calling on this cover!

A huge part of the soundtrack to my mid-teens. Played it incessantly, still know every chord and word, every track a killer, dragged me into a brave new world. Brighton Rock one of two songs I know with the word 'tarry'. The other of course being... ... ... Come Up And See Me (Make Me Smile) 🙂

Well, yes, it's wild, but not in a way that would make me listen to it over and over again 😐

Thought I would enjoy this more than I did, didn't really grab me, perhaps he improved with age...

Wow, that's educated me, immensely talented band clearly, terrific sound, wonderful songs, great intensity, beautiful delivery 👌

Hugely popular in my first year at uni, played it loads and tried hard to love it. A fine album clearly but maybe a little too close to prog rock for me...

Wanted to love this, but a bit twee and a few aimless tracks (Drivin', Australia) to be a real winner 😕

I know this is heresy and that he's an outstanding musician but I didn't really like it. Much of it seemed slow and meandering to me. Saved, just, by the magnificent singles Living For The City and Misstra Know It All.

Eurgh, tricky, because the 'music' is non-existent obviously but, annoyingly, I did find myself agreeing with some of the messaging...

Dreadful. How on earth can this lame schmaltz be in anyone's top 1001? 😏

Classic Dolly, what's not to like?! 😊

Terrible, no redeeming features.

Ahh, tricky cos not my scene and all too sprawling for me (although the first vinyl I ever bought was Frampton Comes Alive so guess I have some explaining to do) but I do appreciate the musicianship and feel of this live monster...

The problem here as I see it, is you can be punk or post-punk or whatever but you do still need good tunes. I found that essence rare (apart from on that track ironically).

I quite enjoyed this in a harmless enough way but a) why on earth is it in this list, and b) how did he decide on his song titles?!

Wow, well I had a sneaking suspicion I might quite like this but it completely blew me away. Fair play, a bold and fabulous album from start to finish. It probably spawned a million dud and/or fake imitators unfortunately, but hardly her fault. And what a wonderful voice. Beautiful is just the most beautiful and uplifting song, written I note with great joy by Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes.

Seriously? Stop dat 🤦🏻‍♂️

Can't quite make up my mind, good sound, weird narrative, perhaps I may have become obsessed if it had entered my orbit in the mid 70s. But it didn't, and for that I am thankful really.

Gosh, this was a challenge 😐

Aargh, a poor man's Human League. I can't see the point but I see the attraction.

Oh dear, I've never understood why so many people of my age revere CSN(&Y)... And after listening to this period piece, I still don't 😐

It's like heavy maaaan, but it's not my scene, I don't even like Smoke On The Water, there I said it 😕

Baffling, especially with her voice at its screamy screechiest. I'm sure Kate has her place but not with this wildy experimental and self-indulgent album.

Formulaic, not keen on the delivery, and don't see the point of him recording all these standards, especially Unchained Melody, other than to be a crowd pleaser obviously...

The El Classico, before they got too big for their boots 💪👌

Can't relate to either the style or content but appreciate it's a good album of its genre.

Lightweight bubblegum.

Two Metallica albums in the first two months, this is not justice. That said, I found it marginally more tolerable than the previous one. Until they started singing.

Very much of its time. I suppose this qualifies as then 'popular music' but I can't really relate to it.

Never heard of it, but really enjoyed this in a Dylanesque reflective kinda way...

The gorgeous tones of Karen Carpenter (mostly!) and some beautiful songs, some killer, some filler!

Regarded as a classic by many, regarded as overwrought and a bit tedious by me...

Mostly dire, but confused by there being a couple of half decent tunes 😐

Good to have a bit of Dad Rock for a change. His voice is hard work though, may be an acquired taste but I couldn't get into it.

Deliberate timing or extraordinary coincidence? I didn't know this album although it's always cited as a groundbreaking masterpiece and major influence on Sgt Pepper. But, apart from the singles, I didn't find it THAT amazing. Perhaps it's best if you are out of your head man.

Funky. Shallow, but funky.

The Nutty Boys with a social conscience. Great combination!

Classy. Beautifully conceived, written and delivered. Stunning debut.

Sha-doobie-doobie-doo. Impressive, made me bop my neck in and out. Good background music for doing your admin. But hard to sing along to if I'm being critical.

A mixed bag. Some good songs but I've always struggled with David Byrne's vocal style, and this hasn't helped...

Caught between liking the general sound but it being too screechy, or is that grungy? And let's be honest, a lot of the songs do sound pretty similar.

I ought to like these guys but it does not move me. Maybe if I'd been born five years later I would have loved it. Or maybe it's just not very good. It's hard to rationalise these things sometimes 😐

I know it's heresy but I've never liked Clapton, but yeah I get it, these guys are pretty good...

Eurgh, I so wanted to hate this but I couldn't quite do it. Close though 😏

Bit weird and arty for me. Some of it OK, some of it just a mess...

Hardly unplugged but a good listen, powerful live recordings, pretty heavy going throughout though...

Heard a lot about this guy, knew nothing about him. Another album I may have loved in a different time but here in 2025 I found much of it hard to take in, and the strongest tracks the ones he didn't write (take a bow James Shelton, Leonard Cohen and Benjamin Britten).

I was fully prepared only to award this 4, given it's a double album, and just the one big single, thought there was bound to be some filler. But hell, this is the Stones, the GOLD standard, from their golden period. Jewels everywhere 💪💪💥

Yet more 60s psychedelic / guitar-thrashing Grandad Rock 🙄 OK, I accept this was a seminal band but Jeff Beck (or Clapton or Page come to that) never, er, floated my boat maaaan 😏

Well it's a bit of a mess but sets the scene for so much that was to follow... Raw Power - does what it says on the tin! 💪

Not the most lyrically complex album I have ever heard but a good sound nonetheless...

How on earth did this get on the list? Here, hold my castanets 🕺💃

OK I bought this album when it came out in a desperate attempt to try to stay relevant. And I quite like four of the tracks 😅

First Morrissey now PJ Harvey, is it Get Happy week? 🤦🏻‍♂️😅 Tortured and painful, no redeeming features.

OK, unique, but not necessarily in a good way 😐 I tried to give it a chance but kinda challenging to sing or even hum along to 😏

Another strange inclusion. Limited appeal.

Too heavy, I cannot cope. But I did almost appreciate Child In Time...

I got them 'my baby left me' formulaic blues 😐

As an immature, weedy, and timid 17 year-old, just about to go to university and in desperate need of an identity, I happened to read a short review of this album in my father's Guardian (as one did). On impulse, and without having heard any of the tracks, I bought the album in WH Smith in Canterbury while on holiday with my surrogate family. I sneaked off and played it on the record player in the house we were staying at every opportunity - and couldn't believe what I was hearing. Elvis Costello came from nowhere, fully formed. This and his many following albums became the soundtrack to my life, this is no exaggeration. Don't you think that I know that walking on the water won't make me a miracle man. I said this to my boss at the end of my annual appraisal about 20 years later and he just looked up and said 'Elvis Costello'.

Good sound, slightly dubious substance if I'm being critical, which I suppose is why we are here 🙂

Blondie's masterpiece 😍

I had never heard of her, and not my thing, but I can appreciate this is a good example of the genre.

Always wondered why people go on about Taylor Swift so much. And now I know 😊

© Gloriously OTT Anthemic El Classico Productions 💪

Significant? Maybe. Possible to listen to with any ounce of enjoyment? No.

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing 🕺

Great sound but too many covers!

Didn't have much time, was completely prepared to write it off as lift music... But turns out it's the height of smooth soulful cool 😅

The one album universally loved in my time at uni, didn't matter what else you liked, everyone had a copy, all killer no filler although we did not say that back then, what a time to be alive...

The soundtrack to my (late) uni football days. Me and my future best man rewrote 'Don't You Want Me' as 'Can't You Net It' and the rest is history...

Some funky tunes but David Byrne's delivery is a constant struggle 😐

Perfect album for someone recovering from surgery and heavily sedated.

The Norwegian Ramones (albeit with a 13 year-old's vocabulary), who knew?! 😅

Bit of a gap in my knowledge this, fabulous constructions, particularly love the piano/keyboards.

'Dream pop'? Nightmare more like. If this is indeed "their most accessible album" I sincerely hope there aren't any more of them on this list.

Not my thing, but I can just about see the attraction. Not keen on the advancement of albums where artists have just died btw, bound to skew the ratings.

Never liked The Cure. Trying not to be prejudiced but this jangly mess is not helping.

This is extraordinary. People go into a studio to record this stuff. Then other people pay money to buy or stream it. Then someone decides it's one of the 1,001 albums one should hear before one dies. Nope, beats me.

Another El Classico from my student days. If you aren't awestruck by the timeless beauty of 'Scenes From An Italian Restaurant' (amongst many other jewels) then it's probably best to stick to alternative hip-hop. Sorry kids, we used up all the best music 😐

Bit thin in places but good tunes generally. Shouldn't have gone anywhere near Comfortably Numb though, absolute shocker.

Yep, v good, well, cracking start, tails off a bit in second half. Either this or I can only take so much grunge...

Hard work. I'm sure they are all great musicians but sprawling and ostentatious music, topped off with a grating singing style.

Pretty low grade psychedelia. Why on earth is this on the list?

This is a joke right?

Whilst I have tried to be open minded, I have been forced to conclude that the first few tracks of Nevermind are the only Seattle grunge I shall be needing in my life 😐

I did sign up to this project in order to listen to stuff outside my comfort zone to be fair. But turns out my comfort zone is not such a bad place to be after all 😐

Loved the music, hated the vocals. And let's face it, the lyrics and general sentiments are pretty appalling.

Wow, stunning in every respect from start to finish. Why did no one tell me?

Proper punky debut album 💪

An enjoyable enough listen without really leaving its mark on society...

Abhorrent. Nearly got me arrested.

Wow, great sound, top tunes, unexpectedly classy, a real education for me, this is why I am here!

Not sure I entirely understand the concept of Dream Pop but if it is supposed to be sleep inducing then this would appear to fit the bill.

Call me picky but as a general rule I prefer songs to have some music and singing in them 😐

Much vaunted but I never took to this rambling show of self-indulgence. Redeemed only partially by the magnificent Pinball Wizard, which stands better on its own anyway 😐

Raucous but not in a good way. Was the lead singer unwell? Close to unlistenable.

There's great soul and then there's offensive schmaltz like this.

Didn't sound great on the train tbh. But there was a child crying, think I must have nodded off and had a bad dream.

Eurgh, this does not move me, perhaps it should, I concede it's possible that if I listened to it many times it might grow on me, as some Genesis stuff did. But I found it all a bit pretentious really and his voice somewhat grating. There, I said it 😐

I had high hopes, but too heavy and impenetrable for me...

Seems to be some sort of mix up, shouldn't this be on the '101 Truly Dreadful Bee Gees Albums You Must Avoid Before You Die' list?

Funky, although I have no idea what is going on here. And he has a lot to answer for, for providing the inspiration for Do Ya Think I'm Sexy (as seems beyond any reasonable doubt yer honour) 😐

What on earth? 🤦🏻‍♂️ The latest in a long line of painfully 'inclusive' albums. Please could we have something by The Stones, The Beatles, The Jam (or Weller solo), Springsteen, Blondie, Billy Joel, Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Pulp, Squeeze, Dusty Springfield, Elvis Presley, Level 42, Oasis, Carly Simon, The Sex Pistols, Miley Cyrus, Dire Straits, The Killers, Nina Simone, Cream, The Ramones, Stevie Wonder, Santana, Roy Orbison, George Michael, The Carpenters, Sam Cooke, Elvis Costello, Smokey Robinson, The Specials, Tom Petty, The Lightning Seeds, The Housemartins, The Eagles, The Fratellis, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Berry, Diana Ross, REM, Neil Diamond, Radiohead, Mott The Hoople, Buddy Holly, T Rex, Boston, The Four Tops, Joan Jett, Talking Heads, Happy Mondays, Joan Armatrading, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Patti Smith, Heart, Fats Domino, The Cars, Coldplay, Led Zep, Tina Turner, The Strokes, Roxy Music, Gladys Knight, Foo Fighters, Beautiful South, Slade, The Who, Crowded House, Bob Dylan, The Faces, Pink Floyd, Kylie yes Kylie, Dr Feelgood, Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy, 10cc, Bob Marley, Joy Division, The Stranglers, Queen, Peter Frampton, The Isley Brothers, The Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ABBA, Spandau Ballet, Beyonce, Genesis, The Beastie Boys, Neil Young, Dionne Warwick, The Pet Shop Boys, The Pretenders, Blur, The Velvet Underground, Taylor Swift, AC/DC, The Byrds, Robbie Williams, Carole King, Madness, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, The Human League, Simon and/or Garfunkel, ELO, Bob Seger, Janis Joplin, The Clash, Taylor Swift, The Doors, Adele, The Beach Boys or Elton John next. Or Ed Sheeran or the Spice Girls even. Is this really too much to ask? Come on, you can do better than this. Many thanks.

I bought this album in my mid 20s in a troubling attempt to move with the times. But the trouble with Mick Hucknall, laid bare here, is great voice, terrible songs. So while Holding Back The Years is fabulous, the rest is, well, very ordinary 😐 Trouble all round.

Like the general vibe, but a mixed bag, feels like they were still finding their feet, or possibly just too addled to hold it all together.

Obsessed over by the cool kids in my weedy early teens, I tried to love it too, some classic tracks obvs but I didn't entirely get it, and looking back now I can see how wise I was even then 🙃

Wow, what is this? As a general rule I think it's a good idea to record 10 great songs rather than 45 random throwaways, there was a lot of rubbish here, but in a burst of generosity I have decided to award a bonus mark for shameless temerity.

Hard work. Killing Moon and Seven Seas aside, juddering tunes and vocals...

Class.

Whatever one's musical preferences I think one must acknowledge that Dylan was a trailblazer, and that this is trailblazing. This one must anyway.

Enjoyed this, good Aussie vibe, without perhaps setting the whole world alight.

Eughh, I appreciate there is good musicianship here and I know it's all a sad story but this was hard work and too melancholic for me.

Either my headbanging days were over so quickly I never noticed them, or they have not arrived yet, but I couldn't get into this 😐

Trip hop you say... Atmospheric, but not in a good way. Mercury Prize, yeah right on, you have to be kidding me, it's terrible.

Ethereal. Unexpectedly enjoyable.

Liked but not loved this, maybe suffered unfairly in comparison to Blondie though 😐

A mixed bag, some great sounds but some pretty monotonous filler.

Goodness me, makes Leonard Cohen sound like Earth, Wind & Fire. Turgid, depressing songs badly sung.

Pleased to have heard it, but hard work, prefer to look back on the glory days.

If this is indeed the greatest hip-hop album ever made then I hope the second greatest is not on this list.

I know it's supposed to be a masterpiece but I can't get into either the music or the vocal 😕 I tried to think of it as a poor man's Slade and this made it seem a bit better.

Of its time maybe, but a great bridge between folk and rock, with gorgeous and distinctive harmonies.

Well funky.

Wow, I was just too young for this first time around but well worth the 54 year wait. (OK, apart from L'America but I have decided to let that pass.)

Enjoyed the mellow sound, bit lost on some of the messaging but I'm sure that's all part of its charm.

I was hoping for more than this, didn't really grab me tbh 😕

Peak Thin Lizzy, fabulous distinctive sound, must have been amazing to see them live.

Top notch melancholy. Intense poetry, badly sung, yet somehow gripping.

Not exactly subtle but I quite enjoyed it 😅💪

Raucous, no surprise there obvs. But I feel that even if I knew this album intimately I would struggle to sing along 😐

Top Tip - instead of listening to this whole album, simply listen to Rock Me Amadeus by Falco and save yourself some valuable time.

Grating voice and (for the most part) unmemorable tunes, despite all the posthumous hype.

Leftfield. Talented bunch though clearly.

Unexpectedly glorious. Crank it up.

I don''t feel my life has been greatly enriched by hearing this album 😐

I refer you to my comments on Desperate Youths, Blood Thirsty Babes by TV On The Radio.

Magnificent. And funny how since then, everything and nothing has changed.

I refer you to my... oh never mind 😐

Experimental is one thing. Abysmal is another.

Wacky. Marginally more palatable than everything else we've had this week, but that's not saying much he said wearily.

The soaring title track aside, Berlin period Bowie does not move me 😐

Mostly the worst excesses of country. Bonus point because Elvis Costello saw something in Sittin' And Thinkin' and made it acceptable. But then again it was a Charlie Rich song anyway.

Meandering, and not exactly tuneful.

Clearly a classic of its genre although I prefer a little more Rhythm with my Blues.

OK they may not be Sweet, but I do quite like these guys 😅💪

Moody. Atmospheric. Perhaps too much so, but I quite liked it...

Don't think I'm going to be joining the Wu-Tang clan any time soon 😏

Pretty sure I would enjoy early Temptations far more. I Heard It Through The Grapevine did NOT need covering 🤨

Well that was an experience, music to induce hypnosis. Covering those two classics was brave, and Jumpin' Jack Flash did have a certain something. But then the second half just tailed away into nothingness.

Note to admin: a box set is too much to cope with in one day 😏 I'm sure this sounded wonderful on the gramophone back in the day but it is soooooo dated now, both stylistically and lyrically, that it's hard to appreciate.

Wow, eye opener, you think because it has Under The Bridge it should be good, then turns out the rest of it is both tuneless and classless.

Quite enjoyed the first two or three notes but it fell away rather badly after that before descending into screaming.

An overly long mish-mash of largely mediocre tunes.

Look, for punk rock to work there has to be some rock to go with the punk. You can't just shout into a microphone for 35 minutes and say you've made an album.

Never been a fan but enjoyed the laid back sound and general ambience.

I can't see the point but I see the attraction.

Gosh, thin in the extreme, another wild inclusion.

Not big and not clever.

Another eureka moment (maybe second only to discovering Elvis Costello) on my anxious journey from cloistered schoolboy to wide eyed student. Sensational distinctive sound, glorious basslines, menacing themes, how could I resist? Nearly docked a point for the ugly Ugly (although, y'know) but managed to hold it together by relistening to the timeless Hanging Around.

Sublime. From Beat Surrender to Café Blue in little over 12 months, an astonishing metamorphosis by Weller when he could have just kept milking The Jam until way beyond their sell by date. The fact that he was only 24 when he split The Jam at their peak never ceases to amaze me. Took me and many others along with him, kicking and screaming, before blinking into the open sunlight. My soundtrack to the summer of 1984, which may or may not have been long and hot.