1001 Albums Summary

Seems like standard 70s rock that is played and recorded well

Still weird this made him a huge MTV star. In Your Eyes is amazing

It’s tough to imagine rock music today with them. First steps of a band who changed a genre

One of those albums that shaped rock. Funnier than I remembered in a bitter way

Genius

As a fan of rock, metal, hip hop, industrial, and overly emotional lyrics, this should be the best album I’ve ever heard. Each part is done well, but it just feels like less than the sum of its parts. Maybe it’s age

Sparse instrumentation somehow leads to claustrophobia, anxiety, and desperation. Truly stunning

Well recorded, enough it could be a contemporary revival band. Sounds like unreleased tracks from 80s bands that could have been big hits

Beautiful harmonies

Best solo Beatles album.

The first album where Cave really sounds comfortable as a thoughtful, sensitive poet writing beautiful, reflective songs rather than the howling madman he was a few years earlier

Loud rock band with a debt to the Velvet Underground and the Stooges. Good blend of melody and chaos, but honestly others have done it better

Bowie is an icon, in large part due to his ability to reinvent himself. This requires constant experimentation, and not every song is perfect. Fame and Young Americans are well regarded hits. In an alternate universe, Fascination and Somebody Up There Likes Me would be as well. The Beatles cover is great, though nothing revelatory. The rest are fine, but nothing really special

There is a tension between the melodic songs and the chaotic noise they are performed with. It sounds both meticulously recorded and thrown together at the same time. Truly stunning

This should have been a new beginning, but was the end. Beautiful, introspective songs which are often wistfully regretful

Brilliantly creative, expanding R&B’s range

Fun sort of chaotic noise, but probably the sort of thing that you’d have to see in person to really appreciate

They already could make bluesy rock songs, and here is where they embraced acoustic elements, expanding their sound and moving in new directions

This came out and was lumped with other albums as grunge, when it seemed like classic rock songs about alienation. Decades later it still packs a punch

This isn’t their masterpiece, but all the elements are there. The fusion of rock and country, the beautiful melodies, and the thoughtful lyrics. It’s a look at a band on the path to greatness

Possibly the greatest lyricist in popular music, before he was regarded as a legend. Disarmingly simple yet moving

Possibly the greatest lyricist in popular music, before he was regarded as a legend. Disarmingly simple yet moving

A stunningly good pop album that showed they could write hits as well as anyone. There is a hint of the weirdness that will lead to them becoming the adventurous oddballs who recorded Kid A, but this shows they could do straightforward rock better than most

An interesting look at one of the 60’s less popular bands. Pleasant songs that show what was happening at the time without being overly derivative

Some good songs, but the production gets in the way. Most songs sound cluttered, like they are going of r a Beach Boys sound. When the songs are more stripped down, they are at their best

Quirky, fun music

An absolute hip hop/R&B masterpiece

Boring and formulaic

Not his true masterpiece, but some good songs and that amazing voice

I started listening and thought I must have heard this before, but I think it is just a kind of pleasant, nondescript classic rock. Good musicians and you see why they are famous as a backing band

There is reasons this is often held up as the standard

Smooth, evocative dance music

I often hear them mentioned as geniuses who should have been as big as REM, then listen and think they are a perfectly fine band whose best song became their biggest hit

If you ever wondered about rave culture this is a great starting point

I can understand why people don’t like them, but this is probably the album where Sonic Youth does the best job blending chaotic noise and melody.

Very influential but still a fun listen today

If you like thrash metal, this is a masterpiece. If you don’t like metal, you won’t like this. If you are curious and don’t know which album to start with, this is probably the best album by the biggest band in the genre

Perhaps a massive hit hurt them so they are remembered as a one hit wonder rather than the fun, adventurous group on the rest of the album

Punk is a few years old and already we were moving on to post-punk? Catchy songs with twists, and with The Light Pours Out of Me and Shot By Both Sides Magazine brought two great anthems for this newer sound

They arrived as a combination of punk energy, Sabbath riffs, and Zeppelin vocals, but here they expand their sound, creating probably their best work

Disco with elements of funk and r&b. While most of this music seemed disposable, Chic are still worthwhile

Fumbling towards becoming who they would be, mixing up blues, folk, and rock. Some works well, and some rambles a bit

Interesting snapshot of its time, but it’s tough to imagine people listening to it a lot today. Fascist Groove Thing remains a great song

The music seems formulaic, but she has a truly beautiful voice

Good blues album and they seem enthused. It isn’t that hard to find the blues that inspired them today

Punky, poppy rock music that so many were doing in the early 90s. Good, but maybe not essential

Catchy garage rock, similar to the Hives or Strokes. Not really yet the band that would have a few massive hits a few years later, but an enjoyable listen

Bluesy rock. Ferocious and beautiful at times

Influential post punk album, but perhaps mostly an artifact of its time

Catchy songs, though certainly sounding a bit dated

Like a supergroup, though no one knew how much success individual members would later have. The versatility and chemistry are undeniable, setting the stage for later domination

Bongos don’t sound exciting, but this is a percussion driven funk masterpiece. It’s tough to listen without trying to identify which parts have been sampled in which hip hop songs

I’d only ever heard their covers, and was delighted to find they are a pretty good classic reggae band. Wouldn’t have guessed they are from the UK, apart maybe from better production.

Solid mix of funk, soul, r&b, and hip hop. Still captivating today

Less wide ranging than some of her earlier work, she still combines innovative sounds with clever, sometimes funny lyrics

Interesting experimental phase, though arguably some of their weakest songwriting. Within You Without You is still my favorite Beatles song

The man had a gift for writing catchy songs

Interesting listen as they move further from post-punk proto goth towards dance. Kind of an awkward in between album

Good voice, but overall sounds dated

One of the frustrating things about Kanye’s path to Nazism, though not the worst, is that he was so talented. Breathtaking, grandiose songs which often still feel intimate and confessional. What’s waste

Short sketches of songs

The guy with the big band singing anthems to arenas does a stripped down largely acoustic album, creating a surprising masterpiece

Beautifully arranged songs with a breathtaking voice

Shifting from post punk to the grandiose gothic geniuses they would become soon after

Interesting melodic proto-punk

Great voice and fantastic storytelling

Hook filled, kind of spooky British rock which owes a debt to the doors

Ugh

Not every song is amazing, but taken as a whole it is a work of breathtaking genius, combining wit and heartache

What can you say? It’s the best Christmas album I’ve ever heard that was produced by a murderer? Your enjoyment of the first part might be tempered by the latter fact

If someone asks me what afrobeat is, this is the one I reach for

There are soft drink jingles with the sincerity and artistic impact of this album

This site needs an option for a 6th star

A creep, but also a genius.

I can’t stand his voice

Possibly the best rock album ever. A perfect mix of noise and melody

Awful in just about every way