1001 Albums Summary

“Africa Brasil” by Jorge Ben Jor (1976) Never heard this album nor this artist. But i have to say, I loved it. I'm not sure what i was expecting but I loved the rhythms and the samba feel to the music. I'll be adding this to my saved albums

As a white Australian teenager, i thought that this album was brilliant. I felt the anger, I loved the beats, I played Fuck tha police loud. It is an album of its time and place. Listening to it now i can appreciate it, but it's not for me

This is a great album. A really solid opening with Ramble Tamble. The tracks then move into a higher gear. It is a really pleasant way to pass the time. If this was a greatest hits album you'd be pretty happy to have it in your collection, to think that this was released as a regular album is striking. The musician ship and the vocals a brilliant. Worth listening to.

I was underwhelmed by this album. The songs on the album have a sameish quality to them that causes them to blend into one. It is the sort of album that could play through in the background on a chilled night in and except for one or two tracks you wouldn't notice it playing

My goodness this is a patchy album. There are some great songs on this album (Synchronicity II, King of Pain, Every Breath You Take), but some of the other music just goes straight through to the keeper for me. You can hear the quality of the musicians, but songs like Mother just suck the life out of the album.

It may be because I'm a middle aged white guy, but I love this album. I love the way that Paul Simon has drawn from other inspirations and worked them into something that is his. The harmonies are gorgeous, the rhythms catchy and the African influences brilliant. It is a really vibrant and diverse feeling album.

I quite liked this. It is the conic Brit-pop sound. A really solid debut album.

Electric live performance, raw and raucous but still note-perfect. Sam Cooke goes at a break neck pace. We were robbed of him way too soon

I liked Freak on a Leash and Got the Life I found the rest pretty tedious. It has a same ish quality that is wearing.

I can see why this album is so revered as one of the great funk albums but it doesn't do it for me. I'll come back and listen another time but I just felt lost in it

I was 12 when this album came out and somehow managed to miss it. Listening to it now takes me back to the early 80's and evokes some of the sound of that time. It’s an enjoyable album, a nice early 80s snapshot with one classic on it - Pretty in Pink. For me the album is a "oncer" - I'm glad that I heard it but I don't think that I'll be back

I like Arcade Fire, don't love them. I like the vibe of the album. They did a great job creating an atmosphere.

This album is catchy, timeless music with a distinctive vibe. Marley shines brightly throughout the album. The version of No woman no cry is not the one most people know but no complaints.

Great album, very consistent all throughout. It's a very Black Keys album. I suspect it functions as a good soundtrack for an evening of food and friends.

I really liked this album. As an 11 year I remember hearing Brass in Pocket and writing the band off. The album had an edge and an energy that I really enjoyed. I liked the Chrissie Hynde's voice and the way they moved between punk and new wave. I'll listen to this again

This was Ok, enjoyable enough, straight down the middle 70s rock.

Their sound is distinctive. It is easy to hear the debt that bands like The Beastie Boys owe them. I love the way that the album opens, it catches you and just keeps going

I hadn't realised that this was their debut album...It's a ripper. This album takes everything that was good about British rock bands at the time and dials it up to 11. There are some absolute bangers on this album.

So many bongo drums...this album of covers was great until it wasn't, somewhere around satisfaction. Neat little time capsule of 70s vibe, but a bit much to listen to all at once...

Listening to this on the day of Ozzy Osbourne's passing. Easiest 5 stars I've ever given. An absolute classic from start to finish.

I quite like this. I hear Pete Seeger and especially Woodie Guthrie. It's kind of a tricky album to rate, it’s pleasant enough but i think I prefer Woodie Guthrie and especially Bob Dylan

Smart, political, and fun, this is a great record. There are times when a great heaping of ska, just hits the spot. Loved the vibe

I loved this album. Janis Joplin's voice is so raw, so sublime. Me and Bobby McGee puts a smile on my face every time that I hear it, as much for the way that band life the tune as for Joplin's singing. This album is bluesy and jammy and the Full Tilt Boogie Band are really tight.

My Goodness this album is a relentless sonic assault on the senses. It is hard, fast and aggressive. Utterly frenetic

I don't quite know what to make of this album. It is growing on me I think. I feels like listening to a Radiohead album which is not such a bad thing. I think part of the reason I struggled with this album is because it is such a diverse sounding album. I'm a little surprised at how much I ended up liking this one.

It was ok but for me it's a oncer of an album. It felt like one of those albums you have to work to appreciate. Music from the head not from the heart.

I did really like this album. You can hear what they are becoming as a band. It's is so soothing that takes you to different places looking at love, regret not to mention living in a yellow submarine. For an album to come out in 1966 and still sound this good speaks volumes about what a generational band they were. I'm always surprised by the depth of their music.

Honestly, this left me cold. Ms Jackson is a ripping song but there was very little else to recommend the album to me.

I love that an album like this made this list. It is extraordinary. Some of it is wonderful, some of it is overwhelming, all of it is very high quality improv jazz. It's complex and layered and I really enjoyed it.

This is a wonderful album. the whole experience was raw and listenable. Loved it

This is an album for its time. It feels very 80's metal...Aerosmithish perhaps. Its a good listen though, I'll be back to it

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. I wasn't a fan as a teenager, I'm still not, but i enjoyed the album

I'm not sure why I had to listen to this album before I died. I have now I can't imagine listening to it again. It's patchy, it's ok but it didn't connect with me

An extremely easy on the ears bluesy swamp rock album, by a great band out of San Francisco

I really only knew Ian Dury from the Hit me with your rhythm stick phase. The album is quirky and very definitely an acquired taste. I don't hate this but it did start to wear a little thin

I really didn't want to like this album. As a rule i want very little to do with Nazi sympathisers. I liked the album but i won't be listening to it again

It's albums like this that make this exercise worthwhile. I hadn't heard of Keith Jarrett before, had no idea about his art and am so glad that this list introduced him to me. His playing is soulful and beautiful and the story behind the album is a ripper. I'll be listening to this for a long time

It was ok as an album. Listenable, hard rock. I liked their later material better. It's probably not one I'm going to play again

I've said this a couple of times now about albums on this list. This is something I wouldn’t have listened to without this site, and I’m glad I did. it has a great vibe to it and it grew on me as the album progressed

I think this album would be great if i was high. Even as it is I quite like it. I love that Lemmy is playing bass on this. But even with Lemmy playing i had had enough by the end of the first disc.

I really liked this album. Joni Mitchell's voice is great. Again, this is another album I haven't heard before, but I am so glad that I've been able to experience it now. This is a very laid back album, easy to listen to.

This is great album. Different. But very, very good. Idiosyncratic is the phrase that comes to mind. The guy covers so many genres of music so effortlessly, it's hard to keep up. I get why some people don't gel with Beck but I really like his approach

This is a new discovery, thanks to the list. The lyricism is great, and it's refreshing to hear some hip-hop that takes a more light-hearted stance. I can hear De La Soul and a Tribe Called Quest in the rhymes and beats. A really enjoyable album

The was a really solid album. There a significant number of bangers on the album. These guys were one of the better new wave bands of the late seventies and early 80's

It's ok. It sounds a lot like Franz Ferdinand. If it was on in the background quietly I'd listen to it but it feels pretty derivative.

I reckon this is a ripping album. The musicianship is intense, tracks like hanger 18 are belters and yet I don't think I'll go back to it. It is a product of it's time and my tastes have moved on. I could see 20 year old me with this on heavy repeat...50 year old me not so much

What an album! Musically brilliant. Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Boxer, Cecilia, The Only Living Boy in New York, Baby Driver are all brilliant. The album takes me back to when I was a kid and Mum & Dad would play the album. My brother and I would run around acting out to Baby Driver

I enjoyed this album. There is a timelessness about her voice that I love. I really enjoyed this album and will be returning to it over time

Man, what an album. This might be my favourite. The guy is a poet. For me the highlight is Shelter from the Storm. The album is so raw and honest. Lyrically brilliant. Many of the songs feel like poems set to music rather than pop songs.

I really liked this. My only real experience of the Byrds was Turn, Turn, Turn. This was fun and a little groovy.

I really liked this. The album has a cool, relaxed vibe. The feel is minimalist indie pop. I could listen to this late at night. I think it would work

I was a little underwhelmed by this album. It opens strongly with Mr Soul but the rest of the album is patchy at best. There are flashes of brilliance but the meh is way too predominant

This feels like an album out of it's time. It has an older vibe even though it was released in 1997. You can tell that they had fun making it, at 30 mins or so it is indeed a short album. I'm going to give it another listen because I'm still not sure what to make of it

I liked it, it was peaceful and a nice background. The ragas(?) were delicately balanced and played beautifully. My wife, however, hated it and made me turn it off

I loved this album. This album is exactly what I'm here for - Malinese sand blues. Bring it on

I was surprised by this album. I looked at the cover and looked at the year and thought that I had a read of what it would sound like. Boy was I wrong. These guys were well ahead of their time.

The album was solid. It started pretty well. But the singers voice started to bother me after a while. Also, what on earth was going on with the cover of Iron Man?

I was interested to read that he wrote most of this album on tour in the US. I don't know if I'm reading too much into the sound of the album, but I felt that vibe. It feels like an album stuck in the middle of nowhere. Overall, it's not the Spiders From Mars, but that doesn't make it bad

Weird, I could've sworn that I was listening to the Beatles. At any rate, the album is great brit-pop and very listenable.

I'm a white, middle aged Australian. This album feels somewhat anachronistic to me. I can't identify with Ice Cube's anger and the casual misogyny and violence turn me off, I can appreciate the spirit of protest on the album. I can't imagine what it is like to live in an environment seething with the racism, inequality and police violence that marked his life in America. The highlights for me were Check Yo Self, Now I Gotta Wet Ya and the It Was A Good Day.

I know these guys were trailblazers in Gothic Rock. I think I liked Bauhaus better. Spellbound is the best song on the album by some distance. I think for me, the album goes 3 or four songs too long - the vibe started to wear on me.

I really liked this. It is soulful and bluesy. It is an album of its time and I won't have it on high rotation but I did like this album. Burke's voice is clear, articulate, and soulful. You can hear what would come after him.

Never heard of this group. Very punchy punk. The album has a brightness and funkiness to it. I really enjoyed this album

This album swings between moments where it flies and others when it reminds me of a scene in Animal House where there is a party happening and there is a guy singing a folk song on the stairs and he's strumming a guitar. Bluto (played by John Belushi) comes up, listens for a second, and then grabs the guitar and smashes it on the wall. I liked Buzzin' fly and Gypsy Woman in particular

Liked it from the first song. This is a really good album. It's a very easy listen.

I love this album. The opening strains of Seven Nation Army grab you and from there you're off to the races. This album is intense but there are still spots to catch your breath. A real joy to listen to

I honestly didn't mind this album. I kinda like pre disco Bee Gees.

The best thing about this album is that I've finished listening to it and I don't have to listen to it again

My goodness this guy was a musician. He's a hell of a guitarist. The album is groovy and multilayered. Utterly Brilliant!

A really good album. I knew the hits off the album but hadn't listened to the rest. I liked it.

I enjoyed listening to this much more than I thought I would...it made a nice soundtrack to the morning. It's very late 60's and it's an awful album cover.

This is brilliant, laid back jazz. It's the type of record that makes you feel like you should be sitting in a dark room with a whiskey and a cigar. It is more accessible than some of his later music and will get repeat listenings from me

This is ripping, mindless hard rock. Some of the lyrics are a bit...yikes. But the riffs are loud and hard. Play it loud

I hadn't heard this album before. I liked it. The ambiance kind of draws you in. There's a menacing quality to it. It still feels relevant as a soundtrack for the news in 2025

There is a joy in this album that I love. It is a brilliant live performance. King shines but the band is tight and goes with him as he plays.

This was ok. The second half was more enjoyable than the first half. Take Me to the River was the highlight

I love Lauryn Hill's voice. It is soulful and smoky and communicates more than just words. I liked the album but not as much as I wanted to. When the album shines it shines brightly but at times it gets lost in itself and tends to drag.

The album is over the top bombastic and operatic. I love it. 16 year old me loved Paradise By the Dashboard Light. 56 year old me still does. The album is a lot but it is great fun

A ripping album. A double album that doesn't feel overly indulgent.

This album feels very dated. It was hard enough getting through the first song let alone the full 65 minutes. Not for me.

The music was good. The ads not so much. As a concept album it misses the mark for me.

I know these guys from This is my truth. I hadn't heard this album before. While I was listening to it I was thinking about the passage of time. In particular about the way that time changes the way that we perceive music. I imagine that when this was released in 1996 in was a ground breaking album. The sound is very solidly brit-pop. It feels a little dated now, with the exception of Design for Life which still hits hard and is anthemic.

This is not an album that I would have gone looking for. It has a lovely simple vibe about it. Willie Nelson's voice shines throughout the album. The story telling is poignant. My favourite track was Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain.

This is a pretty bleak album. The subject matter is mostly dark. Reed's poetry is brilliant and evocative, the production mostly sparse. Once was enough though

This album creates a very specific ambience. It's sound is both familiar and novel at the same time. The blend of African, French and American is striking. It's a lovely farewell from a very talented musician. Loved it

This album creates a very specific ambience. It's sound is both familiar and novel at the same time. The blend of African, French and American is striking. It's a lovely farewell from a very talented musician. Loved it

I heard so much about this at the time. After listening to it I'm not sure what all the fuss was about. I've listened to it once, I won't again, not for me.

A really good album. Life on Mars is the highlight.

I feel quite conflicted about the album. It's pleasant enough but it doesn't grab me. It's ok...i guess

This started really well, but then the sound got pretty tiring pretty quickly. It is easy to hear where artists like Duran Duran & Spandau Ballet took their inspiration from. It's good and it's inspirational in terms of the direction music would take but it's not for me

I think that I liked this. It is the first time that I've listened to the whole album in one sitting, rather than snatches of Arcade Fire here and there. My favourite song is Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains). It's nostalgia and dread all at once, but in a good way. I'll give this another go at some point

Brilliant. Confrontational, angry, and sadly, still relevant.

This album doesn't resonate with me. It is hard listening

There are so many bangers on this album. The music is driven, fast and energising.

This really is a ripping album. They really were greater than the sum of their parts by this album. Just stunning from go to woah.

It's ok. It sounds like a lot of other British punk from this era.

I love Aretha's voice. it is so pure and clear and strong. The album is smooth and soulful.

She's very clearly an angry, angry woman who has produced something brilliant. It's a 90's classic which probably needs to stay in the 90's.

This album felt very all over the shop. There are elements of elements of hard rock, glam rock, prog rock and a little bit of blues, this album has a really unique sound. When it is good it is really good but when it's bad it's awful

A lovely album. I love her voice. The album is sweet and soulful. Like lollies it is a sometimes food rather than an everyday thing. But all in all and good listen

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It is very listenable. It provided a nice background while I did my thing.

I think I liked this in spite of Morrisey being a bit of a wanker. The music is really strong, and the lyrics good. The title track is turgid but the rest is easy on the ears.

It's brit-popish but rough around the edges. It's fine, I like it, not love it though

I liked this. It was an atmospheric, electronic vibe. Not necessarily dance music, more like ambient techno.

Who knew that a chicken shack could be so cool. Loved it

I don't really know what to make of this album. The early stones always sound like they are trying to be edgier than the Beatles. There are some really good moments on this album and you can hear what they are becoming. All in all though, I'd rather listen to Rubber Soul

Classic Rock at it's finest. I can imagine its impact when it was released 53! years ago. It is a really solid album, that potentially suffers because others have imitated it over the years. Highway Star and Space Truckin' are the highlights. Smoke on the Water is iconic

I was underwhelmed by this album. It's ok but it didn't really do anything for me

It's ok, I guess. The album feels very samey and has a noisy vibe to it. I was so sick of Take Me Out but time and distance have helped.

I quite liked this album. I wasn't expecting to, but there you go! It was weird but in a good way.

I loved this. The music was seamless as it transitioned from movement to movement. This was a solid groove.

I like this, it's jazzy and bluesy. I love Amy Winehouse's voice. The album is not perfect to be sure. It is patchy, it was written by a 19year old after all. But, every now and then you get glimpses of the artist that she was becoming.

The album was fine. I can hear where they influenced bands like The Clash and a host of others. But, the album feels like not my time or place and so I struggled with it.

I liked this. It was melancholic and esoteric. It has a Lou Reed kind of vibe to it. It is albums like this that keep me coming back to this list. I doubt I would have heard this any other way. Is it patchy? Sure, but I still enjoyed it.

There are some great grooves on this album. It kind of misses David Byrne on vocals though

Loved this. The album is all over the shop, but in a good way. There must be half a dozen genre's showcased, everything from rap to rock to jazz. Brilliant!

Perry Farrell's voice kind of wore me down over the course of the record. When it kicked off I was loving it but somewhere are Been Caught Stealin' I was ready for it to be over. It's a good album but not one I'll revisit

I tried, I really did. It's not for me. The violin was good but overall, it missed the mark

This was a surprising album. It got better as it went along. It's not my style of music, more my daughter's but it was very good.

Well that took a turn. The first three tracks were accessible and easy to listen to and then things got experimental. It's weird but good. I can't give it 5 stars but can give it fours stars with some bleeps and whistles

The musos are good, no question about it. The music the produced was not for me, the album was a chore. Roundabout was good but the rest wasn't particularly enjoyable to listen to.

The album is ok, just ok. I wanted to like it given that it was her first album but it's pretty forgettable

This is a solid album. Greens Onions is iconic. The Hammond organ and guitar work well together

This album was a trip. I somehow missed Sonic Youth the first time around. It is an excellent album, even as they get a bit more experimental as the album progresses. I'm not as effusive as some but still really enjoyed the album

This one went straight over my head. I get that it's satire and that he's making a statement. I know Frank Zappa was iconoclastic, but this just doesn't resonate with me.

These guys were so overplayed when they first came out. It got to the point where I would change radio stations when they came on. I still feel a little that way. Having said that it is a really solid debut album - especially the first half.

The album is ok. It's pretty vanilla synth pop. Take on me is a ripping song that the rest of the album can't really live up to.

In the words of Monty Burns, (sort of), I don't know much about music, but I know what I hate...and I don't hate this. The album definitely has a darker vibe to it and i think it could be quite a polarising album. Some of it sounds like David Bowie, but not quite. It's an adventurous kind of album. Definitely worth a listen

This album surprised me. I loved it. I hated the previous Smiths Album that I listened to. Maybe there is more to them than meets the eye.

I didn't need to listen to this to review it. I listened to this because I wanted to. This is, in my mind, the best of the unplugged albums. The fact that it was done in one take speaks to the quality of the band. This is the easiest five stars that I've given so far

I reckon this is a pretty good album. As other people have noted, it's a little all over the place. You can hear hints of what's coming and Salisbury Hill stands out by a mile.

It was ok. It felt like pretty generic brit pop. it didn't really grab me but it didn't offend my ears either

I loved this. It was relaxed and fun. That 50's vibe is something else.

It's becoming more clear to me over time that I am not really a prog rock kind of person. This is no exception. The album improves as it goes, but it is not for me

I heard strong echoes of the Beatles in his music. But not for me

Muddy is one of the greats. What's not to like. His Chicago style blues energy is electric. I loved this.

I had never heard Nick Drake prior today. I really liked his album. It's arrangements are lush and rich. His voice is soulful and smooth. The album has an air of melancholy about it, which kind of makes sense given his story.

This an absolute classic. I think of 50's rock and roll and this is what comes to mind. It is infectious, easy to listen to and, importantly, really good fun to listen to nearly 70 years later

The music on the album is great. You can keep the emcee. I haven't listened to a lot of big band music but I enjoyed it.

This was a great album. It opens at break neck pace with Speed King and doesn't really let up. Child in Time is a classic and I loved King of Rats. One reviewer described it as cosmically bombastic. It is, it is Deep Purple in all their pomp. Absolutely worth a listen

Nope won't listen. No revenue for Kanye

Jeez this is a weird album but I actually kind of like it. The bass playing is brilliant. John Lydon's lyrics and singing are out there. Even the guitar is a really good jangly. I know others have struggled with this but I really liked it

I like Neil Young. I love his laid back vide and the country twang of the guitar. His music is not complicated but it speaks to me

This was a great album. Atmospheric and emotional. As a band they keep growing on me

Not everything is high art. This is ok British electronic pop music

Eminem is one hell of a rapper. His rhyming and flow are impressive. That said the album is incredibly juvenile.

This album grew on me and then wore off with the space of one listen. I liked the middle section (everything from John Wayne Gacy to Chicago). Knowing Sufjan Stevens' music, it is me who is wrong. But this album is not for me.

I really liked the album. I always find Elvis Costello interesting and listenable. I knew Allison and Watching The Detectives. They were still the highlights of the album. I was surprised by but loved Blame it on Cain.

The music on this album was pretty funky but Erykah Badu's rapping wore me out. There is a tedious sameness to her rhyming that I didn't enjoy. I was over it by about half way through

I don't quite know what to make of this album. Part of the challenge is separating the artist from the art. Certainly, earlier in his life John Lennon was a pretty poor human being. Does that invalidate the beauty of his poetry? Does the fact that he seems to have largely repented and tried to make amends makes his music more acceptable. In the end I think this is a middling work of art. I like the honesty of Jealous Guy but don't have much time for Imagine or Dear Yoko.

Brilliant. Utterly Brilliant. I love Drive, and the video for Everybody Hurts has stuck with me but there is so much more to this album. I think it's REM's best album by some distance

This album dropped in the middle of a purple patch for Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. The album is tastefully loud, full of energy and perfectly arranged. I can't get enough of this album

This album was up against it from the get go. That scream at the start of skunk nearly got the album turned off. It's a patchy album that gets better as it goes and it rewards persistence in a way that I was surprised by. That said, I'm probably still not coming back to it, it feels like too much of a hot mess and I'm not sure that I want to put the effort in.

I know this album is held in high esteem. I found it all a bit bleh. Musically it is solid but also very similar to blur and Oasis.

I was struck by how much hate this album copped. I decided to give it a go regardless and sat through it. It was ok, it felt like coffee lounge music. I didn't hate it, but i didn't exactly love it either.

I love this guy's voice. It is soulful and creates a mood beautifully. The album made a great soundtrack to the post Christmas recovery in our house.

Phil Spector at his wall of sound best. This has such an old school Christmas vibe. The man my be a horrible human being but he did know his music

This is a great album. There's an earthiness to Lou Reed's songwriting that gives it that edge of darkness and danger. Brilliant!

Not for me. It feels pretentious and I feel like I've just come back from a renaissance fair

I don't get the Coldplay hate. It's almost like they're the Nickleback of the pop world. Are they earnest? Sure. Can it be too much? Also sure. But the other end of the spectrum can be just as wearing. This album is eminently listenable. The four tracks from "In my place" through to "Clocks" are a very solid block of music.

I had never heard of this before. It was a lovely groove. I know it is entirely samples but they are woven together so well. I loved the album.

This was fun. It is a solid soundtrack while I was studying. It doesn't ask alot of me and I'm happy with that. It is a fusion of indie and dance and for the most part, it works well. The highlight for me was Step On

This is one of the stranger albums that I've encountered in this list. At times lush and beautiful at others dense and just flat out weird. I think this would probably reward repeated listenings. A knee jerk reaction says that this is a 2 or a 3. I'll come back and change the number if I come back to the album

I don't know how you can not love this album. The energy is fabulous, the band is tight and the results are just gold.

My sense is that with this album the good outweighs the bad. There are some absolute gems on this album, but it also feels like they just recorded everything that popped into their heads.

The album opened with a rambling, mumbling song that didn't seem to be going anywhere. As the album progressed I was surprised by the different genres touched on and the way that the album felt like a cohesive whole. Having said that the album is a mixed bag. It is folksy and jazzy. I suspect that I'll persevere with this one

I'm not much of a rap guy. I find that they talk about things I struggle to relate to from my privileged position in life. I have to appreciate then as an outsider. As an outsider I have to say that this album has a really solid vibe to it even if it is a little long

Classic disco. Engaging and funky. The bass is brilliantly put together. This is a great listen...and a dance if you feel so inclined

The only song I knew was probably the only one most people knew - "Come On Eileen" - which is absolute 80's banger, so I was intrigued to hear what the rest of the album sounded like. I enjoyed this initially, but it went on about half an hour too long. After that it started to feel whiny and sameish. It took 2 listens to get through

Wow! What an album. And to think that he nearly walked away to work with disabled kids in Africa. Another reviewer wrote that "In a cynical world so often full of gloom and pessimism, anger and despair, love will always the save day and that’s what Songs In The Key Of Life is ultimately about." I like that line so much that I'm stealing it.

This album has a dark sound to it. It feels menacing and a little ominous. For me, I could play this in the background while I'm working but I didn't feel compelled to pay any particular attention to it. After sitting through the album I concluded that it was overwhelmingly just ok

Not for me. I don't think its bad, in fact I can see the appeal. It's just not my cup of tea

I actually liked this album. I was a little worried when all I saw was 1 & 2 star reviews. I hadn't heard of the group before. The Icarus Line are loud and aggressive. I particularly liked "Getting Bright at Night"

This is brilliant. Somehow I'd managed to hear their music without ever listening to the album. This is so funky, so creative and so approachable.

That was… unexpected. The way that my kids looked at me when they heard what I was listening to was worth the price of admission. I will be pulling this out whenever they try to make me listen to K-pop. The album has a real cabaret kind of vibe. I don't hate it but I'm not crash hot on it either, and I'm not confident that it would reward repeated listens.

The contrast between this album and their later album is astounding. There are some great moments scattered throughout the album. Truthfully, I've never quite known what to do with this album. I prefer the Gilmour led material

I do like this album. It's got a great vibe to it. I like most things that Jack White puts out.

Adele's voice is so clear and powerful. The album starts well but eased off after the third track and was slightly underwhelming. When she's good, she's amazing but some of the album passed by as filler for me.

This is a very chill album. The harmonies are lovely.

Nope, no thank you.

I know Clapton is an ass. I still love him as a guitarist. These guys, Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker put lightning in a bottle for a while. This album is bluesy, psychedelic and just a really solid listen, although, it must be said, A Mother's Lament is just a little weird.

This record was ok. It was fine. It was decent even. I don't 't want to listen again even though it was...ok. A blancmange of an album

The album was Ok. It was fun, but I didn't really engage with it. Listening to this I can see where Gnarls Barkley comes from, I think I prefer Gnarls Barkley

I gotta say this album grew on me. I started pretty disconnected but as the movements progressed it drew me in. I'll be back to listen again.

Honestly, I looked at this cover and the title and I groaned a little. I didn't really want to listen to this. The lesson is to never judge a book by its cover. This was a surprisingly good album. It's not knock it out of the park good, to be honest I'm kind of tired of listening to gangster rap, but it had some really good moments (I'm thinking Back like that). I probably won't come back it but it was pretty good

Ugh, I kept expecting him to breaking into Quando, Quando, Quando and to tell me not to go changing. This is lounge music/soft rock in a form that I found uninteresting and tedious

The woman can sing. She has been kissed on the vocal chords by God. The songs however, seem to have been written to show what notes she can hit rather than to say anything worth saying. The fact that they all sound so sameish speaks volumes. It is an ok album as background music but for someone so prodigiously talented it feels underwhelming

I love Otis Redding. His voice is just magic. It is at times joyful and others so full of pain and sorrow. The band behind him is tight.

This is a compilation of their first couple of albums which makes it a strong album, but i does raise a question about whether this should be included in this list. I'm not going to think about it too deeply. It is a good fun listen

This was pretty good. I know that it was rated as one of the more overrated albums of all time in 2005. I don't know about that, but I like the vibe that it gave off. It was fine

My goodness this is a good album. It feels like something Daft Punk could have released. These guys were so far ahead of their time it's ridiculous.

This is my kind of hip-hop. It is smart and fun and yet doesn't take itself too seriously. The beats are solid. This is a great way to spend an hour. "Golden age of hip-hop" indeed

I really liked this album. It hits themes like love and loss and nostalgia and longing beautifully. Williams sings her stories in a way that is both intensely personal but also relatable and inviting.

This is a really good album. I loved Grace Slick's vocals. The music is psychedelic, sure but it's also folky and bluesy. The two big hits reign supreme. The surprise for me was "Coming Back To Me."

A brilliant album. I love the bluesy sound that they achieved. It's a homage to their roots rather than a rip off.

This album was my pathway in to Radiohead. There is something about the guitar work that just grabs me. It is an a captivating mix of melancholy and bangers. My favourite track is Street Spirit.

Yep, this was weird. It was at times joyous (Ubu Dance Party) and yet equal parts annoying. It is one of those albums that I'm glad that I had a chance to listen, but it's doubtful that I'll listen a second time.

This is my second Stevie Wonder album. The other one was Songs in the Key of Life. I really like this, especially songs like "Boogie On Reggae Woman" The question with artists like Stevie Wonder is do you judge them by their standards or by the standards of his contemporaries. If I was going purely based on the run this album is in the middle of, then maybe it is not as highly rated as the other two around it. If you rate him based on his contemporaries then this is head and shoulders above so many others. Stevie, even on an off day is just so damn good as a singer/songwriter. In the end I'm going with 5 stars because even though I like the other albums. I still love this and it is a cracking album.

I love this. It is an excellent album. At times rocking hard, at others tender at others psychedelic. The sound of Neil with Crazy Horse behind him is iconic.

There's so much already that's been said about this album. I agree with all the good things and disagree with the bad. This is a brilliant album to sit down and immerse yourself in.

This album is a vibe. I really enjoyed it. Like other listeners I'm not sure why I enjoyed it, but enjoy it I did.

Al Green has a voice like spun silk. It is sweet and soulful. The album is a super chilled listen.

I enjoyed the album. It feels very 80's. The thing is, I was working at the time and it was a reasonable soundtrack, I just think that I won't be back to listen again.

This is a great album. Cool and smooth, it has a jazzy vibe to it that is just so damn listenable.

This is a monster of an album. It marks a significant transition point in Metallica's journey as a band. The album is more hard rock than thrash metal but it is still brilliant. There is banger after banger on the album.

The album is a good mix of R&B/hip hop, soul and pop. If you like that sort of thing I'm sure it's great. I thought that it was good, I had it on in the background while I was working. It was ok.

Mark Knopfler is a brilliant guitarist. His style is sparse and understated. The other musos are good but it is really about Knopfler.

I love this. I kind of wish rap had stayed this way. The beats were solid. The lyrics have some sort of social consciousness. I like the vibe of positivity over the belligerence that some other rap records in this list carry.

This is a brilliant album. Springsteen grows exponentially as a story teller here. He's found a persona that works for him and with the E Street band behind him magic flows.

This is so very 80's. So, so 80's. Jim Kerr's voice is smooth. the instruments are brilliant. The songs have great depth to them. It's a great album, but so very 80's in terms of its sound

I knew Lovesick from this album but not anything else. The beats are solid and the lyrics have a real substance to them. It's a fun album

It's kind of country. It's kind of Soul/Big Band. It's even a little bit bluesy. Ray Charles shines on this album, a incredible talent.

This is another album that I'll add to my tower of ignorance. I had never heard of these guys before. The album is fun and eminently listenable. I had no idea Fergal Sharkey was in a band, and from what I can hear, a pretty good one as well.

I don't hate this album. I made the mistake of reading the reviews first so I wasn't expecting much. It's one you have to be in a particular mood to listen to. The music is really good, the vocals are interesting at times but I think compliment the music well.

I don't quite get the fuss about this album. I suspect hearing it in real time in the 70's would be a different kettle of fish. It seems to inhabit the same eco system as Blondie, The Ramones, and Talking Heads. It's ok, the singers voice is wearing

This is brilliant. It is an energetic exploration of funk and jazz, matched with African rhythms. Apparently it was a political statement as much as a musical one. Will listen again.

I truly don’t know how to feel about this record. There is something undeniable about the talent on this album and the idea is different to the usual fare. However, many of the lyrics are pretty juvenile and it kind of leaves me flat.

I almost stopped listening on the first song but I hung in there and sort of liked Shameika. The album dragged more the further it went on.

This album is warm and laid back with pure harmonies that are very hard to walk past. This isn't their best album, but it is very, very good and it is very easy listening.

Less is definitely more with this album. Not only is it stripped right back to just Nick Drake and a guitar. The album runs for a grand total of 28 minutes. It is melancholic and beautiful and sparse.

The first two tracks, which are covers are the stand out on the album. The sound feels muddy and as an album it is a pretty rough and ready experience

When I think about this album I think about Monty Burns when Marge painted him nude after seeing him in the shower. He said "I may not know much about art but I know what I hate...and I don't hate this." I feel much the same way about this album. Saying that, I'm not sure that I love it either. The album is an acquired taste. The fuzzed out guitars get a bit much over the course of the album.

I really liked this album. I missed it when it first came out. I'm glad that it crossed my path, it was my first listen but it won't be my last

I love the piano on this album. As other reviewers have said this album is a bridge between prog and rock. I knew Bloody Well Right and Dreamer. I enjoyed the rest of the album

I reckon this album is a visceral experience. It is raw and muddy and filthy and brilliant.

Gee I like Bowie. I love that this is such a departure from what he had been doing. Somehow I'd never come across this album. Obviously, Young Americans and Fame are the standout tracks, but really, I liked it all.

I must admit, I was surprised by this album. I think His later career left me a bit jaded about listening to this album. Having said that, this album is a really solid effort. The story telling is brilliant, the music has a real ear worm quality to it.

This is brilliant. What a rock album! I was genuinely sorry that the album ended.

I liked this initially, however, there is a sameness to the music that leaves it feeling bland. It's an album that is a comfortable listen and it is enjoyable to a point. It's just that after a while the songs kind of blur together

Man what an album. It's a sonic punch in the face.

Pretty good, very 80's. It was ok.

Tom Waits has a voice that has been mixed with oxy acetylene and honey. The album is a blues/jazz thing where he growls his stories. Need less to say I loved it. He is a brilliant storyteller and his voice matched the mood perfectly.

This is a great jazz album. It is the first one that I've listened to that doesn't have brass instruments playing. I do love the interplay between the piano and the bass and the drums. It is a lovely piece of music

This was a great work soundtrack. It is a lovely electronic soundscape.

Not for me. It's jangly and hard to listen to. There are moments where it shines, but the electric jug wore me out.

I couldn't get into this at all. It opened ok and then I lost interest. I made it through the first album but couldn't face the second one.

This is a lovely album. It is one I haven't previously paid any attention to. It has a beautiful, sparse arrangement that allows the music to breathe.

Monk is fabulous. It's a lovely soundtrack for a lazy afternoon.

I was genuinely surprised by this album. I remember hearing Antmusic as a kid and being bewildered by the pirate get up but I never listened to much more. The album isn't your standard New Wave fare. I grows on your, there is a quirkiness to the album that makes it pretty good fun to listen to.

This is a great album. Young was in some kind of songwriting form in this period of his career. The music is sparse and beautiful. The lyrics evoke images of loss and love. Listening was a moving experience

I think I am learning through this journey that rap isn't really for me. It doesn't tend to age well and it doesn't resonate with a middle aged, middle class white guy. This is fine, I do think it goes on too long, but it is fine. "Mama Said Knock You Out" is a ripper. The rest i can take or leave

I don't think I'd listened to much off this album except for Atlantic City. I am struck by how sparse it sounds. It is stripped back and raw, and yet the stories really shine through. Young me would've hated this album, compared to, say, his next one, but old man me loves it.

I didn't like this album. I like the way the band grew over time but this effort was patchy. I liked "Maps"but not much else. Honestly, I was kind of glad when the album came to an end

I love the opening track of this album. I took a star off for the last song - the fart noises in a song about the end of the world was a bridge too far for my delicate sensibilities.

This guy gives me Nick Drake vibes. The music is intimate and a little melancholic. It is not what you'd call a happy album vibe, but on a grey day it was perfect

This was a lovely album. It is an easy swing and the music has an understated quality that I like. I suspect that time and place make it one of those albums that you have to hear before you die. The songs about Mandela & Manenberg Revisited are definitely political. I'll listen again

This is my second Elliot Smith album in 3 days. I enjoyed this. You can hear how much he has grown as an artist over the two albums. His music is still melancholic but the instrumentation is fuller.

This was a pretty easy 5 stars for me. Just a brilliant album.

This is sublime. There is so much emotional depth in this music. The album speaks to me in a way that is very hard to define

I actually quite enjoyed this. I loved the beats that were laid down. I suspect it is one of those pieces where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I get why it was so influential and can hear the debt that other artists owe the Clan.

I enjoyed the vibe of this album. It is laid back and beautifully produced. I hadn't come across the band before but the music was accessible and provided a great soundtrack for a lazy afternoon

I didn't like this much. I found it uninteresting and unengaging.

Next level guitar, arrogant sleazy vocal delivery. David Lee Roth is on very good terms with himself throughout the album. Eddie Van Halen is incredible. Just a really good rock album

It's Bowie so there's a good chance that I'm gonna like the album. Listening to Heroes takes me back to when I first heard it as a 10 year old and totally misunderstood it. I'm not as sold on the instrumentals but still a really good album

I don't quite know what to do with this album. My suspicion is that it works really well as a low-fi background. It was good without being great, the repition didn't bother me as much as some reviewers.

This album is so bleak and loud and angry. I don't remember 1985 that way. I'm still rating it highly because it has an attractive, car crash quality (especially Kerosene)

It is amazing to me to think that this album will turn 50 next year. It is so far ahead of its time and a foundation that so many artists have built from. That alone would mean that it has earned its spot in this list. More than that though, this was really good to listen to

I was surprised to find that I quite liked this. This is third Smiths album I've encountered, I liked one and hated one. There is something to be said for the partnership that Marr and Morrisey have. It is melancholic but punctuated with moments of light.

I appreciate that there is a story behind this recording, a saga may be a better description. I didn't know what I was listening to as I was listening to it. To me it felt like a soundtrack lifted from a stage play with snippets here and there or various songs. I suspect that this is one for the fans and not for people like me.

I liked this. The Cuban rhythms were pretty catchy. The catch was not much really hooked me in. It was nice background music while I cooked dinner

The album is very much a tale of 2 halves - the first half is great, the second, not so much. I must confess that I prefer the earlier, bluesier version of ZZ Top to the 80's over processed version. I remember the videos that accompanied the singles which made my little teenage heart flutter.

Well, isn't this a nice little sonic assault. Jesus built my hotrod is one of the all time great songs. the rest of the album is loud and aggressive and lots of fun.

I liked this but it did feel very dated. I can imagine when this was released Alice would have been very edgy and a little shocking. In 2026 it feels a little more cabaret. Having said that the album is still worth a listen.

I like this but it feels like half an album. There are 4 or 5 really good numbers on here, a little bit of filler and a number of pretty vanilla, pointless covers. I like the remixes of the singles and some of it, particularly Welcome To The Pleasure Dome, had me smiling.

This is not a straightforward album. It is layered and reveals those layers over time. It feels angry and cynical. Musically, they are in process. I don't think it is their best album, The Bends is my favourite, but it is still very, very good.

It was ok in spots. It is a pretty patchy sort of album

This was...different. It's an acquired taste of an album but I found that it grew on me over time. I like her voice, it's quirky. I suspect that this is one of those albums that you either love or hate, there's no in between.

Exodus is a brilliant album. It is Marley's magnum opus. There is a heart and a beauty to this album that is good for the soul

The album has a timeless quality that I really like. It is at times playful and adventurous. It is a varied album - genres and vibes. I quite enjoyed this album and would give it 5 stars for Coconut alone.

The album was resoundingly ok, I just didn't connect with it.

I connected less with this album the more that I listened to it. As it began the music drew me in. By the time it hit Serpents I was done.

The album is nice. It is nice background music but I don't think that I will listen again.

It occurred to me that this came out shortly before 9/11. I can still remember the sense of hope and optimism that surrounded us. Yes, there were problems but they weren't insurmountable. Beautiful Day hit the zeitgeist perfectly. This is an album for its time. I love it, especially, The Ground Beneath Her Feet which was taken from a Salman Rushdie book of the same name.

I didn't like the 80's vibe to some of the music. I did, however, love her voice. The woman could sing. Private Dancer, Better Be Good To Me and What's love Got To Do With it are all worth a listen.

My experience of the Kinks is pretty limited. I really enjoyed this album. There's a playfulness and lightness about the album that made it really enjoyable.

I really like this album. It wasn't something that I paid attention to when it came out. I blew that call.

I'm going to come back to this. I found it all a bit meh! I know the musicianship is tight on the album. I want to know what I'm missing because I assume that it's me.

I, I have no idea what I've just listened to. Some sort of Slovenian tribute to Queen...ok. It sounds a lot like an 80's version Rammstein or Rammstein sound like these guys. The highlight of the album was my kids faces when they heard what I listening to. I think the album is a oncer. I enjoyed it but probably won't come back to it, the nice thing is that I don't regret listening to it.

Man I love Dylan. I love this album. For me the two high points are Subterranean Homesick Blues, and It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding).

The only piece of music that I had ever heard by Herbie Hancock was "Rockit." So I came to this album not really knowing what to expect. I loved it. It is so funky and a lovely conversation between the instruments.

Let's be honest, the album is so much better than it might have been because of Chris Cornell. I love Fell on Black Days, some of the rest I could take or leave. I still thought that the album was worthwhile though

This is a great album. It has a timeless quality to it that I love. My Only criticism is that it is bit "big bandy"

This album hits like a roller coaster. The highs (Heroin, Waiting For The Man, Sunday Morning) are brilliant but at times the album devolves into chaos which is pretty hard on the ears (European Sun). I definitely like the Nico bits less than the Lou Reed bits

I was a little surprised by the album. It is good. Is it groundbreaking enough to be on this list? I haven't decided. It opens very strongly and struggles to maintain that vibe.

I bought this when it came out. That patch in the middle of the album was incredible. Not going to listen to it given what we know about him now.

I don't know if it was the mood I was in last night, or the state of the world. I really liked this. It is at times aggressive, nihilistic and beautiful. I remember listening to this in 1995 when it came out, I had just become a Christian, and it seemed a little....much. Last night, it just fit

First Isaac Hayes album I've ever listened to, and it blew me away. An absolute masterpiece.

I didn't hate this, but I didn't love it either. My only grid for Brimful of Asha is the Fatboy Slim remix. The rest of the album was struggling uphill after that. For me the album felt middle of the road, others might like it though

13 songs in 30 minutes. This wasn't an album that I had paid much attention to. I tend to prefer the post Rubber Soul era. The thing that struck me was the styles of music on the album. It was 60's pop, sure, but there was a depth to their craft that made the album a joy to listen to.

Wikipedia says that Bobby Gillespie has described the album as an anarcho-syndicalist speedfreak road-movie record. I have no idea whether they actually achieved what they set out to do. What I do know is that i enjoyed the end result. It is music that draws you in. I particularly enjoyed Jesus.

What an album! Just superlative.

Aside from the two really big songs off the album I didn't enjoy this. I think Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys did the California/hippie/harmonies thing better. I wanted to go and find a cardigan with leather patches on the elbows while listening to this album.

The album was ok. Honestly, I was underwhelmed by it. The Weight is a classic, but the album felt...flat, maybe untextured is a better word. It feels like an album of its time - one of those things that you had to be there for.

Musically this album is brilliant. As a blues album, the sound is distinctive and the fact that you hear echoes of this album on so much of what comes afterward is testament to its legacy. It's a shame that EC is such an ordinary human

This is a ripper of an album. Loved "Don't Fight It, Feel It" & Inner Flight. Incredible to think that this was made in 1991 - the album doesn't feel dated at all.

I expected to be a bit ambivalent about this album. I knew the first 2 songs and didn't really know what to expect beyond them. It is a really good, solid album. It's funky and fun and obsessed with sex

No thanks. This album was good in parts but generally it felt repetitive and by the end was just blurring into one long background noise.

I found this on YouTube, which is a very different version to what is available on Spotify. This album is underrated I think. It is certainly not everyone's cup of tea but the beats are solid and I love the atmospherics of the album,

I don't know. I wanted to like this album but it feels a mile wide and an inch deep. It started well, the first track was good, but it doesn't really go anywhere after that.

I was surprised by this. I liked the atmospherics of the album - it has a spooky, goth vibe. This is different to my previous exposure to the Cure. Will listen again

This feels like generic R&B. There wasn't anything particularly striking about it.

Based on my teenage boy memories and the fear I had of having someone jumping out and questioning my sexuality if I admitted to liking this album, I was fully prepared to brush past this. The guy's voice is phenomenal, the music is good, he has something of a one track mind. Having said that, it was a solidly good album

I don't have to listen to this to rate it. I used to scare my nana by leaving this album around the place. This is an absolute belter. Classic Aussie hard rock. Night Prowler is my favourite under rated song. If You Want Blood is iconic. The whole album is just so good - easiest 5 stars ever

This was a lovely album. Very easy to listen to. It starts incredibly strong and maintains the vibe throughout. They really were (are) incredibly talented musicians

Classic songs, lovely harmonies, peaceful and folky. A great album.

This is great. I knew the single, Alright, the rest i knew nothing about. I'm a little dirty that I missed the boat on this one. Really good britpop

I had never heard this before, and I don't understand why. I love the vibe of the album, it is laid back but somehow manages to draw you in. Favourite song - Fool's Gold. Great album.

I liked this. Generally, I like Sinatra. The Girl From Ipanema didn't really do it for me but some of the other music I thought was really good and smooth and mellow. I particularly liked How insensitive.

I get that this is a significant album, I even quite like the 25 minute songs. Instrumentally it is interesting. What I don't get is the growling. It was good to hear, but for me it's a oncer

I love this album. Mark Knopfler with a guitar in his hand is something else.

I had never heard of x before, let alone their music. I must say I liked it, he list has come through again. It's catchy and varied in just the right ways. It feels like a very raw, personal album.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this album...but it wasn't that. It was fun & energetic with a generous helping of chaos.

To quote the great poet and art critic Montgomery Burns. "I may not know much about art but I know what I hate...and I don't hate this."

There are so many more erudite reviews of this album, from people who know and lived the era, that my 2 cents are essentially redundant. As someone who liked the later Beatles more than the earlier Beatles, I was surprised by how much I liked this mid Beatles offering.

First off, I would have this album cover up as a poster in a heartbeat. I battled to get though the first song, it was too squeaky and "bloopy" for my taste. I get why the album is on this list though. The idea that they were making music like this in 1971 blows my mind

I'm listening to this on a day when my daughter broke up with her boyfriend, it's foggy and overcast. I have another child home sick and I have a headache. It is perfect music to slash your wrists to. This is a pretty dark and moody album, which has left me feeling non plussed, not for me I think. I'm going to listen to the Wiggles instead.

Talk about raging against the dying of the light. This is a helluva farewell from an incredible artist. Lazarus is the standout track on the album for my money. It's a beautiful and haunting - and yet somehow not depressing - final bow.

I liked this, but it vanished in the blink of an eye. I'm a wee bit disturbed that the things that he sings about are still so relevant today.

I didn't connect with this album. It was fine. Just not my bag really.

Not for me. If I wanted to listen to Dylan I'd put Dylan on.

The longer that I listened to this album the more I liked it. I was drawn into the soundscape they were creating. The high point for me was Hunting Bears

Madonna is nothing if not a diverse artist. I really like this album, more than her earlier work. Something about it connects with me.