1001 Albums Summary

Some real moments on this, particularly liked the instrumental Flower Pot. Trust Us - Take 9 for it's sludgy, bluesy guitar line and hoarse singing and I'm Glad for its soulfulness I do enjoy the blues rock aspect of this, but it is just a bit too on the weird side for me.

It's been a while since I last listened to this, but what struck me most are the baselines in this. When you combine them with the general arrangements and Morrissey's vocals and lyrics, it's a truly great experience. Highlights for me are Barbarism Begins at Home, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore and The Headmaster Ritual.

It's cool as hell this album, even if the beats can get a little repetitive at times. Still can't knock how influential it was.

This is one of my mum's favourite records, so I heard it a lot when growing up. I don't listen to it often anymore, but each time I go back to it, I absolutely love it. King's soulful vocals, impressive melodies and memorable lyrics all add up to a great album. Some of these songs should be in conversations with the best of all time.

One of my favourite records of all time. The fusion of hip hop style backing music with the atmospheric/gothic vocals of Beth Gibbons creates such an interesting dynamic to the music. Each time I listen to it, I get something new from it. One of those fully formed debut albums. Wonderful stuff.

One of those I've listened to countless of times due to it being on heavy rotation in my mum's collection. Yes, the harmonies are great and some of the arrangements are as well. I just enjoy it less and less each time I listen to it.

7/1001 Fatboy Slim - You've Come A Long Way Baby Heard before? ❎ Would I revisit? ❎ I've heard the singles before and they're decent, but this sort of thing is so far out of my comfort zone. One of those where I neither liked nor actively disliked. I can obviously appreciate it's influence on the dance/rave scene.

8/1001 The Young Rascals - Groovin' Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ A bit of light psych rock, a bit of soul. This all comes together in a very enjoyable way. Just how different it is from other stuff in the 60s, I honestly can't say, but it all felt very familiar.

9/1001 The Beach Boys - Surf's Up Heard Before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Melancholic Beach Boys is the best version of the band. Here, it sounds like a warning of the hippie dream gone wrong. One or two dude here and there, but overall an excellent album.

10/1001 Bill Callaghan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I only discovered Bill Callaghan in the last year to two years and this was the first I'd listened to of his solo stuff and Smog's. It's categorised as country, but fuses so many other influences into this to great effect. The baritone/almost spoken word aspect of it fuses so well with the sumptuous arrangements. Lyrically, there's a philosophical quality that sometimes verges on gloom and despair. There's experimentation here and whilst not all of it works, it predominantly does. Great stuff.

11/1001 Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power Heard before? ❎ Revisit? 🫳 On the whole, I do like this album, but it's one of those that I would have to be in the mood for. However, I can appreciate just how influential it's been on metal in all of its forms.

12/1001 Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks Heard before? Yes Revisit? Yes Culturally more significant than it is musically, but comes with a number of bangers that separate it from becoming too samey. It's brimming with energy and it's just a fun record.

13/1001 Talking Heads - Talking Heads '77 Heard Before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ There should be a lot that clicks with Talking Heads for me, however, whenever I try and album of theirs it always leaves me a bit nonplussed. It's perfectly fine but yeah, I wouldn'trush back to this again... Psycho Killer is a banger though

14/1001 The Band - Music from Big Pink Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ The most famous of the Band's studio albums and I've always been torn on this. Whilst I appreciate its influences on bands and artists I regularly listen to today, there's a lot on this album that just doesn't work for me. Anything with the falsetto like vocals completely ruins the tracks for me personally. The Weight is still such a good track though.

15/1001 Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again Heard before? ❎ Revisit? 🫳 This is the quintessential 3 star album - some really good stuff marred by some absolute rubbish. The Young penned songs are predominantly the standouts. More folky/blues rock than psych, but I'm fine with that. I wouldn't be adverse to listening to it again, but would have to wanting this sort of stuff. Also, the album art for this, is utter garbage 😂

16/1001 The Doors - s/t Listened Before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The hits are incredible on this for me personally. The trippy 8 minutes of Light My Fire, The End - sublime and the opener - Break On Through. Yes there are some duds, but this is still such a great album.

17/1001 Dinosaur Jr - Bug Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Dinosaur Jr really work for me as a band, from the distorted guitar sound to the play with the soft and loud nature of the compositions. Also the monster guitar solos in a couple of tracks here. It took me a while when I first heard Dinosaur Jr to get used to Mascis's vocals, but when the penny dropped, everything just clicked. Hard to ignore just how influential this was for the alternative/grunge scene at the time.

18/1001 Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I know some will argue that either Leaders of the Free World or Cast of Thousands in particular is the best of theirs, but it's the one that launched them into being household names. So much interesting instrumentation and lyrics that turn the everyday into something quite profound. Yes, I've kinda had enough of One Day Like This, but still I love this album.

19/1001 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III Heard before? ✅ Revisit? 🫳 Led Zeppelin III has one of the greatest opening tracks of all time, however I forgot just how top heavy this album is. After Since I've Been Loving You, it kinda all goes downhill for me. Yes, they're experimenting with the sound on the latter tracks, but they don't work for me.

20/1001 Bee Gees - Odessa Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Oh the Bee Gees, I'll get some disco to into work to. Nope, not a little bit of it. A concept album based around a Ukrainian port that throws all sorts of genres into the mix - psychedelia, country, soundtrack, ballads. Does it work? Absolutely not. Far too serious for their own good and often times far too overwrought.

21/1001 The Specials - More Specials Heard before? ✅ Revisit? 🫳 It's hard to deny the influence that the Specials had infusing ska, reggae, music hall, lounge and often times biting social commentary. Whilst their debut had the majority of the hits, their follow up feels more experimental and whilst I can appreciate it, it never lives up to the highs of the debut. I still had fun listening to it.

22/1001 The Velvet Underground - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I've tried to get into the Velvet Underground before with listens to both the album with Nico and Loaded and the music has always held me at a distance. It's the same with this album unfortunately. Not that there's anything I actively dislike here, it just never grabbed my attention, bar a couple of songs. A shame really.

23/1001 Fela Kuti - Zombie Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Ever since hearing Fela Kuti on 6 Music, I loved his music and this is the only physical album I own of his. The fusion of West African music with jazz and funk work so well together. The vocals on this aren't going to be for everyone, but works for me, in this hyper political album.

24/1001 Randy Newman - Sail Away Heard before? ❎ Listen again? ❎ At first I thought yeah this is ok, bluesy kinda voice and some decent arrangements. Then it turned more and more into an amalgamation of the aforementioned bluesy stuff with show tunes bent and I was out.

25/1001 Mylo - Destroy Rock & Roll Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Initially I was surprised at the number of songs I did actually know, whether I liked them or not is another matter. It's chilled out dance, which ultimately just becomes background music. I found the beats to be repetitive and there a couple of songs that just list off musicians and cars, which frankly is just annoying.

26/1001 Jimmy Smith - Back At Tgd Chicken Shack Heard before? ❎ Revisit? 🫳 Overall, I enjoyed this. It leans more into that bluesy jazz and reminded me of in parts Booker T's Green Onions. It's a bit on the chilled side, so kinda blends into the background.

27/1001 Silver Jews - Bright Flight Heard before? ❎ Revisit? 🫳 Country enthused indie. I think I far prefer the musicianship and arrangements than the drawl that David Berman has. The lyrics can often be quite wry and witty.

28/1001 Black Sabbath - Vol 4 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ RIP Ozzy 🖤

29/1001 Billy Bragg - Talking with the Taxman About Poetry Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Billy Bragg is someone I admire, even if I don't always love the music. Coming in at just under an hour and ten, this mixes politics with romance and street poetry in a stripped back and raw fashion. There are dashes of country in this as well. There's a clear lineage between him and Woodie Guthrie and updates the sound for the 80s. The politics are still as relevant today as ever. Greetings to the New Brunette is the standout on this.

30/1001 The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I've heard the singles from this and very familiar with them. Whilst I appreciate its crossover appeal between rock/metal and dance/techno giving it this abrasive quality. However, this clearly isn't an album for me.

31/1001 Lou Reed - Transformer Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I got a lot more from this than I did from the Velvet Underground outing last time around. There's a lot to really enjoy on this from the proto-punk styling on Vicious to the ballad of Perfect Day (which is elevated by the arrangements on here), to the gender/sexual politics on Walk on the Wild Side. My personal favourite is Satellite of Love, which is Glam Rock personified and you can see Bowie and Ronson's fingerprints all over it. For all of this, there's a lot, which just doesn't work for me from Goodnight Ladies to New York Telephone Conversation.

32/1001 Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz and João Gilberto Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I've heard some João Gilberto before and the Girl from Ipanema, so was prepared for a mellow jazz record. Whilst it works well for a lazy Sunday morning listen, there's not a lot here to keep it from becoming background music. Nice but nothing more.

33/1001 The Cure - Seventeen Seconds Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The first sign of things to come from The Cure. Whilst it doesn't hit the heights of their magnum opus Disintegration, it shows the haunting beauty of their work. A blueprint for a lot of post rock, it's a really engaging listen. What struck me most on this re-listen are the basslines throughout that just weave in and out of the songs. Absolutely love it.

34/1001 The Beau Brummels - Triangle Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Imagine a psych-folk band sung by Bob Dylan, albeit with a better voice and this is essentially what you have with this album. Sure it's an easy enough listen and short at 28 minutes, but nothing too much really grabbed me.

35/1001 Christine and the Queens - Chris Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ (not in full) I must admit that after loving their debut Chaleur Humaine, I was kinda disappointed by the 80s tinged singles that were released ahead of this album being released. As such, I didn't actually get around to listening to the album. I understand the need to reinvent your sound, but it wasn't in a way that excited me. On listening to this today, we have two sides - one in English and the other of the same songs in French. Honestly, the French versions work so much better and I wished they'd stuck with one and not the other. Musically, I don't mind it, but never got engaged as much as the debut.

36/1001 Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ At the time, I listened to this album on the strength of The Bucket and Four Kicks, but quickly lost interest in the band after. On this listen, the mumbling vocals with the bluesy-country-garage rock does absolutely nothing for me and at the end of the day, they all feel the same.

37/1001 Supertramp - Crime of the Century Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This one hit the spot for me this morning and will be listening to it more. Proggy, poppy and basically just one rock opera. Yeah there are moments that don't quite hit, but very impressed with this nonetheless. I love the piano and sax solo at the end of the title track.

38/1001 Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Well this was a bit of a revelation! This is such a fun record! Jazz, groove, wig out session album. Only one of the six songs has vocals (provided by Captain Beefheart) and enjoyed pretty much all of it.

39/1001 Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I'd previously heard of Lucinda Williams before and may have heard a track or two, but never delved deeper. First things first, I really like Williams's voice. It's got this soulful country lilt that works. It's full of longing, lust and loneliness and the arrangements and general production are top notch.

40/1001 Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I mean, what else is there to say about this album? It's got to be one of the best live albums out there. You get to see a completely different side to the band and Cobain. As a kid, I was obsessed with Nirvana but was never allowed to play them in the car until I purchased this. Whilst I think my parents probably tolerated it, it was my soundtrack to summer holidays in France. A truly special album.

41/1001 Laibach - Opus Dei Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ It's quite clear right from the off that Laibach were a heavy influence on Rammstein from the vocals to (on the first half) the industrial style sound. It is a bit more synthy and less heavy, but it's there. I can kind of manage that, but then it turns into marching music to describe it best followed by nationalistic sounding stuff, sampling speeches/singing or speaking them. This where it completely lost me. Now whilst this was on, I was reading about how they would use the nationalistic sounding music to criticise the Communist government in Yugoslavia at the time. However, it does nothing whatsoever for me to enjoy or appreciate this.

42/1001 Sabu - Palo Congo Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Afro-Cuban jams that put the conga drums at the very fore of the sound. It's very rhythm led album that for the most part have a call and response style vocal. The tracks that have fuller orchestration on share a direct DNA link to the various bands that Sabu previously played in and future Cuban records. There are a couple of almost congo led songs on this, which aren't my thing, but become these hypnotic, danceable tracks. The production on this is pretty raw and makes you feel as though you're part of a show, which kinda feels like the point. One of those where I wish there were half stars, as this sits between a 3 and 4 for me.

43/1001 Elvis Costello and the Attractions - This Year's Model Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Of all the Costello albums on this list, this is the one I'd definitely keep here. It perfectly crosses the pub rock styling with punk, with his oftentimes snarky commentary. The music sometimes feels as though it's going to become too chaotic considering how much is thrown at it, but never does. An album that you can see influence New Wave, 80s indie and to a certain extent the likes of the Police.

44/1001 Pixies - Surfer Rosa Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Whilst this is my second favourite Pixies record after Doolittle, there's so much I appreciate on this record. It's a far less polished, but that works in its favour. There's a real energy that's absolutely palpable, prime example being Something Against You. It's bizarre, manic and yet utterly infectious. This is even before we talk about it influencing the likes of Nirvana or PJ Harvey.

45/1001 Speakerboxxx/The Loce Below Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I honestly dreaded this when it came up and I got it done. For me personally, Speakerboxxx is the far more interesting half with snippets of jazz, soul and funk thrown in. The Love Below feels a bit more experimental and it didn't work for me. What saved that half was the one two of Hey Ya! and Roses.

46/1001 Air - Virgin Suicides Heard before? ❎ Revisit? 🫳 As the album starts, it's really quite mellow and potentially mirrors the nature of the film (not seen so cannot judge), but as it progresses, the tension builds up - Ghost Song is particularly good. However, that start did kind of make it blend into the background. Certainly not one I would discount from re-listening to in the future.

47/1001 The Kinks - Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I think this album reinstates my belief that The Kinks are a singles band. Yes this is a concept album, but it needs to the tunes to carry the concept, which this simply doesn't. You have the one good song in Victoria at the start and then a couple of glimmers here and there, but nothing to interest otherwise.

48/1001 Buck Owens - I've Got a Tiger by the Tail Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I'm sure this was super revolutionary in country music circles at the time (and some songs have been covered - Act Naturally on the Beatles' Help album), but there's not enough for me to properly get stuck into. I did enjoy the mix of upbeat and melancholy from song to song, but that's as far as it goes.

49/1001 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Cave is at his best when dealing with personal tragedy and sadness. In The Boatman's Call, this is his first real move away from his post-punk leanings into a far more introspective look on loss of faith and searching for some sort of meaning and landing on a spirituality of sorts. There is real beauty here, but as with all Cave records, such darkness as well. Over the years, this has cemented itself as one of my favourite records of his.

50/1001 Steely Dan - Aja Heard before? ❎ Revisit? 🫳 Without a doubt an ultra polished sounding album that mixes jazz and rock. The playing and arrangements in this are great. However, it does kind of fade into the background a bit, once you've settled in to it. I imagine I'd probably only revisit it if I needed something on in the background whilst working...

51/1001 The Temptations - Cloud Nine Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ An album of two halves, in which the first is so much more interesting. The first half really delves into funk elements, whilst retaining the soul sound from previous work. The second half mines more of that classic motown soul, which I still enjoy, it's not as interesting.

52/1001 Michael Jackson - Bad Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I'm lukewarm when it comes to Michael Jackson at the best of times and this album hasn't changed my opinion. The singles from it range from OK to great and the rest is just there. Never got the hype, never will.

53/1001 Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ At first, Motown bosses rejected this for it being too political and not on brand for the label, but Gaye convinced them to release it. The themes on this are still as timely now as they were back in the 70s. It's an album that musically looks back with the soulfulness and yet is looking forward with anxiety about the future and a nation tearing itself apart through hatred, suffering and injustice with the backdrop of the Vietnam War. The songs are flow into one and feels as they should all be listened to in one sitting. An absolute all-timer for me.

54/1001 Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ I've never really got the appeal of the Beasties, they've never worked for me. This is fine. I get that rock-hip-hop crossover and the use of samples have influenced numerous artists but doesn't appeal to me.

55/1001 Thundercat - Drunk Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ I remember really enjoying this at the time of release, as it didn't take itself seriously at all, but there was a nice fusion of jazz, hip-hop and funk all rolled into one. Now a few years later, that novelty has kinda worn off. It's still an enjoyable listen, but too long at just over 50 minutes.

56/1001 Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Whilst I can appreciate the impact this had on the UK grime scene and launched it into the mainstream. However, I've never been a fan of his delivery and this hasn't really changed my mind on this listen.

57/1001 The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I love the melancholy on this album, along with the arrangements. It's a poignant and beautiful album. It maybe doesn't quite reach the same heights as Yoshimi, but brilliant nonetheless.

58/1001 Jorge Ben Jor - Africa Brasil Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ What can I say, I really enjoyed this on first listen. Combining samba with funk and some call and response, it's a constantly engaging listen. I could easily envisage sitting at a beach bar, this being played and having a few caiprinha's and having the time of my life.

59/1001 Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I mean, Western albums aren't going to be my thing, but I didn't dislike it as much as I thought I potentially would have. There's some decent storytelling in the songs, but it lacks variety for me so could never engage fully.

62/1001 Bobby Womack - The Poet Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ His voice is incredible, the arrangements and general vibe are smooth soul, with some funk elements. The lyrics can be questionable at times. I did enjoy it, but I don't think I'd be reaching for it at random...

63/1001 A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Really enjoyed this. It's a chilled vibe with some absolutely classic tracks. I enjoyed the embrace of jazz on the record and the flow of the vocals works really well for me.

64/1001 Radiohead - OK Computer Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ A masterpiece. It still sounds as fresh and as vital as it did back in 97. It's so inventive with its sound and has two all timer tracks on it for me - Karma Police and No Surprises

65/1001 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I have a real soft spot for this album, as it was the first Zep album I bought. It has some monster hits with some great album tracks - my favourite possibly being Heartbreaker. Not gonna lie, could do without the drum wankery from Moby Dick

66/1001 Daft Punk - Homework Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Like homework, this is a chore to get through - long, boring and tedious.

67/1001 Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ It's not the Marvin Gaye record I would naturally reach for, however it's undeniable its importance for the R'n'B genre later on down the line.

68/1001 Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The combination of post-punk, industrial soundscapes and the tortured lyrics all form to create such a seminal album. It's got a rawness and edge that's needed. It's an album I love, but not one I listen to nearly enough, as it requires a very specific mood.

69/1001 Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is fine I guess. It's more crooning than the rock'n'roll of his earlier period. That being said In The Ghetto followed by Suspicious Minds in great.

70/1001 System of a Down - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Honestly, such a mad record and I kinda love it. Nothing more to add 😂

71/1001 The Clash - London Calling Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ In spite of it clocking in at an hour and five minutes, this never feels like a slog. The variety on display in the sound makes this such a special record. Melding the punk sensibilities with ska, reggae and rockabilly, it all just works. It has to be in conversation with the best punk record of all time.

72/1001 Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Somebody To Love and White Rabbit are the outstanding songs on this record. On the whole, this is a pretty enjoyable listen. I will say, the songs with Grace Slick as the main vocalist tend to be a lot better and the slower tunes stop any momentum the album had.

73/1001 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This album is absolutely stacked! It is rather front loaded, but regardless the quality doesn't diminish too much in the second half and When the Levee Breaks is a brilliant closer

74/1001 Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ One of those that needs a half star. Overall, this is a very solid album that is on the whole a super positive album. The flow and beats are very good, although cam become a little repetitive. It is overly long and could have been cut by 3-5 songs, especially One of Them. 3.5, but rounded down because of that song.

75/1001 Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert Heart before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ It's quite clear the guy can play piano and there's a melancholy that I enjoy from the music. However, there was never enough variety to keep me interested for the full hour and six minutes of the record and just became background music.

76/1001 Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Slipknot have always been a band I can manage in small doses and so a record at almost and hour was going to be a challenge. That being said, I did enjoy the quieter moments on this and toleratedthe more hardcore stuff, which probably is controversial in saying...

77/1001 My Bloody Valentine - m b v Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ On the whole I do like the wall of various guitar distortions that this album is built around. It does however just wash all over me as one sound. Enjoyable, but probably not something I'd rush back to listen to.

78/1001 Adele - 21 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ Due to the singles from this album, Adele was also a banned artist on my phone due to how overplayed she was, but never quite got there. Either way, this is just bland, over produced, over sung nothingness.

79/1001 Funkadelic - Maggot Brain Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This is one of those albums where I kinda of want more. On listening today, as Spotify went to the algorithm, I was like "Is that all?". Psych, soul, rock all merge to form such a compelling and fun listen. Yeah there are moments that aren't for me, but they're rare. A really great album.

80/1001 Circle Jerks - Group Sex Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Normalise 15 minute albums!

81/1001 Peter Gabriel - s/t (1977) Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is one of those albums where everything is flung at it to see what sticks. The highs are high - Solsbury Hill and Here Comes the Flood, and the lows are low - Excuse Me and Waiting for the Big One.

82/1001 Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ This is my least favourite of Dylan's most well known albums. Asides from Visions of Johanna and I Want You, there's not a lot here that I love. It's all a bit over long as well.

83/1001 10cc - Sheet Music Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is in contention for the worst album I've heard on this list so far. They're trying to make some points on bankers, the music industry and tourism/capitalism, but do it in such a way that it detracts from any sort of impact whatsoever. It's cheesy as fuck and in the worst possible way. Hotel really has a whiff of racism to it. There are moments that are clearly inspired by multiple bands preceeding them and it's just pastiche. In short, the band think they're far funnier than they actually are and every part of my being is dying from cringing so fucking much.

84/1001 Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ More than anything, this is just fun. This went hard, but not too far for my own tastes and yes, at times the lyrics aren't the best, but frankly, who cares? The second half is definitely better than the first half for me.

85/1001 Led Zeppelin - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This is the weakest of the Led Zeppelin albums I've heard so far, as for me it leans far too much into the bluesier side of theirs. There are still some absolute belters but doesn't quite elevate iinto the next level for me.

86/1001 Bill Evans Trio - Sunday at the Village Vanguard Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ The Trio are undoubtedly tight when it comes to this performance and the interaction between all the instruments make this an interesting listen for me. It may fall into background music at times, but I genuinely had a good time with this.

87/1001 Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ There's a lot I like here and a lot I don't. It's way too overlong and some of the interludes added nothing. However, the way he combines his flow with jazz, funk and soul influences is sublime and some of the messaging is so important, and doesn't seem like a lot has changed in 10 years since the album was released. I really appreciate how he's quite insular in his lyrics as well. However, there is a level crudeness that is bordering on eye rolling territory.

88/1001 David Bowie - Young Americans Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ Bowie does soul and it's absolutely fine. The only tracks that properly standout are the singles - Young Americans and Fame, but the rest are just there being decent enough, with the exception of the Across the Universe cover, which is awful. Yes, whilst this provided a gear change sonically for Bowie from his previous glam rock era, you could argue of cultural appropriation. I would have liked to have hoped this was more cultural appreciation and him trying to broaden people's musical tastes at the time.

89/1001 Jeff Buckley - Grace Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The highs are so high for this and the lows are still good songs. The vocal range Buckley has is just incredible. One of the first albums I purchased with my own money and one of the few that is constantly on my rotation.

90/1001 Stephen Stills - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Not gonna lie, I was pleasantly surprised by this. The first half of this is definitely stronger than the second half. There's blues and gospel all mixed into this and makes for an engaging listen.

91/1001 Brian Eno - Another Green World Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Everything works together in this cold, experimental sounding record, however I would have preferred just to have experienced a soundscape and no lyrics, as this is where I find the most interest. The production on this is excellent as well.

92/1001 Cypress Hill - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ 46 minutes of essentially the same sounding beats and flow just became a somewhat frustrating listen. I honestly don't like the flow either. The only bit of real difference came in the extremely short penultimate song and the final track, where they embrace more of a jazz and funk sounding backgrounds. Basically gangsta rap with the addition of lyrics about weed. Tiresome.

93/1001 ABBA - Arrival Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I think you'd have to have been living under a rock all your life if you hadn't heard all of the singles from this album. Look, it's a perfectly crafted pop album, that hides some dark themes in a sugar coated pop tune style. Does it interest me? No. I appreciate its influence and the craft, but not one I'll be revisiting.

94/1001 Elliott Smith - Either Or Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ For whatever reason, having loved XO and Figure 8 previously, I've actually gotten around to listening to this one. I love how sparse and intimate most of the tracks here sound. As you'd expect, the lyrics are interesting, sad and emotionally charged. Great stuff.

95/1001 Blur - Modern Life is Rubbish Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Haven't got a lot to say about this to be honest, it just seems a fairly run of the mill indie rock record...

96/1001 Jethro Tull - Aqualung Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ A solid prog rock album with flute flourishes that makes it an engaging enough listen, but nothing that sticks in the memory.

97/1001 Faith No More - The Real Thing Heard before? ❎️ Revisit? ✅ Had a great time with this on first listen. The heavier side of funk just works. It's quite clear how this influenced a lot of the rock to come in the 90s.

98/1001 Sade - Diamond Life Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ There's nothing offensive about this, however, even at 44 minutes this album seems to drag, as it just seems so monotonous. It's too polished and for want of a better word, too smooth for my taste.

99/1001 MC5 - Kick Out the Jams Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ A really fun bit of proto-punk, which obviously influenced a ton of bands later on. It's got a super raw energy that no doubt at the time was exhilarating. One of those where I can appreciate, but not love.

100/1001 Queen - A Night At The Opera Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ Having an album that contains Bohemian Rhapsody, You're My Best Friend and Love of My Life in theory should be an all timer, however the album tracks on here are plain old woeful - Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon, I'm In Love with My Car, Seaside Rendezvous. I'm sure that my tolerance for the woeful tracks have worsened since listening to this regularly as a teenager, but yeah an album of real highs and real lows. Mid.

101/1001 Madonna - Ray of Light Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I get what this was going for by infusing elements of the dance scene with a glossier poppy sound and it works. However, it does end up sounding a bit samey, especially at over an hour and 15.

102/1001 Jamiroquai - Emergency on Planet Earth Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Entirely derivative of a Stevie Wonder album and let's not get started on the Native American stuff. Production on this is at least good. Either way, I'd rather spend my time with a a Wonder record.

103/1001 Black Sabbath - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The birth of heavy metal. This absolutely rules. The imagery conjured up here, the riffs, the interplay between guitar and bass. Love it.

104/1001 AC/DC - Back In Black Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This is pure nostalgia for me today! I played this and Highway To Hell to death as a young teenager, so have plenty of fond memories of the time. More than anything this is just a fun record and showed that Brian Johnson could step up and fill Bon Scott's shoes after his unfortunate passing.

105/1001 Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ One morning, Rob woke up severely hungover after a work do to discover he had Roxy Music as his album of the day. He knew he disliked them. After the listen of the given album, he discovered he loathed them. Morning even more hampered than before. End of story.

106/1001 CAN - Tago Mago Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Bar the middle part of Peking O, the proggy psychedelia really worked for me. Yes it's strange and weird, but on the whole, I really enjoyed this.

107/1001 Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ It's undoubtedly a beautiful set of songs from Charles's voice, to the harmonies, to the string arrangements. However, it does end up feeling a bit samey and one note for my liking. Enjoyable enough.

108/1001 Minor Threat - Out of Step Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ It's not often I gravitate towards hardcore punk, but when I do, I tend to enjoy it. This has everything you need - intensity, snottiness and something that doesn't outstay its welcome.

109/1001 Paul Revere and the Raiders - Midnight Ride Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ A solid enough psychedelic record that takes inspiration from the blues. Never outstayed its welcome.

110/1001 Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Enthusing soul, blues, rock and jazz into this album, it's a wonderful experience throughout its runtime. The 50 minutes of it absolutely flew by. I remember being so happy for him when he won the Mercury Prize for this. I honestly need to listen to it more.

111/1001 The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Probably my second favourite pre-Rubber Soul records. The title track and Can't Buy Me Love are obviously great, but honestly my favourite song on the whole record is If I Fell, which is perfection. Yes, they would go on to do better things, but this is a great example of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting that they'd become known for.

112/1001 Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Twee Scottish indie is not the one.

113/1001 Christina Aguilera - Back To Basics Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ A tale of two halves - literally. First half insipid, uninspired pop with the cringe inducing Thank You, the second is far more interesting, though with barely disguised innuendo.

114/1001 Parliament - Mothership Connection Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ George Clinton makes the most fun records. Over the top in the best way possible. Every time I play it, I always have a great time.

115/1001 Echo and the Bunnymen - Crocodile Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ One of those bands where I'm trying to figure out why I haven't listened to them sooner... It's one of those albums that incorporates the post-punk with the more energetic sounds, along with goth elements. It may have dropped off a little towards the end, but a great debut.

116/1001 OMD - Architecture and Morality Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ There are some good songs here, but they are few and far between. Anything decent on it, is ruined by the poor production.

117/1001 The Police - Reggatta De Blanc Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I'm sort of a bit hit and miss when it comes to the singles I heard from the Police and I think it's a lot to do with Sting's vocals. Maybe I've softened my stance, as I didn't mind it for the most part. Either way a good mix of energetic punk combined with reggae make it a decent enough listen.

118/1001 Sonic Youth - Goo Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Hell yeah! This was the first Sonic Youth album I listened to in full. Is it their best? No. But I love it regardless. Dirty Boots as an opener absolutely slaps, Kool Thing is a phenomenal song. Yes, the second half is weaker, but doesn't detract from the whole too much.

119/1001 Mike Ladd - Welcome to the Afterfuture Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ There's undoubtedly some good stuff on here and I appreciate the experimentation, however a lot of it felt quite cold and distanced, so found it a struggle to get into it.

120/1001 Iggy Pop - Lust for Life Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ It's not my favourite Iggy record, but still really enjoy it whenever I put it on. There's Bowie's fingerprints all over this album and elevates it all. Lust for Life and the Passenger still absolutely rules.

121/1001 Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Elton John really throws everything at this, from the long proggy Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding to the ballads of Candle In the Wind to the pure rock n roll of Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting). It's ambitious, it's top heavy, it needs a couple of songs cut (Jamaica Jerk-Off). I'm not sure when I'd revisit it, but I had a great time with this, this morning.

122/1001 The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Next Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ They're not living up to their band name with this offering. I was almost saying "Next!" after the first two songs and fortunately it did improve. Musically it's decent, but the lyrics are so goddam cringe worthy and the vocals are OK at best.

123/1001 The Beta Band - Hot Shots II Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Considering the god awful album art, this took me by surprise somewhat. Really enjoyed it on first listen. There's some interesting experimentation on here, some of it absolutely works and other times it doesn't always come off. It's the quintessential 3.5 star album, but I'm being generous this morning and rounding it up.

124/1001 David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Perfect. No notes

125/1001 Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I realise that Fiona Apple pre-dates Regina Spektor, but on first listen, this was my immediate comparison and obviously that's no bad thing for me. There's a lot to unpack here, but it's unconventional and I really appreciate that.

126/1001 Morrissey - Vauxhall and I Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ This is a pleasant, if a bit unremarkable of an entry for me. I just find the nature of this far too polished and obviously you're going to draw comparisons to the previous work in the Smiths, which on this listen I prefer. P.S Morrissey is a twat - pass it on.

127/1001 Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart - Rising Above Bedlam Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ It feels as though this is confused as to whether it wants to be a bad post punk album or a globe trotting world music compilation. The latter smacks of cultural appropriation. There's not really a lot that truly elevates this album. Odd.

128/1001 Louis Prima - The Wildest! Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I had fun with this, this morning. The swinging jazz and Prima's voice work. However, I can't foresee a time when I'll reach for this...

129/1001 Paul Simon - Graceland Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I've always had a good time when I've played this album. Yes it does sound of its time, but the songs and arrangements stick with you. Now I'm going to have You Can Call Me Al stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

130/1001 Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I'd heard California Über Alles and Holiday in Cambodia prior to this, but I don't know why I didn't explore more of their stuff, as this is right up my street...

131/1001 The Fugees - The Score Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I've heard the singles from this and they are absolutely classic. There's a lot on here at an hour and 16 and so there's equally a lot that's just there for me. I wouldn't be adverse to listening again, I just don't know when I would...

132/1001 Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I do appreciate the use of samples that make this a much more compelling listen than the delivery of the vocals. This is the second Beastie's album for me so far on this challenge and (sorry) I'm just a bit underwhelmed...

133/1001 Carpenters - Close To You Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I guess I'm fortunate enough that clearly neither of my parents listened an awful lot to Carpenters. On first listen, this is the sort of stuff I really enjoy, the harmonies, warm and the general production. That's before Karen Carpenter's own vocals. Yeah, this deserves a re-listen.

134/1001 The Stooges - Fun House Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Raw, intense, visceral. This is such a ride from start to finish. It's teetering on collapsing throughout and on the final track, lets go.

135/1001 Solomon Burke - Rock 'N Soul Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This was a very pleasant surprise. What a voice! Yes there were moments that felt it was a little samey, but the fact that as an artist who was forging the sound of soul, you can be more lenient. Definitely one for a chilled day soundtrack.

136/1001 Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Second album of approximately eleventy billion from Costello and whilst I do like this, I don't know why this is on the list.

137/1001 Fleetwood Mac - Rumours Heart before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This is the only album in both my parents' collections that they could agree upon and so needless to say, this got played a lot in the house as I was growing up. Fortunately, it didn't have the same impact on me as Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water. There's still something so magical about this album and the quality of it, seeing as though they were drugged up to the eyeballs and cheating on one another. It's honestly one hit after another. Phenomenal stuff.

138/1001 Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ The use of samples and soundscapes have clearly inspired a number of artists listening to this and whilst I can appreciate its influence, it wouldn't be an album I'd gravitate towards. The highlights from this album are the more Middle Eastern inspired tracks.

139/1001 Lorde - Melodrama Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This was a pleasant surprise for me this morning, as I genuinely really enjoyed it. It starts off with a banger of a pop tune in Green Light and is able successfully from the more upbeat to the slower moments without breaking its rhythm. There are quirks in the production of this that keep my attention. Will be revisiting when I need a pop fix.

140/1001 Kate Bush - The Dreaming Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This is the sort of weird and experimental I find so captivating. Honestly some of the stuff on this is mad. It combines pop sensibilities with the theatrical. There's elements of prog, with the song structures and floats between genres. Sure not everything works, but I enjoyed revisiting this today.

141/1001 PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This album will always be my go to PJ Harvey album. It was the album where it all clicked for me, having first heard her after winning her second Mercury Prize for Let England Shake and not fully appreciating it then, but there was enough to make me hear more. There's both lightness and darkness in this, without leaning too heavily into either. The standout for me is the combination of The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore next to This Mess We're In.

142/1001 Neil Young - After The Gold Rush Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ For the most part, this is really quite a melancholic piece of work and Young's vocals work perfectly with the fragility of it all. The stripped back nature of the music also plays its part. The scathing rager that is Southern Man tops this all off with his beef with Lynyrd Skynyrd. It's a little top heavy, but doesn't detract from my overall enjoyment of this album.

143/1001 Pixies - Doolittle Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The album that got me into Pixies. I love the loud quiet loud style on this and some of the tracks here are my favourites of all time.

144/1001 Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Pure nostalgia for my college days this. An album we'd play when sneaking off to the park with a 2l bottle of Strongbow in our lunch break. I don't listen to it often now, but because of it, I appreciate it even more. The wry lyricism, the catchy hooks, it captures life so well.

145/1001 Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ If the previous entry was a bit too experimental for me, this was even more so. At an hour and 18, this was far too much. There are elements that I do like, but too few and far between...

146/1001 Soul II Soul - Club Classics Vol. I Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Not gonna lie, when I saw I had this today, I thought I was going to hate it. Whilst it's not going to be a firm favourite, I could see myself potentially returning to this. Given the title, this is a surprisingly mellow album. There's a couple of tracks I know and one I particularly love - Back To Life. Overall, a really solid listen.

147/1001 Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ I've tried to get into Tom Waits before and it's never really worked out for me in the past. Whilst my overall experience has improved since I last heard this album, it's not something I'd gravitate towards. There's some interesting arrangements and styles going on, but something is preventing me from properly enjoying it.

148/1001 Miles Davis - Bitches Brew Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Yeah this absolutely rules

149/1001 The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ One of my favourite albums of all time. I love the fact that it taps into the most poppy aspects of things, whilst at the same time being quite experimental. The string arrangements on this are lush and there's always something new I take away from the album on each listen. Love it.

150/1001 Fatboy Slim - Better Living Through Chemistry Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Whilst I did enjoy this overall, I can't see a time when I would actively pick this up again. The repetition of the beats are both its strength and weakness, as once you're engaged, it becomes trance-like, but over the course of 50 odd minutes, it does take its toll.

151/1001 The Who - Tommy Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ I have a friend who was obsessed with this album at college and tried it back then, but did nothing for me then and on re-listen, it hasn't done an awful lot more for me. I get why it's included, as it's one of the first rock operas, yes it tells an effective story, but it never engages me musically unfortunately. Pinball Wizard is the only real standout.

152/1001 John Prine - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ A number of artists I listen to site Prine as a massive influence on them and whilst they're not as overtly country as him, I can understand why. There's a certain charm to Prine's delivery in this and sometimes, the lyrics make you sit up and think. Whilst not entirely my wheelhouse, I enjoyed my time, but don't know when I'd revisit.

153/1001 LJT Bukem - Logical Progression Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I know the proper version is in two separate parts on YouTube, but 1) screw ads 2) It's not conducive to listening to on a train Already annoyed about all of that, to find out this is drum and bass, which at the best of times, I can just about tolerate, this wasn't going to be a winner. I managed the full hour of it on my commute and that's enough for one day.

154/1001 Steve Winwood - Arc of a Diver Heard Before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is what I deem as everything bad in 80s music. It's cheesy as hell and not in a good way. It's not offensively bad, just bad.

155/1001 Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ The two big hits, in particular Time After Time are great and the rest of the album i had fun with. Yes, it does lean a little too much into the cheese for me, but not much I actively dislike it.

156/1001 Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85 Heard before? ❎️ Revisit? ❎ This whole album feels like a turned down Michael Jackson tribute album without the vocal talent or anything remotely resembling a decent tune. Too polished, too cheesy. If I thought the Steve Winwood album earlier in the week represented everything I disliked, this takes it down to a whole new low. This is truly abysmal stuff.

157/1001 Mudhoney - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Well this far more in my wheelhouse than a number of the albums I've had from this week. It's scrappy, sludgy and very DIY sounding, but I enjoyed it. Obviously you can't look past the influence on the grunge scene they had.

158/1001 Ella Fitzgerald - The Gershwin Songbook Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I managed the first disc and I'm pretty sure there's not going to be much deviation on the rest of the other discs. It was fine, just not my thing at all. Obviously minus a lot of stars for the audacity of a 3 and a half hour long album.

159/1001 Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold As Love Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Soulful, bluesy and psychedelic, yeah I really enjoy this, though not an artist I regularly find myself listening to.

160/1001 Os Mutantes - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This is the sort of thing I'm here for with this challenge, as this was a huge surprise! Brazilian psychedelia from the 60, clearly indebted to Sgt Pepper, but still entirely its own thing, as it incorporates parts of their country's own music into the sound. I was quite surprised to have recognised one song from here - A Minha Menina (I suspect from the film I'm Still Here). Either way, great discovery!

161/1001 Loretta Lynn - Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind) Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is the sort of country I hate. Whiny, a constant moaning session and then all the standard trappings musically. No.

162/1001 Kanye West - The College Dropout Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ No.

163/1001 Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I love how each song seemingly flows into the other with Morrison's stream of consciousness running over the top of the music. There's blues and jazz infusions in the folk rock on this, which make it such an interesting listen. Sure, it's not perfect, but a great album.

164/1001 Common - Like Water For Chocolate Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ There are undoubtedly some good lines in here, along with some interesting jazz influences, but feel too few and far between. Over the course of an hour and twenty, it's just far too long to sustain my interest.

165/1001 Earth, Wind and Fire - That's The Way Of The World Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Where this really shines are the funky, jazzy songs, which have a far looser sound than the more soulful ballads. The mix of the two seems evenly spread and wish it was more in the formers favour.

166/1001 Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ There's still elements of the Beach Boys on this album, but Wilson goes down a more bluesy, funkier route with a number of these songs. It doesn't settle in one place for too long and is experimental in a solid way.

167/1001 Björk - Vulnicura Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I like Björk and what I've listened of, of hers, but it's definitely one where I have to be in a certain mood. Fortunately I didn't mind her experimental approach this morning. I don't know enough to determine whether this is her at her peak, but I can tell you I enjoyed it a lot.

168/1001 Pixies - Bossanova Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Whilst it doesn't have the incredibly great tracks like Surfer Rosa or Doolittle have, this is a a thoroughly consistent listen. There's the weirdness you get from Pixies, but also a level of polish about it. It's an extremely solid album.

169/1001 Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ It's Aretha, it's got Respect. It scores highly.

170/1001 The Shamen - En-Tact Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I understand that this is integral to the 90s club scene, but this felt too repetitive and samey over the course of over an hour.

171/1001 The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ The only tracks I was aware of before going into this was Take Five, which I think is excellent. It was great to experience the album as a whole for the first time. The odd time signatures, the layers of instrumentation on top of each other, yeah I love this. Give me enough time with this, and I can see it being one of my absolute favourites.

172/1001 Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I appreciate what this album is doing sonically and it taps into the 90s angst. Hurt is an exceptional track. However, it probably wasn't the right time to listen to this for the first time and probably impacts my rating.

173/1001 XTC - Skylarking Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ You know what I've said about 80s synth pop before? Yep, what I said. It's not awful, but it's not particularly good either. The couple of tracks that actually did away with a lot of the synthetic actually made the songs a bit interesting. All too few and far between though.

174/1001 Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ When I opened the app this morning, I had large grin on my face st getting this record. Yes there could be some songs cut, but honestly this was such a pleasure to listen to.

175/1001 Various Artists - A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I've heard some of the stuff from this and absolutely loved the tracks and obviously the production with the famous wall of sound that Spector pioneered is top notch and the classic Motown artists. Some of it aren't my favourite tracks and obviously you have to take into account Spector as well 😬

176/1001 Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings And Food Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I had fun with this, would I call it exceptional, nope, but for quite a breezy album, I could definitely see myself returning to it.

177/1001 Spacemen 3 - Playing with Fire Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is quite a frustrating listen, as there is a lot on here that I do like from a sonic point of view, but so many of the tracks I'm thinking where is this actually going?

178/1001 Baaba Maal - Lam Toro Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ A tale of two halves in which I thought the first half was sparse and showcased the range of vocal and thought it was excellent. The second half turns to a more synthy sound, which wasn't bad, just didn't have the same impact. Quintessential 3.5 stars

179/1001 Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I love Joplin's vocals on this and hadn't realised she was in a band prior to her solo stuff. This is a bit more psychedelic than the later work she did and there are a couple of tracks I recognise. A cool concept for the album adding crowd noise later on to make it sound like a live album.

180/1001 Ali Farka Touré - Talking Timbuktu Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Whilst this may not be the strongest album overall, I had a really pleasant time with it this morning. The rhythms and guitar style is intricate and is a perfect album for a chilled morning. There's some elements of blues coming through as well. The main issue is that it does become a little repetitive after a while.

181/1001 Baaba Maal - Djam Leelii: The Adventurers Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Whilst I enjoyed my time with this, it wasn't quite as immediate as the previous album I had from Baaba Maal. This certainly feels more like a traditional sounding style, with the simple guitar work coming to the fore here.

182/1001 Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ No.

183/1001 LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I always have a hot/cold relationship with this band and therefore don't listen to them all that often. This is definitely my preferred album of theirs and always pick up something new with each listen.

184/1001 Devandra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I've heard Banhart's other stuff, but not this particular album. Whilst there is still the quirkiness in his lyrics and his delivery, the album isn't as out there as some of his later work. I think that's down to the simplistic nature to his guitar playing and lack of other real instrumentation around. For me, this is the perfect lazy weekend listen.

185/1001 Beach House - Teen Dream Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The algorithm has turned up two perfect weekend albums for me. This is perhaps not the Beach House album I'd have picked (Bloom or Depression Cherry), but it's still a wonderful listen. As the title suggests, it's got this dreamlike quality to it, but it doesn't completely carry you away. This is a bit more sparse than the two albums mentioned previously and not as lush. Still, I love it.

186/1001 The Stooges - Raw Power Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ One of my favourites from Iggy Pop and his output. I always wonder how mad a gig of theirs would have been at the time. Brilliant stuff.

187/1001 Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Whilst at times, it can be great, it's all too fleeting and instead goes for the weirder flourishes, which is a bit too much for my tastes.

188/1001 The KLF - The White Room Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is the best of the dance/electronic albums I've heard from this exercise so far and whilst it's not entirely for me, I did enjoy it. It gets an extra star for the story and their general ethos.

189/1001 Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Déjà Vu Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I had a pleasant time with this, the harmonisation works well and there are a couple of really great tracks, with one dud. This absolutely flew by at 36 minutes.

190/1001 Rush - 2112 Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This one just isn't for me. I really don't like the vocals on this and the music itself is fine. It all just feels a little cheesy and not my favourite kind.

191/1001 Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Surprised at how much i enjoyed this to be honest, as I do enjoy the title track, but not enough to fully explore it and I really should have done so sooner.

192/1001 The Strokes - Is This It Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ I was 11 at the time of this release and I remember a kid at school had an older brother, who would pass on new music to us and this was one of the albums that was played a lot at the time, thinking we were incredibly cool. As I discovered other stuff later, this album fell by the wayside and I remember listening to this a few years back and quite frankly thought "is this it?" On listening to this again, I'm still in the same mindset. Last Nite still absolutely slaps.

193/1001 U2 - The Joshua Tree Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Obviously I've heard all of the singles from this, but never really ventured further and I probably should have before now, as the album tracks do hold up relatively well to the them. I was surprised at how top heavy this album was, and could have done with a reshuffle.

194/1001 Everything But the Girl - Idlewild Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ For its 45 minute runtime, this album barely gets out of first gear. It all has the same one note, one pace nature to it, which quite frankly bored me. Tracey Thorn can sing, but nothing here engaged me.

195/1001 Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Having thoroughly enjoyed Crocodiles earlier, this continued my enjoyment of this band. I've always loved The Killing Moon and honestly don't know why I never did a deep dive into this band. The combination of post-punk and goth go hand in hand and this is more fully realised by the band here.

196/1001 Ian Dury - New Boots and Panties!! Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I sit slap bang in the middle of enjoyment on this. I love the fusion of disco, funk and pub rock in this and I have no issue with the vocals, but just the content becomes a bit wearisome. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a tune.

197/1001 Willie Colón/Rubén Blades - Siembra Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I really enjoyed this for what it was. Do I have the knowledge to know this is an exceptional/groundbreaking salsa album? Absolutely not. If I ever return to it, it'll be at the peak of summer.

198/1001 Dion - Born to Be With You Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I don't mind this at all, but it's far too long and nowhere near enough variation for me to keep me particularly interested.

199/1001 Jeff Beck - Truth Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I had a lot of fun with this, this morning. I had this preconceived notion that this could be a bit show-offy with his guitar playing, but this had the tunes and really leant into blues territory with enough variety to keep me engaged throughout.

200/1001 Radiohead - Amnesiac Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ When I first heard this and Kid A together, I found this a lot harder to get into. It's more of a standoffish record and requires patience with its often cold and glacial sound. However, the more I listen to it, the more and more I appreciate it and its experimental nature.

201/1001 Massive Attack - Protection Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I think this is my call to do a deeper dive into Massive Attack, as I've really enjoyed Mezzanine and Blue Lines in the past, but not gone deeper. I love the moody feel to this album and the diffent styles adopted into their sound. It teeters on the edge of being threatening.

202/1001 Ravi Shankar - The Sounds of India Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Whilst I can appreciate how his sitar playing influenced the Beatles and bought this style of music to the masses in that period, I wouldn't knowingly return to this. It is a calming record and some of the playing sounds so intricate.

203/1001 Jacques Brel - Olympia 64 Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ The name isn't a new one to me, but his music is. When the music is so vocal forward and you don't understand the lyrical content, you need to love that voice to embrace it. Unfortunately, it grated on me right from the off. On the other hand, it's mercifully short at 28 minutes.

204/1001 Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I think this is my second favourite Joni album 🖤

Peter Tosh - Legalize It Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I must say, I had some misguided preconceptions when I got this today and it was completely different to what I was expecting, as it goes deeper politically than just what the title suggests. I will need more listens to properly appreciate it.

206/1001 Tom Waits - Bone Machine Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ After my last album from Tom Waits (Swordfishtrombones) and just about thinking it was ok. This was far harder going to enjoy. I just found a lot of songs that were practically impossible to get into. However, with impregnability of some songs, there were some ballads to ease the listening process.

207/1001 Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I love this album and band, even if I don't know what's being said. There's this ethereal, other worldly quality to the music, which I just drift away to. Superb stuff.

208/1001 Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I mean, what else is there to say? An absolute masterpiece. Also has two of the greatest vocal bits put on record ever.

209/1001 Primal Scream - Vanishing Point Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Primal Scream are so hit or miss for me and this is one that wasn't great. Certainly some aspects I enjoyed, but not enough for me to revisit.

210/1001 Beck - Guero Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I only have a passing knowledge of Beck and this is one I'd heard nothing about before. On first listen, this sounds like a bit more of a restrained version of Odelay. It's still a melange of genres done in Beck's inimitable style, which I enjoyed quite a bit.

211/1001 Peter Gabriel - So Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This is clearly of its time, however I do really enjoy this, more so for the moodier tracks. However Sledgehammer is a bit of a tune. Also Don't Give Up 🖤

213/1001 Tito Puente - Dance Mania Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I can't give you any knowledge, but what I can say, is that this challenge is teaching me that I love Latin American music. Another I'll be revisiting at some point.

214/1001 Count Basie - The Atomic Count Basie Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This was absolutely wonderful. It's quite in your face and a lot going on. Definitely need more listens to catch the subtleties.

215/1001 Einstürzende Neubauten - Kollaps Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Couldn't make it past 3 songs....

216/1001 Solange - A Seat at the Table Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is absolutely fine. Whilst I agree with the sentiment of the lyrics, it's watered down by the somewhat samey style of music that's carrying it (not that I dislike it at all). It's not surprising to me in the least, that the only song from the album I've heard prior to this is Cranes In The Sky, which is really the only standout track.

217/1001 David Ackles - American Gothic Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I didn't mind this, but definitely wouldn't go back and revisit it. It's a Southern folky sort of musical, which kinda works, but equally doesn't for me.

218/1001 Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ When I first discovered and subsequently listened to the albums that were deemed to be the best of his, I completely bounced off of this, as it was too sparse, too dark and nothing like any other Springsteen record. Over a few years, I appreciated this album even more and grown to love it for all of those reasons. I'm glad to have this in his musical cannon and Springsteen fought to keepit as it was, as the record label found this far too uncommercial and wanted to change everything about it.

219/1001 Portishead - Third Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Dark, experimental, brooding. The somewhat maligned album from Portishead, this is still great

220/1001 The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Having only heard the cover of Mrs Robinson before, I didn't really know what to expect from this and on first listen, it seems as though it's more of the same vibe. It's fine, but doesn't exactly excite.

221/1001 Neil Young - On the Beach Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This is great stuff. There's both a lightness and darkness to the music that takes you on a journey. Having only listened to a couple of Young albums before, this is one I'll add to the list.

Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back! Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Elvis crooning for 30 minutes with little variation is not the one. On this basis, I wished he hadn't returned...

223/1001 George Michael - Faith Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ George Michael undoubtedly has a great voice and overall was a top bloke, but this feels dated and the production just isn't my thing unfortunately. Faith is still a great track though.

224/1001 CHIC - Risqué Heard before? ❎️ Revisit? ✅ There were Good Times listening to this, this morning

225/1001 David Bowie - The Next Day Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This is one of Bowie's most cohesive records and one that I need to revisit more often. There's innovation, there's a strength to his songwriting and Where Are We Now is a bit special.

226/1001 Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Well I listened to all of it, and that's the best thing I can say about it...

227/1001 Buddy Holly & the Crickets - Chirping Crickets Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I believe it was a greatest hits collection that's my mum had of Buddy Holly, so a couple of tracks were familiar, but this was probably my least favourite of the bands my mum played when growing up. My attitude has somewhat softened and I mildly enjoyed this, as it's not exactly offensive and at 25 minutes just breezes by.

229/1001 MJ Cole - Sincere Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Add pretty much the exact same dull, repetitive backing beat to every track. Get some friend to add some vocals. Repeat ad nauseam.

230/1001 Faust - Faust IV Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I enjoyed this on the whole, but obe of those that I don't think I'll revisit. Whereas some of the industrial music on here has been inaccessible to me, this at least was doable. The addition of the psych added interest to the record.

232/1001 Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ It was one of the first albums I bought with my own money and it's one I occasionally go back to and still absolutely love.

233/1001 ZZ Top - Eliminator Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ The singles from this album are so great and whilst there isn't the same level of immediacy on first listen, I really enjoyed the rest of it.

234/1001 Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Blood and Chocolate Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I mean, I didn't mind this, but why yet another album of his?

235/1001 Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Perfect. No notes.

236/1001 Pretenders - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I liked this a lot on first listen. I was intrigued that they put the more punk sounding tracks in the first half and then the more well known poppier stuff in the back half, rather than mixing them altogether. Good stuff though.

237/1001 Pet Shop Boys - Actually Heard before? ❎️ Revisit? ❓ It's all perfectly pleasant synth pop, but it all sounds pretty similar to me tbh. It's A Sin is a real tune and I Want to Wake Up grabbed my attention. I just don't know if it warrants going back to...

238/1001 M.I.A - Kala Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ M.I.A is one of those artists when it comes to music is someone that I admire the ethos and style of the music, but don't actually love the music produced. It's the introduction of of various styles of music from around the world and putting it all into a coherent hip hop/electronica album. This still feels so fresh, even though it's coming up to its 20th anniversary. Paper Planes is still an absolute banger.

239/1001 Jack White - Blunderbuss Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ It's a continuation of the White Stripes, who I enjoy a fair bit and this remains a solid listen. I do kinda wish he'd played it more loose as some of these songs would have benefited from it.

240/1001 The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ In between listening to the like of Guns 'N Roses, Nirvana etc. I'd have this on shuffle as well in my teenage years and so this is one of those albums I'll always have fond memories of. The blues rock of this is fun and loose, it's just great.

241/1001 Public Image Ltd. - Metal Box Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This is such a interesting record, at first I was a bit worried I'd dislike it, but there was something that hooked me early on in this experimental, post-punk record. This is one because of how different it is, that I can see myself properly loving in the future.

242/1001 Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Important, Angry, Relevant - and essential listen.

243/1001 Suba - São Paulo Confessions Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I absolutely get what this album is trying to do, by mixing traditional Latin music and updating it with electronica. It's a mixed bag, some of it absolutely works, whilst others not so much. There are elements of Massive Attack in this, which I really enjoy.

Simple Minds - New Gold Dream Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is basically the sound I associate with disliking 80s music. The synths just come across as cheesy and it takes a lot to get past this. Not for me.

246/1001 Nick Drake - Bryter Layter Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ It's between this and Pink Moon as to which is my favourite Drake album. This one has far more arrangements that adds to the the depth of the sound. Drake is on point lyrically here. I will say, I would have preferred two more songs rather than the instrumentals we got.

247/1001 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Given that this is an hour and fourty in length, I found so much of it sounding incredibly similar. That being said, I didn't dislike what I heard...

248/1001 The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out! Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ There's some great stuff on here, whether it's the psych or the doo-wop, however for me it leans a bit too much into the weird side for my tastes for me to go out a revisit it.

249/1001 Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I've always had a bit of an on/off relationship with Leonard Cohen, when it comes to hearing his singles, as I've never been convinced enough to sit and listen to a whole album. I think this may have changed that trend. I think his gravelly, almost spoken word delivery gels so well with the instrumentation on this. Obviously need a deeper dive at some point for the lyrics, but this could become an all timer for me.

250/1001 Television - Marquee Moon Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Another of those albums where I've heardthe inescapable track Marquee Moon and loved it, but not ventured enough to fully listen to the album. Suffice to say, that I'll be back for more. The combination of post-punk and psych just really work for me.

251/1001 Sault - Untitled (Black Is) Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I specifically remember listening to this when it came out in June 2020 during the fallout from the George Floyd murder and having such an impact. Almost six years on, it still is a powerful album both celebrating Black lives, but criticising the police. Much like Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Sault's music is a soulful reflection of the state of the world at the time. There's plenty of interesting additions that keep this such an engaging listen.

253/1001 R.E.M - Document Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ After Automatic for the People, this was the next album from R.E.M that I sought out and absolutely love

254/1001 Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ A perfectly fine album that breezed by in the background. Some interesting arrangements, but considering some of the albums he's been a part of, I'd pick them over this.

255/1001 Doves - Lost Souls Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ If I'm being honest, this took a long while to get into and it was only until the final few tracks that it clicked. I don't know whether that's because it's bottom heavy or I'd gotten more into it in general.

256/1001 The Cars - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Having not heard anything by The Cars before, yet have heard of them, I went in completely blind. This was fine. There wasn't really anything that captured my attention and I doubt I'll return to this.

257/1001 Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan at Mister Kelly's Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ She has an incredible voice and the arrangements are nice enough, but it's very easy listening and ended up being background music.

259/1001 Eels - Beautiful Freak Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I've heard the singles from this album, but I've always liked them and nothing more. I'm not sure this album has proved to me to invest more time with them.

260/1001 Al Green - Let's Stay Together Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Heard a few tracks by Al Green, but never delved deeper into his work. He's got an incredible voice and the production is wonderful.

261/1001 Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I have heard one single from Jane's Addiction prior to this and didn't get on with Perry Ferrel's vocals, but enjoyed the music around it. On this listen, everything grew on me, but maybe not enough to seek more of it out.

262/1001 Elvis Presley - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I got on with this more than the previous albums I've got from him and that's purely down to the fact that there are more upbeat numbers (albeit heavily borrowed) than him crooning away as before.

263/1001 Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This may not have been as immediate as As You Want It Darker, however I did like this a lot. It's far more stripped back and obviously Suzanne and So Long, Marianne are great tracks. A revisit and deeper dive is in order.

264/1001 Mekons - Fear and Whiskey Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I must admit, I didn't know if this blend of alt-country and post punk would work and if I'm honest, I'm still undecided. Not sure I'm still intrigued enough to go back for more.

265/1001 FKA Twigs - LP1 Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ There's a certain coldness that I get from the album and struggled to engage with the album unfortunately. I will say the production and arrangements are great. Definitely one that's not for me.

266/1001 Emerson Lake and Palmer - Tarkus Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Prog rock with a keyboard fronted sound, is decent enough, but it seemed as though all of yhe song structures were exactly the same throughout. Cool album art though.

267/1001 Van Morrison - Moondance Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The only other Van Morrison album I've heard and I love it as much as Astral Weeks. With the addition of the sax, there's a great addition of folk jazz to the record, in particular the title track.

268/1001 Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Felt Mountain feels like a slightly poppier, more ethereal version of a Portishead record and I absolutely love it. There are a couple of tracks that don't quite work for me, but a fantastic record nonetheless.

269/1001 Madonna - Music Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I'm trying to think of why this on the list. For the most part, it's rather middle of the road balladry with a country tinge to it. Not offensive enough to be a one star, but equally pretty poor.

270/1001 Elliott Smith - Figure 8 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ My favourite of Elliott Smith's records and his most accessible. The leaps he took with his sound from the previous record were huge, and it's a real pity we never got to hear where he would go next sonically.

271/1001 Femi Kuti - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ It's an hour and 16, but it didn't feel like that. So much going on and if you like Fela's work, this will do the trick as well.

272/1001 Gang of Four - Entertainment Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Spiky, cold, indifferent to feelings. Yep this is a great record.

273/1001 Adam and the Ants - Kings of the Wild Frontier Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ The singles from the band I'd heard previously were mildly entertaining and so how's an album without those singles? Pretty awful. Entirely derivative nonsense.

274/1001 Van Halen - 1984 Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Fine at best.

275/1001 John Coltrane - A Love Supreme Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ My favourite jazz record. All of the stars.

276/1001 Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Typical 60s psychedelia with a kind of Elvis like croon. It kinda works, but I don't think I'll be back to revisit.

277/1001 DJ Shadow - Endtroducing..... Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ One of those albums where I can respect and appreciate what it's doing, but I don't really enjoy the listening experience. To make an album made up entirely of samples into a cohesive album is impressive, but yeah not for me...

279/1001 Yes - Fragile Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I did enjoy the noodly psych of this and was constantly engaged, definitely one I'd be happy to revisit

280/1001 Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ In all honesty, this will never be the Zep album I would instantly gravitate towards and whilst I did enjoy it, I'd choose to listen to others by them over this.

281/1001 Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Yeah I really enjoyed this one. It's an incredibly strong set of songs and tunes, along with one of THE great covers.

283/1001 Aimee Mann - Whatever Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I enjoyed this a lot on first listen. Just from her vocal delivery there were shades of Carol King and Sheryll Crowe in my mind. Looking forward to delving deeper into this.

285/1001 ABC - The Lexicon of Love Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Overblown, over the top production, everything is far too clean and polished and the same goes with the vocal. It's not bad enough to get a one star, but far from my thing.

287/1001 ZZ Top - Tres Hombres Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ A lot bluesier affair than the previous album of theirs I was given and enjoyed it just as much.

288/1001 Metallica - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Maybe not their best album, but the one that introduced me to the band. Always going to have a soft spot for this.

290/1001 Pink Floyd - The Wall Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ Overlong, with barely the tunes to match the runtime of the album. Overrated af.

291/1001 TV On the Radio - Dear Science Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I'd heard of TV On the Radio before, but not delved more into their stuff, so happy to have this come up today. There's a lot of different styles that kept me engaged, though sometimes a little too whiplashy. As I'm in a positive mood, this is a 3.5, so rounding up to a 4.

293/1001 Moby - Play Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this on first listen. I guess I knew and enjoyed the singles from this and should have told me to pick it up sooner. It maybe a touch overlong, but great listen.

294/1001 Barry Adamson - Oedipus Schmoedipus Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is an interesting one to review. There's the decision to make an imaginary soundtrack to a fake film, which makes it intriguing from the start, but ultimately without context for some of the music falls a little flat. There's some music that absolutely works, but in equal measure doesn't fir me. The Sweetest Embrace with Nick Cave is my favourite of the tracks.

296/1001 Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ One of my favourite Dylan albums. I absolutely love the storytelling and musicality on this. A Simple Twist of Fate is an all timer for me.

297/1001 Hacker Dü - Warehouse: Songs and Stories Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ There's a lot that I really enjoyed with this album, but at points it does become pretty similar in tone. I can absolutely see myself revisiting this at some point.

298/1001 Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator) Heard before? ❎️ Revisit? ❎️ This isn't really my thing, but I appreciate the sparseness and the inclusion of bluegrass into it.

299/1001 B.B King - Live At The Regal Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Another outside of my wheelhouse, but I enjoyed regardless. However, I'm just not sure when the desire to return to it would be...

300/1001 Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I was very late to discover Stereolab, so hadn't got to this album of theirs yet. It's as I expected from the band. The combination of psych and a chilled out delivery works well. It's perhaps not as muscular as their most recent output, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

301/1001 The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys Today! Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ It's without a doubt that the Beach Boys know their way around a melodic hook and harmonisation, however this record lacks the emotional heft or the experimentation of the more well known records. It's a fun 30 minutes, but nothing more than that.

302/1001 Richard Hawley - Coles Corner Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The title track is one of my favourites and the Ocean is beautiful as well. The strings and arrangements are lush and draws you in. It doesn't quite get a top score for me, as I always find the second half tails away.

303/1001 Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ It's not the Kendrick Lamar album I gravitate towards and on re-listen there aren't the tracks that I love. Interesting production etc. but yeah not enough for me...

304/1001 Sepultra - Roots Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ There's definitely some interesting stuff going on here, particularly the slower drum based parts. This isn't really my thing, but I didn't have a bad time with it.

305/1001 Beastie Boys - Ill Communication Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ Throughout this process, I've been a bit indifferent towards the Beastie Boys and this is very much the same...

306/1001 Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I love the 90s sound to this, along with the inclusion of soul into the music. Some all timers of tracks on here, even if it runs a little too long

307/1001 Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ There's a lot I like here, but equally too much that just passes me by. A pleasant 45 minutes or so regardless.

308/1001 Dwight Yoakam - Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Twingy twangy country album? Yeah... Nah

309/1001 Ozomatli - Street Signs Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I enjoyed the horns section and funk with the hip hop on here. However, as they're not on Spotify, it's not likely I'll be hunting this down again.

310/1001 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Not a fan of double albums usually, but this is a great one.

311/1001 Anthrax - Among the Living Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ This falls on the right side of metal for me, where the vocals aren't impenetrable and it goes hard. I'll be delving more into this.

312/1001 Coldcut - What's That Noise? Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Not on streaming. Made it to 45 minutes with all of the ads. Wasn't enough for me musically to continue. Gave up.

313/1001 The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ It's been 313 days to finally get a Rolling Stones album and it's such a great album. Brown Sugar and Wild Horses are phenomenal tracks and I like tge bluesiness of the album. Yes, it's a little top heavy and some tracks don't quite work. Still great stuff.

316/1001 Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ It's not my favourite of Weaver's (Flock), but a welcome addition to the list. She brings her own take on psych, which in this case completely washes over you. Great stuff.

317/1001 The Stone Roses - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Yes the singles have been played to death, but at the end of the day I've never gotten tired of them. Outside of the singles, it's still very solid.

318/1001 Billie Holiday - Lady In Satin It's not my usual thing and you know what, I didn't mind it. Yes, it could be a bit samey, but overall enjoyed the vibe.

319/1001 The Associates - Sulk Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ On the one hand, this is an incredibly frustrating album and on the other it's something that I really don't like. When it's at its best, it leans into the post punk sound, but the vocals ruin that aesthetic. When they decide to go down the pop route it becomes even worse. The melodramatic, overwrought vocals do absolutely nothing for me.

321/1001 The Charlatans - Tellin' Stories Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ The Charlatans are a band that I feel I should like more than I actually do. Whilst there's nothing inherently wrong with the album, it never really captured me on re-listen this morning.

322/1001 The Replacements - Let It Be Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ On first listen, I can see myself putting this on my heavy rotation list. Thoroughly enjoyed the mix of post-punk edge with the poppier leanings. Also from one moment it can go from teenage dumb jokes to feeling the weight of the world. Great find.

323/1001 Hawkwind - Space Ritual Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Overall, I did enjoy the sprawling, scuzzy prog sound on this, however as an introduction to the band, it's a bit much at over 2 hours. I just can't think of a time I would genuinely reach for this again...

324/1001 Beck - Sea Change Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Do I prefer the weirdness of the likes of Odelay? Absolutely. However, I do really enjoy this more stripped back, personal approach on this album.

325/1001 Green Day - American Idiot Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I played this to death at the time of its release, but definitely less so now. It's an ambitious album, but also feels just a little too long. American Idiot and Holiday are such great tunes.

326/1001 Muse - Black Holes and Revelations Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Already a big Muse fan before this was released, this felt like the culmination of everything that they had been building to on previous albums. It's over the top, whilst still having an ear for the melody and quieter moments. They've not surpassed this imo.

329/1001 Gorillaz - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ I always admire the range of genres that Gorillaz bring to the table, but often; like on this album don't fully stick. I think because of this, it all feels a bit uneven - when it's good, it's great and then there's a lot of OK stuff.

332/1001 Blur - Parklife Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ On the whole, far more positive than usual with Blur. Yes it's a bit too top heavy, but for the most part, the album material holds up against the singles.

334/1001 Billy Bragg and Wilco - Mermaid Avenue Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅️ So the algorithm gods decided to throw me two country inspired albums in a row. There's a stark difference in enjoyment levels between the two. I'd listened to California Stars previously but decided to go into different Wilco albums and this got left by the wayside. Bragg's voice works surprisingly well on an Americana record and combined with Wilco, is a great side project. No idea why I didn't get to this sooner.

335/1001 The Dandy Warhols - The Dandy Warhols Come Down Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This felt like it lasted forever. There were just so many tracks that sounded exactly the same and when it's this stoner kind of aesthetic, it needs to be shorter. Probably should have cut my losses halfway through, but pushed through in the end...

356/1001 The Clash - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ One of the best debuts and an album where you could already see where they could head next. Great stuff.

358/1001 The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Whilst I don't mind this type of music as a one off song here and there, it becomes a bit of chore for a full length album. I think because to me, it all bleeds into one another. It's fine I guess...

359/1001 Michael Jackson - Thriller Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ The hits on this are huge and very enjoyable. The rest of it, on the whole are good. I've never really reached for a Michael Jackson record and whilst I did really enjoy it, I don't think I'd gravitate towards it.