1001 Albums Summary

This is a bang-er record. Simple Man is my jam. Iconic.

Enjoyed. Good chill jazz.

Starting a record with Sunday Morning is so brave. I don't think I have ever enjoyed the last 2 songs.

This isn't for me. Reggae just isn't my thing.

I like the first song but not my thing otherwise.

This is grim even for a Cure record

I love this record. John Cale is awesome.

There are some good songs here, no doubt. The sound is right but I don't know if it's consistent enough to be considered a true classic.

Nothing is really standing out to me on this one other than the first song.

I don't understand why this one is considered so good. I found it to be terribly uninteresting.

It's ok. Better than the last one. Dad funk.

It's got some hits. Jams.

This is airport music. I do not hear hooks or anything that makes this stand out at all.

They're all great. Ramble Tamble is the underrated breakout.

So I first was like wtf is this. Then I understood. This record has been picked clean for samples. Very cool.

Green Onions, the song that was used to signify that a character was "cool" in movies for 40 years. Nowadays it sounds very dated, sure. But loose blues/funk (?) really was out of place at the time. Unfortunately, to my ears, it's never as good as the title song.

It's ok. There are a few jams (Mothers Daughter) but not really consistent.

Never heard this before. Dunno how I feel about it. Ok listened to all of it. FL walked so Tame Impala could run.

Awesome. Without Muddy Waters, you don't get the stones, Warren Zevon, or the White Stripes. Just boppin!

Ok so this is an awesome record, no question. Great Expectations is kinda garbage but the rest.. you just can't argue with Shout It Out Loud. I first heard this when I was 16 I think? A bombastic force for the ages.

I've heard this one before but this is the first time my brain kinda linked it to stuff like Johnny Rivers' output at the time. It's not all the songs of course but you can't say something like "Poor Side of Town" didn't have an influence on some of the slower tracks. Anyway, this is the bridge between "Young" Elvis and "Fat" Elvis. A record that had to be made.. Elvis aging with his original fans. Being familiar with the 1968 "Comeback" Special, it's like that was a goodbye to being young and this is the embrace of middle age. Other thoughts: From Elvis In Memphis came out 15 years after his first hit, That's Alright Mama. Cutting edge to music for your parents in 15 years, imagine if we held current artists to that standard now? Funny looking at the cover, and seeing the Jailhouse Rock backdrop. This is real far from being in the county jail with the warden!!!

I miss when drums sounded like this but really, it all blurred together.

I was only familiar with World Shut Your Mouth before this so I was pretty blind. I might check it out again when I'm in a different mood. There are some points where it sounds very Nick Cave.

Feels very forward for 1969.

I

no question this is a fuckin' FIVE all the way. Snowblind, Supernaut, Wheels of Confusion.. man if you crank the last few minutes of Wheels of Confusion you are in the zone. In. The. Zone.

Kinda mid

Are there still Sinatra guys? I'm inclined to think the appeal is to be transported to a different time, rather than actual enjoyment of the music itself. I just find it corny, and it didn't age well. I'm sure to some, they hear class when they listen to Sinatra. I don't.

Vocals too high in the mix. I'm not gonna dunk on white guys doing blues because I think they're allowed to it and I often like it. However.. I can see why this is largely forgotten these days when you know, Are You Experienced came out a year later. JM and the Bluesbreakers sounds so goddamn weak in comparison, no wonder Jimi made EC freak out. And the obligatory: fuck Eric Clapton

So.. it's Roxy Music. It's good. But if I was to put a RM record on, it'd be the debut, or Country Life, or even Avalon over this one.

I thought I would hate this.. but I'm into it. Wish I was at this concert!

Feels like a missing ingredient for the blue album.

So there are some bangers (first track, papa was a rolling stone), and then there's everything else. Gonna give it a 2 because the everything else really kills the mood.

Been a while since I gave this a spin. I remember there was a lot of buzz, folks thought she was the next big thing. Lots of good tunes, we don't do this enough.

5 for Dazed and Confused, and also Black Mountainside.

Did we have a stroke in 1982? Dexys Midnight Runners (to the shitter)

Enjoyed

Not listening to this shit.

Show tunes vibes? Won't be revisiting.

I know I listened years ago, and it bounced off me. This time around, I'm digging it.

Probably the quintessential bridge between punk and hardcore.

Can I get your name? Thank you. Ok, I see you're here for 3 nights, perfect. Can we get a credit card for a damage deposit? We will just put a $250 hold on your account until you check out, then lift it. Great. Yes, it's a very nice piano. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Enjoy your stay!

Bono's Mephisto made a record. Hard pass.

Hell yeah 👍

Ok this is better than I remember it being. In my head, I thought the first half was really good and the rest a slog. But, there are definitely some good tunes in the back half. I think I might have been really put off by one of the REALLY slow falsetto songs that Thom insisted on.

It bops but I do feel like I'd rather be listening to the Jam

I'm sorry but I hate this. The singles are fine. It just makes me depressed in a musty old house kinda way.

It's good

All the bad reviews of this record on this site are posted by narc bootlickers

It's not clear to me what makes this record essential. It's fine but I wonder if it suffers from recency bias. THE SCIENCES would have been a more appropriate 2018 choice.

There must have been at least 2000 albums more essential..

Drags a bit in the back half but definitely a pleasure

I appreciate that this exists, because no one else was doing it like Lightning Bolt. I like the 2015 record better though.

Ok so it is the Lou Reed record with the hits, sure. Relistening to it now though.. I do think I'd rather put on The Blue Mask, New Sensations, or New York first.

It's an obvious 5 but these days I can't help but gravitate toward the deeper cuts like Head Down and 4th of July, probably my 2 favorite Soundgarden songs. Wild stuff going on, even in just the vocals.

I like this Fela but not this record so much.

I like the title song but was bored by the rest, except maybe season of the witch.

One of those seminal works that I do not get.

I've been on a real Oasis kick lately and Damon Albarn's grunge tourism is not doing it for me right now.

I have no idea if this is good or not, but I would never listen by choice.

Ah this is what heroin sounds like (I assume). I don't know if Kevin Shields was partaking but that's the vibe I get. I feel like m b v would have had a much bigger cultural impact if it had come out 10 years earlier.

I kinda get it but I kinda don't. I'll try again another time.

To me, Dire Straits is an acquired taste but once you're hip to it, it tastes real good.

I recognize it's good. I just won't come back to it.

I wanted to like it more.

To be honest, this is better than Frank. But it's still Fallout music.

Only Cathy's Clown is worthy of note and I might be saying that only because I knew it already.

The most Zen you can be in life is moving in the sun with Isi playing very loud, like on a quiet straight road.

Obviously great. Slightly addicted to the Maggie's Farm on No Direction Home lately.

I much prefer Old Man Leonard

This is work music to me

A lot of the work that comes from Brian Wilson sounds like circus music. Like, I'll stop paying attention to it for a minute and then something will happen that will make me think a clown is about to walk in the room juggling.

It's good.. I feel like if I was a bit younger when it came out it would have it harder for me.

Slow Burn is great and the rest of the record never gets back there.

The beginning of the Stones' Imperial phase, a 4 album run that is maybe (?) unparalleled. Absolutely bananas that Sympathy For The Devil came out in 1968.

I like the singles, except Just..I dunno the rest is ok. It's a 3 record.

I think this is a great record!

Had an out of body experience once, I'm sure of it, while listening to Light My Fire at night as I was driving home. 5.

Overrated, listen to Johnny Thunders instead

Songs get samey and it's hard to separate the guy from the music in this case

Getting this one right after Off The Wall is a real funny joke. 1 for Nazis.

Working Class Hero, great. The rest, I dunno. Maybe need more time with it.

Was not into it.

Landing on a 3 here.. I get the historical importance but it gets old after a few minutes. Maybe just one of those days I'm not feeling very open minded.

This a 5 record. Amongst the best. Even if you were just grading the transitions between songs, it's the best.

You know what, I hated this stuff when I was a teen. I'm really not interested in engaging with it now. Everything I don't like about the late 90s/early 2000s. Just giving it my 1 and moving on. Also, garbage album cover. Why'd they MSPaint paste him on to the moon?

The first rock record. Of course Jimi is a legend, but you gotta shout out Mitch too. He fuckin kills it on every song.

This was fun, I'll have to check it out again!

Van is ok I guess..

So I'm gonna give it a 3 because I'd rather listen to it than popular rap these days but it like uh.. does often sound the same throughout

Not sure I needed to hear this. I dig the energy but the songs aren't very good.

Mixed thoughts on Funeral.. I like about half of it, and it was a breath of fresh air at the time. I was prepared to go lower given the tone is a bit cringe but tunes like LIES are still huge.

Paper Planes is the anomaly here

I dunno if this is a 5... But it is certainly better than some 4s I've doled out. Five it is! As badass as you can get while begging for hugs and kisses.

The first song really put me off but the rest isn't bad. I'm kinda down with a Wang Chung or Level 42 vibe.

Imagine if Foo Fighters stuck with this Dinosaur Jr adjacent sound. Would have been awesome.

Foundational for all the productions he was going to produce.

Like taking a stroll through West-Notingham-Binghamshire-On-Kent

It's ok, I don't have a strong opinion. Was not on my radar in 95.

I found this .... crushingly boring.

It is not the best DM, but it is still DM.

I turned this off as soon as the vocals started

JUMP INTO THE FIRE

I like the songs that focus less on the acapella and more on the beats or whatever.

This, and Signals, are peak Rush in my opinion. Red Barchetta, baby.

My controversial take (?) is that soul music exists to make me feel bad for not finding it engaging at all, and placing it purely in the realm of background listening.

Some of the records on this list are there due to critic-brain. I'm sure I could point to better 1978 records that didn't make it (and I like other Siouxsie records)

An extra star for Freedom. The rest, pass.

I enjoyed it way more than I expected I would.. MVPs made my day

This is what John Connor listens to

3 because it feels relevant but this is also the 3rd day in a row from the same 2 year period so I am a bit burnt out

Smoke on the water is so boring. Give me highway star and lazy

I wonder if this would still be on a list created in 2025. Parts are interesting, but overall kinda meh. I like the EP that came out before this (True) more. Blood Orange produced, if I remember correctly.

I can't really tell good jazz from bad jazz

Paul Westerberg told me to come here.. a 3 because some of the tunes lack depth or whatever.

It's not so lazy as I remember it being and I can see why folks liked it at the time.

Sex and drugs and rock and roll.. very good indeed and the best song on the record

This record gives us Peter Buck and I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better. Thar gets us at least a 3.

I read the reviews of this before writing my own because I already have an opinion on this record, and someone said Sweetness Follows is the worst song on AFTP. No, there are no bad songs. And SF is maybe the best of the batch so ... Anyway, AFTP is a demonstration of why music exists. An all timer, one of the greats, no notes. Putting this record on in the dark can take you places.

Maybe not the best QOTSA record, but the one I enjoy listening to most.

It's ok but not really standing out for me.. kinda weirded out by it being on the list tbh

Best solo wu record, and it has a vibe. I'd actually rather put this on the wutang sometimes.

I could have lied is a good song, I hadn't heard it before. Anyway, I don't know why this was as big as it was in retrospect. It's carried by the singles.

It's ok. Overhyped. TS had a choice to continue down this path and get serious but instead we're getting songs about her boyfriend's peen.

Whyyyyyyyyyy is this an hour long?

I did not listen to Oasis in my teens because it was decidedly uncool to be an Oasis guy in those days in my area. I legit think some folks thought the band's name was "gay" and therefore, unworthy of attention. Anyway, gay or not, 5/5. Definitely not a "you had to be there" record.

I expected all ska for some reason.. better than I thought it would be!

I had to look.. there are 3 Echo and The Bunnymen records on this list. At least 1 too many.

Fun 2000s Beck

The haters try to dunk on this record by citing the lyrics to Walking In Your Footsteps and to me, that's a weak sauce critique! The run from King of Pain to Tea In The Sahara is an all-timer.

We gotta give it to The Soft Boys. Great record for weirdos.

Cool, I liked this. A bit samey after a while.

This is not the best SD but it does feature Jimmy Page's favourite guitar solo in Reeling In The Years...

This record is making me question the 5 star rating scale I've been using. This isn't terrible but I don't see how it's noteworthy. I don't know how but 3 feels simultaneously too high and just right, I dunno. Like, why do I need to hear this before I die? Is it impactful? Unique? I'm leaning toward neither. Honestly this entry is again making me question the recency bias on the later additions to the list. Of the records that came out in 2018 that had were better... Sleep, Mark Lanegan, Shame, Cat Power, Kurt Vile, David Nance... Etc etc. I think there should be a 5 year grace period before something enters the list.

it's not for me. It's cool that George was into this but I cannot do a whole record of it.

It's not on Spotify.. I looked it up on YouTube and uh yeah, why is this on the list haha

Sympathy For The Devil was 2 years later. JFC. Going Home is a mess. Under My Thumb and Paint It Black hold up the rest.

I liked this more than I thought I would.

A bit long without a ton of deviation from the formula, but essential in the grand scheme of things. And I will give it a three.

I feel bad, I just don't like it.

Sounds like a delightful summer afternoon on a quiet beach.

I just don't hear a 5. It's fine and maybe I'm an idiot for not clicking with it but what can ya do.

I've tried before and I just don't see what's great about it. Nothing sticks.

There are too many Bowie records on this list. I'd pare it down to 3, but keep this one. Even putting aside the timing of his death... I just feel like I'm listening to music from another planet, like what an alien thinks rock music sounds like. A true treat.

I love Pink Floyd but I do not really care for this album. I hate the nursery rhyme songs and I don't think Syd Barrett was that great. I like Bike I guess. There's a reason they only played astronomy domine and interstellar overdrive live once Dave joined. Lucifer Sam is cool too. But overall, I'm glad enough people liked it so that they could make better records.

A lotta people don't know what Britpop is. This isn't Britpop. It's also not great. I like the vibe but there aren't really good songs here

Best DM in my opinion.

I like the vibes. Nothing really stands out though.

I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to Coldplay.

Ronald Reagan & The Chiefs of Staff Anyway, love it. The singles are great, BH has lots of energy, the melodies pop. Crazy how sterile pop music from 58-62 would get.

I already listened to Joshua Tree this week, why not do it again? Ok so what is so impressive about Joshua Tree, is how big it feels. It fills whatever space it's in. Music isn't better or worse now than then, but they really don't make them like this anymore. They say this record is front loaded and while I don't necessarily disagree with that, the back half is still very engaging. One Tree Hill is a huge highlight for me. And I don't care if Bono breathes into the mic, such a boring critique. Who cares! Oh no, the singer is EMOTING >:(

I love Buffalo Stance! The rest doesn't hit as hard.

This sucks, sorry. Worst thing to come out of Iceland.

Any major dude will tell you

I'm gonna be generous and dole out a 4 but only because I can't give a record featuring Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting anything less.

There are better SY records in my opinion

This record is on this list because everyone needs to know stuff like this exists. It's not really in my wheelhouse BUT I'm going to give it a higher rating because there is some absolute garbage on this list that needs to be at the bottom. And really, this is a fascinating document of the scene in West Berlin, and a wild contrast (or is it?) with their neighbours, Tangerine Dream.

Inside Yes are two wolves: one that wants to rock, hard (Bruford and Squire) and one that wants to wank a bit (everyone else). Fragile is probably the best example of what Yes could do. The vocals, however, are soulless. Imagine if there was a voice on this record that actually felt like a human who cared? I think it would have taken it up like 2 notches.

I was very much into the Beatles as a youth in the 90s. This is the one record I didn't fork over 25 of my hard earned Canadian dollars for, and I still think that was a good decision. With The Beatles really created the trope of 'rushed second album to capitalise on the debut's success' which so, so many other groups have fallen into in the years since. I'm being harsh of course, the worst Beatles record is still pretty darn good. The drop off in quality I'm sure wasn't noticed by the fans at the time because I Want To Hold Your Hand was released as a single at about the same time, which overshadowed With The Beatles save the iconic album cover. My two favourite tracks here are You Really Got A Hold On Me and Money - two covers! Also I don't think this record should be on this list.

Robert Wyatt's backstory (no pun intended) does make this record interesting. I'm going to revisit later but I'm rating a 3 for now.

I enjoyed it! First time hearing sparks. Nice surprise.

I don't know how something can sound so polished yet empty at the same time. It's like listening to an AI generated image Except the guitar solo track. That sounds like someone someone ran a guitar through a trash compactor.

A very horny record but it is not my vibe today. It did get me thinking about Here, My Dear though (no shade to my significant other!)

Post Punk is cool and all the one voters need to step out of their comfort zone once in a while.

I think.. I just don't like Kendrick's voice. And from there it's hard to enjoy the affectations. And then from there it makes the rhymes annoying. The music is interesting but I know that's not the selling point. And I'm not really conflicted about it.

Enjoyed, maybe more than Machine Head? Almost feels like a different band in some ways.

I'm glad I heard this but I don't know if I'd listen again. It does go hard, I'll give it that

This record is a mess but.. you know if you know the bad seeds at all, this kinda makes sense.

Makes me feel like I'm watching Goodfellas

I'm reluctant to give this a good rating. I think I liked it alright at the time but I felt some second hand embarrassment relistening to it in 2025. In retrospect, at times, these songs might be the most juvenile songs I've ever heard. And not in the fun way. I can kinda see how we as a society ended up with they hey ho stomp clap music a few years later and I do NOT look back at that fondly.

Morrissey, better than I expected. Maybe I enjoyed it more than a Smiths record?

Not the best 60s country but I can see the appeal.

I have to be feeling a certain way to throw on some jazz but In A Silent Way can scratch that itch. Something about it is very "night time in New York, in the rain" and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. But, it is a vibe.

It's different but not for me.

Regatta de Blanc is a fun record and Police haters are lame imo. I have this shirt.

What a bust.

One of the easiest records to listen to.

This might be the dumbest 5 I rate on this whole list. But 1995 me loved it and it still has hooks.

It's fine whatever but I don't think it's very essential.

Least impressive solo wutang so far imo.

It's the best Pixies record! And it still holds up.

New to me.. not bad. Another "recency bias" add to the list, I'm sure but still, enjoyable background music.

Obvious 5, a real pleasure.

I love Hendrix but this is his slightest record and shouldn't be on this list at the expense of other greats. There are some bangers of course (Little Wing, If 6 Was 9) but it pales compared to the debut, Electric Ladyland, and Band of Gypsies.

This is a great album. Haters have no style or patience.

In theory.. I like this record. In practice.. it gets old after a while. Sorry. I do like that other groups took these ideas and made them better.

I have a hard time with Mr Waits' voice most of the time but I enjoyed this!

This isn't my favourite Nick Cave record but it's up there. What a joy. Nature Boy is so soothing.

This was fine I guess, I'll give it a 3. New to me.

ABBA, 100% a singles band. ABBA Gold would have been more appropriate on this list. Dancing Queen and Fernando are the highlights.

Good chill jazz!

Skits on rap records age so poorly.

Outside of the singles I find the other tracks a bit weak. But those singles.. they were so huge in 1995, and for good reason.

I would actually rather listen to a real movie soundtrack than this. Jan Hammer, Tangerine Dream, Hans Zimmer... anything else.

This is such a great era for Bowie. The title track obviously hits hard. The sound he achieves on this record is so weird.. sterile yet soulful. A great time.

It makes me uncomfortable but I can see the appeal.

It's ok. I feel like I have heard a lot of Wilco and my life and have never been able to form an opinion about them. Maybe that means I can't find anything to keep me interested, I don't know. I put this on and forgot what I was listening to after the first 5 songs.

Boring. She can sing I guess.

I feel like I have a complicated relationship with Queen. I liked them quite a bit when I was young but I've been of two minds on their "campiness" as I've gotten older. A Night At The Opera has the best and worst of that in some ways. Death on Two Legs is both very cool but also kinda embarrassing to listen to, not sure I can articulate why. Obviously Bohemian Rhapsody is the pinnacle of this dichotomy (I'm sorry I used that word): it's terribly corny but also rocks really hard. The Prophet Song is not good. This is a rambling review but there is just this niggling theater kid energy on this record that I don't like HOWEVER ... News of the World doesn't really feel like that to me so don't discount me as a Queen hater. I'm still giving it a 4!!

More like this please!

I'm a Kid A guy. In Rainbows as a whole doesn't really click for me. It sounds ok but I don't really hear any hooks?

Never heard before!

I like the first song but not really into the rest.

I knew the singles very well, much better than the rest of the album. I can see why it was a hit!

Hell yeah. I first heard this record almost 25 years ago and somehow forgot about it? So glad to revisit. What a pleasure.

The Bill Lynch version of Pet Sounds

Can't say it's bad but I wasn't really into it either.

I find that I am just not so interested in vocal acrobatics these days. Some tracks are fine I guess.

Stay and the title track are awesome and worth the price of admission. 4 stars. I wish Bowie had stayed in this era a little longer.

5. Five. All timer. Perfect.

Comparing the debuts of the Rolling Stones and Beatles.. apples and oranges. Yeah, the stones debut feels old, like I should only listen to it on an AM band, and this is not a compliment. It's fine that the band didn't arrive fully gestated like the Beatles. They played the long game. But tellingly, none of these tracks made it to the early 70s compilation Hot Rocks, which goes to show how much the band themselves thought of them. If the band themselves didn't care, then why is it represented on this list? Anyway, I will probably never listen to this record again.

I very much like Cherry Flavoured Funk more than the rest.

I don't need this. If it's good, it's impenetrable.

Judy Blue Eyes: Great The rest.. undercooked. Neil is the secret sauce.

I played the hell out of this cassette 25 years ago. Bill Berry is huge, the Mike Mills harmonies are wonderful.. straight 5.

I will forever love Me and Julio.

It's like someone collected all the bad parts of pre-1975 Genesis and made a whole album out of it. I'm not saying at old Genesis is bad but real Heads will know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I felt 2nd-hand embarrassment.

I do not like this group.

Five in SPITE of Country Honk and the choir intro to You Can't Always Get What You Want. Midnight Rambler might be the quintessential Stones jam, and Gimme Shelter / Monkey Man are Scorsese all-timers. B A N G E R

I got a letter from the government The other day I opened and read it And said they were SUCKAS Necessary music that maybe didn't need Flava Flav very much but it hits hard.

Great energy but too long

Too long, felt pretty samey. I really don't think I'm the audience for this.

I used to be obsessed with The Big Country.

Thank you is great.

I respect this record because it was pretty ahead of its time.. a 1992 sound 7 years early. And I really like Small Blue Thing. Can't go higher than 3 though.

Never heard this I don't think - I'm familiar with Geoff Barrow via his solo work (absolutely check out DROKK) and Beak so I think I had a bit of an idea what to expect. But maybe I didn't. I can see why this is described as a sexy record. I don't know if I would describe it as such but I can see it. Definitely a vibe. It's ok.

When you remove the friction from Talking Heads

Good stuff.. maybe the most sincere Nazareth cover ever

Painfully uninteresting

What a great time. Wonderful grooves.

I'd love to hear the record that fans of The National hear. I can't believe there are five people in this group.

I was prepared to defend this record but it's very front loaded, if you can believe it. Snooze.

I'm not going to add to the millions of words said about Blood On The Tracks, other than "you're an idiot babe, it's a wonder you still know how to breathe" is an ALL-TIMER BURN

I feel like I have heard 400 synth pop records better than this one.

I found this on YouTube.. quite liked it. Rare neat find for this list. I'd heard later Throwing Muses material which I liked but had never been exposed to their first record.

Chugging away in the 1001 generator mines, in the 200s.. look, there are good records that came out in the 80s. Lots of them. I don't know if I'd consider this one notable, let alone so essential that I needed to hear it before I die. The album art is neat tho.

A record that makes one feel alive.

It is boring and hookless.

I don't want to be hard on Merle but I don't think this is his best record.

Singles are strong as hell but not super into the rest unfortunately.

A record for contrarians. And reader, I'm not one of them. I can find beauty in noise, distortion, some dissonance... but not this.

Hell yeah, soundtrack my sunny land travel through Europe please

Kids today will never understand how aggravating an answering machine could be.

Hell yeah. I always have a soft spot for Supergrass.

It's a great record. I want to see the 5s from the people who gave this one a 1. Pathetic.

I very much appreciate the Can vibe. We needed Can to get to The Fall.

I like rock music very much but I do not really enjoy Janis for more than 5-10 minute intervals.

Ok so the strength of the singles are beyond reproach, let's agree with that. However, let's also agree that Brothers In Arms is terribly front loaded. It's like eating dessert before your veggies. Alright I wrote all that before I got to Brothers In Arms, and remembered how that song can hit like a 10 tonne truck. Damn.

I found it pleasant and engaging.

Pretty good. This was the best punk era.

Not Cosmo's Factory but great!

R&B pop is straight up boring

"iconic" piece of metal history!

I certainly do not have the connection to this record a lot of people my age or older do. However, my mother taped "two out of three ain't bad" off of the local AM radio station and played it a lot when I was a wee lad, and I always enjoyed it even though it bummed me out.

The Boxer, and Cecilia. Good. The rest, not so much. Title track is corny as hell to my 2026 ears and I didn't find much to like about the rest. Not being a Paul Simon hater here but I just don't find this aged very well. I'll give it a 3 on the strength of those 2 singles but it's absolutely a weak 3.

I would have put XTRMNTR on this list over Vanishing Point, but it was probably too abrasive for the author. Anyway, VP is still pretty good.

Just because you can make a record doesn't mean you should. Didn't feel very interesting or made with intent. Maybe I am not the intended audience!

A step down from the last 2 but some enjoyable tracks. Futuresque for 1990

Sometimes I wonder if something is amiss with my genetic Elder Millenial coding because I feel nothing when listening to Van. Like, I recognize that the music is well played with lots of heart or whatever but I feel zero compulsion to dive in.

Extreme recency bias. I'm assuming this one was struck from later editions of the book.. but then I'm just generally uninterested in this genre to start with.

I'm confident this record is here on this list for the single, and for that reason I'd say.. the self imposed rule against compilations is to the list/book's detriment. The Nuggets comp should have been present instead of this album. It's a much better representation of the garage/psych scene of the late 60s.

I am not a cowboy nor am I American. However, I can still appreciate this record. What a great artifact of a time and place.

Not his best but enjoyable. There's no Move On Up, unfortunately.

Everyone that doesn't give this a five is a cop

First time I heard this. I immediately checked to see if Bruce Hornsby is on this list and there is not..

I love the sound of Murmur. It's close, comforting, yet otherworldly.

It's an album. Can't say it was my thing. Truly can't think of anything to say about it.

"This meeting could have been an email" "This really long album could have been a single" They can't all be bangers. Was this even popular in the UK? I don't think I would listen to it voluntarily. Electronic music is fine but uh...

In the context of 1998, it's a great breath of fresh air. Thanks Lucinda.

Yeah it is an edgelord record but it was necessary at the time. England and the world needed this. However. Johnny Rotten can be so fucking annoying sometimes.. his singing can come off like he thinks he's so much smarter than everyone else and I can see how that would be a turn off. Anyway, not perfect or the best or anything but an essential piece of the puzzle.

I am giving this record a generous 4 because I really like Cult Of Personality and I don't really find anything offensive about the rest.

Green is a good time, not my favourite REM though. I'd have put Reckoning or Life's Rich Pageant on before this one but still, gotta love World Leader Pretend.

It's ok. I like El Camino better. This is probably their 2nd best?

I'm rap curious, I'd say, at best. I don't think I am an authority on rap. I like what I like. This record feels lazy to me but maybe that's the point, I don't know. Anyway, I'm learning to save my 1's for Kid Rock tier garbage. BIG isn't on that tier but I just simply don't care for it, don't find it compelling.

John Cale. Great stuff as usual. I'm not sure if it's my favourite but it's up there.

Not my favourite Ray style!

I find this record offensive in ways I can't really put my finger on.

I just don't like Morrissey's voice or even his lyrics very much. Like I don't even think he can sing very well. It's a shame. Also the second song is terrible.. but I really like There Is A Light. The instruments are good.

I'm not gonna ding it for cultural appropriation or whatever. Paul can do what he wants, we have freewill. Outside of the singles I just find it boring.

Ok record but nothing really grabbed me? I did enjoy the jazzy bits.

Bob looking at the photos from the shoot and picking the out-of-focus one for the cover.. what a power move. Ok so Bob is going through it a bit here. But almost every song here is a classic. And opening up with Rainy Day Women, another power move.

I hadn't heard this before and I was pleasantly surprised. Very chill ambient, as advertised!

Thanks to this project I am getting down on Paul Simon. It's what beige sounds like. I compared it to a mouthful of mayonnaise. I do like Mrs Robinson and a Hazy Shade of Winter but otherwise pass.

We are back to basics. Too much film flam before. Getting down to the real stuff. Hold on.. I'm picking up something .. This is still kinda vapid and an imitation of a feeling. The Glee version of soul or funk. No, I don't think a 2nd Christina Aguilera record needed to be on this list, let alone a first.

That Lady. It rips. Guitar solo shreds. Summer Breeze, I prefer the Type O Negative cover. Sunshine, I prefer the original however the guitar solo again rips. Verdict, the originals save the first track are a bit of a drag. A high 3. Actually I'm gonna give it another point for the cover because they are cool as fuck.

I know Mick Jagger was a fan of this and honestly that's impressive. I didn't think Mick listened to anything contemporary until 1976. But here's the thing.. there are some good songs here but to say it's better than Sticky Fingers is absolutely bonkers. Lots of folks saying it's all covers. The real record ends at Whiskey Woman, which feels right. I'm gonna give it a 4. Feels very out of place for 1971 and it's a good time.

I was around 20 when this came out and it totally missed me, no one I knew was on top of it. Listening to the whole thing for the first time today.. I do not see why it was popular and I have read some explanations. I just don't buy it. No hooks, annoying vocals (why do some compare them to Lou Reed??). I actually like some later Strokes stuff but this is the pits in my opinion!

The best of the original run of Dino Jr, and their best up until 2007 if I'm being honest. The recording is weird and sounds like shit but I'll be damned if the ideas and hooks aren't holding the whole thing up.

Feeling generous today. I don't know how relevant Wu-Tang is in 2026 but it still sounds fresh to me. I prefer rap like this to stuff with a lot of shine.

You're a big weirdo Fiona and it is great. This record felt very appropriate in April 2020 and still sounds unique today.

There was a time in my life when I am sure I would have thought this album is better than I do now. I'm now older and find psychedelic stuff that sounds like Syd Barrett exhausting and corny. And sitars too. Knowing this came out in 68 is like ... we get it man, the stones and the Beatles have already used the sitar on hit records. It's done. I gotta add that I didn't find there was much in the way of hooks here either.

I disagree, I don't need to hear one Adele album, let alone 2, before I die. Where is the Celine, or Whitney?

Giving it a 4 but I think Black Sunday would have been a better pick!

I really don't know what to say about this record. Glad to have heard it, won't listen again.

I think it's fine but also not that notable??

I get it but I just don't really care for this kind of jazz. Sorry Miles.

I listened and even with an open mind, the record is pretty blah outside of the singles which I don't really like all that much either. This is another AM radio filter record and I've got a hard time with those, for the most part.

Low is one of my faves by Bowie but I don't think I can give it a true five because I usually zone out for the last half a bit.

Too front loaded to be a five... And Iggy's mix is great but some guitar leads get buried in the mix which is a shame.

For me I feel like the backstory to this record has pushed the reputation farther than it deserves. It's ok.

Rounding up to a 4. What I like about this record is that it is unique for 1988. You could convince someone it came out a few years later, easily. However, I do not feel strongly about the hooks and that's a bit of a drag.

Alright so, I don't think this is very good. It sounds ugly dated in a way I don't like. And I can get behind the 1990 sound usually. Really though, the songs don't have hooks and it really does sound like the guy thought he could out-clash The Clash And that's a dumb thing to do

I didn't like Oasis for the longest time.. I really rejected it when this record came out. However, I can safely say that over time, it "clicked" for me and now I love it. Supersonic is a swagger that frankly I kinda kick myself for not understanding when I was young. Oh well, at least I have the rest of my life.

Some ok, some ick. Don't always care for the vocals

I don't think this is Eno's finest hour.

I really do like Alice in Chains. This is a punishing record though.

The songs just aren't good. You can't build an album around songs that don't have hooks even though the sound is cutting edge. And the singer is meh too.

Frankly, I can tell it's good, I just don't really get into it.

I felt nothing while listening to this record, except that it is soulless and artificial. Send it back to the factory.

It has become more and more apparent to me over the last few years now much I love and appreciate this record. It's an absolute pleasure to hear Jimi at his peak. I love every minute of it, even stupid Little Miss Strange.

Rounding up to a 4. The singles are great and I do like the vibe, however, a double album in the cd era is simply too much. I didn't engage with this record as a teenager and I don't really have the bandwidth to do it as an adult but I can see how a teen with no responsibilities could immerse themselves.

I NEVER connected with the Smiths or Morrisey and try as I might, it is not clicking now. Like who cares. Why does he sing like that. No rhythm.

One of my favourite albums of all time to listen to. Maybe a perfect record. No skips. Every track is a treat. Extremely tuneful, knows what it is doing.. just a joy to experience. It isn't krautrock anymore (was it ever?) but it is evolved, it is the future, it is..

I remember messing around with Fruity Loops, rather poorly, around this time when I was a teenager. I never once thought anything I had put together was good enough for others to hear, let alone delusional enough to think it was worth consideration for some sort of prize. Well now that I have heard this maybe I should have had more confidence in myself. That said.. this whole record feels very masturbatory and is another example of why the 1001 book probably needed another editor.

I was 18 when this came out. I'm sure this hits hard if you first heard it when you were 14. I'm a Tool fan, so I am qualified to opine on this stuff. Anyway, I can laugh at the Tool when Maynard is going over the top (see like, almost all of the lyrics on Undertow). Whatever, the music is interesting and the vocals at least SOUND good. Here, Linkin Park, no. I am second-hand embarrassed listening to this in private. Absolutely juvenile. And then the production, way too shiny of a sound, and generally boring. It sounds SO dated, processed, and corporate.. ugh. Like someone dumped a keg of Sugar Twin on a Limp Bizkit record.

Fine but unnotable

This is the classic Miles record

Sometimes, the rich kid energy bleeds through. Sometimes, this record takes all the influences from British psychedelia that I do not care "she was a lady on bike and a pretty little squirrel said hello" < this is not an actual lyric but that's what Damon Albarn sounds like more often than I like. But other times, i dig the sound.

The Tom Petty sound didn't arrive fully formed, but you can hear greatness here.

I have listened to this record maybe 500+ times in my life. I know it pretty well. It is important.

Hell yea Mark E Smith!! This isn't my fave Fall record but it's got the ingredients. The funny thing about the fall is I cannot explain their appeal AT ALL but I am simply drawn to it.

Inessential

Oppressive!!!

It's not for me but maybe I can see why you'd want to point out that it was made in 2008. Actually you know, if is "ok".

Look. I am going give On The Beach a 5. The is almost all because of Ambulance Blues.

If you had yacht rock but removed the hooks. I dunno I found this for the most part, boring. Like occasionally interesting for a minute or so but essentially background music. Very much not for me.

What a nice time.

Eh I dunno. Not for me. Too much crammed in.

My favorite part of this right now is Kurt Cobain indulging his love of the meat puppets and insisting everyone else hear them too.

While listening to this, rather than trying to discern it's quality, I tried to imagine when I would like to experience this record. And reader, I could not envision a time in my life nor a routine task or event that this record would enhance or could have made better. Not a bedtime record. Not a record for a walk. Not a sit and pay attention record. Not for driving. So ultimately, I found it boring.

It's hard for me to hear what was so new about this group.

It's fine

Almost like a proggy Allman Brothers sometimes..

I'm not gonna say 5 BUT it's good fun. People that don't like live albums on principle are narcs.

World's Whitest Music

There's a moon in the sky It's called The Moon 5 stars

Hard to give this one more than a 3. Bowie is great but this one didn't need to make the cut. Love Fame though.

Maybe the most 80s sounding New Order

I didn't hear much for hooks here and I need hooks.

Kinda feels like listening to The Who Sell Out on the AM wave... but this is a light 4.

He lived through Deep Blue Sea but he kinda sucks as a rapper sorry

The thing you need to understand about Who's Next is that John Entwistle is terrified of his wife. 5 stars, but 5+ stars if The Song Is Over was replaced with Let's See Action.

Normally I wouldn't go out of my way to address other reviews, but I have to say that one of the highest reviews on this album is so misinformed and full of shit that I don't understand why people keep rating it highly. Springsteen had Dylan so far from his mind when he made this album. It's fucked up that people think that he was trying to be Dylan. Had you heard Dylan recently or before this? It sounds nothing like Dylan. Further to that, the record company had no interest in bankrolling a Dylan replacement because Dylan was into Christian music back then, that's fucked up. Bruce was reacting to the success of The River and he wanted to get back to a more basic sound, that's essentially it. He recorded these demos and they sounded great and he recorded them on a stereo that fell in the fucking lake or something. Anyway, Nebraska is a quiet masterpiece and definitely not a record of campfire songs.

I am pretty sure that this is the best TS can do. The singles are good pop even though Shake It Off is a rip-off of Hey Ya.

I first heard Rocket Queen about 25 years ago and I got to say but it might be the best song on the record.. it holds up and that says a lot because there's a lot of bangers here.

Made me feel like I was ok the Mexican border, in pre ICE times. Streets of Bakersfield is a gem too.

A better record for sad sacks than the Smiths imo.

I get it but it's too much

Now that I have some distance from this record I feel like it's not as good as the other recordings Johnny Cash did with Rick Rubin. Give me back the Heartbreakers as the backing band.

This is not an essential DB record imo and not one you need to hear before death. It's decent but ... it is not all that different from the 2 before it.

Simply overrated. I can't even pinpoint what made this popular when it came out. It's like.. if someone took a good Tangerine Dream record and put it into a blender, and then strained all the interesting things out of it.

The Cadillac of Cure records

This is probably meaner than it deserves, but this record sounds like someone smeared mayonnaise all over Roxy Music

I can see why Joe Strummer was into this.

Can we please agree that this record rules and should have been the only Lynyrd Skynyrd album. Damn what a banger. Simple Man.

A whole album of Bono's Lemon voice with a tenth of the charm.

I can't really be insightful about DSOTM because it has all been said. It's got staying power.

Achtung Baby has a great vibe. Folks that reflexively freak out about U2 make me laugh because they're rarely clever. "Musical terrorists", lol. I said this before in my Joshua Tree review that they don't really make em like this anymore. Big, confident swings by a superstar band that are fun to listen to are hard to come by these days, few and far between.

It falls off in the back half

Low key this is probably my favourite white stripes record. I've listened to it a lot, and we'll after the end of their run.

I don't think every wu-tang guy needed to be represented on this list to be honest. There's very little to differentiate each track and I find Method Man to be kinda boring.

The beats are sick but the lyrics aged like milk, for the most part

I get it, it's just not my thing to listen to on the reg

Felt generic to me

Man it's just good, this is the best Stevie Wonder record.

Probably one of the best of the decade.

Maybe the most offensive vocals I've ever heard.

It is a great record but sometimes feels like homework

Very mid, can't believe Lemmy was their roadie

I really don't understand why this ABBA record in particular was on the list.

I'll be honest. Joni in small doses for me.

Kinda drags at some points but there are cool bits too? Rock music on downers is a bit of a weird proposition.

Got some jams, probably the most accessible PJ record

People that don't like live albums.. something is wrong with them. Weird freaks. Put on Live At Leeds. Turn it up. Live life the way it's meant to be lived. This is organized chaos and it is beautiful. I also must add - the expanded edition from the 90s is the perfect version of this record. The original is too short, and the deluxe version with Tommy added sounds like shit. This is the sound of a band firing on all cylinders, and then stealing horsepower from every other band within a 1000 miles. Fuck yeah.

We love Leonard but this does get samey after a while