1001 Albums Summary

This is music for people who have much more interesting lives than myself. I mean, I like it...I'm just not sure I'm cool enough to listen to it. It reminds me of people who are also super into Japanese culture as if that's not totally obnoxious.

God dammit. I know I'm supposed to like Lou Reed. But I just don't. I also don't like Velvet Underground. There. I said it.

Still very listenable. This album made me want to be a pop star when I grow up. I was so close! It's true, there are some bad tracks. Otherwise, would be a 5. I had this on vinyl. I remember being obsessed with the liner notes, but was disappointed to learn that Michael Jackson didn't necessarily write his own songs. Lots of cool robot voices on PYT.

I don't mind the Talking Heads but I just don't care for David Byrne.

I decided this was five stars as soon as I heard the first note. I've never been into Def Leppard, but I'm feeling nostalgic today and this is hitting the spot. The only thing I don't like about this is that I wasn't at their show at the Summit in 1987. Can you imagine the backstage debauchery?

Prince has never really been my jam and never will be. But the greatness of this album simply cannot be denied.

I do not like this. It's interesting that it contains so many elements of a kind of music that I really like but somehow the way this is all put together just does nothing for me.

They remind of the Velvet Underground. They also remind me of Railroad Jerk if Railroad Jerk wasn't trying so hard to be hard to listen to. It's fine. I want to give it 2.75 stars but I guess I'll round up.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this. Like we were saying, it sounds a lot like a Wu-Tang album, which is great. But I guess because of that it didn't really grab my attention. Again, would really like to give this 2.5 or 2.75 stars.

Obviously, this is not my thing. And I won't be listening to this any more than I will be listening to Dolly Parton. But it's great music and she's got a great voice. Respect.

Always felt like David Bowie was just a little before our time and so I never really got into him. But this is a great album.

This was a little tough to listen to while working, probably because I can tell that it deserves more of my attention. This is what more popular music should sound like. Accessible but intricate and interesting. Though Thom Yorke's voice does grate on me after a while. I want to give it 3.75 stars.

Eternal Life is a great track. His voice is wild. Probably won't come back to this, but this was definitely fun at times. His voice is a bit much for an extended listen. I don't know...I might come back to it. It's so over the top.

This was released five years before we were born. Crazy. The transition from Black Sabbath to The Wizard is nuts. The blues influence is so front and center. This is an album that I wish I could experience for the first time back in the day when it was released. It must have been wild to hear this then.

I've never cared for REM. Michael Stipe's voice just does not appeal to me.

I had no idea Kool Keith was on this album. I thought I was going to like this more than I did. It's very listenable and it's got some cool beats. But it does get a little bit forgettable in the middle. I don't really know the history behind these guys, but I suspect that "real clubbers" back in the day probably thought these guys were a watered down version of the stuff they were listening to.

I enjoyed this way way much more than I thought I would. This is the first album from 1001 that I saved to my library.

Solid 90s sweaty rock and roll. No complaints, but sometimes Josh Homme's stuff starts to sound kind of sameish after a while. I like this, but given a choice I'm fine with just listening to Kyuss. I want to give it 3.5 stars.

This did almost nothing for me.

60s folk rock has never been my thing. Don't think it ever will be.

I almost never find myself wanting to listen to Radiohead, but they are a great band. I enjoyed this one more than Hail to the Thief. He sounds like Billy Corgan on the first track.

Great album. Not necessarily something I will listen to regularly but I enjoyed this.

Not sure why, but this didn't grab my attention as much as I was expecting. Strangelove is the stand out hit for me. A lot of it blended into the background for me, though it was still a good listen. I've spent a lot of time listening to Violator which resonates with me much more strongly for some reason. I definitely want to give it another listen.

No.

I put in a little extra effort on this one. Gave it three listens. Never not liked it, but it mostly ended up as background music. I really like the first track. If I try to put myself back in 1975, I think I can see how this would have been exciting.

I enjoyed this way way more than I would have guessed. I guess I'm not really aware of Chic, though of course I know Le Freak. I could listen to that bass all day. Despite not being my thing, I plan to check out more. Must have been fun hanging out with them at Studio 54 back in the day.

This band and The Strokes are in the same bucket for me. Those 2000-2010 rock bands which made perfectly good music but just didn't/don't grab my attention for whatever reason. I liked the acoustic tracks at the end much more than the rest of the album. 2.75 stars.

Great album that I've never listened to all the way through. I thought I would lose interest by the time I got to the last few tracks, all of which have much much fewer listens on Spotify. Turns out those were some of the best tracks, including the ska track! I love hearing her punkish roots on this album, particularly on the last track.

This was a more challenging listen than I would have expected. Gave it two listens and I couldn't really get into it at all. I guess Joni Mitchell is just not my thing.

I gave this two listens. It didn't really rise above background music for me, but it was fine. I'm vaguely curious about some of his other music just because there's SO much of it spanning so many decades. Might be interesting to see what other kind of styles he picked up. Glad I listened to it.

Ok, so this album. I just never got into these guys at the time. And I haven't really since. I think the main reason I just never got into them is because I felt like the people who were listening to them were...assholes. Even just hearing that intro on the first track instantly makes me think of jock dickheads. Either that or annoying stoner dudes who wore aggressively ridiculous pants. But this is a great album and I enjoy listening to it now. These guys really managed to stay in everyone's good graces despite being total dicks when they were younger. With all that said, 20 tracks is a bit much. There's a little bit of fat here that could be trimmed, which would make this a solid listen from start to finish. Who was with me at the Fireside Bowl when we saw whatever-band-that-was and Mike D was there?

This was fine. More jangly and upbeat than I was expecting. Didn't quite grab my attention but was easy to listen to. Probably won't revisit.

I've never liked Paul Simon and this listen did not change my mind. Maybe it was overexposure to Call Me Al in my formative years. Just got so tired of that song and his voice.

There's so much saxophone on this album. I enjoyed the start of the first song. Then the second track kind of ruined it for me and I never recovered. Did not like.

Rock and roll.

I thought "Make Over" was a cool track. It was the only one that really caught my attention. Lots of attitude. Sounds like it could be very easily covered by a punk band with a lot of success. Interestingly, it has the least number of plays on the entire album. Needless to say, I wasn't listening to a lot of this stuff in the early 2000s, and the passage of time has not increased its appeal. There's no question she's got a great voice, but...it's still pop. 2.25 stars.

I think you just had to be there.

Never really listened to these guys before and I wasn't able to give this as much of my attention as I wanted to. But I really liked what I heard. Unbelievable energy. I'll revisit this. I don't think I'll ever really get into them because they're just a little too far before my time, but I'm glad this came up. Hard to believe this was recorded in the 60s. 3.75 stars, rounding up to 4.

Never much cared for Elton John. This was not as irritating as I thought it was going to be. Would be interesting to be Elton John for a week in 1971.

This falls under the heading of, "music that is old enough that to me it just kind of sounds 'old-timey.'" I'm trying to imagine if someone said that about music that I grew up with and how old that would make me feel. Point being that I have almost no frame of reference for how this stands out from other music from the time. I enjoyed listening to it. Beautiful voice. The scatting sounds almost...quaint? Would be interesting to spend a week as Sarah Vaughan in Chicago in the 50s.

Great album. Kind of blends into the background after a while. Definitely sounds like it came from the 90s but it holds up real well. 3.75 stars.

I said I would give this five stars and I'm sticking to it. BUT...this is kind of awful. In a great way? I imagine that while he was high with his buddies, someone suggested kind of jokingly that he should go into the studio and record his take on a bunch of sometimes-forgettable standards, and he was like..."why not?" And so this totally harmless album was recorded and yes, it's totally fine. And terrible. And great. I don't know why this needs to exist. Anyway, it was just what I needed at just the right time. Willie is a good guy.

Some of the bass lines on this album are so wicked. Colony especially got my attention. Nothing complex but just so effective. I think I'm in the minority when I say I don't really care for Ian Curtis' voice. But holy crap, is this good music and so clearly influenced so much of what we have been listening to for much of our lives.

I couldn't care less for this music. It sounds like absolutely nothing in the background. I barely even noticed it was on.

This is it. This is the album. This is the album that I had to hide from my parents. This is the album that was released at just the right time in our angst-ridden teenage years. This is the album where every listen was a cathartic release of that bottled up angst. This is the album that I heard on tour and learned how intense and exciting a live show can be. The noise, the sweat, the lights, the energy. This is the album that absolutely destroys from start to finish. The dynamics change so much from song to song...some big and loud, some barely audible, yet every song is powerful. One low spot for me is Closer, and that's only because it got overplayed so so so hard. There might be a couple other things that could get picked apart a little bit, but I don't see the point. Maybe it's not THE album that changed how I feel about music. I'm not sure there is one single album that can claim that title. But this is definitely on the very short list of those that truly got me excited to hear more, see more, and feel more music. Jesus, this album. I'll bet it would be difficult to be Trent Reznor for a week in 1994.

The whole time I was listening to this I could not help but be reminded of those late 2000s era hipsters in Logan Square. Those dudes who walked around in tight jean shorts and a tank top with cheap plastic sunglasses. Probably a mustache and sockless canvas shoes. Maybe even a sweatband if they were trying too hard. I don't know if this was the band for them, but it made me think of them. I never really got into this band. The music is good; some nice beats. Vocals/lyrics were a little bit annoying at times. I won't add it to my library, but there's a decent chance I'll listen to this again sometime when I'm making a big salad. 2.95 stars.

I enjoyed this. Nice and chill. Not sure it's one of the greatest albums of all time, but it was a good listen.

Turns out I have no idea who Dusty Springfield is.

I really couldn't get into this.

Rod Stewart is a total cheeseball. I'm giving this a solid three stars because I happen to know from experience that The Man puts on a great live show and gives it his all. But no, this is not getting added to my library.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Never heard of these guys before. When the album art came up, I assumed it was some kind of metal. Very easy to listen to. Added to my library.

I've obviously never listened to the Beach Boys before. This was moodier than I was expecting. Less bubble-gum. I almost got through a couple of listens...feel like I need one more to make better sense of it. But I don't think another listen will make me like it any better. Not for me.

Never got into the Pixes, but I appreciated them much more on this listen. I think it's a little too late for me to really get into them, but I've added this to my library. Will plan to revisit.

I can see getting into these guys in the right setting or at the right time. But didn't do it for me right now. Update - About halfway through the album now and I'm definitely tired of it. Update - Almost done! Can't wait!

Going into this, I thought it was one of those albums that is just non-stop hits. There ARE a lot of hits on this album. But holy cow, side two of this becomes forgettable very quickly. The hits were huge, but I don't think this even compares to some of their earlier stuff. It's fine, but I won't be coming back to it.

This was a great listen. Always been kind of confused by this band and where they lie in the history of all the music we've been listening to for the last several decades. But it's cool how much you can hear their influence in some of the funk, punk, ska and even alt-country bands that have followed them or played alongside them. Good stuff. Long album, but it didn't bother me too much.

This worked out just fine for me. I had a boring 35 minute drive to get through so I put on this 25 minute long album. I didn't mind it. I'm not going to be coming back to this, but it was a perfectly enjoyable listen. The never-ending harmonizing in the background gets a bit tiresome, but I guess that was just what they did at the time. Buddy Holly was great. I'll bet it would have been fun to be him for a week in 1957.

Queen is so weird. Sometimes their songs are just so weird and irritating, but people love them. Sometimes their songs totally rock out and I also love them. All the respect, but I just found out this impossibly irritating.

I can't find anything bad to say about Fatboy Slim. He seems like a fun guy. He just wants to make fun music and his music *is* fun. I don't often find myself thinking that I want to listen to Fatboy Slim, but when I do it's always a good time. I'm sure it's always fun to be Fatboy Slim, regardless of the decade. That floppy disk, though.

Not sure what it is about this that screams 90s, but it took me back, even though I never listened to him back in the day. This needs more of my attention. Added to my library and will revisit.

I'm so used to the hits that it's almost hard to believe they had any other songs. So from that sense, it was kind of refreshing and not as painful as I was expecting to hear something different. But there's no chance in hell I'll revisit this. Our collective cultural experience with that godforsaken movie and the overplaying that followed completely burned me out on this band. There's no need to consider what it must have been like to live Jim Morrison's life back in the day because that has already been covered extensively.

This was the album I bought in my 20s when I was trying to deal with the fact that I had never really listened to the Beatles. I tried to get into it but never really did. I still don't really care for it, or for the Beatles in general. I recognize it as a great album, except for that number nine garbage.

I guess I don't know much about Culture Club. I thought this was going to be more dancey, more fun, maybe even edgy. But it just sounds like cheesy 80s soft rock. Didn't do anything for me. Definitely won't revisit. I'm sure spending a week as Boy George in the 80s would be messy.

This was a great listen. I'm adding it to my library and plan to come back to it. It's so easy to hate on ska, but not this.

This is a classic album, even though for me 1984 is always the first Van Halen album I think of. It's a good time, and I don't mind it at all. And holy crap that logo...I can almost smell the iron-on t-shirt at the mall. But it sure is cheesy and over-polished, and maybe that's a good reason for punk kids from the 80s to reject this music. 50 years later, this holds up surprisingly well, but realistically I probably won't be revisiting this any time soon. I cannot even imagine what it was like to be a member of Van Halen in 1978. DLR is basically waving his dick around on the album cover.

If I ever travel to India, I hope to have the opportunity to hang out in a village somewhere and listen to a band shred on the tabla and sitar. Otherwise, I'm afraid I will not be listening to this at home. Reminds me of the time I tried to convince myself that I was into Ravi Shankar because some dude who knew a lot more about music than I did worshipped him. Oh well.

This was fine. To me The Cars are just so defined by their hits, which I'm so tired of. I think I just missed the boat on this band.

I'll always have a soft spot for Joshua Tree because it's the first album that I listened to on repeat over and over and over on my little yellow Sony boombox, but I'm pretty sure this is U2's best album. The raw energy that comes through in this record is so palpable. Bono is so intense and the band sounds so much more mature and purposeful than they do in their first couple of recordings. This is the sound of a band that has something important to say and is still hungry for an audience. Listening to it after all these years is still fun. There might be a weak track or two, but I don't see the point of naming them. This album is solid, SBS is an epic opener and 40 is an epic closer. If I could choose to be one of these dudes for one week in the 80s, it would definitely be Adam.

Wild. I'm having trouble reconciling the way these guys sound with their appearance (was band practice before or after their Dead Poets Society meeting?). This must have been so edgy back in 1965. I love all the wailing and the lo-fi grit. Really sounds like these guys just wanted to jam and have a good time. The lead track, "The Witch," was definitely a standout for me. The darkness and moodiness...it really sets the tone for what garage rock evolved into. And then they get into some of those covers which aren't bad by any means but not as much fun; they give good context for where these guys are coming from. The cover of "Night Time is the Right Time" was a little distracting, though it sounded great. It just made me think of Bill Cosby, which is never fun. I have absolutely no idea what it would have been like to be one of these guys in 1965. If I had to choose one, I suppose it would be the dude with the fuzzy sweater and the bowl cut. He looks like he's ready to kick some ass.

Taken on their own, not everything on here is worth listening to. I'm not going to fire up "Vera" because it's a great song (it's not). But obviously that's not the point, and I'm not going to take away points because of that. While it's true that I almost never listen to this anymore, it does hold up very well, and for me it's probably the most obvious example of a concept album that works. "Comfortably Numb" in particular stands out as a great track, deserving of it's stand-out status on the album behind only *that one other song.* Lots of people were stoned when they listened to this. And if you ever watched the movie, you were almost definitely stoned at the time. If I spent a week as any of these dudes in 1979, I probably wouldn't remember any of it now because I was too drugged out. Fun anecdote: Ben and I saw these guys on the Division Bell tour back in 90-whatever at Rice Stadium. During Another Brick in the Wall, it started to rain/thunder/lightning like crazy (like it only can in Texas). The thunder and lightning somehow managed to hit right at all the climaxes in the song (at least that's how I remember it). By the end of the song, the stage was starting to collapse and they had to call it. It was such a dramatic end to the show, that it almost wasn't disappointing that it had to end early. Good times.

This wasn't as much as I was hoping for. The hits are great without a doubt. The rest of the album.....not so much. I think it was "I Believe" that really turned me off. 2.49 stars.

This wasn't quite as painful as I thought it was going to be. There are some hooks here that I don't mind. But no way am I revisiting this. I can't really deal with how the vocals sound on this album. And that cover. No. 2.49 stars.

This is the album that got me into Johnny Cash. I really wish I could have seen him before he passed. What a missed opportunity. This is an epic live album. The mood is so intense. You can hear how starved-for-entertainment these guys are; they're so happy to be having a good time, and their vibe is infectious. All the between-song banter is great, especially the bit about the cup of water. And then at the end they bring up the warden and everyone boos him, and the album then just kind of ends unceremoniously as everyone is dismissed to go back to their cells. It would've been great to be in the crowd for thi----actually, maybe not.

Not sure what to say about this album. It just didn't hit me at all. Maybe I need to listen to other DS albums to see what the fuss is? Or maybe it's just not for me. 1.51 stars, rounding up to 2.

I've resisted getting into the Pixies for some reason. Not sure why. Every time I've listened to one of their albums it just hasn't stuck with me, and I think to some extent they started to fall into that category of, "I'm just going to decide I don't really like this band mainly because everyone keeps saying I should like them." So Frank Black sort of fell into that same category. But I like this album! A little long.

Pretty easy to listen to. I like the little bits of funk here and there. Why does it seem like I like funk more than I thought I did? Kind of unsettling somehow. I wish I could give this enough of my attention to get a better sense of what she's singing about. Surprising amount of instrumentation here for what appears to be a singer-songwriter album. Could do without the sax. I mostly tuned out for the second half of the album. Nonetheless, I could tell that what I was hearing was heartfelt and well-crafted.

I don't get it.

Lots of intensity here. I really don't care for "Bobby McGee," probably because I've just heard it so many times. But this album has a lot of energy. You can feel how intense she must have been live. Of all the tracks, "Mercedes Benz" really caught my attention. Despite it's kind of silly lyrics, it does an amazing job of showcasing her voice, which is awesome. Realistically, I won't revisit this, otherwise it would probably get five stars.

This was fine. Feels like you really need to listen to it in the context of the movie to better appreciate it.

Let's go, H-town. This was way more tolerable than I was expecting, almost enjoyable. I like the lo-fi album cover, the relaxed drinking-at-the-bar vibe. It feels very authentic to me, like you're just hanging with a few dudes from Texas (not always a good thing). It does make me curious if their later stuff is a little more polished or even glammy. Realistically, though, I probably won't dig any further into their catalog. Glad I listened to this, though. Solid 3.49 stars. I would happily spend a week as one of these dudes hanging out in Houston in the early 70s at some dive bar. Probably on Westheimer next to a field full of cattle, in someplace that is now considered the "middle of the city," surrounded by parking lots and strip malls.

Hard pass. I don't really know how to get into the right mindset to appreciate this. It didn't annoy me, so at least two stars, but otherwise didn't care for it.

I enjoyed this. I think to really appreciate this album, you have to be young and drunk and reckless, but nonetheless it's still enjoyable from here in my suburban bedroom.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I guess this is the experience I was hoping for when Culture Club showed up, just 80s-tastic fun. I saved this to my library and will probably revisit this. No idea though if their later material will hold up...I may give it a try.

I didn't hate it. I actually saved it to my library, but realistically I'll probably never come back to it. He wasn't as mumbly as I was expecting...I guess that came a little later. He does do words pretty good. 2.51 stars.

I liked this. At times, I felt like I was having a profound cultural experience, other times it kind of sounded like I was in a cabaret somewhere in New York. "One More Dance" was hilarious.

Lemmy would not have given the slightest shit what I think of this album. Nonetheless, five stars. Minus one star for Jailbait because I'm a dad. Four stars. Many years ago, I was at the grocery store and I nearly ran into some kid who was with their mom. I said, "whoopsie, excuse me!" And in that moment, I just really wished that I could have been someone else. And I imagined that if Lemmy almost ran into some kid at the store, he wouldn't have said, "whoopsie!". He would have looked at the kid and just snarled. And the kid would have run away crying. And sometimes I just wish I could be that guy. At least for a little while. I think about this particular scenario more often than I would like to admit. Most humans would not survive spending a week as Lemmy in the 80s, or any other decade.

I like Wilco. They're always a good listen. For whatever reason, they do tend to fade into the background for me, but only in a pleasant way. Rarely do I intentionally seek them out. Not sure why. 3.49 stars.

I cannot tolerate Sting for even a second, but this is good.

I can't deal with Nico's voice. Don't like it here, and never cared for it in Velvet Underground. No chance I'll revisit this. "Winter Song" is a troubadour song? So much flute. Did not like, but at the very least succeeds in making me feel like I might be hanging out in some kind of aggressively-artsy club in the 60s.

Interesting...got an early punk vibe but I'm also hearing some Doors, which is kind of weird. It's weird that I haven't heard of these guys. "Peaches" is an interesting song. Made me say, "what???" out loud. This whole album is kind of bizarre.

Meh.

This was good. Never heard of these guys before. Read a little bit more about them and sounds they stuck around for a while and changed their style quite a bit. I'll have to check out some more of their stuff.

Intense. Lots to get into here. More than I can handle in one listen. The clickity-clanky sound of this album almost reminds me of Skeleton Key at times. Not exactly, but sort of. I like it. I'm not sure if the sound on this album is any kind of a departure from her other work, but this just sounds so inspired to me. She sounds so convincing.

50 years later, this holds up very well. It's impossible to believe that for teenagers today, listening to this is the equivalent of us as teens listening to something recorded in the 40s. THE FORTIES. Jesus Christ.

I liked this because, well, I like anything that's got some FUNK. "O Plebue" was super fun.

I don't know. It was fun, for the most part. Seems a bit recycled. I'm sure these guys were tons of fun live. But not really sure why I would listen to them now. Made me think of the Blues Explosion. 2.51 stars.

I had always heard that Genesis was a prog rock band, but that label never really made sense to me. Turns out I just hadn't ever listened to anything pre-Invisible Touch. I get it now. I didn't totally enjoy listening to this, but I am going to save it to my library and hopefully come back to it. I'm intrigued and can see that there's some meat here to chew on. "Counting Out Time" was bananas.

I don't think there's anything more to say about this that I didn't already say in my review of the first Van Halen album we listened to. I like this one better, but not enough to deserve another star. When the first one came up, I was pretty excited to listen to it. This time, less so, but it's still an easy listen. I guess as long as I listen to some Van Halen once or twice a year, that's enough for me. It's good cock rock.

Turns out I've never owned or even listened to this all the way through. I didn't get through the whole thing because Jesus Christ Two Hours. I'm going to break my rule of not reviewing until after a full listen. I was pleasantly surprised by many tracks, despite having the angst shoved down my throat constantly. It's got teeth, though when it slows down it gets tiresome pretty quickly. I really tuned these guys out after Pisces Iscariot...that album just never clicked with me. Sorry I missed this back in the day. If it was one hour, I probably would have been more inclined to actually finish listen to it and give it that extra star.

I really resisted getting into Nirvana back in the day only because everyone else was so into them, and all I wanted was to not be into what everyone else was into. I regret that and I really wish I had a chance to see them live. This album is great.

No.

I played this but I didn't really hear it.

I've never liked the Talking Head, but I didn't mind this. David Byrne's voice grates on me after a little while. Mostly it just faded into the background.

I don't often listen to Prince, but when I do I never cease to be amazed by how confidently this man was able to sing about his penis. He had a lot of sex.

Great album. Kurt sounds awesome.

Some good jams here, but I have no business reviewing this album. I just have no context for this genre. I'll bet this would be tons of fun to hear in a smoky nightclub somewhere much further south of where I am right now.

I don't know...I think I just like this band less and less the further I get away from them. It just sounds....self-indulgent to me know, as an old man. Still giving it three stars because the hits are timeless.

I only started listening to Sabbath very late, probably 2010s, which is pretty shameful. I guess I grew up knowing mostly of Ozzy's solo work, which was always a bit cheesy. And I was never really into metal in general, so I just didn't give Sabbath much attention. But it's never too late and having been much more into metal in the past several years, I enjoy Sabbath immensely. This album is spectacular. The hits are great but so is every other track. It's a thoroughly engaging listen from start to finish.

This was a good listen. Definitely not my thing, but I can definitely enjoy it. Added to my library and I could definitely see myself listening to this again, though I don't expect I'll be exploring too much of their catalog. File under "would never have bought an album back in the day, but more than happy to stream it now."

This was on in the background for me, but in the best possible way. A solid listen all around, though I don't have the musical vocabulary to say much about it, other than that I enjoyed it.

Sounds a lot like the Beatles in a way that I wasn't expecting. Didn't do much for me. I can't even really remember any of what I listened to.

I wasn't into Lauryn Hill back in the day. To some extent, these songs got filed under "overplayed" for me. This is solid, but I wasn't able to give this as thorough a listen as I would like; so I've saved it and will definitely be coming back to it.

I have no idea why this is/was considered "alternative" hip hop, but it's super fun. These guys played at the annual music fest at my school and I remember when they walked in and saw all the drunk college kids on the lawn, they just shook their heads. It felt a little long, but that's really just because I'm sitting at home listening to it while I work. If it was on at a party like it's supposed to be, it would be just fine.

I was hoping I would like this, but it didn't really click with me. I have NO idea what she's singing about. I might have just missed the boat on PJ Harvey entirely.

This album and this band, along with Shellac, were instrumental in helping to expand my idea of what loud rock bands could sound like. The guitars don't always have to be pounding away on power chords, there is room for things to be much more dynamic, with the quiet lows just as important as the loud highs. And dissonance is your friend. This album will always be great and despite so many bands trying to sound like these guys, no one really does. They suck live. So does Tortoise.

Jesus Christ, the fucking Red Hot Chili Peppers. It's true, I kind of got into Mother's Milk when I was 16. And yes, it's true that whenever I hear the opening bars of Under the Bridge, I get super nostalgic for the 90s. And it's true that I kind of wish I had seen them back in the day, when I was a teenager, when they were still "alternative" so that I could hop into the crazy mosh pit and get that huge rush of adrenaline. And yes I....hang on...do I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers? No, I do not. Because are they are SUCH twats. And their music is........it's fine. But just hearing Anthony's voice makes me want to punch him. And they're such twats. And their music is fine. But also, rock funk is the worst genre, unless it's Sprawl. I hate the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Two stars because I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would.

I was heavy into James Brown for a few years in high school for some reason. Totally respect what he's doing here. He's the ultimate showman. But I just don't find myself coming back to his music these days.

This is probably in my top five, at least top ten, of bands-that-I-know-should-be-more-familiar-with, or should have at least listened to more than once or twice. But I see why I never got into them. Maybe in 1980 it would have been more appealing, but not so much now. These guys come across a lot sillier than I was expecting. Anyway, glad I listened but won't be revisiting.

I guess I liked this. I remember enjoying it. But I don't remember any of the songs. I like when you can actually hear a British person's accent on a record for once. 2.49 starts.

I listened to this a couple of times and it just didn't stick. Didn't care for the dude's voice.

I enjoyed this a lot. I never listened to Kate Bush back in the day, or ever for that matter. There was zero chance I would have gotten into this in any way back when it was released, but I can appreciate it now. I had no idea Kate Bush was so odd. This album is so moody and strange. It took several listens for me to make some sense of it. I don't know if Trent Reznor ever listed Kate Bush as an influence, but several times I felt like I was hearing some Pretty Hate Machine and even Broken in there. "Waking the Witch" is bonkers and I loved it. Can't say for sure if I'll get into more of her catalog, but I hope I'll come back to this every once in a while.

I have nothing to say about this album. I just don't think it was for me.

Hadn't listened to this before. Didn't quite give it the attention it deserved but it sounded good back there. Never got super into Beck but always respected that he was making fun and innovative music. I will save this to my library and come back to it.

Wow, "Speed Demon" is a rad song. "Liberian Girl" is terrible. This was a super fun listen. I went through it twice. Despite being 80s-tastic, it holds up really well. It's a great album and MJ was a great entertainer. The lyrics are kind of ridiculous. Pop music. Let's go.

I didn't hate this. I'd even say it was tolerable. Maybe it's because Michael Stipe doesn't sound as Michael Stipey on this album. I was into the bass lines.

Pretty sure this was a U2 album.

This one didn't grab me as much as "Hounds of Love." I had it on in the background and gave it two listens. I enjoyed what I was hearing but "Hounds of Love" had an edge and some quirkiness that really jumped out at me. This one felt a little more straightforward. I'll come back to "Hounds of Love" but I didn't add this one to my library. 2.50 stars, rounding up to 3.

I couldn't get into this at all. Found it rather grating. Will not return.

I know these guys are supposed to be super influential and they're on everyone's list. I've given them several listens. "21st Century Schizoid Man" is a great track. The rest of the album kind of fades into the background for me, though I totally recognize how awesome this must have sounded in....(checks notes)...1969!!!! It's hard to believe this was released then. It sounds like it came out in the 90s. 3.49 solid stars.

What can I say about this band. My first reaction is that I mostly just associate them with moshpit dickheads, which isn't fair. And this hardcore funk-metal-rap sound is just kind of douchey. But you know...these guys are intense...they are doing their thing at 1000%, they have strong opinions about the state of things and they don't back down and I respect all of that. And it's catchy. It definitely gets my attention. There's no way I would have ever been into them back in the day, but I can listen to it now.

I don't have the energy to write a review of the Beatles. Listen, they're just not my #1 thing. But they're the Beatles. Nothing I can say here really matters.

This was less interesting than I thought it was going to be. Just sounded over-produced and missing any kind of edge. Takes all the fun out of listening to Madonna.

I tried but just couldn't locate any interest in this album. I heard it....it was there...I didn't care for the guy's voice. Having a little trouble believing this is a top 1000 album. It was fine.

I enjoyed this. Good beats. Good energy. I don't really have enough context for where this dude fits in the hip-hop world...maybe some of that context would make this a little more meaningful. I probably won't come back to it, but happy to have listened to it.

Not sure if it's just my imagination, but I feel like people don't really talk about Jimi Hendrix very much these days. I used to listen to him a fair amount in my teen years, but I probably haven't done so for a few decades. He still sounds great...amazing voice, amazing sound. I don't expect a sudden renewed interest in listening to Jimi, but I enjoyed this.

It's inexplicable that I only started listening to The Cure in the last fiveish years. Everything about this album is extraordinary, and nearly every single track is a hit, as far as I'm concerned. I've listened to this on repeat for several years now and haven't tired of it. What really got me, though, about this band was their performance at Riot Fest a few years back. Robert Smith has been doing this a long time, but he was operating at 100%. Sounded as great as ever and still doing us all a favor and putting on that makeup even after all these years. I hope they stick around for a long time.

I'm not going to pretend like I can speak intelligently about this album. John Coltrane is operating on another level of artistic expression that I could never begin to understand. I'm jealous of people who can. I don't mind listening to this at all, but it's not something I come back to.

I added this to my library just to make sure I didn't miss something the first time around. I certainly enjoyed it, but it faded into the background when I wasn't hearing any of the various versions of the theme. I don't know if that's because I was distracted or because the rest of the album isn't as interesting, as movie scores tend to be sometimes.

For some reason, I never liked Peter Gabriel. Something about his voice. Maybe way too much Sledgehammer on MTV. But this was just the right amount. And I was pleasantly surprised by how relatively edgy this album is, especially given its release date. I did not hate this.

No.

I just can't deal with the pressure of reviewing these universally acclaimed, historically significant albums. This is good music. I went through a short Beatles phase. Otherwise, I don't listen to them on a regular basis.

This was a very special time....when this was cool. I'm so glad the entire glam rock movement happened. And I'm always happy when something like this shows up on this list. It's often a welcome relief from music that I don't always know how to appreciate as well as it seems I'm supposed to. This is cock rock. It is clear what is happening here. And I don't mind it. With all that said, pretty much every song on this album should only be half as long as it is. And while I won't go so far as to say that glam rock power ballads should have never existed, I will just say that you do have to be in the right mood for them, and that mood doesn't come around very often for me. 3.51 stars.

I was lucky enough to see these guys back in 1992. Unfortunately, they barely registered with me because I was there to see U2 at the Astrodome, and I had zero appreciation for anything outside of mainstream rock at the time. All I remember from their set is that there was a lot of very reverberant bass (like I said, the Astrodome), and at one point, the lights dropped and there was a spotlight on a KKK effigy hanging above the stage. Pretty intense.

I don't have the musical vocabulary necessary to say anything intelligent about this album. This is good jazz. Count Basie is good at jazz. I enjoyed it, and added it to my library. When I saw the album cover, I thought it was a Ministry album.

I can see how there's a lot to be appreciated here, but this is not for me.

I had no idea that if I stopped to read the lyrics for Cult of Personality, I would find that it is incredibly relevant in 2026. This is a great album. Even if sometimes Vernon Reid's guitar sounds kind of masturbatory, overall it holds up well for me. There were only a couple of tracks I didn't much care for ("I Want To Know", "Broken Hearts"). I thought "Open Letter to a Landlord" was going to be a tedious balled, but it picked up real quick and the lyrics are kind of anthemic. Overall, I was expecting this album to be more cringey, but that wasn't the case. I've added it to my library.

This was a better listen than I was expecting. This has aged pretty well, and if I had been into these guys back in the day, I would probably still be a fan now. I can't really get down with the vocals, but the music is great and I'll probably come back to this next time I'm in a good mood and making a really big salad.

Ok....Elvis....I don't know....it just depends on which era I'm listening to. I'm not familiar enough with his timeline to be able to say which period I liked best, aside from just his "earlier" stuff. This croony, sad howling doesn't do it for me. And listening to him sing "In the Ghetto" is just cringey. Nonetheless, it is Elvis, and without him we would have never had the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, among a few others. 2.49 stars.

What can I say about this album. It's damn near perfect. The opening guitars hit so hard and are a source of comfort. Can't wait to see these guys play together again.

I can't really do better than The Onion: https://theonion.com/humanity-still-producing-new-art-as-though-megadeth-s-1819578062/ It kills me that I wasn't listening to any of this back in the day. I would have been a much cooler kid.

I don't care how much I'm supposed to like them, I just can't get into these guys. Satellite of Love is all the Lou Reed I need.

Trying to listen to this while working is ridiculous. There are a lot of words here. It's just too much to have on in the background. I've listened to Kendrick several times, and for whatever reason it just doesn't stick with me. I never really want to come back for another listen, even though it sounds solid. I guess I prefer Dre's style because "Compton" was a standout for me.

Though it does start to sound repetitive after a little while, this is undeniably great. Intense and full of energy, you can't help but get caught up in how excited they were to be doing what they're doing. Once again, wish I could have been into this at the time. But they still sound like obnoxious pricks on this album. 3.51 stars.

This was kind of bizarre. I feel like I need to give it another listen just to better process what I was listening to. The at-times spooky country vibe was certainly different, so props for that, but I'm afraid I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed it. Glad it exists for whoever out there wants to listen to this.

So......The Doors. I still like Riders on the Storm, but otherwise I really can't tolerate Jim Morrison at this point. I can't put my finger on what it is about his voice or his swagger or whatever it is, but I just feel like he's always acting like a jerk in my speakers. I'm sure it would have been wild to be Jim Morrison for a week in the 60s, but in 2026 I'll take a pass. 2.49 stars.

I guess....this....I just....I don't.... The thing is I don't really understand in what context I'm supposed to listen to Meat Loaf. Is this for people who love show tunes? Is this for people who tried to get into Sabbath but prefer something more upbeat?

This album is an easy listen. I don't know how Beck gets away with it. So much confidence for a goofy, skinny white guy. Lots of steady jams here. It's a delight, and sounds like Beck made it just so that people could have something fun to listen to. I could do without "Computer Rock" at the end. Could be two tracks shorter for my taste.

I wasn't able to separate the man from the music.

I can hear how these guys have influenced things I've listened to, but it just doesn't grab me.

I obviously don't know anything about Stevie Wonder because this wasn't quite what I was expecting. I thought it would be more fun and funky, but it didn't really hit me that way. Higher Ground stands out, but much of the rest disappeared into the background. In fact, Higher Ground feels out of place on this album. I feel like I'm missing something.

Easy to listen to. Had no idea these guys are responsible for "We are Family." I enjoyed most of the album, but when that song came on I felt like I was being forced to dance at a wedding and didn't care for it.

A couple years ago, someone asked me what band I wish I could have seen back in the day but never did. I rattled off a few names, but only much later realized that I had left probably my #1 pick off the list - Big Black. Of course, I would have been barely a tween when these guys were around, and there's zero chance what they were doing would have appealed to me at the time or made any sense. And no, I don't really count the "reunion" at the Touch & Go fest, whenever that was. It was fun, but you know....you had to be there back in the day. Songs About Fucking is my #1, but this album is also great, with Kerosene being the clear standout and a mix-tape go-to. Albini's tone, here and across all his other bands, is so wildly unique and never gets old. And the way these guys were able to influence and bridge so many different sub-genres all at once is amazing. What a great band. All the things people call out in the one star reviews on this site are exactly what's great about this album.

This was totally pleasant but definitely faded into the background. I'm adding it to my library for when I want something chill, though not sure I'll revisit often.

Christ, I do not care for this band. Two stars because I recognize the artistic merit.

This is just not for me.

I'm not going to pretend I have any business reviewing this album. This is good jazz sounds.

I do love me some Tom Petty. But sometimes sticking with the greatest hits is the way to go. Some of the lesser known tracks on here don't do much for me. The hits are solid. I don't mind this, but I probably won't come back to it.

No.

This album slays. It's true that there are some songs that don't hit quite as hard, and nothing on the album even comes close to "Buffalo Stance," but it's still a great listen from beginning to end. "Buffalo Stance" is just asking to be covered, but it turns out not too many people have done so (though post-punk Chicago outfit Hirudin's take in the early 2000s was a particularly notable contribution). Giving it 4.5 and rounding up to 5.

I guess it's just Jack White's voice. I just don't care for it. I *should* like the music. It's minimalist and raw, and borrows a lot of Zeppelin riffs. But for some reason, it jus doesn't do it for me.

A good listen, but Marvin Gaye just isn't really my thing. I've never thought to myself, "I could really go for some Marvin Gaye." I don't see that changing.

Didn't do much for me. Listening to this in 2026...it just doesn't sound like anything particularly interesting...probably would have been more engaging at the time.

I listened to the whole thing and I feel like I owe it one more listen, but I also know that this is never going to particularly click for me. Lenny is a good looking fella. He makes good music. I respect his energy.

Have not heard of these guys at all. When I first hit play, I thought it was going to be a purely electronic album, maybe something Kraftwerk-esque. But it quickly morphed into something much more adjacent to Phoenix. I'm not sure I ever got past the disappointment of this not being weird and different but instead sounding pretty straightforward. It's good and I like it but missing something needed to push it beyond 2.5 stars (rounding up to three). I'm also not convinced this needs a spot on this list.

No change from the previous album. It's good, but not for me.

Nothing much to say about this. Just a hair before my time and so I don't really have any attachment to the Pretenders. Rock and roll.

I fully enjoyed this. It was a nice break from the rock-bands-I-know-I-should-appreciate-more-but-mostly-just-sound-like-the-music-that-came-just-before-the-stuff-I-actually-like. It was just weird enough to sound like it didn't come from the US, which I also appreciated. I've added this to my library and plan to come back to it.

I never much cared for Parliament so it never occurred to me to give Funkadelic more of a chance. I enjoyed this a lot. Much weirder than I was expecting, refreshingly so. Added to my library.

This went on way too long and didn't do much for me.

The thing is, this IS a great album. Had Green Day never gone mainstream, this still would have been right up there with all the best pop-punk albums from that time. Is it the defining pop punk album of the mid-90s? Probably not. Does it deserve a spot on the 1001 list? Probably not. Anyway, it's a great listen, and I'm glad they're still going strong after all these years.

There's a lot here to appreciate, but it's just a little too hard to look past all the misogyny in order to do so. There's just soooo much of it. And at a full hour, it gets tiring after a while. I'm still going with 2.51 stars, rounding up to three.

Deep Purple is a band that I can never seem to wrap my head around. I can never remember who they are, what they're know for, etc. I realize that's ridiculous. But anyway, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this at all. I did enjoy it...more or less. I appreciate how completely over-the-top this show must have been. I'm sure it was an absolute blast to be there. With that said, I have no intention of digging into their catalog, or making sense of the complicated history of all of their comings and goings. And the last two tracks went on for way too long.

There's no way I'm coming back to this, but I couldn't help but appreciate how out there it is. Whatever is happening here, it feels incredibly authentic, and sounds to me like something that was recorded with no pretense and no expectations from anyone. This is a vibe and I'm on board for the ride. I am quite certain that spending a week as Dr. John in the late 60s would have been a wild, wild trip.

Sweaty, white-guy blues.

Can't think of much to say about this album. Perfectly fine grunge.

I don't get it.

I recognize the integrity of this music, but it's not my thing.

I mostly enjoyed this and added it to my library. It sounded to me like one of those early 2000s bands, like the Strokes, but if they were just a little more interesting. Will revisit.

With all due respect, I just don't care for Joni Mitchell.

I thought this might be nostalgic and maybe even fun to listen to, but all it did was very effectively remind me why I have never ever listened to Mariah Carey and never will.

I don't come back to this album as much as some of the others, but it's still great. "Cold" stands out for me. I wish I had been listening to this when it came out, but I wasn't cool enough.

I didn't hate this nearly as much as I thought I would. Oye Como Va is a great tune but so incredibly overplayed.

I know this deserves more of my more attention and is at least worthy of another listen. It's good. But realistically, I probably won't come back to it. File under, "music I would happily listen to with a friend." 3.49 stars, just barely scraping a round up to 4.

This was an easy listen. I won't come back to it but I had no trouble getting through it and even gave it a second listen. Didn't dramatically change any feelings I have about the Go Go's, or this flavor of harmless (almost to a fault) new wave/pop.

This album is catchy as hell. It feels like Jay Z has been around forever, so it kind of surprises me that this came out post-2000.

I used to absolutely LOATHE Bob Marley. Part of it was just that I associated him with the most annoying parts of stoner culture, part of it was just that he was overplayed in the 90s, and part of it was just that when I was most exposed to his music was at a time when all I really cared about was loud, crunchy guitars. I have a lot more patience for him now, and I don't mind this at all. I might even go so far as to say that I enjoyed it. I listened to this twice. I might put it on next time I'm making a big salad. If I don't derive a full four stars worth of enjoyment, I do recognize four stars of artistic merit.

Somehow, I didn't start listening to Iron Maiden until just within the last ten years. I just wasn't exposed to them back in the day, though I probably wouldn't have gotten into them then anyway. When I finally gave this album a good listen for the first time, I couldn't believe how cheesy it sounded, almost comical. But after a couple listens, it clicked, and I get it and I love it. While there's a sameness to a lot of their stuff for me, this album does stand out and I come back to it not infrequently. So happy that these guys are still at it after all these years.

It is entirely possible that I need to give this another listen, but I found this incredibly dull. Sorry, Radiohead, not today.

JFC, what a slog.

This is fine. Taken on its own, I just don't find it that interesting musically. And it's just a little too far before my time for me to really get into it. 2.45 stars, rounding down to two.

I will never enjoy listening to Billy Joel; this confirms that. I recognize that these are well-performed songs. I just don't enjoy them. Maybe if I paid more attention to what he's singing about. But I enjoy the music so little that I can't locate any interest in making the effort to listen to what he's signing about.

This album is kind of timeless to me. It just exists on its own, always has and always will. It's almost like it's not good or bad, it just is. It is Dark Side of the Moon, and I don't necessarily "love it", but I definitely do keep coming back to it. Maybe simply because it's such an undeniable force in the history of music that is relevant to our generation.

This probably deserves better than simply being dismissed as "just pop music," but that's all I could really hear. I'm giving it a second listen but I'm not sure it's going to change my mind. This came and went for me without incident.

I think you need to be drunk in a bar and singing along to actually enjoy this. And you don't get the full effect if you're not reading along with the lyrics. And even if I read the lyrics, as a non-Brit, I don't understand a third of his vocabulary. Three stars mainly because the vibe I'm getting is that this dude was having a great time recording these songs.

I know it's good, but it's also just not my thing. Gave it two listens and couldn't really get into it. Even still, doesn't feel worthy of less than three stars.

This was my favorite of all of the Beatles albums we've had so far. I like the old-timiness of it. Anyway, they're the Beatles. Nothing else for me to say here.

There's nothing about this that I don't like. It's clearly great music. I saved it to my library. It doesn't affect me nearly as profoundly as it is supposed to, according to Objective Truths About Music.

Timeless. Just wish I could have been more into this back in the day.

Solid.