This was good. Having only previously heard his later, more ambient works I was curious about this. For the first listen, obviously a lot went over my head. It’s very dense, but kept me interested. Musically it’s solid and is interesting throughout.

Great album. Probably VU’s best, certainly their most consistent.

It is ok. I was familiar with the more popular songs from radio and clubs back in the day. Loved some of the lyrics, phrasing and delivery. Outstayed its welcome pretty quickly though. Good, rugged no frills production.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Bright and energetic, but not enough to hold my interest. I got through the whole album though. Good for what it is, but can’t see me revisiting it.

A classic. Bought it when it came out and it defined our time as kids for that year, at least. Still holds up, albeit sounding a little dated now. They made better records, but never made that definitive record.

What an absolute joy this album was. When it came up, I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood for Otis. I stuck it on anyway and thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite already knowing a few songs, this album was just an overall injection of positivity. A definite addition to my library, and a good example of the 1001 generator being very effective.

Title track aside, I wasn’t familiar. This album is front loaded, and painfully goes downhill after track 3. Beige country rock. Good for what it is. I’m aware it’s a very successful album, but upon hearing it in its entirety it’s surprising that it is. Ruined my drive home.

Snoop Dogg’s best work. An album from my younger days. Great fun.

I’d never heard of this band prior to getting this album in the generator, so was excited to listen. Well played, but ultimately a bland record. I enjoy similar musics played better by others, so this flew over me. I can see how folk might enjoy it but - without wanting to sound pretentious - anybody with more than a fleeting interest in music will know this ground is covered better elsewhere.

I was surprised to see this album here. Loved it for many years. Classic Zappa. I’d be curious to read what first time listeners in 2025 would make of it. Well ahead of its time. A constantly evolving and interesting anthropological journey into 60’s America.

This was awful. I’d never heard of them, so when I saw it billed as “punk” I was keen to listen. Nothing “punk” about this at all. American college garage rock would be a more apt description. Only hints at being “punk” if it were punk performed by privileged white frat boys bored out of school. Instantly forgettable songs, terrible lyrics and not much going for it at all. I genuinely question (again) why this has made any list. No emoticon for half a star.

I was pleased when this came up because it occurred to me how long it had been since I listened to it. A great album. I’m not overly enamoured with Dylan’s entire catalogue, but this and Freewheelin’ stand out for me. Really good to hear it again.

I’d heard his music previously, but couldn’t remember much about it. I appreciated this for what it is, but isn’t really my thing. I could tell this was an album that would benefit from multiple listens (as is the case for a lot of albums, obviously) but I’m not sure I enjoyed it enough to give it more time. The songs just went over my head and didn’t keep my attention. I felt it needed it should have been more varied and challenging, but I appreciate I might have missed the entire point. Either way, just not for me.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Her vocals are good, and some of the instrumentation is too. It’s all a little too safe though. Towards the end it dwindled into acoustic guitar and vocal tracks which tested my patience. Good for what it is. Did not add.

Nice surprise. Pound for pound, my favourite Sabbath album. Groove, heaviness…and at the top of their game. My first ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating..

Bland and poor. Limp indie guitar rock. Puny production. Forgettable songs and base level musicality. I have no idea why this record made this list.

I was surprised by this. Put off by the scene, image and hype at the time and the painful indie discos that followed. Didn’t hate it. It has substance and musicality, and had a nice 80s feel to it for me.

I enjoyed this. Obviously, Willie Nelson is a legend. His voice is great. For what it is, this album is good. I kept wanting the music to do more, but that isn’t the music’s fault (if that makes sense).

Really enjoyed this. Some really well crafted songs on here and the album is consistent. Needs more listens. A nice 80’s vibe, not sure if that helps or hinders it. Either way, very enjoyable.

This sounds very much of its time. Whether that is a plus point or not, I don’t know. It’s good for what it is, but not really to my tastes. Sandy Denny’s voice grated on me after a few songs too.

This wasn’t great. Did little to hold my interest. Bland, obvious “psychedelic” overtones. Some substance to the music, but it never really goes anywhere. I think this is the bullshit Zappa warned everyone about.

Didn’t really enjoy this. It had its moments, but overall it is dull and uninspiring. Very overrated band. Good for what it is, but no plans on revisiting.

Another tough one. From what I knew of Beck’s music previously, I expected more excitement, innovation and risks. I get that this is about his break up, but the result is a maudlin, ploddy record. Musically it’s ok. Some arrangements that hint at being really good but never quite get there in my opinion. Again, I’m aghast that this is ranked here among truly great albums.

Enjoyed this. Would never have ventured into listening to this had it not been for this generator, especially based on how Rod presents these days. This is a good album. Rod sounds fantastic, the band behind him are great and the songs are too. Love the production too. Nice to hear after a couple of duff albums!

This was good. Having only previously heard his later, more ambient works I was curious about this. For the first listen, obviously a lot went over my head. It’s very dense, but kept me interested. Musically it’s solid and is interesting throughout.

Great album. Not my favourite KC album, but a fantastic album nonetheless. 21st Century Schizoid Man aside, this is a moody listen. Like a lot of their output, you have to be in the mood for it. The musicianship is flawless. I love Michael Giles’ drumming on this. Production is almost claustrophobic - it has the intensity it needs. More than 50 years on, the songs still hold up. And of course, the iconic cover art.

Impeccably executed, but exceedingly dull. One thing that stood out was how much the hit singles needed trimming. Had they not been edited, I don’t think they would have been as popular. Not bad by any means, but nothing exciting either.

Crushing album. Catchy, heavy beats and rhymes as you’d expect from the Wu-pedigree involved. I don’t know much about its creation or the intricacies of the record itself other that GZA and other contributors past endeavours (namely Wu-Tang and Gravediggaz), but the result is a superb album. Savage and entertaining throughout. It *might* just overstay its welcome by about ten minutes or so for me. Otherwise it would have got 5.

This is a solid album. The songs are good, catchy and memorable. Musicianship is on point. Probably my least favourite Peter Tosh album though. He certainly bettered it with Equal Rights, Bush Doctor and No Nuclear War, but Legalize It is worth the listen for sure. The whole weed thing is always immediately tired, whoever does it and in whatever medium. Get passed that and it’s very enjoyable.

Not much to say, other than it’s Kraftwerk at their best. A lot more instant and catchier than Trans Europe Express and Autobahn (the only other records of theirs I’ve heard), and just fun throughout.

This is a good album. Well written, well performed and the production is great. No arguments there. It’s front loaded, and - for me - it begins to lose its appeal around the half hour mark. Well executed, but too safe.

Another album to file under the “Why?” category. It’s good for what it is, but I genuinely struggle to see why somebody would recommend this to be featured in this list. Bland, safe and predictable.

This was alright. Lost its impact quickly on me though. I can see why it was lauded in the mid 90s perhaps, but that didn’t make my experience any better.

Good to hear this again. Not my favourite Tull album, but some great moments here nonetheless - the title track, Cross-Eyed Mary, Locomotive Breath… Some really good subtle hooks that draw you in, which I think you only truly notice after multiple listens. I’m conscious that first time listeners won’t give this a second listen, which is a shame. A patchy week on the generator, so Aqualung was welcomed.

I wouldn’t have usually ventured into this, but it was enjoyable. I guess that is the whole point of this generator. Grooves, catchy tunes and just generally pleasant. Not sure how many times I’d revisit it, but that doesn’t detract from its validity.

I was pleased when this came up being a fan of 80s early 90s Hip Hop, yet never actually hearing this album in full. I had high expectations, with it being lauded as a classic. I was left colder than I thought I would be. Overall it has a nice feel to it and some good tracks, but just didn’t seem to hit with me. The skits are awkward bordering on cringe. That said, for a debut album it’s solid. Definitely finds its niche around half way.

I liked this. Never listened to a Stones album in its entirety. Very much of the time, but a great feel to it. Looking forward to listening further, particularly within the list. Good start to the week.

This had its moments. It never really went anywhere though, or did anything to catch my attention. Musically it’s good, albeit a little too cautious. Well produced, but very easily background music and all bit new age.

I thought this was boring. All the talk of her potentially being bigger had she stuck around isn’t substantiated here. Reeks of Michelle Gayle levels of notoriety. Front loaded with some very cringeworthy lyrics and overall, ideas above its station. No idea why it is on the list. Musically it’s ok. Good for what it is, but no real substance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of my favourite albums, and one of the funkiest albums of all time. This, along with On The Corner, epitomise funk for me. The playing is magnificent. The grooves groove. Timeless music. Sounds as fresh as it did when it was released. Nice to have this on this list to be enjoyed. Monumental.

I found this album interesting. Wasn’t what I expected at all - long, ten minute plus songs, some meandering grooves and some unique ideas. I expected short soul tunes and more focus on actual songwriting. I enjoyed it though because it totally blindsided me. As an album I felt it did come up a little short. I either wanted it to go deeper and darker or lighter and snappier. I’m left curious about Hayes’ other work, particularly around the same period. The 8 minute-odd spoken word section in By The Time I Get To Phoenix left me wondering what the fuck was going on though.

Original, ever evolving and constantly interesting. I discovered Talking Heads quite recently and have enjoyed ploughing through their back catalogue Remain In Light is a definite highlight. Great orchestration and holds your attention throughout. I wish I’d have discovered them in the 80s as their innovation is largely lost on just their singles. Bloody good.

Great album. I hadn’t listened to this for a while and it is stacked full of bangers. Beefheart gets an unfair rap due to people not understanding Trout Mask, but at the core of everything is his voice. Fantastic, powerful and versatile, nobody brings it like Beefheart and it’s on show in a different glory on SAM. Musically it’s awesome too. The songs on here could have and should have been bigger. Safe As Milk isn’t my favourite Beefheart album but it’s definitely worthy of being on this list.

This was interesting. Never heard of Michael Kiwanuka so I was pumped to listen. Enjoyed it. I think I kept expecting it do do more, but it is brilliantly executed and well performed throughout with a good production.

Looking back having not been aware of Fugazi at the time, it’s clear to see the influence they had. It would have been a different story had they succumbed to a major label, but then things would have been different for everyone else too. Around the time of Repeater I was entrenched in death metal… This album holds up. The band have a natural tightness. Comfortable balance of aggression and innovation. Makes me curious to how it would have been at the time of its release watching everything unfold. Worthy of your time.

This was poor. Never really got going. At times hinting at a low-rent poor Hawkwind and at others invoking Sonic Youth For Beginners, this has no conviction or substance at all. I was thinking “why?” more than anything, but not in a good way. Maybe I’m completely missing the point, as I’ve heard the name previously but never their music. Completely baffled why this album would be ranked here. Student gig night, £1 for a pint of watered down lager. Use of strobe light essential.

I remember this coming out and The Cult reinventing themselves with it. Didn’t make a massive impact on me at the time but the rock press creamed over it, and obviously the singles were played everywhere. It’s a solid enough, rock and roll-by-numbers album. The no frills Rick Rubin production is good. A lot of the songs fall short though. The Born To Be Wild cover is completely unnecessary too. When this came up I initially thought 3/5. Now I’m listening to it again, it has to be a 2 for me.

Great album. So varied and interesting. The second half in particular. Looking back, it’s admirable how many risks Bowie took with this album, and a lot of his albums. One of his best albums in my opinion.

As someone of a certain age, when SOAD emerged I found them cringeworthy as I did most “nu-metal” at the time. Anyone that cut their teeth on proper metal felt the same, so just kinda let them get on with it. Which of course, they did. Let’s not pretend this is anything spectacular though. It’s performed well and produced well, but it was never the groundbreaking debut some made it out to be. Judging from their music that followed this (what I’ve heard of it at least) they cultivated and perfected their sound and obviously built on the foundations on display here, selling millions in the process. But yeah, neither heavy nor that clever. One for the youth, and still sounds that way all these years later.

This was hard for me to listen to. That’s the point of this list though, so I persevered. Musically of course it’s well played. Some nice ideas here and there that sadly often descend into the same snare shuffle or “jig”. MacGowan has a mean scream though, and I liked that it hinted at punk at times. Repetitive at times and far too jolly throughout. This has been the biggest ask of this challenge so far for me personally. It is what it is, but isn’t for me.

A banger, and a solid 5. Not my favourite Maiden album, but is pretty flawless. Invaders and Gangland may not rank amongst the other tunes, but are still good. Bruce’s first album and the album that was the flagship for Maiden’s ascendency into Metal godliness. That’s not to say their previous albums were poor in any way, just that this was a real statement of intent. A Metal classic, and no arguments.

I was intrigued with this. Heard the name previously but never really listened to their music. Quite dark and noisy in places which surprised me (god knows why it did!) and definitely territory that I wouldn’t have ventured into had it not been for this list. It didn’t sound of its time either, and could have been released today. Interesting, and with depth.

Second Bowie album in as many weeks. Great album. Varied, constantly interesting and typically Bowie. I had this on vinyl years ago and initially thought it didn’t hit the heights of some of his other output, but hearing it again today, it is strong. Lots of highlights. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Really enjoyed this. A proper rock album. High octane and as heavy as fuck for the time. I don’t know why Deep Purple bypassed me for the most part over the years, despite being raised on rock and metal. Love the production on this too - feels raw and live. Particularly Roger Glover’s bass. All involved shine here though. Great album