1001 Albums Summary

Solid Brit punk rock album. Had never heard of previously.

One of the most groundbreaking and influential albums of all time. Wu-Tang Clan had such a unique sound that they crossed over into fans of rock and electronic music. I prefer Wu-Tang Forever, but the debut is certainly one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever created.

Love this album. So much fun to listen to. Not all the lyrics aged well, but this album introduced a lot of suburban white kids to hip-hop.

Such a beautiful album from start to finish. Marvin Gaye’s finest work and perhaps the greatest album of the 70’s, if not of all-time. An essential album for any true music fan.

Elton John is one of my favorite singer-songwriters of all time. A great album, though not my favorite of his.

There was a time that I didn’t “get” The Doors, but I’ve since changed my stance. A fantastic debut album. I know Jim Morrison gets most of the credit, but Ray Manzarek’s contribution to The Doors legacy cannot be understated.

I’ve not spent much time listening to world music, much less Malian folk/blues music, but this was a pleasant surprise and the reason why I am doing this “1001 album challenge”. Maybe not something I would listen to on a regular basis, but a great “break” away from my “normal” genres.

One of the greatest live albums ever made. One of the greatest blues albums ever made. An essential album for anyone even remotely interested in the blues.

“Sweet Dreams” is one of my all-time favorite songs, but, the rest of this album was…nothing I’d care about revisiting, honestly. Would not be on my personal 1001 albums list.

Just an incredibly beautiful album. Acoustic and melancholy. Drake’s influence is written all over the music of artists like Alexi Murdoch, Jose Gonzalez and Iron & Wine.

I don’t love Kurt Wagner’s voice and there are times when this album can get a little boring, but it’s not bad. Probably not something I would revisit a lot, but I can see why people like it. Wouldn’t be in my own 1001 list though.

I wanted to give this 5 stars, but couldn’t pull the trigger simply because of “Mother”. Other than that, a pretty great album. Not without its flaws, but with several of my favorite Police tracks on this album, it needed at least 4.

I mean…I can see why some people like it, but I just can’t get into UK hip-hop.

Cat Stevens is not my favorite singer/songwriter of this era, but this album is a classic. Some really good tunes on this one.

Too bad the collective harmony amongst this group wasn’t as great their vocal harmony was. A staple in the 60’s hippie culture cannon. About half of the album is cover songs, but they are pretty well done.

I tried. I listened to every song, but it was just a very difficult experience. German experimental industrial is just not my thing. It sounded like a construction site in hell.

Just a really great, fun album. A power pop & new wave masterpiece. Had never listened to all the way through previously, only the hits and a handful of other tracks. There’s a couple of songs that I could live without, but otherwise, a must hear.

It’s not my favorite Big Star album, but it’s still better than most albums by most bands. You can tell that they were in a different place when this one was made.

Essential hip-hop album. Run-D.M.C. were the bridge where rock fans crossed over into hip-hop. Not every song on here is great, but this essentially starts out as a greatest hits album.

I’m really liking the world music selections in this project. I’ve never really given much attention to non English-speaking music before, but this was another one that I really enjoyed. Maybe not on constant rotation, but definitely a good one to visit from time to time.

This is my favorite Led Zeppelin album. Not a bad song on the whole thing. However. “Stairway to Heaven” might be one of the most overplayed songs in the history of rock radio, but I digress. This albums shreds from beginning to end.

I love the Beatles, but I’ve got to admit that I’ve never listened to this one all the way through before. Great album! Will definitely revisit again.

I’ve heard of The Jesus and Mary Chain but never gave them a deep listen. This was a welcome listen. I look forward to revisiting this album a little more and diving deeper into their catalog.

Great alternative R&B. I’ve heard of SZA, but never gave her a deep listen. I enjoyed this album.

I could smell Sam Cooke’s sweat while listening to this album. That voice in a live setting was something to behold. So glad those of us who couldn’t experience it in person, can at least get a taste through this recording.

Where we began to see the greatness in Kendrick Lamar. Such an amazing album.

The White Stripes were putting out some of the best rock music of the 2000’s. Part of me still prefers “White Blood Cells” to this one, but both are just incredible albums.

Meh. I tried but just couldn’t get into it. I’ve heard of The The before, but never listened to them. I’m just not a huge fan of that whole 80’s fascination with synthesizers and drum machines. And though it has nothing to do with the music, I’ve always thought the name “The The” was pretty dumb.

Better than I expected. Love Elizabeth Fraser’s voice. Very chill. Will definitely revisit.

Not as great of an album as I remember. I think I’ve kind of ”outgrown” this type of music. A lot of the songs just sound the same. Still knocks though.

I’ve never really listened to anything but the singles from Blur, but this is a solid Britpop album. An enjoyable listen.

Amy along with the Dap-Kings, Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi helped the vintage soul sound explode back into the mainstream with what may have been the coolest album of the 2000’s. A great album from a brilliant artist who left us too soon.

I prefer Violator, but this wasn’t bad. I’m not a huge fan of Depeche Mode, but I might would revisit this one on occasion.

A really nice album. Probably going to take a few more listens before I understand what all the fuss is about, but I enjoyed it.

You always hear how good “Midnight Marauders” and “The Low End Theory” are, but “PITATPOR” always seems to be forgotten about. A much better album than it gets credit for. Has my favorite Tribe song on it.

This was Public Enemy at their peak. A very well-produced album and everyone is in top form (Chuck, Flav, X). It’s either this or “It Takes a Nation…” as my favorite PE album.

Really enjoyed this. Great female singer-songwriter. Sounds a lot like Tracy Chapman.

I can appreciate the concept and the talent behind the music. Just not my jam.

A fun record, though not really my thing. It certainly is a pretty unique meshing of genres and I can see Fishbone’s value in the history of music. Doubtful that I would revisit though.

It’s very disco. There are some bangers on here though.

Grew on me the more I listened, but nothing I would seek out again.

Had never heard of this one. Surprisingly good. Very sensual R&B married with electronic music. The Janet Jackson meets Bjork description holds up.

Such an incredibly beautiful album. Norah’s voice is mesmerizing. One of the greatest debuts of all-time.

Another one, I’d never heard of. I knew Aimee Mann, but never gave her much of a listen. Some really nice tracks on this one, but probably not one I’ll spin on a regular basis, if I’m being honest.

Love The Temptations. There may be some “filler” on here, but still a pretty solid album.

Probably not something that I would listen to often. But I would definitely jam to this on a trip south of the border.

Nope

My favorite band of all-time. There is some filler on here, but the filler is better than some artist’s entire catalogs.

Probably my favorite Pearl Jam album. An essential for fans of the 90’s alternative rock scene.

A much better album than I expected it to be.

In the grand scope of rap music, this is such an underrated album. This was when Wu-Tang was at the top of the hip-hop world. Of course, the GZA is a genius.

An essential jazz album. Very accessible for people trying to get into jazz.