1001 Albums Summary

Not sure this was a great place to start this project. Kinda dug The Electrocutioner though

Started strong - have always like Blitzkrieg Bop - but the guitar riffs felt redundant by like song five

I owe you an apology Elvis, wasn’t familiar with your game. Suspicious Minds is so good. Really liked the whole album minus In the Ghetto. Didn’t know he had the country crooner element late in his career

Really only liked a couple songs here (Out of Time was the highlight). Decent guitar riffs but Jagger’s vocals really irritate me, especially in the first half.

Solid enough soul album, not especially memorable. Tall in the Saddle was my favorite, I guess

Thought most of it was just ok despite my love for the harmonica. Would’ve bumped a half star if I were allowed for Heart of Gold, which announces itself as a masterpiece from the opening guitar strum

Felt interminable listening to this dude’s off-key mumbling over low tempo guitar riffs. Outside of the Grey/This Time He has Come pairing, unlistenable

Consistently dig the Afro-Cuban stuff. The drums and vibe on this basically hit in every song. Rhapsodia probably my favorite but liked all eight to varying degrees

Really enjoyed Matty Groves, especially the guitar outro. Appreciated Quiet Joys as an almost dream pop feel. Got a little redundant though, playing as a lyrical combo of Middle Ages nursery rhyme and an anthem for a pagan orgy like the one from Seconds

Masterpiece. Banger after banger. The contrast between Sad but True and Nothing Else Matters, both incredible, blew me away

I still find The Who pretty grating. More energy on The Ox instrumental than the rest of the album combined. Found most of this pretty generic 60s stuff. A Legal Matter is nails on a chalkboard bad

Strong. Loved One, second half was pretty consistent

Had some decent guitar riffs but this was pretty indistinguishable for me and I don’t think there’s much chance I ever go back to anything here.

First four songs here were good, especially N.I.B.

Unmemorable aside from Rolling Stone but that song does a lot of the heavy lifting

Not my favorite Tupac. Second half is pretty generic and the album’s a little too long. First eight are pretty good though

The songs here were pretty indistinguishable

Blown away by this one. Figured this would not be my speed but Tucker’s voice has a unique intensity and the guitar riffs are consistently great. The first three songs, especially One More Hour, are so good

Fine mostly indistinguishable guitar riffs.

I get why this is a classic, just not my thing. Pretty good guitar but the vocals are the same on every song and none of these are ones I’d really go back to despite how iconic a lot of them are

This level of energy becomes a little tiring after 40 minutes but the back to back of Pacific and Donkey Doctor is pretty strong.

Takes a little getting used to but I mostly came around by the second half, when they softened it a little and were less likely to have the dude screaming shit in German over the top of it. First half probably more authentic but tough to listen to My enjoyment of this was more a one but I’ll toss it a star for being weird as hell. Sado-Masodub is a low key banger

Preferred the more upbeat, funk-influenced stuff to most of the ballads here. Liked it but was a little underwhelmed overall given Wonder’s obvious talent. Assume there’ll be others of his that I like more

Knew this was going to be great and it was somehow even better than I expected. Go Your Own Way and Dreams on the same album is crazy enough, but The Chain and I Don’t Want To Know were discoveries for me

This was solid. Wild Horses only one I really love though. Moonlight Mile’s my favorite of ones I’d never heard. More 3.5 than 3

Really liked this one. Started as a kind of spa relaxing vibe and built energy as it went along. Hedphelym probably the best of both worlds

Maybe a little redundant in its downbeat tone but kind of blended country and soft rock in a way that worked. Title track was my favorite

Better than the movie but I still don’t really get the Prince appeal. Title track is great and the back half of the album generally is pretty solid, but the first five songs didn’t work for me

Liked this but don’t know enough about the genre to understand why this is viewed as so much better than most albums that do the same kind of thing

Liked this but kind of expected to be more in on it. Heaven and Drugs only two that I could see myself coming back to much

Perfectly solid background music. Take Five my favorite

Really good. Somehow felt both a wonderment for life and a sense of melancholy.

“Ooh we’re so edgy and provocative” fuck off

Speakerboxx is a bunch of bangers. Love Below kinda hit or miss but Hey Ya/Roses back to back is classic and I appreciate that the halves are so different stylistically

Whatever worries I had about this getting a little repetitive vocally are eased by how good Buckley is at that kind of ballad and the variety in the guitar through the album. Hallelujah the obvious classic but Mojo Pin probably my favorite

This was alright. Dug Maggot Brain

Back half wasn’t bad, liked You’re Looking Fine. Low-end three

Couple recognizable songs here I’ve never really liked. Kinda went for I’ll Wait but otherwise the synth rock just isn’t really my thing

Generally solid 80s rock without many standouts. Thug probably my favorite

It’s Tricky, blast from the past

Nuthin but a G thang only great song on here. Mostly a precursor to better West Coast stuff later in the 90s. Laughed my ass off at the pyramid one

That drum solo was electric

good kid and Art of Peer Pressure both really good revelations for me

Not sure any of these songs are memorable but credit for an album that combines square dancing and African drumming. Buffalo Gals and Soweto two best

Title track only one that works for me

It’s Too Late best song on here. Mostly solid beyond that, liked Will You Love Me Tomorrow

Generally fine but nothing that blew me away

Got a little redundant in the middle but pretty solid bookends. Ether or 5.45 the best

Liked the first two songs but it went downhill pretty quickly after that. Horsin’ Around sounded like the worst song from a Gene Kelly movie

Wish I found the singer a more compelling vocal presence because I dig the synth pop backgrounds on most of these. First two songs best on the album

Pretty good. I Got My Brand On You is super catchy

Mostly still just love the popular ones but Lovesong was a solid revelation

Can’t believe I liked this as much as I did. Title track and guilded splinters both good. Weird blend of jazz and horror?

No real complaints but the operatic Queen style still isn’t really my thing. This was fine but no reason to listen again

One-note provocateurs. Influential I guess but a miserable listening experience

On the 3/4 border, rounding up for the trippy We Will Fall. Vocals can be a little grating but weirdly entrancing instrumentals that feel like a cross between counterculture rock and early funk

Bass was consistently great but rest of this was a little up and down. Manhattan, Closer and Cold Desert worked. Revelry, 17 and Be Somebody not so much

Solid background music to vibe to. Not sure reggae’s really capable of more than that for me. Midnight Ravers elevates this to 3.5 though

Tonally and lyrically a little redundant but Chapman’s vocals carry it through and Fast Car is brilliant — combining the class commentary she’s after throughout the album with a genuine emotional impact and bittersweet search for connection in a lonely world

Guess it’s possible for me to love reggae after all. This is a banger. Natural Mystic, Exodus, Jamming, Three Little Birds all phenomenal. Dug the Marvin Gaye riff on Turn Your Lights Down too

Right on 3/4 border. Title track was great and mostly instrumental second half (especially contrast between Sense of Doubt and Moss Garden) was good

Not sure how to describe this. Felt like crossing a 60s piano singer with a rhythmic, sci-fi/horror new age background. Dug it Human best song on here

Closed with its best three minutes, title track was top. Not sure why this didn’t really work for me overall though. Liked it when it toned back but felt a little derivative of Queen when they ramped up intensity

Still find that it’s more that I respect Dylan rather than love his work. This album is pretty frontloaded. Blowing in the Wind naturally best one here, Dylan’s Blues probably my favorite of stuff I’d never heard before

Low-end three. Don’t have much to say here, it’s fine. Liked Old Marcus Garvey and Red, Gold and Green well enough

Surprisingly lifeless vocal performance

American Girl is a classic. Breakdown/Mystery Man pretty his discoveries

Pretty inane lyrics and kind of redundant even with every song being pretty short. 50s music might just be too far back for me to really appreciate

No individual song that really jumped off the page for me (Sunbeam probably closest to that) but Cobain’s a great vocalist and I like the bass enough to have this on the 3/4 border

A little juvenile perhaps but first half is absurd (Stan’s an all timer) and you do get a sense both of Eminem’s outsider energy and his response to moral handwringing about rap

Pretty sure thrash is just not going to be my thing

Title track and Broken Heart were pretty good. Everything else was meh, low-end 3

Final few songs tipped this from 3 to 4. Blacker the Berry probably the rawest, but i and Mortal Man excellent ways to wrap this. King Kunta probably my favorite track on here overall

Wanted to like this more because Vaughan’s game for it and I appreciate her mix of self-deprecating humor, but this felt pretty generic overall. Just One of Those Things only one that felt distinctive to me

Weird blend of African influences and 80s pop that kind of worked

Perfectly solid, really a 3.5. No true standout tracks but Connected, Playing with Fire, The End were all enjoyable

Columbia, Slide Away, Up in the Sky all great

4/5 of the A-side (all but Niki Hoeky) are masterpieces. B-side “merely” great, but Since You’ve Been Gone, Groovin’ and Ain’t No Way are all fantastic

Liked this more than I anticipated but still not something I’d ever really circle back to. Pretty frontloaded, title track and The Passenger the best on here

If you’re going to force me to sit through an hour of smug, anti-music satire, you’ve gotta give me something funnier than cream cheese

This was fine but boring, most 2.5 star album ever

Feel like I can’t go lower than three stars on an album with Mrs. Robinson, but the rest of this is summed up by “I wish I was an English muffin”

A little hit or miss but Win, Fascination and Fame among my favorite Bowie songs. Fascination probably #1

Should be illegal to stretch something this boring into the length of a feature film

Liked Boy in the Bubble and Crazy Love well enough but it felt a little forced when Simon leaned more heavily into the African influences

Tough to evaluate these without the retroactive nostalgia but Ronettes’ version of Sleigh Ride and Darlene Love’s Christmas might be the two best Christmas songs out there

Liked the Jazz influence here. Last two songs and that weird East St. Louis instrumental diversion really worked for me

Pretty great intro to their music. Remember Tomorrow and Strange World might be masterpieces

None of this cohered lyrically for me but it captured an anguished vibe well enough that I could connect to it anyway. Never had any idea where it was going on any of their extended riffs, worked best in Eriatarka and Veil Cerpin

I’ve always liked but don’t love La Grange. Wasn’t familiar with anything else here, which is all fine but not exciting

Just don’t think Newman’s ever going to be my thing. His satirical bent on a Southern life I’ve never experienced feels pretty blunt to me

Side One much stronger, highlighted by the back to back of Blame It on Cain and Alison. A little more prickly lyrically than I was expecting, high-end 3

Mostly indistinguishable guitar, this was fine

This book’s love for angry British 70s punk just does not make sense to me. Fodderstompf is hell on earth

Fell into it more with headphones than while driving. Lyrics didn’t resonate with me the way they seemed to for critics but I liked the bookends here

Nothing here rises to Comfortably Numb or Wish You Were Here standards but still went for the psychedelic sci-fi blend. On the Run feels like a weird 80s synth thing, Us and Them/Brain Damage best on here

Feels somewhere between blues and rock, liked the slower stuff a little more. Little Wing and One Rainy Wish really good

Most S & G stuff remains indistinguishable except the one inferior Dylan ripoff. Liked what they did with the blending of Seven O’Clock News/Silent Night but not much else here for me

Last two here were pretty good but the mid-90s EDM stuff isn’t really my thing

Vocals are hit or miss, as she kinda loses me with how often she leans on the falsetto. Appreciated the downbeat nostalgic vibe though. Yosemite’s pretty good

Angry but one note gibberish

Crowd was great and Brown slides effortlessly between high energy rock and roll and ballad

Dig this, have always liked New Order when they come up. Elegia and Sub-Culture highlights

First half was pretty good, especially title track. Bible thumping second half was boring

Pretty effective but not something I have much interest in experiencing again. Steam Rose/Fenced best ones on here

Most of this just feels derivative of Elvis to me. Liked Whiskey Woman at least

3/4 border, a little repetitive in the downbeat minimalism but nothing bad here (definitely ripped off Chris Isaak with the one song though). Shelter/Heart Skipped a Beat tip the scales to a 4

Obviously impressive guitar, especially on Search and Destroy and Death Trip. Original mix production was a little too grainy for me, have to give the remaster a listen

This was hit or miss for me but I’ve got more respect for Sweet Child O’ Mine and liked Think About You

It’s not quite as consistent as I was hoping (e.g. Let’s spend the Night, Jean Genie) but Time, Lady Grinning Soul and Aladdin Sane are top tier Bowie

2/3 border. Pretty redundant and similar to a lot of classic country with the sad sack loner repetition. Liked it enough early on but got tired of it pretty quickly

Nothing really jumped for me here the way that One did on the other U2 album

Come Together/Something an incredible opening. Rest of the album doesn’t maintain that all time pace despite Here Comes the Sun

Respect its influence more so than love listening to this since it’s so produced and the call and response rap style feels a little forced. It’s Like That, Rock Box and 30 Days really good though

Loved this, never really heard a combination of sounds like this. Not sure about Atlantis but everything else works

Loved Amazing Journey and generally huge fan of Keith Moon’s work here but still has a lot of the shallow youth counterculture stuff that has bored me on all their albums

Feels like every ballad anyone sings is just trying to be half as good as River. California also great

Respect more than like. Strong guitar work and I dug Jane’s Song but most of this was a little too punk for my taste

Country blues, like the piano on some of the more upbeat stuff (Look Out Cleveland/Jawbone) but feels kind of inconsequential overall

Liked the final three tracks after being cold on the first three quarters of the album. Sound of Someone had a bittersweet vibe that was my favorite

Basically all I want in a jazz album. Recurring drum beat in the background and sick trumpeting

Felt kind of shallow as satire but mostly enjoyable to listen to. Victoria my favorite, liked Arthur and Shangri-La well enough

Generic early 2000s rock

Djed didn’t work for me and that song’s half the album. Liked Glass Museum though

Don’t know enough about African music but I find it hard to believe this is among the best they have to offer. Feels like self-parody and the songs are mostly indistinguishable

Inconsistent lyrically but Californication and Otherside both really good

Only individual standouts were Where is My Mind and Gigantic but generally liked the moody vibe. 3/4 line

Generally solid but feels pretty conventional. Say Yes/Angeles my favorites

Really liked this one, had only ever heard Cult of Personality. Had so many different influences (metal, hip hop, hard rock, even funk) that I never knew what was coming

Below some of my favorite Smith’s stuff but this is solid. National Front Disco/Seasick the best

Starting to come around on the idea that I just don’t like Stevie Wonder

Masterpiece. Rolling Stone’s my favorite Dylan but everything here is good to great

Felt kind of shallow lyrically, mostly going for shock value, but was weirdly hypnotic by the second half

Fairport Convention did this much better. Wolf one my favorite I guess, but meh

Occasional offbeat blues sequences kept me from hating this as much as some other stuff on here but intentionally bad is still bad

Liked Me, Myself & I and DAISY Age. Rest of this was kind of lifeless

High end 3. Enjoyed this pretty well but no clear standout track. Strange Ones probably my favorite after Alright

Smith’s vocal style didn’t do much for me but really liked the vibe here, especially in the back half of the album. It’s a Curse/Paranoia Man great 1-2

This style of 80s rock not my favorite but this album feels like the archetype with a bunch of classics in a row

Great guitarist (Road/From the Morning my favorites). Vocals a little too delicate but one I could see myself coming back to

This is fine, background listen stuff. Frankie my favorite, I guess

Even the misses had pretty great bass/drums. Spellbound/Night Shift the best

This was fine, no strong feelings. Mostly indistinguishable background music

Repackaged disco for turn of the century dance music. Liked the first half more

This was fine, electric guitar heavy. Enjoyable enough but nothing here is sticking with me

Liked the acoustic well enough but the vocals in this wore on me pretty quickly.

Didn’t love this as much as the A-side of Lady Soul but A Change is Gonna Come is perfection basically

The bonus tracks aren’t great but the original album is pretty good. Spanish Guitar/Because of You the best. Not as great as No Other though

Not sure why we needed a 90-minute album roleplaying a plane crash with reminding us that racism is bad

Lots of extended guitar riffs, which isn’t always my thing, but Kashmir is phenomenal and almost everything except Black Country Women works

German robots and Pac-Man because why the hell not

Low-end 3. More hit or miss than most electronic stuff. Zenophile/Valley two best on here but some of this (including title track) is terrible

Aside from Shut Down, a bunch of mini tracks with pretty good drumming but that irritating punk vocal where he just groans into the mic

Always liked Don’t Know Why and she’s got a good voice but nothing groundbreaking

No real opinion on Steely Dan’s jazz rock thing. Josie only thing here that’s kinda bad but didn’t love anything either. Peg’s the best

2/3 border, I guess. Liked Infatuation and respected the vulnerability of I’m OK but the dozen generic female empowerment ballads bog this down

Felt less significant and more freewheeling than the other Zeppelin album on here

Off putting vocals but dig these extended moody instrumentals. Codex and title track were great

Masterpiece stuff here: blues-rock with a psychedelic hint. Changeling probably my favorite but could see L’America being that too with more time

Most hit or miss of the Bowie albums in here so far. Moonage Daydream probably the best

Have always thought this was solid but never a favorite

Wish I could find this any different than the other jazz quartet style stuff on here. Desafinado the best

Wanted to like this more but I prefer some of the covers of Fire and Rain even if Taylor’s version is the most personal and there’s not much else here. Low-end 3

Respected more than liked how melodramatic her vocals get (despite the great minimalist cover). Kimberly’s the best

Banger intro to Radiohead. Videotape’s great

Liked Dominion and Flood I but felt like this had diminishing returns pretty quickly

First four songs are kind of forgettable but Are You Happy and title track are bizarre as hell

Wish I’d gone for this more since I loved the Stone Roses one. Liked the trippy bent here but didn’t really connect with anything emotionally. Higher than the Sun/Inner Flight the best

Maybe most disappointing part of this thing is learning that I just don’t like Stevie Wonder

Title track obviously great but mostly forgettable after that

Too bombastic for my taste, guess I like lower key jazz. Did enjoy And When I Die though

Managed to settle into this a little bit in the back half. Liked the low key acoustic even if his voice is just ok

Low-end 4. A little synth heavy for my taste but elevated by Waiting for the Night

Unique sound, Topley-Bird’s vocals are perfect. Maybe slight diminishing returns in the back half but Overcome is fantastic. High-end 4

Generic anti-war message didn’t do much for me. Some of this a little too bombastic but liked the piano on The Venture

Liked this a little more in the back half when it became less punk influenced

A-side was a little hit or miss (really disliked Budo) but Moon Dreams and Deception were revelations

Diminishing returns after Even Flow and Alive, at least until Release

This was alright, a little too long for a redundant downbeat album

Pretty big gap between how much I liked Single and the rest of this. Background beats were a little too busy in first half

A little hit or miss but the highs (Man Comes Around, I Hung My Head, Personal Jesus cover) really great

Blues, rock and country all in one. A little frontloaded but Sweet Black Angel only miss. BTB of Tumbling Dice/Sweet Virginia the highlight

Changes and Bewlay Brothers are great bookends but the rest of this didn’t do much for me

Pretty great. White Rabbit might be peak of late 60s trippiness and really liked the minimalist Coming Back to Me

Maybe not his strongest vocally but really liked the downbeat jazz on Lazarus and whatever was going on with the title track

Holocaust is the only thing on here worth listening to

Falls off pretty quickly after first two

Don’t know that I love anything individually enough to go 5 but mostly all bangers, no bad song here. Electric Funeral top discovery

High-end three, liked this more than expected given the ratings. Vocals are deliberately off putting so I get it but liked the sound. Bullet Proof Cupid the best

Knew I loved the title track but hasn’t had realized it’s basically broken into three songs. Showroom Dummies just as good

Started off middling and got progressively worse as it moved into more of a dream sound. Bottomed out with Space Beatle

Announces itself as a masterpiece with Statesboro Blues and never lets up

Wish it were a little more consistent in the first half but Pyramids and Thinkin Bout You have been among my favorites since they came out

Grew up on this one so tough to separate that from the nostalgia but Kanye was special before he lost his mind. Still think Jesus Walks is his best song

Started strong with 5,000 miles but interest kind of faded midway through

Enjoyed most of this, Souvenir especially. Could take or leave Sealand and Georgia but went for the rest

Last three were pretty good but most of this did nothing for me

Seems one of their less inspired efforts, kind of diminishing returns after Sunday Bloody Sunday

Could always take or leave the title track, kind of an irritating ear worm for me. Rest of this is fine but unremarkable downbeat ballad stuff, Crossroads best of it. Low-end 3

Pleasant surprise. Still don’t like Rehab but title track, Tears Dry, and No Good all highlights. Low-end 4

Clear step down from their best couple albums but the Nix-led ballads here are still highlights, Sara and Sisters of the Moon especially. 3/4 border

Linkin Park’s incessantly angry rap-rock has never worked for me. Crawling and In the End are ok but most of this is forgettable

3/4 border. Had a bit of a Nirvana knockoff style but liked it well enough

Still don’t have any Beatles songs I truly love but enjoyed basically everything on here. All My Loving and Beethoven my favorites here

High-end 4. The Nurse is the highlight but Little Ghost, Ugly as I Seem and White Moon all bangers too

Generally like funk but didn’t find this one all that memorable in its bland positivity

Fine, not super memorable. Rain When I Die my favorite

Still not a huge fan of their mostly indistinguishable ballad style but liked this the most of any S & G album so far. Boxer and Cecilia both great, title track pretty disappointing

Everything besides Best Friend’s Girl is good. Such a Night/Dirty Feeling the highlights

3/4 border, liked it more than I expected for the hippie country vibe. Dark End of the Street easily the highlight

Weird divide on this one. Had some great trippy sequences on Child and O’Leary’s Cow but also some ridiculous stuff (Vegatables/Wind Chimes)

Rock With You is my favorite of his but the rest of this album doesn’t do much for me. First half’s interesting as transition between disco and the 80s, back half kinda sucks

Nothing revelatory but enjoyable 80s pop, Lust to Love best song

Has never heard of this woman before and this is pretty great. The raspiness of her voice really works with the pain on a lot of these. Title track, Lucy Jordan and Working Class Hero all excellent

A little frontloaded but Love Lies Bleeding and I’ve Seen That Movie Too both revelations

Liked this a lot more than the other Arcade Fire album. Deep Blue/We Used to Wait combo the peak

Started strong with Crucify but went downhill pretty quickly after that. 2.5

Normally I like the jam session stuff but not sure they came up with a ton here. Liked Kreen and Hot as Sun well enough

Picked up a bit in the final few songs (Cry Baby Cry’s my favorite on here) but a lot of filler for what I expected to be a masterpiece. Should’ve ended with whatever the hell Revolution 9 is versus Good Night

Back four songs on this are great. Splanky/Fantail the highlights

Great three song stretch between the title track and Naked in the Rain but basically could’ve done without the other hour of this

Drake’s vocals are still just ok but Hazey Jane/Clock really good instrumentals

3.5. Pretty good album with one great song in New Dawn Fades

Good album overall, How to Disappear and Idioteque both great

10/10. Stoned Me, Caravan, Mystic, Dreams of You and Everyone all fantastic Top five discovery from this project so far

Low-end 4. Loses steam in the back half but up through Final Hour is great, mix of r&b and mid-90s NY rap wrestling with her relationships

Some of the call and response style was annoying but That’ll be the Day, Rock Me and Someone to Love are all enjoyable. More respect than love but I can see why this is on here as an early rock standard

He plays into his folk hero mystique pretty well but the songs themselves are just ok

Last couple songs that felt like an experimental jam session kinda saved this one for me. Hollow Little Reign and Tonight my favorites but most of this felt pretty standard pop punk/alternative mix

Superficial good vibes but still enjoyable, at least until last two songs. Never been a huge fan of the title track but Greatest Dancer and Thinking of You were good. 3/4 border

All good songs. Hallowed, Prisoner and Children of the Damned the highlights

Liked well enough, favorite was Maggie May, but nothing super memorable

Incomprehensible but realized I found this weirdly compelling about halfway through the title track

Silly Love to Baron is fine. Everything else here kinda insufferable

Low-end 4. Riot Van, Sun Goes Down and Dancefloor the highlights

Solid 4. Exhausted the clear standout but enjoyed most of this. Big Me and X-Static also very good

X-Ray Eyes is great, everything else is fine. Angsty noise music never really been my thing

Solid 4. A little ballad heavy, especially in the back half, but Nothing Compares is a deserved classic and the first four songs here are all excellent

Probably my favorite of the Neil Young albums so far but still more solid than great, basically a 3.5. Title track and Lonesome Me the best on here

Liked this fine. My Own Way the best

Should’ve ended with The Whale but otherwise no complaints. Never felt revolutionary or anything but perfectly solid

Can’t really get into Cohen, whose stuff seems fine but not anything I really feel despite them being stories. Sisters of Mercy and the guitar on Teachers the highlights of this