1001 Albums Summary

It's pretty tough to rate this low just based on the influence on the punk scene it had. Sure, now we know that they were more a blueprint for boy bands than punk bands, but that doesn't take away from the power and excitement in the music. This actually holds up pretty well. Not the best punk album by a long shot, but maybe the most influential.

It's a classic for a reason. Brian Wilson's genius really shows here.

Honestly, the beats are great but the rapping is actually pretty lame. And don't try to say it's because it's from 30-odd years ago. Check out what Biggie, Jay-Z and Tupac were doing in the same time period and you'll see what I mean.

To be honest, I wasn't too impressed. I get that Muddy Waters is a blues legend and all, but the band sounds very loose and unrehearsed, and it just isn't a compelling performance or album.

Honestly, this is awesome! Great song after great song delivered with feeling and just straight up rocking.

I know 1001 is a lot, but did I really need to hear this? Afrobeat is cool and all, but I don't even think this is the best representation of Fela. There's also a 16 minute drum solo as a bonus track. Whatever.

The best thing about Bowie is he always remained relevant. This album is no exception. A great record and a wonderful swansong capping off a brilliant career. It made me realize how much I miss Bowie already.

No. Sorry, but no. This album just isn't good. It's like Led Zeppelin, but with no real talent. And did he really say, Woman, I've got no truck with you "? Really? Lame, unmemorable and just not at all a good album.

This is a classic for a reason. Simply, it's a good album.

Wow! This is actually a really good album. I'm even a bit surprised. Clever and fun

There's usually a reason why one hit wonders are one hit wonders. These guys are actually pretty good, but nothing really rises to the level of their hit.

I guess it's got historical value maybe? Is it a good album though? Not really.

This is actually pretty good. Awesome guitar sounds at least. Very cool for it's time.

Probably cooler from a historical standpoint than as an album that you'd listen to regularly, but still pretty cool. Proto punk.

Pretty cool album. Some great stuff coming out of the UK while the US was mostly grunge.

There's a fair argument that Method Man was the most talented out of Wu-Tang clan (although Raekwon might have something to say about it). In any case, this is a really good album.

I know this is supposed to be some great concert or whatever, but I don't really see it. Not a great performance, and hearing the Nirvana in an acoustic setting just shows how similar they all sound. Not a great showing for a pretty good band.

Full disclosure: I'm not a U2 fan at all. I respect what they do, but they just don't appeal to me. That said, this album rocks! Solid and a different sound for the 80s. I'm impressed.

I'll give this 3 stars because it's not horrible, but I'm not a big fan of derivative songwriting and whiny vocals. At least the guitar sounds are good.

Dated, but pretty cool. The songs are very much alike though.

Very solid. Nothing too memorable, but definitely finding their sound.

I guess 1001 albums is a lot, but does this one really make the cut. Not in my book. Not impressed. At all.

Once again, interesting from an historical perspective. Sounds like they influenced Westerberg a bit. Would I ever listen again? Probably not.

Man, this album is good. We all know Chic from the hits, but they go deep!

Other than the hits this sounds like some kind of weird Bowie ripoff. But boy, the hits are great!

What a fun and interesting album. I'd never heard of this band/guy before, but will definitely check out more by the same artist. Very good stuff!

Yeah. This is a classic. Lennon came out of the Beatles with a bang (literally, on Remember). This album is so raw and cool, I know Imagine was sort of a refinement of the same sort of ideas, but this is just pure songwriting distilled to basically a three piece band. Awesome!

It's actually pretty cool. I'm not a huge Neil Young fan, but the band is tight and the guitar sounds are sweet.

Obviously it's a classic. Each member gets to show off a bit, and they're even greater together.

Full disclosure: I'm a huge Radiohead fan and have owned this album since it came out. I think that you can make an argument that this is actually the best Radiohead album. They're at the top of their game, and the whole record is tight, concise and in my opinion, perfect!

Actually a pretty good album. I'm not a big Boss fan, but at least the lyrics are meaningful and cool!

Not really my thing, but I guess it's important as their first album.

Actually a pretty good album. Sounds are very good, even if she isn't the greatest singer.

Good stuff. Not the type of music I like, but can't argue with the quality.

This album sounds like what Wyld Stallyns wished they'd sounded like. I know this is a famous album and all, but it hasn't aged well and all the songs pretty much sound the same for me. At least I know why I was never a Metallica fan. No melody, no real variation.

Definitely no "sophomore slump" on this second Lorde album. Maybe not as groundbreaking as the first but very good throughout.

What a cool album! I knew Solsbury Hill, of course, but the rest is awesome too. I wish music nowadays had the same sense of inventiveness.

I forget sometimes what an original and awesome guitarist Johnny Marr is. Then I listen to an album like this and am instantly reminded. A really good album, but also could be the answer to "which album has the worst title track of all time?"

Full disclosure. I'm not a Boss fan. At all. But wow, I really have to give props to this one and give it 5 stars. It's that good!

An amazing album. Some astonishing guitar work by Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd. If you don't know this album, you definitely should. Especially if you're a guitarist!

I've heard of this band before, but hadn't really sought them out or listened to them before. This album is actually really good and Sandy Denny's voice is amazing and perfect for the style. Glad this one is on the list!

Wow! Just wow! What a truly cool album! I had never even heard of this guy. I know I've complained about some albums not belonging on this list, but I wouldn't have even known about this one without it. It has the melancholy of modern alt rock with the melodiousness of The Beatles...all with a Brazilian twist. A truly beautiful album.

Solid album. Not my jam, but all respect.

You could definitely make an argument that this is Zeppelin's best album. They sound relaxed and confident, and there's no question that they no longer seem to be proving anything. Some of Jimmy Page's most accomplished (and aggressive) guitar playing and a band at their peak.

Quite a cool album. There's some stuff on there I've definitely heard sampled on rap songs too!

Good old fashioned rock and roll. Nice!

I actually own this album, but I don't think I've listened to it since the 90s. It actually holds up really well! A very good album!

Apart from the couple of hits, this is more basic than I thought it'd be.

This is definitely a classic. 'Nuff said.

This is an awesome album. Great songs and the overall vibe is weirdly foreboding. Depeche Mode at their best.

Didn't love this. Just not my jam. But respect, I guess.

I know Brian Eno always says he's "not a musician", but maybe we should be calling BS on that. This album is cool and fresh (even though it's like 30 years old. I especially like the mellow second half.

I liked this way more than I thought I would. His earnest voice grows on you and the songs are really interesting, especially lyrically. Very good!

This is pretty good. I know it's real famous and I even own it. Only three stars though if I'm honest (and I am).

This is definitely a dark album. It's from right before he died, and although the songs are musically similar, the lyrics are very cool. Good stuff.

This is pretty good. Definitely a good group of rappers. Didn't know them at all, so cool to be exposed to them.

This is ok. I'm not super impressed though.

Good record. From the days when it still sounded like bands were having fun making them. I saw them live a couple of times right around when this album came out and they were great.

This hasn't really aged that well. I guess they're tight and a pretty good band, but the songs are mostly same sounding.

Ok. I know that Kanye is batshit crazy now, but man this album is great. It's such a different turn for a rap album. Awesome.

This isn't really my jam, but tough to deny the talent.

This isn't really a great album, but you definitely see the roots of what PiL would become later.

Wow! I'm not at all a Yes fan, but maybe I should be. I'd give this 4.5 stars if I could, but has to be 4, I guess. Great album!

This isn't the best Radiohead album, but even "not their best" is a lot better than many bands. All in all, an excellent album.

The run of "Man Who Sold the World", "Hunky Dory" and "Ziggy Stardust" has to be one of the best three album sequences in history, so it's kind of hard to judge this next album too harshly. I'd give it a three and a half if I could, but I'll round up in this case to four

Jay-Z's debut was awesome, and he just kept it going. There are better rappers now, I think, like Kendrick, but this is a great album for its time and still holds up.

I actually own this one too, but haven't really listened to it that much. It's a great album, and there's some amazing guitar work by Stephen Stills.

All of the Johnny Cash American recordings are pretty great. This is one of the best.

If I could give this 4.5 stars, I would. It's an amazing album though, so I have no problem rounding up in this case!

Not a fan of these folks, but a couple of good songs. I'm going to deduct a star for the lame scratching stuff.

It's tough to give this anything less than 5 stars. It's arguably the best of the early Beatles albums, and pretty much every song is a banger.

Almost 30 years later, this still holds up. Lots of great songs presented in a very ground breaking and cool way.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Every song is great, and the whole record is just over 30 minutes long. The only song with any overdubs is the title track, and all the rest feel so live with even little clams here and there. Listening to this on speakers feels like Nick Drake sitting there playing an intimate concert just for you. Beautiful.

This is a great album. I love the loose feel of the playing and wow, can Marvin sing! The political themes are (sadly) even more relevant today. He'd still be asking what's going on if he were around today.

Definitely not my cup of tea. I get that for the time it came out it was cool, so 3 stars instead of 2.

Definitely an interesting album. Some cool stuff here and there. Would my life be any different if this weren't on the list?

Good stuff. Classic Xmas songs with the PS treatment.

Another one l own but don't listen to a bunch. Actually a really good album.

This is ok, but overall pretty unmemorable. Not really Zeppelin's best, but even not great for them is still pretty good.

Only ever really heard of these guys, but this album is quite cool. Reminds me a bit of Superchunk but with longer songs.

I can't in good conscience give this more than 1 star. I know it's in some people's top 100, etc., but this is not enjoyable and although there's some art to it, it pretty much sucks in my opinion.

I'm a huge Velvet Underground fan, but I'm not sure I've fully appreciated this album until this very objective listen. An awesome album!

This isn't really my thing, but it's a good album. Cool lyrics, well-played, good songs.

I know this album already, and I'd like to like it more than I do. Lots of long, noodly stuff around a couple of good songs.

Wow, has this album aged well. Pretty much every song is a banger in its own way, and the band is as tight as can be. Awesome!

Great album. Well-played and MJ sings his heart out!

This is, for all practical purposes, an early Roxy Music album, but without Brian Ferry. And what an album! Eno comes with really interesting songs and the band delivers. A classic of the early 70s.

Didn't like this. A couple of hits, but altogether pretty boring.

It's a classic for a reason. Not even really Bowie's best album, but still five stars all the way.

I know that some people consider this a classic, but is it? Really? It's surprising when hearing it again after 30 years just how mid it is. A couple of good songs, but mostly not, and the whole album sounds pretty crappy. There's a reason that the Lemonheads are more of a footnote to the 90s, and this album is part of it.

Supertramp is one of those "whatever happened to" bands. This album is ok. I recognized a couple of hits. Didn't love it.

This was actually way better than I thought it would be. Great guitar playing. Not the most memorable songs, but good for this era.

I didn't like this at all. It was kind of like one ling, poorly recorded song that played for 40 minutes or so.

This is really good. More of a jazz album than anything else, but impeccably played and recorded.

I remember when this album came out, and boy has it aged well. Good stuff through and through.

This is good. He can definitely sing.

This isn't terrible by any means, but should it really be among the 1001? I wish we could give half stars, but I have to round down.

This is good, but more of a precursor to what they would do later. I get that this made them famous, but they would go on to make much better albums.

Once again, I wish we could give half stars, but I'll round up in this case. This album starts so strong, but kind of peters out, at least song-wise, by the end. Still, what an exciting and dynamic debut.

This is such an interesting album, I'm not sure how to rate it. It's ok, and obviously deeply personal, but I'm not really sure it belongs on this list.

Not bad, but not my cup of tea. Well played though.

Well sung, well played. But the songs didn't really hit me.

This is my favorite Bob Dylan album, and I think his best. Lyrically brilliant (of course), and sounds awesome.

Maybe it's time to reevaluate Nirvana without all the hype that surrounded them back in the day. Truth is, this album just isn't that good. Songs are redundant, album sounds like crap. Once again, I wish I could give half stars. In this case I'll reluctantly round up.

Oh the days of 70s big rock shows. This is ok, but at the end of the day, pretty boring.

Boring, and to be honest, kind of lame.

This is pretty good. ZZ Top definitely pushed the boundaries of the blues probably more than anyone else.

Great album. Good songs well played. I've always thought Supergrass are criminally underrated.

Not bad, but I'm definitely not a fan.

This album actually rocks! It's really pretty fun to listen to, and if you get into what they're doing, it's great.

The girl could definitely sing! Good stuff all around.

Oh gawd. Now I know where Spinal Tap got a bunch of their schtick. This is screamy, pointless guitary and basic song stuff. Hard pass.

This actually rocks! Good stuff.

Didn't like this as much as I thought or hoped I would. Not impressive at all beyond "Song No. 2".

I don't understand the hype on this one. Pretty boring and nothing very memorable.

Not bad at all. Good stuff!

To be fair, I listened to the Legacy Edition of this, which is pretty much the whole concert. And what a concert! Self-assured and pro and recorded perfectly. Great snapshot of the era and what the Johnny Cash show was all about.

Pretty funky stuff and good to see the Temps kept it real in the late 60s.

Actually a pretty good album. Definitely a few bangers on it.

What a debut album. Very good stuff.

Not too bad, but nothing really that memorable about it. Kind of generic to a certain type of 80s vibe

No doubt that he can sing and enjoys doing it. A good concert.

This album rocks. Very good debut from a band that improved from here.

Definitely a great debut. And it only got better from here.

Another very good debut. I bought this when it came out, and it definitely holds up!

Nick Cave isn't really my thing, but this album is good for what it is.

As I first started listening, I thought I wouldn't like this, but it grew on me song by song. A quite beautiful album!

I'm sure this is genius and played great and all, but I didn't like it.

Good stuff. Didn't really know him before, but he's talented.

Great album by ZZ Top. Just shy of a 5. Wish again I could do half stars.

A stone cold jam fest. Good stuff!

I'll be honest, I pretty much hated this. Never heard of this band and I guess now I know why.

This is a very solid and mature debut. Better than a lot of their most recent stuff.

This isn't as good as I thought it might be.

Liked this more than I thought but less than I'd want.

Pretty good. Good backing band.

Just a great album. An awesome band at the top of their game. Not much else to say.

This is awesome and filled with banger after banger.

Wow! Didn't know anything about this going in, but hard to say it's anything but great!

Didn't love this but Carlos sure plays a sweet guitar.

Great album by a great band!

Wow! What an insanely strong debut. I try not to hand out 5 stars willy-nilly, and if we could do half stars this would probably be 4.5, but I'm rounding up on this one.

This is great. Would have loved to see Bon Scott live to be a part of Back in Black. They were on the trajectory towards that here.

This really is a great hip-hop album! Awesome debut from an IG and innovative group.

This is simply a great album! Maybe a couple of duds to keep it from 5 stars. Wish as usual I could do half stars, but in this case I'll round up.

Great album! The Jam are criminally underrated and this is among their best.

I want to like this album a lot more than I do. The musicianship on the instruments is great, and truly amazing at times. But the vocals are a mixture of half rap and half singing, with neither one being good at all. And the lyrics are truly insipid. Would probably do 3.5, but rounding down in this case.

I guess it's cool that back in the day, people who couldn't really sing well could have careers as singers. Didn't really love this, but I can't be too harsh

Ok, I need to start by saying that I don't really like Billy Joel. I find his songwriting too facile, and he's never really challenging the listener in any way. That said, this album is great...hit after hit! So, although I'm not a fan, I have to judge this fairly... and that's 5 stars.

More potential than anything else, but quite accomplished for a second album.

You forget sometimes just how forward thinking and innovative these guys are. An excellent album.

Not really my thing at all, but ok. I guess?

Didn't really do much for me, but well put together.

Pretty cool.

I'm torn on this one. The reputation says I should give it 5 stars or round up, but the reality says I can't. Rounding down....

I liked this a lot better than I thought I would. Jeff Beck was awesome even back then.

Kind of cool, I guess?

Pretty good album. Sounds phenomenal in that late-80s way.

I think this is VU's best album, and it's simply great throughout. Somehow of it's time and yet also ahead of it's time both musically and thematically. If you like it, also check out the "Closet Mix" of the album. Also incredible and almost like a whole different album.

Another awesome debut. So solid, especially for the time it came out.

Actually a pretty good album. Once again, I wish for half stars. Rounding down in this case.

Boards or bored? Didn't like this at all. Nothing different or exciting.

Pretty cool for it's time, I guess. A little too hippy dippy for me, but that goes with the territory.

Overrated, but still pretty good. Basically the same song for 40 minutes, but what a song.

Good stuff. Definitely of it's time. Rounding down though.

Good stuff. Definitely impactful.

So many good songs! Definitely a great talent gone too soon. Can't give this anything but 5 stars.

I liked this more than I thought I would. Funky and cool.

Good album. Great band.

She can certainly sing! Very much of its time. Good.

Very well played, but not really my thing.

Meh. Another one of those that you wonder how it made the list.

Wow! Great album! Lucinda is awesome, and you could make an argument that this is her at her best.

This album is better than I remembered it. Great sounding and good songs. Courtney can't really sing, but that was never the point anyway.

There's no doubt that the boy could sing. It's also sad that he was taken far to soon. That said, I don't love this album as much as I guess I'm supposed to. I'll round up to four stars though.

Not a Who fan, and this didn't do anything to make me one.

What a great debut. Very accomplished.

Good stuff. Not my thing, but can't hold it against.

Joy Division was certainly an interesting band. A good album.

I didn't really know these guys back in the day, which apparently puts me in the same boat as a lot of other people. Actually very good 90s alt-rock, and better than a lot of stuff that ended up more popular.

Not at all my thing, but I get why people think they're cool.

Probably not the best Steely Dan album, but pretty good anyway.

A classic from the 90s. Good stuff!

Awesome album by one of the greatest singers in history. He can do it all and shows it in every song.

The album sounds good and he has an interesting voice, but the songs are meandering and nothing really did it for me. If he hadn't been a member of the Beach Boys, I doubt anyone would care about this at all.

Wow! Thought these guys were done in the 80s, but I was wrong. Great album.

Not Lou Reed's best, but a good album.

I think Kendrick is the best rapper out there right now. This is early stuff and great, but he got even better.

Great songwriter. Great album.

Pretty cool stuff.

Wow! Very cool earlier hip hop that I was totally unaware of. Cool!

Not my thing (I don't like Metallica either), but good for what it is.

Not bad for what it is.

This actually holds up better than I thought it would. I'd probably go 4.5 if I could, but am rounding down.

Pretty basic 60s garage rock.

I don't get this, but it's pretty typical of some of the crap that came out of the 90s. I could round up to 2stars, but rounding down because it seems so fake.

One of the all time great rap albums. Banging from start to finish.

Ray Charles was actually a huge country fan, and these are great versions of some true classics. Great album!

This is some prime Depeche Mode.

I wanted to like this more than I did. The songs seem pretty derivative although played well.

This is a really good album. An underrated band even today and definitely were in their day.

Wow! Good stuff!

Actually pretty cool old-school stuff.

Excellent album by a great and underappreciated artist.

It's tough sometimes to truly judge world music. This is cool, though.

This is a tough one. I mean, it's actually a pretty good album. It's just so derivative. It's ok to wear your influences on your sleeve, but a few of the songs, especially from a production aspect, could just as easily have been sung by the artists they emulate. Is that good? Bad? I don't know, so I'm giving this 3 stars and moving on.

It's a classic. Not much more to say.

Not a Doors fan at all. I'd give this a 2, but "The End" raises it to 3.

I wanted to like this more than I actually did.

Well played and all, but the songs are kind of weak.

This is a tough one. Her voice is weird AF, and she sounds almost like if Björk were a bad singer. But she really goes for it, even if she can't actually sing what she wants to. The songs are rambling and stream of consciousness, but played well.

Not a Doors fan, and nothing I heard here changed that.

Not my thing, but good for what it is.

There's some good stuff here, but it's mostly mid.

Didn't like this. Good band, but not for me.

Are all the rhyme patterns pretty much the same? Yes. Are the beats pretty similar and basic? Yes. But we're talking 1988 here, folks. Great album. A classic.

I really liked this. The band sounds a little rough and very organic, and the singing is marvelous.

What a powerful show and a great recording.

Some cool stuff, but it's so uneven. I'd like to rate it 3.5, but I'm rounding down in this case.

I don't hand out 5s like candy, but this album definitely earns it. One of Zeppelin's best!

Great album top to bottom. An easy 5 stars.

This is a tricky one to rate. It's certainly historic and ground breaking. But it's recorded poorly and sort of all over the place. I'm rounding up to 4 though, since the guitar playing is so far ahead of its time.

Some enjoyable stuff on here, but I didn't really love it.

Kind of cool. Didn't love it, but certainly didn't hate it either.

Boy, can she sing. Great writer too.

The Wu-Tang solo stuff can be pretty uneven, but there are certainly some gems. This is one of them!