1001 Albums Summary

I think this album introduced (or re-introduced) a lot of people to R&B, myself included. I'm now noticing this big gap in notable stuff in the genre, as it came out 20 years after the height of 90's R&B. It definitely ended up on my radar because it came from Kendrick Lamar's label's and his stamp of approval. SZA's debut was a key part of the genre seeing some revival, it was novel, and still holds up.

I’ve never intentionally listened to Elvis, and I was surprised how much I liked this. Big fan of the rockabilly guitars with their pristine spring reverb and staccato notes. Liked the back half of the album more, a bit more rockin’

I mean, it's like "the" album. The themes have only gotten more relevant and it still sounds incredible. It doesn't get much better than this!

i love a jangly-jangly geetar

This theatre kid made a rock album, and hey, it’s pretty fun. The title track rules, with 9 minutes of “how it feels to ride in a convertible on a hot summer day” After that you get a nice lil love story, but I think the first song is the highest point it reaches.

This one has glimpses of musical interest, but boy are they brief. Getting like the least popular release is probably not a fair intro to this band, but that’s the fun of this random album thing. Liked the percussion, didn’t like the nearby inaudible parts that made you crank up your headphone volume only to be jumpscared by the loudest thing on Earth 5 minutes later

Such a fresh neo-soul album! This is a genre that I actively listen to, so I’m surprised this wasn’t already on my radar. First record from this daily album thing that I listened to more than once.

*RIPPER ALERT!!!* for me, it fucking ripped on the school bus in 2009 just as much as it fucking ripped while going for a jog today. If we had to show an alien how a "guitar" sounds, Kirk Hammett's chugging riffs here would be a top contender.

As the knight adjust his helm and steadies his lance, the driving riff of "Transylvania" bursts in. This album is joust-core, duel-gaze, meant to be played loud over the clash of a friggin' medieval battle.

I love a lot of the artists that were inspired by Joy Division. But that doesn't mean I love these fellas -- I only like parts of Joy Division's sound. I guess that how musical influences go, where another artist absorbs pieces that resonate with them. Love the hazy, droning sound of "I Remember Nothing" and the driving, reverb-drenched guitar and big snares on "Wilderness". The raw, tortured vocals and sounds don't quite click for me.

Nirvana, for people who are more fun, more dorky, and also angry

I almost didn’t listen to this album, now here I am giving it a 5? This one is a conduit of “poptimism”, a showcase that mainstream, accessible music can be damn good. It’s interesting, with some of the best guitar parts in pop. It works in everything from church services to movie scenes. It also makes ya feel something.

Appreciated some of the energetic and spitfire moments of this one, but overall struggled to enjoy the artsy punk direction. Every 70s punk album gets me closer to getting it, but it's still challenging for me to really dig.

Sonically, shit doesn't get more grimy and cool than this. And they put together something this futuristic and left-field in '91? I wasn't even born yet! The Gorillaz first album wasn't til 10 years later! I really enjoy downtempo electronic and trip hop, and this is the mother of those genres. It’s still such a unique listen and worth praise.

Supa dupa good shit

Exceptional albums explore the many avenues of what music can be, in a cohesive package. That's what Dark Side is all about for me. Sonically you've got twinkling pianos, inventive guitar effects, shrieking vocals, and the first time many people heard a modular synthesizer. The messages are wide-ranging and still potent: the afterlife, war, $$$, finding yourself. In 10 songs this record covers a lot of territory and does it well.

The wall of sound and off-kilter vocal harmony on Seagull fucking rules. Vapour Trail is great too. The songs in between sound good, but feel like filler. I think this one would be stronger if it’d been a little more focused and had less tracks.

Hey, this was pretty solid. A good ‘ol 4-piece band making some unique stuff by reaching out to experimental sounds that break the mold. But not so left-field that it becomes inaccessible. The album cover had me afraid this was going to be some corny pop-punk record but was pleasantly surprised!

They don’t put 3-4 fellers in front of mics spaced inches apart no more. So real and wholesome, each voice just distinct enough to pick them out in each delicious, harmonious chord. Modern pop production has made layering vocals too obsessively perfect and lifeless compared to these buckos. A few years back, we were making our way from the Grand Canyon to northern Arizona with a “desert road trip” playlist on shuffle. As the cacti and red-orange cliffs, passed by was first time I’d really listened to (or appreciated) CSN, America, and their other contemporaries. There’s a lot of music that greatly benefits from your context and location, this album being one of them. Definitely put this on during your next road trip!

Me, three days ago: I don’t like Neil Young’s voice Me, today: has listened to this album like 5 times and owns it on vinyl Neil young has grown on me, and I’m pretty sure Crazy Horse is bringing the best clean and lightly overdriven guitar sound I’ve ever heard. Down by the river might be a top song for me now. It took about twenty albums in to this thing, but I’m fully appreciating the value of re-listening to an album. This one really clicked some neural pathways into place in my cranium. I’ve always had the tendency to fly through an album/movie/book/game and rarely revisit it. There’s just so much content to consume these days, so once I’ve heard an album I’ve been like ✅ and moved on right away. So thank you Neil Young and thank you Crazy Horse for getting me to slow down and appreciate the additional brush strokes and colors that each listen of an album can provide.

I didn’t recognize any of these, but it still has the inventive and unique Radiohead characteristics, a good listen. Enjoyed the second half of the album more. Was caught off guard by Thom Yorke not singing his distinct high-pitched range on A Wolf At The Door!

I didn’t even like Pantera when I was 14, so there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that I’d actually get ‘em now. For me, they’re not only “Mega Bloks” Megadeth, but maybe one of the better examples of a “discount” version. Pantera is angry without shit to say, loud but not interesting. In “This Love” they attempt to show their range, but it ended up being the worst song I’ve heard from this list so far. A teen with a guitar, 5 minutes of practice, and a Boss Metal Zone ™️ pedal can play any of these songs nearly as well as the recording. I mean, that riff from Walk is literally 0-0-1-0-0 on the low E. Dimebag’s unwieldy, signature guitars are an extension of Pantera’s fierce-but-dumb vibes, with iconic finishes including: - lightning bolt! - confederate flag! - camo! - flames! - other aesthetics you’d see on a t-shirt for sale at a gas station in Alabama

I’ve only half-listened to John Prine in the background, reducing it to just some twangy folksy stuff that was only ok. Like bourbon, I thought Prine was something I was expected to enjoy because I’m from Kentucky. And like bourbon, if you give Prine a chance and acquire the taste, it’s an absolute delight. On this album, he spins tales of war, drugs, exploiting earth, and death that have the burn of a barrel proof bourbon. The sliding guitars, vibrato of Prine’s voice, and sweet chords make you feel the warmth of a toasted oak whiskey. Overall it’s a rich experience that pairs perfectly with Woodford Reserve Double-Oaked 45.2% alcohol by volume. GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.

Jazz fusion is cool, but I feel like these albums have like one killer song that you’d hear on an eclectic DJ set, and not much else.

Many of the best samples, flows, and lines in hip hop. Also, some of the straight up weirdest lines and moves in the genre. Plenty of verses here didn’t age well, but I don’t think that’s completely damning because being raw and provocative was kind of the point. I mean it’s 31 years old, it’s rap from the 1900s. Came out a month after I was born. It’s a testament to the early-ish days of hip hop, as MCs were earning celebrity status and escaping (or trying to escape) some nasty alternatives. Lmao I’m not going to keep writing like I can relate to 90% of Biggie’s story. The only looting I do is on Facebook Marketplace where I meet up at a local coffee shop’s parking lot to sell an old Nintendo DS game. The only guns I’ve owned are Nerf, airsoft, and soldering. Champagne is too carbonated for me; I can’t burp. I just listen to this and think “wow that’s crazy”

Everything that a rock album can be. The 6-string is the staple of rock, and Siamese Dream packs in an encyclopedia of guitar tones: warbly acoustic strums, wooly fuzz riffs, mesmerizing chorus-drenched chords, shredding solos. The range of dynamics in this album are just unbelievably good, with slow builds like Mayonaise and Soma that begin with the gentlest fretting of a guitar and crescendo to a wall of distortion and howling vocals. Smashing Pumpkins capture every element of the genre that I love, each song is a world of its own and it rules start to finish.

‘The hard rock group Blue Cheer were often referred to as being "louder than god" and no band of their era more richly earned that title’ So you can just say anything in your Spotify bio, huh? I haven’t been to church since like 2013 and even I’m incensed by this comparison. Y’all think some of the worst guitar tone ever recorded is bigger than the being that let there be fucking LIGHT? Y’all think the lines about being so depressed that you need to call your senator go harder than the Judeo Christian deity? Kick rocks, Blue Cheer!

Three decades later the bars, beats, and themes on this album still reign supreme. There aren’t many other hip-hop records as sharp or evergreen as this. Highlights: - Ms Lauryn Hill - Ms Lauryn Hill - Ms Lauryn Hill - Eat shit newt Gingrich - Star Wars mentioned - Ms Lauryn Hill I’m glad we got this after Ready To Die to hear the stark contrast, the Al Capone to Nina Simone. I think I’ll drop Biggie a star tbh, Fugees are the truth.

Some solid, whimsical, sarcastic rock. More albums should have an interlude of old timey carnival music

Did I enjoy this one? Ehh, not really. But I do think this has a rightful place on this list. There are lots of interesting and experimental sounds in play: masterful acoustic guitar, ye olde folk vocals, sitar on jazz songs. I don’t love the stew that these ingredients made, but I’m glad I tried a bite.

A rock n’ roll charcuterie board that gives you a taste of the past, present, and future of the genre from 1965. The past: - blues blues blues The present: - poppy songs, some of its weakest points - More Beatles impressions The future: - songs about bangin’ - drums that be bangin’ - high tempo songs that still go hard (my generation, the ox) - lead guitar! Not just chords - big charismatic vocals What makes this album so exciting and memorable are these peeks at the future of rock — especially in showing us what drums and guitar can sound like.

Driving through foggy farmland and misty city streets to this album made it feel like I was in the outskirts of London — even though I was on the right side of the road. Bumping a UK rapper at a reckless two volume levels higher than usual in my 2015 Honda Civic en route to peck away at my laptop at Martine’s pastry shop was less immersive, but still fun. I feel like hip hop can range from profound+poetic to vacuous+hedonistic. Skepta finds himself somewhere in the middle here. That’s definitely not a bad place to be, and he explores either side of that scale throughout. But I think my take is somewhere in the middle too, I enjoyed quite a bit of this album but some of the tracks and skits were lackluster. I think br*tish rappers with pronounced accents sound cool (sue me) which boosts this for me. Liked giving this a listen, but not sure I’ll revisit it when many American rappers feel more substantial.

Alternate title: Working Nein To Five Dramatic, theatrical singing over old German military marches? What’s next, rapping over some John Philip Sousa? My ears didn’t enjoy this one. But the audacity of this album is inspiring, go out there and create some bizarre, nuanced shit. “For the PlayStation 3 video game known as Tank Battles in some regions, see Battle Tanks.”

After opening for the Ramones in NYC’s punk scene in 1975 — rumored because they thought Talking Heads sucked and it’d make them look better — the band certainly left an impression. “A little-boy-lost-at-the-zoo voice and the demeanor of someone’s who’s spent the last half hour whirling around in a spin dryer.” wrote music critic James Wolcott of David Byrne at these early shows. Talking Heads aren’t for everyone! If you can’t stand this band, Walcott’s quote might capture your feelings. It conversely captures a key part of why Talking Heads are so adored. Wolcott continues that Talking Heads were “presenting a banal facade under which run ripples of frustration and squalls of violence.” Aha, now we’re narrowing in on what this debut record is all about! Sure, a couple of these tracks come across corny or too kooky to be taken seriously. I don’t love every moment of this one. But at this album’s core is a rebellious spirit, grappling with the big questions and confusions of being human. Instead of punk’s rapid, distorted chords are crisp, funky rhythms — some of my favorite guitar riffs. Talking Heads are wonderfully bizarre because of how much expression is packed into their upbeat sound, odd lyrics, and strange stage performance.

REM are one of those special bands that can garner indie cred and mainstream success, through their upbeat, quirky, yet accessible sound. They’re one of the only bands that my mom and dad like equally (though they saw REM at Rupp Arena in ‘95 and often recall that the band was kinda phoning it in) Document tries to make sense of, and have fun with, how shitty the world around you feels. I love that. Many of my favorite artists are those that see the chaos and weight of life and produce sounds that serve as either a blissful escape or a joyous, sharp rejection.

A fucking powerhouse performer, with auditory proof that no artist has had a crowd in the palm of their hand like this ever since. Does this album sound amazing, is it very re-listenable? Not realllly. But what you’re hearing is the Big Bang of funk, stylistically James Brown is soaring way ahead of his band, forging a sound that will change music forever.

I’m usually lukewarm about Bob Dylan, but moments in this one brightened my perspective. This was my introduction to the richness of Desolation Row, I liked the harmonica solos, and appreciated the double feature of acoustic + electric sets. And you know, the departure from the acoustic sound was jarring for me too, a person in 2025 listening on AirPods while doing chores. That unfiltered, storytelling quality of the first half was special. Second half was grittier and more diverse, but sounded kinda messy and the lyrical content could get lost. #freekeith?

The Odyssey of hip hop

This one is all about the solos! In the multiverse of infinite possible Steely Dans, we live in the one where they nailed every damn solo perfectly. Each note is intentional and exactly where it should be -- whether it's a sitar, sax, organ, or guitar. This didn't happen spontaneously, these fellas would bring in an a bunch of session musicians to record the solo of a single track, and wouldn't stop until they got the player and take that resonated. This is why the solos on Can't Buy A Thrill are equal parts technical excellence and full of life. This was the first Lossless quality streaming experience that really had me in awe. Steely Dan is the champagne of '70s music because they sound like champagne tastes: fucking crisp. The snares and hi-hats sizzle, pianos twinkle, and overdriven guitars bite.

Really enjoy this downtempo and grimy era of electronic music. A few bangers, a few duds on this one. The range of house, hip-hop, and more ambient stuff along with the solid use of samples is probably what landed them on this list.

I still haven’t decided if this fucking rocks, or if it’s a Walmart “I’m Fluent In Sarcasm” graphic tee in music form. Maybe it’s both?

A rip-roaring journey if I’ve heard one. I loved how it’d go from jazz to blues to rock in sudden, energetic stutter-steps. I wasn’t aware of your game, Mr. Zappa. The solos kicked ass, and it was immediately clear how influential Zappa is because they shared a lot in common with the neo-psychedelic stuff I love.

Sheer jubilance! There's so much to like about Graceland, lyrically and tonally. Minus one star because I got rear-ended the first time I listened to this album back in 2016 and that's stained this record for me. I didn't tempt fate by putting this on in the car this time!

Can't say this didn't age well, it was real edgy then and now. I mean, it's infamous. It 100% should be on this list. It's a solid rap album. It also feels like crinkling styrofoam in many parts. I wonder how the trajectory of my life would have changed if the Scott County public library would have actually let me check this CD out when I was in 5th grade. Sadly, the world missed out on getting E-Mudreezy: Kentucky's best rapper.

ehh, a massive attack spin-off series that’s only ok.

This one built up to some definitive rock n’ roll moments, where the songwriting shined and guitars/organs powered it along. I’m still acquiring the taste for Elvis Costello’s voice, but I was able to appreciate this as an example of refined rock. That’s not to say smoothed out and devoid of character — it still has the nice, rough edges — but it feels like an artist whose mastered their craft and produced something that represents them well.

It’s the definitive “sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll” album — Brown Sugar, Sister Morphine, and Can’t You Hear Me Knocking respectively. It’s raw, but is also intricately produced. For me, it’s the perfect rock record, ~bulging~ with attitude and bangers.

Like walking down a twinkling, vibrant hallway of beaded curtains with fluffy orange shag carpet beneath your toes. Lotta warmth, love, comfort, and emotion throughout. Somebody To Love still rips, Today and DCBA are new finds that I really enjoyed. This record is a clear influence on a lot of the hazy, surf-y modern psych rock that I like: Allah-Las, Sugar Candy Mountain, Levitation Room, La Luz.

Funky, fierce, and inspirational. This album unlocked many new chambers of music exploration for me, and countless others. What’s this guy’s story? What other non-Western sounds am I missing out on? Who are the rich, unconventional influences of other artists I listen to? I’m telling ya, so much to discover behind those 3 queries. If you liked Zombie, check out these fantastic afrobeat / world artists that would not exist without Fela: - Mdou Moctar (Nigerian guitar-driven protest music) - Antibalas (US-based afrobeat) - Budos Band (afro/70s stuff) - Polyrhythmics Plus some other artists that fuse non-Western sounds: - Khruangbin - Altin Gun - Kikagaku Moyo - Hermanos Gutierrez - Glass Beams

There’s such joy in experiencing a new flavor of music, one that breaks the mold and defies labels, but is also fun to listen to. Delightful, complex weirdness: that’s what this REM debut is all about. For me, Murmur didn’t conjure that reaction of “woah, I don’t know what the heck this is but it rules” — since I’m in 2025, have heard REM’s other hits, and bands inspired by them. But Murmur is still good, and it did remind me how I’ve felt listening to other new, odd artists for the first time. I only got one cursory listen in for this record, so I plan to revisit and possibly bump this up a star.

I liked the expressive guitar parts, but it felt like a basic classic rock album on the first listen.

Decided to listen to this while wrapping Christmas gifts, which made me feel like I was in a version of Santa’s workshop where all of the elves are goth with varying degrees of substance abuse issues.

Hearing jazz fused with an unfamiliar genre is such a treat. The percussive, bouncing qualities of Latin music charged the jazz characteristics with such a lively energy. I don’t have much of a palette for Latin music, so hearing it melded with jazz helped me appreciate it, and this accessibility is probably what led to this record being on The List. Not the champagne, but the Don Julio 1942 tequila of this genre?

Another excellent piece of the psych rock blueprint. Many contemporaries of the Beatles or Stones fall flat, but I really enjoyed this one.

The kind of thing you’d hear in the little side room of a modern art museum that plays a short film on loop, you know with little stools or benches strewn about. This album was as weird as I’d hoped! The beats were the highlight of the whole thing, so intricate and fun. The overall sound and glitchy samples were way ahead of their time, I thought Boards of Canada were the first to really do this — but they didn’t debut until like 20 years later.

For sure, this one is a solid historical document with plenty of energy, but it’s hard to compare this to high fidelity studio albums and the excellence of funk and soul records that would come next. I’m probably judging this too harshly, but… the recording quality is pretty rough, I hoped to recognize any of these songs, and I didn’t appreciate it that much.

I was hesitant to put this on while driving around last night. Ya see I have an aversion of melancholy music, like I’m afraid a sad song is going to turn me into a werewolf (or worse, make me s*d!) I tend to only seek out music that rejects “negative” emotions and depression, escapes the chaos and weight of the world. My first exposure to Elliott Smith was in Scott Whiddon’s “Taste and Tastemaking” class at Transy, where the primary text was a book about authenticity and why we like what we like — through unpacking their hatred of Celine Dion (spoiler: they end up crying at a Celine concert) To show contrast, the author employs Elliott Smith as the anti-Celine: a paragon on indie cred, authenticity, and good taste. But also tortured and deeply depressed. I wasn’t sure if I was going to give this one a shot. However, I really enjoyed this album. I turned it up loud so that I could try to really hear Elliott Smith’s words, which also made the acoustic low E notes resonate and the kick drums boom. Such a good range of gentle, stripped-down songs and full, potentially even upbeat ones. Great range of emotion and tone. It pushed me to face my tendency to avoid sad singer-songwriter tunes, and added more evidence as to why they’re necessary and worth listening to.

Guitars that can slice diamonds, sharper than that special katana that Uma Thurman gets in Kill Bill, faster than a jet. They’re angry but articulate, drawing a clear line in the sand between punk’s frenetic and messy riffs. Gang of Four are here to introduce post-punk by saying “we’re still pissed off, but we’re tighter and more articulate”. I can hear RHCP, Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and many other angular, funky guitars in this record. This is one of those surprising and fresh 1001 albums that really resonated for me, and I look forward to more listens and learning about Andy Gill and his guitar tone.

eee-YEAHHHHHH

Looks like a bargain bin record that I’d quickly flip past, but I was hoping it’d impress and teach me to give those crusty ‘ol $3 records a chance. It wasn’t bad, a couple of goodies (You Don’t Own Me is iconic, Don’t You Know is fired up soul) But certainly some duds, the majority of these aren’t her songs, and it feels like a collection of random songs not a cohesive album. Listening to this on my bathroom fan’s Bluetooth-enabled speaker was great though. Excellent taking a shower and getting ready music.

My favorite hip hop album of all time right here! It’s the contrasting stuff that make it so damn good. The warmth of the jazz samples complemented by the crisp percussion of the beats. Fun and braggadocious, but conscious and progressive. It’s breezy, nostalgic, and energy-boosting every time. Could listen to this daily — though I might occasionally skip track #8.

Oops! All bangers.

Years of economic hardship and fascism, and this is some of the best music it created? Damn, the U.S. charts are going to be weird in 2045. Maybe after more listens I'll change my tune to "Years of economic hardship and fascism produced some incredible counter-cultural music" but I'm not there right now. Really liked the hectic build of "Krautrock", but the rest had flashes of stuff that I enjoyed between longer spells of sound that I didn't like.