1001 Albums Summary

Day 1: Best tracks: The Words That Maketh Murder, In The Dark Places, Bitter Branches, The Last Living Rose I’m more of a fan than not. But I’ve always been lukewarm on Let England Shake. I think it is "The Glorious Land" that keeps me from embracing the album; I don’t care for the mix of the reveille in the song. 7/10.

Day 2: Best tracks: Tom Sawyer, Limelight, YYZ, Vital Signs No skips! I’ve loved this album since high school, and it holds up 25 years since I first heard it, start to finish. Moving Pictures is the most apt album title in Rush’s discography. Each track is full of imagery and is never boring. 10/10.

Day 3: Best tracks: Working Class Hero, I Found Out, Well Well Well, God I’ve never listened to this album from start to finish, but I’m glad I did. It’s greater than the sum of its parts. I'll want to revisit this, perhaps when the next Lennon/Ono album is chosen for me. 8/10.

Day 4: Best tracks: The Weight, Chest Fever, Tears Of Rage, I Shall Be Released A classic that spawned a decade of tunes capped by The Last Waltz. I've always preferred The Band in this more unrefined sound. 8/10.

Day 5: Best tracks: Everyday Struggle, Big Poppa, Juicy, Suicidal Thoughts A few permanent skips for me (One More Chance, Fuck Me (Interlude), Respect). The skits are beyond intrusive. Biggie had flow, but Diddy's vocals in the background appear on too many tracks for me to give anything greater than a 5/10.

Day 6: Best tracks: Metropolis, The Robots, Neon Lights, The Model No hard skips. But definitely prefer a few over others. Metropolis might be one of the first "synthwave / out run" tracks, and I love it. I was introduced to Trans-Europe Express and Computer World well before this album, but this is the one that I listen to more often now, 20 years later. 9/10.

Day 7: Best tracks: Desafinado, Samba De Uma Nota So, E Luxo So, Bahia I'll admit that bossa nova is not in my audio wheelhouse. I'm extremely unqualified to render a judgment of this music, but I enjoyed listening to it while walking my dog. And the next morning on my commute. Desafinado is all I'd ever want from this type of music that isn't straight from the Monsters, Inc. soundtrack. 7/10.

Day 8: Best track: Mayfly By the time I reached halfway through the title track, I thought to myself, "Do The Smiths suck this much too?" While I'm operating under the assumption that the answer is "No," I'm now scared to find out the answer may be "Yes." Never have I heard so many words say absolutely nothing. Thank God Franz Ferdinand redeemed Glasgow in terms of music output. 3/10.

Day 9: Best tracks: She's Calling You, I Against I, Sacred Love, Re-Ignition Balls to the wall hardcore. This genre has never sounded better to my ears. Danceable in several doses, and almost all 31 minutes are headbangin' worthy. I've saved six of the ten tracks, and I'd only heard one of them prior to today. 9/10! EDIT 11/17/2025: This is the first album I've purchased solely from my undertaking this challenge. This album has embedded itself into my (bad) brain, and is making me very hopeful to encounter more Bad Brains somewhere down the line. 10/10! NO SKIPS.

Day 10: Best tracks: Common People, Disco 2000, Mis-Shapes, Bar Italia Witty and bitingly subversive. God I wish this was bigger in the U.S. in 1995/96. My go-to answer to the "Oasis vs. Blur" debate is Pulp. At least Pulp exemplified both the "Brit" and the "pop" in Britpop. Listening to this again doesn't make me reevaluate. This album slays from start to finish. 9/10.

Day 11: Best tracks: 5/10.

Day 12: Best tracks: Powderfinger, My My Hey Hey, Thrasher, Pocahontas WOW. What an album, and exquisitely produced. 9/10 for sure. Possibly a no-skip 10/10 - I'll need more time to determine. Does it belong on the list? 100% Yes.

Day 13. Best tracks: Freddie’s Dead, Superfly, Pusherman. … 8/10. Does it belong on the list? Yes. It's a classic of funky soul from the 1970s, and is at the very peak of original movie soundtracks.

Day 14. Best tracks: Time Travelin’ (A Tribute To Fela), A Song For Assata. … 6/10. Does it belong on the list? Maybe. There was a lot of really good hip-hop in this era, and Common's "Be" is already on the list and is a better album from him.

Day 15. Best tracks: Things Behind The Sun, Pink Moon, Place To Be, Parasite NO SKIPS. I'm an elder millennial, and I'll admit that my first exposure to Nick Drake and "Pink Moon" (the title track) was in the Volkswagen ad for the Golf Cabrio convertible. Loved the song since that ad launched 25+ years ago, already 25+ years after Nick Drake passed away. Over a half century has passed since Nick gave the masters to his record company, and no one has crafted a better singer/guitar folk album ever since. Obviously the love for the title track from music fandom is well-established, but the whole album is a lush soundscape with some of the most beautiful and captivating lyrics in popular music. "Things Behind The Sun" was one of my favorites from my time during the COVID pandemic. There is not a single track that is sub-standard or detracts from this timeless album. 10/10.

Day 16. Best tracks: - Human, No Leaf Clover, For Whom the Bell Tolls I can't believe this album is on the list. I purchased this album the day it came out and have regretted it ever since. This works as music videos or a live video album. IT IS SO LONG. And absolutely boring in audio-only. It just needs some editing, a new setlist (ONLY ONE RIDE THE LIGHTNING TRACK IS ON THE SETLIST - a travesty), and an engineer who can make it sound like it wasn't recorded behind a single-pane of soundproof glass. 2/10. Great in as an audio-visual album. Horrible in audio-only. Does it belong on this list? Absolutely not. Not even as a novelty. And having this on the list and not "Ride the Lightning" cannot be explained or justified.

Day 17. Best tracks: Band on the Run, Jet I just can't get myself into almost any of the tracks here, because McCartney feels the need to change the tune every 30 seconds. 5/10. Several skips after the first two tracks. Does it belong on this list? Maybe if it is the only post-Beatles inclusion for Paul McCartney, which I'm only hopeful that it is. (EDIT: It is not.)

Day 18. Best tracks: The Treasure (Take One), Johnny's Garden, It Doesn't Matter, Anyway Stephen Stills was the best writer of CSN (but isn't in the same class as Neil Young), and he was also probably the best musician amongst them too. He doesn't fail on this "solo" album with a supergroup of talented session musicians behind him. While not every song is great or memorable, there are several moments on this album that make your ear perk up for the sheer professionalism of the musicians. 7/10. A few tracks I'd skip to get to the meat of the album, which runs about 25 minutes too long. Does it belong on this list? Maybe, as it is considered an early "Roots Rock" classic.

Day 19. Best tracks: Lorelai, Pandora (for Cindy). Unintelligible, but absolutely heavenly. I'm familiar with Heaven or Las Vegas, but not this bona fide classic. 9/10. Perhaps no skips (I'll need more time with the album to possibly bump up to 10/10). Does this belong on this list? Yes.

Day 20: Best tracks: Imagine, How Do You Sleep?, Gimme Some Truth … 8/10. Does it belong on the list? Yes.

I don’t know if I like Joni Mitchell’s music. She seems lovely, but I don’t know if I want to listen to her. 6/10, but I’m being generous since I’d skip almost half of this album.

Day Should this be on the list? No.

A masterpiece. 10/10.

6/10. Should it be on the list? I don’t think so.

-Day 27- Best tracks: Reckoner, Jigsaw Falling Into Place, Nude, Videotape 10/10. Radiohead's fourth (of five) career 10/10 albums. It's not my favorite album ever, or of their discography, but it is pretty damn close.

7/10.