147
Albums Rated
2.93
Average Rating
13%
Complete
942 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
10
5-Star Albums
13
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
|
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
|
5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
|
The Cars
The Cars
|
5 | 3.65 | +1.35 |
|
Moondance
Van Morrison
|
5 | 3.69 | +1.31 |
|
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
|
4 | 2.69 | +1.31 |
|
Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
|
4 | 2.7 | +1.3 |
|
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
|
5 | 3.72 | +1.28 |
|
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
|
5 | 3.73 | +1.27 |
|
Dookie
Green Day
|
5 | 3.79 | +1.21 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Illmatic
Nas
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
|
1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
|
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
Dry
PJ Harvey
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
|
1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
|
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
|
1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
|
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
|
2 | 3.99 | -1.99 |
|
Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
|
1 | 2.92 | -1.92 |
|
Disintegration
The Cure
|
2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
|
Arular
M.I.A.
|
1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
5-Star Albums (10)
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Popular Reviews
M.I.A. · 1 likes
1/5
I appreciate the artistic expression and the uniqueness. The singing is very unique as well which is cool. Well done album with a lot going on. I definitely agree this should be on the list. But my grades are based on if I like it, not how good I think it is. And this music is nails on a chalkboard for me. It gets a one even though I think it is deserving of the list.
Drive-By Truckers · 1 likes
3/5
I don't know what to make of this album. I REALLY like the guitars. I like the muddy production quality. The bass and drums are ok. Just the singing is atrocious, and almost impossible to get past. I do enjoy the southern nature of the lyrics, many references to the civil war which is unusual.
James Brown · 1 likes
4/5
This was a fascinating listen. I could really picture what the concert probably looked like. It was super fun hearing the response from the crowd to almost every line. I was surprised that most of the songs were slow. I always thought if James Brown as high energy. Fun to think this was before the Beatles and rock as we know it.
Leonard Cohen · 1 likes
1/5
I've taken dumps that were more audibly pleasing than this.
Arrested Development · 1 likes
1/5
What is this, the college football playoffs? All you need to do is be black and sing about black life and you get an automatic bid to the 1001 best albums? This was bad.
1-Star Albums (13)
All Ratings
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Steely Dan
4/5
Fantastic album. Top notch technical playing. Certainly underrated drumming and time signatures. The first three songs are undoubtedly the highlight then starts to tail off a bit after that. Love his voice. Love the lyrics. Great album. I agree should be in the top 1001.
Bob Dylan
3/5
This is way better than when he went electric. I can actually understand him. Too bad he's a terrible lyricist.
John Lennon
3/5
Definitely felt like an eclectic collection of random unrelated songs than an album, but each Individual song was decent. Better than I was expecting.
Nick Drake
2/5
Nick Drake for me is the CLASSIC example of critics thinking they know music better than everyone else. Everyone who buys music is a critic and the REAL critics obviously say it is not that good since no one was buying his albums.
Super boring. His voice lulls me to sleep. I can't understand his lyrics. The music sounds like improv in his basement. This was rough.
The White Stripes
3/5
I am a huge White Stripes fan, but this is my least favorite of their work. The challenge with the White Stripes is they are uncompromising, which I highly respect, but it makes for a lot of hit or miss music, a lot of experimental stuff, and a lot of genre switches, so you will never love an entire album, but when you make a personal greatest hits of them, it would be GREAT, and very different for every person, which is super cool. I like their heavier, more guitar driven stuff, but I appreciate that they can make stuff that sounds like this.
When it comes to what rock music has sounded like from about 2005-2020, for FIFTEEN years I think no band had a bigger influence on the genre than the White Stripes. I could name a dozen bands that made it pretty big that copied the White Stripes sound. I think they are one of the top 10 most influencial bands in defining modern rock.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
This is another album that I think was so incredibly crucial to an entire genre of music... Psychedelic Rock! Very few hands sounded like this in 1966, and by 1967 (after this was released) the market and airwaves were saturated with this sound. They were quite ahead of their time.
Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are two if the greatest psychedelic songs of all time. Grace Slick's voice is my favorite female rock voice of all time. Jorma Kaukonen's guitar is some of the best the 60s had to offer. So much talent.
Jefferson Airplane is a love it or hate it band, and they were too experimental to have a solid album, but I love that about them.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I always forget that just about every Rolling Stones album is an odd conglomeration of rock, country, and blues songs. Only their rock songs tend to make the radio or greatest hits so not very representative of what they actually sound like. It was always hard for me to listen to a complete Stones album since the transitions were so jarring. But this album I actually think they nail it. It works well and I really enjoyed it. I think this album best represents what the Rolling Stones probably wanted to sound like. Moonlight Mile was a nice gem I never heard before.
Primal Scream
2/5
This isn't my cup of tea and I struggle listening to it. That being said, I do appreciate the talent it takes to make this "manufactured rock" and it is interesting. Just gets old after one or two songs.
The Stooges
3/5
I think The Stooges might be the most underappreciated band, behind maybe Uriah Heep, when it comes to the early metal scene. This was 1969. Just incredible. It's not the most talented album, but the energy is amazing. I enjoyed this listen.
3/5
The A side was AWESOME. I was really enjoying the 70s funk music. I realize the older I get, this is the one genre I have really been getting into... Parliament, Funkadelic, etc. The B side was tough to get through. Overall decent album.
R.E.M.
2/5
This was one of the more boring albums I've ever listened to. I tried so hard to pay attention and within 30 seconds of each song I already lost concentration. There seems to be talent in the music, but just so boring and monotonous.
Jeff Buckley
2/5
His voice was incredibly unique and fun to listen to, but the songs were pretty boring. A few went somewhere, like Eternal Life and Dream Brother, but the rest made me fall asleep.
This was some good ole classic early seventies guitar/piano fueled blues rock. Doesn't stand out necessarily and all sounds the same, but still good. It is way more of a fun curiosity listen since it is Rod Stewart before anyone knew who he was, and Ronnie Wood before he joined the Rolling Stones. Stay With Me, That's All You Need, and Debris were highlights. I liked the other lead singer songs better than the Stewart ones!
Marty Robbins
4/5
Im so glad to see this album on the list! I think Marty Robbins might be the greatest male country vocalist of all time. The harmonies vibrato, and smooth voice, just AWESOME. I do also enjoy the nostalgic romanticized western scenes he sings about. As good as old country gets. Sure the music is a bit repetitive and lame, but it's about the voice and stories for this genre. El Paso is a top 5 greatest country song of all time for me. Great album, great voice, great storytelling.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
The best part of the 1001 album challenge is listening to stuff I would have never listened to otherwise and broadening my music knowledge. This one definitely broadened my knowledge. I don't listen to this genre ever.
This sounded like Billy Idol as a lead singer of Midnight Oil or something. Unfortunately his voice sounds like my white noise machine that helps me fall asleep, and the repetitive drumming makes each song instantly forgettable. I do appreciate that they have a unique sound and it does feel different from the mainstream. I wouldn't be able to listen to it again, although the guitars were enjoyable.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Wow, this is about as black as early 70s music gets hahaha. I really like the music with the horns, bass, etc, it's about as cool as music gets. I just see bell bottoms, black shade sunglasses, and bling when I hear this. I can only handle so much instrumental so I do like when he sings. This was a fun listen. Don't need to listen to again, but glad I did listen to it. I'll take War over this for black / funk 70s music.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This was an unbelievably fun album to listen to! The sampling and music writing was incredible. The "singing" is so incredibly unique, you know who it is right away. The lyrics are awesomely awful but fit the goofiness of everything so well. Probably the only rap album I will ever enjoy.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
This was a super fun album to listen to! I never would anec guessed there was music that sounded like this in 1980! This was like Royal Noise Brigade meets Less Than Jake while sounding Irish. I loved the horns. I actually liked that every song sounded a bit similar, when I usually don't like that. His voice was very unique.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
This wasn't bad. The funny thing is the electronic music from that era actually feels more like real music than electronic music nowadays! I feel like Genesis or the Cars would have had an influence here.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
5/5
WOW!!! Did not know there was music our there like this in 1982!! This was crazy. It was so many genres coming together at once. This was a fun crossroads between me hearing all kinds of influences like the Temptations, Sly and the Family Stone, Steve Wonder, to all the artists that I can tell used this template into the future. I loved how the whole time I just felt like I was either at a party, or just sitting in the living room with those 6 guys. It was such a fun album. Every song was unique. I never got tired of listening to it. Seemed way ahead of its time. It was also interesting that they were sampling popular songs that came out within a year of THIS album!! The sampling was clearly primitive but obviously built the foundation for lots and lots of artists to follow. This was a gem.
Prince
4/5
I was quick shocked by the sound of this album. I never listened to Prince before. This was way more electronic / keyboard driven than I was expecting. I thought he was a little more rock. Not taking anything away from it as I thought it was GREAT. The songs were very well written. They kept my attention throughout. I never got bored. He writes some very catchy music. The vocals were outstanding. My goodness, I would have thought there were 3 different lead singers on this album. And to top it all off, it is kind of cooky, very odd music, and lots of vocals I wasn't expecting, so it kept me entertained. Definitely deserving of this list, and not as sterile or expected as I thought it would be. It was actually quite adventurous.
Green Day
5/5
This is undoubtedly my favorite punk (although some people u guess don't call it punk) album. So many phenomenal songs on this album. The drums are great. The bass is great. The guitars are great. The singing is great. The lyrics are great. The songwriting is great. Sums up mid-90s angst so well. Right place right time. My first 5 star.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Reading up on this album, it was the first jazz album to ever sell 1.0M copies, and the song "Take Five" became the most played jazz single at the time. I mean, the album is good, and the first three songs I think are REALLY good, but after that, it begins to all sound the same. I don't know what makes jazz great vs terrible, it all sounds "good" to me. Now one thing that was cool about this album was that it sounds timeless. You could tell me it was from 1959, 1997, or 2018, and I would believe you.
Richard Thompson
4/5
This was a really cool listen! This type of music is one of my guilty pleasures when I'm in the right mood. Just the old school, stripped down, low-fi folk-rock singer/songwriter. But this was even better than that because they layered in all kinds of additional sounds and instruments. The music composition was fantastic, great guitar chords and sounds. Lyrics were good and the songs were catchy. The title track was the highlight. Calvary Cross was pretty good. The version I listened to on YouTube Music had some love bonus tracks that were even better than the originals. Very fun listen.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
I've taken dumps that were more audibly pleasing than this.
James Brown
4/5
This was a fascinating listen. I could really picture what the concert probably looked like. It was super fun hearing the response from the crowd to almost every line. I was surprised that most of the songs were slow. I always thought if James Brown as high energy. Fun to think this was before the Beatles and rock as we know it.
Talking Heads
4/5
Wow!! This was way ahead of its time! I would imagine a ton of rappers have samples them over the years. This sounded very different from their radio stuff / greatest hits. The rhythms were so unbelievably catchy. The music was so textured and interesting. I don't know how they would play it live. The first two tracks were 5 star, then Once in a Lifetime is one of my top 40 ALLTIME favorite songs.
The Pogues
3/5
The t first two songs started out super strong, then Smoke in a Bottle was probably the worst song I heard yet while doing this. Then the rest was interesting but not very memorable. It was awesome how they blended Irish folk, punk, and 80s sound so effortlessly. And I commend them for not making every song sound the same. Very glad I got to heard something extremely different like this.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
The album was pretty much a 'you heard one song, you heard them all". It was cool to listen to though. Not something im familiar with.
The Doors
4/5
I always generally enjoyed the doors. They are more of a "best of" band for me where their deep cuts usually aren't great. But I gotta say this album was strong. I liked his singing style. I liked the heavy blues influence. I liked that it was psychedelic without being crazy. Riders on the Storm is just one of the best keyboard driven songs of all time.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I never would have guessed that out of all the albums we listened to so far, THIS would be the first one that I own. I find this album very interesting and complex. The writing style is so bizarre. My only negative with this album is it starts to feel repetitive towards the second half, and the slow songs all start to sound the same. Their follow up album At War With the Mystics corrects this problem and allows for an absolute fantastic album. I hope that is in the list as well. Fight Test and Do You Realize are the two best songs.
David Bowie
2/5
This was an odd album, then again it's David Bowie. I never liked his thing production sound in the early years and this one is no different. None of the songs stood out. Each song was either piano or acoustic guitar without much else going on. Pretty boring and bland. I'm sure they r well written songs, just don't catch my attention
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
I felt like this is what cats fighting would sound like. It was as annoying as listening to someone with the sniffles. The ONLY reason this doesn't get a one star is because just about every song had a KILLER bass line. Wow. Loved that part.
Jungle Brothers
2/5
When I listen to albums like this, I'm like, really, top 1001? Makes me feel like they really needed to add some filler. This felt pretty run of the mill. Nothing spectacular. It just seems like this list came out at the peak of the "black people complaining about life of black people needs to be recognized" phase. The music was interesting and the beats were awesome, but I heard it all before.
Van Morrison
5/5
Wow! So far this album was the biggest "exceeds expectations". Van Morrison was always that boring soft rock / jazz guy with a few hits. But this whole album was excellent! Each song so well crafted, the instrumentation was awesome. Each song was unique and kept my attention. The production was phenomenal. The singing was top notch. First five star for an album I never heard before.
Fats Domino
4/5
This was really impressive. I feel like this is the first artist I listened to from the 50s that wasn't mostly slow music. This actually sounds like a precursor to rock and roll. The songs even varied a bit when most sound similar from that era.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Janis is an UNBELIEVABLY talented singer, and defined a generation. The songwriting is fantastic and the music is great. But it's just not my bag. I can't get into her no matter how hard I try. I just don't like her style. The album should get a 5 but I am basing my rating off of how much I like it, just like the others.
Slint
2/5
This was a strange album. The instruments were GREAT. I loved the tone of the guitar. The bass and drums were really good. The singing was atrocious, and the songwriting was lackluster. The second half of the album bored me to death.
Arrested Development
1/5
What is this, the college football playoffs? All you need to do is be black and sing about black life and you get an automatic bid to the 1001 best albums? This was bad.
Metallica
5/5
I'm not the biggest Metallica fan, but they are growing on me. Regardless, when it comes to the music, they are talented beyond compare. And this album is the epitome of that to me. Not a bad song on here. One of the best metal albums of all time, even if I probably will never listen to it in its entirety again. Disposable Heros is my favorite. I'll take sludge metal (like Sabbath) over speed metal (like this), but I have to give credit where credit it due and give it a 5.
Al Green
2/5
SUUUUUPER boring. But still real music so not a one.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
No. Worst one yet.
The Byrds
3/5
I really like the Byrds. I love the twelve string guitar, the nontraditional bass lines, and the psychedelic feel they give. The late 60s is my favorite genre. I love "So you want to be a rock and roll star" but it ends WAY too soon. Nothing on this album stands out. Their first three albums are all better than this, plus other artists of this time (Moby Grape, Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Hollies) I think did an even better job.
Big Star
4/5
Wow wow wow!! I have had multiple people over the year tell me to listen to this band. I see them in every list if underrated bands. I don't know why I never listened to them. This was great!! Each song was different. Each one kept my attention. They had cool stuff going on like keyboards, harmonicas, horns, synths, you never know what they will throw into a song. Well crafted pop rock songs that would even make Cheap Trick proud. But yet have softer acoustic songs as well. I loved the voices.
The Band
3/5
I have always thoroughly enjoyed the band's greatest hits. And they have some of my ALL TIME favorite songs like Up On Cripple creek and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. And I love their salt of the earth sound. Bur after listening to this album, I think I will stick to their greatest hits. Every song i never heard before kinda stank.
The White Stripes
3/5
The White Stripes are another one of those "greatest hits" bands where u combine their best songs from all their albums and they have one of the best great hits out there! But their album cuts are too unpredictable and inconsistent. I absolutely love how unique, ahead of their time, and creative they are though. No one sounded like them at the time.
The Young Gods
3/5
What the HELL did I just listen to??! That was the weirdest album yet I think. It was like The Hu and Rob Zombie had a baby. It was super interesting. Kept my attention the whole time. Amazing transitions between almost classical to almost metal. Cool voice. Cool production. Cool guitar sound. I will never be able to get into foreign language music unfortunately.
M.I.A.
1/5
I appreciate the artistic expression and the uniqueness. The singing is very unique as well which is cool. Well done album with a lot going on. I definitely agree this should be on the list. But my grades are based on if I like it, not how good I think it is. And this music is nails on a chalkboard for me. It gets a one even though I think it is deserving of the list.
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
I'm sure there's a lot of talent here and it's great for what it is, but this is my least favorite kind of music.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Wow I was shocked how much I enjoyed this album. A tinge of psychedelic. A tinge of folk. A tinge of pre-Beatles pop. This was a very fun listen.
The Cars
5/5
Oh man. If I made a Shawn Top 100 albums of all time, this one would be a Top 20. Everything about this album is great. Each song is amazing. And they even ushered in a whole new genre doing it. The guitars, drums, keyboard, his voice, all awesome. Catchy songs, intricate yet simple. Each one can get stuck in your head.
Little Simz
2/5
Honestly the music was REALLY good. The bass, drums, occasional flute and what not. But the lyrics and style are an instant turnoff and I can't do it.
Dion
3/5
Not a bad listen! I enjoyed it. Very straightforward. No frills. A little cheesy with the clearly session musicians backing him up and probably writing the music, but nonetheless an enjoyable listen.
Spiritualized
2/5
After listening to something like this, it really makes me wonder if there even is 1,001 albums if this makes the cut. Absolutely NOTHING inspiring about this. Just so boring and mediocre.
Sigur Rós
2/5
My goodness, just so boring. The only thing saving it from being a 1 is that at least SOME of the songs started to build up and shift a little, and knowing there's worse out there.
Beastie Boys
2/5
I don't know... I am entertained for a little, and then it starts to become very repetitive. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have the other Beastie Boys album to donate this to, and that one was so much more dynamic, interesting, and attention keeping. This one was a little boring. However, the three huge hits were all GREAT, however was probably because of the heavy guitars, not the actual songs. Either the Beastie Boys or their producer must be big Led Zeppelin fans!
Nas
1/5
This is pretty much unlistenable for me. If I could give it a 0 I probably would. The only redeeming quality is that the guy has an unbelievable gift of rhyming. Very talented there.
PJ Harvey
1/5
Not much I liked about this. I hated the mixing / production. I didn't like her voice. The songs were boring and unmemorable. I guess the guitar was cool and the drums were pretty good. I just don't understand how this makes the top 1001.
FKA twigs
1/5
I couldn't even make it all the way through. After this many loser albums in a row, if the next album is 40 minutes of listening to cows getting milked, I would probably give it a 5.
Kate Bush
3/5
Very 80s. I appreciate that it is a very unique style. It doesn't feel like it sells out, while still being accessible. Very spacious sound. Lyrics are good, songwriting is not traditional.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Ehhh... For the time I'm sure it was good and relatively ahead of its time. It does feel a bit dated and not really timeless. The two singles are BY FAR the best songs on here. I do like how bluesy it is and sounds like Zeppelin I well before Zeppelin I. The Rolling stones never cease to amaze me with their ability to mix rock, country, and blues into just about every album.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Wow!! I REALLY enjoyed this! The songwriting was good. His voice was great! Each song was interesting and had a lot going on. The whole album was varied and kept my attention. It was very Beatles-esque. Good stuff for the 2000's!
Fishbone
4/5
I absolutely loved this album. My one friend introduced me to the song "Bonin' in the Boneyard" about two years ago and it became my favorite non-Funkadelic funk song. This whole album was great though. Great vocals (multiple lead singers I think?!). Great bass. The production was straight late 80s. This is exactly what Rush sounded like during that era too. Fun listen.
Buck Owens
5/5
Undoubtedly one of the greatest country albums of all time, maybe the greatest. This one album is better than almost every other country artists' greatest hits. This album influenced the 70s with the singing style like George Jones, Merle Haggard, etc. It influenced the 80s with the guitar picking like Dwight Yoakam, Jerry Reed, etc. It influenced the 90s with the steel guitar like Clint Blank, Mark Chesnutt, etc. Just incredible to think what this album did for country. Not a bad song on this album.
The Black Keys
4/5
This album is very solid from beginning to end. This is another band that ushered in a whole mini genre for a good ten years. The guitar tone is AWESOME. The drum sound is great. I love two lead singers. Very good.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
This isn't my cup of tea, but it's no doubt talented. He has a GREAT voice and the songs are so well crafted. I love all the textured voices and harmonies.
The Style Council
3/5
What the heck did I just listen to?? This band was all over the place. Sounded like 5 different bands on a mid eighties compilation album. Very talented though.
Beyoncé
2/5
The first two songs weren't bad, but then everything else after that was annoying. The lyrics just aren't good. The songs get boring. The singing is PHENOMENAL, but I wish she had writers that could right good songs.
Pixies
3/5
What a bizarre band! U didn't know what to do with this. The drums r great. The guitar is unique. The bass is pronounced and different. The singing, if I can call it at, is so off the wall. This band is so different that they deserve to be in the list, this just isn't something I would listen to often. It does give me better perspective on Weird Al's "First World Problems" which parodies the Pixies haha.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
I was UNBELIEVABLY excited when I saw this album pop up because this is a top 5 album that I've been wanting to listen to some time that I never did. I knew I would be disappointed, and I was.
None of the songs pop. I blame Buckingham since he wanted a simple stripped down sound, compared to his unbelievably talented artistry he did as a producer on Rumors with the layers, textures, etc. It just makes all the songs sound incomplete, uninspired, and half-assed. I like complex pop rock Fleetwood Mac, not this simplistic almost country Fleetwood Mac.
Buckingham's songs are the worst, but really McVie's and Nicks' aren't all that much better. The album feels like a collection of solo songs thrown together. But what's ironic is they all released a solo album after this, and the songs on all THREE solo records are better than what they contributed here! Check out Buckingham's "Trouble", Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" and McVie's "Got a Hold On Me". All 10/10.
All in all though, even the worst of Fleetwood Mac is better than most music haha, so still give it a 3 star.
Bob Dylan
2/5
It's not bad, it just all becomes background music so quickly and it doesn't hold my attention at all.
Tim Buckley
2/5
This was one of the more confusing albums we have listened to haha. I don't know if this was genius or complete garbage. Super unique singing voice. Surprisingly great instruments for a 1967 no name solo artist. The songs were just goofy and the singing was goofy.
Stan Getz
2/5
It was good for what it is.
TLC
4/5
Well I didn't hate it. And this is probably the closest I'll get to liking a hip hop album. It kept me interested and never became background music.
Lou Reed
4/5
Welp, I have avoided Lou Reed my whole life because I always hated "Walk on the Wild Side" and I never liked Velvet Underground. But I listened to it. It was AMAZING. Every song was unique. Every song was a piece of art. So many genres, strange lyrics, strange music. It was very cool.
Jack White
3/5
Well, this seems to be in the same category as the white stripes where there are a few great songs, a few decent songs, and a few bad songs. Jack White even solo seems like he would make a fantastic greatest hits, but not solid albums. I did love the variety, and I did really like all the piano. But he's at his best when he is cranking out some killer guitar riff with his vocals wailing over top.
The Libertines
2/5
This is a PERFECT example of the brit pop stuff that a lot of people really like, that I just can't get into. But looks like I'm not alone, as three of their albums were top 5 albums in British, and NONE even cracked the top 100 in America.
The vocals are BORING and I can't stand brit pop locals. The guitar was so repetitive. The drums and bass were ok, nothing special. None of the songs were catchy.
Blur
4/5
This started out slow and I was like, oh no, not another boring washed out 90s album. Then every song was better than the previous, more creative and ahead of its time, and by the end I was like, holy cow, I can name like 4 or 5 bands that would have been influenced by this!! While I don't know if Blur necessarily did it the best, but bands to come that were influenced by them certainly did! So this album is one of the few that in and of itself, I would give like a 2, but because of how influential and ahead of its time it seems to be, I'll give it a four.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
I don't know what to make of this album. I REALLY like the guitars. I like the muddy production quality. The bass and drums are ok. Just the singing is atrocious, and almost impossible to get past. I do enjoy the southern nature of the lyrics, many references to the civil war which is unusual.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Love love love love love this album. Born on the Bayou is my favorite CCR song. Not a bad song on here. Keep on Chooglin is a great deep track. I love their early swamp blues sound before they went straight commercial.
The Police
3/5
I'm a pretty big Police fan. I enjoy their spacey minimalist sound. But this album didn't really have that, and overall it felt aimless and chaotic. The four singles I do enjoy, but the album cuts were weak. Even the singles I don't like as much as some of their other stuff. And I cannot STAND the whole 80s obsession with African sounding music, as if somehow that makes them cultured. Not their best work.
4/5
Wow!! I REALLY enjoyed this album. And that is saying something because this 80s synth Brit stuff is probably my least favourite 80s music. This is the best I ever heard from this genre. It wasn't whiny, it wasn't thin, it wasn't all about heartbreaks. The music was layered, interesting and dense. The voice was above average. The lyrics were VERY unconventional and I liked that. It never got boring. Probably after 3+ listens it would get a 5, but there are just so many great albums out there.
Madonna
3/5
This was a nice listen. Wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Tolerable. Not what I would choose to listen to. A couple songs had some songwriter talent, and her voice is really good.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
This was average at best. Mediocre voice and mediocre music. But the songwriting and performance was very unique, not like anything else i ever heard. Not my cup of tea, but I appreciate it.
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
Each song sounded like it had the exact same beat, just different lyrics. Very good at rhyming and lyrics, but not much else to write home about.
Blondie
3/5
I don't know, like, on one hand I really enjoy how unique and cutting edge this album is, but then on the other hand, it feels like it is missing something and doesn't get me to the next level. I love the synthesisers, I like the odd time signatures, the guitars are great, drums are full. Her singing is pretty good. The songwriting I feel like is OK, lyrics aren't that great, songs don't feel much above low budget garage rockers, wonder if they would have been famous with an unattractive lead singer. It's OK, I've just heard much better.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Late 80s country is probably the most boring genre of all for me. The production and songwriting always sounds so uninspired, repetitive, and sterile. It is so clean and thin, that is sounds so manufactured, and has no heart, so it feels inauthentic and just made to sell. This album is no different. Songwriters penning songs in their rooms, sent to session musicians to play in a recording studio, and a talented singer to sing over top of it all. I'll give it a 2 just because her voice is very very good.
3/5
This was a crazy album. It was as if The Talking Heads, B-52s, and The Cars all came together to play songs that weren't quite as good as any of those bands haha. The album was a little too inconsistent, but I did enjoy the oddity of it.
The KLF
3/5
I would never listen to this album on my own, but being forced to listen, it really wasn't that bad. Some of the better 90s sports jam type music. The fact that they sampled Kick out the Jams by MC5 automatically gives this album an extra star. It kept me entertained.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Wow! This blew me away! This was really good! I liked the vocals. I liked the songwriting. I liked the energy. The electronic noises actually added to the song I stead of took away from it. Not really s low point in the album. Solid.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
This was an interesting listen. I REALLY enjoy the reverb and effects on the vocals, felt very Genesis or Yes like. The first half kept my attention, then the second half put me to sleep. Wow was that repetitive. Album art alone gives it an extra half star.
Magazine
4/5
Wow!! This album was really really good!! The music was a five star for me!! The lyrics were a 4, and the singing was a 2. Throw in a different lead singer and this had the possibility of being a 5 star for me. I loved the complexity of the music, so many layers, but yet it sounded simplistic. I loved the energy and the beats. Just the singing was rough, but it's right for that genre, I just don't love that genre.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Wow I REALLY enjoyed this!!! The vocal harmonies were awesome and very unique. Sounded very 60s influenced. I liked the sound of the drums and the simplicity of the drums, bass, and guitar, and the space they left in the music. Each song kept me entertained.
Britney Spears
4/5
Boy, this is a tough one. I do believe this album might be one of the best, if not the best, in this, I'll say, early 2000s pop, genre. I know it is great. I just don't like this stuff and I wouldn't listen to it again. The songwriting is talented, the singing is talented, her face is extremely talented haha, so I'm torn. Plus it is catchy as tell and I can't get Oops I did it again out of my head! Btw Jack Black does an AWESOME cover of that song. So I guess I talked myself into a four star.
B.B. King
3/5
This was a fun listen. It's a genre I dont know that well so that was fun. I love the 60s black crowds and how into the music they would get. Cool to see where else was going on while the Beatles were dominating the charts. I really enjoyed his voice, and I really enjoyed his crowd interaction. But it all sounds the same after a while.
Cream
4/5
I think this album is amazing. The songs are well written, incredible amount of talent all around - guitar, bass, drums, vocals - what a band!! This album has one of my favorite guitar sounds of all time. SWLABR is a top 50 all-time favorite song for me. Second favorite guitar sound of shy song behind only Spirit in the Sky. And this album is so ahead of its time. In addition, I love that it mixes psychedelic, hard rock and blues. The biggest pitfall for me on this album is the production is just awful. Everything is so flat and thin, the drums sound like they were recorded in a warehouse, and why are they in stereo on one side???? Otherwise, just GREAT 60s proto metal.
Nirvana
2/5
I never could quite understand the lure of Nirvana. I think they are just larger than their music, similar to Def Leppard or Grateful Dead, where they are more of a symbol of something than actually something. You listen to this album, if it was under any other band name, I doubt many would listen to it and no critics would applaud it, and because the leader singer commits suicide the following year, it is now in the top 1001 albums. The actually songs are terrible. The singing is terrible. The lyrics is relatively bad. The guitar and bass might have some talent, hard to tell based on the style, and the drums are good. It feels like a Kurt Cobain solo album more than a band effort.
The Specials
3/5
This wasn't anything like what I was expecting, and is definitely from a genre I am not familiar with. It was super interesting. For what the band lacked in technical and songwriting talent, they more than made up for in uniqueness. They were able to be catchy and exciting without requiring song/ album continuity or convention. I loved the odd instruments and time signatures. Very interesting album.
Sex Pistols
3/5
Listening to this album was pretty much what I expected to happen... I have refused to listen to the Sex Pistols because Anarchy in the UK is my second most despised song of all time behind Killing in the Name of by Rage Against the Machine... But here I am enjoying the rest of the album. I love the production sound, I love the energy, I love the simplicity, and the singing is so unique and recognizable that even though it is atrocious, it works and I don't mind it. I enjoy the lyrics for the most part as well. I probably should have given this album a chance instead of relying on the one song I knew.
Supergrass
4/5
I can't believe I never knew this band existed!! They are the perfect transition piece between 60s brit-rock bands like the Kinks with the subsequent neo-classic-rock phase like JET. They were about 10 years ahead of their time! Catchy songs, fun music videos, and fun music. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
I struggled through this one. Everything that made their previous album so amazing seems to be missing here and all you are left with is what feels like stuff that didn't make their previous album. There's a fine line between experimentation and craftsmanship, and this just feels like experimentation. Nothing really memorable and I found myself zoning out during a lot of the songs.
Morrissey
2/5
I don't know what to make of this. I really like the lyrics. I really like the music. But the singing just makes it so unbelievably boring and lulls me to sleep. There is no range whatsoever. Every song ends up sounding the exact same regardless it Metallica or Simon and Garfunkel are the backing band. It sounds so manufactured and uninspired in the end. Theres a song called lifeguarding sleeping, girl drowning. Yeah, it was probably because the lifeguard was listening to this album!!
The Monks
4/5
Oh my goodness YES! This is what this 1001 albums to listen to before you die is all about! 99% of people including myself would have never heard this album. This album was super cool. I LOVED the uniqueness of his singing style and lyrical composition (if you can even call half of what he says lyrics). His voice was AWESOME. I absolutely loved the organ, and I enjoyed the occasional guitar solo. I loved that the songs stayed upbeat and you could stomp your feet to just about all of them. My only critique is that none of the songs ever felt like complete songs. It's fun for a bit, but then I'm like, is this just a 40 minute long improv / jam session? But you know what, maybe!! Who cares, just GREAT 60s garage rock through and through.
Saint Etienne
2/5
This is unfortunately the influencer of the entire genre that I call "Chipolte Rock", that watered down ethereal bull$hit music they play at Chipolte all the time. Airy, lots of bass with little else, and usually female singers that sound like whispers rather than full vocals. I can't stand this style of music. I will give it two stars only because of the impressiveness of this album sounding timeless and not dated at all. Never would have guessed 1991.
N.W.A.
1/5
I won't even waste my time reviewing this, other than to say, I recognize it's significance in the history of music.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Led Zeppelin's second best album in my opinion behind Zeppelin IV. I would put this album in the top 50 all time.
Custard Pie / The Rover - FANTASTIC one two punch to start the album. Just good ole rockers.
My time of dying - ehh, doesn't do it for me, but I recognize it's a great song.
Houses of the Holy - good classic Zeppelin but I see why they didn't think it was good enough for the previous album, and probably not good enough for this album either.
Trampled Underfoot - my all-time favorite Zeppelin song and probably top 50 all time favorite song by anyone. So much going on, so much talent, just amazing.
Kashmir - probably Zeppelin's best song they ever made. Unbelievable songwriting, performance, sound, everything. Maybe top 50 greatest song of all time by anyone.
In the light - first three minutes are spectacular, then starts to get monotonous.
I will completely ignore the second disc of the double album since it is just a collection of B sides and songs not deemed good enough for previous albums.
Miles Davis
2/5
This wasn't quite up to par with the other instrumental stuff we have heard. It sounded like mostly meandering improv that didn't really go anywhere. I could do that myself for 40 minutes.
The Stooges
3/5
Wow. This band was surprisingly consistent. I'm surprised they aren't more famous. Truly ahead of their time when it comes to punk rock, hard rock, and almost glam rock. Great sound. Unique style. Unique voice. Just not great songs.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
This was an odd album. Odd lyrics, odd singing. Nothing like what I have heard before. I'm not a big folk person, but I do appreciate the uniqueness of her voice and singing style.
Oasis
3/5
Wow. I was surprised by this. For all the Oasis haters, and me really only knowing Champaign Supernova, I was like they aren't worth my time checking out. But I'll tell you what, u thought this album was pretty decent! Good guitar tracks, nice bass, unique singing, mediocre at best drums. But it was a good listen.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
This was quite an odd and interesting album. I am SHOCKED that is was one of the biggest selling albums of the 90s! Apart from unconventional lyrics and maybe slightly odd singing, it doesn't strike me as THAT different or amazing of an album. It is certainly good, certainly influential.
Dire Straits
5/5
This is SUCH an interesting album. Dire Straits undoubtedly in an identity crisis on this album. The first three songs are not their sound whatsoever, and was then completely selling out, but doing it so unbelievably well, one of the greatest back to back to back songs of any album in the history of rock. Then the rest of the album is true Dire Straits. Superbly crafted songs, just very boring.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
The production of the Smashing Pumpkins always baffled me and made it hard for me to figure them out. Their heavy songs never sounded heavy because of the weird boxiness of their guitars and all the weird static. His singing is rough for me to get through. I think they r a hard rock band that just has some slower songs, and I guess that's why metal fans like them. As for this album, my freaking goodness it is WAY TOO LONG. It's not that there is much filler (kudos to them), it just starts to get a bit repetitive. The songs are well crafted.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Top 5 favorite album for me. And I do think this is the best album of all time.
The Cure
2/5
This isn't for me. I understand the talent and why people like it, with the atmospheric sounds and textures and meloncholy lullaby sounds, but I can't get into it.
Little Richard
3/5
Tutti Fruitti was AWESOME, then the rest kinda sounded the same and nothing super spectacular. It kept me entertained. I was starting to grow a little tired of the sax, wouldn't have minded some other instruments thrown in there. Super good 50s rock.
Paul Simon
3/5
From a technical standpoint, this album is AMAZING. There is about 4 different genres all put together, usually within the same song! Rock, country, funk, folk, etc. Pretty amazing. Each song is beautifully and articulately crafted. I love the crisp bass. The lyrics are incredible. The challenge for me is the sound is very dated, sounds EXACTLY like 1986. Also, Paul is clearly a one-truck pony on this album. Every single song is just stream of consciousness almost spoken word verses. It gets old after a while. Artistically this is a 5, but I struggle getting into it from an actual listening standpoint.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
I mean, look, this is probably best in class in what it is, but it is what it is. Compared to other styles of music, this just seems borderline unlistenable. It is not offensive and it doesn't make me angry, so I won't give it one star.
Faust
3/5
Wow!! This was way better then I was expecting! I have heard and read about krautrock for years because of all my music research I do, but never listened to it. I actually enjoyed it.
Jurassic 5
2/5
The more I listen to this 90s and early 2000s hip hop the more it starts to sound the same. But I'm sure people who mostly listen to that stuff thinks 70s rock all sounds the same. Nothing special here, but it did have fun beats and good rhyming.
The Who
3/5
I really enjoy the Who, particularly their 60s stuff. This album however, I didn't feel like they quite clicked yet, not quite their own. The Ox seemed to point to things to come, and My Generation is one of the greatest early hard rock songs ever made, but the rest seemed unorganized and blah. They aren't great songwriters, but they compensate with intensity and energy, and it wasn't on this album.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Wow this was super interesting!! Not my favorite, but boy did this entertain me. Super odd singing over super mainstream 80s music, with crazy lyrics, and fantastic theatrics. It's the most non-mainstream mainstream music I ever heard!! And holy cow that lead singer looks like th coolest guy EVER! The only reason it doesn't get a four is because it did start to get repetitive.
Air
3/5
Shocking shocking shocking. Maybe I was just in the right mood for this at the time, but I LOVED this. This was like Pink Floyd and Jet got together and recorded instrumental music. I don't like instrumental stuff too much, but I was entertained for the first 75%. Only reason not four stars is the last 25% really started to drag.
10cc
4/5
This was super cool!! Wow. I was entertained the ENTIRE album. What great art rock. It was mainstream and easy to listen to, while still having so many layers of interesting stuff going on. This was experimental Queen before Queen started experimenting! I have a lot of respect for this band after listening to this. Great songwriting, great instruments, commendable singing, great studio work, and great production.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
I've heard enough instrumental albums now, and plus my one friend has played quite a bit of jazz for me, to know that there is better stuff out there than this. It's not bad, just comparative there's stuff I enjoy a lot more.
Nick Drake
2/5
I can't do it. I can't understand him. His voice isn't great. The music gets boring super quick. But it's not repulsive.
Crowded House
3/5
This should be the album that all other albums are compared to. It's the least offensive album possible, while being the least exciting album possible. This is the most generic, almost algorithmic music possible. This is a 3.0000000.
Tom Waits
4/5
This was SUPER fun. I loved so much about this. I loved the live feel. I loved that you felt like u were in a dark dingy smokes filled basement bar. I loved his voice. I loved his lyrics. I loved the humor. I loved the easy listening piece of it.
American Music Club
2/5
The most sterile 90s wannabe Tom Petty music possible.
Frank Zappa
4/5
This is an absolute INCREDIBLE collection of talent. Incredible songwriting, incredible musicianship, incredible production. This is so ahead of its time. And each song is unique, and uses unique instruments. Probably going to be my favorite instrumental album.
The Stooges
4/5
I think this is the best pre punk album ever made. Just so good on so many levels. Search and Destroy is INCREDIBLE. My biggest challenge is the production. I think David Bowie is HANDS DOWN the worst producer of all time, and it's not even close. Just terrible. It's a shame he produced albums for The Stooges, Mott the Hoople, MC5, makes powerful bands sound like they recorded in their mom's basements.
Beatles
4/5
Alright, well, I don't like the beatles, but I must say, I was very very impressed by the album. I thought this was pretty good. Other than Maxwell's Silver Hammer, I can honestly say there isn't really another bad song in this. The medley at the end is kinda cool. Can't believe I'm about to give a beatles album a 4.
1/5
What the freak did I just listen to??? Maybe the weirdest album yet. I don't know if that was music or just a much of repeating sounds.
Don McLean
3/5
Iron Maiden
4/5
This one is tough for me to grade. Knowing Iron Maiden's full discography, and then trying to compare this to all other music (how do you compare to Simon & Garfunkel???), is tough. I'm not a huge fan of this album compared to others by Iron Maiden. I feel like this was their jump off point with a new vocalist and principle lyricist, however it wasn't all there yet like their following albums. That said, it's better than 90% of other music out there, and Run to the Hills is one of the greatest metal songs of all time.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Wow! What an INCREDIBLE voice! I've heard her name a million times but never listened to her music. I liked the energy, I liked the style, I liked her voice. It did start to get a little repetitive after a while, and a lack of guitars started to wear on me.
Alice In Chains
3/5
I was never much of an AIC fan. Their music never did it for me. I think it was because the singing and the music never yelled to me. It always sounded like two songs being overlapped. However, some stuff on this album wasn't too bad. Dam that River worked, sounded cohesive. The music is GREAT, probably top 5 favorite pre-2000s guitar sound. Drumming repetitive but serviceable. I realize now just how influential this band was! Gave Creed, Nickelback, and then everyone who copied them a blueprint.
Meat Puppets
2/5
This was an odd listen. I appreciate that this app is trying to introduce you to unique, different stuff you wouldn't normally listen to, and it IS called 1001 albums to listen to before you die and not best 1001 albums ever, so I need to keep reminding myself that. This was unique, not good. I like the (I assume) two different lead singers and I do like that they sound like different bands at times. But overall it was just lackluster, not bad. Nothing noteworthy, other than some interesting lyrics.
Circle Jerks
1/5
I really need to make sure I get into heaven, because I heard rumors that this and Leonard Cohen are on repeat on the loudspeakers in hell.
Radiohead
2/5
I never understood the love affair with Radiohead. It's borderline unlistenable. There are some glimpses of genius, but it's mostly just boring head music. I guess if I did drugs I would feel differently.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Johnny Cash always have crazy set lists, and his greatest hits are all over the place, so in a way it's kinda cool because the more you listen to him, the more songs you hear, and it's very few that repeat across greatest hits or live sets. I'm listened to a lot of Johnny Cash and STILL half these songs I never heard before! I'm glad they didn't cut between songs and you can hear all the back and forth with the crowd. Makes you feel like you are there.
Missy Elliott
1/5
You bet your dupa this was supa BAD...
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Just because it is different or unusual, doesn't mean it needs to be listened to before you die. I am starting to wish this list was comprised of generally agreed upon "good" music rather than the most eclectic 1001 albums they could find. I mean, I can make an album of dogs barking and babies farting, but that shouldn't automatically qualify it for this list just because no one has done that before.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
This was pretty run of the mill 80s post-punk-pop. Nothing special. Couldn't really hold my attention. Guitars were boring, drums repetitive, and voice generic.
Elliott Smith
2/5
This wasn't near as good as his figure 8 album. This just sounded like incoherent whispers over a repetitive acoustic guitar. Each song sounded the same. It was as if Paul McCartney lost his voice and only wanted to do slow songs.
OutKast
2/5
Hey Ya is probably my favorite hip hop song of all time. Roses was a spectacular surprise! The rest of it stank. 2 hours to hear two good songs.