1001 Albums Summary

Very well written, great production & performance. "All I Ask" with the strings was a highlight. "There Goes God" has the exact amount of camp I'm looking for in my music. My biggest complaint is tempos dragged through some of the songs and a few songs felt like filler. The overall message is good, but it's also kinda forgettable and I don't think I'd listen again (maybe except "There Goes God"). It's a good album, but kinda confusing why it's in the 1001 albums list. 3/5.

A lyrical and melodic masterpiece. It's immediately apparent that every single note is perfectly curated and intentionally placed. Her use of vibrato, dynamics, and range is incredible. Her vocals are absolutely ethereal. I didn't relate very closely to a lot of the lyrics about heartbreak/longing, and a lot of it feels a little bit syrupy for my personal taste. What a blessing to have this glimpse into Joni's mind. I listened to this in December 2025 and "River" had me feeling all sorts of emotions. Beautiful song and beautiful record. 4.3/5

The first half of the album had my head bopping, but it didn't have me completely pulled in. Lyrical Gangbang transition into High Powered had me on the floor. The rest of the album was strong. Some really nasty beats in here. Not my usual genre, actually the first hip hop album I've heard in full. I understand the influence for sure but I guess I gravitate towards music with a different subject matter. Just my personal preference. 3/5

Great voice, Steely Dan has such a distinctive sound. Those 70s layered harmonies are glorious. The first half is strong and reminds me of what my parents listen to. Great lyricism. The latter half is a bit forgettable. I'm hopeful that some of their other works will hit a little bit harder. 2.9/5.

The first four songs of this album are incredible. What a treat! The latter half wasn't nearly as strong. I'm noticing that as a trend with a lot of albums from the 70s. Bit of a sidetrack, but it was also a little bit annoying as a YouTube music user to dig around for all of these tracks (I think they only allow a single instance of each track, so songs on the Legacy album are not available on this album. Had to frankenstein a playlist together from 2 different albums). Don Henley's unique vocals really had me pulled in. I think this is one of the strongest vocal performances I've heard so far in the 1001 albums list. Of course, the guitars were great as well. I thought the weakest track was "Pretty Maids All in a Row." "Wasted Time" really stood out to me with the strings and the vocals. Some of the songs are a little bit too long. Very strong album overall and I would probably listen to it again (with a couple skips). 3.8/5

I thought this album was entirely forgettable. Nothing stood out to me at all. The grooves are nice, some decent vocal moments, decent production. Everything else was in one ear out the other. Not for me. Genuinely can't think of anything else to say about it. 2/5.

Wow, I really enjoyed this one. Deep cuts, very personal songwriting and the right amount of camp for this level of sentimentality. Production was lovely, vocals were lovely, chord progressions lovely. Like most of my favorite albums, every moment feels highly curated and intentionally placed. Every second taken advantage of. Tragic knowing this was the last project he released. I think this is an artist I will dig deep into. 4.4/5.

This all felt very raw and emotional. Like it was written as poetry before it was put to music. However, it was lackluster in melody and production. Vocals were overall weak. Songwriting carried everything. I might need to give it another listen in the future, but first listen did not impress me much. 2.9/5

Songwriting, vocals, production, all in a package that seems to tell a relatable and beautiful story. Creative use of harmonies and instrumentation keeps it interesting. I was enthralled through the entire album front to back. A deeper look into the recording and production of this album only makes it more special. "You Still Believe in Me" stood out immediately as one of my favorites on the album. The instrumentation is just brilliant and there are some crazy harmonic ideas happening. Sloop John B and God Only Knows were also standouts. This holds up as innovative, interesting, and inspirational 60 years later. Can't wait to listen to more Beach Boys. 4.8/5.

Was really excited to get this one after listening to Blue just a few albums ago. Very impressed with her vocal control. Every moment is taken advantage of and every moment is so calculated and intentional. I've been enjoying jazz lately, so I loved the heavy jazz influence. I enjoyed the lyrics on this album more than Blue. Loved the harmonies and creativity. I felt like there was an overall...layer missing to this. More "depth of sound" or maybe just more production would have gone a long way. I still enjoyed the stripped-down vibe. Joni is becoming one of my favorite singer-songwriters. So much talent. 3.8/5

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would based on the edgy cover. A lot of ideas explored creatively, variance in sound while still sounding cohesive and recognizable. Nothing really stood out melodically. Lyrics are cookie-cutter rebellious, and at this point in history (2026), that vibe is pretty washed out. Kinda gives "I'm not like the other girls." Strong instrumentation and production, but the high pitched noodly guitars get a bit tiring. A worthwhile listen even if it's not completely my thing. 3.2/5.

I have opinions on this. This is my first front to back Beatles album. I thought the opener and the closer both were stark and kinda jarring; not much care put into song order. The ideas fly by rapidly, with each song well under 3 minutes. I almost feel like there could have been fewer (longer) songs but the same number of ideas. Apparently this is also a majority cover album, which I didn't know until after I listened. It's interesting knowing that this is the basis for popular music as we know it. It has a certain charm that is so unique to The Beatles, yet the influence is apparent in the modern artists I listen to. It's cool to hear how they had such a clear vision for their sound and executed it so precisely. Subject matter is very simple and digestible, mainly heartbreak and longing. I thought the production and mixing was clean. I did listen to the remastered version. In my critical eyes, trying to fairly rate the quality of the music over the influence of the artist, I rate this album pretty averagely. It's not bad by any means. I am excited to hear how their sound evolves over time.

I was really excited to listen to this album. I've heard the hits so many times but never heard the vision as a whole. I thought it was excellent. The first half is definitely stronger than the latter half. The lyrics are nothing groundbreaking, but they do dig deep enough to leave an impact. Vocal performance is good, mixing is a little bit messy in places, but where it's good, it's REALLY good. Mostly highs with a few lows towards the end. Nothing on this record was truly bad. This is what the mid 2000s sounds like to me. My childhood. My rating might be a little bit high, but I think it's deserved. Mr. Brightside is a treasure of a song. Solid 4/5.

This is crazy for 1968. But in 2026....this is a mess. I wanted to like this album but halfway through track 2 I was checked out. There were some good vocal moments, some good instrumental moments. It wasn't all bad. But not good enough to redeem the rest. Utter lack of any structure, 6 songs in 32 minutes but feels like much longer, guitars in one ear and drums in the other. A lot of...feral screeching. I can imagine myself college age in the late 60s thinking I'm super cool and edgy for liking something like this. That's about all the charm it has. The birthplace of metal? Possibly, honestly who knows. The longest 32 minutes of my life? Up there. I hope I enjoy other metal albums more than this. I want to forget I listened to this. 1.5/5 but I gotta round it down.

When this page opened up to a 2 hour 10 minute long country folk album, I had to take a deep breath and consider my choices. I could skip it completely, I could choose popular selections, I could sit down and listen to a movie feature-length work, or I could break it up over a few sessions and actually try to take it in. I chose the last option, and by golly I'm glad I did. This really surprised me! I grew up in Alabama and live in Tennessee currently, so this is not foreign to me. My grandparents loved this kind of music and I actually recognized a lot of the songs. I appreciated that it leaned more into the bluegrass/folk rather than the country I'm used to hearing in Nashville. The best thing this album has going for it is the quality of the recording. The mixing is SO CLEAN. Levels are really great; you can hear each instrument so clearly, and there are a lot of instruments going on at once. Really nice on the ears, both through headphones and speakers. Great performance as well. The banjo never fails to impress me. I enjoyed the vocal harmonies and the instrumental numbers. Like most, I thought it was just too long. 2 straight hours of bluegrass is fatiguing to just about anyone, I think. I had to break it up or I probably would have hated it. My other complaint is the amount of chatting. Don't get me wrong, I think it's cute and quirky to have a little bit of studio chatter at the beginning or end of a few numbers, if it actually adds to the performance. But having entire tracks dedicated to listening to the banter is a little much. I skipped through some of those sections that felt too long. This is definitely the magnum opus of country music. I'm glad I listened to it and I think it was enriching. I will probably pull songs from this in scenarios where some bluegrass is warranted. Just wanted to shout out "Both Sides Now" as being heartbreakingly gorgeous and is definitely going on my sad day playlist. Can't believe I'm saying this, but 3.8/5 rounded up.

This was a cute little album and the first instrumental only I've had on this list. The title track is a classic - everyone has heard this and can groove along to it. It doesn't sound like it was made in 1962 - there's a timeless nature to it that has withstood decades. I think this is a great album to put on in the background of game night. Maybe while playing Clue. The organ is very groovy and I love the aesthetic across the board. Is this groundbreaking? No. Every song fades out except for two and that's a whole point off. I thought production and mixing was just about average, if not above average for this time. There isn't a bad song on this album, although there might only be one or two memorable ones. Happy to have listened to it, but it also didn't really leave an impact. 3.2/5

I thought this album was outstanding. My first Bowie album. Bowie's vocals are very unique and my kind of campy. I enjoyed the soul/R&B vibe. I know this album is a style outlier, though I haven't heard his other works yet. I'm still trying to take it at face value. I really enjoyed the moments in this album that leaned more towards rock, and I thought his voice with the backing vocals was really brilliant and just sounded really good. The songs are long, but the album is paced very well. I think the first half is a weaker than the second half. Win, Fascination, and Right are somewhat forgettable, but still enjoyable. The final four songs are a powerful journey. There is so much love and light in these songs and they almost tell a story together. Lyricism is outstanding. As a person who has discovered joy, I always get really excited when I find someone who has also figured it out. Really, really beautiful messages throughout this album. 5+ stars for that. Overall, 4.4/5, rounded down for the first half.

This is a cute album. It's really not much more than that. As a person who really focuses on listening to female artists and perspectives, it fatigued me a bit. I didn't know just how many songs along of the lines of "give me your love" could be stuffed into 26 minutes. There's very little substance here. The songs are short and sweet. Production is decent, but oh man, the vocals are kinda a wreck. Lead singer sounds good, but the backing vocals are so often out of tune it made my face scrunch up. Either replace the guy who's out of tune or do another take! Maybe there's some influence here I'm not picking up, but it kinda just sounds like everything else that came out of the 50s. It's a very accessible album, very commerical, but nothing groundbreaking, I fear. Cute, but not for me. 2.7/5.

Yes!!! THIS is what I'm talking about. There's no way this is 1963. Absolutely a vision, entirely unique, and really exciting to listen to. Bracing my seat, anticipating what was coming next. Production goes crazy. Apparently Hendrix produced this entirely by himself, which is insane. It's a long record, but it didn't feel long. In fact, the 13 and 15 minute tracks happened to be some of my favorites. You could honestly pick any track at random and know it's going to be a good time. Guitars and vocals are obviously standouts. I loved the moments where the guitar and vocals are in unison, and also when the guitar is used as a "voice." The special effects that are created are insanely cool and kinda just leave you with your mouth open, like "woah." This is truly unlike anything I've ever heard before. Solid 5/5.

This is another cute album. I love that it's a live performance - it really shows off his raw talent. Pacing is outstanding; I really enjoyed how the songs flow together and I welcomed listening to him talk between songs. Hearing the screaming fans is endearing as well. Humans truly have always been the same. As much as I had fun listening, this is another forgettable record. "Help the Poor" is one of the only tracks that really stuck with me. The rest of the tracks are cute and fun - I imagine moreso to actually experience live. B.B. King's voice is really nice. Some really good moments. Good guitar solos, of course. I don't really see myself coming back to this album for a whole lot, but I can't deny the quality. This is a time I really wish I had half stars because neither 3 or 4 seem right. I will say 3.5/5 and round down.

I was really happy to see a woman on this page after so many days of listening to men in the 60s/70s trying to sound cool. I focus my personal music taste on female artists. I am only familiar with her hits and her most recent album Cowboy Carter, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect going into this. Note: I watched the whole visual album for this. God is certainly a woman. I truly was not ready for just how sexual this was going to be. About six songs in a row, all at the front of the album, just about as explicitly about sex as you can get. It was a little fatiguing, but I still had fun and enjoyed them. Blow and Rocket were my favorite of these hyper sexual tracks. I thought the back half of the album was more enjoyable for myself personally. The songwriting is strong and I really enjoyed the subjects she explored. Beyonce is really good at creating a mood with her music. She sets a vibe sonically and lyrically that always comes across so clearly. Vocals were very strong, of course. She really has such a beautiful feminine tone. Production goes pretty crazy. So many ideas are explored and fully fleshed out. It's primarily R&B but also has that pop influence that makes it appeal to a wide audience. I think Beyonce's best moments here are stripped down with layered vocal harmonies. No complaints about mixing; it really feels like a labor of love. This is certainly one of the stronger, fully formed ideas I've listened to so far. The quality and the effort really stands out and she certainly accomplished what she was going for. I don't think this is quite a 5, but pretty close. Not much I enjoy more than seeing a beautiful woman confident in herself and serving absolute c*nt. It also makes me happy that a bunch of men watched this and got uncomfortable with that image and rated it low. Some of y'all just can't handle a confident woman, and I'll gladly keep this for myself. 4.3/5.

I very much enjoyed this album. Lennon has a very strong voice here and speaks on issues about the world, peace, and love that are still very much relevant today. I feel like I really got to know him very well as a person. Very strong lyricism and songwriting. Musically, it's pretty basic, although there are some unique moments that made my head turn. His vocals are strong (of course). The best moments in this album are when the piano is front and center. I don't think there's any filler here; each song serves a purpose and really tells a strong message. I rank this up there with albums I'll highly recommend and maybe revisit a few times, but not *quite* the level of my 5 star picks. Really fantastic, 4.2/5

Ambient music for airports is a really good descriptor for this. I got a ton of journaling done in these 48 minutes; really good study music. I will be saving this for other concentration projects. There's not a whole lot to say about ambient music. It's calming and accomplishes its goal. Production is good, but I wasn't the hugest fan of the "choral" sound used in the middle two tracks. Otherwise, good stuff. 3/5.

This is such a fun album! The vibes are impeccable all the way though. It's one of my dad's favorite albums, so I am familiar. I particularly enjoyed Hitch a Ride and of course More than a Feeling. Vocals: solid as hell. I enjoyed the production there and thought it was reminiscent of the Eagles. The falsetto moments were solid, but lost its novelty after a few iterations. Instrumentals: very good. I enjoyed the guitar solos and organ moments the most. Lyricism is a bit above average, and like the overall sound of this record, they are just fun. Production and mixing really stands out. It just sounds super professional. There's an addicting energy to this music that just channels through me when I listen to it. It might not impact me as much as it does my parents, but I can't deny the good vibes it gives. Fun music for fun people. 3.8/4.

This album is a great example of high highs and low lows. Unfortunately, I heard more lows than highs. Six of eight songs were forgettable for me. The other two hit me right in the feels. One World is a beautiful song about finding purpose. Small Hours is a ethereal experience centered around loving as fully as possible. I didn't want that song to be over. I can certainly hear the effort in this album. However, John's vocals just do not do it for me at ALL. I do not like the raspiness nor do I enjoy not understanding a word he's saying. Nothing super memorable in the instrumentals. I thought it was well produced, but I also really got thrown off by the trombone solo tossed in there. Did not fit the vibe of the album for me. The closing track really was something special, but I don't feel like it redeemed what kinda felt like a waste of time. I kinda want my 25 minutes that weren't the two tracks I named back. 2.3/5.

Bob Marley is a musical saint among men. There is nothing but good vibes, good lyrics, and good music to be found here. I particularly enjoy music that dives in beyond themes of heartbreak and longing. I particularly enjoyed the way this album was constructed in two halves: the first speaks out against bad politics and the second brings it back to love and faith. This structure makes a lot of sense and the message is very clear. Like I mentioned previously, the music is fairly simple, yet still accomplishes what it intends to and even more. Bob's accent makes him so recognizable and the hybrid of Jamaican and pop works very well. The songs are well written, well performed, and produced well. Mixing is clean while still feeling laid-back and cool. Exodus actually was not one of my favorite tracks. The final two tracks really took it home for me. In Three Little Birds, when Bob says every little thing is gonna be alright, I believe him. When he says to thank and praise the Lord and we'll feel alright, I also believe him. I'm grateful he shared this part of his soul with the world. It didn't completely blow me away like my other 5 stars, but I finished the album feeling really good, and that has merit. I'm gonna say 4.5/5 and round down.

Take Me Out used to be one of my favorite tracks to run to, and I didn't realize it was this band until it started playing! I think this entire album is going to turn into a go-to workout playlist of mine. There's so much energy pumped into this. So much so, I almost wish there was a moment of reprieve - each song really has a similar vibe and there's not a ton of variance in sound. However, the performance is really good. It sounds like it could have been made well before 2004, but also sounds like it belongs when it was made as well. No skips except for Cheating on You. What an awful, horrible, no-good song. I had really enjoyed everything up to that point, and it almost soured the rest of the experience for me. Michael redeemed it back almost where it was before. What a glorious song, nearly unheard of in 2004. I'm sure that had to be the awakening of many queer people back in the day. Certainly going on a playlist and will probably be my favorite song for a little while. Vocals are very strong and very fun. Love hearing the accent peek through, and the foreign language moments are fun. Instrumental performance is solid. I think mixing could be a little bit cleaner, especially for the time. It's just a little bit too loud. Something feels really special about this album, the quality, and contribution to the advancement of rock music. However, I really can't excuse the cheating song, and I think the production could have been a bit cleaner. I really want to bump my rating and it's tempting to, but I think it's more of a 4.3/5. Cheaters begone.

As a person who has spent a lifetime being classically trained in music and obtained a four-year degree in music, this album fascinated me. I heard influences of what I would call contemporary classical, or at the very least some kind of serialism or atonalism. There is a tonal "center" to each song, but not a whole lot of melody going on. Guitars are playing familiar-sounding chords with crunchy notes between, creating a grungy, underground kind of sound. Production is excellent. A very unique sound done well, with plenty of hard-hitting moments and moments of reprieve as well. I thought some of the songs were simply too long and for no good reason. I did not really enjoy the vocals - they were just underwhelming and not very memorable. Instrumentals are strong. This is the kind of music that makes you scrunch up your face and nod your head in agreement, or possibly disagreement if you have different tastes. It's very effective, if not a bit brash. I think this is objectively *good* and it makes sense to be on this list, and I might come back to it in some deeper musical discussions. 3/5; solid, but not really made for me.

This is good quality music - but it doesn't quite hit my mark. I do love campy, comedic, unserious music. But something doesn't quite vibe in here with me. There are a lot of good moments, especially in the first half. The first four songs are a nice liseten, The Moonbeam Song was very cute, Coconut is ridiculous, and the rest kinda feels weird. Vocals are just about as strong as I've heard so far on this journey. He has awesome control, grit, and a nice tone. I didn't hear a single sour note in here. 5/5 vocals. Production is pretty basic; good, but nothing special. I enjoyed hearing the sound of the organ keys clacking almost creating a beat in Early in the Morning. I appreciate the instrument combinations in here, e.g. the strings and brass, even if it's not all my cup of tea. It's a cohesive work, if not a bit of a drag. The album cover and title really pulls it home. I feel like its a decent 2.8/5. Will be revisiting a couple songs most likely.

My first experience with Springsteen! Wasn't sure what to expect with the cover, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I love campy music, and this felt incredibly campy. Like a parody of Americana while also being a tribute. So many of the songs had me smiling and wanting to shake my booty. Melodically, I didn't think it was anything special. A lot of very basic melodic concepts. His vocals are good, but a little grating for more than 30 minutes. I think cutting this down a couple songs would have been a good choice. Production sounded like a lot of fun and I can tell this was a blast in the studio. I enjoyed the songwriting and the way the lyricism invokes a lot of imagery. Loved the synths. Really enjoyed the overall sound. "Country" vibes but still leaning pop-rock and very radio-friendly and accessible. I think I will revisit this whole album in the future when I want to have some fun. Solid 4/5.

I always knew Stevie Wonder was special but I wasn't expecting something quite this level. And it's not even considered one of his best albums, wow. The whole thing is giving musical theatre, with touches of jazz and gospel. There is such a clear message in each song and throughout the whole record. He has definitely discovered joy and that's always exciting for me to see. Vocals are 5+/5, WOW!! What a silky smooth, rich, versatile voice. I could listen to him for hours. Production is 5/5. So much creativity, incredible grooves, and fully formed ideas. No filler; each song serves a purpose and is masterfully ordered. Great lyricism, good melodies. Very well written songs. I don't really consider myself a religious person, but my favorite track was Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away. Such a powerful message. Too Shy to Say was really beautiful and the transition into Boogie On Reggae Woman had me hooting and hollering. I wish this album was longer, honestly. Gonna have to listen to more of Stevie on my own time. 5/5

This album was a little bit all over the place for me, and too country for my taste. My favorite moments were definitely the parts that leaned Scottish/Irish, with flute, violin, heavy accent, etc. I also thought a lot of the album was very "noisy," not necessarily in a bad way, but not in a way I really enjoyed. I didn't hear anything particularly special about the production or mixing. If anything, I thought it could have used a little more tweaking to be less noisy. Vocals and instrumentals were about average, but I particularly enjoyed the violin performance. The Stolen Child was by far my favorite track, and one of the only ones that really stood out to me. Really beautiful melodies, lyrics, and instrumentals. I think my overall dislike for this album came from just how country it leaned. I enjoy folk and some bluegrass, but not this kind of *country.* It's not a bad album, just really not my thing at all. It's a 2.5/5, but I'm going to round down because I just do not see myself ever coming back to this.

I enjoy jazz. I really do. It's a beautiful art form full of talent I could never fathom having myself, and a really important part of music history and legacy. I have no notes on performance, or production. It's very well done, well written, well performed. I think I learned from this album that I just have to *be there* to really enjoy jazz. I went to jazz concerts in music school and loved them. It's just not something I really choose to listen to on my own time. Also, I really just don't love the saxophone as an instrument. I know, big gasp all around. It just doesn't tickle my ears like it does for others. I want to rate it higher, but recorded jazz like this really isn't my thing. If I had been alive to see this in concert in person it would be a 5/5. However, it just falls a little flat through headphones. 3.3/5.

Oh man. This ripped me back in time to when I was a huge Supernatural fan as a little teenager. As excited as I was to finally listen to this album, I still went in with lower expectations. The cover is a great representation of a culture I don't particularly enjoy: men trying to be cool and ultra masculine with no vulnerability in sight. To my surprise, it honestly kinda blew me away. The guitars were out of this world. Really fun, creative riffs, well executed and performed. The vocals are so unique and well done. Usually these kinds of "screeching" or "raspy" rock voices start grating after a few songs, but this just worked really well and had me locked in. The weakest point is definitely lyrics. Nothing really stuck out, the song meanings all kinda ran together, and the subject matter bored me. Not a lot of substance, but definitely a lot of fun. I'm going to rate this pretty high. I can't think of a reason to rate it any lower. It's not perfect, but it accomplishes exactly what it intends to in 40 minutes and accomplishes it well. 3.7/5!

I thought I was going to enjoy this album much more than I did. The only thing that truly stuck out to me was the cover art (which also sent me down a rabbit hole on Wikipedia). I couldn't name a song by TRS before this, and honestly, after a couple weeks I'm probably also gonna forget these songs. It's well performed, great instrumentals and really great vocals. The quality of the music is good. Something is just missing for me. It started to run together and bore me after a while and I really wasn't expecting that. I enjoyed how the album closed on a slower note. Is this an album I'm going to revisit? I really don't think so. It is bad? No. It's just not for me.

This is another case of "I need to be there to enjoy it." Please don't get me wrong, this is absolutely mind blowing talent and I respect the talent and hard work of these musicians. I just really can't make myself enjoy a recorded jazz performance. It just falls so flat for me. If I was in the audience I would be absolutely starstruck and awestruck. But unfortunately, I was not in the audience. Maybe I'll find a jazz recording someday that I really can get into and prove my feelings wrong about jazz albums. But for now, 3/5. I need to be there.

Wow, oh wow. What a beautiful gift to the world. Beautiful voices, beautiful melodies, and beautiful words. I had an extremely difficult day before I listened to this album and it brought me to tears more than once. All of the bad energy in me just dissipated and washed away with the harmonies and reverb. It invokes so many deep feelings in me that I so rarely get to feel. Each voice is so rich and buttery smooth. Despite the lack of instruments, I did not miss them at all. A lot of the songs sounded very similar, but it did not get boring at all. In fact, I was sad when I saw it was almost over. Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain was my favorite track. I see myself coming back to this album when I need to be silent but I don't want to be in silence. Just out in the headphones and let the voices carry me into another world. Easy 5/5. My favorite album so far in this journey.