Good album, felt there were more prolific funk artists at the height of funk. Good vibe. Wouldn’t want in constant rotation but a good addition every now and then.
Probably the queen of soul with an iconic voice. Several toe tappers. Also had an actual impact on the industry and genre.
Preferred the acoustic tracks. Heads will Roll and Little Shadow were my tracks.
Lots of disco vibes and some 80’s soft rock. Favourite tracks, Sometimes you win, Le Freak. Not going to add this to my normal playlist anytime soon. I understand how it is considered influential though as I heard several other bands and songs in a few of their tracks.
A couple of the songs had a Beatles vibe to begin and then quickly went sideways. I pretty much made my mind up about this album from the first song. I don’t care if it’s supposed to be satirical. 15 minutes of my life I won’t get back after blowing through this crap. Just not for me, had to give it a 1 despite knowing it was influential.
This album was a quandary for me. I was not familiar with Janelle Monae prior to listening to this. I really enjoyed several aspects of the album making me feel it deserved a 5 star and really disliked others thinking it deserved a 1 star. With that said I pretty much listened to the album in its entirety which says something. I also felt the song transitions on the first half of the album were excellent. She has an excellent voice and brings many genres of music together from electronic, swing, jazz, funk and Hip hop to name a few. She does this relatively seamlessly in my opinion making for an interesting album. With that said, I felt like I was listening to two separate albums from songs 1-10 and 11-18. My initial thought was to go with a 3 but gave it bonus marks for her voice, transitions and the fact I listened to the whole album despite this not really being my musical wheelhouse. Neon valley is a hidden nugget in my opinion with great jazz vibes.
Initially I wanted to rate this album solely on his ridiculous performance at Super Bowl 59. With that said I did like the jabs at Drake and Serena Williams crip walking from that performance. After listening to the album, I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. I thought “Sing About Me” and “Black Boy Fly” were a couple good tracks. I liked the jazz vibes throughout, however I found most of the album just felt similar from song to song including the instrumentals and beats. 3.5
Is this some sort of joke, top 1000? Enjoyed some of the instrumentals and beats like Imagine. Oh thats right not his music. C’est La Nuit was the only other song I could tolerate. Once he started singing it’s a No Thank You, for me.
Enjoyed it, listened to it in its entirety.
Controversial nowadays yes, but it was also meant as a satirical album. Eminem is probably one of the best lyricists / rappers/ poets of the modern era. Amazing beats through the entire album thanks to Dre. Regardless of whether people like Eminem or not his talent and skill and intricacies are undeniable.
2112 isn’t my favourite Rush album, but it’s still a solid rock record. There are frequent comparisons between Rush and Led Zeppelin, yet Rush always struck me as having far more complex lyricism and more thoughtfully constructed melodies. I do respect that the band pushed ahead with this album despite resistance from their record label, but personally I don’t enjoy 20-minute, self-indulgent rock interludes. For that reason, what could have been a 4 ends up as a 3 for me.
What can I say…90’s electronic music. Not really my vibe, need to really be in the mood for this. Although I do remember dancing to some of these tracks at the club. Gave it a 3 as they did influence the EDM scene.
Good album, I like Dire Straits. Great guitar riffs.
This is a tough one. Not sure if we are supposed to rate based on how influential or how much we enjoyed the album. Ended up going in the middle. Would have given a 3.5 if half stars were an option. In my opinion there were far more influential blues/ rock albums and bands than this one. I did like several songs and of course love Layla and Eric Clapton in general.
Late 60’s/ 70’s Psychedelic rock sounds with some blues vibes. 70’s psychedelic was never my thing. Fav tracks were the ones with blues vibes, (Death Sound, Superbird, Love) and these still weren’t great. If I never hear this album again I would be good with that.
Listened to the entire album. Definitely knew the first track. Had no idea who this was, definite influencers in the hip hop scene. Prefer RATM version of Renegades.
I’ve heard this album more than I would have liked to. I remember every female belting these tunes out at house and field parties in the 90’s. My daughter heard the first song and within in 2 bars said please no, not Alanis. Her sentiment sums this album up for me. I personally can’t stand the effected whininess of Alanis’s voice. Don’t mind some of her more acoustic stuff but still not a fan.
Enjoyed listening to Tribe in the 90’s, appreciated the chill hip hop beats even more now. Great album.
I can see how they definitely influenced the grunge scene and paved the way for other bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden but no thank you. 1
Always enjoyed Depeche Mode. They were innovators that created their own distinctive sound. There are some tracks I didn’t love, “Enjoy the Silence” is probably my favourite track. 3.5 but rounded up because of Enjoy the Silence and Personal Jesus and Policy of Truth, which are all great tracks.
I’m taking a two-pronged approach to rating this album:
1. Personal Listening Enjoyment: 0
I was never a Zephead, nor am I a fan of ’70s hard or psychedelic rock in general, so that bias should be noted. I’ve also never enjoyed Robert Plant’s voice—whiny, screechy, and perpetually melancholy just isn’t my thing.
This album attempts to fuse rock, blues, and folk—but which genre is it really? “Nobody knows” (Credit to Nate Bargatze—an amazing comedian I thoroughly enjoy and highly recommend. If there’s ever a Top 1001 Comedians to Watch or Listen To list, he’ll be on it, but I digress.)
While I genuinely like rock, blues, and folk individually, I don’t enjoy the way these sounds are blended together here. The combination simply doesn’t work for me, and as a listening experience, it does nothing to pull me in.
2. Influence: 5
This album is a perfect example of the whiny ’70s rock sound I can’t stand. That said, it was undeniably ahead of its time and helped define the decade’s rock landscape.
As much as I dislike the 17-minute self-indulgent guitar and drum solos, I’ll admit that parts of them are absolutely incredible—just far too long. That excess ultimately kills the momentum for me. John Bonham and Jimmy Page are very likely top-three drummers and guitarists of all time. Unfortunately, that talent often feels buried under indulgence - fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Despite my personal distaste, Led Zeppelin has transcended generations and is rightly regarded as one of the top 5 bands of all time. Credit where credit is due.
Side note: If I were going to listen to a Zeppelin album, it would be Led Zeppelin IV, not this one.
I’ve always enjoyed Fleetwood Mac, and Stevie Nicks’ voice is undeniably iconic and instantly recognizable. While this isn’t my favorite Fleetwood Mac album overall, it does contain some real gems — “Sara” being a standout. From what I understand, Stevie wrote, co-produced, and sang lead vocals on that track, so it’s no surprise that it’s one of my favorites.
That said, I personally found this album somewhat unhinged and scattered, largely due to Lindsey Buckingham’s heavy imprint on it. In my opinion, Fleetwood Mac might have benefited from parting ways with him much earlier than they did. Replicating the monumental success of Rumours was always going to be an impossible task, but I was still pleasantly surprised by Tusk, especially since this was my first time listening to it in its entirety.
Ultimately, I’d give the album a 3.5, rounding up to a 4. I appreciated the creativity and ambition behind it, and I listened to it front to back — even if I didn’t always love Lindsey’s influence on the sound.
Cool chill album. The intersection of Hip hop, soul/R&B with serious spoken word vibe.
A great album with several toe-tappers that still resonate today. Fats Domino helped define the rock and roll genre while influencing countless artists who followed. Fats Domino remains a true rock and roll legend.
I approached this album with an open mind, but ultimately it didn’t resonate with me. I tried focusing on the melodies and instrumentals, yet there wasn’t much that held my interest, including the vocals. What can I say, lounge music really isn’t my vibe. Maybe it would appeal more in the right setting—perhaps while relaxing with a cognac in hand at a lounge. It’s simply not a style that aligns with my overall taste
A bit of a weird own for me. Some aspects of this album of felt I deserved a 5 and others a 1. Some interesting things going on, but nothing that really stood out or will make me want to revisit this album. Likely wouldn’t change the song if it came on the radio but also wouldn’t seek it out.
I recall reading a review of Led Zeppelin (1969) where the reviewer questioned why the band was still so popular—or even relevant—suggesting its appeal was mostly older listeners clinging to their glory days. The same argument could probably be made for Smash and Gen X/early Gen Y. My daughter was quick to tell me this music was awful, and that she wasn’t surprised The Offspring were never as big as Green Day.
Although they weren’t my favourite punk rock band at the time, there’s no denying they helped bring the genre back to the forefront. That said, I personally always enjoyed this album. There’s definitely something to be said for nostalgia, and revisiting Smash was a welcome reprieve from a lot of the junk we’ve been subjected to lately. A solid 3.5, but I’m rounding up for old times’ sake.
Although this album started off as a 1, it did grow on me slightly over time. That said, it ultimately faded into more white noise than anything memorable. It feels like the kind of music you might hear at a random bar with a live band on any given Friday or Saturday night, competent, inoffensive, but nothing special.
Although I’m not usually a fan of psychedelic rock, you really can’t argue with the talent of Jimi Hendrix. His guitar playing and instrumentals are superb, and his songwriting feels genuinely poetic. I love this album through and through, with the blues-inspired tracks standing out as my favourites. It’s also worth keeping in mind that “Are You Experienced” was produced in 1967 and was far ahead of its time, ultimately changing the landscape of rock music for the next decade.
This album is sure to divide opinion. Yes, it contains messages of misogyny, homophobia, and violence against women—things I don’t condone, and that honestly, have not aged well.
That said, regardless of how you feel about it, this album absolutely deserves a place in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear. It didn’t just help define gangster rap, it shattered socioeconomic and racial barriers, engaging both suburban and inner-city youth, helping the genre explode over the following decade.
Without this album, the genre may never have been elevated to the heights it reached, nor would it have opened the door to the solo careers of Dr. Dre and Ice Cube.
It is also essentially responsible for the birth of Death Row Records and Aftermath Entertainment, labels that went on to give us Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, and countless others.
Is it controversial? Yes.
Is it part of my daily musical rotation now? No.
Did it have a monumental impact on the genre and directly spawn several of the biggest names in hip-hop history? Fuck yes.
And maybe most importantly, it gave us Snoop D.O. Double G providing colour commentary at the Olympics. For that alone it deserves a 5, however I am docking it 1 and giving it a 4 as it simply hasn’t aged well.
Great album, started listening to The Eagles in high school. Loved them then and appreciate them even more now.
Yep, that’s funky jazz. Meh
A great old-school hip-hop album, driven by politically charged and confrontational lyricism from Chuck D. While very well crafted, I personally found the repeated use of the sliding, screeching siren sound to be overdone, ultimately distracting from the album’s overall brilliance. For that reason, I’m giving it a 4.
A very well put together album, blending Celtic folk vibes and punk rock with an amazing energy. So many great songs including, Streets of Sorrow, Thousands are Sailing, Lullaby of London, Sit down by the Fire and of course Fairytale of New York.
Arena rock at its peak, and AC/DC arguably at their best. I’ve always found the instrumentals engaging, despite never being a huge fan of arena rock as a genre. I never quite understood the appeal of Bon Scott’s vocals, and I find Brian Johnson’s screechier delivery even less enjoyable. That said, it’s hard to imagine the band achieving the level of success they did without either of them. Back in Black probably deserves a 5 based solely on its status as the second highest selling album of all time, but on personal taste, specifically the vocals it lands at a 4.
I understand why Elvis was so popular, but I’ve never personally bought into the hype. I’ve never been a huge fan of his music or his voice, and I tend to prefer his earlier material, when there was more of a rock edge rather than the heavier soul influence heard here. At the end of the day, this just isn’t my bag. That said, it’s impossible to deny his massive impact and lasting influence on the music industry. 2.5 rounding up to 3 based on his impact.
This album started off okay for me. I didn’t mind the opening track, Spellbound, and I quite enjoyed Into the Light, but overall it went downhill from there. I’m personally not a huge fan of her voice, and the rest of the album felt pretty similar and, at times, mundane, the same vocals, melodies, and instrumentals repeated throughout. Nothing really grabbed my attention or kept me engaged after the first couple of tracks. First two songs, 3.5, the remainder of the album 2
While I can respect that At Folsom Prisom ultimately put Johnny Cash back on the map and made him the counter-culture icon he became, it’s simply not one of my favourites. Although there are a couple of gems here and the atmosphere was ahead of its time, I found the instrumentals on the album formulaic throughout, and it didn’t really hold my attention. In my opinion, the strongest aspect of the record is the fact that it’s performed live, with the audience in the background adding an extra layer of enjoyment. A 3.5, but I’m giving it a 3 as it’s just not my cup of tea.
