My 1001 Albums Journey

Albums Rated

3.34

Average Rating

Complete

997 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1960

Favorite Decade

Folk

Favorite Genre

Top Origin

Wordsmith

Rater Style ?

5-Star Albums

1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

Top Styles

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Stripped Christina Aguilera	5	2.88	+2.12
Eagles Eagles	5	3.29	+1.71
Music in Exile Songhoy Blues	5	3.33	+1.67
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs Marty Robbins	5	3.34	+1.66
Fear Of A Black Planet Public Enemy	5	3.34	+1.66
Smash The Offspring	5	3.36	+1.64
At Mister Kelly's Sarah Vaughan	5	3.37	+1.63
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears The Mamas & The Papas	5	3.43	+1.57
The ArchAndroid Janelle Monáe	5	3.45	+1.55
Raising Hell Run-D.M.C.	5	3.5	+1.5

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Getz/Gilberto Stan Getz	1	3.66	-2.66
Different Class Pulp	1	3.42	-2.42
The Köln Concert Keith Jarrett	1	3.39	-2.39
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector Various Artists	1	3.3	-2.3
The Specials The Specials	1	3.29	-2.29
The Boatman's Call Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	1	3.19	-2.19
Planet Rock: The Album Afrika Bambaataa	1	2.79	-1.79
Yeezus Kanye West	1	2.76	-1.76
The Cars The Cars	2	3.66	-1.66
Duck Rock Malcolm McLaren	1	2.64	-1.64

5-Star Albums (19)

View Album Wall

Popular Reviews

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys · 1 likes

5/5

Just an absolute classic. Sloop John B is the standout for me on an album with multiple bangers and zero skips.

1-Star Albums (10)

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

All Ratings

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

5/5

I know music is itself an art form, but something about this album just says "art" to me. I imagine Monae as, well, Monet. It's not my favorite album by a long shot but it's just really well crafted, and even though it may not get many subsequent listens from me I have to respect this album.

Stripped

Christina Aguilera

5/5

Aguilera had pipes. I’d probably give 5 stars to an album of her just belting music scales for an hour. But this has fighter and beautiful on it, so definite 5.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

5/5

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

4/5

The cover of Hurt is obviously incredible, and some of the other covers/renditions are pretty solid. Falls short a couple of times though: Danny Boy without bagpipes is unfulfilling, and I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry wasn't nearly corny enough. Also, why does the linked version of this album not include Big Iron?

1984

Van Halen

3/5

It's fine.

Hotel California

Eagles

4/5

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

5/5

I’m a sucker for a simple old sound like this. Big Iron and El Paso are the bigger hits, but the rest of the album hits well for me.

Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson

2/5

Should you separate art and artist? Sure, 4 for art and 1 for artist, rounded to 2 because reasons. This project afforded me an excuse for listening to The Beautiful People again, and the album definitely hits for me. But even without the extremely problematic artist this isn't perfect.

Smash

The Offspring

5/5

Surprising probably no one who knows me, I really like this album. Self-esteem is actually one of the songs I liked least, which just means I really liked everything else. The offspring manage to be grating but in a good way.

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

5/5

I think these guys are from California.

OK Computer

Radiohead

5/5

I expected to not like this album as much as I do. But I guess there’s good reason for it to be called Radiohead’s magnum opus.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

4/5

Bohemian Rhapsody and a few more bangers, plus some lighthearted silliness, and we nearly have a 5 star album. But I cannot give 5 stars to an album with whatever the hell is going on in The Prophets Song.

Make Yourself

Incubus

4/5

Some ups and downs on this album, but I can comfortably give it a 4. Drive is incredible.

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

3/5

Easy listening, probably good study music. But it doesn’t really go anywhere. Maybe a 3.5, round to 3 for having a song titled “17 seconds” that lasts for 4 minutes.

Dookie

Green Day

5/5

Teehee, Dookie.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

It’s a beautiful album. Accomplishes a lot in only 28 minutes, some other artists could learn from that ability to keep it brief.

Doolittle

Pixies

3/5

This does very little for me. There’s nothing on the album that I’d like to come back to, and no situation where I see myself listening to this again. That said, it’s not wretched or irritating.

Planet Rock: The Album

Afrika Bambaataa

1/5

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

5/5

Just an absolute classic. Sloop John B is the standout for me on an album with multiple bangers and zero skips.

Gorillaz

3/5

Clint Eastwood is great, but it’s the only standout on the album. I’d do a 3.5 if I could, but this ends up as a 3 because I honestly got a little bored of the album.

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Didn’t do much for me. Nothing terrible, but nothing that stood out as great either.

Garbage

3/5

It was ok. That’s all I have for it.

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

I can almost hear the helicopters.

Slipknot

2/5

Pretty good except for 90% of the vocals.

Quiet Life

Japan

2/5

Kinda boring, don’t really know when I would want to listen to this. Give it 2 because nothing was great on it but I guess it didn’t make me physically ill.

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

4/5

Norah Jones voice is just incredible, beautiful, enticing, all the good adjectives. This album is one more Don’t Know Why quality song away from 5 stars. Even so, it works so well as a gorgeous mellow album. 4.5 if we had it.

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

You don’t have to release an album if it’s not good.

(What's The Story) Morning Glory

Oasis

5/5

Oh, hello you very enjoyable album. I’ll be listening to this one some more.

Out of Step

Minor Threat

4/5

Worked for me. Not perfect but nowhere near bad either. Also merry Christmas if you’re like me and looking at this instead of talking to in-laws.

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

1/5

Unnecessary shit. 1 star.

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

2/5

I don’t understand why this is an album I need to listen to before I die. I’d have been fine without it.

Bad

Michael Jackson

4/5

Strange, troubled man. Good music though.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

It’s a really good album, probably a 4.5 if we had that. There’s a bit too much jamming that gets into meandering, but overall this was an enjoyable listen. I also realize that I had only ever heard the radio edit of Grapevine and that song is super long.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

3/5

I don’t usually listen to jazz, and this album won’t change that habit. It’s just not for me.

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

3/5

Back to back jazz albums? Today was rough listening.

Henry's Dream

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

Liked the sound, found myself nodding along happily. Brother my cup is empty was the standout track for me.

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

4/5

I was between 4 and 5 stars until halfway through Heroin. I liked the album as a whole, but it does get a bit grating. Maybe that’s the point, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

The Rising

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

It's way better than Nebraska, and actually ok to listen to. Between 3 and 4, go down to three because I can't find a real banger on this album.

Eagles

5/5

Banjo.

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

It’s a good album, not earth shattering though.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

2/5

I didn’t know a single song on this album before, and I’d be fine knowing none after. Why include an album from a band with a bunch of hits when this album has zero?

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

5/5

I really like this album. Super fun, and caught me off guard with how good Proud to be Black was. I’ll be listening to this again.

Songs The Lord Taught Us

The Cramps

4/5

I really enjoyed this. It’s not quite a 5 star album, but it has some real bops on it. Teenage werewolf sounded super familiar, not sure if I’ve heard it before or if someone copied that guitar

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

3/5

Not my thing but it’s at least interesting, and running up that hill is a bop.

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

5/5

I was so worried when I saw the number of listens this album had on Spotify, but I came away pleasantly surprised. It’s really cool to hear music by non-western artists, and this style of blues sounds great. I’m a bit too generous with 5 star reviews and I know I’m gonna revise some of those in the future, and this album fits snuggly in the “5 right now and probably a 4 later” category.

Bug

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

This album is really let down by the lead vocals. Get a halfway competent singer and we’re looking at a 4+.

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren

1/5

1 star because fuck this guy.

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

4/5

Good not great. There are some questionable lyrics on this album, but it’s from 1971 so what can you expect?

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

1/5

The only truly bad music is boring music, and this is super boring. Might actually be the worst music I’ve ever heard, because it is so incredibly boring.

The Specials

1/5

Sometimes a song would start, and id get a little excited. Like little bitch is really good for all of 10 seconds, then the ska happens.

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

3/5

Nixon

Lambchop

2/5

It just doesn’t seem to do… anything, really.

Destroyer

KISS

3/5

?? The band with the cat guy?

The Cars

2/5

Think of how good this could have been if every song was less than 2 minutes. Just quick, catchy jams. Oh well.

Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

4/5

It's a 4, but a strong 4. White Rabbit and Somebody to Love are of course the iconic tracks from the album. The rest of the album can't even hope to hit as hard, though the very bluesy In The Morning had me rocking along.

Bert Jansch

3/5

Dude with a guitar sings softly. Good? Yes. Outstanding? Nah

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

3/5

How many cigarettes did Joplin smoke?

Yeezus

Kanye West

1/5

My reaction before listening is concern. After, ew

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

3/5

Very middling 1960s British music. Maybe it’s iconic in its time, but today it just sounds generic as hell.

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

4/5

I liked it. Steely Dan produced a couple real classics on this album.

There's A Riot Goin' On

Sly & The Family Stone

2/5

Nothing here I want to hear again.

Aja

Steely Dan

2/5

Wait what? I listened to Steely Dan 2 days ago. Oh, this album is not as good as Can't Buy a Thrill. Guess I'm not becoming a big Steely Dan fan.

Different Class

Pulp

1/5

Gross lyrics, mid musically. Somewhere between 1 and 2. I guess since I felt icky for most of my listening experience I’ll give it a 1.

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

3/5

They tried a little too much with this one. Goes from fun to meh

Debut

Björk

3/5

It was weird, not as weird as I expected given it's Bjork. I didn't like it much, but it's at least an interesting album.

Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago

4/5

I like it, but it’s definitely too long. Free Form Guitar also pissed me off, because there’s no need for 6.5 minutes of that crap on an already long album. That said, most of the album sounds great. Had more than one moment of “Oh I know this one.” And the bit of historic political drama chronicled near the end of the album makes this a solid 4.

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

3/5

There’s a style here that’s so polarizing. I fall on the hate it side, but I’ll give it a 3 since I can at least kinda see the appeal.

At Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan

5/5

I believe the impossible has happened. It's a jazz album I legitimately enjoyed. The live aspect of the album lets Vaughan's personality shine through, and it's a pleasant listening experience that keeps me engaged and smiling.

Back In Black

AC/DC

3/5

It’s not particularly deep and most of the songs sound pretty much the same, but it’s still a fun listen.

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Is album art a bad reason to bump my rating up a star?

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

5/5

How did I only know Respect? It’s an awesome song, but not even the best on this album.

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

5/5

A very pleasant listen. Maybe it’s more a weak 4.5, but with California Dreamin being such a banger I’m gonna go to 5.

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

1/5

Ew. Might have made 2 stars but the album art was gross too.

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

4/5

This isn’t an album that stands out as amazing to me, but it had a couple bangers and was an overall fun listen.

The Stranger

Billy Joel

4/5

Feels like an album that I would always be happy to listen to, but not one I would seek out on my own.

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

4/5

This didn’t grab me right away, but I ended up happily grooving along with this album by the end.

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

I didn’t expect the album title to be so literal. This is a batshit insane album, I really liked it.

Ocean Rain

Echo And The Bunnymen

2/5

It’s not so offensively bad as to deserve 1 star, but I have no idea why someone would want to listen to this album.

At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters

4/5

Really didn't need Mojo part 2, but still a pretty good album.

Ten

Pearl Jam

3/5

Might not be a great album, but it at least elicits some involuntary giggles. 3 stars

On The Beach

Neil Young

4/5

Somewhere between 3 and 4 on this. Can’t name a standout track but the album has a good feel to it.

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

Another solid album by my favorite Bay Area bayou boys.

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

5/5

It’s on the longer side, but if the album stays good for an hour then I’m happy to listen. I read about the background and concept for this, and it’s just really cool, and I love getting snapshots of an era through music like this.

The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

1/5

It's bad. Pretty boring until West Country Girl, and dropping off again after. I don't understand why this album would make anyone's list of albums to listen to before you die. It's not good nor is it revolutionary in any way. Perhaps if I was clinging to life and someone wanted me to give up then they could play this album for me.

B-52's

The B-52's

3/5

Could have been a 4, because while not my style I could still (mostly) appreciate the album for being fun. But good lord what an awful cover of Downtown. I know the album was already less than 40 minutes long but you could still trim that off.

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

3/5

Far from the worst thing in the world, but not MJs best album by a long shot.

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

2/5

That’s enough out of you Mr Dan

Superunknown

Soundgarden

4/5

Good, but too long for how good it is. Hope that makes sense.