1001 Albums Summary

I've been listening to this album as long as I can remember, starting with hearing it on 8 track in the 70s. A stone classic. Do It Again, Reelin', and Dirty Work all bang. Starts strong but feels same-y and starts to drag after Fire in the Hole. Closer to 4.5.

I find it strange that not only have I never heard MUSE before, but no one in my circles have ever mentioned them. They play arenas? They are on 1001 albums list? This must have some merit. Then I listened. It starts off with modern orchestral track that sounds like Trans Siberian Orchestra wrote non- Xmas music. After that it gives synthy Radiohead made by theater kids, which is most of the album, until you get weird sex rock with faux Prince vocals. Then there's the QOTSA-esqe tracks and mariachi horns. I'd say pick a lane, but none of these lanes did anything for me.

Live tracks don’t add much Bye bye love 👎🏻 Frank Lloyd wright would fit perfectly in any 1960s nyc film soundtrack Very nyc album Brill building folk rock

Smooth Piano Jazz, not my normal thing, good background/ cocktail party music.

Bowie on the cusp of being "Bowie" excellent back to front, good sign of things to come.

Sometimes an album hits you on the wrong day. This was not a great pick for Xmas Eve Eve. Going back to it, it's a better listen. I don't think I'll go back to it, but it has its moments. Probably pushing 2.5

A holiday classic, one of the greatest xmas albums of all time. There's a lot to be said for an album you can listen to on repeat for one month out of the year, year after year. Near perfect, only drag is the closer, Silent Night.

A post punk classic. Hugely influential. The sound of Manchester put to wax. I've owned this on every format over the years. 5 stars.

Familiar with title track but not the entire album. Solid 60s Nashville A Team country with a dose of added feminism.

List would be better served with a one album per artist rule. Would never reach for this to scratch my Elvis itch, very meh listen. Not a keeper.

When it's good it's near great, but never quite makes it to overall greatness. Much prefer The Byrds Tambourine Man. Subterreanean, It's Alright Ma, and Baby Blue standouts. Trends closer to 3.5

Uneven 60s psych rock. Opener is a ripper, some tuneful mellow psych, some blues rock, some guitar noodling, and one of the worst album closers I’ve ever heard. I’d wager most people just bought the single. Not terrible, but also not necessary. 2.5 if I’m being honest. Probably have the single on a Nuggets comp, but not keeping this lp.

I’ve never cared for or about this band, largely because they seemed fake. It’s also a time and place thing for me, they were too mainstream for where my tastes were (and mostly still are.) Aside from Last Nite, I wasn’t familiar with the album. How did anyone make it through this album with that terrible opener? What I hear is a Velvet Underground influence filtered through late 90s indie rock. I’d rather listen to the Velvets or actual indie rock. Last Nite is still catchy, and Hard to Explain was nice. They should have kept New York City Cops on the album. Otherwise not very memorable to me. Not a keeper.

New Order has been making good to great to excellent albums for over 40 years.

I used to joke that when you went to college your freshman year you were assigned a copy of Legend by Bob Marley. Most people's entry into Reggae music, and instantly recognizable. Half of this album is on that collection, with side B being mostly greatest hits. Solid reggae from one of the masters. Near perfect. Definitely a keeper.

When it’s Paul just being Paul it’s fine. When it leans into early 80s studio sounds it’s not good. No one told Paul power synth rock was a bad idea? Classic Simon sounds mixed with tepid boomer rock. I could have died without hearing this.

Hard rock with no edge. 2nd rate Bruce Springsteen lyrics to let you know they’re from New Jersey. This is my least favorite genre of music. Hard pass.

This falls victim to the CD era and plays a little too long, lagging near the end. Mostly good background music, with a few pops here and there. Southside is fun. 2.5, Not a keeper.

Someone gave me a copy of this about 30 years ago, and I was not ready for it at the time. Really good psychish garage rock. Shame this was buried for so long, but the influence shines through despite some corny lyrics.

Do You Realize?? is a masterpiece, the rest of the album is pretty bland overall. Space rock plus beats. Yoshimi instrumental was a snoozer. 2.5, but rounding up for DYR In reality I probably only need the Do You Realize?? single.

The early 00s loved this major label alt dreck. This sounds very familiar, either it wears its influences on its sleeve or everything from this time sounds similar to me. (I’m guessing the latter) Starts off with a surprisingly pleasant Jonathan Richman impression, then goes into an endless string of angular dancy alt rock that was everywhere at the time. I was never the audience for this and nothing has changed. And if I never hear Take Me Out again, I’d be OK with that.

I have mixed feelings about this record. Once upon a time this was everything I hated about mainstream music. I'll give it credit that it has an edge, and they get some cred from having Duff in the band. I think at times Axl is the weak link to their recorded output, with the screeching and whatever else he does. But I get that he's necessary for the mystique of the band. A good mix of real Glam, Aerosmith, and The Stones. When they get it right it’s enjoyable, but that’s few and far between. Ugh Welcome to the Jungle, pass. It’s So Easy is so good. And should have been the opener. My standout track for the album. Night train is just ok. Out ta Get Me/ Brownstone/ Paradise is a killer for me. OTGM is very forgettable. Brownstone is the worst of Aerosmith ripoffs, and Axl’s mumble vox are not good. It's too peppy to be about heroin. Paradise City is a song I could go without listening to again. Side two does more for me than the first. Nice groove riff in My Michelle, Think About You gets it right. Sweet Child is another overplayed single, but the solo is pretty good. You're Crazy can stay. Another filler track with Anything Goes, Rocket Queen closes strong, I love how it slows down at the end to wrap it up. 2.5, rounding up because It's So Easy is a great song and side 2 pulled me back in. Not enough to keep it in the collection though.

Theatrical rock with some Randy Newman style piano tunes thrown in. Opens ok enough, then the hit, and it’s downhill from there. 7 minute piano blues song is a mood killer. Ends stronger, but too little too late. If this is what Peter was bringing to the table, maybe Genesis dodged a bullet. How can an album that has Solsbury Hill be so terrible otherwise? 1.5.

Unfamiliar/ first listen. At the start I was not terribly impressed, then a few songs in something clicked and this seemed very familiar. I realized a lot of what I like about Jarvis Cocker, and Mark Lanegan can be traced back to Leonard. Leonard’s voice is the instrument here and it’s front and center so you can take it all in. Minimal accompaniment quietly playing along, but that’s not what we’re here for. You paid for the Leonard Show and you’re gonna get the Leonard show. 4 stars.

When people say music doesn't sound like it used to it's usually a pretty cringe statement. But there's something to be said about 90s hip hop. The beats, samples, scratching, and flow all have a specific feel. Nas has very few peers on the mic. A quintessential NYC album.

Classic country via Bakersfield, not Nashville. Good mix of honky-tonk stompers and tear in my beer sadness. Don Rich was a guitar virtuoso, but his voice didn't do much for me. Doyle singing Streets of Laredo gives it the sadness is deserves.

I’ve never heard this before and knew nothing about it going in. It sounds like they recorded this after receiving a noise complaint and all of the instruments are turned down. It plods along, hardly ever getting out of second gear. The singer sounds like Chris Martin. If this was a color it would be beige. If it was food it would be oatmeal. If it was a feeling it would be malaise. For a moment in Tower Crane Driver it seemed like it turned a corner. The somehow the next track sounded like a show tune. One Day Like This finally has some urgency, but it’s too little too late. Overall very boring with nothing to make you want to listen again. 1.5 for One Day Like This.

Appreciate it for what it is, but will probably never listen again.

Another album I'm not sure I needed to hear and/ or an album I will never listen to again. I'm sure Mr. Jarrett is a talented, accomplished musician. But to me this sounds like that one person who always finds the piano at a party and decides they need to play for everyone. 2 stars for talent.

Punky but not punk. Poppy but not pop. On paper I should love this but in 2001 a bunch of clean kids playing garagey rock on MTV wasn’t all that interesting to me. A compilation of tracks from across a few records, and this is the best then can do? No way they could ever be my favourite band.

An album full of wannabe epic tracks that ultimately come off as pretty boring. The whole time I was wishing this was Breakfast in America instead. Dreamer is the only standout and saves this from being a one star album.

Genre defining trip-hop album, the coolest spy movie soundtrack, and an update of space age bachelor pad music for the modern era. From the opening theremin in Mysterions to the Isaac Hayes sample in Glory Box this record does not stop. Downtempo beats, DJ scratching, spooky guitars all create the mood, but it’s Beth Gibbon’s voice that separates this from the pack. A breath of fresh air in 1994, does not sound dated in 2025. 5⭐️

I tried. She’s a talented singer, but something about the music does nothing for me. Walk Away gave me some hope, but it didn’t last. And a run time of well over an hour is far too long. 1.5 ⭐️

Starts slow, Come on Baby is the highlight of Side A, Side B is the star here. Lots of good country influenced rock- Roll Another One and Albuquerque are the standouts. New Mama is classic Neil Young.

Normally I’m a sucker for Burt Bacharach songs but this is too saccharine suburban sweetness for me. Music for 70s station wagon moms. Rearranging a Beatles hit less than a decade later is a choice. There are moments, but nowhere near enough. 1.5⭐️ I much prefer Sonic Youth singing about Karen Carpenter

Prime baby making music. A record so sexy you need a shower after.

The sound of someone’s health, marriage, and ultimately their life unraveling. The seeds of New Order are there, even feeling a little dancy at times. Overall this album feels cold and distant, understandably so. 4.5⭐️

First off, it’s criminal that Black Night was a non album single and not in this lp. Somehow I never heard this album despite knowing machine Head pretty well and was a big fan of Deep Purple when they reformed for Perfect Strangers. I even like the Black Sabbath album Ian Gillian sings on. Jon Lord’s organ work is what sets Deep Purple apart from the rest. Which makes this pretty disappointing. Fairly standard hard rock. This may be an influential album but I think I prefer what it influenced more than the original. The overly long songs don’t help. The upbeat tracks have an MC5 feel, but not enough to push this over the top.

Solid 60's Laurel Canyon pop. Near perfect album, the only downside was the inclusion of In Crowd to close it out. Otherwise 5 stars.

Guys of a certain age either love or loathe the Boss. I used to be in the loathe category based on the summer Born in the USA was overplayed everywhere. But my stance has softened over time. Badlands, Prove It All Night, and the title track all good, everything else sounds like Bruce. 3.5⭐️

To be completely honest, most of my knowledge of African music revolves mostly around Fela Kuti and a few Mbaqanga comps I've heard. This is more of a guitar blues record with Malian influence. It's very repetitive, not in a drony way, but repeating patterns and riffs throughout the song. Vocally it has almost a call and response style where the main vocalist sings a line or lines, and then they are repeated as a group. As a blues guitar record this really isn't for me, and it's more interesting when they lean into their African roots, specifically on the album's closer, Mali. Not adding to the collection.

Normally I would think a double lp where 2 tracks are extended jams that take up almost a half an hour could use some editing, but having so little Jimi studio work, I'll accept it. I know we had a copy of this in the house when I was growing up, but I spent way more time with Experienced and Smash Hits. Of course I know Cross Town Traffic, Watchtower, and Voodoo Chile, but I was way more into Gypsy Eyes and Midnight Lamp. And loved the Noel Redding Little Miss Strange.

David Bowie was one of the most important and influential artists of the 20th century. With that out of the way, this Bowie era is not my favorite. I’ve always loved the title track. After that it’s perfectly fine. Lennon should have done him a solid and talked him out of that Beatles cover.

Considering the band members’ pedigree, I’m very surprised I’ve never heard this before. Members of DC’s Soul Side doing the early 90s Touch and Go (not Dischord?) indie rock thing. I wish Soul Side was on the list instead. This really didn’t do much for me. There’s a “grunge” track. A “sonic youth” track or two. For the most part, pretty forgettable. A tremendous let down. I wouldn’t seek this out, and there are so many of their contemporary bands that do it better, both on T&G and Dischord.

You know the voice, solid debut. Jazz vocals over beats. Feels very early 2000s at times. The medley at the end kills the vibe. Should have ended with Amy Amy Amy, instead tacks on B side material. 4⭐️, but I’m listening to Back to Black if I’m listening to Amy. RIP.

I had very low expectations going in. Varied electronic music tracks that are all over the place. Some of it comes off as background music, other times it's very vocal forward. Feels like an homage to different styles and artists. The Lydon track obvious comes off very PiL. There's a Kraftwerk type track (Melt) which was pretty enjoyable. A Massive Attack type track (Massive Attrack?) A dancehall influenced track. Even something I would classify as JOCK JAMS to be played in an arena. It's not bad, per se, but doesn't do any of these things better than their influences. Surprisingly did not drag despite album length. Would not revisit. 2.5⭐️

Not my thing, but still a decent listen. Feels very familiar despite never listening before. Not adding to the collection. 2.5⭐️

I’d never given this a fair shot before because the female vocals made it seem like a teen pop star trying to make a nostalgia synth record and it doesn’t work for me. And that opinion has not changed, but the songs You Caught the Light and Under the Tide work better for me. 2.5⭐️

The Dude listening to Creedence dot gif

Angular dancy post punk with John Lydon on vox. Johnny is on point throughout, but the songs get a little long. And then there's Fodderstomph. Closer to 4.5

Syd era Floyd. English folk meets Psych rock. It starts off quite tuneful and gets weirder as it goes on. There’s a bit of 60s English pop influence in there with short, almost catchy songs before the weirdness takes over. Nice to hear the far out sounds pre technology and studio trickery.

(gets on high horse) I don't think compilations, best ofs, live albums, or box sets belong on the list. So regardless of how I feel about Ella Fitzgerald or the Gershwins, I have a bias against this. I love Ella's Christmas album, but three hours of big band jazz vocal is very much not my thing. I can appreciate her voice and the orchestra, but this is never something I would reach for even if it was proper album length.

Bridging the gap between old school and modern hip hop, this was everywhere the summer of 1990. Boomin' System, Mama Said..., Jinglin' Baby, 'Round the Way Girl. Classic beats and samples, strange in 2026 to hear one MC over an entire album without a ton of guest features. It's all LL all the time.

I bet Texas was cool as hell when there were legit freaks and weirdos before it turned into the Stepford tech bro hell it is now. ZZ Top brings the boogie rock. Crack open a Lone Star and shake yo ass.

Writing an lp is hard, writing a follow up to a classic album is near impossible. The biggest dig against this is it's not the first Specials lp. Starts strong, fades a little by the end. Wiki has Rat Race listed on the lp, while discogs entry for the original UK pressing excludes Rat Race but adds a bonus 7" with 2 extra tracks. I listened to the UK track listing and added Rat Race. Rat Race is a definite positive addition to this album.

Imagine getting Owen Bradley to come out of retirement and bring the Nashville A Team to record your debut album. The Venn Diagram overlap of Chris Isaak and Patsy Cline. When it's straight country it's great. Some of the jazz standards are a little much, even if k.d.'s voice can carry them.

Synth driven dance pop. Some of it is darker than I remember but overall a fun record. The single still hits hard 3.5⭐️

What can I say? Lou Reed at the top of his game. Very logical continuation from Velvet Underground.

Solid 4.5⭐️. Victim of the CD era and plays a little too long. Found myself spending most of the time after A Warm Place waiting for Hurt. With editing could have been a no brainer 5⭐️

I positively hate the production on this album. Forget that they all but removed the bass to haze the Newkid, its sounds lifeless. And Lars chose that clicky kick sound? There’s a few moments. The verse riff on Shortest Straw is probably my favorite thing on this album. Imagine a 16 year old kid. All he wants to do is listen to music and ride his skateboard. Master of Puppets is his favorite album. He buys And Justice For All the day it’s released. In his sixteen years on the earth he has never felt such disappointment. Then the video for One is released and all the kids that thought Metallica was “kill your mother music” are fans? So yeah. I never got down with this album. I just really don’t care for post Cliff Metallica. 3⭐️ for still being pretty great live when I saw them on the Damaged Justice tour.

ES has been my most listened to artist for years. Either/Or was the first album of his I heard, and still my favorite. Easy 5⭐️

Somewhere between the roots of alt country and the 90s pacific northwest sound. At times sounds like Dino Jr years before J Mascis even knew what a Jazzmaster was.

Early mtv inundated us with U2. The singles still hold up and overall a solid album. Not quite post punk, not really new wave, not college rock. 3.5⭐️

Fake cartoon band? Blur with extra steps? No graham coxon? This was so much better when Damon wasn’t singing or trying his sleepy flow. 1.5⭐️

Solid soul album that was surprisingly under my radar before this project. Not as strong as some Motown or Stax contemporaries, but still a keeper. 3.5⭐️

Soulful but plodding, fairly boring overall. Needs more jammin' on tha one. Not my favorite Stevie. 3/3.5 ⭐️

The singles here are instantly recognizable, and somehow even the songs you may have only heard in passing are also extremely recognizable. ABBA is wholly its own thing. I feel like I put the album on, had an ABBA cloud around me for a half an hour, and then there was nothing. Nothing I would actively seek out, but also nothing I would turn off.

An enormous influence on a lot of late 90s/ early 2000s alt/ indie classics. Doesn't quite hit the same as Pink Moon, but you gotta take all the Nick Drake you can get. "Safe in your place deep in the earth That’s when they’ll know what you were really worth"

"You on point Tip? All the time, Phife." Not sure what more can be said about one of the greatest albums ever released. Probably my favorite album from the monster month of September 1991. Two MCs, jazz influenced beats, fun songs. And then the album ends with possibly the greatest crew ensemble rap of all time. I'd give this infinity stars if I could.

I am not too keen on the idea of a rock opera. With a concept album, the songs can usually stand on their own. On Tommy very few of the songs are something I want to hear outside of the album context. So a bunch of random ideas revisited over 75 minutes is not a fun listen. We're Not Gonna Take It is still my favorite here, despite hearing the main parts of the song over and over throughout the album.

I’m skeptical whenever something pops up that I have never heard of, especially if it’s from the last 20 years or so. I’ve never heard of Grant, The Czars, or Midlake. And now I wish I’d never heard them period. This is awful. Theatre kid piano bar bullshit. Someone thinks this is deep and insightful. I’m just bored. Massive miss. And that was before his edgy use of slurs. John Grant should have known better in 2010.

Most of this is decent electroinca/ house music largely ruined by the vocals. And then she goes to the loo in the middle of a song.

Two days in a row of decent music ruined by the vocals. Yesterday's Bjork is today's Yorke. Admittedly I am not a Radiohead fan, mostly because I do not care for Thom's vocals. Especially when he's at his whiniest. When I say I don't care for them, We Suck Young Blood is exatcly what I don't like. They can't all be Just or OK Computer.

Liking this much better now than when it originally came out. The use of live instruments on a hip hop album seemed so novel in 1992 and adds a liveliness to these tracks. Lyrics about Pan Africanism and self determination add to the overall vibe. I'll take this over soundcloud mumble rap any day.

The more Who albums I revisit here, the more I realize that aside from the hits, I really only care for Maximum R&B era Who. The hits hit here, but otherwise doesn't do much for me. A solid 3.5⭐️

Post Green Day alternative rock was weird. Labels tried to make punk a thing. Not sure that leaning into Epifat bands was the right decision. This is another part of the list where Dimery made some choices. If he wanted to ad SoCal punk to the list he could have done better by putting Suffer or Living in Darkness or Milo Goes To College or the Adolescents Blue Album. Anyways this is SoCal Epifat alt rock that ripped off Agent Orange and kinda ripped the Breeders. Not essential.

Aside from the singles not familiar with any of this album, was not my thing in 1984. It's a little all over the place and sounds a little same-y at the same time. Up through Two Tribes is very danceable electronic pop. A very random Born to Run cover comes from out of nowhere, and then some more electro pop, then some moodiness near the end. Almost plays like the soundtrack to a musical film.

One of the best debut albums of all time by the greatest skinny tie band ever. Power pop new wave with just enough 70s rock DNA. All hits, all the time. Extra special thanks to Phoebe Cates.

You either like Josh Homme's songs or you don't. Overall it's fine. They get better on later records. Teenage Hand Model is dumb. Needs more Lanegan.

There was something in that Great Lakes water in the 60s and 70s. Northeast Ohio was full of weirdos and freaks. I should probably like this much more than I do. Spooky surf guitar garage rock with freaky lyrics.

Your favorite piano glam album. Some big hits here and the deeper cuts play well too.

Not all CBGB bands were punk. Punk adjacent art school disco rock. Tina Weymouth is a bass goddess. Psycho Killer takes it to the next level.

Mellow Brit psych adjacent alt rock. A side is pretty boring, picks up a little on the B side. Largely unremarkable and not really essential. 2.5⭐️

A recurring theme with the jazz/ jazz related albums on this list is they are all well executed, but not my thing. Swinging bossa nova sounds with a strong Space Age Bachelor Pad/ Don Draper party vibe that are perfectly fine. The Parade song is not good, and the Loving Spoonful cover was a choice.

From College Rock darlings to the big time, this was the big breakout with MTV and One I Love and End of the World. A sneaky Wire cover was a nice surprise. It's not my favorite REM but it's not my least favorite REM. A Goldilocks album.

Bad day for people who are not fond of Joni Mitchell's voice. Well played California folk that is strongest when it's just Joni and a piano. It's good, just not for me.

There are very few exceptions where I would reach for a live album. This is one of them. I think this album is best when it's the whole band and June with Johnny. When it's just Johnny and a guitar it's still good, I think his voice sounds great here, but the whole band sounds so liveley in that space, and the tension of being inside a prison just adds to it.

I think Chanson works better with female vocals. This is fine, but would not seek this out if I was looking for French pop.

The hits hit. The A Side is pretty good, even if track 2 sounds like interstitial music from a Miami Vice episode. I Believe lags in the middle of side 2, and the rest of it is mostly a long version of Head Over Heels. I didn't appreciate this when it was released. My loss.

The worst part of 90s Hip Hop albums are the skits. This felt like one long skit, especially because KK's voice is very one note. Beats are good, lyrics are dumb, Pushead art is cool. 2.5⭐️

About half covers and half originals. Not sure anyone ever needs to hear a bunch of white boys do Motown covers. The covers are a 2 at best, the originals probably a 3/ 3.5. All My Loving is a perfect pop song and that can't even save this. There are plenty of other Beatles albums on this list that are more worthy of your time.

Somewhere in the intersection of alt rock, heavy metal, and dream pop. America's answer to Swervedriver? Nostalgia wins here.

Bad suburban high school jazz band meets AOR meets absolute wank. If you have enough songs for your debut to be a double album, either get an editor or release two albums.

I picture a young David Lee Roth in his bedroom listening to this on repeat and taking copious notes.

Comparatively listening to Dead live sets is usually preferable to their studio output, but this collection is not essential. I'd say spin Cornell 77 instead, but you could find better examples of this Dead era without much effort. Pro tip: do not add a 7 minute Feedback track if it's not 7 minutes of cool Feedback.

I've never been a big AC/DC fan aside from a coupla tracks, and never go out of my way to listen to them. Listening to a full album after all these years has not changed that opinion. Very samey hard rock, usually with juvenile lyrics. I'll take Bon Scott over Brian Johnson, but could live without hearing either version ever again.

I have not listened to this in about 30 years. Didn't care for it then and that hasn't changed. Not sure this aged well. Dre G Funk beats carry this. Snoop’s voice is fine but the skits and features don't help much. Whoever told Snoop he could hang with Slick Rick did him dirty. Got to What's My Name and realized there was still half an album left. The singles stand out, otherwise very passable.

A tale of two covers. Come Together has been ruined for me by Aerosmith to the point that I never want to hear it again. And I've listened to Elliott Smith's cover of Because so many times I actually forgot it was on this album. The Medley is great, the Harrison songs more than prove his songwriting chops. I still want to steal the riff from She's So Heavy for an intro or mosh part.

What if Hendrix wrote a bunch of Psych-ish pop radio tunes? Catchy and to the point without all of the Guitar God antics. 3.5⭐️

Over half of this album are absolute hits and it was fairly impossible to avoid this for a long period of time. Ten year old me is pretty psyched, but in 2026 there are some things that stand out. More noticeable on the non-hits is the production. It sounds so early 80s. The Quincy synths sound pretty dated to these ears. It's laughable that Macca and Michael were beefing over a girl. But there's the EVH solo and riffs. You can't hear Thriller and not think of Vincent Price or the zombie dance. All in all a solid album I'll never listen to in it's entirety again. Justice for Leon Kompowsky.

Influential =/= essential.

After 45 minutes I have no memory of what I listened to aside from her voice. Aural wallpaper.

Obviously a classic album, but sounds very same-y throughout.

New Wave? Blue eyed soul? Northern Soul? Celtic folk? Pick two.

When I was younger my friend Scott had a garage with a basketball hoop and an 8 track player. I think the only 8 track they had was a dub of Physical Graffiti the went up to Down By The Seaside. We spent hours poorly playing HORSE and 21 and listening to Zeppelin. Nostalgia or not, this is a great album. At least up to Seaside.

I like The Clash. Do I think they are the only band that matters or they are the only gang in town? No. But they put out some great songs. Super strong debut packed with hits. Complete Control would be any other bands' magnum opus. Not sure why there was a different UK and US version, but I lean to the UK version. I'm shocked there isn't a deluxe version that combines the two. 4.5⭐️

Soft jazz folk rock isn't for me, but I really liked The Jungle Line. Seemed quite out of place with the rest of the album. If you told me it was a current artist and recorded recently, I'd believe it. 1.5⭐️

File under: album or artist from the 21st Century I have never heard. Musically it's OK at best, but I can not get past the vocals. Not essential listening. (Cue the GWB meme: “Sir, there’s a second KoL album on the list.”)

Perfect example of early US Hardcore Punk. Press a copy in gold and send it to outer space for the aliens to discover some real Earth culture. 5/5; no notes.

I am not a fan of post-Cliff Metallica, and this album is largely the reason. In the 35 years it's been out I've still never come around on it. Lacks everything I loved about Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. A completely different band. There are bits and pieces that sound like Metallica, but not enough for me. Maybe I'll try again in another ten years (probably not)

We used to be a proper country, with actual freaks. It wasn't as bad as I expected going in, but there was no way I was making it through the entire double album. Tuneful at moments, but gravelly vocals and noise for noise's sake combined for a rough listen.

Starts slowly, more western beats and smooth jazz. Picks up in the second half. Plenty Nonsense has a ska feel, title is fitting. It’s repetitive and a little too long. Would rather listen to Fela.

Half of this is songs I know backwards and forwards, the other half is songs that sound a lot like those songs. Obvious Dylan influence, without Dylan's voice.

Mom, can we get Wilco? We have Wilco at home. (gets home, puts on Silver Jews album) I like this more than I expected, but I can't see a time where I'd listen to this over anything Jeff Tweedy released.

After two albums (or one and a half depending on how you view Emmerdale and Life) this feels more gimmicky than previous efforts. Instead of feeling fresh it's formulaic. It's still good, Nina's vocals are always great, and the band is on point, but we've heard it all before. And my god I don't need to hear Lovefool ever again.

I could hear influential bits and pieces, at times reminding me of Belle and Sebastian and even Stereolab, but overall not for me.

I remember getting this shortly after the album broke in the US. The Post Cool Britania era was a weird time. Damon was crying on album over Justine. The Gallaghers were too busy fighting to make a decent album. Pulp was Pulp. Then the video for Yellow was everywhere. It seemed Coldplay would slide into that semi Britpop lane. At times it does, but I find it to be mostly Chris Martin sounding sad. Shiver is good, Yellow is still Yellow. The rest? snoozefest. It's all so bland and lacking personality.

I tried numerous times to listen and couldn't get past a few songs. Plus he always wore that stupid hat.

Absolute perfection in just over 20 minutes. Hardcore punk with a melodic edge, yet still angry. This is the most influential album on the list for me. 5 🐑

I think The War on Drugs thought influential meant sounding like all of your influences at once. Music for dudes wearing corporate branded fleece vests.

The difficulty of following up one of the greatest albums of all time. Bonus points for Drive In Saturday and Jean Genie, but minus points for borderline show tunes and a boogie woogie Stones cover. 3.5⭐️

A case study on how wrong the music industry can be, this should have been one of the biggest albums of the 1970s and not a cult classic. Children by the millions and all that.

Knowing nothing going in, I read something about early 2000s and alt-country and thought a) this should be right up my alley and b) why hadn't I heard this before. Then I pressed play and understood why. File under absolutely not.

Another nostalgia for the 8 track era entry. I spent so many hours listening to this in my uncle's pickup. It's like a camp version of the E Street Band. I can still sing along to all of the tracks. Aside from the spoken word wolf nonsense and the overly long orchestral closer this would be a five for me. How many albums on the list feature a Baseball Hall of Famer?

I will listen to anything Tracey Thorn sings on. Can't believe EBTG is on the list twice and Amplified Heart didn't make the cut.

I don't think I have the right kind of intelligence for prog rock.

The soundtrack of my years as a preteen dirtbag.

This album is a bit of a mess, half country influenced songs, a blues jam, and a couple of rockers bookended by two absolute classics. This highs are extremely high but lacks cohesion. 3.5🎂

Early Spiritualized. Takes a while to get going, but side two from Shine a Light on shows the space rock masters Spiritualized would become.

Overly long and very boring. Once you get past the hits it's unbearable.

Psych tinged soul. The 60s, man.

When it's grimy it's decent, but leans a little to much into American hip-hop and does not pull it off.

No sir, I don't like it.

On paper sterile jazz rock that sounds like it was made in a lab sounds like it would be an awful listen. But once you hear Michael McD singing PEG backups it's like a bearded angel calling from heaven.

The Jam only released great albums.

Superstition is a 5. Everything else...

Could have been a 5, if not for Yellow Submarine.

They’re just plain boring! I've heard bands be boring before but they were the boringest bunch of bores that ever bored.

this style and era of hip-hop does nothing for me

Interesting, but nothing I would ever listen to again.

Twee folk rock. Very Mumford-y. I imagine them cosplaying as hobos or minstrels.

Everything I want in a reggae album- 70s production and political lyrics

I've avoided Hawkwind for years because I thought it was hippy bullshit, mostly beacuse of Neil and The Young Ones. My loss. 70s Psych Rock done right. I'll even overlook my stance on live albums on the list for this one.

80s compressed production and dated synth sounds. Too many covers. Even Tina's voice couldn't save this.

Whatever this is trying to be, someone else has done it better.

Kinda uneven. When it's good, it's really good. But then a grown ass man has us listening to Oh Susannah.

Some Public Enemy is better than no Public Enemy, and Chuck D's voice is one of the greatest things ever recorded. But there's too much nonsense here. As great as Nation of Millions is, this falls way short as a follow up. Aside from Fight the Power and Burn Hollywood Burn there's not a lot that stands out. I've always wanted to like this more than I do, but I've never come around on it. I guess I got a rip in my couch. 2.5⭐️

Admittedly, I am not a Radiohead fan. But this is my least favorite of all of their albums. I really do not care for Thom's voice, which is amplified by the sparseness.

For everyone complaining that it's not streaming or it's not easily available, what do you expect from a group of shit stirrers who came, saw, conquered; then subsequently deleted their catalog and burned a million quid. What we have here is an acid house concept album. I wish it had the Tammy Wynette version of Justified and Ancient and a proper recording of the version of 3am Eternal with Extreme Noise Terror.

45 minutes of synth swells, ethereal vocals, and piano tinkling. It's either brilliant or absolute wank, I'm not quite sure which. Not convinced I'd want to hear this in the airport though.

"He's gonna get us! He's gonna turn us into vampires, and we'll all be dead, and yet still alive... like Leonard Cohen!"

The sound of a man who knows he is dying and has so much more music to get out. RIP Legend

I expected a lot more from Mr Weller, but this was pretty meh.

I guess live versions capture Jerry Lee's energy better? Rockabilly jams heavy on the piano.

Blur trying to be The Pixies and Bowie all at the same time.

A mix of a lot of styles. Some come off and some don't. Superstar backing band. 2.5⭐️

A bit of return to form to his earlier releases. Elvis sounds good, but this is probably 5 songs too long.

Sounds like the love child of Public Enemy and Gil Scott Heron. Vastly underrated.

Gimme the Loot is the apex of gangsta rap. Biggie was one of the greats, but still I found this to lag near the end. And I never need to hear blowjobs on vinyl. Strong 3.5⭐️

More Can't Buy a Thrill than Aja. Nothing to find fault with here.

Not for me.

Remember the super smart kid from elementary school who read three grades higher than everyone, got taken to another classroom because your grade's work was too easy, and cried when he didn't rip his notebook paper out perfectly? This is what he could have done if he had access to The Wrecking Crew and unlimited studio time.

Like a spec script for film scoring. Nothing memorable here.

I didn't have high hopes from the cello intro. Sounds like a poor copy of Heatmiser/ Elliott Smith with baroque interludes.

Listened to this quite a bit when it came out but lost interest pretty quick. The singles still hit but pretty hit or miss otherwise. Minus points for the Rat song that comes off as a bad show tune.

B.O.B. is a 5 every time. BUT, no matter how good your album is, if it is over an hour it's too long. 3.5⭐️ but rounding up for the singles.

Overall chill background/ soundtrack type music. Liked it more than I'd expected.

More recognizable as samples from hip-hop tracks than as original songs.

I've never been a Nick Cave fan, and this isn't going to change that. Sounds like a poor David Bowie impersonator with a gospel choir. Except the one part where he sounded like a cartoon zoot suit wolf. No way am I listening to almost an hour and a half of this.

Probably the most even of the Smiths LPs. Humorous and morose, often at the same time, Morrissey and Marr combine forces to make the soundtrack to your dreary little life. Peak 80s English culture. 5 double decker busses.

Danse, danse, et puis la révolution ! Pas terrible, mais ce n'est pas pour moi. Oui, j'ai bien écouté la version française. Pourquoi cette question ? 2,5 étoiles

Practically bankrupt your label? Start a chinchilla farm? Make fans wait years to hear the follow up to your genre defining album? It starts slow, but picks up near the end. More like shoegaze meets ambient and DNB. In Another Way and Wonder 2 are the standouts.

Aside from OK Computer and a couple tracks, I'm never going to get into post OK Computer Radiohead. It's just not for me.

Part of me doesn't want to give this it's flowers, but it's just too good. Nostalgia wins again.

Arty Glam rock equal parts Eno and Ferry. Also: sex with a blow up doll.

More punk attitude than rock. Angular and arty. For the people who sat at the tables at CBGB

If I look up an album I've never listened to before and see that it has won the Mercury Prize, chances are I'm not going to like that album. Can The Bees change my mind? Nope. Tries too hard to be a lot of styles, only to be an album full of songs I'd never choose over what it tries to be. The Kinks? Burt Bachrach? A reggae track? No, no, and absolutely not.

Slacker punk filtered through the desert, Grateful Dead, and LSD.

Your grandparent's favorite singer. It's good, but a little one note. Remember, don't touch the hi-fi.

Not my favorite Miles, but still excellent. At times it sounds like background music from a TV show or a very hip cartoon. And not in a bad way.

(Sir, there are two Johnny Cash prison albums on the list.) About the same as At Folsom Prison, it's pretty short unless you listen to the complete concert version. Didn't need back to back San Quentins. Good version of Boy Named Sue.

Starts out with Ryan trying to be an indie rock Paul Simon, but eventually gets better from there. Ends stronger than it starts, high points outweigh the low.

Can we all agree Groovin' is a terrible song? Not even Aretha could make it palatable. Would have been a perfect album without it. Still an outstanding listen.

Minimal use of drums makes this sound like amorphous blobs of tones with vocals. This album did nothing for me except make me mad that I didn't just listen to Hall and Oates instead.

Yes? More like No. Maybe, at best.

He told us who he was from day one. It's all beats, slide guitars, and slacker rhymes.

Possible the most important rock album of the 70s? Heavy Metal where every song could be a single. 5 massive cross pendants.

Just really not for me.

Garage rock with true punk spirit. Points off for being a live album and the weird falsetto vox on the opener.

Very straightforward and tuneful, the more I listened the more I liked it.

Like rave music for people who've never been to a rave. The more it went on the less I liked it.

Heavy on the Wu Tang but light on the Clan. Only essential if Meth is your favorite.

Twangy folk story telling. You can hear the influence on people like Dylan and Ochs. Woody Guthrie impression was a choice.

Stones break their pop mold and go American? Two big hits, some great tracks that don't quite make it to deep cuts territory. No Expectations and Jigsaw Puzzle are my jams. 3.5⭐️

The Bends/ OK Computer is my sweet spot of Radiohead. They'll never be my favorite, but I liked this more than I remembered. Just is my favorite, but that may be because of the video? And maybe I like Radiohead videos more than their albums? 3.5⭐️

What if Lou Reed sang about healthy living and Boston instead of heroin and New York? Proto Punk? No Proto Straight Edge. Jonathan was lonely because he liked health food and tried to cock block Hippy Johnny for being stoned. Sounds like an edgeman to me. My favorite Boston record of all time. 5 radios on.

An exemplar of electric/ Chicago Blues. My only beef is it sounds a little too clean. Needs to be a little dirtier with some vinyl crackle for the real experience.

Starts off with one of the biggest and most well known songs of the 1980s. After that it's fairly standard synth pop. You could have told me it was any synth band from the 80s and I'd believe you.

Perfectly fine soul/ funk

Normally I am against live albums, but this sounds like a party. Release delayed because the record label was afraid the world would find out what a freak Sam really was. "Lady, you shot me!"

I'm a sucker for 60s girl pop and Burt Bachrach tunes, but some of these covers seem a little unnecessary.

I'm a Morrissey apologist and even I don't like this album. After the singles it's all pretty blah, and not in the "Moz is sad" type blah, but in the "I don't want to listen to this anymore" type blah. First of the Gang and Irish Blood are good though. Ringleaders is a better album, and his last great release.

When it leans into Irish tinged folk it's good, the rest not so much for me.

My tolerance for the Doors is fairly low, and it doesn't extend very far past the singles. This is probably my second least favorite album of theirs, and Peace Frog is the standout here, with very few bright spots otherwise.

The knock against the Dead is the LPs are weak and you need to hear the live shows. American Beauty is the exception. Some of their best known tracks surrounded by great Americana. 5 weeping willows.

Slacker indie rock that starts strong and fades out towards the end.

Starts great with 21st C. Schizoid Man, only to fall off of a cliff for the rest of the album. Hippy minstrel psych and zappa-esque farting around. Further proof that just because you can play doesn't mean the music is good.

Logical next step from NWA. Casual misogyny set to Bomb Squad instead of Dr Dre/ G Funk production. Cube's voice is great and bonus for Chuck D. When this came out I probably laughed off the lyrical content, but I can't look past it now. And I'm ok with that.

Interesting modern psych tinged soul. This one may have broken my mercury prize curse.

I've heard the singles too many times, especially Lust for Life, but as an album it's decent. At times plays as a bonus Bowie album.

House tinged major label dance record. Lady Miss Kier has the perfect house music voice. The uptempo tracks are great, and Groove is an all timer.

If I've learned one thing from this list it's that I really dislike prog. Nerds plus synths, but not in a good way. And who thought mixing rock and Catholic mass was a good idea?

Classic rock with a strong Latin influence. The percussion carries this more than Carlos' guitar.

Drum machine, DJ, some MCs, and Adidas. Brought hip-hop to the suburbs. 1986 remains undefeated.

Ugh, another prog record. This starts out grim with what I assume is the studio setting levels or the band tuning up or just noise. It gets better, and by better I mean more jazzy and less proggy, but still not my cup of tea.

Years ago I got a Bread and Circuits album that started off with a sample of a funky song. I was enthralled by that little snippet and had to hear more. Through some investigation I found out it was Fela Kuti, and have been a fan ever since. This album starts off with that sample (which oddly enough is also being used to sell laptops in 2026.) Not really a live album, and not sure what Ginger adds besides maybe pulling in a white/ western audience. But the tunes stand on their own.

I can honestly say that I have never listened to an entire GM album before. This is so far beyond Wham! or even Faith. George shows his serious side. I liked this way more than I ever expected to.

Run of the mill indie rock with an alt country tinge. A step down from Uncle Tupelo, and Wilco before they really became Wilco.

Not my go to Blur album, but still in the COOL BRITANNIA Pantheon.

Somehow sounds so much more dated and any PE albums released in the 80s. Good but not great.

Good voice but not much else going on here. The Hank Williams cover is awful.

70s rock ala the Stones. Not sure why you'd have anyone besides Rod Stewart sing lead vocals. Stay With Me is a banger.

Gram Parsons plus the Byrds leaving the psych folk behind for Cosmic American Music. Precursor to the Flying Burrito Bros

Space age bachelor pad, but make it African. And maybe some children’s songs. I almost gave this a 1⭐️ for the laughing guy.

Bowie moves to Berlin and discovers Krautrock. Sound and Vision is good. Too much Eno.

Nashville production + George's voice + Divorce. This is country music.

You never know what you're gonna get with the Replacements. Maybe they were the best band ever, or maybe they were really drunk and wanted to play Kiss covers. You get both here.

Oh Santi Cazorla! 5 stars for Seven Nation Army and the hours I've spent singing football chants to it. Probably a 2 or the rest of the Detroit Noise Blues. The uptempo stompers are good, but overall the gimmick wears thin after a few albums.

Blue eyed soul with a bit of a psych and ska feel. This is such a throwback to 1960s British rock in that it's terribly uneven, with the single being an absolute banger and the rest ranging from good, to fair, to pretty bad. Dreaming of You is so good it's getting an extra star.

There is no false advertising here; it's jazzy samba, and it's not for me.

smooth soul jazz plus poetry, not as urgent as Revolution Will Be Televised or Whitey on the Moon. A+ for The Bottle.

Foundational Acid Jazz. You can hear the influences loud and clear here. Sounds like a lot of contemporary dance and electronic music punt into a blender. I would have hated this in 1989.

Boomers will tell you they like punk rock then play this album for you. Kinda reminds me of Jim Morrison if he was a woman.

Really, really, bad Orange Juice rip off.

Sounds like the playlist in a boutique that sold Diesel Jeans.

Perfectly serviceable pop rock from Macca. Jet is cool, BOTR is one of those songs I never need to hear again. Good bass tone.

Put The Stones, Burrito Bros, Neil Young, and Elvis into a blender and this is what you get.

I don’t know from Jazz, but I know this is good.

If you watched TV in the 90s and saw someone die or have an emotional turning point, you've heard Hallelujah. Good cover of the Leonard Cohen track. The grunge track was pretty good too. Otherwise it's singer songwriter sad boy music that's not as good as anything Elliott Smith put out.