1001 Albums Summary

Excellent album. Superb energy throughout as exemplified by the bristling opening track ‘Search and Destroy.’ Also liked the few slower tracks such as the brooding ‘Gimme Danger.’ Love that it was produced by Bowie. I can understand why it wasn’t more of an immediately massive commercial hit, given when it was released, and also why it became such a template for the punk movement a few years down the line.

Only knew Tom Petty from his 80s hits and the Travelling Wilbury’s, so this was great. Really catchy, well written songs. Particularly liked Anything that’s Rock N Roll and American Girl.

Pleasant enough in a Jazz Club ‘Nice!’ way, but not my cup of tea. Take Five is the only track I knew (and it’s good). Also liked ‘Strange Meadow Lark’ as it’s quite pretty.

Laid back, funky and interesting in places. Title track is ok, but nothing really engaged me past a first listen.

Excellent album. Soundtrack to my last year in Uni. Great tracks throughout, especially Welcome to the Jungle, Mr Brownstone, Paradise City and Sweet Child of Mine.

Didn’t like it when it came out because of the same paced songs and her style of vocal. Listening to it now, I still struggle with those two things, but Baby Can I Hold You Tonight is a good song.

Quite enjoyed this. Very upbeat and catchy. ‘Christmas (Please Come Home) is a standout track.

I’ll never get that hour plus back. Tried, but just not my style of music.

Very biased with this particular album as it was a revelation when I heard it for the first time back in 1982. I’d never heard a female singer sing like Kate or be as stunningly inventive and original. Extremely experimental in parts, superb melodies and storytelling. Hooked me immediately and still sounds amazing 43 years later. Not her best or most accessible album (Listen to The Kick Inside, Hounds of Love and The Sensual World, but still superb.

Ok. A decent album. Striving to be epic rock, but nothing truly stood out for me. Much preferred the follow up Urban Hymns.

Much preferred this to the later albums. It has some good tracks such as ‘Do it Again’ and ‘Reelin’ in the Years.’

Great playing, but songs which are too smooth and a bit lacklustre for me to fully appreciate.

Peculiar, but not in a good way. Lost interest after a while. Persevered, but no improvement.

Really struggled with his voice and the songs were so insipid. Very little life and frankly depressing. More like I Am a Turd Now.

Enjoyed listening to this. Great energy in places and I’ve always liked Too Much Too Young and a Message to you Rudy.

Love this album. Strong throughout with excellent singles.

Not a massive fan of prog rock. Sea Song was ok, but nothing else interested me.

Some nice guitar riffs, singles are ok, but not awe inspiring and the remainder are a bit meh.

Pleasant, middle of the road songs. They wash over you without too much of a lasting impact. However, ‘Constant Craving’ is an excellent song and her voice is wonderful. I also quite liked Miss Chatelaine.

Good album. Standouts being Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound 59th Bridge St. Song and For Emily. Other tracks such as The Big Bright Green Machine and Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall are worth a listen too. 7 O’Clock News/Silent Night isn’t.

A brilliant album. Loved it when it came out and still do today. Really enjoyed listening to it again. Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, My Own Way and Save a Prayer are obvious highlights, but Hold Back the Rain and The Chauffeur are equally engaging. Incredible bass playing and huge hooks. It took Duran Duran 29 years to come close to the consistent level of brilliance on here with the album All You Need is Now. That gap included some great albums too. Absolutely recommended.

Grim. Don’t listen to this if you’re depressed.

Not necessarily a fan of dance music, and this does tend to drag a bit in places for me, but they were brilliant when I saw them live at Milton Keynes as a support act and I do like Rendez-Vu and especially Red Alert, which is excellent.

Where to start? It’s so over the top, melodramatic and heavily arranged that it’s difficult to fully know what I think. Love his voice though-really soulful-and the songs (all four of them) are all powerful. I especially loved One Woman. Really good overall.

Ok. Not really the kind of music I generally like, but to be fair there are some decent tunes.

That was just really peculiar. Feel like I’ve been at a strange propaganda rally, where the vocalists/speakers all have sore throats. Pounding drums, cheesy 80s synths and 59 minutes of weirdness. Won’t be going back to this.

Pretty, melodic and a bit dull. Doesn’t really go anywhere. I liked Caravan Girl, but otherwise it’s just a bit too mellow and bland to be engaging.

Very strong album. Best from U2. Loved it at the time. One is the absolute standout, but so many others are great. Superb energy, fantastic musicianship and wonderfully creative.

Good album by a great group. Wistful, nostalgic and endearing. The title track, and Picture Book are excellent. Only wished they’d included Days on it too.

Camp, cheesy and a fair amount of fun in places. Great guitar work and several highlights such as Breaking the Law and Living after Midnight. Not bad overall, but not brilliant.

Love a bit of Brit Pop. Especially when it has this amount of attitude. Good songs, particularly Stupid Girl, Queer and Supervixen.

Quite interesting in parts. A real mixture of styles. Some decent songs, but didn’t really make a big impression.

A difficult one as I love Blur, but have never really enjoyed Damon Albarn’s side projects that much. This very downbeat. A few tracks such as Herculean and the Northern Whale raises a pulse, but otherwise nothing sticks in your head.

Dull I’m afraid.

I know it has cult status and the storytelling is good, but nothing really thrilled me. Title track and Cocaine Blues have a bit of zip.

Too long, too uninspired, too much.

Very dark. A bit limited compositionally, but I liked the energy of Carcass and Hong Kong Garden is a standout.

A mixed bag.

A little overblown and too long in places, but varied stylistically with some very strong tracks too, such as Kashmir, Houses of the Holy and Trampled Under Foot. Worth listening to again.

Not a massive fan of prog rock to be honest and this is too experimental and weird to really have gained a higher score from me.

Quite enjoyed this. Great energy and superb guitar playing, but the constant talking/shouting irritated me a bit!

Is this really an album to listen to before you die???! No.

Loved the singles way back and still do, but the remainder of the album is a bit too lightweight and poppy for me. Look out for Nick Heyward’s later solo albums. They’re much, much better.

Really strong album. Slightly dodgy lyrics in places, but the music is excellent.

Inoffensive, largely dull, elevator music. Remotely pleasant in a few places but just Muzak really.

Dull, largely uninspiring set of songs from an early 90s fallow period in British music. Connected and Step it Up narrowly rise above the level of mediocrity, but it’s all largely forgettable. Too ‘cool’ for its own good and lacking any passion.

To be fair, I’m not a fan of Hip Hop or Rap, so this isn’t an album I can really rate impartially. Doesn’t do anything for me.

See previous review. After listening to this, it’s the same response, but much more so. Repetitive and lyrically revolting too.

Reasonable. A little repetitive in places, but a great voice.

A bit perplexing. Great horn section and good production, but 42 minutes of Salsa is a bit much for me.

A pleasant folk album, with lovely harmonies, but nothing much to write home about in all truthfulness. First two tracks and Wooden Ships are possibly the best.

Very good blues album. Excellent performances and really like his voice.

Like a Brazilian Donovan, but not as original. Maria Bethania is OKish, but otherwise…

Really enjoyable album. A real return to melodic, powerful songwriting. Numerous highlights: the title track, I’d Rather Be High, Valentine’s Day, The Stars are Out Tonight, Dancing Out in Space. Best album since Let’s Dance. .

Although if push came to shove I would say I was more of a Blur fan in the nineties, this album is superb. One of the best Brit Pop era efforts, one of the best debut albums by any band and possibly one of the best ever opening tracks.

Tough one to score. Funkier and more bluesy than most of the Beachboys output in the mid to late seventies. River Song is excellent and I also like Time and Only With You. Would I listen to it as a whole album again? Probably not. Beautiful in parts, but not consistent enough to demand repeat plays. Didn’t listen to the Bambu sessions.

Not a genre I particularly enjoy. It went on for a really long time…

Pleasant enough. Uninspiring, but gentle and ideal background music.

Competent album. Nothing outstanding, but decent guitar songs. You Will You Won’t was probably the standout. The follow up album was better, with the excellent original version of Valerie’s.

Just about managed to get through to the end, but the songs meant nothing to me and I didn’t find anything redeeming to note.

An excellent album. The XTC ‘comeback’ after many years of contract related absence from the music scene was well worth the wait. Beautiful orchestrations and some standout songs. Not every one fully makes the grade, but I adore Greenman, Your Dictionary and Frivolous Tonight, whilst Easter Theatre is majestic. Although I narrowly prefer the guitar heavy follow up ‘Wasp Star’ this is a classic.

It’s ok, but not something I’d listen to for a second time. Some passable tracks, but only just.

Oh dear. Cheerful bunch aren’t they? Turgid.

Blimey. What was that? Just a cacophony of noise. Didn’t he write ‘Downtown Train?’ What went wrong??!

Not a massive fan of prog rock, but Starship Troopers and Yours is No Disgrace have some decent parts. OK overall, but wouldn’t listen to it again.

A bit frustrating as there is potential for some really good music here, but its eclecticism and some song’s lack of structure works against it. In places, it sounds a bit of a mess. When they get past that, in tracks like Juxtaposed with U and Its Not the End of the World, the results are good.

Some very good songs-When Doves Cry, Take Me With U, Let‘s Go Crazy and Purple Rain- and a bunch of fairly dated, cheesy 80s tracks outside of these. Not a masterpiece, as many say, but worth a listen for the singles.

Trippy, gentle and atmospheric or bland, boring and sleep inducing? I won’t be revisiting it.

Always liked their singles, but sadly a bit underwhelmed by this album. Some good tracks, such as Life During Wartime and Heaven, but it didn’t engage me as much as I hoped it would. It is rhythmically interesting and has great bass playing.

Good background music…if you live in a country and western themed geriatric home. It’s inoffensive, but is quite repetitive and doesn’t set your pulses racing.

Hmmm…no thanks.

Not necessarily a genre I completely embrace, but some massive riffs and excellent playing. Probably wouldn’t revisit, except for Enter Sandman, but don’t hate it either.

It took me two days to get through it. It wasn’t awful, but nothing stood out as particularly memorable. Plastic Flowers in the Highway possibly came closest, but probably wouldn’t listen to that again. The whole record was just too long.

The level of angst is not something I relate to (fortunately) but it is generally a pretty good album. The first five tracks particularly impress. Especially the excellent Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come As You Are.

It’s ok. She’s a good singer and the songs are reasonable, but nothing outstanding.

Always quite liked Praise You back in the nineties, but a whole album of this style of music was just a bit too long and repetitive for me.

Some nice guitar work and quite like her voice too, but nothing is particularly memorable.

Like a lot of albums on this list, it’s inoffensive, but largely bland. There Goes the Fear and Pounding are probably the best tracks.

Really enjoyed large parts of this. Basically the faster tracks, plus Money Honey. The slower ballads tend to drag a little, but overall a very good debut.

Nice voice and musically chilled, but likely to send into a coma if you listen to it more than once.

Boss’s Nova baby yeah! Background music. Not a lot more.

I like a lot of the Foo Fighters’ singles (and it’s no exception here) but a whole album becomes harder to get through, with a rock sound that can be a bit generic and by the numbers in places.

Not a fan of jazz, but given the genre this firmly sits in I actually enjoyed some parts of it. Not enough to revisit, but ok.

Oh dear. That was a complete waste of time. What was the point to any of it and how did he get to make so many other albums??!!

Reasonable. Interesting in places, but not massively memorable.

Well ahead of its time. Good album. Particularly liked The Model and Neon Lights.

Not bad, but not great. Quite liked the Cutter and the Bevk of Love, but nothing else stood out for me.

It’s a really difficult one to get through. You can hear the germ of some ideas on songs like Getting Bright at Night, but most are suffocated by really unpleasant, distorted guitars. It’s a wall of noise which leaves you with a headache.

Tracks 2,3 and 5 are good examples of 90s pop. Whether or not that’s a good thing is debatable. The title track is, despite its baggage, a really well constructed, catchy song, but otherwise the remainder are pretty limp and unforgettable.

Very interesting range of styles and I enjoyed a number of the tracks. Can’t give it anywhere close to the five star rating many have given it, but she is talented.

Overall it’s a great album with some fantastic songs. Not a fan of Human Nature and although The Girl is Mine, is melodic, its lyrics and performances are undeniably cringy, so a 4 for me.

Doesn’t have the power pop majesty of the first two albums. Some decent songs though.

Like individual tracks they did on later albums, but can never really understand the hero worship status of the group and David Byrne. Psycho Killer is about the only track I’d go back to.

Nowhere near the Who’s best. I can See for Miles is excellent, but otherwise it’s pretty average with some really annoying adverts and jingles.

Tried, but not for me. Interesting rhythms in places (Gidelsm) but the album didn’t grab me.

Hip hop isn’t a genre I relate to or really appreciate. Became boring very quickly.

I didn’t like every track, but when it’s good ((Starman, Hang onto Yourself and the final three tracks) it’s really good.

Hmmm…generally like the cure, but this is too dense and depressing to resonate.

Rambling does describe this quite accurately. It’s also generally awful. Really dislike the speaking.

Not massively into any of the tracks, but the guitar playing, many of the riffs and the bass lines are really good.

Oh dear…somebody must have liked them in the Deep South of the good old U.S old A, but I’m not louvin’ the Louvin Brothers or the overtly religious themes in some of the songs. Just a bit weird and irritating I’m afraid.

Wanted to like this, but it’s tough. One Chord Wonders, Great British Mistake and Gary Gilmore’sEyes are OK, but otherwise it’s quite repetitive and basic.

I was a fan of the Smiths and a lot of Morrissey’s solo work. Vauxhall and I and You are the Quarry are great albums. However, most of his recent work is pretty weak and his politics are really suspect. This album is possibly the loudest, most muscular work he ever did. Mick Ronson produced it, which might offer some explanation. It’s also very good. We Hate it when our Friends Become Successful, Glamorous Glue, Certain People I Know and Tomorrow are great. The musical power of National Front Disco is also superb (if you can ignore the lyrics). An album that’s definitely worth a listen and was a standout amongst much of the dross which came out in 1992.

Just a fantastic album. Shine on You Crazy Diamond is a masterpiece.

With the exception of Pinball Wizard and I’m Free nothing particularly stands out. The other tracks are generally ok, but not worth the hype which followed this album.

Definitely not an album I’d listen to again. Not a fan.

Really strong Who album. Probably their best. The beautiful Behind Blue Eyes and the superb Won’t Grt Fooled Again are amongst the best songs they ever did. Really enjoyed this album.

Inoffensive(except for a fairly irritating voice) and just a bit bland really. Certainly didn’t get me excited.

Genuinely funky.Papa Was a Rolling Stone and Do your Thing are standouts. However, do I like it overall? Not sure.

Really not for me. Just can’t appreciate why I would want to listen to this again.

A very polarising album. It didn’t really do much for me (although I have always liked You Can Call Me Al). It’s ok, but not one I’d revisit.

This is a tricky one. The musicianship is great and I really like some passages of some songs, but it can also feel a little self-indulgent at times too. I will listen to it again to see if I can see why it’s so lauded. It may grow on me more.

Love the Eagles. The three singles are definite standouts. The remainder is pleasant and shows potential (yet fully fulfilled at this early stage) for future greatness.

Some outstanding tracks (You Oughta Know, Hand in My Pocket, Ironic) which make up for the less stimulating ones.

Liked some of them (Sail Away, Simon Smith and You Can Leave Your Hat On) but otherwise let’s just focus on Toy Story.

Didn’t like the last one. This has a little more life to it n places, but still painful to listen to.

Too grungy for me. Let in the sunshine.

Dull. Dull. Dull.

Inoffensive is about the best thing I can say about this album.

Love the jangly guitar sixties vibe. Not all the songs are that great, but the title track, Bells of Rhymney and She’s Got a Way are really good.

Bucolic, pleasant in places, but didn’t really interest me. Quite bland.

I can understand why it was so different to most other albums in 1989, but I can’t really comprehend why it is so revered. I didn’t buy it back then and - to be honest - wouldn’t now.

Hmmm….quite liked the follow up Solitude Standing (and especially the more upbeat single Luka) but apart from Marlena on the Wall there’s nothing else here that really grabs me.

A good selection of R ‘n’ b covers. Nothing spectacular (and not in the same league as the Beatles debut) but still quite reasonable.

Always liked Our House. The remainder are pleasant enough.

Apart from being an idiot (recently complaining that Lola by the Kinks was transphobic!!) I’ve never really liked his music. This doesn’t change my kind. Same formula throughout. Boring.

It’s ok. Fairly bland,formulaic eighties really. Not much else to say. Won’t be listening to it again.

Actually liked it a bit more than I thought I would. A free decent tracks.

I’ve always liked Light My Fire, but otherwise this really sounds of its time. Didn’t do much for me.

So many albums on here are lauded as masterpieces and I just don’t understand why. I love Lazy Sunday, but nothing else comes close to it. I like Afterglow and Steve Marriot’s voice is great, but nothing else really engages me.

Didn’t think I’d like this over the whole course of the album, but it was actually very creative. Part four is particularly appealing.

Not a particular fan of reggae, but when it’s done as well as this I can understand why it (and Bob Marley) are so popular. Undecided as to whether I’d revisit this specific album, but not bad at all.

I liked this. The singles are obvious standouts and have aged really well. The remainder are either good originals/ cover versions, or at worst still passable.

Actually quite liked a lot of this. Especially Cherry Coloured Funk and Iceblink Luck. Melodic and interesting in places.

Superb. One of the best early period albums by the Beatles. Full of wonderful original songs. Classic.

Not a genre I enjoy. Not offensively bland, but not something I’d listen to again.

It’s probably telling that I preferred a lot of the intros to the main body of most of the songs. Not very original. I do like some of their later material, but this album doesn’t really do anything for me.

Oh dear. Not a chance.

All the ingredients for Queen’s future greatness are here. The harmonies, distinctive guitar sound, inventive song structures and Freddie’s glorious voice. All that’s missing (with the exception of the superb Seven Seas of Rhye) are standout songs. Still liked a lot of them, though I’m not sure about the ogres and fairies…

Geno is excellent, but otherwise the songs are only passable. Keep It is the best of the rest. The mannered vocals and ever present horns also tend to grate after a while.

Be great as a sedative. His voice and most of the song tempos are soporific. Ironically the instrumental Transylvania Blues is the only thing with any real life.

Preferred the more upbeat classics to the slower paced ballads, but the latter are still performed well. Enjoyed the album and would listen to it again.

Some decent tracks, but nothing that would make me necessarily come back to it often.

Couldn’t access in Apple Music.

Uninspiring. Nothing new or particularly original.

Great voice and soulful songs with good arrangements.

Liked Son of Sam, but after that the album was progressively drained of life. Enjoyed a number of interesting chord changes, but the songs lacked spark.

Always had a soft spot for the Divine Comedy (probably the Father Ted connection) and National Express was a stone cold classic. On this album I have always liked Something For the Weekend and Be coming More Like Alfie, but not really much else.

Enjoyed some of the songs, but overall would only revisit for a few tracks.

Decent bluesy rock album. Not particularly original, but enjoyed listening to it. Especially Hard to Handle.

Classic pre-weird MJ album. Full of bangers! Loved it. A few average tracks, but not many.

Good album. The singles are obvious standouts, but the rest isn’t too shabby either.

Surprised by how much I liked parts of this album. Cinnamon Girl is brilliant.

Mixed feelings about this one. Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are very good and others like My Best Friend and How Do You Feel have charm. The rest are at best ok.

I liked Julian Cope’s solo stuff. This has some merit in places: Treason, Poppies and the excellent Reward. The remainder is sporadically interesting. Inoffensive at worst.

Shake Your Rump and Hey Ladies have a bit of Ooomph, but overall not really something I’d listen to again.

Didn’t exactly dislike it, but none of the tracks really stood out. Although any Finnish group that references Tooting Bec ( two steps on the Northern Line from where I lived) can’t be all bad.

Appreciate the punk energy, but it does get a bit trying after a while. Love Bites is a much better album.

Quite liked elements. Wouldn’t revisit, but top musicianship and some good rhythms and melodies.

Liked large parts of this. Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are excellent.

An album of two halves. The first half is fairly dull, based around simplistic metal riffs. From Three Days onwards there’s a lot more creativity to it. Not enough to revisit though.

Not entirely sure how they enjoy such an elevated standing amongst the critics, but this is reasonably pleasant in places and inoffensive.

Acid rock isn’t really a genre I enjoy. Too overblown and this album is no exception. Joplin’s voice is good, but it overall not an album that will linger with me for long.

Oh dear. This was awful.

With its glittering synths, this is engaging in places, but very much of its time too. There’s some good songs, but I struggle with Billy McKenzie’s vocals.

This just isn’t very good. Weirdly structured sons, pretentious lyrics and dated.

Monster riffs, songs that don’t overstay their welcome and Smoke on the Water. Highway Star and Space Truckin’ also rock hard.

Love Blur, but Gorillaz have never really done it for me. Ok in places, but lacking any really strong Melodies.

I’m a bit ambivalent about reggae as a genre of music. This album doesn’t alter that. Like some UB40 songs, but also dislike others. Food for Thought and Tyler are both good on here.

Some good tracks (particularly the singles), but the album is also a little bland in places. It’s pleasant, if not that inspiring.

Pleasantly surprised how much I liked some of this. Might revisit.

Adore Karen Carpenter’s voice and there are some great songs on here, but they are a singles band for me. Listening to a whole album can be a cloying experience with Richard Carpenter’s technically good, but often too syrupy arrangements.

Bit disappointed with this, given who is on the album. Nothing really rises above mediocre.

Voice apart, there are some good songs on here before he became fully electric. Not necessarily someone or something I’d revisit too often, but there are some top lyrics.

Although it’s way out of my usual listening pool, it does have a lot of life and some decent arrangements. Not something I’ll come back to, but doesn’t mean it’s not worth a listen.

Not a tremendous fan of Justin or this white boy early noughties r &b. Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body are both decent songs, but that’s about it.

Very professionally put together and very catchy in places. However, only Shining Star really stood out.

Not classic Springsteen by any means, but some decent songs - The Rising, Lonesone Day. Drags a little by the end.

Not a genre I can relate to or come close to ever liking. I gave it a try with this, but it was a real slog and just consolidated my dislike.

Good Times is a classic disco staple ( probably rightly so). The remaining tracks range from fairly decent to ok to overlong and a bit meandering. Not an album I’ll go back to, but ok.

Wasn’t sure what I’d make of a whole album of Bob Marley, but I was really surprised how good it was. Probably helped that I was listening to it whilst lying on a sun kissed beach in the Med, but there are some very good songs and the remainder were reasonable too.

Really good album. Full of strong tracks. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.

Very loud, lots of angst and just not that good.

Pretty good in places- Everyday People, You Can Make it if You Try. Not everything works, but overall it’s worth listening to.

Well crafted and played songs, but just too overtly country for me. They all tended to merge together after a while.

Dreary, dull and largely tuneless. Wouldn’t listen again.

Decent, atmospheric, weirdy background music, which never really goes anywhere. Kept expecting the Clangers or Moomins to start singing at any point!

Good rock album. I’ve heard better overall in this genre, but the guitar playing is exceptional and Dave Lee Roth is a powerful vocalist.

A tough one to rate, as Leonard Cohen’s music seems to really polarise opinion. I liked some of the music - Sisters of Mercy, So Long Marianne, Suzanne - and his early career voice was certainly also much better than I’ve heard on other later songs. However, as an album it can drag a bit in places and . So a low 3 overall.

Some reasonable songs (particularly Lovefool) but overall it’s not that great.