1001 Albums Summary

A few absolutely amazing tracks. Incredible production.

Some really great songs, but a lot of bad ones too. Overall, would listen to some of these again. Nice to find.

I feel like I’ve heard Nirvana too many times and I don’t enjoy it anymore. But listening to this album, it has a bunch of good songs and it had a huge influence on music. A begrudging 4 that maybe should be 5.

Christmas music is awful.

Some strong tracks but not quite consistent enough for a 5.

Let the good times roll. And the hits.

Fine, not great.

Kind of interesting. Probably pretty innovative for its time.

Tom Waits when he was more jazzy and hadn’t discovered pots and pans yet. Yes please.

A few classic songs. This was fine. I wouldn’t choose to put it on though.

This is not how I thought Rod Stewart sounded. Not that catchy though.

It doesn’t have Bittersweet Symphony. It’s fine but not good.

A few great songs and an overall interesting album.

Dull. Not sure why this is here.

Kind of interesting, but kind of weird. I feel like maybe there is another album of his that I’d enjoy more.

Decent rock tracks.

Eleanor Rigby is great. The rest of this is not for me.

The best. Immediately sets the mood. So many great memories listening to this album.

Experimental and interesting, but not enough catchy tunes to listen again.

This isn’t what I expected. One big hit, and a bunch of listenable others. Solid.

I like this. I liked it then. I like it now. I like his voice. Good times.

Boring wannabe poetry.

This is fine. Decent riffs, decent songs, slightly annoying voice at times. I’ll be fine never hearing this again. Borderline 3, but landed on a 2.

This was long and it all sounded the same. Bob Dylan songs sound the best when performed by other people.

Some really well written songs, but the production sucks and Dave can’t sing.

Do you like shouting? But not really catchy songs? This is for you. The samples sound interesting; I’d like to hear an instrumental version of this.

So many great songs.

I’ve never listened to much Brian Eno. I liked the first few. The production is great.

Song 2 and not much else.

Why is this here? It was fine at the time. It’s not great now.

One banger, then a bunch of good singing on mediocre songs.

Interesting. I like the concept and what it represents. The music itself is fine for the background but not something I’d actively listen to again.

This has a few huge tracks that I enjoy. I feel like I’m supposed to like it. But I wouldn’t choose to put it on. Meh.

Slow, country tinged nothingness.

I don’t know much about Janis Joplin. This was fun to discover. It has a feel of led zep about it, but the songs aren’t quite there.

Solid background vibes.

This album doesn’t know what it wants to be. The acid house is interesting, The Cure clone is boring. Overall, not cohesive and wouldn’t listen again.

Several classic songs. It sounds great. Nothing else like it. Masterpiece.

Captured a moment in time. Some bangers. Some shit.

Title track is good. Lost in music was ok. The rest of the album could have been the same song. It would be inoffensive in the background, but I wouldn’t put this on.

—0–3–5——0–3–6–5– A couple classic tracks. I can see the road it paved, but several songs are too close to the blues roots, where it feels like a copy of every other 12 bar song that came before.

A couple nice songs, but this was twice the length it should have been. I don’t get the love for this album. Would not play again.

This lad can play guitar. Unfortunately, the songs and style weren’t really for me.

You know what, this was dumb. Dump it. Trash it. This one’s garbage. Some of the worst keyboard sounds and playing combined with comical lyrics. Jazz police. Oh man.

Only one song really stood out to me. Some cool stereo mixing. 2 for now, but might listen some more to see if this grows.

I enjoyed this but wouldn’t listen regularly.

I knew rockstar from them before and based on that, this album isn’t what I expected. The first track that is a Prince rip-off got me interested, but the rest of the album became such generic nothing pop. Struggled to finish it due to boredom. A generous 2.

I get why it’s important and on the list, but I just wanted to turn it off. Snoozefest. It’s period-setting backing for a TV show rather than something to dedicate time listening to.

Generic AmeriRock veering into country. Bland.

Don’t love the voice, but solid overall.

Quite enjoyed this. Another girl, another planet is a top track.

Gin and Juice is a classic. General funky sound is solid, but the lyrics are bad. Not enough stand out songs lyrically or in production to be ‘good’. Bounced between 2 and 3, but settled on a 2.

I really enjoyed the first half of this. The second half was not as strong. The mix is spacious, his voice is great, and there are some nice songs. Just crept into being a 4.

Pleasant in the background. Nothing special. Just scrapes a 3.

I debated on this one for a while. There are two classic ska tracks on here (“a message to you Rudy” and “Too much too young “). The overall sound isn’t bad. But there’s just not quite enough to make me want to put the album on instead of just those tracks. Can’t quite break into 3 territory.

This is stripped back, messy, and at times out of tune, but compelling. The cover choices are great and the songs in general are fittingly haunting. I can see why this is a commonly a 5; it’s an essential part of rock music history, but I now only enjoy it enough for a 4.

Interesting story behind this one. Elements of trip hop while keeping the Brazilian rhythms intact throughout. A few of the songs didn’t fully keep my attention, but I like the overall vibe and would probably listen again. A strong 3 for now.

Kind of different and interesting, but not really that good. Well produced but only Machine Gun really holds up as an engaging song for me.

This was kind of interesting. I’m not sure if it would be here if it was a different artist or the circumstances of the release were different though. Overall, settled on a 2 as I don’t have a desire to listen again.

I debated about this one for a while. There are some decent songs on here and it’s not as dour as I have come to expect from Morrissey. I can’t tell if songs like the National front disco were a veiled endorsement, or are just ironic now it’s clear that he’s a xenophobic piece of shit. Landed on a 2.

Very old folk sound. The songs are fine, but I struggled to get much enjoyment from it. I think stripped back folk like this needs to have more meaningful lyrical content. Songs about weevils and bed bugs don’t cut it.

Some big hits and a cohesive sound. I hadn’t previously realized there was a story/concept for the album having not listened to the whole thing in one sitting. It’s a solid album but I prefer some of his others.

You’d expect some edgy rock music from a band with a name like The Zombies. You’d be very wrong. Sounds like budget Beatles to me. Maybe with a more modern sound, the songwriting would shine, but it’s too dated for me to appreciate.

One more dance irritated me, but otherwise, this was an engaging and entertaining listen. This is definitely not something I would have found on my own, and I’m not sure how much I’ll revisit it, but I’m glad I heard it. Click song was a clear standout.

I quite liked this. Reminiscent of Björk and Mazzy Star in places. No particular songs really grabbed me though, so ends as a 3. Would listen again.

In general, indie rock isn’t for me. This album is better than many of the genre, but it’s still dull. The songs aren’t catchy enough to be memorable and the music doesn’t do enough to be interesting. It feels in between pop and rock without taking the best bits of either.

I was worried when this started with a folk-country opening, but it had a number of more interesting tracks incorporating different styles. The last track I feel like I’ve heard but I don’t know where. Some of this was in 4 territory, some of it 1. Landed on a 3 - would seek out and listen to some of these tracks again.

I cannot handle the warble. It’s a shame as there might be some decent songs underneath it.

I listened to this 4 or 5 times to make sure. There are 5 solid tracks here, but none that I love. The mix has my favorite feature from rock music around this time where all the drums are in one speaker and the guitar is the other side. Feels foundational to a bunch of other music I like more. Ultimately settled on a 3 but can see how this could be higher.

The best track was Bike. A lot of the rest was experimental but not engaging. Hard to connect this with the multiple masterpieces that follow.

I really struggled to get through this. Paper planes is great, but the rest of the album feels undirected and chaotic in a bad way. The book implies this is a masterpiece and I see other people saying it sets the path for a bunch of other music. Maybe it’s not stuff I’m listening to but I just don’t see the impact. Not for me.

The music of this was cool in places but the singing wasn’t at the same level. Some of the sounds are reflected in later work by other bands that I like. Overall, not enough to make me come back to this one though.

Debated this one and gave it a couple listens. The highs are not that high and it’s way too long. Overall not for me.

I’ve never sat and listened to an album by Elton John before, or really intentionally listened to any of his songs. I didn’t expect to enjoy it, but this was surprisingly good. Four or five stellar songs and a bunch of solid ones in between. The genre switching from prog, to rock, to ballad is seamless. The only downside was it dragged in a few moments - could have been 5 tracks shorter and better for it. Close to a 5…

A punk-y take, before punk existed, on a bunch of standard songs. Clearly influential, but not that fun to listen to now.

I haven’t listened to the velvet underground before. It was fine. No songs particularly grabbed me, although The Murder Mystery was more interesting than the others. The songwriting was solid but I like a more raw or rockier sound (which Lou Reed delivers later). Borderline 3, but wouldn’t listen again, so 2.

I think Missy Elliott is a good artist, but as an album, there aren’t enough tracks here that I want to listen to again. Work It is so much stronger than everything else.

Maybe it’s because I once lost a bet when I thought Pink Floyd would have more listens on Spotify than CCR, or maybe it’s because 1/4 of this album is the plodding Graveyard Train. Proud Mary is a good song and his voice is great. Borderline 3, but 1 track doesn’t make an album.

Not really listened to Bad Brains before. A bunch of sounds I enjoy but no songs that grabbed me. Would listen more to their other work though.

Obligatory “fuck Eric Clapton” as a person. I kind of enjoyed this. A bit bloated but very listenable. Layla itself is great. Maybe a generous 3.

This was my original introduction to Judas Priest. I think they have a couple of better albums (Painkiller, Turbo) but this one is still great. Plenty of catchy songs. Just tails off a bit in the last few.

This has some songs where I cannot stand the lyrics, but it also has some pretty good songs. Great guests and production throughout. I kind of enjoyed it.

I thought I didn’t like R.E.M. It turns out I was wrong. A few really catchy songs. The album is well produced.

Random folky gibberish. Fine in places but not all that enjoyable / no desire to listen again. The last couple grated and I had to turn it off.

This is the 3rd Nick Cave album I’ve heard from the list so far. I’m starting to suspect that Nick Cave isn’t for me. Too many songs on this album reminded me of an ITYSL sketch and I expected him to sing about using bones for money. This was my favorite of the 3 but still a slog.

I don’t know how I feel about this one. It was interesting. I’ve never heard of this artist before. Quite a range of sounds across the album.

Tracks 2 and 3 are decent. The second half of the album is atmospheric but not engaging. Maybe it was good at the time?

Sounds very dated and some of the lyrics aren’t great for now.

Made a nice change to the usual rock and pop on the list. Some cool sounds and gives a solid overall vibe. Trendy hotel lobby maybe.

Enjoyed this. Great mix. Interesting blend of styles. Would listen again.

First half is sublime, then it tails off. Get on the Floor has a filthy bass riff. Production is a Quincy Jones master class.

None of the songs really engaged me. The highlight was the track featuring Thom Yorke. Otherwise the songs kind of blurred together.

This was pretty good. I like the recurring themes that tie the album together. Catchy songs.

Listened to the remastered vinyl edition which gives a bit more low end. A masterpiece. I don’t think there’s a bad song on the album. Very catchy and accessible metal.

This would be a 5 for overall impact on music, but a 4 for me in terms of enjoyment. Some great moments but also some songs that are tedious, and skits aren’t for me.

The first track is very good. The whole thing definitely creates an atmosphere and tells a story. A few too many that sound similar to break into 3 territory though.

A couple of good songs, but mostly not for me.

There’s a lot here that passes me by. And then there are a few tracks like Juicy, which are fantastic. Overall, it feels so bloated at 76 minutes long though.

Clearly talented, and talented songwriters attached, but the style isn’t really for me.

Debated between 2 and 3. There are some ok songs and the sax is fun, but there aren’t any tracks that really grabbed me. I want a catchy hook from punk songs and this didn’t have any. I can see the influence this has had though; Amyl and the sniffers have a similar sound now (but better hooks).

I found this pretty tedious to listen to. Quite a few long songs that felt like jams.

Well made, musically talented, but I don’t gave any desire to listen again. The songs just didn’t grab me.

I didn’t go to school with any of the band. This is just a solid punk album. Not bad but nothing special.

I listened to this a couple of times and it definitely needs to be played a little louder on proper speakers to be enjoyable. Changes was the only track I really knew before. Lays the groundwork for all of the more modern sludge and groove rock like Down and The Sword. Good riffs as expected, more prog adjacent than other songs I know by them.

The start is strong but it’s a little long. I really like the style. Their best track is not on this album though: work it out (ft Dave Matthews).

Never listened to this album before. Some great songs and remarkable talent. Tails off a bit towards the end, but still enough to earn a 4 overall.

When the artist themselves can’t listen to the album because they hate the arrangements, it feels like maybe it shouldn’t be on the list. Maybe influential, but not that enjoyable.

First half is excellent, hit after hit. The middle handful are pretty weak. If this were shorter and cut a few of the poor tracks out, it would be a 5.

The overall sound is cool but like with the other Sly album I’ve done from the list, no songs really stand out. It’s like a great improvisation group were asked to record stuff. Lots of small cool parts but nothing that makes me want to put the album on.

Got the vinyl out for this one. Some of Santana’s best work. Fun album.

Solid for the style and time. Would be great to have a remaster of this. Would listen again but probably wouldn’t actively choose to put it on, so a 3.

Plodding.

Common People is good. The rest is not great. Especially the whispering parts. Not a fan.

This is fine. Some interesting parts, easy enough to listen to, but also nothing special. It made me look up other folk albums on the list and the inclusion of this over a whole bunch of others is baffling.

Great album. A few timeless tracks.

Five great pop songs on this. My main complaint is that the mix is flat and lacks dynamics on both the original and remaster, with minimal separation between the instruments. With modern production and more low end, some of these tracks would be even better.

My vinyl copy has a little too much fireplace in the mix but this still sounds great. Easy 5. Sublime songs, unique guitar playing.

There were a couple tracks in the middle that were a bit more interesting, but it’s mostly just jangly pop that I don’t really care for.

Solid album, but nothing that really stood out.

Pretty cool easy listening mash up of 80s sounds. No songs that massively stood out, but solid.

The book makes this album sound like a masterpiece. Alas, it was not. Mostly very slow indie with not much standing out.

Interesting. A bit My Morning Jacket, a bit Dylan, a bit Paul Simon, a bit post rock. I’d probably listen to this again. It feels like something that would improve the more you listen and know it.

The title track is pretty good (although a touch long). The rest are generic power ballads. I was expecting to enjoy this but it meandered into poor man’s Elton John territory.

A few of the songs at the start and end are good. The ones in the middle not so much. Prince does some solid work. The production is nice.

Nice sound, but the songs are mostly just fine.

Never heard this before but enjoyed it. Reminiscent of Air (French Band) in places. Nothing special, but can see that I might put it on in the background and will explore their other albums.

Yes please.

Technically sublime. A few big tracks. Original and well executed.

This was well produced, the dual vocals are great. I’ll definitely listen again.

This was good. Well made and nice songs, just not really my style to return to.

This sounds too dated for me to really enjoy.

Only really knew Roundabout before from this. Pretty good.

I’m probably biased on this one but it’s a great album. Loads of fun, catchy songs. They’re still fantastic live.

Not really my style, and there’s a lot of it.

I don’t like live albums. They don’t capture what it’s like to be in the crowd and I don’t want to hear badly mixed versions of songs I can hear elsewhere. This has a lot of deviations from the originals, so could be seen as its own thing, but that’s also a downside. No one needs random noodling and drum solos.

Cool, jazzy, angry violins.

Noisy and loose. Didn’t really appeal to me.

Has foundations of Oasis and The Wildhearts which was interesting. However, the song quality is not up to that level.

This was very smooth and easy to listen to. Sounds way ahead of its time. Glad I heard it, but not something I’m likely to return to often.

Listened to the 180g vinyl reissue. So far ahead of its time compared to everything else I’ve heard from the list around then. Great drum mix, stellar songs.

No. No. No. Beyond the first few tracks, this is such a tough listen. I guess it has a place in time, but no.

The concept is maybe the most interesting thing about this album. It was way too long.

I really enjoyed listening to this. It was fascinating to hear this snapshot in time. That said, I probably wouldn’t choose to sit and put this on.

The production is very crisp. There’s a cool range of sounds. Some of it is quite adjacent to Portishead, but it never manages to capture that same magic. The main issue I have is with how long this is. The more I listen to this list, the more I feel convinced that CDs ruined albums by allowing too much bloat.

Thin, weirdly manufactured sound. Not my style at all. I’m not sure if it’s even a good example of this genre.

Not for me. Couple of good songs but that’s it.

The first track was great, and some of the others were good. Overall enjoyed the sound. Not quite a 4 but debated it.

The same beat for an hour.

Pretty decent. I like the blend of Irish folk and punk. Does enough to remain interesting for the duration. Sets up the sequels by the Dropkick Murphys nicely.

Pretty interesting. Will listen again as I expect this will improve the more you know it.

I’ve had a bunch of dance and house albums from the list lately and this has some overlap, but then also has some britpop tinges. I’m not sure what it’s meant to be, but I don’t find it especially engaging.

I guess it was interesting because this isn’t the sound I know by the Bee Gees. However, it wasn’t especially good. A sound that hasn’t aged particularly well and plain songs.

This is well executed, but it’s not for me.

First track is really good. Rest is enjoyable. Nice funk inspired sound.

Before listening I said this would be an album I’m supposed to give a 5 to, but feel like I might only give a 4. A few incredible, timeless, tracks. The best cover ever. Some amazing and novel use of effects. A stereo mix that feels alive. Unique guitar playing. Would it be better if it was 30 minutes shorter? Probably. Does it still feel relevant nearly 60 years later? Yes.

This is well made, but I found it pretty tedious.

I appreciate that they tried to have a few different genres on this, but the middle was full of weak covers and the rest had too much 80s synths and drum machines.

Henry Rollins is an angry man.

It’s well executed but country music is just shit.

This guy listened to Bowie and wondered what it would be like to copy it, but with even more reverb on the vocals and without the hooks.

It’s fine. I don’t get the hype and high ratings. Maybe you had to be there.

Started off ok but dragged on. Not bad but wouldn’t listen again.

Vinyl time. Half of this is great, half is ok. Probably the 3rd best Alice Cooper album and the other 2 aren’t on the list.

Overall nice sound. Only a couple catchy songs though.

I liked this. Different and interesting.

A couple good ones and a bunch of meandering crap. The good news is that at least I only have 3 more Rolling Stones albums to get through.

The first half of this I know from their greatest hits and it’s pretty strong. The mix sucks for most of it; minimal bass and I’ve never understood Dimebag’s compressed sound.

An album almost entirely made from samples. Rare samples, from vinyl. As a piece of art, a 5. As music itself, a really coherent vision but maybe more of a 3. Let’s average at 4.

This was fine. I preferred the funkier songs.

I enjoyed having something different but I won’t listen to this again.

Pleasant but not that engaging. Nice to have something different.

Nice songs.

Vinyl time. A few fantastic tracks.

Nice and pleasant background music.

Solid but not special. A long way from his best albums.

Sublime.

Really enjoyed this. Different to a lot of things I’ve heard lately. Cool industrial style. French language Rammstein meets NIN.

A bit Jethro Tull, a bit Genesis. But still good.

Mostly passed me by except the first track.

Solid.

Stand was really good. The rest was fine.

I quite liked this. Being from 1975 was a surprise.

I didn’t hate it. But I still hate Morrissey.

The main good aspect of this is the guitar sound. It’s varied and carries everything. The drums drift, the vocal is often not high enough in the mix to but when it is, you want it gone again. It feels ahead of its time and is interesting but I don’t think I’d listen again.

Sitting on a park bench.

This is tough. The first half is a shoddy Doors. The second side is a song I’m quite familiar with but have no idea from where. Really influential track. A generous 3. But it’s more like side 1 is a 2 and side 2 is a 4.

I liked the length. You know what they’re about. No need to overdo it. Mostly makes me want to listen to a more evolved version of this like Rancid though.

Maybe the backstory influenced me, but this was not terrible. Only 1 more Nick Cave album to endure…

Solid. Couple really nice songs.

From the name I was worried this was going to be anger 90s generic alt rock band. But it wasn’t and I really enjoyed it. Very different and creative.

Pretty generic.

I only knew Bohemian Like You from them before. This did not make me go Whoa Woo. Fairly bland 90s sound.

This is musically quite good, but the songs are lacking a bit. Changing vocalist was a great move.

Some good songs but Mustaine can’t sing and it detracts from the whole thing. Mix is awful.

Masterpiece. I think it’s my third favorite of their albums and still an easy 5.