1001 Albums Summary

The whole album kept swapping between loud rock and softer acoustic. The rock was pretty bad, and the acoustic was okay, but nothing great. I’d give it a 2 for below average, but not horrible enough to deserve a 1

Not my favorite genre, but still had a couple of songs that I enjoyed. Overall an average album, but definitely on the higher side of a 3.

I’d initially given this album a 4/5, which was still surprising, considering that I expected it to be a 2 or 3 stars. However, re-listening to a lot of the songs, this is simply a 5 star album. Its dramatic rock is just simply awesome to listen to, and the instruments in the background are just an amazing touch that takes this album to the next level. I think I especially liked these instruments because it reminds me of my favorite band since I was 2, a Japanese band named Mr.Children.

I would probably never listen to this album again. I never liked Heavy Metal, and found this album unpleasant. The only thing that kept it from a 1 were the impressive guitar riffs and good drumming, but honestly, I don’t get how this made the 1001 top albums you must listen to.

Jazz is one of those genres that are pleasant to listen to, but aren’t necessarily something that I’d put on when listening to my music on my own. This album was a good jazz album, with many solos and other musical elements that make up an album of the sort. A solid 4 stars; fun and pleasant to listen to, but nothing rivaling my favorites music of all time.

The lyrics in this album were very deep and well thought-out. That said, Disc 1 fell short in terms of musical aspects, with Bob Dylan’s not-so-pleasant voice taking the spotlight of a song with boring guitar and (perhaps controversially) slightly annoying harmonica. In Disc 2, however, things took a turn for the better. “Tell Me, Momma” and “I Don’t Believe You” starting the chain of songs with great guitar solos, drums and more that add to a more exciting musical affect. So, half the album is full of songs that were honestly probably better as poems, and the other half is full of good rock songs that I genuinely enjoyed.

This album is full of cheesy ‘80s pop that we’ve all rolled our eyes to in parties and grocery stores. That was kind of my experience this time, too. Objectively, I can’t give this a 1 or a 2, but I also can’t say I enjoyed it. I think a 3 is fair for this album; not something I’d turn on on my own, but not something that I actively despise either.

No one’s gonna argue that Jimi Hendrix’s guitar solos are anything short of extraordinary, or that he isn’t one of the most influential rock artists of all time. But this album seemed to go on forever (which it shouldn’t, because it’s only 75 minutes long), and I’m not sure if I really like this psychedelic rock genre. That said, this was one of the rare consistent albums; all of the songs were around a 3 out of 5. A pretty easy 3 stars; Jimi Hendrix is a great guitarist, but not as great of a musician.

It’s always cool to listen to music from different cultures and regions, and this West African album was no exception. The instrumentals were very pleasant, showcasing guitar, drums, and a consistent beat that was easy to follow. I’m probably not going to listen to this album again, but there are a few songs that I added to some instrumental playlists.

Hip-hop can be an acquired taste, with its best songs, albums and artists taking months to truly be appreciated by a given fan. This album was no different. When I initially rated it, I’d given it a 3, due to my lack of exposure to the genre. I would soon change it to a 4, but it stayed like that for a while after. However, since listening to and falling in love with artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Kanye West, and J. Cole, I just have to bump this up to a 5. It’s weird how music tastes change sometimes.

The musical aspects of this album were very nice, with the guitar, drums, flute and other instruments creating an upbeat rhythm that I’m sure would be fun to play. The lyrics, however, were pretty weird. They were the kind of things that I might be embarrassed to sing in public, which is not a good look for this album. Overall, I enjoyed it, but there were a few things missing that prevented it from being a “good” album. A high 3.

This album sounded like a bunch of grown men playing with instruments. This resulted in horrible screeching sounds of guitar and flute, and the only times we were spared of that was during either the boring, repetitive solos or horrible singing, with its lyrics also fitting this experimental vibe. I honestly don’t know if I can make worse sounds come out of an electric guitar than some of the sounds in this album.

Not great. There were some parts that were pretty good, but there was a lot of weird, repetitive, or boring parts. Admittedly, I’ve never liked experimental music, so take this as you will.

This genre isn’t something I often listen to, but the songs in this album were really nice. I’m pretty surprised at this rating, but I have to give this the rating of a good album; a 4.

I enjoyed this album; the background was pretty cool. It got pretty repetitive, though, and I can’t say I loved the songs. This was a high 3.

I actually enjoyed this chill rock genre. I didn’t expect to like a 1980s rock album, but this one was quite pleasant. There were no outstanding songs in this album, but almost all of them were decent or good. A solid 4/5, but not close to making it to 5 stars.

This was definitely a cool album, and had some interesting perspectives. I enjoyed the dark voice of Cohen combined with an overall chill tone.

I think the guitar in this album was really nice. The fact that there’s a song titled “Song with No Words (Tree with No Leaves)” shows the confidence that David Crosby has in his guitar-playing abilities. None of these songs were outstanding, but all of them were good. 4 stars.

Certainly an interesting album, as its name suggests. It was very good at making me feel the emotions it wanted me to. I’ve never listened to anything like this; certainly interesting, but can’t say I loved it.

This is a classic rock album, with enthusiastic drumming, crazy guitar riffs and powerful but admittedly unpretty singing being prominent all throughout. But I’m not sure I’m all in with this energy; I prefer soft rock, which in my opinion is more pleasant. If you like classical rock, you’d like this album, but it wasn’t too enjoyable for me. This album cover has to be one of the worst of all time, though.

When I first found out that this album was written by an artist named “Primal Scream”, I imagined it to be another heavy metal album full of deranged screaming and crazy sounds that overwhelm my brain with an obnoxious amount of volume and sound. Thankfully, however, this album was more of an experimental genre. To be honest, though, I’m not the biggest fan of this genre, either; I’ve rated albums like The Velvet Underground & Nico and Sound of Silver much lower than the average listener. This album was a decent experimental album, with a few good songs, but it’s gonna take a spectacular experimental album for me to give it anything above a 3. Maybe I should just stick to soft rock.

This was a long album! There were a few songs that I especially liked, but most were just average; nice to listen to but nothing that I’d listen to again.

This was a nice, chill album. I enjoyed it, but nothing that I would re-listen to. The piano was nice.

It’s no surprise to me that this album’s global rating is about as close to a 3 as it can get. Everything in this album just screams “average”, from the melody to the singing. The fact that I don’t know what the lyrics mean also adds to this; from my point of view, the lyrics are neither “good” nor “bad”. I say this a lot, but I truly mean this: it’s the easiest rating I’ll ever give.

This album had a pretty unique, chill style. I’m not sure I loved it… I didn’t dislike it, but it simply wasn’t exciting enough for me. Not bad, though.

It’s not at all surprising that this album made this list, and I’ve been expecting it since I started. I admire Bob Marley and his music, but it was never something that I was super into. All of the songs were a solid 3/5, but there were no exceptions. It’s a good album, and definitely needs to be on anyone’s list for the 1001 objectively best albums of all time. But subjectively (for me), it’s not great.

There were a lot of good songs in this album. I don’t have much to say; nothing was insane, but nothing was bad. All songs were 3-4 stars. It’s close, but I have to give it a 4.

You can never go wrong with a jazz album, and of course Ray Charles is going to get a high rating from anyone who believes so. I’m not a jazz superfan by any means, though, and wouldn’t put it on on my own. Objectively, it may be 5 stars, but for me, it has to be a 4.

This was one of those albums that just needed a little bit more to take it to a 4 or a 5 out of 5. Maybe its songs require a more dramatic segment, or a softer tone, but whatever it is, it just isn’t at that level. It’s still a decent album, but I wish it had that extra thing to take it up a notch.

I liked the activism in this album, but I can’t say the same for the music itself. I don’t know what it was; it could be the slow tempo, the unexciting melody, or how similar all of the songs were, but it just didn’t hit. It was still a good listen, though. I really liked the way they faded the songs together; it was really well “built” as an album. It felt so much shorter than it was since I lost track of how many songs I’d listened to, because I didn’t even know when a song started or ended. It was just that well blended.

There are some albums on this list that I listen to because I want to complete this challenge, and not because I genuinely enjoy it. This was not one of these albums. It was genuinely enjoyable, with an enjoyable rock "genre". I can be really picky about my rock music, but this album fits all of my criteria. None of the songs were exceptional, but they were all good. I should listen to more of The Triffids.

The songs in this album were good, but the album as a whole was better. This is an example of the strong correlation that I’m noticing between the quality of an album and its genre, and rap/hip hop seems to be a genre with many artists who care about their albums. This album specifically was more “rap” than “hip hop” in my opinion, and wasn’t as energetic as other rap albums. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it was actually a really nice aspect of the album.

I’d always wanted to listen to more of Radiohead, and today was my chance. Many people around me had talked about them being a good band, and someone they’d always enjoy. Unfortunately, I can’t share the same opinion. They weren’t bad, but just not something that I’d call good, either. Bummer.

I’m not someone to criticize music for being explicit. In fact, I am a huge fan of rap and hip hop, and artists like Eminem and Kendrick Lamar regularly dominate my “Top Artist” lists on Spotify. However, the swearing in this album was just so… lame. In fact, a lot of the lyrics just didn’t sound at all tough. That said, I really like the drums and guitar, with some pretty cool riffs and solos. I just wish that the singing and lyrics were better, and this could’ve been a 4 or a 5.

Banger album. Every single song was good, with the mellow-ish melodies, good guitar and drumming, and decent singing making for a great rock album. I can be very picky about my rock, and this album just hit the spot. That said, none of the songs were close to being a great one that would make a top-rock-songs list, so I have to keep it at a high 4.

This was a cool album, because Ravi Shankar was walking us through significant ideas in Indian music and how it’s played. The Indian music itself was also cool, with crazy instrumentals that rival the best instrumental artists in all of Western music. It helped expand my tastes a lot, and sure, it does feel more like a class as opposed to an album, but isn’t the point of doing this 1001 albums challenge to expand your knowledge on music?

This is the first Bob Dylan album where I genuinely enjoy the hype for him. Sure, there's still his dislikeable voice, but his harmonica, guitar, and the entire song in general was just so much better. None of the songs were great, but many were good, and all of them were at least "okay". I'm not gonna become a Bob Dylan superfan after this, but I'm certainly glad I got to listen to this side of him.

I never thought that I'd listen to something that I could only describe as Funk Rap, but this is it. It's certainly an interesting genre; as a rap fan, I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but I also can't say I did, either. It's got a good rhythm, yet also a very annoying background sound. Very weird.

I actually enjoyed this album a lot. It's crazy how different, yet similar music was in 1973 as it is now. The musicality was nice, and John Cale's singing was also somehow really enjoyable. A lot of good songs with great messages, and the long album didn't seem so long due to its melodic, orchestral background. I've never even heard of John Cale before, but he's definitely made a great first impression.

Pop is a genre that has some of the best songs in the world, but also some of the most annoying. On one side of the spectrum, we have songs with exciting, glorifying or calm melodies that use so much music theory to take it to a truly amazing level. On the other side are the songs that are cheesier than other pop songs (which is saying something), or have super annoying melodies, which can get stuck in your head due to pop’s repetitive style. This album skewed closer to the latter. It wasn’t a bad album, but nothing great.

This was a good rock album. It didn’t have the crazy psychedelic singing that many rock albums do, and the guitar was really good. I genuinely enjoyed this album; nothing was great, but a lot was good.

Some good songs, but most were just okay. None of the songs had any bad elements of many rock albums. Overall, a decent album.

This was a good album! I never expected to like this genre, but it there was a fun energy surrounding it. A pleasant surprise.

When listening to longer albums like this one, there are two criteria that I take into consideration in addition to the ones for all albums. One of them is about keeping the listener’s attention. This album has many different kinds of songs; some energetic, some more relaxed, some focusing on guitar solos, and so much more. Even the lyrics differed; some songs were more political, with racism being a key issue, while others talked about the less serious topics that many other southern music includes, especially country. The second additional criteria is the consistency of the songs’ quality. This album did this well, too; the many different kinds of songs that I mentioned above were all at least decent, and some were very good. Overall, I’ll always like softer rock, and I think this album fit that description. The album didn’t feel as long as it was (although it still felt long), and there was some good music.

This was kind of a weird album. It was pretty repetitive at times, and there were some annoying screeching sounds, but there were a few nice songs. I actually kind of liked the chill mood, so this wasn’t a hard listen (apart from the screeching). Definitely not a good album by any means, but decent nonetheless.

Weirdly enough, this album wasn’t actually on Spotify. It was combined with Wings of Love, and the bonus tracks were in another separate album. Kind of a hassle to keep track of stuff. As for the album itself, it was decent. Kind of boring, but relaxing at the same time. Nothing special.

This was the first full album that I’ve listened to by the Beatles, and it did not disappoint. It’s smooth, relaxing yet enrapturing melodies created a series of really nice songs. This isn’t really my favorite genre, which is probably why I still didn’t like it as much as most, but even I really liked this album.

Coincidentally, I just generated another Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, yesterday. It was a very good album, full of amazing melodies and fun tunes. This album wasn’t like that. Sure, it was still good, but slightly boring; not the best works of the Beatles. A high 3.

To be fair, this album significantly improved after a horrible first impression, but it still didn’t become good; only tolerable. Even the “better” songs were boring, both in its lyricism and melodies. It was a high 2, for sure, but I genuinely can’t bring myself to give it a 3. The guitar solos were good.

This album was weird and pretty boring. Not enough for me to dock it points, but it definitely was not a good rock album.

This is the first time that I’m giving an album a 5, right off the bat. Usually, it takes a few listens for me to truly start understanding and enjoying the album, or it takes someone who’s a big fan of the album to convince me of its quality. But this album was just so good, with impactful lyrics, smooth tone, and just overall high quality. It’s no wonder to me why this album is as highly acclaimed as it is.

Whoever made this list must love rock, because I don’t know how many of these albums I’ve heard. Many of them are the same; mediocre singing with good guitar. The lyrics themselves don’t have serious significance, either. It’s all just average.

I’m really on the fence about this album, because it would easily be 4 stars. However, it had some really annoying screeching sounds that it used as transitions, and it also just didn’t feel good enough for a 4. It didn’t have any excitement, and it was really stagnant. High 3.

The instruments in this album were very good, with solos featuring guitar, clarinet and cello. The lyrics and singing, however, were sub-par. It’s a hard one for me to rate, but it doesn’t seem fair to give this a 4.

Honestly, I don’t have much to say about this one. The guitar solos were very good, and the album as a whole displayed many great aspects of rock as a genre. 4 stars.

Congratulations to Anthrax for screaming for 50 minutes straight!! Seriously, though, this album felt like it went on forever. Not even the highly skilled guitar and drum solos could save it. I also really disliked how much the tempo changed. The whole thing was just an overwhelming, loud mess.

If this album had ended on Lullaby, I think I would’ve given it 5 stars. I loved the melodies that dominated each song, and its overall relaxing yet not-boring tone. However, in the second half of the album, it unfortunately did become boring. Such a shame, but I have to dock it some stars for that.

This definitely isn’t a super high 5, but it was really good. The music quality was outstanding, and I just really enjoyed the whole thing. I didn’t know that I liked this Soul-pop-like music until I listened to What’s Going On my Marvin Gaye and this album.

This was a wildly inconsistent album. On one hand, we had lively songs that were honestly very good, but on the other hand there were some pretty boring songs. However, the fact that there were more exciting songs dominated by cool melodies makes it a 4 instead of a 3 for me.

There were some really good parts of this album, but most were kind of boring. Coincidentally, I got another Peter Gabriel album right before this one, and that one was similar to this; however, it just happened to have more interesting parts than this one. I’m kind of disappointed.

To be fair, there were a few good bars in this album. But I just don’t know how this list can justify not having some of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, like Graduation by Kanye West, and instead include albums like this. The beats were almost all really annoying, and the album was way too long. I like hip-hop, but I didn’t enjoy this.

The rapping was terrible, especially their singing. The beat wasn’t good, either. I constantly doing myself bored, staring at the sheer amount of horrible songs left. I didn’t wanna do it, but I have to give this a 1.

I’m going to be honest; this album really didn’t do it for me. Throughout the album, I was either bored, cringing at the shrieking sounds and bad singing, or just completely questioning why this album was ever even made. Although some guitar solos and riffs were good, it wasn’t enough to save the album. At least it was a short album.

The lyrics were sometimes repetitive, but it was still a great example of good music from the genre as a whole. The drumming and solos were very good.

This was an album with an incredible amount of repetitive songs. The first few dozen seconds of each song were good, but in most songs, it just got old after three minutes. I feel like this encompasses pop as a genre; great melodies that grow old after being repeated a bunch. However, as I said before, most melodies were good, and a few songs were great. It’s far from perfect, but decent nonetheless.

The mix of different genres in this album was truly incredible, and shows the talent of Nina Simone to be able to write songs in so many different genres. However, I would argue that this comes at a trade-off, because the more genres in an album, the less likely it is to be perfect. I loved many songs on this album, but also don’t really care for the rest. For that reason, I can’t give it a perfect score. Still an amazing album, though.