1001 Albums Summary

A beautiful blend of genres wrapped up in a comforting folk album. My favourites are the title track (one of three I knew before listening today, although Cecilia I know from the Suggs cover) and El Condor Pasa (If I Could).

A bit too bluesy for my tastes but 'Riders on the Storm' is a classic.

What can I say? It's Led Zeppelin. Brilliant songs, fantastic playing, great voice. The fact that this was their debut album is amazing! My fave tracks include 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' and Dazed and Confused'.

It's not my cup of tea.

I've never heard of this group before and I don't normally listen to funk so it was something a bit different for me. It's a fun album but not one I'll probably listen to again.

A lovely album. I realised whilst listening that I know more Carole King songs than I thought I did.

An interesting album that didn't grab me.

As much as I'm not a fan of Rod Stewart's voice, this was actually quite good.

This was wonderful to listen to. I've never come across a whole album of improvised piano music before and it was live. Great find!

It's quite bland. To me, the songs started sounding the same by the end of the album.

Amazing album! Feels way ahead of its time. For me, it scratches the Mars Volta itch (one of my favourite bands). I'll definitely be exploring more of their back catalogue.

It's quite good but doesn't grab me like, say Led Zeppelin does. A solid three stars.

Something a bit different. His voice reminds me of Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand.

Not bad but I don't think I'll be adding it to my regular listens.

I've never listened to this band before and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lyrically very good but it all felt quite samey by the end of it.

Really enjoyable album.

The music is listenable, the lyrics not so much.

A fun album (I already knew and loved Common People and Disco 2000) although some of the lyrics were a bit dodgy.

Tune after tune after tune.

It's nice background music, though I'm not sure I'd listen to it again.

Very enjoyable album! It reminded me of Guano Apes (one of my fave bands from my teenage years).

Thoroughly enjoyable album.

Not bad. The singer's voice reminds me of Robert Smith of The Cure.

100% classic album!

I've never delved into a Queen album before, having only ever listened to the singles but I thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the tracks felt as though it had elements of the later 'Bohemian Rhapsody' which was really interesting to listen to.

Very nice. I can see myself listening to this when I need something relaxing in the background.

This is a very noisy album. It starts off as a cacophony of distortion and ends the same way. The middle part sounds like the band Air and none of it goes anywhere. It's very rare for me to be irritated by music but this has reached that level.

Nice. A solid three stars.

A fun album with some brilliant guitar playing although not much variety across the tracks.

Loved it! I've only heard the singles up until this point so it was great to listen to more of their work and I'm glad I have.

It's okay. Kind of repetitive by the end of the album. The singer's warbly voice seems to have been a popular vocal style during the 80s in the alternative music scene, something I'm not too fond of.

An absolute classic! I'm 33 days into this Challenge and this is the first album I've had that I actually own and love. Fantastic music!

Really not my thing. I've never enjoyed his rapping style and a whole album of this felt like a chore.

Lovely album with wonderful, emotional signing.

Okay but instantly forgettable for me (apart from one).

Haven't listened to this album in years. Brilliant, punchy, confident in their own sound. Stupid Girl is still my favourite track on this record.

A good debut that is instantly recognisable as Foo Fighters. A solid three stars.

Good voice. The music is a bit too bluesy for me but might be good as background music.

I've never really listened to Springsteen before and I'm pleasantly surprised how much I liked this album. I now want to explore more of his music.

I've never explored their music beyond the Best Of album and watching festival performances like Glastonbury on TV last year but I'm glad I have now. Such a fun, lively album from a fantastic band!

A fun album although the tracks all start to sound the same by the end.

Not my cup of tea.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. It reminds me of Interpol and Editors with maybe some The Sisters of Mercy as well.

It's alright. Funky with some nice playing of instruments but I don't think I'll be listening to it more than once.

Very good both musically and lyrically. I'm enjoying listening to these albums from the Boss.

Fantastic prog rock! I do love when albums circle back to a previous motif. Five stars!

An interesting album although I don't think I'll be adding it to my regular playlist.

A very noisy album. There are elements in there that are done better by other bands eg. Linkin Park. I would have given it 1 star but it does have Take A Look Around on it so I'm giving it 2 stars.

Pretty good. Nice sound but nothing special.

On paper, I should like this but it didn't click for me. Unlike Nirvana's Nevermind, I didn't feel the emotion in their voices, something I listen out for in albums.

It's fine although I probably won't be adding it to my playlist. A solid three stars.

There's nothing groundbreaking about it in my opinion (it reminds me of smooth R&B from the 90s and early 00s). Nice singing but the songs started to sound the same after the first few tracks.

Lots of upbeat, good quality songs, although a bit too frenetic for me.

I really enjoyed this album. The songs are catchy and there's some great guitar playing on it. 4 stars.

I need to start off by saying Jazz isn't my favourite thing and this is no exception. The instrumental parts are fine but I can't get into his voice. It's too gravelly and talky for me. Also, I was wondering why the audience was laughing throughout it. It felt forced to me. The songs all sounded the same too and by the last track, I just wanted it to stop.

It''s certainly a listenable album. Some catchy tunes on this, mostly in the second half, although I'm not sure I'd listen to it again.

I really enjoyed this one and more than I thought I was going to. I also realised some of the bands I listen to are definitely inspired by their sound and Shane MacGowan's style of signing. Standout tracks are 'Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant / The Rocky Road to Dublin / The Galway Races', 'Fiesta' and 'Sit Down by the Fire'.

It didn't really grab me. The musicianship was fine but some distortions were a bit too overpowering for me. 3 stars.

A lovely album that's perfectly listenable. I might go back to listen to it again at some point.

Wonderfully uplifting record! I had heard of them before this but I didn't know any of their music so I'm glad I've now been introduced to them. 5 stars.

Didn't really do it for me. They're definitely skilled musicians but I think I prefer Iron Maiden.

First time hearing the full album (although I know and love the singles). I know it's not pushing the boundaries of music but I really like it. (I've added an extra star for nostalgia.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I know a few of the singles but nothing else. 4 stars.

Very moody and heavy feeling. A few tracks are lighter but they're not enough to make me feel the need to listen to the album again.

This album is raw, depressing and relentless. I can see why it's in this list but it's not for me.

It's okay, a bit noisy. Didn't really grab me but it may if I listen to it again.

A very enjoyable album from a great songwriter.

I didn't really delve into this style of music back in the 90s but I'm glad I am now. It's a brilliant find that feels fresh and complex! 5 stars.

Not really my thing. Very theatrical. Most of the songs didn't appear to go anywhere although one or two were interesting such as The Trenches, which reminded me of Army Dreamers by Kate Bush.

A breath of fresh air! I hadn't heard Janelle's music before, although I did know it was eclectic and different. She blends genres so easily: one minute I'm bopping along, the next I'm listening intently to the story that's woven through the album. 5 stars.

This is the first band from this list that I've seen members of live. Catchy tunes. Extra star for 'Time of the Season'.

Superb rock music! It's intricate, layered, melodic and emotional, plus it features my favourite Radiohead song: 'Street Spirit (Fade Out)'. I love it!

Not bad. I prefer the secondary singer to the lead singer: the lead sounds like he should be in a different genre, such as a musical or a gothic opera, whilst the other singer's voice reminded me of George Ezra. 'Empty Nest' was my favourite on the album.

This was a really enjoyable album to listen to and it has 'Heart of Glass' on it! Four stars!

Country isn't really my kind of music. Most of the songs sound the same on this album.

This was a really enjoyable listen. Favourite songs are: 'What Are Their Names' (the guitar playing reminds me of a track from The Mars Volta, possibly on their first album), 'Traction in the Rain' and 'Orleans'.

I'm not a fan of crooner music. He could sing well and technically the songs are fine but they just don't do it for me.

I don't normally like jazz but this was an interesting and enjoyable album.

The songs are well made but it's not my kind of thing. It's a bit too sweet for me.

I hadn't heard any of Al Green's music before this but I'm glad I have now. It's a lovely listen.

This is a really nice album.

It's okay in parts but several of the songs don't seem to go anywhere or evolve.

I really enjoyed this one and unlike the previous day's album by Underworld, these tracks evolved. I've added it to my playlist.

This is the second time I've listened to Rod Stewart without realising it (he seems to pop up in strange places). The album's okay but I'm not the biggest fan of Rod's voice. Jeff Beck's guitar playing was enjoyable though.

Listening to it, I realised I know the title track, which is a classic. The rest of the album sounds like someone just jamming and in my opinion, the tracks merge together, especially as they all feature the Hammond organ.

A quite enjoyable album. Also, great to hear something in a different language. More please. A solid three stars.

This isn't a genre I listen to normally but I thought it was a fantastic album! High energy and fun. Four stars.

This album is fine with some good singing and playing but I don't think I'll listen to it again. Just not my thing.

It's okay but nothing special.

I wanted to like it but I'm not a big fan of the way the singer warbles. I'd much rather listen to Talk Talk or Tears for Fears.

The more folky songs are enjoyable and punchy but then the country slide guitar comes in. I'm not a fan of country music. An extra star for the folk rock tracks.

I can't get into this. It's noisy and all over the place.

Not bad. Some enjoyable songs.

Yeah pretty good! A solid three stars.

I've never really listened to him before but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's energetic and fun!

Not bad.

Okay but it felt quite repetitive after a time.

Interesting fusion of genres but it was quite bland by a few tracks in. It's a very 90s sound that reminds me of the background music in Sliding Doors.

Not bad. It feels a bit safe though.

Not a fan of country music.

A surprisingly enjoyable album. It's more than just rapping with a beat behind it: they used interesting melodies and clever rhymes. Four stars.

I've never listened to a Bowie album before. This was very cool.

It's alright but I instantly forgot the songs once I'd completed the album. Also, I'm confused as to why he goes off key sometimes.

I really enjoyed this album. It's fun and interesting.

I've never listened to an album by The Flaming Lips before but I knew they were out there and I wasn't disappointed. It's a really interesting album that feels different and unique. Four stars.

Okay. Not sure I like the lead's singing style but the music is fine.

Some of it sounded a little bit like Kate Bush. Not bad but by the last track it sounded samey to me.

I've always had a soft spot for Jack and Meg's music and this album is no different. Four stars.

This was a lot of fun. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Quite repetitive although it does have 'Right Here, Right Now' on it which I do like, so a bonus star for that tune.

First time listening to Lou Reed (apart from Walk on The Wild Side). I'm not a fan of his voice so I didn't gel with the album. It's also very depressing.

It's not bad.

This features the three tracks I know: 'Baba O'Riley', 'Won't Get Fooled Again' and 'Behind Blue Eyes'. The other songs are great too. Fantastic record!

I loved 'Freak on a Leash' as a teenager but I've never listened to the album. It's more of the same and, in my opinion, Jonathan does have a great voice, so I'm giving it three stars.

It is an interesting album but it's not really my cup of tea.

I really enjoyed this one, more so than L.A. Woman.

Not bad at all. Unique and experimental.

Interesting album. It's definitely headphone music. I also think it might be good as background music if you're writing a noir crime novel.

Quite pleasant to listen to. Some really lovely melodies in this album.

Some tracks are enjoyable but after a while they all seemed to blend together.

It's okay. Jazmine has some interesting things to say but to me it seems like standard R&B music.

A cacophony of noise throughout the album. There didn't seem to be any quieter sections. I also didn't like his voice. It was a bit too gruff for me.

Lovely to hear this today. Enjoyable music and Nina has a great voice.

All the songs started to merge together after a while. The album didn't do much for me but I can see why it's on here.

It's fine but nothing special.

It's an odd concept for an album but it's not bad, even if it doesn't sound like The Who I recognise in their later work. They sound more like The Beach Boys or The Beatles here.

A really nice listen.

This album was really enjoyable to listen to.

Didn't really do anything for me.

Haven't listened to Deep Purple before (apart from Smoke on the Water) and I really enjoyed it. I can definitely see why it's on this list.

I can see why it's in here (the influence on other music is there: the ost for Homeland, some of 'Frances the Mute' by The Mars Volta etc) but it's not for me. I can take jazz in short bursts, but not 1 hour and 45 minutes of it.

Enjoyable background music.

That was depressing. I'm also not fond of his singing voice.

Rap isn't usually my thing but I enjoyed this one. It flowed nicely.

Music is quite enjoyable but I'm not sure I like her voice. It's quite scratchy at times.

I haven't properly listened to this band until this challenge. Very enjoyable listen.

A very American and blues feel to this album. I'm not a big fan of the blues but it's quite enjoyable.

Some tracks were enjoyable (such as 'Drive' which I knew already) but some were a bit odd. I will say: if we can have Incubus in this list, we should also have Tool. (I can't fathom why they're not in it.)

I quite enjoyed this album.

What can I say, it's Dolly. It's fun!

The hits keep on coming on this album. A really enjoyable listen.

Very noisy. It's like a very raw The Sex Pistols. There was one song that was kind of interesting but the rest was just noise in my opinion.

Brilliant live album! It felt like they were jamming but it works.

Not bad in small bursts but I don't think I'll listen to the album in the future.

Fantastic album and great to hear something not in the English language. Fave tracks are Haq Ali Ali Haq and Ni Main Jogi De Naal.

It's quite pleasant to listen to but I don't think it will go on my playlist.

I haven't listened to this album in its entirety until now but I've realised I've heard more songs from it than I thought I had. Enjoyable album.

My first disco album of the challenge. Absolutely loved it! I was bopping around the kitchen, singing along to hit after hit after hit. Five stars.

It's very poppy. Some songs are quite good.

They can certainly play their instruments but it's all a bit too raw for me.

I really enjoyed this album! Four stars.

Pleasant background music but that's about it.

Nice background music but I don't think I'll be adding it to my playlist.

New artist for me. I suppose it's ok but I'm not a fan of her singing. It didn't really vibe with me.

Amazing album! Some of the songs I knew, some I didn't but I loved all of it, especially 'The Chain' and 'Go Your Own Way'.

The music is fine but I'm not a fan of Morrissey's singing voice or style. My impression is he seems to start a lot of sentences with 'and', plus the words are almost on the same note and then drop down a few notes to finish, and once I noticed this, I can't unhear it.

Not bad but it's a bit samey after a while.

An interesting and nice album to listen to. A solid 3 stars.

It's fine. He can sing but I wasn't drawn in emotionally to his singing style.

Quite good. California Dreamin' is a tune!

Quite dull. There's a moment near the back end where there's some oomph but it's quickly replaced with the quiet sound from the rest of the album. I didn't hear much emotion in their voices either. For emotional, ambient music, I prefer someone like Blanco White.

I love Muse and am very pleased to see them in this list. Solid rock music. 5 stars.

It kind of went right over me. The songs are nice but they blended together too much for me.

Not much of a fan of punk music but by the last track, I was actually enjoying it.

Fun album and they could certainly play their instruments and sing well. For me, the songs seemed to blend into each other and there were no quiet songs. They were all on the same level.

I really enjoyed that. I only knew 'Heads Will Roll' from this album but the others were just as good. Fun!

Not bad. Quite funky in places.

He can sing but it's not really my thing.

A really good album. Four stars!

It's not bad, a bit whiny. Oddly, my favourite tracks of his are the French language ones. (Random note: as a yarn spinner, it's always nice to see a spindle in media.)

Couldn't get into it. Maybe a bit too punky for me.

Not my cup of tea. Too sweary and crass.

This is a classic album from start to finish. Five stars.

Well, noise rock perfectly describes this album. That was noisy with little in the way of a melody. Not for me.

It's alright. The guy can't really sing but some of the tunes were catchy.

I really enjoyed this album. I knew the singles but nothing else apart from 'The Bed's Too Big Without You'. I had one of those aha moments when I realised I knew the song but not this version. The version I know is by k-os but had no idea that it was a cover. Fun, catchy songs. 5 stars.

Didn't enjoy it. He seems to have two styles: morose singing or shouting. There was no warmth and he didn't have anything interesting to say. It just seems to be all about the shock value and nothing else.

The music was okay but the singing was off-key. I can hear other genres in this, such as 80s goth and darkwave so they were definitely influential.

It's all the same song, which is disappointing to me because I've been looking forward to listening to this band for a while.

That was fun! I do enjoy an eclectic sounding album, especially as I've just had the Ramone's first album. I've also realised I know more songs from this album than I thought I did. Four stars.

It's okay. A bit light but pleasant enough. I'm more aware of Dylan's versions of some of these songs.

It's not bad. Some of the songs get into a groove but then they don't evolve (the end of these tracks sound very much like the beginning).

It was fine for a few songs but after a while, it all started to sound the same to me. I found it quite boring.

Not bad although the songs did merge together after a few songs. I couldn't find the original version of this album so I decided to listen to disc 1 and then skimmed through disk 2 as I didn't need to hear the songs again (albeit as different mixes).

A breath of fresh air. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

I've always loved their singles but I've never listened to this album before. It's pretty much perfect. It's emotional and heartfelt. The tunes are insanely catchy. Michael Stipe has a great voice and the rest of the band tie it all together. Five stars.

I really enjoyed this. It's always nice to hear an album not in the English language and using traditional instruments. Upbeat and different. Four stars.

I'm not the biggest fan of the blues but this one was quite enjoyable.

A very enjoyable album. It's confident, catchy and the lead singer has a great voice.

It's ok, a bit different. I didn't really warm to it though and some of the tunes get stuck without any progression.

A very interesting album. I enjoyed a lot of it (some songs were a little too poppy for me). I don't believe I've ever heard Algerian music before so it was nice to sample it here.

I thought Jaques Brel might be in this challenge. Brilliant album! You can hear the emotion in his voice from the first word of Amsterdam. Five stars!

I've only ever listened to the singles so I didn't know what to expect going into this album but I'm pleasantly surprised. A good mix of powerful and softer songs. Four stars.

Enjoyable. I'm not sure it's a 4 star album but it's definitely full of catchy tunes so 3 stars it is.

I'm not a big fan of rap. Some of the samples worked but a lot of it was quite boring and overly sweary.

There's definitely a signature sound that is all theirs on this album. Some songs I liked more than others but it's not bad.

I've always been a fan of Blur although I've never listened to this album in full (I only had The Best Of CD growing up). Favourite songs include 'Girls & Boys', 'Parklife' and 'This Is a Low'. An easy five stars!

Not bad. Some of the songs were somewhat forgettable but there are some tunes on here.

This is a really enjoyable album!

Another enjoyable Springsteen album! I know he has a few on here so I look forward to hearing more of him.

Not normally one for hip-hop but that was fun! It was upbeat with some funky sounds going on. Three stars.

Brilliant album! I only knew the singles before and was pleasantly surprised to find that the rest of the album was just as high quality.

Awesome prog music! I can hear this band in two of my favourites: The Mars Volta and Coheed and Cambria, so I'm very happy to have finally listened to them. Five stars.

This one didn't pull me in but it's okay.

It's okay. Didn't really pull me in until the last few tracks.

I think I slightly prefer 'Close to the Edge' but it's still a great album! Four stars.

I have nothing negative to say about this album. It's powerful with a good mix of upbeat and emotional songs, plus it has Kate Bush on it. Five stars.

Monotonous. None of the songs went anywhere, they just stayed with the same beat. They didn't evolve.

Really enjoyed this one. She put so much emotion and power into her music. Four stars.

Another good Dylan album. I think I know more songs on this one than the others I've listened to.

To me personally, I felt it was quite boring although maybe that would improve on a second hearing. None of the songs seemed to go anywhere.

Yes it's alright. A bit light but it is listenable.

Not my thing. It's too crass and dull.

This one surprised me. From the singles, I was expecting it to be a disco album rather than a soulful funk album. Not bad. A solid three stars.

I didn't get into this one. It just didn't work for me. Also, it seems more punk than new wave which I'm not a massive fan of.

A fun album! Fave tracks include 'Save a Prayer', 'Rio' and 'Hungry Like the Wolf'. I actually loved it so much that time seemed to fly by.

It's fine although most tracks are on a similar level: powerful rock. There's only a few quieter moments. For me, I like albums with a balance of louder and quieter sections.

It's fine.

It's okay but I prefer the other album I had by them.

This was a pleasant listen but I don't think I'll be adding it to my playlist.

Quite enjoyable. They definitely had their own sound.

Very samey. It's all on one level and there's no oomph to any of the songs.