1001 Albums Summary

Bubble gum pop rock, not really my thing. I enjoyed hard days night and can't buy me love, but the rest feels like a bit of a wash of the same twangy, earnest sound that doesn't really do it for me. 3/10

I gave this one two listens because it felt so disjointed and scattered. It doesn't feel like a cohesive album in the way other Bowie albums do. Other than the title track, which is phenomenal, transcendent and age-defining (and the reason I'm ranking this as high as I am), I couldn't find much to cling onto. Maybe it needs more than 2, listens... While I appreciated the instrumentals, and recognize this as a big step for Bowie's development, the whole thing doesn't quite resonate for me. Some of the songs stood out on their own, but overall it was missing some fluidity and cohesion I'm looking for in a "perfect" album. 5/10

Reminiscent of The Clash and Patti Smith at times, this angsty post-punk album really slaps in places, and really doesn't in others. I find the songs to be hit or miss, and while Blister in the Sun is an all-time classic, I found many other tracks (especially in the back half) to be lacking depth. 5/10

Bluesy and funky, but not my thing. 4/10

Wow, I didn't expect this to be such a banger. Keely Smith adds a lot to this album, and I love both singers and the horns. I'm glad I listened to this before I died. 7/10

If you like an 8-minute guitar solo (or how about like 6 of them?), this is an album for you. An epic 7-track jam album with each track averaging over 10 minutes apiece. I prefer a tighter album in general, but as far as live albums go, this one is certainly one of the greats. It's not entirely my "jam," but I'm glad I listened before I died. 6/10

I listened to this twice through and lost focus both times. It's nice music that I found worked well in the background, a kind of folksy rock that does not offend but also did not make a huge impression on me. 3/10

His voice in the first song made me scared about what I was in for. And that fear continued at moments throughout the album. However, I appreciated the back half of the album, especially the final ambient instrumental track, Small Hours. It gave War on Drugs vibes. A varied and searching album, but not one I needed to listen to before I died. 4/10,

Love the vibe and feel of this one. It tickles the alt rock country part of my brain. Not sure why it was selected for this list, but it fits squarely in a genre that I really appreciate. Still, it faded into the background pretty quickly for an album on this list. 5/10

A horrid concept album that fumbles through a nuanceless vision of disability, child abuse, sexual abuse and torture. Why was this made? Why must I listen before I die? And what is the moral of the story? That one must overcome their disability in order to achieve fame? That one's childhood traumas can, with the help of pinball and fame and a miracle cure, become irrelevant? Drivel. Horrible, harmful drivel. I can't believe it made this list. 1/10

I love Bill Callahan. What a wonderful poet. This was my first listen to this album, and I'm glad it was part of my day today. Classically meandering, this album is musically solid, anchored by his relaxed tambor and artful lyrics. It might not make my heavy rotation, but I appreciate it tremendously and it was a wonderful bounce back from the 1/10 album I winced through yesterday. My only criticism I have is that the author didn't select Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest. One of my faves. 8/10

A phenomenal singer and lyricist. I will be listening to this one again. 9/10

I really loved Suite: Judy Blue Eyes and Helplessly Hopeless. Special songs. The rest of the album was a bit of a wash for me. 5/10

I had never heard of this band or album before, but I can see how their influence rippled forward for bands like LCD Soundsystem. It wasn't all for me, but I really enjoyed parts and it may just be a gateway for me to get into New Order and contemporaries like The Smiths. 7/10

I grew up loving this album, so it is difficult for me to rate it fairly. How do you rank an album when you find yourself mouthing the words and anticipating the guitar and piano riffs? I think I need to separate the music (a theatre kid's wet dream) from the lyrics (an incel's wet dream). For example, I used to really love the opening to the second track when I was a kid cause I thought it was clever, but listening as an adult, that section (and many parts of this album) are overly lustful with corny bro punchlines. And don't get me started on the car sex song. This one ends up in the middle of the road for me, with excellent music and great vocals, but a yearnful horny misogynistic theme that taints the whole picture. 5/10

I love that this list includes such a synthy, dreamy, hyper pop bubblegummy record. I absolutely adore some of the tunes (like The Mother We Share and Gun), but I find the whole album to be a thin wash of energy without much musical depth. While some of the singles are generational classics, the remainder fades into the background. I wish they had selected an Alvvays record if they were looking for a synthy pop band with a cool spelling to their name. 4/10

With the exception of Purple Haze, this album felt like a long wash of one feeling and one big guitar riff. I'm not the biggest fan, and I didn't feel like it earned the length. 4/10

I gave it one listen, and nothing really popped for me. There were a couple early songs I enjoyed, but the whole ordeal was a little underwhelming. 4/10

A 90's dance record with a lot of noise and a few too many speaky intros. There were a couple classic songs on the record (The Rockefeller Skank and Praise You) which I recognized, but overall it was a wash of sound and dance beats that I couldn't really get into. Now I'm not an EDM fan by any stretch, but this album felt stuck in its time, echoing contemporaries Run DMC and The Beastie Boys at times, but overall just feeling like a 90s record that I couldn't get into 30 years later. 4/10

What a fun, groovy, danceable record! Not a genre I spend a lot of time with, but I love this and would definitely put it on while cleaning, walking or working. I'm glad I listened before I died. 8/10

A quiet thoughtful album I'm glad I listened to! A few songs really grabbed me, and I really appreciated the singer-songwriter vibe, the instrumentation and the composition of the album. Then I read some reviews and realized this is that Ryan Adams. Ugh. I wish I'd just listened to something else. 6/10 music 0/10 dude

Fun, groovy rock music... Bluesy but not blues. I enjoyed some of the songs, especially Ten Cent Pistol and the singles. The sound profile is a little thin for my liking. It gives a blues tone a unique pop rock wash, and I appreciate the catchiness of it all... But I don't know why it made the list, to be honest, as it pales in comparison to most of the other albums I'm seeing here. I'd have preferred an actual blues album today. 4/10

A haunting, witchy album full of desperate yearning. While I appreciated the albums sonic depth, and could listen to Running Up that Hill on repeat, the whole piece didn't quite resonate with me. Perhaps it's not my genre. 5/10

I'm so glad to see Little Simz on this list. A dark horse for this exercise, she performs with such passion and her rhymes and beats absolutely slap. It makes me smile to think that some of the classic rock heads in this community are discovering this unapologetic king - I just hope people give her a fair go. The first half is near perfect, with the b side loosening a little as Simz settles on the sentimental. She loses me by 1 star in the back half of the album, unfortunately, as I missed the hard hitting rapping and power of the first half. Regardless, a great start to my day. 7/10

It feels like an important album but I am realizing that 80s R&B isn't really for me. Too many wind chimes, sexy baselines, synthy trills and acrobatic vocal moments for me. 5/10

So as someone who has only heard 7 Nation Army and Jack White solos in other tracks, I expected this album to hit harder. While I appreciate the vocals in places, there were far more lullabies and steel drums than I'd have ordered on this album. Nothing really grabbed me and I'm not sure why this album made the list (perhaps the other 2 white stripes albums are worthwhile?) 3/10

I hate it when white people disregard rap and hiphop as violent, hateful, misogynistic and racist. When they call the art form lesser or basic because it is full of profanity and anger. But damn, Ice Cube really makes it hard to defend this record. Though he overtly addresses these issues in some lyrics and interludes, his macho performance lands as performatively masculine, hateful, misogynistic and sometimes racist. There is so much here that speaks to class and race struggles, especially involving the justice system, police brutality, etc, but without the NWA crew around him, this album doesn't hit as hard as I'd like, despite Cube's bravado. The instrumentation is a boring hip hop wash without much production value. There are better, more intentional gangsta protest albums out there, including some by Cube. I just don't think I'll ever choose to put this one on again, even though I'm a fan of radical 90s hip hop. 3/10

...I guess it was alright? This one felt flat, thin and slow, and outside of his connection to the Beach Boys, I don't see why this record was included on the list. Background elevator rock. 4/10

*deep breaths* I made it through! What a saga. I don't listen to classic hoedown country music, and this album will not change that. While I tried to appreciate the artistry and the soundscapes, I just couldn't get into this one. Too many vocal breaks and choral crooning for my liking. The Joni Mitchell instrumental cover was a treat though! I'm the end I'm glad I listened, as this whole project, to me, is about expanding my listening habits and music knowledge. This just taught me more about what I don't like than about what I do. 3/10

This is a near perfect album. From the hits to the lesser known tracks, this album delivers in every moment. Beginning with a generational classic, the album doesn't hold back from there, and says what it needs to say inside 40 minutes. Simon and Garfunkel are brilliant, and this album showcases their artistry wonderfully. 10/10

So Honky. Much Tonky. 4/10

A good Steely Dan record but not sure why it's on this list over Gaucho. 6/10

This is so rad. I love the style and whine of this punk record. Very much up my alley, and an album I'll certainly add to my rotation. 8/10

Ok I'm loving this. I don't always enjoy Elliott Smith, but this album is special. It's earnest and vulnerable like the best of Smith's work, but it doesn't grow tiring or overdone. I really enjoyed this. 7/10

This actively made my day worse. 1/10

I appreciated the instrumentation and vocals on this record, but between the length and the genre, I can't give it more than three stars. 6/10

I'm not dead yet and I'm glad I listened. It's a great country album with some classic twang and even some yodeling. I'm no country fan, but I appreciated this one. 6/10

Can't ask for much more from an album. I've tried a few times over the years to get into Radiohead, and this was the first time that an album of theirs really stuck for me. I love the vocals and the experimental instrumentation. 9/10

Ethereal! I bet Weyes Blood listened to this record, and I bet Tangerine Dream listened to Enya. It wasn't my thing, but I appreciated it. Creepy, haunting, calm. Good record, but a middling review from me! 5/10

Solid album, enjoyed the swampy rock tunes, and especially the hits. 6/10

Oh THAT song. Pretty fun, I enjoyed it. 6/10

You know, for an album that I could only find on YouTube, this was quite the banger. I loved the groovy instrumentation and the repeating themes. To me, this is what the whole project is all about: finding new music that I never would have listened to otherwise. I'm glad I'm not dead yet. 7/10

Listened to this twice. I really appreciate Talking Heads. Byrne's vocals and the punky instrumentation are really fun. But with the exception of a couple songs, I found this album faded into the background a bit. 6/10

Pretty great album! I didn't think I'd be into it, but with the exception of the last song, I was hooked the whole way! 7/10

I love me some Nick Drake. He was a phenomenal poet and musician. This record faded into the background a bit, but not in a horrible way. It was comforting and tranquil. 7/10

Paris 1919 is an excellent song. The album surrounding it was also enjoyable, though nothing grabbed me quite like that title track. I'm super glad I listened and I'm not dead, though! 6/10

This album slaps. It's not going to be my favourite music to listen to, and it's not gonna make my heavy rotation, but I have to hand it to Adele. This is a near perfect album. 9/10

An irredeemable , horny slog of an album. I can't believe this made the list. I wish I died first. 1.5/10

This was spooky and really cool. I loved it. 7/10

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. I can see where bands like The National may have derived some inspiration. 6/10

A solid sample of 60s rock from a lesser-known band. I don't know why I had to listen, but I'm glad to be assigned some non-Beatles 60s music here and there. It was fine. Forgettable in the grand scheme of this project. 5/10

I listened to this one twice as I needed to mull it over more. As I listened, I kept thinking the album was over, but found that not to be true. In most cases this would be a negative, but I really enjoyed the way this album took me through numerous acts, chapters or movements. It earns it's length and then some, and I was disappointed when it ended. The drums really stole the show for me here, as they allowed the songs to find a groove and just roll... I'll be adding this to my rotation. 9/10

An album as eccentric and eclectic as it's album art and title. 7/10

Dookie is an outstanding early example of Green Day's punky alt genius. They lean heavily into themes of mental health, sexuality and anarchy, and achieve an earworm-filled offering with generational classics like Basket case, When I Come Around and Longview. A formative album for Green Day, and for a whole generation of punks like me. 9/10

A wash of 80s pop. Not for me. 4/10

I enjoyed parts but overall this wasn't for me. 4/10

I enjoyed parts of it but it generally felt like a hard rock wash to me. 5/10

Yes, take me back to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2! I love this band's sound and their anarchist messages. They lose a star for the f-slur song though. 7/10

Wackiness at its finest. What a brilliant, silly, groovy album. I'm so glad I listened. 9/10

Funky! I appreciated a lot of it, and I felt a lot of it was a little drawn out. 6/10

A smooth, horny 90s rap album. There are some good beats and occasional catchy hooks, but it's dripping in misogyny and... various fluids. I don't plan on returning to this one, but glad I can say I listened. 3/10

Holy shit this is fucking excellent. 9/10

I appreciate that grunge is represented in this list, but I wish the representation were better. This was a slog of an album, without any tracks really capturing me. It was a wash of angst and toms and deep guitar that didn't earn it's length. 3/10

I can't say enough about this album. A brilliant, raw, vulnerable and ugly offering that tells stories with unapologetic emotion. 9/10

I listened twice, and this one is making it to my rotation for sure. What a fun album! 9/10

Some songs were bangers. Some dabbled in genres they had no business dabbling in... Plus they lose points for an earnest f-slur. 4/10

Drivel. Horny, problematic, British imperial drivel. 2/10

Holy shit what a banger. I highly recommend listening to the deluxe version, cause the additional acoustic versions are lovely and show off the lyricism and vocals from this group. I will be adding this to my pop rotation and I'm glad I listened before I died! 8/10

The hits on this album are iconic, generational classics. The other tracks were not quite as catchy as Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Still, the haunting chamber pop rock sound was enticing! 7/10

This one had some real bangers! I tired of the vocals after a bit, but I suppose that's also the appeal. 7/10

Haunting, dreamy, sweet. Is this Amanda Palmer's aunt? 6/10

I enjoyed parts of this, but a lot of it was a bit of a wash. 5/10

I don't see the appeal... The album felt like a wash and I wasn't about it. 3/10

For an album that was this hard to stream, I really appreciated parts of it. Too much talk of diarrhea for my liking, but it was funky! 5/10

A smooth, easy five stars. 9/10

I'm glad I'm not dead. A great album I never would have listened to. It earns it's length. 8/10

Don't know why this is on the list... 3/10

I'm glad there is some Tropicália music on the list, but it isn't my favourite genre. 5/10

2 hours is always a tough sell - I don't feel the album quite earns it's length. I appreciated parts of the album, and feel that bands like King Gizzard and The Flaming Lips must love this shit, but I'm ready to listen to something else now. 4/10

Disclaimer: I love Tribe. This isn't my favourite of their offerings, however. It's got some great hits (Can I Kick It?), and it's a groovy classic hip hop record, but the goofiness (Ham 'N' Eggs anyone?) undercuts the all-time-ness of the record. 7/10

A near perfect album! Glad I got the excuse to listen to one of my faves again. Talk about harmonies, talk about folky celebration. What a great addition to this list. 9/10

I love me some post punk and Brit punk but this didn't feel particularly special to me... 5/10

Yeah, this is a great album. I'm glad I listened before I died. From the hits to the tracks I'd never heard, the album felt cohesive in a way other white stripes albums struggle to. 7/10

Sure. 4/10

A fever dream marathon that doesn't earn it's length. 4/10

A phenomenal reggae offering that I never would have listened to if not for this project. While reggae isn't my go-to, this album might find its way onto my rotation. 8/10

I truly don't know how to feel about this, hence my middling rating. On one hand, I love the anger, cutting lyrics and hits on this album. On the other, Alanis' vocals can be grating and the whole album is dripping in 90s tropes that haven't aged well, in my opinion. I grew up on Alanis, but don't feel I can give her more than 3 stars for this one. 6/10

I love this album, but on listening through for this project, the vocal patterns left something to be desired for me. I love the hits, but it's not quite a perfect album to me. 8/10

A beautiful celebration of blackness. I don't fully understand the "perfect album" hype though. 7/10

Loved the hits, but much of the rest was a wash. 6/10

Man I love the clash. Such great post punk music. Glad to see their brilliance extends beyond London Calling! 8/10

First listen: Sorry, what is this? I don't understand the albums musical or cultural significance. At all. Moving generously past the often shrill, whiny vocals, I don't even think the lyricism was particularly virtuosic, which is often what Neil Young apologists cling to. I'm not dead yet, and I wish I had listened to something else. 3/10 Second listen: this listen was a courtesy, and an attempt to understand the album better. I see now the themes of grief in the collection, particularly in the title track. But I still do not see why it's ranked so high on best albums of all time lists. There are better Young albums, and better albums in general, in this user's humble opinion. 4/10

It wasn't the hardest hitting rap album, and there were many moments I wanted to turn it off, but I appreciated it for what it was, and I'm glad I can say I listened. 5/10

Not the best Talking Heads. I liked some of it, and some was incredibly grating. I think I'll just listen to the hits from this one moving forward. 5/10

Who made this list? Ugh. I wanted to like this one, but it was just so late 90s-early 2000s club drivel. And then to end it off with that horrible American pie cover? Ugh. Just ugh. 3/10

Never would have listened to this. And while I'm glad I did, it wasn't necessary listening to me. 4/10

A solid punky rock album. I enjoyed a lot of it, but I don't think it will leave a lasting impression on me. 5/10

Take me to a smoky backroom bar, Stan and Charlie. Mmm! Very smooth and swanky. While I prefer my jazz (and samba for that matter) a lot louder and wilder, I appreciated this offering and could see myself nodding along to it in a jazz room. 7/10

Noisy! Not sure I understand it. Also it loses a star for unironic f-slurs. Sorry, I don't make the rules. 4/10

Honestly, this was pretty good! I really enjoyed the vocals and instrumentals and I think I'll return to this one. 7/10

Couldn't ask for more toms. I'm hearing Bowie and Tears for Fears in this dark chamber rock album, great contemporaries of the Cure. Parts of it were great, but as an album it felt one-noted and I got bored pretty quick. 5/10

Quirky and weird in ways I appreciate. I could deal with the tongue-in-cheek f-slur, but the use of the n-word was quite the fumble. 4/10

An excellent encore of an album, after a phenomenal career. I loved the Cash classics and the covers. So entertaining. 8/10

Some classic Rolling Stones. I'd never listened to this one cover to cover before, and I have to say that there weren't many standout moments or songs for me. Overall I think I could have died without listening first. 5/10

Classic Springsteen, I really loved the niche tracks as well as the hits. 7/10

Super fuzzy grunge rock. 6/10

I'm not a reggae fan but this was pretty solid. 5/10

A phenomenal album! I loved the first half, especially the rap and hip hop tracks. The smoother R&B stuff wasn't really for me, so the b-side wasn't quite as virtuosic. I'll return to a lot of it though! 8/10

Parts were enjoyable, parts were shrill and difficult to get through. Inoffensive pop, I probably won't return. 5/10

Really enjoyed parts of this. A solid post-punk offering akin to contemporaries like The Gun Club and The Ramones. The whole piece felt a bit thin to me, but I never would have listened if not for this project, and glad I did before I died! 6/10

I often wondered what Paul Simon's relationship with his backing band on Graceland was like. What a joy to hear a solo a capella offering from them, produced by Simon! I loved this record and will definitely return to it. 8/10

We'll would you look at that? The album holds up far beyond Wonderwall. I understand why this is a classic that I'm always seeing at record shows. 8/10

I love me some Paul Simon. This wasn't it for me. Still, some great tunes and hits! 6/10

I see why people like it, but I really didn't. It was electronic and repetitive in ways I didn't appreciate or need. 3/10

This was pretty alright. 5/10

I enjoyed parts of this quite a bit. I might even return to it here and there, and I'm glad I listened. 6/10

The vibe was surprising based on the album art, but I suppose I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. 7/10

This was pretty great. Would highly recommend. 7/10

Two of the tracks are perfect songs. The rest ain't bad either! 7/10

I enjoyed this one, and may listen to more R.E.M. after this. I wasn't blown away though, overall. 6/10

Sometimes this album sounded like Bowie, the Felice Brothers, and King Gizzard. But overall it didn't feel cohesive. It felt like an exploration of various genres in a way which didn't mesh. A collection of singles, really. Not what I'm looking for in a must-listen album. 4/10

Glad I listened! Some quality Led Zeppelin here, and some great tracks I'd never heard. 7/10

Pretty rocking! Feels like they listened to a lot of Radiohead. Maybe too much... 5/10

This is a tough one. I'm not a fan of techno music, so that's a tough start for Moby. Then you consider that he sampled heavily from public domain recordings by Black artists to elevate his music. The line between appropriation and celebration is quite thin to be sure, but commodifying sorrow and lived experiences of Black folks falls on the wrong side of that line. Also it was long. 3/10

LONG! So long. There were parts I enjoyed but in general I'm not a fan of a jam album. 4/10

A wash of quiet folksy pop. 4/10

A near perfect album. 9/10

Besides the hits, this just didn't do it for me. Add the complications of who Michael Jackson was and what he did, and this was super missable for me. 4/10

Some generational classics. Some soft ballads that didn't work for me. 7/10

A pleasant surprise! I loved the hits and the lesser known tracks all the same. I'm really glad I listened. 8/10,

A solid offering that sounds a lot like a lot of other things. Some of the tracks made me cringe though. 4/10

Some tracks rolled on in a great way. Others rolled on forever. 3/10

A pretty good album soured by a 12-minute outro of meaningless shout outs. Put that in the liner notes, Lupe. 6/10

A fantastic album which ran a little long and could have been a bit nicer to women... 7/10

I'm still not seeing the full appeal of Neil Young, though I liked this album more than others. Some tracks stood out (Out of the Blue), but it's not an album I will return to. 5/10

Loved this for what it was. Very fun, upbeat album. Not my style, but I really appreciated it! 6/10

If this is the best that German noise music has to offer, then this isn't the album for me. What a slog. 1/10