1001 Albums Summary

Beastie Boys always makes me feel like I’m I a good cocktail bar circa 2016 and although it’s from 1994, those were really the days you know? Getting a martini for the first time and choking it down for the olive alone, I feel like that’s what the Beastie Boys are all about. It’s a fun time, it’ll make you wiggle and also, if you want, have a little headbang at your desk. Why not? Life is short and mundane. I like this album. 7/10

Those “Mexican maidens” are certainly doing…something to ol’ Marty Robbins and I’m starting to think the “big iron” he’s singing about is the one in his pants. It’s fun listening to crooning stories of a vague New Mexico or whatever he’s imagining of actual Mexico (old Mexico, if you will) but this does nothing for me. Pleasant, if boring, background music.

I don’t get the glick with Lorde. It feels very generic to me and just makes me think of that meme where she shushing everyone to sing out of tune but in pindrop silence. She seems great and I love the new song “what was that” (which isn’t on this album), not because it’s a good song, but it is a great vocal stim. This album doesn’t even have that :/

What a good time!! Doing the running man dance in my livingroom room rn, is that shuffle dance??? That was a fun time and I enjoyed it, lots of energy! 2 people doing synchronous twirly dances kinda vibe and I like that.

Finally some good fuckin songs!!!!! I forgot how much I liked this album and it's full of funky little 90s indie tunes. How nostalgic can you even get??? I DON'T LOVE ANYONE...WELL MAYBE MY SISTER. like yeah, that's exactly how you feel as a teen, like 100% spot on. Other than pure nostalgia, it's also just a decently interesting album with fun synthy twinkles and distortion... also lovely Scottish spoken word overlays - I think I skipped those bits as a teen but now I'm like.. nice one, SPEAK, GIRL. 10/10 (/4*s lol)

This album feels like the sound of the 90s in a really true way. Genuinely hits so hard, the beats are so strong and it feels like Lauren Hill at her prime and it’s just such a confident. Killing me softly! That’s the anthem of the 90s! It just is.

This is a classic and we all know it and love it. It feels very classic 60s, romantic and melancholy but reminds me most of journeys in the car with my parents. Big hauntology vibes on this on this one for me, casts a feeling of the 60s that I’ll never know.

I’m gonna be honest, this album wasn’t for me. We watched spinal tap before and it was similar enough to that but I think I would have preferred to listen to spinal tap.

I didn't get into Cocteau Twins until a bit later in life because honestly I think I just didn't quite get it, maybe my whimsy wasn't fully formed yet, my frontal-whimsy-lobe if you will. Post 25, brain nice and formed, I'm loving that shit. I don't need actual language to have a good time, go on girl, say whatever feels good. I love this album, it feels like a dream in a good way, a tiny bit Lynch (what the hell u sayin vibes), but mostly that nice warm feeling of a dream.

What do The Rolling Stones and Pink have in common? The both have a song called “Stupid Girl(s)” and they’re both atrocious. The album edged me with a riff that almost sounded like Satisfaction, but it wasn’t Satisfaction, it was some other shitty song. Bad music! Bad music!!

I liked this album, it's quintessentially 90s in a way I love, how could I not? It's chill, it's cheeky, it's fun, it's earnest and it's stylish too you know.

This could easily end up on my Spotify wrapped because it would have autoplayed in my “Aphex Twin Mix” that I have on in the background to work. This music does nothing for me really, I find some of the samples a bit cringe but it’s inoffensive (unless there are offensive bits in there, in which case it didn’t grab my attention above my locking in to data entry enough to notice). Nil pois! (2 stars)

This is solidly grandpa-core. Not necessarily my grandpa, though probably. It's smooth, classic, croony kinda soft swingy jazz. It's the exact kind of 1960s music that makes me think of blurry black and white pictures of my dad as a baby, and the stale smell of toast that permeated my grandpa's bungalow. By no means bad! Good, in fact! That kinda music that feels like it has always existed -vaguely- in the past. It's old-timey music if you will. It might have huge cultural significance, but I am simply too young to know it and I will not -nor should I- apologise for youth.

I assumed going in that this was one of those safe 3/5 albums that I knew because everyone knows and it’s a stone cold classic. But it’s not! I actually don’t like this album at all. The hits are fine, the rest is jarring and lyrics make me feel a bit ill. There is nothing exciting about this album.

Is it David Bowie? Is it T-Rex? Not quite! It’s Mott The Hoople! It’s an autoplay on your 70s mix you don’t skip because you’re locked in to your work and, you know, it’s inoffensive. I would never choose to listen to this album. Also the name of the band makes me think of those early Saturday morning alien puppet shows where they came to earth to learn about stuffs and those were good so bonus points there. They were called the Havakazoo - now there’s an album I want to hear.

All the songs sound the same. This is boring. I don’t have anything to say. Apparently the only song that stands out is the one that is parodyed in the Simpsons, but I had to be reminded.

Voice like honey, mad lines about a flea scratching your back - what an absolute balm to the batshit 2026 world we live in. This is the 1960s music I want to listen to; it sounds great, it's got good danceable beats and smooth vibes, it's got some man giggling about your dead husband (?). This is a great album, one I would not have come across otherwise (call me uncultured) - but one I am glad to have listened to now.

This album was a bit repetitive ://// idk if this is for me I’m sorry! I know he’s a big dawg of folk!!!

I really liked this one, it’s smooth and dreamy and 90s in a really fun way. Perfect music for eating a takeaway slightly tipsy!

I may be biased as this one of my all-time favourite albums ever (and let's face it, it's everyone else's too), but this really is one of the best albums ever made - an album to listen to before you die, perhaps?????? Kate Bush has a unique ability to take you through literary and Celtic myth, combined with her own fictions too, all to the tune of stone cold bangers. I'm Irish-jigging over here, I literally can't stop myself!!! Seriously, this hardcore, boundary pushing shit; a truly transformative piece of media. This is the canon of music!!!! This probably should be the only thing in the canon maybe?? Who can say?? We're two paragraphing it for our queen and saviour Ms Bush: I had been indoctrinated to the church of Bush from a young age having a mother who was a dedicated follower, but this album was a real leap into a new realm from her girlish genius on The Kick Inside (the album I was personally raised on). The first time I listened to this album properly with adult ears, I was completely taken aback by the ambitious production that felt really fresh and contemporary to electronic musicians of the 90s and 00s that I was listening to at the time. There is something magical about this album that is more than just the rapid genre chopping, the breathless extremity of Waking the Witch awash with samples and backwards/forwards cutting, and the fact she embodies a ghost on Watching You Without Me (imagine the satanic-icity of her- as a ghost- saying "don't ignore me" backwards) - all of these things are great, but the album as one, complete artistic piece remains something much more than the sum of its parts.

This isn't my favourite Radiohead album and I hadn't listened to it in full before, but it is bloody great, isn't it? Radiohead have always been, and will always be, catnip to alternative music lovers whether we like it or not. Ol' Thom might be a problematic fave, contemporary-dancing his way into some centrist-at-best opinions, by my oh my does he steam a good electronic music ham. Cudos Thom! Cudos!

I hadn't listened to this album before, but it is the exact type of dreamy, softly psychedelic, indie music nostalgia that I would have lapped up as a teen when I was big into The Shins, Grizzly Bear and the like. It's very that, and I mean that as a compliment. It's sunny day music without feeling too bland, and ultimately it is music from the before times that I do not feel could be made now. We can't feel that laid back about anything anymore, but I am glad in 2002, even in a post 9/11 world, we kinda could.

This is a fun album, the lyrics are fun and I enjoy the anti-establishment sentiment a lot. I'm not going to sit here and lie to your face, this kind of music just isn't for me. It's enjoyable background music, a nice bit of 60s rock and honestly, I'm not a total philistine, like I do find it pleasant, it just doesn't grab me.

Not my favourite Massive Attack album. Other than the main hit, I just felt it was a little repetitive and lacked the punch that I associate with them. But you know, they’re a solid band and it isn’t a bad album per se! Just not full of bangers /in my opinion/.

2 seconds in and I’m already chillin. It’s the smoothest of vibes, rid of all that smog angst, he’s reflecting now and it’s wonderful. The sun is shining, there’s a glint of memories from the darker before-times in his eyes, but he’s shrugged them off for now. Isn’t nature great? Isn’t being maybe a cowboy or something great? Masculine, but not in a bad way!!! And that’s important.

I love the album artwork for this, it gives a sense of passion that is obvs present in music but in a totally different way. And it really is an album about passion, the smoothest of listening experiences. Other than that, I’m not sure what I, a millennial white woman, can really add?

I found this album to be bad! All the songs sounded the same and they all sounded bad to me. I am no stranger to grunge, I enjoy grunge, some of my best friends are grunge! But this on ain’t it, sis. Sue me!!

Billie could sing the dictionary and it would sound beautiful. I just feel sad that all the songs towards the end of her life were about heartbreak. Maybe all her songs were about heartbreak the whole time?? Listening to this will give your day a softly sad romantic edge. This kind of music isn't how I personally take my melancholy, but I can appreciate the beauty of it.

I knew TT was a legend for a reason, but sometimes you don't take the time to stop and smell the hairspray; today I did, and what a glorious scent it is! Turner originated this quintessentially 80s sound, the gee-tars, the synth, the funk and obviously, she does it the best. I wouldn't say this is a genre I usually gravitate to, but there is such a sensuality and genuine-ness to this album that Tina has seduced - nay - private danced (!) me into a true fan. Too late, don't try and stop me, my hair is already teased nice and up! There's heart, there's heartbreak, there's danceability. WHO NEEDS A HEART WHEN A HEART CAN BROKEN (sashays sadly). Exactly.

The year is 2004 and, in my world, Bratz dolls are huge and so are Primark velour tracksuits with diamanté detailed pockets. My dad introduces me to a band he's heard on Radio 1 called "The Killers" and I think they're crap because their outfits do not match my Bratz dolls and boys are stinky. Fast-forward 5 more years and boys are no longer stinky, especially not Mormon, eyelinered ones with intriguing songs about sex, drugs and murder, not to mention this being the time of another Mormon classic I would also madly, deeply, irrevocably in love with. Now, I'm wearing my vampire-teeth necklace with a drop of blood, I'm spending all my money on Topshop skinny jeans, I'm spending weekends at a Hyde Park Tumblr meet-up and I am most definitely listening to The Killers!!! Teen me fucking loved this album, I thought it was genius, I thought it was art quite frankly. Listening to it now in full as an adult, perhaps it is an album of mostly clangers, perhaps the good songs are mostly about the murder of a women and I don't particularly think that is a good subject for an album written by men. But I don't know, they didn't end up being wronguns like so many indie men of the time, so maybe it's okay? The good songs are good! It's a time capsule, and I think some of the tunes do hold up in a fun, dancey, indie time. We liked it! I think there is a tenderness to some of the songs, I think the potential for them to move on to better things (and then move on to ballads only I guess) was right there and genuinely songs like Believe Me Natalie hold up for me. I will concede that the classic / overplayed ones are not great and there is some serious clumsiness with lyrics (or maybe all the lyrics low-key). But what you gonna do?

Huge minus points for album cover alone, and I have literally not listened to a single second yet.... Okay we're in! Hugely sceptical of an song called "1984" that is written in 1984, and also it's just vague synth noises which fair enough if that's all you have to say about the era. Doesn't quite hold up to, you know, the other famous 1984 - but if you can't compete, why even try? One rapid 30 min listen and I understand this is the exact sort of band that Spinal Tap was parodying, but also they were about 1000 times better than this? So what even is this? I'd take "Big Bottom" over "Drop Dead Legs" any day. This is the absolute dirge of rock music. It makes me want to hate all rock music, and I don't. In fact, I am appalled that when I was younger and I didn't quite have the music vocabulary that I do today, I would describe my taste as "rock" - to think people thought I was talking about this kind of band makes me want to throw up. Also the album cover!! I'm deducting points again because I looked at it again and it's so bad. We're in the minus stars now...

I couldn't listen to this properly because of my migraine, but it did sound like fairly pleasant early 00s rap fair to me. Like if Kanye hadn't gone wrong; a nice, solid early 00s rap. It does the job! And then apparently he went on to academia - good for him!! The world needs more thinkers ("where are all the thinkers?" - FKA Twigs).

Now there’s an album cover! This is fun and interesting jazz, pretty easy listening. I like it!

I’m a Millenial, I am genetically wired to enjoy this album, I literally have no choice. I’m not made of stone! You can really close your eyes and let the Woodstock 99 vibes soak in, it's good ol' grunge, they had something to say!! You know!! It was the go-go 90s and they were feeling things strongly, hell, we were all chanting. And it felt good! It still feels good. I'll say it, it's a real shame that they ended up being a little bit wet on the political front these days seeing as that was their literal whole thing. Low key, what is the point of Rage Against the Machine if they're not political, then it's just sounds and words, meaningless chanting for no reason. Hey ho, such is 2026. Seeing as we're talking about album covers, not sure about this one!

He’s got a lovely voice and he’s a lovely man and he’s done loads for music and it is good! It’s definitely good! Just maybe not for me. (Please don’t disown me my entire family)

This was a very comforting listen on the plane, super chill and pleasant. Nothing to write home about!

He smooth he’s singing! Baa ba boo ba ha ba boo boo! You know the vibe

This is a really masterful album, I won't beat around the bush. It's both experimental and accessible, it's heartfelt and powerful and just genuinely full of really great tunes. Alright serves as an anthem for mainstream conversations around police brutality towards Black people that would bubble in 2020, but the album really does go beyond political text. There is a playing with form, some songs stretching to 15 minutes and stitching in long spoken word pieces that surpass the traditional "skit" bit you might expect to find in a rap album (no offence to the skits in rap albums they have their place too), but honestly they feel more like sound pieces you might encounter at an art museum. I mean that in a good way obviously!! and it is important that these types of sound pieces exist on mainstream rap albums and aren't just confined to museum walls.. BRAVO!! (one tiny thing I would say is when the shit hits the fan, i.e. your favourite artist turns out to be a paedophile, you no longer are obligated to remain a fan.. in my opinion!!)

I thought this one would be one of those old classics I’ve never listened to but would be like, oh nice, this is great I can see why it’s a classic. Not at all!! This was pretty bad! Didn’t realise I had a higher opinion of Lenny kravitz than he deserved!

This was a very smooth and slightly trippy time, but maybe that's just because I was feeling over-tired. It felt very Ghost World-coded because I feel like those kooky teens would absolutely love this album. It's very that. I think on paper I wouldn't enjoy this album as much as I did, but there is something irresistibly jaunty about it - and literally who can resist a bit of jaunt?

Look, preconceived judgements of who he became in his later years and the rhetoric he succumbed to aside... I just don't think this is a good album. Yes, we can give him the benefit of the doubt that when he was writing songs The National Front Disco in 1992, he hadn't drunk the kool aid at that very disco, and he was actually kind of saying it was a bad thing that the lad is being swept up in it.. but honestly with a proper listen I think it's more ambiguous than that and I think maybe this was the start of his decline. I also genuinely do not think this is a good album, it doesn't slap at all like The Smiths stuff did - that I'll give a guilty listen to no problem. But with tracks like You're the One For Me, Fatty, this album is an absolute stinker and left me feeling a bit sick.

I didn’t like the album cover, no need for a racist cartoon Janis! Ended up googling her and it made me feel a bit sad :( solid women rock gotta love it

Very druggy idk! It is good but i felt like all the songs blended into each other. I don’t know if I’d listen again I’m sorry!!

I liked this it was smooth and powerful and the best at that hardcore, cuts deep, soul voice that James Brown obviously does best.

This is a truly brilliant portrait of early 00s Britain that gets across a damp and pathetic image of bleak youth culture in a painfully accurate way. Not all the songs slap sonically, but they are all really hilarious and I was giggling my way through the whole thing.

What an experience it is to watch this on YouTube in 2009 when you start to discover “good music”. Imagine hearing Man Who Sold the World for the very first time, ever! Imagine then listening to the David Bowie original and being like wow I literally am the first 14 year old who has ever discovered - and enjoyed- David Bowie. This is solid, this is quintessential teenage music. You gotta love a bit of Nirvana whether you grow out of it or not, you gotta give something to your inner teenage child and be like here’s one for you. So here’s one for you teen Sarah, you’re loving listening to this for the first time and then putting it through a YouTube to mp3 converter to listen to again and again on your little hand me down iPod.

I WANT YOUR LOVE ACTION. I love the confidence of 80s synth, they said things with power, you know, the synth is ripping and it's so good. I will say, this isn't an album of wall to wall bangers, but it is generally very very good. When you think of 80s synth pop, I personally think of this. Sure there are much cooler and more experimental offshoots, but this sent me on a very fun synth binge.

It feels harsh giving this a 3 but this kind of romantic crooning just kind of does nothing for me, Elvis in general does nothing for me. It’s not bad music by any stretch, I can totally see why people loved it at the time but I just don’t jam with this at all sorry (sue me).

FINALLY SOME GOOD FUCKING SONGS. Forget 80s Madonna, 00s Madonna was an artist truly in their prime, big time. This is the good fucking shit. Madonna knows, if nothing else, how to make a solid floor filler and you can’t tell me this isn’t an album full of them. Even the deep album tracks I don’t know, my hands are up and I’m going wooooooooooo - I’ve got blue sparkly eyeshadow on and butterfly hair clips in and I’m in da clurb for sure. And when I’m not doing that (girls contain multitudes) I’m crying at the perfect pop ballads. Do you know how it feels for a girl in this world, I’ll tell you what - it feels like this! So fucking good well done Madonna.

Pretty boring and repetitive, I don't think this was really pushing any boundaries. It's generic, background punk music, and not to be all Rule Britannia, but I think British punk did this kind of thing better.

This kind of thing sets my teeth on edge because it’s so bland. Not for me :/

When I was a kid I really loved this one, and senorita does slap I won’t lie, so does cry me a river even though I am obviously on Britney’s side. He is a bit smarmy but we can all enjoy this album

A very solid indie prog rock album and I enjoy it. Didn't get time to properly digest but it was enjoyable with some bangers that we all know and love :) a classique

Talk about Dire (hehe) this is truly an awful awful album, riddled with inexplicable homophobia. Feels dated even for its time. Really struggled to to trudge through it tbh.

This was an album I could swear I had already listened to back-to-front many times, but clearly I haven't. It is filled with an optimistic frustration at post 9/11 politics, but with 2026 ears you can't help but hear the naivety in it. Some of the songs are classic bangers, but there is quite a bit of bland filler. As is life!

This is a very enjoyable album, and very saucy!!

I'm sorry, sweet Bonnie (I haven't googled her so maybe she isn't sweet at all), but this is dross :(((( It's watered down Stevie Nicks not even to squash level, more of a tincture level of that kind of music. Not for me, but I'm certain there's some mums who eat this up.

These late 90s/early 00s Madonna albums are SO good and they slap SO hard. What a delight! Also, her voice sounds so good on this album?? What kind of trickery is that (no offence)? I love it, what a quintessential 1998 sound, dare I even say I can hear a hint of bjork? A tiniest bit? What a record of the time (and I should know, I was 3)!!

This one actually really slapped, you get the impression this went haaaaard in the 50s and they are going so hard. I wasn’t really expecting this going into it but it was a very rousing album. Yeah I said rousing!