1001 Albums Summary

Feel like it's an album I know through being around it rather than consciously listening to it. Good album, would revisit.

New to me- loved this.

Another album that is probably more important than enjoyable for me. Passed me by without much thought (other than remembering that joke about Zsa Zsa Gabor and Jean Michel Jarre marrying)

A lot of self-indulgent nonsense.

Wouldn't describe this as an album I needed to listen to before death. Sounds like someone has listened to a Fleet Foxes album and decided it was too edgy

Good fun album. Starts excellently and maybe fades a little. Still, the standout songs mean it deserves 4* overall

Good fun album, accompanied a long bike ride nicely. Still prefer the Alive albums. Felt like a fun mixtape.

Am sure he's a general force for good but I didn't get on with this, and it was a slog getting to the end (I didn't listen to disc 2)

Very enjoyable album, still stands up well now. Mani, Kevin Shields, Bobby Gillespie, great combination.

Technically competent but dull

Very difficult to rate an album that's so ubiquitous, such a "rock canon" album. Enjoyable though

Enjoyed this - nice breezy album. Very 70s but much less annoying than that CS&N albim

Surprisingly listenable. Wouldn't return but an interesting hour.

Hadn't encountered this before but a good, varied electronic album, maybe one or two memorable songs short of a higher mark.

A thoroughly grotty album, very much of its time.

Jack Johnson for boomers. Giving it 2 on the strength of Without You but it's barely deserved.

Enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. An excellent jumping-off point for a band I'd previously struggled to enjoy.

Not a massive fan of this kind of thing, but it's very well done. A 3 for the appreciation of what's clearly a good album

Enjoyed this a lot- breezed through at 30ish minutes with a fair amount of variety. Would revisit.

The guy was a serial abuser of women; I won't be making a habit of returning to this album but for the music alone it's an easy 4

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. 102 minutes didn't drag

Breezy enough for a sunny spring morning

Nice enough but probably wouldn't revisit - probably a 2.5

Lovely album, maybe not his finest but still a pleasant listen

Not essential listening but breezy enough for a sunny morning

Lovely album, which was new to me

Far too long and a bit repetitive but had some interesting ideas.

Nice bit of nostalgia, wouldn't revisit but was enjoyable

Fine, very much in my wheelhouse but not sure if I needed to listen to two Common albums before I died. I've managed 1.5.

Missed this the first time round. What a treat though. Thought the album would peak with the two singles as track 1 and 2 but the quality was pretty consistent throughout.

Very pleasant listen

I think I was expecting more from this? Always heard that Luke Haines was some kind of master songwriter but the music sounds like mid-level Britpop. Still, enjoyable enough

Would enjoy it more if it wasn't 60% widdly guitar and was maybe the length of Reign In Blood. Hetfield has a set of lungs and the drummer is impressive though.

One of my all-timers. The Roseland NYC live album is actual perfection and this is more of a 4.3/5 but I'm feeling generous.

A gorgeous, heartbreaking album that holds a lot of memories for me. Objectively it's probably not perfect but 5 stars nonetheless

Wonderful album, great opportunity to revisit

Colossal album. If I'm knocking a point off for Prince then I'm also knocking a point off for Radiohead for Palestine.

Lovely album, making a note to return to this one.

Liked this more than I thought I would. Appreciated the low end vocals and guitar and relative tightness/discipline of the songwriting.

Enjoyable album for a warm spring day, this.

Interesting piece of music, quite different from previous choices.reminded me of David Holmes albeit jazzier

Didn't mind this - the heavy-handed social commentary hasn't aged well but it was pleasant enough to listen to..

A bit disappointing? Feels more like a pastiche of alt country than anything sincere. Many better examples of this genre

Started very very strongly but didn't really maintain momentum. Still, lots of likeable songs. Maybe a 2.7?

A deeply, deeply irritating album. Why it's anywhere near an essential albums list, when there are some good albums in the White Stripes' back catalogue, is beyond me.

Thought this was a little repetitive in parts but was the best of the "why have they picked this album from the back catalogue" week that we seem to be in.

Actually wasn't too bad for soundtracking a long walk. Nice mood to it. I've listened to much worse 70s albums on here so far.

Dreadful album, dreadful (and often creepy) lyrics, absolutely dire stuff. Flea's bass playing is wasted on this nonsense.

Very listenable album - missed them the first time around but enjoyed this. Reminded me of The Beta Band. Ended strongly.

Actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought it would. Surprisingly accomplished considering the circumstances etc and considering it was recorded by Grohl himself in around a week. Wouldn't listen again but a solid 3

Some absolutely stunning songs, some of her best esp. All And Everyone, and On Battleship Hill. Knocking a point off as I've never enjoyed the last two or three tracks, which don't seem to fit on the album

Clearly a very influential band and album but I didn't enjoy it.

Two fun singles and a lot of "teenage boy bedroom" nonsense. Still more enjoyable that that White Stripes album, but I won't be revisiting.

Nice enough to listen to - enjoyed the harmonies and general feel. A low 3

Very listenable, enjoyable album. One to revisit

Good excuse to revisit this. Enjoyed a lot - good range of styles and depth across the album. Maybe doesn't resonate as much for me as for others who heard it when it was new, but still very good.

Really enjoyed this (as others have said, save for the misogyny). Always assumed a Hendrix album would be a sprawling mess of guitar solos but the songwriting and production is tight.

Really didn't see the point of this album. Joyless pastiche

Very listenable if somewhat safe album. Very much in my comfort zone in terms of my own taste but maybe not an essential listen.

Another Brick In The Wall is one of the worst songs ever recorded, and the album reprises it twice in the first 40 minutes. I wanted Pink Floyd to disprove my misconceptions but yeah, an album I won't be revisiting.

Enjoyed this a lot-would revisit

Started and ended excellently but sagged in the middle. Enjoyable though.

Good, compact album. Underrated at the time.

Very much not my usual choice but I thought this was good. Having watched a short documentary about the song Hurt, it makes a lot of sense in the context of the album. Glad that Trent Reznor is in a better place these days.

Excellent album - well paced, great songwriting, and one of the all time best front-people

This was new to me and I enjoyed it a lot. Might revisit.

Weird and slightly pointless album with a creepy lead single. No thanks

Mixed quality and doesn't quite hold my attention for the full length but the highlights are very high.

I preferred Goo but this was still goo(d)

Not usually a fan of disco but this was surprisingly fun

I quite liked this - quite varied and I liked the raggedness of his voice. Not my usual choice but a 3 nonetheless

Unusual choice. Not unlistenable but far from essential

I guess, fine for what it is? But really not my thing. I never need to hear The Girl From Ipanem again, and I've heard it twice in 120 albums.

Enjoyed this quite a lot in the end. Nice feel to the album, good guitar playing. Didn't listen to the entire repeat of the album on Spotify though.

Not as bad as I was fearing but yeah, this isn't my thing. Are You Ready, Eddy was a low point.

Another artist/album that i didn't listen to at the time because i was a teenager easily influenced by the very sexist NME/Melody Maker. This is great though, what a talent.

Good solid indie album - some lovely highlights. One I'll never mind listening to, even if it's not the first thing I'd reach for.

Eh, perfectly fine. There's a lot of jangly 60s pop/rock to wade through on this list isn't there?

An album that passed me by on release, even though I think I would have loved it in 2004. Enjoyable album.

Never been the hugest Dylan fan but this was good to listen to and finished strongly.

Listened to disc one - was fine but again, largely unessential

Enjoyed this a lot. Varied and well crafted

I'd never heard of this but I enjoyed it - thought it was quite compact and attention-grabbing. Maybe not quite three starts but not far off

A joy to listen to on a very hot day

Quite a lot of fun! Not my usual thing but enjoyable

Wonderful album - We Float is one of my all-time favourite closers. Very nearly a 5 but I'm going with the strongest of 4s

This was new to me but I enjoyed it - very much in my musical comfort zone but no bad thing

Every so often I'll listen to a bit of Led Zeppelin to see if I still dislike them as much as I think I do. Yep, they're still massively not my thing.

Hell no.

This was new to me (with apologies to Jo, I've never listened to an Elvis Costello album). Clearly there are bits that have dated very badly but I enjoyed it overall. Melodic and politically charged, can't complain too much

More of a historic artefact than an album I'd return to over and over again (and where is the line between telling someone else's story or your own?) but yeah, I don't mind this one at all.

I enjoyed this overall, though the female-led songs were generally stronger (and I understand that this is largely one man's project with a revolving cast of band members). Maybe a bit Pitchfork-y but overall I enjoyed it.

This is dire. Thanks a bunch to whoever decided that I needed to listen to it before I die.

Not my favourite REM album but some solid solid highlights. Finest Worksong is an excellent track one.

Still trying to love Bob Dylan albums! I enjoyed this for maybe the first 20 minutes but then it became a bit of a slog. Sorry, still in the "appreciate but not love" category for me.

Found that my attention drifted a little with this one - would revisit but feel like it needs my full attention.

Surprisingly listenable.

Not my favourite J Spaceman album by any stretch but still an enjoyable listen, and Lord Can You Hear Me? is an excellent album closer.

Excellent, this - such a high concentration of hits, plus album material that I'd not previously heard. Enjoyed a lot and would revisit.

Enjoyed this - good, breezy album that was new to me. I was slow to realise that it was Belinda Carlisle on lead vocals!

Anything with Paul Simon in it always has touches of magic but this was a frustrating and (in places) daft listen. Reminded me of listening to a late-period Belle and Sebastian album where the quality fluctuates wildly from track to track.

New to me - enjoyed a lot, reminded me of CHVRCHES which is no bad thing.

I'm sure I should like this but I find Iggy Pop deeply irritating. A 2 for the "I'm glad it exists but don't want to revisit"

Have gone off Bowie in later years but this is a very strong album.

Rare for an album as heavily played as this to be so good to listen to every time. Wonderful songs and songwriting, a real treat.

Hadn't previously listened to anything of Soft Cell's other than the hits. Enjoyed this a lot - worked really well as a whole album. Probably a 3.5 but I'm feeling generous

A strong

Enjoyed this a lot - again, new to me. Liked the instrumentals towards the end of the album.

This is quite something isn't it? First 30 seconds, I thought "I'm going to hate this" but it's grown on me over the 50 minutes. I'll give it a 3 overall - feels like one to revisit.

The "hits" are very familiar to be but were great to revisit. The album tracks were new to me - maybe slightly dated in places but overall a very strong album. Teetering on a 4 but I think it's more like a strong 3

Another one where I'm very familiar with the singles bit not the album. Enjoyed this a lot and would revisit.

Enjoyed this a lot, felt like it grew as the album went on. The penultimate track was a highlight.

Wonderful album, up there with their 90s output.

Disappointing lack of 90s indie gems (e.g. Carnival). Fine enough

Enjoyed this more than the previous TW album. Good listen for a stiflingly hot day

Quite pleasant to listen to, though the expanded edition contains two versions of You Can Leave Your Hat On, which is frankly unnecessary

Enjoyed this more than most of the prog I've heard on here so far. Maybe a slightly generous 3 but yeah, pleasantly surprised

I didn't mind this - proggy but still tight and focused, never overindulgent

Adding this to the list of "albums I expected to hate but actually quite enjoyed". I mean, it's not the most challenging listen but it breezes along, doesn't outstay its welcome and has a fair ratio of enjoyable/memorable songs. Would be a 4 but for Don't Stop, which is a stinker. So it's a 3 from me.

A frustrating listen. I Wanna Be Adored starts so well, but then Ian Brown's voice kicks in and takes all the shine off. (Reminiscent of Tonight, Tonight by The Smashing Pumpkins in that respect). I Am The Resurrection is a wonderful song with a self indulgent funk-rock outro. The rest is a mixed bag, some of which I quite enjoyed but a lot of which irritated me. Two stars.

This was listenable in parts but there were other bits that actively gave me a headache, and I can't be having that with an album.

As Jason said, probably a grower - but I enjoyed it enough.

I don't mind a bit of undemanding 70s AOR from time to time but this is dreadful.

An enjoyable album, maybe not the most gripping but she's good at what she does.

Always assumed I didn't like Stereolab but this is very good. 3 for now but it's a grower I think

Not hugely keen for some reason. Bit too 80s pop for me. Could appreciate it but wouldn't return

Haven't heard this for over 25 years but it still holds up well

Brand new to me but enjoyed this

Not objectionable but I got bored and switched off after 49-od minutes

Ah so that's what Free Bird sounds like! Thought this was good enough as 70s rock goes.

Not sure how well this has aged. There are some okay bits though.

Gosh, that's what happens when you record an album and just leave in every idea that everyone has thought of. Some of it works really well and some of it is unlistenable. Sounds like they had fun though

Lovely Sunday album

Musically tolerable but Clapton was an absolute piece of s- to partners, to people from abroad, opposed the fox hunting ban, collaborated on an anti-lockdown single with Van Morrison... Yep, I've listened to enough of that

A band forever ruined by Win Butler's behaviour. Some absolute gems on the album (Mountains Beyond Mountains for example) but I can't separate the music from the musician.

A really interesting listen - one to revisit I think

Didn't actively hate it

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Also had no idea that Fiesta is a Pogues song (only ever heard the instrumental bit)

Not a band I've listened to much before but enjoyed this a lot.

Another "kinda okay" 70s rock album, yay

Didn't mind this at all - also it breezed through at 32 minutes. In the words of Marley and Marley .. "it was... short?... I loved it!"

2 for the title track. The rest was fine but unremarkable

5/5 for the music, 1/5 for the ham-fisted politics.

Dreary stuff

Oh this is just crap and has dated terribly.

Some great songs but struggled to hold my attention for 1h17m

Another album new to me. Enjoyed this a lot - feel like there's been quite a lot of lazy / indulgent 70s folk-rock on this list, but this album was imaginative, sensitive and has some excellent acoustic guitar work.

The first album I ever owned! Oasis's best work by some distance. Some nonsense in there (Digsy's Dinner, Married With Children) but the highs are very high.

Second Elvis Costello album in a few weeks. Enjoyed this again - would revisit one or the other.

Haven't listened to this in years but it felt like a perfect choice for this morning. Lovely stuff.

Not sure what this was doing anywhere near a list of 1001 essential albums. A deeply irritating listen.

Never heard of the band or the album before but quite enjoyed it - reminded me a little of Blondie but rougher around the edges. Somewhere between a 2 or a 3 overall.

If this was released in 2025 I'd assume it was written by AI. On the plus side, I remembered that Bill Bailey sketch "I've got ham, but I'm not a hamster".

This was new to me - would have probably loved it at the time but it passed me by (there were lots of panda / bear / deer bands around that time weren't there?) Enjoying it enough to earmark it for a second listen some time.

This had a lot more to it then I expected. Enjoyed the slightly droney elements, blend of folk and rock, and some of the longer songs especially Percy's song

Not really my thing but I can see that it's well put together.

Always struggled to enjoy Talking Heads - a band I've respected more than anything. I did enjoy revisiting this, though. A point knocked off for all the rubbishy spoken word bands they've inspired recently.

Maybe the last 200 days of 70s MOR, hair metal and prog concept albums has broken me, but I'm finally enjoying Talking Heads.

Thought this was quite pretty - and would probably be incredible to listen to in a live setting - but I found my attention drifting a bit (to the extent that I nearly fell asleep!) I'll give a 2 though for the first 3-4 tracks.

Haven't listened to this album in nearly 20 years. Enjoyed it at the time but found it a bit irritating on returning to it. Very much "of its time"

I was expecting something a bit heavier for some reason. Up In The Air was one of my favourites. A strong 2 for me.

New to me - never been a huge fan of punk but this breezed along nicely and had a good energy about it.

I never liked the Libertines when they came out but I did quite enjoy this - it's somewhere between a 2 and a 3 for me but I'm feeling charitable towards Pete Doherty