It's a classic, but is it acceptable in this day and age?
Solid album, rewards multiple listens, comfortingly familiar.
Peaks and troughs.
When it's good Cisco kid and works is a ghetto really good, otherwise pretty boring at times.
Likely won't listen again.
Flows well, innovative at the time, good mix of genres, love it for that.
A solid album, but will I revisit it often?
It's affy long. Enjoyed what I had time for, but 2 hrs!?!
This is stand out the best 1001 album I've listened to yet. From the off its innovative, experimental and engaging.
Far more interesting than the majority of albums on this list I expect.
This album flows brilliantly. I can live without the skits, but the topics, politics, culture and experience that it represents are so well done.
Way ahead of it's peers at the time and no wonder they became so big and influential as they did.
From the off you can hear the influence on other bands. Placebo, Faith No More, Duran Duran (obviously).
Interesting listen, well crafted, I like it.
I don't think I'll visit it time and again though.
A lot of Lou Reed, a little of the National and a remarkably odd choice for 1001 albums I must listen to before I die.
A few good tracks, but largely forgettable.
1965 right in the sweet spot for country being the US of As pop favourite. I like this album, it sounds familiar and it's easy to listen to.
Will I listen again, like lots on the list probably not.
I like the fizzy old production and the chugging rhythms. Decent
The hits are obviously timeless and the band will forever resonate through history, but sounds like Seaside (who has time vaudeville, it's a bit aggravating for my taste) and a song about loving a car.
Pretty decent, but like Alan Partridge I'll stick to the best of.
This one caught me by surprise. Expected to hate it, but I've got more time than I thought for goth pop from the 80s.
Cracking album.
This album was outstanding when I first heard it and carried it's magic all the way to my 5 year old getting into fight for your right.
Great band, eclectic back catalogue and fun times.
This is a good pop album. I like the odd song with hints of the Kinks. Good variety and song writing.
Songs that will stand the test of time. Just not an album that is overly to my tastes for repeat listening.
I kind of wanted to like this a lot more. Iconic and influential band, however it was a bit of a rambling mess. So fantastic moments, some great ability in show, but it didn't hang together.
The lyrics are annoying at best, the subs are all over the place and it's themes are weak and rambling.
I expect much stronger prog albums to come.
All time classic, possibly the best hip hop album ever made.
I've listened to this many times over the years and it flows beautifully. Deserves all the praise it gets, rather than seeing for stardom, it sought credibility through innovation and musicianship. It's so well crafted, it'll take a long time for someone to have quite this level of vision again.
KOL aren't a bad band, but with success comes expectation and pressure to churn out the hits.
This album is what happens, middle of the road dirge which loses the edge and energy that made it cut through in the first place.
I've not listened to this in a long time, I thought I was about to settle in for 2hrs plus of noodling. Not so, 5 songs, 45min... This is going to be good.
I really slept on Pink Floyd as a teen, when I should have been lost in this most weekends. Great album, lovely production, instrumentation, song writing, ambition and execution.
The best album on the list so far by quite a ways.
This album sits in the background neither wowing not offending.
Reminds me of the first Chvrches album, but with a lot less impact and charm.
It sounds exactly like what you'd hear on top shop or H&M.
Lots of 80s influences, but a no point does it surpass those influences, especially not the MJ rips. I don't think I'll bother listening to it again in French, although I expect that would be an easier listen.
Iconic, influenceial and fun. I feel like we could use more consciousness in hip-hop in 2026, and probably for a decade plus before.
Really enjoyed revisiting this classic.
Every song on here is a classic, with the exception of changes, which has been tainted behind repair.
I was going to give a 4 but I don't think you can when you consider this one album spawned multiple metal subgenres and influenced so many bands over the years.
Arguably one of the most influential albums in music? A great listen.
There are songs on this album I love, like disorder and she's lost control. There are a lot of songs that just sit in the background. It's never been one of my go to albums, but the influence on artists I love is huge.
It was pretty enjoyable to give it some time.
I thought this was the antagonist from Warriors when the album popped up.
Alas, it's not, pretty decent 70s punk from down under. A few stands out tracks, great opener, good all round effort. I enjoyed it.
Well crafted and considered nonsense. I never realised until now the parallels with the vocal style of David Byrne.
Devo, the love child of taking heads and Kraftwerk.
The album in which Neil invented grunge? Great album, not my favourite Neil Young however. Still a great album.
That second version of my my, hey hey is great. The fuzz, the fuzz.
A band I struggle to fall in love with, but understand the significance of. Another one for the best of approach. Good album, but unspectacular.
Not my favourite Radiohead album, solid but neither as urgent or important as the earlier albums, or in rainbows that soon followed after.
Great band though, essential part of anyone's musical journey.
Pleasantly surprised again but am album on this list.
Not my cup of tea, but you can hear the influence out maybe had on Regina Spektor or Sharon Van Ettan.
At times I was lost in her voice and instrumentation, which oddly kept reminding me of songs from James Bond films. At other times, I was perplexed at the tedium of it.
I thought I liked Dire Straits. But they are actually pretty annoying.
We get it Mark, your good at guitar, but give it a rest. The noodling is relentless and way too high in the mix. The classics obviously stand the test of time, but the remaining over written, annoyingly sung and the honky Pink Floyd sound is too much.
What is this abomination? From punchy early Dexy's to bloated 12min songs, talking at random times, strange moments of over worked vocals, inane chatter, moments of great Dexy's hooks and then back to the fucking talking.
Never again will I bother with this dross.
This was a delight to listen to. Smooth and flows beautifully. I could listen to this time and again.
I was thinking as I listened just how common that sound created by Miles Davis is in pop culture, TV shows (peanuts, Fraser...) and computer games (transport tycoon...) and countless musicians that borrow this easy going style. A cornerstone of music.
Lovely album, great sound, so easy to listen to and have on in the background.
Could it be 1 of any number of blues albums over the years, probably yeah, but I guess if it ain't broke and all that...
Good fun, metal for the masses.
The longer you listen, the more it all blends into one bland monolith.
Ordinarily I've very little time for double albums. In fact, I can't think of one I like beyond this one.
This one is a belter. 2 albums in one articulating both sounds of Big Boi and Andrei 3000. I loved it on teams and it's still a cracking album now.
Decent jazz standards, average live production, far too much talking for the to be any flow. At over two hours this should have been edited into something different and more rewarding to repeat listens.
Overly long and quite incoherent
Some classics on here and an amazing opening track, but a number of songs are fluff at best. Decent.
This is a great soundtrack to a great film. The issue with translating it to an album is that a number of the songs so abruptly and break the flow.
I forgot how good Air are, great musicianship.
Classic. Absolute banging introduction to an album and the hits keep on coming. I'm constantly in awe of the early influence and DNA of Rick Rubin in both hip hop and metal. The guy has left an indelible mark on the face of music.
This is one of the albums that expanded my horizons into classics and a world of genres as a snotty little teenager.
It's never lost its sheen or brilliance. Lyrical and musically it's such a cool and measured album from start to finish.
Cinematic, considered, theatrical, it's clear why Flaming Lips filled arenas. This is a good album, but with all their music I don't feel an emotional connection to it or the singers voice.
There is something I fundamentally don't 'get' about them as a band, despite liking plenty of their songs.
It's his voice, it's too weak for the sound they produce.
This is probably one of my favourite albums of all time, let alone hip-hop albums. I'm a big fan of hip-hop collectives, the collage of personalities and styles.
The aggression, themes and love of king fu all make for an great blend. The production created a template that endures and the styling is iconic.
All over the place and not in a good way. Some really interesting moments, but too many styles that you could hear delivered much more skilfully by artists from the regions it seeks to replicate.
The longer it goes on the worse it gets, by the end I'm both zoning it out and getting annoyed it's still going.
This is a bit of me this. Love the bass and synth driving the songs. Like the Cure esq vocals. Like the vibe of wearing Sergio Tacchini and Fila on the dance floor.
A fun and at times anthemic listen. I like it more than Unknown Pleasures I'd go as far to say.
This album is alright, a few hits and catchy songs. Boy did their egos inflate behind their talent.
I can't shake the idea that the Verve were the Razorlight of their time and Dick Ashcroft the Jonny Borrell.
More flute, more riffs and less whimsical vocals and lyrics and this would be for me.
As it stands, I really struggle with themed, fantasy, proggy meandering fluff like this. It's often bloated, self indulgent and unsatisfying to listen to.
Beautiful.
Lovely haunting vocals, smooth piano that lulls you into to the song and holds you in. Nothing is forced, nothing is rushed, a great listen.
A confident and brilliantly delivered pieces of music. It's feels very familiar due to the success of the songs.
Some of these lyrics are a bit rich now as Morrissey morphs into everything he was stood against. What a loathsome prick.
That aside, this is a adequate album. At times it slaps, at other times it sounds like a parody of better Smiths albums.
This album was decent, but I expected to like it a while lot more.
Perhaps a few listens will change my mind, but on first listen...
... Yeah, pretty comforting listen as you get to know the songs, I love this style of country folk and others in the scene old and new. This fits in nicely, some of the songs are belters, the album is solid.
This album has huge production, wonderful rifs, it's heavy in a really accessible way and has some of rocks most enduring tracks.
However, it also have songs that drift and drone, especially after mayonnaise. Perhaps with 5 or 6 fewer tracks this would be one of the greats, instead it drifted into mediocrity.
I've always been quite conflicted about this album and band, it seems I still am.
Really clean and confident beats. I think this preceded some of the latest jazz influenced beats, which take it up a notch. Still really good through.
Conscious and intellectual lyrics, the delivery could do with a bit more range, but still a great example of a golden age in hip hop
Such a good album. Noisy post punk distorted tones that cut into jangly rhythms. It delivers hit after hit.
I can hear the influence this album has on lots of the bands I grew up listening to and playing in. It sounds natural and effortless.
I feel like this type of music is sorely lacking from a mainstream of soulless carbon copy nepo baby acts. Where have the breakthrough underground acts gone?
Love the last two tracks, a left turn.
This is prime Pixies. Controlled noise and chaos. Some all time rock tracks. The switching of vocalists keeps it fresh throughout.
Cracker of an album.
13 songs in 33 mins... Muoy Buenos
The art or the artist.
This is the turning point where outstanding talent produces something generational (again), shapes the future of a genre but is also where Kanye as we knew him switches to the dark side in his quest to become the world's biggest bellend.
Yet, I love this album. It's the end of Kanye also.
Bonus points for influencing the birth of punk and bringing (albeit dated and questionable in execution) humour to their art.
But not a great album, I'm glad they walked so others could run, I'm not coming back to this at any point again however.
I love a bit of pop and who doesn't like the Beatles?
Having said that, this is one of the most simplistic and least satisfying examples of the Beatles, it's got some stone cold classics, it's got hints at innovation but overall it has more filler than not.
For years I really had a strong dislike of Pink Floyd. I always thought there was too much going on, it was overblown, it lacked quality control. Since I've grown to love Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and others.
When this album is good, it's phenomenally good, when it's bad it really scrapes the depths of what I can tolerate.
I suspect this album is where our relationship got off on the wrong foot. An album full of hits, but equally full of filler. How can it be full of both at the same time? Because it's too fucking long.
I think Elbow have become victims of their own success, becoming the poster child of bland radio rock in the UK.
When this came out it was fresh, considered, influential and rightly lauded critically.
Overexposure now makes it harder to listen to objectively. That said it starts strongly, articulately and confidently, that sense carries throughout. At times a bit dull and wet.
Fair play to anyone that takes their underprivileged estate and writes an ode to it if this order.
Not at all what I expected, possibly pretty far ahead of it's time on release? There are electronic artists, hip hop starts, trip hop, neo pop artists that have followed in similar veins in production and with skits.
I'll never come back to this album, but as a concept IMO it works alright. Some cool ideas and some passable background noise. Unfortunately there is a fair share of self indulgent wank nestled in the album too.
I've got a bone to pick with the people of 1983. How did they let The Police become 'the biggest band in the world'?
It's a hellscape of cultural appropriation and ego. The sound of Sting gleefully smelling his own farts.
Even the hits don't save it. History shows the linkage between popularity and quality is weak and the sedated masses can't be trusted.
The 13min title track is a banger, outstanding. The hits hold up really well, great era synching slabs of pop goodness.
The album trails of badly, had some inconsistent flow and poor covers.
A mixed bag, marked up one for the strength and longevity of the big hitters
This music transports you too a different time and place, I can almost smell the food cooking, the crowds, the busy streets and packed roads of cars wrestling for space.
Music of many restaurants, cafes and family gatherings. Hypnotic, different and really enjoyable... when in the right headspace.
Great vocals and range, non stop party tunes equally good for zoning out into some work task.
One of the rare occasions where familiarity does not breed contempt.
I've heard this album so many times, I think everyone knows the hits inside out, yet they endure. Just good solid riffs, songs that just hit the spot, underpinned by some ridiculous, stupid, often offensive and very catchy lyrics.
Like hip-hop, AC/DC have skilfully/somehow dodged cancel culture and stand tall as the band it's cool for your kids, yer da and yer maw to all like.
The pick of the bunch for the band. Also bonus point for the Kirriemuir connection. However bonus point removed for the non stop misogyny.
I really enjoy 80s synth pop and in this you can hear hints of certain eras of Prince and Depeche Mode, which is no bad thing.
Unfortunately there are plenty of bad in this album too. A lot of the music tilts into the annoying, the singers voice is often a bit on the weak side and the hooks are too repetitive without the punch to keep you drawn in.
There are some moments of class in here too, a mixed bag that ultimately isn't for me.
Doff of the cap to It's a Sin. Certified banger.
It was a mistake going down the rabbit hole of the person, his shit stances on life and his personal tragedies before listening to the album.
It made the album a harder listen. It starts off slow, ponderous and somewhat boring. As the pace of the songs sped up, the album grew in quality.
It has it's moments, but a slide guitar and the odd solo can only carry your average blues folk rock so far.
An alright album that stands below is peers in the genre, with one all time smash hit.
Wow, this is outstanding and right up my street. It's dripping with influence and alignment to lots of my favourites and I've never listened to it before. That's what I love about this challenge.
What I don't like is the run of wrong uns I'm on. Between this guy, Clapton, Kanye and MJ. I can't get away from the art and artist debate...
This is a tough one as I understand the severity of the accusations, but also love the music and it's influence.
Death of the author or moral culpability?
Man I love this group. They opened the door to hip-hop for me, bridged a gap from punk and metal into a new world.
This isn't their best album, but it is the only one on the list, so that'll help this score.
Ensemble vocalists in hip-hop work so well, the combinations of tone, tambour, flow, lyrics keeps the whole thing engaging and fresh while giving a strong sense of the cyphers battling in the park. Pure energy.
This album starts so strong, but dips a little towards the end.
The archetypal drunk growling storyteller. This album is what bars in American films and TV sounds like.
You can almost see McNulty propping up the end of the bar.
The Who has always felt like a band in supposed to like. I try and try to get into them, understand them, but it just doesn't click.
Some outstanding hits on here, but lots of the album drifted by without really having an impact on me.
The album says Cash, but the experience is as much Rubin. I was working in a record shop when this series and particularly this album came out and not one person, in a building of opinionated critics and cynics didn't have an affection for it.
It opened doors to new music and remained in rotation for years. It's a real treat to go back to it and give it some time. Possibly the greatest swan song in music, beautiful, poignant, sad and uplifting.
As an end to end listen not every song hits, but it's not far off.
Every time I hear this album I think it's without a doubt my favourite Radiohead album. Then I inevitably listen to the Bends and OK Computer and remember they are also my favourite...
Are Radiohead one of my favourite bands? This album ticks so many boxes for me, great musicianship, production, song writing, experimentation, a bit of rock, pop and dance. It's lovely.
This album is a schizophrenic fever dream. I don't mind it, nice to get a bit more global representation.
The title music sounds like Sons of Kemet (London Jazz Band, not frog typo) and Naag Davta slaps, I'm sure I've heard it sampled somewhere.
I've a lot of time for this. Much like Vince Guaraldi Trio, Oscar Peterson or Esbjörn Svensson Trio these well played, composed and delivered pieces drift beautifully along with real creativity and passion.
I'd never heard of Keith Jarrett, but I'm sold on the idea he is right at the top of his genre. Lovely stuff.
There are two Nick Drake albums that I own and this one. What can I say? He sounds like he invented music for a Sunday morning. Dark, brooding, hauntingly beautiful Sunday mornings.
Striped been, raw and meaningful. He really is in another league, yet it took me decades to learn of him.
Who doesn't love a bit of Jimmy and his motley crew. Absolutely peppered with barnstormers and fantastic guitar noodling.
Let down slightly by a few below par tracks and odd production choices. But still considerably better than a lot on the list.
It's mind boggling the frequency that they turned out music of such a high and influenceial calibre.
What a mug I am. I think I slept on Lennon's solo stuff whilst gaming for stereotypes about Yoko etc.
Then for some reason never went back to fix this mistake as I matured. More fool me. This album is musical comfort food.
Not without a few flaws, but such an easy and enjoyable listen. It will fall effortlessly into my rotation.
This is more of a conflict than expected. Its great, but it's it great great? Listening to this objectively, it's as good an indie pop album as when it came out.
It's lofty and ambitious, but also pointed and bleak. I really really like it as an album, yet oddly am loath to give it a 5. Strange, why is that? Spoiler it'll get a 5.
It really is some beautifully crafted pop music.
I get the Berlin influence, the dance influence, the krautrock influence, yet I'm not entirely sold on the music.
Arpeggio's galore, haunting sci fi ambience galore, but all without a central theme to pull you in and consider you as a listener. It's good but sounds like it's made solely for the artist who has interesting emerging (at the time) tech to play with.
Will we get this with the first wave of AI artists?
The lasting impression was of it sounding like the in between bits of Pink Floyd songs.
Decent.
I grew up with lots of American teen angst punk, plenty of which was worse than this.
This is a confusing album, a little Led Zep, Ted Nugent et all, which is ok...
Then there is the more 'classic' Queen, who honestly just bug me. Dare I say MCR did the same thing with more heart? Queen albums are consistently all over the place.
Queen might be my ultimate 'Greatest Hits' band. These albums on the list are pretty below the standard I was expecting from such a revered band.
Poor.
I was surprised this was his only album on the list, his first album is a belter too.
Great artists, strong influences from 70s rock and soul. Reminds me of Rodriguez mostly.
A really enjoyable listen.
I've tried a few times to get into SZA, intrigued by the Kendrick connection. I like some of her contemporaries, but this just doesn't click with me.
Not for a lack of trying and the album grows as it goes, but I don't think I'll be back on a regular basis.
What's not to like about Talking Heads, I've always liked them, loved Stop Making Sense, but never delved into the back catalogue in any meaningful way.
I suspect there will be better albums on the list by Talking Heads, but this was a good listen. They never let up. They are confident in their sound and they take influence without leeching into appropriation.
This has been a companion for me for over 20 years. Unique, haunting and timeless.
This is the sort of thing I usually enjoy. But I read I've probably listened to the wrong thing.
Who can keep up. What I heard was nice.
For the boring covers of songs you'd be better off finding as originals.
I'm growing a deep seeded dislike for Clapton from this list. Can I shake it for musical objectivity?
Cultural appropriation from a vocal racist is a bitter pill to swallow, however I've ignored others sins in the 1001 process. Hmmmm introspection needed...
All in all, still not a great album. Had it's moments.
This is very much a rock opera rather than an old school hard rock album, which is less to my tastes.
I'm struggling a bit with prog in general, it's phenomenally self indulgent, however this did have a darker side to it's rock musical sound which was more enjoyable than most of its ilk.
This album is all over the place and I don't mind it anywhere near as much as I thought I would.
Started off sounding like an 80s TV theme, obviously had the obligatory gypsy jazz track, some riffs, harmonies and good ol' blues rock. At least it's quite fun at points.
Hats off to the pre dated Nirvana riff at the end of Starship Trooper.
Solid, inoffensive jazz.
Very impressed with the fact this guy recorded two albums in a day. I guess you use the session musicians while you've got em.
A bit of variety and something international. Like it when it's a bit more upbeat and the samba and bossanova kick in.
Not the best Brazilian album I've heard, but an enjoyable record.
The opening track alone is worth the admission fee. What a beaut. Plenty have tried this, but do they have the soul to pull it off, the evidence would suggest otherwise.
Continuing through the album, love it. It's got a bit of everything, but so well put together.
Where have you been all my life? This album is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Quintessential jazz. Formative. And 70 years old!
I'm not sure what it is that doesn't click with me and REM. They are lacking something for me and I can't quite put my finger on it.
Rock, but without any bite and aggression? Pop, but with a voice that it's a bit tepid? Hooks, but without the soul to make you believe?
It's not for a lack of trying over the years, on paper a band I should very much like, in reality a band that leaves me pretty indifferent.
One into the sound the album picks up in the middle a bit, but not enough for the plaudits it gets.
This is a pretty standard early thousands indie disco floor filler album.
Not bad, but not something you'll go back to time and again.
Sits perfectly nicely in the background, without ever challenging or inspiring. Could equally be any number of local bands from around the world that were decent, if unspectacular.
I really like this, it's good some really chill groves and great songwriting.
It's a pretty easy going trip into the world of Jimi that is still being replicated today.
Like this a lot.
A bit thrash at times, a bit choking victim/leftover crack, MM, Rob Zombie. All served up with a frantic non stop energy. I guess they were pretty influenceial.
Not something I'll listen to a lot, but a great addition from the book.
Good silly fun.
I've never repeatedly gone back to the rock 'n' roll well and find it a bit boring on repeat listens. This album won't change my views, but find this album at the right age and I could see them being the kind of band that could define your youth.
Not all good albums need to be earnest, some just need songs about pizza or anus.
What can you say that hasn't already been said.
Slap base, math rock, lyrics about basketball, production at times that washes out the lyrics all without the key ingredient...soul.
I imagine the friends of this band ran out of excuses to not come to their gigs before they 'made it'.
Sampling catnip, with hallmarks of everything that should irk me. A vanity project by a self indulgent exec that was forced into the mainstream by putting themselves on film scores etc.
However, it's pretty decent, but as an album too listen to end to end, dare I say it...too much bongos.
