Violator is a lean and mean synthpop powerhouse by a band reaching the height of their talent. There's no fat to trim here...this is a no skipper filled with emotive songs that hold up extremely well.
It's hard to believe so much amazing talent could be crammed into one album. I wonder if they knew how good this record was when they recorded it?
Lust for Life is an iconic record but for me its achievements are overshadowed by the fact that David Bowie penned most of it. For me it has the same sound and feel of Bowie's own Hansa Studio albums...in fact I don't feel we get a true Iggy Pop solo album until 1979's New Values.
Hard to see this as anything other than a cornerstone of grunge and the 90s itself. I was never a Pearl Jam fan but you can't deny the blueprint Ten provided for countless other bands.
Just as good in its own way as Dark Side of the Moon. Plus, it's David Gilmour's favorite record Pink Floyd made...that really says it all.
This album changed the zeitgeist in the 2000s by being a vision and sound that people didn't see coming. Is it a masterpiece? No. It's flawed, but still important because it offered an alternative to pre-packaged pop.
Having never heard this record before, imagine my surprise when I'm hearing its influences on Pulp, Portishead, Beck, and beyond. It's a spectacular album and this is exactly why I am doing this challenge.
Listening to New Forms in 2026 is not the same experience it was in 1997. Though it sounds very much of its time, you have to take stock of the musical landscape then. Drum and Bass was just emerging from techno, jungle, and bigbeat, and this record was heralded as one of the great albums of the new genre. Don't believe me? It won the Mercury Prize for best album in 97, beating OK Computer by Radiohead, Fat of the Land by The Prodigy, and Dig Your Own Hole by The Chemical Brothers. All arguably better albums in hindsight (and to many at the time as well). Regardless of your feelings on DnB as a genre, Roni Size captured lightning in a bottle with New Forms.
I was working at a mom and pop record store when this came out. I cannot understate how many people came in to buy this album. Race, gender, and social standing had no impact. Stankonia is a perfect example of how music is a language that connects us all. This is 10/10 storytelling using rap as a medium.
Private Dancer is a singles heavy album with a fair share of filler, including some cover songs of dubious quality. However, context is important, and the aforementioned singles are absolute smash hits that revitalized Turner's career and cemented her legacy as one of the all time greats. That being said, I've got zero tolerance for filler and it's reflected in my rating.
I was aware of Elbow but I honestly can't remember listening to them before this popped up as my next album. The Seldom Seen Kid is an absolutely phenomenal record with skillfully layered songs and and emotional punch. It will be getting plenty of rotation going forward!
There's something out there for everyone, and this avant-garde experience of a record proves that. It's a challenge to sit through, and that's from a fan of progressive and avant-garde music. Its unique qualities and willingness to break the conventional rules has to be why Dub Housing is in the 1001, because it was a chore for me.
Good: All killer, no filler
Bad: Lyrics are terrible
Regardless of the lyrical quality, Linkin Park are on the Mount Rushmore of nu metal and this record was a smash hit that helped define alternative heavy music in the 00s
This is a perfect example of a "what if?" album. The United States of America released an experimental, psychedelic rock album infused with electronics, showing they were pushing the envelope. Unfortunately they broke up almost immediately and what they could've done is lost to interpersonal issues within the band. All that said, the record is a little too cleanly produced for my tastes (especially for psychedelia), and the vocals are so-so, though I do see the reasoning for its inclusion in the 1001.
I remember this album taking a while to gain traction, which I noticed with surprise as a Moby fan. Thanks to brilliant post-release marketing via usage of tracks in commericals it exploded and became the massive crossover electronic smash we all know and love. Its blend of downtempo beats and traditional roots style samples make this one of the most accessible albums in electronic music for the uninitiated.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a perfect album. Not only is it probably Wilco's most accessible album, it's also a fan favorite of die-hard followers of the group. They take pop conventions and bend them to their will and that's no easy task.
As with much of Zeppelin's work, the blueprint of music in the decades to follow are readily apparent in Physical Graffiti. For me what sets this album apart is the quality of work, from start to finish...no easy feat in a double LP. Nevermind the fact that over half the songs are outtakes left off of previous records, the deep cuts on this record far exceed what most bands would count as the best work in their entire discography.
For me this one is a musical representation of what it felt like to grow up in the late cold war years...great freedom to explore but saddled with a feeling of apocalyptic dread. It's not their most complete work, but still an amazing record.
I understand this album is held in high regard, but I am not a fan of indulgent 20 and 30 minute long jam sessions...I don't care who the band is. This is just not for me.
It's a little too bright at clean for the old outlaw country fan in me, but there's no denying that The Eagles (and their friend Jackson Browne) struck California country rock gold here. The production is rock solid and this self-titled debut is a marvel in the world of debut records.
The Black Album may not be the favorite of die-hard fans, but it's not hated either. Metallica's transition from thrash to a more MTV friendly sound made them household names. Bob Rock's production, killer hooks, and zero filler introduced the band to a whole new audience that has carried them through to this day, whether the old school thrash fans like it or not.
While her cursive vocal delivery and sometimes crass descriptions normalizing infidelity, CTRL by SZA also gives a voice to a lot of women who lack confidence in themselves. SZA bravely wears her heart on her sleeve and there's a lot to be said about that. Add in an accomplished musical score and you've got an understandable entry into the 1001, even if it's not my favorite.
Gritty and raw...with a delivery like a right cross to the jaw. This is essential 90s rap.
Creedence was on of the most prolific bands of the late 60s and early 70s, and none of it was bloated with filler. Green River is no exception!
Without this record we might not have Wilco, The Black Crowes, The Jayhawks, Counting Crows and more. It sounds like it could've come out anytime in the last 5 decades, which is the definition of timeless.
Lou Reed wanted to switch things up after two albums and accidentally laid the foundation for shoegaze and countless indie rock bands. You may not appreciate his New York street poet delivery, but there's no denying the influence of this record.
I know there's talent here, and I understand that most of the progressive metal and technical metal I enjoy is based on a foundation of jazz. That being said, my enjoyment of the genre ends with the Local on the 8s circa 1993 Weather Channel.
Essential and highly influential post-punk record that paved that walked so that Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Godflesh, and Helmet could run.
This album blew my mind when it came out. Portishead had a secret weapon named Beth Gibbons that other trip hop bands didn't have.
Of all the really popular albums of the Britpop era, Elastica was one of the few that managed to create a record that still sounds fresh today. They had a sneer and swagger that other bands just didn't have.
I could listen to this album forever and still hear new things. The man is a sculptor of words.
An absolutely beautiful record with way too many words crammed into the verses.
Sounds like a haunting radio transmission from an alternate earth o e dimension over...like maybe you aren't supposed to be hearing it. It's a wildly influential record in industrial music, but not for casual listening, that's for sure.
Side 1 is about as good a prog rock can possibly be. Side 2 🤷♂️
Led Zeppelin III walked so that Led Zeppelin IV could run.
Though it wears the psychedelic rock of the USA and UK on its sleeve, the self-titled debut from Os Mutantes manages to infuse its own Brazilian tropicalia flair to create something new and fun.
If you can only listen to one Bob Dylan album, I'd say Blood on the Tracks would be a great candidate. It's a no skip record that captures the pure essence of Dylan.
