Exactly the kind of album to start off the 1001 with. I was really getting into music in 2006 but I was only ever vaguely aware of this band until now. I definitely recognize their singles; the kind of thing that would appear in the same playlists as the Killers or Radiohead. The stylistic range of the album is certainly impressive, though I wouldn’t put it in the top thousand of all time. Probably top thousand of the year it was released. I’ll be sure to check out more of Muse’s back catalog.
This has always struck me as a quintessential follow-up album. It doesn’t hit as hard What’s Going On but it’s not supposed to.
Someone in a bar once asked me which band I thought was better: Radiohead or the Beatles. Easy, I said, the Beatles released multiple albums per year and revolutionized rock. We waited years for a new Radiohead album and all we got was In Rainbows. OK, that was a bit harsh, but in retrospect it really was a sign that the band had peaked. There are some solid tracks. “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi” is the big stand-out. It still feels like a gut punch all these years later. I’m adding a star just for that one.
I’m now 4-for-4 with albums that would not have occurred to me to put on a 1001 must-listen list. They’ve all been good, just not what I’d consider representative of their respective bands. Unlike previous albums this is my first time hearing any of these tracks. If I were to listen to an instrumental version of this album, without Ozzy’s distinctive voice to guide me, I doubt I’d be able to guess it’s Sabbath. It’s probably just my ignorance and my relatively young ears, but it sounds more like something I’d expect to hear at Woodstock than a civic auditorium. Nevertheless you can certainly hear the beginnings of metal’s defining sound forming here. Interesting little time capsule.
…did Zappa invent prog rock? Why didn’t I know this? Why is no one talking about this?
Now we’re talking. This is an album I would absolutely consider a must-hear.
Every single track on here is an anthem. “North American Scum” is perennially relevant to my life. This album felt like a revelation when it came out and I can’t even say it makes me feel nostalgic only because I still listen to many of its songs pretty often. The tone of each track varies widely, but there’s always driving beat tying it all together. Just enough cowbell. Bold to have a dirge dedicated to NYC as the closing track instead of the title song. Definitely a top 100 album, maybe even top 25.
Sex Pistols is one of those bands that was hugely influential but I don’t really find myself coming back to often. It’s been a looong time since I heard some of these tracks. Apparently they had a recent reunion.
I was kind of hesitant when I saw a live album by a band I was vaguely aware of but wow WOW. This rocks. How has Deep Purple never crossed my path before (except for Smoke on the Water — I have heard that before)? It wasn’t in my dad’s record collection. My friends didn’t talk about them. The music blogs and podcasts I have followed — nary a mention. Even classic rock stations don’t seem to have them in regular rotation. There is so much going on stylistically. They bring in the bluesy roots rock sound, but are also clearly pioneers of prog and metal and all the other directions rock has gone in. And man, these sick shreds were just what I needed today.
Another surprising inclusion on the 1001 list. There are some really good tracks and some really forgettable ones all sandwiched together. It’s at its best when it moves in new directions like incorporating EDM elements.
I have mixed feelings about pop punk, and Offspring in particular. Like, you’re from Orange County, what are you doing here? The 90’s and 00’s were over saturated with this stuff. But now in the fullness of time I can appreciate it more. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find myself nodding while listening to this.
I listened to this on the train ride home. Perfect vibe for watching the nighttime cityscape pass by. Not the kind of thing I would have sought out on my own.
People have been telling me I should listen to Fela Kuti. Those people were right.
Listening to an album that’s basically synonymous with depression and all I can think of is how carefree a tine the 90’s were.
You call yourself an indie head and you’ve never listened to Daydream Nation all the way thru? Pft, poseur.
Wow. Never heard nor heard of and haven’t even heard anything quite like it. Predominately what I guess you could call “guitar jazz” but with a lot of other elements and unique vocal style. Interesting discovery, thank you, 1001.
The garage rock revival at the turn of the millennium was one of my in-roads to getting into music in general. But by the time the Black Keys came onto my radar around the release of *Magic Potion* my interest had shifted toward bands that were pioneering new sounds. Now 2 decades on I can really listen to Black Keys on their own terms. Excellent album. It rocks.
Some of the greatest songs of all time along with some forgotten/forgettable ones.
Another band I’ve never heard of, another curious selection for the 1001. Not much stands out from others of the same genre. I’m sure some of these tracks will end up on my 80’s rock playlist eventually.
I’m much more familiar with the Cure’s later work, so this was a good opportunity to catch up on their older material. But as with other bands on here I’m surprised this album made the cut for the 1001 as it basically sounds like them still trying to find their sound. In particular I was surprised how instrumentally-focused this one was, since I usually associate the Cure with catchy lyrics.
Lounge jazz is not really something I seek out but it’s pleasant. I’m more interested in punchier jazz that makes liberal use of the brass section. But I listen to plenty of chill stuff so I get it.
I was wondering while listening why I was as familiar with Minor Threat as much as other major punk bands. To my surprise they didn’t stay together for very long and this was their only full album. Went out with a bang.
I’m not a metal guy. The typical vocal style just isn’t something I want to listen to. After finishing this album *my* throat feels sore. But there is a lot in the instrumental side of the genre I enjoy. “Fucking Hostile” and “Rise” have that hardcore punk type of fast tempo that I love. Some bits of other tracks remind me of other iconic metal tracks from the 90’s.
I never really paid much attention to Beck. I suppose because he was just such a staple of 90’s-00’s radio rock. This is a decent record but I don’t know if I’d placed it in the top 1001. But I’m not really in the mood for something like this today so it’s worth a relisten.
One of the most revolutionary albums ever. What more can I say?
There was a time when I was listening to a lot of classic soul. Should be more familiar with this one by now.
Crooner stuff is fun once in a while. A whole album of it puts me to sleep.
My first impression is mixed. There’s a lot here that comes off as cheesy and dated. There is quite a mix of different elements on several tracks that don’t seem to gel. Towards the end the album are a few tracks that drop the grandiosity and switch to a quiet acoustic folk sound which just works so much better. This is one of those albums that bears repeated listens. Those earlier tracks may grow on me.
Springsteen isn’t really my thing. I get the appeal, tho.
This album really calls into question how the criteria for inclusion are weighted on this list. As a synthpop fan so much of the music I love simply wouldn’t exist without Oxygene to pave the way. But it’s experimental and quite dated. All of the theremin and bloops and buzzes make it sound like 50’s scifi.
I’m so glad this one came up. It’s one of those classic albums I knew I ought to listen to and it set the mood for a rainy Friday Spring evening perfectly.
There was a lot of hype when this came out, being White’s debut solo album. Now that a significant amount of time has passed I don’t think it has quite hit classic status. Like a lot of first albums on the list, this one seems to be testing the waters. More of a sampler pack of styles and instrumentation but without anything really hooky to latch onto. At least, nothing that comes close to White Stripes in that regard.
Hell yeah. Another band I haven’t heard of before. Can’t go wrong with bluesy electric guitar.
It’s been a really long time since I last listened to this. Something I appreciate now is that it must have been pretty pioneering in really putting stereo to good use, sampled audio, and interstitial speaking segments.
I was wondering why I never listened to this album and now I see why. This is one of the most out of left field albums from any artists. Ambitious, and I’ll have to listen to it a few times before I can really form an opinion about it. Just not any time soon.
Here’s another artist I’ve never even heard of before. I was a bit skeptical at first. It can be overly earnest, especially the single from this album. But it won me over in the end. There’s a sort of classic sound about it. If I hadn’t seen the release date I would have just as easily believed it came out last year as 50 years ago.
Another 1001 revelation. Despite how much I listen to new wave and synthpop I never really looked into Simple Minds. I just knew them from their one US hit and left it at that. I will definitely be digging into their discography.
