1001 Albums Summary

Wonderful album. Simultaneously beautiful, funky, and a little weird. Standout tracks: "Too High", "Living for the City", "Higher Ground", and "Jesus Children of America".

Conflicting feelings on this one. On one hand, Lauryn's performance and lyrics are near flawless, the production and beats so on-point, and the hooks strong. However, this album suffers from bloat and could have done well with more editing. Around half way through, listening to it started to feel like a chore. Many of the songs become repetitive after a few minutes, but are often stretched over 4-5 minutes, and are capped by 40-60 second interludes that tie the overarching theme together but feel tedious. Highlights: "To Zion", "Doo Wop (That Thing)", "Everything Is Everything".

I was in high school when Eminem first blew up, but I could not stand him at the time. Now, a quarter century later, I have developed a lot of respect for the man as an artist. There's a reason why this album was so overplayed back in the early 2000s. Em's lyrical cleverness is at times jaw dropping. And his delivery/performance of said lyrics is at times playful and energetic, and other times harsh and venomous. Brilliant record if you can put aside your feelings about what he's actually rapping about. Highlights: "Stan", "The Way I Am", and "Kill You".

I was only familiar with the singles from this album - which I generally have enjoyed, but overall it's a good listen. Great production, interesting and fun songs, and deeply creative. Highlights: "Where It's At", "Sissyneck", "Devil's Haircut"

Probably one the only Stones albums that has more good/great songs than average/bad songs. When this one hits, it really is remarkable how enjoyable it is. Highlights: "Brown Sugar", "Can't You Hear Me Knocking", "Bitch"

Not my favorite Beasties album, but still a solid record that has produced some great tracks, fun wordplay, laid over funky and rocking samples. There's no mistaking the East Coast vibe. Highlights: "Shake Your Rump", "Hey Ladies", "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun"

Definitely not my cup of tea, but that doesn't take away from the talent on display. Christina's voice is incredibly powerful and dynamic. The album's production has razor precision. Overall, I didn't gel with the songs, but I have a lot of respect for the execution. Highlights: "Walk Away", "Fighter", "Impossible"