1001 Albums Summary

So, I decided to finally make use of the infamous "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list. The first album I roll is not only one that I've already heard, but was actually on my list of albums I need to revisit to properly rate. The universe wants to ease me in to becoming a full-time music snob, I guess. Soundgarden's "Superunknown" might be the most interesting grunge album I've ever listened to. I'm a sucker for less-common time signatures, and I these four guys are too. Almost every song on this album has something weird going on with the rhythm, and a lot of them have multiple time signature changes. Take the megahit "Black Hole Sun," for example. A regular song in 4/4, but with a guitar solo and outro in 9/8! "The Day I Tried to Live" constantly switches between 7/4 and 4/4 throughout its runtime. "Head Down" confuses the listener with constant 4/4 and 5/4 changes. My favorite track, "Spoonman," is in 4/4 and 7/4, and has a whole spoons solo in 3/4! Even ignoring the rhythmic complexity of this album, it's just good grunge. The guitars are heavy, and almost sludgy at times. There's lots of interesting sounds throughout, like the Mellotron on "Mailman" or, again, the spoons solo on "Spoonman." I really like the way they mix grunge with psychedelia on "Half," or how they go a little more punk on "Kickstand." However, this is not an album without its flaws. The songs can definitely blend together at times, especially during the last five tracks. Those last five tracks aren't bad, but when listening to the entire album, it really starts to drag there. The songs begin to blend together after a while, too. I think the album could've been just as good (or even better) if it was closer to 50 minutes rather than the 70 it is now. But that length could also be because this is a rock album released in the 90s, when bands were taking advantage of CDs to have longer albums. Overall, I think this is worth a listen, even if just for the rhythms. ----- #0001 Heard on: 11 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (72 / 323) Favorite track: Spoonman Least favorite track: Fresh Tendrils

I've seen a lot of people praising "Surrealistic Pillow" as one of the most underrated psychedelic rock albums. Personally? I don't care for it as much as I maybe should. I'm a fan of a lot of psychedelic music, so when I saw people hyping it up THIS much, I was pretty excited to listen to it. It sat on my list until today, when I rolled it on the 1001 albums generator. There are some good pop rock songs on here, such as "My Best Friend" and "Plastic Fantastic Lover." And the more folky songs such as "Comin' Back to Me" and "Embryonic Journey" are really beautiful. But when it comes to the "main attractions" of this album, the psychedelic rock, I was just left wanting more. They felt a little plain. This was my introduction to Jefferson Airplane, so I could be wrong about this, but it seems they're much better at folk rock than psychedelic rock. I'm definitely curious to hear what else they put out, though I can't guarantee I would love it. I think this is a decent album, but one of the most underrated psych albums? Maybe not. ----- #0002 Heard on: 14 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (171 / 324) Favorite track: Comin' Back to Me Least favorite track: She Has Funny Cars

I'm not a fan of downtempo or ambient music, so when I rolled "Moon Safari" from the 1001 album list, I was worried I wouldn't like it. But at the same time, I was excited! I had never heard of AIR, and this would be the first album off the list that I've never heard of before. Once I heard the soft-yet-funky groove of the opening track, "La Femme D'Argent," I thought, "What was I afraid of? This is great!" The synths aren't over the top, and the electronic elements are merged really nicely with the real instruments. The rain sounds really set the tone for the album. This was a nice, relaxed listen. But as the first half of the album came to a close with "Talisman," I started to wonder if my initial fear wasn't so irrational after all. The songs really began to blend together; they almost felt repetitive. I felt that some of the songs, such as "All I Need," really overstayed their welcome. I found myself beginning to get bored. I would argue all the better songs (with the exception of the closer) are on the first half of the album. "Le Voyage de Pénélope" was a great way to close the album, but most of the songs before it just weren't interesting to me. It's a nice album to relax to, and it's a very easy listen. Maybe if I was more of a fan of ambient music, I would've enjoyed this album more. But it's not for me. ----- #0003 Heard on: 15 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (194 / 325) Favorite track: Le Voyage de Pénélope Least favorite track: All I Need - ft. Beth Hirsch

I knew Garbage was Butch Vig's band, so I was pretty excited to listen to this album. I loved The Smashing Pumpkin's "Siamese Dream" and Nirvana's "Nevermind," both of which Vig had previously produced. I had also heard that this album was really good! And I don't think people were wrong about that. Listen, I'm a fan of pop music. Okay, maybe not the "TikTokified" generic stuff from the last 6 years. And not the EDM in the 2010s or a lot of 80s synthpop or... Maybe I don't like pop PRODUCTION per se, but some pop songwriting can be really good. And that's what Garbage does here. The songs are noisy and raw. They use a lot of weird sounds and heavy fuzz. But it's still pop at its core. The melodies and riffs are catchy, the songs are easy to digest, but it still is chaotic. Maybe a good comparison is Weezer's "Pinkerton," though Garbage is not nearly as socially awkward. However, like a lot of 90s rock albums, I feel like it could've been better if it was 5-10 minutes shorter. Not every album needs filler to reach an hour in runtime. Some albums are perfect at 40, 30, or even 20 minutes. Had the band decided to cut just two songs before releasing the album, I think it would be fine. But the songs blend together after a while. Admittedly, I was really busy yesterday when I heard this album, hence why I'm writing and publishing this review today. I definitely owe this album a proper listen. But from what I got out of it, this is a great alternative rock album. ----- #0004 Heard on: 16 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (87 / 326) Favorite track: Only Happy When It Rains Least favorite track: Dog New Tricks

I enjoyed this album a lot more than I was originally expecting to. I'm not the biggest fan of hip-hop. It's not that I DON'T like it, but there's usually a lot of things I'd want to listen to more than a hip-hop album. And this one doesn't even have any lyrics! But even with all of that in mind, I still like this album. I love the way the samples move around each other and create really interesting grooves. Everything is layered in just the right way, and I love how DJ Shadow introduces new elements to progress the songs. Some tracks also just evoke certain moods in a way I can't really describe. "Stem / Long Stem - Medley" personally hit me hard, relating to ongoing events in my life. Is it a coincidence that the album generator gave me "Endtroducing....." right when I'm dealing with these things? Is it a coincidence that this is ALSO the day after the album turned 30? We'll never know. My one complaint with this album is that the songs are very long for what they are. If they progressed more throughout, I wouldn't have a problem with it. But because some of the longer tracks don't have very much movement, they get kinda boring halfway through. Very good album nonetheless, and one I will probably be returning to. ----- #0005 Heard on: 17 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (60 / 327) Favorite track: The Number Song Least favorite track: Napalm Brain / Scatter Brain

I don't have much to say about "Beggars Banquet" other than the fact that these are well-crafted songs. At its best, you get "Sympathy for the Devil," which is a crazy jam and definitely my new favorite song from The Stones. While no other song on the album is quite as good as "Sympathy," there are still some great ones here. "No Expectations" and "Stray Cat Blues" are very much the type of songs I hear in my head when I think of The Rolling Stones. However, there are some songs that are just plain boring. Either they sound like worse versions of other songs on the album, are longer than they need to be, or just aren't as good as anything else here. For example "Parachute Woman" and "Prodigal Son," which almost completely lost my interest until they were over. TL;DR: Very hit-or-miss tracklist. Great when it's good, boring when it's not. ----- #0006 Heard on: 18 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (86 / 328) Favorite track: Sympathy for the Devil Least favorite track: Parachute Woman

Having heard my fair share of Springsteen through various sources, I was not excited for this album. I did like it more than I expected to (not every song was as bad as the hits "Born in the U.S.A." and "Glory Days"), but it still wasn't great. Every song on this album sounds the same, and they all follow very similar structure. It doesn't help that it's a genre and production style that I already don't like. "I'm On Fire" was at least interesting to listen to. I also just don't like Springsteen's voice. When he sings softer it can sound like he's mumbling. When he sings louder, it can be very monotone, and his voice a little scratchy. And whoever produced this refuses to take the delay off his vocals! I don't like this album. Obviously a lot of people do, but I personally wouldn't recommend it to a friend or anything. ----- #0007 Heard on: 21 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (268 / 329) Favorite track: I'm On Fire Least favorite track: Born in the U.S.A.

Today the 1001 album generator blessed me with a listen of "Pet Sounds." I had heard this album twice before already, and both times just couldn't seem to understand it. I like "SMiLE" (or rather, "The Smile Sessions"), but I'm just not a "Pet Sounds" fan. Until today. Since starting this 1001 album reviewing journey a week-or-so ago, I've always kept a real-time log of my thoughts on the album. I then use those as a basis for the final review. They're also just fun things to archive for when I finish the journey. In the case of this album, and how I went from not understanding it to giving it a 5 star rating, I think those notes are better than this review would be. So here are some excerpts from the notes: ----- # 07:28 (Before listening) I've heard this album twice before. It's so close to being good, but for some reason I just can't get into it. (Started listening at 07:31) # 07:33 Honestly, ["You Still Believe in Me"] could be a "Pinkerton" B-side if you made it power pop. # 07:39 Well, SOMETHING clicked. This is genius!! The songwriting is absolutely incredible, the arrangements are beautiful, the harmonies are perfectly executed, the melodies are so natural they sound like they've existed for hundreds of years... how did I not get this before??? # 07:46 Dude???? "Let's Go Away for a While" might be the most beautiful arrangement of all time??????????? I'm so sorry to these guys for not liking their album before... I get it now!! # 07:58 I'm really not great at reviewing music, because all I can say about these songs is that they're unbelievably good. # 08:09 (After listening) It's rare that I'm begging for one more song after an album ends. But here I am thinking, "Why is this already over? Couldn't they have added more?" But perhaps that's part of the beauty of this album. Considering the topic of "love" is present in almost all of these songs, maybe The Beach Boys wanted to show that... actually I have no idea where I'm going with this. I used up all the cells in my brain for that thought. Maybe part of that is because I feel I can relate to some of the stuff said here. That's definitely a bit embarrassing to admit at all, let alone in an ALBUM REVIEW.. but it's true. Plus, it contributed to my enjoyment of the album, so it must be said, right? ----- That last bit pretty much sums up my thoughts. It says almost everything I'd want to say about this album. It really is nearly perfect. Despite that, when it comes to The Beach Boys vs. The Beatles, I'm still always siding with the latter. :) ----- #0008 Heard on: 22 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ (9 / 329) Favorite track: God Only Knows Least favorite track: Pet Sounds

I've been hearing "Blister in the Sun"---and the occasional "Gone Daddy Gone"---on the radio my entire life. But those were the ONLY two songs I knew from Violent Femmes. And I couldn't decide whether I liked those two songs or not. Whatever the case, they were certainly interesting to listen to and VERY unique. So when ye olde album generator spat this out, I was excited. And, in the end, I think my thoughts towards those two songs sum up my feelings toward the entire album. On one hand, you've got the bizarre combination of folk and punk, two things that I'd never imagine would go together. You have the unconventional structure of songs on the A side, and the catchy pop songs on the B side. And through it all, pure honesty. But sometimes honesty can hurt you. The lyrics on this album are incredibly personal. At times they're quite vulgar. Some may call them childish. While I don't mind them TOO much, I don't usually LOVE such things in the music I listen to. The vocals are, again, unique, while still being good. But there are times where they get a little screechy or monotone or [insert other negative quality]. But that's the risk of trying to do something new. In this case, I think the good outweighs the bad, if you can even call any of it "bad." It's just not a perfect album, and that's what makes it perfect. ----- #0009 Heard on: 23 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (99 / 330) Favorite track: Gone Daddy Gone Least favorite track: Confessions

The album generator is not real. Almost every album it's given me this far has somehow been the perfect album for what I'm feeling. Today it gave me Stevie Wonder's "Fulfillingness' First Finale." What was I doing last night? Learning "Too High" on a Rhodes. This morning I listened to "Songs in the Key of Life" while driving somewhere. Now I'm not the biggest fan of soul, but I've always liked Stevie Wonder. So because of all of that, I think this was a great album to listen to today. And a great album it is. This album has the classic blend of soul and funk that Stevie Wonder excels at. Smooth chord progressions, gospel choirs, synths, all that fun stuff. The lyrics are uplifting when you want them to be, relatable when you need them to be, and always poetic as ever. It's complex while still being easy to listen to. The one problem with this album is me. No matter how hard I try, I just can't FULLY get into soul. When this album slows down too much, I end up losing interest. Something something "music is subjective" yada yada, you get the point. Great album. Fun listen. It's Stevie Wonder, what do you expect? ----- #0010 Heard on: 24 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (81 / 331) Favorite track: You Haven't Done Nothin' Least favorite track: Creepin'

When I saw this appear on the website I audibly went "heck yeah!!" This album has been one of my favorites ever since the first time I heard it. It's among some of the best alternative rock I've heard so far, only beaten by Radiohead's "OK Computer" and Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged in New York." The songs here are simple but still amazing, comparable maybe to bands like The Kinks in the late 60's. Well-written pop songs across a few different genres, with the occasional weird chord or instrument thrown in. That's certainly true of "Elephant." Just with early-00's distorted guitars. Jack and Meg White never added too much to a song. They gave it all that it needed, and then let it speak for itself. I also just love how much cool stuff there is on here. The harmonies on "There's No Home for You Here," the organ (and really the entire of) "In the Cold, Cold Night," the spoken-word intro to "Little Acorns," the silly closer that is "It's True That We Love One Another," etc etc. Definitely a good listen for fans of alt rock. ----- #0011 Heard on: 25 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (25 / 331) Favorite track: There's No Home for You Here Least favorite track: The Air Near My Fingers

I was supposed to listen to this album yesterday, but never got to it. I think that's because I heard this album for the first time recently, and didn't really enjoy it too much. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. And after a second listen thanks to the album generator, I don't think my opinion has changed much. I'll preface this by saying I already don't love pop punk. So I wasn't expecting to enjoy a whole hour of it. The songs really just blend together (the deluxe version literally merging half the tracklist doesn't help). It feels very repetitive at times. There are some cool moments, though, such as the coda of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and the intro to "Extraordinary Girl." I also don't love the lyrics. Maybe I'm not emo enough for this album, but they just come across as cheesy most of the time. And that's without mentioning Billie Joe Armstrong's apparent obsession with a certain slur. Meh. Listen to it if you like pop punk, otherwise it's just okay. ----- #0012 Heard on: 29 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (182 / 332) Favorite track: Extraordinary Girl Least favorite track: Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Unbelievably boring album. I'm sorry. I don't even have much else to say besides that. In order to give this review any sort of substance, I've decided to post all the notes I made while listening to this album. It really shows how I completely lost interest. ----- # 12:14 (Before listening) Now that I've reviewed Green Day's "American Idiot" (the album I was supposed to listen to yesterday), I can get to today's album. I've never heard of these guys or any of these songs. Is this just gonna be Beastie Boys 2.0 or..... (Started listening at 12:15) # 12:21 I guess it's alright. It's nothing too special. Probably not anything I'd ever go out of my way to listen to, but it's on I won't turn it off. # 12:28 "Scooby Snacks" is good. It actually has stuff going on. Every other song so far has just been really boring. There's just nothing happening in this album. # 12:35 I genuinely have nothing to say about this album it's just so incredib- WHY IS THERE A FREE BIRD SAMPLE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!? :sob: :sob: :sob: # 12:38 I am literally falling asleep to this; it is so incredibly boring. Getting up at 6am this morning has nothing to do with that, I'm sure. We're halfway done, at least. # 12:41 "I Can't Get With That" at least has a nice vibe, and I like the guitar solo. # 12:52 ok so i actually turned down spotify to listen to a new song from someone i actually like but we back "Bear Hug" is cool because it's not so slow and boring, but it still isn't doing very much at all. # 12:57 "its always been you, its always been IN you..." dude youre making me uncomfortable back AWAY from the microphone and STOP whispering # 13:01 Last song!! I have so little to say about this album that I think I'm just gonna post my notes as my "review" and call it a day. ----- Heard on: 29 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (277 / 333) Favorite track: Scooby Snacks Least favorite track: Smoke 'Em

I honestly don't have much to say about this one. It's some nice soul, albeit less interesting than a lot of other stuff I've heard. I like how a lot of the songs have some weird sounds on them. "Sparkle City" is an example of how funky you can get while still being laid-back. "XL-30" has got some cool organs, and it's in 7/4. The problem I have with this album is that it feels pretty repetitive. I feel like there could've been more movement in the songs. Not to mention the second side, which is almost entirely slower instrumentals. I haven't done too much research on Shuggie Otis, but I can tell that the talent is there. Maybe he'll have a different album that I'd like. But this one just isn't it. It's alright. ----- #0014 Heard on: 30 Sep. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (172 / 334) Favorite track: Sparkle City Least favorite track: Pling!

Okay, I can't lie, I never know "how to listen to hip hop." I might like an album, but I'm not really sure why. When it comes to other hip hop albums that I've already heard and already like, it usually comes down to the beats. I know lyrics are the main focus of rap, but to be honest I don't often pay attention to lyrics in music at all. Unless they're really bad, that is. Also important to note is that I'm just not a huge fan of hip hop in general. With that being said, I think this album was pretty boring. The songs all kinda sounded the same, and it felt like he was repeating the same stories and topics over and over throughout them. It also just kinda went on longer than I think it should have. Is this worth a listen? Ask a hip hop fan, not me. ----- #0015 Heard on: 1 Oct. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (239 / 335) Favorite track: Me Against the World Least favorite track: Can U Get Away

Being familiar with Franz Ferdinand's one hit, "Take Me Out," I knew what to expect going into this album. I like "Take Me Out," but if it's the band's only hit, surely the rest of the album is gonna be mid at best, right? After all, I've heard a bit of The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, and don't seem to like them, either. The opener, "Jacqueline," really wasn't what I was expecting. A calmer acoustic intro before going fully into the song. And it's a good song at that. Nothing like what I've heard from the aforementioned bands of a similar genre. The second song, "Tell Her Tonight," is even better. It felt like Talking Heads if they got their start 30 years later, when all the indie bands were imitating punk instead of inventing it. "Take Me Out" is good, too, though I've heard that song at least 1,000 times already. "The Dark of the Matinée" is where things started to take a turn for the worse. That song felt like something off of AM, an album that I actively dislike. Other than the tempo/time change towards the end, it just felt generic. And, unfortunately, that goes for most of the following tracks, too. There were some cool things happening, but they were infrequent and spread out across already boring songs. So, was my initial assumption correct? I think so. It's an okay album---one you might like if you like the hit single. ----- #0016 Heard on: 2 Oct. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (183 / 336) Favorite track: Tell Her Tonight Least favorite track: The Dark of the Matinée

"Maggot Brain" is the first funk album I've ever listened to (unless you count Talking Heads), and man was I missing out. This album is incredible! The layering is perfect, referring to both the instruments and the vocals. The songs are catchy and groovy. I love the way they blend psychedelic rock in there, and even a bit of hard rock. The only thing I don't like is that the title track and "Wars of Armageddon" are a little long for my liking. But I am a Pink Floyd fan, and the title track sounds a lot like an interlude they would've written, so I'd imagine it's an acquired taste. I don't like the fart sounds on "Wars of Armageddon," though. Once again I don't have much to say other than: this is a great album. ----- #0017 Heard on: 5 Oct. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (59 / 337) Favorite track: Hit It and Quit It Least favorite track: Maggot Brain

Unfortunately, I was pretty busy while listening to this and more or less completely zoned out. I did get enough to write a very general review, but I'll definitely need to be revisiting this album later. I like the mix of synths and guitars. It reminds me a little bit of The Cure. That's a band that I wouldn't think I'd like, but I do. It's a similar thing here. Unfortunately, I don't love a lot of the lyrics here. They feel poorly written at times. The songs also just kinda feel repetitive at times. My main problem though is his voice. It's very raspy and monotone, and it just doesn't fit these songs. Again, my opinion on this album could change drastically if and when I relisten to it. But for now, it's just okay. ----- #0018 Heard on: 6 Oct. 2026 Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (189 / 338) Favorite track: Pretty in Pink Least favorite track: I Wanna Sleep With You

"Please! Not another Bruce Springsteen album! Not today!" Such was my reaction when the album generator gave me "Born to Run." Having listened to "Born in the U.S.A." a few days earlier (man, this guy really likes being born), I was not looking forward to this album. While I wouldn't necessarily say I liked it, it is definitely significantly better than "Born in the U.S.A." I like the piano all over this album, and the bass does some interesting stuff too. I also actually like Springsteen's voice here, which couldn't be said about the other album. But besides some songs having one or two added and/or missing elements, the rest of the album was just not very interesting. To my ears, the songs still sound the same. They also are using way too much echo on everything, which I guess is foreshadowing "Born in the U.S.A." sounding like it was recorded in a power plant cooling tower. I know the title track is a hit for a reason, but that definitely was my least favorite song here. I went into this album expecting it to be the title track 8 times in a row, and I'm glad I was wrong. There's still three more Springsteen albums on the 1001 albums list, so maybe I'll be surprised again in the future. If, gun to my head, I had to recommend a Springsteen album, I would undoubtedly say this over "Born in the U.S.A." ----- #0019 Heard on: 7 Oct. 2026 Rating: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ (250 / 339) Favorite track: Jungleland Least favorite track: Born to Run