1001 Albums Summary

What a beautiful voice! Has not heard of dream pop as a genre before, but totally get how that perfectly describes this sound. I had the last track in my library already but didn’t connect the two, even when I saw this was the album for the day. Heard the last song as background music for a concert. Can’t remember if it was the U2 Joshua Tree anniversary tour or at Ohanafest.

As a long time fan of The Cure, I was embarrassed not to know this album already and excited to listen to it. I read that this album intentionally had a lot of instrumental openings to the songs and that the band had some specific musical experimentation going on with this album. I appreciated learning that The Cure was more punk before this record but was understanding that Robert Smith had a unique voice that they could apply to different sounds. I listened closely for the stripped down instrumentals. I felt like the first half of the album sounded more like The Cure I am most familiar with and the end got more punk, which was cool to hear. I don’t know that I would go back to this album though except for “In Your House.”

I had never listened to this album before. While I respect REM for their unique style and Michael Stipe’s unique voice, they never really resonated with me. My knowledge of their music is mostly limited to their mainstream hits. Before listening to Document today, I discovered that this album is a commentary on Reagan-era politics and policy. When I think of politically-driven full albums, my first thought is always Green Day’s American Idiot, although in the last month I learned of My Chemical Romance’s Black Parade. I also learned that Michael Stipe likes to use tone and music to express his ideas more than literal lyrics in song. I am a very lyric-forward listener, so this was a new way for me to think about listening to music. With all of that as context, I was excited to dive into Document. It did not disappoint. I felt myself listening intently and felt I was able to appreciate the story being told about a valuable (and, for me, relatable) point of view on a specific time in history. I knew “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) and “The One I Love” as part of pop culture history, but heard them in an entirely new way. Side-note: I found myself wondering whether Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” was influenced at all by “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine”).

I’m surprised how much I liked this album. It’s clear it is a 1970s vibe and I honestly enjoyed every song and the sequencing until the last track. It was so jarring to be engrossed in this music and then get thrown off. I thought I didn’t know this artist, but I knew three songs. “Without You” played in my house a lot as a little kid. I discovered “Coconut” my sophomore year of college and instantly loved it: Listening to this album, I found myself wondering if “Coconut” would have been a hit if it had been placed elsewhere in the record or on a different record. I feel like it got traction because it followed a Grammy-winning song and, back in the day, people listened to music by listening to an album all the way through. I also knew “Let the Good Times Roll.” I was really impressed with the vocals, instrumentals, and lyrics. Nilsson’s vocal range and creativity in writing were great. The first song made me think of The Beatles, but later tracks made me feel like Nilsson was bringing me along on an acid trip. Other moments made me feel like I was listening to a show tune or future sitcom theme song. The variety / range was really cool. My favorite track ended up being “The Moonbeam Song.” It just really struck me. I learned after listening that Nilsson is known for being famous without touring or doing other concerts. He was also a pioneer of vocal dubbing. He was friends with / worked with John Lennon and became an anti-gun activist after Lennon was killed.

I really tried to like this album, but it was like nails on a chalkboard for me. “King’s Cross” was decent, but that was it for me. “Rent” made me really sad. I think I am not a synth pop person and I find Pet Shop Boys very nasally. I appreciate their place in music history and how they have tackled social and political topics in their lyrics, but I will never listen to this again. For the record, I did challenge myself on my feelings about synth pop as a genre. I love Depeche Mode. I listened to some early DM after “Actually” and find that I prefer the darker, more minor sounds of DM as well as the vocals.

“Sex Packets” in title certainly made me curious to learn what was going on in this album. The style, content, and sound is classic 1990’s. The beats felt familiar and I liked all of the elements of funk woven through the tracks. I certainly knew “The Humpty Dance” as a big radio hit when I was in high school. Hearing it in the context of the larger album changed my understanding of it. I did not know that Humpty Hump was a character beyond that one song. And that creating this character was part of a larger imaginary story of pills you take to have the experience of sex without actually having sex. It’s an interesting reminder of how prevalent HIV and AIDS was at the time. While I don’t think I would listen to this record again, I appreciated the experience. The tracks kind of blended together for me and I didn’t connect with the lyrics personally, but I appreciated the humor and imagination and creativity of the storytelling.

It was an interesting listen that focussed me on the music and vocal since I didn’t understand the lyrics. My only experience with French music is Edith Piaf, so it was cool to hear another French legend. Brel’s voice was powerful and dramatic. I was surprised to learn how many other artists—especially David Bowie—were inspired by Brel.

I loved this album, but I love The Who, so there was probably some bias going into the listen. I did not know most of the songs on this record. I really liked “Substitute.” I enjoyed how interactive the band was with the audience. They were quite funny. But The Who is amazing because of their instrumental acumen (especially) Townsend) and Daltrey’s voice. I don’t know whether this is the right takeaway, but I think hearing live performances replayed is much more common and accessible than it was in 1970. There was a lot of hype around this being the most amazing live recording ever. I’m not sure that holds true over time now that there are so many live options to listen to, but I have a lot of respect for this body of work.

I went into this listening experience thinking that the Wilco album I heard in 1995 was their breakthrough record. I started listening to YHF and thought it sounded very experimental and must be one of their first bodies of work. Nope! I really loved YHF, but not right away. During the first track, I questioned Tweedy’s voice and whether it was on-key. I felt like some elementary school students had brought in empty glass bottles, pots, pans, and silverware from home to replicate instruments. But then each track drew me in. The lyrics were strong. The vocals seemed to quickly gain an identity and confidence. The music was more complicated, especially the percussion. I also felt like the band had nods to a variety of other groups, like The Beatles and Radiohead. Tracks 7-10 really hooked me, but the lead up to these deserve a lot of credit and another listen. And I want to go back to earlier Wilco albums and the 1995 one I knew and get a better feel for their larger library.

I had never heard of this band, nevermind this album. It was so strange that I really liked it. Some of the tracks are such beautiful melodies and then others sound so jarring with the minor keys and weird sounds and random lyrics. “In a Sydney Hotel” messed with my head because the lyrics and sounds were so disturbing. “The Sound of Someone You Love Who’s Going Away and It Doesn’t Matter” made me laugh with how accurately the music delivers the message of the title. It makes sense to me that the founding band member came up with the concept for the band and their music after hallucinating from food poisoning!

Enimem is so incredibly talented and one of the best artists out there, in my opinion. I remember when this album came out and how high my expectations were based on his previous work. While this record can be really hard to listen to at times, especially as a female, Eminem is playing a character much like an actor plays a part. The character is certainly drawing on his own life experiences though and this makes the album really painful and makes me empathetic to all the pressure and criticism Eminem was trying to navigate. His lyrics show a real vulnerability and anger that is covering significant pain, but he channels these into profound beats and words combined with his amazing voice and rap ability. This record will always be legendary to all, but to me personally as well.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard an album like this. I also have not listened to an album a second time because of how confused I was. I listened to this album twice because I felt like I couldn’t really wrap my head around it the first time. In my first listen, someone nearby asked me if I was listening to “‘It’s A Small World’ on acid” (it was “Never Never Land” ironically). And I actually was quite moved by “Sometimes I Don’t Know How to Feel” and instantly added it to my library. On the second listen, I still was torn between plugging my ears / skipping tracks and laughter in the first half(ish) of the album. Then hear the familiar “Ooh Baby Baby” and was again moved by “I Don’t Want to Tie You Down.” Those details aside, this album mostly didn’t resonate with me, but I could feel the joy, thoughtfulness, and creativity that seemed to have driven this album lyrically and musically. It got me thinking, challenged my ears and brain, and I loved the album cover art. For those reasons, I rated it pretty highly even though I didn’t love it.

Prince is just one of a kind. I am so sad I never got to see him in concert. Anyway, this album is quintessential Prince in my mind even though he had so many other records and a lot of people weren’t keen on this album because it was so different from Purple Rain. I love the power of this album in terms of Prince’s vocal range and just the sexy, cool style of the music. You can really feel him trying out new sounds. “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” is my favorite Prince song. Hearing that and the other singles from this album in context of the complete record was a cool listening experience. This album makes me want to sing and dance around.

This album surprised me. I’m usually skeptical of covers, but Cash really picked ones that fit him and his voice, stripped them down, and altered the arrangements to make them his own. I would definitely listen to this album again.

This album was very haunting given Cohen’s voice and the lyrical content. It didn’t feel like singing to me and more like someone was reading to me dramatically on several of the tracks. I went back to some of Cohen’s earlier work to see if he sounded the same and he mostly did, so the talk / sing thing is just his style. If I heard some of these songs in a mix with other artists, I would probably be into it because of the distinct sound, but I did not particularly enjoy hearing his songs back-to-back because they started to bleed together for me.

If someone asked me to write a soundtrack to a formulaic 1980’s movie—where there’s love, heartbreak, and some sort of fast driving scene of angst—this is what I would write. Despite being more lyrics first when listening to music, I found myself drawn into the music first on this record. The vocals felt kind of vanilla to me, but it was a fun listen for someone with vivid memories of and nostalgia for the 1980’s.

This is a classic Incubus album and such a time capsule of 90’s alt rock. I had major nostalgia listening to this one. Brandon Boyd’s signature voice is so good and the tracks on this record feel so cohesive and intentional. This is one of those albums where you can sit and listen straight through every time without wanting to skip any songs. The topics covered in the lyrics span a lot of complex topics, but the words themselves are fairly simple and straightforward, making their music and vocals really stand out.

I freaking love this album! I have never listened to a Fleetwood Mac album in full. I basically just know their greatest hits and some of Stevie’s solo work. This album felt pretty different from the Fleetwood Mac songs I know well, but their signature voices / sound / harmonies were all there. The lyrics are very strong on this record and I really connected with them, even after reading how they were a reflection of a lot of drama in the band at the time. It was interesting to hear so many tracks with rotating lead vocals. I don’t know if that was common on their other albums or not. “The Ledge”, “Sara”, “Beautiful Child” and “Walk a Thin Line” really stood out to me and all live in my playlist now. This album came out after Rumours and Buckingham intentionally wanted to go in a really different direction. Rumours was a mainstream hit, so I am going to go listen when I have time to see how it compares to Tusk.

Before listening to this album, I only knew Björk’s Debut and Post albums, with Post being one I have listened to a lot. Medúlla is quite a departure musically from those albums except for “Who Is It” which ended up being the track I am most likely to go back to. I love a capella and found Björk’s voice stripped down in that format was really fascinating. She had some cool collabs on this record and her lyrics stood out to me more without her usual electronica-style distracting me. “Where Is the Line?” and “Desired Constellation” really struck me, but other songs like “Ancestors” and “Miðvinudags” were a little too out there for me, even if I could appreciate their artistry. I want to give this album a 4 for technique and experimentalism and musical creativity, but I don’t know that I’d listen to it in total again, so I am giving it a 3.

This is a really chill, bluesy album that was an easy listen. I am not personally a fan of “I Shot the Sheriff” (Marley’s original version or Clapton’s cover), but the rest was really pretty and chill. I don’t think I would listen to this again actively, but rather as background music. I did add “Give Me Strength” and “Please Be With Me” to my library. I need to go listen to the originals of these songs.

Even though this album is only 35 minutes long, I did not make it all the way through. I got through half of “Damaged ll” and felt I did not want to hear more. I appreciate that this is an important record in punk music history, but punk is just not my taste.

I am already fluent in this album. I absolutely love it. I was introduced to Peter Gabriel’s music with his album after this, called Us. Us is one of my favorite albums of all time. So is solid, albeit more mainstream. Peter Gabriel’s voice is so special and I love how dramatic his music is and how wide his range of instrument usage is.

As soon as this album started, I wanted to be at a live show listening to this band sing these songs. I just really felt connected to the music and voice and even some of the words (the little bits I could understand). I was surprised to learn after my listen that this band actually uses a lot of samples (some borrowed, some created), which sort of ruined my image of what a live show would be! Like with some of the other albums on this one-a-day journey, not having lyrics that I could fully connect with pushed me to focus more on the music itself. The heavy rock guitar riffs were energizing and the classical bits were a surprising element that totally worked. The vocal was very unique and intense and full of feeling, so that really hit me, too. My favorite track was “Rue de tempêtes.”

I was a fan of New Order in high school and then learned in college that New Order was made up of the band members from Joy Division after their lead singer passed away. I remember Joy Division posters hanging in so many dorm rooms and I finally checked them out. This album is really strong and feels like early alternative music taking root. The lead vocal is so haunting and I connected lyrically with the songs as well. I was particularly drawn to “Insight” and “Shadowplay” but enjoyed the whole record. The opening music of “Disorder” clearly influenced The 1975’s “Give Yourself A Try” and “Come Undone” by Duran Duran feels like a nod to “New Dawn Fades.” The 1975 pay a partial royalty for their use of the guitar riff, but there is no documented connection for the Duran Duran song.

This is another band I had never heard of before and totally loved. The instrumentals are so powerful and really inspired. I wasn’t that moved by the lyrics, but the melodies made up for it. I found myself imagining David Bowie singing some of these songs. At moments, the lead singer’s voice reminded me of Mick Jagger, but the music was definitely nothing like The Rolling Stones. I want to drive down an open road really fast listening to this again.

People talk about the saxophone in Wham!’s “Careless Whisper” but “Sweetest Taboo” should get equal credit for a memorable use of sax! I’m not really a R&B fan, but I remember this album being huge. I do love Sade’s voice, but her Love Deluxe album is more of a standout to me. I was surprised by how sad / heavy a lot of the lyrics were on this album, especially “Sally.”

I don’t know many Beatles albums as much as their biggest hits. This record didn’t resonate with me. While you can definitely feel the signature Beatles vibe, it also felt a little disjointed to me at times. Maybe it was just too experimental in a way that wasn’t a fit for my taste.

It was hard to listen to this album without already feeling favorable towards it. I watched a Wu-Tang documentary last year and having so much context left me predisposed to appreciate and love this album. The number of different voices, mix of humor and dark lyrics, and the simplicity of the beats really make for a cool hip hop album that’s easy to listen to and get pumped up about. At moments, I felt like I was listening to A Tribe Called Quest, but I think it was just that effect of voices trading off different sections of the songs. That style almost makes it seem like voices are being literally thrown around a room and I like it.

I had not listened to a Nas album before. This is really easy to listen to. For a first album, it’s an impressive piece of work and feels much more experienced. Nas has a knack for lyrics, but the stories he is sharing through these tracks is very sad and hard. Amazingly, despite the curse words and tough lyrics, every song feels really smooth and soulful. I don’t listen to a lot of hip hop, but I would check out more albums from Nas and listen to this one again.

Maybe at the time this album came out it was more inventive / original, but I found it to be kind of generic. There were some decent lyrics on a handful of songs, but nothing really grabbed me and I kept thinking of some TV on the Radio songs that sound similar to me, yet more engaging. I could definitely listen to this as background music while doing chores or something. It’s not offensive or anything.

I loved this album! I had never heard of The Specials, but I found the songs to be really entertaining. “Man at C&A” felt a bit misplaced to me, but everything else flowed so well. “Enjoy Yourself” really hit home for me and I found “Sock It to ‘em J.B.” very creative. Some of the lyrics tackled some pretty heavy topics, but the whole album was really easy to listen to straight through lyrically, instrumentally, and vocally. I kind of felt like I was listening to what would happen if you blended The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and They Might Be Giants. I will definitely listen to this record again.

I discovered The Allman Brothers Band in college, had their greatest hits CD, and didn’t really listen again once I graduated. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Seeing The Allman Brothers Band live would have been amazing. I can only imagine what it would be like to see and hear all those guitar riffs! This album is solid. I must confess that I skipped the 32-minute “Mountain Jam” though. Their sound is so special and the way that they rock so hard while also being so bluesy is awesome.

I liked this album a lot more than I expected to. Certainly Stevie Wonder is a legend and so gifted musically in terms of his voice, writing, composing, and ability to play so many different instruments (without being able to have ever seen them!). I went into listening Talking Book obviously knowing the two major hits from the record. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” is a sweet song and I get the appeal, but I’m not personally moved by it. Having it open the album didn’t really draw me in, and the second track didn’t either. I thought I was just listening to a 70’s album from a great but that wasn’t really for me. But the fourth track forward really grabbed me. Of course “Superstition” is really special. I learned that Stevie did all of the vocals and instruments himself on this song. I would love to know how his brain came up with the arrangement. So cool. I ended up adding “Blame It On the Sun” (so sad, but so moving) and “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)” (such a solid way to close out the record).

It took me a minute to realize this is OMD and not an elaborately named band that I’ve never heard of. I had no idea that OMD stood for Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark. I had never heard of this album. The first three tracks felt like textbook 80’s synth-pop. They had good energy and the vocals reminded me of Depeche Mode at some moments and Erasure at others. Then, at Track 4, the album kind of lost me. “Sealand” felt too long and minor. And then the other songs that followed kind of blended together into one except for “Sacred Heart” which was pretty. I guess this album was the band’s exploration of religion and I give them credit for the choice of instruments and tones really leaning into that, especially creating the feel of an organ playing in a church on some of the songs. It just wasn’t for me though.

I thought it was going to be a little painful to get through the twanginess of this album, but I was pleasantly surprised. It felt like the twang really magnified the power of the vocals and lyrics and made the heartache. The harmonies were really beautiful. I had no idea Emmylou Harris was on this record. She is such a musical powerhouse as a solo artist and it was cool to hear her on these songs. “Hearts on Fire” was my favorite track by far, but it will rip your heart out so won’t necessarily be a go-to song for me on the reg. The most interesting part of this album for me was “Love Hurts” and seeing how many people have recorded it. I only knew the Nazareth version before. It turns out the Everly Brothers have the OG version 1960).

This is smooth Beatles harmonies, light lyrics, and clean simple arrangements through and through. I didn’t realize The Beatles were doing so many covers at the same time they were writing their own songs, but they did a good job picking covers to songs that really fit them already. I didn’t feel particularly drawn to any song or the album as a whole really, but it was easy on the ears and felt classy.

I have never heard an album like this and will not seek it out again, but I recognize the creativity that went into it. I must confess I felt like I was listening to something really theatrical that needed visuals and / or listening to minstrels in a Monty Python movie dancing along side the guys making fake horse trotting sounds. The storytelling and lyrics were deep, but too long for me for single tracks.

This is a solid album. I knew of this album in college because I was obsessed with Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville, but I didn’t really get into THE Rolling Stones until the past decade. Listening to this record, I just imagined all the stereotypes of what sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll going on as the wrote and recorded these songs. I am going to see if there is a documentary I can watch to test my hypothesis! Whatever the processes and / or influences the band members were under, the instruments are incredible and Mick Jagger’s voice is iconic for a reason. I loved the mix of rock and jazz and country and even gospel elements at the end. My favorite tracks were “Sweet Virginia” and “Shine A Light.”

This is definitely a legendary album given the success of “Rio” and “Hungry Like the Wolf” and Duran Duran really honing a defining sound. I love both of those songs and I think I enjoyed this album because most of the other songs sound very similar (except for the final track). Simon LeBon has a cool voice and this new wave sound really stood out at the time of its release. It was fun and upbeat to listen to this record, but I think I will only go back to the two classics from this one in terms of any additional listening.

I absolutely loved this album. It was so creative across the board. The lyrics told such imaginative stories, there was sadness and humor (“Jazz Police”) and reflection and it was just so beautiful. I really felt every track in my soul. I was surprised to hear a waltz, so that was fun. “Everybody Knows” is a regular go-to in my library already, but “I Can’t Forget” and “Tower of Song” are in there now, too. “First We Take Manhattan” was such a dramatic way to open and “Tower of Song” felt like a perfect bookend to it. Overall, I loved all the different styles of music that were used here. I loved the drama and some of the songs and sound of his voice made me think of Phantom of the Opera.

I struggled with this one. For most of the album, ai felt kind of lost because of the lack of structure, inability to understand the lyrics, and a sense that I was listening to a vinyl that had warped and sounded distorted. It’s clearly a very experimental approach and I certainly applaud trying new things. The band clearly has a distinct vibe, so I can see why this album is on this list. I did like “if i am” and “new you” and had an easier time with the back half of the record, but I don’t think I would come back for more.

I really liked this album. It could definitely be a go-to for listening to on repeat during a break-up. The lyrics are very strong and the contrast of the pain in her words and voice are in stark contrast to a lot of the pop and up-tempo instrumentals. I really only know Lorde for “Royals” (which was not a fave) and one other song from a more recent album. I would go back to this record though, especially “Supercuts” and “Perfect Places.”

This album is pretty good and left me feeling like I want to check out more Jay-Z records. I enjoyed how different each track felt and appreciated all the sampling. “The Takeover” was very strong and, in light of the albums we’ve had in this daily listen experience, noted that Nas and his Illmatic album were referenced and David Bowie’s “Fame” was brilliantly sampled. As an Eminem fan, “Renegade” was a cool play between the two artists. I liked the music and pace of “Hola Hovito” and felt “Never Change” and “Lyrical Exercise” particularly showcased Jay-Z’s skill and writing abilities.

ABBA is just pure fun. I realize some of their songs are actually sad or darkish lyrically, but their writing (to me at least) isn’t their core strength. Their vocals and harmonies are instantly recognizable and it’s hard not to dance and sing along when an ABBA song is playing. Like other artists with a large catalogue, I really only knew ABBA’s greatest hits. This album had “Dancing Queen” which I never tire of, but the rest of the tracks were fun, too. I love the fast-paced tempos and the slower songs are always so dramatic and made for a stage. “Tiger” made me laugh and “Arrival” was surprising and made me think of Enya. Overall, an enjoyable, easy listen.

I listened to this album three times in a row. It was so good. I loved the eclectic mix of sounds—one minute you’re listening to a dramatic soundscape, then mariachi, then jazz, then even some classical. It all flowed and felt so cohesive as an album though. Very special listening experience.

This album was very cool. I literally felt like Debbie Harry’s coolness was tangible. While this album had two huge hits for Blondie, I found myself most drawn to some of the other tracks that had more of a punk twist on doo-wop style songs from the 50’s and 60’s. I had a couple of moments where I felt like Billy Joe Armstrong must have been inspired the same way and / or listened to Blondie, too. This is just great music and such a unique tone of voice from the lead vocal.